Chapter 38: A Godlike Spendthrift (1)

A few days later, Ye Lang resumed his usual routine, shuttling between the Ye residence and the Royal Academy as if nothing had changed. Yet most people now knew that the tigress girl who had always accompanied him had been granted her freedom and sent back to her family.

At the time, many lamented Ye Lang's decision. The tigress girl, with her petite and adorable figure, was considered a rare gem among the tiger tribe and the ideal female slave in the eyes of countless men. This boy was truly wasting a treasure. My beloved Taiya—never to be seen again.

Wait a minute, some suddenly realized—if this boy sent her away, didn't that mean there was now a chance for them? Before, as Ye Lang's female slave, she was unattainable, but now, however slim, an opportunity had emerged.

Neither Ye Lang nor the tigress girl had ever noticed this situation; neither knew that her popularity far exceeded his own.

Of course, these hopefuls would later discover that their chances were, in fact, absolutely zero.

After this, no one ever saw anyone else at Ye Lang's side replacing the tigress girl's role—neither at home nor at the academy.

Long Anqi had tried to arrange other maids to look after Ye Lang, but he refused them outright, saying he needed no one to care for him and could manage perfectly well on his own. This was also a promise he had made to the tigress girl: that he would learn to take care of himself.

At first, Long Anqi thought this would be temporary, that his refusal was simply the result of losing his longtime companion, and that eventually he would relent—at the very least, not be so blunt. In her eyes, Ye Lang had always been the pampered young master, used to having everything done for him.

Yet she soon realized how mistaken she was—gravely mistaken. Not only could Ye Lang get by without anyone’s help, but he also looked after himself astonishingly well—so well that it defied belief.

This puzzled many. How could a young master who never had to fend for himself suddenly become so self-sufficient, requiring no assistance at all?

Of course, his methods were rather unorthodox.

To begin with, he handled chores like cleaning rooms and laundry by using alchemical arrays, which made everything instantly spotless. The process would sometimes emit strange lights, leading people to believe something extraordinary was happening. Once they learned the truth, they could only shake their heads and laugh. Over time, they grew used to such oddities.

Secondly, he was something of a spendthrift, frequently dining out and spending lavishly. Were it not for his desire to preserve the estate, he might have even torn down and rebuilt the house, throwing away anything old or dirty to buy something new.

Still, peculiar as it was, he managed perfectly well on his own and needed no one’s care. After all, even without these quirks, he was more than capable—he’d been an ordinary person in his "previous life," having cared for himself for countless years.

That’s not to say life was entirely without its small troubles after the tigress girl left—

“Hey, isn’t this the thirteenth young master of the Ye family?” On the academy path, a young noble, flanked by a group of companions and wielding an impressively handsome greatsword, blocked Ye Lang’s way.

“Hello,” Ye Lang greeted the group with courteous composure. “May I help you with something?”

“No particular reason—just felt like beating you up,” the noble said, striking a pose he clearly thought dashing as he flicked his greatsword.

“Why do you want to beat me? Have I offended you in some way?” Ye Lang asked, genuinely puzzled. This was not an act; he was simply slow to react in such matters, little different from how the old thirteenth young master used to be, unable to fathom what the other party wanted.

“Yes, you have offended us,” the noble teased.

“Oh, in that case, please accept my apology,” Ye Lang replied offhandedly, then continued walking forward, his head bowed as if cowed by them.

Those who knew him realized that he was simply lost in thought, pondering some alchemical problem as he did every day. If you asked him later, he might not even recall being stopped or having exchanged words with anyone.

“Uh…” The young nobles froze, unsure how to proceed. None had expected Ye Lang to react like this.

“Stop right there! You think you can just say sorry and walk away? I’ll tell you, now that Taiya isn’t with you, I can beat you up whenever I like. Don’t think being the thirteenth young master of the Ye family makes you special. Trash will always be trash!” The noble darted in front of Ye Lang, pointing at him and shouting.

“Oh, I see. So you’re jealous of my status—and you never dared lay a finger on me before because you couldn’t best the tigress girl at my side,” Ye Lang replied, halting and looking at the young man before him.

The noble's face flushed with embarrassment as the truth was laid bare. They had indeed refrained from targeting Ye Lang for fear of the tigress girl’s strength—he was one of those people, though not one of the sharpest.

If he had any sense, he’d know that just because she was gone, it didn’t mean he could now do as he pleased with Ye Lang.

Why?

“Hey, you’d better run while you can, or things will get ugly for you,” Ye Lang advised the group. Before they could respond, he added, “Don’t think I’m mocking you. I’m just too kind-hearted to want to see anyone get hurt.”

“Nonsense! The one who’s going to suffer is you! You’re the one who’ll get hurt!” the noble shouted back, utterly oblivious to danger—foolhardy, as most would say.

“Oh? Bullying Ye Lang, are you? Is it so hot out today you’re looking for a little cold relief?” At that moment, a passerby—who happened to be Ye Lang’s classmate—walked by.

“What’s this about heat and cold?” the noble asked, confused—until realization dawned.

“Ice Arrow!”

A voice rang out, and a flash of blue light struck the noble, giving him an immediate understanding of what “cold relief” meant.

“You think I’m dead? How dare you bully my brother!” Ye Lanyu appeared before them, her expression frosty as ice.

Indeed, even without the tigress girl, Ye Lang still had Ye Lanyu. Anyone who dared lay a finger on him would have to face her Ice Arrow first.