Yao Lingyan turned back to face Chu Fan. She pinched his cheeks and asked him a question.
"Darling, why does she call you her tubby?"
Chu Fan dared not struggle.
"Hehehe. Ow! Ow! Ow! I can explain! Let me explain!"
Yao Lingyan loosened her grip on his cheeks and backed away.
"Humph! I better get a dammed good explanation of this."
Hun Lian walked over and caressed Chu Fan's sore cheeks.
"Aiyoo! Tubby, why do you allow this pretty boy to hurt you? Just fight back."
Yao Lingyan's face turned red from anger, she pointed her finger at the two.
"Y-You! Is this the reason why you came back a month early? To court others and forget all about me? And you, stop rubbing his cheeks right now!"
Hun Lian spared paid no attention to the other party.
"Hmph, what's it to you what I do to my tubby? Might you have a feelings for him as a man?"
She knew about Yao Lingyan's true identity but wanted to use this against her. This angered Yao Lingyan very much. In an effort to keep her true identity a secret, she could only grit her teeth and take the insult. She turned to Chu Fan with a look that shot death beams at him, causing him to get goosebumps.
"Y-You two adulterers! How dare you be so insolent!? Chu Fan why aren't you doing anything? Haven't you got anything to say right now?"
Hun Lian hugged Chu Fan tightly forcing tears out of her doe eyes like little diamonds: precious to all who bear witness to their presence.
"Wuwu! Chu Fan, this ferocious and scary chap is so rude and mean to me. First he pinches your cheeks and then yells at me for taking care of you. Make him go away."
He didn't know what to do, he merely shrugged his shoulders as Hun Lian buried her into his shoulder like an infant would do to their parent, seeking shelter.
"Hehe, now now. Can't you both get along? I'm sure if it weren't for this, the both of you would probably be the best of friends. Yao Lingyan, are you willing to apologize for your over-reaction. And Hun Lian, please apologize for your teasing. Yao Lingyan is on the verge of tears as it is."
Hun Lian turned around to see that Yao Lingyan was rubbing her eyes and sniffling. She let go of Chu Fan and stared at the crying girl. For a brief moment, she actually pitied Yao Lingyan.
"Who's crying? Why would I need to cry?"
Hun Lian walked over and patted Yao Lingyan on the head.
"If Chu Fan tells me to do it I'll apologize. I guess I really took it too far today. I'm sorry!"
Yao Lingyan was taken aback by the proud and mischievous daughter of the sect. Even as a princess, she was powerless when it came to making such a person follow her command. And yet, this fat chef of a commoner background was able to make her comply, Yao Lingyan was not wrong in her choice of future husband.
"Mm! I'm sorry also. I'm not mad at you Hun Lian. I'm mad at the man next to you."
She pointed her right hand at the fatty next to Hun Lian who was currently grinning. Hun Lian then realized that the true primer for such an explosive environment was in fact Chu Fan and his past actions with both of them. Anger began to well in both of them as they felt that he had taken advantage of both of them
"Crap! It's not over yet! I've escaped a pit of snakes only to enter the tiger's den." he thought to himself.
It was not over by a long shot. He had merely stopped the arguments between the two girls, not the mixed feelings they had about him. They both eyed him like a pair of hawks ready to swoop down and attack. Smiling with a hint of madness, they both approached him slowly while popping their knuckles.
"Chu Fan, could you please explain the nature of your relationships with us?"
He got on his knees and begged the two girls.
"Wait! Can we at least wait until the event is over. I promise I'll give you both a proper explanation."
The two girls looked at each other and nodded. This was a reasonable explanation, it was not wise to make such a scene at a joyous occasion celebrating Hallmaster Chen Si's success. Plus, they couldn't have the whole sect knowing that Chu Fan was capable of making them both simultaneously fall for him.
"Fine, we'll wait."
And wait they did. They all exited the kitchen but the two girls stuck onto Chu Fan everywhere he went, like leeches draining him of his hope for survival. Various disciples would approach Chu Fan and chat for a short while before leaving because of the awkward and slightly unpleasant aura surrounding himself.
Eventually the night came to and end and everyone began to leave for their dorms as class would begin commence again the following day. The only ones left were Hallmaster Chen Si and Chu Fan's party of three when the night was over.
"Chu Fan, get a good night's sleep alright. Tomorrow will be a busy day for you as the students have all returned. Hun Lian, let's be on our way. Your father is waiting on us."
Hun Lian shook her head while Chu Fan despaired in his heart.
"It's okay Uncle Chen. Chu Fan and Yao Lingyan will walk me back. We still have some matters to discuss. I'll be back home shortly after we are done. Tell my father not to wait for me."
Hallmaster Chen Si couldn't really deny Hun Lian as she was like a daughter to him also. He could only comply with her. Plus, she was safe if left with Chu Fan; at least Hallmaster Chen Si believed this to be so. He looked at Chu Fan and Yao Lingyan.
"Chu Fan take care of Hun Lian alright. I entrust you with her safety. Yao Lingyan, you as well. Don't stay up too late."
Yao Lingyan and Chu Fan both bowed. Chu Fan bit his lips as he forced his tears back.
"Yes Hallmaster. Please have a safe return."
They all saw Hallmaster Chen Si to the exit. As he left, he looked at the skies.
"Weird, a second summer rain? Is this perhaps an omen?"
And he continued to walk back to his resting quarters, using his qi to protect himself from the bitter cold of the raindrops.
As the rain began to fall, Chu Fan turned around to stand in front of the two girls who were now chuckling. As Chu Fan stared at the back of the only one who could've helped his situation, the two girls were already chatting away.
"So Chu Fan, is this how you do it? You lure girls into your chambers during the night and bed them?" asked Yao Lingyan.
"Chu Fan, were you actually awake that night?"
Chu Fan began to back away and slowly make his way towards the kitchen where he could call upon the many puppets to help him.
"What!? What are you both talking about!? Those claims are circumstantial. I saved your life Yao Lingyan. And you came to me Hun Lian. I should be the one demanding an explanation."
He began to nervously chuckle and scratch his head, these two girls were re-writing the history of those events in question. But Chu Fan was powerless to object such argumentative claims.
Before he was able to argue any further, his vision began to fade and his words began to slur.
"Wa? I hibuuh di su-"
He blacked out and the next moment he woke up as he felt a cold splash of water on his face. He looked down to see that he was tied down to his chair and he was now in his room behind the kitchen.
He looked up and saw two girls a meter or two away from him. They were both drenched in sweat and panting. It had apparently been a feat for the both of them to move Chu Fan from the dining area to his room.
Without much thought, the two had concocted an improvised plan to incapacitate Chu Fan and restrain Chu Fan, had he attempted to run away as he had planned. Hun Lian was trained in hidden weapons by her mother, and thus, she used a tranquilizer dart on Chu Fan.
"I thought I told you to wait until he gets into the kitchen? We wouldn't be so tired and covered in sweat if you would have waited." complained Yao Lingyan.
"Eh! If I hadn't shot him with that dart, he would have flown off and we would not have been able to question him at all." whined Hun Lian.
They both noticed Chu Fan's gaze and looked in his direction. In a split second, he tried to act like he was still asleep. The girls both started to advance towards him slowly. He began to nervously sweat which gave him away.
Yao Lingyan pinched his thighs, while Hun Lian poked the sole of his right foot with a needle.
"Ow! Stop this at once!"
The pain made his anger swell and his qi burst. The ropes holding him down exploded and a gush of qi infused air gushed forth.
*Boom*
He broke free from his restraints, sending the two girls back. The two girls were shocked and unprepared for this and both flew a couple of meters back before falling unconscious as they hit the various furniture in the room.
Seeing Yao Lingyan and Hun Lian on the ground unconscious, Chu Fan began to panic. After checking on their vitals and finding that they were both okay, he sighed.
He laid them both on his bed and tied them up. He could not allow for a repeat of what had just happened.
He too was drenched in sweat, so he took a bath while the two girls slept. While bathing, he began to laugh like a madman. He found that this was the best time to get revenge on these two girls for the suffering that they had just put him through.
He got out of his bath and dried himself before getting dressed. He began to laugh like a madman and his hands together while approaching the sleeping girls on the bed.
Hearing his crazed laughter, the two girls woke up. When they laid eyes upon the crazed fat man, they felt fear in their hearts. they began to struggle as they saw that they had been tied up by Chu Fan.
"Wh-What are planning on doing you insolent pervert?"
Hun Lian was starting to cry.
"Chu Fan! Don't come here. Stop it!"
Their words fell upon deaf ears, Chu Fan continued on his ways. But then he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Right! That thing will make it even better."
He turned around and approached his desk. Opening one of his drawers, he pulled out an object and caress it in his hands. He ran his hands through it and turned around to continue his slow journey towards the girls.
"I don't like this Chu Fan! Please let me go." begged Hun Lian.
Yao Lingyan was now on the verge of tears also, but her pride as a princess would not allow her to cry like a common girl. She was putting on a brave front with her eyes full of tears.
"What are you planning to do with that feather?"
With a perverse look on his face, he only grinned and looked at Yao Lingyan.
"Want to find out?"
He sat on his bed and began to remove Yao Lingyan and Hun Lian's shoes.
"No! Stop it!"
The two girls were thinking that he was disrobing them so that he could commit unspeakable acts. The two girls were crying with snot running down their faces. They both shut their eyes.
"Bwahahaha!" Hun Lian began to laugh.
Yao Lingyan opened her eyes and was astonished by what Chu Fan was doing. He was tickling Hun Lian with the feather. Stroking up twice, down twice, poking her left sole before poking her right sole repeatedly in a pattern. Yao Lingyan breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Fan was not the monster that they thought he really was a moment ago. Even he had a moral compass that wouldn't wish such a cruel fate on even his greatest of enemies. Chu Fan's laughter turned into a playful one until he looked over at Yao Lingyan. His eyes gleamed as he found a new target and he approached her with a serious face.
He began to do the same thing to her as well. Soon both the girls were laughing, with faces covered in snot.
Seeing as their faces were all dirty from their crying, Chu Fan wiped their faces off before continuing to tickle them.
After a while he was pleased with the amount of payback he had gotten and stopped. It was also an appropriate time for him to stop as the girls were both very exhausted from all their laughter.
"Are you both done? I wouldn't have had to do this if you both would have listened to my explanation."
Both the girls were too exhausted to talk at the moment while panting they only nodded.
While the girls caught their breathe, Chu Fan explained his side of the stories to the two of them; the mind-boggling turn of events that brought him and Yao Lingyan together and how Hun Lian must have fell for him. When all was said and done everyone remained silent.
The two girls felt that they had wronged Chu Fan here. But their pride as girls did not allow them to admit their wrongdoings to Chu Fan. After all, he was the man and benefited the most from this situation.
Yao Lingyan was still pouting.
"Is it wrong to be selfish about love?"
Chu Fan looked at Yao Lingyan, he patted her on the head.
"No it's not wrong at all, silly. But I am not wrong for loving you both for different reasons either. I just want us all to get along. And if that means I must suffer as a result, then I am willing."
Yao Lingyan still held some doubt in her heart.
"But I-"
Chu Fan began to stroke her sole again.
"Still arguing? I promise the both of you. I will do whatever is in my power to love you both fairly. If I shall ever make you shed a tear, I shall be reborn as a pig in my next life."
Yao Lingyan thought for a couple of seconds before nodding. She wholeheartedly accepted the fact that her future husband was fated to have a harem. Chu Fan, despite his looks, was destined to a life of that most men envied.
"Okay, but I'll hold you to that promise."
Hun Lian was all smiles as she looked at Chu Fan.
"So what part of me do you love the most."
Chu Fan reached over and pinched Hun Lian on the cheeks.
"Aiyooo! My precious, so innocent and cute. How could I not love you?"
Yao Lingyan looked over, she was jealous.
"Hmph! And what of me darling?"
Chu Fan turned over looked Yao Lingyan in the eyes. He began to draw a circle in the air with his hands and clap. This made her blush and look away.
"Haha, I seem to be the only one that can tease my sweetness like so. That is what I love about you."
Seeing as the two women no longer wanted to torment him at the moment, he untied them.
"Now, it's too late. I can't send you too back so late in the night with this rain. Take a bath and we shall go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day for all of us."
The two girls nodded and Chu Fan left the room after giving them spare sets of pajamas to wear after bathing.
After a while, splashing could not be heard anymore as the two girls finished bathing. Chu Fan knocked on the door before opening it.
"Are you both dressed?"
He didn't hear an answer, so he took it as a "yes" answer.
He walked in and saw that the two girls were only half-dressed at this point. Yao Lingyan had her shirt on while Hun Lian had only gotten her pants on. When they saw Chu Fan's face around the corner, they both turned red.
"AAHHH!" they both screamed.
They grabbed whatever was near them and threw it with full force at Chu Fan.
"We never said we were done."
Imprinted in Chu Fan's mind at the moment was the image of Yao Lingyan and Hun Lian's maturing bodies. Yao Lingyan was more endowed in the lower regions, while Hun Lian was had a promising hopes for her chest region.
Just thinking about such things made Chu Fan's nose start to bleed. After cleaning his nose off, he went back to check on the girls. This time he knocked and waited for an answer.
"Are you both dressed now?" he asked.
"Yes." they both answered.
He opened the door and saw two angelic and innocent girls sitting on his bed. But before he could take a step inside the room, a blanket and pillow came flying in his direction.
The door shut on him as he fell over with his pillow on the floor and his blanket draped over his shoulder.
"You're sleeping outside today. It's not proper to sleep on the same bed before certain processes."
Chu Fan understood completely and went to sleep with the puppets. Throughout the night he heard chatter and laughter coming from his room as the two girls became acquainted with each other.
After a while the night fell silent again and the three children finally fell asleep, ending the long night.