Versatile Mage (Web Novel)
chapter-3159

Mo Fan was sweating heavily and feeling very confused.

….

Apas had a contract with him. How did she manage to avoid his detection?

On top of that, she had disguised herself as a sexy girl and successfully fooled him.

“Mo Fan, spending too much time on the Dark Plane can affect your mental state. You’ll feel tired,” Mu Bai kindly reminded him.

Was it because he had spent too much time on the Dark Plane? Was his fatigue weakening his senses?

“It’s also possible that we’ve gotten stronger,” Apas said with a smile.

“Alright, you win. I didn’t want to come, but I had no choice. The Dark Plane traumatized Old Zhao. If we didn’t help him get over it, he might never be normal again. For his future happiness, I had to come along,” Mo Fan quickly came up with an excuse and blamed everything on Zhao Manyan.

Zhao Manyan widened his eyes in disbelief.

When he mentioned inviting some girls, Mo Fan even suggested inviting some from Pearl Institute. According to him, they should keep the invites within their circle.

He was not going to take the blame alone!

“I can confirm that. A lecherous dragon on the Dark Plane traumatized Zhao Manyan. He might even have nightmares about that dragon,” Mu Bai added.

“I told you not to mention that dragon!” Zhao Manyan snapped and lunged at Mu Bai.

He grabbed half a watermelon and smashed it on Mu Bai’s face.

Mu Bai’s face was instantly covered in red as if his head had been split open.

“You b*stard! I’ll drown you!” Mu Bai grabbed Zhao Manyan by the neck and pushed him toward the sea.

“You idiot! I’m a Water Element Forbidden Mage!”

“Moron! I don’t need to breathe!”

The two quickly sank to the bottom of the sea.

Mo Fan could not tell if they were genuinely fighting or just using it as an excuse to leave.

All of a sudden, he was left with a group of girls and no way to leave the yacht.

“It’s Mu Ningxue… Hi. Would you like some watermelon? It’s already cut. We also have chilled fruit-flavored beer. It’s non-alcoholic.” One of the girls politely approached her and tried to be friendly.

“Should we jump off the boat too?” another girl with curly hair joked awkwardly.

Mo Fan was speechless. Did she think it was funny?

Soon, the girls wisely moved to the second floor of the yacht. They left the sunny and spacious third floor to Mo Fan.

Fortunately, besides helping Apas apply some sunscreen, Mo Fan had not done anything inappropriate. He kept insisting that he was only there to help Zhao Manyan recover.

He also realized that he might be able to push the limits a bit more.

“Ah, we finally get to have some peace at sea. I wanted to give you a swimsuit, Xuexue. Since we’re here, why don’t you put it on and show me? It’s been a while since we’ve had a moment like this.” Mo Fan showed no hint of guilt and tried to take control of the situation.

Mu Ningxue was standing next to him in a white silk shawl. She had likely just returned from Europe. The shawl danced in the sea breeze and accentuated her alluring figure, but the luxurious shawl paled in comparison to her skin.

“Apas, bring us some garlic-flavored lobster and a bottle of red wine. Pour it for me and Xuexue,” Mo Fan ordered before Mu Ningxue could reply.

Apas pursed her lips and glared at him.

Was he treating her like a maid again?

Was she supposed to serve him and Mu Ningxue?

“Who are you glaring at? Without my help, how would you have gotten your mother’s body back? Khufu and your sisters would still be using you to cause trouble,” Mo Fan quickly reminded her.

“Fine. You’re the best. Without you, I wouldn’t have become the Emperor of the Evil Temple,” Apas replied sarcastically, but her tone and expression were not off-putting.

With Apas gone, Mo Fan finally had a chance to be alone with Mu Ningxue.

Mu Ningxue was cold and difficult to please.

Mo Fan decided to change the subject. He told her about his experiences on the Dark Plane in detail so that she could feel the tension and danger he had faced.

That way, she would understand how tough it was for him. Even if he occasionally made mistakes, they were forgivable.

He had it all planned out.

Mo Fan looked into Mu Ningxue’s clear, bright eyes and waited for her to gently say, “You’ve worked hard.”

However, Mu Ningxue asked a question that caught him off guard.

“So, you’ve been spending time with Asha’ruiya all this time?”

The question hit Mo Fan right where it hurt the most—his heart.

No way!

He just talked about how he had negotiated with the Bright Blood King, endured the long and helpless journey, and bravely confronted the Dark Kings. But Mu Ningxue did not seem to care about how tired he was. She only focused on what happened between him and Asha’ruiya!

“Ahem. Actually, Asha’ruiya lured me to the Dark Plane. Her real goal was to aid Wen Tai in his extermination plan,” Mo Fan quickly explained.

“Crossed any lines?” Mu Ningxue asked.

“Oh, you mean the King of Night and Day? Of course he did. He influenced the Ocean Godly Horde and even manipulated all humans!”

“I was asking about you and Asha’ruiya. Did either of you cross any lines?” Mu Ningxue’s tone was gentle, while her eyes revealed a concerned but calm look.

However, the gentler she sounded, the colder she seemed to Mo Fan.

“Of course not!” Mo Fan replied firmly and broke the tension that Mu Ningxue had created.

“I believe you.” Mu Ningxue chuckled, as though she had only been teasing Mo Fan.

At the same time, Apas brought the food and wine that Mo Fan had requested. She had also changed into a new swimsuit. Then, she rolled her eyes at Mo Fan and went to enjoy herself elsewhere on the yacht.

Mo Fan glanced at Apas and noticed that she had put on a slightly more conservative swimsuit. Even so, it could not hide her alluring figure.

Mo Fan quickly realized that he needed to avert Mu Ningxue’s attention.

He had to say things that she wanted to hear and not focus on Asha’ruiya.

“You look stunning today. You know, people can be so different. Some may show a lot in revealing clothes, but they can’t compare to you in that white silk shawl. You’re incredibly charming even though you’ve just revealed a hint of your neckline. Ever since you appeared, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you,” Mo Fan said.

No woman would ignore compliments about her appearance. This move always worked like a charm.

Zhao Manyan gave Mo Fan a thumbs up underwater. Mo Fan was such a smooth talker when he desperately tried to smooth things over. He was so impressive that even Zhao Manyan commended him.

Luckily, Zhao Manyan had plenty of yachts.

He gave his butler a call and arranged for another yacht. He lent this yacht to Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue, while he and the girls took another yacht farther out into the sea. They planned to have another round of champagne there.

…

“This is the swimsuit I bought for you. Since everyone’s gone, do you want to try it on?” Mo Fan took the carefully selected swimsuit from his Space Bracelet. He refused to give up.

“It’s black like what Apas wore earlier. I don’t really like it,” Mu Ningxue said.

Huh?

Apart from this comment, there was no cold rejection or dismissive look.

Had Mu Ningxue been teasing him? Did she actually want to reward him for his efforts?

Well, well. She was truly a refined woman and also the Castellan of Fanxue Mountain. She was understanding.

“Apas’s swimsuit is navy blue. It’s different from the black one I got for you,” Mo Fan explained quickly.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t take your eyes off me?” Mu Ningxue responded with a cold snort.

Mo Fan felt like giving himself a slap.

Mu Ningxue’s tactic seemed familiar. How did he keep falling for it?

No matter what he said, he would always be at a disadvantage.

Could he never win against Mu Ningxue?

Seeing his crush made him lose his common sense. Even though Mu Ningxue was already his, her unattainable aura still made him feel inferior.

Alas, it was all due to his youthful obsession.

Compared to the Dark Plane’s mental contamination, Mu Ningxue’s gentle suppression was clearly much stronger.

…

It seemed that Mo Fan would not get to see Mu Ningxue in the black swimsuit today.

Nevertheless, no matter what she wore, it always matched Mo Fan’s taste. All of them struck Mo Fan’s heart in different ways.

For example, today’s mermaid-style dress and white silk shawl were graceful, elegant, and stunningly beautiful. Mu Ningxue had probably rushed back after an important meeting, so she did not have time to change into casual clothes before meeting Mo Fan.

She still cared about him.

Mo Fan went from feeling anxious to feeling touched.

The Dark Plane was dark and filled with despair and death. Compared to the serene afternoon sea and the company of a beautiful woman, it felt like hell and heaven.

Perhaps that was what it meant to keep growing in strength.

“Xuexue, I used to be scared of getting old. I always thought that getting old meant losing my energy. With how I am, being in an old body with limited mobility would make me feel sad and less happy.

“But now, I’m not so scared. Even when we’re old, we can cuddle together, hold hands, watch the sunset, sleep in each other’s arms at night, and wake up to see each other’s faces in the morning.

“When I think about that, getting old doesn’t seem so bad.”

Mo Fan started to relax. His words sounded more genuine and somewhat adorable. They were not playful as they were before.

Mu Ningxue looked at Mo Fan and gently kissed the corner of his mouth.

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Mu Ningxue said softly as her lips brushed against his.

Mo Fan was briefly surprised, but then he leaned in to reciprocate her kiss.

Even though he momentarily thought about bringing up the black swimsuit again, he decided against it to avoid spoiling the intimate moment.

As one grew stronger, one became more aware of the power of time.

Mo Fan understood that no matter how strong he got, he could not stop time from passing. But did it matter if time passed?

Did it matter if he grew old?

It would not stop him from peacefully enjoying this moment with his loved one.