The moment Xia Diyi and the other returned, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had only just rested for a moment, lest another wave of awkwardness ensue!

Charlotte was still wrestling with the issue; every time she recalled the tribe's custom, a flush of heat would rise to her face, and her heart would hammer like a trapped bird.

Which young maiden doesn't harbor secret affections? Today's unexpected event had merely forced Charlotte to confront the matter head-on!

What was she to do? Was she truly fated to become his wife?

Instantly, Zhong Shenxiu’s image flashed through her mind again. Charlotte shook her head vigorously, intending to cast the thought out, yet the more she tried, the more counterproductive it became.

"Sister Charlotte, what's wrong?" Reese looked at Charlotte in surprise. He found Charlotte and Angeliya strangely subdued today.

"N-nothing! Ha ha." Charlotte’s smile was as forced as it could possibly be.

At this moment, Angeliya was no better off. To speak frankly, despite Angeliya's usual icy, detached demeanor, she was far less open-minded than her younger sister when it came to matters of 'the heart and body.'

By the list, Zhong Shenxiu was a child, yet Angeliya had never treated him as such. Zhong Shenxiu’s daily reprimands often gave her the illusion that she was the child.

Now that this incident had occurred, her mind was utterly chaotic, leaving her at a complete loss.

"Um..." Reese, out of concern, tried to say something more, but Charlotte cut him off.

"Reese, please let your senior and I have a moment alone," Charlotte requested, a hint of pleading in her tone.

Reese was perceptive; he nodded and moved to one side.

Charlotte glanced at Angeliya, then walked over, and the two sat down shoulder to shoulder.

Silence. They simply sat there quietly, not uttering a word.

Who knew how long passed, but finally, Angeliya was the one to break the quiet.

"Sister Charlotte," Angeliya’s voice was exceedingly gentle, "W-what should I do?"

In this moment, she had no one to turn to but Charlotte. Despite her strong, boyish exterior, she was actually a very reserved person. Every time she thought about Zhong Shenxiu having seen her, her mind went blank, and her breathing even grew difficult!

In all her years, she had never experienced anything like this. Forget about romance; she rarely even spoke to boys. Now, she was genuinely lost, unsure of where her path led.

However, under normal circumstances, Charlotte might have been able to offer advice from a rational perspective, but currently, Charlotte herself didn't know what to do!

To be honest, the problem Charlotte faced was far more severe than Angeliya’s. At the very least, Angeliya could leave and slowly try to forget the incident. But if she chose to adhere to the tribal custom, she would inevitably become Zhong Shenxiu’s wife. The critical question, however, was: would Zhong Shenxiu agree?

Charlotte now barely dared to imagine Zhong Shenxiu’s reaction if she were to bring this matter up with him!

Therefore, when faced with Angeliya's question, all Charlotte could do was grasp Angeliya’s hand, using the warmth of her own touch to encourage her: solve your own problems!

Angeliya stared blankly at Charlotte, sensing the strangeness in her through the pressure of her grip.

Another silence descended, this time broken by Charlotte.

"We'll take things one step at a time," Charlotte murmured, sounding as if she were speaking both to Angeliya and admonishing herself.

But as she said, in times like these, all one could do was proceed cautiously. Who knew if circumstances might change? Perhaps things weren't as complicated as they imagined!

The night deepened, and the two women eventually drifted off to sleep, leaning on each other. For them, this day might well be the turning point of their destiny.

The next day, the sky was cloudless—another fine day.

"Hey, you two should wake up," Zhong Shenxiu shouted suddenly, standing before Charlotte and Angeliya.

Angeliya woke first. When she saw Zhong Shenxiu standing there, the embarrassing memory of yesterday involuntarily resurfaced, and her delicate face instantly flared crimson. She shot upright with a jerk.

Angeliya’s sudden movement caused Charlotte to lose her support, and she nearly tumbled over. Fortunately, she awoke at that critical juncture and managed to steady herself with her hand.

When her gaze accidentally swept over Zhong Shenxiu standing silently before her, she let out a small cry! Her eyes darted everywhere but dared not meet Zhong Shenxiu’s gaze.

In truth, her extreme reaction was linked to the dream she had just been having. The dream was bizarre: she dreamt Zhong Shenxiu had grown up, transforming into an extraordinarily handsome and dashing man, and that she and he had finally married, even having a pair of twins—a boy and a girl!

Just as Charlotte was about to call out for Zhong Shenxiu to help change the diapers, she woke up, and the first figure she saw was Zhong Shenxiu. How could this not startle her?

It almost made her unable to distinguish between dream and reality!

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Charlotte and uttered a sentence that only made her more conflicted.

"Hey, woman, wipe that drool off your mouth!" With that, Zhong Shenxiu turned and walked away.

The group packed their belongings as before and resumed their journey. However, Charlotte and Angeliya’s state of mind was entirely different this time. They kept stealing glances at Zhong Shenxiu, only to pretend to look away nonchalantly the moment he turned around.

Though Reese was also somewhat distracted, his thoughts diverged sharply from theirs. He regretted his cowardice from the day before while simultaneously wondering where those dozen or so Skeleton Warriors had gone, and why he hadn't seen them again after Zhong Shenxiu returned.

That question was soon answered. After traveling for nearly an hour, they spotted the Skeleton Warriors.

The Skeleton Warriors were moving back and forth busily, each carrying different items in their hands. They sorted these items into distinct piles on a wide, open clearing, then went off to search again, showing no intention of stopping.

Gazing at the jumble of items piled up like a small mountain, Reese was stunned. He hadn't expected the Skeleton Warriors to be engaged in such hard labor, nor had he anticipated their astonishing efficiency—gathering this massive amount of loot in just one night!

Reese naturally did not know that these Skeleton Warriors had been specially processed by Zhong Shenxiu; their efficiency surpassed that of normal people, as they never complained of fatigue, never went on strike, and never wasted time eating, sleeping, or visiting the latrine!

They were, quite literally, born laborers, each possessing the potential of a ‘Model Worker!’

Zhong Shenxiu wasted no words. He summoned all the Skeleton Warriors back and grouped them with the few Skeleton Roosters and Skeleton Wolves. The pile of items on the ground was, naturally, stored away in his magic rings.

In just a few short days, Zhong Shenxiu had achieved a massive harvest. The space in the newly acquired rings of his should be nearing saturation again!

It was time to move out!

To this end, Zhong Shenxiu and the others exerted full effort to head toward the edge of the 'Damp Forest,' moving much faster than before, their pace more than doubled or tripled without the previous stops and starts.

At this speed, they should be able to exit the forest today.

The closer they got to the periphery of the 'Damp Forest,' the more mercenary groups carrying out quests they observed. However, these groups were all professional; aside from being curious about the presence of children among Charlotte’s party, they caused no trouble.

And so, as dusk settled, Zhong Shenxiu and his companions finally emerged from the 'Damp Forest.' Catching the glow of the distant sunset, they could see a wide road stretching toward the horizon.

"We're finally out!"

Reese took a deep breath. The tension of days of apprehension could finally ease. He had never so eagerly longed for a proper night's sleep.

Charlotte and Angeliya felt much the same, yearning for a quiet place to gather their thoughts.

However, a new problem immediately presented itself: they were at a three-way fork in the road. Which path should they take?

This decision naturally fell to Zhong Shenxiu.

Zhong Shenxiu was currently utilizing his 'Swift Hawk' to scout the area. In truth, where they went held little importance to him, but he preferred heading toward a slightly larger settlement.

After a reconnaissance, Zhong Shenxiu learned that there were small villages or towns in the south, north, and west directions. The southernmost town seemed to be the closest to their current location and appeared to be the largest of the three.

Without hesitation, Zhong Shenxiu led the group south.

It was evident that the path they were on was a major artery connecting to larger cities, as merchant caravans and carriages frequently passed them by, and the number of pedestrians on the road steadily increased.

"Hey, woman, where does this path lead?" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly asked Charlotte, who was lost in thought.

Charlotte visibly started, then quickly replied, "Up ahead is a small town called 'Lufanda.' One hundred li further is the great city, 'City of Dream Twilight!'"

"City of Dream Twilight?" Zhong Shenxiu looked at Charlotte with a questioning expression.

Charlotte nodded, then added, "The City of Dream Twilight is famous for its night markets; it’s more bustling at night than during the day! Moreover, it houses major academies, like the 'Homebody Magic and Martial Arts Academy!'"

Having said this, Charlotte glanced at Reese and Angeliya, knowing they had both been specially accepted into the 'Homebody Magic and Martial Arts Academy,' though they hadn't reported yet!

Zhong Shenxiu fell silent, considering the possibilities.

If it was a large city, he might find the materials needed to refine storage bracelets and Qiankun Bags. Furthermore, the 'Spatial Magic' he was interested in seemed like something he could find at a major academy in a large city.

It seemed that a visit to the 'City of Dream Twilight' was necessary!