Andrew said, “Victoria, would you believe me if I said I didn’t do anything?”

Standing in front of this sharp yet quietly elegant woman, he did not dare play games.

Victoria wore simple loungewear as she walked to the coffee table and smiled softly. “Silly boy, you’re young and full of energy. Romance, passion, even going at it ten times in one night, would be perfectly normal for you. I won’t judge.”

She brewed a cup of tea and handed it to Andrew. “Here, drink this. It’ll help with the alcohol and clear your head too!”

Andrew did not hesitate to take the cup and drink it in one go. Then, he turned serious as he looked her over. From the slight pallor in her complexion, it was clear that she was injured, and not lightly.

She raised a hand before he could speak, as if she already knew what he was going to say. “It’s nothing major. I just need some time to rest and recover.”

Andrew shook his head. “No, Victoria. Let me check your pulse. I won’t feel right unless I examine you myself.”

Victoria gave a soft laugh, her expression blooming like a rare orchid. “Alright, go ahead. But Andrew, do you know something about women? We can’t handle too much kindness. If you treat us too well, we’ll start thinking you’re into us. And then? Either we’ll start playing games… or testing you.”

She added, “And the really cunning women will use your feelings to string you along, keeping you hooked but never letting you have what you want!”

Andrew’s face darkened. “I have zero interest in women like that!”

Victoria arched her brow. “So, you’re the impatient kind. Either you want everything right now, or you walk away. No patience, no effort… Am I right?”

Andrew was speechless. Talking to Victoria was harder than dealing with Tiana. These two women were insanely sharp. With just a few words, he had fallen into their trap without realizing it. He seriously wondered how Reginald ever survived dealing with someone like them.

As he checked her pulse, Andrew could tell it was steady and strong, but it carried a deep, penetrating cold. Her internal energy was present, but it kept breaking off and returning in uneven waves.

He pulled his hand back, looking serious. “Your injuries aren’t life-threatening, but they’re not light either. Victoria, have you hit a bottleneck in your martial training? Or did you suffer a serious internal injury before?”

Victoria’s expression stayed calm. “There’s an old issue, yes. What did you find?”

Andrew met her gaze. “You have a chilling force inside your body. It’s deep, extremely cold… and dangerous. A lot of top martial artists, after surviving serious wounds, end up with long-term damage.”

He explained, “But your condition is different. That cold force isn’t just lingering… It’s alive. It knows how to hide. We can’t let it stay. I need to find a way to remove it.”

Victoria chuckled. “I’ve had this since my early days of training. It’s not something that can just be removed. Don’t worry about me. I’m only one step away from reaching martial saint level. Suppressing this Pale Specter energy is easy enough for me.”

She made it sound casual, but Andrew knew it was not that simple.

He paused for a moment, then said, “Victoria, maybe I can help. Right now. I might be able to weaken or even expel that Pale Specter energy.”

Victoria immediately shook her head. “Don’t. If you try, it’ll backfire on you. You should know that the Pale Specter energy is buried deep inside my meridians. In my case, it’s not just in the meridians. It’s already invaded my energy core.”

She continued, “Getting rid of it? That’s impossible in this lifetime. The only way is to overpower it, keep it suppressed, and never let it flare up.”

Andrew gave a bitter smile. “That sounds exactly like something you’d say, treating the symptoms, not the root problem. But still, let me try. I really do have an idea that might work.”

Victoria waved her hand dismissively. “Listen to me, let’s put that matter aside for now. Andrew, do you know what special day today is?”

Andrew paused, looking puzzled. “Today? It’s still about ten days until Renewal Day, so I can’t think of what special day it would be!”

Victoria smiled. “Today is Kindling Night for us in the South. When I was little, my mentor would always celebrate it with me and my fellow apprentices at the training grounds. Come on, I want to take you to experience it too.”

Andrew grinned. “Sounds great!”

In the Peck residence, several cars were already running. Flower arrangements, along with various offerings, were neatly arranged in colorful displays that looked absolutely beautiful.

Wealthy families always paid attention to details and honored traditional holidays.

Calvin approached them with a flattering smile. “Victoria, let’s go. It’s almost time!”

Victoria walked with Andrew, followed by Miles and Liliana.

Miles was reasonably polite to Andrew and took the initiative to greet him. However, Liliana snorted coldly with obvious disdain.

Andrew was not impressed by her either, so he simply ignored them. As for Calvin, he acted like he did not even see him. After all, the two had an unpleasant encounter back in Goldridge.

Calvin’s illegitimate son, Terry, had failed to become Jerome’s inner disciple. Blaming Zachary for it, Calvin also held a grudge against Andrew.

“Andrew, why don’t you ride with me?” Victoria suggested as she climbed into the lead car first.

Andrew did not think much of it and got into the passenger seat. Originally, he could have sat in the back with Victoria. After all, he still knew the proper boundaries to maintain.

Liliana pouted. “Mom, I want to sit with you.”

Victoria replied calmly, “That’s fine, just get in. We’re getting late.”

Just like that, Liliana ended up in the back seat. Miles followed Calvin into a separate car.

The coldness in Calvin’s eyes grew even more intense. The cars headed toward the cathedral on the outskirts of Blumedale.

Every year around this time, Victoria would go there to offer prayers.

It was not just the Peck family, but the Goldings, the Haywoods, and the Wrights would also all go for the prayer. Some prayed for family safety, others for wealth, and some for longevity; each had their own wishes.

Andrew had never been one for ceremonies like this. He did not want to pray to anyone; he only believed in relying on himself.

Nonetheless, since Victoria had gone out of her way to help him back in Goldridge, he figured tagging along was the least he could do to keep her happy.

Even though Gabo Creek was in the South, the dead of winter still brought a bitter chill. With everything withered and barren, only traces of green remained along the mountain roads in the suburbs.

The three cars drove slowly along the winding mountain road toward the cathedral at the summit. Inside the car, Victoria suddenly asked, “Andrew, you seem to be quite close with the Wright family, aren’t you?”

Andrew openly admitted, “Yes, Victoria. You could say I have a voice in their decisions now.”

Victoria covered her mouth and laughed. “Yara is the same age as our Liliana. But she has already taken control of the Wright family. I suppose that’s thanks to you, isn’t it?”