My Xianxia Harem Life

"Young master isn't here either," Eve muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced around the empty courtyard.

Her tone held a mix of disappointment and longing.

She had come hoping for a brief encounter, a shared glance, even a passing word—but once again, Riley was nowhere to be found.

Eve was not blind to the reality of her situation.

She knew she wasn't the only woman vying for Riley's attention.

In fact, she was probably one of the more pitiful cases.

While others had already secured a place by his side—wives, lovers, companions—she was still lingering on the sidelines, waiting for her chance.

From the very beginning, she had made her desires clear.

She had pursued Riley boldly, sometimes shamelessly.

She whispered sweet invitations, wore revealing robes, and made herself available at every opportunity.

Her body language left no room for confusion, and her eyes always lingered a little too long.

She had practically begged him to take her. But it was all in vain.

To Riley, she was little more than a convenient bed warmer—at best.

Perhaps that was generous. In truth, he didn't even see her in that light. Not really.

No matter how seductive she was, he always seemed distant, uninterested, as if her efforts amused him more than enticed him.

He never treated her cruelly—he simply didn't treat her as anything significant.

It hurt. More than she wanted to admit.

After a while, Eve began to wonder if her approach was all wrong.

Maybe it was her boldness that turned him off.

Riley was powerful, intelligent, and always surrounded by beautiful women.

Perhaps, to him, someone who made herself so readily available was simply boring.

Predictable. Not a challenge. Not worth the time.

That realization stung more than rejection.

And so, she tried to change. She pulled back.

She stopped draping herself over him every time he passed by.

She began dressing more modestly, speaking with restraint, acting like she didn't care even when her heart raced at the mere mention of his name.

She even tried to develop her own cultivation, hoping that power and independence might catch his eye where flirtation had failed.

But just as she began to shift, Riley's life took another turn.

He was always busy now—first traveling to the Golden Dragon Continent, then challenging the fearsome Austere Clan, and now disappearing into some secret realm.

The chances for her to make an impression vanished one by one, and all she could do was watch from a distance, helpless and forgotten.

Still, Eve wasn't ready to give up. She refused to.

She had already invested too much—her pride, her heart, even her reputation.

Other women whispered behind her back, calling her desperate or pathetic.

She ignored them. Let them laugh.

None of them understood what it felt like to want someone so badly, to see a future that could be real if only fate gave her one moment—just one—with him.

That was all she needed. One chance.

Eve had even started speaking to a few of Riley's wives in secret, humbling herself to ask for advice, for help, for any insight into what might win his favor.

Some were surprisingly kind. Others were cold and dismissive.

But even the cold ones didn't tell her to stop. And that, to Eve, was a small sign of hope.

So she kept trying. Quietly, patiently, persistently.

She would wait, she would prepare, and when the time came—when Riley finally saw her not as just another admirer, but as a woman worthy of standing beside him—she would be ready.

No matter how long it took, Eve vowed that she would one day be one of Riley's women.

Not a bed warmer.

A true companion.

Eve wandered through the Austere Clan's compound, her sharp eyes scanning every face she passed.

It didn't take long to spot several of Riley's clones—after all, they moved like him, carried his aura, and dressed in the same golden robes.

But she already knew the truth: Riley had long since shared a secret way to tell the real him apart from the others.

Fluffy.

The little beast was inseparable from his true body, always perched loyally at his side.

If Fluffy wasn't there, then the Riley she was seeing wasn't real.

Just another copy, just another wall between her and the man she wanted.

She tried the beach nearby, where he often walked alone in thought.

She checked the cliffside meditation spot, the training fields, and even the quiet garden behind the main hall.

She searched every place he used to linger—every spot she remembered him smiling, thinking, or simply existing.

Nothing.

Not even his shadow remained.

By the time the sun had begun to set, Eve had spent the entire day searching.

Her heart grew heavier with every passing hour.

She had chased illusions and fragments, never the man himself.

Not once did she find a single trace—not his footsteps, not his scent, not even the flicker of his energy signature.

Dejected, Eve made her way back to the Austere Clan grounds, her slender figure moving slowly beneath the orange sky.

Her beautiful face, usually filled with spirit and flirtation, now held only sadness and fatigue.

She looked like a rose drooping under the weight of too many storms.

And then—

"Eve."

A familiar voice came from behind her, low and steady.

Her breath caught. Her heart skipped.

She turned around, and there he was—Riley, standing in his usual golden robes, calm and radiant like the sun itself.

Fluffy, shrunk down in size, rested comfortably on his left shoulder, grooming itself lazily.

That alone told her all she needed to know.

It was him. The real him.

"Young master Riley, I…" Eve began, her voice trembling with emotion.

Her lips parted, but the words refused to follow. What could she even say at this point?

She had tried every method—subtlety, seduction, sincerity—and none of it had moved him.

All her efforts… all her planning… it had led to nothing.

In that moment, she felt raw and exposed, standing there in front of the man she desired most, with nothing left to offer.

She lowered her eyes slightly, voice softer now. "I… I've been looking for you."

But even as the words left her mouth, a bitter thought echoed in her heart.

She had been weighed… and found wanting.

"I'm here," Riley said with a gentle smile.

"I…" Eve tried to speak, but her voice faltered.

Words danced on the edge of her lips, then crumbled before they could take shape.

She had rehearsed what to say a thousand times in her mind—playful, sweet, maybe a little flirty—but none of it mattered anymore.

So instead, she smiled. A sad, tired smile. The kind that hid more than it showed.

Maybe I'm just not beautiful enough for him, she thought, her gaze lowering to the ground. Not special enough. Not strong enough. Not… enough.

It hurt more than she could ever admit.

For so long, she had chased him—tried to be noticed, tried to be wanted.

But no matter how she changed, no matter what she did, his gaze never lingered on her the way she hoped it would.

She was always there, always available… and yet, always invisible.

She exhaled slowly and let the weight of it all settle into her chest.

"I just wanted to give you something," she said softly, forcing a bit of steadiness into her voice.

Then she reached into her storage ring and pulled out a small wooden sculpture, holding it in both hands as if it were something fragile. Precious.

She extended it toward him.

It was a hand-carved figure of them—her and Riley—standing side by side.

They smiled sweetly in the carving, just like the image she'd held in her heart for so long.

The robes were intricately painted, matching their cultivator garb down to the folds and trim.

Even the subtle curve of Riley's jaw and the loose strands of hair by Eve's ear had been carefully captured.

The whole thing looked like a dream frozen in time.

Riley took it, his fingers brushing against hers for just a moment.

He looked down at the carving, blinking once.

"Did you make this?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Mhm." Eve nodded, her smile faint but sincere. "I carved it myself. Took me a few weeks. I kept redoing the eyes because they didn't look like yours."

Riley chuckled softly. "You did really well. It's beautiful. I love it, Eve. Really… thank you."

Her heart ached at the warmth in his voice. Why does it still hurt even when he's being kind?

"I'm glad you love it, Young Master Riley," she said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "I'll… go inside first. I'll prepare the bed for you."

She turned quickly, afraid that if she lingered, her composure would crack completely.

Her steps were quiet but brisk, like someone fleeing a battlefield without dignity.

Her back was straight, her expression calm, but inside—

Inside she was falling apart. It was not a good feeling at all.