“Mom, that’s not…” Shu Ning tried to politely refuse.
“Ningning, go home and get ready, okay?
Tomorrow, I’ll send someone to pick you up.
I’m going to find the High Priest right now to prepare for the wedding,” Mu Xia said happily, patting Shu Ning on the back.
She didn’t give Shu Ning a chance to take it back, leaving the moment she finished speaking.
“Mom…” Shu Ning tried to call after Mu Xia, but she was already long gone.
Shu Ning turned to look at Xiao Chong, her heart a tangled mess.
He was expressionless, making it impossible for Shu Ning to guess his thoughts.
“Xiao Chong, I was just angry before.
Please don’t take what I said seriously,” Shu Ning said, looking at him awkwardly.
“Words spoken in anger are still words,” Xiao Chong said.
“Don’t even think about backing out.”
He then walked over to Shu Ning, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t forget about tomorrow.”
A sly smile touched the corners of his lips, and with that, he left.
Xuan Lin, who had been standing to the side, left as well, without even glancing at her.
Leaving Shu Ning frozen on the spot.
‘What in the world was all this?!’
‘I haven’t even sorted things out with my existing Beast Husbands, and now another one is showing up?’
‘She had to admit, his looks and abilities were both outstanding.’
‘And his personality… hmm… was just her type.’
‘Most importantly, he was actually willing to become partners with someone as ugly and fat as her.’
‘Thinking about it, she really had no reason to refuse him.’
‘This was also the first person she was marrying in this world as “herself.”‘
‘Back in the modern world, she was certain she would never have had the chance to be with such an exceptional man.’
‘In the modern world, she believed in love, but she never believed it would happen to her.’
‘So, in this world, could she finally find a love of her own?
Or was this just one of his schemes?’
Shu Ning had no way of knowing.
On the way back, Shu Ning still hadn’t processed everything.
‘What on earth… had I just done?!’
‘Maybe I should go back and tell them I’ve suddenly changed my mind?’
‘No, that won’t work.
I’d be known as someone who goes back on her word.’
‘How could I establish myself in the Wolf Clan then?
More importantly, how could I continue to win over the other Beast Husbands?’
“007, 007…” Shu Ning called out.
“State your business.”
The system’s reply was surprisingly prompt this time.
“What’s your take on this Xiao Chong situation?
Will it affect my mission to win over the other Beast Husbands?”
“Winning over the five Beast Husbands depends solely on your own abilities.
It has nothing to do with anything else.”
“But don’t I have to win over five Beast Husbands?
Does that mean I have to win him over too?
If the system issues a quest to win over a Beast Husband in the future, will completing it with him count?”
“It does not count.
You do not need to win over Xiao Chong.”
“However, becoming partners with Xiao Chong is a hidden side quest.
I didn’t expect you to complete it so soon.”
Hearing this, Shu Ning jumped for joy.
Just as she was about to use Instant Teleportation to head back, she suddenly heard a shrill voice—
“Shu Ning, stop right there!”
Shu Ning frowned at the sound of the voice.
She turned to see a young, baby-faced female Beastman storming toward her.
“And you are?” Shu Ning didn’t recognize her.
“Don’t play dumb with me!
Didn’t you just take two Beast Husbands?
How can you be taking another one already?!”
Fang Ling was so furious she looked ready to pounce on Shu Ning, her face a mask of rage.
Seeing that her expression was identical to that of the two Beastmen on the Sacrificial Altar two days prior, Shu Ning finally remembered.
“You’re Fang Yu and Fang Shi’s sister… Fang Ling?”
“That’s none of your business!
And that’s not the point!” A flicker of panic crossed Fang Ling’s face before she raised her voice and yelled.
“The point is, I forbid you from marrying Brother Xiao Chong!”
“And what business is it of yours if I do?” Shu Ning deliberately raised her voice, trying to get a rise out of her.
‘She could see it now.
This girl was smitten with Xiao Chong.’
‘But why did she panic when I mentioned she was Fang Yu and Fang Shi’s sister?’
‘Could it be that she was the one secretly pulling the strings behind Xuan Mo being framed?’
“Of course it’s my business!
I’ve liked him for so long, he should be mine!” Fang Ling stared hard at Shu Ning, her expression one of pure entitlement.
“You’ve liked him for so long, so why haven’t you married him?
Don’t tell me… he never agreed?”
Shu Ning let out a deliberate chuckle, wanting to provoke her further.
“How dare you laugh at me?
You ugly hag, you’re not worthy!” Humiliated, Fang Ling flew into a rage and raised her hand to strike.
Using her height advantage, Shu Ning easily caught the girl’s hand and squeezed it hard.
‘I have strength in spades; all this fat on my body isn’t for nothing.’
“Ow… OUCH, OUCH… Let go of me!” Fang Ling’s features scrunched together as she cried out in pain.
When Fang Ling tried to swing with her other hand, Shu Ning caught that one too.
“Hurts now, does it?
I’ll ask you this: were you the one pulling the strings to get Xuan Mo framed?” Shu Ning demanded, her voice powerful and her presence radiating danger.
Her secret exposed, Fang Ling didn’t dare to answer, only continuing to cry out in pain.
“Not talking, are we?
Then you can say goodbye to these hands!”
With that, Shu Ning began to bend the girl’s hands backward.
The pressure was agonizing.
Afraid Shu Ning would actually break her hands, Fang Ling immediately caved.
“I’ll talk!
I’ll talk…”
“Speak.”
Shu Ning eased the pressure slightly but kept a firm grip on her hands.
“That’s right!
It was me!
I told my brothers to accuse Xuan Mo!”
“Why would you do that!?” Shu Ning asked.
“It’s all your fault!
You’re so ugly and have such a foul temper, yet you made someone as incredible as Brother Xiao Chong do your dirty work, tying up that Beast Husband!
And then, because of you, he nearly died at the hands of the Black Snake Clan!”
“Why didn’t you die there?
Why are you still alive?!
Why do you get to be the Holy Female’s daughter?
Does that mean you can just do whatever you want!?”
Fang Ling’s voice trembled as she finished, her whole body shaking and tears welling in her eyes.
Shu Ning had been about to drag her to Mu Xia, but seeing her crying so miserably, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
‘The previous owner of this body really did do a lot of terrible things.’
“I was in the wrong before, but I’m trying to change.
No one could have predicted we’d run into the Black Snake Clan; we were all in deep.
Did you really think framing Xuan Mo was going to hurt me?”
“Even if I weren’t in the picture, do you really think your precious Brother Xiao Chong would have chosen you?
Think about it.
You’ve chased him for so long, yet he’d rather choose a ‘fat female’ like me than you.”
“Look at yourself.
Look at the mess you’ve become.
You’ve thrown away all your dignity as a female just to fight over a male.”
“You… You… I…” Fang Ling was so stunned she was speechless, unsure of what to even say.
“What ‘you’?
Right now, you look even uglier than I do!”
‘Seeing her like this, Shu Ning found her a little bit cute.’
“Don’t do anything like this again.
I’ll let you go this time, but if it happens again, I won’t be so lenient!”
“Did you hear me?!” Shu Ning deliberately yelled at her.
Fang Ling jumped, startled by her shouting.
“I… I heard you.”
Seeing that the girl had calmed down, Shu Ning released her hands.
Fang Ling had thought that now that her plot to frame Xuan Mo was exposed, Shu Ning would drag her before Mu Xia for punishment.
She never expected Shu Ning to actually let her go.
But still shaken and feeling wronged, she ran for home, afraid Shu Ning would go back on her word and drag her to see Mu Xia.
Shu Ning watched Fang Ling disappear into the distance, her thoughts turning to Xiao Chong…
‘He didn’t really agree to become my partner just to get away from Fang Ling, did he?’
‘That wouldn’t be right.’
‘I need to find him and get this straightened out.’
Just as she turned to go back, she saw Xiao Chong approaching.
She hadn’t noticed him arrive.
“You… saw all that?” Shu Ning asked awkwardly.
“Mhm,” Xiao Chong replied.
“It’s not.”
“Huh?
What’s not?” Shu Ning asked, stunned.
Xiao Chong placed his long, elegant hands on her shoulders.
He leaned down to look at her, a faint smile on his lips.
“I’m not becoming your partner because of her.”