Fang Yi walked along the street, thinking that although Fang’s Father was a mortal, his affection for his children was genuine and heartfelt.
In contrast, despite her status as a princess, beneath the glamorous exterior, who could detect the trace of loneliness in her heart?
She was the most inconspicuous illegitimate princess among the Jade Emperor’s many children; in a world where men were revered and women demeaned, both the Celestial Dynasty and the mortal realm were exactly the same.
Having never experienced paternal love, she never expected to find a sliver of warmth among humans, whom she regarded as insignificant as ants.
At this moment, she returned to Ni Manxin’s home and saw Tang Yubo there, an involuntary fear creeping into her heart.
“Fang Yi, you’re back! How are your parents?” Ni Manxin called out from the kitchen.
Fang Yi glanced at Tang Yubo sitting on the sofa and replied absentmindedly, “They’re fine, everything’s alright.”
Ni Manxin said, “That’s good,” and continued bustling in the kitchen.
Unwilling to engage with him further, Fang Yi hurried upstairs.
Lying on her bed, she reflected on Fang’s Father’s words from earlier, a pang of sorrow striking her heart. What a good man! Why did he have to live so miserably? Heaven was truly unfair!
Tang Yubo silently appeared in Fang Yi’s room, startling her on the spot.
She angrily exclaimed, “Don’t you know this is my room? How dare you barge in without permission?”
Tang Yubo laughed, “I’m already in. What can you do about it?”
“…You…!”
Long Chuyao threw her bag at him and, taking advantage of his distraction, instantly brandished the God Whip.
Tang Yubo quickly set up a Barrier in the room to avoid arousing Ni Manxin’s suspicion downstairs.
“Woman, it seems you haven’t learned your lesson from last time? Do you want a repeat?”
Tang Yubo was slightly angered, gripping the God Whip tightly with one hand and holding the handbag she had just thrown with the other.
“Tang Yubo, what would happen if Ni Manxin found out your true nature?”
Long Chuyao mustered all her strength to pull the God Whip back, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t retrieve it. This man’s strength was immense!
Tang Yubo released his grip, and Long Chuyao immediately fell onto the bed. As she tried to get up, Tang Yubo pressed down on her.
“How dare you! Get off me now!”
“Dare? Aren’t you tired of saying that? How many times have you said it, and has it ever worked on me?”
Tang Yubo leaned close to her ear and whispered, “You’d better behave wisely, or you won’t even know how you die. Don’t think I fear you just because you’re a princess. What does the Celestial Dynasty matter? What does the underworld matter? It’s still uncertain who will ultimately unite the Four Seas and Eight Desolations!”
“You… it’s not Ni Manxin you want? You want the Four Seas and Eight Desolations? Who exactly are you?”
Long Chuyao felt this man must be insane. If what he said was true, the world would no longer know peace.
Tang Yubo stroked her cheek and said, “You’re not too foolish! But I won’t tell you—you’ll find out in time. Just do as I say!”
Long Chuyao trembled all over, staring at him with a face full of fear. “What do you want me to do?”
Tang Yubo stood up, facing the window, and said, “Go and bring me the accessory she wears. Did you hear me? Bring me the thing hanging around her neck!”
With that, he vanished. Long Chuyao wondered what Ni Manxin possessed that made him so fixated, and she grew very curious herself.
During dinner, Ye Yue lay on the sofa eating, leaving only her and Ni Manxin at the dining table.Long Chuyao kept glancing at Ni Manxin sitting across from her.
Ni Manxin found it rather strange—Fang Yi seemed unusually quiet today, her expression suggesting she had something to say. All in all, the meal left Ni Manxin feeling deeply unsettled.
After finishing her tasks, Ni Manxin went to Fang Yi’s room.
Fang Yi stood by the window, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky. Ni Manxin approached and followed her line of sight, but aside from the full moon and a few twinkling stars, there was nothing particularly remarkable to justify standing there for so long.
“What’s going on with you today?” Ni Manxin couldn’t help asking.
Fang Yi murmured to the sky, “Everyone envies the Nine Heavens, yet who knows it feels like shackles to us? I used to believe the mortal world was the filthiest place, but today I realized how wrong I was.
What does high status matter? It’s not as enlightening as being a commoner. Ni Chang, I think I should hate you, but ever since coming to this mortal realm, I’ve changed—so much that I hardly recognize myself.
I’ve been chasing after what I love, and now I’m tired! Truly tired. I just want to live here, cycle after cycle, lifetime after lifetime.”
Ni Manxin listened, baffled and unable to grasp the meaning of her words.
Ni Chang? Who is Ni Chang? The Nine Heavens—where is that?
Ni Manxin was full of questions but didn’t know where to start. Perhaps Fang Yi was just too exhausted. She hadn’t been herself since returning home—could her family be pressuring her? With no outlet for her feelings, was that why she was acting so unusual today?
“Fang Yi, don’t overthink it. Go wash up and get some rest! We have school tomorrow,” Ni Manxin said, looking at her with concern.
It was then that Fang Yi noticed something swaying around Ni Manxin’s neck. Could this be what Tang Yubo wanted to obtain?
Fang Yi reached toward her neck, but Ni Manxin instinctively pulled back, eyeing her warily.
“Ni Manxin, what’s that around your neck?” Fang Yi asked curiously.
Not suspecting anything, Ni Manxin pulled out the pendant, waved it in front of her, and shrugged. “This thing? I don’t know what it is. My dad just told me never to take it off.”
Fang Yi studied it closely and remarked offhandedly, “Can you take it off? There seems to be a mechanism here. Can it be opened?”
Ni Manxin sighed. “Don’t be fooled by its appearance—it’s quite peculiar. I’ve tried repeatedly to unlock the clasp, but I’ve never succeeded.”
Fang Yi insisted Ni Manxin remove it, but for some reason, she just couldn’t get it off.
Ni Manxin didn’t understand why. Meanwhile, in his room, Dong Yue sensed a faint resonance. He quickly concealed himself and went to investigate, eventually arriving at Ni Manxin’s home.
He understood—the immortal aura from the strand of hair was calling out to him for help.
“What are you two doing?”
Hearing Dong Yue’s voice, Ni Manxin turned to see him leaning against the doorframe.
“How did you get in?”
“Your door was open, so I came in to check.”
Ni Manxin didn’t question it further and was about to resume their conversation. But Fang Yi, afraid Dong Yue might notice something amiss, hastily ended the discussion and returned to her room to rest.
Dong Yue stepped forward and, upon seeing her accessory, approached to adjust it properly. “Don’t take it out casually, and don’t show it to others. It’s inauspicious.”
Inauspicious? She had never heard of such a thing. And how did he know that taking it out would bring bad luck? Surely, like her father, he was just making up an excuse to stop her from bringing it out.