Shen Zhuo’s outstretched hand froze in midair.
After the scene Yu Xingwu had caused at the banquet, he should have ignored her. Yet just now, he’d instinctively reached out to catch her.
The person who beat Shen Zhuo to it was none other than Grand Elder Yu Zheng—Yu Xingwu’s father, whom she’d gotten for free by transmigrating.
After all, Yu Zheng had lovingly raised Yu Xingwu for sixteen years, from the time she was an infant until now. After his wife’s death, he’d taken on the responsibilities of both father and mother.
Although he now knew that Yu Xingwu wasn’t his biological daughter, the father-daughter bond they’d built over so many years wasn’t something he could simply cast aside.
Even if someone damaged a flower or plant he’d spent years nurturing, he would feel distressed, let alone seeing Yu Xingwu cough up blood from overwhelming anger and distress.
The sight nearly broke Yu Zheng’s heart. In less than the blink of an eye, he’d appeared beside her and caught her before she fell.
In truth, Yu Zheng didn’t particularly like Shen Zhuo, nor did he believe Shen Zhuo was worthy of Yu Xingwu.
Unfortunately, Yu Xingwu had set her heart on Shen Zhuo.
Unable to withstand his daughter’s pleading and coaxing, Yu Zheng had reluctantly resorted to using his influence and power to force Shen Zhuo into the engagement.
Now, his biological daughter had been subjected to criticism, while his adopted daughter had been so distressed that she’d coughed up blood.
Yu Zheng’s overwhelming Oppressive Aura descended upon Shen Zhuo like a raging flood, forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips.
He demonstrated just how fiercely protective he was of his children.
His voice carried an irresistible pressure. “You want to break off your engagement to Jiaojiao?”
Shen Zhuo’s blood and energy churned violently within him.
Although he had already broken through to the Early Nascent Soul Stage, that single wave of Oppressive Aura had nearly forced him to his knees. The strength of a cultivator at the Mahayana Stage was truly terrifying.
This wasn’t the first time he’d been subjected to the oppressive power of a Mahayana Stage cultivator. Previously, Yu Zheng had used his strength to force Shen Zhuo to agree to the marriage.
If Shen Zhuo hadn’t still been burdened by a blood feud that he had yet to avenge, he would never have submitted to this engagement, even if it meant dying.
Tonight, he’d originally intended to propose breaking off the engagement.
However, after hearing Yu Xingwu’s inner thoughts and discovering that she was eagerly waiting for him to do so, he’d suddenly lost his sense of urgency.
What he hadn’t expected was that, even without him bringing up the engagement, she’d managed to perform the entire scene all by herself.
Yu Xingwu, people who act and tell lies can have their tongues cut out.
Unfazed by Yu Zheng’s oppressive power, Shen Zhuo replied calmly, “From beginning to end, I have never once mentioned breaking off the engagement.”
Hearing this, Yu Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly before withdrawing his Oppressive Aura.
“What are you all standing around for? Summon every physician in the sect to Yanyun Peak immediately!”
Holding Yu Xingwu in his arms, Yu Zheng vanished in a flash.
And just like that, the banquet came to an end.
Although Sword Venerable Feng Chen was worried about his youngest disciple, the banquet had been held at his Zhaoyao Peak. He couldn’t simply abandon the powerful cultivators from the various sects, so he had to see his guests off first.
Before long, only Ye Su and Yu Yuefu remained in the hall.
Ye Su stared coldly at the delicate, timid-looking Yu Yuefu, his eyes filled with unmistakable warning.
“Third Junior Sister, I don’t care what happens between you and Shen Zhuo. But if you dare do anything to harm Junior Sister, I’ll make you regret ever coming to Zhaoyao Peak.”
Ye Su left the hall and flew toward Yanyun Peak on his sword, leaving Yu Yuefu standing alone, utterly bewildered.
On this very day in her previous life, she’d been publicly humiliated when her engagement was broken off. Her master and father had only had eyes for Yu Xingwu, who’d just been brought back to the sect.
Now that she’d been given another life, she should have been the center of everyone’s attention today.
But what had happened instead?!
Every single one of them was still fussing over Yu Xingwu, that Fake Young Miss!
No. She couldn’t afford to lose her composure.
She would replace Yu Xingwu little by little!
And eventually, she would drive Yu Xingwu out of the sect!
Yanyun Peak.
Inside Yu Xingwu’s mind, ten thousand imaginary alpacas were stampeding wildly.
Meanwhile, the system was sobbing beside her as though it were mourning the dead.
It wasn’t until Yu Xingwu opened her eyes that the system finally stopped wailing and hurriedly asked with concern, “Host, are you all right? Your brain wasn’t damaged by the lightning, was it? If your brain gets fried, how are you supposed to follow the storyline and complete your missions? Boohoo!”
【…You damned system! Are you crying for me or for my brain?! You heartless system! And how do you even have the nerve to cry?! I’m the one who should be crying!】
【I put everything into that performance, delivered all those lines, and after all that effort, you’re telling me I achieved absolutely nothing?! Ahhhhh! Just kill me already!】
System: “…”
The system replied, “Dear Host, calm down! It’s all Shen Zhuo’s fault! He didn’t follow the storyline, which caused your mission to fail. You can’t blame me…”
【You’re really an expert at shifting blame! But what happened in the end? Even though the mission failed, the engagement was still broken off, right?!】
Damn it!
She’d caused such an enormous scene and even falsely accused the female protagonist of touching Shen Zhuo’s hand. Surely Shen Zhuo hated her even more now.
With his growing disgust toward her, combined with his supposed love at first sight for the female protagonist, Shen Zhuo must have proposed breaking off their engagement to Yu Zheng after she’d been struck unconscious by lightning.
Wonderful.
Not only would the storyline be back on track, but she’d also be single again!
There were still so many handsome men out there waiting for her~
The system replied, “Host, after you were struck unconscious by lightning, Shen Zhuo said that he had never once mentioned breaking off the engagement.”
It was like a bolt from the blue!
The system’s words nearly sent Yu Xingwu straight into the afterlife. For a moment, she could practically see her deceased great-grandmother.
She was so shocked that she immediately sat upright on the bed.
【What the hell?! The engagement wasn’t broken off?! How… how is that possible?! That’s not what happened in the original novel!】
The system hesitated. “Well… could it be that Shen Zhuo has fallen in love with Host? Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to break off the engagement?”
【Are you sick in the head?! Are you blind?! (ー_ー)!! Can’t you see that Shen Zhuo’s enormous, beautiful eyes are practically overflowing with disgust whenever he looks at me?!】
【I know! That damned villain must think breaking off the engagement now wouldn’t humiliate me enough! He wants to wait until our wedding day and break it off in front of the entire immortal cultivation world, making me lose every last shred of dignity!】
【That damned villain is so sinister!】
The system replied, “You’re absolutely right, Host! That’s how it happens in so many novels! Breaking off the engagement on the wedding day and publicly humiliating the bride! That damned villain really is awful!”
“But Host still needs to maintain your vicious persona. To avoid being brutally humiliated by the villain, you’ll have to find a way to make him propose breaking off the engagement. That way, the storyline will remain consistent with the original novel.”
【Then what about now? Since the villain hasn’t broken off our engagement, am I going to suddenly die again for no reason?】
The system replied, “No, Host. As long as the overall direction of the storyline doesn’t change, you won’t die.”
Yu Xingwu let out a long sigh of relief and decided not to dwell on the matter any further.
As far as she was concerned, even if the villain waited until their wedding day to break off the engagement, that would be fine. As long as the engagement ended, she didn’t care when it happened.
Most importantly, she wouldn’t be erased from existence because of this deviation.
In that case, there was nothing to worry about.
Just then, a shadow moved behind the folding screen.
Yu Xingwu looked up and saw Shen Zhuo walking around the screen toward her.
A sudden thought popped into her head.
【System, after I was struck unconscious by lightning, don’t tell me Shen Zhuo was the one who carried me back?】
The system replied, “What are you thinking, Host? If the villain were going to carry anyone, it would be the sweet, soft female protagonist! Why would he carry a Vicious Female Supporting Character like you~?”
Yu Xingwu: “…” You damned system! Have you become addicted to taking digs at me?!
Yu Xingwu asked, “Then who carried me back?”
The system replied, “Yu Zheng carried the Host back. Sword Venerable Feng Chen arrived afterward, and the female protagonist also came to visit you. Later, Yu Zheng left with the male and female protagonists, but he instructed Shen Zhuo to stay behind and take care of Host.”
【So that’s what happened… I knew it. That damned villain never comes to Yanyun Peak. Why would he suddenly carry me back here? The lightning must really have fried my brain.】
Shen Zhuo walked up to the bedside, his dark, unreadable gaze settling on Yu Xingwu.
Damned villain, damned villain…
She certainly seems to enjoy calling me that.