Chapter 105: She Was Overconfident-Cultivation Strategy: Winning the Male Lead’s Favor from the Start(The young lady walks with confidence, unafraid to go her own way.)

Xiao Jihan glanced at the slender jade-like fingers clutching his sleeve, then lifted his eyes to the smiling face so close to his own. After a long while, he finally pressed his thin lips together and said in a cool voice, "Do not let it happen again."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Yan Shu hurriedly let go and nodded. "I already know I was wrong."

She would dare to do it again next time.

Xiao Jihan studied her quietly for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. "Let’s go."

Yan Shu and Xiao Jihan walked out side by side. By now, the things in the Brahma Secret Realm no longer caught their attention; they merely strolled idly, and whenever they encountered a demon creature, they would take the chance to hone their skills.

But they had not gone far when a voice, tinged with pleasant surprise, called out, "Junior Sister Yan!"

Hearing that voice, only one thought occurred to Yan Shu: indeed, a person should never be spoken of too often.

She glanced at Xiao Jihan, whose expression had already turned colder, then turned around to look at the newcomer. "Senior Brother Yu."

Yu Wenche wore a delighted smile and reached Yan Shu in just a few steps.

He glanced at Xiao Jihan and greeted him as Junior Nephew Xiao.

Last time he had still been calling him Junior Brother; now he had become a junior nephew. In this world, one's seniority could rise easily enough, and fall even more easily.

Xiao Jihan gave a cold laugh and did not answer.

Yu Wenche did not mind. He immediately shifted his attention away and looked only at Yan Shu, smiling as he said, "How have you been, Junior Sister Yan Shu? I heard you never came out of the Brahma Secret Realm, so this time I specially volunteered to lead the expedition here. I never expected I would truly run into you."

The joy in his eyes was so sincere that Yan Shu could not help but smile in return.

But the moment the corners of her lips lifted, she felt the temperature beside her drop sharply.

She quickly suppressed her smile and coughed lightly. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Yu. Did my previous absence affect your sect's ranking?"

Yu Wenche smiled and shook his head. "No. After all, the Taichu Sect sent a full team of thirty people, and every one of them was at least at the Golden Core stage. If the sect had lost its ranking merely because I was not there, then that would truly have been a poor showing."

Yan Shu nodded, agreeing with him, then asked, "May I ask what rank the Xuantian Sect held last time?"

"Still fourth," Yu Wenche replied softly, looking at her. "Rest assured, Junior Sister. The Xuantian Sect is, after all, one of the oldest sects in history; its strength is there for all to see."

"Oh, and by the way, after the last closure of the Brahma Secret Realm, Sect Master Wen soon succeeded to the position of sect master of the Xuantian Sect. The major and minor sects of the cultivation world all sent people to offer their congratulations. I heard that your sect also took in a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root last time. I imagine that next year there will be many more gifted disciples joining the Xuantian Sect."

At this, Yan Shu truly became happy. "Really? That’s wonderful. I wonder..."

"If you have anything to say, you can wait until we are out of the secret realm."

Xiao Jihan cut her off coldly. Glancing at the Taichu Sect disciples standing behind Yu Wenche, he said, "Has Senior Brother Yu forgotten the disciples of your own sect?"

At that, Yu Wenche turned back to look at the Taichu Sect group and smiled. "It doesn’t matter. There are less than half an hour left before the secret realm closes. Even if we found demon creatures now, there would be no time to deal with them."

"Is that so?"

Xiao Jihan glanced at Dan Zhiqing among the crowd and said lightly, with pointed implication, "I’m afraid that is only Senior Brother Yu’s wishful thinking. The disciples of your sect may not think the same."

Yan Shu followed his gaze and immediately met Dan Zhiqing’s eyes.

Their gazes met, and Dan Zhiqing’s heart lurched. She hurriedly looked away.

Though her movement was quick, the hatred in her eyes had still been caught by Yan Shu.

Yan Shu considered it for a moment, then looked up at Yu Wenche. "Xiao Jihan has a point. Since the secret realm is about to close anyway, you should go attend to your matters first. We can talk in detail after we are out."

The change in Yan Shu’s attitude was plain for Yu Wenche to see, and he understood the reason all too well.

He gave her a gentle smile. "Very well. We can speak in detail once we are out. I happen to have something to say to you as well."

Yan Shu acknowledged him with a sound, said her farewells, and left with Xiao Jihan.

They had not gone far when Xiao Jihan suddenly said coldly, "Do you still remember what I said earlier?"

Yan Shu paused at his words. What had he just said? No new flames allowed?

Bah—what nonsense about new flames. She did not even have an old flame. Where would a new one come from?

"I said that if you still want anyone else, it will only be over my dead body," Xiao Jihan said, bending down suddenly to whisper by her ear, "or yours."

Affinity: 34

Affinity: 33

Affinity: 32

Warm breath brushed her ear, yet Yan Shu felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet.

She had been far too confident.

Yan Shu swallowed and met Xiao Jihan's now-cold phoenix eyes, then said sweetly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Since when have I ever wanted anyone else? Rest assured, no matter when it is, I will only ever have you."

Xiao Jihan looked quietly into her eyes and said nothing, as if trying to discern the truth of her words from her expression.

Yan Shu hurriedly put on her sincerest look, not even daring to blink.

After a long while, Xiao Jihan finally seemed to believe her and withdrew his gaze, saying indifferently, "It had better be so."

"Don’t worry, I will definitely do as I say."

Yan Shu wore a smile on her face, but inside she had gone a little cold. Something about this still felt wrong to her.

Was the problem with her, or with Xiao Jihan?

Had he really become so narrow-minded that she could not even have other friends?

To be honest, if she had not known that he would never know love, and if the Gossipy Sauce System had not told her that Xiao Jihan would not have a Dao companion in the lower realms, she would have begun to suspect that he had truly fallen for her and had gone down the route of a possessive overlord.

Yan Shu lowered her eyes, genuinely unable to make sense of it.

Since she could not make sense of it, she might as well stop trying. After all, there were still a little more than a hundred years until Xiao Jihan ascended; if she simply gritted her teeth and endured, it would pass before long.

Besides, the Heavenly Thunder was still watching. As for things like friends, well, she could do without them.

She only hoped that after Xiao Jihan ascended, Heaven would see how diligently she had served the Lord of the Male Lead and grant her freedom in return.

After Xiao Jihan and Yan Shu left, Yu Wenche did not depart immediately. Instead, he remained standing where he was, watching Yan Shu’s retreating figure until it vanished from sight. Only then did he withdraw his gaze and walk toward the Taichu Sect disciples.

This time, the Taichu Sect’s team included disciples participating in the Brahma Secret Realm for the first time.

While Yu Wenche was speaking with Yan Shu, the new disciples had already learned from the conversation who Yan Shu and Xiao Jihan were.

They had never seen Yu Wenche’s cold side and did not know that he had once abandoned the rest of the Taichu Sect without hesitation for Yan Shu.

In their minds, Yu Wenche was still the same gentle, nearly temperless senior brother.

When Yu Wenche returned, one of them said with open disdain, "Why was Senior Brother so close to those two? That Xiao Jihan is nothing but a vicious, greedy wretch. As for Yan Shu, her talent may be outstanding, but she keeps company with such a villain and shields him at every turn. Clearly, she is no better!"

"To speak even half a sentence to those two is to disgrace our Taichu Sect!"