Chapter 41: Senior Brother, You Don’t Understand!

As soon as the words “fiancée” were spoken, an uproar broke out.

“That’s Yu Wenche? Since when does Yu Wenche have a fiancée?”

“I’ve never heard of it. Who is Yu Wenche’s fiancée?”

“Could it be the only daughter of the Sect Master of the Primordial Sect? Just yesterday, I saw Yu Wenche accompanying her.”

“Tsk tsk, now that Yu Wenche has a fiancée, I wonder how many women’s hearts will be broken.”

Yan Shu hadn’t expected Yu Wenche to throw out such a bombshell right from the start, leaving her somewhat dazed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flicker of red light. She looked down and saw that the health bar above Xiao Jihan’s head, which hadn’t flashed in a long time, was suddenly blinking.

Affection: -40 (Dislike)

Affection: -50 (Hatred)

Affection: -60 (Hatred)

Yan Shu leapt to her feet. She had no idea why the affection score had dropped so sharply, but she knew that if she didn’t do something soon, these past two months of effort would be for nothing!

“Junior Sister, don’t be rash. Ying Ziheng is unpredictable; if you want to snatch this egg from him, you must have something to rely on. Yu Wenche is just a temporary expedient. If you contradict Yu Wenche now, not only will you embarrass him, but you’ll also put yourself in danger.”

Hearing these words, Yan Shu suddenly felt the egg in her hand becoming unbearably hot.

Staring at the flashing health bar, Yan Shu was on the verge of tears. “Senior Brother, you don’t understand!”

“What’s there not to understand? It’s just a title. Right now, our identities are concealed. Once we leave the Treasure Pavilion and restore our true appearance, who will recognize you? There’s no need to feel guilty towards Yu Wenche. He’s clever—he probably saw through our disguises long ago.”

“The egg in your hand is rather special. Now that it’s recognized you as its master, it won’t choose another unless the master perishes. Yu Wenche is saving you.”

At this, Liu Zhiqing paused, then continued, “Of course, if we revealed our identities now, Ying Ziheng wouldn’t do anything to you. But we have no ties with the Treasure Pavilion. If we want to take the egg, we’d have to pay at least a hundred thousand superior spirit stones.”

A hundred thousand superior spirit stones—Xuantian Sect couldn’t possibly afford that.

Yan Shu had never been so frustrated.

She was wrong. From the beginning, she never should have been born. If she hadn’t been born, she wouldn’t have transmigrated into the novel. If she hadn’t transmigrated, she wouldn’t have come to the Treasure Pavilion. If she hadn’t come to the Treasure Pavilion, she wouldn’t have become an instant mother. And if she hadn’t become a mother, her affection score wouldn’t have plummeted!

Yan Shu slumped back into her seat, feeling utterly defeated, as if she’d been thrown back to square one overnight—a kind of pain few could comprehend.

“Mother, are you angry?” A timid, placating voice instantly dispelled Yan Shu’s temper. It wasn’t the children’s fault; it was just her ill fate.

Seizing opportunities and following the plot was the male protagonist’s job. From now on, she never wanted to leave home again—unless struck by lightning!

“So it was Young Master Yu Wen’s fiancée who obtained such fortune.” Pavilion Master Jia breathed a quiet sigh of relief. To be honest, he’d just been at a loss, ready to call for his master’s instruction.

Pavilion Master Jia looked toward another compartment on the fifth floor. “The egg has already chosen its master. Sect Master Ying, what say you?”

A lazy voice came from within the partition. “Since it’s already chosen its master, it would be useless for me to take it. The Treasure Pavilion may handle it as you see fit.”

Yu Wenche cupped his hands in salute. Then, drawing a brocade box from his storage pouch, he flicked his sleeve, sending it into the compartment.

He smiled and said, “I’ve disturbed Sect Master Ying’s pleasure. Please accept this Seven-Colored Lotus as my apology.”

“Seven-Colored Lotus? Did I hear that right?”

“It seems Yu Wenche truly cares for his fiancée, even offering up a Seven-Colored Lotus as compensation.”

“This matter will be talked about for days. Those girls who adore Yu Wenche are sure to weep rivers of tears.”

At the mention of the Seven-Colored Lotus, even the usually composed Liu Zhiqing glanced at Yan Shu with a complicated expression, quietly transmitting, “Junior Sister, it seems Yu Wenche really does have feelings for you. He even gave away a Seven-Colored Lotus. Perhaps… you should reconsider?”

But Yan Shu, mired in the pain of her falling affection score, paid it no mind.

She knew the Seven-Colored Lotus was a rare treasure—one that could help someone advance directly. If she were just an ordinary supporting character, she might have considered giving Yu Wenche a chance.

But now, with her affection score strangling her, she had to stay by Xiao Jihan’s side as his emergency food supply—barely able to protect her own life, let alone entertain thoughts of love.

Now, not only had her affection score dropped, but she was also deep in debt!

She was wrong. She never should have been born in the first place...

Ying Ziheng took the brocade box floating in the air and smiled. “You’re too kind, Daoist Yu Wen.”

Seeing the matter settled, Pavilion Master Jia beamed. “Since Sect Master Ying is willing to let it go, let this egg be the Treasure Pavilion’s gift to Young Master Yu Wen and his fiancée! May you two live long and happily together!”

Yu Wenche smiled faintly and cupped his hands. “Thank you, Pavilion Master Jia.”

With the egg dispute resolved, Pavilion Master Jia began auctioning the next treasure.

Yu Wenche returned to the compartment and sat down, glancing at Yan Shu, whose ears had reddened slightly. “It was only a temporary measure earlier. I hope you won’t take offense, Junior Sister.”

Yan Shu gave him a listless look and nodded. “I understand. Senior Brother already explained: once an item recognizes a master, it won’t change hands unless the master dies. This egg is special, about to hatch, and many covet it. You said what you did to save me.”

Her frankness left Yu Wenche momentarily at a loss for words, so he changed the subject. “Although the egg has recognized you, it’s best to form a contract to ensure no one else covets it. Junior Sister, why not do it here? Senior Brother Liu and I will stand guard for you.”

Yan Shu knew he was right and nodded. “All right.”

Liu Zhiqing formed a seal, instantly lowering a barrier. Now that their identities were an open secret, there was no need to hide their strength.

Yan Shu looked at the egg in her hand, drew a drop of blood from her fingertip, and let it fall onto the shell.

Instantly, a red light burst from the egg, then gathered and transformed into a fire phoenix.

The fire phoenix let out a crisp cry, flapped its wings, and flew straight toward Yan Shu’s brow.

Yan Shu suddenly felt a jolt in her mind, and then she could see the two lively little phoenixes inside the egg.

“Brother, we’re finally with Mother!”

“Yes, we’ve finally waited for Mother to come!”

The two little phoenix chicks embraced in the egg, indistinguishable in gender, though judging by temperament, the one whose tail feathers quivered must be the younger sister.

“Junior Sister, you…”

Yan Shu snapped out of her trance at Liu Zhiqing’s words. “What is it, Senior Brother?”

Liu Zhiqing looked at her with a complicated expression, conjured a water mirror, and said with some difficulty, “Junior Sister, see for yourself.”