Chapter 54: Wishing You Everlasting Unity

Xiao Jihan paused in his steps, turning to shoot her a cold glance. “It’s none of your business.”
Yue Yao, unfazed by his frosty tone, merely laughed lightly. “From the look of it, it is.”
This time, Xiao Jihan didn’t even bother to give her a cold look; striding forward with long, determined steps.
Yue Yao glanced back at Yan Shu, then at Xiao Jihan ahead, smiled faintly, and followed after him.
Meanwhile, Yan Shu was being relentlessly pestered by Gan Meng and Cao Shenming.
“Senior Sister Yan, are you a new disciple of the Xuantian Sect? Why haven’t I seen your jade token?”
“Senior Sister Yan, you’re so beautiful—more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever seen.”
Yan Shu smiled gently. “Even more beautiful than Senior Sister Yue Yao?”
Faced with this deadly question, Gan Meng and Cao Shenming merely smiled, not the least bit flustered.
Gan Meng grinned. “Senior Sister Yue Yao is certainly beautiful, but in my heart, Junior Sister Yan, you’re the most beautiful.”
Cao Shenming added, “Does Junior Sister Yan want to hear the truth or a lie?”
“Of course, the truth.”
“The truth is, Junior Sister Yan, you are more beautiful.”
“And the lie?”
“The lie is, I haven’t seen any Senior Sister Yue Yao—my eyes are only for you.”
Yan Shu: ...
Well then, worthy of being from the Sect of Romance.
She made a mental note of these lines for future use—perhaps to coax Xiao Jihan next time.
Seeing that Xiao Jihan and Yue Yao had already pulled ahead, Yan Shu quickly hurried to catch up.
Yue Yao, walking beside Xiao Jihan, noticed that he had no intention of slowing down. With a sudden thought, she twisted her ankle and toppled to the side. “Oh no!”
Yan Shu, who had been watching her all along, darted forward, decisively squeezing past Xiao Jihan and catching Yue Yao firmly by the arm. She offered her a bright smile. “Careful there, Senior Sister Yue.”
Yue Yao looked at the displaced Xiao Jihan, then at Yan Shu’s radiant smile, straightened her posture, and smoothed her skirts. “Thank you, Junior Sister.”
Yan Shu smiled lightly. “It’s nothing.”
Xiao Jihan glanced at the two women smiling at each other, lowered his gaze without a word, and continued walking.
Yue Yao hurried after him.
Yan Shu kept a leisurely pace, always maintaining three steps’ distance behind the pair.
Gan Meng and Cao Shenming exchanged a knowing look.
After a few steps, Yue Yao twisted her ankle yet again. “Oh no!”
Yan Shu immediately leapt forward, once more shoving Xiao Jihan aside and supporting Yue Yao. “Senior Sister Yue, you really must be careful.”

Yue Yao straightened up, smiling faintly at Yan Shu. “You’re right, I really do need to be more careful.”
Yan Shu ignored the implication in her words. After helping her up, she retreated a step and gestured for her to go ahead.
Yue Yao’s lips curled in a smile. She glanced at Yan Shu, then walked on.
Xiao Jihan looked at Yan Shu, then at Yue Yao, arching a sword-like eyebrow before stepping forward to walk alongside Yue Yao.
Affection Points: 4 (Acquaintance)
Yan Shu felt secretly delighted—she just knew it! The hero saving the damsel always worked!
They hadn’t gone five steps when Yue Yao again feigned a stumble. “Oh no!”
Yan Shu sprang forward, forcefully pushing Xiao Jihan aside, but just as she reached out, Yue Yao had already righted herself, standing firmly with a meaningful smile. “Junior Sister Yan, you really are so warm-hearted.”
Yan Shu rubbed her nose and coughed. “Naturally. Since we’re traveling together, we’re companions. Of course I care about you.”
“Really?” Yue Yao’s red lips curled. “Then I’ll have to trouble Junior Sister Yan from now on.”
Yan Shu hadn’t grasped the meaning behind Yue Yao’s words before the latter suddenly leaned past her, lunging toward Xiao Jihan.
Yan Shu tensed, hurriedly stepping forward to block Xiao Jihan with open arms.
Yue Yao was unsurprised, only lifting her chin in a challenge before changing direction and lunging at Xiao Jihan again.
I block!
I lunge!
I block again!
I lunge again!
I block yet again!
Thus began a circling battle around Xiao Jihan—one lunging, one blocking.
Perhaps spurred by her competitive spirit, Yue Yao began using her spiritual power, forcing Yan Shu to respond in kind.
The scene reminded Yan Shu of a childhood game—“Eagle Catches the Chicks.”
To protect the male lead’s chastity, she was giving it her all; her character setting was already shattered beyond repair.
All she could hope was that the protagonist would appreciate her painstaking efforts and grant her a sliver of increased affection.
She glanced back—Affection Points: 4 (Acquaintance).
It seemed that once the points turned positive, they became especially hard to increase. Even when they rose, it was by the tiniest margin. The same trick would only earn a single point, his stinginess almost criminal.
She had been wrong to complain about the slow increase when his points were still negative.
Just as Yan Shu was glancing at the affection points, Yue Yao seized the chance to dart past her, lunging directly at Xiao Jihan.
Seeing Xiao Jihan so close at hand, Yue Yao smiled. She had already calculated the perfect way to fall into his arms, letting him feel the curves of her body and the softness of her chest.
She’d even decided what angle and expression would best showcase her alluring charm.

Closer, closer still. Yue Yao suddenly thought that stealing a kiss might be nice, so she lifted her head and puckered her red lips.
But just as she was about to crash into that tall, broad figure, a shadow flashed before her eyes, and all that remained in her vision was the earth, awaiting her kiss.
Yue Yao: ...
Her feigned fall was about to become a real one. Gan Meng and Cao Shenming, who had been watching, cried out in alarm, “Senior Sister!”
Yue Yao shut her eyes—it was too late. She couldn’t even attempt a stylish self-rescue.
Just as she braced herself for the pain of an intimate encounter with the ground, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.
Turning, Yue Yao saw Yan Shu’s smiling face. “Careful, Senior Sister Yue.”
Yue Yao looked at Xiao Jihan, standing a full ten feet away with a cold expression, then at Yan Shu, who was still holding her wrist. She drew her hand back, straightened, smoothed her skirt, and took a deep breath.
She, Yue Yao, the foremost female cultivator of the Sect of Romance, had always been the one pursued and pampered by men—when had she ever been so despised?
What’s more, though she’d never lost her innocence, she was a veteran in the arts of love. Yet this Xiao Jihan was utterly heartless, though at their first meeting, he had clearly stood close to his junior sister, Yan Tong.
From the way he stood while Yan Tong sat, it was obvious he had approached her himself. If that wasn’t a sign of affection, what was it?
So these two were using her as a pawn to test each other’s feelings?!
Furious, Yue Yao glared at Yan Shu and spat, “I’ll leave this kind of man to you. May you be joined in heart forever. Farewell!”
Yan Shu: ???
Yan Shu hadn’t yet figured out what had happened before Yue Yao had already stalked off without a backward glance.
Gan Meng and Cao Shenming gave Yan Shu an apologetic smile and hurried after their senior sister.
Yan Shu: ...
This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go!
If you were going to leave, could you at least finish the forced seduction scene first?!
Was the female antagonist’s endurance really so weak? Wasn’t she supposed to cling persistently, even after being gravely injured, loving the male lead to the bitter end?
Yan Shu figured Yue Yao had left simply because the protagonist hadn’t given her a proper beating.
So she walked up to Xiao Jihan and said earnestly, “You should go beat Yue Yao up—best if you injure her badly, and then crush her jade token!”
Xiao Jihan looked down at her, the corners of his thin lips curling faintly. “Don’t be upset. She never touched me.”
Affection Points: 5 (Acquaintance)
Yan Shu: ?????