Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 37: 【Pei Ji's Favorability Towards You is 30.】

 

　　“Miss An, may I call you An Jiu?” 

　　On the racetrack, Ming Yi rode a chestnut horse alongside An Jiu, nervously asking. 

　　When they first met, An Jiu introduced herself as An Jiu, not An Jiu (the character for wine). 

　　An Jiu casually led the horse and said, “Sure, since I call you Ming Yi, you can definitely call me by my name.” 

　　Upon hearing this, a look of happiness instantly appeared on Ming Yi's face. 

　　An Jiu gently flicked the whip and exclaimed “Giddy up,” and the little horse beneath her immediately started galloping. 

　　Knowing that An Jiu couldn't ride, Ming Yi specifically chose a beautiful, gentle little white horse for her. The horse was pure white without a single stray hair, resembling a celestial steed. 

　　The girl had fair skin, her red lips curved into a smile, and her exquisite features radiated joy as she rode the white horse across the lush green grassland. The corners of her red skirt fluttered in the wind, creating a scene as beautiful as a painting. 

　　Ming Yi was mesmerized, and it took him a while to come back to his senses, only to find that the girl had already ridden far away. 

　　He quickly spurred his horse to catch up, and when he reached her, he saw a woman in white, slender and delicate, standing not far ahead of An Jiu. 

　　The woman stood alone by the edge of the field, the spring breeze ruffling her clothes, her hair and white veil intertwined, as if about to be carried away by the wind. 

　　Ming Yi's eyes lit up. This was another rare beauty! 

　　The woman didn't seem very old. By Ming Yi's standards, having seen countless beauties, she couldn't be more than twenty. She wore the unwed maiden's hairstyle, her attire was simple. Perhaps due to poor health, her complexion was pale, her lips were light, and she had a faint air of weakness. 

　　Just as An Jiu and Ming Yi were sizing up the woman, she also noticed them. 

　　“May I ask who this young lady is?” Ming Yi approached and greeted her. 

　　The woman bowed slightly, her voice soft as she replied, “My name is Jin Yanwan. My father is the Líng Shé Sword Master.” 

　　“So you are Miss Jin!” Ming Yi smiled and bowed in return.

　　An Jiu remained silent, sitting on her horse and watching the two converse, seemingly uninterested in getting to know Jin Yanwan. 

　　Ming Yi and Jin Yanwan didn't talk much either. After all, they were of different genders, and Miss Jin had a hint of sadness in her eyes, suggesting inner turmoil, which was likely why she came to the field alone to relax. 

　　They didn't disturb her and soon parted ways with Miss Jin, continuing their ride around the field. 

　　Ming Yi couldn't forget Jin Yanwan, who was like a white lotus, aloof and independent, and he talked about the beauty with An Jiu. 

　　“I'd heard of Miss Jin's reputation before. Have you heard of the ‘Roster of Beauties’ in the Jianghu? It’s a booklet published by Baixiao Sect (Hundred-Knowledge Sect) that lists all the renowned beauties of the martial world. Miss Jin is ranked eighth. Seeing her today, her reputation is well-deserved!” 

　　Wow, Jianghu gossip! 

　　An Jiu's eyes widened in curiosity, her peach blossom eyes sparkling. “Miss Jin is only eighth? Who is number one?” 

　　Although Ming Yi was from the capital, he had always yearned for the exciting and vengeful world of the Jianghu, especially the beautiful women, whom he seemed to know intimately. 

　　“The reason Miss Jin is only eighth is because of her naturally weak constitution, preventing her from practicing martial arts. She's only half a Jianghu woman. Also, she rarely appears in the Jianghu; her fame is not widespread, hence the eighth ranking. If we were judging solely on appearance, I'd say she should be in the top five.”

　　“As for who’s ranked first, well, opinions differ. Some say Yu Hongyi of Emei Sect is breathtakingly beautiful. Others claim Shen Yuelan of Dingshan Sect has an exceptional presence. And then there are those who mention Hua Qing, the Saintess of the Demonic Sect. But in my opinion…” 

　　Ming Yi paused for dramatic effect, drawing out his words. 

　　An Jiu, thoroughly engrossed, eager to hear more—this was all new information not found in the books—quickly asked, “What? What is it? Have you met all these beauties?” 

　　Ming Yi nodded smugly. “I have, indeed, met a few!” 

　　He counted on his fingers. “Yu Hongyi is dignified and radiant, a truly exceptional beauty. I visited Emei two years ago and watched her practice martial arts and swordsmanship. She was graceful and elegant; the scene is unforgettable.” 

　　“Shen Yuelan uses a blade. She's easy to recognize. If you see a dashing woman dressed in black with a curved blade on her back, it's definitely Shen YueLan.” 

　　“As for Hua Qing...I haven't met her. The Demonic Sect isn't someplace anyone can just visit…” Ming Yi touched his nose, a hint of regret in his voice. 

　　It sounded like if the Demonic Sect allowed outsiders, he'd definitely go to see the saintess. 

　　An Jiu chuckled inwardly. In her opinion, Ming Yi was an extreme beauty enthusiast.

　　Although he often found himself captivated by beautiful women, his gaze lacked the lecherous quality common among men, showing only pure appreciation for beauty. This was why An Jiu was willing to get closer to him. 

　　“So, who do you think is the most beautiful?” 

　　Ming Yi's eyes flickered, his gaze subtly falling on the girl's face. He coughed and said, “How could I possibly tell? The three I mentioned each have their own unique beauty, making it impossible to compare. The ‘Roster of Beauties’ places Shen Yuelan first, suggesting the author prefers her. But speaking only for myself...I think An Jiu could definitely claim the title of the most beautiful woman.” 

　　Ming Yi spoke sincerely. An Jiu was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was cheerful, generous, bright, and stunning, like a precious jewel. 

　　He wouldn't dare say such things to other women; he'd be dismissed as a lecher. But with An Jiu, he knew she wouldn't misunderstand. 

　　Sure enough, after hearing this, the girl was only momentarily stunned before bursting into a bright smile, her face radiant. 

　　“I'm not exactly a Jianghu woman; you can't compare me to them,” An Jiu shook her head, casually changing the subject. “By the way, how much do you know about Miss Jin?”

　　Ming Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “All I know is that she’s the legitimate daughter of the Líng Shé Sword Master. She’s been dearly loved since childhood, but unfortunately, her health is poor, so she couldn’t train in the Líng Shé Sword Manual. Otherwise, there’s no way she’d only be ranked eighth.” 

　　“But now that she has that secret manual of divine skill, she should be able to practice martial arts soon.” 

　　An Jiu listened, replying vaguely, “Maybe.” 

　　Thinking back to the delicate woman in white she had just met, An Jiu subtly curled her lips. 

　　Perhaps no one would guess that the Líng Shé Sword Master never intended for his daughter to inherit the family's unique skill, the Líng Shé Sword Manual. Even after finding the secret manual of divine skill, he never considered having Jin Yanwan practice it. 

　　Jin You didn't have only one daughter. Besides Jin Yanwan, he had a son and two other daughters, all of whom were born out of wedlock. 

　　Ten years ago, Jin You was attacked by his enemies. He was defeated, and his wife shielded him from a fatal blow, dying on the spot. Jin You was also seriously injured, his vitality severely depleted, causing him to withdraw from the Jianghu. 

　　For the past ten years, he had devoted himself to raising his children. Jin You's eldest son was exceptionally gifted, showing extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. At only thirteen years old, he had already reached the level of a second-rate Jianghu expert, much to Jin You's satisfaction. 

　　Jin You intended for his eldest son to inherit Jinshe Villa; this was almost openly known. 

　　As for his sickly eldest daughter, Jin You, while fond of her, didn't hold high expectations.

　　Jin You's attitude towards his daughter, Jin Yanwan, was similar to that of most men in ancient times. Although he doted on her, he wouldn't place the burden of the family on a daughter. Even though she was his only legitimate daughter, he treated her like a caged bird, unwilling to let her spread her wings. 

　　The book mentioned a plot point where a secret manual of divine skill was stolen. At the time, everyone suspected Jin You of stealing it himself. In fact, the thief was indeed from Jinshe Villa—Jin Yanwan. 

　　No one could have imagined that the frail and pale woman harbored such ambition. 

　　She was not content to be confined to the inner courtyard, a useless daughter. She wanted to learn martial arts and become the master of Jinshe Villa. 

　　More than that, she actually hated her father. 

　　She hated his coldness and lack of loyalty, openly taking a concubine shortly after her mother's death. 

　　Every time the family sat down for a meal together, watching her father laugh and converse merrily with his concubine and illegitimate siblings, Jin Yanwan felt a fire burning inside her. 

　　She watched coldly as the family enjoyed themselves, feeling like an outsider, excluded from their warmth despite being the legitimate daughter. 

　　Jin Yanwan wanted revenge on Jin You.

　　Stealing the secret manual was a carefully planned act of revenge. She had no martial arts skills, just a weak woman, and this was the only opportunity she could seize. As long as she stole the manual, those Jianghu people who were deceived would not let Jin You off the hook. Once she mastered the divine skill, she could seize control of Jinshe Villa. 

　　Jin Yanwan's plan was perfect; she had a solid alibi. No one would suspect her, as she was a delicate, ordinary woman with poor health. Most importantly, no one thought she would hate her father. 

　　Unfortunately, the world often underestimates women. 

　　Jin Yanwan's appearance was incredibly deceptive, leading everyone to overlook her. They forgot she had almost perfect conditions for committing the crime. She was the eldest daughter of Jinshe Villa, giving her ample opportunity to steal the manual without being discovered. 

　　Jin Yanwan did indeed successfully steal the manual, only to be exposed by the male and female leads later. 

　　The reason the leads noticed her was actually due to a tip-off from the second male lead, Pei Ji.

　　Pei Ji was extremely sensitive to changes in a person's physical condition. He simply noticed that Jin Yanwan's breathing was different, no longer short and weak, but showing signs of someone who practiced martial arts, thus arousing his suspicion. 

　　Such subtle changes are imperceptible to ordinary people, but to a doctor, they are very clear. This shows how perceptive Pei Ji is. 

　　However, this alone is not enough to demonstrate Pei Ji's scheming nature. 

　　In the plot, after confirming the manual was in Jin Yanwan's possession, Pei Ji quietly infiltrated her room, taking the real manual and replacing it with a damaged copy. 

　　Only then did the events of exposing the thief, finding the manual, and everyone vying for it unfold. 

　　In other words, the real manual had already fallen into his hands; the manual that the entire martial arts world was fighting over in the later plot was fake! 

　　He single-handedly manipulated the entire martial arts world. 

　　Why did An Jiu say Pei Ji was a high-IQ boss? 

　　This shows how he subtly manipulated things, keeping everything under his control to achieve his goals. Such an intelligent villain is rare. If the author hadn't used a ¹deus ex machina, the male and female leads might not have been able to defeat him.

　　However, as the saying goes, “For every clever move, there's a countermove.” 

　　An Jiu poked the system. “System, how much does Pei Ji like me now?” (T/N: This useless system, I almost forgot she got one.😅)

　　【Pei Ji's favorability towards you is 30.】

　　The smile on An Jiu's lips widened, and she couldn't help but gallop her horse excitedly. 

　　It was 20 before; the extra 10 points were probably added while she was asleep. In any case, when An Jiu woke up, the favorability had already increased to 30. 

　　She should cool things down now. Being too eager would seem contrived. A little distance would allow for better warming up. 

　　As the sun climbed higher, the temperature began to rise. After riding for a while, An Jiu prepared to head home. 

　　“Ming Yi, it's too sunny. Let's go back.” 

　　“Okay. I heard there's a hot spring on the mountain behind Jinshe Villa. An Jiu, how about we go soak in it tomorrow?” 

　　An Jiu's eyes curved into crescents. She smiled sweetly and replied, “Sounds good.”

　　The two returned together, but whether it was coincidence or not, they once again ran into the elegant physician in the snow-white robes in the corridor. 

　　He sat by the railing, gazing at them from afar, his eyes unreadable.

________________ 

Author's Note: 

Pei Pei: chug chug chug.jpg 

Eldest Miss An: ??? What are you doing?

Pei Pei: Drinking vinegar.

…….

Glossary: 

¹The term ‘deus ex machina’ is Latin for ‘god from the machine’. It originally referred to a plot device in ancient Greek and Roman theatre where a god or divine figure would be lowered onto the stage (often via a mechanical device) to resolve a seemingly impossible situation or conflict.

In modern usage, it refers to a sudden and unexpected plot twist or solution that appears out of nowhere, often resolving a complex situation in a way that seems contrived or forced. It can sometimes feel like a shortcut to wrap up a story, and while it can be effective, it can also feel like a lack of proper narrative development.

So, a deus ex machina is a surprising or improbable event or intervention that saves the day in an unexpected way.

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