Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 70: Her Love Was Just Too Cheap.

　　The night was deep and quiet. Tiny stars scattered across the dark sky, casting a faint glow.

　　Wuyin Temple was completely still—even the birds in the mountains had gone to sleep.

　　A girl, clutching her robe tightly, quietly pushed open the courtyard gate. The moment she turned around, she suddenly bumped into a warm, firm chest.

　　“Careful,” a low voice murmured near her ear.

　　Startled, she jumped like a frightened bunny, quickly leaping out of his arms and putting two steps between them.

　　That instinctive reaction made the man’s eyes darken slightly, but the night masked his expression. His voice stayed calm and gentle: “Don’t be scared, it’s just me.”

　　“You—how can you be so bold? At least find a more hidden spot. What if someone sees us?” she scolded, patting her chest lightly as if to calm her nerves, speaking in a fast, hushed whisper.

　　She quickly looked around, and only after confirming they were alone did she breathe a sigh of relief. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him toward her room in a hurry.

　　Honestly, the way she acted made it look like they were some shady gang doing a secret meetup.

　　In the dark, the man’s gaze lingered on her with a faint curiosity.

　　Why was she acting so nervous? What exactly was she afraid of?

　　Once they entered the room and closed the door, the girl’s tense posture finally relaxed a little.

　　She turned to him, warning, “I looked around during the day—everyone in this temple knows martial arts. You really shouldn’t stay here. You need to leave soon.”

　　The man wore black from head to toe. There was only a single oil lamp lit in the room, casting a soft, yellowish glow over him, like it wrapped him in a faint, shadowy blur.

　　Even his voice sounded a bit hazy in the dim light. “Why should I leave?”

　　“You’re asking me that?” the girl blinked in disbelief. Even though she kept her voice low, her fast speech made it obvious she was exasperated.

　　“Every time we meet, you sneak around. You avoid everyone like the plague. No one around me even knows you exist. You’re like a ghost or something…”

　　As she spoke, the girl suddenly lowered her head and took a deep breath, like she was trying to steady her emotions. After a moment, she said slowly, “These past few days, I’ve been thinking things through. Maybe... maybe you’re a wanted criminal. Maybe you’re some terrible villain... or even someone from the demonic sect or something…”

　　Her tone was complicated, like she wasn’t sure if she was saying it to him or trying to convince herself.

　　The man stared at the girl who had her head lowered, his gaze dark and unreadable.

　　No wonder she’d stopped sending him messages lately. Her replies had cooled off too.

　　So she’d finally figured it out—realized something wasn’t right with him?

　　The air suddenly felt heavy, like the whole room had frozen. Only the sound of their soft breathing filled the silence.

　　After waiting a long time without a response, the girl sniffled softly and lifted her head. Her dark eyes reflected the flickering candlelight—and his shadow within it.

　　“Fei Yi, you’re not saying anything... does that mean you’re admitting it?” she asked gently.

　　The man was quiet for a while before finally answering, “What if I am?”

　　“I—I’m not scared.” The girl froze for a second, then quickly tried to smile, forcing her lips into a curve.

　　But Pei Ji noticed it right away—the fear flashing in her eyes, and her slightly pale face.

　　She was lying.

　　She was scared.

　　“Even though… even though you're a bad person, you saved my life. I won’t repay kindness with hatred, and I won’t be ungrateful. I-I’ll properly repay you, so hurry and leave before they find you. We’ll talk again after we get down the mountain…”

　　Even though her face was pale, the girl kept trying to hold it together while she spoke to him. But the worry in her eyes and brows gave her away—like she was facing some kind of terrifying monster that might devour her at any second.

　　Pei Ji didn’t know if it was the talk with Master Zhenyi earlier that day, which finally resolved the questions that had haunted him for two lifetimes and lifted the weight off his chest…

　　Or maybe it was Wu Sheng’s letter that gave him a sliver of hope for a cure…

　　Or maybe it was her seeing through his act, freeing him from the need to keep pretending.

　　Something inside Pei Ji was stirring—swelling and roaring in his chest, itching to rip off that innocent, harmless mask and do something reckless.

　　Just like earlier that day, when he’d said those cruel things to her and watched her run off, scared and shaken.

　　Even now, the memory still gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction, like he could still taste the thrill of it.

　　But now, staring coldly at the fear she couldn’t quite hide, Pei Ji suddenly felt bored.

　　Why was he still playing this childish game with her?

　　It had all started on a whim. And somehow, he’d kept this charade going for so long.

　　Catering to her every need, putting up with her moods, playing the hero over and over, always showing up when she needed him—gentle, thoughtful, pretending to be the man she liked. And all the while, he’d been tolerating her fickleness, her doubts, her shifting heart.

　　There was really no need for him to go this far, was there?

　　If he wanted her to fall in love with him, all it would take was a single Love Gu. With that, she'd be completely loyal to him, no questions asked.

　　Pei Ji had thought about it—why he ruled out using a Love Gu the very first time he met An Jiu.

　　It was because Lin Qingyan had left too deep of a scar on him.

　　The day he first met An Jiu in this life, he had only been reborn a few days earlier, and his mind was still filled with lingering memories of his previous life.

　　He remembered it vividly—how Lin Qingyan broke free from the Love Gu’s control, teamed up with He Ziqing, and ended up killing him.

　　The memory of his death was so intense that he’d instinctively started doubting whether the Love Gu even worked.

　　But looking back now, Pei Ji realized he’d overlooked something.

　　An Jiu wasn't Lin Qingyan.

　　A girl like An Jiu, who could fall for someone so easily and turn around and fall for someone else just as quickly—there was no way she’d ever be as devoted as Lin Qingyan. No way she’d fight off a Love Gu’ control for someone’s sake.

　　Her love was just too cheap.

　　She could fall for Fei Yi just because he saved her. Then turn around and like Fei Chen just because he looked good. And when she found out Pei Ji was crippled, she instantly looked down on him like he wasn’t worth her time.

　　With someone that shallow, how deep could her love even be?

　　Pei Ji suddenly found the whole thing laughable. He’d let himself get so tangled up with her... over this kind of cheap love?

　　Had he lost his mind these past few days?

　　All these thoughts flashed through his head in an instant—then vanished just as fast.

　　In the dim room, he suddenly took two steps forward and quickly closed the distance between them.

　　The girl backed up instinctively, bumping into the edge of the table. Her hands gripped the tabletop behind her, and her wide, pretty eyes stared at him in panic.

　　“Y-You… Fei Yi, what are you doing?”

　　“I heard you’ve taken a liking to that monk, Fei Chen?”

　　The man in black gripped the girl’s slender waist—so small it barely filled his hand. His long, bony fingers closed around her like a hunter clutching his prey. She trembled faintly in his grasp, powerless.

　　She was so soft and defenseless, he could easily control her with just one hand.

　　Why keep dancing around the issue? Once he had the Twin-soul Gu, he had his own ways to make her willingly detoxify him.

　　He leaned down, locking eyes with her. Even though his face looked upright and proper, there was something dangerous lurking deep in those narrow, pitch-black eyes.

　　The girl shook her head in a panic, stumbling over her words. “I—I didn’t! I just see him as a friend. I don’t—I don’t like him!”

　　The man grabbed her delicate little chin with one hand, narrowing his eyes slightly. His lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile. “Really?”

　　“O-of course it’s true! Y-you promised me before—you said you wouldn’t hurt my friends…”

　　She probably misunderstood, thinking he was about to go after Fei Chen, so she rushed to explain.

　　To Pei Ji, however, these words were just further proof that she had changed her mind.

　　If she didn’t like Fei Chen, why was she so desperate to deny it? Why bring up that old promise of his?

　　He let out a cold laugh, something hot and dark bubbling in his chest. His voice dropped, sharp and chilling. “So you already know I’m a bad guy. Then be good, don’t piss me off. And don’t look at other men ever again. If you do, whoever you look at—I’ll kill them. Sound good?”

　　The girl trembled even harder in his arms.

　　Her long lashes fluttered like leaves in the wind, and her bright, scared eyes started to fill with tears she couldn’t hold back.

　　“F-Fei Yi… why… why are you acting like this?” she choked out, disbelief written all over her face.

　　She couldn’t believe it—she’d just snuck out to see him once, only to witness a completely different side of him.

　　She thought she was just testing him, just making a guess… but he didn’t even bother to hide it anymore. He tore the mask off completely.

　　“What? Can’t handle it?” he said, his voice low and heavy. “Too bad. It’s already too late.”

　　Now that Pei Ji had figured things out, he didn’t see the point in holding back.

　　Whether she loved him or not didn’t matter. Once he used the Love Gu on her, even if she didn’t love him, she’d have no choice but to fall deeply.

　　She was just a tool to detoxify him. There was no need for him to waste real feelings on her.

　　No more sleepless nights worrying if she liked someone else. No more bending over backward trying to make her happy.

　　His gaze lingered at the corner of her eye for a second, something flickering in his eyes.

　　“Remember what I said. As long as you behave, I won’t hurt you.”

　　After threatening her, his tone suddenly softened. He slowly raised a hand, and with cool fingers, gently wiped away the tear trailing down the corner of her reddened eye.

　　Can’t scare her too much—give her a smack, then hand her a sweet date.

　　“I really like you. So, like me back—properly, okay?” His voice was low and gentle, like a lover whispering sweet nothings. Deep, smooth, and dangerously seductive.

　　The girl’s wet eyelashes trembled as she stared at him without blinking. His reflection shimmered in her eyes. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and nodded slightly, like a frightened deer.

　　“Y-yeah… I got it. I-I only like you,” she said softly, swallowing nervously.

　　A real smile suddenly appeared in the man’s deep eyes—unlike the fake ones from before, this one was genuine. It softened the danger that clung to him, making him seem warm for a second.

　　“Good girl. That’s better.”

　　His hand on her jaw shifted slightly, gently brushing over her swollen, red lips where she’d bitten down too hard.

　　With a soft smile and a husky voice, he murmured, “Don’t bite.”

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Author's note:

Pei Pei: Trying to act all upright and gentle just made you fall for someone else. Screw it—I’m done pretending!

Blackened Pei Pei: From now on, you're only allowed to look at me, only like me. If you even glance at someone else—I’ll kill him! Got it?!

Miss An: (shaking like a leaf) Uh-huh, I only like you...

Blackened Pei Pei… can’t keep up the act anymore. (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

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