Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 108: No More Compromising for Her

　　An Jiu was sitting in the pavilion, reading a romance book and occasionally admiring the koi swimming in the lotus pond below, when a man in white robes appeared, moving swiftly with the wind. If it weren’t for his familiar face—still that of “Fei Yi”—she might’ve thought he’d finally dropped the act.

　　Maybe to keep people from making connections, “Fei Yi” rarely wore white. He usually dressed in dark robes, giving off a heavy, oppressive vibe. But now he was standing in front of her in white, probably too pressed for time to bother changing.

　　The man rushed across the corridor by the pond, unable to hide the excitement in his expression.

　　Under An Jiu’s surprised gaze, he stopped in front of her and leaned in, staring at her intently.

　　His dark eyes were sharp, like he was seeing her for the first time, trying to read straight through her.

　　“Fei Yi? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” An Jiu blinked up at him, playing the clueless innocent.

　　“I heard something today,” he said slowly.

　　“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head.

　　“I saw your friends earlier… They were talking and said something that really threw me off. They said you like Pei Ji.”

　　At that, Pei Ji paused and studied her face carefully, not missing a single flicker of emotion.

　　“Is that... true?”

　　His heart was thundering so loudly it felt like it might leap out of his throat. The pounding echoed in his ears, and his blood was practically boiling.

　　But his face gave nothing away. His expression stayed calm, even indifferent. Only the quiet hope flickering in his eyes gave away a hint of how he really felt.

　　He pressed his lips together, his tension hard to hide.

　　Two emotions tangled in his chest. He wanted to hear her say yes, but he was also afraid of it.

　　It was like staring into a deep abyss that called to him. Everyone said there was something precious down there, something he’d longed for but never had. All he had to do was jump. But if he did, he might not survive the fall.

　　Right now, he was standing at the edge, looking into that abyss, asking her if the treasure was really there.

　　And the girl in front of him was that very abyss. She pulled him in but terrified him just the same.

　　When she heard his question, the girl tilted her head like she was thinking it over. But soon, her delicate brows furrowed, and she huffed, “As if! I’d never like that cripple.”

　　She stared at him with bright, serious eyes and said firmly, “Pei Ji’s a cripple who won’t even live past twenty. Who would ever fall for someone like that? If I married him, I’d basically be a widow!”

　　“I am not gonna live like a widow!”

　　Her words were full of bratty arrogance. She didn’t sound anything like the sweet and obedient version of herself she’d been lately. It was like she’d gone back to how she was before taking the love gu—full of fire, lively, and with a crystal-clear look of disdain on her delicate face.

　　Pei Ji’s heart, which had just started to stir, sank like a stone.

　　So it was true. There was no way she could ever like someone like Pei Ji.

　　And he had actually believed what those people told him.

　　What a joke.

　　The way he had been secretly hoping, anxious, and desperately needing an answer... it was all just laughable.

　　He should have known from the start. She never liked him. Right?

　　So why did he still come to her, clinging to such a ridiculous hope?

　　Right now, Pei Ji didn’t even have the time to wonder why the girl suddenly seemed so lively again, or why she talked about marrying him as if she had ever considered it.

　　It felt like a hand was squeezing his heart, crushing it.

　　Like a fruit that had ripened too much, smashed into a pulp. That sharp, indescribable pain spread from his chest all the way through his limbs.

　　The crack that had always existed inside him split wider. A bitter wind rushed through, freezing every drop of blood in his body.

　　“Fei Yi? What’s wrong? You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

　　Her voice pushed through the haze like a faint echo, reaching his ears.

　　His eyes moved slowly, taking in the worry written all over her face.

　　And in that moment, the contrast was too much. He couldn’t control the violent storm of energy inside. Just before he lost his composure completely, he turned and left.

　　Without a word, without answering her confused calls, he flew off until he was far from her sight—then came to a sudden stop.

　　Only then did Pei Ji realize he was still holding the book he had taken from her hands.

　　He glanced down, and a line of poetry jumped out at him: “Deep feelings bring grief when met with indifference. Tonight drags on just like last night.”

　　A hot rush rose to his throat. The straight-backed man in white suddenly hunched over as a splash of red smeared across the black text on white paper.

　　Back at the pavilion, An Jiu settled comfortably in her seat, pulled another book out from beneath her, and continued reading like nothing had happened.

　　The system’s voice popped up in her mind:【Host, why did you deny it just now? I thought this was the result you wanted.】

　　An Jiu wagged her finger. “No, no, not yet. Let me ask you: do you think people believe something more when they hear it from others or when they see it with their own eyes?”

　　【Of course, seeing it for yourself is more convincing.】

　　“Exactly. That’s another part of human nature. People believe what they see over what they’re told. And someone like Pei Ji, who’s naturally suspicious, even if he ends up believing what others say, he’ll still keep a seed of doubt deep down. Even if it’s just a tiny bit, it’ll make the love impure. What I want... is his pure, undoubting love.”

　　As she said this, a faint smile curved on her lips. “Don’t worry. He’s going to witness it with his own eyes—just how much I love him.”

　　The system stayed quiet for a long time before replying:【You’re really good at playing the human heart.】

　　An Jiu chuckled. “Well, I am a merchant after all. In business, if you want to beat the competition, it takes precise calculation.”

　　Pei Ji returned to the tower in a daze. The moment he sat down, Ah Qi came in and reported, “Young Master, an urgent letter just arrived.”

　　Pei Ji sat there, stunned for a while, before answering hoarsely, “Bring it here.”

　　Ah Qi looked worried but didn’t dare say anything more. He quietly stepped forward and handed over the message tube.

　　Pei Ji took out the letter and slowly unfolded it. A short line of words appeared before his eyes:

　　“The Twin-soul Gu has been obtained. I’ll return in five days. — Wu Sheng”

　　It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. In an instant, Pei Ji felt as if he had suddenly woken up from a dream.

　　What had he even been doing these past few days?

　　Why was he foolishly craving her love? Why had he let himself get caught up in those illusions? Why did he even care who she liked?

　　She was just a tool to cure his poison. That was all, wasn’t it?

　　Like waking from a long dream, the haze in Pei Ji’s eyes cleared. A cold, icy sheen spread across his dark pupils.

　　He shouldn’t see her again.

　　Not unless he had a death wish.

　　In just five days, he would have the Twin-soul Gu. When the time came, he could plant the insect in her and finally rid himself of the poison that had tormented him for twenty years.

　　After that, he’d be free once and for all.

　　No one and nothing would be able to hold him back anymore.

　　Pei Ji tried to smile, but when the corners of his mouth twitched, he still couldn’t manage a full smile.

　　There was still a dull ache in his chest, like an old wound quietly reminding him.

　　He had almost fallen into that bottomless abyss. Almost shattered completely.

　　“Oh right, Young Master,” Ah Qi added, “those people have all entered the Forbidden Forest. Just as you ordered, the trap formation has been activated. If nothing goes wrong, they’ll all be trapped inside.”

　　The young man in white slowly lifted his eyes. His gaze was calm as he said, “Trap them for five days. After that, I’ll be holding my wedding with An Jiu right here. They’ll be our invited guests.”

　　Ah Qi nodded. “Understood, Young Master.”

　　He left to carry out the order. The formation in the Forbidden Forest could be moved at will—beneath the entire forest were hidden mechanisms that could be remotely controlled from the central tower, switching between a trap formation or a lethal one.

　　In Ah Qi’s opinion, it would be best to kill those people and eliminate the problem for good. But since his young master didn’t give the kill order, he could only do as instructed.

　　However, after leaving the central tower, Ah Qi quietly called over a section chief in charge of information for the Qiansha Pavilion.

　　“Have you found the person I asked you to look for?” Ah Qi wore a silver mask and asked with the same calm tone Pei Ji usually used.

　　The section chief bowed low and replied, “Reporting to the Pavilion Master, not yet.”

　　“Hmph.” The man behind the silver mask let out a cold snort, and the section chief instantly dropped to his knees in fear.

　　“Please give me a bit more time! I swear I’ll find her! I just got news that the daughter of the Qingfeng Sect leader might fit the criteria. As long as the news is confirmed, I will be able to bring her here in a few days.”

　　“That girl… is she still a virgin?”

　　“Yes. She hasn’t been married yet. It’s said she’s been ill for a long time, which is why she’s stayed at home.”

　　The masked man nodded. “Good. Bring her as soon as you can.”

　　Ah Qi almost never kept anything from his young master. Even with all the authority Pei Ji had given him over the Qiansha Pavilion, he always made sure to report everything.

　　This was the only exception.

　　He was willing to take the blame for this one decision.

　　If the girl turned out to be unnecessary, he would make sure she was sent back safely. But if she could be used, then maybe his young master and Miss An could truly stay together.

　　As someone on the sidelines, Ah Qi could see it more clearly than anyone.

　　His young master might say he only saw An Jiu as a tool, but it was obvious his feelings had long run too deep.

　　Not wanting to see Pei Ji in pain, Ah Qi had ordered the search for another possible cure a long time ago. But it had taken forever to find even a lead.

　　Most women rarely shared their birth details, and on top of that, it was nearly impossible to find an eighteen-year-old virgin. In this era, noble girls usually married at fifteen or sixteen. Women in the martial world might marry a little later, but even then, they’d usually be wed by seventeen.

　　Pei Ji was eighteen, almost nineteen. It was nearly impossible to find a girl born on the exact same day, month, and year as him who was still a virgin.

　　But finally, after all the searching, there was a clue.

　　Time slipped by, and two days later, An Jiu realized she’d run out of her pills.

　　Pei Ji had given them to her back when they parted ways at the foot of Wuyin Temple. He had returned to the Medicine King Valley, and she had gone to find He Ziqing. Since they were going to be apart for a while, he gave her the pills to help suppress the gu poison in her body.

　　These past few days, they hadn’t been around each other much. An Jiu hadn’t used acupuncture either, yet the poison hadn’t flared up—thanks to the medicine.

　　Although... the moment she encountered “Fei Yi,” the pills didn’t help at all.

　　Now that the pills were gone, An Jiu was a little worried. If the poison acted up, it would affect her daily life. What was she supposed to do?

　　She struggled through the day, already feeling the poison starting to stir. Left with no choice, An Jiu sent a maid to look for “Fei Yi.”

　　He hadn’t shown up in days, but An Jiu knew why after watching the projection, so she hadn’t gone looking for him.

　　Honestly, it was easier not seeing him. Every time they met, she had to act, and acting was exhausting, okay?

　　But now, she really had no choice.

　　What she didn’t expect was that even after hearing she was unwell, Pei Ji still didn’t come to see her.

　　It seemed he had made up his mind. Until Wu Sheng returned with the Twin-soul Gu, he wasn’t going to give in to her again.

 

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