The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 2: Daily Mission - Forcefully Kiss Jiang Shuo…

　　Si Yao lifted her head, her gaze colliding with Jiang Shuo's sinister eyes. The moment their eyes met, her heart clenched. She quickly looked away, a cold shiver running down her spine, the kind of fear that felt like being stared at by a wild beast, making every hair on her body stand on end.

　　Heavens really wanted her dead. Si Yao cried internally.

　　She stiffened, head lowered, pretending she hadn’t noticed that terrifying stare.

　　Just then, the system’s voice chimed again.

　　【You saved a fellow disciple. Points +5, Charm +5】

　　Si Yao almost burst into tears of joy. This cursed system could actually give rewards for doing good deeds after its upgrade.

　　“Si Yao?”

　　Her happiness barely lasted three seconds before she froze again. That cold voice drifted toward her, full of disbelief.

　　“You’re still alive?”

　　Si Yao still didn’t dare lift her head. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t hear him though, so she forced herself to answer timidly, “I’m a disciple of Xuan Yang Sect. My name isn’t Si Yao. You must have mistaken me…”

　　Her voice trembled with fear and unease, perfectly capturing the fragile little disciple persona.

　　Ten years had passed since her last mission. She prayed Jiang Shuo’s memory was terrible. Preferably, he completely forgot what the cannon-fodder villainess looked like.

　　Jiang Shuo’s handsome face was as intimidating as a glacier. His brows knit together, lips pressing into a thin line as if he were deep in thought.

　　“Senior Sister Si Yao, are you alright?”

　　At that moment, the boy she saved earlier ran to her side, worry written all over his face. His big eyes shimmered with tears as he looked up at her.

　　Si Yao: “…”

　　No. No, no, no. Please don’t speak. I beg you.

　　As expected, Jiang Shuo’s killing intent flared instantly when he heard the boy call her name. The air around him turned sharp and oppressive.

　　“You really have a tough life,” he said coldly, eyes never leaving her.

　　Si Yao’s stomach dropped. She didn’t expect to get exposed this fast.

　　She was doomed. Totally doomed. Escape was no longer an option today.　　

　　The boy threw his arms wide and stood in front of Jiang Shuo, shielding Si Yao with his small body. His big round eyes were full of determination.

　　This boy was Ye Nian. Even before Si Yao accepted her mission, he and the original owner of this body had been very close.

　　A soft warmth spread through Si Yao’s chest. This kid really was adorable, just a little slow sometimes.

　　Jiang Shuo, however, looked completely unimpressed. His long sword caught the light with a cold gleam as it lifted slightly with the movement of his dark sleeve. Si Yao could already imagine it falling without mercy, slicing through both her and Ye Nian’s necks.

　　“Wait!” Si Yao shouted in a panic. “We can talk about this.”

　　“Don’t be impulsive!”

　　A cold laugh escaped Jiang Shuo.

　　Anger churned in his chest, but the smile curling at his lips was icy and bloodthirsty, filled with a hatred carved deep.

　　There was nothing between them worth talking about.

　　As memories surfaced, Jiang Shuo lowered his gaze slightly. All these years, he had never forgotten her. Every expression she once had, every action she took, was etched into his mind so clearly that even in his nightmares he wanted nothing more than to strangle her.

　　Even if she turned to ashes, he would still recognize her.

　　He just didn’t know what kind of chance she had stumbled upon to escape his hands back then, become an outer disciple of Xuan Yang Sect, and manage to survive more than ten years.

　　This time, she would not be so lucky.

　　Jiang Shuo stepped toward her, his tall, sharp silhouette like a drawn blade. Si Yao remembered how Chu Yi died just moments ago, and a chill crawled through her spine.

　　“Senior Sister, don’t be scared.” Ye Nian squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her.

　　【Danger! Danger! Host must evacuate immediately!】

　　The system’s warning blared in her mind like a broken alarm clock, making her skull throb.

　　This was seriously bad. Si Yao's thoughts spun frantically.

　　No matter what, she had to stall Jiang Shuo. At the very least, she had to keep Ye Nian safe so the kid wouldn’t get dragged down with her.

　　“Sigh… ten years ago, I admit it was my fault. I was blind and foolish. I wronged you.”

　　Si Yao pulled Ye Nian behind her and raised her voice at Jiang Shuo. “If you resent me or hate me, I have nothing to say.”

　　“If you want revenge, I’ll stand right here and won’t run.”

　　The moment her voice fell, Jiang Shuo actually stopped walking. Suspicion flickered in his eyes as he looked at her.

　　Si Yao lifted her gaze, meeting his cold stare head-on. Her voice was steady, word by word, without the slightest fear now.

　　Jiang Shuo stared back at her. For a second, he froze. His mind screamed at him not to trust her. She was a liar, always had been.

　　But hearing those words from her lips still stirred something in him.

　　Si Yao had tangled with Jiang Shuo for three long years. She understood him too well. She knew his pain, his hatred, his unwillingness, and his obsessions.

　　She knew better than anyone how to make Jiang Shuo soften.

　　Lowering her eyes, she raised a hand to brush her cheek. Her expression trembled, as if she were about to cry from pure regret. When she looked up again, the natural brightness in her eyes had turned misty, shimmering with unshed tears.

　　She simply stared at Jiang Shuo like that.

　　Her gaze was soft as water, tugging at the heartstrings.

　　“I was bewitched back then. I’ve been waiting for a chance to explain myself to you.”

　　Her voice was gentle. Her teeth lightly bit her lip, her tone filled with frustration and unwillingness.

　　The disciples of Xuan Yang Sect stared at the two of them with wide eyes, barely daring to breathe.

　　Everyone was stunned. Who would have thought Si Yao and Jiang Shuo had this kind of history? Judging by Jiang Shuo’s fury and Si Yao’s regret, it looked like she had truly broken his heart in the past.

　　【Target Favorability +5, Points +5, Charm +5】

　　Hearing the system’s notification, Si Yao almost burst with joy. Wow, the updated system was really generous. She had already earned ten points in just a few minutes.

　　But Jiang Shuo did not miss the flicker of excitement in her eyes. His heart, which had just been fluttering, sank again. Sure enough, was she planning some trick again?

　　“Oh? And how do you plan to explain?” Jiang Shuo asked. He made no move to expose her little act. He wasn’t the powerless boy she used to toy with. In fact, he felt a small spark of interest, curious what excuse she would come up with to make him spare her.

　　Si Yao’s mind raced. Her current charm value was twenty. From her past experience, it was enough to confuse anyone below the Golden Core stage. Unfortunately, Jiang Shuo’s cultivation had far exceeded that.

　　There was no way out. Gritting her teeth, she let her watery eyes blink at him, her delicate face showing helpless grievance, as if she were holding back a painful truth.

　　“Because…”

　　“Because I like you.”

　　Jiang Shuo: “?”

　　The Xuan Yang Sect disciples: “?”

　　What kind of explanation was that?

　　Everyone stared at Si Yao like they had just witnessed a heavenly script fall from the sky. They originally thought she was the one who wronged Jiang Shuo, yet with how pitiful and heartbroken she looked, it suddenly felt like Jiang Shuo was actually the one who abandoned her.

　　“You like me?” Jiang Shuo let out a laugh of pure anger. The moment Si Yao’s words fell, unpleasant memories crashed into his mind. His gaze fixed on her, filled with hatred so sharp it could slice her apart. His eyes reddened as if he might devour her alive.

　　【Alert! Alert! Target Jiang Shuo is entering emotional instability. Host must soothe the target quickly!】

　　Si Yao’s heart clenched. This was bad. Her charm wasn’t high enough. It was obvious Jiang Shuo wasn’t buying it and thought she was spewing nonsense again.

　　Jiang Shuo paused for a moment. This strange voice he heard... what was that? It didn’t sound human at all.

　　“I know you won’t believe me.” Si Yao lowered her gaze, looking as if she was forcing back tears. “But I meant every word.”

　　“Jiang Shuo, you have gone too far. Not only did you humiliate our Xuan Yang Sect, you even turned out to be a heartless scumbag!” One of the disciples pointed angrily at him.

　　“Are you here today to kill Junior Sister Si Yao just to hide how cold-blooded you are?” Another senior brother couldn’t help stepping up to defend her.

　　“Senior Sister has never been this upset. You owe her an apology!” Ye Nian puffed up angrily beside them.

　　The falsely accused scumbag Jiang Shuo: “?”

　　Si Yao: “…”

　　How could she forget? All the real experts of Xuan Yang Sect had already been knocked unconscious by Jiang Shuo. The disciples standing here were mostly Foundation Establishment, no match for him at all, and easily influenced by her current charm value. No wonder they were lining up to fight for her.

　　Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Si Yao frantically poked at the system in her mind.

　　“I’ve got ten points now. Is there anything I can redeem to survive this?”

　　【Reward Exchange System activated】

　　A flood of information poured into her head.

　　Marrow Cleansing Pill 20 points. Great Recovery Pill 10 points. Supreme Life-Saving Elixir 100 points. Heaven-grade treasured weapon 200 points…

　　Si Yao mentally chewed her finger in agony. Everything was either too expensive or totally useless right now.

　　Jiang Shuo was about to lose it again. Si Yao suddenly had an idea and whispered to the system, “Redeem one Great Recovery Pill.”

　　【Exchange successful. Host has received Great Recovery Pill x1. Remaining points: 0】

　　Jiang Shuo, who had inexplicably become a heartless man despised by everyone, was speechless. He didn't even have time to think about where the strange voice came from.

　　【Target Jiang Shuo’s emotions have stabilized】The system rang again. Apparently Si Yao’s method actually worked.

　　【Daily mission issued: Forcefully kiss Jiang Shuo. Mission reward: 10 points. Host must complete the mission as soon as possible】

　　Si Yao almost choked on her own breath. What kind of ridiculous, forced-attack mission was this?

　　Forcefully kiss… what?

　　Jiang Shuo heard the system’s announcement as well. His eyes widened, and for once, his calm expression cracked. “What mission? Force what…”

　　But he never finished.

　　They were already standing only a few steps apart. While Jiang Shuo was still stunned by the system’s voice, Si Yao lunged forward. She hooked an arm around his neck, pushed up on her toes, and her lips landed squarely on his thin, cold lips.

　　Jiang Shuo froze as something soft and warm pressed against his mouth. His eyes flew open. His hand trembled, and the sword slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the ground.

    

 

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter