The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 22: I Will Protect You

　　Si Yao was thoroughly drunk, swaying unsteadily as she nearly toppled over. She turned toward the source of the footsteps, her eyes under the mask half-lidded and hazy from the alcohol.

　　“Who’s there?”

　　“Disturbing someone drinking at this hour.”

　　The alcohol clouded her vision, making everything blur. She could only just make out a faint, glowing white figure.

　　“Junior Sister, in high spirits, I see.”

　　A voice as smooth as polished jade carried on the night breeze, pleasantly soothing.

　　“Huh?” Si Yao frowned, the voice sounding vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t yet make out who it belonged to. She shook her head and blinked, trying to focus on the glowing figure before her.

　　Her vision gradually cleared. A handsome young man in white stood there, hands clasped behind his back, radiating calm elegance. His brows were slightly furrowed, hinting at mild displeasure.

　　Seeing the drunken Si Yao with her flushed face and mask failing to hide it, Mu Yuanbai sighed. “Junior Sister, it’s late and chilly. It’s better to drink less.”

　　“Drink less?” Si Yao felt dizzy. Though she could see his face clearly now, she still didn’t recognize him. She waved her hand with a look of disdain. “You think this little wine can take me down?”

　　She raised her voice, patting her chest with pride. “I can drink a thousand cups and still stay sober!”

　　After finishing his tasks at Yuanming Hall, Mu Yuanbai had hurried out to check on Si Yao. Though Jiang Shuo had said her residence needed no supervision, since the elder had arranged it, he could not ignore it.

　　Furthermore, Jiang Shuo was not to be trusted. Cold, arrogant, and commanding, his words at Yuanming Hall had been more orders than conversation. Mu Yuanbai worried that Jiang Shuo might do something harmful to Si Yao.

　　So as soon as he was free, he sought her out. He did not expect the new disciple to be so carefree, getting drunk on her second day in the sect.

　　For some reason, he felt both familiar with her and concerned about her. Suppressing the strange feeling, he spoke softly, “I have arranged a residence for you as per Elder Situ’s instructions. It’s late, Junior Sister. Perhaps you should return and rest?”

　　“No need to trouble yourself, I have a place to stay,” Si Yao waved him off, rejecting his suggestion. She then tried to lift the drunk Shen Rong from the stone table to walk with her.

　　Already unsteady, Si Yao staggered after only a few steps, the world spinning around her. Before reaching Shen Rong, she tripped over a stone and pitched straight toward the lake.

　　The sudden sensation of falling made her heart leap. A sharp clarity cut through the alcohol haze, and in her panic, her mask fell off.

　　The mask fell to the ground, but Si Yao did not plunge into the icy, biting water as she had expected.

　　In the nick of time, the white figure caught her slender waist. Long, graceful hands wrapped around her, lifting her unsteady body back onto the shore with ease.

　　The sudden loss of weight made Si Yao’s heart pound wildly. Her mind cleared sharply, and before she could even celebrate surviving the fall, she realized she was trapped in the arms of a man, face to face.

　　A faint herbal scent drifted from him, pleasant and calming. Si Yao looked up, and the handsome, refined features of the man came into focus, sobering her instantly.

　　Her delicate, fair hands shot up to his chest, pressing against him as she shoved with all her strength, taking several steps back.

　　Mu Yuanbai staggered slightly from the push, his usually calm, jade-like eyes now fixed intently on Si Yao, unblinking.

　　Beneath her mask, her features were strikingly beautiful, the expression both innocent and playful, skin smooth and pale, strikingly familiar.

　　Only then did Si Yao realize her mask had fallen off. Panicked, she twisted sideways, trying to prevent Mu Yuanbai from seeing her face.

　　Mu Yuanbai looked at her, mind momentarily in a whirl. A warm joy surged through him, but words failed him. His lips parted, then closed again, uncertain.

　　After a long pause, he finally managed a tentative question from his throat.

　　“Si Yao?”

　　The name felt distant, almost out of reach, like a memory from another world.

　　A gentle breeze rustled the willow trees by the small lake. The surrounding silence was so complete that even Shen Rong’s deep, sleeping breaths could be heard.

　　Mu Yuanbai’s heart swelled with joy, tinged with a hint of bittersweetness. He spoke again, voice soft, careful.

　　“Si Yao, or Si Luo?”

　　At last, he understood why this newly arrived junior sister felt so familiar. She was the little sister who had clung to him endlessly ten years ago.

　　Back then, she would always trail behind him, calling him Senior Brother, her presence lively and playful, like a sprite in the forest, impossible not to love.

　　He had been devoted to his cultivation, barely paying attention to the trivial affairs of the sect. But one day, after emerging from seclusion, the mischievous little sister who called him Senior Brother was gone.

　　At first, he felt unsettled, and over time, he missed her more and more.

　　Si Yao’s mind was a complete mess. She had put on the mask to secretly finish her mission, yet it was only the second day and she had already been exposed.

　　All because she got drunk. What a stupid mistake.

　　She let out a sigh. Thankfully, the one who discovered her was Mu Yuanbai. Back then, she got along pretty well with him. He was gentle and decent, so maybe he would help her keep this secret.

　　Si Yao cleared her throat and spoke softly. “I’m Si Yao, and also Si Luo.”

　　Mu Yuanbai couldn’t make sense of any of it. For once, urgency crept into his calm heart. He wanted to know what she had gone through, why she hid her identity, and most of all, why she never came back to find him.

　　So he asked, “What happened back then?”

　　Si Yao, however, looked unwilling to say more and replied, “Just like the rumors said. I was petty and narrow-minded, tried to frame Jiang Shuo several times, and in the end, died under his sword. That’s all.”

　　“Then why did you…”

　　He wanted to ask why she faked her death, but the thought hit him mid‑sentence. With Jiang Shuo’s terrifying strength now, if she hadn’t faked her death, he would have finished her off without hesitation.

　　For her to survive until now must have been incredibly difficult.

　　Then another thought surfaced. Since she returned to the sect together with Jiang Shuo, that meant Jiang Shuo definitely knew who she was. And Jiang Shuo was the type who never forgave a single grudge. It was only a matter of time before he went after her.

　　The joy that had bloomed in Mu Yuanbai’s chest quietly faded away. He pressed his thin lips together, looking into Si Yao's eyes with a solemn expression.

　　“You don’t need to be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

　　“I won’t let Jiang Shuo hurt you.”    

　　Mu Yuanbai’s eyes shone with a serious, resolute light. Si Yao was stunned. She had only wanted him to help keep her identity a secret. How did he end up thinking all this?

　　Seeing her frozen in place, Mu Yuanbai stepped forward under the moonlight. He came to stand in front of her, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders. His gaze locked onto hers as he spoke, every word heavy with promise.

　　“Believe me.”

　　For ten years, every memory of Si Yao had cut through his heart like a blade. At first, it had only been the occasional thought. But as time went on, she surfaced in his mind more and more, until the longing felt impossible to suppress.

　　That was when he finally realized it. The little junior sister who used to chatter endlessly beside him had long since taken root in his heart. Her sudden return felt like a dream he was afraid to wake from. No matter what, he would never let anyone hurt her again.

　　Not even Jiang Shuo.

　　Si Yao stared at Mu Yuanbai’s affectionate, earnest expression, feeling completely bewildered. She wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to act like this. She just needed him to keep her secret, that’s all.

　　If anyone else were present, seeing this scene under the moonlight, they would undoubtedly think it was a pair of destined lovers confessing their feelings.

　　And in fact, someone truly did think so.

　　“Mu Yuanbai, if you don’t want to die, take your hands off her.”

　　A freezing voice came from behind Si Yao, colder than the early autumn night, chilling enough to pierce bone.

　　Si Yao quickly brushed Mu Yuanbai’s hands aside and turned around, only to see Jiang Shuo standing there in a black robe that blended seamlessly into the darkness.

　　His expression was cold, his presence like a demon of the night. His eyes were sharp enough to cut, glaring at Mu Yuanbai as if he wanted to slice him apart piece by piece.

　　He walked forward step by step. His face remained emotionless, yet Si Yao felt the roaring anger boiling underneath his calm surface.

　　Before that fierce aura, Si Yao instinctively took a step back.

　　Seeing that made Jiang Shuo’s anger flare even hotter. Did she truly not want to see him that badly?

　　With a cold, stormy expression, he reached her in an instant. He grabbed her pale wrist and pulled her behind him, the movement forceful and absolute, leaving no room for argument.

　　Si Yao stumbled from the sudden yank. Now irritated, she puffed up and snapped at him, “What are you doing!”

　　Jiang Shuo ignored her completely. He fought to steady his breath, trying not to lose control and cut Mu Yuanbai’s hand off then and there.

　　Once he forced his fury down a fraction, his gaze swept toward Mu Yuanbai, cold as a blade and filled with killing intent.

　　“You’d better stay away from her. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret ever being born.” 　　

　　Jiang Shuo stormed over with the momentum of someone declaring territory.

　　Mu Yuanbai, however, showed not the slightest trace of fear. Jiang Shuo might be a dragon among men, but he himself was hardly some idle fish in a pond. His gaze sharpened, colliding with Jiang Shuo’s icy stare. “With me here, you can forget about hurting Si Yao again.”

　　Jiang Shuo let out a cold snort, full of disdain. “You think you can?”

　　Mu Yuanbai met his eyes, expression earnest. “I do.”

　　Si Yao: “?”

　　Her head was dizzy, and their conversation made absolutely zero sense to her.

　　What was going on?

　　Were her best buddies about to fight?

　　Judging from the way they were talking, it seemed like they were fighting over… her?

　　Si Yao silently groaned. If it's really because of me, then I hope you two become best buddies quickly. If my mission fails, I’m actually going to die in this world.

　　Jiang Shuo was completely bewildered.

　　He seemed to hear Si Yao’s voice again.

　　She was muttering something about best buddies and getting along.

　　Her voice rang crystal clear in his mind. After what had already happened a few times, he wasn’t even that surprised anymore.

　　So now he was certain. He could hear Si Yao’s inner thoughts.

　　Mu Yuanbai noticed Jiang Shuo still gripping Si Yao’s wrist and frowned. “It’s already late. According to Elder Situ’s instructions, I’ve arranged a place for Si Yao to stay. Let her go. I’ll take her back.”

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T/N: How do I even start this… hahaha 😅 Yeah, I learned my lesson. No more bragging or jinxing myself.

Honestly, I could have finished this earlier if life hadn’t decided to throw side quests at me. The translation itself is already done. I just need time to proofread all the chapters properly.

The past few days have been rough. Family stuff happened, and I’ve been going back and forth to the hospital to take care of a sick family member. It really drained my energy and motivation, even just to read.

So… yeah. Consider this me being gently humbled by life. 😅

Thanks for waiting and for understanding. I’ll get back on track soon.

 

  

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