The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 20: Heartbeat

　　Si Yao froze, unsure what to do. Jiang Shuo’s eyes were a frightening shade of crimson, his gaze dark enough to steal the breath from her throat.

　　His movements were swift and forceful, leaving no room for resistance. One hand pinched her chin, the other braced beside her as he leaned over her, trapping her on the bed in a posture far too intimate.

　　He was so close she could barely think. His presence wrapped around her completely, the mature scent of a grown man filling her senses. Her heart raced wildly, her mind a blank page.

　　He tilted his head slightly, thin lips brushing close to her ear. His Adam’s apple moved as he spoke, his voice low and rough, tinged with stubborn unwillingness.

　　“Don’t like him.”

　　“I forbid it.”

　　Si Yao’s heart thumped uncontrollably. Looking at Jiang Shuo, who resembled a wounded beast cornered by his own emotions, she felt something deep inside her stir. Something she thought she had buried ten years ago… quietly began to breathe again.

　　Just like ten years ago.

　　Alive. Bright.

　　She didn’t answer him. Instead, her pale jade arms lifted on their own, wrapping around his neck. She raised her face slightly and, in the next second, her soft cherry-red lips brushed against his thin ones.

　　Jiang Shuo had been drowning in anger and frustration, his reddened eyes almost feral. But the moment Si Yao kissed him, all of it shattered.

　　Shock flickered through his gaze. For a moment he looked dazed, like he wasn’t sure if this was real.

　　But the stupor lasted only a heartbeat. He quickly took over, shifting from stunned to fiercely dominant.

　　Si Yao hugged his neck tightly. She could almost hear Jiang Shuo’s heartbeat pounding in his chest, hot and powerful.

　　After a long while, when Si Yao was almost out of breath, Jiang Shuo finally released her.

　　Only then did she realize what had just happened. She sucked in big gulps of air, her mask long lost somewhere on the bed. Her originally fair face was now flushed a deep rosy red, the color rising all the way to her ears.　　

　　Si Yao still hadn’t recovered. Her heart kept pounding wildly, and she didn’t dare lift her head to look at Jiang Shuo.

　　Jiang Shuo, usually calm to the point of being unreadable, couldn’t maintain his composure either.

　　His ears were slightly red, his breath uneven, his chest rising and falling. A faint heat flickered in his eyes.

　　Neither of them spoke.

　　The air grew heavier. Si Yao kept her head lowered from start to finish, so all Jiang Shuo could see was the deep crimson staining the shell of her ear.

　　Jiang Shuo swallowed, his Adam’s apple sliding slowly. “I…”

　　The moment the words left his mouth, they wavered and stopped, as if he had no idea what to say.

　　Silence settled again.

　　Jiang Shuo took a few steadying breaths, calming himself before speaking once more. “This used to be your residence. I thought you might feel more at ease staying somewhere familiar.”

　　“I prepared everything you might need. If there’s anything else, you can come to me directly.”

　　“…”

　　But Si Yao didn’t respond.

　　Seeing her like this, the excitement in his chest gradually receded. He didn’t push her. He simply turned and walked out, pausing at the door to look back at her for a long moment before quietly closing it behind him.

　　Si Yao remained completely still.

　　【Target Favorability +100】

　　The emotionless system notification chimed, jolting Si Yao back to herself. Only then did she realize Jiang Shuo had already left.

　　Once the storm in her heart settled, she let out a long breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and felt a stab of regret for acting so impulsively.

　　She pressed her hands against her burning cheeks. No matter how she thought about what had just happened, she couldn’t understand why she had acted like she had lost her mind.

　　Thankfully, Jiang Shuo hadn’t demanded an explanation.

　　Only then did she finally look around.

　　This was her old residence in the Xuanming Sect. From the moment she arrived in this world, the place she stayed the longest was here. She had lived in this house for three years.

　　Si Yao stood and walked slowly around the room, realizing the furnishings and layout were exactly the same as they had been back then, untouched by anyone else.

　　She moved toward the table inside and gently brushed her fingers across the surface. Ten years without anyone living here, yet the table was spotless and smooth.

　　She turned around, and she noticed the entire house was perfectly tidy, not a speck of dust anywhere. Her heart tightened in silent shock. Jiang Shuo must have ordered people to clean it thoroughly.

　　Down to the smallest traces of her past life here, everything had been preserved.

　　Si Yao’s heart wavered with confusion.

　　Wasn’t Jiang Shuo supposed to hate her to the bone?

　　Then why would he do all this?

　　A possibility flickered through her mind, but she denied it almost instantly.

　　Jiang Shuo was always arrogant and dismissive toward outsiders, but Si Yao knew the truth. Beneath that wild exterior, he was painfully sensitive.

　　Someone like him would never trust a person who had once lied to him.

　　He definitely would not develop feelings for someone who had hurt him so terribly.

　　Even if he had ever felt something, it would have died ten years ago.

　　—

　　News of Jiang Shuo’s return spread through the entire Xuanming Sect in less than a day.

　　Over the years, he had risen step by step, from winning first place in the sect competitions to becoming an unmatched force across the continent. From a pitiful boy easily bullied to a terrifying powerhouse capable of destroying an entire sect in a single fit of rage.

　　The name Jiang Shuo carried far too many legends.

　　And now, that former little outer disciple was suddenly being considered for the position of Sect Leader.

　　The rumor swept across the Xuanming Sect like wildfire. Everyone was talking about Jiang Shuo, about his past, about whether he would accept the role.

　　Many of the newer disciples had joined the Xuanming Sect because of him. To them, the name Jiang Shuo was practically synonymous with divinity.

　　Early the next morning, Si Yao arrived at the Wenxin Hall wearing her mask. The place served as a resting spot for disciples during training, so gossip was always floating in the air. It was the perfect place to gather information.

　　Jiang Shuo and Mu Yuanbai’s first meeting had gone terribly and thrown the plot off course. She needed to find a way to fix their relationship and turn them into friends.

　　As for Jiang Shuo… well, she knew exactly what kind of temper he had. Forever wearing that gloomy expression, impossible to coax, impossible to threaten, impossible to reason with. Definitely a difficult one to handle.

　　And after what happened yesterday, Si Yao had no intention of seeing him yet.

　　Compared to him, Mu Yuanbai was much easier to approach. The eldest senior brother was kind, gentle, and easy to talk to. All she needed to do was win him over first, then follow the story’s original plot and find an opportunity to reconcile him with Jiang Shuo. 　　

　　Both of them were outstanding, true prodigies. Once the atmosphere was right, they would naturally see eye to eye and open up to each other.

　　That was the perfect scenario in Si Yao’s mind. She just wasn’t sure how things actually stood with Mu Yuanbai, so she came to Wenxin Hall to gather some information.

　　Inside the hall, disciples of the Xuanming Sect gathered in groups. Some were chatting loudly, others whispering in secret. The entire place buzzed with noise.

　　Si Yao picked a quiet corner and sat down, listening intently to the conversations around her.

　　Mu Yuanbai, a handsome and powerful young man, was always the center of attention within the Xuanming Sect, attracting countless admirers; news about him was relatively easy to obtain.

　　Not far away, a pair of disciples whispered to each other. Si Yao perked up her ears.

　　“They say the Xuan Yang Sect used underhanded tricks to harm Jiang Shuo. Afterwards, Jiang Shuo went alone to the Xuan Yang Sect and wiped out nearly a hundred of their experts. Not a single one could stop him.”

　　The male disciple across from him practically vibrated with excitement. His eyes sparkled. “That’s my idol. Too handsome.”

　　Since it had nothing to do with Mu Yuanbai, Si Yao ignored them and shifted her attention elsewhere.

　　“I heard Jiang Shuo only returned because the Sect Leader and elders summoned him back.”

　　A girl at another table lowered her voice dramatically. “Rumor says they want him to take over as Sect Leader.”

　　The disciples around her gasped, clearly shocked. None of them had expected Jiang Shuo’s return to be related to the Sect Leader position.

　　One disciple frowned. “But hasn’t it always been said that Senior Brother Mu Yuanbai would be the next Sect Leader? Why call Jiang Shuo back instead? What’s the reason?”

　　Mu Yuanbai has always been the most popular figure in the sect. Even if someone as powerful as Jiang Shuo were to take his position, there would still be people who felt indignant on his behalf.

　　Another disciple spoke in Jiang Shuo’s defense. “Senior Brother Mu Yuanbai is incredible and devoted to the sect, but Jiang Shuo is different. He’s practically a miracle. If the Sect Leader and elders want the Xuanming Sect to reach new heights, choosing Jiang Shuo isn’t unreasonable.”

　　Si Yao listened quietly.

　　In the Xuanming Sect, Mu Yuanbai had always been the favored successor. The Sect Leader and elders admired him deeply. If not for the Beast and Demon realms preparing to move against the human's realm, they never would have thought to have Jiang Shuo take over instead.

　　Could it be that the conflict between Mu Yuanbai and Jiang Shuo was caused by the Sect Leader position?

　　Si Yao paused, then shook her head. No. Mu Yuanbai was upright and selfless. He wouldn’t dislike Jiang Shuo over the position. Besides, yesterday in Yuanming Hall, Mu Yuanbai had even spoken up to recommend Jiang Shuo as the next Sect Leader.

　　Just then, the gossip from nearby drifted into Si Yao’s ears again.

　　The girl continued, “But I heard that Jiang Shuo refused the elders’ proposal for him to succeed as Sect Leader.”

　　The other disciples around her gasped. The Xuanming Sect was a prestigious orthodox sect, its reputation far-reaching, its disciples spread across the land. For centuries, it had cultivated countless powerful cultivators.

　　Sitting in the position of Sect Leader not only meant controlling this great force, but also influencing all the disciples who graduated from Xuanming Sect.

　　And Jiang Shuo had just turned down such an enormous temptation.

　　“Do you know why Jiang Shuo refused to become the Sect Leader?” the girl asked, lowering her voice and acting mysterious.

　　The other disciples shook their heads in unison. “No, we don’t know.”

　　The girl crossed her arms and leaned closer, her voice dropping even further as she whispered, “It’s because of one person.”

　　“One person?” The others gasped in surprise.

　　“Shh,” the girl hushed them, motioning for quiet, then continued, “To be precise, it’s because of a woman.”

　　The few disciples leaned in, curiosity piqued, waiting for her to continue.

　　The girl clearly enjoyed being the center of attention and didn’t tease them for long. She whispered the “secret” she had worked hard to uncover.

　　“Ten years ago, Jiang Shuo was just a lowly outer disciple when he met a girl.”

　　“That girl was exceptionally talented, an inner disciple of Xuanming Sect. People said she looked pure and innocent on the outside, but inside, she was cruel. Nobody knew what grudge she held against Jiang Shuo, but she constantly made things difficult for him.”

　　“One day, the girl, thinking herself far superior, seriously injured Jiang Shuo and pushed him off a cliff in the back mountains. The cliff was thousands of feet deep. Jiang Shuo was already gravely wounded, barely clinging to life, and falling down the cliff should have surely killed him.”

　　“But somehow, Jiang Shuo survived. Not only that, he healed all his injuries, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and when he returned, he sought revenge. Eventually, the girl died by his sword, and he threw her body off the cliff to settle the hatred in his heart.”

　　When the girl finished, the other disciples couldn’t help but sympathize with Jiang Shuo’s ordeal. One disciple asked in confusion, “Then what does that have to do with him refusing to become Sect Leader?”

　　“Because… Jiang Shuo and that girl had a relationship.”

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