The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 19: I Won’t Let You Like Him

　　A-Xuan’s babyish voice echoed through the hall. The moment he saw Si Yao, his face lit up with pure joy. He waddled forward with clumsy little steps, arms wide, and grabbed onto Si Yao’s leg. Then he looked up with pitiful big eyes and whimpered, “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

　　Si Yao: “…”

　　She could only stare at him, completely at a loss for words.

　　Mu Yuanbai froze, and instinctively let go of Si Yao’s hand, looking awkward.

　　Elder Hongfang was the first to react. He chuckled warmly and looked at Si Yao, “So this young lady is part of Jiang Shuo’s family.”

　　The other elders followed suit, their gazes soft and affectionate toward her.

　　Si Yao felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She quickly shook her head, denying their assumption, “I’m not his mommy. He belongs to Jiang Shuo—”

　　She paused, struggling to find the right way to explain A-Xuan’s connection to Jiang Shuo, and finally said, “He’s Jiang Shuo’s spirit companion.”

　　Spirit companion…?

　　Elder Hongfang’s eyes filled with confusion. That was clearly a child.

　　The other elders shook their heads subtly, unable to fully believe her.

　　“Mommy,”

　　A-Xuan felt a little wronged seeing Si Yao only talking to the old men present and ignoring him, so he tugged at Si Yao's clothes and called to her.

　　Si Yao sighed, bending down to gently pat his head. She then pulled out a high-grade fire spirit stone from her spatial ring and handed it to him.

　　Thankfully, she had Jiang Shuo prepare a stockpile of spirit stones ahead of time for moments like this.

　　A-Xuan’s eyes lit up when he saw the fire spirit stone. Hugging it tightly, he began gnawing on it.

　　Somehow, his baby teeth were sharp enough to bite into it. The hard, iron-like stone instantly cracked under his bite, and he chewed down a huge chunk, making a crisp crunching sound.

　　Everyone watching could not help but feel embarrassed. There was no doubt about it—this little guy truly was a spirit beast.

　　Having gotten his food, the little guy returned contentedly to Jiang Shuo's spatial artifact.

　　Mu Yuanbai breathed a quiet sigh of relief, feeling thankful that this little one wasn’t Si Yao’s child.

　　Although he had yet to see Si Yao’s true face, for some reason, he felt an unusual concern for her.

　　Was it because of that strange sense of familiarity?

　　He felt a little unsettled. After all, he had just met this junior sister today and didn’t even know her name. Logically, he shouldn’t be this concerned.

　　Jiang Shuo, on the other hand, kept his face cold. He was already annoyed, and seeing Si Yao so eager to distance herself from him only made his mood worse.

　　Si Yao had no idea why Jiang Shuo was so upset and didn’t even glance in his direction.

　　Elder Situ, who rarely spoke, noticed the tense atmosphere between Jiang Shuo and Si Yao and seemed to understand a little. With a faint smile, he asked Si Yao, “Is this young lady a friend who came with Jiang Shuo?”

　　Si Yao did not rush to answer. She glanced around and noticed that Elder Qingxu wasn’t present. She then bowed respectfully to Elder Situ and said, “I am a disciple of Elder Qingxu, called Si Luo.”

　　She gave a false name.

　　Elder Qingxu had once been her Master. He was obsessed with martial arts, often entering secluded retreats for months or even years.

　　Not only did he often retreat to train, but his movements were mysterious. After coming out, he would travel across the lands in search of breakthroughs. Whenever he encountered a promising young talent, he would take them as a disciple.

　　The elders of Xuanming Sect all knew about this habit. Every two or three years, a new disciple would arrive claiming to be Elder Qingxu’s student, and by now, it had become routine.

　　Si Yao had been under Elder Qingxu’s tutelage ten years ago, so she knew of this quirk and confidently claimed to be one of his disciples.

　　“So you’re one of our Xuanming Sect’s own.” Elder Situ hadn't expected Si Yao to be Elder Qingxu's disciple, and made no attempt to hide his surprise upon hearing her identity.

　　“Is today your first day reporting to Xuanming Sect?” he asked.

　　Si Yao nodded, “Yes. After taking me as his disciple, my Master said he had found a breakthrough opportunity and left in a hurry, telling me to report on my own.”

　　She lied without even blinking and continued, “It just so happened that Jiang Shuo had urgent matters to attend to at Xuanming Sect, so I came along with him.”

　　After finishing her explanation, she cast a careful glance at Jiang Shuo. Fortunately, he showed no sign of exposing her lie.

　　Elder Situ’s face was kind and gentle as he looked at her. “You’ve come to report, yet you still wear a mask?”

　　Si Yao gently touched the mask covering the upper half of her face, replying with a hint of sadness, “My face was injured in an accident and hasn't fully recovered yet. I don't want my fellow disciples to see my ugly side.”

　　“Oh,” Elder Situ exclaimed, understanding immediately. “I see now.”

　　The other elders, watching Elder Situ chatting casually with Si Yao, were increasingly anxious. They were there to discuss serious matters with Jiang Shuo, and Elder Situ, usually so composed, was now chatting with this young girl at such a crucial moment

　　Earlier, while persuading Jiang Shuo, Elder Situ had remained silent. Now he was speaking so much to this girl, which puzzled them.

　　Elder Situ was shrewd and never wasted his time on meaningless things, so the other elders assumed he had some plan and chose not to interrupt.

　　Si Yao herself was completely baffled by his warm attention.

　　“You just arrived to report today. I suppose you haven’t settled in yet,” Elder Situ said, as if suddenly remembering something. He glanced at Mu Yuanbai and instructed, “Yuanbai, arrange a cave for Si Luo so she has a place to cultivate and live.”

　　“Disciple receives the order,” Mu Yuanbai replied respectfully. Though he, as the senior disciple of Xuanming Sect, normally didn’t concern himself with such trivial matters, he accepted Elder Situ’s instructions without hesitation.

　　Jiang Shuo, who had been silent until now, tightened his fist beneath his sleeve when he heard this. His brows knitted slightly, clearly displeased at Elder Situ’s arrangement.

　　“Situ…” one elder whispered, uneasy. Now was hardly the time to be assigning a new disciple a cave.

　　Elder Situ waved him off, signaling him to remain silent, and turned back to Si Yao with a gentle smile. “If you need anything, just tell Yuanbai. He’ll help you get it.”

　　Si Yao didn’t understand his intentions, so she nodded blankly.

　　Elder Situ smiled faintly. He then turned his gaze to Jiang Shuo, saying nothing about persuading him to succeed as Sect Leader. Instead, he casually added, “Jiang Shuo’s status has changed since his return. His old cave is no longer suitable. Yuanbai, arrange a place for him to stay as well.”

　　At this, Jiang Shuo’s face visibly darkened. Mu Yuanbai also looked reluctant, furrowing his brows, but remained silent.

　　“No need,” Jiang Shuo replied coldly.

　　Elder Situ, however, seemed not to hear his refusal. He continued speaking quietly to Si Yao, his words endless and filled with genuine fondness.

　　Jiang Shuo, already irritated at hearing Mu Yuanbai’s name, had no patience to listen further. In a few quick steps, he grabbed Si Yao’s fair wrist and started moving toward the exit.

　　Anger surged in his chest as he strode out of Yuanming Hall, leaving behind only a cold remark: “We don’t need him arranging our quarters.”

　　He refused to accept the position of Sect Leader and left without looking back. The other elders, including Elder Hongfang, couldn’t hide their worry.

　　Elder Situ, however, gently stroked his snow-white beard, smiling as he watched Jiang Shuo and Si Yao leave. His expression suggested he had everything perfectly under control.

　　……

　　Jiang Shuo’s anger churned inside him, and he gripped Si Yao’s wrist with more force than she expected.

　　“Jiang Shuo, what are you doing! Let go of me!” Si Yao exclaimed, wincing as her wrist ached from his sudden grip. Seeing his outburst, she couldn’t help but feel a flash of anger herself.

　　Jiang Shuo ignored her protests entirely. If anything, he gripped her hand even tighter, dragging her along without a word. They didn’t stop until they reached a secluded cave dwelling.

　　He pushed open the door, pulled her inside, and shoved her onto the bed. Before she could react, he loomed over her, pinching her chin to force her to meet his gaze. His voice was cold and dangerous: “Si Yao, if you get close to Mu Yuanbai again, don’t blame me for taking his life.”

　　Si Yao’s eyes widened, unsure what he meant. Before she could think it through, the system’s voice rang out at the worst possible moment.

　　【Severe OOC detected. Host, please repair the relationship between Jiang Shuo and Mu Yuanbai immediately.】

　　No sooner had one crisis appeared than another emerged. Before Si Yao could even figure out why Jiang Shuo suddenly hated Mu Yuanbai, a new system task popped up.

　　Meanwhile, Jiang Shuo looked at her with reddened eyes, his voice hoarse and low, “I won’t allow you to like him.”

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