Qin Yu deeply wished he could speak his mind, but he knew it wasn't the right time yet. Just a little longer. He wanted Su Chen to experience the taste of hitting rock bottom, to feel the weight of despair. At the moment when everyone trusts him, Qin Yu plans to ruthlessly step on Su Chen, believing that it's the only way to soothe the hatred he harbors.
Not only that. The humiliation he endured before was now flooding back, filling Qin Yu's mind. Clenching his fists, he suppressed his emotions. He wanted to see what move Su Chen would make next. However, Su Chen looked utterly clueless.
Zhang Li's meddling was expected, especially considering the irreparable rift between her and Qin Yu. But what did the innocent campus belle, Qu Xiaoqi, mean by her actions? Qin Yu had offered his help, yet she treated him this way. But Su Chen soon figured it out. Qu Xiaoqi hasn't discovered yet that Qin Yu is the young boy she has been thinking about for so many years. Typically, the male protagonists in such self-satisfying stories naturally possess a quality that makes people dislike them. Most people can't stand it.
It's probably for this reason that once the female lead discovers the male lead's capabilities, she feels guilty, which makes it easier for love to blossom between them.
[Damn it, this kind of self-satisfying story is so brainless. I can't even deal with these ridiculous plots.]
[What kind of dumb protagonist acts out in front of everyone? What's with Qin Yu's punch? It's causing significant losses to someone's shop.]
[But I guess that's fine. It makes me happier this way. Let all compensation and such problems fall onto me.]
As Su Chen pondered how to steer the story in that direction, a beautiful voice with alarming words broke the silence.
"Miss Qu Xiaoqi, are you saying that you two were just joking with each other?" "Then this Mr. Qin has intentionally injured someone, and also caused so much damage to the valuable items in the shop. Regarding the compensation..."
Zhang Li, seeing the situation increasingly in Su Chen's favor, added fuel to the fire. She didn't want Su Chen's script to unfold smoothly. Perhaps influenced by Su Chen, she now truly detested Qin Yu. Naturally, she wouldn't give him any breaks. At the same time, she began to doubt Qu Xiaoqi.
Under normal circumstances, Su Chen would know the personalities of everyone and even the progression of the story. Logically, Qu Xiaoqi would not behave this way, unless she was in a similar situation as Zhang Li. This implied that Qu Xiaoqi might be able to hear Su Chen's inner thoughts. Zhang Li decided she needed to test if Qu Xiaoqi really could hear Su Chen's inner voice.
"That's right," Qu Xiaoqi nodded, showing agreement with what Zhang Li had just said. She then turned to the female store managers, "Let this man pay for the damages in the shop." Qu Xiaoqi didn't want to bother with Qin Yu now. Through Su Chen's inner voice, she already knew that Qin Yu's claim of not knowing Zhang Li was a lie. This made her dislike such people even more.
Being an artistic young woman, what she despised most was such behavior. How could I have liked such a person? she thought. This is absolutely unacceptable. I won't let such things happen. However, Zhang Li's words did put her on alert.
At the same time, a similar thought arose in her heart. "Could Zhang Li also be a reincarnated individual?" The onlookers were also discussing amongst themselves. Under such circumstances, it seemed that Qin Yu should indeed compensate.
This wasn't a small sum of money! The female store manager looked at Qin Yu with an unsightly expression. "This isn't a trivial amount! How could this man possibly have so much money?"
"Sir," she began, "how do you propose to compensate for this loss? Clearly, this matter is between Miss Qu Xiaoqi and Young Master Su Chen. You are merely an outsider who rashly intervened." She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood her meaning.
Even though Qin Yu was feeling incredibly aggrieved at the moment, thinking about the woman he loved speaking ill of him in this manner was unbearable for him. However, this provided an opportunity for his plan to take effect.
Qin Yu suddenly smiled and said, "Miss Qu, I think you might have mistaken me for someone else just now. My name is Qin Yu, in fact, I was your good friend from many years ago. It's been so long since we've seen each other, it's only natural for you to not recognize me at first. So, I wasn't meddling in other people's business!"
Qin Yu had evidence to back his claims. As he spoke, he pulled out a small fragment of the Kunlun jade pendant as proof. Years ago, Qin Yu had shown this fragment to Qu Xiaoqi, and he believed that she would certainly have a deep impression of it and would recognize it at a glance.
Meanwhile, Su Chen, standing nearby, had a very dark expression on his face upon hearing Qin Yu's words. However, deep inside, he felt a sense of elation.
Now you know the truth, don't you, Qu Xiaoqi? The man you've been berating is actually the little boy from your memories. Are you elated? No, you should be feeling guilty. And then, transform that guilt into hatred towards me.
However, Qu Xiaoqi's inner thoughts weren't aligned with what Su Chen imagined. On the contrary, after hearing Qin Yu's words, her distaste for him grew. In her eyes, Qin Yu was now a despicable person. What was the point of revealing such a thing now? It only made Qu Xiaoqi feel that all of this was a conspiracy that Qin Yu had prepared long in advance. And she was merely a tool Qin Yu was using to counter Su Chen.
Moreover, she had always been wary of the boy who suddenly appeared years ago because it was too coincidental. On the other hand, no matter how she looked at it now, Su Chen seemed to be a friend worth having in her life's journey.
Thinking of this, Qu Xiaoqi's cheeks involuntarily turned red.
If Su Chen found out about these thoughts, he would undoubtedly vouch for Qin Yu.
Why is this the protagonist's fault? It's all due to the darned author's plot. Can't you stop blaming the male lead?
Qu Xiaoqi directly refuted Qin Yu's claim, "I don't know you. This is our first meeting, Mr. Qin. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
"And even if we did know each other, it doesn't change the fact that you acted recklessly and assaulted someone."
The look Qu Xiaoqi gave Qin Yu was filled with revulsion, completely shutting off any chance for him to redeem himself. Qin Yu was now in utter disarray. His previously steadfast demeanor had vanished.
He hadn't expected the situation to evolve similarly to previous encounters. He had always coveted Qu Xiaoqi, especially after the women by his side began to betray him. His attention was focused increasingly on Qu Xiaoqi.
Due to prior setbacks, Qin Yu had utilized every resource at his disposal to investigate Qu Xiaoqi. The investigation had been detailed. Su Chen and Qu Xiaoqi didn't know each other, and she was the girl he had saved years ago.
However, the one feeling most exasperated was Su Chen. You merely had someone investigate her, Qin Yu, he thought. I, on the other hand, am familiar with the entire plotline. And I've gone through multiple life cycles. I have no clue what's going on with Qu Xiaoqi.
Su Chen was frustrated, regretting that he hadn't sought Qu Xiaoqi out in his past life to better understand her.
Qin Yu couldn't accept the rejection, "Miss Qu Xiaoqi, we met a long time ago. Have you forgotten what I once told you?"
"And this jade fragment! I showed it to you years ago. If you don't believe me, take it and examine it for yourself."
Qin Yu felt that he still had a chance to clarify things. Qu Xiaoqi must have just misunderstood. However, Qu Xiaoqi didn't even spare a glance at him, "Stop spouting nonsense. I truly don't know you."
"Moreover, even if we did meet, who remembers their childhood encounters?"
You can still remember; I truly didn't expect that. Su Chen felt uneasy upon hearing this. Because of these words, Qin Yu seemed like the one trying to please.
[Has Qu Xiaoqi gone mad? She clearly wanted to see the boy who saved her before, didn't she?]
[It shouldn't be... Didn't she firmly believe that Qin Yu was the one she exchanged letters with? What's happening? I don't recall appearing at that time!]
Su Chen was certain he had never met Qu Xiaoqi before.
Moreover, although he was a child at the time, he had the mind of an adult. How could he possibly be interested in Qu Xiaoqi, who was still a young girl? Yet, at that moment, Qu Xiaoqi was stunned. Her heart raced, and her eyes began to moisten.
From a young age, she had a profound understanding of literature and was full of confidence. However, she once received a letter filled with literary works that could astonish anyone. Because the sender claimed to be a child as well, it ignited Qu Xiaoqi's competitive spirit. Among her peers, she couldn't believe anyone could be more talented than her.
But the outcome proved her wrong, showcasing her inferiority. Afterward, the two corresponded through letters for a while. Eventually, Qu Xiaoqi expressed her desire to meet in person. At the agreed-upon location, she indeed met a boy of her age.
Back then, she would naturally assume he was the one she admired. However, from Su Chen's inner voice, she realized this wasn't the case.
So, she mustered the courage to confront Qin Yu. After all, Qin Yu wasn't the one she had been thinking about. And of course, she never imagined it to be Su Chen either. In her mind, the images of the two men were entirely different.
Simply put, Qu Xiaoqi was unwilling to accept this reality. But now, hearing Su Chen's inner voice made her believe. She turned to look at Su Chen and let out a long sigh. The sentiment seemed to say, Well, you chose this man!
However, the look of disdain in her eyes, tinged with affection, didn't escape Zhang Li's notice. A cold smirk appeared on Zhang Li's lips. With this, everything became clear. Qu Xiaoqi could hear Su Chen's inner voice, which is why she was behaving so uncharacteristically.
At the same time, seeing Qu Xiaoqi in such an awkward situation made Zhang Li worried. She fretted about when her part of the story would come, and if it would be such a nonsensical plot. She certainly didn't want that.
"Miss Qu Xiaoqi, don't be deceived by Su Chen. I'm the friend you haven't seen for years!!" Facing Qu Xiaoqi's denial, Qin Yu became frantic, yelling directly at her. Yet, his very behavior made those present even more skeptical.
Especially the classmates who came with Qu Xiaoqi. They had seen such scenarios far too often. As the school's beauty, Qu Xiaoqi received countless love letters every day.
Of course, Qu Xiaoqi always chose to reject them. And those individuals often resorted to relentless and annoying pursuits. Now, Qin Yu seemed to fit that bill perfectly. He was so much like those people.
However, one lingering curiosity remained: how did Qu Xiaoqi come to know Su Chen? And if what Qu Xiaoqi said was true, then her actions just now were entirely voluntary? This left everyone utterly puzzled.
The interactions between Qu Xiaoqi and Su Chen earlier were undoubtedly ambiguous. Anyone would think that all this was a result of Su Chen's coercion. Yet, it now appeared not to be the case. Could there be a secret between the two?
At this moment, a raging fury surged within Qin Yu. He detested Su Chen's sycophantic behavior the most. But after Qu Xiaoqi's denial, it seemed everyone had labeled him as her sycophant. A crazed admirer.
When had Qin Yu ever faced such humiliation? However, Qin Yu didn't vent all his anger. Because he had a more elaborate plan this time. He couldn't let his anger get the best of him. Otherwise, his grand scheme would suffer severe damage. The wisdom of "endure minor frustrations to achieve major plans" was something Qin Yu understood well.
Su Chen couldn't have imagined Qu Xiaoqi saying such things. But it didn't matter anymore. Qu Xiaoqi was not his target anyway. Who cared about what she wanted?
Perhaps the current Qu Xiaoqi was still unaware of Qin Yu's identity as a renowned warrior. She probably felt it was embarrassing to admit to secretly admiring someone like him.
It was entirely understandable. Su Chen knew Qu Xiaoqi's character was all about saving face. In the original story, their romantic feelings only started heating up after Qin Yu's identity was completely exposed. Qu Xiaoqi realized that Qin Yu, who had always protected her, had a status no less prestigious than the top ten families. This revelation made her grow fond of him.
However, it's unfortunate that Qu Xiaoqi's family was one of the forces that had persecuted Qin Yu's parents in the past. The two didn't end up together. Instead, Qu Xiaoqi was married off to another significant antagonist introduced later in the story.
Upon understanding everything, Su Chen estimated the time and realized that Yang Yuxin should be arriving soon. As the antagonist's male sidekick, he needed to play his part.
There's no way the plot could go wrong. As long as the actors have the capability to perform, everything can be remedied. But merely angering Yang Yuxin wouldn't suffice.
He needed to provoke Qin Yu as well.
With this in mind, Su Chen didn't bother with further thoughts. He placed his hand on Qu Xiaoqi's waist once more, pulling her tightly against his chest. At this moment, the two shared another intimate contact.
Su Chen's hands never stopped. Not taking advantage when one could was foolish. After reminding himself that it was all for the sake of the plot, his sense of guilt evaporated instantly.
Qu Xiaoqi's head was buried in Su Chen's chest as he tauntingly said to Qin Yu, "Hear that, Qin Yu? The woman you're so fond of is now in my arms. It seems she doesn't recognize you, does she? Oh, and I've heard about your impressive background. Why not share it with us?"
At this moment, Su Chen perfectly embodied the triumphant pettiness of a typical villain. The lines that left his mouth were precisely what an archetypal antagonist would spout, aiming to provoke Qin Yu into acting out.
He regretted not playing his part correctly earlier; after taking a punch from Qin Yu, he shouldn't have gotten up so easily.
[It's all Qu Xiaoqi's fault! Why did she have to show concern out of the blue? It messed up the storyline!]
[No matter, once Qin Yu throws a punch this time, I won't be getting up. Only those who are upright can have a say after all.]
With this decision firmly in mind, Su Chen smirked at Qin Yu, trying to maintain control over the unfolding plot.
Meanwhile, Qu Xiaoqi, held in Su Chen's embrace, felt a tumult of emotions – shyness, joy, and bewilderment. Beneath her radiant facade of a talented young girl, she harbored many unspoken feelings and sentiments. It was why she would secretly pay attention to things she liked. Especially in Su Chen's presence, she wanted to act like a playful, shameless puppy, craving his attention.
However, Qin Yu's eyes were aflame with rage as he glared at Su Chen. Seeing Qu Xiaoqi adopt a demure, submissive pose under Su Chen's wandering hands was the final straw, making it impossible for him to hold back any longer.
"Su Chen, you worthless scum, how dare you act arrogantly in front of me? Today, I'll show you the difference between us," Qin Yu said, walking slowly towards Su Chen, aiming to impose an intimidating pressure, to mentally break Su Chen.
Su Chen played along and subtly signaled to his bodyguards. Within a split second, they surrounded Qin Yu. But Qin Yu, empowered by the Kunlun Jade pendant and in peak condition, easily took down these bodyguards.
Su Chen's heart rejoiced.
[The War God is back! I've truly outdone myself. I took the risk of exposure, specifically instructing the bodyguards to act on my signal to prevent the mishap from last time.]
[ Finally... hahaha!]
Listening to his inner monologue, both Zhang Li and Qu Xiaoqi burst out laughing. Su Chen was truly entertaining with his plethora of internal drama.
But it was expected. Being a man with a god's perspective yet unable to share that insight must be torturous. Qu Xiaoqi suddenly felt sympathetic towards Su Chen, as she felt they were similar in many ways. With that thought, she subconsciously leaned her body closer to Su Chen, her face lit up with a genuine smile.
And Su Chen caught that tender moment in its entirety.
[Ha ha ha, that's right, at this moment Qu Xiaoqi is the typical leading lady. I'm truly overjoyed.]
[Mmm, she probably wants to see me get beaten up now.]
[What should I do after getting beaten up?]
[Think about it... extremely angry, wanting revenge, especially on Qu Xiaoqi. The best idea is to kidnap her. I'm so clever.]
[Chen Yuxin's plot has collapsed, I'll use Qu Xiaoqi as a replacement. Then I'll let Yang Yuxin, the wild woman, solve the case. When she sees her man in a pathetic state, haha, she definitely won't be able to bear it.]
[Geniuses are often forced into action, this will bring the plot full circle.]
From this incident, Su Chen came to a conclusion: Why couldn't he understand women's hearts? He had simply been probing in the wrong places.
Just as Qin Yu was about to make his move, Yang Yuxin finally arrived.