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Su Yong's mind raced with growing unease as he stared in disbelief at Su Chen standing before him. He felt like he was laid bare, every hidden secret exposed under Su Chen's gaze.
A shiver of fear snaked through him, and he instinctively swallowed, his voice trembling. "H-how could you possibly know?"
Su Chen merely cast him an indifferent glance, his gaze filled with disdain.
Before long, Su Heng returned, holding several storage pouches which he promptly handed over to Su Hao.
Taking the pouches, Su Hao looked inside and found them packed with spirit stones. There had to be several million in total. Although the Su family was wealthy enough to overlook such an amount, Su Hao knew the recent pressure from Qin Xinran made accumulating this many spirit stones a near-impossible task for Su Yong. It didn't take much to guess where these had come from.
With narrowed eyes, Su Hao turned to Su Yong. "Su Yong, care to explain?"
The steely tone in Su Hao's voice made Su Yong break into a cold sweat. He didn't dare meet Su Hao's eyes, instead bowing his head as he mumbled, "Clan Leader, I truly have no idea. But I swear, I've never done anything to betray the Su family."
"Oh? Never done anything to betray the family?" Su Hao sneered, pointing to the bags of spirit stones. "Then tell me, where did all of these come from?"
"Clan Leader, pleaseāI know I was wrong!"
Su Hao's words only made Su Yong's panic worse. He quickly fell to his knees, begging for mercy, hoping Su Hao would show him leniency out of respect for his deceased father.
Seeing him finally submit, Su Hao eased his imposing aura and waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. But let there be no next time."
It wasn't that Su Hao lacked the resolve to deal with Su Yong, but he knew the timing wasn't right. In his eyes, Su Yong's actions, while foolish, didn't warrant such severe punishment. Exiling him now would only unsettle other members of the family.
"Thank you, Clan Leader!"
Relieved, Su Yong scrambled to his feet, barely managing to flee as he stumbled out in panic.
Watching Su Yong's pathetic retreat, Su Chen's lips curved in a mocking smile. He had achieved his goalāreminding Su Yong exactly who held the power in the Su family.
---
Once they left the Su family's main hall, Su Chen took Chu Yanran's hand and led her out of the estate, guiding her toward the busiest street in the Donghua Prefecture capital.
This was the heart of Donghua's hustle and bustleāa vibrant marketplace where merchants and vendors crowded the streets, taverns and inns stood shoulder to shoulder, and all manner of shops, casinos, and even brothels lined the lanes.
Holding Chu Yanran's delicate hand, Su Chen strolled casually, pointing out the local delicacies and charming trinkets on display around them.
Seeing her excited, childlike joy as she took in her surroundings, Su Chen chuckled softly. "Yanran, who would've thought that the saintess of the Immortal Sword Sect could have such an adorable side?"
Chu Yanran's cheeks flushed slightly at his words.
Compared to the relatively isolated Immortal Sword Sect, Donghua's capital was a vast world of wonders. Her curiosity was piqued by the countless sights around her.
Seeing her beautiful, flawless face, Su Chen couldn't help but reach out to touch her cheek.
"Young Master, youā¦"
Her face reddened further as she playfully pushed against his chest.
"Yanran, you knowā¦ even when you're angry, you're beautiful."
"Ahā¦"
Not expecting him to say something so bold, Chu Yanran was momentarily stunned, unable to respond.
"All right, I'll stop teasing you."
Watching her slightly dazed expression, Su Chen burst into laughter.
Realizing she'd been toyed with again, Chu Yanran's body trembled with a mix of embarrassment and laughter, her cheeks turning even redder.
Unable to resist her charm, Su Chen reached out once more, tempted to pinch her cute, button nose. But this time, Chu Yanran was ready, dodging his hand, her blush deepening.
Just as the two were lost in their playful banter, a sharp, feminine voice suddenly cut in. "Where did this little vixen come from?"
They looked over and saw a strikingly beautiful girl, blocking their path. She had a delicate, fair oval face and big, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with a watery gleam, evoking an air of vulnerability that was hard to ignore.
Petite yet curvy, she wore a pink dress that accentuated her lively, playful energy, especially her ample chest, which quickly caught the attention of onlookers nearby.
Standing beside her was a maidservant, and both wore expressions of barely-contained anger as they glared at Chu Yanran.
Seeing this unexpected interruption, Chu Yanran frowned. This girl's hostility was apparent, yet Chu Yanran had no recollection of ever meeting her.
Su Chen, however, furrowed his brow slightly. "Qingxue, what are you doing here?"
The girl blocking their path in the pink dress was none other than Xia Qingxue, Su Chen's fiancƩe and the eldest daughter of the Xia family.
In the original story, Su Chen and Xia Qingxue once encountered each other on these same streets. From that moment, Su Chen became infatuated with the fallen noblewoman, unable to break free from his obsession.
Recalling the absurd twists of that plotline, Su Chen couldn't help cursing inwardly, With all my resources and status, why would I waste myself as a lovesick fool, a man who couldn't see past the girl who would betray him?
The plot only worsened from there. Xia Qingxue, on an adventure outside the city, would one day meet the protagonist, Ye Fan, who would save her from danger. Falling hopelessly in love, she would then use Su Chen's family influence to support Ye Fan's rise in power. She would even willingly offer her rare "Primordial Water" physique, helping Ye Fan gain immense strength in a short time.
During one of their rendezvous, Su Chen would catch them in the act. In a desperate struggle for survival, Xia Qingxue and Ye Fan would join forces, ultimately pinning Su Chen to the city walls and blaming another noble family for the deed.
But the irony didn't stop there. Using her flawless acting, Xia Qingxue would later win the trust of Su Chen's mother, Qin Xinran. She would drain the Su family's cultivation resources to secretly aid Ye Fan's rise to power, all the while maintaining her faƧade.
Xia Qingxue was as cunning as they cameātwo-faced yet perfectly innocent on the surface.
In the end, Su Chen's father, Su Hao, would uncover the truth. Outraged, he would gather his forces to avenge his son. But Su Yong would tip off Ye Fan, who, by then, had ascended to one of Donghua's most powerful figures. Su Yong would also deactivate the Su family's defensive array, allowing Ye Fan to massacre the Su family in a single night.
And naturally, Xia Qingxue would end up in Ye Fan's harem, madly devoted to him.
From Ye Fan's perspective, it was the ultimate power fantasy, a tale of unending conquest.
As for Su Chenāthe designated villaināhe'd earned the dubious title of "Ultimate Simp" from readers everywhere.
Ultimate Simpā¦
Su Chen couldn't help but shake his head in self-mockery. Before he transmigrated, he'd been a top-tier heir on Blue Star, a playboy with a new face by his side every night. He'd never been one to be led by a woman, much less degraded so.
For me to end up as the lowest of the low? Ironic, isn't it?
Su Chen sneered inwardly. I was the one handing out the green hats before. Let's see who dares give me one now.
Since he had taken on the role of Su family's young master, everything in this world would change. As for these so-called "protagonists" and "heaven's chosen" peopleā¦ They could keep their lofty destinies. He'd take their chances, their women, their powerāhe'd leave them with nothing.
And as for Xia Qingxue? Since she enjoyed playing both sides, he certainly wouldn't let her get away.
Good girls were worth cherishing; bad girls weren't worth letting go.
āāāāāāāāāāāāā
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