Translated by Eve
Edited by Wuxian
CG giveaway announcement at the end~
"How was it? Why did Old Master Yun want to speak to you?!" As soon as Sui Yuan exited, Yun Yi and Yue Minghe, who had been waiting outside the whole time, encircled him. They had been worried throughout the whole thing, "We heard that the Old Master was very angry at the end? That he was very dissatisfied with you?"
Sui Yuan shrugged, feeling quite helpless, "It's nothing much, just the karmic consequences of a love affair, that's all."
Hearing this reply, the expression in the male lead and supporting male lead's eyes immediately became enigmatic. Sui Yuan did not 'conceal' anything and directly said, "You guys still remember, ba? I was dating a girl before. Was it Ah Yi's paternal or maternal cousin? The one named Yun Shan."
"She's on my mother's side," Yun Yi furrowed his brow. It was obvious that his relationship with this cousin of his was not very good, and his tone subconsciously became quite a bit nastier, "What about her?"
"I spent some time with her. After all, your cousin is a great beauty. Unfortunately, our personalities did not go along together well, so we broke up peacefully," Sui Yuan spread out his hands and forced a smile, "It's just a pity that it was only me who thought that it was a peaceful breakup. Your cousin said that it was all good to my face, that we could part without hard feelings and still remain friends. In the end, as soon as she turned around, she went to tell your family head, saying she refuses to get married to anyone other than me!"
Yun Yi and Yue Minghe understood instantly. Only, one person was smiling, rejoicing in his misfortune, while the other's expression immediately sunk.
"You deserve it! Who told you to provoke the Yun Family? The princesses of the Yun Family can't be played with so casually even by you, even if they're mere members of the branch families," Yun Yi wrapped an arm around Sui Yuan's shoulders, narrowing his eyes into a sly expression. Meanwhile, Yue Minghe was not as relaxed. He frowned and said, "The issue was made into such a big deal that it reached Old Master Yun? This shouldn't be, ah? Would Old Master Yun care about such a small matter?"
"I heard that originally, he didn't take it seriously." With a look of dislike, Sui Yuan pushed off the arm Yun Yi had draped over his shoulders. He then tucked his hair behind his ear, narcissistic, "Who knows if it was because he liked my gift so much or if it's because he was stunned by my beauty but in an instant, I entered the Old Master's eye and it reminded him of this matter. He was carried away by a whim and planned to test me. In the end, I was unmoved by favour or disgrace and my replies were smooth, satisfying the Old Master. Therefore, he naturally called me to his study, wanting to discuss the matter of our marriage…."
This excuse was the one Sui Yuan and Zhao Xihe had just planned. Actually, it couldn't be considered a lie. In the plot, this Ms. High and Mighty Yun Shan, was the best friend of the supporting female lead, Xin Xin. She helped her scheme and had also ridiculed the female lead several times. Furthermore, aside from being used as a tool by the supporting female lead, most of her scenes were related to her untiringly pestering Hao Ning.
Unfortunately, although she was surnamed 'Yun', she was only part of one of the Yun Family's branch families. Meanwhile, Hao Ning had the backing of not only his own family, but also that of Yun Yi, a descendant of the main branch of the Yun Family. No matter what, he was not someone Yun Shan could force.
Although the plot did not describe Old Master Yun meddling in this marriage matter, the fact that it wasn't mentioned meant that it could have happened or it might not have. This was the loophole naturally taken advantage of by Sui Yuan and Zhao Xihe.
"Hmph, my grandfather is one who does as he says, decisively and swiftly. How unexpected that he would meddle in this matter between younger generations!" Yun Yi was sympathetic as he had always been 'forced into an arranged marriage' by Old Master Yun. He couldn't help but be outraged by this injustice on behalf of his good friend. However, compared to Yun Yi, who seemed keen on staying out of this matter, Yue Minghe was obviously much more nervous, "Then what, ne? Did you agree?"
"How could I agree?! Of course I declined respectfully, ah!" Sui Yuan made an exaggerated, panicked expression, "I haven't played around enough yet. I absolutely don't want to step into the grave that is marriage. Moreover, even if I wanted to get married, I certainly would not marry a Yun Family princess, ah! If I'm going to take a wife, I would naturally marry one that is sweet-tempered and virtuous!"
The expression on Yue Minghe's face had just taken a turn for the better upon hearing Sui Yuan saying that he had refused. However, when he heard the latter part, he immediately felt his stomach be filled with an indescribable gloomy air.
Yun Yi nodded in agreement, "Indeed. My cousin's temperament…hehe."
"You still have the face to say that when you people of the Yun Family are all the same!" Sui Yuan glared at Yun Yi and strode towards the main gate. It was obvious that he was itching to leave this place where he had been pressured into marriage, "Old Master Yun seems greatly angered. Do you think that he'll try to teach me, a reckless youngster who overestimates his own abilities, a lesson?"
"Probably…not, ba?" Yun Yi hesitated, "Yun Shan isn't very favoured. It is already very benevolent for grandfather to speak on her behalf. I don't think that he will make a big fuss over her."
"I'm afraid that the Old Master will think that I didn't give him any face…" Sui Yuan said in a rather worried tone.
"Relax! I'll help say a few good words on your behalf. It shouldn't be a problem!" Yun Yi's heroism was reaching the clouds as he took the burden onto his own shoulders, loyal to his good friend to the point of being willing to sacrifice himself.
As Sui Yuan and Yun Yi chatted in front, Yue Minghe stayed behind, his expression dark. It wasn't until Yun Yi noticed that he wasn't following and turned to call out to him, that he hurriedly caught up with a smile, expression same as always.
Why Sui Yuan was being given special treatment by Old Master Yun was tentatively justified for now. Although he had only explained it to his two good friends, very soon, regardless of whether they were supposed to know or not, everyone would have most likely received information about it. Anyway, most people believed it and even if they didn't believe it in its entirety, they would still believe at least a part of it. Therefore, Sui Yuan didn't need to pay any attention to this.
After the longevity banquet, Sui Yuan returned to his daily student life. He enjoyed the fervent worship akin to what a fan would have for their idols, from the other students; observed the quarrelsome but loving couple that was the male lead and female lead; and he chatted with Zhao Xihe, showing concern over the latter's 'physical health' while he was at it. In this fashion, his days passed by very satisfactorily.
Using the excuse of being frightened by the matter of being pressured into marriage, Sui Yuan seized the chance to deal with the girls of rather high status that had been involved with the original character before. As for the girls who didn't have high statuses, for the time being, he left them to act as his shield. In any case, they couldn't cause anything major to occur. Due to Sui Yuan's actions that were akin to 'the prodigal son's return', Yue Minghe began to treat him much better. He wanted to stick to him at all times and 'go out as a couple'. He had completely forgotten the female lead who he had 'fallen in love with at first sight' and tossed her to the back of his mind.
Right now, Sui Yuan was certain that this supporting male lead indeed had those kind of intentions towards him. Furthermore, he tactfully rejected him on more than one occasion. For example, he would half-jokingly say, "You're so sticky, could it be that you like me, ba?!"
Unfortunately, the supporting male lead was especially unperturbed. No matter how Sui Yuan would try to probe him out, he would not let out the slightest hole in his act. On the contrary, his expression would become especially scornful, "Enough, ba. Even if I liked someone, I'd never like a playboy like you! I have eyes and integrity!"
Each time Yue Minghe would reply so reasonably and seriously, Sui Yuan could not help but doubt his own judgement. Only afterwards, the supporting male lead's meaningful glances and tricks would convince him not to overthink matters.
Sometimes, Sui Yuan really couldn't help but want to grab Yue Minghe's shoulders and shake him, forcing him to confess and not to play such tricks in the dark. This way, he'd be able to resolutely reject the other, unlike right now, where he was unbearably sullen, being stuck in a dilemma.
——What happened to the gentle and calm supporting male lead dada I was promised, ne? How did this two-faced yandere come to be?!
Gradually, even the emotionally ignorant Yun Yi discovered that there was a strange atmosphere between his two good friends. Only, this idiot did not think about the possibility of homosexual love and could only feel incomparably aggrieved that he was being isolated while the other two fellows happily played together without taking him along! It was simply unforgivable!
Towards this, Sui Yuan, who wasn't doing this voluntarily, felt distressed but could only ridicule mischievously, "How could we not want you? We're just being understanding. We don't want to disrupt your happy times with He xuemei!
He xuemei—this was referring to the female lead, He Nuannuan. As soon as he heard his good friend refer to him and the female lead as a couple, Yun Yi stopped feeling aggrieved and immediately burst into anger. He jumped up and pointed at He Nuannuan, who was running around in circles to fulfill his orders, and shouted loudly in opposition, "How the heck could you think that I like her?!"
Sui Yuan & Yue Minghe: "…………Hehe."
"What's that expression of yours? Don't think that I don't know what your 'hehe' means!" Yun Yi simply wanted to kneel to his good friends! The hole in their brains was so wide it could rip the horizon in two! "This woman is poor and ugly, and always tries to punch above her own weight! And also, the one she likes is you, Hao Ning!"
After he shouted these words out, the entire cafeteria fell quiet.
Yun Yi seemed to realize that he had said something that he shouldn't. He subconsciously turned around to look at He Nuannuan, but he only saw the girl standing not far away with the juice Yun Yi had requested just now. Her complexion first paled, and soon after, turned red. Her body couldn't help but tremble.
Completely not daring to meet Sui Yuan's gaze, tears gradually spilled out of He Nuannuan's big eyes. She splashed the juice all over Yun Yi's face in humiliated anger, "You said that as long as I agreed to your demands, you wouldn't tell Xuezhang! Yun Yi, you giant b*stard!"
After saying this, He Nuannuan turned away, carried away by her emotions. Meanwhile, because everyone had been too shocked, everyone forgot to stop her from leaving.
——She had unexpectedly called the Yun Family's little crown prince a b*stard and also splashed juice all over his face! They really didn't know whether to call her brave or stupid….
Obviously, Yun Yi was startled. It wasn't until He Nuannuan had run out of the cafeteria that he came back to himself. He pointed at the door to the cafeteria with an incredulous expression, at a loss for words, "She—I—"
"No wonder. I was wondering why He xuemei would be willing to listen to Ah Yi's commands. It turns out that it was because he knew her secret," Yue Minghe supported his forehead with a hand, a shallow smile on his face. His expression was that of helplessness and indulgence, "Since you've made a promise you should have properly respected it. Ah Yi, you were out of line this time, oh!"
"I…I didn't say it on purpose. Who told you guys to always taunt and mock me anyway?! I was muddle-headed and…" Yun Yi's arrogance immediately dissipated. He grabbed a napkin and casually wiped his face, discontent. Although he had always led a life of luxury, Yun Yi was not a finicky person. When he was being trained by his grandfather, his entire face would always be covered in grime. He had also gone on for days without eating, drinking or sleeping. It was not like he couldn't handle being splashed with juice. It was just that it was really a bit humiliating and made him lose face.
"It's my fault?" Sui Yuan spread out his hands, face helpless, "I just thought that you and He xuemei fit well together, ah? You've never cared about a girl so much before."
"…I just noticed that she was always secretly peeking at you and felt unhappy about that, that's all. I wanted to mess with her, that's all," Yun Yi quietly retorted.
When Sui Yuan heard this, he interpreted this as the male lead being jealous of the female lead paying too much attention to him. However, from Yue Minghe's point of view, he, who had an ulterior motive, had a completely different understanding of this.
Yue Minghe's eyes flashed and he shoved Yun Yi, "This time, it's you who is in the wrong. Quickly go apologize to He xuemei, ba. He xuemei has always been kindhearted and magnanimous. She would very likely accept your apology."
"Me?! Apologize to her?!" Yun Yi's eyes widened, like he was looking at some lunatic. His gaze was incredulous as he glared at Yue Minghe, "Are you mistaken?!"
"Since you messed up, you should apologize. This has nothing to do with status," Yue Minghe earnestly refuted. Coming from a family known for their literary excellence, he naturally paid more attention to etiquette and self-cultivation than Yun Yi, who came from a family that had its origins in the underworld. He put more importance to certain traditions and virtues than Yun Yi did.
Yun Yi seemed to have been persuaded. For one, his friend was resolute. Secondly, he was indeed fretful and uneasy over the tears in He Nuannuan's eyes when she left. In the end, Yun Yi reluctantly mumbled to himself before heading towards the cafeteria's exit, depressed. Immediately, the surrounding spectators who had just been startled, exploded once more.
…What was happening? An ordinary girl cursed and splashed juice on the mafia crown prince. Not only did the mafia crown prince not explode in anger, he had actually ran after her to apologize? This was simply unscientific!
Ignoring what other people were thinking, the gaze Sui Yuan used to look at Yue Minghe became especially complicated.
In the plot, there was such as scene where Yun Yi exposed the female lead's feelings and ended up getting splashed with juice. Only, the one mentioned was originally not Sui Yuan, but Yue Minghe. Furthermore, the one who was supposed to chase after, comfort and even reject the female lead, was also supposed to be Yue Minghe, the advocator who had just instigated Yun Yi to chase after her to apologize. He had completely removed himself from the love affair between the male and female lead.
——Was this the supporting male lead's voluntary decision, or was it because of his halo's influence on the plot?
Although Sui Yuan understood Yue Minghe even less, his suspicion towards him gradually diminished. After all, the Destroyer could not ignore the plot changing to this degree and have such an integrity-less reaction, ba? Otherwise, wouldn't it be too conspicuous and wouldn't this lead to them being caught in an instant?
Sui Yuan looked at the food that was splashed with juice and put down his utensils, losing his appetite. Afterwards, he felt a warm breath on his neck.
Sui Yuan stiffened. He turned to look at Yue Minghe, who had suddenly moved closer to him. He then watched helplessly as the other gently rubbed his collar, "It's dirty. I'll take you to get changed."
Sui Yuan lowered his head to take a glance and discovered that his shirt's collar had indeed been stained with juice. It had most likely been stained just now. As a playboy who placed great importance to outer appearances, Sui Yuan naturally could not ignore this stain and still parade around campus in a grandiose manner. He could only nod and stand up, "I'll go get changed on my own. You don't have to follow along. Besides, you didn't eat much so go eat a bit more, ba."
——What go and get changed together? It sounds a bit dangerous, ah!
"You also haven't eaten your fill, you know? I'll wait for you and we'll eat together," Yue Minghe gazed at Sui Yuan softly, persisting with his decision. Sui Yuan was helpless and didn't have any excuses left to refuse him, so he could only let him be.
The two people arrived at the lounge they shared with Yun Yi. Yue Minghe nimbly chose a shirt and handed it over to Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan hesitated for a moment but still silently accepted it in the end.
After taking off his outer jacket and also the stained shirt, the half-naked Sui Yuan felt greatly pressured as he endured Yue Minghe's scorching stare. He involuntarily turned his back to him. Hastily, he had the shirt on and was working on buttoning it up with his head lowered. Suddenly, he felt a warm body stick against his back. An arm wrapped around his waist and the hair at his neck was lifted by another hand. In the next second, Sui Yuan could feel a pair of soft lips kiss the back of his neck. Immediately, he felt all his hair stand up on end!
——Although there were many male leads and supporting male leads that have pursued him, except for Zhao Xihe, Sui Yuan had never been this close to another person before. For a moment, it was as if a storm had sprung out of the blue!
5237: "……!!!! Stay calm! Silly host, you must stay calm! Think about your character settings! Relax! I absolutely won't tell Zhao Xihe dada that you cheated on him!"
Sui Yuan: ""………………Shut up! QAQ"
Eve: Well, that's an upgrade from his usual pursuers. ZXH is gonna have a fit.
Wuxian: Why do I always ship SY with the other protagonists besides ZXH? …This is simply unscientific!
Announcement:
Dear Beloved Readers,
As the holiday season approaches, some sweet members of the CG community have decided to sponsor two giveaway contests. There will be both a fanart and a fanfic competition. It can be about any CG novel or even AUs involving multiple novels. There are four 3-month Xbox Live memberships up for grabs. If you’re interested, to the submission page with more information!