Chapter 21: The Beautiful Villain

She babbled on for a long time, finally stopping to glare at Yi Chenlan, waiting for his response. There was a hint of slight grievance in her expression, which made Yi Chenlan almost laugh out loud.

He spoke softly: “Wan Wan…”

As soon as he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse and unrecognizable. “I understand. If someone bullies me in the future, I’ll come find you.”

Shu Wan looked at him, so pitiful yet so obedient, and her heart immediately softened. “Alright, you should go rest now. Don’t train today.”

Am I that fragile in her eyes?

Yi Chenlan couldn’t help but smile quietly: “What do you mean ‘rest’ in the morning? Let’s go, we’ll practice together.”

Together. Yi Chenlan repeated the words silently, his long eyelashes, as dark as raven feathers, lowered, concealing the slight glint of hope in his eyes.

Her villain was really hardworking and ambitious!

Shu Wan happily patted Yi Chenlan’s shoulder: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, work hard, I’m not going to train today. I need to hurry and find my father, or I’ll miss him.”

Yi Chenlan grasped her wrist. “Miss what?”

“I want to go out of the mountain with Senior Brother Ah Yang. If I’m late, I’m afraid they’ll all leave without me.” Shu Wan’s eyes sparkled.

If everything went smoothly, Yi Chenlan would be able to get out of this situation sooner!

Yi Chenlan’s fingers curled slightly, his gaze growing deep, almost unfathomable. His smile gradually faded. “You want to leave the mountain? With Jiang Yang?”

Of course, how could she wait for her mother to come if she didn’t take the initiative? Shu Wan smiled brightly, patting Yi Chenlan’s hand: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, don’t worry. My martial arts are so strong; I won’t suffer out there in Jianghu.”

A dark, ominous glint flashed in Yi Chenlan’s eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his expression was filled with obvious hurt and grievance. “But you just said that if someone bullied me, I should come find you. If you leave the mountain, where will I find you?”

Shu Wan paused for a moment, slightly taken aback.

Ah, she had forgotten about that. It was true that she wanted to find Yi Chenlan’s real mother, but if she left, would Yi Chenlan be left in too much danger at Zhongshan Sect?

She had helped him avoid the torment of losing his arm and the tortures of Chen Tao, and now the plot had arranged for a stranger, Tang Tianqin, to target Yi Chenlan.

If she really left, would her villain return to find himself a one-armed, pitiful soul?

Yi Chenlan’s needy gaze made Shu Wan feel guilty. She had just promised to protect him, and now she was planning to leave. No wonder her villain didn’t feel secure.

Shu Wan thought for a moment. Leaving the mountain was a necessity, but she absolutely could not leave Yi Chenlan behind on his own.

If she were to leave, she had to ensure Yi Chenlan’s safety first. But today, in the rush, she didn’t have time to make proper arrangements. She would have to find another opportunity.

Having made up her mind, Shu Wan looked at the beautiful man in front of her, who wore a sorrowful expression, and felt deeply apologetic. “Senior Brother Ah Lan… you, you don’t need to be upset. I’m not going anymore. Actually… actually, I wasn’t going out for fun… Ah, forget it. Anyway, I won’t leave you. Don’t be upset, okay?”

Her sudden change of heart left Yi Chenlan momentarily stunned. “… You’re not going anymore?”

He then lowered his gaze, his tone light. “Wan Wan, am I causing you a lot of trouble…?”

Shu Wan was completely disarmed by his understanding and pitiful demeanor. She couldn’t hold onto any anger and was filled with sympathy. “What trouble? How could you think that? You’re not a trouble at all.”

She sighed lightly, her expression tinged with a little self-blame. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, you’re so good; you deserve to be treated well…”

In Yi Chenlan’s eyes, a trace of a smile finally appeared—subtle, but undeniably full of joy. “Wan Wan, you’ve already treated me very well.”

He tentatively looked at Shu Wan. “Since you’re not leaving the mountain, shall we go practice together?”

Shu Wan’s large eyes curved into a smile, her voice clear and bright as she replied: “Yes!”

---

Shu Wan felt that Yi Chenlan had been smiling more recently.

In fact, he had always been smiling. From the first moment she saw him, there was always a gentle smile on his face.

But recently, it was different. If she had to describe it, she would say… he seemed to be smiling even more beautifully?

Yi Chenlan had a pair of extremely beautiful phoenix eyes. The slightly upward tilt of the corners of his eyes added a touch of laziness to his already refined and ethereal features. His long lashes, when he looked at her, made his eyes appear even softer and more mesmerizing.

And when he smiled, it was even more breathtaking.

However, Shu Wan often found it difficult to understand what Yi Chenlan was happy about. Take this moment, for example—

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, don’t be too happy too soon.” Shu Wan withdrew her hand and proceeded to tap several acupoints on Yi Chenlan’s body. “Although your Blazing Sun True Qi has broken through to the third level, and your meridians are no longer too obstructed, aren’t these few spots still aching slightly?”

Yi Chenlan responded with a smile: “Mm.”

“Mm? Just ‘mm’ and that’s it?” Shu Wan didn’t quite understand Yi Chenlan’s attitude toward his pain. It was one thing to be optimistic, but it wasn’t good to completely disregard it. “The pain in these spots means you’ve been practicing too fast, rushing things. Originally, you wouldn’t have needed me to help you adjust your breathing, but now it’s different. I’ll continue with the same method as before, and I’ll come find you after the middle of the dog hour.”

Yi Chenlan nodded, the smile on the corners of his lips seeming to widen a little more. “Wan Wan, will you come tonight?”

“Yes, of course. It’s better to get this over with sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the more troublesome it becomes, and it’s not good for your training either.”

Shu Wan felt anxious. Why did her villain always have so many problems? He suffered so much. Problems after problems, it was never ending cycle .

However, Yi Chenlan’s expression didn’t look like someone who was suffering at all. His phoenix eyes curved slightly, and his voice was soft as he said: “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

Shu Wan thought for a moment, feeling she should lecture him a bit more. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, your progress has been incredibly fast. You’ve reached the third level in just a month and are already breaking through to the fourth. It took me a whole year to break through to the third level, and I didn’t suffer as much as you. You need to slow down your practice now, or it’ll harm your body.”

“I understand. I’ll be careful.” Yi Chenlan responded quickly and obediently, looking very well-behaved.

Shu Wan, easily persuaded, believed him. “That’s good. Senior Brother Ah Lan, you go first. I’ll leave in a quarter of an hour.”

There was no other choice. Ever since the last time Shu Wan defended Yi Chenlan, Shu Qi had sternly scolded her and forbidden her from interacting with Yi Chenlan. So, Shu Wan had to give up her private training ground and secretly meet Yi Chenlan at a public training ground. Fortunately, it was large with many secluded corners, and they had never been discovered.

Thankfully, Shu Qi was always busy with matters and trusted her enough not to keep watch over her. This allowed them to find a loophole.

Yi Chenlan’s expression dimmed slightly upon hearing this, but his tone remained gentle. “Wan Wan, Master doesn’t like you interacting with me, and I didn’t avoid suspicion. I’ve caused you to feel burdened practicing here every day…”

“What’s there to feel burdened about? Not at all.” Shu Wan waved her hand, not wanting Yi Chenlan to feel upset. She quickly downplayed the matter: “My father is just… well… a bit strict. Senior Brother Ah Lan, don’t think too much about it. You’re really, really wonderful. I really enjoy practicing with you!”

Yi Chenlan smiled, unable to resist slightly raising his hand, but he paused for a moment. Eventually, he couldn’t help but gently pat her little head. “I understand.”

---

That evening, Shu Wan arrived on time to meet Yi Chenlan.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, I’m here.” Shu Wan made her way quietly to Jingtong Pavilion, glancing left and right to make sure no one was around. She quickly lowered her voice and softly knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately, and Yi Chenlan stood behind it, smiling warmly at her. Shu Wan’s breath hitched for a moment as she glanced at him.

Yi Chenlan appeared to have just taken a bath. His eyes were clear, his lips a soft red, and his warm, jade-like skin looked even more delicate in the candlelight. His jet-black, silky hair still had a bit of moisture in it, tied loosely at the top with a white hairband, while the rest of his long hair hung freely down to his waist.

He was wearing a moon-white robe, his waist slender and his figure exuding a gentle strength. Standing there, he looked like an immortal descending to the mortal realm.

Her villain was truly a great beauty…

She couldn’t handle it anymore… her heart was really empty…

Shu Wan couldn’t help but mentally sigh: How could anyone have the heart to torment such a vibrant, ethereal beauty like him? How could they bear to trample on him?

She… how could she treat him so cruelly?

Ugh… she really understood her mistake…

Shu Wan softly called out: “Senior Brother Ah Lan…”

As soon as she entered, she gazed at him in a somewhat dazed and innocent way, leaving Yi Chenlan a little flustered. He had known she would come tonight, and he had even paid more attention than usual when bathing. Was there something wrong?

Yi Chenlan calmly checked himself and, unconsciously, touched his nose. “Wan Wan… what’s wrong?”

Shu Wan swallowed nervously. The sight of his long, beautiful hand partially covering his face was too much of a killing blow. She quickly waved her hand. “Nothing, nothing at all. Senior Brother Ah Lan, please sit down, let me help you with your breathing exercises!”

Yi Chenlan, a little confused, sat down.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, you’re still a little too thin. You need to eat more.” Shu Wan had been meaning to say this for a while. Today, when she touched Yi Chenlan’s back, she had noticed his slightly protruding shoulder blades. He was beautiful, yes, but he was too sharp, too slender.

She couldn’t help herself and started nagging.

“Do you pick at your food? Do you not like eating meat? You need to make sure you eat three proper meals a day.”

“I understand.” Yi Chenlan chuckled softly: “Little Steward.”

“Are you saying I’m talking too much?” Shu Wan muttered discontentedly. “At your age, you’re in the growth stage. If you don’t eat well, you won’t grow taller.”

Yi Chenlan paused for a moment and then gently smiled. “Am I not tall enough?”

Well… that wasn’t the case. The eighteen-year-old boy was exceptionally tall, easily a head taller than her. He was easily around 1.87 meters.

Yi Chenlan continued: “Wan Wan, you eat snacks every day…”

“Hey, enough! Don’t talk about me!” She cut him off. It was true that she ate a lot, and she had a habit of snacking… A few days ago, she had eaten something bad and ended up with a stomach issue, vomiting and having diarrhea. Yi Chenlan had been worried about her for several days.

Even after so many days, he still occasionally reminded her about it.

“Alright, I won’t say anything.” Yi Chenlan laughed softly, then added: “I’ll listen to you and eat properly.”

Shu Wan smiled and generously complimented him. “Senior Brother Ah Lan is super obedient.”

She was behind Yi Chenlan, so she couldn’t see his expression, but his face remained gentle. Still, his eyes gradually took on a deeper, more intense look.

…

After helping Yi Chenlan finish his breathing exercises, Shu Wan happily walked back to her courtyard. As she was halfway there, a loud voice suddenly exploded in her ear.

“Little Junior Sister! I’m back!”

Jiang Yang jumped out from the side, his face full of joy. “I saw you walking from far away, so I hid behind, hehe. Surprise, were you shocked?”

Surprised… not really.

Shu Wan looked at Jiang Yang with a hint of worry. His return meant another major plot point was about to unfold.