Chapter 990: A Female Lead’s Love is the Most Difficult to Bear

“Sister Zhang, why are you blocking me?” Huang Hanyan grew suspicious.

“Let the juniors settle it between themselves,” Xiao Zhang replied vaguely. “No need for us to get involved.”

Huang Hanyan found it odd and leaned forward to see what was happening.

Xiao Zhang failed to block her this time. Huang Hanyan slipped past her at lightning speed.

Her sudden appearance startled Black Panther. “Steward Huang, I was only joking with this little girl!” he quickly said.

He seemed nervous, afraid she’d think he was bullying the weak.

Huang Hanyan furrowed her brows and lightly pushed him aside. Ye Wenxin moved with him, staying just out of sight.

“Come out,” said Huang Hanyan, biting her lip. “I know you’re there.”

Ye Wenxin had been avoiding her since her frank confession last time. If it was someone Xiao Zhang knew who didn’t want to see her, there was only Ye Wenxin.

But this was just Huang Hanyan’s gut feeling.

Knowing she couldn’t hide anymore, Ye Wenxin awkwardly stepped out.

Everyone stopped walking, watching Huang Hanyan and Ye Wenxin lock eyes.

Huang Hanyan’s eyes glistened with countless emotions threatening to burst out. Ye Wenxin beheld her. She had blossomed, looking even lovelier now, and the light yellow outfit complimented her aura of purity.

She was like a drifting mist, pulling others into a reverie.

Huang Hanyan cried, not saying a word. She wiped away the tears from her eyes, then turned and gracefully walked away.

Ye Wenxin froze. She had expected Huang Hanyan to break down, angrily demanding why she had been avoiding her.

But the girl didn’t. Huang Hanyan had even held back her emotions out of consideration for why Ye Wenxin had been distancing herself.

Yet her expression was more than enough to stir the imagination.

Everyone gave Ye Wenxin strange looks. Once they learned that she and Huang Hanyan were both from the Azure Wings Sect, the bystanders mentally filled in the rest.

No one imagined anything of the romantic sort. Huang Hanyan was already infamous for standing up the Demon Lord. Because of that, she hadn’t led an easy life at the Azure Wings Sect. Hence, they assumed Ye Wenxin was one of the people who had bullied her.

The storyteller deliberately avoided bringing up any connection between Huang Hanyan and Ye Wenxin. Instead, he focused on Huang Hanyan’s hardships at the Azure Wings Sect.

Originally, Sister Hong had found the pretty and talented girl annoying. But after hearing her story, she warmed to Huang Hanyan considerably.

Han Shanxue’s face showed no reaction, but she did glance at Huang Hanyan a few more times.

Xiao Zhang knew a bit of the truth and found the storyteller’s version exaggerated. Given all the help Ye Wenxin had provided Huang Hanyan, Xiao Zhang had even thought she was quite fortunate.

The atmosphere became subdued. Huang Hanyan would glance at Ye Wenxin from time to time, her eyes full of resentment.

Ye Wenxin knew she owed her an explanation.

But how could she tell Huang Hanyan that being close to a villain would erase her chance of becoming a female lead and achieving greatness? Would Huang Hanyan even believe her?

But they’d already run into each other. There really was no justifiable reason to stay silent.

Thankfully, the group’s arrival at First Under Heaven quickly eased the tension.

Huang Hanyan sat directly across from Ye Wenxin, barely eating anything. Ye Wenxin started to wonder if she was using her presence as a substitute for food. Left with no choice, Ye Wenxin initiated a conversation.

“Senior Sister Hanyan, won’t you eat a bit more?”

The sweet smile Huang Hanyan finally showed instantly captivated every man at the table. There was no denying her beauty, but she also carried an air of melancholy.

The storyteller and Fei Chai livened things up. As wine started flowing, the group soon chatted merrily.

Xiao Zhang had pulled Sister Hong aside, and Han Shanxue made small talk with Huang Hanyan. Ye Wenxin focused on her food until someone tapped her on the shoulder.

The room fell silent again. Ye Wenxin looked up and saw Huang Hanyan. She’d had some wine, its aroma mixing with her natural scent.

They hadn’t been this close in a long time. It made Ye Wenxin sentimental.

“Senior Sister Hanyan, something wrong?”

“Junior Sister Wenxin, let’s talk outside for a bit.”

Huang Hanyan could no longer hold back. She pointed to the open door across the room.

The others exchanged subtle glances, no doubt imagining dramatic scenarios, such as Ye Wenxin finally facing retribution for bullying Huang Hanyan in the past, or some long-standing feud between the two.

No one suspected anything even remotely suggestive.

Neither did Ye Wenxin. She assumed Huang Hanyan intended to settle scores now that her feelings had cooled off.

After all, her cheat had vanished. What Huang Hanyan once felt for her likely vanished along with it.

“Alright, we’ll chat and be right back.” Feeling Sister Hong gently tugged at her hand, Ye Wenxin smiled softly to reassure her.

Huang Hanyan glanced at Sister Hong but said nothing. The two walked out the door, heading into the room across the hall.

Huang Hanyan locked the door behind her. Ye Wenxin braced for a storm of anger, but Huang Hanyan slowly pulled out two notebooks.

“What’s this?”

Ye Wenxin looked puzzled. Huang Hanyan silently handed the notebooks over.

Looking closely, Ye Wenxin realized one notebook detailed over two years’ worth of expenses, and the other recorded all the money Huang Hanyan had earned.

She’d killed, intercepted convoys, and explored secret realms. The documented income was several times more than what Ye Wenxin had ever spent on her.

“No wonder your cultivation improved so quickly. You’ve been working this hard.”

Now visibly relaxed, Ye Wenxin felt genuinely gratified. Huang Hanyan had carved out her path to survival even without luck.

Those odd cultivation manuals must be trophies from her many trials.

Seeing Huang Hanyan remain silent, Ye Wenxin assumed her praise hadn’t been clear enough. She added, “Mm, you’ve done really well. You’re free to go now.” She moved to tear up the expense ledger, but Huang Hanyan stopped her.