Chapter 3

Feeding her was out of the question.

He Lan Ling appeared gentle and indulgent toward Lin Sa Sa, but in truth, he maintained a distant indifference. The arrogance ingrained in his bones made it impossible for him to stoop to serving a girl.

Fair enough.

Lin Sa Sa, aware of his true identity, hadn’t genuinely expected him to feed her medicine. She had merely sought an excuse to draw his attention away from Luo Shui Wei.

Unfortunately, just as she had managed to reclaim He Lan Ling’s focus, Luo Shui Wei’s soft-spoken words effortlessly pulled his gaze back. Unlike Lin Sa Sa’s bold and flamboyant demeanor, Luo Shui Wei preferred plain attire, adorned with minimal jewelry. Her delicate brows and misty eyes gave off an air of fragile purity, untouched by makeup.

Lin Sa Sa had once suspected that Luo Shui Wei simply couldn’t afford jewelry.

“With Senior Brother infusing you with Spiritual Power daily, I’m sure Junior Sister will recover soon.”

“I heard you’ve also reached the Qi Refining Stage, so I specially brought elixirs to aid your cultivation. Once your injuries heal, we can train together.”

As she spoke, Luo Shui Wei turned her gaze to He Lan Ling, blinking lightly with a faint smile. “Senior Brother, didn’t you forget to return something to Junior Sister?”

“Enough.” Before He Lan Ling could respond, Lin Sa Sa had already lost her patience.

Ever since Luo Shui Wei had entered her room, the jingling of bells in her ears hadn’t ceased. Combined with Luo Shui Wei’s incessant chatter, Lin Sa Sa’s irritation grew with every word. What was she implying?

Lin Sa Sa felt that Luo Shui Wei’s words were laced with hidden meanings. The first sentence reminded her of her near-fatal fall from the cliff. The second hinted that they had always trained together, their relationship close. And the last one was the most infuriating—flaunting some private secret between her and He Lan Ling that excluded Lin Sa Sa!

“You’re really noisy.” Lin Sa Sa had never been polite to Luo Shui Wei, her face openly displaying disdain.

Chu You, who had been standing quietly in the corner, sensed Lin Sa Sa’s rising temper and straightened her posture, gesturing to Luo Shui Wei. “Miss Luo, if you please.”

Luo Shui Wei hadn’t expected Lin Sa Sa’s sudden outburst. Her eyes trembled with helplessness as she glanced between He Lan Ling and Lin Sa Sa. “Junior Sister, what have I done wrong this time?”

“Who’s your Junior Sister?”

Chu You cut her off coldly. “My lady is the eldest daughter of the Cloud Hermit Sect. What are you to call her that?”

Lin Sa Sa had been born with a defective spiritual root, rendering her incapable of cultivation, so she had never formally apprenticed under anyone in the sect. After Luo Shui Wei joined, everyone began calling her “Junior Sister,” and even Lin Fu Feng used the term, citing Luo Shui Wei’s youth and urging the disciples to look after her.

In response, Lin Sa Sa had pestered Lin Fu Feng into granting her the title, snatching the “Junior Sister” designation for herself.

Though she was the youngest in the Cloud Hermit Sect, not everyone had the right to call her “Junior Sister.” Most disciples still addressed her as “Miss.”

Chu You’s words were a deliberate reminder of the disparity between Lin Sa Sa and Luo Shui Wei, humiliating the latter by emphasizing her insignificance in Lin Sa Sa’s presence. Luo Shui Wei, with her fragile pride, paled at the remark. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, “I overstepped.”

“I’m sorry.” With that, Luo Shui Wei sobbed and fled Lin Sa Sa’s courtyard.

Great. Within a day, the entire sect would spread rumors of Lin Sa Sa bullying others with her influence.

But Lin Sa Sa didn’t care. Because she *was* bullying Luo Shui Wei—using her status as the sect leader’s daughter, and targeting Luo Shui Wei alone.

Her thoughts drifting, Lin Sa Sa was lost in the tangled web of grievances and hatred with Luo Shui Wei when a white figure moved before her eyes—He Lan Ling suddenly stood up.  

His tall silhouette stood against the light, his profile distant and indistinct to Lin Sa Sa. Seeing him about to leave, she hastily grabbed at his sleeve. “Where are you going?”  

He Lan Ling turned slightly, effortlessly avoiding her touch, his voice devoid of emotion. “It’s late. You should rest.”  

With that, he strode out of the room without pause, his movements fluid and unhesitating.  

Ding-ding, ding.  

The chime in Lin Sa Sa’s ears grew louder and more insistent.  

If she wasn’t mistaken, He Lan Ling must have gone after Luo Shui Wei.  

Once everyone had left and the room was empty except for her, Lin Sa Sa rubbed her hand before tucking it back under the quilt, her earlier arrogance and malice fading into a quiet loneliness.  

“Stop it,” she murmured, the ringing in her ears becoming unbearable.  

The Book Spirit, exasperated, couldn’t help but speak up: **[Go after him.]**  

“No.” Lin Sa Sa had her pride.  

She wasn’t one to overthink things, but that didn’t mean she was stupid. She could see well enough that He Lan Ling favored Luo Shui Wei in his heart.  

Lin Sa Sa was proud. Raised under Lin Fu Feng’s doting indulgence, she had never suffered much in life, nor had she ever needed to curry favor with anyone. She had agreed to take on the villainess’s role—to prevent He Lan Ling and Luo Shui Wei from ending up together—but that didn’t mean she would shamelessly chase after him. If He Lan Ling was determined to leave, why should she follow?  

**[Fair enough.]** The Book Spirit seemed convinced.  

**[Given He Lan Ling’s temperament, even if you chased after him, he probably wouldn’t stay.]**  

**[But have you considered that if he’s willing to leave for Luo Shui Wei once, he’ll do it again and again? Are you really going to cling to your pride and play the spoiled young miss every time?]**  

“I *am* the young miss.”  

Lin Sa Sa lifted her chin. “The young miss of the Cloud Hermit Sect, the foremost of the four great sects.”  

Her father was the Sword God, the Cloud Hermit Sect was the greatest sect of their time, and she was its only young mistress.  

The next moment, the Book Spirit poured cold water on her pride: **[When you died, no one cared who you were.]**  

Thanks to the Book Spirit’s “kindness,” Lin Sa Sa dreamed of the day she died as soon as she fell asleep.  

That day had been dazzling—clear skies stretching endlessly, the sun warm on her skin. When the violent surge of Spiritual Power sent her flying into the air, her eyes were wide open, as if she could reach out and touch the clouds above.  

But she couldn’t lift her hand.  

Agonizing pain wracked her body, threatening to tear her apart. By the time she crashed heavily onto the ground, she felt as though she had shattered.  

Someone’s screams echoed in her ears. Blood stained her rouged lips, spreading across her beautiful face.  

Each breath grew weaker, each more painful than the last. Lin Sa Sa wanted to gaze at the sky a little longer, but her vision was slowly overtaken by red. With her death, the book reached its conclusion.  

The story didn’t depict the reactions of those left behind, nor did it mention her funeral or what became of her. It didn’t even reveal who had killed her.  

It was as if she had been forgotten.  

After a few cursory lines, the narrative shifted to He Lan Ling and Luo Shui Wei’s grand wedding, lavishly described by the author, with everyone offering their blessings.  

**[Are you really content with an ending like this?]**  

Trapped in her dream, Lin Sa Sa struggled to wake but found she couldn’t open her eyes—as though she were imprisoned in something.

She struggled desperately to break free, shouting indignantly, “I refuse to accept this!”  

Why did no one care when she died? Why did He Lan Ling and Luo Shui Wei immediately hold their grand wedding after her death? At the very least… she deserved a proper funeral.  

Someone gently grasped her wrist, the warm, soft touch pressing against her skin like a kiss upon a treasure. Lin Sa Sa squirmed uncomfortably—she remembered how He Lan Ling had held her wrist the same way not long ago.  

Her wrist…  

Lin Sa Sa woke from the dream.  

Sitting up, she immediately pushed up her sleeve and turned her wrist over, spotting a vivid crimson koi tattoo on the inner side.  

The finger-length koi was entirely golden-red, lifelike as it coiled around her wrist, its delicate scales shimmering with golden light, so beautiful it seemed alive. Yet when she touched it, her fingertips only met smooth skin, with none of the rough texture of scales—utterly strange.  

This koi tattoo had appeared on her wrist the moment she awoke, abrupt and inexplicable. Only now did it occur to her—had He Lan Ling touched her wrist yesterday because he had noticed this mark?  

The sun was already high. Thanks to the infusion of He Lan Ling’s Spiritual Power the day before, Lin Sa Sa had shaken off her illness and was now full of energy.  

When Chu You entered, Lin Sa Sa was deep in thought—a rare sight that piqued Chu You’s curiosity. “What is Miss thinking about?”  

Lin Sa Sa was pondering how exactly she could stop He Lan Ling and Luo Shui Wei from ending up together. The Book Spirit’s questioning in her dream had jolted her awake—she absolutely could not accept that outcome. Since fate had granted her the chance to glimpse destiny and alter it, she had to seize it.  

But… how exactly should she do it?  

Recalling how He Lan Ling had abandoned her to chase after Luo Shui Wei yesterday, Lin Sa Sa felt a headache coming on.  

“Chu You, tell me—how do you stop a pair of scoundrels from falling in love?”  

“Huh?” Chu You didn’t understand.  

Since childhood, Lin Sa Sa had always turned to Chu You when confused, and this time was no different—she wanted Chu You to help her brainstorm.  

Patiently, she explained, “Yesterday, I read a story where the male and female leads were fated to be together, but the heavens forbade it. Worse, the female lead was a hypocritical villain. So, the heavens sent down a villainess to break them apart—if she failed, she would die.”  

Chu You blinked. “When the villainess descended, were the leads already together?”  

“Not yet.” At this stage, He Lan Ling’s feelings were unclear, but Lin Sa Sa remembered clearly—in the book, his true affection for Luo Shui Wei only developed much later, and even then, it was the result of Luo Shui Wei actively pursuing him. Right now, he only saw her as a sister—a very important sister.  

“I see.”  

Chu You stroked her chin, thinking carefully before answering, “If the leads haven’t developed any ambiguous feelings yet, then if I were the villainess, I’d focus on the male lead. Simply sabotaging their time alone wouldn’t work—the key is to capture his heart.”  

“If the male lead falls for me, then that ‘sister’ will forever remain just a sister, while I become her sister-in-law.”  

Once the male lead had someone he truly loved, how could he ever develop feelings for his sister?  

Lin Sa Sa was enlightened.  

That very day, she had Chu You fetch a stack of romance novels, flipping through them one by one. When the room grew stifling, she set up a small rocking chair by the lake, basking in the sun while studying the books. After a morning of diligent research, she roughly summarized the key points to make a story’s male lead fall for someone: kissing, hugging, acting spoiled, and calling him “brother.”

Hah, men.

Lin Sa Sa let out a disdainful snort through her nose. As the esteemed young lady of the Cloud Hermit Sect, what man was worthy of her attention?

Feeling drowsy from reading, Lin Sa Sa flipped the book over onto her face and lay back with her eyes closed, feigning sleep.

She had always been particular about her appearance. Even for a simple trip to the lakeside to read, she dressed impeccably and adorned herself beautifully. The breeze stirred, gently rocking the spacious wooden swing chair. Her pink misty skirt, embroidered with butterflies, fluttered and draped elegantly to the ground. Even with her face obscured, she was a delightful sight from afar.

He Lan Ling approached and saw the clearly printed title of the book covering her face: *The Fairy Maiden’s 99-Day Seduction: Just Yield, Divine Lord.*

Lin Sa Sa remained unaware of He Lan Ling’s presence.

Her mind was wholly occupied by the book’s plot. She imagined herself as the fairy maiden and cast He Lan Ling as the divine lord. In the dark corner of a palace wall, she pinned him forcefully against the stone, wearing a pitiful, tearful expression as she whispered, “Brother, are you afraid to love me?”

Hmm? Something felt off. Did she really intend to mimic the fairy maiden from the story?!

Lin Sa Sa was a proud young lady who cherished her dignity.

But then, the image of herself being flung into the air and meeting a gruesome death flashed through her mind. She decided… she could bend when necessary. A little loss of face was acceptable.

Lin Sa Sa was impulsive by nature. Once she learned something, she wanted to put it into practice immediately. She resolved to seek out He Lan Ling that very night and call him “brother.” Just then, light flooded her vision as someone lifted the book from her face.

Sunlight streamed over her features, momentarily blinding her. Through the haze, she glimpsed a tall, handsome figure in white robes, his flawless face tilted downward as he examined the book in his hands.

Speak of the devil.

Heaven was on her side.

Lin Sa Sa began scanning for a nearby wall.

Author’s Note:

Drew a new cover, but something feels off about it. I really am such a noob = =