I Snatched the Male Lead’s "Cool Novel" Script - Chapter 4

Yan Yu felt as if she were trapped in a very long dream.

She dreamed she was lying bloodless on the floor of a breakroom, discovered by passing colleagues and rushed into an operating theater.

Various instruments hummed and beeped, accompanied by the anxious shouts of her colleagues pleading for her to open her eyes.

These images were so vivid that Yan Yu began to fantasize that she was merely in a temporary coma; once this nightmare ended, she would return to the real world.

She even remembered she had an important surgery to perform after her lunch break.

But suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound punctured her eardrums.

“Beep—”

The suppressed, sobbing voice of a colleague followed immediately: “Time of death, 4:53 PM.”

Yan Yu’s consciousness began to drift away, her vision blurring into darkness, but her other senses started to revive.

She heard her own dull, rapid breathing and tasted the metallic tang of blood on the tip of her tongue.

Like a drowning victim just pulled from a frozen lake, Yan Yu suddenly snapped her eyes open on the bed, her chest heaving violently as she lunged for every mouthful of oxygen in the air.

“You’re awake?”

Yan Yu laboriously rolled her eyes to meet Yin Beiqing’s face leaning over her—the polished black iron mask, the beautifully shaped crimson lips, and a faint, cold fragrance that was as complex and inscrutable as her gaze.

She noticed that Yin Beiqing seemed to enjoy speaking while leaning in very close.

It was hard to get used to.

“Do you have any idea what ‘good’ things you’ve done?”

Yin Beiqing’s silver eyes were like high-quality natural crystals, possessing a mysterious depth that felt like it could suck a person in. Yan Yu stared, slightly dazed.

She was merely unconscious, not amnesiac. Forget the so-called “good things,” Yan Yu could practically draw the exact shape of the second mouthful of blood she had sprayed onto Yin Beiqing’s carpet.

Thus, she understood perfectly why Yin Beiqing’s face was filled with a desire to kill her, yet restrained by the necessity of keeping her alive.

Though the reason remained a mystery, the current reality was that Yin Beiqing’s second Beast Soul Bead had migrated into her body.

According to Yin Beiqing’s usual style, she should have unhesitatingly cut open Yan Yu’s belly to retrieve the bead.

However, the treasure box she used to store the bead had been destroyed by Guo Lu, and she herself could not harbor two beads within her body for long.

If Yin Beiqing actually did that, she would only leave the Soul Bead in a vulnerable state where anyone could snatch it.

Furthermore, it now appeared that Yan Yu, with her unique constitution, might truly be the legendary Goddess; Yin Beiqing could not afford to act rashly.

Yan Yu carved out a role for herself: a living container for Yin Beiqing’s Beast Soul Bead.

After reflecting, she became even calmer than before. At least she wouldn’t be dying anytime soon.

“Did you catch Guo Lu?”

Mentioning that man made Yin Beiqing’s expression sour. He should have been unable to escape her grasp, but a strange beam of light had shielded him, and he vanished into thin air.

It wasn’t any spiritual art she recognized; it was bizarre.

Yan Yu wasn’t surprised. Guo Lu’s System allowed him to exchange points for various skills. An escape technique that could vanish before Yin Beiqing must have been high-level, likely draining 80% of his points.

For the time being, he would surely lay low.

While he was lying low, she could build up her strength to catch him off guard next time—and avenge Lu Jia.

Speaking of Lu Jia, Yan Yu hadn’t forgotten that its injuries hadn’t been treated.

In the original plot, it exhausted its soul power and was abandoned by the male lead, dying less than two days later from severe internal bleeding.

“By the way, where is my beast pet?” Yan Yu propped herself up with her arms, looking strained.

Everything hurt; she didn’t have a single functioning muscle. Moving a finger made her entire arm ache.

Yin Beiqing said emotionlessly, “It’s likely dead.”

Yan Yu didn’t panic. Although she only knew her through text, she knew Yin Beiqing respected Beast Souls and pets far more than humans.

Even if she disliked Yan Yu, she wouldn’t take it out on a low-level beast pet.

Moreover, she said it was “likely dead.” Given her personality, if Lu Jia were truly dead, she would have told her bluntly, perhaps even enjoying a few tears from Yan Yu.

“Where is it? I have to save it.” With her own safety guaranteed for now, Yan Yu began to worry about Lu Jia.

Medical science in this world was not advanced. Because a Beast Master’s healing ability increased with their soul power, the first instinct when sick was to increase power rather than seek treatment.

Due to this rugged culture, a massive number of Beast Masters died suddenly every year.

There were traveling doctors for minor ailments, but proud Beast Masters disdained them. In cases of acute illness, these “barbarians” usually just gulped down pills to boost soul power and hang onto life.

If Lu Jia merely had soul power leakage, that method might work. But Yan Yu had noticed multiple fractures, heavy breathing, and bloody saliva—signs of major heart and lung damage.

Without solving the root cause, the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it became.

“You can barely protect yourself, yet you have the leisure to worry about it.”

Yan Yu’s clear eyes fixed on her, her tone direct. “Do you still want to kill me?”

Yin Beiqing sneered, likely not expecting Yan Yu to say that.

She knew this sickly girl was good at faking emotions, but she hadn’t expected her to “burn the bridge” so efficiently. It had only been a short while, and she had already switched from “You (formal)” to “You (casual).”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll assume you don’t want to kill me.” Time was precious when it came to life. Yan Yu endured the abdominal pain and put on her shoes. “Take me to see it.”

“Are you ordering me?”

With the confidence of having leverage, Yan Yu was no longer as afraid to speak to her. “I am requesting your help.”

Yin Beiqing lowered her eyes, reaching out to grip Yan Yu’s chin and forcing it up so their gazes were level.

“Is that how you use a ‘requesting’ tone?” Her grip tightened, her voice turning grim. “Or do you think that because my Beast Soul Bead is in your body, I have no way to deal with you?”

“I know what you want.” Yan Yu endured the pain in her jaw as if the bone were being crushed, meeting her gaze. “If I have total confidence in helping you become the next Empress, is that enough to trade for one condition?”

“Do I look like I have a good temper? Giving you the illusion that you can negotiate with me at will?” Yin Beiqing remained unmoved, holding her chin and speaking eerily.

“Since you went to such great lengths to find me, the Goddess, you must have an objective.” Yan Yu continued without blinking. “There is much more I can do for you.”

She practically had the words “I’m a great value, hire me quickly” engraved on her face.

Yin Beiqing seemed to sense her desperate desire for employment, turning her face left and right to inspect it. “Begging me to keep you?”

Yan Yu stood her ground in the staring contest. Though her face was calm, cold sweat already soaked the back of her shirt.

She knew Yin Beiqing hated being negotiated with via weaknesses. Someone once tried to make a deal using a high-grade treasure; the “Living Yama” simply put a blade to his throat and gave him a choice: his life or the treasure.

The man fled in terror, losing both his treasure and his dignity. Yin Beiqing’s rule was: My sparing your life is already a supreme grace; isn’t it only natural for you to give me things?

So, faced with Yan Yu, she took the same approach.

“I spare your life; it is only right that you do those things for me. Currently, you only possess utility value. Besides that, what else is there to attract me to keep you?” Yin Beiqing smiled casually, but the smile held little kindness.

She released Yan Yu’s chin. Before Yan Yu could breathe a sigh of relief, Yin Beiqing raised her hand—index and ring fingers pressed against her thumb as if about to snap.

She brought it to Yan Yu’s ear. “I am no Bodhisattva; I don’t love doing good deeds. Do you understand?”

By comparison, Yin Beiqing was actually being patient with Yan Yu, at least offering an “explanation.”

Yan Yu felt no gratitude. Watching Yin Beiqing’s movement, her body temperature plummeted. She knew this gesture too well—it was this demon’s precise announcement before a killing.

While ordinary Beast Masters would open their palms to form seals before a battle, Yin Beiqing disdained such flourishes. She was skilled enough to use spirit arts without seals, but she usually snapped her fingers first—not for her own convenience, but to remind the opponent that their end was near.

Yan Yu had to admit she was panicking. But for her, the more she panicked, the faster her brain worked. However, a fast brain doesn’t always lead to the right decision.

By the time she realized what she had done, her right hand was already holding a sharp hairpin against Yin Beiqing’s neck.

She had snatched the hairpin from Yin Beiqing’s head with lightning speed. It was the only thing holding up that long hair; once removed, the black tresses cascaded down like a waterfall.

A more intense cold fragrance washed over her, but Yan Yu gripped the pin so hard her veins bulged. She didn’t even dare to slow her breathing and avoid that soul-stealing scent.

Yin Beiqing’s neck was long and white, the blood vessels clearly visible. It looked as fragile as a willow branch that could be snapped with a light squeeze.

It was magical; this legendary demon who could fight a hundred alone looked no different from an ordinary person.

But Yan Yu knew it was just an illusion. No one would dare slight the Living Yama because of it.

“Do you know what you are doing?” Yin Beiqing looked down at her, her life in peril, yet without a hint of panic or fear.

“Of course I do.” Yan Yu didn’t dare relax the strength in her arm. “This is the carotid artery. If it’s cut, your blood will immediately spray out. At this rate of blood loss, you won’t have time to save yourself.”

She said it, but Yan Yu couldn’t actually follow through. In fact, thirty seconds ago, she was already regretting her impulsive act.

This wasn’t a wise move; it was a shortcut to her own death.

The woman had a hundred ways to snap Yan Yu’s neck before she could successfully plunge the pin in.

Yin Beiqing’s expression was unexpectedly calm. She stared at Yan Yu. This pretty face was pale with terror yet projected a forced resilience, and her clear eyes held a light that was impossible to look away from.

This Yan Yu stirred a strange desire in Yin Beiqing—an urge to test her limits and see her collapse.

Yin Beiqing’s silence made the moment even more agonizing for Yan Yu. She tried to gauge the other’s expression, only to find she couldn’t read her mind at all.

Everyone has their specialty; she wasn’t a psychiatrist, and the person opposite was a capricious “Living Yama.” It would be a miracle if she could read her.

“Is that so?”

Yin Beiqing didn’t understand the term “carotid artery,” but it didn’t hinder her understanding of Yan Yu’s meaning. Strangely, she wasn’t angry at all; she felt a sense of exhilaration that made her want to laugh out loud.

Yan Yu didn’t understand what was happening. Yin Beiqing’s wanton laughter close to her ear made her skin crawl and robbed her of the ability to think.

What did this woman mean? If she was going to kill her or keep her, she should just get on with it.

“When you said those words just now, your expression was exceptionally beautiful.” Yin Beiqing didn’t hide her blunt gaze—like a butcher seeing the perfect prey, eager to dissect it with a scalpel.

Yan Yu couldn’t help but frown, whispering: “Madman.”

Who gets excited after being threatened with a severed carotid artery?

Yin Beiqing didn’t care about the label. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers loudly next to Yan Yu’s ear.

After the sound, a sharp pain suddenly erupted in Yan Yu’s chest, as if someone were carving words into her skin with a blunt knife.

After five agonizingly long seconds, the pain finally receded. She couldn’t wait to pull down her collar and look.

In her sight was a dark character glowing with red light. The light flashed once and then dimmed, merging into the skin until nothing could be seen.

The character had complex strokes, looking like a combination of Taoist talismans and Egyptian hieroglyphs. It was distinctive, and Yan Yu finally remembered what it was.

This was the contract mark that everyone in Langdie Valley possessed, symbolizing belonging.

In other words, this was Yin Beiqing’s promise: from now on, Yan Yu belonged to Langdie Valley.

She was under her protection.