Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 55

Wenxin, embedded in the wall, fell into a long silence. Things had developed so surrealistically that he began to wonder if he was trapped in an illusion. After all, he had never heard of a Divine Artifact spirit being swatted away repeatedly like a common fly.

After a moment, Wenxin snapped out of it and completely exploded. He drifted from the wall to stand before Ling Chenyan, his face dark. “Do you have any idea what you are doing?”

Ling Chenyan held her zither, looking unbothered. “I know. I’m refusing to form a contract with you.”

Wenxin: “…” Listen to this. Are those words a human should speak?

Wenxin felt stifled. “I am a Divine Artifact spirit, and you’re actually rejecting me?”

Ling Chenyan let out a snort. “So what if you’re a Divine Artifact spirit? Don’t I already have one?”

“I am much stronger than him,” Wenxin said, narrowing his eyes.

“And?” A sharp glint flashed in Ling Chenyan’s eyes. “As you said, you’re a very strong spirit. Yet, with so many people here stronger than me, you’re rushing to bond with me. Tell me, is it because you fell in love with me at first sight? Or rather…”

“You actually have an ulterior motive.”

Gulp.

Wenxin swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected Ling Chenyan to analyze the situation so rationally. Most people, upon hearing a Divine Artifact wanted to recognize them as master, would be ecstatic; they wouldn’t stop to ask why. Even if they did, they’d conclude it was because of their own extraordinary qualities.

But the catch was, Ling Chenyan was right.

He did have an ulterior motive, but the person he was after wasn’t her.

Half a month ago, he felt newcomers enter the palace. He had pored over the memories of everyone in the palace countless times. Thus, when this group arrived, he looked into their memories with fresh curiosity. It was a shock—two of them were on their second life. Even more startling, the “Outsider” had a block of sealed memory, and from those laws, he sensed a familiar aura that made him want to weep.

Wenxin knew the past and could glimpse the future. He soon guessed Ling Chenyan’s true identity… so he set a trap, carefully drawing her into the mirror world to drive a wedge between her and the woman. Because, if Ling Chenyan was truly who he thought she was, she absolutely could not have romantic feelings.

Unfortunately, his power—or rather, the collective power of the Four Divine Artifacts—was incomplete. He couldn’t see the future clearly. But what Medusa had seen was indeed true.

The one thing he didn’t count on was that Ling Chenyan would be this clever—just like that person.

Wenxin’s gaze grew complex. He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

Under his gaze, Ling Chenyan walked straight to Guan Luowei, took her hand, and spoke to Medusa: “Your Majesty, thank you for lending us the artifact. We are truly grateful, but it is time for us to return.”

Since she had rejected Wenxin, Medusa re-evaluated the girl in her heart. She nodded. “Mm. Hua Niang, see them out.”

Hua Niang led them out of the palace. She felt a sincere admiration for the decisiveness Ling Chenyan showed in her rejection. At the palace gates, she even held onto the girl’s arm reluctantly. “Sigh, what a waste. If you didn’t have a sweetheart, I’d really want to snatch you for myself.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted intentionally toward Guan Luowei. Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered, and her grip on Ling Chenyan’s hand tightened.

Ling Chenyan chuckled and gave Hua Niang a playful look. “If you want to snatch me, now is the best time to try.”

Guan Luowei snapped her eyes up, staring tensely at Ling Chenyan as if afraid she might actually be abandoned the next second.

Hua Niang chimed in, “Really? That’s wonderful!” She reached out to pull Ling Chenyan, but Guan Luowei pulled the girl to her side first.

“Thank you,” Guan Luowei said to Hua Niang. “This is far enough. We’ll take our leave.”

Watching Guan Luowei hurry away while clutching Ling Chenyan, Hua Niang covered her mouth with a laugh, exchanging a knowing look with Ling Chenyan in the air.

Back at the inn, Ling Chenyan placed her hands on the door as soon as they entered, facing Guan Luowei who was still outside. “Go open another room for yourself tonight.”

Looking at the girl’s face, Guan Luowei felt a sharp, pulsing pain in her heart. She wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. she could only stand at the door, looking at the girl through the gap with mournful eyes.

Ling Chenyan didn’t actually want to kick her out, but seeing her acting so uninspired and passive made her a bit angry. She turned into the room but left the door slightly ajar when she “closed” it.

Sitting at the table, Ling Chenyan poured two cups of tea. She planned to give Guan Luowei a good talking-to—the woman couldn’t just start doubting their relationship every time she hit a snag.

One cup of tea down. Ling Chenyan thought Guan Luowei might not have noticed the door was open.

Two cups down. Ling Chenyan began to wonder if she’d actually forgotten to leave the gap.

By the third cup, Ling Chenyan couldn’t take it anymore. She looked back, only to see the usually proud and cold Big Villain peeking through the door gap. She looked very much like a little wife who had been kicked out of the house—pitiful and heart-wrenching.

Ling Chenyan was both angry and amused. She hadn’t expected the woman to be so dense; after such an obvious hint, she was still standing at the door, afraid to come in.

Fine, she’s a total novice at love. I should be more tolerant.

With that thought, Ling Chenyan kept her face neutral. She shot a glance at her and said, “Aren’t you coming in yet?”

Only then did the woman slowly push the door open and walk in.

To anyone else, a person like Guan Luowei looked untouchable—get too close and you’d be frozen into ice. But here, she looked like she was being bullied; her cold face was turned away, and her body was stiff as if awaiting a sentence.

Ling Chenyan suppressed a smile and put on a stern face. “Highness, why aren’t you sitting?”

Guan Luowei bit her lip and walked obediently to her side, sitting down primly.

Ling Chenyan pushed the tea toward her. “If Your Highness isn’t going to open another room, what were you doing standing at my door?”

Guan Luowei’s fingers curled slightly on her lap. She finally looked at her, her voice losing its usual coldness—she didn’t even dare speak too loudly.

“I was afraid you were unhappy.”

As Guan Luowei said this, her eyes wanted to drift away again, but they quickly fixed back on Ling Chenyan’s face, unwilling to miss a single expression.

“Unhappy?” Ling Chenyan looked at her with feigned coldness. “Why would I be unhappy?”

Guan Luowei whispered, “Because I let go of your hand in the hall earlier.”

“Oh?” Ling Chenyan gave her a half-smile. “I thought you didn’t notice.”

Guan Luowei: “I noticed. I’m sorry.” She lowered her head, looking very self-reproachful.

Ling Chenyan’s heart softened. She cursed Wenxin a hundred times in her head before looking at the silent woman. Guan Luowei looked cold and unapproachable, but her heart was actually soft and sensitive. Perhaps because she’d been burdened with high expectations since childhood, she was used to hiding these things—just like the little Guan Luowei who used to cry in tiny whimpers, unwilling to show her weakness.

That was why she was afraid when Wenxin made her choose. She was afraid her feelings for Ling Chenyan were actually for “Yinye,” and even more afraid of how to face Ling Chenyan if she found out. She was just a beginner at love; she didn’t know how to handle the possibility that the person she liked was a “substitute” for someone else.

Ling Chenyan looked at the silent, clean-as-snow woman and finally sighed. “Wenxin already told me everything.”

Guan Luowei froze. She looked up, vulnerability and panic flashing in her eyes. She instinctively explained: “I broke the illusion. I didn’t choose anyone else.”

Ling Chenyan’s heart melted. She really couldn’t stay mad at a Guan Luowei like this.

“Highness, let me ask you: in your past life, did you ever fall for ‘Yinye’?”

Guan Luowei was about to answer when Ling Chenyan added: “Think carefully. Answer only once you’re sure.”

Guan Luowei truly thought about it again. Finally, she shook her head slowly. “No. She was with me for a long time; she was my most trusted partner. But… only a partner,” she added softly.

Ling Chenyan’s lips curled up. Though she guessed Guan Luowei wouldn’t like a sword, hearing it from her mouth was a different story. Her gaze deepened. “Highness, what about me?”

Guan Luowei’s breath hitched. Just as she was about to look away, Ling Chenyan hooked her chin and murmured, “Look at me and say it, Highness.”

As she wished, Guan Luowei’s lashes fluttered, her ears reddened, and her eyes were clear and innocent as she replied: “I like you.”

Satisfied, Ling Chenyan placed a kiss on the corner of her lips. She stood up and looked down at her. From this angle, she could see every expression on the woman’s face. Seeing the surprise and shyness, she smiled. “If ‘Yinye’ and I were the same person, would you still like me?”

Guan Luowei nodded gently, her gaze growing firmer.

“And what if she is her, and I am me? Do you like me, or her?”

The woman’s profile was soft, gilded by the candlelight. She looked at Ling Chenyan as if finally understanding something; her gaze became resolute. “I like you. I only like you.”

Ling Chenyan finally laughed. As a reward, she leaned down and kissed the woman’s red lips before pulling away quickly. “Not too stupid, then.”

The fire in Guan Luowei’s eyes brightened. She reached out to pull her. “You aren’t angry anymore?”

Ling Chenyan dodged the move, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Who said I’m not angry?” She watched the woman’s hand drop and her eyes dim. “If you want me to stop being angry, unless…”

She saw the woman’s eyes light up suddenly and found it funny, but she kept a straight face and whispered a few words into her ear.

Instantly, the woman’s pale ears turned pink, then so red they looked ready to bleed. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with a shimmering, hesitant shyness.

Ling Chenyan intentionally turned away. “If you’re unwilling, then forget it.”

The woman grabbed her hand, her voice trembling. “I’m willing.”

Ling Chenyan smiled with satisfaction. She watched the woman walk step-by-step to the bed and sit down, the mirth in her eyes deepening.

The woman’s collar was still buttoned to the top, covering her slender swan-like neck. Sitting under the light, her dark hair had a soft luster, making her skin look even fairer. The candlelight flickered, casting a shadow beneath her eye like a cinnabar mole, adding a touch of poignancy to her cold beauty. She looked like a new bride waiting for her husband—anxious, pure, and heart-tuggingly innocent.

Ling Chenyan looked at the neck that was forever hidden by buttons and thought of what was to come. She ground her teeth playfully.

Taking a few quick steps, Ling Chenyan stood before Guan Luowei. She reached out her fair fingers toward the button at the woman’s neck.

Guan Luowei suddenly grabbed her hand. She looked up, the corners of her eyes flushed red, and called out shakily: “Yanyan.”

Ling Chenyan’s heart skipped a beat. She gripped the woman’s hand back, seeing a trace of moisture in her eyes. “Regretting it?”

Guan Luowei shook her head, biting her lip softly. “Can you… be a little gentler?”

Ling Chenyan’s pulse quickened. She instinctively swallowed and gripped Guan Luowei’s wrist, whispering into her ear:

“That won’t do. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I can’t let you off easily.”