Chapter 54 Her Lover
"What's this talk about fairness? This is just a mission world. Once we finish the mission, we'll collect our points and leave. After you erase your memories, none of this will matter. Nobody will care," the system said.
“I do care,” Ning Qi insisted. “The original owner of this body would have cared too. In the book, after the original owner died, the male protagonist suddenly gained the power to fight against demonic energy. Was that power taken from the original owner?”
The system paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."
"So, even though she became Xie Xiyue's scapegoat, she did indeed gain the abilities that should have belonged to Xie Xiyue?"
"Yes," the system acknowledged.
"It was clearly the original owner's ability to repel the demons, yet it was the male protagonist who was praised. Whether it was the male protagonist, Xie Xiyue, or Xie Jingyan, they all achieved a happy ending by stepping on the original owner's blood and tears. And the original owner? At most, she was mentioned as a fool who gave her life for a man!"
"Why?" Ning Xi gasped for breath, feeling indignant for the original owner of this body. "Why are you treating her like this? Just because she's a cannon fodder female supporting character? So she only deserves to be a tool, and even the last bit of her glory in life has to be stolen by the male lead?"
The system remained silent. "...That's how the story is; we can't change it."
Ning Qi chuckled twice. "I don't believe it. I'm going to try it."
"Try what?" the system asked.
“Of course, I’ll try to change my fate.” Ning Qi’s eyes gleamed. “Tear this damn plot apart.”
The system let out a long sigh, "Are you really not going to complete the mission?"
"I don't plan to," Ning Qi said directly.
"Sigh, it's happening again." The system muttered softly, "Alright, I'll stay with you for the last four months. You can contact me anytime if you change your mind."
Yesterday she was given two days, and today she's supposed to stay with her for four months. Ning Qi asked in confusion, "Why don't you leave now?"
The system finally laid its cards on the table: "If this mission fails, I will be rendered useless. Let's stall for as long as we can."
"Looks like you're having a tough time too," Ning Qi sighed, her head spinning again, and she drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up again, Xiao Sui was already back, sitting by the bed, holding her hand.
Ning Qi familiarly took his hand and placed it on her face. "How was it? Did it go smoothly? When are we going to the Immortal Realm?"
She actually knew that they would leave together in three months, but because the demons attacked Huaguang Sect, their study tour was forced to stop, and they temporarily returned to the sect to fight the enemy.
"I'm not going," Xiao Sui said calmly.
"Why didn't you go?" Ning Xi exclaimed. "It was such a hard-won opportunity!"
Xiao Sui gently traced the contours of her cheek with his thumb. "I...I can't live without you."
His voice was also very soft, probably because he was not used to expressing himself. After saying this, his ears instantly turned red.
Ning Qi felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but a hint of bitterness slowly welled up inside.
According to the system, they only have four months left to spend together.
She didn't know if she could find a way to defy fate before the moment of death.
Ning Qi kissed his warm palm. It was probably for the best if they didn't go; their time was running out...
In the afternoon, after a quick dressing, she went to the palace again, firstly to ask her father to cancel the engagement, and secondly to ask Chu Fengnian about her health and whether there was any way to prolong her life.
"You want to break off the engagement?" The emperor returned to his study after court, his expression serious. "Xiaoqi, an engagement is not a joke. You have already gone through an engagement ceremony with Yan Chongyan. Unless he commits some serious offense, your marriage cannot be canceled."
“But I…” Ning Qi opened her mouth.
"You've fallen for someone else." The emperor seemed to have known all along. "Back when you begged me to grant you and Yan Chongyan a marriage, you were just as affectionate, yet you still changed your mind in less than a year?"
“That’s different,” Ning Qi said.
"Nothing is different," the Emperor said. "As a princess of a nation, your marriage is a matter of royal honor. Yan Chongyan is of upright character and exceptionally talented; he is a promising individual. As for the one you currently favor, although he has some talent, he is blind. He is fine as a plaything, but he will never become your consort. This matter is not to be mentioned again!"
The emperor's attitude was very firm. Before Ning Qi could say anything, he had already ordered the eunuchs to escort her out.
Ning Qi was somewhat frustrated, but not surprised. Judging from the plot of the book, Xie Jingyan originally came from the Immortal Realm and had long known that Yan Chongyan's true identity was Immortal Venerable Yanhe, and had even revealed it to the Emperor.
Yan Chongyan was actually the son-in-law the emperor had chosen for Xie Xiyue; he had nothing to do with her.
Feeling depressed, she went to the Imperial Pharmacy. Chu Fengnian told her to take good care of her health by drinking her medicine, without mentioning that she wouldn't live long, unlike the alarmist talk from the system.
"He's just hiding your condition," the system said. "You will definitely die in four months, and there's no way to change that."
Ning Qi kicked a small pebble at her feet and ignored it.
Within three days, the news that she had proposed to annul the engagement reached Yan Chongyan's ears. After finishing his cultivation, he strode into her room, bringing in a cool breeze.
Ning Qi felt a chill in her neck and coughed twice.
Xiao Sui immediately handed her a cup of tea to soothe her throat.
Yan Chongyan sneered, "Princess, it seems he has served you very well, so well that you have to go to the Emperor to cancel your engagement with me."
"Of course." Ning Qi raised her head, no longer caring about any "love points," and immediately retorted, "Xiao Sui is naturally a hundred times better than you. What have you ever done for me?"
Yan Chongyan's jaw muscles tightened. "I really can't compare to him, serving you like a lapdog."
Ning Qi suddenly stood up and splashed the tea leaves in his hand on his face. "If you're here to curse, please leave immediately. You're not welcome here."
Yan Chongyan turned his face to the side, tea leaves hanging from his nose, and hair stuck to his chin. He looked at her incredulously, his face extremely ugly. "Princess, don't forget that I am your rightful fiancé. As long as I am here, he will always be a worthless person!"
Ning Qi gripped the teacup tightly, took a couple of breaths, and said, "Why bother? You don't like me anyway, and I don't like you anymore. Shouldn't setting you free be exactly what you want?"
Yan Chongyan's eyes widened for a moment, then turned to disgust. He frowned and said, "Of course I don't like you, but I'm not like him. I'm not a dog that can be summoned and dismissed at will. You can tie me to your side when you like me, and throw me away when you don't. I won't let you and him have your way!"
Ning Qi looked at him suspiciously, "Are you planning to spend your whole life disgusting us?"
"Why not?" Yan Chongyan took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, seemingly having adjusted his mindset. He said slowly and deliberately, "It won't be for a lifetime. Once I'm truly married to you, I won't tolerate any nonsense. I have plenty of ways to deal with him."
He looked at Xiao Sui with malice, but Xiao Sui remained expressionless.
"You think it's not enough that I spilled tea on you?" Ning Qi was furious. She rolled up her sleeves and shouted, "Zhizhi, kick him out of here. He's never allowed to come in again."
"You won't let me in?" Yan Chongyan smirked. "Don't forget, I'll be living here in the future."
"Stop my ass! Get out of here..." Ning Qi was about to curse him when everything suddenly went black and she fell into a familiar embrace.
"Princess?" Xiao Sui's panicked voice rang in his ears.
Yan Chongyan was also startled and reached out to catch her falling body, but Xiao Sui blocked him.
He clenched his fist and asked, "What happened?"
Xiao Sui raised his head, his heaving chest revealing his anger. "You are not worthy to know."
He then carried Ning Qi back to bed and called over Zhizhi and Qianyu, "You two go and invite Imperial Physician Chu. I'm going to Medicine King Valley."
——
Ning Qi opened her eyes. Xiao Sui and Yan Chongyan were not in the room. She had indeed entered the spiritual room again.
"I'm dizzy again!" she cried out.
“Because you overreacted, this kind of situation will become the norm in the future.” A jellyfish-like luminous object floated in front of her. “You can take this opportunity to learn how to minimize the damage from a fall.”
"Thank you," Ning Qi said emotionlessly.
The system continued, "Your infatuation points were almost completely depleted just now."
"It's not important." Ning Qi waved her hand. "What's important is that I didn't get to properly scold him. This male lead is really outrageous; he's practically a freeloader!"
System: "...It's so satisfying to berate the male lead, our mission is truly hopeless."
Ning Qi patted its body lightly, "It was beyond saving a long time ago, and you're only just realizing it now?"
The system instantly wilted and lay sprawled on the ground.
She didn't know how long she had been idly sitting in the mental room when she opened her eyes again and the sky outside had turned from day to night.
Xiao Sui, who was holding her, immediately noticed her movement. "Princess."
"How long was I unconscious?" she asked.
“Three hours,” Xiao Sui said.
Ning Qi said "Oh," which took longer than last time.
Xiao Sui quickly said, "Don't be afraid. I went to Medicine King Valley to find Valley Master Han to take your pulse. He said that you only have sequelae from being bitten by the Corpse Demon. With proper care, you will recover soon."
"He's lying to you," the system immediately said.
Although Ning Qi knew they were all well-intentioned lies, she still blocked the system because it was too noisy.
"Master Han actually came out?" she said in surprise. "I visited him in person last time but couldn't get him to come. I knew you two were such good friends."
“It wasn’t because of me. He heard it was you and came over with me very quickly,” Xiao Sui said simply.
"Haha, so it seems he had a good impression of me last time." Ning Qi chuckled twice, then, recalling the lie she had told, touched her nose. "He didn't say anything to you, did he?"
Xiao Sui lowered his head and said, "Of course I will."
He recalled the scene when he barged into Medicine King Valley. He had just knelt on the ground and explained his purpose to Valley Master Han when the old man saw his blindfold and smiled, "You must be the princess's lover."
He looked up in shock, his heart pounding for a moment, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.
“That’s right, it’s you.” Master Han recounted the process of the princess seeking medicine for him and said, “The deep affection between you two truly moves me. I’ll go with you.”
Xiao Sui's thoughts returned to the present moment; the princess seemed somewhat anxious as she awaited his reply.
He shook his head. "The Valley Master didn't say anything."
He understood that the princess only wanted to cure his eyes and was just trying to deceive Master Han by playing to his desires.
He shouldn't be so happy about this.
But if the princess asked the emperor to annul the engagement, could it be that she still had feelings for him...?
He suppressed his turbulent emotions and said, "Master Han hasn't left yet. Let me take your pulse again when you wake up. I'll ask him to come over."
Ning Qi nodded.
Valley Master Han entered quickly, greeting her with a smile, "Princess, it's been a long time."
He sat on the edge of the bed, pressing his index and middle fingers on Ning Qi's wrist, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
But when he looked at Ning Qi, he showed a relaxed expression, "It's nothing serious, just take good care of yourself."
Then he raised his head and said to Xiao Sui, "Come with me, I will prescribe medicine for your princess."
Ning Qi watched the two figures walk away, and knew in her heart that things might really not be going well.
Xiao Sui followed Valley Master Han into the small kitchen, where the medicine prescribed by Chu Fengnian was being decocted.
Valley Master Han wrinkled his nose, sniffed, and sighed, "Be prepared, her time is running out. It could be as short as three months, or at most six months."
A deafening roar filled Xiao Sui's ears, and a sharp pain pierced his skull. The color drained from his face instantly. He managed to move his mouth with difficulty, "What did you say?"
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Author's Note: Xiao Yan won't get any kind looks from Xiao Qi, haha [noob dog emoji]
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