The system panicked when it heard her say that.
[Host, were you doing that on purpose? How could a girl like you take advantage of a man? I'll remind you again, he's the second male lead in the book, Xing Xiaoya's protector. Even if they don't end up together, he's not someone anyone else can touch...]
Upon hearing the system's remarks, Jiang Chengli flew into a rage.
In the system's eyes, what was he? He wasn't even a person; he was just a small accessory to Xing Xiaoya, something she could have in her pocket, utterly devoid of dignity.
At this point, he once again felt murderous intent.
He was not Xing Xiaoya's guardian at all, but an enemy who wished her a terrible death.
"Wow, I'm so scared! If you say one more word, I'm going to kiss him. Of course, you can say a lot more, and then I'll sleep with him when we get back."
Xu Wanying's sarcastic voice interrupted the system's words.
[You, you, you—you shameless, you still want to sleep with him?] The system was so shocked by her that it started to stutter, completely unable to believe it.
[Jiang Chengli is my husband, it's perfectly natural for me to sleep with him. But your Xing Xiaoya, living with him on Wutong Street without any official status, is practically his mistress. Who's shameless here? System, you need to clear your head! You can't even grasp logic, what kind of system are you?!]
Xu Wanying scoffed and retorted without hesitation, her argument logical and well-founded, leaving the system no room for rebuttal.
Jiang Chengli was initially furious, but upon hearing Xu Wanying's last two sentences, much of the pent-up anger in his chest dissipated, and he even felt somewhat embarrassed.
Having been persecuted by Xing Xiaoya for countless lifetimes, he had long since avoided romantic relationships like the plague. Now, even hearing Xu Wanying mention marital affection filled him with awkwardness.
He should have felt utterly miserable, but Xu Wanying's words were also meant to provoke the system and shut this annoying bastard up, so Jiang Chengli felt a strange sense of pleasure welling up inside him, a conflicted and awkward feeling.
The carriage stopped, and Jiang Chengli lifted the curtain and jumped down. He looked up and saw the majestic and familiar building with its mahogany gate wide open and guards standing outside.
The four large gilded characters "Loyal and Righteous Marquis's Mansion" on the plaque are written in a vigorous and flowing style, originally from the hand of the late emperor, and exude an imposing aura.
He stood there, overwhelmed with emotion.
In his previous hundred lifetimes, he had stepped in and out of the Taoist sect countless times, most of which were filled with blood, tears and anxiety.
Even after he tried to stop Xing Xiaoya several times, it was all in vain. He could only watch helplessly as his loved ones died tragically one by one and were carried out in coffins. He was filled with fear of that door.
In every lifetime, whenever he returns to the Marquis's mansion, it marks the beginning of a tragic chapter for the Jiang family.
"Chengli, what's wrong? Haven't been home in a long time? Don't you recognize me?"
Cen Ying was the first to notice his unusual behavior and immediately asked him about it.
"Yeah, I don't recognize them anymore, I don't even dare to go home." He gave a wry smile, speaking the truth in a relaxed tone.
[Host, look, Jiang Laosan is very unhappy. It's definitely because he couldn't bring Xiaoya back with him, and he feels regret and disappointment.]
The system started brainwashing Xu Wanying again. Ever since it heard Xu Wanying say that Xing Xiaoya had been killed twice, the system has started to act strangely. It tries to link every little thing to Xing Xiaoya, trying to establish her as the female lead. It's unclear whether it's trying to persuade Xu Wanying or itself.
Xu Wanying rolled her eyes inwardly, but a gentle smile appeared on her face. She immediately said, "Husband, let's go home."
She has always been a very good actress. Even when she is mentally venting her anger at the system like the most vicious woman in the world, she still has a smile on her face and can even say such considerate things.
[Host, host, you're here again—] The system was completely distraught upon seeing her like this, as if it were about to get high blood pressure.
Xu Wanying scoffed: [System, what do you think about us crossing the threshold together?]
[No, no, no, host! You must calm down! This is ancient times. Even if you are husband and wife, you are still at the gate of a marquis's mansion, with outsiders present. If you two enter the mansion hand in hand, it will spread throughout the streets and alleys of Wangjing the next day, damaging your reputation.]
The system tried every possible means to stop it, even resorting to ancient etiquette and rules.
"Do you think I care about these things?" Xu Wanying scoffed, her attitude utterly disdainful.
"You may not care, but this is ancient times. You have to conform to the times, otherwise you'll be condemned by everyone, and you'll be the one who suffers." The system argued logically.
Xu Wanying scoffed: "Alright, enough with the nonsense. You just want Jiang Chengli to remain celibate for Xing Xiaoya. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, you won't succeed!"
She spoke with absolute certainty, leaving the system speechless and helpless.
It's just a system, it doesn't even have a physical entity, so there's no way to stop it.
Upon hearing the woman's bold words, Jiang Chengli couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. After hesitating for a moment, he quickly took a few steps to catch up.
Cen Ying naturally heard it too, and she cleverly quickened her pace, leaving the young couple behind so they could walk side by side.
Both of them were wearing wide sleeves today, and as they walked, their sleeves would occasionally brush against each other. If anyone raised their hand even slightly, they could touch the back of the hand of the person next to them.
Jiang Chengli's breathing slowed down a bit; he was unusually nervous.
Every time he was forced to touch Xing Xiaoya by the world's consciousness, even if it was just touching her hair, he would vomit for a long time.
This has caused him deep psychological trauma, which is why he now hates physical contact with others, regardless of gender.
He was unwilling to accept what Xu Wanying said, but because the system kept dragging him and Xing Xiaoya together and treated him so poorly, he had long wanted to teach this thing a lesson, and now he was thinking of cooperating.
But no matter how long he waited, the woman beside him never raised her hand. Even when they were going up the steps and he realized that they were getting a little close, she deliberately lagged behind by half a body length to maintain a safe distance.
After climbing the steps, Jiang Chengli slowed his pace, waiting for her to come with him.
When they walked side by side again, the woman took a small half-step to the side, and the distance between them widened again, so that their sleeves could no longer touch.
He pursed his lips and couldn't help rubbing his fingers together, as if trying to shake off the itch in his heart, feeling that all his efforts had been in vain.
She really does one thing and does another. She clearly wanted to get close to him, and even though he offered himself to her, she still distanced herself. That's not keeping her word, and it's not the behavior of a gentleman.
"Mother, Third Sister-in-law." Jiang Chengxiao walked towards them, first greeting the two women, then stopping in place, staring wide-eyed at them with surprise.
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