After the Demon Lord was Reborn, She Switched to a Master-Disciple Romance Script - Chapter 7

Zhu Jiyun said nothing.

Ji Nianyan saw him too. She wiped away the tears in her eyes and asked, “Sister Zhu, is he… winking at you?”

Zhu Jiyun’s face remained stiff. “I don’t know. Maybe his eye is twitching. Hurry up and eat. We’ll go for a walk after.”

“Oh, okay,” Ji Nianyan replied.

Zhu Jiyun looked away, ignoring the people on the second floor of the inn.

If Gongye Yuan was here, then Gongye Heng must be too.

A cold smile crept onto Zhu Jiyun’s lips as she thought of these men.

******

Gongye Yuan watched the beautiful woman downstairs glance at him before turning away, her expression blank.

The smile on his lips froze. He turned to the maid beside him. “Lüwu, am I handsome?”

“Very handsome,” Lüwu replied.

“More so than yesterday?” Gongye Yuan asked.

“Even more dashing and handsome,” Lüwu said smoothly.

Gongye Yuan tapped his folding fan against his lips, puzzled. “If that’s true, why is that Miss ignoring me?”

Without hesitation, Lüwu offered a perfunctory explanation: “Perhaps she can’t see people far away, just like this servant.”

Gongye Yuan was pleased. “That must be it.”

Hongyan cautioned, “…Young Master, Young Master Heng is behind you, heading this way.”

Gongye Yuan froze.

With a flourish, he snapped open his folding fan, rose as if he’d already eaten his fill, and stood only slightly taller than Hongyan beside him.

“Let’s go, let’s go,” he urged, striding forward. “This young master hasn’t even seen the local sights yet.”

He’d barely taken a step when his peripheral vision caught sight of an exceptionally pretty girl sitting by the window. He couldn’t resist stopping, giving her the same flirtatious wink he’d used before.

Seeing a blush rise on her cheeks, Gongye Yuan shook his fan with satisfaction. “Ah, this young master’s charm is truly irresistible.”

Gongye Heng watched Gongye Yuan preening and posturing ahead, a flicker of disgust crossing his face.

Zhu Jiyun instinctively halted.

“Sister Zhu?” Ji Nianyan asked.

Zhu Jiyun glanced at the girl, whose cheeks were as red as apples, and shook her head. “It’s nothing. I just saw someone familiar.”

Ji Nianyan looked surprised. “Sister Zhu, do you know someone here too?”

Granny Zeng couldn’t help but glance at Zhu Jiyun.

Throughout their journey, they had tacitly accepted that Zhu Jiyun came from an extraordinary background. However, she had never spoken of her past, so they had never asked.

Zhu Jiyun smiled. “No, I don’t.”

It was better to let the past turn to ashes.

In this life, Zhu Jiyun only wanted to be a carefree slacker, living out her days in blissful indifference.

Just as she thought this, after only accompanying Ji Nianyan and Granny Zeng down two streets, the System in her mind began frantically calling out to her like it had gone mad.

[“Host, Host! Walk twenty meters ahead and turn left. The young Male Lead is there! Just offer him a little warmth, and you’ll win the favor of this poor boy who’s suffered so much coldness from others!”]

Zhu Jiyun’s steps faltered.

“Ji Chengyu is up ahead?”

The System nodded its mechanical head vigorously. “Yes, yes! He’s right there, looking so pitiful!”

Zhu Jiyun continued walking forward with Ji Nianyan and Granny Zeng, her expression unchanged.

[“Host, listen to me! There’s a steamed bun shop up ahead. You could buy some food for the penniless Male Lead. He’ll definitely develop feelings for you!” the System urged.]

“Did the Female Lead do that in the previous timeline?” Zhu Jiyun asked.

“…I think so?” the System replied hesitantly.

That settles it, Zhu Jiyun thought.

She hadn’t realized that the seemingly bickering couple had actually followed a path of healing and redemption.

The System watched with growing excitement as its Host’s feet continued to move in the direction it had indicated.

Even though the Host hadn’t taken its advice to buy steamed buns, it didn’t matter. The System was confident that someone as clever as her would find another way to win the Male Lead’s favor!

What’s this behavior called? Tsundere!

“Ah!” Ji Nianyan exclaimed, stopping abruptly. She stared at the person huddled in the corner, head bowed.

His hair was dry and yellow, his clothes tattered and stained with dark grime. He sat motionless on the ground, like a silent, lifeless corpse.

Ji Nianyan had turned the corner without looking and nearly stepped on his leg!

Hearing the commotion, Ji Chengyu slowly lifted his head.

He was extraordinarily thin, as gaunt as Ji Nianyan had been when Zhu Jiyun first met her.

However, Ji Nianyan’s emaciation stemmed from overwhelming grief and relentless travel, leaving her without appetite. Ji Chengyu’s situation was clearly different.

Zhu Jiyun’s gaze fell on the empty wooden bowl placed before him.

Ji Nianyan continued to apologize, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there and accidentally stepped on you.”

Ji Chengyu’s voice was hoarse, carrying the rough timbre of a boy undergoing puberty. “It’s fine,” he rasped.

Noticing Zhu Jiyun’s undisguised stare, Ji Chengyu turned his head, his dark eyes meeting her emotionless gaze directly.

At that moment, the System in her mind frantically urged her to act. The first step in the villainess’s comeback: start by seducing the Male Lead, the Child of Destiny!

Zhu Jiyun stared at that familiar yet foreign face, her mind flashing back to her past life: the misunderstandings, the targeting, the near-death escapes… The memories culminated in the final scene of Ji Chengyu piercing her heart with a thousand sword strikes.

Let bygones be bygones?

It was certainly possible.

But how could she simply ignore her former enemy?

Zhu Jiyun shifted slightly, positioning herself directly in front of Ji Chengyu. His eyes, dark as night, flickered with a faint light, while his wooden bowl lay empty at her feet.

Even Ji Nianyan, seeing Zhu Jiyun’s movement, assumed she was acting out of kindness, wanting to help this unfamiliar young man.

But the next moment, Zhu Jiyun’s actions left her speechless.

Clang!

With a swift kick, Zhu Jiyun overturned the wooden bowl he used for begging!

System: …?!

Ji Nianyan: ?!

Granny Zeng: …

Ji Chengyu’s hopeful expression instantly turned sour.

In the sudden silence, only Zhu Jiyun calmly withdrew her foot, stood straight, and turned to Ji Nianyan and Granny Zeng. “Let’s keep walking. I saw some candied hawthorn skewers up ahead. We can buy a few and stroll along.”

Ji Nianyan hesitated. “This… this doesn’t seem quite… appropriate, does it?”

She glanced awkwardly at the boy, who was glaring daggers at Zhu Jiyun.

Granny Zeng tugged at Ji Nianyan’s sleeve. “Let’s go, Miss. We should listen to Miss Zhu.”

Maybe this poor-looking boy is Miss Zhu’s enemy, Granny Zeng thought. Anyway, I trust Miss Zhu wouldn’t act without good reason.

In the end, Ji Nianyan was pulled away by Granny Zeng, glancing back as they followed Zhu Jiyun. She didn’t even get a chance to take out some coins from her purse.

After the three left, silence returned to the alley corner.

Ji Chengyu’s fists clenched, his eyes bloodshot. The arrogant kick from that elegant woman kept replaying in his mind.

He had worked tirelessly for days, without rest, just to save up a little money. At noon today, he had wanted to rest in this shady spot. Clutching the empty bowl he had found, he had hesitated for a long time before finally placing it in front of him.

Whether it was shame or pride, Ji Chengyu closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

He had initially thought the trio had stopped out of kindness. The reserved Ji Chengyu had even been mentally rehearsing some polite greetings when he saw the woman in the middle kick his bowl over.

The veins on his hands bulged, a clear sign of his fury.

Such humiliation!

Ji Chengyu closed his eyes tightly, recalling the woman’s face.

He would remember this!

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. He clenched his fists, thinking of the Immortal’s Spirit Awakening ceremony in a few days. His eyes snapped open, the hatred in them fleeting.

The aroma of meat wafted to his nose. Ji Chengyu stared blankly at the large, fragrant meat bun before him.

The young girl’s cheeks were flushed like unripe apples. She held out the neatly wrapped bun and said shyly, “I noticed you’ve been sitting here without eating. I bought this warm meat bun for you. Would you like to try it?”

After a long moment of stunned silence, Ji Chengyu’s clenched fists slowly relaxed. He reached out, watching as the girl carefully wiped his hands with a handkerchief before handing him the bun.

“Eat slowly,” she said. “I have some money here. Take it for now.”

She pulled a silver ingot from her purse and tucked it discreetly under his robe. Then she stood up, smiled at him, and turned to leave.

Ji Chengyu watched the girl until she disappeared at the end of the long street. Only then did he lower his head and devour the meat bun in large bites.

******

Zhu Jiyun pretended not to notice Ji Nianyan’s repeated attempts to speak, her words catching in her throat. After all, the kick she’d landed had left her feeling utterly satisfied.

That bastard deserved it!

Besides, Zhu Jiyun had exercised restraint. Ji Chengyu’s wooden bowl was completely empty. Though her kick carried an element of humiliation, the humiliation itself wasn’t particularly severe.

And when it came to humiliation?

Hah, Zhu Jiyun sneered inwardly. How could she ever compare to Ji Chengyu, who was practically gifted in the art of humiliation?

She recalled their time together in the Secret Realm during their previous life. Ji Chengyu, arrogant and self-assured, had declared her a liability. During a Demonic Beast ambush, he’d tacitly allowed others to strip her bloodstained clothes to lure the creatures away. Thinking back, Zhu Jiyun felt she’d actually held back with that kick.

This was only because he wasn’t yet the Ji Chengyu he would become.

“Right, System? I didn’t stab him to death with my sword. That’s already me being in a good mood.”

Of course, it also helped that he was the protagonist, and she couldn’t kill him even if she tried.

Remembering how she had later seized an opportunity to stab Ji Chengyu clean through with her sword, only for him to miraculously survive, Zhu Jiyun’s mood soured.

The System, having just resolved its glitched programming, demanded angrily, “But why did you lie to me?!”

“What did I lie about?” Zhu Jiyun asked.

The System whined, “Why didn’t you just say you wouldn’t go ‘warm him up’? Why pretend to follow my instructions? Now look what’s happened! You not only failed to comfort the young, down-on-his-luck Male Lead, you’ve even made an enemy of him!”

It had just paid close attention to the Male Lead’s reaction. The way his knuckles were white and his eyes were red-rimmed clearly showed he was holding a grudge against the Host!

How was she supposed to complete this “Reverse the Fate of the Villainous Female Supporting Character” mission now?!

This was too much for the System to handle!

At that moment, the System deeply regretted its choice of Host. This rebellious woman never listened to advice!

Was this its punishment for skipping the background check and being late?

The System was filled with remorse!

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