I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 9

Qi Yannian’s heart skipped a beat; he was beginning to believe the marriage might actually happen.

However, it wasn’t until Shen Qingzhuo had departed that Qi Yannian realized something: though the Young Master appeared gentle and approachable, he hadn’t given him a single opportunity to strike up a real conversation.

He began to wonder if the Young Master’s visit had actually been a subtle warning.

With this thought, Qi Yannian’s gaze turned cold as it landed on Qi Ye. The boy had been alone with Shen Qingzhuo for quite some time; there was no telling what he might have whispered in the Young Master’s ear.

Qi Anning, his face flushed with rage, pointed a trembling finger at Qi Ye. “Dressing like that just to seduce people, have you no shame?!”

Qi Ye looked coldly at the discarded robe on the ground. The submissive gentleness he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a gaze of absolute indifference. “Why I am dressed like this do you really not know?”

“You!”

Anning was so livid he looked ready to burst into tears again. Qi Yannian stepped forward to intervene. “Enough! Stop this bickering at once!”

Qi Yannian looked at Qi Ye with a profound, dark expression. “I know you hate me, but I am still your father, and this is still your home. Since you’ve returned today, you should stay.”

“No need.”

Without a hint of lingering attachment, Qi Ye turned and walked out of the Qi family gates. He had never considered this place a home in the past, and he certainly wouldn’t in the future. He had only returned because Shen Qingzhuo wanted to escort him, he simply wanted to keep the man by his side for a little while longer.

The night wind was biting, yet Qi Ye felt a strange restlessness. He wished Shen Qingzhuo were still beside him. He furrowed his brow and shook himself mentally. What is wrong with me? I’ve never been like this before.

He looked down at his clothes. Surely Shen Qingzhuo didn’t think I had an ulterior motive?

If I hadn’t followed him out today, would he have given his robe to someone else? Would the person eating noodles with him, have been Qi Anning instead of me?

Inside the estate, Qi Anning watched Qi Ye leave. He had called out several times for him to stop, but he was ignored. He stamped his foot in frustration. “Father, look at him!”

The iron spike he had been holding clattered to the ground. Anning looked as if he were the victim and Qi Ye the villain. “How is he even worthy of marrying Young Master Shen?”

Qi Yannian sighed and patted his adopted son’s head. “Forget it. The Shen family is not someone we can afford to provoke. In any case, this is a good thing. If we can truly form an alliance through marriage, it will be a blessing for the Qi family.”

“But Father!” Anning’s eyes welled with tears. “Didn’t you say I was your favorite son? That you’d give me whatever I wanted? I want to marry Young Master Shen!”

Qi Yannian understood his son’s heart. Initially, he had planned to wait for the annulment, then find a way to recommend Anning to the Young Master. But now, it was clear Shen Qingzhuo only had eyes for Qi Ye. That plan was dead.

“Anning, do you truly love him?” Qi Yannian asked. “You only met him for the first time today. You know a person’s face, but not their heart. Marrying him might not bring you happiness.”

Anning stopped crying, blinking in confusion.

“I wouldn’t say I love him,” Anning admitted after a moment of thought. “But he is exceptional high cultivation, a good personality, and the most beautiful man in the Nine Provinces. Didn’t you say I was the best among the noble heirs? I feel only someone like him is worthy of me.”

“Then what about Crown Prince Huangfu?” Qi Yannian questioned.

“He is also excellent,” Anning mused. “Though his cultivation is lower than the Young Master’s, he is a standout in the Kingdom of Yun and the heir to the throne. If they ever faced off, the Prince might not necessarily lose.”

Anning began to hesitate. Put that way, the Young Master didn’t seem like the only “best” option.

“We cannot interfere with the Shen family,” Qi Yannian noted. “But if you were to become the Crown Prince Consort of Yun, would you be willing?”

Anning began to consider this seriously. “But will the Prince like me? He was proposing to the Young Master just today…”

Even though the Young Master had refused.

Wait, Anning thought, gritting his teeth. Was the Young Master already bewitched by Qi Ye back then? He did say he had met Qi Ye before the banquet.

Anning clenched his pale fists beneath his lace-trimmed sleeves. Qi Ye always looked so gloomy and foul-tempered; who knew he was actually so “promiscuous and indecent”?

He must be using his body to seduce men, Anning concluded. How else has he survived these three years without a spirit root or the family’s protection? He must have done this many times!

Seeing his adopted son alternating between crying and fuming, Qi Yannian’s heart ached. He wiped the boy’s tears. “Anning, you are the best. The Prince will surely fall for you. I will give everything I have to ensure you get whatever you desire.”

“Father,” Anning sobbed, “I want to be the Crown Prince Consort!”

Shen Qingzhuo followed the guidance of the paper crane to the Priest’s Hall.

Ahead, a man in black robes embroidered with crane patterns stood with his back to him. It appeared he had been waiting for a long time. Even as plum blossoms fell upon him, the man did not move; only the long ribbon tying his hair fluttered in the breeze.

“Cousin,” Shen Qingzhuo called out as he approached.

This was his first time at the Priest’s Hall, but not his first time meeting Shen Shuangyi.

The outside world described his cousin as mysterious, cold, and eccentric a man who gave no one “face” and whose cultivation level remained a total mystery. Shen Qingzhuo didn’t necessarily believe the rumors, but he knew his cousin had always been exceptionally kind to him.

They had first met three days after his transmigration. The original host was close to his cousin, and Shen Qingzhuo perhaps because he once had an older brother of his own felt a natural sense of kinship. That day, Shen Shuangyi had appeared in his academy courtyard, claiming to be there to “reminisce,” while actually checking if his power had grown or if he felt unwell.

Over the following days, his cousin would often visit his room to play chess, spar, or bring him items from the outside world. Public opinion on Shen Shuangyi was polarized: some said he was an all-powerful master, while others thought he was a fraud hiding his lack of skill. Only Shen Qingzhuo, through their sparring sessions, knew that his cousin was truly, terrifyingly strong.

After those first few days, Shen Shuangyi had suddenly stopped visiting. Shen Qingzhuo had adjusted quickly, but seeing him today brought back that sense of warmth.

The man turned around at the sound of his voice.

Shen Qingzhuo walked to his side with a light smile. “Cousin, did you call me here for a specific reason?”

“I can’t call for you unless there’s a reason?” Shen Shuangyi tapped him lightly on the forehead and smiled. His smile was much colder and more reserved than Shen Qingzhuo’s, a look he rarely showed to anyone else. “You didn’t even notify me when you returned. Am I no longer important to you?”

Shen Qingzhuo shook his head. “Of course you’re important. That’s why I’ve come to see you.”

“Smooth-talker.”

Though he spoke the words, there wasn’t a hint of anger in his voice—only the protective doting of an older brother for a younger one.

Shen Shuangyi loved chess. In the past, eight out of ten visits involved a game. Sure enough, the board was already set. Shen Qingzhuo sat down readily.

As the game began, the older man held a black stone for a long time without placing it. “I received news that you rejected Huangfu Ying’s proposal at the banquet and left with the Qi family’s son?”

Shen Qingzhuo nodded, unsure of his cousin’s intent. Shen Shuangyi was always difficult to read. He didn’t interrogate him; instead, he kept his eyes on the board, placing a stone that blocked one of Shen Qingzhuo’s paths.

“That was a wise move,” Shen Shuangyi said with a cold, arrogant smirk that matched the world’s perception of him. “Huangfu Ying is not worthy of you. Since there is no possibility, it is best to cut off his hopes early.”

Cousin, Shen Qingzhuo thought, you are technically his kingdom’s priest.

The game continued. Though his cousin’s arrogance was on full display, he said nothing else shocking. Finally, the game ended with a narrow victory for Shen Qingzhuo’s white stones. A good loser, Shen Shuangyi began silently tidying the board.

“The imperial family is treacherous,” Shen Shuangyi noted, “but you should try the upcoming Secret Realm Trial. If you win, the prizes are an Eight-Grade Spirit-Descending Pill and the Lotus Brilliance Vase.”

Shen Qingzhuo was confused. “What Secret Realm?”

Shen Shuangyi explained patiently. The pill and the vase were rarities in the Nine Provinces; one would struggle to find even a single person in the kingdom capable of refining an eight-grade pill. The vase was reportedly extracted from the ten-thousand-year cold pond at the bottom of the Canghuang Sea. Both had the power to temper and refine the soul.

The prizes didn’t stop there. Emperor Huangfu had originally established the Secret Realm to identify powerful individuals he could recruit. Cultivators from all over the continent could participate. He had spared no expense.

However, since it was open to the entire continent, the difficulty was extreme. The realm was filled with countless traps and obstacles. To win, one had to navigate all the trials and emerge from the end. Ten days had passed since it opened, and not a single person had made it out.

Shen Qingzhuo thought about the pill and the vase. He had been so focused on the protagonist that he hadn’t kept up with current events.

With items like that, maybe Qi Ye could use them, he thought.

Determined to act, Shen Qingzhuo stood up to take his leave. “Thank you, Cousin. I will definitely do my best in the trial.”

Leaving the hall, he headed straight for the Secret Realm’s location in the Imperial City. The area was pitch black; not a single star or moon was visible. He pulled out a luminous pearl for light, then took out the jade spirit cylinder.

The silence around him was absolute, but his mood was high. He spoke softly into the cylinder. “What are you doing right now? Are you asleep?”

On the other side of the city, the youth was sitting in the darkness. He had been staring at the cylinder for a long time. He held it to his ear and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he heard Shen Qingzhuo’s voice. Qi Ye jumped, convinced he was hallucinating because he missed the man so much.