My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 8

Although Du Yunge overheard the two whispering behind her, she wasn’t the type to be overly suspicious or obsessed with controlling every detail. Even if she faintly caught her own name, she couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it after all, Feng Chengchun and Xue Shuyan would never harm her, no matter what.

Moreover, compared to the trivial matter of “whether they were discussing something related to her” which she could always inquire about later, what truly captured Du Yunge’s attention at that moment was the all-too-familiar figure standing below the high platform. Familiar, in every sense of the word, to the point of being deadly.

If all who had died were granted a second chance at life, surely every one of them would carry vivid memories of what had ended their previous existence and would strive to avoid it in their newfound life. Those who had fallen from horses would carefully reconsider before mounting the saddle again; those who had drowned would tread cautiously near rivers and lakes. And for someone like Du Yunge, who had met her end at the hands of another in her past life, even a fool would know what to do upon rebirth:

Stay far away from He Zhenzhen. Ideally, prevent her from even setting foot on Mount Wangyou. And if she did manage to ascend, avoid her like the plague, ensuring no encounter with that ruthless woman until after the martial arts contest for marriage had concluded.

Yet, as fate would have it, things seldom go as one wishes.

The very moment Du Yunge silently prayed, “Please don’t let it be that wretched He Zhenzhen,” the all-too-familiar figure turned around, and as if by cruel design, her face, the very one Du Yunge would recognize even if reduced to ashes was directly in view. The unfortunate adage that what you fear most is what you get held true: standing before Du Yunge was the one person she never wished to lay eyes on again in this lifetime:

He Zhenzhen.

To make matters worse, He Zhenzhen’s gaze met hers, and she even curved her eyes into a gentle smile.

Those with fox-like eyes, unless exceptionally unattractive, possess an innate charm, their every expression carrying a grace beyond the ordinary. For someone like He Zhenzhen, who fully understood and leveraged her advantages, such eyes were a formidable asset. With just a light, seemingly innocent glance in Du Yunge’s direction devoid of any suggestive undertones, she could effortlessly make the recipient feel as though they were being regarded with affection and shyness.

One should never underestimate the power of such a glance or smile. Did not the Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, in his poem about the renowned imperial consort, write: “A single glance, a single smile, exudes a hundred charms; all the powdered ladies of the six palaces fade into plainness”? Though the poem was tempered by the emperor’s authority, it vividly captured the breathtaking beauty of the consort said to “shame the flowers.” With a mere ripple of her enchanting gaze, she rendered the entire imperial harem mere background.

Thus, charm at its peak becomes an unparalleled beauty. By that logic, even the most ordinary woman, one merely described as “pleasant-looking” could become utterly captivating with such bewitching eyes.

Take He Zhenzhen, for example.

However, this gaze failed to achieve its intended effect. Not only was Du Yunge not captivated, but a line of blood-red characters automatically formed in her mind:

Heavens, this is deadly. Fate is out to get me.

After all, she had already died once at He Zhenzhen’s hands.

As the saying goes, “Once bitten by a snake, one shies at a coiled rope for ten years.” And what’s more, He Zhenzhen was a genuine, venomous beauty, even more ruthless and cold-blooded than a snake. Du Yunge was utterly terrified, her soul almost fleeing her body in an instant. In her panic, she could only grab the sleeve of the person nearest to her, and a name she had repeated a thousand times in her past life but never had the chance to call out finally escaped her lips:

“Senior Sister Xue!”

Upon hearing her name, Xue Shuyan turned to look at Du Yunge, raising an eyebrow as if silently asking:

What’s wrong?

But Du Yunge was too frightened to speak, her lips trembling without producing a single coherent sound. If earlier her hands holding the bowl of sweet soup had only been shaking slightly, now they were trembling so visibly that even Feng Chengchun noticed something was amiss. She quickly leaned in and whispered:

“Sect Leader, you’ve been acting strange all evening. Are you tired? Do you need to go back and rest?”

The moment Du Yunge heard the word “rest,” she shook her head frantically. No way! She didn’t want to “rest” herself straight into a grave! At the very least, she needed to witness He Zhenzhen’s defeat in the martial arts contest for her hand in marriage, ensuring she could never take her back to the He Manor. Only then could she rest easy!

—But her trembling hands refused to settle down. If this continued, Feng Chengchun might indeed force her to return and rest. What should she do?

Just then, under the cover of her wide wedding sleeves, Xue Shuyan quietly reached out a hand and slowly but firmly intertwined her fingers with Du Yunge’s cold, trembling ones. Unconsciously, Du Yunge’s hands grew warm and steady. Xue Shuyan’s expression remained as cold and detached as ever, her gaze devoid of warmth still the aloof, icy senior sister in the eyes of outsiders. Yet the hand holding Du Yunge’s was warm and resolute, as if it would never let go even if the sky fell and the earth split. It inexplicably brought a sense of reassurance:

“I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”

Xue Shuyan lowered her eyes thoughtfully, then added softly:

“Yunge.”

Du Yunge’s eyes reddened, and she nearly burst into tears. Fortunately, she remembered that this was her own martial arts contest for marriage. If she, the sect leader and future bride, were to cry, it would be considered highly inauspicious. She forced back the tears of relief and shock. Just as she was struggling to suppress her emotions to avoid either breaking down in sobs or cursing the esteemed He Manor Lord on the spot, she heard Xue Shuyan ask:

“What did you see that scared you so much?”

“I…” Du Yunge’s eyes lit up, this was the perfect chance to unload all the venomous words she had been storing up, practically growing mold in her belly. Just as she was about to launch into a full-scale denunciation of He Zhenzhen’s misdeeds and pour a torrent of slander into Xue Shuyan’s ears, she suddenly remembered something with a jolt, freezing in place:

She wasn’t supposed to know He Zhenzhen at this point.

But when it came to speaking ill of someone, did one really need a reason? As long as the speaker felt no guilt, anything could be said especially when the target was someone who was far from virtuous. In such cases, neither reason nor guilt was necessary, because whatever ill was spoken might very well be truths about that person’s actions.

With this thought, Du Yunge felt a surge of confidence. After all, no matter how harshly she criticized He Zhenzhen, it would still pale in comparison to the scheming and malice that vile woman was capable of:

“I don’t like the master of the He Manor.”

Xue Shuyan seemed taken aback by her answer, and her gaze toward Du Yunge shifted subtly:

“I thought…”

Du Yunge asked curiously, “What did you think, Senior Sister Xue?”

The words “I thought you liked someone like that” were something Xue Shuyan could never bring herself to say aloud. After all, her relationship with Du Yunge hadn’t reached the point where they could openly discuss their preferences in romantic partners without reservation.

But she could phrase it differently.

As the senior disciple of the Miaoyin Sect’s leader and the sect’s deputy leader, Xue Shuyan, whose reputation stretched far beyond the borders, was hardly the cold, unapproachable figure of legend. Her mind was more intricate than anyone’s, why else would even someone as straightforward as Du Yunge know that He Zhenzhen feared Xue Shuyan the most, whether in martial skill or cunning?

Xue Shuyan lowered her eyes slightly and remarked, as if offhandedly:

“I thought you had no interest in marriage. Didn’t you say earlier today that you didn’t want to marry?”

However, Du Yunge’s peculiar way of thinking showed no signs of improvement, even after being reborn. This was evident in the way she widened her captivating, peach-blossom eyes and stared at Xue Shuyan in disbelief.

They say some people’s eyes can speak volumes and with just one look, Du Yunge managed to fill Xue Shuyan’s already tangled thoughts with an even greater mess. In an instant, a flood of assumptions rushed through Xue Shuyan’s mind:

Why is she looking at me like that? Could it be that Yunge actually wants to marry after all? And worse, to someone like He Zhenzhen?! Now that I think about it, it’s not impossible Yunge has always been one to say one thing and mean another. I can’t allow this. The master of the He Manor is no suitable match.

Yet, heaven be my witness, Du Yunge had no such intention. She merely wanted to express sentiments like, “Even if I were to marry, I’d rather die than wed a scoundrel like He Zhenzhen,” or, “Senior Sister, I’m so touched that you remembered I don’t want to marry.”

However, Du Yunge believed that her Senior Sister Xue had perfectly understood the meaning conveyed by her gaze. Just as she was about to expand on the topic of “He Zhenzhen is truly a despicable person,” she heard Xue Shuyan speak again:

“The He Family Manor’s origins are fundamentally flawed. Even with over a century of legacy, they are ultimately nothing more than a gathering of lowly bandits and outlaws, hardly comparable to our Miaoyin Sect’s century-long heritage and respectable background.”

“Yunge, the master of He Family Manor is not a suitable match for you. Do not be swayed by her superficial beauty.”

Du Yunge: Wait, Senior Sister, what did you think I was about to say just now?

They stared at each other blankly for a long moment before belatedly realizing that they were actually thinking about the same thing. It was rather amusing like two close friends cautiously discussing someone they thought the other might like, only to discover in the end that they both disliked the same person.

Du Yunge felt the same way. Being able to discuss this topic with Xue Shuyan was already an unexpected and delightful surprise. And when people are happy, they tend to speak without restraint, accidentally revealing their deepest truths:

“What beauty? She’s not even as good-looking as I am. Senior Sister, you really don’t need to worry about that.”

Xue Shuyan: Her beauty isn’t the proper kind like yours. It’s a seductive charm, and I’m afraid you might be lured away.

Even though Xue Shuyan inwardly criticized He Zhenzhen from head to toe, she didn’t show the slightest hint of it on her face. She merely nodded silently, appearing steady, reliable, and reserved. Yet, this composed demeanor was nearly shattered by Du Yunge’s next remark:

“She’s not even half as beautiful as Senior Sister!”

Feng Chengchun, who had been pretending not to exist nearby, finally couldn’t hold back and laughed, “You’re laying it on a bit thick, Sect Leader.”

Du Yunge stole a glance at Xue Shuyan’s expression and, upon confirming that her Senior Sister wasn’t angry but seemed a little pleased, she ramped up the flattery even more: “What are you talking about, Protector Feng? I’m just speaking the truth. In my eyes, Senior Sister Xue will always be the most beautiful, no one else comes close!”

As they were speaking, He Zhenzhen had already stepped onto the martial arts competition stage for the marriage contest and effortlessly defeated numerous opponents. If no one challenged her within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she would indeed, by the rules, take Du Yunge away as her bride.

To Xue Shuyan and Feng Chengchun’s surprise, even after ten breaths had passed, the person they had arranged to intervene showed no sign of appearing. What was going on? Had they lost their nerve at the last moment, or had they been hindered by someone or something, unable to arrive?

But no matter the reason, time waits for no one. If no one stepped forward, Du Yunge would truly be taken away by He Zhenzhen!

Fortunately, Xue Shuyan was still there.

However, just as Xue Shuyan, the backup plan, stood up, Du Yunge suddenly and silently grabbed her hand.

“This!” Feng Chengchun was momentarily dumbfounded. According to their original plan, Xue Shuyan should have taken the initiative to step forward by now and deliver the prepared polite speech something like, “I don’t wish to marry our sect leader, but the opportunity to spar with a young hero like Manor Lord He is truly rare. I shall boldly accept the challenge.” So why was Xue Shuyan being held back by that silly child Du Yunge instead.

Wait a minute?!

Like a flash of lightning splitting the night sky, an absurd idea suddenly struck Feng Chengchun’s mind, and the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed:

Could it be that Du Yunge had actually taken a sudden liking to He Zhenzhen, and all her earlier words were just the stubbornness of a young girl?! Was that why she was stopping Xue Shuyan because she wanted to leave with He Zhenzhen?!

Now that she thought about it, that was exactly what Du Yunge had done in her previous life.

Du Yunge pressed her lips tightly together.

She had finally figured it out all the unanswered questions from this moment in her past life were now resolved:

If she hadn’t been so foolishly blinded by sweet words in her previous life, then Xue Shuyan would have stepped up to challenge this final match. Feng Chengchun and the others had arranged everything to ensure she wouldn’t rashly decide her future based on a single martial arts contest. It was clear that Feng Chengchun truly cared for her like a daughter.

Then, what about Xue Shuyan? If she hadn’t been stopped in their past life, would Xue Shuyan have gone up to humble He Zhenzhen and prevent her from taking Du Yunge away? If that had happened, Du Yunge would have remained the carefree sect leader of Miaoyin Sect, free to do as she pleased, and Xue Shuyan would have remained her ever-present senior sister, her steadfast right-hand woman and vice sect leader?

Just then, Xue Shuyan’s questioning voice interrupted her thoughts. That icy, seemingly emotionless tone snapped her back to reality in an instant:

“Yunge?”

Only after regaining her senses did Du Yunge realize that she had unconsciously grabbed hold of Xue Shuyan’s sleeve.

It was merely an instinctive gesture Xue Shuyan had always been the one standing by her side. Whenever Du Yunge faced a problem, all she had to do was reach out and tug on Xue Shuyan’s sleeve. But it seemed this action had been misinterpreted, hence the return of that frosty tone.

However, the incense stick on the stage was now down to its last third, there was no more time to delay, nor any opportunity to explain.

In her urgency, Du Yunge quickly released Xue Shuyan’s sleeve and condensed a thousand words into one simple, resolute sentence:

“Senior Sister Xue, you must win this match!”

“If you can defeat that woman.” She pointed into the distance, directly at He Zhenzhen, who stood proudly on the stage with a condescending smile. With no time to carefully phrase her words, what was meant as a promise of reward ended up sounding more like a vow of lifelong commitment:

“I’ll give you anything you want!”

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