The Outcast Male Sub-Lead Stole the Female Lead’s Role - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ugh,” Jiang Xu muttered. Previously, the book hadn’t devoted much ink to Shizun (the Master). He knew next to nothing about this character and had no idea how to interact with him. Left with no choice, he opened the door, stood to the side, and whispered tentatively, “Shizun?”

Wen Hexue spared him a faint glance before stepping across the threshold. As he drew closer, Jiang Xu noticed a subtle, cold fragrance clinging to him, reminiscent of biting frost and snow.

With such a top-tier character design, why did the author never have him appear until the grand finale? Jiang Xu shook his head in confusion, feeling a twinge of regret on Wen Hexue’s behalf.

As his thoughts wandered, a palm was suddenly placed atop his head. Startled, Jiang Xu looked up to find Wen Hexue looking down at him. As his hand was raised, the wide sleeve slid back slightly, revealing a section of pale, cold wrist. Jiang Xu stared for a few seconds; a flash of red light suddenly flickered around the wrist like a red string.

Jiang Xu froze. When he looked closer, the light had vanished, leaving only snow-white skin.

This Shizun is far too mysterious. And why would he come to see me?

As he pondered, a cool aura descended from the crown of his head. It felt pleasant, quickly trickling down through his body with a refreshing, icy touch.

Before Jiang Xu could ask anything, the hand was withdrawn. Feeling the sudden loss of that comfortable, cool sensation, he instinctively touched the top of his head and blinked.

“Shizun, what was that?”

Wen Hexue didn’t look at him. His fingers curled slightly as he retracted his hand. “It seems your body is no longer in any serious danger.”

Jiang Xu understood—so he was checking his physical condition, though the method was certainly magical.

The atmosphere fell into a silent lull. Jiang Xu was usually a chatterbox, but facing someone like Wen Hexue, who carried a natural aura of stillness and cold elegance, he didn’t know what to say to break the ice. Furthermore, strictly speaking, the two of them weren’t even on the same social level.

He kept his eyes fixed on Wen Hexue, only for the other man to look up at that exact moment. Their gazes met perfectly.

“…” Jiang Xu had never felt so awkward. The other man’s eyes were so cold and pure that even looking at them felt like a profanation. Weighing his words, he finally spoke, “Thank you, Shizun. Did you come to see me for something else?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Xu pressed his lips together. Did that sound weird?

Wen Hexue swept a glance over him, and for some reason, remained silent, simply staring at him. Jiang Xu gripped his hands nervously, only to see the man before him smile in the next second.

“?” Jiang Xu blinked in confusion. What happened to the “cold and aloof Shizun who hates smiling” trope?

“Are you nervous?” the other man finally spoke.

Jiang Xu froze for a moment before hurriedly replying, “I’m okay, I’m okay.”

Wen Hexue’s eyes curved slightly. Though his features remained icy, his eyes seemed to melt with a gentle warmth. “There is no need to be nervous. I only came to check on your health. Since you are fine, I am at peace.”

On the surface, Jiang Xu remained calm, but internally he was screaming: Is this the cold-hearted Shizun from the original book? Does he show this much concern for all his disciples?

As if sensing his thoughts, Wen Hexue withdrew his faint smile, and his face returned to its usual cold composure. He suddenly produced a clear, small vial from his wide sleeve and said softly, “Lie down.”

His voice was very shallow, like jade striking a clear spring—chilly, yet it made one instinctively want to obey. Without a second thought, Jiang Xu kicked off his shoes and socks and climbed onto the bed.

With slender, pale fingers, Wen Hexue uncorked the vial and set the stopper aside. He glanced at Jiang Xu and added, “Undress.”

“Huh? Oh.” Jiang Xu lowered his head to untie his belt. Only when his robes fell open did he snap out of it and stop. Wait, why am I being so obedient??

When he looked up again, those scallion-white fingertips had already dabbed a bit of ointment. Wen Hexue kept his gaze lowered as he helped move the remaining fabric aside and said, “Turn around.”

Jiang Xu frowned. “Shizun, what are you doing?” But the moment he met Wen Hexue’s face, he fell silent and obediently turned. “…I’m turning.”

Cool fingertips coated in soothing ointment lightly brushed over several bruises on Jiang Xu’s back. The movements were incredibly gentle—not so much like applying medicine, but more like a craftsman polishing a treasure.

Before this, Jiang Xu hadn’t even known he had injuries on his back. Curiously, he was usually very sensitive to pain; if his back were injured, he should have noticed long ago. How had he felt nothing until now? Shi Jingyu had mentioned earlier that when Jiang Xu was found, someone had already tended to him. Could it be that some nameless Good Samaritan had saved him?

The fingers moving across his warm skin brought a wave of tingling numbness. Jiang Xu squinted, his long lashes trembling. A memory suddenly flashed through his mind—a similar scene of applying medicine, but the roles were reversed. He was the one holding the medicine, and someone else was lying on the bed. He couldn’t see the person’s face, yet they felt intimately familiar.

As he pondered this, the cool sensation on his skin vanished. Jiang Xu stiffened. Just as he was about to turn around, he realized Wen Hexue had already picked up his clothes to drape them over his shoulders. The small white porcelain bottle was placed in front of him. “Once a day. It will fade the bruising.”

Jiang Xu dithered for a long time before fumbling to tie his belt. Before he could even get off the bed, he remained half-kneeling on the mattress, forced to look up at Wen Hexue. Wen Hexue looked down at him, an unidentifiable emotion flickering in his eyes—it vanished so quickly that Jiang Xu couldn’t catch it. Driven by confusion, he blurted out: “…Shizun, have we met before?”

In the original novel, the author didn’t elaborate on Wen Hexue’s plotline, and naturally never mentioned any history between him and the original “Jiang Xu.” Readers assumed they had never met. Yet now, Wen Hexue had appeared before him twice, and each time, the way he looked at him wasn’t how one looks at a stranger.

Perhaps not expecting such a question, Wen Hexue’s perennially calm expression faltered for a moment. He suddenly reached out.

Jiang Xu instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, but he only felt a cool touch brush against his cheek. A soft lock of hair hanging by his face was gently tucked behind his ear. The cold fragrance filled his nose. His eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, only to find that Wen Hexue had already retreated half a step.

Seeing him open his eyes, Wen Hexue let out a faint, almost imperceptible curve of the lips. He left behind only an ambiguous sentence: “We likely have.”

Likely? Does that mean yes or no? Jiang Xu was left scratching his head. Before he could say anything more, there was another knock at the door. He looked up just as the door was pushed open; Shi Jingyu entered carrying a small celadon bowl.

“Junior Brother, are you awake? I brought some light porridge…”

Seeing Wen Hexue standing in the room, Shi Jingyu froze. Surprised, he asked, “Shizun, why are you here?” He looked at the disheveled Jiang Xu on the bed, his brow furrowing slightly. “This is…”

Jiang Xu quickly pulled his clothes together, scrambled off the bed in two or three steps, and took the porridge from Shi Jingyu with a smile. “Thanks, Senior Brother!” He stole a glance at Wen Hexue, coughed, and said, “Shizun came to give me medicine!”

“…” The shock on Shi Jingyu’s face became even more apparent. He looked at Wen Hexue and chose his words carefully. “…I see. Shizun has always been caring toward his disciples.”

Wen Hexue neither confirmed nor denied this. He simply nodded to Shi Jingyu, then turned to glance at Jiang Xu, his gaze sliding to the other’s waist. “Keep it safe,” he said, before departing.

As the wooden door closed again, Jiang Xu confusedly lifted the jade pendant at his waist and rubbed it. What exactly is this jade pendant? Why does Wen Hexue seem to value it so much?

“Junior Brother, was Shizun talking about that jade pendant just now?”

Only when Shi Jingyu spoke did Jiang Xu snap back to reality. He answered vaguely, “Probably. Oh, Senior Brother, this porridge smells delicious!” As he spoke, he opened the lid and smiled at Shi Jingyu. “Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Seeing his happy expression, the suspicion Shi Jingyu had felt moments ago vanished without a trace. He instinctively reached out to pat the younger man’s head, but his hand froze just before touching.

What am I doing? He wasn’t unfamiliar with his Junior Brother’s temperament, but lately, the boy seemed like a different person. Previously, he had been so cold, and the disgust on his face hadn’t seemed faked. But these past few days, he had become so lively. In just this short moment, seeing his Junior Brother smile, he seemed to have forgotten how bad their relationship used to be.

Shi Jingyu slowly lowered his hand and simply smiled. “Eat quickly.”

Since Wen Hexue’s visit, Jiang Xu’s health had improved significantly. System 001 had also disappeared for the last two days, not resurfacing until Jiang Xu was notified to attend the Apprentice Selection Ceremony the following day.

At that moment, Jiang Xu was putting on the clothes that had been sent over—pure white wide sleeves with light blue cloud patterns on the cross-collar. It was a very simple style, but one that all disciples were required to wear for major events.

He was adjusting his clothes in front of a bronze mirror when 001’s voice suddenly rang out.

[Hello, Host.]

001 hadn’t appeared for days; the sudden voice gave him a fright. “Why are you so ghost-like!?”

001 replied coldly, [Host, your collar is crooked.]

“…” Jiang Xu huffed and looked down to fiddle with his collar. 001 continued, [I am here to remind the Host that the Female Lead will appear today. Please seize the opportunity.]

Hearing this, Jiang Xu froze. “Wait, didn’t you say the plot changed? So do I still need to achieve the ‘Male and Female Lead Fall in Love’ achievement?”

[Theoretically, yes.]

“…Fine,” Jiang Xu said, reaching out to ruffle 001’s “head” (ignoring the massive eye-roll he received in return). He turned and pushed open the door. “Wait for my success!”

The Apprentice Selection Ceremony was held once every four years. Those interested would climb the mountain to be screened by the sect.

In the original book, the Female Lead was a “crowd favorite” (Mary Sue) once she grew up. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she also possessed the best spiritual roots, which was why the Sect Leader took a liking to her at first sight and accepted her as a disciple.

After joining the mountain, she met Shi Jingyu, and their mutual attraction drove the rest of the plot.

Generally speaking, this book focused on the romance between the Male and Female leads; everything else was mostly filler.

However, once he stood outside, Jiang Xu felt a bit lost. Although he had read the novel, he had only read it for fun and never expected to transmigrate into it. Looking at the screen of bamboo trees before him, he had no idea which way to go.

Just as he stood hesitating before a set of stone steps, a crisp sound of bells drifted from a distance. He looked up and saw a girl dressed in turquoise-green, skipping toward him.

He knew this girl. She was the proud and pampered Junior Sister who had a blatant crush on the Eldest Senior Brother in the book: Fu Bihan.