The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 22.3

Chi Jinnian’s seemingly random thoughts only fueled the fire of Chi Lin’s anger. He slammed the table and roared, “Fool! As the young mistress of the demon realm, how can you not know this? The Water Mirror’s disappearance means whatever created it has been subdued!”

“Really?” Chi Jinnian feigned surprise. “I heard there was a terrifying monster inside. Someone actually subdued it? Who could be so powerful? Such talent Father, you should recruit them for our cause!”

Her words, showing concern for the demon realm’s future, softened Chi Lin’s expression slightly. His previously tense posture relaxed back into his chair.

“Father, leave this to me. I’ll definitely find this person for you!” Chi Jinnian volunteered eagerly. After all, she knew exactly who had destroyed the Water Mirror. If Chi Lin ever found out it was Yuan Shao and sent someone to capture her, all her efforts would be in vain.

Chi Lin pondered for a moment, then stroked his chin and shook his head. “No, you should focus on finding Yuan Shao.” He turned to Wei Yang beside him. “This matter will be entrusted to General Wei. By the way, what happened to your face? Did a cat scratch you?”

Though Wei Yang’s face was tightly wrapped, revealing only his eyes, the black cloth had shifted slightly as he walked over, allowing Chi Lin a glimpse of the red, ghastly scratches covering his skin.

But how could Wei Yang admit that he had fallen victim to Chi Jinnian’s underhanded tactics, causing an allergic reaction so severe he had scratched his own face raw? Such an admission would tarnish his reputation as the demon realm’s undefeated general. He stammered, “It’s… it’s nothing.”

Seeing Wei Yang’s reluctance to explain, Chi Lin didn’t press further. He offered some comfort: “Given your current state, it’s best you rest at home for a while instead of leading troops into battle. As for tracking down the white-clad figure near the Water Mirror, that task is yours.” After a few more instructions, he left.

Wei Yang agreed outwardly, but his mind wandered back to that night a few days prior. He had lost to a graceful young man in white, who had even used a weapon Wei Yang himself had forged.

He had lured the man into the Water Mirror. Now that the mirror had vanished, it meant the stranger had defeated the entity within.

For the first time in his life, Wei Yang felt a grudging admiration for another’s abilities. He recalled the figure from his memory under the hazy moonlight, the man had been strikingly handsome, his movements elegant and his martial prowess unmatched. The rustle of his robes in the wind seemed to still echo in Wei Yang’s ears. Someone who could best him and subdue the Water Mirror…

Yes, this was indeed a rare talent. He had to find this person!

Lost in thought, Wei Yang was abruptly pulled back to reality when Chi Jinnian, standing beside him, suddenly let out a playful “Meow”

Seeing Wei Yang glance at her, Chi Jinnian quickly raised her hands in a respectful salute. “Thank you, General, for not exposing me in front of my father. I owe you a debt of gratitude. If there’s ever anything I can do for you in the future, I won’t refuse.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “But it can’t involve Yuan Shao.”

Wei Yang rolled his eyes at her. It seemed Chi Jinnian hadn’t changed her old habits, she talked a big game about being willing to do anything, but in the end, she still insisted on monopolizing the credit involving Yuan Shao.

But it didn’t matter. After all, Yuan Shao hadn’t even built his foundation yet capturing him would be useless. Might as well go find that youth in white first.

“Let me ask you something,” Wei Yang began. “When you went near the Water Mirror, did you see your old flame?”

“Old flame?”

“Su Tingxi!” Wei Yang crossed his arms, lowering his gaze to sneer at Chi Jinnian. “Didn’t the Young Master gift him the Xuanbing Arrow you stole from me? What, you gave him a present and he still ignored you? Now you don’t even know where he is?”

Chi Jinnian knew exactly where Su Tingxi was just like Yuan Shao, he was someone she had hidden away. But she couldn’t say that.

Under Wei Yang’s scrutiny, Chi Jinnian suddenly sniffled, her eyes instantly reddening. “General Wei,” she said, voice trembling, “it’s common knowledge that Young Master Su wants nothing to do with me. If I knew where he was, why would I still be here? I’d be by his side, of course!” As she spoke, a glistening tear rolled down her cheek. “Wh-why must you bring up such painful memories? Waaah”

Wei Yang had always despised the sight of young girls weeping. To him, it was like punching cotton utterly pointless. In his eyes, tears were nothing more than a display of weakness or a cheap ploy for sympathy, something utterly beneath him. And the sound of crying was especially grating.

Now, seeing Chi Jinnian, someone he already disliked burst into tears only amplified his irritation. With a disdainful “Hmph,” he turned and left Peach Courtyard.

Once everyone was gone, Caiwei and Caiyue rushed over. “Young Master!”

Chi Jinnian looked utterly exhausted. Her once-bright eyes were now bloodshot, dark circles shadowing their rims. Her clothes were singed with blackened holes from the fireballs spat by the giant serpent a truly pitiful sight.

“Young Master, how did you end up like this?” Caiwei’s words triggered an immediate chorus of wails from the four directions East, South, West, and North. “Young Master, though the wounds are on your body, the pain is in our hearts!”

For them, Chi Jinnian’s sudden disinterest had been alarming. Especially after they saw her gift a jade hairpin to another man that day. Clearly, the Young Master had found a new favorite and was about to cast them aside!

To prevent being trampled by newcomers in the future, they had to pull out all the stops to win back her affection.

Thus, they launched into an exaggerated performance, like devoted housewives mourning their hardworking husbands’ suffering.

But the act only made Chi Jinnian’s head throb. “Hey, hey, hey! You lot!” she snapped, cutting off the melodramatic sobs of the four. “I’m not dead yet! Isn’t this crying a bit premature?”

At that, their hands midway through dabbing nonexistent tears, froze awkwardly before sheepishly lowering.

“Young Master, you must understand,” Ah Dong sniffled. “We’ve missed you terribly. But knowing you were busy, we dared not disturb you. We could only bury our longing deep in our hearts.”

Anan quickly chimed in, “Exactly! We all understand in our hearts that what the young master truly fancies is that gentleman from the teahouse the other day. But even so, we were willing to lend a hand, hoping that when the young master and that gentleman are enjoying a romantic moment under the moonlight, they might think of us, even if just for a fleeting moment, even if only as the ones who brought them together. That would be enough for us!”

This remark suddenly sparked an idea in Chi Jinnian’s mind. Just as she was deep in thought, a streak of light once again flashed across the sky, followed by dazzling fireworks blooming in the night, accompanied by booming sounds.

With all the recent events and the emotional outbursts of the four Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei, Chi Jinnian felt a throbbing headache. Just as she had begun to gather her thoughts, the deafening roar of the fireworks overhead interrupted her, and she couldn’t help but sound a bit irritable: “Why are they setting off fireworks again? Will this ever end?”

Caiwei tried to console her, “Tomorrow is the actual Qixi Festival. This is just the final rehearsal tonight.” Sensing Chi Jinnian’s agitation, she quickly sent Caiwei to prepare bath supplies for her and also dismissed the four attendantsDong, Nan, Xi, and Bei.

Before the words had fully left her mouth, Chi Jinnian suddenly raised her hand, “Wait!” The group turned back in confusion, only to see the gloom in Chi Jinnian’s eyes suddenly illuminated by the fireworks in the night sky, as if she had just realized something. “Besides the bath, bring me some paper and brushes too!”

Caiyue was baffled, “It’s so late. What do you need paper and brushes for? You can write tomorrow.” In her memory, her young mistress was hardly the type to burn the midnight oil studying.

Chi Jinnian waved her hand dismissively, her eyes alight with excitement, “The performance is tomorrow! There’s no time to write the script later!”

The moonlight, cool as water, cast faint shadows of the rows of kapok trees in the Taoyuan courtyard. The lotus pond in the backyard was equally serene.

Under the cover of night, Chi Jinnian quietly pushed open the gate of Taoyuan and headed straight for Su Tingxi’s door, where the candlelight still flickered.

Before she could even raise her hand to knock, the wooden door creaked open on its own.

Taking a deep breath, Chi Jinnian steadied her racing heart and absentmindedly touched the scroll tucked in her sleeve, finally letting out a small sigh of relief before stepping inside.

Su Tingxi was seated at the table, idly toying with a cup of tea. Hearing Chi Jinnian’s footsteps, he chuckled lightly and asked in a tone laced with meaning, “Weren’t you going home? What brings my dear ‘junior sister’ here so late at night?”