The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 37

Chi Jinnian lingered at the doorway upstairs, staring at the threshold but unable to step inside. Though she didn’t know why, Yuan Shao’s words, “I’ll have to teach you properly,” had left her feeling uneasy.

“What are you waiting for? Come in!” Yuan Shao turned to look at the hesitant figure at the door and, growing impatient, pulled her inside before closing the door.

Once inside, Chi Jinnian quickly retreated deeper into the room, but Yuan Shao paid no mind, advancing step by step. “What are you hiding from?”

“Young. Young Master,” Chi Jinnian stammered.

“You still know I’m the young master? Yet you dared to push me toward the servant! Is this how a maid behaves?” Yuan Shao pressed forward until Chi Jinnian was backed into a corner. To her left stood a bookshelf, and to her right was a window. The setting sun seeped through the paper window, casting a golden outline around Yuan Shao’s figure.

Seeing Yuan Shao reach out, Chi Jinnian instinctively turned her face away and squeezed her eyes shut.

But Yuan Shao’s wrist twisted, and instead, she reached to remove the mask from Chi Jinnian’s face.

“Is it heavy? It’s left marks.” Yuan Shao’s cool fingertips gently rubbed the reddened bridge of Chi Jinnian’s nose. The mask itself had weight, and with the dangling beaded fringe, it was indeed a burden on Chi Jinnian’s delicate skin.

Her little disciple’s skin was tender, her body fragile. Sometimes, even a firm grip on her wrist would leave a red mark, let alone wearing such a thing for long.

Yuan Shao tossed the mask aside. “From now on, as long as there are no outsiders, remember to take it off immediately. Understand?”

As the mask was removed, the spell Yuan Shao had cast on it dissipated, and Chi Jinnian’s hair reverted from black to its reddish-brown hue.

Yuan Shao disliked Chi Jinnian concealing her true self. In her eyes, her little disciple’s reddish-brown hair was not a flaw but rather quite beautiful. In a crowd, she could spot her at a glance.

Yuan Shao raised a hand, gently gathering Chi Jinnian’s hair. The cool breeze from outside carried the faint, sweet scent of osmanthus from her locks.

“Shizun.” Chi Jinnian whispered, trying to free herself, but Yuan Shao only drew closer. “What did you call me?”

Chi Jinnian endured the heat in her cheeks. “Young, Young Master, please spare me.”

Under normal circumstances, Yuan Shao would have let it go when her little disciple lowered her head, but not today. Earlier, when Chi Jinnian had suggested staying in the woodshed, had she not considered that Yuan Shao would have to share a room with Su Tingxi?

Yuan Shao could forgive other mistakes, but not this one. Absolutely not this one.

So, her gaze deepened with mischief. Ignoring Chi Jinnian’s hands shielding her chest, she leaned in further until their bodies pressed together, their heartbeats palpable against each other one steady and strong, the other flustered and erratic.

Yuan Shao lifted Chi Jinnian’s chin, her intense gaze fixed on her eyes. She leaned down, her lips brushing Chi Jinnian’s ear as she whispered, “I’ve heard that in wealthy households, maids are often meant to marry the young master. Yet today, you deliberately pushed me away and nearly exposed my identity. Tell me, how should I punish you? Hmm?”

“What you’re talking about is a chamber maid, and I’m not that.” Chi Jinnian frantically pushed at Yuan Shao’s chest, but when the other didn’t budge an inch, she simply turned her face away. “What does young master take me for? I’m not that kind of frivolous maid.”

“Then what kind of maid are you?” Yuan Shao suddenly captured Chi Jinnian’s palms that were pressed against his chest. In one swift motion, he pinned her hands above her head and gripped her chin with his other hand, forcing her to look at him. “Then tell me, how should I punish a maid like you?”

Chi Jinnian had never seen Yuan Shao like this before and momentarily lost her composure. Unable to break free, she resorted to her ultimate weapon.

When Chi Jinnian raised her eyes again, her bright almond-shaped eyes were already glistening with a thin layer of tears. After just a few blinks, teardrops began rolling down the corners of her eyes.

The moment her tears fell, Yuan Shao deflated like a punctured ball, all his strength draining away.

“You…” Yuan Shao started to comfort her, but Chi Jinnian immediately burst into louder sobs. “Young master is bullying me!”

“I didn’t, I’m not bullying.” Yuan Shao stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

“What do you mean you didn’t! You’re just taking advantage of being taller and stronger than me to bully me! Wuwuwu, look at what you just did not only did you corner me, but you also pinned my hands!” While crying, Chi Jinnian showed Yuan Shao the red marks on her wrists. Truth be told, Yuan Shao hadn’t used much force; it was just that the girl’s skin was exceptionally delicate, leaving faint fingerprints at the slightest touch.

Chi Jinnian cried even more vigorously, beginning to list all of Yuan Shao’s various “crimes”!

“The innkeeper said there was only one room, and Su Tingxi refused to stay in the woodshed. I was only thinking that I couldn’t let young master sleep in the woodshed, so I offered to stay there myself. How could I have considered all the implications!” Chi Jinnian’s sobs grew louder. “Besides, I even suggested having Su Tingxi sleep on the floor outside your room, but the owner said there were no beddings. How was I supposed to know these things? Why does everything have to be my fault! I, Do you think I want to stay in the woodshed? I only had young master’s best interests at heart, and yet you come back and interrogate me! You even want to punish me!”

“If I had known it would be like this, I never should have come out with young master. Then I wouldn’t have to suffer all this injustice! Wuwuwu.”

As Chi Jinnian spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks like broken pearls, one after another. Watching her, Yuan Shao felt as if his heart were being sliced by a knife. He wanted to comfort her but couldn’t get a word in edgewise. He could only stand there dumbly, letting the girl pour out her grievances.

Yuan Shao knew he had gone too far this time.

Seeing him standing there frozen and at a loss, Chi Jinnian cried even louder. “You’re not even comforting me!”

Just as Yuan Shao was about to step forward at her words, a knock at the door interrupted them. Hearing this, Chi Jinnian’s sobs instantly softened. Sitting by the bed, she sniffled with her head lowered, still gesturing for Yuan Shao to answer the door first.

The visitor was a burly man who introduced himself as the inn attendant. “Guest, the noise from your room was a bit loud just now.”

“My apologies,” Yuan Shao replied, then noticed the innkeeper appearing at the stairwell, holding a pot of wine.

The innkeeper saw the attendant and shouted, “What’s going on! How dare you be so rude to our esteemed guest!” The innkeeper stepped forward, shooed the attendant away, and then clasped his hands together in apology. “Please don’t take offense, sir. My employee is inexperienced. I hope you’ll be understanding.”

As he spoke, the innkeeper’s gaze fell upon Yuan Shao’s collar. Due to Chi Jinnian’s earlier shoving, the once-smooth fabric was now wrinkled and askew, no longer as neat as when they had first checked in.

How could this escape the innkeeper’s sharp eyes! He then glanced into the room and indeed did not see the young girl’s figure.

Noticing the innkeeper peering inside, Yuan Shao stepped forward to block his view. A’Nian was inside, if her identity as a demon were discovered, it would only lead to trouble.

But in the innkeeper’s eyes, this move was clearly an attempt to hide the person inside. Combined with Yuan Shao’s disheveled collar and the faint, intermittent sobbing sounds from the room he had made her cry!!

Thinking further, in a normal household, it should be the maid who answers the door. Why would the young master come out himself unless the maid was currently… in a state unfit to be seen.

With this thought, the innkeeper gave Yuan Shao a knowing look, patting his shoulder. “Young man, I didn’t expect you to succeed so quickly! I originally intended to bring you a jug of wine to help set the mood, but it seems I was overthinking it!”

Yuan Shao didn’t understand what the innkeeper was saying, but she noticed the wine he brought seemed to be made from plums, carrying a sweet fragrance. She remembered her little apprentice had a sweet tooth perhaps she would like this.

Yuan Shao directly took the wine jug. “Then I thank you, innkeeper.”

The innkeeper had been about to leave with the wine, never expecting the young master to take it!

He gave Yuan Shao a meaningful look you still want it!? Haven’t you already succeeded! After a long pause, he could only sigh. Well, young people once they start, it’s hard to hold back! Considering Yuan Shao’s expensive attire and the priceless bracelet she had gifted her maid, if she was pleased, she might casually reward him with something valuable upon checkout.

Not to mention, the price of this premium room alone was a significant expense.

The innkeeper glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then whispered to Yuan Shao, “Young master, as an experienced man, I understand how you feel. Though you’re young and vigorous, that girl seems delicate. You must you must exercise some restraint! Be careful not to make it so she can’t walk, or she might throw a tantrum!”

“What, are you talking about?”

Seeing Yuan Shao play dumb, the innkeeper wasn’t annoyed and patiently explained, “Once the dish is in the pot, it’s yours to enjoy however you like. Why rush to finish it all in one meal? Take it easy wouldn’t it be better to savor it every day?”

After saying this, the innkeeper looked at Yuan Shao with deep meaning, patted his shoulder as if imparting wise expectations from an elder, and left with the words, “I won’t keep you, young master,” before turning and heading downstairs.

Yuan Shao was left utterly bewildered by the old innkeeper’s remarks and could only close the door and return to the room.

Inside, Chi Jinnian sat on the bed hugging her knees, her eyes red and tear stains on her cheeks. When she saw Yuan Shao enter, she turned her face away, refusing to look at her.

At this moment, Chi Jinnian had shifted from being the one questioned to the one doing the questioning. She had to seize the opportunity to make her earlier tears worthwhile.

Seeing that Chi Jinnian was still angry, Yuan Shao put down the wine in her hand, walked over, and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with her. After a long silence, she asked, “Are you still upset?”

Chi Jinnian snorted coldly, “You haven’t even tried to comfort me. Why shouldn’t I be angry?”

No sooner had she spoken than Yuan Shao turned her by the shoulders, making her face her directly, and said earnestly, “A’Nian, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been harsh with you. Please don’t cry anymore.”

Chi Jinnian stared at her, only to find that nothing else followed. “That’s it?”

“I’m sorry.” Yuan Shao lowered her head again. “I don’t know how to comfort people. I don’t know what else to do.”

“You” Chi Jinnian started to speak but was interrupted by Yuan Shao.

“But do you know, the moment you started crying, it felt like a knife had stabbed my heart a piercing pain.” Yuan Shao gazed intently at Chi Jinnian. “Making you cry was my fault. A’Nian, why don’t you punish me? Do whatever you want. I’ll accept it all.”

Seeing Yuan Shao like this, Chi Jinnian couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She never imagined that the lofty Immortal Venerable could also be so flustered, utterly at the mercy of another.

Noticing Chi Jinnian’s smile, Yuan Shao’s expression softened slightly. After a while, she asked, “So, are you still angry?”

Just as Chi Jinnian was about to reply, Su Tingxi’s voice from the doorway cut her off. “Young Master, are you there? I need to speak with you.”

Hearing the hesitation in Su Tingxi’s tone, Chi Jinnian guessed it must be something important. She grabbed her mask and said, “Young Master, I’m hungry. I’ll go downstairs to find something to eat and come back later.”

Without waiting for Yuan Shao’s response, Chi Jinnian dashed out the door. Her departure conveniently opened the way for Su Tingxi to enter.

Su Tingxi stood at the doorway. “Young Master, may I come in?”

Huang Er had been entangled in an argument with the guards at the city gate, but in the end, an arm couldn’t twist a thigh. He had no choice but to follow the guards’ demands and enter through the same gate as the nightsoil buckets.

Once inside the city, Huang Er began searching through the inns of Ling’an City one by one, hoping to find traces of Yuan Shao.

With the Winter Cold Assembly gathering rare treasures, someone as competitive as Yuan Shao would never miss such an opportunity. His goal was not only to coincidentally meet her and captivate her with his charm but also to rely on his own strength to claim the top prize at the Winter Cold Assembly.

He didn’t care for the Nine Suns Sword, but he wanted Yuan Shao to know who the strongest in this world truly was. Not her disciple surnamed Su, and certainly not that deceitful Chi Jinnian who had lured her away.

Speaking of Chi Jinnian, he had heard in the demon realm that she had been staying with Yuan Shao all along, even addressing her as “Master.” The thought made Huang Er grind his teeth in fury. Not only had Chi Jinnian turned her back on their agreement, but she had also sent people to beat him! First, that Wei Yang subjected him to harsh interrogation, and before he left, he even gave him twenty lashes with a plank!

If Yuan Shao had come, she would have to stay somewhere, so one of the inns in the city must have a room reserved for her. He was determined to personally reveal the truth to Yuan Shao and prevent her from remaining deceived by Chi Jinnian’s schemes! But after a full day of searching, he still hadn’t found any sign of Yuan Shao.

As dusk gradually fell, he looked at the last inn he hadn’t checked yet. Yuan Shao must be staying there.

Today, Huang Er deliberately wore a newly made long gown, with a cloth strip tied around his neck as a scarf. He intentionally used the reflection on the roadside ice to check his appearance, then slicked his hair with saliva until it gleamed before setting off for the inn.

But the moment he stepped inside, he was thrown out. The waiter, holding his nose with one hand and gripping Huang Er’s tail with the other, shouted, “Get lost!”

With a flick of his hand, Huang Er was flung far away, eventually landing hard on the ground.

It took him a long time to recover before he could barely stand up, dusting off the dirt from his clothes. Pointing at the waiter’s retreating back, he gritted his teeth but then pretended to be magnanimous, snorting coldly, “It’s not because you’re taller and fatter than me that I’m letting you off! I’m just afraid that if I fight back, this new outfit might get torn, and it would ruin my image in Yuan Shao’s eyes!”

Of course, he wasn’t about to give up. Since the front door was off-limits, he had to find another way.

Under the dim night sky, a sneaky figure scurried onto the roof of the inn.

Huang Er pressed his body tightly against the roof tiles, inching forward bit by bit.

Suddenly, the innkeeper called out to the waiter from below, “Go check if the outhouse exploded!”

Seeing the waiter come out again, Huang Er quickly steadied himself, curling up and hiding in the dark corner under the eaves, upside down.

The waiter took a look at the outhouse and scanned the backyard but found nothing unusual. He went back to report, “It’s probably just the lingering smell from that weasel earlier. It’ll fade soon!”

As the words faded, the backyard gradually fell silent.

Huang Er breathed a sigh of relief and jumped down from the eaves. Instead of landing on hard bricks, he felt something soft beneath him. Looking closely, he realized he had landed on a fluffy “cushion.”

Huang Er’s paws tapped the “cushion” a couple more times. He had to admit, although Ling’an City was a bit cold, their cold-weather items were exceptionally well-made.

But then the “cushion” beneath his feet moved. Huang Er turned around and realized that one end of the “cushion” was pointing upward. Following the snow-white curve, his gaze slowly traveled up until he saw a red, flat, elongated beak. Huang Er’s brain froze for a moment, and then he heard a loud “Honk.!” He immediately took off running.

That was no cushion! It was a goose! His natural enemy, the big white goose he feared the most!

Although Huang Er had mastered some magic and could even walk upright, the inherent fear of a natural predator was something even magic couldn’t erase.

The big white goose chased after Huang Er, honking loudly, while Huang Er ran circles around the yard without hesitation. Just as he was feeling proud of his agility, watching the fat goose panting heavily, he suddenly slipped, skidded, and fell into a corner of the yard.

Before he could get up, the fat goose had already closed in.

The goose narrowed its eyes, honked several times at the sky, as if taunting Huang Er, “You little rascal, look at you strutting around earlier! Now you’re finally in my clutches!”

Huang Er kept backing away until his back hit something cold and hard there was no escape. The big white goose, using its red webbed feet for leverage and flapping its wings, looked ready to charge at him with all its might. Huang Er instinctively shut his eyes.

But the pain he expected never came. Instead, he heard a muffled “Honk-gurgle!”

A woman in red wearing a mask held the fat goose by its neck. The goose’s red webbed feet flailed wildly in the air, its snow-white wings trembling along, yet it couldn’t break free from the grip on its neck.

Chi Jinnian, holding the goose, looked up and saw Yuan Shao, who had altered his appearance, standing by the second-floor window. “Young master, would you like some iron-pot stewed goose?”

Chi Jinnian, still holding the goose, was about to show Yuan Shao how plump it was and how soft its feathers were when a force suddenly tugged at her leg.

“Hero!” Huang Er cried, tears and snot streaming down his face as he wailed. His two paws clung tightly to Chi Jinnian’s pant leg, refusing to let go. “Hero! You are my savior!”

Only then did Chi Jinnian notice Huang Er hiding in the dim corner of the wall no wonder the backyard smelled so,

Upstairs, Yuan Shao saw Chi Jinnian standing motionless for a long time and couldn’t make out what was happening below, so he decided to go down and check.

Chi Jinnian didn’t want to get entangled with Huang Er, but he only cried harder. “Hero, you have no idea what kind of people I’ve encountered before!”

Huang Er began to recount his recent misfortunes between sobs: “First, I was betrayed by my best friend she ran off with my wife! And that’s not all, she even… even blew me up! Struck me with lightning! I chased her to her home, but as soon as I reached the door, I was captured and thrown into prison, tortured by a dark-faced interrogator. And as if that wasn’t enough, before I left, they beat me with boards for no reason!”

“Today, when I arrived in Ling’an City, I was first mistaken for someone who cleans chamber pots, then beaten by guards, thrown out by a waiter, and just now, chased by a goose! I’ve had such a miserable life!” As he spoke, he wiped the tears from his face. “Hero! Thankfully, I met you! You’re nothing like those who blew me up, struck me with lightning, beat me, or threw me out. You are my benefactor, my reborn parent!”