Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Master of Zhuohua Palace — Public Debauchery.

As Chang Huichen stepped into the hall, Lyu Shuyao gradually got a clear look at his face.

He had never seen anyone like this.

He was exceptionally flamboyant, with skin as white as snow and red robes that looked like a body-consuming fire. The corners of his fox-like eyes tapered into his temples; when he looked over, it felt like being caught by a charming yet dangerous hook.

Like Lyu Shuyao’s original host, he appeared mysterious and gloomy due to being overly bewitching. However, unlike the original host, his gloominess was worn on his sleeve, carrying the aura of someone who would close his eyes and court death for everyone involved.

Lyu Shuyao’s heart sank. He took back what he said earlier; this man was likely another difficult “crazy batch.”

Su Cheyue sat in his wheelchair, his hollow eyes staring straight ahead, without the slightest hint of a smile. Lyu Shuyao rose to bow on his behalf, only then realizing that the Palace Master had entered without even wearing shoes.

Chang Huichen looked idle and lazy. With a wave of his sleeve, he motioned for the disciples to be seated. Standing in the center of the hall, he reached out to help Jiang Zhiqing up and said, “You’ve worked hard.”

His voice was like a male demon’s from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio—deep, magnetic, and incredibly flirtatious.

Jiang Zhiqing kept her head down, though she was only slightly shorter than him. When he spoke to her, he was almost pressed against her ear. Jiang Zhiqing glanced up at him for a moment before looking down again. “As long as the Palace Master is happy, everything Zhiqing does is worth it. I do not feel it is hard work.”

Chang Huichen tilted his head, peering past her. “Where are the rare guests?”

Jiang Zhiqing silently stepped behind him, allowing him to see the duo.

Lyu Shuyao locked eyes with him and noticed his beauty wasn’t flawless—there was a faint, pale red scar on his forehead.

Chang Huichen paused, then walked over in three quick strides on his thin, white, bare feet. Leaning over the dining table, he stared at Su Cheyue as if looking at a peerless treasure.

This blatant, leering gaze made Lyu Shuyao extremely uncomfortable. But Chang Huichen doubled down, actually reaching out his hand to half-caress Su Cheyue’s cheek.

“Beauty,” Chang Huichen said.

Su Cheyue’s brow furrowed instantly.

“Why does the beauty frown?” Chang Huichen curled his lips into a smile, his fingertips chasing the furrow between Su Cheyue’s brows.

Lyu Shuyao’s temper flared instantly. Before he knew it, he had grabbed the Palace Master’s arm.

Chang Huichen’s movement stopped. When he looked at Lyu Shuyao, there was a spark of predatory provocation in his eyes.

“Young Master Lyu is quite rude.”

“Who exactly is being rude?”

Chang Huichen looked between the two of them. “It seems the rumors that the Su-Lyu marriage was merely a sect alliance are indeed nonsense.”

Lyu Shuyao really hated him touching things. He interjected, “Of course. Cheyue and I have a very good relationship.”

“Is that so?” Chang Huichen countered. “I fear it might just be Young Master Lyu’s wishful thinking.” His other hand gripped Su Cheyue’s fair wrist, squeezing it gently. Su Cheyue’s fingertips twitched in response.

Su Cheyue, are you a fool? You only act tough at home!

Lyu Shuyao gnashed his teeth in anger, though he didn’t quite know what he was angry about. He crouched down, snatched Su Cheyue’s wrist back, and held his palm firmly. He issued a blunt threat: “Husband, do you still want to sleep alone tonight?”

The female immortals across from them covered their faces and giggled in a heap.

To an outsider, this sounded like a wife threatening her husband with a “cold war” in separate rooms. Only Su Cheyue knew it was the opposite—Lyu Shuyao was threatening not to let him sleep by himself.

For some reason, he suddenly felt intrigued; he wanted to see if Lyu Shuyao actually dared to do it. He curled his lips into a smirk, reached out his other hand to hook into Chang Huichen’s sleeve, and gave a tug toward himself.

…Very well.

Lyu Shuyao was so angry he laughed. He squeezed Su Cheyue’s finger bones and whispered in his ear, enunciating every word: “Su. Che. Yue. You’d better wait for me tonight.”

Having had his fill of flirting, Chang Huichen finally walked back to the main throne on his bare feet. Jiang Zhiqing remained by his side, pouring wine from time to time. Chang Huichen drank the wine and casually opened a packet of preserved fruit, popping one into his mouth.

“Second Young Master and Young Master Lyu have traveled thousands of miles to my Zhuohua Palace. I wonder, for what purpose?”

Seeing the Palace Master’s romantic and frivolous manner, Lyu Shuyao decided to stay calm and see how things developed. He nonchalantly raised his glass to drink with Chang Huichen, saying, “The wedding bells have just rung, and the honeymoon is in full swing. We happened to be passing by your palace and stopped in for a look.”

Chang Huichen burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I laugh at Young Master Lyu. You know neither how to serve a husband nor how to cherish a beauty.”

“Why do you say that?”

Chang Huichen’s gaze fell back on Su Cheyue, as if trying to see right through him. “With the Second Young Master’s current condition, staying outside for long is inconvenient, isn’t it?” His red lips, soaked in peach blossom wine, looked ready to drip. He lamented, “Pity, pity. Young Master Lyu claims to be deeply affectionate, but it’s all fake. Why exactly did the Second Young Master marry you?”

Nearby, Jiang Zhiqing suddenly spoke up: “The Palace Master might not know, but the Second Young Master is like you—a man of peerless grace and beauty. Wherever he goes, he is the dream of many a lady. Especially the women of our Huailing in Jiangnan; if the Second Young Master hadn’t married early to quell the passions of all those maidens, he likely wouldn’t have agreed to marry so soon…”

Qinzhu added, “Yes, yes! Does the Master know? Originally, we never thought we’d enter Zhuohua Palace! We only came to ask for the ‘Recruiting Shade’ makeup. Who knew that things would turn out so well and the Master would show mercy and take us in…”

Qinzhu spoke without filter, and Jiang Zhiqing couldn’t stop her in time. “Qinzhu, shut up.”

“Qinzhu is a newcomer and doesn’t know better. Zhiqing begs the Master’s forgiveness on her behalf.” As she spoke, Jiang Zhiqing knelt at Chang Huichen’s feet.

The others at the banquet didn’t even realize what Qinzhu had said wrong, so they could only follow suit and kneel.

What kind of underworld temperament does this guy have? One wrong word and everyone has to kneel??

Chang Huichen propped his head on his temple, his crimson sleeves sliding down to his elbows to reveal pale, thin arms. He turned around, looking down at the kneeling peerless beauty—his head disciple and right-hand woman.

Suddenly, he reached out and hooked her chin.

Jiang Zhiqing’s body trembled, but she didn’t dare move.

“If I didn’t hear wrong, you just said I’m a man of peerless grace?”

Jiang Zhiqing replied submissively, “Yes… yes…”

“I remember a poem from an ancient text,” Chang Huichen said, pinning her with one hand while drinking with the other. “‘His body is like a dandy, fully powdered; his heart is like Han Shou, loving stolen fragrance.'” He squeezed her chin harder, pulling her closer and leaving red marks on her flawless skin. “Are you mocking me?”

…He definitely didn’t hear wrong, but was that the point?? The point had been diverted thousands of miles away by him!

Jiang Zhiqing squeezed her eyes shut, her long lashes shaking. “Your disciple would not dare.”

Chang Huichen stared at her for a long time. The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lyu Shuyao was about to interject with a few words of persuasion when he saw the man suddenly laugh again. This laugh was incredibly sexy—even Jiang Zhiqing, whose life was held in his hands, was dazed. Then, his arm loosened, his red robes fluttered, and in a single turn, he pulled Jiang Zhiqing into his embrace.

Lyu Shuyao: …

No, forget that Zhuohua Palace is morally loose from top to bottom—can you at least hide it from outsiders!!

“What ‘dare or not dare’? You know my heart has only you.” Chang Huichen suddenly adopted a “fool for love” face, whispering softly to the woman in his arms. “How many times must I say it before you believe me?”

Jiang Zhiqing’s face turned completely red in his arms, her words incoherent: “Disciple… I didn’t disbelieve you, Palace Master—”

“What did you call me?”

In front of everyone, Jiang Zhiqing likely hadn’t expected him to suddenly feel so inclined. Her jade-like hands gripped his lapels, and she buried her face deep in his chest out of sheer embarrassment. “I…”

“What did you call me?”

“…Huichen.”

Lyu Shuyao: … For the Reward Order, for the Hatred Value, for Su Cheyue. What else can I do besides endure? At this moment, I think the Second Young Master is lucky to be blind!

Chang Huichen made no attempt to hide, looking for all the world as if he intended to commit a daytime act of debauchery. Right there in the main hall, he turned and pressed Jiang Zhiqing beneath him.

The high platform and dining table blocked the two of them. Since he was barefoot, Chang Huichen didn’t even have to take off his shoes. When he raised his leg, his red robes flared out, momentary dazing Lyu Shuyao.

The female disciples below didn’t even let out a single scream. They simply covered their faces with their sleeves instinctively, appearing completely used to it.

… … …

Sitting on pins and needles, a thorn in the back, a bone in the throat… like a damn mess.

After what felt like a lifetime of seconds passing like years, Chang Huichen looked satisfied. When he rose, his lips were so red they looked ready to drip blood, and even the pale scar on his forehead was stained crimson by the surge of blood.

His eyes were misty, and the corners appeared to be tearing—a wet shimmer, looking as if his temples had been brushed by roses after a rain.

If one didn’t know he was pressing down on a woman, they might mistakenly think he was the one being bullied.

In contrast, when Jiang Zhiqing gathered her clothes to stand up, her expression was natural, save for her heavy breathing.

Lyu Shuyao inwardly sighed at how difficult her life must be.

Chang Huichen half-closed his eyes drunkenly and said lazily, “Hmm? Let’s continue. What was Young Master Lyu saying?”

I was saying… you’re a son of a b—

Lyu Shuyao suppressed his emotions. “I know how to fly a sword.”

“What is he saying?” Chang Huichen pinched the waist of Jiang Zhiqing, who was still half-lying on him. Jiang Zhiqing let out a soft, giggling moan: “Young Master Lyu says… he knows how to fly a sword.”

Chang Huichen began to laugh again. “Who among those present doesn’t know how to fly a sword?”

“My meaning is, I can keep Cheyue safe and sound, allowing him to go wherever he wants and do whatever he pleases, without any obstacles or inconvenience.”

I will be your bluebird.

Su Cheyue tilted his head, his face clearly saying: Shameless boasting.

Chang Huichen let out an “Oh.” “My sword-flying skills are no worse than Young Master Lyu’s. Has the Second Young Master ever toured Huailing? Why don’t I—”

“How the Palace Master’s sword skills compare to mine is something we’ll have to test to find out,” Lyu Shuyao interrupted.

Chang Huichen looked at him with great interest.

“Did I hear right? He wants to compete with the Palace Master in swordplay?”

“I heard the young master of the Lyu family was precocious, but I don’t know his actual strength.”

“No matter how precocious, the Master is ten years older and entered the path so much earlier. There’s no way he can be surpassed!”

Chang Huichen’s hair was slightly messy as he stood and walked down the steps. “How does Young Master Lyu want to compete?”

Lyu Shuyao lifted his thin eyelids to look at him. “Since we were talking about sword-flying, let’s compete in flying.”

“Um… Young Master,” Qinzhu reminded him out of pity, “Do you know that our Master has a nickname in the cultivation world? He’s called the ‘Yinglong Scenting the Plum’.”

The Yinglong is an ancient divine creature. When it soars through the sky, it can travel ten thousand miles a day without disturbing a single cloud. When it dives to the mortal realm to seek flowers and admire plums, it leaves not a single trace in the snow.

It was indeed formidable.

“Do you really want to race me to see who flies fastest?” Chang Huichen tried to pat his head, but Lyu Shuyao dodged. “Sweetheart, you’ll lose miserably.”

“Who said anything about flying fast? What I want to see is who flies the slowest. Does Palace Master Chang dare?”