The Abused-Novel Female Lead Holds a Mad Brush - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Beep Beep Beep Beep
Adding a raise was impossible, of course, just as it was impossible for Yu Jiaxue to scram.
System 999 had never imagined in its wild dreams that at the very end of its career, it would encounter such a miraculous existence.
Seeing what was supposed to be the easiest retirement task turn into infernal difficulty in the blink of an eye, the System still refused to give up.
All along the way as Yu Jiaxue was escorted to the Disciplinary Hall, System 999 kept trying to persuade her to change her mind.
[Actually, it’s no big deal. Just do as the original novel did and go admit your mistake…]
“Are you still refusing to admit your wrong?”
A faint sigh came from the corner. Yu Jiaxue raised her eyes and looked toward the sound.
She saw a young nobleman dressed in a moon-white robe with gold embroidery standing in the corner of the dungeon, wearing a jade-inlaid gold crown, looking at her with a face full of concern.
“Junior Sister Xue’er, your actions earlier have already angered the elder in charge. Locking you in the Hall of Repentance right now is nothing more than wanting you to admit your mistake, let alone…”
Droning on with a pile of twisted logic, endless and relentless.
Yu Jiaxue leaned against the iron wall of the cell, narrowed her eyes, and interrupted the other party’s long-winded lecture, “Who are you?”
The young gentleman froze, then let out another sigh, “Is Junior Sister Xue’er trying to anger me on purpose?”
Damn, another logic genius.
Hardened.
Her fists hardened.
Yu Jiaxue took a deep breath, preparing to unleash her true self, when the System hurriedly intercepted.
[He is Yu Lin’an, the second male lead of the original novel. He is extremely polite, gentle, and kind, but a bit indecisive, failing to recognize his own heart for the longest time. During the conflicts between the female lead and the female villain, he chose the female villain several times, constantly persuading the female lead to endure, making him one of the triggers for the female lead’s complete emotional breakdown. After the female lead died, he reached sudden enlightenment, stayed awake for three days and three nights, charged up the mountain to fight his best friend—the male lead—and almost perished together with him—]
“It might be a little impolite, but let me interrupt.” Yu Jiaxue pondered for a moment and asked sincerely, “May I know who the male lead you mentioned is?”
[Who else could it be? Ye Jingtian, of course!]
“…”
“………..”
That thing can be the male lead???
Are you being polite???
Yu Jiaxue, “I don’t want to be polite anymore.”
The System was confused, [Host, what do you mean?]
Yu Jiaxue spat out two words with a smile, “MotherF*cker.”
As the voice in her mind fell, Yu Jiaxue leaned back against the wall with absolute apathy, closing her eyes peacefully.
Just lay flat. It was beyond saving.
This world had better just crash and burn as early as possible.
She was peaceful, but the System got anxious.
[Ahem, people have to grow up! This is the history of a tsundere’s growth! Ye Jingtian just finds it hard to voice his love and hasn’t realized his own feelings yet. Look, once the female lead
Yu Xue died later, didn’t Ye Jingtian instantly reach enlightenment? In the end, he also abandoned the female villain, started over with the female lead, sweet and harmonious, a match made in heaven.]
“Mm-hmm, indeed, indeed, truly a couple to be envied by all.”
Yu Jiaxue leaned against the icy cold wall inside the Hall of Repentance, reading robotically in her mind, “After all, the female lead only died once, while Ye Jingtian has now abandoned the female villain for her! What a heaven-touching, earth-shaking love!”
[…Host, you have to understand, this is the greatness of love!]
“Mm-hmm, understood, understood. Not only do I understand, I even offer my respect and blessings.”
[…]
The conversation was officially dead.
Even though Yu Jiaxue was echoing its sentiment, the System felt deeply uncomfortable listening to it.
How could this person make an utterly ordinary sentence sound so wildly sarcastic?
Good grief. It refused to believe that an experienced old System like itself couldn’t tame an ordinary, pretty human!
[All in all, you must agree to his request and go to the Wushang Main Hall to admit your wrong publicly. This is the only way to pull the plot back on track.]
The System brought out its old set of tactics—hard first, soft later—unbelieving that it couldn’t handle a mere human woman like Yu Jiaxue.
It spoke with deep emotion, [Pulling the plot back on track is also good for you. Only within a familiar plot will the future you know possibly happen, allowing you to be the final winner.]
[Of course, don’t feel like you’re taking a loss either. After all, After I Died, They Went Crazy is an angst novel. The more painful the beginning, the more satisfying the end! Such a development is correct, objective, and logical…]
[Besides, if you don’t go to the Main Hall, do you plan to be locked up here forever?]
This sentence actually hit Yu Jiaxue’s thoughts.
Yu Jiaxue swept her gaze across, looking at Yu Lin’an standing in the corner of the wall, her eyebrows furrowing with quite a bit of disgust.
Now that she knew the future plot, the more she looked at this guy, the more eyesore he became.
Judging purely by face, Yu Lin’an indeed possessed an extremely handsome appearance, worthy of the original novel’s evaluation of “Gentleman Yu, as handsome as a Jade Tree.”
It was just that this person…
A fence-sitter, a weakling.
Pedantic beyond belief, making one itch to beat him up just to vent.
Seeing Yu Jiaxue look back, the dim lamplight highlighted her ethereal, goddess-like face, adding a touch of vitality compared to before.
Recalling how Yu Xue used to timidly call him “Senior Brother Yu” and hide behind his back to cry whenever trouble arose, Yu Lin’an couldn’t help but feel a bit more satisfaction and pity in his heart.
Being locked in the Disciplinary Hall, she must be terrified, right?
Yu Lin’an shook his head.
*Sigh, but Xue’er went too far this time. How could she push Junior Sister Wan’er into the lake out of jealousy?*
Ah well, once she comes out and apologizes to Wan’er, everyone can still live together in harmony.
With such thoughts, Yu Lin’an’s persuasion became a bit gentler, “Just go give Wan’er an apology. You are family after all, and you’ll be seeing each other all the time in the Sword Sect from now on. You can’t just stop talking to each other forever, can you? Where could there be such deep hatred?”
“If it’s over trivial matters like aptitude or swordsmanship, it’s even less necessary.” Yu Lin’an looked at Yu Jiaxue, a touch of helplessness in his eyes, “Xue’er doesn’t need to take those idle rumors to heart. If you like the sword, practice it; if you don’t, that’s fine too. With me around, who else could bully you in the future?”
Holy cow, this speech—no matter what, he’s a master manipulator!
Sure enough, once a man starts being disgusting, women don’t stand a chance.
Yu Jiaxue raised her eyelids and let out a cold laugh.
She originally didn’t want to pay him any mind.
But now, Yu Jiaxue changed her mind.
Yu Jiaxue stood up, copying Yu Lin’an’s previous posture, and looked him up and down condescendingly until he felt uncomfortable all over. Only then did she curl the corner of her lips and speak arrogantly.
“If you want me to go to whatever treasure hall, open the door and take me there quickly. What are you cowering in the corner for? If you’re not embarrassed, I still find it bad luck.”
The gentle, worried expression on Yu Lin’an’s face instantly froze, looking like a clown whose expression management failed, utterly ludicrous.
He had prepared for Yu Jiaxue to weep silently, prepared for her to stay silent, and even prepared for her to break down and hurl herself into his arms to cry.
He had only never expected it to be like this.
Why was she so calm?
What right did she have to be so calm?
A wave of inexplicable anger rose in Yu Lin’an’s heart.
He had grown up in the Yu family since childhood. In Yu Lin’an’s impression, women being gentle, compliant, and dependent on men was the righteous path of balancing Yin and Yang.
Yu Lin’an frowned, “Junior Sister Yu…”
However, before Yu Lin’an could finish, Yu Jiaxue’s tone changed. She let out a profound sigh like a wise elder and said earnestly, “Senior Brother Yu, right? Sigh, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but don’t be so sneaky and whiny in the future. It brings bad luck to your junior sisters, do you know that?”
The System was shocked, [Do you humans really have this saying?]
Yu Jiaxue was extremely calm, “Of course not.”
[Then you…?!]
“Yeah, I’m talking nonsense.”
System, […???]
You know you’re talking nonsense, so why are you so righteous about it!
At the same time, a figure secretly sneaking in the shadows also stiffened, followed by a violent trembling of his body.
Yu Lin’an couldn’t believe his ears, “Junior… Junior Sister Xue’er, what… what are you saying?”
“Telling you to open the door and lead the way.”
Yu Jiaxue rolled her eyes and, before Yu Lin’an could speak to accuse her, let out a well-practiced sigh, “Sigh, Senior Brother Yu, I am very disappointed in you.”
Steal his lines so he has nothing left to say.
Just as anger surfaced on Yu Lin’an’s face, he was stunned again by her heartbroken words. In his hesitation, he saw the certainty on Yu Jiaxue’s face and couldn’t help but be led astray, “What does Junior Sister mean by this?”
“Senior Brother Yu, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before.” Yu Jiaxue shook her head deeply.
Yu Lin’an frowned uncomfortably.
He was extremely unaccustomed to Yu Jiaxue taking control of the topic like this.
In Yu Lin’an’s memory, Junior Sister Yu Xue should be timid and fragile, like a dodder flower. Even if she possessed a celestial appearance and ice-pure skin, she could only depend on others, living by their whims, carefully carving out a way to survive.
She should be looking up to him.
Rather than being like now—even standing in the dark, lightless Disciplinary Hall, she was proud and brilliant, like a beam of sunlight granted by the heavens through a crevice.
The current “Junior Sister Yu Xue” was so confident and uninhibited that even her gaze when sizing people up no longer shifted numbly, but became vividly alive.
And it was precisely her confidence and vitality that terrified Yu Lin’an deeply.
And there was one more thing…
Her words had hit his secret thoughts.
Recently in his sword path, Yu Lin’an had indeed encountered difficulties.
Yu Lin’an involuntarily lost his train of thought, “Did Junior Sister notice something?”
Although he knew Yu Xue’s talent wasn’t high, Yu Lin’an didn’t want to let go of any single opportunity.
He was a man, meant to stand tall. Swordsmanship was a matter of utmost importance.
Yu Jiaxue curled her lips and smiled.
See? Spouting stuff like “cultivation isn’t important,” yet when it comes to himself, he won’t let go of any potential chance to boost his cultivation.
Taking the opportunity to educate the System in her mind, Yu Jiaxue’s face remained extremely serious. She sighed, her tone heavy, “Sigh, Senior Brother Yu, look at you. How handsome and dashing, how brilliant you used to be! And look at you now!”
“Can’t even handle a small matter well, how can you practice the sword? Senior Brother Yu, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but you’re just falling way too short.”
“Look at Little Ye next door. Though he’s gotten a bit frail after hanging around you, his reactions are still very fast, far superior to yours. Now look at yourself…”
Junior Sister Yu Xue said a lot, but seemed to have said nothing at all.
Yu Lin’an’s head was buzzing, getting more and more confused.
*Not quite sure… maybe listen a bit more?*
Yu Lin’an didn’t know that just because he lost this sole upper hand, until their figures disappeared at the end of the long corridor, he—in his dazed state—never managed to chime in with a single sentence.
Having finally waited for Yu Lin’an and Yu Jiaxue to leave, Yu Yinglian, who was hiding in the shadows, broke out into bursts of laughter.
“Eldest Senior Brother, did you see that? The look on that hypocrite Yu Lin’an’s face just now—pfft, hahahahahahahaha! It was truly magnificent! Tamed by a little girl with no spiritual power until he looked like a dumb bird, hahahahahahaha!”
“Recalling Yu Lin’an’s expression, I could eat an extra mountain’s worth of rice!”
“That female disciple is indeed a talent. Tsk, what a shame she joined the Wushang Sword Sect, completely wasted. Otherwise, coming to our Xihe Sect would probably be super interesting.”
“Eldest Senior Brother, say, if that female disciple entered the Xihe Sect, she’d probably go to Chanjuan Peak or Poshang Peak, right? If she really went to Poshang Peak, with that mouth of hers, she’d probably manage to piss Yu Guanghao half to death along the way.”
The youth spoke while walking forward silently.
He was likewise wearing a moon-white robe, except there were no gold or jade ornaments on him. At first glance, he looked much simpler than Yu Lin’an.
And in sharp contrast to that was the youth’s appearance.
Though still young, roughly thirteen or fourteen years old, he was exceptionally beautiful and exquisite, like a Golden Boy under Guanyin’s seat. Compared to the youth, Yu Lin’an’s “Jade Tree in the Wind” was like mud and dust, not striking in the slightest.
The pretty youth was named Yu Yinglian.
Like Yu Lin’an, he came from the Jīn Yǔ Bái Hú Clan, possessing an even more outstanding appearance, yet he was not favored by the clan.
Not only was he incomparable to the pure-blooded next clan leader Yu Guanghao, but he couldn’t even compare to Yu Lin’an, a member of a side branch who had just left.
For no other reason than Yu Yinglian’s talent being too poor.
Being in the Xihe Sect yet remaining unable to condense a soul seal, in the eyes of the Xihe Sect disciples, was truly no different from a useless trash.
Had it not been for Yu Yinglian possessing some other skills, and the Wangshu Peak he belonged to still retaining some of its lingering prestige, he likely would have been ridiculed and bullied so much he couldn’t hold his head up long ago.
And at this moment, this graceful young boy was chattering to the bundle in his arms, “Eldest Senior Brother, what do you think? The one just now…”
In Yu Yinglian’s arms was a snow-white fur ball.
Tiny, the same size as an ordinary cat, a soft and squishy bundle. Yet its ears weren’t erect like a cat’s, but half-folded and drooping down. A pair of cat-like pupils were clear and translucent as black jade, carrying a moist luster.
Almost at first glance upon seeing this cat, three words would pop into everyone’s mind.
Beautiful, fragile, pitiful.
Making one wish to wrap it in their arms, forbidding it from suffering any more wind and rain.
And Yu Yinglian, holding it, seemed to be the same. Though the youth chattered a lot, his movements remained careful throughout.
“Eldest Senior Brother, if that woman—”
Before Yu Yinglian could finish his words, the cat in his arms suddenly leaped up, slapping his elbow hard with its paw pad, using the momentum to bump him into a corner. Almost simultaneously, the faint footsteps of patrolling disciples came from the corner, mixed with a few dying shrieks of birds and beasts.
The sounds drifted further away.
Yu Yinglian pursed his lips, his bright eyes full of anger.
“Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother.” After a long while, Yu Yinglian said softly, “I was reckless on this trip.”
Had it not been for Eldest Senior Brother manifesting an avatar to help him all the way since he entered the Sword Sect, he probably would have perished here long ago, his bones nowhere to be found.
“After returning to the peak, I will go accept my punishment.”
Yet Yu Yinglian did not regret it.
If he hadn’t come here, those innocent beasts locked up in iron chains would have no hope left at all.
The cat-like fur ball in his arms turned its head, glanced sideways at Yu Yinglian, and suddenly transformed into a human form, “You acted recklessly and made a mistake; naturally, you should be punished.”
The voice was blurry and ethereal, hard to distinguish, yet it was extremely pleasant—carrying gentleness within its magnetism, floating in the air like an immortal spirit, as if a deity bowed his head to listen to the sounds of the world.
Yu Yinglian pursed his lips, lowered his head, and did not dare to talk back.
“However, though you did something wrong, what you did was not a wrong deed.”
Yu Yinglian froze. Before he could react, he saw the silhouette smile, tolerant and gentle.
“Also, no.”
The shadow paused, speaking indifferently, “She won’t come.”
Yu Yinglian subconsciously responded, “Why?”
It wasn’t to argue, but purely out of curiosity.
The shadow lowered his eyes slightly, his smile fading a bit more, “It is heavenly fate.”
Just like him, just like that little girl earlier, just like all living things in this world.
All things cycle endlessly, having their own reincarnation, naturally hard to change.
During these years at the bottom of the cliff, Shen Xuezhu would occasionally wonder if he had really done something wrong.
He tried every means to rescue them from the cycle of reincarnation, yet was powerless to watch them jump out of their heavenly fate.
Hearing these words, Yu Yinglian pursed his lips even tighter, a look of defiance emerging on his face.
“Can Eldest Senior Brother arbitrarily judge the outcome based on just the words ‘heavenly fate’?”
He actually wasn’t very familiar with this Eldest Senior Brother.
Revering him, fearing him, admiring him, yet possessing little fraternal affection.
As everyone knew, Shen Xuezhu, the Eldest Senior Brother of Wangshu Peak in the Xihe Sect, was frail and sickly, staying in secluded cultivation all year round. Peak Master Qingyunzi claimed to seek medicine for his disciple and had been gone for years without a trace.
Under various circumstances, several of their junior disciples were not familiar with this Eldest Senior Brother, seeing him only a few times over many years, let alone being close like some other peaks.
Respecting each other like guests was the truest portrayal of their relationship.
Yu Yinglian was grateful for Eldest Senior Brother’s help this time, but he wouldn’t completely compromise his own thoughts because of it.
“If we believe in fate, what hope is there for us cultivators? It would be better to give up early, return to the dust, and enjoy peace and quiet.”
Recalling his own encounters and the soul seal he could never condense, Yu Yinglian let out a cold laugh, “Eldest Senior Brother has been in secluded cultivation in your cave dwelling for a long time. I suppose not only has your cultivation greatly increased, but you can even read heavenly destiny.”
Facing his ‘Junior Brother’s’ rare innocent yet aggressive accusation, Shen Xuezhu’s shadow had a peculiar expression, but the silhouette was shadowy and blurred, making it impossible to see clearly.
He knew Yu Yinglian had completely misunderstood his meaning, nor did he wish to speak up to defend himself.
It took time and effort.
For the current Yu Yinglian, it was entirely unnecessary.
The shadow suddenly dispersed, and with a ‘bang’, transformed back into the original snow-white fur ball. With a gentle leap, it landed on Yu Yinglian’s shoulder.
The weight pressing down on his shoulder calmed Yu Yinglian down a bit. He took a deep breath, recalling this Eldest Senior Brother’s reputation in the Xihe Sect, as well as the reason why Wangshu Peak’s disciples each suffered from defects after Peak Master Qingyunzi left for many years, yet had never been swallowed up or replaced by the peaks below…
It was nothing more than the three words—”Shen Xuezhu.”
Within a stroke of ink, heaven and earth suddenly shift.
Back then, among those who came to Wangshu Peak to provoke them, not a single one didn’t enter standing up and leave broken down.
In the vast Xihe Sect, disciples were numerous and chaotic, coming from different backgrounds with different temperaments, yet the one everyone willingly called “Eldest Senior Brother” had only ever been one person.
—Shen Xuezhu.
Even after years of secluded cultivation, his lingering prestige remained, making people dare not act recklessly.
Yu Yinglian finally felt a bit of pressure, a familiar yet strange lingering fear rising in his heart.
It was as if somewhere, at some time, he had once angered this Eldest Senior Brother and then been beaten black and blue by him.
Strange, he clearly hadn’t spent much time with this Eldest Senior Brother.
Cold sweat broke out on Yu Yinglian’s forehead, “Apologies, I didn’t mean to offend Eldest Senior Brother just now, it’s just…”
It was just that he didn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it, and was unwilling to believe it.
Yu Yinglian pursed his lips.
This touched Yu Yinglian’s deepest scar.
—The soul seal.
Yu Yinglian composed himself, reined in his emotions, and continued to carefully step deeper inside, working hard to find a topic to break this heart-palpitating silence.
“If Senior Brother is willing, why not calculate for me once more: what is the probability of success for my trip?”
The snow-white cat stood gracefully on his shoulder, “I calculated it earlier.”
The cat’s claws were sharp, gripping tightly into his shoulder, causing Yu Yinglian to draw in a breath of cold air from the pain.
He suspected Eldest Senior Brother was taking the opportunity to retaliate for his impoliteness earlier.
“What was the result Senior Brother calculated?”
“Extremely perilous.”
Had he not come, Yu Yinglian would have had zero chance of winning this time.
Yu Yinglian was silent for a moment, then asked, “Then what about after Senior Brother came?”
Shen Xuezhu sighed, speaking gently, “Extremely perilous, a slim ray of life.”
Yu Yinglian, “…”
He felt vaguely mocked.
This kind of mockery even felt strangely affectionate and familiar.
“So, this trip is extremely ominous?” Yu Yinglian guessed.
“No.” The cat standing on his shoulder shook its head, the sharp claws on its paw hooking slightly.
“It is extremely auspicious.”
