This is absolutely preposterous!
Thinking about how he had been framed for no reason at all, Ye Xuan felt his anger rising. He gave Zhu Zhuqing a reassuring look, then stated solemnly, "Hey, Xiao Wu, don't go spouting nonsense. My fiancée is Zhu Zhuqing now, so don't you go making her misunderstand."
"First of all, I’ve never entered, let alone come out, and certainly not the 'in-and-out' nonsense you're implying. Secondly, as for you wanting to follow me—I wouldn’t even look your way. It seems you and Tang San are quite close; were you lovers in the past, perhaps?"
"Second-hand goods. I wouldn't even take you if you paid me to!"
Xiao Wu’s breath hitched. The damage caused by the words "second-hand goods, I wouldn't even take you if you paid me to" was simply too great, especially when accompanied by Ye Xuan’s look of utter disdain. For a moment, she even forgot the pain of separating from Brother San. She immediately scrambled to clear her name. "Ye Xuan, don't talk nonsense! Tang San and I were only like siblings; we were never lovers!"
Ye Xuan smiled noncommittally.
Tang San, however, felt his heart turn completely to ash. Xiao Wu’s desperate attempt to prove her innocence was exactly like a puppy begging for affection in front of its master. The goddess he dared not touch was acting like a sycophant for someone else—the kind who would lick between his toes and call it sweet. In an instant, Tang San’s heart grew cold as stone; he was done with love. Perhaps only this could barely protect what little pride he had left.
Ye Xuan yawned. "Even if you really have nothing to do with Tang San, I’m still not interested in you. I don’t take in every stray cat or dog; one fiancée is enough."
What did Ye Xuan mean by that? Was he saying she was far inferior to Zhu Zhuqing? Women are strange creatures. Even the closest of best friends will harbor comparisons in secret. In fact, the closer the friendship, the more intense the rivalry. Xiao Wu, of course, was unwilling to admit she was worse than Zhu Zhuqing. She bit her lip and said, "Zhuqing is wonderful, but I’m not bad either! Ye Xuan, you haven't tried it yet—how do you know who is better?"
This was utterly outrageous! Xiao Wu was essentially asking Ye Xuan to try them out for himself to see who was more "supple." Tang San felt as if a green light were shooting into the sky from his forehead. The humiliation was boundless. Two words popped into his mind, unbidden: "Slut" and "Adulterer."
*Good grief! So that’s how it is, Xiao Wu! After all these years of treating you like a sister, I never imagined you were such a social climber. Hardship truly reveals one's true colors!*
"Shut your mouth!"
A voice grinding with teeth pulled Xiao Wu out of her competitive spiral with Zhu Zhuqing. Hearing Tang San’s roar, Xiao Wu snapped back to reality. A wave of shame washed over her.
*Oh god, what am I doing? I’m actually acting jealous with Zhuqing while Brother San is standing right here... But... Brother San is angry. Isn't this exactly what I wanted?*
*Fine. Let Tang San detest me. The more humble I am in front of Ye Xuan, the harder the blow to Tang San. In order to protect his remaining dignity, he will choose to hate and distance himself from me.*
*Brother San... even if you treat me like an enemy in your heart, as long as it doesn't implicate you, I can bear it all. As for myself, I will try my best to survive, by any means necessary! In the future, if we are lucky, perhaps we can be together again.*
Xiao Wu’s intentions were good, but she seemed to have intentionally overlooked something. Once she had been "with" Ye Xuan, she would be tainted in Tang San’s eyes. Would he ever treat her the same way again? Regardless, at the very least, Xiao Wu just wanted Tang San to give up, to stop seeking revenge and avoid falling into danger.
Just then, the sound of Tang San grinding his teeth reached them. "Xiao Wu, I never thought that you, whom I grew up with, were such a cheap slut—lascivious and shameless. Truly, one can know a person’s face but not their heart! Does power really mean that much to you?"
Xiao Wu replied coldly, "I don't know what you're talking about. Tang San, everyone makes their own choices. You have no right to judge me. Mind your own business."
"Don't flatter yourself. Who do you think you are to me? Even if we swore to be siblings, from this moment on, our relationship is completely severed!"
Tang San roared, "Severed, then! I, Tang San, don't care to associate with someone like you! You bitch! You whore!"
Xiao Wu’s expression remained unchanged. Tang San's words didn't seem to affect her, yet her heart was bleeding. She turned toward Ye Xuan. "Brother Ye Xuan, kind sir, won't you let me follow you? I'll wash your clothes and cook for you. I'll be very obedient. I never even did these things for Tang San before..."
Tang San vomited blood repeatedly. His hatred for Xiao Wu now even surpassed his hatred for Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan said awkwardly, "Isn't this moral blackmail? I'm too embarrassed to refuse you now. But if you want the same treatment as Zhu Zhuqing, I’m afraid that won't work. After all, I’m not a promiscuous man. I am very dedicated, you know."
*Oh, this man... wasn't it already settled? I took the initiative to offer to go with him, and he’s still here putting on an act and making excuses. It’s infuriating!*
Xiao Wu was a bit depressed, but her persona was already set. She looked at Ye Xuan pitifully. "I beg you, kind sir, please just take me along."
Ye Xuan took Zhu Zhuqing’s hand and frowned. "You really are a persistent one. But I’ve already said you can't be compared to Zhuqing. So, if you insist on following me, you’ll have to be a little pet."
*A little pet!* Xiao Wu was furious; she almost flipped out on Ye Xuan! But in the end, she lowered her proud head. "If I can be a little pet, then I am very satisfied..."
*You bitch, you bitch! What is so good about that Ye Xuan? Fine, Xiao Wu is willing to cut ties with me for him, but to even act so cheap and low just to be his pet! Her eyes are filled with such affection—what is she doing? What is she doing?!*
Tang San’s resentment kept building. His eyes began to glow with a purple hue, which deepened, shifting into a dark, abyssal black. Faintly, there were signs of him falling into madness! Once a Spirit Master falls into madness, they either undergo a drastic change in personality and disown their kin, or they sink into the path of an Evil Spirit Master, committing every imaginable atrocity.
Ye Xuan naturally noticed this. He didn’t react much, simply smiling lightly. *If Tang San falls into madness, won't that be even more fun? A life of invincibility is too dull; one always needs some seasoning.*
Ye Xuan reached out, opening his palm toward Xiao Wu. "Come here and let me pat your head."
Xiao Wu bit her lip. Without much hesitation, she walked obediently to Ye Xuan, knelt slightly, and placed her head under his palm. Ye Xuan didn’t move his hand, so she rubbed her head against his palm herself, demonstrating her submission through the action.
Truth be told, she really did look a bit like a pet. Self-taught—worthy of a reward!
Just then, Ye Xuan felt the hand he was holding—Zhu Zhuqing’s—being squeezed tighter by the little kitten. He was stunned for a moment, then felt things becoming quite interesting. It seemed that no matter how cold and aloof the little kitten was, once someone else started fighting for "food," she couldn't help but want to guard her territory.
Ye Xuan didn't stop her. He suddenly understood why the palace intrigues he had read about in historical dramas were so intense, and yet why emperors were so tolerant of them. The emperor was almost always the beneficiary of such struggles. Weren't all the concubines fighting just to win the emperor’s favor?
Indeed, the human world was much more interesting. The gods in the God Realm were all scared to death whenever they saw him, which was truly tedious. It was far more fun to watch a little kitten and a little rabbit fight each other.