Gu Tiantian felt a slight pang of disappointment, but she picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp.
The water was exceptionally sweet, leaving a lingering, cooling sensation as it flowed down her throat.
Almost immediately, the anxieties in her mind seemed to be patiently brushed away by an invisible, gentle hand.
A fine drink indeed.
Gu Tiantian offered a faint smile to her sycophant.
The sycophant nearly drooled at the sight.
Truly, this water was excellent.
In their hearts, both reached a silent consensus on the quality of the drink.
Fei Qingsu watched the female protagonist playing her sycophants like a fiddle on the airship, feeling a sense of bewilderment.
They were straying further and further away from the male protagonist’s hideout.
Had the female protagonist not taken any action yet?
Could it be that the effect of the female protagonist halo had dropped to sixty percent?
A few minutes later, Gu Tiantian, who had been basking in the doting attentions of her sycophants, suddenly fainted.
"Junior Sister!"
"Junior Sister, what’s wrong?"
The sycophants scrambled, some channeling spiritual power into her, others feeding her medicinal pills.
Meanwhile, Number One stood on the other side of the airship, his figure shrouded in shadows, watching the group.
Must everyone revolve around Gu Tiantian?
He felt as if something within him had finally come loose.
"Eldest Senior Brother," Number One said, noticing Fei Qingsu approach.
"Junior Brother Song," Fei Qingsu acknowledged.
The sycophants nearby spotted Fei Qingsu and hurried to call him over.
"Eldest Senior Brother, come quickly! Junior Sister has suddenly fainted."
"What was Junior Sister doing before she passed out?" Fei Qingsu asked, his expression solemn as he probed Gu Tiantian’s meridians with his spiritual energy.
Number Two answered immediately, "Junior Sister came to my room and said she wanted me to forge a high-grade bracelet for her. She said bracelets are her absolute favorite..."
"And then?" Fei Qingsu could tell Number Two had more to say.
Number Two’s ears turned red. "Junior Sister promised to accompany me to the Orchid Festival next month."
The Orchid Festival was a holiday held by the Xuantian Sect for its disciples to find romance; appearing together at the festival was a clear sign of mutual affection.
The other sycophants fell silent upon hearing this.
Every sycophant present was a man of extraordinary talent—some were young masters of prestigious families, others were heirs to vast fortunes, and even those without noble bloodlines possessed supreme cultivation talent.
Because they were all part of the female protagonist’s harem from the original plot, they had been forced to coexist. Of course, the female protagonist’s love was selfless; she couldn't bear to be separated from the men who loved her, so they had all amicably formed a new, large family.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Fei Qingsu found it rather amusing; he had guessed what was about to happen.
"Anything else?" Fei Qingsu turned to the others.
Number Three’s expression darkened, and he spoke in a muffled voice, "Junior Sister asked me to buy something for her at the auction..." He paused. "She also promised to accompany me to the Orchid Festival next month."
Number Two retorted, "You’re lying! Junior Sister clearly promised to go with me. You must have misheard; you cannot slander the pure and kind-hearted Junior Sister."
Suddenly, Number Four chimed in softly, "But... Junior Sister promised me, too."
The atmosphere turned even more strained.
In an instant, all eyes shifted to Number Five, who had remained silent until now.
"She did the same for me."
The sycophants: ...…
The scene of a love-rivalry disaster.
Fei Qingsu suppressed a laugh.
The faces of the others grew grim.
Number One—Junior Brother Song—crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
This farce was truly entertaining.
The faint, invisible thread that had held him captive had snapped.
All his reason returned, bringing with it a clarity he had never experienced before.
For the first time, he saw this "Junior Sister" for what she truly was.
How ridiculous he had been—offering his heartfelt sincerity to a girl he viewed as his sunshine, only for her to accept it with feigned warmth while privately weighing its value before tossing it to the ground to be trampled underfoot.
[Plot Deviation Value: 26%.]
[Female protagonist halo effectiveness reduced to 59%.]
"You’re all talking nonsense! Junior Sister is such a kind and innocent girl. You’ve all conspired to slander her! She is absolutely not the person you’re painting her to be!" Number Two roared alone.
"Are you going to misunderstand her just because of one incident? Don’t you know she’s better than anyone? She is our little sun!"
Look at the poor kid—he was so frantic he nearly jumped.
The others fell silent, and a few sycophants began to waver.
That’s right, they couldn't write her off completely because of this one thing.
Seeing their hesitation, Number Two felt emboldened and continued his outburst.
"Junior Sister is the most unique girl I have ever met. She said she didn’t care about my family background. When my life hit rock bottom, when I was covered in scars and blood, and I was sinking into despair, she pushed open my door. The sunlight shone on her face—she was so beautiful."
"She was holding a bowl of fragrant chicken soup. She walked to my side and said—" Number Two drew out his words, "—she said she hoped I would regain my spirit after drinking it. She said life has no limits, and she said this was chicken soup she had made for me alone. The silly girl—I even saw the scald marks on her hands."
As Number Two spoke, he was moved to tears by his own words.
However, he failed to notice that the atmosphere had become even more intense.
No one spoke.
Number Three broke the silence, saying slowly, "Are you sure you heard that correctly? Did she say she only made that chicken soup for you?"
"Are you questioning me? What would I gain by lying to everyone? Of course I heard it clearly, because this is something Junior Sister did for me!" Number Two felt offended by the skepticism.
Number Three sneered, "Junior Sister brought me a bowl of chicken soup as well, and she told me she would only do that for me."
Fei Qingsu produced some melon seeds; he watched the show, munching away as he enjoyed the spectacle.
"She did it for me, too."
"I had some as well."
The remaining sycophants spoke up one after another.
"You must have misheard. The chicken soup Junior Sister made was incredibly fragrant, the meat was tender and smooth, and there were goji berries in the broth—"
Number Two’s words were cut short by Fei Qingsu.
"That was the chicken soup made by Senior Sister Qin from the Imperial Kitchen. If you don’t believe me, go ask Senior Sister Qin yourself." Fei Qingsu put an end to the farce.
[Plot Deviation Value: 30%.]
[Female protagonist halo effectiveness reduced to 58%.]
As soon as he finished speaking, the sycophants, who had been gathered around Gu Tiantian, immediately dispersed and stood separately.
Only Number Two remained, stubbornly clinging to his delusions.
He continued to accuse the others of ingratitude.
Eventually, he was silenced by a heavy punch from one of the other sycophants.
He stopped speaking, opting instead to silently guard the unconscious Gu Tiantian.
Only five hours remained until the end of the trial.
Fei Qingsu received a transmission from the Sect Leader, ordering him to lead his team out of the secret realm immediately, as the gate would close in five hours.
"Eldest Senior Brother... Eldest Senior Brother, I have an emergency! Stop the airship and turn it in the opposite direction!" Gu Tiantian finally opened her eyes; these were the first words she uttered.
"Junior Sister, stop making a scene. In five hours, the gate to the secret realm will close. Once it shuts, the entire realm will collapse into nothingness. Anyone left inside will die instantly," Fei Qingsu explained coldly.
Gu Tiantian had not yet realized the change in her sycophants. She turned to them, seeking help.
Usually, you are so eager to please me—why aren't you speaking up for me now?
However:
"I support Eldest Senior Brother’s decision."
"Junior Sister, you cannot keep acting like this."
The sycophants chimed in one by one, some even casting accusatory glares at Gu Tiantian.