Chapter 4 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

"Like no green plant can resist the sunlight, no one can resist He Yunxiao's radiant smile. The He Yunxiao of the past was nothing but an unscrupulous scoundrel. But now, he has transformed into a bright and morally upright young man, nurtured under the red banner and the warm spring breeze. This kind of change, from the inside out, is quite terrifying. Even though the current He Yunxiao is trying hard to imitate some of his past habits and actions, his ideologies and inner essence cannot be imitated. This leads to his smile currently possessing an extremely positive and influential charm. Without understanding, anyone would think that He Yunxiao is a patriotic and loyal young man serving the court dutifully. But unfortunately, everyone in the capital city has heard of the misdeeds done by He Yunxiao. It's not that He Yunxiao is exceptionally wicked, it's just that his distinctive appearance makes anything he does quickly spread throughout the city. Even many young ladies, who curse and scold him during the day for being rude and arrogant, secretly buy copies of his paintings to admire at night. He is truly a popular figure in Daqi. Du Yinyun was momentarily stunned by He Yunxiao's smile, but she quickly regained her composure, turning her head away, pretending to be disinterested in the martial arts contest happening below the stage. On the other hand, Jiang Wuyou eyed He Yunxiao with reproach and said, "This is the observing platform, what mischief are you up to again? Do you find your reputation lacking?" Although this was reproachful, He Yunxiao felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing it. Truly, Jiang Jie has an 80% favorability rating! She understands that I often act out of line and advises me to behave and maintain a good reputation. Even though I know it's wrong, I refuse to change. But compared to ruining my reputation, Chu Xiaoxiao's brush in private is more terrifying! And it's a double-edged sword for both me and Du Meimei. Given the choice between two evils, I'm sorry, Du Meimei, the people in the city didn't mean to set you up." He Yunxiao did not directly respond to Jiang Wuyou's reproach but pretended to be still, pleading, "Jiang Jie, please pick one quickly, I can't hold it much longer." Even for a martial artist, it was no easy task to hold up a table full of food. Seeing He Yunxiao struggling, Jiang Wuyou softened her tone slightly and compromised, "Set down the dishes. You can go." Efficiently, He Yunxiao placed the table aside, then moved a chair and sat next to Jiang Wuyou. Privately, Jiang Wuyou intended to give He Yunxiao some silver, but publicly, she was very conscious of upholding her own reputation. Associating intimately with the "renowned figure of Daqi" He Yunxiao in public was not a good idea. Moreover, Jiang Wuyou was an exceptional dancer, ranking at the top in her field. She was not only registered with the Ministry of Rites but also, at last year's Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, she was the finale performer, gaining fame in the capital city. Seeing He Yunxiao sitting next to her, she pushed him disapprovingly and said, "I told you to set down the dishes, why did you also sit down?" He Yunxiao pretended to be stunned, "Huh? Aren't I just your dish?" "Pfft." A young lady sitting beside them directly sprayed the tea she was drinking, and the others on the observing platform couldn't help but chuckle. Jiang Wuyou pretended to be displeased, but the slight upturn of her mouth couldn't conceal her amusement. She lightly scolded He Yunxiao, "You little rascal." He Yunxiao grinned mischievously and served Jiang Wuyou food and poured wine for her. Not everyone could handle such cliché lines. He Yunxiao dared to do so purely due to his extraordinarily handsome face and the current 83% favorability rating. The conversation between the two did not escape Du Yinyun's ears. She took a sip of the tea on the table and found it unusually bitter. On the stage, Chu Fan had just emerged victorious over his opponent. As the gong-bearer announced, "The match is over," the five beautiful young ladies on the observing platform began evaluating the contestants. Previously, everyone's attention was focused on He Yunxiao, and they did not notice what was happening on the contest stage. However, this didn't perplex anyone as Chu Fan's win meant the other person had lost. By giving Chu Fan a higher score and the other person a lower one, they could easily handle it. After all, this was just the first round, winning this match wouldn't affect the final scores. When there were only a dozen or so contestants left to compete for the top ten spots in the next round, that would be a fiercely competitive situation. Jiang Wuyou wrote down "6" and "4" without much thought. After all, a match was scored out of ten: Chu Fan received six points, and naturally, the other person received four. He Yunxiao said, "Jiang Jie, your scoring is incorrect." Jiang Wuyou asked curiously, "Why is it incorrect?" "During the match just now, although the two fought fiercely, if you observe closely, Chu Fan used righteous swordsmanship and also held back. His opponent, on the other hand, used ruthless and vicious moves all the way. After the match, Chu Fan's clothes were unruffled, and he was composed and at ease, while the other person was panting heavily." Jiang Wuyou's eyes lit up, and upon careful consideration, it seemed to be true. She was just surprised that He Yunxiao noticed all of this. Not only did he not disturb the proceedings, but he also impartially shared his observations. "What about 'seventy-thirty'?" "At most 'ninety-ten'," He Yunxiao said. "But 'ninety-ten' isn't very auspicious. Warriors always care about face, so Jiang Jie, how about an 'eighty-twenty'?" "Why isn't 'ninety-ten' auspicious?" Jiang Wuyou asked, puzzled. As a courtesan who frequently danced in the palace, she was particularly sensitive to matters concerning "auspiciousness." He Yunxiao smirked but didn't know how to explain. He could only make up some excuses to pass it off. Fortunately, his Jiang Jie trusted him enough and didn't inquire further, so the matter was dropped. The observing platform was not large, and the five women sat close together. He Yunxiao's voice was not subdued in the least, so the five identical scoring cards were handed over to the gong-bearer to announce. Du Yinyun's mood was quite complicated. She never expected that while she was neglecting to observe the match, He Yunxiao was paying attention. Not only did he notice, but he also spoke impartially, justifiably and provided reasoning while scoring. This was utterly different from the usual rumors about him and his behavior just now. Previously, He Yunxiao was a troublemaker, unreasonable, and a spoiled young master who stuck close to Jiang Wuyou. His evaluation of the martial arts, however, made it seem like he was a knowledgeable teacher, quoting classics and reasoning, which made people have to acknowledge it. It seemed that Jiang Wuyou had perceived what Du Yinyun was thinking, perhaps because she herself had questions. "Master He, the gentleman from Chu in the arena, is he your friend?" He Yunxiao really played it up! "I don't know him. Today was the first time I met him." "If you don't know him, why are you talking to him all the time?" He Yunxiao held Jiang Wuyou's white and tender arm, crying out for injustice, "Jiang Jie, I'm wronged! The swordsmanship Chu Fan used is one my master taught me during my childhood. Unfortunately, I was playful and reluctant to learn, often failing in my studies. For this, my master was often reprimanded by my father." "Chu Fan using this swordsmanship makes me think of my master. It's a pity that when I wanted to see my master again, he had long passed away..." He Yunxiao's exaggerated crying brought back Du Yinyun's attention, shaking her emotionally. Childhood memories often made her complain about her strict father and his long absences, even for months. However, when her father fell and the entire Du family collapsed, she felt her father's pressure, sadness, and responsibility. Daqi was built on martial prowess, but after three hundred years, martial strength dwindled as cultural influence grew, especially after the Chu Tianzhu incident, causing anxiety among all the court's military officials. He Yunxiao’s dramatic performance stirred feelings among the ladies on the platform with its soap opera-like story, especially Du Yinyun, who felt the deepest resonance. But, her thoughts were interrupted when He Yunxiao, who was holding Jiang Wuyou's hand, found it too difficult to focus on observing Du Meimei. After all, Jiang Jie's hand was too tender! [Du Yinyun's favorability increased from 25 to 55] What? Such a big increase? She really is too young. One display of his shine coupled with shared empathy secured a 30-point favorability increase? If I work a little harder tonight, could I possibly raise it to 80 and gain a strategy reward? He Yunxiao suddenly felt a chill down his spine as he seemed to see Chu Xiaoxiao smiling at him with a firewood blade in her hand. Stay calm, don't get carried away! The primary task is to ensure this unfortunate girl doesn't go see Chu Fan! Otherwise, someone will really die indeed!