Chapter 70 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

He Yunxiao originally thought that Fan Zi Ruo was reading some classic masterpiece, but he didn't expect the girl was actually reading martial arts novels! In addition to the martial arts novel on the table, there was also a serious martial arts weapon encyclopedia. Because it was closed, He Yunxiao couldn't see the content inside the weapon encyclopedia. But just from its thickness, it was very hardcore. It was clear that it was a professional book meant for professionals to read. He Yunxiao suddenly understood why Fan Zi Ruo's admiration for Chu Fan had surged. It was because Chu Fan had recently entered the realm of warriors, with a strong martial spirit about him, carrying a sword. He was the image of a typical martial swordsman. Furthermore, Chu Fan showed off his sword, had an ordinary appearance, and had a determined look in his eyes... He was the prototype of a main character in a pure martial arts novel! No wonder Fan Zi Ruo liked him! "Master He?" Fan Zi Ruo successfully turned on her computer after a slow start. With a plan in mind, He Yunxiao pretended not to notice the martial arts novel on the table, then immediately moved a chair and sat next to Fan Zi Ruo's desk. Due to the current low affinity, He Yunxiao kept a safe distance from Fan Zi Ruo. He sincerely said, "Master said I could come find you after class, so here I am." Fan Zi Ruo asked, "Don't you have classes in the afternoon?" He Yunxiao replied, "Since it's master who teaches me, I'd rather not attend other classes." Fan Zi Ruo calmly responded, "Everyone specializes in their own field. My class might not necessarily be better than others'." He Yunxiao laughed, "Even if Miss Fan's class might not be better than others', Miss Fan herself is certainly prettier than other teachers." [Fan Zi Ruo's favorability has changed from 33 to 31.] Her tone was still indifferent. "Master He, please call me 'teacher' or 'Miss Fan'." He Yunxiao was somewhat speechless. Do you know how hard it is to earn these two points favorability? And it has been diminished by one careless remark! It seemed that this girl didn't like a playful and talkative Master He. He Yunxiao also gathered his thoughts and acted seriously. He said, "Miss Fan, the imperial examination will be held next March. I have missed too many classes before and I'm wondering how to make up for it?" Fan Zi Ruo didn't care about the superficial name of teacher and disciple. She previously corrected He Yunxiao just because he called her "Zi Ruo" too intimately. Whether He Yunxiao called her "teacher" or "Miss," it was the same for her. Fan Zi Ruo got up and took a few classic books from the bookshelf, which were basically the required reading list for the imperial examination. These books were well-known among students taking the imperial examination, and it was a simple task for her to give them to He Yunxiao. He Yunxiao accepted the books and formally stood up from his chair, bowing to Fan Zi Ruo. "Thank you, Miss Fan, for teaching me." [Fan Zi Ruo's favorability has changed from 31 to 32.] Seeing the favorability increase, He Yunxiao secretly rejoiced: Just as expected! "Respecting" is more effective than "teasing" for someone like Fan Zi Ruo who is emotionally stable! Fan Zi Ruo returned the courtesy and said to He Yunxiao, "These books are not difficult. Choose one to study. I'll briefly explain them to you first. Then you can read by yourself. If you don't understand anything, just ask me." He Yunxiao politely said, "This troubles Miss Fan. I initially came to ask for extra lessons after class. It's not right to make Miss Fan spend more effort. I'll study by myself first and ask Miss when I don't understand." [Fan Zi Ruo's favorability has changed from 32 to 34.] Fan Zi Ruo said, "Alright. I'm always here, so feel free to ask me, no need to be polite." After thanking her, He Yunxiao sat back on his chair and pretended to read the book. For He Yunxiao, reading the book was just a front; the real goal was to consume time. For a woman of Fan Zi Ruo's character, the more impatient and eager you are, the more likely you will fail. It had to be done slowly. Let her get used to your presence; then, step by step, slowly walk into her heart. Until one day, when you were not there, she would miss you, regret, and feel empty inside, then it would be a success. Only when He Yunxiao cultivated Fan Zi Ruo's favorability to this level would he be confident enough to proceed to the next step, which was to decrease her favorability for Chu Fan. He could afford to play the long game now. He had decided to visit his wife Nan Zhu in the palace at night, to ease the tension with Fan Zi Ruo. As long as Chu Xiaoxiao didn't rush things, everything would be fine. And He Yunxiao had one more chance to ask Chu Xiaoxiao to do something when they exchanged poems at the Spring Breeze Tower. He had planned that if Chu Xiaoxiao dared to hurry him, he would take her out for shopping using this chance. Clothes? Buy! Jewelry? Buy! Embroidered shoes? Buy! In short, he would raise Chu Xiaoxiao's favorability! With the dry imperial examination syllabus in hand, He Yunxiao couldn't continue reading it. So he started to daydream about what he would do his wife's place at night. Seeing He Yunxiao reading with such concentration, Fan Zi Ruo picked up the martial arts novel and the weapon encyclopedia to read and compare them. After a while, she started to feel drowsy. She was a good sleeper; in the morning, if no one woke her up, she could sleep for a long time. She also liked to sleep while reading, especially when the books were uninteresting. Martial arts novels were interesting, but the weapon encyclopedia was very dull. She thought about resting her head on the table but remembered she wasn't alone; He Yunxiao was there too. She looked up. It was like a painting. He Yunxiao was quietly reading his book. In the afternoon, the sunlight shone through the window, casting colorful and warm light on the table. He sat straight with a proper posture at the table. The sunlight illuminated half of his face, giving him a radiant smile, as if he was thinking of something pleasant. At that moment, Fan Zi Ruo could see the dust floating in the sunlight and the radiant glow on He Yunxiao's face. While she was daydreaming, He Yunxiao noticed something and turned to ask, "Miss Fan, what are you reading?" Seeing his smile, Fan Zi Ruo's heart couldn't help but skip a beat—this was a stronger leap than usual. Fan Zi Ruo did not dodge the question and replied, "It seems Miss Fan has heard that Master He is the most handsome in Yin Capital. Now it seems the rumors are credible." He Yunxiao chuckled, "I praised Miss just now, but Miss didn't allow me to. Now, Miss Fan talks about me." Fan Zi Ruo asked, "How could I not let Master say it?" He Yunxiao didn't dwell on whether she allowed it or not; that wouldn't be interesting. He directly said, "Then I won't be polite. In my heart, Miss Fan is much prettier than other teachers!" This time, the favorability remained at 34 without decreasing. At this moment, He Yunxiao "accidentally" discovered Fan Zi Ruo's martial arts novel. Then "surprised," he asked, "Does Miss Ruo like to read martial arts novels?" Naturally, he changed his way of addressing from "Miss Fan" to "Miss Ruo." "Yes," Fan Zi Ruo replied. "I hardly left home when I was young. I didn't even know what lay beyond Yin Capital's mountains and rivers, and my father didn't allow me to train in martial arts. So, at that time, I found stories about martial artists intriguing. I wondered how I would act if I became a great hero." Looking at the weapon encyclopedia on the table, He Yunxiao suddenly remembered that Du Mei Mei had mentioned that Fan Zi Ruo liked to write novels. So she was reading the weapon encyclopedia to write a novel. He Yunxiao suggested, "Although you can't practice martial arts, you can write. Why not write a novel and make your hero dreams come true?" Fan Zi Ruo responded, "I do want to write, but it's not that easy." Seizing the opportunity, He Yunxiao said, "Is it because you don't know much about martial arts? Well, I do! I know how to use knives, staves, and spears, though I may not be an expert. I can be a model for you to refer to. That shouldn't be a problem." It was a very captivating proposal, but at the same time, she would owe He Yunxiao a great favor, so Fan Zi Ruo hesitated. He pushed the borrowed books toward Fan Zi Ruo and said, "Miss Ruo, teach me writing, and I'll teach you martial arts. Isn't that fair?" "Okay." "Then is it agreed?" "Agreed."