Chapter 742 Just Friends - I Became the Rich Second-Generation Villain

Su Xuan had always been quite confident in himself, but ever since Wang Haoran had swiped the rug from under his feet last time, that confidence had dissipated. Su Xuan still vividly recalled the scene in the grand hall of the Yin Yue Sect, where three graceful figures nestled in Wang Haoran's embrace. After such an incident, how could Su Xuan not overthink it when he saw Jiang Qingkui walking with Wang Haoran, especially when Jiang Qingkui was noticeably distant from him? Yet, Su Xuan still held onto a sliver of hope. Having been apart from Jiang Qingkui for some time, he reasoned that perhaps she was just taken aback by seeing him suddenly and thus behaved that way. Moreover, with so many eyes around, it was reasonable to think that Jiang Qingkui might feel too shy to call him "Brother Su Xuan" right away. As for why Wang Haoran was with Jiang Qingkui, Su Xuan had a plausible explanation for that too. He figured Wang Haoran must have been enticed by Qingkui's beauty and shamelessly tagged along with her. With his thoughts sorted, the pallor on Su Xuan's face receded slightly. "It's been a while, Qingkui," Su Xuan remarked sentimentally before adding a reminder, "The person next to you has a conflict with me. Why are you with him?" "We just happened to meet on the road," Jiang Qingkui explained. "I don't think it was by coincidence; he approached you deliberately with ill intentions," Su Xuan exposed Wang Haoran's true nature before pausing and continuing, "There are things you might not know. He's already taken Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu away from me." Jiang Qingkui, aware of Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu's existence, was momentarily taken aback and instinctively looked toward Wang Haoran, seeking confirmation with her eyes. "Qingtong and Jieyu are with me now, but using the word 'taken' is a bit narrow-minded. Matters of the heart are a mutual thing, and moreover, you weren't married to them," Wang Haoran explained calmly, then seemingly recalled something and revealed, "Besides, with your fifth limb damaged, what woman would find happiness with you? Isn't it normal for them to leave you?" Su Xuan trembled all over, never expecting Wang Haoran to bring this up in public, and his face flushed red with embarrassment. [Ding, the host has caused protagonist Su Xuan's mentality to suffer, earning 8000 Villain Points, Su Xuan's Protagonist Halo -400, Host's Villain Halo +400!] Hearing Wang Haoran's words, those around them began to eye Su Xuan with peculiar expressions. Jiang Qingkui, still not understanding, asked Wang Haoran curiously, "Don't people only have four limbs? What fifth limb?" "Some people do," Wang Haoran whispered to Jiang Qingkui, enlightening her a bit. Jiang Qingkui's face blushed visibly red at an eye-catching speed. Seeing this, Su Xuan gritted his teeth and, worried that Jiang Qingkui might harbor any misunderstandings, quickly reminded, "As cultivators, even severed limbs can regenerate; this injury is nothing." "It may be nothing, but to fully heal, it'll take at least a year or two. Are you comfortable letting your beloved endure that time?" Wang Haoran laughed. Many people around were stifling their laughter. Some began to understand why Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu left Su Xuan. Su Xuan didn't bother looking at their expressions; just hearing the laughter was enough to picture their derision and ridicule. In his fuming state, he retorted to Wang Haoran, "If Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu want to be with you, let them be. I have no interest in used things. If you want to pick them up, go ahead." "I was clearly first; if that's considered picking up, then so be it," Wang Haoran said with a shrug. Su Xuan's face stiffened. Back when he saw Xu Qingtong, Hua Jieyu, and Hua Feixuan's clingy behavior in the Yin Yue Sect, he had suspected something had transpired. But now, with Wang Haoran bringing it up, Su Xuan felt a different kind of emotion. [Ding, the host has caused protagonist Su Xuan's mentality to suffer, earning 8000 Villain Points, Su Xuan's Protagonist Halo -400, Host's Villain Halo +400!] Wang Haoran chuckled and said to Jiang Qingkui: "Did you hear what nonsense he's spouting? He's even using 'things' to describe women." "Qingkui, don't listen to his nonsense. I didn't mean it that way," Su Xuan, having not realized the loophole in his words out of urgency, quickly explained to Jiang Qingkui upon Wang Haoran's remark. Jiang Qingkui's pretty face sunk slightly, and she remained silent. Su Xuan continued, "Qingkui, besides Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu, this man has many other women around him. It's best if you stay away from someone so licentious!" Hearing this, Jiang Qingkui responded with indifference, "You seem to have many women around you too, don't you?" Su Xuan was left speechless, his face turning a bit sour. Wang Haoran, seeing this, could barely contain his amusement. Su Xuan's attempt to attack him with this was truly too naive. Jiang Qingkui was a heroine with a high level of awareness and had no thought of monopolizing. Jiang Qingkui had known about Su Xuan's many women from the start, and if she minded, she wouldn't have liked Su Xuan in the first place. Having repeatedly failed to upset Wang Haoran, Su Xuan grew increasingly frustrated and declared, "Qingkui, you're my woman, and this man beside you holds a significant grudge against me. I hope you keep your distance from him." With these words, Su Xuan was effectively forcing Jiang Qingkui to make a choice. The previous incident where the rug was pulled from under him had left Su Xuan with some trauma. He was deeply worried that if Wang Haoran continued staying near Jiang Qingkui, she might go the way of Xu Qingtong and Hua Jieyu. It was best to draw a line between Jiang Qingkui and Wang Haoran while they had just met. If it was left any later, things could get precarious. Su Xuan considered that as of now, his relationship with Jiang Qingkui was still closer than Wang Haoran's with her. This was the best time to have Jiang Qingkui decide. But of course, this was all just Su Xuan's wishful thinking. "Miss Jiang, didn't you just say you and Su Xuan are just friends?" Wang Haoran feigned being deeply wounded, asking Jiang Qingkui with a pained expression. Seeing his look, Jiang Qingkui couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and hurriedly replied, "Su Xuan and I really are just friends, not romantically involved." "Qingkui, what did you say?!" Su Xuan couldn't believe his ears. Jiang Qingkui shifted her gaze away from Wang Haoran's face, feeling a bit conflicted, but making a choice wasn't difficult for her at all. Originally, Jiang Qingkui had intended to find a suitable moment to have this conversation with Su Xuan. But now that Su Xuan had brought it up, Jiang Qingkui had to make her choice sooner. Though doing so made Jiang Qingkui feel guilty, as if she were a bad person. But Jiang Qingkui had no time for such feelings now. Her primary concern was that Wang Haoran not feel deceived by her and end up being sad, or worse, ignore her in the future. (End of the chapter)