"Grandpa, I..."
Chen Nuoyi had just started to speak when the middle-aged man cut her off.
"Nuoyi, I've seen everything you've been doing these past few days."
"I never thought that after leaving the Chen Family, you'd fall so far so fast. Not only have you stopped practicing properly, you've been fooling around with some brat every day after school!"
"Look at yourself, getting mixed up with someone like him. Do you still look like a young lady of the Chen Family? Come home with me. Now."
Grandpa Chen said, despairing that she would never live up to her potential.
Su Yuan: "..."
After being humiliated like that, shouldn't I at least have said something along the lines of, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west; don't bully a poor young man"?
But why wasn't I angry at all? Why did I even feel a little guilty?
Was it because I really had made his granddaughter fall completely into depravity in just two or three days, raising her Saint Fall Degree to a full hundred percent?
If that was the case, then what Grandpa Chen had said seemed... completely right?
Chen Nuoyi was angry when she heard that. She lifted her pretty face as high as she could, braving the abyss-like pressure from the elder before her, and said earnestly:
"I've learned a lot from Su Yuan. I don't think being with him is a form of depravity."
"And besides, Grandpa, do you know how hard it is for ordinary people to make money? If I hadn't learned how to earn money from Su Yuan, how could I have completely left the Chen Family and become independent?"
The more the Girl spoke, the more smoothly the words came. By the end, her voice rang out with even greater conviction:
"I'm not going back to the Chen Family. I can live just fine on my own. Please go home, Grandpa."
Su Yuan silently gave Chen Nuoyi a thumbs-up.
Well said. No wonder she was the Righteous Path Saintess—my first follower.
But clearly, Grandpa Chen had no intention of letting the matter drop. He said impatiently:
"Nuoyi, I can indulge your willfulness for a while. Even if you're rebellious and want to stand on your own, I can choose not to stop you."
"But you're still a young lady of the Chen Family. There are things you have to do. When it's time for the college entrance exams, you must apply to Star River Dao Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects."
Chen Nuoyi froze slightly, furrowing her delicate brows.
"Why?"
Grandpa Chen said coolly, "Li Zhengxing of the Li Family has already been earmarked for Star River Dao Sect. The Li Family intends to form an alliance through marriage with the Chen Family. Once you young people are at Star River Dao Sect, you should spend more time getting to know each other."
As he spoke, he shot Su Yuan a sidelong glance.
"In any case, you can't keep fooling around with a shady brat like this."
Su Yuan: "..."
Mm, here it was. This clichéd development.
As if it weren't enough for the elders of the family to tear apart a young couple who'd secretly pledged themselves to each other, now they had to throw in a rich young master from a prestigious family as the big bad.
Heh. So the main plot was finally clear, then? Before the college entrance exams, I'd have to stomp on everything under heaven, crush that prodigy from the wealthy Li Family named Li Zhengxing, and humiliate both the Chen and Li Families?
Then, once I got to university, the Chen Family, the Li Family, and that brat Li Zhengxing would hold grudges and keep using every trick in the book to suppress and target me, until I wiped out their families as the overpowered protagonist?
But the Chen Family was Chen Nuoyi's own family, after all. Maybe they'd redeem themselves somewhere along the way.
Yeah, right. This kind of brain-dead plot had been outdated for a hundred thousand years!
Su Yuan felt like there was nothing left to say.
Why hadn't I awakened a snark system? I'd be soaring in no time!
And besides, Chen Nuoyi and I hadn't even made any romantic progress. We were just conjugate master and disciple, that was all.
Though there were plenty of stories where the male and female leads had nothing going on, but the villain held a grudge because they'd crossed paths once or twice over some trivial matter.
Still clichéd!
"I refuse!"
Chen Nuoyi was obviously furious about the arrangement. She protested loudly.
Grandpa Chen was unmoved. He said calmly:
"When you fill out your university applications, I'll come by again."
With that, he shut the window of the Flying Boat, which shot up into the sky.
That left Chen Nuoyi and Su Yuan standing there, ruffled by the wind.
Chen Nuoyi clenched her fists and silently watched the black Flying Boat disappear into the distance. After a long while, she spoke softly:
"This is another reason I don't want to go back to the Chen Family. Su Yuan, I'm sorry Grandpa was rude to you just now. I apologize on his behalf."
Su Yuan shook his head and asked:
"So, Class Monitor, what are you planning to do? Are you going to apply to Star River Dao Sect?"
Chen Nuoyi shook her head firmly.
"Absolutely not! I've barely even met Li Zhengxing. Going to Star River Dao Sect to get to know him or whatever was never part of my plans."
Su Yuan continued, "In that case, you should work even harder to improve yourself."
"If one of the other nine top immortal academies besides Star River University recruits you early, maybe you can finalize your university choice before your grandpa steps in."
Chen Nuoyi froze at his words and turned to look at Su Yuan.
A hint of light gradually rose in her bright, slightly reddened eyes, and a radiant smile suddenly bloomed across her face.
"You're right, Su Yuan."
"What about you, Su Yuan? Have you thought about which of the Ten Great Immortal Academies you want to apply to?"
Su Yuan thought it over, then shook his head.
"I haven't decided yet, but Star River Dao Sect is already off the list."
As if. Rich young masters in novels were always insanely vindictive. Even if Chen Nuoyi and I really had nothing going on, he'd still take his anger out on me.
Going to Star River Dao Sect would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
But Chen Nuoyi clearly hadn't thought of that. She seemed to be getting the wrong idea, her pretty face turning a little red as she said earnestly:
"Coach, please keep teaching me how to make more money. Then the two of us can get into one of the Ten Great Academies together."
Su Yuan hadn't noticed the strange look on Chen Nuoyi's face and was about to nod when another piercing whistle suddenly tore through the sky.
The next second, a luxurious Flying Boat with a streamlined hull covered in star emblems descended before them.
This Flying Boat was clearly built for performance, not luxury, but it had to be worth at least as much as the one Grandpa Chen had just taken.
The instant Su Yuan saw it, he had a vague idea of what was coming.
The next second, the Flying Boat's door vanished, and a tall, handsome young man dressed in lavish clothes stepped out. The moment he appeared, he drew the eyes of nearly every woman around.
Su Yuan rolled his eyes.
No need to guess. This had to be Li Zhengxing.
Grandpa Chen had only just left, and now the villainous young master had shown up to stir up trouble. Did he have to be in such a hurry?
Just then, a crisp "ding" rang out in Su Yuan's mind.
[So it's finally come to this?] [The Righteous Path Prodigy who loves the Saintess discovers that the Saintess he treasures above all else has been sneaking away from the sect night after night, acting intimately with a man of unknown origins, even letting him drive her around and humiliate her at will!] ["I'm already his. Please don't come looking for me again!" The Righteous Path Prodigy could even picture the Saintess saying those cold words to him.] [Out of his boundless concern for the Saintess, the Righteous Path Prodigy decides to step in, deal with you, Demon Lord, and rescue the Saintess from her misery. How will you, the Devil Overlord, respond?] [Demon Lord Mission triggered] [Mission: The Tragic Prodigy (in progress)] [The Righteous Path Prodigy and the Devil Dao Magnate are finally about to begin an earth-shattering battle! Defeat the Righteous Path Prodigy utterly and keep the Saintess firmly in your grasp!] [Task Progress: Defeat the Righteous Path Prodigy (0/1)] [Mission Reward: Fate Change ×1]
Su Yuan: "..."
Damn system, did you have to cause trouble right now?
And in this plot, I'm obviously the protagonist, while this rich young master is the villain, aren't I?
Why'd you portray him as a tragic hero? You damn thing, your bias is showing!
As Su Yuan ranted furiously in his mind, Li Zhengxing had already started walking toward him and Chen Nuoyi.
Facing this uninvited guest, Chen Nuoyi was a little nervous. She watched him warily and unconsciously edged closer to Su Yuan.
Su Yuan grew wary, too.
He didn't actually want to get involved, but there was the system mission, and Li Zhengxing had caught him in the act with Chen Nuoyi. It was too late to leave now.
But the brainless, arrogant villainous young master Su Yuan had imagined never appeared.
After carefully looking the two of them over, Li Zhengxing's eyes lit up, and he shot forward like a gust of wind, appearing right in front of... Su Yuan.
Before Su Yuan could react, Li Zhengxing excitedly grabbed his hand and exclaimed:
"Are you Chen Nuoyi's boyfriend? A pleasure, a pleasure, a pleasure! It's so good to finally meet you!"
Su Yuan: "???"
Chen Nuoyi, who had been completely ignored: "???"
Before you continue