Song Ye's voice was not loud, but it was steady, as though he were discussing something as ordinary as eating and drinking.
Yet even that single sentence left Bibi Dong suddenly stunned and shocked.
"W-What?"
"Ye'er, what do you mean by... Qian Xunji's design?"
Bibi Dong's voice trembled. The moment she heard Qian Xunji's name, her emotions had already begun to fluctuate.
Not to mention that Song Ye's words involved the key reason she had fallen in love with Yu Xiaogang.
Could it be that, just as Song Ye said, there had been something wrong with her liking Yu Xiaogang?
Could it be that she was never supposed to have liked him in the first place?
For a moment, Bibi Dong's pupils contracted, and her entire body stiffened as she stared at Song Ye.
Seeing this, Song Ye assumed Bibi Dong was merely surprised and slowly explained:
"This all begins with Bibi Dong becoming a disciple."
"From the background I saw of Bibi Dong, she seemed to have been an orphan who was adopted and raised by Qian Xunji from childhood, eventually becoming his disciple."
"Of course, Qian Xunji took a liking to Bibi Dong because of her talent and potential."
"Under Qian Xunji and Spirit Hall's cultivation, Bibi Dong advanced at an astonishing pace. She was even named the Saintess of Spirit Hall, holding immense power."
"Yet Qian Xunji still worried that once Bibi Dong reached adolescence, things like love and emotions would affect her cultivation."
"So, in order to eliminate Bibi Dong's desires, Qian Xunji came up with an incredibly foolish method."
"That was to make Bibi Dong fall in love, then sever that love, hoping that after suffering the pain of desire, she would be able to focus on cultivation and assist him, Qian Xunji."
"Fall in love, then sever it, experiencing the pain of desire?"
As Bibi Dong heard this, her mind grew increasingly muddled, and cold sweat even naturally broke out across her back.
On one hand, she was astonished that her son knew so much. On the other, she was shaken by how bizarre Qian Xunji's thinking was.
If what Song Ye said was true, then was her love for Yu Xiaogang truly Qian Xunji's scheme?
Then was her love for Yu Xiaogang real or false, and should it have existed at all?
That was what Bibi Dong feared most.
She had thought her feelings for Yu Xiaogang had arisen naturally from the heart, but once those feelings were tainted by calculations and conspiracies—
They were no longer pure, but filled with deception.
Then the very foundation of that love would collapse.
She was afraid—afraid that after pouring so much of her heart into it, what she had believed was true love would turn out to be false...
Bibi Dong swallowed and tried her best to calm herself as she asked in a trembling voice:
"Then, then Ye'er."
"What method did Qian Xunji use... to make Bibi Dong fall in love and then sever that love?"
"Was Bibi Dong's love for Yu Xiaogang really orchestrated?"
As Bibi Dong asked that last question, even her voice began to shake.
Song Ye continued explaining:
"It was simple. To make a woman fall in love and then sever that love, naturally you needed to make her fall for a man, only for that man to abandon her."
"So Qian Xunji found Yu Xiaogang, someone glib-tongued, extremely arrogant, yet utterly useless."
"Through illusions, Qian Xunji constantly influenced Bibi Dong, making her continuously perceive Yu Xiaogang's good qualities."
"For example, where we saw Yu Xiaogang spouting empty boasts, Bibi Dong saw him as a man with grand ambitions."
"Where we saw Yu Xiaogang as unruly and defiant, Bibi Dong saw him as neither servile nor overbearing."
"Where we saw questionable character, Bibi Dong saw someone unconventional..."
"On top of that, Yu Xiaogang could plagiarize all sorts of theories, publishing large amounts of common Soul Master knowledge and his own unverified theories, earning himself the title of a theoretical master."
"Not to mention that Bibi Dong had been in her youthful years. Young women were the easiest to deceive with the disguises of blond punks."
"Under the influence of all these factors, Bibi Dong fell in love with Yu Xiaogang."
"That was why a dignified Saintess of Spirit Hall, with a limitless future ahead of her, would instead fall for trash like Yu Xiaogang, even loving him to the marrow!"
"Mom, think carefully. In a fantasy world like this!"
"If there had been no outside interference, would one of the continent's strongest women really fall for a lifelong failure like Yu Xiaogang?"
"Do you think something like that is reasonable?"
"This..."
"I-I don't know. I don't know..."
"How could this be? The love was false!"
"How could my love for Yu Xiaogang be false?!"
Hearing Song Ye's words, Bibi Dong was so frightened that she nearly forgot she still had to conceal her identity.
At that moment, Bibi Dong clenched one fist tight while using her other hand to smack her own head.
It was as if she were locked in an inner battle, with two little figures in her heart arguing and fighting.
One little figure told her to be rational. What Song Ye said was what made sense!
The other kept repeating that she loved Yu Xiaogang, that her feelings and the past four years could not have been fabricated!
Who should she believe? What should she choose?
Were her feelings for Yu Xiaogang real or false?
And should these feelings exist at all?
All of it left Bibi Dong dizzy and overwhelmed. The love she had believed in for so many years was about to turn into nothing but bubbles!
How could she accept that?
Noticing Bibi Dong's abnormal reaction, Song Ye was equally startled.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Mom, are you okay? I only talked about Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang. What's wrong with you?"
"Mom, don't scare me!"
Song Ye was even more confused. He had merely revealed Bibi Dong's secret, so why was his mother this agitated?
It was as though the one who liked Yu Xiaogang was not Dongzi, but her.
Could it be that his mother had immersed herself too deeply, putting herself in Bibi Dong's place and developing feelings for Yu Xiaogang too?
Many women were often like that. After having a dream or watching some romance movie, they would easily put themselves in the story, then start picking fights with their husbands or boyfriends.
Could his mother have that sort of personality too?
With no other choice, Song Ye could only pull Bibi Dong into a hug, hoping to use familial affection to calm her down.
"Mom, calm down! You're not Bibi Dong, you're my mother!"
"Don't get so immersed in it. It must be that crazy woman Bibi Dong constantly talking about Yu Xiaogang that has affected you!"
"Mom, I'm here. I'm your son, don't scare me!!"
The more he spoke, the tighter Song Ye held Bibi Dong.
His short arms were not yet long enough to completely wrap around Bibi Dong's body.
But the warmth from Song Ye slowly passed into Bibi Dong.
Gradually, as Song Ye reminded her and called out to her, Bibi Dong finally recovered slightly.
Feeling herself held tightly and sensing Song Ye's concern, Bibi Dong slowly calmed down.
At that moment, her heart ached beyond measure as she completely began to doubt the feelings she had once held.
Looking at Song Ye, who was still holding her tightly, Bibi Dong finally shed a tear.
"Ye'er..."
"It's okay, Mom. Mom just got too immersed in it, so she was a little frightened."
"I'm sorry..."
********
Dear readers, Qian Xunji's illusion was a patch added by author Tang Sanshao in an extra chapter, and it is also official canon...
Only this way can explain it properly, and only this gives Bibi Dong a reason to stop loving him and torment Gangzi in the future...
Before you continue