Wu Feng, why are you still steaming?!

Zhang Lexuan's reaction was a little excessive-at least, it was in Su Yuan's eyes.

Knowing Zhang Lexuan's personality in the original story, he understood perfectly well that she only showed major emotional fluctuations when dealing with Bei Bei. Otherwise, her rationality was almost on par with Xu Jiujiu, who sat beside him.

If even Zhang Lexuan reacted this strongly, it could only mean the system entry's effects were stronger than Su Yuan had imagined.

That was a good thing.

The stronger the entry, the easier it would be for Su Yuan to cause mischief.

"Hehe, once I get to Shrek, I'll have some proper fun with you." Su Yuan smiled faintly and withdrew his gaze from Zhang Lexuan.

At the same time, he noticed Ning Tian, the Young Sect Master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, chatting and laughing with a group of sect disciples elsewhere.

This was Su Yuan's first time seeing the Young Sect Master since leaving the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Wu Feng wasn't following her, however. Instead, there was another girl with the same waist-length red hair. Rather than leather clothes, she wore an off-the-shoulder dress, and her temperament seemed reserved and gentle.

Oh, the tragedy!

Wu Feng had been optimized out!

Su Yuan observed 0.1 seconds of silence for that horny furry Wu Feng, then immediately broke into a radiant grin filled with schadenfreude.

Served her right!

Ning Tian also noticed Su Yuan smiling in her direction. A little taken aback, she apologized to the other sect disciples around her, then came over with the red-haired girl beside her.

"We meet again. How have you been lately?" After the two of them sat down opposite Su Yuan and Xu Jiujiu, Ning Tian greeted him warmly, then nodded to Xu Jiujiu.

"Your Highness."

Xu Jiujiu raised her glass slightly but said nothing, leaving them room to talk.

"Pretty good. Coming back to Star Luo City was just like coming home. I haven't had any trouble settling in. Thank you for your concern, Young Sect Master Ning." Su Yuan grinned, a little puzzled as to why someone with Ning Tian's emotional intelligence would choose such a tactless opening.

Can't you tell how I'm doing, Young Sect Master Ning?

Compared to my days at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, I'm living the good life now. I've got a peak level 98 powerhouse backing me, and my food and necessities are on par with yours, a sect princess whose wealth rivals a nation's.

Even the person sitting beside me is an imperial princess, and we interact as equals.

What could possibly be bad about my life?

As Ning Tian listened to Su Yuan's answer, the words she wanted to say lodged in her throat.

Exactly. Why did I ask such a stupid question?

He's no longer that powerless, insignificant outer sect disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. With Wang Xian'er backing him, even an imperial prince wouldn't outrank him.

Even I have to find a way to get closer to him now, don't I?

Ning Tian smiled, though only she knew how much bitterness that smile contained.

If only I'd known...

Sure enough, whenever a broken-engagement plot unfolded, someone was bound to regret it. Ning Tian was merely regretting it in Wu Feng's place. Unlike that brainless idiot Wu Feng, Ning Tian understood far better just what the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had missed out on this time.

For a while, she sat with her head lowered, at a loss for words.

Ning Tian, who had studied aristocratic etiquette and social graces since birth, suddenly felt that everything she had learned was terribly inadequate. Her normally eloquent mouth seemed to have been locked shut, unable to open at all.

Fundamentally, Ning Tian had done nothing wrong. She had even been unaware of the matter from beginning to end. The instant she learned that Wu Feng had broken off the engagement, her first thought had been how to make amends and salvage the situation.

Even from Su Yuan's perspective as the victim, there was no way to blame her.

You couldn't attack a neutral target you couldn't lock on to.

"Young Sect Master Ning, didn't Wu Feng come with you this time? Also, this young lady looks a little unfamiliar. Won't you introduce her?" Seeing Ning Tian's dejected silence as she lowered her head, Su Yuan still offered her a way out.

Ultimately, he simply wasn't attracted to Ning Tian's looks. There was no actual conflict between them, so there was no need to make their relationship too strained.

She was a wealthy woman, after all. Another connection meant another road open to him.

Faced with the way out Su Yuan offered, Ning Tian abruptly raised her head, light returning to her dim eyes.

"Feng? My father said she was too impulsive and needed some time to settle down, so he sent her off for special training." Ning Tian's eyes held a smile as she spoke in a helpless tone.

"As for the girl beside me, she's the new companion my father arranged for me after transferring Feng away. Her name is Fu Yu. Though I suppose she isn't exactly a new companion-Yu grew up with me as well."

"Hello, Young Master Su." Hearing Ning Tian introduce her, Fu Yu stood up, lifted her skirt slightly, and dipped into a curtsy toward Su Yuan. "My name is Fu Yu, and I'm the Young Sect Master's attendant. You can call me Fu or Yu."

"Mm, hello." Su Yuan smiled and nodded, gesturing downward with his hand. "No need to be so formal. Don't stand; sit down and talk."

"You're much easier on the eyes than that Wu Feng. Honestly, back when I was still at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, there were several times I could barely stop myself from giving her a couple of punches."

"Sister Wu Feng only seems a little hot-tempered because of her martial soul. She's actually a very good person." Fu Yu smiled with pursed lips, keeping her manner humble.

"If I want to stay beside the Young Sect Master and help ease her worries and solve her problems, I still have plenty to learn from Sister Wu Feng."

Hearing this, Su Yuan was filled with solemn respect. His expression resembled those two men from The Mermaid as he leaned back tactically, his face utterly grave.

An expert!

The moment an expert opened her mouth, you knew whether she had the goods. That manipulative sweetness practically spilled through the screen, her league utterly annihilated Wu Feng's, and this younger sister's beauty had a certain charm!

Of course, the third point wasn't the important one.

"Yu, you don't need to speak up for Feng. Her temperament really does need to change." Seeing Fu Yu's sugary-sweet act, Ning Tian couldn't help recalling how Wu Feng blustered and shouted all day long. She rubbed between her brows, a headache coming on.

Only after leaving Wu Feng did Ning Tian realize that it hadn't been raining outside at all. The person working beside her really needed to be gentle and steady, rather than someone who required her, the Young Sect Master, to clean up after them.

In the end, she had given Wu Feng far too much sisterly affection!

This round was a complete defeat for Wu Feng!

Far away at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Wu Feng was still sweating away in the Mimicry Training Ground even after sunset. For some reason, a chill ran through her body. Although scorching fire-attribute ores surrounded her, she felt as though heavy snow had suddenly begun falling from the sky.

[Ding-]

[The host has triggered an iconic scene. The corresponding entry [A Spray of Plum Blossoms] is available for extraction.]

[[A Spray of Plum Blossoms]: Snow~flakes~ drift and flutter, the north wind sighs and whispers~♬ With this entry equipped, whenever three people are together but the third doesn't deserve a name, the exclusive theme music of the Tidal Trickster, Yuan Hua, will play automatically!]

[[A Spray of Plum Blossoms]: The host has received Yuan Hua's blessing. Extract and equip this entry to gain the highest access privileges for the king of players' divine weapon, the [Sea God Trident]. And you, my host, are the true Sea God!]

"?"

Su Yuan, who had merely been enjoying the show, suddenly looked utterly bewildered when he heard the system chime again.

Wu Feng, why are you still steaming?!