Not on the same path

"Miss Fang!"

Su Qingrou cried out in delighted surprise and hurried over to greet her. "What brings you here?"

"Qingrou, I happened to be passing by on an errand today, so I thought I'd stop in."

Fang Ruyu's face was wreathed in smiles, her voice gentle.

"Come, sit inside. I'll make you some tea." Su Qingrou wiped her hands on her apron and prepared to boil some water.

Fang Ruyu waved her hands repeatedly. "Don't trouble yourself, Qingrou. I'll leave after a few words with Chen Shi'an."

Su Qingrou's face lit up at that. "All right, you two talk. I need to go out and buy a few things anyway."

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to leave us alone. Didn't she say it would only take a few words?" Chen Shi'an spoke softly, regarding Fang Ruyu with indifferent eyes.

He had already guessed why Fang Ruyu had come.

Su Qingrou scolded him. "Shi'an, how can you speak like that? Miss Fang is our guest."

Chen Shi'an raised his eyelids slightly. "Miss Fang, whatever you have to say, please get on with it."

Fang Ruyu looked at Su Qingrou and said apologetically, "Qingrou, what we need to discuss is very important."

Su Qingrou smiled softly and was about to leave them alone.

But Chen Shi'an turned first, strode toward his room, and pushed the door open.

Seeing this, Su Qingrou's expression visibly changed. Once again, she remembered that little "incident" that night.

Fang Ruyu hesitated briefly, then hurried after him.

Once Fang Ruyu entered the room, Chen Shi'an was about to close the door when Su Qingrou hurried over.

"Shi'an, leave the door open. If someone sees you, they'll gossip. That won't be good for you."

Chen Shi'an blinked. "Sister-in-law, it'll only take a few words. There's no need to be so cautious."

"It's better to be cautious."

Smiling, Su Qingrou called into the room, "Miss Fang, take your time. I'll be right here in the courtyard."

Chen Shi'an caught her meaning. Su Qingrou wasn't worried about him at all-she was clearly worried about Fang Ruyu.

Ah!

It seemed he would have to work harder to completely change Su Qingrou's opinion of him.

Sighing inwardly, he turned his gaze to Fang Ruyu. "Go on. Why have you suddenly come to see me?"

Fang Ruyu's eyes roamed over the sparse but tidy room, finally settling on the bookshelf beside the bed. "You read too?" she asked in surprise.

Chen Shi'an curled his lip. "Fang Ruyu, I don't think there's any need for us to reminisce. Just tell me why you're here. I've got things to do."

Fang Ruyu frowned, irritation appearing on her face. "Chen Shi'an, do you really hate me so much that you can't even be bothered to speak to me?"

Even at Windrise Martial Academy, where prodigies gathered like clouds, she was a center of attention. The moment she entered the academy, numerous disciples had flocked around her, finding every excuse to curry favor.

Yet now, she could clearly feel that Chen Shi'an was genuinely impatient. He wasn't playing some game of letting her go to reel her in.

"Since you won't say it, I'll say it for you."

Chen Shi'an's face was expressionless. "Deputy Dean Lu sent you, didn't he?"

Fang Ruyu froze. She was about to protest when Chen Shi'an continued, "Go back and tell Deputy Dean Lu not to be impatient. As I said, when the time is right, I'll visit him again."

With that, he turned to leave.

Right now, he needed to race against the clock to increase his Sword-Draw count. How could he spare the time to dawdle here with Fang Ruyu?

Fang Ruyu was certainly attractive, but once he became a Ranked Martial Artist and made a name for himself in Windrise Stronghold, would he ever lack women?

"Wait."

Fang Ruyu spoke urgently and hurried in front of Chen Shi'an. "For the sake of our former engagement, could you do me a favor?

"As long as you're willing to help me, I'll reward you generously."

Chen Shi'an shook his head helplessly. "Fang Ruyu, I admit I underestimated you.

"I truly never imagined that, after everything, you'd still have the nerve to bring up our engagement."

Fang Ruyu's pretty face flushed. "Chen Shi'an, I know I wronged you over the engagement.

"But you should also understand that I'm an academy disciple now. You and I no longer belong to the same world. Forcing us together wouldn't do either of us any good."

Chen Shi'an scoffed. "Miss Fang, if that's the case, why did you come running here so eagerly today?"

Fang Ruyu's face grew even redder. "Chen Shi'an, if you'll help me, I'll give you fifty taels... no... I'll give you a hundred taels of silver.

"I know your family is struggling. With those hundred taels, you wouldn't have to worry about your livelihood for at least ten years."

Chen Shi'an narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Fang Ruyu.

The room was somewhat dim, yet Chen Shi'an's eyes shone brightly. Under his gaze, Fang Ruyu's heart trembled, and she nearly turned and fled.

But remembering the purpose of her visit, she forced herself to stay.

"Does your Fang family have that much silver?" Chen Shi'an asked mildly.

Delight appeared on Fang Ruyu's face. "Chen Shi'an, as long as you'll help me, just name your price!"

The corners of Chen Shi'an's mouth lifted slightly. "All right. Since you're so sincere, I'll hear you out. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Fang Ruyu's delight deepened. "Whatever Dean Lu wants from you, give it to me."

Chen Shi'an curled his lip. "Guessing that Dean Lu wants something from me proves you're not entirely stupid.

"But acting on your own, rushing ahead to snatch the credit, is stupidity beyond measure."

At this point, his voice grew noticeably colder. "Fang Ruyu, a word of advice: don't try to be clever. Just deliver my message to Dean Lu. Don't invite trouble."

The delight faded from Fang Ruyu's face, replaced by shame and anger. "Chen Shi'an, if you'll give it to me, I'll pay you two hundred taels!"

Chen Shi'an shook his head helplessly. "Kind words can't turn back a ghost bent on death."

With that, he headed for the door.

Fang Ruyu hesitated, then determination filled her eyes. She rushed past Chen Shi'an and shut the door. "Chen Shi'an, I'm begging you. Will you help me just this once?"

In the courtyard, Su Qingrou saw the door suddenly close, and her face instantly went white with fright.

If Chen Shi'an truly lost control and did something foolish, the Chen Family, which had only just begun to recover, would be finished.

She called out urgently, "Why did you close the door? Miss Fang, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Qingrou. It's windy outside, and a little cold," Fang Ruyu quickly replied.

Su Qingrou relaxed slightly. "Miss Fang, call me if you need anything. I'm right outside."

"..."

Chen Shi'an hardly knew whether to laugh or cry. Su Qingrou was plainly guarding against him as though he were a thief.

After answering Su Qingrou, Fang Ruyu lifted her lovely face slightly and said resolutely:

"Chen Shi'an, if you want silver, I'll give it to you. If you want my body, I'll give you that too. Just help me."

Chen Shi'an frowned slightly and carefully studied the beautiful woman before him.

For the first time since transmigrating, he examined Fang Ruyu so closely.

He realized that his earlier judgment of Fang Ruyu had been somewhat mistaken.

Although she was still immature in some ways, this woman possessed a ruthless determination not to stop until she achieved her goal.

She was also beautiful, had considerable talent in the martial Dao, and was already a disciple of Windrise Martial Academy.

Unless she met an untimely end, a woman like this would almost certainly make something of herself.

Feeling Chen Shi'an's heated gaze, a trace of disdain appeared in Fang Ruyu's eyes. Then she adjusted her collar with feigned casualness, exposing a larger expanse of snowy skin at her chest.

Chen Shi'an made no attempt to conceal his gaze. His eyes settled on that snowy expanse and lingered for a full six breaths.

After feasting his eyes, he curled his lips slightly. "Fang Ruyu, you don't even know what Dean Lu wants, yet you're willing to pay such a price. Aren't you afraid the chicken will fly away and the eggs will break, leaving you with nothing?"

Fang Ruyu lifted her eyelids slightly. "If I can win Dean Lu's favor, the academy will take me seriously. Then I might become a Ranked Martial Artist's disciple and have a chance to become one myself.

"Our Fang family may be wealthy within the Stronghold, but in the eyes of its important figures, we're nothing more than ants they can crush with a turn of their hands.

"Only if I become a Ranked Martial Artist can our family escape the ranks of ordinary people and control our own fate."

As she spoke, she slowly stepped forward and stopped before Chen Shi'an.

She was so close that the swell of her breasts pressed against his chest.

Then she reached out, placed one of Chen Shi'an's hands on her slender, supple waist, and spoke with alluring eyes and orchid-sweet breath:

"Chen Shi'an, give it to me, and my body will be yours."

Chen Shi'an quietly regarded the beauty who had offered herself, savoring the softness and tenderness pressed against him.

At the same time, he noticed that beneath Fang Ruyu's apparent initiative, she was terribly nervous.

Clearly, she was still learning and exploring how to use a woman's natural advantages.

Just as the gun was about to go off, Chen Shi'an coughed heavily. "Miss Fang, please conduct yourself with dignity. I'm not a loose man."

With that, he firmly released her and stepped back.

Fang Ruyu's pretty face flushed with shame and surprise, and a deep sense of defeat rose within her.

"Fang Ruyu, you're already an academy disciple with a bright future ahead of you. Why resort to methods like this?" Chen Shi'an asked in a low voice.

Fang Ruyu sighed softly. "That's what I thought at first. But after entering the academy, I learned that even there, people are divided into ranks and tiers.

"A disciple without connections like me has no chance of studying under a Ranked Martial Artist."

After a brief silence, Chen Shi'an said quietly, "Go. Tell Dean Lu that I'll visit him in half a month at the latest.

"That way, you can count your task as completed."

Delighted surprise appeared on Fang Ruyu's face, followed by puzzlement. "Can't you just give it to me directly?"

Chen Shi'an gave a wry smile. "Fang Ruyu, you're clever. You should know that ambition often dies at the hands of greed.

"While you're still weak, stay as far away from powerful people's secrets as you can."

Fang Ruyu's gaze grew complicated. "Chen Shi'an, what kind of person are you, really? Why did you deceive me before by pretending to be a gambling addict?"

Chen Shi'an raised his head slightly. "If I hadn't been a gambling addict, would you have kept our engagement after entering the academy?"

Fang Ruyu froze, unable to answer.

"Miss Fang, you were right to break off our engagement."

Chen Shi'an's tone was utterly calm. "We're not on the same path. We really aren't suited to living under the same roof."

After a long silence, Fang Ruyu asked quietly, "How much silver do you want for helping me?"

Chen Shi'an slowly shook his head. "I'm giving you a push forward neither for your silver nor for your body.

"As you said, we were once engaged, after all. Let's part on good terms and consider this the sowing of a little goodwill."

With that, he strode past Fang Ruyu, opened the door, and walked out without looking back.

Fang Ruyu's heart trembled.

On the day she broke off her engagement with Chen Shi'an, an inexplicable sense of loss had risen within her, as though she had missed something.

Now, she was beginning to suspect that ending her engagement with Chen Shi'an might have been the most foolish decision of her life.

After seeing Fang Ruyu off, Su Qingrou came beneath the Old Willow Tree and asked with a smile, "Shi'an, why did Miss Fang suddenly come to see you?

"Has she had a change of heart?"

As he drew his sword, Chen Shi'an said, "Sister-in-law, don't overthink it.

"She's an academy disciple now, a carp that has leaped through the Dragon Gate. How could she still think anything of me?"

"An academy disciple!"

Surprise appeared on Su Qingrou's face. "No wonder she broke off the engagement. The Fang family is different now. They're truly beyond our family's reach."

Her voice softened. "Shi'an, don't be sad.

"Once our chili sauce starts making money and we've earned twenty taels of silver, I'll find you a wife even prettier than Fang Ruyu and give you a splendid wedding."

Again!

Chen Shi'an was rather puzzled. For some reason, Su Qingrou seemed especially concerned about his marriage lately.

He hurriedly changed the subject. "Sister-in-law, there's still a pile of prepared fermented black beans in the kitchen. Why don't you take them out to dry while the sun's strong?"

"I nearly forgot about that." Su Qingrou quickly turned and hurried toward the kitchen.

The sun sank westward. It was almost time for Chen Tiantian to come home from school.

Chen Shi'an put down the Horizontal Saber and relaxed his unbearably sore arms, preparing to help Su Qingrou bring in the fermented black beans.

Just then, a figure stepped over the threshold and walked straight into the courtyard.

The newcomer was burly, with a conspicuous knife scar on his face.

The instant Chen Shi'an saw him, his heart jolted.

Wang Tianye! It was Wang Tianye!

Having chosen Wang Tianye as his first target for elimination, Chen Shi'an had naturally investigated and studied him.

He had never expected Wang Tianye to come to his door of his own accord.

Su Qingrou did not recognize Wang Tianye, much less know that he had designs on her daughter. Seeing a visitor enter, she hurried forward. "May I ask..."

Wang Tianye's eyes moved, scrutinizing Su Qingrou from head to toe. "Chen Qingye certainly enjoyed his share of feminine blessings, marrying such a beautiful wife. A pity his life was a little short."

Those words were profoundly disrespectful to the Chen Family.

Anger appeared on Su Qingrou's face. She was about to speak when Chen Shi'an hurried forward and pulled her behind him. Then he lowered his head respectfully and cupped his hands. "Chen Shi'an greets Commander Wang!"