The noise in the testing field and the appearance of a figure interrupted Ye Chu’s thoughts.
“Zhao Yuan, Qi Refining Ninth Stage! Grade: High!”
The clamor abruptly died, and the surrounding young men and women all involuntarily swallowed, then erupted into even louder waves of exclamation.
“Already at Qi Refining Ninth Layer? Terrifying! The number one among the younger generation in Qingyun City, Young Master Zhao Yuan truly deserves it.”
“At twenty years old, Qi Refining Ninth Stage! Foundation Establishment is within reach in this lifetime!”
“Among the younger generation of Qingyun City, no one can surpass him…”
The crowd parted automatically, and a tall, straight figure leisurely walked out from beside the testing spirit stone.
He was a young man of about twenty, dressed in a simple blue robe, a jade belt around his waist, and his black hair half tied up.
He just stood there quietly, and the surrounding noise was isolated by an invisible aura.
Only the faint spiritual pressure of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, which he made no effort to conceal, remained around him.
A few Ye family female disciples gathered together, their gazes burning as they followed Zhao Yuan’s figure.
One of them, a rather pretty girl from a branch family with a proud look in her eyes, spoke sourly: “Is that Young Master Zhao Yuan? The fiancé of that crippled… Ye Qingyi? Why her? I’m way better than her!”
“That damned girl, why is she so lucky!”
“Just because she’s the patriarch’s daughter, born in Rome?”
“Damn it, my fate is determined by me, not by heaven.”
“One day, I will definitely amaze even Young Master Zhao Yuan so much that he turns to look at me.”
She puffed out her full chest, its curves outlined by lace trim, her eyes full of unwillingness.
The male disciples around had subtle expressions on their faces.
The female disciple who spoke wasn’t much to look at in the face, but her weapons were truly magnificent.
With the lights off, the feel would be superb.
For the sake of possible future happiness, they didn’t say anything.
But a burly male disciple with thick eyebrows and big eyes sneered.
He was different—he truly cared about looks.
If the face wasn’t up to par, no matter how good the body was, it was useless.
“Give it a rest, you branch family ugly monster. Miss Qingyi has been rich, poor, cried, laughed, but she has never been ugly!”
“Do you think a Zhao family member like Zhao Yuan came to participate in our Ye family’s spiritual energy test for no reason?”
“Isn’t it to announce to everyone that even though Miss Qingyi has been crippled, he, Zhao Yuan, will not abandon the engagement?”
“Although you’re a bit overreaching, if you can lure Zhao Yuan away, I sincerely wish you success, because then I can boldly pursue Miss Qingyi without worry.”
The female disciple was so angry her face turned red.
“Are you deliberately picking a fight, you brat?”
“Compared to Young Master Zhao Yuan, you’re just a weed by the roadside.”
“How could a woman who has been pursued by a man like an eagle like Young Master Zhao Yuan ever fall into the arms of a sheep like you!”
The male disciple with thick eyebrows and big eyes glared angrily.
“What did you say, you bitch! Want to start a fight?”
“Silence!”
Seeing that the two were about to come to blows, the middle-aged man in charge of the test let out a low shout, his sharp gaze sweeping over them.
The two immediately fell silent.
He looked at the information on the testing spirit stone, and a rare smile actually appeared on his usually indifferent face.
…
From within Ye Qingyi’s body, Ye Chu kept sizing up Zhao Yuan, who had become the center of attention.
Unconsciously, his gaze carried scrutiny and a faint, barely noticeable sourness.
‘Tsk, Qi Refining Ninth Stage? Twenty years old? That’s it? Trash! In my day… forget it, a hero doesn’t boast of past glories.’
‘But this kid’s appearance is not bad, standing there like a glowing object. He looks like a standard protagonist template… oh no, a standard scumbag pretty boy template.’
The middle-aged man in charge of the test said to Zhao Yuan, “Young Master Zhao Yuan, at this rate, in two years you can break through to Qi Refining Tenth Layer, leave Qingyun City, and find a place with abundant spiritual energy to attempt Foundation Establishment.”
“If you succeed, then becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the age of twenty makes you the number one person in Qingyun City in five hundred years.”
“This is a joyful and praiseworthy event for both the Ye and Zhao families.”
Ye Chu’s eyes widened.
‘Becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator at twenty makes you number one in five hundred years? Is the current cultivation world this weak?’
He looked again at everyone present.
They were all low-level Qi Refining.
Those above the fifth layer could be counted on one hand.
As for the ninth layer, there was only Zhao Yuan.
That did make him quite talented after all.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Zhao Yuan nodded slightly, his tone humble, but no much joy on his handsome face.
His calmness seemed as if everything was taken for granted.
His gaze shifted, and then, under the fervent attention of the crowd, he slowly walked toward Ye Qingyi, who was dejectedly standing at the very back.
‘Huh? Instead of enjoying the adulation, why is he walking this way? Is his target my host?’
Ye Chu immediately became alert, and his soul fluctuations turned urgent.
‘If looks could kill, Zhao Yuan would have been cut into a thousand pieces by now.’
‘Qi Refining Ninth Stage, twenty years old. A talent so trashy it can’t get any trashier.’
‘His appearance is indeed extremely good, but he’s all slick and flashy. He’s fit to take a stroll on the streets of Chengdu.’
‘This aura, this expression… Do you think you’re a universally beloved female lead in an idol drama?’
…
Gentle, considerate, extraordinarily talented, never-abandon-her fiancé.
The more flawless the setup, the more likely it hid a sinister heart!
The painful memories of being framed by a love rival in his past life began to resurface.
Ye Chu wished he could immediately jump out and thoroughly expose Zhao Yuan’s hypocritical true face.
…
Then, Zhao Yuan walked steadily, passing through the crowd that automatically parted.
Ignoring the admiring or jealous gazes around him, he walked straight up to Ye Qingyi.
He slightly lowered his head, looking at the young girl’s drooping eyelashes and pale cheeks before him.
A barely noticeable trace of heartache coincidentally flickered in his eyes, but was then perfectly replaced by a gentle smile.
Zhao Yuan’s voice was clear and gentle:
“Sister Qingyi, we’ve all finished testing. When we go back, I’ll make you sweet and sour spare ribs. You’ve lost weight lately.”
‘Sister Qingyi? So intimate. Sweet and sour spare ribs? He can cook? Tsk, you’ve really mastered the persona of a gentle and considerate younger brother.’
Ye Chu frantically complained in his spiritual sea, his sense of crisis skyrocketing.
Although he had been betrayed by various bad women in his past life, he had also accumulated rich experience in competing with many romantic rivals.
This rich experience made him develop strong vigilance and suspicion the moment he saw Zhao Yuan.
Even though the other party currently appeared quite genuine.
But we’re all old foxes for a thousand years.
What’s the point of playing tricks here?
This setup, Ye Chu had seen far too many times back then!
First, show kindness and care to lower guard, then… do all sorts of things, deceiving the body and heart of an innocent young girl.
Now that Ye Chu shares honor and disgrace with his host Ye Qingyi, he will never let Zhao Yuan deceive his host’s pure heart like this.
Ye Qingyi’s body gave a barely perceptible tremble.
“Do I still… have the right to let you call me that?”
She raised her head, looking into Zhao Yuan’s clear eyes that now only reflected her own figure.
The bitterness at the corners of her mouth deepened.
Why did he come over?
In front of so many people… Was it because he didn’t think she was humiliated enough?
Or… was he sincere?
No, don’t think too much.
Whether he was sincere or not, she had no right to accept it.