This Is What a Villain Is Like

"Sir, I’ve brought the health soup."

Su Qinghan approached gracefully, dressed in a floor-length, smoky-white pleated skirt. She wore a moon-white cloak over a silk brocade bodice, her cuffs embroidered with delicate golden butterflies. Her skin was as white as snow, and her aura was like that of a secluded orchid—refined and ethereal.

Jiang Lan merely glanced at her, noticing the slight upward curve of her lips.

"I see you’ve gotten bolder recently, even daring to tease me," he chuckled, took the health soup from her hands, and downed it in a few gulps.

Su Qinghan smiled gracefully, smoothed her skirt, and sat down beside him, her legs tucked to one side. "I wouldn’t dare. I am merely following the City Lord’s instructions. He was concerned that you’ve been overworking yourself and that your health might suffer."

She and Chu Chan did not get along, so whenever Chu Chan was being clingy with Jiang Lan, she stayed as far away as possible.

Chu Chan, for her part, seemed to know that Jiang Lan enjoyed watching them bicker. So every time they met, she would launch into a sweet-but-barbed routine to get a rise out of Su Qinghan.

After realizing Jiang Lan had such a twisted sense of humor, she began to avoid Chu Chan.

"I didn’t realize you cared so much about me."

Jiang Lan replied casually, noticing that Su Qinghan’s cultivation had already advanced to the Middle Stage of the Illuminating Nether Realm, the Fourth Realm.

Her progress had indeed been incredibly fast lately.

Every night, Jiang Lan would notice her sitting cross-legged on the square, green stone in the backyard. Her black hair would dance in the wind, and her fair face, reflecting the moonlight, seemed hazy and indistinct—like a Fairy from Guanghan Palace who might ride the wind and depart at any moment.

Brilliant, crystalline starlight seemed to sprinkle down from the heavens, all of it absorbed by her. At those times, her skin, as white as jade, seemed to be suffused with a divine radiance and ethereal light, making her appear both sacred and transcendent.

As Su Qinghan’s strength increased, the fortune Jiang Lan obtained from her also grew much richer.

This was also why the second stage of his Destiny Dao Fruit had been maturing over the past few days.

This discovery gave Jiang Lan pause.

’A person’s fortune isn’t constant. Instead, it fluctuates with their daily circumstances, either diminishing or growing.’

’I was originally wondering if constantly siphoning Su Qinghan’s fortune would cause her own to diminish, weakening her Life Chart and dropping it to a lower tier.’

’But it seems I was overthinking it. People blessed with great fortune are called that for a reason; the unseen fortune between heaven and earth will find ways to converge around them.’

’Besides, I don’t like the idea of draining the pond to catch all the fish.’

"You are my husband. Of course I care about your well-being," Su Qinghan said with that same graceful smile.

Jiang Lan chuckled softly, reached out, and pulled her into his arms. "Since when did you learn to say such things?" he said. "If you’re so concerned about my well-being, I haven’t seen you take any substantial action..."

Su Qinghan’s pretty face flushed slightly. "Chu Chan is with you every day, Sir. I don’t get the chance."

"Then how about I have Chu Chan rest in the side hall tonight? And leave the main bedchamber for you?" Jiang Lan watched her with great interest, intent on teasing her.

Hearing this, the blush on Su Qinghan’s fair face deepened. Her eyelashes trembled as she lifted her clear eyes to glance at him, then she gave a soft nod. "Mm..."

Jiang Lan was genuinely surprised.

’I thought it would take more time for her to truly give her heart to me. It seems Chu Chan’s presence has caused a shift in her attitude.’

As if sensing Jiang Lan’s surprise, the blush on Su Qinghan’s fair face deepened further. Even her delicate, translucent earlobes grew hot. She couldn’t bring herself to look up at him again and simply rested her head gently on his shoulder.

’Whatever I thought before, I’m his concubine now. It makes no sense for a concubine to keep putting on airs in front of her husband.’

’Seeing Chu Chan grow more and more favored by Jiang Lan... ’

’Although I don’t know why—whether Jiang Lan is doing it on purpose or has some other motive—it always leaves a sour taste in my mouth.’

Just then, the words her mother had warned her with some time ago surfaced in her mind.

’I know that in this life, I belong to Jiang Lan. Regardless of the reason, that is an unchangeable fact.’

’Lately, I’ve also been questioning my own heart and have come to understand one thing: I do have feelings for Jiang Lan, and they aren’t shallow ones.’

’Although it hasn’t yet reached the point of deep-rooted love, I believe it will get there someday.’

"Not worried it will affect your cultivation anymore?" Jiang Lan smiled, his hand wrapping around her slender waist, as if he could feel its delicate softness.

"It doesn’t affect it that much."

Su Qinghan shook her head gently, lifted her snow-white face, and then straightened her body, lightly rubbing her cheek against Jiang Lan’s chin. "Sir, have you been intentionally distancing yourself from me recently for some reason?"

’So you know a few tricks yourself,’ he thought.

Jiang Lan noted her small gesture, his interest piqued even more.

"What makes you say that, Qinghan?" he asked.

"A feeling?" Su Qinghan thought for a moment before replying.

"Then your feeling is wrong. I just didn’t want to delay your cultivation. I can see that you’ve been seizing every moment to cultivate lately." As Jiang Lan spoke, the expression on his face faded, and he seemed to become serious.

Su Qinghan looked at him, slightly surprised.

Because of her master’s unexpected appearance and the truth they had revealed, she had indeed developed a sense of urgency and deeply understood the importance of strength.

If she didn’t want to be swept along by the tide, to be crushed to pieces in the conflict between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Dao Cang Sword Sect, she had to have the power to protect herself.