Chapter 74: Unforgivable

After returning to the Ou family, with the help of the Yin-Yang Lake, Ou Xinlai’s mastery of the Yin-Yang Transformation technique advanced by leaps and bounds. Because of Ou Xinlai, that voice finally had the chance to witness the marvel that was the Yin-Yang Lake. Unfortunately, that presence seemed to possess a pure yang constitution, and entering the Yin-Yang Lake did more harm than good. Thus, whenever Ou Xinlai entered the lake, the voice would transfer itself to the desk in the form of the Purple Lightning Formation.

Achieving perfection in the Yin-Yang Transformation was extraordinarily difficult, so Ou Xinlai’s immediate goal was to reach minor attainment. Fortunately, she had already reached the eighth level of the technique, just two steps away from minor mastery.

The voice was initially astonished by this, but soon felt it was only natural—Ou Xinlai was destined for the Yin-Yang Transformation, and her progress would naturally be twice as fast as others with half the effort.

The Ou family had long grown accustomed to Ou Xinlai disappearing mysteriously from time to time. Even Ou Jinju no longer bothered to search for her; he knew she would show up when the time was right. As for Xuan Ye, he wasn’t nearly as composed.

Although the Emperor of Xuanwu had issued an imperial edict annulling the engagement between Ou Xinlai and Xuan Ye, the decree didn’t say that Xuan Ye was forbidden from being with her in the future.

Once Xuan Ye realized he couldn’t let Ou Xinlai go, he refused to give up. If he cared, why not make an effort? If he hadn’t done well enough before, he would simply start over. Even if Ye Zifei was a formidable rival, what was there to fear? After all, he was the First Princess of Xuanwu. If anyone should worry, it was Ye Zifei.

The day Ou Xinlai confessed her fondness for Ye Zifei, Ye Zifei rejoiced, while Xuan Ye was crestfallen. But upon further reflection, Xuan Ye realized Ou Xinlai’s “liking” wasn’t that between a man and a woman—at most, it was friendly affection. If that was the case, there was no reason to be discouraged. As long as Ou Xinlai had not agreed to marry, he still had a chance.

“Are you Ou Xinlai?” That day, Ou Xinlai, as usual, went to Fengyun Academy to continue tormenting the four members of the Ou family. However, a striking young woman in fiery red stood in her path.

This girl was stunning, her luminous eyes seemed to blaze with fire, her crimson lips curled with pride. Her delicate nose was well-shaped, her brows carried a hint of heroism, thick and pronounced. Standing before Ou Xinlai, she seemed like a walking flame.

“I am,” Ou Xinlai nodded.

Upon hearing her admit her identity, the girl revealed—perhaps it was only Ou Xinlai’s imagination—a look of grievance in her eyes, so intense it was almost pitiful. “You... you actually look like this...” The girl clutched a whip, pointing at Ou Xinlai, her eyes suddenly moist.

Ou Xinlai was speechless. She knew she had a large birthmark on her left temple, but what kind of reaction was this? Her plain looks harmed no one. Was this girl so shocked by her birthmark that she was on the verge of tears? Wasn’t that a bit much?

Suddenly, the girl’s body stiffened, her eyes rolled back, and she began to convulse.

Ou Xinlai was startled—was this an epileptic fit?

She quickly used her golden needles to press several acupoints, stabilizing the girl’s condition. Then, she used the Yin-Yang Transformation to examine the girl's body before prescribing a remedy to eradicate the root of her illness.

After the girl drank the medicine decocted by Ou Jinju, she finally recovered. When she opened her eyes and realized her enemy had saved her, her face became even more aggrieved. “Wah! I don’t want Zifei-gege to marry you...”

“Pfft!” So this little lass was here because of Ye Zifei. “You must be mistaken. Why would Ye Zifei marry me?” Ou Xinlai was perplexed; she, the supposed bride, was utterly unaware of any such arrangement.

“Then... don’t you want to marry Zifei-gege?” The girl looked at her pitifully.

“I didn’t want to before, but seeing you now, I kind of do.” This little one was a spicy pepper indeed. Moments ago, she’d been fierce, but perhaps because Ou Xinlai had saved her, she now seemed utterly harmless.

At first glance, Ou Xinlai had sensed a murderous intent from the girl—she’d come to take Ou Xinlai’s life. But after saving her, the girl’s true nature showed: her cherubic face was the very image of “cute.”

Her cheeks were still slightly chubby, her eyes large and liquid, almost like colored contacts. Now that Ou Xinlai looked closely, the girl's face resembled that of a four- or five-year-old—classic “bun face.”

Ou Xinlai, in her previous life, had always been alone. She’d seen the world’s ugliness, but she understood that children under five were angels—irresistibly adorable. At three years old, when they started toddling around, they were at their most charming.

Looking at this ten-something-year-old, Ou Xinlai couldn’t help but see the same “bun face” as a three-year-old, making her heart melt.

Especially now, as the girl looked at her with tear-filled eyes, wearing an expression of “you bullied me,” Ou Xinlai’s hands itched to pinch her cheeks.

In fact, that's exactly what she did.

Unable to resist, Ou Xinlai reached out and pinched the girl’s soft, elastic cheeks. Her skin was dewy, smooth, and springy—delightful to the touch.

“You look like such a treasure. How old are you?” Turning into the proverbial “weird auntie,” Ou Xinlai kneaded the girl's baby-soft skin, curiosity in her voice.

“I’m thirteen,” Dan Ziyao answered with difficulty. Every time she tried to remove Ou Xinlai’s hands from her face, Ou Xinlai deftly dodged, leaving her grasping at air.

“Only thirteen? Still so young.” Ou Xinlai looked at her in surprise.

Off to the side, Ou Jinju found the whole scene bizarre. If he wasn’t mistaken, this girl had initially come to kill Ou Xinlai, hadn’t she? Was Ou Xinlai not at all afraid, getting so cozy with her? Thirteen wasn’t all that young—Ou Xinlai herself was only about fifteen.

Dan Ziyao’s face was flushed from Ou Xinlai’s pinching. In her distress, she hugged Ou Xinlai tightly, burying her face in Ou Xinlai’s embrace to prevent further cheek-pinching.

Ou Xinlai laughed; this girl was sticking to her now.

“Please, don’t marry Zifei-gege, okay?” came a muffled plea.

“What’s your name?” Ou Xinlai was genuinely puzzled. Why did this girl keep insisting she was going to marry Ye Zifei? Ye Zifei was just a friend, and the idea of romance hadn’t even crossed her mind. Where did the girl get this notion?

“My name is Dan Ziyao.” Dan Ziyao finally raised her head and looked earnestly at Ou Xinlai. “Please don’t marry Zifei-gege. If you do, what will happen to my Qingqing-jie? Without him, she can’t survive.”

When Dan Ziyao first heard that Ye Zifei was getting close to a woman named Ou Xinlai and saw how pale and spiritless Dan Qing’er had become, her heart ached. Though Dan Qing’er shared the same surname, she wasn’t actually related to the Dan family. Her father had died saving Dan Ziyao’s father when Dan Qing’er was three. Coincidentally, when Dan Ziyao was three, she had fallen into a lake while playing.

At five years old, Dan Qing’er had jumped into the lake to save her. From that moment on, Dan Qing’er’s health deteriorated. Because of this life-saving bond, the Dan family took Dan Qing’er in as an adopted daughter.

Dan Ziyao, though she didn’t remember being saved, had grown up with Dan Qing’er, who treated her like a real sister. Dan Ziyao knew well that Dan Qing’er had always liked Ye Zifei.

She’d thought with Dan Qing’er’s goodness, Ye Zifei was sure to end up with her. Who could have foreseen Ou Xinlai’s sudden appearance—and with such an unsightly birthmark, in stark contrast to her elegant sister? The blow left Dan Ziyao distraught and triggered her illness.

The year Dan Ziyao nearly drowned was during the coldest period of winter. Thus, not only did Dan Qing’er suffer lasting illness, but Dan Ziyao also did not escape unscathed, though Dan Qing’er was the weaker of the two.

Learning that Ye Zifei was getting close to Ou Xinlai and seeing Dan Qing’er so heartbroken, Dan Ziyao was furious and came to confront Ou Xinlai on her behalf.

In Dan Ziyao’s mind, no woman in the world could outshine her Qingqing-jie. If Ou Xinlai was tactless, she would not hesitate to take her life.

But now that Ou Xinlai had saved her, Dan Ziyao couldn’t bring herself to harm her—she could only try to drive her away from Ye Zifei.

“Go fetch Ye Zifei.” Seeing the once-feisty girl now reduced to tears, Ou Xinlai felt a headache coming on. How could a child this old still only know how to cry?

Ou Jinren quickly brought Ye Zifei over, who was delighted at the summons. “I heard you were looking for me. What is it?”

“Is this yours? Take her back.” Ou Xinlai pinched Dan Ziyao’s collar between thumb and forefinger, offering her to Ye Zifei.

The moment Ye Zifei saw Dan Ziyao, his cheerful expression instantly went cold before returning to normal. But Dan Ziyao had clearly sensed the change and shivered.

“I—I didn’t say anything... Except for Qingqing-jie, I didn’t mention anyone else.” Seeing Ye Zifei’s eyes darken, Dan Ziyao grew truly afraid.

She and Qingqing-jie had both thought Ou Xinlai was a vixen seducing Zifei-gege. At best, he was only intrigued by Ou Xinlai—surely there couldn’t be any real affection. She was merely indignant on Qingqing-jie’s behalf.

But with Ye Zifei’s reaction, it was clear his feelings for Ou Xinlai were not so simple.

Dan Ziyao, with her frail frame, could never withstand Ye Zifei’s anger. She shrunk back and hid behind Ou Xinlai, peeking out to size her up. Though not exactly an eyesore, she couldn’t compare to Qingqing-jie. Didn’t men love beautiful women? Did Zifei-gege have something wrong with his eyes?

“Sorry for the trouble,” Ye Zifei said coldly. He wanted to give Dan Ziyao a piece of his mind. In truth, Ou Xinlai knew little about his true identity. Back in Xuanwu, he’d played the part of a young marquis, never expecting to develop feelings for her.

Now that he had, things that once seemed trivial now seemed insurmountable.

“Yes, you’re a real bother,” Ou Xinlai replied. Dan Ziyao was adorable when not crying, but practically unbearable when she was.

Seeing the impatience and faint distance in Ou Xinlai’s eyes, Ye Zifei nearly exploded with frustration. Ou Xinlai was not someone who easily warmed to others. Because of the whole Xuan Ye affair, she was wary of men, and it had taken Ye Zifei great effort to get close. Now, thanks to Dan Ziyao’s antics, it had all been undone.

Ou Xinlai was genuinely annoyed with Ye Zifei now.

They were just ordinary friends, and she hadn’t even made a move when suddenly Dan Ziyao appeared, talking about Qingqing-jie and all sorts of other matters. If anything happened, Ou Xinlai knew it would only bring her trouble.

Ye Zifei’s misfortune was that Dan Ziyao and Dan Qing’er had appeared before Ou Xinlai’s heart had wavered toward him. If she had already developed feelings for Ye Zifei, Ou Xinlai, though lazy, would have made an effort to deal with any rivals.

But as it was, Ou Xinlai didn’t have those feelings yet. Being the lazy person she was, seeing so much trouble around Ye Zifei, she would not hesitate to give up on him and avoid the nuisance.

Childhood sweethearts and tangled affections were the most bothersome and troublesome things imaginable.

“This is indeed my fault,” Ye Zifei said curtly, not bothering to explain further. He coldly seized Dan Ziyao, suppressing her attempts at resistance with force.

Dan Ziyao was on the verge of tears. Ye Zifei had always been stern, but never so terrifying. She regretted everything...

After Ye Zifei took Dan Ziyao away, Ou Xinlai quickly calmed herself. Still, the four members of the Ou family sensed her displeasure and were even more cautious, fearing they’d provoke her further.

Watching from the shadows, Ou Xinya smiled. “Dan Qing’er, is it? I always thought she was no pushover. Now I find I quite like her character.” She knew Dan Qing’er too well. Letting her find out about Ou Xinlai had been the right decision.

The woman she’d originally been targeting was now Ou Xinlai’s problem. She was eager to see who would come out on top.

Whoever lost, it meant one less rival for Ou Xinya.

She had once liked Ye Zifei but had focused on Xuan Ye, if only to distract Ou Xinlai and keep her from noticing Ye Zifei. Little did she know, her little scheme had backfired and led Ou Xinlai right to him.

Thinking of this made Ou Xinya seethe with frustration.

“Ou Xinlai, you can’t always be so lucky. If Lord Xuan is a man you shouldn’t covet, Ye Zifei is even more off-limits!” Ou Xinya resented Ou Xinlai’s luck. First, she’d been engaged to Lord Xuan, the most eligible young man in Xuanwu. Now, even Ye Zifei, such an outstanding man, was close with her. Even Lord Xuan had changed his attitude, now showing genuine affection and a desire to marry her.

Ou Xinya could only grit her teeth.

“Zifei-gege.” Ye Zifei said nothing, merely stared coldly at Dan Ziyao. His silence terrified her into pleading, “Zifei-gege, Qingqing-jie is truly the best woman in the world. Please don’t let any other... woman upset her.”

Dan Ziyao had wanted to call Ou Xinlai a vixen, but weren’t vixens supposed to be beautiful? Ou Xinlai was anything but.

At her words, the air around Ye Zifei seemed to drop several degrees. “Fourth Granduncle has long wanted you to go to Tianshan to cultivate your abilities. I think you’re old enough. It’s time you went with him.”

“No!” Dan Ziyao jumped in alarm. Tianshan was a lonely, icy place, and her Fourth Granduncle was terribly strict. If she went, she’d either be tormented to death or die of boredom. She was too restless for such a place; it would be a fate worse than death.

“Zifei-gege, I was wrong, all right? I won’t mention Qingqing-jie again, okay?” Dan Ziyao knew Ye Zifei didn’t care for Dan Qing’er, at least not yet.

“I’ll have Fourth Granduncle come fetch you,” Ye Zifei replied, leaving no room for negotiation, and promptly sent word for him to come.

Seeing Ye Zifei so resolute, Dan Ziyao began to wail. Once he made a decision, no one could change his mind—not even her parents.

She cried as if mourning her own family, her sobs heart-wrenching. “Zifei-gege, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, isn’t that enough?”

Unmoved by her caterwauling, Ye Zifei decided it was best not to see or hear any more.

If Ou Xinlai wanted to distance herself from him because of Dan Ziyao, then so be it. If not for the fact that Dan Ziyao was his sister, he would have dealt with her as he had with Li Chengfeng—by taking her life.