Candlelight flickered against the red shadows as the scent of sandalwood drifted through the air.
Bai Qingxue stood within the grand, majestic hall, staring at the completely unfamiliar scene before her, momentarily dazed.
Her gaze swept across the soaring ceiling, where dark wooden beams were carved with intricate cloud patterns and mythical beasts. Beneath her feet, the black jade floor tiles were polished to a mirror-like sheen, vaguely reflecting the swaying lanterns and the silhouettes of the people gathered there.
“Wasn't I just debugging code at the office?” Bai Qingxue looked at her surroundings, feeling utterly lost.
The last thing he remembered was the world going black while he was working on his code. When he opened his eyes again, he was in this environment.
Just as Bai Qingxue’s mind was drifting, a flood of memories surged into her brain.
Two lives and two consciousnesses collided violently, turning her spiritual altar upside down. The sudden, sharp pain made Bai Qingxue knit her brows tightly, her fingertips digging slightly into her palms.
But after a few breaths, the storm subsided.
He finally came to his senses—or rather, she did.
Bai Qingxue.
The legitimate daughter of the Bai family from Yunzhou City, a cold-natured female supporting character in a web novel he had once casually read. She had excellent talent and outstanding beauty, but unfortunately, she was a character designed solely to be humiliated.
As the fiancée of the male lead, Ye Feng, her fate was naturally to be used as a stepping stone after the protagonist’s rise, meeting a miserable end.
Transmigration was one thing, but transmigrating into a female supporting character destined for tragedy was another.
Bai Qingxue’s lips twitched slightly. There were far too many things to complain about in this starting scenario...
The most important point was: wasn't I a man? How did I end up as a woman?
Bai Qingxue instinctively looked down at the intricate and exquisite snow-white skirts she was wearing. A strong sense of displacement welled up in her heart.
While Bai Qingxue was still examining her attire, a voice rang out.
“Bai Qingxue.”
Hearing this, Bai Qingxue looked up.
A young man stood at the front of the hall. He had a handsome face, but his brow was knit with unconcealed impatience.
Slightly further away from him, a delicate young girl was peeking over, her eyes timid like a startled fawn.
But in those eyes, besides fear, there seemed to be a more complex emotion hidden. Her gaze lingered on Bai Qingxue’s face for a moment before quickly darting away, as if afraid of being discovered.
This should be the male lead, Ye Feng, and his sister, Ye Qingyao, Bai Qingxue thought to herself.
Here comes the classic scene.
According to the original agreement between the two families, this engagement was supposed to be dissolved privately.
The Bai family had given the Ye family plenty of face, simply stating that “the two children are not a good match,” never mentioning Ye Feng’s inferior spiritual root or his inability to cultivate.
However, Ye Feng refused to comply. He insisted on announcing the annulment himself in front of everyone.
Bai Qingxue, however, felt it didn't matter. Whether the engagement was called off privately or publicly, the result was the same for her.
Since the male lead chose this path himself, she would let him have it.
Ye Feng tilted his chin up slightly and spoke with a hint of arrogance, “I asked you here today to make one thing clear. Our engagement was merely a joke made by our elders years ago; it cannot be taken seriously. Our paths are different, and we cannot walk together. A forced marriage won't be happy, so let this engagement end here.”
An annulment, and a public one at that.
At this moment, every eye in the hall was fixed on Bai Qingxue, waiting for her reaction.
Would it be the shame and indignation of a noble daughter, the fury of a genius, or harsh words to save face?
According to the original plot, this aloof young lady would choose the last option, leaving behind a few bitter remarks and eventually becoming the stepping stone for the male lead's future “do not bully the young for being poor” narrative.
Bai Qingxue had already decided on her response, so she didn't hesitate.
“Fine.”
Bai Qingxue spoke, her voice clear and devoid of emotion.
Upon hearing this, the long speech Ye Feng had prepared in his mind got stuck in his throat. Not far beside him, Ye Qingyao also widened her eyes in surprise.
The entire hall fell silent, so quiet that a falling needle could be heard. Many people who were waiting for a show now wore expressions of confusion.
“The engagement is dissolved,” Bai Qingxue continued, her pace steady and her logic clear.
“From now on, the path is wide and we shall each walk our own side. We have no further connection.”
After saying this, Bai Qingxue didn't bother to look at Ye Feng’s suddenly vivid expression. She turned directly toward a Ye family elder presiding over the matter and held out her hand. “Since I am the one being dumped, I'll trouble you for my compensation.”
The elder froze, instinctively looking toward the Head of the Ye Family sitting in the main seat.
The Head of the Ye Family gazed at the overly calm young girl with a complex expression for a moment before nodding slightly.
A prepared storage bag was handed over. After taking the bag, Bai Qingxue tied it to her waist, then turned and walked toward the exit of the hall.
Her skirts brushed against the mirror-like black jade tiles without the slightest hint of hesitation or lingering attachment. From the moment she uttered the word “fine” to the moment she turned to leave, barely a minute had passed.
Ye Feng stood rooted to the spot. His face first flushed red from the frustration of a powerful blow hitting nothing but air, then gradually turned ashen from being completely ignored.
What he felt wasn't the satisfaction of a successful counterattack against anger, but rather a sense of irritation and embarrassment. It was as if Bai Qingxue... couldn't even be bothered to argue with him?
As Bai Qingxue approached the main gates, she passed by Ye Qingyao.
The girl who had been secretly observing her now had the fear in her eyes replaced by immense bewilderment.
Ye Qingyao had imagined a hundred different reactions from this sister of the Bai family, but she never expected her to be as calm as she was now, as if all of this was perfectly natural.
Bai Qingxue did not stop. She didn't even cast a glance from the corner of her eye as she stepped over the high threshold.
Outside, the sunlight suddenly poured down, somewhat dazzling.
Bai Qingxue instinctively squinted, raising her wide sleeve to shield her eyes.
As her sleeve slid down, a section of her fair wrist was revealed.
The movement suddenly reminded her that she should probably maintain a certain level of decorum, so her other hand instinctively gave her somewhat complicated skirts a slight lift.
“This outfit is really inconvenient for walking.”
The sunlight stretched her shadow long, casting it back into the still-silent hall behind her.
The people inside the hall watched the slender figure disappear into the glow, and for a time, no one made a sound.
Ye Feng’s clenched fists only slowly relaxed after a long while, his knuckles having turned white.
He suddenly felt that although the engagement had been annulled as he wished, a giant boulder had somehow lodged itself in his heart—heavier and more stifling than before.
Rate on N.U.
