Chapter 4 | Reborn as the Villain, I Didn’t Want to Cultivate an Invincible Heroine

Shen You was in a good mood today.

She had just stepped out of Jade Pavilion. The hairpin she had custom-ordered was carved from an entire piece of top-grade water spirit crystal—the one and only piece in all of Canglan City.

Two maids trailed behind her on either side, one holding a parasol over her and the other carrying a box of freshly bought pastries.

Strolling down West Street, she felt like the most beautiful person on the entire street today.

Then, she caught sight of a figure from behind at the entrance of an alley up ahead.

It was merely a silhouette—slender and frail, without a single thing of value anywhere on her body.

Shen You shouldn't have spared it a second glance.

People like that were everywhere in Canglan City; looking at them was a waste of energy.

Yet that person just happened to turn her face slightly to the side.

Shen You paused in her tracks.

Her again.

That girl from the Lin family.

She didn’t know Lin Zhixue personally.

How could she possibly demean herself to get acquainted with a mere branch member of some petty clan?

Yet she remembered that face all too clearly.

Among all the young women in Canglan City, Shen You was number one—a conviction she had held firmly since she was fourteen.

Why should some impoverished brat living in the rundown alleys of the western district, with her hair casually tied into a ponytail by an old ribbon, look like that?

Then her gaze dropped to Lin Zhixue’s hand.

A bulging money pouch, clearly holding at least a dozen spirit stones by the looks of it.

A penniless wretch who couldn’t even afford new clothes, clutching such a pouch of spirit stones?

Stepping out from the street corner, she sauntered over to block the way.

“My, haven’t seen you in a few days, and now you even have spirit stones? Someone like you? You didn’t steal them from somewhere, did you?”

Hearing that voice, Lin Zhixue’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She didn’t look up, merely gripping the money pouch tighter as she side-stepped to walk around her.

Shen You lifted her chin slightly.

The two maids immediately took a step forward, flanking both sides to block Lin Zhixue’s path.

Pedestrians along the street lowered their heads and quickened their pace at the sight of this standoff, none daring to stop and take a second look.

Lin Zhixue was forced to halt.

She finally raised her head to look at Shen You.

“I didn’t steal them.”

“Oh?”

Shen You arched an eyebrow, her gaze leisurely sweeping over Lin Zhixue as the smile at the corners of her lips widened.

“Then why don’t you explain where these spirit stones came from?”

“I earned them from work.”

She finally met Shen You’s gaze directly.

Yet Shen You only burst out laughing.

It was a barbed, unmasked sneer.

The two maids behind her chimed in with scornful laughter of their own, full of disdain.

“Work?” Shen You repeated, her tone dripping with mockery.

“What kind of work pays this many spirit stones? It couldn’t be that you...”

She didn’t finish her sentence. Leaving it half-spoken was even nastier than saying it aloud.

Lin Zhixue understood her implication.

She offered no explanation. What good would explaining do?

Shen You wasn’t looking for the truth; she was looking for an excuse to humiliate her.

Whatever she said wouldn’t matter.

Shen You’s smile turned cold.

She hated this side of Lin Zhixue the most.

The girl had nothing to her name, was a complete nobody.

Yet every single time she was harassed, she stood tall and straight—not crying, not making a scene, not begging for mercy, as if Shen You’s prestige was entirely beneath her notice.

Who did she think she was looking down on?

“It seems you don’t understand how to behave today.”

Shen You took a step back and jerked her chin at the two maids.

“Go teach her a—”

Before she could finish, a voice called out from the mouth of the alley.

“Those are the wages she earned from working at my manor.”

Everyone froze.

Shen You turned around.

Gu Yanqing stood at the entrance of the alley, holding his sheathed sword, looking as though he had just come straight from the clearing where he had been practicing swordplay.

His breathing was slightly unsteady, his face devoid of expression.

He took two steps forward to shield Lin Zhixue, glanced back at her briefly, then turned back to face Shen You.

“Is there a problem?”

Shen You’s expression shifted.

Of course she recognized Gu Yanqing.

In Canglan City, who didn’t know him?

With two Nascent Soul ancestors watching over the Gu clan and Patriarch Gu Yuanshan in the late stage of Golden Core wielding real authority, their power overshadowed her Shen clan by more than just a little in Canglan City.

She could trample all over a branch member of the Lin family on the street as she pleased.

Gu Yanqing, however, was someone she couldn’t touch.

The anger vanished from her face, replaced by a hollow, strained smile.

“So it’s business pertaining to Young Master Gu’s manor.”

She drew back her hands, her tone shifting from acerbic to breezy and perfunctory.

“Then it seems I spoke out of turn.”

She turned on her heel to leave.

The two maids froze momentarily before scurrying after her.

After walking a few paces, she glanced back to glare at Lin Zhixue.

That look brimmed with unconcealed malice, the meaning unmistakably clear: You got lucky today; next time won’t be so simple.

Lin Zhixue said nothing.

She watched Shen You’s figure vanish around the street corner.

Unconsciously rubbing the edge of the money pouch, she remained silent for a long time before finally raising her head.

“Why... did you help me?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a twinge of regret.

The question was far too blunt, blunt enough that even she felt it was inappropriate.

Gu Yanqing paused as he was about to turn around.

He tilted his head and glanced at her, his face still unreadable.

“It doesn’t count as helping you,” he said.

“I was merely stating a fact.”

Lin Zhixue blanked for a brief second.

His tone was far too casual, as though coming all the way out here to get her out of trouble was nothing at all.

Yet she was no fool.

He didn’t have to come at all. Given his status, even if she had been beaten by Shen You in the alley, it would have had nothing to do with him.

“Then why are you here?”

She heard herself ask again.

This time, her voice was slightly louder, tinged with a little less hesitation.

Gu Yanqing fell silent for a brief moment.

After all, he had only rushed over because the system showed her location pinned in place here, and sure enough, something had happened.

Still, he couldn’t come clean.

“Just passing by.”

Lin Zhixue cast her eyes down.

Something wasn’t right.

Passing by?

The distance from the Gu manor to West Street wasn’t particularly long, nor was it short, separated by half a market quarter.

Whenever he went out normally, he either rode a horse or took a carriage. How could he possibly walk alone to such an out-of-the-way alley in the western district?

And appear right when Shen You had cornered her?

He wasn’t that sort of person.

In her memory, Gu Yanqing was never someone to poke his nose into other people’s business.

If he saw someone being bullied on the street, not stepping in to kick them while they were down was already considered him being in a good mood.

Standing up for someone? That was rarer than the sun rising in the west.

Yet it was none other than him.

He hadn’t stolen her spirit stones. He had given her work. And he had spoken up for her in front of Shen You.

Her mind was a tangled mess, various thoughts churning together with no way to unravel them.

“Or could it be...”

Gu Yanqing’s voice suddenly rang out again.

She looked up, meeting his gaze directly.

“...you think my being here got in your way?”

Lin Zhixue’s heart leapt into her throat.

She was all too familiar with the tone of that sentence.

That slightly impatient, condescending interrogation was identical to how he had picked on people on the street just days ago.

Her body reacted before her brain could.

Shrinking her shoulders inward, she hastily averted her gaze from his face, dropping it back to the tips of her toes.

The version of herself who didn’t dare look up when being beaten and cursed in alleys had returned in an instant.

“N-No.”

Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible. Pausing, she added another line.

“I should thank you.”

Her voice grew even fainter.

Gu Yanqing said nothing.

The alley fell silent for a few breaths.

Keeping her head down, she couldn’t see his expression, only hearing his footsteps ring out once more.

Unhurried, step by step, heading toward the other end of the alley.

Only when the footsteps faded into silence did Lin Zhixue slowly raise her head.

The alley was already empty.

Dusk weighed down from the eaves on either side, dyeing the bluestone pavement a deep gray.

Standing dazed for a moment, she took a sudden deep breath and vigorously rubbed her face with both hands.

Things she couldn’t figure out were better left unthought for now.

Stowing the money pouch securely against her skin, tucking it inside the hidden pocket of the worn undershirt Xiaohe had mended for her, she made sure it wasn’t visible from the outside before setting off toward the western quarter.

By the time she reached home, dusk had deepened into twilight.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, she immediately saw Xiaohe squatting on the threshold, chin propped in her hands, staring intently in the direction of the entrance.

The moment she saw her enter, Xiaohe sprang up as if loosed from bindings, running up to her in a few swift strides and tugging at her sleeve while looking her up and down.

“Miss, why are you only getting back now? Did he do anything to you? Are you hurt? Are you hungry? I saved some food for you...”

“I’m fine.”

Lin Zhixue patted her hand, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. “I’m really fine.”

Xiaohe looked at her dubiously, circling around her once more to make sure there were truly no new injuries before finally breathing a sigh of relief.