Chapter 18: No One Can Help but Love Yan Huaixuan

Chapter 18: No One Can Help Falling for Yan Huaixuan

But the words caught in his throat, refusing to come out.

Shen Lian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his body, his mind as if pierced by a needle.

The system's face in his mind turned ugly. "Shen Lian, what are you trying to do? Spill everything? Are you actually falling for Yan Huaixuan?"

A flicker of coldness passed through Shen Lian's eyes as he lowered his head and whispered, "I haven't. I know men are unreliable. I was just trying to win Yan Huaixuan's sympathy."

The system narrowed its eyes, staring at him. "Are you sure it's not that you've fallen for Yan Huaixuan?"

Honestly, someone like Yan Huaixuan was almost impossible not to fall for.

Shen Lian gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment. "Of course not. I just want to go home. I have younger siblings to support, and my dad's in the final stages of kidney failure. Without me, he'll soon run out of money for treatment."

The system frowned slightly, observing Shen Lian's expression carefully. It didn't seem like he was lying.

It figured Shen Lian probably didn't have the guts to fool it.

Only then did it speak coldly, "Fine, I misjudged you, then. Remember this—you absolutely cannot harbor any other thoughts! Do your job right, or next time it won't just be a shock. I'll make you go through hell on earth!"

Shen Lian's expression had already returned to indifference. "Got it."

The system's shock had caught him off guard, and he was swaying on his feet. Yan Huaixuan immediately caught him, frowning slightly. "Shen Lian?"

Since he'd been shocked anyway, Shen Lian wasn't about to waste it. He immediately raised his pale, sickly face to look at Yan Huaixuan.

"I'm fine, Your Highness. Go rest. I'll practice a bit more, then head back."

Seeing Shen Lian's pale, thin lips and his frame barely able to stand, yet he was still talking about extra practice, Yan Huaixuan's expression turned cold. "Did I not just tell you? In cultivation, rushing things is the biggest taboo. If you insist on being reckless, don't bother coming back tomorrow."

Shen Lian's eyes widened, and he immediately grabbed Yan Huaixuan's hand. "I won't! I'll stop practicing!"

Seeing the coldness in Yan Huaixuan's brow ease slightly, Shen Lian then said, "I just wanted to catch up to Your Highness faster."

Yan Huaixuan paused slightly.

Shen Lian said softly, "Your Highness is so impressive—who in the world doesn't know your name? Who wouldn't admire you?"

Shen Lian turned his head, deliberately letting Yan Huaixuan see the faint blush on his ears. "Your Highness is so wonderful, A Lian's afraid he's not good enough for you, that someone might steal you away. So I've got to work hard to keep up with you."

Shen Lian added half-jokingly, "If Your Highness ever makes a comeback, or turns into a dragon when the storm hits, please don't forget A Lian, your wife from the old days."

He was terrified. The system's shock just now had made him realize that if Yan Huaixuan didn't take him along, he would be gambling with his life.

But Yan Huaixuan still seemed to see him as just a friend.

That wasn't nearly enough. When Yan Huaixuan left for the cultivation world, he hadn't even taken his best uncle, who'd always helped him!

Shen Lian's heart was pounding with anxiety, and he didn't notice that upon hearing these words, Yan Huaixuan's expression gradually turned cold again, and he pulled back the hand that had been holding Shen Lian up.

Yan Huaixuan said indifferently, "You're overthinking it. I'm just a useless man stuck in the cold palace. Who'd fight over me?"

Shen Lian was stunned for a moment by Yan Huaixuan's words.

He met Yan Huaixuan's gaze, confused about why the man who'd just been teaching him martial arts had suddenly gone cold again.

Hearing Yan Huaixuan put himself down, he figured Yan Huaixuan was upset.

Shen Lian pressed his lips together. Yeah, someone so refined and noble, yet forced to be stuck in the cold palace.

Even though he knew Yan Huaixuan would one day turn into a dragon when the storm came, Yan Huaixuan himself didn't know that.

Yan Huaixuan must be sad too, huh?

But he couldn't tell Yan Huaixuan about the future.

Shen Lian racked his brain, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with a smile, "Your Highness doesn't know this, but I dreamed you could suddenly fly on the wind, soaring through the sky—so awesome!"

But after Shen Lian said that, Yan Huaixuan's expression didn't improve one bit.

Instead, he asked, "So your change in attitude is all because of a dream? You ignored me before, and now you're all over me?"

Shen Lian froze, his face going pale.

How could he have forgotten—before he transmigrated here, the original body had a track record. Even though the affair hadn't been exposed, he'd still treated Yan Huaixuan coldly.

It was the system's move just now that had made him lose his cool for once.

Shen Lian cursed the system in his head, then forced a smile. "How could that be? Dreams are just dreams, they don't mean a thing. A Lian truly admires Your Highness."

But Yan Huaixuan had already turned and walked off, sleeves sweeping behind him.

"Husband!" Shen Lian reached out to grab Yan Huaixuan's sleeve, but could only watch helplessly as the moon-white robe slipped right through his fingers.

No matter how he tried to chase after him, it felt like there was an endless distance between them.

Every time he got close, the distance stretched again.

Shen Lian leaned against a tree, panting, watching Yan Huaixuan's cold back as he walked away.

Shen Lian's expression turned ugly. "System, get out here."

The system was feeling a little guilty at this point. "What is it?"

Shen Lian sneered. "I'd successfully won Yan Huaixuan over these past few days. Look what you've done—you've been holding me back the whole time. If you hadn't shocked me, I wouldn't have lost my head and said all that!"

The system remained silent.

Shen Lian said with a half-smile, "I'm warning you, we're in this together now. If I stop working, what can you do about it?"

Hearing this, the system's expression suddenly changed. "What do you mean? Aren't you afraid I'll shock you?"

Shen Lian's expression turned playful instead. He casually played with his hair.

"Go ahead and shock me. If I die, the mission fails anyway, and Yan Huaixuan will still rise to the top."

"You—"

Shen Lian curled his lips. "It's only a month until Yan Huaixuan meets Ling Yun. You wouldn't have time to find a new host, would you?"

The system stiffened, its voice momentarily unnatural, then it said coldly and rigidly, "Fine! This time was my mistake. What compensation do you want?"

But Shen Lian had caught a hint of something off about the system. He had only been testing it, but the system had changed its tune and didn't mention replacing him.

So—this thing only had one binding chance? If it changed hosts, the system would definitely suffer a huge loss too!

Shen Lian said indifferently, "No compensation needed. Just don't hold me back in the future. I have my reasons for everything I do."

The system, knowing it was at fault, said, "Fine, fine, got it. Go finish your task."

Shen Lian nodded slightly, but his gaze lingered on where Yan Huaixuan had been, and he pressed his lips together.

Why on earth did Yan Huaixuan suddenly get angry?

Back in the room, Yan Huaixuan raised his hand, and a wooden sword appeared on the table.

Ling Yun, coming out of seclusion, asked curiously, "Master, why did you make a sword?"

Yan Huaixuan said coldly, "Just passing the time."

Then, he crushed the wooden sword to pieces.

Ling Yun felt a twinge of regret—Yan Huaixuan was the Supreme of the Emotionless Dao, so any sword he crafted, even a wooden one, was extraordinary.

But noticing his master's expression seemed off, Ling Yun kept quiet.

A cold glint flashed in Yan Huaixuan's eyes.

Shen Lian's words today only confirmed that he had indeed been reborn.

Shen Lian was only buttering him up now so he could ascend with him later.

But these past few days, he had actually...

Yan Huaixuan took a deep breath, his face expressionless, and thought.

He must sever the Red Thread of Fate as soon as possible.