Chapter 18: The World of Paper Figures
The hand hidden in Qi Yan’s sleeve clenched into a fist. “You’re upset with him, so you’re using me as a substitute to deliberately get his attention, aren’t you?”
Half of the young man’s face was shrouded in shadow, the visible half etched with fragility and unease.
Yun Zhao was taken aback.
No, that’s not it.
Maybe you’re the one who should read fewer romance stories.
She took a deep breath, gently turned Qi Yan’s face toward her. Their eyes met; Qi Yan’s expression flickered as he tried to look away, but Yun Zhao blocked him.
“Qi Yan, I’ll say this one last time…”
“The one I like is you, and only you.”
Why else would I have transmigrated into this story?
“Even if I once liked Song Zhiyuan, now you have to forget the past.”
Don’t bring up old grievances, don’t lose my favor!
Her voice was firm, leaving no room for denial. Qi Yan murmured softly, “Mm.”
“But,” he said anxiously, “I can never compare to Song Zhiyuan. He comes from a prestigious orthodox family, the sect leader’s top disciple.”
“I’m half-demon bloodline, my identity can’t be openly revealed…”
Qi Yan exuded a deathly stillness and loneliness. Yun Zhao quickly soothed him, “Who says you’re inferior to Song Zhiyuan? That proud, hypocritical scoundrel—whoever likes him is the one who’ll have bad luck!”
“Achoo—”
Xue Huairui sneezed unexpectedly. Song Zhiyuan hurriedly asked with concern, “Xiao Rui, are you okay?”
“Senior Brother, I’m fine.”
Rubbing her eyes, Xue Huairui said, “Maybe I caught a chill while training last night.”
Song Zhiyuan frowned, “Xiao Rui, you’re still young, no need to rush. What if you injure your foundation…”
“I want to compete in the sect’s grand tournament with Senior Brother,” Xue Huairui smiled shyly. “This might be Senior Brother’s last time participating. I don’t want to miss it.”
Song Zhiyuan sighed, “You girl…”
“So, you’re not allowed to compare yourself to Song Zhiyuan anymore, got it?”
[Favorability +25, current favorability 32]
“Mm,” Qi Yan replied softly, “Got it.”
Not only was the favorability restored, it rose by five points.
Only then did Yun Zhao release his face with satisfaction. “Alright, with all this delay, we won’t have time to visit anywhere else today.”
“Then we’ll come again next time?”
Qi Yan seemed to have untied a knot in his heart, chatting more freely with her along the way.
But fate was unkind. On the way back to the sect, they ran into Song Zhiyuan again.
Suddenly, Qi Yan rested his hand on Yun Zhao’s shoulder, close enough to almost touch her neck.
Yun Zhao flew her sword straight past Song Zhiyuan, not sparing him a single glance.
---
“Qi Yan, what’s wrong?”
Yun Zhao glanced at the hand on her shoulder. “Afraid I’d drop you?”
“No,” Qi Yan answered seriously, “I just wanted to warm my hands.”
He placed his hand on her neck, and Yun Zhao’s hair instantly bristled.
“Take your hand away!”
It was like touching ice—freezing cold.
Qi Yan casually withdrew his hand, pretending nothing had happened.
The system, silent for days, suddenly chimed in: “Host, have you fallen for him?”
Yun Zhao stared straight ahead, replying with a question, “Would you fall in love with a stranger within just a few dozen days?”
“Then you…”
“I’m on a mission,” Yun Zhao said calmly. “Guiding the villain onto the right path means making him believe there’s true love and genuine feelings in the world.”
“If I give him family love, friendship, and romance, how can he still be a villain?”
“Just playing a role?”
“Yes,” Yun Zhao tugged at the corner of her mouth, “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
Her cursed fate had plagued her since childhood—she brought misfortune to her loved ones, and as she grew, to her friends as well.
Yun Zhao had warned them: staying close to her would cause bad luck. No one believed it. When misfortune struck, they complained about their unlucky fate or cursed heaven.
She had a close friend who, after enduring countless misfortunes, developed a catchphrase:
“Heaven, I won’t call you Grandma anymore. You never treated me like your granddaughter!”
Until one day, the friend ended up in the hospital, avoiding Yun Zhao’s gaze.
“Zhao Zhao, maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore.”
“…”
The system couldn’t help but say, “Actually, you already have family and friends here. Host, if you want, you can stay after completing your mission.”
“That won’t do,” Yun Zhao smiled. “I have a big fat cat at home to take care of. If I don’t return, what will happen to it?”
Besides…
Though Yun Zhao didn’t show it on the surface, deep down she felt that this was a transmigration. Everyone around her was just paper-thin characters.
If she, a living person, remained trapped in this book world forever, the thought alone made her scalp tingle.
Perhaps one day, the world she lived in would become a series of paper sheets, and the people around her mere paper dolls…
Thinking of this, Yun Zhao shivered.
Suddenly, her shoulder felt a weight. Qi Yan’s voice came from behind, “Cold?”
“Mm,” Yun Zhao tightened the cloak he draped over her, “A little.”
Qi Yan anxiously tested the air. He had set up a windproof barrier—there was no wind at all. How could she still be cold?
Maybe it was just a difference between men and women.
---
Two days later, Mu Qianqian emerged from seclusion with news.
Song Zhiyuan’s innate spirit sword had awakened a sword spirit—a fierce gold-swallowing leopard.
Mu Qianqian sighed with envy, “Zhao Zhao, you haven’t seen that gold-swallowing leopard. It’s so mighty! I wonder when my sword will awaken a spirit.”
Yun Zhao comforted her, “Senior Sister, don’t worry. Your frost power is so strong; it’s only a matter of time.”
Mu Qianqian sighed again. It wasn’t easy.
Her talent was inferior to Song Zhiyuan’s. Unlike him, she was both a spirit cultivator and a sword cultivator.
But she soon came to terms with it. “In this sect’s grand tournament, I will contract a spirit beast even stronger than the gold-swallowing leopard.”
“Who knows who’ll be stronger then!” Yun Zhao applauded generously. “Go for it, Senior Sister!”
While they spoke, a wolf howl suddenly echoed from Qi Yan’s room. Mu Qianqian was surprised, “Qi Yan’s sword awakened a spirit?”
Yun Zhao stood up. “Let’s go see.”
At the door of Qi Yan’s room, Yun Zhao saw a small pure white wolf lying on the Bloodthirsty Sword.
Hearing the noise, the little wolf barked happily and leapt into Yun Zhao’s arms.
Caught off guard, Yun Zhao ended up with saliva all over her face.
“You are Bloodthirsty?”
The little wolf nodded eagerly.
“So adorable!”
Mu Qianqian’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the wolf in Yun Zhao’s arms. “Can I pet it?”
The two girls stood at the doorway, occasionally shrieking in delight at the wolf’s cuteness.
Ignored, Qi Yan was left standing confused in the wind.
Weren’t you here to see me?
Annoyed!
Returning to her room, Yun Zhao took out the sword Fuguang and sighed when it remained unchanged.
“Fuguang, what do you think your sword spirit will be like?”
“Wait, no sword spirit yet. You haven’t fully recovered either. The sect’s grand tournament is in a few days—there’s no way I can bring you there like this.”
“Or,” Yun Zhao tentatively suggested, “I could say I’ve switched my innate spirit sword?”
No sooner had she spoken than the blade of Fuguang suddenly cracked open.