Chapter 24: Fond of Stirring Up Trouble

Ou Xinlai quickly lowered her body, causing Ye Zifei’s hand to slip off. Shu Nan complained, “You’re too heavy.” Seriously, she was still so young—did Ye Zifei really feel comfortable pressing down on her? “No one’s forcing you. Aren’t you willing to help me?” To call it “using” someone sounded unpleasant; she was only asking Ye Zifei for a small favor.

“Hey, I helped you out, and you can’t even say a kind word to me. My fate really is bitter,” Ye Zifei sighed, shaking his head, but his eyes sparkled with delight, his mood clearly excellent.

“Oh, right, another favor—at Shenghai Academy, which class is a little more relaxed, with more free time? Help me transfer into that one.” If her cheap father could pull some strings, surely Ye Zifei, as the Young Marquis, had the ability as well.

“Is that really the only favor you need from me?” Ye Zifei looked at Ou Xinlai with a half-smile. However he looked at her, it seemed she needed more than just one thing.

“If you know, then take the initiative. Don’t always make me spell it out—be self-aware, will you?” Ou Xinlai shot Ye Zifei a glare. Xuan Ye had said he needed time, but she didn’t want any mishaps during the period he was considering. The best solution was to settle the Xuan family affair before he could speak, then smoothly dissolve the engagement herself.

“Do you really want to break off the engagement with Xuan Ye?” Ye Zifei suddenly fixed his gaze on Ou Xinlai, confirming her intent once more.

“Of course.” Ou Xinlai looked at Ye Zifei just as seriously. “Xuan Ye isn’t my type.” Xuan Ye had asked for time; though Ou Xinlai accepted this answer, she felt a sense of disdain. If the Xuan family’s affairs were all smooth, why would they force Xuan Ye to keep this engagement with her?

Clearly, the Xuan family faced some difficult problems, and Xuan Ye was playing a sly game, looking to maximize his benefit from her under the circumstances.

Although the Xuan family valued the Ou family’s Five Elements Formation, the Ou family was not about to activate it lightly. If he couldn’t use that formation, whatever Xuan Ye would ask for later wouldn’t be anything simple.

“You’re very angry?” Ye Zifei could see all too well how Xuan Ye was maneuvering against Ou Xinlai. He hadn’t helped her, not for fear of damaging his friendship with Xuan Ye, but because he believed that the more Xuan Ye schemed, the more determined Ou Xinlai would be to break off the engagement.

Right now, the conviction in Ou Xinlai’s eyes was strong, but Ye Zifei hoped nothing would go wrong to spoil things.

“Xuan Ye’s scheming against me—shouldn’t I, as the target, be angry?” Ou Xinlai looked at Ye Zifei in surprise. Unless she was dead, who wouldn’t be angry in her situation? Xuan Ye thought himself so precious, and treated her like a fat sheep to be slaughtered.

Admittedly, Xuan Ye was still somewhat reasonable, not arrogant enough to think she was playing tricks just to get his attention. On that count, he wasn’t entirely despicable.

But not entirely despicable didn’t mean he wasn’t despicable at all.

“All right, I’ll help you!” Seeing Ou Xinlai’s resolve, Ye Zifei felt true delight. He agreed that she and Xuan Ye were unsuited; it would be best for both to go their separate ways and seek their own happiness.

“I’ll let you know if the Xuan family makes any moves. When the time comes, do your best—otherwise, this engagement won’t be easy to escape.” Ye Zifei patted her on the shoulder. “But until then, be careful at school. The women here aren’t easy to deal with.” Just now, Ou Xinlai had so readily left with Xuan Ye; surely, many women wanted her dead by now.

“Don’t worry—who lives and who dies is still up in the air,” Ou Xinlai said with ease, showing no anxiety about the matter.

As Ye Zifei had predicted, when Ou Xinlai appeared again, she was immediately surrounded by a group of women—the ancient version of bullying!

Ou Xinlai smiled. These girls were truly adorable, delivering themselves to her so quickly.

“Ou Xinlai, you’re shameless. With your ghastly looks, how could you be fortunate enough to get engaged to Lord Xuan? A person should know their place and not covet what isn’t theirs. You—” The first girl hadn’t finished speaking before another, more hot-tempered one shoved her aside.

“Why waste words on her?” the fierce girl glared at Ou Xinlai. “Ou Xinlai, stop dreaming above your station. Lord Xuan and the Young Marquis are both out of your league.”

“What do you want?” On the side, Ou Xinya, who was enjoying the show, grabbed Ou Xinyu, who was about to rush forward.

“They’re going to beat up Ou Xinlai—she doesn’t have any abilities and isn’t their match. What if she’s beaten to death?” Ou Xinyu instinctively wanted to help.

Ou Xinya looked at her as if at an idiot. Weren’t they all hoping Ou Xinlai would die? Now that someone was doing it for them, had something gone wrong in Ou Xinyu’s head that she wanted to save her?

Ou Xinlai glanced at Ou Xinya and Ou Xinyu, then addressed the women surrounding her, “The reason Lord Xuan and the Young Marquis met with me today was actually to ask about someone else. It has nothing to do with me.” She shrugged, signaling her innocence.

Hidden in a corner, Ye Zifei heard her words and nearly fell over. He had thought Ou Xinlai would fight these women. If things went badly, he’d swoop in and play the hero. Who could have guessed she’d sell him out too?

The truth was, Ye Zifei had deliberately hidden to watch the spectacle.

“Judging by the Young Marquis’s and Lord Xuan’s tone, they already have someone they like. Tsk tsk, even though it’s autumn, why do I feel the breath of spring in the air?” Ou Xinlai’s words killed three birds with one stone. Goodness, once again, she made it clear—she didn’t like trouble, but she really, really enjoyed causing it!