After Transmigrating, I and the Female Lead Both Found It 'Really Fragrant' (GL) - Chapter 18

“Miss, excuse me for interrupting.” The young man in black stopped in front of Liu Shang. After a moment’s hesitation, he said softly, “May I ask… is the Qingli Sect’s promotion competition held here?”

Liu Shuang raised her eyes. When she saw his face clearly, her pupils constricted for a moment, and a fleeting hint of ferocity flashed across her brows, like ripples on a lake that quickly returned to calm.

Her expression quickly turned cold, and she replied sparingly, “Yes.”

That face… handsome features, fair skin, a pair of peach blossom eyes filled with deep affection. Just by gazing at someone, he could drown that person in the depths of his loving gaze.

Such a handsome young man, with every glance and smile, had already captivated countless women around him, making them fall deeply in love. Yet, in Liu Shang’s eyes, he was as sharp as a sword, ruthlessly cleaving through the calm surface, exposing the bloody events of the past to the world.

Those past events that she could not forget, replayed over and over again in her midnight dreams, and the hatred followed her like a nightmare, etched into her bones.

The man looked around in confusion, meeting Liu Shuang’s gaze. For a moment, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, frozen in place.

He watched helplessly as Liu Shuang took a step forward, a fierce and twisted killing intent flashing in her usually calm eyes!

“Senior sister!”

A young girl’s clear voice suddenly sounded in her ear, like a ray of light piercing through the darkness, dispelling all the evil and malice.

Liu Shuang paused and turned around, only to see Shen Qiqi striding towards them, her face filled with alertness and vigilance. Her footsteps pounded heavily on the ground, as if she were… angry?

She wrapped her arm around Liu Shuang, like a protective mother hen, and glared at the man, puffing out her cheeks. “Senior sister, do you know him?”

Liu Shuang looked at the girl’s dark hair and seemed to relax. She smiled lazily and said indifferently, “I don’t.”

The chilling aura dissipated, and the man suddenly relaxed, letting out a long sigh of relief. He glanced at Shen Qiqi’s nervous expression and a wry smile appeared on his handsome face. “Miss, you’ve got the wrong idea. I just had something I wanted to ask this young lady.”

“Hmph, there are so many people in this square, why did you pick her?”

The man blushed with embarrassment, not knowing how to answer. He stammered, “I… I… I just saw that the young lady has an extraordinary aura and wanted to learn from her.” This was probably the first time in his life that he had been mistaken for a flirt, and he really didn’t know what to say.

This guy actually has some taste.

Shen Qiqi looked him up and down, half-believing him. “Then tell me, who are you?” Her senior sister was so gentle and kind, what if she was deceived and bullied by some stinky man?

The man hurriedly bowed and explained, “I am Sheng Ci, a disciple of the Yunqu Sect. I came to Qingli Sect to watch the competition.”

Shen Qiqi suddenly realized, this man was one of the male leads in the book – Sheng Ci!

Of all the male leads, this man seemed to be the most normal, but he was just as bad.

Though Sheng Ci looked gentle and considerate, he was actually a big playboy who was almost indiscriminate with the girls who admired him. On the surface, he was as bright as the sun, but behind the scenes, he kept a large harem, and even enjoyed his own promiscuity.

One of his greatest pleasures in life was to hook up with girls who weren’t interested in him. People are like that, they always want what they can’t have.

He was more like the male protagonist of a harem game, obsessed with conquering and playing with the girls around him. And Liu Shuang’s cold and gentle personality was right up his alley.

When Liu Shuang was still deeply in love with Qin Qing, she had rejected Sheng Ci’s advances, which only fueled Sheng Ci’s competitive spirit, making him determined to win her over.

After Qin Qing betrayed Liu Shuang and Master Chang Yao died because of her, during Liu Shuang’s darkest days, Sheng Ci had always been by her side, caring for her in every way. Even a stone would gradually soften when faced with such a persistent “warm” man, let alone Liu Shuang who was so gentle and inexperienced.

Just when she was about to accept Sheng Ci’s affection, she suddenly discovered that Sheng Ci was actually a playboy who was unfaithful to all his romantic partners.

When Liu Shuang was sick, he used the excuse of buying medicine to go to a brothel; when Liu Shuang was fast asleep, he would flirt with the girl next door.

If someone hadn’t come forward to expose him, Liu Shuang would probably still be in the dark. His companionship and affection were all just a facade, copied and pasted.

They say those who are the most affectionate are the most heartless.

After facing numerous betrayals, deceptions, and life-and-death situations in the world, Sheng Ci had dealt Liu Shuang the most devastating blow, shattering all the remaining hopes and expectations she had for the human world.

… Such a scumbag should never be allowed near Liu Shuang! The best outcome would be to completely snuff him out in his cradle, to prevent this nightmare from ever happening again.

Shen Qiqi’s expression changed instantly, and she immediately took Liu Shuang ten miles away, leaving the bewildered Sheng Ci standing there, clueless.

With a serious expression, she said, “Senior sister, you must stay far away from him in the future.”

Liu Shuang looked at her with interest, a slight smile on her lips. “Oh? Why?”

Shen Qiqi’s eyebrows furrowed, and she immediately made up a story, not forgetting to smear Sheng Ci’s reputation. “I think he has a dark aura and shifty eyes, the look of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You can’t get close to people like that, they’ll suck your luck! He’s very bad!”

Liu Shuang nodded as if she believed her, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes shimmering like willow leaves in the breeze, filled with a hint of worry and helplessness. “What my Junior sister said is very true… what should I do?”

“Don’t worry,” Shen Qiqi saw Liu Shuang leaning against her, like a young, innocent, and pitiful little white flower, and her protective instinct surged. She patted her chest and promised, “I’ll keep a close eye on him, he won’t dare approach you.”

Liu Shuang smiled slightly and nodded. “Then I’ll trouble Junior sister.”

As they were talking, the square had already been set up. A red circular arena was erected in the center, with inner sect disciples sitting on the left, outer sect disciples on the right, and central seats for the peak masters of each peak and disciples from other sects to watch.

The promotion competition adopted a one-on-one random matching mode. Regardless of the reason, both parties called must go on stage.

Shen Qiqi found two good front-row seats and sat down side by side with Liu Shuang.

What really annoyed Shen Qiqi was that Sheng Ci was sitting very close to them, smiling slightly at the two of them.

What’s he smiling about? So annoying!

Shen Qiqi glared at him and turned her head away, ignoring Sheng Ci’s surprised expression.

“Senior sister, how are you feeling?” she leaned closer to Liu Shuang and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be nervous, just do your best later, don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

She didn’t want Liu Shuang to feel inferior because of her low cultivation level.

Liu Shuang felt a warm breath on her ear and was slightly startled, her eyes flickering. “…Okay.”

At this moment, a white-bearded old man in a Taoist robe strode onto the stage, with a colorful, motley parrot perched on his shoulder.

Stroking his braided white beard, he boomed, a wave of spiritual pressure sweeping across the dark square. “Everyone, today is the day the promotion competition begins. On behalf of the peak masters, I remind all disciples that you must behave properly during the competition. There must be absolutely no cheating or impersonation…”

He went on for a long time, saying things that sounded like a head teacher reminding students not to cheat before a college entrance exam, making Shen Qiqi suddenly feel a bit nostalgic for her modern life.

“Remember, regardless of the outcome, do not injure others unnecessarily, just tap them to signal a win!”

The parrot on his shoulder repeated, “Tap to win! Tap to win!”

After giving his instructions, the old Taoist priest floated off the stage. “…Alright, the competition officially begins!”

Dang!

A gong sounded on the stage, echoing softly in everyone’s ears.

“The first match, Song Xixiao from the Yefeng Peak, versus Fu Qing from the Qingfeng Peak.”

Oh, the first match was against her second senior brother, Fu Qing. Shen Qiqi’s spirits lifted, and she wished she could grab a pair of binoculars to get a better look.

Fu Qing, dressed in a simple white robe, stood up from his seat, his feet lightly tapping the ground as he gracefully landed on the stage, his robes billowing in the wind, causing a burst of cheers.

He opened a folding fan, revealing a white paper surface with bold black characters – “Unrestrained.”

Fu Qing shook his fan lightly and smiled at the dark-skinned, stern-looking man in front of him.
“Brother Song, after being classmates for so many years, I never thought we would become opponents. Fate is truly a fickle thing.”

Song Xixiao raised an eyelid and said indifferently, “Enough talk, let’s begin.”

Fu Qing shook his head in mock regret. “Alas, Brother Song is still so unromantic, it truly makes Fu feel a mixture of love and hate.”

Shen Qiqi’s eyes lit up: Hey, there’s actually some trash talk, I love it!

Fu Qing smiled and said, “Excuse me!” Then, with a flip of his fan, he suddenly struck at Song Xixiao. The paper fan was as sharp as an iron blade, but fortunately, Song Xixiao dodged in time, only losing a few strands of hair which floated gently to the ground.

The move was as fast as lightning, and Shen Qiqi was so stunned that she almost didn’t see it.

Fu Qing continued to strike out with his fan, aiming for vital points. Song Xixiao responded with incredible agility, deftly deflecting each attack. The crowd cheered loudly.

Although Fu Qing usually had a smiling demeanor, he now looked rather fierce.

He moved with the agility of a dragon, his wrist incredibly flexible. As the paper fan flickered, flicked, lifted, and blocked, it was as light as the wind, and in the blink of an eye, he had attacked several times, making even Song Xixiao struggle to keep up. Sweat began to trickle down Song Xixiao’s forehead, and he turned around to summon a huge black iron sword.

The sword was completely black, and a silver gleam flashed on the blade. With a loud clang, Fu Qing narrowly avoided the strike, but the sword energy still numbed his arm.

The two of them fought for dozens of rounds, one black and one white, their robes flying in the wind, like two dragons battling. They seemed evenly matched, making for a very exciting match.

Shen Qiqi couldn’t tear her eyes away, and she tightly gripped Liu Shuang’s sleeve, exclaiming, “Senior sister, who do you think will win?”

Liu Shuang glanced at them briefly and concluded, “Brother Fu Qing will probably win.”

“Huh?” Shen Qiqi was a bit surprised. “He seems so unreliable… I think Song Xixiao has a better chance.”

Liu Shang shook her head. “Just watch a little closer.”

Fu Qing’s paper fan was light and his attacks were as fast as lightning, but Song Xixiao, wielding a large sword, was gradually becoming overwhelmed. He retreated several steps, spun his sword, and with a brilliant flash, he struck out with a powerful move, aiming straight for Fu Qing’s throat.

Someone shouted, “Good!”

But Fu Qing’s figure had vanished from sight. The next moment, he appeared behind Song Xixiao like a ghost, his fan handle gently pressed against Song Xixiao’s lower back.

“You forgot your weakness.” he smiled.

Song Xixiao paused for a moment, wiped the sweat from his face, and said, “I concede. You win.” Then, he gracefully stepped off the stage.

Amidst cheers and applause, the result was announced.

“The first match, Fu Qing wins!”

The motley parrot mimicked, “Fu Qing wins! Fu Qing wins!”

Fu Qing winked at the crowd, earning screams from countless women.

Shen Qiqi muttered to herself: “…What a show-off!”

She turned to Liu Shuang and smiled, “Senior sister, you were right. How did you know Second Senior brother would win…” Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the old Taoist’s loud voice.

“The second match, Xiao Wen from the Yufeng Peak,” he paused, then said solemnly, “versus, Shen Qiqi from the Qingfeng Peak!”

There was an uproar.

Shen Qiqi was startled and stood up involuntarily. “Why… why is it my turn so soon?”

A murmur ran through the crowd.
“It’s Shen Qiqi!”

“Look, Miss Shen is going to make her move!”

“Haha, who do you bet on?”

“……..”

Shen Qiqi suddenly felt a little flustered and stood there, breathing rapidly. Suddenly, a hand covered hers, cool as ice, calming all her anxiety.

Liu Shang held her hand tightly, her gaze clear and determined. “Don’t be afraid, you can win.”

Miraculously, Shen Qiqi calmed down. She took a deep breath and nodded vigorously. “Okay!”

Senior Sister: Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you.

T/N: Yeah~ they’re just cheating like that hahaha… Don’t worry, Miss Shen, your wife got your back.