Reborn as the Novel’s Villain: Cultivation Lost, Female Leads Take Control - Chapter 154

Two hours had passed.

In the rear hall of Qingming Palace.

“It’s almost time, you should get up now!”

Ji Hongluan’s face was flushed, her eyes carrying an unconcealable shyness as she urged Xu Yang in a soft tone.

“What’s almost time?”

Xu Yang feigned ignorance, looking at Ji Hongluan with a mischievous smile.

“Your Majesty, I still have some strength left!”

“You…”

Ji Hongluan’s eyes trembled, as if deeply shocked by the evil disciple’s boundless energy.

This couldn’t entirely be blamed on her. Before he left for White Emperor City, she could still spar with this evil disciple to a draw. But upon his return, his strength had grown significantly, utterly overwhelming her, leaving her legs weak and trembling. If not for her cultivation foundation in the Void Shattering realm, she might have completely surrendered.

“Stop fooling around! I only asked Little Flower to take Xiyao out for two hours. They’ll be back soon. If they see us like this…”

“Be good and listen, alright? Let’s save it for another day?”

Though the fear of being caught was one factor, Ji Hongluan was truly running out of energy. A faint fatigue lingered on her delicate features.

“It’s better to finish today than to put it off, Your Majesty,” Xu Yang teased, his gaze playful.

Seeing that the evil disciple wouldn’t give up, Ji Hongluan’s expression hardened. Thinking that if she didn’t deal with him now, they would certainly be discovered. With a flash of irritation, she stretched out a long leg and kicked him lightly, her tone sharp with annoyance, “Evil disciple, you don’t even listen to your master, do you?”

“Your Majesty, at this moment, we are king and minister, not master and disciple!”

Xu Yang corrected her. He caught her outstretched leg and gently stroked it, his touch light as a feather. He didn’t press further but instead sighed dramatically, “Alas, I thought I could have a good time with Your Majesty after so many days apart. Since Your Majesty isn’t up for it, I’ll take my leave.”

He made a show of standing up to leave.

“Wait!”

Ji Hongluan frowned and stopped him in his tracks.

“Your Majesty, what else could you need?”

Xu Yang turned around, locking eyes with her as he teased, “What else could it be?”

“Mr. Xu, I’m telling you seriously—it’s not that I can’t, I’m just worried about being discovered!”

Ji Hongluan’s tone carried a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

“Your Majesty, why bother making excuses? If you can’t, you can’t. I won’t laugh at you!”

Xu Yang looked at her and spoke in an exasperated tone, shrugging slightly.

“You insolent brat! Come here—I must settle this with you today!”

Ji Hongluan stood up abruptly. Forgetting her earlier reservations, she grabbed Xu Yang by the collar and threw him back onto the bed. With a wave of her hand, she set a barrier at the door to block entry. Her gritted teeth betrayed her mix of fury and determination.

“Your Majesty, there’s no need for that. I already set up a formation outside the hall. They can’t get in,” Xu Yang said nonchalantly from where he lay sprawled.

Ji Hongluan froze, her expression incredulous as she processed his words. Her delicate shoulders trembled with barely contained anger.

“You planned this all along, didn’t you, you traitor?”

“Your Majesty, you wrong me. I was just being prepared!” Xu Yang replied, his expression all innocence.

“And you expect me to believe that explanation?”

Ji Hongluan’s brows arched sharply, her fury rising. This evil disciple had clearly been scheming from the start!

How infuriating—and yet…

“Can I be blamed for this? It’s obviously Your Majesty’s failure!” Xu Yang muttered under his breath.

Ji Hongluan, already incensed, felt her anger flare again at his words. She was about to explode when she stopped herself, reconsidering.

After all, was it truly his fault? Who could blame the plow for being too diligent when it had been driven to work every field?

Ji Hongluan bit her lip, realizing the truth. Her face burned red as she stammered softly:

“I… I misunderstood you. It’s my fault.”

“It’s alright. Being misunderstood by Your Majesty is just my fate,” Xu Yang said with a shrug, sitting up.

“…”

But the more carefree Xu Yang was, the more embarrassed Ji Hongluan felt. She wanted to comfort him, but hesitation crept in as her strength wavered.

“Your Majesty, have a good rest. I’ll come again another day.”

Xu Yang stood up and bowed to Ji Hongluan.

He continued their little game of teasing between Daoist partners, addressing Ji Hongluan as “Your Majesty” at every turn, making her feel both exasperated and strangely comfortable.

“What rest?”

“I’m not tired at all. On the contrary, it’s you who seems eager to flee halfway!”

Ji Hongluan gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes locking onto Xu Yang. The look in her gaze suggested that if Xu Yang dared to take another step, she wouldn’t hesitate to pull him back and pin him down!

Xiao Hongluan’s stubbornness and arrogance, refusing to admit defeat even at her limit, was undeniably adorable. Xu Yang spread his hands and smiled at her, saying,

“Then I don’t know—what does Your Majesty need me to do?”

“You don’t need to do anything. I’ll do it myself!”

Ji Hongluan took a deep breath, her green eyes flickering slightly. With a huff, she strode over to Xu Yang, gave him a swift kick, and ordered him to lie down properly.

Xu Yang obeyed without protest, lying down obediently. To ease Little Hongluan’s shyness, he even closed his eyes.

Ji Hongluan stared at the handsome face so close to her, her heart in turmoil. For a moment, she regretted her bold words. Yet, at this juncture, if she retreated, this traitorous disciple would surely seize the upper hand when he rose to power…

Xu Yang waited patiently, hearing the occasional rustling sound, but no real progress seemed to be made.

Finally, he opened his eyes and glanced at Ji Hongluan, who had been hesitating at his side for some time. Confused, he asked, “Your Majesty, what are you doing?”

“Mr. Xu, if you don’t take off your armor, do you expect me to do it for you?”

Ji Hongluan’s eyes darted nervously, her cheeks flushed crimson. Her tone carried a hint of guilt, lacking the confidence she had displayed moments earlier.

“Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler… So, let me handle it.”

Xu Yang, understanding Ji Hongluan’s hesitation, offered her an out with a gentle smile.

“Hmph, you’re is quite perceptive!”

…

…

“Xu Yang, bah, it’s all your fault, you terrible man. I’ve gotten used to calling you that!”

“Xiao Hongluan, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“…Xu Yang, do you want to be the sect leader? If you do, I’ll hand over the position to you immediately!”

“No.”

“Why… why not?”

“If I become the sect leader, what would happen to Xiao Hongluan?”

“I could be the woman behind you—the sect leader’s wife!”

“Compared to the woman behind me, I prefer the woman in front of me… hiss—”

Ji Hongluan pinched the soft flesh on his waist and snorted.

“Let’s see if you dare to talk nonsense again!”

“I wouldn’t dare, please spare me… The reason I don’t want to be the sect leader is that you’re already doing such an excellent job. Under your leadership, the Qingming Sect is thriving!”

“You’re just coaxing me again…”

Ji Hongluan’s face flushed slightly as she shifted her shoulders uncomfortably.

“How could I lie to you? Without my wife’s support, how could I have returned safely from White Emperor City?”

“That’s clearly your own ability…”