All of a sudden, he felt a pain in his cheek as a pinch brought him out of his thoughts; a pair of silver-gold eyes looked at him with a pout as his awareness returned to the present.
"Sorry about that, please continue."
Bai Xinyue continued to pinch his cheeks for a couple more seconds before returning to cupping his face and continuing to speak.
"Well, as you would expect, the answer to that question is no—a resounding no. Of course, there was no way she could live a normal life.
When people met the girl, there was only one of two ways that they would react: men would become infatuated, even obsessed, trying their damn hardest to woo her both to claim her as their so-called woman or to further their standing within their own factions..."
"Women, on the other hand, would become bitter and jealous, their feelings growing into hatred as time went on as they realized no matter how much they tried, they could never match me in both looks and talent... even the elders, fearing my potential, always tried their best to stay on my good side, fearing my future retaliation."
The grimace on his face became even more severe as he started to understand the kind of experiences she had been through growing up in this environment.
That kind of shit would be awful—no one actually wanting to get to know you as a person, seeing you always more like a powerful chess piece.
A chess piece with boundless potential, so they always either tiptoed around you out of fear or tried their best to win you over. Aside from her parents and a few elders in her clan, I doubt she has anyone to talk to. She must be so lonely.
Noticing the increasingly grim look on his face, Bai Xinyue once again pinched his cheeks, bringing him out of his reverie as she gave a smile.
"Don't look at me like that. Do I look like I'm a pitiful person? No, despite everything, I am incredibly lucky!"
Bai Xinyue suddenly lost the soft look in her eyes as she raised herself up from the bed, giving a slight glimpse of the purple nightgown she was wearing under the covers, which made him gulp and turn silly once again for a few seconds.
Damn it... fuck, focus!
After hyping himself up, he placed his attention back on her as he waited for her to speak. Bai Xinyue stared at him from above for a few seconds, her aura becoming calm, regal, and imposing.
She was like an empress now speaking to her most beloved lover as she placed a hand softly on his chest; right now, he was sure that Bai Xinyue could feel the rapid beat of his heart.
Ah crap... that's embarrassing as hell.
Bai Xinyue gave a smile as she looked into his eyes as if already knowing what he was thinking, and then she continued to speak.
"I am Bai Xinyue! Despite everything that has happened in my life, I still consider it to be a blessing! Both of my parents are alive, I have elders that care for me and want my best interests at heart, and the heavens have given me talent—talent beyond measure, talent greater than anyone on this continent, and a talent that will allow me to rise above all others and stand at the pinnacle of this world!"
As she said these words, the imposing aura around her rose to its pinnacle.'
It even seemed to sublimate as the Dao Charms she had previously been able to control suddenly went out of control, causing the area for tens of meters around them to suddenly glow with a beautiful silver aurora.
Did she really have a breakthrough in the middle of giving a damn monologue? Fucking seriously?!
Bai Xinyue closed her eyes for a few seconds, reveling in the feeling before opening them once again; her eyes shone with a terrifying light before disappearing with a shimmer.
"Congratulations on having a breakthrough, fellow Daoist!"
Bai Xinyue looked back down at him lying on the bed, one of her hands on his chest as she once again pushed down onto it softly, feeling the rapid beat of his heart.
"Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh, right!"
She suddenly gave a smile—it was a beautiful smile, devoid of the smug confidence she usually had. It was soft, gentle, loving, and even a bit... obsessed.
He suddenly shivered as he felt goosebumps all over his skin. He was just about to ask something about it when she suddenly placed one of her fingers on her lips, indicating that he should stay quiet.
"Now, what do you think will happen if this girl, who has been alone all her life—talking to no one but her parents, who are doting but a bit paranoid about letting her interact with people her age because they're scared some scoundrel will take advantage of her innocence, or old folks who already have gray hairs on their heads, some of them so old they already have one foot in the grave—is instead made to spend almost a month in the middle of the forest with a guy..."
Huang Shi suddenly felt the goosebumps return with a vengeance; he even felt shivers on his spine.
Fuck, it can't be, right? She can't be like that... no way...
"A guy who she thought was a complete waste but wasn't; a guy her grandparents arranged for her to marry because he was some so-called child of destiny; a guy who was surprisingly the same as her, in that he also had a heavenly physique and an unmatched talent that allowed him to keep up with her without any issue;
A guy who, even coming face-to-face with her for the first time, didn't cower, didn't grovel, or become immediately obsessed, but instead looked at her with a challenge—with a fear that didn't come from her potential, but just from the simple fact that she currently had a higher cultivation base than him and that he would eventually reach her level..."
Okay, the last part was a bit inaccurate. I was scared because the system literally said you were the protagonist and I had to be careful, but go on...