Chapter 159 – Don't Think You're the Only One

No matter how outsiders speculated about the reason Xu Qianqian was rescued, the truth couldn’t be completely concealed.

After all, Xu Qianqian, as the person involved, was aware of the details.

She knew the one who saved her wasn’t sent by Yun Langyue—it was Su Ming himself.

She knew Su Ming’s true strength and that he was the mysterious expert capable of repelling Gao Xu.

She even knew Su Ming was a rare Dual Professional in this world.

Under these circumstances, while Su Ming himself remained indifferent, believing the matter had been kept under wraps and no one knew the truth, Yun Langyue had no choice but to approach Xu Qianqian, the only person privy to the facts, to seal the one potential leak.

This wasn’t solely because Su Ming didn’t want to be exposed.

“No matter what, my great benefactor hasn’t fully matured yet.”

Yun Langyue’s voice slowly reached Xu Qianqian’s ears.

“If his true condition were exposed, it would inevitably invite significant trouble.”

Yun Langyue was by no means exaggerating.

She understood perfectly how high Su Ming’s potential was and what it could attract.

Not to mention Su Ming’s awakened Vision Mark, just the fact that he possessed Nightmare Species Bloodline would alone draw immense covetousness.

By then, many would surely set their sights on Su Ming’s bloodline, devising all sorts of schemes to get their hands on it.

How would they go about it?

The more moderate would seek to form marriage alliances with Su Ming, hoping to perpetuate the Nightmare Species Bloodline within their own families and inherit its legacy.

The more ruthless would treat Su Ming like breeding stock, turning him into a tool for producing superior offspring.

Especially for a Base City, a Nightmare Species Bloodline legacy was incredibly enticing.

Such a bloodline meant the ability to continuously supply the Base City with outstanding combat-capable descendants, among whom there would undoubtedly be super geniuses capable of becoming the strongest Seven-Star Professionals.

The sheer value this could generate was self-evident.

It was believable that any Base City would be tempted by this, even one like Yinze City, which already had a Seven-Star Professional.

To make matters worse, Su Ming was a Dual Professional—not only did he possess Nightmare Species Bloodline, but his talent as a Sorcerer was also astonishing.

Having awakened his Vision Mark during his student days and qualifying as an Upper-Rank Sorcerer, such talent was among the top tier even when viewed globally.

In the future, if Su Ming could fully develop, his influence would undoubtedly be great enough to cause upheaval across entire Base Cities with his movements.

For such a super potential asset, the more moderate would still exhaust all efforts to win him over, while the more ruthless would seek every means to control him.

To some extent, Su Ming’s earlier worries weren’t entirely unfounded.

If he didn’t remain an extra, if he didn’t play the role of a background character, he would inevitably be targeted by many schemers, losing his freedom and falling prey to all sorts of plots.

In this world where human existence itself was an unstable, turbulent factor and humanity had few choices in the face of the Phantom Demon threat, standing out too much truly wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Xu Qianqian understood this all too well.Others only see her glamour and brilliance, but who truly understands that precisely because of her noble Bloodline and exceptional talent, which mark her as a supernova of the new generation, Xu Yanyan’s faction harbors such intense hostility toward her, even wishing to eliminate her?

Even Li Wei is no exception. On the surface, he appears dazzling and accomplished, but in reality, due to his excellence, the Li Family had long since calculated his inherent value from the very day he fully displayed his remarkable talent.

Otherwise, why would Li Wei strive so desperately to pursue Xu Qianqian?

Was it not because the Li Family had taken a keen interest in Xu Qianqian’s Bloodline, hoping that their outstanding descendant could bring this Bloodline into their own household, thereby enhancing the lineage and talent of their future descendants?

Li Wei’s relentless pursuit of Xu Qianqian was not only driven by his personal ambitions but also shaped by his Family’s strategic direction.

Had Xu Qianqian not possessed not only a noble Bloodline and outstanding talent but also unparalleled beauty, whether Li Wei would have willingly complied with this directive would have been an entirely different matter.

This serves as a clear reminder that being too outstanding or possessing overly exceptional qualities in these turbulent times may not necessarily be a blessing.

In summary, although Su Ming may not have deliberated as deeply as Yun Langyue, the course of action he adopted must be acknowledged as the best form of self-protection.

For this reason, Yun Langyue had no qualms about shielding and supporting Su Ming until he truly matured and could Dominator everything.

“Your father is, after all, one of the high-ranking officials in Longyao City. Once he learns the truth, I believe you can imagine the measures he would take.”

Yun Langyue gazed intently at Xu Qianqian as she spoke.

“Therefore, I hope you will cooperate with me to protect that person.”

These words left Xu Qianqian in prolonged silence… a very long silence…

At this moment, Xu Qianqian’s emotions were complex.

For no other reason.

It was simply because Yun Langyue’s earnest expression and resolute gaze took Xu Qianqian completely by surprise.

Originally, the fact that Su Ming and Yun Langyue were acquainted had already come as a shock to Xu Qianqian.

That Yun Langyue was willing to stand up for Su Ming in matters concerning the Xu Family, to attend the appointment and appear at the Xu Family’s banquet, had also deeply surprised Xu Qianqian.

Yet Xu Qianqian had never imagined that Yun Langyue—who, in the eyes of many, shone brilliantly and was regarded as a goddess by countless admirers—would go to such lengths for Su Ming’s sake.

This almost directly conveyed one thing to Xu Qianqian:

To Yun Langyue, Su Ming was incredibly important.

So important that she was willing to leverage her own Family, making herself Su Ming’s public shield.

What exactly was the relationship between her and Su Ming?

Xu Qianqian couldn’t help but grow curious about such matters.

Of course, on the surface, Xu Qianqian would never reveal such complicated feelings.

“There’s no need for you to say it—I never had any intention of exposing him,” Xu Qianqian replied calmly. “Surely, you’ve already realized this?”

If Xu Qianqian had wanted to reveal Su Ming’s involvement, she would have long since disclosed the details to Xu Yongfeng. Why would she have allowed Xu Yongfeng to believe that it was Yun Langyue who had sent someone to rescue her?”I haven’t considered as much as you have, but I still know that person doesn’t want too much attention on himself and has been concealing his strength all along.” Xu Qianqian spoke thus: “Since that’s the case, I’ll naturally let him have his wish.”

From beginning to end, Xu Qianqian never had any intention of exposing Su Ming.

Not only because of the contract between them, but also because Su Ming was her lifesaver, and her only… close person.

“Is that so?” Yun Langyue remarked seemingly casually: “Even if it means deceiving your father, you wouldn’t hesitate?”

With these words, Xu Qianqian’s gaze fixed sharply on Yun Langyue’s face.

Yun Langyue appeared indifferent, continuing to stare directly at Xu Qianqian.

The two women locked eyes, as if trying to see through each other’s true thoughts, remaining silent for a long while.

The atmosphere turned sharply, no longer harmonious but beginning to fill with tension.

Only after a long time did Xu Qianqian finally lift her steps and walk toward Yun Langyue without saying a word.

Something immediately stirred in the shadows behind Yun Langyue, as if wanting to step forward and block Xu Qianqian.

But Yun Langyue raised her hand, signaling to stop.

She simply watched as Xu Qianqian approached, seemingly not worried at all that Xu Qianqian might harm her.

Finally, Xu Qianqian stood before Yun Langyue.

“Looking at you, I can tell he’s very important to you.”

Xu Qianqian’s voice was unprecedentedly cold.

Yun Langyue didn’t respond.

There was no need.

Her attitude toward Su Ming had never been concealed.

From the day Su Ming handed that piece of bread to her when she was destitute, Yun Langyue’s heart had never had room for another man.

This was an established fact, a precious thing that would never change.

Therefore, in any situation, she never hid her feelings for Su Ming.

She dared to openly declare to everyone that her heart already belonged to someone.

If Su Ming himself weren’t unwilling and circumstances didn’t permit, Yun Langyue wouldn’t even mind publicly announcing that Su Ming was her beloved.

Under such circumstances, Xu Qianqian’s words couldn’t shake Yun Langyue at all.

However, Xu Qianqian’s next sentence caused a ripple in Yun Langyue’s heart.

“But don’t think you’re the only one who considers him important.”

Xu Qianqian threw out these words.

“You…”

Yun Langyue was stunned.

Xu Qianqian ignored Yun Langyue, directly walked past her, and left the place.

Only Yun Langyue remained, standing silently in place.

After a long while, Yun Langyue finally murmured quietly.

“Was that a declaration of rivalry from a love rival?”

The answer to this question perhaps only Xu Qianqian herself knew.

But at least, Yun Langyue’s goal was achieved.

Xu Qianqian was willing to cooperate with her to protect and assist Su Ming – knowing this was enough.

……

About an hour later, the family banquet was finally prepared.

Following the butler’s lead, Su Ming and Yun Langyue walked together again toward the venue of the family banquet.At this moment, Su Ming naturally had no idea that while he was idly playing with his phone in the guest room—even considering whether to take a few photos of the incredibly luxurious room to post on social media and indulge in some wealth-flaunting—Xu Qianqian and Yun Langyue had already crossed paths.

However, he could clearly sense that, for some reason, Yun Langyue had been giving him a resentful look, as if silently accusing him of something.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Su Ming couldn’t take it anymore and finally asked the question on the way.

“Nothing.” Yun Langyue maintained her resentful expression and said softly, “I was just wondering when you managed to seduce that famously aloof and proud prodigy to such an extent.”

“Huh?” Su Ming was utterly confused.

Yun Langyue offered no explanation and continued murmuring gloomily.

“I originally thought she was just a potential rival, but now it seems she’s no longer lurking in the shadows—she’s right out in the open.”

“And if even that famously cold Young Miss is acting like this, I’m genuinely curious how obsessed the girl next door mentioned in the reports must be with you.”

“It looks like I need to plan ahead and carefully strategize for the future.”

Yun Langyue went on like this, uttering one baffling statement after another that Su Ming couldn’t comprehend.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Completely lost, Su Ming humbly sought clarification.

“Nothing.”

Unfortunately, Yun Langyue had no intention of explaining and even sounded somewhat sarcastic.

Su Ming didn’t dare provoke her further and could only mutter to himself before ignoring Yun Langyue, who seemed to have swallowed gunpowder.

This only made Yun Langyue even more resentful.

Pretending not to notice, Su Ming accompanied her to the family banquet venue.

By the time they arrived, Xu Yongfeng and his family were already assembled.

This included Xu Qianqian’s mother, who was also present.

Xu Qianqian’s mother was a somewhat delicate and modest woman, lacking an overly elegant demeanor or a noble aura. She appeared gentle and somewhat shy.

She didn’t resemble Xu Qianqian much either—unlike Xu Qianqian, who possessed striking beauty. If rated, her mother would likely score around eighty points, merely qualifying as a minor beauty.

After meeting Xu Qianqian’s mother, Su Ming concluded that Xu Qianqian took more after her father.

Compared to her mother, her father was quite handsome and charismatic, a mature man whose looks clearly influenced Xu Qianqian’s inheritance.

Later, Su Ming learned from Yun Langyue that Xu Qianqian’s mother actually came from a collateral branch of the Xu Family. In terms of Bloodline, she could be considered a distant relative of Xu Yongfeng.

Intermarriage within great Families was common practice, often even permitting close relatives to wed in pursuit of Bloodline purity. Xu Yongfeng merely marrying a distant relative wasn’t particularly extreme.

Yun Langyue informed Su Ming that in some Families, marriages between siblings were commonplace.

As for the potential drawbacks of inbreeding, they simply didn’t exist in the face of the powerful Bloodline derived from Phantom Demons.

Thanks to this, legally, people granted these great Families special privileges, uniquely permitting them to engage in consanguineous marriages.By the way, Xu Qianqian looked particularly beautiful today. Like Yun Langyue, she had changed into formal attire instead of her usual Academy uniform. It must be said, she was truly captivating.

Su Ming had exchanged glances with Xu Qianqian a few times, but they hadn’t conversed much in front of their parents.

The only thing that bothered Su Ming was that, for some reason, Xu Qianqian and Yun Langyue kept exchanging looks, their expressions and eye contact both rather meaningful.

Regarding this, Xu Yongfeng seemed thoughtful, frequently casting glances toward Su Ming, though no one knew what he was thinking.

Under Xu Yongfeng’s gaze, Su Ming felt inexplicably restless.

“What are these two women up to?”

Su Ming realized he had far too many unanswered questions.

Throughout the family banquet, Su Ming felt extremely uncomfortable, to the point where he felt completely numb.

“Who have I offended…”

Though clearly wronged, he couldn’t speak up.

He could only channel his frustration into his appetite, voraciously devouring the delicious dishes before him.

(End of Chapter)