I Am the Fated Villain
chapter-567

The wine cup crashed to the ground, emitting a jarring noise that echoed throughout the silent banquet hall. Since it was made of bronze, the cup remained intact despite its fall. All eyes immediately turned toward the source of the noise in shock and everyone held their breath.

Observant cultivators noticed that Gu Changge’s sleeve was slightly damp, with droplets of wine still trickling down his fair, slender hand. This sight caused their expressions to shift dramatically, rendering them speechless with fear.

The sudden fall of the wine cup has left many pondering its cause. As the esteemed host of the banquet, Gu Changge had graciously invited numerous young prodigies to attend on behalf of the Ji Family. However, during a moment of toasting, Ji Chuyue accidentally knocked over the wine cup. This inevitably left some to view her actions as disrespectful.

“Chuyue…” Jiang Chen had been discreetly observing Ji Chuyue’s demeanor and actions, causing him to grow concerned. He was equally taken aback when Ji Chuyue lost her grip on the wine cup. He surmised that it was likely a deliberate gesture to convey her discontent.

“Young Master Changge, please forgive Chuyue. She didn’t do it on purpose.” Ji Yaoxing’s expression changed abruptly, the smile on his face was now frozen as he quickly apologized. He had not anticipated this sudden turn of events and had a bad feeling in his heart. He was worried that Ji Chuyue’s actions were deliberate and motivated by his earlier remarks

Nevertheless, this could potentially worsen the situation. If someone with malicious intentions were to exploit this, they could accuse the Ji Family of disrespecting Gu Changge, further complicating their already precarious situation. All their previous efforts would be for naught.

“Hurry up and apologize to Young Master Changge, Chuyue.” Ji Yaoxing urged his sister, whose face was quickly turning pale with worry. He didn’t even have the time to blame her for this mistake.

“Please forgive me, Young Master Changge, it was truly an accident…” Ji Chuyue’s voice quivered with fear as she apologised. She was still visibly shaken and her head was ringing. She couldn’t understand why she had withdrawn her hand so abruptly, causing the wine cup to fall.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was highly inappropriate and disrespectful for her to knock over the wine cup and spill wine on Gu Changge’s hand. No one in the Upper Realm would ever dare to disrespect Gu Changge like this.

As Gu Changge’s smile slowly faded, Ji Chuyue’s complexion grew even paler. Despite being the princess of the Ji Family, she had not faced many challenges in her life. While she could hold a conversation with Gu Changge in private with her older brother by her side, standing before someone who held immense power in the Upper Realm made her realise how anxious and intimidated she truly felt.

Ji Chuyue could barely take the pressure. Her delicate face was pale and she had beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her knees were weak and about to give out when Gu Changge finally broke the tense silence.

“Lady Chuyue, are you truly so frightened of me that you cannot even hold a wine cup?” He gently shook his head without a calm look on his face. His voice was natural and relaxed, and he didn’t seem to be blaming her. Even so, both Ji Chuyue and Ji Yaoxing were still feeling extremely on edge.

“No… Nothing like that, Young Master Changge. I was just a little distracted earlier, please forgive me,” Ji Chuyue explained with a slight tremble in her voice.

“Oh, what distracted you, Lady Chuyue?” Gu Changge inquired with interest. Ji Chuyue turned even paler as she couldn’t reveal her concerns about her brother’s issues with Jiang Chen. At the same time, she struggled to come up with a suitable excuse.

Ji Yaoxing noticed his sister’s distracted expression but couldn’t figure out what was causing it. He sighed inwardly and quickly stood up, smiling wryly as he apologetically explained, “Well, the reason may amuse you, Young Master Changge. When Chuyue heard that you were going to gather many prodigies to strategize the rescue of our Prime Ancestor, she was extremely grateful to you and kept bringing up your name in front of me so I casually mentioned to her that our family intends to have her become your concubine…”

Although he knew that his explanation was not very convincing, he couldn’t find another suitable excuse either. Even if Ji Chuyue wanted to become Gu Changge’s concubine, it would ultimately depend on whether Gu Changge was willing to accept her or not, given her status. After all, many prodigal damsels in the Upper Realm desired to be his concubine.

His explanation surprised and saddened many young prodigies at the banquet, but they didn’t doubt it. Gu Changge’s exceptional qualities made him an irresistible man to any prodigal damsels, including Ji Chuyue. This must have been the reason why she was so nervous and accidentally spilled the wine earlier. It all made sense.

“Brother…!” Ji Chuyue obviously didn’t expect her brother to say that, and a blush immediately crept up her cheeks. Though she understood that he was coming to her aid, Ji Yaoxing didn’t consider her feelings at all when he used such an explanation so publicly. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she felt a sense of shame. She wished she could dig a hole and hide in it.

“Chuyue, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Ji Yaoxing reassured her with a smile.

“Oh, I see. Lady Chuyue, there’s no need to be nervous. I’m not a savage beast.” Gu Changge’s expression remained unchanged when he heard the explanation and merely smiled.

Ji Yaoxing couldn’t tell whether or not Gu Changge believed it, but he was relieved that the other party didn’t continue pressing the issue. He let out a long sigh, relieved that the tension had been defused.

When Ji Yaoxing noticed Yin Mei produced a white handkerchief behind Gu Changge and delicately wiped away the wine that had spilled onto his hand, he shot a look at his sister. Ji Chuyue understood his intentions and stepped forward. Her face and the tips of her ears were still burning.

“My apologies for accidentally wetting your sleeve earlier, Young Master Changge.” While speaking, she delicately took out a plain handkerchief and carefully wiped Gu Changge’s hand. Her hands were shaky, probably due to nervousness. The sight of her flawless face up close and the faint fragrance of her silky hair brought a smile on Gu Changge’s face as he allowed her to continue.

Many young prodigies didn’t perceive any fault in her action, on the contrary, many prodigal damsels were filled with envy.

“What a clever ploy. She purposely spilled the wine, merely to seize the chance to approach Young Master Changge. This Ji Chuyue is quite the character… She accomplished what we yearned for but lacked the courage to execute.” A few prodigal damsels were consumed with envy, and their words were tinged with bitterness.

“Shut up. Chuyue is different from all of you. She’s not a sparrow with aspirations of becoming a phoenix by reaching for the highest branch!” Jiang Chen spoke sternly, his eyes slightly reddened. He held his fists tightly, causing his knuckles to crack with tension.

Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears. Following the incident at the Divine Rock Conference, many young prodigies no longer felt the need to treat him with respect despite his status as the Successor of a Divine Source Master. These prodigal damsels looked upon him with disdain and refused to speak, leaving him feeling foolish.

Jiang Chen’s countenance contorted with displeasure, his complexion turning ashen with fury simmering within him. In his perspective, it was glaringly apparent that Ji Chuyue had been coerced into performing the task, rather than doing it willingly. As the princess of the Ji Family, her status was beyond measure, and her beauty was akin to that of a fairy from heaven. When had she ever tended to a young man’s hands with such meticulous care? This realisation made Jiang Chen’s heart ache for her.

“Ah’chen, calm down. You mustn’t act impulsively.” Niu Tian immediately sensed something was amiss when he saw the expression on Jiang Chen’s face. He swiftly intervened, urging him to remain composed.

“How can I remain calm at a time like this?” Jiang Chen gritted his teeth. His heart twitched as he looked at Gu Changge calmly sitting in the host’s seat while Ji Chuyue carefully wiped his hand with flushed cheeks.

To Jiang Chen, the scene before him was akin to watching a delicate, pristine white flower growing on the edge of a treacherous abyss, vulnerable to the slightest gust of wind that could send its petals into oblivion.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to stand up for Ji Chuyue, Ji Yaoxing suddenly turned his gaze in his direction. The humble and respectful expression on his face had vanished, replaced by aloofness as he coldly ordered, “Someone, seize that person!”

*Swish! Swoosh!* As soon as Ji Yaoxing’s voice fell, a group of armored knights came into the hall and surrounded Jiang Chen. It was evident that they had been lying in wait for quite some time, ready for this exact moment. Their sudden appearance caught Jiang Chen off guard, causing his rage to dissipate instantly as he stood frozen in shock.

Everyone present at the banquet, including the Phoenix Lady, the King with Six Crowns, and the Sky Demon Sovereign, were utterly bewildered and stunned. None of them expected Ji Yaoxing’s command to have Jiang Chen apprehended.

“What’s going on?” An Xi and the Young War Immortal rose to their feet, their expressions a mix of confusion and astonishment as they turned to look behind them. After all, Jiang Chen had been in their company all this while and they were acquainted with him.