Han Qing walked quickly and finally arrived at her thatched cottage.
As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Long Aotian lying on her bed.
Han Qing: “……”
Seeing Long Aotian sprawled on her bed made her feel utterly unwell.
As a refined lady from ancient times, Han Qing had always possessed a keen sense of aesthetics.
This was evident from the many suitors she had turned down; in fact, one could say that anyone with an average appearance simply couldn’t catch her eye.
It could be said that the reason Han Qing was able to love Long Aotian so deeply in the past was because she was blinded by the protagonist’s halo surrounding him.
In male-oriented stories, the protagonist’s halo is truly a terrifying thing.
It allows various beauties to overlook the protagonist’s flaws and appearance, falling head over heels for him without a second thought. But that’s not the scariest part; the most frightening aspect is that in these stories, as long as the male lead possesses the protagonist’s halo, women are willing to betray their families and closest relatives, throwing themselves into the male lead’s arms without hesitation.
Just from this point, one can see how terrifying the protagonist’s halo is.
And the reason Han Qing was able to overlook Long Aotian’s delicate features and robust physique to fall in love with him was entirely due to being blinded by the halo surrounding him.
Under the influence of this halo, she loved Long Aotian deeply. Even when he was burned to a crisp, her love for him remained unchanged.
However, due to Song Cha’s even stronger fortune, her halo now overshadowed Long Aotian’s.
In this situation, Han Qing’s character setting made it easy for her to quickly develop feelings for Song Cha.
It was precisely because of her newfound affection for Song Cha that the blindness that had led her to Long Aotian vanished completely.
Looking at Long Aotian on the bed, as if engaged in conversation, Han Qing couldn’t bear to look and closed her eyes.
She couldn’t understand why she had once valued Long Aotian so highly, even going so far as to borrow spirit stones for him, risking her own pride.
With Long Aotian in his current state, did he even deserve it?
Thinking of this, Han Qing inexplicably recalled the Long Aotian she had seen earlier.
At that time, Long Aotian had not yet been burned.
No matter who it was, upon seeing Long Aotian’s face and physique, only two phrases came to mind: delicate features and robust build.
These were the words that came to her mind after seeing Long Aotian.
In the past, when Han Qing thought of these two phrases and Long Aotian’s face, her heart would swell with sweetness.
But now, when Han Qing thought of Long Aotian’s face, she felt not sweetness but rather a sense of discomfort.
…How on earth had she ever found this oddly-shaped man attractive? Even if he was a flirt, enjoying the company of multiple women, she had no regrets?
The more she thought about it, the less she could accept it.
“Han Qing, you’re back.” Long Aotian had clearly noticed her presence.
Upon seeing Han Qing, Long Aotian’s eyes lit up.
Just as Han Qing left, she mentioned she was going to borrow some spirit stones. Now that she’s back, did she manage to get the spirit stones?
The mere thought of having spirit stones eased some of the pain Long Aotian was feeling.
He struggled to prop himself up with his arms and finally managed to sit up.
Han Qing: “……”
Hearing Long Aotian’s hoarse and unpleasant voice, Han Qing couldn’t help but recall Song Cha’s clear and melodious voice.
In that moment, Han Qing felt not only blind but also deaf.
“Han Qing, did you manage to borrow the spirit stones?” Seeing Han Qing silent, Long Aotian felt a bit displeased. However, he quickly thought of the spirit stones and elixirs, and ultimately suppressed his irritation.
Han Qing: “……”
Han Qing didn’t want to speak.
She needed a moment to calm down.
However, the desire to protect her own reputation took precedence.
So, despite wanting to collect herself, Han Qing decided to first get Long Aotian to leave before she could calm down.
“Long Aotian, you should go.” As a lady, even though she was extremely angry inside, Han Qing still maintained her elegance.
Long Aotian: “……”
Upon hearing Han Qing’s words, Long Aotian was taken aback.
Han Qing’s reaction was completely unexpected.
Why had she changed so much after just a short time apart?
Although he hadn’t known Han Qing for long, he was certain of her feelings for him.
“Han Qing, what’s wrong?” Now injured, Long Aotian had no intention of leaving Han Qing’s side. So he suppressed his temper and spoke gently, “Did you hear something from someone else that made you misunderstand me?”
“Misunderstand?” Han Qing scoffed as she looked at Long Aotian. “There’s no misunderstanding; I just realized I loved the wrong person.”
Long Aotian: “……”
Hearing Han Qing’s words, Long Aotian felt even more confused.
What did she mean by that?
Why would she say such things? Did she find out about his dealings with other women? Was that why she was so angry and said those words?
Thinking of this, Long Aotian felt that Han Qing was being unreasonable.
A man should naturally have multiple wives. Isn’t that a normal thing?
Even the emperors of the mortal realm can have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines; why can’t he, a cultivator, do the same?
He should be even more formidable than the emperors of the mortal realm, having an even larger harem.
With this thought, Long Aotian felt a surge of justification in his heart.
“Han Qing, are you angry because of those women outside?” Long Aotian asked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Han Qing: “…”
Hearing Long Aotian’s words, Han Qing was momentarily stunned.
However, it was clear that Long Aotian did not understand Han Qing’s feelings. Seeing her in shock, he assumed it was just her being overly surprised.
So, Long Aotian continued speaking confidently.
“Han Qing, you have to believe that my feelings for you are genuine. Even if I have many women outside, none of them are as important to me as you are. Don’t worry, if I ever marry, you will definitely be the main wife.” Long Aotian said, his words dripping with lies.
On the surface, Long Aotian said this, but the position he left for Han Qing was merely that of a concubine.
Yes, a concubine.
For someone like Han Qing, who had a slow cultivation speed and no significant background, being a concubine was already quite good.
Just as Long Aotian was feeling smug, he suddenly saw Han Qing raise her hand.
“Slap~” The sound of a slap echoed as it struck Long Aotian’s already burned face, instantly drawing blood.
“Long Aotian, you scum! Don’t you dare say such insulting things to me! I already have someone I like, and you can’t compare to her at all!” Han Qing said without holding back.
Long Aotian: “…”
As soon as the slap landed on Long Aotian’s face, it brought a sharp pain.
Furious, Long Aotian wanted to retaliate against Han Qing.
But as he moved his fingers, the pain shot through him.
The Long Aotian who had intended to confront Han Qing hesitated.
He decided to take a more thoughtful approach.
He would try to avoid any physical conflict.
Han Qing said she had someone she liked? How could that be possible?
When Han Qing had walked out of the thatched cottage before, the person she loved was still him, and she had cared for him so much.
