Chapter 13

【“Beauty CP” is the most popular pairing within the fandom. In Throne of the Aberrant Realm, the Beauty CP is Pei Xi and Sykes.】

“To be frank, I find the aesthetic preferences of your world rather difficult to comprehend. Those two despise each other more than anyone else. I fail to detect even the slightest trace of romantic sentiment between them.”

Ye Zheng spoke with impeccable diplomacy. Inwardly, however, she found the idea of any romance between the two both ridiculous and deeply unsettling.

She pointed at the forum comments with the highest number of likes and read them aloud in an utterly neutral tone.

“Aaah, how could Pei Xi casually develop feelings for a woman. Completely OOC.”

“Introducing a female lead into a hot-blooded battle manga is always a mistake. What we want to see is the moving bond between men.”

“Husbands approved. Male-male CP has the greatest tension. Xi-Sy forever.”

After finishing the reading at an unhurried pace, the girl lifted her gaze from the screen, genuine confusion written on her face.

“From my understanding, males are remarkably casual creatures. Falling in love at first sight with a lizard would not be particularly surprising.”

[T/N - I would have argued that's not true but avatar 1-2-3 hs proven me wrong. I can fall in love with anything]

『No no no. Pei Xi falling in love with a lizard would still be extremely strange.』

“If one insists on discussing OOC behavior, then falling in love with the very enemy who oppresses him seems far more illogical.”

『You do not understand. Rival enemies are rivals for a reason. A rival cannot become a wife.』

The system suddenly began humming a tune with disturbingly enthusiastic lyrics.

『Rival CPs are eternal classics. Love mixed with mutual destruction is exactly what audiences crave.』

『And you, our utterly tensionless female protagonist, have officially provoked the Beauty CP fans. They will cling to you relentlessly, and your popularity will soon plummet just like in the original plot.』

The system abruptly went silent.

『Wait. The popularity value for the character “Ye Zheng” has already exceeded 100?』

Ye Zheng raised an eyebrow, entirely unsurprised. “Is that so unexpected? I have always been quite popular. Among the opposite sex, the same sex, and even non-human beings.”

『But you only appeared as “Ye Zheng” in a single panel, without a single line of dialogue, and you already offended a massive CP fandom.』

『In the original plot, you had multiple close-ups and even scenes of rescuing cats, yet your popularity barely reached double digits. And your popularity as ‘Zhao Mei’ should not carry over to ‘Ye Zheng’.』

The system was utterly bewildered.

Ye Zheng lowered her gaze and focused on the newest trending forum thread.

【New Character Analysis Thread. The mysterious Saintess who saved the protagonist team and joined the crown prince’s faction. Who exactly is she?】

The thread had already accumulated hundreds of replies. Readers were combing through earlier chapters, cross-referencing descriptions, and speculating wildly about the Saintess’s identity. Its popularity even surpassed the neighboring thread condemning and boycotting the supposed official female lead.

Ye Zheng exhaled softly, a faint smile touching her lips.

This time, “Ye Zheng” had not appeared as a fragile flower waiting to be rescued by the male protagonist, nor as a character to be looked down upon. She had entered as a benefactor and a future adversary, wrapped in mystery, standing above the narrative with a gaze that overlooked everything.

How could that possibly fail to spark curiosity and fascination?

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At the banquet, the crown prince made only one announcement: the addition of Saintess Ye Zheng.

Yet that single revelation was enough to fuel endless speculation throughout the night.

As the banquet concluded, the young men no longer carried the relaxed mood they had arrived with. Pei Xi, in particular, wore a heavy expression, like a dense ink cloud that refused to disperse.

He lifted his head and gazed at the radiant night sky of the upper district. Countless stars shimmered faintly, a beautiful sight that the lower district, burdened by the empire’s heavily polluting industries, could never see.

Recently, resistance movements in the lower district had intensified. Signs of instability were emerging within the empire, and it was rumored that concrete policies aimed at improving lower-district conditions were already under discussion.

Now that the imperial family and the church, long locked in mutual restraint, appeared to be drawing closer, what awaited the lower district: appeasement, or merciless suppression?

Pei Xi closed his eyes.

What troubled him most was still that girl.

Had she followed Sykes willingly, or was it a decision forced upon her by the church?

He had a premonition that, if he managed to fall asleep tonight, his dreams would inevitably be filled with those dark, dewy eyes gazing down at him, seemingly gentle, yet unmistakably distant.

✧✧✧✧✧

The night grew late, yet the Ye family residence remained brightly illuminated.

The moment Ye Zheng stepped inside, she encountered her father. Ye Fanjing’s face glowed with unconcealed satisfaction, and he rose abruptly upon seeing her.

“As expected of my daughter. Even the crown prince shows you favor.”

“For the ability competition, simply assist His Highness well. I will handle all other arrangements.”

Ye Zheng curved her lips into a modest smile. “Then I shall trouble Father.”

Her mother, Shu Wan, approached and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. Joy shone in her eyes, tinged with faint worry. “I have heard that the crown prince has a tyrannical temperament. If you—”

Ye Fanjing cut her off sharply. “The crown prince is the empire’s once-in-a-century perfect heir. What right do you have to criticize him?”

The middle-aged woman froze, her hand still resting on her daughter’s hair. “I am sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”

Ye Zheng watched her mother, who possessed an S-class talent, bow apologetically to her father, whose ability was merely B-class. Though she had witnessed this scene countless times since childhood, it never ceased to strike her as absurd.

She clasped her mother’s stiffened hand. “Do not worry. His Highness and I get along quite well.”

Seeing his daughter’s composed demeanor, Ye Fanjing nodded in satisfaction. “How is the crown prince tyrannical? That is authority, the power to grant life or death. To serve him is an honor you must grasp firmly.”

“I will seize this opportunity properly.”

The girl lowered her slender, fair neck. No one noticed the fleeting trace of icy calm that crossed her face.

“Ye Zheng, what exactly are you plotting? You promised to secure a spot for me!”

Ye Di limped out of his room. The harmonious family scene only intensified his rage.

Had the crown prince not intended to humiliate Ye Zheng? Had she not promised to obtain a competition slot for him in exchange?

Today, he had knelt in the church for six full hours on her behalf. His knees were swollen, yet Ye Zheng had joined the Royal team instead.

He pointed at her, trembling with fury. “I only found out afterward that you needed to kneel for three hours. You tricked me into kneeling for six.”

“Look at my knees.”

Ye Fanjing glanced at his son’s bruised legs, then immediately withdrew the warmth he had shown Ye Zheng. His voice turned stern. “Ye Zheng, explain yourself. What is the meaning of this?”

Ye Zheng was not surprised by her father’s abrupt shift in attitude. After all, she had inherited this very skill from him. She adopted a hesitant expression, her dark eyes shimmering with moisture, as though burdened by some profound difficulty.

“Father, I too cannot bear to see my younger brother suffer. Yet for the glory of the Ye family, I had no choice.”

“You know that the imperial family and the church intend to join forces to suppress the unrest among the commoners. Only then did our family obtain this opportunity.”

“But such an alliance is fragile. If circumstances change and the Ye family is caught between the two…”

Ye Fanjing’s expression grew grave, all sympathy for his younger son vanishing.

“Therefore, while joining the Royal team, I must also strive to balance the Ye family’s standing between the church and the imperial family, ensuring neither side feels neglected.”

Understanding flashed in the man’s eyes.

“Indeed. While assisting the crown prince, you must not neglect the church.”

“Yes. I will continue serving the church diligently. However, for the ability competition, I must attend His Highness’s training sessions on weekends.”

Ye Zheng showed visible reluctance. Ye Fanjing turned to his younger son.

“Ye Di, from now on you will assist your sister by sharing her duties.”

The church’s arrogance rivaled that of the imperial family. Only by sending his own son in Ye Zheng’s place could he convince them of the Ye family’s sincerity.

“She made me kneel for six hours,” Ye Di cried in disbelief.

“Asking Xiao Di to kneel for six hours was to demonstrate our sincerity to the church. Even while cooperating with the crown prince, we must not slack in our devotion to the divine.”

Ye Zheng added hurriedly.

Ye Fanjing nodded in approval. “Your reasoning is sound.”

“Ye Di, from now on you will go to the church every weekend and pray for six hours on behalf of the Ye family. The divine will understand our circumstances.”

The garishly dressed youth stood frozen, as though struck by lightning. Upon hearing the verdict, he could no longer support his swollen legs and collapsed awkwardly onto the floor.

“Do persevere, Xiao Di. The glory of the Ye family depends on you.”

His sister encouraged him gently.

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Authors Note

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Wow, two lovely readers dropped support today. Thank you so much.