Yuan took a sharp breath, trying to suppress his convulsing body.
Thankfully, the Young Masters and
Mistresses around him were preoccupied with the auction, paying no attention to him.
His nails dug deep into his palms as he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain creeping through his body.
Thankfully, it calmed down, a newfound vitality rising from somewhere deep within.
'Wu Qiong… is that who I have become?'
Yuan looked at his clenched hand. He opened it, then closed it again, repeating the motion several times.
His hands had changed — they were fairer, smoother, younger. Even his clothes had shifted into traditional robes, elegant and foreign to him.
'How did this happen? I was watching the star rain and then… then I…'
His eyes widened in surprise. He could no longer recall what came after the celestial event.
The next thing he knew, his mind had been flooded with foreign memories, followed by unbearable pain erupting from every corner of his consciousness.
'It seems I transmigrated right after that shooting star rain.'
Though Yuan arrived at that conclusion, more questions bubbled up without end.
Eventually, he decided to shelve them.
'Wu Qiong, Young Master of the Wu Family, lives in the renowned Taichian City. He has an older sister who disappeared years ago.'
'He himself is talentless trash — arrogant beyond reason, paper-thin skinned, lust-driven, filled with delusional confidence, entitled and lazy.'
'…Isn't that the description of those third-rate villainous Young Masters?'
Realization dawned, and dread took root in Yuan's heart.
He wasn't just in a bad situation — he was at the bottom of the pit, a hole dug and filled by the very person he had become.
And that was just Wu Qiong's personality. His actions were worse.
They'd made him infamous in Taichian City — but not in any way Yuan would ever want to be known.
'Am I… one of those… trash villains?'
He asked himself the question. And wanted to answer, "No."
But a part of him, buried deep and trembling, couldn't deny it.
Had he not read those cultivation novels, he wouldn't have been able to see his situation the same way he was doing now.
And without that perspective… he wouldn't be nearly as scared as he was now.
'God… I hope I'm just being paranoid.'
Yuan silently shook his head, subtly glancing around.
He was sitting on an intricately designed chair — almost throne-like in its comfort. Definitely the most luxurious seat he'd ever had the privilege to occupy.
To his left, other Young Masters and Mistresses from Taichian City's noble clans sat adorned in elaborate clothing, their ornaments subtly increasing the weight of their presence.
'Typical rich kids.'
Then he turned to his right — and froze.
His eyes trembled, widening the moment they met hers.
'Lan Yue.'
Her identity surfaced in his mind instantly, accompanied by a torrent of memories.
'Lan Yue, Young Mistress of the Lan Family. One of the top families in Taichian City.'
'She's said to be the most beautiful and talented in the city… and her personality is the complete opposite of Wu Qiong's.'
Those statements were undeniably true.
But at that moment, two other facts preoccupied Yuan's mind.
First — Lan Yue was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even as she sat silently, she radiated a serene, ethereal aura. Her flowing blue robes were embroidered with intricate patterns and a radiant golden moon. Her long white hair was pinned up with a crescent moon hairpiece that emitted a soft glow. Her pale blue eyes, calm and unreadable, gazed downward.
If Yuan had to describe her aloud, he wouldn't hesitate: "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
But those thoughts were quickly suppressed — crushed beneath the weight of the second, far darker realization.
The history between Wu Qiong and Lan Yue.
'Wu Qiong has always been obsessed with Lan Yue… used despicable means to get close to her.'
'He leveraged his family's power to arrange a marriage. When that failed, he tried intimidation. When that failed, he tried to force himself on her.'
'Thankfully, he was stopped before he could lay a hand on her.'
Yuan's thoughts came to a screeching halt as he noticed something.
Lan Yue was looking at him.
Their eyes met.
And then — she smiled.
Sweetly.
Yuan's heart thudded violently in his chest.
A torrent of unhealthy emotions surged through him, desires not his own threatening to surface.
His hands trembled slightly, and he felt urges that could — no, would — get him killed.
This wasn't just about beauty. It was also the residue of Wu Qiong's obsession with Lan Yue. An obsession Yuan had seemingly inherited.
But thankfully… he was Yuan. Not Wu Qiong.
So the urges never got the better of him.
He steadied his breath, returning a small, polite smile to Lan Yue and nodding slightly before turning his attention back to the auction stage.
Still, his thoughts churned.
'No wonder Wu Qiong has ordered to… kidnap her.'
His own thought made him realize something.
'…'