When the Female Lead Becomes Obsessive – Chapter 52

Volume Three: Those Years I Was a Wangye

Can’t stay away from men

Night descended, and a bright moon hung high in the sky.

The main gates of Qingfeng Lou were wide open, starting to receive guests.

Wen Nuan was seated on the second floor. The viewing platforms¹ on the second floor were all partitioned by landscape screens².

She watched the crowd bustling in the first-floor hall; even the stairs were packed with people. It was so lively.

In the center of the hall, a high platform for showcasing the hualang had already been set up.

A knock came from the door of their private room. Lianqiao opened the door and let Ji Chenwei in.

“Wangye, the matter has been taken care of.” Ji Chenwei nodded.

Wen Nuan saw Lin Tinghan walk in through the main entrance. Seeing her look up, Wen Nuan immediately had Lianqiao adjust the screen to block the view.

“Not bad.” Wen Nuan pulled out a jade pendant from her waist and tossed it to Ji Chenwei. “A reward for you.”

Ji Chenwei immediately tucked it into her robes, saying gratefully, “It’s what I should do, what I should do. This lowly one thanks Xian Wang for the reward.”

“Alright, if you want to watch the hualang auction, sit down and watch. If not, you can leave.” Wen Nuan had no time to chitchat with Ji Chenwei.

Ji Chenwei immediately stood to the side. “This lowly one would like to stay and join in the fun.”

Wen Nuan tapped another stool beside the table with her fan. “Sit.”

A flash of surprise crossed Ji Chenwei’s eyes, but she didn’t refuse. She said her thanks and sat down.

Lianqiao poured a cup of tea and handed it over. Ji Chenwei accepted it, overwhelmed by the favor. “Many thanks, Miss Lianqiao.”

“No need.” Lianqiao stood to the side, her gaze fixed forward.

Ji Chenwei took a sip of tea and saw the Fengyuelang³ lead three hualang onto the display platform.

The Fengyuelang scanned the room. His gaze paused slightly when he saw Lin Tinghan, then he broke into his most brilliant smile and announced loudly, “Tonight, we have a full house of distinguished guests. This humble one⁴ will keep it short and not waste any of your precious time, ladies. Let’s get straight to the main event.”

He removed the first hualang’s silk veil, revealing the shougong sha on his arm, and said with a smile, “The first hualang, Hua Ying⁵, from Lu’an Country. Bidding starts at 100 liang⁶ of silver…”

Hua Ying bowed to the crowd and flashed a smile, instantly making many women scream wildly.

“300 liang!”

“500 liang!”

“800 liang, I bid 800 liang!…”

…..

“Wangye isn’t bidding?” Ji Chenwei asked curiously.

Wen Nuan shook her head. “Not bidding.”

“Does Wangye not like this hualang?” Ji Chenwei watched as Hua Ying was bought for 1000 liang. The Fengyuelang then removed the veil of the second hualang. “What about this hualang named Zi Yi⁷? What does Wangye think?”

Zi Yi had a pure and adorable appearance. His starting bid was 300 liang.

He pouted his red lips and cast a coquettish glance, stirring pity and desire in the women, and his price was driven higher and higher.

Wen Nuan shook her head again. “Not interested.”

She was mainly here to ensure the male and female leads could meet and get to know each other, not to find men for amusement.

While they were talking, the second hualang was bought by a young marquis whom Wen Nuan knew, for 1500 liang.

Wen Nuan’s eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth curved up.

The Fengyuelang removed the third hualang’s veil. In an instant, the originally noisy Qingfeng Lou fell silent.

Everyone stared intently at the man on the display platform.

A tall, slender, and elegant figure. His almond-shaped eyes seemed to hold a brilliant starry river; the faint blue fluorescence that flickered with every blink was soul-stirring.

His face was like a peach or apricot blossom, his posture graceful and leisurely. Long, ink-black hair cascaded over his white robes, and his thin lips were slightly pursed.

He made no gestures of ingratiation, merely stood there quietly, yet it drove the audience below into a frenzied uproar.

“I want him!!”

“No one better try to snatch him from me!!!”

“Beauty, beauty…. I want the beauty!!!”

….

The Fengyuelang’s lips curved into a smile. He revealed the shougong sha on Qi Hanrong’s⁸ arm and announced, “The third hualang, Qi Hanrong, from Zhangqing Country. Starting bid, 1000 liang.”

There were many people tonight who could afford 1000 liang, but as the price climbed higher and higher, fewer and fewer people called out bids.

Now, only two people were left bidding.

“4500 liang!”

The Fengyuelang looked at the woman who called the bid and said with a beaming smile, “Boss Zhang of Fengjin Lou⁹ bids 4500 liang. I wonder if Boss Li of Huishi Ju¹⁰ will raise the price?”

Boss Li gave Qi Hanrong a deep look. Although extremely reluctant¹¹, she couldn’t produce more money and could only shake her head in resignation.

Seeing Boss Li give up, the Fengyuelang called out loudly, “Boss Zhang has bid 4500 liang! Is there anyone present with a higher price?”

Boss Zhang scanned the room, looking smug as if she held all the power.

She puffed out her large belly, a look of determination and greed flashing in her eyes. With a lewd expression, she said, “Fengyuelang, hurry it up! I still need to embrace my beauty…”

“5000 liang!”

The Fengyuelang looked towards the second-floor private rooms, his eyes lighting up. “Someone has bid 5000 liang! Does anyone else want to raise the price?”

Everyone looked towards the second floor together. They saw a woman lean out from a second-floor room—an unfamiliar face, an unfamiliar accent, not sounding like someone from Jiajing Country.

Lin Tinghan looked towards where that person was, her eyes narrowing slightly.

When Qi Hanrong saw Ji Chenwei, his calm and undisturbed eyes suddenly trembled.

Wen Nuan looked at Ji Chenwei in surprise and whispered, “Yo, Baixiaosheng, you’re quite rich, huh?”

Ji Chenwei twitched the corner of her mouth and gave a dry laugh. “This lowly one is… very interested in this hualang, so… I wanted to buy him.”

“Oh.” Wen Nuan smiled and gestured towards the platform with her hand. “Continue.”

That Boss Zhang was someone who wasn’t short of money[ef. It was hard to say how much Ji Chenwei could afford.

But they were all just stepping stones for the female lead. In the end, the female lead would turn the tide and win the beauty.

Boss Zhang, seeing someone interfere¹², said unhappily, “I bid 6000 liang!”

She was determined to get this beauty today.

Ji Chenwei’s expression darkened. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. “6500 liang!”

Boss Zhang frowned deeply. “I bid 7000 liang! Let’s see how much more you can come up with!”

Ji Chenwei’s face stiffened. She indeed couldn’t produce any more silver.

She glanced at Wen Nuan, just about to ask for her help, when she saw Qi Hanrong shake his head at her.

Seeing that person no longer bidding, Boss Zhang sneered, “Doesn’t even take a look at her own capabilities¹³, yet dares to clamor before me! Fengyuelang, hurry up, don’t delay me and my beauty’s tender moments.”

The Fengyuelang scanned the room. “Boss Zhang bids 7000 liang! Is there anyone else who will raise the price?”

Wen Nuan looked at Lin Tinghan and saw her sitting perfectly still¹⁴, showing no intention of bidding.

【I don’t think the female lead plans to buy the male lead, ah?】the System also grew anxious.

This Boss Zhang was dissolute and unrestrained¹⁵, obsessed with wine and men—a genuine lecherous fiend¹⁶.

Even though she already had over a dozen fulang¹⁷ at home, she still frequented brothels and pleasure boats¹⁸ every day. Moreover, this woman liked to play rough in bed; it was rumored she had even played someone to death.

If the male lead fell into this woman’s hands, even if he didn’t die, he would be tortured until he was no longer human-looking.

The Fengyuelang had already called out for the second time if anyone would raise the price, but the female lead remained as still as a mountain.

Seeing the Fengyuelang about to open his mouth to finalize the auction, Wen Nuan immediately raised her fan and shouted, “Ten thousand liang!”

Everyone looked over at the sound, only to see a folding fan extend from behind the screen, but not the person.

When Lin Tinghan saw that folding fan, her pupils trembled. Then she sneered and muttered under her breath, “…Truly, old habits die hard.”

Ruilin also recognized who the owner of the fan was; after all, that fan had been personally made by her young miss.

The Fengyuelang was astonished, then laughed heartily. “The lady upstairs bids ten thousand liang! Boss Zhang, do you still want to continue bidding?”

Ji Chenwei looked at Wen Nuan with disbelief, stammering, “Wang… Wangye, you’re…?”

The rest of Ji Chenwei’s words caught in her throat. She couldn’t outbid that Boss Zhang, but Xian Wang could. Based on her understanding of Xian Wang, although this person was also a dissolute woman, she was much better than the lustful¹⁹ Boss Zhang downstairs.

If Qi Hanrong was bought by Xian Wang, it could be considered a good way out for him.

Wen Nuan saw that Boss Zhang still wanted to continue bidding, still looking desperate and lecherous.

She had Lianqiao remove the screen, walked to the railing, and leaned on it with both hands. Looking at the terrified Boss Zhang, her eyes darkened as she threatened, “This King has taken a liking to this person. Are you sure… you still want to compete with This King for him?”

No one expected the person bidding ten thousand liang to be Xian Wang. But on second thought, given Xian Wang’s indulgent and pleasure-seeking²⁰ nature, paying a high price to buy this beauty was something she was capable of, so it seemed quite reasonable.

Qi Hanrong glanced at Wen Nuan, then at Ji Chenwei beside her, a faint look of incomprehension and doubt in his eyes.

Boss Zhang’s body trembled with fear. She quickly waved her hands. “This lowly one wouldn’t dare, this lowly one wouldn’t dare! Wangye, please, after you, Wangye, after you…”

The Fengyuelang hadn’t expected Xian Wang to buy Qi Hanrong. Seeing no one else bidding, he immediately finalized it, “Congratulations to Xian Wang for winning the beauty!”

Everyone clapped and offered congratulations.

Wen Nuan had no time to listen to everyone’s congratulations. She immediately looked at Lin Tinghan. The two shared a sudden, subtle eye contact, and Wen Nuan felt goosebumps rise from the chill in Lin Tinghan’s eyes.

The System exclaimed: 【Ah ah, the blackening value has risen! The female lead’s current blackening value is 9.3!】

Wen Nuan’s brow furrowed tightly. Seeing Lin Tinghan about to leave, she immediately ran downstairs after her.

“Wangye?” Lianqiao saw Wen Nuan run off and quickly followed.

The Fengyuelang brought Qi Hanrong over. Seeing Xian Wang rush downstairs, he stopped Lianqiao and asked, puzzled, “This young lady, the hualang has been brought to you. You see…”

Lianqiao had no time to say much to the Fengyuelang. She took out a token and tossed it to him. “Go to the Xian Wang Manor tomorrow to get the money.”

She looked at Qi Hanrong, thinking he was bought by Wangye, so she tugged the corner of his robe and said loudly, “You, come with me.”

Qi Hanrong, not understanding what was happening, was led away by Lianqiao. Ji Chenwei saw this and immediately chased after them.

“Tinghan? Tinghan?” Wen Nuan called out continuously from behind.

Ruilin looked at Lin Tinghan, then at Xian Wang chasing behind them, and said softly, “Young Miss, Xian Wang is behind us.”

That was, after all, the current Wangye, a person of noble status. They were just merchants; if they offended Xian Wang, there would be no good outcome²¹ for them.

Lin Tinghan’s eyes were profound and dark. She stopped, turned around, and looked at Wen Nuan who had stopped in front of her. Coldly, she said, “I wonder what guidance²² Xian Wang has for me?”

Wen Nuan let out a breath of relief and quickly explained, “Don’t be angry. I bought Qi Hanrong for you.”

“For me?” Lin Tinghan looked at the three people who had caught up behind them, her gaze falling on Qi Hanrong. “Xian Wang must be joking?”

Wen Nuan pulled Qi Hanrong over and carefully explained, “The first time I saw him, I felt you two were particularly suited for each other. So I thought of buying him and giving him to you, to help bring about a wonderful marriage for you both.”

The female lead’s blackening value probably rose because she was angry that I bought the male lead. I didn’t expect the female lead in this world to still be a normal person.

System picked its nose: 【Are you implying that the previous two female leads who bent weren’t normal people?】

Wen Nuan: “….Scram!”

Truly a master of seizing every opportunity²³.

Everyone looked at Wen Nuan with surprise and suspicion, not understanding the current relationships between the characters at all.

“…..” Lin Tinghan looked at Wen Nuan, the gloominess in her eyes deepening a few shades.

Then she began to laugh, a sound colder than the moonlight, and said through gritted teeth, “Xu Wen Nuan, you really are incorrigible²⁴. Are you that… unable to stay away from men?”

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The author has something to say:

Wen Nuan (picking her nose): Whether I can stay away from men, wouldn’t you know?

Female Lead (beckoning with a finger): Anyway, I know you can’t stay away from me.

(Wen Nuan has a slight chance of believing the female lead is her wife, but she’s not 100% certain. After all, the System also said that the probability of the female lead in every world being “her” isn’t high and needs to be explored. Therefore, the safest way to handle the blackening value first is to facilitate the development of the male and female leads according to the world’s plotline.)

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