I’m a Villain! Why Are You Trying to Date Me?

Chapter 26: The Third Female Lead — Xuan Yuan Qingya’s Disdain

While Lin Tian and Zhao Mengmeng were chatting leisurely in the lakeside pavilion, several dozen kilometers away, outside the mountain range owned by the Zhao family, a convoy of fully armed men in black was escorting a man in a light gray suit toward the city of Licheng.

That man was, of course, Jiang Yifeng.

Sitting in the car, he asked, “Where is Qingya? Why didn’t she come?”

Among the men in black, the leader at the front replied coolly, “Mr. Jiang, some things are not for you to ask. The young lady only sent us to protect you to repay the Old Master’s kindness to the Star Lord.”

A shadow flashed across Jiang Yifeng’s expression. He looked like he wanted to explode with rage, but forcibly held himself back.

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

“Hello—”

On the other end of the line came a woman’s voice, brimming with the commanding air of a dominant queen.

A gentle smile spread across Jiang Yifeng’s face, his tone soft and tender.

“Qingya, where are you? Why won’t your people take me to see you?”

“You want to come find me?”

“Of course. My master once told me to pay my respects to your mother, and now I finally have the time. I wonder if Auntie is available?”

Less than ten miles away from Jiang Yifeng’s convoy was a hidden castle. Normally, the place was heavily guarded, and almost no one knew who truly owned it.

At this moment, inside the castle, in a tea room steeped in traditional elegance, two women sat facing each other, savoring tea.

The woman in the primary seat wore a cheongsam, her long hair neatly pinned up. Her skin was flawless, and every movement exuded the charm of a mature woman.

Judging by her appearance, she seemed no older than twenty-five or twenty-six, but in truth, she was already in her forties.

Seated opposite her was a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to her.

Clad in a high-collared, dark-red fitted blouse, the young woman held a phone to her ear—on the other end, Jiang Yifeng’s voice echoed.

Hearing his words about visiting her mother, a trace of mockery suddenly rose on the young woman’s refined face.

Her sharply defined brows and eyes—like mountain peaks—added to the chilling disdain in her expression. She looked like a proud plum blossom blooming in the cold of winter, maintaining her aloof elegance against the frost.

She curled her lips into a faint smile and looked toward the woman across from her, speaking softly.

“Mother, Jiang Yifeng says he wants to visit you… Do you have time?”

The woman sitting across from her—who, based solely on appearance, looked more like her elder sister—was, in fact, her mother.

The woman in the cheongsam lifted her teacup and, noticing the mocking smile on her daughter’s face, showed a hint of interest.

She smiled gently, nodding ever so slightly, and when she spoke, her voice carried a soft, almost syrupy tone.

“Let him come. I’d like to ask him about the old master, anyway.”

The young woman across from her gave a small nod, then spoke directly into the phone.

“Alright. My mother is available. Just let them bring you over.”

On the other end of the line, Jiang Yifeng spoke a few more words happily before finally hanging up, prompted by the girl’s growing look of impatience.

The woman in the cheongsam glanced at her daughter with a touch of curiosity in her eyes.

“Qingya, didn’t you used to be quite eager to meet Jiang Yifeng?”

Across from her, the young woman named Xuan Yuan Qingya raised her teacup and gave a slight shake of her head, her tone laced with mockery.

“Jiang Yifeng’s behavior tonight was just disgraceful. Just like that female president of Xinghai Group said—after failing, he still resorted to threats. Isn’t that exactly the behavior of a sore loser? He’s really not worthy of being the successor to the Medical Sage…”

Opposite her, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s mother, Xuan Yuan Xing, let out a soft chuckle.

“The old master was righteous and aboveboard all his life, but that doesn’t mean his successor would be the same… It’s said that Jiang Yifeng possesses the Divine Medical Physique, something the old master spent his whole life searching for. With such a miraculous constitution, perhaps some flaws in character didn’t matter much to the old man.”

Xuan Yuan Qingya gave a small nod, sipping her tea. Even in front of her mother, her commanding, queenly aura remained completely intact.

Every movement she made exuded a composed and formidable presence.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted me to spend more time with him before?”

Xuan Yuan Qingya asked casually.

Xuan Yuan Xing smiled with amusement and replied.

“The old master did me a great favor. If his successor had decent character, he could’ve become a great support to you in the future.”

“And now?”

“Now… for your mother’s sake, how about helping me repay that debt?”

“You mean you want me to try getting involved with him?”

Xuan Yuan Xing responded with a faint, noncommittal smile, saying nothing more.

Xuan Yuan Qingya fell into thoughtful silence and gave a slight nod—she understood exactly what her mother meant.

……

On the surface, Jiang Yifeng’s setback at the Zhao family didn’t seem like much of a loss—just a blow to his pride at most.

But as both Lin Tian and many others suspected, the consequences of this failure were far from superficial.

Had Lin Tian been present in this very castle to overhear the conversation between Xuan Yuan Qingya and Xuan Yuan Xing, he probably couldn’t help but sigh:

Jiang Yifeng, oh Jiang Yifeng… even the best horse can stumble.

Because Xuan Yuan Qingya was none other than the third female lead in the original novel.

And she was only the “third” because of the order in which Jiang Yifeng added her to his harem.

From the perspective of helping Jiang Yifeng, neither Shang Chan, who assisted him in controlling the business empire, nor Bai Bing’er, who helped him gather people and build his influence, could compare to Xuan Yuan Qingya!

The reason is simple—her connections are vast!

In the later stages of the original story, after Jiang Yifeng established a foothold in Li City, he gradually expanded across the country and even the world. During this process, Xuan Yuan Qingya essentially played the role of a guide and protector.

Xuan Yuan Qingya herself was incredibly capable, and sitting opposite her was Xuan Yuan Xing, the leader of an organization known as the Star Group.

The black-clad team that rescued Jiang Yifeng from the Zhao family was made up of members from the Star Group.

And the identities of these two women go far beyond just that!

In short, Xuan Yuan Qingya and Xuan Yuan Xing were major supporters in Jiang Yifeng’s later rise to power, but today’s events had severely damaged his impression in their eyes.

If Jiang Yifeng were to find out about this, he would probably collapse in tears…

At this moment, Jiang Yifeng was following a team of Star Group members to the ancient castle, his heart filled with ambition. Thinking of his master’s final words, his gaze suddenly became intense with fiery determination.

To unlock the full potential of the Heavenly Sacred Body, he needed to take twenty stunning women into his harem.

Currently, his first target, Shang Chan, and his second target, Bai Bing’er, were progressing slowly, and after some thought, Jiang Yifeng decided to set his sights on Xuan Yuan Qingya.

This was also the reason he sought Xuan Yuan Xing’s help during the Zhao family’s banquet.

In reality, with Jiang Yifeng’s capabilities, he could have easily extricated himself from the banquet without needing Xuan Yuan Xing’s favor. However, after realizing that it might take too long to win over Shang Chan and Bai Bing’er, he immediately targeted Xuan Yuan Qingya.

Each level unlocked in the Heavenly Sacred Body significantly boosted his strength, and Jiang Yifeng was growing impatient.

…

Meanwhile, in the Zhao family’s deep mountain, at the lake’s center pavilion, Lin Tian was looking at Zhao Mengmeng with a helpless expression.

“Umm… Second Miss, could you please just tell me what you need? Don’t look at me with that expression,” he said, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

On the other side, Zhao Mengmeng was pouting pitifully, her eyes sparkling, as if she were about to cry at any moment.

Lin Tian was at a loss for how to handle the situation!