Ye Tiancheng was truly too anxious, so much so that he became flustered and even forgot something crucial: at this moment, the worst thing to do was to lecture. Lecturing would only worsen the situation because Lin Xue, under the curse, was incapable of listening.
"Master, I only trust you. You are the person I respect the most. But I cannot listen to you this time. I'm sorry, I can't give up Ouyang. I've tried. If I give him up, I'd rather not live."
The wind blew through Lin Xue's hair. Seeing the resolute expression on her face, Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized that perhaps he had underestimated the importance of love. Lin Xue's expression clearly conveyed one thing.
Giving up one's life was an extremely difficult decision for ordinary people. Even those with terminal illnesses would cling to life in hospitals rather than peacefully pass away. Yet, for Lin Xue at this moment, it seemed like a release, a pleasant prospect.
"Xue'er, I know I was wrong. Please, stop pestering me, okay? You'll be the death of me if you continue like this."
Chen Jiaojiao on the ground writhed in pain, primarily due to the influence of Ye Tiancheng's true qi. Ouyang, terrified, seemed to fear that this pain would soon transfer to him.
If a person, when facing danger, only thought of themselves, it indicated a profound lack of love. How could a selfish person possibly think of loving others? Because they loved themselves the most, they wouldn't divide more love among unrelated people.
"Ouyang, please don't be so heartless. Have you truly forgotten all our shared affection?"
The beautiful memories replayed endlessly in Lin Xue's mind, tormenting her with each passing moment. Lin Xue felt she could barely endure it, fearing she would go mad before dying.
Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Xue's mind, the clearest among them being that no matter what it took, as long as Ouyang would change his mind.
"Please, I beg you. Initially, I had a decent impression of you. At least your appearance gave me face. But now, your persistent, unsightly behavior is no different from that of a madwoman!" Ouyang's initial helplessness and guilt when facing Lin Xue had naturally transformed, and he felt quite good about himself, not seeing himself as a scumbag.
"Ouyang..."
Looking at the man she once loved most, who now regarded her with utter disgust, the feeling was heart-wrenching.
All their past affection was gone. No matter how heartbroken Lin Xue was, she had to admit this. There was no more "once upon a time." The past was the past. If she clung to it, it would only be worthwhile if it served any purpose, but it was useless.
"Alright, let's end this here. If you weren't a woman, I wouldn't have been so polite to you. My patience has its limits."
Ye Tiancheng felt a tearing pain hearing another man hurt his beloved disciple. Yet, another voice in his heart told him that this was not the time to dote on his disciple. Protecting Lin Xue too much would only keep her lost in her fantasies.
It would be better to let this scumbag hurt her a bit. By laying everything bare, Lin Xue wouldn't hold onto futile illusions. After experiencing real pain once, perhaps she could slowly emerge from that terrible curse, no longer fixated on this man to the point of no return.
"Why, why are you doing this to me?"
Lin Xue couldn't understand. Meanwhile, Ouyang, worried that Ye Tiancheng would continue to trouble him, gave Ye Tiancheng a look, signaling that he was about to unleash his ultimate move.
Ye Tiancheng had no prior interaction with Ouyang, so he didn't understand what he intended. However, with just a glance, he grasped the general idea.
It was inconvenient for Ye Tiancheng to speak, so he could only transmit his voice using his true qi. This voice directly reached Ouyang's heart.
"Alright, then it's settled. You promise not to hurt my disciple, and anything else is fine."
Ouyang felt surprised, yet he knew Ye Tiancheng was exceptionally gifted and no longer an ordinary person. Thus, possessing such miraculous power was quite normal and understandable.
"Lin Xue, I've said everything I can. You know how annoying persistent people are. Such women are too much in this world, a waste of air."
Lin Xue's eyes widened, seemingly unable to believe that the man who had been somewhat patient with her, at least maintaining politeness, had now become someone who viewed her as an enemy. It seemed he had no other wish but for her to disappear, a wish so devoid of compassion.
"Do you really think that?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I think. I've had enough. If there were even the slightest possibility, I wouldn't be this annoyed."
A smile of relief suddenly curved Lin Xue's lips. Ye Tiancheng clenched his fists tightly, his heart seizing with dread as he sensed something terrible was about to happen.
Before Ye Tiancheng and Ouyang could react, they saw Lin Xue suddenly turn to face them, a nearly eerie smile on her face, and then, with resolute determination, she leaped from the building.
Everything happened so fast. Ye Tiancheng only felt Lin Xue's hair gently fluttering before she vanished.
"Xue'er!"
Ye Tiancheng shouted. The胖子 (pangzi - fatty) was also stunned and rushed down to save her. However, the胖子 was just an ordinary person. By the time he reached the ground, a crowd had already gathered, making it difficult to get through. He pushed his way through the onlookers and finally managed to squeeze in.
"What happened?"
"It seems a young girl was heartbroken and jumped off the building. She's already lying on the ground. She must have died falling from such a height."
Ye Tiancheng dared not use any of his cultivated true qi in front of the crowd. He instinctively followed the胖子 downstairs. By the time he arrived, his legs were so numb he couldn't move.
Police sirens wailed soon after, and then an ambulance arrived to take the person away. Everything happened quickly. By the time Ye Tiancheng regained his senses, he was in a hospital corridor.
Lin Xue did not go into surgery. Ye Tiancheng had already used his true qi to save her life in the ambulance. Therefore, apart from being unconscious, Lin Xue appeared to have no external injuries.
Even the attending physician was perplexed and questioned Ye Tiancheng extensively. Finally, the doctor concluded that perhaps during the fall, she had experienced several impacts, preventing any external injuries.
Soon, the brain scan results also came back, showing everything to be normal. This was the most bizarre part: the person was unconscious, yet her brain activity was normal. It was as if the cause wasn't physical but rather that the person subjectively refused to wake up, hence her inability to do so.
The doctor was at a loss. Ye Tiancheng knew the truth: during the fall, a phoenix had protected Lin Xue.
In fact, for Lin Xue, having cultivated to that level, jumping from such a height would have been insignificant, given her powerful spiritual energy.
However, in that moment, Lin Xue chose to give up, treating herself as a completely ordinary person and not using any spiritual energy. If the phoenix hadn't intervened in time, Lin Xue might have fallen to the ground like an ordinary person, bleeding profusely, perhaps even with her brains splattered.
Ye Tiancheng held Lin Xue's hand by the bedside, feeling a surge of lingering fear. This curse was far more potent than Ye Tiancheng had imagined. Relying solely on willpower, it seemed impossible to break. This was truly perplexing.
"Xue'er, I'm sorry. Master always thought you were very strong, but I forgot you are my disciple. I should have protected you, indulged you. Whatever you wanted, I should have kept it close to you, rather than making you follow normal rules. This almost cost you your life. It's all Master's fault. I hope you can forgive your Master and wake up quickly, stop escaping."
In the past, Ye Tiancheng believed that being involved with a married man was undoubtedly immoral. After all, a third party was always condemned wherever they went. Ye Tiancheng felt it would not be tolerated by morality. As a master, he should guide his disciple, preventing Lin Xue from bearing such a stigma.
However, all of this was predicated on Lin Xue being alive and well. If she were dead, what use would these words be? They would only be annoying and terrifying.
"If you like that scumbag Ouyang, I'll lock him up at home. You can do whatever you want to him, to your satisfaction. Master absolutely will not allow my beloved disciple to suffer even the slightest harm."
At this moment, Liu Lanying rushed over. Ye Tiancheng and the胖子 had acted too quickly. Liu Lanying finally managed to keep pace, only to hear Ye Tiancheng say these words, and she felt a touch of emotion.
Previously, when Ye Tiancheng spoke of master and disciple, Liu Lanying didn't feel much connection, as the age gap between Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue was too small. But in this critical moment, Ye Tiancheng's doting on his disciple was truly like a father's love for his daughter. At this moment, Liu Lanying realized how narrow-minded she had been.
Liu Lanying even suspected that Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue's relationship might be a playful intimacy between a couple. Now, she understood that this master-disciple relationship was also so pure, with a grand paternal love that made Liu Lanying realize how insignificant she was.
"Brother Ye, I heard what you said. Honestly, I'm quite touched. Any woman wants to be doted on. No matter who it is, as long as it makes her feel comfortable, a woman who is pampered for a long time will surely be moved. I also believe Xue'er will understand your earnest intentions as a master."
Interpreting from a woman's perspective, Ye Tiancheng felt his decision was even more correct. After all, Liu Lanying had spoken, and as a meticulous woman, she would have considered everything thoroughly, leaving no room for error.
"Then let's do that. You stay and keep Xue'er company. I'll handle Ouyang. Although he's an unaccomplished scoundrel, as long as my disciple likes him, I'll keep him like a pet. If he dares to utter another disrespectful word, I will definitely teach that bastard a lesson. I won't let him harm my disciple, not even in the slightest."