I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 174: You Can be Arrogant Now, But Youll Have to Butter Me Up in the Future; The Wife has Misunderstood The Husband!

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Gu Changge did not even react to the system prompt.

From his point of view, this development was only logical.

If Yue Mingkong still suspected whether he would kill her at this point, that would be very weird.

She was usually a very perceptive and rational individual...

But not in front of Gu Changge.

“Why am I treating you so well?”

Gu Changge smiled lightly as he asked a question in return, “What dastardly acts have I done in the past to make you think that I am only just now treating you well?”

“After all... something must have happened for you to harbor such suspicions.”

Gu Changge spoke with interest.

Yue Mingkong was stunned for a moment, as it occurred to her that she had now accidentally leaked incriminating information.

With the meticulousness of Gu Changgeʼs mind, there was a high possibility that he would be able to learn something from her words just now.

“You were so indifferent to me in the past. For you to give me so many treasures for seemingly no good reason is difficult to accept. However, Iʼd be happy if you just stopped being so indifferent to me.”

Before she came up with such an acceptable answer, Yue Mingkong grew silent for a brief moment.

Fortunately for her, the statement was quite reasonable.

In the past, Gu Changge had indeed been indifferent and reluctant to interact with her.

All of these changes to his attitude had only appeared after she regressed. After her direct conflict with Gu Changge, their originally amicable yet chilly relationship was torn apart.

Only then did the slightly more caring version of the Gu Changge today would come to be. 

If nothing else, Yue Mingkong always believed in one thing:

If she was pure and kind like in her previous life, it would have never been possible to talk face-to-face with Gu Changge. There would be no chance of them ever standing together as equals.

She would have no chance of ever attaining even the slightest shred of his affection.

To have him hold her hand and smile at her so tenderly… 

Yue Mingkong knew in her heart.

The reason for Gu Changgeʼs transformation was not because of her alone. It was impossible for a man as cruel and as cold as him to change so much for a mere woman, after all.

The reason for his transformation was because of her actions, and the ripples they’ve caused, moving the world in ways it had never moved before. She was different from her past self, who was weak and humble in front of Gu Changge.

Unfortunately, not even she would know whether this was a turn for the better or the worse.

After all, Gu Changge has an elusive temperament.

However, at least for now, she was no longer an insignificant speck of dust in Gu Changgeʼs eyes.

Gu Changge gave a smile that neither confirmed nor denied anything. He had already anticipated Yue Mingkong’s response. 

“I see. It seems even my beloved[1] Mingkong suffers from small tantrums at times… if so, allow me to be a bit more forward.  I did indeed not find my dear wife so charming before, but haven’t you heard it’s better late than never?”

[1. The direct translation is “house/household’s Mingkong”, insinuating they’re already married.]

Of course, he had long planned out a method of dealing with such a statement.

“Gu Changge...”

Yue Mingkong was shocked speechless, obviously not expecting him to be so frank.

‘His beloved Mingkong?ʼ

He even admitted to not caring about her in the past, and yet now he does? Even calling her charming? Clean and simple, without beating around the bush at all.

To say such things so naturally was undeniably Gu Changge’s style.

This shameless remark sent her heart into chaos yet again.

Even if she understood that nine out of ten of Gu Changgeʼs words were usually lies, she still loved to hear such sweet words come from his mouth.

She couldnʼt help herself. 

Yue Mingkongʼs eyes sparkled.

The flustered lady inwardly scolded herself at this moment. ‘I’m so stupid, so foolish, so… cheap!’ 

‘Gu Changge is not a good person. He’s a villain who eats and breathes evil.’

‘If I pulled out his heart, it would probably be all black and shriveled up!’

‘He is the furthest thing from a good person…’

As a regressor who had experienced two lives, she has lived and seen Gu Changge’s true nature for herself, and yet here she was becoming all giddy after a few sweet words.

She was ashamed of herself.

“Thereʼs no need to suspect that I possess ulterior motives. The Enlightenment Platform is of little use to me, so it doesnʼt matter if I give it to you or not.”

Gu Changge spoke frankly yet again. He had a feeling that using such a sentence at such a time would give a greater effect.

Unfortunately for her, Gu Changge has always possessed the initiative.

When she heard this, Yue Mingkongʼs beautifully cold eyes stared at him, as a light humph rang out.

[PR/N: Pouting Yandere… I can die in peace.]

An honest Gu Changge was truly a rare sight.

However, at the very least, she now knew of his true intentions.

Would he really give her something that was useful to him?

The answer was obvious. 

Nonetheless, for Gu Changge to tell her the truth, it showed that Gu Changge did have her in his heart.

And that was what Yue Mingkong actually cared about.

After accepting the Enlightenment Platform, just as Yue Mingkong was on the cusp of speaking up and asking him about Yin Mei...

Hum!

Gu Changgeʼs hand wrapped around her slender waist.

The two figures swiftly descended towards the ruins below.

Yue Mingkong bit back her words. It seemed her suspicions would remain unsolved for a while longer.

Gu Changge turned his head to the side to look at her flawless features, a light smile upon his face.

“My Mingkong is quite capable, these preparations must have taken some time to make.”

‘If I want to keep up this facade of surprise, I can’t act like I’ve already known about all this beforehand.’

“It wasn’t, only slightly over a month.” Yue Mingkong replied.

“More than a month, huh? It seems the time has almost come.” Gu Changge smiled.

“What time?” 

Yue Mingkong felt that Gu Changge might be referring to the time of the Fairy Spiritʼs birth.

However, what she didn’t know was that Gu Changge was making stuff up as he went.

After all, no matter how powerful he was, to speculate when the Fairy Spirit would be born was... impossible.

He would not even know of the Fairy Spiritʼs location if it wasnʼt for spies he had planted near Yue Mingkong.

The sentence was a ploy meant to plant the misguided notion on Yue Mingkong that everything was under his control from the start.

A good method to ensure that Yue Mingkong would not disturb him at crucial moments.

As Gu Changge swept through the nearby void, he felt the vast and turbulent fluctuations hidden within the empty space. Powerful and ancient laws littered the lightless expanse.

He detected runes used for both concealment and attack. 

When the Fairy Spirit is born, these runes would activate and delay the other cultivators, allowing for an easier capture of the prize.

Gu Changge was very satisfied with Yue Mingkongʼs methods.

It saved him a lot of time and effort from making the plans himself.

”Not bad. It seems you’re quite serious on this matter.” Gu Changge casually spoke with a smile.

Yue Mingkong pondered for a moment, her eyes moving slightly as she replied, “The Fairy Spiritʼs birth is a matter of foremost importance. I can’t afford to be careless.” 

Speaking of which, she was worried that Gu Changge might forcefully intervene and snatch her prize for himself, rendering her preparations worthless.

The Fairy Spirit was far more important, incomparable to Long Teng’s True Dragon Blood, or even the Enlightenment Platform.

And although Gu Changge was unlikely to lay such a heavy hand on her... 

There was a high possibility of him charging in and eating the entire full course buffet alone.

The Gu Changge she knew would definitely do such a thing.

Moreover, her identity as a regressor did not give her the slightest advantage against Gu Changge.

“It seems that you’re aiming for the Fairy Spirit as well, Mingkong. No wonder...” Gu Changge laughed as though he did not have a care in the world.

Yue Mingkong breathed a sigh of relief.

She was afraid that Gu Changge would try to investigate this matter. If that came to pass, she was not confident she would be able to give a foolproof answer then and there.

There was also the possibility where she slips up again, allowing Gu Changge to notice her secret of being a regressor.

‘With Gu Changge’s character, who knows what he’ll do to me at that time?’

The aforementioned Gu Changge could easily guess what Yue Mingkong was thinking.

It was only natural for Yue Mingkong to be wary of him. He knew he had a long way to go before she completely trusts him.

Fortunately, Gu Changge was not in a hurry. The long-term plan was already laid out. Under these layers of foreshadowing and motives, all he needs to do is wait until Yue Mingkong and Gu Xianʼer fall into his trap. 

‘Sigh. Such long-term plans are monotonous chores. With nothing of interest to relieve me of my fatigue, I’m afraid I’ll be bored for quite some time.’

The smile at the corner of Gu Changgeʼs mouth grew more playfully just now.

[A few moments later, in an abandoned set of ancient ruins]

Collapsed, ancient temples and decayed shrines populated the area, covered with an endless sea of moss and vines. A tranquil but decrepit sight.

Outside the ruins, their followers guarded the perimeter, strictly preventing the presence of both the outside cultivators and creatures from disturbing them.

Such a sight showed how cautious Gu Changge and Yue Mingkong were on this matter, going so far as to set up a multitude of terrible traps and obstacles.

Take for example the nearby space:

Filled with murderous intent, if one were to take a single half-step deviation across the safe path, they would attract a thunderous blow, capable of turning living breathing people into lifeless fluttering ash.

“Gu Changge, do you plan on leaving me by the side while you have an entire buffet for yourself?”

Yue Mingkong led the way, stopping in front of an illuminous wall filled with brilliant runes.

The chilling light in her eyes seemed to strike at Gu Changge’s face.

A direct question.

There was a kind of resentment in the words that mildly resembled an angry little daughter-in-law.

She wanted to try and negotiate with Gu Changge first, to gain his reassurance...  and though the reassurance of a man like him was not very convincing, it was still better than nothing.

Gu Changge looked at her flawless Fairy-like face that neared so close to his own.

He couldnʼt help but laugh at the silence that ensued from her question, “Have I always been such a character in your heart?”

From his smile, Yue Mingkong saw a hint of self-deprecation.

“Are you not... ?”

Yue Mingkong muttered softly.

When he heard this, the smile on Gu Changge’s face disappeared, his expression mixed with apathy.

“Have I ever done anything to hurt you? What has caused you to become so wary of me?” He asked with a very calm expression.

Although he did have such plans, for Yue Mingkong to call him out on it...

‘Are you looking for a spanking?’

Gu Changge wanted to smack her.

But on second thought, perhaps he could have her understand a “truth” from all this.

The saying goes: ”To go against the husband is easy, but to butter him up after would be a hellish task.”

Yue Mingkong almost flinched. It was rare for her to see Gu Changge make such an expression.

A calmness scarier than anger.

“Or maybe not...”

She abruptly took back her words.

Logically speaking, in regards to Gu Changgeʼs interest-oriented character, it was completely reasonable to suspect that he might do exactly as she predicted.

However, combined with the recent series of events, some major doubts rose within Yue Mingkongʼs crystal clear perception of him... worries that he might have other goals in mind.

It was her preconceived notion that Gu Changge treated anyone, including herself, with the purpose of eventually taking advantage of them.

Yet ever since her regression, the villainous Gu Changge had never done anything to hurt her.

Even after it was revealed that she knew the secret of Gu Changgeʼs status as the true Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts, he had never shown any killing intent.

This, in turn, made her deeply speculate on Gu Changgeʼs current thoughts and goals.

In her last life, the Gu Changge who killed her was the enemy she hated the most.

But the Gu Changge in this life was very different compared to the one from her past.

She was still seeing Gu Changge from the lens of her previous life.

Yue Mingkong’s mood grew more complicated as she thought of these things.

It was rather unfair to treat the Gu Changge – who had never hurt her in this life – like so, wasnʼt it?

Gu Changge is indeed a villain, but he is also human.

‘Gu Changge probably felt very uncomfortable at what I said just now.’

‘I sought to take revenge on him in this life, because I was worried for my future in this world. I wanted to change the past before history could repeat itself.ʼ 

‘But will the future of the past truly come to be?”

Yue Mingkong didnʼt know the reason behind Gu Changgeʼs transformation, but she was sure of one thing.

Gu Changge had changed because of her regression.

Yue Mingkong opened her mouth, as if she wished to speak, but stopped when Gu Changge let go of her waist and started trudging forward on his own.

That handsome and cool face bore a calm look, like a heavenly immortal high above the clouds, viewing the world as dirt and grass, without any trace of emotion.

Yue Mingkong stopped, her face tinged with regret.

Soon, she picked herself up and chased after him.

For this lifeʼs Gu Changge to turn so indifferent to her, it made her feel an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

[PR/N: That’s because you’re courting death!]

Yue Mingkong had always thought that Gu Changgeʼs care towards her was all either faked or planned.

She disdained it.

But now...

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she might have let her past experiences cloud her judgement, and that he might not have been pretending at all.

Otherwise, how could the almighty Gu Changge of today show such an expression?

Her icy heart thawed just a little more.

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