Villain: Slacking My Way to Emperor, The Protagonist Is Losing It!

"Chen Xuan, stop bothering me."

"Take your things back. If you dare pester me again, I will kill you!"

Liu Qingran's eyes were icy as she spoke, her voice cold and emotionless.

From the moment Chen Xuan saved her, she had been convinced that everything had been a scheme orchestrated by him.

Ever since, she had dedicated herself to rigorous training, all for the sole purpose of one day killing Chen Xuan and avenging her clan, so that her fallen kin could rest in peace.

But the previous Chen Xuan never realized this.

He would check on her every few days, showering her with rare heavenly treasures and powerful cultivation resources, caring for her in every way possible.

And ironically, the more he gave, the more she loathed him.

After finishing her words, Liu Qingran took out a small box—an exquisitely crafted, ancient-looking container.

The moment she opened it, an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy erupted from within, illuminating the entire Holy Son's Grand Hall with dazzling divine light.

Ssshhh—

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng?!

Chen Xuan froze.

For a moment, he recalled that this was a treasure bestowed upon him by the Desolate Ancient Sacred Land after he was officially ordained as the Holy Son.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng was already an extremely rare herb found only in the Ancient Realm.

But a Hundred-Thousand-Year one?

It had absorbed the essence of an entire Ancient Realm for a full millennium, making it an invaluable sacred treasure in any holy land.

The fact that the Desolate Ancient Sacred Land had gifted such a priceless treasure to Chen Xuan was proof of how much they valued him.

Back then, upon hearing that Liu Qingran's cultivation had hit a bottleneck, Chen Xuan had rushed to send her this spirit ginseng the moment he obtained it.

However, the sect's restrictions had barred him from entering, and he had been forced to leave it outside her residence.

Yet, now…

Here it was, returned to him, untouched.

Chen Xuan's eyes lit up.

"Since Senior Sister doesn't need it, I'll just take it back."

A smile played on his lips.

Back then, he had insisted on leaving it behind, refusing to take it back no matter what.

Looking at it now… he had been such a fool.

This was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng!

It wasn't some cheap vegetable!

Now that he had stopped being a bootlicker, taking it back was the only logical choice.

This kind of heaven-defying treasure was far too precious—keeping it for himself would bring unparalleled benefits to his cultivation.

Hearing his response, Liu Qingran froze.

This was… unexpected.

She had already braced herself for Chen Xuan to grovel and beg her to accept the gift, just like before.

She had even prepared some particularly harsh words to cut him off coldly.

Yet…

He had simply accepted the return without hesitation?

She had never seen him act like this before.

Liu Qingran's expression turned slightly strange as she studied him.

Just then—

A peculiar voice echoed in her mind.

"Taking it back is the right move."

"Wouldn't it be better to use this ginseng for yourself instead of throwing it at someone who doesn't appreciate it?"

"Damn, I really was just a brain-dead thunderhead before."

"How the hell did I even like this woman?"

"And to think I used to dream about her day and night, unable to sleep. What a complete waste!"

"Back then, I went through hell just to save her. Not only did she not even say 'thank you,' but she actually stabbed me in the back—treating me like an enemy and even plotting with my real enemy, Su Beichen, to kill me!"

"I must've been blind."

Chen Xuan internally scoffed.

Sure, Liu Qingran was good-looking, and her talent was decent.

But her brain?

Completely useless.

She had zero independent thinking.

The Liu Clan had been massacred by Su Beichen's brother, Su Shi.

Yet when the butler risked his life to deliver the truth to her, she let herself be manipulated by Su Beichen's words and chose to comfort him instead.

At this point, if the spirits of the Liu Clan ancestors were watching, they would be rolling in their graves.

Hell, even the strongest coffin nails wouldn't be able to keep their lids shut—not even if Uncle Ying (T/N: Reference to a Taoist exorcist character) himself came to secure them.

Chen Xuan curled his lips, silently mocking her.

This female lead was completely irrational and lacked even the basic ability to think for herself.

There was no way in hell he could ever like someone like this.

Not to mention—

She was also an utter romantic fool.

Every time Chen Xuan had tried to warn her about Su Beichen, she would dismiss it as him trying to frame him out of jealousy.

"That bastard Chen Xuan!"

"He actually dared to call me a brain-dead thunderhead in his heart?!"

"Hmph! As expected, he has ulterior motives!"

Liu Qingran was at a complete loss.

Chen Xuan's inner thoughts had struck her like a needle to the heart.

Though he had always annoyed her, he had actually never done anything truly malicious.

As the Holy Son, Chen Xuan had no arrogance whatsoever.

His strength, talent, appearance, and background were nearly flawless, making him an exceptional figure even among other sacred lands.

He always carried an air of calm detachment, his temperament unwavering—a rarity even in the most prestigious sects.

But now…

Something about him seemed different.

There was none of the usual gentleness and courtesy in his demeanor.

Instead, he had actually spoken to her like that.

Liu Qingran found this deeply puzzling.

Chen Xuan's attitude had changed drastically, making her feel strangely unsettled.

It was as if…

The person standing before her wasn't Chen Xuan at all.

Even though he had insulted her multiple times, she only felt mildly annoyed.

She wasn't some brainless fool.

But then…

A question crept into her mind.

"Who is this Su Beichen he mentioned just now?"

"Could he be… the true mastermind behind my clan's massacre?"

"Did I wrongfully accuse Chen Xuan?"

"Impossible!"

She immediately dismissed the thought.

Back then, when she had been trapped and surrounded by enemies, Chen Xuan had arrived almost instantly to save her.

That kind of timing was far too convenient—it had to be premeditated.

She had already decided that Chen Xuan was the true villain behind the scenes.

The only reason she hadn't taken action yet was that her strength was still insufficient.

But now…

That inner voice she had heard just moments ago was making her doubt herself.

More importantly, that voice sounded like Chen Xuan's own thoughts.

Liu Qingran was shocked—how was she able to hear his inner voice?

Shaking off her thoughts, she tossed a beautifully ornate storage pouch toward Chen Xuan.

A surge of spiritual energy once again filled the Holy Son's Grand Hall.

"I never touched any of the things you gave me."

"I'm returning all of it."

"From now on, do not disturb me again—and stop putting on an act."

"From this day forward, we are strangers."

After finishing her cold declaration, Liu Qingran paused for a moment.

Then, as if recalling something, she added:

"Who is Su Beichen?"

She had to ask.

Only after hearing Chen Xuan's inner thoughts did she realize—

This Su Beichen was someone she would apparently become deeply involved with in the future.

Chen Xuan glanced at the storage pouch, quickly scanning its contents.

Everything was untouched, exactly as he had given it.

"Su Beichen? I have nothing to do with him."

"But since we're settling things, how about returning my access token to Linxian Peak?"

Chen Xuan blinked calmly, his expression indifferent, as if this whole situation was of no concern to him.

However, hearing Liu Qingran mention Su Beichen's name, he was slightly surprised.

But he quickly masked his reaction, suppressing any sign of emotion.

Still, Liu Qingran caught the tiny flicker of change in his eyes.

Hmph!

Still pretending.

As expected, a hypocrite to the core!

Liu Qingran narrowed her phoenix-like eyes, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smirk.

"Fine, take it!"

Without hesitation, she removed the shimmering command token from her waist and tossed it over—without a shred of reluctance.

If Chen Xuan hadn't forced this token on her back then, she never would have accepted it in the first place.

What she didn't know, however, was that this very token was the reason she had been able to cultivate peacefully in the Desolate Ancient Sacred Land all this time.

Because of this token—

She had never been disturbed.

She had been able to train in areas with the richest spiritual energy.

Her monthly cultivation resources had inexplicably doubled.

Even the elders spoke to her with utmost respect.

This token was, in essence, Chen Xuan's personal seal—a shield of absolute protection.

But now, she had tossed it away without a second thought.

Chen Xuan caught the token, momentarily stunned.

"How does she know about Su Beichen already?"

"In the game's storyline, she was only supposed to meet him seven days later in the Wild Beast Mountains!"

"That first encounter was what rapidly deepened their bond."

"Sigh… It's a shame. This brainless woman never even considered that her 'fateful encounter' with Su Beichen might not have been a coincidence at all."

"Everything that seemed like fate… was just part of Su Beichen's carefully crafted plan."