Chapter 48: Is it Fun?

First, Jiaoyue began telling a story: There Are Two Other Women Living Inside My Body.

Just hearing the title, Jiang Xiaoyu decided to dive in headfirst. After listening for only a short while, he was already calling it a blast, internally shouting: “Jiaoyue, update faster!”

Who would have thought that his prospective father-in-law would follow up with one sentence after another, each more soul-crushing than the last, ruthlessly shaking Jiaoyue’s Platinum-author dreams.

Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t help but sigh: These days, anyone can write a novel, but trying to make a living off it is no easy feat, let alone without family support! Sigh… isn’t this book going to get axed? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dived in; I should have stuck to only reading finished books.

As he was thinking this, Jiaoyue’s writing style suddenly took a sharp turn.

With one hand clutching her collar and the other waving frantically, her face a mask of struggle, she pleaded toward the empty air: “Blood Moon, hold on, let me explain things clearly to my family first…”

Before the words finished, she snapped her head up, her expression haughty as a weird, eerie chuckle rumbled from her throat: “Since you can’t make it clear, I’ll be the one to explain!”

Immediately following that, she yanked her collar tight again, her expression growing even more painful as her voice trembled: “You must not harm my family, otherwise I’ll burn to ashes together with you!”

The next second, she lifted her chin once more, her laughter growing even more uninhibited: “Rest assured, Jiaoyue, I won’t harm your family. It’s just… I’ll be the one to make things clear.”

Jiang Xiaoyu watched in dumbfounded amazement, lamenting inwardly: It’s over, it’s over. The world has lost a Platinum author and gained a borderline-streamer. She’s… planning to change careers.

“At least finish ‘There Are Two Other Women Living Inside My Body’! This kind of behavior is deeply irresponsible to your readers!”

His voice wasn’t loud, and none of the people present heard him.

But! Jiaoyue heard it.

Amidst her struggle, she turned her head and cast a mournful glance toward Jiang Xiaoyu.

That look made Jiang Xiaoyu’s heart skip a beat, and in an instant, everything clicked.

“No revenue! It definitely has to do with no revenue! She can’t give an account to herself, nor can she give an account to her family; her Dao heart has shattered. It’s over… this book is ruined.”

Thinking this, he sighed: “Jiaoyue, I can’t help you much, at most I’ll toss you three free small gifts every day. As long as you can keep writing, I won’t say a word. But the moment you can’t write anymore, I’m only going to be able to flame you.”

By now, Jiaoyue had stopped struggling—Blood Moon had come online.

Hearing those words, Blood Moon tilted her head to look at Jiang Xiaoyu, a flicker of curiosity dancing within her black-flame-wreathed pupils.

Oblivious, Jiang Xiaoyu continued to ramble on: “Judging by your movements, you must be planning to transition into borderline-streaming. But—did you know? I can scroll past several dances a day of people pulling at their own collars, looking weak, struggling, and pitiful. Even if you fall from grace, you’re doing it too late; that side is packed with competition too!”

Blood Moon didn’t understand. She frowned, sneered, and rolled her eyes at him.

Ignoring him further, she lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped down the stairs within the grand hall, stopping closer to Chen Hao and Leng Feng before speaking with haughty arrogance: “What is there for you to ask?”

Leng Feng asked in a deep voice: “What have you done to my daughter?”

Jiang Xiaoyu was immediately alarmed: “How am I the one who’s confused? She just wants to try out a new industry, and her own father is disowning her like this?”

He looked toward Jiaoyue, suddenly feeling she was so pitiful! Why is it that the people trying hard to live always have such a bumpy road?

Thus, Jiang Xiaoyu proclaimed in a resounding voice:

“Jiaoyue, keep your chin up! Don’t let them influence you. In the days ahead, whether you want to keep writing novels or transition into borderline-streaming, I’ll support you!”

Though Blood Moon didn’t understand those terms, her intuition told her they were hardly flattering words. Gritting her teeth, she glared fiercely at Jiang Xiaoyu.

At that moment, Ye Lingtian spoke up: “May I ask what relation Your Excellency bears to Jiaoyue?”

As soon as Ye Lingtian asked that, whatever Blood Moon said next went completely unheard by Jiang Xiaoyu, because his brain had just short-circuited!

“Father, seriously?! Jiaoyue just wants to write some novels and dance, pursuing her artistic aspirations—what’s wrong with that?! Oh—and just like that, you’re disowning your own future daughter-in-law? What kind of father-in-law speaks so harshly!”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got: “Jiaoyue, even though this is just a dream, my identity here still carries some weight! If they don’t want you, I do! Whether you’re a mental patient, a failed hack writer, or even slacking off with borderline-streaming—I don’t mind you at all!”

As those words fell, the entire room was left in shock.

Ye Lingtian and Leng Feng stood frozen in place holding their swords, looking at each other in bewilderment as they whispered back and forth. But judging by their solemn expressions, they must have figured it out—realizing they shouldn’t have been so harsh on Jiaoyue just now.

Lady Wang turned around and sighed: “Huan’er, no matter what Yue’er did when she was little, you foolishly followed along and supported her, which is why she was willing to be your wife back then. But things are different now; she has inherited divine arts, and she’s not walking the same path as our immortal-cultivating lineage. What’s the use of pouring your heart out to her now? Be patient, wait until we resolve the trouble at hand, and your father and I will talk it over with you carefully.”

Madam Zhao was displeased, immediately firing back: “Sister’s bark is truly worse than her bite. This little brat has been acting like he’s possessed today—first orchestrating that Jiaoyue has someone on the outside, then saying she’s mentally ill, and then slandering her as a—Ahem. Ye Xunhuan, just you wait; once we’re done dealing with this mess, this old lady is going to strip the skin right off your back when I get back.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was stunned at first, then shook his head with a sigh: “The world laughs at me for being crazy, while I laugh at them for failing to see through it…”

Before he could finish, Ye Lingtian and Leng Feng suddenly sprang into action. The two of them collided into a ball in mid-air, their expressions panicked.

The Wang-Zhao pair cried out in alarm, exchanged a look, and rushed forward simultaneously to rescue them.

Amidst the chaos, Blood Moon turned around.

She tilted her head toward Jiang Xiaoyu, a flicker of extremely complex curiosity dancing within her black-flame-wreathed pupils.

“In a dream? Who are they? And who are you?”

“What do you mean, who are they? And who am I?”

“Didn’t you just say that if they don’t want me, you want me? If you want me… shouldn’t you at least have some status?”