The Captivating Beauty

[A spoiled, airheaded sweetheart x her cool, scheming childhood friend. Childhood sweethearts and bitter romantic angst (not really); at heart, it's just a couple bickering and fighting all the time.]

[Check out my upcoming novel, Cultivation: My Skill Is Summoning Transmigrators. See the announcement for a direct link!]

At a teahouse, the storyteller begins recounting the legend of the great villain Ming Xue once again.

They say she's cruel and ruthless; that every lackey under her is a bully; and that she even humiliated the lofty, ethereal Immortal Lord Yinyu.

The patrons grow furious as they listen, while Ming Xue props her chin on her hands and humbly enjoys hearing about her own glorious deeds.

First, yes, I'm cruel and ruthless. I'm the villain, a super great demon lord, and I do all sorts of horrible things.

Second, that's right, we're all bullies. Whether it's the gentle saintess of the Jade Lake, the lovesick young lord of the ghost clan, or the spirited genius of a noble house, they're all under my command. Together, we wreak havoc everywhere.

Third, yes, yes, I humiliated Tan Xi.

That night, I kidnapped this beautiful immortal lord, revered by everyone, and took him to my bed. All he could do was lean weakly against the headboard, lift his handsome face, and breathe softly, his robes hanging open to reveal snow-white skin as I thoroughly humiliated him.

Ming Xue thought smugly, Oh, I'm such a great villain.

-

To outsiders, Immortal Lord Tan Xi is cool and self-possessed, the peerless genius everyone admires. No one knows he's always questioning his own life.

First, there's his childhood friend, Ming Xue.

One evening, the young Tan Xi rolled up his sleeves to make dinner as usual, only to find his childhood friend huffing and puffing as she packed her things. She said she was going to become a demon lord bent on destroying the world.

Tan Xi fell silent for a moment, then asked, "So, are you coming home for dinner tonight?"

Then there's his sect.

He went into seclusion for a year. When he came out, he found that some of his family and friends were dead, and the rest had scattered. His childhood friend had really become a great villain.

Tan Xi stayed silent for the whole night, then asked, "The year's almost over. Are you coming home for the New Year's Eve dinner?"

Finally, on the eve of the great battle, his childhood friend kidnapped him and shoved him onto a bed.

Ming Xue sat on his thighs, touched his face, then kissed his collarbone. She muttered all sorts of nonsense under her breath, things like, "A-Xi, I won't touch you. This is what restrained love looks like," "Is this how you're supposed to 'humiliate' someone?" and "Ugh, this is so hard for us pure-love warriors."

...Tch. All desire, no nerve.

Tan Xi couldn't take it anymore. He pulled open his robe and said, "Enough talk. Let's get started."

Theme: A great journey begins with the first step, and a future of endless possibilities lies ahead.