Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 20

In the fourth year of Xuanping, with his end fast approaching, Sima Yi traveled overseas in search of the fabled immortal elixir, leaving the governance of the state to the Regent Prince of Jin, Sima Zhao.

By the sixth year of Xuanping, Sima Yi returned to the country and immediately declared a strict maritime prohibition—no ship was permitted to leave the shores.

No one knew what Sima Yi encountered overseas, but rumors in unofficial histories claimed he returned “with a look of terror” and “as if his soul had fled his body.” Around the same time, the imperial court, previously a strong supporter of scientific research, secretly initiated the “Mutant Research Project.” This project eventually became the precursor of the current noble houses of extraordinary abilities. Some even speculated that the source of these powers was something Sima Yi had brought back from overseas.

From that point on, the Sima family enforced the maritime prohibition policy with unwavering determination, even after the dynasty’s migration south.

As a loyal and patriotic man, Cheng Jinyang would never intentionally violate such decrees. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Fleeing from the wrath of the Great Emperor Ziwei, with no safe refuge left across the mainland, he had no choice but to let himself be swept overseas by demons. Surely, even the late emperor would understand such necessity.

Ah, how bitter it was to live as a fugitive.

“How many islands have we been to now?” Cheng Jinyang asked, reclining on a makeshift lounge chair on the beach.

“Twenty-seven. I’ve been counting,” Su Lili replied. She sat beside him, washing fruit before feeding it to his mouth. “But this island does have the prettiest beaches.”

Murong Shu’s powers were unique—she could create all sorts of strange and wonderful plants. Sweet, juicy fruits, wooden beach chairs, swimsuits made of vines and leaves, even large seafaring ships were all within her abilities.

At this moment, Su Lili was wearing a grass-leaf skirt and bandeau, looking lively and lovely.

Murong Shu and Ye Ru stood knee-deep in the sea, playing idly in the water before turning back to the pair. One was busy feeding, and the other was eating happily, prompting Murong Shu to give them a peculiar look.

“So, this is the friend who stole the Flame of Beidou?” Murong Shu remarked. “A dignified Star Lord, sitting there like a servant feeding someone fruit. Where’s your dignity?”

“What’s so special about being a Star Lord?” Ye Ru tied her wet hair back and teased, “There’s another Star Lord here who was busy splashing water on me just now!”

“Ahem, that’s different,” Murong Shu replied, blushing. “We’re old friends.”

“Oh, so if I fed you fruit, you’d be annoyed?” Ye Ru grinned.

“I wouldn’t eat it,” Murong Shu retorted quickly.

“Exactly. That’s why we’re just friends,” Ye Ru crossed her arms with a smile. “They’re different.”

“You’re saying… love?” Murong Shu’s expression grew complicated, a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Wang Wanrou lay on a lounge chair nearby, sunbathing and already asleep. Not far away, Princess Sister emerged from the forest, carrying several rabbits in her hands, followed closely by Jiang Jiu, whose eyes were glued to the prey.

“She’s back from hunting,” Ye Ru remarked. “We can’t just laze around. We need to catch some fish.”

“Leave it to me,” Murong Shu said confidently. “I’ll summon some sea anemones to help.”

“Without using your powers, we could have a proper contest,” Ye Ru laughed. “Let’s see whose fishing skills are better.”

“Fine, let’s compete.” Murong Shu, spurred by her competitive streak, dove into the sea.

Ye Ru chuckled before plunging in after her.

Though Murong Shu had been keeping her company, Ye Ru could sense the sorrow lingering in her heart. After all, the Qinghe County Lord’s residence had been destroyed in a single strike by the Great Emperor Ziwei, and old Lady Luo likely hadn’t survived either.

But as a demon, an immortal being, it was inevitable for her to sever ties with her mortal family. A human lifespan was but a fleeting moment to an eternal demon. The divide between humans and demons was no mere saying.

It was only a matter of time before she came to terms with it.

Once the two demons dove into the sea, Cheng Jinyang reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

To be honest, though they were similar in height, Ye Ru and Murong Shu clearly looked more mature than Su Lili. Su Lili appeared like a fresh-faced girl of fifteen or sixteen, while Ye Ru and Murong Shu had the bearing of a college student and a career woman, respectively.

Suddenly aware that Su Lili was sitting right beside him, Cheng Jinyang quickly averted his eyes. Su Lili, as though she had noticed nothing, fed him a cherry tomato.

Cheng Jinyang leaned forward to take it but deliberately caught Su Lili’s fingers in his mouth as well. She let out a soft “ah” but didn’t pull her hand back immediately, instead looking at him with a flushed face.

Behind them, Princess Sister watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but click her tongue in disapproval.

Through their brief time together, she had already figured out that Su Lili was the type of gentle, demure woman typical of ancient times—meek and accommodating, the kind who wouldn’t get jealous or fight back. As long as her husband was happy, she wouldn’t mind anything else. Such a personality meant she had no ambition to compete for the position of the principal wife.

Yet, Princess Sister didn’t care about titles or status. What she cared about was who ranked first in Cheng Jinyang’s heart.

There was no doubt that Su Lili’s personality posed the greatest threat to men. Like water, nurturing all things without contention, yet seeping into every crack. Figuring out how to deal with Su Lili was a matter that gave even Princess Sister a headache.

Nearby, Jiang Jiu gathered firewood and cleaned some sticks while Princess Sister skinned the rabbits, removed their innards, and skewered them on branches to roast over the fire.

Before long, the smell of roasted meat wafted through the air. Cheng Jinyang sniffed the aroma and came over, marveling, “Sister Xinnan, how are the rabbits on this island so fat? Just roasting them and they’re already dripping oil.”

“There aren’t enough natural predators on this island, so they’ve grown plump,” Princess Sister replied, turning the skewers. “Too bad we don’t have good seasonings.”

“What kind of spices do you need? Pepper, cinnamon, star anise—I can conjure them all,” Murong Shu said as she walked over.

She and Ye Ru strode across the sand, leaving footprints behind, each carrying several fat fish. Their grass-leaf swimsuits were completely soaked, accentuating their curvaceous figures.

Cheng Jinyang dared not look too long, fearing that Princess Sister might jab his eyes with a stick, so he hurried to wake up Miss Wang, who was still asleep nearby.

Murong Shu clasped her hands together and rubbed them, causing bits of spices to sprinkle onto the rabbit meat. The seasonings mixed with the sizzling oil, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

“It’s a shame we don’t have salt,” Ye Ru sighed.

“There’s rock salt on the island,” Princess Sister said, pulling out a stone. “I tasted it—it’s not too bitter, edible enough.”

“Well, everything’s ready, so we might as well enjoy some roast meat!” Su Lili clapped her hands cheerfully.

Everyone laughed.

Truth be told, the meal—whether it was roasted rabbit or fish—didn’t taste particularly good. Maybe the rock salt was slightly bitter, or perhaps there weren’t enough spices. Cheng Jinyang personally felt it was because the meat hadn’t been properly marinated. Regardless, they all devoured everything.

After dinner, the group decided to spend the night on the island and set out for Yingzhou at dawn.

According to Su Lili and Ye Ru, Yingzhou was the origin of both extraordinary abilities and demon bloodlines. Throughout history, almost every Heavenly Emperor who seized the Heavenly Flame made a pilgrimage to Yingzhou afterward, though the reasons remained unknown. The two planned to investigate and gather information on how to deal with the Heavenly Emperor.

With Su Lili and Murong Shu’s combined strength—a second-tier and half a first-tier—and with Princess Sister, Ye Ru, and Jiang Jiu as well, they weren’t fully confident in their safety at Yingzhou, but they had sufficient self-assurance.

Ye Ru’s space-folding ability was the key to their journey. Otherwise, crossing 700,000 kilometers of ocean would have been a nearly impossible task.

Cheng Jinyang lay in a wooden hut, mulling over the situation. Sleep eluded him for now. Next to him were Princess Sister and Miss Wang, both sound asleep.

His phone had run out of battery, and he had no idea what time it was. Judging by the night outside, it was probably around 1 a.m.

As these thoughts wandered through his mind, he suddenly heard rustling sounds beside him.

Su Lili sat up halfway, seeming surprised that he was still awake. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.

Cheng Jinyang nodded, then carefully extracted himself from between the two women, climbing out of bed.