Chapter Twenty-Three: Turning the Tables

"You are truly self-righteous. Just because you are a prince does not mean that every woman in the world likes you. Of course, this is not the time to discuss that; let’s talk about you snatching my fish. How do you intend to handle this?" She rolled her eyes at him, feeling that this group of people were birds of a feather—all equally shameless.

"I truly regret saving you. Now you are clinging to me!" Xiao Jinghuai’s face darkened, his eyes unable to hide his disgust for her.

"Saving me? The fish was on the bank. I only needed one attack to kill it and earn the points. You rushed up and snatched it, then called it 'saving' me. I have never seen anyone so self-righteously label theft as rescue!" As soon as these words were spoken, Xiao Jinghuai’s face turned pale.

He recalled that when he rushed over, the fish was indeed on the bank and she was right next to it, yet she didn't seem afraid at all.

Thinking of this, he looked unhappily at the quiet Su Yunqi beside him. Just as he was about to ask, she spoke up: "Sister Yunqing, we saw you were in danger and tried to save you out of kindness. How could you be like this? I know you have admired His Highness since you were young, but you cannot disregard his feelings. Acting this way is truly inappropriate."

Xiao Jinghuai, who had been caught in self-doubt, suddenly felt that Su Yunqi was right. Someone as charming as he was, how could Su Yunqing bear to let go? This must be a new way to attract his attention. It had been like this for years; he was almost tired of her bothering him.

Taking advantage of the silence, Su Yunqi added, "How about we just let this pass? Sister Yunqing, if you insist that we snatched your points, then you can join our team; consider that as compensation for the points. Does that work for you?"

"Sister, you can't..." Su Yunyue’s expression changed instantly, and she prepared to object, but was silenced by a glare from Su Yunqi.

Su Yunqi kept a close eye on Su Yunqing’s expression. Because she had refused once before, she intentionally used a condescending tone, confident that she would refuse again.

After all, Su Yunqing was very vain. Since childhood, she had hated being given handouts because others saw her as a good-for-nothing, and she despised the look of pity in others' eyes—these were reasons that would make her explode on the spot. Su Yunqi had manipulated this weakness many times, causing Su Yunqing’s reputation in Xiao Jinghuai’s eyes to plummet, so she was very sure of herself this time.

Su Yunqing naturally saw through her goal, but unfortunately, she was destined to be wrong. She was no longer the old Su Yunqing; she had been reborn and would not walk down the same old path.

"Alright," she said, looking up at her and revealing a smile.

Su Yunqi, who had been smiling and preparing to continue her speech, suddenly realized something was wrong. Her expression shifted because what Su Yunqing said was completely different from what she had expected.

"What? Are you trying to go back on your word? That’s simple. Since you snatched my points, you must pay back ten times the amount, and then I will consider this matter settled!" Su Yunqing looked at her with a meaningful smile, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"Ten times! You are dreaming!"

"Indeed. Su Yunqi, you agreed to this, so even if it is paid, it should come from your own points. Don't think about taking ours!"

"Right. We only teamed up to improve efficiency. If you want to bring a good-for-nothing into the team, that’s your business, but our points must remain ours! Don't even think about touching them!"

The first sentence was from Su Yunyue, and the rest came from the others in their group. Their message was clear: they would not use their own points to compensate her.

Su Yunqi’s face was now very ugly, as the situation had spiraled beyond her expectations. However, since the words were already out, she couldn't back down. She could only bite the bullet and say, "Everyone, rest assured, we will not touch your points."

She then turned to Su Yunqing and said with a smile, "Sister Yunqing, my word naturally holds. I will protect you along the way, and we won't snatch the beasts you kill. I can also ensure your safety. Consider this compensation for the fish, how about that?"

"Sure, let’s go then." Su Yunqing looked at her with a smile, appearing to be in high spirits, even urging them to hurry.

Seeing her smile, Su Yunqi’s hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly. Beside her, Xiao Jinghuai saw the smile and said coldly, "I have only one requirement: stay away from me."

He pulled Su Yunqi away without giving Su Yunqing a single glance. As Su Yunyue passed by, she glared viciously: "Hmph, don't think that just by doing this, His Highness will like you! Keep dreaming!"

She walked ahead triumphantly. The others just glanced at her and walked on, as they were not the ones responsible for her protection.

Standing at the very back, Su Yunqing couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was speechless at these bizarre people.

Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught a small stone on the ground. With a flick of her foot, it flew out with a "whoosh!" Immediately following, Su Yunyue let out a cry: "Ouch!" She fell to her knees, rubbing her kneecap incessantly.

"What happened?" Xiao Jinghuai and Su Yunqi, walking in the front, both turned back, looking worried.

Before Su Yunyue could answer, Su Yunqing, who was already walking forward, spoke up: "If wasting time just because someone tripped is the norm, at this speed, we won't even encounter a beast by nightfall. How am I supposed to earn back my points?"

Xiao Jinghuai’s face darkened. He realized she was mocking him. He immediately pulled Su Yunqi along and walked forward; he couldn't afford to be looked down upon by a "good-for-nothing." The others, not wanting to deal with Su Yunyue, also walked ahead, as they all wanted to earn points.

Su Yunqing looked at the ignored Su Yunyue on the ground and smiled. "How sluggish!"

Su Yunyue was furious, but she was intimidated by facing her alone, as the current Su Yunqing was not as easy to manipulate as before. Thus, she hurried to catch up.

Soon, they encountered three more beasts. The group fought them together: Xiao Jinghuai and Su Yunqi took on one, while the others handled the remaining two.

Su Yunqing stood by with her arms crossed, watching. Just as Xiao Jinghuai and Su Yunqi were about to finish off their beast, she dashed out with lightning speed and landed the final blow, claiming the life of the beast while shouting, "Your Highness, be careful!"

After securing the points, Su Yunqing looked at Xiao Jinghuai’s darkened face and felt immensely satisfied.

"Su Yunqing, you snatched my points! Do you have no sense of shame at all?" He was furious. He had gone through the trouble of incapacitating the beast, only to have her snatch the victory at the last second.

Facing his interrogation, Su Yunqing didn't even blink. She said with a perfectly earnest expression, "Your Highness, I saved you and Su Yunqi, and this is how you treat me? How dare you turn the tables on me!"