Chapter Thirty-Three: Grandpa Is Looking for You

Su Yunqing paid no mind to what others might be thinking. After finishing her match, she stepped off the stage, leaving it for the next participants.

As she descended, she caught Xiao Jinghuai watching her with a complicated expression. She immediately turned her head away; for some reason, she found that gaze repulsive.

This tournament, hosted by the Academy, was being observed not only by students but also by the Emperor himself and representatives from various noble families. Naturally, many commoners were in attendance as well, all of whom had witnessed her outstanding performance and were taken aback by it.

Consequently, as soon as her match concluded, Su Yunqi approached her with a smile and said, "Sister Yunqing, your performance today was quite impressive."

"Oh? And so?" Su Yunqing replied, showing little interest. She was unmoved by her words, her tone even bordering on dismissive.

The smile on Su Yunqi's face stiffened for a few seconds before returning to its usual state. "Grandfather wishes to see you."

Su Yunyue also arrived, crossing her arms and speaking with utter disdain. "Hurry up, don't keep Grandfather waiting. And don't think that just because you've shown some talent today, you can secure your footing in the family. Keep dreaming!"

Su Yunqing could see a flicker of murderous intent in her eyes. She offered a faint, enigmatic smile; it seemed some people were already impatient to court their own destruction. That was fine by her—once the tournament concluded today, it would be time to settle a few scores.

"What are you looking at? What kind of look is that? I'm telling you, even if Grandfather is calling for you now, it doesn't mean he values you. With my sister around, you will always be second best!" Su Yunyue, feeling that Su Yunqing was provoking her, became instantly agitated.

"Su Yunqi, tell the Head of the Su family that there is no need to seek me out. From this day forward, I am no longer a member of the Su family." She stated this clearly and concisely. Since the dissolution of her engagement, she had not returned to the Su residence, and now, there was no reason to ever do so again.

"Sister Yunqing, don't be impulsive. I acknowledge that you truly shone today, but you won't get far without the support of a family. I can pretend you never said those words; come with me to see Grandfather now."

"Rest assured, Grandfather won't make things difficult for you."

She spoke as if she were closer to Su Zhentian, but Su Yunqing could only suppress a laugh. Did Su Yunqi really think she was still the same person she had been in her past life? That she would be easily triggered?

In her past life, she had cared about them, so every word they uttered could wound or incite her. But in this life, she no longer cared for these people, nor did she want anything from them. Their words could no longer hurt her.

"Oh, and so what? It has nothing to do with me. Go back and tell him not to disturb my life. As for the two of you, we have plenty of time ahead." She looked at them meaningfully as she spoke the last sentence, leaving them bewildered.

These words stirred an inexplicable sense of unease in Su Yunqi. However, she quickly dismissed it as her own overthinking and sighed. "Fine, if you refuse to return, there is nothing I can do. I will report this to Grandfather exactly as you said. But you should think carefully, Sister Yunqing. If you truly anger Grandfather this time, it won't be so easy to return to the Su family in the future."

"Goodbye!" Su Yunqing had no desire to waste any more glances on them. She left them with that single word and walked away, clearly signaling that she had no interest in further conversation.

Once she had gone, Su Yunyue could no longer contain her frustration. "Sister, why were we being so polite to her? It’s absolutely stifling. You know, in the past, she would have been begging us to speak to her. How did it come to this?"

"Xiaoyue, you said it yourself—that was the past. Unfortunately, it is no longer the past, and she is no longer the Su Yunqing we once knew. Come, let's go find Grandfather." Su Yunqi’s eyes were dark and inscrutable, her thoughts unreadable.

When they relayed the message to Su Zhentian, he was struck by a fit of rage. Had it not been for the crowd, he would have confronted Su Yunqing on the spot. "She dared to say that!"

"Grandfather, in my opinion, she has become completely arrogant. Now that she can cultivate, even the Elders look at her differently, so she's grown conceited and looks down on our Su family!" Su Yunyue seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, hoping to incite Su Zhentian's wrath and make him despise Su Yunqing even more.

It must be said that she was successful. Su Zhentian was furious. "Don't think that just because she can cultivate, she can act so haughty! Very well, since she looks down on the Su family, she need never return. Even if she is bullied by others, she should not think of coming back to the Su family for shelter! Our family has no room for such a 'great Buddha'!"

Su Yunyue was delighted, especially at the thought that Su Yunqing would never be able to return to the Su family.

Su Yunqi, standing to the side, had only spoken a few words at the beginning and remained silent for the rest of the time. Even when Su Yunyue was stoking the flames, she did not offer a word of explanation.

After all, she loathed Su Yunqing as well and had no desire to see her return to the family. However, she did not want to tarnish the persona she had carefully cultivated, so she left these dirty deeds to Su Yunyue, who was more than happy to perform them.

It had always been this way: she played the role of the virtuous one, while her sister acted as the villain. Her sister was foolish and easy to control; she would never realize she was being used.

As Su Yunqing found a relatively quiet spot, Xiao Jinghuai approached her again before long.

"Did you watch my match earlier?" Xiao Jinghuai flashed a smile he considered charming. He had used this tactic countless times, and it had always succeeded in captivating young girls; even the former version of her had fallen for it. He felt entirely confident.

To his surprise, she merely glanced at him with disgust and turned to leave. Panicked, he rushed forward to grab her hand, but she dodged him. "Third Prince, please be mindful of yourself! Men and women must keep their distance! Do not ruin my reputation!"

"Why do you keep looking at me like that!" He felt deeply uncomfortable under her avoidance and disdain.

In the past, she had always chased after him, clinging to his heels no matter what. Yet now, she wouldn't even come near him!

Now that she possessed both the strength and the appearance to be worthy of him, he had intended to offer her a bridge to descend from her high horse. He expected her to take it, and he was undeniably incensed that she showed no gratitude at all.

"Why should I look at you? Is there anything worth seeing? Honestly, your constant pestering is repulsive. Even if you are the Third Prince, you shouldn't be acting like such a shameless rogue!" Her disgust came from the bottom of her heart—it was a genuine expression, without a shred of pretense.

Xiao Jinghuai sensed this, but in his pride, he was unwilling to admit that he had lost his charm, nor could he accept the fact that she no longer loved him. In his mind, he was far too exceptional for her not to be enamored with him.