Chapter 2: Helpless, May You Find Your Own Blessing.

After sending his old man away with some smooth talking, Qian Junyou had someone bring over a chair and place it ten meters away from Bai Shuxi.

As the number of deaths increased, the mysterious power inside his body gradually began to weaken its influence on him. Yet, faint and strange voices started to echo in his ears…

He had originally wanted to move a folding screen over to separate himself from Miss Bai, but the “feeling” didn’t seem as strong anymore, so he decided to forget it.

After all, Miss Bai’s outfit today was truly alluring. It would feel like a loss if he didn’t steal a few more glances.

Her soft, pink cheeks were like a mousse cake meticulously sculpted with cream—sweetness that seemed ready to melt, as if it could slip straight through his eyes and burrow into Qian Junyou’s heart.

Her graceful, curvaceous figure, paired with the specially chosen light purple court dress, made the fabric across her chest swell under unbearable tension.

The power within Qian Junyou urged him to push the girl in front of him down and savor her slowly, just like tasting a cream cake.

This outfit had been carefully selected by Bai Shuxi. She had waited an entire day just to meet this final life-saving straw.

But in the vast reception hall, the two of them sat facing each other more than ten meters apart. It didn’t look like receiving a guest at all—it felt more like a court interrogation.

The proud and aloof Bai Shuxi simply couldn’t understand why Qian Junyou insisted on keeping such a distance from her, as if deliberately avoiding her.

Normally, he would always deliberately engineer “chance encounters,” yet today she had waited a whole day before finally seeing him.

Three days ago, on the night of the Hero Soul Festival, a fire broke out in the disaster victims’ resettlement camp. Bai Shuxi’s father—Vice Minister of Works Bai Zhongting—was thrown into prison in chains. From that day onward, everything around Bai Shuxi had changed…

After all, she was one of the female leads. If possible, helping her out and doing her a favor would be quite worthwhile. But Qian Junyou knew very well that there was a massive pit hidden in this matter.

According to the original plot, on the night of the “Hero Soul Festival,” the protagonist killed the “Silver Demon” Qian Junyou and rescued Bai Shuxi. To avenge his son, Prince Rui demanded that Bai Shuxi help capture the protagonist. In exchange, he would plead for leniency on behalf of the Bai family.

Later, after the plea was made, the Bai family was fine. But a hundred officials jointly petitioned against it and reported Prince Rui’s involvement in the case. The emperor had no choice but to symbolically send the Imperial Censorate to search Prince Rui’s residence—only to actually discover relevant evidence!

Although the emperor tried his best to protect Prince Rui, the family still declined in the end.

Therefore, Qian Junyou decided to help as little as possible. Even though he could reset time through death and find the “evidence” planted in his own house, he still hoped to die as few times as possible.

After all, death came with penalties, and the so-called evidence was most likely a frame-up.

After taking her seat, Bai Shuxi briefly explained the situation. Her voice was sweet and pleasant, gentle and delicate.

Her eyes, sparkling like a rippling stream, gazed tenderly at Qian Junyou as she pleaded repeatedly. Yet the reply she received was completely unexpected.

“Sorry, I really can’t help.”

“Young Prince, could you please reconsider? I’m begging you.”

“I’m afraid I’m powerless to help.”

With one leg crossed high over the other, he leisurely sipped his tea. His answer was frivolous yet decisive.

Qian Junyou wore an indifferent expression, but mysterious whispers began to sound in his ears—like the murmurs of a demon—though he could never quite make them out.

At first, he found it somewhat eerie and terrifying, but now he had grown used to it. He was willing to call this the exclusive BGM that played whenever Miss Bai appeared.

At a distance of ten meters, many things simply couldn’t be conveyed. Bai Shuxi could only prop her hands on her knees, staring at Qian Junyou with her large, watery eyes as she said:

“Shuxi has indeed been negligent toward Young Master in the past. Please forgive me. Now that the Bai family faces great calamity, if Young Master can rescue my clan from this disaster, the Bai family will surely repay this kindness with a gushing spring.”

Her words carried a trace of grievance. She slightly hunched her shoulders, lightly bit her lip, her enchanting figure and tender eyes paired with that sweet voice.

It seemed every sentence was trampling on her inner pride, yet she had no choice but to continue.

As expected of the number one beauty in the capital. If not for the thorns on this rose, Qian Junyou might have already surrendered.

“Sigh~ There’s nothing I can do. The Prince Rui’s residence really can’t help you this time. Over eight hundred lives were lost! Public resentment is boiling over—both gods and men are outraged! Although the responsibility doesn’t lie with your esteemed father, His Majesty is still furious right now. We truly cannot intervene!”

He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. Watching Miss Bai’s aggrieved appearance, Qian Junyou knew exactly what kind of image he currently held in her heart.

Rich young master, profligate son, scumbag, LSP… My entire glorious life as Qian Anhao is now being used to take the blame for this “Qian Junyou”… Why the hell should I?!

Yet his eyes simply couldn’t leave Bai Shuxi. It was as if two magnets were growing on her chest. A sinful restlessness surged endlessly in his heart.

He hadn’t been this kind of person before. After coming to this world, it seemed that in order to make him follow the “script,” every time he saw Bai Shuxi, this strange feeling would emerge.

This isn’t an excuse… really!

“Then what exactly would it take for you to be willing to help the Bai family? No matter what request you have, we can… we can discuss it.”

Facing Qian Junyou’s firm refusal, Bai Shuxi was also very surprised. She had initially assumed he would definitely help her—after all, he had even broken off his engagement in order to pursue her.

However, the other party was still sitting there, showing no intention of leaving or asking her to leave. There should still be room for negotiation.

“Miss Bai, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. It’s that I really can’t help you. It’s getting late—please return home.”

—“Steward He, it’s quite late. Please escort Miss Bai out.”

After speaking, Qian Junyou thought to himself: I’ve seen enough for now. If I keep looking, I probably won’t be able to resist anymore. Better to stay far away from this goddess of death! So he stood up to leave.

Bai Shuxi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly panicked. She hurriedly got up and chased after him, only to be stopped by the other servants.

Of course she was unwilling to lower herself before this profligate son. If one ignored family background, any random suitor among her many admirers would be a hundred times better than him.

But judging from the current situation, in the worst case, her father in prison might never come out again.

“Prince Rui, please wait! If you have any requests, you can tell Shuxi. As long as Shuxi can do it, I will definitely do my utmost!”

The anxious Bai Shuxi was on the verge of tears, feeling as if her inner dignity had been crushed to pieces.

Meanwhile, the scene before Qian Junyou began to blur slightly, and some bewitching whispers sounded in his ears… That mysterious power was starting to influence him again, like a withered hand with sharp claws slowly stroking his heart.

“Miss Bai, my meaning is already very clear. It’s not that you can’t move me, nor that I don’t want to help—it’s that I can’t help!”

Looking at Bai Shuxi’s watery eyes, Qian Junyou deliberately dragged out the last three words with utmost seriousness—can’t help. Hearing his answer, Bai Shuxi stammered:

“But earlier… didn’t Prince Rui say… to let you… handle it as you see fit?”

Indeed, when Prince Rui left earlier, he had patted Qian Junyou on the shoulder and told him to handle it himself. The implication was that whether to help or not was up to him to decide.

As the only child of Prince Rui’s residence, Qian Junyou had grown up spoiled. The entire family treated him the same way.

Prince Rui also knew about Qian Junyou’s feelings for Miss Bai. He understood better than anyone how licentious his son was, and he hoped to hold a grandson soon.

In truth, this fire incident was also a case of Bai Shuxi’s father, the Vice Minister of Works, taking the blame for negligence. Given Prince Rui’s relationship with the emperor, pleading for leniency should at least preserve a life and shift the blame elsewhere without much issue.

‘Hiss—this damn girl has sharp ears.’

At a loss for words, Qian Junyou pursed his lips, his gaze having nowhere to settle.

“Miss Bai has misunderstood. What my father meant by that remark earlier was precisely that we cannot help!”

He shook his head lightly and put on an expression even more aggrieved than Miss Bai’s, continuing:

“I dare not claim to be wholeheartedly devoted to Miss Bai, but the love at first sight is genuine.

Now that I must disappoint Miss Bai, my heart feels as if it is being cut by knives. Your esteemed father has always been upright and honorable—this must surely be a frame-up by treacherous villains!

Even so, I cannot defy my father’s orders. I hope Miss Bai will not blame me. If there is any other matter you wish to entrust to me, I will certainly do my utmost to assist.”

Cupping his hands and shaking his head dramatically, Qian Junyou delivered an emotional performance that nearly moved himself to tears.

Hearing the young prince’s tearful complaint, Bai Shuxi collapsed powerlessly to the ground, her eyes vacant. Could it be that Heaven truly wanted to destroy the Bai family?

A pair of reddened eyes gazed at Qian Junyou with grievance. With a slightly panting, hoarse voice, she still refused to give up.

“Prince Rui, Shuxi begs you—could you please plead with the Prince once more? I’m begging you.”

“I will do my best. If Father softens his stance, I will inform you at the first opportunity. Miss Bai, please return home.”

Such a peerlessly beautiful woman, standing before him with affectionate eyes and pitiful loneliness—it was hard for anyone not to be moved.

But facing such a powerful world-line convergence, Qian Junyou had already recognized reality. The female lead would eventually run off with the protagonist anyway. Helping now would be pointless.

He took one last look at the ashen-faced Bai Shuxi and sighed.

Lust is a knife above one’s head! Not to mention she’s the protagonist’s woman. Can’t afford to provoke her, and can’t afford to help her either. Time to slip away.