Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Gu Xunyi walked down the elegant, winding stairs of the villa with a slow, completely unhurried grace, the soft fabric of her newly donned qipao rustling gently with every step she took.

She was humming happily, feeling great to have finally been embraced by Shen Haoran after so many years.

Moving through the main hallway, she soon arrived at the sunlit kitchen, where four of the girls—Huo Yue, Zhu Ziyan, Xu Xiansu, and Qian Yunxi—were already gathered around the massive wooden island.

Each of them was holding a hot, steaming cup of premium coffee, the rich, bitter aroma filling the morning air and creating a surprisingly domestic atmosphere.

The exact moment her silhouette appeared in the doorway, Huo Yue’s head snapped up.

She immediately grinned like a predator that had just spotted its prey, a look of pure, unadulterated glee spreading across her face as she rested her elbows heavily on the kitchen counter.

"Well, well, well... look who didn’t come out of Haoran’s room all night," Huo Yue teased loudly, her voice practically dripping with a mischievous, mocking tone.

She wagged her eyebrows suggestively, making no effort whatsoever to hide her nosy curiosity.

Last night, she actually wanted to sleep with Gu Xunyi, wanting to have a sleepover, but couldn’t find her.

It was only until later did she find out that she was in Haoran’s room.

Upon hearing the blunt, scandalous remark, both Zhu Ziyan and Qian Yunxi looked incredibly embarrassed.

Ziyan instantly lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of crimson as she desperately tried to hide her face behind the edge of her porcelain cup, while Qian Yunxi nervously cleared her throat, her striking blue eyes darting away as she took a sudden, very focused interest in the swirling pattern of the liquid inside her mug.

Xu Xiansu, however, did not blush. Instead, she just stared blankly at Gu Xunyi, her gaze filled with a profound, quiet disbelief.

As someone who held memories of an alternate timeline, she simply couldn’t believe that this infamous, walking calamity—a woman whose very name would eventually strike terror into the hearts of millions across the continent—had actually slept with Haoran so casually under this very roof.

Although, if she truly analyzed it, it seems pretty obvious that they share some sort of deep, twisted relationship that transcended normal logic.

Even in that chaotic alternate timeline she remembered so vividly, the two of them were always incredibly close, bound together by an unbreakable, unspoken thread.

Back then, when Gu Xunyi was relentlessly chased, vilified, and hunted down by the righteous factions after she had accidentally awakened a catastrophic, world-ending plague that completely destroyed thirty-three entire mortal Kingdoms, it wasn’t her own clan that stood by her side.

It was Shen Haoran.

He was the one who had single-handedly slaughtered her pursuers, turning the world into his enemy just so he could protect her from being executed.

As for the Gu Clan, due to a certain catastrophe that befall all the Immortal Lineages, almost every Immortal Lineages fell into decline, with the Shen Clan the only one remaining strong.

Speaking of which, she should start preparing before that catastrophe began.

"So, tell me, how is it?" Huo Yue broke the silence, setting her cup down as she walked directly towards Gu Xunyi.

She began looking her up and down with an analytical, completely shameless gaze, inspecting her posture for any signs of physical fatigue.

"Does it hurt? Did you manage to keep the sheets with your first blood in it as a souvenir? Come on, don’t be stingy with the details!"

Gu Xunyi blinked slowly, completely unfazed by the barrage of inappropriate questions.

Then, a highly amused, slow smirk spread across her lips. "You honestly think I’m a virgin?"

Huo Yue blinked back, her entire gossipy demeanor instantly freezing in surprise. "Wait... you aren’t?"

She paused, her mind frantically racing backward to a previous conversation.

She distinctly remembered back then, when they were navigating the dangerous, treacherous depths of Great Tao desert and stayed within Medusa’s territory, Haoran had casually mentioned to her during their talk that he specifically liked virgins.

If that was his strict preference, how could Gu Xunyi be an exception?

Well, he did mention that it was just a metaphor, so maybe it’s not like that at all?

Gu Xunyi snorted in pure amusement, shaking her head at Huo Yue’s sheer naivety. "I’m not. I said it before, didn’t I? Haoran and I go way, way back to our childhood. Our history didn’t start yesterday."

Those calm, nonchalant words instantly startled every single woman present in the kitchen.

The peaceful atmosphere vanished as they all stopped what they were doing and stared at her in absolute shock, their minds reeling from the massive implications of her statement.

But then, after a brief, tense silence, Huo Yue suddenly threw her head back and laughed loudly.

"Hahaha!" She spun around forcefully towards Xu Xiansu, pointing a triumphant finger directly at the chef’s face, her eyes sparkling with malicious delight. "Hey! Xu Xiansu! Do you remember how you constantly bragged to my face about me enjoying your sloppy seconds? Well, look at this now! Didn’t you just end up getting Sister Xunyi’s sloppy seconds as well?! Oh, how the tables have turned!"

Xu Xiansu felt her left cheek twitch violently, her grip tightening around the handle of her coffee mug until the porcelain groaned under the structural pressure.

However, she wasn’t about to let herself be bullied, so she barked straight back, her voice sharp and filled with defensive venom. "At least mine is technically second in line! How many random girls do you think went through Haoran’s courtyard before you finally got your turn, Huo Yue? I’m pretty sure even Xueli got to him way before you did, so don’t act so high and mighty!"

"Why you—!" Huo Yue’s eyes burned with a sudden, furious fire, her spiritual aura fluctuating dangerously as she glared at her rival.

"Ah well, if you’re talking about that specific topic... I wasn’t Haoran’s first either," Gu Xunyi interjected smoothly, her voice cutting through their petty squabble like a cold blade.

That single sentence brought everyone’s absolute, undivided attention right back to her.

Even Zhu Ziyan and Qian Yunxi stopped being embarrassed, their eyes widening as they locked onto her face.

"Eh? Really?" Huo Yue pouted, her anger instantly vanishing, replaced by an insatiable hunger for gossip. "Then who in the world is his actual first? Who could possibly precede you?"

The others leaned in closer to the island counter, their expressions filled with deep curiosity, completely hanging on her next words.

"Well..." Gu Xunyi hesitated for a rare moment, a flash of genuine, dark irritation flickering across her crimson eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but eventually shook her head, her expression turning thoroughly sour.

"I don’t want to talk about it. I absolutely despise her. Besides, she should be residing in the far regions of the Western Continent right now, enjoying her life as a priestess, so there’s really no point in wasting our breath talking about her."

Huo Yue pouted even harder, crossing her arms like a disappointed child. "But I’m incredibly curious now! You can’t just drop a massive bombshell like that and leave us hanging!"

Gu Xunyi shook her head firmly, refusing to budge on the matter. "Forget it. Maybe you’ll find out and meet her yourself one day if she ever decides to return."

Beside the stove, Xu Xiansu frowned deeply, her eyes narrowing into slits as she pondered the clues.

’Western Continent... A woman deeply hated by the volatile Gu Xunyi... Someone intimately connected to Haoran’s past before anyone else... A priestess...’

She racked her brain, digging deep into the vast archives of her memories from the alternate future timeline, trying to match the description to any prominent figure or hidden master from that era.

Then, suddenly, as a specific, terrifying name clicked into place, her eyes widened in profound realization.

Could it truly be... her?

However, seeing the tense atmosphere and knowing the volatile nature of the secret, Xu Xiansu chose to remain completely silent, keeping the monumental discovery entirely for herself as she took a slow sip of her coffee.

"Well, I’m heading back to our main city estate now," Gu Xunyi said, breaking the silence as she turned around, waving her hand casually over her shoulder. "I still have that family matter to attend to. I’ll see you guys in class later, okay?"

"Bye! Good luck with your clan stuff!" Huo Yue waved her hand enthusiastically, and the others also offered their polite, quiet goodbyes as the purple haired girl departed.

Gu Xunyi waved her hands as she walked out of the kitchen.

While humming, she eventually walked out of the main villa building, her boots clicking softly against the cobblestone path as she crossed the wide, meticulously manicured courtyard.

Soon, she approached the massive iron gates that marked the boundary of the Falling Blossom Villa.

However, the very moment she stepped through the threshold and out onto the main perimeter path, she suddenly paused in her tracks.

Her sharp gaze locked onto a familiar, elegant figure pacing back and forth along the stone wall, looking incredibly anxious and completely out of place.

"Teacher Ye?" Gu Xunyi called out, her voice filled with genuine surprise.

That’s right. The woman who was currently pacing back and forth in front of the villa gates, anxiously wringing her hands while clutching a thick, leather-bound volume tightly against her chest, was none other than their aloof, usually unapproachable homeroom teacher, Ye Hongyan.

Hearing someone calling her, Ye Hongyan looked up, and her eyes widened seeing Gu Xunyi.

Then, she turned her gaze towards the gates, then back to Gu Xunyi, "Student Xunyi, did you just come from this place?"

Gu Xunyi nodded, "Yes, I’m friends with the owner. Do you need something, Teacher Ye?"

Her gaze landed on the book on Ye Hongyan’s chest, and through the gaps of her hands, she can see parts of the title.

Then, using her extensive knowledge of various literature, she immediately pieced together the broken title and found out about this book.

[My Beautiful and Aloof Teacher Falls In Love With Me]

She had read that before, and it’s really not that good, full of misunderstandings, ragebaits, eavesdropping on exactly half a conversation, running away before hearing the explanation, crying, rinse and repeat.

It’s like watching two people try to assemble a cheap furniture while refusing to read the instructions because "communication is for weak characters."

The funniest part is that everyone gives hour-long emotional speeches but somehow never says the one sentence that would solve the entire plot.

In fact, the healthiest relationship in this book was between the bookmark and the pages, because at least they stayed together.

As if noticing her gaze, Ye Hongyan immediately tried to hide the book and changed the topic, "Student Xunyi, this is Student Haoran’s home, right?"

Gu Xunyi nodded, "Yes, teacher. Do you need him for something?"

Inside though, she couldn’t help but sneer amusedly.

So that’s your plan, Haoran? Well then, let me help you.

"Yeah, actually...I wanted to return the book he left in my office." Said Ye Hongyan, looking embarrassed.

She couldn’t possibly say that she couldn’t sleep all night because she was thinking of the second volume of this book, right?

"My Beautiful and Aloof Teacher Falls In Love With Me." Said Gu Xunyi.

Ye Hongyan almost stumbled, however, she tried to remain calm.

Gu Xunyi smiled sweetly, tilting her head with an expression of innocent concern that didn’t quite reach her amused eyes.

"Ah, Teacher Ye, you really are too kind," she said softly, stepping closer and lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Haoran left that book in your office? No wonder he was rather rather emotional last night. Still, for him to leave that book... He must have been so distracted... Poor guy hasn’t been himself lately."

Ye Hongyan’s fingers tightened around the leather-bound volume. "Distracted?"

It doesn’t seem like that at all, though.

Gu Xunyi sighed dramatically, glancing back toward the villa gates with a wistful look. "You know how Haoran usually is—quiet, always keeping everyone at arm’s length. He’s brilliant, of course. Greatest talent since the founding of the academy. But emotionally? He’s like a locked book that no one’s ever been able to open."

She paused, letting her words sink in, watching the subtle shift in Ye Hongyan’s posture.

"This is actually the first time I’ve seen him get close to any teacher after that incident." Gu Xunyi continued, her tone turning gentle and a little sad.

Ye Hongyan blinked, looking curious and concerned, "Incident, Student Xunyi, what do you—?"

"Ah, I shouldn’t be speaking about it." Gu Xunyi cut in smoothly, her voice dropping with practiced sympathy, "Haoran and his former teacher’s relationship was... complicated. Just know that because of that, he doesn’t easily trust anyone anymore."

She reached out and lightly touched Ye Hongyan’s arm, eyes wide and earnest.

"Teacher, you know Haoran doesn’t take that book out as it reminds him of the past, last night when he found that he lost the book, he got so emotional. That’s why I stayed here to calm him down."

Gu Xunyi trailed off meaningfully, letting the implication hang in the air like perfume—sweet, cloying, and impossible to ignore.

And indeed, her vague words immediately made Ye Hongyan thought of various possibilities, especially after reading this book.

Could it be Haoran had also fallen with a teacher before, but that awful teacher had chosen to abandon him for her former lover?

That’s... he’s too pitiful.

Gu Xunyi grinned, seeing her expression. That’s right, you are kind-hearted person, Teacher Ye.

That’s why, for the sake of Haoran, you probably wouldn’t want to ruthlessly reject him if he ever tried to get close to you, don’t you?

After all, you wouldn’t want to hurt him and remind him of his "past", which could seriously affect him.

"Teacher Ye, you should keep that book for now." Said Gu Xunyi, "Haoran is still very emotional, if he saw you holding that book, he’d probably, well, you know what I meant, right?"

Ye Hongyan nodded and clutched the book tightly.

Right now, she should keep the book, and have a talk with him later once he calmed down.

"Thank you, student Xunyi."

With that, Ye Hongyan turned around and walked away, still thinking of Haoran and his past.

Gu Xunyi chuckled.

With this, she’d have Haoran constantly in her mind.

As a researcher, she knew that simply thinking about someone you care for, admire, or are romantically interested in can cause your brain to release dopamine.

This chemical functions as a reward and motivation neurotransmitter, flooding the brain’s reward centers, like the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, to make you feel pleasure, focus, and a strong desire to connect with that person.

Although Ye Hongyan wasn’t romantically interested with Shen Haoran yet, she still cares for him as a student.

And that’s more than enough.

Gu Xunyi grinned and turned away.