Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 37

Tan Yunshu truly believed she had already been careful enough, yet she still couldn’t guard against these so-called family members. After their credibility had plummeted into negative numbers in her mind, they quickly came up with a new scheme to deceive her using outsiders.

When she received Jiang Sijin’s invitation, she hadn’t thought much of it. She and Jiang Sijin had once been close playmates in their childhood. They had drifted apart over time, but that was because she had deliberately distanced herself from that friendship for personal reasons. When Jiang Sijin had her eighteenth birthday banquet, Tan Yunshu also received an invitation. She had planned to attend, but a family emergency caused her to miss it in the end. She had felt somewhat guilty about that ever since, so when she received another invitation this time—despite the extreme tension with her family—she still came.

She didn’t expect it to be a trap targeting her right from the start.

Truly a family that put all their thoughts and intelligence into disgusting people.

As for Jiang Sijin, that little princess living in an ivory tower who knew nothing of real hardships—Tan Yunshu felt she didn’t even have the strength to wonder whether Jiang Sijin was in on it or not. She just wanted to stay away. Because jealousy could make people ugly, and she didn’t want to become that kind of person. So what if no one doted on her like a princess? She had a brilliant mind gifted by the heavens. She could still live a dazzling life relying on herself.

And she truly had. From childhood to adulthood, wherever she went, she shone.

Except in one place—the so-called home.

When she saw Jiang Sijin from afar, she was still thinking she would hand over the gift and offer a few words of blessing. If the other party was willing to chat, they could talk for a bit. Then she would leave. She didn’t want to run into any of the Tan family members. But Jiang Sijin seemed to be here for Jing Ling, apparently about something urgent, and rushed inside with a group of people. With no other option, Tan Yunshu could only wait a little longer. But standing by the entrance clearly wasn’t a good idea, so she and Yang Xinyao found a quiet corner to wait.

After chatting for a bit, she got up to check if Jiang Sijin had returned. As soon as she stepped out of the corner, she saw her not far away talking to someone.

“Sijin, over here.” She called out.

Jiang Sijin turned her head and smiled at her, but didn’t come over—instead, she walked in the opposite direction. Tan Yunshu thought she had something to do and didn’t think too much of it, but shortly afterward saw her return with two people in tow: Tan Yunjin and Tan Yunzhong.

“Yunshu, your sister said she couldn’t find you and couldn’t get through on the phone, so she asked me to help keep an eye out,” Jiang Sijin said. Then she turned to the Tan siblings and added, “I found her for you, take your time talking. I’ll be off now.”

Tan Yunshu watched her walk away, then looked at her sister and brother standing before her, momentarily unsure how to express her emotions.

Next to her, Yang Xinyao noticed something was off and whispered, “Yunshu, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Tan Yunshu shook her head. “Xinyao, I have something to handle. Excuse me for a moment.” Her gaze fell on the Tan siblings. “I don’t want to talk to you here. Whatever you have to say, let’s say it outside.” With that, she headed straight for the door. The Tan siblings said nothing and followed her.

Yang Xinyao sensed something was wrong and discreetly followed them all the way to the small garden. She hid behind the bushes and heard the sound of an argument from the other side—or rather, one-sided scolding and berating, while Tan Yunshu remained silent the entire time. The two were becoming increasingly excessive, seemingly on the verge of violence. Yang Xinyao quickly stepped away to call Jing Ling.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t close to either Jing Ling or Tan Yunshu. Their relationship was a fleeting acquaintance, and she had no reason to intervene in what was clearly a family dispute—let alone drag Jing Ling into it. The reason she acted was purely driven by curiosity and intuition. As a member of the Yang family, she was good at divination and fortune-telling, but she didn’t do readings for just anyone. The reason she had stopped Jing Ling in the plaza to read his fortune for free was purely out of curiosity—she had never seen such a strange fate before. Shrouded in thick darkness, it was impossible to glimpse anything. Even with her special sight, she could only see vague threads—an oncoming series of troubles and a destined person.

After meeting Tan Yunshu, her curiosity deepened. Another person with a strange fate—clearly plagued by misfortune all along, but her fate had suddenly changed at some point without any warning, turning smooth and bright. That turning point was her encounter with Jing Ling.

It was truly those four words—destined to be. As expected, when she called Jing Ling and said nothing, he agreed without hesitation or question.

When Yang Xinyao returned, she heard from afar Tan Yunzhong’s voice raised in agitation, seemingly about to hit someone. She couldn’t ignore it anymore and shouted, “Hey! What are you doing? Did you forget this is Miss Jiang’s birthday banquet? We’re on the Jiang family’s turf!”

The warning about the Jiang family worked—he instantly calmed down. Likely unsure of her background, he didn’t dare speak too harshly to her and only grumbled a few “mind your own business” lines before acting like she didn’t exist and continued to berate Tan Yunshu with sharp words, one after another, tireless as ever.

Yang Xinyao thought Tan Yunshu was unbelievably tolerant. If it were her, she would’ve snapped long ago. These idiot siblings with brains full of crap—if she didn’t curse them out, it would’ve been unbearable. She forced herself to hold back her inner rage, holding on until her limit was nearly reached. Then suddenly, a shadow swept in from the side—and at that very moment, the grating voice stopped. Then came the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

The lighting here wasn’t great, and it took Yang Xinyao a while to see clearly what had happened. The fast-moving figure was none other than her backup—Jing Ling. After finding them, he didn’t say a word and immediately started beating people up. Tan Yunzhong hadn’t even realized what was happening before he was knocked to the ground and beaten while being silenced. He couldn’t even shout—just let out muffled groans.

Tan Yunjin, standing nearby, was stunned by the sudden turn of events. It took her a while to react, and when she instinctively tried to cry out, Jing Ling was a step ahead—he chopped her neck and knocked her out. She collapsed softly to the ground. He didn’t even spare her a glance afterward and continued beating Tan Yunzhong.

Yang Xinyao flicked on her phone’s light just in time to catch a glimpse of Tan Yunzhong’s face. In just a few moments, it had swollen like a pig’s head—completely unrecognizable.

Witnessing the entire scene, Yang Xinyao was astonished. She never expected this gentle, handsome young man to have such a violent temper—and to hit so hard.

But damn, it was satisfying!

She tugged Tan Yunshu’s hand excitedly and said, “Yunshu, look—your Jing Ling is too cool!”

Tan Yunshu was still in a daze.

From the moment she saw Tan Yunjin and Tan Yunzhong, she knew exactly what was coming. She had experienced this kind of thing far too many times. With her family, there was never any reason—disagreeing with them was automatically wrong. She brought them to a quiet place for two reasons: first, to avoid an audience, accusations, or pitying stares; second, to find a chance to leave directly.

Years of dealing with them had taught her: stay silent. No matter what they say, don’t respond. Otherwise, if you accidentally hit a nerve, you’ll be the one who suffers. As for seeking justice? Wake up—it’s a fantasy.

When Yang Xinyao suddenly spoke earlier, it pulled her out of her thoughts. Since they were close, she quietly touched her hand, signaling her to leave and not get involved. But the other girl seemed to have misunderstood and instead held her hand tighter, as if trying to give her courage. Tan Yunshu was genuinely touched. After that, when Tan Yunzhong started rambling again, she zoned out as usual.

It hadn’t felt like much time had passed when Yang Xinyao suddenly tugged her hand and said excitedly, “Yunshu, look—your Jing Ling is too cool!”

My… Jing Ling?

Tan Yunshu was momentarily confused but still turned toward the light… Huh? When did someone else show up? Why are they fighting? And why does that swollen pig face look so familiar? A flood of questions rushed through her mind. Then, remembering what Yang Xinyao just said, she suddenly realized who was hitting and who was getting hit—and froze completely.

Why was Jing Ling here? And he was beating Tan Yunzhong with such intensity—it looked like deep hatred. Had Tan Yunzhong offended him somehow?

Before she could figure it out, the one-sided beating ended. Tan Yunzhong lay motionless on the ground, and Jing Ling stood up and walked toward her. He unbuttoned his formal jacket one by one with his long, fair fingers, and upon reaching her, took it off and draped it over her shoulders.

“He’s not dead. Don’t worry. Let’s go. I’ll take you away.”

Tan Yunshu instinctively let out a breath of relief. Tan Yunzhong had been beaten badly—though not by her, her parents would definitely take it out on her. But if anything really happened to him, they would come for her life. Compared to that, being blamed was nothing.

While she was still dazed, the boy’s hand suddenly wrapped around her shoulder with just the right amount of pressure, gently guiding her body forward. They walked for a short distance when she suddenly remembered Yang Xinyao. “Xinyao is still…”

“I’m right here.” Yang Xinyao’s voice came from behind, slightly annoyed. “You traitor—forgetting your friends for a pretty face. I didn’t bring a jacket either—why didn’t I get one?”

Only then did Tan Yunshu realize she was still wearing Jing Ling’s jacket. So what was this all about? Was this karma in action? She had simply been kind enough to give them a ride down the mountain, and as a result, one stepped up to stop Tan Yunzhong from hitting her, and the other directly did what she had wanted to do for years but never dared—then thoughtfully gave her his jacket in case she was cold.

The three of them exited the garden and walked all the way to the parked cars.

“Go home and get some rest. Drink some ginger tea before bed and don’t catch a cold. I’ll handle tonight’s matter—don’t worry.” Jing Ling held her shoulders gently, his tone warm. Then he turned to Yang Xinyao. “Miss Yang, you too. I’m very grateful for today—I owe you one. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just say the word.”

“You two go ahead. I still have something to deal with.” He stood there, a smile in his eyes.

“You…” Tan Yunshu wanted to say something, but Yang Xinyao suddenly pushed her toward the driver’s seat. “If he says it’s fine, it really is. Anyway, don’t worry. Let’s go—it’s freezing. I want to go home and take a nice hot bath!”

“…Alright.” Tan Yunshu gave in, but still reminded him, “Be careful. We’ll go first.”

Watching them leave, Jing Ling didn’t turn away until their car disappeared from view. Then he looked to the side. “Had enough of watching? If not, keep going.” With that, he turned and walked toward the Jiang family villa.

Behind the nearby car, a figure in a black uniform slowly stood up, seemingly confused about how they had been discovered. They looked around but couldn’t figure it out, and thus, ceased to dwell on the matter. Patting their head, they returned to their post.

Approaching the Jiang family’s study once more, Jing Ling, familiar with the layout, arrived at the door and politely knocked. Upon receiving permission, he pushed the door open and entered, finding the same four individuals within.

“So, have you reached a decision?” Old Master Jiang’s voice was devoid of discernible emotion.

Jing Ling nodded, not attempting to conceal anything. “As you are aware, I’ve encountered a minor difficulty, and thus, I have reached a decision.”

The three old masters were speechless.