Chapter 543: A Beauty That Could Topple Nations, and an Encounter with a Son of Destiny!
"Or should I continue to educate Wu Shenyun in the Dreamland of Love?"
Thinking of the Southern Border Goddess in her stunning red dress, Shen Anyu's smile grew wider, laced with a private, knowing amusement.
However.
Shen Anyu looked up at the sky; it was still very early. In broad daylight, Wu Shenyun wasn't asleep; she was restlessly searching for Shen Anyu through the bustling streets and quiet alleys of the city, a huntress deprived of her quarry. Her pride wouldn't let her call, but her obsession wouldn't let her rest.
Ding-a-ling.
Just then, the crisp chime of Shen Anyu's phone cut through the afternoon air. He glanced at the screen; the call was from Yang Qiuchan. A faint warmth touched his features as he answered.
"Brother Shen, where are you? Qiuchan misses you so much."
A day apart felt like three long autumns. They were in the dizzying, intoxicating phase of a new romance, and Yang Qiuchan's every waking thought was consumed by him. Her voice, transmitted through the phone, was a soft, velvety caress, imbued with a magnetic allure and a deep, soul-stirring longing that could make any man's heart melt.
Her life had once been a tragedy. Originally, Yang Qiuchan had been a star, bright and admired, but a horrific accident had left her scalded and disfigured, casting her from the heavens of admiration into a living Hell of whispers and averted gazes. Her world had turned bleak and colorless, a desolate landscape of despair. If not for the unwavering love of her parents, who depended on her, Yang Qiuchan would have long since surrendered to the darkness and ended her own suffering.
But then, Shen Anyu had appeared. He was not just a light in her life; he was the dawn that shattered her endless night. He offered her more than just warmth and compassion; he performed a miracle, erasing the scars that had marred her flesh and spirit. He didn't just restore her appearance; he had restored her hope, her future, her very soul. As a result, her heart was now completely and irrevocably tethered to his, bound by a gratitude so profound it had blossomed into fierce, unshakeable devotion.
Though it had only been a single day since they had last seen each other, the ache of missing him was a constant, physical presence in her chest.
It is said that adding flowers to a fine embroidery cannot compare to sending charcoal during a snowstorm. The old sayings contained a timeless wisdom. The kindness Shen Anyu had shown her in her absolute darkest hour was worth more than a lifetime of fair-weather affection from another.
[Akarin's Note: "Adding flowers to embroidery is not as good as sending charcoal in the snow" (锦上添花不如雪中送炭) is a classic Chinese idiom. It emphasizes that help offered during a time of desperate need is far more meaningful and valuable than support given when one is already successful.]
At this point, even if Wu Ming, the Son of Destiny from the Path of the Cautious Reincarnator, were to materialize before her and pursue her with the single-minded tenacity of a zealot, he wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance at swaying her heart. This wasn't even considering the fact that Yang Qiuchan was, at her core, a deeply traditional girl who valued loyalty and devotion above all else.
"I miss you too. I'm on my way to pick you up at Yang's Hotpot Restaurant right now," Shen Anyu said, his voice a gentle murmur that sent a delightful chill down her spine. They exchanged a few more sweet nothings, his words painting vivid pictures of the evening to come, leaving her blushing a deep crimson, her heart pounding with a mixture of giddy joy and breathless anticipation for what the night held.
Weaving through the city's traffic, Shen Anyu guided the immense Rolls-Royce Phantom with a single hand resting casually on the wheel, an image of effortless power and control. When he arrived at Yang's Hotpot Restaurant, he found the entire street choked with cars and pedestrians. There wasn't a single parking space to be found.
Popular!
Unbelievably, overwhelmingly popular!
Getting a table at Yang's Hotpot Restaurant had become a feat of luck and perseverance. The line snaked around the block, a proof of its newfound fame.
"She's too beautiful, an absolute goddess. You haven't seen her, but Yang Qiuchan, the owner's daughter? She's a work of art. I used to think the stories about beauties who could topple kingdoms were just ancient exaggerations, but now… now that I've seen her, I finally get it. If I were an emperor, I swear I'd trade my entire empire for a single smile from her."
"Are you serious? That over the top? I remember coming here a while back, and the owner's daughter always wore a mask. Weren't the rumors that she was horrifically ugly?"
"That's the crazy part! You don't know the story. The boss's daughter was originally a famous campus belle, a true beauty. People only called her ugly because she was severely scalded in an accident, completely disfigured. But now, her burns are completely gone. Healed without a trace. And somehow, she's even more stunning than before."
"No way… so that's what happened. Well, in that case, I have to see this for myself. I need to know what a woman who inspires that kind of talk actually looks like."
"…"
Shen Anyu finally found a spot for his car and walked over, the buzz of conversation washing over him. He listened to the awestruck whispers and fervent gossip of the customers, a faint, unsurprised smile playing on his lips.
Yang Qiuchan had always been a top-tier beauty, blessed with exquisite features. The accident had been a cruel twist of fate, but under the miraculous healing of his Two-Aspects Life-Death Mystical Light, her recovery had transcended mere restoration. The mystical energy had not only repaired the damaged tissue but had also triggered a profound physical transformation, akin to a full-body marrow cleansing. Her skin, once scarred, was now smoother and more flawless than the finest porcelain, glowing with a soft, inner luminescence.
Furthermore, his intimate 'development' had awakened her latent Heavenly Sound Charming Body. This rare constitution gave her a unique, almost supernatural charm. It wasn't just physical beauty; it was an aura, a resonance in her voice, a captivating quality in her movements that ensnared the senses. Even Shen Anyu, a man accustomed to the company of the world's most breathtaking women, found himself thoroughly captivated by her, unable to pull away. It was no wonder, then, that ordinary men were rendered completely helpless in her presence.
At that very moment, Yang Qiuchan was in a state of quiet distress. Eager for her date with Shen Anyu, she had spent hours meticulously preparing herself. She wore a dress that accentuated her graceful figure and had applied a light dusting of powder that highlighted her natural beauty, making her appear even more ethereal and captivating. The result was so stunning that people simply couldn't tear their eyes away.
She had already lost count of the number of men who had approached her, trying to strike up a conversation, shamelessly asking for her contact information. Her polite rejections were starting to wear thin.
"Brother Shen!"
The moment she saw Shen Anyu walking toward her, a confident smile on his face, Yang Qiuchan's beautiful eyes lit up like twin stars. The cloud of annoyance vanished instantly, replaced by pure, unadulterated joy. Forgetting everything around her, she flew into his embrace like a homing swallow returning to its nest, her face buried in his chest, wreathed in a smile of sweet, blissful relief.
At that instant, all throughout Yang's Hotpot Restaurant, a display of heartbreak played out. A thousand hearts shattered simultaneously, the sound of their cracking echoing in the stunned silence that followed.
[Ding! The Son of Destiny, Zhao Tao, is consumed by envy and jealousy. Plundering +6666 Destiny Points!]
…
'Oh?'
Shen Anyu's eyebrow arched in mild surprise. He had stumbled upon a wild Son of Destiny completely by chance. What a pleasant and unexpected bonus.
His gaze, sharp and penetrating, followed the subtle pull of the System's alert. He saw him immediately—a tall, slender young man with handsome features, dressed head to toe in expensive, luxury brands. The man was staring at him, his expression a toxic cocktail of envy, jealousy, and raw hatred. It was painfully obvious that he was seething over the fact that a supreme beauty like Yang Qiuchan was in Shen Anyu's arms.
Without a doubt, this was the wild Son of Destiny, Zhao Tao.
'System, use the Son of Destiny Identifier on Zhao Tao.'
As the thought formed in his mind, the Destiny Plundering System responded instantly. The identifier activated, and a cascade of information materialized in his vision.
…
[Name: Zhao Tao]
[Age: 22]
[Background: The Son of Destiny from the novel "If I Don't Work Hard at Singing, I'll Have to Go Home and Inherit Billions of Assets!" Zhao Tao transmigrated to a parallel world, becoming a rich second-generation heir. He discovered that this world surprisingly lacked the familiar, classic songs from his previous life. Zhao Tao, who was a failed music academy student in his past life, was instantly thrilled. He made his debut immediately, and a single song, "Blue and White Porcelain," caused a massive sensation in the Yanxia music scene!
Subsequently, "Jiangnan," "Myriad Borders," "Bubble," "Clown," "Decent," "Qilixiang," "Lotus Pond Moonlight"… one classic after another from his previous life was released, completely dominating the internet and crowning him the new king of the music world!
When reporters came to interview him and asked why he was so talented, Zhao Tao spread his hands and said helplessly, "If I don't work hard at writing and singing songs, I'll have to go home and inherit billions of assets…"
The reporter then asked, "King Zhao, many people say you are the walking pile driver of the Yanxia entertainment industry. Is that true?" Zhao Tao: "…Slander, I'll sue you for slander! I am devoted to my fiancée, Zhang Yaqian!"]
[Cultivation: Battle Scum]
[Abilities: Strong memory, songs from past life…]
[Personality: Tsundere, loves to show off, lustful]
[Items: Ferrari, Vacheron Constantin…]
[Associated Heroines: Zhang Yaqian, over a hundred in number, other women's Destiny Value is negligible and ignored!]
[Destiny Value: 500,000]
…
'A Battle Scum Son of Destiny, but he seems to be a fellow countryman from the previous life…'
Shen Anyu's eyes flickered with amusement. He studied the handsome, impeccably dressed Zhao Tao with a newfound sense of morbid curiosity. To encounter a plagiarism-type Son of Destiny like this was almost comical. He didn't even need to think about it; this man was definitely a fellow transmigrator.
"Blue and White Porcelain," "Jiangnan," "Myriad Borders," "Bubble," "Clown," "Decent," "Qilixiang," "Lotus Pond Moonlight"…
Shen Anyu knew every single one of those songs. This Zhao Tao was certainly thorough with his plagiarism.
Of course, this wouldn't be a heartwarming reunion of two people from the same world, filled with tears of recognition. No, it would be a reunion marked by a few well-placed stabs in the back.
'A song-plagiarizing Son of Destiny has very little potential. Five hundred thousand Destiny Points is his ceiling; there's no room for growth. He can be toyed with and crushed easily. But… is his associated heroine, Zhang Yaqian, the same Zhang Yaqian I'm thinking of?'
Shen Anyu was slightly perplexed. The younger sister of Zhang Zhiyun—the Son of Destiny from the Heavenly Master Descends the Mountain arc—was also named Zhang Yaqian. Could they be the same person? Or was this a consequence of the integrated novel world, where characters were merged to streamline the narrative?
Shen Anyu wasn't particularly surprised by the possibility. He had seen it before. The Goddess Doctor, Murong Jieyu, was originally a fusion character, associated with both Xia Liu, the Country Divine Doctor, and Ye Linyuan, the protagonist with seven goddess senior sisters. Su Hongmian was the same, linked to both Xia Liu and the Rebirth Investment genre's Long Hao. Perhaps when the various novel worlds merged, certain Destined Heroines were consolidated as well. It stood to reason that Villains and Sons of Destiny could also merge.
As for which Destined Heroine truly belonged to whom, the answer was simple: it depended on who was stronger. And now, they all belonged to him, Shen Anyu, the Great Villain of Destiny. The Sons of Destiny could go cool their heels on the sidelines.
He made a mental note to have someone investigate Zhang Yaqian and Zhao Tao later. His network of subordinates existed for precisely this purpose, to serve his every whim.
"Brother Shen, what are you looking at?"
Yang Qiuchan's sweet and gentle voice, soft as a melody, pulled him from his thoughts.
"Of course, I'm looking at my precious Qiuchan. You're just too beautiful," Shen Anyu replied, his voice a low, sincere praise that made Yang Qiuchan's face flush with pleasure.
Subsequently, Shen Anyu wrapped a possessive arm around Yang Qiuchan's slender waist, and strode away, leaving the entire hotpot restaurant full of men staring after them with eyes burning with envy and jealousy.
"Damn it, the daughter of the owner of Yang's Hotpot Restaurant is indeed a beauty who can topple kingdoms and make fish sink and geese fall. What a pity she's already taken. Wait, who said a flower with an owner can't have its wall dug?"
Zhao Tao's eyes lit up, and he chuckled with predatory confidence…
[Akarin's Note: "Gou Dao" (狗道), literally "Dog Way," is a webnovel slang for a cultivation path focused on extreme caution, survival, hiding one's strength, and avoiding all unnecessary risks. I've translated it as "Path of the Cautious Reincarnator" to better capture its meaning in this context.]
[Akarin's Note: "Battle Scum" (战五渣, zhàn wǔ zhā) is a popular Chinese internet meme originating from a line in Dragon Ball Z about a character with a power level of only five. It's used to describe someone who is pathetically weak in a fight.]
[Akarin's Note: The term "walking pile driver" (行走的打桩机) is a vulgar Chinese slang term for a man who is extremely promiscuous, implying a mechanical and relentless sexual prowess. I've kept the direct translation as it effectively conveys the crude meaning.]
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