It’s happening—the challenge is coming for me.
Chen Anlin’s mouth twitched. Even though the plot had shifted, and he had agreed to break off the engagement, Xiao Chen still wouldn’t leave him alone, now coming with an indirect excuse to challenge him under the guise of reclaiming the betrothal gifts.
Chen Anlin, naturally, refused. At this point, he was absolutely no match for Xiao Chen.
There was no way to counter this. For protagonists like Xiao Chen, skipping ranks to defeat their opponents was par for the course.
In the original novel, Chen Anlin was easily defeated by Xiao Chen and humiliated in public. However, now that he knew the storyline, he would soon turn the tables and show Xiao Chen who was boss!
Faced with Xiao Chen’s provocation, Chen Anlin smiled. “Xiao Chen, did a door slam on your head or something? Why would you gamble with my family’s betrothal gifts? Those gifts were given to me. Taking them back is perfectly reasonable!”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
“Xiao Chen, this penniless loser, what’s he sticking his nose into?”
“I heard Zhao Yao’s been supporting him. Those two are nothing but a pair of conniving scoundrels.”
“Young Master Chen’s known for his devotion. Zhao Yao, if you didn’t want to marry, why take his gifts in the first place? And now you act all aggrieved? Poor Young Master Chen—what a loss for him!”
“Accepting the gifts but refusing the marriage? That’s some audacity right there!”
“She’s got some nerve to be this shameless.”
Hearing the crowd’s comments, Zhao Yao panicked, tears streaming down her face. “Even if we ignore the facts, can you really say Chen Anlin is blameless?”
Chen Anlin sneered. “Ignore the facts? If the facts don’t matter, then what’s there to argue about?”
“Zhao Yao, tomorrow, I’ll personally come to retrieve the betrothal gifts. You’d better prepare yourself.”
With that, Chen Anlin left the scene.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
As soon as he stepped out of the venue, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had avoided the protagonist’s challenge, and Xiao Chen wouldn’t dare act recklessly in front of so many witnesses.
“But from now on, I’ll need to keep some bodyguards around—things are going to get messy otherwise.”
---
[Ding! Plot altered. 100 points of Fortune Power collected.]
“What the hell was that?”
Chen Anlin froze, then rubbed his temples.
That voice—it had come from inside his head.
“Wait a second... in my head?”
He concentrated and saw a small, green jade bottle.
“That cheap vase I randomly bought in my previous life for flowers... turns out to be a treasure? Maybe my rebirth has something to do with this!”
Soon, information flowed into his mind.
[Fortune Jade Bottle: This bottle can collect Fortune Power, which can then be converted into Origin Energy. Origin Energy nourishes the body, boosts strength, heals injuries, and repairs treasures.]
[Additionally, the Fortune Jade Bottle can emit Fortune Aura, enabling its user to observe individuals blessed by fortune.]
“So, by suppressing or resolving issues with these ‘Children of Fortune,’ I can collect Fortune Power?”
Chen Anlin quickly understood. He decided to test the Fortune Aura and looked around.
In his vision, everyone around him had a visible fortune level.
A nearby street vendor had a fortune level of 13, suggesting impending bad luck.
Sure enough, the vendor soon stepped into something unpleasant and started swearing.
In contrast, a stunning woman not far away had a fortune level of 50.
Moments later, a wealthy merchant appeared and handed her a gold bracelet with a delighted expression.
“So that’s their fortune. The lower it is, the worse their luck. The higher it is, the more good fortune they’ll experience.”
Instinctively, he glanced at his own fortune.
Fortune: 0.
This didn’t mean he was inherently unlucky.
In fact, Chen Anlin had always been blessed with good fortune, being born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
But now, for it to be at zero—there could only be one explanation: his life was in danger.
Low fortune didn’t just mean bad luck; it could mean death.
There was no doubt in his mind—Xiao Chen was plotting against him.
“I need to find the Empress...”
Staying vigilant, Chen Anlin moved through crowded areas to avoid being an easy target.
---
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen, hidden in the shadows, observed Chen Anlin’s cautious movements.
“That cunning dog... sticking to crowded areas to avoid me.”
Xiao Chen smirked coldly. “Fine, let him live a little longer.”
---
Chen Anlin headed straight to the palace instead of going home.
With his prestigious status and his childhood friendship with Empress Wu Qingxue, he was granted access to the imperial grounds.
Before long, an elderly eunuch appeared outside the grand hall.
“Eunuch Li,” Chen Anlin greeted with a bow.
This eunuch, Li Mingde, had served Empress Wu Qingxue for many years and had watched Chen Anlin grow up, treating him kindly.
“Anlin, what brings you here? You usually avoid this place like the plague.”
Eunuch Li smiled knowingly.
After all, Chen Anlin had been terrified of the Empress since childhood, constantly bullied by her. Her threats to make him a eunuch had given him a deep psychological shadow.
“Eunuch, I’ve run into some trouble—a big problem.”
“Then go in. Her Majesty is in the garden, enjoying the water. She said it’s a good thing you’ve come.”
“Thank you, Eunuch Li.”
Chen Anlin expressed his gratitude and followed Li Mingde to the garden entrance, where the eunuch stopped, letting Chen Anlin proceed alone.
The garden was fragrant with flowers.
In the center, a breathtaking woman in a soaked purple gown, her voluptuous figure clearly outlined, walked barefoot across the water’s surface.
This was Empress Wu Qingxue.
Her martial prowess was awe-inspiring.
Though they were the same age and had grown up together, Chen Anlin’s cultivation was only at the eighth rank, while Wu Qingxue had already reached the peak of the third rank.
In Da Zhou, martial prowess determined hierarchy.
The Empress, with her unmatched strength, could delegate mundane governance to the court, maintaining power through her martial dominance alone.
---
(The rest continues similarly, showcasing their banter and evolving dynamics.)