NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2:
Chapter 2: Eavesdropping on His Inner Voice, the Female Lead Is in Her Rebellious Phase
Even if Zhao Wujian turned to dust, Li Yunrui would still recognize his voice! But Zhao Wujian hadn’t spoken at all.
Yet, her mind was filled with his inner thoughts!
Li Yunrui was not only shocked, she was also furious.
This guy had just praised her looks—which, fine, was the truth.
But what was all that nonsense afterward? Saying she was Long Zhan’s woman? That she was a tool for his rise to power?
That she couldn’t control her own fate?
How dare he! What did this bastard take her for?!
“Zhao Wujian!”
At this moment, Zhao Wujian was confused. What was with the look on Li Yunrui’s face?
Hesitation would only create more trouble, so Zhao Wujian cleared his throat and said sincerely, “Whatever the princess says is right. I am unworthy of you. To avoid delaying your life, I’ll sign the annulment letter right away. From now on, there will be no ties between us.”
He immediately signaled the housekeeper to bring pen and paper, then quickly wrote:
“I, Zhao Wujian, lacking both virtue and talent, am unworthy of marrying the Seventh Princess.
Today, I voluntarily renounce our engagement. The betrothal gifts from the Northern Guardian Prince’s Residence shall be treated as compensation. May the princess accept them with a smile.”
The wording was humble enough to stir sympathy.
Li Yunrui’s expression grew even more complicated.
She hadn’t expected Zhao Wujian to be so cooperative.
Without a single word of protest, he had written the annulment letter.
That made her feel a little guilty.
After all, today was the seventh-day memorial of the Northern Guardian Prince. Was it too arrogant of her to come rushing here to cancel the engagement?
Maybe she should’ve discussed it calmly and left him a little dignity?
While she was lost in thought, Zhao Wujian had already handed her the letter.
“No need to be polite, Your Highness. Everything is as you wished. Please, take it.”
Zhao Wujian wore a calm smile.
In the sunlight, he looked composed, elegant, and serene.
But inside, he was already cursing up a storm.
[Take it already, lady!]
[Why are you still hesitating?!]
[I’ve been this generous—don’t tell me it still doesn’t change the plot?]
Still smiling, Zhao Wujian said, “Your Highness? Why are you in a daze? Take the letter. My father’s funeral isn’t over, I have work to do. I won’t see you out.”
But Li Yunrui was too distracted to respond.
Her mind was filled with questions.
Why can I hear his thoughts?
Could he really be my destined husband?
As she battled with herself, Zhao Wujian’s inner voice continued.
[The previous Zhao Wujian was such an idiot.]
[My dad’s legacy is enough for me to live in luxury for hundreds of years!]
[Meanwhile, Great Xia’s treasury is practically empty—why keep this woman here to freeload?]
[Let that pretty boy Long Zhan come spoil her. Just hurry up and leave!]
“You!” Li Yunrui snapped back to reality, gritting her teeth. “Zhao Wujian! You wish! You think you can get rid of me that easily?!”
Zhao Wujian, who had just started to feel relieved for altering the plot, was dumbfounded.
Still, he maintained his graceful demeanor and smiled, “Hmm? What does Your Highness mean by this?”
“What do I mean? You’re really so eager to break off the engagement?”
Before Zhao Wujian could respond, he noticed Li Yunrui staring at him with a face full of grievance and resentment—like someone abandoned by her lover.
[What’s going on? Is this woman planning to stay and continue the plot so I get killed by Long Zhan?!]
[Go find Long Zhan already, stop bothering me!]
[You’re the novel’s female lead! Why are you clinging to a minor villain like me?!]
Zhao Wujian’s heart was in full panic, though his face still wore a smile. He urged, “Perhaps today isn’t convenient for Your Highness. Eunuch Chen, please accept the letter and escort the princess back to the palace.”
Before Eunuch Chen could say a word, Li Yunrui suddenly declared, “I won’t!”
Now she was certain—she could hear Zhao Wujian’s inner voice!
But what bothered her more was the content of that voice.
This wretched man kept saying she belonged to Long Zhan—what did he mean by that?
She had heard of Long Zhan, a rising young commander in the Imperial Cavalry. But what right did he have to make her, a dignified Seventh Princess, his tool?
Her life, her marriage, her love—she would control all of it!
Male lead? Female lead? Nonsense!
“You won’t? What do you mean you won’t?!” Zhao Wujian was getting anxious. His carefully maintained “wise schemer” persona started to crack.
[This crazy woman! Why won’t she leave?!]
[Did she find out that my father isn’t actually dead?]
According to chapter 200 of the original novel, the Northern Guardian Prince had indeed suffered a defeat at the border.
But his death was faked to mislead the enemy.
Later, he reassembled the army and wiped out the barbarian tribes invading Great Xia’s northern frontier.
However, he then learned that his only son, Zhao Wujian, had died in the capital.
Enraged, the Northern Guardian Prince led his army back to the capital, demanding justice for his son’s death.
He even prepared to massacre the capital.
In the end, Long Zhan and his fourth senior sister disguised themselves as Zhao Wujian and used themselves as hostages.
To protect his beloved son, the Northern Guardian Prince exchanged his life for theirs.
And thus… he too became Long Zhan’s stepping stone.
[No way! If this woman doesn’t leave, she’ll get both me and my father killed!]
[These novel protagonists—sacrificing others for their love and dreams. Disgusting! I won’t let them succeed!]
“Ahem!” Zhao Wujian suppressed his rage and smiled, “Perhaps the princess thinks I’m joking, but I truly respect women. Since you’re unwilling to marry me, I won’t force it. The engagement is over—no take-backs, okay?”
Zhao Wujian looked at her with hopeful eyes, praying she would just leave already.
But instead, Li Yunrui stood frozen, her face filled with shock—as if she had just uncovered a massive secret.
Though annoyed by Zhao Wujian’s sarcasm, Li Yunrui was no fool.
She now realized that the Northern Guardian Prince had only faked his death!
She remembered her father once said: if the prince ever wanted to rebel, he could definitely succeed.
After all, the Zhao family was a royal household from a different surname.
To hold such a title and still wield military power beneath the Li royal family—it showed how formidable they truly were.
If she humiliated Zhao Wujian by breaking off the engagement now, wouldn’t that be giving the prince a reason to rebel?
It could doom the Li imperial family!
And Zhao Wujian—on the surface, a debauched scoundrel—was clearly hiding something far deeper!
Could he have been concealing his brilliance all along?
The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she became. She even felt like slapping herself for nearly making a huge mistake out of impulse.
“I said I won’t cancel the engagement! Zhao Wujian, you must marry me!”
“You won’t? Why not? What do you see in me? I can change!” Zhao Wujian panicked.
“I just won’t! Our marriage was decided by my father and yours. It’s not something to treat lightly!”
Zhao Wujian was completely dumbfounded.
Wasn’t it you who wanted to break it off?!
Now I’m the one being irresponsible?
Unbelievable. Is this the ‘main heroine buff’ or what?
Li Yunrui looked incredibly pleased with herself.
That stupid man had no idea she could hear his thoughts.
Perfect. Once they were married, he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her!
Meanwhile, Zhao Wujian wanted to hang himself.
[If you won’t break off the engagement, how am I supposed to change the plot?]
[How am I supposed to avoid being hated by the protagonist?!]
[Even us minor villains want to survive, okay?!]
Zhao Wujian pointed at himself and said, “Let me remind you again—I am Zhao Wujian! What kind of person do you think I am?”
“A scoundrel.”
“And?”
“A perverted scumbag.”
“…Exactly! So break off the engagement!”
“I won’t!!” Li Yunrui shouted firmly.
Zhao Wujian was so shocked he took two steps back.
“You won’t? Then why did you even come to break it off in the first place?!” he yelled.
“That’s none of your business!” Li Yunrui shouted back, tearing up the annulment letter Zhao Wujian had written. “Anyway, this princess is definitely marrying you!”
[Good grief! It’s like tossing Sichuan pepper over the wall—my whole body’s gone numb!]
“Wait, wait! Let’s talk this through! We must cancel the engagement! It was just for show earlier… How about I kneel and beg you now?”
Just then…
Outside the Northern Guardian Prince’s Residence, a cavalry unit thundered in.
The clattering hooves shook the ground, causing the onlookers to scatter in fear.
Inside, Zhao Wujian and the others noticed the commotion and turned to look.
The leader of the cavalry leaped off his horse in style, clad in armor, walking forward with a powerful presence.
“Commander of the Imperial Cavalry, Long Zhan, under His Majesty’s orders, has come to protect the Seventh Princess! Zhao Wujian has disrespected the princess and disturbed the capital’s peace. Men—arrest him!”