I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

End

The banquet lasted until dawn. Mu Qingyin watched the female disciples who had drunk too much and collapsed onto the tables, shaking her head. They were no longer children, yet still so playful.

But Mu Qingyin didn’t blame them, for she understood well that inspiration couldn’t be gained through hard practice alone. It was essential. Her predecessor, the former hall master and her mentor, loved to host banquets, engaging in lively discussions with the disciples. Time and again, she found inspiration at these gatherings, creating numerous beautiful melodies and paintings.

Her mentor often encouraged Mu Qingyin to make more appearances, advising her not to hide away in her room all the time. She believed that if Mu Qingyin continued like this, she would eventually weave herself into a cocoon, unable to break free.

Recently, Mu Qingyin had indeed felt her progress stagnating. Observing the banquet through her paintings of beautiful women and participating in it herself offered vastly different experiences. Under the joyful atmosphere, she sensed that the parts of her that felt stuck were beginning to loosen.

All of this was thanks to Ye Yong, who always knew how to lift the mood and make people feel relaxed.

Though she hadn’t voiced it, the usually reclusive Mu Qingyin found that occasionally joining in wasn’t so bad after all.

Quietly and without disturbing anyone, Mu Qingyin prepared to turn today’s observations into a painting and melody.

Ye Yong, who was playing drinking games with Qin Shidream, Liang Xiaorou, and two other beautiful women, noticed Mu Qingyin leaving and felt a twinge of regret. He had wanted to invite her to join them, hoping the three female leads would become more familiar with each other, but she had politely declined. In the end, they hadn’t exchanged many words, missing this rare opportunity.

Of course, Ye Yong understood Mu Qingyin’s concerns. She held a high position and believed she couldn’t mingle with the disciples and younger cultivators, so she deliberately kept her distance, trying to minimize her presence.

This was the case at both banquets she attended, yet Ye Yong still noticed a change in her. She had allowed the disciples to play the jade zither, attempting to bridge the gap, but unfortunately, the junior sisters were too in awe of the hall master.

A failed attempt could very well discourage her from stepping forward again. Thus, even though he had just broken through in his cultivation, Ye Yong took the lead and declared he would play the zither.

Mu Qingyin’s inability to fit into the circle was not only related to her personality but also to environmental factors.

“Hey, what’s taking so long? It’s your turn! You’re not thinking of giving up, are you?” Liang Xiaorou’s impatient yet childlike voice rang out.

Ye Yong snapped back to attention, refocusing on the game.

Liang Xiaorou was straightforward and had lost several times, but being from the Liang family, her drinking capacity was impressive. After downing more than ten cups, her cheeks were merely flushed. In contrast, Qin Shidream had lost a few rounds and, after a few drinks, her delicate face was completely red.

This Shidream was just lacking.

The two beautiful women were merely there to make up the numbers; their ethereal forms couldn’t actually consume anything. Ye Yong had invited them because Mu Qingyin herself wasn’t participating, allowing him to experience the atmosphere through them.

—

“Shall we stop playing after this round?” Ye Yong said.

It was getting late. In the corner, Wu Xue had fallen asleep leaning against Xia Shijia, while Hua Ningyan curled up beside her, a fluffy white ball. Lu Xiaoxiao was deeply engrossed in writing something, occasionally stealing glances at Ye Yong before returning to her fervent scribbling.

Xia Shiqi, however, was quite spirited. Pretending to pass by, she stealthily approached while some senior and junior sisters were engrossed in their game, quickly snatching the spiritual meat from their table with lightning speed. This was her third round after a hearty meal, ready to battle again. Call her foolish, and she truly was; call her clever, and she was inexplicably so. She only targeted the high-quality ones, barely glancing at the lesser offerings.

“No way! Keep playing!” Liang Xiaorou had lost more than she won, and since Ye Yong had been winning almost all the time, her competitive spirit wouldn’t let her accept this outcome so easily.

Ye Yong smiled slightly. He wouldn’t say something like, “If we keep playing, you’ll end up drunk,” because that would only provoke Liang Xiaorou’s stubbornness. First, he let her lose a couple more rounds, making her increasingly frustrated. Then he deliberately lost a few rounds himself, downing several cups to indicate that he seemed a bit tipsy and suggesting they play again next time.

Caught in the game, Liang Xiaorou, who had been losing, felt much better when she saw Ye Yong lose consecutively at the end, and she stopped insisting on continuing. After the game, she felt a bit dizzy; she had drunk too much.

“I’ll take you back,” Ye Yong said. It was late at night, and he couldn’t let the two delicate girls stay at his place. Staying at the vacant house in the Yinhua Hall would require the hall master’s consent.

“It’s too late; don’t run around. I’ll find them a place to stay,” Hua Ming spoke up, clearly authorized by Mu Qingyin.

“Sorry for the interruption,” Liang Xiaorou said. She had already considered staying over, thinking that this way she could run to find Ye Yong early the next morning. For cultivators, getting drunk wasn’t a big deal; it just took some time to use spiritual energy to dispel the effects.

“Sorry for the disturbance,” Qin Shimeng, who didn’t have a great tolerance for alcohol, found it easy to stay sober and followed Liang Xiaorou as they left the hall with Hua Ming.

Ye Yong approached the corner, and Lu Xiaoxiao, who was deeply engrossed in her writing, didn’t notice him coming closer. Ye Yong curiously glanced over.

—Ye Shidi lifted her chin, a wicked smile playing at the corners of his mouth: “Heh, woman, don’t think you can escape my grasp.”

“Ye Shidi, we can’t…”

“What others say has nothing to do with me; all I want is you!”

The atmosphere was becoming increasingly charged.

As the protagonist of a domineering junior brother story, Ye Yong felt both embarrassed and inexplicably pleased.

He squatted down, gently lifting the fluffy white ball, Hua Ningyan, and placing it on Wu Xue’s chest. Hua Ningyan stretched lazily, shifting from a curled position to lying on its side. However, it didn’t seem very comfortable; it tilted its head, seemingly trying to find a softer spot. After a while of drowsily moving around, it finally found a little comfort and fell back into a deep sleep.

Ye Yong directly picked up Wu Xue, who was sleeping soundly and didn’t react at all. However, when Hua Ningyan shifted, she murmured in her sleep, “Young master, don’t touch me… Young master, why did you stop… Is it because they haven’t fully grown and don’t suit your taste?”

Ye Yong was somewhat speechless as he carried them out of the hall. Xia Shijia yawned and followed behind. Xia Shiqi was still engaged in her covert snacking operation, as she was almost familiar with Echo Peak and could find her way home.

At that moment, Hua Xin clapped her hands to attract the attention of the remaining awake female disciples: “Alright, it’s time to wrap things up. Stop playing, tidy up, and take those who are asleep back to rest.”

—

The painting was crafted by the master of the hall, holding considerable influence, and no one complained as they set off. The only one with grievances was the gluttonous Xia Shiqi, who had lost her chance.

Unfortunately, the opponent was a soul entity with Nascent Soul strength. Xia Shiqi, who had never lost an argument nor won a fight, fully embodied the essence of cowardice and dared not protest. She could only tuck her tail between her legs, leaving behind a handsome wolf shadow, silently exiting the hall.