CHAPTER 108: CUCKED ONCE AGAIN

The peach blossoms were in full bloom.

Birdsong echoed across the stone paths of the Azure Mist Pavilion as gentle winds stirred the petals from their branches.

Cultivators walked the paths in silence, unaware of the unraveling tragedy beneath their noses.

Lin Fan stormed across the pavilion courtyard, his sword clutched tightly in his shaking hands.

His breath was erratic.

His mind, racing.

His heart?

Broken.

He had seen it.

With his own eyes. Hei Long, the snake, the worm, the devil in human form—holding Su Rou’s hand.

Whispering something to her beneath the cherry tree. And she had laughed. Not politely. Not formally.

Genuinely.

Laughing? With him?

Lin Fan felt as if the world had turned upside down. This wasn’t just any girl. She was supposed to be the one. His final chance at love. His light. His everything.

But now...

Now she was being cucked right out of his grasp.

And worst of all?

She didn’t even know it.

Or worse still—she did, and she liked it.

"No... No... I can still stop this," Lin Fan muttered, pacing in tight circles, his sleeves flapping wildly like a deranged scholar lost in thesis revisions.

"Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Maybe he used some charm technique! That’s right—some forbidden spirit arts! I bet he stole a Soul-Seducing Dewdrop from the Blackmoon Caverns!"

A passing elder gave him a strange look.

"...Boy, the Blackmoon Caverns have been sealed for three centuries."

"I—I KNOW THAT!" Lin Fan snapped, before running off again, sweat pouring down his brow.

Meanwhile, at the Garden of Moonlight Blossoms...

Su Rou was radiant. She wore a soft lilac hanfu, embroidered with cranes and willow branches. Her laughter tinkled like silver bells as she sat beside Hei Long on the ornate jade bench.

Hei Long, by contrast, wore a black silk robe that shimmered with subtle dragon embroidery. His long hair was loosely tied back, giving him an effortlessly roguish look. He wasn’t even trying to impress. He just was impressive.

"You’re really different from what the rumors say," Su Rou said, sipping tea, eyes twinkling. "I heard you were a ruthless sect-breaker."

Hei Long gave her a smile that made several butterflies faint. "Only ruthless to those who lie and backstab."

Her cheeks flushed.

He poured her more tea.

"You’re not like other girls I’ve met," Hei Long said softly, gazing at her like she was the moon itself.

Su Rou looked down shyly. "You mean it?"

"I wouldn’t lie to you."

Lie Number Forty-Seven, that morning alone.

Behind them, a bush rustled violently.

Lin Fan, buried beneath flower branches and clutching his chest, let out a silent scream.

Operation: Romantic Interruption

Lin Fan had a plan.

Was it clever?

No.

Was it elegant?

Definitely not.

Was it desperate, deranged, and absolutely doomed?

Yes.

It involved three things:

A "spontaneous" poetry recital nearby.

A wounded rabbit in need of "urgent care."

A pie he made himself.

"Su Rou loves poetry. If I perform something deep and emotionally complex, she’ll remember our shared interests!"

The problem? Lin Fan had never written poetry in his life.

His scroll read:

Roses are red,Spiritual beasts kill,If you choose Hei Long,I’ll jump off a hill.

He wiped sweat from his brow. Perfect.

Step two: the rabbit.

He borrowed it from a junior disciple and mildly annoyed it until it limped.

"Now she’ll think I’m gentle and kind."

Step three: the pie.

It was... somewhere between charred and cursed.

He placed all three carefully near the garden path and waited for Su Rou and Hei Long to walk by.

Any minute now...

What Actually Happened

Hei Long and Su Rou strolled the other way.

Lin Fan waited in vain.

A squirrel stole the pie.

The rabbit escaped.

The wind blew his poem into the pond.

And then...

Then came the real blow.

A servant passed by, carrying a red lacquer box trimmed with gold. Lin Fan peered over the hedge.

Inside it...

A hairpin.

Elegant, phoenix-shaped, encrusted with moon pearls.

"For Lady Su Rou," the servant said proudly. "Young Master Hei Long’s gift."

Lin Fan collapsed.

Right there.

Next to a half-eaten pie.

Back at Hei Long’s Side

Su Rou took the hairpin with trembling fingers.

"You really shouldn’t have."

"But I wanted to," Hei Long said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "When I see something beautiful, I honor it."

Su Rou’s heart fluttered.

Behind them, Lin Fan crawled through the mud, mascara-streaked tears (he had tried it for dramatic effect) trailing down his cheeks.

"I’m still here... Still here... Still her knight..."

The moment Lin Fan saw Su Rou’s delicate figure sitting quietly beside Hei Long, a sharp pang of jealousy twisted in his chest.

Her soft laughter, the gentle way she leaned into Hei Long’s touch, the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at him—it all felt like a cruel reminder that she was slipping further and further out of his reach.

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his mind racing with desperation and obsession.

He couldn’t let this happen—not again.

Su Rou wasn’t just anyone; she was his chance, the one girl who had ever stirred something real inside him.

And yet here she was, wrapped in Hei Long’s calm, confident presence, laughing like she’d already forgotten his existence.

He stalked closer, his voice low and rough as he tried to keep his composure. "Su Rou... wait."

She looked up, surprised, her smile faltering for just a moment.

Hei Long’s arm around her shoulders tightened slightly, a quiet but unmistakable claim.

Lin Fan’s heart hammered. "We need to talk." His words sounded more needy than commanding, but he barely cared.

Hei Long’s calm gaze flicked over to Lin Fan, amused but unthreatened. "Trouble, little brother?" he said with a sly grin.

Su Rou glanced between them, confusion knitting her brow. "Lin Fan? What’s wrong?"

Lin Fan swallowed hard, his eyes darkening with obsession.

"Nothing’s wrong. I just... I just want to be honest with you. I can’t stop thinking about you. No matter what Hei Long does, no matter what anyone says, I—"

Hei Long cut him off with a laugh, light but sharp.

"You’re obsessed. You don’t even realize you’re digging your own grave."

Lin Fan’s face flushed red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Su Rou bit her lip, torn between the two men, both so different yet so powerful in their own way.

"I’ll fight for you," Lin Fan insisted, voice trembling with both passion and desperation. "I won’t let you be taken from me."

Hei Long stepped forward, eyes gleaming with cold amusement.

"You’re welcome to try. But I warn you, little brother—when I take what I want, I don’t let go."

Su Rou’s hand slipped from Hei Long’s arm to Lin Fan’s trembling fingers, but her gaze lingered longer on Hei Long’s confident smile.

The air between them crackled with tension and unspoken promises.

Lin Fan’s obsession deepened, drowning out reason.

He saw only one truth: no matter how hard he fought, Hei Long was always one step ahead, quietly and cruelly stealing everything that could have been his.

And yet, he couldn’t let go. Not Su Rou. Not like this.

The tension between Lin Fan and Hei Long simmered like a coiled spring ready to snap.

Su Rou sat there, caught in the crossfire of two powerful men—one desperate and reckless, the other calm and assured.

Her heart pounded, torn between the raw emotion in Lin Fan’s eyes and the steady, unshakable presence Hei Long exuded.

Lin Fan’s voice was low, thick with longing and frustration.

"Su Rou... I know I’m not the strongest or the most talented, but I swear, I’ll protect you. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just don’t—don’t fall for him."

Hei Long chuckled softly, stepping closer so that his breath brushed against Su Rou’s cheek.

"You see, little brother, that’s exactly why you’ll never win. Obsession blinds you. Strength wins hearts."

Su Rou felt a flush rise to her cheeks as Hei Long’s hand lightly brushed her hair away from her face.

There was something intoxicating about his confidence, the way he made her feel safe without needing to say a word.

Lin Fan’s fists clenched tighter, nails digging into his palms as his mind screamed with helplessness.

He wanted to shout, to plead, to tear Hei Long away from her—but every word caught in his throat.

He was trapped in his own obsession, powerless as the girl he loved leaned ever closer to the man who so casually stole her attention.

"Lin Fan," Su Rou whispered, voice trembling, "I... I don’t know what to do."

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. His obsession twisted into something darker—desperation mixed with a hollow ache that only grew sharper the more he watched Hei Long steal the moments that should have been his.

Hei Long’s smirk deepened, a slow, cruel victory shining in his eyes.

"Looks like I win this round, lil bro."

Lin Fan swallowed the bitter taste of defeat but refused to surrender. His voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible, "This isn’t over. I’ll get her back."

Hei Long only laughed again, his grip on Su Rou tightening just enough to remind Lin Fan who held the power.

As Su Rou leaned into Hei Long’s side, Lin Fan’s world darkened, obsession consuming him whole.

The line between love and madness blurred, and in his heart, he vowed that no matter the cost, he would never stop chasing her—no matter how many times Hei Long stole her away.