The Empress Chose My Bride, and Now I’m Stuck with a Yandere at -9999 Affection - Chapter 5:

Chapter 5: Is This Already a Love Triangle from Hell?:

Jiang Xuan froze on the spot after witnessing Xia Xiaoyu’s sudden personality shift.

Coming back to his senses, he quickly scolded her, “Xia Xiaoyu, what do you think you’re doing?! Aren’t you afraid I’ll call for the Jiang family’s experts?!”

“Sure, go ahead. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Call them right now. But just so you know, when they arrive, I’ll shatter all your clothes with a flick of my hand.”

“Once that happens, our relationship will be set in stone. I’ll be able to take you back openly. Let’s see if your little fiancée will still accept you after that.”

Jiang Xuan: “…..”

He fell silent at her words.

Xia Xiaoyu, on the other hand, took the opportunity to pinch his cheeks.

“What’s wrong, Brother Xuan? Why aren’t you calling anyone now? I was really hoping for a good scene.”

“Sigh… Three years ago, I spent so many spirit stones, and just holding your hand made me happy for half a year.”

“With those tens of millions of spirit stones, I could’ve easily booked a hundred top-tier male courtesans.”

“But you? All I got was a brief touch of your hand. And now you’re about to get married…”

“I figured I should collect some interest. Like this—your face feels really nice to pinch.”

With that, she pulled her hand back, took a deep sniff, and showed a look of intoxicated bliss.

Jiang Xuan: “!!!”

Watching her shameless behavior, Jiang Xuan was utterly dumbfounded.

Where was his naïve, spirit-stone-rich childhood friend?

Who the hell was this seductive, over-the-top woman in front of him?

Was he accessing the wrong version of reality?

He glanced at the scan system—still showing her affection level at –6666.

For the sake of his safety, Jiang Xuan hurriedly said, “Xiaoyu, it was all my fault. The spirit stones and treasures you gave me over the years—I kept them all. I’ll return them to you, with interest, as compensation. Will that be okay?”

Jiang Xuan thought his act of “painfully cutting ties” might calm her down.

But instead, her affection level soared to –8888.

Before he could even process that, Xia Xiaoyu spoke again.

“You want to return the things I gave you, Brother Xuan?”

“So you’re trying to draw a line between us? That fiancée of yours… is she really worth going this far?”

“I’m so jealous… I was the one who came first!”

“Hmph! Don’t even think about it. The bond between us can’t be severed that easily.”

“Oh, and by the way—from the past till now, as long as I gave you enough spirit stones, you were always willing to do anything, weren’t you?”

Jiang Xuan: “???”

“I didn’t—I’m not—don’t twist my words!”

Hearing her words, which sounded way too much like a professional negotiation, Jiang Xuan realized things were spiraling out of control.

Sure, he’d had deals with others before, but he’d always stayed clean! He was the young master of the Jiang family—not some escort!

He was just making pocket money to fund his business ventures!

Yes, Jiang Xuan had secretly built his own force—called Xuantian Pavilion.

The Pavilion’s agents weren’t just spread across the Dajiang Empire, but had even infiltrated other empires and cultivation sects.

His goal? Just a little foresight—ensuring his own safety.

He had kept this secret even from his mother, Jiang Yuyan, and deliberately avoided establishing any base within the Jiang family to prevent suspicion.

He had always thought the Jiang family was secure enough. But now… he realized even that wasn’t cautious enough.

Meanwhile, seeing him deny her again, Xia Xiaoyu smiled and pinched his chin.

“So what you’re saying is… now that you have a fiancée, you won’t make any more deals with me?”

That question rendered Jiang Xuan completely speechless.

What kind of logic was that?

Of course he wanted to earn spirit stones—but Xia Xiaoyu’s current state was clearly off. Who knew what kind of unreasonable demands she might make?

If it were the old Xia Xiaoyu—naïve and generous—he would’ve agreed to the deal in a heartbeat.

But now?

Agreeing would be like jumping into a pit of fire.

If not for his terrifying fiancée being a hidden boss, he might have considered it.

After all, they had history. Childhood friends, and all that.

But not anymore.

If Nangong Liuyun found out, both he and Xia Xiaoyu might not live to see another day.

In the end, Jiang Xuan sighed and said, “Sorry, Xiaoyu. You’re too late. I’m done with that life. Let’s just say I’ve washed my hands of all deals.”

“Brother Xuan, I can offer more spirit stones. Name your price.”

Jiang Xuan: “…”

At this point, his inner thoughts were practically screaming:

[What?! What does that even mean?! You think I’m a cash-per-kiss kind of guy?!]

Out loud, he firmly refused again, “Sorry. It’s not about the spirit stones. It’s a matter of principle. I won’t—”

He didn’t even finish before Xia Xiaoyu interrupted him—by raising a single finger.

“I’ll give you one hundred million top-grade spirit stones.”

Jiang Xuan was stunned.

“H-How much? One… one hundred million?! That’s…”

He was absolutely dumbfounded.

He knew Xia Xiaoyu was rich—she could casually hand out hundreds of thousands, even millions.

But a hundred million? That was another level.

Even the wealthiest person in the empire—the Empress herself—might not be able to produce that kind of cash instantly.

Jiang Xuan couldn’t deny he was tempted.

With that much, he could expand Xuantian Pavilion again.

He had already spent over a billion spirit stones on it over the past few years—but those had been earned bit by bit, with real effort.

Now he had a chance to earn a “small fortune” all at once—and yet he hesitated.

If not for his terrifying fiancée, he would’ve pampered this sponsor till she was glowing with satisfaction.

After a moment’s internal struggle, Jiang Xuan still said, “N-No. I can’t do that…”

Noticing his hesitation, Xia Xiaoyu gently added, “Brother Xuan, are you worried I’ll make some outrageous request?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve never forced you to do anything before.”

“But… since we’re alone, and it’s late at night—this really is a good opportunity.”

“My request is simple: if you give me a kiss… these one hundred million spirit stones are yours.”

Jiang Xuan: “!!!”

He was stunned.

A kiss—for a hundred million?

Is this how rich girls operate?!

He couldn’t understand it… but he was absolutely shocked.

Compared to her, his past sponsors were just playing at being rich.

There was a huge gap in class.

Jiang Xuan had thought the current Xia Xiaoyu would be harder to deal with.

But now it seemed she was still just as generous—maybe even more so.

Still, he suspected these weren’t her spirit stones, but those of the Hundred Flowers Sect.

He offered a moment of silence for the sect that had ended up with such a wasteful Saintess.

Though he really wanted to take the deal, the image of Nangong Liuyun’s overwhelming presence stopped him.

As much as he loved spirit stones, he also wanted to stay alive.

If Nangong Liuyun ever heard about this, his life might end right there.

Better safe than sorry.

Everyone could see who the true “boss” was in this situation.

Eventually, Jiang Xuan shook his head and said, “Xiaoyu, keep your spirit stones. I can’t accept your request. And it’s getting late… you should leave my room.”

Xia Xiaoyu’s gaze darkened, “I offered everything I had—one hundred million top-grade spirit stones—and still couldn’t shake her position in your heart?”

“Even you, who’ve always loved spirit stones, refused me because of her?”

“Alright, alright, Brother Xuan. Since you won’t respond to kindness, don’t blame me for using force.”

“Hmph. If Brother Xuan refuses this deal, I’ll personally summon the Jiang family’s experts. There’s no such thing as a wall without cracks. Once I spread word about this, I’ll destroy your marriage for sure.”

Jiang Xuan: “???”

“Wait… what?”

Jiang Xuan didn’t care much about his reputation, but this wasn’t just about that—Xia Xiaoyu was threatening to drag him down with her!

He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if Nangong Liuyun found out. With an affection level of –9999, who knew what she might do?

If it weren’t for Xia Xiaoyu being rich and naive, and not having actually hurt him even with her –8888 affection, he might already be finished.

But with Nangong Liuyun not completely stabilized yet, he couldn’t risk anything. Her terrifying strength wasn’t just for show.

After weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Xuan lowered his head and slowly said, “If… if I agree to the deal, can you promise no one else will ever find out?”

Seeing Jiang Xuan finally give in, Xia Xiaoyu raised her brows slightly, a beautiful arc forming at her lips.

“Of course. I swear on my martial heart—I will never speak of the details of our deal.”

Only after getting this promise did Jiang Xuan let out a sigh of relief.

He never expected that in the end, he’d still have to earn that one “small goal” of spirit stones. Although he was internally resisting, he really had no choice.

Of course, what he wasn’t resisting was the amount of spirit stones.

So, Jiang Xuan slowly leaned in and gently kissed Xia Xiaoyu on the lips.

Just as he was about to pull away, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Clumsily, she pried open his lips, and Jiang Xuan—who thought it would be just a quick kiss—was completely stunned.

Having been single since birth, this was the first time he’d experienced something like this.

Only now did he truly understand what his cheap mother had repeatedly warned him about:

[Good-looking boys must always be careful of bad women when they go out.]

But this was wrong.

Because he didn’t even go out… and yet…

Snapping back to reality, Jiang Xuan quickly pushed Xia Xiaoyu away—but in the process, his hands accidentally touched places he shouldn’t have.

Xia Xiaoyu swallowed, her red eyes full of desire as they locked onto Jiang Xuan’s ethereal face.

“Brother Xuan… It’s been three years. I’ve grown up a lot. Do you want to… verify that personally?”

Jiang Xuan: “!!!”

Verify? That would be signing his death certificate!

He immediately waved his hands and said, “No, no. The deal is done. Please, go back.”

“But I barely got to enjoy it before you pushed me away. Can we do it again?”

“No!!!”

Jiang Xuan really wanted to add, That’ll cost extra, but he was afraid Xia Xiaoyu would pull out another small goal of spirit stones on the spot—and that would be really awkward.

Seeing his panicked expression, Xia Xiaoyu’s red eyes flickered with amusement. She chuckled and said, “Alright. Then I’ll come visit you again next time. And next time, I won’t let you off so easily.”

After saying this, she gave him a light kiss on the cheek, left behind a storage ring, and with a flash of movement, disappeared from the room.

Seeing that she had finally left, Jiang Xuan let out a long sigh of relief. The scan system now showed Xia Xiaoyu’s affection level as 6666.

Although that was a good thing, he still felt like something wasn’t right.

A kiss really had that much effect?

He was full of doubt.

“Would Xia Xiaoyu in that state really give up so easily? Something feels off. The way she acted—it was like she was possessed by a heart demon… or maybe… that’s who she really is?”

“Sigh, whatever. I earned a hundred million top-grade spirit stones today. That’s not a loss.”

“But I really need to be more careful. She must never sneak into my room again.”

…

Meanwhile, inside the Xia family estate.

Xia Xiaoyu was playing with a delicate crystal. As she injected a trace of spiritual energy into it, an image projected out.

It was a recording of her kissing Jiang Xuan.

If Jiang Xuan saw this, he would have been horrified.

Why does this world have this kind of high-tech artifact?!

If this got out, he would be done for.

At this moment, Xia Xiaoyu whispered to herself:

“A hundred million spirit stones for something priceless… totally worth it. Hehe. This memory crystal passed down by the sect really is amazing.”

“With this, the bond between me and Brother Xuan can never be severed.”

“I can even use it to make him submit. If he doesn’t behave, I’ll send it straight to the Nangong estate.”

“You must always have leverage. Just having money isn’t enough to keep a man. Got it, other me?”

As her voice fell, the red glow in Xia Xiaoyu’s eyes faded, replaced by a calm gold.

Staring at the image in the crystal, her cheeks flushed.

“This… this is really me? I actually kissed Brother Xuan like that…”

After a brief moment of excitement, Xia Xiaoyu clutched the memory crystal and hurried off to enjoy it in private.

Throughout the long night, the air was filled with the soft sounds of joy and giddiness.

…

The next morning, in the Jiang family.

Because he had been worried Xia Xiaoyu might come back, Jiang Xuan didn’t sleep well all night and looked visibly exhausted.

The maid Lingyue asked in concern, “Young Master, did you not sleep well? Should I… serve you a bit later?”

“No need, Xiaoyue. Just go prepare the carriage. I’ll be going to the Nangong estate.”

“Young Master, someone from the Nangong family is already waiting outside.”

After finishing a simple breakfast, Jiang Xuan boarded the carriage and headed for the Nangong residence.

Soon, he arrived at the entrance.

Just as he stepped down from the carriage, Nangong Liuyun greeted him with a bright smile.

“Husband, you’re finally here. Come, I’ll show you around the Nangong estate. After our wedding, you’ll be living here.”

With that, she grabbed Jiang Xuan’s hand and led him into the estate.

Jiang Xuan was about to say something polite, but then he noticed—

Nangong Liuyun’s affection level suddenly dropped to –6666.

His heart skipped a beat.

“Husband, did you not sleep well last night?”

“Y-Yes. I missed you so much, I was up all night thinking about you, so…”

Halfway through his sentence, Jiang Xuan watched in horror as her affection level plummeted again—from –6666 to –9999.

He was completely stunned.

What had gone wrong?

He hadn’t done anything!

Don’t tell me the scan system is malfunctioning?! It’s useless!

As if hearing his complaint, the scan system promptly responded in his mind:

[Ding! Please rest assured, Host. This system is functioning perfectly. All displayed data is accurate.]

Jiang Xuan: “???”

Before he could react, Nangong Liuyun leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“Is that so? Husband, you missed me? I’m happy to hear that.”

“But then… why do I smell another woman’s scent on you?”

“Hm? And it happens to be the scent of the sect’s Saintess… the same one who interrupted us in the mountains yesterday?”

“Right… you two were childhood friends, weren’t you? Could it be… you had a secret meeting last night?”

Jiang Xuan: “!!!”

At this moment, Jiang Xuan realized—he had completely misjudged his scan system.

Though it had always been a bit useless, at least the affection readings weren’t wrong.

But more importantly…

He finally realized how terrifying his fiancée really was.

She wasn’t even there last night, yet she’d guessed everything almost perfectly.

This love-triangle-from-hell had escalated way too fast!

This woman’s sixth sense… was terrifyingly accurate.

She was too flawless.

How is this even fair?! How do I survive this plot?!