Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

"Forgive him," Ye Hongyan sighed, the sound echoing softly against the cold stone walls as the two of them walked down the long, high-ceilinged corridor leading away from the faculty room.

Her shoulders dropped slightly, carrying a heavy, invisible weight. "He doesn’t mean anything by it. He just suffered a trauma in his youth and doesn’t know how to deal with it, so his judgment gets clouded when he feels reminded of the past."

Deep down, she knew that it was just an excuse. Something she will tell herself so that the perfect man, the love of her life, that is buried deep within her heart, will remain untainted.

"No, it’s alright. I understand completely, Teacher Ye," Haoran smiled, his voice the very definition of gentle understanding and maturity.

He kept his hands clasped casually behind his back, matching her pace perfectly. "Ancients always say that deep scars alter how a person perceives reality. It’s only natural that Senior Mu carries a heavy burden. I don’t hold a grudge against him at all. In fact, I only feel a bit of sorrow that my presence triggers such painful memories for him."

Ye Hongyan sighed deeply upon hearing that, a wave of profound relief and maternal warmth washing over her.

She looked at him sideways, her gaze softening to an unprecedented degree. "You really are a good child, Haoran. For someone of your age and exceptional talent to possess such empathy and broad-mindedness... it is truly rare. Most young cultivators with your background would have demanded satisfaction for such an unprovoked insult."

"Well, my family always taught me that power is meant to protect, not to project arrogance. After all, with great power, comes great responsibility, right?" Haoran said, his tone dripping with practiced, humble sincerity.

Ye Hongyan blinked, "With great power, comes with great responsibility?"

Haoran smiled at her, "Yes. That’s why, this power is just something I use to protect my friends."

He tilted his head slightly, adjusting his expression to one of slight, troubled melancholy. "That is actually why... why that initial incident happened a week ago, the one Senior Mu intervened in. I never wanted to cause a scene back then, but I simply couldn’t stand by and watch a tragedy unfold."

Ye Hongyan faltered. "...student Haoran. Can you...can you tell me what happened back then? I didn’t actually know anything aside from the fact that you had a conflict with Elder Mu."

Haoran let out a soft, rueful chuckle, shaking his head as if reluctant to speak ill of others, yet forced to by the pursuit of truth.

"To be completely honest, Teacher, a certain young master from a prominent clan was severely bullying a friend of mine. She is a gentle, hardworking girl who happens to come all the way from the Eastern Region. Because of her humble origins and lack of a powerful background, he treated her like dirt, trying to force her into compliance and calling her names out of pure malice. So obviously, I couldn’t just sit there and watch them break her spirit...."

He paused, stealing a glance at Ye Hongyan’s tightening expression before continuing his narrative. "So, I stepped in to defend her and shield her from his aggression. But just as I managed to defuse the immediate threat, Elder Mu appeared. Without asking for context, without looking at the tears of my friend or the arrogance of the instigators, he immediately pointed his finger at me. He accused me of breaking the rules, of using my status to cause chaos, and simply refused to listen to a single word of explanation. That is how the fight happened. I was only trying to protect an innocent student, yet Elder Mu saw me as the villain."

As Haoran spoke, his words subtly twisted the narrative, painting himself as the tragic, noble savior while casting Mu Chen as a blind, prejudiced tyrant who let his personal feelings warp his duty as an educator.

He was lowkey trying to gaslight Ye Hongyan, feeding into her existing theory about Mu Chen’s bias against nobles, while simultaneously structuring the narrative to make her favor Haoran more.

By aligning himself with the victimized commoner, he completely dismantled any assumption that he was a spoiled aristocratic heir.

"This..." Ye Hongyan was speechless.

So that’s what happened? A righteous boy who only wanted to protect his friend from those arrogant young masters...yet was deemed a villain without even giving him a chance to explain?

Elder Mu, how could you be so blind? Was your trauma and prejudice that strong?

"Haoran...I apologized in his behalf." Ye Hongyan bit her lips in shame.

For an elder to bully a young...if he wasn’t her first love, someone she had been longing for a thousand years, she would’ve already broke his legs and make him kneel before Haoran so he can apologize.

"It’s fine, teacher. I understand where he is coming from." He smiled, tilting his head, "However, the two of you seems to share a past together. Are you two perhaps former dao companions?"

Ye Hongyan sighed at that, "If only."

Yes. If only. But back then, although they are very close and had even held hands and kissed once, they couldn’t continue their relationship.

The very first time they kissed, her father had saw them and immediately broke them apart.

She shook her head, "It’s nothing. It’s an old tale from a thousand years ago, I almost forgotten about it."

Haoran stared at her, but said nothing.

After a while, amidst the continuous flowing rhythm of their conversation, the two finally arrived at the grand library.

The massive double doors carved from ancient ironwood stood before them, radiating a faint, protective magical aura.

"Let’s go to my office," Ye Hongyan smiled at him, and right now, her tone was completely devoid of her usual academic distance.

During their conversation earlier, her affection for Haoran had subconsciously skyrocketed to an astonishing degree.

She found herself deeply impressed by his character, his profound humility, and his willingness to risk his own standing to protect those weaker than himself.

Now, she was really finding it hard to make excuses as to why Mu Chen was acting like that.

Her old feelings for her first love were, unknwon to her, starting to crack under the weight of his apparent irrationality and unfairness.

After all, Shen Haoran doesn’t seem like the type to bully the weak and use his family name to pressure those who aren’t born privileged.

He was friends with someone from the Eastern Region, also known across the continent as the Desolate Region—a place despised and looked down upon by the central aristocracy.

If you can be friends with someone from there, treating them as an equal and putting your own safety on the line for them, then you wouldn’t be like those wretched, arrogant nobles, right?

It seems Mu Chen completely failed to see that, blinded entirely by his own bitter past, and he simply got mad at the mere sight of a talented youth from a great family.

She sighed quietly, a cold, disappointing thought crossing her mind as she thought about her former lover.

’Why have you gotten so blind now that you’re older? Where did the wise, discerning man I used to know go?’

Finally, after traversing through the labyrinthine pathways of the main archives, the two arrived at her private office—a restricted sanctuary that no ordinary student, and certainly no male faculty member, had ever crossed.

Ye Hongyan unlocked the door with a specialized spiritual key and opened it, entering inside as she motioned for Haoran to come in.

"Please, make yourself at home."

Haoran entered, his eyes scanning the environment with genuine appreciation.

Her office was massive, with towering shelves of books and scrolls stretching up toward a vaulted ceiling painted with constellations.

The scent of old parchment, dried lavender, and concentrated spiritual ink filled the air, creating an atmosphere of absolute serenity and hidden knowledge.

"So tell me, what kind of book do you want to see? I have read everything here, so I can help you find exactly what you need," Ye Hongyan smiled at him, leaning against her grand mahogany desk, looking every bit the proud, scholarly sage.

Haoran shook his head, offering a mysterious little smile.

Instead of waiting for her guidance, he walked purposefully straight to the nearest shelf, reaching up to a specific, dusty corner, and took out a thick, leather-bound volume.

"This is the one I want, teacher."

Ye Hongyan blinked, her eyes widening in surprise as she read the title from the spine of the book. "Ah, that. Indeed, The Comprehensive Analysis of Primordial Soul Fractures. That isn’t something a student should be studying yet. The theories inside are incredibly deep, dealing with advanced Saint-realm spiritual manipulation. But... alright. However, you can’t take it out of here. The regulations regarding this section are absolute."

"Understood, teacher. In fact, I actually have a similar book," Haoran said smoothly, and with a flash of spiritual light from his storage ring, he took out another book, this one bound in dark, unmarked cloth. "I wanted to borrow yours just for a cross-reference to solve a specific bottleneck in my comprehension. Can I stay here for a while to study, teacher? I promise I won’t disturb your work."

"Mn. No problem," Ye Hongyan nodded, a warm, genuine smile gracing her lips as she found his dedication to higher learning incredibly refreshing. "I never have company in here, so I think a change should be quite nice. Feel free to use the reading area."

"Thank you, Teacher Ye," Haoran smiled and found a comfortable velvet couch and a low wooden coffee table nestled in the corner of the office.

He sat down, putting the two books down side by side on the table, opening them up as if preparing for a long session of intense academic research.

However, just as he was about to start to read, dipping his finger into the pages, his academy identity token inside his pocket suddenly started buzzing with a sharp, rhythmic vibration.

Ye Hongyan looked over, interrupting her own movements, as Haoran took out the identity token.

He tapped it, and a holographic communication screen snapped into existence in front of him, flashing with urgent, red-coded distress runes from his faction members.

At that moment, Haoran’s expression tightened into one of sudden, profound worry.

He snapped the token shut and turned towards her, standing up abruptly with an apologetic bow. "Apologies, teacher. My friends are looking for me, it’s quite urgent. Something has apparently gone wrong within our villa. I’ll have to visit you another day to finish this."

Without waiting for a formal response, acting entirely on his stated instinct to protect his companions, Haoran bolted out of the room, his form vanishing through the doorway in a flurry of motion.

Ye Hongyan noticed that his personal book was left behind on the table, still lying open next to the library’s volume. "Ah, wait, Haoran—! You forgot your—"

But it was too late.

The door clicked shut, and his aura rapidly faded down the hallway.

She sighed, shaking her head with a wry, deeply affectionate smile. ’That kid, he really cares about his friends more than his own studies. The moment they need him, he doesn’t hesitate for a second.’

Intending to pack his book away safely so she could return it to him during the next lecture, she walked towards the table and picked up the two books.

However, her movements suddenly paused, her entire body going entirely rigid as her eyes locked onto the bold, stylized title printed across the cover of Haoran’s personal book.

[My Beautiful and Aloof Teacher Falls In Love With Me]

Her breath hitched, and a deep, burning crimson blush exploded across her face, completely shattering her aloof, sage-like composure.

"Eh...?"