Chapter 23 I Want to Live with Her, Yu Xing is Troubled by Her Own Charm…

Chapter 23: I Want to Live with Her

Yu Xing was frustrated by her own appeal...

Leaving Xie Zhi’s home, Yu Xing’s mood was heavy.

Having spent years living in a psychiatric hospital surrounded by people who weren’t normal, Yu Xing had never faced a situation like today.

After she relayed the driver’s last words, the haggard woman before her suddenly became extremely agitated, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite her overwhelming emotions, she remained restrained—her tears fell silently, her body unmoving, save for the uncontrollable trembling that betrayed her pain.

She was like a tree, silently enduring all storms and suffering.

She cried like this for ten minutes before finally speaking, her voice hoarse but calm. "He left for work before dawn and didn’t return until midnight. Even though we lived together, our daughter rarely saw him. A few days ago, her condition worsened, and she kept asking for her father, but the company wouldn’t approve his leave. He didn’t dare skip work either, because losing his job meant our daughter’s medicine would be cut off. He always said he felt like a bird trapped in a cage..."

The four got into the car wordlessly, leaving the neighborhood and entering the main road, gradually departing from District D.

Passing through the towering city walls, the lively District C beyond seemed like another world entirely. Yu Xing rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window.

Perhaps unable to bear the stifling atmosphere in the car, Su Wenmo, staring straight ahead, said, "Things like this... are actually quite common. You’ll get used to it after joining the Divine Chosen Team."

Yu Xing, in a slump, retorted, "Have *you* gotten used to it?"

Su Wenmo didn’t answer, and neither did the other two. The rest of the journey passed in silence.

The car drove all the way to District B. Possibly to lighten the mood, Su Wenmo asked Yu Xing, "Do you want to stop by the school before heading to the church?"

Yu Xing was puzzled. "Why? I already took leave yesterday."

"Well... don’t you want to check on your two boyfriends?" Su Wenmo coughed awkwardly. "I heard they dueled over you yesterday and got pretty badly injured."

Yu Xing: "???"

She wasn’t surprised that the story had spread like this—she *knew* that’s exactly what had happened. What shocked her was how Su Wenmo knew about it.

"How’d *you* find out?" Yu Xing was stunned.

Su Wenmo glanced sideways at Bai Qinghe, then bit back a laugh. "You’re a total celebrity on your school’s forum. All your news is posted there."

Yu Xing: Huh?

Despite having been here for so long, Yu Xing had never paid attention to the school forum. Was she really *that* famous at Seventh Middle School?

Baffled, Yu Xing pulled out her terminal and found the school forum. The moment she opened it, she was met with a post that left her completely floored.

"Yu Xing is just toying with Gu Ya!"

Yu Xing: ???

What the hell? She recognized every word, but put together, they made no sense.

Clicking in, she was greeted by the OP’s essay-length analysis.

[Fans of the Yu Xing x Gu Ya ship, stay out! If you get hurt, it’s your own fault! Anyone who insults me gets blocked...]

Yu Xing: "..."

She clutched her chest, feeling like she’d stumbled upon something outrageous. *This is so weird... but I need to see more.*

[...Everyone’s probably seen that infamous "park play" video, right? But if you look closely, you’ll notice Gu Ya’s eyes are filled with hatred. He *hates* Yu Xing. And why wouldn’t he? No man would tolerate sharing his girl.

Let’s not forget—there were *three* people in that video!!

Gu Ya’s love for Yu Xing is undeniable. He shot *that* kind of video *for her sake*, and he even dueled Mei Hexuan *for her*.

But look at how Yu Xing treats him! She’s entangled with multiple men *and* women. Not only did she leak Gu Ya’s private video on the forum, but she also publicly kissed Mei Hexuan *while* in a relationship with Gu Ya.

Isn’t this downright cruel? If she cared *at all* for Gu Ya, she wouldn’t do this!

She’s *using* Gu Ya—playing with his body and toying with his emotions. Just wait, their relationship won’t last. They’ll break up sooner or later.

But given Gu Ya’s personality, he won’t take being dumped lying down. Who knows what drama he’ll unleash when it happens.]

Yu Xing: "..."

Yu Xing gaped. This OP was *full of* nonsense!

Did *she* want to have a threesome with Gu Ya in the park? *No!* Gu Ya was the one who insisted—she was just fulfilling *his* desires!

Did *she* leak the video? *No!* Someone *stole* her terminal, and someone else posted it!

And as for kissing Mei Hexuan in public—how’s *that* on her? What woman *wouldn’t* be tempted when a stunning, ice prince like Mei Hexuan confessed to her? Her heart had *split* in his presence.

It broke into two pieces—and each piece fell for a different man...

What *really* got her was that the replies below the post *backed* the OP’s *crack theory*.

[OP’s cooking. I never thought Yu Xing actually liked Gu Ya.]

[I don’t get why anyone would like Gu Ya. Sure, he’s good-looking and comes from a wealthy family, but anyone who likes him is just gold-digging, not *him*.]

[Yu Xing’s true love is Mei Hexuan!!!]

[Copium much? Yu Xing’s true love is *Yun Dai*! They even *slept over*!]

[Hot take: I think Yu Xing’s real love is Yun Dai. Think about it—everyone knows Gu Ya’s rage issues. If Yu Xing had even a *little* affection for Mei Hexuan, why would she pull this *now*? Wasn’t she afraid Gu Ya would go nuclear on Mei Hexuan?

And guess what? Gu Ya *did* retaliate. That’s why I think Mei Hexuan is just a beard—someone Yu Xing used to draw Gu Ya’s hatred and protect her *real* lover. If neither Gu Ya nor Mei Hexuan are her true love, then the answer is obvious.

Yu Xing has been protecting Yun Dai *in her own way*!!]

[AHHHHH I SHIP IT I SHIP IT!!!]

[XingYun is REAL! XingYun is SO SWEET!!]

[Another day crying over their beautiful love story T_T...]

At this point, Yu Xing had reached her limit. These people had twisted logic to reach the *wildest* take. Unable to tolerate the slander, she decided to clap back.

She replied:

[Can you all *stop* making things up? Is it so hard to believe that Yu Xing likes *both* Gu Ya *and* Mei Hexuan?]

OP *snapped back* swiftly.

[I *told* Yu Xing x Gu Ya shippers to stay out. Can’t you delulu stans keep your fantasies to yourselves?]

Yu Xing: "..."

She quickly exited the post. Reading any further would make her *actually* spit blood. The next post down was about yesterday’s incident.

"Shocking! The school heartthrob and school bully bleeding on campus was all because of..."

Clicking through showed a video of the scene from yesterday afternoon where Yu Xing and the robot escorted Gu Ya and two others to the infirmary.

The OP described it like they were there, as if they had personally witnessed the duel between Gu Ya and Mei Hexuan.

Su Wenmo probably found out about yesterday's incident from this post.

Yu Xing sighed and exited the thread, scrolling down only to be startled—the whole forum front page was filled with posts about her.

Jesus...

Don't these people have lives? Or do they just have too little homework...

Yu Xing put down her terminal and said flatly, "Let's go straight to the church."

The dean had a point yesterday—she shouldn't provoke Gu Ya and Mei Hexuan anymore. If they wanted to see her, they could contact her and meet outside school. Meeting either of them alone on campus would only set the other one off.

"Not going to Seventh Middle School?" Su Wenmo turned around with gossip in her eyes. "Is it true what the posts say—that both guys are just beards, and your real love is that girl named Yun Dai?"

Yu Xing: "..."

The church was just a park away from Seventh Middle School. Su Wenmo turned the hover car around, and in less than a minute, they stopped at the foot of the church steps.

Yu Xing got out, and Li Sen waved at her. "Study hard! Maybe we'll be teammates someday!"

Yu Xing thought, *Keep dreaming—I'm not joining the Divine Chosen Team.*

Su Wenmo yawned. "We're going back to get some sleep, so we won't go up!"

Bai Qinghe added calmly, "Whether you join the Divine Chosen Team or not, make sure to study well in the church. It'll benefit you."

Yu Xing nodded, turned, and waved as she went up the tall steps.

When she reached the top and arrived at the church entrance, she was stunned—where was the church door?!

The spot where the door used to be was now a slightly rounded hole, like it'd been blown open. Yu Xing was shocked. Did some evil god attack? Who else would dare bomb a church?

As she stood there stunned in the plaza before the church, a young woman in the white robes of the clergy approached, her expression icy. In a cold voice, she asked, "New Divine Chosen here to report?"

"Huh?" Yu Xing was slow to respond. "Oh, yes!"

The woman remained expressionless. "Name?"

"Yu Xing."

Only then did the woman's expression shift slightly. Her gray, emotionless eyes looked Yu Xing up and down before asking, "Beloved of the God of Misfortune?"

"Yes."

"Follow me." The woman turned and strode forward without another word.

Yu Xing hurried after her, unable to contain her curiosity. "What happened to the church door?"

The woman's face remained wooden, clearly having been asked this many times today. She replied coldly, "Mind your own business."

Behind the church stood an extremely tall spire. Yu Xing estimated it was as tall as the Oriental Pearl Tower. Strangely, she'd never spotted it before approaching the tower—not even when viewing the church from a distance.

Beyond the tower were the clergy's residences, mostly single-story buildings, the tallest only two stories high.

In the center was a sports field, likely where the clergy exercised.

A few youths around Yu Xing's age were scattered around the field. Upon closer look, several were familiar—the same ones who had been at the church with her yesterday.

"Wait here," the ice queen said. "Dorms will be assigned once everyone arrives."

With that, she turned and left, presumably to get the others.

Now, the vast sports field was occupied only by a group of unfamiliar youths. They stood awkwardly, exchanging glances in awkward silence.

After a while, Zhao Lan—a girl Yu Xing sort of recognized—stepped forward. "Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Zhao Lan, from Three Cities. Currently living in Seven Cities, B District. I worship the God of Frost."

Zhao Lan's skin wasn't pale but a healthy tone. Her demeanor was mature yet vibrant, the kind of person you instantly like.

Following her lead, the others began introducing themselves.

"I'm Da Ya," said a girl with bouncy brown curls and intense eyes. "Local to Seven Cities, B District. I worship the Rain God."

The Rain God? Yu Xing gave Da Ya a curious look. What powers did a Rain God Chosen have? Could she make it rain?

A slender boy stepped forward. "I'm Ke Yuan, from Seven Cities, C District. I worship the God of Steel."

Ke Yuan seemed nervous, not as comfortable as the others. After speaking, he immediately stepped back, back straight but hands clenched tight.

*Dude's got confidence issues,* Yu Xing thought.

"I'm Fei Mingming," another boy said, nose in the air. "From Seven Cities, A District."

He paused, as if waiting for a reaction.

Zhao Lan and Da Ya showed none, but Ke Yuan looked uncomfortable.

Fei Mingming continued, "I worship the Plant God. We'll be together for months—maybe even teammates someday. I hope we get along. Let's be friends."

...

Finally, only Yu Xing remained. She held her ground and said, "I'm Yu Xing, I—"

"I know you!" Fei Mingming cut in, his weird green eyes locked onto her. "You're the first Beloved of the God of Misfortune!"

At that, all eyes locked onto Yu Xing.

Yu Xing mentally sighed. She considered herself low-key, but the universe had other ideas—wherever she went, she was the center of attention.

"Yes..." she said matter-of-factly. "Local to Seven Cities, D District."

Everyone stared harder. Fei Mingming blurted, "D District? So you're a—Defective?!"

He immediately covered his mouth, realizing how bad that sounded.

Yu Xing was used to it. Since arriving in this world, she'd been called far worse to her face. She didn't care—after all, those who insulted her usually wound up chasing her.

"Yeah, I'm a Defective," she said indifferently. "I worship the God of Misfortune."

The group exchanged glances, disbelief in their eyes.

They all knew what being a deity's first Beloved meant. But the God of Misfortune's first chosen being a Defective? They couldn't wrap their heads around it. Why would a god favor someone like her?

For a moment, no one spoke, and the atmosphere grew awkward once more.

Until the frosty clergywoman brought over another girl—one Yu Xing vaguely recognized as the Moon God's Beloved from the day before.

The girl walked over without even glancing at Yu Xing or the others, her gaze fixed upward the entire time.

Yu Xing couldn’t help but worry: Was she going to trip walking like that?

"Alright, everyone’s here," the clergywoman said. "Someone will come soon to take you to your dorm. After settling in, remember to return here immediately. I’ll take you for your medical examinations."

With that, the clergywoman walked away, taking out her communicator as if to contact someone.

The group of teenagers stood there, waiting for someone to lead them to their dorms. Suddenly, Fei Mingming edged closer to the new girl and said, "Hey, why don’t you introduce yourself? We’ve all gotten to know each other already. I’m Fei Mingming, from District-A. I worship the Plant God."

To everyone’s surprise, the girl immediately rolled her eyes and took a step away, exclaiming in disgust, "Who said you could stand so close to me? You’re contaminating my personal space!"

Everyone: "..."

Fei Mingming’s smile froze on his face, his expression blank, as if stunned by the sudden rejection.

When he finally snapped out of it, he snapped angrily. "What did you just say? Say it again!"

The girl turned her head and looked down at him with disdain. "The Plant God you worship is nothing but a lesser god. I worship the Moon God. One day, I’ll be a Cardinal. How dare you stand next to me?"

Fei Mingming was so furious he was speechless, his face flushed with suppressed fury.

Yu Xing watched with amusement. The outside world really was more entertaining than the mental hospital, and the people here were far more interesting than the patients.

The others stood by, watching the spectacle—after all, Fei Mingming’s earlier behavior had made him unpopular.

Just then, another clergy member in a white robe approached. A young man, he glanced at the group before checking his ledger and saying, "Follow me."

Fei Mingming let out a loud huff and was the first to trail behind the young man.

They were led to a small courtyard, not particularly spacious, with three sides lined with identical white doors—clearly the dormitories.

The young man consulted his ledger. "Ruan Xue, Bai Hua, you two are in Room 1."

"Fei Mingming, Ke Yuan, Room 2."

"Miao Yuanjin, Zhao Lan—"

Before he could finish, a sharp voice cut in. "No!"

The young man paused and turned to the speaker—Miao Yuanjin, the sole Moon God's Beloved in their group.

"I refuse to share a room!" Miao Yuanjin’s reaction was extreme, her golden locks practically trembling with outrage. "This place is hardly acceptable as it is, and now you expect me to room with someone else? Absolutely not!"

The young man didn’t even blink. "We have an even number of participants, so everyone will share a room."

"I don’t care!" Miao Yuanjin crossed her arms, her tone commanding. "Assign me a single. I demand to live alone."

The others watched nervously. How dare Miao Yuanjin speak to a clergy member like that? She must have such audacity.

But some also thought she must be extraordinary—a Moon God's Beloved was a rare talent, and her expensive designer clothes suggested a noble lineage.

Fei Mingming, meanwhile, was thrilled. Though he wouldn’t dare challenge Miao Yuanjin himself, he was eager to see her taken down a peg.

"In that case," the young man said, his tone indifferent as he marked the page with his slender fingers, "you may leave."

Everyone froze. Even Miao Yuanjin was stunned. "What?"

"Leave. There’s no need for you to continue your training here," the young man replied calmly. "If you can’t accept the church’s arrangements, you have no place here."

Miao Yuanjin’s breast rose and fell dramatically, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury. "Do you have any idea who my grandfather—"

She cut herself off, then sneered. "Fine. I’m leaving. As if I ever wanted to be here!"

She turned sharply to go.

Just as she did, the young man added coolly, "You may not realize this, but without ecclesiastical credentials, no Divine Chosen Team—not even the military—will accept you."

Miao Yuanjin’s back stiffened. She stood motionless, facing away from the group for a long moment.

Finally, she turned around—and everyone was shocked to see her face wet with tears.

Clearly, she had never been treated like this before. Her tear-reddened eyes burned at the young man as she spat out, "You’re doing this on purpose. You’re targeting me."

The young man frowned impatiently. "If you’re leaving, hurry up. You’ve already wasted enough of everyone’s time."

Miao Yuanjin shook with indignation, her fists clenched so tightly Yu Xing worried she'd hyperventilate.

At last, Miao Yuanjin closed her eyes in surrender and relented. "Fine. I’ll share a room—but not with her." She pointed at Zhao Lan.

The young man nodded. "Agreed."

"Then I want to room with her!" Miao Yuanjin’s finger swung toward someone else.

Everyone followed her gesture—until Yu Xing gulped. "Me?"

First surprised, then resigned, she thought wryly, *Honestly, my appeal is becoming problematic. I’ve barely arrived and already won a girl’s heart.*

"Approved." The young man glanced at Yu Xing without objection. "Miao Yuanjin and Yu Xing, Room 3."

Yu Xing hitched her pack higher with a sigh, only to hear Miao Yuanjin declare, "If I *must* share a room, then it’ll be with the God of Misfortune's primary Beloved. Only someone like her is even marginally suitable for a Moon God's Beloved like me."

By then, Yu Xing had already pushed open the door to Room 3.

Then Fei Mingming’s mocking voice chimed in: "Except she’s just a Defective from District-D."

Yu Xing turned back just in time to see Miao Yuanjin go rigid. Tears still streaming, her eyes went blank, her whole body teetering like her world had collapsed.

Room 3 had ample natural light and was generously proportioned. Two beds stood against opposite walls, divided by drapes. Desks, chairs, closets—all amenities were included, with only the bathroom shared.

Yu Xing was thoroughly pleased. This was a vast improvement over her former quarters.