After nine lifetimes of reincarnation, the yandere villainous heroine descends.

As Si Anhe busied herself at the stove, the sun gradually sank in the west, and twilight quietly crept into the courtyard.

She hadn't cooked in a long time, so her fingertips were inevitably a bit rusty.

The chopping and stir-frying were somewhat sluggish, as they busied themselves around the long-abandoned stove.

It took almost half an hour of work to finally bring a steaming table of dishes to the wooden table in the main room.

Inside the main room, a newly lit red candle stood quietly on the corner of the table, its flame flickering gently.

A warm yellow light spread out, softly casting the figures of Si Anhe and Shen Shuchou onto the mottled wall, and also illuminating the fragrant dishes on the table.

The steam, carrying a rich aroma, slowly spread through the small main room, filling it with the warmth of everyday life.

Si Anhe rested her chin on her hands, her elbows on the edge of the table, her bright, peach-blossom eyes filled with anticipation.

Staring intently at Shen Shuchou across from him, the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide: "Try it and see if it's good."

Looking at her expectant expression, Shen Shuchou gently picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of stir-fried meat that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and slowly put it into his mouth.

The moment the tip of your tongue touches the slice of meat, a rich aroma explodes between your lips and teeth, and layers of flavor entwine your taste buds, reaching straight to your heart.

"How is it? Is it delicious?"

Seeing him savoring it carefully, Si Anhe leaned forward slightly, her tone full of barely suppressed anticipation.

Shen Shuchou swallowed the food in his mouth, looked up at her, smiled softly, and said with a firm and sincere tone, "Delicious, very delicious."

Upon hearing this affirmative answer, Si Anhe's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile, her tone tinged with tenderness and affection: "If it's delicious, little brother, eat more."

As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and put several bites of food into Shen Shuchou's bowl, then continued softly, "I know you've been cultivating in the Qingxuan Holy Land for the past few years, and you haven't been able to enjoy these home-cooked meals. Now that you've finally come out of the Holy Land, you should eat more and replenish your strength."

The candlelight continued to flicker gently, making the tender scene between the two even more serene, while in the distance, a snow-white figure stood steadfastly in the sky.

Through the long night, his cool eyes took in the warmth of the room, and a subtle emotion, hard for others to detect, flickered in his calm gaze.

After a simple dinner, Si Anhe continued to whisper to Shen Shuchou.

We talked for a long time, every word and phrase a longing etched in our hearts over the years.

His eyes and brows were filled with unconcealed longing, which he only stopped when night fell and all was quiet.

Shen Shuchou got up to take his leave and slowly walked into the inner room, where he lay down on the newly made bed.

But he had only been lying down for a moment when the door was gently pushed open, and Si Anhe slowly walked in.

She had already changed out of the gentle blue dress she wore during the day, and was now dressed only in a plain-colored, close-fitting soft satin dress, with a thin ribbon tied around her waist, outlining her graceful figure.

The moonlight, like molten silver, flowed into the room, bathing Si Anhe's figure in its soft glow.

It has no trace of vulgarity, but rather exudes a youthful and innocent charm, like a flower blooming under the moon, gentle yet alluring.

"younger brother."

She called softly, her voice as gentle as if it had been warmed by water.

Shen Shuchou looked up at the sound and saw this scene. He then recalled the unusual look in her eyes when she looked at him during the day.

My heart skipped a beat, and my body instinctively froze on the bed, momentarily at a loss for how to react.

She slowly raised her hand, wrapped it around Shen Shuchou's arm, gently rested her cheek on his shoulder, and murmured softly, her voice filled with emotions she had suppressed for a long time: "Little brother, I've missed you so much all these years."

"Sister, you already said that."

Shen Shuchou's body stiffened.

Si Anhe gently shook her head, raised her eyes to look at him, her eyes full of allure and tenderness.

"They're different."

She retorted softly, her fingertips slightly gripping his fabric, a hint of shyness in her voice, "This is not what I meant."

"In the past, I only regarded you as a substitute for my deceased brother. I only wanted to protect you, raise you, and do my best as a sister."

Her voice grew softer, her gaze fixed on Shen Shuchou's face, uttering each word with utmost deliberation.

"But gradually, my sister became dissatisfied. When she looked at you, what she was thinking was no longer just the simple affection between siblings."

"Now that I see you again, I'm even more certain that I don't want to be just your older sister anymore."

As she finished speaking, the tenderness and allure in her eyes lingered on Shen Shuchou.

Feeling the increasingly hot air and seeing Si Anhe's body gradually soften beside him, Shen Shuchou reached out and gently pushed her away.

This push caused Si Anhe's body to freeze abruptly.

Immediately afterwards, his cool voice rang in my ears.

"I've always only ever thought of you as my older sister."

Outside the window, Lu Wanheng coldly took in this scene.

She had been silent in the Temple of the Holy Maiden for many years, and the coldness had long since seeped into her bones. She knew nothing about love between men and women.

Looking at the scene inside the room, she suddenly felt a surge of irritability, and an impulse almost overwhelmed her reason.

She wanted to rush in and snatch Shen Shuchou to her side, and a hint of murderous intent quietly grew within her.

Just as she was about to lose control, the shadow inside the room moved.

Si Anhe slowly sat up from the couch, her movements as light as a falling leaf. With her back to Shen Shuchou, her voice was so low and hoarse it was almost inaudible: "Sister...you're overthinking it."

"Little brother, go to sleep early."

After saying that, she got up and walked out of the room with slightly unsteady steps. The door was gently closed, shutting out the candlelight inside and the moonlight outside.

On the bed, Shen Shuchou stared at the empty space beside him, the faint fragrance she had left behind still lingering in his nostrils, while his fingertips still felt the cool touch of her skin when she had pushed him away.

Shen Shuchou remained silent for a long time, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the folds of the bedding.

This scene was all too familiar; in his previous lives, similar entanglements had always appeared in his life.

He couldn't deny that Si Anhe had indeed helped him a great deal during the first four years of his life.

That's why he genuinely regarded her as his own sister.

When they met again after five years, he almost instinctively rejected this sudden declaration of love.

But watching Si Anhe's lonely figure leave, a sense of sorrow still welled up in his heart.

Having gone through several lifetimes, he had already seen clearly that, apart from the female lead in this life, there would be others who would inevitably become entangled with him and ultimately suffer the same tragic end.

He once thought that as long as he kept his distance from anyone other than the female lead, he could avoid those predetermined paths.

In the end, what was destined to happen still happened, as if their existence was only meant to push the story to a predetermined ending.

But in this life, Shen Shuchou doesn't want to do that again.

Is there another way to rewrite those destined-to-be-sad endings?

At least for Si Anhe, the person who had protected him for four years, he wanted to give it a try.

The warmth of the bed gradually dissipated, but Shen Shuchou could no longer fall asleep.

He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the lonely moon in the courtyard.

Outside the window, Lu Wanheng could clearly see his figure standing there.

She didn't understand why he suddenly stood gazing at the moon, nor did she understand what kind of past was hidden in the complex emotions in his eyes.

But she felt as if he were enveloped in a faint light, causing a barely perceptible ripple to spread across her cold heart once again.

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Starting from Wang'an Town, Shen Shuchou and Si Anhe traveled south, resting by day and night, until they finally arrived at the desolate ancient land beyond the border of the Southern Continent.

This ancient land in the southern wilderness before us is completely covered by desert. The spiritual energy in the air is thin, and instead, there is a scorching heat that makes people extremely uncomfortable.

"This is the ancient, wild land."

Shen Shuchou gazed at the scene before him and spoke slowly.

"Yes, this is the place."

Si Anhe stood to the side and responded softly.

"This place is also known as the land of disorder. There are still sects on the outskirts, but the deeper you go into the heartland, the more disorder disappears and the more dangerous it becomes."

"Little brother, are you really going in?"

Si Anhe asked softly.

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuchou simply nodded slightly.

In this life, his talent was ordinary. If he remained trapped in the comfort of the Holy Maiden's Palace, his cultivation would stagnate.

Only in this wild and ancient land, where danger and opportunity coexist, is it possible for him to break through his bottleneck.

"No matter how dangerous it is, your sister will protect you."

Si Anhe did not hesitate for a moment, her tone firm and unquestionable.

"You don't have to..."

Shen Shuchou wanted to persuade her to stay on the outskirts.

"You're talking nonsense again."

Si Anhe interrupted him, her peach blossom eyes fixed on him.

She said, word by word, "I'm your older sister. If I don't protect you, who will? Besides, I'm not necessarily worse than Lu Wanheng."

Looking into those clear eyes, Shen Shuchou swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and finally just nodded in silence.

Since that night, Si Anhe has never mentioned it again, but Shen Shuchou could clearly feel that her gaze towards him was becoming more and more intense each day.