The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Ye Qingqing, you shameless slut!" He turned his head and glared at the terrified Ye Qingqing with bloodshot eyes, gritting his teeth as he said, "No wonder Young Master Luo broke off the engagement with you!"

I inquired with many people, and they only said that you were unable to adapt to life on the mainland of Lan Jinxi due to poor health, which led to the annulment of the engagement. Only Mr. Ouyang's words at the time were somewhat ambiguous, but I assumed that my father, being his beloved student, was inevitably showing some favoritism and didn't think much of it.

So you're really so unchaste!

I will tear you adulterers to pieces!

Upon hearing Duan Lang's last words, Ye Qingqing felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She trembled as she recovered from her shock and saw that he had already found the sword he always carried and that blood was about to spill on the spot.

Summoning courage from who knows where, she rushed forward, almost naked, and grabbed the other person's legs, crying pitifully, "I was forced into this engagement by my mother! I am a victim of arranged marriage!"

If you're going to kill, then kill both of us!

Think carefully before you act. If you kill someone, your career will be completely over! At least we'll both die together, and you'll be happy, while you'll go from a triumphant new top scholar to a prisoner!

Ji Ningyu, trembling all over, clutched her bleeding buttocks and collapsed to the ground, terrified and at a loss for what to do.

"You wretch!" Duan Lang trembled with rage, but his sword did not actually pierce through.

Watching the commotion, the little white cat saw that he was actually enveloped by the female lead's intelligence-lowering aura, and slapped his thigh and sighed, "You're not really a bookworm who got the top score in the exam, are you?"

Is it because they're worried about saving face and don't want to make a scene?

Then castrate the men first!

"Sigh... You're really doomed. Judging from your condition, the script team probably still has a chance to salvage the situation. The host and I have tried our best to help you get rid of this cuckold's horns, but you insisted on wearing them yourself, so there's nothing we can do about it."

Jiang Chen looked at the script, which was already being updated, and wondered why there was no movement at all.

Could it be that the little white cat is incompetent?

Should I use the Horcrux to help the newly crowned champion catch a girl?

With this in mind, he closed his eyes and manipulated the Soul Weapon to enter Duan Lang's room.

Just then, Duan Lang, having experienced extreme anger and forcibly suppressed his rage, threw a piece of clothing to Ye Qingqing with trembling right hand; then he dragged the limp Ji Ningyu to the guest room and called people to tie her up and temporarily detain her in the woodshed under the pretext of theft.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Some Rejoice, Some Sorrow

After Duan Lang swiftly dealt with the mess, he sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, took two sips, and almost crushed the teacup with his right hand as he forced himself to calm down and seriously consider how to handle the situation.

The incident happened so suddenly and intensely that he felt numb in the back of his head and was completely dazed.

My father taught me from a young age that the more easily impulsive a situation is, the more I need to remain calm.

Now that things have come to this, how we handle each step from here on out is crucial; otherwise, if something goes wrong, it could lead to utter ruin.

Ye Qingqing's affair with a man was the fault of that adulterous couple. She hadn't yet consummated the relationship and still had a way out. There was no need for her to jeopardize her reputation and career for two shameless scumbags.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to break off the engagement, but the real reason must be covered up, otherwise how can a dignified scholar and a seven-foot-tall man save face?

The woman he was so eager to marry was in the bathroom with another man at their engagement party. Not only would he become a laughingstock, but the entire Duan family would be disgraced.

Secondly, no matter how much you hate them, you can't deal with these two people on the airship. Ye Qingqing is right about one thing: you must not ruin your bright future with your own hands!

Finally, that pretty boy must not be let off the hook!

But Ye Qingqing...

The thought of her face filled Duan Lang with hatred, anger, and pain. How much he cherished her!

She is so shameless, repaying herself with such a humiliating disgrace!

"Someone, go and invite Madam Ye over." After calming down, Duan Lang was quite satisfied with the excuse he had used to lock up the pretty boy in his anger.

Theft is a crime that is very difficult for gigolos to prove and clear their names.

After all, it was he who had helped Ye Qingqing bring him to the second-class guest room floor in front of everyone not long ago, so only this excuse would not arouse suspicion that there was something else going on.

After breaking off the engagement with Ye Qingqing and severing ties with that harlot, I'll secretly find an opportunity to get rid of them both!

No matter what happens in the future, she has nothing to do with him, so he naturally won't tarnish his reputation.

Duan Lang sent someone to fetch Madam Ye, and then immediately interrogated Ye Qingqing about whether she was hiding anything else. The ink in the inkstone on the desk was still wet, and there seemed to be other physical evidence that could humiliate her.

Whether it's poetry or letters, we must get our hands on them to prevent future troubles!

"I see, no wonder you're the top scholar." Jiang Chen nodded and smiled after hearing the white cat's report. "Anyone else who saw that scene would be furious and might even call for help to make a big scene and kill Ji Ningyu and Ye Qingqing."

But if he did that, Duan Lang, the star of tonight's banquet, would be truly adorned with a green hat.

Although it wasn't his fault, how could a top scholar like him be reduced to a laughingstock and a topic of conversation?

If I'm not mistaken, he'll definitely find an excuse to call off the engagement first.

If they were even more cunning, they would have secretly taken care of those two.

They threw the airship out in the middle of the night, leaving no trace of its body. Who would doubt the bright future of this top scholar?

Most people would assume that Miss Ye, having been repeatedly rejected in her engagements, lost all face and jumped ship to her death; and that Ji Ningyu, a thief in the last class with no relatives or friends, probably also committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Even if there are any suspicions, who would go against Duan Lang without evidence?

However, if he were a timid and cautious person, he probably wouldn't have made a move on the airship; in that case, the scriptwriters would have plenty to work with.

The little white cat's eyes darted around in circles. "This is so complicated and convoluted! What's next? What should we do?"

"Of course, we just sleep and wait for the script to be updated. What else is there to do?"

"Uh... are they just going to abandon the male and female leads like that?"

Jiang Chen lay on the bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and asked with a puzzled look, "Why should we care about them? Taking care of them is something the script team should be racking their brains to do."

We've already let Duan Lang know the truth and prevented him from being cuckolded. The remaining focus is, of course, on figuring out how to stop the airship from crashing.

Go blow out the candles and go to sleep.

"Oh, okay." The little white cat still didn't quite understand, but since its host had said so, there must be no problem.

It hopped over and extinguished all the candles in the room, then jumped onto the bed and curled up in its host's arms for a comfortable nap.

That night, some were happy while others were sad.

Most people enjoyed a relaxing and pleasant journey, ate their fill, and slept soundly after joining in the fun; but Duan Lang barely slept a wink all night.

Madam Ye, who had already retired for the night, was in a good mood and slept soundly because her daughter had finally come to terms with things and found a good family. However, she was suddenly woken up in the middle of the night and almost fainted from fright when she went to her new son-in-law's room.

"What happened? Qingqing, what's wrong with you?" Madam Ye saw her daughter lying naked on the ground, only wearing a man's coat, crying uncontrollably. There were also bloodstains near the bathroom. Meanwhile, her new son-in-law, Duan Lang, sat at the table with a long face and only gave her a cold glance when she entered.

She rushed forward to help her daughter up and ask what had happened, but Qingqing just kept crying and wouldn't say a word.

"Madam Ye, I originally thought that although the Ye family had declined, at least its reputation as a prominent family remained. As the daughter of the Ye family, her manners and behavior should not be too bad." Duan Lang sat there without moving, his voice low and cold as he sneered, "What a fine young lady! What a girl who never leaves her boudoir!"

What are they saying? And what are they doing?

They really are educated, yet they've become even worse!

Even those lowly women in brothels aren't as adept at playing tricks as your daughter!

Madam Ye had just woken up and was at a loss when she saw this scene. Hearing what he said, she calmed down and said, "Young master, don't be anxious. Tell me what happened."

If it is indeed my daughter's fault, it is not too late for me to teach her.

What could have been a joyous engagement night escalated to this point?

"Teaching?" Duan Lang threw a sketch over and gritted his teeth, saying, "Is this how the Ye family teaches unmarried girls to draw portraits like this? To hide men in bathtubs?"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Madam Ye's face turned pale and her whole body trembled as she turned to look at her daughter, but Ye Qingqing could only cry and didn't offer a single word of explanation.

A sketch floated by, and she instinctively grabbed it and glanced at it. Her daughter's posture was alluring, her eyes and movements more wanton than a prostitute's. She was almost completely naked, her body barely visible under the light gauze, and she was wearing a token of love given to her by Lord Duan around her neck.

"Qingqing, you..." Madam Ye's hands trembled so much she could barely hold the painting. She leaned down and asked in a trembling voice, "Who painted this? Is the person in this painting really you?"

Since things had come to this point, anything she said would be wrong, so Ye Qingqing just kept crying.

Enraged, Madam Ye grabbed her hair and forced her face up. Her head of gold and jade hairpins was slightly disheveled, her fair face was streaked with tears, and she was loosely wrapped in a large men's robe, which gave her a pitiful and endearing look.

Duan Lang continued to sneer, "The painting is secondary. What's truly remarkable is your skill in hiding a man in the bathtub. I was almost fooled."

The adulterer is currently being held in the woodshed by me on charges of theft.

"Mrs. Ye, what do you think should be done about this?"

"Is it true? Is it really true?!" She was so anxious and angry that she grabbed Ye Qingqing by the neck and screamed, "What are you thinking? Where did this random man come from? I don't know anything about him!"

"Madam Ye, don't worry. As the saying goes, to catch a thief, you need to catch him red-handed; to catch an adulterer, you need to catch them in the act. I can take you to see him."

Ah, that adulterer was soaking wet, still smelling of lingering perfume from the bathtub. And look at the shoes hidden here—I can't possibly accuse them of slander!

Duan Lang lifted the long, heavy curtain, revealing a pair of worn men's shoes hidden inside.

Those old, coarse black cloth shoes were so shabby that even the servants in the second-class cabins wouldn't wear them; their owner was clearly a man living in the lower class.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: It Was You?

"Slap!" A crisp, loud slap landed on Ye Qingqing's face.

Madam Ye was furious and hit her hard, and Ye Qingqing's fair face quickly became red and swollen with half of a handprint.

"Take me to see that adulterer and find out what happened before I deal with you!" After beating him, Madam Ye turned around with red eyes and bowed to Duan Lang, saying, "Lord Duan, it was my fault for not teaching you properly and disciplining you strictly, which led to Qingqing having no sense of shame and drawing such a thing."

"Please grant me a moment, sir. I need to question that wild man and find out what happened. Once things are clear, whether to punish him, be punished, or if there are other procedures will be entirely up to you, sir."

Duan Lang saw that Madam Ye did not shirk her responsibilities and that her words and actions were befitting of a matriarch of a noble family.

Moreover, Ye Qingqing's affair does not necessarily mean that Madam Ye is reckless. Therefore, he nodded and said, "The whole story does need to be clarified. I will trouble Madam to make the trip herself."

The pageboy had already messed things up once and couldn't be trusted. Besides, this matter concerned his reputation, so Duan Lang had no choice but to get up and go to the woodshed with Madam Ye himself, ordering someone to guard the door and not allow anyone to enter or leave.

Ji Ningyu was in pain and scared. She had been beaten, kicked, tied up, and locked in a dark woodshed. She hung her head and wept, lamenting her bad luck.

Recalling the strange encounter he had in the wooden barrel, he couldn't help but feel something was amiss.

I think I was scratched by something earlier; my neck still feels burning and sticky. With such a strong scratch, it must have bled.

But there were only herself and Ye Qingqing in the wooden tub, so why did she do it?

Was he too nervous to notice that he scratched himself with his fingernail?

After all, Ye Qingqing and he were in the same boat, having done something so immoral. A woman's chastity and reputation were more important, so logically she should be the one more worried about being exposed, not the one who would deliberately cause trouble to be discovered by her fiancé.

The neck injury could be somewhat repaired, but the injury on the buttocks was something he just couldn't understand how it happened.

What is so sharp and pointed in the barrel?