Protoganist's Sidekick Fights Back-Chapter 15: A Favour??

Bai Yunxi stirred, lost in a maze of her own thoughts. Seated beside her, Su Kang watched the subtle shifts in her expression—the slight furrow of her brow, the distant look in her eyes.

He leaned in slightly, his voice quiet but sincere. "I have one last favor to ask."

She blinked, drawn out of her thoughts, and turned to him. His expression... it was different. Not his usual calm confidence, but something else. Something uncertain.

A strange unease settled in her heart. "A favor?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "What is it?"

Su Kang exhaled, choosing his words carefully. "I want a chance—just one—to pursue the woman I care for." His dark eyes held a rare vulnerability. "But I... I don't know how."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Could you... just for a week, pretend to be her? Your circumstances are so similar. Help me understand how to win her heart."

Bai Yunxi froze.

Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. Her mind raced, a storm of emotions churning within her.

"This... this isn't right," she finally managed, her voice trembling slightly.

Su Kang didn't look away. "I have a feeling I'll be rejected. That's why I need to prepare myself." His expression was unreadable, but she could sense the weight behind his words.

"Just one week. That's all I ask."

At that moment, she understood.

This wasn't just about a favor anymore. He knew. He already knew how things would end.

Yet, he still wanted this.

"One week," he repeated, his voice soft, almost pleading. "To prepare myself. Then I'll confess everything. And if she rejects me... I'll accept it."

Bai Yunxi's heart clenched.

How could she refuse him when he had already done so much for her?

Just one week.

Just pretending.

She lowered her gaze, staring at her hands as if searching for an answer.

"One week," she whispered, barely audible. "I... I'll pretend for one week."

A radiant smile broke across Su Kang's face, his relief almost palpable. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

"You have no idea what this means to me. Starting tomorrow morning, you are the woman I am pursuing with all my heart."

Bai Yunxi said nothing.

She stood up abruptly and left.

She didn't look back, didn't stop to eat, didn't acknowledge the curious gazes of the servants as she returned to her mansion. Her mind was too full, too restless.

She lay down on her bed, but sleep didn't come easily.

If she were a young girl, maybe she would have felt happy. But she wasn't. She was Li Fang's mother. And her son had always come before herself.

Even before the Li family's decline, she had been forced to endure. Her parents, mere working-class merchants in Qin City, had faced threats simply because she was Li Xiao's wife.

And after the Li family's fall, they had disappeared altogether—vanishing on a routine trading trip, never to be seen again.

She had been left alone to protect Li Fang.

The Bai family, weaker than the Li, had offered little help. And remarriage? That had been impossible. Not with Li Fang.

No one wanted to take in Li Xiao's son. They feared getting involved. In the end, she could rely on no one but herself.

Even within the Li family, she had been forced to stay vigilant. Discontent had turned into outright hostility, and when the poisoning incident happened... she knew. Someone wanted her gone.

She had survived. But the poison had lingered in her body, its remnants torturing her for decades.

Every month, the pain would return—sharp and relentless, as if countless needles were piercing her meridians. It wasn't until Li Fang found an elixir that she had been freed from that torment.

She had never dreamed of a future for herself.

Her heart had gone numb. Her life had turned colorless. Even the peace of the Su Manor felt foreign, like an illusion she could wake from at any moment.

Deep down, she was always thinking of Li Fang.

When he joined the Qingyun Sect, she had finally felt some relief. He was safer there. But the moment she began to hear of his achievements, she also heard of his battles.

Like his father before him, he kept making enemies as he rose.

Even if he always emerged victorious, her heart never stopped worrying.

And now... Su Kang.

He had helped her son. Not for ambition. Not for gain. But for her.

She was deeply moved.

And yet, at the same time... she felt unworthy.

He was young, handsome, and talented. A rising dragon. She was an old widow, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, with a body that had suffered too much. A woman whose past could only bring him shame.

The thought settled heavily in her chest.

Sleep eventually claimed her, but it was a restless one.

Tomorrow, she would have to play the role of the woman Su Kang wished to pursue.

But how was she supposed to do that...

As dawn broke, Su Kang arrived at her mansion.

He spread his divine sense across the residence, instantly locating her. She was still asleep. Without hesitation, he stepped inside, his figure vanishing and reappearing in her chamber.

A slight wave of his Qi dismissed the maids outside.

Sitting at the edge of her bed, he observed her in silence. Even in sleep, her brows were furrowed, her expression troubled.

A complicated light flickered in his eyes.

This had started as a calculated move—a way to siphon destiny, a step toward his goal. But that didn't mean he was heartless. He had no desire to make her suffer.

If all he wanted was her body, he could take it easily. Illusion, mind manipulation—there were countless ways. But such methods disgusted him.

And Li Fang would understand that, too.

Su Kang exhaled softly. He knew why she hesitated. The gap between them was not just in status but in tradition, in perception. To the world, she was supposed to be his elder.

But Su Kang had never been one to bow to the rules of others.

"If love isn't enough, then gratitude will do. If gratitude isn't enough, I'll find another way."

His fingers curled into a fist.

For power. For survival. For revenge. He would do whatever it took.

His family had been slaughtered before his eyes. He had listened to their screams for days before their deaths. He would change the future.

But Bai Yunxi... she had spent her entire life suppressing herself. Smothering her own desires.

He wouldn't allow that.

If she was his, he would make sure she was truly happy.

His voice was barely above a whisper. "Fate, is there anything that would make her happy?"

A cold, indifferent voice answered in his mind.

"Don't treat me as an omnipotent being. My power has limits. Can't you figure it out yourself?"

Su Kang frowned. "Then tell me—are her parents truly dead? And if they are, what remains of them?"

"That will cost the power of destiny," Fate replied. "You'll have to pay the price."

Su Kang narrowed his eyes. "Would divination cultivators be able to do it?"

"Yes. It would be far more efficient than using my power."

He considered this. If he returned to the Qingyun Sect, he could find someone skilled in divination. But that would take too long—time he didn't have.

"I can't wait."

"Use my destiny power."

A tremor ran through his soul. A violent force surged through him, making his mind blur for a moment.

Then, Fate spoke.

"Her father is dead. Only the bones of his left hand remain. But... her mother is still alive."

Su Kang's eyes sharpened. He had expected to retrieve remains—never had he imagined that one of her parents had survived.

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"Where is she?"

The answer came swiftly. His mind calculated the distance—it would take six to seven days if he traveled personally.

"Too long."

"How much destiny do I have left?"

"Seven thousand. You've already lost a thousand just now."

A thousand—gone in an instant. A heavy price. But one he was willing to pay.

If he could give Bai Yunxi back even a fragment of what she had lost, it was worth it.

He placed a hand gently against her forehead, sending a controlled thread of Qi through her meridians. Her body relaxed as she sank into a deeper sleep.

Then, without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and left the mansion.

From his storage ring, he summoned a third-level flight artifact. A sleek, exquisitely crafted flying boat unfolded before him.

It wasn't large—barely enough for one person—but it was fast. Faster than any he had used before.

Inside the small cabin, he laid down a bed and carefully placed Bai Yunxi upon it.

As he activated the artifact, the boat surged into the sky, vanishing beyond the clouds.

With a flick of his fingers, he sent a brief message to Su Manor.

His destination was set.