Chapter 113: Anger — It Was All an Act!
She was clearly lewd to the core, so why did she have to put on this façade? As if all that wantonness and licentiousness were merely her outer layer, and only by tearing it away could one see the truest her hidden inside.
But that wasn’t how it was—no, it wasn’t. She was born a lewd woman!
Yes, that was it. Exactly.
“Brother Han, what are you thinking about? That look in your eyes is kind of scary.” Nan Xun leaned close to his mask, blinking as she stared at the eyes exposed beneath it—dark, dark as night, the corners slightly upturned, inexplicably alluring.
Yan Han suddenly pounced and pressed the woman beneath him onto the ground, grinning wickedly at her. “I was just thinking about how to eat you—should I steam you, boil you, or braise you?”
Nan Xun wasn’t shy in the least. Lying there, she even wrapped an arm around his neck. “Brother Han, I like braised—something heavier in flavor. Steamed or boiled is too bland.”
Yan Han froze for a moment, then lifted her up from the ground.
Nan Xun took the opportunity to cling to him, pressing nose to nose, smiling sweetly. “Brother Han, I’m tired. Carry me over there.”
Even asking to be carried could be said with such righteous confidence—only thick-skinned Nan Xun could pull that off.
Yan Han scooped her up and gently placed her on her favorite rocking chair. Just as he was about to stand up, Nan Xun yanked him down, pressing him on top of her.
“Yaoyao, if you keep this up, I really will—” Yan Han’s voice was low and restrained, though it was unclear whether he was suppressing desire or anger.
Nan Xun grabbed his collar and pulled him even closer. Those dark, bright, water-filled eyes reflected the man’s enlarged face.
In those clear eyes, Yan Han even saw his own reflection.
“Hey, Brother Han, stay the night tonight,” the woman beneath him said with a smile.
The tone was still playful, yet Yan Han caught a trace of desperate resolve in her eyes.
She was serious.
At that moment, Yan Han—or rather, Yan Mohan—felt a flicker of guilt rise from deep within, one he himself hadn’t noticed before. But that faint guilt was quickly drowned out by another, far more intense emotion: his hatred for Qin Buyao.
Yan Han pretended not to understand the meaning in her eyes. He reached out and rubbed her head. “Yaoyao, stop fooling around. How could I bear to? I was just joking with you earlier. But trust me—this day will come soon. I’ll work hard to earn Old General Qin’s approval, then personally go to propose marriage and ask him to marry his precious granddaughter to me.”
Nan Xun felt touched when she heard this, but after the brief warmth came a sense of loss. She couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking laugh. “Brother Han, will there really be such a day? Have you forgotten my status as a concubine in the harem? Even if I’ve been cast into the Cold Palace, I’ll be the emperor’s woman until I die. How could I possibly marry you?”
Yan Han pressed his lips together, silent, as if pondering a solution.
Just then, Nan Xun suddenly clapped her hands, her eyes lighting up. “Brother Han, I just thought of a way!”
Yan Han looked at her without speaking, waiting for her to continue.
Nan Xun said animatedly, “If I want a fresh start, there are two ways—either I die, or that tyrant dies.”
When Yan Han heard the latter half, his pupils shrank abruptly.
He restrained himself with all his might to keep from strangling the woman in front of him on the spot.
She actually wanted him dead—she wanted him dead!
As the fury roiled violently in his chest, he heard the woman continue, “Brother Han, when will you get me a bottle of poison? The kind that can fake death. Then, after I’m thrown into a mass grave, you can rescue me. That way, we can fly away together.”
As she spoke, her brows and eyes danced with excitement. Her already-bright eyes shone even more brilliantly, sparkling like stars.
“Fake-death poisons only exist in storybooks. Where would you find such a thing? Yaoyao, have you considered choosing the second option?” Yan Han asked, his narrow, deep eyes fixed unwaveringly on her, as though he wanted to capture every subtle reaction.
Nan Xun froze, murmuring, “The second option? You mean… finding a way to kill that tyrant?”
When the words “kill” were spoken, Yan Han’s gaze darkened.
“Brother Han, if we could kill him, that would be best. But killing a tyrant isn’t easy. He’s extremely vigilant—hard to get close to.”
“Yaoyao, you seem to really hate this tyrant?” Yan Han asked, his voice lowered.
Nan Xun’s eyes sank slightly as she said coldly, “When he issued an imperial decree to bring me into the palace, I didn’t hate him—at most I felt resentful. When he slapped me away for Consort Li, breaking two of my ribs and throwing me into the Cold Palace, I didn’t hate him either—at most I thought he was shameless, using me to deal with the Qin family. But—”
With an expressionless face, Nan Xun continued, “If he wanted me dead, he could have just ordered my execution. Why did he release venomous snakes to bite me? Why did he send several men to humiliate me? If I hadn’t had some ability of my own, I might have already been defiled by those wretches. That tyrant wanted me to die a miserable death. Aside from not liking him, what did I ever do to provoke him? Why did he treat me like this?”
Yan Han took in the hatred in her eyes, and for some reason, felt a sting in his own.
“So of course I hate a man who uses such despicable means, who is violent and cruel.”
After finishing her tirade against the tyrant big boss, Nan Xun said to Little Eight in her mind, “Little Eight, Little Eight, cursing the big boss right to his face feels amazing! This feeling is fantastic!”
Little Eight said, “Y-you’d better be careful later…” The rest went unsaid.
Nan Xun let out an aiyo. “I don’t know anything right now. Saying all this is just me being straightforward. I’m walking the path of a flamboyant, honest, and unapologetic femme fatale.”
Little Eight: …
Very good. Very Nan Xun.
Nan Xun was elated inside, but outwardly remained expressionless.
After a pause, she added coldly, “I’ve heard the tyrant has been making big moves lately—disposing of many veteran officials, some even having their nine clans exterminated. If he continues this tyrannical rule, trampling the entire Great Yan, he’ll provoke the wrath of the people. The country might well change hands outright. If the people are pushed to rise up, I’d rather the royal family replace this tyrant before things spiral out of control.”
Hearing this, Yan Han’s mind shook violently. Scenes from his past life seemed to flash before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
At first, his gaze was calm and dazed, but it was quickly overtaken by other intense emotions.
What was wrong with using violence to curb violence? Why did everyone condemn him? He punished corrupt officials and exterminated nine clans to set an example—what was wrong with that?
All of it was just an excuse! They simply wanted him dead!
Twisted, seething hatred churned in Yan Han’s eyes.
He had almost been fooled by the woman in front of him.
