Chapter 125: Little Eight, Is He Trying to Fool the Ghosts?
Nan Xun froze for a moment, then hurried to push him away—only to find that although he looked gentle as jade, his strength was domineering, which immediately irritated her.
“Let go of me!” Nan Xun’s voice turned cold.
In the dream she’d fabricated for Yan Mohan, she had pinned everything on Yan Moyu. She’d felt a bit guilty about it, but now that this man had come and, without regard for propriety or shame, pulled the emperor’s woman into his arms, she couldn’t help but suspect that in her previous life, Qin Buyao had been the one whose feelings were deceived.
Or perhaps it wasn’t deception—perhaps he truly did like Qin Buyao. But he had crossed the line first. A dashing, charming man taking the initiative—especially if he did so deliberately—was something most women would find hard to resist.
“Buyao, I’m sorry. Brother Yu came too late,” Yan Moyu said, his voice hoarse with restrained emotion, the kind that easily made people feel sorry for him.
“Let go of me first.”
Yan Moyu finally released Nan Xun. She took two quick steps back, frowning at him. “Prince Xian, do you not know this is the emperor’s harem? It would be bad enough if you didn’t avoid suspicion—but to actually behave so indecently toward me?”
Yan Moyu froze for a moment, then hurriedly said, “Buyao, I’m sorry. I lost control of my emotions just now when I saw you. I had no intention of being disrespectful.”
He wanted to step forward again, but seeing the resistance on her face, he forced himself to stop.
“Buyao, are you blaming me for coming too late? I only just learned that you were sent to the Cold Palace. If I’d known earlier, I definitely wouldn’t have let you suffer so much!” Yan Moyu said, his face full of regret.
Nan Xun applauded inwardly. “Little Eight, is Yan Moyu trying to fool the ghosts? He definitely has his own informants in the palace, yet he’s telling me he only just found out I was sent to the Cold Palace. Do you believe that?”
Little Eight didn’t answer her question. Instead, it swallowed and said, “Darling, the scene just now—Prince Xian holding you—was seen by the big boss. And in that instant, the big boss’s darkening value jumped by 5 points. It’s now at 90.”
Nan Xun: “Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner? After-the-fact warning! Is Yan Mohan still watching us?”
Little Eight: “The big boss stormed off in anger.” After a pause, “Then he came right back the next second. He’s staring straight at the two of you right now.”
Nan Xun: …
Yan Moyu was still chattering on about his concern. Nan Xun could tell that he truly did have feelings for Qin Buyao, but those feelings were mixed with calculation to some degree—and she disliked impure affection.
“Little Eight, tell me—did Yan Moyu in the original world kill the reincarnated Yan Mohan?” Nan Xun asked.
Little Eight replied, “Of course. In the original world, you and I weren’t there to eliminate the villain big boss’s malice. Sooner or later, he was bound to be killed by the child of destiny. Even if the reincarnated villain big boss tried to plan ahead, he couldn’t compete with someone blessed by fate. He was destined to die unless all his malice was cleared.”
At this point, Little Eight chuckled. “Now you see that everything I do is for good, right? Without me here, the villain big boss in every world ends up dead. Stealing the child of destiny’s merit points to save a life—suddenly I feel like I’m some kind of savior.”
Nan Xun immediately corrected it. “Not you. Me. Thanks. I’m the one being this godforsaken savior, while you’re the one getting the merit points.”
Little Eight felt a little guilty. “Well, didn’t I promise to save your life? If you’re dead, what use would merit points be to you anyway?”
Nan Xun said, “Exactly, baby. That’s why I’ve always pampered you so much. Otherwise, I’d have killed you long ago.”
Little Eight: …
Damn it—why were the task-takers other void beasts recruited all so humble and submissive, while it was the other way around for it? Why did it even feel guilty? There was no reason to feel guilty!
Later, after thinking about it for a long time, Little Eight finally understood why it felt this way: in every world, Nan Xun was tormented so miserably by the villain big boss that even a hard-hearted beast like it found the sight unbearable.
“Buyao, Buyao, what’s wrong?” Yan Moyu asked when Qin Buyao remained silent for a long time, frowning at her.
He felt that something about Qin Buyao had changed—but the harem was a place that devoured people whole without spitting out bones. It would be strange if someone didn’t change, especially after Qin Buyao had been sent to the Cold Palace by his imperial brother for several months.
Nan Xun smiled faintly. “Your Highness Prince Xian, I’m doing very well right now—better than I ever have. In the Cold Palace, I no longer have to curry favor with anyone, and I live quite comfortably. I accept your concern, but I think it would be better reserved for your own wife.”
Yan Moyu froze for a moment. A trace of hidden delight flashed through his eyes. “Buyao, why say such things just to anger me? You know my heart has only ever held you. All these years, I’ve never taken a wife.”
Nan Xun was startled and hurriedly asked Little Eight, “Does Prince Xian really love Qin Buyao to this extent—to the point of not even marrying a wife?”
Little Eight chuckled. “Darling, he doesn’t have a principal wife, that’s true—but he has one secondary consort and two concubines. Don’t think he’s particularly promiscuous; given his status, having only that many is already considered few. And the position of principal consort has been vacant all this time. If that spot was really being saved for Qin Buyao, then he could indeed be called devoted.”
Nan Xun: “…Right. I forgot this is ancient times, with wives and concubines in droves. Hey—wait! Little Eight, could it be that Qin Buyao is the female lead of this world? The woman the male lead loves is usually the female lead, right? Oh my god, I actually got to be a female lead for once!”
Little Eight: “You’re overthinking it… There’s no female lead in this world, because Yan Moyu has too many women. Qin Buyao had already lost her chastity to the tyrant beforehand, and even so, Yan Moyu still promised her the position of empress—that was an enormous favor. From then on, Qin Buyao was utterly devoted to him and got along extremely well with the other women in the harem, managing it impeccably.”
Nan Xun: …
Seeing the woman lost in thought, Yan Moyu thought to himself: Could it be that Buyao has also been thinking of me all this time?
Yan Moyu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed both of Nan Xun’s hands.
Nan Xun was startled. Her hand reacted faster than her brain—smack!—she slapped him across the face.
Yan Moyu stared at her in disbelief.
“Prince Xian, we grew up together since childhood. I hope you won’t destroy even this last bit of sentiment between us. I am now the emperor’s woman. Even if he has cast me aside, that status will not change. I ask that you respect yourself,” Nan Xun said solemnly, curling her slightly numb hand.
Yan Moyu stood stunned for a long while, then finally stepped back two paces.
He let out a self-mocking chuckle. All the emotion he’d shown just moments ago vanished in an instant, and he returned to his original, gentle-as-jade demeanor.
Then he gave Nan Xun a slight salute and said calmly, “This prince was rash toward Her Ladyship—please forgive me. To be honest, the reason I infiltrated Your Ladyship’s palace this time was at the request of General Qin. Now that I see you are safe and well, I can put the general’s mind at ease.”
