“What?! Wait until after I give birth?!” Le Yao Yao’s mouth twitched. “My body is fine right now! Can’t we head down in a few days?”
However, Si Mu Han shook his head. “No, you’ve just woken up. Your body is still very weak. If we head down in the next few days, you might collapse from exhaustion.”
Right now, her best bet was to lie to him so he would take her on a tour to the Capital. Once she is at the Capital, she could secretly run back to Yu’s residence. As long she had Yu by her side, she wasn’t afraid of anything.
So, Le Yao Yao made a pitiful expression and began to whine cutely, “Si Mu Hannnn, just take me down the mountain…pleaseeeee….”
Initially, she thought this method would be effective. Since Si Mu Han loved his dead wife so much, he obviously wouldn’t reject her request, right? However, Si Mu Han looked emotional and depressed.
“Xin’er, I’m your husband!”
“Uh…”
Oh yeah, she shouldn’t call him by his name. But she couldn’t call him husband either!?!?! Although it was merely a title, it was a big deal to her.
While Le Yao Yao was hesitating, Si Mu Han appeared more distressed. “Xin’er, is it really that hard to call me ‘husband’?”
“Umm…” Le Yao Yao began to stutter. But she was afraid to upset Si Mu Han. If he refused her bring her down because of this, that would be bad. So, she awkwardly uttered, “H-husband…”
“Haha! Xin’er finally called me husband! I’m so happy!!”
“So does that mean we can head down the mountain?!”
He should be happy she acknowledged him as ‘husband’. So, it should be ok to make this request now, right?
Unexpectedly, Si Mu Han still refused. “No!”
“What?! Y-you…!” Le Yao Yao was so mad that her eyes were bulging. Damn this man!
If he wasn’t going to take her down, then he was wasting her time! There was no point in begging anymore. So, without thinking, Le Yao Yao flung off Si Mu Han’s hand and stormed out of the house by herself.
It was all icy and silvery outside. Everywhere around her looked unfamiliar. The world was so big, yet there wasn’t a place for her.
However, the furious Le Yao Yao didn’t care as she continued walking aimlessly. At this moment, Le Yao Yao sensed someone watching her. The person’s glare was as sharp as knives!
So, Le Yao Yao trembled and lifted her pupils. She looked around but couldn’t see anyone.
Right now, she was standing in front of a forest. Behind her were houses but there was no visible person. Was she hallucinating?
Suddenly, there was a fuzzy ball near where she was. Le Yao Yao rubbed her eyes to focus and realized the fuzzy animal didn’t notice her presence. It was a baby fox and it was running around!
Le Yao Yao’s eyes lit up. Ever since she was little, she loved animals. She had seen many cats and dogs, but she had never seen a fox before!
It must be so fun to play with! While she was thinking, suddenly a figure in red flashed in front of her. Before Le Yao Yao knew what was happening, the fuzzy animal was placed in her arms.
“Ohhhh!” Le Yao Yao could feel the little fox squirming. She was faced with a pair of black, scared pupils.
“Ahhhh, so adorable!” Le Yao Yao squealed.
The baby fox was probably only a few days old. Its head was so small and its fur was very smooth. The fox had a pointy mouth and ears and a pair of big eyes. It was incredibly cute.
Le Yao Yao loved the fox the moment she saw it. It was love at first sight.
Si Mu Han was happy to see the joy on Le Yao Yao’s face. He smiled, “Xin’er, do you like it? Isn’t it cute?”
Since the baby fox was so young, it didn’t know the difference between good or evil. After Le Yao Yao gently stroked its fur, the fear in his eyes disappeared. Instead, it was now replaced by closed pupils. It liked being petted.
Seeing this, Si Mu Han was jealous. He wished he was the fox. He wanted Xin’er to gently pat him too.
However, he was more concerned with the fact that Le Yao Yao was ignoring him. “Xin’er, don’t be mad. I’m not taking you down the mountain because your body is still weak. I promise once your body is strong enough, I’ll take you down. Ok?”
“Humph! I don’t want to wait until after the child is born! Also, there’s nothing wrong with my body. I want to explore under the mountain!” Le Yao Yao firmly stated.
Si Mu Han sighed. “Alright, once you’re all better, I’ll take you down.”
“Truly?!”
Le Yao Yao knew she had won so she was extremely happy on the inside. She smiled when Si Mu Han finally gave in.
“Xin’er, you’re so beautiful…”
Si Mu Han stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Le Yao Yao’s tiny waist. He began to lean down.
Le Yao Yao knew what he wanted to do, but she was trapped. She couldn’t push him away, so she lifted the baby fox to cover her face.
As a result, Si Mu Han ended up kissing the baby fox’s mouth instead. When Si Mu Han tasted fur, his eyes popped open and he was faced with the fox’s innocent round eyes. The baby fox licked its lips and smiled.
Le Yao Yao couldn’t help but snicker. “Ahahahaha!!”
“You!”
“Wifey, you’re terrible! No! I got taken advantage of by the fox! You need to compensate me!”
So now, Si Mu Han took the fox from Le Yao Yao and tried to kiss her. Obviously, Le Yao Yao wasn’t going to let him, so she began to run away.
Now, we have a woman and a man running on the silvery world. It was snowing, with the scent of wintersweet in the air. What a lovely sight.
But to someone else, it was blinding to the eye. After Le Yao Yao and Si Mu Han left, a woman dressed in red slowly appeared behind a tree. The woman was very beautiful with gorgeous features. The red dress on her made her look even more stunning. However, currently, the woman’s eyes were filled with anger and hatred. She stared at Le Yao Yao like she wanted to rip her apart.
Suddenly, Le Yao Yao trembled and stopped running.
“What’s wrong, Xin’er?”
Le Yao Yao tried to suppress the discomfort in her heart. She shook her head and said, “I’m fine.”
“Really? You’re turning pale. Let me tell Qing Feng to send a physician in.”
Si Mu Han was about to turn around, but Le Yao Yao stopped him. “I’m not that delicate. I’m just hungry.”
Honestly, she wasn’t lying. She was actually hungry already! Pregnant women tend to get hungry a lot faster than regular people. After all, there were two to feed instead of one!
“Ohhh. I see. My baby is hungry. Daddy will go order something to eat!”
Le Yao Yao couldn’t help but think to herself.
If she hadn’t met Leng Jun Yu before Si Mu Han, would she have fallen for him instead?
But obviously, there was no answer.
—–
After returning to Mu Xin Ge, dishes were already prepared and waiting for them on the table. Today, the kitchen prepared hot pot. It was the one with a spicy soup base.
On the table were many fresh raw items that were neatly cut into pieces. There were slices of beef, pork, fish, shrimp, crab, and all sorts of vegetables.
Le Yao Yao had to gulp down her drool.
“Xin’er, hurry and eat! This is your favourite food back then. You love to eat spicy!”
“Haha. Yes, I love spicy food!” Le Yao Yao admitted and then picked up the jade chopsticks. She quickly placed the items in the boiling pot. After a few seconds later, Le Yao Yao took put the meat and added some chili vinegar on it. “Mm, it tastes really good!”
Si Mu Han was pleased to see Le Yao Yao eating with such a great appetite. He looked like the happiest man in the world just watching her.
Eventually, they finished their meals and the dishes were replaced with a plate of fruits. Si Mu Han then turned to Le Yao Yao.
“Xin’er, there’s something I want you to see.”
“Huh? What is it?”
Currently, Le Yao Yao was wiping her mouth and fingers with a warm wet napkin.
Si Mu Han didn’t say anything else. Then, he clapped his hands and a few people came in.
Since the light contrast was too much, for a moment, Le Yao Yao couldn’t see who they were. It seemed like two men was detaining another person though.
After they entered, the two men pressed the person down onto the ground. “To report to the Great Leader, we have brought the person that you want.”
“Mm. Very good.” Si Mu Han nodded.
At this moment ,Le Yao Yao stared at the person. Her eyes grew wide. The woman on the ground was wearing a vest made of fox fur, and a silk dress. However, her entire body was dirty and her hair was a mess. Her makeup was smear on her face and her complexion was poor. But Le Yao Yao recognized her right away.
“It’s you!? Nian Sulan!?!” she exclaimed.
At this moment, Nian Sulan slowly lifted her confused pupils. When she realized Le Yao Yao was the person sitting in front of her, she couldn’t believe it.
“It’s you? Why are you still alive?” she shouted.
“Uh…why wouldn’t I be alive?” Le Yao Yao was confused.
Ever since Nian Sulan’s failed attempt of drugging Yu, Yu had banned her from the residence. As a result, Le Yao Yao hadn’t seen her since then. Le Yao Yao would’ve never thought they would meet again under this type of circumstance.
Nian Sulan hated looking weak in front of her rival. So, she slowly crawled up from the ground. Although she looked like a pitiful mess, the hatred she felt towards Le Yao Yao was very evident.
“You bit*h! You’re disgusting! Even though you have cousin Yu, you’re hooking up with another man. What a slut!” she hollered.
Le Yao Yao frowned. She knew Nian Sulan must have misunderstood and thought she came here willingly. So, she wanted to explain herself. But before she could say a word, the black figure standing to the left of Nian Sulan ruthlessly slapped her across the face. Following the sharp slap, Nian Sulan’s frail body collapsed on the ground once more.
But since the floor was covered with sheepskin, she wasn’t hurt by the impact.
Although Le Yao Yao disliked Nian Sulan, she didn’t want to see her physically punished. So, she turned to Si Mu Han. “Could you…”
“Xin’er, could it be that you want me to go easy on her?”
“Yes. I’m not sure why you brought her here, but please release her.” Le Yao Yao turned around and pleaded. She didn’t want to see Nian Sulan tortured.
She also had another selfish reason for wanting to save Nian Sulan. If Nian Sulan was freed, perhaps she would tell Leng Jun Yu that she had been captured by the evil cult. Although the chances of that was very slim, it was better than no hope at all.
But Si Mu Han shook his head. “Xin’er, do you have any idea what this bit*h wanted to do to you?” he snarled.
“What could she do to me?”
Currently, there was a fresh palm print against Nian Sulan’s right side of the face. It was swollen. The corner of her mouth was bleeding and there was blood steaming down on one side. Pieced with her hateful stare, she looked almost like a devil.
Le Yao Yao felt very unstable on the inside. Could Nian Sulan…
“Yes, she wants you dead!” confirmed Si Mu Han.
Le Yao Yao felt as if her mind was going to explode. She never thought Nian Sulan would kill her over a man.
“This bit*h tried to pay an assassin to assassinate you. But she had no idea that the assassin she hired is one of my subordinates. What a stupid woman!”
“What?! The evil cult?!” Nian Sulan exclaimed. Nian Sulan had no idea she was kidnapped by the evil cult. Now, all her hatred was replaced by fear. But after a few seconds later, she pointed her finger at Le Yao Yao and screeched, “You slut! Not only did you seduce cousin Yu, you linked forces with the evil cult! You know cousin Yu is against them too! Are you trying to harm cousin Yu?”
“T-that’s not true! It’s not what you’re thinking!” Le Yao Yao wanted to explain herself, but obviously, Nian Sulan didn’t give her the opportunity to do so.
“I should’ve personally killed you and chopped your arms and legs off!” she screamed.
“…..” No matter what she says, Nian Sulan isn’t going to believe her.
In addition, Le Yao Yao was quite upset by what Nian Sulan was saying. But Si Mu Han was even more infuriated.
“Haha, chop your arms and legs off? That sounds like a great idea!” Si Mu Han cruelly laughed.
“W-what did you say?” Nian Sulan froze.
Si Mu Han didn’t say anything else but used his eyes to direct his subordinate.
The subordinate understood and turned to Nian Sulan.
Then, Si Mu Han asked Le Yao Yao, “Xin’er, have you ever seen human swine?”
“Human swine?” Le Yao Yao felt goosebumps running down her spine.
Human swine was a cruel punishment that turned a person into a pig. First, the arms and legs are chopped off. Then, the eyes are plucked out. Copper is poured into the ears and the person loses his hearing. Then, the person drinks some type of potion and gets his tongue cut off.
Thinking of this, Le Yao Yao couldn’t stop shivering. She didn’t want Si Mu Han to do that to Nian Sulan.
Based on Nian Sulan’s expression, she knew what ‘human swine’ was too.
“N-no, you can’t do that!” She stuttered. Then, she began to back away.
The man beside her pulled out his sword. His eyes lacked emotions.
Le Yao Yao couldn’t let this happen so she began to tug on Si Mu Han’s arm. She pleaded, “Please, let her go!”
“Xin’er, why are you so kind? This woman wants you dead. Why are you trying to save her?”
Le Yao Yao knew Nian Sulan wanted her dead. Logically, she shouldn’t be saving her. But she really didn’t want Nian Sulan to die like this.
Or maybe, it was because they were both around the same age. Perhaps Nian Sulan was just lost right now. Le Yao Yao wanted to give her another chance.
“Please!”
“Aii…..” Seeing this, Si Mu Han decided to let Le Yao Yao have her way. “Fine, I’ll do what you want.” he sighed.
But Nian Sulan didn’t learn her lesson. She shrieked, “You bit*h! Stop acting fake! I hate your disgusting face! You think I will forgive you for taking cousin Yu from me just because you saved my life? You stole cousin Yu from me! I hope you die!”
This time, Nian Sulan had truly lost her mind. After all, ever since she was young, her only dream and goal was to marry her cousin. After waiting for so many years, her cousin wouldn’t even look at her because of Le Yao Yao. How could she not hate?
Hearing this, Si Mu Han narrowed his eyes and no longer decided to release Nian Sulan. “You deserve this. Subordinate!” he coldly commanded.
The man beside Nian Sulan drew his sword and was about to stab Nian Sulan. Seeing this, Nian Sulan decided to run for it. But the moment she stepped out the door, a figure in red appeared in front of her.
“Haha, you want to run? What makes you think you can escape?” the woman in red smirked.
Le Yao Yao was sitting inside so she couldn’t exactly see what was happening. But she rushed out the moment she heard a blood-curdling scream.
All of Nian Sulan’s limbs were lying in a pool of blood.
Standing next to Nian Sulan’s body was a woman in red. Her sword was dripping with blood.
“Leader, Luo Chang did well, right?” she asked sweetly.
The woman was definitely a beauty, but she looked so evil.
Si Mu Han smiled and praised. “Good job.”
However, Le Yao Yao felt as if she had been thrown in an icy cave. Instantly, her face turned white.
Si Mu Han could sense something was wrong with Le Yao Yao, so he wanted to hold her to give her support. But before he could touch her, Le Yao Yao screamed.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Xin’er…”
Le Yao Yao was backing away like she was facing a demon. “Don’t touch me! You’re a monster! You’re a monster!” she shrieked.
“No, Xin’er, I’m not…”
Si Mu Han wanted to explain more but Le Yao Yao was so traumatized that she fell into a pool of darkness.
—–
At the same time, there were a group of soldiers heading towards Sheng Nu Mountain. The man leading was dressed in all black. His black cape made him look very domineering.
However, his facial expression was filled with concern. Next to him, Mei and Xing reassured him.
“Prince Rui, since we have found out the headquarters of the evil cult, we will definitely be able to save our future Princess Consort.”
Xing added, “Yes, please don’t worry, Prince Rui.”
Leng Jun Yu didn’t say a word. He lifted his cold pupils and stared at the peak of the snowy white mountain.
The wind was so strong that his cape was fluttering in mid air. Behind him, his long black hair made him appear even more cold.