《Teleportations — I Wanna Be An Online Celebrity》


 Chapter 1

    In a dark room, all the curtains had been closed, while the central air-conditioning was on. A young lady was sitting on the sofa in this room with her eyes opening wide, staring at the 24-inch game screen in front of her with all of her attention.


    System Announcement: anchor Hell Shura(Room number: 096) survived in the novel ¡°Lord Zombie¡±, destroying the King Zombie and gaining 1,000 points.


    After the announcement showed up, the whole broadcasting room became seething at once, with conversations rolling fast and covering the screen.


    [Fans]Diandian: Master, take me away and make me fly~


    [Fans]Little Monster: Fu*k, 1,000 points again! Our Fanfan¡¯s points will reach 100,000 soon. He will keep on the first throne firmly!


    [Guard]Snow: Ye Yifan, I wanna have a baby for you!!!


    ¡­


    All the fans were updating the conversations on the screen, so was Tang Xia. She printed out a line of words in a rapid way¨C


    [Guard]Tangtang: Master, I can¡¯t believe that you can even play the Dao Skills and kill the King Zombie. It is really awesome~


    The broadcast room did not stop talking until Hell Shura was offline. However, a few fans were still excitedly chatting in the broadcast room.


    It was the most popular live broadcast platform these days¡ªTime-travel Broadcast Space. You could tell the meaning directly through the name that live anchors would come to the worlds of all kinds of novels and complete relative missions through the platform.


    Time-travel Broadcast Space hosted around 10,000 anchors. Who got the best popularity, special styles, and top ten points would be the star anchors. They would have a specific title and their reputations among the public would be no less than the superstars in the film and television circle.


    Tang Xia¡¯s idol was Hell Shura, Ye Yifan, who continued holding the first place among all the ranking lists during these five years.


    Ye Yifan was a trump card of Time-travel Broadcast Space. With the cool and handsome appearance, calm and decisive operation skills, he was titled as the best killer.


    In order to become a successful anchor like her dreamy idol, Tang Xia signed in the anchor interview of Wanteng Technology Company. After the selections for several times, she finally joined Wanteng¡¯s team of Time-travel Broadcast Space, becoming a new anchor.


    Today, it was her first live broadcast.


    Tang Xia got out of Hell Shura¡¯s broadcast room and logged into her own account. She clicked at the broadcasting button with her heart upside and down.


    The fresh and cute anchor, Tang Xia, was broadcasting.


    Now, her broadcast room was released. Actually, most of the masters were offline at present, so some casual audiences were wandering through rooms. A few also entered Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast room.


    [Visitor]Popcorn: Yo, a new anchor!


    [Visitor] Chang¡¯an: Ah, I don¡¯t like new anchors. They are ordinary and boring. They only get to primary worlds.


    [Visitor] Big Beauty: Eh, what¡¯s wrong with new anchors£¿Every anchor needs to experience a lot. Sweety, I¡¯m on you. I will witness the way you become a master!


    Tang Xia was satisfied though there were only a few Traveller talking for fun. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your support. I will try my best.¡±


    By the end of her words, she clicked at the taskbar and chose the world she would complete her missions.


    Announcement: New and cute anchor, Tang Xia, chooses the world ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡±. Mission¡ªConquer CEO.


    ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡±?


    Looking at the book name, Tang Xia sighed and felt relief, murmuring, ¡°It seems to be a green-hand book. It should be simple. This system is really my birth mother!¡±


    Tang Xia was happy for this moment and did not notice that the whole bullet screen fell into silence after the announcement appeared.


    Around ten seconds passed by, there was an update world horn showing up in the broadcast room¡ª

 Chapter 2

    Popcorn: Room 6569, come here immediately. A new anchor bumped into the world of ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡±!


    Tang Xia had also seen the world horn, but she did not know what happened, because she had never cared about the other information except Ye Yifan¡¯s broadcast. When she felt a little bit curious, thousands of audiences swarmed into the desolate broadcast room.


    [Visitor] Hh: Arrived on the battlefield!


    [Visitor] Fairy: Arrived on the battlefield!


    [Visitor] The night rain is wanning: Arrived on the battlefield!


    ¡­


    The bullet screen was full of comments. Tang Xia was intended to ask what happened, the system started to transfer her into the mission. A flash of white light blinded her into unconsciousness.


    [Welcome to the novel world the Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me]


    Tang Xia opened her eyes, finding a huge white screen in front of her. Anchors could check all kinds of situations in the broadcast room from the screen in time, receiving system announcements and audiences¡¯ comments.


    It was the exclusive screen for anchors to contact with the real world in the virtual world.


    Tang Xia read the mission message. Since it was in a green-hand world, the mission was at an easy level.


    Her identity was the heroine of this novel, Gu Mumu, a daughter of a declining family, who had been sold to a CEO by her conscienceless parents.


    Tang Xia¡¯s main duty was to conquer the CEO, Chu Tiankuo.


    The broadcast spaces was divided into many departments, like love story, suspense, horror, and unknown sorts. Each sort had different levels and perspectives. In this primary level emotion novel world, the heroine always had enough luck. Therefore, this world was definitely easy to get points. However, what Tang Xia did not know was that this world had a big bug¡­ What plain dumb luck.


    ¡°Miss Gu, my lord has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± A middle-aged man stood in front of Tang Xia and said seriously.


    It was the first scene of this novel that the heroine was sold to the CEO.


    It was the first time for Tang Xia to conduct a holographic live broadcast. Seeing the characters of novel appearing vividly in her eyes, she could not help exciting and nodded her head cleverly.


    The carved golden gate was opening slowly, following a luxurious scene into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. Packs of maids stood by in silence, waiting for the orders. They cast a side-look at Tang Xia, this unexpected guest, with hostility in their eyes.


    ¡°Sir, Miss Gu has arrived.¡± The housekeeper reported with respect.


    A handsome young man was sitting on the leather sofa, around 20 years old. He lifted his head informally. His eyes were too beautiful to describe, shinning like the galaxy.


    Tang Xia was stunned.


    The broadcast room was full of comments abruptly¨C


    [Visitor] Dreamly: The hero¡¯s online!


    [Visitor] cc ah: This CEO is too beautiful.


    [Visitor] I like strawberries: Seeing is believing. He¡¯s worthy to be called an appearance killer.


    [Visitor] Yeah: Wow, grab the rumored tyrant CEO. Take a group photo and scatter flowers!!!


    Words of ¡®Tyrant CEO¡¯ on the screen caught Tang Xia¡¯s attention. A bitingly cold voice with little indolent came to her before Tang Xia intended to ask the meaning of the words.


    ¡°Gu Mumu?¡± Chu Tiankuo slowly took a glance at her and asked indifferently.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I am Gu Mumu!¡± Tang Xia said calmy but a little hurriedly. She thoroughly performed as a miserable girl who had been sold by her parents with no conscience, but still needed to keep calm in front of the CEO.


    ¡°Come on, do not conceal your feeling. Come and cherish me!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo showed out a sneer in his eyes and then moved his eyesight away slightly.

 Chapter 3

    Tang Xia felt a sense of crisis. It seemed that this CEO had no interest in her. As a heroine in a CEO-type novel, she must inspire kinds of strong curiosity for the first time they met. For example, the CEO would say, ¡°Well, girl, you have attracted my attention successfully!¡±


    ¡°Save. You must find a way to save this situation!¡±


    With reminding comments from the bullet screen, Tang Xia shifted into a stubborn girl who was not interested in money and would not yield under almighty power.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, despite that my parents have sold me to you, I have no interest in your damn money and will never be your bed-warming girl. Don¡¯t dream about it. Even you can take my body, but you can never get my heart!¡± Tang Xia said in a cold voice. She slightly raised her chin. What she said was the standard lines in CEO vs Heroine novels.


    Chu Tiankuo was turning the pages of a newspaper. When he heard Tang Xia¡¯s words, his fingers halted for a second. He raised his head and gazed at Tang Xia, saying slowly, ¡°Miss Gu, it seems that you must have a wrong recognition of yourself. Who said I need you to warm my bed?¡±


    ¡°So why did you buy me?¡± In the novel, Chu Tiankuo bought Gu Mumu for sex indeed.


    ¡°Ah, I am lacking a foot-washing maid. I think you¡¯re suitable.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Bed-warming girl?¡± Chu Tiankuo scanned Tang Xia upside down with a sneering smile on his face. It was likely that he could not believe a girl whose figure was as thin as bean sprouts even had such confidence to say something like this.


    For a while, he looked away, saying some simple words, ¡°Hindering my teeth.¡±


    Hey, what was wrong with his eyesight full of despise?


    As a cool and noble CEO, Chu Tiankuo had no patience on a maid who owed him money. He glanced at Tang Xia and said in a cold voice, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re responsible for washing toilets.¡±


    Last moment, she was a foot-washing maid, but now she was arranged to brush toilets?


    Tang Xia raised her head with a stunned expression on her face. Chu Tiankuo lifted his eyebrows, saying with a fake smile, ¡°Since you owe me quite a lot of money, shouldn¡¯t you work harder to pay back? Or else, you wanna¡­¡±


    [Fans] Jelly: Prostitution! Prostitution!


    A striking comment turned up in the broadcast room, which shocked Tang Xia. Actually, as a standard CEO novel, prostitution was a necessary routine.


    Should I give up my chastity for conquering the CEO?


    Tang Xia clenched her teeth. What a joke! As a special heroine of a standard CEO novel who rose unsullied from mud and considered money as nothing, she could not abandon that easily! She must stick in her idea and criticize the arrogant CEO incidentally, which would attract him by accident!


    Tang Xia addressed her attitude immediately, showing out an image that would not yield to money and power. She said, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, listen. I, Gu Mumu, is not a shameless person. Don¡¯t think you could step on my dignity with your damn money!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo smiled and said, ¡°Go to brush my toilets.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± My big CEO, you even played cards out of routines!


    Tang Xia had never expected that the first day of her live broadcast would end of brushing toilets¡­ It made no sense!


    When she fell into an upset mind, the broadcast room was lighted, presenting an announcement¡ª


    [System Announcement]: A Traveller Beibei chooses a song for the anchor.


    ¡°You are my little apply, my little apply. I can not help loving you. Your red face warms my heart, lighting my life with fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire¡­¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡ºVisitor¡» Beibei: Anchor, this song is for you, don¡¯t be knocked down by the toilet, hurry up and get up!


    ¡ºVisitor¡»popcorn: I have a divine comedy, I have the world!


    ¡ºVisitor¡»Mangosteen: Anchor, It¡¯s not easy for you. You¡¯ve encountered such person who is the toughest opponent in the whole live broadcast network. You¡¯ve got such bad luck.


    ¡ºVisitor¡»YZR: Yes, this is the murderous president in the rumors, Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡ºVisitor¡»Little sticky tice£ºanchor, I have an immature suggestion. You see, even if you become a versatile brush toilet player, it is not useful for you to conquer the president. I have never seen a president who will think highly of a maid only because she can brush the toilet very well.


    ¡ºVisitor¡»coco£ºYeah, anchor, you have a heroine aura this time.


    Tang Xia browsed the barrage of the live broadcast room, only to know that her opponent was actually such a difficult role to deal with. ¡°What bad luck! I encountered such a big boss in the novice task¡­¡±


    But it was not her style to give up easily. After a little thought, Tang Xia had developed a set of battle plans.


    Half an hour later, Tang Xia appeared at the door of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room.


    ¡°Slave girl, the toilets are all finished?¡± Chu Tiankuo just took a shower, his hair was still wet, and a few pieces of soft hair were stuck in front of his forehead.


    He was really the hero of the president novel and was really ¡°the face killer¡± who relied on the beautiful face. It also caused a huge shock in the live broadcast.


    For Tang Xia, who was intuitively facing him, this was a visual feast. After all, in the real world, there will not be such a perfect person like this.


    Fortunately, she had not been confused by the beauty, and thus forgot her task.


    ¡°I saw some ingredients in the kitchen, so I made some snacks. Do you want some?¡± To seize a man¡¯s heart, you must first grasp his stomach. This was the principle that had never changed in the president novel.


    The cyan porcelain bowl was filled with slender alkaline noodles, with golden poached eggs, as if there was a scent that lingered at the tip of the nose.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyes swept around, and his mouth was smirking with a cool smile.


    ¡°Gu Mumu.¡±


    He leaned down and looked at her indifferently, and the amber eyes were like a thin layer of ice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play some low-level tricks on me. I don¡¯t have any interest in a flat board with shorter legs than those of a Welsh Corgi.¡±


    ¡°Puff.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind was hit hard, and the audience in the live broadcast was happy again¡ª


    ¡ºVisitor¡»popcorn: Hey, the big president is really cruel. It is indeed difficult to conquer him.


    ¡ºVisitor¡»Summer: It¡¯s really a poisonous tongue, anchor. I am very sympathetic to you!


    ¡ºVisitor¡»Star eyes: The time for a counterattack is coming, anchor. Don¡¯t care about it. I am optimistic about you~


    Heart-tiring.


    Could she change her love and change her target?!


    Tang Xia turned her face and said coldly, ¡°You treat my kindness as nothing. I even did not wash my hands after washing the closestool, and then I cook a night snack for you. You still don¡¯t appreciate it, you dead proud person.¡±


    Dead proud person?


    Chu Tiankuo had a cluster of fire at the bottom of his eyes. He stretched out his slender fingers and grabbed the chin of Tang Xia. He smiled slightly: ¡°Foot washing girl, are you tired of living?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s chin was about to be crushed, and she finally realized the real ferocity. She strongly held up a stubborn little face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your sales contract is still in my hands. If I am not happy, I will sell you to the coal mine, or do you want to be sold to the Philippines to plant bananas?¡±Chu Tiankuo said in a cold voice.

 Chapter 5

    Tang Xia nearly forgot that in the worlds of CEO novels, selling contracts always existed¡­ her facial expression turned dark abruptly.


    [Visitor] Summer: Anchor, be careful. Last time, I see an anchor was sold to Africa to do brutal and inhuman jobs.


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: Yes, yes. I used to watch their broadcasts. One of a star anchor was spurred by the world and withdrew from the industry of live broadcast forever.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: That¡¯s Junlan. Just think a person who was thrown away to a wasted desert to plant trees and could not sign out the broadcast room until she completed her broadcasting time. If I was her, I would break out.


    Tang Xia looked at the comments in the broadcast room with the corners of her mouth twitching. A few seconds later, she firmly chose to compromise. She looked at Chu Tiankuo straightly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t need to waste your money to buy a plane ticket. I love the industry of brushing toilets. I will work hard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, such a clever foot-washing maid.¡± Chu Tiankuo untied her, looking at her with a flash of coldness passing by his eyes and saying, ¡°Just focus on the toilets. Don¡¯t dream about others. I have no more patience on you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo ostracized her. Tang Xia sharply felt an intense abhor from him, but she didn¡¯t figure out what was the problem.


    The evening breeze was a little bit cold, stirring yarn curtains, so as the quietness inside. Light cast onto Chu Tiankuo¡¯s absorbing face, while he turned his face away, saying with a steely calm expression, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing serious, you¡¯d better disappear in my sight. Your ugly face makes me sick.¡±


    In this kind of good time, surrounded by beautiful sceneries and flowers, and under the moonlight, this CEO was still saying some poisonous words. En, this was a tyrant CEO.


    In each CEO-type novel, there always was an evil supporting actress, who must own a gorgeous appearance and strong family background. The most important thing was that she was the stumbling block between the relationship of the hero and heroine.


    Oh, it should be a catalyzer.


    Tang Xia did not make any progress for a few days, so she was deeply looking forward to the supporting actress¡¯s appearance. When she was anxious to wait, the supporting actress finally showed up.


    In ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡±, the first supporting actress was Chen Shanyi, the daughter of Ruiou Group¡¯s CEO and also Chu Tiankuo¡¯s marriage target.


    She finally showed up.


    She wore a spring dress from a well-known brand, paired with the latest luxurious bag. Proud expression showed up on her delicate face. She threw her bag into Tang Xia¡¯s hands and turned to the Chu¡¯s housekeeper, saying, ¡°Where is Brother Tiankuo?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chu is in his study upstairs. Excuse me to report to him first. Please wait for a moment.¡± The housekeeper calmly turned to Tang Xia and made an order, ¡°Miss Gu, could you please make a cup of coffee for Miss Shanyi, please?¡±


    Tang Xia just finished washing toilets. She hurried to make a coffee for Chen Shanyi in the kitchen before she could wash her hands.


    A curling mist rose from a tan China cup, while the whole room was pervaded of fragrant scent. Chen Shanyi sat on the sofa and took a sip, but her refined eyebrows twisted abruptly.


    Crack.


    The China cup was put heavily on the table, with some drops spilled out.


    Tang Xia was a little bit scared. ¡°Did Chen Shanyi find her not to wash hands?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with you? I never drink instant coffee. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Tang Xia intended to answer, but a maid beside her raced to response, ¡°Miss Shanyi, she¡¯s a newcomer and doesn¡¯t know your habits. Besides, she¡¯s different from the other maids. Sir bought her as his special maid and she said she could warm bed for him!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chen Shanyi changed color, gazing at Tang Xia upside down for a while. Then, she wore a relaxing smile and said, ¡°Take it easy. Brother Tiankuo will never like her. She seems like a green and inexperienced beggar. My brother Tiankuo is too kind, so he also likes to help the weak.¡±


    ¡°What a poor girl. She even has no branded items. Her family must be really poor.¡± Chen Shanyi looked at Tang Xia with sympathy and exhaled a heavy breath.


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Is this a vicious supporting actress? Isn¡¯t she a teasing person sent by a monkey?


    [Visitor] Beibei: Funny with an operation.


    [Visitor] Little Shaobing: Characters in this world are all weird and different. Weird. Nobody follows a routine. Is it correct?


    Though the image of this supporting actress was destroyed, Tang Xia still needed to maintain her image with dignity and pride. She raised her delicate face with a stubborn feeling in her eyes. A poor person also had her own dignity!


    ¡°Miss Chen, a person¡¯s value is not relative to the number of brands on her body. Only the superficial person would judge the other from the family background. Though my family is poor, I will not yield to an evil force. Be at ease, even as a poor person, I will never take a fancy to Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Tang Xia stole a glance at some classic heroine quotes of CEO-type novels on the bullet screen.


    Crack.


    Chen Shanyi clapped her hands for Tang Xia¡¯s ambitious words. ¡°I admire your courage, but you are too self-confident, poor girl. Who gives you such bravery to look down upon on my brother Tiankuo? You are looking for death!¡±


    The maid next to Tang Xia was really happy to see her misfortune. She moved forward and said with motivation, ¡°Miss Shanyi, let me punish this amoral girl for you.¡±


    Chen Shanyi snorted after hearing the maid¡¯s words, and said, ¡°Well, this would save my strength. I don¡¯t hope to hurt my newly-made manicure.¡±


    [Visitor] Summer: Shit, the evil forces join hands!


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: This supporting actress is so dark. Abruptly, I even hope the anchor falls in love with this lady. That will be fantastic.


    [Visitor] Hh: I really hope to see anchor be punished. What should I do? (Disappear with a pot on my head)


    [Visitor] Chrysanthemum Got Hurt: You¡¯re a person with ideas. I appreciate you.


    [Visitor] Understand: +1


    [Visitor] Orange Jam: +10086


    Hey!


    Tang Xia looked at the update comment on bullet screen and her corner of mouth could not help twitching. She broke into a complaint, ¡°With respect, all of you are troublemakers!¡±


    She had never expected how a brilliant Mary Sue¡¯s novel could turn into a book of Mary Sue¡¯s image damage. She tried to be a capable anchor, instead of a comedian.


    ¡°Gu Mumu, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s your fault to offend Miss Shanyi. Don¡¯t blame me and I will give you no mercy!¡± The maid finally got a chance to punish Gu Mumu. She activated her muscles and bones, making out a creaking sound.


    Hearing this sound, Tang Xia felt her scalp was a little bit numb. Talking about the combat capacity, she could not match with this maid at a height of 1.85 meters and the weight of more than 150 Jins. With such a strong body, she could do something beyond a maid, such as a wrestler.


    A strong palm wind blew forwards Tang Xia, like a tornado passing by, which would nearly have overturned Tang Xia.


    ¡°What did you want to do for my foot-washing maid?¡± A cold voice raised in the air.


    A statuesque man with perfect figure stepped downstairs. The good silhouette of his suit set him off to tall and handsome. His brooding eyes were as cold as winter lake water, shinning frozen water flashing.

 Chapter 7

    [Visitor] Charming Princess: Wow, the hero¡¯s appearance way is really suitable for a CEO. Sweet, sweet, sweet!


    [Visitor] Summer: This is a man with BGM (background music) when he appears.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: Though the appearance way of the CEO is really cool, I still feel a little bit upset for not seeing our anchor be punished. What happened to me?


    Tang Xia: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Tiankuo!¡± Chen Shanyi rushed to Chu Tiankuo like a dancing butterfly, holding his arm before Chu Tiankuo started saying something.


    ¡°Stay away.¡± Chu Tiankuo glanced at Chen Yishan with coldness and ordered in an indifferent voice.


    Chen Shanyi had to loosen her hand reluctantly and murmured, ¡°Well, Brother Tiankuo, why are you always that shy?¡±


    ¡°Chen Shanyi, I have told you. Don¡¯t behave stupidly like this in my sight,¡± Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows, and continued to say, ¡°Besides, this foot-washing maid with a plain figure like a washboard is mine. Do not touch her.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyebrows were twitching. When could Chu Tiankuo stop his vicious words?


    Chen Shanyi was astonished by her eyes widely opening. She looked at Chu Tiankuo with inconvincible expression. Then, she turned to Tang Xia and said, ¡°Brother Tiankuo, you¡­ you choose a poor maid! Which part do you think she¡¯s better than me? She¡¯s richer than me? Her father is richer than my father?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a charming smile and said calmly and relaxingly, ¡°I have never chosen a girl from her wealth, or her father¡¯s wealth because I am richer than all of them.¡±


    [Visitor] Mad Zhang: I worship the Gevurah. This plot is really amazing.


    [Visitor] Nine: His arrogance, I will score 100 points!


    [Visitor] WooLaLa: The most important thing you need to avoid in CEO-type novels is that use your wealth to make fun of others. If you do so, the CEO will let you know how to be polite.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: This plot tells us that your father is only your father.


    Chu Tiankuo, which could be called Father Chu, used one sentence to stop Chen Shanyi¡¯s arrogance. She burst into tears and left hurriedly after saying goodbye. Talking about the skill of showing off wealth, nobody could match with Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo turned back and found Tang Xia stroking her hair in coquetry in front of him. He said with coldness, ¡°Washboard, are you longing for, love?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are really an arrogant man who never tells the truth in your mind. You could say it straightly that you like me. Such a beautiful woman like me must attract you~¡± Tang Xia said. She lightly stroked the hair on her forehead and pretended to be sexy and gorgeous.


    The whole broadcast room suddenly fell into silence.


    Chu Tiankuo glared at Tang Xia with care to a person who had a mental disease. He said steely, ¡°Wake up, Washboard, it¡¯s the time for you to wash the toilets.¡±


    ¡°You just¡­¡±


    ¡°I just need Chen Shanyi¡¯s family to shrink back because of my words.¡±


    ¡°Ah, in fact, I¡¯m just a smoke bomb in this battle.¡± It was no wonder that there was no announcement for the progress in the broadcast room.


    Chu Tiankuo snorted, ¡°Or else? I give up the other celebrities of talent performance and appearance, but choose you, a washboard?¡±


    This was what to be called Protagonist Law.


    An arrogant and self-confident CEO always had a white, rich, and gorgeous girlfriend/fiance/childhood sweetheart, but he still incredibly inspired a strong feeling to an elegant-looking heroine with fair family background.


    This was the so-called irresistible Law¡­ It seemed that all the characters image were nearly all destroyed, and Tang Xia¡¯s green hand mission could not be completed in a short time. She was a little bit upset.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows and looked at her. ¡°However, it¡¯s not impossible to be my girl.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Tang Xia picked up her ears.


    ¡°If you beg me, I will help you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too degrading. The love I beg for will not last long.¡± Tang Xia refused.


    ¡°Last long?¡± Chu Tiankuo showed out a piece of irony in his eyes. ¡°The two words are too ridiculous.¡±


    He regained his coldness and arrogance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whether it lasts long or not, I have no interest in you. Washboard is always a washboard.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo walked away, leaving Tang Xia alone holding her teeth tightly.


    Chu Tiankuo, you were a frustrating elfin!


    ¡­


    Chu Tiankuo opened a bottle of wine, pouring the wine into a delicate goblet. He stood by the windowsill, looking down the night scene of the whole city like a king.


    Bright neo lights lit up the whole night sky, as fascinated as a dream. Chu Tiankuo took a deep sip and a drop of wine slipped out of his mouth. He looked over the lamps and candles of myriad families, broken star lights shining in his eyes.


    Crack.


    The bathroom door behind Chu Tiankuo opened. Tang Xia stepped out primly, wearing a large white shirt. The lenient hem of the shirt just covered her bottom, revealing her 30-inch long legs. This scene was really tempting.


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head and looked at Tang Xia with darkness in his eyes.


    ¡°Ah, I, eh¡­ the water lap in my room was broken, so I have to use yours. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tang Xia explained haltingly, and an embarrassing expression showed up on her face. ¡°And this shirt, I, I forgot to get my cloth, so I borrow yours.¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s disappointing appearance, travelers started to make comments on the bullet screen again¡­


    [Visitor] Love Story: My anchor, can you behave more natural? Tempting a man needs to be self-confident!


    [Visitor] Kaneko Miho: Yeah, anchor, you see we try our best to find you a good idea. If you screw it out again, it¡¯s unconscionable.


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Anchor, fighting, fighting!


    [Visitor] Mr. Wenren: Wow, charming legs, charming legs¡­ I am bleeding to death.


    [Visitor] Mad Zhang: The upstair comments are really frantic! I will report to the platform. (Goodbye with the manual operation)


    Since the broadcasting time had passed a half and there was no more progress, audiences in the broadcast room were all worried. They came up with a strategy to seduce Chu Tiankuo, while Tang Xia was the one to carry it out.


    She found a broken reason to get into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bathroom and seized a chance to put on his shirt. Now, her face was burning like a cloud on fire.


    What a shame!


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her for a while, wearing a slight smile. ¡°Already could not wait and start to take action?¡±


    He stepped towards Tang Xia.


    ¡°Color is rising on your face.¡± Chu Tiankuo incredibly lifted Tang Xia¡¯s chin with his finger, checking her face carefully. A warm sense of touch spread from his finger.


    ¡°However, my foot-washing maid,¡± Chu Tiankuo said as he loosened his hand. ¡°Even if you wear nothing in front of me, you are still a washboard in my eyes. Give it up, I have no interest in you.¡±


    Under his continuous irony, Tang Xia broke out finally. She straightened her back and shouted angrily, ¡°You are an arrogant and vicious man. What¡¯s the problem with your eyes? What is to be called a washboard? My breast is 32 C! Do you know what is 32 C?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Chu Tiankuo said with irony on his face, ¡°despite that your figure is horrible to see, I¡¯d like to take you to a playful place for your hard working on brushing toilets.¡±

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Ah?¡± The CEO¡¯s attitude had been changed?


    [Visitor] Popcorn: Ow, this means you two will have a date. Congratulations, my anchor. You¡¯re getting closer to your success. Scatter flowers!


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Though it might be a good thing, I feel an ominous premonition somehow. He is a vicious CEO, extremely vicious.


    [Visitor] Jin Diandian: Anchor, I can¡¯t bear this plot. I have to say something. You have dressed like this, so you two should have contacted more intimately.


    [Visitor] Little Fairy Stick: The upstair comment is correct. Intimate contact could be a good chance to give out sparks of love.


    As a qualified heroine of CEO-type novels, she must master the skill of falling over. On all account, she must throw herself into the CEO¡¯s embrace to have intimate contact.


    Tang Xia measured the distance between her and Chu Tiankuo roughly. Considering the falling point, she pretended to twist her ankle by accident, throwing herself forwards Chu Tiankuo.


    However¡­


    Chu Tiankuo had no intention to catch her and even stepped back a little to avoid the trouble.


    Tang Xia failed to throw herself into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s embrace, but she heavily fell down onto the wool rug with an extremely strange posture.


    The first battle, lost!


    She was rubbing her achy elbow, finding a white belt was in her right hand irrationally.


    Tang Xia was shocked and her heartbeats accelerated.


    This seemed to be the belt of the CEO¡¯s bathrobe¡­


    The air pressure around Chu Tiankuo became colder and colder. Clouds of dark aura swept towards Tang Xia. Her eyebrows raised, and she slowly lifted her head.


    Then, she was stunned.


    The night breeze passed through the window, blowing over the edges of his loose bathrobe. It was likely to be two white butterflies dancing over the air.


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: Wow! Wow! Wow! The indescribable scene finally comes!


    [Visitor] Summer: What¡¯s the problem with the system? It unexpectedly forms a mosaic at this key moment.


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Whoops, why did my front turn into yellow? (Funny face)


    ¡­


    The angry air pressure continuously roared towards Tang Xia. Chu Tiankuo wore a horrible smile, revealing his teeth like a wolf. He said, ¡°Gu! Mu! Mu!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not on purpose.¡± Tang Xia crumpled on the ground, covering her eyes with her trembling hands. She embarrassedly stood up immediately and rushed out of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room.


    The door was closed again.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s smile gradually disappeared and a treacherous light passed in his eyes.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really interesting.¡±


    ¡­


    When night came, the endless darkness covered the whole city. Splendid lights sparked in Empire State Building. It was shinning like a bright pearl of this city.


    There stood a vintage European-style palace. Luxurious relief and dazzling glass ceiling lamps all represented the style of capitalism.


    Tang Xia wore a long blue-white dress, with a platinum purse in her hands. She looked over the whole hall, a sense of wealth-revenge bringing about in her mind. This was the so-called vicious capitalism!


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, it¡¯s the interesting place you mentioned before?¡± Tang Xia turned to the man beside her and asked in a low voice.


    Tonight, Chu Tiankuo was extraordinarily cool. His proud face was tense with a light smile. When he stepped into the hall, he caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    They were looking at him with admiring, loving, or curious emotions, but when they turned to find Tang Xia, only resentment and indifference left.


    It was the first time for Mr. Chu to take a female companion to join a banquet like this, which caught all the persons¡¯ attention.

 Chapter 10

    Chu Tiankuo held a wine glass and wore an attractive smile which was like the sunshine in the winter melting the frozen snow. He got close to Tang Xia and said slowly by her ear, ¡°My foot-washing maid, I take you to see what the upper-class society looks like for a specific purpose, in case that you might lose my face when you hang out.¡±


    When the warm breath touched her neck, Tang Xia acutely felt the eyesights on her became sharper and sharper.


    Fortunately, the music for the first dance was ringing out in time, which saved Tang Xia from the lines of sight. Chu Tiankuo stretched his hand and held Tang Xia¡¯s thin wrist, pulling her into his breast and dancing together with the music.


    [Visitor] Whale Island: Ah, I just went to the toilet. When I come back, the CEO just becomes that active? Have I missed some wonderful parts?


    [Visitor] Muguo Guomu: Tonight, the CEO is¡­ abnormal!


    If something was abnormal, there must be trouble.


    Tang Xia alertly looked at Chu Tiankuo.


    At the end of this music, Chu Tiankuo said by Tang Xia¡¯s ear in a low voice, ¡°I have something to deal with. You¡¯d better stay here and play no tricks. My foot-washing maid, I have reminded you. There are full of ¡®tigers and wolves¡¯ at the banquet.¡±


    Tang Xia did not show out any anxiety as Chu Tiankuo had expected. She turned her head and stared at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes. It seemed that she was surveying him.


    Her eyes were black and bright, shining with water lights, which was likely to the eyes of a new-born elk.


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned for a second, but wore a dejected smile at once. Then, he stepped away at a slow speed.


    Tang Xia stayed there for ten more minutes, but finally gave up for her physiological response. She rushed to the toilet immediately.


    There were a few women in the restroom.


    A few beautiful ladies were standing by the sink and making up in front of the mirror. They threw their glances at Tang Xia who just broke in and all of them wore wicked smiles.


    ¡°Ah? Is that the female companion of Mr. Chu?¡± A woman worn a black rose dress asked in an ironic tone.


    The battle between women in the CEO-type novels would finally start¡­


    However, Tang Xia felt really unfair. She had not conquered the CEO, but needed to face the battle flame of these women first.


    ¡°This little sister, could you please let me solve my physiological problem first and then we could hurt each other?¡± Tang Xia put up with an idea.


    ¡°Ha-ha, who¡¯s your little sister?¡± She was likely to have started the war.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re little aunty?¡± Tang Xia asked carefully.


    She had never expected that Tang Xia was such a shameless girl and even insulted her with titles. She was so angry that her face turned pale and pointed at Tang Xia with her trembling finger.


    ¡°Forget it, Yunyun. You don¡¯t have to care about a degrading maid¡¯s words.¡±


    The water was flowing on the sink. Jiang Keyu put away her powder box into her pearl-white purse, turning around and looking at Tang Xia arrogantly.


    ¡°Fussing with a maid who wore a curtain as her dress could only undignify our status.¡±


    Poof.


    A few women burst into laughs after hearing her words. Someone was so poor that she even wore a curtain to join the banquet. It was really absurd.


    Tang Xia felt strange.


    ¡°Why do these sisters laugh like they are reaching the orgasm? This dress is specially sent by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Wait. Does it mean that Chu Tiankuo sends this dress made by a curtain for me to make me embarrassing on this banquet on purpose?


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo abhors me that much?¡±


    The comments on the bullet screen were also getting mad.


    [Visitor] Little Fairy Stick: Is this a romantic novel world? Why are the plots going to the direction that the hero is always trapping the heroine?


    [Visitor] Summer: It¡¯s obvious revenge of the arrogant CEO. Who knows our anchor is too ferocious and even sees the indescribable scene.

 Chapter 11

    [Visitor] coco: Hey, hey, hey, hey, seeking revenge for the smallest grievance is also a necessary quality of a CEO. My anchor, you could forgive him since you have taken advantage of him.


    Tang Xia was going to be crazy. She was the victim to see such an awful scene. Why did the comments describe her as an erotic maniac with evil intentions?


    ¡°Hey, little maid, I have some dresses of past seasons. I just wore them several times. I can give them to you with my kindness.¡± One of the women said proudly.


    Tang Xia could not be bothered to care about her words. She had no time and effort to deal with a woman who even did not have a name in this novel world.


    ¡°Weirdly, how did you figure out it¡¯s made of a curtain?¡± Tang Xia looked at Jiang Keyu and felt curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious. There¡¯s an F.D branded logo on your sleeve.¡± Jiang Keyu wore a despised smile.


    ¡°F.D?¡± Tang Xia tasted this brand name quietly. This was a virtual famous brand in this novel. She knew nothing about it.


    Noticing Tang Xia¡¯s unexperienced expression, Jiang Keyu could not help making fun of her and said, ¡°You even don¡¯t know the best-level brand in the world, so where did you gain the confidence to come with Mr. Chu to join this banquet?¡±


    Tang Xia finally understood. ¡°Oh, it turns to be the best-level brand in the world. Does it mean it is much expensive than all your dresses?¡±


    Jiang Keyu was stunned.


    The other women were looking at each other embarrassedly.


    Indeed, all their dresses added together could not match with half the price of the F.D.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems that my piece of the curtain is much expensive than your dresses.¡± Tang Xia said happily, getting her purse and leaving.


    Leaving the restroom into silence.


    [Visitor] Mad Zhang: Am I the only person who remembers that our anchor was going for the toilet?


    Tang Xia, ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia got back to the hall. It was the livest moment at this party. Groups of guests gathered and chatted harmoniously.


    Tang Xia sat by a corner alone. Searching around the crowd, she did not find out Chu Tiankuo. She thought, ¡°This hatred arrogant man is really unreliable. He dropped me here and disappeared.¡±


    She shook her head and asked for a cup of orange juice from a waiter.


    Right at the moment, a tumult turned up at the center of the hall. A panic female voice rang out. ¡°Oh my god, my diamond necklace is missing.¡±


    It was Jiang Keyu¡¯s voice, a member of the girls¡¯ group in the restroom.


    ¡°Miss Jiang, you can think for a while. Did you put it somewhere? People who can join this banquet would not steal something,¡± the sponsor asked gently.


    ¡°Yes, people here are all with some reputation and naturally would not steal something. But the one sneaked in might not have good virtues.¡± Jiang Keyu¡¯s fierce eyesight turned to Tang Xia¡¯s direction.


    Tang Xia was drinking the cold orange juice at the corner, confronting the lines of sight coming towards her. She absently stared at Jiang Keyu who was really angry.


    ¡°Ah, I just said nothing but your dress was cheaper than my curtain dress. Are you necessary to do something to hurt each other?¡±


    Jiang Keyu was so annoyed that she even felt her lungs would blast.


    She pointed at Tang Xia and said ironically, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about something useless to transfer our focus. In the restroom, you¡¯re the only one should be suspected. Who will do this except you?¡±


    Tang Xia felt speechless. She pointed at the other women who were also at the restroom and said, ¡°My little sister, they stay longer than me in the restroom with you. You can¡¯t accuse me of stealing just because I¡¯m more adorable than you all.¡±

 Chapter 12

    [Visitor] Muguo Guomu: It¡¯s a shame to pretend to be cute.


    [Visitor] Summer: It¡¯s a shame to pretend to be cute.


    [Visitor] Yu Yang: This anchor was so cute~


    [Visitor] Hu Huo: Do you have any consciousness when you said something like that, upstairs?


    Most of the people at the banquet were the same as the comments on the bullet screen in the broadcast room, who felt disgusting about Tang Xia¡¯s narcissistic behavior. The sponsor had to intervene in this situation helplessly.


    ¡°This lady, since Miss Jiang feels doubtable about you, I think you should allow her to search you directly. If you are really innocent, you don¡¯t have to be worried.¡±


    The sponsor¡¯s words were obviously biased, but none of the people present were willing to uphold justice for Tang Xia. It was not smart to offend Jiang¡¯s family for an unidentified little worm.


    ¡°You guys go and search her purse. You guys give her a body check.¡± Jiang Keyu immediately dispatched several security staffs to check with Tang Xia.


    ¡°Checking one¡¯s body is too impolite, not to mention to let a few big guys do so.¡± Someone raised a different but low voice finally.


    Jiang Keyu glanced at Tang Xia coldly and said peremptorily, ¡°Who knows whether she would hide my diamond necklace in her personal clothes? You guys must search carefully, and can¡¯t miss any part of her body!¡±


    Sometimes, a woman¡¯s heart was the most poisonous.


    Tang Xia looked at Jiang Keyu helplessly and sighed. ¡°Well, well, Miss Jiang, I throw in the towel. I promise I won¡¯t reveal your secret of body odor and sore. Can you stop playing this kind of threatening trick on me?¡±


    The hall fell into an uproar, and all the people present were throwing unbelievable sights towards Jiang Keyu. Even some young aristocratic men couldn¡¯t help laughing but to cover their mouths with their hands immediately.


    ¡°What are you talking about? When did I have body odor and sore?¡± Jiang Keyu looked around and her face turned pale with anger.


    ¡°Well, well, well, you didn¡¯t. Are you satisfied with that? Can we end this topic and go back home?¡±


    The more casual Tang Xia¡¯s attitude was, the more people would doubt the truth of the matter. Even the sponsor started to look through Jiang Keyu¡¯s body.


    Could it be said that such a pretty lady really had the mentioned illnesses?


    Jiang Keyu gave him a ferocious look. ¡°What are you looking at? Check her body quickly. If you can¡¯t find this thief out, none of you can leave today!¡±


    Those security staffs had to listen to her order, moving forwards and pulling Tang Xia¡¯s dress. Oh no, it should be called as a curtain.


    ¡°Who dares to touch her?¡± A lazy voice came from the cabinet on the second floor.


    All the people in the hall turned their gaze towards the place where the sound rang out. They were shocked.


    A man, like a god, was sitting on the sofa on the second floor, boringly holding his chin with his hand and watching this farce with a smile on his face.


    [Visitor] Mengmeng: The heroine always shows up at the critical moments!


    [Visitor] Popcorn: I don¡¯t know why the supporting actresses in each novel would always play this kind of low-level tricks. As a proverb says, go for wool and come home shorn.


    [Visitor] Thisis: This is a so-called routine. Understand?


    Tang Xia explained immediately, ¡°I didn¡¯t take the initiative to cause troubles. I just found out Miss Jiang¡¯s secret of body odor and sores, so she was angry at me. I promised I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone her secret, but she still didn¡¯t believe me. You see, what should I do?¡±


    Tang Xia virtually poured another bucket of sewage on Jiang Keyu.


    Jiang Keyu was so angry that she finally could not maintain the elegant image of a celebrity. She shouted loudly, ¡°You, such a babbling b*tch. What¡¯s the problem with you? That you stole my diamond necklace but disgrace me without any hesitation!¡±

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Mr. Chu, how do you think?¡± The sponsor looked at him with difficulty.


    Chu Tiankuo stood up and walked downstairs slowly. He stood by Tang Xia and glanced at the people present. He said, ¡°It¡¯s obvious who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong. Is there anyone having another opinion?¡±


    His attitude was very clear.


    ¡°What do you mean to be obvious? Is it true that Mr. Chu doesn¡¯t care about justice? Will you cover up a thief?¡± Jiang Keyu was jealous and angry.


    Chu Tiankuan even didn¡¯t raise his eyes. He grasped Tang Xia¡¯s wrist. Her sleeve slipped down, revealing a slender wrist. A silver bracelet was worn on her wrist with a blood-colored diamond hanging on it.


    Breathing sounds came and went.


    Jiang Keyu¡¯s face turned pale immediately. This was the priceless blood diamond in the rumor¡­


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Phoenix Bloodshed!!!!


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: Oh my, oh my, I finally saw the royal blood diamond in the rumor of this novel!


    [Visitor] Flake: Wowowow¡­ This blood diamond blows me out. It¡¯s so beautiful!


    ¡°Owning this blood diamond that I sent to her, does this Washboard have to steal your glass beads?¡±


    ¡°My necklace is not just a glass bead¡­¡± Jiang Keyu couldn¡¯t help arguing, but her voice was getting lower and lower. Indeed, compared with the Austrian blood diamond bought by Chu Tiankuo at a high price, the pearl on her necklace could only be counted as a glass bead.


    Tang Xia was shocked. She had not expected the bracelet Chu Tiankuo sent to her casually turned out to be that famous!


    After this ¡°battle¡±, Tang Xia¡¯s name was thoroughly spread in the celebrity circle.


    Chu Tiankuo parked his car in the vestibule of the Empire State Building, and Tang Xia got into the position of the co-pilot.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time that I found my wrist is so valuable. My CEO, you hide your mind too deeply. You should tell me the value of this diamond in advance. What if I accidentally drop it?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo put on the sunglasses and started the engine of the car. ¡°You can pay back by washing the toilet for me for a lifetime. Isn¡¯t it the best work for you, Washboard?¡±


    Tang Xia played with the diamond on her wrist and smiled lightly.


    ¡°CEO, your appearance today is really a slap in the air, which has covered my spotlight. But I don¡¯t understand. Since you have decided to see my embarrassment, why did you support me in the end?¡±


    It was a joke Chu Tiankuo looked forward to playing on her. At the beginning that he took her in, he deliberately drew a lot of hatred for her.


    The car was flying in the dark night.


    Chu Tiankuo stared at her deeply and praised her without any sincerity. ¡°You¡¯re not too stupid.¡±


    Tang Xia heard his words and showed out an understanding expression.


    ¡°So, do you think it is interesting tonight? How do you feel when being played a joke?¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly asked.


    Tang Xia was perplexed.


    ¡°What is the plot about? The CEO turns dark instead of arrogance?¡±


    Thinking for a while, she came to the conclusion and said, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, are you going to play a bad love section with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Chu Tiankuo wore sneer and said, ¡°The section is not important. Anyway, I am just one of your goals to conquer, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Tang Xia was completely stunned.


    The atmosphere in the broadcast room condensed for a few seconds, and the comments moved on quickly.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: It scared me. What does the CEO mean? Did he know the truth?

 Chapter 14

    [Visitor] Speechless: It¡¯s impossible¡­ Where did the character in a novel world get this information?


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: It¡¯s awful. In this case, no one can conquer him.


    [Visitor] Siamese cat: It¡¯s really scaring when I think carefully!!!


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: What should we do now? Will our anchor have life danger?


    [Visitor] coco: Go and report to the customer service. If it¡¯s true, the anchor is really in danger.


    [Visitor] Summer: Anchor, don¡¯t worry. Try your best to behave naturally to hold on Chu Tiankuo. Someone has gone to ask customer service for help.


    The visitors in the broadcast room stared at the screen with anxiety, fearing that Tang Xia would throw blood on the spot in next second.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, I didn¡¯t understand what you said, and what do you mean by conquering?¡± Tang Xia had to pretend not to understand his words.


    Chu Tiankuo said with a blank expression, ¡°Literally, I am tired of playing with these self-righteous raiders like you. I just want to say it directly.¡±


    ¡°As long as your mission is not completed, you can¡¯t leave the world until the end of your live broadcast.¡±


    ¡°But what if I destroy your broadcast system when the time is over?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked.


    A black Maybach was speeding at the dark night. Tang Xia was sitting in the co-pilot, looking at the strange road on both sides of the window. She felt a little bit uncomfortable and asked, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, where are you going to take me to?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was covered with a pair of sunglasses, and he looked at the road ahead without squinting. He opened his thin lips and whispered, ¡°Send you to the Philippines to sell bananas.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a few seconds, but the comments on the bullet screen were busy.


    [Visitor] Jianyang: It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over. It seems that he will take the anchor to someplace to destroy her body.


    [Visitor] Hh: Is this world infected with any virus?


    [Visitor] coco: the customer service said they would immediately do the inspection and maintenance of the whole district.


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: Anchor, if you can¡¯t find a way out, you may bend your knee and ask for mercy.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: Anchor, don¡¯t be afraid. I will always be with you.


    There finally was a person who did not say anything upset. Tang Xia got a little comfort.


    A few seconds later.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: Anchor, I have searched the banana planting guide and the Philippine smuggling guide on the Internet. You should keep time reading them several times.


    Tang Xia, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ding-dong.


    The system issued an announcement that Tang Xia received a private letter, which was from the company¡¯s customer service.


    [Customer Service] 0304: Hello, Tang Xia, I am the customer service of Time-travel Broadcast Space. Under the test by our company programmers, we found that the world of ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡± had been infected with a strong virus. Our company decided to launch the anti-virus software for this world right now. You can choose to leave the mission world directly before the end of the live broadcast time. When it ends, we will completely block the terminals of this world and remove the virus.


    Tang Xia was shocked. She did not understand what meant to startup anti-virus software right now? Was the virus they would clear Chu Tiankuo?


    Therefore, what was the result he would have?


    [Customer Service] 0304: Anti-virus software had been started. Count down, 10, 9, 8, 7¡­


    Looking at the numbers counting down, Tang Xia felt her heart would nearly stop. She hoped to stop this, but she could do nothing.


    5, 4, 3¡­


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, run!¡± She looked anxiously and shouted.


    At the end of her words, the whole world suddenly vibrated intensively. The whole car was rolled into the air by the horrible wind, turning over for a few laps and fell to the ground heavily.

 Chapter 15

    At the sight of Tang Xia, a mist of bloody fog surged.


    After a while, the world had returned to calm.


    Tang Xia was lying on the car¡¯s sunroof. She moved her body and was surprised to find that she got no hurt.


    Ding-dong.


    The customer service sent her a private message again.


    [Customer Service] 0304: Hello, Tang Xia, the program department has opened the protective magnetic field for you. The live broadcast time has entered the countdown. You should leave this world as soon as possible.


    The ending time of the live broadcast had been shown at the top of the live broadcast room. It was less than half an hour left.


    Tang Xia struggled to climb out of the broken car, and tried her best to open the door at the other side. She dragged Chu Tiankuo out carefully.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, Chu Tiankuo, can you hear me?¡± Tang Xia shouted and breathed heavily.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s injury seemed to be not good. His body was full of blood, and his belly was more serious. A lot of blood was pouring out.


    The heavily bloody smell was filled in the air and Tang Xia could easily notice it. She pulled off a piece of her dress and covered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s belly with it. The blue and white cloth was dyed with blood. Even Tang Xia¡¯s fingers were contaminated with his warm blood.


    ¡°Keke.¡± Chu Tiankuo opened his eyes and saw Tang Xia was there. His expression was changed slightly.


    ¡°Ah, I was too careless and even let them break my protective wall.¡± His face was pale and his red lips¡¯ color faded.


    He raised his eyes and glanced at the person in front of him. A trace of light flashed by his eyes and he asked, ¡°Foot-washing maid, what are you doing here? You don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    Tang Xia did not move.


    The visitors in the live broadcast room were worried. They did not know the system¡¯s action and felt really surprised about the sudden car accident. However, they knew that there was not much time left for Tang Xia. If she did not choose to leave this novel world, she could never come back to the real world.


    [Visitor] Popcorn: Anchor, what are you waiting for? The customer service said that you can choose to leave this world!


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Yeah, come back to the real world soon. You will never come back if you still hang up!


    [Visitor] Junda: Yeah, I like you so much, anchor. Don¡¯t be impulsive to stay in this novel world!


    [Visitor] Star Eyes: Come back now, anchor. I will open guardian for you!


    The customer service sent a few more private messages to her.


    Tang Xia squatted on the ground with a faint expression, covering Chu Tiankuo¡¯s wounds with her hands. There was a battle in her mind. The live countdown was shown on the huge screen with the red numbers changing fast.


    The indicator light on the upper left corner was also flashing. Only if she clicked this button, she could return to the real world directly¡­ However, if she left alone, the system would start the anti-virus software at once.


    Since then, what would happen to Chu Tiankuo?


    Tang Xia looked at him.


    Chu Tiankuo lay on the ground and was soaked in blood like a blood man. Tang Xia even could not tell the location of his wounds.


    He stared at her with no expression. He asked, ¡°What? Are you still trying to conquer me? Don¡¯t waste your efforts. I will never fall in love with a fake woman.¡±


    Tang Xia did not want to argue for herself. She whispered, ¡°I have called the ambulance. I will leave when it arrives.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo deviated from the main driveway and drove to a remote path on the outskirts. It took nearly one-hour drive to the nearest hospital.


    However, the most important thing was that when Tang Xia left, the whole world would be completely removed by the system, and no one could leave¡­


    ¡°Are you pitiful to me?¡± Chu Tiankuo said with a smile. ¡°Foot-washing maid, please focus on your identity. I don¡¯t need your sympathy.¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Shut up, Chu Tiankuo, your blood leaks out again!¡± Tang Xia frowned and it could tell she was very anxious.


    This was the first time Tang Xia became angry in front of Chu Tiankuo. He raised his eyebrows with surprise.


    Time passed by. Only less than ten minutes left before the end of the live broadcast and the atmosphere became more and more intense.


    ¡°You really wanna stay here forever?¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course not, but if I leave, you, and even the whole world, will be dismissed by the system. ¡°If Tang Xia chose to stay, the live broadcast company would only choose to close this world¡¯s entrance.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes with darkness. ¡°I will regret, but I will still make this choice. If I just watch you disappear and don¡¯t care, what¡¯s the real meaning for me to love this industry?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s ironic look finally faded down. It was likely that he just took off a bright and mottled mask, revealing a lifeless but delicate face.


    It was him, but not like him before.


    ¡°Washboard, I¡¯m a little bit jealous on you. At least, you know the meaning of your life, but I can not figure out who I am, ah!¡±


    At this moment, only the 30 seconds left from the end of the live broadcast, and the live broadcast system sounded a roaring alarm.


    All of the visitors in the live broadcast room were waiting nervously.


    ¡°Living consciously might be more painful.¡± Chu Tiankuo sighed deeply with a glamorous look in his eyes. Then, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°I lost to you, Washboard.¡±


    System Announcement: Congratulations to the anchor Tang Xia (Room No.: 6569) successfully conquers the CEO in the world of ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡±, winning 1,000 points.


    System Announcement: You are leaving the world, please wait.


    [Visitor] Hh: It¡¯s so thrilling. The anchor almost became the first tragic one to be trapped in this novel!


    [Visitor] Little Glutinous Rice: Although I am very happy for the anchor¡¯s coming back, I still feel upset about the CEO¡¯s change.


    [Visitor] Sheep Baa Baa: I feel a sense of guilt as an executioner¡¯s helper.


    [Visitor] Dark-blood: Wow, wow, this is the man under my pen. Chu Tiankuo, Lord Chu? I finally see you! (Tear flowing)


    [Visitor] Popcorn: The author appears by the upstairs!


    [Visitor] Dark-blood: I am so touched to see the character under my pen to be treated so seriously. Anchor, I will open the guardian for you!


    As the orange petals slowly fell on the screen, the system refreshed an announcement:


    Congratulations to Dark-blood to become the guardian of Tang Xia.


    At this moment, Tang Xia had no energy to care about the first guardian in her anchoring career. She opened her bright eyes and looked at Chu Tiankuo incredibly.


    Chu Tiankuo said with a wide tone, ¡°If I have a chance, I really hope to go to your world. If it¡¯s possible, I really want to break the author¡¯s neck.¡±


    [Guardian] Dark-blood: Hahaha! Haha! It¡¯s going to rain! I need to go back home to put my clothes away!


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s figure gradually became blurred in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. With the shinning of white light, she heard the arrogant laughter lingering around her ears, which said, ¡°Living or death are both fine. Come on, let me see how much you¡¯re capable.¡±


    System Announcement: You have left the world successfully. The live broadcast this time ends.

 Chapter 17

    System Announcement: the world of ¡°The Tyrant CEO Falls in Love with Me¡± has been closed. The Ruixin Antivirus system starts.


    Tang Xia opened her eyes and a grey shadow fell into her eyes. After ten more seconds, her eyesights turned clear and she felt a piece of coolness on her wrist. She lowered her head, finding that the blood diamond was on her slender wrist.


    Tang Xia fell into a trance for a while. She did not recover her mind until she heard the knocking of the live broadcast room.


    The door was opened. A young staff appeared by the door, conveying an order. ¡°Miss Tang, the boss asks you to go to his conference room.¡±


    The boss was still in a meeting. Tang Xia had to sit there to have a rest and wait. She looked through her phone and clicked into a live broadcast room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but vomit that the standards for our company to recruit anchors have been so relaxing now. Could a Virgin Mary without any capability start the live broadcast?¡±


    ¡°She even showed mercy to a group of virtual data. It¡¯s her choice to lose her life in the fake world, but don¡¯t lose the faces of our company¡¯s anchors, OK?¡±


    ¡°Such a style of this idiot even attracted a bunch of visitors. What¡¯s wrong with people now? Did the style of Virgin Mary revive again?¡±


    ¡°The newcomers are all good-for-nothing indeed!¡±


    On the screen, a young man was screaming in the broadcast room. He wore a black casual suit with a sly look on his face. It was a star anchor of Time-travel Broadcast Space, the meanest criticizer Sinan.


    A title was rolling in his broadcast room¡ªDiss Virgin Mary


    In fact, the Virgin Mary he was dissing was not someone else but Tang Xia, who was watching his live broadcast.


    The comments on the bullet screen were rolling times faster. Tang Xia roughly looked through, finding that most of them were following Sinan to satirize her. A few good comments to her were sunk in the flood of bullet screen quickly.


    Tang Xia was somewhat frustrated. Maybe she was really not suitable to be an anchor. She could not just regard the characters in the novel world as a series of data.


    They would be upset, would cry, would hurt, and would blood. They were living people, not objects that could be casually smothered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to care much about their comments.¡± A cold voice turned out near Tang Xia.


    She raised her head, meeting a pair of dark eyes.


    It was Tang Xia¡¯s idol, Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan wore a black casual jacket, leaning against the corner of the room and smoking. A dark cap was on his head, covering his light-white hair and his cold eyes. He seemed to be a teenager at 17 or 18 years old.


    Tang Xia was a little shocked and had never expected that she would meet her idol in such an embarrassing situation.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s facial features were clearer than he was in the screen, but his body also spread out cold aura which forced people dared not to come near.


    ¡°I watched your live broadcast replay.¡± A mist of smoke came out of Ye Yifan¡¯s mouth, blurring his cool face. ¡°Although it can¡¯t be said to be perfect, you generally have settled your own style.¡±


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia could not help laughing at herself and said, ¡°But most of the visitors can¡¯t understand me. They think that an anchor should not have extra feelings to the characters in the novel world.¡±


    Ye Yifan glanced at her with no expression. ¡°So, what should an anchor do? Playing tricks or showing schemings? Treating the characters in the virtual world with an arrogant attitude? No one is a fool. He could tell whether you have put your emotions in or not.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Tang Xia thought that Ye Yifan also considered her behaviors as shamelessness and embarrassment, but she had not expected that he could say something like this.


    Ye Yifan turned his head and put down his cigarette. ¡°Everyone has different value and view of things. Whether this world is right or wrong, you can¡¯t change it. The only thing you can do is just to stick on yourself. Meanwhile, your persistence just saved you.¡±


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia was shocked. She raised her head and confusingly looked at Ye Yifan. She asked, ¡°Save, me?¡±


    ¡°I watched your replay. The system was seriously disturbed when the first wave of the anti-virus system started. Only if you leave the broadcast room, Chu Tiankuo might take a life-and-death struggle with you.¡±


    Took a life-and-death struggle¡­ This really accorded with the brutal style of Chu Tiankuo.


    When Tang Xia thought of his name, her numb heart seemed to recover. She even faintly felt a piece of pain. ¡°He, will he really be cleared?¡±


    ¡°If there is no accident, he will.¡± Ye Yifan did not like to lie, but when he noticed Tang Xia¡¯s upset expression, he tried to comfort her. ¡°You have been to this world, working hard there and persisting your ideas. You might be happy or upset, but as long as you have a clear conscience, why should you still worry about the result?¡±


    This was the most important meaning of this broadcast room.


    ¡°The longer we are an anchor, the heavier our anger might be. Some of them have forgotten their initial hearts that they came there just to look for getting rid of the limitations of the real world and pursuing the meanings of life. However, now the original piece of pure land has become turbid.¡±


    Playing tricks, focusing on the techniques, crowding out the newcomers, scheming with each other, and even lowing their baselines for attracting visitors had become the norm.


    Tang Xia looked at this fascinating and cool young man with myriad titles. A tired expression showed up on his attracting and charming tender face and his eyes were like a pool of dead water.


    Tracing back to the years ago, this young man showed out his capabilities for the first time and his eyes were full of publicity and pride.


    ¡°Sorry, I talked too much today.¡±Ye Yifan lowered hat and covered his face. ¡°I need to go back to my broadcast room.¡±


    ¡°Master.¡± Tang Xia stopped him from behind.


    Ye Yifan stopped.


    ¡°I will stick to it. Please don¡¯t give up.¡±


    Ye Yifan turned his head, and faint starlight emerged from his tired eyes.


    ¡°Fighting, Tang Xia,¡± he said.


    Tang Xia had a week of rest and decided to stick to her principles and continue broadcasting in her own way.


    When her second broadcast started, plenty of visitors came to her room. With the thrilling broadcast in her first time, she had emerged from the crowd of new anchors and became an influencer with a little popularity.


    [Fans] Jelly: Miss Sugar, pick up the world quickly. I hope to see what you will choose this time!


    [Fans] Ala Lei: European emperor is on the line!!!!


    [Fans] Popcorn: Anchor, I am coming. Fighting, you are the best!


    [Guardian] Tushan Tea: The feeling of riding on a mount is really¡­ cool!


    ¡­


    After Tang Xia greeted her fans, she opened the extraction page. The atmosphere was inexplicably dignified. After five seconds, the page turned to the romance section.


    For the second time of Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast, she got into a dramatic novel world¡ª¡±Tyrant, Kneel Down to Me¡±. This novel was about a killer organization¡¯s number one killer, Lengmei, experienced the air crash and time-traveled to Dajin Dynasty, falling in love but doubt with the tyrant king, Helian Jue.


    The identity of Tang Xia this time was a favorite imperial concubine of Helian Jue and the opponent of Lengmei in the future. In this novel, her ending was extremely miserable and her body would be exposed to the wilderness. Tang Xia¡¯s mission was to take a counterattack.


    [Fans] Jelly: Why is to be arranged this stupid novel? I feel sick when I see the face of the arrogant and cool heroine!


    [Fans] Popcorn: Forget it. We should bear with it for the dignity of the anchor.


    [Guardian] Tushan Tea: Stay calm. Let¡¯s see how the anchor beats the heroine!


    After a burst of white light, Tang Xia woke up in an ancient palace. A light yellow bed curtain fell into her eyes and abundant spices smell spread in the air, which made Tang Xia breathless.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you awake?¡± A good-looking little maid rolled up the bed curtain at once. A group of maids behind her surrounded by and made up for Tang Xia.


    A beautiful and attractive face showed up in the bronze mirror, which was even more enchanting than Tang Xia¡¯s original appearance. A pair of amorous eyes were shining with the end slightly raised, making her a little bit proud.


    This was the first beauty of Dajin Dynasty, the most favored imperial concubine of tyrant Helian Jue, named Yue Ji


    However, under the set up of Lengmei, such a beautiful woman was finally abandoned by the tyrant and sent to serve as a prostitute of his army. Her body was exposed in the wilderness. What a miserable ending!


    ¡°Your Majesty, the emperor took back a woman from the hunting field and she slept in his bedroom directly. It is said that she said something strange, but earned our emperor¡¯s favor. Your Majesty, you need to take care of her!¡±


    ¡°Lyuyou, don¡¯t be alarmist. Whose talent and appearance could compare with that of our Empress. The emperor just feels fresh of this new woman and adored her for a few days. His favorite is always our Empress!¡±


    The two maids were making up for the Empress while arguing about the newcomer. The maid named Lyuyou was not convinced that she was about to refute but was interrupted by a delicate voice.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t make trouble. You are bothering our Empress.¡± A jade-like hand pushed the bead curtain aside and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this is a cup of cubilose soup made by the little kitchen. Please drink when it¡¯s still warm.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyes and met a pair of big eyes with water. The owner of the eyes was a girl of 16 or 17. Her face showed some tenderness but a little pride in her eyes.


    It was a little bit similar to Yue Ji.

 Chapter 19

    As soon as this maid appeared, the comments on the bullet screen became active again.


    [Fans] Muguo Guomu: It¡¯s her. It¡¯s her. The second annoying character appears! Cruel, cruel, cruel in a hurry!


    [Visitor] Huanyu: You see, this maid named Anxia looks a little similar to Yue Ji. No wonder the hatred tyrant considered her as the substitute for Yue Ji¡­


    [Guardian] Tushan Tea: Anchor, this maid put in infertility poison to Yue Ji and joined hands with the heroine to set her up. Diss her! Diss her!


    [Fans] Jiangjiang: Anchor, don¡¯t drink that cup of cubilose. It¡¯s poisonous!


    [Visitor] Come and Eat Fruit: I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here. I heard that this anchor came across the tyrant CEO?


    [Fans] Popcorn: Is the upstairs using the village internet?


    Except for a visitor who did not know the situation clearly, most of the comments asked Tang Xia to diss this maid and even a few printed a line of landmines to urge her to punish this bitch. As an excellent anchor, how could she ignore visitors¡¯ voice?


    Tang Xia slowly stirred the soup in the celadon bowl and asked, ¡°Anxia, you have been with me for five years, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Anxia answered with a smile, but her eyesight just fell on the jade in Tang Xia¡¯s hairpin with greed in her eyes.


    Yue Ji was always generous and Anxia was the maid she trusted most. As long as she asked for something she wanted, Yue Ji would give her as a reward. However, Tang Xia was not the real Yue Ji and owned the mission to counterattack. She would not follow the maid¡¯s wish.


    Anxia stared at the jade for a long time, but Tang Xia had no response. She just touched her temples slowly, while Anxia¡¯s expression became a little bit stiff, but she felt really resentful in her mind. She wore an embarrassed smile and urged. ¡°Your Majesty, please drink the soup as soon as possible. It won¡¯t taste good if it turns cold.¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at her and said faintly, ¡°Since you have served me for so many years with effort, I will give you this cup of soup as a reward.¡±


    Anxia was panic when hearing the words. She knew clearly what she had put inside of the soup. She would become an imperial concubine in the future and give birth to a prince. How could she drink the cup of soup? She refused immediately. ¡°Your Majesty, I have no contribution, so how dare I drink this cup of soup? Please don¡¯t embarrass me, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°I just reward you a cup of cubilose soup. Why does it embarrass you? You have never felt embarrassed when I rewarded you with jewelry.¡± Tang Xia leaned on the soft couch, saying, ¡°Or else, you never put my rewards for you in your mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to.¡±


    ¡°Then, why not drink it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Anxia had to get the cup of soup from Lyuyou¡¯s hands. She looked at Tang Xia whose expression was indifferent. She made up her mind and drank up all the soup.


    Tang Xia nodded her head with satisfaction and continued to say, ¡°Anxia, you¡¯re not young and it¡¯s the time to get married. I heard that you are close to the governor eunuch of the Qianyuan Palace and I think you two must have a deep relationship. How about matching you with him?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Anxia exclaimed a scream and kneeled on the ground. the reason why she got close to the governor eunuch of the Qianyuan Palace was to ask about the preferences of the emperor. It was not about love affairs.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not satisfied with my arrangement?¡±


    Anxia couldn¡¯t be satisfied. She said with hesitation, ¡°Your Majesty, in fact, I have been loving a man for a long time. He was not the governor eunuch of the Qianyuan Palace. I know I should not have such an expectation since my identity is too low, but I still hope, Your Majesty, for that I have been looking after you for long, please raise your hands high in mercy and don¡¯t push me into the fire!¡±


    After that, she slammed a few heads on the floor.


    ¡°The emperor is arriving¡­¡± A sharp voice came. A bright yellow figure walked in. Tang Xia calmly came to welcome him with all of her maids.


    ¡°Welcome your coming, Your Majesty.¡±


    A pair of warm palms attached Tang Xia¡¯s wrists and lifted her up. ¡°Free from the salute. My love, what is this? Which stupid maid make you angry?¡±


    Helian Jue had a beautiful appearance with a tyrant¡¯s unique cruel in his eyes.


    Tang Xia smiled slightly. ¡°There must be a misunderstanding, Your Majesty. I find Anxia is not young and gets close to the governor eunuch of the Qianyuan Palace. Therefore, I just hope to make a match for them. Unfortunately, this girl seems to be uncomfortable.¡±


    Helian Jue was sitting in the upper position, looking at the maid who was kneeling on the ground and she was like an ant in his eyes. Lyuyou lowered her head and served him a cup of tea.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Anxia does not want to get married. I just hope to serve you for the rest of my life¡­ and the queen.¡± Anxia stared at Helian Jue with her hooked eyes. The biggest dream in her life was to become a lover of the emperor and live an upper-class life, instead of being randomly assigned to a small eunuch!


    Crack.


    A porcelain cup filled with hot tea smashed into the front of Anxia. The hot tea splashed onto her raining face. Anxia screamed for pain and covered her inflamed face immediately.


    Helian Jue scolded her. ¡°How dare you open your mouth, you useless slave. The master wants you alive, so you can be alive. If she asks you to die, do you dare to live?!¡±


    What Helian Jue hated most was that someone dared to challenge his authority. Since Lengmei had a reluctant temper and he could not get angry with his beloved woman. He could only show his full anger to Anxia.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Anxia dares not to violate your orders. However, I have been admiring you for a long time and don¡¯t hope to be assigned a eunuch. I hope you can understand my willing and I¡¯d like to die without hesitation!¡±


    Anxia understood that if she did not take the initiative, she would no longer have the possibility of turning over. However, she had miscalculated the situation. In fact, she could not match with Lengmei for the personality, while her appearance was less charming than Yue Ji and even had no possibility of being a substitute to her.


    Helian Jue glanced her in disgust and ordered. ¡°Come and pull this low-lying cockroach out and send her to Dongling to guard the tombs.¡±


    After sending the maid away, Helian Jue turned to Tang Xia.

 Chapter 20

    Helian Jue came in a hurry, but Lyuyou and the other maids had not made up for Tang Xia. A delicate face was not applied with any makeup, like a piece of jade or a hibiscus.


    Recently, Helian Jue had been staying with Lengmei for a few days. Today, they quarreled with each other again. Then, he thought of Yue Ji in the Glazed Palace.


    What he had not expected was that Yue Ji was more and more beautiful just for a few days he did not see her. He was greatly moved by her beauty.


    Helian Jue was never a person who would grieve himself. He dragged Tang Xia into his arms, provoking her chin with his index finger and touching her back with the other hand.


    ¡°Sweetheart, do you miss me?¡±


    Lyuyou and the other maids noticed and retraced immediately with their face turning pink.


    Tang Xia wore a charming smile, but a group of alpacas passing in her heart. She strongly restrained the desire to cut off his dirty hands, but answered delicately, ¡°Your Majesty, you haven¡¯t been here for a few days. You must forget me. I don¡¯t miss you.¡±


    Hearing her words, Helian Jue burst into laughing. He picked Tang Xia up and said by her ear romanticly, ¡°Are you jealous? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m yours tonight.¡±


    Then, he dropped Tang Xia onto the bed and leaned over.


    The bullet-screen comments were blowing up again!


    [Fans] Popcorn: Hey, it¡¯s the rumored 24 bans (Nose bleeding). I hope there is no mosaic!


    [Fans] Muguo Guomu: Does recently the police wipe out pornography? Will our anchor be caught for this¡­


    [Visitor] Junda: What? Such an operation? Let her go and let me do it. I have to criticize this bad social ethos (Funny face)


    [Guardian] Tushan Tea: The car¡¯s moving. The car¡¯s moving. Old drivers get on the car. Zoom~


    [Fans] Banshee of Dirty Mountain: What are you talking about? I am still underage. I can¡¯t understand anything.


    ¡­


    Tang Xia had no face to watch these unruly bullet-screen comments. She was about to cry. At this moment, the tyrant moved one of his hand opening the placket on her chest, and the delicate skin was out. Though it was not her real body, she could not bear this kind of shame.


    ¡°Sacrifice for the art!¡±


    Tang Xia clenched her teeth, staring at Helian Jue angrily, but it was charming and enchanting in the tyrant¡¯s eyes.


    Helian Jue touched Tang Xia¡¯s face with his fingers and clapped slightly. He comforted her softly and said, ¡°My sweetheart, don¡¯t be hurried. Let me caress you step by step.¡±


    ¡°Caress¡­ you, such a jerk! Such a slag man!¡±


    Tang Xia had given up the plots of striving for the tyrant¡¯s favor. She was thinking of the possibility of smashing the emperor and turning down his authority.


    ¡°Helian Jue, do you still remember the little Lengmei of Daming Lake? If she knows that you are no longer hers, what will she think of you? How can you two love each other to the end?¡±


    Tang Xia was deliberately disgusting him, because Lengmei was always contemptuous his authority and behaved arrogantly. She did not seem to be jealous and careless, which was the most hated part that Helian Jue dislike of her.


    Hearing her words, Helian Jue obviously changed in his eyes. One of his hand slammed Tang Xia¡¯s neck and the lust in his eyes gradually dispersed. He snorted and said, ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder. How dare you say something like this to me? Am I treating you too generous normally to make you not know your ability? You¡¯re not qualified to judge the affair between me and Lengmei, understand?¡±


    The strength on Tang Xia¡¯s neck slowly tightened. Her eyes were filled with tears. As long as she said something more which was similar to jealousy, heartbroken, or disgusting love words, the emperor¡¯s tyrannical machismo would be satisfied. In the end, It would make the tyrant feel indifferent to Lengmei and heartbroken.


    When Tang Xia was preparing her mood, the tyrant suddenly loosened his hands. A few drops of warm liquid dripped onto her delicate cheeks, and the rust-like smell was filled in the air.


    Tang Xia was stunned.


    She slowly raised her head and saw that Helian Jue was incredulously staring at her with his eyes widely opened. A few lines of blood ran down his forehead to his chin, which formed a picture of blood splashing on the spot.


    Helian Jue tried to open his mouth and seemed to try to say something, but his body fell down towards Tang Xia without control. Before his body fell into her and she did not respond, Helian Jue¡¯s big body was suddenly kicked out and fell over on the ground.


    A man¡¯s face revealed.


    The man wore a dark eunuch suit, embroidered with a complex pattern on his sleeves. He wore a pair of black riding boots, spreading out cold and chilling intent. Especially, his eyes were full of arrogance and pride.


    This person, Tang Xia was very familiar.


    He stood in front of Tang Xia in a straight posture, holding a white handkerchief in his hand and wiping the blood stains. He threw the handkerchief onto Helian Jue¡¯s body and stared at Tang Xia with a faint smile in his eyes.


    ¡°Meet you again, Washboard.¡±

 Chapter 21

    [Fans] No Cherry: Nani!


    [Fans] Can¡¯t Reach Your Lips: Time-travel! This must be the time-travel!


    [Fans] Indifference: What is this? Teleportations!


    Tang Xia was also unbelievable, staring at Chu Tiankuo with her eyes widely opened for a while. Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°You are¡­ that arrogant monster?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth was stiff immediately.


    It seemed that this woman was still easy to alter his angry even in another world.


    ¡°Say it again?¡± Chu Tiankuo propped up and moved close to Tang Xia and his eyes turned into curved lines.


    Tang Xia shrank her Tang Xia. ¡°It¡¯s really you! You are not dead!¡±


    Mr. Chu¡¯s face turned darker.


    ¡°You are looking for death.¡± Chu Tiankuo gritted his teeth, raising his right hand and bringing a gust of wind. Tang Xia only saw a stacked pattern on his sleeves which looked pretty good.


    Tang Xia did not feel the expected fain, but opened her eyes, finding Chu Tiankuo was looking down upon her with a smile.


    Tang Xia breathed a sigh of relief and patted her breast. ¡°I thought you would beat me¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo straight up. His disdainful snoring was his answer to her.


    At the same time, on the bullet screen¡ª


    [Fans] Scarlet: What is this situation?


    [Fans] The Pants Off: The boss of the previous world gets to this world and has he saved the anchor from the danger? Oh, my. This is a fantasy story!


    [Fans] Wooden Man: Only I noticed that Mr. Chu was wearing a eunuch suit?


    Tang Xia was suddenly awakened by the bullet-screen comments. She straightened up her body and sat on the bed. ¡°How can you come here?¡±


    Since Helian Jue had contacted with Tang Xia and her clothes had been torn apart, her delicate chest fell into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo waved his hand and turned back to stand. A touch of pink noticeably floated on his handsome face.


    ¡°You such a shameless woman.¡±


    Tang Xia finally noticed and reacted. She tidied her clothes with her face turning pink.


    Chu Tiankuo recovered to be normal and turned around. He stepped on Helian Jue¡¯s waist with one of his feet and threw a cold glance to him.


    ¡°Is this the person you need to conquer?¡±


    There was a dangerous feeling in his tone. Tang Xia shrank her neck. ¡°This is the man I need to seduce.¡±


    At the end of Tang Xia¡¯s words, the heat around her was scattered. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lips were tight and his eyebrows were twisted up as usual. His eyes were like the millennial mysterious ice of an iceberg, which was too cold for people to tell his real emotions.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Tang Xia was stunned by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s smile, and then she saw the corner of his mouth wore a smile.


    ¡°How about I kill him for you directly?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s smile deepened, and even the strength of stepping on Helian Jue¡¯s waist became heavily.


    ¡°Kill¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Tang Xia leaned forward, holding Chu Tiankuo¡¯s collar and drawing herself in front of him.


    ¡°Do you know how tough you can live to now? Don¡¯t learn the plots of the CEO fighting a boss. You are the character of the last world! Can you be a little self-conscious?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned, staring at Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks turning red because of anger. He sneered and said, ¡°Can you tell good from bad? It¡¯s me to save you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, you arrogant eunuch.¡± Tang Xia pushed him out. ¡°Just go. Or else, the virus nemesis of the technical department would come. By then, you can not escape!¡±


    However, Chu Tiankuo stood stably as a Mountain. Tang Xia tried to push him out, but it was hard to move.


    Tang Xia was annoyed and lay on the bed, but could not help whispering, ¡°You dame arrogant monster, stinking eunuch!¡±


    Before Tang Xia raised her eyes, Chu Tiankuo leaned forwards her and held her slender wrist. Tang Xia leaned back, but the back of her head heavily hit the railing of the bed.


    Candles were lit at the corners of the bed, which was like the pink cherry blossoms. The light shadow softly scattered on Tang Xia¡¯s nose. Her delicate face without any makeup was so attractive and no one could move their eyes from her.


    ¡°Should I take action to prove whether I am a eunuch?¡± Chu Tiankuo said without consideration. At the end of his words, this room fell into silence.


    [Fans] Candy Candy: Ah, ah! It¡¯s so romantic! Mr. Chu is so powerful!


    [Fans] Paris without Happiness: Your friend tyrant Chu is online¡ª


    Tang Xia had no courage to see the bullet-screen comments and she waved her hand towards Chu Tiankuo directly.


    ¡°Asshole!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand tightened, while the other hand lifted her available hand over her head. Tang Xia¡¯s body sent out a light sweet smell, which was more absorbing than any smell he had come across.


    ¡°You hurt me¡­¡± Tang Xia took a few breaths for pain and wiggled under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body. Chu Tiankuo did not reject her behaviors but observed her expression comfortably.


    Struggling for a while, Tang Xia finally surrendered. ¡°Wait¡­ Please let me go¡­¡±


    ¡°My feet¡­ are benumbed¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was sitting on her legs before, but Chu Tiankuo came with powerful strength and forced her under his body. However, she still dared to wiggle her body, so her long legs were benumbed for a long time.


    Chu Tiankuo snorted but softened his action to let her go.


    ¡°Your voice is pretty good when you are not sneering.¡± Tang Xia rubbed her legs and made a worthy comment.


    ¡°Just go before the system is aware of your existence. Don¡¯t mess it up. You will have nothing left if the push-ups behind the system start to take action.¡±


    Tang Xia was persuading him warmly, but Mr. Chu did apparently not care about her reminder.


    He stood straightly, looking down upon her as usual. He held Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face with his slender fingers.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Tang Xia stopped and glanced at the bullet screen by the side.


    [Fans] Infighting: Go on! Go on! It¡¯s time to perform the real acting capabilities!


    [Fans] Kiss Under the Oak: The anchor even jeers the hero that he can¡¯t match with the system? She¡¯s going to die!


    [Fans] A Dog: Diss the upstairs. You¡¯re wrong for the world. Helian Jue is the real hero in this world¡­ Wait. Where is Helian Jue?


    [Fans] Big Ass: Ah¡­ just now¡­ someone seems to ask for customer service to solve the live broadcast bug¡­


    Tang Xia regained consciousness and pushed Chu Tiankuo away immediately. ¡°You should go immediately! What are you doing here? Strongly grabbing a lady?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo relentlessly refuted, ¡°I am not going to fall in love with a washboard.¡±


    Tang Xia wore an angry expression. ¡°Then, why not leave quickly? There only you, I, and Helian Jue in this room. Since you hope to stay here, do you fall in love with Helian Jue?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes deepened after hearing her words and said angrily, ¡°I will tie you up if you say anything more!¡±


    ¡°In order to save you from that bad man¡­¡±


    Before Chu Tiankuo could finish his words, Tang Xia noticed the bullet-screen comment of ¡®Someone seemed to ask for customer service¡¯. She was worried and gnashed her teeth. ¡°Who needs you to save!¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, just save your energy! You¡¯re just a little character who was tamed by me in the last world. I have quite a lot of methods to protect myself. Now, I just¡­¡±


    Tang Xia did not think out good words at this moment and her voice was getting lower.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. It could tell his expression on his face under the shadow of candlelight.


    ¡°You just what? You are just blowing your own horn. You are just a washboard who has no ability to reject when being pushed under a man¡¯s body. You are such a stupid girl as usual.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks turned pink, which was likely to the red glow of sunset. She closed her eyes and shouted, ¡°I just hope to be f*ck by Helian Jue!¡±


    At the end of her words, the atmosphere was frozen.


    Even the bullet screen turned into silence. For a while, a comment passed by¡­


    [Fans] Lonely Peak: ¡­666¡­


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was as red as a sultan. A piece of confusion showed up in her eyes, but she raised her chin to pretend to be calm.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, listen. It¡¯s my duty to be his woman. My mission would nearly be completed¡­ this time. But you, you interrupt me. All of my efforts are in vain!¡±


    Tang Xia yelled for a while without shame, which successfully made Mr. Chu¡¯s expression turn darker.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s chin held tightly, and a sense of killing showed up in his eyes. He rubbed his fingertips with the thumb of his right hand with a cruel smile on his face.


    ¡°Tang Xia, do you know what you are talking about?¡±


    Tang Xia turned her head and her face was hot. ¡°Of course, I know!¡±


    ¡°I told you those is to let you know that I! Am! Good! I don¡¯t need others to save my life. I am willing to be f*ck by Helian Jue and I don¡¯t need you to come from another world!¡±


    The heat on her face was scattered. She blinked her eyes and tried to ignore the unnaturalness of her mind.


    ¡°So, just go as far as you can. You nearly ruined my last mission. Please do not get involved in the second task of my life!¡±


    There was no trace of heartbroken expression on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face, but the smile gradually cooled down. He moved his neck and glanced at Tang Xia. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will kill you?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and remembered that Chu Tiankuo liked to perish together. She was tight in mind somehow.


    However, she still stalking her neck, standing up and looking straightly at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s nose. ¡°Ah, can you really kill me?¡±


    ¡°I am the one who will be a queen in the future. How can you be such confident, eunuch Chu?¡±


    After silence for a few seconds, a bullet-screen comment passed by.


    [Fans] Sunset: The anchor is so stupid¡­


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palm was waving down following the bullet-screen comment. Tang Xia turned her head around and closed her eyes. She thought, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you really don¡¯t know my mind. I am saving your life! If you beat my face and ruined my career, I will kill you by myself!¡±


    Tang Xia waited for a while and then opened her eyes, finding Chu Tiankuo¡¯s Poker face without any expression. She felt a relief.


    ¡°Do you know the decision of your death is much more horrible than execution!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression did not change and wore a cold smile on his face again. The robe on his body set him more handsome and taller. The complicated patterns were layered, which was like Chu Tiankuo, who was a person too complex to know clearly.


    ¡°Tang Xia.¡± A cold voice came from the Tang Xia ¡®s head. Tang Xia stood up straightly and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was still surrounding her.


    ¡°Since you want to be played by Helian Jue, I just want to see what you would look like when you are tortured by him on his bed.¡±


    Tang Xia also felt angry and raised her chin. ¡°It¡¯s just fine. My mission would be complete if the hero presses me down on his bed. Then, I don¡¯t have to see you again.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sneered, but did not say anything. He moved towards the carved window and jumped out.

 Chapter 22

    Tang Xia took a long sigh and the bottom of eyes was clear.


    ¡°He¡¯s really an arrogant monster. Just go as I said, but even fail my reputation.¡± Tang Xia whispered. She remembered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s aggressiveness, which made her angry again.


    ¡°Somebody help! Grab the assassin! Grab the assassin!¡± Tang Xia found a quilt to cover her shoulders. Lines of lifeguards walked in from the embossed door. There was a pool of blood under Helian Jue¡¯s head. They instantly understood what happened over there.


    ¡°The assassin is a eunuch. He just interrupted us when I stayed with the emperor.¡± Tang Xia did not intend finishing her words and added something juicy, ¡°Hum, hum, I¡¯m so terrified. I will hit your breasts with my little fists.¡±


    At the end of her words, she could not help shuddering.


    [Fans] Forget Love Potion: Sh*t! Trap your teammate so professionally!


    [Fans] Teddy Professor: Anchor, your fists hit me so heavily!


    [Fans] Charles: I feel painful on my chest¡­ You are the No. one deceptive anchor in the world¡­


    [Fans] Pink Doll Dress: It¡¯s my favor. Hahaha (Smile turns sick)


    The lifeguards received her order, retreating out with a bow.


    At this moment, Helian Jue who was lying on the ground gradually woke up. Tang Xia was stunned but still held him up.


    Anyway, she had to continue her mission.


    Helian Jue held his head. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tang Xia could not get rid of this good opportunity to gain a good expression from him. She rolled up her long sleeves with water-stained yarn and kneeled on the ground immediately.


    At this time, showing your loyalty must be a bonus!


    ¡°Your Majesty, when we were going to do something, an assassin came in. I try my best efforts but just save your life. I ask you, my lord, to punish me.¡±


    Tang Xia showed out the figure of a Virgin Mary. Her eyes were full of tears at once. It could be said that her behaviors had reached the top level of affectation.


    Helian Jue frowned tiredly. He just remembered that he was going to have sexual intercourse with Tang Xia, but Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hitting on his head with a stick made him forget Tang Xia¡¯s previous resistance. In the end, he only slightly nodded his head.


    ¡°What about the assassin?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all of my faults, but he¡¯s gone¡­ The lifeguards are searching for him.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyelashes were trembling and tried her best to pretend to cry.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you, Yue Ji.¡± Helian Jue held Tang Xia up warmly. Tang Xia¡¯s face was covered with tears. Her absorbing appearance made Helian Jue fascinated.


    Only a few days he had not seen her, she had such earth-shattering changes.


    She was more charming than Lengmei indeed.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was stiff when Helian Jue touched her. He had such a handsome appearance, but she really resisted being touched by him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you just lost quite a lot of blood. Let me make you some blood-enriching food to warm your body up.¡± Then, she planned to leave.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes turned dark. He pulled Tang Xia into his arms and lifted her chin with one of his hand. ¡°Yue Ji, you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    The blood on Helian Jue¡¯s head had not been stopped, flowing to his ears and drawing an enchanting arc. His face was a bit evil, which had little difference from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s.


    Helian Jue closed his eyes and moved his lips towards Tang Xia.


    the embossed Tang Xia bit her lips, but the announcement coming from the outside of door just stopped Helian Jue¡¯s action.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we have arrested the assassin and put him into the dark prison.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes restored clearly and held Tang Xia¡¯s hands. ¡°Go with me to see him.¡±


    [Fans] Butterfly Love: What? Mr. Chu has been arrested?


    [Guest] Raising Goldfish in the Condom: upstairs +1


    [Visitor] Come to Eat Melon: I heard that the boss of the last world time-travels to here?


    [Fans] Mei Chaofeng: ¡­


    [Fans] Are You Surprising: ¡­


    Tang Xia followed by Helian Jue numbly. The words of lifeguard leader repeated in her mind.


    The assassin was arrested.


    Chu Tiankuo was arrested.


    The dark prison was in a haze and there were plenty of mouses playing on the ground. Tang Xia was praying in her mind somehow.


    She was praying that the one arrested was not Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°My love, why are you so nervous?¡± Helian Jue said slightly. Tang Xia glanced at her but could not tell his mood.


    She smoothed the hair on her forehead, pretending to be calm. ¡°It¡¯s my first time for me to the dark prison. I must be a little bit nervous. And I¡¯m also worried this assassin would hurt you.¡±


    Helian Jue was stunned and measured her from her head to toes. Then, he turned away.


    ¡°I will protect you.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her body, following two lines of lifeguards. When they got to the deep side of the dark prison, Tang Xia noticed a bloody smell. It was dark in the prison. She could only figure out the situation when they lit the candles.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a blue robe and his blood dyed his neckline, melting into the darkness.


    The complicated pattern on his robe huddled together. Tang Xia could not hold her expression. She could not tell how many injuries he had suffered.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± A lifeguard beside Chu Tiankuo was holding a rattan whip and bowed to Helian Jue. The blood on the whip did not dry, dripping on the ground and causing a sound.


    ¡°Continue.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s face was expressionless and his words were exceptionally cool.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyesights fell on Chu Tiankuo. He lowered his head, his lips sipped into a line, while his foreheads twisted.


    For a while, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Tang Xia in front of him. He wore a slight smile.


    The lifeguard received Helian Jue¡¯s order, waving the rattan whip. The whip slammed into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s flesh and was pulled out from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart was trembling with it.


    ¡°Psst¡ªpsst¡ª¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was sweating and his face paled a bit, but his smile did not change.


    Helian Jue had no expression on his face and the fire had deepened the coldness.


    It was just because Tang Xia¡¯s reluctance caused him unhappy.


    The lifeguard did not dare to hesitate and waved his whip for a few times. When he noticed that Chu Tiankuo still had no response, he bowed to Helian Jue and picked up the iron bucket in the corner to pour on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body.


    There was a lightly salty smell in the air.


    [Fans] Gypsophila: It¡¯s so achy¡­ Isn¡¯t it a romantic story? Why does the plot so painful!


    [Fans] I Don¡¯t Burden This Fault: System, do not abuse Mr. Chu, please¡­


    [Fans] Mark Twain: Ah¡­ I used to like Helian Jue so much¡­ I hate him now. I want to curse him!


    Tang Xia turned her head back, covering the tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you tired, my love?¡± Helian Jue held her shoulder with one hand. His voice was very soft, but the strength of his hand seemed to crush her shoulder.


    Tang Xia tried to get rid of him for a few times, but finally, she could only wear a smile. ¡°How could I feel tired when you accompany me. However, I have never seen such a bloody scene, so I would inevitably be overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°So you should take a rest with me, my love.¡± Helian Jue smiled and took her to the exit.


    After a few steps, he stopped. ¡°Go on. Just leave him alive.¡±


    Tang Xia had no time to think and was brought out numbly by Helian Jue.


    The glare outside made Tang Xia squinted her eyes. She bit her lips tightly and did not want Helian Jue to see any flaws.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you want to go to my palace to have a rest?¡±


    Helian Jue glared at her and seemed to think about something. Finally, he moved his eyes away and behaved as usual.


    ¡°I see you are so tired. I don¡¯t like to bother you today. You could have a good rest.¡±


    After his words, I took a few steps. ¡°Next time when I see you, I hope you can be alive and active.¡±


    Tang Xia relaxed and watched Helian Jue¡¯s departure. Then, she turned to the dark prison again.


    Chu Tiankuo¡­ must be suffering¡­


    Tang Xia was worried and returned to her palace. She left Lyuyou out, squatting at the window and thinking for a while.


    [Fans] Oh My God: Anchor, don¡¯t be upset¡­


    [Visitor] Nongfu Spring Is a Little Sweet: Why does Helian Jue ask our anchor to be active?


    [Visitors] Shout When Seeing Something Unfair: Upstairs, your brain circuit is slightly strange¡­


    Tang Xia felt dry and coarse in her eyes, leaving half of the yarn sleeves outside the window, while the breeze was blowing it up.


    It was Light and dreamy.


    It was similar to the relationship between Chu Tiankuo and her. They seemed to be nothing related, but came across again.


    ¡°Your Grace, the emperor asked me to make a cup of scented tea for you.¡± Lyuyou opened the door and stepped in with a teacup in her hands. She moved to Tang Xia¡¯s back and handed the porcelain white cup to her.


    Tang Xia took the teacup and smelled the refreshing fragrance. She asked with no intention, ¡°What¡¯s this flower? The fragrance is fantastic.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s the forget-me-not.¡± Lyuyou¡¯s eyes squinted like crescents. ¡°The emperor still remembers you. Forget me not. Forget me not. I don¡¯t know the emperor means that he could not forget you or hopes you do not forget him.¡±


    Tang Xia blew the floating foam on the tea and took a sip.


    [Visitor] Audience with Walkman: Don¡¯t be upset, anchor! Punish him! Pour the tea to him!


    [Fans] Gangnam Style: Hey man, Lyuyou thinks that it¡¯s not her mistake.


    [Visitor] Audience with Walkman: I mean Helian Jue. Even an audience like me cannot bear his behaviors!


    [Fans] Little Glutinous Rice: Hum, hum, I felt sorry for our anchor, and Mr. Chu Tiankuo. Praying for the system, don¡¯t abuse them.


    Tang Xia was worried and put down the teacup, returning to the dark prison.


    She was more familiar with the road to the dark prison for the second time, following the light at distance.


    However, there was no trace of a person on the wooden frame, but bloody smell full the room.


    Tang Xia stopped the lifeguard whose check was with some blood. ¡°Where is the assassin?¡±


    Finding Yue Ji, the lifeguard dared not ignore her. ¡°Your Majesty, the assassin is dead.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were trembling and felt that her heart was pinched by a big hand.


    ¡°How could he die? Didn¡¯t the emperor ask you to leave him a life?¡±


    Finding she was furious, the lifeguard kneeled with one leg at once. ¡°Your Majesty, after a while when you leave, the emperor ordered me to pull off his skin and tendons. This¡­ is his dead body.¡±


    The lifeguard uncovered the black cloth, revealing a skin-peeled body.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help tumbling in the stomach. She tried her best to force her tears back, turning around and trembling.


    The lifeguard followed her. He thought for a while in his mind, but only said a few words, ¡°Your Majesty, restrain your grief, please.¡±


    Tang Xia tidied her sleeves. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    Of course, she was good. She had to be good.


    Chu Tiankuo was just a bug formed by the mistake of the previous world. She had her own mission and needed to conquer Helian Jue. She had to fight against the emperor¡¯s lover and girls like Virgin Mary.


    How could she be so sad because of Chu Tiankuo, a past-style data?


    Tang Xia faced the sunshine and felt the game¡¯s authenticity for the first time.


    No, it should be the second time.


    The other was the day when Chu Tiankuo had a car accident.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyes seemed to arrogantly stare at her. He would call her as Washboard and said she did not know his mind to her.


    It was too authentic to figure out whether it was true or not.


    [Fans] Mario: Anchor¡­ seems to cry¡­

 Chapter 23

    In order to develop the characteristics of women in the new era, Tang Xia rapidly and powerfully recovered to the best state,


    ¡°Your Majesty, you look better today.¡± Lyuyou were fixing Tang Xia¡¯s hair behind her. Her hair was hanging on her shoulder and was tidied up as a cloudy bun.


    Tang Xia murmured proudly and her eyes were like the water wave, scattering on the beauty inside the bronze mirror. Lyuyou used a light-color pen to draw a beauty mark under her eye.


    Lyuyou picked up a gauze cloth in the Gold Phoebe cabinets and handed over to Tang Xia. ¡°You seem to like pink and this pink smoky gauze was a special reward from the emperor.¡±


    Tang Xia took the gauze dress and the material was comfortable and even a faint cherry wood fragrance spread out.


    ¡°Just leave me.¡±


    Tang Xia turned a few laps in front of the mirror and straightened her back when she went out.


    ¡°Your Grace, the eunuch Dushun just came to report that the emperor was enjoying the cool in the Royal Garden. Do you want to go there?¡±


    Thinking of Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face, Tang Xia could not like it. However, a good appearance was the most important. Therefore, Tang Xia nodded with satisfaction.


    ¡°Well, who is with the emperor in the Royal Garden?¡± Tang Xia asked when they would arrive, but Lyuyou¡¯s answer made her almost fall down to the ground.


    ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s Lengmei.¡±


    [Fans] Forget Love Portion: Exciting plots warning ahead!


    [Fans] Potato Chips are Delicious: wow! Scatter flowers. Fighting, anchor!


    [Fans] Complaints Monster: Clap her face and pull her bra! Let her understand why the flowers are that colorful!


    Tang Xia glanced at her dress, pink and tender, which shortened a bit of authority.


    Facing the scorching sun, Tang Xia walked for a long time but did not come across Lengmei.


    There was a peach forest ahead. The breeze touched her cheeks with a special kind of warmth.


    ¡°You¡¯re in good mood, my love.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice unexpectedly turned up behind. Tang Xia was stunned and turned back, but rushed into a strong chest.


    Against the light, Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face showed up in her eyes with a bit of pride and indifference. His eyes were dark and deep. From Tang Xia¡¯s point of view, she could clearly see his thin lips with a slight smile.


    And his nostrils.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice softened.


    Helian Jue was unaffected at all, holding Tang Xia¡¯s hand and moving towards the direction of Shangshufang.


    The main character she should meet was not here, but the emperor inexplicably pulled her to other places. What was the development of plots?


    Tang Xia immediately got rid of his hand. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ I heard that Miss Leng is also in the Royal Garden.¡±


    Hearing Lengmei¡¯s name, Helian Jue wore an unnoticeable smile. His fortified chin was tight and a handsome face was as cold as a hail. His intents also deepened. ¡°I did not know you two¡¯s relationship was that good.¡±


    Seeing his reaction, Tang Xia seriously thought for a while. ¡°I hope to go to Shangshufang indeed¡­¡±


    Helian Jue squinted his eyes. He looked at her for a while and then held her hand again.


    When they were entering the Shangshufang, the abundant smell of ink and books swarmed into noses. Before Tang Xia could express her surprise, she was pushed under a strong chest.


    Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face was in front of her and he wore an evil smile. ¡°Do you miss me, my love?¡±


    Tang Xia awkwardly moved her body, which caused Helian Jue¡¯s unhappiness.


    ¡°If you move again, I will rape you right here.¡± Helian Jue lifted Tang Xia¡¯s chin. The sunlight outside the window scattered on her forehead. Tang Xia had made up today and her face was really tender.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I want to watch you reviewing memorials.¡± Tang Xia pushed him without strength.


    Helian Jue stared at her with darkness in his eyes. It seemed that he was trying to tell the authenticity of Tang Xia¡¯s words. For a while, he casually leaned on the emperor chair.


    ¡°I am sleepy. You always fo good to me.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned, taking the book on the Gold Phoebe board and clearing her throat.


    [Fans] Complaints Monster: Only I feel that the anchor is molested?


    [Fans] Mountains Cover the Sun: +1


    [Visitor] White Dragon in the Wave: +10086


    ¡°This is a strategic retreat!¡±


    Tang Xia said in her mind but her face turned pink.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is a beauty named Yi Jiazi from South County. She is extremely beautiful. The merchants from South Country comes and hand her over to you as a gift.¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Why would I read this kind of sentences to the emperor as his imperial concubine?¡±


    Tang Xia felt inexplicably strange but ignored Helian Jue¡¯s smile.


    The next volume, ¡°Imperial Guard Chu Tiankuo is brave to fight against the thieves¡­¡±


    This one was normal¡­ Wait, Chu Tiankuo?


    [Fans] Love Hug: Chu Tiankuo!


    [Fans] Sprite Soda: Again?


    [Fans] Nongfu Spring is a Bit Sweet: Ah! My master Chu!


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind instantly became disordered. Finally, everything was settled¡ª


    ¡°It must be a fake Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    ¡°Why do you stop reading?¡± Helian Jue whispered by her ear, holding her from her back and leaning on her with an arm resting on her shoulder.


    Tang Xia turned her head unnaturally. ¡°Your Majesty, I just feel a little bit familiar with the name.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s voice softened and tried to tempt Tang Xia step by step. ¡°Does my Yue Ji have interest on an imperial guard?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and kneeled immediately. ¡°I just wonder¡­ such a trivial thing would be put there for you, the emperor, to read. This kind of trivial must bother you.¡±


    Helian Jue wore a smile and dragged her into his arms.


    ¡°I won¡¯t feel bothering if you are here.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked by his words, trying to pretend to be shy. Finally, her face was only suffocated to be pink.


    ¡°Stay back¡­¡± Tang Xia blinked her eyes and pretended to be a hesitant little girl.


    Helian Jue lifted her chin with his index and touched her lips with his thumb. The deep lust showed up in his eyes.


    Looking at the handsome face moving closer to her, Tang Xia thought of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arrogant face.


    ¡°Catch the assassin! Come and catch the assassin!¡±


    A sharp voice stopped Helian Jue¡¯s next action. A sense of intolerance flashed by his eyes. In the end, he only pinched Tang Xia¡¯s face. ¡°Go and have a look.¡±


    Tang Xia took a deep breath and followed him.


    At the last time when she called for catching the assassin, Chu Tiankuo was the assassin dressed in a blue eunuch suit.


    Tang Xia did not know why he thought of him at this moment. Perhaps his enchanting face was really unforgettable.


    The sun rolled up one layer after another, stacking on Tang Xia¡¯s body. She squinted her eyes, finding a man tebowed on the ground, wearing silver armor and holding a long sword.


    His voice was indifferent and deep.


    ¡°The assassin is a cat. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Tang Xia was pulled back by this familiar voice. The man was beheaded and wore a cold smile.


    It was him.


    [Fans] Nongfu Spring is a Bit Sweet: Ah! Master Chu!


    [Fans] Machine Ghost: It¡¯s him again! I want to call the system!


    [Fans] Little Mai: Is this a fantasy story or a fantasy story?


    [Fans] A Raccoon Dreams Travels: ¡­Why is the assassin a cat¡­


    Just for a second, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned red. Her amorous eyes contained shinning light. Chu Tiankuo wore a silver armor and looked really handsome. His nose was to be carved like a statue. It was hard to imagine how charming his body would be inside the silver armor.


    Chu Tiankuo wore an indifferent smile and opened his thin lips for a few silent words¡ª


    Washboard.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heartbeat instantly fell back to the freezing point.


    ¡°How can there be a cat in my Shangshufang?¡± Helian Jue was unhappy and placed one of his hand on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder.


    Tang Xia was against the light, glimpsing Helian Jue¡¯s tight eyebrows. It was unbelievable¡­


    Helian Jue¡­ could not recognize Chu Tiankuo!


    ¡°Is he lost his memory? Or¡­ I am lost?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it came from Chaoyang Palace. I am working on it.¡± Chu Tiankuo packed up his playful smile and wore a serious expression. His eyesight unnoticeably fell onto Tang Xia¡¯s right hand which was held by Helian Jue.


    ¡°Well, well.¡± Helian Jue waved his hand. ¡°Yue Ji, come with me in.¡±


    Tang Xia stepped forward. Helian Jue¡¯s palm touched her waist naturally.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The deep voice rose again and Chu Tiankuo lowered his head.¡± Lady Leng was just talking about you, Your Majesty. I need to take some words back from you.¡±


    Helian Jue finally gave up the idea to take Tang Xia inside the room. His eyes were dark. He just left after simply asking her to have a rest.


    While Chu Tiankuo stood up, his armor was dragged by Tang Xia. Due to her excessive force, Tang Xia fiercely fell in his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re still mindless as before.¡± Chu Tiankuo sneered and felt soft on his chest.


    Tang Xia rounded back to the original topic. ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    ¡°Catch the assassin.¡± Chu Tiankuo answered strictly.


    ¡°I mean You are not¡­ dead?¡± Tang Xia blinked her eyes and looked surprised.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows when finding her pretending to be cute. He pinched Tang Xia¡¯s face with his right hand and got closed. ¡°Woman, do you really want me to die?¡±


    Tang Xia ridiculed. ¡°No, of course not. Welcome you to reborn.¡±


    Then, she realized and asked, ¡°But you¡¯re the assassin before, aren¡¯t you? And now you¡¯re wearing a silver armor! What do you play for? Cop-Tur?¡±


    Tang Xia fell into deep self-doubt. ¡°Am I really lost my mind¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo used a sneer to answer her question. ¡°I am a bug of this game, an existence of a virus king. It¡¯s not that easy to destroy me.¡±


    Tang Xia wept in her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ I did not lose my mind. The system is broken, so is Chu Tiankuo¡¯s brain¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo gained a few black lines on his forehead and gnashed his teeth in anger. ¡°You are looking for death!¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head with eyes shining. ¡°But it¡¯s really good to see you back.¡±


    The sunshine scattered on her forehead, showing a piece of pure. The breeze blew over the ground, making the flowers and grasses of the Shangshufang wafting. ¡°This woman is always smiling even when she is crying.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head unnaturally. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be missed by a washing board.¡±


    The comments of the bullet screen were flashing fiercely.


    [Fans] I am Blind: At the half of the live broadcast, the Palace struggling series changes into a soap opera. The cruel tyrant changes into arrogant master Chu. Oh¡ª


    [Fans] Machine Ghost: It¡¯s him again¡­ I want to call the system¡­


    [Fans] Black Hair in the Sky: (Helplessly open my arms) Just do it, upstairs.


    [Fans] I also Like to Eat the Thing in a Bread: Ah, ah, ah, anchor, just asks Mr. Chu to time-travel back! The programmer was coming!


    [Visitor] Candlelight Jump: I saw him, too¡­ The programmer¡¯s status suddenly shows in the antivirus system¡­


    [Visitor] I am a Programmer: Tick, the programmer is arriving at the scene with a forty-meter knife¡ª


    System Announcement: The programmer logs in the broadcast room¡ª

 Chapter 24

    ¡°The¡­the programmer is coming!¡±


    A trace of panic flashed by Tang Xia¡¯s face. Staring at the announcement that the programmer is logging in the room, she was terrified.


    [Fans] Meteor Shower: Programmer, don¡¯t destroy Mr. Chu, please!


    [Fans] The Things in a Bread: Amitabha¡­


    Tang Xia was embattled but received a private reminder of the system¡ª


    Miss Tang, I am the programmer of Time-travel Broadcast Space¡¯s broadcast room. We hope that you can tell the audiences this is the new type of live broadcast. Thank you for your cooperation.


    At the end of the message, a clarification announcement from the programmer showed up in world channel¡¯s bullet screen.


    ¡°Add new live broadcast content¡ªcharacter guest. Increase the difficulty of the mission, giving the anchor a different experience.¡±


    Tang Xia crazily complained about the programmer¡¯s announcement words and did not believe the words that ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡¯s appearance was a systematic arrangement¡±.


    But she still cleared her throat and said, ¡°To be honest, I am also surprised, but the new content is really interesting.¡±


    This was to her fans. Then, Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo proudly.


    ¡°See, I saved your life again.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo ungracefully pinched her tender face. ¡°What the hell are you talking to yourself?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and pushed him away seriously.


    ¡°You little eunuch, don¡¯t be so close to me.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Eunuch?¡±


    Tang Xia eyebrows raised. ¡°In the imperial palace, except the emperor, eunuchs are the only men. You are not the former, so you must be an eunuch.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face twitched. ¡°I am wearing armor.¡±


    ¡°You shameless asshole. It¡¯s just a dainty eunuch suit!¡±


    Tang Xia escaped Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attack and felt the intent around him reduced little by little. She waved her tender arms. ¡°I need to go first. See you again, Eunuch Chu.¡±


    She deliberately stressed the last words.


    Tang Xia felt happy after leaving and wore an intangible smile, which was like the breeze blowing one¡¯s face. Even the air was full of warmth.


    ¡°It¡¯s so rare to see you be that happy, Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou were ordered to go back to the palace when she was in the Royal Garden. She held a cup of cubilose.


    Tang Xia had the cubilose spoon by spoon. The silky feeling was slipping in her mouth. She wore a sweet smile.


    A girl stepped in, named Anran. Lyuyou said she would replace Anxia.


    Tang Xia lowered her head and wore a smile of the Virgin Mary when seeing Anran¡¯s cowardice. ¡°Do you feel hungry? Lyuyou has made me some cubilose, and you can eat the remaining.¡±


    Anran trembling lowered her head and expressed her gratitude. Lyuyou took her away.


    Tang Xia thought for a moment and felt that it was too comfortable now. After looking forward and thinking back, she came up with the decision to take an initial attack.


    [Fans] Ding Doing: Anchor, you are going to break down the heroine!


    [Fans] Pillow Baby: (Docile) Leave my 24k golden eyes to you!


    Tang Xia smiled and opened her mouth. ¡°Arrange the carriage for me and go to the Yanyue Palace.¡±


    Tang Xia was happy and even the flowers and grassed along the roadside were very pleasing to see.


    When the carriage arrived, Tang Xia had thought out her phrasing. She had not expected that she could hear Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice when she arrived at Lengmei¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Your Grace, you don¡¯t have to make things difficult for me.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was indifferent, and his eyes were clear and proud.


    ¡°Your men are all useless and even could not find my cat.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at their direction. Lengmei was as elegant as an orchid. Her narrow and long eyes were hiding her arrogance. Her eyelashes were curved and the side of her face was delicate. She made a lotus cloud bun and the water silver hairpin shone under the sunshine.


    Her body was slim and her clothes were fluttering.


    Chu Tiankuo broke up Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts and his tone was as cold as ice. ¡°Your Grace, I have executed your cat. Please restrain your grief.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone slowed down but Lengmei¡¯s eyes were tight.


    ¡°How dare you touch my things without my permission.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s eyesights turned cold, holding her arm in front of her body and intending to beat him.


    ¡°My sister, be at ease.¡± Tang Xia stopped her in time.


    Everyone turned to Tang Xia and seemed to be extremely surprised. Only Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyesight on her contained happiness.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with Guard Chu.¡± Tang Xia wore a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s me to ask him to kill your cat.¡±


    Lengmei stared at her with coldness. ¡°Yue Ji, what do you mean?¡±


    Tang Xia cleared her throat and stepped by Chu Tiankuo side. She raised her chin and looked at Lengmei directly.


    ¡°Your cat appeared in my palace when I was doing something intimate with the emperor, and interpreted us.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice was as light as the breeze.


    Tang Xia leaned against Lengmei and said by her ear, ¡°It should be dead.¡±


    Tang Xia tried to perform herself more horrible, highly reappearing the image of a vicious female character in a romance novel.


    ¡°Yue Ji, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Lengmei¡¯s eyebrows shook with no expression in her eyes, but her voice softened.


    Tang Xia felt strange and Chu Tiankuo behind her suddenly turned his head. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly missed a beat.


    How could the emperor notice the haziest and most deceptive side of her when she showed up as a supporting actress?


    Tang Xia glanced at Lengmei with resentment. She stood up straightly with a bit of flirtatiousness on her cold face and seemed that everything around her had nothing to do with.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Tang Xia immediately turned around and bowed to Helian Jue.


    She lifted her head and sneaked a glance, while Helian Jue¡¯s handsome and cool face fell into her eyes and trembled her mind. Tang Xia did not remember what times it was when she saw his smile, but every time would make others envy his enchanting appearance.


    Helian Jue¡­ was smiling?


    Tang Xia set her mind when she contacted with Helian Jue¡¯s eyes and straightened up. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Helian Jue leaned forwards her and his eyes squinted as a crescent moon with a flirtatious smile. ¡°My love, do you miss the taste when you make love with me?¡±


    Tang Xia wept in her heart.


    As a saying goes, to be in the king¡¯s company is tantamount to living with a tiger. This Helian Jue in front of her was really the one who left her for Lengmei a few hours ago?


    This topic was really embarrassing. Tang Xia turned her head and contacted with Lengmei¡¯s eyes, but the latter quickly moved away.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tang Xia responded as tenderly as possible.


    Then she felt two pieces of coldness behind her.


    Helian Jue was in a good mood and seemed to be very satisfied with Tang Xia¡¯s behavior. ¡°You behave so delicately and tenderly now. But when you quarreled with Lengmei just now, you did not be bullied.¡±


    Tang Xia turned her eyesight to find that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression was so gloomy and unsatisfactory. But she still tightened her teeth and answered, ¡°I¡¯m¡­only tender to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    The hilt in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand shook.


    Helian Jue proudly held Tang Xia and his eyes fell on Lengmei.


    Lengmei¡¯s expression did not change and there was no trace of jealousness, which made Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows.


    ¡°Yue Ji just killed your cat. You don¡¯t have to care for that.¡± Helian Jue turned cold when seeing Lengmei¡¯s indifferent appearance. ¡°You have lower place than Yue Ji, but called her name directly. Did you forget the courtesy by right of my love for you?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned by the side of Helian Jue


    ¡°Ah, the emperor is really fair! He even held the justness for me, a little supporting actress!¡±


    [Fans] The Things on the Square Bag: Achor, don¡¯t smirk! Helian Jue is making trouble with Lengmei on purpose. Alienate them quickly!


    [Fans] Three Wives and Four Lovers: Anchor! Don¡¯t try to conquer Helian Jue! Alienate them!


    [Fans] Look Around and Forward: Fighting anchor! You¡¯re the fattest!


    Tang Xia wept for a thousand miles.


    ¡°What are these fans?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± As a competent anchor, Tang Xia needed to insist on the principle to satisfy the audiences¡¯ requirement. She pretended to be flirtatious.


    ¡°I thought sister Lengmei just called my name inadvertently. You could give her a chance. She is familiar with me and will not be the same for you.¡±


    Surely, with Tang Xia¡¯s adding fuel onto the flame, Helian Jue¡¯s face was darker.


    ¡°She¡¯s not merely impolite for you.¡±


    The atmosphere fell to the freezing point immediately. Tang Xia stated his position and said, ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to be angry. It will do harm to your body and I will be distressed.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Fine, just deduct her salary for this month. I don¡¯t want to see her.¡±


    Lengmei bowed to the emperor still with a cold expression. Then, she left.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes deepened and looked through Tang Xia from head to toes.


    Then, he left silently.


    For a long time, Helian Jue¡¯s voice turned up over her head.


    ¡°Are you alienating the relationship between Lengmei and me?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked and blinked her beautiful eyes.


    However, her enchanting beauty could not attract Helian Jue¡¯s attention.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the unreasonable provocations between women, but I don¡¯t like that someone plays a dirty trick on purpose. What¡¯s more¡­¡±


    Helian Jue stared at Tang Xia¡¯s face directly.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, you are the person to play this trick.¡±


    After finishing his words, Helian Jue waved his sleeves and left casually. The maid around him also left with him.


    Tang Xia breathed a sigh of relief and fell onto the ground. Surely, Helian Jue was not an easy character to conquer.


    [Fans] Pillow Man: Just now, I really thought our anchor successfully conquered Helian Jue.


    [Fans] Three Wives and Three Lovers: I thought so! To be in the king¡¯s company is tantamount to living with a tiger. I haven¡¯t expected that Helian Jue is so scheming. I am sorry for our anchor¡¯s future.


    [Fans] Demon Spirit: Is there anyone who wants to call the system for help (hold tightly)? (Helplessly spread my hands)


    Tang Xia looked at the sky and took a deep breath.


    She was even¡­ trapped by an NPC.


    In this turmoil world¡­ as a little supporting actress, would she have a way to live?


    Tang Xia recovered her broken heart and planned to leave. A cold voice turned up behind her.


    ¡°Where are you going, Yue Ji?¡±


    Tang Xia turned around, seeing a sculptural figure whose lips tightened and eyes turned gloomy. The silver armor on his body blinded her eyes under the sunshine.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­ you didn¡¯t leave?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo walked by Tang Xia¡¯s front and squinted his eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t expected that you not only have weird thinking ways, but also like to alienate people¡¯s relationship and be jealous, Washboard.¡±


    Tang Xia pointed at him. ¡°You overheard our talking!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo held her wrist. ¡°I would never overhear someone¡¯s talking. Why do you always shout or scream in front of me, like a Saharan gorilla? Eh? But only leave your tender to Helian Jue?¡±


    Tang Xia was muddled after hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words. Against the sunshine, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s skin was too tender and seemed to be full of water. He had such a beautiful face and was the first man that Tang Xia thought even his nostrils were extremely pretty.


    She thought for a while seriously.


    ¡°Eh¡­ There¡¯s no gorrila¡­ in Sahara¡­¡±

 Chapter 25

    Tang Xia inexplicably felt sorry for herself.


    After roaming all over the country for 20 years, she finally made up her mind for her beloved male god to take the road of no regret ¨C the broadcast room.


    In her first task, she met the arrogant and vindictive man, and finally escaped from the huge trouble in which things happened in the most unconventional ways in history. After a week of recuperation, she got involved in yet another big problem.


    Tang Xia wanted to work hard and slowly approach her male god in a slow and steady way.


    Unexpectedly, the progress of the tyrant¡¯s mission was stuck at this critical juncture.


    ¡°Your Grace, the emperor demands you attend tonight¡¯s banquet,¡± Lyuyou reminded in a soft voice, putting down the jewelry box in her palm.


    Tang Xia raised her chin and appreciated the beautiful girl in the bronze mirror ¨C white skin like porcelain with a superior white glaze to Helian Jue, her peach blossom eyes slightly upturned, and her delicate nose below all contributed to her exceptional beauty.


    ¡°I see,¡± Tang Xia sighed, leaning her slender body softly on the gold redwood table.


    ¡°Tonight, Lengmei will attend the banquet in blue. I remember that Your Grace has a deep blue fairy dress with beautiful drapes. With your overwhelming beauty, Your Grace will definitely become the most attractive woman in this dress.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded following her words. Then she bolted upright as something came to mind, ¡°Will all the people in the palace attend the evening banquet?¡± She asked.


    ¡°All imperial concubines will attend with their own personal servant girls. Outsiders are not allowed to enter or leave, except for maid-servants needed for the banquet.¡± Lyuyou said with careful consideration.


    ¡°That was what it meant by a family feast.¡±


    Knowing what it was all about, Tang Xia thought, ¡°It seems that Chu Tiankuo will not appear¡­¡±


    After a sigh of relief, Tang Xia got busy with dressing herself up.


    At the previous few banquets, Tang Xia just put a little make-up. But Helian Jue strictly prohibited unauthorized people to enter this family feast ¨C it must matter a lot.


    Tang Xia, a little-known anchor, needed to successfully counterattack as a supporting actress this time. So she must not lose the opportunity at hand.


    As daylight faded, the evening breeze blew across the grassland. Like ink spilling into the horizon and staining the sky black, the color of the firmament became darkened, revealing stars tucked in the cloudy sky.


    In front of the Hecheng hall, Tang Xia bent over and easily jumped off from the imperial carriage. With oil lamps everywhere inside the Hecheng hall, the candlelight flickered, and Tang Xia was supported by Lyuyou as they moved to the seat for the imperial concubines.


    Helian Jue sat in the midst of luxury and pleasure, and his mesmerizing appearance became a bit more breathtaking in the enhancing light.


    ¡°Yue Ji, there you are.¡± Helian Jue nodded to Tang Xia. Then Tang Xia curtsied to the emperor before she went back to her seat.


    Lengmei was the next person to arrive.


    After Eunuch Shun called out the title of Lengmei, Tang Xia easily noticed that Helian Jue wore a heavy look right away.


    ¡°Does he care about that woman so much that only attending a banquet with her could influence his mind?¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Lengmei still wore a cold expression, with her beautiful lips closed tightly and long hair tied up. Wearing a blue fairy dress like what Lyuyou had said, she looked a bit more enchanting.


    ¡°Lengmei, Lengmei, she really is a cold but charming woman.¡±


    Resting his chin up on one elbow, Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Lengmei and Helian Jue unscrupulously.


    From the moment Lengmei appeared, Helian Jue did not say a word to her. It seemed that two of them had made an appointment in the banquet but each of them just talked with people around them.


    Standing by Tang Xia, Lyuyou reminded her softly, ¡°Your Grace, Lengmei is here.¡±


    Wearing an indistinct smile, Tang Xia stood up elegantly, flapping the sleeves of her blue fairy dress.


    ¡°I, Yue Ji, would like to propose a toast to you, the emperor.¡±


    Helian Jue was startled a little bit at first, then turned the deep gaze to Tang Xia. Finally, he drank the wine for her.


    The banquet came to a climax gradually, Eunuch Shun moved towards Helian Jue with his body raised slightly, then whispered something to him.


    Not knowing what had been said, what Tang Xia saw was that Helian Jue said waving his loose sleeves, ¡°Then summon Guard Chu.¡±


    Eunuch Shun obeyed and shrieked, ¡°Summon Guard Chu.¡±


    Tang Xia then choked on her wine.


    Chu Tiankuo still wore the silver armor of that day. The light in his starry eyes was like the shiniest star in the solitary night. Owning an angular face, he cast his haughty eyes on Tang Xia with an air of coldness around him.


    But he looked away in an instant.


    Thinking of the African gorilla he said that day, Tang Xia flustered a little bit and drank the wine faster.


    It was unknown when Helian Jue focused his eyes on Tang Xia, ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, the fairy dress you wear today is beautiful. I am pleased that you chose the color blue I like.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s delicate fingers froze for a moment.


    ¡°Ugh! God knows that you like blue¡­¡± Tang Xia thought.


    But she did not miss the opportunity to behave lovably and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Helian Jue nodded with satisfaction. However, a cold voice came from the other side, ¡°It is just a blind imitation with a ludicrous effect.¡±


    As Tang Xia squinted in the direction of the sound, she found that Lengmei¡¯s cold face looked a bit more coquettish in the flickering candlelight.


    With a letter of challenge laid in front of her, how could Tang Xia not fight back?


    Holding her waist, Tang Xia opened her red lips gently and said slowly, ¡°I, as a senior imperial concubine, want you to understand that the allusion to blind imitation refers to the fact that even the ugliest one should yearn for beauty.¡±


    ¡°I am not Dongshi who imitates blindly, and you are not capable of being the beauty Xishi. You should think over the differences.¡±


    Although Tang Xia¡¯s eyes curved upwards, no smile could be seen at the bottom of them.


    With her eyebrow wrinkled tightly, Lengmei said in a colder voice, ¡°Among the imperial harem, everyone knows that Yue Ji likes plain pink. What is your plan of wearing a blue fairy dress in such an occasion?¡±


    Her eyebrows twitching slightly, Tang Xia thought, ¡°The taunts of Lengmei seem too insincere.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tang Xia gave a long sigh.


    Lengmei asked discontentedly, ¡°What do you sigh for?¡±


    ¡°I sighed because everyone knows that the Lengmei living in Yanyue Hall is sophisticated. Why are you so stupid now?¡±


    ¡°The emperor said just now that he was in favor of blue. I choose the blue dress in order to make the emperor happy. But you insist that I am following your style. You are just a junior imperial concubine, why would I, as a senior imperial concubine, need to imitate your dressing style?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words were full of insinuations.


    Hearing what Tang Xia had said, Lengmei¡¯s look changed a little bit and her blue sleeves floated slightly. There was a fruity scent from the dining-table and beautiful music was being played by the band. Having seen what happened, Helian Jue remained still in his chief seat.


    Wearing an indistinct smile with his bright and clean forehead, Helian Jue cast his eyes on Lengmei and Tang Xia alternately.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    With that concluding word, Helian Jue came down from his chief seat clapping. Finally, he fixed his eyes containing a smile on Tang Xia in astonishment.


    ¡°It never occurred to me that the lovable Yue Ji could be so eloquent.¡± The emperor said.


    Tang Xia bent down and said, ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Emperor.¡±


    ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, you look truly pure and beautiful in this dress. How about performing an impromptu dance?¡± The emperor asked.


    ¡°D- d- dance?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s look froze immediately.


    [Fans] Two Men Wept: Anchor¡­ can you perform a palace dance?


    [Fans] Table Lamp Jiang: Anchor, how are you reduced to dancing for Helian Jue? The last anchor of the broadcast room in the Legend of Zhen Huan was exploited by Zhen Huan, the cattish woman who played a dirty trick, into becoming a slave girl of Huanyi Bureau which offered laundry service just because she could not perform Chinese classical dance. :''(


    [Fans] My Father Is Ligang: That is not bad, (funny face) it can become a drama played at 8 p.m. that tells the story of how a slave girl of Huanyi Bureau is promoted to the empress of Helian Jue.


    [Fans] Sprite and Lemon: Back off! You anti-fans! I believe that anchor can do it well! Anchor, just wait for me, I will look up the strategy of promotion in Huanyi Bureau for you!


    Tang Xia wept inside her heart again and answered, ¡°I can dance¡­ waltz¡­ ¡±


    Having heard the deep laughter behind her, Tang Xia tried to turn a deaf ear to it, but Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome look appeared in her mind.


    Then Tang Xia¡¯s face flushed right away.


    ¡°Waltz? Is it a new type of dance? I have never heard of it.¡± Helian Jue contemplated for a while and said, ¡°Then just dance waltz, I would like to enjoy your beautiful dance in your blue dress.¡±


    ¡°Do you need the band to accompany your dance, my beloved imperial concubine?¡±


    With her flickering eyes, Tang Xia looked into Helian Jue¡¯s starry eyes.


    Standing aside, Chu Tiankuo lowered his head a little bit with his shoulder shaking up and down slightly.


    ¡°He must be laughing at me!¡±


    Tang Xia summoned up her courage to face Helian Jue and said, ¡°Emperor, I would like to show my best performance for you¡­¡±


    ¡°But you may not know that waltz should be performed by a couple. And I intend to learn it well before teaching you myself so that I can have the opportunity to dance with you, the emperor¡­ However¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It is impossible now¡­ ¡±


    With her big flickering peach blossom eyes, Tang Xia said elegantly. Her beautiful look must be more enchanting in the sight of Helian Jue.


    Helian Jue was stunned for a long time then sighed slowly and gently, ¡°I appreciate your painstaking efforts.¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia itched to dance, Helian Jue did not want to upset her and said, ¡°Who can dance the waltz? I offer you an opportunity to dance with Yue Ji today.¡±


    But no one was willing to come forward.


    Tang Xia pretended to feel really hurt and had a deep sigh, ¡°I just blame the embarrassment today on myself for learning the waltz. This dance fits kungfu practitioners so it takes a long time for me to make a little progress. ¡±


    ¡°Those seated in the banquet are all imperial concubines and are all graceful. Who can perform the dance based on Chinese kungfu?¡±


    What Tang Xia meant was very clear that Helian Jue should pick one who has mastered Chinese kungfu.


    ¡°Everything I want to offer to my beloved imperial concubine should be a piece of cake.¡± Helian Jue said, looking around, ¡°What we need is just a kungfu practitioner.¡±


    Then he said with a wave of his hand, ¡°Guard Chu, It is you then.¡±


    Everyone was amazed and Helian Jue said, ¡°Dance the waltz with Yue Ji.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened.


    Seeing what had happened, Tang Xia smiled complacently and bowed deeply to the emperor, ¡°I am deeply grateful that you care about me so much.¡±


    Then she turned to the band and requested, ¡°Please play the music quietly and gently, would you?¡±


    And Helian Jue nodded, hinting that the band should follow Tang Xia¡¯s will.


    Tang Xia walked up to Chu Tiankuo with a sly smile in her eyes and said offering her delicate hand, ¡°Will you dance with me, Guard Chu?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo remained silent for a moment then bowed to Helian Jue and modestly said, ¡°Your majesty flatters me, I am clumsy, but I will try to perform for you.¡±


    Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo walked slowly to the center of the hall together with their hands held. It happened to be the brief pause of the band changing music so there was an eerie quiet inside the Hecheng hall for a while.


    Tang Xia put her hand on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Guard Chu, how have you been?¡±

 Chapter 26

    With the corners of his mouth spreading into a smile, Chu Tiankuo owned a unique temperament different from the coldness and arrogance of their first meeting. Tang Xia felt that Chu Tiankuo had become more alive than ever.


    In the candlelight, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face became gentler. Although he retained the temperament of haughtiness which would never change.


    ¡°The man in front of me is truly a perfect man.¡±


    ¡°From his eyebrow to his eyes, his five sensory organs are just like elaborate sculptures made by God. And the radian of his thin lips presents a slight downward curve.¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo certainly owns beauty envied by both Gods and men.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drool.¡± Chu Tiankuo said lowering his head. Although they did not get too close, Tang Xia could sense clearly that her timidity had flushed her ears.


    Biting her lips, Tang Xia said with contempt in her eyes, ¡°I did not expect you to accept the challenge.¡±


    Wearing a bigger smile, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Me neither, Miss Tang. What a coincidence that I would become your dancing partner again.¡±


    With a tacit understanding, they danced in an orderly pace making an imperceptible sound on the wooden floor in the Hecheng hall.


    The band performed so quietly and gently as if two of them would melt into the candlelight.


    [Fans] Anchor Monster: Anchor, you are so beautiful! So is General Chu¡­ (sobbing) I want to fall in love with some guy.


    [Fans] Ahri Has No Idea: Chu Tiankuo is a guard¡­ It is so sweet¡­ Although it seems a little bit inexplicably eerie to waltz dressed in ancient costumes.


    There came a long sigh at last from ¡®Fleet of Time¡¯.


    [Visitor] Fleet of Time: Having seen so many live broadcasts, I have witnessed the effort the anchors make for fulfilling their tasks.


    Only in here I feel vitality. In the tyrant¡¯s mission, it was not an anchor who pursues numbers, but seeks true reactions ¨C tears, laughter or even guilt.


    This feels good. Pay attention, fans, and I hope you, the anchor, will stay true to the mission.


    System Messages: Anchor, [Visitor] Fleet of Time has been conquered by your charisma.


    With her eyes fixed on the messages, Tang Xia was stunned for a long time.


    And she felt that her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.


    A hint of fluster flickering briefly in his deep eyes, Chu Tiankuo slightly loosened his hands holding her thin waist involuntarily.


    ¡°Are you crying from my enchanting handsomeness?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked.


    Tang Xia turned a deaf ear to his chaffing and said, ¡°Enchanting is for describing women.¡±


    Having adjusted the mood, Tang Xia faced Chu Tiankuo and said with a hint of touched feelings in her eyes, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, do you find that you have changed a lot along the way?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrow and asked, ¡°Like what?¡±


    Tang Xia answered carefully, ¡°When I first met you, you kept any woman a thousand miles away and bore such great hatred against the world. I think that you must have been very lonely then.¡±


    ¡°When we meet again today, although you are vindictive as always, I can see the twinkle in your eyes. It seems that you have found something you can fight for. I am happy for you, that you have let go of the devil inside your heart and become what you are now.¡±


    Holding Tang Xia¡¯s delicate hand, Chu Tiankuo followed her pace calmly.


    Tang Xia felt so annoyed that she even danced several wrong steps. Luckily, Chu Tiankuo made his utmost effort to cooperate with her.


    With candlelight casting over Tang Xia¡¯s clean and bright forehead, her peach blossom eyes below shined like bright stars. Seeing this, her beauty kept haunting Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mind.


    A sincere feeling stirred up in his heart, Chu Tiankuo turned his head aside and said in a cold voice, ¡°As an A-cup woman, you truly are too kind-hearted.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled with tears, ¡°What can I do? It is only because you are Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Having heard her words, Chu Tiankuo flushed his cheeks, and he danced several flustered steps.


    Tang Xia wore such a beautiful smile that Chu Tiankuo forced her to perform a big spin in case his mind was disturbed by her smile.


    Imperial concubines around them could not help make a shallow exclamation of astonishment.


    The view in front of them was too gorgeous.


    In the twinkle of candlelight, the colors of Tang Xia¡¯s blue dress and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s silver armor became more gentle, and the slight swing of their clothes brought up a breeze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speculate on my thoughts.¡± Chu Tiankuo said in a cold voice. As Tang Xia raised her eyes, what she saw was that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face became as haughty as before. His indifferent attitude made her unhappy.


    Having seen the dislike in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, Chu Tiankuo sighed lightly, ¡°You should pay more attention on how to deal with the upcoming problem rather than concern yourself with whether I bear hatred against the world or not.¡±


    Tang Xia asked with surprise, ¡°The upcoming problem?¡±


    With homicidal intent in his deep eyes, Chu Tiankuo tightened his hand holding Tang Xia.


    ¡°Although it is Helian Jue who gives me the opportunity to dance with you, he is a man and holds the imperial throne. How could he let his woman get too close with another man in full view of people?¡±


    Tang Xia was suddenly enlightened.


    ¡°Since it was the ancient times, imperial concubines should avoid contact with other men in the banquet. But I danced with Chu Tiankuo in public following Helian Jue¡¯s impromptu thought.¡±


    ¡°Although waltz is a type of social dancing in modern times, in this ignorant and feudal time, if the emperor¡¯s woman cheats on him, she will definitely be sentenced to the ten tortures of the Qing dynasty one by one.¡±


    Thinking of that, Tang Xia wept in her heart.


    ¡°My second mission will be terminated on account of a dance.¡±


    The more Tang Xia thought in this way, the more she was afraid to continue the dance.


    Finally, this led to all her movements being supported by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°I have never been in love with a man, neither have I touched my male god. Why should I end up in this way?¡±


    ¡°Life is so hard!¡±


    ¡°Foolish woman, calm down.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s calm voice came from above Tang Xia¡¯s head then to her ears.


    ¡°How can I calm down? I am deemed to have cheated on him by Helian Jue.¡±


    ¡°It is a ¡®pleasure¡¯ to think that I will be the first one to be kicked out of the broadcast room because of cheating on the emperor.¡±


    Tang Xia started talking nonsense and turned a deaf ear to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words persuading her to calm down several times. So Chu Tiankuo had no choice but to pinch her waist hard.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Tang Xia shouted, looking at Chu Tiankuo with resentment.


    Seeing that Tang Xia finally restored her sanity, Chu Tiankuo whispered to her ears slowly, ¡°Stay calm, we must cooperate with each other later to play the scene according to your script.¡±


    ¡°¡­My script?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    ¡°What I intended to do was just to play a trick on Chu Tiankuo who laughed at me!¡±


    ¡°Stupid!¡± Chu Tiankuo frowned and said, ¡°According to what you said, performing the waltz was to please Helian Jue. ¡±


    ¡°Helian Jue, as a tyrant, likes it best when his woman is beautiful and will do anything for his sake. Remember to say that and act a bit later.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while then said, ¡°¡­Chu Tiankuo, it seems that you are more suitable than me to capture Helian Jue¡¯s heart.¡±


    With his hand holding Tang Xia¡¯s thin waist, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Here we go.¡±


    The music played by the band happened to stop at this point, then Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo separated immediately.


    ¡°Emperor, did you enjoy my dance?¡± Tang Xia asked raising her eyebrow with expectation in her eyes.


    Everyone remained silent.


    In fact, everyone enjoyed the dance in which beautiful Tang Xia was like a fairy and handsome Chu Tiankuo was like a male fairy.


    Also, they had a tacit understanding and danced together well. But no one dared to say such words in front of the emperor.


    Tang Xia pretended to ask innocently, ¡°I, Yue Ji, plan to dance with you, the emperor. You own such an outstanding stature that Guard Chu cannot compare.¡±


    ¡°If I could have the opportunity to dance with you, my efforts for practicing waltz lasting several months would not be wasted.¡±


    Directly she uttered these words, Tang Xia looked at Helian Jue expectedly.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes were deep at first. But he could not help soothing his mind in the view of Tang Xia¡¯s eyes full of hopefulness.


    ¡°Maybe I misunderstood her.¡± Helian Jue thought.


    ¡°I surely enjoy your waltz which you have been practicing for months.¡±


    Hearing Helian Jue¡¯s words, Tang Xia¡¯s eyebrows raised happily right away.


    ¡°Do you really like my dance? I¡¯m so pleased. Despite my painstaking efforts, making you happy is enough for me.¡±


    Tang Xia said, looking at Helian Jue with a sidelong glance. The emotion contained in her peach blossom eyes was so sincere that Helian Jue heart skipped a beat.


    However, as he noticed Chu Tiankuo standing aside, his nerve got high-strung again, ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, tell me why you whispered to Guard Chu in the waltz.¡±


    Then Tang Xia froze directly with her delicate fingers curling tightly.


    ¡°¡­I should not have told Chu Tiankuo that it was happy to see what he has become with tears in my eyes!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! It is like lifting a rock only to drop it on my own feet to talk in such an intimate way.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Tang Xia opened her lips but could not utter a word with a stiff body.


    ¡°It was prompts.¡± A cold voice came from behind Tang Xia¡¯s back.


    Along the direction of the voice, what Tang Xia saw was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arrogant and calm face. Then he said, ¡°It is my first time dancing the waltz. Your Grace taught me to follow her pace according to her prompts before the dance.¡±


    ¡°It is true that Your Grace takes pains to please you, the emperor. Her sincere feeling for you is indeed enviable.¡±


    What Chu Tiankuo had said put off Helian Jue¡¯s doubts successfully.


    Glancing at Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia felt that she had never seen this side of him.


    ¡°He is always unruly, when did he offer help to others?¡±


    ¡°I am hurry-scurry myself. He is only an innocent man involved in this problem, but he solved the crisis easily with his eloquence.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Then Helian Jue watched the banquet with a smile flickering in his eyes.


    With his eyes fixed on other imperial concubines, Helian Jue found that there were several other women with charismatic dancing skills.


    At the end of the banquet, Lyuyou whispered to Tang Xia¡¯s ears, ¡°Your Grace, you truly performed an intoxicating dance in the banquet. If it weren¡¯t for Beauty from Southland whom the emperor must welcome, you could see the emperor in the bedroom palace tonight.¡±


    However, Tang Xia was not interested in which bedroom palace Helian Jue would enter.


    ¡°Beauty from Southland?¡± Tang Xia asked. ¡°Why does it sound so familiar?¡±


    ¡°She is the beauty dedicated for the emperor from Southland ¨C Yi Jiazi who truly owns startling beauty, but still cannot match your charm.¡± Lyuyou replied.


    Enlightened by Lyuyou, Tang Xia began to check the bamboo scripts that Helian Jue had asked her to read.


    Beauty from Southland ¨C Yi Jiazi.


    ¡°How could I not notice this woman who owns such an eye-catching name in the banquet?¡±


    ¡°It is quite natural that Your Grace did not notice her. Although the banquet is held partly as a welcome party for Yi Jiazi, the emperor is just being polite as he does not like her much.¡±


    ¡°I think that there is a higher chance that Your Grace will capture the emperor¡¯s heart.¡± Lyuyou said.


    Hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words, Tang Xia could not help smiling and asked, ¡°Did you think my waltz today was fascinating, too?¡±


    Lyuyou made a compliment immediately, ¡°It is indeed fascinating.¡±


    With a bigger smile, Tang Xia thought of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome face involuntarily.

 Chapter 27

    As the night breeze swept by gently, the lively atmosphere of the banquet lingered in front of the Hecheng hall. Like ink spilling into the horizon, the dense darkness of the sky spread into the far distance slowly.


    Thinking of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, Tang Xia inexplicably felt a trace of sweetness in her heart.


    ¡°Is Your Grace Yue Ji bewitched by your humble servant¡¯s charm?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked.


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia paused then turned around to see Chu Tiankuo standing in front of her wearing silver armor. With the moon casting light on his shoulder, there was a bleak brilliance around Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia wore a smile involuntarily, ¡°Guard Chu, good evening.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°Now that Your Grace has the mood to extend greetings, I guess you are satisfied with what has happened today.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head contentedly.


    ¡°Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for me, you would be begging Helian Jue for mercy.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said the words close to Tang Xia¡¯s ear and his warm breath tickled her.


    Turning away her head, Tang Xia pretended to bow to Chu Tiankuo seriously, ¡°I, Yue Ji, thank Guard Chu again. ¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head awkwardly with a hum, his arrogance waning, and then passed by Tang Xia.


    Gazing after Chu Tiankuo, Lyuyou said in a soft voice, ¡°As Guard Chu owns an androgynous face and danced with Your Grace tacitly, I thought he was a gentleman. However, it turns out that he knows nothing of etiquette.¡±


    Hearing her words, Tang Xia wore a trace of a smile in her eyes.


    ¡°If Chu Tiankuo knew anything of etiquette, iron trees would blossom.¡±


    Then Lyuyou led the conversation to the topic, ¡°Your Grace, as you let Lengmei lose face in the banquet, you should be more careful in the future.¡±


    Tang Xia stroked her hair by her ear and said, ¡°It is not necessary to guard against her. The emperor will support us based on the present situation.¡±


    Having had a deep and dreamless slumber, Tang Xia woke up after breakfast time.


    Then Lyuyou pushed the door walking in with a copper pot in her hand.


    ¡°I request the kitchenette to reserve some snacks including lotus cakes from the imperial kitchens. Your Grace can eat it.¡± Lyuyou said.


    Tang Xia dipped her fair fingers in clean water.


    Tang Xia glanced at the ashes in the corner with slight fragrance lingering and asked, ¡°Did you do aromatherapy in my room last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I noticed that you have been annoyed these days, so I employed lavender as the primer of the aromatherapy which is helpful to soothe the nerves.¡± Lyuyou replied.


    ¡°I appreciate that.¡± Tang Xia said with a smile, then wet her face with cool water gently.


    After cleaning the ashes in the corner off, Lyuyou asked, ¡°Several imperial concubines have been in a dispute in the Royal Garden for the whole morning. Would you like to check it out later?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out then.¡± Tang Xia replied.


    There was a sea of flowers in the Royal Garden, and a slight floral fragrance lingered in the air. The floral aroma of different kinds blending with each other made it a comfortable place to relax.


    ¡°What do you mean by doing so?¡±


    Before Tang Xia came close, she heard Lengmei¡¯s cold voice. And what she saw first from afar was the beauty standing under the scorching sun.


    ¡°I did not mean to offend you. What I ask is just an apology from you.¡± Yi Jiazi said.


    Then Tang Xia raised her upper eyelids up.


    Owning snow white skin, Yi Jiazi wore a long purple gauzy dress with multiple pleats around her thin waist. And she had part of her hair braided as a hanging circle and the rest hang down loosely on the shoulder. Also, there were two purple pompons hanging under the chignon.


    With a vermillion point on her forehead, Yi Jiazi owned a pair of phoenix-like eyes and red lips.


    ¡°She is truly a beauty.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Supporting Tang Xia by her hands carefully, Lyuyou said, ¡°I heard that Yi Jiazi¡¯s slave girl offended Lengmei while she was walking, then Lengmei gave her two slaps. Hearing what had happened, Yi Jiazi rushed into the Royal Garden for an explanation.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned as she asked, ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    Having heard what Tang Xia said, Lyuyou replied in a lower voice, ¡°I just heard it when I delivered the laundry to Huanyi Bureau this morning.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded then fixed her eyes on Lengmei and Yi Jiazi.


    ¡°Sister Leng, why did you do that to my slave girl? Is it because I am new here? I just want to please the emperor well with other imperial concubines. Why do you bully me like that?¡±


    With a soft voice, Yi Jiazi said with eyes full of injustice.


    ¡°I feel sorry for Yijia. People from the Southern Dynasties are all kind and innocent. She was just sent into the palace but was already bullied.¡± Lyuyou said.


    Having turned her head away, Tang Xia heard all the words Lyuyou said.


    Frowning from the torturing sun, Tang Xia squinted but coldness remained in the bottom of her eyes.


    ¡°It is not Lengmei who bullies Yi Jiazi, but Yi Jiazi who stirred up trouble.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Standing there arrogantly, Lengmei straightened her body in a blue dress with a red hairpin embellishing her hair perfectly.


    ¡°Lengmei is such an aloof woman that she would never lower her own status to embarrass a slave girl.¡±


    ¡°As for Yi Jiazi, although she seems kind and sweet, the maliciousness and shrewdness hidden in her tears cannot be covered up.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    ¡°She must have investigated the people of the imperial harem so that she chose Lengmei as the start of her plan.¡± Tang Xia whispered.


    Leaning forward, Lyuyou asked, ¡°What does Your Grace mean? I am too stupid to understand.¡±


    Squinting her phoenix eyes, Tang Xia remained totally sober.


    ¡°Tell me whom the emperor loves most among the imperial harem?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    Lyuyou replied with no hesitation, ¡°It is definitely you.¡±


    Tang Xia inclined her at a glance and asked, ¡°Who is the previous one before me?¡±


    Frightened by her words, Lyuyou opened up her eyes timidly and replied in a softer voice, ¡°¡­ It is Lengmei¡­¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tang Xia said with a trace of coldness in her smile, ¡°As a consecrated woman from other countries, she cannot be bullied by others.¡±


    ¡°The quickest way to increase her influence is to win a dispute with someone who owns a certain status in the imperial harem.¡±


    Wearing a bigger sneer, Tang Xia said, ¡°As Yi Jiazi is a newcomer here, it is not necessary to fight against someone preferred most by the emperor. So she chose the woman who owns a lower status than me but a higher status than other imperial concubines and is disliked by the emperor.¡±


    ¡°So Lengmei who lost the emperor¡¯s love because of her arrogance is the best choice,¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Having heard Tang Xia¡¯s analysis, Lyuyou was too shocked to close her mouth for a long time, ¡°I am too stupid.¡±


    Looking at the two women in front of her worrisomely, Tang Xia knew that neither Lengmei in blue and Yi Jiazi in purple were people of goodwill.


    It was obvious that Lengmei standing afar had run out of patience so she said impatiently, ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°I, Jiazi, do not know why Sister Leng bullied me with words. What I want is just an apology from you, and I hope you can show me some respect.¡± Yi Jiazi said.


    Wearing deeper eyes, Lengmei said angrily, ¡°You are playing with fire.¡±


    Having already lost her patience, Lengmei did not take the woman in front of her seriously and thought she was just stirring up trouble.


    ¡°There is an explicit law in the imperial harem that one who makes trouble or bullies others will be punished.¡±


    A cold and familiar voice came from behind Tang Xia¡¯s back.


    Turning her head back, what Tang Xia saw was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s exceedingly handsome face ¨C an aquiline nose with a somewhat wicked temperament.


    Seeing Chu Tiankuo, Yi Jiazi raised herself slightly and said in a softer voice, wearing a trace of a smile in the corner of her mouth, ¡°It is Guard Chu.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace Yi.¡± Chu Tiankuo gave a salute to her, and with an indistinct sneer turned to Lengmei and said, ¡°I felt a strong killing intent when I passed by, so I came by to check it out.¡±


    What he meant was that Chu Tiankuo suspected that Lengmei would bully Yi Jiazi.


    Lengmei snorted, ¡°I always disdain to fight with one whose status as an imperial concubine is below mine.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said coldly, ¡°I hope what you said is true.¡±


    Seeing that a chilly atmosphere was around both of them, Yi Jiazi said in a soft voice, ¡°Now that Guard Chu has intervened, I would like to make a concession. I notice that Guard Chu is familiar with the layout of the palace, could you take me around?¡±


    Although the first half of the sentence was said to Lengmei, Yi Jiazi fixed her eyes on Chu Tiankuo for the whole time.


    Loosening his frowning eyebrows, Chu Tiankuo declined aloofly, ¡°I have important affairs to deal with and I hope that Your Grace can understand.¡±


    Not able to say anything else, Yi Jiazi said remaining her smile, ¡°Maybe next time.¡±


    Then Yi Jiazi nodded and said, ¡°I have to go now.¡±


    Before she left, her eyes met with the eyes of Tang Xia for a moment.


    But Tang Xia cast her eyes calmly back on Lengmei.


    Lengmei snorted, ¡°I offer you a piece of advice, Guard Chu. Do not meddle in other people¡¯s business.¡±


    After saying that, Lengmei turned away in the opposite direction.


    When all the people had left, Tang Xia jumped briskly to the side of Chu Tiankuo and greeted, ¡°Guard Chu.¡±


    With his eyebrow raised, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°One who looks on other¡¯s trouble with indifference dies the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Good intentions do not pay off. I came here to thank you.¡± Tang Xia leered to him stagily.


    Squinting his eyes, Chu Tiankuo wore an indistinct smile and spread out his palm, ¡°Then what is my reward?¡±


    Tang Xia had intended to watch the show, so there was no gratitude in her peach blossom eyes.


    ¡°What do you want? I will present it to you myself within a few days.¡± Tang Xia replied.


    Chu Tiankuo said with his squinted eyes, ¡°You, a woman with an A-cup, can present nothing good.¡±


    ¡°Take it or leave it.¡± Tang Xia rolled her eyes at him then asked as if something came to her mind, ¡°Have you slept well recently?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a bigger smile uncommonly, ¡°Are you caring for me?¡±


    Remaining silent for a while, Tang Xia moved away.


    Chu Tiankuo who stood behind her was in a good mood, wearing a bigger smile that even his eyes looked more handsome.


    When Tang Xia got back to her hall, she could feel the slight floral fragrance lingering on her nose.


    The floral fragrance in the Royal Garden smelt so good that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes appeared in her mind.


    ¡°Lyuyou, bring me the lavender primer for the aromatherapy you lit last night.¡±


    Tang Xia said, with starry eyes in her small face which was exceedingly charismatic.


    After Lyuyou put what Tang Xia wanted in the tray, Tang Xia asked for a needle and thread as well as a blue cloth bag.


    As Tang Xia seldom did needlework, she could not hold it firmly.


    So Lyuyou taught her from her side. Tang Xia¡¯s green gauzy dress fluttered along with the wind as a floral fragrance lingered on her hand.


    ¡°With such effort, you must be doing it for your beloved one.¡±


    Tang Xia knew what Lyuyou referred to must be Helian Jue.


    But she just remained silent. Her curly eyelash hung over her eyes and fine hairs could be seen clearly on her tender face. She sat there with long hair tied and her headwear making ringing sounds in the wind.


    She could roughly imagine what Chu Tiankuo would react when he received the cloth bag ¨C he would definitely turn his head away haughtily, saying something like ¡®It¡¯s uncommon for a woman with an A-cup like you to do needlework.¡¯


    Wearing a trace of a smile in the corner of her mouth, Tang Xia stayed totally sober.


    As a breeze swept by, Anran¡¯s voice came from afar.


    ¡°Your Grace, it seems that Yi Jiazi is making trouble again, it involves you this time.¡±


    Anran said hurriedly wiping the hot sweat off his forehead.


    Cutting off the last string, Tang Xia completed her needlework perfectly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go check it out.¡± Tang Xia opened her lips elegantly.

 Chapter 28

    The Hecheng hall had an uncommon style.


    Holding the blue cloth bag tightly in her hand, Tang Xia swung her green gauzy sleeve intentionally to hide her tender fingers in her cuff.


    To her surprise, Chu Tiankuo was in the Hecheng hall, too.


    As Tang Xia¡¯s heartbeat stagnated for a moment, she wore an indistinct smile.


    With a king¡¯s domineering temperament showing from his eyebrows, Chu Tiankuo cast his eyes calmly on Tang Xia for a moment then looked away slowly.


    ¡°Go and look around. I lost it in the seat of Sister Tang the night before.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said in a gentle voice. Tang Xia was not sure if it was because Chu Tiankuo was present that she regarded Yi Jiazi¡¯s voice as exceedingly soft.


    Noticing Tang Xia¡¯s cold stare, Yi Jiazi wore a smile and said, ¡°What brought you here, Sister Yue?¡±


    After looking around, Tang Xia found that although Hecheng hall was large, there were only Yi Jiazi, her personal servant girls and Chu Tiankuo standing indifferently in the center of the hall.


    [Visitor] Joyful: What about this Yi Jiazi?


    [Fans] Lazy Girl: She is just a scheming supporting actress appearing in the middle of the story. (sneer) Look at her, her eyes are fixed on Guard Chu, what a despicable woman¡­


    [Fans] Aliali: She shocks me! When will anchor grow into a scheming woman?


    With a smile on her face, Tang Xia said, ¡°Beauty from Southland ¨C Yi Jiazi, what a beautiful name.¡±


    ¡°You may not know as a newcomer that ¡®Yue Ji¡¯ is just my title, not my surname.¡± Tang Xia said.


    Letting Yi Jiazi lose her face already as Tang Xia just got here pleased Chu Tiankuo secretly, so he wore an indistinct smile in the corner of his mouth.


    Yi Jiazi just remained silent for a moment then apologized immediately, ¡°I hope you can forgive my obtrusion.¡±


    Tang Xia replied with contempt in the bottom of her eyes, ¡°How can people like you if you don¡¯t even know the title of the senior imperial concubine?¡±


    With a soft voice, Tang Xia pretended to be nice and tucked Yi Jiazi¡¯s hair behind her ear.


    Having heard Tang Xia¡¯s words, Yi Jiazi¡¯s entire body went rigid, then she raised her body slightly and said, ¡°You are right. I will consult the head steward earnestly later.¡±


    ¡°It is not enough to just consult.¡± Tang Xia said in a soft voice but with coldness, ¡°I seldom provoke Lengmei myself. I am impressed that you teased her.¡±


    Her long and slender neck highlighting her charm, Yi Jiazi said frowning her thin eyebrows, ¡°It is I who is too obtrusive, and I hope that you can give me some advice.¡±


    ¡°I like an old saying from my motherland which says ¡®lighting a lamp for the blind is wasting my strength¡¯.¡± Tang Xia said.


    There was clear coldness contained in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo behind her back laughed in a low voice which came into Tang Xia¡¯s ears melodiously.


    ¡°Why are you against the new imperial concubine?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked.


    Turning around, Tang Xia found that Chu Tiankuo was standing against the sunlight. Although the light reflected by the armor shined into her eyes, she could see clearly that his eyes were fixed on her.


    Holding the cloth bag tightly in her hand, Tang Xia closed her thin lips gently.


    ¡°Is he defending her?¡±


    ¡°He just saw her for the second time.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Turning her head away coldly, Tang Xia tightened the cloth bag in her hand again.


    ¡°It is none of your business.¡±


    Hearing her words, Chu Tiankuo frowned his handsome eyebrows.


    But he remained silent at last.


    ¡°Here comes the emperor-¡±


    Eunuch Shun¡¯s voice came from afar, and everyone froze for a moment then bowed to the emperor.


    ¡°Arise, my beloved imperial concubine.¡± Helian Jue walked near Tang Xia and supported her by hand gently.


    Then he moved his eyes to Yi Jiazi and said, ¡°I heard that you lost something in Hecheng hall last night?¡±


    Yi Jiazi bent her knees gently and said, ¡°I appreciate the thoughtfulness of you, Your Majesty. I enjoyed the banquet that you prepared specially for me so much that I lost my pendant from Southland carelessly.¡±


    And Yi Jiazi emphasized the word ¡°specially¡±.


    It was obvious that Helian Jue did not like her making a fuss that he frowned but still asked gently, ¡°Do you remember where you lost it?¡±


    Yi Jiazi replied frowning, ¡°I am not sure yet, but I remember I lost it around Sister Yue Ji¡¯s seat.¡±


    Hearing what Yi Jiazi had said, Tang Xia wore massive coldness in her peach blossom eyes.


    ¡°You should remember it clearly.¡± Tang Xia warned her.


    Wearing a trace of a hidden smile, Yi Jiazi said with tears in her eyes, ¡°I definitely remember that clearly.¡±


    ¡°It is I who is to blame. I heard the emperor say that banquet was prepared specially for me, so I was too happy that I even lost the jade pendant my mother gave me.¡±


    Yi Jiazi conveyed the importance of the jade pendant in just a few words.


    ¡°I have to admit that this woman is indeed shrewd.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    ¡°If you have seen the jade pendant, please give it back to me.¡± Yi Jiazi said with a slight tremor. People who knew nothing about her were likely to be deceived easily by her words.


    Tang Xia wore much more coldness in her eyes, then Helian Jue interrupted Yi Jiazi¡¯s words with a slight hoot.


    ¡°That is enough.¡± Helian Jue said, ¡°Guard Chu, why are you here?¡±


    Everyone remained silent for a while.


    The one guard stayed in a room with two imperial concubines would be a little troublesome if Helian Jue thought it over.


    Yi Jiazi bowed to the emperor immediately and replied with tearful eyes, ¡°It is I who sought help from Guard Chu for my pendant.¡±


    ¡°Aware of the importance of the pendant, Guard Chu is just trying to help. I thought as a kungfu master, it would be a piece of cake for Guard Chu to find a pendant.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words showed much favoritism for Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia regarded her words as full of loopholes with her eyebrows frowned.


    ¡°How do you know that Guard Chu is a kungfu master?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    Being prepared, Yi Jiazi replied, ¡°I knew that in the banquet the night before. Your elegant waltz with Guard Chu was enviable. I consulted someone then learned that the waltz demanded a certain basis of kungfu. It turned out that Guard Chu was a kungfu master.¡±


    ¡°So she noticed that the night before.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Squinting her eyes, Tang Xia became more impatient with Yi Jiazi.


    ¡°I made so much effort to deal with the crisis the night before, but she brought it up lightly again.¡±


    Luckily, Helian Jue wore a normal face.


    ¡°I have been looking for the pendant for hours but cannot find it due to my incompetence. However, Your Grace¡¯s pendant is of so much importance that we should find it soon.¡± Chu Tiankuo said aloofly, clenching his fists.


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Looking for the pendant just for a woman he saw twice? When did Chu Tiankuo become so patient?¡±


    ¡°And he advised Helian Jue to look for it, too? What is wrong with him?¡±


    Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows and said, ¡°Order the servants to look for it.¡±


    Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Chu Tiankuo who wore an obscure look and felt annoyed somewhat.


    Having hidden the cloth bag in her hand for such a long time, Tang Xia regarded it as a hot potato, although it reminded her of Chu Tiankuo every time before.


    Tang Xia seemed to be in such a bad mood with her eyebrows loosened.


    ¡°Never mind that.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s words attracted the eyes from everyone, ¡°Your Majest, as you need to attend to numerous affairs everyday, I made something just for you.¡±


    Helian Jue was cheered up by her words while Chu Tiankuo who stood at one side raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°What did you prepare for me?¡±


    When he completed his sentence, Tang Xia showed the blue cloth bag in her hand.


    Helian Jue raised his eyebrows slightly, hinting her to go on.


    ¡°What I put in here are some flowers and plants including lavender which can soothe your nerves.¡± As she finished her words, Tang Xia attached the cloth bag to Helian Jue¡¯s waist elegantly with her fair fingers.


    ¡°It is just the color you like.¡±


    Tang Xia looked with a sidelong glance at Helian Jue¡¯s charismatic face that wore an evil but enchanting temperament.


    Helian Jue remained silent for a moment then said in a deep voice, ¡°I like it very much.¡±


    Lyuyou standing aside then stepped forward tactfully and said, ¡°She has been sewing the cloth bag for a long time.¡±


    ¡°She seldom does housework but gives a lot of care for you, the emperor. The silk threads used were sewn by her carefully. The stitches that were not so perfect were redone by her so that it becomes a small and exquisite cloth bag now.¡±


    Lyuyou said in a gentle voice, but her words caused Chu Tiankuo, who was standing at one side, to darken his eyes.


    Feeling a quiver in his heart, Helian Jue asked happily, ¡°Did you do it by yourself?¡±


    Tang Xia could not let the opportunity to increase Helian Jue¡¯s love for her to escape and said, ¡°Although I fumble with the needlework, I can do it for you every day if you like it.¡±


    Helian Jue stretched his long arms and held Tang Xia in his arms, ¡°I appreciate your efforts, Yue Ji.¡±


    ¡°I have to do my duty, so I have to go now.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold voice ruined the atmosphere of ambiguity. Tang Xia turned her eyes on him ¨C angular face, aquiline nose, and a poker-faced look.


    Helian Jue was in such a good mood that he let him go, waving his loose sleeves.


    Then Eunuch Shun reminded, ¡°Your Majesty, it is time for you to go to the memorial to the throne in Shangshufang.¡±


    Hearing his words, Helian Jue pushed his nose tip against Tang Xia¡¯s forehead. Then he said with his thin lips grazing her, ¡°I will come back for you.¡±


    ¡°I will wait for you in the hall.¡± Tang Xia said with a gentle smile.


    As Helian Jue¡¯s figure vanished into the distance, Tang Xia came to her senses with total sobriety in the bottom of her eyes.


    ¡°What a genius plan.¡± Yi Jiazi¡¯s voice came from the side, ¡°I am so impressed by what you have done today.¡±


    Tang Xia gazed at Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes and found out what was hidden in her eyes.


    It was desire, endless desire.


    What was contained in her eyes did not include her love for Helian Jue.


    ¡°You are raising me up too high.¡± Tang Xia said in a cold voice.


    ¡°However, what you did pushed Guard Chu away, is that really good?¡±


    Yi Jiazi opened her red lips gently, and her words shocked Tang Xia anyhow.


    ¡°I told Guard Chu was that I would tell you off to the emperor if I could not find my pendant.¡± Yi Jiazi wore a bigger smile in the corner of her mouth, ¡°I feel pity for Guard Chu that he left all lonely just now.¡±


    Hearing her words, Tang Xia¡¯s voice became cold immediately, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Yi Jiazi smiled but did not answer it directly, ¡°What I mean is clear enough.¡±


    ¡°Just kindly reminding you, as the imperial concubine, do not fall in love with someone else apart from the emperor.¡±


    As she completed her sentence, she bowed gently to Tang Xia and said, ¡°I have important affairs to attend to, so I have to go now.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes froze for a moment.


    Although Tang Xia knew that Yi Jiazi¡¯s words were just testing her out, she felt her face scorching hot.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­ Is he looking for the pendant because of me?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of me that he advised calmly that Helian Jue must find the pendant?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, are you ok?¡± Lyuyou stepped forward to support Tang Xia¡¯s sleeves and asked.


    Tang Xia replied with a wave of her hand and a trace of maliciousness flashed in her eyes.


    She got tricked by an NPC.


    ¡°Lyuyou, send a message to Yi Jiazi that I will fight back against anyone, I don¡¯t care if the imperial concubine¡¯s status is below mine.¡±

 Chapter 29

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if the imperial concubine¡¯s status is below mine.¡±


    This meant that although Yi Jiazi¡¯s status was below her as an imperial concubine, Lengmei disdained to fight back due to her low status.


    Tang Xia would definitely fight back.


    So she was warning Yi Jiazi to stop where it should stop.


    After bending her knees, Lyuyou went and sent her message immediately.


    A trace of warmth floated in the air while Tang Xia squinted her eyes with some emotion flickering in her eyes.


    When Tang Xia got back to her hall, one indistinct figure appeared in her mind.


    The man was wearing in silver armor and smiled at her haughtily against the sunlight like a male fairy.


    ¡°Have you passed on the message?¡± Tang Xia asked in a softer voice with her eyes closed and curly eyelashes hanging over her tender skin.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I have passed your precise words to Yi Jiazi. However, she had no reaction, just saying ¡®I got it¡¯.¡±


    Lyuyou paused for a second then asked, ¡°What else do you need me to do?¡±


    Tang Xia said with a wave of her hands and a trace coldness flickering in her eyes, ¡°Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Prepare the material for another cloth bag and find more materials of varied colors this time.¡±


    Tang Xia said softly.


    That Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome face appeared wantonly and indistinctly in her mind, which made her annoyed but helpless.


    But she just wanted to do something.


    Although Tang Xia wanted to make up with Chu Tiankuo, his heart was always vacant. Having spent much more time to sewing this cloth bag, Tang Xia was worried that it would be too perfunctory to present him with only a cloth bag.


    At last, she sighed disappointedly and gave up.


    ¡°Your Grace, you have been annoyed for several hours.¡±


    Lyuyou presented the fruit tray to Tang Xia with her sleeves rolled up, then stood aside.


    Tang Xia nodded and asked with impatience in her peach blossom eyes, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Lyuyou raised her body slightly and replied, ¡°It is an apology from the emperor who took a detour to the hall where Lengmei lives.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her chin with a poker face.


    Several days had passed, and Helian Jue visited the Yanyue hall where Lengmei lived more frequently.


    It meant that Lengmei won the emperor¡¯s favor back.


    On the other hand, the cloth bad that Tang Xia had sewed for the emperor¡¯s sake was never seen again.


    ¡°Your Grace, here comes the flowers sent from Lianyue hall again. What should we do with it?¡± Lyuyou asked, pushing and opening the hollowed-out door then lit some aromatherapy quickly.


    Lianyue hall was where Yi Jiazi lived.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to report that again. Just send it back as it is.¡±


    Tang Xia said with her eyebrows frowned tightly and her delicate hand supporting her forehead gently.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Lyuyou raised her body slightly then moved to the side of Tang Xia and massaged her temples gently with her delicate fingers.


    ¡°It seems that Your Grace has been exhausted recently.¡± Lyuyou said in a soft voice.


    Tang Xia replied in a barely audible voice.


    ¡°Flowers are sent to us everyday from Lianyue hall during this half month. What does Yi Jiazi plan to do?¡± Lyuyou asked in an extremely soft voice so that Tang Xia would not be disturbed.


    Tang Xia squinted her eyes while sunlight cast on the side of her face, revealing her fair skin and blood-red lips.


    It turned out that it had been for half a month.


    ¡°Lengmei now owns both grace and honor. It is strange that arrogant Lengmei would stoop to please the emperor.¡± Lyuyou said, wondering why.


    Tang Xia closed her eyes, ¡°It is not strange, but in her current situation, she cannot keep her arrogance any longer.¡±


    She said.


    It was known to all that Lengmei was arrogant. However, she restrained her arrogance a lot since Yi Jiazi came half a month before.


    She hid all her haughtiness just because she did not want to lose out to Yi Jiazi, a woman owning nothing that could compare with her.


    ¡°Your Grace, your words become more incredible these days.¡± Lyuyou said softly.


    Tang Xia did not utter a single word more and just enjoyed the slight floral fragrance. It seemed that she became more dependent on these flowers, maybe because there was too much for her to worry about lately.


    ¡°Your Grace! Oh no!¡±


    Anran pushed the wooden door and shouted with a high-pitched and hurried voice.


    ¡°The-the emperor demanded you to go to the Shangshufang.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrow slightly. Being called by Helian Jue suddenly truly surprised her, but it was not odd, so she replied, ¡°Ok.¡±


    ¡°Yi Jiazi is there, too¡­¡± Anran¡¯s voice turned low abruptly.


    ¡°I do not know why, but I was just pulled aside by Eunuch Shun when I passed by the Shangshufang. Eunuch Shun told me that the emperor went into a rage in the Shangshufang and wants me to bring you there immediately.¡±


    Still feeling frightened, Anran said, ¡°I consulted Eunuch Shun, but did not get the whole story. Eunuch Shun told me that it was Yi Jiazi who blubbering, asking Your Grace to go there.¡±


    Knowing what it was all about, Tang Xia wore an indistinct smile.


    ¡°So it is sort of a letter of challenge to me by Yi Jiazi.¡±


    Guarded by massive forces, the Shangshufang was the place where Helian Jue visited most frequently.


    Tang Xia nodded slightly to Eunuch Shun in front of the door of the hall, ¡°Please notify the emperor that I am here, thank you.¡±


    Knowing why Tang Xia was here, Eunuch Shun came back from the room soon and said, ¡°Your Grace, this way, please.¡±


    Before they walked into the main hall, Shun Decai whispered to Tang Xia¡¯s ears, ¡°Yi Jiazi is well prepared this time, please be careful.¡±


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia fixed her eyes on him gratefully for a moment.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°Is it Yue Ji?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s cold voice came into her ears, and Tang Xia faked a smile then bowed to the emperor respectfully, ¡°How are you, Your Majesty.¡±


    When she raised her head, she looked with a sidelong glance at Helian Jue.


    Helian Jue raised his eyebrows slightly, his charismatic face full of coldness. But he relaxed a bit after seeing Tang Xia¡¯s lovely salute.


    ¡°Rise.¡± Tang Xia won Helian Jue¡¯s favor back again with just a few words.


    ¡°You sure have the nerve to come here.¡± Yi Jiazi said, standing at one side.


    Then Tang Xia turned her eyes slowly to her, but glanced away immediately.


    It was obvious that Tang Xia disdained to look her straight in the eye.


    Wearing a purple dress with a peony sewn by gold threads in the hemline, Yi Jiazi tied half of her long hair up and had the rest hang down slowly on her shoulder with a cinnabar point in her forehead. A charming beauty, who combined coquettish purple with cinnabar.


    However, Tang Xia would never think highly of her no matter how splendid her clothes were.


    ¡°Now that you dare to call me sister, how can I not come?¡± Tang Xia said in an apathetic voice with coldness around her eyebrows that even Lyuyou felt frightened a little bit.


    ¡°Why do you, my dear sister, treat me like this?¡± Yi Jiazi turned into a delicate appearance right away, with a trace of shrewdness flickering in her eyes as she sobbed elegantly.


    Tang Xia maintained her poker face, ¡°I hope you know well about your status. You are just a junior imperial concubine to me. Although you call me sister, you never bow to me and even talk rudely to me.¡±


    Then she wore a heavy look, ¡°Do you not know the commandments of the palace?¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Yi Jiazi became terrified, frowning her eyebrows. And Helian Jue remained silent, acquiescing in what Tang Xia had said.


    Yi Jiazi had no choice but to bow to Tang Xia grinding her teeth, ¡°I hope sister can forgive my stupidity.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a haughty face with no trace of a smile in her mouth, which looked a bit like Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Then do not label people at will.¡±


    Yi Jiazi froze her look, ¡°You are too exaggerated¡­¡±


    Having enjoyed enough of a show, Helian Jue looked Tang Xia¡¯s face up and down, sighing with emotion as if it had been too long since he had last saw her.


    ¡°My Yue Ji has become more charismatic.¡±


    ¡°Yi Jiazi,¡± Helian Jue said with a cold voice, fixing his eyes on Tang Xia, ¡°Tell me your grievances.¡±


    Hearing his words, Yi Jiazi lowered her head with glistening eyes.


    ¡°Born in Southland, I have loved flowers and plants since I was a little girl. So I liked the sachet sewn by sister Yue Ji and admired her more and more.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said in such a soft voice that Tang Xia thought more than once that she would not be able to resist this kind of charm if she were a man.


    ¡°I am foolish, and my admiration for Sister grew deeper, but I did not know what to do. Inspired by my slave girl, Biluo, I presented a fresh bouquet to Sister every day.¡±


    Biluo who stood aside at first then stepped forward and said, ¡°The best fresh flowers in the small garden are picked off by her every night, then I present them from her to Yue Ji.¡±


    Tang Xia lost her patience with coldness on her face. It was just a play directed and acted by Yi Jiazi, and it bored her already before the start.


    Helian Jue said angrily, unsatisfied with Biluo¡¯s interruption of the dialogue with an unclear look, ¡°How dare you pipe into the dialogue between the masters? Is it because the rules are not stressed in Lianyue hall that you do not know that you should respect your masters?¡±


    Biluo froze and bowed to the emperor immediately remaining silent.


    After a glance at Biluo, Yi Jiazi said, ¡°But it seems that sister Yue Ji does not like my present that she gives it back without touching it every time.¡±


    ¡°It was yesterday when I felt unwell, so I asked the imperial physician to diagnose me. Then I knew that I had inhaled too much poisonous powder which had set me up for complications later in life. However, my body belongs to the emperor so I dare not neglect that.¡±


    ¡°The root of the problem was found when I summoned all the slave girls in Lianyue hall.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Yi Jiazi cried with a long streak of tears on her cheek, ¡°It is sister Yue Ji who sends back my bouquet every time. The imperial physician said it contained a trace amount of poison so that it could not be noticed easily. I felt unwell after inhaling the poison for half a month.¡±


    After saying her words, her tears dropped onto the purple dress hemlines on the ground.


    Helian Jue moved his lips slightly but remained silent, frowning.


    Then Yi Jiazi bowed to the ground to Helian Jue with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°I am not afraid of death. What I fear is to be unable to complete all my wishes before I die.¡±


    ¡°I have been dreaming of obtaining the emperor¡¯s favor one day, and I cherish every opportunity to dine with you. I am not afraid of death but of losing the opportunity to be with you.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s look became darker, and she frowned her thin eyebrows as she regarded Yi Jiazi¡¯s greasy words.


    What Helian Jue loved most was his imperial concubine regarding him as their lives. Although Yi Jiazi¡¯s words were full of loopholes, Helian Jue was too happy to notice that.


    ¡°Yi Jiazi knows exactly what Helian Jue favors most.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Sure enough, Helian Jue supported Yi Jiazi who was down on her knees up then held her in his arms and looked at Tang Xia with a trace of coldness in his eyes.


    ¡°Yue Ji, any explanations?¡± Helian Jue looked at Tang Xia¡¯s face mercilessly.


    Tang Xia knew that it was best to pretend to be helpless. However, in the face of the unpredictable Helian Jue, Tang Xia lost any interest.

 Chapter 30

    Tang Xia was slightly fortunate that the person she loved was not Helian Jue.


    Otherwise, she could be hurt for hundreds of times.


    She raised her chin and looked directly at Helian Jue¡¯s eyes. She knelt at once and made a kowtow to him. ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to give me more time.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes became dark and his thought fell on Tang Xia¡¯s proud face.


    He was indifferent and cold, and was even similar to Lengmei.


    ¡°I give you my permission.¡±


    He waved his sleeves. Yi Jiazi was in his arms and her eyes were shining. She stared at Tang Xia and was afraid she would find out some clues.


    ¡°First, I have never touched those flowers that sister Jiazi mentioned. I accepted her kindness to me. However, when I sent back all those flowers to her, she said those had been poisoned. Can I think that sister Jiazi originally planned to hurt me but hurt herself in the end.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s tone was compelling, making Helian Jue frowned. Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes turned cold as ice and hoped to shot Tang Xia into a sieve with her eyesight.


    ¡°Secondly, there is no evidence in sister Jiazi¡¯s words. The flowers have been transferred by many people and we don¡¯t know whether someone has poisoned on them. My sister, you put all the faults on my head, but I don¡¯t care. However, I would not accept the fake crimes.¡±


    At her last sentence, she turned to Yi Jiazi directly.


    ¡°Thirdly, the flowers were found poisoned in Lianyue Palace, but sister Jiazi put the faults on my palace. When she found something wrong, she did not ask me to figure out the fact, but looked for His Majesty first and described me as a treacherous woman. Sister Jiazi, you¡¯re really a good player.¡±


    ¡°An entry-level member of the Virgin Mary.¡±


    Tang Xia was resentful to say the last sentence in her mind.


    These were enough to decide her conviction with ¡°sinister affairs¡±. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned around and finally stayed at Yi Jiazi who was in Helian Jue¡¯s arms.


    Yi Jiazi was just slightly surprised at first, but now she recovered to be calm.


    She even wore a ridiculed smile.


    Tang Xia was clear it was not enough to defeat Yi Jiazi just relying on these.


    Tang Xia wore a smile, or to be called a sneer. The breeze came from the outside of Shangshufang¡¯s window and rolled up her silky hair, raising them in the air.


    An enchanting face was only at the size of a palm. She had a delicate mouth and clean teeth with bright eyes and tender skin.


    She knew Helian Jue was the most crucial point.


    ¡°The last words are to you, Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia held her tears in her eyes, full of countless grievances.


    Helian Jue slightly raised his eyes.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you still keep the perfume pouch I sent to you on that day? You said you would come to Jiangfang Palace alone, but I have waited for you for more than half a month. Now, you own another beauty, but I am not regretful. I am unfear of anything when I see you.¡±


    In the second half of Tang Xia¡¯s words, she said words by words. The way she was talking was like an orchid. Her eyes were glittering.


    The key point to winning was to pay him back in his own coin.


    Yi Jiazi knew how to use her limpness to gain the emperor¡¯s sympathy, showing a spoony girl appearance of ¡°I love you at the witness of heaven and earth¡±. In addition, Helian Jue was such an unreasonable tyrant. Everything would come true.


    In this case, Tang Xia also knew the way to use her limpness. Those three pieces of evidence were the light ceremony for Yi Jiazi.


    Even if Yi Jiazi had supernatural powers, she could not win Tang Xia¡¯s unforgettable old feelings of the emperor.


    On the one side of Yi Jiazi, a girl hoped to live a happy life with you and was not afraid of her own death, but only cared about your life.


    On the other side was Tang Xia, a girl had promised that she would wait for you no matter how long she should wait for, and you are the most devout faith in her heart.


    Helian Jue filled his mind with a myriad of thoughts and ideas and was stunned for a while because of Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    He cheated her and made her wait for him so long.


    Helian Jue had not expected that his casual sigh would make a person treat it so seriously.


    It should be a girl who loved him so deeply.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m late for my promise.¡± Helian Jue was choked and just spit out these sad words.


    Yi Jiazi changed her face and lowered her voice. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Jiazi feels not good¡­¡±


    Helian Jue moved and frowned his eyebrows.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Guard Chu asked to see you.¡± Shun Decai interrupted their conversation at the right time. He bowed to the emperor. ¡°Guard Chu said he had something important to report.¡±


    Helian Jue raised his eyebrows. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    When hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s name, Tang Xia unreasonably showed happiness in her eyes and wore a smile.


    Yi Jiazi captured her subtle changes.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold voice turned up behind and brought a faint breeze.


    She turned around and saw a silver armor. He was still handsome. Their eyes came across and then slowly moved away.


    It seemed that every inch of land where Chu Tiankuo stayed would become blooming.


    Perhaps it was because of his extraordinary temperament.


    Chu Tiankuo bowed to the emperor. His beautiful voice raised, ¡°I found a suspicious person on the way to the Jiaofang Palace from the Lianyue Palace.¡±


    Lianyue Palace and Jiaofang Palace.


    Everyone recovered their minds.


    ¡°Bring it up.¡± Helian Jue waved his hand.


    Chu Tiankuo clapped his hands to express his order. Two guards carried a girl in the cyan dress from the outside and dragged her to the center of the hall.


    It was her!


    Yi Jiazi changed color but still kept her body straight. Her voice turned cold. ¡°Why do you take my maid over here, Guard Chu?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo seemed to know nothing and even was too lazy to raise his eyes.¡±She turned out to be your maid, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Recently, I saw this maid always lingering on the way from Lianyue Palace to Jiaofang Palace. I heard about the issue of Shangshufang, so I was suspicious of this maid.¡±


    ¡°I asked her a few questions and noticed her fingers were black. Then I asked an imperial physician for advice and finally knew that she had long-term exposure to toxicity-induced toxin expansion.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said casually, but Yi Jiazi reprimanded him immediately, ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Yi Jiazi was worried and got rid of Helian Jue¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Whether Guard Chu¡¯s words are nonsense or not, you must know in your mind. But sister Jiazi, you behaved so worriedly. I don¡¯t know it¡¯s because you know the hidden truth or just plan to deliberately lead the crime to me.¡±


    Tang Xia said words by words, lightly as a cloud.


    Yi Jiazi could not bear any longer, but she still forced herself to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m too absurd. Faner is my intimate maid and I trust her. So I would say something for justice.¡±


    ¡°This Faner¡­is really a supporting crime¡­¡± Tang Xia whispered, but only Chu Tiankuo could hear.


    He smiled and his voice was low and melodious.


    ¡°Sister Jiazi, What do you mean? I just refused your flowers, so you went here for help. You told our emperor I am the killer. But now, with enough evidence to tell Faner is the prime culprit, you still believe her.¡±


    ¡°Sister Jiazi, are you even trusting a maid more than me?¡± Tang Xia pretended to be innocent and successfully made Yi Jiazi angry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean this.¡± She bowed to them all and closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t even want to see Helian Jue.


    She knew she lost in this battle.


    Helian Jue finally said something to break the deadlock. ¡°Since it has been identified, you don¡¯t have to say something more. Take this maid away and off her head on the base of law.¡±


    Tang Xia squinted her eyes. Putting a crime on a maid in such a casual way could see that the emperor always disgraced human¡¯s life.


    Faner was shocked and squatted backward, looking at Yi Jiazi with prayer in her eyes. She knelt in a hurry and continued kowtowing like a chicken eating rice.


    The desperation showed up in her eyes, while Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes filled with coldness.


    ¡°I¡­ I have¡­¡±


    Faner shook her body like a sieve. Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and waited for her later words. Yi Jiazi on the seat was like an arrow from the string, pulling out the sword of the guard and stabbed into Faner¡¯s heart directly.


    A sword, stained sleeves, Faner was no longer alive.


    Yi Jiazi was trembling, while Faner¡¯s blood covered the ground. The red blood wetted her dress, which was really glaring.


    She turned back and bowed to Helian Jue. She put her head onto the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me¡­ I killed Faner by myself. I beg your forgiveness.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s voice was shaking. It seemed that she was extremely scared.


    Helian Jue was extremely disgusted with these bloody scenes. He turned his head. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He stood up, following with Shun Decai. Helian Jue stepped by Tang Xia. ¡°I lost my promise last time, but I won¡¯t let you down this time.¡±


    Then, he turned to Shun Decai and said, ¡°Shun Decai, I will stay at Jiaofang Palace tonight.¡±


    Shun Decai answered in a light voice. Helian Jue gently kissed Tang Xia¡¯s forehead.


    Tang Xia wore a bare smile and watched him leave.


    ¡°Sister, you could resolve the crisis every time, which makes me convinced.¡± Yi Jiazi stood up and her eyes were clear.


    There was a piece of hatred in her eyes, which was totally different from the scare just now.


    ¡°Sister Jiazi, your acting skills are really superb. I am also convinced.¡±


    Tang Xia fight back unrequitedly. Yi Jiazi snorted and left the hall arrogantly.


    Lyuyou made a bow, leaving Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia alone.


    Ah, and the corpse.


    Tang Xia wore a smile and ignored the blood on the ground.


    ¡°Do you know how dangerous just now?¡± Chu Tiankuo pulled her body in front of him like a wrathful lion.


    Tang Xia was stunned, while the smile on her face deepened.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were full of smile and her smile looked extraordinarily charming. Her long hair was held on her back, fluttering with the breeze.


    ¡°Good.¡± Chu Tiankuo turned his head awkwardly, and looked around her face.


    Then, he bent down and took out a square scarf from Faner¡¯s sleeve. He walked towards Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body proportion was perfect. Tang Xia always wanted to ask how tall he was. Her figure was a standard model, but when she stood in front of Chu Tiankuo, she was only on his shoulders.


    Chu Tiankuo used the square scarf rudely rubbed Tang Xia¡¯s forehead.


    Tang Xia turned her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He snorted in a low voice, seemingly extremely dissatisfied with her avoidance.


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty over there. Clean it yourself.¡± Chu Tiankuo pointed at her forehead and put the square scarf in her hand.


    Before leaving, Tang Xia asked the last question.


    ¡°The poison on Faner¡¯s hands¡­¡± Tang Xia did not believe that Yi Jiazi would be stupid enough to ask her intimate maid to poison her every day.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes deepened. He turned his face, while the side of his face was like a man from the painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to give those things to me. You are only responsible for keeping purity as ever.¡±

 Chapter 31

    At the night, Helian Jue really fulfilled his promise. However, Tang Xia could not be happy when hearing the news that he was coming.


    ¡°Your Grace, are you worried about the emperor¡¯s coming?¡± Lyuyou was really smart and immediately figured out Tang Xia¡¯s worry.


    Tang Xia looked at herself in the bronze mirror. She had a light makeup and made a red mark at the center of her forehead. A pink hairpin was stuck in her back pun.


    She looked more tender and pretty.


    She sighed.


    Lyuyou only thought that she was too nervous. ¡°Your Grace, you don¡¯t have to be worried. The emperor always treats you good.¡±


    At the end of her words, Tang Xia looked at her seriously.


    Lyuyou stopped for a second and held back her neck. ¡°Would you like me to report to the eunuch Shun to say you don¡¯t feel good before the emperor comes?¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her forehead and raised her eyebrows. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, he is the character she needed to conquer. Since he takes the initiative to find me, why should I find a way to avoid?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Tang Xia held her chin and fell into a long-term meditation. A group of her hair was fluttering with the breeze behind her ears and placed on her shoulders softly. Her palm-size face was so delicate and as white as the ceramics, while the sunshine scattered between her eyebrows.


    Judging from the basic experience of her only twice live broadcasts, she obviously tried her best to conquer Chu Tiankuo.


    However, when facing Helian Jue, she had different feelings.


    Tang Xia hooked her long fingers. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Lyuyou understood and put her ear near to Tang Xia¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Later, you go to Yanyue Palace and share the message to Lengmei¡¯s maid that the emperor will come to my palace.¡±


    Tang Xia said gently. Her lips were tender and teeth were white, while the way she was talking was as elegant as an orchid.


    Tang Xia¡¯s breath made Lyuyou felt itchy on her ear. She turned her head and wore a smile. ¡°Your Grace, are you going to make a trap for Lengmei?¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head with satisfication. ¡°You¡¯re teachable.¡±


    Lyuyou always disliked Lengmei. Now, she met this good chance. She bowed to Tang Xia with excitement and left.


    Tang Xia kicked at the table regularly. Her eyes seemed to cover the whole stars. A piece of cunning flashed by her eyes and left a smile in the end.


    Unsurprisingly, Lyuyou would return without success.


    Sure enough, for a short moment, Lyuyou came in with a sad expression on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Tang Xia curved her eyes and her skin was extremely tender under the candlelight.


    Lyuyou lowered her eyes. ¡°I should have died for my uselessness.¡±


    Though she had expected the result, Tang Xia still pretended to be surprised. She asked step by step. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I went to the Yanyue Palace and told them the news that the emperor would come to our Jiaofang Palace tonight. The maids in Yanyue Palace were all arrogant and argued with me.¡±


    ¡°The words finally passed to Lengmei. She said nothing, but looked at her maid. However, when I left for a moment, I received a message from eunuch Shun which said the emperor would not come to Jiaofang Palace tonight, but changed his mind to go to Yanyue Palace.¡±


    Lyuyou¡¯s eyes were full of tears. Her palm-sized face was divided under the sunshine The light and dark sides overlapped, which covered her eyesight.


    Tang Xia held back her guilty and comforted her softly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The emperor¡¯s not coming is not a big deal. My Jiaofang Palace is so large and it¡¯s OK he will come or not.¡±


    Perhaps Tang Xia¡¯s comfort worked well. Lyuyou stopped crying, but her voice was still upset. ¡°Your Grace, you have paid a lot for this chance, but is destroyed by me. You still try to comfort me¡­¡±


    Tang Xia had not expected that her image in Lyuyou¡¯s eyes was that noble. She did not know she should be happy or sad. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re my maid. How can you cry like a fool?¡±


    Lyuyou was amused by Tang Xia¡¯s blaming words and said, ¡°Talking about this, since Yi Jiazi found troubles for you last time, you have few times to see the emperor.¡±


    ¡°I could not forget the scene on that day.¡± After all, it was the first time for Tang Xia to kill someone. She stopped for a second. ¡°Do you know how Faner¡¯s corpse is finally settled?¡±


    Lyuyou¡¯s fingers were slightly shaking. Thinking back the scene of that day, she could not help feeling cold. ¡°It¡¯s said that she was thrown into the mass grave with the sword stuck in her chest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that a leading eunuch was curious and went to the mass grave, but he didn¡¯t find her corpse. Everyone said Faner could not die in peace. Lady Yi Jiazi must do something wrong behind. It¡¯s really intriguing.¡±


    Lyuyou was serious. Her delicate face showed out scare, which made Tang Xia burst into a laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. You even take it seriously.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile. The slightly curved corner her mouth was tender, which could attract everyone¡¯ attention.


    ¡°I just thought this rumor was mysteriousness, so I dare to share with you, Your Majesty.¡±


    The rumors in the imperial palace were often coming quickly and disappearing quickly, except for the death of Faner.


    Originally, Tang Xia only heard those rumors from Lyuyou. A few days later, all the palaces were talking about this matter, which became more and more mysterious.


    ¡°What¡¯s the new rumors recently?¡± Tang Xia was making up in front of the bronze mirror. Her amorous eyes were shining.


    Lyuyou sighed and her sound was a little trembled.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor in the imperial palace, which said Faner had turned into a ghost after she died, becoming an executioner in this palace. Everyone was scared. Those who had a piece of connection with her were afraid of being affected.¡±


    At the end of her words, Tang Xia found Lyuyou¡¯s voice trembling slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. Why are you so afraid?¡±


    Tang Xia touched her eyebrows and frowned. The delicate skin of her hands was like the softest silk.


    A flashing of anxiety passed by Lyuyou¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡­ I saw the executioner¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. Her long fingers clicked on the Gold Phoebe table regularly. A long sigh turned out from her lips.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lyuyou bent her body. ¡°A few days ago, I remembered that the spices in your palace needed to be changed. But I found there was not enough in our palace, so I went to Royal Garden to pick up some. However, to my surprise, I came across the executioner in the rumor¡­¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°How could you tell it is the executioner?¡±


    ¡°She dressed in black and her figure was really like Faner. What¡¯s the most important thing is that she was holding a knife in her hand. It¡¯s in the harem! She dressed in black and held a knife. I¡­ used to see she stuck Xiaomai, a little maid, on her back!¡±


    ¡°But Xiaomai didn¡¯t notice. On next day, her back appeared a scar. Just thinking of it could make me scared.¡±


    Lyuyou¡¯s eyes enlarged, which seemed not to be a fake.


    However, as an outstanding lady in the 24 century, how could she be confused by some little ghosts!


    Moreover, it was still in the live broadcast¡­


    ¡°If the emperor heard about this, he must rectify the unhealthy tendencies in the imperial palace.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile, but her thoughts drifted into the distance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Chu Tiankuo thinks of this.¡±


    As the same kind of persons owning modern memories, Tang Xia would think of him reasonably.


    Well.


    ¡°Tonight, the emperor has a feast at the Hecheng Palace. You should remember not to mention this.¡±


    Lyuyou nodded her head and continued to make up for Tang Xia.


    Over the Hecheng Palace covered in the darkness, the candlelight was replaced from time to time. The overlapped layers dazzled Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. The alcohol smell filled in the air. Tang Xia wore a smile.


    Lyuyou followed her carefully. Tang Xia knew she was scared, so she comforted her with a smile.


    ¡°If Faner wants to find someone to kill, it must be Yi Jiazi who had killed her. She is OK, so you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Lyuyou was stunned for Tang Xia¡¯s smile and her eyes got wet. ¡°Your Grace, thank you for your comfort.¡±


    The breeze blew slightly. Tang Xia wore an orange dress and the hemline touched the ground. She did a formal makeup and the dark-red hairpin on her bun was ringing. Her lips were red and alluring, adding pieces of elegance.


    Helian Jue seemed to consider the feasts as a tradition in the imperial palace and would hold one per month.


    Lengmei had already sat at the center. In the past few days, she had gained Helian Jue¡¯s love. Therefore, she wore a bare smile today though she was always cool.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long time to see you, sister Yue Ji. You seem to be more beautiful.¡±


    A soft voice turned up behind her. Tang Xia turned around, while Yi Jiazi bowed lightly to her. ¡°Sister Yue Ji, greetings.¡±


    Tang Xia kept her eyes on her for a second and moved away. ¡°You¡¯re also like a hibiscus out of the water. No one could move their eyes away from you.


    Tang Xia lowered her head coldly and returned to her seat.


    The imperial concubines of the harem continued to enter, while Tang Xia was looking through the crowd and finding a silver armor.


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was cold. He tightened his lips. His arrogant face seemed to smile rarely.


    It seemed that he would only wore a ironic smile when he said she was a washboard.


    Such a¡­ hateful man¡­


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes and her eyes were shining. After a long time that she did not see him, Chu Tiankuo was still handsome and straight. His neutral face was always cold and seemed to keep people from distance.


    ¡°Guard Chu really has a good appearance.¡± Yi Jiazi stepped by.


    Tang Xia turned around and stared at her. ¡°Do you have anything?¡±


    Yi Jiazi wore a light smile, but in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, it was sarcasm.


    Chu Tiankuo was absent-minded and found Tang Xia who was sitting on her imperial concubine seat for just a second. All of her hair had been tied up, uncovering her silky forehead. His eyesight moved to her red lips, which was really fascinating.


    ¡°This woman always comes out with a close-up shot.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo moved his lips and finally could not look away.


    The arrival of Helian Jue made the atmosphere in the Hecheng Palace rise to a certain degree. Shun Decai reported in her sharp voice. Everyone¡¯s eyesight was on him and followed him into the palace.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue waved his hands and forewent their formalities.


    Everyone took a seat. Tang Xia glimpsed Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face at distance. He wore a vague smile. It seemed that he had a good mood.


    Tang Xia frowned. It seemed that everything was harmonious, but she felt that something big would happen.


    There were plenty of candles in the Hecheng Palace, but the lengths were different. The shining lights were bright, and the wind blew slightly in, making the inside very comfortable.


    It was also a bit of weird.

 Chapter 32

    When the wine had gone round three times, Helian Jue¡¯s face turned red. Everyone in this feast had his own thought.


    A delicate figure rushed to the front and knelt on the ground. Her head heavily knocked on the ground of the Hecheng Palace.


    All the people looked at her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I am Huangye, a maid in Lady Jiazi¡¯s palace.¡± Huangye¡¯s body could not help trembling.


    Hearing this, everyone turned to Yi Jiazi.


    Yi Jiazi frowned when receiving people¡¯s attention. A piece of anger showed up in her eyes. The exquisite face was lightly horrible under the candlelight.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yi Jiazi got up and went forward. Her purple dress brought a gust of wind.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± She bowed to the emperor and waved her sleeves on the ground, which was like a flying butterfly. She looked more flirtatious from every angle.


    Helian Jue frowned. His face was handsome and his eyes moved around.


    ¡°What do you mean, my love?¡±


    He said slowly and his voice could not show his happiness or anger.


    Yi Jiazi trembled, turning her body and facing Huangye. ¡°Huangye, go back to the seat with me.¡±


    Huangye did not move and her body trembled like a sieve, but still refused to go back.


    She kowtowed again and her head knocked on the ground heavily. ¡°Your Majesty, I have one thing to report. Please give me a chance to talk.¡±


    Yi Jiazi frowned and a piece of surprise and astonishment passed by her eyes. ¡°What do you mean? Huangye, are you behaving arrogantly like this because of my best to you?¡±


    Huangye did not move and continued to kowtow.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to give me a moment to talk, please.¡± Her speaking voice mixed with the sound of her kowtow. It was really heavy, ringing into everyone¡¯s ears.


    Helian Jue did not care about her naturally. On account of his temper, he disliked impolite women.


    ¡°Bring her away.¡± Helian Jue waved his sleeves with a reluctant feeling in his eyes. His lips slightly tightened.


    ¡°Your Majesty! If you don¡¯t listen to my words, Faner would in one¡¯s grave! The harem will never be peaceful!¡±


    It seemed that Huangye tried all of her strength. The bright and clean yellow floor scattered bloodstain, which was like the scene when Faner died.


    Tang Xia frowned. ¡°Is this related to Faner?¡±


    She had a bad guess.


    ¡°You said the harem would not be peaceful. What do you mean by this? Tell me.¡±


    Huangye¡¯s words finally attracted Helian Jue¡¯s attention. She wore a comforting smile and said in a light voice.


    ¡°My name is Huangye and Faner grew up with me. We came to the palace from the South Country. Since Huangye died, I can¡¯t fall asleep for a few nights. I always remember her smile. In the half month, the rumors about Faner spreads in the palace.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Yi Jiazi seemed to be extremely angry and could not help shouting at her.


    Huangye seemed to be terrified and stopped talking.


    ¡°Let her finish!¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice was cold. The coldness in his order frozen the surrounding atmosphere.


    Yi Jiazi had to give up.


    Huangye was trembling and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I dreamed Faner met me and dressed a black cloth. Her hair hung over her back and her eyes were full of coldness. She held a chill knife and said she died for sadness and injustice.¡±


    The palace fell into silence and even the light breeze could be heard. At this moment, everything seemed to be weird.


    Helian Jue frowned and said in a rough voice, ¡°Absurd!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it absurd to say something like this in front of the emperor?


    Huangye was shaking and her lips were trembling. ¡°I thought it was just a nightmare. But a few days ago, someone heard that Faner¡¯s ghost appeared in the Royal Garden.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was not Faner, but the description of that ghost was the same as my dream. I¡¯m terrified and she showed up in my dream every night. She said she died for injustice and would revenge.¡±


    Helian Jue calmed down instead of his anger before. His long-narrow eyes squinted, which frozen the surrounding atmosphere.


    ¡°So, did her said why she died?¡±


    The reason that Helian Jue asked this question was to figure out Huangye¡¯s intention.


    Huangye was stunned and her head heavily knocked on the ground. ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty¡­ I dare not ask too much¡­ Faner just said she died for injustice¡­¡±


    ¡°Absurd!¡± Yi Jiazi finally could not hold her temper. ¡°Don¡¯t try to make a rumor over here. Faner was trying to trap Lady Yue Ji and I helped her to kill this bitch. How could there be any injustice.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words successfully involved Tang Xia inside.


    She helped Tang Xia to kill the wicked maid, but Faner got into Huangye¡¯s dream and said she died for injustice. The crime returned to Tang Xia somehow.


    Tang Xia frowned with resistance.


    ¡°What do you mean, my sister?¡± Tang Xia asked with her eyes as cold as ice.


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s body trembled. Considering Helian Jue was sitting over there, she had to lower her body. ¡°I have no other meaning.¡±


    ¡°The devil would believe her words.¡±


    Tang Xia added in her mind.


    Helian Jue¡¯s voice was gloomy. He was like the beast that was out of the Shura field, coldly and dangerously.


    ¡°Therefore, am I have joint responsibility for this?¡±


    Yi Jiazi shook. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡±


    Huangye seized the chance and continued kowtowing for a few times. ¡°Your Majesty, I hope you can hold the justice for Faner.¡±


    Huangye¡¯s thin voice spread over every corner of the palace. Helian Jue raised his eyebrows and seemed to figure out a solution.


    Yi Jiazi also bent over her body to the ground and kowtowed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I also hope you can give me justice. I accept to be monitored.¡±


    ¡°Guard Chu, I order you to investigate this issue.¡± After a while, he made this decision.


    Everyone was shocked and moved eyes towards Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s silver armor was shining under the candlelight, and his eyes were like the stars and vast sea, which could contain all kinds of magical powers.


    He lowered his body. ¡°I would, Your Majesty.¡±


    Huangye held back her body and added, ¡°I heard that Lady Jiazi and Lady Yueji were all there. Could you please check them carefully, Guard Chu?¡±


    When Huangye finished her words, the palace fell into silence for a while.


    Helian Jue frowned, and his face became a little bit desolate under the candlelight. Half of his face covered in the shadow and his expression could not be told.


    He raised his eyebrows and seemed to be extremely disgusted with this matter. His eyes turned to Tang Xia¡¯s face and sighed at the bottom of his mind.


    ¡°Check Yue Ji together.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes condensated.


    Finally, this issue still involved her in.


    She just took the order and said nothing more.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes showed out his unhappiness. ¡°I give you three days. If you can¡¯t find out the truth, all those who spread this rumor should be executed.¡±


    He waved his hands and got up. All the imperial concubines kneeled.


    ¡°Just leave.¡±


    His voice was gloomy and walked towards Lengmei who said nothing the whole time. His hand held her slim waist. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lengmei bowed to him and followed closely.


    The imperial concubines around left gradually. Then, Shun Decai returned and made a bow.


    ¡°I hereby proclaim that Lady Yue Ji and Guard Chu Tiankuo are responsible for this issue. You have three days to investigate. Or else, you two would be head-off. Lady Yi Jiazi is prisoned in her palace. No one could visit her. If there is no result after three days, she will also be head-off. Maid Huangye, temporarily keeps in the dark prison.¡±


    He made a bow to Tang Xia after he finished. ¡°I ask for leaving, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia stared at his back, and her mouth could not help shaking.


    ¡°What¡­are these?¡±


    [Fans] My God: The anchor is sitting at home, while the accident comes from heaven.


    [Fans] Kyushu City: Are the tasks so active now¡­ Force to complete¡­ The game will be over if you can¡¯t complete them!


    [Visitor] A Dragon in the Waves: Sightseeing! It seems that anchor¡¯s romantic conquering story would turn to be extremely miserable¡­


    Tang Xia wept in her heart.


    She just refused the flowers from others and just came to join a feast, but was inexplicably arranged to perform the death penalty mission.


    What was worse, though the live broadcast room would not be shuttled if the anchor did not conquer the hero, she would be forced to withdraw from the room if she died in the plot. And then, she should restart the game!


    She would not restart the game!


    Tang Xia felt upset when looking at the sights in front of her. Lyuyou lowered her voice behind her, ¡°They are too excessive. You have nothing to do with the issue¡­¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes and finally said nothing.


    ¡°Go back first. These days, the Jiaofang Palace is under your control.¡±


    Lyuyou bit her lips, staring at the beautiful side of Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. Finally, she sighed and said, ¡°I am too stupid and can¡¯t do any help, Your Grace.¡±


    She suddenly turned to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Guard Chu, you¡¯re always capable. You must help her to find the real criminal. I will show my sincere appreciation to you.¡± At the end of her words, she made a bow to him.


    Chu Tiankuo pretended to lift her up and his eyes turned dark. ¡°I must save her.¡±


    Tang Xia heard his voice, gradually turning to his handsome appearance.


    His silver armor reflected dazzling glow under the candlelight. Such a man like him was really an extraordinary God¡¯s favored son. Everyone would be easily lost his mind when seeing him.


    ¡°I will take care of the Jiaofang Palace. You must remember to come back, Your Grace.¡± Tears filled in her eyes and a few drops slipped on her face.


    Tang Xia showed a smile and comforted her, ¡°The Jiaofang Palace is my palace. I have no reason not to go back.¡±


    She just smiled, but covering all the bloomings.


    After Lyuyou left, Yi Jiazi got up. A piece of arrogance showed in her eyes and she wore a vaguely irony.


    ¡°I also pray for you, my sister, to find out the real criminal.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Of course, I will send the one who killed her to the heil.¡±


    Yi Jiazi was stunned.


    ¡°When the death is coming, you could still be sharp-tongued, sister Yue Ji. I am convinced by you.¡±


    Tang Xia wore an indifferent smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I would die or not, but I know you must die, sister Jiazi.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s smile did not fade away, making a bow and leaving.


    Chu Tiankuo stepped forwards and looked at Tang Xia.


    She raised her face and felt proud of herself. ¡°What do you think? Is my counterattack cool enough?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sighed in a low voice. ¡°You, such an idiot.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. The breeze blew over Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hair. Though it was so messy, Tang Xia could still figure out a piece of a smile in his eyes.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, is there anyone telling you that when you are not smiling, you look really handsome out of stupid.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned gloomy.


    A piece of danger shone in his eyes and his thin lips slightly tightened.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°Do you have any clues about the executioner?¡± Tang Xia raised her waterful eyes, which were like the spring winding through the mountains and going straight into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s world.


    The whole sky was bright.


    Tang Xia seemed to have this kind of magic power to make people not move their eyes away from her.


    Since the first say she broke into his world, Chu Tiankuo had experienced so many difficulties and challenges. It was such a lucky thing for him to see her again and stay by her side.


    After a long while, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes could focus on her and laugh at a low voice. ¡°En¡­ perhaps a little.¡±


    Tang Xia just asked casually but had not expected that she would get the answer. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    His black eyes were shocked and somewhat eager.


    Chu Tiankuo pretended to be mysterious. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you.¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly stunned.


    ¡°Forget about it.¡± Tang Xia stuck her tongue out and her beautiful hair floated over by the breeze.


    ¡°Do you want to stay in Hecheng Palace to have a look?¡± He asked.


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned. His fingers pinched Tang Xia¡¯s delicate checks. He turned his body and said in a deep voice.


    ¡°I remembered that you were trying to seduce me a few days ago. Now, you change your clothes, but become bolder.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was in his fingers, so her words were vague. ¡°Off your hand! I am also a fierce person!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo laughed at a low voice, which was deep and fascinating.


    Tang Xia was stunned.


    She waved her tender fist and rapidly hit on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s chest, while using the other hand to off the fingers pinching her face.


    ¡°Somebody is coming!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes turned gloomy and he quickly dragged Tang Xia to the back of the emperor chair.


    Tang Xia moved her body carefully to see what happened through the chair.


    Chu Tiankuo waved his arm and held her into his breast, but turned his eyes to the other side.


    Tang Xia was stunned and a little bit out of mind when smelling the familiar and clean taste of his body.


    ¡°Stupid woman, don¡¯t try to satisfy your curiosity regardless of the situation. What if we are discovered by them?¡±


    He tightened the strength of his arms, and his eyebrows raised high.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was instantly pink and she turned her head embarrassedly. ¡°Let¡­let go of me¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you say?¡± Chu Tiankuo put all of his attention on the movement. When he confirmed that there was nobody else in this palace, he relieved his breath and turned to her.


    Tang Xia straightened her body. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s strong body touched Tang Xia¡¯s stunned and delicate small body.


    Their lips contacted with each other indistinctly.


    A breeze seemed to pass by and lingered around Tang Xia¡¯s ear. The sound of the breeze also rang over the ears intoxicatingly.


    It was at the mid of July, but the breeze warmed up when Chu Tiankuo was there.


    Tang Xia¡¯s forehead was shining with ambiguous glow under the dim candlelight in the Hecheng Palace.


    It made him fascinated for her.


    Tang Xia bounced off immediately and widely opened her eyes. She was like a shocked hamster whose face turned pink at once.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s black eyes showed out a piece of sorrow, but restored his emotion immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The executioner is gone.¡±


    He got up first and left without any explanation. The place Tang Xia¡¯s lips touched was still warm and her aroma left.


    Tang Xia lowered her head after a second, looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s silver armor and following him quickly.


    The silver armor reflected a soft glow under the candlelight, tenderly scattering on Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    She felt a little bit upset.


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s a kiss. Doesn¡¯t he care about that?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sent Tang Xia back to the Jiaofang Palace, but found Lyuyou was stepping outside the door anxiously. Chu Tiankuo stopped.


    Tang Xia walked a few steps forward and Chu Tiankuo turned around at the same time. When their eyes contacted, Tang Xia slightly lowered her head embarrassedly and entered the Jiaofang Palace quickly.


    When Lyuyou noticed the happening over there, Tang Xia had rushed into the inner room.


    Lyuyou made a bow to Chu Tiankuo at distance, while he deliberately nodded his head.


    Chu Tiankuo stared at the wall of the Jiaofang Palace. There was an ancient tree standing by. He jumped up on it without hesitation.


    On the other side, Tang Xia was holding her hot checks and her eyes were clear.


    ¡°How could I be disturbed by an unintentional kiss.¡± Tang Xia sighed, covering her face and falling on the bed.


    ¡°Are you going to sleep, Your Majesty?¡± Lyuyou pushed the door and entered. She saw Tang Xia¡¯s orange yarn and asked slightly.


    Tang Xia answered in a low voice, but the temperature on her face still increased.


    Lyuyou was stunned.


    ¡°Your Grace, I help you to open the window a little. I found that you did not look good just now. The imperial city is full of wind and water. We can let more fresh air in.¡± Lyuyou waled a few steps by the window. She lifted her hands and opened the window for a half gap.


    ¡°I ask for leave, Your Grace.¡±


    After Lyuyou left for a while, Tang Xia slowly got up from the bed.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome face seemed to have been rooted in her mind and she could not get rid of it.


    Tang Xia took a deep breath and slowly took off the orange yarn.


    Leaning by the ancient tree in the Jiaofang Palace, Chu Tiankuo finally could see the figure of Tang Xia after changing a few angles.


    Seeing that she gently took off the yarn, Chu Tiankuo changed color.


    ¡°She is really a stupid woman.¡±


    He said in his mind and jumped into the night after Tang Xia fell asleep.


    The stars in the sky were hidden, and the wind was blowing over the ground. When it touched one¡¯s face, it felt warm and comfortable.


    When Tang Xia gradually woke up, it was already late in the morning.


    The sunshine slanted into the room. The weather was fine, and there was a slight smell of aroma floating in the air.


    ¡°Are you waking up, Your Grace?¡± Lyuyou stepped in with a square scarf in her tender hands.


    Tang Xia cleaned up roughly and walked out. The sunshine was blinding.


    ¡°Your Grace, what¡¯s the process of your investigation?¡± Lyuyou asked curiously.


    Tang Xia wore a smile and remembered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arrogant face. Her mouth curved unconsciously.


    ¡°I have found out something.¡± She said.


    Lyuyou smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to find out something.¡± She followed Tang Xia and asked again, ¡°Where will you go, Your Grace?¡±


    Tang Xia walked ahead at a relaxing speed and wore a vague smile on her face.


    ¡°Go to the Imperial Guards Camp.¡±


    Inside the Imperial Guards Camp,


    Chu Tiankuo held his hands behind. A yellow drawing was flatting on the table.


    ¡°My Lord, Lady Yue Ji asks for meeting you.¡±


    When hearing the words ¡°Yue Ji¡±, Chu Tiankuo frowned unconsciously.


    His eyes were full of glow and seemed to contain starlight.


    ¡°Let her in.¡± His voice was still cold and it seemed that the coming person had nothing to do with him.


    ¡°But¡­ she is an imperial concubine¡­¡± If the soldiers in the Imperial Guards Camp saw the emperor¡¯s lover, they did not have enough heads to be cut off.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes turned gloomy and a piece of intolerance showed up in his eyes, but nobody could see it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the emperor¡¯s order to ask Lady Yue Ji to investigate the executioner issue. Do you still have any objections?¡±


    The guard shook his head like a rattle and quickly left.


    Tang Xia wore a vague smile, followed with careful Lyuyou. They stepped in one after the other.


    ¡°Free of the ceremony.¡± Tang Xia stopped Chu Tiankuo¡¯s embarrassment and looked at him showing her grace to him. Her eyes were full of smiles.


    Chu Tiankuo completely ignored.


    Tang Xia was angry for a moment. When she noticed the yellow drawing in the table, she took it up with curiosity.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head and his voice was really cold. ¡°A map.¡±


    Tang Xia played with the map with curiosity at the opposite side. ¡°Why do you look at it? This is¡­ the map of the Imperial Palace?


    She was amazed, pointing at the top of the drawing. The breeze rolled over her hair, so she put it behind her head and focused on the map.


    Chu Tiankuo sighed and got it back.


    When he waved his hand, all the imperial guards left, leaving Tang Xia and Lyuyou here.


    ¡°Lyuyou, how about going outside to have a look?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes condensed and turned to Lyuyou.


    Chu Tiankuo shook his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°This is the drawing of the Imperial Palace. I affirm that the executioner is artificial.¡±


    ¡°You mean the executioner might be someone else and he is in the palace.¡± Tang Xia analyzed from his words.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Tiankuo whispered.


    Lyuyou raised her eyebrows. ¡°But what about the weird events happening in the palace?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo lowered his eyes and answered, ¡°It¡¯s easy to explain. Maybe someone is playing a trick secretly or he has been colluding with someone else.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Lyuyou was shocked.


    ¡°In the term of the current situation, which one do you think will be the truth?¡± Tang Xia licked the messy hair and her eyes were shinning.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes darkened. He wrote a ¡°one¡± on the map slightly.


    The other two understood immediately.


    ¡°Then, where do you think she will hide?¡± Tang Xia held her chin with one hand, and a piece of doubt flashed by her eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned, looking at the little woman in front of him, who was smiling to him and wearing a vague smile on her face.


    ¡°We have to analyze the motivation first.¡±


    ¡°If Yue Ji is dead, who will be the happiest person in this palace?¡± He continued to ask.


    Tang Xia thought seriously for a moment. ¡°Everyone would be happy except me.¡±


    Her words successfully provoked sharp eyesights from Chu Tiankuo.


    Lyuyou suddenly realized. ¡°If you say the happiest person, it must be Lady Lengmei and Lady Yi Jiazi.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his chin with a half-identified answer. ¡± Not all right.¡±


    ¡°To Lengmei, Yue Ji has no longer a threat. Therefore, Lengmei doesn¡¯t have to waste her time and efforts to do something bad.¡±


    Lyuyou¡¯s face and eyes were gloomy. ¡°It seems that Lady Yi Jiazi has the most possible motivation.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo nodded. ¡°Actually, the one who did this might not try to obtain the love from the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s her purpose?¡± It was the turn for Tang Xia to be curious.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a sinister smile to pretend not to tell her.


    ¡°For revenge.¡± In his smile, there was a piece of bloody feeling.


    Tang Xia was slightly contemplative and held her chin with her tender hands. ¡°There were a few times indeed.¡±


    It meant that she agreed with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s view.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his chin, arrogantly looking at Tang Xia. He continued to say.


    ¡°As a result, we have to focus on Yi Jiazi first. When everything is settled, we can uncover the evidence.¡±


    ¡°How long will we wait for¡­¡± Tang Xia sighed.

 Chapter 34

    Chu Tiankuo seemed to gnash his teeth in anger.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Tang Xia curved her eyes, shining with a deep smile. Under the candlelight, her face was extraordinary and seemed to come out of mud unsoiled.


    ¡°Em?¡± Lyuyou beside them slightly sighed.


    Then, the other two were looking at her with strange expressions.


    ¡°I always feel that you are similar to Guard Chu, Your Grace.¡± She said.


    Wasn¡¯t it?


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were like the bright stars glittering in the sky, and her cheeks were as tender as oriental cherries.


    While Chu Tiankuo slightly tightened his thin lips. His eyes were so deep that could cover all the stars. His eyebrows were delicate, while the line of his nose was as subtle as the most exquisite carving of God.


    She was a pure fairy from heaven, while he was an other-worldly son of God wearing silver armor.


    When thinking of this, they were somewhat similar.


    Tang Xia raised his eyes and came across Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyesight. Then, they turned their heads away at the same time.


    ¡°Who would be similar to this guy!¡±


    Lyuyou burst into a silver bell-like laughter. ¡°When you stay with Guard Chu, you will be more active, Your Majesty.¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to be angry. ¡°How dare you make a joke on me? Do you forget the rules of Jiaofang Palace?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo returned to the original topic.


    ¡°Helian Jue asked us to find out the real criminal within three days. In fact, he was showing his authority.¡±


    His voice was very impressive and made people feel comfortable.


    ¡°Showing his authority?¡± Tang Xia asked curiously.


    Chu Tiankuo nodded his head slightly and his handsome face became colder.


    ¡°Show his authority to Yi Jiazi or to the South Country.¡±


    Tang Xia did not understand. It was a messy and disorderly issue, but Chu Tiankuo could think of the relationship with South Country.


    After all, it was involved in the relationship between the two countries, so Tang Xia could not ask too much.


    ¡°Just go back. There is no clue, either.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was cold and Tang Xia did not understand. He just looked at her arrogantly and analyzed the dark situation in the harem, but now he suddenly turned to another topic and said there were no clues.


    ¡°Is he trying to send Lyuyou away deliberately.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyes and just happened to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tricky eyes.


    ¡°This woman is not that stupid and could understand my purpose.¡±


    Tang Xia understood and sighed seriously. ¡°It seemed that even the infinitely resourceful Imperial Guards could not find any clues.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel sad, Your Grace. I can help you to ask someone else and will find something out.¡± Lyuyou frowned and comforted at a soft voice.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back to Jiaofang Palace first.¡± After her words, Tang Xia turned around, but her long sleeves were lightly dragged by Chu Tiankuo.


    She was stunned for a second.


    Lyuyou glanced at her, but found that Tang Xia was out of mind. Then, she took a step in advance and guided for her.


    While Chu Tiankuo quietly put a note in Tang Xia¡¯s hand at the gap.


    Tang Xia was serious and spread the note in her palm when Lyuyou paid no attention to her.


    ¡°9 o¡¯clock tonight, at Royal Garden.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, which were like the butterflies fluttering over the sky.


    ¡°Em¡­ Lyuyou¡­¡±


    Lyuyou stopped, turning around and wore a shocking expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the period¡­ at 9 o¡¯clock tonight¡­¡±


    The night was getting darker and the air was filled with slight floral fragrance. The night sky of the Royal Garden was lonely and silent, which was as dark as being dyed by the thick ink and stretching far away.


    Tang Xia was hiding behind a fake stone. The breeze blew her hair over in front of her eyes. Her delicate neck showed out at the dark night. Her dress touched the ground, floating with the wind, dreamy and fascinating.


    ¡°If Chu Tiankuo¡­ doesn¡¯t come soon, I will leave¡­¡±


    She shuddered and held by a strong strength.


    ¡°Who?¡± she asked softly.


    The answer to her was silence.


    She turned back and happened to bump into the Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hot chest. The cool breeze blew over her hair. The sound of the breeze came over her eyes, accompanied by her accelerating heartbeats.


    Chu Tiankuo held her tiny body with his arm. He put his forehead on her delicate neck, while the other hand held the back side of her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± The hoarse voice rang, which made Tang Xia stunned.


    Her heart was nearly jumping out of her chest, forming a buzz around her ears, while she also heard a slight sound of footsteps.


    Waiting for the sound far away, she raised her head from his chest.


    ¡°who is it?¡±


    Tang Xia carefully exposed her eyes, finding that a woman in black sneaking around at the other side of the fake stone.


    When she leaned over, Tang Xia quickly picked up a stone and hit towards her face.


    The black square towel which covered her face fell to the ground.


    The woman in black screamed at a low voice.


    Tang Xia was excited and was about to step out, but Chu Tiankuo dragged her on to the ground unexpectedly.


    She was shocked with surprises filled in her eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo tightened his lips slightly. Under the moonlight, Tang Xia could clearly see his carefully crafted eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo seemed to think about something. Then, he heard light steps coming towards them. He frowned and his eyebrows deeply wrinkled.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Chu Tiankuo held her into his embrace, sneaking into the gap of the fake rock and getting to the other side.


    Seeing no one catching up, Chu Tiankuo took relief and the eyebrows finally relaxed.


    ¡°Why you stop me?¡± Tang Xia unpleasantly wrinkled her eyebrows, and the breeze lifted her cloth with a fragrance.


    ¡°Your movement has brought the Imperial Guards over here.¡± Chu Tiankuo did not totally relax, throwing his eyesights on Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face.


    Tang Xia spit out his tongue, and then seemed to think of something.


    Her eyebrows raised and regained the excitement.


    ¡°I see the look of the fake executioner!¡±


    Because of her excitement, her voice showed a slight tremor.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows and wore an unclear smile.


    ¡°Good, who do you think she will be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Huangye!¡± Tang Xia could not help exclaiming.


    Chu Tiankuo followed to ask a question, ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s her?¡±


    ¡°I saw her!¡± Her hand was over Chu Tiankuo¡¯s broad palm. ¡°When the black scarf on her face was off, I saw her face!¡±


    When she finished, she frowned again.


    ¡°But what is the purpose of her doing this?¡±


    ¡°Tell everyone that Faner died for injustice, but now she pretends to be Faner. What¡¯s her purpose to do this?¡±


    When Tang Xia was thinking, her thoughts inexplicably reached far away. Three slight lines squeezed on her smooth forehead and subconsciously bit her tender lips.


    Chu Tiankuo turned his face. Tang Xia suddenly seemed to catch something. The strength to hold Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arm tightened.


    ¡°Is she hopes to revenge for Faner?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a vague smile. ¡°Your analyze is not that bad.¡±


    Tang Xia considered it as praise. She learned the gesture of Chu Tiankuo and raised her chin arrogantly.


    ¡°But all wrong.¡±


    He smiled and inexplicably had a taste of teasing.


    Tang Xia turned her eyes with resentment. ¡°Do you know the truth?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not deny.


    The breeze gently passed over the two. Chu Tiankuo said nothing, while Tang Xia was patiently waiting for his answer.


    ¡°I know.¡± He said after a long time.


    Tang Xia wore a charming smile on her delicate face and her eyes were full of glow.


    ¡°What about sharing your idea?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned his eyes and looked at the distance.


    Tang Xia knew that Chu Tiankuo was unwilling to mention it.


    Chu Tiankuo took her to the center of the fake rock. Tang Xia did not know there was a different scene inside the layered stones.


    They had to hold each other tightly so that they could get through the gap. It was a secret between Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo.


    It was an awesome moment when they remembered after many years.


    Tang Xia simply did not think about it. She softened her body and lay on the ground, looking at the sky over the fake stones.


    ¡°How about doing it together?¡± Tang Xia knocked at the place next to her. The fragrance of fresh grass mixed with the smell of clay, slowly rolling into their noses.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned and abandoned to see her, but finally lay beside Tang Xia.


    They raised their heads. The stars were densely connected into a line, dividing the sky into several spaces.


    Chu Tiankuo squinted with a little addiction in his eyes.


    ¡°Think it carefully. In fact, Helian Jue is not really going to kill me.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were clear.


    ¡°If he really wants to find trouble with me, he could arrest me as he has done for Yi Jiazi. But he didn¡¯t.¡±


    There was no expression on her face. The side of her face was really beautiful as the best jade in the world, which was made by the most skilled craftsmen.


    She wore a deep smile. ¡°Is this said that I have conquered him? Hahaha.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s unusual smile faded away when hearing her words. His lips tightened, and his eyes darkened.


    ¡°What does it look like in the outside world?¡± Chu Tiankuo said at a light voice. It was like to ask a normal question like ¡°have you eaten a meal?¡±.


    Only Tang Xia noticed. The starlight covered in his eyes, the shallow wind sweeping over the stones, and the little roar ringing over the ears all left in her memory for a long time.


    This perfect man who seemed to come from heaven had a cool face and shining eyes.


    His thin lips were awsome, but with a subtle arc of downwards.


    Tang Xia used to see his smile, which was like the spring breeze, though it was rare to see.


    Chu Tiankuo¡­ might be quite lonely.


    Tang Xia turned her head, looking through Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome face.


    How could someone have this kind of face that never made people tired of looking at it?


    ¡°Are you falling in love with me?¡± He suddenly said, and his voice was very charming.


    Tang Xia wore a vague smile, and the sound of her laughter was as light as the flap.


    ¡°Who will like you, you arrogant monster?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo laughed at a deep voice and his eyes were glowing.


    It returned to calm after a while.


    ¡°I hope you will not fall in love with me.¡± He said at a very low voice and seemed to talk to something he cherished.


    While it also seemed to talk to himself, lightly and hoarsely.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyelids gradually became heavy, and she felt a little bit tired and sleepy. She moved her body and find the most comfortable place.


    In her dream, it seemed that there was a marshmallow covering her mouth, sweet and soft, while it was a little bit eager. Her heart beat fast, spreading to every corner of her body.

 Chapter 35

    When Tang Xia opened her eyes, she only saw the transparent beads of the bed curtain. When the breeze blew past, the beads collided and made a crisp and melodious sound, ringing over the surroundings before disappearing.


    ¡°When did I come back?¡±


    She looked at Lyuyou with her beautiful eyes. Lyuyou wore a smile and responded to her casually.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you always sleeping in the room, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Where is Chu Tiankuo?¡± She remembered him immediately.


    ¡°Guard Chu has been ordered to the Shangshufang by the emperor. It said that there is the latest news about the executioner.¡± Lyuyou stopped for a second. ¡°Guard Chu is so powerful. He could even find the clues of such a mysterious issue in one day.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and instinctively felt that there was something wrong.


    ¡°Go to the Imperial Study.¡±


    Helian Jue was in the Imperial Study. He raised his eyebrows and anxiety flashed briefly in his eyes.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Yue Ji asks to see you.¡± Shun Decai folded his sleeves, and carefully whispered by Helian Jue¡¯s ear.


    Recently, Lengmei quarreled with Helian Jue again. The aura around Helian Jue had reached freezing points and he did not even smile when he had a meal.


    Shun Decai had to serve him carefully.


    ¡°Let her in.¡± He said without thinking.


    Tang Xia made a bow, and her eyes were shining like the brightest star in the sky.


    When she faced Helian Jue, her shining eyes showed no expression.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia lowered her body and instantly wore a flirty and flattering smile.


    ¡°Raise your head and let me see your face.¡± It seemed that Helian Jue was aware of her deep smile, he rarely felt curious about her.


    Tang Xia wore a long green yarn dress today with a green emerald hairpin in her delicate princess bun. The remaining hair hung over her back and her lips were as tender as fresh cherry blossoms.


    She looked fresh and pleasant.


    Tang Xia raised her eyes and wore a vague smile.


    In an instant, everything was color-faded.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more beautiful, Yue Ji.¡± Helian Jue tried to say more, before finally spitting out this sentence with a little strangeness.


    ¡°Thank you for your love.¡± Tang Xia lowered her head and smiled with the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°I heard that Guard Chu had found out the clues of the executioner issue in the harem, so I came to learn about it.¡±


    Helian Jue waved his hand. ¡°I have asked him to leave.¡±


    ¡°Since it is so, I don¡¯t want to bother you, Your Majesty. I will retire.¡± Tang Xia said and made a bow, leaving.


    ¡°Did you come just for the executioner issue, my love?¡± Helian Jue asked at a deep voice and a piece of hope showed in his eyes.


    It seemed that he really hoped to hear something about him from Tang Xia¡¯s tender lips.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned cold and she was thinking about how to retreat in her mind.


    If she changed her behavior and said she was going to visit Helian Jue with the excuse of the executioner issue. Then she could complain about something to him. She must get Helian Jue¡¯s concern.


    He was a man who always expected his woman to only miss him.


    Tang Xia wore an ironic smile and looked at Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face.


    ¡°I promised to find out the executioner with my life. Your Majesty, please understand my thoughts.¡±


    She did not look at Helian Jue when she said these words. Even though she looked at another place, she could tell the expression in Helian Jue¡¯s eyes.


    No hurt, only anger, or surprise.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes deepened and his gaze fell on Tang Xia¡¯s body, not moving for a long time.


    ¡°Are you complaining about me?¡±


    His voice was low and hoarse, which was totally different from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s.


    To compare, Helian Jue was kind of evil, while Chu Tiankuo was full of chill.


    There was probably disappointment and hatred for the world festering in him for a long time for him to accumulate that kind of chill.


    Tang Xia felt unpleasant.


    They were both the system¡¯s NPC. Why did Tang Xia dislike Helian Jue?


    ¡°I dare not blame you, Your Majesty.¡± She lowered her body and tried to behave obediently, which caused Helian Jue to frown.


    ¡°Why are you so distant from me?¡± A trace of surprise passed Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face, but more of it was disappointment.


    He even felt that the previous Yue Ji would have raised her shining eyes and looked at him with tears. Her voice would be melodious and flirty, which sounded like an Oriole in the mountains.


    She would tell him she had waited for him for a long time, but she did not know whether he still loved her.


    A piece of impatience showed in her eyes. Tang Xia raised her chin and wore a bright smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    Before Helian Jue continued his topic, she made a bow immediately.


    ¡°My time is limited, so I have to go ahead and find clues.¡±


    Helian Jue gazed at her sleek figure. An inexplicable breath stuck in his heart, which was hanging over his body.


    It made him really uncomfortable.


    ¡°Two days later, there will be an eight-country meeting. I need you to go with me.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and took a sigh. She made a bow and left gently.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes were gloomy.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the eight-country meeting is for the leaders of eight countries. Lady Lengmei has mastered a flying skill and has a special capacity for reading people and things. Are you really going to give up her, but choose Lady Yue Ji?¡±


    There was no expression in his eyes. ¡°Do as I said.¡±


    Shun Decai made a bow and stepped out of the Imperial Study. He rushed towards Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Grace, Please wait.¡±


    Lyuyou stopped at first. ¡°Eunuch Shun, do you have something to tell from the emperor?¡±


    He nodded, turning to Tang Xia with a humble attitude. ¡°Your Grace, I told you early on that you could achieve great things. Now, it seems to be true.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Shun Decai made a bow and even his eyebrows were smiling.


    ¡°Maybe you are unaware, Your Grace, but except for the queen, nobody could attend the eight-country meeting.¡±


    ¡°Every four years, the leaders from eight countries would come to a country to discuss the people¡¯s affairs. It¡¯s originally a very secret issue, but the emperor told you in a casual way and even chose you to go instead of Lady Lengmei!¡±


    His eyes were full of expectation and seemed to have determined that Tang Xia could gain the highest importance in Helian Jue¡¯s mind.


    Tang Xia was not that happy.


    ¡°Since the issue of the executioner has not been settled, I don¡¯t know when I will live to.¡±


    In addition, for Helian Jue who was inconsistent in his words, she did not know what kind of reason he would find to replace her for another woman.


    Tang Xia added the last sentence in her mind and turned to Shun Decai.


    ¡°It¡¯s just his impromptu decision. You have stayed by him for so many years, how can you consider it as a truth?¡±


    After all, Shun Decai had experienced quite a lot, so he knew Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts clearly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Your Grace.¡±


    He naturally believed that Tang Xia¡¯s tone today was just because Helian Jue ignored her from time to time.


    Since he had lived in the harem for so many years, he naturally knew of the jealousy between women.


    However, this time was different.


    ¡°The emperor has always been concerned about you, your Grace.¡±


    Talking about Helian Jue¡¯s concern to Tang Xia, it was less than one-third of that of Lengmei in this harem.


    However, in Shun Decai¡¯s eyes, it was another kind of concern.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s beautiful face was under a ray of soft sunshine and breeze. The sunshine shadowed her bright forehead into a beautiful arc. Her lips were tender, while the green yarn floated over her front. Her eyes were shining like the brightest star in the night sky.


    ¡°You might not know, Your Grace,¡± Shun Decai said in a deep voice, and said surprisingly. ¡°In this large harem, every imperial concubine must think Lady Lengmei is the most favored.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk too much about the reason for this.¡±


    He said slowly, ¡°But I know the emperor¡¯s mind most since I have served him for decades. You are in his mind, Your Grace. It could be said that he loves you.¡±


    ¡°The emperor would feel a headache at night, but only Lady Lengmei knows about it.¡± He seemed to be remembering memories from far back, and his eyes were unclear. ¡°When the emperor feels a headache, he can¡¯t have a good sleep, while the problems at daytime will disturb him all night. Do you remember the sachet that you sent to him?¡±


    Tang Xia followed his gaze and slightly nodded.


    ¡°On the day you sent him the sachet, the emperor¡¯s headache was relieved.¡±


    ¡°I venture to say, Your Grace. I arranged the lavender flowers in the Imperial Study with your method and even the lavender grass was picked up by me carefully, which were definitely the best.¡± He stopped for a second and locked on Tang Xia¡¯s body.


    ¡°The emperor likes the sachet you sent to him. I thought I was just a normal person, my gift to the emperor could not match the one you sent to him.¡±


    ¡°What changed my mind was about Lengmei.¡± He talked slowly, attracting Lyuyou¡¯s attention.


    Lyuyou raised her eyebrows. ¡°Lady Lengmei?¡±


    Shun Decai lowered his body. ¡°Yes, Lady Lengmei seemed to be cold, but she is really kind. At least, she is kind to the emperor.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her chin and agreed with his words.


    ¡°Lady Lengmei made a sachet in the way you did. And she has mentioned several times that she would wear it for the emperor. The emperor wore it for a few times, but when he felt restless, he even called your name when he had a nightmare in the Shangshufang.¡±


    ¡°The emperor likes you so so much, Your Grace. Only I know this because I stay by his side all the time.¡±


    Shun Decai¡¯s words were like small stones, hitting Tang Xia¡¯s heart and stirring up ripples.


    ¡°He said that Helian Jue likes me.¡±


    Her eyebrows did not move, ¡°Absurd.¡±


    It must be absurd. She was in the broadcast room. If Helian Jue really fell in love with her, she would not have to find ways to conquer him.


    This must be a misunderstanding, but Tang Xia was too lazy to explain.


    ¡°I still have things to do. I hope you do not waste my time.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were cold and she wore a vague smile.


    Shun Decai was speechless and sighed after a long time.


    ¡°I have bothered you, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia turned around and planned to leave, but was stopped by Shun Decai¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡±

 Chapter 36

    Tang Xia turned around again, stroking the hair hanging over her forehead, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Shun Decai looked at her with sparkles in his eyes, as if he placed his last hope on Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Grace, you own such a mild temper, you can definitely help the emperor make a difference in the future. I hope you can think it over to grasp this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°So Shun Decai takes great pains to catch me up and talks so much just for Helian Jue¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Thanks for your consideration.¡± Tang Xia said.


    Tang Xia increased her pace so that Lyuyou had no choice but to hasten her steps to keep up with hers.


    ¡°Your Grace, do you believe Eunuch Shun¡¯s words?¡± Lyuyou asked.


    Tang Xia¡¯s deep phoenix eyes had an obvious ripple skimming over her eyes.


    ¡°Let it be. No one can fully understand what the emperor is thinking.¡± Tang Xia said with a cold but somewhat disembodied voice.


    But Tang Xia could not help thinking about it.


    ¡°Could it be true? What Shun Decai had said?¡±


    At the same time, Helian Jue¡¯s charismatic eyes appeared in her mind again. And he could attract people¡¯s eyes as long as he sat there.


    ¡°If Shun Decai¡¯s words are true, would it be lucky that Helian Jue likes me?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head, thinking that she was ridiculous to believe an NPC¡¯s words so easily.


    ¡°Tang Xia.¡±


    A cold voice came from behind. The voice was as deep as the hooting and drawn-out clarino, and Tang Xia would become senseless every time she heard his voice.


    Turning her head around, what Tang Xia saw was Chu Tiankuo in silver armor against the sunlight. With a glittering smile in his eyes, he wore a haughty and unruly look on his calm face.


    Tang Xia stepped close to him and said, ¡°There you are.¡±


    ¡°What did Guard Chu call Your Grace? Is it¡­ Xia?¡± Lyuyou scratched her head trying to recall the name.


    Tang Xia got startled for a while and glanced at Chu Tiankuo with resentment, then she pretended to keep her countenance, ¡°What I heard was ¡®Yue Ji, Your Grace¡¯. Is your hearing worse than mine?¡±


    Lyuyou stuck her tongue out awkwardly, lowering her head.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows and said in a cold voice, ¡°I have made progress.¡±


    With those concluding words, Chu Tiankuo left without looking back in the other direction.


    Dissatisfied with his unruliness, Tang Xia just frowned then caught up with Chu Tiankuo slowly.


    When they arrived at the imperial barracks, Chu Tiankuo unfolded his long fingers.


    There was a note.


    Tang Xia took it from his hand and unfolded the note gently ¨C


    My death was so miserable that I would behead anyone who had killed me in Hecheng hall at midnight!


    Lyuyou tilted her head forward and fixed her eyes on the note for a moment with somewhat of a glimmer of fear in her eyes.


    ¡°All the people related to this must die at midnight.¡± Lyuyou said in a trembling voice, raising her thin eyebrows high.


    Then Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo looked at each other.


    It was indeed a letter of challenge.


    Lyuyou frowned her eyebrows as her face turned red because of fear. Tang Xia could not bear to see her suffering, so she unloaded a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so disturbed.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice was so nice that she soothed Lyuyou¡¯s nerve.


    After hearing her words, Lyuyou gradually calmed down, ¡°You mean that there is a way to solve this problem?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled so beautifully that it eclipsed the colors of flowers.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice was as gentle and long-lasting as a yellowbird¡¯s voice, ¡°There is no ghost at all. So it must be man-made.¡±


    ¡°This letter is literally a death notice, but if we read between the lines we can find from the note that the rumored executioner will be waiting in Hecheng hall at midnight.¡±


    Lyuyou said with a glimmer in her eyes, ¡°If it is indeed man-made, Your Grace can find who the executioner is, so long as you wait at Hecheng hall at midnight.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily and said with compliments in her eyes, ¡°You are worth teaching.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The glimmer in Lyuyou¡¯s eyes died out as if she thought of something, ¡°But the executioner must have predicted that Your Grace will figure out what she means so that she dares to say so. Your Grace and Guard Chu will be ambushed by her if she waits and prepares in there.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows for a moment as she thought of meeting Huangye in the Royal Garden that day but wore a smile in her face right away.


    ¡°Then I can inform the imperial troops in advance to arrest her.¡± Tang Xia said in a relaxed tone, but Lyuyou was surprised by her words.


    Lyuyou¡¯s voice trembled so badly that it was clear to see that she was alarmed.


    ¡°Does Your Grace plan to inform the imperial troops in advance?¡±


    Tang Xia looked her up and down but remained silent, then she said, ¡°Certainly not.¡±


    ¡°I will meet individually with the executioner.¡±


    She said raising her eyebrows with haughtiness in her eyes.


    Lyuyou asked cautiously, ¡°What is your plan?¡±


    ¡°She is going to find out what the executioner¡¯s real purpose is.¡±


    Lyuyou turned her eyes to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face, following his voice.


    As a breeze swept by, Chu Tiankuo wore a trace of indifference on his handsome face in the light of the sun.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m going to find out what the executioner wants to do such that he framed me several times.¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to rage with coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou lowered her head acting lovable.


    Tang Xia relieved a long sigh, ¡°Back off now. I will discuss with Guard Chu how we will deal with the executioner at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lyuyou withdrew right away after bowing to Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo asked raising his eyebrows, ¡°Are you sure that she will fall into your trap?¡±


    Tang Xia still fixed her eyes on the direction of Lyuyou leaving. Her look was so obscure that no one could tell what she was thinking about.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Tang Xia opened her red lips gently, then spoke out her inference clearly.


    ¡°Lyuyou was too weak to make her own decision. Now that she has known our ideas, she will definitely tell her real boss about it.¡±


    ¡°If she is the traitor, what are you going to do with her?¡± Chu Tiankuo snatched the thread of conversation arbitrarily, raising his eyebrows high.


    Tang Xia tilted her head with glittering sparkles in her eyes.


    ¡°If she is the traitor, I will definitely get rid of her.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo saw the maliciousness in her eyes, then he wore an indistinct smile in the corner of his mouth, ¡°The tenderhearted woman with an A-cup now can make her own decisions.¡±


    Tang Xia tilted her head slightly with a cantankerous smile in the corner of her mouth, ¡°Thank you. I am wondering how you can promote from a eunuch to a guard without seduction?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a trace of a mischievous smile in her eyes, sparkling like a star. Her eyes were glittering as if they contained the whole sky full of stars.


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a moment then ground his teeth, ¡°You¡¯re! Courting! Death!¡±


    Seeing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face become dark from anger pleased Tang Xia so much that she walked briskly.


    ¡°Keep our appointment at midnight, Guard Chu.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s voice was deep but clear. However, Chu Tiankuo did not regard it beautiful due to her ridicule.


    Fixing his eyes on the slender figure of Tang Xia walking far away, Chu Tiankuo thought for the first time that the woman who tried her best to conquer him was back.


    When Tang Xia came back to Jiaofang hall, it was already afternoon.


    Then she knitted her thin eyebrows after glancing around.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Lyuyou come back?¡±


    ¡°She came back earlier but stormed out saying that she had something urgent to deal with.¡± The slave girl replying to Tang Xia was Anran who was asked by Lyuyou to replace Anxia.


    Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily with an indistinct smile in the corner of her mouth, ¡°Did you notice what she carried with her?¡±


    Anran began to ruminate carefully as soon as Tang Xia finished her sentence.


    ¡°It seemed to be a letter that Lyuyou carried with her.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile with a hint of mockery, then raised her eyebrows towards Anran.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Prepare me some magnolia denudate cakes.¡±


    When Lyuyou came back, the sky turned black slowly with several stars hanging over, sparkling.


    Tang Xia sat in the front end of the wooden chair, leaning on her delicate hand.


    As a breeze swept by, her hair was blown into the air, and the jade hairpin in her hair end shined like a star in the night sky with a green-glowing and mysterious light.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Tang Xia knitted her thin eyebrows.


    Although she fixed her eyes on the Magnolia denudate cakes, Tang Xia predicted precisely that it was Lyuyou who entered into the room.


    ¡°I heard that four new types of flowers were received in the four main halls. So I checked it out and planned to bring Your Grace some flowers with a pleasant smell for aromatherapy. I hardly knew it would take me so long.¡±


    Lyuyou explained with an embarrassed smile. However, Tang Xia kept her poker face, letting the breeze sweep her hair backward and showing her fair, beautiful neck unclearly.


    Lyuyou turned her eyes to the table following Tang Xia¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Why does Your Grace want to taste the Magnolia denudate cakes?¡±


    Lyuyou asked in a low voice but got no response. She felt somewhat terrified, then took the Magnolia denudate cakes, ¡°They are a little cold. Let me heat them up.¡±


    Lyuyou tidied the cakes quickly, preparing to leave.


    ¡°There is no need to be so hurried.¡± Tang Xia said in a low voice with coldness.


    Lyuyou froze for a moment.


    Tang Xia wore a trace of a smile in the corner of her mouth, ¡°There cakes are all prepared for you.¡±


    Lyuyou was so surprised by her words that she verified Tang Xia¡¯s look several times, then breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±


    Tilting her head, Tang Xia¡¯s face became gentler in the light of the candles, but the coldness in her eyes increased, ¡°Won¡¯t you have a try?¡±


    Lyuyou felt a little bit scared with a slight tremor in her fingers, but still pretended to pick up a piece of cake calmly and then put it near her mouth.


    ¡°Of course not. Your Grace always shows extreme forbearance to Lyuyou. As a slave girl, I¡¯m grateful for what you have done for me. I do want to taste the cake.¡±


    The tremor in Lyuyou was so obvious that Tang Xia would definitely have comforted her in the past.


    But this time she still wore her cold eyes, with her look as sharp as a sword, which would cut Lyuyou into pieces.


    Lyuyou raised her long and slender hand to bring the Magnolia denudate cake into her mouth, right in front of Tang Xia.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡± Tang Xia gently blew the hot tea in front of her, then lowered her head elegantly to taste it.


    Lyuyou plumped out her cheeks and said ambiguously, ¡°The cakes that Your Grace prepared specially for me are bound to be delicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Tang Xia said in a softer voice, ¡°Then the half pack of life-clutching powder added into them by Anran will not be wasted.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Lyuyou froze for a moment with her pretty eyes full of surprise.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡± As if she has thought of something, Lyuyou went back to the wooden door, but then began to vomit forcefully.


    Tang Xia fiddled with her fingernails and wore an indistinct smile in her mouth, with haughtiness in her big eyes.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­ Why¡­¡± Lyuyou asked with a pale face. As Tang Xia looked at Lyuyou, she just raised her hair on her bosoms, showing her fair skin.


    ¡°Why did I poison the Magnolia denudate cakes? Why did I hatch a plot to murder you, right?¡±


    Tang Xia squinted her phoenix eyes with beautiful sparks shining like stars in her eyes, but she wore a poker face when she looked at Lyuyou¡¯s face.


    ¡°Lyuyou, tell me, have you ever treated me sincerely?¡±


    Lyuyou remained silent with her pale thin lips and obscure emotional waves rolling over in her eyes, then knelt on the ground giving Tang Xia kowtows constantly.


    ¡°How can Your Grace doubt my loyalty? My faithfulness to you is clear!¡±


    She kowtowed so hard with tears in the bottom of her eyes that Tang Xia could see clearly the blood on the floor after Lyuyou raised her head.


    The blood on the floor was as pretty and coquettish as the Equinox Flower creeping on the slate, touching the softest place of Tang Xia¡¯s heart.


    As Lyuyou¡¯s mournful cry came to her ears, Tang Xia shifted her eyes hesitantly.


    ¡°I beg for your forgiveness. I don¡¯t know what I have done to upset you, but I promise I never felt sorry for anything I did for you. Please trust me!¡±


    As she thought of what Lyuyou had done to her, Tang Xia bit her lips so hard that her cherry lips became a little distorted under her fair teeth. She would not know how she would have died without Chu Tiankuo¡¯s warning.


    Then a trace of determination slipped into the bottom of her eyes.


    As Tang Xia leaned forward, she raised Lyuyou¡¯s chin with her slender fingers imprinting on Lyuyou¡¯s delicate face, ¡°Lyuyou, you said that you had done nothing bad to me, is that true?¡±


    Tang Xia pinched Lyuyou¡¯s chin mightily and asked with an extremely cold voice.


    Lyuyou did not dare to not respond, but Tang Xia¡¯s mighty hand on her chin made her voice ambiguous, ¡°Please trust me, I have never betrayed you!¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± Tang Xia paused for a second, then wore a cold curve in her mouth, and said with mocking, ¡°Just eat the Magnolia denudate cakes on the table.¡±


    As she said that emotionlessly, Tang Xia withdrew her fingers from Lyuyou¡¯s chin and straightened her body, whisking her green gauze sleeve in front of Lyuyou.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­ Do you want to put me to death¡­¡± Lyuyou asked with a slight tremor in her voice, as her petite body trembled, wearing a panicked expression on her face.


    Tang Xia went back to her seat and turned around, spreading her dress hemline out on the floor, then raised her fair chin slightly, ¡°It is not I who want to put you to death, but you who brought upon your own destruction.¡±


    ¡°Lyuyou, have you ever thought about me? The emperor has ordered me to find out the real murderer, but you still tipped Yi Jiazi off although you surmise that she may be the mastermind.¡± Tang Xia said with a poker face, as if it was none of her business.


    But the hate in her voice scared Lyuyou anyhow.


    ¡°The whole Jiaofang hall would be gone if I did not find out early that you had done such a thing to me!¡± Tang Xia raised her voice suddenly with dense hate flickering in her delicate eyes, ¡°And yet you told me shamelessly that you had done nothing bad for me and you were loyal to me.¡±


    ¡°Lyuyou, are you taking me for a fool?¡±


    As Tang Xia finished her sentence, Lyuyou was still dumbfounded with two lines of tears falling from her delicate big eyes.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Lyuyou puckered her thin lips without saying anything for a moment, ¡°I beg for your forgiveness. Please give me a chance, Yue Ji, Your Grace.¡±


    Lyuyou shrunk into herself with chattering teeth, ¡°Please forgive me, Your Grace. I¡¯m sorry. I will never lie to you anymore.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, feeling fatigued.


    ¡°Is this the strife among the imperial harem?¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t know if she should feel lucky or disappointed.


    She felt lucky that she was not living in such an age, but truly felt disappointed that she just experienced the intrigues completely.


    Tang Xia adjusted her look but could not wear a smile, ¡°I will trust you if you eat those Magnolia denudate cakes.¡±


    Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Lyuyou, gambling that Lyuyou would be loyal to her.


    Lyuyou¡¯s eyes were full of tears as her exquisite face was filled with fear.


    ¡°I am at your disposal.¡± Lyuyou stretched her slender fingers out and took a piece of cake from the gold redwood table, remaining kneeling with a bitter smile in her mouth.


    The Magnolia denudate cakes owned a slight but easeful fragrance.


    Lyuyou just took up the cake but could not put it into her mouth after several attempts.


    ¡°What? Do you need me to help you?¡± Tang Xia asked in a cold voice. In the light of the candles, Tang Xia¡¯s forehead appeared clear and fair, wearing no expression on her extremely charismatic face.


    After shaking her head, Lyuyou put the cake into her mouth in one go, then wolfed it down with cold sweat filling her forehead.


    With a shimmer in her eyes, Tang Xia buried her delicate face in the dark so that her feelings could not be seen.


    After munching on the cake for a while, Lyuyou covered her mouth suddenly with an obvious resistance in her eyes, then could not help but throw it up on the floor.


    Lyuyou raised her head showing a paler face after coughing violently for a long time.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Grace¡­¡± Lyuyou herself could not say any other words by then.


    Tang Xia remained indifferent, tapping regularly on the table with her slender fingers. Then Anran pushed the door and came in as Tang Xia waved her slim hand.


    ¡°Lock her up in the woodshed. Keep strict watch over her.¡± Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily with fearful coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Anran obeyed her order while Lyuyou kowtowed on the floor gently.


    ¡°Thank you for sparing my life, Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou said, bending over her body so that Tang Xia could not see her real thoughts hidden in the bottom of her eyes.


    At last, Tang Xia became tired, but the coldness remained in her eyes.


    Before Anran took Lyuyou away, Tang Xia said with a colder voice, ¡°Lyuyou, there is no poison in the Magnolia denudate cakes in my Jiaofang hall, let alone poison enough to put someone to death with the cake.¡±


    As Tang Xia finished her sentence, Lyuyou felt slightly surprised with her cherry lips open but said nothing, then left after bowing to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia watched the window that had been set up in the inner hall from which the bright and clear moon hanging in the sky with flickering light could be seen.


    Tang Xia was all at a loss suddenly, ¡°Am I making Lyuyou more guilty that I told her the truth before she left?¡±


    As a breeze swept Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks, the shimmer in her eyes slowly flickered from afar.


    When Tang Xia woke up the next morning, she felt like a fish out of water, as Lyuyou was not in Jiaofang hall anymore.


    Tang Xia got up, then poured a cup of tea for herself with her eyes fixed in the dark, wearing no emotions.


    When she got out, the sun shined brightly, sprinkling warmth on her shoulder.


    ¡°You are awake.¡± A cold voice came from behind. Tang Xia did not turn around this time and replied to him.


    ¡°Why are you around Jiangfang hall?¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo stood in front of Tang Xia, what Tang Xia saw was his handsome face in the silver armor.


    ¡°This is the third day. I came here to discuss something about the murderer with you and¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo said with an obscure look, ¡°And to check if everything is alright with you.¡±


    Knowing what he meant, Tang Xia nodded wearing a trace of a smile in her eyes again, ¡°I am alright.¡±


    ¡°Do not pretend to be brave. How can you fight back if you are so tenderhearted?¡± Chu Tiankuo said with an unprecedentedly soft voice standing in front of Tang Xia.


    ¡°I am not pretending to be brave.¡± Tang Xia shook her head slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve locked Lyuyou into the woodshed.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his thick eyebrows but said nothing.


    They walked along the road, one after the other.


    Suddenly, Shun Decai¡¯s voice arose.


    ¡°Hold on, please.¡±


    Knowing roughly what he came for, Tang Xia turned around then bent her knees slightly, ¡°What are you doing here, Eunuch Shun?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, I come here because of the imperial edict given three days ago.¡± Shun Decai paused for a while then looked at Tang Xia¡¯s face worriedly, ¡°Do you remember that?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her chin with a bit of mockery in the bottom of her eyes. The sunlight shined on her forehead through the leaves, casting a mottled shadow.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    Shun Decai bent his body slightly and said, ¡°Then come with me, please.¡±


    When they arrived, a lot of imperial bodyguards were waiting in front of Hecheng hall. Tang Xia surmised that she would suffer as she just contradicted Helian Jue, who owned the evil but charismatic face and capricious mood several days earlier.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo for help, but Chu Tiankuo just gave a comforting smile to her with a bit of mockery.


    Tang Xia saw the unwillingness in his eyes but remained silent.


    ¡°Here come Yue Ji and Guard Chu.¡± Shun Decai raised his voice a little bit. Helian Jue in the high platform dropped the bamboo slip in his hand with a trace of a smile in his mouth.


    ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, I have someone make a fur cape. Come and check it out.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s pleasant voice came into Tang Xia¡¯s ears, then she raised her head and saw that Helian Jue in the high platform took a pink cape in front of Lengmei.


    With her long hair tied up, Lengmei bent her body slightly with coldness in her eyes and followed Helian Jue¡¯s wish, ¡°It is fabulous.¡±


    Helian Jue smiled with satisfaction, then noticed Tang Xia who had just entered into the hall. He put down the fur cape in his hand, fixing his eyes on Tang Xia.


    ¡°Here you are.¡±


    He said in a deep voice that did not show his happiness nor anger.


    ¡°I heard that you wanted to talk something about the executioner with me, Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia planned to out the whole story of Huangye which was her only life-saving straw, although she had no proof.


    Helian Jue declined her offer with a wave of his hand, ¡°We will talk about it later.¡±


    In the light of the candles, Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face appeared more coquettish. He strode down the platform with a voluptuous smile, ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, check out this fur cape.¡±


    Tang Xia stepped backward then bowed to him, ¡°It must be fabulous as it is in your hand, Your Majesty.¡±


    What an insincere compliment! Tang Xia did not put her heart into the comment, let alone look at the fur cape directly. What she referred to was that anything in Helian Jue¡¯s hand would be pretty. Otherwise, her evaluation would be totally different.


    In the end, Helian Jue did not say ¡®This is specially made for you¡¯ with an obscure light flickering in his eyes.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°All right.¡± Helian Jue said with a wave of his hand, ¡°If you want to talk about the imperial edict, let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Helian Jue lost his mood to enjoy and said with coldness in his eyes.


    Tang Xia bowed to the emperor slightly, wearing an indistinct, mocking smile on her lips. As a breeze swept her hair into the air, Tang Xia appeared more charismatic, like a beauty in a painting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy asking for information about the executioner with Guard Chu these days. However, that executioner is hidden in the imperial harem so it took some effort.¡±


    Tang Xia said with such a cold voice that it seemed that she was talking about something irrelevant to her.


    Such a tone made Helian Jue frown with displeasure.


    It was Tang Xia who guided the topic to this matter, but it was she who talked about it so indifferently.


    ¡°When did my Yue Ji become so aloof that she no longer cares about me anymore?¡±


    Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows with sullen antagonism. In the candlelight, he hid his look in the dark so that no emotions could be seen.


    ¡°My beloved imperial concubine, you talk too slowly, let me have someone else help you.¡±


    As the emperor waved his big sleeves, Shun Decai obeyed and took someone into the hall.


    That woman who wore a prison uniform with multiple whip prints on her body walked into the center of the hall wearing a pale face, then went down on her knees suddenly.


    ¡°I¡¯m the sinful slave girl Huangye, I greet Your Majesty.¡±


    With her hair hanging in front of her, Huangye bent her head so low that Tang Xia could not see her face.


    What Tang Xia could see was only her body shaking with fear on the floor.


    ¡°Huangye.¡± Helian Jue tapped his hand on the table regularly, ¡°Tell me, how did you make trouble in the imperial harem by pretending to be the executioner?¡±


    Huangye quivered then replied with a tremor in her voice, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Just like a marionette in the hall, Huangye maintained an emotionless expression with her dull eyes as well as her dry and cracked lips. However, her forehead was filled with cold sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been Faner¡¯s friend since I was a little girl. And I bore a grudge against Yue Ji who framed Faner to death so that I planned to play a trick ¨C pretending to be Faner¡¯s ghost to act as the executioner in the imperial harem.¡±


    ¡°The scars on their backs are caused by the medication I¡¯ve mastered since I was a little girl and will fade away in three days. I wanted to frame Yue Ji and get attention from Your Majesty through this opportunity, then put Yue Ji to death for Faner.¡±


    Tang Xia opened her cherry lips and wore a look of surprise.


    She did know that the person behind the executioner was Huangye, but she did not figure out why she admitted it.


    Helian Jue wore a poker face with indistinct irony as if he had already known that.


    ¡°It was Yi Jiazi who murdered Faner. Why don¡¯t you blame Yi Jiazi but get revenge on Tang Xia?¡±


    Helian Jue said in a colder voice suddenly, which made Huangye quiver again.


    ¡°Because Yue Ji is the cause of all the troubles. If Yue Ji did not disturb Yi Jiazi, Yi Jiazi would not make this unwise decision. This is all Yue Ji¡¯s fault, it is she who disturbed Yi Jiazi and murdered Faner!¡±


    Huangye¡¯s words made Tang Xia frown, but she said nothing. As Chu Tiankuo behind her back touched her slender fingers with his big hand vaguely, Tang Xia turned her head around and saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s handsome face with a look of haughtiness as well as slight worry.


    ¡°He is comforting me.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    ¡°So what you mean is,¡± Helian Jue frowned, with a cold curve in his mouth, ¡°That it was Yi Jiazi who framed Yue Ji but Yue Ji protected herself successfully, which disturbed Yi Jiazi. That¡¯s why she murdered Faner, right?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s words attracted everyone¡¯s look back to his face.


    Some were surprised while others were panic-stricken.


    Huangye did not expect Helian Jue to trace the cause back to Yi Jiazi, so she kowtowed hard on the floor several times immediately, making her forehead bloody.


    ¡°Your Majesty! It is none of Yi Jiazi¡¯s business! It is all because of me! I went astray, I just wanted to avenge Faner, but I should not have framed Yue Ji, Your Majesty!¡±


    Huangye kept on kowtowing hard so that the floor of Hecheng hall roared slightly.


    Helian Jue asked with emotion flickering in his eyes, ¡°What made you think that you can frame Yue Ji? You¡¯ve changed your mind so quickly to declare now that it is you who should be blamed. What a loyal servant to Yi Jiazi!¡±


    Huangye was so terrified that she kowtowed more quickly, just repeating, ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡±


    However, Helian Jue could not be deceived so easily. Disgust flickered in his eyes, making the air around him colder.


    ¡°Men, take Yi Jiazi here!¡±


    Shun Decai obeyed and took Yi Jiazi into the hall in fifteen minutes. Spreading her hair on her shoulder, Yi Jiazi wore a fabulous purple dress with a red hairpin in her chignon, jingling as she walked.


    As she stood in the hall, Yi Jiazi raised her hands folded together over her head, ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue wore a cold curve in his mouth with some emotion flickering in his eyes, ¡°Yi Jiazi, check it out. Do you know the woman kneeling beside you?¡±


    Yi Jiazi raised her delicate chin then turned her head around, glancing at Huangye who was curled up and replied calmly, ¡°I know her. She is my servant girl Huangye.¡±


    Helian Jue raised his head haughtily, ¡°In that case, your slave girl said that you had colluded with her to frame Yue Ji up, do you admit it?¡±


    Yi Jiazi froze for a second, then glanced at Huangye with a fleeting look of maliciousness in her eyes, then bowed to Helian Jue, ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    Helian Jue raised his chin, ¡°Then let Huangye explain it for you.¡±


    The Huangye who was called was curled up on the ground, with blood from her forehead spreading over the floor, making her somewhat coquettish.


    Yi Jiazi bent her knees and squatted beside Huangye with a trace of a smile in her mouth, then touched Huangye¡¯s back with her slender fingers as if she was comforting her.


    ¡°Huangye, we are from Southland, so the mutual affection between us is known to all. Now, I don¡¯t understand what the emperor is talking about, could you please explain it again for me?¡±


    Yi Jiazi said it in a voice as gentle and pleasant as a yellowbird. However, Huangye regarded her voice so fearfully that she quivered.


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s gentle touch on her back intensified Huangye¡¯s fear so that her thin body kept on trembling.


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, not knowing why Huangye was so scared of telling what she had already said. It was clearly her only way to survive.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I should not have blamed Yue Ji. I¡¯m too stupid, this is none of Yi Jiazi¡¯s business. I beg you to investigate this matter thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°It is suspicious that Huangye keeps on claiming that it is none of Yi Jiazi¡¯s business.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and instinctively felt that there must be something wrong.


    ¡°So do you admit your guilt?¡± Helian Jue asked with laziness in his voice. What replied him was the sound of Huangye kowtowing hard.


    ¡°I admit my guilt. Please trust that Yi Jiazi is innocent, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yi Jiazi fixed her eyes on Helian Jue in the high platform with increasing gloom in her eyes.


    ¡°I just knew of what had happened. I don¡¯t understand why you are suspicious of me, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yi Jiazi raised her chin haughtily and said softly. However, her actions showed her dissatisfaction.


    Helian Jue frowned, with some emotion flickering in his eyes, then said calmly, ¡°In that case, it was the sinful slave girl who made trouble.¡±


    Helian Jue said with eyes looking down, ¡°Then sentence her to the steam punishment according to the law.¡±


    Helian Jue waved his hands disgustedly. Then imperial soldiers standing aside stepped forward calmly, and intended to pull up Huangye, who was crouching down.


    Feeling that something was wrong, one of the soldiers bent his body to feel Huangye¡¯s breath, then raised his head, ¡°Your Majesty, she is dead.¡±


    Everyone was shocked.


    Huangye lay on the floor with black blood hanging in the corner of her mouth and red blood spreading from her forehead to her chin alongside her fair skin, in a coquettish curve.


    Helian Jue beat the table with his big hand, ¡°Ridiculous!¡±


    Then Shun Decai called the imperial physician. After the diagnosis, the physician concluded that Huangye died from poison.


    ¡°How do the guards in prison do their work? Didn¡¯t they find out the prisoner had brought poison with her?¡± Helian Jue said angrily. It was a provocation against his authority that the criminal died while he was adjudicating.


    For an arrogant man like himself, how could he bear such humiliation?


    The imperial physician stepped forward and bent his body, ¡°Your Majesty, the poison in Huangye¡¯s body was transmitted from the outside world rather than caused internally.¡±


    What he meant was that Huangye died from murder, rather than suicide.


    What the imperial physician said attracted everyone¡¯s attention back to Huangye¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please look at this. The blood on her forehead is red, however, the blood at the corner of her mouth is black. So she was poisoned after she kowtowed.¡±


    Huangye kept on kowtowing since she entered the hall. Poisoning a person to death in such a short time was extremely dangerous anyways.


    Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows then fixed her eyes on Yi Jiazi opposite to her.


    And Yi Jiazi looked back directly in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. Both of them were wrestling with each other in Hecheng hall with their eyes.


    There were two people close to Huangye ¨C one was Yi Jiazi who just touched Huangye and the other one was Tang Xia who was standing aside the whole time.


    ¡°Yi Jiazi touched Huangye, in that case, she has more opportunity to poison Huangye.¡± Lengmei said, standing at one side. And her words attracted everyone¡¯s look onto Yi Jiazi¡¯s slender right hand.


    Yi Jiazi remained calm with a trace of a smile on her mouth, ¡°You are raising me too high, Lengmei. I¡¯ve known nothing about poisons since I was a little girl. As for Yueji, Huangye¡¯s words may do significant harm to her. Is it possible that Yue Ji poisoned Huangye to death in a panic?¡±


    The blame was back to Tang Xia with Yi Jiazi¡¯s words.


    ¡°In such an occasion, Yi Jiazi can still remain calm even after murdering someone. What a ruthless woman!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows and said in a cold voice, ¡°Are you kidding? I have always been timid. As for you, you can stay calm after murdering someone.¡±


    ¡°Is there any proof of what you said? Charging me with such a serious crime before the final verdict will upset me.¡±


    Yi Jiazi frowned her eyebrows. In the candlelight, tears could be seen in her big eyes.


    ¡°You are really so interesting.¡± Tang Xia opened her red lips unhurriedly.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°When did I say that you murdered Huangye?¡± Tang Xia wore a sneer on her mouth, and a gorgeous curve appeared on her fair skin in the candlelight, ¡°What I mean is, it is impressive that you can still talk boastfully in front of the emperor after murdering Faner.¡±


    ¡°As for what you have said, that I maliciously accused you of murdering Huangye, I¡¯m afraid that you feel guilty so you take my banter seriously.¡±


    The contempt Tang Xia showed was so obvious that Yi Jiazi was shocked.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Yi Jiazi bent over her body then knelt down in front of Helian Jue.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please help me. I¡¯m so clumsy that Yue Ji¡¯s eloquence is beyond my reach.¡± Yi Jiazi lowered her beautiful phoenix eyes as her curling eyelashes trembled along with her tremulous tone, which made her somewhat lovable.


    Helian Jue wore a trace of impatience in his evil but charismatic face, then waved his huge sleeves, ¡°It was just a bit of banter. Yue Ji did not mean it. You are taking it too seriously.¡±


    After Yi Jiazi heard Helian Jue¡¯s words, her eyes trembled, then she stepped forward, lowering her head as she was afraid of being blamed by the emperor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I took it the wrong way. But I don¡¯t know what the emperor of Southland will feel about all this.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said calmly, threatening Helian Jue with the emperor of Southland in order to let Helian Jue regard her feelings a little bit.


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Helian Jue said angrily. As he had lost his affection of Yi Jiazi long ago, Helian Jue was more disgusted after Yi Jiazi had said such thing, ¡°Yi Jiazi, what do you mean by saying so!¡±


    Yi Jiazi raised her body slowly, bending low her back, ¡°I have no other meaning. But you believed Yue Ji¡¯s words several times over mine. I¡¯m just worried how the emperor of Southland will react in the banquet in the days ahead if he knows my situation in the imperial harem.¡±


    The indistinct smile in Yi Jiazi¡¯s mouth made Helian Jue frown.


    ¡°Yi Jiazi!¡± Helian Jue raised his voice, ¡°You are just an imperial concubine. I respect you, so I gave you a place as an imperial concubine. What does Southland dare to do to me even if I kill you here?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s body heaved as he said angrily, ¡°I already saved your face even when you framed imperial concubines. Do you think your little trick can truly fool me?¡±


    As she heard Helian Jue¡¯s words, Yi Jiazi altered her facial expression but stayed calm immediately, with no emotion flickering in her eyes, ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡±


    Helian Jue was in a fury at first, then calmed down after Yi Jiazi¡¯s words, wearing unbridled coldness in his eyes.


    There was a dense killing intent.


    After taking deep breaths several times, Helian Jue wore a malicious smile, ¡°Shun Decai.¡± Shun Decai standing aside adjusted his expression immediately, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: the cheap slave girl ¨C Huangye has committed suicide after framing Yue Ji. Even death would not expiate all her crimes. Grind her bones to dust then spill her bone ash in front of the door of Yi Jiazi¡¯s hall to warn the other slave girls!¡±


    Helian Jue walked down the high platform as his robe brought up a gust of wind which blew Yi Jiazi¡¯s hair by her ears.


    ¡°Moreover, I will attend the banquet with Yi Jiazi and Yue Ji tomorrow.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, Helian Jue fixed his eyes on Tang Xia for a while but looked away in an instant.


    ¡°This is the end of this matter. If I hear anyone talk about it later, his whole clan will be implicated!¡±


    Everyone froze for a moment then bowed to the emperor, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue walked in front of Tang Xia then fixed his eyes on her fair skin and opened his lips but said nothing.


    Tang Xia fixed her peach blossom eyes, which glittered with brilliance, on him which made Helian Jue feel like rippling waves were flowing into the softest place of his heart.


    ¡°Have a good rest.¡± After a long time, he said in a deep voice.


    Tang Xia raised her chin with no emotion in her peach blossom eyes, then bowed to Helian Jue respectfully.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    What replied her was Helian Jue¡¯s deep sigh.


    As this was sort of the end of this matter, the bullet screen in front of Tang Xia was full of messages: most people were amazed at Helian Jue changing his character greatly and were happy that Yi Jiazi got what she deserved.


    Some people were conjecturing Helian Jue¡¯s intention.


    [Fans] Snow In The Mist: As an irritable man, Helian Jue must have other plans to keep Yi Jiazi, who provoked him, alive.


    [Fans] Bitch Lian: I don¡¯t think so. What I see in the broadcast is totally different from the original work. It may be true that Southland is a powerful nation that Helian Jue will fear. He said those bold words just because he wanted to save his face as a tyrant.


    [Fans] Langgelige: The bullet screen zone is so serious¡­ What should I do¡­


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes, not knowing if the fans¡¯ words were right or wrong. It was hard to surmise why Helian Jue changed his character over and over again.


    Luckily, Helian Jue was in favor of her, which was not a bad result.


    Tang Xia exchanged a look with Chu Tiankuo, then turned around to leave when Lengmei passed her gently.


    Lengmei wore a dark blue dress, making her red lips somewhat coquettish.


    Her waving of her sleeves brought up the breeze, then Lengmei said elegantly, ¡°I will wait for you at the orchid pavilion.¡±


    Tang Xia was confused at first, not knowing what Lengmei¡¯s plan was, but she was so arrogant that she would not retreat without fighting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the orchid pavilion.¡± Tang Xia comforted Chu Tiankuo with a look, then left with Anran behind her.


    Anran followed Tang Xia cautiously. It was a little impetuous outside the hall.


    As the sun hid slightly behind the clouds, the warmth from the skyline was cast on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder. Her skin was glittering like a superior unprocessed jade, appearing clearer in the light of the sun. As the cool breeze swept her face, Tang Xia¡¯s curling eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, hanging slightly on her cheek.


    It was said that the orchid pavilion had been built since the previous dynasty. According to the legends, King of Chu planted a field of orchids in the Royal Garden in pursuit of Lan Ji, and built an orchid pavilion in the center of the orchid field.


    As orchids have been precious since ancient times, planting a field of orchids proved the King of Chu¡¯s love for Lan Ji clearly.


    Ironically, Lan Ji never stepped into the orchid pavilion since Lan Ji had inborn hay fever.


    Regrettably, a full romance was wasted by an ¡°inborn¡± quality.


    When Tang Xia arrived at the orchid pavilion, the sun happened to hide behind the clouds. The color of gold and pink along the road extended afar.


    The dark blue robe Lengmei wore appeared more coquettish as the sun darkened, and her hair falling behind her head scattered with the wind. The sadness in Lengmei¡¯s eyes touched Tang Xia inexplicably.


    ¡°There you are.¡± Lengmei¡¯s cold voice drifted into Tang Xia¡¯s ears while Tang Xia wore a trace of a smile on her mouth.


    ¡°Why did you call me, sister?¡± Tang Xia bowed slightly as her charismatic face looked more pretty in the sunglow.


    Lengmei wore a cold look, ¡°You just antagonized Yi Jiazi for several days and still call other imperial concubines ¡®sister¡¯. Yue Ji, I guess among the imperial harem, only you do not regard it disgusting.¡±


    Tang Xia knew that Lengmei was always frank and outspoken but could not help frowning her thin eyebrows slightly, with her cheeks turning pink as the breeze swept by.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve mistaken my intentions. I¡¯ve called you sister before Yi Jiazi came. Besides, your status in the imperial harem is below mine, so it is quite reasonable that I call you sister.¡±


    What Tang Xia had said was quite polite and standard so that Lengmei frowned tightly.


    ¡°Yue Ji, save your superiority complex. You just came into the palace before me. We all know clearly of whom the emperor is in favor!¡±


    Lengmei said with a trace of anger in her eyes. As a haughty woman, there was no wonder Lengmei would get annoyed that Tang Xia indicated that Lengmei¡¯s status was below hers.


    Tang Xia laughed in a low and charming voice as her delicate eyes appeared more glittering and charismatic in the sunglow.


    ¡°We both know of whom the emperor is in favor. Otherwise, why do you speak malicious words to me after knowing that the emperor will attend the banquet with me.¡±


    Then Tang Xia wore a smile in her mouth with a trace of mockery.


    Lengmei would only take matters related to Helian Jue seriously. Tang Xia was pondering why Lengmei did so at first. Then she figured it out immediately when she found jealousy in Lengmei¡¯s tone.


    As was expected, Lengmei wore a cold face right away, then lowered her eyebrows slightly and hid her delicate face in the dark.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lengmei asked in a cold voice.


    ¡°No other meaning.¡± Tang Xia smiled indifferently, then fixed her peach blossom eyes on Lengmei for a long time.


    Finally, Lengmei turned her head then gave a snort of disdain.


    Tang Xia retained her smile, ¡°I feel so happy every time I think about attending the banquet with the emperor. Sister, tell me, how about attending the banquet in my blue dress?¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Yue Ji, you¡¯d better think carefully. A woman who is restless and capricious will die fast.¡±


    Tang Xia rolled up her hair in front of her forehead with her slender fingers while wearing a provoking smile, ¡°In my opinion, the imperial concubines who are unwanted will die fast.¡±


    As her forehead veins bulged, Lengmei managed to refrain from anger at last.


    Lengmei forced a smile then looked Tang Xia up and down as if she would eat her alive.


    ¡°Yue Ji, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°See you, sister!¡± Tang Xia replied to her immediately, and saw that Lengmei froze slightly then moved away quickly.


    Anran bowed to Lengmei respectfully as Tang Xia followed Lengmei¡¯s retreating figure.


    As the sky darkened, Tang Xia¡¯s extremely charismatic face appeared somewhat mysterious in the blurred light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tang Xia opened her red lips gently after a long time.


    As Anran walked slowly following behind Tang Xia, the orchid fragrance along with the breeze permeated into the body through the nasal cavity, which made people feel quite relaxed.


    Tang Xia then appreciated the orchid pavilion again and found that the King of Chu possessed outstanding calligraphy ¨C the word ¡®orchid¡¯ on the plaque of the pavilion was written by him and appeared so vigorous and forceful that many sad memories may be brought with it.


    ¡°What kind of emotions did the King of Chu have such that he could show his longing for Lan Ji with only a word?¡±


    ¡°I should read the historical records of the previous dynasty someday.¡± Tang Xia could not help speaking out what she thought and Anran behind her replied smoothly.


    ¡°The Chu Dynasty flourished in calligraphy so that the love story of the King of Chu and Lan Ji spread over the whole country.¡±

 Chapter 40

    As the breeze swept by, Tang Xia felt quite comfortable.


    Tang Xia glanced back and looked Anran up and down, then overlapped her figure with that of Lyuyou.


    ¡°How is Lyuyou doing?¡± Tang Xia asked gently as if she was mentioning something irrelevant.


    Anran bowed to her, ¡°Everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine?¡± Tang Xia froze her look with some emotion flickering in her eyes.


    ¡°How can everything be fine?¡± Tang Xia asked in a calm voice that showed no emotion.


    Anran hesitated for a moment, pondering how to respond, then bowed to Tang Xia, ¡°Lyuyou is living comfortably in the woodshed. She eats all the food delivered to her saying that she is waiting for you to release her.¡±


    ¡°She surely is confident.¡± Tang Xia snorted, showing a trace of tiredness in her eyes, ¡°Does she truly expect that I will forgive her after she sent information secretly behind my back?¡±


    As she finished her sentence, the air around her became colder, ¡°Does she regard me as softhearted enough to keep her alive and let her do evil?¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, a trace of panic flickered in Anran¡¯s eyes. Then she knelt on the ground hard as her cyan robe highlighted her thinness.


    Anran just kowtowed and smashed her exquisite skin on the sharp grass, twining her slender fingers tightly over her robe.


    ¡°Yue Ji, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Anran said in a soft voice. It seemed to Tang Xia that Anran was always cautious. So when Anran said that she had something to tell her, it must be related to Lyuyou.


    ¡°If it is related to that woman, you don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± Tang Xia wore a trace of decisiveness in her eyes then smiled with mockery, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you defend for a renegade.¡±


    Anran trembled her body slightly with her slender fingers curling up on the ground as the sunset highlighted her thinness.


    Finally, Anran replied to Tang Xia in a low voice, propping herself up, then followed behind Tang Xia respectfully.


    Wearing the haughty look, Tang Xia gave a long sigh then waved her long sleeves which brought up the breeze, ¡°Let¡¯s go to check the renegade then.¡±


    Followed by Anran, Tang Xia walked towards Jiaofang hall. When they arrived, Anran stepped forward and opened the wooden door for Tang Xia.


    ¡°Is my dinner here?¡±


    Lyuyou was huddled up in the corner of the woodshed in a cyan dress full of dirt. As her skinny back faced the door, Lyuyou¡¯s body quivered slightly.


    Tang Xia snorted, striding inside the woodshed, ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve been wined and dined.¡±


    As the slight smell of blood and spoiled food floated in the air, Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows, choking back her nausea, then fixed her sharp eyes on Lyuyou¡¯s thin back.


    Lyuyou quivered her body before she turned around slowly.


    As Tang Xia noticed the dirt on Lyuyou¡¯s face, she felt quite surprised that one lively maiden could be tortured into this after being confined for only a few days.


    Lyuyou stroked her pale face, then turned around and kowtowed to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou said weakly. Her hair had a varied length as if it had been pulled up by others. Although Tang Xia could not feel her fear, Lyuyou could not help trembling.


    Tang Xia glanced away, feeling sorry for her. However, when Tang Xia thought about Lyuyou sending information secretly, the hate in her eyes made a comeback.


    ¡°I heard that you had not faced the wall and reflected carefully, but instead expected that I would release you.¡± Tang Xia tried to say in a cold voice, but her slender fingers were intertwined tightly.


    Lyuyou kowtowed then wore an indifferent smile, ¡°Yes, I am waiting for your release.¡±


    Her indifference multiplied the hate in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, ¡°You have some nerve to talk like this! Do you think I¡¯m so soft-hearted that I could forgive you after your betrayal?¡±


    Lyuyou remained silent and kowtowed hard to Tang Xia, wearing an indistinct smile.


    ¡°I believe in you, Your Grace.¡±


    Lyuyou¡¯s words hit Tang Xia in the bottom of her heart, neither heavy nor light.


    As it was dark outside the woodshed, the candlelight shined in through the door. There was no window in the woodshed, and Tang Xia could imagine easily how a slave girl punished by the imperial concubine would be treated.


    ¡°Then just stay in here forever.¡± Tang Xia said in a cold voice again, then glanced away, striding out the woodshed.


    Anran followed behind Tang Xia timidly and looked back with a trace of pity flickering in her eyes when she left the woodshed.


    At last Anran closed the door of the woodshed, resuming the quietness of the room.


    After Tang Xia got out of the woodshed, she walked straight into the cella.


    There was only one candle in the room. Anran followed Tang Xia into the room, then lit all the candles in the cella so that the glow of candles lit the whole room in an instant.


    Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily, with coldness remaining in her eyes, then said lightly.


    ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯m tired and want to go to bed early.¡±


    As Tang Xia finished her sentence, what followed was a crisp sound of something falling to the ground.


    Tang Xia glanced back. What she saw was Anran pressing her forehead against the floor of the cella slightly.


    Tang Xia froze for a moment, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Anran closed her thin lips slightly. It could be seen clearly from the fear on her face that Anran was quite terrified of Tang Xia.


    ¡°Please listen to me, Your Grace. There must be something behind Lyuyou.¡± Anran said, then kowtowed so hard that Tang Xia could feel the slight tremor from the walnut floor.


    Anran looked at Tang Xia with light flickering in her eyes and curled up her slender fingers in her hand. Then Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t believe what you said, what would you do?¡±


    In front of her, Anran kneeled with her trembling body, her teeth biting her lower lip tightly, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can do nothing but to kneel permanently in order to make up for my guilt of not helping Lyuyou who is trapped in the woodshed.¡±


    Anran said with determination, her plain white face raised obstinately.


    Tang Xia looked her face up and down as the cool breeze swept by through the window, such that the candlelight on the wooden table shimmered, making several slight noises.


    ¡°When did I become so determined?¡±


    Tang Xia inhaled slowly then leaned on the wooden chair, ¡°You are getting bolder.¡±


    Noticing that Tang Xia did not plan to punish her, Anran was relieved and kowtowed hard to Tang Xia again, then looked directly at Tang Xia in spite of her reddish forehead.


    ¡°Your Grace, Lyuyou never betrayed you, please believe me,¡± Anran said softly in her gentle voice.


    Tang Xia stroked her hair between her eyebrows trying to be indifferent, ¡°You said that she never betrayed me, where is your proof?¡±


    Anran froze her body for a moment.


    ¡°It was you who said that you saw her go out with a letter. Besides, I did give her a chance.¡± Tang Xia opened her cherry lips slightly and hid half her face in the dark, not showing happiness nor anger.


    ¡°She told me that she went to pick flowers for a new spice for aromatherapy. So why did she go out with a letter? You defend her and she herself told me that she had never betrayed me.¡±


    ¡°If she is truly as loyal as you have described, why couldn¡¯t she eat that Magnolia denudata cake?¡±


    Tang Xia wore coldness in her eyes as every single word from her red lips hit Anran¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What is loyalty? How can she regard herself as loyal to me if she has no courage to risk her life for me in the imperial harem? Does she want to wait until I am sold by others then say that she is loyal to me?¡±


    Having said this, Tang Xia lost interest, leaving tiredness in her eyes.


    ¡°Just leave. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    Anran remained silent, then opened her pale lips, saying nothing at last.


    After a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, Your Grace.¡± Anran kowtowed to Tang Xia pressing her forehead slightly against the floor.


    Tang Xia walked to the window on the other side, feeling warm and soft as a cool breeze swept by.


    It was getting dark. Although the air was clearer than the haze of the modern world, Tang Xia felt choked in her heart, not knowing what kind of mood she owned.


    ¡°Why am I feeling so bad although I am the one who was betrayed?¡±


    As tears flickered in her beautiful peach blossom eyes, Tang Xia did not how she felt, as the breeze swept by with some slight dust.


    Messages overlaid each other continuously on the bullet screen.


    [Fans] Scorching Summer: I¡­ I thought the anchor was acting too radically. But what the anchor said enlightens me that no one can ask for understanding if one cannot have the courage to risk his own life¡­


    [Fans] I Love Watermelon: Wow, the anchor is leveling up, well done! You are the best! We will be your fans forever.


    [Visitor] Alice: What a tragic novel.


    Tang Xia could not even force a smile after several attempts. As the shiny moon hung in the sky, the stars around it appeared clearer.


    Tang Xia kept on looking for hints in her mind, suspecting there might be small mistakes in this matter.


    In the jewel case hid the note Chu Tiankuo left for her.


    Tang Xia took it gently from the case and saw the vigorous and forceful calligraphy on the paper without dog-ears.


    Tang Xia then was lost in thought.


    ¡°There may be dirty tricks involved in this matter according to the reactions of Anran and Lyuyou.¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo will never lie to me and this note is given by him to me.¡±


    ¡°So what is this all about¡­¡± Tang Xia could not help speaking out what she thought. As her beautiful eyes were like clear blooming water louts hanging on her cheek, the pink from her cheek and cherry from her red lips highlighted the charm of her fair and delicate face.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m going to have to ask Chu Tiankuo about it.¡± Tang Xia tapped her slender fingers on the table rhythmically with her eyes half-closed.


    Before she went to bed, Tang Xia heard slight knocking. Then Tang Xia walked to the door and pulled up the wooden knocker gently.


    A plain and neat face appeared, ¡°I¡¯m the slave girl, Xiao Xiazi from Jiaofang hall. I¡¯m instructed by the emperor to remind you, Your Grace, to go to bed early. Although the banquet is set at evening, you will be busy in the daytime.¡±


    Tang Xia held her chin high, then raised her thin eyebrows, ¡°Am I going alone tomorrow?¡±


    Xiao Xiazi wore a bigger smile, ¡°No, Your Grace. I will guide you there. Imperial concubines should attend the banquet alone according to the tradition. However, His Majesty has two concubines going this time. So you need to go to Yi Jiazi¡¯s hall first to rendezvous with her.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Tang Xia nodded. But she did not sleep well.


    When Tang Xia woke up the next morning, Anran held a basin of clear water for Tang Xia to refresh herself.


    It was Lyuyou who usually did this, so Tang Xia was still not accustomed to being served by another maiden.


    ¡°After I refresh myself, go with me to check on the imperial guard.¡± Tang Xia said in a cold voice.


    Anran froze for a moment, then continued her actions, ¡°Why do you want to check on the imperial guard, Your Grace?¡±


    Being afraid that Tang Xia would blame her for meddling too much, Anran added, ¡°The imperial guard barracks is an important place, with many guards in the imperial harem, so it may be difficult to get in without an appropriate reason.¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at the floor then froze her eyes.


    ¡°Right. I could get into the military camps because of the decree of Helian Jue. How could I look for Chu Tiankuo again after Helian Jue handled the matter properly for me?¡±


    ¡°Is waiting for Chu Tiankuo to appear my only choice?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a trace of disappointment in her eyes, making Anran feel sorry for her, ¡°It is said that several men from the imperial troops would attend the banquet this evening. I¡¯ll cover for you. But I¡¯m not sure if the man you¡¯re looking for would attend the banquet.¡±


    Anran¡¯s words brought back the glow from Tang Xia¡¯s disappointed eyes.


    Tang Xia was a hundred percent sure that Chu Tiankuo would come.


    Tang Xia went around to the side of her jewelry box, then put the note given by Chu Tiankuo into her sleeves with her slender fingers twining the large cuff when Anran wasn¡¯t looking.


    ¡°Please pick the dress you will wear for the banquet, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia chose a beautiful vermilion long-sleeved dress with drapes around its waist extending downward.


    After doing a little make-up, Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face became more coquettish in a moment.


    As Xiao Xiazi waited outside for a long time, Tang Xia needed to rendezvous with Yi Jiazi first, according to what had been said last night.


    As Yi Jiazi waited outside the hall for a long time, she forced a smile to her mouth at the sight of Tang Xia walking towards her elegantly.


    ¡°I, Jiazi, pay my respects to you, sister.¡± Yi Jiazi bowed to Tang Xia respectfully with her purple tippet moving along with her actions.


    As a breeze swept by, warmth turned into coldness when it touched Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily and said to Xiao Xiazi.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Behind her, Yi Jiazi said in a gentle voice which showed neither happiness nor anger, ¡°I have bowed to you, why not bow back to me, sister?¡±


    Tang Xia knew that Yi Jiazi was stirring trouble. As her ignoring Yi Jiazi was already putting on airs, she could not do that again in front of so many people after Yi Jiazi questioned her shamelessly, in fear of being called out.


    ¡°Why should I bow back to you?¡±


    As Tang Xia turned around, she said in an extremely cold voice with no smile on her mouth.


    Yi Jiazi smiled gracefully, ¡°It is the rule in the imperial harem. Although your status is higher than mine, you should bow back to me after I bow to you.¡±


    Yi Jiazi added as if she was not satisfied, ¡°Are you so happy to attend the banquet with the emperor that you forgot the rules?¡±


    Such words would let the slaves accuse Tang Xia of being unruly.


    Tang Xia forced a smile, choking back her nausea, then walked towards Yi Jiazi and said elegantly, ¡°I guess it is you who is too happy. If I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, what you said was ¡®I pay my respects to you¡¯. Since you were showing respect, why should I bow back to you?¡±


    Yi Jiazi altered her expression, wanting to fight back, but was stopped by Tang Xia.


    ¡°Or do you want to deny what you said, and it was me who heard it wrong? Are you forcing me to bow to you?¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s face darkened, with a trace of maliciousness flickering in her peach blossom eyes, ¡°Of course not. Both of us are imperial concubines chosen by the emperor, so we should help each other. Why ruin the friendship between us just for the etiquette?¡±


    Tang Xia looked away wearing a smile with mockery.


    ¡°It is so disgusting of her to turn her coat at this time, saying that we should not ruin the friendship between us.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by saying so? I heard from the emperor that the kings from different countries are gathering in the banquet. What you said cannot be heard by the envoys from other countries, otherwise they would regard us as ignorant of etiquette.¡±


    Yi Jiazi froze for a moment, forced a smile, then looked at Tang Xia with some resentment.


    ¡°It is not what I mean. I hope you can give me justice, sister.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said in a weak voice, showing a look like Tang Xia was doing evil.


    ¡°What a green tea bitch.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a bigger smile with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes in the sunlight. As a breeze swept by, her hair was blown into the air then hung behind her shoulder, attracting others¡¯ attention continuously.


    ¡°Justice? That is quite simple. It seemed like a breeze swept by when you bowed to me so that I did not see it clearly. If you bow to me again, I will forget that you do not understand etiquette. What do you think?¡±


    As Tang Xia squinted her eyes, her cunning smile in her eyes was like the shiniest star in the sky, which was caught by Yi Jiazi.


    ¡°If you do not want to bow to me, that is okay. I don¡¯t like forcing others to do what they are unwilling to do. But,¡± Tang Xia added, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the emperor would think of you if he knows what happened.¡±


    Yi Jiazi bit her teeth resentfully and closed her cherry lips tightly, showing a wronged look, ¡°You are right, sister. I¡¯ll bow to you again.¡±


    Yi Jiazi emphasized the word ¡®again¡¯. What she meant was quite obvious.


    Tang Xia forced a smile and bowed to Yi Jiazi immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. I will return your salute. You shouldn¡¯t speak without thinking anymore.¡±


    A trace of a smile flickering in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes darkened Yi Jiazi¡¯s face.


    They did not talk anymore and walked to Xingyun Tower in tandem.


    Xingyun Tower rose straight up, but Tang Xia did not come to scrutinize it.


    Standing beside Tang Xia, Yi Jiazi wore a mocking smile on her mouth, ¡°Do not gaze around, sister. As the master of Jiaofang hall, do you want to be regarded as a bumpkin who is curious about Xingyun Tower by the people attending the banquet?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows, then fixed her eyes on Yi Jiazi¡¯s delicate face.


    Yi Jiazi entered the hall coquettishly with a smile.


    At the sight of his two imperial concubines, Helian Jue who had been in the hall strode towards them.


    ¡°Jiazi, why are you so early? Did you sleep well?¡±


    Tang Xia froze her look for a moment as Helian Jue¡¯s deep and soft voice surprised her.


    It seemed that Yi Jiazi was also quite surprised but said nothing, then walked to the side of Helian Jue with a smile on her mouth, ¡°I had a good sleep. To be loved by Your Majesty, I am more than content.¡±


    Helian Jue put on a contented air with a slight smile in his mouth.


    Tang Xia slowed her step to follow Yi Jiazi, then found that there was a man in blue wearing whiskers and a felt cap with a heroic smile in the hall.


    ¡°Jiazi.¡± The man said in a deep voice.


    Yi Jiazi bowed to him immediately with a glow flickering in her eyes, then wore a smile on her mouth, ¡°King Nanchen, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°He is the king of Southland.¡± Tang Xia pondered for a moment then figured out what was going on.


    King Nanchen strode towards Yi Jiazi but stopped in front of Tang Xia.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± King Nanchen froze his look as if he was stunned by Tang Xia¡¯s beauty and could not look away.


    Helian Jue distanced Tang Xia from King Nanchen impatiently but wore a smile on his face, ¡°She is my imperial concubine ¨C Yue Ji.¡±


    Tang Xia bowed to King Nanchen, ¡°I, Yue Ji, pay my respects to you, King Nanchen.¡±


    King Nanchen looked at Tang Xia with surprise in his eyes. The candlelight in Xingyun Tower made Tang Xia¡¯s face appear gentler as Tang Xia¡¯s smile was like an ice-melting ball of fire that could also attract King Nanchen¡¯s heart.


    Tang Xia then smiled politely, with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes, which attracted King Nanchen¡¯s eyes again.


    ¡°What an enchanting beauty!¡± King Nanchen thought.


    Helian Jue timely interrupted the greedy desire in King Nanchen¡¯s eyes, ¡°Please be seated.¡±


    King Nanchen¡¯s mouth crumpled, then he fixed his eyes back on the seat, ¡°Right, right. I was busy in welcoming your imperial concubines, I totally forget my wine.¡±


    King Nanchen hastily gave himself an out while Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows disgustedly.


    ¡°What a nuisance.¡± Yi Jiazi looked Tang Xia up and down as the candlelight made Tang Xia¡¯s red lips more coquettish which could attract people¡¯s eyes for a long time.


    Then Yi Jiazi took her seat elegantly.


    Tang Xia wore an indistinct smile with mockery and pretended to walk to the side of Yi Jiazi accidentally. She opened her red lips elegantly, ¡°Indeed, its true that men from Southland are lustful while the women are cunning.¡±


    Yi Jiazi expression changed, ¡°How could you say such a thing!¡±


    What Yi Jiazi had said attracted the eyes of Helian Jue and King Nanchen.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Helian Jue asked in a soft voice. However, no warmth could be seen in his handsome face and the disgust in his eyes was so much that it could seemingly eat Yi Jiazi alive.


    Yi Jiazi turned a blind eye to Helian Jue¡¯s look, then covered her red lips with her slender fingers, wearing tears in her eyes and fixing her eyes on Tang Xia.


    ¡°How you could say that men from Southland are vulgar, sister? King Nanchen, who is both brave and wise in battle, now is regarded as vulgar. Are you unhappy because the emperor welcomed me first?¡±


    While Yi Jiazi prepared a good reason for Tang Xia¡¯s ¡®wrongdoing¡¯, Tang Xia wore an indifferent smile on her mouth with mockery.


    ¡°What do you mean, sister¡­ I¡¯m happy for you that the emperor can value you so much.¡± Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows showing a wronged look, ¡°What I said was that King Nanchen has manliness, he deserves to be the king of Southland and to come from the same country as you, because both of you look so alluring.¡±


    Tang Xia also wore tears in her eyes, ¡°How did my words turn into ¡®men from Southland are vulgar¡¯ like you said?¡±


    Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows in displeasure, then looked at Yi Jiazi with killing intent in his eyes.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m afraid that Jiazi did not sleep well, so she could not hear Yue Ji¡¯s words clearly.¡±


    As Helian Jue¡¯s words were in favor of Tang Xia, Yi Jiazi could not say anything else and went back to her seat quietly.

 Chapter 42

    Tang Xia hastened her steps, then sat on the right side of Helian Jue with an indistinct smile in her mouth.


    ¡°I apologize for what happened, sister.¡± Yi Jiazi wore some grievance in her phoenix eyes, putting on the sensible air, which satisfied King Nanchen.


    ¡°In Southland, Jiazi was an outstanding woman in terms of military strength. But she became gentler after she came here. It is true that each place has its own way of supporting its own inhabitants.¡± King Nanchen squinted his sharp eyes as he smiled with his whiskers moving as well.


    ¡°King Nanchen, you flatter me. I was frivolous and young before. Now that I¡¯ve met the man who I can give my all for, I must change for him.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said in a soft voice with her rosy cheeks.


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words were said to Helian Jue. However, he was not happy to hear that.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to appreciate how you would look in silver armor and on a horse.¡± Helian Jue said jokingly, with his eyes half-closed, humiliating Yi Jiazi calmly.


    Yi Jiazi said she changed for him, but Helian Jue admitted that he would prefer what she used to be.


    Helian Jue¡¯s words made Yi Jiazi¡¯s face turn red out of shame.


    Not paying attention to Yi Jiazi, King Nanchen had fixed his eyes on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder from the beginning, as his sharp eyes were like the talons of a falcon, the bottom of his eyes covered in darkness.


    Tang Xia turned her head away stiffly.


    ¡°Is King Nanchen interested in my beloved imperial concubine?¡± Helian Jue opened his fair teeth as his handsome face was like a clear dam, not showing happiness nor anger.


    King Nanchen knew what he did was too much, then smiled awkwardly, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Kings from other countries entered the hall successively. As the host of the banquet, Helian Jue stood up and greeted every one of them.


    It could be seen that it was not dark yet from the hollow rosewood windows. Rays of evening sunlight extended from afar as the breeze was like a monster engulfing the whole evening.


    Tang Xia avoided toasting each other then looked for Chu Tiankuo in the candlelight.


    As the breeze swept by, her hair was blown into the air, with her vermilion hair band fluttering as well. Finally, Tang Xia found the man in silver armor outside the crowd.


    ¡°Yue Ji.¡± A rough voice came from behind.


    Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows, then turned around and happened to crash into a broad chest.


    When she saw who was in front of her, Tang Xia stepped back immediately, then bent her knees slightly, ¡°I, Yue Ji, pay my respects to you, King Nanchen.¡±


    King Nanchen wore a trace of a smile in his eyes as the smell of drink on him fused with the candlelight of Xingyun Tower. In the dim, flickering light, King Nanchen¡¯s rough face appeared somewhat gentle.


    ¡°Rise.¡± King Nanchen opened his mouth, fixing his eyes on Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face, ¡°You are so beautiful tonight.¡±


    King Nanchen said a little tipsily. The smell of drink on him swarmed into Tang Xia¡¯s nose, making her frown disgustedly. However, she kept herself under control.


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment. I, Yue Ji, as the imperial concubine, should dress up to attend such a grand banquet so that I can win honor for the other sisters in the imperial harem.¡±


    King Nanchen laughed, ¡°Win honor? There surely are lots of interesting and charming women in the imperial harem of Helian Jue.¡±


    Tang Xia stepped back quietly, ¡°Thank you for your compliment, King Nanchen.¡±


    Before she went away, King Nanchen held Tang Xia¡¯s delicate wrist.


    ¡°What do you mean, King Nanchen?¡± Tang Xia lost interest in the stand-off, with some traces of coldness flickering in her delicate peach blossom eyes.


    King Nanchen hiccupped from the wine, and with a frivolous look in his eyebrows, ¡°You are truly a beauty who is so charming even when you are angry.¡±


    Knowing that King Nanchen had lost most of his reason, Tang Xia wanted to get rid of him as quickly as possible, making her red dress more coquettish in the candlelight.


    ¡°Please behave yourself, King Nanchen. I cannot accept what you just said to me. But as far as I¡¯m concerned, the emperor would accept it for me.¡± Tang Xia wore a sneer in her mouth.


    What Tang Xia meant was quite obvious ¨C she was suppressing King Nanchen with Helian Jue.


    King Nanchen wore a look of scorn on his face with some coldness flickering in his eyes, ¡°How could Helian Jue support such a big country without his father, who laid a solid foundation for him?¡±


    ¡°Now Helian Jue is under attack from both sides, and is no longer like the sun at high noon.¡± King Nanchen wore a taunting smile in his mouth. Tang Xia could conclude that King Nanchen was not drunk and was sober at least at this moment.


    ¡°Little beauty, how about becoming my imperial concubine so that I can protect you?¡± King Nanchen wore a smile with a trace of greed flickering in his prudent eyes.


    King Nanchen¡¯s words reminded Tang Xia of Chu Tiankuo. Both of them used the same way to refer to themselves. However, this man in front of her was so disgusting that she just wanted to run away from him.


    King Nanchen caught the disgust in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, then tightened his massive hand holding her delicate hand.


    ¡°Yue Ji, do not be so unappreciative.¡± King Nanchen said with anger flickering in his eyes. ¡°Do you know how easy it would be for me to get you? I just need to beat around the bush, and Helian Jue would present you respectfully with both hands to me.¡±


    ¡°You are just a bitch, how dare you pretend to be reserved?¡±


    Looking at King Nanchen¡¯s disgusting face, Tang Xia felt extremely angry. However, King Nanchen owned such great strength that she could not get rid of him.


    As she stepped back, Tang Xia crashed into a set of silver armor.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent face appeared behind Tang Xia¡¯s back with the same familiar smell around him. His handsome face reflected the candlelight, with a glow flickering in his indifferent eyes. Chu Tiankuo frowned, wearing extreme coldness around him.


    ¡°You are speaking some strong words, King Nanchen.¡± Chu Tiankuo said in a cold voice. As Tang Xia tilted her head, she felt her shoulders being covered vaguely.


    It was the warmth from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palm.


    King Nanchen fixed his eyes on Chu Tiankuo for a moment, then the anger between his eyebrows rose up immediately, ¡°What the hell are you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo replied in a cold voice and fixed his eyes on King Nanchen for a while, then glanced away, ¡°I¡¯m a member of the armed imperial guard who is in charge of the security of the imperial concubines.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was as pleasant as a deep horn melodiously haunting Tang Xia¡¯s ears. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyebrows were filled with coldness, attracting Tang Xia¡¯s eyes completely.


    ¡°An armed imperial guard? You are just a eunuch with hair. What can you do to me if I want to have Yue Ji?¡±


    King Nanchen wore a trace of danger in his eagle eyes, as if he had assumed that the man in front of him would not dare draw out his sword.


    Chu Tiankuo closed his thin lips tightly. In Tang Xia¡¯s view, the moving glow of his forehead could be seen clearly.


    ¡°I can do nothing to you, King Nanchen.¡± Chu Tiankuo, who looked just like Asura from hell, with his red lips and gleaming teeth, said slowly with coldness in his voice, ¡°But I can kill you.¡±


    Before his voice had died away, Chu Tiankuo drew out his sword with his slender arm and held it to the side of King Nanchen¡¯s neck suddenly.


    Everyone¡¯s look was attracted to the blade.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± King Nanchen¡¯s imperial bodyguard shouted, with a Roman nose full of Southland features.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a poker face with his handsome eyebrows and extreme coldness, which seemed to freeze the man in front into ice.


    ¡°I want to kill you.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold voice hit King Nanchen¡¯s ears, which made him frown.


    ¡°Hm.¡± King Nanchen snorted with a malicious smile in his mouth.


    ¡°Helian Jue!¡± King Nanchen shouted in his rough voice. As his whiskers were chipped off, King Nanchen wore a strange smile.


    Helian Jue in the high platform frowned his eyebrows tightly. In the candlelight, his face appeared gentler with an indifferent look, showing no happiness nor anger.


    ¡°Helian Jue, we have known each other since childhood, and we were introduced to each other by our elders. You are also ten years younger than me.¡± His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed in his throat then he added, ¡°I, King Nanchen, ask for someone from you today. What would you say?¡±


    Helian Jue buried his whole face into the darkness and said in a cold voice, with his slender fingers tapping on the wooden table vaguely.


    ¡°Who do you want, Brother Nanchen?¡± Helian Jue did not order Chu Tiankuo to put his sword down but just asked the question.


    Not knowing what was going on, Yi Jiazi¡¯s phoenix eyes were full of envy at the sight of Tang Xia between Chu Tiankuo and King Nanchen.


    ¡°How about putting down the sword, then we can have a good talk?¡± Yi Jiazi said in a soft voice, frowning her eyebrows involuntarily.


    ¡°It is none of your business.¡± Helian Jue said in a cold and impatient voice with a casual but stunning smile.


    ¡°I want your Yue Ji!¡± King Nanchen spared no effort to shout, touching the sword on the side of his neck so that his copper skin spilled blood and immediately dyed the sword red.


    Helian Jue glanced away, cooling the air around him immediately, then said imperially, ¡°I assume that you are kidding, King Nanchen.¡±


    King Nanchen tilted his head, not paying attention to the blood on his neck, then wore a bigger smile, ¡°You just need to answer me.¡±


    The candlelight hid Helian Jue¡¯s face in the darkness, and the pureness of his coquettish eyes was replaced by extreme coldness.


    Helian Jue raised his voice and said, stressing each syllable, ¡°Why should I give my woman to an animal?¡±


    The atmosphere froze for a moment.


    King Nanchen¡¯s pupils shrunk drastically followed by monstrous anger. Then he hit the sword on the side of his neck away and turned around, looking directly at Helian Jue.


    Helian Jue was not afraid at all, and looked back at King Nanchen with his coquettish eyes wearing extreme coldness on his face.


    ¡°Helian Jue, are you sure of what you have said?¡± King Nanchen wore a malicious smile gradually. His eyes turned crimson and his body heaved as if he was accumulating his anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure.¡± Helian Jue said toughly, raising his chin haughtily and wearing a smile of contempt.


    ¡°Alright!¡± King Nanchen shouted angrily and tightened his hand holding the sword hidden in his sleeves ¨C he would thrust his shining sword through Helian Jue¡¯s forehead as long as Helian Jue said another word.


    All of a sudden, a fight was on the verge of breaking out and the atmosphere was down to the freezing point.


    ¡°You are both the kings of your own country, how shameful it is for you two to act on impulse for a woman!¡± One aged voice came, attracting everyone¡¯s attention back immediately.


    ¡°She is Archduke Qingling!¡± One man shouted, attracting everyone¡¯s look to the old woman.


    ¡°I pay my respects to you, Archduke Qingling.¡± Everyone in the hall all bowed to the woman. As Tang Xia looked at Helian Jue, she was surprised to find that he made a bow genuinely with his hands folded in front to Archduke Qingling.

 Chapter 43

    Where did this Qingling Archduke come from?


    Tang Xia¡¯s beautiful eyebrows tightly frowned. The Qingling Archduke from people¡¯s words dressed in a robe, hanging over her back to the ground. There were a few diamonds adorned the robe. The robe was complicated but not old-fashioned. She made a long-curved bun and a heavy makeup.


    As she walked into the main hall, she glanced at Tang Xia with her old and calm eyesights. Then, she turned to Helian Jue on the high platform.


    Helian Jue straightened up with a respectful expression on his handsome face. ¡°I did not expect that I can welcome you, my Qingling Archduke, at Xingyun Tower. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°How could I miss your feast?¡± Qingling Archduke wore a smile and stepped to Helian Jue¡¯s side. Then, she glanced at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia raised her chin proudly, while her shining amorous eyes were full of observation to Qingling Archduke.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Qingling Archduke¡¯s cold voice raised by Tang Xia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°She is my loved concubine.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice turned soft and turned to Tang Xia. ¡°Yue Ji, come and meet Qingling Archduke.¡±


    Tang Xia moved forward and bent her knees slightly. She said at a cold voice, ¡°Greetings, Qingling Archduke.¡±


    Qingling took back her eyesight and did not care about Tang Xia. ¡°I thought she should be a tough woman, but just a little girl. Lianjue, you really could send her to King Nanchen for a favor.¡±


    Helian Jue frowned deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t.¡±


    The atmosphere around Qingling Archduke instantly fell to the freezing point. ¡°Dare you not listen to my words?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s words were respectful, but his eyebrows were tightened. ¡°I respect you so much, Qingling Archduke. However, I can not send Yue Ji to the others.¡±


    ¡°Yue Ji is my wife, so I would not send her to anyone else,¡± Helian Jue said word by word. His voice raised over Qingling Archduke¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± The blue veins on Qingling Archduke¡¯s forehead showed up. ¡°Are you going to become another King Chu who ruined a dynasty for a woman?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not King Chu and Yue Ji is not Lady Lan.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice raised a few levels. ¡°The difference between King Chu and I is that since I can get his imperial throne, I will not repeat his mistakes.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s voice was powerful. Even the emperors present who had experienced a lot were shocked by his words.


    Wife¡­ In the emperor¡¯s palace, it was the most ordinary, but most difficult title to get.


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s eyes were full of disdainful. ¡°A few days ago, I heard a lot of rumors about you. How about Lengmei? It said that she was one of your favorite women. How about now? Just a few days passed, you changed your love?¡±


    ¡°The wife in your words is not the real wife. You and your father are amorous and hurt so many girls heart. The men I have met are even more than you have killed. How could you say you love one woman only in front of me?¡±


    Qingling Archduke said word by word, hitting on Helian Jue¡¯s mind. His long eyes hide in the darkness, and his expression could not be seen.


    Only his teeth and words could be seen and heard, which was heart-shaking.


    ¡°Lengmei is just a concubine, but Yue Ji is my wife.¡±


    His words were clear without any tone, and even his voice was illusory.


    However, his words hit Tang Xia¡¯s heart and left a slight ripple.


    He said she was his wife. Helian Jue said Yue Ji was Helian Jue¡¯s wife.


    Tang Xia¡¯s amorous eyes were shining like stars. Helian Jue¡¯s words must be too magical to make her draw back her eyesight.


    ¡°Just a ¡®wife¡¯ could touch you and make you behave like an idiot. You¡¯re really a washboard. The monogamy policy in the 24 century could not save your IQ.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent voice came from her head. His lips tightened and the slightly downward arc seemed to show his dissatisfaction. His thick eyebrows raised and he arrogantly looked at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia regained her consciousness and her eyes were already wet.


    ¡°Helian Jue is telling his love to me¡­¡± she whispered. Her words were like a slight breeze, trembling Chu Tiankuo¡¯s entire heart.


    Comments covered the whole bullet screen area.


    [Fans] Forget Love Portion: Oh my god, Helian Jue could provoke my passion and make my heart tremble!


    [Fans] Sing Dog: Hahaha, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s washboard comment is enough for me to laugh a year.


    [Fans] Love Trading: Only I have noticed that the system has not issued an announcement that our anchor succeeds to conquer the hero?


    The atmosphere was freezing at once.


    [Fans] Love Hug: Ah, why?


    [Fans] Green House¡¯s Raby: Ah, it might be that Helian Jue thought it was shameless to accept King Nanchen¡¯s requirement, but could not lose Qingling Archduke¡¯s face. Therefore, he found a win-win method that he built a rightful imperial image like a figure in ¡°24 filial piety¡±.


    [Visitor] Upstairs 666. Helian Jue is really a scheming man. He failed our anchor¡¯s love to him~


    Tang Xia returned to her thoughts.


    She glanced at the system tips. There was no change indeed.


    Helian Jue on the high platform still showed his passionate love in his eyes. Tang Xia crumpled her mouth, but heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent voice.


    ¡°Such a stupid woman.¡±


    ¡°Well! Well!¡± Qingling Archduke wore a cold smile. ¡°You¡¯re really a persistent person, but I think Yue Ji is not qualified to make you do this.¡±


    Qingling Archduke put her old hand on the wooden table. The dark-red robe moved with her wrist.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡± Her words were sharp and directly turned to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia had no fear and raised her chin.


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of good-looking indeed.¡± Qingling Archduke¡¯s voice was cold and wore an ironic smile. ¡°Do you have any talent? Just show me.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes. At this moment, if she said she had, Qingling Archduke must be fastidious at her, but if she said she did not have, Helian Jue would lose his face and make people laugh at him.


    Hundreds of thoughts passed her mind and then wore a smile on her face. ¡°Archduke, I have few talents indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Talk about it.¡± Qingling Archduke raised her thick eyebrows and her eyes showed out coldness.


    ¡°I can dance and sing.¡±


    Tang Xia could not think of good talent at this moment, but to bring up an idea indifferently.


    ¡°Ah, I thought you must have an extraordinary talent. In this harem, everyone can dance and sing.¡± Qingling Archduke¡¯s eyebrows were stained with severe coldness, and she was extremely disdainful to Tangxia¡¯s words.


    Helian Jue recalled Tang Xia¡¯s dance last time. Though the form was weird, he had to admit that she was like a fairy from heaven.


    ¡°I have seen Yue Ji¡¯s dance before. I have never seen the way she dances before. It¡¯s really a beautiful dance.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s words raised everyone¡¯s interest and the buzzing sounds came out one after another.


    Yi Jiazi was ignored at the first, so the jealousness in her mind had reached to the top. ¡°The dance you have mentioned is the one that you danced with Guard Chu in the Hecheng Palace last time, my sister?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s face turned dark. Yi Jiazi really did not know how to say right words at this situation.


    As expected, Qingling Archduke¡¯s expression was stunned. ¡°Who¡¯s the Guard Chu? How dare Yue Ji dance with a guard?¡±


    Noticing this, Yi Jiazi kneeled and said in a soft voice, ¡°Archduke, my sister used to dance with Guard Chu. Everyone there praised their beautiful dance. It seemed that they were like the fairy and prince from heaven.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words were really out of mind. Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face was darker during her continuous talking.


    ¡°Oh? Is there such a thing like she said?¡± Qingling Archduke turned to Tang Xia again.


    Her delicate face was carved like the most touching jade in the world. The amorous eyes were rippling. The red dress set her skin more delicate and tender. Her small lips were as red as cherries. A red hairpin with a golden border was in her bun and the remaining hair was floating with the slight breeze.


    At the other side, Chu Tiankuo wore a silver armor. There was a high stand of a nose on his handsome face. With a piece of free quality, he lowered his head coldly. The candlelight in the palace reflected his silver armor into a soft curve, which could be heart-wrenching in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re really like immortal man and woman,¡± Qingling Archduke said at a plain tone. There was no expression in her eyes, which was like the stagnant water.


    Helian Jue¡¯s face turned darker and darker. ¡°It was just a dance that my love prepared for a long time for me. In other scheming people¡¯s eyes, it turned out to be weird.¡±


    Helian Jue said with a piece of teeth-clenching. Yi Jiazi softened her voice. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should not mention this.¡±


    When Qingling Archduke saw Yi Jiazi compromise out of consideration for the general interest, she felt unsatisfied. ¡°If there was nothing happening, why were you afraid of the others persons¡¯ words. Now, you still speak for Yue Ji, you¡¯re really out of mind.¡±


    People present looked at him with more exploration. Helian Jue could not bear it. ¡°She¡¯s my girl. I did not say some bad words on her. How dare you say something like this?¡±


    Tang Xia also could not stand for this. If she did not say something now, Helian Jue would find her lots of troubles after the feast.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m so plain. It was also the first time for me to show my dance in the Hecheng Palace, but it makes sister laugh at me.¡± There was a glimmer of light passing by her eyes. She mapped out a strategy. ¡°I learn the dance for His Majesty. Since it has been over, I dare not mention it again. Since Qingling Archduke orders me to show my talents, I would not let you down.¡±


    She wore a cunning smile. ¡°I¡¯m practicing a song recently and like to sing it without accompany. If Qingling Archduke is willing to listen, I¡¯d like to perform for you.¡±


    Helian Jue frowned, but his eyesight to Tang Xia added a piece of praise.


    Yi Jiazi immediately stopped Tang Xia. ¡°It¡¯s just a song. You really think that the guests here are coming for fun, my sister?¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words provoked people¡¯s attention. Helian Jue looked at her angrily, which made her stop talking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just see it. We could consider that we have invited a singer over there.¡± Qingling Archduke looked down upon her with coldness in her eyes. She was sure that Tang Xia could not make any tricks.


    ¡°I can have a try.¡±


    What Tang Xia was singing was the Prelude to Water Melody. This song was touching, and she preferred the version of Faye Wong. It was an old song. With her crisp voice like an Oriole, the song passed by the candlelight in the Xingyun Tower and everyone enjoyed the eternal night.


    At the climax, everyone was drunk in the music.


    Tang Xia prolonged the last tail. Her red dress was dancing in the middle of the hall. The hair ribbon was hidden in the hair, vague and beautiful.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°Well! Well!¡± Helian Jue returned to his consciousness. His eyesight to Tang Xia added a piece of appreciation.


    Tang Xia danced with the last sentence of her singing and finally met Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyes. There was a deep and somewhat love in his eyes, roaring towards her.


    King Nanchen, who was standing beside, was also showing out his greed in his eyes. Yue Ji was as beautiful as a fairy in his eyes.


    In this world, there even was such an outstanding woman!


    [Fans] Feet: Our anchor¡¯s voice is awesome! It seems that my ear is going to be pregnant!


    [Fans] The Temptation to Return to the Village: I have recorded it. Did anchor sing the version of Faye Wong? The temper is a little bit different. Did you refurbish it?


    [Fans] Love Me: Refurbished +1. This is a lyric version. I feel it¡¯s better than Faye Wong¡¯s version!


    [Fans] Nightingales: I will sell anchor¡¯s original recording of the ¡°Prelude to Water Melody¡±!


    There was a piece of a smile in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please do not laugh at my performance, Your Majesty!¡±


    There was a piece of shock in Helian Jue¡¯s eyes. ¡°I always know your outstanding dance, but I did not expect that your song could be so melodious.¡±


    His eyesight to Tang Xia was adding a touch of affection, which made Chu Tiankuo behind Tang Xia deepened his eyesight.


    ¡°Piracy goods, if Faye Wong heard your song, she could not sleep well.¡± Chu Tiankuo cold-shouldered her voice, while the candlelight in the palace softened his handsome face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the relationship between you and Faye Wong? Why do you say something for her? I am creating a new history~¡± Tang Xia¡¯s amorous eyes curved into a crescent, raising her eyebrows and looking at Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Sister, you still know that your performance would be laughed at.¡± It was Yi Jiazi¡¯s voice, while her eyes were full of jealousness. ¡°I heard that Yue Ji did not like poetries and songs, so the words you sang today are written by yourself?¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s words alerted people¡¯s disgusting emotions and raised their eyebrows. However, their attentions were successfully transferred to the problem of the original lyricist and looked at Tang Xia.


    Qingling Archduke said nothing, but her eyesight on Tang Xia was more explored.


    ¡°Yi Jiazi, don¡¯t be stupid anymore.¡± Helian Jue wore a hint of cool color, and even the sound dropped a few degrees.


    Yi Jiazi lowered his body. ¡°It¡¯s not a fabricated rumor. Everyone in the harem knows that Yue Ji doesn¡¯t like poetries and songs. It¡¯s absurd that she said her performance would be a joke, it really turned out to be a joke.¡±


    There were a few blue veins showing up on Helian Ju¡¯s forehead. He planned to say something to scolded her, but stopped by Qingling Archduke.


    ¡°Let her go on.¡±


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s voice was indifferent and no one knew what she was thinking.


    ¡°If those sentences in this song are not written by Yue Ji, shouldn¡¯t you give out a reasonable explanation to everyone present, sister? If you can¡¯t tell us the writer, it means that, Yue Ji, you are playing all the emperors in this feast!¡±


    In order to make Tang Xia embarrassed, Yi Jiazi deliberately emphasized the last words.


    Tang Xia tightened her eyebrows, while two rows of her long eyelashes curled up under her eyelids, while looked like the wings of fluttering butterfly. She wore an indifferent smile. ¡°Your words are too heavy, sister.¡±


    Tang Xia deliberately slowed down her speed. ¡°I don¡¯t like poetries and songs, but don¡¯t forget that, my sister, our emperor likes them so much.¡±


    She smiled and her voice was crisp and powerful. ¡°Since I can dress in blue for our emperor, why not learn the poetries and songs for him?¡±


    She referred to the issue that she dressed in blue to compared with Lengmei.


    ¡°Sister, are you looking down upon me? Or else, you think that our emperor¡¯s powerful qualities could not make me change for him?¡±


    Just a few fluttering words could push back the crime to Yi Jiazi, and even Qingling Archduke changed her impressions to her somehow.


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re insulting me!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± A cold sound raised. Helian Jue¡¯s face was cold and he stared at Yi Jiazi with more chill expression. ¡°Since you have insulted Yue Ji for a few times today, are you hoping to be locked up for a few days more?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s words made Yi Jiazi tremble. She immediately stopped talking, which provoked King Nanchen¡¯s dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Helian Jue, what do you mean? I sent Jiazi from my South Country to you, but don¡¯t hope you treat her like this.¡±


    He might still be angry at the matter that Helian Jue was unwilling to give Tang Xia to him, while his voice and words showed out his reluctance. ¡°Today, you treat Jiazi like this. How would you treat my South Country someday?¡±


    King Nanchen¡¯s hustle made Tang Xia frowned. She stepped forward. ¡°King Nanchen, Jiazi insulted me today for a few times. If she did not come from South Country, our emperor would let her go immediately for the crimes she has made.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°King Nanchen, our emperor has stood her so long on the base of your deep friendship.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words were sincere and powerful. Since it was a fierce battle of the tongue between the two emperors, it was not good to blame any side. If Yi Jiazi could be obedient to be a running stone between them, Helian Jue would do good to her after this issue.


    However, Yi Jiazi was not willing to be scolded. She stepped forward and her eyes were full of tears. ¡°What do you mean, my sister? On your words, I have made a sinful crime. You insulted me in front of the emperor of South Country. Have you cared about my face?¡±


    Jiazi looked around with aggrieved expression in her eyes. Her voice was tender and soft, which could raise people¡¯s sympathy.


    King Nanchen deepened his eyes. ¡°Brother Helian, since you treat my people of South Country like this, I don¡¯t have to care about your face.¡±


    A piece of coldness showed up by his mouth. ¡°Jiazi, come over to my side.¡±


    Yi Jiazi trembled, and looked at Helian Jue with expectation.


    However, the latter did not say anything. Yi Jiazi clenched her teeth and stepped to King Nanchen¡¯s back.


    ¡°Helian Jue, do you have anything to say?¡± King Nanchen¡¯s eyes were full of coldness. He was sure that Helian Jue dared not tear his face with him. When he made him a pressure, he must put up a condition to ask for peace, so he could own Yue Ji as his imperial concubine.


    Helian Jue did not move, while his eyebrows huddled in the shadows. The candlelight set his figure tall and straight. His dark robe floated with the breeze. Suddenly, he wore a cruel smile and raised his head, staring at King Nanchen.


    ¡°I do hope to oppress your South Country. So what?¡±


    His words made everyone present stunned.


    Helian Jue looked indifferent, while his eyesight was on King Nanchen. He was on the high platform and his figure was outstanding. The black robe with golden rims set his eyes more deeply.


    Helian Jue¡¯s answer was beyond King Nanchen¡¯s expectation. The latter clenched his teeth angrily and said word by word. ¡°This is what you said.¡±


    ¡°Yi Jiazi, let¡¯s go.¡± King Nanchen shouted and the atmosphere instantly decreased to the freezing point.


    Yi Jiazi was stunned. She had not expected it would turn to the present situation. ¡°King Nanchen¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Are your hating to part with Helian Jue?¡± King Nanchen felt angry and his eyes were full of intolerant.


    ¡°Noisy!¡± The voice was from Qingling Archduke, which was higher than before. ¡°You two are both emperors. How can you behave like kids quarreling for a small issue? Ridiculous!¡±


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s eyesight fell on King Nanchen.


    ¡°Come back and sit down. You should talk if you two have some misunderstanding. How could you lose your tempers out of so many people like the kids?¡±


    Her words were still very useful. The hesitation on King Nanchen¡¯s face was quickly suppressed.


    ¡°OK, I can care about your face.¡±


    Everyone was back to his seat, but the atmosphere was a bit strange and quiet.


    ¡°All the imperial concubines should go back. Don¡¯t stay at Xingyun Tower to interrupt us.¡±


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s voice was indifferent, while her eyesight passed by Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia made a bow and no longer hoped to bother them.


    The women in the palace got out one by one. Yi Jiazi was reluctant, but met Tang Xia¡¯s amorous eyes when getting outside.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Yi Jiazi said this sentence with her teeth clenching. Tang Xia took a long sigh.


    ¡°How could she still did not understand?¡± Tang Xia thought of it in her mind. When she turned around, she met Chu Tiankuo.


    Under the candlelight of Xingyun Tower, his silver armor shone in golden brilliance. Tang Xia was stunned. When she came back to her consciousness, her head was heavily knocked by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°When did you come out?¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and looked at the person in front of her.


    There was a faint smile in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes. Tang Xia could clearly tell the irony in his eyes.


    ¡°Stupid woman,¡± he said in a slight tone.


    ¡°You even dare to confess your love in front of so many people. You¡¯re getting bolder.¡±


    He squinted his eyes and looked good as expected.


    Tang Xia proudly raised her chin and her eyes were clear. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Their conversation ended, while Yi Jiazi slowly passed by Tang Xia with a woman.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it¡¯s you, Guard Chu. Well, are you private with Yue Ji again?¡±


    Tang Xia was somewhat displeased by her weird words, but still held her temper and said, ¡°Yi Jiazi, you should talk more carefully. Spreading rumors in the harem could make you die in many ways.¡±


    Yi Jiazi half opened her beautiful eyes without any cute appearance in front of Helian Jue. ¡°How could I behave like that? My sister, you have become such powerful. How could I make any rumors of you?¡±


    The woman beside her stepped forward. ¡°Is this the Yue Ji you mentioned in your letter?¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at the woman, whose beautiful hair was bun on the back of her head. A few whips of hair were hanging over her shoulders. Her eyes were deep and her nose was high.


    She was a person from South Country.


    ¡°Who will I talk about except for her. She behaves arrogantly in the harem every day and shows off her outstanding talents.¡± Yi Jiazi wore a cold smile and if the jealous words in her mouth were the knives, Tang Xia would gain hundreds of wounds on her body.


    ¡°I have never shown off something.¡± Tang Xia tightened her eyebrows and her voice was cold. ¡°Yi Jiazi, I¡¯m always confused why are you always looking for the troubles for me? It¡¯s because our emperor has not come to you for a long time? Can¡¯t you behave like a crazy lobster in front of me?¡±


    Yi Jiazi changed color, while a few imperial concubines passed by. She immediately changed her face again and his eyes were full of tears.


    Tang Xia swang her hands and said, ¡°Enough. I have watched too many of these kinds of performances. Are you tired of it? Are you afraid of face twitching if you change your face from time to time?¡±


    Tang Xia gained a good mind, while her words were adding some irony.


    ¡°What if I am bullying you? What¡¯s worse, I tell you I will make a direct punishment on you if you make more troubles again!¡±

 Chapter 45

    Yi Jiazi¡¯s expression turned dark. She had not expected that Tang Xia would refute her face in public.


    Chu Tiankuo burst into a burst of low laughter, like a melodious horn reaching Tang Xia¡¯s ears.


    Yi Jiazi turned back for a second. ¡°How can you punish me heavily just because I have told the truth, my sister?¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes were full of tears, while Tang Xia had a bad feeling.


    Sure enough, Qingling Archduke¡¯s faint voice turned up behind, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yi Jiazi immediately turned to her, deliberately rubbing her face with the gold-rimmed purple sleeves. ¡°Archduke, I don¡¯t know what happened, either. I just found that Yue Ji was getting closer to Guard Chu and remembered a rumor in the harem recently, so I try to kindly remind her.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know that Yue Ji hates me so deeply and even said that she would punish me heavily.¡±


    Yi Jiazi owned a cute appearance. With a tone of grievances, she seemed to be forced to be a whore by Tang Xia.


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s indifferent eyesight went to Tang Xia¡¯s body. Her eyes were dark without any expression.


    ¡°You are the Guard Chu they have mentioned?¡± Her eyesight jumped over Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes turned dark, but his cold intent did not fade away. He lowered his body. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°How dare you have a secret affair with Lianjue¡¯s concubine?¡± Qingling Archduke raised her tone and her eyes were as peaceful as stagnant water, staring at Chu Tiankuo and waiting for his answer.


    Yi Jiazi was shocked by her words, and immediately wore an ironic and unidentified smile on her upset face with tears.


    Chu Tiankuo was extremely calm and slightly curved his lips. ¡°As a guard of Imperial Army, I could die and get injure, but as the face of this palace, my dignity could not be insulted.¡±


    Qingling Archduke raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you mean that I insult you?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not deny. ¡°It¡¯s Qingling Archduke¡¯s meaning. I said nothing.¡±


    His words provoked laughter from imperial concubines around.


    Qingling Archduke was angry. The moonlight was shining on her crown, which set her more serious. The reflecting light of the crown scattered on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s clear chin.


    ¡°Do you know who you are talking to?¡±


    ¡°Qingling Archduke, a member of the former imperial family. You helped to build this country and have close relationships with several main ministers of the former dynasty. Therefore, you¡¯re titled as Archduke and even the emperors of several countries should show respects to you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was faint. He raised his chin and his eyes were as cold as ice, which made people felt scared.


    ¡°Since you know, why dare you to challenge my authority in public?¡± Qingling Archduke showed out a studying expression, while her tone softened a little.


    Chu Tiankuo thought for a while and planned to say something, but stopped by a female voice.


    ¡°Because you are just a woman.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyesight turned to the voice. A woman stood there, whose long hair was floating with the breeze. Her eyes were delicate, the skin was tender as the white porcelain, and her figure was thin and slim. Her beautiful eyes were like the wintersweet in the winter that owned the killing coldness under its tender surface.


    Qingling Archduke turned to her, while her voice did not show out any expression. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    She only said ¡°It¡¯s you¡±, but no one knew who she was.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Zui Linglong.¡± The woman raised her chin and wore an ironic smile. ¡°I did not figure out who could put on airs so high. It turns out to be you, Qingling Archduke.¡±


    Zui Linglong laughed. ¡°What? Are you thinking that she comes out to see you guys?¡±


    Zui Linglong turned around softly, while her silver dress moved with her steps, which set her like an outstanding fairy from heaven.


    ¡°The reason why this respectful Qingling Archduke shows up here was that she was driven out of Xingyun Tower, because no women could stay there when they discuss big issues.¡±


    Everyone turned to Qingling Archduke again, while the latter¡¯s face had changed. She looked at Zui Linglong and clenched her teeth. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You have not refuted it. It seems that I¡¯m right.¡± Zui Linglong¡¯s beautiful eyes were like the stars in the sky and she wore a cunny smile.


    Qingling Archduke changed color. ¡°Come on, throw this crazy woman out!¡±


    Tang Xia felt that Zui Linglong had some secrets. She stepped forwards before she thought clearly. She made a bow immediately. ¡°Please wait, Archduke. It seems that Miss Zui is acquainted of you and might have something to tell us.¡±


    Finishing her words, Tang Xia¡¯s forehead got wet.


    ¡°Stupid woman.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold voice came from behind and wore an ironic expression.


    Qingling Archduke was really angry. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. If you said something more to help this woman, I will ask them to throw you away, too!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Zui Linglong laughed and met Tang Xia¡¯s eyes with a little appreciation. Then, she turned to Qingling Archduke. ¡°Qingling, you¡¯re too self-confident. This is Helian Jue¡¯s place and Yue Ji is his lover. How dare you throw Yue Ji out of there and who gives you the right?¡±


    Qingling¡¯s face turned dark, but she did not care about Tang Xia¡¯s matter, but turned to Zui Linglong with a chilling tone. ¡°Why are you coming here?¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s silver dress floating with the wind under the moonlight. Her extra hair was hanging over her back. She took a few steps and reached Tang Xia. She lifted Tang Xia¡¯s tender chin with her thin fingers. Her eyes were shining. ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful.¡±


    Qingling Archduke was furious. ¡°Zui Linglong!¡±


    Hearing this, Zui Linglong finally took her hand back. She said in a crisp voice, like a Nightingale, ¡°I have studied the divination for so many years. Now there is a hint which said there would be queen showing up in today¡¯s Xingyun Tower conference which would be held per a few years.


    She stopped for a while and turned to Tang Xia. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is.¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words made everyone here stunned.


    The imperial concubines who could attend this meeting must be favorite lovers of emperors of each country. There must be some capable persons, whose ambition would not only be limited.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± At the end of Zui Linglong¡¯s words, someone stepped forwards.


    ¡°My divination had never made a mistake,¡± Zui Linglong said slightly, while her voice was more psychedelic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her demon words!¡± Qingling Archduke¡¯s eyes turned darker, which made everyone here shocked.


    Zui Linglong made a bow, looking at the person in front of her and wearing an unidentified smile.


    Everyone was alerted by Qingling¡¯s words. One of them stepped out and said with a piece of frightening, ¡°Why should we believe your words?¡±


    Zui Linglong opened her mouth and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s your business to believe my words or not. It¡¯s nothing with me.¡±


    It seemed that she felt dissatisfied with the situation. She raised her voice for a few degrees higher added the fuel to the flame. ¡°But Qingling, I remembered that I used to divine for you and told you that you would never meet a man love you sincerely. How about now? Is my prediction accurate?¡±


    Qingling Archduke changed color, while her eyes were as dark as the thickest cloud in the sky, which made people feel sacred. ¡°Thank you so much for your care, Miss Zui. I¡¯m really good.¡±


    But she said nothing then.


    ¡°I have heard that Qingling Archduke had relationships with quite a lot of men during 20 years. But no one could have a good result in the end. Isn¡¯t it really that my divination is totally right that you would be alone forever?¡±


    Hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s words, a few imperial concubines here became bolder. Even facing Qingling Archduke, they dared to express their own opinions.


    Tang Xia looked at Zui Linglong with suspicion. She thought that this woman was not that simple as she imagined, while her purpose was definitely not as clear as she said.


    Zui Linglong seemed to notice her eyesight and wore a smile to her. Her tender skin set her smile more beautiful. She was really a comfortable woman.


    ¡°You guys, must want to die immediately.¡± Qingling Archduke¡¯s eyes showed out angry, which was Zui Linglong hoped to see. ¡°Come one, get that woman who was talking. Punish her with 200 slaps on her face!¡±


    A piece of fluster passed by her eyes. When she was planning to get rid of the guards, Helian Jue and the others came to disrupt the punishment.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Just a faint voice raised, informing everybody kneeled and made a bow to those emperors.


    ¡°Easy.¡± Helian Jue stepped forward and lifted Tang Xia, wearing a spoiled smile on his face.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s mouth curved and her eyes were shining without any expression. She raised her chin and asked Helian Jue, ¡°Helian Jue, have you finished your discussion? As for the second Xingyun Tower, who will you build for?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyesight was tightened, passed by Zui Linglong¡¯s smiling eyes.


    Although Helian Jue did not know the silver dressed in silver in front of him, he still wore a smile and kept good temper. ¡°Everyone should listen carefully.¡±


    He raised his voice, which made people around looked at him. ¡°The second Xingyun Tower would be built in my harem. Character ¡°Yue¡± would be on it, while it should be called ¡°Star Yue¡±. It will start from tomorrow.¡±


    Everyone here could not understand his words and looked at each other. Helian Jue still wore a smile, while the curve of his mouth was like the brightest star in the night sky.


    ¡°Xingyun Tower? Will it be built again?¡± It was the first reaction of all the imperial concubines here. They did not understand why Helian Jue announced it in public.


    Zui Linglong seemed to know everything, while her smile deepened. She raised her chin. ¡°This is life.¡±


    Qingling Archduke¡¯s face turned darker and darker. She turned to Tang Xia. ¡°Helian Jue, what¡¯s wrong with you? How could this conference among several countries become so casual? Even a little girl could be named for the second Xingyun Tower.¡±


    Her voice was cold and she seemed to be really dissatisfied.


    Helian Jue smiled and seemed to care about nothing. However, he had hidden the scorn in his eyes in a good way. ¡°We made this decision together. Archduke, are you still doubtable for the decision made by several countries?¡±


    Qingling Archduke could not find a word to answer him, but another crisp female voice turned up.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sister Yue Ji.¡± Yi Jiazi made a bow softly and her waterful eyes did not show out any jealousness. The breeze blew over her purple hair band, while the moonlights scattered on her face. The two rows of curved eyelashes were like the wings of flying butterflies.

 Chapter 46

    Tang Xia did not know what she was hiding. The expression in her eyes could not be told. She wore a smile. For a second, all the flowers were out of color.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really polite.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so lucky. Even I would envy you.¡±


    Superficially, Yi Jiazi¡¯s words showed out her congratulations to Tang Xia, but when the others heard her words, it seemed to be a hint that Yue Ji could only get this chance for her luck.


    Tang Xia wore a cold smile and did not change her face. ¡°Yes, I did not expect that my luck would be even better than your plain dumb luck.¡±


    There was a bit of irony in her words. People could consider them in their minds.


    ¡°Even the shit can¡¯t give you a chance, so what are you showing off?¡±


    Yi Jiazi frowned and understand her words quickly. She covered her mouth with disgust. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s hard to see your rough side. Are you over excited when you know you have gotten the chance?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile deepened, but had lost the interest to win her. Her eyes became cold. ¡°Why are you covering your mouth? No one asks you to eat the shit.¡±


    Yi Jiazi turned pale.


    ¡°Yue Ji, are you going to bully a person from South Country?¡± said King Nanchen. He looked a little bit funny for that hid beard had been partly cut off by Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia was thinking out a strategy. King Nanchen was not Yi Jiazi. The latter¡¯s status was lower than her, so she could answer back. However, when facing King Nanchen, it was different.


    King Nanchen wore a cold smile. When he looked at her again, the lust desire in his eyes disappeared. Instead, it was the endless coldness and hatred. It seemed that he hoped to swallow her directly.


    Tang Xia felt unpleasant.


    Suddenly, Helian Jue started to say, ¡°King Nanchen, let alone Yue Ji¡¯s meaning. Why are you saying something to frighten my beloved concubine?¡±


    Helian Jue raised his eyebrows and wore a cold smile. The starlight softened his sharp chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s her that insulted my South Country first!¡±


    ¡°Your South Country is what she said!¡±


    The two voice raised one after another. Tang Xia was stunned. Helian Jue stood against the light, while his straight figure reflected in her eyes. Her amorous eyes were shining, which were like the brightest stars in the sky.


    King Nanchen was shocked, while the blue veins showed up on his forehead. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I have said clearly. If King Nanchen could not understand, I can ask my doctor to have a check.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s words shocked everyone here again.


    It was the first time for the emperors to quarrel for a concubine.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyesight on Tang Xia added more emotions.


    Some were admiring her luck, while some were jealous and even could not help showing out.


    ¡°Helian Jue, are you really going to stand by my opposite side just for a woman?¡±


    The coldness in King Nanchen¡¯s eyes was trying to pierce He Lianjue into a sieve. His check became stiff, while his eyes were gloomy.


    ¡°I remember that King Nanchen hoped me to send Yue Ji to you just now. But, at that moment, you changed. Is this the original quality of people in South Country?¡±


    The scorn in Helian Jue¡¯s eyes was deep, while Yi Jiazi felt it was quite scaring.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the South Country is sure that we have done nothing harmful to you. Why did you say something like this?¡±


    Yi Jiazi leaned forward and made a bow. She finally did not pretend to be obedient, but her eyes were full of coldness.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? There¡¯re quite a lot of things you should make sure.¡± Helian Jue wore an ironic smile. From Tang Xia¡¯s perspective, his face seemed to be cave by the warmest jade in the world against the light. His cold smile did not reach his eyes. Under the moonlight, it seemed to be bleak.


    She had never seen this side of Helian Jue.


    ¡°About the issue of Fan¡¯er, are you sure you have done nothing harmful to her? How can you explain for the poison in your palace? It¡¯s you poisoned the flower, but transferred the crime to Yue Ji. Finally, Fan¡¯er afforded the sin for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that your South Country is powerful and even dare to press me with its power. Yi Jiazi, do you know how you will die?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s last sentence said word by word, while Yi Jiazi¡¯s face turned pale following his words.


    She might not expect that Helian Jue would be that familiar with what she had done.


    Tang Xia stared at Helian Jue¡¯s eyes. He was a man, but his eyelashes were still dense and long, like a fan, slightly swaying Tang Xia¡¯s heart.


    ¡°He¡¯s handsome¡­¡± She opened her mouth for a while, but spit out such a word.


    Helian Jue was stunned and turned to her delicate face with more exploration and seriousness.


    Tang Xia consciously found that she said something unsuitable, so she lowered her head. Her face suddenly turned pink.


    The smile in Helian Jue¡¯s eyes deepened and he seemed to be extremely satisfied with her shock.


    King Nanchen was angry. ¡°At such a juncture, you two even show out your affection in front of all the emperors.¡± He seemed to try hard to say these words and wore a gloomy smile.


    The silver light in his sleeves was looming.


    Helian Jue had not expected the danger, but leaned forward Tang Xia whose mouth was slightly opened and intended to kiss her.


    At the moment, King Nanchen drew out the sword in his sleeve.


    Dang¡­


    A slight bang turned up, while a broken blade reached Helian Jue¡¯s handsome face. A slight wound showed up on his face, and then a line of blood could be seen.


    Chu Tiankuo held a silver sword. The hilt was in his hand. The moonlight scattered on the blade, reflecting chilling light and blinding Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo tightened his lips and the arc of his face was like a piece of ice. He seemed to cut off the man in front of him.


    ¡°King Nanchen¡­ is going to kill Helian Jue¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Guard Chu save him!¡±


    Two sound of voices turned up in the crowd, drawing people¡¯s eyesight on the persons.


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes were gloomy, while half of his face hidden in the darkness. Nobody would figure out his expression.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s silver armor set him more proud and aloof under the cold moonlight. His handsome face was like a delicate craft carved by the most outstanding engraver.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were full of killing intent, which forced people to dare not come close. His eyes were focusing on Helian Jue¡¯s face.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice showed up and also looked at Chu Tiankuo. ¡°Kill Nanchen.¡±


    They looked at each other for a second and then Chu Tiankuo¡¯s low voice raised.


    ¡°You dare to kill me! How could you kill me!¡± A piece of anxiety showed in King Nanchen¡¯s eyes and he stepped back a few steps. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. If you kill me, all the people of South Country would be against you. You will die! Helian Jue! You will die more miserably than me!¡±


    When he ended his words, Chu Tiankuo moved and jumped in front of him. He waved his silver-white sword, and one of King Nanchen¡¯s arm had been cut off.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± King Nanchen screamed, and the panic in his eyes showed up.


    Chu Tiankuo was like a demon from the Shura field with an expression on his cold face. King Nanchen fell down on the ground. He was so scared that his pupils violently contracted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! No! If you kill me, Yue Ji would belong to Helian Jue. Until then, she would¡­¡±


    King Nanchen did not finish his words. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sword reached his face and a long trace showed up on his body.


    The fascinating and weird blood spit out from the wound. The lips below were clenched tightly by his teeth for fear. It seemed that he was facing the most awkward konjac.


    ¡°Jiazi! Jiazi!¡± King Nanchen had no way to go but saw Yi Jiazi standing beside. He begged with pieces of sadness in his eyes. ¡°Please help me, Jiazi. I will take you back to the South Country. I will take you away.¡±


    Yi Jiazi recovered her consciousness from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold expression.


    She killed people before, but it was the first time for her to see such a horrible scene.


    Without a trace of emotion, he could kill everyone in front of him.


    It seemed that he did this for a person.


    Yi Jiazi was embarrassed. ¡°King Nanchen¡­ I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t follow your order. Since I have married my emperor, I¡¯m his concubine. Therefore, how could I still have some relation with South Country? Besides¡­¡± She turned her eyesight. ¡°I still don¡¯t want to go back.¡±


    The hope in King Nanchen¡¯s eyes gradually faded away. He wore a cold smile and stared at Yi Jiazi. ¡°Yi Jiazi, you such a b*tch. Now, you tell me that you¡¯re not coming back. Who is asking me to take her back to South Country in the letters?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a b*tch that has slept with me. I must take you with me if I die.¡±


    King Nanchen got up and stepped to Yi Jiazi¡¯s side. One of his bloody hand dragged her long sleeves, which made Yi Jiazi scream.


    However, just for a moment, King Nanchen fell to the ground.


    Chu Tiankuo took back his sword and smothered it into the sheath with blood.


    A piece of panic passed by Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes. King Nanchen spit out his last blood before he died onto her purple robe and even her tender face was stained with blood.


    She kicked out King Nanchen¡¯s hand on her robe and kneeled to Helian Jue in panic.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. King Nanchen was just a madman! You can¡¯t believe his words. You must trust me, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yi Jiazi kowtowed to Helian Jie in panic. King Nanchen¡¯s horrible face was hanging in her mind. She was really frightened and even kowtowed much more heavily.


    Helian Jue stood in front of the palace. His eyesight was not changed, while his lips tightened. The moonlight scattered on his shoulders. His eyes were as gloomy as a pool of stagnant water without any traces of waves.


    The scene was quiet and strange, but only left Yi Jiazi¡¯s begging.


    The expression in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes changed from time to time and she caught Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyesight in panic.


    His eyes were as deep as stars. His expression was indifferent and he wore a supreme killing intent instead of an arrogant smile.


    He seemed to notice Tang Xia, but turned away from her delicate face for a second.


    Tang Xia hoped to step by his side and asked him what happened, but Helian Jue started talking.


    The candlelight of the Xingyun Palace beside him set his face more mysterious, reflecting the coldness in his eyes.


    He opened his thin lips.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°If someone is dreaming about my things. No matter it¡¯s a man or thing, it will have the same ending as King Nanchen.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s voice was indifferent, like a cup of odorless water, but the content made people shocked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s last sentence was spoken to Tang Xia, which seemed to be more tender.


    Tang Xia turned around, finding Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were like the ice, which showed out coldness and loneliness under the moonlight.


    Tang Xia was held by Helian Jue, leaving a silhouette to the others.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Zui Linglong¡­¡± Tang Xia turned around, but she could not find that slim figure even though Xingyun Tower¡¯s light had scattered on the road in front.


    ¡°Are you looking for someone, my love?¡± Helian Jue¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. The night wind brought him more softness, and even the coldness on his face was decreased.


    Tang Xia thought for a while. She was afraid of provocating more affairs, so she just said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The night scene today was good. The stars were shining in the sky, connecting one by one, which twisted Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts.


    Helian Jue brought Tang Xia to Jiaofang Palace. The eunuchs who stayed at the Jiaofang Palace had lighted the white candle at every corner, which made the room was as bright as daytime.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia stepped to the gate and shared her appreciation to Helian Jue. Her waist was suddenly held by an arm. Just for a second, she was pressed against the gate by Helian Jue.


    ¡°You¡¯re really attractive today, my love.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s eyes focused on Tang Xia¡¯s beautiful face.


    The cold moonlight poured on her delicate face. Her eyes were shining with waterful waves, which were like attractive stars. Helian Jue could not move his eyes away from her.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pink for a second. Her lips were slightly opened. The wooden door behind her was a little cold, but the temperature on Helian Jue¡¯s body was high.


    ¡°I¡¯m appreciated for your praise¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, her lips were touched by Helian Jue¡¯s fingers. His originally peaceful eyes were as dark as a pool of water. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that restrained, my love.¡±


    ¡°I have no time to see you for a few times, but now I can fulfill my previous commitment.¡±


    His voice was low and melodious, reminding Tang Xia of that person. That man who had a cold and arrogant face dressed in silver armor and was able to attract people¡¯s minds no matter where he was.


    Helian Jue¡¯s words became more ambiguous, while his long fingers pinched Tang Xia¡¯s chin and lifted it up slightly. ¡°Your lips are really beautiful, my love.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were full of emotions. However, she turned her head and moved her lips away when Helian Jue leaned forwards her.


    They were both stunned at once.


    ¡°There are too many happy events tonight, so I can¡¯t accept them all for such a short time. I¡¯m afraid that you will feel uncomfortable when I serve you, Your Majesty,¡± Tang Xia said with her face turning pink. She bit her lips. ¡°Can you come over here a few days later? I must try my best to serve you.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s eyes were hidden in the darkness. His shoulders were swinging widely and even his breath became deep.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I will come a few days later.¡± Helian Jue put down his fingers on Tang Xia¡¯s chin, only leaving a piece of warmth.


    Helian Jue¡¯s silhouette was lonely and straight under the moonlight. His shadow was scattered on the ground. Tang Xia sighed with a sigh of relief, but her eyes got wet.


    After a while, Anran stepped out from the other side. ¡°Your Grace¡­ why the emperor just leave¡­¡±


    The red on Tang Xia¡¯s face had not faded away. She just took a long sigh. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Should I spread the news that the emperor has come over here? You¡¯re in favor of the emperor. This news could enhance your authority, which must earn more respect for you.¡± Anran was scheming for Tang Xia sincerely, but Tang Xia did not have any mood to think about the gains and losses this night.


    ¡°Just arrange it as you like.¡± Tang Xia turned into the palace. The temperature was high inside. She took off her dress and was sleepless all night.


    When she woke up the next day, Anran just pushed in. ¡°Your Grace, the Xingyue Tower has been under construction. It is worthy to be called the power of the Union Countries. Everything is well-prepared even if it¡¯s such a large project.¡±


    Tang Xia answered in a low voice. ¡°Do you know what this tower is constructed for?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and found that even the comments of the bullet screen area said that there was quite a lot of difference from the original novel.


    Anran shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only heard that the Xingyun Tower was originally built for a concubine of King Chu in former dynasty. Then, I know nothing more.¡±


    Hearing Anran mentioned King Chu¡¯s concubine again, Tang Xia asked with interest, ¡°Do you mean that Lady Lan?¡±


    But the answer was negative. ¡°It said that Lady Lan was the favorite concubine of King Chu, but King Chu had no right to build the Xingyun Tower for her.¡±


    Tang Xia turned her eyesight. ¡°Why?¡±


    Anran thought for a while. ¡°It said that Lady Lan was not qualified enough. The Xingyun Tower was built for King Chu¡¯s first concubine, the queen of the last dynasty. Therefore, it was titled with ¡°Yun¡± and its name was Xingyun Tower.¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s the meaning to build that Xingyun Tower?¡± Tang Xia followed her words, but Anran showed out an unenviable expression.


    ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m just a little maid. I only heard about those things from Eunuch Shun. Those are just topics after lunch, which might not be the truth.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head and did not ask her more.


    After some dressing, Little Yuzi pushed the door of Jiaofang Palace and entered.


    He lowered his head and his eyes were showing up a little panic. ¡°Something bad, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Tell me.¡±


    Little Yuzi lowered his head more. ¡°Your Grace, all the people in the harem are scattering a rumor that you become arrogant with the emperor¡¯s favor and always abuse your servants.¡±


    Little Yuzi¡¯s arms were slightly trembling, which could tell that he was really terrified. His words made Tang Xia frowned.


    ¡°Who is the one starting spread this rumor? Which palace does he or she come?¡± Tang Xia got the cup of tea from Anran. The water in the cup was rippling. She put the tea in the cup aside and took a sip.


    ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s from the palace of Lady Lengmei.¡±


    Tang Xia took the last sip and put the cup down. Nobody could tell any expression on her delicate face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to see the Lady Lengmei.¡±


    Tang Xia broke in before she asked someone to inform Lengmei.


    Lengmei was sitting in the palace with her hand holding her tender check and eyes half opened.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tang Xia stepped forwards without any expression on her face. She raised her eyebrows slightly and looked extremely intolerant.


    ¡°You really become bolder and even dare to break into my palace directly.¡± Lengmei pinned all her hair up and wore an ironic smile. She looked at Tang Xia, while the sunshine set her face more serious. Even Anran felt a little bit scared.


    ¡°Are you too proud of yourself? Why shouldn¡¯t I come to your palace?¡± Tang Xia wore a scornful smile. Her big eyes were as clear as the spring under the sunshine, waterful and clever.


    Lengmei¡¯s eyes condensed, while she raised her eyebrows. ¡°You just attend an international conference with our emperor. You really think it¡¯s a big deal? You even dare to be rude in front of me. Such a county girl without any experience.¡±


    Tang Xia sneered and her smile was a little bit ironic. Even her amorous eyes were also bringing a bit of irony.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really too proud of yourself.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s words made Lengmei¡¯s delicate eyes add a little angry.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean you really have delusional symptoms.¡± Tang Xia slowly walked to her side. She deliberately dressed in blue, because she knew that Lengmei always dressed in blue.


    There must be a better one between the two dresses, so were Tang Xia and Lengmei.


    ¡°Which eye do you use to see I am happy for attending the international conference?¡± She sneered. ¡°Which ear do you use to hear about this? You really think that I said you¡¯re stupid just because I attended that conference?¡±


    ¡°Should I just use this small conference to show off in front of you? It¡¯s your delusional symptom. You have to cure it!¡±


    Lengmei was successfully irritated by her and her eyes were full of angry. ¡°Who is delusional as you said?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s smile deepened gradually. ¡°Just relying on your IQ, how could you play tricks in the harem? Do you know you could die in many ways for spreading rumors in the harem?¡±


    Tang Xia squatted her eyes into a crescent moon, leaning forwards Lengmei without any smile.


    Lengmei tensed her eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°You still try to pretend.¡± Tang Xia cleared her throat. ¡°Little Yuzi.¡±


    Hearing her voice, Little Yuzi kneeled on the ground.


    ¡°Answer me, where did the rumor that I abused my servants come from?¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows, showing out coldness. Her voice had no emotions.


    ¡°Your Grace, it came out of Lady Lengmei¡¯s palace.¡±


    Tang Xia proudly raised her eyebrows and looked at Lengmei scornful.


    The latter bit her lips and her eyes were cold. ¡°It¡¯s just words of a servant. You think it a truth? Besides, your Jiaofang Palace is just a small one. but my palace is not like yours. I have so many maids there. They would talk about something after meals. If you did not abuse your maid, why are you afraid of others talking about this?¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s words hit on Tang Xia¡¯s mind. In the end, Tang Xia seemed to become the costive one who would believe the words of a servant.


    ¡°Since it is so, Anran.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s ironic smile deepened. ¡°Carry on my order that Lengmei is hitting me in her palace and saying that our emperor has bad behaviors.¡±


    Lengmei changed color. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile did not fade away. ¡°Lady Leng, how can you be this kind of costive? I just make a joke on you. If you did not do it, why are you afraid of others talking about this?¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s expression turned darker and darker when looking at Tang Xia¡¯s smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re really unruly.¡± She wore a cold smile and seemed to look down upon Tang Xia. ¡°You could spread it as you like. The one who makes the rumors in the harem must have quite a lot of ways to die.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really educatable that you can learn my words.¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows, while the latter became more serious.


    ¡°Yu Ji!¡± The anger nearly burst out of her chest. But when she met Tang Xia¡¯s smiling eyes, she finally put down her anger.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Her voice was lowered. ¡°Throw Yue Ji out of my palace.¡±

 Chapter 48

    A few guards came inside immediately, holding Tang Xia¡¯s arms. She avoided their gestures lightly and turned her head away with her blue dress floating up and down.


    ¡°How dare you touch me without my permission.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s eyes deepened and turned to Tang Xia more seriously. She wore a light smile, which made Tang Xia stunned.


    ¡°Yue Ji, why did you become so frivolous? You came to my palace this morning and alerted trouble. I know you have been to Xingyun Tower with our emperor to join the international conference. Besides, our emperor also stayed at your palace last night. However, why have you become so arrogant just because of our emperor¡¯s love?¡±


    Lengmei suddenly said these unclear words, which made Tang Xia stunned. The clever feeling in her eyes could not cheat Tang Xia. She thought for a while and wore a smile again.


    ¡°Sister, why are you saying this¡­ I just came here for an excuse. Little Yuzi said you asked your maids to spread a rumor about me in the harem. I only hope to have a check over here. How could you have such a big difference with me?¡±


    Tang Xia said with her voice trembling. Her expression was similar to Yi Jiazi¡¯s performance, which showed out the grievances in the best way.


    Sure enough, Lengmei was stunned and bit her lips tightly. She planned to say something, but was interrupted by a cold sound behind Tang Xia.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Helian Jue¡¯s indifferent voice showed up. Tang Xia had already expected this, but she still pretended to be stunned. She turned around and made a bow to him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, why are you coming here?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a vague smile, staring at Lengmei with coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re too tender to play a trick with me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have a clear time in this early morning.¡±


    Helian Jue took a few steps to the seat and seemed to be very tired.


    Tang Xia was standing by him with a proud expression on her face. Her smile was seemed to be a ridiculous irony in Lengmei¡¯s eyes, which made the latter frown.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you just stayed at Yue Ji¡¯s palace for one night, and she dared to break into my Yanyue Palace directly. If you give her more love, could I still have a peaceful life in my palace?¡±


    Lengmei said her thoughts directly. Without Yi Jiazi¡¯s affectation, Lengmei¡¯s behavior made Tang Xia surprised.


    Helian Jue raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Tang Xia was stunned and temporarily stopped talking.


    However, Lengmei thought she admitted her fault in silence. Her mouth was curved with irony. ¡°Your Majesty, you should pay attention to this.¡±


    Helian Jue frowned unhappily. ¡°Who said I had stayed at Jiaofang Palace for a whole night?¡±


    A piece of panic passed by Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, which was caught by Lengmei. The latter one wore an ironic smile. ¡°It¡¯s Yue Ji, of course. At midnight yesterday, the maid in her palace told everyone she met that our emperor had come to Tang Xia¡¯s palace. She behaved so arrogantly like this. Doesn¡¯t she become haughty because of our emperor¡¯s love?¡±


    Tang Xia just thought of her words last night and the panic in her eyes deepened.


    Helian Jue¡¯s expression was indifferent. He looked through Tang Xia and his eyesight turned darker.


    ¡°What if I spoil her? I do everything for her just to hope that she could be arrogant and proud of my love.¡±


    Helian Jue said faintly, which provoked a wave of ripples in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Meanwhile, Lengmei were widely opening her beautiful eyes, while a piece of surprise passed by her face.


    Then, the jealousness poured into her mind. She looked at Tang Xia and hoped to pierce her into a sieve. Finally, she moved a little and made a bow. ¡°I get it.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a vague smile, but met Helian Jue¡¯s faintly observation. The sunshine scattered on her face, leaving a mottle through the shadow of the tree. A piece of coldness passed by Helian Jue¡¯s eyes, which made Tang Xia shocked.


    ¡°Have you digest my words?¡± Helian Jue suddenly said these unrelated words, but Tang Xia knew his meaning.


    He referred to the words she said last night! He still remembered her refusing!


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were shinning. She forced herself to smile for a few times but she could not. She felt helpless in her mind.


    This matter was done without any solution. When they got out of Yanyue Palace, Helian Jue leaned forwards Tang Xia and wore a vague smile.


    ¡°My love, you have not answered my question.¡±


    He mentioned this topic again, which made Tang Xia feel a little embarrassed. She wore an embarrassed smile and said, ¡°I¡­ I still don¡¯t prepare well. I hope you can give me more time, Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue seemed to have expected. He observed her for a while and finally moved away.


    Helian Jue said nothing and left indifferently. His silhouette was arrogant and lonely.


    Tang Xia breathed a sigh of relief, following with Anran. They returned Jiaofang Palace one after the other, but noticed a man dressed in a silver armor stood in front of the palace.


    It was Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia was excited to see him and stepped forwards. Chu Tiankuo just looked at her for a second and moved away quickly.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡±


    His voice was a bit indifferent and alienated. The sunshine scattered on his silver armor, while the reflecting light hit on Tang Xia¡¯s eyelids, which made her blinded for a moment.


    Tang Xia nodded her head, while she raised her eyebrows high. She hoped to ask him why he behaved like this, but before she could say something, she was stopped by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyesight.


    ¡°Leave us alone.¡± Tang Xia turned her head and said to Anran behind her.


    Anran left as she ordered. Tang Xia walked a few steps to Chu Tiankuo. Looking at his arrogant face, she wore a smile. ¡°Thank you so much for saving me last night.¡±


    She meant that Chu Tiankuo cut off King Nanchen¡¯s arm when the latter came to kill Tang Xia at the time when Helian Jue was planning to kiss her when she was not looking.


    Without Chu Tiankuo¡¯s action, Helian Jue would kiss her.


    Chu Tiankuo finally turned his eyes on Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face. The moving shadow scattered on her clear forehead, setting her skin tenderer. The dark-red hairpin in her hair matched well with her blue dress, forming a warm color collision. It was unexpectedly good-looking.


    The breeze blew her dress over, floating slightly. Tang Xia wore a vague smile, while Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyesight turned to her lips, which seemed to have irresistible magic to attract her deeply.


    He finally turned his head away and said faintly, ¡°Your Grace, you don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned. Chu Tiankuo did not seem to be joking. The atmosphere around dropped down for a few degrees. She did not know why she felt unreasonably uncomfortable when Chu Tiankuo treated her so alienated.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, are you mad?¡±


    She stared at him angrily, but Chu Tiankuo turned his head away. ¡°If you have nothing to say, I ask for leave, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°The arrogant monster!¡± Tang Xia leaned forwards him and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re my comrades-in-arms and a man comes from the same world as me. You can¡¯t be defeated by the system¡¯s routine!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stared at her closely. Quite a lot of complex expression waved in his eyes. He seemed to open his mouth, but finally said nothing.


    Chu Tiankuo bypassed Tang Xia and left directly. Tang Xia was a little bit annoyed. How could there be such a person who was always out of mind?


    The sunshine scattered on his body, setting him straighter and taller. In the bleak time, Chu Tiankuo seemed to be more and more restrained.


    Tang Xia stepped back to Jiaofang Palace, but hearing Anran¡¯s impudent screaming. ¡°Your Grace, Eunuch Shun Decai came.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned serious and she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he follow our emperor?¡±


    She just departed with Helian Jue, so why he sent a servant over her Jiaofang Palace?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Eunuch Shun Decai came in from the back door, saying that he came with an imperial edict.¡±


    Tang Xia thought for a while. ¡°Show me the way.¡±


    Shun Decai respectful saw Tang Xia with a golden and shining imperial edict in his hands.


    He just asked Anran to leave and said this edict was specific to Tang Xia from Helian Jue.


    Tang Xia frowned and made a bow honestly. In front of her, Shun Decai cleared his throat and slowly opened the imperial edict.


    ¡°I hereby proclaim that Lady Yue Ji is clumsy. In order to enhance her comprehension skill, Shun Decai should supervise her to read Women¡¯s Classics in the Jiaofang Palace every morning.¡±


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia did not return to her consciousness for a short while.


    ¡°Your Grace, why not receive the imperial edict quickly?¡±


    Shun Decai smiled and put the edict into Tang Xia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Why does our emperor make this order?¡± She was curious.


    Why did he say her comprehension skill was not good enough? Should an imperial concubine go to take the exam of Women¡¯s Classics¡­


    Shun Decai¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Your Grace, you should consider it again. Did you make the emperor angry recently?¡±


    Tang Xia thought very seriously.


    Wait¡­ Was it¡­


    Was it that she said ¡°I need time to think about things happening recently¡±, which made Helian Jue mad to now?


    Tang Xia was speechless and helpless. ¡°Should I read it every day¡­¡±


    Shun Decai smiled. ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I will remind you of reading it. On the base of the policy in the palace, if you don¡¯t read it, you will¡­¡±


    ¡°What will happen to me?¡± Tang Xia asked carefully.


    ¡°You could have a try, Your Grace.¡± Shun Decai smiled again. ¡°I don¡¯t hope to interrupt you, Your Grace. I will come to you tomorrow morning punctually.¡±


    Tang Xia sent Shun Decai away with sadness on her face. Anran came to her.


    ¡°Your Grace? What happened?¡±


    The breeze passed by Tang Xia and blew over her hair. Her amorous eyes were waterful and were full of sadness.


    ¡°A tough issue, really tough!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anran was serious.


    ¡°Are the Women¡¯s Classics¡­ thick or not¡­¡±


    Time passed by and the night fell down. Stars scattered in the sky. A line of light fell down on the gate of Jiaofang Palace, which seemed to make it cover a layer of frost.


    Little Yuzi ran fast to Tang Xia and kneeled on the ground heavily.


    ¡°Your Grace, Lady Jiazi asked me to report to you that she is waiting for you by the Lotus Pool.¡±


    What the hell?


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows, while the Little Yuzi on the ground added, ¡°Lady Jiazi said Guard Chu was also over there and they seemed to talk about Faner¡¯s issue.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the issue of Faner settled? Why does she mention it again?¡±


    Little Yuzi ducked down. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The maid of Lady Jiazi asked me to report it to you. If you don¡¯t go there, she will arrest Guard Chu and send him to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Does she consider Chu Tiankuo a water-chestnut pudding that she could send as she wants?¡±


    Tang Xia was speechless. When she found Little Yuzi ducked down again, she had to relax her eyebrows. ¡°Well, I will go to meet her.¡±


    By the Lotus Pool, Yi Jiazi dressed in purple. Under the moonlight, she was charming and attractive.


    ¡°Sister Yue Ji, you¡¯re coming.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows and looked at Yi Jiazi calmly, ¡°What do you want me for?¡± Then she fixed her eyes on Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes, ¡°Where is Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Yi Jiazi closed her lips and wore a trace of scorn in her eyes, ¡°You are so worried about Guard Chu, sister.¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a moment, ¡°Are you fooling me?¡±


    ¡°I dare not to fool you, sister. It¡¯s just the incorrectly relayed rumors from those slaves.¡± Yi Jiazi said with shrewdness flickering in her eyes and the golden hairpin into her hair shining in the dark.


    ¡°Yi Jiazi, I have no interest in playing your game. If you are making trouble for me, I advise you to stop.¡± Tang Xia said squinting down at Yi Jiazi. Like ink spilling into the horizon, the color of the night darkened as the slight floral fragrance of lotus lingered in the air.


    ¡°You must be joking, sister.¡± Yi Jiazi frowned her eyebrows slightly, then wore an indistinct smile on her mouth, ¡°You are so carefree now. I just wonder if you can stay calm as well after murdering someone, Sister Yue Ji.¡±


    Yi Jiazi¡¯s smile was so strange that Tang Xia raised her eyebrows quite high.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    Tang Xia fixed her peach blossom eyes on Yi Jiazi with lights flickering in her eyes as her long dress swayed with the wind which highlighted her dominance.


    ¡°What is wrong with me? Hm.¡± Yi Jiazi sneered with her eyes full of gloominess, ¡°Yue Ji, do not try to have the last word. You have hurt me like this, how shameless you are to mount the high horse in front of me now.¡±


    Yi Jiazi unfolded her facade totally in front of Tang Xia as if her hatred was ignited and Tang Xia froze at the sight of the coldness in Yi Jiazi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°When did I hurt you? It was you who went for the wool and came home shorn. How shameless you are to blame it on me.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a trace of anger in her eyes, not knowing what Yi Jiazi was going to do, ¡°If you called me just to listen to your complaints, I have no time for that.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows in disgust as her long dress swayed with the wind. As she was sure that Chu Tiankuo was not here, there was no need for her to stay.


    As a hint of darkness flickered in Yi Jiazi¡¯s gloomy eyes, she wore a strange smile on her mouth then raised her voice suddenly.


    ¡°Sister Yue Ji, why bother embarrassing me?¡±


    Yi Jiazi yelled then flipped over unexpectedly as her purple sleeves trembled like the wings of a butterfly in the darkness leaving only silence.


    As Yi Jiazi plopped into the pond, Tang Xia¡¯s nose was full of the floral fragrance of a lotus in bloom.


    Tang Xia wore a heavy appearance and fixed her eyes on Yi Jiazi¡¯s fair arm above the water then said, ¡°Rescue her.¡±


    Xiao Yuzi wore a reluctant appearance, making Tang Xia raise her eyebrows, ¡°Hurry!¡±


    Xiao Yuzi in front shivered then knelt on the ground, spreading his dark-colored eunuch uniform, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I cannot obey your command. As Yi Jiazi is in danger, I have to risk my life to rescue her.¡±


    As he finished her sentence, Xiao Yuzi also plopped into the pond making a splash that wet Tang Xia¡¯s sleeves embroidered with decorative patterns and leaving Tang Xia pondering in her peach blossom eyes.


    ¡°What does he mean?¡± Tangxia thought.


    ¡°What happened? Did Yi Jiazi fall into the water?¡± A familiar voice came from behind, making Tang Xia quiver in her heart then Tang Xia turned around immediately and bowed to Helian Jue, ¡°I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue hid his handsome face in the dim light, showing neither his happiness nor anger, then raised his eyebrows high. Tang Xia said comforting him, ¡°Xiao Yuzi has jumped into the water to rescue her and the water of the lotus pond was not deep. You need not worry too much, Your Majesty.¡±


    As Tang Xia finished her sentence, Xiao Yuzi held the wet Yi Jiazi out of the water. Yi Jiazi still wore an indistinct smile on her mouth for Tang Xia, like a deadly thorn flower unfolding in the dark, which looked strangely enchanting.


    Xiao Yuzi felt Yi Jiazi¡¯s breath quickly then wore a pale face and shivered to kneel on the ground, ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty, Yi Jiazi is dead!¡±


    Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows as the blue veins on his forehead protruded out, ¡°I just saw her fall into the water. How could she possibly die as she was rescued soon after?¡±


    Hearing Helian Jue¡¯s words, Xiao Yuzi kowtowed to the ground hard, ¡°Your Majesty, Yi Jiazi truly has no breath anymore. You can call for the imperial physician to diagnose again. I dare not play around to you with her death, Your Majesty!¡±


    Helian Jue said in a cold voice, ¡°Summon the imperial physician.¡±


    The imperial physician hurried to carry Yi Jiazi to Shangshufang then raised his eyebrows high after feeling her pulse, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Your Majesty. Yi Jiazi has passed away.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡±


    Helian Jue shouted angrily, making everyone present kneel on the ground together.


    ¡°I just saw her fall into the water. How could she possibly die as she was rescued by Xiao Yuzi soon after!¡±


    The imperial physician bent his body lower, ¡°I dare not deceive you, Your Majesty. As a Southlander, Yi Jiazi is not good at swimming, and it is too cold at night in spite of the fact that the lotus pond is not deep. Additionally, as Yi Jiazi was frightened, the damage she got became worse. If Yi Jiazi could have been rescued earlier by a little bit, she would not be dead now.¡±


    Xiao Yuzi sobbed depressingly, irritating Helian Jue, ¡°What are you crying for?¡±


    ¡°It was me who did not do well¡­ I should have jumped into the water to rescue her without hesitation. I deserve to die, I deserve to die!¡±


    Helian Jue felt his heart contract for a moment, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go and rescue her immediately? How dare you set aside your master¡¯s life!¡±


    Xiao Yuzi wept immediately then said in a tremulous voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ It was Yue Ji¡­ It was she who commanded me not to rescue Yi Jiazi!¡±


    Tang Xia could not stand it anymore, then said with anger in her eyes, ¡°Bullshit! When did I command you not to rescue her!¡±


    Xiao Yuzi lowered his head then kowtowed immediately, ¡°How could you not admit that, Your Grace¡­ You commanded me not to rescue her and I hesitated then¡­ Or Yi Jiazi would not have drowned to death¡­¡±


    Tang Xia opened her lips as Helian Jue noticed Shun Decai standing aside, wearing a hesitant appearance, then asked, ¡°What do you want to say!¡±


    Shun Decai lowered his body with a shocked appearance, ¡°I¡­ I seemed to hear that Xiao Yuzi saying something like ¡®I cannot obey your command¡¯ and ¡®I have to rescue her¡¯¡­¡±


    As Shun Decai spoke, Helian Jue¡¯s face darkened gradually, and he started to look at Tang Xia with aversion.


    ¡°Yue Ji, explain to me why you commanded Xiao Yuzi not to rescue Yi Jiazi and why you asked Yi Jiazi to the lotus pond at midnight!¡±


    Knowing that the situation was unfavorable, Tang Xia knelt on the ground immediately then pressed her forehead against the ground, bowing to Helian Jue, ¡°Your Majesty, it was Yi Jiazi who asked me out, and it was she who jumped into the water.¡±


    Helian Jue squinted his long and narrow eyes, ¡°You mean that Yi Jiazi asked you to the lotus pond then jumped into the water herself? It is none of your business?¡±


    Instantly he said in a cold voice, sneering, ¡°Hm, Yue Ji. I thought you could at most lord over the imperial concubines. How dare you kill people in the imperial harem! I favored you so much before, not expecting that you would be so unappreciative! You dare to frame Yi Jiazi! What on earth is your purpose?¡±


    As Helian Jue said his last words gnashing his teeth, Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows tightly, ¡°What I said is true. You can investigate it thoroughly if you don¡¯t believe me, Your Majesty!¡±


    Helian Jue flared out, with his blue veins on his forehead protruding out, ¡°How should I investigate it thoroughly? After Yi Jiazi fell into the water, Xiao Yuzi said it was you who did not let him rescue her! Even Shun Decai could prove that! You are still lying to me now! If Yi Jiazi wanted to frame you, why bother losing her life! Yue Ji, you truly let me down!¡±


    ¡°You only believe what you see and hear, Your Majesty. Now that Yi Jiazi is dead, do you want to force me to die, too?¡±


    Helian Jue said in a chilly voice with coldness in his eyes, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I did not mean that.¡± Tang Xia remained silent for a while, then turned around, ¡°Xiao Yuzi, I did command you to rescue Yi Jiazi beside the lotus pond, why did you frame me? It was you who told me that Yi Jiazi asked me to the lotus pond, why won¡¯t you admit that?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Helian Jue waved his sleeves in a passion, ¡°You are still lying in this situation! Take Yue Ji to Jiaofang hall. Without my permission, she is not allowed to go out and all the imperial concubines are forbidden to make contact with her!¡±


    Shun Decai lowered his body, then took Tang Xia away quickly. Tang Xia knew exactly the present situation, leaving her sleeves swaying in the air.


    News that Tang Xia was banished to the cold palace was spread around quickly among the imperial harem, Tang Xia was reading the messages on the bullet screen leisurely in Jiaofang hall.


    [Fans] Mountain Snow: Don¡¯t be sad, anchor. Even if Helian Jue does not believe you, we believe you.


    [Fans] Don¡¯t Care About Where Heroes Are From: Lol, I can¡¯t believe that you were framed, anchor. Yi Jiazi who was transformed became the best of the best so that she could lose her life to defeat you. I guess conquering you is her task. Lol


    [Fans] Purple Years: Anchor, let me tell you a joke. Yi Jiazi¡¯s families are all Yijiazi (coat hanger)!


    [Visitor] Alibaba: So cold¡­ (sad face) Anchor was not chilled by Helian Jue¡¯s heartlessness, but froze from your cold joke.


    [Fans] Purple Years: Oh right, anchor¡¯s appearance is truly frozen.


    [Visitor] Alibaba: It is because of your low-speed network.


    Tang Xia bent her eyes with a glimmer of a smile in her beautiful eyes.


    After one day, Tang Xia relaxed leisurely, not worrying about eating or drinking in the Jiaofang hall. Then Anran held a delicate hamper and covered the gold table with pastries.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia rose then sat on the chair, ¡°Why are they all pastries?¡±


    ¡°¡­ His Majesty has banned us from going out and no one dares to deliver food materials to us. So I have to make some pastries for you with the previous materials. I hope you will enjoy them, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a moment and understood what she meant immediately, then she waved her sleeves at the sight of Anran lowering her head, ¡°It is not a big deal. We just cannot have a meal for the moment. I can take this opportunity to taste your cooking.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled, hinting Anran to sit with her.


    ¡°As you have been framed this time, have you ever thought how you will deal with it, Your Grace?¡± Anran hesitated for a moment then said her worries.


    Tang Xia got one bite of the delicate pastry then raised her eyebrows, ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    Anran lowered her eyebrows. ¡°As your slave girl, I surely believe you, Your Grace¡­¡±


    After hesitating for a while, Anran closed her cherry lips then said, ¡°Not only do I believe you, but also Lyuyou¡­ believes you, Your Grace.¡±

 Chapter 50

    As Anran mentioned Lyuyou, Tang Xia raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°How is she doing now?¡± Tang Xia pretended to eat the pastry up unconcernedly, not looking at Anran.


    ¡°Lyuyou said,¡± Anran raised her eyebrows as if she hated to say the following words, but said while grinding her teeth, ¡°Lyuyou asked you to release her, or you will be in trouble.¡±


    Hearing Anran¡¯s words, Tang Xia squinted her beautiful eyes tightly, unfolding her coldness immediately, ¡°Huh? Did she say so?¡±


    Anran shivered her body slightly then knelt on the ground quickly, ¡°Your Grace, there may be some misunderstandings between you and Lyuyou. She truly believes in you. Please give her a chance to hear her opinions.¡±


    Tang Xia took the celadon cup on the table up, ¡°It is none of my business if she was misunderstood.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia took a sip of the tea. The fragrance of the tea filled the house.


    Anran curled herself up with her slender fingers clawing the rosewood floor and her shoulder shaking up and down, ¡°I see.¡±


    As it was night, the air in the imperial palace turned chilly. Tang Xia just let Anran light one white candle, then put it on the table in the cella.


    When it was completely dark, the chilly air antagonized Tang Xia¡¯s delicate face. She tightened the tippet on her shoulder with her slender fingers looking at the moon, ¡°Tell me, Shun Decai said yesterday that His Majesty punished me to read Woman Precepts, why does he change his mind today?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her head fixing her eyes on the bright moon in the sky.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Anran hesitated as she thought that Tang Xia was worried about her being banned from going out, then wore an upset appearance unconsciously.


    Tang Xia raised her head looking ahead seriously ¨C there was a small place that only she herself could see.


    Tang Xia wore a trace of a smile on her lips unconsciously, making Anran wear a worried appearance, ¡°Your Grace, let it be. Let¡¯s go inside as it is too cold outside.¡±


    Tang Xia came to her senses slowly after Anran persuaded her twice, ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, please do not be upset. I am in pain to see you suffering. It is all good to stay in Jiaofeng hall. There is wintersweet in the winter and peach trees in the summer here. Do not let your health break down due to your worries.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡­ I am not upset.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, why bother showing your grief to the moon if you are not upset? Why did you talk about the decree given by His Majesty? Why were you only wearing a trace of a smile on your mouth? It is just because you thought of those sweet memories with His Majesty!¡± Anran could not help shedding tears on her delicate face.


    Then Tang Xia¡¯s mouth convulsed.


    ¡°Anran¡­ I¡­ was just reading the messages on the bullet screen!¡±


    [Fans] Konghao: Lol, I confess my love to Anran who achieves a new ¡®high¡¯ IQ of 250!


    [Fans] Xusong: I¡¯m just back from Honor of Kings (game), how is the plot going now?


    [Fans] Red Fruit: Early warning for the supporting actress who framed the female leading role into the cold palace and made it more difficult for the female leading role to complete her task. Was it due to moral bankruptcy or distortion of human nature? Please look forward to the next season of Those Years When We Were in the Cold Palace.


    [Fans] Xusong: Oh my god! You are such a genius, Red Fruit! I¡¯m going to catch up to the live broadcast at high speed!


    [Fans] Yunvxinjing: Are you feeling bored, anchor? I can deliver warmth to you~


    [Fans] Konghao: Are you going to send money to the anchor? (looking forward to that)


    [Fans] Yunvxinjing: Hot-water bags are sold in the front row.


    Tang Xia was not too bad for the next few days, while Xiao Yuzi was probably put into prison by Helian Jue much earlier.


    As the sun shined brightly in the sky, Tang Xia heard some noise outside the Jiaofang hall. One emaciated man was thrown into the hall before Tang Xia could check it out.


    ¡°Get in, behave yourself.¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Although my Jiaofang hall has become a cold palace, it doesn¡¯t mean that everyone can get in at will.¡± Tang Xia strode forward with her beautiful eyes half-closed.


    ¡°I¡¯m instructed by His Majesty to put this dog-like slave back to your hall, Your Grace.¡± The leader of the imperial bodyguards said in a cold voice with a serious appearance which made Tang Xia unhappy.


    ¡°Dog-like slave? How can you guards call my slave in this way¡­¡±


    Then Tang Xia fixed her eyes on the emaciated man on the floor who was dressed in a dark-colored eunuch uniform with pale lips, covering his head tightly.


    It was Xiao Yuzi.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know this guy. Just take him away.¡± Tang Xia turned around unconcernedly.


    ¡°Please spare my life, spare my life, Your Grace¡­ Please save my life. I¡¯m willing to do everything for you. Please let me stay in Jiaofang hall, Your Grace. I¡¯m a scoundrel! I¡¯m a dog-like slave!¡± Xiao Yuzi clung onto Tang Xia¡¯s slender legs, weeping bitterly.


    The imperial guards felt awkward, ¡°Your Grace¡­ It is His Majesty¡¯s order. Please do not hassle me.¡±


    ¡°What does His Majesty mean? Put the slave who framed me in my Jiaofang hall? I¡¯m not able to eat anything at the sight of him.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a trace of anger in her thin eyebrows, unfolding her coldness suddenly.


    ¡°We are just following orders, please have a good rest, Your Grace.¡± The imperial guard bowed to her then left with the other servants, making Tang Xia quite angry.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­ What do we do with Xiao Yuzi¡­¡± Anran said in a soft voice feeling timid.


    ¡°Lock him in the woodshed.¡± Tang Xia said sourly.


    Anran replied cowardly, ¡°But¡­ Lyuyou is also in the woodshed, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia thought for a moment then frowned her eyebrows again, ¡°Then bring Lyuyou out and lock Xiao Yuzi in.¡±


    As the moon shined alone in the sky, Tang Xia could not help feeling anxious and fixed her eyes on the garden because she had not got any news from outside for several days.


    Although Lyuyou was released in the morning, Tang Xia did not talk with her and Anran would look after Lyuyou in the room when she was free.


    ¡°It is getting colder and colder in the palace. We cannot resist the coldness only in this flimsy dress.¡± Tang Xia talked to herself with her peach blossom eyes glowing beautifully in the darkness.


    ¡°Ko Deng-¡± A slight voice attracted Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    As Tang Xia looked around, she heard a series of slight movements. And before she could react, Tang Xia was held into one broad embrace.


    ¡°It is me.¡± His deep voice was as sweet and melodious as a concerto lingering around Tang Xia¡¯s ears, which made her comfortable.


    ¡°Why are you here, Guard Chu?¡± Tang Xia turned around as the glow of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s shining silver armor flickered in her eyes.


    She remembered that there were still some problems between them.


    ¡°I lost my washboard so I¡¯m looking for that.¡± Chu Tiankuo replied as the moonlight fell on his charismatic side profile, which was like the most exquisite painting of a painter.


    ¡°How could you lose your washb¡­¡± Tang Xia realized immediately that his washboard referred to her as her chest was as flat as a washboard, then her delicate face pouted like a bun.


    ¡°You are the washboard!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo laughed gently in a deep voice as the curve of his chin was as perfect as the most transparent jade.


    ¡°I came to see her.¡± Chu Tiankuo squinted his eyes then looked Tang Xia up and down with his charismatic eyes.


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows complacently, ¡°Why are you looking for her?¡±


    ¡°To wash my clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Tang Xia felt that she could do nothing to Chu Tiankuo.


    Scattered flames afar were highlighted in the darkness. At the sight of this, Tang Xia pondered for a while, ¡°Why are there torches lit outside at this hour¡­¡±


    Before she even finished the sentence, Chu Tiankuo held her to the cella with his broad palm.


    Chu Tiankuo blew out the only candle then looked out through the paper window covering Tang Xia¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Your Grace, we are instructed by His Majesty to take you somewhere, please open the door for us.¡±


    A rough voice came from the outside, making Tang Xia frown as usual. As she wanted to open the door, Tang Xia¡¯s mouth was covered more tightly by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°As you are besieged on all sides, you still want to go out? You are truly a washboard who is a blockhead!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo reproached her in a deep voice by her ears, Tang Xia happened to raise her head then looked directly to his eyes, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a heavy appearance, ¡°You do not know?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head, ¡°Of course not. How can I get information when I¡¯m staying here all day long?¡±


    ¡°Southland has betrayed Helian Jue who is besieged on all sides now as the mutineers from Southland got together with people from other countries, and are now demanding someone from Helian Jue.¡± Chu Tiankuo said in a deep voice going through Tang Xia¡¯s ears slowly.


    ¡°Who is demanded?¡± Tang Xia asked unconsciously as she was enchanted with his voice for a moment.


    ¡°You, of course.¡± Chu Tiankuo gave Tang Xia a sideways glance with some traces of scorn in his eyes.


    Tang Xia sorted out her thoughts, ¡°You mean that people from several countries are waiting for me outside while Helian Jue is negotiating with them in order to protect me?¡±


    ¡°You are not that stupid.¡± Chu Tiankuo smiled with a glow flickering in his eye, ¡°But make it clear that you are saved by me, not by Helian Jue. You owe me this time.¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, Tang Xia looked him up and down carefully, ¡°Childish.¡±


    The man outside with a rough voice shouted in a heavier tone, making Tang Xia bite the corners of the mouth, ¡°So what do we do now? If Helian Jue cannot take much more of it, he will definitely hand me over to them.¡±


    Tang Xia paced back and forth with her slender fingers intertwining with her slight pink sleeves. As the moonlight shined through the window, her shiny eyes glowed like stars in the sky.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Chu Tiankuo stretched his arms and held Tang Xia into in his arms then poked a thumb-sized hole through the paper window, ¡°Do you see it clearly?¡±


    Tang Xia watched carefully for a moment, ¡°Yes, the flames outside glow as brightly as an incandescent light bulb. I would have to go out on my knees if I let them in.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so terrified, you washboard.¡± Chu Tiankuo scorned, ¡°Who dares to hurt you as long as I¡¯m here?¡±


    Tang Xia kept her eyes open, ¡°Are you going out instead of me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a cold smile on his mouth as his silver armor appeared frostier in the moonlight, ¡°Go by yourself.¡±


    ¡°So why did you comfort me? Are you kidding me?¡± Tang Xia wore extreme despair in her delicate face. Chu Tiankuo had reasons to believe that Tang Xia would kowtow immediately if there was a Big Buddha statue in the cella.


    ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold voice came from above her head, making Tang Xia freeze for a while, ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a smile with contempt again then dragged Tang Xia back in front of the thumb-sized hole, ¡°You go with them later. Do whatever they demand. I assure you that no one will hurt you as long as I¡¯m here.¡±


    Tang Xia choked on those words several times then nodded emphatically at sight of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s serious appearance.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°I believe in you.¡± Tang Xia said.


    Chu Tiankuo stroke his chin wearing a strange smile on his mouth, ¡°You can still be saved. Now go out!¡±


    Before he finished his sentence, Chu Tiankuo pushed Tang Xia¡¯s emaciated back with his generous palm forcibly out the door.


    Tang Xia staggered to her feet, lingering to look back at Chu Tiankuo while Chu Tiankuo winked at her, hinting that she should go.


    ¡°Your Grace, are you asleep?¡± A rough voice shouted unceasingly, making Tang Xia crumple her mouth with displeasure, ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here. Why are you bothering me at midnight?¡±


    Outside the door stood crowds of muscular men wearing brown bronze armors. Tang Xia pretended to yawn drowsily, ¡°Are you expecting to die so that you broke into my Jiaofang hall at midnight?¡±


    The man in front bowed to Tang Xia, ¡°Please understand us. We are just following orders. Please come with us.¡± Then he paused, looking directly at Tang Xia¡¯s suspicious appearance and waved his hand, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Unexpectedly, two men controlled Tang Xia¡¯s arms so that Tang Xia lost her interest in acting anymore in front of them, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°Back to Hecheng hall, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ it¡­¡±


    Tang Xia thought for the first time that Hecheng hall might bring bad luck to her.


    While the candlelight quivered in front of her in Hecheng hall, a familiar feeling arose spontaneously from Tang Xia¡¯s heart as she had not been here for several days. Tang Xia raised her head then saw several stars hiding behind the clouds.


    ¡°Why do bad things happen every time I come here?¡±


    As Helian Jue stood on the high platform, Tang Xia felt immediately that he looked older.


    ¡°I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia bowed to him gracefully, looking around and did not find King Nanchen as she had expected. But several old men with long beards together with Lengmei, whose face became more coquettish in the light, stood in the hall.


    Helian Jue did not permit her to rise for a long time, then Tang Xia moved her body and rose by herself.


    ¡°How have you been, my beloved imperial concubine?¡± Helian Jue¡¯s cold voice came from above as he hid his charismatic eyes in the darkness which hid his feelings.


    ¡°Pretty good. Anran is good at cooking and serves me well with the surplus provisions in Jiaofang hall.¡± Tang Xia squinted her eyes slightly, making Helian Jue fix his eyes on her.


    ¡°How shameless you are to smile in this situation! You¡¯ve been wined and dined while His Majesty has been so worried about you that he is quite haggard now.¡± Lengmei said calmly, making the air around her freeze for a moment, so Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Lengmei then found an indistinct smile on her mouth.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Tang Xia squinted her peach blossom eyes like the crescent moon with no smile in the bottom of her eyes, ¡°As I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days, you¡¯ve become more florid and only His Majesty has become haggard.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lengmei wore coldness in her eyes suddenly as if she would poke several holes in Tang Xia¡¯s body with her eyes.


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± Tang Xia snorted, ¡°As I was locked in the Jiaofang hall, I did not know what was happening outside. It is quite reasonable that I couldn¡¯t share His Majesty¡¯s burdens. But you were not grounded. His Majesty is busy with national affairs all day long while you¡¯ve become florid, how shameless you are to condemn me?¡±


    Lengmei wore a cold appearance immediately with her eyes as sharp as two swords, ¡°You are so firm in speech, even in your last hours.¡±


    Tang Xia bowed to her then said fearlessly, ¡°It is unknown if I will die. What I only know is that the one who makes sarcastic comments dies first.¡±


    ¡°Yue Ji, how dare you curse me to die?¡± Lengmei¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°I dare not, I¡¯m cursing the one who replies to me.¡± Tang Xia wore a bigger smile on her mouth, ¡°How can you assure that it is a curse instead of a prediction?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Helian Jue wore a gloomy appearance on the high platform, ¡°Yue Ji, do you know why I took you out?¡±


    Tang Xia pondered carefully for a moment, ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°How dare you not admit to your flagrant crime? You are so disorderly!¡± Lengmei rose, pounding the table with a slight smile in her delicate face as if she was quite satisfied with Tang Xia¡¯s defiant behavior in full view of the public.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes secretly, ¡°I¡¯ve been grounded in Jiaofang hall every day, how could I know why His Majesty took me out as I know nothing about what happened outside?¡±


    ¡°Hm, how could you stay in Jiaofang hall obediently? People would not buy that claim.¡± Lengmei wore a cold smile.


    ¡°Do you mean that I should violate His Majesty¡¯s decree to ask around for his personal affairs?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words made Lengmei speechless, ¡°I¡¯m so impressed how your filthy mind is regarding His Majesty!¡±


    As Lengmei¡¯s expression changed, she bowed to Helian Jue, kneeling on the ground immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Your Majesty. My love for you is verifiable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Helian Jue waved his sleeves disgustedly, ¡°You can talk so much after I asked only one question. Are you thinking poorly of me?¡±


    Lengmei froze for a moment then bowed to him slightly and went back to her seat obediently.


    ¡°Yue Ji.¡± Helian Jue¡¯s words made everyone look back to Tang Xia, ¡°Then do you know who caused Yi Jiazi¡¯s death?¡±


    Tang Xia felt her heart tighten. Although she knew why Helian Jue took her here, his question was too difficult.


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°Good, you do not know.¡± Helian Jue wore coldness on his mouth, tapping the table with his slender fingers gently.


    ¡°You are still impenitent even after you¡¯ve been grounded for several days.¡±


    Knowing what Helian Jue meant, Tang Xia bowed to him, lowering her head, ¡°I¡¯ve known that we should correct our mistakes since I was a little girl. But I will not admit it as it is not my fault. I did not push Yi Jiazi, so I will not acknowledge this crime.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve become more eloquent.¡± Helian Jue squinted his long eyes, wearing coldness on his mouth.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you what your crime is.¡± Helian Jue said in a cold tone, making Tang Xia tremble for it. ¡°As an imperial concubine, you framed your sisters several times. Although you always stressed the importance of virtue and morality by your mouth, you are a wicked person such that you pushed the imperial concubine from Southland into the water leading to her death.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many troubles you¡¯ve caused for me?¡± Helian Jue said his last few words grinding his teeth.


    Tang Xia froze her eyes.


    [Fans] Love Quietly: How could Helian Jue say such thing? I¡¯m his anti-fan now. He can he wrong Tang Xia and push his imperial concubine into the fire pit only for his status.


    [Fans] In Support Of the Love: I¡¯m impressed.


    [Fans] A Few Miles Around: I feel sorry for you, anchor. How are you going to deal with it£¿


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows and looked at Helian Jue directly with her delicate eyes full of pride, ¡°So how are you going to punish me, Your Majesty?¡±


    Helian Jue became angrier, ¡°You are still so stubborn in this situation?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do, Your Majesty?¡± Tang Xia wore an indistinct smile on her mouth while her red dress appeared more coquettish in the candlelight, attracting everyone¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you want me to kneel on the ground begging for your forgiveness or to admit to the crime, Your Majesty?¡±


    Tang Xia straightened her back haughtily, ¡°I told you that I would not admit a crime which was not committed by me. If you want me to admit the mistake, just save your breath, Your Majesty.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s shoulder heaved sharply as the veins on his forehead stood out, ¡°You truly are¡­ impenitent!¡±


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± A rough voice came suddenly, making Tang Xia frown and turn her soft body around to look behind her.


    King Nanchen came from outside the hall with a scar across his straight nose and a strange smile on his face, which was somewhat ferocious.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows, then looked back to King Nanchen with unkindness.


    ¡°Helian Jue, do not say such things. You already knew I was here, right? You took Yue Ji here in order to act out a play for me.¡± King Nanchen wore a scornful smile, rubbing his fingers against his palm.


    ¡°You want Yue Ji to admit the mistake so that you can spare her from death because of her good attitude?¡± King Nanchen wore a colder smile, ¡°We spent some time together when we were kids, and how can I not know what you are thinking?¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s appearance darkened as King Nanchen spoke.


    Lengmei froze her look for a while, looking at Helian Jue questioningly. As the sentence ¡®Is what he says true?¡¯ choked on her throat, Lengmei fixed her eyes on Tang Xia who was sitting on her heels bitterly.


    ¡°What? Is it like what I said? Helian Jue, think it over how you should apologize to me.¡±


    ¡°Do not be so rampant. Are you not afraid that I will cut off your other arm?¡± Helian Jue said angrily wearing one trace of dark color between his delicate eyebrows.


    ¡°Why should I be afraid?¡± King Nanchen snorted, ¡°Helian Jue, can you hurt me now? Or do you dare to hurt me?¡±


    Helian Jue slapped the table with his broad palm, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Hm, Helian Jue, I was in the wrong to ask you for Yue Ji. But it is different now ¨C you forced Yi Jiazi to die and hid the chief culprit which was enough to stir a public outrage. Southland is morally right now, who you think will help you in this situation?¡±


    What King Nanchen said was like a fist punching Helian Jue¡¯s face, which made him silent for a long time with his face turning liver-colored.


    Knowing it was time, King Nanchen¡¯s hand at the back beckoned to the man outside the hall, then a hidden weapon was shot out immediately directly towards Tang Xia who was sitting on her heels.


    Dang¡­


    A slight noise made everyone freeze for a moment. Chu Tiankuo appeared in his silver armor with his long hair tied up at the back of his head and his deep eyes above his straight nose which showed neither anger nor happiness.


    ¡°Please forgive me for being late, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said. There was a dart covered with black liquid which spread about on the ground in an instant, creating a squeaking sound.


    The ground was eroded.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°King Nanchen, what do you mean by this?¡± Helian Jue slammed the table with his slender fingers, half of his eyes hiding in the darkness which showed neither anger nor happiness, making the air around him turn cold immediately.


    ¡°Helian Jue, I assure you that I will forgive your past misdeeds and the people from Southland will never bother you again as long as you let me kill Yue Ji today, how about that? Isn¡¯t it worth it for you to exchange one of your imperial concubine for the tranquillity of the country?¡± King Nanchen wore a scornful smile on his mouth while his dark-colored robe appeared more indifferent in the light.


    Helian Jue squinted his eyes, making Tang Xia break out in cold sweat in the hall.


    ¡°King Nanchen, are you overestimating yourself?¡± A deep voice came, making everyone¡¯s eyes look back. Chu Tiankuo said in an indifferent and cold voice as his silver armor reflected the candlelight into their eyes.


    ¡°It is you.¡± King Nanchen turned his head around, then squinted his eyes with some traces of danger in them, ¡°You are just an imperial bodyguard, how dare you to talk to me in this way. I can punish you now!¡±


    King Nanchen¡¯s rough voice echoed in Hecheng hall, making Chu Tiankuo frown and wear a strange smile on his mouth.


    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    A ringing sound was followed by a silver long sword being placed on King Nanchen¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I was laughing because King Nanchen can only talk big.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo maintained his smile while the moving glow of his forehead could be seen in the candlelight, his profile was like a masterpiece by a technician of exquisite craftsmanship.


    ¡°If you dare to hurt Yue Ji, I will let you die.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s calm voice floated gently in the air, making Tang Xia freeze for a moment and fix her eyes on him.


    ¡°Stupid woman.¡± Chu Tiankuo leaned towards Tang Xia, then said in a lower voice looking at her directly, ¡°Be grateful when it is over. Now think carefully how you are going to deal with it using your limited wisdom.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned then got back to business.


    ¡°Indeed, King Nanchen wants me to die for some reason now, and according to Helian Jue¡¯s former behaviors, it is quite difficult for me to believe that Helian Jue will protect me under the pressure of King Nanchen.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes.


    ¡°Please tell me, King Nanchen, why do you want to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Because you deserve it!¡± King Nanchen wore a scornful smile on his mouth, with his beard shivering slightly along with his words.


    ¡°Reason?¡±


    ¡°You killed Yi Jiazi from Southland. How dare you not admit your crime of harming an imperial concubine to intentionally provoke a war between two countries, just to win favor from His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Tang Xia wore a scornful smile, ¡°Now that you and His Majesty both believe that I killed Yi Jiazi, then let¡¯s talk about it.¡±


    ¡°You said I killed Yi Jiazi, King Nanchen, so where is your proof?¡± Tang Xia maintained her smile wearing coldness on her face.


    ¡°First of all, witnesses. Did anybody see that it was me who pushed Yi Jiazi into the water? Did he see it himself rather than just believe it based on hearsay or on Yi Jiazi¡¯s one-sided story?¡±


    After pausing for a moment, Tang Xia wore a more scornful smile, ¡°Second, motive. I was the imperial concubine most favored by His Majesty then, His Majesty did not care about Yi Jiazi, why would I hurt a non-threatening woman?¡±


    King Nanchen¡¯s face darkened because of Tang Xia¡¯s words, while Helian Jue wore a rare trace of a smile on his mouth, Helian Jue had never seen this rational side of Tang Xia who owned an indifferent and unique temperament at this moment.


    ¡°Third, plan. It is foolish to kill an imperial concubine in public. No one will hurt someone in full view of the public. So it is quite obvious that someone wants to frame me. If I truly wanted to kill Yi Jiazi, commanding my slave girl to do it would be much easier.¡±


    ¡°You are still arguing irrationally in this situation!¡± King Nanchen opened his lips shouting but was responded by Tang Xia¡¯s sharper answer.


    ¡°I do not regard it as a forced argument.¡± Tang Xia squinted her eyes into a long and narrow moon, ¡°Witnesses, motive, and plan, none of them is relevant to me, but you people accuse me of murdering Yi Jiazi. Do you think people will regard it as a crime committed because I envy an imperial concubine favored less by His Majesty than me, or as a set up by King Nanchen with other intentions?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s every word held water, making King Nanchen silent for a long time.


    ¡°But, there is certainly nothing wrong with King Nanchen¡¯s behavior.¡±


    Tang Xia altered her attitude suddenly, making everyone look at her.


    ¡°Threatening me with Yi Jiazi¡¯s death is actually to force His Majesty to yield so that you can feel superior from it, am I right, King Nanchen?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a bigger smile on her mouth at the sight of everyone¡¯s face changing, then turned around and bowed to Helian Jue.


    ¡°It is quite easy actually. King Nanchen dragged others into the mire for his own interest and superiority complex. I don¡¯t care why Yi Jiazi was killed, nor do I have time for that. But if Your Majesty walks into this trap and humiliates our country, I will have nothing to say.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words shocked everyone in the hall.


    ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± King Nanchen shouted, flashing his white teeth with the veins of his forehead protruding out as he took out his sword with a silver light then thrust it at Tang Xia¡¯s head.


    Bang-


    Not feeling the expected pain, Tang Xia opened her eyes, seeing Chu Tiankuo standing against the light.


    King Nanchen wiped the blood on his mouth then wore a malicious smile, ¡°Haha, how dare you! ¡®Good¡¯ for you to resist in this situation!¡±


    King Nanchen cast his sword with silver light behind, suddenly making a ringing sound.


    Helian Jue¡¯s face changed.


    Disorderly footsteps and rough cries were heard immediately outside Hecheng hall, forcing themselves into the hall inch by inch.


    ¡°Haha, you thought you were strong? Helian Jue! I¡¯m well prepared now. How long can you be the emperor if your imperial palace is surrounded by my troops?¡±


    As King Nanchen finished his sentence, a large number of soldiers poured in with silver spears in hand and long helmets on their heads.


    ¡°Do you want to plot a rebellion?¡± Helian Jue patted the table.


    ¡°You are not my king, how could you charge me with plotting a rebellion?¡± King Nanchen wore a heavy appearance, ¡°I know you are kind-hearted. The late Emperor was afraid that your kindness would do harm to the foundation of the state, so he asked you to rule the country like a ¡®tyrant¡¯ ¨C to destroy anyone you are unable to control.¡± Then he paused for a moment, ¡°However, you are still so softhearted that you would let me go then, which may be the greatest kindness of your lifetime.¡±


    ¡°In this situation, you have no choice but to die. It is time to change to a new king!¡±


    After King Nanchen laughed rampantly, his soldiers in rows howled in a deep, threatening voice. Helian Jue in his high platform frowned his eyebrows, fixing his eyes on them, ¡°Is this all your plan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so what?¡± King Nanchen snorted, ¡°You are my defeated foe.¡±


    Helian Jue glanced away then said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stood behind his back, hiding his eyes in the darkness, then knelt on the ground, ¡°I¡¯m here, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Kill them all.¡±


    In the face of such a strong enemy, Helian Jue just said ¡®kill them all¡¯ calmly, which showed his royal demeanor completely.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a malicious smile on his mouth, then moved quickly and killed three people in front of him in an instant.


    Their silver spears fell down on the ground immediately.


    ¡°Even if he is so strong that he can defeat ten people on his own, you cannot win. There is still another group of soldiers in silver armor waiting outside the door. I will have no loss at all even if you kill my troops for three days and nights.¡±


    King Nanchen¡¯s words hit everyone¡¯s hearts, making Tang Xia flurried even though she pretended to be calm.


    ¡°Hm, another group of soldiers is waiting for me outside for me to kill them?¡± Chu Tiankuo wore a scornful smile, ¡°Soldiers from Southland are so cheap in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡®Good¡¯ for you, King Nanchen.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s calm words swayed the soldiers¡¯ morale successfully. An army was not afraid of fighting a war but losing morale.


    King Nanchen froze for a moment, ¡°What are you waiting for! Kill them all!¡±


    The soldiers were stumped for a while, then started to attack Chu Tiankuo with great speed and ferocity.


    Chu Tiankuo went back to Tang Xia and stood with his back towards her, then said in a deep voice, ¡°Follow me, and do not stand still. If someone attacks you, just pull on my clothes. It is unnecessary to be afraid.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words warmed Tang Xia¡¯s heart gently, making her heart beat hotly and her face flushed.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a serious appearance, holding the sword in hand tightly, ¡°No one will leave here alive today.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sword twinkled with brilliance in the candlelight, blinding Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    Not remembering how long Chu Tiankuo had been fighting behind her, Tang Xia could only hear the sound of swords colliding and the wind sweeping by. Chu Tiankuo tried not to move, protecting Tang Xia behind him as his curly eyelashes shivered slowly with the breeze.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you have already been hit by a hidden weapon, when are you going to stop your pretense of being strong?¡± King Nanchen¡¯s rampant laugh came into Tang Xia¡¯s ears, making her open her peach blossom eyes finally.


    ¡°You are hurt!¡± Tang Xia turned around rapidly and stood in front of Chu Tiankuo, then found that the blood from his sleeves had stained his silver armor red.


    Chu Tiankuo held Tang Xia¡¯s waist with one of his hands, closing his thin lips tightly with coldness in his eyes.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Kill them!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold words floated in the air, making everyone freeze.


    King Nanchen was more stunned, ¡°What are you taking about!¡±


    ¡°Listen, kill all of King Nanchen¡¯s soldiers.¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, half of the soldiers who were fighting shouted, ¡°Yes, Your Excellency!¡±


    They shouted loudly like a sudden clap of thunder.


    King Nanchen said with a trace of surprise flickering in his eye, ¡°You¡­ you replaced my troops!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore an extremely cold smile on his mouth, ¡°Only you, King Nanchen, could not find out that I have been planning for you for so long.¡±

 Chapter 53

    As the glint and flash of swords could be seen, the glow of silver swords lighted the whole Hecheng hall. The scent of blood wafted through the air while the moon shined alone in the sky.


    ¡°Your Excellency, ten thousand soldiers of King Nanchen have been killed, and the site has been cleared.¡±


    A moment later, the people in Hecheng hall remained quiet.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his chin, wearing an obscure smile on his mouth, ¡°Good.¡¯


    ¡°King Nanchen, you can leave a will before you die.¡± Chu Tiankuo said, holding his sword with a cold but brilliant light in hand, which made the scar on King Nanchen¡¯s face more ferocious.


    ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do to me?¡± King Nanchen stepped back in disorder, bumping against the scarlet pillar in Hecheng hall.


    ¡°I want to kill you.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s deep voice floated into King Nanchang¡¯s ears. Then Chu Tiankuo pulled out his sword from its handle and placed in on the side of King Nanchang¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Haha, you cannot kill me. You are just an imperial bodyguard with a sword. If you kill me, my soldiers will definitely turn out in full strength from Southland. The date of your death will come then.¡± King Nanchen fixed his eyes on Chu Tiankuo with his pupils contracting fiercely.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a bloodthirsty smile, with his eyes as dark as the shades of night, ¡°You will never see that day come, because I will defeat the soldiers from Southland.¡±


    King Nanchen scorned Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words at first, then became quite terrified as if he had found out something, ¡°You lunatic! You want-¡±


    With a slight sound, King Nanchen¡¯s head fell down beside Chu Tiankuo¡¯s feet.


    As Chu Tiankuo stood against the light, his silver armor appeared more obscure in the candlelight.


    While Tang Xia froze, Lengmei was the first one to react.


    ¡°King Nanchen¡­ is dead¡­ What a timely death¡­ What a timely death!¡± Lengmei covered up her fear, then faced Helian Jue, ¡°Your Majesty, we don¡¯t need to fight anymore.¡±


    However, Helian Jue just fixed his eyes on Chu Tiankuo whose silver armor reflected the glow so brightly that his eyes were blinded by it, then wore a regretful appearance on his charismatic face.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Lengmei fixed her eyes on Helian Jue pulling out his arm from her, ¡°What is wrong, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Helian Jue stepped forward, ¡°Guard Chu.¡±


    As Helian Jue finished his sentence, a sharp knife flew directly for Helian Jue¡¯s heart. Tang Xia moved her body quickly then blocked the blade with her body for him.


    As the silver dagger pierced Tang Xia¡¯s slender body, she covered her chest then turned her head around calmly, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Helian Jue held Tang Xia¡¯s body, ¡°Yue¡­ Ji¡­¡±


    ¡°Summon the imperial physician!¡± Chu Tiankuo shouted gruffly, then went back immediately and killed the bodyguard who had thrown out the hidden weapon.


    As Chu Tiankuo fixed his eyes on Tang Xia, frowning his eyebrows tightly, Helian Jue held Tang Xia tightly in his arms. The more tightly Helian Jue held her, the more upset Chu Tiankuo was.


    ¡°You blocked the dagger for me.¡± Although Helian Jue said that in a soft voice, everyone could hear what he said clearly.


    ¡°Why? I thought you would never forgive me¡­¡± As Helian Jue hid his eyebrows in the darkness, Tang Xia wore a pale face then felt that something cold was falling on her forehead.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Lengmei covered her mouth, ¡°¡­ You are crying.¡±


    As Tang Xia closed her eyes, she heard a few words intermittently and started going into a daze, feeling a buzz by her ears.


    ¡°Am I going to die?¡±


    While Tang Xia felt warm beneath her body, she felt cold in front of her body with Helian Jue¡¯s tears dropping down on her forehead, hearing Helian Jue asking her in a daze.


    ¡°Why did you save my life¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! How can I accomplish my task if you die?¡±


    Tang Xia had no energy to roll her eyes and felt uncomfortable lying on top of Helian Jue.


    Then Tang Xia felt someone else holding her by the waist, she recognized the familiar scent in a daze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to touch her.¡± Chu Tiankuo said, wearing a cold appearance. As the imperial physician hurried into the hall, Chu Tiankuo placed Tang Xia gingerly on the golden throne with the blood on his sword making it appear more coquettish.


    ¡°You will die if you cannot save her.¡± Chu Tiankuo put his sword near the imperial physician¡¯s face.


    The imperial physician obeyed what Chu Tiankuo said. Although Tang Xia closed her eyes, she could see the messages on the bullet screen come in great numbers and felt a surging power gathering in her heart. ¡°This feeling¡­¡±


    [Fans] Love Quietly: Helian Jue¡­ Is he falling in love with the anchor¡­


    [Fans] Fleet Of Time: He is truly falling in love with her. It seems that the anchor¡­ is about to accomplish her task.


    [Fans] Corner Love: Mission is about to be accomplished!!


    ¡°It seemed that I felt this way in the face of Chu Tiankuo before.¡±


    ¡°Am I going to leave? Can I see Chu Tiankuo again if I leave this world¡­¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­¡± Tang Xia whispered softly as if she felt wretched.


    ¡°Hang in there, Your Grace. I¡¯m going to pull out the dagger.¡± The imperial physician treated Tang Xia with acupuncture in several acupressure points.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned his eyebrows and looked at Tang Xia with the corner of his eyes, then found that Tang Xia closed her lips tightly, murmuring his name with her forehead filled with cold sweat.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned his eyebrows more tightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    As time went by, it was the sentence that Chu Tiankuo would never forget ¨C Tang Xia opened her thin lips slightly with blood staining her long dress red, saying that she did not want to leave.


    Her exceedingly charismatic look with blood staining her long dress into a red bridal array remained in his memory. This woman was Tang Xia whom he would never forget.


    Chu Tiankuo placed his sword stained with blood on the side of Helian Jue¡¯s neck, ¡°Abdicate.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo opened his thin lips with extreme coldness in his eyes, like ice hitting Helian Jue.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you are crazy!¡± Lengmei could not stand straight out of fear, then fell down on the ground, ¡°You are taking this opportunity to conspire against the state!¡±


    Helian Jue fixed his eyes on Chu Tiankuo whose face showed no feeling but extreme coldness.


    Then Helian Jue nodded his head slightly.


    It seemed like consent or a promise.


    Chu Tiankuo was relieved, then looked back at Tang Xia and said in a cold tone, ¡°Spread my order: the former emperor, Helian Jue, is not able to rule the country well, so he will be waiting for his sentence in a cell. The name of the dynasty will be changed into ¡®Xia¡¯. The Xia Dynasty who is not afraid of soldiers from Southland will kill them all as long as they are within 50 meters of the state border.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent words unfolded his domineering temperament completely.


    The imperial bodyguard behind him obeyed, ¡°Yes, Guard Ch¡­ Your Majesty!¡±


    As the dark sky above the Xingyun Tower blurred the candlelight, a woman in white sat on the spire, then took her wine gourd and drank wine from it.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo and Yue Ji¡­¡± Her white dress appeared brighter as the wine stains slipped down from her smooth chin to the side of her neck, wetting her neckline, ¡°It¡¯s becoming more and more interesting.¡±


    The woman in white jumped down from Xingyun Tower and said a little bit tipsily, ¡°Zui Linglong, Zui Linglong, why can¡¯t Linglong get drunk?¡±


    A few days later.


    Tang Xia opened her eyes then saw Anran¡¯s enlarged face in front of her.


    ¡°Her Grace woke up! Her Grace woke up!¡± Anran shouted happily.


    Tang Xia blinked her eyes, then managed to figure out the scene in front of her.


    What Tang Xia saw were indigo drapes, a pink velvet quilt and Anran wearing a green floral dress, falling down to the ground.


    ¡°What the hell? Didn¡¯t I accomplish the task successfully?¡±


    Messages on the bullet screen came forth in great numbers.


    [Fans] Raise Goldfish In Condoms: Too many things happened when you were in a coma.


    [Fans] The Blazing Sun Behind The Mountains Goes: Yep, it is a long story.


    [Fans] The Yellow River Towards The Oceans Flows: Alas! Don¡¯t scare the anchor~


    [Visitors] Frequently Disconnected: Mantis shrimp, let¡¯s move. We are friends after your snooze.


    Tang Xia wore a strange appearance and fixed her peach blossom eyes on Anran¡¯s face, ¡°Tell me what happened!¡±


    Anran froze for a moment, with her eyes looking around confusedly, then looked back to Tang Xia after her reproach, ¡°Your¡­ Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! You are the empress now!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Tang Xia looked back at Anran, then managed to blink her eyes, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sure¡­ Your ceremony will be held after you wake up. And the new palace prepared for you is also under construction. His Majesty will definitely go wild with joy if he knows that you woke up¡­¡±


    Anran¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°It is unbelievable!¡±


    Tang Xia pondered carefully, ¡°Did Helian Jue promote me to empress because I blocked the dagger for him?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense! Why didn¡¯t he fall in love with me! Why!¡±


    A terrible thought struck Tang Xia.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Is Helian Jue playing cat and mouse with me so that he can ¡®show his gratitude¡¯ in a more atrocious way as he did not fall in love with me?¡±


    ¡°What a tragic love story~¡±


    Fans: You are thinking too much.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty must have known that you woke up. I¡¯ll dress you and put makeup on you so that you can make a good impression on His Majesty later!¡±


    Anran said that with blandness in her eyes, making Tang Xia wear a heavier appearance.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±


    Anran chose a pink dress for Tang Xia which could highlight Tang Xia¡¯s fair skin. Then she tied Tang Xia¡¯s hair, showing her slender neck which was demure and charismatic.


    Tang Xia pulled her neckline with a bitter smile, then tilted her head, ¡°His Majesty loves blue, why did you choose the pink makeup for me?¡±


    Anran¡¯s fingers trembled.


    ¡°You will know later, Your Grace.¡± Anran replied.


    After Anran dressed Tang Xia up quickly, Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Anran, feeling that she had hidden something from her.


    [Fans] Qianqian: Should we tell the truth to the anchor?


    [Fans] The Blazing Sun Behind The Mountains Goes: No.


    [Fans] Weep: No +1.


    [Fans] Waters Of Forgetfulness: No +10000.


    Tang Xia wept in her heart.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty is in the Imperial Study.¡± Anran stepped backward hesitantly.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going in with me?¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and asked surprisedly.


    Anran paused, ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t like strangers to get in. You can go inside on your own, I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    Before Tang Xia could ask more, a stranger eunuch came in front then bowed to Tang Xia, mumbling something.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes froze for a moment, ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Xiao Chengzi.¡± He squinted his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have called you the empress.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a strange appearance, ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me that way.¡± Then she paused for a moment and asked in a lower voice, ¡°Is His Majesty jarred by something?¡¯


    As Xiao Chengzi¡¯s face changed, he nodded in agreement, ¡°His Majesty is truly jarred.¡± Then he leaned forward, ¡°You should go and check on him, Your Grace.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Tang Xia walked into the hall with a strange expression. As the candlelight split the ground into different colored lumps, Tang Xia became somewhat curious.


    The man in the high platform was wearing a dark black robe with black hair, making him appear gentler.


    Tang Xia fixed her eyes on his slender fingers behind his back, then bent her body immediately, ¡°I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    The man in front froze for a moment, then wore a bigger smile on his mouth.


    Tang Xia maintained her bowing posture for a while but did not hear an order by the man in the high platform.


    ¡°What did you want to see me about, Your Majesty?¡± Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯ll leave if there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you had such a sweet and lovable side.¡± A familiar voice as deep as a horn came, skimming gently over Tang Xia¡¯s throbbing heart.


    As Chu Tiankuo turned his head around, his charismatic face appeared gentler in the candlelight. He wore a wry smile, looking directly at Tang Xia who was bowing to him, with a glow flickering in his dark eyes as if every twinkle and smile of hers could make him wild with joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Tang Xia opened her cherry lips in surprise, with amazement flickering in her eyes, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Tang Xia looked around rapidly, finding that the soldiers around were acting normally, then breathed a sigh of relief and walked to Chu Tiankuo getting close to his face, ¡°Are you crazy? Or was the system changed again?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a moment, seeing Tang Xia¡¯s cherry lips opening and shutting in front of him, then wore a relaxed appearance, ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Do you truly regard yourself as the emperor because you are in the imperial robe?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo covered Tang Xia¡¯s soft hair with his broad hand, wearing unprecedented softness in his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m truly the emperor now.¡±


    After pausing for a while, Chu Tiankuo looked at the imperial bodyguards beneath, ¡°Tell my empress, who am I?¡±


    ¡°We pay our respects to you, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!¡±


    A deafening cry could be heard clearly, making Tang Xia¡¯s mind freeze for a moment. She covered her cherry lips with her slender fingers, ¡°Are you truly the emperor now?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that many things have changed?¡± ¡°Or many strange things have happened.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows as he talked, ¡°Indeed, I almost accomplished my task then. Everything became strange after I fainted. You somehow became the emperor and I somehow became the empress, even Helian Jue is gone now, how can I accomplish my task now¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°I locked Helian Jue up.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tang Xia asked surprisedly, ¡°Are you crazy? Did you commit regicide?¡±


    As Tang Xia just finished her sentence, Chu Tiankuo knocked her hard on her head, ¡°I was fulfilling your long-cherished wish.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a depressed appearance, ¡°I¡¯m still here¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that you are reluctant to part with Helian Jue?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked, fixing his cold eyes on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Do you miss him?¡±


    Tang Xia scorned, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo held his fist tight, making several sounds.


    ¡°He is my target to conquer.¡± Tang Xia mumbled. As her words came into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s ear, he felt happy immediately, ¡°He is just your target?¡±


    Tang Xia pondered carefully, ¡°It is more than that. I was a little flipped when I knew that Helian Jue wronged me because he wanted to protect me.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Tiankuo raised his thick eyebrows, then wore a trace of a bloodthirsty smile, ¡°You were touched by a few words. What a low woman.¡±


    The atmosphere froze for a moment.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, what do you mean!¡± Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, ¡°Helian Jue did it for my own good!¡± Then she paused for a moment, ¡°Did¡­ did you lock him up?¡±


    Seeing that the woman in front was worried about Helian Jue so much, Chu Tiankuo became so angry that the atmosphere around him went down to the freezing point. His frowning mouth showed his contempt, ¡°Lock him up? Ah, I not only locked him up, but I will also kill him.¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, the Imperial Study became rather quiet.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡± Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Noticing Tang Xia¡¯s ferocious face out of anger, Chu Tiankuo became more impatient, ¡°What do you mean? Tang Xia, you should know who you are. You are my imperial concubine now! I am your target now!¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a moment, then said without much thinking, ¡°Chu Tiankuo! You narcissist! Who is your imperial concubine? Where did you lock Helian Jue up?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her voice intentionally, making Chu Tiankuo regard it as her fighting back for Helian Jue. Then Chu Tiankuo wore a colder smile on his mouth, ¡°Listen up.¡± He squinted his eyes with coldness in them and pinched Tang Xia¡¯s delicate chin with his slender fingers, ¡°If you talk about Helian Jue again, I will kill him immediately!¡±


    Then Chu Tiankuo loosened his fingers, leaving several deep fingerprints on her chin which showed how hard he had pinched.


    What Chu Tiankuo said made Tang Xia¡¯s heart skip a beat, and her peach blossom eyes filled with fear. As a breeze swept by, the vermilion hairband behind her head fluttered gently in the air, which made her appear like a fairy. Chu Tiankuo was stunned by her beauty.


    Tang Xia refrained from her disappointment, then wore a stiff appearance, ¡°I thought you were just arbitrary, proud, and a little unreasonable sometimes. How could you disregard people¡¯s lives! You make me rather disappointed, Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Tang Xia stepped back with her slender legs beneath the high platform, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I will not regard you as my target. Even if I die of old age or starve to death, I will never try to win your heart, as you are too atrocious and brutal.¡± Then she took a deep breath, ¡°And I hope we can stop contacting each other.¡±


    ¡°You can go be the emperor, you can go kill whoever you want. I will be Yue Ji. There will be nothing between us.¡±


    Tang Xia said her last words in a quite low voice. However, Chu Tiankuo felt her words like a sharp sword, making him fall into a dense darkness and not stand up again.


    ¡°Tang Xia!¡± Chu Tiankuo shouted angrily.


    Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, then turned her back to Chu Tiankuo, with two lines of tears dropping down on the back of her fair hand gently.


    ¡°Excuse me for leaving.¡± Tang Xia bowed to Chu Tiankuo again, then straightened her body, leaving a bright and shining back in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Little Orange stepped forward, finding that Chu Tiankuo wore a heavy appearance, ¡°Should I catch up to Her Grace then explain it to her?¡±


    With a trace of regret flickering in his eyes, Chu Tiankuo thought of Tang Xia¡¯s eyes with tears and realized that it seemed that she was rather disappointed with him as she wore unprecedented gloom in her eyes.


    ¡°Everyone get out.¡± Chu Tiankuo waved his broad sleeves, then closed his lips.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Little Orange obeyed and left.


    Outside the Imperial Study.


    Tang Xia blocked the sunlight with her hand and closed her peach blossom eyes tightly, then wiped the tears on her face quickly before Anran could notice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my palace.¡±


    As Tang Xia walked a few steps, Little Orange¡¯s rushed voice came from behind, ¡°Your Grace, Your Grace!¡±


    Then Tang Xia paused.


    ¡°You were walking too fast, Your Grace. It took me so much effort to catch up with you.¡±


    Tang Xia still wore her poker face, then looked Little Orange up and down indifferently, ¡°Did Chu Tiankuo send you?¡±


    Little Orange was stunned by her words then said in a lower voice, ¡°Only you dare to call His Majesty by his name in this world, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°It is not his world!¡± Tang Xia said immediately, wearing an angry appearance.


    Little Orange lowered his head with an ingratiating smile on his mouth, ¡°You are right, Your Grace.¡±


    Then he paused for a moment, ¡°But victory and defeat are both common in battle. When the old dynasty is replaced with a new one, no one dares to say something, no matter how the state is regulated.¡± Little Orange said rightfully, ¡°Now that His Majesty has overthrown the previous dynasty, we cannot deny that the world belongs to him.¡±


    As Tang Xia felt anger rolling inside her, she was quite displeased to see Little Orange defending Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Anyhow, he cannot kill innocents.¡±


    Little Orange bent his body lower, ¡°Your Grace, you have come all the way from the previous dynasty, so you have learned much about the former emperor. You previously let the ¡®tyrant¡¯ become your husband, why not try to accept His Majesty who did not kill everyone in the previous dynasty?¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a moment.


    ¡°I know that you were irritated by His Majesty, but His Majesty has contributed his sincere heart to you. Although others don¡¯t understand, I know it clearly. If you insist on doing so, it will definitely break his heart.¡±


    Little Orange¡¯s words brought Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts back to reality.


    ¡°I¡¯m done talking. Please excuse me for leaving.¡±


    Tang Xia gazed at the direction Little Orange left then let out a lonely sigh.


    When they went back to Jiaofang hall, Tang Xia stood in front of the window and looked at the bright moon obsessively.


    As messages on the bullet screen came in great numbers, Tang Xia was too tired to read them. She hid those messages and looked at the bright moon in a daze.


    ¡°Your Grace, Lyuyou asks to meet you.¡± Anran came in bowing to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia froze for a moment then regained her presence of mind a little, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Lyuyou came into the room then knelt on the ground, ¡°I pay my respects to you, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head, not paying attention to Lyuyou with sadness in her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°What is bothering you, Your Grace?¡± Lyuyou straightened her body. Ever since Anran started to look after her, Lyuyou¡¯s face was gradually looking better. Although Lyuyou looked a little frail, she owned such a gorgeous face.


    Tang Xia raised her head murmuring, ¡°Tell me, how I felt about Helian Jue before?¡±


    Lyuyou froze for a moment then pondered for a while, ¡°You respected the former emperor.¡±


    ¡°Respect?¡± Tang Xia froze for a moment, ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    Lyuyou wore a smile on her mouth, which appeared gentler in the candlelight, ¡°You did respect him. Maybe you didn¡¯t realize that you stayed neither too far away from him nor too close to him. But at the same time, it seemed that you tried your best to draw near to him.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face froze for a while. Then she pondered on what Lyuyou had said, ¡°Go on.¡±

 Chapter 55

    Lyuyou smiled. ¡°Compared with the emperor of the last dynasty, I think you¡¯re more suitable with our emperor, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember your dance with our emperor before?¡± Lyuyou reminded her.


    Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts traced back to a long time ago and she gradually gathered her memories. ¡°You mean the dance in the Hecheng Palace?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you danced with Guard Chu on that day. You dressed in red, while he was in silver. You two were like the extraordinary son of God and fairy from heaven. Later on, Guard Chu contacted with you frequently.¡± Lyuyou stopped and frowned slightly, ¡°However, I could not remember too much about Guard Chu¡¯s previous stories.¡±


    Tang Xia said nothing.


    At that time, the task did not start for a long time. Chu Tiankuo had rewritten the system, so it was weird if Lyuyou still remembered.


    ¡°So what? Though he¡¯s suitable for me, he¡¯s still a cold killer.¡± Tang Xia sighed and a piece of resistance showed up on her eyebrows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lyuyou faintly smiled and her eyesight towards Tang Xia was joking. ¡°Talking about the killer, the emperor of the last dynasty was known as a tyrant, who always killed people as he liked. Besides, you had no hesitation in killing Anxia before, so how could you consider our emperor as a bloody killer, Your Grace?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned, while Lyuyou in front softened her expression. ¡°Your Grace, you just could not accept the fact at once, or you might think the emperor of the last dynasty is wronged.¡±


    ¡°I grow up in this palace. When I met something unhappy, I would always be mad at Anran. I could only lose my temper on my closest person.¡± She stopped for a second. ¡°You must understand my meaning, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia thought a lot in her mind, while the coldness between her eyebrows gradually faded away during Lyuyou¡¯s words, but changed into deep seriousness instead.


    Lyuyou¡¯s eyes curved into a line. ¡°Your Grace, are you going to visit our emperor? He might not be good without your explanation.¡±


    Tang Xia kept silent for a while. Then, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°Set the carriage to Imperial Study Imperial Study.¡±


    The carriage arrived at Imperial Study, while the candlelight scattered on the door. By the other side of the stone lion, the carriage of Lengmei also reached.


    ¡°Why does she come?¡±


    Tang Xia was tightened and pursed her lips. ¡°Why are you coming here?¡±


    Lengmei was stunned and her mouth curved, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t come to me initiatively, but you could not hold your temper.¡± She stopped for a second. ¡°Well, I heard that you promised not to approach our emperor anymore. But now, you behave so actively and have reached his palace.¡±


    She rolled up her sleeves and gently covered her lips. It seemed that she was laughing at her.


    Tang Xia frowned with a disgusted expression, but her smile on her face did not fade away. ¡°I ask you why you come here, but you give me a different answer. Besides, it¡¯s none of your business what I have said. You might care about me too much.¡±


    ¡°It might be you that care about me too much. It¡¯s none of your business why I come here. What quality you have to manage my thing.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s charming eyes were squinted, while her cold face wore a faint smile. The irony inside made Tang Xia extremely uncomfortable.


    Tang Xia straightened her body and deepened her smile. ¡°Listen, I am the queen, but you are just an abandoned imperial concubine of the emperor of the last dynasty.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words contained a piece of anger, roaring into Lengmei¡¯s ears and making her raise her eyebrows high.


    She was still smiling coldly. ¡°I thought you¡¯re a devoted woman, but the bitch is the bitch. It¡¯s not long after the emperor of the last dynasty died. You would not like to hide your feeling and rush towards this emperor directly. You¡¯re just a queen. You really think you¡¯re unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°You still know I am the queen.¡± Tang Xia wore a vague smile. ¡°You dream about this title for two dynasties, but I get it easily. It¡¯s just a title of queen.¡±


    The irony in Tang Xia¡¯s words was obvious. Lengmei could not hide her embarrassment and her smile was getting colder. ¡°Now, the dynasty is changed. Do you think you still the original Yue Ji? You offended the new emperor when you just became the queen, but show off your title to me now. You¡¯re really shameless.¡±


    Tang Xia was planning to refute. When she opened her mouth, Little Orange¡¯s sharp voice came out from the inside.


    ¡°Two Ladies, our emperor is reviewing the memorials. Please don¡¯t be worried and let him do his job first.¡±


    Lengmei stopped at the right time and wore a smile after a while. ¡°I heard that our new emperor is hardworking and tired, so I deliberately take a cup of tonic soup to visit him.¡±


    Little Orange understood and turned to Lengmei, ¡°Your Grace¡­¡±


    The inquiry in his eyes made Tang Xia a little bit embarrassed.


    ¡°I come across here and have a look.¡± Tang Xia turned aside and covered her embarrassment.


    ¡°Ah, OK. I will inform him immediately. Our emperor must be very happy.¡±


    After a while, Little Orange came out of the palace. ¡°Two Ladies, please come in.¡±


    In the Imperial Study, Chu Tiankuo sat against the shining candlelight. His lips pursed and showed out a piece of coldness. The intent around him forced no one to come near.


    Getting used to the appearance of dressing in silver armor, Tang Xia could not adapt to his new image immediately.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Lengmei stepped forwards and made a bow at once. She stopped for a second. ¡°I know you are tired of reviewing the memorials, so I ask maids to specially make this tonic soup.¡±


    Lengmei said nothing more, but her purpose was obvious.


    Little Orange was clever and reported to Chu Tiankuo quickly. ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Yue Ji also comes over here, and she might have something to report.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Take the tonic soup to me.¡±


    The atmosphere was embarrassing, while there was a piece of sadness passing by Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. Then, she was interrupted by Lengmei¡¯s high sound. ¡°I promise you will be pleasant after you drink it.¡± She stopped for a second and passed the cup of soup to Little Orange. ¡°Thank you for your help, Eunuch.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned hot and a piece of fret passed by her mind. ¡°I have never expected that the cool Lengmei would serve the emperor with pretending smiles.¡±


    ¡°Your vocabulary needs to be improved, Yue Ji.¡± Lengmei wore a faint smile, while looking through Tang Xia upside and down. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to use the words ¡®pretending smiles¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Come here and spoon-feed me.¡±


    The indifferent voice came over to them. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyes were like the thousand-year-old ice. It seemed that he was coming from the hail.


    The two were stunned.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ are you asking¡­¡±Lengmei hesitated.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyes casually, glancing at the two imperial concubines. He stopped when looking at Tang Xia, but moved away at once. ¡°I am asking you.¡±


    Lengmei who was asked was happy, making a bow and stepping on the stairs.


    ¡°This soup is a little hot, and let me blow to cool them.¡± Lengmei deliberately softened her voice and put the spoon by her mouth. Her behavior was as elegant as an orchid.


    She glanced at Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder with irony from the top platform.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were shining and she pursed her lips tightly. ¡°Since it¡¯s so, I ask for leave.¡±


    Tang Xia made a bow quickly and felt hot on her face. Her steps back were heavy.


    ¡°When did I permit you to leave?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was indifferent. It was not like an asking sentence. Each word passing by Tang Xia¡¯s mind would make her painful.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless for me to stay here.¡± Tang Xia took a deep breath and turned around. The two¡¯s behavior was too disgusting. ¡°Why are you still hoping me to stay here, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Hoping you to stay?¡± Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows and sneer. ¡°Ah, you have thought too highly of yourself.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice raised. ¡°This is my palace. I ask you to stay here, so you must stay here. Even if I stay with Lengmei, you could only watch us.¡±


    His words made Tang Xia angry for a while. Her slim shoulders trembled. ¡°Bah! Chu Tiankuo, you¡¯re really a good emperor. Even the high-tech of the 24 century could not save your IQ? You deserve to be single for 20 years. The straight behaviors and stuffy thoughts in your mind are the classic representatives of a stupid emperor. It¡¯s wronged for your trash thoughts that you did not grow up in this era!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s anger was aggressive. Chu Tiankuo on the high platform squinted his eyes. He stood up immediately and stepped towards Tang Xia.


    Lengmei behind wore an ironic smile and her voice turned softer. ¡°Ah, how could you say something like this¡­ and dare to call our emperor¡¯s name. You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really losing your mind!¡± Tang Xia interrupted her and said ironically. ¡°Lengmei, stop pretending. You pretend to be cool when staying with Helian Jue. You looked troubles for me when he did not care about you. The dirty of your mind is not suitable for your elegant name. Can you look at you in the mirror before you come out? Don¡¯t send soup with such a disgusting face. If I am that soup, I¡¯d like to evaporate on the way here!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo approached her slowly. When he came nearer, Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pink. The former wore a vague smile, while his eyes were shining like the stars.


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice deliberately lasted long. His handsome face got closer. He clenched Tang Xia¡¯s tender face with his fingers and leaned her forward. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    Tang Xia turned around, while a piece of hurry and confusion passed by her eyes. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice raised by her ears. ¡°However, even though you¡¯re a clever tongue, you cannot match with Lengmei¡¯s soup in my eyes.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned dark.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes widened and said word by word. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s thin lips covered her mouth.


    Tang Xia was stunned when feeling the coldness on her lips. Her eyes were scattered and the strength of her palm lightened.


    ¡°You just said you did not care about me, but lose for a kiss. You¡¯re just so so.¡± Chu Tiankuo kissed her for a while and said by Tang Xia¡¯s ear.


    The latter¡¯s eyesight tightened, while her teeth bit her lips.


    He originally thought his little girl would rise up to resist. However, the girl who was sharp-tongued just now said nothing under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s faint irony.


    The girl in front of him pursed her lips and her eyes got wet. Her mouth moved.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you¡¯re such a scumbag.¡±


    She could not bear it anymore. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, like the wings of a butterfly, which was difficult for him to forget.

 Chapter 56

    She straightened her thin back and pursed her lips tightly. Tang Xia stepped out of Imperial Study step by step elegantly under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold eyesight and Lengmei¡¯s irony observation.


    Though she had lost in this battle, she still needed to keep elegant. Why should she expose her weakness in front of others? About all the wronged feelings she experienced today, she would take revenge from Lengmei someday.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were gloomy while his finger touched his lips. He wore a smile quickly and it faded away slowly.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Lengmei twisted her slender waist, and held Chu Tiankuo¡¯s waist with her arms. Her tender breast touched his strong back, while her voice was showing out the vague charm.


    A piece of disgust passed by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes fast. He had no time to care about whether he would hurt Lengmei. He put forth his strength and got out of Lengmei¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lengmei stepped back, trembling and falling on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, it hurts.¡± Lengmei¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She blinked her eyes and looked at Chu Tiankuo wrongly.


    Stepping back to his emperor chair and sitting down, Chu Tiankuo picked up a memorial. After a while, a sound of crying burst out suddenly. Chu Tiankuo frowned without patient, while cold words ¡°get out¡± coming out from his mouth.


    Lengmei trembled and stood up embarrassedly under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent eyesight. Then she ran away and held her handkerchief in her hands.


    Riding the carriage back to her palace, Tang Xia wiped her face. Then, she asked all the maids to leave and lay on the bed quietly. She thought Chu Tiankuo must hate her indeed¡­


    ¡°Well, well, well, I could stay away from him from now on.¡± She sighed in her mind and fell into sleep in the quilt.


    On the first day, Tang Xia went to the Royal Garden by Anran¡¯s persuasion. But just for a while, when she heard the news that Chu Tiankuo would come here soon, she was stunned and took Anran back to her palace.


    On the second day, Tang Xia stayed at her palace for a whole day.


    On the third day, there was a feast that all the imperial concubine needed to come, so did Chu Tiankuo. Tang Xia excused herself that she was sick and stayed at her palace.


    On the fourth day, the fifth day¡­


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Anran took a bowl of White Fungus Soup with Lotus Seeds to Tang Xia. Her tender face was bulging, showing her helplessness to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia Putting down the book in her hands and pinched Anran¡¯s face. She took a spoon of soup and blew it cool. ¡°What happened? Why do you behave so angrily?¡±


    ¡°Since the day you come back from the emperor¡¯s palace, you nearly go outside. Don¡¯t mention to send meals for our emperor.¡± Anran puckered her mouth and continued to say, ¡°These days, Lady Lengmei would send something to our emperor¡¯s palace every day, but you¡­¡±


    Holding the spoon, Tang Xia¡¯s hand paused, and then, she wore a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s her luck to look after the emperor, but she could not overpass me. What are you worried about?¡±


    She pointed at the soup. ¡°Anran, take it out. I¡¯m tired and hope to take a nap.¡± A piece of frustration passed by her eyes. Tang Xia turned around and stepped inside.


    While on the other side, Lengmei was sent out by Little Orange politely again, so were the cakes she made for the emperor.


    When she reached a secluded corner, Lengmei threw the food box onto the ground heavily. Her nails were stabbed into her palms. These days, everything she sent for the emperor would be sent back by Little Orange. She did not even see the emperor¡¯s face. Damn it. Damn it.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± A little maid kneeled by Lengmei¡¯s side, while her eyes were full of impatience. Lengmei pointed at the trash on the ground and ask the maids to clean it up. Then, she went forwards the direction of Tang Xia¡¯s palace with a maid.


    ¡°Hum, even though she could not see the emperor, a piece of news that she was the favorite concubine of Chu Tiankou had spread in the harem. How couldn¡¯t she share this good news with the queen?¡±


    Ignoring Anran¡¯s blockade, Lengmei broke into Tang Xia¡¯s palace directly. The jealousness in her mind broke out at once when she saw the scenery in front of her.


    Tang Xia was on the bed and one of her hand held her head. Her delicate eyebrows slightly frowned, while her eyes were watery as if she didn¡¯t sleep well.


    Her rosy lips were slightly open, while her long hair slipped on her shoulders, covering her tender skin. This charming appearance made Lengmei jealous.


    Lengmei recovered her consciousness quickly and wore a proud smile. She stepped towards Tang Xia elegantly. ¡°Sister, you really like to sleep. I also hope to have a good sleep, but the emperor always does not allow me to sleep, which makes me worried and tired.¡± When she was saying, she pretended to frown worriedly.


    Tang Xia looked at Lengmei for a while and wore a bright smile. ¡°Lengmei, are you showing off to me? I don¡¯t care about what you have mentioned.¡±


    Holding her hair back to her ears, Tang Xia yawned and got down from the bed slowly. Shen stared at Lengmei with doubt. ¡°Lady Lengmei, you have to care about your body condition. What if you have renal weakness someday?¡±


    ¡°What? How could she behave like this? Shouldn¡¯t she be angry and furious?¡±


    Lengmei was stunned and opened her mouth slightly. Then, she wore a cold smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about my body condition. Talking about this, I feel worried these days. I don¡¯t know what I should make for the emperor. Do you have any suggestions, my sister?¡±


    Lengmei pretended to be shy and lower her head. Her pink cheek showed her really cute. ¡°I only know how to make a few foods. I think the emperor must be tired of them. If you have time, would you mind teaching me some more?¡±


    This woman was really insatiable, which made Tang Xia angry in her mind. She even cursed Chu Tiankuo secretly.


    Tang Xia tried to wear a suitable smile on her face and looked at Lengmei. ¡°Only a little progress could make you so proud of yourself like this. You¡¯re really a good servant around Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    When she said, she was nodding her head to emphasize her words.


    Lengmei¡¯s proud smile changed became embarrassed. She tightened her fists. ¡°Are you smelling? The sour taste of this room is really heavy. Talking about this, I remembered that I have a little sister who always dreamed of my things before I got in the palace.¡±


    ¡°You always make a complaint about this or that. I rethink about your behaviors. I think it¡¯s a kind of psychology that you would be jealous of the things you could not get. How do you think, Yue Ji?¡±


    It was barely an irony. Tang Xia could not bear it and blamed her in a cold voice, ¡°Lengmei, don¡¯t forget I am the queen. How dare you disrespect me?¡±


    Hearing this, Lengmei touched her face with her hand and wore a proud smile. ¡°I have never disrespected you, Your Grace. I just tell the truth, right? Well, are you going to attend the feast tonight? Our emperor will come there.¡±


    Tang Xia was furious because of Lengmei¡¯s words. She waved her hand. ¡°Yes, of course, I will attend. I¡¯d like to see how you are favored by our emperor. Don¡¯t let me go there in vain. Come on, send Lady Lengmei out.¡±


    When she noticed that she had reached her purpose, a piece of calculation showed up in Lengmei¡¯s eyes. She returned to her palace elegantly.


    When it turned to afternoon, Tang Xia threw the book in her hands onto her legs. Sh*t, should she go to the feast tonight? If she went there, she would meet Chu Tiankuo; if not, Lengmei¡¯s arrogance would be enhanced.


    Anran picked a red palace outfit, putting on the bed neatly. When she got out, she found Tang Xia was staying on the reclining chair. She shook her head helplessly and pushed Tang Xia to dress her up.


    The woman¡¯s face in the mirror was delicate. The red palace outfit set her more elegant. Tang Xia touched her face and rode the carriage to the feast.


    Most people had already arrived. Tang Xia looked directly and sat by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side. She was eating fruit seriously and watching the dance.


    Chu Tiankuo by her side took a sip of wine, glancing at Tang Xia gloomily. This woman was trying to cause him to die of anger. She did not come to admit her mistake, but dare to ignore him!


    ¡°Lengmei, come and feed me.¡± Chu Tiankuo held his head with one of his hand and wore a faint smile. Then, he waved his hand to Lengmei.


    Lengmei was happy and made a bow to Chu Tiankuo. She stepped to him elegantly and kneeled by his side. She peeled a grape and fed Chu Tiankuo. Then, she softly leaned in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s breast.


    The emperor treated her different indeed. Lengmei felt happy in her mind, but when she was thinking of Tang Xia¡¯s indifferent face, she wore an innocent smile. Lengmei grasped Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cloth and said to Tang Xia who was looking at them. ¡°Your Grace, you lost the favor of our emperor.¡±


    Tang Xia saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s movement clearly. When she saw Lengmei¡¯s mocking face, Tang Xia hit the table heavily. ¡°Lengmei, this is a palace feast. How could you behave like this?¡±


    ¡°Yue Ji, I¡­¡± Lengmei was wronged and lowered her eyes. At the moment when Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia, she threw an ironic smile to Tang Xia. ¡°Yue Ji, I¡¯d like to remind you that anger would make you become older.¡±


    Looking at Lengmei¡¯s mouth opening and closing, Tang Xia showed out a piece of coldness in her eyes. ¡°Lengmei, are you looking for death?¡±


    It was silent under the platform. The eunuchs and maids all kneeled down, while all the other concubines lowered their heads, but cared about the situation over there.


    ¡°Yue Ji, you¡¯re really thinking wrong of me. It should be you, the queen, to serve our emperor, but he only calls me to do this for him. I¡­ I hope you can ease your anger.¡±


    Tang Xia tightened her teeth. Lengmei suggested that she was jealous and deliberately made trouble for the other imperial concubines. Lengmei was really playing a good trick! If this issue could not be settled properly, how could she deal with the other things in the harem?


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia¡¯s angry face and felt happier. He pushed the disgusting woman in his arms, while his cold eyesight made Lengmei shocked.


    Did the emperor find something strange? Hiding the calculations in her mind, Lengmei kneeled by his side quietly.


    Not looking at Lengmei, Chu Tiankuo frowned. ¡°Leave fast!¡± How dare she play tricks in front of him? Was this woman stupid or foolish?


    Raising his hand to indicate the songs and dances to continue, Chu Tiankuo leaned on the chair lazily. He blinked his amorous eyes and pointed at Tang Xia.


    ¡°So, you come here and spoon-feed me.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Tang Xia¡¯s amorous eyes were condensed and full of surprises.


    ¡°Your Grace, the emperor is calling you.¡± Little Orange lowered his voice and reminded her. ¡°Come, this way, please.¡±


    Tang Xia tidied her long dress and stepped forwards. Before she sat down, she was dragged to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s chest by his powerful arm.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were full of irony. ¡°My love, are you going to escape now?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows highly, while her eyesight came across Lengmei¡¯s cold eyesight. ¡°Of course not.¡± She stopped for a second. ¡°Fine, I will feed you by myself, Your Majesty.¡±


    She picked up crystal-clear grape by her slim fingers and peeled it. Then, she passed it to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s gloomy eyes shone. His lips gently touched her fingers, while the latter avoided as fast as the flashing.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pink immediately, which made Chu Tiankuo feel tense in his mind. Then, he wore a deep smile and said with a joke, ¡°You¡¯re really my Yue Ji. Your taste is much better.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tongue was faint, which made Lengmei who was sitting beside unhappy, but the smile on her face did not fade away. ¡°It¡¯s really the fruit sent by Qing Country. Even the taste is better than the other fruit and vegetables as usual.¡±


    Her words were peaceful as the stream, which meant that it was none of Tang Xia¡¯s business of the better taste, but the grape was better fruit instead.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a faint smile. When the candlelight scattered on his shoulder, his handsome face was softened. He smiled. ¡°Qing Country is always a place suitable for growing up plants. However, I have tasted the fruits you two peeled for me. The one from Yue Ji tastes much better.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stopped for a second, looking at Lengmei with his eyes were full of mocking smile. ¡°Would the fruit from Qing Country change by different people?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words made Lengmei embarrassed. The latter had to make a bow and smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t know it clearly¡­¡±


    Finding Lengmei was wronged, Tang Xia was happy.


    Her amorous eyes were curved into a crescent moon. Even Chu Tiankuo could clearly see the smile in her eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo strengthened his arms and dragged Tang Xia closer to him. ¡°How do you like this assistance?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyes and came across the smile in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, which was like the star shining in the sky out of Hecheng Palace, deep and charming. ¡°Nine points.¡± She said.


    ¡°Oh? The evaluation is good?¡± Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°¡­¡± Tang Xia kept silent for a while. ¡°The full score is 100.¡±


    She thought he must be angry at her, but the man in front of her did not decrease his smile. His slim fingers were placed on Tang Xia¡¯s tender chin and leaned forwards.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pink. ¡°You can tell your opinions and ideas, but what you have said would be considered as a reference data and then scrapped.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo leaned down at once, while all of his cold intent faded away. His thin lips covered Tang Xia¡¯s tender lips.


    This sudden kiss made Tang Xia stunned. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s breath violently penetrated into her pores. Their breath mixed into the one. Chu Tiankuo was extraordinarily serious this time. It was different from the rudeness in last time, which made Tang Xia¡¯s whole hanging heart fall down.


    At the end of this kiss, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tender fingers touched Tang Xia¡¯s lips and he wore a vicious smile. ¡°Do you hope to keep this all the time?¡±


    His voice was low and charming, lingering by Tang Xia¡¯s ears. After a while, she recovered her consciousness and her face turned pink. ¡°What do you mean by keeping this all the time? Chu Tiankuo, you¡¯re really shameless!¡±


    ¡°Only the ghost hopes to kiss you all the time!¡°¡±


    A piece of irony passed by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes. His smile was jumping under the candlelight, setting his perfect appearance without any shortcoming. He lowered his voice. ¡°I mean, do you hope to keep Lengmei under your control all the time? What do you think of, my love? Ah?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo deliberately emphasized the last word, which made Tang Xia who realized his meaning feel shameless.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chu Tiankuo smiled and looked at Tang Xia¡¯s distorted face. ¡°If you hope to keep this situation, you have to serve me and make me happy.¡±


    He lifted Tang Xia¡¯s chin. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile at once. ¡°OK,¡± she said.


    Chu Tiankuo could not believe she was not angry. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I, said.¡± Tang Xia tilted her head and said word by word, ¡°Fine, I¡¯d like to serve you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo inexplicably exprienced a sense of unknown feeling.


    A few days later, in the Royal Garden.


    ¡°Why do you ask me out to the Royal Garden? Do you have anything important?¡± Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows, while the dark robe set him more handsome.


    ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s our queen¡¯s order.¡± Little Orange made a bow. ¡°Lady Yue Ji asked me to lead you to Royal Garden.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s name, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyebrows relaxed a little. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Little Orange hesitated. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    At the end of his words, Tang Xia¡¯s crisp voice turned up from the distance. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyebrows condensed.


    Under the cherry tree, Tang Xia dressed in pink. The long hemline touched the ground. The waist was tightly bundled, while the pleats were stacked underneath. The sleeves were floating with the wind. The cinnabar mark between her eyebrows was like the wintersweet standing in the cold winter, which set her skim more tender. She wore a slight smile. A piece of sakura fell down on her shoulder.


    This extraordinary woman smiled to Chu Tiankuo and stepped towards him.


    Tang Xia moved to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side and covered her face with the sleeves. ¡°I have waited for you for a long time here. You finnally arrived, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned and raised his eyebrows. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned dark.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you like my image today?¡± At the end of her words, she made a wink to him.


    ¡°Tang Xia.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice dropped a few degrees.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Tang Xia made a bow and her eyes were full of tears. It seemed that she was a weak heroine in romantic novels. ¡°I have waited for you for a long time.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth twisted and turned around. ¡°Little Orange, go back to my palace.¡±


    It was not long before Tang Xia visited Chu Tiankuo again. Even the sunset was still there.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Yue Ji asks to see you.¡± Little Orange¡¯s voice lowered a few degrees.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyebrows did not move. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Tang Xia dressed in an orange fairy robe. She made a bow when getting inside. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± She stopped for a second. ¡°I have prepared you a bwol of tonic soup. I hope you will like it, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth twisted. ¡°Are you soul-attached by Lengmei?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile was stunned. ¡°Your Majesty, how could you blame me like this¡­¡± Her words were with a piece of grievance.


    Chu Tiankuo held his forehead. ¡°Take it to me.¡±


    Tang Xia stepped forwards elegantly and took the soup to him quickly. She took a spoon of soup by her mouth and blew it to cool. ¡°Your Majesty, here¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo was silent. ¡°Do you know what you look like now?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Tang Xia raised her charming voice high.


    ¡°You¡¯re like the fox beside King Zhou.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice sank.


    ¡°You mean I am gentle and virtuous?¡± Tang Xia squinted her eyes.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes showed out sincerity. ¡°I mean your affectation is particularly obvious today.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile frozed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are so bad~¡± After a while, Tang Xia wore a smile and blamed him gentlely.


    Chu Tiankuo was shocked. Then, he held her right hand. ¡°You¡¯re really abnormal today.¡±


    Tang Xia noticed the impatience in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, and her smile deepened. ¡°Your Majesty. I am serving you and pleasing you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned. ¡°Oh? Pleasing me?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a shy smile. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. You asked me to please you. Now, are you changing your mind?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo finally understood Tang Xia¡¯s intention and smiled. ¡°This is your way to please me?¡±


    He said by Tang Xia¡¯s ear deeply and charmingly. Each word hit on Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Tang Xia raised her eyebrows with his words. ¡°So, what do you want, Your Majesty?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a vicious smile and held her into his chest. Tang Xia felt dizzy for a while, while Tang Xia was pressed under his body. ¡°How about doing something practical to please me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo paused for a second and his eyes condensed. ¡°I really hope to see your shy appearance.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s cheek turned pink. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Chu Tiankuo kissed her and stopped her talking. He wore a smile and deepened his kiss. Their breath turned disordered and the atmosphere was ambiguous.


    ¡°Chu Tian¡­¡± Tang Xia tried to ask his name during the breath. Chu Tiankuo enhanced the strength of his lips, which seemed to punish her for her being unfocused. When their breath mixed, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyesight was soft like water.


    When the kiss ended, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were wet. Her waterful and amorous eyes were like the stars in the sky, shining and unforgettable.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really conquered.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes deepened and wore a comfortable smile.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyebrows were condensed, and understood his meaning after a while. She was trembling. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo pinched her chin and planned to kiss her again, but she turned her head around and avoided his kiss.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a cheap woman that a kiss could make you fall in love with me.¡±


    This sentence passed by Tang Xia¡¯s mind, while Chu Tiankuo¡¯s thin lips fell into her eyes.


    Under the light, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s appearance was like a perfect craft made by the most skilled sculptor in this world. His nose was high. It should be called the picture of a perfect man.


    However, no matter how attractive the man in front of her would be, he just tried to play tricks on her.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Tang Xia closed her eyes and said word by word, ¡°I ask for leave, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned. He tried to say something, but did not.


    He looked at her slim back. ¡°Tang Xia¡­¡±


    He whispered at a low voice and wore a smile.


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    Tang Xia spread her eyesight. The clouds in the sky were layered up that no light could pierce through. Her lips were still hot and left with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s temperature.


    When Lengmei heard this news, the breeze just passed by Yanyue Palace. ¡°Did Yue Ji come to visit the emperor in person?¡±


    The air was condensed for a second. The maid in front of her was trembling. ¡°Yes, Lady Yue Ji just came out of Imperial Study¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lengmei raised her eyebrows. ¡°What have they done?¡±


    The maid dared not say anything for a while. She bit her lips. ¡°Maid Yinchun of the emperor¡¯s palace said the emperor, the emperor kissed Lady Yue Ji¡­¡±

 Chapter 58

    Lengmei was really jealous and even getting mad. How could Tang Xia gain Chu Tiankuo¡¯s love? She could only stay aside, but could do nothing.


    The next day, when finding the weather was good, Tang Xia came to the garden and planned to make some flower cakes for Chu Tiankuo. However, she found she was unlucky to meet Lengmei when she arrived at the garden.


    Lengmei was the person she disliked most, but the former rushed towards her in a hurry and did not give her a chance to leave. Lengmei wore a pink robe, setting her figure glamorous and bringing a sense of cool beauty.


    However, compared with Tang Xia, she was still inferior too much. Tang Xia wore a white long dress, setting her face more tender. Her appearance was beautiful enough to conquer the whole city or country. Besides, her slim waist could attract all the people¡¯s attention.


    There was only a white ribbon tied her black hair. She was like an extraordinary fairy who came to the earth accidentally. She was like the goddess in the ninth-level heaven, showing out a sense of mystery and coolness. She would remind people of the snow lotus on the iceberg.


    Even Lengmei had to admit her appearance was excellent. The more outstanding Tang Xia was, the harsher Lengmei would treat her. If Tang Xia died, her master would see her someday!


    ¡°Yue Ji, have you ever said that you would never come near to the emperor? Well, you change your mind now?¡± Lengmei¡¯s words were obviously aggressive, while the content made Tang Xia speechless.


    When thinking of this, Tang Xia opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business about what I will do. Why are you always playing tricks on me? If you¡¯re boring, why not find our emperor and beg for his love for you? Then, you could win his favor back!¡±


    She was not a soft persimmon that Lengmei could play casually. In the past, she did not hope to fight against her. But since she repeatedly tried to harm her, Tang Xia could not bear to be bullied as she liked!


    When she did not resist her attack, did Lengmei really think she was weak? In the past, she just dismissed to fight against her. However, Lengmei looked for death for this time. If Tang Xia did not regain her authority, she must be provoked again and again.


    Since she was going to join this battle, Tang Xia would naturally play with her. ¡°Let¡¯s see who would be tougher in this harem!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Tang Xia, don¡¯t be too proud of yourself. Our emperor just feels fresh of you. However, you even dare to send yourself to him deliberately. You have promised that you would have no contact with our emperor anymore. But now, you even come to him directly. You¡¯re really shameless.¡±


    Lengmei changed her usually coolness, but screamed at Tang Xia angrily. Even Tang Xia hoped to kill her.


    Tang Xia looked down upon her and said word by word, ¡°You must care too much. It¡¯s none of your business whether I violate my promise or not. If you dare to say something more, I will let you taste my anger, ah?¡±


    Lengmei was stunned for a while, but she quickly recovered her consciousness. She reputed immediately, ¡°What would you do to me? It seems that you always have bad intentions. You must have some other ideas to stay with our emperor!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are you a spy from another country?¡± Hearing Lengmei words, Tang Xia thought her ideas were too rich. How could she mention another irrelative thing without any hesitation? She was really imaginative.


    Tang Xia speechlessly rolled her eyes and decided not to care about this unreasonable woman. Otherwise, if she was inherited from her low IQ, what should she do if she was abandoned by her friends?


    When finding Tang Xia stopped talking, Lengmei thought that she had guessed out Tang Xia¡¯s purposes. She must be guilty, or else she must refute her words!


    ¡°As long as you leave the palace, I will not reveal your secret to our emperor. How do you like my suggestion?¡± Lengmei said proudly. She thought Tang Xia would be grateful, but the latter ignored her directly.


    Since she did not listen to her persuasion, Lengmei planned to take action. However, Tang Xia noticed her movement as soon as she started. Tang Xia avoided her attack quickly, while Lengmei¡¯s attack was in vain. She fell down on the ground and seemed to be very embarrassed.


    ¡°I think you must have epilepsy and would bite anyone you meet. If you hit me again, I don¡¯t mind to help you to loosen your bones!¡± When she was talking, Tang Xia really activated her hands, which frightened Lengmei pale and trembling.


    Lengmei said something to provoke Tang Xia, ¡°Don¡¯t be too proud of yourself. You lost your power, so you¡¯re always under my control. I will not let you go easily. Tang Xia, you must be careful about the following days. Otherwise, you might die someday!¡±


    Tang Xia looked through Lengmei and said disdainfully, ¡°You really think you can hurt me by yourself? You really think that I too weak to refute you?¡±


    She did not understand how Chu Tiankuo could fall in love with Lengmei, a Virgin Mary and a bitch. She should be educated for her low IQ. She was even out of mind and said Tang Xia was a spy.


    ¡°Come on, a spy¡­ could a spy be as beautiful as her?¡± Tang Xia was silently narcissistic in her mind. When she was thinking of this, she thought it was reasonable and nodded her head.


    ¡°What do you mean? Have you always pretended to be stupid? Your purpose is to take away the emperor¡¯s favor, or that you have been lying to me!¡± Lengmei considered herself as a victim.


    Tang Xia just sighed that Lengmei¡¯s IQ was finally on the line, but when she heard Lengmei¡¯s last sentence, she felt that there were more than 10,000 Alpacas rushing by. She was curious about how rich Lengmei¡¯s ideas would be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with you. I still need to pick up the petals, so I don¡¯t have time to chat with you. When the next time you meet me, remember you should find another way to go. Otherwise, you will affect my IQ.¡± Though Lengmei did not know her real meaning, she could tell Tang Xia was saying she was stupid.


    Lengmei was too angry that her face turned gloomy. Then, she found that Tang Xia went back again. The latter leaned forwards and said by Lengmei¡¯s ear at a low voice, ¡°I know you like to attack others with animals. Are you looking at yourself as an animal, either?¡±


    Tang Xia even considered her as an animal and even suggested that she liked to stay with animals. Lengmei was angry, but she could not make things difficult in public. She could only secretly focus on this eyesore and find time to kill her.


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s smile showed out her satisfaction, but dod not know Lengmei was planning a trick for her. She was originally upset, but turned good after countering Lengmei.


    Lengmei left the garden and returned to her palace. When she came back, she wiped out all the things like dressing box on her dresser. The sound of things falling on the ground turned up.


    The two maids were trembling and dared not say something. Even when they were hurt by the crack, they dare not make out any sound. They were afraid that they would be more miserable if they made Lengmei angry. Now she just kicked at them, which was better than being lynched!


    ¡°You, take the wolfberry soup to me,¡± Lengmei arrogantly pointed at a maid kneeling on the ground and said indifferently.


    The maid heard her words and went to complete this duty. However, the remaining maid was not that lucky. She became Lengmei¡¯s punching bag. She was kicked for a few times and even was slapped by Lengmei.


    The little maid handed the soup to Lengmei, standing beside and saying nothing. Lengmei took the wolfberry soup and took a sip slowly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and a piece of gloomy light passed by her eyes.


    ¡°You, come near to me,¡± Lengmei pointed to the little maid who was holding the soup and said to her.


    Lengmei whispered by her ear, but the little maid was trembling. Lengmei saw her behavior and threatened her coldly. ¡± If you don¡¯t follow my order, you¡¯ll become a corpse soon!¡±


    The little maid nodded her head with fear and kowtowed on the ground. ¡°I will do whatever you asked, Your Grace. Please spare my life!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. Only if you follow what I have told you, I will treat you well.¡± Lengmei¡¯s voice was soft, but made the two maids scared. They nodded their heads to show their loyalty.


    They were afraid that if they responded too slowly, they might become two corpses who could not talk. That meant they were lifeless.


    Lengmei burst into weird laughter, but all the maids here dared not make out any sound. Listening to her orders, they dared not say anything.


    Next day, Lengmei used somewhat method to ask her maid to create wind by the principle of ice to wind. The maids followed Lengmei¡¯s method and made a trapped in Tang Xia¡¯s palace.


    However, Tang Xia did not know what they had done, but to study how to make better flower cakes. When she was thinking of it, she wrote the way to make flower cakes on the paper.


    Tang Xia did not know the reason why she felt a little uncomfortable these days. She went to the yard to breath fresh air. The cold wind pierced her skin and forced her to hold her shoulders tightly. It was autumn already, so it was not weird to feel cold. However, the cold wind passed by from the window making her trembling.


    Tang Xia did not think that Lengmei would play a trick to make her sick that she added some bad things into her medicines when Tang Xia got a cold. She thought Lengmei would be unobstructed temporally. But she did not know she was trying to trap her all the time.


    Things went on as Lengmei¡¯s plan. Tang Xia was finally sick and had a cold indeed.


    On the next day, Tang Xia was lying on the bed. The imperial doctor felt her pulse and asked Tang Xia¡¯s maid to get the medicines as he ordered in the Imperial Drug Institution. The maid came to there to get a few medicines to heal cold.


    She also asked the chef to watch out the medicine making. Lengmei heard that Tang Xia was sick and asked her maid to do the secret thing.


    Tang Xia woke up after 6 hours and stretched her body. She felt achy and a little dizzy. She thought the cold wind could help her clear.


    Tang Xia stood up but felt her body a little weak. It seemed that her body was OK, but just out of strength. She looked at the falling leaves out of the window and wore a lonely smile. Then, she heard the sound of footsteps.


    Tang Xia turned around, and found Lyuyou came back with a bowl of medicine. She found Tang Xia was standing by the window, so she took a cloak for her and stood by her side. She said, ¡°Your Grace, you should wear more cloth.¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°Your Grace, you must take care of your body. Though cold is not a big disease, you should also take it seriously. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be good if your disease becomes heavy¡­¡±


    Lyuyou exhorted her carefully and naturally put the cloth on Tang Xia. Her delicate face showed out a little worry.


    Normally, her master was healthy enough and not easy to get cold! Why did she suddenly feel sick?


    Tang Xia leaned on the red cassia soft couch and continued to make several sneezes. The expression on her face showed that she was obviously uncomfortable!


    ¡°I know, I know. You always talk too much, and I am gone crazy¡­¡± Looking at the loyal and careful Lyuyou, Tang Xia smiled.


    ¡°If the emperor comes to me, you can tell him I have already fallen into sleep and don¡¯t let him in!¡± Tang Xia made an order carefully and was afraid that Lyuyou would let the tricky emperor in.


    Lyuyou nodded her head. Tang Xia was her master, so she could only follow Tang Xia¡¯s orders and tried her best to complete her arrangement.


    ¡°Have you seen it clearly? Did you hear it clearly? Did that bitch really fall into my trap? Did she really get cold?¡±


    Hearing the maid¡¯s report, Lengmei was really excited. She felt happy in her mind. ¡°Who asked that bitch to show off in front of me? Well, it¡¯s the time for her to get the retribution.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I see it with my own eyes!¡± In order to please Lengmei, the little maid followed Lengmei¡¯s desire and said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good!¡± Lengmei clapped her hands and felt happy. Her delicate face showed out a piece of pride. Then She said.


    ¡°Tell me, Tang Xia and I serve the same husband. Unfortunately, she got cold these days, so I have to ask the kitchen to make her more medicines and soup to cure her body!¡±


    ¡°Send my preparation to my good sister, Tang Xia.¡± Her proud eyes showed out a piece of viciousness, while her smile was poisonous.


    The maid beside her licked her shoes immediately. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re so profound and considerable. It¡¯s her luck to have your care!¡±


    Lengmei appreciatively looked at the maid in front of her and asked her to prepare the medicine to cure Tang Xia¡¯s cold.


    It could be said that ¡°the maid¡¯s personality would be similar to her master¡¯s¡±. Since Lengmei was so shameless, her maid was naturally a shameless girl that could not be found during 100 years.


    Lengmei¡¯s maid reached to the kitchen, and behaved that she was so wronged with her eyes full of sadness.


    ¡°Could you please help me to make a bowl of medicine to cure a cold? My Lady heard that the queen caught a cold, so she was really worried. She even could not eat or drink. I feel really worried about her¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought if I can help to to find a few bowls of medicines to cure a cold, then I can not only help my Lady, but also could cure the queen¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°If the queen gets better for this medicine, she would reward you because the medicine is from you.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s maid performed well. The ones who did not know the truth might think Lady Lengmei was a kind woman and shared their sympathy for her.


    She exaggeratedly told them Lengmei¡¯s worry after knowing Tang Xia was sick. Hearing her words, everyone here was moved and promised to make the medicine.


    At this time, Tang Xia was hiding in her palace and eating the flower cakes. She did not know that someone would secretly play a shameless trick in her name


    When the sun set, Chu Tiankuo held a feast in the palace and every imperial concubine should come. Tang Xia used to think she would meet the hateful Chutiankuo again and did not hope to go there.


    However, if she did not attend the feast, the shameless Lengmei might think that she was afraid of her. After some inner struggle, she still came.


    ¡°Your Grace, why does our emperor always look at our direction?¡± Lyuyou thought Tang Xia must bother the emperor again, so she was worried and asked at a low voice.


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯m too beautiful. Well, he must admire me because my appearance is better than his. Therefore, he always looks at me secretly¡­¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at Chu Tiankuo who was sitting at the center straightly. She said something nonsense but with a serious and disdainful expression. Perhaps, only she could be so disrespectful to Chu Tiankuo.


    Originally, as the queen, Tang Xia should sit by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side. However, since they were still in the cold war, Tang Xia moved her seat under the main hall.


    Lyuyou could not believe. Plenty of ministers planned to send beauties to the emperor, but he refused them all without a doubt¡­


    ¡°Your Grace, are you sure?¡± Lyuyou lifted her eyes suddenly and found the emperor was glancing at Tang Xia secretly. She thought why the emperor stole a glance at Tang Xia so frequently¡­


    ¡°Ah, never mind! I did not bother him! We¡­¡± Tang Xia planned to say that they could go back when they finished.


    Before she could finish her words, she could not help coughing for a few times. Lyuyou rushed forward to smooth her breath. ¡°Ahem¡­ Ahem¡­¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s cough, Chu Tiankuo was tight. ¡°Why could not this woman take care of herself?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Yue Ji, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Chu Tiankuo found that she was coughing heavily, and her face even turned red. He stood up and moved forwards her. His handsome face showed out a nervous and worried expression.


    Suddenly he remembered that he was still awkward with Tang Xia and their cold war did not end. Chu Tiankuo tidied his robe and sat down embarrassedly. He recovered his indifferent expression.


    ¡°Since you have got a cold, you should stay at your palace and have a rest.¡± Chu Tiankuo dared not look at her. He was afraid that his long-term pretending seriousness would be broken by her eyesight.


    His words changed meaning in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Tang Xia tried her best to stop her cough and looked at Chu Tiankuo with a sneer.


    ¡°Do you think I will infect you with my cold? Haha, you get it. I come here to attend this feast, specifically to infect you!¡±


    Tang Xia said directly, while everyone here giggled. Was this queen a teasing person sent by a monkey? Was she making a joke?


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned dark and was twitched. He was exasperated at Tang Xia¡¯s misunderstanding and felt really tired.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Me? How about me? What do you think of me? Do you think I will listen to you because you¡¯re the emperor?¡±


    At this moment, Tang Xia completely forgot the phrase ¡°one would not die if he was not artificial¡±, but provoked Chu Tiankuo¡¯s emperor dignity.


    Lyuyou behind was watching Tang Xia be artificial and were so anxious. ¡°Has my master¡¯s brain been burnt out after she got a cold?¡±


    Lengmei looked at Tang Xia in the opposite. She wondered, ¡°Tang Xia, you just rely on the emperor¡¯s favor, but behave so arrogantly!¡±


    Lengmei looked at Tang Xia, while a piece of hatred passed by her eyes. She wore a smile when noticing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned darker.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I used to read on the medical books that the cassia twig could make people sweat and relax their muscles, warming the veins and smoothing the intent. It could cure a cold.¡±


    Lengmei suggested. Chu Tiankuo thought though Lengmei was a stupid woman, she would not calculate Tang Xia so obviously, so he immediately believed her.


    ¡°Cassia twig?¡± Chu Tiankuo frowned, looking at Lengmei under the hall. It was the first time he looked at her directly with doubt.


    ¡°Yes, I read it on the medical books. It¡¯s cassia twig!¡± Lengmei found that it was the first time for the emperor to throw his eyesight on her. She could not help being happy in her mind, but felt a little bit jealous of Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is cassia twig in the beef soup right away.¡± Little Orange knew what Chu Tiankuo was thinking about, so he reminded him at a low voice.


    ¡°Good!¡± Chu Tiankuo could not resist his joy. He looked at Little Orange with appreciation and thought that the relationship between him and Tang Xia could be eased.


    ¡°I heard that there is the cassia twig in the beef soup. I give it to you, my queen!¡± Chu Tiankuo tried his best to hide his joy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid that you will infect me a cold. I just think you should stay at your palace and have a good rest. Otherwise, your sickness would not be healed easily!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo could not help explaining to her. When facing Tang Xia, he always felt tenderhearted somehow and hoped to make her happy.


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s explanation, Tang Xia realized that she thought wrong of the emperor¡¯s meaning. It was shameless. She really hoped to find a hole to get in!


    ¡°Since it¡¯s so, I have misunderstood your meaning, Your Majesty. I make an apology for you!¡± Tang Xia was a little bit embarrassed and suddenly really the principle that ¡°those who suited their actions to the times were wise¡±.


    Tang Xia felt warmhearted and happy. She thought though they were in cold war, Chu Tiankuo could not trap her. She did not think too much. Though she pretended to be superficially reluctant, but bottled up the soup.


    At this night, the relationship between Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia was improved a lot. However, no one put down their face to beg the other¡¯s forgiveness. They still kept this embarrassing relationship.


    ¡°Ahem¡­Ahem¡­¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face showed out abnormal red. She was coughing and felt extremely uncomfortable. It seemed that her cold was more serious.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be that you catch a chill on the way to deliberately attend the emperor¡¯s feast? Are your cold getting more serious?¡±


    Lyuyou found that Tang Xia¡¯s cold did not get better and was as anxious as an ant on the hot pot. She blamed herself in her mind.


    ¡°I should go for an imperial doctor!¡± Lyuyou was too worried and nearly burst into tears. She rushed to the imperial hospital with her eyes turning red.


    About half an hour, Lyuyou took the doctor back. The doctor felt Tang Xia¡¯s pulse on the rules of the imperial hospital.


    ¡°Could you please tell me why my Lady has not been better for a few days?¡± Lyuyou was worried and looked at the considerable doctor and uncomfortable Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Grace, the reason why you have not got better and become more serious might be that you eat something that contains cassia twig a few days ago?¡±


    The doctor felt confused and looked at Tang Xia. She nodded her head. There were some cassia twigs in the beef soup, so he gave her as a reward. She also obeyed his words and bottled it up¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s right this medicine that makes your sickness become more serious, Your Grace!¡± The imperial doctor made a bow.


    ¡°Nonsense! How could the emperor try to trap my Lady?¡± Lyuyou obviously remembered the day¡¯s scene. She shouted loudly and did not believe his words.


    ¡°I can promise with my title that it¡¯s the cassia twigs make your sickness more serious. I dare not lie to you, Your Grace. I hope you can have a check!¡±


    The imperial doctor insisted on his words.


    ¡°How come?¡±

 Chapter 60

    Hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words, Tang Xia was shocked in her mind. If this soup was sent by Chu Tiankuo deliberately, why did he treat her like this¡­


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia¡¯s heart turned cold. She lowered her head and could not help laughing. If she was right, their affection might reach the ending.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s sadness, Lyuyou also felt upset. She walked behind her and persuaded her at a low voice. ¡°Your Grace, don¡¯t think too much. What if the emperor makes something wrong?¡±


    Tang Xia pursed her lips and looked at herself in the mirror. She asked, ¡°Do you think he really could make such a mistake?¡±


    Lyuyou opened her mouth but did not know what she should say. As Tang Xia said, Chu Tiankuo could never make such a mistake.


    After a long while, Tang Xia suddenly stood up and said in a cold voice, ¡°If the emperor comes over here, you could tell him I¡¯m not feeling good and ask him to go somewhere else.¡±


    Hearing this, Lyuyou planned to persuade her not to be mad at the emperor, but she heard Tang Xia¡¯s laughter. She said, ¡°However, if he treats me like that, he probably will not come.¡±


    As she said, she went straight to her palace and said nothing.


    Lyuyou stood behind her. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s back, Lyuyou felt she was much peakier than before.


    She could not help blaming herself in her mind. If she did not say those words, Tang Xia would not be so upset like this.


    Lyuyou also thought the emperor would not come here after that issue.


    However, what she had not expected was that the emperor came here suddenly after two hours.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lyuyou made a bow to the emperor with dignity.


    Chu Tiankuo naturally saw her change, but he had no time to explain to a maid. After a look, he asked, ¡°Where is Tang Xia?¡±


    Lyuyou showed out a piece of unnaturalness and anger, but she still answered at a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, the Lady said she was not feeling good and got to sleep first. She also said if you came here, please go for another palace.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not understand Lyuyou¡¯s tone, but asked, ¡°What did you say? She still doesn¡¯t feel good?¡±


    When he finished, Chu Tiankuo planned to step inside. However, Lyuyou had already made Tang Xia unhappy, so she could not disobey Tang Xia¡¯s order.


    Although she was afraid, Lyuyou still stood in front of Chu Tiankuo and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my Lady said she felt uncomfortable, so please move to another palace.¡±


    For this time, Chu Tiankuo finally realized Lyuyou¡¯s tone. He stood in the same place and looked at her with a sneer. He said, ¡°What? Now even a maid dares to shout at me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone became more and more gloomy, which scared Lyuyou to be pale. However, she still firmly stood in front of Chu Tiankuo and said, ¡°I dare not shout at you, Your Majesty. But I serve for my Lady, so I naturally need to follow her orders.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said nothing but stood in the same place, looking at Lyuyou coldly. Nobody knew how long it took.


    Chu Tiankuo sneered and turned around, saying, ¡°Go back to my palace.¡±


    Then, he left with his servants.


    Lyuyou did not take a deep breath until Chu Tiankuo disappeared in Lyuyou¡¯s eyes. Now, her face turned paler. Nobody knew how difficult for her to look at the emperor directly.


    She wiped the cold sweat on her forehead, and then went back to the palace.


    What Lyuyou did not know was that someone hiding in the darkness quietly left after she stepped into the palace.


    ¡­


    ¡°You mean Tang Xia drove the emperor out?¡± Lengmei looked at the person in front of her and asked.


    ¡°Yes, the emperor did not enter Tang Xia¡¯s palace,¡± one stood in front of Lengmei and said with her head lowering down.


    If you looked carefully, you would find that this person was the one who just left Tang Xia¡¯s palace.


    Lengmei paused for a moment, and then suddenly stood up, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I am going to the Imperial Study.¡±


    In the Imperial Study.


    Chu Tiankuo did not go anywhere else after coming back from Tang Xia¡¯s palace, but went back to Imperial Study to review the memorials. However, Tang Xia¡¯s shadow had always been hanging over his mind.


    Right at this moment, a person suddenly came to report, ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Lengmei had come.¡±


    Hearing this, Chu Tiankuo frowned and said, ¡°Why did she come here?¡±


    Even so, Chu Tiankuo still let her in.


    Lengmei wore a bright yellow dress, setting her to look prettier.


    She stepped to Chu Tiankuo and made a bow with a smile. She said at a low voice, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo had been looking down at the memorials and just slightly answered her. He did not raise his head to look at her.


    Lengmei bit her lips and felt annoyed for Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent attitude.


    However, she still pretended to be very weak and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I did not feel good recently and I don¡¯t know why¡±


    Upon hearing this, Chu Tiankuo finally raised his head and looked at her still without expression.


    Then he lowered his head and continued to review the memorials. Then, he said casually, ¡°If you are not feeling good, you should not go anywhere, but stay at your palace to take a rest.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, so tonight¡­¡± Lengmei stroke while the iron was hot.


    However, for this time, Chu Tiankuo just looked down at his memorials and said nothing.


    Lengmei did not care about this, because her purpose had been reached. She made a bow and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you anymore, Your Majesty. I ask for leave.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not raise his head and permitted her to leave.


    Lengmei turned around and left with a happy expression on her face.


    ¡°Your Grace, what about now¡­¡± Lengmei¡¯s maid beside her asked.


    Lengmei looked at the sky that was still dark and smiled proudly. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to visit our queen.¡±


    The maid beside her naturally knew what she meant and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    When Lengmei and her maids reached Tang Xia¡¯s palace, the latter had already slept, only Lyuyou still guarding in the yard.


    Seeing Lengmei coming in, Lyuyou licked her mouth and reluctantly made a bow to her. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Get up. Where is my sister? I come to visit her,¡± Lengmei said and looked inside.


    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Lyuyou obstructed Lengmei¡¯s view and said, ¡°the queen has already slept. Please come back to your palace.¡±


    However, since Lengmei did not reach her purpose, how could she leave?


    Then she shouted at a loud voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t reach to the night. How could our queen sleep so early? Are you hateful for me, my sister? Are you saying this because you don¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    Lyuyou had not expected that Lengmei would suddenly raise her voice and tried to stop her immediately. ¡°Your Grace, our queen has already slept indeed. If you want to visit her, you can come tomorrow.¡±


    Lying on the bed, Tang Xia naturally heard the noise outside. She frowned. She could not have a rest with such a loud noise outside.


    Finally, Tang Xia got up and heard Lengmei¡¯s voice outside. She could not help sneering and shouted, ¡°Lyuyou, since she comes to visit me, let her in.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s voice, Lyuyou who was still trying to stop Lengmei frowned, but had to let her in.


    However, Lengmei looked at Lyuyou arrogantly and walked inside.


    Looking at Tang Xia who was still lying on the bed and seemed to be very weak, Lengmei could not help laughing in her mind. However, she still pretended to be careful for her and said, ¡°Sister, your body condition becomes worse and worse. You have to have a good rest.¡±


    Tang Xia sneered and said, ¡°Thank you so much for your care, my sister. I know clearly about my body.¡±


    Lengmei did not care about Tang Xia¡¯s tone and just said, ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t feel good these days. I just visited our emperor and he asked me to have a good rest. He still prepared me some more soup.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia¡¯s hands in the quilt tightened and said with a smile, ¡°You also should take care of your body, my sister. Since you have visited me and seen my condition, you can go back now.¡±


    Since Lengmei had reached her purpose for this time, she had no reason to stay. Then, she stood up and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s so, I¡¯d like to go. You should have a good rest, my sister.¡±


    As she said, Lengmei turned around and left.


    After Lengmei left, all her words left in Tang Xia¡¯s mind and she felt even more upset.


    Then she could not help opening the bullet screen and found everyone was saying, ¡°The supporting actress Lengmei is just out of her mind. You don¡¯t have to care about her words.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Tang Xia. The emperor still loves you.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy. The hero is always out of routine. He must love you most in the end.¡±


    Seeing the words of netizens, Tang Xia¡¯s mood got better. She took a deep breath and decided not to care about Lengmei¡¯s words.


    Later, she remembered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s goodness to her. For a long time, he had always been very good to her.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia felt better and even her body was not that uncomfortable.


    Since it was so, it meant that Chu Tiankuo still had some favor to her.


    Then¡­


    Thinking of this, she suddenly stood up from the bed and said to Anran beside her, ¡°Anran, I have decided. I will try my best to conquer the emperor.¡±


    Anran who was standing beside her was shocked for Tang Xia¡¯s sudden ambitious words. She looked at her and asked, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, nobody knew the ending. Who knows Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lover would be.¡± Tang Xia smiled with pride.


    Therefore, you are not angry with the emperor, Your Grace?¡± Anran asked with a smile.


    Tang Xia turned back and looked at her. She asked, ¡°Why should I be angry with him? It could not let me eat more. Since it¡¯s so, I¡¯d better find ways to conquer him.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Anran was even happier. She looked at Tang Xia and asked, ¡°What are you preparing to do, Your Grace?¡±

 Chapter 61

    As the weather was good, Lengmei reclined comfortably on the couch, bathed in the sunshine.


    When she was about to pick up a grape and put it into her mouth with her slender fingers, Lengmei paused as if she had thought of something. Then she put the grape back and beckoned one of her maids over.


    ¡°What has the bitch Tang Xia been doing these days?¡± Lengmei asked lazily, raising her eyes slightly.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± The maid bowed to Lengmei and whispered in her ear, ¡°According to the spy¡¯s report, the empress is practicing novel dance in her yard as if she is plotting something.¡±


    Lengmei snorted as she looked into the distance, muttering, ¡°Hm, it seems that what I¡¯ve done is not enough! How could that bitch practice dancing leisurely?¡±


    Lengmei stood up from the couch immediately. ¡°You, change the dress for me. I need to go out.¡±


    That maid found the new dress delivered by the Garment Department from Lengmei¡¯s numerous clothes. Then the maid dressed Lengmei in the light red palace costume Lengmei liked to wear.


    The maid tied the hair, pasted the yellow decal on Lengmei¡¯s forehead, and put on a golden hairpin for Lengmei before Lengmei went out with her maids.


    After Lengmei walked through several palace gates, she saw Little Orange standing there and appreciating a pot of peony.


    The clusters of bright red peonies were blooming, which delighted people.


    As Little Orange stood aside, his comely face appeared somewhat gorgeous, making it hard to tell whether he was a male or female.


    Lengmei walked towards him with her red lips raised slightly.


    ¡°You are in such a good mood, Eunuch,¡± Lengmei said to Little Orange.


    Little Orange turned his head around as he heard her words. Seeing it was Lengmei, he frowned slightly.


    ¡°It is such a beautiful day. Why don¡¯t you wait upon His Majesty but appreciate flowers here? What a good pastime you have!¡± Lengmei wore a bigger smile at the sight of Little Orange¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Greeting, Your Grace.¡± Little Orange bowed to Lengmei as he pretended to be obedient, saying, ¡°His Majesty has approved me to be here. I guess you are not wandering here.¡±


    ¡°Yep! You are right! I came here for you!¡± Lengmei smelt the flower picked by her in her hand as she said, ¡°It took me so much time to find you. As you are a smart guy, I will not beat around the bush.¡±


    ¡°I do not deserve your time, Your Grace. You can just order your maids to do whatever you want, so there is no need for you to spend much time looking for me.¡± Little Orange wore an alienated smile at Lengmei.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so modest. Everyone knows that His Majesty trusts you most!¡± Lengmei took up the cup and blew the tea slightly before she sipped it.


    ¡°I came here and wanted to ask you about how His Majesty plans to deal with the former emperor Helian Jue.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Little Orange looked away. ¡°You are making me in trouble, Your Grace. I¡¯m just a servant. How can I know such court things?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Is it true?¡± Lengmei looked directly at Little Orange. ¡°You don¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, it is something that determines the nation. I truly don¡¯t know!¡± Little Orange said lowering his head.


    ¡°Never mind. It is not wasting my time for I am able to see the fine view.¡± Lengmei stroked the peony in her hand and clenched it suddenly. After a while, she loosened her grip, casting the broken peony on the floor.


    The maid standing beside Lengmei took out a handkerchief immediately to swipe Lengmei¡¯s hands gently.


    When her hands were clean, Lengmei stood up, stroked her dress, and tightened her hairpin, saying,


    ¡°Now that you don¡¯t know, I guess nobody in the palace knows that. I won¡¯t embarrass you. Forget it! I¡¯m a little tired now for I have got here for so long.¡±


    Lengmei looked directly at Little Orange but said to her maid. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Lengmei put her hand on her maid¡¯s hand and was about to leave.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± Little Orange said suddenly, ¡°You¡¯d better stay in your palace these days as the palace is not peaceful and orderly. You do not want to make His Majesty unhappy with you, right? So do not make trouble for yourself.¡±


    Lengmei snorted without looking back and left, accompanied by her maid.


    As he followed Lengmei with his eyes, Little Orange looked grim. Then he lowered his head and looked at the peony crumbled by Lengmei. After a good while, he let out a sigh.


    Little Orange went back to the palace gate and found the commander of royal guard, saying, ¡°As the palace is not peaceful these days, the one locked up in the cell¡­ Remember to keep him in custody carefully.¡±


    One who could become the commander could not be stupid, so he understood what Little Orange meant immediately, ¡°Eunuch, don¡¯t worry. I will exert greater control over him.¡±


    Then the commander increased the guards in the prison instantly.


    Little Orange nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°I appreciate your hard work. Now excuse me for leaving.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, mind your step.¡±


    Although Lengmei had not got the information she wanted from Little Orange, she did not worry too much about it. Instead, Lengmei took a book and read it carefully.


    After a long time, Lengmei reckoned it was time. Then she summoned one maid and instructed her something in a gentle voice. Lengmei went on reading at the sight of her maid leaving.


    After a while, her maid came back and said to Lengmei reverently.


    ¡°You are prophetic, Your Grace. Little Orange did look for the commander and the commander did increase the guards in the prison. Now not a single fly can fly into the prison.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, he is just a servant with a limited field of vision. And he owns such a simple mind that he will easily get manipulated by me.¡± Lengmei sneered. ¡°However, the prison is not a place that I can readily play politics. I need to get prepared with detailed plans.¡±


    ¡°You are so clever, Your Grace. It will be easy for you.¡±


    Lengmei thought for a while and came up with a plan. ¡°Come here.¡±


    The maid got closer and crouched beside Lengmei.


    ¡°I need you to buy off those servants in the palace so that they can ¡®accidentally¡¯ say out that our empress still loves the former emperor, Helian Jue.


    What¡¯s more, she wants to save Helian Jue out of prison and helps him become the emperor again. Note that you should be careful and not be caught.¡±


    Lengmei squinted her eyes slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see how she can deal with the problem this time!¡±


    Hearing Lengmei¡¯s words, the maid adulated, ¡°You are as resourceful as the military counsellor, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°You talk too much, just do your work!¡±


    Tang Xia prepared an evening banquet in the palace just for Chu Tiankuo this evening.


    As the sky darkened, everything became somewhat indistinct. The red platform was just set up appearing quite magnificent, which went well with the dress Tang Xia wore.


    Tang Xia became nervous before the evening banquet started. As she looked at those servants coming and going, Tang Xia was on edge with her fingers twisting her dress.


    As Tang Xia¡¯s small act was noticed by the audience, they sent out messages on bullet screen to encourage Tang Xia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened, anchor. Just do it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, anchor. You can do it!¡±


    ¡°Come on! I will send a gift to you.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Diamond! What a Tuhao! Certification accomplished.¡±


    ¡°Can I ride on your coattails, Tuhao?¡±


    ¡°Look here, Tuhao. I¡¯m lovable, too.¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia was moved by these messages, ¡°OK, I see. Thank all of you, I will make it!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia got prepared carefully without looking at the messages any more.


    After a while, Chu Tiankuo came. Tang Xia stood up from the seat immediately and hid behind the platform.


    As Chu Tiankuo sat on the seat, there was no one else but a palace maid with a plain appearance who poured wine for him.


    Chu Tiankuo became a little expectant as he heard that Tang Xia had been practicing dancing these days. Although he could have checked it out, he held back his curiosity and looked forward to what surprise Tang Xia would show to him.


    Suddenly, candlelight was extinguished and then relit after a while.


    It seemed that someone was on the platform. When Chu Tiankuo scrutinized who it was, he found that Tang Xia in a dancing dress stood on the platform.


    Tang Xia wore a gold navel-baring dancing dress embellished with paillettes while her hands were tied with red silk. As Tang Xia left half of her hair falling over her shoulder, her skin was partly hidden and partly visible which was quite enchanting.


    Then the musician standing aside started to play the music. Tang Xia in the dancing dress began to dance along with the soothing music. ¡°Isn¡¯t it waltz?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo felt touched and surprisedly looked at Tang Xia who danced carefully because he didn¡¯t expect what Tang Xia prepared for him was waltz. He suddenly recalled that as a guard, he had danced the waltz with Tang Xia in the former world, so he was moved.


    As Tang Xia did not complete her dance, she stepped down from the platform. Feeling a little tired, Tang Xia took a deep breath slowly and offered her slender hand to Chu Tiankuo, saying, ¡°Would you like to complete the dance with me, Your Majesty?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not respond to her immediately but lowered his head pondering something.


    As Tang Xia felt disappointed believing that Chu Tiankuo did not want to dance with her, Chu Tiankuo seized her hand before she was able to withdraw her hand. He embraced her.


    ¡°Hm?¡± The unexpected hug made Tang Xia a bit of uneasy.


    Chu Tiankuo whispered in her ears, ¡°How can I not say yes if my empress wants me to dance with her?¡±

 Chapter 62

    As Tang Xia was held by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms, she was led to the platform by Chu Tiankuo and danced the waltz with him in trance.


    Before the dance was completed, Tang Xia lost her breath because of tiredness which made her more charming. At the sight of this beautiful woman, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were glistering.


    As Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes became gentler, he raised her hand to fix Tang Xia¡¯s straggling hair but paused when he found that Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were clear containing no emotions as if she was dancing with a stranger!


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand froze for a moment, then he stroke Tang Xia¡¯s face naturally with a smile on his mouth and asked with concern,


    ¡°What have you been doing these days? Is everything OK? I¡¯ve been so busy that I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s relaxed body became alerted immediately and thought,


    ¡®Is he sounding me out?¡¯


    Then Tang Xia wore a slightly stiff smile to Chu Tiankuo and courted him constrainedly,


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, Your Majesty. I¡¯m your empress. I¡¯ve just been practicing the dance and reading, which is certainly comforting. Come to see me whenever you miss me. I will always be waiting for you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned immediately as his face darkened as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I have devoted so much to her, why can¡¯t she see my sincere love? How could she still be so unctuous? It made me sick! Does she pretend all these?¡±


    When he thought of these, Chu Tiankuo became angry instantly. He squeezed Tang Xia¡¯s neck suddenly with his hands which had been placed on her face, ¡°You!¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden change! But she calmed down in a while and asked with a poker face,


    ¡°What are you doing, Your Majesty? Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo glared at Tang Xia with his peach blossom eyes full of malevolence. However, he did not exert greater strength any more.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired now! Dance on your own!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo loosened his grip, turned around, and went off in a huff.


    Tang Xia did not force him to stay but stood on the platform and looked at the direction Chu Tiankuo left, with an obscure look.


    At this moment, the spectators sent out messages on bullet screen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, anchor. You need not be upset about such a lame man!¡±


    ¡°Yes! What is wrong with him! It was so sweet just now! You need to stay away from him!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, anchor. We are here with you!¡±


    A rocket (the most valued present in the broadcasting room) advanced across the screen.


    ¡°That Tuhao gives an expensive gift to the anchor again! I need to ride on his coattails!¡±


    ¡°Riding on Tuhao¡¯s coattails+1!¡±


    ¡­


    Looking at messages deviating from the original topic, Tang Xia was amused.


    Lyuyou hurried to the platform worriedly, paused at the side of Tang Xia, and fixed her eyes on her, asking anxiously,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Grace? You have been practicing the dance for so long just to make His Majesty happy. How¡­ How did you upset him again?!¡±


    Tang Xia took back her gaze and curled her lip, saying reluctantly and aggrievedly, ¡°How can I know?! Why did he become angry suddenly?!¡±


    ¡°Is he qualified to be arrogant because he is the emperor? What a bad temper! I won¡¯t flatter him anymore!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia turned around and was about to go back to her palace.


    Lyuyou grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It is not time to lose your temper, Your Grace! Hurry to catch him up and apologize to him before His Majesty walks far away!¡± Then Lyuyou pulled Tang Xia to walk in the direction Chu Tiankuo left.


    However, Tang Xia got rid of Lyuyou¡¯s hand and said angrily, ¡°No, I won¡¯t do that! Even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered! I will never ingratiate myself with him again! Don¡¯t persuade me anymore! Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia ripped down the silk ribbon tied around her wrist and trotted away.


    Lyuyou saw Tang Xia angrily walk away, noticed that Chu Tiankuo had gone quite far away, and let out a sigh, thinking that it was so hard to be a loyal maid! Finally, she followed Tang Xia and left.


    From that day on, Chu Tiankuo had not come and explained to Tang Xia for several days, which irritated Tang Xia.


    ¡°Hm! I will never ingratiate myself with you any more if you don¡¯t come for me!¡± Tang Xia made up her mind.


    This day, Tang Xia was having fun with Lyuyou when someone informed that Lengmei was here to pay a visit to the empress.


    Tang Xia felt so upset that winning a game did not cheer her up. ¡°Why is the bitch here? So annoying!¡±


    Tang Xia said to the maid who passed on the message immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her right now. Just tell her that¡­ that I¡¯m still having a rest. Ask her to leave.¡±


    That maid opened her lips. But before she could say something, Lengmei¡¯s voice came.


    ¡°Elder Sister, don¡¯t you want to see me? What you said makes me so upset!¡± Her voice came before her arrival. Lengmei walked in without permission. She pretended to be delicate and sad as she looked at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia felt annoyed at the sight of Lengmei¡¯s behavior¡ªit was obvious that she was making troubles here!


    ¡°How can you say that? Don¡¯t take me wrong. I just needed to have a rest as I was a little tired after having fun with Lyuyou for a long time. I did not expect that you would come.¡±


    Tang Xia justified herself wittily, praised herself in her mind and thought,


    ¡®As I said so, Lengmei would not stay here if she knew how to behave in a delicate situation! Just go, go¡­ She makes me sick.¡¯


    However, Lengmei was more shameless than Tang Xia expected. Lengmei just sat on the chair slowly, took up the cup of tea and smelt it gently.


    ¡°Sure enough! You own the best thing in the world. The annual output of the White Tea After The Rain is less than several kilograms.


    And they are all the tributes for His Majesty. I did not expect that I can taste the tea here. His Majesty does dote on you! How lucky you are!¡±


    Lengmei drank tea slowly as if she did not understand what Tang Xia truly meant.


    Tang Xia knew that Lengmei came here with malicious intent and rolled her eyes in her mind. ¡°Whatever, she just ignored what I said. I cannot drive her away now, otherwise, I don¡¯t know how people will judge me after she leaves!¡±


    ¡°You are kidding. I do not know much about tea tasting so that I did not realize how precious this tea was. I¡¯ll let Lyuyou take some of the tea for you if you like it.¡±


    Tang Xia braced herself up to deal with Lengmei well.


    ¡°Am I coming here just for the tea? Do not look down upon me!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Lengmei paused as if she thought of something. Then she spoke again.


    ¡°You are leading a happy life here. But do you know that the former emperor Helian Jue is¡­ is suffering in the prison now?¡± Lengmei paused and continued saying,


    ¡°When he was the emperor, Helian Jue favored you so much that he even wanted to pick up the star for you!


    You were the most beloved imperial concubine then! You were just like Su Daji and Bao Si!¡±


    Hearing what Lengmei said, Tang Xia wore a cold look immediately and said coldly with a sneer, ¡°Are you trying to alienate His Majesty from me? What are you doing by saying so much nonsense?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me!¡± Lengmei wore a gentle smile at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Being angry is bad for your health¡­ His Majesty¡¯s blame is one thing, what matters is that¡­ two men will feel sorry for you!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Tang Xia glared at Lengmei. ¡°Why are you saying such things now?! The world belongs to His Majesty. How can you sow discord between me and His Majesty as you miss Helian Jue?¡±


    After a long time, Tang Xia calmed down, took a deep breath and said slowly,


    ¡°I have never seen people as shameless as you are. You make me feel so sick! Someone! Ask Concubine Leng to leave!¡±


    Tang Xia was so angry that she did not care how people would judge her. She just wanted to beat Lengmei up, but she could not do that!


    Seeing that Tang Xia was so angry, Lengmei knew that her aim was achieved. Hence, she decided not to annoy her anymore and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. Take care of yourself. Now that you don¡¯t like what I said, it is all my fault¡­ I made you unhappy. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Lengmei left slowly with her maid in the same way as she came.


    Tang Xia looked Lengmei away questioningly, ¡°Why did she leave so easily? What on earth did she come here for? Just to make me annoyed? Was she insane?¡±


    Tang Xia did not dwell on the question anymore and felt happy that Lengmei left. Then she had someone cast away the cup Lengmei used and began to have fun with Lyuyou again.


    Helian Jue opened his eyes in the prison at midnight. Those soldiers who used to come and go all disappeared tonight so that it was rather quiet in the prison. As cold breeze swept by, Helian Jue trembled with fear.


    At this moment, slow footsteps came from afar. Then someone paused in front of the Helian Jue¡¯s cell and opened the door suddenly! Helian Jue¡¯s half-opened eyes were wide open now.


    A maid with an ordinary figure stood out of the cell. However, Helian Jue could not see her face clearly.


    The maid opened her mouth and said to Helian Jue. ¡°My master wants to see you.¡±

 Chapter 63

    As Tang Xia settled back on the chair, she watched fiery-red sunset clouds, squinting her eyes in a trance.


    Since Chu Tiankuo walked off in a huff last time, he had never come for Tang Xia again as if he was quite angry with her.


    ¡°However, should he put the blame on me?¡±


    ¡°It was he who was indifferent to me first, so I ignored him in return.¡±


    In Tang Xia¡¯s view, Chu Tiankuo was a great guy except for his pride and arrogance, which made her unsure sometimes what on earth she meant to him.


    As Tang Xia was carried away by her fancy in a trance, Lyuyou came from outside and asked with concern, ¡°Your Grace, what are you thinking about?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her head and fixed her eyes on the object in Lyuyou¡¯s left hand, saying, ¡°What is in your hand?¡±


    Lyuyou put the note on the table in front of Tang Xia and said with her eyebrows knitted, ¡°Someone told me to take this to you. But I have no idea what it says.¡±


    Feeling puzzled, Tang Xia took the note and found the free and easy handwriting on the note was so familiar. It seemed that she had seen it before, which made her freeze for a moment.


    After pondering for a while, Tang Xia was sure that it was written by Helian Jue because she had seen his handwriting more than once and sighed with emotion that ¡®the style is the man¡¯ every time she saw his writing.


    ¡°However, isn¡¯t Helian Jue locked in the prison now? Why did he have someone send the note to me? What is his purpose?¡±


    As Tang Xia was puzzled, she looked over the note word by word again and frowned unconsciously.


    What was written on the note by Helian Jue was just a line of words saying that he had something urgent to discuss with her so she needed to go to the prison tonight, something bad would happen to the country if she did not come to see him.


    Tang Xia wore a terrible look, not knowing what Helian Jue meant.


    As Lyuyou stood beside Tang Xia, she saw clearly what was written on the note and asked, raising her eyebrows, ¡°Are you going or not, Your Grace?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and stroked the line of words with her index finger without answering Lyuyou¡¯s question.


    Lyuyou hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°I think, it seems not appropriate if you don¡¯t go. We won¡¯t be caught if we are more careful at night.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a faint smile on her mouth and said with determination, ¡°Just ignore it. I won¡¯t go!¡±


    Lyuyou opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more but gave up.


    As it was time to have dinner, Tang Xia somehow lost her appetite in the face of a table of delicious food.


    While she was fiddling with vegetable leaves in her bowl, Tang Xia raised her head, looking at the dense darkness outside the window as if she was deep in thought.


    Tang Xia became extremely worried, thinking of the words written by Helian Jue on the note.


    ¡°Would something extremely bad happen if I don¡¯t go?¡±


    As Tang Xia thought of Chu Tiankuo, she changed her mind and thought that it would not be a big deal to go to the prison.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Helian Jue will hurt me.¡±


    As Tang Xia made up her mind, she finished her dinner hastily. Then she changed her clothes and got prepared to go to the prison as it was getting late.


    Lyuyou said worriedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with me, Your Grace? At least I can guard the door for you.¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head, refusing her proposal. ¡°It will become more troublesome if more people go there. Don¡¯t worry, I will be fine.¡±


    Lyuyou frowned. ¡°I know the Helian Jue will not hurt you, Your Grace. I just feel that something is wrong.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile feeling the same way, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will act accordingly. Then everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t drag too many people into this, whether the note written by Helian Jue is true or not.¡±


    Tang Xia arrived at the prison successfully and found that Helian Jue was leaning on the wall and refreshing his spirit by closing his eyes. But she could not figure out whether he was sleeping or not.


    And Helian Jue¡¯s complexion was the same as before.


    Tang Xia ordered someone to open the door, and the clanks of unlocking the door alerted Helian Jue who opened his eyes subconsciously.


    Helian Jue looked Tang Xia up and down with his deep eyes and wore a faint smile on his mouth, saying, ¡°I knew that you would come.¡±


    Tang Xia said, looking at him coldly, ¡°It seems that you have enjoyed a good life here.¡±


    Helian Jue smiled with bitterness in his eyes and said sentimentally, ¡°It never occurred to me that I needed to see you in this way.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a poker face and said in a colder voice, ¡°Just save it. I don¡¯t have time for small talk. Why do you need to see me? What do the words on the note mean?¡±


    Helian Jue straightened his body and said with a smile, ¡°You are as impatient as before. Is there nothing you want to say to me?¡±


    Tang Xia became more impatient. ¡°Helian Jue, if there is nothing important, I will leave now!¡±


    As she said so, Tang Xia turned around and was about to leave.


    Helian Jue stopped her and said in a serious tone, ¡°Tang Xia, I need to tell you something about Xingyue Tower. Don¡¯t you want to know?¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a moment, turned around, and looked at Helian Jue. ¡°What is wrong about Xingyue Tower?¡±


    Helian Jue wore a smile. ¡°The tower was built for you. But I need to tell you that it will definitely bring about big troubles in the future.¡±


    Tang Xia was puzzled by his words. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Could you please explain it in detail? What is wrong with Xingyue Tower?¡±


    However, a hubbub of shouting came from outside of the prison before Helian Jue could explain. Then one man shouted, ¡°There is an assassin! Catch the assassin!¡±


    Tang Xia froze subconsciously, knowing that things were not going well.


    ¡°It is so unreasonable for me to come to the prison so late for Helian Jue.¡±


    ¡°It will be quite troublesome if someone makes a fuss about it.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    However, Helian Jue was still acting calmly.


    It was in noisy disorder outside of the cell as soldiers filed out as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Tang Xia could not figure out if someone was confusing the public or there was indeed an assassin.


    In this situation, it would be impossible for Tang Xia to take advantage of the disorder to leave.


    Hence, she remained still so as to do nothing against everything.


    In the meantime, some soldiers swarmed into the cell with weapons in hand and separated into two lines.


    Then footsteps could be heard from far to near.


    Tang Xia raised her head subconsciously and what she saw was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold face with obvious anger in his eyes.


    As it was unexpected but reasonable, Tang Xia stayed calm.


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a while at the sight of Tang Xia. Then he clenched his hands immediately and looked at her with a pair of fierce eyes.


    Tang Xia remained silent, and Helian Jue did not make a move, either.


    Their reactions made Chu Tiankuo more furious.


    Chu Tiankuo glared at Tang Xia. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to explain to me why you are here?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her head looking at Chu Tiankuo and said with a calm look, ¡°Explain for what? There is no need to explain. I just came here to chat with my old friend. Since I did not do anything bad, why should I explain?¡±


    Her rude attitude made Chu Tiankuo angrier.


    ¡°You did not do anything bad, but why did you come here at midnight? Don¡¯t you think it is unreasonable?¡±


    Tang Xia was angry, too. ¡°Why should I meet Helian Jue if I don¡¯t care about Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    ¡°How could he suspect me and get angry with me?¡±


    Therefore, Tang Xia was reluctant to show weakness. ¡°A clean hand wants no washing. I¡¯m frank and forthright. Who I want to see or when I want to meet them is none of your business.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was totally pissed off by her words and said after glaring at Tang Xia for a long time, ¡°Someone! Take my empress back to her palace. She is not allowed to leave her palace without my permission.¡±


    Tang Xia said angrily, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, how could you treat me like this? You have no rights to restrict my freedom.¡±


    However, it was obvious that her revolt was useless as eunuchs and palace maids surged forward and ¡°asked¡± her to leave.


    Seeing Tang Xia go away, Helian Jue, who had kept silent, said slowly, ¡°Is it worth losing your temper because of such a trifle thing?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his cold eyes on Helian Jue as if he wanted to eat him alive. ¡°It seems that you want to free yourself soon as you are tired of living in the prison.¡±


    Helian Jue wore a smile. ¡°You are wrong. How can I be fed up with living here? I¡¯ve enjoyed a good life so that I hope to spend my whole life in prison as I¡¯m safe from the wind and rain.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was extremely angry and sneered. ¡°Are you? I think you are determined to die. Otherwise, why are you still badgering with Tang Xia?¡±


    Helian Jue said with a smile, ¡°Whatever you say. I think you won¡¯t kill me, whether I am determined to die or not.¡±


    Helian Jue¡¯s obvious affront made Chu Tiankuo angrier. Hence, Chu Tiankuo said word by word grinding his teeth, ¡°Helian Jue, do you think I dare not kill you?¡±


    Helian Jue ceased to smile and still wore a calm look, saying, ¡°For her, you dare not!¡±

 Chapter 64

    After Chu Tiankuo dealt with affairs of state the next day, the scene of last night played back continuously in his mind.


    Chu Tiankuo became angrier and angrier, so he decided to vent his anger!


    ¡°Little Orange, deliver my decree: Helian Jue will be punished.¡±


    After hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, Little Orange was so afraid that he knelt on the ground and said in a loud voice,


    ¡°Your Majesty, please think twice! As Helian Jue is the emperor of the former dynasty, some remaining evils haven¡¯t claimed the allegiance and some secrets are still unknown. You shouldn¡¯t kill Helian Jue now!¡±


    Little Orange knew that Chu Tiankuo wanted to kill Helian Jue because of the empress. However, troubles would definitely arise from the former dynasty if Helian Jue was dead!


    It was not worth letting troubles arise from the former dynasty and hiding the unknown secrets just for a woman! Moreover, the empress would definitely fall out with the emperor if Helian Jue was killed.


    Chu Tiankuo wore an insidious sneer and said in a cold voice, ¡°Helian Jue seduced my beloved woman, why can¡¯t I say something?! He is my prisoner now! I can do anything I want to him!¡±


    Little Orange became terrified again but appealed to the emperor at the risk of his life,


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please think twice! It won¡¯t be late to kill Helian Jue after all the secrets are asked out!¡±


    ¡°But I want to kill him right now! What should I do!¡± Chu Tiankuo said in a fury.


    Little Orange trembled his body more fiercely but insisted that Chu Tiankuo should withdraw his decree.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down and think it over. Killing Helian Jue may vent your anger for a moment, but what could you get from it?


    You can only get relieved for a while at the expense of the entire burial of secrets, the chaos of the country and resentment of your empress! Your Majesty, please think twice!¡±


    ¡°You desire to keep Helian Jue alive so much. Are you the enemy agent sent out by Helian Jue?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked in a fierce voice.


    As Little Orange¡¯s body trembled harder, he said with reverence and awe, ¡°Your Majesty! My loyalty to you is proved by heaven and seen by the sun! Your Majesty!¡±


    Little Orange said in a tearful voice.


    Chu Tiankuo remained silent and became less angry after quarrelling with Little Orange for so long. But he needed to vent his anger anyway.


    As Little Orange knelt on the floor trembling, Chu Tiankuo was in deep thought massaging his temple in the hall.


    When he opened his mouth again, Chu Tiankuo totally calmed down and said in a calm voice, ¡°Deliver my decree: bring Helian Jue to trial. Punish him if he does not say out those secrets. But make sure he is alive.¡±


    Little Orange took over the imperial edict silently, knowing that Helian Jue would be dead if he said more.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice in the dim hall was as cold as the devil in hell.


    ¡°Helian Jue, I will let you know what will happen if you badger with my beloved woman!¡±


    After Tang Xia heard the decree, she stood up from the chair immediately and wanted to beg for Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mercy. She knew that Chu Tiankuo would kill Helian Jue sooner or later but not now and that he wanted to kill Helian Jue probably because of her.


    Although the decree said people should make sure Helian Jue was alive, Tang Xia was worried that accident might happen during the criminal penalty.


    When Helian Jue died ¡®by accident¡¯, it would be no use to punish those involved as one only lived once. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s plan was so cruel.


    In Tang Xia¡¯s opinion, she did not care how Helian Jue died. But he could not die because of her, otherwise she would be condemned by her conscience all her life.


    When Tang Xia walked to the doorway, she was stopped by Lyuyou and Anran.


    Lyuyou and Anran looked at each other and made up their minds. Then they both knelt on the ground in front of Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia¡¯s two maids said in chorus,


    ¡°Please think twice, Your Grace.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned by their behaviors. ¡°When did they know what I am going to do? Why do they ask me to think twice?¡±


    Anran glanced at Tang Xia and said tamely, ¡°We can tell from your face what you are going to do, Your Grace.¡±


    When they got the decree, Lyuyou told her that the empress would definitely appeal to His Majesty to show mercy for Helian Jue. As expected, the empress did want to do that. Luckily, they stopped her.


    Lyuyou knelt on the ground and said dignifiedly and orderly,


    ¡°Your Grace, for one thing, you are the wife of His Majesty while Helian Jue is the enemy of His majesty. You have to accept the headship of your husband. So you cannot appeal to His Majesty to show his mercy for Helian Jue.


    For another, you are the empress of the present dynasty while Helian Jue is the emperor of the former dynasty. What¡¯s more, you were Helian Jue¡¯s imperial concubine. What will His Majesty and all officials think if you appeal to His Majesty to show his mercy for Helian Jue now?¡±


    What Lyuyou said was reasonable from two angles and both excellent in voice and affection.


    An ordinary woman would be convinced by Lyuyou¡¯s words as women in ancient times were required to act according to the three obediences and four virtues and to accept the headship of the husband. However, Tang Xia was a human who made a time-travel here from the 21st century.


    She would never accept the three obediences and four virtues any more. If Chu Tiankuo was the ancient native people, Tang Xia would take more of his feelings into consideration.


    But Chu Tiankuo was also a human who made time-travel from the 21st century. What he believed was that men and women were equal so that Tang Xia would disregard Lyuyou¡¯s words.


    Tang Xia wore a faint smile,


    ¡°Lyuyou, Anran, thank you. I appreciate your concerns. But if Helian Jue is killed by Chu Tiankuo when he is useless, I won¡¯t say anything about it.


    But in this situation now, Helian Jue is sentenced to death by Chu Tiankuo suddenly. Hence, it must be relevant to what happened last night. I cannot stand back in silence, or I will be condemned by my conscience.¡±


    Lyuyou remained silent for a while, but she still knelt on the ground. As Lyuyou did not make a move, neither would Anran.


    ¡°Your Grace, how many people are waiting for you to make mistakes? If you appeal to His Majesty to show his mercy for Helian Jue now,


    your status will be on the hazard. Anyone who connects to Helian Jue now will be regarded as the remaining evils of the former dynasty. It is not sure whether His Majesty will protect you or not then.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, you should think more of yourself as the empress,¡± Lyuyou said sincerely and earnestly.


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while and wore a calm smile. ¡°Lyuyou, how can I not understand your concern? But I cannot act against my conscience. Don¡¯t say anything further, Lyuyou. Just let me go.¡±


    Both Lyuyou and Anran became silent for a moment and stood up simultaneously. Lyuyou wore a faint smile and said, ¡°As it is your decision, let¡¯s go with you. We will be together, whether live or die.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded and acquiesced in their acts. But she would definitely protect them if something happened.


    Then Tang Xia together with Lyuyou and Anran walked towards Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace.


    In fact, Tang Xia knew clearly about the rule of living in the palace harem¡ªeveryone should be worldly-wise and stay out of trouble if it was none of their business. But Tang Xia was not willing to learn the rule.


    Take the matter of Helian Jue as an example, it would be better for Tang Xia to stay out of this. Although she was quite aware of the consequence, she still chose to get involved as she adhered to her principles.


    When they arrived at the outside of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace, Tang Xia was stopped by a palace maid, who said in a serious tone, ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty says he will not see anyone now.¡±


    Tang Xia said in a cold voice, ¡°Please ask him if I¡¯m included.¡±


    The palace maid just repeated the words. ¡°His Majesty says he will not see anyone now!¡±


    Lyuyou said harshly, ¡°See clearly who is standing in front of you!¡±


    That palace maid did not look at Tang Xia as she thought the empress was no longer favored by His Majesty, so what she did was definitely right.


    The hubbub outside attracted Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attention. When he heard that Tang Xia came, he was happy at first, but his face immediately fell as he knew it was more than likely that Tang Xia came because she wanted to beg him to show his mercy for Helian Jue.


    But Chu Tiankuo asked Tang Xia to come in with a glimmer of hope that Tang Xia came just for him.


    After Tang Xia together with her two maids came into the hall, Tang Xia said in a calm voice, ¡°Please withdraw the order about Helian Jue, Your Majesty.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words made Chu Tiankuo be in a violent rage. Then he said in a cold voice while restraining his fury, ¡°All of you go out!¡±


    Little Orange, Lyuyou and Anran were all hesitant.


    Chu Tiankuo said sarcastically, ¡°Are you acting against my order?¡±


    Little Orange, Lyuyou and Anran were all terrified, looked worriedly at each other and left.


    As Chu Tiankuo commanded them to leave, Tang Xia remained silent.


    After they all left, Tang Xia said her second sentence still in a calm voice, ¡°Please withdraw your order, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said in a cold voice, ¡°Good! Good! Good for you, Tang Xia! You call me ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ for the first time just because of Helian Jue! The first sentence you said after you came in was for appealing to me to show my mercy for Helian Jue!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was so green with envy as Tang Xia¡¯s words stoked his jealousy.


    Tang Xia did not tell his jealousy from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words and analyzed for him calmly, ¡°It will do no good to you to kill Helian Jue now. How about releasing Helian Jue so that those secrets may be revealed to the world?¡±


    It was one thing for Chu Tiankuo to hear Little Orange¡¯s analysis of killing Helian Jue, but it was another story for him to hear Tang Xia¡¯s analysis of this.


    The start point of Little Orange¡¯s analysis was to gain more benefits for Chu Tiankuo while Tang Xia¡¯s start point was to set Helian Jue free.


    Chu Tiankuo said sarcastically, ¡°You are playing the field.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia still insisted on her request. ¡°Chu Tiankuo, release Helian Jue.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his cold eyes on Tang Xia. He had intended to keep Helian Jue alive, but it seemed that there was no need now!


    Looking directly at Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo said word by word, ¡°Deliver my decree: sentence the former emperor Helian Jue to death and execute him tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Hearing that Chu Tiankuo would execute Helian Jue the next day, Tang Xia flushed angrily with her beautiful eyes wide open and thought,


    ¡°I did it for you! How could you irritate me like this?!¡±


    Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Chu Tiankuo,


    ¡°I have told you not to kill him! What do you mean?!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo turned his back to Tang Xia with his hands behind, he composed himself and said with deep eyes to a servant who lowered his head, ¡°Don¡¯t you see that my empress is tired now? Hurry to send her back!¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, what do you mean by saying so? Are you imprisoning me?¡± Tang Xia questioned Chu Tiankuo loudly with an unconvinced appearance.


    Chu Tiankuo did not respond to Tang Xia¡¯s words. He just squinted at the servant who just stood aside. At this moment, his eyes were filled with extreme coldness, which was quite terrifying.


    That servant was so frightened by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s coldness that he trembled for a while and immediately walked towards Tang Xia, saying, ¡°Your Grace, please do not wrangle with His Majesty any more! Take care of yourself! Please go back to your palace with me! Do not embarrass me!¡±


    Looking at the servant who knelt on the ground and kept on begging for mercy, Tang Xia felt a little sorry for him. However, when she looked at Chu Tiankuo, who turned his back to her, she became angrier, so she turned around and left with Lyuyou.


    After Tang Xia went back to her palace with Lyuyou, she became angrier and angrier and could not help walking around in the room.


    Having walked around in the room for a while, Tang Xia thought it would be of no use to stay in the room. So she summoned Lyuyou, ¡°Lyuyou, take one of your clothes for me.¡±


    Lyuyou was a little confused about her words and asked Tang Xia, ¡°What do you need my clothes for, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just take the clothes for me quickly.¡±


    After Lyuyou took the clothes for her, Tang Xia asked Lyuyou to leave and put on Lyuyou¡¯s clothes.


    As it was getting dark, Tang Xia opened the door secretly to check if there was anyone and sneaked out of her palace. She wanted to go to the prison to help Helian Jue out.


    When Tang Xia walked on the road, pondering her plan, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice came suddenly from her back, ¡°It is so late, where are you heading wearing Lyuyou¡¯s clothes?¡±


    As Tang Xia turned around, she found that Chu Tiankuo was standing behind her with his servants. And his voice seemed calm with nothing special.


    However, as Tang Xia scrutinized Chu Tiankuo, she found that he was fixing his eyes on her and that his charming face fell as if it would drip black ink.


    Tang Xia was shocked by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice at first and shut up her mouth at the sight of his angry appearance as she was about to explain.


    After a long time, Chu Tiankuo spoke again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why don¡¯t you talk, my empress?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo walked slowly towards Tang Xia and raised her chin, his thumb rubbing it gently. ¡°Let me think it over. Are you going to the prison?¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, Tang Xia froze for a moment, which let Chu Tiankuo know the answer.


    Chu Tiankuo pinched Tang Xia¡¯s chin tightly and forced her to look directly into his eyes which contained strong feelings that Tang Xia could not bear.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Tang Xia pushed Chu Tiankuo away, stroked her chin gently and thought, ¡°There must be a bruise on my chin as it hurts so badly!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just needed to get some fresh air. I didn¡¯t plan to go anywhere!¡± Tang Xia said with embarrassment to Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his eyes on Tang Xia, ¡°Hm? Is that true? Then why do you wear Lyuyou¡¯s clothes? Didn¡¯t the Garment Department make clothes for you, my empress?¡±


    ¡°Oh crap! I forgot that!¡± Tang Xia thought regretfully, ¡°I should have put on my own clothes!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just thought her clothes were pretty, so I put it on. What? Can¡¯t I do that?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo laughed as he was angry at Tang Xia¡¯s chicanery,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Someone! Send my empress back to her palace and make sure of her safety.¡±


    Then Chu Tiankuo paused for a while and said, ¡°You should follow the empress closely to protect her. Do you understand?¡±


    Hearing Helian Jue¡¯s words, Tang Xia replied immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t need their protection, I can protect myself.¡±


    ¡°My empress.¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia with an evil smile. ¡°Their job is not only to protect you.¡±


    Tang Xia understood what Chu Tiankuo meant immediately and became quite angry. Before she could say something, Chu Tiankuo stopped her.


    ¡°Are you deaf? Why don¡¯t you move!¡± Chu Tiankuo said to the servants behind him, looking directly at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The two servants stepped forward immediately and walked towards Tang Xia. ¡°Your Grace, please!¡±


    Not hearing Tang Xia¡¯s reply, Chu Tiankuo walked away. Tang Xia had no choice but to go back to her palace reluctantly.


    As Tang Xia arrived at her palace, Lyuyou ran to her immediately. ¡°Your Grace, where have you been? I was looking for you everywhere. And many soldiers sent by His Majesty appeared around our palace just now.¡±


    ¡°What! How could he!¡± Tang Xia said angrily.


    As Lyuyou looked at the dress Tang Xia wore, she thought it was familiar. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t the dress I took for Her Grace just now?¡±


    Seeing the dress Tang Xia wore and thinking of the increased soldiers, Lyuyou knew the whole story.


    ¡°Your Grace, why should you do that? You don¡¯t need to antagonize His Majesty for the emperor of the former dynasty! His Majesty will be so mad at you!¡± Lyuyou said to Tang Xia discontentedly.


    Tang Xia just remained silent, bypassed Lyuyou and went back to her room.


    As Tang Xia tasted tea quietly in her room, it occurred to her mind that Helian Jue had told her something about the Xingyue Tower, which made her annoyed.


    ¡°Now that that matter will threaten Chu Tiankuo¡¯s safety and Helian Jue knows it clearly, I cannot let Helian Jue die so easily.¡±


    As Tang Xia thought so, she summoned Lyuyou, ¡°Lyuyou, come here. Change my clothes for me.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Lyuyou came in. ¡°Your Grace, where are you heading now?¡±


    Lyuyou wore a look that she would risk her life to prevent Tang Xia from meeting Helian Jue again.


    Tang Xia smiled reluctantly. ¡°Change my clothes for me. I will meet His Majesty.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Lyuyou thought Tang Xia would get back together with His Majesty and chose a beautiful dress for Tang Xia happily. As Lyuyou was about to do the makeup for Tang Xia, Tang Xia dodged with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, it is OK now.¡± Tang Xia said to Lyuyou.


    Lyuyou was a little dissatisfied, but she could not say anything further as Tang Xia had said so.


    After Tang Xia walked through the arched door of the palace, she arrived at the outside of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s study and asked Little Orange who was standing outside the door,


    ¡°Is His Majesty there? Is he busy with official business?¡±


    Little Orange bowed to Tang Xia and replied, ¡°His Majesty is just sitting alone. I will tell him that you are here if you want to see him.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Little Orange bowed to Tang Xia again and turned around into the study. After a while, he came back.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty asks you to go inside.¡±


    After Tang Xia went into the study, she found that Chu Tiankuo was dealing with affairs of state, not looking at her for a while. Tang Xia just stayed where she was silently.


    After a while, Chu Tiankuo finally raised his head. Finding that Tang Xia was dumbly standing there, he raised his eyebrows as he said banteringly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me you are here so that you don¡¯t need to wait for such a long time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right to wait as you are busy with state affairs,¡± Tang Xia replied obediently.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said impatiently,


    ¡°Just be honest with me!¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I told you that Helian Jue cannot die, Your Majesty?¡± Tang Xia asked, looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face.


    Chu Tiankuo sneered, ¡°It is known to all that my empress still loves Helian Jue. How shameless you are to ask me now.¡±


    ¡°That is not true!¡±


    Tang Xia said immediately, ¡°Do you know what Helian Jue told me?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked directly at Tang Xia, ¡°Tell me why you need Helian Jue to be alive?¡±


    ¡°Do you know something about Xingyue Tower, Your Majesty?¡±


    Tang Xia asked looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Helian Jue told me that Xingyue Tower would threaten your safety but did not tell me the reason that day. I think Helian Jue must know the whole story, so he cannot die before we know the truth.¡±


    Hearing what Tang Xia had said, Chu Tiankuo pondered for a while and became quite angry,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! How ridiculous that I would be threatened by the Xingyue Tower! Besides, Helian Jue has coveted my empress for such a long time, and how can I keep him alive!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stood up, walked down from his throne and comforted Tang Xia. ¡°Don¡¯t give it a second thought, I¡¯ll handle it. You just need to stay in your palace.¡±


    After he finished his sentence, Chu Tiankuo left.


    Tang Xia knew that Chu Tiankuo did not take her words seriously and went back to her palace sulkily.


    As Lyuyou knew the whole story, she brought a dish of desserts favored by Tang Xia when she saw Tang Xia sitting there unhappily. She comforted her,


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so worried, Your Grace. His Majesty may think that you care too much about Helian Jue, so he is unhappy. Take it easy. His Majesty is magnanimous, so he will forgive you anyway.¡±


    Tang Xia still felt worried, pondering how she could keep Helian Jue alive.

 Chapter 66

    Another room in the palace. Thin vapor emerged from behind the screen, making the whole room misty.


    With her beautiful hair loose and wet, Lengmei stood up in the bath tub and stepped out with the help of a maid. As soon as she left the tub, another maid dried her body with a towel and wrapped her in a bathrobe.


    And another maid wiped her hair carefully with a handkerchief of flower fragrance.


    Lengmei walked up slowly to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. These days she lived a comfortable and carefree life, and her beautiful face turned more charming than before. At this thought, her lips curled to a smile.


    Her smile turned into happy laughter as she contemplated her increasing beauty in the mirror to her satisfaction.


    After a while, she asked the maid on her side while combing her hair, ¡°What¡¯s the Queen doing these days? What about His Majesty?¡±


    One of the maids replied instantly.


    ¡°Congratulations, Your Grace! Your prediction was perfect! These days the Queen was behaving exactly the way as you planned! His Majesty was annoyed by the Queen¡¯s repeated animosity and sent more guards to watch her and confined the Queen to her room! Your Grace, it¡¯s your time from now on!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it? Really?¡± Lengmei¡¯s smile was more obvious than ever and her eyes gleamed with complacency. Her words turned ever tenderer and seductive to the extent that they could almost melt human bones.


    And she continued, ¡°The Queen? Hah, who does she think she is? Does she deserve the title of Queen? She just enchanted two emperors with some shabby tricks, and that¡¯s all that she can do. From now on, there should be a new Queen!¡±


    The maid on her side hurried to echo her, ¡°You are so right, Your Grace! In my humble opinion, only you deserve the position of Queen! That Tang Xia is not your rival in any aspect: Family background or means! What kind of rubbish she is!¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s smile was more blatant than ever, but she pretended to be unacceptable of the maids¡¯ insulting words, ¡°Shut up! Watch your tongues! She is still our Queen for now. You should always show respect to her, or people might use it as ammunition against me!¡±


    Those maids had served Lengmei for a long time and knew she was just pretending to be critical. They bowed while smiling and said, ¡°Forgive me, Your Grace. I will be discreet in the future.¡±


    Lengmei turned around and said to one of the maids, ¡°You. Do my orders. Send more people to watch the Queen in the next few days and make sure she can¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia failed to intercede for Helian Jue in front of His Majesty, and she will surely come up with other tricks to save Helian Jue during the next few days. After all¡­¡±


    ¡°Helian Jue is going to be executed soon! It¡¯s a critical time for me to make the last move. I need to know Tang Xia¡¯s every move!¡± With these words, Lengmei narrowed her eyes with cruelty on her face.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I will make the necessary arrangements now.¡± The maid bowed to Lengmei and turned on her heel.


    Lengmei turned around and continued to gaze at her pretty face in the mirror. She picked up a Gold Phoebe comb and started to comb her hair slowly. Her lips were curled with a smile of contempt, and her eyes gleamed with evil schemes.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia paced to and fro in her room, racking her brains for a way to save Helian Jue.


    She leaned an elbow on the table and propped up her face with one hand, gazing silently at a corner of the room with empty eyes and bothered mind.


    Suddenly, she raised her eyes and caught sight of the imperial edict rewarded to the Queen, lying next to the bookcase. The golden reflection from the shiny imperial edict attracted Tang Xia¡¯s attention, sending a gleam into her eyes and a smile up to her lips. Tang Xia had an idea!


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tang Xia thought, ¡°I can steal the imperial jade seal from Chu Tiankuo and forge an imperial edict with his handwriting to exempt Helian Jue from death!¡±


    The more she considered the plan, the more practicable she found it to be. She stood up, walked to her wardrobe and started to fumble inside. After a long search, she found a set of plain clothes in deep color. She was filled with joy and started to make detailed plans as to how to steal the imperial jade seal from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room without being noticed.


    She recalled from the historical TV dramas she watched before that the imperial jade seal was usually kept in the study, and she did see one in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s study before. She remembered its design and size clearly.


    Tang Xia waited patiently until it was dark outside. She told Lyuyou she was tired and wanted to sleep early, and told Lyuyou to go back to her own room to sleep. Lyuyou didn¡¯t think much as Tang Xia didn¡¯t like to have someone near her bed while she was sleeping. She helped Tang Xia comb hair and wash face, put her in bed. She blew off the candles and went back to her own room to sleep.


    About two hours later, Tang Xia figured Lyuyou should have been fast asleep and sneaked out in darkness when the guard was at the weakest during shift change.


    Tang Xia walked past several gates on her way and arrived at the door of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s study. She looked around and sneaked inside the study after making sure there was no one near.


    She tiptoed toward the desk but didn¡¯t see the imperial jade seal. She hesitated for a while and came to the conclusion. ¡°How can such an important thing as the imperial jade seal be placed blatantly on the top of the desk?¡± After realizing this, she started to search for it in the room.


    Tang Xia groped here and there, on the shelf and under the table. As she was busy with her search, her hand accidentally touched a vase, and she panicked over the thought that the sound of the vase smashing might attract the guards.


    But to her surprise, the vase didn¡¯t budge at all and stood stably on the desk, as if it had never been touched.


    Tang Xia approached and made an attempt to lift it, but oddly enough, the vase was fixed to the desktop and was unable to move!


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Tang Xia thought to herself. She then tried to rotate the vase one way or another.


    A hidden slot popped out from the wall nearby. Tang Xia turned her head and found the imperial jade seal there! She hurried over, took it out carefully and put it on the desk. Then she took out the forged imperial edict she had prepared and pressed the seal on it.


    Tang Xia was filled with joy as she viewed the sealed imperial edict to exempt Helian Jue from death. After watching this, the spectators started to send bullet screen comments.


    [Fan] Night: Brilliant, girl!


    [Fan] Your Lover: Superwoman, is that you?


    [Fan] Wheat: Right! Amazing! Where are the gifts?


    [Fan] Wheat gifted the anchor a yacht.


    [Fan] Forget-me-not: ¡­Rich guy, you again!


    [Fan] Nocturnal Fragrance: The legendary rich man! Take a photo with me!


    ¡­


    Tang Xia shot a quick glance at the bullet screens before hiding the imperial edict in her pocket. Then she hurried back to her room along the original route under the protection of darkness.


    The next morning, Tang Xia got up early and called Lyuyou to help her comb hair and wash face. Later, she changed into a suit for getting out, sent Lyuyou on an errand, and secretly left the palace for the execution ground without being noticed by the guards.


    However, a maid of plain looking followed Tang Xia all the way without being noticed. She went back after seeing that Tang Xia had left the palace.


    Meanwhile, Lengmei just got up and finished washing and combing. As she was having breakfast, a maid entered and whispered a few words at Lengmei¡¯s ear. Lengmei gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and her eyes turned cold at the maid¡¯s words. Then she said calmly, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    It was that maid of plain looking that entered Lengmei¡¯s room. She bowed to Lengmei and said, ¡°Your Grace, I followed your order and watched the Queen closely these few days. Today she sent Lyuyou away and left the palace secretly in a plain outfit.¡±


    After hearing this, Lengmei slightly lowered her head and mulled for a moment. Then she raised her head and said to her maids, ¡°Change my clothes. I¡¯m going out.¡±


    The maids were perplexed and asked, ¡°It¡¯s still early now, Your Grace. Where are you planning to go?¡±


    Lengmei sneered and said, ¡°His Majesty ordered for the decapitation of Helian Jue in public outside the Wu Gate at noon today. The Queen sneaked out early in the morning, and she must have gone there!¡±


    ¡°We want to go there, too, Your Grace! We want to see what the Queen is plotting!¡±


    In a dark and wet prison cell, Helian Jue lowered his head, and his facial expression was not seeable. Suddenly, noises sounded outside and a tall and brawny jailor came in.


    He opened the door to Helian Jue¡¯s cell and said to Helian Jue who was lying inside, ¡°Let¡¯s go! It is time!¡±


    Helian Jue put up a bitter smile, stood up, and walked out slowly with heavy chains trailing on the ground.


    Once outside, Helian Jue was temporarily blinded by the sunlight, and he slightly closed his eyes. The jailors rudely pushed him into a prison cart, locked the door, and drove the cart on a humiliation parade.


    The citizens on the streets all saw Helian Jue in his shabbiness. They grabbed cabbage leaves and eggs, and threw them at Helian Jue while abusing him.


    ¡°Trash! You disgraced your ancestors!¡±


    ¡°Kill yourself, you a-hole!¡±


    ¡°Die now, tyrant!¡±


    ¡­


    Helian Jue just stood quietly in the cart, paying no attention to the people on the streets, as if he could not see or hear anything. He didn¡¯t respond to the abuses, nor did he defend himself.


    Time flew, and the parade was over. Just as Helian Jue was escorted to the decapitation stage and was about to be beheaded, Tang Xia rushed out of the crowd and cried, ¡°Stop!¡±

 Chapter 67

    Tang Xia was wearing a bright yellow long dress, and her beautiful little face looked solemn. Her jade hand was holding a yellow cloth, which was undoubtedly the imperial edict.


    ¡°I am here to announce the imperial edict. All of you, kneel down!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s melodious voice sounded with the momentum that people had to surrender. Hearing that there was an imperial edict, people in the execution ground all knelt to the ground.


    Tang Xia proudly stood there, looking at the people kneeling under her. She spread out the imperial edict and read loudly, ¡°By the mandate of heaven, the emperor decreed hereby that the case of Helian Jue has so many doubts and that he can be temporarily exempted from the death sentence and will be kept in prison until the truth is found out and a conclusion is made. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Long live! His Majesty.¡± The imperial envoy of the execution ground wiped off his cold sweat and felt very confused. The person who wanted to kill Helian Jue before was His Majesty. Why did the Empress have another imperial edict to absolve him?


    However, this imperial edict had been made and he could not say anything. He took over the imperial edict from Tang Xia and had a clear look at it. After making sure that there was a mark of the imperial jade seal, he immediately shed cold sweats and said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you let him go?¡±


    Hearing his words, a guard quickly took out the key and unlocked Helian Jue¡¯s chains. Helian Jue thought that he was going to die and when Tang Xia suddenly appeared, he was only surprised.


    Then he understood that Tang Xia was only worried that the prophecy of the Xingyue Tower would come true, so she took risks. This imperial edict was probably a fake one. Even if Helian Jue didn¡¯t understand Chu Tiankuo¡¯s temper, he knew that when Chu Tiankuo wanted to kill someone, the man could not easily escape.


    Moreover, the woman Helian Jue touched was the one Chu Tiankuo loved. Sure enough, Tang Xia really cared about the safety of Chu Tiankuo. Tang Xia indeed loved him!


    Tang Xia thought she would save Helian Jue very smoothly. After all, this was the final step. After Helian Jue left the execution ground, she could figure out something. But she didn¡¯t expect that Chu Tiankuo did not come, but Lengmei did!


    ¡°Wait, the imperial edict in your hand is fake!¡± Lengmei¡¯s words caused a commotion. The common people underneath and even officers all turned to look at the person who just arrived. Then the crowd began to discuss.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart missed a beat and she sighed inwardly, ¡°Damn!¡± At this time, Lengmei came out to make trouble, and if Chu Tiankuo knew about it, it would not be so easy for her to save Helian Jue.


    ¡°Are you saying that the imperial edict is a fake one? How can you know it must be false?¡± Tang Xia asked back and tried to calm down. However, she still felt worried.


    Helian Jue blankly looked at Lengmei who showed up suddenly. There was severe killing intent in his eyes. Almost, he could leave here safely, but at this time, a fool popped up and ruined this.


    The imperial envoy underneath couldn¡¯t sit still. He asked carefully, ¡°Your Grace, what is going on here?¡± He wished to be invisible, but when he thought that if the imperial edict in the Queen¡¯s hands was really a fake one¡­


    According to the emperor¡¯s temperament, he must be implicated. He had to be cautious. Otherwise, one mistake would kill him.


    ¡°He-he, do I have to ask? The imperial edict in the Queen¡¯s hand is not from His Majesty. You faked it to save your old lover!¡± Lengmei seemed to have a lot of things to say and gave another huge gossip.


    Hearing this, the people began pointing at Tang Xia. They strangely looked at Tang Xia and believed in Lengmei¡¯s words. Although Tang Xia was calm inside, she felt anxious and worried.


    She was anxious because if she could not save Helian Jue in time, he would not survive today; she was worried because if Chu Tiankuo really came to the execution ground, then all the efforts she had done before were in vain!


    ¡°Nonsense! Lengmei, you said that I faked the edict, what evidence do you have?¡± Tang Xia directly asked her for the evidence, but Lengmei sneered and retorted ironically.


    ¡°Yue Ji, His Majesty loves you, but you repeatedly pleaded for Helian Jue. It is a known thing in the palace!¡±


    ¡°In addition, Yue Ji, you said that this was His Majesty¡¯s edict, but why did you come to announce it personally?¡± Lengmei¡¯s words sounded sharp, and she had grasped a significant flaw.


    They both sounded reasonable and the air became tense. Tang Xia was not willing to show weakness, so she insisted she was the right one and said, ¡°Lengmei, you are seeking revenge for yourself and doubting the emperor¡¯s will. Lengmei, do you think how I, Yue Ji got the imperial jade seal?¡±


    ¡°Besides, from what you said, you seemed familiar with my itinerary. Have¡­ you kept an eye on me? His Majesty is busy all day long, and I feel sorry, so I take this job. Lengmei, are you conjecturing his decision? Hmm?¡±


    Fortunately, she had watched a lot of TV series about palace fight, and they finally became useful. Lengmei gnashed her teeth, but she had to suppress her anger and resentment against Tang Xia. This was a critical moment to take down Tang Xia and she could not let it go.


    ¡°Yue Ji, I don¡¯t dare to question the emperor¡¯s will. That¡¯s a big crime and I cannot afford it! How about this? Let¡¯s go back to see the emperor with the imperial edict and he will tell us who is lying.¡± Lengmei seemingly offered a good idea.


    Tang Xia faked edict and stamped the imperial seal on it without being known by Chu Tiankuo. If Chu Tiankuo knew it at this moment, not only Helian Jue but also she would be punished for this. More seriously, she and Helian Jue would not survive tomorrow.


    ¡°Your Grace, what¡¯s wrong with you? As long as we go to meet His Majesty and let him see the edict, you will be clean! Do you dare to do that? Or you are feeling guilty?¡± Lengmei wanted to pinch Tang Xia¡¯s chin, but the latter avoided.


    Tang Xia felt disgusted and patted the sleeves touched by Lengmei. She said in dislike, ¡°Some people have very smelly mouths, and their brains are also sick. I should keep far away from them, in case I will be infected!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you dare to say that I am smelly!¡± Lengmei said exasperatedly, and she had made up her mind to eliminate Tang Xia.


    At this time, the netizens on the screen saw that Lengmei wanted Chu Tiankuo to check the edict, and they blew up.


    [Fan] Hear Wind and Rain at Night: Why does the bitch Lengmei always want to bully Tang Xia?!


    [Fan] Time Will Tell: Tang Xia looks so handsome. I decide to be her fan. She is my idol. Please beat the bitch!


    [Fan] Axiba: Lengmei is too treacherous! If I met her, I must drown her with a mouthful of salt soda!


    ¡­


    An uproar rose on the bullet screen and Tang Xia instantly gained a large number of fans with her handsome action, but Tang Xia still did not know about it. She was arguing with Lengmei and both of them refused to give in. The situation was in tension.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Lengmei, you are too self-righteous!¡± Tang Xia said sarcastically. Her aversion and irony made Lengmei angry.


    ¡°Yue Ji, what do you mean by this? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Lengmei pretended to be confused and Tang Xia almost applauded for her. Tang Xia was not an easily-bullied woman. She had to refute Lengmei to pay back for her mean heart!


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned cold and the temperature around was lowered.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t understand, let me tell you! I¡¯m the Queen, and you are just a little imperial concubine. How dare you talk to me like this? This time, I just crushed your chin as a punishment, next time it will not be simple like this, Lengmei.¡±


    Tang Xia laughed innocently as if it was reasonable that she crushed her chin. Faced with her imposing manner, People didn¡¯t dare to look straight at her. Lengmei felt chill for no reason and could not help but shrink her body.


    Tang Xia threw Lengmei disgustingly and straightened up. She looked down at her and said, ¡°The emperor¡¯s edict has nothing to do with you. What¡¯s more, did the emperor need to inform you in advance that he gave me an imperial edict? Tell me, do you deserve it?¡±


    ¡°You go too far! It is obvious that you faked an edict at first. When I said we should confront the emperor, you did not dare to go. What do you want to do?¡± Lengmei did not give up, but when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, she felt scared.


    However, thinking that Tang Xia didn¡¯t dare to hurt her in public, Lengmei stood up with the help of her maid and looked at Tang Xia. She insisted on receiving an explanation from Tang Xia.


    ¡°Oh, what qualifications do you have to come here to question me?¡± Tang Xia sounded provocative and Lengmei had been out of rage. She wanted to rush over to have a fight with Tang Xia like a shrew.


    Tang Xia did not expect that she would suddenly come up, and Helian Jue did not know what to do all the way. He was a man and he could not be like a woman to go forward!


    He really couldn¡¯t do it. He watched the two women tussling together and didn¡¯t want to go forward to stop them because they would injure him. As for the common people and the imperial envoy, they were all shocked on watching this.


    To be exact, Lengmei was crazily beating Tang Xia, and Tang Xia just made a defense. The execution ground was chaotic and Lengmei¡¯s scolding had stunned everyone. Tang Xia looked at Lengmei who was like a mad woman as the standoff could not be ended.


    The angry Lengmei was powerful and left a few scratches on Tang Xia¡¯s arms. However, compared with confounded Lengmei, Tang Xia was much better. The common people underneath felt like they were watching big movies.


    The imperial envoy finally realized that the situation went wrong and ordered their maids to go forward and separate their masters. When they finally separated, Lengmei was badly hurt while Tang Xia was only slightly injured.


    At this time, a beautiful woman in silver clothes appeared in midair and shouted a word, ¡°Stop!¡±

 Chapter 68

    The woman only said this one sentence, and the whole scene was controlled and quieted down.


    She was in a silver dress, standing there in such a quiet manner. She looked pure and clean and had a beautiful face which made people unable to violate her.


    As if looking at her was an insult to her, this person turned out to be the famous female immortal Zui Linglong!


    People were whispering and discussing her identity. Who was she? She actually dared to ask the imperial envoy to stop at the execution ground. Someone recognized her and shouted with amazement.


    ¡°Female immortal! The female immortal in here.¡±


    As if a pot of boiling water had been poured in the crowd, they suddenly became noisy.


    ¡°Zui Linglong, the real female immortal!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I finally saw the living female immortal!¡±


    ¡°Female immortal, please bless us!¡±


    ¡°Female immortal, please bless us!¡±


    ¡­


    For a time, all the people were kneeling down on the ground, and they asked for blessing by kowtowing to Zui Linglong.


    Zui Linglong slowly stepped onto the platform as if she were entering a temple instead of a penalty platform.


    She went up and stood in the center of the penalty platform, looking at the imperial envoy sitting in the seat and slowly said,


    ¡°Let him go.¡± Her voice sounded as cold as her appearance, but it was her style.


    The imperial envoy did not figure out the situation for a moment. First, the Empress asked to release Helian Jue with an imperial edict, and then Lengmei ran out to accuse the Empress¡¯s edict was false.


    Now some female immortal showed up and asked him to release the criminal. The imperial envoy felt that his brain had been burned. He was shocked by the people who suddenly knelt, so he did not know how to respond to Zui Linglong.


    Lengmei, who stopped tussling, was still angry and her wounds caused by Tang Xia hurt! She was pissed off when hearing that Zui Linglong asked to set the man free.


    Immediately, she widened her eyes and put her hands into her waist, waving her hands toward Zui Linglong and yelling fiercely,


    ¡°Who the hell are you? You suddenly came here and terrified me! How dare you ask him to let go of the former emperor! Who do you think you are?


    ¡°How can you do that? Why do we have to release him as you said? Do you think you are the emperor? You are just a yellow-haired girl. How dare you!¡±


    While she speaking, Lengmei pointed at Zui Linglong fiercely and continued to say, ¡°You quickly get out, or I will ask the soldiers to drag you down.¡±


    Zui Linglong gave a faint look at Lengmei and did not respond to her or say anything, but these people who knelt beneath heard and saw Lengmei clearly.


    They cursed Lengmei and said,


    ¡°You are a vicious woman. This is the female immortal! Quickly widen your eyes and kowtow to apologize!¡±


    ¡°Hey! She is too venomous and disqualified to kowtow to female immortal! I mean she is disrespectful to female immortal and she should die.¡±


    ¡°Right! Kill this mean woman!¡±


    ¡°She dares to say that female immortal is a bad person. I say Lengmei is the real evil!¡±


    For a time, the people down were all moved up, and all of them were filled with indignation as if Lengmei insulted them instead of Zui Linglong.


    Some people raised the leaves of the rotten vegetables and eggs that had been used to throw to Helian Jue and wanted to hit Lengmei.


    Lengmei was really not aware of the identity of Zui Linglong, or she would not say such words!


    When she saw the actions of the people below, she panicked at once. She was an imperial concubine!


    She was going to make a Queen in the future! If the common people threw the rotten leaves and eggs at her, how would people see her?


    It would be impossible for her to be a concubine quietly, not to mention her dream of beating Tang Xia and being a queen. Without any reputation, it would affect her whole life!


    Since Tang Xia saw Zui Linglong, she had been shocked there, completely ignoring the wounds hit by Lengmei.


    She couldn¡¯t figure out when Helian Jue had a relationship with Zui Linglong, and Zui Linglong offended Lengmei for him. As the saying went, people would rather offend an evildoer than a woman. Lengmei was both an evildoer and a woman.


    However, when Tang Xia looked at the people who were under the platform, and Zui Linglong who looked like a beautiful fairy and the embarrassed Lengmei, she felt funny and admired Zui Linglong more.


    ¡°Zui Linglong is a smart woman. She is just standing there and does nothing and Lengmei is punished.¡±


    Just when the people were so excited and wanted to throw something at Lengmei, a bright yellow carriage appeared in front of everyone. The driver was Little Orange and the emperor¡¯s mark was engraved on the carriage.


    ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡±


    ¡°The Emperor! It is the Emperor!¡±


    ¡°It is really the Emperor!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see female immortal and the Emperor today!¡±


    The people all fell to the ground, and shouted in unison, ¡°My emperor, long live!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo picked up the curtain and looked at the people who were worshipping on the ground.


    Seeing the Emperor coming, Lengmei was happy, and her smug smile appeared again. She forgot the previous lesson and said to Zui Linglong fiercely,


    ¡°The Emperor is coming! The Emperor comes to support me! Everyone knows that the Emperor hates Helian Jue most. You are just a little person and dare to ask to release a criminal! You are waiting to be detained!¡±


    Lengmei turned around, and then said to Tang Xia in the same tone, ¡°And you! You faked an imperial edict and announced it. You wait for the Emperor to throw you into the cold palace!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo came down from the carriage and walked over to the penalty platform. He looked at the deplorable Lengmei and his smart-ass Queen, Tang Xia who faked an imperial edict, frowned and asked,


    ¡°Queen and Lengmei, why did you come here, instead of staying in the palace to play?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Lengmei rushed to the front of Chu Tiankuo and complained when Tang Xia was shocked by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress forged an imperial edict against your will, and she wanted to release Helian Jue. And this woman,¡± Lengmei pointed at Zui Linglong,


    ¡°She came from nowhere and asked to release Helian Jue. She incited people. Look at them; they are bullying me. You have to help me teach them a lesson.¡±


    Hearing Lengmei¡¯s words, Tang Xia was a little flurried. She looked up at Chu Tiankuo and saw that he was looking at her. She felt ease, so she said back to Lengmei,


    ¡°Lengmei! What are you talking about? This imperial edict is obviously from the emperor. The emperor wrote it and then stamped it with the imperial jade seal! You are in public. How can you cry like this?¡±


    ¡°He-he.¡±


    Lengmei turned to sneer at Tang Xia,


    ¡°The Emperor is here now. He is the most understandable person in the world. Is your imperial edict forged? Have you colluded to bully me? The Emperor is clear in his heart! Let the Emperor come to judge! ¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo shouted angrily, and his peach eyes looked closely at Tang Xia. He seemed to try to figure out what she was going to do. On the second look, he became a little exasperated.


    Under his gaze, Tang Xia felt guilty, but she still looked into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes stubbornly. Her beautiful eyes were full of determination as if she had made her mind up to save Helian Jue.


    After looking at her for a while, Chu Tiankuo removed his eyes and said,


    ¡°Lengmei, are you so available that you came here to question the imperial edict that I asked Queen to announce?¡±


    Lengmei immediately retorted back,


    ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t cover the Empress. It is clear that she has forged the edict!¡±


    ¡°Stop! How can a concubine like you know my edict?¡± Chu Tiankuo did not bother to give Lengmei a glance.


    ¡°Releasing Helian Jue is my temporary intention. If you don¡¯t know the truth, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Do you want to rebel?! How dare you defy my words?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo paused and said to Tang Xia, ¡°Queen, you are not doing this right.¡±


    Tang Xia was moved when Chu Tiankuo tried to protect her. Suddenly she heard Chu Tiankuo yelling at her and looked up at him with confusion.


    ¡°You are the mother of a country and the imperial queen. This kind of mission should be handed over to the servant. You don¡¯t have to come here and¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Chu Tiankuo glanced at Lengmei, ¡°You are trapped by some villain.¡±


    As if she was enlightened, Tang Xia nodded to Chu Tiankuo,


    ¡°You are right. I¡¯m negligent. After returning to the palace, I will voluntarily accept the penalty.¡±


    Hearing the conversation between Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia, Lengmei knew that Chu Tiankuo must stand on the side of Tang Xia, and her face turned pale¡­


    She almost did it. She almost pulled down Tang Xia, who always went against her, from that position. She didn¡¯t expect that the Emperor favored her so much!


    Thinking of this, Lengmei became more and more unwilling to get up. She loudly shouted, setting aside etiquette,


    ¡°Please think over about it, Your Majesty! You are the king of a country and manage the affairs of the world. You should keep your word. Since ancient times, the king¡¯s words are to be taken seriously.¡±


    What you said and decided can¡¯t be changed. It is inappropriate that you release Helian Jue like this and it is against the rules left by the ancestors! You will be disgraced!¡±


    Lengmei repeatedly refuted Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, which made the latter very angry. He was just about to ask someone to bring her back to the palace. At this time, Zui Linglong, who had been standing on the side, talked,


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you available?¡±

 Chapter 69

    Hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s words, Chu Tiankuo turned and saw her standing there quietly.


    Even if there were people in the ominous execution ground, she looked unique and independent. The sun shone on her like a cover of gold. Even though she was not the most beautiful woman in the world, she was qualified to be the female immortal with her temperament.


    Thinking of this, Chu Tiankuo suddenly understood why the people in the world called her female immortal, and she was worthy of the reputation.


    This kind of person had to be treated well and could not be offended. So, thinking through the critical point, Chu Tiankuo nodded and said, ¡°Since the female immortal invites me, even if I¡¯m busy, I must make time for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Zui Linglong looked calm without any expression as if it was a common thing that Chu Tiankuo agreed to her request.


    She slight nodded to Chu Tiankuo and said faintly, ¡°That¡¯s very good. Then please move aside and let¡¯s find a place to talk.¡±


    ¡°No rush, wait a second.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo heard about the things that happened in the execution ground on his way here and he was very confused about why Zui Linglong wanted to release Helian Jue.


    However, after seeing the popularity of Zui Linglong among the people, he knew that if he did not meet her requirements, there would probably be riots, so that the people would lose confidence in the royal family and it would be not convenient for him to manage the country in the future.


    Thinking of this, Chu Tiankuo felt a little fear of Zui Linglong. At the same time, he felt somewhat fortunate. Fortunately, Zui Linglong was a woman. If she were a man, the things would be difficult.


    Therefore, Chu Tiankuo ordered the imperial envoy and said,


    ¡°I asked the Queen to help me write the edict in a hurry and I have not explained it clearly. I spared his penalty of death.¡±


    ¡°However, Helian Jue is still a sinner after all, and his punishment cannot be avoided. You put Helian Jue in person until I figure out how to deal with him.¡±


    After that, the imperial envoy quickly answered and took Helian Jue down. This farce had lasted for enough long time.


    It could not be continued since it had become a scandal of the royal family and it was time to end. Later, they evacuated the people who were watching this and wiped the sweat off their faces when all was settled.


    After Chu Tiankuo handled Helian Jue¡¯s case, he looked at Tang Xia and felt funny when he found she was nervously standing there.


    ¡°The things had been done and now you are worried about the consequences?¡± Chu Tiankuo did not say anything further to Tang Xia or Lengmei. He brought Zui Linglong to the room next to the execution ground that the servants had just cleaned up to have a conversation.


    Seeing that the matter was easily solved by Chu Tiankuo and from the beginning to the end he never blamed Tang Xia once, Lengmei was very angry. It was obvious that Tang Xia forged an imperial edict.


    If someone else did this, he would die thousands of times. Chu Tiankuo actually solved this in order to protect Tang Xia!


    Thinking of this, Lengmei became angrier and angrier, and her face was flushed. She stared at Tang Xia as if she wanted to rip out a piece of meat from Tang Xia.


    Lengmei raised a disdainful smile, and said to Tang Xia ironically,


    ¡°Your Grace, this time, don¡¯t be proud! Today, the Emperor is willing to love and protect you, but one day, he will be tired of you. By then, you can¡¯t blame me for being so mean! One day, I will catch your tail!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Lengmei who still argued with her at this time and felt so funny.


    ¡°So what? Anyway, I can¡¯t wait until that time.¡± She looked at Lengmei¡¯s eyes and slowly said,


    ¡°Lengmei, don¡¯t you feel very noisy? You are like a green-headed fly flying around my ear. It¡¯s very noisy!¡±


    Tang Xia stopped, and then looked at Lengmei with colder eyes.


    ¡°Besides, you have to remember your own identity. A little imperial concubine dared to make a fuss several times. Be careful, or you will lose your life!


    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m the Queen. What I do is not up to you to criticize! Also, both you and I cannot speculate the Emperor¡¯s mind!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Hearing that Tang Xia said that she was like a fly, Lengmei could not help clenching her fist and felt numb even though her nails had stuck into her hand. It seemed that she was very mad.


    ¡°You bitch. Dare you say it again!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m the Queen! In addition to the Emperor, I¡¯m the most powerful person in the palace! You are a little imperial concubine. How dare you insult me like this! Do you want to die? Do you really think that I cannot punish you?¡±


    ¡°So what! Even if you are the Queen, you are not justifiable. In respect of means, you can¡¯t compare with me. In respect of the background, you can¡¯t match me. In my view, you will not be the Queen for long!¡±


    Thinking of this, Lengmei was even more arrogant.


    Tang Xia listened to Lengmei and watched her face that became more complacent. She despised her more.


    ¡°Family background and means, I don¡¯t need these things! You just need to remember, as long as I am still the Queen and you are still a concubine, you will always be under my control!¡±


    ¡°Also, today, you went crazy in public regardless of the royal fame. After returning, the Emperor will not easily forgive you.¡±


    Speaking of this, Tang Xia chuckled,


    ¡°As for me, as long as the Emperor still loves me, I will be safe! Instead of thinking about how to replace me, you¡¯d better try to figure out how to put out the rumors and how to face the anger of the Emperor!¡±


    Just as Tang Xia and Lengmei were arguing, Chu Tiankuo and Zui Linglong came out one after the other from the house.


    Looking at the two people who were still quarreling outside and thinking that they actually ran out of the palace today, and had a fight in public, he felt a headache. He had no idea how people would consider this.


    But he was sure that the rumor would not sound nice. Those old fogeys would send memorials to complain that they had humiliated the royal reputation and push him to calm down the rumors.


    However, so many people had seen Tang Xia and Lengmei tussling. It was not easy to calm down the rumors!


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia and felt headaches. However, he had felt so disturbed, but this woman did not regret at all.


    These two initiators could not be punished, which made Chu Tiankuo feel a worse headache! However, Tang Xia and Lengmei could not see through him, so they were somewhat flustered.


    For a long while, Chu Tiankuo said to Tang Xia, ¡°In these few days, I will marry Zui Linglong as my imperial concubine. There will be an imperial edict and her title will be ¡®Xiao¡¯. Queen, I have to trouble you with it.¡±


    Hearing that Chu Tiankuo wanted to marry Zui Linglong, Lengmei was stunned, looking at Zui Linglong behind Chu Tiankuo with incredulity.


    Who could expect that the person who was called a citizen by her in the last second would become the Emperor¡¯s imperial concubine in the next second and became equal with her? Thinking of this, Lengmei stared at Zui Linglong with a fierce look as her face became terrible.


    As if nothing happened, Zui Linglong stood there calmly and didn¡¯t bother with Lengmei¡¯s staring.


    Hearing this, Tang Xia was a little surprised. It turned out that it was not just Helian Jue, but even Chu Tiankuo was related to Zui Linglong? But she didn¡¯t show everything on her face as clearly as Lengmei did.


    However, when she heard what Chu Tiankuo said and looked at Zui Linglong, who seemed like a fairy, she felt a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°This¡­ may be jealous!¡±


    Tang Xia bitterly thought and said congratulation to them.


    ¡°Congratulations to Your Majesty and Concubine Xiao. I will definitely do the work well.¡± After all, she paused and continued, ¡°So many things have happened today, and I¡¯m also a little tired. Excuse me, I go back to the palace first.¡±


    After that, Tang Xia no longer stayed and left the troublesome place.


    Chu Tiankuo saw that although Tang Xia was still calm, she turned away so quickly. He knew that this was not Tang Xia¡¯s style. He understood that Tang Xia might have misunderstood his relationship with Zui Linglong.


    He felt annoyed. How could she not understand him? He really didn¡¯t know how she grew up.


    However, even so, even if he knew that Tang Xia would misunderstand, even if he was upset, he could not tell Tang Xia about the truth of the matter.


    Chu Tiankuo did this because he wanted to build a reputation among people with Zui Linglong¡¯s fame of female immortal.


    Only when the female immortal married into the royal family, could they declare that the royal family was blessed by immortals so that they could get the popular support.


    Only in this way could they claim that the marriage of the female immortal would bring good luck to the royal family and avoid sin.


    And that sin was the former atrocious emperor, Helian Jue. Only then could he exempt Helian Jue¡¯s death penalty.


    Moreover, as long as the news was passed out, everyone would praise the Emperor was grateful and kind and no one would doubt him.


    In the future, no one would hold the stain of Helian Jue. He could start a revolution and change the system of the court on behalf of the immortal. It was time to change the court¡¯s blood.


    However, the reason why Chu Tiankuo suddenly decided not to kill Helian Jue was very complicated, and only Chu Tiankuo and Zui Linglong knew about it in this world.


    Chu Tiankuo was not anxious about it. If Tang Xia wanted to know, she would definitely come and ask him instead of asking Zui Linglong.

 Chapter 70

    There was the red carpet extending over five thousand meters along with the music of traditional stringed and woodwind instruments and the deafening sound of gongs and drums. And the bride was welcomed by the large sedan chair carried by eight people together with a massive groom¡¯s procession.


    All of a sudden, the streets were full of people who stopped and watched the joyful event. Some people even got here just for the grand wedding from thousands of meters away.


    Crowds swarmed around the guard of honor, which made the broad road tightly packed at once.


    As too many people gathered here, it was quite normal for disputes to arise. In the end, the special means was employed for the guard of honor to pass.


    The local officers and soldiers were sent to solve the traffic problems in the end as numerous people were watching the wedding. So it could be imagined how grand the wedding was.


    People could see from afar that the groom was riding on the horse in red wearing a poker face that would make those unwitting people regard it as a funeral instead of a wedding.


    After the local officers and soldiers cleared out the blocked road, the guard of honor moved faster.


    The bridal sedan chair was parked in front of the gate of a large courtyard before midday.


    As the bridal sedan chair was parked in front of the door of Tang Xia¡¯s room, the bride should pay a formal visit to Tang Xia according to the rules. However, Zui Linglong was different from one another.


    Although the bridesmaid (woman attendant serving as bride¡¯s counsel) pleaded with tactful words for several times, Zui Linglong was loath to get out of the bridal sedan chair. Some people thought, ¡°How dare Zui Linglong give the empress a little taste of humility before she becomes one of the imperial concubines!¡±


    However, others considered Zui Linglong¡¯s weird and arrogant character interesting. Before Zui Linglong got out of the bridal sedan chair, the bridesmaid felt anxious. ¡°My bride, please pay your respects to Her Grace!¡±


    ¡°Bride, bride, please! Do not break the rules made by our forefathers!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up! We cannot miss the auspicious hour.¡±


    However, although the bridesmaid persuaded the bride for several times in different ways, it seemed that Zui Linglong was against Tang Xia on purpose as she neither got out of the bridal sedan chair nor spoke a single word, which was quite weird.


    As the bride did not get out of the bridal sedan chair, people around had no idea what was happening and started to discuss with others as if a big harem drama was on the show. People gathering here desired to see what would happen next, so they halted for a long time, not willing to leave.


    Only the bridesmaid got in a dilemma not knowing what to do. As the bridesmaid could do nothing, she got panic in the end with her face full of sweat.


    Although Zui Linglong was reluctant to pay her respects to the empress, the auspicious hour could not be missed. Now that His Majesty had said nothing, the servants dared not break the rules at will.


    As the bridesmaid became less confident with her face filled with cold sweat, she could only say, ¡°Go across the firing basin! (one traditional custom of Chinese wedding)¡±


    After Zui Linglong had done everything according to the rules, she was determined not to pay her respects of the empress or go across the firing basin. It seemed that she was against the bridesmaid on purpose.


    Although the bridesmaid was anxious and angry, she could not lose her temper but to swallow the teeth with blood.


    After a set of wedding customs was completed, it was at dusk. Then the bridesmaid ordered the servants to send the bride to the wedding room.


    A merry scene could be seen clearly in the hall as dancing and singing could be heard.


    Numerous dancing girls showed up, which dazzled people¡¯s eyes. However, the emperor in the high platform seemed to be slouching and just stared at the empty wine glass in hand, pondering something.


    The eunuch standing aside poured the wine for the emperor immediately.


    At this moment, the ministers strived to be the first to propose a toast to the emperor and hoped that they could take a short cut in their way being elevated to a higher position and advanced in the peerage.


    However, the emperor just waved his hand, not accepting a single toast. Then the eunuch urged the bridesmaid to take His Majesty to the wedding room in case he missed the auspicious hour.


    As the bridesmaid appeared, the emperor knew what she came for. Although he said nothing, his frowning eyebrows betrayed what he was thinking.


    After the emperor walked to the door of the wedding room following the bridesmaid, the bridesmaid asked His Majesty to go in but was refused by his waving his hand. The emperor said, ¡°Just leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The bridesmaid left. Then the emperor walked into the wedding room with a heavy appearance.


    What the emperor saw was Zui Linglong sitting with a large red scarf covering her face. Then Chu Tiankuo sat in front of the table without a single word while the bride also stayed quiet.


    Although they sat on opposite sides, neither of them talked.


    Finally, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°I won¡¯t touch you tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zui Linglong unclosed the large red scarf and looked at the emperor¡¯s eyes with ridicule in her eyes.


    ¡°Zui Linglong, I heard what you¡¯ve done today, but I will overlook your behavior this time. Don¡¯t try to cash in on me, behave yourself.¡±


    The relentless behavior of the emperor would break every woman¡¯s heart.


    However, Zui Linglong was not included. She still wore the weird appearance in the face of the sharp-tongued emperor as if she was mocking him.


    The emperor frowned, showing his dislike to Zui Linglong¡¯s expression in her eyes which seemed to unclothe him.


    ¡°It never occurs to me that you will keep your integrity for your empress.¡±


    The sentenced said by Zui Linglong was more like a declarative sentence than a question.


    After hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s words, the emperor did not lose his temper but said, ¡°I¡¯m glad that you understand.¡±


    It was beyond Zui Linglong¡¯s expectation that the emperor would be indifferent to her ridicule. Then Zui Linglong snorted and stayed quiet turning her head away.


    While Lengmei was walking around the palace, she happened to see the empress standing in front of the wedding room hesitantly. Then she walked forward elegantly and took a close look¡ªit turned out to be the empress.


    As Lengmei found that the empress was there alone, she scoffed with a sneer,


    ¡°It never occurs to me that Your Grace will eavesdrop on the conversation!¡±


    It was beyond empress¡¯s expectation that Lengmei would appear. So Tang Xia was shocked at first and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pay your respects to me? Don¡¯t you remember the rules?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei restrained her anger and bowed to Tang Xia hurriedly, ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡± However, Lengmei said the sentence angrily in a loud voice for the fear that those two persons in the wedding room could not know that they were outside the room.


    At sight of Lengmei¡¯s behavior, Tang Xia covered Lengmei¡¯s mouth immediately. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Then Tang Xia noticed Lengmei¡¯s surprised look.


    Hence Tang Xia pulled Lengmei to a pavilion near a pond which was the nearest place where they could talk. Tang Xia loosened her grip on Lengmei¡¯s hand immediately as she found there was no one around.


    Lengmei gasped for air in the fear that the empress would kill her to vent her resentment.


    But it was beyond Lengmei¡¯s expectation that the empress would pull her here.


    Then Lengmei sneered, ¡°It turns out that you consider it shameful to eavesdrop!¡±


    Tang Xia crumpled her mouth, ¡°Is this how you treat me?¡±


    ¡°Hm, so you would also be upset?¡±


    It seemed that Lengmei had read Tang Xia¡¯s thought, so Lengmei touched her sore spot continuously in order to make Tang Xia annoyed.


    Before Tang Xia said something, Lengmei said ironically,


    ¡°Now His Majesty and Zui Linglong are both in the wedding room. Besides, Zui Linglong is married to His Majesty in an open, correct manner. Your Grace, are you sure that they won¡¯t do anything in this long night?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty is spending joyful hours with his bride. But what you can do now is standing alone outside the wedding room. I thought His Majesty favored you so much, maybe I was wrong¡­¡±


    As Lengmei¡¯s words meant more than what was said, Tang Xia was hurt by every single word.


    Tang Xia looked at Lengmei coldly and fought back immediately, ¡°At least my situation is better than yours.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words made Lengmei speechless. Although Tang Xia was quite upset, she was not reduced to being bullied by Lengmei at will.


    Tang Xia¡¯s principle was ¡°An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.¡±


    As Tang Xia was still so eloquent, Lengmei decided not to have a verbal battle with her. She turned away and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait to see how your situation is better than mine!¡±


    After she finished her sentence, Lengmei snorted and walked away in a huff.


    As Tang Xia looked at Lengmei¡¯s back, she could not help thinking Chu Tiankuo and Zui Linglong in the wedding room. Although Lengmei¡¯s words were not worth listening, Tang Xia considered it sensible.


    It sounded nothing even if Chu Tiankuo did something to Zui Linglong in the wedding room in this long night¡­


    But Tang Xia still felt disappointed as if something blocked her heart without an outlet.


    Tang Xia shook her head thinking that she would not be deluded by Lengmei¡¯s words. What she should do was to believe in Chu Tiankuo.


    As Tang Xia thought so, she walked out of the pavilion unwittingly. She raised her head appreciating the moon and found herself a little bit lonely. It never occurred to her that she would be so preoccupied.


    Suddenly a shadow appeared behind Tang Xia¡¯s back and pushed her into the river.


    At the moment when Tang Xia fell into the river, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face flitted through her mind. She could not figure out who pushed her under the emergency. Then she lost consciousness.


    At this point, Lyuyou happened to come with Tang Xia¡¯s cloak.

 Chapter 71

    As Lyuyou came with Tang Xia¡¯s cloak, she heard someone call for help faintly, hurried to check it out, and found that it was Tang Xia.


    After inhaling some water, Tang Xia flopped about in the river. When she was quite terrified, Tang Xia finally saw someone coming.


    ¡°It is Lyuyou!¡± Tang Xia was so moved as the hope was reignited in her heart. So she shouted, ¡°Lyuyou, help! Help me!¡±


    Lyuyou rushed to the water¡¯s edge hurriedly. ¡°Your Grace, hang¡­ hang on! I¡¯ll have someone help you soon.¡±


    Lyuyou was so terrified that she went limp and fell to the main road. She shouted in a trembling voice, ¡°Help! Someone! Help!¡±


    Seeing the palace lanterns at a short distance, Lyuyou knew there were many people and shouted in a trembling voice. ¡°Someone! Help! The empress fell into the water!¡±


    Servants were attracted by Lyuyou¡¯s voice and all jumped into the water like dumplings into the pot. They saved Tang Xia finally.


    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± Tang Xia gasped for breath and did not come to her senses. At this moment, her face was as white as snow while she shivered with coldness.


    Then Tang Xia turned her head away, fell into Lyuyou¡¯s arms, and started to cry soundlessly.


    ¡°It is too terrifying! Too terrifying! I thought I would definitely die!¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, Don¡¯t scare me! If something happens to you, I will kill myself to atone for my crime.¡± Lyuyou held Tang Xia in her arms tightly with tears in her pale face.


    The servants all knelt on the ground around Tang Xia, looking terrified. They murmured inwardly, ¡°What will happen next? I hope that I won¡¯t be involved in this.¡±


    After a while, one bold palace maid picked up the cloak dropped accidentally by Lyuyou and draped it over the empress¡¯s shoulders, stammering, ¡°Your Grace, take care of yourself. You¡¯d better go back to your palace and summon the imperial physician for your own good!¡±


    ¡°Right! She¡¯s right! Your Grace, let¡¯s go back to your palace soon, I¡¯ll tell His Majesty about it now.¡± Lyuyou just noticed that Tang Xia was wet all over and tapped on her own chest, ¡°How terrifying!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go back to my palace first,¡± Tang Xia said in a trembling voice and stood up by Lyuyou¡¯s arm.


    However, the cold and thick dress stuck to her closely, making Tang Xia tremble. Besides, Tang Xia just fell into the water, so she did not want to stay in this place at all.


    What a muddle was in the palace this night would not be mentioned here.


    The next day, news of Tang Xia falling into the water spread all over the palace.


    There were different versions of scandals and slanderous gossip about Tang Xia in the palace. Some said it was Tang Xia¡¯s ruse of self-injury to win her confidence, as she envied Zui Linglong, who became one of the imperial concubines. Some people said Tang Xia offended someone. Others said there was a drowning ghost who hid in the water in order to kill people¡­


    In a word, slanderous gossip was all over the palace.


    As no one bothered her with the gossip, Tang Xia was recuperating herself at ease in her palace. But Lyuyou wanted to rip off the mouths of those who spread scandals.


    ¡°Alas! My poor queen, who just fell into the water, has become the talk of the town.¡±


    ¡°And His Majesty,¡± Lyuyou thought of this and sighed, ¡°He just hurried here and stayed for a while before he left.¡±


    While Lyuyou could not help defending Tang Xia against an injustice, Tang Xia just lowered her head with a lonely look and told them not to talk too much about it.


    Luckily, it could be seen from His Majesty¡¯s worried face that he loved Tang Xia very much. So he hurried here at his wedding night and asked about her health condition.


    Lyuyou let out a sigh, not understanding what His Majesty was thinking.


    ¡°Lyuyou!¡± Tang Xia called.


    ¡°Lyuyou, what¡¯s in your mind? I¡¯ve called you several times,¡± Tang Xia said while frowning.


    ¡°Never mind. I am just thinking what I should order the imperial kitchen to cook for you. As you just fell into the water, you should eat something good for your health.¡± Lyuyou replied immediately.


    ¡°There is no need for that. I have no appetite. A bowl of plain porridge is fine,¡± Tang Xia said weakly.


    ¡°Your Grace, Concubine Xiao and Concubine Leng ask to meet you,¡± the little palace maid said.


    ¡°Concubine Xiao?¡± Tang Xia asked with a doubtful look, not knowing who she was.


    ¡°Your Grace, Concubine Xiao is the female immortal who was conferred by His Majesty yesterday.¡± Lyuyou reminded Tang Xia quietly.


    ¡°Oh, let them in.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart jolted as she regarded it ridiculous that she felt grieved. Then she shook her head and braced herself up.


    ¡°As Chu Tiankuo owns so many imperial concubines, I will be drowned with jealousy if I envy everyone who visits me.¡±


    Tang Xia let Lyuyou prink for her in order to cover up the paleness and weakness of her face. Then she sat up leaning against the bed.


    ¡°I pay my respects to you, Your Grace. May the empress live a thousand years.¡± Zui Linglong stood straight and said with dignity, wearing a cool look.


    ¡°Rise.¡± Tang Xia said gently and kept her eyes half-closed, making it hard to tell what she was thinking


    ¡°I heard that you fell into the water accidentally last night, so I pay a visit to you today. But why did you fall into the water at my wedding night? Hm, is it a coincidence?¡±


    Zui Linglong looked directly at Tang Xia domineeringly as if she came to question her instead of visiting her.


    Tang Xia heard it clearly that Zui Linglong said in a declarative tone. ¡°Is she mocking me? Does she think that I did it on purpose so that His Majesty could come to my palace?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s sneer in her mind gradually appeared in her face. Then she looked at Zui Linglong who dressed up like a dowager with a faint smile, ¡°Do you regard me as a sick cat?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about. Are you questioning my experience?¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, I¡¯m just a little curious. What a coincidence! Why didn¡¯t you stay in your palace but go out at my wedding night?


    If you walked right, how could you fall into the water? Didn¡¯t you bring your maid with you?¡±


    Zui Linglong sat on the chair looking at Tang Xia at ease.


    ¡°How dare you! What do you mean by saying so?! You¡¯re just one of the imperial concubines, how could you question the empress!¡± Lyuyou thought that Zui Linglong was unbridled and could not stand her any more.


    ¡°How could she be so unbridled? Is it because His Majesty backs her up?¡± Lyuyou thought.


    ¡°What the hell are you? How dare you scold me! Humph! I¡¯m talking with the queen. How dare you interrupt me?¡±


    Zui Linglong rebuked Lyuyou angrily.


    ¡°You!¡± Lyuyou glared at Zui Linglong.


    ¡°Just leave,¡± Tang Xia said gently.


    Lyuyou knew that Tang Xia said the words to her, so she bowed to Tang Xia and stepped backward reluctantly.


    But she still felt quite angry, ¡°Does Zui Linglong find fault with My Grace on purpose? Who does she think she is? How dare she! Is it because My Grace is too kind-hearted?¡±


    Lyuyou was so pissed off with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m so wronged for My Grace! They are so evil to bully kind-hearted people!¡±


    ¡°However, I¡¯m just a slave girl. I will definitely be punished if I talk more. Maybe I¡¯ll make My Grace in trouble.¡±


    Lyuyou ground her teeth tightly so that she could hold her tears back. Then Tang Xia said in a gentle voice,


    ¡°Behave yourself. Although you were just conferred as the imperial concubine by His Majesty yesterday, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can be so unruly. You have no right to reproach my maid. As for yesterday, humph! I¡¯ll bring the bitch who pushed me into the water to justice.¡±


    As Tang Xia said so, she fixed her eyes on Lengmei, who had stayed silent since she came into the room.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Are you suspecting me? Hm, the proof is needed for everything. Humph, do not wrong the innocent people. Pay attention to what you are saying.¡±


    Lengmei said with coldness and a trace of scorn in her eyes.


    ¡°Did I refer to you or mention by your name? How can you be so vexed if you did not do a bad thing?¡± Tang Xia looked back at Lengmei with a pair of sharp eyes.


    ¡°What the hell! Lengmei, Lengmei! Humph! Can you truly be more reserved and charismatic (the meaning of Lengmei in Chinese)?¡± Tang Xia thought.


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei became speechless and sneered, ¡°If you want to find a fault of someone, there is no need to worry about making a suitable pretext. I have nothing to say if you regard me as the culprit.¡±


    ¡°What? Did I wrong you?¡± Tang Xia laughed angrily.


    ¡°Hm, there are so many ways in the world. However, some people prefer to play tricks.¡± Lengmei snorted playing with the cup in hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they can do. They thought that they were powerful and had entanglements with everyone. They really overestimated their own abilities.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Tang Xia became speechless by Lengmei¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ha-ha, interesting.¡± Zui Linglong applauded and looked at Lengmei approvingly, ¡°What you said makes sense! What an incisive remark!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Lengmei smiled at Zui Linglong.


    ¡°¡­¡± Tang Xia felt quite annoyed, ¡°It seems that Zui Linglong and Lengmei have formed a team¡­¡±


    As Tang Xia felt annoyed, she began to have a headache. ¡°Both of them are hard women. It is quite difficult to deal with one of them. How can I handle it when they are united?¡±


    Tang Xia considered it troublesome to face with their overbearing behaviors.


    After they showed their strength and left, Tang Xia crawled into bed immediately.


    ¡°Lengmei is truly terrific! It never occurred to me that Zui Linglong would unite with her.¡± Tang Xia thought sadly and mumbled, ¡°My life will be harder!¡±


    As Tang Xia thought so, Lengmei was put under house arrest by Chu Tiankuo suddenly.

 Chapter 72

    ¡°How hateful it is!¡±


    Lengmei picked up the exquisite vase on the shelf and smashed it onto the floor. Then she smashed her censer and cosmetics to vent her anger.


    ¡°Please calm your anger, Your Grace.¡± Her palace maids and eunuchs all knelt on the ground apprehensively and kowtowed.


    ¡°Calm my anger? How can I calm my anger?¡± Lengmei shouted angrily, ¡°How could His Majesty ground me without any explanations or reasons? Ha! How powerful he is!¡±


    As Lengmei¡¯s ruthless eyes were as sharp as knives, she kicked off the chair and toppled the table suddenly with a sneer.


    ¡°When had I been bullied like this? Who can bully me like this? I cannot take this any more!¡± Lengmei gasped and was about to go out.


    ¡°No! Please stop, Your Grace!¡± Palace maids and eunuchs were all so terrified that they screamed out. Some servants even jumped up and grabbed Lengmei¡¯s clothes so that she could not leave.


    ¡°Damn! Let me go!¡± Lengmei was pissed off immediately. She kicked the palace maid off and slapped her face. ¡°When the wolf grows old, the crows ride him. I am just grounded, you dare to bully me now?¡±


    That palace maid fell to the ground covering her swollen face with her hand. However, she dared not cry with tears in her eyes and knelt on the ground again.


    ¡°Please calm your anger, Your Grace. I dare not disregard you. But His Majesty orders you not to go out¡­¡±


    Lengmei kicked that palace maid in the shoulder with homicidal intent in her eyes and pointed at her, saying in a cold voice,


    ¡°I am just unfairly treated and I feel wronged. How could you rub salt in the wound?¡±


    ¡°Am I too nice to you? So you forget to revere me?¡± Lengmei used a rising tone towards the end, which sounded as dangerous as rigid strings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace. We dare not,¡± the palace maids said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace. We dare not,¡± the eunuchs said.


    Palace maids and eunuchs were all terrified with pale looks and kowtowed for forgiveness.


    ¡°Humph! Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know your thoughts. Aren¡¯t you mocking me in your mind? You¡¯re all waiting for me to fail so that you can find another master.


    Ha-ha, it is just your wishful thinking! I will be fine!¡±


    Lengmei was so angry that her face was contorted. She was like a flying arrow which carried determination with it but more precipitant.


    And palace maids and eunuchs were so terrified that they became speechless lowering their trembling bodies and shrank into themselves.


    Lengmei lost her temper recklessly and finally became quiet after a long time. She drank a cup of cold tea before she calmed down. Then Lengmei looked at the door behind the bead curtains as if there were a blue sea and clear sky outside the room.


    However, she could not go out and dared not.


    After she calmed down, Lengmei realized clearly what kind of country she was. This was a feudal country where people believed in regalism and the emperor owned the ultimate power.


    She could not get away from the palace even if she owned skill in wielding the 18 kinds of weapons or the brightest mind.


    Moreover, she did not want to run away. The word ¡®run¡¯ did not exist in her dictionary. Whether in the past or the future, she would endure all the difficulties. Also, she would become stronger in the field of playing tricks and scheming.


    And Lengmei would never admit that she was less competent than Tang Xia, and neither would she throw in the sponge.


    Lengmei clenched her fist with her nails into the palm, took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°OK! I am just framed by someone. I might act too aggressively. I hope you can understand me.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we dare not.¡± Everyone replied cravenly.


    ¡°Good! I won¡¯t say more now that you can understand. I hope we can unite together to live a better life in the palace!¡±


    Lengmei helped the palace maid who was slapped by her up and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Now that you are my maid, we are interconnected and our fates are united.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± That palace maid trembled with fear but had to bite the bullet and wore a smile constrainedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you understand. You¡¯re a smart girl. I won¡¯t treat you unfairly as long as you are loyal to me.¡± Lengmei tapped the palace maid¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell me, why did you stop me from going out?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know you feel wronged, Your Grace. But we dare not obey the order of His Majesty. So please wait patiently, Your Grace.¡± The palace maid replied tamely, lowering her head.


    ¡°You all go out.¡± Lengmei interrupted her suddenly and said to other servants.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Other servants obeyed and left the room quickly.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Lengmei straightened a chair and sat on it.


    ¡°I know that you feel wronged, Your Grace. But it is asking for troubles to run counter to His Majesty. So we can find another way to achieve our aim.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The tongue breaks bone, though itself has none.¡± The palace maid bowed to Lengmei and knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Ha-ha, you are so smart!¡± Lengmei laughed out wearing a quite joyful look.


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Lengmei pondered squinting her eyes and said after a long time, ¡°I cannot be the only one who is suffering. I¡¯ll let you do something for me. I want to mud Tang Xia¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°What you need me to do, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Just spread the words that His Majesty blindly favors the empress, whether she is right or wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The palace maid bowed and stepped out respectfully.


    As expected, the palace maid did not let Lengmei down. Scandals about the empress seducing the emperor to blindly favor her became more and more among the palace in a day or two.


    In a word, as scandals became more, they would inevitably become crazier. Some of the scandals even slandered Tang Xia.


    Those scandals were heard by Chu Tiankuo shortly afterwards.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Chu Tiankuo slammed down his hand on the table, ¡°Find it. Let me see who dares to slander the empress.¡±


    The eunuch felt awkward and said hesitantly, ¡°Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. Scandals are apt to slander people, but it will be quite hard to control them as the law cannot be enforced when everyone is an offender¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Is everyone in the palace spreading those scandals?¡± Chu Tiankuo frowned.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The eunuch said apprehensively, ¡°The imperial palace is a busy but lonely place. People in the palace always act without delay upon hearing something.¡±


    ¡°Humph! So according to what you mean, I cannot deal with those scandals?¡± Chu Tiankuo snorted, looking at the chief eunuch with a faint smile, ¡°Or should I compromise and avoid them? Where is my prestige or power then?¡±


    ¡°I beg for your forgiveness, Your Majesty. I dare not ask you to do so. But you cannot kill them all,¡± the chief eunuch said tensely.


    ¡°Do they think that I have no way to deal with those rampant snobs? Humph! It is just a low-level attempt.¡± Chu Tiankuo said wavering his hand, ¡°Award my empress 7.5 kilograms of pearls, 10 kilograms of jade, 10 pieces of brocade together with numerous gold and silver.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty? Your award now may do harm to the empress¡¯s reputation!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supporting her. I¡¯ll see who dares to say something about it!¡±


    ¡°But the scandals¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I need to hide my love for her? Just do what I ordered. I want to tell everyone that I favor her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    As expected, when Tang Xia got the awards, scandals became rifer like a hurricane devastating the palace in a short time.


    ¡°See? I told you that the woman is a demon.


    ¡°She is charismatic and knows the way to fascinate His Majesty. Look at the awards which can afford several ordinary people over a lifetime! What a pity! They all get into her pocket as she seduces His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Right! There were no quiet days since she became the imperial concubine. Something bad happens every day.


    ¡°Someone died, someone got injured and someone was grounded all because of her, alas! Only she is safe and sound. Everyone regards her as an enchantress!¡±


    ¡°Right! I heard that an enchantress has the power to confiscate people¡¯s soul.¡±


    ¡°Alas! That is terrible! The emperor should drive her away or let the Master get rid of her!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    As scandals snowballed, some people even said that Tang Xia was a demon and Chu Tiankuo should drive her away. Chu Tiankuo thought he could ignore it. However, the voice of denouncement became louder and louder so that Chu Tiankuo could not shut his eye to it.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it seems that someone is adding fuel to the fire with an ulterior motive!¡± The chief eunuch sorted out the scandals and reported to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his eyes on the memorial, wearing an obscure look. ¡°Everyone involved in this matter cannot get rid of punishment.


    I don¡¯t want to pay attention to it now. Humph, but hurting her in this way is their wishful thinking! I won¡¯t allow it! I will never allow it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    And Tang Xia heard the scandals, too.


    ¡°Your Grace, don¡¯t you think that Lengmei planned all this?¡± Lyuyou said angrily.


    Tang Xia shook her head slowly, ¡°No, it cannot be achieved only by Lengmei.¡±

 Chapter 73

    Lengmei was never so tactful. Even though Tang Xia suspected Zui Linglong¡¯s involvement in this plot, she had no evidence for the moment. If she went for Zui Linglong now, it was bound to be herself who was going to suffer losses.


    Should it happen, she would be countercharged by Zui Linglong and got embarrassed. Worse still, it would confirm the accusation that she was a devilish woman, and even Chu Tiankuo would be unable to save her under the pressure from the officials.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and pay Lengmei a visit. Let¡¯s see what tricks they are playing.¡±


    ¡°Zui Linglong is a calculating person and is not to be trifled with, but she made use of Lengmei, the greatest troublemaker. Now that they have called my bluff, I must get hold of some evidence to my advantage.¡±


    When she arrived at Lengmei¡¯s chamber, Lengmei was having lunch with maids serving at her side. One of the maids accidentally dropped a cabbage leaf on her clothes. With her face stiffened, Lengmei picked up her handkerchief and wiped her lips as if she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°What else can I expect you to do if you even fail at such an easy job?¡± It was the first sentence Tang Xia heard as she entered the room. After seeing Tang Xia¡¯s arrival, Lengmei said in surprise,


    ¡°Your Grace, to what do I owe this pleasure?¡±


    Tang Xia made a sniff, but she pretended to be calm despite her disgust at Lengmei¡¯s affectation. She said,


    ¡°Sister Lengmei, how is everything going these days? I heard you were confined to your chamber on the order of His Majesty, so I come to pay you a visit!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words hit a raw nerve, but Lengmei was not someone to be trifled with. She kicked the maid who made the mistake just now and coldly ordered, ¡°Take her away!¡±


    The other maids dared not say another word. Lengmei didn¡¯t play into Tang Xia¡¯s hands easily this time. She bowed and said in a gentle manner,


    ¡°Your Grace, thank you for your consideration. I¡¯m fine these days, but with respect, you seem to be in a bad mood!¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps my presence displeased some small people recently, and I kept getting pestered by some nobodies. I feel quite bored these days, so I come to ask you this. What have you got against me? Why can¡¯t you stop smearing me?¡±


    At these words, Lengmei¡¯s eyes gleamed with a bit of gloating complacence. She retorted immediately.


    ¡°My dear sister, what are you saying? I have been staying indoors for the last few days, and why should I smear you? If you insist on your accusation, please show me the evidence.¡±


    An explosive atmosphere filled the chamber. Tang Xia somehow failed to retain her composure and rushed to question Lengmei. ¡°Lengmei, I don¡¯t want to waste my time arguing with you. You¡¯d better tell me right away why you smeared me. Is it someone else¡¯s idea?¡±


    Tang Xia had no choice but to coax the information out. She had to make Lengmei to confess if Zui Linglong was the mastermind of this scheme.


    ¡°My dear sister, you wronged me. How could I spread any rumor while I was confined to my room? Besides, it was you who always found faults with me.¡±


    Lengmei squinted at Tang Xia while wearing grievances on her face, as if Tang Xia smeared her on purpose.


    Tang Xia, however, didn¡¯t believe a word. She was too familiar with Lengmei¡¯s tricks after her repeated smear tactics.


    But she didn¡¯t believe it was all Lengmei¡¯s own idea. First of all, her falling into the pond was too weird to be a coincidence. Hardly had she stepped out of the bridal chamber did Lengmei appear in front of her. It was too unnatural!


    ¡°Hmmpf, you have always been framing me, Lengmei, and now you accuse me of treating you unjustly. You do excel yourself in terms of intelligence!¡± Tang Xia cast aside all politeness and said coldly, her eyes full of disgust.


    Lengmei retorted immediately despite her gentle tone, ¡°My dear sister, please don¡¯t go around blaming others whenever something unpleasant happens to you. If you really think you are so important, why don¡¯t you go ask His Majesty to protect you?¡±


    Lengmei knew Tang Xia was at her wits¡¯ end and came here to coax information, but Lengmei was always discreet and left no chances for anyone to take.


    ¡°Alright, Lengmei, that¡¯s all for today. But you¡¯d better remember this. ¡®There is no secret from the god, and you sow what you reap.¡¯ One day you will pay for what you did, and I will find out the truth. Don¡¯t regret until it¡¯s too late!¡±


    After saying those words, Tang Xia left angrily with Lyuyou and walked back to her own chamber. Watching Tang Xia leaving, Lengmei was no longer able to keep her temper. She kicked the table upside down at one stroke.


    The noise of bowls and dishes smashing filled the room, and Lengmei¡¯s face turned extremely horrible. After a while, her fury half faded. ¡°If it was not Tang Xia the bitch, I would not be confined to my room by His Majesty,¡± she thought.


    ¡°She suspected me to be involved in the accident of her falling into the pond, but she will never find any clue no matter how hard she investigates.¡±


    ¡°Hmmpf, Tang Xia, you blocked my path, and I will make you disappear forever!¡±


    Just as Lengmei continued to think about it, a gleam flashed through her eyes. She signaled her personal maid to her side and whispered a few words at her ear. The maid nodded and then left the chamber.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you have some notoriety now, and I¡¯m going to make it greater. No need to thank me!¡±


    Tang Xia arrived at her own chamber, and she didn¡¯t know that Lengmei was plotting against her again. She felt lonely and bitter deep in her heart. The harem was full of schemes and treacheries. What a cruel world it was!


    Realizing that she was being sentimental, Tang Xia shook her head and cleared her mind, forcing herself not to think about anything else. She sighed as she felt a chill in the air and said,


    ¡°Autumn is coming, right?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, you are careless about your health again,¡± Lyuyou said worriedly, and then draped a cloak on Tang Xia. Tang Xia felt a sense of unknown warmth and a mild smile crept up on her face.


    Her charming eyes gleamed with glowing radiance, but deep inside her eyes was hidden some light sadness. She raised her slim hand and caught a maple leaf of enjoyable setting sun color falling onto her palm.


    ¡°The maple leaves fall really early this year, Lyuyou,¡± Tang Xia said with a vague smile. She spread her palm, and the beautiful maple leaf was gone with the wind.


    Lyuyou stood quietly beside Tang Xia, worrying about her yet unable to talk about it for fear of upsetting her.


    Not long afterwards, the gossip of the quarrel between Tang Xia and Lengmei spread like wildfire. When Lyuyou heard the other maids gossiping about it, she asked them to keep quiet lest Tang Xia might hear it.


    However, as the old saying goes, truth will out. The next morning, Tang Xia got up early, and she looked rather pale. She asked Lyuyou to do her a light make-up, and she decided to go for a walk outdoors. Lyuyou didn¡¯t want her to go outside, but she hesitated over how to dissuade her.


    She was afraid that Tang Xia might have suspicions. Tang Xia had no idea of Lyuyou¡¯s concern, but she sensed the uneasiness on her face. She asked considerately, ¡°Lyuyou, what¡¯s the matter with you? You look anxious. Is anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Grace, everything is fine. You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± Lyuyou replied. Tang Xia didn¡¯t ask more questions, thinking Lyuyou might feel not well that day.


    She looked out of the window and saw the royal garden was blooming with autumn flowers. She said, ¡°Lyuyou, let¡¯s go to see the flowers in the royal garden later. We could also pluck some petals for making pastry.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, you fell into the pond not long ago, and your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered. It¡¯s not good for you to go outside!¡± Lyuyou said hurriedly, intending to stop Tang Xia from going outside.


    Tang Xia suspiciously looked at Lyuyou, who had always been a girl of few words, and thought she was worried about her. She gave her a warm smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now. My body will rust if I can¡¯t get some sunshine!¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was determined to go, Lyuyou had no choice but to follow her to the royal garden. When they arrived, they found two maids gossiping. One of the maids said, ¡°Did you hear about it? The Queen went to visit Concubine Leng the other day.¡±


    ¡°What? They have always been at odds, aren¡¯t they? How come?¡±


    ¡°Shhh, I heard the Queen accused Concubine Leng of plotting her fall into the pond, and she went to question her that day!¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the harem knows about it now. The Queen is really rude and petulant, isn¡¯t she? She fell into the pond carelessly, yet she blamed Concubine Leng, and Concubine Leng was punished by His Majesty and confined to her chamber. What a pity!¡±


    Hardly had the two maids finished speaking did they catch sight of Tang Xia, and their faces turned deadly pale immediately. Tang Xia looked at them coldly and asked, ¡°Where did you hear those words?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, it was Concubine Leng¡¯s personal maid¡­¡± One of the maids replied in desperate panic, kneeling on both knees and lowering her head, and the other maid was shivering uncontrollably from fear.


    ¡°Go. I let you go this time, but remember, if I hear you gossiping about it again, I will punish you severely. Understand?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s overwhelming aura made the two maids almost unable to breathe. They nodded quickly and left.


    Seeing that Lyuyou was not surprised, Tang Xia knew she must have heard about it before. Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia worriedly, and said hesitantly, ¡°Your Grace, I heard about it not long ago, but I didn¡¯t want to bother you with the gossip.¡±


    Tang Xia was really infuriated this time. She recalled the repeated compromises she made, but instead of achieving peace, she was framed by others time and again.


    But she didn¡¯t blame Lyuyou at all. That girl was only hiding it for Tang Xia¡¯s sake. It was Lengmei who antagonized and framed her one time after another, and now she went on to call her a bully. Tang Xia was unable to bear it any more.


    ¡°Lyuyou, let¡¯s go! I will find Lengmei and teach her a lesson!¡± Tang Xia snapped furiously and strode towards Lengmei¡¯s chamber with Lyuyou following behind.


    Meanwhile, Lengmei was doing make-up in front of the mirror. She pictured Tang Xia¡¯s angry face after finding out she was framed, and Lengmei couldn¡¯t help feeling complacent.


    As soon as Tang Xia saw Lengmei, she scowled at her, went over quickly without saying a word, and then slapped Lengmei hard on the face. Lengmei was totally dumbfounded.

 Chapter 74

    The clear sound of the slap echoed around the deadly quiet chamber, and Lengmei¡¯s face was burning with pain. With her face still tilted to one side, she stared at Tang Xia¡¯s phoenix pattern gold embroidered shoes.


    ¡°She slapped me? She slapped me!¡±


    The very idea of her getting slapped was repeated in her mind, and she shook her head unbelievingly.


    ¡°When did I ever suffer such humiliation? When was I treated like this before?¡±


    She was filled with rage and abruptly raised her head, her hand about to slap Tang Xia on the face.


    ¡°Your Grace! No!¡± Her maid was almost scared to death and leapt over to hold her arm, ¡°No! Your Grace! You can¡¯t do that! She is the Queen! She is the Queen!¡±


    ¡°Stay your hand! Leave me alone! Stay your hand!¡± Lengmei glared at Tang Xia with blood-red eyes and struggled in an attempt to pounce on her.


    ¡°Calm down, Your Grace! If you slap back, you will be in great trouble!¡± The maid turned deathly pale and dared not look Tang Xia in the eyes.


    ¡°Lengmei,¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and gave a smile, looking at Lengmei with her shiny eyes.


    ¡°Your maid is really loyal to you. You¡¯d better follow her advice and give up the idea of ever touching me, even after I slapped you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, because I¡¯m the Queen, and my slap is a reward for you. You can¡¯t slap back, and you must thank me for the reward.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei almost bit silver teeth to pieces and glared at Tang Xia, her fingernails buried in the flesh of her palms. ¡°Don¡¯t be so superior!¡±


    ¡°Ha, you amused me. Why can¡¯t I be superior? I am at the right position to be superior!¡± Tang Xia narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, putting up a look of innocence.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard from His Majesty? He favors me and protects me, and won¡¯t let anyone harm me. This is my status. This is my achievement. Who are you to judge me?¡±


    Lengmei could barely hold the surging blood phlegm in her throat and green veins throbbed intensely on her forehead.


    ¡°So what? Do you think you can do anything as you wish? Time changes fast. No one knows for how long you will remain the Queen.¡± Lengmei said in a sinister tone, as if the words were squeezed out through the slits between her teeth.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of your business! Haha!¡± Tang Xia said, laughing proudly, ¡°I remember a sentence most suitable for this situation.¡±


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, you¡¯re always an ordinary concubine.¡± Tang Xia bent over and said at Lengmei¡¯s ear, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with that? His Majesty loves me so much.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing lasts forever, not even love. He who laughs last laughs best!¡± Lengmei snapped, glaring at Tang Xia as if knives were shot from her eyes.


    ¡°Hahaha, I believe life is to be enjoyed while you can, you know,¡± Tang Xia replied, breathing air as gentle as an orchid fragrance and wearing a wild smile, but her eyes were not smiling at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget it was you who made trouble with me first. You spread rumors in the harem, dropped me in the gossip and made me the target of public denunciation. You deserve to be slapped in the face!¡±


    ¡°Hmmpf! Always remember who you are and never forget your status. If you don¡¯t stop devising meaningless schemes and framing others, you will one day lose everything you have, even your own life.¡±


    After finishing venting her anger and lecturing Lengmei as her superior, Tang Xia left for her own chamber at a steady pace.


    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Lengmei¡¯s maid finally came back to herself and let loose Lengmei¡¯s arm before kneeling on the floor and kowtowing like a hammer, ¡°Please forgive my insolence. I should be punished by death.¡±


    ¡°Stand up,¡± Lengmei¡¯s voice was extremely cold and scary, as if her words were ejected as cold vapor.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The maid stood up slowly, shivering.


    ¡°I lost my composure every time I saw that bitch. I will keep you at my side in the future, and I need your reminder.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re flattering me, Your Grace. I will always serve you whole-heartedly as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lengmei mulled for a while quietly and asked, ¡°I told you to spread the gossip, and did you notice anything strange when you were doing it?¡±


    The maid racked her brain for a while, shook her head while frowning, and then replied hesitantly.


    ¡°It went smoothly throughout. If there was anything to be called strange, I wonder if it was going too smoothly, and I was surprised at it myself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it went so smoothly as if it was god-blessed, and every step of the plan was perfectly carried out.¡±


    ¡°You mean someone was helping us in secret?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I feel there is someone in the harem who wants to see it done by us.¡±


    ¡°Who do you have in mind?¡±


    Before the maid replied, Lengmei raised her hand, suggesting her not to speak it out, and said, ¡°I know. You may go now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± The maid bowed and stepped out respectfully.


    Later, when it was dark outside, Lengmei left her chamber alone and went to Zui Linglong¡¯s place.


    ¡°Concubine Leng, you¡¯re really bold. His Majesty hasn¡¯t repealed the order to confine you, yet you left your chamber.¡± Zui Linglong greeted Lengmei upon her arrival, not a bit surprised. She was half lying on the bed in white pajamas, reading a book.


    ¡°Ah, frankly speaking, I fear being seen by anyone else but you.¡± Lengmei was a little displeased at Zui Linglong¡¯s sarcasm, and she made no more effort to hide it.


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Zui Linglong cast a sidelong glance at her while leaning on a cushion with her hair bun loosely bound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest with each other, shall we? Do you admit that you were helping me in secret?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You confused me, Lengmei. You were confined to your chamber, and I have always been staying indoors these days.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see each other, and we didn¡¯t exchange letters. What on earth made you think I helped you? And what did I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re still feigning ignorance with me?¡± Lengmei said, her eyes full of contempt.


    ¡°You really misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t help you with anything. But please forgive me for not interceding with His Majesty on your behalf. I was not feeling well these days, so I didn¡¯t seek an audience with His Majesty.¡± Zui Linglong replied with a bit of uneasiness in her tone.


    Then she abruptly raised her head and asked, seemingly perplexed, ¡°But could you explain for me what ¡®feigning ignorance¡¯ means?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lengmei was almost amused despite her fierce anger at Zui Linglong¡¯s affectation and said, ¡°I¡¯m treating you with honesty and good will, yet you¡¯re not speaking frankly with me. I thought you would be disappointed and angry after your nuptial night was sabotaged, and perhaps I could give you a hand now that we¡¯re sisters. Maybe it was all my wishful thinking. Carry on with your reading then!¡±


    Lengmei stood up, poised to leave.


    ¡°Please stay, my dear sister.¡± Zui Linglong stepped down from her bed and grabbed Lengmei¡¯s hand warmly. ¡°You rarely came to my place, and if you leave without even drinking a cup of tea, you will think me as inhospitable and impolite, right?¡±


    ¡°No need for tea. Let¡¯s talk without beating about the bushes!¡± Lengmei abruptly pushed her hand away and said, looking straight into her eyes.


    ¡°The gossip spreading in the harem these days came from me. That¡¯s right. It was my plan.¡±


    Lengmei ignored Zui Linglong¡¯s surprised look and continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t believe there was no one out there offering help. And the secret helper is you.¡±


    They looked at each other straight in the eyes quietly for a long time.


    Zui Linglong remained silent, and Lengmei took her silence for acquiescence.


    ¡°We¡¯re fully aware of each other¡¯s position and attitude. A straightforward person should never resort to insinuations. That¡¯s smart people¡¯s strategy. I dislike Tang Xia, and she sabotaged your nuptial night.


    ¡°So to speak, she¡¯s our common enemy. So why don¡¯t we be honest with each other and join hands against her?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems we¡¯re indeed in the same camp. But she¡¯s favored by His Majesty, and your plan is in progress. So what do you want to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°Hmmpf! You underestimated her! My plan is merely able to obstruct her for a short time, but unable to trap her forever. And it turned out it didn¡¯t do any harm to her,¡± Lengmei said, her eyes burning with coldness.


    ¡°You had a great reputation long before you entered the palace, so I wonder if you have any good idea to deal with the current situation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear sister. Public clamor can melt even metals. How can she withstand the pressure from the gossip?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong! That sly siren has enchanted His Majesty and made him obsessed with her. My rage will not be eased until she is smashed to ashes!¡± Lengmei punched the table heavily and said, her entire body shrouded in coldness and cruelty, making her forbidding to behold.


    Zui Linglong looked at Lengmei with a vague expression and said after a long pause, ¡°The altar.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lengmei was confused.


    ¡°Hehe, please be careful on your way back. Sorry I can¡¯t walk outside with you.¡± Zui Linglong smiled and said goodbye to Lengmei all of a sudden.


    Lengmei didn¡¯t catch on even after she walked out of Zui Linglong¡¯s chamber. She looked back at the shut windows, gave a sneer and stamped her foot before turning on her heel.


    After returning to her chamber, Lengmei mulled for a long time and figured Zui Linglong should not be saying that without purpose. She sent for Nian and asked her about the altar, but she had no idea either.


    ¡°Your Grace, perhaps it¡¯s better to ask an old maid.¡±


    ¡°Go and bring one to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Nian went outside immediately to carry out the order.


    Shortly afterwards, she brought an old maid back.


    ¡°Granny, you have been living in the imperial palace for a long time. Have you ever heard of an altar?¡±


    The old maid knelt down immediately.

 Chapter 75

    The old maid knelt on the floor on both knees, her fingers trembling slightly and her face turning pale. After a while, she slightly raised the edge of her lip, her body shivering, and said tentatively.


    ¡°The altar¡­ Your Grace, where did you learn about it?¡±


    The old maid¡¯s reaction aroused doubt and curiosity in Lengmei. She asked.


    ¡°Nothing serious though. I just overheard it from the chat of several maids and felt confused, so I sent for you, and hopefully you should know about it.¡±


    After hearing Lengmei¡¯s explanation, the old maid got less nervous than just now. She calmed down and replied.


    ¡°It is not serious itself, but the name is not very pleasant. It has been a long time since it last happened.¡±


    ¡°There should not be anyone who knows about it now, and I was too surprised just now. Perhaps it was a young maid who overheard it somewhere, gossiped about it and disturbed you.¡±


    Lengmei got more curious as she found that the old maid was not willing to talk and was trying to muddle through. She wanted to know more than ever what this idea from Zui Linglong could be.


    Lengmei put up an air of great interest in the altar and kept asking, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m a curious person, especially about this kind of thing. I don¡¯t mind being disturbed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so curious about it. Tell me more in details!¡±


    Judging from Lengmei¡¯s reaction, the old maid knew it was impossible to muddle through and replied resignedly.


    ¡°Your Grace, when someone in the harem is wronged and no one believes her, she may request to step onto the altar, speaking out her story and asking the public to judge. However¡­¡±


    The old maid showed some signs of embarrassment on her face and shot a hidden glance up at Lengmei, only to find that she was listening enthusiastically. She had no choice but to continue her speech.


    ¡°No matter how the altar hearing ends, it inevitably does harm to her reputation, and you know how important reputation is for us women. Besides, everyone can only step onto the altar once. Even after her story is justified and she is exonerated from all accusations, people will still talk about the emperor¡¯s failure to manage his harem and families.


    ¡°And they will proceed to doubt his ability to rule the nation. After all, the altar hearing is humiliating for the emperor, and its initiator will be estranged and live a hard life ever after. No emperor is going to accept the request of an altar hearing willingly.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s face turned serious after hearing the old maid¡¯s explanation. She finally understood what Zui Linglong¡¯s idea meant!


    It was a one-shot deal. If she succeeded, it would deal a heavy blow to Tang Xia and probably depose her from the position of queen.


    But if she failed, she would be completely estranged from His Majesty and relocated to the cold palace. She could even be tortured to death.


    She was fully aware that what she had suffered was far from enough to overthrow Tang Xia. Those were merely squabbles between girls competing for the emperor¡¯s favor.


    Should she request an altar hearing for such trivia, she would be criticized as unreasonable and frivolous. She would not only lose reputation, but forever become an object of ridicule. She needed more careful thinking and elaborate scheming to nibble away Tang Xia¡¯s advantage and deal a fatal blow to her!


    Now that she knew about the altar, she sent the old maid away and contemplated alone in her chamber how she could topple Tang Xia¡¯s dominance with a big plan.


    After a long time, a sinister smile crept up on Lengmei¡¯s lips as if she came up with something. She walked up to her dresser and started to do makeup.


    After careful grooming and makeup, Lengmei looked more charming and gorgeous than ever. She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed aloud happily. She stood up and made preparations to visit Chu Tiankuo.


    She arrived at the gate of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s study and was about to enter when a personal eunuch of Chu Tiankuo stopped her. He bowed to Lengmei and said.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty is reviewing national affairs and should not be disturbed by anyone. Please leave him alone and return to your place!¡±


    Lengmei was perfectly aware of the eunuchs¡¯ duties and exclaimed at the gate.


    ¡°His Majesty is reviewing national affairs and should not be disturbed by ANYONE? I¡¯m his concubine. Am I just ANYONE? Or is it just me that His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to see? What if the queen comes and seeks an audience?


    ¡°You minions dare stop her? I have something very important to tell His Majesty today and I have to see him. Stay away!¡±


    The eunuch had no other choice. He couldn¡¯t ask the guards to send her away by force for fear of offending her. What if she should later be favored and secretly frame him? No one knew for sure where the emperor¡¯s favor would go!


    Lengmei was making a scene persistently at the gate of the study, as if she wanted everyone to know about her being stopped by the emperor¡¯s eunuch from entering the study. The eunuch realized it was impossible to send her away, and had no choice but to enter the study and report to Chu Tiankuo what had happened.


    Chu Tiankuo was furious at what he heard. He said coldly, ¡°Who does Lengmei think she is? She¡¯s just an ordinary concubine and she dares to compare herself with the queen? Ridiculous! She¡¯s thinking too much of herself. Just ask the guards to drag her back to her chamber.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Majesty,¡± the eunuch said worriedly.


    ¡°It does not look too good if we send her away by force, but it does not look good either if we let her keep shouting out there!¡±


    ¡°No matter how hard I reasoned with her, she did not want to leave. She said she had to see you and she had something important to tell you in person.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let her in!¡± Chu Tiankuo gave it a second thought and admitted Lengmei to his study.


    To his surprise, Lengmei rushed to him arrogantly, stared Chu Tiankuo in the eyes and said.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you hate to see me so much? Last time the queen came here, you let her in straight away, yet today, you were treating me differently! It¡¯s not right for you to be partial towards her both in public and in private!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo thought Lengmei was going to tell him something important, and it turned out to be trivial complaints of jealousy. He was further annoyed and said coldly, ¡°So? You¡¯re blaming me just because of these petty matters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Majesty, I¡¯m blaming you!¡± Lengmei resolved to risk everything to make her point. She said blatantly.


    ¡°You are the emperor! You should treat all your women equally and give every one of them the fair share of your love! You should not just favor the queen and ignore the others! Do you know how painful it is for the rest of us?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo got more furious at Lengmei¡¯s words. He stepped down, walked over to Lengmei and grabbed her by the throat, his face black and threatening as if it was dripping ink.


    ¡°Who are you to blame me? You think I¡¯m afraid of you just because I let you in? I can deprive you of your life at my will!


    ¡°I should treat all my women equally? I should not just favor the queen and ignore the others? With so many beautiful words, you just want me to sleep with you, right? What, you felt ignored and lonely deep in the harem?¡±


    Lengmei was unable to breathe while she was grabbed by Chu Tiankuo by the throat. She struggled to grab Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arm back, her mouth gaping and her face turning purple.


    Despite his fury, Chu Tiankuo knew he couldn¡¯t throttle her in the study, or he would be criticized for being cruel by the conservative officials in the court, and they might even attack Tang Xia as the cause of the tragedy.


    He just wanted to give Lengmei some punishment and released his hand after seeing that she was barely breathing.


    Lengmei slumped onto the floor immediately and started panting heavily. After a while, she recovered and said in a soft tone while secretly staring at Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Your Majesty, have you ever thought about the position of the queen? If you continue to favor her and ignore all the other concubines, you will drop her in great danger!¡±


    Lengmei paused for a while and continued.


    ¡°Everyone in the court is unsatisfied with your partiality for the queen. They say she is Daji reborn and she will enchant you and bring disaster to the nation.


    ¡°People are talking about her bad influences all over the place, and you still want to favor her alone?¡±


    Her voice turned hoarse as a result of her throat being grabbed just now, but it did make her more charming in a different way.


    Of course, Chu Tiankuo did not notice it. He became silent at Lengmei¡¯s words. He knew some officials in the court were criticizing Tang Xia. He just didn¡¯t care about it so far.


    But the severity of the situation described by Lengmei was beyond his expectation. He frowned and said reluctantly to her despite his disgust at her.


    ¡°I got what you said¡­ You may now leave!¡±


    Seeing that Chu Tiankuo had taken in her words, Lengmei was filled with joy and her distaste for Tang Xia grew ever stronger. She didn¡¯t say another word and left as she was told.


    After Lengmei finished washing and combing that night, a eunuch came to her chamber.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty ordered you to sleep with him tonight. Please make necessary preparations and follow me.¡±

 Chapter 76

    It was late into the night. Chu Tiankuo walked into Lengmei¡¯s chamber.


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± he said sarcastically as he walked in under the moonlight.


    ¡°I am very happy.¡± Lengmei was wearing a thin silk robe, her snow-white skin smooth as jade, partly seen and partly hidden under the robe, making her more glamorous than ever. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with curled feet, her snow-white nape standing out in the darkness. She slightly cocked her head and said with a seductive smile, ¡°It is my greatest victory to keep you at my side.¡±


    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t like you, you¡¯re still my concubine. I hope you will be discreet and behave properly, and stop being frivolous like a prostitute.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words were full of coldness foreboding a windstorm.


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei stood up abruptly and pointed her hand at Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°How dare you! You¡¯re just one of my concubines. How dare you be impolite with me?¡± Chu Tiankuo walked up to her quickly, grabbed her arm and squeezed it heavily.


    Lengmei was obviously not strong enough to get away from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s grab, and a patch of bruise emerged on her snow white arm. She let out a muffled groan and her face turned deathly pale.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are the emperor of the nation. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s not gentlemanly behavior to bully a weak girl?¡± Lengmei bit her lower lip hard to hold back a cry.


    ¡°Weak girl? Ha! You?¡± Chu Tiankuo threw her arm away brutally and darted a look at her with contempt, ¡°Is there any unpleasant happening in my harem that was not provoked by you? Is there any evil plot you didn¡¯t contribute to? Weak girl? You¡¯re flattering yourself! You¡¯re unworthy of such a title.¡±


    Lengmei shivered in anger as she listened to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sarcasm, her face ghastly pale.


    ¡°Your Majesty, only by finding the stolen goods can you call someone a thief! What proof do you have to blame me? Even though I¡¯m only a woman, I have my dignity and won¡¯t tolerate any groundless abuse or smear!¡± Lengmei straightened up her back and stood like a javelin. ¡°You are the emperor, but it doesn¡¯t mean you can make irresponsible remarks at your will!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Lengmei, you¡¯re really a remarkable woman! Your brazen cheekiness really makes me unable to underestimate you.¡± Chu Tiankuo burst out laughing hysterically, his body bending to and fro.


    ¡°But you misjudged me. First of all, I have long seen through you. Even if I did wrong you, what can you do? Do you really think I¡¯m a softie? Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you without evidence? You¡¯re too naive!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo lightly slapped Lengmei on her pale face and gave a contemptuous laugh.


    ¡°Ha! So you came tonight just to humiliate me? To say these things to me?¡± Lengmei¡¯s voice was freezing like ice as if it came from deep under the snow.


    ¡°No! You¡¯re not worthy of my time. You said one thing right. If I can¡¯t treat all my women equally, the person I care about most will be dropped in danger. That¡¯s why I came here tonight. I have to make this compromise for her safety.¡±


    ¡°Great! You¡¯re really a faithful lover, Your Majesty!¡± Lengmei spat with fury, almost biting her silver teeth to pieces.


    ¡°You got the point. Don¡¯t make more troubles for me. My patience has its limits.¡± With these words, Chu Tiankuo flung one arm out, pulled a quilt to his side and rolled down on the bed. ¡°This bed is big enough. You sleep over there. Don¡¯t make any noise tonight. Don¡¯t disturb my sleep.¡±


    After lying down with his back at Lengmei, Chu Tiankuo fell asleep without saying another word.


    ¡°Ha?¡± Lengmei sneered quietly, her face full of irony.


    All night long, Lengmei slept on the same bed with Chu Tiankuo, the gap between them wide enough to hold two more people. She lay there with open eyes till dawn.


    And throughout the night, Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t touch Lengmei at all.


    He woke up early the next morning and called his personal eunuch inside to help him get dressed. Without casting another look at Lengmei, he went to the main palace for morning conference with his officials.


    ¡°What¡¯s His Majesty doing?¡± Tang Xia opened her big eyes blearily, checked the sky outside and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to ask.


    ¡°His Majesty went to the main palace three quarters ago.¡± Lyuyou was wearing an unconcealed smile and mysteriously whispered at Tang Xia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°So early?¡± Tang Xia asked unbelievingly.


    ¡°Yes! Concubine Lengmei was not able to keep His Majesty at all!¡± Lyuyou raised her eyebrows proudly, her lips almost curled to her ears.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Why are you so happy?¡± Tang Xia felt a sense of sweetness in her heart, but she pretended to be criticizing Lyuyou for her indiscretion.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Your Grace!¡± Lyuyou helped Tang Xia to get dressed and continued, ¡°Concubine Lengmei framed you because she wanted to wrest His Majesty¡¯s favor from you, didn¡¯t she? She finally got a chance to keep His Majesty, yet His Majesty didn¡¯t care about her at all. Isn¡¯t that good news for you?¡±


    ¡°You! You¡¯re dizzy with excitement now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tang Xia was also unable to hide the joy anymore and she burst out laughing, ¡°OK, OK, no more chitchat. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I¡¯ll make breakfast for you right now.¡±


    Tang Xia sat in front of her dresser and sighed at the unrivaled beauty in the mirror. It was a ¡°married man¡± that she fell in love with.


    Time flew. Over half a month passed without anything special happening.


    ¡°How¡¯s today?¡± Tang Xia reclined on the bed and asked while waving a fan lightly.


    ¡°His Majesty headed for the study right after the morning conference and has been discussing important affairs with several ministers until now. He didn¡¯t even get time to lunch.¡± Lyuyou frowned worriedly and then gave a smile, ¡°So I prepared some snacks and asked the kitchen to make a meal. Now you just need to take them to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You naughty girl.¡± Tang Xia rolled up and then lay down again. ¡°No hurry. His Majesty knows what he¡¯s doing. It¡¯s not good to disturb him. Let¡¯s wait a moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lyuyou knelt down at Tang Xia¡¯s feet, lightly pounded her legs for massage and said smilingly, ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s been over half a month.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s been over half a month?¡±


    ¡°Concubine Leng of course! It¡¯s been over half a month since that night. His Majesty has been ignoring her since. He didn¡¯t go to see her again, and he didn¡¯t give her any reward.¡±


    ¡°¡­Umm.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, in my opinion, His Majesty only loves you.¡±


    ¡°You frivolous girl, what¡¯re you driveling about? His Majesty is the emperor of the nation. He can go wherever he wants. What does it have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re getting shy, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! This time I will really teach you how to behave!¡± Tang Xia wore a happy smile in her eyes and was about to leap up and chase Lyuyou when a eunuch came in.


    ¡°Your Grace, Concubine Leng is coming.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Send her in.¡± Tang Xia cleared her throat and sat down elegantly.


    ¡°Your Grace, you really know how to enjoy life. This tea smells so good.¡± Lengmei walked in, her face shining with smiles. She seemed to be in a very good mood.


    ¡°Well, if you like this tea, I could give some to you.¡±


    ¡°Tut-tut, I know. Obtuse people always live a naive life. They don¡¯t have any worries.¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Watch your tongue! Don¡¯t forget who you are talking to!¡± Lyuyou¡¯s face got dark and she rebuked Lengmei immediately.


    ¡°No wonder they say fish begins to stink at the head. Like master, like servant. Equally cheeky and ignorant of respect.¡±


    ¡°Respect? I¡¯m surprised you know this word!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s good mood was destroyed by Lengmei in a split second.


    ¡°I knew you would say that. Though I¡¯m below you hierarchically, I¡¯m now carrying His Majesty¡¯s baby. You think I¡¯m inferior to your maid?¡± Lengmei said as if she was treated unfairly, but her eyebrows were raised strangely upwards.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tang Xia dropped the teacup in her hand, astounded at what she heard.


    ¡°I¡¯m carrying His Majesty¡¯s baby! For half a month!¡± Lengmei said while looking at Tang Xia provocatively.


    Silence¡­


    ¡°Ridiculous! That¡¯s impossible! Bring Lengmei to me right now!¡± Chu Tiankuo punched the table in fury.


    After a while, Lengmei was brought to him.


    ¡°Lengmei, do you know the result of deceiving the emperor?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, what do you mean? When did I ever deceive you?¡± Lengmei raised her face as white and pure as a lotus flower and looked at Chu Tiankuo confusedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re feigning ignorance? When did I ever touch you? How can you be carrying my baby?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked while glaring at Lengmei threateningly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, Your Majesty? You spent a night in my chamber over half a month ago! It was just that night!¡± Lengmei lowered her head and said, her voice turning smaller, her cheek redder, and her manner shyer.


    ¡°Such arrogance!¡± Chu Tiankuo walked over and grabbed Lengmei at the forepart of her clothes, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to me! You don¡¯t want to live any more, eh?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you wronged me. I have been telling nothing but the truth!¡± Lengmei looked at Chu Tiankuo and said pitiably, almost crying.


    ¡°You¡¯re still lying? Answer honestly. Did I ever touch you that night? I didn¡¯t touch you at all! How could you be pregnant?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! We had such a joyful night! Your Majesty, won¡¯t you take responsibility for what you did?¡± Lengmei¡¯s eyes seemed to be filled with pain. Warm tears fell down her cheeks and dropped on the back of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Haha, if I were not confident about my own memory, I would be taken in by your story. I¡¯m saying this for the last time. I didn¡¯t touch you that night!¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯m saying this for the last time, too! You touched me and not only once!¡± Lengmei looked at Chu Tiankuo tauntingly and said, ¡°I¡¯m by no means an ugly woman. If you didn¡¯t touch me, what were you doing all night in my chamber? Was there anything wrong with your body?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand moved up to grasp Lengmei¡¯s neck and his voice was freezingly cold as hell, ¡°You¡¯re playing with fire!¡±

 Chapter 77

    ¡°If you persist, I¡¯ll send for a doctor to check it.¡±


    Lengmei panicked for she didn¡¯t expect Chu Tiankuo to be so serious about it. She knew he was getting to the bottom of it for Tang Xia¡¯s sake. She hurriedly made up an excuse.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I might have caught a cold last night¡­ I didn¡¯t feel like eating anything after I got up this morning, and I feel a dull ache in my head. I¡¯m not in good condition¡­ I can¡¯t see other people for now.¡± She lifted her silk handkerchief to cover her lips and burst into a spasm of coughing. She frowned slightly, and her face turned pale, making her look more pitiable than Xi Shi.


    ¡°Even better. The doctor can also cure your cold. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t grudge drug expenses to you.¡± Chu Tiankuo was in a real fury and wasn¡¯t moved by Lengmei¡¯s pity at all. His face was covered in formidable air and his words were full of taunts.


    ¡°Send for the doctor!¡±


    At once, a eunuch standing obscurely nearby bowed and replied with a soft ¡°yes¡±, and then walked outside the chamber and spoke loudly, ¡°Send for the principal doctor of the Imperial Hospital!¡±


    Shortly afterward, Doctor Hu arrived carrying a drug box. He noticed the stifling atmosphere and deathly silence in the chamber, and he knew it would be a sinister task that might even cost his life.


    Chu Tiankuo had long lost his patience. If it were not for all sorts of worries, he should have executed this disgusting woman already. He didn¡¯t want to stay with her in the same chamber anymore. The doctor¡¯s appearance was a sight for his sore eyes. The recent gossip slightly changed the queen¡¯s attitude toward him, even if it was not in the most pleasing direction though. He waved the sleeve of his royal robe to spare the doctor the formalities and said sneeringly, ¡°Concubine Lengmei alleged she was pregnant. You take a good look at her and see if she told the truth.¡±


    Doctor Hu greeted Lengmei and then walked up to the glazed bead curtain of her bed. Lengmei poked out her hand covered in a handkerchief underneath the curtain, allowing Doctor Hu to rest several fingers on her wrist to feel her pulse. He closed his eyes and held breath to detect if there was any subtle difference from the ordinary pulse.


    The pulse was as smooth as rolling beads. It was the pulse of pregnancy.


    Even though Doctor Hu didn¡¯t have much experience with pregnancy pulse in the harem, he detected its mark in the blink of an eye. He was about to express congratulations when he recalled the stifling atmosphere upon his entrance into the chamber and the emperor¡¯s somewhat meaningful words. He kept his composure, stood up and bowed, and then said courteously while holding back his sleeves.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Grace, it is pregnancy indeed.¡±


    ¡°Em¡­ what?¡± Even Chu Tiankuo, acute as he was, didn¡¯t follow his words at first. After a pause, he realized what the doctor meant. He grabbed him at his collar, and snapped furiously, ¡°Do you know how grave the guilt of deceiving the emperor is?¡±


    Lengmei sobbed behind the curtain and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I know you don¡¯t like me, but please don¡¯t dislike my innocent baby just because of me¡­¡±


    Doctor Hu was born in a family of doctors. He grew up in the Imperial Hospital since his childhood and received medical training from his father and his eldest brother. He served the imperial family for decades to finally reach the position of the principal imperial doctor. He couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the tricks in the harem. Those lovable concubines were willing to do anything to give birth to a prince to stabilize their positions. However, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attitude puzzled Doctor Hu. It was normally recognized as good news for a concubine to get pregnant. There were too many emperors in the history that died without a descendant, resulting in the inheritance of the throne by a brother. He wondered why His Majesty was angry at the news rather than being happy about it. Unless¡­ He dared not think about it further. His conjecture was dangerous to the extent that it might incur the death penalty for all his families. Besides, he was still grabbed at his collar, his throat tightly squeezed. He tried to stand on tiptoe to reduce the pressure, but he was still unable to breathe properly. His face turned purplish red, and he struggled to utter, ¡°Your¡­Majesty¡­How¡­dare¡­I¡­lie¡­to¡­you¡­It¡­is¡­true¡­¡±


    ¡­


    An emperor¡¯s wrath could cause the death of millions. Doctor Hu couldn¡¯t believe he was still alive.


    Just now, Chu Tiankuo firmly gripped his throat and kept questioning him. Doctor Hu insisted on his view, which infuriated Chu Tiankuo. He threw Doctor Hu to the wall. Doctor Hu flew over to the floor, smashing several rare vases from foreign lands in the way despite his effort to steady his body, which was in vain for he didn¡¯t have any martial arts training. Some of the fragments even pierced his flesh. Chu Tiankuo flung his sleeves back and left the chamber without saying another word.


    Doctor Hu rested for a while and stood up quietly. The great pain on his neck and back told him what just happened was not his dream. None of the servants nearby dared give him a hand.


    Lengmei reclined on an embroidered pillow, gave an elusive smile and put her hands on her belly. ¡°Doctor Hu, please stay. Could you write a prescription to nourish my body?¡±


    A clever maid walked up to grind ink and lay the paper. Doctor Hu held a brush and started to write. The prescription included regular healthy ingredients like fleece-flower root, angelica sinensis, white peony root, Chinese wolfberry, and medical dogwood. Lengmei thanked him and rewarded him some silver knobs wrapped in red paper.


    Maids responsible for sweeping and watering were notorious for their enthusiasm for gossip behind their directors. The next morning, everyone knew the Imperial Hospital confirmed Concubine Lengmei¡¯s pregnancy. Concubines living near and far from Lengmei¡¯s chamber all went to visit her, bringing various gifts. Of course, Tang Xia wasn¡¯t among them.


    ¡°Lengmei, my dear big sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Lengmei, my dear little sister¡­¡±


    Nobody was honest and sincere here. Everyone just took what they needed and did what was best for themselves. Lengmei received lots of attention and flattery these days. Even though Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t enter her chamber since that day, she led a busy and happy life. Not every concubine could be that popular in the harem. She had the one thing desired by all other concubines, even those who were more charming, intelligent, or talented than her.


    Sometimes she felt confused. What was the purpose of all her actions? The love from Chu Tiankuo? The future of her family? Or the envy of Tang Xia?


    None of them. Or all of them perhaps.


    The ordinary people envied the life behind the red palace walls. In their imagination, it was all about wealth, pleasure and extravagance. Even the animals ¡ª imported Western cats or Ferghana horses from the borderlands ¡ª were taken good care of by special staff and lived better than the ordinary people who earned a modest living with a few acres of farmland.


    Lengmei never experienced hunger or coldness. She was the lady of the Leng family. Ladies from the noble families were usually bossy and cocky for they had their family power behind them. But she couldn¡¯t. She had to smile without baring teeth and walk while keeping the hemline on the ground. She had to learn musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She had to study poems and proses. Only through such culture could she win the heart of the emperor, and her family¡¯s investment in her would be paid back.


    She recalled something that happened shortly after she entered the harem. She met her mother and nanny at an imperial feast. She was so happy and was about to greet them when they bowed to her and said, ¡°Blessings to you, Your Grace.¡±


    She suddenly realized she was no longer a lady of the Leng family but one of the three thousand concubines of the emperor, which her family long expected her to become. She gave a gentle smile and said, ¡°Stand up.¡±


    There were many girls like her in her family. ¡°I¡¯m the best among them.¡± Lengmei often thought proudly in her chamber after she qualified for entering the harem.


    But the harem was far different from what she expected. It was full of schemes and betrayals. After she won attention by framing a teenage girl for the first time, she knew she mastered the rules of the harem and she would not stop there. She had forgotten the look of that girl long ago. She only remembered she was always wearing a cute smile.


    She was buried in her memories with blurred eyes when a maid in green called her back to reality, ¡°Your Grace, Zui Linglong is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Invite her to join me in the backyard and make tea with Green Conch Spring leaves my family sent here last time.¡± Lengmei smiled at a small bronze mirror. It was the smile that aristocrats liked, a smile that was both tender and cute. ¡°I can still do it. I used to practice for so long after all.¡± she thought.


    Zui Linglong was wearing white clothes and no makeup, just as usual. It was quite at odds with Lengmei¡¯s gorgeous apparel. Lengmei sometimes felt she was looking at a wandering ghost walking off the ground.


    A gust of wind blew in, rattling her clothes, making her look even thinner, like a lonely and soulless skeleton standing there.


    Lengmei winked and rolled up sleeves to make tea for her visitor. She added some fresh tea leaves into the boiled water with her exquisite fingers. The water gradually turned green and the green grew darker, emitting a vapor in the air that moistened the chamber. ¡°It¡¯s like a dream when I talk with you. It won¡¯t surprise me if you vanish all of a sudden.¡±


    Zui Linglong remained silent. She didn¡¯t drink the tea but just sat still, gazing at Lengmei. Lengmei wasn¡¯t the least perturbed, and she kept talking on her own about the exotic gifts she received and interesting stories she heard about recently.


    After she finished a story about two rich men smashing coral tree to show they had more wealth than each other, Zui Linglong finally said, ¡°The altar?¡±


    Lengmei knew she was asking why she didn¡¯t use the altar. She replied casually that it was not damaging enough and might fail to exterminate her enemy.


    Zui Linglong pointed out bluntly that Lengmei¡¯s pregnancy was not real.


    Lengmei nodded for she didn¡¯t intend to hide the truth from Zui Linglong in the first place. It was a voodoo she obtained from a barbarian tribe, and she didn¡¯t expect it to be used on herself then.


    It could be used to fake pregnancy on someone else. She could send the victim into the limelight and then push her into hell by exposing the fraud. What could be a better torment than that?


    Zui Linglong asked, ¡°How are you going to handle it?¡±


    Lengmei looked aside. The backyard was arranged as she dictated. There were some bare and peculiar rocks, and no flowers were planted intentionally. Sometimes a couple of wild flowers would appear in the corners, lonely and timid.


    ¡°I had Doctor Hu prescribe some tocolytic drugs for me.¡± They were both smart enough to understand the implication. The harem was never devoid of accidents. Suddenly, something occurred to Lengmei and she asked the question she had always been curious about.


    ¡°Why did you help me?¡±


    ¡°I never helped you. You are helping yourself.¡±


    With a sizzle, the tea water boiled again. A wild goose flapped wings and flew over the clear sky above their heads. Was it flying across the palace or out of it?


    Lengmei didn¡¯t know, and she didn¡¯t need to know. All she needed to do was to bear the weight of the wronged souls and live in the dream woven by extravagance and tears.


    It was her destiny and the duty her family gave her.

 Chapter 78

    ¡°Lengmei, you should keep a low profile these days,¡± said Zui Linglong as she gazed at the tea in the cup, interrupting Lengmei¡¯s meditation.


    ¡°I paved the way in secret for everything you have obtained,¡± She raised her head and looked at Lengmei, and her eyes filled with peace.


    ¡°She¡¯s really a crank.¡± Lengmei thought as she got absent-minded while contemplating Zui Linglong¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough cards in your hand to play against that person,¡± Zui Linglong¡¯s voice brought Lengmei back to the reality.


    Her words were blunt, but Lengmei didn¡¯t care. She laughed instead.


    ¡°Yes! I know what I should do. What I¡¯m doing right now was meant to be used on Tang Xia.¡±


    Lengmei held up her teacup and took a sip in an elegant manner.


    She didn¡¯t care whether she could get true love from the emperor, but she knew Tang Xia¡¯s existence was an obstacle in her way to power.


    She would get rid of Tang Xia at all costs.


    Lengmei sat there with her back upright, displaying her inalienable pride to Zui Linglong.


    For her family and her future in the harem, she would not allow Tang Xia to stay above her!


    ¡°You seem to have your plan. I don¡¯t need to say anything more,¡± said Zui Linglong as she recognized Lengmei¡¯s preparedness and thought she wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous.


    ¡°She does have some wits. I made a right choice to pick her,¡± Zui Linglong nodded to herself in her mind.


    ¡°Thank you for your appreciation. I won¡¯t waste our efforts,¡± Lengmei smiled gently at Zui Linglong, her eyes full of confidence.


    ¡°Well then, I should probably leave now.¡±


    Zui Linglong stood up and bid farewell to Lengmei.


    Lengmei nodded. Zui Linglong held her sleeves together and walked outside, her white clothes waving and her steps swift as if she was walking on air. Her figure disappeared outside the gate in the blink of an eye.


    Lengmei stared at her leaving figure and then gave a quiet smile.


    ¡°Your Grace, you have been sitting here for a long time. How about I help you get some rest?¡±


    Anran walked in the chamber and said to Tang Xia in a gentle voice.


    Tang Xia had been sitting there for nearly an hour. She was in low spirits whenever Anran approached and asked her something. Anran was worried and could do nothing but keep caring for her.


    Tang Xia shook her head and showed no interest in her suggestion.


    ¡°Then what about I get some snacks for you?¡± Anran made another suggestion.


    Tang Xia shook her head again and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let me sit here alone a little longer.¡±


    Anran stepped outside resignedly.


    Tang Xia had been in a bad mood ever since she learned about Lengmei¡¯s pregnancy. Even though she knew what she experienced here was all fake, she was still unable to control her feelings.


    A suspicion was crying in her head. She tried to suppress it, but it only fretted her more.


    How could Lengmei get pregnant?


    Tang Xia was deeply confused, but the imperial doctor¡¯s diagnosis was real. No matter how badly she didn¡¯t want to believe it, she had to admit it was the truth.


    On the other hand, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s reaction was by no means fake either, which made Tang Xia feel somewhat relaxed, even though she still didn¡¯t know how to ease her worries.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t realize Chu Tiankuo had gradually influenced her mood.


    ¡°His Majesty is arriving!¡± Suddenly there was a cry outside, and Chu Tiankuo walked in.


    Tang Xia heaved a sigh and stood up to receive him. Visitors always came at the worst time. With her bad mood, Tang Xia was a little concerned about whether she could hold her temper.


    ¡°All of you, step outside. I have something to say with the queen!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo waved his hands and all the servants nearby bowed and stepped outside.


    Tang Xia sat back to her seat as soon as she saw the door closed.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not happy to see me?¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia who sat back, and a teasing smile crept up his lips.


    In his eyes, Tang Xia was always outgoing and optimistic. He felt curious about her being unhappy.


    ¡°You are the emperor here. You are free to go anywhere in the palace, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tang Xia raised her eyes lazily and cast a glance at him.


    The very man who disturbed her mind was standing in front of her. She felt mixed emotions in her heart and didn¡¯t know how to talk with him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to upset you, did I? So what¡¯s up?¡± Chu Tiankuo gave a short laugh and was puzzled at Tang Xia¡¯s tone.


    However, he was in a good mood, and he was glad to play along.


    ¡°I¡¯m just in a bad mood. Could you please visit your other concubines lest you get unhappy too in my company?¡± Tang Xia was still in a fret and said as she raised her head.


    Her words were strange and somewhat meaningful. Even though Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t know what happened, he knew he was being blamed and couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed.


    ¡°So you vent your feelings on me?¡± Chu Tiankuo gave a sneer and snapped at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Do you come here just to quarrel with me?¡± Tang Xia raised her voice too, and her eyes fixed on Chu Tiankuo fiercely.


    She didn¡¯t want to kick up a row, but she just couldn¡¯t hold back her sarcasm with Chu Tiankuo standing in front of her.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re really being unreasonable!¡± Chu Tiankuo found Tang Xia¡¯s words were getting vexatious. He pointed a finger at her vigorously and flung his sleeves angrily.


    Tang Xia curled her lip and smiled instead of showing anger. She taunted, ¡°If I¡¯m unreasonable, why don¡¯t you seek company with someone reasonable enough? Why are you wasting time here?¡±


    ¡°This is my harem and I can go anywhere as I wish. You just said it, didn¡¯t you? Now you want to kick me out?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo taunted back with Tang Xia¡¯s own words, which made her silent. Then he sat opposite Tang Xia with a sneer.


    The tension between them was growing, and none of them was willing to yield.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t want to let the silence continue and racked her brains for an excuse.


    ¡°Your Majesty, someone is carrying your baby now. Shouldn¡¯t you care about it more? If you continue to stay in my chamber, people will talk about your partiality again!¡±


    Tang Xia was eager to send Chu Tiankuo away, and as she was thinking about Lengmei¡¯s pregnancy all the time, the idea of sending him to see Lengmei just occurred to her naturally.


    Chu Tiankuo was taken by surprise at her words, and the tension eased a lot.


    ¡°Is my queen falling in love with me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo gave a smile and eyed Tang Xia from head to feet. Tang Xia¡¯s face gradually blushed from his eyesight.


    He knew Tang Xia never felt about him in that way, but Tang Xia¡¯s words left him much to think.


    Her imposing manner in the quarrel just now was gone, and her eyes bulged, making her look clumsy and cute.


    ¡°So you were being jealous just now?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked as if he just realized the real cause and looked closely at every tiny change of Tang Xia¡¯s expression.


    Embarrassment suddenly arose between the two persons who were attacking each other just a few minutes ago.


    Chu Tiankuo was waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s reply. He tapped the table relaxedly with two fingers, and the sound of each tap amplified at Tang Xia¡¯s ears and striking at her heart.


    Tang Xia wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch the bullet screens during the quarrel, and now as the silence continued, loads of bullet screen comments flashed in front of Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thought it¡¯d be a bloody thing between you and the emperor. Didn¡¯t expect it to be lovey-dovey!¡±


    ¡°Single guy crying out loud.jpg¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I knew something was going to happen between you two.¡±


    ¡°Bravo, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Send like if you wish to see them together!¡±


    And there were many more comments of ¡°bravo¡± and ¡°lol¡±. Tang Xia was deeply annoyed and turned off the bullet screen.


    Those people really fed on misery!


    Tang Xia was so annoyed that she ignored private messages from loads of viewers asking her to turn on the bullet screen.


    She cast another eye at Chu Tiankuo, who was clearly amusing himself by waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s reaction. Her mind was a complete mess.


    Jealous?


    This very word popped up in her head and would not disappear even after a tiny person she pictured in her mind kept smashing it.


    ¡°How can I be jealous?¡± said Tang Xia after a long pause, finally coming up with something to refute Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her suspiciously, his eyebrows raised high, waiting to enjoy her embarrassment.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! You¡¯re such a bully!¡± Tang Xia rushed over to push him as her embarrassment turned into anger, and Chu Tiankuo stood up in time to shun her pounce.


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± Tang Xia pushed him harder outward, ¡°This is the queen¡¯s chamber! Who allowed you to come inside?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo kept laughing and resigned himself to being pushed outside by the bashful Tang Xia.


    He replied in the process, ¡°Ok, Ok, I¡¯m leaving, but your face is flushing so badly!¡±


    Tang Xia ignored his tease and kept pushing him with her hands.


    After finally pushing Chu Tiankuo through the door, she took a step back, shut the door closed and leaned herself against the door.


    She heard Chu Tiankuo laughing loudly and punched the door heavily, which only made Chu Tiankuo laugh even more loudly.


    She didn¡¯t know how long it took before it was finally quiet outside the door. She sat back beside the table and drank up the cold tea in the cup.


    Lengmei, in her own chamber, learned about the news soon.


    ¡°His Majesty entered the queen¡¯s chamber? Not a big deal!¡± She repeated the little maid¡¯s words and expressed her contempt.


    She fiddled with the fresh flowers in front of her with her delicately cared nails and was lost in thought.


    After a short pause, she turned back her head and said to the little maid, ¡°Order the kitchen to make a refreshing soup. I¡¯ll take it to His Majesty tonight.¡±


    The little maid observed her mistress¡¯s face closely and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing she was composed and confident.


    She bowed courteously and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡±

 Chapter 79

    That night, Lengmei dressed up and put up a delicate makeup. She put up the most gorgeous gown with a layer of gauze covering it. Her round and smooth shoulders were seen through the gown, and her bosom stood out, making her extremely lovable and charming.


    She looked at herself in the mirror and felt profoundly satisfied. Even if Chu Tiankuo wouldn¡¯t touch her, he should not treat her indifferently.


    She brought her personal maid who was holding the soup and arrived at the door of the imperial study. The eunuch on duty was about to stop her when he recalled Lengmei¡¯s recent activeness and realized it would be a bad idea to stand in her way. He then decided to go inside to remind Chu Tiankuo, but before he could move, Lengmei stopped him first.


    ¡°Why are you escaping from me? Do I look like a beast in your eyes?¡± said Lengmei as she called back the eunuch who intended to leave and then walked in front of him.


    The eunuch bowed to Lengmei and replied, his head lowering, ¡°Your Grace, you misunderstood me. I just thought about something that I should tell His Majesty. Besides, how can there ever be a beast as beautiful as you are!¡±


    Lengmei gave a smile at his words as she slightly closed her lips and said, ¡°You¡¯re a real flatterer. Well, you don¡¯t need to go inside. I need to see His Majesty now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t see him now, Your Grace,¡± said the eunuch hurriedly, ¡°His Majesty is reviewing national affairs. If you really want to enter the study, let me inform His Majesty first.¡±


    ¡°Em?¡± Lengmei shot a glance at the eunuch with cold eyes, leaving him sweating and shivering nervously.


    ¡°Are my words just something to be ignored? I told you to stay here. How dare you defy my order!¡±


    Lengmei pointed her fingers at two maids among those who were following her, and said to them, ¡°You two. Keep him good company here. I¡¯m going inside now.¡±


    She then took the other maid and walked into the imperial study.


    ¡°Your Grace, you can¡¯t do that! Your Grace!¡± The eunuch wanted to stop Lengmei, but he was dragged by the two maids who stayed and said, ¡°What¡¯s your name, lad? You look really cute!¡±


    ¡°Go away, go away!¡±


    After Lengmei entered the imperial study, she saw Chu Tiankuo sitting at the desk and perusing documents. She stood quietly at the corner with her maid.


    Chu Tiankuo heard someone entering early on, but he kept his silence. He thought it was Tang Xia and planned to tease her.


    After a while, Chu Tiankuo spoke out, ¡°Since you have come, why are you keeping quiet?¡± He then raised his head and saw Lengmei and her maid standing nearby. His face turned dark at the sight of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s you two. Now anyone can enter my study without my permission?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me, Your Majesty, or who else did you think it was?¡± Lengmei pretended she didn¡¯t understand Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words and said smilingly, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you working hard night and day for the nation, so I bring some refreshing soup to you! I¡¯m standing here for quite a while to make it a surprise!¡± She winked at Chu Tiankuo flirtingly.


    Chu Tiankuo gave a sneer after he saw Lengmei¡¯s apparel and winking, and he thought, ¡°Such impertinence! Does she think I¡¯m a fatuous emperor who can be easily seduced? It¡¯s laughable for her to seduce me!¡±


    At that time, the eunuch who was stopped at the door finally broke free from the two maids and entered the study. He immediately knelt down to Chu Tiankuo who was in a dark face and said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry, Your Majesty. I was stopped by Concubine Lengmei¡¯s maids at the door and failed to inform you of her arrival. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was at first angry at Lengmei being permitted in easily without her getting stopped or him getting informed. After he learned what happened, he didn¡¯t blame the eunuch for he knew it was all Lengmei¡¯s trick, and there was no necessity to blame others.


    ¡°Fine. You may go now.¡±


    The eunuch cast a hidden glance at Lengmei, only to find that she was staring at him. He shivered in fear and left the study quickly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I made the soup for you myself and it¡¯s full of my love. Please drink it before it cools down!¡± said Lengmei as she detected Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sullenness and hurried to hand over her soup.


    ¡°No, thanks!¡± said Chu Tiankuo coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve the soup made by someone like your good self. Why don¡¯t you take it back and drink it yourself!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink it, that¡¯s fine,¡± replied Lengmei. She knew Chu Tiankuo would never drink her soup and took it back.


    ¡°Now, you have brought the soup, and it¡¯s quite late. It¡¯s time for you to go back to your chamber!¡± said Chu Tiankuo coldly, not giving her any trace of consideration.


    Lengmei was a little angry at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s snub and said, ¡°But Your Majesty, I¡¯m now carrying your baby!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Chu Tiankuo was further wearied by her mention of the unborn baby.


    ¡°I¡¯m now two persons in one. No matter how much you dislike me, you should treat me better than this!¡± She took the liberty of sitting on a chair diagonally opposite Chu Tiankuo¡¯s desk, and started to drink tea as if she was lounging in her own chamber.


    Chu Tiankuo remembered clearly that he didn¡¯t ever touch Lengmei. He knew she was bound to come up with some other tricks by staying there, and it was best for him to leave her alone. He continued with his documents and ignored her completely.


    The next morning, the news that Lengmei spent a whole night in the imperial study was spread throughout the harem. All the concubines were astonished and discussed in twos and threes.


    ¡°Concubine Lengmei was really someone of resource. She got pregnant with an imperial baby and spent a whole night in the imperial study!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! People like us can¡¯t even pass the door of the imperial study!¡±


    ¡°I thought it was the queen that His Majesty favored the most, but now it seems¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Concubine Lengmei will become the new queen and leave the current queen out in the cold!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stand in line with Concubine Lengmei and keep a good relationship with her now?¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia also heard about the news and the other concubines¡¯ attitudes after she got up early the next morning. Unlike the other concubines, however, she knew perfectly well that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s detestation of Lengmei was without parallel. He would never allow her to stay in the imperial study for a whole night. There must have been some plot in it!


    The viewers watching the streaming obviously saw what had happened, and they started another frenzy of bullet screens.


    ¡°Lengmei again! What¡¯s that bitch plotting this time?¡±


    ¡°+Lengmei. That bitch must be up to something. Expose her plot quickly!¡±


    ¡°Fighting! Don¡¯t cower! Kick that bitch¡¯s asses hard!¡±


    ¡°Down with bitch Lengmei! I¡¯m backing you forever, anchor!¡±


    ¡°+Lengmei 10086. Anchor, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    xxx gifted a diamond.


    ¡°¡­Rich guy, it¡¯s you again!¡±


    ¡°First hooray to the rich guy!¡±


    ¡°Hooray to the rich guy!¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia was amused at the bullet screens that were strangely led astray. She knew Lengmei must have been up with some other tricks, and she made up her mind.


    ¡°Thank you all. I will put on an act for her and give her some punishment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Just do it! Teach that bitch a good lesson!¡±


    Tang Xia felt warm in her heart at the encouragements from her audience.


    She knew Lengmei was fond of staying in the imperial garden in her spare time. The next morning, she got up early and made good grooming of herself. With her natural beauty, she looked ever more charming and lovable. Though Lengmei was quite pretty too, her beauty was not up to even one-tenth of Tang Xia¡¯s beauty.


    Tang Xia made her way to the imperial garden and found Lengmei sitting on a chair, eating some snacks. She gave an inward sneer.


    Lengmei noticed Tang Xia¡¯s arrival too. She was annoyed after seeing herself eclipsed by Tang Xia¡¯s extreme beauty, and her resentment towards Tang Xia was further intensified. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her.


    She pretended that she didn¡¯t notice Tang Xia until she got near. She remained seated in the chair, gave a cheerful smile at Tang Xia and said, ¡°Oh la la¡­What brought you here today, Your Grace? It must be something to be congratulated on! But you have to forgive me for not in a proper state to curtsy to you since I¡¯m carrying His Majesty¡¯s baby. I¡¯m sure someone as magnanimous as you are should not blame me for that!¡±


    After Lengmei finished her words, she stroked her belly ostentatiously, which had not swollen yet, and then hurled a provocative smile at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Of course you should give priority to the care of your own body right now. As for the trivial formalities, it¡¯s up to you,¡± replied Tang Xia casually as she knew Lengmei¡¯s intention clearly and didn¡¯t say anything else to continue the conversation on that subject. She just waited to see the next step Lengmei was going to take to provoke her.


    Lengmei was not daunted after seeing that Tang Xia was still calm, and she continued, ¡°Well, I¡¯m carrying the first baby of His Majesty, and I should keep a good mood for the sake of the baby. Oh, you should know how important and precious this baby is! After all¡­¡± Lengmei cast a glance at Tang Xia, who was still untouched, and continued, ¡°After all, I¡¯m doing the best and got pregnant within such a short time, not like someone who¡¯s always swaggering like a sterile and useless hen!¡±


    Tang Xia understood the insinuation immediately and she thought, ¡°How dare she be so impertinent and sarcastic to me! She¡¯s looking for humiliation herself!¡±


    Just at that moment, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s figure approached from behind the two girls.

 Chapter 80

    Tang Xia saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bright yellow imperial robe, and so did Lengmei.


    They gave a meaningful smile at each other. Tang Xia lowered her voice and said curtly, ¡°You¡¯re enjoying your little triumph, right? Now the hero is here. Do you dare to have a competition with me?¡±


    ¡°What competition?¡± said Lengmei as she saw Chu Tiankuo approaching, her heart stirring and her mouth gaping.


    ¡°Frame-up. Let¡¯s see whose side he¡¯s going to take.¡± Tang Xia darted a provoking look at Lengmei, flew at her and then feigned falling back, tumbling helplessly to the ground. ¡°Ah! Lengmei, why did you push me?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei¡¯s eyes bulged and she gaped at Tang Xia unbelievingly, who was sitting on the ground with a grieved and puzzled face.


    ¡°I knew you were going to frame me like this, right?¡± said Tang Xia speechlessly with lip movements alone as she raised her head and gave a bright smile.


    ¡°Your Grace, Your Grace, how are you?¡± Lyuyou got past her initial fluster, cooperatively flung herself to Tang Xia, cried at her vigorously and then raised her head to question Lengmei sternly, ¡°Your Grace, even though you are carrying His Majesty¡¯s baby, you can¡¯t defy seniority and treat the queen like this!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Which eye of yours saw I pushed her? That¡¯s a pack of lies!¡± exclaimed Lengmei as she saw Chu Tiankuo approaching with his face increasingly graver. She shouted as loudly as possible to be more loudly than Lyuyou.


    ¡°I saw with my both eyes. Our queen was so kind and treated you like a sister. She walked over to give you a hand for fear that you might get tired since you are pregnant, yet you didn¡¯t accept her kindness and rudely pushed her away. She¡¯s now sitting on the ground, and you¡¯re still denying your crime?¡±


    Lyuyou started to shed tears in big drops. She hugged Tang Xia¡¯s arm and said in extreme sorrow, ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s all my fault. I failed to protect you. You are so kind and always treat someone like a sister, but she returned your kindness with ingratitude and mercilessly pushed you to the ground. And now, you sprained your back and couldn¡¯t even stand up.¡±


    Tang Xia tried hard to hold back the urge to laugh but failed. She buried her face in Lyuyou¡¯s arms. Lyuyou was really exaggerating. Tang Xia fell down at her own will. How could she sprain her back? She sat down slowly to cushion the impact. It was by no means as serious as Lyuyou¡¯s narration.


    ¡°How dare you smear me even in daylight! You outnumber me and I¡¯m the weak side before you to defend myself. But do you think His Majesty could overlook what happened?¡± Lengmei sprinted over, knelt down before Chu Tiankuo, her knees hitting the ground with a thump, and said, ¡°Your Majesty! You must have seen what happened clearly. It was their plot to frame me!¡±


    ¡°They framed you? I saw it clearly. How can my eyes deceive me?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was so grave that it could shed drops of water. He loosened his robe from Lengmei¡¯s grasp and ran to Tang Xia¡¯s side.


    ¡°How are you? Are you hurt?¡± asked Chu Tiankuo hastily as he turned Tang Xia¡¯s face to him, his own face full of worries.


    Tang Xia was pulled out, but she wasn¡¯t cheeky enough to tell more untrue stories no matter how hard she encouraged herself inwardly. At last, she gave up all options but to lower her head and close her eyes, and her face was covered in greater blushes.


    ¡°Fine, fine, whatever comes for me; that¡¯s it.¡± Thought Tang Xia as she closed her eyes like an ostrich.


    ¡°Your Majesty! You finally came! You take a good look at our queen. Does she look anything near unharmed? She fell to the ground so heavily. That bumping sound alone made my heart stop!¡± said Lyuyou as she cried in an exaggerating way, shedding tears and getting choked by sobs at intervals.


    ¡°Please look carefully at her, Your Majesty! Our queen¡¯s face is turning redder out of pain! And her back. She has been sitting still for such a long time. She must have sprained her back!¡± Lyuyou bit her lower lip hard and wailed with heartbreaking grief.


    Tang Xia listened to Lyuyou¡¯s exaggeration in embarrassment. She felt more and more ashamed, and her faculties turned more acute. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes on her were as bright as two searchlights of several hundred megawatts and fixated her on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m finished. All my tricks were exposed to him. He must be laughing at me inwardly now. Arrgh! Lyuyou, you fool! Why do you have to mention my face? If I were painful, my face should turn pale! How can it be getting redder?¡±


    Tang Xia closed her eyes vehemently and gave Lyuyou a thorough scolding in her brains.


    ¡°Oh? Is it?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was shrouded in grief. He extended his trembling hands at Tang Xia and dared not touch her, as if she was a doll made of china that broke easily with a slight touch.


    His voice was grave, but Tang Xia recognized a trace of teasing and amusement amongst the gravity¡­


    ¡°Certainly, Your Majesty! Our queen suffered great pain, and you must hold the justice for her!¡± Lyuyou knelt down on the ground quickly and made several loud kowtows relentlessly.


    ¡°Nonsense! Do you think we were born yesterday? You think we are fools at your disposal?¡± said Lengmei as she bit her silver teeth to pieces out of fury. She stood up abruptly, turned over and walked to Tang Xia like a wind.


    ¡°Look at her ruddy cheeks! She¡¯s not suffering any pain at all! In my opinion, she¡¯s not hurt or anything, but wild with joy at the success of her plot!¡±


    ¡°What YOU said is nonsense! You pushed her to the ground, and we all saw that. Now instead of saying an apology, you are making all sorts of excuses. How can a woman as vile as you are live in this world!¡± Lyuyou got up to her feet at one stroke and stared at Lengmei vigorously and unyieldingly.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lengmei¡¯s chest heaved intensely as she exploded with rage, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like this!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you saw it yourself. This maid was bold enough to offend me in your face. Now you know how bad they treated me behind your back! Please distinguish the truth from lies and hold justice for me. You should punish this maid for restoring my reputation!¡± said Lengmei as she looked at Chu Tiankuo in a grievance, her eyes on the verge of shedding tears.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! You can¡¯t let her deceive you, Your Majesty!¡± explained Lyuyou hastily, only to be interrupted by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Impertinence! You¡¯re only a maid after all. Who taught you to speak to an imperial concubine like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your explanation. I recognize your exploit to protect your mistress, and I will pardon your misbehavior this time,¡± Chu Tiankuo picked up Tang Xia, held her in his arms and continued, ¡°It was despicable of you, Concubine Lengmei, to be impertinent to the queen, but considering your pregnancy, I pardon you too this time. However, if you ever commit that again, you will be locked in the cold palace and not allowed to step out of the palace all your life!¡±


    Lengmei was shivering with fury at her total fiasco. She had no choice but to hold her anger and accepted Chu Tiankuo¡¯s criticism under his daunting pressure.


    With cold eyes, Lengmei watched Chu Tiankuo leaving with Tang Xia in his arms, and she almost tore the fine silk in her hands into pieces. She narrowed her eyes and thought, ¡°I miscalculated Tang Xia¡¯s ability. She snatched the initiative this time and dropped me in unjust treatment. Well, well, this was but a small interruption, and one step closer to my plan.¡±


    Lengmei walked slowly to her chamber and shut the door as soon as she arrived. She called her trusted maid and said, ¡°Did you see everything that happened there just now¡±?


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I was plucking flowers there with a bunch of little maids and saw the queen¡¯s frame-up of you from beginning to end.¡± said the maid as she smiled proudly and walked over to pound Lengmei¡¯s shoulders lightly.


    ¡°Good. How did they react?¡±


    ¡°They were indignant at your unjust suffering and wanted to step up to testify in your favor, but I stopped them. Don¡¯t worry, Your Grace. Before they left, they told me they would never let your grievance go unavenged.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, well done. You take some silver knobs and buy them some drinks and rouge. Keep a close eye on this matter, and make sure to make it a big story.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Grace. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    In the meantime at another place in the palace, Chu Tiankuo gently placed Tang Xia on the bed and made her lie on her stomach. He then massaged her on her waist considerately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. You go back to continue your own business.¡± Tang Xia blushed with shyness, pressed down Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand and buried her face inside the quilt.


    ¡°No! A sprained back is a big problem. Let me give you a massage to avoid possible sequela.¡± said Chu Tiankuo as he moved his hands all over Tang Xia¡¯s back with an ulterior motive, his eyes growing darker.


    ¡°Keep your dirty hand away!¡± Tang Xia turned over and sat up abruptly, her face redder than the sunset glow.


    ¡°Um? Be careful with your words, my queen. Whose hand are you describing as a dirty hand?¡± said Chu Tiankuo as he looked at Tang Xia aggressively, acting as if he was about to pounce on her.


    ¡°The one that bullies me, whoever it is! You said you would give me a massage. Why did you stroke all over my back?¡± said Tang Xia as she bit her lips, her big eyes glistened with watery luster.


    ¡°Tut! You silly girl of little life experience! Healing such an injury is not child¡¯s play in your eyes. There is so much specialized knowledge that you don¡¯t know about.¡± Chu Tiankuo pounced over abruptly and pushed her down onto the bed. They faced each other closely, eyes to eyes, nose to nose.


    ¡°Well? I took your side completely this time. You won¡¯t get jealous this time, will you?¡±


    ¡°Hmmpf! I¡­ I couldn¡¯t care less about you!¡±


    Both of them burst into laughter on the bed. While outside the chamber, the story that Chu Tiankuo took Tang Xia¡¯s side in the imperial garden was spread out in the palace within a short time by some people intentionally.


    Opinions were exchanged and gossip spread. People all believed Tang Xia won the favor of the emperor again. Some were envious, and some made witty remarks.


    And all of a sudden, Lengmei adopted a high profile. She was not only active in public, but even invited a theatrical troupe to perform in the imperial garden and made it known to all.


    ¡°Tell them to put up a play of Huangmei.¡±

 Chapter 81

    ¡°Your Grace, is it appropriate? It is not right to let so many people into the palace without His Majesty¡¯s permission.¡± Lengmei¡¯s maid looked at Lengmei worriedly and gave a glance at the garish female role on the stage.


    ¡°What? Can¡¯t I do such trifle thing?¡± Lengmei wore a cold look immediately and snorted, putting her cup down with a thump.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Your Grace. Take care of yourself.¡± The maid flung herself down beside Lengmei¡¯s feet with cold sweat on her forehead. ¡°I just did it for your own good. After all, it is you who let those unidentified people in the palace. If something happens, you are to blame.¡±


    As Lengmei propped up her head with her elbow idly, she heaved a sigh slowly. Then she helped the maid up and sighed with deep feeling, ¡°Alright, alright. I understand that you are loyal to me. I have my own logic by doing so. As a qualified maid, you just need to listen and watch silently. Do you understand?¡±


    The maid lowered her head and said obediently with her palms full of sweat, ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Ok, watch the show.¡±


    Lengmei was quite in watching the show on the stage as she imitated their singing wagging her head.


    ¡°The Empress has arrived.¡± The eunuch drew out the whole sentence, which interrupted the noise like a rock causing a great storm.


    All the people knelt on the ground shouting ¡®May the empress live a thousand years¡¯.


    At this point, Lengmei could be regarded as a big frog in a small pond¡ªshe stood up slowly, making her the only person who was standing up while everyone else was kneeling on the ground.


    Lengmei bent her legs quite perfunctorily and said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Phew, why are you here, Your Grace? I didn¡¯t ask you here.¡±


    ¡°I surely know that. But the theatrical troupe came into the palace without letting me know, I come to check it out.¡± Tang Xia waved to let everyone rise. Then she let someone bring her a chair and put it by the side of Lengmei. And then she sat down gently.


    ¡°There is no need for you to check it out. Humph, why should I tell you? Can¡¯t I do such trifle thing?¡± Lengmei sat down and looked at Tang Xia with a poker face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the empress of this country.¡± Tang Xia said, wagging her head with the music from the stage.


    ¡°It is His Majesty who entitled you as the Empress. He can withdraw at any time. What do you have to be happy about?¡± Lengmei said with a disdainful look.


    ¡°Right, it is His Majesty who entitled me. But he entitled ¡®me¡¯ as the Empress. What can I do? As able men are always busy, I should get busy.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s big eyes blinked with joyfulness.


    ¡°¡­Are you coming here to show off?¡±


    ¡°Yep, you are right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lengmei clenched her hands tightly and ground her teeth firmly to refrain from overreaction.


    ¡°Ah, are you trying to frame me again?¡± Lengmei said, raising her cold voice suddenly.


    There was silence in a twinkling¡­


    ¡°Hm? Look pregnant? What do you mean? It is you who are pregnant. You will look pregnant over a period of time, I cannot help you with that. So ask the imperial physician whatever you don¡¯t understand so as to avoid being laughed by others.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Lengmei confusedly and took a cup of scented tea for her, ¡°Come on, take a sip of it. You are so restless with anxiety that you are muddled.¡±


    ¡°Humph, don¡¯t put on an act. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Lengmei pushed the cup of tea away.


    Tang Xia clicked her tongue and scratched her hair helplessly. Then she crooked her finger toward Lengmei with her eyebrows knitted, ¡°We both know what the truth is. As we are six of one and half a dozen of the other, why should you censure me?¡±


    ¡°Ha! How can¡¯t I claim justice for myself as you are despicable? Tang Xia, how shameless you are!¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, you are much more despicable than me.¡± Tang Xia turned away watching the show on the stage and turned back looking at Lengmei sympathetically, ¡°Sorry, I was wrong.¡±


    Lengmei became speechless and looked at Tang Xia in horror, ¡°What game are you playing?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Look at you. You are pregnant without your husband by your side. What you can only do is to enjoy the traditional opera. Listen to what they are singing. How can you call them the top-level theatrical troupe? I cannot hear it anymore. Alas! I feel sorry for you.¡±


    Tang Xia stretched out her arm and tapped on the back of Lengmei¡¯s hand kindly with her hand.


    ¡°You!¡± Lengmei was so angry that she could not even breathe.


    ¡°Alas, calm down. I know that I say out what you are thinking about and you are very upset. However, truth is what it is. You need to nerve yourself to face up to it!¡± Tang Xia looked at Lengmei sympathetically with a gesture that could cheer Lengmei up.


    ¡°Breathe in, breathe out¡­¡±


    ¡°I should be patient¡­¡±


    Lengmei ground her teeth tightly and looked at Tang Xia as virulently as the sharp knife. After a long time, she wore a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not upset. Although His Majesty does not love me, at least I am pregnant with his child.¡±


    ¡°We used to have romantic hours and be deeply attached to each other. We embraced as we whispered to each other. And we also had joyful nights¡­¡±


    ¡°He acclaimed me as the most beautiful woman in the world who owned the skin as fair as the mutton-fat jade. And I was just like the Snow Lotus in his eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°He promised to let me have his kid. As expected, he fit his deeds to his words!¡±


    Lengmei stroked on her belly with the glory of motherhood.


    ¡°Alas, I feel sorry for you! Although he says he loves you, he is reluctant to give you a child¡­¡± Lengmei sighed and looked at Tang Xia sympathetically, ¡°At least I¡¯m pregnant, you have no child at all.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile froze as she wore a colder and colder look. But Tang Xia wore a smile in a flash, ¡°Child? Let it be. As long as he loves me and spoils me, God has destined fate after all.¡±


    As Tang Xia was hurt by Lengmei¡¯s words, she pretended to act that everything was fine, actually, she felt quite upset.


    ¡°Hm? Really? Aren¡¯t you trying to be brave?¡± Lengmei looked at Tang Xia¡¯s eyes with interest.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tang Xia wore a quite sweet smile. Suddenly, her look altered as she slapped against the table and shouted, ¡°Concubine Lengmei! Confess yourself!¡±


    There was only silence suddenly as everyone looked at Tang Xia and Lengmei.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did wrong. Please tell me, Your Grace.¡± Lengmei looked at Tang Xia confusedly in the wildest dismay.


    ¡°Did you imagine what would happen that you let so many unidentified people in the palace without His Majesty or my permission?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wronged, Your Grace. As this theatrical troupe owns a good reputation for a hundred of years, they are identified. Besides, going out of my palace is expressly prohibited and punished. And they have behaved well¡­¡±


    ¡°Humph! Are there the words ¡®I¡¯m bad¡¯ written on the forehead of the bad guys? Don¡¯t make excuses for your arbitrary behaviors.¡± Tang Xia swept the cup down to the ground.


    As the hot scented tea splashed by Lengmei¡¯s feet, she dodged in the wildest dismay with her eyes darting all around fearfully as if she was as innocent as a rabbit.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Tang Xia raised her head arrogantly, ¡°The evidence is certain, do you still want to deny it?¡±


    Tang Xia suppressed Lengmei unscrupulously, putting on airs.


    Lengmei trembled with tears in her eyes, not fighting back against Tang Xia.


    ¡°Right, the decree of the Empress is to the imperial concubines is what imperial edict of His Majesty to them. How dare you not to obey Her Grace¡¯s order!¡± The snobbish old maid boosted the morale of Tang Xia as she found the situation had changed and started to suck up to Tang Xia.


    Besides, Chu Tiankuo had treated Lengmei with indifference for days, so those ¡®fence sitters¡¯ were loyal to other masters and people in the palace had belittled Lengmei down to the ground.


    After that, Lengmei¡¯s official salary was embezzled. However, Lengmei just grinned and bore it¡­


    ¡°Lyuyou, what do you think she is going to do? I don¡¯t believe that she will sit under these unfair treatments.¡± Tang Xia rested her chin on her hand, looking at Lyuyou who was doing embroidery.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I know her. Lengmei is a keen and cruel woman who will never let herself wronged.¡±


    ¡°Right! She must pretend to be poor so that she can gain sympathy from others. As a result, we are the bad guys. Alas! How detestable she is!¡± Lyuyou understood what Tang Xia meant immediately.


    ¡°Right! It seems that everyone thinks that I am abusing her!¡±


    ¡°¡­Definitely. But we don¡¯t need to be afraid of that. As long as His Majesty favors you, why should we care what others think of us?¡±


    ¡°Humph! What does it have to do with him?¡± Tang Xia rolled her eyes at Lyuyou and blushed at herself.


    Lyuyou laughed happily and reminded Tang Xia, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Zui Linglong is still in the palace, Your Grace. She is a tough woman. Besides, a barking dog never bites, she seems to be too quiet these days.¡±


    ¡°I see, alas, I just don¡¯t know what tricks Lengmei is going to play.¡± Tang Xia pouted frustratedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. We can take measures according to the actual situation. As long as His Majesty favors you, we can be safe and sound no matter what conspiracy we are faced with.¡±


    ¡°Humph! Stupid girl, you don¡¯t understand!¡± Tang Xia said, looking afar blearily, ¡°The imperial harem is just like the royal court that things change quickly. You will never know what will happen the next moment.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Lyuyou said anxiously.


    ¡°Forget it. Sell off those awards by His Majesty to relieve the people in disaster! It is good to do benevolence for a good reputation!¡±

 Chapter 82

    In the large bedroom palace stood a woman wearing a gorgeous purplish-red dress embroidered with the pattern of swallows. As the breeze swept by from the window, the floor-to-ceiling curtains drifted about in the wind for a while.


    As Lengmei wore a cozy look, she darted a look with her long and narrow almond eyes. Her maid standing aside lowered her head immediately.


    The maid who passed the message hurried into the room and said before she got close to Lengmei, ¡°There she comes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Send her in.¡±


    The maid backed toward the door hurriedly and bowed to the woman who stood outside of the room, saying in a gentle voice, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    A woman in white stepped into the room before the maid raised her head. As the breeze swept by, her long white sleeves swayed in the wind, which was quite charming.


    ¡°All of you go out.¡± Lengmei ordered her maids, ¡°Don¡¯t come in without my permission and close the door after you leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Lengmei¡¯s maids obeyed and left lowering their heads. Then the two women left in the room smiled at each other.


    After a short silence, Zui Linglong opened her mouth slowly folding her hands.


    ¡°It seems that you are in a quite good mood these days, Your Grace.¡± Zui Linglong said in a sarcastic tone.


    Lengmei walked towards her, ¡°How do you know that?¡± Then Lengmei lifted the bead curtains with her fair fingers, causing the continuous colliding sounds.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Zui Linglong looked at Lengmei, ¡°You have invited the theatrical troupe.¡±


    Lengmei started to laugh, ignoring Zui Linglong¡¯s sarcastic tone. Her laughter was lowish and implicit, then it became louder and louder.


    As Lengmei pulled Zui Linglong towards her soft couch, they both sat on it after a while.


    ¡°Tell me, what do you want from me?¡± Lengmei asked without preamble. As the old saying went: ¡®No one comes to the Hall of Trinity without reason¡¯, the woman must come here with her own purpose.


    ¡°You are a clairvoyant judge of character, Your Grace.¡± Zui Linglong paused and said, ¡°I heard that your official salary had been embezzled these days. It must be relevant to the empress!¡±


    As Zui Linglong¡¯s words were quite ear-piercing, Lengmei snorted and glanced sideways, ¡°Those dog-like servants are all ¡®fence sitters¡¯ who support Tang Xia as she is in power now.¡±


    What Lengmei said was quite correct as the palace is where people fought for power and the imperial harem was the dirtiest place in the world. Servants would definitely flatter the imperial concubine who was favored by His Majesty.


    Lengmei got used to the situation, but she needed to take her time. As there would be ample time for her, no one knew what would happen in the future.


    As Zui Linglong noticed that Lengmei wasn¡¯t angry, she asked, ¡°You own such a positive attitude, Your Grace. Is there any plan? What is your next move?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have a plan.¡± Lengmei said. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to tell you yet. I won¡¯t stay so calm without knowing my next move.¡±


    Zui Linglong just nodded slightly with no response. It was typical of women in the imperial harem to do so, as they would lose the initiative so long as they planned everything before others did.


    ¡°I still want to remind you that every dog has its day. Although you are pregnant now, don¡¯t take yourself too seriously. As the attitude of His Majesty is what matters.¡±


    What Zui Linglong said was quite direct, but Lengmei bore it in her mind.


    ¡°I know.¡± Lengmei said in a gentle voice, ¡°I know how far to go and when to stop.¡±


    ¡°That is good. Don¡¯t act recklessly.¡± Zui Linglong said in a calm voice.


    ¡°I will be careful. I have other things to attend to next.¡± Lengmei put down the cup and stroke her belly unconsciously.


    As her fingers just touched her belly, Lengmei froze suddenly. She stroked her belly from time to time these days. It seemed to the unconscious behavior.


    Lengmei became somewhat absent-minded, looking at her fair arm.


    As her doubts appeared on her face, Lengmei frowned as if she was thinking about something unknown by others.


    ¡°Your Grace?¡± Zui Linglong said cautiously after a long time. Her Grace seemed to have something on her mind. There was no wonder that she lost in thought for such a long time, stroking her belly.


    Lengmei came back to her sense by the call and raised her head suddenly, looking at the woman in front of her, ¡°What happened? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I notice that you have something on your mind.¡±


    Lengmei had to admit that Zui Linglong owned an exquisite heart. No wonder that her name was ¡®Linglong¡¯ (homophonic words for ¡®exquisite heart¡¯ in Chinese).


    Zui Linglong was right that she did have something on her mind. But Lengmei could not figure out whether she should say it out or not. Then Lengmei leaned sideways after pondering for a while.


    ¡°Zui Linglong, I have some questions for you.¡± Lengmei leaned forward and said in a lower voice.


    ¡°Feel free to ask any question, Your Grace.¡±


    After Lengmei looked around, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know my false pregnancy?¡±


    Zui Linglong raised her eyebrows and replied with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°How could the imperial physician of He shield my false pregnancy even if I did not make a deal with him?¡± Lengmei had wanted to ask the question, but she had no chance.


    Only when there were only two of them did Lengmei dare to ask it.


    In fact, Lengmei wondered why the imperial physician chose to help her with the diagnosis even if she had not come to an agreement with him.


    It was quite creepy if she pondered on it. And Lengmei had a faint idea that it was relevant to Zui Linglong.


    As she thought so, Lengmei raised her head and looked at Zui Linglong, ¡°Tell me, did you play the trick?¡± If Zui Linglong did it, Lengmei would become so relieved.


    Zui Linglong ignored Lengmei¡¯s doubtful look and answered after giving loud laughter, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it was me or not; no one finds out your false pregnancy. It is enough.¡±


    After hearing what Zui Linglong had said, Lengmei became a little bit anxious and tapped on the table, ¡°Make it clear, Zui Linglong. If my false pregnancy is found out, we will both be punished.¡± Lengmei thought that she could threaten Zui Linglong in this way.


    Unexpectedly, Zui Linglong picked up the cup and took a sip from it slowly as if she did not care about it at all.


    ¡°I can do nothing about it!¡± Lengmei turned her head around impatiently.


    Lengmei just wanted to know what it was about. How could she not be worried as she padded her belly?


    As Zui Linglong noticed that Lengmei was quite anxious, she wore a faint smile, ¡°Take care of yourself, Your Grace. You don¡¯t need to worry about this matter anymore.¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words somewhat set Lengmei¡¯s mind at rest. Then Lengmei heaved a sigh of relief and became surer of her conjecture.


    Now that Zui Linglong had assured that she did not need to worry about it, Lengmei thought that they would both be punished at the worst. As she thought so, Lengmei felt quite relieved.


    ¡°In this case, I won¡¯t force you to admit it.¡± Lengmei wore her usual calm look.


    As it was getting dark, the tea became cold. So Lengmei shouted the old maid waiting outside the room.


    A maid served them a pot of freshly brewed tea after a while.


    As Lengmei looked at the tender tea leaves floating on the surface, Lengmei pondered that Zui Linglong was not an ordinary person, she might as well¡­


    ¡°Would you do me a favor?¡± Lengmei asked with a smile.


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Your Grace.¡± Zui Linglong replied obediently.


    Lengmei felt quite pleased as she needed someone to help her implement the following plans. It would be best for her that Zui Linglong could help.


    Then Lengmei told everything about her plan to Zui Linglong in a few minutes.


    When she finished her sentence, Lengmei asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zui Linglong nodded, looking at Lengmei¡¯s cold eyes.


    ¡°Good! I appreciate the brave woman just like you.¡± Lengmei clapped her hands and began to praise Zui Linglong, not caring whether Zui Linglong was listening to her.


    As Lengmei praised her too much, Zui Linglong regarded Lengmei as hypocritical and said, ¡°I¡¯m flattered. I¡¯ll always be at your service, Your Grace.¡±


    Zui Linglong waved her hands impatiently and was ready to hear what Lengmei¡¯s good plan was.


    At the same time, Lengmei thought that she was talking too much nonsense and stopped her compliment. Then Lengmei got close to Zui Linglong, she said after hesitating for a moment.


    ¡°There will be riots in the border area a few days later. Several wars will be inevitable then.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Your Grace?¡± Zui Linglong pretended to wear a frustrating look, thinking that Lengmei was not that stupid as she knew that she should implement her plan during the special period.


    Lengmei was quite satisfied with Zui Linglong¡¯s reaction and said after pondering for a while, ¡°Compared to the military of the border area, ours is not weak. Besides, we own brave and battlewise generals and soldiers. After several wars, their soldiers must be greatly reduced.¡±


    After hearing Lengmei¡¯s clear and logical analysis, Zui Linglong nodded her head with some doubts.


    ¡°Even if their soldiers are reduced, how will it be helpful to your plan, Your Grace?¡±


    Lengmei replied to Zui Linglong grumpily, ¡°What we lack is a good opportunity. When the wars take a heavy toll of lives from the border area, our good opportunity will come.¡±


    Then Lengmei wore a quite coquettish smile. Apparently, ¡®war¡¯ was not cruel any more for two of them.


    In a sense, Lengmei was just waiting for an appropriate time. And the following war between her country and the border area was the right time.


    Lengmei knew clearly that she could not wait for too long, neither should she be too hurried. It would be so pathetic to mess it up if she was too impatient.


    As Lengmei wanted to win, she must be quite careful and consolidate at every step.


    ¡°What you mean¡­¡± Zui Linglong understood what Lengmei meant.


    ¡°As long as the wars take a heavy toll of lives from the border area, the minister will be sent here to sue for peace.¡± Lengmei clenched her fist, ¡°By then, we can implement our plan.¡±


    Zui Linglong nodded her head, ¡°So we need to get well prepared, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Of course we do.¡± This matter allowed no errors.


    Lengmei felt refreshed and was in a good mood.


    After Zui Linglong left, Lengmei said to herself, ¡°It is time.¡±

 Chapter 83

    It was said that Bai Bulun, the envoy from the border area owned the height of seven feet with dashing eyebrows and sharp eyes, which made him one of the most handsome men. Besides, he had been learning the culture of the Central Plains and had made intensive research on the etiquette of the Central Plains.


    When people saw him for real, they found that his height was truly seven feet, but his appearance was somewhat rough, which could not be regarded as handsome in the country. But everyone was as mute as a fish in consideration of regional disparity.


    Bai Bulun spoke standard Chinese and bowed to Chu Tiankuo reverently with a quite sincere attitude.


    ¡°I am the envoy Bai Bulun. I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty. I am here today to sue for peace with lavish gifts offered by the Great Khan who regards this negotiation of peace as important.¡±


    As Bai Bulun finished his sentence, he let someone bring a cage. Then he disclosed the cloth curtain covering the cage, a crow was heard¡ªit was a fledgling goshawk with a white head and a brown tail.


    ¡°This is the most aggressive fledgling goshawk in my country. It is capable of hunting and investigation, which made it a good helper of the garrison.¡±


    Then Bai Bulun bowed to Chu Tiankuo again and said,


    ¡°It is the fledgling of the king of the eagle. We present it to you for showing our sincerity, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo rose up from his seat and took the cage on his own. Then the fledgling goshawk flipped its wings a few times, which frightened the eunuchs and maids standing aside.


    At the sight of this, Bai Bulun reminded Chu Tiankuo immediately, ¡°Be careful, Your Majesty. As the fledgling has not been tamed, it is very aggressive now!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo replied but did not put the cage down. As the fledgling caught the edge of the cage with its chest heaving, it looked around with its bright and piercing eyes and looked at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand curiously.


    As Chu Tiankuo looked at its eyes which looked around, he laughed, ¡°It is a good goshawk, thanks for your gift. I¡¯ll take it!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, a soldier came and took the cage away. Chu Tiankuo did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point with Bai Bulun.


    ¡°I can tell that you are quite sincere, I¡¯ll think it over. Someone, take him to the seat!¡±


    The envoy generally represented the face of a country, now that they had shown enough sincerity, Chu Tiankuo would not embarrass Bai Bulun. Besides, Chu Tiankuo had always looked forward to this negotiation.


    The border area was a country formed by fighters on horseback where people were brave and battlewise. But the weather there was too bad for crops to survive.


    As what was needed most for fighting a battle was army provisions, it would be hard to exert the real strength of the army without enough army provisions. Judging from a single fighting capacity, that of country Chu would be much weaker.


    And this negotiation owned two purposes: one was to cease the war, the other was to promote the business between the border area and country Chu.


    There was fertile soil and good weather for crops these years in country Chu so that the plants had reached the saturated point. When people were living a peaceful life, soldiers and war-horses would be insufficient. Once a war happened near country Chu, it would be trampled upon at will, let alone fought against the border area.


    Because of the geographical location, the relationship between Chu and the border was particularly close. Although small wars had constantly happened over the years, their roots had not been damaged. The majority of the border area lived on preying as they were human beings who had to eat to live.


    Now that they had shown their attitude, it would be inappropriate for Chu Tiankuo to beat around the bush. After Bai Bulun was seated, the two of them started to negotiate on specific matters.


    When Chu Tiankuo was negotiating business with Bai Bulun, Tang Xia did not have her hands free after she woke up.


    Lengmei asked her together with all the imperial concubines to admire the beauty of flowers in the Royal Garden.


    Tang Xia suspected that Lengmei would play tricks but could not figure out her exact plan. So she accepted Lengmei¡¯s invitation to see what game Lengmei was playing.


    However, Lengmei did nothing after an hour. No matter what other imperial concubines said, she just puckered her face in a smile, which was quite different from her normal behaviors.


    Tang Xia who thought that things were not pure kept an eye on Lengmei. So she did not touch any tea or cake served by Lengmei¡¯s maids for fear that some ¡®seasoning¡¯ was added in them.


    As Lengmei noticed that Tang Xia was alerted, she picked up a cake and wore a smile, ¡°What? Are you afraid that I will poison you in public, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°One should never intend to harm others, also should always guard against the harm others might do to him. After all, I¡¯m the Empress, who knows whether someone has added some ¡®seasoning¡¯ in the tea or cake or not?¡± Tang Xia smiled and looked at her putting on a show. She was not afraid.


    ¡°Only His Majesty can stand your eloquence.¡± Lengmei wore a smile and went on enjoying the cake.


    ¡°Of course he does. I would have been banished to the cold palace because of my bad temper without his favor. But I am not as free as you who can run about even if you are pregnant because I¡¯m favored.¡±


    As Tang Xia satirized Lengmei, Lengmei wore a poker face and just snorted, ¡°Humph.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue, Your Grace. Sister, people may regard you lose the demeanor as you are so eloquent and sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about it, my status as the empress is secure now. No one dares to censure me for the moment.¡± Tang Xia changed the topic of conversation.


    Tang Xia fixed her eyes on Lengmei and wore a faint smile, ¡°As for you, you entertain all the imperial concubines in Royal Garden even if you are pregnant. Why don¡¯t you have a rest in your palace? How can I not think much about it?¡±


    As a pregnant woman in the imperial palace, it was quite important to maintain her health. However, it seemed that Lengmei was afraid that she did not have enough to worry about, how could she invite so many people?


    In Tang Xia¡¯s opinion according to her knowledge of the routine of imperial-harem competing plays, Lengmei should own a diabolical conspiracy. As the old saying went, ¡°The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains.¡± That people were having a wonderful time was the calm before the storm!


    Since Lengmei got back from outside the imperial palace, she had restrained herself, which differed greatly from her previous behavior. As Tang Xia could not figure out what game Lengmei was playing, she would take things as they were and take measures according to the actual situation if Lengmei played tricks.


    But to Tang Xia¡¯s surprise, Lengmei pointed to Lyuyou this time.


    As Lyuyou was asked to help other maids, she wetted Lengmei¡¯s sleeves accidentally when she served the tea.


    ¡°How dare you! Are you trying to kill me?¡± As Lengmei¡¯s facial expression changed immediately, she said in a quite domineering manner, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m pregnant? How dare you spill water on me!¡±


    Lyuyou was so frightened that she knelt on the ground immediately, ¡°I did not do it on purpose. It was that old maid who trampled on my dress, so¡­¡±


    But Lengmei did not give Lyuyou the chance to defend herself and shouted, ¡°Someone! Drag Lyuyou out and sentence her to death with a rod!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tang Xia stopped Lengmei immediately and stepped forward so that she could stand in front of Lyuyou. As she looked at Lengmei¡¯s wet hemline of her dress, Tang Xia said slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to make a fuss, it is the hemline of your dress that gets wet.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong, Your Grace.¡± Lengmei wore a smile, ¡°You just told me that one should not forget to guard against possible harm done by others. I just want to stop problems before they start; after all, I¡¯m pregnant with His Majesty¡¯s child.¡±


    And Lengmei stressed, ¡°As my child is the descendant of the royal. I¡¯m afraid someone will do something bad to him.¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s words pointed to Tang Xia covertly, everyone in the Royal Garden remained silent as no one dared to irritate Lengmei, nor did they dare to censure the Empress.


    Lengmei acted quite aggressive while Lyuyou gave a sign to Tang Xia that she did not do it. And Tang Xia saw it clearly that the old maid standing aside stepped on Lyuyou stealthily so that Lyuyou tumbled and spilled the tea.


    It was known to all that Lyuyou was her maid, so people would think of Tang Xia immediately if something bad happened. Tang Xia sneered in her mind, ¡°It seems that Lengmei points to her anyway. As Lengmei dares not to confront her directly, she picked Lyuyou as the target.¡±


    As Tang Xia thought so, she would not keep out of the affair. ¡°You have worried too much, younger sister. It was just a cup of tea; your child is not that weak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it. Who knows what kind of tea it was. It would be too late if it was a cup of poisonous tea.¡±


    As Tang Xia noticed that Lengmei did not change her attitude, Tang Xia was so angry that she wanted to rebuke her. However, there were too many people here, it would be quite difficult for her to protect Lyuyou and was candid about the matter.


    But Tang Xia would never give up easily. Besides, she had her own way to deal with such a hypocritical woman!


    ¡°The tea is prepared by yourself. Lyuyou just served the tea for you. If the tea was poisonous, whom you should suspect is you.¡±


    As Tang Xia¡¯s words had a point, the imperial concubines in the Royal Garden regarded it right. Lengmei held the banquet in the Royal Garden and the Empress was invited here. Besides, Tang Xia just sat there saying nothing and did not touch the cake, let alone the cake. The only one who should be suspected was Lengmei.


    ¡°Humph, so you are suspecting me, Your Grace? How about we tell this matter to His Majesty? We will see whom he will favor!¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is discussing official business in the lobby. It will be inappropriate to go there now.¡±


    Lengmei wore a defiant smile, ¡°What? Are you afraid, Your Grace?¡±


    As Tang Xia did not respond, Lengmei snorted and went to the lobby with her old maid before Tang Xia could stop her. Lyuyou kowtowed on the ground, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace. It is all my fault.¡±


    Tang Xia sighed and helped Lyuyou up, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. Lengmei points to me.¡± As she finished her sentence, she led all the imperial concubines to the lobby.


    As Lengmei arrived at the door of the lobby, she waited for Tang Xia to walk over to her and wore a confident smile. Then she took Tang Xia¡¯s hands and ran into the hall, crying.


    ¡°Help me, Your Majesty! The Empress wants to kill my baby!¡±


    Tang Xia was dragged into the hall by Lengmei before she could escape. As she managed to get rid of Lengmei, Lengmei fell to the ground like a kite without the direction of a string. Then the blood could be seen clearly under her dress and Lengmei appeared quite weak.


    And Chu Tiankuo stood up, seeing that Lengmei was quite anguished with a pale face. Then he shouted immediately, ¡°Summon the imperial physician!¡±


    Tang Xia did not expect that Lengmei would do such a thing so that she froze immediately. And Bai Bulun stood up angrily.


    ¡°I, on behalf of my country, come here for negotiation with great sincerity. How could you treat me like this! The Empress made the imperial concubine lose her child on this day. Are you embarrassing me?¡±


    As their negotiation was coming to an end, no one expected that such an accident would happen. An imperial physician ran into the hall before Chu Tiankuo could explain. Then the imperial physician took Lengmei¡¯s pulse and shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that she lost¡­the baby.¡±

 Chapter 84

    After Chu Tiankuo heard about the diagnosis that Lengmei lost her child, he knew how serious the matter was.


    Whether it was because the imperial physician was bribed by Lengmei or there was something hidden in this matter, the fact was that Tang Xia framed Lengmei and Lengmei lost her child.


    Chu Tiankuo was quite aware of Lengmei¡¯s scheme and he knew that Lengmei framed Tang Xia. Even if Tang Xia did make Lengmei lose her child, Chu Tiankuo would protect Tang Xia. Besides, he did not believe that Tang Xia would do such a thing.


    Chu Tiankuo also suspected that Lengmei was not pregnant at all and that she might want to make use of this matter to expose Tang Xia to mortal danger.


    In Chu Tiankuo¡¯s view, Tang Xia was always an optimistic, sanguine, strong and kind girl. How could she do such a thing? It was impossible!


    As for Lengmei, she was quite an insidious and cunning woman who wanted to take everything to frame Tang Xia. Tang Xia was so kind that she would never and dared not care about such a thing, but the consequence would be quite terrible.


    Tang Xia was so tenacious that she would never admit something she did not do. Besides, as an envoy, Bai Bulun was involved in this matter. Domestic shame should not be made public, let alone such a terrible matter.


    This was exactly what Lengmei planned¡ªshe wanted more people who was ignorant of this matter to support her. Now that Bai Bulun was in the hall, it was time for Lengmei to take action.


    At this critical moment for negotiation between Chu Tiankuo and Bai Bulun, it would be too rash for Bai Bulun to sue peace with Chu Tiankuo after he knew Chu Tiankuo could not manage his own imperial harem well.


    Besides, there was conflict between two sides. It would be hard for Bai Bulun to disarm all hostility as such thing had happened. Instead, it was just like washing dirty linen in public.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please help me! I lost my child; he should be the prince! Your child!¡± Lengmei pretended to cry out on the ground.


    Everyone would feel sorry at the sight of this situation as Lengmei was acting so well. That she fell on the ground and showed how shattered she was after losing her child. Her hysterical cry made people have more sympathy for her suffering.


    All the ministers and Bai Bulun were quite angry. They must feel sorry for Lengmei¡¯s helplessness and spurn Tang Xia¡¯s cruelness.


    Chu Tiankuo was rather embarrassed as there were too many people here so that he could not favor Tang Xia. He would lose credit and be regarded as an emperor who indulged the woman and set state affairs aside if he pointed out that all this was planned by Lengmei.


    Chu Tiankuo did not know what he should do to pay attention to the interests of the whole and protect Tang Xia. The best solution for him was to lock Tang Xia up and punish her, which could show his sincerity.


    Only in this way could he make Bai Bulun believe that he laid emphasis on truth and state affairs instead of Tang Xia.


    Also, it could help their negotiation, but Chu Tiankuo could not do it. Tang Xia did not do anything wrong and he would never let Tang Xia be framed by Lengmei, let alone make Tang Xia suffer for solving his own problem.


    Chu Tiankuo was suffering from inner conflict, not knowing what he should do. He must make a decision in the face of Lengmei¡¯s complaints and the ministers¡¯ argumentation.


    If he could not punish Tang Xia for the moment, people would regard him as an impulsive man who did not attach importance to the truth. Moreover, his people would lose their faith in him and defect to other countries. The plan of cooperation would also be impossible.


    Chu Tiankuo was quite annoyed as Bai Bulun knitted his eyebrows. Chu Tiankuo knew it clearly that he would be counter-attacked by Bai Bulun if he spoke up for Tang Xia.


    Not knowing anything about Lengmei and Tang Xia, Bai Bulun would only believe what he saw¡ªLengmei was trying to get sympathy from him by pretending to be innocent.


    After pondering for a while, Chu Tiankuo said slowly, ¡°Just leave for the moment. I¡¯m discussing official business now. We¡¯ll talk about your matter later.¡±


    This was his only way, which would not delay their negotiation of cooperation and could avoid punishing Tang Xia hastily.


    Chu Tiankuo must find the proof to disprove Lengmei and clear Tang Xia¡¯s name, which required much time.


    What Chu Tiankuo could only do was to slight over Lengmei for the moment and to say that they would talk about it later, which could buy time for him to seek for countermeasure. He could not concentrate his efforts on this matter, or he would gain nothing.


    He must protect Tang Xia as he believed that Tang Xia would never do such a thing. Besides, Lengmei had set up Tang Xia for several times. However, he could only stop talking about it because too many people were gathering in the hall.


    Right, that was his only way.


    But how could Lengmei give up so easily? Lengmei had racked her brains in scheming so that she gained such a good opportunity to bully Tang Xia in public. How could she miss the chance?


    With so many efforts, Lengmei found Bai Bulun who could be her solid backer. She would never miss such an opportunity. Hence, she pretended to be sad for Chu Tiankuo was not willing to help her and moved to Bai Bulun, kneeling on the ground.


    Lengmei continued on crying out and grasped Bai Bulun¡¯s trouser legs tightly. Then she pleaded with tears, ¡°Young man, did you hear it? I¡¯m so wronged! Please help me!¡±


    Bai Bulun was the god for Chu Tiankuo at the moment. In order to sue for peace with the border area, Chu Tiankuo must be able to take temporary setbacks and could only show some respects to Bai Bulun.


    What Chu Tiankuo thought was quite helpful for Lengmei¡¯s plan as Chu Tiankuo could only entertain Bai Bulun mannerly at the moment. Hence, it was the best way for her to seek help from Bai Bulun.


    ¡°Look at what His Majesty did! He just favored Tang Xia who made me lose my child! Please uphold justice for me!¡±


    Lengmei¡¯s words stressed how malicious Tang Xia was and how partial Chu Tiankuo was to Tang Xia, which would make people hate Tang Xia more.


    ¡°Tell me, how could His Majesty slight over me in this way! As his imperial concubine, I am not favored by him. Moreover, he did not speak for me after I lost our child! What a miserable life I¡¯m living! ¡±


    As Lengmei grasped Bai Bulun tightly, she complained tearfully about her completely fake tragedy, which made Bai Bulun, the envoy from the border area, quite angry.


    In his border area, men were all unconstrained and upright and would never make their women be wronged. Hence, Bai Bulun became angrier and angrier with Chu Tiankuo.


    Actually, Bai Bulun did feel sorry for Lengmei who could not claim justice after losing her own child. Therefore, he could not stand it anymore and clapped on the red sandalwood table with his eyebrows knitted.


    The sound of ¡°bang¡± frightened everyone including Chu Tiankuo. Apparently, Bai Bulun was angry, quite angry.


    Bai Bulun¡¯s opinion on Chu Tiankuo was changing gradually. He was suing for peace under orders, but he could not carry on the negotiation in the face of the muddleheaded Chu Tiankuo. He must uphold justice for the poor imperial concubine.


    Moreover, Bai Bulun thought that Chu Tiankuo was quite coward and inadequate to be an emperor as he could not protect his own imperial concubine and cast his child away so easily.


    And Bai Bulun could not figure out why Chu Tiankuo should delay dealing with this matter as Chu Tiankuo could solve the problem by punishing Tang Xia. Why did Chu Tiankuo say that they could talk about it later?


    Bai Bulun could not help thinking that punishing Tang Xia severely in front of him was the best way to show sincerity to the border area. Besides, Chu Tiankuo should know that dealing with it in this way could be conducive to their negotiation as Chu Tiankuo was wise enough.


    Was it like what Lengmei said that Chu Tiankuo could abandon the state affairs because of Tang Xia?


    As he thought so, Bai Bulun could not stand it anymore and said to Chu Tiankuo,


    ¡°Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, I would not get involved in this matter if I were not here. Now that I see what happened, I must uphold justice for this poor imperial concubine!¡±


    Hearing Bai Bulun¡¯s angry words, Chu Tiankuo felt that he could do nothing as he should and must listen to Bai Bulun¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your Majesty, all your imperial concubines are women who can bear your children. Their babies are all likely to be the emperor in the future. How could you not care even if you lost your child?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the empress is so important to you that you do not prevent her from taking advantage of her authority and framing other imperial concubines. How could you react like this?¡±


    ¡°I insist that you do not show enough sincerity as you don¡¯t punish your empress who framed the imperial concubine in such an important occasion.¡±


    ¡­


    Chu Tiankuo felt quite flustered in the face of Bai Bulun¡¯s interrogation. He must promise that he would punish Tang Xia on this occasion if he wanted to show his sincerity. Hence, Chu Tiankuo forced himself to do so.


    ¡°Brother Bai, what are you talking about? I understand you and I¡¯m going to punish my empress. I just don¡¯t want to embarrass her in public. Lengmei, just leave for now. I will definitely claim justice for you.¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, Lengmei thought her plan succeeded and left the hall reverently, wiping her tears.


    After Lengmei left, this matter ended temporarily. As Zui Linglong standing aside saw through everything, she went to Lengmei¡¯s palace with the excuse of visiting her to warn Lengmei that she should not be happy too early and Chu Tiankuo knew it was her scheme.


    As Lengmei did not expect that Chu Tiankuo could see through her scheme, she shouted unwillingly,


    ¡°That is impossible!¡±

 Chapter 85

    Zui Linglong knew that Lengmei must have not expected this when she saw Lengmei¡¯s overreaction. Lengmei was obviously unprepared for her sarcasm.


    Zui Linglong was very satisfied with Lengmei¡¯s reaction at this time and Lengmei had begun to fall into tension. Seeing Lengmei¡¯s expression, Zui Linglong could not help hooking up the corners of her mouth and said with a sneer,


    ¡°Help, please be soberer. And please use your mind to think about that, Bai Bulun helped you today just because he sympathized the pitiful image you pretended in front of the emperor. He will never stand by you.¡±


    ¡°Compared with you, a humble imperial concubine who does not deserve mentioning, of course, Bai Bulun is more partial to Chu Tiankuo. At the very least, do you know the purpose of Bai Bulun¡¯s this visit?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he come to negotiate for peace with us?¡± Lengmei was still very puzzled with Zui Linglong¡¯s previous foreshadowing and still answered her questions honestly.


    ¡°Bai Bulun is only a humble envoy of the frontier tribe. Negotiating for peace is the order from the frontier leader, so what can he do even if he is dissatisfied with the emperor? Negotiations will succeed eventually.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, now both sides are still on the stage of the conflict, and our strength is far greater than the frontier¡¯s. Bai Bulun is a smart and understanding person, so he will surely know how important it is for them to negotiate for peace with us.¡±


    ¡°Now he stands up for you just because of his momentary impulse. The emperor has already shown him his determination to severely punish Tang Xia and his sincerity to the frontier areas. According to Bai Bulun¡¯s character, he will surely try his best to negotiate for peace with us in the future.¡±


    ¡°And you, there is no meaning to him at all. Maybe Bai Bulun will even nicer to Tang Xia after that.¡±


    ¡°Whether the people emperor loves or the people around Chu Tiankuo that can talk to him, the person who can help Bai Bulun negotiate for peace successfully will be her, Tang Xia, but not you. Therefore, you have no value for Bai Bulun.¡±


    Hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s words, Lengmei really began to worry about her situation at this time. Although she could not fully understand what Zui Linglong really meant, she still knew that Bai Bulun would not stand up for her all the time.


    Even if the negotiation was successful at the end, she might land herself in serious trouble after Bai Bulun knew her true colors. She thought she had found a backer, but actually, she found an enemy for herself again.


    But according to Lengmei¡¯s haughty and obstinate character, how could she admit her failings to Zui Linglong, an enigmatic diviner? In order to keep her face and let others think that she won this ¡°war¡±, she bit the bullet and said,


    ¡°So what? Bai Bulun did say it today and he helped me exactly, at least he must be on my side!¡±


    After Lengmei finished, she also glanced at Zui Linglong disdainfully. Zui Linglong exposed her plot in the name of visiting her and satirized her failure, which really made her lose face. Thus, she could only keep her neck up to show her how powerful she was.


    Zui Linglong kept silence. She knew that Lengmei had already been scared when she saw panic in Lengmei¡¯s eyes with her eyes which were good at penetrating. Lengmei would then continue to plan her own road.


    Zui Linglong came here in the name of visiting Lengmei. Now she had been in Lengmei¡¯s palace for a while and had already achieved her purpose.


    Hence, she took up the cup of tea, which Lengmei ordered a servant to provide for her and place on the sandalwood table, and took a few sips. Then she stood up and was ready to leave.


    ¡°Forget it! I just come to visit you. Since you look well, I will go back first.¡± Then Zui Linglong went out of the room.


    Lengmei didn¡¯t salute and say anything more. She just saw Zui Linglong with a complicated look. The latter, who was still dressed in white, held a handkerchief, twisted her waist and disappeared in the gate of the courtyard.


    Lengmei was really worried about her own situation at this time for Zui Linglong¡¯s words made her feel very uneasy. She must now continue to plan ahead to keep herself safe.


    Lengmei thought Bai Bulun would stand up for her and Chu Tiankuo would definitely keep his words because he had promised Bai Bulun to punish Tang Xia severely.


    But now, after hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s judgment, gradually, she began to understand that Chu Tiankuo said words to punish Tang Xia, but maybe he just wanted to stabilize Bai Bulun¡¯s mind of negotiating for peace and let Bai Bulun feel his sincerity.


    As for how to punish Tang Xia, or whether he would punish Tang Xia on earth, it was another story.


    Lengmei suddenly realized how ignorant she was. She thought her strategy had worked, but obviously not. On the contrary, she would end in failure again.


    The only way she could think of now was to continue to deal with Chu Tiankuo so that she could continue to let the unsuspecting people think what she had done wrong was correct.


    If she wanted others to continue to believe her, she must adopt a tough stance. What she needed most now was to let Chu Tiankuo believe her. Then court officials and Bai Bulun would also continue to believe her.


    If Chu Tiankuo and Bai Bulun negotiated successfully, they still could maintain an honest and kind impression on her. Then she could be out of danger.


    After a bit of brainstorming, finally, Lengmei was determined to continue to compel to ask Chu Tiankuo. She would insist that she was indeed pregnant and her child was killed by Tang Xia so that she could continue to pressure Chu Tiankuo and ask for justice.


    Lengmei had almost finished her planning. Then she stood up and proceeded to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace.


    At this time, Chu Tiankuo was preparing to go out to visit a minister and servants were dressing for him. At this moment, someone came in suddenly and said that Leng imperial concubine had come.


    Chu Tiankuo was about to lose patience with Lengmei. If it were not because her father was a loyal minister in the court, he would not spare her life and let her, a sinister and ruthless woman, frame others again and again in the palace.


    As soon as he heard Lengmei¡¯s name, Chu Tiankuo did not hesitate to say, ¡°I will not see her and send her back. Just tell her I am tired and need to have a rest.¡±


    After a while, he only heard the noise in the courtyard and the voice of Lengmei was getting closer, ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. I need to see my emperor!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I won¡¯t see you? Who let you in?¡± Chu Tiankuo roared angrily.


    ¡°My emperor, Concubine Leng insisted on seeing you and we can¡¯t stop her.¡± The servant rushed to kneel down injuredly to beg for the emperor¡¯s forgiveness.


    Chu Tiankuo of course knew Lengmei¡¯s character and identity. If she insisted on coming, no one could stop her. Then he told the servants to go out.


    Lengmei rushed down to meet Chu Tiankuo and said, ¡°Your majesty!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put on an act and speak up quickly. I really have no time to delay,¡± Chu Tiankuo said coldly. Then he turned back and sat on the throne in the middle of the hall.


    ¡°My emperor, you need to know how important this child is to me. I am really very sad. He is our flesh and blood! He is the prince, the future crown prince!¡±


    Lengmei pretended to rage and almost be out of control as soon as she came up and cried to Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo had already taken this matter to heart. Now Lengmei was insatiable and more excessive, which made him very angry.


    ¡°My emperor, today I need to fight for justice anyway! In the morning, Bai Bulun spoke for me and I thought you would do what you said¡­¡±


    Before Lengmei finished, Chu Tiankuo interrupted,¡±Enough! Are you through? You made a mistake but still get it worse here. Do you think I am a fool? And you are not pregnant at all. Don¡¯t you think I know that?¡±


    ¡°My emperor, I really have your baby! How can you say that about me?¡± Although Lengmei had already been very guilty at this time, she could not succumb resolutely. Once she acknowledged, what she did before would break down and she would die without doubt.


    ¡°You lied that you were pregnant in order to frame Tang Xia. Do you think I don¡¯t know that? I did not punish you just for your father¡¯s sake. If you don¡¯t cherish it, then don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡±


    Lengmei insisted and would not succumb resolutely. She saw that Chu Tiankuo would not believe her at all and she knew it was of no help to pretend to be innocent in this way, so she had to be hard.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! I had you baby but you took it carelessly! Do you believe that I will expose this scandal immediately so that you can¡¯t negotiate successfully and can¡¯t be the king of the country?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course, the most important thing is to let Tang Xia come to no good!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo could have nothing but Tang Xia. Whatever happened, he would never let Lengmei attack Tang Xia again. But how could he bear Lengmei saying such words in a flustered and exasperated way and threatening him?


    Listening these words, Chu Tiankuo stood up immediately and rushed to the front of Lengmei. He lifted his hand, grabbed Lengmei¡¯s neck hard, and ground out, ¡°Lengmei, I give you one last warning. I advise you to be sensible and end this farce as soon as possible, otherwise, you will die very miserably!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo had lost his patience at this time and his angry eyes had been covered with red blood shot. He looked angry, which made Lengmei tremble with fear. She had never seen Chu Tiankuo, who looked so angry. She was really terrified.


    Chu Tiankuo slammed her hands very hard and Lengmei desperately wanted to get rid of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hands, but powerless. She had already been a bit breathless but she did not intend to give up at all.


    Then Chu Tiankuo loosened his hands. Lengmei couldn¡¯t help stepping back because she was out of breath and paralyzed. She coughed and did not intend to end it.


    How could Lengmei, such a face-saving person, end up with her own failure? Absolutely impossible!


    Moreover, the person she wanted to deal with was Tang Xia, her biggest enemy. If she gave up, everything would be over. She must end Tang Xia first, and would not succumb resolutely.


    Lengmei knew that she must insist to let Chu Tiankuo and everyone believe her.


    Although Chu Tiankuo would not believe her play anyway, those who did not know the truth would must be confused by her firmness.


    ¡°Ahem, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Tiankuo. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You don¡¯t believe me and it is your problem. But I was indeed aborted by Tang Xia. He is also your child. I just want you to fight for justice for me!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at this shameless and vicious woman in front of him, sneered and turned away to leave, leaving Lengmei, who had not yet calmed down, in the big hall.

 Chapter 86

    As Chu Tiankuo left coldly, Lengmei felt quite disappointed, clenching her fist. And she was so angry that she could not feel that her fingernails were pinched into her palm when she followed Chu Tiankuo with her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless if you do so!¡± Lengmei thought, staring at the direction of Tang Xia¡¯s palace fiercely.


    The next day, Lengmei had someone build up the altar outside and summoned many people to watch it at noon.


    Lengmei sent out the message on purpose so that many ministers also came here to watch the scene of bustle as if she feared the audience was not enough.


    After a while, Lengmei who was supported by her maid came.


    Lengmei wore a pure white dress with no hair accessory. The color of Lengmei¡¯s face was quiet. Her appearance was somewhat haggard but not confounded, which highlighted her elegance and beauty.


    No wonder there was an old saying that women should wear in white if they wanted to attract people¡¯s eyes.


    Lengmei stepped from the bottom onto the altar slowly as Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia came here, too.


    Tang Xia felt more restless as Lengmei walked up step by step and her face gradually turned white.


    Chu Tiankuo felt a little bit sorry for Tang Xia at the sight of her uneasy look and tapped her on the back as a consolation.


    As Lengmei walked slowly, Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia suddenly understood what Lengmei had done these days was beyond her plan!


    Only in retrospect did they realise what Lengmei had done was a machination.


    As Tang Xia gradually understood what Lengmei¡¯s purpose was, she wore a cold look and stared at Lengmei as if she looked at a dead person.


    Tang Xia knew what had happened was just warm-up. There must be some reasons that Lengmei did not treat her like this at the beginning.


    Maybe it was because that what had happened was not enough for Lengmei to complain of wrongs on the altar and that people would regard Lengmei as making trouble out of nothing.


    But Lengmei¡¯s plan succeeded because she framed Tang Xia as the culprit who made Lengmei lose her baby and slandered that as the empress, Tang Xia


    was not lenient at all and made Lengmei lose her baby in the womb. Common people would definitely condemn Tang Xia for this matter.


    Actually, it was no surprise if Lengmei had a miscarriage as the imperial physician said that Lengmei¡¯s pulse condition was not good and that she would lose her baby if she did not take good care of herself. But what did Lengmei do?


    After Lengmei got pregnant, she did not take good care of herself but ran about. There was no wonder that she had a miscarriage.


    Besides, people among the imperial harem were quite sophisticated of all ages. Many imperial concubines could get pregnant, but how many of them could give birth to their baby? How many babies could grow up healthily even though they were born?


    However, Lengmei went everywhere to show off that her baby was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s first child and was the eldest son of the country after she got pregnant.


    Although her baby was not born by the empress, the eldest son of a family was also quite important. It was no wonder that those old ministers cared for Lengmei¡¯s baby.


    But Lengmei had a miscarriage now, which meant that the eldest son was gone. And his death was related to the empress Tang Xia.


    Those old ministers had looked down upon Tang Xia with the thought that Chu Tiankuo only favored Tang Xia because Tang Xia had enchanted Chu Tiankuo,


    and they disliked Tang Xia more now. Moreover, they could submit memorials to His Majesty to banish Tang Xia to the cold palace with the matter of Lengmei¡¯s miscarriage.


    As such a thing happened, Lengmei made Chu Tiankuo face the severity of the problem and have reason to punish Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia who stood in the audience and watched Lengmei¡¯s acting. Both of them thought of the problem and turned their heads, looking at each other.


    Hence, they both wore an uneasy look. While Tang Xia was angry because Lengmei had framed her for several times,


    which made her impatient, Chu Tiankuo was pissed off because he could not protect his beloved woman.


    Lengmei who stood on the altar was praying to god and told the common people how wronged she was


    with tears on her face, which made her appear lovingly pathetic rather than uncollected.


    Common people in the audience defended Lengmei against injustice and started to censure Tang Xia.


    ¡°The empress seems good! I didn¡¯t expect that!¡±


    ¡°Cats hide their claws!¡±


    ¡°Right! The empress is so beautiful! She is a vicious beauty!¡±


    ¡°Therefore, men should marry virtuous women. What is her beauty used for?!¡±


    Tang Xia listened to the comments from the common people quietly and understood all the tricks of Lengmei.


    All the common people and ministers in the audience were indignant at injustice for Lengmei and denouncing Tang Xia¡¯s cruelness. Such a situation made Tang Xia get in a dilemma for the moment.


    Looking at those angry people, Tang Xia thought they were somewhat ridiculous.


    ¡°Look, these are uneducated people who conclude the truth by what they see. However, how can the truth be seen only by the eyes? There must be more wrongful convictions by doing so!¡±


    Tang Xia thought so in her mind, but she did not try to defend herself, which made people think Tang Xia was too guilty and afraid to explain.


    All the people shouted in chorus as if they had planned it, ¡°Bring justice back to Concubine Leng!¡± ¡°Oust the empress!¡±


    All the people shouted that Tang Xia as the empress was not virtuous and framed Lengmei so that she lost her unborn baby.


    If this matter had not been exposed in public, Chu Tiankuo could kill Lengmei quietly and pretended that Lengmei had a miscarriage


    and triggered massive haemorrhage, which made Lengmei and her baby both die. But now, Lengmei put everything on the table and told many common people,


    which posed a great threat.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia who wore a helpless and wronged look. Then he watched Lengmei who pretended to complain tearfully on the altar and the common people who were deceived by Lengmei and knew nothing about the truth. The situation was so troublesome that Chu Tiankuo felt so frustrated.


    At this moment, a minister said, ¡°Your Majesty, now there is solid evidence of the empress framing Concubine Leng and making her lose the baby. Please hurry to decide how to punish the empress!¡±


    ¡°I second the proposal. Now the common people are in a violent rage. If you don¡¯t deal with this matter well, people may be dissatisfied with you so that a turmoil may occur.¡±


    Another minister pointed out his opinion.


    Now Lengmei enjoyed overwhelming superiority so that all the ministers claimed that Tang Xia should be punished and outrage would be sparked if Chu Tiankuo did not do so.


    Looking at Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo felt reluctant to punish her. However, he had no other choice.


    Chu Tiankuo was rather ambivalent and made a decision, looking at Tang Xia¡¯s innocent face. However, Tang Xia came in front of him before he could say something.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Tang Xia said to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Your Majesty, we both know that all these are Lengmei¡¯s conspiracies. But the situation now¡­¡±


    Tang Xia paused as if she had made a decision and continued saying, ¡°Please punish me, Your Majesty!¡±


    As Tang Xia asked Chu Tiankuo to punish her because Tang Xia did not want to embarrass him, Chu Tiankuo felt quite sorry for her, ¡°That¡¯s OK. Lengmei cannot harm me. Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely protect you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Tang Xia held Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand. ¡°You should punish me for your prestige among the common people. It is OK that I am wronged for now. Please¡­ punish me!¡±


    Looking at the common people in the audience, Chu Tiankuo had no choice but to say to his people and ministers,


    ¡°Tang Xia will not be the empress anymore as she is reduced to Concubine Tang.¡± Chu Tiankuo paused for a while and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. I¡¯m tired. Go back to my palace.¡±


    After Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, he turned around and went back to his palace, not looking at his people.


    As Lengmei had achieved the purpose, she stopped complaining tearfully and pretended to pass out as if she was too upset. Then the palace maids brought Lengmei back to the palace.


    The common people and ministers noticed that the main characters were all gone, so they left in small groups as they knew it would not be fun anymore to stay.


    All the people were gone after a while as if no one had come here and nothing had happened today.


    After Tang Xia went back to her palace, Lyuyou came to her immediately and looked at Tang Xia worriedly, ¡°What should we do now, Your Grace?¡±

 Chapter 87

    Although Tang Xia was not the empress anymore, Lengmei could not stop harboring a grudge against Lengmei and stood on the altar.


    As Lengmei¡¯s gorgeous dress could not cover up her grimness, she finally wore a smile, hearing the louder and louder denouncement.


    ¡°Tang Xia, although His Majesty favors you, how can he protect you as people all regard you as cruel?¡±


    There was no wonder that old saying went, ¡°Women are the most malicious creature.¡± And it would be more terrible when her jealousy turned into hatred. Lengmei regarded Tang Xia losing her reputation and the title of the empress as the beginning and would not be satisfied until Tang Xia lost everything and had her body smashed to pieces.


    Lengmei had stood upon the altar without eating or sleeping for three days. Although she had lost sensation below her waist gradually, she stuck to it as she would not give up until Tang Xia was doomed to death.


    Zui Linglong who was leaning against the bluestone wall in the distance crossed her arms with an indifferent look and said nothing to Lengmei¡¯s masochistic behavior.


    Zui Linglong did not support or stop Lengmei and just lowered her head to laugh at the sight of Lengmei¡¯s pale face after she stood for three days. It was unknown that Zui Linglong laughed because she thought Lengmei bit off more than she could chew or she wanted to enjoy a good show.


    Actually, Zui Linglong knew Lengmei well so that she understood what Lengmei planned to do when Lengmei stood on the altar.


    It was a farce caused by Lengmei¡¯s reluctance as Chu Tiankuo devoted his whole heart to his empress and did not have a look at other women.


    Zui Linglong knew it. How could Chu Tiankuo not understand?


    Of course he did understand, but he had no way to prevent all these things from happening so that he had no choice but to see his beloved woman fall into the abyss pushed by jealous Lengmei


    who took advantage of ignorant people to make the worst situation in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s view.


    Although Chu Tiankuo wanted to cut Lengmei into pieces and feed her meat to dogs, he had to wear an indifferent look.


    Because only in this way could he minimize any harm to Tang Xia.


    Unfortunately, Lengmei knew Chu Tiankuo too well so that she could figure out if Chu Tiankuo was unhappy or he just wanted to drink a cup of tea as long as he frowned. Therefore, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s pretence was not hidden from Lengmei¡¯s eyes. After Lengmei raised her phoenix eyes and took a glance at Chu Tiankuo was standing a few steps away from her, she shrieked with a smile, ¡°Your Majesty, are you trying to erase all the things by pretending to be indifferent?¡± Then Lengmei laughed before Chu Tiankuo could reply.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened when Lengmei laughed. Zui Linglong standing afar owned quick ears so that she caught everything Lengmei had said.


    The more insolently Lengmei laughed, the more Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face fell, which was quite hilarious. ¡°How can Chu Tiankuo be so confused now? If he had been able to slight over the matter that the imperial concubine¡¯s baby was killed only by silence,


    how would all these bad things have happened?¡±


    ¡°Is he an idiot?¡± Zui Linglong enjoyed looking on their trouble with indifference so much that she dared to make fun of Chu Tiankuo with a smile. Luckily, she stood quite far away from them so that she did not draw fire against herself.


    While Zui Linglong was making fun of Chu Tiankuo, it was like one stone falling into the spoiling water¡ªthe whole thing just went ballistic over there as Lengmei exposed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s thoughts out only by a few words in a loud voice.


    People who were packed solid heard what Lengmei said quite clearly and all started to shout as if they were enchanted.


    ¡°Call the empress here! She is so vicious! We won¡¯t agree on His Majesty favoring her!¡±


    ¡°Right! How can such vicious and cruel woman be the empress! Where is the justice?!¡±


    ¡°Sentence the empress to death! We cannot bear such a vicious woman living in this world!¡±


    ¡°Call the empress here! We¡­¡±


    As all the people were shouting that the empress should be sentenced to death, Chu Tiankuo with patience and culture could not bear such comments caused by Lengmei¡¯s instigation and became quite angry. He heavily flapped his sleeves decorated with patterns of black dragons and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut up!¡±


    His shout frightened all the people so that they remained silent. Lengmei standing aside was startled, too.


    She was about to say something but shut her mouth up with a terrified look at the sight of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s serious and warning look.


    Although Zui Linglong had expected that Chu Tiankuo would be pissed off by the compulsion of his people, she was startled by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s angry shout and turned her head around with little interest to see what Chu Tiankuo would deal with such situation.


    Unexpectedly, what Chu Tiankuo did was quite different from her thoughts¡ªhe strode up to the altar and went straight to Lengmei with a rather serious look.


    Lengmei was quite terrified by his behavior and wanted to step backwards subconsciously. However, she lost consciousness in her body due to standing for a long time.


    Lengmei could not move, let alone step backwards. She had no choice but to close her eyes with fear, waiting for Chu Tiankuo¡¯s next move.


    All the people expected Chu Tiankuo would do something to Lengmei. However, Chu Tiankuo did not even touch Lengmei.


    Chu Tiankuo stood a step away from Lengmei with his fists under his sleeves clenched and said in a quite cold voice,


    ¡°Lengmei, Don¡¯t you think you can threaten me by those foolish people! No one can hurt the woman I want to protect! Stop dreaming!¡±


    Every single sentence hurt Lengmei so much that she wore a blue look with deep desperation in her eyes in the end.


    But she would not believe what Chu Tiankuo said. She gave a determined but desperate look to Chu Tiankuo and asked the question haunting her,


    ¡°Your Majesty, where can¡¯t I compare with her? My love for you is no less than hers. Why can¡¯t you look at me?¡±


    Every single sentence was Lengmei¡¯s scar, which would make everyone feel sorry for her. But she loved the wrong person as Chu Tiankuo only regarded her questions hilarious.


    ¡°She is all good. You cannot compare with her! You are not as good as one in ten thousand of her.¡± Chu Tiankuo did not care about Lengmei¡¯s love at all and cast it away without looking back.


    It seemed that Chu Tiankuo did not feel satisfied and added something that would make Lengmei feel so much pain,


    ¡°If you dare to harm her now, I will let you repay it with your everything!¡± Then Chu Tiankuo darted a look at his people in the audience and said something with an underlying meaning,


    ¡°If you dare to misjudge anyone without self-knowledge again, how about digging out your eyes?¡±


    All the people including Lengmei were quite terrified in a cold sweat.


    After this matter ended, Zui Linglong paid a visit to Tang Xia. When Tang Xia heard that Zui Linglong who did not have frequent contact with her came, she started to suspect Zui Linglong¡¯s real purpose.


    However, Tang Xia welcomed Zui Linglong with a usual look and planned to ask why she was here. Unexpectedly, Zui Linglong did not beat around the bush and asked Tang Xia directly, ¡°Your Grace, what are you going to do?¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s question was so direct that Tang Xia could not act stupid. Besides, Tang Xia did not want to play the fool anymore after feeling wronged for days. Now that Zui Linglong asked the question directly, Tang Xia also answered directly,


    ¡°What to do? I¡¯ll do what I should do. How can I be afraid as I did not do that?¡± Tang Xia wore a forced smile.


    ¡°Lengmei loves His Majesty, so she is willing to stand on the altar for days without eating or sleeping. Although I cannot bear such sufferings as she does,


    I won¡¯t be afraid if I have to do so. My love for His Majesty is unquestionable. The whole things will come to obvious!¡±


    As Zui Linglong who was about to drink the tea heard what Tang Xia said, she looked askance at Tang Xia¡¯s complicated look and felt the tea less delicious.


    So Zui Linglong put down the cup and remained quiet for a moment. Then she wore a smile suddenly,


    ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m quite looking forward to what will happen if what you said is true!¡±


    After Tang Xia followed Zui Linglong who wore a colorful dress and left elegantly with her eyes, she leaned against the door in a trance, pondering whether she was wrong. But what wrong did she do?


    ¡°I just love someone who also loves me. Is it wrong?¡±


    As Tang Xia was utterly confused, Lyuyou watched Zui Linglong disappear with her eyebrows knitted, feeling something was wrong. Then Lyuyou peeped out and said to Tang Xia, ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m afraid that there is something wrong with her!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She is just adding fuel to the fire. I¡¯ll take no notice of her.¡±


    Tang Xia knew exactly whom her palace maid was talking about, but she paid no attention to Lyuyou¡¯s concern. Hence, Tang Xia just waved her hands and went into her room, worrying about what she had thought.


    Only Lyuyou was still standing there, debating what to do.

 Chapter 88

    Tang Xia went to the altar immediately as the key to this matter was Lengmei. If Lengmei insisted that her baby was killed by her, it would be better for Tang Xia to take action.


    Tang Xia could not let Lengmei always occupy a dominant position, so she already had some plans in her mind. After all, she would deal with Lengmei and must be well prepared.


    After Tang Xia got to the altar, what she saw was Lengmei¡¯s delicate look. And Lengmei knelt on the ground ruefully at the sight of Tang Xia. If Tang Xia did not know who Lengmei really was, she would feel quite sorry for Lengmei as people always sympathized the weak.


    ¡°Oh, Lengmei, are you pretending to be poor for me? I don¡¯t want to hear your pathetic talking, just save it.¡± Tang Xia said and turned her back to Lengmei as she came here to solve the problem.


    Lengmei froze for a while after hearing what Tang Xia had said. She pretended to be poor as she saw someone come. However, she never thought it would be Tang Xia.


    So Lengmei stood up immediately as she gained the upper hand and it was unnecessary for her to kneel down to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Lengmei, tell me. Why are you doing so? It was you who killed my own baby. How could you frame me so that people now regard me as vicious?


    You will lose His Majesty¡¯s trust by doing so. There is no need to do such a thing. Everyone will desire to kill you when the truth comes to light!¡±


    After hearing what Tang Xia had said, Lengmei sneered. ¡°How can I not know that? But if I admit my guilt, I cannot be buried with Chu Tiankuo after a hundred years. Why not confuse right and wrong so that I can still have hope?¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending to be sad! I will be solely responsible for what I have done. Don¡¯t you cry crocodile tears!¡± Lengmei hated it best when Tang Xia acted like this. She knew what she had done was wrong, but she did not need Tang Xia¡¯s sympathy.


    Tang Xia knew that Lengmei would not listen to her according to her reaction, but Tang Xia was curious why Lengmei wanted to doom her to death. After all, it was Tang Xia who had a miscarriage because of Lengmei. What obsessiveness did Lengmei own?


    After pondering for a while, Tang Xia thought of one person¡ªChu Tiankuo, the emperor. There had been something wrong about Lengmei since she was sent to the altar. And Lengmei looked at her with hatred, which made Tang Xia more convinced of her conjecture.


    ¡°Lengmei, are you having a crush on Chu Tiankuo? Your behavior is too obvious.¡± Tang Xia walked to Lengmei slowly and said in a quite low voice, which would not get others¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Ha-ha, Tang Xia, I think you should worry more about yourself. You will be dead because of this matter.


    All the people are in favor of me. It is you who is regarded to be so vicious that everyone wants to kill you! Tang Xia, you are screwed this time!¡±


    Lengmei said in such a determined voice, leaving no chance for Tang Xia to negotiate with her. Hence, Tang Xia understood immediately that


    her guessing was right. Tang Xia did not stay there as she knew the reason why Lengmei did so. And it was time to solve the problem while Lengmei could not change her status for the present.


    Tang Xia walked down from the altar slowly with a smile. And she thought, ¡°Lengmei just wants me to be abandoned by others. Otherwise, it will be quite satisfying for her as I¡¯m no longer the empress.¡±


    After Tang Xia got back to her palace, she took action immediately. Tang Xia sent Lyuyou to tell those she had helped about everything with the support of her fans.


    As people were in favor of Lengmei, Tang Xia needed to accumulate her own connection.


    Lyuyou quickly understood what Tang Xia was going to do, so she took action immediately. This matter was so important that it must be done only by Lyuyou.


    If someone who wanted to doom Tang Xia to death was sent to do such a thing, Tang Xia would lose any chance of winning. Tang Xia was quite aware of that, so she sent Lyuyou to do it at once.


    After Lyuyou left, Tang Xia felt ill at ease. Although she already had a plan, the key to its implementation lay in Lyuyou.


    Otherwise, Tang Xia would be framed to death by Lengmei. As she thought so, Tang Xia felt somewhat nervous. But she was aware of the fact that everyone was paying attention to her.


    What she could do now for her own good was to stay calm so that Lyuyou¡¯s whereabouts would not be discovered.


    As Tang Xia could only rely on herself, she walked into her room and drank a cup of tea after pondering for a while.


    ¡°Someone, close the door. The sunshine is so strong that I cannot have a good rest.¡±


    After Tang Xia finished her sentence, a palace maid closed the door immediately. Such odd behaviors could attract those people¡¯s attention, which would be good for Lyuyou to accomplish her mission.


    Tang Xia was trying to behave oddly for the whole night.


    Tang Xia was tormenting her palace maids in different ways for the night, which made everyone pay attention to her.


    It was not until at dawn that Lyuyou came back. Then Lyuyou came into Tang Xia¡¯s room immediately.


    Tang Xia stood up at once and asked Lyuyou, ¡°How is it? Is everything going well? Is there any problem?


    Did you tell every one of those I have helped?¡± Tang Xia was a little impatient as it concerned her life. She could not think little of it.


    ¡°Your Grace, I have done everything you told me. We are all set now.¡±


    Then Lyuyou raised her head as if she had something else to tell Tang Xia. And Tang Xia understood immediately that Lyuyou wanted to have a private conversation with her.


    Hence, Tang Xia ordered other palace maids. ¡°You may leave now. It is enough that Lyuyou is here.¡±


    Other palace maids obeyed and left, leaving Lyuyou and Tang Xia in the large palace. After Lyuyou confirmed that there was no one else, she closed the door of the palace.


    ¡°Your Grace, I did accomplish the task. But there is something strange.


    One palace maid stopped me. When asked who her master was, she told me it was Lengmei. But I found something that definitely belonged to Zui Linglong on her.¡±


    Then Lyuyou raised her head gingerly and looked at Tang Xia as what she said was no laughing matter. It would be bad for her if Tang Xia did not trust her anymore.


    Zui Linglong did not do anything to harm Tang Xia, which made Lyuyou more convinced that Zui Linglong was quite cunning and scheming.


    After hearing what Lyuyou had said, Tang Xia contemplated for a while, ¡°Zui Linglong did not show her hostility,


    but I cannot be sure that she did not do something to harm me secretly. In view of this situation, I should be on the alert of her framing me up.¡±


    ¡°Lyuyou, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, as far as I¡¯m concerned, no matter who that palace maid¡¯s master is, we should be on the alert to Zui Linglong.


    And I prefer to think that it is Zui Linglong who dominates all. Lengmei is used by her as a tool.¡±


    After Lyuyou finished her sentence, she knelt on the ground as such thing cannot be concluded by a palace maid. Tang Xia helped Lyuyou up and remained silent because she needed to ponder on all these things.


    However, someone came after a while, asking Tang Xia to go to the altar. And Tang Xia invited the palace maid in immediately.


    That palace maid came into the room in a minute and knelt on the ground at once,


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty needs you to go to the altar right away to confront with Lengmei face to face,¡± the palace maid said in terror.


    As Tang Xia noticed the palace maid¡¯s reaction, Tang Xia knew that her behaviors the night before had spread everywhere in the palace. Hence, Tang Xia replied to the palace maid and decided to go check it out with the thought that Chu Tiankuo seemed to have found some proofs of her innocence.


    After Tang Xia changed her clothes, she decided to go to the altar with Lyuyou with the hope that everything would happen as she planned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Tang Xia looked into the distance scornfully with a sneer and went to the altar with Lyuyou.


    When Tang Xia arrived at the bottom of the altar, people called as expected, ¡°Here comes the empress!¡±


    Then almost everyone fixed their eyes on Tang Xia angrily as if they lost the baby, instead of Lengmei.


    ¡°She is the empress! What a beauty!¡±


    ¡°So what? She is so vicious.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°The empress must be a malicious woman as she has done such a cruel thing!¡±


    ¡°Agree! It will bring bad fortune to a family with such a cruel hostess.¡±


    ¡°So His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is enchanted by her beauty!¡±


    ¡°Right, no one is perfect!¡±


    Common people discussed when they saw Tang Xia. Then favorable statements were for Lengmei as expected while Tang Xia was universally condemned.


    Looking at those who were ignorant of the truth, Tang Xia sighed in her mind, ¡°Forget it. There is no need for me to get angry with those ignorant people.¡±


    Then Tang Xia looked at Lengmei who was standing on the altar and looked back. When they made eye contact with each other, they both sneered with dislike and scorn.


    Lengmei fixed her cold eyes on Tang Xia with the thought that she would definitely win. Although she wanted to laugh out, she could not do that as she was standing on the altar and needed to complete her acting.


    Hence, when Lengmei looked at Tang Xia, she burst into tears suddenly and said,


    ¡°Your Grace, do you have any qualms about killing my baby? My baby was so young that he was even not born and did not see me for once!¡± Then Lengmei started to cry, covering her face with hands.


    Tang Xia remained silent and just looked with a poker face at Lengmei who pretended to be crying.


    As the common people noticed Lengmei who was crying on the altar and Tang Xia who wore a calm look as if there was nothing to do with her,


    they favored Lengmei more and condemned Tang Xia who was cruel and vicious.


    At this time, there was a stir among the common people. When Tang Xia and Lengmei turned around, they found that another group of people came. There were a larger number of common people for the moment.


    As Lengmei noticed there were more and more people, she felt quite pleased and fixed her cold eyes on Tang Xia, covering her face with the wide sleeves. And she thought, ¡°Humph, how dare you tussle with me! I¡¯ll see how you will end.¡±


    However, things did not happen in the direction which Lengmei had imagined. After an uproar rose among the common people,


    they became quiet for a while. Then those negative comments against Tang Xia disappeared and compliments arose.


    ¡°What? What is going on? What happened out there?¡±


    Lengmei thought on the altar and noticed that people began to put in a good word for Tang Xia and raised their heads to look at her fiercely, which somewhat made Lengmei flurried.


    It turned out that people just came here in the nick of time were those who had been helped by Tang Xia. They heard that the empress made one imperial concubine have a miscarriage.


    And that imperial concubine redressed an injustice on the altar. They all believed that the kind empress who had provided them with food to help them survive would never do such a cruel thing.


    Hence, they gathered up spontaneously to go to the altar and righted a wrong for Tang Xia. They said to other common people,


    ¡°The empress is so philanthropic that she provided food outside the town for several days!¡±


    ¡°Right! Our family could survive thanks to the empress! We all appreciate her great kindness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to slander Her Grace!¡±


    ¡°Agree! Her Grace must be the reincarnation of Bodhisattva! There is no such kind person who suffers so much!¡±


    ¡°Her Grace must be the reincarnation of Bodhisattva who descends to the world to suffer.¡±


    All of a sudden, those who had condemned Tang Xia dared not to say anything and remained quiet. At this point, someone said,


    ¡°As the master of the imperial harem, how could Her Grace do such a thing! I can understand this although I¡¯m not educated. So Her Grace must have been framed!¡±


    ¡°Right! In my view, it is probably possible that Lengmei on the altar envied Her Grace so that she framed Her Grace in this way!¡±


    ¡°Definitely! As far as I¡¯m concerned, Lengmei must be a malicious woman according to her bad conduct.¡±


    ¡°What a vicious woman! How could she slander Her Grace in spite of her reputation and face!¡±


    ¡°No wonder that she is in the imperial palace. In my view, everyone among the imperial concubines except for Her Grace is rather scheming!¡±


    ¡°I see. I shouldn¡¯t have favored Lengmei! She is so vicious!¡±


    ¡°Right! If Her Grace is no longer the empress, Lengmei will be the only one who can get benefit from it!¡±


    As people were putting in a good word for Tang Xia, Lengmei noticed that she was no longer in the ascendant and ordered a maid to check out what was going on.


    After Lengmei¡¯s maid listened to what people were talking about and knew the whole story, she rushed to the altar and told Lengmei what she had heard.


    ¡°Your Grace, what should we do now?¡± Lengmei¡¯s maid knew the seriousness of the matter and became quite terrified because she, as Lengmei¡¯s trusted subordinate, would not end well if Lengmei fell from power.


    Lengmei became more flurried after hearing what her maid had said. As she looked at the common people, she did not know what she should do next.


    At this point, Chu Tiankuo came to the altar with the imperial physician who had diagnosed that Lengmei was pregnant.


    As Lengmei looked at Chu Tiankuo, she noticed the imperial physician, too. Hence, she turned pale immediately and her body could not help trembling. Then she staggered and fell to the ground with a dull look. Suddenly, Lengmei burst into tears desperately.


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his cold eyes on Lengmei on the altar then looked at that imperial physician. Then he said, ¡°Since all the ministers and people are here, tell them!¡±


    After wiping off the cold sweat on his forehead, that imperial physician knelt on the ground and said in a loud but trembling voice,


    ¡°Actually, Lengmei is not pregnant! I was told by someone who threatened my families and offered me a large sum of money to lie that Lengmei is pregnant.¡±


    That imperial physician refused to explain any more. Chu Tiankuo looked at the bold imperial physician and became a little impatient. Then he said to the imperial physician,


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told us who told you to do so! Hurry up! Don¡¯t waste my time. Tell us everything!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo fixed his eyes on the imperial physician, he was about to say out forced by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s stateliness. However, he froze for a while as if he had thought of something. Then he chewed off his own tongue and died.


    Looking at the blood gushing out of the imperial physician¡¯s mouth coldly, Chu Tiankuo felt no sympathy for him, thinking that even death would not expiate all his crimes.


    All the ministers and common people heard what the imperial physician had said, so they knew the truth and those who had condemned Tang Xia blushed with shame. Then they started to curse Lengmei.


    No matter what, the whole things came to obvious. Lyuyou released a sigh of relief and said to Tang Xia happily, ¡°That¡¯s great! Your Grace, you don¡¯t need to be punished!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Chu Tiankuo added, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be punished, what¡¯s more, you are my only empress. No one can replace you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said looking directly at Tang Xia while Tang Xia was also fixing her eyes on him and blushed. As Lyuyou looked at them, she knew that they finally got back together and felt truly happy for them with a secret smile.


    However, Lengmei on the altar was not that lucky.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Lengmei coldly as if he were looking at a dead woman. After a while, he said,


    ¡°Deliever my decree: Lengmei was so daredevil that she slandered the empress. What¡¯s more, she lied that she was pregnant and bribed the imperial physician to make false testimony for her. Her sin cannot be forgiven. Lock her up in the prison and sentence her to death another day.¡±


    After hearing what Chu Tiankuo had said, Lengmei could not stand straight anymore and sprawled on the altar desperately. ¡°I¡­ I should have been the empress! Why! Why!¡±


    As Lengmei thought so, she stared at Tang Xia fiercely as if she would imprint Tang Xia into her soul.


    Since Tang Xia had proved herself innocent, she did not care about Lengmei anymore and was about to leave with Chu Tiankuo.


    At this point, Tang Xia heard a loud noise. Hence, she turned around and found a bloody corpse below the altar. The corpse widened her eyes, which was quite terrifying.


    It turned out that Lengmei suddenly fell from the altar and died.

 Chapter 90

    The sudden death of Lengmei surprised everyone in the room. Watching she fall from the high platform made everyone feel shocked. There were many doubts about her death since she committed suicide before the emperor could give an order.


    Although Lengmei looked very desperate on the altar, how could she admit defeat with her sinister character? Even if Chu Tiankuo ordered to execute her, she would undoubtedly strive for mercy.


    Lengmei was unyielding, so she would rather be wronged at this time, obeying and begging for mercy, and then revenge in the future. She would never dig a grave and jump into it.


    Every time she got into trouble, Lengmei would try everything to escape from the dilemma. With her wisdom, she could surely frame somebody and then retreat perfectly. But obviously, this time, something had gone wrong.


    When people saw Lengmei fall heavily to the ground from the high platform, they were scared, screaming without warning. When the bloody body of Lengmei showed in front of them, the scene instantly became chaos.


    Some people screamed, covering their eyes; some people gathered together to talk, and some people fled¡ªthe scene was very chaotic and bloody.


    At this time, Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia, who did not expect this to happen, were astonished, and both of them widened their eyes at the same time.


    Tang Xia, who was the party to this incident, although she was indeed innocent, never imagined that Lengmei would be executed.


    After Lengmei framed her again and again, Tang Xia certainly hated her guts. However, she knew that it was just a story in this live room, and she didn¡¯t take it seriously. Therefore, there was no need to have someone die for this.


    If Lengmei had been executed by Chu Tiankuo publicly because she used her fake pregnancy to frame Tang Xia, Tang Xia could have accepted it. After all, because of the role setting, the execution of a person was necessary for the story.


    But when she saw that Lengmei fell from the very high platform to the ground and that her face had been smashed, Tang Xia was really scared.


    It was as terrified as witnessing someone in her real life jumping to his death. Tang Xia opened her mouth and wanted to say something but failed to make a sound.


    All the people who knew the truth didn¡¯t expect the ending to be like this. It was unrealistic. No one would think that Lengmei would fall off on her own without any help. It seemed that her death was very weird.


    Chu Tiankuo was naturally aware of that, but he could not let the matter spread. Now he was negotiating with the frontier country, and this would affect the bilateral relations.


    He had to calm the situation first. But since almost the whole city had seen this scene, it would be easy to spread it out.


    The dead person, whose cause of death was unknown, was one of the emperor¡¯s imperial concubines and she died in front of the Emperor and the Empress. If the story spread like this, it would be difficult for him to be trusted by people.


    The country was so chaotic and his people were jittery. With this only, his entire country would be destroyed.


    Thinking of this, Chu Tiankuo swiftly ordered his men to suppress these things as soon as possible. ¡°People come. You should suppress the information as soon as possible, and it is not appropriate for more people to know.¡±


    ¡°As for the people who have witnessed all of this, you should send people to appease them. Since everyone is terrified, we should give them some money to make up for that.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not point it out because he could not clearly tell his men to buy off common people and hide the evidence. But his men understood him and responded very quickly.


    After settling the following things, he had to deal with his harem. Chu Tiankuo stood in the center of the altar, facing the ministers and imperial concubines below, and said,


    ¡°Everyone, this is the end of the story. I believed it should be blamed on Concubine Leng. I wanted to take her life. Now she had killed herself and I don¡¯t have to do that. Under this circumstance, the thing about the fake pregnancy of Lengmei is finished.¡±


    Although everyone in the audience was still talking about it, they had to listen to the Emperor, so they left quietly. Seeing this, as the Empress and the hostess of the harem, Tang Xia felt that she should say something as well.


    ¡°Yes. The imperial concubines should go back to your own palaces for the time being. As for the maids in Lengmei¡¯s palace, I will arrange you to serve in the Huanyi Bureau. When there is a new imperial concubine, you will be recruited.¡±


    Tang Xia did take the responsibility of being a queen and find a place for the several maids from Lengmei¡¯s palace who looked homeless, standing on the side and lowering their heads.


    She did this to implicate them that they should stay in the Huanyi Bureau honestly and keep their mouths shut up. When these things passed away, she would arrange for them in the future.


    Chu Tiankuo was indeed gratified that Tang Xia could do this in a big picture. He had to admit that Tang Xia was extraordinary.


    He was worried about how to deal with these maids. The rumors in the palace were all spread by them when they gossiped. Because of this, they should be punished to serve in the Huanyi Bureau.


    However, these maids were innocent, and what Lengmei did had nothing to do with them. If he killed them together with joint crimes, it was difficult to convince the public. It was better to put them in the Huanyi Bureau and it would be for everyone¡¯s good.


    At this moment, the story ended. Tang Xia went back to the palace with Chu Tiankuo. On the way, Tang Xia was still obsessed with why this happened, and why Lengmei died.


    ¡°Do you know why Lengmei suddenly died like this? With her character, how could she be so willing to die like this? Someone must have done something. Could she be drugged?¡±


    ¡°Could she drink something before she died? So when the drug effect happened, she fell directly from the high platform?¡±


    ¡°Who on the earth was desired to kill her?¡±


    ¡­


    Facing a series of questions from Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo wished that she would be less doubtful.


    However, Tang Xia was unwilling to end the matter like this. She suddenly remembered the maid who stopped Lyuyou at the time. Lyuyou said she seemed to be a maid of Zui Linglong, but she pretended to serve in Lengmei¡¯s palace. Why on earth?


    And why didn¡¯t the doctor identify the one who controlled everything behind this in any case? Until he had to commit suicide in the end, he didn¡¯t tell the truth. How influential was this person? Was it Zui Linglong who did this?


    After overthinking it, it seemed that only Zui Linglong was capable of this. As she kept speculating, she told everything she knew to Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo naturally had doubts about this, but since he had decided to suppress this matter, he did not want to set off another storm.


    He somehow had figured out the person who was behind this, but he could not pursue, and he did not want Tang Xia to be stuck into this as well.


    ¡°Now things have passed. You don¡¯t have to worry so much. You are safe now. I am afraid no one will take action at this moment. You can rest assured.¡± Chu Tiankuo stopped Tang Xia who was worried aside.


    However, Tang Xia could not let it go. She still wanted to figure out the ins and outs of things. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t want to listen anymore, so he quickly interrupted Tang Xia and changed the topic. ¡°How is your mission going? Which step is it now? Who is the next target you are going to attack?¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo ask about the progress, Tang Xia was suddenly speechless.


    Both of them fell silent and the air around was weighty. Tang Xia knew clearly in her heart that her next goal in the mission was Chu Tiankuo.


    She had been trying hard to forget thinking about it. She thought as long as the timing was not coming and she could stall it for a little longer, she would not have to do it so fast.


    Tang Xia also knew that with the wisdom of Chu Tiankuo, how could he not figure out the purpose of Tang Xia staying with him? He did not ask this because he wanted to change the topic, but he already knew that Tang Xia¡¯s next target might be him.


    At this time, Tang Xia was in a mess. She didn¡¯t know how to answer Chu Tiankuo, and naturally, she could not answer him. But she knew that now her feeling for Chu Tiankuo was no longer the same as they met for the first time.


    At that time, she came for Ye Yifan. At that time, Chu Tiankuo was not special in her eyes. If she were asked to kill Chu Tiankuo at that time, she would not hesitate.


    However, at this moment, maybe because she had spent so much time with him, she had to admit that all the arrangements were too ridiculous. After she became the queen of Chu Tiankuo and had fallen in love with him, she had to overcome him.


    Tang Xia knew that she had been into Chu Tiankuo. Asking her to conquer him was more difficult than going to heaven. She knew that she could not go on like this anymore. She had to sort out her relationship with Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°I advise you to put away your thoughts and stop thinking about the future of you and me. I cannot like you, and the two of us will become rivals sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°With your performance, I am afraid I will be your next target. So you should concentrate on how to complete the task.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo saw Tang Xia hesitating in the side, so he began to speak.


    Of course, Tang Xia was unwilling to let Chu Tiankuo break through the window paper in her heart. Although she had a soft spot for Chu Tian, she did not want him to lay it bare like this.


    When Tang Xia heard the words of Chu Tiankuo, she suddenly felt embarrassed. She quickly refuted, ¡°I don¡¯t! How can I like you? But you like me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, in the car accident in the last live broadcast, you were tempted by me!¡±


    Tang Xia just found herself an excuse, but she did not expect that Chu Tiankuo would overreact it. Just as her voice fell, Chu Tiankuo suddenly rushed forward and pushed her to the ground.


    Tang Xia was shocked by Chu Tiankuo. She looked at Chu Tiankuo with big eyes. At this time, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were very sharp, which made Tang Xia somewhat timid.


    She had never seen Chu Tiankuo being so serious and his sharp eyes made her uncontrollable. When they looked at each other, Chu Tiankuo said,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to remember it so deeply.¡±

 Chapter 91

    Upon hearing this, Tang Xia glared at him and then turned around in his faint smile with a red face.


    Suddenly she turned back and sneered. She said stubbornly, ¡°It was a rare moment that you, a piece of wood, were touched. If I don¡¯t keep it in mind, I will lack a reason to deal with your concubines.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo suddenly laughed.


    Was she going to say that she remembered these things because she was on guard to keep this to ridicule him?


    It was ridiculous.


    ¡°Really? Then you don¡¯t have enough reasons in your hand!¡± Tang Xia looked up and found Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were ironic with some disdain.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my business and none of your business! I am happy with that.¡± Tang Xia raised her hand and slammed on the table, raising her head and looking at him.


    ¡°Yes, you are happy, but you have to know. Talking to me like this, you can be decapitated.¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly approached her ear, and said with a smile, ¡°How about that? I will give you a little more things that are different from my imperial concubines. You can show off in front of them and tell them how favored you are.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo gradually circled her waist, and his naughty hands kept stroking on her waist. Tang Xia heavily threw his hands away.


    Unfortunately, Chu Tiankuo had prepared for that. At the moment when she raised her hand, he tightened his arms on her waist suddenly. The pain made Tang Xia gasp.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it! Chu Tiankuo! Let me go! You are a rogue! I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on. What are you going to do? You should be clear that I am the emperor. If I am going to do something to my own woman, do you think they can stop me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo disdainfully smiled. His words stunned Tang Xia. It seemed that she could not do anything to him right now. Not to mention that he was the emperor, even if he was not, as her wedded husband, he could do anything he wanted in the feudal society.


    .


    This made Tang Xia feel very helpless.


    She sighed and saw his magnified handsome face when she opened her eyes. She raised her hand in a panic and pushed him.


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t expect that Tang Xia would do this, so he was out of the guard and was pushed against the broad-leaved epiphyllum redwood wall behind him, creating a muffled sound.


    ¡°Are¡­.you fine?¡± Tang Xia stretched her finger and pointed on his chest, covering her eye with her hand, which looked particularly funny.


    ¡°Oh, I really didn¡¯t expect that. A flat-chested would scare me. You are really flat.¡± Chu Tiankuo laughed because he was so angry, and he didn¡¯t forget to satirize her.


    His dark eyes kept looking at Tang Xia¡¯s chest as if he had touched it just now.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something. She turned around and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I know that I am self-sentimental. The wood liked me in the last broadcasting, but now he is different and has everything he wants.¡±


    Tang Xia turned around and looked at him up and down. She sneered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the thing just happened. I am so stupid. But you can rest assured that you will fall in love with me!¡± She snorted.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her silently. ¡°What did this woman mean? Did she consider him an unreliable person because of the thing just happened?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at him into his eyes. Her eyes seemed to be deep and bottomless. Chu Tiankuo looked at her as if he was going to tease her.


    Tang Xia blinked and tried to take back her eyes, but before she could react, Chu Tiankuo grabbed her wrist and dragged her into his arms.


    ¡°Hey, you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo pulled her, she lost the balance and fell into his arms. She just wanted to raise her head and ask him what he wanted to do when she was kissed on her lips.


    A warm and soft touch passed from her lips, which was subtle and dense. She could not help falling into it.


    Chu Tiankuo was indeed the emperor. She wondered if it¡¯s because he had kissed too many women in the harem or the thing he did in the last live broadcast, he had a better kiss skill now.


    His soft tongue was as dexterous as a snake, absorbing the sweetness in her mouth and breaking the walls that she held in her heart.


    As if the strength of Tang Xia¡¯s body was pumped out slowly, she looked lost, frowning.


    Until Tang Xia could not breathe, her reason was slightly restored, and she suddenly widened her eyes.


    She raised her hands and didn¡¯t stop patting his chest until Chu Tiankuo moved away. She stroked her chest and gasped heavily.


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Tang Xia said and frowned as soon as her strength recovered a little.


    Chu Tiankuo did not speak, but a slightly ironic smile happened in the corner of his mouth. He looked at her with deep eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo was really insane. How could he kiss her? Was it because she was his queen? It was ridiculous! He didn¡¯t like her, so how could he kiss her!


    Wait!


    Did he like her?


    Could he kiss her because he liked her?


    Did it mean her mission had been completed?


    It was possible so she rushed to check if her task was completed. However, there was no hint¡­ not at all.


    What was happening here?


    Why did he kiss her when he didn¡¯t like her?


    But was it necessary to like her before he kissed her?


    Unless¡­¡­.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! You dare to tease me!?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo suddenly enlarged his smile. ¡°Finally, you figured it out.¡±


    ¡°You¡­hum!¡± Tang Xia raised her hand and was about to hit him when she looked up and faced his pleasant smile. ¡°Forget it. I still have time!¡±


    She threw her hands and turned away with anger.


    After she left, she returned to her palace and ordered a lot of cakes and snack. She wanted to turn her anger into appetite, so she ate from the afternoon to night until she couldn¡¯t take anymore.


    She touched her stomach, leaned against the bed, and became angrier as she recalled it!


    How could he lie to her?


    He clearly knew that this was her task and he still lied to her! If Chu Tiankuo did this every time, she would lose her virginity before he liked her, not mention completing her mission. At that time, she would suffer a significant loss.


    Come on! No, she must get out of this place quickly. She didn¡¯t want to be the queen here! What was more, Chu Tiankuo, the neuropathy, was here! She must stay away from him!


    But as Chu Tiankuo said, how could he possibly fall in love with her so easily? It was impossible for a person to fall into the same trap twice.


    Just like Chu Tiankuo at present, he would not fall in love with her again after the last time. In this case, if it was a one-star difficulty for someone to love her for the first time, it would be a five-star difficulty for the same person love her again.


    The gap between them was huge.


    What should she do?


    She was bored so she went to see her task completion and her followers. She did not expect so many fans were cheering for her!


    She could not help feeling warmth in her heart.


    OK! She would definitely make Chu Tiankuo fall in love with her.


    As she was thinking of this, a method of seduction came to her mind.


    Anyway, she was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s wife as well as a true queen. Could anyone stop her from serving him?


    In the evening, she asked the palace maids to dress her up. No matter what, she was a very popular streamer in modern times who was good at wearing makeup, so she often did it for herself.


    Then she asked people to find her a few beautiful and light colored fabrics and cut them with a pair of scissors on her own.


    Although she was not a fashion designer, any little girl had played with Barbie dolls when she was a child.


    Compared with the complimentary clothes, she preferred to make dresses with lace for them personally. By doing this multiple times, she became interested and curious.


    Then she called up a few Embroidered Women who specialized in making clothes. After she gave them a little guidance, they could barely make a dress.


    ¡°OK!¡± Tang Xia turned the scissors around and threw them into the needle embroidered box, satisfactorily looking at her work.


    She made a long-sleeved dress like the one on the Internet. The upper part was white and gradually turned into a light blue from the cuff downward.


    She used the design of some wedding dress and replaced the piece of clothes on the back with transparent purple tulle, hanging from her shoulders down to her waist. When the breeze was blowing, her back would be revealed.


    Her delicate clavicle and the part below the calf were exposed. The clothes almost scared the embroidered women and palace maids to death but they were all stopped by Tang Xia.


    ¡°You are too pedantic! Think about it, who will Chu Tiankuo prefer? The one like me who dress like this, or the one like you who are so conservative?¡±


    In fact, it was not what she said made them shut up, but she called the emperor¡¯s name.


    However, Tang Xia did not care what they thought. After asking them out, she quickly changed her clothes and looked at the mirror until she was sure that the dress was ready. Then she told them to wait here.


    ¡°This time, I am going alone! You can¡¯t follow me!¡± She smiled with her hands on her waist, pointing her finger at the palace maids.


    The rest of them looked at her speechlessly.


    It had happened so many times.


    Tang Xia smiled and lifted the skirt to run outside. In order to prevent others from seeing her and calling her a madwoman or a neuropathy, she specifically circumvented all the people to avoid gossip before she finally reached the palace of the emperor.


    When she entered it, it was dark and the candles were all extinguished.


    Tang Xia felt speechless. He was so rich, but why he wanted to save candles?


    When she was complaining, she felt suffocation on her neck.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that this trick didn¡¯t work for me?¡±

 Chapter 92

    ¡°Your Grace, the imperial concubine is coming.¡± Lyuyou came in and said.


    ¡°Imperial concubine?¡± At this time, Tang Xia thought of Lengmei.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Zui Linglong walked in lightly. She smiled and made a salute. ¡°Greetings, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Please sit down.¡± When Tang Xia saw Zui Linglong, she became extremely cautious. After saying that, she told people to serve tea. ¡°Why do you come to see me?¡±


    Seeing Zui Linglong, she couldn¡¯t help thinking of a lot of words, such as smiling face tigers, honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted, hiding a dagger in a smile, and so on.


    Although she had seen many people and had a lot of experience, she would be exhausted to deal with this kind of femme fatale. If she could, she really wanted to send the guest away and said goodbye to Zui Linglong immediately.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Do you mean that if I don¡¯t have anything, I cannot come to see you?¡± Zui Linglong glanced at Tang Xia and smiled sweetly with a handkerchief covering her mouth.


    ¡°Ha-ha, my bad.¡± Tang Xia smiled awkwardly, but she was depressed and confused. Although she felt bored when she had nothing to do, compared with talking to Zui Linglong, she would rather drink tea while counting the ants.


    She could not come to her for no reason. Tang Xia kept hypnotizing and reminding herself that this woman was terrible. No matter what, she could not be deceived by this woman¡¯s sugar-coated shells and sweet words.


    ¡°Hey, what kind of tea is this? How fragrant!¡± Zui Linglong smelled the tea as if she was enjoying it.


    Tang Xia glanced at her and said with a reluctant smile, ¡°It is ordinary flower tea.¡±


    With a sigh, Lyuyou was amused by her queen, but she had to restrain. She complained inwardly, ¡°Your Grace, how could you chat like this as if she has never seen it before?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are really good at this. Maybe someday, you can teach me how to make tea?¡± Zui Linglong¡¯s hand trembled, but she immediately became calm and the smile on her face was sweeter¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make it. If you like, I can lend the maids to you for some days.¡±


    As time went by, Tang Xia became more impatient. Since she never had a good opinion in Zui Linglong, Tang Xia tried to restrain herself, but she could not keep chatting with her.


    ¡°Alas! It seems that you do not like me!¡± Zui Linglong covered her chest sadly, pressing her eyes with the handkerchief.


    ¡°No, you overthought it.¡± Tang Xia impatiently drank the tea and felt awkward to chat with her!


    Zui Linglong looked upset, but she looked at Tang Xia calmly and straightly. She firmly said, ¡°No, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Since you can feel it, you should leave quickly!¡± Tang Xia screamed in her heart while Zui Linglong slowly lifted the cup of tea and took a sip¡­


    ¡°Cough.¡± Tang Xia coughed, covering her mouth, and glanced at Lyuyou.


    Lyuyou felt it and quickly patted Tang Xia¡¯s back. ¡°Oh! Your Grace, are you feeling cold? I¡¯m sorry, but imperial concubine, please leave.¡±


    Zui Linglong put down the cup and put on a meaningful smile on the corner of her mouth, looking at Tang Xia and said, ¡°So, please take care and I am leaving first.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡± Tang Xia covered her mouth, waving her hand with a weak look.


    ¡°Oh, one more thing I want to say.¡± When she was sent away, Zui Linglong mysteriously said, ¡°I have a hunch that you and I will be nemisis.¡±


    Then she lifted her feet and lightly left.


    ¡°How dare she! What does she mean for that? Did she just start a war against you?¡± Lyuyou tore the handkerchief in her hand and looked at Zui Linglong¡¯s back sharply and mercilessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tang Xia shook her head, looked at Zui Linglong¡¯s thin and enchanting figure with a complex look, and felt confused.


    ¡°Forget it, pack up these and let¡¯s go back.¡± Tang Xia had no mood to feel the sun outside. She waved her hand and left. Her people would clean up.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lyuyou commanded the eunuchs and palace maids to neatly pack up their things. When they caught up with Tang Xia, she rejected them.


    ¡°I want to walk alone.¡±


    Along the palace road, Tang Xia went to the Royal Garden. She sat in the pavilion among the flowers, carefully recalling the words of Zui Linglong.


    Tang Xia had a hunch that Zui Linglong didn¡¯t say that for no reason. Today, they had shown the claws to each other. For someone who was silent in ordinary days but seemed to be behind everything, Tang Xia felt terrified.


    Just like when she was outside the palace, she could earn herself so much fame, and persuade Chu Tiankuo to marry her. Could such a woman, who was called saintess by people, be a simple little person?


    Zui Linglong had framed and slandered her along with Lengmei before, but she was able to protect herself and made Lengmei be blamed. And the rumors¡­


    How could Lengmei draw such a big picture alone and cause such a significant impact!


    The more Tang Xia thought about it, the more she felt that Zui Linglong was unpredictable! She must be a cunning and terrible woman! Even if she did not cause the death of Lengmei, her hands could not be clean.


    Sighing, Tang Xia felt that she had fallen into a terrible trap.


    There were so many dangers outside, but she still could not get the key to advance, and she couldn¡¯t overcome Chu Tiankuo after such a long time. She was stuck here and wasting time!


    She had thrown herself into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms, and they almost did it, but he had not fallen in love with her! Humph! When he swore and declared ownership of her to everyone, he looked so tough and affectionate! It turned out to be fake! It was all deceptive!


    The more she thought, the angrier she became. She tore a flower into pieces angrily, leaving a lot of red petals.


    At this moment, Little Orange, who served Chu Tiankuo, came over to find her.


    ¡°Yo, Your Grace, I finally find you.¡± Little Orange came over and took a salute and he waited, bending. When he saw the petals on the ground, he came up and asked with anxiety,


    ¡°Who irritated you and made you upset? Who was so bold? Please tell me; I will bring him to you to vent your anger.¡±


    Tang Xia was amused, but she said inwardly, ¡°The one who makes me angry and plays with my feelings, Chu Tiankuo. Can you help me with that?¡±


    Looking at the angry Little Orange with a look of resentment, Tang Xia smiled and dispelled a lot of depression in her heart. ¡°Alright, tell me why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Whoops, I¡¯m so careless that I nearly have forgotten the emperor¡¯s order.¡± Little Orange deliberately took two slaps and said shamelessly, ¡°His Majesty invites you for dinner.¡±


    Tang Xia fell silent. The person she just swore in her heart asked her to eat. Could she regard this as an apology from him? Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and felt satisfied. Then she went with Little Orange.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect that when she entered the door, she saw foreign ministers as well. Tang Xia paused, and then she took a salute calmly to the guests, and then accepted the salute of the foreign minister.


    After she sat down, Chu Tiankuo gave an introduction to both sides.


    ¡°Oh, this is the queen of Your Majesty. It¡¯s a great honor to see you.¡± The foreign ministers looked at Tang Xia with amazement, and then they looked down and couldn¡¯t dare to look at her again.


    Tang Xia smiled gracefully but felt somewhat inexplicable. She didn¡¯t know what Chu Tiankuo was doing. Why did he call her in during the conversation with the ministers?


    Being so elegant, Tang Xia silently sat next to Chu Tiankuo, listening to him and the ministers talking about things. She felt so bored.


    Chu Tiankuo and the minister talked happily, and they drank a lot of wine. Tang Xia did not stop them. When Chu Tiankuo stood up, she helped him when he swayed, but something happened suddenly.


    ¡°My queen.¡± Chu Tiankuo was flushed and totally drunk. Looking at Tang Xia in a confused manner, he suddenly hugged her with his arms and pushed her down in the eyes of the public.


    They fell to the ground in the exclamation of everyone, but Chu Tiankuo¡¯s big hand was under her head to protect her. His whole body, like a mountain, fell on her heavily, and his sculptural and handsome face attached to hers.


    Tang Xia was shocked and almost frozen in an instant. ¡°Oh my god. This is too sexy!¡±


    Her face quickly turned red. When she was about to push Chu Tiankuo, he seemed to be dissatisfied and kissed her on her lips, tilting his head. As if he was punishing her, he kissed her heavily and made a loud sound.


    Crash! Some maids, who looked at this scene with stunning looks, could not hold the bottles in their hands, and suddenly dropped them to the ground.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was red like firing charcoal. As if she got help from God, she pushed away Chu Tiankuo and climbed up.


    ¡°Hah, haha, Your Majesty and the queen are really in good moods.¡± Foreign ministers smiled at Tang Xia awkwardly and turned back to exchange looks with their companions as if they were saying, ¡°Yes, I understand. We are all men.¡±


    Tang Xia flushed because of shame. She said something and left people to help before she walked away hurriedly.


    However, before long, Chu Tiankuo was sent to her palace by the eunuchs and maids.


    ¡°We are sorry, Your Grace. His Majesty had been drunk and calling your name, so we have to send him to you.¡±


    Tang Xia anxiously looked at the eunuchs and maids walking out, and then she had to take off Chu Tiankuo¡¯s clothes by herself.


    ¡°I am having a headache.¡± Chu Tiankuo was drunk, so he muttered in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tang Xia nervously touched Chu Tiankuo¡¯s forehead. When she just wanted to call someone, Chu Tiankuo suddenly pulled her back. After dizziness, she fell under Chu Tiankuo.


    Before she could scream, he covered her mouth. She even had not begun to struggle and he had dragged her into hot sex. She had to give up.


    Then, it was a crazy night¡­

 Chapter 93

    In the next early morning, the sun was shining brightly.


    Tang Xia lay on the bed lazily with her eyebrows knitted, stretching her limbs out. As warm sunlight cast on Tang Xia¡¯s face through the mist of early morning, her face was bathed in golden light.


    Tang Xia in the sleep raised her hand up subconsciously to cover her eyes as if she felt uncomfortable because of the sunlight. Then she felt that her nose itched as if something that was fluffy kept on teasing her.


    Tang Xia shook her head subconsciously. However, that thing kept on teasing her until Tang Xia woke up.


    After she opened up her eyes slowly, Tang Xia waved her hands when she got fully adapted to the sunlight and shook her head. When she saw the magnified face in front of her, Tang Xia opened her eyes suddenly and shouted after taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡± A sharp and scared shout belched into the sky.


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a while as he had not expected that Tang Xia would react like this. Wet with cold sweat, Chu Tiankuo was so terrified that he held Tang Xia by her waist and covered her mouth.


    ¡°You are my empress, it is quite normal to do anything with me. How can you cold-shoulder me as I don¡¯t dislike your bad performance last night?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words irritated Tang Xia who just bounced back again. So Tang Xia glared directly at Chu Tiankuo.


    But Tang Xia could not utter a word but ¡®hum¡¯ as her mouth was covered by Chu Tiankuo. ¡°If I could move freely now, I would definitely cut Chu Tiankuo into pieces! Tear his limbs by five horses! I curse that his chest would be pierced by scores of arrows and that he would not die in peace!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo was not a fool, he could feel her anger and shout. But he could not care that much for the moment.


    ¡°You need to promise me that you will not shout or curse me if I let go. Blink your eyes if you¡¯ve heard what I said.¡±


    Tang Xia took a deep breath and blinked her eyes.


    But after Chu Tiankuo let go, Tang Xia glared at Chu Tiankuo and kept her promise by not shouting or cursing him. Then Tang Xia snatched the cover off and checked her body.


    When she found that she was naked, Tang Xia blushed and dressed her up slowly in the quilt. After everything was done, Tang Xia turned her head away and sneered at Chu Tiankuo,


    ¡°You Lothario! How could you make gestures to me after taking advantage of me? I¡¯ll kill you!¡± As Tang Xia said in a low voice, she found that Chu Tiankuo was wearing clothes slowly in a good mood. Then Tang Xia pushed him off.


    ¡°You shrew!¡± Chu Tiankuo stood up slowly, putting his hands around his waist. And he wore a somewhat darksome look with a pair of playful eyes.


    ¡°How dare you to say that! You nuts! You took advantage of me! You bastard!¡± Tang Xia was quite angry about his words and threw things to him after she sat up.


    Tang Xia planned to stand up. However, she felt somewhat sore and swollen together with pricking from the lower part of the body. Her legs were so weak that she could hardly stand, so she chose to sit up.


    But apparently, Chu Tiankuo did not take what Tang Xia had said to heart. He said to her ears with a grin,


    ¡°Am I? Did I take advantage of you? But I remember that I was drunk last night. Then you took advantage of me?


    Besides, you were quite sober last night. You could revolt even though I did something to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m the emperor! You are my empress!


    It is rather reasonable even if I do something to you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked sideways at her with a trace of a smile flickering in his eyes. He wore a gentle smile in a good mood for what had happened the night before.


    As Tang Xia blushed gradually, Chu Tiankuo finally burst into laughter.


    ¡°Ha-ha, my empress is so lovable. But it will be so boring if you are still so reserved when we are having fun on the bed. It seems that you are tired because of what happened last night, take a good rest. I¡¯ll have to attend to official business.¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡± Tang Xia pounded the table suddenly and got out of bed in spite of her weak legs. And she almost fell to the bed as she could not stand still. ¡°You bastard! You fool!¡±


    Tang Xia made a gesture of contempt to Chu Tiankuo and walked off in a huff.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stay in this palace anymore! I want another palace! Another palace!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo followed Tang Xia with his eyes, wearing a bigger smile.


    After Tang Xia left, Chu Tiankuo had some palace maids clean the palace and attended to official business with foreign ministers.


    Chu Tiankuo discussed with those ministers in the Royal Garden. Tang Xia went there, too.


    What a coincidence! Should it be called fate or planned? But Tang Xia saw Chu Tiankuo and those ministers so that she hid behind the artificial hill and accidentally heard what they were talking about.


    It was all because she herself felt bored so that she idled about on her own. As she was not familiar with the roads in the palace, she went to the Royal Garden accidentally.


    She wanted to pick some beautiful flowers and saw through the leaves that Chu Tiankuo was drinking with his ministers.


    As she dared not to bother them, she picked some flowers and hid behind the artificial hill.


    ¡°How bold and powerful you were last night, Your Majesty! You own such a good capacity for liquor that you can remain calm after drinking that much!¡±


    ¡°You are flattering me! It is common for me to drink as it can relieve your worries. It will be a contempt for the wine if you get drunk so easily.¡± Tang Xia thought it was Chu Tiankuo who said these sentences as his attractive voice was easy to tell among those people.


    ¡°Ha-ha, you are right, Your Majesty! I propose a toast to you.¡± A minister said and drank up his wine.


    ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s gestures and expressions were so elegant and attractive that Tang Xia was impressed by his good acting.


    ¡°But what did that minister mean? Does he truly own a good capacity for liquor? Why don¡¯t I think so? How could he get drunk that easily last night if he truly owns a good capacity for liquor?¡±


    As she thought so, she took a step sideways subconsciously. Tang Xia thought she could leave so that she need not hide anymore. Unexpectedly, there was a stone under her feet. Therefore, she twisted her ankle.


    ¡°Ah.¡± After experiencing what had happened the night before, Tang Xia¡¯s legs were weak. Besides, she stepped on a stone for the moment. So Tang Xia fell to the ground.


    As a heavy falling sound came from behind the artificial hill, Chu Tiankuo and his ministers looked at the direction. After seeing the part of clothes from the artificial hill, Chu Tiankuo knew it was Tang Xia and shook his head, wearing a doting smile.


    He stood up slowly and made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest. ¡°Sorry, my beloved woman is coming here for me. We can get together again another day.¡±


    Hearing what Chu Tiankuo had said, the ministers knew who it was behind the artificial hill and left.


    After the ministers left, Chu Tiankuo wore a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hide anymore, come out.¡±


    Tang Xia stood up with difficulties and came out from behind the artificial hill awkwardly, lowering her head.


    After she came out, Chu Tiankuo wore a serious look immediately and held Tang Xia up.


    It turned out that Tang Xia twisted her ankle.


    ¡°Tell me, what did they mean? Do you have a good capacity for liquor? How can your capacity for liquor be called as ¡®good¡¯?¡± When Tang Xia was held up by Chu Tiankuo, she was a little frightened but did not revolt.


    After she raised her head up and found Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look was a little serious, Tang Xia was worried and planned to change the subject. So she came up with that question.


    As Chu Tiankuo knew exactly what she was thinking about, he just wore a smile after hearing her question and let it be.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s not answering her question made Tang Xia snort.


    After summoning the imperial physician, Chu Tiankuo knew that it was not a big deal as Tang Xia just twisted her ankle. But he was still a little worried.


    So he left with the imperial physician to take a topical application of drug for her, leaving Tang Xia accompanied by Little Orange in the Imperial Study.


    As Chu Tiankuo had left, it was a good chance for Tang Xia to inquire Little Orange. She asked with a smile, ¡°Little Orange, His Majesty is so toilsome as he must attend to numerous affairs every day. But he owns such a bad capacity for liquor as he got drunk that easily!¡±


    As Little Orange was rather loyal to His Majesty, she felt angry although the negative comment was made by Her Grace.


    But Tang Xia was the empress anyway, Little Orange froze for a while and answered, ¡°Your Grace, are you kidding me? He won¡¯t get drunk after drinking a lot!¡±


    ¡°What? He won¡¯t get drunk easily?¡±


    ¡°But he¡­¡± Then Tang Xia thought about what the minister had said in the Royal Garden.


    And Tang Xia knew the whole story.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    After put on her shoes, Tang Xia ran to the Imperial Hospital quickly, squinting her eyes. And she just saw Chu Tiankuo come out with unguent in hand.


    She hurried to stand in front of Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, how dare you to fool with your ¡®big sister¡¯!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a while and knew what she meant. ¡°Big sister? My big sister tastes good!¡±


    Then he wore a gentle smile, not blaming Tang Xia on calling him by his name.


    But those imperial physicians, palace maid, and eunuchs regarded it so unbelievable that they all froze.


    Although Tang Xia was still angry, she was forced to go back to the palace with Chu Tiankuo. And news that the empress shouted at the emperor spread over the whole palace.

 Chapter 94

    Although it was a sunny day, Tang Xia was in a gloomy mood.


    She held the fiction that she had read many times in both hands idly and sighed, sitting on the couch. ¡°Damned Chu Tiankuo! He fooled with me completely! He swaggered off after enjoying a night with me.¡±


    ¡°And he planned all these!¡± Tang Xia slapped the fiction in hands and turned over, lying on the couch angrily.


    Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia¡¯s back worriedly and sighed quietly.


    What she had looked forward to was that the emperor and the empress could live a happy life and treat each other courtesy. Her worry was of no use as their relationship could not progress.


    Finally, the emperor who was drunk came to the empress¡¯s palace and had a pleasant night with Tang Xia¡­


    Lyuyou still remembered that she left happily with other palace maids. However, the emperor was ¡®threw¡¯ out by the empress the next morning. Lyuyou worried so much for Tang Xia as she thought Tang Xia was too serious. What if she irritated the emperor?


    But it seemed that Lyuyou worried too much. Unexpectedly, the empress shouted at the emperor before she could gather a breath¡­


    Lyuyou was so anxious that the cold sweat ran from her forehead. ¡°My Grace, how could you be so bold?¡±


    But as Tang Xia¡¯s trusted subordinate, she had to cast all her worries away and to solve problems for Tang Xia.


    ¡°Your Grace. Your Grace?¡± Lyuyou pushed Tang Xia gently and fanned her, ¡°Are you restless?¡±


    Tang Xia could not forget the night she spent with Chu Tiankuo, which made her blushed and ashamed. What¡¯s more, her heart fluttered for it. Tang Xia covered her face and said in a low, muffled voice, ¡°Lyuyou, I¡¯m truly restless.¡±


    ¡°Yep! Although I¡¯m restless, I cannot forget that night. It seems that it is imprinted on my mind and I cannot get rid of it. So I always blush when I think of that night.¡±


    ¡°However, Chu Tiankuo seems to be so calm. Worse than that, there is no notification from the system, which means Chu Tiankuo hasn¡¯t fallen in love with me.¡±


    ¡°It is just like I get no fish with all my baits eaten. Worse than that, I am the bait! What a loss! I lost everything!¡±


    ¡°Is it because His Majesty?¡± Lyuyou asked cautiously with her eyebrows knitted.


    ¡°Yep! Who else can make me so restless!¡± Tang Xia rested her head sideways and ground her teeth as she was quite angry, ¡°I know the task will not be so easy! How can the emperor fall in love with a woman?¡±


    Tang Xia felt rather irrigated and somewhat wronged.


    ¡°I think His Majesty really cares for you.¡± Lyuyou wore a disapproving look as Tang Xia cannot understand Chu Tiankuo¡¯s love for her.


    ¡°How can you tell that?¡± Tang Xia brought herself into a sitting posture on hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words, ¡°He! He¡­¡±


    ¡°He lied to me! He fooled with my feelings!¡±


    Tang Xia shouted in her mind as she cannot say such things to Lyuyou who was under the influence of ancient male-dominated culture.


    Besides, Lyuyou could not understand her, let alone approve her. Maybe Lyuyou would regard that she was showing ill temper.


    ¡°Alas! Forget it! You won¡¯t understand.¡± Tang Xia waved her hand in anger and shook her body as if she was a fish out of water. ¡°The room is so stuffy that I cannot breathe freely.¡±


    ¡°Get my things together, let¡¯s take a walk in the Royal Garden.¡± Tang Xia made Lyuyou wear the shoes and tidy the clothes up for her. Then Tang Xia went to the Royal Garden supported by her maids.


    The lively atmosphere in the Royal Garden could be felt from afar and clear and melodious laughter came from the Royal Garden as if someone had told a joke.


    ¡°Ah, how shameless she is!¡± A beauty who owned a pair of charming eyes and wore a bright yellow dress said with her slender fingers raised while she was splitting the seed shells mischievously.


    ¡°It is obvious that His Majesty favors her and she is quite satisfied. However, she assumes airs as if she has a sharp sense of honor.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! As we are all His Majesty¡¯s woman, we have devoted our virginity to him.¡±


    An imperial concubine who owned a delicate face and wore a golden hairpin added. Then she smiled shyly with her hand covering her mouth, ¡°Her reaction will make people believe that His Majesty forced her. I don¡¯t understand what she is thinking.¡±


    ¡°Right! It would add spice to life if you play hard-to-get in the room with His Majesty. But she makes it be known to all. Is she showing off how much His Majesty favors her?¡±


    Concubine Hong with her glabella attached to a curlicue tilted her head mockingly and splashed the tea in her cup contemptuously. ¡°How shameless!¡±


    As the old saying went, ¡°Three women are enough for a drama.¡± After hearing what they had said under the shade of a tree, Tang Xia gradually realized that the woman called as being cheeky, shameless and having a sharp sense of honor by them was her!


    It never occurred to Tang Xia that she would hear her gossip as she seldom took a walk leisurely like this. ¡°What a coincidence!¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, do you need me to go out¡­¡± Lyuyou¡¯s eyes turned red as she was so angry. ¡°How dare those three women to slander the empress in broad daylight! How could they! Do they want to die!¡±


    Lyuyou who was a loyal maid trembled her body out of anger.


    Tang Xia looked at Lyuyou wonderingly. ¡°Why do I need you to go out? Slap them? Spank them? Make them enjoy their slow torture to death?¡±


    Tang Xia wore a fake and cold smile. Then she tucked her hair around her ears, straightened her phoenix coronet on her head and held Lyuyou¡¯s hand. ¡°I need to do such thing on my own¡­¡±


    Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia puzzledly and asked in her mind, ¡°Your Grace, what does ¡®enjoy your slow torture to death¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°Alas! Never mind! As long as Her Grace can show up to teach them a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are all here? I just passed by and heard your satisfied laughter. So I come here to join you. You don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t you?¡± Tang Xia wore a rather sweet smile and shook their hands one by one.


    ¡°Your¡­ Your Grace.¡± Those three imperial concubines stood up out of fear and trembled their slender bodies slightly.


    ¡°Alas! What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you talk happily? How do you become like this at the sight of me? Did you do something bad?¡±


    Tang Xia sat on the stone bench and wiped her hands with handkerchief aboveboard. Then she threw the handkerchief on the floor contemptuously.


    ¡°Your Grace! What do you mean! Are you embarrassing us as you think we soiled your hands?¡± Concubine Hong wearing a bright yellow dress stood up and glared at Tang Xia.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But it is good for you to have self-knowledge.¡± Tang Xia looked at Concubine Hong sarcastically. ¡°Read more and eat more to gain wisdom in case the tongue cut the throat and involve your families into trouble.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, Your Grace. Why do you insult me like this! ¡± Concubine Hong said with bitterness and unwillingness in her eyes. ¡°If you cannot explain it well, I¡¯ll go for His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°OK! Go for him now! Should I tell His Majesty how you insulted me?¡±


    Tang Xia thought, ¡°Bah! Who do you think you are!¡± Then she looked directly at her and said in a cold voice,


    ¡°If you dare, just say what you want to say in front of me. Don¡¯t say something bad behind my back. There is no wonder that His Majesty does not favor you. How contemptible you are.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s words were so sharp that those three imperial concubines were badly hurt. Tang Xia stretched out her hand and left supported by Lyuyou without looking at those three women.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡± Lyuyou held Tang Xia¡¯s hand and said excitedly. ¡°I thought Her Grace was so kind-hearted that people would easily bully her. It turned out that she could be so sharp-tongued.¡±


    Tang Xia noticed that Lyuyou was impressed by her words and burst into laughter. Then she walked away elegantly. When Tang Xia got back to her palace, Lyuyou ran back in excitement shortly afterward.


    ¡°Your Grace, Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou opened the door with a smile and looked at Tang Xia with her twinkling eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tang Xia lay on the couch lazily, playing chess with both hands.


    ¡°His Majesty punished the imperial concubine for you!¡±


    ¡°Punish?¡± Tang Xia stared at Lyuyou a little angrily. ¡°Lyuyou is becoming bolder and bolder. She dares to tantalize me now! I will pay her less!¡±


    ¡°The imperial concubine who spoke ill of you and talked back to you in the Royal Garden is punished by His Majesty.¡± Lyuyou gloated over her punishment and wore a smile with her hand covering her mouth, ¡°His Majesty taught a lesson to her and locked her down.¡±


    ¡°Is it true? That is great!¡± Tang Xia rolled about on her bed and massaged her belly as she laughed too hard. Then she propped herself up on one elbow. ¡°He that does evil shall find evil! She deserves it!¡±


    Lyuyou felt awkward with cold sweat on her forehead, ¡°Your Grace, it is true that you dare to say anything!¡±


    So Tang Xia had a few perfect days in a good mood. However, someone paid a visit to her with a pot of soup.


    ¡°Your Grace, I am sorry. Please forgive my mistake.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the woman who knelt on the ground and realized that she came to apologize!

 Chapter 95

    As Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia, Tang Xia also gazed at that palace maid, not planning to take the soup.


    The palace maid lowered her head, noticing that Tang Xia did not believe her. Then she hurried to say, ¡°Your Grace, please take it. If I go back with the soup, my master will beat me to death.¡±


    As the palace maid said so, she knelt on the ground plaintively and kowtowed continuously, ¡°My master has been locked up by His Majesty. She is truly sorry. Please take the soup, Your Grace!¡±


    Tang Xia and Lyuyou were both frightened by palace maid¡¯s reaction and looked at each other. Then Lyuyou came to help that palace maid up.


    ¡°All right, stop crying. You will definitely be punished without accomplishing your task.¡± Tang Xia sighed, ¡°Now that she is sorry for what she has done, I don¡¯t blame her anymore. Leave the soup.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Your Grace! Thank you!¡± That palace maid was moved to tears of gratitude and gave the hamper to Lyuyou.


    Lyuyou took the hamper and put it on the table. However, that palace maid did not leave and looked at Tang Xia and Lyuyou. It seemed that she wanted to see Tang Xia eat soup.


    As that palace maid did not move, Lyuyou reminded her harshly. ¡°What are you doing here? Her Grace has taken your soup, why don¡¯t you go back to your palace?¡±


    That palace maid knelt on the ground again and kowtowed continuously. ¡°Your Grace, my master orders me to see you eat soup so that she can believe that you truly forgive her.¡±


    That palace maid said with reverence and awe, Tang Xia became more careful. But the palace maid just followed the order, Tang Xia could not figure out what Concubine Lan wanted to do. Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia, waiting for her decision.


    ¡°Go tell Concubine Lan that I¡¯ve eaten the soup.¡± Tang Xia sharpened her nails but did not taste the soup.


    Lyuyou understood what Tang Xia meant and came close to the palace maid. ¡°Her Grace has had some snacks and is not hungry now. You go back and tell your master that Her Grace has tasted it. We won¡¯t expose you.¡±


    Lyuyou helped the palace maid up while the palace maid was reluctant to leave. As Lyuyou mastered some Kungfu, she dragged the palace maid out of the room and said with a smile, ¡°Go back before Her Grace has not changed her mind.¡±


    The palace maid bit her lips, thanked Lyuyou and left.


    Lyuyou followed the palace maid with her eyes and went back to the room. Then she found Tang Xia was sitting on the Royal Chair, not knowing what she was thinking about.


    ¡°Lyuyou, do you think that Concubine Lan is truly repentant?¡± Tang Xia looked at Lyuyou with her eyebrows knitted, ¡°She never liked me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe her, neither.¡± Lyuyou went and opened up the hamper. As she smelt the fragrance of the soup, she said subconsciously, ¡°It smells so good.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the delicate hamper as if she was pondering. ¡°Neither do I. I guess that Concubine Lan is not sorry at all. The soup¡­¡± She paused for a while with a serious look. ¡°Throw it away.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Lyuyou froze for a moment while Tang Xia was snoozing as she had not slept well for several days. Lyuyou looked at the delicious soup, regarding it wasteful to throw it away.


    ¡°If she is truly sorry, she should come here by herself rather than send a palace maid. Besides, she wants the palace maid to see me eat the soup.¡±


    Tang Xia did not open her eyes, but it seemed that she knew Lyuyou regarded it wasteful to throw the soup away or she was murmuring to herself, ¡°If I do what she hopes, I will not be the empress.¡±


    According to the routine Tang Xia knew about palace fighting, people would never become friends with those who were regarded as their enemies at first unless their interests were interrelated. As she was completely isolated from Concubine Lan all the time, she would have been framed by Concubine Lan many times if she did what Concubine Lan hoped.


    One should not forget to guard against possible harm done by others. Although Concubine Lan was locked up by Chu Tiankuo, she still made trouble. Tang Xia thought she must be more careful.


    Lyuyou understood what Tang Xia meant and obeyed, nodding her head. Then she helped tuck Tang Xia in and left with the hamper.


    When Lyuyou came back with a different hamper, Tang Xia looked at her confusedly. Lyuyou wore a smile,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Grace. It is not the soup from Concubine Lan. The servant of His Majesty came just now and told that His Majesty knew you are still angry, so His Majesty had the imperial kitchen make your favorite date cake to show his regret!¡±


    Hearing Lyuyou¡¯s tease, Tang Xia blushed and glared at Lyuyou. ¡°I won¡¯t be angry just because of the date cake? Does he regard me as his empress?¡± As Tang Xia noticed that Lyuyou still wore a smile, she shouted shyly, ¡°Don¡¯t you laugh!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Lyuyou wore a calm look, ¡°Your Grace, should I keep the date cake or throw it away?¡±


    Although Lyuyou wore a serious look, her words were quite awkward. Tang Xia turned her head away, ¡°Throw it away! I must let him know that I won¡¯t be fooled easily by him again!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lyuyou lifted up the hamper. ¡°Throw it away?¡±


    As Lyuyou left without hesitation, Tang Xia got angry, ¡°Lyuyou!¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m here!¡± Lyuyou turned around immediately and wore a look showing ¡°I knew you would not throw it away¡±.


    ¡°He should show more sincerity if he is sorry, right? Just the date cake won¡¯t do!¡± Tang Xia turned her head away, ¡°Just keep it. I can take some if I¡¯m hungry as it is too early to have dinner.¡±


    As Lyuyou laughed quietly, she did not tease Tang Xia anymore and left the hamper on the table.


    As Tang Xia and Lyuyou made a tacit understanding, the minute Lyuyou took the date cake out, the room was full of the fragrance of date. Tang Xia went close to the table with a smile and wanted to taste the freshly-prepared date cake.


    When Tang Xia picked up a piece of date cake, a hoot came from the outside of the room. Then Tang Xia had a look at Lyuyou, Lyuyou nodded her head and walked out of the room.


    After a while, Lyuyou came back and wore a rather serious look with her eyebrows knitted.


    So Tang Xia did not want to eat the date cake anymore and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A cat died.¡±


    ¡°A cat?¡± Tang Xia felt confused and thought it would not be a big deal as many wildcats haunted in the imperial palace.


    Lyuyou nodded, ¡°You should go and check out with me, Your Grace. There is some mystery about its death.¡±


    Tang Xia knew that this matter was not normal according to Lyuyou¡¯s look. So she stood up and went to the place where the cat died in the guidance of Lyuyou.


    That place was not far from Tang Xia¡¯s palace. A little palace maid was crying, kneeling on the ground. Another elder palace maid seemed quite angry. And there was a broken jade bracelet on the ground.


    The dead cat lay over there. It was a black cat whose blood came from the five sense organs with its mouth wide open. What¡¯s more, its look was quite twisted as if it had suffered much pain.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Grace.¡± The little palace maid trembled more and prostrated herself at the sight of Tang Xia.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The elder palace maid knelt on the ground and explained,


    ¡°I found the bracelet given by His Majesty was abraded while I was cleaning the room. So I had the craftsman repair and planned to give it to you today. But she broke it into pieces!¡±


    The elder palace maid wore a quite angry look. Tang Xia knew they did not lie according to their facial expressions.


    It seemed that the little palace maid was frightened by the black cat when she turned a corner and broke the jade bracelet by accident. So the elder palace maid rebuked her in anger.


    It was just a jade bracelet that Tang Xia did not care much, so she was about to let it go. But Lyuyou stopped her. Tang Xia turned around and saw that Lyuyou was pointing at the black cat.


    ¡°Your Grace, have a look at the black cat.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the cat, ¡°Is it poisoned?¡±


    Lyuyou nodded her head and wanted to say something. Tang Xia had a look at her and said, ¡°Talk truly. What do you find out?¡± If it was just related to a dead cat and a jade bracelet, Lyuyou would not take Tang Xia here so seriously.


    ¡°Your Grace, I fed the cat just now.¡±


    As Tang Xia stared at her, Lyuyou said, ¡°You told me to throw the soup away, I regard it too wasteful so that I fed the cat with it.¡±


    Tang Xia would be too foolish if she could not understand what Lyuyou meant.


    ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Although there are many wildcats in the imperial palace. But there is only one all black cat. I am quite sure!¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head, pondering. Then she wore a smile, ¡°Good! How dare you, Concubine Lan! How dare you to poison me!¡±


    Tang Xia thought that Concubine Lan just desired to excel over others, she would not be that bold to poison her. However, it turned out that Tang Xia was too naive because Concubine Lan who was as vicious as Lengmei wanted to doom her to death!


    Although Tang Xia wore a smile, her anger was so obvious that the little palace maid who knelt on the ground could not stop trembling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll hear what Concubine Lan wants to explain to me!¡± Tang Xia disregarded those two palace maids and walked off in a huff.


    Concubine Lan, as the first rank imperial concubine, lived in Xiangtan Court which was in the opposite direction of Tang Xia¡¯s palace. So it took Tang Xia fifteen minutes to get to Concubine Lan¡¯s dwelling.


    As Tang Xia just got to the place, she heard the whine from Xiangtan Court¡ªpalace maids and eunuchs were crying loudly.


    Tang Xia was still short of breath and turned her around, looking at Lyuyou. Then Lyuyou shook her head, not knowing what was going on.


    When Tang Xia stepped into Xiangtan Court, she found that maids and eunuchs were trying to avoid her with a terrified look, which irrigated and puzzled Tang Xia.


    After Tang Xia stepped into the interior court, palace maids were crying more loudly, which disturbed Tang Xia. And she heard one palace maid¡¯s shout something like ¡®Your Grace, if you die, what should we do?¡¯


    ¡°Die?¡± Tang Xia froze for a while, ¡°How could Concubine Lan die?¡±


    Lyuyou standing aside was also puzzled rather than angry.


    After Tang Xia and Lyuyou came into the room, they found that Concubine Lan was lying on the bed with a pale look. And blood came from her five sense organs that were as twisted as that black cat, which showed that her death was quite painful.


    Tang Xia was so terrified that she closed her eyes. At the sight of Tang Xia, the palace maid who served Concubine Lan for the longest time threw herself towards Tang Xia.


    ¡°It is you! The vicious woman! Her Grace may be a little sharp-tongued, but she never harmed others! But you poisoned her to death! You vicious woman!¡±


    The palace maid said in such a sad and thrilling voice that people would regard Tang Xia as the person who poisoned Concubine Lan to death. Lyuyou could not stand it anymore and rebuked the palace maid loudly, ¡°You are talking nonsense! It is your master who poisoned my master!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense?¡± palace maid¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°Her Grace was poisoned to death because of your soup! My master has been confined, why did you harm her?¡±


    What? Tang Xia and Lyuyou were both froze. Their soup? When did they give soup to Concubine Lan?

 Chapter 96

    Standing before the door of Concubine Lan¡¯s chamber and hearing the cries from inside, Tang Xia¡¯s face turned gloomy. Her face was a little pale, and doubts arose in her mind.


    ¡°What? Concubine Lan is dead?¡±


    Tang Xia stood still, aghast, murmuring to herself. It was herself that was meant to be poisoned. How come Concubine Lan was dead? She felt it was very weird and decided to go inside to check Concubine Lan¡¯s corpse.


    At right that moment, several concubines walked outside of the chamber. They were close to Concubine Lan before she was dead. After seeing Tang Xia standing outside the door, their faces turned dark at the thought of Concubine Lan¡¯s innocent death.


    They were thinking about themselves ending up with the same fate.


    After seeing that Tang Xia was about to enter the chamber, they spoke one after another to stop Tang Xia at the door.


    ¡°Well! Isn¡¯t it the empress? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± said one of the concubines as she looked at Tang Xia, and the other concubines looked at Tang Xia, too, with some contempt.


    ¡°I heard Concubine Lan died abruptly, so I come here to see what the matter is,¡± said Tang Xia composedly.


    ¡°To see what the matter is? We didn¡¯t know you cared about Concubine Lan so much! We are really abashed!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, I would say the empress came here to check if the poison she put worked or not! As you wish, Concubine Lan is dead as a doornail!¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re really cruel. Concubine Lan just had a minor row with you, and you killed her right away!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to gossip about the dead. Your Grace, you¡¯d better not go inside to see her! Otherwise, Concubine Lan¡¯s spirit will never rest in peace!¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue! She is the exalted empress! People as abject as us are just dust in her eyes! Let¡¯s just keep quiet!¡±


    Those concubines all spoke out, dripping sarcasm at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was speechless for a while at their words. What could she say? If she should say she didn¡¯t kill Concubine Lan, would those people believe her?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± said Tang Xia as she made up her mind to make herself clear, no matter how they would react, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Concubine Lan. It was she who sent poisoned soup to me! And that¡¯s why I came here!¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s explanation, those concubines looked at each other, their eyes overflowing with mistrust.


    ¡°Your Grace, Concubine Lan is dead. Whatever you say will be the only version of the story. You don¡¯t need to explain to us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I fear I will be dropped in some ¡®accident¡¯ if I know too much!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at them and felt much aggrieved. So what? What she didn¡¯t do, she didn¡¯t do. She would never let others blame her unjustly!


    However, those concubines were dead set on condemning Tang Xia as the murderer, and she found it hard to vindicate herself.


    They looked at Tang Xia with contempt, and she was dropped in a dilemma, not knowing what to do. Those concubines who were close to Concubine Lan were all taunting and rubbishing her.


    Just at that moment, someone let out a shriek from behind their backs, ¡°His Majesty arrives!¡±


    Those concubines all curtsied and said, ¡°Blessings to you, Your Majesty!¡±


    It turned out that Chu Tiankuo also heard about it and found it weird. He hurried here in fear of Tang Xia getting bullied.


    ¡°You hold back your words. I believe my empress would never do something like that!¡± Chu Tiankuo expressed his attitude clearly as soon as he arrived. It made those concubines turn pale, but they dared not say another word.


    Tang Xia was filled with joy at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s immediate support. Looking at him with burning eyes, she said, ¡°Your Majesty, you believe me, don¡¯t you? It wasn¡¯t me!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stretched out his hand to touch Tang Xia¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°Of course I believe my empress. Whatever the others say, I don¡¯t care!¡±


    Those concubines¡¯ faces turned even paler at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words. After a while, just as they came to the view that Chu Tiankuo was going to cover up this whole matter to protect Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo added.


    ¡°Concubine Lan¡¯s death was quite weird. To completely vindicate my empress, I made up my mind!¡± ¡°I will have this matter thoroughly investigated!¡±


    Seeing that Chu Tiankuo was willing to go to such lengths for her, Tang Xia was deeply moved and gazed at Chu Tiankuo closely.


    Those concubines felt extremely unhappy with their lovey-dovey conversation, but none of them dared to say anything.


    However, one concubine among them finally stepped out. It was Concubine Orchid.


    She looked obedient and resigned, but a sneer crept up the hidden part of her face.


    She curtsied to Chu Tiankuo, raised her head, and said in a tender voice, ¡°Your Majesty, our big sister Concubine Lan died all of a sudden, and you won¡¯t hold justice for her¡­ Isn¡¯t it unreasonable?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo humphed coldly and said, ¡°I said I would have this matter thoroughly investigated. Isn¡¯t it for the truth of the matter and also the justice for her?¡±


    Concubine Orchid was behaving in a tender and obedient manner, but her words were harsh.


    ¡°We all know who the culprit is,¡± said Concubine Orchid as she raised her eyes at Tang Xia. She then added.


    ¡°However, Your Majesty, you have no intention to trace the real culprit. If you don¡¯t want to hold justice for big sister Lan, there is no need to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you blaming me for being blind to facts?¡± said Chu Tiankuo calmly as he looked at her.


    ¡°No, I dare not say such things. I¡¯m just telling the truth. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Nothing else? I feel you have much else behind your words!¡± Chu Tiankuo was as calm as before, but his stare at Concubine Orchid became more and more dangerous.


    ¡°No, I dare not.¡± Concubine Orchid didn¡¯t say much and kept kneeling down on the side, composedly.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly burst into laughter, and all the concubines looked at him in doubt.


    ¡°Concubine Orchid, how dare you speak to me like that! Such lack of respect!¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned grim, and he looked at her coldly.


    ¡°Concubine Orchid, you are disrespectful towards me and my empress. I order your confinement in your chamber for a few days. You may only leave your chamber after you think it through! Someone! Take her back to her chamber!¡±


    After hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, some maids stepped up and tried to take Concubine Orchid back, but she revolted vigorously.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are being partial! It was the empress who killed Concubine Lan. You won¡¯t hold justice, and you are blaming the wrong person! If you don¡¯t want the facts, there is no need to investigate!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Chu Tiankuo was finally enraged.


    ¡°You are just a minor concubine, and you dare to suspect the empress? Now I suspect you know the real murderer, and you are infuriating me to stop the investigation!¡±


    ¡°You are covering up for the real murderer! By my verdict, Concubine Orchid committed the crime of harboring criminal. Confine her to her chamber, and forbid her exit until everything is clear!¡±


    The other concubines watched as Concubine Orchid was dragged back to her chamber, and they were horrified and dared not say another word. Chu Tiankuo stayed here for too long, and he had many things on his plate. He decided to leave.


    Tang Xia also saw no point in staying here. She didn¡¯t want to care about what those concubines would say. After all, it was impossible to control other peoples¡¯ mouths! So she left with Chu Tiankuo and returned to her own chamber with her maids.


    After seeing the emperor and the empress had left, the remaining concubines finally felt relieved. They looked at each other, and their hearts sank at the thought of the confined Concubine Orchid.


    ¡°His Majesty went too far. He was favoring the empress in every single matter,¡± complained a concubine who used to be close to Concubine Orchid.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see you step up and defend her just now when she was punished?¡± thought the other concubines. Of course, they didn¡¯t say what they thought but echoed her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! His Majesty and the empress went too far on this matter!¡±


    Just as the concubines were prattling, a weak voice came from behind them.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think it was the empress who caused Concubine Lan¡¯s death. It should be someone else. I believe the empress should do no such thing.¡±


    The other concubines all looked blankly at the concubine who just defended Tang Xia.


    She paused and then continued, ¡°In my judgment of her character, if she wants to teach someone a lesson, she will lecture her in public, not plot against her in secret. The murderer must be someone else.¡±


    The other concubines looked at her and couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud.


    ¡°We don¡¯t care who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s none of our business!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s just something worth chatting about. Why do you take it so seriously? You¡¯re being critical!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. There¡¯s nothing interesting here. Let¡¯s just go back to our places.¡±


    With these words, they left together, leaving the concubine who defended Tang Xia behind. ¡°So you came here just for fun?¡± Her voice was so soft, almost like an illusion.


    Strangely enough, the whole matter didn¡¯t dissipate just because of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s interference. The gossip spread everywhere, and the story evolved into far more incredible versions.


    Some said the empress was extremely cruel and merciless. Some said Chu Tiankuo offended a certain god. The rumors were just so ridiculous.


    Tang Xia also heard about these rumors from her maids later. She was almost speechless. The fact was that Concubine Lan was the evil planner, but instead, she suffered the fate she planned for Tang Xia. Why did people adopt a simple story into such a complicated novel?


    However, what happened the next day exceeded Tang Xia¡¯s expectation.


    Early in the morning, a maid hurried to Tang Xia¡¯s chamber to tell her the new development.


    Concubine Orchid was found dead by the maids who took breakfast to her.


    Tang Xia cried in surprise, ¡°What!¡±

 Chapter 97

    ¡°What? Concubine Orchid is dead?¡±


    Just as Tang Xia heard about the news, Chu Tiankuo also heard about it from his servants.


    ¡°I want to know who is so bold to commit murder in my harem! Let¡¯s go to Concubine Orchid¡¯s place!¡± Chu Tiankuo said as he rushed to the scene with his servants.


    When Chu Tiankuo arrived, Tang Xia arrived too.


    ¡°Your Majesty, did you come here to see Concubine Orchid too?¡± asked Tang Xia even though she already figured it out from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look.


    ¡°Yeah! I want to know who is provoking me in secret!¡±


    And then Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia walked in together.


    There was only Concubine Orchid in the chamber. She was lying on the bed without anyone beside her bed. Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo walked over and checked her appearance. Her face was deadly pale, and her lips were partly purple with bloodstains at the corners. Her eyes were gaping and fixed at the ceiling.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tang Xia let out a cry of fear after she walked over and saw Concubine Orchid¡¯s pathetic look of death.


    Chu Tiankuo took the chance to hold Tang Xia in his arms, patted her back and comforted her, ¡°Well, well, nothing to fear. It¡¯s just a dead person. Nothing to fear.¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice, Tang Xia regained her composure. Her panic abated. She broke away from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s embrace and stared at Concubine Orchid¡¯s face.


    For quite some time, they looked at each other and remained silent. Then they walked out of the chamber.


    ¡°Your Majesty, with Concubine Orchid like this, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± asked Tang Xia hesitantly at Chu Tiankuo. She felt Concubine Orchid must have been murdered.


    Chu Tiankuo touched Tang Xia¡¯s head and said, ¡°Concubine Orchid¡¯s lips were purple and her face was distorted. It must be murder!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Your Majesty, are you going to investigate this matter thoroughly?¡± asked Tang Xia fearfully with hindsight, ¡°What if someone else gets murdered in the harem?¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo took and stroked her hands, and then said, ¡°There must be someone behind these happenings. I will have them thoroughly investigated and find out the facts!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression was a little grim, but he still said kindly to Tang Xia, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whatever happens, I will protect you at all costs.¡±


    Tang Xia was moved by his words and nodded. Then Chu Tiankuo sent some servants to escort Tang Xia back to her place.


    Chu Tiankuo returned to his study. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. There must have been a plotter behind Concubine Lan¡¯s and Concubine Orchid¡¯s death. Who could it be?


    ¡°Someone, come here!¡± Chu Tiankuo summoned a servant and said, ¡°By my order, investigate Concubine Orchid¡¯s death thoroughly! We must capture the mastermind!¡±


    Just at that time, Minister Bai, a minister from the previous emperor¡¯s court, came to the imperial study to discuss with Chu Tiankuo about a national affair. After hearing about the deaths of two concubines, he said to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Your Majesty! You should not order the investigation!¡±


    ¡°Em? Why?¡± Chu Tiankuo was in fury and his words were curt. Minister Bai wasn¡¯t discouraged and continued, ¡°Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, you should not do anything unnecessary with such matters.¡±


    ¡°Minister Bai, two concubines were killed in my harem. If I don¡¯t interfere, my harem will be plunged in turmoil!¡± said Chu Tiankuo firmly as he looked at Minister Bai.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s kind of a harem scandal. If it should leak out and get heard by the public,¡±


    ¡°The reputation of the imperial family will be remarkably tarnished! You should not carry on the investigation!¡± After saying these words, Minister Bai paused for a while and then continued.


    ¡°Besides, please think carefully, Your Majesty,¡± counseled Minister Bai, ¡°Concubine Orchid was perfectly well the previous day. How could she be dead overnight while confined to her chamber? Perhaps she committed suicide for fear of punishment!¡±


    ¡°Suicide for fear of punishment? What do you mean, Minister Bai?¡± Chu Tiankuo turned his back at Minister Bai and his face turned grimmer. Minister Bai, however, had no knowledge of that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It must be Concubine Orchid who murdered Concubine Lan, and she feared the exposure of her crime. Your order to confine her added to her panic.¡±


    ¡°She was afraid that you would send her to death after finding out the facts, so she committed suicide to escape the verdict!¡±


    Minister Bai raised his head to check Chu Tiankuo¡¯s reaction, only to find him standing there calmly without any reaction. He thought his advice was taken by Chu Tiankuo and was gratified.


    ¡°Oh? Is it?¡± said Chu Tiankuo as he sneered, ¡°Minister Bai, you even devised such plausible excuse and leeway for me! Shouldn¡¯t I reward you something?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned extremely dark, but Minister Bai didn¡¯t notice at all. He was still enjoying his smart advice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to reward me anything, Your Majesty. It¡¯s my duty as your servant to share your worries and help with your troubles. I don¡¯t need any reward for that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, but I¡¯m very willing to reward you, Minister Bai!¡± said Chu Tiankuo as he laughed softly, his face turning even darker outside Minister Bai¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m obliged to accept your reward, Your Majesty.¡± Minister Bai still didn¡¯t understand Chu Tiankuo¡¯s real meaning, and he started to dream about getting a promotion.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice turned colder still. He grabbed a teacup and smashed it heavily in front of Minister Bai, which took him by surprise.


    ¡°Someone, come here!¡± exclaimed Chu Tiankuo towards the outside of the study.


    Only by then did Minister Bai find something went wrong. He raised his head and looked at Chu Tiankuo confusedly, only to find Chu Tiankuo glaring at him as if it was something dead. His face turned pale with fear, and his body started to shiver.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Minister Bai coldly and said, ¡°Minister Bai, you broke the ritual law by poking your nose into the affairs of the harem. Since it¡¯s your first time, I won¡¯t give you a heavy punishment. Just go home and confine yourself for a few months.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t treat me like this!¡± said Minister Bai aggrievedly, ¡°I said all those things only for your sake!¡±


    ¡°For my sake, well said! Minister Bai, you¡¯re acquiring a great aspiration!¡± said Chu Tiankuo coldly as he looked at Minister Bai.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty, I¡¯m not!¡± Minister Bai knelt down on the floor, edged forward a few steps and grabbed the bottom corner of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s robe, ¡°Your Majesty, I have always been loyal and nothing but loyal to you!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Chu Tiankuo as he looked at Minister Bai¡¯s awkwardness. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to have a good rest at home!¡±


    Minister Bai knew it was beyond redemption. He cursed inwardly. If he hadn¡¯t meddled with this matter, he would never be confined.


    ¡°Minister Bai, what are you waiting here? You don¡¯t want to accept my decision?¡± said Chu Tiankuo casually as he looked at Minister Bai.


    Minister Bai felt aggrieved, but there was nothing he could do now. He kowtowed slowly to Chu Tiankuo and said, ¡°Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty!¡±


    Then he stood up, his fingers still trembling from anger or fear, which no one knew for sure. He stepped out of the imperial study and looked at the sky outside. After a while, he heaved a great sigh and slowly walked home.


    In the meantime, after Tang Xia returned to her chamber, she still felt horrified at the thought of Concubine Orchid¡¯s dying face with her eyes gaping. She only managed to calm down after quite some time.


    Chu Tiankuo was also mobilizing personnel. First of all, he reinforced the guard of Tang Xia¡¯s palace for fear that she might be the next target of the murderer. Then he sent officials of the Central Judicial Office to investigate the case. After all, it was better to trust it to the professionals.


    Tang Xia was deeply moved by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s devotion to this matter all these days.


    One day, she went to the kitchen and prepared a meal herself. Then she sent for Chu Tiankuo to dine with her. At table, she frequently picked up food with her chopsticks for Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please eat more of the dishes. You¡¯ve been working hard all these days for my trouble, and you¡¯ve really been exhausted. You should eat something good to refresh your body,¡± said Tang Xia as she kept putting food in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bowl.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bowl was almost overflowing with food, but Tang Xia continued to put in more food as if she didn¡¯t notice at all.


    Chu Tiankuo was only too happy to see his empress being so cute, and he was eager to see her picking up more food for him. So he kept quiet and didn¡¯t remind her.


    After a while, Tang Xia finally realized she had put too much food in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bowl. She looked at Chu Tiankuo and found he was looking at her closely. She lowered her head in embarrassment and stopped her hand from picking up more food for him.


    ¡°Empress, why do you stop? I thought you liked to pick up food for me!¡± Chu Tiankuo gave an evil smile and stared at Tang Xia joyfully.


    The blush on Tang Xia¡¯s face deepened. She slowly lowered her head, almost burying her head in her bowl. After a while, she said to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Your Majesty, thank you so much for your hard work with my trouble. I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia¡¯s peach flower face and watery eyes, and he felt a stir in his blood. He beckoned to Tang Xia and said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Tang Xia was confused, but she obeyed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s instruction and walked over to him. Before she realized, she was pulled over by Chu Tiankuo and seated on his laps.


    The blush on Tang Xia¡¯s face deepened further.


    Chu Tiankuo picked up a tad of food from his bowl with chopsticks and raised it to Tang Xia¡¯s mouth. Tang Xia looked at him in amazement. Chu Tiankuo was amused at Tang Xia¡¯s awkward expression and said gently to her, ¡°Come, open your mouth.¡±


    Tang Xia opened her mouth obediently and ate the food as if she had lost control of her own body. After she realized what she was doing, she wriggled on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s laps and said, ¡°Your Majesty, let me go.¡±


    ¡°Sit still! Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what action I might take from now on!¡± said Chu Tiankuo softly at Tang Xia¡¯s ear, ¡°It¡¯s not for you that I set up the investigation! But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± asked Tang Xia curiously.


    ¡°If you want to know, you should do something more special. I won¡¯t mind, you know.¡±

 Chapter 98

    It was like something had exploded in Tang Xia¡¯s head. She cast a reproachful glance at Chu Tiankuo with her teary eyes, then looked away in abashment.


    He was really cheeky to have said something like that!


    Tang Xia was almost speechless. She didn¡¯t know when Chu Tiankuo became so good at making fun of her! Quick-witted and eloquent as she usually was, she didn¡¯t know how to retort this time!


    How could she let him make fun of her like that! She gradually regained her mental composure, and her hands, which were still clutching her sleeves, slowly relaxed.


    Suddenly, a new idea occurred to her. She clasped her hands and her glance at Chu Tiankuo became somewhat meaningful.


    After organizing her thoughts, she raised her head and asked Chu Tiankuo in a serious tone, ¡°Tell me. Do you really have a crush on me?¡±


    After asking the question, Tang Xia stared at Chu Tiankuo without blinking, as if she was trying to read his mind from his expression.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was perfect in almost every aspect. Tang Xia first looked him with interest, but she gradually became absent-minded and started to admire Chu Tiankuo¡¯s appearance.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face held a trace of the blush from her abashment earlier. With her soft hair cascading down to her shoulders, she looked extremely elegant and beautiful.


    Combined with her absent-mindedness, there was a dreamy quality present in her eyes. She looked as innocent and pure as a fawn in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart stirred. Suddenly, his throat felt dry. However, he had been the emperor for a long time already. No matter what how his disturbed his mind was, he could still maintain his composure.


    He gave a slight cough. He felt he had something he wanted to say to Tang Xia, but didn¡¯t know how to say it.


    After hesitating for a while, Chu Tiankuo said at last to Tang Xia, ¡°Can you please be less narcissistic? How could I have a crush on you?¡± He said these words with some diffidence, and his eyes evaded Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    He was indeed rather confused now. What was wrong with him? Did he really have a crush on Tang Xia now?


    Chu Tiankuo remained calm, but secretly he started to reflect on the length of time he had spent together with Tang Xia so far.


    He had to admit that Tang Xia was a very interesting girl. He always felt relaxed in Tang Xia¡¯s company. It was easy for him to set aside all his worries when he was with her.


    ¡°Did that feeling count as a crush?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked himself, but he didn¡¯t have the answer.


    Tang Xia looked at the calm Chu Tiankuo, and suspicions arose in her mind.


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Tang Xia again, still cherishing the hope. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s reply this time was firmer than the previous one, and he eyed Tang Xia steadily as if he didn¡¯t know why she could ask such a silly question.


    ¡°Of course!¡± replied Chu Tiankuo, as he met Tang Xia¡¯s inquiring eyes.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mood darkened at once.


    Although she had already expected such a reply, she still felt upset and depressed with his unyielding answer.


    She didn¡¯t believe she was being sentimental and forced herself to interpret her complicated emotion as confusion as to what she should do next with the main plot.


    How could Chu Tiankuo not be attracted to her? It didn¡¯t make sense!


    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±


    Tang Xia remembered the Chu Tiankuo from the last broadcast room. Perhaps it was because she had saved him then.


    Then what about this time? Tang Xia didn¡¯t have a clue. Chu Tiankuo in this broadcast room became more discreet than before, probably because he was now the emperor, no doubt. He was by no means a target to be easily conquered by following any old plot.


    Her thoughts were complicated. Perhaps she needed another deus ex machina to make Chu Tiankuo attracted to her?


    After this idea occurred to her, she felt a little relieved, but she was interrupted before she could give it a thorough consideration.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Just as the two of them were stuck in this awkward situtation, one of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s personal eunuchs walked over with something to report.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was serious and he had regained his composure. He summoned the eunuch to his side to whisper the matter in his ear.


    It was nothing significant, but something Chu Tiankuo had to deal with himself.


    After hearing the eunuch out, Chu Tiankuo nodded and signaled the eunuch to step aside. Then he said to Tang Xia. ¡°There¡¯s something urgent I have to deal with now. I¡¯ll come back when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo relaxed after he said this. He could finally escape Tang Xia for a while. He needed time to sort out the mess in his mind.


    Tang Xia nodded with a small curtsy, and watched Chu Tiankuo walking out through the door.


    Standing at the doorstep, Tang Xia leisurely sent away the maid who was there to serve her. She felt regret at missing the chance to observe Chu Tiankuo for a longer time while he was here.


    ¡°Was it her lack of familiarity with Chu Tiankuo that made it so difficult for her to conquer him?¡±


    ¡°What on earth should she do to start a new path?¡±


    Tang Xia almost wanted to break open her own skull and pour out the paste in it to clear her thoughts.


    She returned to her chamber and poured herself a cup of tea unhurriedly, but she was not in the mood to savor its taste.


    The main plot seemed to be her dilemma. She was not living in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s brain and could not guess what he was thinking.


    If Chu Tiankuo was not even slightly attracted to her, all she had done so far amounted to nothing compared to the damage Chu Tiankuo, the big boss, could inflict by doing nothing at all, to her.


    She had to do something!


    ¡°If nothing changes,¡± thought Tang Xia, ¡°I will gradually lose my fans, and my broadcast room will be a desolate place. The result will be catastrophic!¡±


    Tang Xia made a close analysis of the current situation and concluded that some new actions would be required to bring about new episodes in the main plot.


    But what kind of action would make Chu Tiankuo attracted to her?


    Tang Xia was deeply vexed. She found her mental capacity to be at a complete stop. Chu Tiankuo had both a high IQ and EQ. Whatever she intended to do, she had to make sure he would not find out that it was intentional.


    Besides, Chu Tiankuo was living a routine and mundane life. Even if Tang Xia wanted to add some new episodes into his life, she didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Could it be¡­ Perhaps she should do something to his concubines?


    But there was nothing she could do. Tang Xia sighed and rejected that idea.


    She was feeling powerless. What more fun could her broadcast bring to herself and the audience?


    She then turned her focus to her broadcast room and asked her fans, ¡°Tell me. What do you think can make the emperor attracted to me?¡±


    Hardly before she had finished, then the bullet screens started rolling at a crazily high speed instead of the slow pace earlier.


    ¡°You should create a scene to let the emperor save you lol.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stale. I suggest you save the emperor to move his innocent boy heart.¡±


    ¡°Beauty saves hero. That should be fun! Give it a shot!¡±


    ¡°With what happened in the last room, I promise it will definitely succeed.¡±


    Tang Xia was so amused at the funny proposals that her face twitched with laughter. She said, ¡°You are not helping me. You just want to watch me save the emperor to enjoy yourselves, right?¡±


    After saying this, Tang Xia raised her brows and waited for her funny fans to respond, ¡°Wow, how can you doubt our sincerity!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see the emperor¡¯s face when he becomes attracted to you?¡±


    ¡°I agree. I bet the anchor is already inclined to do so!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes moved quickly to catch the information from the fleeting bullet screens, and she was indeed convinced. What they said was just what she had thought about. She couldn¡¯t come up with a better idea for now.


    At this time, a rocket moved slowly upwards on the screen. It was the highest level gift that was a new addition to the broadcast room. It was several times more than the value of the old gifts.


    It meant that the plot she was taking was popular with her fans.


    Considering that the rocket was also displayed in all other broadcast rooms, it would certainly attract lots of new fans into her room.


    Tang Xia was very pleased. There were many secretly rich guys among her fans. This time she merely wanted to get some ideas from the audience. The rocket was an unexpected surprise.


    ¡°If I work harder still, perhaps one day I will be the most popular anchor throughout the internet!¡±


    Her gloom was completely driven away by the gift of the rocket. She felt she was full of power and ready to associate with Chu Tiankuo again.


    Looking back at the bullet screens, she found everyone admiring the rich guy.


    Tang Xia hurried to thank the rich guy and received a private message from him, ¡°Fight on! Conquer the emperor!¡±


    The rich guy might turn out to be a frank and brave girl. Tang Xia laughed, ¡°No problem!¡±


    After making up her mind, she shifted her attention from the bullet screens and refocused on the main plot.


    For one thing, to pay back her rich fans¡¯ gifts and support, she had to play the plot through and make sure that Chu Tiankuo would never refuse her attention ever again!


    ¡°Lyuyou!¡± cried Tang Xia. Lyuyou hurried to her at once.


    ¡°Your Grace, anything you want me to do?¡± said Lyuyou as she approached, looking rather confused when Tang Xia signaled her to come nearer.


    Tang Xia lowered her voice, ¡°Lyuyou, I am entrusting you with a task. You must make it work!¡±


    Lyuyou felt nervous when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s grim expression.


    ¡°You make some preparations in secret later and stay hidden in the Royal Garden.¡± Tang Xia told Lyuyou her plan briefly and gave her the order.


    ¡°Your Grace¡­¡± Lyuyou was a little hesitant. Tang Xia coaxed her adamantly, ¡°Hurry up! This plan can¡¯t fail!¡±


    Lyuyou gritted her teeth, accepted the task with a ¡°yes¡±, and left the chamber.


    Tang Xia raised the teacup in front of her. The tea had cooled a long time ago. She drank it in one gulp by flinging her head backward, smoothed her clothes and headed for Chu Tiankuo¡¯s place.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Yue Ji requests an audience!¡±

 Chapter 99

    The announcement from the eunuch surprised Chu Tiankuo as he did not know why Tang Xia would want to meet him at this time.


    ¡°Did she tell you why she wants to meet me?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked. As he was editing the memorial to the throne, he did not want to waste his time.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The eunuch shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Her Grace did not tell me.¡± Yue Ji had asked the eunuch to announce to His Majesty that she wanted to meet him so urgently that the eunuch had forgotten to ask her the reason in wanting to meet the emperor.


    The eunuch felt quite perturbed by this omission on his part and hoped that His Majesty would not punish him.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Tiankuo waved his hand, looking at the memorials to the throne that he had not read yet. Then he said, ¡°Tell Yue Ji that I have some memorials to the throne to deal with.


    ¡°If she has something urgent to tell me, she can come in now. If not, I¡¯ll meet her when I finish my work.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo thought his emphasis should always be on state affairs, so he decided he would finish his work first if Tang Xia had nothing urgent.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The eunuch obeyed and closed the door as he left the room.


    Tang Xia who had been waiting for a long time, walked forward immediately as soon as she saw the eunuch coming out.


    ¡°Eunuch, what did His Majesty say? Is he willing to see me?¡±


    After she finished her sentence, she looked about her. Then she took out a silk bag and gave it to the eunuch quickly as there was no one around.


    It was quite necessary to grease the palms of these eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial palace. People would agree to help those they owe, right? So Tang Xia would not be afraid that people would refuse to help her as they had gained many benefits from her.


    Not knowing what was in the silk bag, the eunuch caught it due to his conditioned reflexes. Then he weighed the silk bag in hand and found it a little heavy.


    So he knew what it contained. Now that Tang Xia had given it to him, he would be happy to accept it.


    The eunuch put the silk bag into his sleeve and pretended to say perplexedly to Tang Xia, ¡°Your Grace, I have told His Majesty what you said, but His Majesty said¡­¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Tang Xia asked hurriedly.


    ¡°His Majesty is editing memorials to the throne. He asked whether it is something urgent.¡±


    As the eunuch said this, he raised his head to check Tang Xia¡¯s look. Noticing that Tang Xia was not angry, he added, ¡°If it is not urgent, please wait for His Majesty to finish his work.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing urgent.¡±


    Knowing that Chu Tiankuo was editing the memorials of the throne, Tang Xia did not want to interrupt his work as she did not want to be the imperial concubine who brought calamity to the country. So she decided to wait until Chu Tiankuo finished his work.


    ¡°So how many memorials of the throne does His Majesty need to edit?¡±


    Tang Xia thought it would be wise to know the number first. She could come back next time if there were still many memorials of the throne left.


    The eunuch recalled what he had seen on the desk before he left, with his head tilted to one side and answered,


    ¡°Only four or five memorials to the throne are left, Your Grace. Do you want to wait for His Majesty until he finishes his work? I¡¯ll let His Majesty know that now¡­¡±


    ¡°Four or five memorials to the throne? It seems that it is not too many¡­¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head and made her decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him. Please let His Majesty know.¡±


    It was wise to treat others politely, so Tang Xia¡¯s attitude towards the eunuch was quite good even though she was an imperial concubine.


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Your Grace.¡±


    After bowing to Tang Xia, the eunuch went into the room again. Tang Xia who had nothing to do, had no choice but to wander around, waiting for Chu Tiankuo until he finished his work. And the eunuch came close to Chu Tiankuo after he got into the room.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked in a low voice, when he heard the approaching footsteps.


    ¡°Yue Ji said she had nothing urgent so she will wait for you until you finish your work, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Chu Tiankuo nodded and asked, ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°Yue Ji is waiting outside the room. Please hurry and finish your work so that Yue Ji can meet you soon, Your Majesty.¡± Then the eunuch glanced at the desk and found there were still three or four memorials to the throne left.


    ¡°Well, you are right.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo agreed with the eunuch as he thought it would be tiring for Tang Xia to wait outside the room. He did not want her to wait too long.


    So Chu Tiankuo buried his head in the memorials to the throne. After almost half an hour, he finished his work.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Let Yue Ji in.¡± Chu Tiankuo ordered.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The eunuch obeyed and left.


    ¡°Your Grace, His Majesty asks that you go in.¡± The moment the eunuch got out, he found that Tang Xia was hovering near the doorway, ¡°Your Grace, please follow me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tang Xia went into the room, following behind the eunuch.


    While the eunuch asked Tang Xia to get into the room, Chu Tiankuo arranged the memorials to the throne neatly on the desk. When he raised his head, Tang Xia stood in front of him with a smile, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Rise. Why are you here?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked.


    ¡°Nothing, actually.¡±


    After she bowed to Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia stood up, ¡°I thought it is so tiring for you to deal with state affairs every day. So I want to ask you to come with me to the Royal Garden so that you can relax and enjoy the great scenery.¡±


    Enjoying the scenery was the secondary reason. The most important thing was that she needed to pull off the show of ¡®a beauty saved the hero¡¯.


    Lyuyou was lurking in the Royal Garden, so what Tang Xia needed to do was to guide Chu Tiankuo there.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Chu Tiankuo felt happy about Tang Xia¡¯s concern. He stood up and walked toward Tang Xia with a smile. Then he held Tang Xia¡¯s hand naturally,


    ¡°I do feel tired after editing so many memorials to the throne, it will be good for me to go out for a walk.¡± Chu Tiankuo turned his head around and said to the eunuch, ¡°Arrange the carriage for me. Let¡¯s go to the Royal Garden.¡±


    Tang Xia stopped the eunuch before he could speak, ¡°Wait!¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo and the eunuch looked enquiringly at Tang Xia, Tang Xia wore an embarrassed smile and said, ¡°I just want to spend some time with you only, Your Majesty. There is no need to bring other servants. Is that ok?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s coquetry made Chu Tiankuo feel so satisfied that he acceded to her request immediately.


    As planned, Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo went to the Royal Garden without any servants.


    As Tang Xia enjoyed the scenery, she guided Chu Tiankuo calmly to the place where Lyuyou was lurking.


    ¡°Look at that, Your Majesty. That flower is so beautiful.¡± Tang Xia said, trying to distract Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo agreed with Tang Xia¡¯s words and looked at the flower pointed out by Tang Xia, not noticing that Tang Xia had gestured towards Lyuyou.


    Lyuyou obeyed and shot an arrow in the direction of Chu Tiankuo.


    The silver arrow flew towards Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo with a ¡®whooshing¡¯ sound. As Tang Xia reached out to intercept the arrow, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s reaction was faster than hers.


    Chu Tiankuo held Tang Xia into his arms and pushed her aside before the arrow could hit her in the back.


    ¡°Are you ok? Are you hurt?¡± Chu Tiankuo released Tang Xia and asked in a tense tone.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face turned white with fear. What shocked her was not the arrow but the moment when Chu Tiankuo held her in his arms.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why did you stand in front of me? What should I do if the arrow hits you? Do you think I cannot avoid it?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was a little angry as Tang Xia did not seem to cherish her life. In the meantime, he was also moved because he did not expect that Tang Xia was willing to protect him while risking her own life.


    ¡°It is my pleasure to die for you, Your Majesty.¡±


    It would have been impossible to die as Tang Xia intended to push Chu Tiankuo to the ground. So the arrow would not hurt her. Tang Xia was not that stupid to lose her life to ¡®rescue anyone¡¯. Besides, it was an ¡®accident¡¯ planned by her, how could she possibly get hurt?


    But she forgot that Chu Tiankuo was an indefinite factor. ¡°Ah! What a mistake!¡±


    Tang Xia was mentally complaining that Chu Tiankuo did not play by the conventional plot in her mind as she intended to complete the show of ¡®a beauty saved the hero¡¯. However, Chu Tiankuo helped her avoid the arrow, which was quite the opposite situation.


    ¡°I need to do it again.¡±


    As Tang Xia thought of this, she winked at Lyuyou. Lyuyou was a little hesitant, but she decided to shoot another arrow.


    Chu Tiankuo was confident that the assassin would definitely leave since he had failed the first time. However, another arrow flew towards them.


    Chu Tiankuo did not react in time this round, so Tang Xia brought Chu Tiankuo down successfully before they got hurt.


    As Tang Xia brought Chu Tiankuo down, their position was quite ambiguous¡ªTang Xia was on top of Chu Tiankuo while Chu Tiankuo was holding her waist.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?¡± Tang Xia blushed. Then she distangled herself from Chu Tiankuo and got off him quickly.


    After Tang Xia stood up, she helped Chu Tiankuo to stand up, too. Chu Tiankuo replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    What had happened was too odd¡ªaccording to convention, the assassin should leave after the first failure, but this assassin was too bold.


    That was the reason why Chu Tiankuo did not react in time.


    But, it seemed that something went wrong.


    Tang Xia had stood in front of him when the first arrow came. It would have hit Tang Xia if he had not reacted quickly.


    And Tang Xia brought him down when the second arrow came. How did Tang Xia know that the assassin would shoot another arrow at that time? In other words, did Tang Xia conspire with the assassin?


    Chu Tiankuo felt a little embarrassed and looked at Tang Xia suspiciously. Then he asked, ¡°Yue Ji, are you trying hard to get close to me?¡±

 Chapter 100

    As Tang Xia¡¯s plot had been discovered, she wore an embarrassed smile and touched her nose subconsciously. Then she looked at Chu Tiankuo coyly and prepared to leave.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s blushing face, Chu Tiankuo laughed to himself. But he wore a poker face, pretending to be quite calm. As he choked back his laugh, Chu Tiankuo glanced at Tang Xia and said slowly,


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    As Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo, she became more embarrassed and scratched her head. Then she said blushingly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Is it?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s behavior was so becoming that Chu Tiankuo wanted to tease her more, so he said, ¡°It seems that you are unwilling to admit your mistake.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Tang Xia lowered her head, raised her eyes to take a look at Chu Tiankuo secretly and stamped her foot in shyness. When Lyuyou saw Tang Xia¡¯s behavior, she exclaimed, ¡°Is this Tang Xia, the woman I know?¡±


    As Lyuyou finished her sentence, she saw Tang Xia running away with a crafty look. ¡°This is the woman I know.¡± Then she touched her chin while hiding in the shadows and observed Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    While Lyuyou was deep in thought, she heard Tang Xia¡¯s shout. Then Lyuyou rubbed her ears and peeped out from the darkness.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    As Lyuyou popped her head out, what she saw was so shocking that her shout was a little loud. So Lyuyou covered her mouth with her hands immediately and gaped at Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo from that short distance.


    ¡°Are you trying to run away?¡± As Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia who was ready to leave, he stretched out his arm and pulled her back. Then he held Tang Xia by the waist and lowered his head slowly.


    ¡°What¡­what are you doing?¡±


    Tang Xia was pulled into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms so suddenly that she could not react for a moment and spluttered.


    ¡°What did you think I was going to do?¡± Chu Tiankuo whispered in Tang Xia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Are you in love with me?¡±


    When Tang Xia noticed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s behavior, she poked him in the back with one finger and asked him this question slowly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± As Chu Tiankuo wanted to tease her, he looked into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes and asked her in return.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be true.¡± Looking at Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia said this tentatively as she did not believe that he could fall in love with her, let alone Chu Tiankuo himself.


    ¡°He-he.¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Chu Tiankuo let go of Tang Xia and pushed her away. Then he tidied himself up and said to Tang Xia before he left.


    ¡°Have you become a hypochondriac?¡± Then Chu Tiankuo held back his laughter and left quickly.


    After Lyuyou followed Chu Tiankuo with her eyes, she came out slowly and stood beside Tang Xia, ¡°Ah, King Chu deserves to be King Chu. He is so different from others. Other kings will definitely kill you if you dare say such a thing to him.¡±


    Tang Xia stood there and smiled, looking into the direction where Chu Tiankuo had gone.


    ¡°It never occurred to me that you will be like this.¡±


    As Tang Xia thought of this, she did not stay in the garden anymore and left for her palace.


    When Tang Xia was still sleeping the next morning, she heard some noises outside her room. Then she rubbed her sleepy eyes and called gently,


    ¡°Lyuyou.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Your Grace.¡±


    The moment Lyuyou heard Tang Xia¡¯s calling, she ran to Tang Xia and stood beside her. ¡°What can I do for you, Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Check out why it is so noisy outside.¡± Tang Xia opened her eyes to take a look at Lyuyou and said slowly.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    After hearing what Tang Xia had said, Lyuyou ran to the door with baby steps and opened the door. Then she asked the maid,¡±What¡¯s going on? Why was it so noisy just now?¡±


    ¡°Sister Lyuyou,¡± The maid who cleaned the corridor bowed to Lyuyou and said, ¡°Lengmei and the other imperial concubines came here suddenly and asked Her Grace to admire the beauty of the flowers in the backyard garden this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite them inside?¡±


    Although Lyuyou knew what was happening after hearing the maid¡¯s words, she stayed calm and collected her thoughts.


    ¡°Sister Lyuyou, they said that Her Grace must be sleeping so they did not want to disturb her.¡±


    That maid peeked at Lyuyou timidly.


    ¡°Alright, I see. Go on with what you are doing.¡±


    As Lyuyou had obtained the information she wanted, she waved her hand, indicating that the maid could leave. Then Lyuyou turned around and walked towards Tang Xia¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tang Xia was in the bedroom, being helped by several palace maids to get dressed, heard the sound of the door and raised her eyes to take a look at Lyuyou. Then she asked slowly,


    ¡°Your Grace, the maid at the door said Lengmei and the other imperial concubines will be admiring the beauty of flowers in the backyard garden this afternoon and they are inviting you to join them.¡± Lyuyou stood beside the screen and looked at Tang Xia.


    ¡°OK, I see.¡± After hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words, Tang Xia wore an unexplainable smile and gestured at the palace maids to get them to leave.


    After the palace maids left, Tang Xia looked at Lyuyou and said in a gentle voice, ¡°What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, they don¡¯t have any good intentions. No good thing will happen as they came here on purpose and did not come in.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you.¡± As Tang Xia sat by the window, she drew her eyebrows and said carelessly.


    ¡°So shall we go, Your Grace?¡±


    Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia and asked gently.


    ¡°Of course. Why not?¡±


    Tang Xia sneered, ¡°No good thing will happen from their invitation this time, but I won¡¯t be bullied easily.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Lyuyou nodded her head and stepped forward. Then she put a hairpin into Tang Xia¡¯s hair for her.


    In the blink of an eye, the appointed time came. Tang Xia walked slowly towards the backyard garden, accompanied by Lyuyou.


    ¡°Yo, here comes Sister Tang Xia.¡± As Tang Xia was walking along the street, a woman whose face was heavily powdered, walked slowly towards Tang Xia, with her bucket waist.


    The moment Tang Xia saw this woman, she held back the urge to throw up and bowed to the woman, ¡°Greetings, Sister.¡±


    ¡°Why stand on ceremony, my younger sister?¡± The woman took Tang Xia by the hand and went on slowly, ¡°Were you not invited to admire the beauty of flowers?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Tang Xia drew her hand from the woman¡¯s arm in a casual way and politely replied her question with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, your hairpin is so beautiful.¡± That woman drew back some distance from Tang Xia and said in a surprised tone, her fingers pointing at Tang Xia¡¯s hairpin.


    ¡°Is it?¡± Tang Xia touched her hairpin and wore a faint smile, ¡°I think it is not bad. I can present it to you if you like.¡± As Tang Xia said this, it seemed like she was going to pluck the hairpin off.


    ¡°It is so kind of you.¡±


    The moment the woman heard Tang Xia¡¯s words, she smiled.


    ¡°Thanks for your kindness.¡± ¡°But it is hard to understand what His Majesty is thinking about. I guess you know that being in the king¡¯s company is tantamount to living with a tiger, my younger sister.¡±


    The woman covered her mouth with a circular fan and smiled discreetly. Then she held Tang Xia¡¯s hand and said earnestly.


    ¡°Now your status is not the same as before, you cannot do what you used to do.¡±


    ¡°Sister, when did you start being so concerned about me?¡± The more Tang Xia listened to the woman¡¯s words, the more uncomfortable she felt. So she stopped the woman with her words.


    That woman was a little embarrassed by Tang Xia¡¯s words but was interrupted before she could say something.


    ¡°You are here, Sister Tang Xia. Please have a seat.¡±


    Tang Xia took a glance at the woman who talked to her¡ªLengmei and said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yo, do you still regard yourself as the beloved imperial concubine? What a terrible attitude you have!¡±


    ¡°Right, my younger sister. You should watch your mouth.¡± All the people started to talk to her earnestly.


    As Tang Xia looked at these people, she asked, with furrowed eyebrows, ¡°Where did you get this news?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, my sisters. We are here to admire the beauty of flowers rather than waste our breath.¡± As Lengmei noticed that Tang Xia did not respond, she thought it was boring to make fun of her and stopped the imperial concubines.


    ¡°Right.¡± Everyone in the imperial harem was likely to change their views according to circumstances, so they all agreed with Lengmei and dispersed immediately.


    ¡°Sister, if you have nothing else, I¡¯ll leave now as I don¡¯t feel good today.¡± Tang Xia looked at the imperial concubines coldly.


    ¡°You are indeed in poor health, how could I forget that? After all, your hypochondriasis is quite serious now. Go back to your palace if you are tired. But do not forget to attend the banquet tonight.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for reminding me.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head slightly and walked away.


    ¡°Your Grace, are you going to attend the banquet tonight?¡± Lyuyou standing at the side, looked worriedly at Tang Xia and asked her gingerly.


    ¡°Of course. Why not?¡± Tang Xia wore a smile, ¡°How could they mock me like that? I must figure out what is going on tonight.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Lyuyou nodded her head and guided Tang Xia to the place for the banquet.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± As Tang Xia walked by, the soldiers by the door merely greeted Tang Xia without bowing to her. Tang Xia smiled when she saw this situation and walked in.


    ¡°Concubine Tang Xia.¡± The moment Tang Xia walked in the door, she was stopped by a chill female voice. After taking a look at Chu Tiankuo who was sitting on the platform, Tang Xia turned around slowly.


    ¡°I heard that you are not feeling good these days. Do you need me to foretell for you?¡± Zui Linglong stood there and looked at Tang Xia with an ambiguous smile.


    ¡°No.¡± Tang Xia said and was ready to leave.


    ¡°I heard your hypochondriasis is quite serious. Are you sure you don¡¯t need my fortunetelling?¡± Zui Linglong asked aggressively.


    Lyuyou noticed that Tang Xia wanted to retaliate, so she stopped her by saying in a voice that could only be heard by several people, ¡°Your Grace, do not bother to argue with them.¡±

 Chapter 101

    Although Lyuyou said so, Tang Xia was reluctant to eat humble pie.


    Zui Linglong had always said to her in a sarcastic tone that she would regard Tang Xia as HelloKitty if Tang Xia could not bear any insults. After taking a look at Chu Tiankuo, who was enjoying the show, Tang Xia wore a sly smile.


    Tang Xia then put on an aggrieved look and jumped on Chu Tianku.


    ¡°Your Majesty, how could you tell the other imperial concubines about our conversation?¡±


    ¡°It is all right that your imperial concubines are making jokes about me, but what if your people regard your empress as a fool who is a hypochondriac.¡±


    ¡°It will definitely do damage to our national prestige. How could you do such a thing, Your Majesty.¡± Tang Xia paused and looked at Chu Tiankuo as if he was quite ignorant.


    As Tang Xia involved Chu Tiankuo in this matter, Chu Tiankuo could not find a reason to vindicate himself within such a short time.


    ¡°Tang Xia is such an interesting woman!¡± Chu Tiankuo felt rather happy but pretended to say reluctantly,


    ¡°Alright, it is my fault that I wronged you¡± Then Chu Tiankuo held Tang Xia in his arms to comfort her.


    The other imperial concubines felt quite disappointed as if they had fallen into an ice cellar at the sight of the deep love between the emperor and the empress.


    As the matters in the imperial harem were under the charge of the empress, it would be fine for them to hit her when she was down, if Tang Xia was truly out of favor with His Majesty,


    But they could tell that His Majesty still favored Tang Xia, which meant that they would not lead a good life in the imperial harem. So one imperial concubine said hurriedly,


    ¡°I propose a toast to Your Majesty and Your Grace for your eternal love.¡± Other imperial concubines repeated the words. Then Tang Xia raised the glass and drank it all even before Chu Tiankuo drank his wine.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you wait for me to drink the wine, my empress?¡±


    After hearing what Chu Tiankuo had said, Tang Xia realized that she should have waited for him to drink the wine.


    ¡°I forgot, Your Majesty.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled in embarassment. ¡°You are so frank, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s have another drink.¡±


    Tang Xia drank the wine so fast that her cheeks turned pink because of the alcohol, which gave her quite a certain charisma. Chu Tiankuo wanted to see what she would be like if she had another drink.


    After hearing what Chu Tiankuo said, Tang Xia was quite pleased as she thought the fruit wine was sweet and wanted to have another drink.


    ¡°Sure, let me refill your glass, Your Majesty.¡±


    At this time, the more Tang Xia did, the other imperial concubines would become more frightened. Tang Xia did not mind that she was doing something for His Majesty to frighten those imperial concubines. Then Tang Xia took the wine pot from the servant and refilled Chu Tiankuo¡¯s glass.


    As Tang Xia was ready to drink the wine after they both raised their glasses, Chu Tiankuo pulled her hand. Then they drank ¡°cross-cupped wine¡± from each other¡¯s glasses.


    ¡°This wine tastes good.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his head and smiled at Tang Xia. Although Tang Xia knew Chu Tiankuo was a handsome guy, she was enraptured by his charisma for a moment. ¡°Calm down, Tang Xia. His good looks is ordinary.¡±


    Tang Xia thought so in her mind. Other imperial concubines would be so pissed off if they knew that Tang Xia regarded Chu Tiankuo¡¯s good looks as ordinary as they thought no one was more charismatic than Chu Tiankuo was. Tang Xia said this to herself and then raised her glass and drank it all.


    As the alcohol content of the fruit wine was not high, Tang Xia did not feel dizzy. However, her face became hotter and she had to put the back of her hand on her face to cool it down.


    Anran, standing aside,noticed Tang Xia¡¯s looks, so she presented the handkerchief to Tang Xia immediately. However, Chu Tiankuo took it before Tang Xia could get it.


    ¡°Look at you, you are almost like a little drunk cat.¡±


    Although Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was not loud, the other imperial concubines around them could hear what he said. Then Chu Tiankuo wiped Tang Xia¡¯s face gently. As the night breeze swept by, Tang Xia felt refreshed but hot again.


    ¡°Are you in love with me?¡±


    Tang Xia whispered to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°You think too much. I just want my people to see the emperor and the empress in deep love and harmony.¡±


    This reason convinced both Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo. However, they forgot that what the common people wanted to see most was any interesting episodes among the imperial harem rather than the harmony between the emperor and the empress.


    Such a reason was the tool for them to avoid their true feelings.


    While Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo enjoyed conjugal bliss, Zui Linglong was grinding her teeth in anger.


    It never occurred to her that Chu Tiankuo still favored Tang Xia.


    ¡°Damn it! Nowhere is she better than me! How dare Tang Xia strive for His Majesty¡¯s favor with me?¡± No one noticed that Linglong¡¯s face was twisted with jealousy as everyone was paying attention to Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia.


    However, Zui Linglong could not lose her temper for the moment. As one imperial concubine after another, took a look at her, Zui Linglong calmed down and behaved herself well and comforted all the restless imperial concubines.


    As it was getting late, Tang Xia yawned.


    She took a look at Chu Tiankuo who was still energetic and waited for him to dismiss the banquet. ¡°Beauty sleep is quite important for women, why doesn¡¯t he dismiss the banquet?¡±


    As Tang Xia felt restless, she had an impatient look on her face.


    Chu Tiankuo tittered in his mind at the sight of Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    After Chu Tiankuo stood up, Tang Xia thought he would announce the end of the banquet and straightened her clothes to sit properly. Unexpectedly, Chu Tiankuo said,


    ¡°My beloved imperial concubines, it is such a beautiful night with a clear moon and few stars. Let¡¯s have another drink.¡±


    All the other imperial concubines raised their glasses on hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words.


    After Chu Tiankuo raised his glass, he took a glance at Tang Xia secretly¡ªher lowered head and down-turned lips indicated her sulkiness.


    ¡°Never mind. Why do I bother taking offense at her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s call it a night.¡±


    As soon as he finished his sentence, the servant standing aside, asked immediately,


    ¡°Which palace do you want to spend your night, Your Majesty?¡± All the imperial concubines turned to stare at Chu Tiankuo obsequiously, upon hearing the servant¡¯s words.


    ¡°My joke angered my empress. I¡¯ll spend the night in her palace to comfort her.¡±


    On hearing what Chu Tiankuo had said, Tang Xia froze for a moment, ¡°Can¡¯t I have a good rest tonight?¡± She had no choice but to reply,


    ¡°Welcome, Your Majesty.¡±


    As the emperor would be going to the empress¡¯s palace, the other imperial concubines had nothing to do and went to Zui Linglong¡¯s palace.


    Zui Linglong was quite restless, but she had to stay calm at this moment.


    ¡°No matter how powerful the empress is, she is alone. I can get help from the other imperial concubines so that I will definitely gain His Majesty¡¯s love someday.¡± Zui Linglong had her palace maid serve tea and cakes to the other imperial concubines.


    ¡°I have nowhere to go if I cannot stay in your palace, my sister.¡± One imperial concubine wiped her tears.


    ¡°His Majesty only favors the empress, he does not care about us at all. Why should I become the imperial concubine if I don¡¯t love His Majesty¡¯s good looks?¡±


    ¡°Right! If I did not happen to see His Majesty¡¯s charisma, I would not have asked my parents to let me become the imperial concubine.¡±


    As the topic turned to how they fell in love with His Majesty, Zui Linglong said, ¡°We all know well about His Majesty¡¯s charisma.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t expect that His Majesty loves us like the empress. We have to be satisfied as long as His Majesty can think of us sometimes. However, he only favors Tang Xia¡­¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. Although the harmony between the emperor and the empress should be guaranteed, it is crucial for the emperor to treat his imperial concubines fairly. As the empress, she should persuade His Majesty rather than solely enjoying his favor.¡±


    ¡°She is a woman. Who wants to share her husband with others?¡±


    ¡°But her husband is the emperor, not any ordinary man!¡±


    ¡°In the view of the ministers, His Majesty may be the emperor. But we regard him as our husband!¡±


    ¡°We? I¡¯m afraid that only the empress can treat His Majesty like her husband.¡±


    ¡°Yep, His Majesty is so kind to the empress tonight. We have never enjoyed such preferential treatment. ¡±


    ¡°I thought the empress has lost His Majesty¡¯s favor. Why is His Majesty so good to her today?¡± An imperial concubine asked.


    ¡°Right. Who spread the news? It really does us a disservice.¡±


    ¡°Save it. You were all active participators in hitting Tang Xia when she is down.¡± Zui Linglong thought so in her mind, but she said,


    ¡°It is not the time for internal strife. We should work out together how we can gain His Majesty¡¯s favor.¡±


    One imperial concubine said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I got it right. Now that His Majesty only favors Tang Xia, we should deal with the empress together if we want to gain His Majesty¡¯s favor. Or His Majesty will never pay attention to us.¡±


    ¡°You are right. His Majesty only favors the empress, he hardly notices us. I cannot submit to such humiliation.¡±


    ¡°You have to eat humble pie as the empress is more favored by His Majesty than you are. As far as I¡¯m concerned, His Majesty¡¯s favor to Tang Xia will not last long. Although the empress can be regarded as unique among the imperial concubines, the freshness will fade away eventually.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but when will the freshness fade away?¡±


    ¡°It is OK for us to wait for one or two years. What if we need to wait for eight or ten years? We will be old and ugly by that time. Besides, new women will continuously be introduced into the imperial harem, how can we compete with them? So in my view, we should find a way to deal with the empress.¡±


    ¡°I know of one medicine which will do damage to the body and disable the person, if she uses it on frequently to get pregnant. If we let the empress use this medicine¡­¡±


    ¡°Tampering with her diet in the long run? It is quite difficult as you will definitely die if you are caught. In my view, we should use poison as all troubles end when the main trouble ends.¡±


    ¡°But His Majesty will sometimes dine with the empress without advance notice. What if we poison the emperor¡­¡±


    So as they discussed all this for a long time without one useful advice, Zui Linglong felt quite restless.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Zui Linglong said in a heavy tone. However, the imperial concubines were talking so fiercely among themselves that they did not hear what she said. So Zui Linglong raised her voice and said again,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Her voice was so serious that all the imperial concubines froze.


    ¡°You have discussed this for such a long time without one useful advice. Don¡¯t forget that it will be useless to do anything if His Majesty favors her. The emperor favors her so much.¡±

 Chapter 102

    Lengmei thought that she would suffer much if she did not take the initiative.


    For the moment, Tang Xia was in much favor with Chu Tiankuo as he, as the emperor could punish other imperial concubines, just because Tang Xia was unhappy.


    Lengmei was quite aware that she should get rid of Tang Xia as soon as possible. Otherwise, Tang Xia would definitely be an obstacle who would prevent herself from being the empress.


    After thinking it through, Lengmei thought the only person who could help her was Zui Linglong; She could find a way to get rid of Tang Xia for her. Otherwise, Lengmei could not sleep well.


    So Lengmei, together with the other imperial concubines, went to ask Zui Linglong for help.


    On this dark and windy night, the sky was overcast and the moon was covered by the clouds, which highlighted the gloom and mystery of the mansion. Only the flickering glow of lights indicated that there were people living here.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s mansion was quite unique as there were pieces of red cloth with a copper bell attached, hanging in the long corridor. The copper bells in the faint light, highlighted the mystery of her mansion.


    As the night breeze swept by, the copper bells clanged and the sounds could be heard all over the mansion as if the layered but dull sounds were spread out throughout.


    As there were no servants who were on night patrol, the whole mansion looked dark and frightening.


    But Lengmei and other imperial concubines were not afraid of this. They opened the back door secretly under the cloak of darkness and sneaked towards Zui Linglong¡¯s room.


    Everything was quiet.


    Lengmei and the other imperial concubines wore night clothing so that people would not notice them walking in the darkness.


    When they got to Zui Linglong¡¯s room, Lengmei did not hurry to knock at the door but pierced the window paper with her finger, after coating it with her saliva.


    A ray of faint light could be seen through the hole immediately. Lengmei looked into the room through the hole but could not find anyone in it.


    Lengmei felt puzzled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Zui Linglong be in her mansion now? Where could she be at this late hour?¡±


    As Lengmei did not what to do, a flat voice came from the room.


    ¡°Since you are at my mansion this late, you must want to get some help from me. Why are you still standing there? Come in.¡±


    Lengmei was frightened for a moment; her heartbeat quickened but calmed down in a short time. ¡°It turned out that Zui Linglong knows we are here, but she is hiding on purpose. It seems that Zui Linglong knows her stuff, or she would not have known so much.¡±


    So Lengmei and other imperial concubines got rid of their disguises and entered the room. Zui Linglong served them tea and sat calmly on the red-painted chair, her dark eyes showing no emotions at all.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    After Lengmei and the other imperial concubines sat down, they did not beat around the bush,


    ¡°I came because I want you to help us get rid of one person so that I can gain His Majesty¡¯s favor.¡±


    The other imperial concubines nodded their heads. One could tell from their disgusted looks that they thought this person must be eliminated.


    All the imperial concubines felt quite sulky because of the wrongs they had suffered today. How could they be fooled by such a small fry? So they took the risk of coming to Zui Linglong¡¯s mansion and asking her for help tonight.


    Only she could help them.


    Zui Linglong was quite aware of whom they wanted to get rid of. Who had caused such utter confusion as to make everybody nervous?


    Only this woman called Tang Xia who had gained His Majesty¡¯s favor. How could she be so lucky that His Majesty¡¯s love for her was unprecedented?


    It was no wonder that the other imperial concubines were so pissed off. Tang Xia was so high-profiled that she was regarded as an eyesore by the other imperial concubines.


    Lengmei noticed that Zui Linglong was thinking and she knew that Zui Linglong could find a way to get rid of Tang Xia for her. She hated Tang Xia so much that she could not help asking,


    ¡°Can you find a way, Zui Linglong? Please tell me.¡±


    Zui Linglong did have a solution, but she did not say it out immediately. Instead, she kept quiet for a moment until Lengmei and the other imperial concubines could not wait anymore and asked impatiently.


    ¡°Just tell us the solution. We are willing to try anything.¡±


    Zui Linglong had no choice but to say,


    ¡°I do have a solution. The best way to get rid of her is to let His Majesty forsake her. Without the emperor¡¯s protection, it will be quite easy to get rid of her. So the most difficult part for you is His Majesty.¡±


    After hearing Zui Linglong¡¯s words, the imperial concubines present were all puzzled and did not know what they should do exactly.


    What did ¡®let His Majesty forsake her¡¯ mean? His Majesty was the emperor, how could it possible to control his mind to make him forsake Tang Xia?


    All the imperial concubines had unhappy looks on their faces.


    When she saw this, Zui Linglong explained to them immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It is quite simple as long as I explain it to you.¡±


    ¡°What we should do is to let His Majesty think that Tang Xia does not like him. Think about it, how can His Majesty tolerate a woman not liking him? Such a thing will definitely irritate him so that it will be easy to get rid of Tang Xia later.¡±


    All the imperial concubines present, smiled right away as they knew the meaning of Zui Linglong¡¯s words.


    Indeed, as long as His Majesty thought that Tang Xia did not like him, His Majesty must be pissed off. How could he let such a thing happen?


    It was truly a good way.


    But how would they let His Majesty believe that Tang Xia did not like him? It was a little tricky.


    ¡°So what should we do to let His Majesty believe that Tang Xia does not like him? It is a bit difficult.¡±


    However, Zui Linglong acted like she had a well-thought-out plan without any trace of puzzlement. Her composed eyes and crooked mouth indicated that she had a surefire way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a card up my sleeve.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Let us know so that we can prepare and help you.¡±


    Zui Linglong shook her head mysteriously. Then she looked at the flickering candlelight and said,


    ¡°You need to do nothing. The only thing you can do is to wait.¡±


    The imperial concubines wanted to say more. But the moment they saw the flickering fire with its somewhat powerful force in Zui Linglong¡¯s eyes, they held back their questions and left as quietly as they came.


    Everything was at peace as if nothing had happened. But it was the calm before the storm. A good show could be expected.


    Above all, Zui Linglong felt the opportunity was coming close so that the show would start soon.


    When Tang Xia was sleeping deeply at night, she sneezed suddenly and said with sleepy eyes,


    ¡°Who is speaking ill of me behind my back?¡±


    Several days later, a prince from Country of Nanmen would come to the Country of Xia. Tang Xia learned secretly that he was a super handsome guy,


    He was as charismatic as the male celebrity in her modern time. And above all, the prince was a handsome guy without the help of plastic surgery. Tang Xia would receive the prince on behalf of her country.


    Tang Xia felt quite satisfied at the thought of this and thanked Chu Tiankuo for giving her such a good chance to appreciate the prince¡¯s charm.


    On that day, Tang Xia got up early to let her maid freshen her up. What¡¯s more, she wore a pink embroidered long robe with an ornate hairpin so that crisp and pleasant sounds would linger in the ears when she walked.


    Then she hurriedly asked her maid whether she looked beautiful. After getting a positive answer, Tang Xia who was surrounded by people, went to receive the prince from Country Nanmen¡ªNanmen Yi.


    When Tang Xia saw Nanmen Yi in person, she was almost shocked by his glamor as she did not expect that he would be so handsome. It was truly like the old saying that ¡®the beauty in the high places is like jade, while that of a handsome young man is unmatched in the world¡¯.


    What a charismatic young man! He was like the Adonis in the picture.


    His black hair was held up by a jade crown while his skin was as fair as snow and his eyes were as shiny as stars. But his charisma was not the high-profiled type.


    Instead, he had an air of elegance and tenderness, which made him as mild as a painting which stayed there quietly.


    Today, Nanmen Yi wore white fancy clothes with only some patterns of pine and bamboo. There were no other ornaments on him, except for one jade pendant attached to his waist.


    Tang Xia became his fan immediately. And her reasoning refrained her from carrying out any indiscreet behavior.


    ¡°You must feel exhausted from a long journey. Go and freshen up and have a good rest.¡±


    However, Nanmen Yi refused Tang Xia¡¯s suggestion politely. Faint as his smile was, Tang Xia regarded it as beautiful as the shiny star.


    ¡°I come here shouldering the responsibility for our country, so I dare not have a rest. It will be better to start my mission soon.¡±


    Tang Xia became more impressed by him, ¡°What a responsible man!¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me what your important task is?¡±


    Nanmen Yi smiled.


    ¡°Of course. My father told me to come to the Country of Xia so that I can ask Zui Linglong to divine the fortune of our country. So I dare not have a rest as I should put our national interests first.¡±


    Then Tang Xia had someone invite Zui Linglong. Zui Linglong came in a short time, and Nanmen Yi made a gesture indicating ¡®please¡¯ and said to her.


    ¡°Could you please divine the fortune of our country? My father has always been concerned about it so I dare not forget that. Please tell me the results after you divine the fortune of our country.¡±


    After Zui Linglong nodded, Nanmen Yi said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start the divination.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Zui Linglong was a little dissatisfied when she heard that provocative statement. Her eyes widened and her face flushed bright red. With her white suit, she looked like an apple which was stuck on a piece of white paper.


    But Zui Linglong was really worried about this divination task. Because she could divine well, it was very normal to have her do this divination.


    In this formal sort of occasion, Zui Linglong also had to give others some form of respect. After all, she did not want to have a bad time in the future, and she was not willing to offend the other side, who was the Prince.


    But being instructed so ruthlessly was not Zui Linglong¡¯s style! She thought about what to do next to make herself appear less humble. At least, it would be better to let another person be the scapegoat.


    ¡°Imperial concubine Wu was a bit excessive when she made that remark. This person shouldn¡¯t be that kind of person who wanted to watch the fun!¡± While Zui Linglong prepared for the divination, she was also wondering how to deal with this type of provocation.


    Suddenly, Zui Linglong rolled her eyes, ¡°Heihei, anyway, it¡¯s just a ritual. So, I¡¯ll use it to frame imperial concubine Wu!¡±


    Suddenly, when this idea came to her, Zui Linglong could not help but smile widely!


    Zui Linglong walked slowly onto the sacrifice platform for divination and looked out at the people around. Because it was already late in the afternoon, the sunlight was a bit dazzling and the temperature was quite suitable.


    At the side, imperial concubine Wu stared at Zui Linglong coldly as she saw her walking slowly up to the sacrifice platform. Imperial concubine Wu¡¯s fierce eyes stared at the slow-moving person, thinking, ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t like you , but I am not provoking you. Why don¡¯t you dare to hit back at me now?¡±


    Although she had this thought in her heart, she still had to pretend to be happy, and smiled at all the guests present.


    ¡°Zui Linglong, since everything in place, please start the divination now. We are eager to witness your magical ability! If there should be anything else, I hope we can help!¡±


    Imperial concubine Wu had that kind of look that said that it was not too much trouble to watch someone being embarassed. Seeing her expression, people really want to jump down and give her two slaps.


    But she was in a high position, and this was in public. After all, these kinds of actions were not the type that was suitable to be expressed in a positive manner.


    On her part, Zui Linglong responded to imperial concubine Wu by staring back with a cold look in her eyes. But the feeling that Zui Linglong gave her was not the same as what imperial concubine Wu felt.


    Feelings of strong anger and provocation could be seen in imperial concubine Wu¡¯s eyes. But Zui Linglong¡¯s eyes not show any emotion at all. It was just like someone looking at an object or a garbage bag.


    This look caught imperial concubine Wu¡¯s attention. Knowing she had noticed her look, Zui Linglong immediately changed her thoughts. She turned her attention into a whole hearted sacredness and solemnity before the divination.


    Standing at the side, imperial concubine Wu stared at Zui Linglong at the altar. If looks could kill, maybe the person in white on the altar would already have been smashed to bits!


    But unfortunately, imperial concubine Wu¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t kill. And since Zui Linglong had already stared at imperial concubine Wu, she would never look at her again. This made her really depressed.


    Zui Linglong squatted on the altar and was deep in thought.


    ¡°Imperial concubine Wu, I will tell you today that my world can exist without you. But you hate me so much that it is impossible to say that your world cannot be without me!¡±


    Thinking about this, Zui Linglong couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. She didn¡¯t contain her facial expression and almost laughed out loud!


    Fortunately, Zui Linglong subconsciously reached out and covered her mouth. But this made others suspect that she just kept her hand over mouth in order to cover her smile. And it would be terrible if they thought she was being foolish.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s brain was running at high speed at this moment, and then she thought of a brilliant idea.


    Originally, she intended to say it after she stood still. But time had already passed and now it was the best time to say that. Zui Linglong then pretended to look as if she just remembered something important.


    She said loudly,


    ¡°Ah! I almost forgot, this divination also has a certain ritual!¡±


    ¡°A ritual? Then hurry and tell us what it is. And let us take a look at this magical divination after that!¡± Before imperial concubine Wu could say anything, someone else who was impatient about the outcome of the divination, and said this loudly.


    Standing on the altar, Zui Linglong did not disappoint them. Without a pause, she continued as soon as the passer-by stopped talking.


    ¡°This so-called divination is actually not any miracle work. After all, its limitations are particularly strong. For example, now, if we want to invite any god, it is necessary to pass the power of extreme yang-qi of Nanmen Prince, Nanmen Yi, and the extreme yin-qi of the first lady Yue Ji.¡±


    ¡°After all, the door to the realm of God is not so easy to open!¡±


    Nanmen Yi by the side had already heard that it really didn¡¯t need his power of extreme yang-qi. So he started to show an interest in it and intended to go deep into it to experience the wonder of this divination.


    After all, he used to watch others¡¯ divination like a practising gevurah, but he didn¡¯t actually implement it. But now he had a chance to implement it himself. And he really wanted to experience it for himself.


    Nanmen Yi had noticed Tang Xia standing by the side. Subconsciously, he felt that this girl seemed to know some mystery of divination. Thinking about it, he walked out and stood in front of Tang Xia.


    ¡°Hello, lady can you help me?¡± Nanmen Yi said politely, which made Tang Xia blush!


    Originally, Tang Xia was there only for fun, but she did not expect to be accosted suddenly, and he was such a super handsome guy!


    ¡°Dear child, no need to be so courteous. What can I do for you?¡±


    Seeing Nanmen Yi¡¯s twinkling eyes and deep pupils, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but blush. She didn¡¯t know if it was her subconscious heartbeat, and thought, ¡°Wow, this handsome child. I have no idea why he is here?¡±


    But it was just a thought and she still had to reply to him quickly!


    Nanmen Yi had made a request to Tang Xia, but he did not expect Tang Xia to agree immediately.


    ¡°Okay, let me help you. I can definitely do it for you!¡± The reason why Tang Xia agreed so quickly was because she was too embarrassed to refuse this handsome guy¡¯s request.


    Tang Xia agreed, and she secretly thought, ¡°Wow, if I can really help him this time, will he start being familiar with me?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s wonderful to think about it! ¡±


    But that was just a thought in Tang Xia¡¯s heart. If she really wanted something from Nanmen Yi, the biggest obstacle would be herself.


    Zui Linglong, who was standing by the side, was staring and seemed to be scanning the surrounding environment. Seeing that Tang Xia had agreed to help Nanmen Yi, she continued,


    ¡°I just communicated to the gods with my divine power. He told me that two men have to be confined for three days within the Buddhist temple in the imperial palace.


    ¡°In order to show sincerity, only the people who believe in and admire the gods can truly be sensed by the gods. And the gods will give them the ability to communicate with them!¡±


    Hearing this, passers-by couldn¡¯t help but complain. After all, they thought that they could see the magical divination later.


    But now it had to be delayed for three days, so they felt a little uncomfortable. However, although there was a chorus of complaints, Zui Linglong was not bothered by it at all.


    Instead, she walked down the altar slowly and said to them, ¡°If the person is one who does not truly believe in the gods, you will not see the gods even if they appear.¡±


    Her tone was absolutely solemn. It seemed that Zui Linglong was now the messenger of the gods, and she was giving this gift to all the common people from the perspective of the gods.


    But in fact, these words were concocted by Zui Linglong.


    However, since she said so, she must have her own purpose. On the one side, a majestic presence would give them an irrefutable momentum. On the other side, it could calm down those who wanted to take this opportunity to have fun among these passers-by.


    After all, for the special illusory definition of the gods, if she didn¡¯t tell, who would know that these words were just used to borrow power to do evil!


    Although the real Zui Linglong could divinate, it was impossible to communicate with the gods. Furthermore, when did anyone in the world ever see the gods?


    Nanmen Yi, who wanted to go deep into it and explore the mystery of divination, had no complaints. Instead, he decided in private.


    But he didn¡¯t expect that people had so many ears! Chu Tiankuo, the emperor, knew about this.


    This day was the second day when they entered the Buddhist temple to show their sincerity. Maybe today, the gods were in a better mood.


    So they gave sunshine that heated the ground and made it slightly warm. But this temperature was very suitable for people and their livelihood.


    The only thing that didn¡¯t quite match Zui Linglong¡¯s feeling now was the person in front of her.


    ¡°Excuse me, what happened to you, dear emperor?¡± She asked the emperor after the necessary rituals.


    But she didn¡¯t think that Chu Tiankuo would speak to her so coldly,


    ¡°Today is a private visit, so you can treat me like any ordinary person. And I am only here to warn you that you¡¯d better not let me discover what tricks you are playing, otherwise you will be embarrassed.¡±


    After Chu Tiankuo had finished speaking, he turned back to leave. Before he walked to the door, he said to Zui Linglong in a cold voice, ¡°You¡¯d better know what you are doing!¡±

 Chapter 104

    After that, before Zui Linglong could react, Chu Tiankuo had already swept away with a wave of his sleeve. All that could be seen was a lonely and majestic back.


    ¡°Huh, who did he think he is? Is it because he is the emperor? How could he be so arrogant?¡± Zui Linglong could not help but complain to herself.


    Of course, Zui Linglong must not let the emperor hear her complaints. After all, he was the emperor who was above all the 10,000 people.


    It was not good to make any comments about him. After all, there was no freedom of speech at that time. If anyone said such things in front of the emperor, he would definitely have his head cut off!


    After Chu Tiankuo left, Zui Linglong sat down on the bed with a tea table in front of her. There was a padauk teapot and three teacups, which matched the tea table. The teapot was in the middle, the contents still hot.


    Zui Linglong picked up the teapot and poured out water from it into a glass. Originally, she was going to guzzle all of it down. As soon as she drank the first mouthful, she spat it out instantly!


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hot!¡± Zui Linglong screamed loudly, but her voice was not loud enough for anyone to hear. It just scared away the birds that stopped on the willow tree on the edge of the courtyard.


    She only saw the birds screeching twice, and later, they flew off together, leaving behind two feathers that fluttered down to the ground.


    The sun was shining with its usual brightness and it brought a little warmth to this world.


    It was already evening now, and a bunch of fire clouds could be seen in the sky. Tomorrow would be a very sunny day!


    Next day, sunlight really illuminated the entire land. However, although the sunshine spread the same warmth over the whole land, there were more enthusiastic people present today.


    Just in front of the Buddhist temple of the imperial palace, two people were entering the temple. Some people hid by the side and watched the fun. And some people seemed to be there to send them off. They stood in front of the temple and watched the two people entering.


    It was Nanmen Yi and Tang Xia who were entering, but wasn¡¯t the man, who was just coming out, the emperor Chu Tiankuo?


    In fact, it was rare for the emperor Chu Tiankuo to send anyone off. With this, Tang Xia and Nanmen Yi could already show off to passers-by.


    But the two of them were not interested in this. After all, showing off only made them tired, and others would be bothered when they heard this.


    Although it would bring some fun to their boring leisure time, there would be also many enemies made because of this. It would be better to have a good sleep than making a bunch of enemies.


    And now it seemed that the relationship between Tang Xia and the emperor need no longer be shown off.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Nanmen Yi coldly as if he was looking at the Millennium enemies. His eyes were full of murderous intent as if he couldn¡¯t wait to swallow him in the next second.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s anger made Nanmen Yi confused, ¡°Excuse me, dear emperor, is there something wrong with my face?¡±


    Nanmen Yi looked at Chu Tiankuo curiously, but Chu Tiankuo did not say anything. He just looked at Nanmen Yi, as if he would compete with Nanmen Yi on aspects of the eyes and temperament.


    ¡°What is the problem with this emperor? He looks as if I will grab his wife!¡± Nanmen Yi thought. This had been witnessed by Tang Xia, who was at the side!


    ¡°Emm, dear emperor, would you not be willing to let me in?¡±


    Tang Xia spoke out and broke the stares between Chu Tiankuo and Nanmen Yi. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes then moved from Nanmen Yi¡¯s face to Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    However, when Chu Tiankuo wanted to refute subconsciously, Tang Xia suddenly came close to him and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Oh, what are you bothered about? Although he is very handsome, my affections remain unchanged! And as a girl, I will definitely be reserved. But I will not throw it all away!¡±


    After Tang Xia finished speaking, she felt that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s glare reappearing! She continued quickly, ¡°The visitor is a guest. Although he is handsome, I will not abandon you in this regard. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    After that, Tang Xia clipped the cuffs of Chu Tiantian. She gently pulled his sleeves and he turned around with a dignified movement. She said to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Do you think that I am the kind of girl who always abandons the old for the new?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo, who finally got the opportunity to speak, denied this immediately,


    ¡°What did you say? Do you think I am so narrow-minded! And do you think anyone will like you, someone who has such a poor figure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a choice. You¡¯d better follow me! It will be good if you can get anywhere with your poor figure. Go ahead!¡±


    But even though Chu Tiankuo seemed generous, he still felt jealous, and thought,


    ¡°If Nanmen Yi really does something to you, he needs to be careful as I will smash hm, smother him, and cut all his flesh into small pieces.¡±


    ¡°I will subject him to all the punishment that exists in the palace, which will let him think that death might be preferable!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was still majestic looking, due to his good self control.


    ¡°Lvelvelve!¡± Hearing what Chu Tiankuo said, Tang Xia felt a little bit angry. She made a face at Chu Tiankuo, snorted and brought Nanmen Yi into the temple.


    In fact, 12 two-hour periods in ancient times passed by very fast, time simply flew by.


    The day had passed in a trancelike manner. Originally, Chu Tiankuo thought that he would feel relieved during this period of time without Tang Xia¡¯s ¡°harassment¡±.


    But unexpectedly, in the early morning of the next day, an uninvited guest came together wih the sunshine.


    The person who came was Zui Linglong! At this time she was still dressed in white. If it was not for her long hair that was of another color, people would think that she was imitating a ghost! Or a spirit!


    When Chu Tiankuo saw Zui Linglong walking in his direction, his brows could not help but furrow!


    ¡°Why is she here? I dont¡¯ have anything to say to her!¡±Chu Tian thought, and then heard a report outside the window.


    ¡°Dear emperor, Zui Linglong is here to see you!¡±


    The sharp voice of the eunuch echoed through the deep hall, and rang in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s ears. Hearing that, his eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but crease even more. They were already furrowed. Now they looked no different from a tightly secured knot.


    ¡°Let her in!¡± Chu Tiankuo said with a low voice, after quite a while.


    In fact, although Chu Tiankuo was from a generation of emperors, he still thought about Tang Xia occasionally.


    ¡°Shit! If it wasn¡¯t that the temple wouldn¡¯t let me in, I can go in and chat with Tang Xia. Why do I have stay here to stare and worry about these piles of torn books and posts?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo thought secretly. While thinking about it, he was still annoyed as to why Tang Xia had to go into the Buddhist temple!


    This was when Zui Linglong walked into the hall. She looked up and saw Chu Tiankuo sitting in the middle of the hall with a stack of books in front of him.


    ¡°Dear emperor!¡±Zui Linglong had an awkward look in her eyes, and spoke strangely to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Stand up!¡± Chu Tiankuo responded, visibly upset!


    After talking for a long time about unnecessary topics, Zui Linglong finally began to state her business.


    ¡°Dear emperor, a man and a woman have stayed in a room for such a long time. Do you think there could any form of adultery between them?¡±


    Giving a hint of her thoughts to Chu Tiankuo, Zui Linglong¡¯s eyes turned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how much the emperor trusts Tang Xia, but I want to create some trouble. Why should Tang Xia always have such a smooth and comfortable life?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Zui Linglong, what do you mean? Are you trying to say¡­ ¡±


    As the current emperor, Chu Tiankuo already knew what Zui Linglong wanted to say when she first appeared. But now he didn¡¯t point it out immediately. Anyway, he was also trying to coax her into saying something else, so he just played along with her like this!


    ¡°Even if you trust Tang Xia, Nanmen Yi has¡­ ¡±


    Again, Zui Linglong said this to Chu Tiankuo, and ingeniously omitted the most important part without saying it out loud.


    Although Zui Linglong thought about this, she was very anxious, ¡°Hey, why is this emperor so hard to convince! Hurry up, hurry up! Only when you give me a decree , then I can do something to Tang Xia!¡±


    Zui Linglong had her own thinking, but Chu Tiankuo was ahead of her as he had read the minds of countless people. How could he not know what Zui Linglong was thinking about?


    ¡°I met Nanmen Yi a few days ago. I think he looks really good and is very smart. He is a person that can be cultivated!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo cleverly led the topic. He continued to try and find a reason to let Zui Linglong leave quickly! After all, Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t want to see her any more!


    But Zui Linglong seemed to be a piece of dogskin plaster who was hopelessly entangled. Finally she could not stand it anymore and yelled at the emperor,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what will happen if a man and a woman are together in the same room? I reminded you kindly to be careful of him. But you still favor Tang Xia. Ok, be careful, or you will be betrayed!¡±


    After saying this, Zui Linglong sighed and continued, ¡°I¡¯d better go first. But I only hope that our dear emperor will not become an object of ridicule!¡±

 Chapter 105

    Hearing this, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bad mood became worse. He suddenly reached out his hand.


    With his eyes flashing dangerously, Chu Tiankuo gripped Zui Linglong¡¯s neck tightly, and said coldly, ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you can just talk about this casually?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was really annoyed. He couldn¡¯t bear to listen to other people who were spreading filth about Tang Xia. However, he also knew that he couldn¡¯t kill her so rashly, so he didn¡¯t use all of his strength. But it was enough for Zui Linglong now.


    Zui Linglong managed to retain her composure at the beginning. Later, her face became more and more purple, and her closed mouth couldn¡¯t help but gape open. Her tongue lolled out, and the whites of her eyes were protruding.


    Chu Tiankuo thought it was enough, so he loosened his grip before Zui Linglong suffocated. Zui Linglong sat down on the ground, breathing heavily through her mouth. But she had hit Chu Tiankuo hard in the place where he could not see.


    ¡°I am telling you, you are just an imperial concubine. Even if you are a female immortal, you must understand the position and honor in this palace! What I want to do, and how I do it, is not something for you to teach me.¡±


    ¡°I, I was also doing it for your sake, dear emperor! If Your Grace really has something against the prince of Nanmen, Nanmen Yi¡­ ¡± Zui Linglong breathed heavily and stood up. Her eyes looked straight at Chu Tiankuo as she said calmly.


    Chu Tiankuo saw that she would not stop talking even before she reached the Yellow River. She had almost died just now. Yet she still persisted in saying this kind of thing. Where did her courage come from?


    ¡°Zui Linglong! Remember who you are, and don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Chu Tiankuo said coldly to her. His eyes stared back at Zui Linglong, and he had a fierce look on his face.


    Zui Linglong did not seem to be the least bit afraid, and she looked into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes directly. After long while, Chu Tiankuo snorted coldly and went away.


    At this time, Tang Xia and Nanmen Yi were at the Buddhist temple and sitting on the futons. They were praying sincerely so as to enable the gods to appear.


    However, Tang Xia was stiff after a while.


    ¡°My legs are sore! This will take another three days. It¡¯s terrible!¡± Tang Xia thought silently in her heart that since she became the queen, she rarely did the rites of kowtowing. She was the queen who accepted the bows from the other imperial concubines!


    ¡°I am tired of kneeling! Why did people kneel in the ancient times? Didn¡¯t they feel tired? Or¡­ Is this a form of exercise for the ancient people?¡±


    Tang Xia thought about it in her mind, and moved her tired legs from time to time to ease their circulation.


    Although Nanmen Yi was not as uncomfortable as Tang Xia, he was also a bit annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s better in my country.¡± Nanmen Yi thought.


    ¡°There are so many rules for people here. I heard that the rite of kowtowing is a ritual here that is done on a daily basis. How tiring is that! Kneeling for a while is actually more tiring than riding on the grassland.¡±


    Nanmen Yi naturally heard Tang Xia moving about, and it felt odd to him, ¡°Even she can¡¯t stand the rules of her own country.¡±


    Nanmen Yi opened his eyes discreetly and peeped at Tang Xia. Seeing her moving her body and the look of impatience on her face, he felt a little piqued but did not say anything.


    After a while, both of them couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. They opened their eyes and looked at each other, but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break!¡± They said this together. The scene suddenly became so quiet that only the sounds of their breathing could be heard, which was rather embarrassing.


    ¡°It¡¯s becoming bit awkward now!¡± Tang Xia lowered her head and thought in her heart.


    ¡°That¡­ ¡± Tang Xia made a sound first. Nanmen Yi turned his head and looked at her with bright eyes. Tang Xia almost couldn¡¯t continue. She calmed her mind and said, ¡°Are there any funny happenings in your country, Nanmen?¡±


    Hearing her asking about his own country, Nanmen Yi¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly.


    ¡°Nanmen has lots of fun things! You can ride horses on the grassland, and you can also barbecue there!¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Tang Xia asked hurriedly. She really did not want to be in this embarrassing situation any more.


    ¡°We have a lot of activities and food that you don¡¯t have here. I don¡¯t think the food here is very delicious,¡± Nanmen Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the food here. I miss the food at home.¡±


    ¡°The local customs and habits of each place are different, so each person has their own tastes! It can be difficult to adjust.¡±


    Tang Xia echoed.


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll find a chef from Nanmen to cook for you after our prayers.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nanmen Yi smiled brightly at Tang Xia.


    Nanmen Yi¡¯s smile was incredible. The audience who had been secretly squinting at the screen saw the handsome guy smiling brightly and he looked so handsome. Suddenly all of them went crazy.


    ¡°Ah, ah! Nanmen Yi¡¯s smile is so sunny and handsome!¡±


    ¡°I really admire the anchor who is able to talk to the handsome guy face to face!¡±


    ¡°You are not alone. Fortunately, I am clever! I have screenshots! Now I can see the handsome guy every day!¡±


    ¡°How can the upstairs¡­ Why are you so clever! Please give me the pictures!¡±


    ¡°Seeking screenshots of the handsome guy and Chu Tiankuo! Won¡¯t you follow me in this formation, little cuties? Hurry up! Send pictures!¡±


    ¡°I only want to know how the anchor can still chat with him when she is facing such a handsome guy.¡±


    ¡°I admire the anchor whose psychological quality is strong!¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo is also very handsome! The anchor is with him every day, so she is quite immune to the handsome guy!¡±


    Tang Xia secretly saw the bullet screen about the immunity to the handsome guy. She suddenly burst into tears in her heart.


    ¡°Who said that? How can I be immune to a handsome guy? I am not immune to Chu Tiankuo!¡± Tang Xia thought angrily in her heart.


    At this time, someone knocked on the door suddenly, ¡°Your Grace, imperial concubine Xiao asked me to send wine to you and the prince of Nan Men.¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡± Hearing that she was the palace maid who was bringing in things, Tang Xia let her in.


    The palace maid gently opened the door and walked in front of Tang Xia. The wine in her hand was placed in front of Tang Xia and Nanmen Yi. She lowered her head and said,


    ¡°Your Grace, imperial concubine Xiao said that you needed to drink this wine when you ask the gods to come out. Only when you do that will you be able to remove any distracting thoughts in your heart and make your mind transparent, and only then will you succeed finally.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the wine in the white jade bottle in front of her, and felt puzzled, ¡°Is there really such a magical thing?¡±


    Tang Xia hid her hesitation, and said to the palace maid, ¡°Okay, I know, go out now!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The palace maid bowed to Tang Xia and Nanmen Yi and left.


    After the palace maid left, Nanmen Yi picked up the bottle and smelt it, ¡°What fragrant wine!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know how to drink!¡± Tang Xia looked at the wine, but she didn¡¯t think it was that magical. Moreover, her capacity for drinking was not good at all.


    ¡°But, you still need to drink!¡± Nanmen Yi looked at Tang Xia and said, ¡°Or, your Grace, you will just drink a little, and I will drink more. My drinking capacity is one of the best in Nan Men!¡±


    Tang Xia thought that was feasible, so she picked up the wineglass and poured a little for herself, ¡°Well, I will just drink this much.¡±


    Nanmen Yi did not say anything. ¡°A woman having little capacity for liquor is very normal¡± Nanmen Yi thought and picked up the wineglass. He was very bold to pour himself a full cup.


    ¡°I want to say! You are too stingy. One should use a big cup to drink! Such a small cup is not enough for me. It isn¡¯t comfortable at all.¡± Nanmen Yi looked at the empty wineglass after one sip, and complained.


    Tang Xia smiled softly, ¡°The wine needs to be tasted slowly! How can it be like you¡­ ¡°Before Tang Xia finished her words, Nanmen Yi looked at Tang Xia with blurry eyes and his body started shaking.


    ¡°No! After only one cup! How could he say that he is one of the best? What kind of wine did he drink in Nanmen?¡± Tang Xia spat this out in her heart.


    Nanmen Yi slowly fell down on Tang Xia, and she looked at him in horror, ¡°Prince, wake up! Don¡¯t get roaring drunk!¡±


    However, it seemed that Nanmen Yi could not hear Tang Xia, and fell directly onto Tang Xia.


    ¡°Nanmen Yi! Wake up quickly! Stay away from me!¡± Tang Xia said loudly, and pushed Nanmen Yi with her hands, wanting him to wake up.


    Tang Xia overestimated her strength. She pushed hard for a long time, but Nanmen Yi did not move an inch! Nanmen Yi pressed down on Tang Xia. It seemed that he felt uncomfortable, and moved into a more comfortable position.


    Tang Xia did not know what Nanmen Yi wanted to do to her. He crashed against Tang Xia, which made Tang Xia¡¯s hair suddenly stand up.


    ¡°What should I do? What should I do? Am I going to be raped? Although Nanmen Yi is very handsome, ¡°Tang Xia thought silently in her heart, ¡°but I already have Chu Tiankuo! How can this be?¡±


    Just when Tang Xia wanted to yell loudly to get the servant to help her.


    Just in time! ¡°Pong!¡± It seemed that the door was kicked in by someone! Tang Xia turned around and looked. It turned out that it was Chu Tiankuo!


    ¡°Oh, someone is finally came to help me? Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo and thought with some happiness.


    Chu Tiankuo stepped forward and walked around beside Tang Xia and Nanmen Yi. He took Nanmen Yi easily and threw him roughly to one side.

 Chapter 106

    Zui Linglong stood outside the door and listened quietly to the voices inside. She felt very happy in her heart and could not help but smile proudly.


    At this time, the surroundings was quiet, and the sky was smoky, dotted with a few flickering stars. The faint brilliance was sprinkled onto the original golden roof tiles. Only a few dark colors could be seen faintly.


    On the long corridors, there were soldiers in armor who were patrolling the area with long guns. The cold moonlight reflected on their silver rifles, giving off a chilling light.


    The palace in the distance was bright, and people thought that it was like daytime there. But the other side of it seemed like a woman who preferred the moonlight, and it was a little quiet.


    Zui Linglong selected a remote place to hide. She wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation between the emperor and Tang Xia, and later recall the conversation to Your Grace in the harem.


    Zui Linglong had thought of a wonderful idea this time. Let the emperor think that Tang Xia did not like him, but preferred the gentle prince. The emperor would be very angry and lose any affection he had for Tang Xia, and then it would be easy to deal with Tang Xia.


    After all, Zui Linglong felt that Tang Xia was not a good woman who could threaten her position in Xia sooner or later.


    This woman was so powerful that no emperor had ever loved a woman like this before. But Tang Xia did it. She could get everything after winning the emperor¡¯s love.


    She would not think about retreating, since she had already promised Your Grace in the harem that she would help them realize their wishes that was to kill Tang Xia.


    Although Tang Xia had the emperor¡¯s love, it was only for a while after all. If the emperor loved the new and abandoned her, then her status would soon fall into the mud. It was not worthy of giving her everything.


    After all, Your Grace in the harem should be more reliable. They not only depended on themselves, but also relied on the sergeants, who were the dignitaries and nobles. If Zui Linglong wanted to stay in Xia for a long time, she could not afford to offend them.


    Therefore, Nanmen Yi who came from Nanmen was undoubtedly the best tool. Using Nanmen Yi to divide the feelings between Tang Xia and the emperor, and let the emperor believe that Tang Xia did not like him but had feelings for the prince.


    As long as the emperor believed that, it would be much easier.


    Today, Nanmen Yi drank the wine mixed with medicine, and crashed into Tang Xia and then was hit by the emperor. Zui Linglong knew that the plan was already half successful. The rest would be easy as long as they had a fight and hurt each other.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart was full of fire which did not disappear at all, but instead became more inflamed.


    Recalling what he saw earlier annoyed Chu Tiankuo immensely. But luckily he still had his senses or Chu Tiankuo would have killed Nanmen Yi from Nanmen.


    Nanmen Yi was so bold that he dared to touch his woman. Is Nanmen Yi looking for death? Did Nanmen Yi think that he would be afraid to do something? He was just a prince of Nanmen. Why couldn¡¯t he do something to such a prince?


    When he thought of this, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned black suddenly, and the anger was clearly evident in his eyes. Chu Tiankuo wanted Tang Xia to tell him that there was nothing between herself and Nanmen Yi. It was just a misunderstanding, and nothing happened.


    Only he could hold Tang Xia so intimately. Others were not allowed to do this. If anyone dared to do this, he would be Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sworn enemy.


    ¡°I will not let Nanmen Yi go so easily.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo told himself in his heart.


    ¡°Xiaoxia, what happened to Nanmen Yi? Did he have the audacity? What was he trying to do to you?¡±


    Tang Xia was brought back to the present by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s obvious mellower voice. In the beginning, Tang Xia had been distracted. She wondered how it would be.


    Nanmen Yi did not seem the type of villain who treated women so casually. How could he suddenly rush to hug her? There must be something wrong.


    If there was really a problem, then it must be the glass of wine. It seemed that Nanmen Yi started to act strangely after drinking that glass of wine.


    He was polite and gentle before. It was impossible to become so strange the next moment. Was she too beautiful?


    If the problem lay with the glass of wine, then Nanmen Yi would be innocent too.


    He had only recently taken over from the Nanmen Emperor and came to seek divination for Nanmen¡¯s destiny. If there was any life and death issues in Xia, it would be really pitiful. It was absolutely impossible for Chu Tiankuo to let him go easily.


    No, she had to help Nanmen Yi.


    Chu Tiankuo saw Tang Xia lowering her head, and thought that Tang Xia was still thinking about Nanmen Yi. A flame flared up again in his heart, which made his senses almost flare up. Thinking of the scene just now, Chu Tiankuo suddenly said angrily,


    ¡°How is it that you are still so casual about what happened?¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t want to say anything yet. She wanted to see how Nanmen Yi was, so she had to pass Chu Tiankuo and leave. But she was stopped from seeing to Nanmen Yi after taking only two steps. Tang Xia¡¯s arms were grasped by Chu Tiankuo, and she couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Chu Tiankuo quickly stepped towards Tang Xia, and held her between the wall and himself. He looked at Tang Xia quietly, and then left.


    It was a little confusing for Tang Xia, but she still thought about Nanmen Yi.


    Chu Tiankuo returned to Chaohe Palace and summoned General Zhao immediately to terminate the divination of Nanmen. He would expel Nanmen Yi from Xia, and would never be allowed to come back.


    General Zhao could do nothing but obey.


    However, it was said that good things would not go out, but bad things passed quickly through thousands of miles. The rumor about Nanmen Yi was spread quickly between Xia and Nanmen, about his frivolous behavior due to drunkenness. With the news spreading so quickly, it became a joke among the citizens during their free time. Many people were talking about it. They all wanted to spit at the prince of Nanmen because of his shamelessness.


    Nanmen Yi was ready to leave Xia in a carriage. This incident made Nanmen Yi feel confused as he really did not know what had happened.


    He just knew that he fainted after drinking a glass of wine, and remembered nothing at all after waking up.


    Nanmen Yi also felt that things had happened too suddenly, and without any explanation. Others did not know, wouldn¡¯t Nanmen Yi know himself?


    He was definitely not the kind of person who became lecherous after being drunk. How could he act in this manner towards a woman? It was ridiculous to think about it.


    Although he really wanted to find out what happened, the emperor of Xia did not believe him at all and even wanted to expel him. Nanmen Yi was not that sort of person. Since the emperor had stated so clearly, he would not stay any more. He just wanted to figure it out one day, otherwise he would not be at ease with himself.


    Nanmen Yi stayed in Xia for a few days before leaving because he had not fully recovered yet. But early in the morning, he received a letter from Nanmen.


    At first glance, it was originally written by his father. Nanmen Yi thought that his father wanted to ask about divination. Maybe he was a little worried.


    However, Nanmen Yi opened the letter and read it. His heart was filled with sorrow at his father¡¯s anger. The letter stated that Nanmen Yi had done such an embarrassing deed in Xia, and had shamed the whole of Nanmen.


    As soon as he read it, Nanmen Yi felt very angry. In addition, he heard people talking about him and ruining his reputation when he came out of the city gate. Knowing that he was innocent, Nanmen Yi would not be willing to leave, so he insisted on General Zhao sending him back.


    However, General Zhao had to obey the military order, so he did not dare to send Nanmen Yi back. Seeing how the situation was, Nanmen Yi got out of the carriage immediately.


    ¡°I must go back even if I have to walk in person.¡±


    Having said this, Nanmen Yi went back. Nanmen Yi was so determined that General Zhao did not dare to stop the prince of Nanmen, so he had to let Nanmen Yi go.


    After entering the palace, Nanmen Yi went straight to the Chaohe Palace. He wanted to go in, but the soldiers outside stopped him. Nanmen Yi had to say calmly,


    ¡°Tell your emperor that the prince of Nanmen is here to see him.¡±


    The soldier nodded and let Nanmen Yi wait outside. And then he turned and walked into the Chaohe Palace. Seeing Chu Tiankuo, the soldier cupped his hands and said,


    ¡°Dear emperor, the prince of Nanmen is waiting outside.¡±


    After he finished talking, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes turned cold suddenly. Although his face remained calm, the corner of his mouth was already curving into a sneer.


    He didn¡¯t know why Nanmen Yi came to see him. In his case, wasn¡¯t it better to hide and not see anyone at this time? But he still came to seek his death. Chu Tiankuo wanted to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    In a short while, Nanmen Yi came in. Seeing Chu Tiankuo, he said directly,


    ¡°The emperor, I did nothing to that girl. I also ask you not to misunderstand me and ruin my reputation.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo put down the memorial to the throne in his hand, and stared at Nanmen Yi with his sharp eyes.


    ¡°Nanmen Yi, you should be clear about what you have done. I didn¡¯t say anything. How could I have ruined your reputation? You said yourself that you have done nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then why did I see such a scene with my own eyes. Nanmen Yi, you came to explain. Were you that person? Was there another man? Did I turn blind and see something wrong?¡±


    There was a fire in Nanmen Yi¡¯s heart. It was obvious that nothing happened, and the emperor should understand it. But from his words, Nanmen Yi could only hear the judgment against himself.


    Suddenly, Nanmen Yi was not calm either.


    ¡°Since the emperor said so, I can¡¯t say anything. If something did happen between us, it was because that you are not handsome, so Tang Xia switched her affections to me instead. If so, why does it have anything to do with me?¡±


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo became very angry and the blue veins on his hands stood out. His anger had reached the extreme.


    ¡°Guards, put Nanmen Yi into the death cell and wait for punishment.¡±

 Chapter 107

    The sunshine was so strong that people couldn¡¯t open their eyes. But at this time, Chuxiu Palace was so cold that people were shivering


    Tang Xia licked her cracked lips due to the lack of water, watching the door that was still tightly closed. She felt a trace of despair. Would it ever be all right again? Why didn¡¯t he listen to her explanation? Why didn¡¯t he believe her?


    ¡°Your Grace, go back! You won¡¯t be able to stand it anymore if you continue to kneel. The emperor is angry now, so he won¡¯t listen to anyone. This is not the way to solve the problem!¡±


    The emperor and the empress were famous for being a loving couple. They had never quarreled like this. Looking at Tang Xia kneeling on the slick marble,


    Even if they were slaves, they felt distressed. And the empress was very good to them in, so they exhorted her to stop waiting.


    ¡°I hear the words eunuch is saying, but I don¡¯t think I can do it. Nanmen Yi is in this situation because of me and he shouldn¡¯t be punished like this. It¡¯s obvious that nothing happened between us. Why didn¡¯t he believe me?¡±


    The rare sight of fragility and grievance in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes made the others feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Ah¡± It was only servants who were punished when they quarreled, but he really did not dare to go into again. Chuxiu Palace was full of precious porcelain. He did not want to die.


    Chu Tiankuo lay on the soft couch and his chest was fluctuating. He was worried about Tang Xia, but was also very angry. More than that, he really hated himself as he could not bear to think about her injuries.


    When he pushed the door and saw Nanmen Yi lying on Tang Xia, the voice in his head told to kill Nanmen Yi. But he never thought about hurting Tang Xia.


    He had to admit that he loved Tang Xia. Even if he knew that this episode had caused the loss of face for the royal family, he still refused to punish her.


    However, she still pleaded for Nanmen Yi. He could not let Nanmen Yi go, in any case.


    ¡°Little Li, roll in.¡± Chu Tiankuo roared.


    ¡°You tell the empress to go back and think about it. Don¡¯t do anything useless. I will never let Nanmen Yi go. Ask her to give up.¡± Chu Tiankuo said coldly with a killing intent in his voice, which gave people the chills.


    ¡°Yes, the emperor.¡± The eunuch stumbled out.


    ¡°Your Grace, the emperor said that you should go back first. As for the prince Nanmen, the emperor would never let him go. What you did would only make the emperor more irritated, and the prince¡¯s situation could become worse.¡±


    The eunuch conveyed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s message to Tang Xia euphemistically, suggesting that Chu Tiankuo would be angrier if Tang Xia continued what she was doing.


    ¡°Why is he so reluctant to see me? Why is he doing this?¡± Tang Xia relaxed a little, but now she was even more shocked that her insistence had caused Nanmen Yi to be in a more serious situation.


    She knew something about Chu Tiankuo¡¯s temper, and now he was really angry with this situation. Well, she would just go back and find another way. Tang Xia propped up her numb body and left with the maid.


    ¡°Emperor, Your Grace left.¡±


    ¡°Go out.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not know his own feelings anymore, and the congestion in his chest could not be vented. He was not comfortable, thinking about Nanmen Yi being in prison. And someone must be as uncomfortable as he. He would not hurt Tang Xia, but there would be someone to bear his anger.


    The flowers were blossoming and the faint scent of flowers made people feel happy. But Tang Xia was angry when she looked at the women in the bower who were dressed up in colorful clothes. She even wanted to rip out their mouths.


    Nanmen Yi had been expelled from the country by the emperor, so everyone knew about the incident that had happened to Nanmen Yi and Tang Xia. And the madness that Nanmen Yi had shown in front of the emperor,


    Now, everyone regarded Tang Xia as a demon woman. Although Chu Tiankuo clamped down on the matter with a tough attitude, there were still many officious people who created a lot of agitation behind their backs.


    Everyone knew how much Chu Tiankuo cared about Tang Xia, but when this happened, everyone still stretched their necks out to see the results. After all, Chu Tiankuo was the emperor of the country, so what if Tang Xia had pushed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face to the ground.


    Everyone was trying to guess how Tang Xia would end up. Would she be thrown into the cold palace, given a glass of poisoned wine or white silk?


    Waiting and waiting, but Chu Tiankuo only dealt with Nanmen Yi. For Tang Xia, he only confined her. With such a mild punishment, people hated Tang Xia, and even hated Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°What is the emperor thinking about? The empress did such a horrible thing, but he only gave her a light punishment. If I were him, I would let her stay in the cold palace.¡±


    ¡°You are right. But now the emperor loved that woman so much. Maybe she is a fox fairy who charmed the emperor into loving her so much.¡±


    ¡°Hum, did the emperor now treat the face of the royal family as nothing? Is he any different from the foolish prince? If he continues in this way, I am afraid that our country will not be far from death. He is even worse than He Lianyu.¡±


    Everyone talked a lot, and all the anger in their hearts were voiced out, but they didn¡¯t expect that they would meet Tang Xia who had just come in.


    ¡°How dare you! I don¡¯t know who gave you the courage to talk about me behind my back. You even dare to vilify the emperor. According to the rules of the palace, this is a big crime that will implicate nine generations. Don¡¯t you want to live?¡±


    Tang Xia said angrily. Chu Tiankuo suppressed the rumors, so she did not hear much. Although the maids and eunuchs looked at her with strange eyes, she did not care much about it. But she never thought that they were so arrogant as to give Chu Tiankuo no credit at all.


    Everyone panicked for a moment. They had voiced out their anger without thinking about how disrespectful they were.


    ¡°Oh, who is that? It turns out that it is Your Grace? What¡¯s wrong? Why is your face so pale?¡± Suddenly someone remarked in a soft but arrogant tone.


    ¡°They are just telling the truth. Besides, if Your Grace has done such a thing, wouldn¡¯t you be afraid to be heard? If I were you, I will so afraid that I would find a pillar and hang myself.¡±


    ¡°Whether I will kill myself or not is none of your business. You dare to talk about what I did? Such a little imperial concubine should not dare to be so arrogant in front of me.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the woman in front of her and vaguely remembered that she was a daughter of a minister. And she was very arrogant in her daily life.


    ¡°So what? Won¡¯t you let people talk about it since you did do it? And what the emperor did wasn¡¯t convincing.¡± She could not find any fault with Tang Xia previously, so she didn¡¯t want to miss this chance now.


    ¡°You dare to discuss what the emperor did? Did you think that I am that easy to bully since I am usually gentle? Do you bitches dare to criticize him that what he did was wrong?¡±


    ¡°Eating in the bowl but looking at the pot. Be careful one day you will be immersed in the pig cage.¡± Tang Xia did not care about the rules and cursed them directly.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t believe that Tang Xia had said such a thing. She was like a virago, saying such foul words and not looking at all like a gentle lady.


    ¡°You, you, you are a virago.¡±


    Their good education made them unable to repeat such words, so the angry woman¡¯s face turned red.


    ¡°A virago, this virago is much better than you, long tongued women who only know how to talk behind one¡¯s back. You¡¯d better not let me hear you saying bad stuff about him, otherwise don¡¯t blame me for not caring about your feelings. I have no scruples.¡±


    Tang Xia sneered and they badly wanted to fight with her, just seeing how she was playing with them.


    ¡°Papapa¡± Crisp applause sounded, ¡°Your Grace is really not a normal woman, and no wonder the emperor loves you so much.¡± Zui Linglong said with a mocking smile. Once again, she manage to incite the hatred of the others against Tang Xia.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know you were playing tricks? I ignored you because I was too lazy to take care of you. You really thought that you are an important person. And finally I will tell you that you will pay for it one day.¡±


    Zui Linglong did not expect that Tang Xia was so unscrupulous, and suddenly her smile froze on her face.


    After all, Zui Linglong was a person who had experienced a lot, so she immediately replied,


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Your Grace said, but what qualifications do you have to say so much here. Who is the emperor doing this for? I don¡¯t have to say it because your meaning is clear.¡±


    ¡°The emperor isn¡¯t fair. Because of Your Grace, he is now the enemy of all officials. Although I am the imperial concubine of the emperor now,


    ¡°I will not forget my duties. I still have to say what I should say. Is there really no trace of guilt in your heart? Shouldn¡¯t you reflect on what you have done?¡±


    ¡°Or did Your Grace feel that you could do anything unscrupulously because you have gotten the favor of emperor.¡± Zui Linglong¡¯s sharp eyes looked straight at Tang Xia in disdain.


    ¡°I am innocent. Why should I be guilty of the thing I didn¡¯t do? I believe that there will be a day when the truth will come out. I believe that the emperor will make the correct decision and will never let those villains succeed.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Zui Linglong who was repeatedly looking for trouble. She thought she would be the high-ranking person with the name of the heavenly man. So she always fought against Tang Xia. Did she think that Tang Xia would be afraid of her?


    ¡°Because of Your Grace, the former dynasty now has a rigid relationship with Nan Country. Now it was also because of you who made the Xia Dynasty have a rigid relationship with Nan Country. Who did you think you were? All the emperors must wipe your butt for you. The same words will return to you; one day you have to pay back for what you have done.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and suddenly realized that she might have been trapped by Zui Linglong. Her current situation was already very bad.


    Coupled with what Zui Linglong said, she was afraid that this would cause even greater turmoil. Originally, the officials were not satisfied with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s special favor.


    Now, four words swayed in Tang Xia¡¯s heart, ¡°the wicked country demon¡±. She smiled forcibly when she thought that she was even associated with these four words. Now she didn¡¯t know whether she should laugh or cry.

 Chapter 108

    Tang Xia was stunned by what Zui Linglong said. After she reacted, she continued,


    ¡°Are you jealous that the emperor loves me so much, but you¡­ ¡±


    When Tang Xia said that, she looked at the people around her scornfully, ¡°I am afraid that you will be alone in this palace forever.¡±


    Even though Tang Xia had deliberately said this to provoke Zui Linglong, there was no reaction at all from her, and she smiled at Tang Xia softly.


    Then Zui Linglong continued, ¡°Hum, you are just an ominous empress. Without the power and money of your parents, I would like to see that how long you can be the empress who is relying on the emperor¡¯s shelter!¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s expression did not change at all, but the remarks she said made Tang Xia¡¯s face turn red.


    ¡°You! You!¡± Tang Xia pointed at Zui Linglong and was speechless for a while.


    Zui Linglong looked at Tang Xia and smiled lightly. The imperial concubines who were standing by the side watching the fun, also laughed.


    ¡°Imperial concubine Xiao is still better!¡±


    ¡°Yes. With only a few words, she was able to push the empress into this situation.¡±


    ¡°Imperial concubine Xiao is right! I¡¯m afraid that she will not be the empress for long!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! As long as the empress is not Tang Xia, who cares about it? I don¡¯t care!¡±


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t?¡± At this moment, a man¡¯s voice floated in.


    ¡°Yeah! Of course I¡­ ¡°The imperial concubine wanted to go on, but she stopped halfway. It turned out that she had looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Chu Tiankuo who had come over, ¡°The emperor!¡± She said this in a panicky tone.


    All the imperial concubines saw Chu Tiankuo coming over, and quickly knelt, ¡°Emperor!¡± They bowed to the emperor.


    Facing so many beauties, Chu Tiankuo had a very grim look on his face. He strode over to Tang Xia, and supported her. He looked at Tang Xia with concern, and said, ¡°Have you been wronged?¡±


    Tang Xia was moved, and looked at Chu Tiankuo, her eyes reddening slowly. Then she choked and said, ¡°The emperor, I, I have not been wronged.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo touched Tang Xia¡¯s hair, and turned around, looking at all the imperial concubines coldly. His face suddenly became hard where it had been soft before. The surrounding atmosphere immediately turned cold.


    Seeing this, all the imperial concubines felt a bit uncomfortable in their hearts. How could that bitch Tang Xia, still be favored by the emperor? Apart from her beautiful face, what other advantages does she have?


    ¡°Was the emperor so easily bewitched by Tang Xia?¡±


    But they only dared to think about it in their hearts. Speak out? Unless they had a mental problem, saying all these out would only create trouble for themselves.


    Moreover, now the emperor¡¯s face looked very dark and serious, and the momentum was also a little scary. There were several imperial concubines who were scared by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s momentum, and their bodies were trembling slightly.


    And those imperial concubines, who were bad-mouthing Chu Tiankuo at the beginning, remained calm but in their hearts, they felt very upset.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue talking? I just saw you all talking very happily!¡± Chu Tiankuo said.


    ¡°I could hear you talking really well! Why have you suddenly become dumb in my presence?¡±


    After Chu Tiankuo finished speaking, he glanced at all the imperial concubines present.


    An imperial concubine, who was more irritated than the rest, jumped up as soon as she heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, and said,


    ¡°The emperor, you are not fair to us. The Empress has caused you so much trouble, but you did not put any blame on her. This is not good once it is made known to the public!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stared at the imperial concubine with eyes that flashed a warning light. This made the imperial concubine break out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Unfair?¡± Chu Tiankuo said finally, ¡°You are all just imperial concubines. How can you compare with my empress? Ah! Let me tell you, you don¡¯t have the qualifications!¡±


    That imperial concubine was not satisfied and wanted to say something again. But Chu Tiankuo interrupted her.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time here anymore. You!¡± He pointed at the imperial concubine, ¡°Do you want to be fair? Okay! Go to the cold palace and be fair! Guards! Take her to the cold palace!¡±


    When he finished speaking, the palace men came over immediately. They dragged the imperial concubine away. When the imperial concubine persisted in talking, they covered her mouth immediately.


    ¡°You must be kidding. If I let you talk, the emperor will punish us severely!¡± The palace men thought quietly.


    These palace men did manual work all year round, so they were very strong. They dragged the imperial concubine away, and she did not make any sound, not even a sob.


    The other imperial concubines stood still. No one was willing to speak up for the imperial concubine. They watched that imperial concubine being dragged away. Seeing her far-away figure, they felt very aggrieved.


    It suddenly became very quiet, so quiet that one could even hear some faint breathing sounds.


    The expressions on each imperial concubine¡¯s face differed. Some were slightly strained, some were sad, and some looked like they could not be bothered at all.


    Chu Tiankuo looked around and took note of everyone¡¯s reactions. ¡°A group of commonplace and inflammatory women!¡± He thought silently.


    Again, he looked at Tang Xia who was standing next to him. From the start, Tang Xia kept watching Chu Tiankuo all the time, with sparkling eyes that were full of love.


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s expression, Chu Tiankuo felt comforted.


    ¡°You all have nothing to do, right?¡± All was quiet for a while, then Chu Tiankuo said coldly,


    ¡°Since all of you have so much leisure time and have time to talk about irrelevant topics, your salaries will be suspended for half a year. And each imperial concubine will copy the Female Scriptures, a hundred times.¡±


    After that, Chu Tiankuo did not wait to see their reactions. He pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hands and led her away.


    After they left, the rest of the imperial concubines went crazy, ¡°The emperor is really too much!¡±


    ¡°How could he so biased?¡±


    ¡°Your Grace has really bewitched the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Yes. The emperor now is inferior to the violent emperor of the former dynasty!¡±


    ¡°The two emperors were quite similar. They were all willing to punish others for the sake of a beauty, and for the same beauty.¡±


    ¡°Say it directly! Tang Xia! She is a witch who is a disaster to the country.¡±


    All the imperial concubines were very unhappy with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s approach and complained incessantly.


    At this time, Zui Linglong saw that their moods were already highly agitated, so she said,


    ¡°You are right! It was the empress who has made the emperor confused. We all know that the emperor is actually a good emperor who loves his people and is very humane.¡±


    He has been provoked by that bitch Tang Xia. Since we all knew that this is the reason, we should work harder to deal with Tang Xia together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, imperial concubine Xiao is right. We should unite to deal with that bitch Tang Xia!¡±


    ¡°Yes. We must separate the bitch Tang Xia from the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Expel Tang Xia!¡±


    The Imperial concubines echoed Zui Linglong¡¯s words.


    ¡°But how will we deal with Tang Xia?¡±


    An imperial concubine asked this and the rest of the imperial concubines were quiet for a moment, thinking about the best way to deal with Tang Xia.


    The emperor protected her so well, so it was definitely not feasible to have her assassinated. If so, was there any other way to deal with Tang Xia?


    ¡°I have a way.¡±


    Zui Linglong smiled and said calmly,


    ¡°We can¡¯t assassinate Tang Xia, but we have what she doesn¡¯t have! We are all from famous families, as long as we all think of ways to contact the family outside the palace, and explain the situation to them. I believe that the ministers will not let it rest, because they care about the country.¡± Zui Linglong looked at the imperial concubines¡¯ expressions when she gave this proposal.


    They agreed to this proposal at once.


    Everyone left and returned to their palaces.


    In the evening, many imperial concubines wrote to their families. The imperial concubines who had ministers in their family, even asked their henchmen from home to send letters to their fathers and brothers.


    Once they received the letters, their families were very angry that their good daughters, who were raised so carefully at home, were being bullied in the harem by the empress who had no power and money. They made instant decisions.


    Following their daughters¡¯ letters, they would get the emperor divorce the empress. Even if Tang Xia couldn¡¯t be divorced, they would not let her be the empress!


    Next morning, when Chu Tiankuo went for the morning audience, the atmosphere was still as usual at the beginning. But it did not last long. A minister stood up and said, ¡°The emperor, I have something to report.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    After Chu Tiankuo agreed, the minister said, ¡°I think that the current empress can no longer be the mother of our country because of her misconduct. I request the emperor to divorce Tang Xia!¡±


    Hearing this, Chu Tiankuo was a little angry at that time. ¡°Why were these outsiders talking about his empress?¡± When he was about to say that, another minister stood up.


    ¡°I agree. I am also requesting the emperor to change to another empress, who exhibits good behavior.¡±


    Several ministers stood up in agreement.

 Chapter 109

    Chu Tiankuo felt quite angry about the memorials to the throne by his ministers. ¡°What are these pedantic old ministers thinking about? How could they bother me regarding the matters of the imperial harem?¡±


    ¡°Does my world only comprise of my imperial harem? What are these ministers doing? They are just stirring up trouble among my imperial harem instead of managing the difficulty and anxiety or governing the world for me.¡±


    ¡°It seems that I have treated them too well, so much so that these ministers forget who their master is!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed and there was anger in his eyes. The bright yellow of his clothes was dazzling as his ministers knelt on the ground and beseeched him to divorce Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s beautiful, thin lips had curled into a sneer, but he kept quiet.


    What Chu Tiankuo did was to stare at the ministers kneeling on the ground as if he wanted to see what was going on in their heads. And all the ministers felt guilty as if Chu Tiankuo had gained an insight into their minds.


    At this time, a minister could not stand his glare anymore and said, ¡°Your Majesty, please divorce Tang Xia!¡±


    Someone had taken the lead to express this notion, so the others seconded the notion that Chu Tiankuo should divorce Tang Xia.


    Their voices was so loud that Chu Tiankuo had an earache.


    Then Chu Tiankuo cast his piercing eyes on the minister who had taken the lead.


    That minister could not help trembling in fear.


    But he was dissatisfied with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s favor for Tang Xia, which left no chance for his daughter.


    So he kept on shouting that Chu Tiankuo should divorce Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo felt that his authority was being challenged. ¡°How dare these ministers do this? How could they intervene in the matters of my imperial harem? It seems that I have treated them too kindly!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Chu Tiankuo opened his mouth and said this quietly. But the coldness and deterrent force in his voice made them all quake in fear!


    When they heard what Chu Tiankuo said, the ministers were shocked. Although Chu Tiankuo was a wise emperor, his coldness towards people was beyond comparison.


    Frightened as those ministers were, some were still bold enough to persist in their demands.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please divorce Tang Xia, so that you can be a wise emperor again!¡± Then the minister knelt on the ground and kowtowed.


    The ministers around him were encouraged by his behavior and started trying to persuade Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo was very annoyed by the garrulity of these ministers. What irritated him most that they were forcing him to make a decision.


    ¡°So you do not regard me as a wise emperor now?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked the minister who had taken the lead, angrily.


    That minister dared not answer the question as he might die if he did not give the right answer. He had no choice but to compliment Chu Tiankuo, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to rid you of ¡®evil¡¯ ministers, Your Majesty. Please calm down¡­¡±


    Before the minister finished his sentence, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Rid me of ¡®evil¡¯ ministers? How dare you! Do you think those around me are all disobedient ministers?¡±


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Majesty. I just don¡¯t want to see our realm endangered by a woman. I am willing to give my life to persuade you, if you do not listen to my suggestion!¡± That minister appeared quite impassioned. It was as if his life now lay in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hands.


    When the other ministers heard the passionate pleas of that man, they all said that Chu Tiankuo should divorce Tang Xia, for fear that the old ministers would be bitterly disappointed.


    The incident had reached such a stage that Chu Tiankuo was thoroughly pissed. ¡°These ministers do not take me seriously. I have to punish these pedantic ministers who brag about themselves.¡±


    ¡°I definitely cannot bear it if you die. So how about offering advice to me after you have settled down?¡± Chu Tiankuo appeared quite calm as if he was saying something insignificant. However, he convicted the minister of a crime, with a banter.


    That man froze immediately as if he had just heard a piece of quite shocking news, ¡°How could His Majesty treat me like this? He must have been enchanted by that woman!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, good advice is harsh to the ear! Your Majesty¡­¡± That minister shouted in a loud voice, while Chu Tiankuo sat there, as if he had heard nothing.


    Chu Tiankuo spoke in a rather cold voice and it was as if a gust of cold wind had blown into their hearts. ¡°Someone, bring the minister of Xu away. Cure his problem of kowtowing in the prison.¡±


    After he finished his sentence, Chu Tiankuo did not look at the minister of Xu who was being brought away. It was as if there was no one present at all.


    The minister of Xu struggled with all his might and shouted, ¡°Your Majesty, it is for your own good! Please think again! That siren is endangering the country! That siren is endangering the country¡­¡± Then he was pulled out of the hall before he could finish his sentence.


    At this time, those ministers kneeling on the ground were in a state of panic as they did not know how to deal with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s strong personality. Their only hope was to persuade Chu Tiankuo to come to a compromise, due to their large numbers.


    But Chu Tiankuo¡¯s behavior frightened them so much that no one was willing to take the lead.


    Chu Tiankuo stared at his ministers kneeling on the ground and found that they were all awed by his strong personality and dared not say anything.


    Since this was a good chance for him to build his prestige, so Chu Tiankuo said to his ministers, ¡°Whoever refers to this matter again can keep the minister of Xu company.¡±


    After hearing what Chu Tiankuo said, the ministers whispered to each other. Chu Tiankuo knew it was time.


    So he waved his sleeves, left and said, ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±


    At this moment, a servant from the Country of Nanmen arrived at the gate of the imperial palace.


    When one soldier came to tell Chu Tiankuo that someone from the Country of Nanmen wanted to see him, Chu Tiankuo was so annoyed that he instantly refused the request.


    The soldier obeyed his instructions and stopped the man from the Country of Nanmen at the gate.


    Chu Tiankuo felt quite annoyed as so many nettlesome matters and people were giving him so much problems.


    So his bad mood worsened.


    As night fell,


    The cool breeze soothed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s irritated mood. But what happened today was like a fire that was continuously burning in his heart and he could not forget it.


    The imperial palace was so quiet and stifling that Chu Tiankuo felt agitated.


    Meanwhile, Zui Linglong was on her way to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bedroom palace. The news of what had happened in the hall had been spread to the imperial harem. Zui Linglong knew that Chu Tiankuo must be rather annoyed.


    Zui Linglong wanted to take away the difficulty and anxiety for Chu Tiankuo by giving him special comfort in his palace bedroom.


    Zui Linglong knew what this comfort was and the final purpose was to let Chu Tiankuo spend a joyful night with her.


    Zui Linglong arrived in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bedroom palace. She had brewed a pot of calming tea, made by herself, as she wanted to soothe Chu Tiankuo¡¯s nerves.


    Chu Tiankuo did not like it when Zui Linglong came to him. But Zui Linglong had come to relieve him of his anxiety on her own accord, so he did not say anything.


    Zui Linglong massaged his forehead while she hummed an unknown song, which made Chu Tiankuo quite comfortable.


    As Chu Tiankuo enjoyed Zui Linglong¡¯s massage, both his body and mind relaxed. He thought, ¡°Sometimes, the woman is a creature that makes me love and hate.¡±


    Zui Linglong said to Chu Tiankuo in a gentle voice, ¡°Your Majesty, I made a pot of soothing tea for you. Could you please taste the tea?¡± Then she poured a cup of tea for Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo drank the cup of tea, and did not see a trace of satisfaction flickering in Zui Linglong¡¯s eyes.


    After a while, Chu Tiankuo felt hot and dry as if a fire was burning in his heart and he was staying in a stove.


    He felt that his throat was about to be ripped out because it was so dry. So he took the pot and drank all the tea in one large gulp, not knowing that a philter had been put in the tea by Zui Linglong.


    After drinking the tea, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s throat felt better. However, the fire burning in his heart was unbearable. He felt as if his whole being was on fire.


    When Zui Linglong pressed her cool hands on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s shoulders, he felt as if he had found a cold spring.


    He grabbed Zui Linglong and held her in his arms as he wanted Zui Linglong to cool his heat.


    But after a while, Zui Linglong felt hot, too. Though Zui Linglong felt shy in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms, she was really getting into the mood.


    Chu Tiankuo was no longer satisfied with Zui Linglong¡¯s cool skin, so he started to look for body fluids for his dry mouth from Zui Linglong¡¯s mouth.


    Chu Tiankuo explored Zui Linglong¡¯s mouth crazily while Zui Linglong responded to his kiss on her own initiative. It was unknown how long they kissed passionately before Chu Tiankuo stopped and let Zui Linglong go.


    And there were glistening silver threads of saliva hanging from their mouths.


    Chu Tiankuo pushed Zui Linglong over to the bed.


    Chu Tiankuo was carried away by his desire and what he wanted now was Zui Linglong¡¯s body.


    Zui Linglong noticed that Chu Tiankuo had stopped his actions, so she put her arms around his waist.


    Chu Tiankuo could not resist her temptations anymore.


    While they were having crazy sex on the bed, Zui Linglong shouted loudly to express the pleasant sensations she was experiencing. Chu Tiankuo also growled in fits and starts. And their voices blended in a harmonious chord.


    It was unknown how long it took, but Zui Linglong felt as if she was about to pass out with happiness, while Chu Tiankuo did not stop what he was doing.


    Chu Tiankuo was crass and brutal like an indefatigable ox, which made Zui Linglong feel unusually happy.


    Zui Linglong knew that Chu Tiankuo was hers today and it could not be denied that their bodies fitted well.


    Chu Tiankuo and Zui Linglong spent a joyful and impassioned night.


    On the next day,


    Chu Tiankuo remembered what had happened during the night when he saw Zui Linglong lying next to him.


    He drove Zui Linglong out immediately.


    Zui Linglong told everyone in the imperial harem that Chu Tiankuo was not feeling good.


    Once Tang Xia heard the news, she felt quite disturbed.

 Chapter 110

    When Tang Xia heard that Chu Tiankuo was not feeling good, she was quite worried. At first, she felt disturbed. Then she started to get ants in her pants.


    After thinking it through, Tang Xia decided to check if Chu Tiankuo was really not feeling good, as Zui Linglong said.


    As she thought about it, Tang Xia dressed casually and went to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace bedroom.


    Tang Xia felt rather worried on her way to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace, so that she quickened her pace. After a while, she arrived at his palace.


    But Tang Xia felt hesitant, as she stood in front of the door of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s palace. She did not know what she should say to comfort Chu Tiankuo.


    Although Tang Xia intended to look in and comfort Chu Tiankuo, she felt speechless now. Every time she saw Chu Tiankuo, she did not what she should say to him.


    But she was already at his palace, so she had no excuse not to go in. Besides, she would not feel relieved if she did not check whether Chu Tiankuo was well.


    Tang Xia stepped into the palace and went to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bedroom hall. And she kept on pumping herself up as she walked along the corridor.


    ¡°I am just so worried about Chu Tiankuo that I will not feel relieved if I don¡¯t check on him. I should not struggle with the problem that I don¡¯t know how to comfort him. My true concern for him is the best comfort.¡±


    After hyping herself up, Tang Xia felt herself full of momentum and strode towards the bedroom hall, feeling like a great man.


    However, when Tang Xia stood in front of the door, she felt puzzled, not knowing what she should say. She had no choice but said in a low voice, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, are you here?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo could not have heard Tang Xia¡¯s tinny mosquito voice if he did not possess extraordinary hearing.


    Others would simply regard Tang Xia¡¯s voice as part of the breeze and would not be able to hear her words clearly.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Low as Tang Xia¡¯s voice was, Chu Tiankuo was quite familiar with her voice, so he could tell it was Tang Xia.


    When Tang Xia heard the voice coming from the hall, Tang Xia knew Chu Tiankuo was in there, and was a little surprised that he could hear her voice.


    After composing herself, Tang Xia opened the door of the hall. Once she entered the hall, Tang Xia smelt an obscene odor. As she could not tell what it was, Tang Xia did not focus on it.


    Seeing that Chu Tiankuo was still lying in bed, Tang Xia was convinced that Chu Tiankuo did not feel good.


    She walked rapidly towards Chu Tiankuo, stood beside his bed and lowered her head to check on him.


    Chu Tiankuo felt uncomfortable as the effects of the philter was still working.


    The moment he saw Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo felt the fire in his mind starting to burn again, as if it was an unextinguished fire meeting with the breeze.


    Tang Xia noticed that Chu Tiankuo was lying in bed and his complexion was rosy, as if he was feeling quite uncomfortable.


    So she touched Chu Tiankuo¡¯s forehead to check if he had a fever.


    While Tang Xia was about to touch his forehead, Chu Tiankuo felt a rather pleasant smell wafting over the tip of his nose.


    The moment Tang Xia put her hand on his forehead, a coolness was infused into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart.


    He grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand, pulled her gently and held her in his arms.


    Tang Xia was surprised as she felt shocked and shy because of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden action.


    While Chu Tiankuo held Tang Xia in his arms, he stared at her so lovingly that Tang Xia felt herself drowning in his tender look.


    Tang Xia blushed as the atmosphere between them became delicate. Both of them were quite aware of what would happen next, but they were both too shy to take the initiative.


    Finally, Chu Tiankuo could not bear it anymore as a beauty, especially his beloved one, was in his arms.


    Chu Tiankuo stroked Tang Xia¡¯s face gently and swept his fingers across Tang Xia¡¯s earlobes, which made Tang Xia shiver.


    Tang Xia knew what Chu Tiankuo would do with her, but she was too shy to act.


    However, it was her youthful reaction that kindled Chu Tiankuo¡¯s interest as he enjoyed her immature responses so much.


    Their sex was under way step by step, despite the fact that it was daytime. What a shame to have sex in the daytime!


    But they were too immersed in the bliss to care.


    Chu Tiankuo kissed Tang Xia¡¯s mouth gently while the cold touch of his mouth made Tang Xia became more enchanted by his hot body.


    As Chu Tiankuo kissed Tang Xia, his hands touched Tang Xia¡¯s body all over, enkindling the flames on her body gradually.


    Tang Xia could not bear Chu Tiankuo¡¯s touch anymore as her body was set on fire by his hands.


    She started to shout Chu Tiankuo¡¯s name, but her mouth was plugged by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lips and she could only make muffled sounds.


    Chu Tiankuo finally let go of Tang Xia as Tang Xia felt as if she would suffocate if they went on kissing.


    After Chu Tiankuo let her go, Tang Xia started to gulp in fresh air, which made Chu Tiankuo laugh.


    When Tang Xia noticed that Chu Tiankuo, the chief culprit, was laughing at her, she pounded his chest with her hands to stop him from laughing.


    But it never occurred to Tang Xia that such a gentle attack did not threaten Chu Tiankuo, but only evoked his lust of conquest.


    Chu Tiankuo grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hands and started to bite her smooth body as if he was providing sematic love to Tang Xia.


    Shameful as Tang Xia felt, her body responded to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s actions instantly.


    The natural reaction of her body satisfied Chu Tiankuo, as it made him think that they were meant to be together.


    After a while, Chu Tiankuo became unsatisfied with merely biting her body and started to move towards her mysterious zone.


    Tang Xia was in total bliss from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s fierce actions. While Chu Tiankuo growled, Tang Xia shouted in a shy tone.


    As they had sex on the bed, Tang Xia reached her climax by intense stimulation, several times. But Chu Tiankuo was not satisfied at all; he was like a wolf who had not had meat for a long time.


    As the old saying went, ¡°Every minute of the wedding night is precious.¡± The moments between Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo were more precious than that.


    When Chu Tiankuo was finally satisfied, Tang Xia fell sleep in his arms. Then Chu Tiankuo stroked Tang Xia¡¯s hair contentedly.


    He felt quite satisfied as he stared at the woman in his arms. He loved her more when he recalled her immature look while she was having sex with him.


    Chu Tiankuo did not want to think or do anything now as he only wanted to enjoy the bliss with Tang Xia.


    But how could the imperial harem ever have tranquility?


    When they were having sex in the room, the palace maid waiting outside the room, flushed with shame as she could hear everything.


    After they were done, it was time for the palace maid to change shifts. So while Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia were resting in the room quietly, almost everyone knew that Tang Xia had sex with the emperor in the daytime.


    As the news spread over the imperial harem immediately, Tang Xia¡¯s fans who were watching the live show, were all impressed by Tang Xia¡¯s experience. They said her performance this time, would earn her full marks.


    When Tang Xia was favored more by Chu Tiankuo because of what had just happened, many fans said that Tang Xia was so awesome with her excellent skills in winning a man¡¯s hearts. There were plenty of messages that said, ¡®Master, please teach me the skills of winning a man¡¯s heart¡¯, which made Tang Xia more popular.


    Time flew by and half a month passed. The relationship between Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo became closer and closer.


    Tang Xia led a sweet life with Chu Tiankuo, not noticing that there was something wrong with herself.


    But one day after half a month,


    ¡°Ew¡­Ewew!¡± As this was the third time that Tang Xia was sick, her maid started to become worried about her.


    But Tang Xia did not take it seriously, thinking that she caught a cold.


    When she got sick again, Tang Xia¡¯s sixth sense finally felt that there was something wrong with herself.


    ¡°Am I pregnant?¡±


    After pondering for a while, she had the maid summon the imperial physician.


    After a while, the imperial physician arrived and started to examine Tang Xia, after he questioned her about her symptoms. When Tang Xia became impatient, the imperial physician said, ¡°Congratulations! You are pregnant, Yue Ji.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked when she heard the imperial physician¡¯s words.


    Tang Xia was not the only one who was shocked. Fans in the broadcast room were quite astonished as Tang Xia was the first anchor in the broadcast room to get pregnant. Then all her fans sent out the message that Tang Xia was the first anchor to get pregnant, which made Tang Xia even more popular.


    After a while, the news that Tang Xia was pregnant, spread through the whole imperial harem. Everyone was shocked at the news. In fact, Tang Xia was also astonished. On hearing the news, she was frightened.


    In the meantime, some imperial concubines in the Royal Garden, were gossiping about Tang Xia.


    They all believed that Chu Tiankuo would favor Tang Xia more as she was now pregnant.

 Chapter 111

    After finding out that Tang Xia was pregnant, it was not known whether it was a coincidence or a proof to the gossip that Chu Tiankuo did reward Tang Xia with a lot of good stuff.


    So everyone knew that Tang Xia was favored by His Majesty again as she was pregnant. Tang Xia now had more enemies, which gave her more worries.


    But Tang Xia¡¯s fans were all onlookers who were unaware of the facts, as they only wanted to see the drama of a real harem fight.


    However, her fans could not just wait around to see what would happen. They also noticed that Tang Xia¡¯s task was not completed yet, as they discovered that the task should have been finished long ago.


    Logically speaking, the task should be complete if Chu Tiankuo fell in love with Tang Xia. It was obviously a bug!


    Once someone brought it up, questions flooded the whole broadcast room. Everyone doubted if it was false or was Chu Tiankuo playing tricks on Tang Xia.


    Looking at the messages of ¡®why she has not completed her task¡¯, Tang Xia was not sure if he was playing tricks on her.


    She smelt a rat as if there was something wrong with Chu Tiankuo. After she recalled, Tang Xia remembered that Chu Tiankuo brought her down at the very start, which was not the style of the scheming Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, are you playing tricks on me?¡± As there were many doubts in her mind, Tang Xia paced back and forth in the room, ¡°No! I cannot await my doom! I must ask him about this matter!¡±


    So Tang Xia decided to go to Chu Tiankuo as he had caused all this. After making up her mind, Tang Xia walked towards the place where Chu Tiankuo was.


    But things went contrary to her wishes. When she passed by the Royal Garden, Tang Xia saw all the imperial concubines gathered together, as if they were discussing a great event. ¡°How could they discuss something important without me?¡±


    Tang Xia walked quietly towards the crowd and pricked up her ears to hear what they were talking about. The closer she got to them, the more she heard.


    ¡­¡±I did not think that she would get pregnant! She must have seduced His Majesty so that she could get pregnant!¡± After hearing what they were talking about, Tang Xia knew that they were referring to her.


    Tang Xia raised her head and discovered that the one who was speaking, was a leader among the imperial concubines, as she was not favored by the emperor. She was always jealous and made trouble for those who were favored.


    It made sense that she was not favored as she was fat and looked very ordinary. It would be impossible for her to be favored by the emperor, in the age full of faces altered by plastic surgery and v-shaped faces.


    Although the emperor did not favor her, the spectators liked her. Otherwise, she would not have become the anchor!


    Her words were quite influential as all imperial concubines agreed with her.


    ¡°You are right! So Tang Xia is an opportunistic woman!¡± The imperial concubine in blue said this, and rolled her eyes. When Tang Xia saw her behavior, she also rolled her eyes at the behavior of the imperial concubine in blue.


    The imperial concubine in yellow, next to the imperial concubine in blue, said, ¡°Tang Xia is a capable woman. We also know that His Majesty did not feel good, but we did not do anything, except sit in our palace?¡±


    Although what she had said seemed to vindicate Tang Xia, jealousy was evident in her words. Tang Xia could not help taunting her in her mind, ¡°Do you need to dredge your vessels since you are so jealous (the homophonic word of vinegar)?¡±


    Their discussion was not over yet. As the old saying goes, ¡°Three women can make one play¡± After counting their numbers quietly, Tang Xia found that there were at least seven or eight women, apart from their maids!


    Women would chat with each other or speak ill of others when they gathered together. So it was inevitable whenever these imperial concubines gathered together, they would only speak ill of those who were favored by the emperor.


    Unfortunately, Tang Xia was the one who was favored most by the emperor. So she was the target who was attacked by everyone. Excluding the three imperial concubines who had spoken ill of her, there were still a large number of imperial concubines slandering Tang Xia.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, there is something wrong with Tang Xia!¡± One imperial concubine said this mysteriously, which attracted everyone¡¯s attention as they all wanted to hear about Tang Xia¡¯s scandal.


    Tang Xia was also interested as she wanted to find out what her scandal was. That woman continued, ¡°I notice that she and the palace maid are¡­ What is the name of that palace maid?¡±


    ¡°How could she forget the name even before she finished her sentence?¡± Tang Xia taunted her in her mind. Then one imperial concubine reminded her, ¡°Lyuyou!¡±


    ¡°Right! That¡¯s her!¡± The woman agreed, clapping her hands. Lyuyou standing beside Tang Xia heard her words and was puzzled, ¡°Is there something wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°They are so close. Are they lesbians? I have never seen a master who is so close to her maid!¡± After hearing her words, Tang Xia was shocked, ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°No, I cannot bear it anymore. Who does not have a lady bro? Whoever gets close to her ladybro is lesbian? Is she losing her mind?¡± Tang Xia stopped eavesdropping and decided to retaliate.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you check whether the one you are talking about is around, before saying something bad behind her back?¡± Tang Xia appeared suddenly, which shocked everyone.


    Everyone took a look at Tang Xia and was rattled. One imperial concubine whispered to the others, the reason why Tang Xia was here. As Tang Xia had excellent hearing, she smiled at that woman.


    The moment the woman saw Tang Xia¡¯s smile, she felt chilled. Tang Xia said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I appear in this large Royal Garden? As you are all here, why can¡¯t I be here?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s appearance was like a heavy bomb dropping. The women were all having a pretty interesting conversation, before she turned up.


    Suddenly, everyone became quiet, especially the one who had hinted that Tang Xia was a lesbian. She was rather nervous and hoped that Tang Xia had heard nothing!


    Tang Xia would not let that woman off as her slander was too much! Although Tang Xia, as a straight woman, did not look down upon lesbians, she could not stand it when people slandered her as a lesbian!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking about my scandal? Why don¡¯t you go on? As I¡¯m here, how about saying it out and making me happy, too?¡±


    Tang Xia was so aggressive that the woman was backed into a corner. No one, except people who were rather bold, dared to speak ill of people, in front of them! So that woman absolutely dared not slander Tang Xia again!


    Although that woman dared not do so, the leader of the crowd said, ¡°What are you shouting for? We are just talking behind your back. What¡¯s the big deal? Everyone has a subject for ridicule.¡±


    When she saw her face, Tang Xia wanted to slap her. ¡°How could she walk so tall when she speaks ill of others? She is so uneducated!¡±


    ¡°Right! Everyone has a subject for ridicule. So how about telling us your subject for ridicule so that we can also make fun?¡± Tang Xia would never let herself be wronged by anyone and tried her best to talk back whenever she had a quarrel with others.


    After Tang Xia finished talking, the header stayed quiet as she was put in her place, by Tang Xia. One senseless woman laughed and stopped when the fat woman glared at her.


    Maybe it was because the fat woman thought she could not outspeak Tang Xia or she felt disgraced, but she decided to leave and said, ¡°Humph, say whatever you like. I¡¯ll leave now!¡±


    As the most powerful woman had left, the others knew that they could not outspeak Tang Xia and left, too. Tang Xia followed the imperial concubines and glared at them with disdain.


    ¡°We will not attack unless we are attacked; if we are attacked, we will certainly counterattack¡± was always Tang Xia¡¯s principle. After what Tang Xia had said was broadcasted to the broadcast room, all her fans were shocked by her actions.


    Messages like ¡®Awesome Tang Xia is a ruthless woman of words¡¯ flooded the whole broadcast room.


    Lyuyou was shocked by Tang Xia¡¯s words as what had happened was like Tang Xia had withstood and defeated millions of soldiers.


    Tang Xia felt rather proud and recalled that she intended to go to Chu Tiankuo. So she walked toward the original destination.


    Before Tang Xia walked a few steps, a voice came from behind her, ¡°It turns out that it is the public enemy of the imperial harem who said those words.¡± Those words were both sarcastic and complimentary.


    Tang Xia stopped, ¡°Another woman wants to be scolded by me?¡± As she turned around, Tang Xia found it was Zui Linglong. Tang Xia had always known that this woman was difficult to deal with and she wondered why Zui Linglong was here.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m the public enemy. I don¡¯t need your warning.¡± Tang Xia did not want to relate too much to this woman as she was too complicated. So Tang Xia tried to avoid confrontations with her in case she was involved in any matters with Zui Linglong.


    ¡°What are you going to do? Ask Chu Tiankuo to give you an explanation?¡± It seemed that Zui Linglong knew everything and read Tang Xia¡¯s mind immediately.


    Tang Xia became nervous, ¡°Am I so obvious? How could she read my mind so easily?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to ask me why I can read your mind. Everyone will do the same thing as you. But in my view, you don¡¯t need to go as you won¡¯t get the truth from him.¡±


    Zui Linglong gave Tang Xia a sarcastic look. Tang Xia was quite puzzled by her word, ¡°Truth? What truth?¡±


    Zui Linglong thought that Tang Xia was quite stupid as she could only show off her eloquence, ¡°Are you truly stupid? How can you not understand my words? I don¡¯t know how you can become the empress!¡±


    ¡°Do you think that Chu Tiankuo truly loves you? Stop dreaming! Didn¡¯t you know that he was drugged that night?¡±

 Chapter 112

    ¡°Chu Tiankuo was drugged?¡±


    Tang Xia was quite shocked to hear this news from Zui Linglong. ¡°Who drugged Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Tang Xia dared not believe the news and asked, ¡°Who drugged Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Tang Xia thought, ¡°Zui Linglong came to tell me the news, then she must know who did it.¡± So she looked at Zui Linglong, desperate to know the answer.


    However, Zui Linglong just glanced at her, not intending to tell her the truth.


    Tang Xia felt quite uncomfortable as she did not get the answer she wanted. She clenched her fists unwillingly. Later, after unclenching her fists, Tang Xia forced Zui Linglong to answer her question, ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?¡±


    Zui Linglong did not give her a direct answer. She gave Tang Xia¡¯s flat stomach a mysterious look and said, ¡°You cannot keep this baby, or you and Chu Tiankuo will die because of him.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±


    Tang Xia did not believe Zui Linglong¡¯s words, ¡°How could Chu Tiankuo and I die because of our baby?¡± Tang Xia stared at Zui Linglong suspiciously. The moment she noticed that Zui Linglong had a superior look on her face, as if she was enjoying a good show, Tang Xia became quite angry.


    ¡°Are you jealous of my good life? How could Chu Tiankuo and I die because of our baby? That is impossible!¡±


    Tang Xia believed what Zui Linglong had just said was nonsense and would never happen. So she would not let herself get annoyed by Zui Linglong¡¯s hocus pocus.


    Tang Xia touched her stomach subconsciously, feeling the little life in her body.


    As Tang Xia was waiting for Zui Linglong¡¯s refutation, Zui Linglong gave her an obscure smile and left with these words, ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe me, just wait to see!¡±


    Tang Xia did not take Zui Linglong¡¯s words seriously, as she hated it most when people purposely made a mystery out of simple things.


    Soon after, people from the Country of Nanmen heard of Tang Xia¡¯s evildoings from unknown sources and wrote a joint letter to Chu Tiankuo to ask him to abolish Tang Xia¡¯s title as the empress.


    When Chu Tiankuo received this denouncement, he did not have a good attitude towards anyone during morning court.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please abolish Tang Xia¡¯s title as the empress!¡±


    One minister walked out of the queue and knelt on the ground in front of Chu Tiankuo. Then he held up a letter jointly written by the common people, ¡°This represents the wish of the people from the Country of Nanmen. They think Tang Xia is not capable of being the empress!¡±


    The minister said this with certainty as if he was truly doing this for the nation¡¯s good. And he thought Tang Xia was a woman with no abilities or virtues and had poor skills in treating others and handling affairs.


    After Chu Tiankuo¡¯s personal eunuch took a look at Chu Tiankuo and found Chu Tiankuo did not object to seeing the letter, he trotted towards the minister and presented the joint letter to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Chu Tiankuo unfolded the joint letter, and sneered at the minister who was kneeling on the ground, ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± The minister answered with certainty.


    Chu Tiankuo had a smile on his face as he looked at the ministers who were standing, and asked the same question, ¡°Do you think so, too?¡±


    Most ministers dared not answer the question although some of them did regard Tang Xia as not being capable to be the empress. So they all knelt on the ground in fear, ¡°Your Majesty, please curb your anger!!¡± Once the emperor got angry, many people would die. These ministers did not want to risk their lives.


    Chu Tiankuo snorted and let them rise. Then he took a look at the joint letter and read what it said.


    The more he read, the uglier Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look became. The first part of the joint letter listed Tang Xia¡¯s evildoings, while the latter part of the letter had the handprints of the common people.


    Chu Tiankuo became quite vexed after reading the letter. So he closed his eyes and massaged them tiredly. When he opened his eyes again, he pointed at the minister who brought the joint letter to him.


    ¡°Why do you think that Tang Xia is not capable of being the empress? If she cannot be the empress, can you be the empress?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I dare not.¡± The minister knelt on the ground in panic and explained, ¡°It is not only I who think Tang Xia is not capable of being the empress, but the common people, together with the imperial concubines, also hold the same view.¡±


    What the minister meant was that His Majesty should not blame him only, as there were so many people who were unsatisfied with Tang Xia. The minister thought that Chu Tiankuo would blame him solely, as Chu Tiankuo did not know exactly who to blame.


    The law could not be enforced when everyone was the offender.


    ¡°Is that so? Even though you are able to gather so many pieces of information from my ministers and people¡­¡± As he said so, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone became quite cold while the atmosphere around him cooled down immediately.


    ¡°Tell me, how did you get the information from my imperial concubines?¡±


    As the imperial concubines were in imperial households, they could not go out of the imperial palace, let alone have contact with other men, without Chu Tiankuo¡¯s permission. Chu Tiankuo wondered why the minister would involve his imperial concubines in this matter.


    He had read the joint letter, but he would not obey the will of the people.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I got the information from the eunuchs. They all said that the imperial concubines thought that there was something wrong with Tang Xia, apart from her poor skills in treating people. It is shameful for her!¡± Then he paused for a while and continued,


    ¡°Someone even said that Tang Xia¡¯s baby is not yours!¡±


    The minister was quite lucky in his quick response of using the eunuchs as the shield. He even intended to say that he could not remember which eunuch had given him the information, as there were so many eunuchs in the imperial palace, if His Majesty asked him where he got the information from.


    As the minister finished his sentence, Chu Tiankuo, together with other ministers, were quite shocked.


    Chu Tiankuo knew that he did have sex with Tang Xia that day, so he was quite sure that the baby was his. Chu Tiankuo did not want to say anymore when he heard that Tang Xia¡¯s baby might not be not his.


    ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s baby is not mine? Who started this nonsense! I¡¯ll put his whole family to death!¡±


    At the same time, all the ministers were rather shocked that Tang Xia would betray His Majesty, and wondered who the father of Tang Xia¡¯s baby was, if the baby was not His Majesty¡¯s.


    ¡°You said that Tang Xia¡¯s baby is not mine?¡± After a long silence, Chu Tiankuo asked this question suddenly.


    ¡°Yep.¡± The minister wore a look as if everyone was drunk whereas he was the only one sober. ¡°Alas! You common people will never understand. Luckily I have the primary source, or you will never find out this secret.¡±


    ¡°So who is the baby¡¯s father?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked with a smile that seemed as if he was quite looking forward to the answer.


    ¡°Rumor says¡­Nanmen Yi is the baby¡¯s father¡­¡±


    ¡°Rumor?¡± Chu Tiankuo successfully captured the keyword from the minister¡¯s words, ¡°So you are not sure.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The minister stayed quiet, not knowing how to contradict Chu Tiankuo. He should not have said ¡®rumor¡¯. It was like lifting a rock, only to drop it on his own feet.


    The minister opened his mouth and seemed about to say something, but Chu Tiankuo waved his hand impatiently and stood up from his dragon throne, ¡°That¡¯s enough! We will talk about it later!¡±


    He would not abolish Tang Xia¡¯s title as the empress, because she would never betray him, and it was nonsense that she was aggressive.


    No one could conceal what happened during the morning court. So when Lyuyou told everything to Tang Xia, Tang Xia became quite angry, ¡°What? How could they accuse me in front of Chu¡­His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so pissed off! How dare they accuse me in front of Chu Tiankuo? There are no conflicts between us. Why do they always like to create trouble for me?¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡¯s imperial concubines are always against me; how could his ministers do the same thing to me? What did I do wrong? Why are they so cruel to me?¡±


    ¡°They said that there is something wrong with me. How about them? Am I aggressive to everyone?¡±


    Lyuyou just stood there reverently, without saying a word. When asked what Chu Tiankuo said, Lyuyou replied, ¡°His Majesty said they would talk about it later.¡±


    As she said so, Lyuyou said happily, ¡°Your Grace, it seems that His Majesty trusts you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d better be!¡± ¡°He cannot be regarded as a man if he does not believe me!¡± ¡°How could they say that Nanmen Yi is my baby¡¯s father? Are they losing their minds?¡±


    Tang Xia asked Lyuyou to wait outside the room and inform her if anyone should come by. After Lyuyou left, Tang Xia took out the telephone to begin her Live stream and told everything to her fans.


    On hearing what had happened, fans started to take Tang Xia¡¯s side against the injustice, comforted her and told her that she should not take it seriously. Tang Xia replied, ¡°Ok, no problem.¡± So her fans were quite satisfied.


    While looking at Fans¡¯ comments, Tang Xia did not forget to interact with her fans.


    After taking Zui Linglong¡¯s words that Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo would die for this baby into consideration, all the Fans thought that it was Zui Linglong who was creating trouble for Tang Xia and asked Tang Xia if she could solve this problem.


    Of course Tang Xia did not have a solution. Before Tang Xia could answer Fans¡¯ question, Lyuyou shouted, ¡°Your Grace, Zui Linglong is here!¡±


    Tang Xia put her telephone away immediately. As she took the cup up and was about to get herself a cup of water, Zui Linglong came in.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± After hearing her fans¡¯ speculations about the matter, Tang Xia disliked Zui Linglong even more, so her voice was quite cold.


    But Zui Linglong did not care about Tang Xia¡¯s attitude at all. She took a look at the cup in Tang Xia¡¯s hand and said slowly, ¡°How have you been?¡±

 Chapter 113

    Tang Xia looked at Zui Linglong in front of her, calm and collected. She knew Zui Linglong must have come with a certain purpose.


    Tang Xia was thus relieved when she thought of this. ¡°Whatever her purpose is, all I need to do is to make sure not to be tricked by her.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened?¡± Looking at the woman before her, Tang Xia asked her unceremoniously.


    Zui Linglong smiled, and said, ¡°So, am I not allowed to have a talk with Your Grace if nothing happened?¡±


    Tang Xia humphed and said immodestly, ¡°But I really can¡¯t figure out what on earth I can talk with you.¡±


    Zui Linglong smiled as if she had never cared about Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    Zui Linglong stopped and then looked up at Tang Xia and said, ¡°I believe Your Grace must be very clear about what has happened recently.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and sulked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about?¡±


    Zui Linglong smiled and said, ¡°If so, I don¡¯t mind helping Your Grace recall.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Zui Linglong without saying anything.


    ¡°Now many people are saying that Your Grace¡¯s kid does not belong to His Majesty.¡± Zui Linglong said.


    She paused and then continued, ¡°Now many people appeared to be dissatisfied with His Majesty because of you. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±


    Hearing Zui Linglong say this, Tang Xia compressed her lips. How could she not see this?


    But what could she do? The baby in her belly was indeed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s. Moreover, even if it¡¯s not, the baby was her own flesh at least.


    Anyway, she would never abandon her baby.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia looked up at Zui Linglong and asked, ¡°What on earth do you want to say?¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia ask her this way, Zui Linglong stopped making puzzling remarks and said straightforwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what trouble the baby has made for His Majesty?¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia frowned. Then she asked unhappily, ¡°What do you mean by saying this? My baby is still in my belly. How can he make trouble for His Majesty?¡±


    Zui Linglong sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that? His Majesty has been condemned by so many people just because of the baby in your belly.¡±


    Zui Linglong paused after saying that because she saw a flash of chagrin in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    After a while, Zui Linglong continued, ¡°Not only that. Now many people are saying that the baby is not His Majesty¡¯s at all.¡±


    Tang Xia was rather annoyed by the way Zui Linglong talked to her, so she asked, ¡°What the hell do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°You must not keep the baby.¡± When Zui Linglong said this, there was a gleam of ferocity in her eyes.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t be more familiar with that kind of look.


    She stepped backward vigilantly, stared at the woman in front of her and said, ¡°Whatever they say, and it will be ok as long as I and His Majesty know the truth. As for what others think, we don¡¯t care.¡±


    Hearing this, Zui Linglong was a little bit stunned. Then she said, ¡°Then don¡¯t you know if you keep the baby, it¡¯s likely that Chu Tiankuo will be under the attack of Nanmen State?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned. She didn¡¯t expect to cause such a serious consequence.


    Looking at the woman before her, she smiled and said, ¡°So, what do you mean?¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia like this, Zui Linglong was somewhat impatient. She said, ¡°Are you willing to see Chu Tiankuo be overthrown right after he became the emperor?¡±


    Tang Xia first frowned, and then she said, ¡°Anyway, these are our own affairs. Much less, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so serious.¡±


    ¡°If this can¡¯t be called serious, then I don¡¯t know what Your Grace would call serious. Is it serious enough if the country were defeated and its people starved?¡±


    Tang Xia took a deep breath, reminding herself not to show any flaws to Zui Linglong.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia smiled and said, ¡°Zui Linglong, I don¡¯t what you want, but I can tell you that I will never give up the baby.¡±


    ¡°So you want to pull a boner by letting Chu Tiankuo out of power?¡± Zui Linglong asked, and her eyes fixed on Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia clenched her fist and controlled her voice. ¡°Zui Linglong, whatever it takes, this is the affair between Chu Tiankuo and me and is none of your business.¡±


    Hearing this, Zui Linglong¡¯s eyes turned even colder. She said, ¡°Tang Xia, the only one you love is yourself. You don¡¯t even know how to be considerate of Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Tang Xia laughed flippantly. Then she looked at Zui Linglong and said with complacency, ¡°Zui Linglong, I know better than you whether the baby should be kept or not.¡±


    ¡°Then you are still unwilling to give up the baby?¡± Zui Linglong asked.


    Even if the baby would be born at a bad time, I¡¯m still looking forward to his birth, so is Chu Tiankuo. So I won¡¯t give him up anyway. Tang Xia said determinedly.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Zui Linglong narrowed her eyes and then lost for words suddenly.


    She snorted and then turned to leave.


    Tang Xia sat on the couch feebly right after Zui Linglong¡¯s leaving.


    In fact, how could she be so tough as she had shown just now? She was also afraid something terrible might happen to the baby.


    Sitting on the couch, Tang Xia kept her head down and fell into silence.


    Seeing Tang Xia like this, Lyuyou felt sorry for her though she said nothing.


    She approached her and squatted before her, and then said, ¡°Your Grace, you don¡¯t have to be worried about this. Now that His Majesty didn¡¯t say anything, it would be alright.¡±


    Hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words, Tang Xia shook her head restlessly and said, ¡°No. Even he knows something will happen, he won¡¯t tell me. He has always been like this.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes got wet after saying this.


    Then something seemed to have struck to Tang Xia. She looked down at Lyuyou and said, ¡°Lyuyou, go and ask about what¡¯s happening now.¡±


    Lyuyou knew that Tang Xia wouldn¡¯t be reassured unless she found everything out.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Lyuyou came back.


    Tang Xia stood up immediately and asked Lyuyou, ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡±


    Lyuyou compressed her lips, seeming to be hesitant about how to say.


    Tang Xia suddenly got a bad feeling when she saw Lyuyou like this. She stared at Lyuyou and said impatiently, ¡°Just say out.¡±


    Lyuyou took a deep breath and said, ¡°The country is under turbulence now and many ministers in the court are condemning His Majesty. And Nanmen state seems to plan to attack us.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned after hearing Lyuyou¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t expect that things would become so severe.


    A few days later, Tang Xia was having a walk with Lyuyou in the Royal Garden when they suddenly heard someone speaking.


    ¡°How would we be like this if it were not for Tang Xia.¡± Voice of one of the imperial concubines.


    ¡°Yeah. Frankly speaking, it is the baby in her belly who is to blame.¡±


    ¡°The coquette is the wrecker of the chaos. If it were not for her, how would we be like this?¡±


    Tang Xia heard that, so did Lyuyou.


    Lyuyou was afraid Tang Xia might get grieved, so she comforted her promptly, ¡°Your Grace, it is just sour grapes. Ignore them.¡±


    However, Tang Xia just snorted and then went out.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tang Xia scolded.


    They all got shocked for a moment and lost for words since none of them had expected Tang Xia would show up here.


    Seeing all of them fall silent, Tang Xia smiled disdainfully. Then she said, ¡°Why do you stop? You seemed to be angry just now.¡±


    Without any other choices, one of the imperial concubines stood out. ¡°We are right, aren¡¯t we? If it were not for you, how would we be so unsafe?¡±


    Looking at the indignant crowd in front of her, Tang Xia was annoyed. But she said with a smile, ¡°You are all imperial concubines. Don¡¯t you know that His Majesty¡¯s most hated thing is to hear any talk about the politics in the harem?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other when they heard Tang Xia¡¯s words. How could they forget that imperial concubine being consigned to limbo just because of a slip of tongue?


    The scared look in their faces made Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help sneering in the heart. Then she said to Lyuyou behind her, ¡°Lyuyou, slap them in the face, 20 times for each one. Watch over here and make sure not to leave out even one time.¡±


    Hearing this, Lyuyou laughed in her sleeve, but she looked as if nothing had happened. ¡°Yes.¡±


    But the imperial concubines were unwilling when hearing this. Twenty slaps on the face would make their delicate faces marred.


    ¡°Why do you beat us? We are just telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Do you want to shut our mouths in haste just because you turned shame into anger?¡±


    Tang Xia gritted her teeth. She felt she was to break down on hearing the grumble from the crowd.


    Tang Xia took a deep breath and then snapped, ¡°I am the queen. I am the only head of the harem except for His Majesty. You have no rights questioning me when I say something.¡±


    At the moment, someone murmured, ¡°Who knows when you will be out of power?¡±


    Though everyone kept silent, they must be thinking the same way.


    Tang Xia sneered and said, ¡°As long as I am still the queen, I have the power to punish you.¡±


    After saying that, she ignored everyone in the crowd, and then she said to Lyuyou, ¡°Watch them over. You will be slapped if any one of them is not slapped for 20 times.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± Lyuyou said reverently.


    Tang Xia turned to leave, while Zui Linglong curled her lips behind her.

 Chapter 114

    Looking at Tang Xia who walked further, Zui Linglong held her arms with a more obvious sneer of the corner of her mouth.


    Even if Tang Xia did not change her mind now, she would give up sooner or later after experiencing some things.


    After Tang Xia returned to her own palace, she began to be silent. No matter what the maids said, she did not answer.


    When Lyuyou came back, they quickly went over and said, ¡°Sister Lyuyou, you¡¯d better go to see her quickly. Your Grace has never spoken since she came back. Go and see her quickly.¡±


    Listening to maids who were going to cry, Lyuyou could know how bad Tang Xia¡¯s mood was.


    She looked at the people in front of her and said, ¡°Well, you all go out first. I will stay with her.¡±


    Hearing what Lyuyou said, everyone knew that it would be useless even if they were here, and they would even make Your Grace upset. So they nodded and went to do their own jobs.


    After they left, Lyuyou suddenly became serious. She knew the thing might be severe.


    However, now Your Grace had the emperor¡¯s child, so she must not bring any bad mood to Your Grace.


    Thinking of this, Lyuyou adjusted the expression on her face and then walked in with a smile.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± Lyuyou smiled and said.


    Hearing the sound of Lyuyou, Tang Xia looked up and said, ¡°You are back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. Now they are reticent and no one dares to say anything more.¡± She pretended to say easily.


    Hearing Lyuyou say this, Tang Xia was not very happy. She just nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I knew.¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia, Lyuyou could not help but feel distressed. She had experienced too many things with Tang Xia. It could be said that Tang Xia was the person who was closer than her real relatives.


    ¡°Your Grace, you should not be unhappy. You are carrying the emperor¡¯s child in your tummy. The emperor would protect you even if the sky falls.¡± Lyuyou encouraged softly.


    Hearing Lyuyou say this, Tang Xia looked up at Lyuyou and knew that Lyuyou was really worried about her.


    She hooked her lips and smiled a little, then said, ¡°Do not worry, I am fine. I understand what you said.¡±


    Although she said so, as for what she thought in her own heart, only did she know.


    Tang Xia sighed, and then stood up and said, ¡°I am a little tired, you help me to go back to rest.¡±


    Hearing what Tang Xia said, Lyuyou nodded quickly. At this time, no matter what she would do, it was better than thinking about those troubles here.


    However, at this time, suddenly, a maid walked in and said, ¡°Your Grace, the diviner came for a meet.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned, and she didn¡¯t know why Zui Linglong came at this time. She was afraid that Zui Linglong still wanted her to give up this child.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia bowed her head and stroked her tummy. She didn¡¯t understand why these people wanted this child to die. This was also a small life.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes flashed a bit of firmness. No matter what happened, she would not give up her child.


    Seeing Tang Xia standing in the same place, Lyuyou couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°Your Grace.¡±


    Now Tang Xia got back her composure, and then she looked at the person who was standing at the door and said, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Hearing this, the maid was ordered to leave.


    ¡°Your Grace, Zui Linglong came this time¡­ I am afraid that¡­ ¡± Then Lyuyou stopped.


    Tang Xia smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about her purpose. If she wants to hurt my child, I will not be polite.¡±


    When Tang Xia said this, Lyuyou actually saw the killing intent in her eyes.


    She bowed and did not continue to speak.


    After a while, Zui Linglong was brought in after a maid.


    Tang Xia looked at her and then sat down.


    ¡°Your Grace.¡± Zui Linglong bowed.


    Tang Xia slowly took a sip of tea, and then said, ¡°The diviner, please stand up.¡±


    Zui Linglong took a deep breath and knew that she was warning her. But it didn¡¯t matter; soon, she would cry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the diviner came this time.¡± Tang Xia said softly.


    Speaking of this, Zui Linglong was also not polite. She sneered and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized the truth?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at her and then said in a fluttering voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I don¡¯t know what I should realize.¡±


    Zui Linglong sneered and said, ¡°Your Grace is really good at pretending to be confused. Who caused this situation now? Isn¡¯t Your Grace clear in your heart?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and said, ¡°This is my business. Does this have anything to do with you? What¡¯s more, I didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Did nothing? You didn¡¯t do anything, but it was more terrible than doing something, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Zui Linglong sneered.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t you, we would be in peace now.¡±


    ¡°The diviner, you should talk with evidence. You put such a big hat on my head, but I won¡¯t acknowledge it.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice also became cold.


    ¡°Did you really remember nothing after pregnancy? And don¡¯t care about anything?¡± Zui Linglong said ironically.


    Lyuyou couldn¡¯t stand what Zui Linglong said to Tang Xia, so she stood out and said, ¡°How dare you! No matter who you are, you can¡¯t talk to Your Grace like this.¡±


    Zui Linglong looked at Lyuyou but did not speak. It looked like she looked down on Lyuyou.


    She continued to turn her head and looked at Tang Xia and said, ¡°I tell you, the Country of Nanmen will start a war against us soon. The reason was the baby in your tummy.¡±


    Hearing Zui Linglong say this, Tang Xia frowned deeply.


    Later, Tang Xia looked up at Zui Linglong and said, ¡°Well, the child in my tummy is just an ordinary child, and how can it trigger a war between two countries.¡±


    ¡°Just a child?¡± Zui Linglong sneered ironically and said, ¡°It is not the time for your child to come. I believe that you are clearer than anyone.¡±


    Tang Xia clenched her fist and said, ¡°I will not give up my child anyway.¡±


    Zui Linglong did not continue this problem, but said, ¡°If Your Grace still has a little conscience, then you should go out and have a look. I believe you will change your mind then.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tang Xia looked at Zui Linglong without blinking her eyes.


    Zui Linglong smiled unclearly and said, ¡°Your Grace is so smart. Don¡¯t you really not know what I meant?¡±


    ¡°Well, what should I know?¡± Tang Xia said unceremoniously.


    ¡°This, I am afraid that Your Grace will know it after going out and seeing.¡± Zui Linglong said with an unclear smile.


    Looking at Zui Linglong, Tang Xia suddenly had a bad feeling. It seemed that something big had happened.


    Zui Linglong did not continue but saluted, and then said, ¡°I am going out.¡±


    Saying this, Zui Linglong left directly without waiting for Tang Xia to speak.


    After Zui Linglong left, Tang Xia was relieved. The originally straight back also relaxed immediately.


    Looking at Tang Xia, Lyuyou felt so distressed. Pregnancy was a very difficult thing, and now she had encountered so many things.


    If it was not because of the strong psychological quality of Tang Xia, maybe this child had long been unable to be alive.


    ¡°Your Grace, you should not listen to that diviner. Who knows she was telling the truth or not.¡± Lyuyou comforted her and said.


    ¡°But¡­ Why did she let me go out and see?¡± Tang Xia looked up at Lyuyou with exhaustion on her face.


    Hearing Tang Xia asking this, Lyuyou suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. Zui Linglong looked very serious while saying these words.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe she just wanted you to believe her, so she said that. Your Grace now has a child, so you certainly will not go out of the palace easily.¡± After a while, Lyuyou found an excuse.


    ¡°Do you mean that she was lying to me?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    Lyuyou nodded quickly and said, ¡°Yes, she wanted to make Your Grace feel upset by saying those words.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and did not continue to speak.


    Lyuyou looked at her nervously, not knowing what she was thinking. What if she couldn¡¯t figure it out or suffered unnecessary pains?


    After a while, Tang Xia seemed to come around. She looked at Lyuyou and said, ¡°I know, and you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia saying this, Lyuyou gave a soft sigh of relief, and finally smiled and said, ¡°Your Grace, let me help you to go back to rest.¡±


    No one knew what Tang Xia was thinking about. She did not say anything but just nodded, and then went to the resting palace with Lyuyou.


    Lying in bed, Tang Xia turned over and over. Although her body had been exhausted, she had no sleepiness.


    What Zui Linglong said this afternoon was still ringing around her ears?


    It was really impossible to sleep. Tang Xia sat up, and then put on her clothes and walked to the window.


    The weather was very good this evening, and the stars in the sky looked great. There was also a big moon, which illuminated outside so brightly.


    Just then, Tang Xia suddenly made a determination. She shouted, ¡°Lyuyou.¡±


    Since Tang Xia had a child, Lyuyou had always been waiting outside the palace. In order to avoid any danger, she never let others protect Tang Xia.


    So as soon as Tang Xia shouted, Lyuyou already pushed the door and came in, ¡°Your Grace, what happened?¡±


    Tang Xia licked her lips and said after a while, ¡°Pick up things, and we are going out of the palace.¡±


    In fact, Lyuyou didn¡¯t feel surprised when she heard Tang Xia said this. Because she knew that if Tang Xia would not go out to have a look personally, she would never be relieved.


    So she didn¡¯t say anything, but just nodded slightly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 115

    Tang Xia did not believe Zui Linglong¡¯s result of prophecy, but she was also afraid that Zui Linglong was right. If it came true finally, she would become an eternal sinner, wouldn¡¯t she?


    However, what she heard might be false. So Tang Xia decided to go out of the palace to observe the people. Of course, in order to avoid accidents, she also told Lyuyou specifically to bring more money before going out. Although Lyuyou was full of doubts, she still could not stop Tang Xia.


    Lyuyou had already felt surprised when Tang Xia suddenly said that she would go out of the palace. But fortunately, Tang Xia would take her this time, which made Lyuyou quiet successfully.


    After the color of the sky became completely dark, Tang Xia secretly went out with Lyuyou. Since they had changed their clothes in advance, no one recognized their identities. Fortunately, Lyuyou prepared men¡¯s clothes, which made Tang Xia more convenient to do business.


    ¡°Your Grace, where are we going?¡±


    The capital at night was livelier than in the day. Tang Xia and Lyuyou brushed against many passers-by. However, Lyuyou was hesitant while walking, so she asked.


    ¡°Her Grace is pregnant now, how should she explain if someone in such a crowd hurts Her Grace?¡± Lyuyou blamed herself. She should not allow Tang Xia to go out at first.


    ¡°What did you call me? Your Grace?¡± Tang Xia coughed discontentedly and corrected it. ¡°Lyuyou, don¡¯t forget that we are all in man¡¯s clothes now. You should call me ¡®childe¡¯.¡±


    Who would call a man ¡°Your Grace¡±? Was Lyuyou too eager to let others know their true identities?


    Tang Xia was very depressed. Now the ministers impeached her, and the one last thing was to force her to accept the title of an enchantress who brought calamity to the country and the people.


    She just wanted to inspect the city quietly. Why would Lyuyou add troubles to her?


    ¡°Okay, my childe.¡±


    Lyuyou was really helpless. She also knew that they were outside the palace now, but she couldn¡¯t adjust herself at once.


    ¡°Your¡­ childe, where are we going?¡± Lyuyou almost blurted out the words ¡°Your Grace¡±. Fortunately, Tang Xia turned around and corrected her in time.


    ¡°I have already told you that we go out for observation.¡± Tang Xia was speechless. What had she done? Why did they do this to her?


    It would be fine to be a time traveler or a streamer. But why they framed her with a reputation for bringing calamity to the country and the people? Sorry, she would not do it!


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lyuyou nodded and looked around. ¡°But master, isn¡¯t it lively outside? Can we finish the inspection now? Shall we go back?¡±


    Oh, she regretted. She should never agree with Tang Xia to go out.


    ¡°What do you know? This is just the beginning.¡± Tang Xia looked calm on the surface, but she had already begun to reconsider it. ¡°The interior of the capital was clearly a scene of peace, but why did Zui Linglong say those words?¡±


    Tang Xia would rather be deceived by Zui Linglong, but Zui Linglong should be disdainful of lying to her with this. Tang Xia felt that she seemed to have forgotten a very important point. What was it¡­


    She stopped to think carefully, and Lyuyou hit her back accidentally. Fortunately, Tang Xia stood firm so that she did not fell. Tang Xia did not feel anything, but Lyuyou panicked. ¡°Are you okay, childe?¡±


    Lyuyou complained in her heart, ¡°Why did Her Grace stop suddenly?¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t answer her and still thought about her own question.


    Now Tang Xia finally thought of what she had missed. It was safe inside the city, but what about the situation outside?


    ¡°Perhaps the peace inside the capital was just made by those officials deliberately for Chu Tiankuo and her to cover their sights!¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡±


    As soon as she figured out this key point, Tang Xia was very excited, as if she found something amazing.


    Fortunately, her voice was not loud, and they were in downtown. Her voice was concealed by other voices around, and no one noticed her gaffe. So naturally, only Lyuyou behind her had heard what Tang Xia said.


    ¡°Childe, what are you talking about?¡± Lyuyou felt confused. What did Her Grace think of when she said ¡°got it¡± suddenly?


    Tang Xia did not answer Lyuyou¡¯s question. She said to Lyuyou, ¡°Just follow me.¡± Then she moved first. Lyuyou stood there, unable to figure out what Tang Xia was going to do. When Tang Xia had been five steps ahead, she quickly caught up with Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia wanted to go out of the city, but the gate had been closed. So she couldn¡¯t go out now even if she wanted to.


    She looked resentful and unreconciled, but she was not able to persuade the soldiers who guarded the gates. So she had to walk around the capital with Lyuyou.


    ¡°Childe, what are you doing here at night?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe at night. Why didn¡¯t she stay at the palace? Why did she come to the suburbs?¡± Lyuyou didn¡¯t know what Tang Xia wanted to do. She only knew that she had to follow Tang Xia to see what Tang Xia would do since she couldn¡¯t stop Tang Xia¡¯s decision.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best place to inspect. Lyuyou, look!¡± Saying this, Tang Xia pointed at a group of people who were sitting around on the ground and warming themselves by the fire.


    Hearing this, Lyuyou also turned her head. She thought they were just a group of people who warmed themselves around the fire. There was nothing special.


    ¡°So what?¡± Why did she want to observe people here? Such a desolate place¡­


    Lyuyou was afraid that something dangerous would come out of the darkness to hurt Tang Xia¡¯s life, so she quickly guarded Tang Xia by the side and said, ¡°It¡¯s so late. Let¡¯s go back to the palace.¡±


    ¡°How can we go back to the palace? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying so, Tang Xia walked toward that group of people who were heating themselves regardless of Lyuyou. Lyuyou had no choice but keep up with Tang Xia.


    As they walked closer, they saw that those people, who were sitting around the fire, all looked worried, and their clothes were also worn out. They all looked at these two people silently when they saw Tang Xia and Lyuyou coming.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but feel scared when so many people were watching her. She laughed awkwardly and told them about her purpose to come here, which she had summarized in the heart.


    ¡°Everyone, we are seeking refuge with our relatives from the outside of the city. Now it is late. Can we borrow a fire here for one night?¡±


    Those people looked at each other, but no one answered. Only a few people who sat close to Tang Xia moved and vacated two seats for them.


    Tang Xia was stunned. After she responded, she thanked everyone and pulled Lyuyou to sit down. Lyuyou¡¯s eyes were full of unwillingness, but she had no choice.


    The simplicity of these people was deeply touched Tang Xia. Although these people did not speak, she still felt warm.


    ¡°Hello, may I ask what are you doing here?¡± Tang Xia asked the woman sitting on her left and wanted to learn something.


    The sound of Tang Xia was not loud, but it was enough for these people to hear.


    The woman glanced at her and looked at the fire without expression. Just when Tang Xia thought she would not say anything and turned to ask another person, the woman spoke, ¡°We are all fleeing from the calamity because of the battle between the emperor and the Country of Nanmen.¡± They were farmers who had been working in the fields every day. When there was a war, they became victims.


    Tang Xia remembered that the quiet and peaceful scene she had seen in the city before. She felt unreal, so she asked again,


    ¡°Since you came to the capital, why didn¡¯t you go downtown and ask for help?¡± Tang Xia believed that if there were more refugees in the city, Chu Tiankuo would find this situation.


    ¡°Do you think we don¡¯t want to?¡± The women began to sob, ¡°We have been there before, but those officials didn¡¯t let us in. We had a conflict with the soldiers but it was useless, and several people died and got injured.¡±


    Saying this, there was not only the woman but also most people sitting around the fire began to wipe their tears.


    Hearing this, Lyuyou was shocked. Now she understood why Tang Xia suddenly went out of the palace to inspect. It seemed that she really shouldn¡¯t stop Tang Xia, because these people were too poor.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were very complicated after listening to this. She scanned around deeply, and it seemed that she wanted to remember all their faces here. She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is there anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Tang Xia took a glance at them hurriedly. There were not too many people here, so she thought that there must be some more.


    ¡°They went to sleep, and we keep watch at night.¡± They also didn¡¯t dare to sleep too deeply during the special times, so they decided to choose one person from each household and constituted a group to take turns at night.


    ¡°How many people are there?¡±


    ¡°Lots of people.¡± They were just farmers who didn¡¯t have the money to study at school. They didn¡¯t know the exact number.


    ¡°So¡­ ¡± Tang Xia thought and took out all her money. Then she gestured Lyuyou to take out her money as well. ¡°We only have so much money on us. You can share it. Life is more important than anything!¡±


    Tang Xia and Lyuyou didn¡¯t take too much money, but it should be enough for these poor people to maintain a few days. Tang Xia really wanted to help them, but she was powerless.


    The poor were attracted by the money that Tang Xia placed on the ground, and they thanked Tang Xia and Lyuyou¡¯s kindness.


    It was the first time for Tang Xia to see this scene, which gave her a lot of feelings. She determined to report to her fans about this matter after returning to the palace.


    Tang Xia also had nothing to do, so she and Lyuyou just watched the night and talked of daily trifles with the poor. She didn¡¯t get up and go back to the palace with Lyuyou before dawn.


    She didn¡¯t know if she had bad luck or something else. They met the guards as soon as they entered the palace.

 Chapter 116

    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The Imperial Guards put the swords in front of them aggressively with faces of keeping strangers away.


    Seeing the guards acting so vicious, Tang Xia felt angry in heart. When she was about to lose temper, she suddenly remembered that she was a woman who dressed as a man now. So it was normal for the guards that they didn¡¯t recognize her.


    ¡°Do you know who we are?¡± Hearing the guards¡¯ words, Lyuyou said unhappily by the side. As the palace maid of Her Grace, she never felt so aggrieved. Swinging up her sleeves, Lyuyou was about to debate with them.


    ¡°Lyuyou!¡± Tang Xia severely stopped Lyuyou.


    They secretly disguised as men to inspect people this time. Their identities would be exposed if they tell the Imperial Guards who they were.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia in an aggrieved and confused look. She didn¡¯t understand why Tang Xia didn¡¯t let her show their identities. Weren¡¯t they in the palace now? Why couldn¡¯t she tell these people their identities? Although she didn¡¯t know Your Grace¡¯s idea, she could only shut up.


    Lyuyou was so confused in her eyes and muttered. It seemed that she still wanted to say something. Tang Xia took a glance at her with her eyes full of warnings.


    Just when they were in a dilemma.


    The Imperial Guards, who had been facing them with their swords, kneeled on the ground, and reverently said, ¡°The diviner!¡±


    Zui Linglong? What Tang Xia reacted firstly was ¡°shit¡±! How did she meet Zui Linglong again? Would she be so unlucky to be caught when she was secretly disguised?


    Remembering that she was still dressed as a man, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but step back and get closer to Lyuyou, trying to hide behind by Lyuyou.


    ¡°Stand up! They are the friends I brought.¡± Zui Linglong said.


    The Imperial Guards, who had treated them badly, smiled suddenly.


    ¡°It turns out to be the diviner¡¯s friends! I failed to recognize! I hope that you¡¯ll forgive me!¡± They said in a look of a kiss-ass.


    Looking at their appearances, Tang Xia was very disgusted.


    The Imperial Guards bowed to Zui Linglong and then left.


    Now only Zui Linglong, Tang Xia and Lyuyou were here.


    Although Tang Xia didn¡¯t really want to thank Zui Linglong, Zui Linglong helped her after all. She was not a person who did not know how to be grateful.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Turning over her head, Tang Xia said unwillingly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. I did not come to save you. But Your Grace stood at the gate of the palace in a man¡¯s look on such a dark night, what will the emperor react if he knows?¡± Zui Linglong looked at Tang Xia gloatingly.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words made Tang Xia angry immediately. Zui Linglong dared to threaten her! What would happen even if Chu Tiankuo knew that? She didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Tang Xia retorted with a look of discomfort.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the diviner wander here at night?¡± Tang Xia retorted without weakness. ¡°Hum! Didn¡¯t she hang around at night?¡±


    ¡°I was here to observe the night sky! Was Your Grace the same as me?¡±


    ¡°If the diviner has nothing to do, then I will go first. I will remember the thing today!¡± Tang Xia had no mood to talk with her. It was none of her business whether Zui Linglong watched the night sky or something else.


    ¡°I hope that Your Grace will not forget what I said before.¡±


    When she left, Zui Linglong added.


    Tang Xia staggered but was suddenly supported by Lyuyou by the side and then stood straight.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t pay attention to Zui Linglong and quickly returned to the palace with Lyuyou.


    When she went back to the palace, she took off the man¡¯s clothes.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words and everything she saw today had been echoing in her mind.


    Everything she saw today had been wandering in her mind. She couldn¡¯t forget those people who didn¡¯t have enough clothes and food. Were these all because of her? Was she really a woman who was a disaster for the country and the people? Did they become homeless all because of her?


    The more she thought about it, the more annoying Tang Xia would be. She touched her tummy.


    She silently felt the heartbeat of her child inside the tummy. ¡°Were these all because of her?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart was full of self-accusation.


    The people, who didn¡¯t have enough clothes outside the palace, always appeared in front of her eyes and disturbed her thoughts.


    Tang Xia turned her eyes to the lively screen by the side, and the screen was filled with the barrages, which were all warm messages.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Tangtang!¡±


    ¡°Tangtang, come on!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself! Cheer up!¡±


    The entire screen was filled with the warm sentences of Fans.


    Looking at their encouraging bullet screens, she felt warm and very comfortable.


    The bullet screens of Fans made Tang Xia¡¯s original bad mood became bright gradually.


    The original gloomy mood also became clearer gradually.


    Three Days Later.


    These days, there were more and more memorials about Tang Xia¡¯s bad influence for the country and the people.


    Chu Tiankuo felt irritable when he looked at the memorials, which were full of impeachments about Tang Xia.


    Couldn¡¯t he even protect his wife and child? Chu Tiankuo looked at the memorials in front of him without power, and he couldn¡¯t stand them anymore. He just threw the memorial to the side, and then stood up to look out the window blankly.


    ¡°Hand over Tang Xia! Hand over Tang Xia!¡± The soldiers at the South Gate shouted at the gate of the city. And they spread the remarks that the war would be avoided as long as the emperor handed over Tang Xia.


    At this time, everyone in the city knew that it was their empress who caused this war, and they all were upset.


    In order to stop this war, now those ignorant people outside the palace became noisy to crusade the empress.


    ¡°Hand over Tang Xia! Hand over Tang Xia!¡±


    The ignorant people sat outside the gate and shouted the slogan.


    In the Hall.


    ¡°Your Majesty, people are crusading Her Grace outside the palace. Your Majesty, will we¡­¡±


    Before he finished, he was interrupted by Chu Tiankuo, who was sitting in the upper position.


    ¡°Impossible! If you let the world know that I can¡¯t protect my own wife and child, how can I protect this country?¡± Chu Tiankuo scolded and blamed the ministers.


    When they heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, those ministers who originally prepared to oppose all fell their heads down and did not dare to speak.


    After a long while, a daring minister came up and said worriedly, ¡°What should we do now, Your Majesty?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo stood up from the throne and said to the ministers seriously, ¡°Since Nanmen Country wants to fight, then I will fight with them.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to report, you can go back!¡± Chu Tiankuo said, and then stood up and left.


    The ministers also retreated when they saw the emperor leave.


    Rumors became more and more serious these days, and the number of people outside the palace was increasing!


    Tang Xia heard the news that Lyuyou brought back outside.


    In these few days, she stayed in her own palace. She didn¡¯t know such a serious thing until she accidentally heard the palace maids discussing.


    Originally, Lyuyou was unwilling to say it. Later, she finally told the whole thing under Tang Xia¡¯s intimidation. And Tang Xia understood it after listening to the whole thing.


    It turned out that all this was because of her? Tang Xia sat there still and couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Your Grace, are you okay?¡± Seeing Tang Xia sit there blankly, Lyuyou blamed herself in her heart. Why she said these things to Her Grace! If something happened, what should she do?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you can go out! I want to be alone!¡± She went to the desk after saying.


    Zui Linglong also heard about the things in the city. Thinking about the seriousness, she came to the place where Chu Tiankuo was.


    ¡°Do Your Majesty know some about the thing in the city?¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words made Chu Tiankuo, who was sitting in the upper position, slightly frowned, and then he said, ¡°You can say it directly!¡±


    Zui Linglong kneeled on the ground with her fists clenched and said, ¡°I hope that Your Majesty focuses on the overall situation, and don¡¯t harm the national affairs because of personal feelings.¡± After finishing, she squatted on the ground and kowtowed with a respectful appearance.


    While checking the memorials, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand paused, and the ink on the pen dropped onto the memorial, rendering some parts. He paused for a while, and then continued to check it. But his cold face didn¡¯t change.


    Kneeling on the ground, Zui Linglong didn¡¯t hear any response from Chu Tiankuo, and she was anxious.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Her tone was very anxious.


    Putting down the brush in his hand, Chu Tiankuo looked at Zui Linglong who was kneeling on the ground, and shouted at the outside, ¡°Anybody? Let the diviner go out!¡±


    Zui Linglong kneeled on the ground and looked at him with disbelief.


    The Imperial Guards outside came in quickly.


    The imperial guards showed a pose to ask her to go out.


    Approaching the door, Zui Linglong wasn¡¯t convinced, and then turned back and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Your Majesty thought about it. Maybe Tang Xia doesn¡¯t want this child? Your Majesty is so pushy. Did you think about the feelings of Her Grace?¡±


    Zui Linglong¡¯s words made Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face, which was not good originally, suddenly became dark.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she want a child? Impossible. This was the crystal of their love.¡±


    The eyes of the angry Chu Tiankuo became red by anger, and the anger made him lose his senses. He grabbed Zui Linglong¡¯s neck and made the greatest effort to pinch her neck.


    Zui Linglong¡¯s neck was caught which made her unable to breathe, so she could only struggle. But because of the disparity between men and women, the little breath made her face gradually became red.


    Seeing her face becoming redder and redder, Chu Tiankuo, who lost his senses before, gradually returned to normal.


    Just as Zui Linglong thought that she would die here, Chu Tiankuo loosened his hand that grabbed her neck.


    Chu Tiankuo loosened his hand, and took out the handkerchief to clean it several times as if it was contaminated by something dirty.


    Being released, Zui Linglong took a deep breath of fresh air. She almost thought that he would kill her. She had never seen such a Chu Tiankuo before, which made her afraid.


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head to warn Zui Linglong creepily, ¡°You¡¯d better figure out your own position.¡±

 Chapter 117

    The fire ignited for ten miles, and the people were displaced. The situation should be a little bit creepy by looking at the roads and forests carefully.


    The war with the Nanmen Country began quietly. In addition to years of grievances, the cause of the war was also a woman who was pregnant.


    In the imperial hall, the atmosphere was a bit serious.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please think about it carefully. Yue Ji is so beautiful and coquettish that she really is the disaster for the country. In addition, this enchantress also enchanted the emperor of Nanmen Country. This time, she is the cause of this war.¡±


    Adding to his worries, that old minister raised the jade tablet in his hand and bowed to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°I asked Your Majesty to hand over the enchantress to defend our country.¡±


    After a person spat out what other ministers thought, they seemed to be relieved. They all agreed with that old minister, ¡°We all agree with that. Your Majesty, please think about it carefully.¡±


    What neat advice! Sitting on the dragon chair, Chu Tiankuo squinted slightly, and there was a cold light flashing. He tapped the armrest of the dragon chair and said coldly, ¡°You, are all the people who think about the country. Should I reward you?¡±


    They thought that reporting together had made sense. Before the smiles appeared on those ministers¡¯ faces, Chu Tiankuo said coldly, ¡°Such a big country should be protected by a woman¡¯s sacrifice. You all have really good abilities.¡±


    After all, Chu Tiankuo was the emperor of a country, who once let the army make the hall full of blood and led the soldiers to force the enemy for over ten miles. This cold sentence frightened the ministers.


    However, some ministers still didn¡¯t give up. Having assisted for three dynasties, they still didn¡¯t want to leave even if the hair turned grey. They were loyal, but it was stupid loyalty.


    The national counselor walked out of the crowd with heavy steps. He stroked his long beard, bowed and said, ¡°Since she is just a weak woman, so why couldn¡¯t she be loyal to the country? Everyone should know that all men share responsibility for the rise and fall of their nation. Although she is a woman, she can also do her part to be loyalty to the country. In my opinion, Your Majesty should expel the enchantress from the country.¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sneered and thought, ¡°This arrogant guy is overestimating himself. Does this guy think that I am still the young emperor who was easy to control?¡±


    ¡°Have you already served for three dynasties?¡±


    Supporting his head, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s slightly raised his mouth and showed a look of satire.


    The national counselor straightened his back and said, ¡°Thanks to Your Majesty for remembering that. I have assisted from Your Majesty¡¯s father. Although I¡¯m in a venerable age, I still can serve our country.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Chu Tiankuo changed an angle to support his head and said, ¡°You are so laborious, so I allow you to return home and enjoy the old age from now on.¡±


    Like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, the national counselor did not think that he, who had been loyal and laborious for the whole life, would be persuaded to return home by the emperor.


    He had assisted three dynasties. How could this kind of loyal minister leave the government?


    At this moment, the anger rushed to his heart. The national counselor directly confronted with Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Your Majesty fired the loyal minister without any reason. Won¡¯t Your Majesty worry that the country will have no minister, and the affairs will be in disorder?¡±


    The ministers who reported together before were quiet now. ¡°Are you kidding? Wasn¡¯t quarreling with the emperor a road to death?¡±


    Only this self-righteous national counselor dared to be so arrogant. They could distinguish who was more important. An old minister or the emperor of a country?


    ¡°The national counselor is courageous. Not bad. Not bad.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s two consecutive ¡°not bad¡± made people feel cold in the heart. Then they heard his next words. ¡°Who else would like to keep advance and retreat with the national counselor?¡±


    Originally, the national counselor was full of confidence that there should be many people behind him. But when he turned back, he suddenly found out that he was the only one stood in the middle of the imperial hall.


    A bad premonition came quietly. But the disdainful curve on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth made his heart cold.


    ¡°The national counselor is old, so it is time to enjoy the time of retirement.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said with a faint smile in his voice, ¡°It¡¯s better to let the son of the National Counselor Mansion also return home together. Won¡¯t it be better for you to be accompanied by sons and grandsons in your old age?¡±


    The means of Chu Tiankuo were indeed really powerful. In the blink of an eye, the achievements of the national counselor for several years had been eliminated in a few words. And the future of his generations was hopeless.


    The national counselor¡¯s face instantly became pale. He took a step back and sighed.


    At this time, the teahouse flag fluttered on the street. In a remote alley, the middle-aged man bent and said to several children with a few silver changes and several candied fruits in hand,


    ¡°Did you remember what I taught you before? If you complete the task, these are all yours.¡± After finishing, he shook the things in his hands.


    Several children immediately formed a circle, and they sang while clapping their hands, ¡°Stupid emperor, and coquettish enchantress. Expel the loyal minister, do wilful things. The country is in danger, the country is in danger. It is better to go to Nanmen Country.¡±


    The middle-aged man smiled and distributed the things. Looking at the jumping children, he laughed evilly. ¡°Hahaha, the country will perish. It¡¯s better to come to my Nanmen Country.¡±


    When rumors came out, they would spread all over the street. Probably this was the power of spreading by word of mouth. Soon, it could be easily seen that a few children were singing the song on the street. And people in the country were anxious and upset all day.


    Hearing about the things in the palace, people gradually began to be dissatisfied with Chu Tiankuo. So the advantages of Nanmen Country were more and more obvious at this time. Later, there were some people supporting Nanmen Country in public. Although the local government had suppressed them, the tendency was going up.


    Now people complained a lot for their bitterness. In the imperial palace, there were also ministers who took the opportunities to oppose Chu Tiankuo and made problems secretly. It could also be said that Chu Tiankuo was arduous to cope with these. Even so, he still didn¡¯t compromise.


    When Chu Tiankuo was watching the memorials in the study room, he was distressed to look at all the contents regarding Yue Ji. Although he didn¡¯t care about them, it was very annoying that so many flies were noisy around his ears.


    He just put down the pen, then suddenly someone came to report.


    He frowned, ¡°What happened? Why are you so panicked?¡±


    The slave kowtowed directly. ¡°The emperor, the army of Nanmen Country has already arrived at the gate of the Seventh City. I heard that the army is unstoppable. And, and Nanmen Yi will lead the army personally!¡±


    ¡°He is really not afraid of death.¡± Chu Tiankuo slightly twitched his lips and looked at the boundless sky outside. It seemed that he had foreseen the pervasive gunpowder smoke of the war. It was another turbulent dynasty.


    ¡°Pass my order. I will also lead the army personally. I will fight with Nanmen Yi personally.¡± Waving with a weasel hair brush, the feeling of aggressiveness appeared immediately.


    The high tower was cold, and the cold wind was blowing. Under the gate tower were over 100 thousand soldiers of Nanmen Country. And across the city, there were more than ten million people.


    Chu Tiankuo stood on the high tower in the wind, and the wind blew the red belt on his armor. There was a cold light on his silver armor.


    Seeing Chu Tiankuo come out, Nanmen Yi showed a look of sarcasm. ¡°In this situation, did he still dare to come out?¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, as long as you give me Xiaxia, I can let your people live. Then you will not be regarded as an eternal sinner when you are defeated.¡±


    The soldiers of Nanmen Country had already started to kick up a fuss. ¡°Give the beauty to our emperor, and we will leave you half a life.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, yeah, the beauty is of course to match the hero. Acting like a coward? What the fuck?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were still calm. Now the troops of Nanmen Country is here, if he unleashed his troops, it would only make them die. The people in this city were weak, so there would be a bloodbath if he opened the gate.


    He had to refrain for the people and defeat Nanmen Country with the most impeccable strategy. What he was responsible for was not only his own safety, but also the survival of the whole country, and the woman he loved in his heart.


    Chu Tiankuo waved his hand and said word by word, ¡°This gate must be unbreakable. All the soldiers will be alive or dead with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The soldiers made a neat sound.


    At this time, the palace was a mess. Hearing the news that the army of Nanmen Country was at the gate, they all fled in all directions.


    After all, life was always more important than great power or position.


    People in different positions were no different. A humble wood-cutter still could rob with the eunuch chief for a beautifully carved small kiln.


    In order to face the war, the maids and embroidered women had already hidden their private money and valuable jewelry early, which were preserved for a long time.


    Nanmen Yi led more than 100,000 troops to invade. Hearing the news, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t sit still. She was worried about Chu Tiankuo, but the child in her belly could not stand the bumps. She called the secret guard, who was sent by Chu Tiankuo to protect her, and told him, ¡°Take me to the palace. I will see Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    These secret guards hesitated. At this extraordinary time, the palace was too dangerous. Since Chu Tiankuo placed her out, he was naturally worried about her safety. Now she wanted to go to the palace, so she would get close to a dangerous place.


    ¡°What? Are you unwilling?¡± Tang Xia was anxious, so she pretended to be angry, and her face suddenly became serious, ¡°If you refuse, I will go there by myself. The emperor will not forgive you if something happens.¡±


    Saying this, Tang Xia raised her skirt. She used one hand to protect the belly and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Your Grace! Wait!¡± A secret guard called Tang Xia hurriedly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    There was still no expression on the secret guard¡¯s face. ¡°I know that there is a secret road to the palace. But it is a little far for Your Grace and the little prince, so please stand it.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled. The secret road was much safer than the road outside. She touched the child in her belly, and she didn¡¯t know how Chu Tiankuo was now. ¡°Child, don¡¯t be afraid, you would see your father soon.¡±


    The secret road was a little dark, but several secret guards scattered around to protect Tang Xia. They protected her safely.


    After a long time, she slowly came up and looked at the imperial palace which was in chaos, and sighed for a moment.


    It turned out that all the prosperity was so easy to disappear. The solemnity of the Royal Family had become a memory. But she did not believe in destiny. She must help Chu Tiankuo to win this world.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do after falling in love with someone. But what she would do was to try her best to help him get and guard what he wanted.


    And the man was facing this scene in front of her. Tang Xia¡¯s hand held his with fingers crossed gently.


    Chu Tiankuo turned around suddenly. Tang Xia smiled slightly with her absolute beauty.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Yue Ji.¡±

 Chapter 118

    ¡°Why did you come?¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo was surprised. He was worried about the Tang Xia¡¯s health, but she actually ran around in pregnancy. Chu Tiankuo was angry because Tang Xia did not care about her body. He rebuked,


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t know how to take care of yourself at such an age. You are pregnant now, can¡¯t you stay put?¡±


    ¡°Tiankuo¡­¡± Tang Xia did not say anything but just called his name and kneeled.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Tiankuo did not know what Tang Xia meant. He walked to Tang Xia¡¯s side and tried to hold her up. ¡°You can just talk to me. Why you have to do this in such an extreme way?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, unless you hand me over. I don¡¯t want to see the people suffer for me!¡±


    Tang Xia could not bear to see such a situation. Now, she only wanted Chu Tiankuo to hand her over to quell the war. She also knew that Chu Tiankuo would not agree, so she kneeled and asked him to agree.


    Tang Xia kneeled on the ground stubbornly and was unwilling to get up. Chu Tiankuo did not dare to pull her, because he was afraid of hurting the child in her belly.


    The two people were in a dilemma. Because of Tang Xia¡¯s sudden action, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face turned cold. His eyes were cold, and he looked at Tang Xia, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked,


    ¡°Do you think that you can save them on your own? Don¡¯t think too much!¡±


    Of course, Chu Tiankuo would not agree with Tang Xia¡¯s sacrifice. While angering about Tang Xia¡¯s action, he also blamed himself. Why he wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect his own woman?


    In any case, he would not agree with Tang Xia to hand her over. He would not rely on a woman to consolidate his position.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Tang Xia asked him, ¡°Maybe this will not save their lives forever, but it would be great for them to live even a second longer.¡± Tang Xia wanted to do this for the sake of Chu Tiankuo. She couldn¡¯t be a burden to Chu Tiankuo.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s stubborn look, Chu Tiankuo sneered, ¡°Do you know what you look like now?¡± This stupid woman, did she think she can hold Nanmen Yi?


    ¡°What?¡± Tang Xia was not clear.


    ¡°A mantis tries to stop a chariot! You don¡¯t know how much you weigh.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s thin lips opened, but what he said were such hurtful words. He did not satirize Tang Xia deliberately. He just wanted to let her know that it was impossible to stop this on her own.


    He Chu Tiankuo was not weak enough to rely on a woman to protect him, which would be his shame.


    Hearing this, Tang Xia was only shocked for a second, and then she bowed her head without a word.


    Seeing this, Chu Tiankuo suddenly realized that his words might be so harsh that they hurt Tang Xia¡¯s feelings. His heart was also very painful, but he must destroy Tang Xia¡¯s idea.


    Thinking of this, his voice became soft, ¡°Tang Xia¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hum?¡± Tang Xia answered but did not look up.


    ¡°Do you know what will be the consequence if I hand you over?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia did not speak, Chu Tiankuo sighed and tried to help Tang Xia stand up, but she still kneeled there stubbornly. Chu Tiankuo had no choice but to open his robe and sit opposite Tang Xia.


    After a long time, Tang Xia finally spoke, ¡°But if you don¡¯t hand me over, what should you do?¡± Handing her over was the only way. She didn¡¯t want to see Chu Tiankuo die.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you have to know that I will die even if I hand you over.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were as deep as the night, and his long eyelashes were gently shaking. He looked at Tang Xia and said the truth that Tang Xia did not want to hear the most.


    ¡°Do you think that you can really use your life to change mine?¡± Even if Tang Xia could do this, he would not allow her to do it.


    Tang Xia looked up and stared at him, saying reluctantly, ¡°But Nanmen Yi said that as long as you hand me over, he would let you go¡­¡± When it came to the end, her voice became smaller and smaller. Yes, she also didn¡¯t believe that Nanmen Yi would fulfill his promise.


    ¡°You are really naive. Do you think that Nanmen Yi will be as naive as you?¡± When Chu Tiankuo mentioned Nanmen Yi¡¯s name, his tone was full of disdain.


    ¡°I will die whether I hand you over or not. In this case, I¡¯d better risk my life to try my best.¡± If he won, he would be alive. If he lost, he would die with Tang Xia. If he couldn¡¯t protect her, he would die with her.


    He could let his people down, but he would never let her down and live in shame without her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tang Xia bit her teeth and firmly said, ¡°There will be a chance, right? Give me to Nanmen Yi.¡± Although she did not believe in Nanmen Yi¡¯s promise, this was their only chance, so she couldn¡¯t miss it.


    ¡°Are you really too deep into the play?¡± Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t expect that Tang Xia still asked him to hand over her after he had said so much. At this time, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s anger also came up, ¡°What is your current task? It is to win my heart!¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s roar and did not speak.


    Chu Tiankuo went on, ¡°Do you want to throw yourself into another man¡¯s arms? Tang Xia, I¡¯m telling you. This is impossible. Do you want me to hand you over? Give up!¡±


    ¡°Chu¡­¡±


    Tang Xia still wanted to say something and try to change Chu Tiankuo¡¯s decision. However, Chu Tiankuo was already impatient and shouted, ¡°Somebody, come.¡±


    The door opened from the outside, and two guards who stood at the door came in and bowed, ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Before the guards came in, Chu Tiankuo had already stood up. He turned his back to them and ordered, ¡°You send Yue Ji back and put more guards in all directions!¡±


    The guards obeyed the order and lifted Tang Xia¡¯s two arms. They didn¡¯t know why Tang Xia kneeled here, but this was not what they should ask.


    Tang Xia did not continue to be stubborn this time. She let the guards lift her and send her back to her residence.


    Tang Xia also thought that she could go out of the palace secretly to give in. But Chu Tiankuo strengthened the guards in all directions, so she couldn¡¯t go out.


    Even if Chu Tiankuo did not do this, Tang Xia was afraid that if she went to find Nanmen Yi, he would not say that he saw her. If so, this would be a huge loss.


    The rumors spread fast, and the news that Tang Xia was expelled by Chu Tiankuo immediately spread in the harem.


    Everyone was guessing whether Tang Xia had done something that made Chu Tiankuo angry. But if so, why didn¡¯t Chu Tiankuo ban her from going anywhere?


    Zui Linglong also heard that Chu Tiankuo asked guards to send Tang Xia back. She listened to the dialogue of the palace maids, and began to make a plan in her heart.


    ¡°Where did you hear about it?¡± Zui Linglong walked to those palace maids who were chatting, and asked, ¡°Did the emperor really send Her Grace Yue Ji back?¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± The sudden appearance of Zui Linglong shocked those little palace maids, and they stood straight and bowed to Zui Linglong in panic.


    ¡°Stand up.¡± Zui Linglong smiled lightly and repeated the words, ¡°Did the emperor really send Her Grace Yue Ji back? Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is true. I saw it with my own eyes,¡± A small palace maid stepped forth. ¡°At that time, Her Grace was lifted by two guards from the emperor¡¯s palace, and I just passed by. So I just happened to see that.¡±


    ¡°Really? It was really a rare thing.¡± Zui Linglong was a little surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t Chu Tiankuo treat Tang Xia the most precious before? Why was he so ruthless today?¡±


    A plan was quietly formed in Zui Linglong¡¯s heart. She thought that the situation now was also fine, and this was a good opportunity.


    Thinking of this, she turned normal and smiled at those little palace maids and asked, ¡°You, can you do me a little favor?¡±


    ¡°What can we do? Madam, just say it!¡± Zui Linglong got along well with various people, so this time, those palace maids were eager to help her when she had something for them.


    ¡°I need you to get me a sachet which contains a lot of musk and dried flowers.¡± Zui Linglong smiled and said her request.


    ¡°We have ready-made sachets, and it¡¯s easy to find dried flowers. We usually collect a lot of them.¡± A palace maid said, ¡°But musk is in the hospital. We are too low to get it.¡±


    ¡°How can it be difficult?¡±


    Saying this, Zui Linglong untied the jade pendant which hung on her waist and handed it to one of the palace maids.


    ¡°This jade pendant represents my identity. You just need to take it to the imperial hospital, and tell the imperial physician that this is what I need. They will let you take the medicine.¡±


    She took this jade pendant with her all year round, so these little palace maids would be more convenient to do business by taking it. ¡°I am waiting for you here. Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    A few palace maids smiled and answered. Two of them took Zui Linglong¡¯s jade pendant to fetch the medicine. And the other two palace maids stayed here to talk with Zui Linglong in order to divert herself from boredom.


    ¡°Madam, you have such a great ability of divination. Who did you learn it from? It¡¯s so accurate.¡± One of the palace maids looked at Zui Linglong with adoration and asked.


    Zui Linglong just smiled but didn¡¯t speak. The palace maids didn¡¯t hope Zui Linglong to answer their questions, so they chatted about something else. Zui Linglong stood silently aside and listened, but she did not speak.


    Later, the little palace maids who went to the imperial hospital to take medicine came back. They handed the sachet over to Zui Linglong and breathed heavily. ¡°Madam, we have mixed the musk and dried flowers.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zui Linglong then placed the sachet under her nose to smell it. It was exactly as what they said. At the moment, she went to find Tang Xia with the sachet.


    Lyuyou informed Tang Xia, and Tang Xia also agreed to meet her. Zui Linglong walked behind Lyuyou. When she saw Tang Xia, she pretended to be surprised and said,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Yue Ji?¡±

 Chapter 119

    ¡°Look who is here! Yue Ji?¡±


    The sense of grievance in Tang Xia¡¯s chest made her quite uncomfortable. And Tang Xia thought of that Chu Tiankuo was about to go ballistic without keeping his countenance as usual.


    Although Tang Xia knew why Chu Tiankuo acted like that, she could not deal with that matter calmly so that the distance between her and Chu Tiankuo became farther and farther.


    At this moment, the troops of the Country of Nanmen was coming, which meant they were in an extremely dangerous and urgent situation.


    If Nanmen Yi¡¯s troops broke into the city, innocent people would definitely be harmed. Besides, Tang Xia was reluctant to see either of Chu Tiankuo or Nanmen Yi get hurt.


    But what could she do to solve the problem for the moment?


    Tang Xia was totally at sea, feeling a fire burning in her heart that she could not put out.


    When she thought of the baby in her belly, she could not help touching her belly and wore a gorgeous look as warm as the sunshine of March.


    After sitting down slowly, Tang Xia poured a cup of tea for herself and calmed down as she drank the most of the tea. At the moment, a voice rose from the outside the door.


    As Tang Xia turned around, she saw Zui Linglong in white with no other jewelry but a pure white bandeau around her silky hair which fell over her shoulder.


    It seemed that Zui Linglong was wearing a white yarn covering her face, highlighting her sense of mystery.


    She wore a faint and obscure smile as usual, from which people could not tell what she was laughing at.


    But Tang Xia rebelled at Zui Linglong from the bottom of her heart as she regarded Zui Linglong who was quite scheming and hard to see through.


    Besides, Tang Xia thought that what had happened among the ministers was mostly led by Zui Linglong.


    Although Tang Xia did not know what Zui Linglong¡¯s plan was, it would be wise for her to be on guard against Zui Linglong.


    After standing up slowly, Tang Xia stared at Zui Linglong and said with a smile,


    ¡°How do you have time to see me, Zui Linglong? What do you need? I don¡¯t welcome you. You are quite aware of the reason. Now leave.¡±


    Tang Xia said rather unkindly as if her last words popped out of her mouth with hatred.


    However, Zui Linglong did not get angry and wore her enigmatic smile all the same. As she saw Tang Xia walk toward her, Zui Linglong sat close to Tang Xia slowly.


    After seeing Zui Linglong¡¯s behavior, Tang Xia was pissed off, ¡°How shameless Zui Linglong is! I¡¯ve told her I don¡¯t welcome her. How could she sit down?¡±


    ¡°Zui Linglong, don¡¯t you hear what I said?¡±


    Zui Linglong did not respond to Tang Xia¡¯s question but said mysteriously,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what the situation is now? Don¡¯t you want to know where Nanmen Yi is now? As Nanmen Yi did all the things for your own good, how could you be so indifferent to him?¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Zui Linglong stared at Tang Xia with the assurance that Tang Xia would become interested in what she had said and there was an important chip holding in Zui Linglong¡¯s hands. How could she not be tempted?


    As expected, Tang Xia froze and the anger on her face was replaced by a worried look.


    But it was only a moment ago before Tang Xia came to her sense as she warned herself that Zui Linglong was setting her up by her words and she could not be fooled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any word from you. Just leave now. I don¡¯t want to see you, neither do I want to listen to you. I don¡¯t care what is happening outside or who is out there. You should get out of here right away.¡±


    However, Zui Linglong ignored what Tang Xia had said and continued,


    ¡°How ruthless you are, Yue Ji. Nanmen Yi did everything for you. You cannot pretend that nothing happens, nor should you pretend that you don¡¯t know him. Now you are pregnant. You cannot let your baby born without his father.


    ¡°Now Nanmen Yi is outside the city and likely to break into the city tonight. How many innocent people will be harmed?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s soft heart got hurt by Zui Linglong¡¯s words again. When she heard that the troops of Nanmen Yi were likely to break into the city tonight, her body shook, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°What should I do if his troops invade into our city? What to do?¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was shocked by her words, Zui Linglong wore an obscure smile. Then Zui Linglong put the sachet hidden in her sleeve on the table and sat comfortably with a poker face.


    As long as Tang Xia brought the sachet with her for several days, Zui Linglong could enjoy a good show. ¡°I cannot let Tang Xia deliver the baby, or he will definitely become my barrier. I cannot let such a thing happen. Absolutely.¡±


    After a moment, Tang Xia came to her mind and found the red embroidered sachet on the table.


    The sachet was embroidered with elegant lotus and fancy carp, which were so beautiful and definitely embroidered by a master. Besides, the sachet owned so faint scent that people could hardly smell it.


    Although it was quite a good sachet, Zui Linglong was not a nice woman.


    Tang Xia would regard whatever from Zui Linglong as a bad thing and she would lose her mind if she used what was given by Zui Linglong.


    ¡°Is it possible that Zui Linglong presents me with the good stuff?¡±


    ¡°What is it? Is it for me?¡±


    Zui Linglong looked followed Tang Xia¡¯s eyes and found the sachet on the table, but she acted quite calmly and said composedly,


    ¡°It is a sachet.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t accept it. Take it away. I won¡¯t take it even if you leave it here. I¡¯ll drop it as long as you leave here. Take it with you so that I won¡¯t waste my energy and time on it. I don¡¯t want to see anything related to you.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia wanted to toss the sachet away as she thought that everything related to Zui Linglong would be harmful to people directly or indirectly.


    Zui Linglong stood up immediately and stopped Tang Xia. Then Zui Linglong said solemnly,


    ¡°It is not time to toss it away. I don¡¯t know why you misunderstand me so deeply, but it is not a simple sachet. It can help you out of a burning issue in the future.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and looked at Zui Linglong with a dismissive look.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe what you said at all? Help me out? I suppose it will definitely be harmful to me!¡±


    Zui Linglong left with the sentence, ¡°Believe it or not. I¡¯ll leave it with you. It¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    Then Zui Linglong left. Tang Xia wanted to toss the sachet in her hands away but after a while, she left it in a corner and stopped paying more attention to it.


    When Tang Xia was lying in bed, she felt quite annoyed and uncomfortable. So she fell into sleep quickly


    As the full moon hung on the sky, the night sky was quite dark, highlighting the brightness of the moon. However, there was barely any breeze with the whiff of danger filled with the air as if it would turn into a sharp knife to tear the night sky up.


    As the troops of Nanmen Yi had arrived in the gate of the city, his troops gained the upper hand and broke into the city after they forced the gate open.


    There was quite dark inside the city except for the place where they were at war. The torches in soldiers¡¯ hand merged into a large flame as if they lit up the horizon.


    Nanmen Yi who was riding on the horse came to the front. When he saw Chu Tiankuo standing above him, he said immediately,


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, it is our country that gains the upper hand, why don¡¯t you surrender to us? Otherwise, more innocent people will be harmed. As long as you deliver Tang Xia to me, I can make you live longer.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo who wore a dark silver armor stood on the gate tower with a sharp sword in hand. As the moon cast its light on the sword, it glowed with cold light, highlighting the ferocity and cruelness of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look.


    His eyes looked like boundless abysses filling with darkness, and nothing could be seen. Chu Tiankuo wore a poker face with a strong killing intent spreading from him.


    Right, it was killing intent.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Nanmen Yi as if he was a dead man and said slowly,


    ¡°Nanmen Yi, Tang Xia is my woman. How dare you to ask for my beloved woman? Show me your means. Here will be your burial ground tonight. I won¡¯t let you leave my country alive.¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, Nanmen Yi wore a terrible and gloomy look immediately.


    ¡°It is unknown whose burial ground it will be. Now that you put up a desperate struggle, let me end your life and remove your head from you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Nanmen Yi coldly with endless and dark coldness in his eyes as if he had frozen the air.


    The war was on the brink.


    ¡°Nanmen Yi, I¡¯ll hold a memorial ceremony for my people with your blood. You don¡¯t deserve mentioning Tang Xia. It is wishful thinking for you to be with her! ¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, his troops engaged with Nanmen Yi¡¯s soldiers. Both sides who faced death unflinchingly fought hard and were reluctant to surrender to each other, splattering blood and gore over the entire area. And the bright moon was covered with a strong smell of blood and was added the color of vermilion.


    As both sides were engaged in a hot battle, no one was willing to surrender to each other. So it was a life-or-death fight, which made millions of people die.

 Chapter 120

    At the moment when Chu Tiankuo¡¯s troops and Nanmen Yi¡¯s troops were at war, Tang Xia, as a woman, could not do anything but to wait in the imperial harem.


    After a while, Tang Xia did not hear any news about the war. So she decided to go to the city gate alone to check it out.


    When she arrived where Chu Tiankuo¡¯s troops confronted with Nanmen Yi¡¯s troops, she found that the whole scene was intense. As Tang Xia did not know what to do, Zui Linglong found her and came up with a scheme after rolling her eyes.


    She walked toward Tang Xia, stood by Tang Xia and said, ¡°Yo! How could you come here as you are pregnant, Your Grace? Chu Tiankuo will definitely be worried about you when he sees you.¡±


    ¡°It is none of your business!¡± Tang Xia said coldly without taking a look at Zui Linglong.


    ¡°How could you say that?¡± Zui Linglong wore a faint smile, ¡°Chu Tiankuo will be the only emperor before the war ends. But,¡±


    Zui Linglong paused for a while and continued,


    ¡°Nanmen Yi is quite well-prepared today as he brings assassins with him so that Chu Tiankuo can be killed by them. I am afraid that the old dynasty will be replaced with a new one today!¡±


    On hearing what Zui Linglong had said, Tang Xia became quite worried. Then she looked at Zui Linglong coldly and said,


    ¡°So you have planned all this? How scheming you are! However, I will never let your scheme work!¡±


    As Zui Linglong noticed that Tang Xia was about to fall into her trap, she puckered in a smile and said with a proud look, ¡°What can you do as you are pregnant now? As far as I¡¯m concerned, you will be the next one to be killed when Chu Tiankuo is dead!¡± Zui Linglong¡¯s arrogance was only for Tang Xia because no one could see her look due to the angle.


    Looking at the corner that Zui Linglong pointed, Tang Xia came up with a plan. So she said to Zui Linglong with disdain, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so what? I¡¯m always better than you!¡±


    After she finished her sentence, Tang Xia wanted to go and protect Chu Tiankuo from being harmed by those assassins. So she pulled up her dress and ran toward the direction Zui Linglong pointed.


    Tang Xia did not notice that Zui Linglong¡¯s look turned terrible immediately and her hands clenched after she said she would always be better than Zui Linglong.


    What Tang Xia did not notice was when she ran into the direction Zui Linglong pointed, Zui Linglong¡¯s angry look turned into a proud look showing that her scheme worked. Then she wore an evil smile and looked at Tang Xia with disdain.


    ¡°How dare you to compete with me!¡± Zui Linglong thought in disdain. Then she turned around and looked at Chu Tiankuo and Nanmen Yi who were in a fight, ¡°I wonder how Chu Tiankuo will feel when he sees Tang Xia.¡± Zui Linglong wanted to enjoy a good show and wore a meaning smile, ¡°Don¡¯t let me down!¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo was in a fierce fight with Nanmen Yi, he suddenly glanced at Tang Xia in a corner.


    And Chu Tiankuo found that the corner Tang Xia stood in was the exact direction of Nanmen Yi.


    ¡°What is wrong with Tang Xia? Why doesn¡¯t she stay in the palace harem? Why does she come here? Now that she is pregnant, how can she risk her life like this?¡± Chu Tiankuo thought fretfully.


    At this moment, Zui Linglong ran toward Chu Tiankuo and said to him bewitchingly while he was looking at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Look at her, Your Majesty. Why did she run toward Nanmen Yi? Is she falling in love with him so that she wants to seek refuge with him?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo took a glance at Zui Linglong and said to her fiercely, ¡°You bitch! Watch your tongue! I believe Tang Xia! She will never do that! Don¡¯t stir up trouble here!¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, Zui Linglong scorned him in her mind. But she did not show her disdain and said to him,


    ¡°Who knows? It is quite hard to speculate what people think in such a dangerous situation. We don¡¯t know why Tang Xia ran toward Nanmen Yi.¡±


    Zui Linglong paused for a while and continued,


    ¡°In my view, it seems that Tang Xia does not want the baby! You protect her so well that she has no chance to have a miscarriage.¡±


    ¡°So she wants to have a miscarriage in this malicious way, which can make people regard it as an accident and will not blame her.¡±


    ¡°Besides, she can preserve her reputation in this way. What a scheming woman!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Chu Tiankuo turned around and said to Zui Linglong quite fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t speculate what Tang Xia is thinking about from your point of view! I believe Tang Xia! She will never become a woman like that! Now get out of here! Leave me alone!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Zui Linglong impatiently as if he was looking at dirt, which made Zui Linglong rather angry.


    ¡°Humph, I¡¯ll see what will happen to you two.¡± Zui Linglong thought with disdain.


    ¡°Besides, how dare you to judge whether she is scheming or not! Get out of my face!¡± Chu Tiankuo said to Zui Linglong fiercely. Then he turned to look at Tang Xia worriedly.


    However, Tang Xia did not notice that Chu Tiankuo was looking at her. She just ran toward the direction of Nanmen Yi, not caring about her safety.


    What Tang Xia concerned about was that she could not let Chu Tiankuo be harmed by those assassins, making her ignore Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look. So her behavior of running toward Nanmen Yi made Chu Tiankuo hurt a little.


    Chu Tiankuo wore a desolate look and felt unhappy, ¡°So you truly don¡¯t want the baby? Are you falling in love with Nanmen Yi?¡±


    ¡°Why are you running around? How can I protect you now?¡± When Chu Tiankuo noticed that Tang Xia was running about although she was injured, he felt quite helpless, ¡°You made me so worried about you!¡±


    At this moment, the most unexpected thing happened¡ªa man from nowhere appeared suddenly, startling Tang Xia. She jerked backward and sat down weakly and limply.


    Tang Xia wore a pale face with her fingers trembling slightly. Seeing the man disappear suddenly in front of her, she felt quite terrified.


    At this moment, Tang Xia suddenly felt a pain in her belly.


    She covered her belly tightly with a pale face and said bewilderedly, ¡°Baby! My baby!¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo saw this scene, he kept everyone away from him and walked worriedly toward Tang Xia.


    As Chu Tiankuo genuflected by Tang Xia, he looked at her face and said, ¡°What are you doing? Look at you, how can you run about when you are injured? How can I protect you in turmoil and chaos of war?¡±


    Tang Xia ran to this place in order to prevent Chu Tiankuo from being injured, so she felt quite unhappy and wronged after Chu Tiankuo said to her so angrily.


    But the pain in her belly made her face paler, and she even shed tears for it.


    Tang Xia said in an injured tone, ¡°I did all this for your own good! What about my baby? What should I do?¡±


    Tang Xia was reclining beside Chu Tiankuo while he was genuflecting by her. After Nanmen Yi saw the scene, he wore a terrible look and clenched his fist, feeling a little jealousy.


    After a moment, Nanmen Yi found that Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo still held the pose. So he summoned his archers to stand in a row and shoot arrows at Tang Xia.


    All the people present thought that Nanmen Yi had lost his mind. ¡°How can he kill his own baby? Besides, Tang Xia is just a frail woman. How cruel he is to let us shoot arrows at her!¡±


    What they did not know was that Nanmen Yi was gambling.


    Nanmen Yi affirmed that Chu Tiankuo would risk his own life to stand in front of Tang Xia and block all the arrows for her.


    As long as Chu Tiankuo was willing to prevent Tang Xia from being injured, those arrows would prick into Chu Tiankuo like the prickles of the hedgehog and kill him in a flash.


    Then Nanmen Yi would win this war and become the new emperor of this nation.


    The archers all looked at Nanmen Yi vacillatingly because they were afraid that Nanmen Yi would make trouble for them when he came back to his senses. ¡°It is said that the baby in Tang Xia¡¯s belly is Nanmen Yi¡¯s. What if he makes trouble for us? We cannot shoulder this responsibility.¡± When the archers thought so, they dared not to shoot the arrows but looked at Nanmen Yi cautiously.


    After Nanmen Yi waited for a long time, he found that no one shot the arrows. So he turned around angrily and looked at those archers fiercely. Then he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you shoot the arrows? Are you disobeying my order? Just shoot the arrows at Tang Xia!¡±


    Since Nanmen Yi had said so, those archers did not hesitate anymore and started to shoot arrows at Tang Xia.


    Hundreds of arrows were shot at once.

 Chapter 121

    When Tang Xia saw that hundreds of arrows with silver glow were flying toward her, she thought that she would definitely die this time. So she closed her eyes and waited with a calm look.


    However, she did not feel any pain after a while, ¡°Am I dead?¡± she thought.


    She opened up her eyes and found nothing had happened.


    Suddenly, a drop of warm fluid with a smell of blood dripped on Tang Xia¡¯s face¡ªshe touched and looked at it¡ªit was blood. ¡°Where does the blood come from?¡±


    When Tang Xia raised her head, she saw that Chu Tiankuo held her in his arms to protect her. Seeing Tang Xia open her eyes up, he wore a smile at her.


    However, Tang Xia found that many arrows were inserted on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s back with the corner of her eye and the ground had been filled with his blood, which was quite thrilling.


    Pale as his look was, Chu Tiankuo still took his gentle look at Tang Xia. Then he said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m so relieved that you are not injured.¡±


    Zui Linglong hid her head in order to protect herself. She was quite pleased when the arrows were shot at Tang Xia.


    However, when she found that Chu Tiankuo blocked all the arrows for Tang Xia, Zui Linglong became so startled that she ran out regardless of her own safety and shouted loudly, ¡°Someone, summon the imperial physician! Hurry up!¡± Zui Linglong became quite alarmed and bewildered when she saw that Chu Tiankuo was badly injured.


    At this time, the soldier standing beside Nanmen Yi wanted to end Chu Tiankuo¡¯s life by stabbing him so that the war could end sooner. When the soldier stepped out, he was stopped by Nanmen Yi.


    The soldier looked at Nanmen Yi wonderingly and found that Nanmen Yi wore a strange look.


    Nanmen Yi looked at everything in front of him with a lonely and complicated look. What he saw was that Chu Tiankuo risked his own life in preventing Tang Xia from being harmed.


    It made Nanmen Yi quite startled that Chu Tiankuo protected Tang Xia with his own body.


    As the old saying goes, ¡°There is no sincerity of love in the royal family.¡± Nanmen Yi had grown up in the world of deception since he was a child.


    So he had never believed in anyone, nor had he cared for someone like this. But Chu Tiankuo was willing to die for Tang Xia, which made him quite startled.


    It was the reason why Nanmen Yi chose not to attack Chu Tiankuo anymore and just looked at this quietly. He knew that it would be impossible for Chu Tiankuo to survive after he was shot by so many arrows.


    So Nanmen Yi wanted to let Chu Tiankuo talk with Tang Xia before he died instead of letting him die with regret.


    Chu Tiankuo brought Tang Xia down in such a pandemonium. Although his back had been stuck with many arrows, Chu Tiankuo just looked at Tang Xia tenderly as if he did not feel any pain.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo blankly. After a while, she stretched her arms to hold Chu Tiankuo. However, she felt warm and sticky fluid in her hand.


    As she held back her hand, Tang Xia found that her hand was filled with blood, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s blood. She froze with amazement, looking at the blood in her hand.


    After a while, Tang Xia came back to her senses and said to Chu Tiankuo in panic,


    ¡°How are you, Chu Tiankuo? Are you all right? Someone! Someone, summon the imperial physician!¡±


    Tang Xia started to cry in her paleness and wildness while big tears rolled down her cheeks. Chu Tiankuo struggled to raise his hand,


    helped Tang Xia wipe the tears and said, stroking her cheek, ¡°Tell me, the baby in your belly is mine, right?¡±


    ¡°How could you care about the baby instead of yourself at this time?¡± As Tang Xia heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s question, she roared with rage, ¡°The baby is yours! I have never been touched by anyone else but you! Never!¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s behavior, Chu Tiankuo wore an obscure smile.


    Then Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo blankly and asked worriedly, ¡°How are you now? Do you feel any pain?¡± ¡°You have lose so much blood, do you feel dizzy? Hang on! The imperial physician is on his way! He will come in no time! ¡±


    At this time, Chu Tiankuo appeared very calm and shook his head at Tang Xia. Then he said with a smile,


    ¡°As we have been together for such a long time, I have seen your look of slyness, happiness, and angriness. However, I have only seen your look of true vexation twice.¡±


    ¡°The first time was in the broadcast room of the last world where I was a president who was dying in a car accident.¡±


    ¡°You were as worried as you are now and tried to stop bleeding for me. The second time when I see your look of vexation is now.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a yearning look and stroked Tang Xia¡¯s face. Then he sighed with emotion,


    ¡°You washboard (indicating Tang Xia¡¯s breasts are as flat as the washboard)! I wish you don¡¯t need to come back again so that you can live your own happy life.¡±


    ¡°But there is severe inner conflict in my mind as I cannot see you if you don¡¯t come here again. I will miss you so much. ¡±


    Tang Xia covered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand on her face with her own hand and firmly held his hand. Then she said to him chokingly, ¡°What are you talking about? I will come to you next time and I will definitely find you every time! We will get together forever in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°What a fool.¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia and said slowly.


    ¡°Why not stay in your own world. There is no wars, troubles, and infighting. As long as you come here and meet me, everything will be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can lead a peaceful and happy life forever.¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Tang Xia shouted in tears, ¡°How can I be happy without you? Hang on! Don¡¯t you dare to die!¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Chu Tiankuo wore a tender smile at Tang Xia, ¡°It is just a scene in the broadcast room. When I die, your task will be completed. Then you can leave here. You will see me again if you make another live broadcast.¡±


    ¡°But¡­but,¡± Tang Xia cried with tears rolling down her cheeks and said, ¡°I know that. But it is the second time that you die in front of me. How can I not be sad?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not say a word anymore. He just helped Tang Xia wipe the tears and stroked her cheek. Then he closed his eyes and lay back on Tang Xia¡¯s breast silently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Tang Xia shook Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Get up!¡±


    But Chu Tiankuo did not make any reaction. Tang Xia stretched her hand below Chu Tiankuo¡¯s nose to feel his breath, however, she felt nothing. Chu Tiankuo was not breathing anymore. He was dead already.


    Although Tang Xia knew that she would meet Chu Tiankuo in the next world, she felt quite sad and cried out bitterly at this moment.


    So Tang Xia wrapped her arms around Chu Tiankuo¡¯s neck, burying her face into his chest and broke into tears, ¡°You fool! This is the second time! You will never do this again! Never!¡± Tang Xia shouted to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Who do you think you are! Do you think that I will be happy for you sacrificing your life for me? I won¡¯t! That is impossible! Don¡¯t die in front of me! Aren¡¯t you a system bug? How could you die as you are so formidable?¡±


    Although people around them could not understand what they were talking about, the atmosphere was quite bleak while the scene was rather quiet so that Tang Xia¡¯s cry was the only sound that could be heard.


    Nanmen Yi felt a little sad, too. Although he could not sacrifice his life for Tang Xia, he felt grieved if Tang Xia cried for another man.


    As Nanmen Yi clenched his fist, he wore a disappointed look, ¡°Although I won this war and I can be the new emperor, I feel uncomfortable instead of happy?¡±


    When Tang Xia was crying, her belly started to throb painfully, making her look paler.


    ¡°Oh, my belly! My belly!¡±


    The throb reminded Tang Xia of the fact that she had a miscarriage. The rain of arrows and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s death made her forget the pain temporarily. But a fierce stab of pain shot through her at this moment.


    ¡°Why am I suffering such fierce pain?¡± Tang Xia murmured to herself.


    In the meantime, she felt warm fluid coming from her private parts with a stronger smell of blood.


    Then Tang Xia was getting breathless and dizzy with muscle weakness, making her unable to hold Chu Tiankuo¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I guess this is the end of my live broadcast.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia saw that a white light flashed.

 Chapter 122

    After a sharp pain shot through her head, Tang Xia opened her eyes and came back to her senses. Then she found that she had come back to the broadcast room, ¡°Why am I back so soon?¡±


    Tang Xia looked down at her clothes and found that she was wearing the same dress before she made the time-travel. ¡°Since I have been popped up, my task must be completed.¡±


    Tang Xia felt quite pleased as she had completed her task. What¡¯s more, she could get rid of those heavy attires, ¡°How can those ancient people survive with those heavy attires in hot summer?¡±


    Lying comfortably in the revolving chair, Tang Xia pushed off her foot to rotate the chair with herself, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m back¡­ That¡¯s great¡­¡±


    As the chair stopped slowly, Tang Xia felt down and drooped her head. Then she covered her flat belly, ¡°So this is the end?¡±


    Tang Xia gradually felt sad for parting. Her first pregnancy and her expectation of a child for the first time disappeared as the task was completed. And was the man she met just in her dream?


    The scene of Chu Tiankuo being shot to death still haunted in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Although Tang Xia knew that it was the plot¡¯s needs and Chu Tiankuo must be living well, she still felt unhappy since the separation might be permanent in real life.


    Tang Xia cared more and more about Chu Tiankuo gradually and her mood was changed with his. But it came to a so-called end before Tang Xia could realize her love for Chu Tiankuo.


    Everything that had happened in the scene was haunted in Tang Xia¡¯s mind¡ªtheir first meet, the wedding and their first sweet sex which made Tang Xia blush. What¡¯s more, the happy and nervous mood when she was aware of her pregnancy would always be remembered by Tang Xia.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, it¡¯s unfair! How can you appeared and disappeared so suddenly? Who allowed you to make me cry? I have been sad for you for a long time. Who told you to block the arrows for me¡­ (sobbing), you fool! I¡¯m still crying for you although you disappeared!¡±


    Tang Xia kept cursing Chu Tiankuo. However, she cried for her own words and tears fell down.


    But Tang Xia calmed down in a short time. Then she wiped her tears, suppressing her grief and put on a smile with joy, ¡°I may meet Chu Tiankuo again in the next broadcast room! Life needs expectations!¡±


    As the prompt tone of messages kept ringing from the computer on the desk, Tang Xia called to mind that she had not read the comments from her fans, ¡°What would they think!¡±


    Tang Xia was about to read the comments with an uneasy mood as there were too many keyboard men who would criticize her bitterly. When she held the mouse,


    the notification bar below the screen told her that she received a letter from the senior executive of the broadcast room.


    Tang Xia had to read the email which congratulated her on completing the task first.


    After reading all the holiday words patiently, Tang Xia knew the real purpose of the message from the ending which said, ¡°Please go to the high building as soon as you read this letter in order to negotiate important matters!¡±


    Although Tang Xia could not figure out what did the senior management meeting have to do with her, she would be too rude if she did not attend the meeting as the letter was quite clear.


    Tang Xia still remembered clearly that she had been sneered when she went to the company last time. So this was one reason why she did not want to go¡ªshe was not willing to be laughed at again.


    After dressing up casually, Tang Xia hailed a taxi to the company.


    In no time, Tang Xia arrived at the company. After paying the driver, Tang Xia got out of the taxi with change. She stood by the roadside and put the change into her wallet.


    As Tang Xia raised her head, the majestic building gave her a sense of pressure. After squinting at the building for a while, Tang Xia felt a little dizzy and looked away.


    As many people were walking in and out of the building, Tang Xia suppressed her resistance and adjusted her expression. Then she walked into the building on a pair of low heels.


    Given the fact that some people knew Tang Xia, many people looked at her when she entered the building. Some people looked at Tang Xia with envy, others with jealousy. And Tang Xia felt quite uneasy under their gazes.


    Although it seemed that Tang Xia walked at a steady pace, she felt quite disturbed. The distance between her and the elevator seemed so far away at the moment. Finally, Tang Xia arrived at the elevator. It happened that an elevator was about to ascend. Tang Xia ran to it quickly and someone helped her to hold the elevator by stretching out his hand as he saw Tang Xia coming. After Tang Xia got in the elevator, she thanked the man lowering her head.


    As the elevator doors closed, Tang Xia pressed the button of the floor where the senior managers worked. It was so quiet in the elevator that Tang Xia knew that everyone was looking at her without turning around.


    So Tang Xia had to straighten her back and tried not to be as embarrassed as she was last time. As the experience of being laughed at was still haunting in her mind, Tang Xia managed not to think about it again by closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. Luckily, she did not feel nervous anymore.


    When they arrived on the first floor, Tang Xia was standing in the center of the elevator. So she hurried to jump aside when the door opened. People got out of the elevator and took a look at Tang Xia. She just lowered her head and looked at her shoes, not responding to their gazes. The building was high and many people were in the elevator although some people had left.


    Luckily, Tang Xia could stand in the corner of the elevator and leaning her head against the wall, feeling the rising of the elevator. Then she heard others¡¯ whispers.


    ¡°It is her. Have you ever watched her live? I cannot believe that she completed the task. Unbelievable!¡± One woman said in a shocked tone. As she finished her sentence, her company said, ¡°Because she is capable! You should care more about yourself. How is the click rate of your artist?¡±


    ¡°Forget it! It is always the same. How could I compete with her?¡± ¡°I heard that she comes to the company this time because her salary will be increased!¡± ¡°That is none of our business! Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Those two women left the elevator although they had not finished their sentences. Tang Xia was quite puzzled by their words as they seemed to talk about her, ¡°Salary increase? Why didn¡¯t I hear about that?¡± Tang Xia shook her head, ¡°Maybe they were not talking about me.¡±


    In no time, all people left the elevator except for Tang Xia who needed to go to the floor of senior managers. As Tang Xia looked at the increasing numbers and got closer and closer to the floor, she felt quite rattled. ¡°Will my salary be increased? But I¡¯m not an employee. My income is totally from my fans. How can my salary be increased?¡±


    ¡°Ding-dong!¡± The prompt tone of the elevator told Tang Xia that she had arrived. Tang Xia took a deep breath like a general who was about to fight a battle when the elevator door opened.


    Before the elevator door was about to close, Tang Xia walked out. However¡­ Tang Xia froze, looking at the corridor like a maze, ¡°I totally lose the direction! Where is the conference hall for senior managers? Why didn¡¯t the letter tell me the detailed location?¡±


    Tang Xia felt desperate since she lost her way. She wanted to think for a while in the elevator, but the elevator had been closed. Tang Xia had no choice but to ask others which way she should go.


    After looking around, Tang Xia chose the cleaner who was the most familiar with the floor as she went to every office every day¡­ Then she asked, ¡°Excuse me, could you tell me where the conference hall of senior managers is?¡± Tang Xia wore a sweet smile. But the cleaner was shocked by Tang Xia who showed up suddenly.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, she pointed out the direction for Tang Xia. Then Tang Xia looked at the direction and nodded to the cleaner, showing gratitude.


    ¡°How could the cleaner bear grudges like this?¡± Tang Xia looked at the conference hall she found with great efforts. The direction pointed out by the cleaner was completely opposite to the right direction. Luckily a secretary told her the right direction after she did not find the conference hall in the wrong direction.


    After grasping for a while in the doorway of the conference hall, Tang Xia thought, ¡°Will they be mad at me as I¡¯m so late?¡±


    Tang Xia pushed the door of the conference hall with an uneasy mood. Then everyone looked at her, making the atmosphere different instantly. After Tang Xia came into the hall, she bowed and said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m late.¡±


    Luckily, those senior managers did not care about this. The one who was sitting in the center whispered to his secretary who stood in front of Tang Xia and led her to the seat. Tang Xia sat down before she could see who were in the conference hall.


    The boss who was sitting in front wore a serious look and said in a loud voice with his fingers crossed, ¡°Ok, since we are all here, I pronounce that the company¡¯s board has decided to increase the salary of Tang Xia who will get her salary every month. What¡¯s more, she is now promoted to the anchor who needs to work office hours of the broadcast room of time-travel!¡±


    After hearing the words, Tang Xia froze.

 Chapter 123

    Hearing the senior leader¡¯s words, Tang Xia was confused and got a strange look on her face. She looked at these people in front of her up and down, thinking silently, ¡°Strange. My live show has been so terrible now. But why would the senior leaders want me to stay? Why would they even give me a raise and let me continue? Why?¡±


    Still dim about this, Tang Xia just gave up thinking. After all, in no way should she be cheated. So she signed the contract straight out with the company. Moreover, she was eager to meet Chu Tiankuo again.


    After quickly signing the contract, Tang Xia smiled and bowed to the senior leaders, and said, ¡°Bosses, I¡¯m leaving if there is nothing else.¡±


    The senior leaders looked genial and responded with a smile, ¡°Go ahead. We don¡¯t mean to waste your time.¡±


    Tang Xia quickly turned away. But the look in the company changed the instant Tang Xia had left.


    The senior leaders immediately changed their genial looks before Tang Xia to totally different ones. The harmony among them disappeared.


    All of them started looking at the chief and objecting to him. ¡°Why would you let her stay here? There is a bug in her live show. What we should do is to find out and eliminate that bug.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Not to mention that Tang Xia¡¯s live show was not attracting at all. If it were not for the bug, she would probably have failed in the first pass.¡±


    ¡°I agree. What¡¯s the use of such a woman? Why did we extend the contract? Aren¡¯t we damaging the company¡¯s interest?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, we have detected the bug for a long time and have been searching for solutions, haven¡¯t we? How can we leave the bug unsolved for so long?¡±


    ¡°Does this mean the bug would never be eliminated if Tang Xia hadn¡¯t shown up? What¡¯s the use of the men in the Technology Department? They are so well-paid, but can¡¯t they think of any idea about such a trifle?


    ¡°You must explain!¡±


    Now all the eyes were fixed on the chief sitting above.


    The chief took a snap of tea at leisure, and then put down the cup slowly. Looking at the eyes of those senior leaders who sat below, he cleared his throat and said unhurriedly, ¡°You know nothing. We had been searching for the bug before Tang Xia stated her live show. But he hid so well that we failed to find him out all the time.¡±


    Then the chief paused for a while and continued, ¡°Even the most excellent technician in the company can¡¯t figure out any ideas. But the bug has been with Tang Xia since her first live show. So the Technology Department asked to let Tang Xia continue her live show so that they could find it out as soon as possible. The whole matter is related to Tang Xia. So we have to extend the contract and let her continue. The bug is bound to be with Tang Xia when she broadcasts. Then we will be able to track out the bug.


    ¡°Are you sure to do this?¡± One of the senior leaders rebutted. ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°What if the bug has lost his interest in Tang Xia and won¡¯t show up during the next live show? What should we do then?¡±


    ¡°Ah, does that mean by no means can we eliminate him? Then the extension of the contract with Tang Xia will be useless.


    ¡°And more importantly,¡± one of the senior leaders said, ¡°The bug is Tang Xia¡¯s boyfriend. Are you sure Tang Xia will help us lure him out?¡±


    ¡°That will be alright,¡± the chief said determinedly, ¡°We¡¯ll never let Tang Xia know this. All she needs to do is to be an anchor contentedly and help us to lure out the bug. What¡¯s more, now that they two are in love, we don¡¯t have to worry that she might fail to draw him out, since he will definitely appear in Tang Xia¡¯s next live show.¡±


    ¡°And the data from the Technology Department shows that the bug has always been with Tang Xia every time she broadcasts. To say the least, we will never find out and eliminate the bug if we don¡¯t make use of Tang Xia because the bug has super power for destruction.¡±


    ¡°So far, the only thing we can do is to extend the contract with Tang Xia and let her continue her live show. We will search for the bug step by step and draw up the plan to eliminate him.¡±


    Hearing these words, all the senior leaders looked pensively. The looked at each other and then thought for a while, weighing the gains and losses. Then they nodded. ¡°Alright, it seems we have no other choices.¡±


    ¡°I agree with anything as long as it¡¯s good for the company with no bad outcomes.¡±


    Me, too. But the premise is the men in the Technology Department hurry up and clean the thing up. Never leave out anything!¡±


    ¡°And Tang Xia. If she performs well in the next live shows and attracts enough fans, we will consider continuing the cooperation with her. But if she can¡¯t complete all the tasks independently without that bug, we won¡¯t need such an anchor.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    The chief, not sure whether the plan worked and could draw out the bug, breathed a sigh of relief when the senior leaders were not looking at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. So much for this. Arrange the next live show for Tang Xia as soon as possible. The earlier we catch that bug, the better. Then we will eliminate him.¡± The chief said.


    Then all of the senior leaders nodded and moved on to other issues.


    Another bitter quarrel began about things concerning the company¡¯s interest.


    At the same time, Tang Xia had walked out of the company. Looking up into the sky, she was quite confused. ¡°Whatever. I will be able to meet Chu Tiankuo now that I have been asked to continue the live show. I will find him no matter who he is.¡±


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia felt strange. When she logged in her ID number, she found so many messages in her inbox. She was quite amazed when seeing this.


    ¡°Why are there so many messages all of a sudden?¡± Tang Xia clicked these messages doubtfully and realized that many people had followed her live show, which made her an online celebrity.


    These fans suddenly flooded the screen.


    ¡°Excellent, the hostess. You¡¯ve accomplished all the difficult tasks.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So I¡¯m going to be your fan as a passer-by.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following her silently since she started the live show.¡±


    ¡°Love you forever.¡±


    ¡°I agree with the last poster. I love you, Tang Xia.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Tang Xia.¡±


    Tang Xia lost for words when she read these messages. She didn¡¯t think too much and walked back.


    Tang Xia saw many people point at her and make remarks on her on the way back. She was a little bit flurried and thus picking up her pace. She walked faster and faster until she nearly ran.


    Suddenly, someone blocked her way and asked her,


    ¡°You¡¯re the anchor of the time-travel post bar, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve watched your live show and think you are so excellent. I adore you so much. Can I have an autograph, please?¡±


    ¡°Well, okay.¡± Tang Xia said confusedly.


    All of a sudden, a flock of people rushed over here.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I am your fan, too. Will you give me your autograph?¡±


    ¡°And me, and me!¡±


    With so many people surrounding her, she knew she would be unable to leave for a moment. So Tang Xia said, ¡°No problem. Take your time. One by one.¡±


    Tang Xia signed all the signatures under the encirclement of the crowd. Then she walked into a supermarket instantly and bought herself a black mask. With most part of her face covered, she went back on a less crowded path.


    Tang Xia returned home this way. After washing herself, she lay onto the bed. Suddenly she remembered the bug, who occupied her mind and would never go away.


    Every bit of Chu Tiankuo haunted in Tang Xia¡¯s mind, which made her more and more miserable. When she realized that possibly she would never meet Chu Tiankuo again, she became even more miserable.


    ¡°What should I do if Chu Tiankuo wouldn¡¯t show up in the next live show?¡± Tang Xia thought silently, ¡°No, I must see Chu Tiankuo. I will try to find him next time, or the next two times, or forever.¡±


    Tang Xia cheered herself up. ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re the best. You should never give up! Chu Tiankuo is waiting for you to find him.¡±


    When Tang Xia thought this way, her cellphone suddenly rang. She turned it on only to find it was the system notification, which reminded her that it was time for the next live show.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to set off working and find out Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    With such thought in her mind, Tang Xia immediately logged in her ID number.

 Chapter 124

    So many pictures flashed across her mind. Tang Xia shook her head with a forced smile. Why would she be lost in a reverie now that she was clear that this couldn¡¯t be true in real life?


    ¡°Such a vigorous man who¡¯s so good to me exists merely in my dreams. After waking up from the dream, nothing remains. But I still seem to be able to touch that warmth of the man with my fingers.¡±


    ¡°Are you nuts, Tang Xia? Those things once indeed existed in real life. Why are you still so reluctant to forget?¡± Tang Xia shook her head with a forced smile. She was in a daze for a while. Should she exclaim that the game was too verisimilar?


    Or it was her who had confused her dream with the reality? Or she hadn¡¯t woke up from the dream? She turned on the computer lightly and logged in her game account.


    Staring at the account, Tang Xia fell into a trance. It happened not very long ago, but she seemed to have gone across a century, feeling muddled.


    She clicked the ¡°Log in¡± button in a daze. Suddenly the computer was stuck for a moment, and then various pics flickered constantly on the screen until a pic of a special follower flickered unstopped, noting ¡°Ye Yifan had become your special follower¡±.


    Tang Xia was stunned for a while and noticed the surging number of her fans unbelievably. She was too shocked to believe that.


    A mixed feeling started tumbling in her mind.


    ¡°How would my Prince Charming follow me?¡±


    Staring at the Prince Charming¡¯s pic, Tang Xia fell into a daze. ¡°He used to be the sun in my heart. It was me who chased after him like shadows.¡±


    ¡°But now I seem not so delighted or excited as expected. I just feel recognized as if I had made desperate efforts to be recognized.¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, just carry on. I believe in you.¡±


    In a trance, Tang Xia remembered the time when she was merely a rookie in the company, she struggled to chase after him, hoping that he would notice her even if with just a glimpse. A glimpse of him would satisfy her. Though she knew nothing when she first came to the company, she saw a glimmer of a smile in the handsome¡¯s eyes.


    He said to her, ¡°You must be the new anchor, aren¡¯t you? I haven¡¯t seen you.¡±


    She was so nervous before him that she seemed to be unable to utter anything. She stared at him, blushed, and stuttered, trying to say something but failed. She kept her mouth open, but nothing was spoken.


    Ye Yifan seemed to have noticed Tang Xia¡¯s nervousness. He bent down a little and said with a smile,


    ¡°Now I sure you are the newcomer. Look at yourself. You are too nervous to talk to me. Or do you think I am so handsome that you can¡¯t speak anything?¡±


    Though it was a kind of teasing smile, Tang Xia nodded just like a chicken pecking rice.


    Ye Yifan was stunned and amused for a while. Then he said, ¡°You¡¯re a silly girl.¡±


    Tang Xia curled her lips. Looking at his face, she kept her head downer and said,


    ¡°What? But I¡¯m like this only before you.¡±


    Ye Yifan moved his face closer to hers suddenly and smiled.


    ¡°If so, you should work hard. I believe you will be a popular anchor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you until you¡¯re able to work with me shoulder to shoulder. I believe you can make it.¡±


    Such a memory warmed Tang Xia¡¯s heart. This was the very picture that drove her keeping going. She kept forging ahead for this and for that wee smile and his promise to ¡°work with me shoulder to shoulder¡±.


    The time and tide left Tang Xia not only memories of warmth but also coldness. Even though the live show that time was just like a dream, she still felt grateful to the man who brought her to the dream.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t watched the live show of Ye Yifan, how would I be an anchor and go into that dream?¡±


    ¡°And how would I come across him?¡± She suddenly felt a little heartache when thinking of this. ¡°Ah, the handsome was merely part of the dream. Nothing would remain once the dream was broken.¡±


    ¡°All was like a dream. No, they themselves are a dream. I was just a dreamer.¡±


    Her finger approached his pic for several times but was withdrew after some hesitation. Finally, she clicked the chat box and asked with a playful tone.


    ¡°How would the handsome Ye Yifan follow me suddenly?¡±


    But Tang Xia felt regretful the minute she sent out the message. ¡°Is it proper for me to ask Ye Yifan with such a familiar tone?¡± But the chat box shook when she was to recall the message.


    Tang Xia suddenly felt embarrassed but then she saw the emoji ¡°smile¡± from Ye Yifan.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t welcome my following.¡±


    ¡°No. But this was unexpected. Why would you follow me now that you are so popular with so many fans?¡±


    This time there was no response in the chat box for such a long time that Tang Xia even thought that Ye Yifan wouldn¡¯t answer her anymore. But then the shaking chat box pulled her mind back.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help chuckling as she read the message on the screen, not knowing whether she should be cheerful or helpless.


    ¡°Because I have faith in you.¡±


    She typed several lines of words deftly.


    ¡°Why¡¯s it me that you have faith in? Why would you have faith in a rookie instead of so many excellent people in the company?¡±


    Tang Xia was perturbed and somewhat confused. ¡°There are so many outstanding ones in the company. Why would he believe in me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯re so many others and I didn¡¯t have much contact with Ye Yifan. But why is it me?¡±


    ¡°Because I have faith in you. I¡¯ve watched your live show that time. I think you are suitable for live shows. So I believe you¡¯ll be better.¡±


    ¡°Did you still remember what I said to you when we first met? I thought you would work with me shoulder to shoulder. I believe you can make it, Tang Xia. And I believe it will be even better if you keep going like this.


    Tang Xia got a mixed feeling when reading the messages on the screen and lost for words. It was by no means easy for her to work with Ye Yifan shoulder to shoulder.


    ¡°How long will it take before I can work with such an excellent man shoulder by shoulder? Everyone in the broadcast industry knows well that Ye Yifan is the unshakable giant in the circle.¡± ¡°How can I catch up with him?¡±


    ¡°Damn. Why are you still in a daze here?¡±


    One of her colleagues knocked Tang Xia on the head with a disdainful look on her face.


    Tang Xia turned back, muddled, and asked what happened in confusion.


    Her colleague looked at her as if she were looking at a fool and wanted to slap Tang Xia in her face.


    ¡°Damn. Aren¡¯t you too calm, Tang Xia? Haven¡¯t you seen the number of your fans? It has been surging since Ye Yifan follows you. You¡¯ve got so many fans as a fresh.¡±


    Tang Xia was a little stunned. She was occupied by the fact that Ye Yifan had followed her but forgot to check the fan¡¯s number. So she hurriedly closed the chat box and opened the ¡°Fan¡± page. Seeing the increasing number of her fans, Tang Xia was astonished.


    At first, she was no more than an ordinary anchor with a few fans. But now the number of her fans kept rising. The luckiest thing happened so suddenly that she was astonished.


    Her colleague almost became forceless and put her hand on the forehead. She lost for words seeing Tang Xia, who was not promising at all.


    ¡°Can you be a little more promising, Tang Xia? Why are you in a daze?¡±


    Tang Xia turned back and chuckled, looking silly.


    ¡°Am I seeing it wrong? Why do I get so many fans?¡±


    How her colleague wished she could slap her in the face!


    ¡°Are you a fool, Tang Xia? You should be more happy about that.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha! I am happy, of course. I¡¯ll treat all of you to have a barbecue and a drink.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, ok. I¡¯ll eat you out of house and home if you treat us.¡±


    They went to the food stalls, laughing and taking. Tang Xia shouted as usual.


    ¡°Boss, several bottles of beer, dozens of skewers of meat with more chili.¡±


    The boss turned the skewers up and down masterly and cried out,


    ¡°No problem. Wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, Tang Xia has become a celebrity today. We don¡¯t have to be so polite. Just order what you want. We must eat her out of house and home.¡±


    Her colleagues chuckled and said. With skewers of meat in their hands, Tang Xia also kept shouting.


    ¡°Just tell me what you want. I want everyone to go back with joy. Let¡¯s get hammered.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, Tang Xia, this is what you told us. We won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    When the skewers were served, Tang Xia got her mouth full of chili oil. She kept drinking and a faint blush appeared on her face. All of them drank happily.


    May she was drunk, there seemed to be a veil of mist in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. She shook her head slightly when the masculine face of Chu Tiankuo came into her eyes.


    She scolded herself for being unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. She had already woken up from the dream.


    Suddenly there was some voice of confusion.


    ¡°Tang Xia?¡±


    Tang Xia turned back with confusion. She almost choked to death because of a mouthful of beer.


    She saw Ye Yifan looking at her with kind of helplessness. A white sports car parked behind him, on which he leaned and looked at Tang Xia helplessly.


    Tang Xia hurriedly took out some paper tissues and wiped up the chill oil around her mouth.


    ¡°I just passed by when I saw someone like you. So I came to have a look and found unexpectedly it was exactly you.¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled gently and stepped toward Tang Xia.


    Seeing Ye Yifan¡¯s figure moving toward her, Tang Xia¡¯s first reaction was¡­


    Ye Yifan was never the kind of person photogenic. She was attracted by him in his live show, but she felt him not photogenic at all in reality. He was much more handsome in reality than his image in the camera.


    In the camera, Ye Yifan seemed alienated from others.


    But in reality, he gave her the feeling of an elegant gentleman.


    People around also started whispering.


    ¡°The Prince Charming¡­ is more handsome than in the camera¡­¡±

 Chapter 125

    When Ye Yifan turned back, what came into his eyes was Tang Xia who ran her eyes over everything on the table. He glimpsed at the food on the table, only to find some common food. But she was so delighted to have them.


    Just like a child determinedly keeping something of his own from being taken away, she was just less reasonable yet with more children¡¯s simplicity.


    ¡°Hum, yes. That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ye Yifan pondered over this carefully in his mind, then he smiled and sat beside her.


    In fact, Tang Xia had stopped eating in the way that she was keeping her food from taken away and hadn¡¯t had anything for hundreds of years the instant she looked up and saw him. But she wouldn¡¯t know why Ye Yifan would think of her that way. Maybe he had been watching her for a long time somewhere else.


    ¡°There¡¯s something around the corner of your mouth.¡±


    Tang Xia was eating the food on the table as decent as a gentlewoman with the slightest movements. If Ye Yifan hadn¡¯t seen her like that just now, he would never believe that girl would be her.


    But she was having food with extreme care. How should there be anything left on the corner of her mouth?


    Tang Xia looked up silently at him and was puzzled. Why would she care so much about what he said inadvertently?


    ¡°Tang Xia, you are so useless.¡±


    She frowned and knocked herself on the head, with her whole face wrinkled.


    She frowned and knocked herself on the head, with her whole face wrinkled.


    ¡°Here.¡± the low-pitched and pleasant voice sounded around her ears. Tang Xia believed she must have a burning and flushed face now when a shadow came down to her.


    Ye Yifan took out some napkins from the box behind her and carefully wiped the tomato sauce around the corner of her mouth for her, and then he threw the napkins into the trash can.


    All of this happened in just a few seconds but was like slow motion in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. After all, the man before her was the Prince Charming whom she had adored for so long.


    ¡°Just now you¡­¡± Ye Yifan seemed to be amusing her. He sat back beside Tang Xia composedly and picked up the corners of his lips badly, staring at her with teasing eyes.


    Tang Xia¡¯s first reaction when hearing his words was that he meant her running her eyes over the food on the table when he came in.


    She had always been one-track minded. But now she was clear that most people in her live room had changed their opinions toward her tremendously. If Ye Yifan was one of these people, she would have to pray that her image in the eyes of all, especially in that of Ye Yifan, would not diminish.


    ¡°I¡­ no¡­ well¡­ I was just so starving¡­ I never eat that way in my daily life. I swear!¡±


    Tang Xia wiped her mouth with her sleeves casually. When she found nothing around her lips, she got nervous and stammered, with her hands gesticulating something. She thought it would be alright if she explained in advance, whether he believed or not.


    Ye Yifan seemed to have understood all and shook his head with his smiling eyes.


    ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t you notice there was some tomato sauce around the corner of your mouth?¡±


    Things changed so fast that Tang Xia failed to follow him. She winked, not knowing what to say. What should she say under this condition?


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve always been like that. So¡­ I was kind of¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Tang Xia scratched her head.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re so lovely.¡± Ye Yifan laughed suddenly though he didn¡¯t know what Tang Xia was saying, as if something had hit right on the punch line.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tang Xia was stupefied, so she asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ye Yifan smiled and shook his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too inconvenient to eat here? Let¡¯s go and find a cleaner restaurant. My treat.¡±


    ¡°Ah? No, thanks. I just come here to kill time. I¡¯m not hungry at all, in fact. Ha-ha.¡± Seeing Ye Yifan stand up and step outward, Tang Xia also stood up immediately and got him in the way.


    But people always said plans might not be able to keep up with changes. Though it was not quite appropriate to be used to describe the current situation, Tang Xia¡¯s stomach did growl when she stood up. What¡¯s that?


    She thought she could chat with Ye Yifan for all night in the small place the instant she saw him, which would probably make her closer to him. But she was embarrassing herself before him. She couldn¡¯t help keeping her head lower and lower.


    ¡°Alright. I know you don¡¯t want to go elsewhere. Then enjoy yourself here. But I¡¯ve said that¡¯s my treat.¡± Ye Yifan smiled and said reluctantly.


    He then shouted and ordered some common dishes and sat down, showing his understanding.


    Tang Xia hollowly laughed and started eating the barbecue she ordered, keeping her head down.


    She didn¡¯t care where and when to eat. As an old saying goes, food is the paramount necessity of the people. Even though there were so many people advising her not to eat like this every day, she didn¡¯t care. Just like this, she could still stoke here in a smaller place though she refused to go to any grand restaurant with Ye Yifan.


    All the dished ordered by Ye Yifan were swallowed by Tang Xia herself. Though Ye Yifan didn¡¯t care much because he seldom ate these dishes, he felt satisfactory himself when he saw Tang Xia eat as if she hadn¡¯t had anything for days.


    Ye Yifan smiled and looked at her until she ate up everything and touched her bulging belly with a smirk. Then she turned back and grinned at him.


    ¡°You seemed to have had nothing.¡± Tang Xia ordered a glass of water, sat before him and said.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t expect that I would come across a chowhound when I took the money.¡± Ye Yifan smiled and shrugged.


    ¡°What? How dare you call my name in my face?¡± Tang Xia was blushed a little and her eyes became blurred because of the drinking.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t hear that.¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia and smiled, who was also looking at him with a smile. One was sober while the other was drunk; one was reasonable while the other was unruled.


    Though Tang Xia was almost drunk, she was still able to chat with Ye Yifan. Ye Yifan said he was looking forward Tang Xia¡¯s performance in the future. Tang Xia just nodded and promised that she wouldn¡¯t let him down. But who knew what he had told her.


    ¡°Did you encounter anything in that world?¡±


    ¡°No. Nothing except Chu Tiankuo.¡± Tang Xia was dazed, with her chin resting on her hands but her eyes closed.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo? Who¡¯s that?¡± Ye Yifan shook her as if he were trying to wake her up.


    ¡°Stop it.¡± She patter Ye Yifan on his hand, just like the way she slapped Chu Tiankuo when he got physical to accomplish a task during a live show.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you are no more than a narcissistic, scheming and presumptuous guy.¡± Tang Xia smacked her lips as if the memory would be everlasting.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to go home.¡± Tang Xia opened her eyes instantly. She stood up swiftly as soon as she finished speaking and then walked out directly after glancing at Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll pay the bill.¡± He thought she must have been drunk when he saw her groggy movement.


    Having paid the bill, he walked with Tang Xia on the road. The wind was no so cold but would give people a sense of fear due to the encirclement of darkness.


    Everything was unknown. The chilly wind in the darkness enervated all the thoughts as long as they encountered the dark and blurred.


    Such as Tang Xia, who had been awake from the drunk sleep once the cool wind blew across her back.


    ¡°Let me sent you home!¡± Staring at her clear and shining eyes in the darkness, Ye Yifan said slowly.


    Tang Xia opened her mouth but said nothing when she noticed Ye Yifan¡¯s next move.


    Finally, Ye Yifan sent her home. She seemed to have nothing else to say except ¡°thank you¡±.


    Ye Yifan didn¡¯t leave until he saw her get home safely.


    Tang Xia was alone in the empty house.


    She took a deep breath and rushed to the bathroom to take a shower and brushed her teeth. Then she went to bed wearing a casually selected dress.


    Nothing seemed to be different except that Chu Tiankuo had gone.


    Though she was drunken and sleepy as if she would fall asleep as long as she closed her eyes, things turned to be the opposite.


    All that she could see after closing her eyes was the enlarged and cool face of Chu Tiankuo.


    She was startled and opened her eyes widely in the dark, breaking into a cold sweat.


    She turned on the light slowly and sat on the bed in silence.


    This was just like a nightmare. But she had already split with him.


    Her goal was to let Chu Tiankuo fall in love with her, but she turned out to be wrong. She shouldn¡¯t have to do that. There was no reason for her to love Chu Tiankuo, neither was she good nor powerful enough to love him.


    ¡°Is he alright now?¡± She had left him quietly because she knew he showed up merely due to the task of the live show.


    Anyway, he showed up in the first two tasks. Who knew whether he would reappear or not in the following tasks.


    ¡°Let it go. Stop thinking about him and go to sleep.¡±


    But she thought over and over again. ¡°People held a totally different attitude towards her. Is there anything to do with Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing. The man does not exist at all. It couldn¡¯t be so coincidental.¡±


    She comforted herself for a long time and fell asleep unknowingly.

 Chapter 126

    Tang Xia felt fine when she got up in the morning because she met the Prince Charming yesterday.


    She was now standing at the door and enjoying the scenery in the morning.


    Then she noticed a woman coming from the distance.


    The woman, though dressed in a pink mini-skirt with blond hair, looked so sweet.


    Tang Xia opened her eyes wide when she saw the woman come straight towards her. ¡°She¡­ is coming for me?¡±


    After a while, the woman had stood before her before Tang Xia could react.


    Tang Xia looked at her up and down and thought to herself. ¡°She¡¯s sure enough in good shape and is so pretty and charming.¡±


    ¡°But I must have met her somewhere. Otherwise, why do I feel so familiar with her?¡± Tang Xia thought as she looked at the woman before her.


    Before Tang Xia could recall anything, the woman had started the talk. ¡°Are you Tang Xia?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned at first and then nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Tang Xia. But who are you, please?¡±


    Tang Xia thought she had replied to her in a very friendly way, but the woman seemed unsatisfied when she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± There were some shocks and contempt as well.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Maybe it¡¯s been too long. So I just forget that.¡± Tang Xia apologized with a smile.


    The woman was even angrier when she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t expect that Tang Xia didn¡¯t know her.


    The woman took a deep breath and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Li Xianxian.¡±


    The woman¡¯s self-introduction reminded Tang Xia suddenly that this was the well-known anchor in the broadcast room, and was the goddess to many male homebodies.


    It was not until today that Tang Xia realized her shape did overwhelm that of the many other women.


    Though Tang Xia thought a lot, she didn¡¯t show anything. When she heard the woman say she was Li Xianxian, she smiled politely.


    Then she said and gave her way to the woman, ¡°Nice to meet you. Come in, please.¡±


    Li Xianxian lifted her head slightly and then stepped in unceremoniously.


    Tang Xia stood still and couldn¡¯t help curling her lips when she saw Li Xianxian laughably try to attract men like a peacock.


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian, who was sitting on the sofa and asked, ¡°Have some drinks, Miss. Li?¡±


    Li Xianxian looked around. Then she curled her lips and said, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything good in such a place. Just give me a glass of water.¡±


    Tang Xia really didn¡¯t know what to say when she saw Li Xianxian like this. She nodded and then turned to the kitchen.


    Then Li Xianxian added bluntly, ¡°And, remember to wash up your cups.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia suddenly stopped. She took a deep breath and kept reminding herself not to be infuriated.


    She prepared herself and then turned back and said to Li Xianxian, ¡°Ok.¡±


    Li Xianxian was somewhat amazed at Tang Xia¡¯s response. She planned to discommode Tang Xia but didn¡¯t expect that she was so well-natured.


    But Li Xianxian wouldn¡¯t give up easily.


    After a while, Tang Xia walked out of the kitchen. She gave a glass of water to Li Xianxian and said, ¡°Your water, Miss. Li.¡±


    Li Xianxian nodded but didn¡¯t take the glass of water.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t mind since she had been polite in every aspect.


    With such a thought, Tang Xia sat down before Li Xianxian. She looked at her and said, ¡°I wonder what Miss. Li wants to see me about.¡±


    Li Xianxian looked up at her, put down something on the table and said, ¡°I come to congratulate you.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Tang Xia was stunned when she heard Li Xianxian¡¯s words. ¡°Why would she congratulate me? I didn¡¯t mean to do anything myself after all.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia confused, Li Xianxian immediately suspected that Tang Xia was putting on an act.


    Though she sneered in the heart, she said amiably, ¡°I came to congratulate you because not only did Ye Yifan followed you but you became the most popular one among all the fresh anchors. As is said, good things come in pairs.¡±


    Tang Xia was clever enough to read the satire in Li Xianxian¡¯s words.


    But she didn¡¯t bother to haggle with her. So she said a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a coincidence that Ye Yifan would follow me. But I didn¡¯t know why you¡¯d say that I am the most popular one among the fresh anchors.¡±


    Li Xianxian still believed that Tang Xia was pretending to know nothing though Tang Xia had explained that way. So she was even angrier.


    ¡°Really? You don¡¯t have to be so modest. I bring some gifts for you.¡± With this, she handed the bag by her side to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia looked at the bag and picked her eyebrows as she never expected that Li Xianxian would come to her with gifts.


    However, she realized that she was too silly when she saw what really was in the bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Tang Xia asked with her eyes fixed on the bag.


    With a wild gleam in her eyes, Li Xianxian smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s something that makes you more and more popular.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia felt bad suddenly. At the same time, she realized that she didn¡¯t really want to congratulate her sincerely during her visit.


    Tang Xia looked worse when thinking if this.


    She made a forced smile and said to Li Xianxian, ¡°Then thank you, Miss Li. But I think you need this more than me.¡±


    Tang Xia paused when she said this. She looked up at Li Xianxian with a smile that couldn¡¯t be seen through.


    Then she said, ¡°Girls look younger and better-looking these days. You would not hold much long if you don¡¯t make up yourself up.¡±


    Li Xianxian looked worse, too when she heard this. Everyone knew that it was hard to be a good anchor. People got aesthetic fatigue as time passing by, after all.


    So she hated nothing more than the remark about her age.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was pleased with herself when she saw Li Xianxian lost for words out of anger. So she smiled and continued. ¡°Miss. Li, try not to be angry, please. Women get wrinkled easily if they lost their temper.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia, who was self-satisfied, Li Xianxian took a deep breath and then looked better.


    She smiled, looked at Tang Xia and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you went out for dinner with Ye Yifan.¡±


    Tang Xia admired Li Xianxian for her capacity to shift in thinking. But she said nothing and nodded. ¡°So what?¡±


    Terrible as Li Xianxian felt when she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words, she managed not to show that. She just smiled and said, ¡°Nothing. But Yifan is a good man in all respects and likes to take care of girls in particular.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled. ¡°Mr. Ye is good indeed.¡±


    ¡°Of course. He always drives me home and took care of me when I was sick.¡±


    Hearing this. Tang Xia realized why Li Xianxian would come. She was here to show her ownership.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help simpering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Li Xianxian? Ye Yifan and I are just friends. Does she need to be so suspicious?¡±


    ¡°It seemed that Mr. Ye was really generous to Miss. Li.¡± Tang Xia smiled and said.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Li Xianxian raised her chins and continued. ¡°What¡¯s more, Yifan wouldn¡¯t treat everyone this way. He¡¯s really nice to me.¡±


    Tang Xia felt nothing when she heard Li Xianxian¡¯s words. She knew what Li Xianxian meant nothing but to let her away from Ye Yifan.


    But she wanted no more than think of Ye Yifan as a handsome boy she admired. So she just nodded when Li Xianxian told her this.


    Seeing Tang Xia not care about what she said, Li Xianxian seemed not to want to continue. So she stood up and said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s stop here. I¡¯m afraid I have to leave now.¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly looked up when Li Xianxian spoke. She looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°Ok, mind your step, Miss. Li.¡±


    Li Xianxian looked back at Tang Xia with a strange look when she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    Seeing Li Xianxian turn back, Tang Xia¡¯s excited expression turned to a polite smile.


    Li Xianxian frowned and left without saying anything.


    Tang Xia did feel relieved when she saw Li Xianxian leave. It was so arduous for her to deal with such a woman.


    Tang Xia wanted to have a rest when she returned to the room. She was really exhausted just now.


    But then the system beep rang suddenly.


    ¡°Congratulations. You have over 2 million fans. We invite you to the dinner party tonight.¡±


    Seeing such a notification, Tang Xia was stunned as if she hadn¡¯t understood what happened.


    After a while, she rushed to the computer and had a look.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ve got 2 million fans. I feel so great. Yeah.¡± Tang Xia danced up and down and said.


    Thinking of the dinner party tonight, Tang Xia rushed upstairs only to find nothing suitable for the party.


    Tang Xia helplessly decided to go to the mall.


    ¡°Just take it as a walk.¡± Tang Xia said to herself.

 Chapter 127

    As the saying went, ¡°enemies and lovers are destined to meet¡±. Tang Xia didn¡¯t expect that she would meet the woman after hanging in the mall for some time.


    Though they hated each other, they couldn¡¯t think of anything to avoid this because this was the only way. They just couldn¡¯t prevent themselves from meeting each other though they had quarreled.


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia stepped forward reluctantly. She wasn¡¯t happy about this but could do nothing but walking forward unwillingly. She glanced at the woman before her.


    Li Xianxian was not alone. She was walking here with a fat man.


    The man looked nauseating. The greasy and potbellied look was really disgusting. But Li Xianxian seemed not to think so.


    Li Xianxian walked with the man beside her arm in arm as if he were her boyfriend or husband, looking affectionate.


    But that was disgusting. But Li Xianxian seemed not to have such a feeling and called him father-in-custom affectionately.


    Tang Xia felt sick. ¡°The woman would do everything for money and fame. She would even call such a man ¡®father-in-custom¡¯. Though everyone understood that they must do something to live here, Li Xianxian and that man¡¯s affinity was really disgusting.¡±


    But people knew that they should never show what they thought. They would act another way even if they had been thinking of something else.


    So Tang Xia must act differently from what she thought at the moment.


    Tang Xia had planned to talk to them peacefully. And she didn¡¯t think it possible nor necessary to be reconciled with her. So she believed being placid was the best solution.


    Moreover, that would be meaningless to quarrel with her, nor did it do good to anyone. So that was unnecessary. Tang Xia believed it would be better to treat her peacefully.


    What¡¯s more, Tang Xia didn¡¯t want to bother to embarrass her because there was no need for this, which would make both she and Li Xianxian exhausted. Why bother? So she greeted Li Xianxian with respect.


    ¡°Xianxian, it¡¯s so nice to meet you in the lifestyle center.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled naturally as if she were greeting someone ordinary. In fact, Tang Xia would rather take them as someone ordinary.


    Though she thought differently, she pretended to be very calm.


    Tang Xia smiled slightly and thought this would be an end of the war and that she wouldn¡¯t tangle with Li Xianxian anymore. Otherwise, it might turn worse and have some negative influence on both of them.


    But soon Tang Xia realized that she overestimated Li Xianxian¡¯s IQ. Tang Xia had thought Li Xianxian was not so foolish. But then she found herself wrong.


    Tang Xianxian sneered at her on such an occasion. Though it would embarrass both of them if they quarrel here, Li Xianxian still acted like a fool.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t think of a way to solve this. She felt unnecessary to think over anything now that Li Xianxian didn¡¯t care. Tang Xia would do the same if Li Xianxian made trouble for her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind arguing with you if you start the quarrel. I don¡¯t care about this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hypocrisy, Tang Xia. You didn¡¯t act like this previously. How would you call me so intimately? You used to call me with my surname. Do you have enough money to spend here, the most popular anchor? Can you afford anything here?¡±


    It seemed that Li Xianxian wouldn¡¯t give up any chance to fleer Tang Xia. She wouldn¡¯t stop quarreling with her as long as they met until she felt satisfied.


    Otherwise, Li Xianxian would feel uneasy. So she seized the opportunity and began bluntly.


    Li Xianxian wouldn¡¯t tolerate anything nor hide her thoughts. Even if Li Xianxian was part of the circle, she was merely a fool because she would tell everything in her mind.


    Li Xianxian didn¡¯t even know how to hide her thoughts like others. She preferred to get along with others openly and thought it unnecessary to act like that.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t think of any way to deal with Li Xianxian. She didn¡¯t want to haggle with her but was helpless when Li Xianxian made trouble with her on such an occasion.


    Everyone would know who was to blame once it was reported. Why bother to do this?


    But Li Xianxian was much easier to deal with compared with those sophisticated ones who would hide their mind cunningly.


    Now that it was Li Xianxian who made trouble herself, it made no sense if Tang Xia acted as if she were in fear and dared not quarrel with Li Xianxian.


    So, anyway, she should not forgive Li Xianxian nor lose to her since Li Xianxian took the initiative. She would never be defeated by a fool in front of her. If Li Xianxian liked, she wouldn¡¯t mind quarreling with her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak? Did I hit the nail on the head? You shouldn¡¯t have come here if you don¡¯t have enough money. You are just an ordinary popular anchor and can¡¯t afford anything here.¡±


    ¡°If you come here without enough money, then you will be embarrassed. Anyone like you should buy cheap things from stalls. You can¡¯t afford anything here.¡±


    Li Xianxian thought she had blown Tang Xia¡¯s self-confidence because she said nothing. Though she didn¡¯t see Tang Xia like this commonly, she didn¡¯t think too much about this.


    Li Xianxian wouldn¡¯t spend much time thinking of too many things. So she became even more sarcastic. She questioned loudly when she saw Tang Xia keep silent for a long time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t afford anything indeed? You must haven¡¯t been here. Maybe I can walk around with you and you may ask me for help if you find something you can¡¯t afford.¡±


    ¡°I can pay for you. After all, people as poor as you have by no means been here, not to mention buying clothes like this. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking about. But why are you here when you cannot buy anything?¡±


    Li Xianxian was getting more and more excited. The more she said, the more delighted she felt. She was extremely happy because she hadn¡¯t taunted Tang Xia like this for a long time. She thought Tang Xia troublesome.


    Li Xianxian thought she should put Tang Xia¡¯s nose out of joint now and make her unable to enjoy her fame as the most popular fresh anchor. She felt great when she thought this way.


    ¡°You¡¯ve overestimated yourself. I¡¯m free to be here and it¡¯s none of your business. You don¡¯t have to think too much.¡±


    ¡°Go shopping with your partner and leave me alone. I¡¯ll do what I need. We don¡¯t have to quarrel with each other here.¡±


    At that time, a fan of Li Xianxian came to her for her autograph. So Tang Xia satirized her with the chance. ¡°It was you who teased me first.¡± Tang Xia thought.


    Tang Xia thought it unreasonable if she let Li Xianxian laugh at her on and on. She needed to give this woman a good dig and that made sense.


    So Tang Xia didn¡¯t leave much time for Li Xianxian to argue back and went into a toggery after saying that.


    She wanted to find something nice-looking in the Toggery. She came for shopping instead of quarreling with Li Xianxian after all. Tang Xia preferred going shopping rather than quarrel.


    There was a beautiful blue skirt in front of Tang Xia, which would help one look noble and decent if they had a good temperament.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll buy this skirt. Pack it for me, please. I¡¯ll pay you now.¡±


    Li Xianxian said the instant she saw the skirt. She took out the money and was about to put the skirt into her bag when she said this.


    Li Xianxian thought the skirt so attractive and suitable for her. She believed she would look more beautiful if she wore this.


    Tang Xia smiled slightly and thought how she would let Li Xianxian take away the skirt so easily. That was impossible. So anyhow, she was determined to buy the skirt because she was ¡°poor but ambitious¡±.


    ¡°Boss, I chose the skirt first. I¡¯ll buy it.¡±


    Saying this, Tang Xia began hunting through her purse only to find that she forgot taking the bank card with her.


    What¡¯s worse, she didn¡¯t have enough cash. Tang Xia was in dilemma now. She stood there embarrassedly, with her hands keeping still in the purse without any further movement.


    ¡°I have only 1,000 yuan now. But the skirt costs 60,000 yuan. Oh my God.¡± Tang Xia was so embarrassed.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, the hottest anchor doesn¡¯t have enough money? I¡¯ve told you this place was not suitable for you, but you refused my advice.¡±


    ¡°Just go home. You shouldn¡¯t have come here now that you have no money. You can¡¯t afford anything here.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have to think too much of it. Be practical. The skirt does not belong to you.¡±


    When Li Xianxian saw Tang Xia like this, she couldn¡¯t help showing off. It was out of her expectation that Tang Xia couldn¡¯t even afford a skirt that cost just 60,000 yuan.


    ¡°You must be kidding me to quarrel with me, you poor wretch. Why bother to be embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Therefore, people should know well about themselves. They should know how much they are worth. It would be so funny if someone came here pretending that she was rich.¡±


    Li Xianxian covered her mouth with her hands and continued.


    ¡°Poor guy, go home now if you can¡¯t afford this. I have to pay for the dress, but you¡¯ve got in my way. You are wasting their time.¡±

 Chapter 128

    Tang Xia who refused to admit being inferior looked at Li Xianxian aggressively even if she felt restless, ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°I will take it.¡± Suddenly a male voice came, making Tang Xia turn around surprisedly and Li Xianxian look at him angrily,


    ¡°Who is ruining my act? I will¡­¡± Before Li Xianxian could think of a plan, she saw Ye Yifan standing at the door.


    Ye Yifan carried his hands in his pockets and walked in, wearing a pair of sunglasses. Then he stood beside Tang Xia and said to the salesclerk,


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Please bag this for me.¡± Then Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia and said to her gently, ¡°I¡¯ll present it to you as you like it so much.¡±


    Being shocked by Ye Yifan¡¯s appearance, Tang Xia shook her hands after hearing his words. Then she said, ¡°No, no. I can¡¯t accept this gift!¡±


    ¡°But,¡± after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Ye Yifan wore an upset look, ¡°If you don¡¯t accept, I have no one to give this gift. So please take it! ¡±


    ¡°No, no. This is too expensive. I can¡¯t take it.¡± Tang Xia declined, looking directly at Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes.


    When Ye Yifan looked back at Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, he thought, ¡°What a pair of pure eyes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. You are my fan! I didn¡¯t give you a present when we first met. I can make it up for you now.¡±


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t give you any present, either!¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°Silly girl. How can I ask my fans for presents? Besides, it is quite reasonable for an idol to buy presents for his fans!¡±


    As Ye Yifan insisted on presenting the skirt to Tang Xia, she could not refuse him anymore.


    Noticing that Ye Yifan who was her idol looked at her gently, Tang Xia decided not to dwell on this issue and said plainly,


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take it. Thank you so much!¡±


    Hearing that Tang Xia was willing to take the skirt, Ye Yifan wore a doting smile and patted on Tang Xia¡¯s head.


    Looking at the two people in front of her and feeling the atmosphere between them, Li Xianxian got a searing pain on her face immediately. Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia maliciously.


    When she looked at Ye Yifan, Li Xianxian changed her look right away¡ªshe stared at Ye Yifan with tears in her eyes and puckered her mouth up slightly, which made her appear like a naive girl who was ignorant of worldly affairs.


    After walking toward Ye Yifan, Li Xianxian got close to him and looked at him with dewy eyes. Then she moved her red lips and said in a sweet voice,


    ¡°Ye Yifan, why are you here at this moment? I¡¯m so lucky to meet you!¡±


    ¡°I wanted to buy the skirt for Tang Xia just now! What a coincidence that you came! It seems that we have mutual affinity!¡±


    After hearing what Li Xianxian said, Ye Yifan snorted and squinted at Li Xianxian. Then he said with disdain,


    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I come here? Besides, some so many people saw me today. Do I have anything to do with every one of them? It will be so troublesome for me if everyone can have a relationship with me.¡±


    Li Xianxian wore a terrible look because of Ye Yifan¡¯s words. But she did not throw a tantrum in front of him, ¡°That is not what I mean. It is impossible that everyone can have a relationship with you!¡±


    ¡°Right! You are the one who wants to have a relationship with me!¡± Ye Yifan wore a sneer and said to Li Xianxian while he was looking at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? How many times do I need to tell you? It is nothing to do with you where I come or where I want to go! Don¡¯t talk nonsense anymore!¡±


    On hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, Li Xianxian explained to him immediately, ¡°I did not mean that. I just¡­¡± However, Ye Yifan interrupted her before she could finish the sentence.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Ye Yifan said in a cold voice,


    ¡°I come and go whenever I want. It is none of your business. Actually, I saw that you were walking arm in arm with a man just now. Who was that man? He is not¡­ Look! Speak of the devil and he just appears!¡±


    After Tang Xia and Li Xianxian looked along the direction of Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, they found Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy who happened to look over here. After raising his head, he waved at Li Xianxian with a smile. Then he walked toward her.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t come in! Please do not come in!¡±


    While Li Xianxian shouted crazily in her mind, she winked at her sugar daddy to stop him from coming in.


    But apparently, her sugar daddy did not understand what Li Xianxian meant and regarded her wink as the signal for him to hurry up. So he quickened his steps and came into the store.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face turned pale immediately while she clutched her hands, lowering her head slightly. ¡°Why did he come at this time?¡± Li Xianxian thought pettishly.


    However, her sugar daddy would not consider this much. He just walked directly toward Li Xianxian and stood beside her. Then he pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you done all your shopping?¡±


    After finishing his sentence, Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy raised his head to take a look at Tang Xia and Ye Yifan. Then he stared at Ye Yifan and said surprisedly,


    ¡°It¡¯s you! I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. It never occurs to me that I can meet you here. And this lady is¡­ Li Xianxian, introduce her to me now!¡±


    When Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy saw Tang Xia, his eyes lit up.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Li Xianxian said with difficulty.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, is he your boyfriend? It is true that knowing a person by his reputation is not as good as meeting him in person!¡± Ye Yifan said sarcastically with a glimmer of a sneer in the corner of his mouth.


    However, Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy did not notice Li Xianxian¡¯s look and looked at Li Xianxian eagerly.


    On seeing Ye Yifan¡¯s sneer, Li Xianxian¡¯s whole body became stiff.


    ¡°Well¡­ He¡­He is my sugar daddy.¡± Li Xianxian introduced her sugar daddy to them awkwardly.


    The moment when Tang Xia heard Li Xianxian¡¯s introduction, she could not help laughing out. Then Tang Xia covered her mouth immediately and turned away with her shoulders shivering.


    Of course, Li Xianxian heard Tang Xia¡¯s laugh and saw her behaviors, making her face turn red and pale. Then Li Xianxian lowered her head


    and glared at Tang Xia fiercely when nobody could see her look. In the meantime, her pretty face became as hateful as a ghost.


    ¡°It is all Tang Xia¡¯s fault! I would never suffer such humiliation if she was not here! She is to blame! I wish she wasn¡¯t here!¡± Li Xianxian thought bitterly.


    When Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy was about to say something, Li Xianxian stopped him. Then she looked at Tang Xia as well as Ye Yifan and said with a forced smile,


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we have to leave now. You two enjoy your chat.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ye Yifan said jokingly, ¡°I want to talk with this gentleman more!¡±


    ¡°Next¡­next time! There is always an opportunity for you. I have something urgent to do. I need to leave now!¡± Li Xianxian said hastily.


    After finishing her sentence, Li Xianxian pulled her sugar daddy and ran away from the store in a hurry.


    Seeing Li Xianxian run away, Tang Xia was amused and said to Ye Yifan with a smile, ¡°In this case, let¡¯s go, too.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded to Tang Xia. Then Tang Xia took the skirt and left the store with Ye Yifan.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let me walk you home.¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia and said with a smile.


    ¡°You are so kind! How can I trouble you again since you have presented me with the skirt? I can take a taxi.¡± Tang Xia wore a shy smile.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let a girl go back home alone so late, which makes me less like a gentleman! Don¡¯t say no to me anymore. It won¡¯t take long. No trouble at all.¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia seriously and said.


    Tang Xia became more shame-making. Since Ye Yifan had said so, it would not be wise for her to refuse his proposal.


    ¡°All right.¡± Tang Xia said yes with a blushed face.


    After Ye Yifan drove his car out of the parking lot, Tang Xia sat on the passenger seat and felt a little nervous. At this time, Ye Yifan got close to Tang Xia suddenly, making her so shocked that she closed her eyes.


    After a while, nothing happened. Tang Xia opened her eyes and saw that Ye Yifan was looking forward with his lips slightly upward.


    ¡°It turns out that he just helped me to fasten my seat belt! What am I thinking about?¡± Tang Xia despised herself in her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am a gentleman who will never take advantage of your precarious situation.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t think about that!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face blushed. Then she looked out of the window shily. At this moment, the air around seemed to be frozen.


    As time flew by, Tang Xia arrived home in such a flash.


    After getting out of the car, Tang Xia came over to talk to Ye Yifan through the car window gratefully, ¡°Thank you for today! I don¡¯t have much money with me. Here, it¡¯s my bank card and I will transfer money to you later.¡±


    ¡°No, the skirt is a present for you. How can I take your money?¡± Ye Yifan said to Tang Xia helplessly.


    ¡°No!¡± Tang Xia said with determination, ¡°You do me such a big favor today. How can I not give your money back? Please take it!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Ye Yifan wore an obscure smile as if he thought of something. Then he looked at Tang Xia¡¯s face and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for you and give it back in the future! So I¡¯ll take the money for the moment.¡±

 Chapter 129

    In the busy street, Ye Yifan intended to buy a watch as the birthday gift for his friend when he saw a familiar figure through the window.


    Tang Xia? Ye Yifan drove his car to catch up with her without much thinking. In his view, this girl was quite interesting. Besides, she was pretty and promising. Anyway, he liked her quite much.


    Since Tang Xia was not far away from him and he was driving a car, it just took him several minutes to catch up with her.


    Ye Yifan parked his car in front of Tang Xia and wore a perfect smile. There was no wonder that he was the star anchor of the broadcast room. His smile was quite charming and elegant.


    After rolling down the window, Ye Yifan called Tang Xia to stop and said with the perfect smile, ¡°Beautiful Tang Xia, are you free tonight? Can you oblige me to attend my party? ¡±


    Tang Xia was somewhat flattered. Although she remembered that she had asked her friend to go out tonight, she would never say no to the handsome. So Tang Xia clenched her bag unconsciously, ¡°What should I do? What should I do now?¡±


    Then she wore a sweet smile at Ye Yifan, ¡°How about giving you an answer when I get home? I have something else to deal with.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded his head, ¡°That¡¯s ok. You can go ahead and do your things.¡±


    ¡°No! No! I can¡¯t refuse the handsome¡¯s invitation!¡±


    Although Tang Xia was roaring in her mind, she wore the same sweet smile on her face.


    ¡°Wait for my reply tonight, Brother Yifan. I¡¯ll try my best to make it.¡± Tang Xia waved her hands to Ye Yifan and trotted forward.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s sweet voice, Ye Yifan could not help wearing a smile, ¡°Is she a sweet young thing? So maybe I can flirt with her tonight.¡± Ye Yifan stroked his chin, ¡°Right, I can think about that.¡±


    After Tang Xia got home, she threw her belongings on the sofa and made a call to her ladybro hastily. When her ladybro came on the line, Tang Xia said vexedly, ¡°Hello? Jingjing, are you there? You are there, right?¡±


    Jingjing on the phone seemed not to get accustomed to Tang Xia¡¯s style, so she paused for a while before replying to Tang Xia, ¡°Yep, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Tang Xia patted her face, ¡°I went shopping just now. My idol invited me to a ball!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jingjing was choked by her words again. Then she recalled that Tang Xia had made an appointment with her, making her look down upon Tang Xia, ¡°So what? Are you going to the ball or not?¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Jingjing? I really want to go!¡±


    Jingjing took the melon seeds and started to eat them carelessly. Then she replied with a single word ¡®oh¡¯ to Tang Xia. ¡°Tang Xia must be quite proud now. How could she let me decide whether she should go or not? Pah! Definitely, she will go!!!¡±


    Jingjing decided that Tang Xia should suffer more, so she felt at ease to eat the melon seeds, ¡°Hum¡­ They are melons seeds of caramel flavor, which is my favorite.¡±


    ¡°It was Ye Yifan, the master who invited me! Do you know that he followed me several days ago? What should I do now? He is my idol! Jingjing, do you know how I feel now because my dream came true? I feel so happy and excited!¡±


    Tang Xia kept on patting her face as if she did not believe the fact.


    Jingjing put away the telephone from her ear. After a while, she spat out the last melon seed shell and said, ¡°We can go to the ball together tomorrow night.¡±


    What Tang Xia waited for was this sentence, so she replied happily and hung up the phone immediately.


    ¡°Alas.¡± Tang Xia did not hear Jingjing¡¯s sigh. Then Jingjing squinted her eyes and thought, ¡°Ye Yifan, he is not a simple man.¡±


    Tang Xia called Ye Yifan immediately who picked up the phone quickly, ¡°Hello? Tang Xia.¡±


    Tang Xia replied a word ¡®yep¡¯ to Ye Yifan and took a look at the master¡¯s avatar who she followed on the computer screen. Then she tried to suppress her cautiously, ¡°Yifan Master, I¡¯m available to attend your ball tonight.¡±


    Ye Yifan wore a smile confidently, ¡°Well, I know you will come. How about I pick you up tonight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. I can take a taxi.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up. It is dangerous for you to go out alone at night. Besides, you are my fan, right? It is lifting a finger for me to pick you up.¡± Ye Yifan said in a gentle buoyant tone with determination.


    ¡°Well, ok. Thank you.¡±


    Tang Xia still could not believe that her idol would pick her up. How exciting!


    Then Tang Xia opened her wardrobe, ¡°What should I wear tonight?¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian will definitely try her best to dress up, I cannot let her appear more beautiful than me tonight. How dare she to compete with me for my Prince Charming? Humph, I will never let her win!¡±


    ¡°The purple off-the-shoulder dress? No, it is too simple. That white skirt? It seems to be too normal.¡± Tang Xia felt a little annoyed.


    After throwing the dressed one after another, Tang Xia paused when she took out the dress in the corner subconsciously. A glitter flashed in her eyes, ¡°That¡¯s the dress I want!¡±


    Ye Yifan called Tang Xia in advance before he arrived at Tang Xia¡¯s house. When Tang Xia looked herself in the mirror, she put a victory gesture sweetly.


    In the dim light, Ye Yifan leaned himself against his car. Hearing the footsteps from the door, he looked forward subconsciously and became quite stunned.


    As shadows danced, a woman with a charming body came out from the dim light. With her long hair down, she wore a silver hairpin with tassels on her forehead.


    Ye Yifan could tell that Tang Xia wore a close-fitting dress. Although the patterns on her dress were not clear enough, in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, the beauty in the dim light was much more charming than that in the sharp lens.


    Tang Xia came out from the dim light as slowly as walking for a century.


    Ye Yifan thought that Tang Xia would definitely be an elegant and noble queen if she was living in the Middle Ages.


    When Tang Xia was one step away from Ye Yifan, he could not wait anymore and stepped forward to make a polite gesture of a gentleman, ¡°Miss Tang Xia, I¡¯m here to welcome you.¡±


    Although Ye Yifan was her idol, Tang Xia still could not get accustomed to close to a man. As she thought of the proud and scheming Chu Tiankuo, she withdrew her hand quietly and pretended that she could not stretch her hands out because she had to lift her dress.


    Tang Xia wore a smile shyly, ¡°Yifan, thank you. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m a little late because it took me too long to dress up.¡±


    Ye Yifan shook his hands, ¡°That¡¯s ok. I just got here. Now we can go.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head slightly and got into the car.


    As it was a little far, Ye Yifan talked to Tang Xia from time to time.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I heard that there will be live broadcasting of the whole ball.¡±


    ¡°He heard? It is definitely true as the host has said so.¡± Tang Xia sort of expected that, ¡°Live broadcasting? That sounds fun.¡±


    ¡°So it is a great opportunity. You should seize this chance.¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s words meant so much.


    It seemed that Tang Xia noticed his implication. After pondering with her head down for a while, Tang Xia understood.


    Almost every somewhat famous anchor would attend the great ball, which showed their intentions clearly¡ªto gain more fame in Ye Yifan¡¯s ball.


    And Li Xianxian who wore a black and red lace-merging dress was chatting with her coterie.


    Li Xianxian wore cutely usually, but the dress she wore tonight made her appear more mature. Besides, with a good figure, she looked quite different.


    A barely recognizable anchor praised Li Xianxian and said, ¡°Sister Xianxian, you are so pretty today. The dress you wear highlights your elegant temperament and good shape. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are the most charming one in the ball.¡±


    Li Xianxian felt quite satisfied with her praise. Then she pretended to brush out her hair, showing a sapphire ring on her finger, ¡°You are flattering me. Other girls will laugh at me if they hear your words.¡±


    Although her words sounded modest, Li Xianxian¡¯s look was the opposite.


    Others noticed the anchor¡¯s praise, they refused to admit being inferior and all started talking at once, ¡°Sister Xianxian, don¡¯t be so modest. You are truly beautiful. Look at the sapphire ring! It is so valuable!¡±


    ¡°Right, who can be more beautiful than Sister Xianxian?¡±


    When others wanted to compliment Li Xianxian, they could not help looking at the door, ¡°What a charming woman!¡±


    The little messy hair did not reduce her facial beauty. Instead, it made her appear both attractive and naive.


    And her face was so delicate as if it was carved by the god¡ªher eyes were as black as ink; her nose was slightly upturned and she wore a sweet smile¡ªall was perfect in the right place.


    Although Tang Xia was not quite tall, the overall ratio of her body was perfect. The purple dress she was wearing would make others appear vulgar or shabby but highlighted Tang Xia¡¯s elegant temperament.


    Almost when Tang Xia appeared in the ball, all the people paid their attention to her. Even the barely recognizable anchor who praised Li Xianxian could not help marveling at Tang Xia¡¯s beauty.


    Then Li Xianxian glared at the anchor angrily.


    ¡°Humph, how dare she attend the ball? Does she regard this ball as a vegetable market so that she can come as long as she wants?¡± As Li Xianxian thought so, she was about to mock Tang Xia. Then she noticed that Ye Yifan came in and talked to Tang Xia, which apparently showed that they knew each other.


    ¡°How could she hook up with the handsome?¡± Li Xianxian became angrier, ¡°How could she stand beside the master? I must teach her a lesson!¡±


    Ye Yifan whispered to Tang Xia¡¯s ears, ¡°Tang Xia, you are the most charming girl in the ball now.¡±


    Tang Xia blushed shyly, ¡°You are flattering me.¡±


    ¡°So can I dance with you later?¡±


    Tang Xia nodded when she saw someone come to talk to Ye Yifan, so they parted.


    Li Xianxian, who kept staring at them noticed that Ye Yifan had left, and wore an ill-disposed smile.


    She walked slowly toward Tang Xia, shaking a glass of wine. When she was about to run into Tang Xia, Li Xianxian speeded up suddenly and poured the wine all over her dress.


    Then Li Xianxian put on a show of surprise, ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 130

    As Li Xianxian¡¯s voice was quite loud and sharp as if she was shouting, all people present and spectators sitting in front of the screen paid attention to them.


    Li Xianxian acted like she was rather sorry and kept on bowing to Tang Xia to show her regret.


    However, what others could not see and only Tang Xia could notice was that Li Xianxian looked at her scornfully and wore a smile with disdain. ¡°Now I want to know what you will do.¡± Li Xianxian thought insidiously.


    As Tang Xia saw her smile, she felt quite angry. However, she could not say it out because so many people were watching them.


    If she said it out, people would regard Tang Xia as a woman who had no tolerance and framed Li Xianxian, which would put herself in a more disadvantageous situation.


    Those guests present together with the spectators in front of the screen were all paying attention to Li Xianxian and Tang Xia because they all wanted to know how Tang Xia, the new online celebrity, would deal with this issue.


    After all, Li Xianxian was really famous. If Tang Xia did not accept her apology, people would think that she put on airs.


    But if Tang Xia accepted Li Xianxian¡¯s apology, what she could do with her dress? Besides, people would regard her as timid and overcautious. Neither of the choices would do good to herself.


    ¡°Oh! How could Li Xianxian do such a thing! She goes too far!¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian dropped her glass just by accident! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    ¡°I agree! Don¡¯t slander Li Xianxian!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for you, fanboy! It is obvious that she did it on purpose!¡±


    In a moment, people present and spectators in front of the screen were all watching the scene of bustle, wondering how Tang Xia would deal with it.


    Tang Xia thought with a click of her tongue, ¡°Oh my god, I thought that such drama only happened in the broadcast room!¡± ¡°It never occurs to me that it will happen in real life!¡±


    ¡°So it is true that art comes from life!¡± Tang Xia thought. ¡°I can think of such inessential matters in such a troublesome situation, how imperturbable I am!¡±


    As Tang Xia thought so, she almost laughed out loud. But she realized that it was broadcast live. What would people think of her if she laughed out?


    Besides, Li Xianxian who stood in front of Tang Xia wore a sad look with tears in her eyes, which would make people who were ignorant of the case think it was Tang Xia who bullied Li Xianxian. ¡°Come on! Who is wronged now? It is me!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian reluctantly while Li Xianxian who pretended to be innocent kept on apologizing to her as if she would keep on doing so until Tang Xia forgave her, which made people regard Li Xianxian quite pitiful.


    ¡°She is so disgusting!¡± Tang Xia thought in her mind.


    ¡°But we are in real life now, which is not the same as the world in the broadcast room! Although Li Xianxian was not a decent person, she owns so many fanboys!¡±


    ¡°If I talk back directly, her fanboys will definitely make vicious personal attacks against me! I need to live broadcast in the future, so I cannot do that!¡±


    Li Xianxian still kept on apologizing to her with tears in her eyes, which made spectators feel sorry for her.


    ¡°What is wrong with Tang Xia! Why doesn¡¯t she accept Li Xianxian¡¯s apology! Look how wronged Li Xianxian is!¡±


    ¡°Right! What¡¯s a big deal although her dress is stained? How could Tang Xia take off the gloves to Li Xianxian due to such a trivial matter?¡±


    ¡°I feel so sorry for Li Xianxian.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! It is not a trivial matter if your dress is stained on such an important occasion!¡±


    ¡°Yep! How could you force Tang Xia to accept the apology after Li Xianxian stained her dress? You cannot morally hijack Tang Xia in this era. How slow-witted you are!¡±


    ¡°I know that expensive dress! It costs sixty thousand yuan!¡±


    ¡°I am a clothing salesclerk. It was me who sold the dress to Tang Xia. At first, Li Xianxian wanted to buy that skirt, too.¡±


    ¡°Then, Ye Yifan came and bought the dress for Tang Xia. You should have a look at Li Xianxian¡¯s terrible look at that time! I was quite scared at that moment!¡±


    ¡°Yo ho! We have a witness now! I want to see what Li Xianxian¡¯s fanboys will do next.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue! We are not fanboys! We are die-hard fans! I don¡¯t believe the witness! Who can prove what she said is true? I doubt that she is slandering Xianxian on purpose.¡±


    ¡°The witness mentioned Prince Charming of Ye! I believe her! Li Xianxian¡¯s fanboys should all shut up! I feel so sorry for Tang Xia who is wronged for no reason at all!¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who thinks that there is something among Li Xianxian, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan?¡±


    Looking at Li Xianxian who wore a look showing that she wanted to enjoy the drama, Tang Xia felt a little bit angry.


    ¡°Does she think that it is easy for me to buy such an expensive dress? How could she ruin it! And Li Xianxian¡¯s look is rather hateful!¡±


    Tang Xia did not show any facial expression and stayed calm. Then she said to a waiter, ¡°Could you please give me a piece of paper and a pen?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± As the waiter had seen the whole thing, he knew that Li Xianxian did it on purpose and wanted Li Xianxian to be punished. So he brought the paper and pen immediately.


    Tang Xia took the paper and the pen with a smile and thanked the waiter. Then she started to write something on the paper.


    What Tang Xia did not know was that her behavior made the waiter and the spectators praise her politeness.


    Tang Xia finished what she wanted to write down quickly and passed it over to Li Xianxian, ¡°Here you are, would you please sign here?¡±


    Li Xianxian took the paper wonderingly. After she saw what was written on the paper, she wore a terrible look immediately.


    ¡°What did Tang Xia write on the paper? I want to see!¡±


    ¡°Me, too! Cameraman, please let us see!¡±


    ¡°Right! What did she write? Hurry to film it!¡±


    The spectators on the internet together with people present all wanted to see what Tang Xia had written because Li Xianxian¡¯s look became so terrible after reading it.


    Ye Yifan also looked at Tang Xia wonderingly and asked, ¡°Tang Xia, what did you write on the paper?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it is just a credit note.¡± Tang Xia shrugged and said, ¡°Just a credit note. Is that too much to ask?¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia with a smile, ¡°How can you come up with that? You are such a genius!¡±


    ¡°Yep! I am always so clever!¡± Tang Xia did not be modest and praised herself.


    Then Tang Xia turned to Li Xianxian and said, ¡°Since my dress is stained, your apology cannot make it clean. As it is useless to apologize, you should compensate me according to the original price.¡±


    Tang Xia paused for a while and continued, ¡°Li Xianxian, you know the price of the dress, right? Sixty thousand, I won¡¯t ask more from you. You have seen the dress by yourself, so you are quite aware that I¡¯m not lying. ¡±


    Then Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian banteringly. Although how people present thought was unknown, there was a fierce discussion among the spectators on the Internet.


    ¡°Did Li Xianxian see the dress, either? It is a limited edition, so there is only one dress of this kind!¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that Li Xianxian is jealous that Tang Xia can wear the dress she wants so that she stained Tang Xia¡¯s dress on purpose?¡±


    ¡°How scheming she is! I will hate Li Xianxian all my life!¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian is quite rich! How can¡¯t she buy the dress?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Your imagination is too powerful! Your guess is quite arsy-varsy!¡±


    ¡°I want to ask¡­ Why is the dress so expensive? I planned to buy the same dress as I saw that Tang Xia looked so beautiful in this dress!¡±


    ¡°It is a limited edition. You cannot buy it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia is so upright! She just asked Li Xianxian to compensate for her dress! How straightforward she is!¡±


    ¡°I agree! Thumbs up for her!¡±


    ¡°Totally agree with you! Thumbs up for her!¡±


    In a flash, the spectators on the Internet made full use of their imaginations so that conspiracy theory, future theory and other theories including the love triangle among Li Xianxian, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were all put forward. But, it had to be admitted that some netizens found the truth.


    Almost all people were in favor of Tang Xia now, exclaiming that Tang Xia was so upright and there was no better way to solve this issue.


    Ye Yifan took a look at Tang Xia and glanced at Li Xianxian who wore a terrible and awkward look. Then he laughed out, ¡°Tang Xia, you are so clever! I¡¯m impressed!¡±


    Tang Xia wore a proud look which seemed to say ¡®right! I¡¯m awesome! I¡¯m the best!¡¯


    The screenshot of Tang Xia¡¯s proud look was made into a widespread meme by those netizens, but that was another story that Tang Xia did not know for the moment. She looked at Li Xianxian directly, ¡°Li Xianxian, hurry to sign your name! Don¡¯t waste our precious time! ¡±


    As Tang Xia inflicted a crushing defeat on Li Xianxian, Li Xianxian felt so angry that she blushed faintly with her body trembling slightly.


    Then she saw that Ye Yifan wore a smile at Tang Xia and they talked intimately while she could only drink with the man who was old enough to be her father. Compared with Tang Xia, Li Xianxian regarded herself as a joke.


    So Li Xianxian took the pen and signed her name angrily. She wrote her name quite hard as if she would tear the paper up.


    And she gave the paper back to Tang Xia in a huff. Then Tang Xia kept it well.

 Chapter 131

    Looking at the sweet smile of Tang Xia, Li Xianxian felt quite upset. In her view, that smile was fulsome.


    Although it was just a piece of paper, she would lose sixty thousand yuan for it. Despite the fact that Li Xianxian was awash with money, it was humiliating for her to be claimed for compensation in public.


    When Li Xianxian found that Tang Xia wore a smile at others with a glass of champagne in hand and Ye Yifan accompanied her thoughtfully, she became angrier.


    She gripped the glass with her white-knuckled fist. As Li Xianxian gritted her teeth, there was a cyclone around her indicating that no one should get close to her.


    Unluckily, Li Xianxian had been fixing her eyes on Tang Xia. At this time, Tang Xia stumbled on the red carpet accidentally and Ye Yifan supported her with his hands in time. Then they smiled at each other, which infuriated Li Xianxian.


    ¡°How could they do this? Yifan has never smiled at me like that! How could he smile at this vulgar woman? Tang Xia, what an enchantress you are!¡±


    Li Xianxian could not stand it anymore and put down her champagne. Then she walked toward Tang Xia and Ye Yifan in a threatening manner, ¡°Why are you so happy? Is it because you gained sixty thousand yuan?¡±


    After Li Xianxian said the sentence in a voice dripping with sarcasm, all the people paid attention to her. Judging from Li Xianxian¡¯s manner, Tang Xia knew that she came to make trouble for her.


    ¡°Well, the word ¡®gain¡¯ is not accurate. This dress is worth sixty thousand yuan, right? Such an expensive dress was stained by a bottle of wine, how unworthy!¡±


    Tang Xia owned such a silver tongue. Otherwise, she could not have dissed a group of people to leave only by herself in the broadcast room.


    Li Xianxian was irritated by Tang Xia¡¯s words, which were implying her putting money in the wrong. Although she had the hump, Li Xianxian did not show her sullenness.


    ¡°Haha, what are you talking about? It is my fault for being clumsy. But I have paid you sixty thousand yuan, I am afraid that it is not appropriate for you to wear it now.¡±


    As Li Xianxian finished her sentence, there was a hush in the air at once. Tang Xia wore a terrible look when she looked at Li Xianxian¡¯s smug manner showing that Tang Xia should give the dress to her as she had paid the money.


    Tang Xia should not let Li Xianxian lose both the money and the dress. But this was not enough, Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy who brought her to the ball also spoke out.


    ¡°It is not easy for everyone to make money. Although it is a pity that a dress worth sixty thousand yuan is stained, losing 60 thousand yuan for us is not worth the candle.¡± Manager Jin who looked ugly and ferocious stood behind Li Xianxian and added fuel to the fire with his hands crossing over the chest, ¡°Sixty thousand yuan is neither too much nor too little for us. But Miss Tang, every penny counts, right?¡±


    Li Xianxian felt quite complacent. She had to make Tang Xia take off the dress today, ¡°Right, I agree with Manager Jin, although this dress¡±


    ¡°Right, I agree with Manager Jin, although this dress is stained by the wine, I believe there will be no flaws after careful cleaning. I guess you don¡¯t have enough money to do laundry in upscale cleaners.¡±


    ¡°How can¡¯t I forget that you have received sixty thousand yuan from us? However, you cannot assure that the staff in the cleaners will clean it carefully even if you go to the cleaners with money in your hand.¡±


    ¡°How about taking it off so that I can take it home. I¡¯m sure my housemaid will clean it up!¡±


    Dislike of Tang Xia¡¯s poorness could be read between the lines of Li Xianxian. And Tang Xia hated it most when people slandered her to her face.


    Besides, more and more people were attracted to watch the scene of bustle. Tang Xia was reluctant to admit being defeated.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Miss Li. Granted that no one in the cleaners will clean it carefully, I will do it on my own. Don¡¯t bother your housemaid anymore as it is rather tiring to wait upon a woman who is fussier than a princess every day.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s counterattack was perfect because her words showed the fact that Li Xianxian took herself too seriously. Most of the people attending the ball were quite clever and all had a tacit understanding of hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words. So some people even laughed out.


    Li Xianxian was counterattacked again, so she became a cornered beast who would do something desperate regardless of her image.


    She must make Tang Xia become a laughing stock today because she seduced Ye Yifan. Li Xianxian took up a glass of wine from the table. Although those onlookers had no idea what she would do, Tang Xia had a bad foreboding.


    As expected, Li Xianxian walked to Tang Xia and wore a smile at her. Then she poured the wine over Tang Xia.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tang. It is all my fault for being so clumsy. How could I pour the wine all over you?¡±


    Although it seemed that she was making an apology, Li Xianxian¡¯s manner did not show any regret because she was smileing all the time.


    Apparently, Li Xianxian was so mad that she forgot that it was live broadcasting of the whole banquet. After looking down at her dirty dress, Tang Xia wore a terrible look.


    Tang Xia¡¯s reaction pleased Li Xianxian a lot. However, if she looked at the comments of the bullet screen at this moment, Li Xianxian would be really mad.


    Unluckily, Li Xianxian was blinded by the mere passing pleasure and had no time for her collapsing image that she had been struggling to manage.


    The atmosphere of the banquet became solemn at once and no one dared to talk. Wars between women were always cruel and¡­ unreasonably troublesome. Li Xianxian now was obviously making trouble out of nothing.


    When Ye Yifan noticed that Tang Xia had been soaked to the skin, he became quite angry and wanted to give a lesson to Li Xianxian. However, Tang Xia gave Ye Yifan a gentle tug to stop him. Then Ye Yifan took a look at Tang Xia while Tang Xia did not stare back at him.


    ¡°It must be quite uncomfortable to wear soaked clothes. Hurry to take it off, you must be so uncomfortable now.¡± Li Xianxian was unable to hold herself back and stretched out her hand.


    But Tang Xia avoided her touch perfectly. Although Tang Xia was utterly confused at the moment, she was unlike Li Xianxian who looked as beautiful as a princess but was as vicious as a shrew. So Tang Xia calmed down because she knew it was not the place for her to lose her temper.


    But Manager Jin opened his mouth again. There was no wonder he was Li Xianxian¡¯s sugar daddy as they both owned weird brain circuits¡ªneither of them remembered that it was live broadcasting, which let them not afraid of escalating this issue.


    ¡°Xianxian is right. It must be quite uncomfortable for you to wear a soaked dress. You¡¯d better take it off, Miss Tang.¡±


    ¡°We can take the dress home. I¡¯m sure that it will be a brand new dress after our treatment. And in my view, Xianxian will look more beautiful wearing this dress than you.¡±


    ¡°As you said just now, it cost you sixty thousand yuan. Now that we have paid you sixty thousand yuan, which means that we bought the dress from you. Furthermore, it is a loss for us to buy a defective product at its original price!¡±


    After Manager Jin finished his sentence, messages talking about the relationship between Manager Jin and Li Xianxian came swarming on the bullet screen as Manager Jin was so familiar with Li Xianxian¡¯s figure. In a flash, there were all kinds of conjectures.


    Everyone lost the favorable impression of Li Xianxian. And careful people even pointed out that the interactions between Li Xianxian and Manager Jin were quite a lot, which was another piece of celebrity juice. However, they did not know the spectators¡¯ comments and were still having an argument about the dress.


    Tang Xia was aware that Li Xianxian wanted her to take off the dress in public so that she would become a laughing stock.


    Although Tang Xia owned a good nature, it made her feel sick to catch sight of Li Xianxian¡¯s manner. Tang Xia also found that Li Xianxian had forgotten that there was live broadcasting of the banquet, which made Li Xianxian¡¯s performance of today quite ¡®wonderful¡¯.


    But if she allowed Li Xianxian to keep going on like this, something bad would happen. As Tang Xia had experienced how fast the public opinion would develop, she did not want to make Li Xianxian lose all reputation.


    Anyway, she was wearing underwear so that she did not need to be a streaker. Besides, she could call her ladybro to pick her up later. If they did want this dress, she could let them have it!


    When she thought of this, Tang Xia did not revolt against them anymore, ¡°It is just a dress. Since I have earned money, I lost nothing to take the dress off.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I have been to Bikini Beach!¡± Tang Xia suddenly laughed out in such a serious situation, which made all the people think that she was so pissed off. But apparently, Tang Xia was not irritated. Instead, she was a little happy.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It is indeed uncomfortable to wear a soaked dress. It is so considerate of you, Miss Li. As the dress is so suitable for your figure, I¡¯ll take it off so that the dress can play a more valuable role in you!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s unexpected decision stunned everyone.


    Ye Yifan was shocked, too. Although he did not know what Tang Xia was thinking about, he would respect her decision anyway.


    After taking off his coat considerately, Ye Yifan did something he could do¡ªhe stood in front of Tang Xia who had turned her back to him and splayed his coat out with his head turning away.


    Some people felt embarrassed and chose to turn around or leave, which was quite heart-warming in the eyes of others. However, Li Xianxian regarded it rather unpleasant to look at. The plan she used to embarrass Tang Xia had become a troublesome matter to her!


    After a while, Tang Xia took off her dress. Then she turned to see Ye Yifan¡¯s act and felt quite moved by it. When Ye Yifan sensed Tang Xia¡¯s movement, he watched afar and asked, ¡°Are you all done?¡±


    Tang Xia replied in a stuffy voice. Then Ye Yifan put his coat on Tang Xia. After she handed over the dress to Li Xianxian, Tang Xia wore a big smile. ¡°It is not bad for me to turn the banquet into a Bikini party!¡±


    As Li Xianxian¡¯s assistance saw the hint given by Manager Jin, she took over the dress from Tang Xia immediately. When Li Xianxian found that Tang Xia did not care a bit about taking off the dress in public, she wore a terrible look, ¡°Why do things always go contrary to my wishes? It is I who become the laughing stock in the end!¡±


    At this time, Ye Yifan said, ¡°Tang Xia, let me drive you home!¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s decision made Li Xianxian froze and wonder what she heard just now. Tang Xia was a little shy, ¡°That¡¯s ok. I can take a taxi¡­¡±


    ¡°It is too late now. How can you take a taxi since you dress like this? You are my female companion tonight, so I should drive you home. It is a deal!¡± Ye Yifan said in an uncompromising voice, leaving Tang Xia no choice but to say yes.

 Chapter 132

    When Ye Yifan drove Tang Xia home, he turned to look at Tang Xia who wore a calm look and raised his eyebrows uncommonly, ¡°As a newbie, aren¡¯t you afraid of Li Xianxian?¡±


    He was rather curious why such a newbie dared to be so eloquent in front of Li Xianxian who was of senior level in the broadcast room.


    Did she have an influential supporter?


    Ye Yifan could not help squinting his eyes and looked rather confused.


    But Tang Xia seemed not to care about it at all and pulled Ye Yifan¡¯s coat closer around her. Then she asked unconcernedly, ¡°Why should I be scared of her?¡±


    Although Li Xianxian who was titled as the ¡®dream girl of Otaku¡¯ owned a lot of fans, the fact that she had a terrible reputation could not be denied.


    Ye Yifan was frozen by her sentence for two seconds with a glimmer of light in his eyes.


    ¡°By rights, you, as a newbie, will be envied and hated by her fans if you treat Li Xianxian like this.¡± When he drove the car, he pointed out the possible consequence.


    Tang Xia still did not care about it, but she thought that she should pretend to be elegant and distant in front of her idol on whom she had been having a crush. So she puckered her lips, ¡°That¡¯s ok. A clean hand wants no washing.¡±


    She would not be so self-sentimental to believe that Ye Yifan could help her to clarify the fact. She regarded herself quite lucky to see Ye Yifan today.


    It was the first time a woman treated him so indifferently and talked as less as possible. Ye Yifan was quite confused, ¡°Am I not charismatic anymore? Why does this woman give me the cold shoulder?¡±


    Of course, he could not know how much Tang Xia was suffering in her mind. He thought that he was not her type, so Ye Yifan remained silent.


    Sitting in the car of her beloved Prince Charming, Tang Xia still felt that her head was in the clouds.


    ¡°I see Ye Yifan today! How lucky I am!¡±


    ¡°He looks so handsome in a white T-shirt! And his five sense organs look the same as those of him in the broadcast room or I should say that he is more charismatic than he is in the broadcast room! He is more active and talks too much in the broadcast room. But he owns the temperament of a mature man who is not like the garrulous man in the broadcast room!¡±


    When they arrived at the gate of Tang Xia¡¯s community, Ye Yifan parked his car in the parking lot. Then he walked Tang Xia to the downstairs of her house.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s call it a day. Thank you so much today, Mr. Ye.¡± Tang Xia said earnestly and looked at the tall Ye Yifan with a pair of shining eyes like a stan.


    Indeed, she was Ye Yifan¡¯s stan.


    Ye Yifan wore a faint smile which made him look like a Prince Charming. Then he looked down at Tang Xia with his coat over his shoulder, ¡°Ok, hurry to go home. It is quite unsafe for a girl to stay out this late.¡±


    ¡°Alas! My Prince Charming wants to leave now.¡± As disappointed she was, Tang Xia hid her true feelings perfectly.


    ¡°I am nothing to him, how could I ask him to stay?¡±


    ¡°Should I say ¡®Thank you, Mr. Ye. How about having a cup of tea in my house?¡¯ It sounds so stupid!¡±


    So she shook her head to get rid of this foolish thought.


    ¡°Well, thanks.¡± Tang Xia did not say anymore and pulled the coat. Then she was about to go into the corridor to her home.


    Ye Yifan watched the mignon and slender Tang Xia into the corridor and was about to turn around to leave. But Tang Xia ran out hastily and shouted, ¡°Wait! Wait for a moment, Mr. Ye!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s voice sounded quite alluring in this calm night.


    Tang Xia froze for a moment before came to her senses, ¡°Well, could you please wait for a moment?¡±


    Then she ran into the corridor hurriedly.


    Ye Yifan did not know what this woman wanted to do and felt quite puzzled.


    But he chose to stay as he was a gentleman.


    As the bright moon hung in the night sky, the moonlight illuminated the whole ground and Ye Yifan¡¯s shadow was lengthened, which appeared quite bleak and chilly.


    After waiting for about five minutes, Tang Xia came out in a pink slip dress.


    It was obvious that she changed the dress quite hastily. The dress was the popular style of this year¡ªthe cinched-waist, knee-length bubble dress. She still wore the white high-heels with messy long hair, but Ye Yifan was stunned by her beauty.


    ¡°Here is your coat. Thanks.¡± Tang Xia ran toward Ye Yifan and handed over the folded coat.


    ¡°It turns out that she wants to give back my coat. I thought it was something else.¡±


    ¡°I thought Tang Xia owned a plastic face as I did not take a good look at her. Now I notice that her five sense organs are all ethereal. What¡¯s more, elegance and charisma are fully expressed in her movements.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Tang Xia blushed and raised her head to ask in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Ye, is there anything on my face? Why are you staring at me?¡±


    Ye Yifan came to his senses immediately and wore a warm smile, ¡°Nothing. You look beautiful in this dress.¡±


    After taking the coat from Tang Xia, Ye Yifan wore a warm smile and came up with a good plan, ¡°It is early now. How about we hang out for a while? ¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tang Xia was stunned, ¡°I was disappointed because I thought I would have no chance to meet my Prince Charming again after this accidental meet with him!¡±


    ¡°But he asks me to hang out!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I can get his phone number later!¡± Tang Xia swallowed her saliva and replied crisply, ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°How can I say no to the invitation of my Prince Charming?¡±


    After getting in the car, Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s perfect profile and slobbered over his charisma, ¡°Mr. Ye, your skin is so good! In my view, it is better than mine!¡±


    As she finished the sentence, Tang Xia covered her mouth immediately, ¡°Oh my god! What did I say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done. Will my Prince Charming dislike me?¡±


    Ye Yifan did not care about the meaning of Tang Xia¡¯s words or her facial expression and felt quite confident in hearing her compliment, ¡°You bet! I do skin care every day.¡±


    As a Prince Charming, he would not lack any necessary things.


    ¡°You once told me that you wanted to become a star anchor because you liked singing and dancing when you were a little kid, right?¡± Tang Xia tuckered her mouth and asked Ye Yifan shyly.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s smile froze for a while as he forgot when he said these words. But his face softened in a flash based on his professional quality for years, ¡°Right, I have always enjoyed singing and dancing.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Why did you become an anchor?¡± Ye Yifan turned to ask her at the red light with his profile in the shadows. Tang Xia could not see his look, but she thought, ¡°My Prince Charming must look handsome now.¡±


    Tang Xia wore a smile and looked at the high-rise buildings in the distance. Then she murmured, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you for now.¡±


    Ye Yifan shrugged her response off, tilting his head.


    After driving for about five minutes, they arrived at a place ablaze with lights. When Tang Xia got out of the car, she felt the salty air on her face.


    With euphonic light music in the ear, she looked around and fixed her eyes on a large and luxury fountain.


    The fountain was quite unique as its first spout rose to about ten meters with a big splash and the second spurt of the peripheral water of the fountain became higher and higher slowly.


    ¡°It is so beautiful!¡± Tang Xia could not help exclaiming with her eyes staring at the fountain.


    ¡°Where am I now? I did not know there was such a good place in A City!¡±


    Ye Yifan sat on a wooden chair with his eyes fixed on the stars, ¡°This is the place I used to come a lot. Beautiful, right?¡±


    Tang Xia thought the relationship between her and her Prince Charming was moving quite rapidly as they hung out together when they met for the first time. So was it a good omen?


    The music by the fountain was slow and elegant, which could soothe Tang Xia. As the night breeze swept by, she closed her eyes gently.


    Ye Yifan suddenly thought of the attitude of Tang Xia toward Li Xianxian, making him regard her as a quite honest and frank girl he had never met before.


    ¡°Well, you are the most upright girl I have ever met. I bet it was the only chance to see Li Xianxian be humiliated like that for a century! Haha.¡± As Ye Yifan said so, he could not help laughing out.


    ¡°What else could I do?¡± Tang Xia shook her head, ¡°Although Li Xianxian is a senior anchor in the broadcasting room, she cannot take advantage of her seniority.¡±


    After rolling her eyes, she sat beside Ye Yifan with her arms folded over her chest and looked at the starry night with him.


    ¡°Well, it is sort of venting my anger.¡± Tang Xia thought that she had not done anything wrong as it was reasonable for people to compensate for things damaged by themselves.


    Ye Yifan turned his head to take a look at her and found that she owned a beautiful profile because she looked a little like Angelababy who was as charming as an elf.


    As a big verdant tree stood beside her, it was in sharp contrast to the exquisite and adorable Tang Xia.


    ¡°So does she become an anchor because of her beauty?¡±


    ¡°The night was so beautiful and the girl beside me was charismatic, would it be better if we danced at the moment?¡± Ye Yifan came up with the thought suddenly.


    Ye Yifan was the kind of man who would say whatever he thought, so he said immediately, ¡°Look, the scenery is so beautiful, the man beside you is handsome and the music sounds great, how about we dance the waltz together?¡±


    As a qualified anchor, she must master the basic dance or a good foundation of dance. Otherwise, she could not become an anchor.


    Tang Xia had a mixed feeling, ¡°I used to wonder why I couldn¡¯t meet Ye Yifan although we were in the same city. But he is standing next to me now.¡±


    Under the mottled shade of the moon, the night was quite intoxicating.


    Tang Xia raised her head to look at Ye Yifan in front of her. Then she puckered her mouth while her heartbeat was thunderous, ¡°I have to dance a perfect waltz with my Prince Charming! Fighting!¡±


    Ye Yifan also lowered his head to stare at her. At this moment, they made eye contact as if they had traveled through the light and shadow.


    The handsome face in front of her gradually overlapped with the image in her mind.

 Chapter 133

    The handsome face in front of her gradually overlapped with the image in her mind.


    In the night club, Ye Yifan asked Tang Xia to dance. They had such a pleasant time and lost track of time. When they felt tired after dancing for a long time, they looked at the phone and found that it was already twelve o¡¯clock at night.


    It was obvious that Tang Xia had not got over it yet as it was such a fun night. She regarded dancing quite boring and never thought that it could be so joyful and interesting.


    ¡°At that time¡­ I danced with Chu Tiankuo like this, too. Where is he now? I miss him. Alas, where did he go?¡±


    As she thought so, she felt rather vapid without him.


    When she was lost in her mind, Ye Yifan showed his elegant hand to her face, making Tang Xia come to her senses immediately. Then she wore an apologetic smile and said,


    ¡°As we have finished the dance, I think it is time for me to go home. It is getting late, I wonder whether the gate of the apartment is closed or not.¡± Tang Xia felt quite worried.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. If the gate is closed, I can wake the gatekeeper up so that he can help you open the gate. So, let me drive you home. I will feel worried if you, a girl, walk home alone.¡±


    Ye Yifan suddenly opened his mouth and said in a gentle voice.


    Tang Xia froze for a while and calmed down.


    ¡°Sure, should I feel happy, thrilled or delighted as you, a rather handsome man, can drive me home? Let¡¯s go before it is too late. I do feel a little tired now!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia wore her typical smile, showing her snow-white front teeth.


    Ye Yifan was stunned by her charismatic smile immediately.


    In his eyes, the girl in front of him wore a white dress that highlighted her fair skin with her slender and snow-white legs while her black and straight hair made her smile more intoxicating.


    For a moment, Ye Yifan wanted to hold Tang Xia in his arms so that no one else could see her beauty and his love for her had been deepened.


    But Tang Xia did not know what Ye Yifan was thinking about and only noticed that he froze for a while. So she shook her fair hand in front of him and said,


    ¡°Handsome Ye Yifan, are you driving me home or not? I need to go home now.¡± Tang Xia felt somewhat helpless because she was so tired. After all, dancing had taken much energy. Besides, it was in the wee hours, and she was sleepy.


    Ye Yifan finally came to his senses and said, ¡°I will definitely drive you home! I¡¯m sorry that I was lost in thought just now.¡±


    On hearing his words, Tang Xia felt that Ye Yifan was wronged and explained to her so that she would not misunderstand him.


    ¡°Never mind. I was lost in thought, too. I don¡¯t blame you. Haha!¡± Tang Xia said with a smile.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll get the car. You can wait here.¡± Ye Yifan said and walk toward the parking lot.


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head compliantly.


    After about five minutes, Ye Yifan drove his car out. But Tang Xia felt grouchy and mumbled, ¡°Did you fall into the parking lot? I thought you fell into it as it took you so long!¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s complaints, Ye Yifan kept on apologizing to her and said, ¡°Something happened in the parking lot just now, so it took me some time. Hurry to get in the car, Xiaxia!¡±


    Tang Xia could not wait for any longer, neither did Ye Yifan who wanted to drive her home as soon as he could.


    Tang Xia thought, ¡°Some time? It took you five minutes! How could you say that even though you are a handsome man? I was rather anxious just now!¡±


    As she thought so in her mind, she did not show it on her face.


    In the car, they began chatting with each other. ¡°Did you have fun today?¡± Ye Yifan asked Tang Xia while he was driving.


    ¡°In fact, I have not been so happy for a long time. I am indeed delighted. Well, I am tired though.¡± Tang Xia said wearily.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I will hang out with you again when you are used to it. Actually, I feel bored every time I come to this place. But this time, it is more interesting when I come with you.¡± Ye Yifan wore an enchanting smile.


    ¡°Right! I will force you to hang out with me whether you like it or not.¡± Tang Xia said in a cutesy voice.


    On the way home, they were having fun with each other. What¡¯s more, they constantly came up with new topics so that Tang Xia kept on talking.


    When they arrived at the gate of Tang Xia¡¯s apartment, she pointed at the gate and said to Ye Yifan, ¡°Look, here is my home, you can stop here.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ye Yifan replied.


    ¡°Well, now that I¡¯m home, you should go home, too. Thank you so much for driving me home today.¡± Tang Xia said somewhat shyly as Ye Yifan had helped her a lot.


    ¡°It is my pleasure! Why are you so polite to me? We are good friends now, there is no need for you to say thank you.¡± Ye Yifan replied quite mannerly. Although he did not say much, he cared about it much in his mind.


    ¡°Ok, you should go home now. I¡¯ll wake the gatekeeper up.¡± Then Tang Xia went to wake him up.


    After following her with his eyes, Ye Yifan felt reassured and drove home.


    When she arrived at the corridor of her apartment, it was all dark, suggesting that all her neighbors were already in sleep.


    Tang Xia opened the door and got home. ¡°When can I see Chu Tiankuo again? As long as I can see him¡­¡± Tang Xia became inspired when she thought so. Then she said,


    ¡°Yeah~ I will do a new live broadcast tomorrow! It is so fun to be an anchor. Not only can I make money from it, but also it can let more people know me.¡± Tang Xia became more excited.


    Then she took a quick shower and hit the hay as she was so exhausted today.


    The next morning, Tang Xia had some bread and milk and created a broadcast room on her cellphone.


    As soon as the live broadcast started, several hundred thousand people entered the broadcast room. Tang Xia was stunned, ¡°What the hell? I just created the broadcast room, how can so many people enter this broadcast room? There were only thousands of people in my broadcast room before!!¡±


    Tang Xia was so stunned that she forgot herself. After all, she was still in the broadcast room.


    So she adjusted her mental attitude and said hello to the spectators, ¡°Hi, everyone! I am today¡¯s anchor, Tang Xia~¡±


    As she finished her sentence, comments in great numbers came in the broadcast room.


    [Xiaxia Is My Wife!]: Xiaxia, Xiaxia, why do you open a live broadcast today?


    [Xiaxia¡¯s Sweerheart]: Finally we can see Xiaxia in the broadcast room, how can you say that? Xiaxia will be angry if you say that again.


    [Xiaxia Is My Wife!] Replied to [Xiaxia¡¯s Sweetheart]: I just said the truth¡­


    Tang Xia saw the comments calmly and said suddenly, ¡°Let me sing for you today, how about that?¡± ¡°You pick up the song, and I will sing for you.¡±


    [Xiaxia Is My Wife!]: Oh my god~ Is it the Spring Festival today? It must be the Spring Festival~ Xiaxia, sing Himono-Onna for us.


    [Xiaxia¡¯s Sweetheart]: Xiaxia, sing Spring Breeze Blows for us.


    [Xiaxia Sings Flower of Love]: Flower of Love! Flower of Love!


    [My Wife Is Xiaxia, Do You Know That?]: Xiaxia, please sing Instinct!


    Tang Xia was stupefied, ¡°Oh my god, someone changes the nickname for it. They are so fascinated!¡±


    In the end, Tang Xia chose a song that she was familiar with¡ª Flower of Love.


    ¡°Ok~ I¡¯ll sing Flower of Love today.¡± As she finished her sentence, the whole broadcast room was filled with the euphonic singing.


    ¡°The flower of love you talk about has sprouted in my heart.¡±


    ¡°As if you are with me every second of my life.¡±


    ¡°Listen, this melody keeps on haunting me¡­¡±


    After the song, it was all quiet in the broadcast room. However, someone broke the silence.


    [Xiaxia¡¯s sweetheart]: Oh my god! Xiaxia sang a song for us! And she sang so well~ I feel so happy!


    Tang Xia¡¯s song received overwhelming responses from her fans.


    In a flash, varied presents were sent from her fans in the broadcast room.


    After more than two hours, Tang Xia exited the broadcast room. Then she took her bag and went to the time-travel and live broadcast company.


    As she received a message from the staff of the company which said ¡®You have some bonus for attending the ball yesterday. Please come to the company to receive your award.¡¯ Tang Xia hurried to the company.


    She took her car key and drove to the company. As her home was not far away from the company, it would only take her about ten minutes to go there.


    But there was a traffic jam on the road, which took her five more minutes. So she ran to the downstairs of the company hastily.


    However, she encountered her mortal enemy Li Xianxian!


    Li Xianxian felt unsatisfied every time she saw Tang Xia because she got too close to the man she liked, which made her regard Tang Xia as her rival. But no matter how much she bore grudges, Ye Yifan would never fall in love with her.


    ¡°Yo, who is this?¡± Li Xianxian said in a sarcastic tone with a scornful look.


    ¡°What? Are you making trouble for me again?¡± Tang Xia took a look at her with disdain.


    ¡°You were so disgraced last night!¡± Li Xianxian taunted her.


    ¡°Actually, you shouldn¡¯t laugh at me. You are on the same level as me. Despising me is like looking down upon yourself.¡± How eloquent Tang Xia was!


    Li Xianxian was so angry at Tang Xia¡¯s words that she ground her teeth but could say nothing.


    ¡°Besides, I just forgot to tell you. Ye Yifan is so kind to me!¡± As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia did not pay attention to Li Xianxian and walked into the company.


    Li Xianxian wore a terrible look immediately. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s proud manner, she thought, ¡°I¡¯ll make an eye for an eye when you come out! I¡¯ll remember what you have done to me!¡±


    When Tang Xia came out, she had her rewards happily¡ªshe took a present packaged in a pink box with her left hand while a large stuffed bear in her right hand.


    However, this was the moment Li Xianxian had been waiting for when she knocked over all the things in Tang Xia¡¯s hands to the floor.

 Chapter 134

    Tang Xia was stupefied by Li Xianxian¡¯s behavior and did not know why she did this to her.


    But after a while, Tang Xia realized why she did this with her eyes wide open. Then she glared at Li Xianxian and said rather angrily,


    ¡°Are you losing your mind? Don¡¯t run around if you don¡¯t take your medicine! Why don¡¯t you just stay in the hospital? Are you happy to make trouble for people?¡±


    Then Tang Xia glared at Li Xianxian and wanted to squat down to pick up her rewards.


    However, just as Tang Xia reached out her hand to pick up her rewards, Li Xianxian kicked them off to a distance. Then she folded her arms over her chest and looked at Tang Xia with disdain.


    Tang Xia stood up immediately and stared at Li Xianxian angrily, ¡°Li Xianxian! What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing? Ha-ha, what do you think?¡± Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia with defiance.


    ¡°Take your medicine if you are ill! Why do you run around to make trouble for others! I don¡¯t understand how you can become an online celebrity with so many fans! I should let your fanboys to see what you are doing right now. I wonder whether they will continue to like you or not.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian somewhat angrily and said in a cold voice.


    ¡°Oh? So what? I will never treat my lovely fans like this! I just do it to you, bitch!¡± Li Xianxian looked at her and said, wearing a scornful smile.


    ¡°What? If I¡¯m a bitch, what are you? A slut of the roadside who will become lewd whenever seeing a male?¡± Tang Xia sneered with disdain.


    ¡°Tang Xia!¡± Li Xianxian howled, ¡°What do you think you are! You just a new online celebrity! How can you get these rewards! You don¡¯t deserve them at all!¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t deserve them, do you think you¡­¡±


    Before Tang Xia could finish her sentence, Li Xianxian fell on the ground suddenly as if she was pushed by someone.


    After taking a look at Li Xianxian, Tang Xia looked around confusedly but found no one else except her and Li Xianxian.


    Then Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian strangely. Li Xianxian looked back with tears in her eyes as if she felt quite wronged. However, the other side of Li Xianxian¡¯s face wore an evil smile, which was quite dreadful.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Tang Xia asked in a loud voice as she saw Li Xianxian¡¯s smile, making her regard this matter weird.


    But Li Xianxian did not respond to Tang Xia¡¯s question but stood up slowly. Then she looked at Tang Xia proudly and turned away hurriedly with a wronged look.


    Tang Xia just stood there with a stupefied look, ¡°What did Li Xianxian want to do? What a strange woman!¡±


    After Li Xianxian left, Tang Xia picked up her rewards and went away without thinking too much.


    But, Tang Xia did not expect that Li Xianxian¡¯s studio uploaded a video without any sound.


    In the video, Tang Xia chatted with Li Xianxian at first, then Li Xianxian fell on the ground suddenly. As the photographer stood a little far from them, Tang Xia¡¯s look was not captured. What people could see from the video was their body movement.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s falling on the ground made her look as if she was bullied and pushed down on the ground. Although the video was a little blurry, people could tell they were Tang Xia and Li Xianxian from it.


    The moment the video was uploaded to the internet, a great disturbance was caused, which sparked vigorous debates among the netizens.


    Some people believed that Li Xianxian was bullied by Tang Xia; some thought that Li Xianxian was acting; some people even regarded it as a show of Li Xianxian and Tang Xia because they wanted to become more popular relying on hype.


    ¡°As expected, there are scheming people from all walks of life.¡±


    ¡°So it is true that popularity tends to cause trouble. I am so worried about Li Xianxian.¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, you bitch! Get out of the live circle! Don¡¯t bully Li Xianxian anymore!¡±


    ¡°Please be reasonable! Don¡¯t jump to conclusions before the facts are known.¡±


    ¡°Right! I think so. I believe Tang Xia. She will never do such a despicable thing.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. Tang Xia is so adorable that Ye Yifan also supports her.¡± ¡°How can you involve Ye Yifan into this matter? He has nothing to do with them. Watch your tongue.¡±


    ¡°Right! I think they are obsessed with Ye Yifan. After all, he is so famous with a great number of fans and much better than these two online celebrities.¡±


    This issue caused a heated discussion, making Li Xianxian¡¯s fanboys regarded Tang Xia scheming as she had been pretending to be upright in public,


    but bullied Li Xianxian by pushing her down to the ground when they were alone. What¡¯s more, she robbed Li Xianxian¡¯s good resources


    ¡°She took Li Xianxian¡¯s dress away in the ball last time, right? How could she show off? What a disgusting woman!¡±


    ¡°Yep! And she stabbed Li Xianxian in the back! I don¡¯t understand why the company signed such a scheming woman.¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia should get out of the circle and never come back!¡±


    ¡°I will hate Tang Xia all my life without any explanation!¡±


    Tang Xia also found these comments when surfing on the internet. But she did not think much about it because she thought that such a video with no proof nor sound would not pose a threat to her.


    So she just led her own life as usual as nothing had happened.


    But Tang Xia¡¯s mentality was changed soon after she went out.


    Two days after this matter, Tang Xia went out to go shopping when a rotten egg was thrown at her on her way home.


    Tang Xia turned around quite angrily, but could not find anyone after looking around. Then countless things alike happened to her.


    Some anti-fans kept on posting roaches and dead mice to her home these days.


    There were also letters written in a red pen saying that Tang Xia should get out of the circle and never come back.


    At this time, a large number of anti-fans suddenly came alive in Internet forums.


    They all slandered that Tang Xia was scheming and had been pretending to be upright as she was. In fact, she was jealous and narrow-minded.


    What¡¯s more, some people claimed that they were Tang Xia¡¯s classmates from primary school or high school and said that Tang Xia used to be unrestrained by playing the field at school.


    They also claimed that she was no longer a virgin when she was a student. So it would not be difficult to speculate why the company signed her.


    The worse thing was that even Tang Xia¡¯s parents came out and claimed that she was so unfilial and unwilling to support them before they died.


    Looking at all these things on the screen, Tang Xia got in panic immediately. It never occurred to her that this matter would turn out to be like this. If she had known this, she would have taken steps earlier to prevent this.


    ¡°What should I do? What else can I do in such a bad situation?¡± Tang Xia walked around anxiously in her room with a worried look, not knowing what to do.


    Then she sat in front of the computer and clicked the posts that slandered her. She made comments one by one in order to deal with those anti-fans and clarify her name. However, no one believed her.


    What¡¯s worse, those paid posters who slandered Tang Xia recriminated whether she was a paid poster hired by Tang Xia to clear her bad reputation.


    ¡°How shameless! She should have the courage to take responsibility for what she has done! Shame on her to cover herself up!¡±


    ¡°Yep! Even if she dares not to take responsibility, how can she hire paid posters to clear her bad reputation? Who does Tang Xia think she is?¡±


    ¡°Does she think that people will believe that she is a good person as long as she hires some paid posters to claim that she is kind and upright?¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. Tang Xia is treating us like fools! How can we believe whatever she says? She is just thinking herself clever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say that Tang Xia is the victim of the whole thing!¡±


    ¡°Right! People are all speaking ill of her now. Who has ever imagined that things will turn out like this as she just pushed Li Xianxian? It seems that there is someone behind the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I am an analyst. After I studied the video posted by Li Xianxian¡¯s studio carefully. I found that something sinister had been done as the video was with sound. But now the audio was cut off on purpose. ¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone does not want us to know the truth and distorted the facts.¡±


    ¡°You are hilarious. What do you mean by distorting the facts? Where is your evidence? Don¡¯t talk nonsense anymore!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just stating my own opinion. Don¡¯t make personal attacks.¡±


    The discussion on the internet became more and more intense while more and more comments were added in many posts, which were slandering Tang Xia. After taking a look at those posts, she found that hundreds of new comments would appear within several seconds, which made her more panicked.


    Tang Xia became quite famous this time because of a bad reputation instead of a good one.


    Some people even required the time-travel company to cancel the contract to Tang Xia.


    At first, only a few people asserted this claim. Then a large number of people and even almost everyone demanded that the company should cancel the contract to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Get out of the broadcast room!¡±

 Chapter 135

    Tang Xia was perturbed because something happened at the very time while she was at a loss what to do.


    Tang Xia, who used to insist that she was iron, now was at her weakest time. But when she was distracted, instead of getting her pain out of her chest as most people did, she would always pretend not to care about this and show as if she were a general who never got into a panic.


    But normally as she behaved, she was still rattled in her mind.


    None of the senior leaders in the time-travel company would help her out since they believed that numerous up-and-coming youngsters would replace her no matter how excellent she used to be.


    Thus, the senior leaders would not even care if she was still alive.


    The utility room was out of the way and wasn¡¯t attractive at all. But it was in this room that Tang Xia, the iron girl, opened and freed herself from the exhaustion which had troubled her for so long.


    It was dark in the room and Tang Xia¡¯s expression, desperate eyes, or disappointment could not be seen¡­


    ¡°Why? Why? I¡¯ve tried so hard. Why would nobody lend me a hand? I believed they cared about me so much. Why? Is that because I¡¯m not worthy of their help? No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Her fans were verbally abused so severely by strangers that they had got afraid. Exhausted as she herself was, Tang Xia kept reminding her fans not to get themselves involved in disputes for her.


    But she was in desperate herself on the other hand because she might leave the live show, abusing her fans¡¯ trust and living in disrepute for the rest of her life.


    Tang Xia pulled and was having a fight in her mind, without noticing her clenched fists, which showed her confusion and unwillingness.


    She knew she was not worthy of the senior leaders¡¯ voicing for her.


    Tang Xia gritted her teeth and was fed up. She decided to leave the place where she freed her mind without telling anyone.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes fell on the alamos outside the windows when she walked along the corridor.


    She then turned to look outside the windows.


    In the miserable dark, the lonely light in the building stretched Tang Xia¡¯s shadow long, which staggered like a bamboo swaying with the wind.


    Tang Xia¡¯s lonely shadow lowered her head. She walked with a sinking heart. She opened the door, walked into her bedroom, threw herself on the bed and covered her face with a pillow, disappointed.


    Tang Xia had a dream, in which she was verbally abused by a flock of people. They denounced her dignity and some kept away from her, even including her parents.


    She did nothing wrong, but no one would listen to her defense. Tang Xia reached out to grab them but found them ethereal air.


    Tang Xia was awakened by the dream, looked feebly at the blank ceiling above her, and fell asleep after a long time, but keeping frowning.


    In a company.


    ¡°President, this is what you have demanded. I¡¯ve collated it for you.¡± A man in a business suit stood straight by the table.


    Nobody knew why their president was obsessed with live shows and gave rewards to a female anchor named Tang Xia only.


    His secretary catered for his pleasure and learned much about this. Miss Tang Xia had been in great trouble recently. The young president was likely to save his little idol.


    ¡°Ok. Just put it down. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± The magnetic voice raised from the chair. Everyone would think him outstanding but they couldn¡¯t see his face clearly due to the dim light.


    ¡°Ha-ha! Li Xianxian? Stop playing the babyish tricks. What will happen if I upload the video to the Internet? That must be interesting!¡±


    His artist-like fingers moved across the screen and uploaded the video with some words. Then a jingling sound rang.


    He added the letter ¡°V¡± after the words.


    ¡°Aha! That¡¯s interesting. Self-directed and acted by the famous anchor Li Xianxian. The truth will be fascinating with the video.¡±


    He, Childe Chu, had been surfing the Internet for so many years but it was not until recently did he was attracted by Tang Xia, an anchor different from most others who were so florid and coquettish. He never thought that Tang Xia would be framed by Li Xianxian, who pretended to be virtuous.


    How could he tolerate this?


    The microblog was uploaded before dawn¡­


    The next day, with her puffy eyes and a confused look, Tang Xia stared at her cellphone, which rang constantly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    With some bewilderment, Tang Xia took up the cellphone and found an earth-shattering change in the Microblog, where no assertion that she should get out of the live show was found.


    Instead, there were full of apologies from all stripes of fans as well as solicitude from her own fans. Tang Xia glanced over the blogs and found a man with a pet name of ¡°Childe Chu¡±, who uploaded a blog.


    This was the very blog that proved that she was innocent.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± @ Childe Chu V


    These words were enough for Tang Xia to express her gratitude.


    It was out of her expectation that someone would reveal the truth so soon. When she browsed Childe Chu¡¯s blogs, she was surprised to find dozens of comments about her live show.


    He could be one of her biggest fans.


    Tang Xia, having been in an awful mood for several days, felt much better thanks to Childe Chu¡¯s blog and there appeared a faint smile on her fresh face.


    President Chu, of course, was so pleasant to see Tang Xia¡¯s blog that people around him are confused and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that amazing guy who pleased the President?¡±


    It came to the second round. It was time for Tang Xia¡¯s fans to strike back.


    Her fans were in an agreement to find out the blog from Li Xianxian¡¯s studio which vilified their idol.


    The blog read like this:


    Li Xianxian Studio V:


    Poor Xianxian! @Tang Xia V How can you treat her like this? You¡¯re so heartless!


    Below was a Video.


    Among the comments was a message saying that time-travel company had fired Tang Xia.


    Fans launched their counter-attack and each sent their own verbal attacks:


    Love Tang Xia: ¡°Li Xianxian! You¡¯re so shameless for saying that Tang Xia is scheming. Now it seems that you are the scheming girl!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s My Wife: ¡°Li Xianxian! Thank you so much for lighting the fire in my heart. You¡¯re so shameless, bitch!


    Tang Xia¡¯s Husband: ¡°My ¡®wife¡¯ is so innocent. But she was framed by you, scheming girl.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so lucky that my ¡®wife¡¯ is ok, or you will face the consequence! Bitch!¡±


    Love Tang Xia Only: ¡°Li Xianxian, I thought you were a regular guy. Now I¡¯m clear that you are so malice. I¡¯m so sick about that. Get lost!¡±


    Love Tang Xia Forever: ¡°Li Xianxian, you are so shameless and scheming. Get out of the live streaming circle. Don¡¯t let me feel sick!¡±


    Love Tan Xia All My Life: ¡°I agree with the last poster.¡±


    They start fighting back.


    Meanwhile, Li Xianxian was flustered when she saw this and consulted her studio for a solution.


    ¡°What should we do, now?¡± Li Xianxian said hurriedly.


    ¡°Wait for a while. Or you can make an apology.¡± The studio replied helplessly.


    ¡°No. How should you ask me to apologize? No, I won¡¯t.¡± Li Xianxian said reluctantly.


    ¡°What else do you think we can do? Do you think I would do this if it was not for you? You must apologize, or I¡¯ll terminate the contract with you.¡± The studio commanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll alleviate the situation first!¡± Li Xianxian tried to stall for time. ¡°How did Tang Xia find such a helper and find out the original video?¡±


    Li Xianxian typed with her shivering hands.


    ¡°No, I did nothing. Do believe me! I swear that I didn¡¯t frame Tang Xia. Believe me, please!¡±


    But her defense aroused even greater anger among the fans.


    Anchor Li had always taken Tang Xia as her mortal enemy. She was the largest beneficiary if Tang Xia met with a mishap.


    People who liked watching live shows were all shrewd enough to see through the tricks of the whole affair. So, Li Xianxian was cursed even more bitterly.


    I Love Tang Xia: Wow! We haven¡¯t said that you tried to frame Tang Xia. Do you want to confess yourself? Bitch.


    Love Tang Xia: Shameless! You finally show up! Let¡¯s siege her.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s My Wife: ¡°You shameless and foolish bitch! How can you play such a childish trick on Tang Xia, Bitch?


    Tang Xia¡¯s husband: ¡°Li Xianxian, how about changing your name into Bitch Li?¡±


    Love Tang Xia All My Life: ¡°Bitch Li, get out of the live streaming circle!¡±


    Fan A: ¡°+1!¡±


    Fan B: ¡°+1¡±


    Fan C: ¡°+1!¡±


    Fan D: ¡°+1¡±


    The fans kept cursing.


    Li Xianxian broke down under the mass attack and turned to the studio.


    She phoned the studio and said, ¡°What should we do? What should we do? Tell me! You blamed for doing such a bad job!¡±


    The studio replied reluctantly, ¡°There should be turnaround but it disappeared for your words.¡±


    Li Xianxian hurriedly, ¡°Then what should I do? Tell me. Should I make an apology?¡±


    The studio replied, ¡°Seeing from the current situation, the only solution is to apologize.¡±


    Li Xianxian said helplessly, ¡°Alright! That¡¯s the only way!¡±


    The next day, Li Xianxian held a press conference, where she extended her apology to Tang Xia. She bowed and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for hurting Miss Tang. But I don¡¯t know who sent the video to my studio. It¡¯s all my fault for I didn¡¯t make it clear and aroused misunderstanding toward Miss Tang. I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    She only knew that she had pierced her palm with her nails.


    She never thought that she would one day make an apology to Tang Xia. Even Li Xianxian herself suspected that she might be a fool for ¡°going for wool and come home shorn¡±.


    In the meantime, Li Xianxian¡¯s studio released a letter of apology and pushed the incident to the climax again.


    Li Xianxian didn¡¯t mean to harm. The video was sent by anonymity. She was crazed with rage and so she denounced Tang Xia.


    The letter was consistent with Li Xianxian¡¯s apology during the press conference and apologized with pure-heartedness.


    It was clear that Li Xianxian pulled her out of this and depicted herself as a victim.

 Chapter 136

    All of a sudden, trolls on the Internet started mounting attacks on Li Xianxian. Staring at the blogger¡¯s ID, ¡°Childe Chu¡±, Tang Xia associated him with Chu Tiankuo at once, who looked bitchy but always favored her.


    Tang Xia gazed at the ID and was absorbed totally, reminiscing the two live shows which she had attended with Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo was so real that Tang Xia felt he was not just a system. She was stuck in illusions for several times that Chu Tiankuo was a man in reality, though she was clear and was objected by herself.


    Tang Xia came to her senses and lied feebly in the chair, in a trance. She dared not close her eyes because all she could see once she closed her eyes was Chu Tiankuo. She originally thought the man with the ID ¡°Childe Chu¡± was Chu Tiankuo, but apparently, she was reluctant to think this way herself.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo is not a man. He is a system, a bug. Anyway, he is anything but human!¡±


    Tang Xia looked up at the ceiling and kept silent, though she kept mouthing the words ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡±.


    If Tang Xia took up the live show for Ye Yifan, then she stayed here largely because of Chu Tiankuo.


    She suddenly found herself ridiculous. ¡°Why do I always hold fantasy about unreal things?¡±


    ¡°He is not a human. The chance to meet with him can be negligible. What if programmers have fixed that bug till her next live show?¡±


    ¡°What if Chu Tiankuo was appointed to another broadcast room?¡± How Tang Xia wished that she could prevent herself from making assumptions like this since the more she assumed, the bitterer she felt, and the more disappointment she got.


    ¡°Why am I so fond of fantasies?¡± Tang Xia said to herself, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, which was taken by her as the target of her tirade and given the vent to.


    At this moment, Tang Xia wasn¡¯t as naughty as usual anymore. She was quiet as a piece of paper. As a girl, she had gone through desperation as well as verbal attacks on the Internet, which was never expected by even herself.


    She felt as peaceful as how doughty others believed her to be. She was pouring out all her feelings to herself, or something else.


    ¡°¡­ Why was my life so bumpy but sometimes I feel it smooth? It¡¯s so ridiculous for me to have been like that for a handsome man and now for a man that does not ever exist. Who am I? Why must I stay here?¡±


    Tang Xia said feebly, disappointment could be heard through her voice.


    ¡°But I¡¯m so eager to see Chu Tiankuo again. Why would he leave that way? Why there are so many things related to him now that he doesn¡¯t exist? Even a man who clarified for me was like him so much just because of an ID. Are you silly, Tang Xia?¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t notice that tears had filled her eyes. She tried to control herself and kept rolling her eyes up. She didn¡¯t want to let her tears fall down.


    She didn¡¯t want to shed tears for a system. But she was too miserable to hold back her tears. She was quiet now, even if she was crying. She felt wronged but she never stopped scolding herself.


    It was a long time before Tang Xia stood up when the computer had cooled down and tears on Tang Xia¡¯s face dried up.


    She couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had shed tears since she came to the time-travel broadcast room, except that she felt extremely sorrowful each time she cried and shed tears from the bottom of her heart.


    Tang Xia took up her cup and was to fetch some water to add some water. She was on her way to the water dispenser when the doorbell rang. ¡°Ding-dong¡­¡± Tang Xia somewhat puzzled. ¡°Who would it be?¡±


    She put down the cup and took a look through the peep-hole but only saw his neck and his Adam¡¯s apple instead of his face since the man was too tall. The man outside the door started talking when Tang Xia hesitated if she should open the door.


    ¡°Tang Xia, isn¡¯t it convenient for you to open the door?¡±


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the voice since it was for him that she entered the time-travel company. Tang Xia opened the door without hesitation and saw the sunshine boy, Ye Yifan, who stood at the door wearing a white shirt and a pair of jeans.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia gently, which made her a little embarrassed.


    She hurriedly invited Ye Yifan to come in, who entered and sat on the couch. Tang Xia slipped away on the pretext of making tea, leaving the room silent except for the noise from the tea-making. Tang Xia kept peeking at Ye Yifan when she was making tea.


    She was surprised that the handsome would pay a visit to her house. She believed that she must have accumulated merit in her last life. Tang Xia felt it took such a long time to make tea this time as if a century had gone.


    The tea was finally ready when Tang Xia had peeked at Ye Yifan 50 times. She picked up a delicate cup and went back to the living room with the tea.


    Tang Xia filled the cup with tea politely. ¡°Uh, have the tea, please¡­¡± Tang Xia didn¡¯t know how to call Ye Yifan at once and left out the salutation.


    Ye Yifan found it interesting to see Tang Xia who got bashful and sipped the tea genteelly. He wasn¡¯t thirsty at all. But he didn¡¯t want to waste Tang Xia¡¯s kindness. Tang Xia tried not to look at him eye to eye.


    She didn¡¯t realize that she had been blushed already. But Ye Yifan kept staring at her until he thought Tang Xia would walk away if he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°You must feel sorrowful about what happened on the Internet.¡±


    Tang Xia was in a trance for Ye Yifan¡¯s sudden words and didn¡¯t come to her senses for a long time. Tang Xia was moved when she finally realized what Ye Yifan had said to her because he was the first to comfort her. Tang Xia shook her head and grinned.


    ¡°No. I feel fine.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s forced smile, Ye Yifan felt sorry for her. But he could only comfort her. ¡°That¡¯s good. Now that everything¡¯s gone, just let it go. You don¡¯t have to think of those guys for there are still so many people who care about you.¡±


    Tang Xia was much more touched and nodded. There was a moment when she felt ¡°Childe Chu¡±, who popped up,


    was likely Ye Yifan since he was so approachable and cared about her so much. Tang Xia thought the video which clarified for her was made by Ye Yifan. So her favorability towards him doubled. ¡°How could he be so warm-hearted?¡±


    There was a subtle atmosphere between the two. It seemed that Ye Yifan had other things to deal with since he looked at his watch and stood up when Tang Xia also stood up at once. Ye Yifan smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to take my leave now.¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t get it at the moment. ¡°What happened? He¡¯s leaving now?¡± ¡°What? Are you leaving now?¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded and stepped towards the door. Tang Xia followed right after him. Ye Yifan turned back and asked Tang Xia not to see him out and kept encouraging Tang Xia before he left.


    ¡°Cheer up. I¡¯m looking forward to your next live show! Cheer up!¡±


    Tang Xia stared at him blankly and nodded, looking so lovely that Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touched her head. Then Ye Yifan closed the door and turned away, while Tang Xia suddenly blushed. She felt terrible now. ¡°What happened? Am I dreaming?¡±


    The handsome touched her head!!! Tang Xia was so delighted that she hopped around the house. But soon she found she hadn¡¯t washed her hair and popped out of the couch.


    Rubbing her untidy hair, Tang Xia fell into despair.


    ¡°Damn it. I forgot washing my hair. The handsome must think me untidy¡­ Woe¡­¡±


    Tang Xia spent the night with unease. The first thing she did when she woke up the next morning was turning on the cellphone.


    She sprang to her feet and sobered up the instant she saw a mass of messages.


    All the headlines were ¡°The Famous Anchor Ye Yifan Secretly Dated with Li Xianxian¡±. And there were videos which showed that the pair went into a hotel together.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t believe in this. ¡°The handsome was so approachable and came to comfort me yesterday. But why¡¯s there gossips between him and a woman?¡±


    Hot news popped up one after another, while Tang Xia contemplated on her bed for a long time. She hoped that it was hype but how could it just be hype now that there had been related videos?


    Tang Xia tossed and turned on her bed, not willing to believe this. Fans were in an argument. Tang Xia distracted and hesitated whether she should believe this or not. She finally decided to pay a visit to the time-travel company after a long time of thinking.


    Though it was improper to ask the handsome straightforwardly, she could see him at least, which was enough to make her feel better. Moreover, it was possible that the handsome would explain to her. Tang Xia dressed herself up quickly and arrived at the office building of the time-travel company within half an hour.


    Tang Xia looked up and took a deep breath before the building. It took long for her to nerve herself and walk into the building. Tang Xia planned to fetch something in her broadcast room before visiting Ye Yifan.


    But it happened that the meeting room¡¯s door opened as she passed, where a flock of people poured out and Tang Xia had to give way to them. At the same time, she saw Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian.


    In addition, they seemed to be very intimate when they walked out.


    Seeing this, Tang Xia hurriedly slipped into a corner in case that they might notice her. In fact, neither Li Xianxian nor Ye Yifan saw her.


    They walked away talking and laughing. Tang Xia felt she had lost all her strength seeing their shadows, which looked so intimate. She sat down slowly along the wall, her eyes blank. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. Why?¡±


    ¡°He is the Prince Charming who has come to comfort me and cheered me up yesterday. Why would he be with another woman today? How can this be? Or he said he cared about me and looked forward to my next live show just out of sympathy?¡±


    Staring at the shadows fading away, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but laugh at herself. ¡°Ah. I see¡­ I see¡­¡±

 Chapter 137

    Tang Xia had been in low spirits since she saw that scene. She would feel bad as long as she remembered that Li Xianxian walked with Ye Yifan hand in hand while Ye Yifan didn¡¯t refuse.


    At the very time, when Tang Xia was in a bad mood, the system reminded her that it was time for her to broadcast the third live show in the broadcast room.


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t feel well, I must do what I should do.¡± Tang Xia thought in her mind.


    So Tang Xia logged in her live account listlessly¡­ and entered the broadcast room. She had to start the live show no matter how she felt. Then Tang Xia turned on the camera in low spirits.


    This was her third live show. The number of her fans had surged due to what happened recently.


    When she logged in and entered her broadcast room, a flock of Fans entered and wait for her live show after hearing the news.


    Tang Xia had gained some popularity through the first two live shows, which turned out to be excellent. In the broadcast room, there were some fans who waited here for Tang Xia¡¯s live show day and night.


    Tang Xia tried to cheer herself up. The first words she said after entering the broadcasting room was, ¡°Thanks to all the cuties who have been supporting me for so long. Thank you for watching my live show. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You finally broadcast again, anchor. I¡¯ve been waiting for this for too long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Eh? There are so many new faces. It seems you have been more and more popular.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Tang Xia was so honest, frank and lovely. How can she not be popular?¡±


    ¡°I agree with the last poster. The anchor is excellent!¡±


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m fresh here. I will appreciate your guidance.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy, the last poster. We will do our best to teach you what to do.¡±


    Though the live show hadn¡¯t begun yet, the spectators had been in high spirits before the screen and Fans were exclaiming through the bullet screen.


    Tang Xia was muddled when she saw this, staring at the bullet screen and glancing over the comments.


    Tang Xia felt it unbelievable to have so many fans in her broadcast room, which were larger in number than any other time. Tang Xia originally thought that she would lose lots of fans after the crisis caused by the video, but the truth was that the number of her fans surged instead.


    ¡°So is this the power of sensationalization? No wonder there are so many stars who are fond of it and become the most searched hashtags all the time.¡±


    ¡°So this is the shortcut to bring about the rapid growth of fans. If this could happen to me more times, I would sweep the online world soon.¡±


    ¡°She felt excited when she thought about this. But forget about it, anyway. I don¡¯t want to suffer from that torment for the third time.¡± Tang Xia thought in her mind.


    Then she gazed at the screen blankly for a while and finally came back to her senses.


    She said to the camera with gratitude, ¡°Thank you for watching my live show. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit my broadcast room. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There are so many things happened recently that I thought I would have lost my fans, or I would be criticized by everyone on the Internet. But¡­


    I never expect that there¡¯re still so many people in favor of me. I welcome you all whether you¡¯re my fans who like me or spectators who come here just for playing ¡®Truth Or Dare¡¯. Thank you.¡±


    She paused and then continued, ¡°But I have to shut down the private chatting function lest it would delay the process of my live show. I beg your understanding.¡±


    Then Tang Xia saw a mass of messages on the bullet screen. ¡°That¡¯s ok. Come on, anchor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best anchor.¡± These words made her delighted. Now she could be seen as a popular anchor.


    Before Tang Xia¡¯s live show started, someone had already sent her some presents. Tang Xia felt a little bit familiar with the name and remembered that this was the upstart after looking at the bullet screen.


    At the same time, plenty of messages were sent on the bullet screen.


    ¡°Catch the upstart!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m first! Take a photo with me!¡±


    ¡°You are indeed the upstart. I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± Tang Xia said, ¡°Thank you for watching my live show, the upstart.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, anchor. Just focus on your live show. It¡¯s been a long time since I watched your live show last time. My presents are just a piece of cake.¡± The upstart replied.


    ¡°Does the upstart know the anchor?¡±


    ¡°What if I say that I¡¯m convinced by you instantly, the last poster?¡±


    ¡°Stop speculating, please. We don¡¯t actually know each other and he is just one of my loyal fans.¡± Tang Xia explained after having a look at the bullet screen.


    ¡°I¡¯m the anchor¡¯s loyal fan! I liked her and will never betray her.¡± The upstart¡¯s abrupt lovely style made people feel unaccustomed since he always acted as cold and elegant in the past.


    ¡°Is the last poster a fake upstart? But how could you behave like this within such a short time? Are you a girl?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. The upstart used to be cold and elegant, after all. Did¡­ anyone steal his ID?¡±


    ¡°Stop doing that, attention whores. This is originally what I¡¯m like. My ID wasn¡¯t stolen. I am the upstart. I am.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel the upright is so lovely now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so careless. Let¡¯s play a trick on him. Come on.¡±


    It was almost time. Tang Xia stopped looking at the bullet screen and got herself ready for the live show. Suddenly someone named ¡°Hell Shura¡± came into her broadcast room when the show was just about to start.


    Tang Xia noticed him but didn¡¯t pay much attention. But for some reason, a wave of comments appeared on the bullet screen.


    Tang Xia read the comments with curiosity. She didn¡¯t expect that there were so many people who knew him. The ID, ¡°Hell Shura¡± was just Ye Yifan¡¯s disguise.


    Tang Xia was stunned with her mouth opening wide. She didn¡¯t know Ye Yifan had such an ID and she wasn¡¯t sure why Ye Yifan would watch her live show.


    But there were more and more comments showing on the screen, as a result of which¡­ the contents became slanting in a strange way. However, there were mentions about Li Xianxian.


    And some people even compared Li Xianxian with Tang Xia, while some started taunting Li Xianxian.


    ¡°I hate Li Xianxian so much. I¡¯m fed up with her coaxing voice.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I hate her for her mincing manner.¡±


    ¡°And she wanted to couple with Ye Yifan with force. Bitch.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Li Xianxian? Forget it, I would say. I¡¯ve already got tired of Li Xianxian, who dared to presumingly spread scandal with Ye Yifan.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you see Ye Yifan come to watch Tang Xia¡¯s live show? Anyone would understand there is something fishy behind this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in favor of Tang Xia and agree with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan will be well matched seeing from their looks.¡±


    ¡°What should I do? I seem to have read a romantic novel of hundreds of thousands of words. My nose is about to bleed and I¡¯m going to be out of control of myself.¡±


    ¡°Hang on, the later poster. There is still a long way to go before you pass away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in favor of the couple and I love them forever.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the bullet screen in silence and blushed to her ears suddenly. Even the upper part of her neck seemed to be red.


    She checked the private letters to see if Ye Yifan had told her in advance that he would watch her live show.


    But she found nothing about Ye Yifan¡¯s private message after glancing over for many times, while Ye Yifan kept silent on the bullet screen.


    Spectators started to urge Tang Xia to start the live show, who had postponed for a long time.


    ¡°Are you making up, anchor?¡±


    ¡°Are you still here, anchor? Or did you go to the toilet?¡±


    ¡°Come on, anchor. Start the show now. Be quick.¡±


    Of course, Tang Xia noticed these messages that urged her to start the show quickly. She shut down the private chatting function and started her live show under the urge of the spectators.


    The live show for this time, in which, as usual, they began selecting stories, and the story ¡°Born To Be King¡± was selected by the system.


    Tang Xia had just glanced at the title when white light flashed before her eyes. The live show had started!


    Tang Xia squinted dazedly, and then opened her eyes and woke up.


    But she was surprised when she woke up and heard someone screaming close to her ears.


    ¡°You slacker. Get up to work. You know nothing except sleeping. Get up right now.¡± Tang Xia was dazzled and looked around, only to find an old lady who pointed and shouted at her.


    Tang Xia sobered up suddenly and started searching the background of the story. The old lady who pointed at her nose and shouted at her was her mother-in-law in this story.


    ¡°Is this the so-called ¡°evil mother-in-law? I finally see.¡± Tang Xia thought in her mind.


    Seeing Tang Xia stare at somewhere in a trance without any response, the old lady became even angrier.


    ¡°You want to take a beating? I¡¯ll punish you for not answering me.¡± The old lady, who had birdeyes, looked viperous and frightening. She was now glaring at Tang Xia ferociously.


    ¡°You¡¯re a hen that never lay eggs. Get up to work now, or get lost as soon as possible!¡±

 Chapter 138

    Tang Xia was annoyed for her mother-in-law¡¯s invective in the early morning, adding that she was grumpy after getting up, so she couldn¡¯t help frowning and glancing at her mother-in-law coldly.


    But Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law would not be trifled with. Seeing Tang Xia looked at her this way, she rushed to Tang Xia and seized her hair fiercely.


    ¡°How dare you glare at me? Do you want me to evict you from the house? Or give birth to a child, a chicken unable to lay eggs!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law pulled her hair violently, speaking of wicked words with ferocity in her eyes.


    She never took Tang Xia as her daughter-in-law, instead, Tang Xia was nothing but a nanny and a breeding machine who married into her home.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Tang Xia felt aching in her hair and screamed, with tears rolling in her eyes.


    She attempted to loosen her mother-in-law¡¯s hands but failed no matter how hard she tried since her mother-in-law was too strong. Tears kept streaming down Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    ¡°How dare you revolt? You¡¯re just a cadelle at my house. I should have evicted you out of the house if Dacheng didn¡¯t marry you!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law shouted at her angrily.


    At this point, Tang Xia¡¯s husband Jiang Yuecheng stepped out from the room, who wore a black suit, with a briefcase in his hand prepared by Tang Xia and a cigarette in his mouth.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law immediately loosened her hands when seeing him. Her vicious look suddenly changed into a flattering one as if she were performing a face-changing in Beijing Opera.


    At the same time, Tang Xia staggered and almost fell to the ground as a result of her mother-in-law¡¯s suddenly loosening hand, while her scalp had lost consciousness due to the extreme pain.


    ¡°Are you going to work, Dacheng? Remember to check your belongings.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law said in a claptrap way.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Jiang Yuecheng said apathetically as if he didn¡¯t see his wife struggling when his mother pulled her hair.


    ¡°Tang Xia, wash my clothes I changed yesterday quickly and remember to iron them afterward. Don¡¯t make me feel that they are not washed yet.¡± Jiang Yuecheng said impatiently with a disgusted expression.


    ¡°Have you got what Dacheng told you? You are so useless that you can¡¯t even deal with the trifle.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law took the opportunity and scolded Tang Xia.


    ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± Enduring great grievance, Tang Xia replied in a low voice, with small teardrops on her eyelashes and her eye socket red.


    ¡°And for lunch, I want to have Fried Live Fish with Astragalus Membranaceus, Sliced Pig Ears with Chili Sauce and Spicy Chicken with Eight-Treasures. As for the soup, I¡¯d like to have Fuyuan Decoction. Add fewer chilies and bring them to my company at noon. Got it?


    Jiang Yuecheng spoke out the names of those dishes difficult to cook while changing his shoes, with his face downward.


    ¡°But I remember you are fond of chilies. Why do you today¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut the cackle. Just do what I told you!¡± Jiang Yuecheng interrupted Tang Xia¡¯s questioning with a black look.


    Tang Xia felt extremely wronged but she managed to get hold of herself. She gave an affirmative response when the door was violently closed with a crash.


    ¡°Alas.¡± Tang Xia sighed when neatening her messy hair which had been pulled by her mother-in-law.


    ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Go and wash clothes and cook dishes now! Do you want to loaf around now that you can¡¯t give birth to a child?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law regained the arrogance that she had when Jiang Yuecheng was not here in the morning and stared at her with her birdeyes.


    Though Tang Xia was about to get angry now, she had to wash clothes and cook dished obediently.


    ¡°And wash my clothes. Be careful when you wash them. I¡¯ll punish you if you tear them!¡±


    Her mother-in-law took out her clothes when speaking to her and threw them onto Tang Xia, who hurriedly caught them.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Tang Xia replied faintly.


    ¡°What do you mean by saying ¡®ok¡¯? So this is how you talk to your mother-in-law?¡± Her mother-in-law arrogantly said with her head raising high and her eyes glaring at Tang Xia.


    And she reached out trying to pull Tang Xia¡¯s hair for a second time, while Tang Xia was scared and stepped backward hurriedly to dodge her hand.


    ¡°I got it, mother-in-law. I¡¯ll wash them carefully. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Tang Xia was extremely reluctant to do this but behaved like a tactful daughter-in-law when she remembered how she was bullied and how her hair was pulled in the morning.


    Then Tang Xia went upstairs to fetch Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s clothes and suddenly found half a lip print on one side of the White shirt¡¯s collar when picking it up¡­


    Tang Xia realized why Jiang Yuecheng asked her to add fewer chilies in the lunch¡­


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned cold and she felt grim as if there were a boulder pressing her chest. But she decided to forbear for some time.


    She went downstairs and quickly washed all the clothes. Then she checked the time, trotted to the kitchen, put on the apron and tied her hair back, setting off preparing lunch for Jiang Yuecheng.


    The time-pressured job of cooking dishes within such a short time and the high temperature in the kitchen had made her cheek red and her forehead sweat, which shimmered under the light.


    ¡°So many dishes¡­ But there are some dishes that I haven¡¯t cooked before.¡± Tang Xia said to herself.


    Tang Xia lost her head and could only search recipes on the Internet: ¡°Cut the hen out of the bone; wash and add spices; pickle with wine and salt¡­ put the frying pan on high-temperature fire; add and heat the oil; pick out the chicken when it turned brown; add spiced salt.¡±


    The process looked so complex, but luckily, Tang Xia was a master in the kitchen.


    Tang Xia set off cooking after a brief glance.


    While her mother-in-law was now sitting in a soft and wide leather sofa watching television and eating pastry, who asked Tang Xia to serve her with tea and food from time to time as if she were a king.


    Tang Xia would have broken down if she was not so tenacious and optimistic in nature.


    So she chose to endure and kept comforting herself. ¡°That¡¯s ok! I can make it. Things will turn better in the future!¡±


    The many fans in Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast room were also paying close attention to what was happening to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Xiaxia, just keep going.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up. You¡¯re the best in my eyes!¡±


    ¡°Good Tang Xia. Don¡¯t cry~¡±


    ¡°Xiaxia, I¡¯ve been admiring you since your first live show because I saw unusual adamancy and optimism in you. It¡¯s your spirit that stimulated me to be better. This time, I believe you¡¯ll make it. Love you.¡±


    ¡­


    These were what those warm-hearted fans said.


    But except her fans who liked her, there were also some anti-fans who mocked Tang Xia, aiming at finding fault with her.


    ¡°Crikey~ you are pulled by the hair and scolded, Tang Xia. You must feel extremely bitter inside. Ha-ha.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the purest white lotus in people¡¯s eyes? How would you be bullied there? But I feel so good about that. Ha-ha!¡±


    ¡­


    Of course, Tang Xia¡¯s Fans would never let go when they saw people who mocked their anchor with their alt accounts.


    So they argued with them aggressively.


    ¡°There¡¯re always some people who take heinous actions in secret with their alt accounts!¡±


    ¡°Why are you happy as Xiaxia was bullied? I suspect that you are a fool.¡±


    ¡°Talk with us using your main accounts!¡±


    ¡­


    Those anti-fans who came into the broadcast room with their alt accounts got more excited when they saw Tang Xia¡¯s fans respond intensely.


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m afraid calling Tang Xia¡¯s name would cast a blur on my main account.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha. Did you proclaim that you are the fans of Tang Xia, the white lotus? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed of speaking this way?¡± The anti-fans tried every means to taunt Tang Xia¡¯s fans.


    ¡°Whoops. You should find out their master before you beat these dogs. Don¡¯t go too far, guys. After all, their master is now distressed. Ha-ha.¡±


    ¡°There are always sour grapes. These people always make sly criticisms when they see Xiaxia has so many Fans.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling dogs?! You¡­¡±


    A master showed up suddenly in the broadcast room when Tang Xia¡¯s Fans and those anti-fans were in a great dispute. That was Ye Yifan!


    ¡°Those who came in with your alt accounts, get lost if you don¡¯t want to watch the show!¡± Ye Yifan scolded those anti-fans directly.


    There was a sudden silence in the broadcast room and everyone was stunned when Ye Yifan sent the message.


    On the one hand, they thought it unbelievable that a master like Ye Yifan would appear in the broadcast room abruptly; on the other, they didn¡¯t expect that Ye Yifan would speak for Tang Xia, who was just a fresh.


    After a while, the silent broadcast room burst into chaos.


    ¡°Wow! Is that Childe Ye? Did I see wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s real. He is Childe Ye!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so great, Xiaxia. Even Childe Ye would speak for you.¡±


    ¡°I cheer for you, Childe Ye!¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia¡¯s fans in the broadcast room got excited as a group of cheerful kids.


    While the anti-fans dared not find fault with Tang Xia anymore since they had been scolded for this. They watched in silence Tang Xia¡¯s fans who were celebrating themselves but cursed them in their minds.


    Tang Xia¡¯s fans were exchanging their ideas in the broadcast room.


    ¡°Wow. Childe Ye is so attractive.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s so noble and handsome even when he is arguing back those anti-fans~¡± ¡°Do you think Xiaxia and Ye Yifan have known each other before?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Xiaxia is fresh, after all.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Or why would Childe Ye speak for a stranger with his cold and elegant personality?¡±


    ¡°Wow! That would be great if they know each other for I can introduce myself as a loyal fan of Ye Yifan¡¯s friend. Hey hey.


    ¡°You¡¯re a nympho¡­ But that¡¯s great, indeed. Ha-ha.¡±


    ¡°Restrain yourselves. It will be embarrassing if Childe Ye teases Xiaxia when he sees these messages from a flock of anthomaniac.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. It has been fully proved that Childe Ye looks cold but is warm-hearted inside.¡±


    ¡­


    The broadcast room was in chaos and Tang Xia¡¯s fans kept talking like anthomaniac after seeing Ye Yifan¡¯s message.

 Chapter 139

    But Tang Xia didn¡¯t feel at ease at all in the live show. She had been occupied since Jiang Yuecheng left home and didn¡¯t finish washing clothes and cooking till around 12 o¡¯clock.


    Then Tang Xia hurriedly took out the lunch-box, carefully sorted and put dishes into it and was about to bring it to Jiang Yuecheng after changing her clothes in the room.


    ¡°Hey, do you think that¡¯s all you need to do after cooking for Dacheng?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law said like a peacock.


    ¡°Eh? What do you mean¡­ ¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t I need to have lunch?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law showed the whites of her eyes and interrupted her.


    ¡°Mother-in-law, I¡¯ve saved your share of every dish,¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°What? You want me to eat the rest of the fish and meat? Don¡¯t you know the doctor had advised me to eat light food only?¡±


    ¡°What a scheming and malicious woman! Do you hope my body to break down so that you¡¯ll live with ease in this family?¡±


    Helplessly, Tang Xia looked at the dishes she cooked, which were already light enough. Knowing all her arguments against her mother-in-law would be in vain, she cooked again and brought to her mother-in-law.


    Her mother-in-law pretended to have accepted reluctantly after tasting her dishes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make do with it. Why are you looking at me? Go and take the dishes to my son, or he¡¯ll get hungry¡­¡±


    Tang Xia took a relief since she was not asked to cook again by her mother-in-law. It had been over 12 o¡¯clock, she washed her face, changed her clothes in the room, loosened her hair, looked into the mirror hurriedly and set out.


    But the girl in the mirror looked attractive with her had big eyes, bushy eyelashes, which were like feathers, and amber pupils. Her hair resting on her shoulders was as fluffy as seaweed. She was dressed in a white maxi skirt, a little tight in her waist, looking simple but elegant. All these made her fairly appealing.


    She didn¡¯t notice the warm sunshine till she went out, which was flooded the earth evenly and generously.


    Tang Xia smiled at the sun and cheered herself up. ¡°You can do it!¡±


    Tang Xia tried to pick up her pace on the way to Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s company but she had to keep an eye on the dishes.


    Her hands went wet after walking for a few minutes, so did her face and her neck. But Tang Xia looked even more attractive after sweating, who was just like cotton rose that had just sprung from the water, looking refreshing.


    She had been out of breath when she arrived at Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s company. Tang Xia wiped the sweat off her forehead and walked in Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s company directly.


    In the lift, Tang Xia was in a trance when she stared at the numbers of floors.


    Some people around Tang Xia muttered and exchanged glances with each other when they saw her. ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this his wife? She¡¯s so tolerant and brings him lunch.¡±


    ¡°Maybe his wife hasn¡¯t know this yet.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s kind of appealing.¡±


    ¡°I know that men never get satisfied with their own wives.¡±


    ¡°Two guys in the lift kept muttering and squinting at Tang Xia. Though Tang Xia didn¡¯t hear them clearly, she still felt uncomfortable for this.


    ¡°Ding-dong.¡± The lift had arrived at Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s floor.


    ¡°Oh. The lift finally arrived, or I¡¯ll be embarrassed by their comments about me.¡± Tang Xia took a sigh of relief and though in her mind.


    The moment she stepped out of the lift, Tang Xia saw Jiang Yuecheng and another woman¡¯s who backed onto her. Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s right arm was around the woman¡¯s shoulders and his left hand was holding the woman¡¯s hand, while the woman looked timid and lovable in his arms.


    The woman was speaking to Jiang Yuecheng in a slightly angry and coaxing voice. ¡°When the hell would you divorce that old ball and chain? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for too long.¡±


    Then she attitudinized and beat Jiang Yuecheng on his chest.


    Tang Xia recognized at once that the woman who turned her back to her was exactly her younger cousin, Zhou Linlin.


    While Jiang Yuecheng gave her a coshering look, which he had never shown to Tang Xia. ¡°Take it easy, baby. You need to wait a little longer for a chance.¡±


    That was disgusting. Tang Xia felt sick and her hands which held the lunch-box trembled out of anger and disgrace.


    She sneered and calmed down, and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Why not get divorced now?¡± The unexpected voice surprised Jiang Yuecheng and Zhou Linlin, who suddenly shuddered and looked blue in their faces.


    They loosened their grips hurriedly. Zhou Linlin gave a forced smile to Tang Xia with her stiff face, while Jiang Yuecheng, who kept his equanimity, pretended to chillax and said,


    ¡°Where¡¯s my lunch? Why do you come so late? Your cousin Linlin and I are thinking about eating out.¡±


    Tang Xia took out the Fried Live Fish with Astragalus Membranaceus, Sliced Pig Ears with Chili Sauce and Spicy Chicken with Eight-Treasures that she had cooked laboriously this morning and put them on the table chillily.


    ¡°There are all that you demanded this morning. Don¡¯t hurry.¡± Tang Xia said to Jiang Yuecheng, smiling with a mocking look, which horrified Zhou Linlin who had already felt guilty.


    ¡°And I knew you well so I brought you two servings so that you can eat together.¡± Tang Xia continued.


    Zhou Linlin smiled and smiled obsequiously. ¡°You are so considerate, cousin¡­ ¡°But Tang Xia had quickly spilled the Fuyuan Decoction onto their faces before she finished.


    Then Tang Xia smiled complacently and said, ¡°Whoops! I¡¯m so sorry. I can¡¯t hear others praise me or I¡¯ll get excited. I¡¯m sorry, cousin!¡±


    ¡°You lunatic!¡± Jiang Yuecheng pointed at Tang Xia and said angrily.


    While Zhou Linlin beside him pretended to be pitiful, with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°I am a lunatic? I¡¯m much more normal than you who display affection in public without worrying about losing faces.¡± Tang Xia shouted at the pair with disdain.


    ¡°Why do you say that we don¡¯t worry about losing faces? Do you have any evidence?¡± Jiang Yuecheng was still reluctant to admit his mistake.


    ¡°You have been hoping to divorce me, the old ball and chain, for a long time, don¡¯t you? Then we can get divorced now. Why compel yourself to live with an old ball and chain every day?¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia had put her cards on the table, Zhou Linlin showed her cunning face immediately.


    ¡°Cousin, you don¡¯t have to be too upset. We are in true love, after all. All in all, I have to thank you because we wouldn¡¯t have met each other if it were not for you!¡±


    Tang Xia finally realized what a mistress was like after hearing Zhou Linlin¡¯s defense. She never thought that her husband would have an extramarital affair, which she had only seen on TV.


    Tang Xia remembered how hard she had worked for the family and how she submitted to humiliation, while now she felt so disgusted about the man¡¯s lover, her own cousin.


    Tang Xia stuck in a great grief as if a flood of rain dropped in her heart.


    ¡°Linlin, I never notice that you are so articulate and so good at defending yourself.¡± Tang Xia gritted her teeth and said to Zhou Linlin in disdain and with mockery.


    ¡°Ha-ha. I learned that from you. Your parents always praised you before my parents when we were at school! So I was determined to learn from you since then and I wanted to surpass you.¡± Zhou Linlin said shamelessly.


    Jiang Yuecheng crossed his arms over his chest and said with a cold expression, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. All you can blame is that you are not attractive enough and fun at all.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words stabbed Tang Xia on her heart like a sharp blade. She overturned all the dishes she had cooked laboriously for half a day and the lunch-box and dishes dropped to the ground with a clattering noise.


    The cap was shaken off the lunch-box, while dished spilled all over the floor. The dishes suddenly filled the air with an appealing smell, which seemed to be teasing Tang Xia for her consistent efforts and tolerance.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes went red and her tears could never be withdrawn and burst out like the flood.


    Jiang Yuecheng seemed to be afraid of losing face when he saw Tang Xia made the lift well into a mess and cried. He caught Tang Xia and tried to pull her to somewhere where there were fewer people. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Tang Xia howled in a trembling voice.


    At the same time, some people walked out of the lift.


    They felt surprised when they saw this and prepared themselves for watching how Tang Xia would fight with the mistress as onlookers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel shameless for that? Eh? If you don¡¯t mind losing face, what about me? Quarrel when we get home.¡±


    He pulled Tang Xia and tried to pull her aside while speaking, but Tang Xia struggled and refused to move. Jiang Yuecheng couldn¡¯t pull Tang Xia with strength since people were watching him.


    ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t you know the ¡®general interest¡¯? How would my brother Dacheng¡¯s colleagues and boss think of him if you make trouble in his company? How would others think of brother Dacheng?¡±


    ¡°Brother Dacheng¡± called by Zhou Linlin made Tang Xia feel sick.


    The onlookers were never afraid of making it big and started muttering to each other.


    ¡°What are you looking for? Do what you should do!¡± Jiang Yuecheng lost his temper and shouted at them angrily.


    The onlookers then left with a disgusting look on their faces.


    ¡°What the hell do you want? Do you feel happy if I¡¯m laughed at by my colleagues in my company? Eh? I would never marry you anyway if I knew you were like this.¡± Jiang Yuecheng rolled up his sleeves, loosened his tie and said impatiently.


    Tang Xia was totally disappointed about the man with whom she slept but with different dreams every night!


    ¡°Now that things have gone like this, how would you be afraid of losing face?¡±


    Tang Xia said coldly and feebly.


    Jiang Yuecheng reached out and was about to slap Tang Xia on her face at once.


    ¡°No!¡± Zhou Linlin seized Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s hand in the air suddenly.


    She whispered to him, ¡°Though we¡¯ve been discovered by her, we still have lots of things to deal with. We¡¯d better not treat her so bad. And she doesn¡¯t deserve you to beat her.¡±


    ¡°Yuck! A good match of a two-timer and a coquette!¡± Tang Xia said ironically.

 Chapter 140

    ¡°I¡¯m likely to go wrong when I get excited.¡± What a good excuse that Tang Xia had found, which made spilling the soup look like an honest mistake.


    While Tang Xia kept on satirizing them and paid no attention to her ¡®good deeds¡¯, she squinted at those two people, who acted in collusion with each other, with great resentment in her heart. Only in this way could she slightly vent her hatred.


    In order to make things difficult for her, Jiang Yuecheng made Tang Xia cook this meal. So she would not let them gain some advantages from her hard work.


    Zhou Linlin jumped back with a lot of force and pouted resentfully. She became so angry when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s proud smile.


    Having not lost face, Tang Xia comforted Zhou Linlin kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad anymore. I just spilled the soup accidentally. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to it, all right?¡±


    ¡°Accidentally? You did it on purpose!¡± Zhou Linlin talked back defiantly with her head raised slightly, looking down on Tang Xia while lowering her eyelids.


    Laying the cards on the table was obviously detrimental to her in this situation. So, when Zhou Linlin talked, her voice trailed off till almost nothing could be heard.


    ¡°How can you say that to me? It is I who kindly delivered your lunch.¡± Tang Xia stood there with an upset look as if she had been wronged.


    Only Jiang Yuecheng, who was standing on the side, remained silent after being bullied by Tang Xia, who spilled the soup all over on him and was indeed not innocent. Prudent as he was, it never occurred to him that it was not his day.


    Zhou Linlin gathered up her dress and realized that the thick soup was still splashed on the clothes. At this moment, she shrieked in disgust and said, ¡°Elder cousin, how can you do this to me? How can I wear this dress to meet others after you spilled soup on me?¡±


    Zhou Linlin, a girl who had always worn the same smile, would be so attractive when looking back at others with a smile. And she was quite fascinating and charming in Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s arms just now. But at this moment, she was so angry that she kept on stamping her feet.


    She changed her style of chasteness and coquetry because she felt ill at ease after the soup was spilled on her. What¡¯s more, she worried that being uncollected and unbecoming for the moment would let her impression degrade.


    Looking at Zhou Linlin¡¯s behavior, Tang Xia sneered and rolled her eyes. ¡°She deserves it! What¡¯s the big deal since the soup was spilled on her dress instead of her face?¡±


    After shaking the pieces of vegetables on her dress off, Zhou Linlin wiped the residue off and absorbed the moisture with a tissue taken from her bag.


    Having noticed this situation, Tang Xia passed her some napkins.


    As the soup was cream-colored and Zhou Linlin¡¯s dress was white, it would be very hard for her to clean it off, leaving some yellow traces behind, as if someone had peed on her. Zhou Linlin was so pissed off that she threw the dirty napkins all on the floor.


    The floor became messy in a flash because of the mixture of napkins and vegetable soup that was scattered across the ground. When the moisture of the soup finally evaporated, the napkins would stick to the floor so firmly that it would take the cleaner more effort to clean it up.


    Tang Xia took a glance at the messy floor with disdain and felt rather disgusted. However, she did not care about it as it was not her fault.


    After having a glimpse of the man who had nothing to do with the corner of her eyes, Tang Xia picked up the empty lunch box and closed the lid ruthlessly. Then she tossed the lunch box to Jiang Yuecheng.


    When he caught the lunch box confusedly, his fingers trembled slightly. Although the lunch box was not heavy, Jiang Yuecheng could not hold it steady as if it weighed a ton. He did not know what Tang Xia was going to do next.


    So, he decided to get the drop on her by summoning the cleaner of the company, ¡°Hurry and clean it up.¡±


    He, together with Tang Xia and Zhou Linlin, moved away from the area so that it would be more convenient for the cleaner to do their job.


    That cleaner who was a nimble worker, so she was quite good at cleaning. She cleaned the area up and quickly cleared a table for them.


    In a flash, this place became clean as usual, as if nothing had happened just now. Although the traces left in the room were erased, what had happened would never be forgotten by them?


    Tang Xia felt much better at the moment. To be exact, she had not shown her bad mood. At this moment she smiled at Jiang Yuecheng as if nothing had happened and said, ¡°Come home early. Your laundry is ready.¡±


    She raised one of her hands wittily while she stood aslope, which made her appear quite slim and adorable.


    The calmer Tang Xia appeared, the more terrified Jiang Yuecheng would be as he thought that there were profound meanings between the lines. What¡¯s more, he regarded the woman who did not blame people as the most horrible one.


    ¡°Hm? Dacheng, why don¡¯t you respond to me? Did you hear what I just said to you?¡±


    Although Tang Xia spoke to him in such a euphonic voice, he still gave her the cold shoulder, which showed how indifferent he was to her.


    Having noticed that he did not respond to her after a long time, Tang Xia stood there in a proudhearted attitude of interrogation, which satisfied Tang Xia a lot as she enjoyed occupying a commanding position.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to remain silent, I was just listening to your words.¡± Jiang Yuecheng did not know what he should say to Tang Xia as it would be wrong whether he said yes or no. It was one thing if Tang Xia did not see what he had done. However, she saw what he was doing.


    They were standing face to face when Jiang Yuecheng put an arm around Tang Xia¡¯s younger female cousin instead of Tang Xia, which sealed his doom.


    Tang Xia took a look at him again with her arms folded over her chest while saying nothing else and just waited for him to open his mouth.


    ¡°What should I do in such an awkward situation?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happens every time I cheat on her. How can I be so unlucky today that I am caught as soon as I go out?¡± Jiang Yuecheng saw that Tang Xia looked at him in a leisure manner with her eyebrows raised.


    Jiang Yuecheng bit the bullet and said, ¡°Thank you for doing the laundry and delivering lunch for me.¡±


    He said every word quite slowly and rather earnestly, which sounded much more pleasant compared to the voice he used to command Tang Xia.


    But Zhou Linlin, who was busy with cleaning her dress, could not interrupt their conversation and had no choice but to watch that Jiang Yuecheng was abject in his respect for Tang Xia and replied to her question cravenly, making her believe that the rest of her life would not be that happy.


    So her face blushed due to great embarrassment.


    Jiang Yuecheng was just treating Tang Xia kindly for the moment because he felt uncomfortable after she caught him cheating on her. During ordinary days, he would have shouted at her and would not talk to her in such a kindly manner.


    In Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mind, he was always superior to Tang Xia so he hooked up with other girls, like Tang Xia¡¯s younger female cousin, unscrupulously.


    Tang Xia gained a victory this time anyway as she finally got the chance to act tough with them.


    All this was like a trap Jiang Yuecheng set for himself because it was he who let Tang Xia deliver the lunch and make the appointment with Zhou Linlin. So, those two women meeting each other was his own bitter fruit he had to eat.


    With nothing left to do, Tang Xia turned around with a triumphant air. As she complacently rotated 180 degrees onher tiptoes, she knocked into a man. Although she bumped her head, no pain could be felt, as if there was a soft cushion protecting her.


    She lowered her head to massage her forehead and looked up. Unexpectedly, the man she knocked into was Chu Tiankuo!


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Tang Xia asked and pointed at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face, which was reflected clearly in her eyes. Although she had seen him only several times, his face she was not that familiar with gradually impressed her.


    At this moment, she commanded her brain to search for fragments of Chu Tiankuo and images of him in her memory appeared like a historic movie showing in her mind.


    In the last two live broadcasts, Tang Xia happened to meet Chu Tiankuo, who disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Every time she encountered danger, he would appear just in time and leave like a cork after solving her problems.


    Suddenly, an exciting moment appeared in her mind. But, that Chu Tiankuo appeared so urgently and fleetingly, like a trotting horse lamp. Luckily, Tang Xia grasped the key point perfectly.


    As long as she adjusted to the right time, she could recall that memory momentarily.


    ¡­


    It never occurred to her that she would be assaulted by three scoundrels. As she was so physically weak, just one ruffian was enough to guarantee her death.


    When a strong ruffian walked slowly toward her, Tang Xia was so scared that her legs began trembling, ¡°I¡¯m done this time.¡± As the man got closer and closer to her, she closed her eyes helplessly.


    However, the moment she closed her eyes, she opened them again.


    Because Tang Xia heard those strong ruffian¡¯s scream. She thought it was she who should wail, but she heard the scream before she had time to feel anything.


    When she opened her eyes, she found that a tall and valiant man stood in front of her.


    Although Tang Xia only saw his back, she could imagine his handsome face already as it must be her Prince Charming who appeared when she was in danger.


    As expected, he defeated those three strong ruffians. They all quickly ran away, even leaving behind their weapons because they had no time. Tang Xia was successfully rescued.


    ¡°Be more careful in the future.¡± Chu Tiankuo turned his head and spoke calmly without breathing heavily. Then he disappeared from her side.


    ¡­


    Looking at Tang Xia, who stared at him and was lost in her thoughts, Chu Tiankuo could not help wearing such a charismatic smile. In his eyes, Tang Xia¡¯s gawkish look, for an unknown reason, was quite adorable.


    So he pinched her chin gently and pretended to ask wonderingly, ¡°Why do I run into you everywhere I go? Are you following me?¡±

 Chapter 141 - The Master Was in a Bad Mood

    Chapter 141 The Master Was in a Bad Mood


    The act of pinching the chin was too close. Besides, it was made by handsome Chu Tiankuo, which made it more extraordinary. So many fans were so excited that they covered their mouth.


    Looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand, Tang Xia felt quite uncomfortable as she made physical contact with his fair and exquisite skin. So she shook her head to get rid of his fingers.


    Then she replied, ¡°You think too much. I will never follow you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo asked the question in order to tease her because he regarded it as a good way to cheer himself up.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you? I believe that you have been following me.¡± Chu Tiankuo tapped his temple and put on an air of thinking hard, which made him look like an elegant scholar.


    Unexpectedly, Tang Xia took his teasing seriously and snorted vexedly. And such rash behavior made her appear more naughty and adorable.


    ¡°Oh my god! Chu Tiankuo is here!¡± All the spectators were screaming because this handsome man appeared with uncertain occasions and limited times.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s reappearance inevitably caused an uproar in the broadcast room.


    ¡°The handsome man comes to help Tang Xia again.¡± Every time Tang Xia was in trouble, he would show up to help her. So everyone wondered what would happen this time.


    One spectator reminded Chu Tiankuo in spirits, ¡°How about letting us know in advance when you show up next time?¡±


    As people made their comments on the computer, everyone became more and more excited to read varied opinions and the heated discussion involved a wider range of people.


    In a flash, more and more people flooded to the broadcast room just for Chu Tiankuo. Although there were so many varied comments that dazzled the eyes, people persisted in reading them all.


    People could see clearly that a great number of messages flooded the screen as one message after another was sent and all of them were about Chu Tiankuo whose appearance made people completely ignore the existence of the others.


    While the state of affairs was out of control, messages containing ¡®Chu Tiankuo¡¯ came in great numbers. And no one broke ranks and held the banner of ¡®Chu Tiankuo¡¯ high with loud voices in support of him.


    The spectators watching the live broadcast all let messages containing ¡®Chu Tiankuo¡¯ rule the screen.


    Chu Tiankuo was not the protagonist of this live broadcast. He was a dispensable person, whose sudden appearance seemed not quite reasonable but could actually embellish this live broadcast splendidly.


    But at this moment, people would not think about the reason why Chu Tiankuo appeared. It would definitely be a great live broadcast as long as he was here. Although Tang Xia¡¯s live broadcast could be good without him, people would not become so thrilled if he were not here.


    Having accepted Chu Tiankuo who could be a bug with all their hearts, people never prevented him from showing up or criticizing his improper appearance.


    So Chu Tiankuo could appear in Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast room at his option without obstructions, distractions, fixed timings or occasions.


    Besides, those sweet interactions between them including the act of pinching the chin and the elegant posture of shaking head this time were likely to inspire people¡¯s imaginations.


    What¡¯s more, the adaption of the conventional plot of the hero rescuing a beauty made a novel scenario, which impressed people.


    The spectators all disdained the couple of Tang Xia and Jiang Yuecheng as those two were so badly matched. So the voice of people who thought they should separate and Tang Xia should find another husband became louder and louder.


    It was a good idea to get rid of Jiang Yuecheng who was morally bad. Besides, there were so many outstanding men surrounding her, she should not put all her eggs in one basket.


    In a flash, everyone plunged into this topic and a great number of messages were sent.


    Then people laid stress on Tang Xia whose matter was what people paid attention to as the matter of love and hatred was a popular topic about which people could talk much in leisure time.


    ¡°Tang Xia, when can you decide whom you will choose?¡± A message was sent in a depressed tone. Then similar messages came one after another in the wake of this one.


    Some people looked forward to the sparks of love between Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia being ignited, which caused a heated discussion.


    ¡°They will be a well-matched couple while he is intelligent and she is beautiful. When they talk to each other, I can feel that they are perfectly made for each other.¡± They seemed not to get along quite harmoniously and always bickered over trifle things like a couple every time they met each other.


    Some people started to recall the performance of those two when they met, their attitudes toward each other and micro-expressions, which was rather hilarious and moving.


    As Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t show up many times, all details of their interactions were recalled by people in no time.


    After savoring the details of their interactions together, people all thought that they were so sweet although Chu Tiankuo did not show up many times.


    At this moment, some people put forward the opposite view. They were not convinced and even protested, ¡°Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo are not matched. She and Master Ye are meant to be together.¡±


    Obviously, these people were in favor of the couple of Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    In the beginning, Ye Yifan was quite popular in the broadcast room and was the most popular male anchor at this time while Tang Xia was the most popular female anchor. So they were perfectly made for each other.


    ¡°If two online celebrities of the broadcast room get together, no one dares to say no, right?¡± His words which negated those people who were in favor of Chu Tiankuo, so people started to attack him soon.


    One was a master of the broadcast room, the other was a pretty woman. If they could chase each other and fell in love with each other, a couple of masters of the broadcast room would be set up.


    People became rather thrilled when thinking about it. Although their wishes might not come true, it could not stop their imaginations.


    In fact, Tang Xia became an anchor because of her love for Ye Yifan. She must have been fond of him or at least she admired him at the moment.


    Everyone knew all of this, but they were so busy arguing who was more suitable for Tang Xia that they had no time to say it out.


    Actually, their controversy made no difference to Tang Xia. No matter who she chose, people would give their most genuine blessings to her as they hoped that everyone in the broadcast room could be happy except Jiang Yuecheng and Tang Xia¡¯s younger female cousin.


    While people were debating, Ye Yifan, the master in the broadcast room fixed his eyes on the screen. Not only did he pay attention to the messages of the bullet screen, but also he stared at those two who were looking at each other.


    Ye Yifan who cared about Tang Xia a lot found those comments hurtful and read them with a twinge of annoyance.


    ¡°When did I start to care about Tang Xia and pay close attention to her every move? I even begin to hate those men around her.¡±


    It never occurred to him that he, as a master in the broadcast room, never brought personal feelings with him would get in a bad mood at the moment. After watching for a while, he wore a more serious look.


    Then he powered off the computer coldly by shutting it down with a resounding slap, leaving a message which said that Hell Shura left the broadcast room. Although this message stayed on the screen for five seconds, it was submerged and disappeared in the great number of other messages.


    People all focused on Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo while they talked about the matter of their relationship, so few people noticed that the master had left.


    As Ye Yifan was quiet in the broadcast room recently, it was rather common that people paid more attention to Tang Xia as well as Chu Tiankuo and neglected him in such a particular situation.


    Such a bombshell would definitely make Tang Xia nervous with worry in normal times. However, she was staring at Chu Tiankuo at the moment, making her ignore other people and things.


    There was a fascination in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes which shined like stars. As long as he looked at people in the light, his eyes would become more winsome. It seemed that he stared at Tang Xia with his most charismatic eyes on purpose.


    At this moment, Tang Xia in front of Chu Tiankuo knew nothing about the fact that Ye Yifan had left quietly in their heated discussion and looked at the floor, feeling dejected.


    She just gawked at Chu Tiankuo, which would definitely make Ye Yifan sad if he saw this scene later.


    From the picture that they looked at each other on the computer screen, people could tell so much love and affection which made them happy. However, Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia seemed to remain unmoved and rather calm.


    People all hoped that this moment could last forever and the voice of those who thought that they should get together became louder and louder. But there were so many people who blindly follow others. It was a pity for them only to see things with their eyes but not to feel them with their hearts.


    After teasing Tang Xia for a long time, Chu Tiankuo finally thought of the reason why she was here and looked away.


    He looked over Tang Xia¡¯s head and stared at one of his staff.


    Chu Tiankuo did not figure out the relationship between Tang Xia and Jiang Yuecheng as he thought that it was impossible.


    After Jiang Yuecheng noticed that Chu Tiankuo was looking at him, he covered his stomach and moved forward trembling. When he was two steps away from Tang Xia, he said gingerly, ¡°Hello, my boss.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo fixed his eyes on his stomach immediately.


    And Tang Xia turned around consciously. She felt so relieved as she did not need to face Chu Tiankuo.


    Jiang Yuecheng covered his stomach because Tang Xia had spilled the soup on him. Unluckily, he went for wool and came back shorn¡ªit became more conspicuous that Chu Tiankuo took notice of it.


    The residues of the soup on him were so obvious that his image was degraded by the dirty clothes.


    Chu Tiankuo took a look at him with disdain and noticed that Zhou Linlin¡¯s dress had been also stained by the soup from the corner of his eyes. Then he said to them, ¡°Shame on you.¡± After finishing his sentence, he did not want to talk to them anymore as it was so humiliating for him.

 Chapter 142 - All Is Well

    Chapter 142 All Is Well


    Jiang Yuecheng was so nervous when he saw Chu Tiankuo that he lost his head. Adding to that he had just been caught having a stealthy affair with another woman, he felt even more humiliated. Seeing that he and Zhou Linlin had been sprinkled with soup, he could do nothing but take the initiative to tell Tang Xia off first.


    He hurriedly dissembled his awkwardness by covering his body with a quilt and said to Chu Tiankuo excitedly, ¡°President, I¡¯m sorry for my awkwardness, but it¡¯s the bitch, Tang Xia, who is to blame.¡±


    Tang Xia felt disgusted by him, continually flattering his boss. ¡°How could these kinds of people be born in this world? They¡¯re so disgusting.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised by Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s false countercharge and was stunned for a while. She was about to argue back but Chu Tiankuo asked before she could speak.


    ¡°What¡¯s your relationship?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was rather curious but was confused by what he had seen. It was likely that Jiang Yuecheng and the woman in his bed were caught having a stealthy affair judging by their awkwardness.


    ¡°Tang Xia is my wife. I promise I¡¯ll teach the bitch a lesson when we get home.¡±


    Though Jiang Yuecheng forcefully acknowledged Tang Xia as his wife, he would not know that what he did had already brought shame on himself.


    If he was not stupid, then he had to be clumsy. He did not know how to deal with affairs, and never thought before speaking and taking action.


    Chu Tiankuo nodded when he heard Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words, which proved that he had guessed everything right. It was apparent that he was caught having an extramarital affair, though he acted as if he were so upright.


    Tang Xia failed to restrain her anger in the end and shouted everything out, just like a shrew, while thinking, ¡°How can he blame this on me? It¡¯s the two bitches who betrayed her first.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember that I am your wife? How can you describe me as a ¡®bitch¡¯ when I find out you¡¯ve had an extramarital affair? How can you be so shameless?


    ¡°And you are having an affair with my cousin. I¡¯ve been more and more curious about your taste. It seems that you can accept any slut.¡±


    Tang Xia hit the nail on the head and left no room for him to argue back. Jiang Yuecheng had tacitly admitted to an extramarital affair.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Tang Xia. What¡¯s wrong if a man indulges himself once in a while? I just want to release my pressure, it can¡¯t be more normal. Is it necessary for you to shout like a shrew?¡±


    It was clear to Jiang Yuecheng that he had no reason. But he could not lose his dignity because his boss was also here. He was not sure if he would be fired by the boss afterward, but now that everything had happened, all he could do was keep going forward.


    At the same time, Zhou Linlin, who had been subservient beside him, also decided to become forceful and spoke out while she regarded Jiang Yuecheng to not be guilty at all.


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s you who is an imbecile because you failed to attract a man. He would not have come to me if you were appealing enough. Am I right? So you¡¯d better go back home and learn how to catch a man¡¯s eyes instead of shouting here.¡±


    Zhou Linlin looked like a bitch and pretended to be delicate and worthy of pity. Even though she seemed to be respectful to Tang Xia, nobody knew how scheming she was. These kinds of women were of the most terrifying kinds because you could never make out what was on their minds.


    ¡°You shameless couple are certainly incorrigible now that you slandered me instead of mending your ways when you were wrong.¡±


    Tang Xia was almost at a loss for words and spoke incoherently while pointing at them. Her face became blushed from anger, but what made her angry was not their stealthy affair.


    He had already lost his interest in her. What infuriated her was their calling white black, which was so excessive.


    So the three people started arguing with one another by calling each other names and almost came to blows. Chu Tiankuo, who stood beside, had understood everything. He shook his head helplessly and said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Then he walked away chicly with his hands in his pockets. Jiang Yuecheng suddenly fell silent when he saw Chu Tiankuo leave, and after a brief hesitation, ran after him to explain.


    He was responsible for everything in his family. Even though things had gone like this today, he could not lose his job.


    Jiang Yuecheng hurriedly cleaned his clothes and gave himself a quick check. Then he pointed at Tang Xia with the veins on his face bulging out and said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯ll see how I punish you when we get home.¡±


    Then he took his coat and ran out regardless of his image in order to catch up with Chu Tiankuo.


    There were only two women left in the room, both of whom were stupefied. Of course, Zhou Linlin could never beat Tang Xia.


    Since Jiang Yuecheng was not here supporting her, she crouched aside and pretended to be worthy of pity, looking rather disgusting.


    ¡°Oh, you look so pitiful now. Clean your clothes right away, or the next customer will feel sick.¡±


    Tang Xia finished her words with a smile. Then she sneered and turned away, leaving Zhou Linlin sitting there alone. It was quite clear what Tang Xia meant. She was implying that Zhou Linlin was a prostitute.


    But Zhou Linlin could do nothing but watch Tang Xia leave without arguing back because she was in the wrong. ¡°What a sharp-tongue bitch. She embarrassed me with just one word.¡±


    At the same time, Jiang Yuecheng finally caught up with Chu Tiankuo before he drove away. He reached out and stopped Chu Tiankuo immediately.


    ¡°Manager Chu, I¡¯m so sorry for letting you see that. I¡¯m to be blamed for I failed to handle affairs well in my family. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng continued flattering Chu Tiankuo because it was a matter of personal style. He could not be bold as brass because he couldn¡¯t lose this job.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s all right. Just like you said, you¡¯re a man, right? But sometimes you can¡¯t go too far because a man should save his face, or he would be no different from an animal.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo knew why he stopped him. He did not mean to fire him but thought he had to caution Jiang Yuecheng about his personal style, while Jiang Yuecheng had just come in time, so he decided to deride him in a different way so that he would bear this lesson in mind.


    ¡°Yes, boss. I got it. You¡¯re right, boss. I¡¯ll pay attention to this in the future.¡±


    Embarrassed as Jiang Yuecheng was when he heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, he cheekily promised that he would pay attention to this, which made Chu Tiankuo laugh out loud.


    ¡°All right, all right. It¡¯s no big deal. Go back to work later. I¡¯m afraid I have to leave now.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo patted him on his shoulder and thought with a smile, ¡°This guy is funny, but his wife seems to be mightier internally.¡±


    ¡°Take care, boss. I¡¯ll keep working hard.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng opened the door for Chu Tiankuo and watched him drive away. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead when he lost sight of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s car.


    Fortunately, he was more scared than hurt. Without thinking much, he took a taxi and went back to work.


    After leaving the house, Tang Xia was at leisure. It was still early and she did not want to return home of course, so she walked around on the streets.


    It happened to be in the afternoon when all the people were at leisure. Tang Xiao walked alone on the streets and immediately felt much better when she saw the fanciful handiworks and all kinds of people. She was quite satisfied with today¡¯s venting.


    In general, one should not attack unless they are attacked. But once they are bullied to a certain extent, they have to learn to fight back, or they will be taken as an imbecile.


    Tang Xia walked along and arrived at a cafe, where the delicate decorations inside attracted her to walk in with curiosity.


    She did not mind returning home later since the old woman was still in the house, whom Tang Xia thought was so troublesome. So she decided to have a cup of coffee here and rest her mind.


    In the cafe, all the decorations were in a European style. But since all the coffee here was from Europe, the style was not surprising at all.


    But Tang Xia walked upstairs out of curiosity. There, Tang Xia was surprised by the retro-style decoration. All the waiters were in cheongsams and greeted her politely.


    Tang Xia chose a preferred table and sat down. An old-fashioned record and a rocking chair were there, where she enjoyed a different feeling for a moment.


    A waitress came over to her and asked politely, ¡°Hello, miss, what would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Is there any coffee special here?¡±


    Tang Xia asked curiously in the hopes that the waitress would recommend something to her because she did not have much knowledge about coffee.


    ¡°How about our specialty, the ¡®Frozen Heart¡¯?¡±


    That was the specialty of the cafe, behind which, according to the waitress¡¯s explanation, was a love story of her boss and his lover.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll order a cup of ¡®Frozen Heart¡¯. And could you please tell me about the story? I¡¯m quite curious about it.¡±


    Tang Xia had always been a curious girl who would get curious about any story.


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll find out about the story when the coffee is served.¡± The waitress smiled and left, leaving Tang Xia at a loss. How could a coffee tell her what the story was?


    Soon afterward, the coffee was served. The story was printed on the saucer. Tang Xia tasted the coffee attentively, thinking that, unlike other coffee, this one was cold but brought her a different feeling.


    Tang Xia put down the cup and started reading the story carefully, which depicted how the heroine attempted to satisfy the hero with a cup of coffee.


    The heroine tried for a long time and finally made it, delighting the hero. They lived together happily in the end.


    While anyone else might have felt that the story was warm and sweet, Tang Xia shook her head because, in her eyes, the hero did not do anything in return while the heroine had given too much.

 Chapter 143 - Crossing the Sea under Camouflage

    Tang Xia paid the bill and walked out hurriedly. The beautiful love story did not move her much; instead, it made her become lost in thought.


    ¡°Why do women always have to give, but gain so little, while they themselves feel that they have won the whole world? It¡¯s so puzzling.¡±


    It had turned dark by the time Tang Xia walked out of the cafe, with the last sunset glow remaining in the sky. Tang Xia said goodbye to the waitress and went home.


    When Tang Xia opened the door, it was silent in the room and Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s shoes were not by the door. She was relieved that he had not come back yet or she would have been embarrassed facing him.


    Tang Xia put her clothes on the hanger beside the door and then put on slippers. She looked around to make sure her mother-in-law was not there and then tried to slip into the room, but was caught in the act.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law suddenly showed up in front of her, a fierce look in her eyes. Tang Xia was bound to be scolded because she did not get along well with her mother-in-law, and adding to that, she came back so late tonight.


    ¡°Stop. Why are you coming back so late? Where did you go?¡±


    Tang Xia felt so uncomfortable due to her mother-in-law¡¯s malicious look. But she could not say anything about this because her mother-in-law was a senior.


    ¡°Eh, I went out to have a walk and get some air. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the time. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll never do it again.¡±


    All Tang Xia could do was pretend to be obedient and make an apology, hoping the old woman would stop tangling with her and their acrimony would cease.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s already time for dinner? As a daughter-in-law, do you expect your old mother-in-law to cook for you every day?¡±


    Her mother-in-law continued scolding her. In her eyes, a daughter-in-law was nothing but a laborer. Rural people insist that their daughters-in-law have to obey the wifely submission and virtue now that they had paid to marry her.


    A daughter-in-law should not say anything against her mother-in-law¡¯s words.


    But Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law was absolutely wrong. Her-daughter-in-law would always do the opposite. Tang Xia did not respond and chose to be silent. ¡°Whatever she says, I¡¯ll keep silent.¡±


    Her mother-in-law, who had kept talking for a long time, believed that Tang Xia had admitted to her fault when she saw that Tang Xia did not argue back, so she stopped scolding her. As an uneducated woman, she felt it was ok as long as she got the upper hand.


    Then something suddenly came to her. She turned back, took out a piece of clothing stained with ink, and walked up to Tang Xia.


    ¡°And what about the ink on the clothing? Did you spill it there? Why would you destroy clothes like this?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law kept grilling her fiercely about what had happened to the clothing. Though Tang Xia was quite clear about it, she still pretended to be wronged.


    ¡°Mother, maybe the ink in Dacheng¡¯s clothes spilled out. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wash it later.¡±


    Tang Xia was so skillful at pretending to be innocent. Her mother-in-law stopped questioning her and took the clothes to the bathroom. Soon afterward, there was the buzzing sound of the washing machine.


    Since Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law was a countrywoman, she thought it remarkable that her son had gotten a job in the city. That was why she swaggered around in the family.


    But after all, as a countrywoman, she was uncultured and did not know why her son put ink in his pocket. So she just gave Tang Xia a mean look and then washed the clothing in the bathroom.


    Finally, it became tranquil again in the house. Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law went to the kitchen and took out two dishes after washing the clothes while Tang Xia was watching TV in the room, who touched her belly and felt angry when she smelled the dishes.


    So she braced herself to walk out. ¡°I¡¯ll just have dinner there. At worst, I¡¯ll keep silent and go back to the room righter after having dinner.¡±


    Tang Xia opened the door and went to the dining room step by step. She just came in time because her mother-in-law had just set everything in order. But what infuriated Tang Xia was that her mother-in-law did not even prepare tableware for her, so she had to get it herself before sitting down for dinner.


    Jiang Yuecheng was working overtime in his company. So there were only Tang Xia and her mother-in-law eating in the room, who were as compatible as fire and water. It was likely that a cold war would break out.


    Tang Xia kept her head down and ate in silence. She did not even look up. It was her mother-in-law, instead, who glared at her from time to time, never showing any kindness.


    Then, her mother-in-law started to talk. She put down the tableware and said seriously, ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯ll ask you one more time. You didn¡¯t stain the clothes, right?¡±


    She thought it strange because she did not remember that her son had put ink into his pocket, so she grilled Tang Xia again.


    Then Tang Xia put down her tableware as well and turned on the ¡°Hollywood Mode¡±¡ªshe was about to show her great prowess in acting.


    Tang Xia opened her eyes wide, looking innocent, and said, ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you believe me? I didn¡¯t do that. Why would I stain the clothing with ink without any reason? This has happened several times. Maybe Dacheng put the ink in his pocket for some purpose since I wash it for him every time.¡±


    Tang Xia directed a big show when Jiang Yuecheng was not home, in which she acted so vividly that no one would find anything wrong with it.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Her mother-in-law was almost convinced. Tang Xia just needed to take the last shot.


    Tang Xia took the chance and hurriedly continued, ¡°Mother, I do the laundry every time and clean up everything in the house.


    ¡°I asked him last time when he came back. He told me that it had something to do with his work. So I didn¡¯t ask him further.¡±


    Tang Xia went on making up her story. Her mother-in-law finally nodded, picked up her tableware, and continued having dinner. Tang Xia now was sure that her mother-in-law had absolutely been convinced by her. All she needed to do next was to wait for Jiang Yuecheng to come home.


    The story moved faster and faster. Her plan was now underway. They continued having dinner in silence.


    It was Tang Xia who washed the dishes when they had finished because she was fed up with the old woman¡¯s complaints. She chose to do the laundry for the transitory peace in her ears.


    Having washed the dishes, Tang Xia walked out of the kitchen. She knew her mother-in-law had fallen asleep when she glanced in her room and found the light out. She was thus relieved. For old people from the countryside, it was normal to go to bed now because they worked with the sun, and rested with the sun.


    Tang Xia took out and washed some fruit, and then put them in the living room. Seeing her mother-in-law asleep, she started watching television in the living room and waited for Jiang Yuecheng.


    She turned the volume down very low so the old woman would not get up and make trouble for her.


    Tang Xia leisurely watched an idol drama on TV while having an apple. She could not help feeling that ¡°fairy tales are full of lies¡±. There were no princes at all, just an unfaithful man and a villainous mother-in-law. She felt more and more aggrieved and changed the channel immediately.


    At that exact moment, it occurred to Tang Xia that the clothing had been washed by her mother-in-law. Then how could she play Jiang Yuecheng off against her mother-in-law? So Tang Xia decided to go the whole hog. She took out one of Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s coats and spilled some ink on it.


    The ink on the coat was rather conspicuous. Tang Xia throw away the rest of the ink, clapped her hands, and threw the coat at the door. Then she picked up the apple and continued watching TV on the couch. Now there was only one big piece missing from the puzzle.


    Tang Xia sat there calmly, waiting for Jiang Yuecheng to come back. He would definitely return home after she had argued with him in the company. She knew him well in this respect.


    An hour later, there was finally the sound of the door opening. Tang Xia pretended as if nothing happened and waited for the fish to bite.


    Having worked overtime for hours, Jiang Yuecheng looked extremely exhausted. He put on his slippers and was annoyed by the coat stained by ink. He lifted the coat and rushed over to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Did you do this? Why would you do this?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng had already been out of sorts and was suddenly infuriated when he saw his coat stained with ink. So he went to question Tang Xia immediately.


    While Tang Xia urged him to keep silent with a slight movement of her fingers, she pointed at her mother-in-law¡¯s room, which meant that Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother was asleep. Then she said, ¡°It was your mother who spilled the ink on your coat accidentally.¡±


    The reason Tang Xia dared to speak this way was that she had already had a well-thought-out plan. Jiang Yuecheng had filial respect toward his mother, after all. Frankly speaking, that was a kind of simple-minded filial respect because he would obey everything his mother told him.


    ¡°If my mother did this, she must be feeling very guilty. I should go comfort her and urge her not to feel any remorse.¡±


    Hearing that it was his mother who had done this, he immediately changed his face and started worrying that his mother might be unable to sleep well because of the coat. But he was stopped by Tang Xia when he was about to step into his mother¡¯s room.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    ¡°I have to comfort my mother, or she¡¯ll be worried,¡± Jiang Yuecheng answered impatiently.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about her. She did blame herself and feel deeply guilty, but I comforted her and told her to take it easy. I told her that it doesn¡¯t matter and I¡¯ll take the coat to the dry cleaners. Your mother was relieved and went to bed after hearing my solace.¡±


    Of course, Tang Xia had to stop Jiang Yuecheng from entering his mother¡¯s room, or her elaborate plan would fail. The plan allowed her to kill two birds with one stone because she not only drove a wedge between them but also showed her selflessness. She was so delighted in her mind.


    Jiang Yuecheng asked her dubiously, ¡°Really?¡±


    Tang Xia just nodded and did not say anything. She looked so sincere in her eyes, like an excellent Oscar-winning actor, that anyone would have believed her.


    Jiang Yuecheng was filial to his mother. He felt that the woman was great and was moved by seeing that Tang Xia had swept the slate clean and comforted his mother regardless of his tryst.


    He felt sorry for Tang Xia and said nothing. He pulled Tang Xia over and hugged her tightly, which was so abrupt it made Tang Xia lose her head.

 Chapter 144 - A Scheme

    Chapter 144 A Scheme


    Jiang Yuecheng hugged Tang Xia, who sneered in his arms, thinking that Jiang Yuecheng was as foolish as usual. His mother would hit the roof if she knew what happened.


    But Jiang Yuecheng did not notice Tang Xia¡¯ sneer; instead, he asked if she had had dinner and if his mother had embarrassed her.


    Tang Xia shook her head while glancing at Jiang Yuecheng, kissed him on the cheek, and then turned away shyly.


    When she had gotten back to the bedroom, Tang Xia went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She almost threw up. Just now¡­


    Jeering at herself, Tang Xia gargled with water, walked out of the bathroom, and saw Jiang Yuecheng come in.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You looked ill and got a pale face.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng put down the clothes in his hand and then walked over to Tang Xia. He took her into his arms and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep well last night. Go and wash up. I heated up the dishes before you came back.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng kissed her on the forehead and walked to the dining room.


    Lying beside Jiang Yuecheng, Tang Xia kept awake during the whole night. When she was about to fall asleep, the alarm clock rang. She turned it off and got up to prepare breakfast. Then she woke up Jiang Yuecheng and asked him to have breakfast before going to work.


    Looking at the breakfast on the table, Jiang Yuecheng was moved. He stared at Tang Xia, speaking words of gratitude. Tang Xia gave him a fake smile and asked Jiang Yuecheng to hurry up so that he could get to work on time.


    Jiang Yuecheng smiled blissfully and kept praising her while eating, which was exactly what Tang Xia wanted. She planned to let Jiang Yuecheng fall in love with her again and then dump him the way he had dumped her.


    She could go out for some time after he had breakfast and then buy some vegetables on the way back.


    ¡°Let me drive you to work. And I¡¯ll buy some vegetables on my way back.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Ok, it¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve been driven to work by my wife.¡±


    Looking at Jiang Yuecheng, whose eyes were blocked by her hair, Tang Xia stroked her hair and smiled at Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°I can drive you to work every day if you like.¡±


    Looking at the woman who stood in front of him, Jiang Yuecheng was very moved. His slovenly wife, who had been always disliked by him, now seemed to have become his good wife and was bringing him fresh feelings.


    Jiang Yuecheng kept his eyes fixed his eyes on Tang Xia, which was a change that Tang Xia had expected.


    At the company¡¯s entrance, Tang Xia saw the one whom she never wanted to meet.


    Zhou Linlin, who had just arrived at the company, was about to greet Jiang Yuecheng when she saw him, but her eyes were focused on the hand holding his arm.


    She looked up and saw Tang Xia.


    ¡°What a coincidence, cousin.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, cousin. How do you have time to drive my cousin-in-law to work?¡±


    Zhou Linlin looked into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes and asked her, insinuating that Tang Xia should be staying at home now, or bargaining with the elderly in the vegetable market instead of showing up here.


    Tang Xia curled her lips and said, ¡°It was still early so I decided to drive Yuecheng to work and buy some vegetables when I go back. It¡¯s perfect timing.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re so considerate, cousin.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I must be considerate, or how could I be Yuecheng¡¯s wife?¡±


    Tang Xia held Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s arm more tightly and leaned against him with complacency.


    Zhou Linlin¡¯s face turned blue when she saw Tang Xia do this because the man who used to speak words of love to her had now changed his mind. Zhou Linlin started cursing Jiang Yuecheng in her mind as well as all his ancestors.


    Jiang Yuecheng was a little annoyed by the two women who kept speaking to each other.


    At the same time, he made a comparison between them in his mind. He used to believe Zhou Linlin had brought him a different feeling, but recently, it seemed that Tang Xia had completely changed herself.


    Sometimes, he would wonder if Tang Xia was still the same woman he knew, having changed from a slovenly wife into an elegant one.


    ¡°But cousin, it may be improper for you to tangle with my cousin-in-law in the early morning.¡±


    Zhou Linlin covered her mouth with her hands and laughed after saying this. But Tang Xia was not annoyed by her words. Instead, she smiled at Zhou Linlin, and then looked up at Jiang Yuecheng.


    ¡°Dacheng, do you also think it¡¯s improper for us to do that?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng hesitated when he saw Tang Xia ask like this. He touched Tang Xia¡¯s face and said, ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about? Why would it be improper? You¡¯re my wife and I¡¯m your husband. Everything we do will be legal.¡±


    ¡°But my cousin said that this may have a negative effect on your work.¡±


    ¡°How could it? There¡¯s no such regulation in my company that the staff can¡¯t be accompanied to the workplace by their family members. All right, don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    Then he looked at Zhou Linlin and said, ¡°Cousin, you are so early today. But you¡¯ll be late for work if you continue to chat with us.¡±


    Zhou Linlin was doubtful of Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words because he was treating her this way, so she looked down at her wristwatch.


    She opened her eyes wide and pointed at Tang Xia with her index finger. Then she rushed to the company, in fear that her wages would be deducted.


    Seeing that Zhou Linlin had left, Tang Xia released Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°All right, go to work now. I¡¯ll cook what you like and wait for you at home.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll come back earlier today. I won¡¯t let you wait for long.¡±


    Tang Xia watched Jiang Yuecheng leave after the talk. She told him before that she would go to the vegetable market and cook the dishes he liked, but then she changed her mind and went straight to the shopping mall.


    At the entrance of the shopping mall, where Tang Xia looked at the dazzling goods in the showcases, she remembered she seemed to be never in the mood to hang around here because she thought she should not waste a penny of her family. But now¡­


    Tang Xia walked into the mall after getting herself together and bought lots of goods she liked.


    Before exiting, Tang Xia caught a glimpse of a clothing counter. She looked down at her clothes and made up her mind to thoroughly change herself.


    She deposited her belongings into the locker and picked out several clothes that cost much more.


    Then the tricky look on Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s face entered her mind. If she did not buy her something, her mother-in-law might scold her again.


    So she picked out on more clothes for her mother-in-law in accordance with her figure.


    On the way back, Tang Xia passed by a hair salon, which was giving a discount to customers for its grand opening. She saw some women walk out of the salon with beautiful hairstyles.


    She touched her own hair, which was tied in a ponytail. Then she walked in and chose the trendiest style and dyed her hair with her favorite color.


    While waiting for Tang Xia to come back from the vegetable market, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother started chattering and complaining about how ignorant her daughter-in-law was, often checking the time without seeing her come back.


    When Tang Xia returned, she was still complaining and was heard by Tang Xia.


    She was unsatisfied with Tang Xia originally, and now she looked very disgusted the instant she saw the things in Tang Xia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I was wondering how Dacheng¡¯s money was being spent, now I¡¯ve gotten the answer. You¡¯ve spent it buying those gaudy things.¡±


    Tang Xia did not reply to her and went into the bedroom after greeting her by calling her ¡°mother¡±. She put everything she bought into the closet and walked out with the clothes she bought for Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother.


    She was still annoyed by Tang Xia ignoring her and did not know where she had gone. She gave her a blank look when Tang Xia walked out and said, ¡°You¡¯re dressed up so beautifully. Where are you going? Are you going to meet with a swinger?¡±


    ¡°Look at your hair, it¡¯s so colorful. What do you want?¡±


    Tang Xia kept her head down while Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother continued scolding her. But she did not argue back and remained silent until her mother-in-law had finished.


    ¡°Mother, this is what I bought for you. You can try it on and see if it fits you well.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother glanced at Tang Xia suspiciously and then looked at the clothes in her hand, and said, ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Where are the vegetables? What will we have today?¡±


    ¡°Well, mother, there are still some vegetables left from yesterday and they look fresh, so I didn¡¯t buy any more. And I passed by a shopping mall, where the clothes seemed to be not bad, so I bought something for you. How about trying it on?¡±


    She spoke while taking the clothing out of the bag, while her mother-in-law looked at the clothing.


    She suddenly looked different. Even though she had always disliked Tang Xia, she kept smiling and praising her for being so sensible and knowing how to take care of her mother.


    Her words made Tang Xia feel disgusted. Tang Xia thought she should be rewarded with an Oscar for her ability to change her face so well.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother could not help feeling delighted in her mind when she thought of the clothing Tang Xia bought her. All she said was that Tang Xia was much more sensible then Jiang Yuecheng and saved her from worrying.


    ¡°Really. If you¡¯d like, I can buy you new clothes more frequently. After all, the tailor makes the man.¡±


    Though she was happy originally, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother changed her face again when hearing this and said, ¡°Yuecheng doesn¡¯t earn much each month. How can you spend money like that? And listen, can you learn from your cousin, Linlin, who found a job to support her family?¡±


    Tang Xia kept nodding and gave an affirmative reply, saying that she would go find a job later on. All of this made Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother stop criticizing Tang Xia.


    She started to try on the clothes after the talk. It seemed like Tang Xia had measured Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother before buying the clothing, it fit her perfectly.


    ¡°You¡¯re clever, Tang Xia. It fits me well. That¡¯s great.¡±

 Chapter 145 - You Left Your Stuff in My Car

    With the clothing in her hand, Tang Xia said to her mother-in-law, ¡°It fits you well and makes you look beautiful and younger. When you go back to the countryside and spend the Spring Festival wearing it, you can tell the folks that it was your son who bought you the clothing. They will certainly get envious.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother thought it would be good for her son and gave a smile immediately, turning around in front of the mirror.


    It was a maroon coat in Chinese style, with a knitted swastika in dark golden threads, buttons in the shape of fish, and a woven peony on the lapel, looking so true to life.


    It must be mentioned that Tang Xia had good taste in clothes. Both the design and color fit Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s rural-born mother well, who looked in high spirits after dressing up.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother stroked the clothing gently and got even more satisfied as she looked up and down at herself in the mirror. Looking at her, Tang Xia became relieved. The old woman was so hard to serve and had cost her more than 500 yuan to please.


    ¡°How much was it?¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother asked.


    ¡°580 yuan,¡± escaped Tang Xia¡¯s lips as she was lost in thought. She regretted it right after saying it. ¡°How could I tell her the truth? I¡¯ll be scolded once more.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ What did you say? How dare you buy such an expansive piece of clothing? You¡¯re so fond of spending money, you hen that lays no eggs! You are incapable of giving birth to a child but are so good at spending money.


    ¡°So this is how you waste the money my son has earned? Don¡¯t you know how to save money?¡± ¡­ A string of curses bolted out from Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t always spend so much money. I was buying clothes for you, how can pick out a cheap one?¡±


    ¡°I never waste money because my husband earns it with such difficulty, and I have to live thriftily. I spent so much money this time because I was buying clothes for you,¡± Tang Xia explained hurriedly.


    ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t waste my son¡¯s money anymore. And stop standing here like a piece of wood. Dacheng works so laboriously, go and cook some dishes so that he can eat when he comes back.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother continues scolding Tang Xia for a while, and then went to her bedroom wearing the new clothing.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll cook now.¡±


    Tang Xia answered with a forced smile but murmured in her mind, ¡°Damned old woman, you never know what¡¯s good for you. I bought you a piece of clothing, so how can you scold me? You¡¯ll see!¡± Tang Xia sneered in her mind while keeping a smiling face.


    Jiang Yuecheng was about to return from work. Tang Xia put the dishes she had just cooked on the table one by one. Since there was still plenty of time, she walked to the bedroom and put on makeup carefully.


    Her eyebrows were thick and her eyes looked soft, while her lips were red in a natural way. She smoothed her hair, which had just been set and was fluffy and light.


    Looking at the beauty in the mirror, Tang Xia picked up the corner of her lips. ¡°Zhou Linlin, let¡¯s have a race!¡± The sound of the door opening came from outside as she was in thought. Tang Xia knew it was Jiang Yuecheng and went out to greet him immediately.


    Jiang Yuecheng did not even look at her when he entered. He threw off his shoes, removed his tie, and took off and threw his suit to Tang Xia, who waited for him at the door.


    He headed straight for the toilet with his eyes looking steadily forward as if Tang Xia were no more than a clothes hanger. But Tang Xia did not get annoyed. She put the tie and the suit on the hanger with a smiling face, walked to the toilet, and passed a towel to Jiang Yuecheng.


    Jiang Yuecheng took the towel impatiently, wiped his face, and said, ¡°What are you doing here? Did you get the dinner¡­¡± He stopped abruptly when he looked at Tang Xia after wiping his face, she was so beautiful today. He was suddenly turned on and rejoiced over this.


    Her eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as a picture, her face was so pretty and her hair was elaborately combed. She had a slim, curvy figure and her smile made her even more attractive. What a beauty.


    Jiang Yuecheng gawked at Tang Xia and thought, ¡°I won¡¯t get bored with such a wife in my life.¡±


    Looking at Jiang Yuecheng, Tang Xia sneered, while she said with a bewitching smile, ¡°Husband, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng came back to his senses and said, ¡°Tang Xia, how do you look so appealing today?¡± Tang Xia did not reply. Instead, she walked slowly to the couch and sat down, keeping silent. Jiang Yuecheng followed her and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to me, Tang Xia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid another woman may take my place if I don¡¯t make myself up,¡± Tang Xia said with her face looking downward. ¡°I used to believe that a marriage based on the wife¡¯s appearance wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°You should love my soul rather than my appearance. That¡¯s why I never make myself up. I was confident that I was prettier than those who wear heavy powders even if I didn¡¯t make myself up.¡±


    Tang Xia was about to burst into tears. ¡°But when I saw you and Zhou Linlin¡­ When I saw you fawning over a woman who was more ugly than me even if she had made herself up, I realized I was wrong, deplorably wrong.


    ¡°Men love a woman¡¯s appearance, while a woman will doll herself up for the one who loves her. Now that I love you, why can¡¯t I make myself up for you?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng glanced at his wife, who looked sorrowful, and felt a little guilty. But at the same time, he was dissatisfied with her mentioning Zhou Linlin. So he felt restless in the end.


    ¡°I hate hearing women cry. Stop shedding tears. Don¡¯t pester me, ok? ¡°I¡¯m so tired after a day¡¯s work. Could you show me your smiling face so that I can have dinner in peace?¡± Hearing his words, Tang Xia immediately went to prepare the tableware for him.


    Jiang Yuecheng felt guilty again when he saw the slim figure so busy in the kitchen. After all, his wife was so virtuous and had dealt with everything well in the family. And she was loyal to him and showed her filial obedience to his mother.


    Looking at his wife¡¯s pretty face, Jiang Yuecheng felt more and more guilty. He walked toward her and tried to lend her a hand. But the doorbell rang when he had just picked up a pair of chopsticks in the kitchen.


    Jiang Yuecheng walked to open the door with the chopsticks in his hand. Tang Xia shouted at him, ¡°Husband, who¡¯s that?¡± Jiang Yuecheng replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡±


    Then, he opened the door. Tang Xia said, ¡°Husband, is that your friend? Ask him to have dinner with us. I¡¯ve cooked lots of tasty dishes.¡±


    ¡°Cousin Dacheng, you¡¯re so careless. You left your stuff in my car.¡± The voice was rather surprising.


    ¡°Zhou Linlin!¡± Tang Xia said, thinking that she must have come for a demonstration. ¡°Now that you have come, let¡¯s have a fight and you should not expect to leave easily.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, cousin. What¡¯s wrong? Are you surprised?¡±


    Zhou Linlin squinted at Tang Xia but was shocked. She and Jiang Yuecheng had always called Tang Xia ¡°the old ball and chain¡±, but today she looked so attractive, totally different from how she used to.


    ¡°Why are you coming to my house? Did I invite you? We don¡¯t welcome you!¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°Eh, cousin, listen to me. You¡¯re treating me like a stranger. We are in the same family, why can¡¯t I visit you? What¡¯s more, didn¡¯t you hear what I said?


    ¡°Cousin Dacheng left his stuff in my car. I¡¯ve come to return it to him.¡± Zhou Linlin gave Jiang Yuecheng a glad eye when saying this.


    ¡°Hmph, Jiang Yuecheng must have played around with Zhou Linlin after work.¡±


    ¡°What did my husband leave in your car?¡± Tang Xia asked in a low voice as she opened the door. ¡°Give it to me and leave my house, please. We don¡¯t welcome anyone who has ulterior motives.¡±


    Zhou Linlin did not answer her. She giggled and walked to the table. ¡°Eh, this dish looks great. It has aroused my appetite. Would you mind if I sat down, cousin?¡±


    Tang Xia felt disgusted by Zhou Linlin¡¯s stagy gesture. But meanwhile, she wanted to find out what the hell Zhou Linlin wanted to do.


    ¡°You seem to have eaten lots of dishes I cooked.¡±


    Saying this, Tang Xia could not help remembering how she looked after Zhou Linlin when she lived in her house. She was afraid that Zhou Linlin could not get used to the dishes in the canteen, so she tried every means to cook for her.


    But she did not know that she had raised an ungrateful soul, who sabotaged her marriage and tried to loot her husband. What a bitch!


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s been a long time since I have had dishes cooked by you. I wonder if your cooking style has regressed,¡± Zhou Linlin said.


    ¡°Fine. But the dishes have turned cold. Let me heat them for you. Just wait a minute. Husband, you can chat with Linlin. I¡¯ll heat up the dishes, it won¡¯t take long.¡± Tang Xia smiled tenderly at Jiang Yuecheng.


    Soon after, the heated dishes were served. Zhou Linlin sat where Tang Xia had always sat, while Tang Xia magnanimously smiled and thought whatever she liked.


    Zhou Linlin asked for soup at first, and then she asked for more rice. She complained that the dishes were too salty and then grumbled that they were too tasteless. She kept asking Tang Xia to do things for her as if she were the hostess. Tang Xia was not angry, but she kept sneering in her mind.


    They finished dinner at last. Zhou Linlin sat on the couch and was about to ask Tang Xia for water when she heard Jiang Yuecheng say, ¡°Linlin, what¡¯s wrong with your face? It looks so red.¡±


    Zhou Linlin rushed to the bathroom to look in the mirror after hearing that. Then she screamed and ran out. She shouted at Tang Xia, ¡°Bitch! What did you do to me?¡± And she was about to beat Tang Xia when saying this.


    Tang Xia seized her hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you bewitched? Why would you beat me for no reason?¡±


    ¡°It must be you who added something in the dishes. My face is having an allergic reaction,¡± Zhou Linlin said regretfully.


    ¡°Allergy? What are you allergic to? The dishes were made for my husband. And I didn¡¯t know that you would come to my house, how can I make you have an allergy?¡±


    Tang Xia blinked and spoke innocently. In fact, she was extremely happy and was afraid she would laugh out loud. She felt so satisfied when she looked at Zhou Linlin¡¯s face, which looked like a pig¡¯s.


    ¡°Linlin, take it easy. Go to the hospital now.¡± Jiang Yuecheng was really concerned about Zhou Linlin.


    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t need your sympathy. Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Zhou Linlin was about to cry out. She picked up her bag, covered her face with it, and walked to the door.


    ¡°Here you are.¡± She suddenly turned back, took out and threw something to Tang Xia, who took it subconsciously. She looked at it and found it to be men¡¯s underwear!

 Chapter 146 - Chu Tiankuo Gave Me a Hug?

    Chapter 146 Chu Tiankuo Gave Me a Hug?


    Tang Xia looked at Zhou Linlin when she took out the underwear. Though she was angry, she did not show any feelings toward Zhou Linlin.


    She glanced coldly at the man standing beside her, who looked embarrassed.


    Then she turned to Zhou Linlin, who swaggered in front of her, and said, ¡°There¡¯re plenty of such things in our house. You don¡¯t have to come from afar to return it to us.


    ¡°You can take it with you as a memorial. After all, you won¡¯t be seeing it anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, how could you talk to me like that? I took the time to give it back to you, but you didn¡¯t even thank me and spoke to me this way.¡±


    Zhou Linlin believed that she would be protected and was not afraid at all when she looked at Jiang Yuecheng, who stood beside her.


    Tang Xia sneered coldly when she saw the shameless look on Zhou Linlin¡¯s face. ¡°You are just a mistress. How dare you throw your weight in front of me, the legal wife!


    ¡°That¡¯s so interesting. What is she thinking about? How did she get the courage? Ah, no. How did the man beside me get the courage? One is a two-timer and the other is a coquette. But I must finish the task. This is so annoying,¡± Tang Xia complained in her mind.


    ¡°Haha, you are kind? Everyone here knows what your intention is! Hmph! Fine! Do you mean you and he are from one family while I¡¯m alone in this family? Get lost right now. This is my house.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a younger cousin in this family, a stranger, a nothing. You¡¯re just an outsider who doesn¡¯t have any status.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re merely a mistress. How dare you pull your weight in front of me? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± Tang Xia snorted.


    Zhou Linlin felt uneasy about Tang Xia¡¯s contemptuous and cold eyes. And Tang Xia even mentioned Zhou Linlin¡¯s status as a mistress, completely disregarding her feelings.


    Zhou Linlin suddenly felt hot in her face as if it had been slapped by someone.


    Zhou Linlin looked at Jiang Yuecheng beside her, but he stood there silently as if he did not know that she was looking at him.


    Zhou Linlin was infuriated and said, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m the outsider, I¡¯ll leave!¡±


    Then Zhou Linlin slammed the door and left.


    Jiang Yuecheng was taken aback by the bang.


    Then he came back to senses. He glared fiercely at Tang Xia and said unsatisfactorily, ¡°Tang Xia, how could you talk to her that way? She¡¯s your cousin and our relative. How could you talk to her so unscrupulously?¡±


    Tang Xia was going crazy when she heard Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s blatant defense and she shouted, ¡°Relative? I never knew that I had such a barefaced relative who wanted to be a mistress¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s so shameless. If you want to marry Zhou Linlin so much, just say so and we¡¯ll get divorced right away. You don¡¯t have to find excuses.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng looked at Tang Xia, wondering how Tang Xia suddenly became so bold and dared to argue with him.


    ¡°Then you can just wait and see. You¡¯ll be repentant!¡± Jiang Yuecheng said to Tang Xia ferociously.


    Tang Xia glared at Jiang Yuecheng, who seemed to be feeling guilty and was red with anger as he slammed the door and went out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? How can both of you slam the doors? Don¡¯t you know that it costs a lot to repair a door?¡± Tang Xia muttered unsatisfactorily.


    Though Tang Xia felt good after she infuriated both of them with her words and made them leave, she started feeling regretful soon after.


    This was not real life but a broadcast room. And she had tasks to complete. How could she do this and worsen the relationship that she had just improved with effort?


    Tang Xia was somewhat upset now and wished that she hadn¡¯t been so tough.


    Maybe her task could be finished earlier if she learned from Zhou Linlin, who pretended to be obedient.


    When she was thinking of this, her mother-in-law walked out of her bedroom and started complaining upon seeing Tang Xia standing alone at the door.


    ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s my son? I heard the voices of my son and your cousin just now. Why did both of them leave but not you?


    ¡°Did you make them angry? You¡¯re so unfilial, you wicked woman!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law pointed at her nose and cursed.


    Tang Xia looked down and didn¡¯t want to answer her mother-in-law. She knew she would argue with her if she replied and then it would take even longer for her to complete her task.


    She¡¯d better pretend to be obedient and let her mother-in-law curse her, who would then go back to her own bedroom once she calmed down.


    As expected, Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law scolded her for a while and then stopped. She glared at Tang Xia and turned back toward her bedroom.


    Tang Xia felt restless in the house and prepared herself to take a walk outside.


    Tang Xia walked to a shopping mall, where there were beautiful clothes. Tang Xia could not help hanging around in each store and felt much better as she strolled around.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the best way to delight oneself is to go shopping and eat,¡± Tang Xia thought.


    As she noticed a store where the clothes there were special and was about to walk in, a man suddenly popped out in front of her and knocked her down.


    Tang Xia rubbed her shoulder with some difficulty, looked up, and was about to say something, only to find that the man had run away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that guy? Doesn¡¯t he know he¡¯s not allowed to run about in the mall? He¡¯s so rude.¡±


    But soon after, she found the handbag in her hand was missing. Suddenly, she came to realize that she had encountered a thief just now.


    Tang Xia felt annoyed. She got up off the ground and rushed in the direction the thief had run away. Soon after, Tang Xia caught sight of the thief, who seemed to have discovered Tang Xia at the same time and ran faster. Then they began chasing and running around in the mall.


    Finally, the thief was tired and was about to breakdown.


    Tang Xia was about to catch him but the thief suddenly disappeared around the corner when Tang Xia lost her balance and fell down to the ground.


    Tang Xia found there was severe pain in her ankle when she tried to get up¡ªshe had sprained her ankle.


    Tang Xia touched her ankle and tried hard to stand up, but she failed because of the severe pain, which made her look pale in the face.


    At the very same time, Chu Tiankuo showed up and stood beside Tang Xia. He squatted and looked straight into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, and then said with a smile, ¡°How are you so weak. How could you sprain your ankle when running behind a thief? You¡¯re so stupid.¡±


    Though it sounded like detestation, he looked at Tang Xia tenderly the whole time.


    Tang Xia almost burst into tears when she saw the man in front of her, but she still pretended to be tough and said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m beginning to think of myself as stupid, too.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia like this, Chu Tiankuo frowned with dissatisfaction. Then he took Tang Xia into his arms. Tang Xia was in a panic for a moment but quickly calmed down.


    Chu Tiankuo said to Tang Xia mildly, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re so stupid. What would you do if I wasn¡¯t by your side? Now let me take you to the hospital!¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t say anything but lay silently in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms. She buried her face in his arms and greedily breathed in his smell.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t know why but she felt serene in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms.


    She smiled slightly and said to Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to hold me in your arms till we get to the hospital. By the way, I¡¯m heavy.¡±


    Now that Tang Xia was telling jokes, she had to be in a good mood at this time. Looking at Tang Xia, who looked so naughty, Chu Tiankuo also smiled. ¡°That¡¯s ok. I can hold you no matter how heavy you are.¡±


    Then Chu Tiankuo took Tang Xia to the hospital, where he asked a doctor to treat her ankle and bind it up. Then they left the hospital after the doctor had prescribed some medicine for external application.


    It got dark gradually. Tang Xia was unwilling to leave Chu Tiankuo and hoped to stay with him longer. But she had tasks to complete.


    If she stayed out for the whole night, who knew how her family members would scold her? Then she would never finish her tasks.


    Chu Tiankuo seemed to know what Tang Xia was worrying about. He said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late and is almost evening. How about letting me take you home?¡±


    Tang Xia lingered on Chu Tiankuo without saying anything. Chu Tiankuo fondled her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s ok. We still have the chance to meet with each other. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Let me take you home now.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ok. Thank you so much,¡± Tang Xia said reluctantly.


    Chu Tiankuo brought Tang Xia to the door. Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law started complaining while opening the door the minute Tang Xia pressed the doorbell. ¡°Where did you go? Cook dinner now. Do you want us to starve to death?


    ¡°Did you still remember to come back? I thought that you were having a good time outside and that you wouldn¡¯t come back tonight.¡±

 Chapter 147 - Dispute

    Hearing the curses from behind the door, Tang Xia felt quite awkward. Although she did not know what Chu Tiankuo was thinking, she wanted to bury herself as her face blushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°You can put me down now.¡± Although Tang Xia spoke in such a low voice, Chu Tiankuo heard her words clearly and furrowed his eyebrows. As he was thinking that she was a married woman, which made it rather inappropriate to hold her in his arms, Chu Tiankuo put her down.


    While Tang Xia wore that embarrassed look, her mother-in-law opened the door and walked out.


    Her mother-in-law, who kept on cursing her, had a rather terrible and impatient expression the moment she saw Tang Xia at the door. Then she froze for a while and became terrified when she saw the man standing beside Tang Xia.


    ¡°How dare you, Tang Xia! I regarded you as a troubled woman as you possessed such an enchanting face! Are you displaying your strength by bringing the man home that you hooked up with?¡±


    While Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law scolded her, she looked Chu Tiankuo up and down. Although she knew little about name-brand clothes, she could tell that his clothes were definitely pricey.


    Then she wondered how Tang Xia could hook up with such an excellent man and how they could look somewhat great together. Then her expression became more terrible.


    She was thinking that Tang Xia had flagrantly embarrassed Jiang Yuecheng by bringing her paramour home.


    After hearing what her mother-in-law had said, Tang Xia¡¯s expression became quite ugly while she tried to control her temper because Chu Tiankuo stood beside her, making her incapable of offending her mother-in-law openly and talking about home affairs.


    ¡°Mom, I sprained my ankle and happened to meet Mr. Chu who offered to take me home. It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    When her mother-in-law saw Tang Xia struggling to explain, she became angrier as she thought that Tang Xia kept on explaining because of guilt.


    ¡°What? Why would you act so guilty unless you were caught? Tang Xia, I¡¯m telling you, you are still my daughter-in-law! How shameless you are to hook up with another guy when you haven¡¯t gotten a divorce!¡±


    As Tang Xia noticed that her mother-in-law kept on talking, she looked at Chu Tiankuo apologetically and found that Chu Tiankuo also wore an awkward look on his face.


    He never dealt with ordinary women, so he did not what to do when he met such a rude and unreasonable woman for the first time. All he could do was just stand beside Tang Xia, looking at her.


    Although it was quite a normal scene, her mother-in-law regarded it as flirting between Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo.


    Jiang Yuecheng, who was in the room, heard the wrangling and walked out with his eyebrows knitted. ¡°What are you quarreling about so late?¡±


    He walked out with a quite impatient look and froze when he saw Chu Tiankuo, who was standing aside.


    As her mother-in-law saw Jiang Yuecheng come out, she felt more emboldened. So she pulled Jiang Yuecheng close to her and started to swear while pointing at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Yuecheng, she, a coquette, dares to bring her lover here although we are still at home!


    ¡°Imagine what shameless things they would do if we were not at home or they were in a place that nobody could see!¡±


    Her mother-in-law kept on swearing while looking at Tang Xia with a proud expression. She had not liked Tang Xia when she met her for the first time because a girl would not be obedient with such a beautiful face.


    ¡°As expected, Tang Xia would have fooled Jiang Yuecheng if I did not open the door on them.


    ¡°Jiang Yuecheng has always been a simple and honest man, so he would believe whatever the coquette says. Luckily, she shows the cloven hoof today. I wonder how Tang Xia will explain what has happened today.¡±


    However, Jiang Yuecheng was just standing aside without saying anything while his mother thought that her son could not accept all of this and had become too angry to speak. So she began to swear to her heart¡¯s content in the hopes of venting her son¡¯s anger.


    ¡°You two, explain to me why you are still together so late!


    ¡°Going off of how you know each other, tell me how you¡¯ve met him after you just sprained your ankle. What a coincidence! Make a better excuse next time! How shameless you are!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law scolded her endlessly while she did not know what to do with Chu Tiankuo in front of her.


    Jiang Yuecheng was quite shocked when he saw Chu Tiankuo and wondered why his boss would appear with Tang Xia this late.


    After hearing his mother¡¯s words, Jiang Yuecheng figured out what had happened. The first thing he did after he came to his senses was immediately stop his mother from swearing. Then he looked at Chu Tiankuo apologetically or even alarmedly.


    Before Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother could understand what was going on, her son said gingerly, ¡°Boss, why are you here?¡±


    After Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother heard what her son had said, her proud expression turned terrified. ¡°Isn¡¯t this man Tang Xia¡¯s lover? How can he be my son¡¯s boss?¡±


    Although Chu Tiankuo did not think too much of it, he felt it hilarious when he saw the changes in the expressions of Jiang Yuecheng and his mother. Then he took a look at Tang Xia and nodded his head.


    ¡°Tang Xia sprained her ankle and injured her bone. She cannot walk by herself so I took her home.¡±


    Looking at Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother, who wore a ferocious look, there was a glint of gloominess in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes. He explained for Tang Xia especially in order to prevent Jiang Yuecheng from misunderstanding her.


    As he finished his sentence, he took a meaningful glance at Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother. ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your mother¡¯s imagination and eloquence.¡±


    Having heard what Chu Tiankuo had said, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s heart trembled because his mother had severely scolded Chu Tiankuo. He was afraid that Chu Tiankuo would be irritated by his mother and fire him, which would make his losses outweigh his gains.


    But Chu Tiankuo just played it down and did not criticize his mother further. ¡°Tang Xia is in poor health, you¡¯d better take good care of her.¡±


    Then Chu Tiankuo got close to Tang Xia and tapped on her shoulder. ¡°Take good care of yourself.¡± Then he said to her in a voice that could only be heard by the two of them, ¡°You cannot escape from me, my little girl.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Manager Chu.¡± After Chu Tiankuo left, Jiang Yuecheng let out a long sigh of relief and pulled Tang Xia into the house immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Manager Chu? I didn¡¯t ask you about it as it seemed that you and he were quite intimate in the company. Why didn¡¯t you talk about it with me?


    ¡°You are on such good terms with him that he is willing to take you home and even to the door?¡±


    When she just got home, Jiang Yuecheng did not care about how severe her injury was and just asked her about Chu Tiankuo, which made Tang Xia feel that it was ridiculous.


    As a scornful smile played on her lips, Tang Xia said, ¡°What? You are worried if I cheated on you like you have cheated on me so many times?¡±


    Actually, Tang Xia did not intend to fall out with Jiang Yuecheng.


    But Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother kept on humiliating her when Chu Tiankuo was around. What¡¯s more, Jiang Yuecheng did not have any concern for her at all, he just suspected that she had cheated on him and his words were quite hurtful.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother, who had been silent, walked toward them and said, ¡°Is this your manner of talking with Yuecheng? How can you talk to your husband like that as a wife?


    ¡°Besides, I think that you probably do have illicit sexual relations with Manager Chu! Otherwise, why would he take you home this late? Who do you think you are?¡±


    As Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s words became more and more coarse, Tang Xia regarded her as unreasonable. When Chu Tiankuo was around, they were quite cowardly. But when it was only Tang Xia, they became so bold, which made Tang Xia feel that it was rather absurd.


    ¡°The relationship between me and Chu Tiankuo is much more innocent than you think. You regard everything as dirty because your souls are horribly besmirched.¡±


    After Tang Xia finished her sentences, she did not want to badger with them anymore and was about to go back to her room. But Jiang Yuecheng would not let her leave so easily and took hold of her arm.


    ¡°Regardless of how you know each other, tell me if anything has happened between you two.¡± Jiang Yuecheng donned the pose of someone teaching a lesson, which made Tang Xia quite angry.


    After she shook off Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s arm, Tang Xia said, ¡°Even if something has happened between us, what does that have to do with you? Don¡¯t you know that your wife is waiting for you at home when you hook up with other girls?


    ¡°Jiang Yuecheng, what you have done is much more filthy than me, how dare you to teach me a lesson?¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother said, ¡°What? Can¡¯t your husband teach you a lesson? You can go if you don¡¯t want to listen to his lesson! Do you think Yuecheng truly likes you? How unlucky he is to marry a coquette! What bad luck!¡±


    Although his mother slandered her, Jiang Yuecheng just stood there without saying anything, which made Tang Xia quite bitterly disappointed. So she felt wronged and said rashly, ¡°I am leaving now! Do you think that I¡¯m willing to stay in your house?¡±


    Then she went back to her room, took out the luggage from the corner, and packed her things up.


    After taking a glance at Tang Xia¡¯s back, Jiang Yuecheng intended to leave her alone. However, on second thought, he was afraid that she would speak ill of him so that he would lose his job. So he hurried to her bedroom and saw her packing up.


    ¡°Are you leaving? Where are you going? Will you seek refuge with Manager Chu?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, hurry up and leave if you want to go. You can¡¯t take anything with you as it all belongs to us!¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother walked in and threw Tang Xia¡¯s luggage on the ground with a proud expression.

 Chapter 148 - I Came Here For Her

    Chapter 148 I Came Here For Her


    After hearing what Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother had said, Tang Xia was not sure whether she should leave or not because it would not be convenient for her to complete her task and she did not know how she could survive if she left this place.


    But looking at the cruel expression of Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother, Tang Xia hardened her heart to shake her hand off and was determined to leave this house.


    ¡°Let me go! I¡¯ll take these things with me! How can you say that these things belong to your house? Where is my dowry? Give it back to me now as I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You have married my son, so you along with your dowry is what our family possesses. How can you take it with you? Don¡¯t you dare take one single thing from us even though you are leaving!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother shouted at Tang Xia somewhat alarmedly with a pale face while she looked at her in panic.


    ¡°But I¡¯m leaving now, I should take my dowry with me. Are you trying to pocket all of my dowry? I have never seen a woman as shameless as you! How thick-skinned you are!¡±


    Tang Xia wore a sneer and glared at her mother-in-law, ridiculing her as being insatiable.


    ¡°Anyhow, we did not shoo you away. Don¡¯t you dare take one single thing with you even though you are leaving! You are not divorced now, your dowry belongs to us as you are still a member of our family!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother argued with Tang Xia while her face blushed. What a shameless woman she was to say such impudent words regardless of the fact that her son was still here.


    As Tang Xia did not expect that her mother-in-law could be so conscienceless, Tang Xia froze for a while. Before she could say something else, Jiang Yuecheng held her hand and snatched her clothes. Then he spoke to her in a softer tone.


    ¡°Where are you going this late? My mom was so pissed off that she said those words. Don¡¯t take them seriously. This is your home, so live in peace here, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yuecheng, I know my younger female cousin is more beautiful and gentler than me. But this is my home, where else can I go? I want to stay here, too. However, your mom¡­¡±


    After thinking over Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words, Tang Xia knew that Jiang Yuecheng wanted to make her stay for some reason related to Chu Tiankuo. As she thought so, she started to complain tearfully right away.


    ¡°Yuecheng, I have devoted so much to this home since we got married. I do the laundry and cook for you every day. Besides that, I try my best to attend to my mother-in-law. I¡¯ve really put in a lot of sweat and effort into everything I do. How could I be willing to leave?¡±


    ¡°I know all that. All right, don¡¯t cry anymore. You have devoted so much to this home. What¡¯s more, you are the most sensible and considerate one. My mom is just sharp-tongued, but she¡¯s not malicious. So don¡¯t take her words too seriously!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng furrowed his eyebrows as he thought that Tang Xia really had devoted much to this home for many years. So his attitude toward her became more moderate.


    ¡°Yuecheng, I am so lucky that you understand me. I don¡¯t blame your mom as I also have done wrong. I hope that mom will not get mad at me. We can live a good life together, ok?¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to be sad and leaned on Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s arms. Then she cast a complacent look at Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother to stimulate her feelings. But all Jiang Yuecheng could see was her head and not her facial expression.


    ¡°You are like a hen that does not lay eggs! Why are you staring at me with that look? You don¡¯t give birth to a single child although you have been married to my son for so many years! Hurry up and leave if you want to go. I¡¯ll let my son marry a new girl. I think your younger female cousin is a good choice.¡±


    When Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother saw Tang Xia¡¯s expression, her emotion broke out immediately. As she had never been fond of Tang Xia, how could she not grasp this opportunity to get rid of her?


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, mom. Let¡¯s call it a day. It will be so embarrassing if our neighbors know all about this. Go to bed now, it¡¯s so late! We can talk about it tomorrow, ok?¡±


    It seemed that Jiang Yuecheng with his eyebrows knitted was quite unpleasant while he urged his mother to go to bed and lowered his head to comfort Tang Xia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take her words to heart. My mom is only sharp-tongued. After all, she is an elder. So try to put up with her. Talk to me whenever you feel wronged. Don¡¯t keep it bottled up!¡±


    ¡°Sure. She is our mom, not a stranger, so I should give in to her. Don¡¯t worry about it. I understand all that. My only hope is that you can understand me!¡±


    Tang Xia snuggled with Jiang Yuecheng and coaxed him comfortably while she ridiculed how shameless they were in her mind.


    ¡°Ok. It is good that you are so sensible. I understand you. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t shoo you away and you can live here in peace. I will live out my life with you. So go to bed early!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng tapped Tang Xia on her shoulder and sighed, thinking that Tang Xia was not bad because she was such a thoughtful woman who did not fight over anything and was willing to diligently devote much to the home.


    ¡°All right. You should go to bed early as you need to go to work tomorrow. I¡¯ll get you some hot water so that you can take a bath.¡± Tang Xia nodded adorably and got busy making arrangements for Jiang Yuecheng.


    When Tang Xia lay in bed that night, Jiang Yuecheng turned his back to her while he was snoring loudly, which made her quite annoyed. And there was so much chaos in her mind that she could not figure it out.


    Tang Xia had been racking her brains all night thinking about how she could make Jiang Yuecheng fall in love with her again. First, she should bolster the positive profile in his mind, then¡­ She fell asleep.


    Tang Xia woke up the next morning and served breakfast for Jiang Yuecheng and her mother-in-law as usual. Furthermore, she apologized to her mother-in-law in front of Jiang Yuecheng to build a good image.


    ¡°Mom, it was I who acted willfully last night. Please don¡¯t take my behavior seriously. I¡¯m making my apology to you. It is all my fault. We should live in peace together and not quarrel anymore!¡±


    Tang Xia knew that her mother-in-law would not accept her apology according to her personality, which would make Jiang Yuecheng protect her, so she took this opportunity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology! Just leave if you want to go! Don¡¯t play tricks on me! Make it clear if you want to stay. You just want your dowry. In my view, you have been looking forward to leaving this home for a long time!¡±


    As expected, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother just took a glance at her and shamelessly had Tang Xia serve her breakfast while she ridiculed her.


    ¡°Mom, I do want to stay because this is also my home. I want to take care of you and Yuecheng for the rest of my life. My unwillingness to leave this home has nothing to do with my dowry. I really hope that I can stay!¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to be sad and lowered her head. Then she poured some porridge for Jiang Yuecheng and gave it to him while she looked at him with a pitiable expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, mom. I told you last night that this matter was over. She has devoted so much to this home, so just eat the breakfast that she served to you and stop saying those words!¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s tearful expression, Jiang Yuecheng became a little soft-hearted and spoke up for her so that Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law would not say anything more.


    After breakfast, Tang Xia walked Jiang Yuecheng to the door and straightened his collar. Then she sent him off with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Yuecheng, what do you want to have for lunch? I¡¯ll cook and deliver it to you. Does my female cousin need any? I can make another one for her so that you can have lunch together!¡±


    ¡°Anything will do. I need to go to work now as it¡¯s getting late. As for Linlin, don¡¯t bother cooking lunch for her.¡± Jiang Yuecheng looked calm as he nodded his head, thinking that he should not let Tang Xia deliver lunch to Zhou Linlin. Then he was about to leave.


    ¡°Be careful on the road! Get home early and I will wait for you at home along with mom!¡± After Tang Xia straightened Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s collar carefully, she opened the door and sent him away.


    However, the moment Tang Xia opened the door, she saw Chu Tiankuo standing at the door and carrying a bag with something inside.


    ¡°I told you that it¡¯s getting late! Why are you still standing in the doorway? Get out of my way! I¡¯m in a hurry!¡±


    As Jiang Yuecheng, who was behind Tang Xia, noticed that she was still standing in the doorway, he spoke to her sullenly.


    ¡°Yuecheng, your boss is standing outside the door. I am afraid that he¡¯s come here for you.¡± Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo and tried to ignore his expression. Then she turned away and spoke to Jiang Yuecheng.


    ¡°Manager Chu, why are you here so early? What can I do for you?¡± The moment Jiang Yuecheng heard the name of Chu Tiankuo, he put on a flattering smile immediately and bypassed Tang Xia to stand in front of Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°I came here for her, not for you!¡± With a poker face, Chu Tiankuo pointed at Tang Xia standing behind Jiang Yuecheng.


    ¡°I see, Manager Chu is calling for you! Hurry and come here!¡± As Jiang Yuecheng heard that Chu Tiankuo had come here for Tang Xia, his smile froze for a while. But he adjusted his smile quickly and dragged Tang Xia to in front of Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Manager Chu, what can I do for you?¡± Tang Xia looked away unnaturally to avoid eye contact with Chu Tiankuo while she secretly observed the faces of Chu Tiankuo and Jiang Yuecheng.


    ¡°You sprained your ankle, so I¡¯ve brought some medicine for pain and swelling from the injury. And I want to check on you whether your injury is ok or not.¡±


    After looking Tang Xia up and down, Chu Tiankuo gave the bag to her.


    ¡°Oh, thank you. I¡¯m all right. You can leave now!¡±


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes at Chu Tiankuo in the hopes that he could leave soon because she thought subconsciously that nothing good would happen as long as Chu Tiankuo was there.


    ¡°How can you talk to Manager Chu like that! How dare you not show your gratitude as Manager Chu is showing his great concern for you!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng pretended to get angry at Tang Xia as he spoke with a smile to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Manager Chu, my wife does not know how to behave, so please don¡¯t take her words seriously. How about coming in? I just bought some good fresh tea.¡±


    ¡°No, you said that you were going to be late, right? I¡¯m just about to go to the company, so get in my car so that it can be quicker.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo wore a sneer and pointed at his car behind the door.


    ¡°You must be late if you¡¯re going to the company on your own. I can drive you there!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you, Manager Chu. Thank you!¡± Jiang Yuecheng bowed obsequiously to Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. Let¡¯s go!¡± Chu Tiankuo shook his hand liberally and took a meaningful look at Tang Xia before he left.


    At this moment, a red car stopped by the doorway and two honks of a car horn came overbearingly. Then Zhou Linlin with heavy makeup walked toward Jiang Yuecheng while not noticing that Chu Tiankuo was there.

 Chapter 149 - He Is Yours Now

    Chapter 149 He Is Yours Now


    Unexpectedly, Zhou Linlin had arrived, so those four all looked at each other with great embarrassment.


    While Tang Xia stood together with Chu Tiankuo, Jiang Yuecheng standing not far away from them saw Zhou Linlin and his corners of the mouth twitched. ¡°Why does she come at this moment?¡±


    In the meantime, he felt quite annoyed because Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia both felt awkward already, let alone now that Zhou Linlin was here. It was such an intractable situation.


    After staring at Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia found that his eyes were as clear as a blue sky, making her go into a daze for a while. Then Chu Tiankuo put on a smile and asked her in a gentle voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Alas!¡± Tang Xia came to her senses right away and turned her head around, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be noticed. Then she cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Zhou Linlin, what are you doing here? ¡±


    She brought the conversation around to Zhou Linlin out of fear that Chu Tiankuo had noticed her in a daze.


    Zhou Linlin had an enchanting smile as the key to the car hooked on her bent finger. And the moment she caught sight of Chu Tiankuo, she became quite surprised and raised her eyebrows. Then she said to Tang Xia, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Not daring to act too aggressively in front of Chu Tiankuo, she gave an ambiguous answer to Tang Xia.


    But it never occurred to her that Chu Tiankuo would be there with Tang Xia and Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°What is going on here?¡± While thinking this, she felt somewhat nervous and restless.


    ¡°Hmph, can¡¯t I ask the reason as to why you appear at my door gratuitously?¡± Although Tang Xia¡¯s words were a little overbearing, it was reasonable for her to get angry because Zhou Linlin had arrived here brazenly.


    Zhou Linlin became more and more rampant.


    Chu Tiankuo tilted his head as he had hardly seen Tang Xia make threatening gestures like this, which made her a little adorable in his eyes.


    Zhou Linlin bit her lips and cast her piteous eyes on Jiang Yuecheng, hoping that he would speak for her.


    Not daring to do anything in front of Chu Tiankuo, Jiang Yuecheng turned his head around and said, ¡°Linlin, aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work now? Why are you here?¡±


    He could not let Manager Chu have a good laugh at him no matter how he loved Zhou Linlin.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Tang Xia sneered because only under this circumstance would Jiang Yuecheng show loyalty to her.


    Being questioned by two people at the same time, Zhou Linlin felt quite wronged. ¡°How can he talk to me like this? He used to speak up for me. That b*tch Tang Xia is to blame!¡±


    Then her eyes became gloomy as she lowered her head and made a more ambiguous statement. ¡°I¡­¡± As she could not find a better excuse, she had no choice but to spin a yarn, ¡°I missed my elder female cousin. Luckily, I had something to attend to nearby, so I dropped in.¡±


    When she raised her head the next second, Zhou Linlin had put on a sweet smile already. Then she ran up close to Tang Xia and held her hands as if they were rather intimate. ¡°Cousin.¡±


    Zhou Linlin¡¯s behavior made Tang Xia so frightened that she got away from her immediately. ¡°Let me go. I don¡¯t like it when someone acts on their own to hold my hands.¡±


    Zhou Linlin felt rather awkward. Then she cast her eyes on Chu Tiankuo and Jiang Yuecheng while harboring great resentment toward Tang Xia in her mind.


    ¡°Dammit! Tang Xia, how can you make me lose face on purpose! You b*tch, I¡¯ll have you bear all the consequences!¡±


    But she pretended to be quite considerate by asking Jiang Yuecheng in a sweet voice, ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t you need to go to work now? I can drive you to the company.¡±


    Not knowing what to say, Jiang Yuecheng just replied, ¡°Well.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo just coldly watched all this and understood that it was Zhou Linlin who had wanted to make trouble but had run into them.


    However, he was not willing to stay for this boring show and he cast his eyes on Jiang Yuecheng absently. Then he said in a calm voice, ¡°Well, now that she can drive you to work. I¡¯ll leave now. Take your time, bye.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned away after saying goodbye without taking a look at Tang Xia. But Tang Xia chuckled and felt quite warm as she lowered her head to cast her eyes on the ointment in her hand.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo can always give me such long-lost warmth, although I have no idea why I have this feeling.¡±


    After Chu Tiankuo left, Zhou Linlin¡¯s facial expression altered immediately¡ªshe put on a rather sarcastic expression with a sneer.


    ¡°Yo, how long has it been? You even hook up with Manager Chu! You are so ¡®awesome¡¯, sister!¡± Her words were quite sarcastic and full of disdain.


    Tang Xia was impressed by Zhou Linlin making a false countercharge because it was she who had made trouble shamelessly, but slandered her by saying that she hooked up with Chu Tiankuo.


    When Chu Tiankuo was around, she was so obsequious and innocent. But when he left, she became like a maniac and turned hostile so quickly.


    After rolling her eyes, Tang Xia walked toward Zhou Linlin, who wore a foundation thicker than a wall, and said to her in the same sarcastic tone, ¡°Save it. How awesome you are to hold such a bad attitude as a concubine!¡±


    Looking at the scene of those two women playing tit for tat, Jiang Yuecheng felt quite annoyed and could not interrupt the conversation. So he had no choice but to say reluctantly, ¡°Stop arguing. It is getting late.¡±


    Zhou Linlin glared at him and pushed him away while grinning. ¡°Brother Dacheng, stay out of this. I must make it clear to her today.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng could not do anything about it, so he chose to stand aside.


    Tang Xia folded her arms over her chest and had on an arrogant expression. ¡°Make it clear? Sure, younger female cousin. I will discuss with you today how it is wrong to be a concubine!¡±


    ¡°I am not a concubine! Brother Dacheng and I are truly in love! Who do you think you are? Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be afraid of you because you have some relations with Manager Chu.¡± Zhou Linlin made no bones about talking back. Her behaving like a shrew at the moment was quite different from her usual style of pretending to be adorable and sensible.


    Jiang Yuecheng was shocked by her behavior and did not know what to say.


    ¡°It never occurred to me that Zhou Linlin could behave like this¡­¡±


    Tang Xia cast her cold eyes on Jiang Yuecheng standing aside while she looked down on him in her mind.


    ¡°With Zhou Linlin in such an embarrassing situation, doesn¡¯t he speak up for her as a man?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I married such a cowardly, disgusting man!¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head and looked directly at Zhou Linlin again. Then she fought back proudly like a queen. ¡°You said you are truly in love? Interesting. Just save it.


    ¡°How shameless you are to seduce your brother-in-law when he is already married! How dare you say that you are truly in love? I¡¯m telling that you will never know what will happen to you if I disclose this scandal!¡±


    Maybe she would be utterly discredited or even worse¡­


    Taking these consequences into consideration, Zhou Linlin ground her teeth and could not utter another word, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t be too proud! I¡¯m telling you that Brother Dacheng is mine!¡± Then Zhou Linlin held Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s hands tightly as if she wanted to claim that ¡°fact¡±.


    ¡°Poor thing! That is the only thing she can do now. Right, Jiang Yuecheng does not like me anymore. But we have not divorced yet. Who does Zhou Linlin think she is?¡±


    Tang Xia refused to admit to being inferior and walked toward Jiang Yuecheng slowly. Then she pulled up his other hand and donned a faint smile. ¡°Are you kidding me? Yuecheng is my husband now. Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Brother Dacheng.¡± Zhou Linlin pulled Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s hand, hoping that he would speak up for her. ¡°Now that Chu Tiankuo has left, he can help me now.¡±


    After taking a look at Zhou Linlin, whose face was heavily powered, and the elegant Tang Xia, who just wore light makeup, Jiang Yuecheng was quite hesitant.


    But he favored Zhou Linlin more. So he pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°Sorry, Tang Xia. I like Linlin more and there is no love between us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Since I was a little girl, my mother always taught me that I should donate the things I don¡¯t need to the poor. So he is yours now.¡± Then she put on such a beautiful smile, as warm as a March sun, that made her appear stunningly charismatic.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Fine, you are more eloquent! But if you¡¯re so awesome, why can¡¯t you keep your husband? Hmm? Tell me.¡±


    Tang Xia was noncommittal. ¡°It is because I don¡¯t want him anymore. He is yours now. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Zhou Linlin was so pissed off by her words but could only leave with an angry sentence.¡±Then enjoy your lonely life!¡± Then she pulled Jiang Yuecheng away.


    They got into Zhou Linlin¡¯s red car and drove off.


    While Tang Xia turned around to go inside, she kept on hobbling due to what had happened to her several days before.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother was watching TV on the sofa while eating melon seeds leisurely.


    The moment she saw Tang Xia come into the house, she frowned and said disgustedly, ¡°Yo, did you really go lame? Missy, how can you go to the market to do grocery shopping in this condition? Alas, I knew you were unreliable! You are so useless that you cannot complete such an easy task!¡±


    As she noticed that Tang Xia did not respond to her, she became more confident. ¡°I told you that Zhou Linlin is a good woman. Although she cannot do anything, she is better than you. Look at you.


    ¡°Tut-tut, you are too delicate, while Zhou Linlin looks more reliable and is much better than you.¡±


    Tang Xia disregarded taking her words seriously as she had severe foot pain. Besides that, she felt quite annoyed about what had happened. The only thing she wanted to do was have a good rest in her room.


    Although Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother kept on babbling behind her, she cut those words off completely by shutting the door.


    The moment she lay down on the bed, the sound ¡°ding-dong¡± came from her cellphone. She grabbed it and cast her eyes on it feebly, finding that it was a message from an unknown number, which said: ¡°Remember to apply the medicine and have a good rest.¡±


    Tang Xia felt happier right away while she speculated that the message was from Chu Tiankuo. ¡°He can always make me feel warm!


    ¡°But there is a special feeling aside from the warmth.


    ¡°It is a sweetness together with a hint of excitement. No, why should I get excited?¡± Tang Xia patted herself on the face and forced herself to calm down.

 Chapter 150 - How Shameless You Are to Ask the Question!

    Chapter 150 How Shameless You Are to Ask the Question!


    As Tang Xia rested in bed, she could not fall to sleep after lying in a daze for a long time. She did not fall asleep even though she had tossed and turned for a good while.


    So she became a little restless while she stared at the ceiling in bed, not knowing what she was thinking about.


    Suddenly, she thought of a rather bold idea, which made her instantly awake. Then she hastened to pull back the quilt, got out of bed, and put on a dress for herself with difficulty.


    She took out a small suitcase from the closet and put in it her usual clothes along with some household items.


    With all of that done, Tang Xia peeked her head out of the door and found that her mother-in-law was not in the living room. ¡°Maybe she is in her own room!¡±


    So when her mother-in-law was in her own room and did not pay attention to her, Tang Xia sneaked out of the house without making a sound.


    Although Tang Xia¡¯s foot injury was still recovering, it did not affect her idea of leaving this place immediately.


    After hobbling out of the house, she took a taxi in a place that was a little far from home and got in. Then she said happily to the taxi driver, ¡°Please drive me to the real estate agency, thank you.¡±


    ¡°OK!¡± Then the taxi sped to the real estate agency.


    The taxi driver had such good driving skills that Tang Xia did not feel any jounce while the car was running at a high speed.


    As Tang Xia sat in the taxi and saw the house get farther and farther away, she felt quite happy. ¡°Screw the task! I quit! Why should I stay there and let myself be wronged?¡±


    A few minutes later, the taxi stopped and Tang Xia came to her senses that she had arrived at the destination¡ªthe real estate agency.


    After paying the taxi driver, Tang Xia got out of the car. She had a smile on and felt quite happy to see the real estate agency in front of her.


    When she was about to go, a man suddenly ran in her direction.


    Tang Xia noticed the situation and knew that it would not be good if that man bumped into her as her foot injury was still recovering. So she became a little alarmed and wanted to make way for him.


    Tang Xia could have not been hit. However, that man seemed to bump into her on purpose. So Tang Xia was knocked down.


    Tang Xia did not escape from the crisis and was hit by the man straight from his shoulder.


    Besides that, her ankle was already injured so that she could not keep her feet. After being hit by the man, she fell on the ground and could not stand up for a while.


    This scene in front of her made Tang Xia feel that she seemed to have experienced it before.


    That man who knocked her down did not say sorry or cast his gaze on Tang Xia. Then he grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s suitcase and hastened to run away.


    Although Tang Xia sat on the ground and wanted to stand up, she could not get up and had no choice but to watch that man run farther and farther away with her suitcase.


    ¡°Seriously? Am I so unfortunate? The moment I get out of the car, my suitcase is stolen! What bad luck! Alas!¡± Tang Xia felt a little remorseful.


    As Tang Xia was afraid of losing her belongings, she put all her credentials and money into her suitcase so that she would not lose anything.


    At this moment, Tang Xia had nothing else aside from the change the taxi driver had given her.


    Tang Xia stood up slowly, leaned against a telephone pole with her hand, and looked around in confusion while she flicked the dust off of her. Then she found that there was a bus stop just up ahead.


    After hobbling to the bus stop, she got on the bus with her remaining change to go to the police station.


    When she got to the police station, she reported the case to the policeman who asked her some basic questions, like: What that man looked like, where her suitcase was robbed, what she lost, and the like.


    After Tang Xia answered those questions respectively, the policeman completed the interrogation record and said to her with a serious face, ¡°We have checked the record and found that he has no criminal record.


    ¡°So prepare yourself psychologically for your suitcase not being found. But we will try our best to help you.¡±


    As the policeman had said so, Tang Xia had no choice but to put on a fake smile for him sitting in front of her and expressed her thanks. Then she left the police station.


    Tang Xia walked along the street without purpose for a while.


    Feeling a little tired, Tang Xia sat on a bench and looked at the sky. But it suddenly started to rain.


    At first, it was drizzling so that Tang Xia did not feel much. Then the rain became heavier and heavier so that Tang Xia stared at the rain with a gaunt face.


    As the rainfall became heavier, Tang Xia wanted to take shelter from the rain in a supermarket nearby. However, the shop assistant looked with disdain at Tang Xia who was soaked to the skin and asked her to leave in a relatively polite way.


    Tang Xia had no choice but to be exposed in the rain, sitting by the roadside. And she thought, ¡°Why am I so unfortunate? I shouldn¡¯t have left while my ankle injury is still recovering.


    ¡°I am a semi-invalid now. What could I do even if I run out of the house? I could do nothing but watch my suitcase be stolen, which made me have no money to go home.¡±


    The more she thought, the more foolish and more unfortunate she regarded herself. Although she wanted to cry, she could not.


    Feeling a little cold while she was caught in the rain, Tang Xia wanted to call Jiang Yuecheng. However, the moment she dialed his number, she hung up the phone immediately.


    ¡°Forget about it. It is useless to call him because he must get busy spending time with Zhou Linlin. They already dislike me so much, it will be more annoying if I call him,¡± Tang Xia thought somewhat desperately.


    Rummaging through her contact list for a long time, Tang Xia found that the only person she could seek help was Chu Tiankuo.


    So she called Chu Tiankuo in the end. When the phone call connected, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Hello, aren¡¯t you sleeping yet? Are you calling me this late because you miss me?¡± He said the latter part of his sentence half-jokingly.


    On hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice, Tang Xia¡¯s nose twitched and she wanted to cry. Then she said somewhat choked up, ¡°Yep, I miss you.¡±


    As he noticed that there was something wrong with her voice and it seemed that she was outside, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Are you outside? It is raining now.¡±


    ¡°May¡­ be,¡± Tang Xia said, ¡°I am on the roadside. Could you please come pick me up?¡±


    Hearing what she had said, Chu Tiankuo got up immediately and hastened to get dressed. Then he said to her, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be there within 10 minutes. Stay where you are and I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Tang Xia lowered her head.


    In a short while, a pair of black sneakers came into Tang Xia¡¯s sight. And she saw Chu Tiankuo standing with an umbrella over his head in front of her. Then Tang Xia gawked at Chu Tiankuo.


    But Tang Xia did not know how angry Chu Tiankuo was in his mind when he found her. ¡°How foolish she is! Why didn¡¯t she carry an umbrella with her while it¡¯s raining so heavily? Did she want to be exposed to the rain?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo shouted at Tang Xia, ¡°Why are you standing on the roadside caught in the rain? Why didn¡¯t you take shelter from the rain in the supermarket? Aren¡¯t you able to get out of the rain?¡±


    Hearing what he had said, Tang Xia felt a little wronged. ¡°I intended to do that. But I was kicked out by the shop assistant.¡±


    Tang Xia said those words somewhat choked up and lowered her head when she finished her sentence. Then she started to weep in a low voice. As her cry became louder and louder, she began to wail.


    Chu Tiankuo had no choice but to squat down to look straight at her. Then he held her in his arms and patted her on the shoulder to comfort her.


    Tang Xia felt tired after crying for a long time and fell asleep in his arms confidently.


    As Chu Tiankuo noticed that Tang Xia was quiet with a tired look, he lifted Tang Xia up and took her to his home due to the heavy rain.


    Feeling dizzy and sleepy, Tang Xia started to talk nonsense. Then Chu Tiankuo found that her face was quite hot. After taking her temperature with a thermometer, it turned out that Tang Xia had a high fever.


    So Chu Tiankuo changed Tang Xia¡¯s wet clothes immediately for a new shirt and tucked her into bed.


    Then he dried Tang Xia¡¯s hair with a hairdryer and brewed a bottle of cold medicine for her in the kitchen. After feeding her the medicine, he had no alternative but to stand aside and look at her.


    At this moment, Tang Xia¡¯s cellphone rang suddenly. Chu Tiankuo grabbed and found that it was Jiang Yuecheng who was calling. As he noticed that Tang Xia was unconscious, he picked up the phone and put it close to his ear.


    What he heard from the phone was a man shouting in a quite impolite voice: ¡°Where have you been? Why haven¡¯t you come back home by now? How dare you!¡±


    On the phone, Jiang Yuecheng was quite angry at Tang Xia, who had sneaked out and did not come back even though it was so late, so he could not hold back any longer and called her.


    Chu Tiankuo picked up the phone and heard Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words. Then he put on a terrible expression right away and said in a cold voice, ¡°How shameless you are to ask that question!¡±

 Chapter 151 - Was She Sick Deliberately? When Jiang Yuecheng heard it was a man

    When Jiang Yuecheng heard it was a man who had answered the phone, he looked at his cellphone in confusion to check if he had dialed the wrong number.


    ¡°It is Tang Xia¡¯s number!¡± As Jiang Yuecheng could not tell that it was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice, he thought that Tang Xia had cheated on him.


    Before he could think carefully, he shouted over the phone at Chu Tiankuo, ¡°Who are you? You are Tang Xia¡¯s lover, right?


    ¡°How dare she to cheat on me! How can you answer the phone for her? Where is she? Make her answer my phone call! Is she tired of living?¡±


    After hearing Jiang Yuecheng slander Tang Xia presumptuously in front of him, Chu Tiankuo donned a terrible look right away and talked back immodestly.


    He said in a cold voice, ¡°Her lover? Cheating on you? Jiang Yuecheng, why are your words so terrible? As a well-educated man, can¡¯t you watch your language? How shameless you are!¡±


    ¡°Well-educated? Hmph!¡± Jiang Yuecheng said coldly, ¡°Why should I behave like a well-educated man or talk elegantly in front you cheaters?


    ¡°Besides, did Tang Xia tell you my name? Haha! You don¡¯t deserve to say my name out loud!¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t need to attend to her while she sleeps, I would give you a good beating! How can you cast beyond the moon without any evidence?


    ¡°Can¡¯t you take a careful look at yourself in the mirror? How can you swear like a trooper before you¡¯ve made certain of the facts? How dare you!¡±


    As Jiang Yuecheng heard that Tang Xia was asleep, he thought that they had had sex and started to swear more angrily.


    ¡°Do you¡­ you two¡­? Do you feel good having sex with her? Or do you like items that have been used by others? You low-level cheaters!¡±


    ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m warning you that you should watch your tongue!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! You are not a good guy anyway!¡±


    ¡°If you keep on talking like this, I will¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo said quite angrily.


    But before he could finish his sentence, Tang Xia took hold of his hand and spoke to him somewhat feebly. ¡°Don¡¯t argue, please don¡¯t.¡±


    Tang Xia held Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand with a rather weak look as if she had no strength to do anything while her cheeks were as red as a lobster. Furthermore, her lips were pale and parched, which made her completely appear like a frail girl.


    While he held still at the moment, Chu Tiankuo stared at Tang Xia lying in bed and thought of an idea. Then he said to Jiang Yuecheng on the phone, ¡°Jiang Yuecheng, I¡¯m Chu Tiankuo!


    ¡°Tang Xia is at my house now. She has a high fever because she was caught in the rain. Come and pick her up!¡± Then Chu Tiankuo hung up the phone irritably.


    Then he stared at Tang Xia and put his hand on her forehead, finding that it was still a little bit hot. So he folded a wet towel and put it on her forehead in the hopes that it could play a role to cool her.


    Furthermore, Chu Tiankuo had the towel changed for Tang Xia from time to time while looking at her worriedly. In the meantime, he became more unsatisfied with Jiang Yuecheng.


    As Jiang Yuecheng looked at the phone that he just hung up, his face became somewhat serious.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I tell that it was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice just now? He is my immediate superior! Will he embarrass me on purpose in the company?¡±


    It had to be admitted that Jiang Yuecheng was indeed a freak who only cared about his own future in this situation.


    Then, Jiang Yuecheng wondered when Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo had met each other and what relationship they could have that resulted in the sick Tang Xia being in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s house.


    Then he recalled that Chu Tiankuo had helped Tang Xia several times, which made him more confused.


    ¡°It seems that they are quite familiar as if they have known each other for a long time. But as a good-for-nothing woman, when did Tang Xia meet Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng contemplated quietly in his mind.


    But what he needed to do at the moment was pick up the sick Tang Xia from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s house.


    ¡°Why does she run about while her ankle injury is still recovering? Now, she has a fever! What a troublemaker!¡± Jiang Yuecheng complained in a low voice.


    ¡°It is still drizzling outside, but I need to go out to pick her up!¡± Jiang Yuecheng had a rather impatient look.


    Then he changed his clothes, went downstairs, and hastened to get into a taxi to go to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s house. After all, knowing his boss¡¯s address was a piece of cake for Jiang Yuecheng.


    When Jiang Yuecheng got to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s house, the first thing he did was knock on the door. After a while, Chu Tiankuo heard the sound and opened the door for him.


    At the sight of Chu Tiankuo, Jiang Yuecheng put on a flattering smile right away and said, ¡°Manager Chu, I¡¯m so sorry that I misunderstood you just now! I believe that you are generous enough to forgive me, right?¡±


    After he finished the sentence, he gave the presents he bought just now to Chu Tiankuo with a flattering smile.


    Although Jiang Yuecheng had arrived there quickly, his smile was so disgusting in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s view. Besides, he had done this just to make an apology without having any concern for Tang Xia.


    So Chu Tiankuo was a little irritated as he said, ¡°You got here quite fast. Come in. Tang Xia has a high fever. You¡¯d better take her to the doctor.¡±


    Then he turned into his house without accepting Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s presents. ¡°What a joke! I hold in contempt those presents he bought from the supermarket!¡±


    Noticing that Chu Tiankuo did not accept his presents, Jiang Yuecheng felt there was nothing embarrassing about it and followed behind him closely.


    Jiang Yuecheng tried to talk to Chu Tiankuo so that he could improve his previous bad impression of shouting at Chu Tiankuo without making certain of the facts.


    But Chu Tiankuo turned his back on him without saying anything.


    After soliloquizing for a long time, Chu Tiankuo still ignored him, which made Jiang Yuecheng embarrassed and uncomfortable.


    However, in his view, all this was Tang Xia¡¯s fault. Jiang Yuecheng thought that he would not have been misunderstood by Chu Tiankuo if Tang Xia had not run around and gotten sick, which resulted in Chu Tiankuo answering his phone call to her.


    When they went into the room, Jiang Yuecheng saw Tang Xia lying in bed in a daze with a red face due to her high fever.


    Jiang Yuecheng got close and patted her on the face so that Tang Xia would wake up. Then he said, ¡°We need to go home now. Don¡¯t bother Manager Chu anymore. Hurry up, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng wanted to wake Tang Xia up so that she could follow him home. ¡°Or should I take her home in my arms? What wishful thinking!¡±


    But it never occurred to Jiang Yuecheng that Tang Xia had such a high fever that she would start to mumble in a daze.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go home. I¡¯m afraid that my mother-in-law will give me a good beating. They treat me so badly! I stayed out so late and got sick, so my mother-in-law and Jiang Yuecheng will definitely scold me. I¡¯m terrified. I dare not to go back home.¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Jiang Yuecheng looked awkward and stared quietly at Chu Tiankuo standing at the side.


    Chu Tiankuo was in a bad mood because of her words and started to worry about Tang Xia with a sulky expression.


    Then he questioned Jiang Yuecheng looking sullen. ¡°Is this how you treat Tang Xia? I suppose you don¡¯t have a decent family!


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! You don¡¯t need to take her home. I¡¯ll attend to her at my house until she is well.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You¡­ Umm¡­ Maybe it is not appropriate,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said.


    ¡°There will only be the two of you in this house. Besides, you are single and Tang Xia is in a daze due to high fever. I¡¯ll be worried if she was here alone.¡±


    Although Chu Tiankuo knew his words had been brusque and inappropriate in his mind, he felt quite worried at the sight of the weak Tang Xia, who was lying in bed with a red face.


    Then he took a look at Jiang Yuecheng and said, ¡°There is nothing inappropriate about it. Tang Xia is my good friend. I need to help her as she¡¯s become ill now. You can go home now. Tang Xia can stay at my house for several days until she is well.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo insisted that Tang Xia should stay at his house, which caused an uproar among the spectators in the broadcast room.


    Then a great number of messages were sent out at a high speed on the bullet screen.


    ¡°The anchor is so scheming! I suppose that she did it on purpose so that she can stay at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s house!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. There is no wonder that she did so. I will definitely choose the better one if a bad man and a good man are in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Did the anchor get sick on purpose so she called Chu Tiankuo and stayed at his house? What a scheming woman!¡±


    ¡°No, I believe in the anchor! She would never do that! Are you her anti-fan, so you slander her? There is no doubt that I will love the adorable Tang Xia forever!¡±

 Chapter 152 - Double-dealing

    Chapter 152 Double-dealing


    ¡°I¡¯m with you on this!!!¡±


    ¡°Me, too. Why are there so many anti-fans in the studio lately?¡±


    ¡°I think that anchor did the right thing. She just pursued her own happiness and defended her rights.¡±


    ¡°I will take it to the extreme if I lived with a family like that!¡±


    ¡°Right! Who will not have a nervous breakdown with such a family? We need to stand out if we can!¡±


    ¡°But I cannot accept such a scheming anchor!¡±


    ¡°I agree with you. I am disappointed with her performance this time. I am not her fan anymore.¡±


    The system shows that xx left the studio.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? He left just like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a diehard fan of the anchor! I believe in her!¡±


    While spectators raised the roof in the broadcast room, Tang Xia who was broadcasting live while feeling ill knew nothing about it, just laying in bed dazed and with a red face. She opened her mouth to gasp lightly as she found it a little difficult to breathe.


    Chu Tiankuo, noticing Tang Xia looking especially unwell, clenched his fist as he watched her pityingly, wishing desperately that he could be sick in her stead.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the time on his cellphone and thought, ¡°It¡¯s nearly time.¡± Leaving Jiang Yuecheng standing awkwardly on one side, he went to get the medicine and fed it to Tang Xia.


    At this time, Jiang Yuecheng was indeed feeling awkward as he stood to one side because he intended to bring Tang Xia home as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t expect Chu Tiankuo to insist on caring for Tang Xia in his own home.


    ¡°Is he kidding? She is my wife! How can she stay at someone else¡¯s house? What¡¯s more, that man is my boss!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng looked at Chu Tiankuo and opened his mouth as if wanting to say something. But Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t even once look at him.


    Chu Tiankuo felt quite irritated when he thought of how Jiang Yuecheng behaved towards Tang Xia. A good thing he was able to control himself.


    Otherwise he¡¯d have given Jiang Yuecheng a punch and the latter wouldn¡¯t be standing safe and sound like this!


    Noticing Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s expression, Chu Tiankuo knew he wanted to say something. But he paid no heed, even regarding him as an unwanted guest.


    Chu Tiankuo froze at the thought. ¡°Unwanted guest? Is it appropriate to describe Jiang Yuecheng as an unwanted guest?¡± As though he thought of something, Chu Tiankuo looked tenderly at Tang Xia.


    Jiang Yuecheng looked at Chu Tiankuo, noticed the expression in his eyes and understood it all at once. He was also a man. He naturally knew what the look in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes meant.


    Jiang Yuecheng looked down and puckered his mouth because it never occurred to him that Chu Tiankuo would fall in love with Tang Xia.


    Jiang Yuecheng stared at Tang Xia with a dangerous expression, like he was looking at something filthy. ¡°If Tang Xia hadn¡¯t run about like she did, Chu Tiankuo wouldn¡¯t have fallen for her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m clearly being cuckolded! And I even can¡¯t even fight back as I¡¯m so unprepared!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng glared at Tang Xia. ¡°Tang Xia is to blame! No wonder she¡¯s changed so much these days! She is bold enough to sneak out and even talk back at me!¡±


    ¡°Where did she get the courage from? No, maybe it¡¯s this man before me who¡¯s been backing her.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, she is just a slut! I don¡¯t believe I cannot handle her! After we leave here, I¡¯ll lock her up. I¡¯ll see how she can hook up with other men and cuckold me if she is not allowed to go out!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng contemplated.


    After Chu Tiankuo fed Tang Xia to take the medicine, he had the towel changed for her several times. Then he touched her forehead and found that it was not as hot as before, indicating that her fever was relieved.


    Chu Tiankuo let out a sigh of relief. Then, remembering that Jiang Yuecheng had been standing, ignored, to one side for some time, he raised his head to look at him.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden stare gave Jiang Yuecheng a thrill of fear. He looked at Chu Tiankuo guiltily, not knowing why he felt that way.


    Chu Tiankuo looked so hard at him that Jiang Yuecheng almost believed that his thoughts were known.


    Feeling more guilty, he almost couldn¡¯t look him in the eye, and he glanced sideways instead.


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s fever has subsided. You can take her home now! ¡± Chu Tiankuo gave Jiang Yuecheng a somewhat complex look that the latter became apprehensive.


    Not taking his eyes from Jiang Yuecheng, Chu Tiankuo said coldly, ¡°Remember! Tang Xia is a very important friend of mine. Make sure you take good care of her when you go home, understand?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s reaction was immediate. In spite of himself, he nodded while looking at Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Yes, of course I will take good care of her. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Jiang Yuecheng promised readily.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Jiang Yuecheng coldly and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s not my business, but remember, as a staff of our company, be careful how you lead your personal life. Don¡¯t be so decadent.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face turned a deep red at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words. In embarrassment and with his head at an angle, he said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In spite of what he said, Jiang Yuecheng began to resent Tang Xia. The way he saw it, Chu Tiankuo reprimanded him because Tang Xia spoke ill of him behind his back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you when we get home! See if you dare rat on me to my boss again!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng thought, and unable to help himself, he glanced a few times at Tang Xia.


    Not seeing Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s look of pure malevolence, Chu Tiankuo somewhat approved of his obedient and cooperative attitude.


    ¡°He is just a cad who bullies the weak and fears the strong. After what I said to him, he wouldn¡¯t dare treat Tang Xia badly again. He would at least behave better, I guess.¡± Chu Tiankuo thought to himself.


    Jiang Yuecheng then took Tang Xia away. After they left, Chu Tiankuo felt so uneasy that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all, tossing about in bed for a long time.


    Jiang Yuecheng, who gave a show of utmost concern towards Tang Xia in front of Chu Tiankuo, showed his true colors as soon as they left his house. He roughly dragged Tang Xia to the car and threw her in the backseat.


    He went to the driver¡¯s seat and loudly slammed the car door with an expression of rage. Grasping the steering wheel, he felt as if his veins were bulging under his skin.


    He kept looking savagely at Tang Xia through the rearview mirror as she lay in the backseat.


    Then, as if something occurred to him, his face turned red and he gave a gasp. His stare at Tang Xia was as poisonous as a viper, which would make people tremble with fear.


    As Jiang Yuecheng was about to drive off, Tang Xia seemed to awaken in a daze. She kept mumbling, ¡°Water, so thirsty. I need water.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s agitation worsened after listening to Tang Xia asking for water.


    He opened the door again and dragged Tang Xia out violently, pushing her to the ground. He leaned against the car door and looked at her as if watching something amusing.


    The dazed and defenceless Tang Xia was thrown into a puddle of water.


    It was still raining at this time. Though not heavy, the drizzle was enough to soak her through. Tang Xia¡¯s body, already feverish, quickly began to quiver.


    Lying in the puddle, Tang Xia¡¯s body shook unceasingly. Feeling the cold, she hugged herself while her hair and clothes were drenched with rain and clung to her body, which made her utterly miserable.


    Tang Xia raised her head and looked at Jiang Yuecheng quite innocently. At this moment, however, Jiang Yuecheng couldn¡¯t see all these. All he thought about was that Tang Xia spoke ill of him to Chu Tiankuo, humiliating him before his boss, and so on.


    The very thought of this made Jiang Yuecheng hate this woman in front of him.


    Standing to one side, Jiang Yuecheng looked at the pitiful Tang Xia and with a sneer, he said in a cold voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for water? Hurry up and drink it! You slut! Get sick and sneak out if you want, but why keep going to my boss?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by this? Do you have a secret relationship with him? Tell me now or I won¡¯t have compassion on you like Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Although Tang Xia heard Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s words, she was in such a daze that she could not refute. Besides, her body ached and she was feeling dizzy, which made her feel wretched.


    Tang Xia could only cry out, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    However, Jiang Yuecheng did not believe what Tang Xia said at all.


    He got close to her and kicked her viciously in the belly. Then he said, ¡°Get lost! We divorce!¡±

 Chapter 153 - Checking in at the Security Room

    Chapter 153 Checking in at the Security Room


    If there were people who would help a lame dog over a stile, then Jiang Yuecheng was adding insult to injury by kicking Tang Xia, which dissipated all the strength Tang Xia had saved up with effort.


    Her head directly hit the puddles on the ground after feebly crossing an arc in the air.


    The splashed foul water fell on Tang Xia¡¯s face and even went into her open mouth. Rain was flowing over her face and her dirty hair was stuck together.


    The rain continued to fall inexorably, which wet her light clothing¡­ Worse still, Tang Xia¡¯s head hit a stone under the water¡­ The severe pain made Tang Xia¡¯s face twist and become paler and paler.


    She felt colder and colder as if she had fallen into ice water. It felt like the coldness was diffused from her bones. Cold! So cold!


    The coldness blurred Tang Xia¡¯s consciousness but prevented her from being knocked out. She convulsively held her shoulder with her hands, with tears bursting out irrepressibly.


    ¡°Why is it so cold? I feel cold! I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Tang Xia¡¯s awareness began to wander away, while her head became heavier and heavier.


    Jiang Yuecheng glared at Tang Xia with his villainous eyes and spat at her violently.


    Jiang Yuecheng remained untouched even when the rain that gathered in the puddles was about to flow Tang Xia¡¯s into nostrils.


    This damned old ball and chain. If it weren¡¯t for her, would he and the soft-as-soup Zhou Linlin have had to try every means to escape the notice of others and carry on a love affair stealthily like mice? Yuck! He should have divorced her and gotten married again!


    If it weren¡¯t for her, why would his elderly mother get infuriated every day? All of this resulted from her ignorance! Never did she make allowance for his mother¡¯s painstakingness, nor considering all the hardships she had gone through when bringing him up.


    And she dressed in shabby clothes every day. Were they so poor? Or didn¡¯t he give her enough money? Why would she make herself look so disgraceful and lose his face? And, moreover¡­ Alas! There were too many to be listed!


    Jiang Yuecheng could not tolerate this and he wiped a handful of rain that had fallen on him. He got even angrier when thinking of this and was eager to kick her again.


    But he put down his leg moodily right after he had raised it up when he saw Tang Xia¡¯s pale face. It was likely that she could not get enough air to inhale. Then a crazy idea came to Jiang Yuecheng.


    This woman had been ill and weak and would not survive another few hours if she lay here in such heavy rain! If so, he could marry another woman!


    Moreover, he would not have to go through the formality of getting divorced and thus would avoid the possibility of Tang Xia getting greedy and splitting the property with him¡­ Great! That was so great! The more Jiang Yuecheng thought this way, the more he was tempted and thought this was such a clever move.


    With a ferocious smile on his face, Jiang Yuecheng said to himself, ¡°It¡¯s this woman who behaves so dissolutely and goes to another man¡¯s house on her own.¡±


    ¡°Who knows what shameful things they¡¯ve done together, hmph! If an infuriated man heartlessly abandoned his wife in the rain, this makes it a good reason!¡±


    Yes! That¡¯s it! Who could assert him accountable if Tang Xia were to die? So he resolutely raised his legs and get into the car. When the engine buzzed, there was nothing on the empty street but the smell of gasoline and Tang Xia lying alone¡­


    But what was even more mocking was¡­ the foul water splashed by the rotating wheels of Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s car fell straight onto Tang Xia¡¯s face¡­


    The broadcast room was about to explode at the moment. Not only were Tang Xia¡¯s fans so indignant that they wanted to kill Jiang Yuecheng, but some of the anti-fans also swept the slate clean and stood on the side of the weak.


    The imperial concubine wants to please His Majesty: ¡°Xiaxia! Stand up! Boo-hoo. Where¡¯s your character shield? Are you still alive? Oh, my heart is breaking!¡±


    The most appealing in the broadcast room: ¡°Sh*t! I want to kill him! The beast. It would even sully the word ¡°two-timer¡± if we called him that!¡±


    We don¡¯t understand your pains: ¡°I agree with the last poster! F*ck! Sh*t! Is he a man? How the hell can he be so b*tchy and malicious?¡±


    All the fans in the broadcast room shed their tears for Tang Xia with sympathy and proclaimed that they would slay the beast, Jiang Yuecheng.


    The bullet screen was thickly dotted and almost covered the whole screen. Among the colorful letters, all the words there were saying: ¡°Tang Xia, stand up!¡± and ¡°Slay the b*tch couple!¡±


    Unfortunately, Tang Xia was at the last gasp and had already been knocked unconscious. Even her life was not secured and she was now in imminent danger¡­


    The uprising king: ¡°Xiaxia! Xiaxia! Stand up, now! Are you still alive?¡±


    Oh! My poetry and dreamland: ¡°Please save her! Is there a hero who can rescue the beauty? Chu-Tian-Kuo! Come up now!¡±


    There was another wave of the bullet screen, which occupied the screen for a second time. This time the coverage was so perfect that one could only see one of Tang Xia¡¯s poor feet that had sunk into a puddle.


    But the most apparent change was that everyone transferred their topics from ¡°Tang Xia¡± and ¡°the b*tch couple¡± to ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡±, followed by the words like ¡°come out!¡±, ¡°the hero will rescue the beauty¡±, and so on.


    Maybe the fans¡¯ prayers had moved God, as a car pulled over at that very instant.


    A man hurriedly opened the door and rushed over. His craggy, handsome face showed extreme anger and pain, which seemed to be able to devastate everything. Chu Tiankuo felt his heart was about to break. Seeing Tang Xia in such a condition, he itched to kill Jiang Yuecheng, the scumbag.


    Without any hesitation, Chu Tiankuo picked Tang Xia up and rushed to the hospital, his hands holding the steering wheel tightly and the car was flying as fast as it could.


    But all of a sudden, Chu Tiankuo slapped himself in the face for no reason.


    The slap was quite loud¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have committed you to that beast¡¯s care! I didn¡¯t expect he would treat you this way. I hate myself.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes became scarlet red. It was true that all that led to this was his concession and the fact that he had not protected her well.


    This would never happen again. He would never step back and let go! Chu Tiankuo looked quite determined and his eyes were focused in the distance. The car vanished in the blink of an eye like an arrow coming off a bowstring.


    ¡°I feel so cold. Don¡¯t beat me, I feel so much pain¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo got out of the car, picked Tang Xia up, and rushed into the hospital. He dashed around rudely like a wild bull. But he had to hurry up because Tang Xia had caught a high fever and began having fits of delirium.


    This tiny, petite figure lay feebly in his arms, as light as a feather and as hot as a soldering iron. Chu Tiankuo sat beside the sickbed exhaustedly after meeting the doctor, who put a drip on Tang Xia.


    The moment he held Tang Xia¡¯s hands with his trembling hands, he felt his soul finally rest in his body. What had the doctor said? He remembered nothing about the longwinded words the doctor had said, except that Tang Xia would die!


    Chu Tiankuo had never known how it felt when one was in fear, but at that moment, he suddenly became nervous and was gripped by such panic as if he were about to be broken¡­


    ¡°Just sleep! I won¡¯t leave you. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Chu Tiankuo kissed Tang Xia on the back of her hand, not moving a step from her.


    Meanwhile, Jiang Yuecheng had reached home. He smacked himself on the forehead and realized that he had gone too far. ¡°Alas! Tang Xia is a living woman, anyway. If she dies this way, does this mean that I¡¯ve killed a woman?


    ¡°And Chu Tiankuo seems to like Tang Xia so much. What if he fires me should he go insane?¡±


    Alas! The most terrible thing for a man in his 30s and 40s is losing his job, which is certainly a disaster if he has a mortgage, insurance, and loans to pay off!


    And if he were to become penniless, he would not be able to even touch Zhou Linlin¡¯s hands!


    Jiang Yuecheng restlessly stepped back and forth, looked at the clock again and again, and kept cursing. ¡°Yuck! Fool! You damn beast! Come back now! Were you attracted by another playboy and forgot your home? Yuck! You¡¯re so shameless!¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia not returning, Jiang Yuecheng went mad and made up his mind to forestall the crisis and called up the lawyer he knew. ¡°Hello, I need your help. Please draft up a divorce document for me.


    ¡°Well, the woman has had an affair with another man in marriage. How could it be impossible since I¡¯ve caught her in bed with that man? Yes. She does not expect to take a penny from me. And she must pay me mental-damage compensation. Yes. OK, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng shamelessly praised himself for his ¡°intelligence¡±. Then he went to shower while humming a tune in a good mood.


    The second day, wearing his suit and tie, Jiang Yuecheng went to work in high spirits.


    ¡°Wow, you seemed to be in a good mood today! You look so good!¡±


    Zhou Linlin spoke with sarcasm and glared at Jiang Yuecheng unsatisfactorily. She imagined with her filthy mind all the pictures of Jiang Yuecheng and Tang Xia having sex.


    ¡°Haha, because I¡¯ve been missing you so much.¡± Jiang Yuecheng laughed as his eyes narrowed, and he reached out stealthily and grabbed hold of Zhou Linlin¡¯s body. ¡°Did you miss me too? How about coming to my house today?¡±


    ¡°Why should I go to your house? Do you want the old ball and chain to embarrass me?¡± Zhou Linlin leaned close to Jiang Yuecheng intimately, her eyes looking hazy and appealing.


    Then someone knocked on Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s table with bent fingers. When they raised their heads, they saw Chu Tiankuo looking as cold as frost and they separated from each other immediately.


    There was some black stubble under his lower jaw. His eyes were light purple, which showed he did not sleep well at night. He looked very pale, but that did not make him any less handsome. Instead, it gave him the attractiveness of a shabby kind.


    ¡°P-president.¡± They stood up nervously, looking uneasy.


    ¡°Pack up all your belongings and get to the security room.¡± Chu Tiankuo coldly uttered these words to Jiang Yuecheng.

 Chapter 154 - Flattery

    Chapter 154 Flattery


    ¡°P-president. I think it¡¯s improper!¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face changed suddenly. His lips trembled, looking anxious but lacking words.


    ¡°Tell me the reason, please! I never make any mistakes in my work and have been working hard. I¡¯ve done lots of hard work even if I haven¡¯t performed any meritorious deeds. You can¡¯t treat me like this!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s heart kept sinking when he looked at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold face. He suspected that Chu Tiankuo was likely to be venting his anger for Tang Xia.


    He felt so resentful but dared not express himself. All he did was be obedient and pretend to be a poor, nice guy.


    ¡°Our company does not need an employee who has personal problems. I won¡¯t let you resign because I don¡¯t even want to pay your salary for one more month.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his nose with hatred. He couldn¡¯t bear the filthy atmosphere anymore.


    How Chu Tiankuo wished that he still lived in ancient times when he thought of how this beast had treated Tang Xia. If he were back in those times, he would dismember this beast in the cruelest way.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t treat me this way! President, I have an elderly mother to take care of and so many people to feed in my family! Please forgive me. I¡¯m begging you to forgive me.¡± Jiang Yuecheng, a man, was now crying and following Chu Tiankuo hurriedly.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Chu Tiankuo turned back all of a sudden, looking at him with a stern face. His sheer force of character engulfed Jiang Yuecheng like Mount Tai, which could blot out the sky and cover up the earth.


    He proved himself to have been an emperor and a governor for many years. Something in him could still be intimidating even though things had gone through great upheavals with the passage of time.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face turned pale out of fear. He stepped backward and nearly kneeled down feebly.


    ¡°How could it be possible? Why would I feel the threat of death? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Jiang Yuecheng shook his head in shock, tried to smile but failed.


    ¡°He has gone too far in bullying me! Chu Tiankuo shows his interest in Tang Xia but never considers that Tang Xia is my wife! So, if Chu Tiankuo shows his desire for Tang Xia behind my back, he is trying to cuckold me openly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been kind and tolerant enough, as I didn¡¯t hold him accountable and reveal that he¡¯s scum under his disguise as a polite man!


    ¡°But now he bites the hand that feeds him and wants even more. And he¡¯s trying to kick me out of the company. That¡¯s completely intolerable.¡± Jiang Yuecheng glared at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s shadow maliciously and fiercely gritted his teeth.


    He swore that he would bring Chu Tiankuo to ruin once he got the chance.


    Jiang Yuecheng moved his feet sullenly when Chu Tiankuo¡¯s figure had completely disappeared from the office door. But he found surprised that Zhou Linlin was trying to slip away.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jiang Yuecheng felt colder and colder in his heart. He had foreseen that he would lose much more over the next few days.


    ¡°But, now it¡¯s working time. I must go back to work now.¡± Zhou Linlin managed to smile but beat around the bush. She was looking around but never cast an eye on Jiang Yuecheng.


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®working time¡¯? We used to do this before, didn¡¯t we?¡± Jiang Yuecheng was unwilling to give up and he didn¡¯t believe this woman was so snobbish. There was always warmth between these people, wasn¡¯t there?


    ¡°¡­ All right. You don¡¯t have to struggle anymore. Cousin, I was too young and too naive before. Please forgive me for what I¡¯ve done. From now on, we¡¯re just relatives.¡±


    Zhou Linlin changed her face but looked cold again as she stopped walking. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it a lot and found that we don¡¯t match each other at all. This is the end!¡±


    ¡°You! Linlin, I love you. You can¡¯t treat me like this.¡±


    Now that Jiang Yuecheng had been frustrated at work, he couldn¡¯t bear the breakdown of his relationship with Zhou Linlin. He said with his pleading eyes, ¡°You said you loved me. Why are you speaking like this to me now? Were you just deceiving me before?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so bothersome! I¡¯ve told you that we don¡¯t match each other. Why are you still pestering me? What do you want?¡± Zhou Linlin didn¡¯t even conceal her disdainful look on her face as if she were throwing a sticky of candy under her shoe.


    Though it seemed that Zhou Linlin was speaking harsh words and looked stern, she was merely pretending.


    She didn¡¯t know what had happened but the president had made it clear just now that he would kick Jiang Yuecheng out of the company due to his poor personality.


    Now that the president disfavored Jiang Yuecheng, she¡¯d better draw the line with him. And to keep herself from being involved, she had to break off all unnecessary relations.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jiang Yuecheng trembled out of anger as he looked at Zhou Linlin, who was running away helter-skelter. How ironic it is when a couple distances themselves from each other!


    Oh no! They were not a couple yet¡­ for his wife had been abandoned by him in the rain and nobody knew where she was now.


    It was not until Jiang Yuecheng checked in at the security room that he came to know that Chu Tiankuo hadn¡¯t really fired him but had demoted him to a security guard.


    He remembered the old days when he had been so natural and unrestrained even if he hadn¡¯t been in the superior position.


    Now he was wearing a security guard¡¯s uniform, staying in the room, and focusing his eyes on the monitor. How could this match his talents?


    ¡°Get up and put your stinky feet away. Do you think it¡¯s the same here as in the office building? Stop daydreaming.¡± A middle-aged man 30 to 40 years old smirked cantankerously and kicked Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s feet rudely with a disdainful and gloating expression.


    Never had Jiang Yuecheng been bullied like this except for when he was finding a job. In addition to that, he had already been in a bad mood, so he was eager to roll up his sleeves and have a fight with him.


    ¡°Am I in your way if I sit here? Who the hell do you think you are? How can you command me? You might have been a junk dealer while I was making big bucks in this company, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    The more glorious Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s life had been, the more subdued he felt now, and the more he despised these people.


    ¡°Yuck! What the hell? Do you think you¡¯re so excellent? Hehe, are you indispensable? Are you irreplaceable? If you had been so great, then why are you here?¡±


    Three or four security guards surrounded Jiang Yuecheng and tried every means to scoff at him in turn.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve been demoted, you¡¯d better behave yourself and be obedient. Stop pretending that you¡¯ve been excellent in the past.¡± A security guard spat on Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face and slapped him in his face.


    ¡°You!¡± Jiang Yuecheng was ticked off. He glared at these people, red to the tips of his ears.


    ¡°What do you want? Do you want to fight with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Yuecheng almost went mad, but he was not foolish. He tried his best to repress his anger and submit to the humiliation. But all in all, Jiang Yuecheng was disdained by the whole company.


    He finally endured it up until the last minute of the work and then went back home downheartedly. He surprisingly found that Tang Xia had returned home and affably made dinner. She was waiting for him at the door graciously.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back. Do you feel tired? Are you hungry now? I¡¯ve cooked dinner for you. It¡¯s right there in the pot. And I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s smile was as bright as winter jasmine. She was greeting Jiang Yuecheng with almost all the enthusiasm from her first few decades of life.


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll be good to you when you hate me and make you feel grateful to me and be dead set on me.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kick you the f*ck away when you feel you can¡¯t live without me! ¡°Just get lost and go anywhere you like. Yuck, I¡¯ll never want to see you again.¡±


    Sweet as her smile was, that was what she really thinking about at the moment. So she never minded showing her passion to Jiang Yuecheng, who was so cold-blooded.


    ¡°Hmph, the day will come for this beast when he wishes he could die to live again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I almost forget! Give me your briefcase now. Are you tired? Sit down and have a rest.¡± Tang Xia affably took the briefcase from Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s hand and then wiped his hands with a towel.


    ¡°Hmph, the only thing I haven¡¯t done for him is feeding him the food with kitchenware myself and coax him like a big baby.


    ¡°B*stard, b*tch! Think of how you kicked me and threw me in the rain!¡± Tang Xia felt so sick about the scumbag that she was itching to kill him. But she was even more gentle in her treatment of him.


    So far, Jiang Yuecheng hadn¡¯t figured out what had happened and had a blank look in his eyes.


    ¡°What the hell is happening? Did the old ball and chain get up on the wrong side of the bed?¡± Jiang Yuecheng dared not eat what Tang Xia gave him because he was afraid that she might have poisoned the food, wanting to kill him.


    It made sense for him to have such concerns because Tang Xia¡¯s behavior was so abnormal. And there had to be a plot behind each abnormality. Nothing could be more important than his life and he had to be extremely careful.


    But Jiang Yuecheng suddenly understood everything and patted himself on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve been so curious why she would become so attentive all of a sudden. Now I see. She has a bad conscience!¡±


    She must have been clear that it was she who had made him lost his job! Jiang Yuecheng overturned the table out of anger and all the dishes and kitchenware fell to the ground with a great noise.


    ¡°Oh! Are you crazy? You¡¯re committing a sin! You wasted so much food! How would I give birth to you, you beast!¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother started crying and screaming with anger as she rushed out and saw the mess after hearing the noise.


    ¡°Mother! Stop crying! I lost my job because of this woman!¡±


    ¡°Hic!¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother suddenly stopped crying. She stared at Tang Xia suspiciously and was about to have a cow.


    ¡°Why is it because of me? I did nothing! I know nothing!¡±


    Tang Xia felt wronged and was eager to curse Jiang Yuecheng now. But she continued to act as if she had been wronged. She rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t quarrel with him.


    ¡°Then, tell me what¡¯s your relationship with Chu Tiankuo?¡± Jiang Yuecheng seized her arms, looking excited, ashamed, and irritated at the same time.


    ¡°We acquainted with each other by accident and we have nothing to do with each other.¡± Saying this, Tang Xia thought of another plan and continued, ¡°Take it easy. I¡¯ll call him and ask him about this for you.¡±


    On the other side of the phone, Chu Tiankuo was surprised that Tang Xia would call him. Then he smiled after thinking. ¡°Are you calling me about Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s issue?¡±

 Chapter 155 - The Beginning of the Revenge

    Tang Xia was surprised that Chu Tiankuo should know her so well and had instantly figured out why she made the call. So she was straightforward and replied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    There was silence on the other side, after which came Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hesitant voice. He said, ¡°Are you¡­ are you trying to fulfill a task?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned as she heard this. She was so surprised that she found it hard to say a word.


    The spectators in the broadcast room also got excited after hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words. The broadcast room went into chaos, where words on the bullet screens flew fast one after another. It was hard to recognize what those words were, let alone the detailed contents.


    ¡°How? Chu Tiankuo is just one of the characters in the book. How would he know about the anchor¡¯s task? It¡¯s so strange!¡±


    ¡°Right. Maybe Chu Tiankuo is a plug-in! The anchor would meet Chu Tiankuo each time she started a live show. Did she use a plug-in?¡±


    ¡°Last poster, stop kidding me. Who can make a plug-in in this high-tech broadcast room? How can the anchor use a plug-in when it¡¯s hard to even find one?¡±


    ¡°Then it must be a bug if it¡¯s not a plug-in! Maybe the NPC in the game acquired autonomous awareness, as is often seen in fiction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite possible! AI is bound to generate bugs!¡±


    The discussion was in full swing in the broadcast room, while Tang Xia finally came back to her senses. She asked tentatively and said with care, ¡°Why¡­ why would you ask me this?¡±


    Judging from her voice, Chu Tiankuo knew that Tang Xia was cautious when asking him and he said, ¡°I remember that I¡¯ve met you three times. Now it¡¯s the third time I¡¯ve met you.


    ¡°Each time, you¡¯ve acted differently but you always moved around someone.


    ¡°And I noticed that these people were not the same one. Judging by your character, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d act like that unless you had something to do!¡±


    Tang Xia was in a trance and kept silent for a long time. She didn¡¯t expect that Chu Tiankuo would be so clever and get it all right.


    Chu Tiankuo smiled when he didn¡¯t hear Tang Xia¡¯s voice, then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve met you three times. Don¡¯t worry! Now that you¡¯ve asked me for help, I¡¯ll give you a hand anyway.¡±


    Tang Xia came back to her senses and said quickly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo frowned, which Tang Xia would never see. Then he said gently, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We don¡¯t have to say ¡®thanks¡¯ to each other.¡±


    Then Tang Xia hung up without saying anything.


    The call with Chu Tiankuo brought her such a surprise, and she needed time to think carefully about this. But Jiang Yuecheng and his mother wouldn¡¯t give her the time.


    They approached Tang Xia when they saw her in a trance after hanging up, and asked, ¡°What happened? What did Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s boss say? Stop being in a daze, tell us now! You¡¯re so sluggish!¡±


    ¡°Oh! I haven¡¯t finished my task. It¡¯s not time for me to think about this,¡± Tang Xia thought to herself.


    Then she turned to Jiang Yuecheng and said, ¡°It went alright. Everything is now settled.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was suspicious about Tang Xia¡¯s words, while his mother beside him felt quite happy about this since her son wouldn¡¯t be losing his job anymore.


    On top of that, the job was such a decent and comfortable one. She could not bear it if her son lost that high status he now had and did another job where he was treated poorly.


    And she had heard that Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s company had been broadcast on television and ranked in the top 500 somewhere. That was so outstanding!


    She always used this to show off when she chatted with her friends. She felt so satisfied to see the admiring looks on their faces.


    She would be derided if those people were to learn that her son had lost his job there and was fired because of his poor personality!


    With this in mind, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother was unwilling to hear that her son had lost his job.


    That was why, when she was told by Tang Xia that everything had been settled, she was so happy that her face full of wrinkles became like a chrysanthemum as she smiled. And she kept praising Tang Xia at the same time.


    ¡°You¡¯re so great, Tang Xia! You¡¯re so amazing. I¡¯ve made a wise decision to choose you as my daughter-in-law! That¡¯s all the blessing this beast has ever received.


    ¡°I also feel blessed to have such a daughter-in-law! Tang Xia, remember my words. If my son does anything bad to you, just tell me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat the guy for you who doesn¡¯t know how to respect his parents and take care of his wife.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s words, Tang Xia was clear in her mind that Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother would scold her to death had she failed to help Jiang Yuecheng get his job back!


    All she needed to do was listen to Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s words instead of being moved by them.


    Tang Xia believed Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother would never, ever stand on her side if she hadn¡¯t said that she had helped him. She would certainly be in favor of her son, Jiang Yuecheng.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother was merely a conventional old woman. In her eyes, everything her son said was right, while every mistake would always be made by others and have no relationship to Jiang Yuecheng, and so on.


    Tang Xia was not a fool, after all. She saw through this by knowing Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother¡¯s attitude toward her in the past. She would never count on her since she was a blade of grass ready to fall at any time and didn¡¯t deserve any concern.


    Suddenly, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s phone rang as Tang Xia was thinking about this and Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother was immersed in happiness. Jiang Yuecheng took out his phone and realized it was a call from the company¡¯s personnel department.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother hurriedly walked over to Jiang Yuecheng just as his phone rang and thus saw where the call came from. She urged Jiang Yuecheng and said, ¡°My son! What are you doing? Pick up the phone now! Don¡¯t miss it!¡±


    Hearing his mother¡¯s words, Jiang Yuecheng picked up the phone hurriedly. ¡°Hello, this is Jiang Yuecheng.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yuecheng, the company has assigned you as the administrative director of the subsidiary company. Keep working hard and don¡¯t let the boss down!¡±


    ¡°Yes. OK. Thank you!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng looked at Tang Xia in disbelief and kept silent after hanging up. Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t wait anymore and asked anxiously, ¡°What happened? What did they say? Alas. Tell me now, my son! You¡¯re making me so worried!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m now¡­ the administrative director of the subsidiary company,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said slowly and then looked at Tang Xia beside him with his doubtful, yet meaningful eyes.


    Since he had come to the company, Jiang Yuecheng knew that all the remarks about Chu Tiankuo said that Chu Tiankuo was an impartial and incorruptible leader.


    He would never spare others¡¯ feelings once they did anything wrong, much less pretend that he hadn¡¯t seen anything or let them reverse their course.


    But up to now, he had been fired because of Tang Xia and then employed again because of her, and he had been promoted to administrative director.


    Though he was sent to the subsidiary company, it was clear to Jiang Yuecheng that nobody would make indiscreet remarks about him there.


    It was possible that he would become one of the chiefs in the subsidiary company if he worked hard. And then he would be able to take control of everything there since it was such a good place for him to develop himself.


    It was just because Jiang Yuecheng knew this that he looked at Tang Xia with such doubtful eyes. What was it in Tang Xia that attracted Chu Tiankuo so much that he even broke his convention that he had been observed for so long?


    What did Tang Xia do to make Chu Tiankuo hell-bent on her?


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother didn¡¯t think about it so much. All she felt was that her son had regained his job and was able to continue to work in that company thanks to Tang Xia, while she could continue to show off her son¡¯s success in front of others.


    Seeing Jiang Yuecheng lost in a trance and not even thanking Tang Xia, she started to think that her son knew nothing about women.


    Now Tang Xia was so capable. What he needed to do was to flatter her and get hold of her!


    So Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother said to Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°This time, Tang Xia has given a big hand to us today! We should give her a reward!


    ¡°Tang Xia hasn¡¯t bought new clothes for a long time and you¡¯ve had less time to accompany her since you were so busy before. Now you have the time. Why not go out with Tang Xia and buy her some beautiful clothes?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was reluctant to hear these words because he didn¡¯t want to go out with Tang Xia.


    But his mother made eye contact with him and hinted that he should treat Tang Xia well now. He couldn¡¯t do anything but look at Tang Xia and say reluctantly, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Stop standing there. I¡¯ll buy you some clothes!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother wrenched him as she saw her son¡¯s attitude and said to Tang Xia with a smile, ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t mind his rudeness!


    ¡°My son spoke to you that way just because he is too excited. Just enjoy shopping. Everything, from paying the bill to carrying the bags, will be done by him. That¡¯s what a man should do.¡±


    Tang Xia thought it was ridiculous as she saw their attitudes. But she never minded this because it was merely a broadcast room here.


    This was an imaginary place, where she needn¡¯t mind anything illusory, need she? But then, Tang Xia put her hands on her chest and asked herself, ¡°Will it be OK for sure?¡±


    Then Tang Xia stopped thinking about this. Anyone would be happy about new clothes, after all! Then she changed her clothes and went out, followed by Jiang Yuecheng, who was so reluctant.


    Jiang Yuecheng had to go to the shopping mall with Tang Xia and buy her clothes under the urging of his mother.


    It was there that they saw Zhou Linlin holding a man¡¯s arm.

 Chapter 156 - Derision

    Chapter 156 Derision


    Zhou Linlin was wearing a white chiffon dress with a belt tied at her waist that sketched the contours of her slim waist, which would attract everyone.


    Zhou Linlin¡¯s impeccable figure was fully displayed by the delicate tailoring.


    ¡°It should be me whom Zhou Linlin holds in her arms! It should be me whom Zhou Linlin gives her enchanting smile to! And Zhou Linlin herself! And her seductive body! All belong to me!


    ¡°But, she doesn¡¯t belong to me anymore!¡± They didn¡¯t get married, but when he saw the woman who used to make love with him and snuggle up to him, Jiang Yuecheng almost went mad.


    Now, she was giving her charming smile to another man, and Jiang Yuecheng felt that the green cap on his head was growing fast into grass and becoming the Hulunbuir Grassland as if by magic.


    He felt his heart bleeding. His eyes were bloodshot out of anger and he was as vicious as a wolf.


    Tang Xia, who stood beside Jiang Yuecheng, acted like she was obedient, cautious, and awkward.


    She pretended she was wronged and sorrowful but had to bear it and move closer to Jiang Yuecheng when she saw his murderous expression.


    But actually, Tang Xia felt so great when she saw this. ¡°Vice will have an evil recompense sooner or later! Hmph! The b*tch couple! It serves you right!


    ¡°Oh, no! The woman of the b*tch couple now still leads a happy life.


    ¡°Alas!¡± Tang Xia ignored the regret in her heart. She lowered her head and kept a straight face. ¡°Haha! Jiang Yuecheng! You finally meet your doom, scumbag!


    ¡°Tsk! You have been so heartless, brutal, and cold-blooded! Why are you pretending to be a magnificent scoundrel and act in such a disgusting way? Does a heartless scumbag like you know what is love and what is shame?


    ¡°Yuck! Stop making me sick!¡±


    Tang Xia rained down curses on Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s head, showing as much of the whites of her eyes as she could.


    Then she saw the quick footsteps. Jiang Yuecheng rushed over to the couple and pushed the man whose arm Zhou Linlin had been holding, almost making him fall to the ground.


    Then he seized Zhou Linlin by her shoulders and shook her violently, looking agonized.


    ¡°Hmph! You act like a magnificent scoundrel.¡± Tang Xia sneered and looked cold in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so good at acting, you bestial scumbag! Hmph! How dare you rush to your lover when your wife is standing at your side?


    ¡°He is a beast who cheats and does harm to women!¡± Tang Xia told herself in her mind.


    She would do everything to let the scumbag fall in love with her and make him hell-bent on her. Then she would kick the beast away and make him feel that he would rather die!


    Hmm! It seemed that this was the only way for Tang Xia to get relieved.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhou Linlin screamed. Tang Xia came back to her senses and looked over and saw Jiang Yuecheng holding Zhou Linlin in his arms with great strength, with which he could even kill her. Zhou Linlin felt it unbearable and couldn¡¯t help screaming.


    ¡°Get lost! Who are you?¡± The man whom Jiang Yuecheng had pushed away rushed over and quickly shoved Jiang Yuecheng back. Then he hit Jiang Yuecheng in the eye with his fist, who leaned back and fell to the ground.


    Jiang Yuecheng struggled to stand up, feeling groggy, but still remembered to ask Zhou Linlin, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°I should ask you, who are you?¡± The man stood in front of Zhou Linlin and glared at Jiang Yuecheng with extreme anger. He felt it strange!


    Not until now did Zhou Linlin, who had been terribly shocked, come back to her senses. Angrily glaring at Jiang Yuecheng with cold eyes, she held that man by his arm, and raised her head and said proudly, ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was still unwilling to give up! Did he want to drive her into a corner?


    She had already made it clear that they didn¡¯t match each other! She had admitted that she had been wrong! And she had taken all the responsibility. Couldn¡¯t he be just a little responsible and let it go like a real man?


    What was the point of badgering her shamelessly? Moreover, he was not the favorite with the president in the company anymore. He was now just a security guard that watching the door! How could he keep bothering her? Didn¡¯t he have any self-knowledge?


    Zhou Linlin was infuriated. She didn¡¯t know that Jiang Yuecheng would be a sticky piece of candy, which was so hard to deal with. Couldn¡¯t he be more forthright, more big-hearted, and more manly like an adult?


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! You must be telling lies! You just want me to let it go by showing this man to me!¡± Jiang Yuecheng waved his hands like a maniac. But his eyes went red, indicating that he might have really been hurt by love¡­


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ve thought too highly of yourself.¡± Zhou Linlin didn¡¯t even conceal her disdain and detestation toward him.


    She showed the whites in her eyes and said with a helpless and dismissive look, ¡°Who are you? Why should we show you this? Will you pay us? Do you deserve this?¡±


    It had to be noted that Zhou Linlin¡¯s words were so wounding that Jiang Yuecheng lost his head out of envy. He waved his fists and was about to put up a desperate fight with them.


    ¡°Hey, stop. Stop.¡± Tang Xia seized Jiang Yuecheng by his arms and stopped him.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± But Jiang Yuecheng refused Tang Xia¡¯s help. All that occupied his mind was Zhou Linlin, who betrayed him, and this man, who disgraced him.


    Why would it be like this? He knew that Zhou Linlin left him because Chu Tiankuo had demoted him to security guard. She might have either wanted to avoid being involved with him or had lost her hope of being with him.


    He understood this. Though he took it as an extravagant hope to let Zhou Linlin keep waiting for him, he never expected that Zhou Linlin would find a new lover within such a short time!


    He had been demoted to security guard yesterday, while Zhou Linlin had found a new boyfriend today! He would in no way catch up with Zhou Linlin in terms of her quick action and her merciless behavior¡­


    Jiang Yuecheng felt extremely pained in his heart. He had been tolerant of Zhou Linlin, but he hadn¡¯t lost his hope to wait for her because he had insisted that it was possible for them to get married in the end. However, Zhou Linlin¡¯s heartless betrayal completely reduced him to despair.


    ¡°Why do you stop me! Leave me alone! I¡¯ll beat the b*tch couple to death!¡± Jiang Yuecheng, looking red in his eyes, was about to fight to the death with that man. He stubbornly insisted that it was because of this man that Zhou Linlin treated him so mercilessly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve thought too much!¡± Tang Xia had more or less figured out what Jiang Yuecheng had been thinking. So she thought that Jiang Yuecheng was being so ridiculous in her mind. ¡°Haha! Do you think I really want to stop you? I¡¯m so eager to see you and that shameless woman die together.


    ¡°But if I let go of you this way, that isn¡¯t equal to what I have suffered before. And stop daydreaming. Do you think I want to stop you? Do you think I¡¯m doing this for your own good? Yuck! Stop fantasizing because you don¡¯t deserve me to do this!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t fight with them.¡± Tang Xia squeeze out a tear and then looked at Jiang Yuecheng with her sorrowful eyes¡ªDon¡¯t misunderstand, she had just pinched herself. ¡°She has a boyfriend. Stop fighting with them. You¡¯re hurt.¡±


    That man had hit Jiang Yuecheng so fiercely just now that the entire right side of his face was swollen, he looked so miserable.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Get lost!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s words infuriated Jiang Yuecheng again, who was like a powder cask that had just been lit.


    All he could think now was, ¡°Kill him, kill him! The beast! He took away my woman! And he made me look so miserable! How could I tolerate this!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng pushed Tang Xia away and rushed toward that man, but was beaten by him again since that man was so strong. Of the two women, one was frightened, while the other was screaming with joy.


    When she thought Jiang Yuecheng had suffered enough, Tang Xia got up the courage and blocked the man¡¯s fist and protected Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°Stop beating him!¡±


    The man¡¯s fist stopped in the air. He kicked Jiang Yuecheng, who was lying on the ground miserably, with his foot, spat on and cursed him. ¡°Coward! You¡¯re protected by a woman.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng struggled and was about to stand up but was stopped by Tang Xia.


    She patted Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face and sneered at that man. ¡°Now that my husband has been beaten by you like this, let¡¯s meet at the police station.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has seen that it was your husband who tangled my girlfriend just now. I just defended her properly.¡±


    That was exactly the chance Tang Xia had been waiting for. She stood up excitedly with radiant eyes, pointed directly at Zhou Linlin and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t you want to know why my husband would tangle with your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou Linlin became flustered. She held that man by his arm and was about to leave with him. But Tang Xia wouldn¡¯t give her the chance.


    ¡°Because your girlfriend was a mistress who put her foot in our life! She seduced my husband! They made love together numerous times!¡±


    Tang Xia was so excited that her chest was trembling violently! ¡°God! Is this the chance for me to stage a comeback and kill the b*tch couple?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Zhou Linlin shouted and tried to tear at Tang Xia but was stopped by the man. He questioned her coldly, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°No, she is slandering me! She is jealous of me because I have led a better life than her.¡± Zhou Linlin cried and embraced the man. But the man was suspicious¡­


    ¡°Hmph, are you still pretending? You must have seduced Jiang Yuecheng with the same delicate look as a white pond lily! You¡¯re so shameless!


    ¡°You have just abandoned Jiang Yuecheng for his demotion, but now you¡¯ve seduced a new one. Can¡¯t you leave yourself some spare time?¡±


    The man now looked ghastly pale, while Tang Xia added inflammatory details after taking a look at him. ¡°This has been known by the whole company!¡±

 Chapter 157 - Because I Love You

    Chapter 157 Because I Love You


    As soon as Tang Xia finished, Zhou Linlin cried in her heart.


    As expected, her boyfriend no longer looked at her as firmly as before.


    In front of her boyfriend, her gaffes had been exposed by Tang Xia directly. Zhou Linlin was so angry that her face turned green.


    She wanted to rush over and tear out Tang Xia¡¯s troublesome mouth. However, if she stayed here, she was afraid her boyfriend would learn more.


    She immediately pretended to be tender and poor and became tearful. ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. They intend to separate us.¡±


    ¡°She is my cousin. Since she despises my family, she has liked bullying me from an early age. And now that she¡¯s grown up, she keeps slandering my reputation.¡±


    After Zhou Linlin said that, the man¡¯s face indeed relaxed a lot.


    Zhou Linlin breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Afraid of what Tang Xia would say to shake him, she cried and begged him, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Just now you¡¯ve injured him, and if we stay here and let them continue to slander me, I will be really too ashamed to face anyone.¡±


    The man looked at the many passers-by, who had gathered around without them noticing. As he saw Zhou Linlin crying, he became softhearted. He nodded and agreed. ¡°Well, I will take you out of here.¡±


    As soon as Zhou Linlin heard his words, she wanted to take him to leave quickly.


    Tang Xia looked at their defeated backs and immediately shouted at them, ¡°Zhou Linlin, your new beau hurt my husband. You haven¡¯t heard the last of this! I¡¯ll see you at the police station!¡±


    She saw the back of Zhou Linlin, who was quickly fleeing stiffly, pulling the man to run faster.


    Although the man had been coaxed away by Zhou Linlin, when he came to his senses, he would surely find an opportunity to go to her company to hear more about it.


    Tang Xia felt very happy at the thought of the trouble Zhou Linlin would face.


    She turned around and showed a sad face to Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°Dear, are you okay? Don¡¯t be angry. Don¡¯t make yourself mad for such a woman. It¡¯s really not worth it.¡±


    Although Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face was black and blue, his eyes were still burning with rage. ¡°That b*tch Zhou Linlin, I must not let them get away with it so easily.¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at Jiang Yuecheng coldly, who was looking down and angry. He only now realized that he had been fooled by Zhou Linlin, but he couldn¡¯t beat that man. Now he should be ashamed to say that he would not let them off.


    But she immediately hid the disdain in her eyes and held him up in a gentle way. ¡°Of course, they did that to you. I won¡¯t let them go so easily. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng heard her words and looked up at her with emotional eyes.


    Unexpectedly, although he had always regarded his wife as air, after such a thing happened to him, she still stood firm on the same front as him.


    Jiang Yuecheng nodded and limped to the intersection while relying on Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia knew that her words had worked. Now she had to have a more important position in Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s heart.


    She stopped a taxi and slammed Jiang Yuecheng into it. The car drove all the way to the police station.


    Upon entering the police station, Tang Xia immediately reported the case to the police.


    A policeman in uniform took them to a table and sat down, then picked up a pen and asked for a statement.


    ¡°What are you going to report?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s eyes twinkled and he remained silent for a long time.


    Tang Xia sitting next to him suddenly guessed what he was thinking. It seemed that he thought that his extramarital love affair with Zhou Linlin was illegal, so he began to hesitate.


    This was the best time to make these two people lose their reputation directly. How could Tang Xia give up at this stage?


    Since Jiang Yuecheng wouldn¡¯t say it, she had to.


    ¡°Sir, my husband was beaten up, and we want to sue the man who beat him.¡±


    The policeman nodded and asked while recording, ¡°Who is the man that did that? What is his name? And where does he live?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know the man¡¯s name, but the man¡¯s girlfriend is my husband¡¯s colleague, called Zhou Linlin.¡± After Tang Xia said Zhou Linlin¡¯s name, Jiang Yuecheng began to get a little nervous.


    Sure enough, the policeman then asked the key question. ¡°Then what was the dispute between you?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was so shocked that he clenched his fists and couldn¡¯t sit still. He turned his head to look at Tang Xia and wanted to say something.


    But Tang Xia just looked steadily forward and didn¡¯t give him any chance. She quickly answered the policeman¡¯s question. ¡°It was because of Zhou Linlin. She tempted my husband and then fell in love with that man.


    ¡°My husband wanted to get an explanation from Zhou Linlin but was beaten up by her boyfriend.¡±


    The policeman, who had had his head bowed to record the case, suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Yuecheng with undisguised contempt.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s face was already wounded, and under this gaze, his face became more colorful.


    Tang Xia saw Jiang Yuecheng avert his eyes and try to avoid the gaze of the police. She sneered in her heart. ¡°He had the courage to do that shameless thing. How can he feel ashamed now?¡±


    The policeman looked at Jiang Yuecheng for a while, then looked down at the record on his desk. ¡°Now let¡¯s sort out the case. Do you mean that your husband and Zhou Linlin had an extramarital affair?


    ¡°But because Zhou Linlin had another lover, your husband confronted her, and finally was injured by Zhou Linlin¡¯s boyfriend? And now you want to sue Zhou Linlin and her boyfriend. Am I right?¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng heard the summary of the case from the policeman, but the more he listened, the worse his face became. Finally, his whole face was almost as black as a pan.


    He had never been so humiliated before. It was all due to Zhou Linlin.


    At the thought of this, his anger that had been suppressed once again sprang up.


    Tang Xia looked at every change of his expression beside her and was very satisfied with his reaction.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I also took a lot of photos with my mobile phone, which can be used as evidence that they hurt my husband.¡± When she finished, she took her mobile phone out from her bag and showed the photos to the policeman one by one.


    The policeman said that the evidence was irrefutable, so he formally accepted the case, and gave them several forms to fill out. Then he and his colleagues immediately contacted Zhou Linlin.


    Jiang Yuecheng held the list in his hands and looked at what he was asked to fill in. He was very depressed.


    Tang Xia filled out the list in her hands and saw Jiang Yuecheng sitting there with a gloomy face. She handed him the pen in her hand. ¡°Dear, I¡¯ve already filled it out. Here¡¯s the pen.¡±


    But Jiang Yuecheng frowned at her and said angrily, ¡°Tang Xia, you know that it¡¯s ignoble to report to the police because of this kind of thing, so you¡¯ll deliberately have me become the laughingstock of others. Then you¡¯ll willfully watch me make a fool of myself, right?¡±


    ¡°I did want to watch you make fool of yourself, and isn¡¯t it because you have done such a disgusting thing?¡±


    However, in order to complete the task successfully, Tang Xia did not say that, but said with a grieving face, ¡°How could I do that? You are my husband. We are family.¡±


    Naturally, there was no reason for family to reject each other. Jiang Yuecheng understood what she meant.


    But when he thought that he had rejected her, he couldn¡¯t help shutting up.


    He took the pen in from Tang Xia and wrote a few scribbles on the list raggedly to express his indignation. Then he threw the pen away casually, stood up and limped to leave.


    Tang Xia immediately caught up with him and ran into Zhou Linlin and her boyfriend coming in through the entrance.


    Zhou Linlin and her boyfriend were stunned when they saw them, and then quickly lowered their heads in embarrassment.


    The policeman who accepted the case saw their expressions and understood the current situation. ¡°Are you Zhou Linlin and Zhang Xian?¡±


    Zhou Linlin nodded in fear. The man named Zhang Xian also lowered his previous haughty air and nodded respectfully.


    ¡°You come in with me!¡± The policeman spoke not only to Zhou Linlin and Zhang Xian, but also to Jiang Yuecheng and Tang Xia.


    So they had to quietly follow him in.


    The policeman showed them a piece of paper directly in front of them.


    ¡°Zhang Xian, you deliberately hurt another man, and the evidence is conclusive. But because of your voluntary surrender, you are detained for three days as punishment.¡±


    As soon as the policeman said that, two policemen behind him came over, handcuffed Zhang Xian, and took him away.


    Zhou Linlin immediately cried, ¡°Zhang Xian¡­ Zhang Xian¡­ It¡¯s all because of me that you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, please don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll be out in three days.¡± As soon as Zhang Xian¡¯s comforting words were finished, he was taken away by the police.


    Jiang Yuecheng saw Zhou Linlin crying out for the other man in front of him. The feeling of betrayal in his heart burst out, making him gloomier.


    When they got home, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother saw that he was injured and she immediately began to cry and scream.


    Jiang Yuecheng suffered so much humiliation outside all day. When he heard his mother crying and screaming, he was even more unhappy, and he rushed into the room without saying anything.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mother-in-law immediately asked her about the situation. Tang Xia said it in a few words. Surely, she heard her mother-in-law cursing.


    ¡°Mom, I am going to make something delicious to build up Yuecheng¡¯s health.¡± Tang Xia picked her ear and found a reason to leave.


    At dinner, Jiang Yuecheng looked at the large table of delicious dishes and was a little stunned.


    Tang Xia quickly placed a bowl and chopsticks in front of him, and said softly and sadly, ¡°Dear, you are injured. Please eat something nutritious to mend it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, son, you should do that,¡± her mother-in-law echoed with dear love.


    Looking at Tang Xia and his mother constantly putting food in his bowl, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s eyes became more and more unstable.


    Suddenly, he grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand and looked at her and asked, ¡°I¡¯m not good to you at all. Why do you help me? And why are you so good to me?¡±


    Tang Xia tried to look at him with a tender and soft look, and answered him with a deadly soulful tone, ¡°No other reason other than because I love you!¡±

 Chapter 158 - To Provoke Zhang Xian

    Chapter 158 To Provoke Zhang Xian


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia could feel that Jiang Yuecheng froze and his hands holding hers were trembling.


    Tang Xia was refreshed. ¡°Great! It seems that my words touched him.¡±


    After experiencing betrayal, what could be more moving than ¡°I love you¡±?


    As expected, the result of those three words was immediate.


    Jiang Yuecheng stared at her with strong feelings mixed with love and regret instead of apathy or disdain.


    He tightened his grasp upon her hand and said in a soft voice that was never before heard by Tang Xia, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be good to you. We will have a better life in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Tang Xia showed a smile to him with a happy face and kept on nodding her head. Then she drew her hands from his grasp quietly.


    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s mother put food into his bowl again and said lovingly, ¡°Son, I¡¯m sure that Zhou Linlin, the dissolute b*tch, will die like a dog! You¡¯ve been through so much. Eat more to recover your health.¡±


    ¡­


    On the third day, Tang Xia went out to the detention center early.


    When Zhang Xian was taken to the visiting room, he was a little surprised to see Tang Xia.


    ¡°Officer! I want to go back!¡± Zhang Xian asked the prison guard to end this visit before he sat down.


    Obviously, he did not want to see Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia stood up immediately and said in a loud voice after picking up the phone, ¡°Mr. Zhang, I¡¯m not coming here to make trouble for you. As a man, don¡¯t you want to know whether Zhou Linlin has cheated on you or not?¡±


    On hearing her words, Zhang Xian threw himself at her immediately. Then he picked up the phone and contradicted her loudly. ¡°Linlin would never cheat on me! You cannot set me against her!¡±


    As she saw that Zhang Xian sat down because of her words, Tang Xia knew that the conversation had begun.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through the same experience as you have, so I know you are unwilling to believe what I said, and I totally understand your feelings.¡±


    However, Zhang Xian replied, ¡°As eloquent as you are, I won¡¯t be fooled by you. You don¡¯t need to waste your time on me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, you will know whether my words are true or not by investigating the relationship between Zhou Linlin and Jiang Yuecheng when you get out of here. Everyone in their company knows about their affair. It cannot be possible that everybody is lying to you, right?¡± Knowing that he would not believe her words easily, Tang Xia explained patiently.


    But Zhang Xian snorted, ¡°I knew you would say that. Linlin has explained to me that your husband keeps on badgering with her in the company so that she is misunderstood by the whole company. But for her strong mind and appreciation of her work, she would have left that company.¡±


    ¡°It turns out that I underestimated Zhou Linlin. She can come up with this excuse after taking Zhang Xian away rather hastily that day.


    ¡°I have to admit that this excuse works. Or Zhang Xian in front of me would not believe her with all his heart!


    ¡°No wonder she took Zhang Xian to surrender himself to justice obediently after one call from the police. It turns out that she has ¡®explained¡¯ all that to him.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that it is Jiang Yuecheng who has been badgering Zhou Linlin and Zhou Linlin is the victim?¡± Tang Xia asked with a look of ridicule on her face.


    ¡°What a white lotus! I¡¯m impressed that she can disguise herself to this extent!¡±


    ¡°What I said is the truth! She, as a career woman, is quite laborious. You should mind your own husband so that he won¡¯t bother others! Or I will give him a good beating every time I see him when I¡¯m out of here.¡± Zhang Xian talked tough even though he was in the detention center.


    Obviously, Zhang Xian was so blind for love that he could not recognize Zhou Linlin¡¯s true colors. But Tang Xia kind of liked him.


    As a man, he could protect his woman like that. He could be regarded as a real man.


    ¡°Zhang Xian, I¡¯m impressed by your sense of responsibility. So I will not let Zhou Linlin use you anymore. What she told you is not true. I witnessed with my eyes that she and Jiang Yuecheng intimately accompanied each other in front of me.¡±


    Zhang Xian remained unmoved and replied, ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I know you have a deep misunderstanding of Linlin because of your husband. But it is not a good way to save your own marriage by ruining other¡¯s relationships.¡±


    Tang Xia did not know whether she should laugh or cry by his words. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m a failure in marriage?


    ¡°Come on! I¡¯m doing all this to complete my task!¡±


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe what I said, I¡¯ll speak with facts.¡± Tang Xia gave a heavy sigh and took her cell phone out of the bag. Then she opened the album and slid the screen to show him the photos one by one.


    Those photos of Zhou Linlin and Jiang Yuecheng were all shot by Tang Xia on purpose.


    They were hugging each other intimately in every photo while Zhou Linlin wore a sweet and soulful smile without a hint of displeasure on her face that would show she had been forced.


    When seeing those photos, Zhang Xian was so shocked that he could not shut his mouth. Then his eyes filled with grief gradually became dim.


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, now tell me who the hell is ruining another¡¯s relationship and who is lying?¡± Tang Xia put down her phone slowly and spoke in a steady tone.


    She knew that those photos would hurt him so much, but she had to make him face the truth.


    It took Zhang Xian a long time to come to his senses from his astonishment, but he shook his head persistently. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe you. As photoshopping techniques are so advanced, how can I ensure that these photos have not been digitally altered?¡±


    Tang Xia was a little startled by his persistence. Luckily, she was well prepared.


    ¡°OK, since you still don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll show you the proof.¡± Tang Xia put her cellphone into the bag and took out another cellphone.


    This cellphone belonged to Jiang Yuecheng.


    Jiang Yuecheng took some days off at home due to being injured. Furthermore, being betrayed had been devastating to him. So he stayed at home for three days on end.


    He was not aware that Tang Xia had taken his cellphone at all.


    Looking at the man¡¯s cellphone in Tang Xia¡¯s hand, Zhang Xian had a restless face as if he had perceived something.


    When Tang Xia unlocked the cellphone and showed him the chat records between Jiang Yuecheng and Zhou Linlin, Zhang Xian could not stay calm anymore.


    That flirting on WeChat could only happen between people who had an intimate relationship with each other.


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, photos can be digitally altered, but look at the WeChat account, which cannot be falsified. Every word of the chat records was typed by Zhou Linlin, and every sentence, she said herself.¡±


    Being afraid that he would not believe her, Tang Xia tapped Zhou Linlin¡¯s avatar to show him her WeChat account.


    ¡°Stop talking, please. She¡­ she really cheated on me.¡± Zhang Xian closed his eyes as he could not accept such a cruel fact and spoke in a painful voice.


    Noticing that he believed what she said, Tang Xia put the cellphone in her bag and said softly, ¡°Mr. Zhang, I understand that you are rather sad now. But it is not worthwhile to feel this way over a woman like her. She has regarded you guys as tools of hers from A to Z.¡±


    ¡°Tools¡­¡± Zhang Xian repeated her words with a weary face while his voice turned into a forced smile.


    ¡°Zhou Linlin chose to hook up with Jiang Yuecheng because he could help her in her career. But Jiang Yuecheng was dismissed from his post recently, which made her break up with him.


    ¡°What she did to Jiang Yuecheng can be done to you in the future. If I were you, I would not give her the opportunity. What¡¯s more, I would make her ¡®enjoy¡¯ the taste of treachery,¡± Tang Xia said in a rather enchanting tone.


    After a flash of light flickered in Zhang Xian¡¯s dull eyes, he looked directly at Tang Xia. ¡°Do you mean¡­ get revenge on Zhou Linlin? Do you have any idea how?¡±


    Tang Xia flashed a smile at him. ¡°Of course, but you need to work in cooperation with me.¡±


    ¡°Cooperation?¡± Zhang Xian kept his eyes open out of astonishment. Then he said as if he thought of something, ¡°I suppose Zhou Linlin is not the only person you want to deal with, right?¡±


    Tang Xia still smiled at him without any response.


    As he noticed that she was not willing to answer his question, Zhang Xian did not make a detailed inquiry. ¡°OK, what do you need me to do?¡±


    Although Tang Xia was not surprised, a flash of light flickered in her eyes. Then she said, ¡°You are supposed to leave the detention center tomorrow. I hope you can help me to take one thing from Zhou Linlin.¡±


    ¡°Take one thing? What should I do after that?¡± Zhang Xian asked.


    ¡°You just need to give me that thing. I¡¯ll see to the rest.¡± Tang Xia gave him a reassuring glance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise that I¡¯ll offer you a satisfactory result.¡±


    After a flash of light flickered in his eyes, Zhang Xian finally agreed. ¡°OK, I¡¯ll get you what you want.¡±


    At noon on the following day, Tang Xia found a place close to the detention center to have tea.


    The detention center was just in sight while she sat by the window on the second floor in the tea cafe, which was not far away from the detention center.


    Before she could finish a glass of juice, Tang Xia saw that Zhang Xian had left the detention center.


    After he waited for a long time in the sun, Zhou Linlin arrived by taxi. Then she rushed over to Zhang Xian, and kissed and hugged him.


    They hugged each other for a while intimately before they left by taxi.


    As Tang Xia saw that taxi go away and become smaller and smaller, she murmured happily, ¡°Zhou Linlin, it seems that you will be conquered by me soon. It is about time to complete this task.¡±


    Then she asked the waiter to refill the juice glass for her. After a while, her cellphone in the bag rang.


    She picked up the phone quickly. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Zhang Xian¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Tang Xia got straight to the point. ¡°Have you got what I want from her?¡±


    Zhang Xian replied quickly, ¡°I¡¯ve got what you need, I hope you can keep your promise.¡±


    ¡°Sure, don¡¯t worry.¡± Tang Xia promised him.


    ¡°OK, meet me at the Shijiazhuang Bridge.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go there right away.¡± Tang Xia hung up the phone immediately and walked out of the tea cafe.

 Chapter 159 - Zhou Linlins Indecent Video

    Chapter 159 Zhou Linlin¡¯s Indecent Video


    Tang Xia made an appointment with Zhang Xian at a coffee shop. When she arrived, Zhang Xian had been waiting for her for a long time.


    Zhang Xian looked in the direction of the doorway fretfully while he wondered why Tang Xia had not shown up yet.


    On seeing Tang Xia¡¯s arrival, he was not that anxious anymore and took a sip of coffee in no hurry. Then he started to become dazed, sitting in the chair.


    After Tang Xia arrived at the coffee shop, she sat down in front of Zhang Xian. When asked what she needed by the waiter, she said, ¡°A cup of black coffee, thank you.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded at the waiter and said nothing, staring at Zhang Xian¡¯s profile.


    The atmosphere between them seemed a little awkward to others, but neither of them sitting face to face felt embarrassed. After a while, the waiter arrived with a cup of coffee for Tang Xia. Then she took a sip and sat there in no hurry.


    Finally, Zhang Xian took a look at Tang Xia, who was rather calm, and could hardly sit still since he felt somewhat restless.


    Before he could finish his coffee, Zhang Xian could not stand it anymore as he couldn¡¯t stay as carefree as Tang Xia. Then he said, ¡°Here¡­ is what you need.¡±


    Then, he took a USB stick out from his pocket, put it on the table, and slid it to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Now I have broken up with Zhou Linlin. And I¡¯ll leave this city due to my job soon. I don¡¯t want to know what has happened between you two, and I don¡¯t want to intervene as it is none of my business.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like being involved in your conflict. This is the end of my meddling in your affairs. Deal with the rest of it on your own!¡±


    Then Zhang Xian drank up his coffee as if he had made up his mind, and stood up to leave without looking back.


    After Tang Xia gazed after him, she said nothing to ask him to stay as she knew that it was useless to say anything in this situation. Besides, they were just casual acquaintances.


    And it was obvious that Zhang Xian was in a bad mood at the moment.


    Tang Xia took the USB stick rather calmly and scrutinized it for a while in her hand. Then she took out her laptop and inserted the USB stick into it.


    After having a look at what was contained on the USB stick to ensure that Zhang Xian did not lie to her, Tang Xia made a copy of it and shut her laptop down.


    Then she finished her coffee slowly and ordered a dessert. After she had eaten and drunk quite enough, Tang Xia left that place.


    When she left the coffee shop, Tang Xia made a phone call. Then a voice came from over the line. ¡°Hello? Why are you calling me, Tang Xia?¡±


    ¡°No reason. I just want to ask you out so that we can have a good talk.¡± Tang Xia wore a faint smile and spoke calmly.


    ¡°Just save it. I don¡¯t think we have much to talk about. I¡¯ll hang up the phone if there is nothing else. After all, I¡¯m quite busy.¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Linlin wanted to hang up the phone immediately.


    Tang Xia smiled calmly and said, ¡°Wait, I have something to tell you. Although it makes no difference to me, I am not sure whether it counts much to you¡­


    ¡°In a word, come out to meet me. I believe that you will be quite interested in it. I¡¯ll wait for you at the usual place.¡±


    Zhou Linlin was rather puzzled by her words. She did not feel like going because there was not much for them to talk about. They would definitely quarrel when they met each other.


    ¡°I may as well work on a solution to what happened if I have time to quarrel with her,¡± Zhou Linlin thought.


    But she felt vaguely uneasy after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words. As she regarded her own feelings quite accurate, she would go and meet Tang Xia due to her sixth sense.


    Because Zhou Linlin was not aware of what Tang Xia had on her, she had to go and check it out.


    When Zhou Linlin arrived, she noticed that Tang Xia sat there, playing with something. Then she walked quickly toward her to stand beside her and saw Tang Xia¡¯s calm expression and a small white USB stick in her hand.


    On seeing this, Zhou Linlin felt that she had been fooled by Tang Xia and wanted to slap her. However, Tang Xia reacted so quickly that she grasped Zhou Linlin by the waist and stared at her.


    Zhou Linlin froze for a while. And before she could react, Tang Xia raised her hand and slapped Zhou Linlin with the back of the hand.


    Tang Xia slapped her so hard that Zhou Linlin¡¯s head was tilted, which shocked Zhou Linlin quite a lot. It was not until she felt the pain on her face did she stare at Tang Xia with astonishment.


    Zhou Linlin could not believe what had just happened. ¡°How can Tang Xia slap me since she has always been so cowardly and timid?¡±


    ¡°How dare you slap me! What makes you so bold to slap me?¡± Zhou Linlin kept her eyes wide open and stared at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia looked at Zhou Linlin and wore a smile with disdain. ¡°I did not intend to do that. I just wanted to calm you down. Don¡¯t be so impulsive, young girl!


    ¡°We can sit down and have a good talk. I have something that you will definitely be interested in. It won¡¯t be too late to slap me after you see what it is.¡±


    Tang Xia took out her cellphone and played a video in front of Zhou Linlin and those vague voices from the video confused her.


    Zhou Linlin looked at Tang Xia in bewilderment, as if she were saying: ¡°What are you doing? Did you ask me out to watch this kind of video? Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Then Zhou Linlin heard a seductive shout, which was recognized by her immediately and made her face turn pale right away. So she looked at Tang Xia with a horrible look on her face and turned to look at that video.


    She could clearly see that two people were making love, and the person on the bottom was Zhou Linlin. Furthermore, Zhou Linlin¡¯s face was not pixelated and could clearly be perceived in the video.


    Although the face of the person on top was pixelated, Zhou Linlin could tell it was Zhang Xian at first sight. How could she forget the man who she made love with from the night before?


    ¡°How¡­ how could you get this video? Where did you get it?¡± Zhou Linlin looked at Tang Xia with a shocked expression and asked with her finger pointing at Tang Xia.


    Zhou Linlin had a pale face and looked at Tang Xia with great astonishment. While her body could not help trembling, she wore an implausible look as if she thought of something. Then her pupils dilated slightly as if she had seen something horrible.


    In fact, this video was devastating to Zhou Linlin.


    Those two people in the video were exactly Zhang Xian and Zhou Linlin, who had sex last night! Zhou Linlin looked at the video with a desperate look.


    Zhang Xian¡­ indeed went to see Zhou Linlin, which made her think that he wanted to get back together with her. So she did not reject his proposal and had sex with him.


    However, it never occurred to Zhou Linlin that Zhang Xian was working in collusion with Tang Xia to deceive her!


    Zhou Linlin took her cellphone out of her pocket with a trembling hand and made a phone call. She was so shocked that she even pressed several wrong numbers.


    After a while, she finally dialed out. Then she put her cellphone close to the ears slowly.


    However, she did not hear a familiar voice but instead, a cold female voice which said: ¡°Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is not in service.¡±


    Zhou Linlin froze while her cellphone slipped from her hand and fell on the ground.


    After a while, she calmed down. Then she glared at Tang Xia with a pair of red eyes and said, ¡°How dare you two!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tang Xia looked at Zhou Linlin coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a dose of your own medicine. All these things are done by yourself. How can you blame what you have done on me?


    ¡°I just got a good chance to have something on you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what do you want to do?¡± Zhou Linlin glared at Tang Xia as if she were looking at an enemy and wanted to taste her flesh along with her blood.


    Tang Xia looked Zhou Linlin in her eyes and said, ¡°If I sell this video to a company that specializes in this kind of video¡­


    ¡°What will happen? I suppose it would be very interesting! I¡¯m quite looking forward to it!¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it was shot surreptitiously! Don¡¯t you know that it is illegal?¡±


    Zhou Linlin bit the bullet and replied to her. Although she was already a little scared, she could not show the white feather in front of Tang Xia. It was she who used to bully Tang Xia. How could she let Tang Xia take advantage of her?


    After hearing Zhou Linlin¡¯s words, Tang Xia wore a sneer.

 Chapter 160 - Negotiation

    Chapter 160 Negotiation


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s sneer, Zhou Linlin could not stand it anymore and stepped forward in the hopes of taking the USB stick from Tang Xia.


    How could Tang Xia let her succeed? So she turned away to escape from Zhou Linlin¡¯s hand. In addition, Zhou Linlin almost fell on the ground due to that.


    Zhou Linlin stumbled then righted herself with a blushed face. Then she stared at the USB stick in Tang Xia¡¯s hand.


    Zhou Linlin stretched out her hand again to take the USB stick. However, Tang Xia slapped her hand rudely and violently.


    Zhou Linlin drew her hand back after a resounding slap and her hand gradually turned red.


    Then Zhou Linlin stared at Tang Xia again without blinking for fear that Tang Xia would do something. Her behavior was like measuring the stature of great men with the yardstick of small men.


    Tang Xia said with disdain, ¡°Are you nuts? Do you think everything will be ok as long as you take the USB stick from me? Haven¡¯t I made a copy of it? Think about it!¡±


    After hearing her words, Zhou Linlin felt a little embarrassed.


    Then she asked Tang Xia, ¡°You got me this time. So what do you want to do? Don¡¯t beat around the bush anymore! Just say it frankly! Based on our relationship, it will be better if you cut to the chase.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Tang Xia wore a sneer. ¡°Right! After all, our time is quite precious. So I¡¯ll talk straight to you. I just want you to get out of this city so that I won¡¯t see you anymore.


    ¡°And you cannot let Jiang Yuecheng see you again. In that case, I can give this USB stick to you and delete the copy. I won¡¯t go back on my word like you. I will definitely keep my promise.¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Linlin put down her hand immediately and glared at Tang Xia while she ground her teeth with a rather reluctant face.


    ¡°Why? Why should I be threatened? Why should I leave this city? I¡¯m so awesome! I will definitely find my Mr. Right as long as I stay here!


    ¡°But this woman¡­ What is wrong with her? How can she change so much all of a sudden? How can she be so bold to do everything?¡±


    ¡°If you dare¡­ dare to sell that video, I¡­ I will perish right along with you. At worst, we will die together. What¡¯s the big deal? It will be awesome to have you in my company when I die.¡±


    Although Zhou Linlin was a little scared, she mustered up the courage to say those words.


    Seeing clearly that Zhou Linlin was biting the bullet, Tang Xia looked at her with a more scornful look and said with disdain, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not bold enough to upload this video?


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I will not let a third person know it was I who uploaded this video if I want to. So you won¡¯t get a good result even if you want to sue me.¡±


    ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t make any big mistake! Why should I leave this city? I have struggled for a long time here so that I now have a promising future. I cannot leave this city under these conditions!


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible! I won¡¯t say yes to such a thing! You should make a new request.¡±


    Zhou Linlin spoke with a determined face, showing that there was no room for negotiation as she would not forfeit her bright future over this thing.


    ¡°Since you hold such a bad attitude toward me and drag your heels, do you want me to sell this video? Don¡¯t regret it!¡± As Tang Xia noticed that Zhou Linlin did not want to give in to her demand, she started to threaten her.


    ¡°You won¡¯t do that! How can you possibly sell this video?¡± Noticing that she could not arouse Tang Xia¡¯s feelings, Zhou Linlin chose a circuitous route.


    ¡°What else can I do? Do you think I¡¯m still that cowardly Tang Xia who grins and bears all your beatings and scolding? That Tang Xia has died, now the woman standing in front of you has a heart of stone. I will achieve my goal by hook or by crook!


    ¡°And as for your reputation? In my view, your reputation is worthless. If you don¡¯t do what I request, I will make a phone call now to upload this video. Don¡¯t blame me for being cruel!¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia raised her cellphone and was going to make a phone call. Zhou Linlin became quite restless and stopped her immediately.


    Then she said, ¡°No! Please don¡¯t do that! Aside from that demand, there are others open to discussion. How about making another requirement? I will think it over! We wouldn¡¯t make such a snap decision even in business!¡±


    Zhou Linlin tried to persuade Tang Xia.


    ¡°No, I have nothing to request aside from that. As long as you don¡¯t show up in front of me or Jiang Yuecheng in this city, my life will be much better than it is now,¡± Tang Xia said with a serious face.


    Neither of them was willing to make any concessions. So they just stood there and looked at each other for a long time until it began to get dark.


    Seeing that it grew dark, Zhou Linlin noticed that it was getting late and became quite anxious since this situation was quite bad for her.


    Besides, she couldn¡¯t afford to negotiate with Tang Xia, which was the biggest problem for her. But Tang Xia in front of her just wore a determined look on her face without saying anything.


    Zhou Linlin, who thought that she could not waste her precious time anymore, decided to get the video first by humbugging Tang Xia. Then the rest would be at her own discretion.


    After thinking it over, Zhou Linlin admitted to being defeated and said to Tang Xia, ¡°Ok, I promise you that as long as you give me those videos, delete the copy, and never spread it out so that my reputation will not be ruined, I will leave this city and never come back to disturb the life of you and Jiang Yuecheng.¡±


    As Tang Xia saw that Zhou Linlin finally admitted to being defeated, she gave a sigh of relief and said to Zhou Linlin with a serious face, ¡°I will keep my promise as long as you do what you have promised me.


    ¡°Here is the USB stick. I will delete the copy when I don¡¯t see you anymore after you leave this city. Don¡¯t worry, I am a woman of my word.¡±


    As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia gave the USB stick in her hand to Zhou Linlin and flashed a smile at her. ¡°You have the USB stick now. So pack up your stuff and leave this city soon. After all, I don¡¯t feel like seeing you.¡±


    After taking the USB stick, Zhou Linlin felt quite relieved. Then she put on a malicious face upon hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words. But when she raised her head up, she immediately showed a smile to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely leave this place. I won¡¯t break my promise since it concerns my reputation. Your wish has been granted.¡±


    ¡°That will be great!¡± Tang Xia looked at Zhou Linlin with a smile and turned away.


    After she got home, Tang Xia saw that Jiang Yuecheng was sitting on the sofa. And Jiang Yuecheng took a look at her as he heard the sound. A long time had passed before she got home, so he asked, ¡°What did you do? Why did it take you so long? Where have you been?¡±


    Tang Xia straightened her collar and looked at Jiang Yuecheng in no hurry. Then she said with a calm look on her face, ¡°Zhou Linlin called me just now to ask me out. So I went to have a chat with her.¡±


    Although Tang Xia wore a terrible face, she did not complete her sentence. As Jiang Yuecheng noticed her expression, he asked impatiently, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had anything to talk about. What did you talk about?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Tang Xia pretended to become embarrassed and said, ¡°she asked me not to disturb her life anymore.


    ¡°She wants to have a good life with Zhang Xian and does not want to let anything else intervene in their relationship. What¡¯s more, she said¡­¡± Tang Xia said hesitantly and took a look at Jiang Yuecheng.


    Jiang Yuecheng became a little impatient. ¡°Go on. Just say what you want! Why do you hesitate? Don¡¯t tantalize me!¡±


    ¡°She said that she is sorry for what she had done to me and she was just goofing around with you.


    ¡°She figured out that she wants to have a good life with Zhang Xian. So she hopes that you can forget what you have been through and forget her,¡± Tang Xia said, looking at him.


    However, Jiang Yuecheng flew into a rage on hearing what she had said without thinking how reliable her words were.


    ¡°Did she really say so?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked coldly, trying hard to hold back his anger.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s what Zhou Linlin told me. And I want to show you something.¡± Tang Xia took out a USB stick from her pocket and gave it to Jiang Yuecheng.


    Then she said, ¡°Zhou Linlin showed me this, well, it is a little indecent. But I think it is necessary for you to watch it.


    ¡°So I made a copy of it when she was not paying attention to me, so that you could have a look at it after I got home.¡±

 Chapter 161 - Chu Tiankuo Disappeared

    Chapter 161 Chu Tiankuo Disappeared


    As Jiang Yuecheng was quite irritated by Zhou Linlin¡¯s words, it took a long time for him to calm down and take the USB stick from Tang Xia. Then he inserted it into the computer and clicked on the only video on it.


    Once he played the video, ambiguous breathing and groans reverberated around the living room.


    While he kept his eyes wide open, Jiang Yuecheng stared at the two people having sex on the screen.


    Tang Xia standing aside had a panoramic view of his reaction, which made her quite complacent. But she was a little worried about Jiang Yuecheng, who glared at the screen so hard that his eyes might fall from his eye sockets the next second.


    When Tang Xia had let her mind wander, she heard a loud ¡°bang¡± sound, which startled her. Then she found that it was Jiang Yuecheng, who shut down his laptop with a slam.


    Jiang Yuecheng used to treat his laptop with so much care that he would not let her touch it. But he just shut it down so rudely, showing that he was quite irritated.


    Jiang Yuecheng turned to Tang Xia and ground his teeth to ask, ¡°Did that b*tch really show you this?¡±


    Poor Tang Xia, who just got startled, was shocked again by the blue and twisted face of Jiang Yuecheng in front of her.


    Resisting the urge of rolling her eyes and patting her chest, she pretended to run scared and said in a low voice, ¡°Right¡­ my younger female cousin is so outrageous¡­¡±


    ¡°Your younger female cousin?¡± Jiang Yuecheng wore a sneer with hatred in his eyes and said in a harsh voice, ¡°She is just a b*tch who only cares about men! Don¡¯t you have too much to do with her!¡±


    Tang Xia stood there with embarrassment as if she did not what to do. In fact, she was so happy that fireworks were going off all in her mind.


    ¡°It seems that Jiang Yuecheng is starting to hate Zhou Linlin thoroughly. That¡¯s right. After all, Zhou Linlin has cheated on him, how could he not hate her?¡± Tang Xia mocked Jiang Yuecheng in her mind while she felt pleased since her task was about to be completed.


    ¡°But if I want to complete my task as soon as possible, it is a great opportunity for me to win the heart of Jiang Yuecheng, the bad boy.¡±


    Tang Xia dragged Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s sleeve slightly and said with an affectation of love, ¡°Yuecheng, don¡¯t get angry. It is not worthwhile doing so for her. Besides, I¡¯m still here with you.¡±


    On hearing her words, Jiang Yuecheng who wore a terrible face looked her in the eye suddenly since he was so sensitive and incisive at the moment after being betrayed by his sweet lover. He did not forget what had happened between Tang Xia and his boss.


    Although his stare made her blood freeze, she knew that whether she was to sink or swim depended on this action.


    So she held Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s hands lovingly and spoke to him. ¡°Yuecheng, you know that I¡¯m not eloquent enough to speak sugared words. But the only thing you need to keep in mind is that I love you.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was so moved by her sincerity; his face was not as blue and twisted as it just was.


    As Tang Xia noticed that he was moved, she made hay while the sun shined. So while looking at Jiang Yuecheng with an aggrieved face, she said, ¡°Yuecheng, don¡¯t you believe me¡­¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng was so moved by her aggrieved face that he held her in his arms immediately and said, ¡°No, I believe you.¡±


    Resisting the urge of pushing him away, Tang Xia managed to squeeze out a tear or two from her eye sockets and said through tears, ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng felt more moved, ¡°Compared to that b*tch Zhou Linlin, who only hooks up with other guys and uses my money, Tang Xia is a gift from God.¡±


    However, he did not know all this was just a task for Tang Xia.


    At this moment, Tang Xia¡¯s cellphone on the table rang.


    Although Jiang Yuecheng was quite unsatisfied with being disturbed, Tang Xia pleased him so much that he would not prevent her from answering the phone.


    When Tang Xia grabbed the phone, she was a little hesitant because it was a call from Chu Tiankuo. But it just took a while for her to hesitate before answering the phone.


    Once she picked up the phone, Chu Tiankuo asked directly, ¡°Tang Xia, is it because of you that Zhou Linlin resigned?¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a while as Chu Tiankuo, who used to call her by exceedingly strange names, hardly called her by her name so seriously. She felt a little puzzled. ¡°He is not supposed to be so concerned about Zhou Linlin since she is just a small potato in my task.¡±


    Suddenly, Tang Xia felt a subtle feeling¡ªin short, Chu Tiankuo making a phone call to her because of a small potato, Zhou Linlin, made her quite uncomfortable.


    When Chu Tiankuo did not hear her answer over the phone, he repeated his question.


    Tang Xia felt wronged and answered rashly, ¡°Yep.¡±


    Not noticing that she was in a bad mood, Chu Tiankuo just said, ¡°Do you have time? We need to meet.¡±


    Although Tang Xia regarded it as inconceivable, she knew that it would ruin her plan if Jiang Yuecheng heard Zhou Linlin¡¯s name. So she tried to say in a calm voice, ¡°Just about her?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo replied in an indifferent voice, ¡°Right. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the cafe near your house at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Before she could reply, he hung up the phone.


    Hearing the busy tone from the phone, Tang Xia felt a little dispirited.


    As Jiang Yuecheng noticed her reaction, he came to ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who called you and made you unhappy?¡±


    Tang Xia put on a forced smile and lied to him. ¡°We have a small party with my schoolmates tomorrow afternoon. But I need to buy some food for dinner¡­¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng frowned and said, ¡°It is just cooking. Mom can do it, too. Go to the party if you want to.¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a while. ¡°Is this the life that Zhou Linlin used to enjoy?¡±


    As she thought so, she smiled and said, ¡°You are so kind to me, sweetheart!¡±


    Jiang Yuecheng felt quite satisfied with her words.


    The next day, Tang Xia arrived at the cafe early. Unexpectedly, Chu Tiankuo was already sitting there waiting for her.


    After she sat in front of him, she ordered a glass of hot milk when asked what she wanted.


    Undoubtedly, her behavior was ridiculed by Chu Tiankuo. After looking her up and down, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°The dress you¡¯re wearing today is like a nightgown. What¡¯s more, you just ordered a glass of hot milk. Do you need the waiter to offer you a pillow?¡±


    Tang Xia looked down at her floral skirt and darted an angry look at him. ¡°He is still so sharp-tongued!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the pretty woman in front of him with a smile and thought, ¡°We are destined to be together.


    ¡°I have witnessed her in an embarrassing condition several times. Although I regard her cry as ugly, I cannot help giving her a hand every time she is in trouble. I am not sure how I feel about her now.¡±


    But Chu Tiankuo was quite aware of one thing¡ªhe did not like it when Tang Xia could determine another¡¯s fate easily in order to complete her task, which made him imagine that he would be like a marionette if that thing were to happen to him. It was hard for the arrogant Chu Tiankuo to accept such a thing.


    At this moment, the waiter arrived with a glass of hot milk for Tang Xia. She smiled at the waiter and started to stir the milk with a spoon.


    As Chu Tiankuo was just thinking about Tang Xia easily determining another¡¯s fate, he felt quite uncomfortable to see her acting rather leisurely. So he could not help asking her, ¡°Do you feel quite complacent now?¡±


    Before she could tell him that the milk of this cafe tasted good, Tang Xia found that he had a terrible look on his face. So she stopped stirring the milk and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo asked in a quite direct way, ¡°I¡¯m asking you how you feel after you forced Zhou Linlin to leave this city.¡±


    It was not until this moment that Tang Xia realized Chu Tiankuo was satirizing her, which made her feel aggrieved. Tang Xia did not think that she had done the wrong thing as Zhou Linlin needed a lesson whether she belonged to the world or not.


    Besides, she felt quite humiliated when Zhou Linlin and Jiang Yuecheng mocked her together.


    Thinking about all this, Tang Xia looked Chu Tiankuo in the eye and said, ¡°She deserves it!¡±


    It never occurred to Chu Tiankuo that she would give him such an answer, which made him put on an angry face immediately.


    Then he thought, ¡°So does she regard me as a small potato in her task as well?¡±


    It was hard for him to accept the result.


    Although Tang Xia had noticed that Chu Tiankuo wore an angry face, she did not feel like talking to him as he had satirized her. She thought that Chu Tiankuo would break the ice soon. However, he did not.


    So she started to stir the milk again to vent her anger and the sound of the spoon hitting against the glass was quite ear-piercing.


    At this moment, Chu Tiankuo said, ¡°So you think that it is not important whether she is Zhou Linlin or Zhao Linlin as it is just a task for you, right?¡±


    After hearing his words, she stopped stirring the milk. As she did not know why Chu Tiankuo asked this question, she had no idea what she should say in response for a moment.


    But Chu Tiankuo regarded her silence as acquiescence. So he stood up disappointedly and asked, ¡°So do you regard me just as dispensable as Zhou Linlin, who you forced to leave the city?¡±


    Tang Xia kept her mouth wide open due to her astonishment of his words. But before she could answer, Chu Tiankuo turned away.


    An inexplicable confusion descended on her mind. She felt quite annoyed for not answering his question quickly and then ran after him. But she was stopped by the waiter after a few steps.


    She took a hundred dollar bill out of her wallet and ran out hastily before getting the change.


    After looking around in confusion, Tang Xia did not find Chu Tiankuo. So she took out her cellphone with a trembling hand to make a call to Chu Tiankuo. However, what she got was just a female voice indicating that the subscriber she dialed was not in service.


    Tang Xia became more and more flustered and took a taxi hastily to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s company.


    She thought the best way to find the workaholic Chu Tiankuo would be in his company.


    She approached the front desk and asked the receptionist, ¡°Hello, I need to meet your boss, Mr. Chu Tiankuo. Please let him know that.¡±


    But that receptionist gave her a subtle look. ¡°You must be looking in the wrong place. Our boss¡¯s last name is not Chu.¡±


    As she had noticed that Tang Xia wore a terrible face, the receptionist thought that she did not believe her. So she pointed at the large billboard-poster aside and said, ¡°Look, the man on that is our boss. He is not the Mr. Chu you are talking about, right?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the billboard-poster and found that it really was not Chu Tiankuo.


    She became so flustered that her mind went blank.


    So, did Chu Tiankuo disappear?

 Chapter 162 - What Kind of Person Is He?

    Chapter 162 What Kind of Person Is He?


    Tang Xia got more and more nervous as she thought about this and didn¡¯t know what to do. She took some time to find the office where Chu Tiankuo had worked and broke in without even knocking at the door.


    The whole world became strange. There was nobody stopping her as she burst into the president¡¯s office.


    A middle-aged man was going through some files in his seat and was startled when he saw her break in hurriedly.


    He was in a business suit but looked obese because of his bloated figure and potbelly. Instead of giving others a feeling of being too fat, he had a look of a successful businessman on account of his nicely featured face.


    ¡°What do you want? Why did you break into my office all of a sudden?¡± The middle-aged man calmed down quickly. He frowned and questioned Tang Xia, who had burst in suddenly.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t think of anything else. She looked blank and kept asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Tiankuo? Have you seen Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    She looked around and searched every corner of the president¡¯s office where someone could hide but didn¡¯t see the familiar, tall figure from her memory.


    The middle-aged man watched her act in bewilderment, but didn¡¯t stop her.


    Tang Xia was in despair because she couldn¡¯t find Chu Tiankuo anywhere. Her eyes, which used to be so vigorous, now became like a pool of stagnant water without any waves in it.


    The president¡¯s office remained unchanged, but Chu Tiankuo was missing.


    The cabinet was as brown as before, where the books that Chu Tiankuo had read lay peacefully. And the sky outside of the French window was as bright as usual. Everything was so usual.


    But she felt something was wrong, awfully wrong.


    Suddenly, her eyes fell on the middle-aged man beside her. She approached him and asked, ¡°Have you seen Chu Tiankuo? He¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo? Who¡¯s Chu Tiankuo?¡± The middle-aged mand was puzzled. ¡°I never heard of such a person in the company. Is this woman a maniac?¡±


    He sized Tang Xia up and down. She wore a floral dress with her hair tied back, looking unadorned and in good taste, which was certainly not what a maniac should look like.


    In front of him was a nice-looking girl, after all. So the middle-aged man coughed slightly and explained in an amicable voice, ¡°Miss, I think you¡¯ve made a mistake. There are about 100 employees in our company, but I have never heard of anyone named Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The spectators in the broadcast room were in an uproar, not knowing what had happened.


    ¡°How did Chu Tiankuo disappear without a reason?¡±


    ¡°What are we here for now that the hero has gone?¡±


    A cat that never has dried fish: ¡°That¡¯s awful. What should Xiaxia do now that Chu Tiankuo has disappeared?¡±


    Beauty Li: ¡°That¡¯s so horrible, thinking that a living person should have disappeared suddenly! That¡¯s too horrible.¡±


    The longer my net name is, the more handsome I am: ¡°I think maybe there appears to be a bug in the system! That¡¯s not in line with the script!¡±


    A fickle lot: ¡°Yes. I agree with the last poster.¡±


    Please @ me if you see a beauty: ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone who can handle this system crash?¡±


    Bowknot: ¡°Ah! Manager Chu! My Manager Chu, where the hell have you gone?¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia sat on the ground helplessly after hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words. She felt full of regret now for letting Chu Tiankuo go then.


    Would there be a different ending if she had forced him to stay, say, impudently?


    The scenes in which Chu Tiankuo had been so nice to her began flooding into her mind: giving her medicine when she had sprained her foot, helping vent her anger, and attending her when she had been abandoned by Jiang Yuecheng and ill¡­


    He was such a good man. Why hadn¡¯t she stopped him then?


    ¡°Tang Xia, you stupid fool. You¡¯ve planned and schemed so much, but you lost the most important one in the end!¡±


    Tang Xia sat on the ground feebly and held her legs in her arms as if all her energy had been taken away.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Chu Tiankuo¡­ where the hell are you?¡±


    The receptionist had said that their president¡¯s name was not Chu Tiankuo, while now the middle-aged man in front of her also told her that there was no such a person named Chu Tiankuo in the company.


    He was nowhere to be found. Had he holed up?


    ¡°No, he couldn¡¯t have holed up.¡± She remembered the serious look on the receptionist¡¯s face and thought this couldn¡¯t be fake.


    Chu Tiankuo was like a gust of wind and disappeared all of a sudden. Even everything related to him in the world also changed its appearance.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s only one possibility.¡± Tang Xia bit her lips. ¡°Chu Tiankuo has vanished!¡±


    The world in her eyes turned grey as that notion came to her mind.


    Tang Xia looked up and saw a line of words in the sky ahead: ¡°Mission success. Miss Tang Xia, please leave the virtual world right away because this world is going to collapse. 60 minutes remaining, starting now!¡±


    Though feeling a void in her heart, Tang Xia was not that foolish. She turned back and looked again at the seat where Chu Tiankuo used to sit, and then clicked the ¡°Quit¡± button without hesitation.


    She returned back to the real world in about one minute.


    There had been a mass of remarks on the screen, most of which were about what had happened to Tang Xia and why would Chu Tiankuo disappear.


    Dancing¡¯s my dream: ¡°What happened to Xiaxia? Why did you close the live show after Chu Tiankuo¡¯s disappearance?¡±


    I fell in love with a dog: ¡°Isn¡¯t there any authority declaration? What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m just curious about this.¡±


    You¡¯re the glimmer: ¡°Manager Chu. I¡¯m calling for Manager Chu.¡±


    Blah, blah, blah¡­: ¡°I think this is a trick played by the company. Don¡¯t be fooled, people. We can win as long as we keep calm!¡±


    Upstairs and downstairs: ¡°I agree with the last poster.¡±


    The God of Truth shows up: ¡°Personally, I think Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden disappearance makes sense. Maybe the company had appointed him to another broadcast room. Believe me, don¡¯t panic. A living person wouldn¡¯t vanish from the Earth.¡±


    Xiaxia¡¯s my Goddess: ¡°Keep calm, Xiaxia, we¡¯re in favor of you.¡±


    Your lies: ¡°If Manager Chu really did vanish, I¡¯ll bombard the company. Stand up, Chu Army!¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia went through some indifferent remarks. But the remarks were sent so fast by the spectators that her eyes became tired, so she turned off the computer to breathe fresh air by the window.


    She grabbed and took a drink of a bottle of mineral water that had been placed on the table. But her eyes were still aching so much. She wondered if Chu Tiankuo had been appointed to another broadcast room like the spectators had said.


    She hoped so, or it would be useless even if she were killed by Malaysians because the female fans of Chu Tiankuo would curse her to death.


    She thought for a while and decided, as the broadcast room¡¯s hostess, she should not go away. She went back as she thought of this and typed a long paragraph of words to pacify the fans.


    ¡°Please keep calm. I¡¯m not clear about what has happened, either. But I swear that Chu Tiankuo will be ok! I¡¯ll report everything truthfully to you in the coming days.¡±


    The fans calmed down when they saw Tang Xia¡¯s declaration.


    Late, late, late, late: ¡°We believe in you. Cheer up. Brother Tiankuo will be alright since God protects the good!¡±


    A female fan of Chu Tiankuo: ¡°We believe in you now that you have pledged. I hope that you won¡¯t let the Chu Army down!¡±


    The authority must be a fool: ¡°Xiaxia, stop hesitating. Call the company and ask what¡¯s happening now! As the heroine, you are qualified to ask the company where Chu Tiankuo has gone!¡±


    My left foot is hurt: ¡°I agree with the last poster. And the company¡¯s hotline is: 666-3836.¡±


    Tang Xia moved the mouse and got the idea. That¡¯s right, how could she forget the authority? She turned off the computer and was about to call the authority.


    But before she could find the authority¡¯s number, there came a series of numbers on her screen that she was familiar with. It was the authority¡¯s number.


    ¡°They are calling me,¡± Tang Xia thought. Then she quickly clicked the answer key.


    ¡°Hello. Is this Miss Tang Xia? I¡¯m Li Yue, a senior officer of the broadcast room in the time-travel company. Now July is inviting you to his office to have a talk, which is expected to start in 30 minutes. Please arrive on time.¡±


    The senior officer was about to hang up after saying these words. Tang Xia was afraid that she might hang up so she said hurriedly, ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡±


    The senior officer paused and asked in a pleasant voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Tang?¡±


    ¡°I have a question. Where on earth has Chu Tiankuo been? I suppose you should know this as an official. The spectators in the broadcast room have gone crazy.¡±


    The senior officer smiled gently and replied, ¡°Miss Tang, July will give you the answer then. I¡¯m just responsible for setting up the meeting and can¡¯t tell you so much.¡±


    Tang Xia understood what the senior officer meant. She looked down and said, ¡°All right, thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    July seldom invited her because, after all, she was just a fresh anchor. And there were people who had worked here in the Time-travel Broadcast Space for a lifetime without seeing the chief inspector, July. So, was this good fortune or misfortune?


    But now, she was exhausted. She took a quick shower and changed into another female business suit that was relatively more formal. As usual, she tied back her hair, leaving only curly earlocks on both sides. Then she put on a pair of black high-heeled shoes.


    Looking at herself in the mirror, Tang Xia was quite satisfied with the way she was dressed, which gave her the look of a cosmopolitan lady.


    She had to wear appropriate clothing because it was a rather formal thing to meet with July.


    But she still felt nervous in her mind no matter how nice-looking and appropriate her clothing was.


    She took a taxi and headed straight for the Time-travel Broadcast Space company. Looking at the sky in the taxi, which was as beautiful as that in the virtual world, she felt at a loss.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you must be ok!¡±


    When she arrived at the foot of the Time-travel Broadcast Space company, a specialized employee guided her. They made numerous turns and took a lift to about the 80th floor before being told that July was just behind the door in front of her.


    Then the guide left.


    She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.


    A cold voice came out the instant she had opened the door. ¡°Have you arrived?¡±


    She kept her head down and uttered, ¡°Hmm,¡± in fear.


    ¡°Do you know what kind of person Chu Tiankuo is?¡±

 Chapter 163 - Will I Be Fired?

    Chapter 163 Will I Be Fired?


    Tang Xia was in a daze for a while after hearing July¡¯s words.


    She didn¡¯t know why he would ask her such a question. But when she noticed that July seemed to be waiting for her answer, she had to cock her head to one side and think about it carefully.


    ¡°What kind of person is Chu Tiankuo?


    ¡°A president?¡± After all, she had met him in the task related to the president, and at that time, he had been her object of conquest.


    ¡°But¡­ he seemed to be different from the president in normal tasks.¡±


    But she couldn¡¯t tell what the difference was.


    If she were to be asked to make it clear what kind of person he was despite his status, Tang Xia would fail to think of any words to describe him even if she used everything that she had learned in her life.


    She had to recall her memories of where she had been in touch with him, hoping to find the answer she wanted.


    Then the scenes began flying across her mind and stopped at the scene in the rain, where he held her in his arms.


    The temperature was so cold in that rainy weather¡­


    But she felt so warm both when she had experienced the rain that day and when she recalled it.


    But then, she felt gloomy without a reason when she remembered everything that happened the day she had met Chu Tiankuo for the last time.


    Stuck in her thoughts, Tang Xia started looking miserable, not knowing that every detail of her expression had been noticed by July sitting in front of her.


    Tang Xia suddenly came back to her senses as July knocked on the table.


    She looked at July regrettably and thought hard about how to answer the question he had asked.


    As she was distressed, July suddenly opened his mouth again. ¡°Do you know that the existence of Chu Tiankuo has made lots of fans suspect that there has been a bug in the company¡¯s system?¡±


    As an anchor, Tang Xia surely knew that such a suspicion would be aroused by the fans.


    Now being asked by July, she had to nod honestly.


    Then July continued, ¡°Many statistics show that the collapse of the virtual world where you have received your tasks was affected by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mood swing. That was the cause of the accident.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. So it had been Chu Tiankuo who had made her tasks terminate without reason.


    She remembered that when he talked to her, he was indeed very angry.


    But such things that had directly led to the collapse of the virtual world¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be good for a company when such an uncontrollable thing happened.


    Tang Xia suddenly became nervous and looked at July cautiously. She waited for his next words while prayed in her mind.


    Yet it seemed that neither God nor Buddha heard her prayer because she heard another question from July soon after, which made her even more worried.


    ¡°Since you have overcome Chu Tiankuo, he has been showing up in your tasks now and then. I wonder if he will continue to appear in the future.¡± July narrowed his eyes, looking to be contemplating and deciding something.


    Tang Xia was startled and thought it was terrible.


    If July affirmed that she would be followed by a bug like Chu Tiankuo all the time, she would assume that it was likely that the virtual worlds would collapse anytime she would broadcast in the future.


    If so, such an anchor like her would be a problem in the company. Then how could she get on in the company?


    Would July fire her right away?


    No! She didn¡¯t want to be fired without reason!


    She bent her fingers and cast her eyes on July nervously, who had been lost in thought.


    As she was thinking if she should plead with July, the latter, who had been thinking, looked bright in his eyes again.


    He looked at Tang Xia meaningfully, which made Tang Xia feel more uneasy.


    ¡°July, I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, July raised his hand and gestured for her to stop.


    ¡°Ok. You can go back!¡± July said lightly. Then he moved his eyes away, and picked up and carefully read the paper on his desk.


    ¡°Ah?!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mouth was agape in surprise. She couldn¡¯t reply to him.


    July had to look at her again when he heard her voice.


    He saw Tang Xia looking regretful, but just standing there motionlessly and looking at him with an expectant face, seemingly wanting him to reaffirm his words.


    July had to put the paper in his hands back on the desk and explain with a patient look, ¡°Though the bug Chu Tiankuo¡¯s appearance has made additional trouble for the company, we have to admit that the guy has been profitable. Each of his appearances has produced enough stunts for the live bar. Since the company can make more profits due to this, it worth it in spite of some fleabites.¡±


    Tang Xia picked up her ears and listened carefully to every word July had spoken. She let out a sigh of relief when she had made sure that she hadn¡¯t been fired.


    That was all right because she could keep on broadcasting and living a happy life.


    She thanked July with gratitude at once. ¡°Thank you, July. And thanks to the company.¡±


    July nodded and waved at her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s over. You can leave now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, then I won¡¯t be here to disturb your work.¡± Tang Xia went out of July¡¯s office with a smile on her face and then helped him close the door warmly and lightly.


    She patted herself on the chest as the door was closed. She sighed due to the fact that she got so nervous every time she met the master.


    But luckily, nothing bad had happened.


    Tang Xia suddenly felt at ease on thinking of this.


    She had already been exhausted because she had broadcast for so long.


    It was so hard for her to be at ease. She turned to the storage room to fetch her belongings and planned to go home to have a good rest.


    But she noticed a familiar figure at once and stopped the moment she arrived at the door of the storage room.


    It was Ye Yifan¡­


    Now he was wearing light-blue sportswear, leaning against the wall. He kept his head down and was lost in a trance, seemingly thinking of something.


    Though he wasn¡¯t wearing the business suit he always wore when he broadcast, he looked no worse than when he broadcast because the sportswear made him look lethargic and showy.


    Tang Xia blushed slightly due to the handsome man in front of her, rejoicing over her good fortune to meet this Prince Charming here.


    She was thinking about how to greet this Prince Charming when Ye Yifan seemed to have realized something and cast his eyes toward her suddenly, possibly because of her ardent gaze.


    The gazes of the two met without any warning, while Tang Xia blushed shyly.


    But she couldn¡¯t look away even when this happened.


    After all, Ye Yifan was the Prince Charming in her mind. She had set her mind on working here as an anchor just to have his gaze remain on her.


    How could she waste such a chance when she had got what she had been longing for?


    Time passed silently as they looked into each other¡¯s eyes¡­


    But for some reason, the expression in Ye Yifan¡¯s changed and he moved toward Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart began beating faster, like a capering monkey¡¯s, as she looked at Ye Yifan, who was getting closer and closer to her.


    Her heart beat faster with each step that Ye Yifan took, getting closer to her.


    Her heart was beating like a drum until Ye Yifan finally stopped in front of her.


    She coughed unnaturally at once for fear that Ye Yifan would hear the embarrassing sound. Then she waved at Ye Yifan and greeted him. ¡°Hi! I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±


    But standing there and looking at her, Ye Yifan didn¡¯t say anything.


    Tang Xia was embarrassed but was more afraid that Ye Yifan might have heard the sound that he hadn¡¯t been expected to hear. She had to force herself to continue, ¡°Ye Yifan, I remember you have watched my live show. What do you think about it? Did I do a good job?¡±


    But, unexpectedly, Ye Yifan¡¯s face became dimmer the instant she had finished.


    Tang Xia was puzzled by the sudden change of his face. Just as she was about to ask him, Ye Yifan started speaking with a low, deep voice.


    ¡°You did a good job.¡±


    Tang Xia was immediately delighted by his words and was about to thank him.


    But in front of her, Ye Yifan had turned away suddenly and walked away from her with a cold face.


    Then Tang Xia looked at him moving further and further away until she completely lost sight of him.


    She stood still and was a little stunned, not knowing what had happened.


    ¡°Why would Ye Yifan act so strangely today? And he seemed to be so cold.¡±


    She decided to catch up with him and ask him but her feet were frozen as she was about to move.


    Why should she ask him about this? What did she have to do with Ye Yifan? She had no right to ask about this.


    Tang Xia was in a trance when thinking of this and didn¡¯t even notice that Li Xianxian had approached her.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re such a troublemaker.¡± Not noticing Tang Xia¡¯s unusual expression, Li Xianxian rushed over and cursed her directly.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s loud shouting called Tang Xia back to her senses.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, what are you doing here?¡±


    She glanced at Li Xianxian disgustedly. She turned away and walked into the storage room to fetch her belongings because she didn¡¯t really want to talk with her.


    Li Xianxian gritted her teeth out of anger when she saw Tang Xia look so indifferent at her. Not willing to give up, she followed behind Tang Xia and cursed her hotly. ¡°How could you say that you¡¯re not a troublemaker? Do you know how many fans I¡¯ve lost because of you?¡±


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes on the spot as she heard Li Xianxian¡¯s words. She turned back and said, ¡°What does it have to do with me if you¡¯ve lost your fans? Shouldn¡¯t you look inside of yourself for the reasons why? You¡¯d better spend your time disciplining yourself instead of arguing with me here.¡±


    She turned away after saying these words, without even looking at Li Xianxian again.


    Li Xianxian was so furious because she had planned to teach Tang Xia a lesson instead of being taught by her. So she yelled behind Tang Xia, ¡°Tang Xia, what are you so complacent about? I, Li Xianxian, will wait and see how long your arrogance can last!¡±

 Chapter 164 - A Gift from an Anti-Fan

    Chapter 164 A Gift from an Anti-Fan


    But Tang Xia turned a deaf ear to any harsh words Li Xianxian had said and left without looking back.


    The best way to deal with such a woman who prefers to pick holes is to ignore her, otherwise you are willing to irritate yourself.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t have the tendency for self-abuse, so she had screened herself from Li Xianxian¡¯s words voluntarily.


    By the time Tang Xia finally shuffled to the gate of her house, letters from her fans had piled up in the mailbox by the door.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help smiling. Was there anything else more delightful than the harvest after hard work?


    Tang Xia felt that she regained all her energy at that moment.


    She took out everything in the mailbox and then headed into the house.


    Having taken a shower and changed into some comfortable clothes, she grabbed the gifts from her fans again and put them on the couch, intending to open them one by one.


    Aside from the letters from her fans, there were also some gifts.


    The most eye-catching one was a red gift box. Tied with a kind of complex purple knot and having a large size, it drew Tang Xia¡¯s attention instantly.


    Obviously, the fan had given it a lot of thought. So Tang Xia decided to open this box first without thinking twice.


    But the complex knot was so beautiful, insomuch that Tang Xia wouldn¡¯t let it be cut. So she didn¡¯t cut the knot with scissors when opening the box, giving it a lot of care.


    When she had finally removed the packaging with some effort, he looked into the box at the gift inside expectantly like a girl on Christmas Day.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    Her expression changed when she saw what really was inside the box.


    There was a knife in that beautiful box!


    On the cold blade, there was red paint applied by someone on purpose, which was so frightening and bold under the light at night.


    Chilled and shuddering with fear, Tang Xia tossed away the knife in her hands instinctively.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The gift box hit the ground and the weird knife fell out.


    But then there appeared a piece of white paper beside the knife with some words looming on it.


    Tang Xia glanced sideways at the knife, and then the paper, while her heart was beating fast out of fear.


    It took her a long time of struggle before she got up the courage to stand up from the couch, walk toward the knife, and pick up the paper.


    The words on it had been written with a red pen: ¡°You scheming bitch, Tang Xia! Go to hell!¡±


    After seeing the words on the paper clearly, Tang Xia felt too much pain to breathe as if something had hit her on her heart.


    ¡°Tap-tap!¡±


    There was an abrupt knock at the door, which broke the silence in the house and heightened the uncanny atmosphere to a high point.


    There was a buzz in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. What came to her was scenes in which those lunatics killed people in the movies¡­


    She was really frightened at this moment!


    She cowered out of fear, her face looking pale and her lips continuing to tremble.


    But not only that. She kept looking at the entrance door, afraid that it would burst open suddenly.


    ¡°Are you home, Tang Xia?¡±


    The knock had lasted for a long time, while the man outside asked when hearing no response from inside.


    Hearing the voice, Tang Xia was suddenly relieved. She rushed to the door without hesitation and opened the door quickly.


    ¡°Ye Yifan¡­¡± She quavered.


    Standing at the door, Ye Yifan saw Tang Xia appear before him when the door had just open, seemingly having just been frightened, with tears on her face.


    He frowned at once. He looked at her apprehensively and asked, ¡°What happened to you, Tang Xia?¡±


    It was not until then when she was asked by him did Tang Xia realize surprisingly that she had been so scared that tears were streaming down her face. She covered her face with her hands, where it was so cold.


    But now, she was not able to bear up and pull herself together aside from taking some deep breaths and wiping the tears on her face casually.


    Seeing that she was not in good condition, Ye Yifan didn¡¯t ask her a second time. He walked straight inside and noticed the weird knife on the ground right after closing the door.


    Ye Yifan seemed to have understood something. He walked close to Tang Xia and pacified her by patting her on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s over.¡±


    By now, Tang Xia had wiped the tears on her face clean. She explained to Ye Yifan in low spirits. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to let you see this. But something happened just now.¡±


    ¡°Show me the paper in your hands.¡± Ye Yifan noticed the paper she held and asked her for it.


    Tang Xia had been in a dither, but Ye Yifan¡¯s presence lessened her tension and gave her a sense of safety. So she passed the paper to him without hesitation.


    Having glanced at the words on the paper, Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes become dimmer. He turned back and solaced Tang Xia. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This should just be a trick!¡±


    ¡°But who would play such a trick!¡± Tang Xia shook her head exhaustedly.


    ¡°As an anchor, it¡¯s a good thing to be followed. But as more and more people follow you, there will be some who like you and those who dislike or even hate you. Such a trick should have been played by an anti-fan!¡±


    Ye Yifan analyzed and speculated.


    ¡°Anti-fan? My anti-fan?¡± Tang Xia was amazed.


    ¡°Maybe! Actually, any popular anchor has his or her anti-fans. Just like me, I have lots of anti-fans, too!¡± Ye Yifan gave her a forced smile.


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia opened her eyes widely. ¡°What? Do you have anti-fans, too?¡±


    ¡°This Prince Charming is so excellent. How is it possible that some people dislike him and become his anti-fans?¡±


    Tang Xia thought it kind of inconceivable and incomprehensible.


    Seeing that she was not as scared as before, Ye Yifan pulled her over to the couch and sat down. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s natural to have people hate you now that you¡¯ve got people who like you.¡±


    It was not until Tang Xia sat down on the couch that she was truly relieved.


    She looked up at and asked Ye Yifan, ¡°Then would your anti-fans¡­ play such a trick on you?¡±


    Ye Yifan was at a loss for words and looked strained on hearing the question.


    Tang Xia got her answer when she saw him in silence.


    ¡°Then the answer must be ¡®no¡¯.¡± Her eyes turned red again and she said smoothly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why this anti-fan would do this to me. I have been working so hard since I became an anchor.


    ¡°I never scheme during my live shows. And I try my best to accomplish the tasks. I just want to project myself as best as I can so that you will¡­¡±


    She paused abruptly and looked nervous at once when she had said this because she realized that she had almost spilled the beans.


    But Ye Yifan, who had been listening to her, narrowed his eyes immediately because he perceived something sensitively. He asked at once, ¡°Why did you stop? You want to project yourself as best as you can so that I will what?¡±


    Having already been so nervous, Tang Xia even trembled when asked by him. She subconsciously shook her head at once and said vaguely, ¡°N-n-nothing¡­¡±


    But how could her words muddle Ye Yifan when they could not even deceive herself?


    Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes seemed to be shining. Then he focused his eyes on her and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Tang Xia, you are holding back something from me. Does this mean¡­¡±


    Tang Xia had already been flustered. Now being asked by Ye Yifan, she was afraid that he had figured out something and didn¡¯t know whether she should answer him or not.


    But the following words by Ye Yifan thoroughly disappointed Tang Xia, who was bashful and ashamed.


    Ye Yifan said, ¡°Tang Xia, you don¡¯t trust me, do you? That¡¯s understandable. After all, anyone would be frightened by such a terrifying incident. It makes sense that you keep a wary eye on me.¡±


    Why would she be afraid of him? Why would she keep a wary eye on him?


    Tang Xia became anxious instantly after hearing his words, fearing that the misunderstanding between them would last. So she explained hastily, ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Ye Yifan, I¡¯m not afraid of you, nor do I keep a wary eye on you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have opened the door for you when I heard your voice.¡±


    But apparently, Ye Yifan was not conceived after hearing her explanation. He just gave a strained smile. ¡°I know.¡±


    Tang Xia became completely impatient upon seeing his reaction. ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s not like what you think. It¡¯s not because I¡¯ve been keeping a wary eye on you that I didn¡¯t finish my words, but¡­ but¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at her with an expectant expression and asked with his insightful eyes, ¡°But what?¡±


    Tang Xia became resolute, gritted her teeth, and said it out loud. ¡°But I was so embarrassed. Do I have to say that I became an anchor because of you and that all I wanted was to draw your attention and let you pay more attention to me by projecting myself so hard during the live show?¡±


    When she had just finished, she was stunned.


    ¡°God! What the hell did I say? This¡­ is too humiliating.¡±


    Tang Xia felt hot in her cheeks all of a sudden, which were as red as thoroughly cooked crabs.


    She promptly looked down embarrassedly, daring not look at how Ye Yifan reacted.


    She huddled herself up into innermost part of the couch, itching to bury herself entirely into it.


    But Ye Yifan, without giving her the chance to evade, pulled her out of the couch quickly, took her into his arms, and chuckled.


    Her ear to his chest, Tang Xia was startled much more when she heard his laughter from his chest.


    When Ye Yifan stopped chuckling finally, he gave her a bitter smile, touched her nose with his finger, and said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re a silly girl.¡±


    Tang Xia was embarrassed. But suddenly, she heard his phone ring from his pocket.


    Ye Yifan held her with one arm while taking out the phone from the pocket and holding it in front of himself with the other.


    Tang Xia popped her head out from his arms and took a look at the phone, where there was the name¡­ Li Xianxian.

 Chapter 165 - Ill Come

    Chapter 165 I¡¯ll Come


    When she saw Li Xianxian¡¯s name on Ye Yifan¡¯s phone at this time, it made Tang Xia feel bad, as if her body temperature had dropped several degrees.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s call to Ye Yifan was definitely not a good sign.


    She cast her eyes at Ye Yifan, hoping that he would not answer the call.


    But she was disappointed in the end because Ye Yifan, without even looking at her, moved his finger to the phone and answered the call, and then put the phone to the side of his handsome face.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s up?¡± His words were always so concise and direct.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s voice could be heard dimly from over the phone. As it was not quite clear, Tang Xia could still identify a wisp of sobbing from her voice.


    ¡°What? Is that severe?¡± Ye Yifan tightened his body, which held her.


    Tang Xia could distinctly feel his worried reaction and felt cold in her heart somehow.


    She was sure that Ye Yifan was worried about Li Xianxian. Did that mean that he would leave soon?


    As expected, Ye Yifan said into the phone the next moment, ¡°Where are you? Give me the address.¡±


    By now, Tang Xia¡¯s heart had frozen. She never looked at Ye Yifan before as ardently as she had just now.


    ¡°Stay there, I¡¯ll come over.¡± Ye Yifan finally hung up after saying these words.


    But Tang Xia was not happy at all about his last few words.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t feel worse because he became worried about another woman right after she had poured her heart out to him.


    Ye Yifan put the phone back into his pocket and said to Tang Xia, ¡°Li Xianxian called me and said that she¡¯s sprained her ankle. She¡¯s now waiting for me to pick her up on East Street.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Tang Xia responded to show that she got it, but her voice was so listless.


    But Ye Yifan had put his mind completely on Li Xianxian spraining her ankle, not noticing any difference in her reaction from before.


    He removed his hands that had been holding Tang Xia, stood up, and asked, ¡°Will you go with me?¡±


    Tang Xia felt empty in her heart because he was leaving. She shook her head without hesitation and refused. ¡°No. Just go by yourself.¡±


    There was more or less some annoyance in her words. But Ye Yifan was too anxious about Li Xianxian to notice it.


    He nodded and fondled her head while saying to her gently, ¡°That¡¯s just as well. After all, you¡¯ve gone through so many things today and must be very tired. Have a good rest at home!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart seemed to warm up a little when she heard his tender words. She looked back at him at once.


    ¡°Remember to lock the door when I leave.¡± Having retracted his hands, Ye Yifan turned back and walked out.


    His movements were clean cut without any sluggishness.


    Tang Xia watched him leave in silence, being unable to say a word and feeling grieved and bitter in her heart.


    Though Ye Yifan had done such a thing that made her so miserable, she could never hate him.


    It was not until Ye Yifan had closed the door and was out of her sight that Tang Xia let her tears fall down again.


    Why would Ye Yifan leave her so easily when he had been so clear about her thoughts regarding him?


    She had struggled in her mind selfishly and wanted to make Ye Yifan stay. Li Xianxian could call her assistant for help if she had sprained her ankle.


    But she managed to control herself. She was very clear that she had no right to speak such presumptuous words, nor did she have the right to ask Ye Yifan to stay selfishly.


    Not to mention that Ye Yifan had been so worried upon hearing Li Xianxian¡¯s name, even if she had wanted to say something, her words would be choked off when she saw his response.


    But he had left this way, asking her to take a good rest and lock the door, but never telling her what he thought about her.


    Why did he hold her in his arms? Did he also like her? Or was that because he just wanted to show his sympathy to her because he felt that she was being too silly?


    Tang Xia was now in confusion and was unable to calm down.


    She huddled up on the couch and ate nothing the whole night. She fell into sleep dizzily at midnight.


    The next morning, Tang Xia woke up hungry.


    She cooked a small bowl of noodles for herself, but was still in low spirits, thinking over Ye Yifan¡¯s attitude toward her from the day before.


    But anyway, she had to brace herself up because she had to go to work. So she headed for the company after changing her clothes.


    But when she had just stepped out of the subway entrance, she was so lucky because she saw Ye Yifan standing in front of a stand buying something.


    She was surprised and immediately moved toward him.


    Ye Yifan turned away after taking the breakfast that the boss had handed over, not noticing Tang Xia walking toward him at all.


    Tang Xia hurriedly shouted at him when she saw him walking away, ¡°Ye Yifan.¡±


    Hearing her call him at the crossing, Ye Yifan looked back and smiled pleasantly at her. ¡°Tang Xia, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I didn¡¯t, either. I had just come out of the subway station when I saw you buying¡­¡± Tang Xia was interrupted by someone before she could finish.


    ¡°Gee. It¡¯s really Tang Xia! I didn¡¯t expect this!¡± Li Xianxian¡¯s voice came out abruptly.


    Tang Xia hadn¡¯t noticed until now that Li Xianxian, bending down, was sitting on the stairs at the corner of the road.


    That was because there was a parterre in front of the stairs that had blocked her off.


    Tang Xia would have never discovered her if Li Xianxian had not leaned out.


    She looked disappointed at once when she saw Li Xianxian, who had shown up unexpectedly.


    She glanced at Ye Yifan and found that he was still wearing the light-blue sportswear he had worn the day before, while Li Xianxian hadn¡¯t changed her clothes apparently.


    But it was not until now that she suddenly noticed that the breakfast in Ye Yifan¡¯s hand was for the two of them.


    This proved everything clearly.


    Ever since he had left Tang Xia¡¯s home, Ye Yifan had been accompanying Li Xianxian¡­


    An aching pain sprouted up in Tang Xia¡¯s heart suddenly.


    Meanwhile, Li Xianxian had stood up from the stairs by now.


    Seeing that she was standing up, Ye Yifan strode toward her and reached out to hold her. ¡°Stop moving around because your foot is hurt.¡±


    Li Xianxian immediately simpered on hearing his words. ¡°Eh, I just failed to resist it when I saw that you¡¯ve bought me breakfast. Yifan, thank you so much for attending to me the whole night.¡±


    Thought Tang Xia had already expected this, she still could not help feeling sad in her heart when it was proved by Li Xianxian¡¯s words.


    ¡°So you attended to her the whole night¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan was clever enough to see something was wrong by Tang Xia¡¯s looks.


    But faced with the fact, he had to answer her honestly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face looked pale but she could say nothing anymore.


    Li Xianxian showed her a triumphant look and sniggered. ¡°Eh, by the way, was Yifan in your home last night? I heard that you were in a bad mood because of something.


    ¡°But there was no other way because I sprained my ankle, unfortunately. Yifan was distressed about my injury and had to come to attend to me, so he was unable to take care of you.¡±


    When she saw Tang Xia¡¯s triumphant expression, Tang Xia saw through everything. She could no longer restrain herself from getting angry. ¡°Li Xianxian, did you do this intentionally? Did you have fun with these tricks?¡±


    But Li Xianxian was not a fool who would acknowledge in front of Ye Yifan that she had played tricks on Tang Xia. She pretended to be puzzled immediately. ¡°Tang Xia, why do you speak to me this way? What tricks did I play? Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see the injury to my foot?¡±


    She pretended to be excited and moved her body when speaking. Then frowning as if she had been wronged, she leaned her hourglass figure on Ye Yifan.


    As expected, Ye Yifan reached out at once and held her on her waist for fear that she might fall down.


    Seeing that she had prevailed over Tang Xia, Li Xianxian showed an aggressive look to Tang Xia deliberately when Ye Yifan was behind her and could see nothing.


    This infuriated Tang Xia much more, who pointed at her and said in annoyance, ¡°Li Xianxian, you¡¯re so hypocritical.¡±


    Leaning on Ye Yifan¡¯s chest, Li Xianxian was smiling complacently and said arrogantly, ¡°Tang Xia, didn¡¯t you play tricks on me? You just tried to make Yifan stay at your home for the night by saying that you were in a bad mood. I can¡¯t think of anyone else more capable of playing tricks than you, scheming b*tch!¡±


    Having been called a ¡°scheming b*tch¡± by Li Xianxian, Tang Xia felt as if her heart had been stabbed by a needle. The knife and the paper she had seen the day before flashed through her eyes again.


    Though she had thrown away all these things, she would still feel extremely uneasy when she thought about them.


    On seeing that Tang Xia had suddenly become uneasy after hearing her words, Li Xianxian burst into laughter as if she had gotten something on Tang Xia. ¡°See? Did I hit the point? Are you flustered?¡±


    ¡°Stop, Li Xianxian.¡± Ye Yifan scolded her suddenly in a deep voice.


    Li Xianxian never expected that Ye Yifan would scold her and she felt wronged. ¡°Why? It was she who had a guilty conscious after being exposed by me. Why do you ask me to stop?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®guilty conscious¡¯? She¡­ she¡¯s been tired.¡± Ye Yifan defended her.


    He surely knew why Tang Xia would change her face all of a sudden. But being unable to tell her what had happened the day before, he could only find such an excuse for Tang Xia.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? How would she get tired in the morning?¡± Obviously, Li Xianxian didn¡¯t believe his words.


    But Ye Yifan didn¡¯t want to keep arguing with her and held her to leave.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind was a whirlwind as she watched them leave.


    Had Ye Yifan defended her?


    Maybe she should ask him about it and see whether or not he liked her.


    When Tang Xia had just stepped in the company, Ross rushed to her and shouted, ¡°Tangtang, you¡¯ve been hot in the searches.¡±

 Chapter 166 - You Have Become a Trending Topic on Microblogs

    Chapter 166 You Have Become a Trending Topic on Microblogs


    Tang Xia feared that she would be killed by this huge humanoid weapon, so she quickly dodged away.


    Ross passed her and fell to the ground directly, crying out in pain, ¡°Oh, you bad girl, you just saw me fall down. Ouch¡­ It is killing me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault?¡± Tang Xia stretched out her hands, expressing her helplessness.


    ¡°Hmph! You ungrateful girl! As I am rushing to tell you something!¡± Ross jumped up from the ground in anger and complained about her grievance pitifully.


    ¡°Well. My bad. I¡¯m sorry for you. I was wrong. So what¡¯s up?¡± Tang Xia asked in a gentle voice.


    Just now, Ross suddenly rushed out while yelling. She just dodged away and didn¡¯t hear what Ross was saying at all.


    Hearing her words, Ross had no reason to be angry anymore. Ross knocked the dust from her clothes and said excitedly, ¡°Oh! It¡¯s just that you have become a trending topic.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that I read a lot of news about you when I opened my microblog. Now the news is blowing up online. You should log on and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Hearing what she had said, Tang Xia suddenly had a bad feeling.


    She immediately took out her cell phone from her bag and opened her microblog. She did read a lot of news about herself.


    However, it was all negative news and most of the titles were something about ¡°playing tricks¡± and ¡°conniving girl¡±.


    Tang Xia changed her face at once and browsed the news anxiously.


    Finally, she clicked the topic of #The anchorwoman tricks the boss into falling in love with her#.


    Tang Xia slowly scrolled the screen and saw that many netizens in the topic were calling her a two-faced scheming b*tch.


    Some even called her a b*tchy coquette. And the virtual character collapsed the whole virtual world for her. Many netizens cursed that she would be killed by a car and drowned when she went out.


    In brief, there were all kinds of bad words written against her.


    Tang Xia browsed the news one by one and her face turned colder and colder as she was browsing.


    She surely knew that the virtual character was referring to Chu Tiankuo. However, she also clearly knew that she didn¡¯t play tricks on him.


    Maybe she did regard him as her target; however, what she did to Chu Tiankuo later was all done in earnest.


    In addition, she did not expect that the virtual world would collapse, nor did she expect that her decision would make Chu Tiankuo be overwhelmed suddenly.


    When she broadcast live, she was always strict with herself to show the best of herself.


    However, why did everyone swear so many terrible things at her now?


    Many people online even said that they would all become her anti-fans.


    She was mighty scared by the anti-fan¡¯s gift from last night. If there were more anti-fans¡­


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help trembling and dared not think about it anymore.


    She didn¡¯t know why it had gotten to be this way overnight.


    She just fulfilled a few tasks. Why did so many people hate her and think she played tricks? She hadn¡¯t, okay? She was just trying to accomplish the tasks, but why couldn¡¯t they see what she had invested and her efforts?


    Reading the comments, she felt like her heart was bleeding. What exactly was going on?


    Tang Xia continued to browse on the phone and clicked the news one by one.


    There were many screenshots of her live broadcast in the news. And some words like ¡°scheming b*tch¡± were marked at the bottom.


    They even made many GIFs, which showed her actions in the live broadcast. And these actions could have been seen as normal without improper feelings.


    She didn¡¯t know how they dealt with these GIFs, which made her look caustic and even sinister.


    Those confused ordinary netizens also swore at and mocked her after they read the news.


    And many other netizens said that they would watch her live broadcast to see her true face.


    Browsing these, Tang Xia felt that she would collapse in the next second.


    Now she could imagine that numerous people would swear at her when she did her next live broadcast.


    Suddenly, she remembered the knife she had received yesterday and the message with the bad words of ¡°scheming b*tch¡±. She subconsciously thought there was a connection of some kind between them.


    She continued to search online, trying to find the culprit.


    But the more she browsed, the colder her heart became¡­


    ¡°Why? Why is this happening? What am I doing wrong, anyway?¡± Tang Xia said with a choked-up voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Tang Xia. You know that people like typing unreal things online.¡± Ross allowed herself to comfort the sad Tang Xia, but there was no worry in her eyes.


    ¡°They like doing that? How could they be so irresponsible?¡± Tang Xia shouted loudly. She got very angry.


    ¡°Well, if they really need to be responsible, will these people who use sock puppets swear online? Actually, it¡¯s not worth getting sad over. As anchors, we need topics. If not, how can we attract more fans?¡±


    Ross spoke with a smile disapprovingly. She had been worried that she wasn¡¯t popular enough. If she had such a chance, she would be extremely happy.


    Alas! It was a pity that she didn¡¯t! Comparisons are odious indeed.


    Thinking of that, Ross looked at Tang Xia jealously.


    Tang Xia knew that what she said was true, but she still couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Ross saw that she was silent and continued, ¡°Well. Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal, but a good one. A trending topic means you have become famous! That¡¯s great! Don¡¯t worry so much, okay?¡±


    In such a situation, Tang Xia did not want to say anything so she just smiled at her helplessly.


    Ross curled her mouth disappointedly. ¡°All right! It¡¯s time for us to get prepared.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded and packed her cell phone away. Now she was in such a confused mood and she was quite puzzled about what to do next.


    She took a few steps forward and suddenly stopped.


    The horrible event yesterday and the terrible thing today almost overwhelmed her.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do now and she didn¡¯t know how she could face the upcoming live broadcast.


    ¡°Ye Yifan¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan suddenly came to her mind. Thanks to him, she had been able to calm down yesterday.


    At the thought of this, she subconsciously wanted to find him. Ye Yifan was a master. Maybe he could tell her how to deal with these terrible things.


    And¡­ she could ask him about that other thing by the way¡­


    Thinking of that, Tang Xia moved again and walked in the direction of Ye Yifan¡¯s office.


    Ross remained where she was. When she saw Tang Xia just stand there for a moment and then walk toward Ye Yifan¡¯s office, her face suddenly became caustic.


    She whispered disdainfully, ¡°Yuck! Shameless! Just like the comments online, she is a scheming b*tch indeed and won¡¯t miss any opportunity.¡±


    When Tang Xia stopped at Ye Yifan¡¯s office, she hesitated. What should she say to Ye Yifan when she saw him?


    ¡°I¡¯d better talk about the things online with him first and then ask him about that other thing.


    ¡°In this way, even if he refuses me, I won¡¯t stay there and feel shame.¡± After thinking everything over, Tang Xia was about to knock on the door.


    While raising it into the air, her hand was frozen again.


    She suddenly remembered that Ye Yifan left with Li Xianxian in the morning, and now she did not know if he was in his office.


    But hadn¡¯t she decided that she would get his exact answer? So, what was she hesitating about? Whether he was in or not, she just needed to knock on the door.


    She was disconsolate for a moment. Just as she was determined to knock on the door, a voice came from behind.


    ¡°Tang Xia.¡±


    Tang Xia was scared to death by this sudden voice and looked back immediately.


    It was July¡­


    When did July get behind her? She didn¡¯t even notice him at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s you¡­ July.¡± Tang Xia patted her breast to calm her mind and managed to force out a stiff smile.


    ¡°Did I scare you?¡± July saw her reaction so he asked curiously.


    In front of July, Tang Xia surely hid the truth and could only reply vaguely, ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Well, that means you are not scared.¡± July heard her answer and jumped to a conclusion.


    Hearing what he had said, Tang Xia just wanted to roll her eyes.


    Somehow, July sized her up meaningfully and asked suddenly, ¡°By the way, is there anything wrong, as you are standing in front of Ye Yifan¡¯s office?¡±


    She came here especially just because she had something to discuss with Ye Yifan. So she nodded. ¡°Yes, I do have something to discuss with him.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± July then asked.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t expect that July would ask that, so her face froze at once.


    God! She couldn¡¯t really tell July that she had come to Ye Yifan to ask whether or not he liked her.


    Then she could only say embarrassingly, ¡°Actually, it was nothing serious. I just wanted to ask for his advice on something trivial.¡±


    July answered, ¡°Well, since it¡¯s a trivial matter, come back to see him later. Come with me now!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where are we going?¡± Tang Xia was stunned and asked without thinking.


    ¡°To my office. I have something important to talk to you about,¡± July said, and without considering whether she heard it or not, he walked toward the elevator.


    Tang Xia had to catch up to him immediately and follow him to the elevator.


    As soon as she entered the office, Tang Xia asked, ¡°July, what on earth is wrong?¡±


    July sat in his office chair and said to her, ¡°Tang Xia, since you are a trending topic you¡¯d better start a live broadcast at once. Don¡¯t waste the hot views.¡±

 Chapter 167 - Broadcast Live Once More

    July seemed very excited and kept on inciting Tang Xia, who was disgusted by that but felt embarrassed to get mad at him. So she just bowed her head wearily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you not happy?¡± July was obviously very puzzled.


    In his opinion, it was an incredibly fine thing that Tang Xia could be a trending topic. With such hot views, the dream of popularity, salary, and the big break would come true soon.


    What else? It was all about Ye Yifan! Tang Xia was so confused and she couldn¡¯t understand Ye Yifan thoroughly. She wondered whether Ye Yifan really liked her or he was just single and wanted a girlfriend to get together with.


    If it was the latter, what should she do? She loved him with every beat of her heart! In order to get close to him, she started broadcasting from a nonentity.


    She underwent so many sufferings and setbacks, then hacked her way through difficulties to meet him eventually.


    Now the master was no longer a distant and unearthly star. She had the pleasure of touching him and being hugged by him. However, his value had not been diminished at all. Even though he had fallen from heaven, he still seemed to be a precious diamond.


    He gave her ordinary self an accessible dream. But the dream was merciless. She still needed to fight and chase all the time. Maybe in this way, she had a 1-in-10,000 chance to have him.


    Her nose twitched and her eyes become moist. Tang Xia felt very wronged. She was not a scheming b*tch or an affected person. She was just trying to pursue her dream and longing for love.


    Why could no one understand her? And how could they do such harm to her?


    And, Ye Yifan¡­ How could he be with her at this moment, looking gently at her and giving her his tender arms? But the next moment, he would leave her because of a phone call from another woman?


    Was that the master¡¯s tenderness was like? As long as a girl needed him, he could devote himself heroically? Was he really just a public idol, a dream beyond reach?


    Tang Xia was unwilling to believe these thoughts because that was too cruel and he had always been her dream!


    She had gone this far because of him. If it weren¡¯t for wanting to get closer to him, why would she choose to broadcast live and stick to such a situation of being attacked by everyone?


    She was called a scheming b*tch, an affected person, and many other strong swearwords. If not for love, how could she suffer from these?


    She stared at Ye Yifan¡¯s office door, imagining what he and Li Xianxian did inside. Would he hug Li Xianxian just like he had hugged her? And would he hold Li Xianxian¡¯s face gently just as he had done when he was comforting her?


    Tang Xia felt that she was going crazy¡­ But July was still nagging in her ears.


    ¡°Nowadays, it¡¯s great enough to hit the headlines once. Do you know how much money it will make this time? I¡¯ll tell you now that it¡¯s an opportunity! If you take advantage of it, you will have a thriving business and boundless prospects. Otherwise, your dream will be fleeting like a bubble!¡±


    July talked so much that he wished he could take the place of Tang Xia to start a live broadcast. Then, with the chance, he could rise directly to a high position.


    But when he stopped, he saw that Tang Xia was gawking and seemingly thinking about something. He was not sure if she had heard what he said.


    July suddenly took in a bad breath and rolled his eyes while coughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you okay?¡± Tang Xia came to her senses and immediately patted him on the back with a look of deep concern.


    ¡°Have you heard what I said?¡± July rolled his eyes in anger and felt completely exhausted both physically and mentally.


    Well, it was awkward. Tang Xia blushed silently because she was just immersed in her own sorrow and had not been listening to him at all.


    July could not catch his breath and fell back immediately, leaving Tang Xia alone in a great bustle and panic¡­


    Finally, Tang Xia chose to put her personal feelings aside and broadcast. And this time, the broadcast room was unprecedentedly hot.


    Don¡¯t You Know I¡¯m a Spectator: ¡°Yo-Yo, check it out. I¡¯d like to see what kind of person our beautiful anchor is! I¡¯m waiting¡­¡±


    You Don¡¯t Understand My World: ¡°I agree. I am a spectator, too. I¡¯d like to see if our anchor is really an angelic b*tch.¡±


    Wind Without Trace: ¡°You are talking sh*t! You are a f*cking angelic b*tch! Don¡¯t wrong Tangtang until you know the truth!!!¡±


    Swordsman: ¡°Yuck! Angelic b*tch! Angelic b*tch! Hmph, bite me!¡±


    At the Sight of Injustice with a Roar: ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°The live broadcast will begin soon. You can tell if the anchor is a b*tch then!¡±


    The bright red letters floated across the screen, which really calmed them miraculously. Many ordinary netizens who were to ¡°be attracted¡± by Tang Xia were waiting to see what kind of person she was.


    Glancing dimly from the comments, Tang Xia bit her lip and waited for a while until the last second before the live broadcast, but she did not see Ye Yifan. She started broadcasting disappointedly. Putting away her sadness, Tang Xia entered the new environment.


    This time, Tang Xia needed to enter the virtual world Close Your Eyes before the Night Comes.


    As soon as she entered, she was almost pushed to the ground by a man before she hadn¡¯t had time to figure out what was going on.


    She turned to look at the man blankly. It was her boyfriend in this story¡ªFang Yan.


    ¡°Hey, answer me. What do you think?¡± Fang Yan poked her again and muttered unhappily, ¡°Why are you so stupid?¡±


    Tang Xia was still sorting out the plot of this story in her mind, so she couldn¡¯t answer him immediately. In a trance, she asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Fang Yan was excited and said, ¡°What about going to the suburbs for a summer vacation? Dabing¡¯s uncle has a spare villa in the suburbs. We will explore around there together. Are you going with us?¡±


    Tang Xia was a little shocked. The story was about to be in full swing. It was really unexpected that she arrived at such a coincidental time. Looking at Fang Yan¡¯s expectant look, Tang Xia felt very weird.


    However, in order to complete the task, she had no reason to violate the development of the plot.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go if you¡¯re going.¡± Tang Xia nodded vaguely while her mind started to wander independently again.


    Ye Yifan hadn¡¯t entered the broadcast room yet¡­ She didn¡¯t know what he was doing now. Thinking of Li Xianxian, Tang Xia was as anxious and painful as if her heart were stuffed with 10,000 pieces of honeycomb briquettes.


    She was working now, but she just couldn¡¯t calm down.


    Was it true that the master could only be the master? Couldn¡¯t Ye Yifan really belong to her? She had been seeking him and looking forward to being with him for so long. Would it really be a dead failure?


    Tang Xia wanted to cry again because she wanted to push open the door that separated her from Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian into two worlds. She wanted to see what they were doing there. She was afraid that they would be doing something romantic and so intimate in that room when she was broadcasting live.


    She was afraid that in just a few hours, the accessible master would fly away¡­ Tang Xia was so angry that she wanted to cry because she had not been ready for the live broadcast and adjusted her mood yet.


    What was worse, he didn¡¯t appear in her broadcast room. Upon realizing that, Tang Xia felt that she was going hopping mad and couldn¡¯t stay there anymore!


    And seeing the fans¡¯ comments, Tang Xia¡¯s heart became briefly colder¡­


    Not Hanging from the Southeast Branch: ¡°Hey, no kidding! Is she the legendary beauty anchor? So-so, just so-so! Yuck! You all say that she looks like a fairy, so I thought she would be very beautiful!¡±


    The King of Xiang Had No Dream: ¡°I agree with you. She is just a little more beautiful than an ordinary one. It¡¯s true that people¡¯s clamor can melt metal and I was wrongly informed!¡±


    Devil NPC: ¡°And look at her performance in the live broadcast. What poor acting skilla! What about getting into the character in one second? And what about ¡®f*cking awesome¡¯? What the f*ck! Does she really know how to act?¡±


    Don¡¯t Swear My Tangtang: ¡°!!! You are talking sh*t! Everything has a transitional process! Put up or shut up! Do you only dare to be a keyboard warrior but not dare to come out publicly? I¡¯ll kill you c*nt!¡±


    Flowers in Fog: ¡°Yes! Put up or shut up! Are you blind so you can¡¯t see Tangtang¡¯s fine acting?¡±


    In brief, the comments suddenly went astray. They talked about Tang Xia¡¯s appearance, acting skills, communication, and all the other aspects they could possibly think of.


    The devotees and anti-fans had a war of words. They called each other¡¯s 18 generations of ancestors. They quarreled bitterly¡­ But fortunately, they were separated by screens. Otherwise, there would have been a gang war.


    She didn¡¯t know if she was moved or sad. Although the networked world was virtual, she was being criticized by the public. She felt that her every detail seemed to be enlarged many times, and then it was judged by the public.


    They were the judges, and she could do nothing. Tang Xia was so sad. It seemed that she had never been so sad, and for a moment, her original intention even wavered.


    What on earth did she broadcast live for? And why did she love Ye Yifan?


    She traveled in these hyper-real virtual worlds, having countless experiences of love and hate. Why was she doing that?


    The conversations swarmed and covered the screen.


    Fang Yan was still immersed in his own thoughts, then he clapped excitedly and said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll go.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded, but her heart suddenly jumped. That was because she thought of Chu Tiankuo¡­ who was a system error in this broadcast room.


    She could meet Chu Tiankuo and get involved with him in every live broadcast and every story. He could always give her countless touches and protect her well.


    At this moment, in such a lonely situation, Tang Xia thought of Chu Tiankuo unexpectedly. She wondered if she could meet him this time. And what would happen?

 Chapter 168 - The Hand on the Bed

    Chapter 168 The Hand on the Bed


    The next day of the live broadcast of Close Your Eyes before the Night Comes soon arrived. The summer vacation began and the plot of the book started unfolding.


    Fang Yan and Tang Xia arrived early at the place they had appointed with Dabing, but found no one there. So Fang Yan said something with dissatisfaction.


    Tang Xia had to admit that she was in a bad state. Her mind was wholly taken up with the scene of Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian passing her side by side and Li Xianxian¡¯s unkind eyes.


    She wondered if Ye Yifan really liked her. If he didn¡¯t like her, his attitude toward her would be like that of an ordinary colleague. But if he did like her, he would not allow Li Xianxian to show off in front of her.


    Her mind was in great confusion. She really wanted to go out to get things straight with Ye Yifan and ask him loudly if he liked her. She had originally become an anchor because of Prince Charming Ye Yifan.


    But later on, she found that she really enjoyed this job. She hacked her way through difficulties and experienced numerous abuses, just to be able to stand alongside and get closer to him.


    When her head was bursting in confusion, Fang Yan, who was next to her, put his arm around her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and pulled back her thoughts. She suddenly realized that she was still broadcasting live in the world of the novel. So she smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°Well, I am just so happy because I didn¡¯t expect to go with you.¡±


    Although she knew that he was a complete love rat and it was a virtual world, she didn¡¯t like him being too close to her and touching her at all.


    Hiding the discomfort in her heart, she had to keep a fake smile on her face.


    He couldn¡¯t believe what she said, so he did a double-take. Then he held her tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯d no idea you like being with me so much.¡±


    As he spoke, he got close to Tang Xia. Just when he had almost kissed her on his lips, she pointed behind him with a cry of surprise.


    ¡°Here they are!¡±


    Fang Yan frowned and had to release Tang Xia from his arms.


    How disappointing!


    Fang Yan looked back, then they saw Dabing arriving with two girls. One of the girls was petite and looked tender, cute, and timid.


    The other was a queen bee, who was tall and slim with long hair and the prettiest face in school. Her gesture showed that she was a proud girl.


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows and recognized the latter as Song Sisi.


    Fang Yan instantly changed his bad face and looked at the girl in front of him in surprise. ¡°Sisi?¡±


    The pretty girl was also stunned and surprised that she would meet Fang Yan here.


    Fang Yan did nothing, but Tang Xia could feel that he was very excited and happy now.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t know that the spectators and fans were updating the green conversations, which meant she was being cheated on¡­


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Fang Yan finally asked.


    Song Sisi was a little surprised but she didn¡¯t change her expression noticeably. ¡°That¡¯s something I should be asking you. Why are you here?¡±


    Dabing was also stunned. He immediately stood between them. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you know each other?¡±


    Song Sisi seemingly wanted to get away from Fang Yan. She said nothing coldly. While surprisingly, Fang Yan got close to her. ¡°Yes. She is my first love.¡±


    Song Sisi glanced at him with objection. ¡°I was. Thanks.¡±


    Dabing froze. He came with the girl purposefully. He thought Fang Yan already had a girlfriend, so he could have a good time with the girl. However, what the hell was with this guy fastening on the girl like a pug?


    Dabing pulled Fang Yan away. ¡°It¡¯s over, so let¡¯s get over it!¡±


    Fang Yan was stunned and did not respond.


    Dabing said to Fang Yan, ¡°Zhang Yaoyao and Song Sisi came with me. You just need to take care of your darling Tang Xia.¡±


    Fang Yan had forgotten that Tang Xia was here.


    Tang Xia twitched her lips slightly. What an easily neglected real girlfriend she was!


    Song Sisi looked Tang Xia up and down for a while. Then she suddenly sneered and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, or we¡¯ll miss the train.¡±


    Fang Yan agreed with her and approached her at once. ¡°Let me help with your luggage!¡±


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t stand that anymore. ¡°Fang Yan! Come and take your luggage!¡±


    Song Sisi looked back at Tang Xia. Fang Yan turned a deaf ear to Tang Xia¡¯s words as if he hadn¡¯t heard them. And Song Sisi acquiesced him to take her luggage, then she turned back and smiled at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia twitched her eyes. Zhang Yaoyao walked over to her with a sweet smile.


    ¡°Please, let me help you.¡±


    Tang Xia was moved inexplicably. Ah, it was this feeling that was abandoned by the love rat.


    Tang Xia and Zhang Yaoyao took the luggage together. After all, it was hard for those girls to do that. Luckily, Dabing came over to help them with the luggage in time. On the contrary, Fang Yan was holding Song Sisi¡¯s luggage beside her as if he had never seen a girl before.


    Zhang Yaoyao looked at Fang Yan with contempt.


    ¡°Why do you like that guy?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and suddenly speechless.


    She didn¡¯t know why either. This was what was in the novel. There was nothing she could do about it¡­


    Along the way, Zhang Yaoyao accompanied her to comfort her by talking and laughing. Fang Yan surrounded Song Sisi like a fly, and it was inexplicably harmonious.


    Eventually, they arrived at the railway station with packs of luggage.


    Throughout, Song Sisi did nothing. On the contrary, Tang Xia and Zhang Yaoyao were half-dead with exhaustion. Looking at the backs of Fang Yan and Song Sisi, she inexplicably felt that they were like Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian very much, and she was always an outsider.


    Tang Xia took a deep breath, shook her head, and tried to put those thoughts aside. Suddenly feeling cold behind her, she turned back without warning.


    Zhang Yaoyao felt strange when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s actions.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Xiaxia?¡±


    Behind her were the crowd and noise in the railway station. ¡°What happened? Was it really my illusion? Obviously, there was a dark and inexplicable familiarity.¡±


    ¡°Xiaxia, what¡¯s up? Is there anything behind you?¡± Zhang Yaoyao saw that Tang Xia did not respond and kept looking behind her, so she raised her hand and shook it in front of Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    Tang Xia returned to her senses. Looking at Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s anxious face, she immediately hid her expression and said with a smile, ¡°No. Suddenly something occurred to me.¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao looked at her incredulously and muttered, ¡°What makes you so nervous?¡±


    Tang Xia laughed embarrassingly. She didn¡¯t want to be regarded as a psychopath due to her terrible suspicions, even in the virtual world.


    ¡°Come on. The tickets are being checked.¡±


    Tang Xia perfunctorily pulled Zhang Yaoyao to line up to get on the train to Longshan County.


    They got on the train and put away the luggage. Dabing, Fang Yan, and Song Sisi sat in the three seats in a row. Tang Xia and Zhang Yaoyao were sitting opposite them.


    Fang Yan looked at Song Sisi and helped her open a water bottle, then asked her, ¡°How have you been recently?¡±


    Tang Xia almost spat out a sip of soda water. Couldn¡¯t he use other words to start up a conversation?


    Song Sisi took the water indifferently. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Song Sisi doesn¡¯t want to talk with you at all!¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ do you have a boyfriend now?¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao, who was next to Tang Xia, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She got up and said, ¡°What does it matter to you whether she has a boyfriend or not? Your girlfriend is still here!¡±


    Fang Yan was shocked by her voice and suddenly noticed Tang Xia.


    ¡°It¡¯s just old friends reminiscing.¡±


    ¡°Are you calling this reminiscing?¡± Zhang Yaoyao said that in her heart. And Tang Xia didn¡¯t care about that love rat at all.


    Seeing that Tang Xia, who was the real girlfriend, say nothing, Zhang Yaoyao had no reason to say more. It was a little awkward. Upon seeing that, Tang Xia took Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s hand, laughed, and chatted with her.


    Thanks to Tang Xia¡¯s solution, it became very relaxed. Song Sisi was just an indifferent onlooker. It was none of her business. She was used to seeing these men please her. It was these men who were cheap themselves. So it had nothing to do with her.


    Dabing couldn¡¯t say anything either and just focused on the snacks. After all, he knew Fang Yan¡¯s character very well. Fang Yan didn¡¯t care about his own matter, let alone anyone who was an outsider.


    Fang Yan was very satisfied with Tang Xia¡¯s reaction. He thought she was very sensible, so he continued to ask Song Sisi all sorts of questions. Song Sisi just answered perfunctorily with ¡°um¡± or ¡°ah¡±, etc.


    ¡°Is your name Zhang Yaoyao?¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao nodded and wondered why Tang Xia was so generous. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What a nice name! You are worthy of the name which means petite and tender.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you worry about your boyfriend who is still getting involved with his first love?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply with the same ¡°generosity¡±. Was that still true in this day and age?


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes twitched. What should she say? It was for the plot. And there was nothing she could do about the plot progress.


    ¡°They are just talking about the old days. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Then Zhang Yaoyao suddenly pulled her nervously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. You¡¯ll suffer a lot if you let your boyfriend be free!¡±


    Tang Xia could only comfort her by saying that it couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t be like that.


    Upon entering the sleeper compartment of the train, Fang Yan nodded with satisfaction. It was clean. Zhang Yaoyao pulled Tang Xia¡¯s arm tightly. Tang Xia was puzzled. Was this little girl afraid of the dark?


    It was true that girls were timid. After Fang Yan turned on the lights, everyone began to unpack. They all stayed in the same carriage. The beds were divided into upper, middle, and lower berths, which was supposed to be the original way. So they were not bothered to worry about that.


    Zhang Yaoyao and Tang Xia made the beds and the others unpacked the luggage and so on.


    Thinking of Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s reaction just now, Tang Xia said with a smile, ¡°You are afraid of the dark.¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao broke out immediately and bowed her head shyly.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m here just because I wanted to be braver¡­¡±


    At this moment, a hand suddenly fell over Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s head, and red blood dripped on her forehead. Zhang Yaoyao was so scared that she jumped up screaming.


    ¡°Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah!!!!¡±


    Tang Xia was also scared and she stood up suddenly. Zhang Yaoyao rubbed her forehead roughly as she remembered the sticky and cold touch. Then she immediately hid in Tang Xia¡¯s arms and cried.


    ¡°Hahahahahahahahahaha¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and Zhang Yaoyao opened her eyes suddenly. They saw Dabing project his head and say with a smile, ¡°You insist on following us. Look at yourself!¡±

 Chapter 169 - The Haunted House?

    Chapter 169 The Haunted House?


    Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s face turned red with anger. Her eyes were dismembering Dabing just like knives. She was so angry that she trembled. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind! You should know that a terrible joke may lead to someone¡¯s death!¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s lips were trembling and her eyes were ablaze with fire because the scene just now was really terrible. Just when she was not prepared, a bloody arm suddenly fell from the upper berth¡­ And it hung down straight in front of her.


    It was lucky that she was not scared to death! But this silly bastard, not only did he not apologize, he dared to make fun of her!


    ¡°Hey, are you really angry?¡± He lowered his head from the upper berth and stared at Zhang Yaoyao in surprise. Finally, Seeing Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s tearful eyes, he scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°I was just kidding with you.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen someone that kidded with others like you?¡± Zhang Yaoyao hated him so much in her heart and she felt that her soul had been about to drift out at that moment. She was a girl; how could he do that to her?


    ¡°This stupid animal deserves that he has no girlfriend. What a rude man! He ought to be single his whole life!¡± Zhang Yaoyao cursed Dabing many times in her heart.


    ¡°You¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Dabing hurriedly climbed down from the upper berth and quickly took a few sheets of paper to wipe something on his arm in a panic. Then he handed the paper to Zhang Yaoyao and said anxiously, ¡°Smell it. This is just ketchup.¡±


    ¡°Go away! I will never smell such a dirty thing!¡± Zhang Yaoyao was so angry that she turned around and stopped talking.


    Then, the air became cold.


    Dabing looked at Tang Xia helplessly and gave her a wink. He made a bow with hands folded in front and winced. Tang Xia stifled her laughter and nodded. Then she went to pull Zhang Yaoyao.


    ¡°Yaoyao, cool down, please. He was just joking with you.¡± Tang Xia felt her words were contrary to her inner belief because she was also frightened and a little angry at that moment. But before she lost her temper, Zhang Yaoyao went on the rampage.


    Then it was out of control and she was just like a dumb shell. She had no chance to vent her anger so she had to swallow it into her stomach.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just scared.¡± Zhang Yaoyao patted her chest in a state of shock, with tears hanging from her face.


    ¡°So you have cooled down, have you?¡± Song Sisi also smiled and scratched Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s nose with her finger, naughtily sticking out her tongue. Then she turned her head and glared at Dabing angrily.


    But then she said to Fang Yan, ¡°You¡¯d better do something about your brother! He is too odious! Is there such a joke?¡±


    Fang Yan was stunned and then shrugged and laughed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My bad. Maybe I forgot to take his medicine before I went out. I censure myself.¡±


    With one arm around Dabing¡¯s neck, Fang Yan struck Dabing¡¯s forehead with his finger dramatically. Dabing winced in pain, crying for mercy.


    ¡°Bro-bro, I apologize. I¡¯ll never ever do that again.¡± Dabing was pitifully unable to break away and had to beg for the girls. But who he begged for was Song Sisi.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m really really wrong. Please make your Fang Yan stop striking me. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to be silly!¡±


    Dabing was still screaming, but it was silent suddenly. Did he say the word ¡°your¡±?


    Fang Yan released his hands awkwardly and kicked Dabing¡¯s buttock with his foot. He lowered his voice and scolded Dabing, ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡±


    Dabing was lost in the moment. He looked at Fang Yan blankly, which seemed to ask ¡°what did I say?¡± So he spoke his thoughts in a panic.


    Exhaling a breath, Tang Xia immediately tried to improve the atmosphere. She deliberately took a bottle of wine over to Dabing and said he had to finish it in one gulp!


    Maybe remembering what he said just now, Dabing blushed and murmured. Then he took the bottle and drank it with his head up. What magnificent spirit!


    But he drank too fast and couldn¡¯t help spitting the wine in Fang Yan¡¯s face. Then the two boys chased after each other in chaos. They laughed and began to play around.


    The three girls sat together and chatted. Zhang Yaoyao suddenly held Tang Xia¡¯s arm and leaned on her shoulder. Then Zhang Yaoyao said with a mixture of petulance and comfort, ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯ll follow you from now on!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Tang Xia was a little surprised, so she looked at Zhang Yaoyao curiously.


    ¡°Since I can feel your loneliness!¡±


    Zhang Yaoyao couldn¡¯t say it out loud because Song Sisi was also looking at her curiously. She sighed in her heart and felt very angry. If her suspicion was true, Song Sisi and Fang Yan must have been having a secret relationship.


    They used to be lovers and now they met again. It ought to be very weird. However, the three parties looked normal. A weird feeling was lingering in Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s heart.


    Zhang Yaoyao was silent and then sidetracked randomly. ¡°Because I found you congenial to me! I liked you at first sight.¡±


    Before Tang Xia could answer, she saw Song Sisi suddenly get up and left. Then she saw Song Sisi go over to Fang Yan. They were talking about something and Fang Yan laughed with his gums showing.


    Tang Xia thought about Ye Yifan again. She found that Ye Yifan and Fang Yan were so similar in that they both seemed to be two-timers.


    Tang Xia felt desolate in her heart. At that moment, she felt the warmth of Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s hands holding hers. So she said ¡°yes¡± with a forced smile.


    The guys and gals made all manner of quips and jokes along the way. Eventually, they drove to Longshan County. But they didn¡¯t expect that the villa of Dabing¡¯s uncle would be in the mountains!


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s too far away! I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Zhang Yaoyao stayed in the car and didn¡¯t want to move. Thinking of the long mountain road, she lost the energy to walk.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too far from here. We just need to walk for an hour and we¡¯ll get there soon.¡±


    Dabing took the opportunity to persuade her. ¡°My uncle¡¯s villa is very well-decorated! There is a big garden full of roses, a large open-air swimming pool, and decoration like European architecture. Think about the soft king-size bed, the medium-well steak, and the red wine from the 80s¡­¡±


    Like Zhang Liang, Dabing drew a magnificent picture in Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s do you think? Are you tempted?¡± Dabing got close to Zhang Yaoyao naughtily with a face like a big pancake.


    She was tempted and even excited! Zhang Yaoyao imagined the villa on the other side of the mountain road with a wonderful fantasy. She could hardly wait to rush to it at once. However¡­ It was better to kill her than walk on the mountain road for an hour.


    Her ideal was wonderful but the reality of so much luggage and such a hard journey was cruel. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can walk that far.¡± With a mournful face, Zhang Yaoyao sadly buried her head in Tang Xia¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Tang Xia! It¡¯s up to you. I¡¯ll go if you say yes. But if you say no¡­¡± Zhang Yaoyao was in as much pain as if she had been cut. Her eyes closed and opened to look at Tang Xia firmly. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Tang Xia needed to make the final decision. She was very hesitant because no one knew more about what the results would be for them after they arrived at the villa than she did. But she only knew the results and didn¡¯t know much about the process¡­


    Looking at Zhang Yaoyao, who relied entirely on her, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t say a word indeed. She knew what would happen. But when she entered the story, she knew that what was going to happen was part of the climax.


    She couldn¡¯t avoid it, or in other words, she had to experience the matters in the story personally.


    Well, obviously, she couldn¡¯t say that to Zhang Yaoyao. Tang Xia was really in a dilemma¡­


    She could not look directly at Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s eyes that were depending on her, even though she knew they were only virtual characters in the story, just a set of code or data.


    However, she had been familiar with Chu Tiankuo, so she couldn¡¯t be indifferent to them.


    She knew that it was absurd and ridiculous. But in fact, she did think so. Meanwhile, she suddenly covered her mouth and stared with astonishment.


    God! What was she thinking? Why did she see Chu Tiankuo in a new light? Even if he was a set of crazy and unusual data, he was still a set of data. He was still virtual, not in the real world!


    For an instant, it was so amazing to see her face looking green and red. And the others strangely looked at her reactions, which were a mixture of embarrassment and astonishment. They were very much in the dark themselves!


    ¡°Tang Xia, what are you thinking about?¡± Zhang Yaoyao shook Tang Xia¡¯s arm, feeling very strange. She just asked Tang Xia a question. And why did Tang Xia show such complicated expressions?


    ¡°Ah?¡± Tang Xia was called back to her mind and just saw their weird gazes directed at her. So she became embarrassed.


    A few seconds later, she sighed in her heart. Then she directly left Fang Yan to deal with it. ¡°It¡¯s up to you. I¡¯ll go if you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Well, come on then.¡± Fang Yan took a breath and felt it was really tricky. Then the two guys took the initiative to carry the luggage and set out first.


    As expected, they walked for another hour on the mountain road and then finally arrived at the villa.


    But standing on the hill outside, everyone looked at the magnificent villa with cold sweat.


    It was just like the castles in Twilight, with towering spires and doors like dark cave mouths. It stood far away in the afterglow of the sunset and looked gloomy and terrible¡­


    ¡°Is it a villa for people?¡± Actually, Zhang Yaoyao wanted to ask if there were vampires inside. But she dared not because she was so scared.


    ¡°Of course. We can regard it as an adventure.¡± Fang Yan was leaving with the luggage. Tang Xia panicked because she was also very scared, so she wanted to pull his hand.


    At that moment, Song Sisi was saying to Dabing, ¡°It¡¯s too scary!


    Fang Yan heard that, so he turned to pat Song Sisi on the shoulder with enthusiasm, showing his white teeth, and said, ¡°Then follow me.¡±


    ¡°Fang Yan!¡± Tang Xia looked at Fang Yan and wanted to remind him that he was her boyfriend!


    Fang Yan was not so stupid and realized it immediately. So he went up close to her embarrassedly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll certainly protect you!¡±


    Song Sisi looked at Tang Xia and sneered, then hung her face the whole way. When they entered the yard, they found an old man in black standing by the door.

 Chapter 170 - Provocation From Her First Boyfriend

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was startled by the silent old man in black, paled immediately. Then, she hid behind Fang Yan, which made him feel very embarrassed.


    The old man in black made everyone present look strange, as they all became vigilant around him.


    However, he told Dabing obediently, ¡°Young master, welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for picking us up, housekeeper.¡±


    When Dabing waved his hand casually, the housekeeper left reverently right away. Then, everyone released a sigh of relief and became quite curious.


    Although Fang Yan was rather familiar with Dabing, he was really curious about the housekeeper, who had appeared suddenly. Thus, he could not help asking all sorts of questions. Impatient as Dabing was, he answered the questions anyway.


    Song Sisi, who had been standing beside Fang Yan, acted as if she was the hostess.


    Zhang Yaoyao was quite unsatisfied with Song Sisi¡¯s behavior, so she pulled Tang Xia¡¯s sleeve lightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Xiaxia, just leave her alone. In fact, I don¡¯t like her either.¡±


    Song Sisi turned to look at them with a cold glint in her eyes, as if she had heard what they were talking about, but kept talking intimately with Fang Yan.


    As she looked at the two of them, who were talking and joking, Tang Xia felt a little disappointed.


    While almost everyone was absorbed in what was happening at the moment, few people were paying attention to the broadcast room. Therefore, they did not know that the fans in the broadcast room were having a big fight.


    Some people were reviling the scheming b*tch Song Sisi, while others were criticizing Tang Xia for not behaving her boyfriend, who seemed like a bad boy.


    ¡°Young master, are you and your friends going to stay here tonight?¡± Even though everyone remained silent and Song Sisi stopped talking with Fang Yan, the housekeeper broke the silence abruptly.


    Dabing seemed a little impatient, yet he chose to reply to the old housekeeper patiently, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve come here for the expedition. It should go without saying that we will be staying here tonight.¡±


    Although Dabing became a little angry with the housekeeper, who kept mentioning domestic affairs in front of his friends, he did not express his anger.


    When she was left far behind her boyfriend with her boyfriend¡¯s first love, Tang Xia had no choice but to walk slowly with Zhang Yaoyao. Besides, she could feel that the atmosphere around them was a little weird. Unfortunately, she could not tell exactly why she felt that way.


    ¡°But young master, I have told you that¡­¡± After hearing that answer, the housekeeper, who seemed a little anxious, interrupted the conversation abruptly.


    Dabing interrupted the housekeeper again in an angry tone before he could finish his sentence. There was an impatient look on his face.


    ¡°Housekeeper, I suppose I have told you that you just need to do what a housekeeper should do.¡±


    Dabing had a rather terrible expression on his face, so the housekeeper dared not say anything. However, Tang Xia noticed that the housekeeper had an uneasy look on his face for a moment. It seemed as if he had something on his mind.


    In this case, she could not make any improper remarks, as she was on the live broadcast.


    Plus, she supposed that no one would believe her under the circumstances. As a result, Tang Xia decided to stay silent for fear that she would be ignored.


    Tang Xia and Zhang Yaoyao walked arm in arm, keeping up pace with the others. While they walked forward silently, the housekeeper uttered no superfluous words.


    Although the inner space of the villa was quite large, every room was rather narrow. A significant amount of space was occupied by calligraphy works and other ornaments, which made the layout look very comical.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not well-prepared. I did not know that you would be coming so suddenly. We just have two rooms at the moment. How would you like to assign the rooms?¡±


    Dabing seemed a little pissed-off. Although the housekeeper knew that he was in the wrong, they had gotten along for years and he could not hire the servant to do the cleaning.


    After all, even though the villa looked quite exquisite, it was out of the way. People went there only for the expedition.


    ¡°So what are we going to do? We¡¯d better work together to figure it out. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not fully prepared.¡±


    Dabing, who was always arrogant, felt quite pissed about this embarrassing situation.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my suggestion.¡± Song Sisi, who had kept on talking, interrupted the conversation abruptly in a proud tone, making Dabing frown slightly.


    ¡°The boys will stay in the first room and the girls in the second one. That way, no one will feel embarrassed or find the arrangement inappropriate. Besides, I think that we girls always get along.¡±


    Tang Xia furrowed her eyebrows slightly but straightened her face quickly. ¡°We always get along? I think that Song Sisi knows everything about our relationship.¡±


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t figure out why she offered to share the room with me, this doesn¡¯t mean that she will not cause me any trouble.¡±


    Fang Yan froze for a while, feeling a little awkward. He had not expected that his first love would offer to share a room with his girlfriend. Soon, he realized that a clean hand did not need to be washed. There was no need for him to show his feelings too clearly.


    Besides, his girlfriend was so good-natured that she could only hurt herself. She would not be regarded as a threat.


    As he thought of this, he felt assured and decided to let them deal with everything.


    Tang Xia did what she suspected was correct as soon as she and Zhang Yaoyao dropped off their luggage. Song Sisi, who kept her chin up, walked toward her proudly before they could greet each other.


    ¡°You are his girlfriend, right?¡± Although Song Sisi did not indicate so clearly, everyone knew who ¡®he¡¯ was.


    Tang Xia felt a little awkward. Luckily, Zhang Yaoyao was not paying attention to what they were talking about. Instead, she was pretending not to see them and packing up her own luggage.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his girlfriend. Is there something wrong?¡± Tang Xia took a breath mentally and told herself that she had to stay calm. It would harm her image if she got angry easily.


    ¡°In that case, we have something to talk about.¡±


    After hearing her answer, a hint of disdain flickered in Song Sisi¡¯s eyes. She quickly put on a smile, as if there had been no conflict between them.


    Tang Xia felt that Song Sisi was so difficult to deal with that she should not badger with her. However, she had to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that he pursued me so solicitously in high school that he sent a love letter to me outside my dormitory every day. This embarrassed me a lot, but I think that he managed to get a good end-result since you are his girlfriend now.¡±


    Harsh as those words seemed, it was hard to question them, as Tang Xia would seem rather petty by doing so. To be honest, however, she was unable to let go.


    The spectators in the broadcast room became quite fevered when they saw this scene. It had never occurred to them that the anchor would meet such an impossible person.


    Those who favored Tang Xia were worried about whether she could deal with this scheming woman, while those who disliked her took pleasure in her misfortune and waited for her to embarrass herself.


    However, Tang Xia was not in the mood to care about what was happening in the broadcast room for now. Song Sisi¡¯s words had made her freeze. The only thought in Tang Xia¡¯s mind was how this woman could be so shameless and not feel sad at all.


    Before she could say anything, a knock was heard at the door. The knock was followed by Fang Yan¡¯s voice. ¡°Sisi, Tang Xia, it is time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Sisi? What an intimate appellation! How daring of him to claim Song Sisi! Does he even care about me?¡±


    When Tang Xia opened the door, Fang Yan¡¯s gorgeous smile froze on his face. After all, he had not expected that someone other than Song Sisi would open the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Song Sisi, who was standing behind Tang Xia, making Fang Yan put on a smile again. Fang Yan¡¯s attitude toward them was quite different, so Tang Xia, who did not feel like exposing him, just felt a little upset.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang Yaoyao approached Tang Xia and slipped her arm through hers without taking a glance at those two, who swaggered away.


    This image did not allow Tang Xia to say anything else. She just followed them silently.


    Although the housekeeper offered them a real feast, the gruesome atmosphere in the villa made everyone lose their appetite for the marvelous meal.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The meal is rather delicious. Hasn¡¯t the housekeeper been well-prepared?¡±


    The only one who was not affected by the atmosphere was probably Dabing, who had lived there in his free time. He looked at the others in confusion. No one dared to contradict him, so they all kept shaking their heads.


    Tang Xia, who was rather calm, got busy enjoying the meatballs in her bowl without caring much about their attitude.


    ¡°Eat more. I remember that you like meat.¡±


    The most disgusting couple at the dinner table had to be Song Sisi and Fang Yan, as one of them kept serving dishes while the other put a smile on her face. They acted as if they had been meant to get together this way.


    Tang Xia put on a faint smile. She did not care about their bold behavior. After all, they were just data to her.


    Just as everyone was about to enjoy the meal, Zhang Yaoyao screamed. Suddenly, the hall became rather quiet while everyone paused to look at Zhang Yaoyao.


    Zhang Yaoyao grasped tightly Tang Xia, who was the nearest, and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard anything?¡±


    As she finished her sentence, everyone¡¯s faces became distorted.

 Chapter 171 - They Were a Couple

    Chapter 171 They Were a Couple


    ¡°I cannot hear anything! Don¡¯t scare me!¡± Song Sisi put on a pale face immediately. Although Dabing and Fang Yan both looked a bit odd, they regained their calm quickly because they were boys who were bolder.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You must have misheard. Don¡¯t frighten us before the game starts.¡±


    Fang Yan comforted Song Sisi by patting her on the shoulder. At the sight of this, Tang Xia with a hint of sadness in her eyes did not expose them.


    After Song Sisi noticed that Tang Xia in front of her was quite upset, she put on a bigger smile, which made her appear more elegant and charming.


    ¡°What a scheming girl!¡± Fans in the broadcast room went ballistic. Every time Tang Xia and Song Sisi had a confrontation directly or indirectly, those fans and anti-fans would have a big fight. However, all the people pointed their finger at Song Sisi this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed! Such a scheming woman will definitely condemn others to death in real life.¡± One fan could not stand it anymore and posted a comment in the broadcast room.


    It happened that Tang Xia could no longer stand the woman acting in front of her and checked the broadcast room. So she felt much happier after seeing those fantastic comments.


    Although everyone relieved the tension with jokes, Tang Xia could still feel that Zhang Yaoyao beside her was in an unstable mood.


    Tang Xia grabbed her hand and found that her hand was quite cold, as if she had experienced something rather terrifying.


    ¡°Zhang Yaoyao, are you all right? Why are your hands so cold?¡± After asking several times, Zhang Yaoyao did not respond. So Tang Xia had no choice but to call her by name, making Zhang Yaoyao raise her head.


    ¡°Tang Xia, could you please go back to the room with me so that I can have a good rest? I¡¯m truly terrified. I did hear something. I don¡¯t know why you guys heard nothing.¡±


    Maybe Zhang Yaoyao did not want others to hear her words, so she spoke in a rather low voice. In the meantime, Song Sisi told a joke that made the other two people laugh out loud, which covered up Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s voice and provided them a perfect place for a private conversation.


    Tang Xia held Zhang Yaoyao by the waist so tightly that Zhang Yaoyao could feel a sense of safety. Although Tang Xia was not sure whether her words were true or not, she tended to believe Zhang Yaoyao because her mental state was rather unstable.


    ¡°Are you sure that you want to go back to the room? Have you had enough?¡± Tang Xia did not care very much whether or not she herself got enough because she lost had her appetite after seeing her boyfriend and his first love having intimate interactions in front of her.


    ¡°I do want to go back to the room because I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± It sounded like Zhang Yaoyao was about to break into tears. But even so, she spoke in a rather low voice.


    Meanwhile, Song Sisi, who kept on talking to the other two people, turned to take a glance at them. Although Tang Xia noticed that, she decided to ignore her. Then she apologized to everyone present and took Zhang Yaoyao away.


    ¡°Creak!¡± Although the door of the villa was made of sandalwood, the sound it made was a bit creepy because no one had lived here for a long time.


    ¡°Yaoyao, your face looks pale, are you all right?¡± Tang Xia hesitated, wondering if she should take Zhang Yaoyao to the hospital, but she gave up this idea quickly.


    As the main battlefield of this broadcasting space was this villa, she was likely to miss the key points if she left here rashly.


    Besides, her fans were in the broadcast room. The reasons she had come here were for the game and for her reputation, which meant that saving people was not her main purpose.


    ¡°Oh, no, this is not a human being. Zhang Yaoyao in front of me might be just a kind of data.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll be fine after a good rest. I am probably just too nervous.¡±


    Obviously, Zhang Yaoyao was being perfunctory. But it seemed that she did not want to explain it to Tang Xia and she kept on rummaging through her handbag with a pale face.


    ¡°What are you looking for? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± In fact, since she could find some other things during this period, it was the wrong decision for Tang Xia to go back to the room with Zhang Yaoyao.


    But even so, Tang Xia felt pained to leave her alone in this room.


    Maybe it was the warm air in this room that made Zhang Yaoyao feel safe, but her face was not that pale anymore and she finally found what she wanted from her handbag.


    ¡°Why are you taking a sleeping pill?¡± Tang Xia was a bit surprised to see that Zhang Yaoyao put a white tablet into her mouth and felt somewhat shocked after seeing the label on the bottle.


    As Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s face grew rosy, she raised her head up and saw Tang Xia¡¯s startled look, which made her put on a somewhat embarrassing smile.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind. To be honest with you, I have neurasthenia, so I can¡¯t fall asleep when I¡¯m afraid. I will definitely be scared to death if I am alone in this room.¡±


    According to Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s personality, her words were credible. But honestly, cowardice is a disease that must be cured.


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while as she did not know what to say. Besides, she thought that it was time for the medicine to come into play, so it might be alright to leave Zhang Yaoyao alone in this room.


    ¡°I am leaving now. Call me if you need anything.¡± After tucking Zhang Yaoyao in bed, Tang Xia turned to leave the room. When she took a glance at the weak girl, her eyes were quite ambiguous.


    Tang Xia might not have known that more people favored her because of this series of acts because they regarded her as a kind girl. But there were also people who thought that she was just putting on a show to hype herself.


    After she checked the broadcast room again, Tang Xia became a bit speechless. What¡¯s more, the man she had been looking forward to seeing did not show up, which made her somewhat upset.


    When she arrived back in the hall, the others had finished their meal and the housekeeper, who was putting away dishes, asked Tang Xia if she needed him to cook another meal for her.


    Tang Xia, who had not had enough, patted her belly and felt not very hungry. So she politely declined his request.


    In the meantime, Dabing was sitting on the sofa casually, watching TV in the living room of the villa. But it seemed that the connection was so bad in such a remote place that snow showed up from time to time on the screen. However, Dabing just fixed his dull eyes on the TV.


    ¡°The settings of this game are quite abnormal.¡±


    Tang Xia whispered in her mind and chose to go out.


    ¡°Sisi, I still love you as much as I did in high school. Can you be my girlfriend again?¡±


    There was a sculpture-like pool that was as grand as the Roman Sanctuary. What¡¯s more, a fountain was contained in this pool. As it was now the time set by the system, the fountain sprayed as gorgeous as a sakura blossom.


    The moment Tang Xia walked beside the pool, she heard a familiar voice. What¡¯s more, there was another voice that seemed to be familiar to her as well.


    ¡°How can it be possible? Don¡¯t you already have a girlfriend? Why do you come looking for me?¡± The former voice that was soulful belonged to Fang Yan, while the other voice that was irritating belonged to Song Sisi.


    ¡°What the hell? Did I burst into a melodrama?¡±


    Tang Xia sighed with emotion because she was so ¡°lucky¡± to know everything that she should see or not. However, she did not feel much about it since it was just a part of the story.


    So she felt nothing at all at the moment. But she had to put a sad look on her face in accordance with the story.


    ¡°Look, what a melodrama! It is a typical story of the mistress replacing the wife!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia may lose the game this time. But it is rather a melodramatic story. I sympathized with her for three seconds.¡±


    As a larger number of comments were posted in the broadcast room, people were either talking about the story or sympathizing with Tang Xia. Unexpectedly, no anti-fans were making trouble this time.


    Tang Xia did not know what she could say because she thought it was not possible for Fang Yan to win Song Sisi¡¯s heart again. If he could not make Song Sisi his girlfriend in the age of innocence when they were in high school, it would be harder for him to do so in such a materialistic age.


    While Tang Xia hesitated, wondering if she should expose their amour at the moment, she found that she had been out too long. So it would be better if she showed up to stop the highlight of this story between Fang Yan and Song Sisi.


    But apparently, it was not appropriate for her to show up in this way. So she decided to go back to the room first.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang Yaoyao had not fallen asleep. But she seemed to be rather quiet as if she was thinking about something. Tang Xia did not intend to interrupt her thinking and opened the window, from which she could see clearly Fang Yan and Song Sisi.


    ¡°Song Sisi is about to come back. Maybe it is time for us to get ready for sleep.¡±


    While Tang Xia fixed her eyes on their behavior, she could not hear what they were talking about because they were too far away from her. But she could speculate on how things went according to their facial expressions.


    At this moment, Fang Yan regarded his confession quite successful and it seemed that Song Sisi was moved by him. So he worked harder to arouse Song Sisi¡¯s feelings.


    The moment he wanted to hold her hand to kiss her and show his inner feelings to his goddess, an abrupt female voice interrupted everything.


    It was none other than his girlfriend¡ªTang Xia.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯ve got a girlfriend.¡± Song Sisi pretended to be unhappy by pouting and relaxed her hold hastily.


    Tang Xia ran out of the room to go downstairs, which made her out of breath.


    Fang Yan looked at Tang Xia with reproach and wanted to rebuke her. But Tang Xia got the drop on him and said, ¡°Fang Yan, do you feel cold? Do you need me to bring you a coat? ¡±


    Not only did she play the role of an understanding wife and loving mother, but she also successfully disturbed their pleasure.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Fang Yan uneasily held back his reproach. Then he changed the subject after pretending to look around casually and asked, ¡°Where is Yaoyao?¡±

 Chapter 172 - Yaoyao... Is Dead

    Chapter 172 Yaoyao¡­ Is Dead


    On their way here, both Fang Yan and Zhang Yaoyao barely took a look at Zhang Yaoyao, how could they possibly care about her at the moment?


    So when asked where Zhang Yaoyao was, Tang Xia knew it was Fang Yan¡¯s excuse to let her leave so that he could spend time alone with Song Sisi because she had a good relationship with Zhang Yaoyao.


    But how could Tang Xia possibly allow his plan to work? So she pointed to the house behind and said, ¡°Zhang Yaoyao said that she was so tired, so she fell asleep.


    ¡°We have walked very far, so there was no time for us to have a good talk today. Since I have nothing to deal with now, it is a good opportunity for me to spend time with you.¡±


    Not only did her words respond to Fang Yan¡¯s question, but also they reminded him of the fact that he had ignored her for the whole day. What¡¯s more, what she had said was to remind Song Sisi of the intimate relationship between them, so Song Sisi would leave consciously.


    As expected, after hearing her words, the facial expressions of Fang Yan and Song Sisi both changed.


    Song Sisi took a glance at Tang Xia with hatred in her eyes. Then she put a guilty look on her face and said to Fang Yan, ¡°Fang Yan, I¡¯m sorry. Since I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, I want to have a good talk with you.


    ¡°But it never occurred to me that there¡¯s a lot we could talk about. So it takes me such a long time to chat with you that I forget you should spend time with your girlfriend.¡±


    After finishing her sentences, Song Sisi cast an obscure look at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia could tell clearly that her look was quite defiant.


    As Song Sisi¡¯s words were quite exquisite, what she implied was that there were a lot of things that she could talk about with Fang Yan, which meant that they hit it off.


    Besides, Fang Yan had ignored Tang Xia all day, which implied that Tang Xia was quite a boring woman to Fang Yan.


    But it was rather annoying that Fang Yan did not understand her implicit meaning. He just thought that Song Sisi apologized to him because she felt embarrassed by Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    So he felt that Song Sisi was wronged and glared at Tang Xia with disdain. Then he comforted Song Sisi in a soft voice. ¡°Don¡¯t give it a second thought. It will be all right if I don¡¯t spend time with her for one day since I can see her every day.


    ¡°Besides, we haven¡¯t met each other for such a long time, it is quite reasonable that we talk about the old days. It is she who is so ignorant.¡±


    Hearing that Fang Yan had accused her of being ignorant, Tang Xia became rather pissed off.


    ¡°It is he who asked me to come here with him. But then he gets busy with flirting with another woman. How can he blame me now?


    ¡°What a disgusting man! But I have no choice but to endure all this since I have the task of broadcasting.


    ¡°I have kicked him as far as I can in real life so that he will not show up in front of me to make me feel sick.¡±


    As Song Sisi noticed that Fang Yan was defending her, a gleam of triumph flickered in her eyes.


    Song Sisi bowed her head and said in an embarrassed tone, ¡°Fang Yan, I know that you are a kind guy. Now that your girlfriend is here, I won¡¯t disturb you two. So I will go back to the room now. Enjoy your chat!¡±


    Knowing that she was about to leave, Fang Yan got so anxious that he wanted to ask her to stay.


    However, Song Sisi did not offer him that opportunity and walked directly toward Tang Xia.


    As she passed by Tang Xia, Song Sisi bumped into her on purpose.


    Tang Xia stumbled because of her bump and was about to fall on the ground, which made her grab onto Fang Yan subconsciously.


    And Fang Yan was stopped from chasing after Song Sisi by Tang Xia¡¯s sudden grasp, making him so irritated that he wanted to push her away.


    However, Tang Xia grasped him so tightly that he could not push her away. So Fang Yan could only watch Song Sisi leave without being able to do anything.


    As Fang Yan had lost the best chance to ask Song Sisi to stay, he was so irritated that he growled at Tang Xia. ¡°Tang Xia, what are you doing? I was just making small talk with Sisi. Why are you so petty and jealous?¡±


    The moment Tang Xia stood firmly, she froze due to being shouted at by him.


    So she raised her head up and asked Fang Yan, ¡°What do you mean? Why do you regard me as petty?¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like this! Aren¡¯t you afraid that Sisi will stay here? Don¡¯t you think that you have gone too far by pretending to fall on the ground?¡± Fang Yan sneered at her with cold eyes.


    Hearing his slander, Tang Xia was so pissed off that she even felt her blood stick in her throat. So she glared at Fang Yan and said, ¡°Fang Yan, are you blind? It was Song Sisi who bumped into me so that I almost fell down on the ground. How can you slander me by saying that I am playing tricks?¡±


    ¡°Sisi did not bump into you on purpose! Wasn¡¯t it just a slight hit? How could it make you fall down?¡± While Fang Yan spoke about his ridiculous speculation, he looked at Tang Xia with disdain.


    Tang Xia was so pissed off by his words that she put on a sneer. ¡°It was she who bumped into me! But you slander me as if I¡¯m playing tricks! Fang Yan, are you my boyfriend or Song Sisi¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! I don¡¯t want to argue with you because this is a precious opportunity for us to come out and have some fun,¡± Fang Yan said in a quite impatient tone. Then he looked away and cast his eyes at Song Sisi¡¯s back again.


    Tang Xia got extremely angry so she took a look at Song Sisi as well.


    In fact, Song Sisi had turned away at an earlier time. But she had not gone far after their big fight.


    Tang Xia knew immediately that Song Sisi walked slowly on purpose so that she could enjoy the ¡°great¡± show.


    Now that the play was over, she resumed her normal speed.


    Tang Xia noticed that she left proudly with a victory pace, making her disdain the white lotus (a scheming woman who pretends to be innocent) very much.


    While she looked back, she found that Fang Yan was still staring at Song Sisi¡¯s back with eyes full of love.


    Tang Xia furrowed her eyebrows tightly while she got more pissed off.


    ¡°It seems that this task is quite difficult.¡±


    Then Tang Xia walked beside Fang Yan and gave him a push.


    It was not until then that Fang Yan withdrew his stare and looked at Tang Xia quite impatiently. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Since she has gone far away, what are you looking at?¡± Tang Xia said in an unfriendly tone as well.


    Fang Yan put an embarrassing look on his face right away due to her words.


    But all he thought about was Song Sisi, making him feel like not dealing with Tang Xia.


    So he changed the subject and asked, ¡°All right, we should have fun since it is a precious opportunity for us to hang out! You must be exhausted after walking for so long. Let¡¯s go to sleep and call it a night!¡±


    As he finished his sentences, Tang Xia knew exactly what he wanted to do, which was to send her away with an excuse.


    His words built a raging fire in her chest, making Tang Xia leave without saying a single word or taking a look at Fang Yan.


    ¡°I will definitely be as mad as a wet hen if I keep on staying here with him! So screw this task! I need to stay away from the bad boy to calm down for a while!¡±


    When Tang Xia calmed down, it was getting late so she just headed to the room to sleep.


    The moment she got to the room, Tang Xia found Song Sisi applying facial cream to her face in front of the mirror.


    She just walked into the bathroom to wash her face without saying anything.


    When she came out of the bathroom, it just so happened that Song Sisi was about to go in.


    Tang Xia intended to pass by as if she did not see her. However, Song Sisi stood in front of her.


    ¡°What?¡± Tang Xia frowned and looked her directly in the eyes.


    Song Sisi put a smile on her face and looked her up and down. Then she said, ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to take a look at you. Tang Xia, you are beautiful.¡±


    Hearing her inexplicable words, Tang Xia was quite confused, not knowing what she meant.


    Unexpectedly, Song Sisi said, ¡°But unfortunately¡­ I am more beautiful than you.¡±


    Tang Xia became quite angry at her words. So she glared at her and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Song Sisi snorted, turned away, and sat by the bed elegantly.


    Then she cast her greedy eyes at Tang Xia and said slowly, ¡°It means nothing. I just wanted to tell you that no one can steal from me what I own.¡±


    ¡°You mean Fang Yan?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    Song Sisi declined to comment on that and said, ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯m telling you that I will get back what I have lost one by one.¡±


    Being irritated by her words, Tang Xia went mad again.


    She wore a sneer and said to Song Sisi in a quite impolite tone, ¡°Song Sisi, it is getting dark now, but I want to remind you of something.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you like to dream, but please keep your voice down while you talk in your sleep. It would be rude to disturb Zhang Yaoyao, who is asleep.¡±


    Having been slandered by Tang Xia that she was dreaming, Song Sisi put on a terrible face and was about to stand up to argue.


    However, Tang Xia had no desire to prolong dealing with her and just passed by, ignoring her. Then she fell into bed without saying a single word.


    Although Zhang Yaoyao had taken a sleeping pill and fallen asleep, Tang Xia did not want to wake her up.


    Being ignored by Tang Xia, Song Sisi was quite pissed off.


    Since she had always been the highlight due to her charm, she could not bear being ignored by people like this.


    But after taking a glance at the sleeping Zhang Yaoyao, Song Sisi, who was rather angry, knew that it was not a good opportunity to become hostile with Tang Xia when others were around.


    As she thought this, she had to hold back her anger.


    While she snorted in her mind, she glared at Tang Xia, who was lying down in bed.


    She said in her mind, ¡°B*tch! I¡¯ll let you go today. You will see how I can punish you later!¡±


    As she thought so, she put on a malicious smile and went to bed as well.


    The next day, Tang Xia woke up in the early morning. After washing up, she found that both Zhang Yaoyao and Song Sisi were still sleeping.


    So she walked over to Zhang Yaoyao and gave her a gentle push. ¡°Yaoyao, wake up. It is time to get up.¡±


    It seemed that Zhang Yaoyao slept like a dog, so Tang Xia had to push her several times.


    But Zhang Yaoyao still made no response, which made Tang Xia feel that something was wrong. So she touched Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s forehead and found that it was cold.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± she screamed out loud subconsciously.


    Song Sisi was woken up by her scream and asked angrily, ¡°Are you losing your mind? Why are you screaming so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Yaoyao¡­ is dead!¡± Tang Xia said in a tremulous voice.

 Chapter 173 - Prince Charming Appears

    After being woken up, Song Sisi felt a bit dizzy. So it took a while for her to figure out what Tang Xia had said.


    Although Tang Xia¡¯s face became pale with fear, Song Sisi thought that she was just acting.


    After all, they hated each other. Besides, they had a big fight the night before.


    So she rolled her eyes at Tang Xia and satirized her in a cold tone, ¡°Tang Xia, you are so childish! Do you think that I will be frightened by your little game? You are such a drama queen that you act like this so early in the morning.¡±


    Tang Xia was scared out of her wits and did not expect that Song Sisi would not believe her in this situation and think that she was just acting.


    So her eyes turned red with anger. Then she glared at Song Sisi. ¡°Don¡¯t regard everyone as being as childish as you are! I would never make fun of a dead person! Besides, I wouldn¡¯t do such a boring thing so early in the morning!¡±


    Song Sisi still wore the sneer. ¡°Save it!¡±


    ¡°Song Sisi, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can see if I¡¯m lying or not by trying to wake her up yourself!¡±


    After being yelled at by Tang Xia, Song Sisi became less skeptical and took a puzzled look at Zhang Yaoyao, who was lying in bed.


    As she and Tang Xia had been arguing in such loud voices, it was quite strange for Zhang Yaoyao to still be lying in bed quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wake her up!¡± Song Sisi snorted and bounced out of bed. Then she rushed over to Zhang Yaoyao and gave her a push. ¡°Zhang Yaoyao, wake up! Stop acting like this! We¡¯ve seen through you. Your game is so boring.¡±


    But Zhang Yaoyao did not make any response after being pushed by Song Sisi several times.


    So she patted Zhang Yaoyao on her face, finding that her face was cold and stiff.


    At this moment, Song Sisi¡¯s face clouded over while she kept her eyes wide open and her voice stopped abruptly.


    And Song Sisi found that the more carefully she looked at Zhang Yaoyao, the odder her face would look.


    Song Sisi felt that something was wrong as well, so her voice began trembling. ¡°It¡­ it can¡¯t be true! Is¡­ is she truly dead?¡±


    ¡°She did not wake up after I called her name so many times. Besides, when I touched her forehead just now, it was completely cold¡­¡± Tang Xia could not finish her sentences anymore.


    It was until this moment did Song Sisi become frightened. So she stayed away from the bed immediately.


    Then she ran out of the room even though she had not yet properly dressed, and shouted in alarm, ¡°Something bad has happened! Fang Xu¡ªDabing¡ªAnyone! Someone died¡­ someone died¡­¡±


    Her scared voice broke the serenity of the early morning as her harsh voice echoed in the whole villa so that people still sleeping were woken up.


    After a while, the housekeeper was the first one who heard the scream and ran toward her.


    While Tang Xia stood blankly in front of Zhang Yaoyao, the housekeeper sighed with grief. ¡°I knew it¡­ I knew it¡­ Something bad has happened as expected. You should not stay! You shouldn¡¯t!¡±


    When the housekeeper murmured sadly, others came hastily as well.


    The moment they saw Zhang Yaoyao, everyone was quite shocked and looked at each other in speechless despair, not knowing what they should do.


    The house full of people was rather quiet for a while.


    After a long time, Dabing broke the silence.


    ¡°Zhang Yaoyao¡­ how did she die?¡± he swallowed and asked Tang Xia and Song Sisi.


    As he said so, the faces of Tang Xia and Song Sisi both turned pale.


    ¡°Dabing, what do you mean by saying so? How could I know how she died? Tang Xia found her dead before I woke up. I am already rather frightened, how can you ask me like this?¡±


    Song Sisi felt wronged immediately. But she did not forget to blame Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia felt that everyone was looking at her right away. So she frowned and said, ¡°Although it was I who found Zhang Yaoyao dead, we were all sleeping in this room. If she does not know how Yaoyao died, how could I know?¡±


    Tang Xia involved Song Sisi into this matter tactfully with only one sentence. As expected, everyone withdrew their searching gazes.


    At last, Dabing proposed, ¡°Now that someone is dead, we should call the police.¡±


    Hearing his words, all the people regarded it as the best choice and agreed with him.


    Dabing took out his cellphone and called 911. But when he put his cellphone to his ear, he asked in wonder, ¡°What is going on? Is there any problem with my cellphone? Why does it have no signal?¡±


    ¡°What? Your cellphone has no signal?¡± As Fang Xu said this, he took out his cellphone immediately. The moment he checked his own cellphone, he put on a terrible look. ¡°F*ck! My cellphone also has no signal.¡±


    Hearing his words, all the people took out their phones as well.


    However, everyone put on a terrible face.


    ¡°What is going on? Why is there no signal here? What¡­ what should we do with Zhang Yaoyao? I don¡¯t want to stay with a dead person. It¡­ it is too scary,¡± Song Sisi said with a frightened face.


    Fang Yan stood beside her right away and comforted her in a soft voice, ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry. You can stay in our room if you are so terrified!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay where you are. I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± Song Sisi shook her head immediately.


    Fang Yan agreed hurriedly. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be with you. I won¡¯t let you be alone.¡±


    Looking at those two who flirted with each other and ignored everyone else, Tang Xia became quite speechless.


    It never occurred to Tang Xia that they could be so shameless under this circumstance, which made her put on a terrible face immediately.


    While Fang Yan considered himself lucky since he grasped the precious opportunity, he felt embarrassed at the sight of Tang Xia¡¯s terrible face.


    Maybe he was afraid that Tang Xia would make a scene in front of these people, so Fang Yan waved to her and asked, ¡°Tang Xia, you must be quite terrified. Do you want to stand with us?¡±


    Looking at Fang Yan and Song Sisi standing together, Tang Xia held back her disdain and said in a calm voice, ¡°That¡¯s ok. Since our cellphones do not have a signal, we¡¯d better work out a solution together. After all, we have no experience in solving such problems.¡±


    Dabin pondered for a while and asked the housekeeper, ¡°Mr. housekeeper, is there a fixed-line phone?¡±


    ¡°Alas, there was one. But it has remained vacant for so many years that it is out of use,¡± the housekeeper said.


    Dabing, who was a bit disappointed, had no choice but to ask, ¡°Is there anybody else around who can help? There must be a fixed-line phone in their houses!¡±


    However, the housekeeper said perplexedly, ¡°But the nearest village is a little far from us. It will take us half an hour but we can walk quite quickly!¡±


    ¡°That will be all right as long as we can get in touch with the police.¡± Dabing took a glance at everyone and volunteered to say, ¡°You guys just stay here. I¡¯ll hurry back!¡±


    ¡°How about I go with you? We can help each other if something bad happens on the way,¡± Fang Xu proposed.


    But Dabing shook his head and said, ¡°It will be all right since it is not too far. You¡¯d better stay here. Those two girls must be quite terrified as someone is dead. They will feel safer if you are here with them.¡±


    Hearing his words, Fang Xu agreed and said, ¡°Ok, take care of yourself.¡±


    Dabing replied ¡°Okay,¡± and stepped out of the villa.


    Nobody wanted to stay indoors anymore as someone was dead. So everyone followed Dabing to go out.


    The moment Dabing was about to open the door, he heard a sudden knock on the door.


    This loud and fierce knock on the door assailed the quiet and stifling villa, which startled everyone.


    Song Sisi was so scared that she almost cried out. Then she jumped on Fang Yan and put her arms around his waist tightly.


    ¡°Fang Yan, who¡­ who do you think is knocking on the door? Can¡­ can it be Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s ghost? I¡¯m so scared!¡± She could not say a complete sentence while her body trembled.


    Fang Yan was not terrified at first. But he put on a scared face because of her words after Song Sisi jumped on him.


    He just stared at the door with his wide-open eyes without saying a single word for a long time. All he could do was hold Song Sisi in his arms subconsciously without any bad thoughts.


    Tang Xia was startled by Song Sisi¡¯s words as well and just stood there stiffly.


    When everyone did not know what to do, Dabing took a few steps forward with his quivering legs and said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t scare yourself. I¡­ I¡¯ll open the door to check it out.¡±


    Hearing his words, everyone took a few steps backward subconsciously.


    Their actions easily hurt Dabing¡¯s confidence, which he had built up with difficulty.


    But there was the knock on the door again, which seemed to sound more pressing.


    Dabing gritted his teeth and summoned up his courage to go forward.


    He finally opened the door, making everyone stare at the door with rapt attention.


    The moment the door was wide open, a backlit man appeared in Tang Xia¡¯s vision.


    Tang Xia squinted her eyes so that she could see him clearly. Then Dabing shouted surprisingly, ¡°Ye Yifan, you are finally here.¡±


    On hearing the name, Tang Xia¡¯s heart jolted suddenly.


    She took a few steps forward subconsciously and found that his profile became clearer and clearer¡­


    It was not until his elegant and charming face completely appeared in her eyes that she found out that this ¡°Ye Yifan¡± was surprisingly the ¡°Ye Yifan¡± she had wished to see.


    This scene made her so surprised that she had no idea how to react.


    At this moment, Song Sisi ran away from Fang Yan and rushed toward Ye Yifan. Then she acted coquettishly, ¡°My Prince Charming, you are finally here. I am so scared!¡±


    Ye Yifan just put on a smile and greeted them one by one.


    Tang Xia choked back her excitement and nodded at him with a smile.


    However, Dabing found that Ye Yifan was dripping wet.


    After he took a look outside, he put a terrible look on his face and said, ¡°What should we do now? It is raining. I¡¯m afraid that we cannot go down the mountain.¡±

 Chapter 174 - We Are Stuck Here

    Chapter 174 We Are Stuck Here


    Everyone looked out of the door as Dabing exclaimed suddenly.


    It certainly was raining cats and dogs. But none of them had ever noticed this before because of Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death.


    On the hillside in the middle of nowhere, there was only a plain path rarely taken.


    It would be acceptable to walk on it, but it would be too slippery to move on once it rained and the mud mixed with the rain.


    The plan they had made was put off due to the rain. Everyone had heavy faces.


    ¡°What should we do? The death of someone should be treated with caution. Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s family would create a disturbance if this is handled improperly.¡± Fang Xu spoke up about his concerns.


    After hearing his words, all of them started feeling that it was a thorny matter.


    ¡°What happened? Why would someone die?¡± Since he had just arrived, Ye Yifan was at a loss when hearing this.


    Asked by him, Song Sisi pretended to be scared. ¡°Yeah! Ye Yifan, she¡¯s one of the girls who has come with us, named Zhang Yaoyao.


    ¡°She was sleeping with us last night but was found dead when we woke up in the morning. We don¡¯t know what happened, and I¡¯m so frightened.¡±


    She moved closer to Ye Yifan as she explained to him what had happened.


    Up until now, Song Sisi was still wearing the red silk lace nightgown because they had discovered Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death right when they had woken up.


    The nightgown fully displayed her curvy figure.


    If a death had not occurred, all males in the room would have been feverish.


    She had excited Fang Yan when she leaned lightly against him, but now she was leaning closely on Ye Yifan.


    This annoyed Fang Yan, who looked at Ye Yifan viciously.


    ¡°Fang Xu is right. We can¡¯t handle this alone. We must go downhill,¡± Dabing decided.


    ¡°When I was coming up, it started to rain halfway. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten here if I hadn¡¯t picked up my pace.


    ¡°But I almost slipped several times. Now the rain is heavier, so it will be more difficult to walk downhill!¡± Ye Yifan pushed Song Sisi away from him emotionlessly and then spoke to Dabing.


    But Song Sisi leaned on him again after she had just been pushed away.


    This made Fang Yan completely full of envy. He stepped forward at once and said to Ye Yifan, ¡°Now that the road is so dangerous, we cannot let Dabing go out alone. You can go with him!¡±


    But Song Sisi retorted for Ye Yifan immediately, ¡°Why do you ask Ye Yifan to go out? He has been on his way here since the early morning and must be tired now. But everyone else has been at leisure since they got up, so we can choose another man!¡±


    Seeing Song Sisi entangle with Ye Yifan made Tang Xia rather uncomfortable. But she agreed with her when she heard Song Sisi¡¯s refutation.


    She glanced at Fang Yan, who looked frustrated, and sniggered.


    Fang Yan was all fickle in love and was crazy about the b*tchy Song Sisi, so he was not quite sensible at all.


    He had planned to send Ye Yifan away so that he could spend more time with Song Sisi. But he thought of such an awkward excuse.


    Fang Xu was in favor of Song Sisi and claimed voluntarily, ¡°That¡¯s it! Ye Yifan will stay and accompany the two girls, and I¡¯ll go with Dabing!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with him!¡± Fang Yan said in a rage because he had just lost face.


    He had expected that Song Sisi would worry about him by saying this, but Song Sisi was using up all her thoughts on Ye Yifan and was not even looking at him.


    Fang Yan was awfully depressed. But he couldn¡¯t go back on his words now that he had promised.


    Fang Xu agreed. ¡°All right. Either you or I am going. That will be ok. Just be quick. But most importantly, be safe.¡±


    Dabing and the gloomy Fang Yan nodded.


    Fang Xu went up to the housekeeper and brought them raincoats.


    They put the raincoats on and trotted out into the rain.


    The remaining people in the hall watched them in silence then closed the door again when they had gotten out of their sight.


    Tang Xia noticed that Song Sisi was still nestling up to Ye Yifan, so she reminded her unpleasantly, ¡°Song Sisi, it¡¯s getting late. Do you still want to hang around here in just a nightgown?¡±


    Both Fang Xu and Ye Yifan looked strained after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    So Ye Yifan pushed Song Sisi away again and stepped backward deliberately until he was standing close to Fang Xu.


    But he looked at Tang Xia after making a series of moves.


    Song Sisi looked displeased. She glared at Tang Xia ferociously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me wearing a nightgown? There are so many people who go to the beach wearing a bikini. There is enough material on my nightgown.¡±


    Tang Xia shrugged and then smiled. ¡°Yes, there is. It¡¯s ok if you feel it¡¯s right. But the rain today is so heavy and the temperature has dropped dramatically, I¡¯m worried that you feel cold.¡±


    Song Sisi was choked up and flushed in an instant.


    But soon after, she responded and said in an injured tone, ¡°I know it¡¯s cold! But what can I do? My clothes are all in the room, but Zhang Yaoyao is still lying there! I¡¯m timid and scared about this! Or¡­¡±


    Song Sisi cast her eyes again at Ye Yifan, pretending to be pitiable and said, ¡°Prince Charming, I know you¡¯re the kindest man in the world. Would you lend me your coat?¡±


    She reached out again to grab Ye Yifan¡¯s hands, shaking them coquettishly. Her pose as a ladykin was shown faultlessly.


    Being dragged by her, Ye Yifan appeared rather strained as he looked constantly at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Sisi, I¡¯ll give you mine if you need it! Ye Yifan has got wet clothes, and possibly his clothes in the backpack have gotten wet, too,¡± Fang Xu kindly said.


    Song Sisi seemed to not have heard him, looking at Ye Yifan with her pitiful eyes.


    Ye Yifan loosened her hands with unease again, smiled, and agreed. ¡°Fang Xu is right. I¡¯m all wet. I¡¯m afraid the clothes in the backpack are wet, too. Fang Xu, how about lending me a set of clothes if you¡¯ve got enough!¡±


    ¡°Ok! Follow me to the room and I¡¯ll get each of you some.¡± Fang Xu agreed at once.


    Then they walked toward the boys¡¯ dormitory. Unwilling to be left alone, Tang Xia moved along with them.


    In the room, Fang Xu took out his clothes quickly and handed them to Ye Yifan and Song Sisi.


    Song Sisi was accompanied by Tang Xia to change her clothes in the bathroom. When they came out, Ye Yifan had just changed his as well.


    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s the housekeeper?¡± Fang Xu asked suddenly.


    Tang Xia thought for a while then said, ¡°We seemed to not have seen him again since he brought us the raincoats.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find him! I hope he¡¯s all right,¡± Ye Yifan suggested apprehensively.


    Song Sisi hadn¡¯t planned to go out, but agreed when she heard Ye Yifan¡¯s words.


    When they had just gone out of the room, Fang Xu started yelling toward the hall. ¡°Housekeeper, where are you? Housekeeper?¡±


    But there was no response after his cries. They became worried about him.


    ¡°What should we do, Yifan? Did something really happen to the housekeeper?¡± Song Sisi was afraid and grabbed his hands again.


    Ye Yifan frowned. But he looked at Tang Xia worriedly and urged her anxiously. ¡°Stay close to me and don¡¯t go too far away from me.¡±


    Tang Xia felt warm in her heart and nodded at him immediately.


    Due to this, Song Sisi looked at Tang Xia with acid eyes. She continued grabbing Ye Yifan¡¯s hands and said coquettishly, ¡°Yifan, do hold me tight! Don¡¯t leave me alone, I¡¯m so afraid.¡±


    A shadow popped up in the stairway exit as she had just finished these words.


    Song Sisi screamed involuntarily. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ªGhost¡ª¡ª¡±


    Her sudden scream almost frightened her companions to death, whose gazes followed her finger hurriedly.


    All of them took a deep breath out of fear because there indeed was a shadow.


    Fang Xu and Ye Yifan were also tense, waving their fists at the shadow subconsciously.


    But the shadow moved a step forward and showed who he was as the light fell on him through the window.


    ¡°House-housekeeper. Why is it you?¡± Fang Xu stopped his fist in midair at once.


    Ye Yifan also pulled back his leg and let out a sigh of relief.


    Looking at them, the housekeeper seemed puzzled. ¡°Who else would I be? I just made a pot of tea. What¡¯s up?¡±


    This put Fang Xu at a loss for words. He looked at Song Sisi with a gloomy face. ¡°Sisi, remember not to scream like that anymore, or we will be scared to death.¡±


    Song Sisi looked embarrassed and replied, ¡°Ah.¡±


    They returned the hall, waiting while drinking tea.


    About half an hour later, Dabing and Fang Yan came back at last.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Fang Xu asked hastily.


    Dabing replied, out of breath, ¡°There¡¯s a landslide, we are completely stuck here!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked by the news.


    At that very instant, Song Sisi started shouting oddly, ¡°Oh! So itchy. What happened? I feel so itchy.¡±


    All of them looked at her on hearing her voice, only to find a mess of red rashes on her face.

 Chapter 175 - There Is Nothing Wrong with the Medicine

    Chapter 175 There Is Nothing Wrong with the Medicine


    ¡°Sisi, your face¡­¡± Fang Yan said in surprise.


    Song Sisi realized something was wrong as she saw everyone look at her in a weird way. So she got impatient immediately.


    ¡°My face? What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡±


    She rushed to a mirror in the hall hastily and screamed after looking into it.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ªGod! My face. Why would it be like this?¡±


    ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t worry¡­ I guess you¡¯ve caught an allergy! That doesn¡¯t matter. You may feel a little itchy, but remember not to scratch,¡± Fang Xu reminded her.


    ¡°Allergy? Impossible. I haven¡¯t had anything today, how could I get an allergy?¡± Song Sisi was in a fret. Then something came to her, and she glared at Tang Xia suddenly. ¡°Tang Xia, it¡¯s you. It must be you!¡±


    Tang Xia was confused about her sudden accusation. ¡°Are you crazy, Song Sisi? What does your allergy have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°It was you who poured the tea for us when the housekeeper served it. You must have added something in the tea to make me allergic.¡± Song Sisi assumed that was the case.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. ¡°Song Sisi, did you catch paranoia? I drank the tea, too, so why am I all right?¡±


    Song Sisi thought for a while upon seeing that Tang Xia had denied this, then said, ¡°But the only thing I¡¯ve had today was the tea. I¡¯ve never been allergic to anything. There must be something wrong with the tea.¡±


    Tang Xia thought it was ridiculous as she listened, believing that Song Sisi had to be mad. ¡°How can you say that you aren¡¯t allergic to anything else if you¡¯ve never had an allergy before?


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a doctor, after all. How can you be sure that you are not allergic to something? Song Sisi, could you please not be so ridiculous?¡±


    Song Sisi became even more infuriated when she heard Tang Xia describe her as ¡°ridiculous¡±, so she shouted loudly, ¡°But Ye Yifan and Fang Xu did not drink the tea either. How can you prove yourself to be right? This is just your excuse.


    ¡°On top of that, you and I were at odds last night. You must have been holding a grudge and will take revenge on me this way.¡±


    Song Sisi was more and more confident about her assumption, being sure that it was Tang Xia who had plotted against her.


    Having been wronged by her, Tang Xia felt offended. ¡°Song Sisi, could you be a little more rational? You have no proof at all, how can you affirm this?¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was still unwilling to admit it, Song Sisi got angrier, but her face and body were too itchy. She started wailing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any evidence. So are you satisfied, Tang Xia?¡±


    Tears on her pretty face instantly stirred up Fang Yan¡¯s sympathy.


    He stepped forward immediately and stood in front of Song Sisi, shouting at Tang Xia, ¡°Tang Xia, is this all about those trivial matters from yesterday? Do you have to be so petty? You have made Sisi like this. I never thought that you were such a malicious woman.¡±


    Fang Yan condemned Tang Xia on the spot without giving her the chance to explain.


    Tang Xia trembled in anger, her face looking worse.


    She was about to refute but Ye Yifan started speaking before she could. ¡°Fang Yan, Tang Xia is your girlfriend, anyhow. Is it really proper for you to scold her rashly when you have no evidence at all?¡±


    Fang Yan didn¡¯t expect that Ye Yifan would criticize him. And being unable to refute his words, he became speechless.


    Tang Xia was also surprised that the first one to defend her should be Ye Yifan.


    It felt like a warm current was floating through her heart, which eased her anger and made her feel much better. She cast her grateful eyes to him immediately.


    Ye Yifan also looked at her and then continued, ¡°Now that Sisi said that she has only had tea today, then it must have something to do with the tea. But I would rather believe that there is something wrong with the water.¡±


    ¡°The water?¡± His analysis aroused everyone¡¯s curiosity.


    But Fang Yan sneered disdainfully, ¡°Hmph! How do you know that it has to do with the water? You don¡¯t have any evidence, do you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I forgot to tell you that I once majored in medicine.¡± Ye Yifan removed his doubts directly.


    Dabing echoed, ¡°Yes! Ye Yifan used to be the top in his class every year. And I heard that he has published several theses on medicine. His words make sense undoubtedly.¡±


    Fang Yan felt like that he had been slapped by someone on the spot, his face scorching. But he was at a loss for words and could only glare at Ye Yifan with resentful eyes.


    But Ye Yifan didn¡¯t even look at him. He continued to give his reasons. ¡°We¡¯re living in such a rural place with a high altitude. I¡¯m afraid the water we drink here is not from the waterworks but is obtained from underground springs!¡±


    Everyone thought that his analysis made sense instantly.


    Dabing asked Ye Yifan out of curiosity, ¡°It seems that your words make sense. Is it because the spring water has been polluted by the rain so that Sisi has become allergic to it?¡±


    Ye Yifan shook his head and disapproved of Dabing¡¯s speculation. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. The spring water in the mountains is usually rich in minerals. I remember that Sisi is from the north! Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s allergic to the water!¡±


    ¡°What? Is it because of the minerals in the water? But we have only a few bottles of purified water. Will I die of thirst?¡± Song Sisi became concerned.


    But Ye Yifan had managed to absolve Tang Xia of sin through his analysis.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason! It really has nothing to do with Tang Xia. Just now I believed that¡­ Haha, I¡¯m sorry, Tang Xia!¡± Dabing smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Now that it has been made clear, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Tang Xia smiled.


    In fact, it was clear to her that Song Sisi had been targeting her, and in addition to that, her boyfriend, Fang Yan, had also condemned her.


    So it was natural that she would have been misunderstood by those who didn¡¯t know her well. That was why she forgave Dabing so generously.


    But Song Sisi didn¡¯t look well since she had been claiming that it was Tang Xia who had plotted against her. She didn¡¯t expect that things would change so fast.


    She looked at the others, only to see Fang Xu and Dabing feeling wronged for Tang Xia.


    She gritted her teeth after thinking and then apologized to Tang Xia. ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯m sorry! But so many things have happened today and there are so many rashes on my face, so I was a little bit short-tempered.


    ¡°And my mind has been in a mess. I didn¡¯t mean to misunderstand you. Forgive me, please.¡±


    Tang Xia noticed that she kept glancing at Ye Yifan as she apologized, and then she understood what was going on.


    Song Sisi was not willing to apologize to her at all. She was merely pretending to be innocent in front of Ye Yifan and the others.


    Song Sisi deserved the title ¡°pretentious b*tch¡±.


    Though she was reluctant to respond to Song Sisi, she saw Fang Yan look at Song Sisi with affectionate eyes.


    Anyway, she was fulfilling a task, while Fang Yan was her object to conquest. So she shouldn¡¯t make Fang Yan loath her no matter how annoyed she was.


    She put on a forced smile. ¡°Never mind. I understand you. It¡¯s quite natural for you to lose your temper since you have been disfigured.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia deliberately mention her disfiguration, Song Sisi was irate and annoyed.


    But she had been in the wrong just now, so it would be inappropriate for her to break out again. She had to force herself to choke back her anger.


    Fang Yan had been standing beside Song Sisi. He suddenly realized that some of his companions were looking at him after Song Sisi¡¯s apology.


    Fang Yan looked up, finding that Fang Xu and Dabing, even Ye Yifan, were looking at him.


    Just now, he seemed to have sobered up. He was Tang Xia¡¯s boyfriend, but he hadn¡¯t moved over to Tang Xia, nor had he even apologized to or comforted her when such a thing had happened.


    Even Song Sisi had made an apology. But as Tang Xia¡¯s boyfriend, he acted like that it had nothing to do with him.


    Fang Yan looked embarrassed as he realized this.


    He walked over to Tang Xia with hindsight and tried to please her. ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯m sorry! I lost my mind at the moment. And I know nothing about medicine, so I misunderstood you.¡±


    Tang Xia looked up at him and smiled. ¡°From now on, you have to stand by me, and then I¡¯ll forgive you. So many things have happened. Sisi would be afraid, so would I!¡±


    She took the opportunity to demand that Fang Yan leave Song Sisi alone. Except for Ye Yifan, whose eyes looked bleak, both Fang Xu and Dabing took it as a joke between lovers and found nothing wrong with it.


    But Fang Yan stood motionlessly, staring at Song Sisi with attachment.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unwilling to follow my words?¡± Tang Xia questioned him upon hearing no response from him.


    ¡°Nothing. I promise.¡± Fang Yan compromised at last and moved close to her.


    Now that the goal had been achieved, it was around noon, so Tang Xia suggested, ¡°We have been stuck here for a half day. Let¡¯s dispose of Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s body first!¡±


    They all looked at Ye Yifan after hearing her words.


    Ye Yifan had majored in medicine. He could hold the post of a legal medical expert.


    Ye Yifan smiled slightly. ¡°Before the disposal, let¡¯s have a look first!¡±


    So they walked together and returned to the room where Zhang Yaoyao had been lying.


    But all of them stopped just before the door since no one dared to push the door open.


    Ye Yifan was the first to open the door and walk in.


    They looked at each other, and in the end, forced themselves to walk in.


    Ye Yifan took a general look at the room and asked Tang Xia, ¡°What did Zhang Yaoyao do before she fell asleep?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all, except wash herself¡­¡± Something struck Tang Xia and she added hurriedly, ¡°And she took some sleeping pills.¡±


    Ye Yifan searched in Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s bag and found the box containing the sleeping pills. He examined it and said, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡±


    Fang Yan started jeering all of a sudden. ¡°Even if Zhang Yaoyao died due to taking drugs, who knows if she had really gotten poisonous drugs?¡±

 Chapter 176 - The Pervasive Terror

    Chapter 176 The Pervasive Terror


    Apparently, Fang Yan had derided them because he did not believe that there was anything weird in this room. He stubbornly held that Zhang Yaoyao had died due to her own misconduct. At least, her death had nothing to do with this place.


    The house looked quite normal, in which there were white walls all around. Nothing strange could ever be perceived. If Zhang Yaoyao had not died, nobody would become suspicious about Fang Yan¡¯s words.


    Tang Xia showed the whites of her eyes subconsciously as she heard Fang Yan¡¯s words. Zhang Yaoyao had passed away, how could he talk so cheerfully about her death and joke about her?


    ¡°What are you prating about?¡± Tang Xia failed to restrain her anger and said to Fang Yan discontentedly.


    Fang Yan seemed to take it for granted. He said plausibly, ¡°I was just speaking my mind. Am I wrong?¡± He looked at Song Sisi slovenly, ignoring Tang Xia totally.


    Fang Yan had been focusing all his attention on Song Sisi since she had arrived, never worrying about how Tang Xia felt, as if his girlfriend were Song Sisi instead.


    No one argued back and there was total silence in the room. Nothing but their faint breath could be heard. Maybe it was due to the heavy rain, but all of them felt cold and moist even though they were all together.


    It was not a wise idea to sit around all day. Even if they couldn¡¯t find a way out, at least they had to figure out the cause of Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death so that they could prepare themselves to stay here, although they had been compelled to do so.


    Suddenly, Ye Yifan asked with concern, ¡°Do you know what happened before she died?¡±


    To find out the cause of a terrible consequence, they had to trace the source before drawing an accurate conclusion. Maybe the source was exactly the truth of the matter. They had to hold a belief in science anyway.


    Their minds stopped wandering lazily the instant they heard his question. They kept their minds active, contemplating every deed that Zhang Yaoyao had done since their arrival.


    To begin with, Zhang Yaoyao was a girl. The girls were divided into one group and slept in the same room. And she had been found dead on a bed in that room.


    All the men cast their eyes on the two women in front of them. They should more or less know some details since they had spent the night with Zhang Yaoyao in the same room, while Zhang Yaoyao had died overnight.


    Tang Xia had been looking at the ground and hadn¡¯t raised her head the entire time, so she didn¡¯t know that the men were staring at her. She was missing Zhang Yaoyao, showing all her grief and sorrow unconsciously.


    But Song Sisi did not seem that calm. She was unwilling to be suspected by them and said firmly, ¡°I remember¡­¡± She glanced sideways at Tang Xia now and then, which was noticed by Ye Yifan.


    Dabing and Fang Yan almost asked excitedly in one voice, ¡°What have you remembered?¡± They continued impatiently when seeing her stand still, ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°I was in the yard, not in the room at that time. Zhang Yaoyao had fallen asleep when I came back to go to sleep.¡± Song Sisi spoke of such meaningless facts, but none of them hit the point, making everyone anxious.


    ¡°Can you tell us something worthwhile? Who cares what you did at that time?¡± Dabing had a short temper, so he asked impatiently to urge her to tell them something useful.


    She did not say that she had been entangled with Fang Yan at that time, or Tang Xia would have thrown up when hearing such lousy words. After all, Tang Xia had already been in low spirits when recalling that moment.


    Song Sisi met their demand and said, ¡°What I mean is that Zhang Yaoyao was with Tang Xia before she died. You should ask Tang Xia for the details.¡± She succeeded in targeting Tang Xia.


    And even if they had spent the night together, so what? Tang Xia had planned to argue back, but Song Sisi continued again. She had to hide all her arguments in her mind and hold back her tongue.


    ¡°When I walked in later, Tang Xia told me that Zhang Yaoyao was already asleep. Who knows if she was dead by then?¡±


    Song Sisi looked to be wronged as she spoke. She couldn¡¯t help trembling and getting goosebumps when she realized that she had been in the same room as a dead person.


    Judging from her scared look, everyone could guess what Song Sisi meant. But in fact, she felt triumphant inside.


    This was outright slander. Tang Xia pounded the table indignantly, stood up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t slander me.¡± She pointed at Song Sisi¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Am I lying? What I said were facts.¡± Song Sisi pretended to be righteous, holding everything right on her side.


    Tang Xia protested, ¡°How can you say that? Zhang Yaoyao is my friend. How could I murder her?¡±


    She treasured her friendship with Zhang Yaoyao so much and was intolerable to have an outsider make unrestrained remarks on it. She was simply trying to sully their friendship.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Just like we can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Song Sisi shook her head disdainfully while looking lazily out the window. That was the degradation of Tang Xia¡¯s personality.


    Tang Xia had already been mad at Song Sisi and almost turned irrational now. She said, feeling it inconceivable, ¡°From my point of view, it¡¯s hard to say who¡¯s been harboring evil intent.¡± She laid the blame on the woman arguing with her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Song Sisi stood up and was about to fight with Tang Xia. The only sound left in the room was their constant hullabaloo. Nobody could hear another slight sound.


    But Song Sisi was stopped by Dabing for her aggressive action. ¡°What are you doing? Can you calm down?¡± He seized her in her arms and pulled her back to the seat.


    Being pulled by Dabing, Song Sisi could not move freely, but Fang Yan didn¡¯t do anything for her.


    Then the quarrel started again. The unabated wrangle annoyed everyone. They started feeling uneasy.


    They had been sharp with each other until they were distressed from the subject of Zhang Yaoyao. Ye Yifan shouted loudly at them, ¡°Could you stop now? Don¡¯t you find it annoying?¡±


    Song Sisi shut up when she heard Ye Yifan¡¯s voice, sitting there obediently.


    As did Tang Xia. She wouldn¡¯t let the man she loved lose face.


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief for this final peace, although they were still unclear about what had happened during that period of time. But they felt safe staying with each other.


    Should anything happen, they could warn each other so that they would remain on guard.


    Then the housekeeper showed up silently. A long voice came behind them, saying slowly, ¡°You¡¯d better leave here. This place is not safe.¡± 666


    The housekeeper¡¯s sincere words sounded right, but they were strange somehow.


    They were freaked out by a sudden noise and covered their chests with their hands, patting on them gently. But Ye Yifan stayed calm, sitting unmoved like a wooden man.


    Dabing looked at the weird housekeeper, stepped forward, and asked, ¡°Housekeeper, do you know something?¡± He stared at the housekeeper sharply, trying to see through everything there.


    But the housekeeper shook his head and said anxiously, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    The more haltingly he spoke, the more suspicious he was. But they couldn¡¯t do anything about him.


    Dabing turned back helplessly and shrugged. They still hadn¡¯t got a clue. They had been told by the housekeeper that this place was not safe since they had arrived. Now the housekeeper gave them the same warning.


    At this time, squeaks came from the second floor fitfully. It was hard to pick up on, but it was heard by them because it was so silent in the room.


    They didn¡¯t notice that the housekeeper had changed his face all of a sudden, looking extremely strange. His eyes were full of sympathy and lamentation.


    ¡°Did you hear that? There seemed to be a noise up there.¡± Dabing reminded them vigilantly. Having been affected by the housekeeper¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of something terrible.


    Fang Yan pricked up his ears, then frowned. ¡°Ah, I hear that. But now it seems to be silent.¡± He didn¡¯t feel that it was anything strange because he did not hold any superstitious beliefs at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up and have a look.¡± Dabing called on his companions, who sat around. He took the lead and walked upstairs following the sound.


    The others stood up as well and followed him closely to go take a look. They were the only humans in the house. It was impossible that anybody else was there. But why would there be a noise? They were ready to find out.


    But Song Sisi was left far behind when everyone else had gone. Instead of picking up her pace to follow them, she was still walking slowly, unaware of the danger at all.


    Dabing had gone upstairs as he was the first to set out, but he hadn¡¯t reached the room where the noise had come from. Song Sisi was drifting on the second staircase on the first floor, while Tang Xia was on the middle staircase, closely following Ye Yifan.


    They had been scared already. All of a sudden, the power went off, leaving the whole house in darkness with no light. All of them stopped moving forward.


    Then they heard Song Sisi scream. They looked behind but could not even see a shadow, let alone know what had happened.


    Tang Xia was closest to the first floor. Her first reaction was to hurriedly take out the phone from her pocket for illumination. Then she moved her phone, looking downward as she moved downstairs step by step with extreme care.


    But what she saw was Song Sisi¡¯s horrible face, deathly pale under the light from her phone. It looked so hideous and was not like a normal face at all. Tang Xia was freaked out at once.


    With that, Tang Xia also screamed. She was so scared and tried to cover her eyes with her hands. Then, as her phone was thrown away to the ground, she lost her balance and fell down the stairs.

 Chapter 177 - Horror

    The sharp scream from the girls haunted the silent darkness, echoing in the empty hall. ¡°Bang!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s phone fell to the ground.


    The light beam tossed around in the darkness and was cast on the portrait of the old castle on the glacial wall. It was a pretty maiden, who sat in the seat elegantly, with a wisp of a smile on her face. Her gaze fell on Tang Xia like a visual substance.


    The light went out after a blinding flash, but the horrified feeling left them in fear, making them unable to calm down for a long time.


    Their breath sounded much heavier in the darkness. The turmoil continued¡­


    ¡°Ah! Get off! Get off! Leave me alone!¡±


    High-heeled shoes were beating the ground chaotically, making a ringing sound. Song Sisi¡¯s sharp voice quavered, bringing about a kind of penetrating fear. She was crying loudly, without the temperament of a lady at all.


    ¡°What happened? What happened? Is someone taking you?¡± Fang Yan¡¯s voice arose, followed by a rustling sound. Song Sisi was choked with sobs and her cry was so pitiable, which made her seem like a little poor pet.


    ¡°Yes. Someone grabbed my feet. Fang Yan, I¡¯m scared! I¡¯m so scared!¡± Song Sisi¡¯s cry put everyone¡¯s nerves on edge. There was a profound feeling of dependence on Fang Yan in her voice.


    ¡°Someone grabbed her feet? Oh my god!¡± In this old castle that was like a haunted house, her words were like a bolt out of the blue, which exploded in everyone¡¯s ears! Was there really a ghost in the old castle?


    Tang Xia¡¯s flesh crept. Her pupils shrank and she looked around while holding her shoulders with her arms.


    She became extremely vigilant at the moment. She felt a wisp of wind blow by her ears, like someone¡¯s gentle breath¡­ She became more and more horrified and felt that there had been someone standing beside her.


    Then her memories were stirred and her mind was in mess. All the ghost stories she had read before swarmed into her mind. She was about to collapse. Tang Xia was shivering all over. She was terribly scared, so much so that she failed to scream.


    Her tongue felt numb while her legs trembled violently¡­ Her eyes looked more and more full of horror and despair. Tang Xia even believed that she would die of horror here. If no one saved her, she would not survive.


    ¡°Help! Help me!¡± Tang Xia became more and more breathless. With her last memory, she looked in Fang Yan¡¯s direction in the dark.


    She called out insanely in her mind, ¡°Fang Yan, come to me, I¡¯m scared.¡± Tears were all over her face, but no one could see them in the dark.


    It felt like a ray of light, but it went out before giving Tang Xia hope.


    That was because she heard Fang Yan¡¯s voice, but it came from beside Song Sisi. ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m by your side, no one can take you. Can you feel this? It¡¯s is my hand.¡±


    ¡°Fang Yan, Fang Yan, Fang Yan.¡± Song Sisi was almost in tears, calling Fang Yan¡¯s name again and again. Everyone could sense her dependence on Fang Yan!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m right by your side.¡± Fang Yan¡¯s voice was tender like water, mingled with extreme tolerance and patience. One could imagine his tender face even without any light.


    Tang Xia was stunned, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Why? Fang Yan is my boyfriend! Why would he protect Song Sisi instead of me in such a circumstance?¡±


    Didn¡¯t Fang Yan realize that Tang Xia, his girlfriend, would also be frightened, be helpless, and need someone to accompany and protect her?


    ¡°Fang Yan¡­¡± Tang Xia uttered faintly with trembling lips. She was like a silkworm that squeezed itself hard to spin thin threads of silk one after another.


    She had her faint hope and an inexpressible feeling. Though it was clear to her that this was merely a task, it seemed so real!


    Fang Yan was still solacing Song Sisi patiently. He didn¡¯t hear her call him at all. Tang Xia nodded blankly, embarrassed like an abandoned Setaria viridis. ¡°Hmph, am I really his girlfriend?¡±


    Perhaps she had been too concentrated on her task. It was not until she had been completely disappointed by Fang Yan did she ask herself where Ye Yifan was. She restrained the fear in her heart. Now that no one would come to her, she would not ask for help from others, either.


    She wiped the tears on her face clean, looking cold, then raised her voice and said, ¡°I saw the flashlight roll over there. Help me find it, maybe we can feel it.¡±


    Perhaps she managed to make her presence felt by the ¡°couple b*tch¡±, Fang Yan and Song Sisi, who were like a couple of ducks being grabbed by their necks and fell into silence abruptly. Tang Xia sneered and then groped forward.


    ¡°Tang-Tang Xia.¡± Fang Yan stammered suddenly while calling Tang Xia. Judging by his voice, it could be imagined that he must have felt awkward and anxious. He said nervously, ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Ok? F*cking ok!¡± Tang Xia sneered and kept silent because she disdained to talk to Fang Yan.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I know you¡¯ve always been a strong girl. You know, Sisi is much more timider. So I, I¡­¡±


    Fang Yan pretended to be relaxed, but there was no response from Tang Xia. At last, he became aware of Tang Xia¡¯s resistance. Then he coughed embarrassedly and fell into silence.


    All of a sudden, lights flashed and illuminated the castle. Ye Yifan walked out from a corner. He had been searching for the main switch just now.


    They let out sighs of relief and almost everyone fell to the ground feebly. Ye Yifan walked over to then stood beside Tang Xia. He seemed to be amused as he asked them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You act like you have just survived a catastrophe.¡±


    Dabing was sitting on the ground limply. His face was pale, his forehead glistening with sweat, and his wet clothes were sticking to his torso. He glared at Song Sisi as he heard this.


    ¡°I felt embarrassed to say this because I was too frightened, but what did you mean? Why did you say someone grabbed your feet? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s so scary to say that?¡±


    Song Sisi was still leaning on Fang Yan feebly. She let him go of his arms embarrassedly when the light went on. Hearing Dabing¡¯s words, which were apparently criticism, she felt wronged at once. How could he say this? It sounded like she had fooled the others on purpose!


    Song Sisi bit her lower lip innocently, looking up at Dabing with teary eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that! I just felt something grab my feet! I was also so scared, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°All right, all right! Dabing, what are you talking about?¡±


    Fang Yan held Song Sisi¡¯s hands gently and solaced her by patting them. Then he slapped Dabing on his head and said, ¡°Apologize to Sisi. She¡¯s just a girl! It¡¯s normal for her to get scared when suddenly stuck in the darkness. As a man, how can you speak to her that way?¡±


    Obviously, Dabing was unsatisfied but he kept silent. He squinted at Song Sisi with anger, crawled up from the ground, and stood aside, looking bleak.


    Indifferent as she was when this happened, Tang Xia had captured everyone¡¯s actions. Her eyes shone and she looked at Song Sisi deeply¡­


    If she had read that right, there had been apparent banter and slyness in her eyes¡­


    If she was right, then Song Sisi must have said those words deliberately! She just wanted to scare them!


    Tang Xia looked at Fang Yan, who was holding Song Sisi¡¯s shoulder to solace her, and felt much more that Song Sisi had fooled her! Tang Xia guessed that Song Sisi did all this relying on the fact that she was Fang Yan¡¯s ex-girlfriend, while Fang Yan had been entangling with her.


    She was just scaring them on purpose. Then she made use of Fang Yan¡¯s negligence and his care for her so that she could feel superior to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was more and more assured that Song Sisi had been showing off! Tang Xia gritted her teeth tightly, looking colder and colder in her eyes¡­


    ¡°I remembered that I had seen the main switch somewhere, so I went to find it myself. Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone.¡± Ye Yifan moved closer to Tang Xia and looked at her with an abashed face.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok.¡± The slight displaced feeling in Tang Xia¡¯s mind faded away. She smiled slightly but was thinking to herself that she had been lucky to stay, or she would never see the ¡°excellent play¡± that was acted by Fang Yan and Song Sisi!


    Ye Yifan suddenly felt suffocated in his chest because he found Tang Xia¡¯s attitude toward him different from before. There seemed to be some¡­ sense of alienation? Then he glanced at Fang Yan coldly, who was whispering in Song Sisi¡¯s ear.


    Ye Yifan snorted slightly. Then he raised his voice and said, ¡°Now the lights are on, let¡¯s stay closer and take a look at that room.¡±


    ¡°Do you really have to go there?¡± The housekeeper had stayed silent the entire time but now he popped out as if by magic, with his crumpled face trembling slightly.


    He looked at them and said awkwardly, ¡°There is nothing there. And it¡¯s getting late, you¡¯d better go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t fall asleep until I find out what¡¯s there. Now that there¡¯s nothing there, we can still have a look. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Dabing stepped out with his fat body. His tousled hair was standing up defiantly, which indicated that this was a tough guy.


    ¡°Childe¡­¡± the housekeeper stammered. He looked at Dabing, seeming to have something to say¡­ All in all, his behavior made them unable to stop looking at him.


    ¡°Alas! We¡¯ll just have a look. We¡¯ll leave if nothing¡¯s there! Why are you making it difficult?¡± Dabing had been frightened by Song Sisi¡¯s words just now and still felt sulky. He looked livid, fixing his eyes on the housekeeper.


    But actually, he didn¡¯t have to go into that room at all. He just felt out of sorts and wanted to find something to do to keep his mind occupied.


    But the old guy was so verbose, which aroused his curiosity instead.


    Helplessly, the housekeeper led them to that room, which proved itself to be a normal living room when the door opened. There was nothing strange in there, but it seemed that someone had just stayed here recently!


    Dabing touched the table but found no dust on it at all¡­ He turned back and asked the housekeeper, ¡°Whose room is this?¡±


    The housekeeper¡¯s eyes were shining, but he yielded to Dabing¡¯s eyes, saying at last that he would come here every time he lazed around.


    ¡°Ah, there seems to be nothing strange¡­¡± Tang Xia stood aside in silence. Then Fang Yan suddenly patted her on her shoulder and said, ¡°Come with me.¡±

 Chapter 178 - Breakup

    Chapter 178 Breakup


    Tang Xia was somewhat puzzled as she looked at Fang Yan¡¯s shadow walk out. Why would he call her now? She raised her head and looked around, but found nothing wrong. Seeing Tang Xia lag behind for a long time, Fang Yan looked back at her.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Tang Xia became more reluctant to go with him when she saw him being so impatient. Judging from his expression and tone, she would rather die than believe that he was about to speak sugared words to her.


    Considering Fang Yan would not speak pleasant words, she sighed and followed him slowly.


    She went out of the house with Fang Yan. It was dark outside, so she felt frightened. She never felt safe at all when she was with Fang Yan. She shook her leg at ease, pretended to be casual, and looked sideways. She was unwilling to face Fang Yan, so she had to enswathe herself in her coat and put her arms around herself.


    Fang Yan kept silent for a long time. Looking at Tang Xia, who had been looking down and doing something he didn¡¯t quite understand, he suddenly felt too embarrassed to say it out loud. As he hesitated, Tang Xia had already become impatient, but she didn¡¯t show it. She raised her head slowly.


    ¡°Go ahead. Why did you ask me out here?¡±


    Seeing Fang Yan keep silent, she took the initiative to talk to him. This initiative would protect her from being passive at least.


    Upon seeing that Tang Xia had started to talk first, Fang Yan avoided her eyes. He clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and spoke as if he had made up his mind.


    ¡°You saw that Song Sisi was scared. She had been timid previously¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. What did this have to do with her? She was timid, too, so why didn¡¯t he get worried about her?


    Fang Yan noticed the subtle change in Tang Xia¡¯s look. He forced himself to continue.


    ¡°She was so scared in the house just now, and in addition to that, Zhang Yaoyao had just died here.¡±


    When thinking about Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s weird death, Tang Xia felt more and more distressed. But she didn¡¯t know why he would speak to her about this. It seemed impossible that he just wanted to say that Song Sisi was scared. If so, he must have been too idle.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s your point?¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t want to listen to his chatter about Song Sisi because she felt annoyed when she thought about Song Sisi clinging onto Ye Yifan like a slug.


    Though it was clear to her that she would never be Ye Yifan¡¯s girlfriend, she was unwilling to see someone who pretended to be delicate and looked in need of protection tempt him.


    ¡°So I thought Song Sisi needed much more protection. She has been so scared. She¡¯s not like you in that you could stay calm even when Zhang Yaoyao had died by your side.¡±


    Tang Xia guessed what he meant, and questioned him in an incredulous voice.


    ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡±


    Fang Yan explained as he saw Tang Xia in anger.


    ¡°I think you are courageous, and you are never afraid of difficulties. You¡¯re a nice girl. You can live on your own even when I¡¯m not by your side. But Song Sisi is different¡­¡±


    Tang Xia failed to restrain herself and she snorted. As she had expected, this guy was indeed a scumbag. Although she was not as capable as Song Sisi in pretending to be feeble and pathetic, nor was she good at inspiring men¡¯s urges to protect her, that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t need someone to protect her.


    He was so shameless! He could just say that he loved Song Sisi. But he spoke nonsense instead, which made her much more annoyed with him. She held back her desire to beat him, and couldn¡¯t help thinking.


    Had she been cuckolded?


    Fang Yan pinched Tang Xia abruptly to force her to look straight into his eyes. Tang Xia had been disgusted by his touch and tried to break away but was wrenched upright by him with force.


    ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡±


    Tang Xia fell into silence. That was ok if they broke up. Couldn¡¯t he say it nicely? Did he have to use force? His behavior renewed her reflections.


    She felt it ridiculous at once as she saw Fang Yan beg her to satisfy him as if she were an old witch who hindered the prince to be with the princess.


    When had Tang Xia suffered such injustice? She should be abandoned by a scumbag whenever he liked. She suddenly sneered and looked at him.


    Fang Yan didn¡¯t expect that she would act like this. He thought that he knew her well. He had chosen her as his girlfriend because she had always been meek. It would be convenient for him to do whatever he liked with such a girlfriend.


    He had expected that she might cry, run wild, or hold him on his thighs, begging him not to leave her.


    But he never thought that Tang Xia would act like this, who seemed totally indifferent to him at all. What¡¯s more, she looked at him so coldly, seeming to be waiting to see him make fool of himself so as to disdain him.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s break up.¡±


    Tang Xia tittered in her heart. Fang Yan abandoned his girlfriend so easily. Hadn¡¯t he realized that Song Sisi had no interest in him at all even though he had been so wholehearted with her? Had he ever heard of such a word as ¡°back-up¡±?


    In Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, Fang Yan had always been Song Sisi¡¯s back-up.


    She had seen very clearly how Song Sisi treated Ye Yifan. Maybe that was because of the sixth sense existing between rivals in love, which could help her locate anyone that cast covetous eyes on her belongings.


    She was eager to see what Fang Yan would do next. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know what was in Song Sisi¡¯s mind.


    She was waiting for the fun.


    Tang Xia changed her expression suddenly, seeming to be crying softly. Fang Yan was startled. ¡°Is her reflex arc so long?¡±


    Then Tang Xia pulled Fang Yan¡¯s clothing, turned back, and yawned. She looked at Fang Yan with her reddish eyes, looking as if she were begging him.


    ¡°What I said just now were just angry words, let¡¯s make up. Don¡¯t break up with me.¡±


    Fang Yan sniggered in his heart, though there was no change in his facial expression, looking to be still in grief. As he had expected, she was the kind of woman who believed that she would not even survive without him.


    ¡°Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. You know, I don¡¯t love you anymore. We won¡¯t be happy if we continue.¡±


    Tang Xia twitched the corners of her eyes. ¡°What banal lines these are!¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to break up with me for Song Sisi? We shared so many wonderful memories in the old days!¡±


    ¡°A competition for words. I know how to do this, too. I wish you eternal love.¡± Tang Xia grabbed Fang Yan on his arms more and more feverishly. But he forced her hands apart slowly and spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry for you¡­ You deserve a better man.¡±


    ¡°Yuck. Of course, I deserve a better man! Ye Yifan is good enough! He isn¡¯t like you, the scumbag, who changes his mind so frequently, who eats a bowl while looking at the pot, and who cuckolded me in my face!¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head, pretending that her shoulders were trembling as she sobbed. Fang Yan thought she was really crying.


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to go back. Sisi is waiting for me.¡±


    He headed straight for the house after saying this, without ever looking back. When he had gone out of her sight, Tang Xia raised her head slowly.


    ¡°Hmph. Who knows what Song Sisi is thinking about now? Waiting for you? Is this another skill of scumbags? Self-sentimental? Maybe. He is self-sentimental enough to believe that all women would hang around him.¡±


    Tang Xia took a deep breath helplessly. Finally, she was free from Fang Yan. Then, she had to pretend to be depressed, right? Acting was so tiring, not physically, but mentally tiring.


    She prepared her facial expression and walked slowly to the house.


    When people saw Tang Xia come in, they felt puzzled at once. ¡°She looked well when she went out with Fang Yan. Did something happen to them?¡±


    Everyone cast their eyes on the two of them, but Fang Yan acted as if nothing had happened, hanging around Song Sisi, asking her whether she was thirsty, tired, and so on, while Song Sisi¡¯s eyes were focused on Ye Yifan like sticky chewing gum.


    Ye Yifan noticed Tang Xia, who looked gloomy and depressed. He walked over to her and pulled her aside.


    Tang Xia was startled, and then felt delighted at once, but she didn¡¯t show anything. After all, everyone was here, she had to pretend to be grieved until the end.


    At the same time, Song Sisi, gnashing in her mind, looked at the two of them in the corner. Of course, she had been paying attention to Ye Yifan¡¯s every movement. Extremely unwilling as she was, she could do nothing.


    As she looked back at Fang Yan, who was like a fly buzzing around her, she got more annoyed. He should have taken Tang Xia with her since she was his girlfriend. Why was she entangling with Ye Yifan?


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ªI¡¯m pissed off¡±. But ostensibly, she was still accepting Fang Yan¡¯s care for her.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ye Yifan asked worriedly.


    Seeing the Prince Charming worry about her, Tang Xia was pleased instantly. But she was very clear about the current situation, so she didn¡¯t show anything.


    Ye Yifan continued asking as he saw Tang Xia remain silent.


    ¡°What did Fang Yan say to you?¡±


    Tang Xia said slowly, ¡°He said that I¡¯m not as pathetic as Song Sisi and that I can¡¯t live on my own.¡±


    Ye Yifan was in a daze. Obviously, he didn¡¯t expect that Fang Yan would speak such words to her. He thought for a while and then asked in bewilderment, ¡°And then what?¡±


    Tang Xia looked up and stared into Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes earnestly.


    ¡°He broke up with me.¡±


    In fact, this was what he had expected. He had noticed that Fang Yan never showed his interest in her and he had heard that Song Sisi was Fang Yan¡¯s first love.


    Given what had happened when the power was off just now, even being his girlfriend, Tang Xia wasn¡¯t even cared for by him. Instead, he went directly to Song Sisi. Though he had been a spectator, he felt it unjust. How would the victim feel?


    But that may be good for him to break up with Tang Xia. Though he knew that Tang Xia disliked Fang Yan, he had been unsatisfied with his role as a boyfriend.


    Ye Yifan put his arm on her shoulder, while Tang Xia was shocked. Song Sisi on the other side was about to rush over when she saw that but was restrained due to Fang Yan.


    Tang Xia saw Ye Yifan smiling at her. Why was he so happy? But anyway, he was more handsome when he smiled. Then she felt distressed all of a sudden. She still wanted to ask him about his relationship with Li Xianxian and his thoughts about her.


    But at that very moment, a line of words showed up in front of them:


    ¡°Mission: To Survive¡±

 Chapter 179 - Sweetness

    Chapter 179 Sweetness


    Upon seeing the words before them, the two of them looked at each other and nodded. Tang Xia smiled while looking at Ye Yifan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll survive until the last minute!¡±


    Ye Yifan also smiled suddenly, for he liked her complacent look very much.


    ¡°You look so beautiful when you smile.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment. She flushed so much that she felt like she was having a stroke. She felt dumb about not knowing what to say.


    As Ye Yifan was looking at Tang Xia¡¯s red ears, he thought that she was exceedingly lovely. However, he didn¡¯t want to embarrass her, so he reached out and made a fist. Tang Xia didn¡¯t quite understand. Ye Yifan smiled and looked at her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go do it.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled knowingly and touched Ye Yifan¡¯s fist with hers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Both of them smiled happily, especially Tang Xia, who had been irritated by Fang Yan¡¯s excuse for breaking up with her, although she hadn¡¯t cared about him at all during her stay there.


    Inexplicably, thanks to Ye Yifan¡¯s encouragement, she felt that today was the most joyful day of her life.


    Song Sisi had seen them chat joyfully and put their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. However, what dissatisfied her was that they made moves on each other and looked so restless.


    Fang Yan followed Song Sisi¡¯s eyes and looked at them, only to find that Tang Xia was now chatting with another man heatedly. She was smiling happily like a bloom in the blink of an eye, although she had just broken up with him and begged him tearfully not to leave her. She had seemed so depressed when she had come in.


    He had broken up with her because he didn¡¯t quite like her, yet out of his possessiveness, he found it annoying to see his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had just broken up, embrace another man.


    As Fang Yan felt gloomy, Song Sisi stood up abruptly and walked towards them. She would never tolerate any woman who stayed close to Ye Yifan!


    When she was close enough to Ye Yifan, she pretended to sprain her ankle and fall on him.


    Ye Yifan, who had been absorbed in his conversation with Tang Xia, didn¡¯t notice Song Sisi approach him at all. When he saw her fall on him, he was stunned. However, he immediately took her in his arms subconsciously.


    Unfortunately, she was a little heavier than Ye Yifan had expected. Ye Yifan had to crouch down slowly to hold her.


    Tang Xia felt amused when she saw Song Sisi lay in Ye Yifan¡¯s arms looking elated. ¡°This woman is indeed a coquettish, pretentious b*tch. She acts so innocently, yet she lies in a man¡¯s arms so cheekily. She seems to be enjoying herself.¡±


    She looked at Song Sisi, feeling as if she were looking at Li Xianxian. Why were there so many people like that? She felt helpless. There were either scumbags or coquettes around her. She was left speechless by this.


    As Song Sisi had always dreamed of, she lay in Ye Yifan¡¯s arms as if she had melted into a puddle of water in an instant. Meanwhile, Ye Yifan didn¡¯t know what to do. He tried to help her up.


    However, Song Sisi just lay in his arms feebly, pretending to be frightened at once while rubbing against him.


    ¡°Brother Ye, I¡¯m scared. This place is so strange. I feel so horrible!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia at once. He seemed helpless and nervous, obviously afraid that Tang Xia would misunderstand him.


    When she got no response from Ye Yifan, Song Sisi looked up at him in bewilderment. She was immediately annoyed. His eyes were lingering on Tang Xia as she talked to him. She suddenly cried out.


    ¡°Ouch! Brother Ye, I seem to have sprained my ankle. It¡¯s so painful!¡±


    Ye Yifan had to look down and help examine her injury. He did so without saying a word.


    As Tang Xia looked at Song Sisi, she couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. ¡°What a drama queen she is. She should have been awarded The Best Pretentious B*tch Prize.¡±


    Song Sisi was embarrassed and irritated by Tang Xia¡¯s titter. She looked up at Tang Xia fiercely, startling the latter with her expression.


    What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°You want me to stop laughing?¡± Tang Xia looked at her helplessly. Song Sisi became angrier when she saw the look in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. She thought that Tang Xia was looking at her as if she was a kid playing childish tricks in front of her.


    Being exposed and teased felt really terrible. When had she been treated this way?


    Ye Yifan found nothing wrong with her ankle and helped her up by using some force. ¡°Your ankle is alright. You should be able to walk on your own.¡±


    Song Sisi held on to him, looking at him with adoring eyes. ¡°But I¡¯ scared. You should protect me.¡±


    Ye Yifan immediately felt helpless. He had no idea what to say.


    Tang Xia looked at Fang Yan, who was away from her. Although she saw him stare at Ye Yifan steadily, as if he were about to kill him, he didn¡¯t move at all.


    Tang Xia was curious to know why he was so useless now. He had been so confident about catching a beauty¡¯s heart after all. Was he afraid of being embarrassed?


    Was that because his ex-girlfriend, girlfriend and Ye Yifan, the virtual rival in love, were all here? If she had been Fang Yan, she would not have messed with this either.


    She rolled her eyes as she came up with an idea. She looked at Song Sisi with a smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Fang Yan approach you?¡±


    Song Sisi went blank when she heard her question. ¡°What does she mean?¡± She turned back to look at Fang Yan, only to find him looking back at them. Their gazes made Fang Yan feel embarrassed. ¡°It was a wise choice for me not to go there. But why are they looking at me?¡±


    ¡°So what if Fang Yan approached me? He¡¯s free to do so.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at her in amusement. She acted like a tall peacock that kept flaunting something at her. However, as Ye Yifan was present, she didn¡¯t act too obtrusively, even though sarcasm could still be detected in her words.


    ¡°You¡¯re Fang Yan¡¯s girlfriend, but your boyfriend is hanging around me all day. What a failure you are as a woman!¡±


    Tang Xia just ignored that. Instead, she smiled and spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Fang Yan broke up with me for you?¡±


    Song Sisi was immediately startled. As a pretty woman, she enjoyed the sense of superiority that being surrounded by men gave her. She was pleased to be loved by all the men who had ever met her.


    However, she had never anticipated that Fang Yan would break up with Tang Xia for her. Perhaps Tang Xia had intended to embarrass her by saying that in front of so many people.


    She had realized that Fang Yan had mysteriously taken her out to break up with her. It turned out that her depression had been caused by this abandonment.


    Fang Yan had dumped Tang Xia for her. Although she was pleased by his acknowledgment of her glamor, for the same reason, Tang Xia could now hit on Ye Yifan.


    Suddenly, she remembered how many times Ye Yifan had defended Tang Xia and got irritated. She felt like she had strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel.


    Tang Xia decided to launch a second round of attacks on Song Sisi when she saw her look stuck. Upon seeing that Tang Xia was up to no good, Song Sisi squeezed herself against Ye Yifan tighter. Tang Xia spoke slowly with an icy expression.


    ¡°Did you say that you¡¯ll retake everything you¡¯ve lost one by one?¡±


    Song Sisi felt awkward at once. She had said that to her when no one had been around, but now Tang Xia had said so in Ye Yifan¡¯s presence. She looked at Tang Xia, feeling ashamed and annoyed.


    She had said that she would retake everything she had lost, but she had never expected that she would lose Ye Yifan after gaining Fang Yan. Alas, why would Fang Yan break up with Tang Xia? Or else, how could Tang Xia have meddled with the affair between her and Ye Yifan? How could she be so overbearing with her?


    She looked up at Ye Yifan, but found him looking at her with a cold expression. At present, it looked like she was ingratiating herself with Ye Yifan, while the latter seemed to be accusing himself of misconduct with a desire-free look.


    She was indeed ingratiating herself with Ye Yifan. As she thought of this, she found herself in a tough spot. She had no idea if she should put her arms around Ye Yifan¡¯s waist. She dared not move her stiff body at all.


    At this point, Dabing came suddenly and shouted.


    ¡°Song Sisi, come over!¡±


    Song Sisi felt extricated as soon as she heard someone call her. She loosened her arms around Ye Yifan, turned back and looked at Tang Xia.


    As she passed by Tang Xia, the latter raised her eyebrows. She immediately noticed and turned to her fiercely as she walked by.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you shall never touch what belongs to me!¡±


    She was really confident. Apparently, although she had been so awfully thwarted, she was still able to make this claim. She deserved Tang Xia¡¯s admiration.


    Song Sisi also showed the whites of her eyes to Fang Yan as she passed by him. Fang Yan was stunned for a while. Had he done anything wrong? Why had Song Sisi glared at him as if he had done something adverse to her?


    When Song Sisi left, Ye Yifan turned and smiled at Tang Xia, who had been annoying Song Sisi and had not noticed Ye Yifan gazing at her.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re like when you argue with Song Sisi?¡±


    Tang Xia was confused as she turned back. What was she like? Did that mean that Ye Yifan had been keeping his eyes on her as she¡¯d argued with Song Sisi? She lost her head instantly. ¡°My sweetheart was paying close attention to me? My God. My heart is beating so fast, I¡¯m about to conk out!¡±


    Ye Yifan found her lovelier as she was lost in a trance. He smiled and fondled her head.


    ¡°When you are arguing, you are just like a noble princess.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was frightened by his actions, stood frozen there. Upon hearing his words, she blushed at once. Her cheeks were like lovely reddish apples.


    Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t resist such an adorkable look. He reached out and pinched her cheeks, feeling her face get hot. He smiled warmly with satisfaction.


    ¡°Your face is so hot.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was embarrassed by his flirtation, found herself in a tough spot again. Ye Yifan got on one knee all of a sudden. She was startled when she saw him put out a hand.


    ¡°In this game, I shall be your knight.¡±


    The broadcast room was overwhelmed by pink bubbles and hurrah.


    ¡°Ah¡ªso sweet!¡±


    ¡°They are so well-matched.¡±


    ¡°I feel numb! My girlish heart is quivering!¡±


    ¡°Stay together! Stay together!¡±


    ¡°What a sweet couple!¡±


    ¡­


    Tang Xia put her hand in his and said ¡°okay¡± with a red face.


    It was time to go to bed. Upon seeing that everyone was here, Dabing said, ¡°I suggest that we sleep together so we can take care of each other and be safer.¡±


    They looked at one another and all nodded.

 Chapter 180 - Song Sisi "Disappeared"

    Chapter 180 Song Sisi ¡°Disappeared¡±


    They set out cleaning up their own rooms after this discussion. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked at each other, feeling that this day wouldn¡¯t be smooth.


    As they looked at the various looks on each other¡¯s faces, Tang Xia sighed. It seemed that everyone had been on the edge of a mental breakdown after being isolated from the outside world in the villa, where someone had died. In fact, if Ye Yifan had not appeared unexpectedly, she also would have broken down.


    Ye Yifan frowned as he saw Tang Xia¡¯s sober expression. He lifted his hand and fondled her hair, which felt soft and fluffy and smelled like flowers. Ye Yifan was almost lost in a trance for a moment. Tang Xia flushed again at once and looked up at Ye Yifan coyly.


    Ye Yifan comforted her softly.


    ¡°Everything will be alright. You will survive until the end.¡±


    Tang Xia went blank. Actually, she would easily sink in the swirl of his tenderness. Even the simple words that he said to her subconsciously stirred her blood for a long time.


    She seemed about to drown in his tenderness. Then, she suddenly smiled and joked, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we are rivals.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Ye Yifan bent down and looked directly into her eyes, which looked really fervent. ¡°And don¡¯t you forget either that, in this game, I¡¯ll be your knight.¡±


    Pit-pat¡­ Pit-pat¡­


    Tang Xia was out of breath all of a sudden¡­


    ¡°Tang Xia! Pack up your belongings!¡±


    Song Sisi¡¯s shout startled the two of them. Tang Xia shivered at once and looked back, only to find Song Sisi glaring at her. She clutched her waist with her hands as if she were about to swallow her.


    ¡°Set out.¡±


    Ye Yifan spoke gently. Tang Xia had to say goodbye to him bashfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Go to bed earlier.¡±


    She turned around and walked towards Song Sisi, who looked as if she was about to snap her neck. Tang Xia moved over to her slowly and cast her eyes over Song Sisi.


    She knew very well that Song Sisi had been burning with jealousy and that she must have gone as crazy as a rabid dog that would bite anything. She didn¡¯t want to say a word to her, let alone have a conversation with her, for fear that she might get annoyed.


    Tang Xia cast her eyes over her indifferently and passed by her as if she were nothing. When she was ignored by her, Song Sisi felt infuriated and bared her teeth, clutching at Tang Xia.


    ¡°You¡¯d better stay away from Ye Yifan.¡±


    Tang Xia ached as she was pulled unexpectedly. Song Sisi was pinching her with force. ¡°This woman must have been spellbound by men!¡±


    Although she pretended to be carefree, Song Sisi was pinching Tang Xia hard. At the moment, it felt as if she were fighting for the favor of His Majesty in a harem.


    It was such a pity that she hadn¡¯t been born in ancient times. Judging from her coquetry, scheming, and tricks, she would absolutely have been the most favored concubine of the harem. She seemed to have been born in the wrong era.


    Tang Xia ripped off Song Sisi¡¯s hands, which took her some strength. She seemed to hate Tang Xia so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Fang Yan¡¯s waiting for you there.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Song Sisi¡¯s face darkened at once. She had so many rich expressions. Tang Xia walked away without even looking back. She just rolled up her sleeves and looked down at her arms. As expected, they had turned purple where Son Sisi had pinched her. That woman was so horrible¡­


    When everyone had tidied up their belongings, they went to bed in the same room. While she thought about what had happened in the daytime, including Ye Yifan¡¯s attitude and his misleading behavior, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t sleep. It was tranquil in the room. All she could hear was the sound of the wind blowing against the window.


    Frankly speaking, this place was indeed scary. After all, the task given to her was ¡°To Survive¡±, which indicated that something was bound to take place in this isolated house. Once again, someone would get injured or¡­ die.


    Even so, she was unstoppable. She would do anything to discover that guy when the next incident took place! She didn¡¯t have a clue about Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death. After all, there seemed to be no evidence to be found¡­


    While thinking about this, Tang Xia started feeling hazy and became sleepier. As she was about to fell asleep, she seemed to hear someone pull back their quilt in a trance. Tang Xia was a little puzzled. ¡°Is someone going out?¡±


    She forced herself to get up subconsciously and rubbed her sleepy eyes. However, she could only see her blurry clothing¡­ ¡°That seems to be Song Sisi!¡±


    Tang Xia became sober immediately. She followed her stealthily, watching Song Sisi wander in the corridor in silence as if she had lost her soul.


    ¡°Why is she getting up at midnight? The toilet isn¡¯t in that direction if she wants to answer the call of nature.¡± After thinking for a while, she realized it would be bad if something happened to Song Sisi. Plus, what if she schemed to serve the devil¡­


    ¡°Is she Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s murderer?¡±


    That seemed impossible. In novels, such a brainless woman was generally bullet bait. However, just in case, she had to follow her on her tiptoes.


    When she saw Song Sisi reach the end of the corridor and then turn, Tang Xia followed her hurriedly. For fear that Song Sisi might discover her, she had to pop an eye out to spy on her.


    As she looked over, she didn¡¯t see anybody in that long corridor!


    Tang Xia felt her back shiver suddenly. ¡°How? How could a living person disappear into the air? Is there really a ghost?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tang Xia rushed over immediately but did not even find a door in the corridor. She began shivering slightly. ¡°How could she disappear into thin air within a few seconds, when there wasn¡¯t even a door?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart was beating wildly.


    She had to go back! She had to go back! Otherwise, she would be killed next!


    As she thought of this, she turned toward the bedroom at once. Bang! The sound of bodies bumping into each other was heard.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Tang Xia had turned back without taking any precautions and rushed into something. She was scared out of her mind. She screamed and closed her eyes, too afraid to see what it was. After the weird death she had just witnessed, she could not believe that anything good could possibly be behind her at midnight!


    The thing behind her had been silent for a long time. She didn¡¯t really have the courage to open her eyes.


    ¡°No!¡± She had promised Ye Yifan to survive until the end. Upon thinking of this, she covered her aching forehead with her hand and got ready to look up.


    ¡°Why did you go out at such a late time?¡±


    Tang Xia opened her eyes instantly and looked at the person in front of her, only to find Fang Yan staring at her in bewilderment.


    ¡°Why was there no sound as you walked? Why didn¡¯t you say anything when you were behind me for such a long time?¡±


    Tang Xia was somewhat annoyed because she had really been scared to death!


    ¡°That was you! You¡¯ve been wandering in the corridor stealthily for a long time. Tell me, what are you doing?¡±


    After getting herself together, Tang Xia looked into Fang Yan¡¯s face and spoke up.


    ¡°I followed Song Sisi out because I saw her suddenly walk out alone. She didn¡¯t go to the bathroom. I was afraid that something bad might happen to her, so I followed her out.¡±


    Fang Yan snorted. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. I just saw Song Sisi sleeping in the room.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. How could this happen? Song Sisi had gotten up and she had followed her here!


    ¡°You are talking nonsense! What are you doing here in the corridor at midnight?¡±


    Fang Yan laughed abruptly. ¡°I was going to the bathroom but saw you here acting all stealthy, so I followed you. I never thought that you would put the blame on me instead!¡±


    Had she put the blame on him? Tang Xia became angrier. Anyway, she was his ex-girlfriend, whom he had just broken up with. How could he argue with her as sharply as if she had abandoned him?


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back and have a look! Let¡¯s see if Song Sisi is in the room!¡±


    Tang Xia snorted angrily and started walking back by herself. Fang Yan looked at Tang Xia¡¯s back with a sullen face. They went back to the room successively, with different thoughts on their minds.


    Tang Xia insisted that what she had seen just now had been Song Sisi. Otherwise, how could she have heard that sound and woken up? How could she have gone there?


    Unfortunately, the instant Tang Xia pushed the door open, she was startled. Song Sisi was sleeping soundly on her bed.


    How could this happen? Had she just had an illusion? But who had made the sound she had heard? She never sleepwalked. Had it been a ghost? No, no. This was the real world. How could there be ghosts?


    As Tang Xia felt bewildered, Fang Yan pulled her over. Tang Xia frowned at once. ¡°These two are really members of the same family. They both pull me instead of talking to me directly. They even pulled me by the same part of my arm!¡±


    Upon recalling how her arm had turned purple after being pinched by Song Sisi, she instantly felt infuriated. She threw his hand away, stunning Fang Yan suddenly.


    ¡°Just speak!¡±


    Fang Yan bridled up at once. ¡°She¡¯s so irrational!¡±


    ¡°Why did you hang out alone at midnight? Do you have any secrets?¡±


    Secrets? What kind of secrets could she have? As she looked at Fang Yan, who seemed to firmly believe that she had done something evil, Tang Xia suddenly wanted to throw him down the cliff and let him experience a landslide. Wasn¡¯t it illegal to kill someone here?


    ¡°What kind of secret could I have?¡±


    Fang Yan, who seemed to have expected her to deny this, sneered at her.


    ¡°You killed Zhang Yaoyao, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her head at once and shouted.


    ¡°How could I do this? Why would I kill her?¡±


    How could this man connect Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death to her? How evil was she in his eyes?


    Although she had always considered Fang Ya a scumbag, she now wanted to update this image to one of a mindless man. After all, most men would not treat their girlfriends so heartlessly right after breaking up with them. Now, he even wondered whether she was a murderer.


    Fang Yan snorted. ¡°Who knows why you killed her?¡±


    At this point, Song Sisi was woken up by Tang Xia¡¯s shout. She frowned and got up as she shouted, ¡°What are you shouting about at such a late hour instead of being in bed?¡±


    Tang Xia was at a loss for words as she was blamed. Fang Yan glared at Tang Xia and then turned back to coax Song Sisi.


    Unsatisfied as Song Sisi was, she didn¡¯t say anything else out of sleepiness. She liked to have her beauty sleep.


    The three of them went to bed with different thoughts in their minds.


    Tang Xia pulled back her quilt and went back to her bed. She found it more and more strange after arranging her thoughts and she doubted if Fang Yan and Song Sisi had played a trick on her together!

 Chapter 181 - She Was Suspected to Be A Murderer?!

    Chapter 181 She Was Suspected to Be A Murderer?!


    Everything seemed to make sense, if she thought of it this way.


    After going through the incident in her mind, the conclusion was that Song Sisi had woken Tang Xia up by deliberately making a lot of noise when she got up. It was easy to set a trap for her because she was only half awake and feeling a bit groggy.


    Song Sisi had encouraged her to wander around, while Fang Yan had followed Tang Xia.


    He covered for Song Sisi, so that she could go back to her room through a shortcut, when he was talking with Tang Xia. Then Song Sisi pretended to be asleep, when Fang Yan incited her to check around. All this made sense!


    But she failed to figure out why they would do such a thing. What was their purpose?


    Was it because she had argued with Song Sisi, in the daytime? Or was it because that she had ignored Song Sisi¡¯s warning and Song Sisi was angry and wanted to play a trick on her?


    This was quite impossible because it was so childish. Then she recalled what Fang Yan said. Was it because¡­ Song Sisi was trying to frame her, so as to increase the suspicion that she could possibly be the murderer?


    Tang Xia was a little confused and shook her head. This seemed impossible. She scratched her head and thought, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to sleep first. Now that I can¡¯t figure it out, I will just wait for the result.¡±


    The next day¡ª¡ª


    Tang Xia was awakened by the sound of heavy rain hitting against the window.


    She opened her eyes hazily, but found that Song Sisi and the others were not awake yet. Recalling what had happened the night before, made her feel exhausted. Though she did not get enough sleep, she was in no mood to get more sleep.


    This was because the rain kept falling, and it seemed that each of her fellow companions in the house, seemed to be hatching a plot. She dared not sleep, even though her body was yearning for more sleep.


    All of them awoke, when she got up and started packing up everything. With some hesitation, she decided to lend a hand in the kitchen, only to find the housekeeper staring at the food, with some concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tang Xia asked.


    Seeing it was Tang Xia, the housekeeper sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long this will keep us alive¡­¡±


    Tang Xia fell silent too. They had been stuck here for several days, and the weather¡­


    When everyone was awake, Tang Xia helped to serve the food. On seeing her serving him rice, Ye Yifan smiled abruptly.


    Tang Xia was puzzled by Ye Yifan¡¯s look. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    Ye Yifan whispered in her ear, ¡°I discovered that you have the gift to be an understanding wife and loving mother.¡±


    Tang Xia blushed in shame. She didn¡¯t expect this compliment from him, so early in the morning. She turned around and fled from him. She continued to serve rice to the others, and Ye Yifan gave a wider smile, when he saw this.


    Song Sisi who had been standing aside, was thoroughly infuriated, as she watched their interactions. She slammed her chopsticks on the table, in fury. Beside her, Fang Yan immediately held her hand, out of concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your hand hurt?¡±


    Song Sisi pushed Fang Yan away. ¡°What would it be his turn? How could he hold her hand?¡± She looked at Fang Yan in disdain, and the latter felt as if he had done something wrong. Tang Xia had just served Song Sisi¡¯s rice, and put it in front of her.


    ¡°Humph, this is really a bargain. Everything she does, corresponds to her identity.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. No one could fail to read the taunt, that Tang Xia had gone after Ye Yifan, right after breaking up with Fang Yan. But anyway, such words should not have been so boldly spoken by a girl.


    Who else would do this sort of thing, except an uneducated woman? Ye Yifan was instantly annoyed, but just as he was about to say something, Tang Xia took away the rice that she had placed in front of Song Sisi.


    ¡°I forgot. How could I ask a noble one to eat rice that was offered by a bargain? I just demeaned myself in vain.¡± Tang Xia smiled, and returned the rice back to the pot.


    ¡°You!¡± Song Sisi saw red at once. ¡°Everyone is stuck here and worrying about the food tomorrow, and now you¡¯re bantering with Ye Yifan!¡±


    Tang Xia snorted. ¡°So? Does it mean that I¡¯m heartless if I don¡¯t show any concern? Do you want me to cry in your presence?¡±


    Song Sisi lost her tongue, while Fang Yan tried to mediate. ¡°All right, Sisi. You have my share, and I¡¯ll will get another one for myself.¡±


    Song Sisi pushed him away. ¡°Who cares about your share!¡±


    Fang Yan was surprised but he didn¡¯t lose his temper. Instead, he filled another bowl with rice for her, in silence.


    Tang Xia suddenly realized that what Fang Yan felt for Song Sisi, was true love! He tolerated such a woman and her bad temper. But, previously, she did not have the impression that he was weak. That must be because he hadn¡¯t found his true love yet, at that time.


    ¡°It appears that love is magical, for it can turn a scumbag into a sweet guy. Alas.¡±


    She suddenly associated this with Ye Yifan and turned to look at him, and found him looking at her, too. All that came into his mind was that Tang Xia¡¯s face, as she argued with Song Sisi, looked so lovely and playful. Tang Xia was embarrassed by his ardent gaze, so she carried on eating, with her head down.


    All of them were silent, during breakfast. No one was talking. With this silence, all that could be heard was the sound of the rain pattering on the windows. They all had the same thought, that they wouldn¡¯t survive a second day, thus the atmosphere became more and more solemn.


    Unless the damage caused by the landslide could be settled, the few grains of rice they had, would not last long. Plus the fact that the villa was at such a desolate spot, they had to find a way out.


    After breakfast, the five of them sat around in the living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Do we just stay here and wait for death?¡±


    Dabing¡¯s sudden words broke the silence, but they made the atmosphere even more somber.


    ¡°Waiting for death? I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    On hearing the word ¡°death¡±, Song Sisi jumped up at once. This must be a joke. She was so young. Will she die so soon, with such a pretty face, and in the bloom of her youth? Never!


    Seeing Song Sisi so worked up, Fang Yan patted her on her back, and comforted her.


    ¡°It is alright. I won¡¯t let you die!¡±


    Song Sisi was somewhat relieved when she heard Fang Yan¡¯s promise, but she eluded his hands and kept herself out of his reach.


    Tang Xia felt they were a perfect match, when she saw them pushing each other.


    As everyone kept silent, Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia, and stood up slowly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here and wait for our doom¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned, gazing at him in confusion. Did he have any solution? The present weather, along with the landslide, made it difficult for them to leave, even if a helicopter came to rescue them. Moreover, they had been out of touch with the outside world. As she thought about the very limited food in the kitchen, and the chances of being killed at any time, she could not figure out any solution. They seemed to be at a dead end.


    Ye Yifan noticed her gaze, so he nodded, to give her some relief. Tang Xia calmed down once she saw his eyes.


    Song Sisi and Fang Yan noticed this, and the latter said impatiently,


    ¡°Stop exchanging flirty glances. Just tell us if you have anything to say!¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned. Obviously, he was a little annoyed by his rudeness.


    ¡°The three of us will try to find a way out. The ladies will wait for us in the villa.¡±


    Fang Yan pursed his lips in disdain, but said nothing. He couldn¡¯t think of a better solution, after all.


    They would do it, since no one had any objections. Dabing stood up and agreed,


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll do that!¡±


    Fang Yan got up too, and looked back at Song Sisi.


    ¡°Wait for me to come back.¡±


    But Song Sisi sat there in silence, without any expression on her face.


    The three males changed into relatively warm clothes, and went out as soon as they were ready. Now, there was only Tang Xia and Song Sisi in the house, and they sat at opposite sides of the living room.


    Tang Xia was silent for she didn¡¯t want to be in the same room as Song Sisi, so she stood up, planning to go back to her own room. Just as she was about to head for the stairs, Song Sisi suddenly asked her to stop.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Tang Xia looked back, impatiently, holding on to the rail with one hand and the other, on her waist.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Song Sisi folded her arms and walked slowly to her, holding her head high. The clicking sound from her high-heeled shoes echoed loudly in the living room, where there was no one, except for the two of them.


    ¡°What on earth did you do last night?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly laughed. ¡°I should ask you about that. You got up on purpose at midnight, woke me up, and got me to walk around the house. Couldn¡¯t you find something else to do?¡±


    Song Sisi seemed to be avoiding Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I heard from Fang Yan that you hung around at the corridor stealthily, at midnight, instead of going to bed! Tell me, what were you about to do, alone at such a late hour? Were you planning to murder another one?¡±


    Tang Xia glared at her fiercely, ¡°Murder?¡±


    Song Sisi smiled in satisfaction, ¡°So? Do you want to kill me after being provoked? You killed Zhang Yaoyao, didn¡¯t you? Why are you glaring at me so fiercely?¡±


    Her cold stare seemed to drip ice, and this forced Song Sisi to retreat, step by step.


    Song Sisi was scared because Tang Xia¡¯s expression was so terrifying, at the moment. But there was the couch behind her. Without any other way for her to move, she sat on the couch directly, after failing to notice it.


    Tang Xia laughed suddenly. ¡°Are you trying to frame me, as a murderer, by doing all this?¡±


    Song Sisi felt ashamed instantly. She forced herself to argue back, ¡°Did I frame you? It¡¯s obvious that you did that¡±


    Tang Xia reached out and raised Son Sisi¡¯s jaw, smiling coldly at her. ¡°If I were indeed a murderer, the first one to be killed by me, would not have been Zhang Yaoyao.¡±


    Song Sisi¡¯s eyes widened immediately. She saw Tang Xia bending down and approaching her ear, whispered, ¡°But you.¡±


    Song Sisi felt as if she had been thrown into hell, suddenly feeling cold, even though she had wrapped herself with a blanket.


    As she lost her head, the housekeeper rushed over suddenly. ¡°Stop arguing, please! I¡¯m afraid that the three gentlemen will be in great danger!¡±


    Both of them were startled. Did he know something? Why was he so certain, as if he knew what was going to happen? Tang Xia asked immediately, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    The housekeeper, however, was unwilling to tell more, and looked bashful. But Tang Xia was determined to drag this out from him. ¡°Tell us, housekeeper!¡±


    Song Sisi also couldn¡¯t wait anymore. She demanded, in a hurry, ¡°Tell us now!¡±


    It appeared that the housekeeper could not take their questioning, because he covered his head with his hands, as if he had a headache. He squatted and said, ¡°There is a man¡­ There is a man¡­¡±


    Tang Xia asked hurriedly, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    But housekeeper kept repeating the same sentence, no matter how they hard they prodded him. ¡°There is a man¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was puzzled. ¡°A man? Who was he? Did this mean¡­ that a man was here, before their arrival?¡±


    At this point, there were some noises at the door.


    Tap-tap!


    ¡°Was that someone knocking at the door?¡±

 Chapter 182 - Dabing Was Hurt

    Chapter 182 Dabing Was Hurt


    Tang Xia and Song Sisi were both taken aback, when they heard the sound at the door. They thought of the man, as mentioned by the housekeeper.


    ¡°If this man had arrived before they came, chances were that he was the initiator of all these weird events!¡±


    ¡°It could be that Zhang Yaoyao might have been murdered by him! Considering that Zhang Yaoyao was alone in the room when she died, it could be conjectured that the man might have been the one who poisoned her.¡±


    Someone was pounding ferociously on the door. ¡°Could it be that man?¡± They became even more frightened when they thought of this. ¡°What should they do? All the others were out and there were only the two of them left!¡±


    ¡°Did he plan to kill them, since they were alone in the house?¡± Thinking of this, Tang Xia took up a vase from the table, at once. ¡°What to do? What to do?¡±


    While they were still contemplating their next move, suddenly, Fang Yan¡¯s voice could be heard, from the door.


    ¡°Open up! Dabing is hurt!¡±


    On hearing his voice, Song Sisi rolled her eyes at Tang Xia, as if mocking her for being so timid.


    Tang Xia put the vase down immediately, and rushed to open the door, without even looking at Song Sisi. The housekeeper was so excited that he raised his head and cast his eyes towards the door, when he saw that the three men were back.


    Tang Xia opened the door, and Fang Yan walked in, carrying Dabing. The rain was still heavy, their raincoats had failed to keep their clothes from being soaked by the rain.


    The two men laid Dabing on the couch, and discarded their raincoats immediately. Fang Yan said, ¡°Dabing was hit on his back, by a falling stone¡±


    Tang Xia asked at once, ¡°What happened when you went out?¡±


    Fang Yan looked at Song Sisi, who was silent, not knowing what was on her mind.


    Looking at his silent friends, Ye Yifan sighed in his mind. ¡°Dabing is in a coma. We have to send him to the hospital now!¡±


    ¡°The hospital?¡± Tang Xia was suddenly at a loss. ¡°They had been stuck here, without any food to eat. How could they even get to the hospital? If they could do that, there would be no need for the three of them to try to find the way out, and Dabing would not have been injured, either.¡±


    Song Sisi also found that this remark sounded quite incredulous. ¡°How could they get to the hospital? They had been stuck here for so long, without even adequate food.¡±


    The housekeeper was silent, and slipped away, unobtrusively.


    Seeing the various expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, Ye Yifan got up and pulled Tang Xia to a corner, which made Song Sisi jealous, when she saw them huddling together. But under such conditions, she was not in the mood to bother about them.


    Fang Yan also looked at them coldly, but he said nothing, since Song Sisi did the same.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan, in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ye Yifan looked very serious and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Not long after we went out, I observed the surroundings and thought there was nothing wrong. At that time, Dabing was five or six meters behind me, but after a short while, when I looked back, I found him lying on the ground, in a daze, about one or two meters from me.¡±


    Tang Xia was puzzled. ¡°You mean someone pushed him?¡±


    Ye Yifan fell silent. ¡°In my opinion, Dabing would not have been able to move so fast. But there were only the three of us at the moment.¡±


    Tang Xia said, with some confusion, ¡°Could it be Fang Yan? You would definitely not do that, then he should be the only suspect. But he¡­ Why?¡±


    This had made Ye Yifan confused as well. He didn¡¯t understand why Fang Yan would push Dabing, for no reason. But it came to him that Zhang Yaoyao had also died, for no reason.


    Tang Xia looked up at Ye Yifan and said, ¡°Last night, I heard Song Sisi going out when I was still in a daze from my sleep, so I followed her. But I lost sight of her when she suddenly turned at the corner.¡±


    ¡°I hung around and tried to look for her. When I turned back, I found Fang Yan standing behind me. He then asked me what I was doing.¡±


    Ye Yifan was puzzled. ¡°Did you make a mistake?¡±


    Tang Xia was uncertain about this. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Then I argued with Fang Yan for a while. He told me that Song Sisi had been in the room all this while. I didn¡¯t trust him. But when we returned to the room, she was there. I could not tell whether she was really asleep or not¡±


    Ye Yifan thought about this, touching his jaw.


    ¡°Last but not least, Fang Yan then accused me to be the murderer, the one who killed Zhang Yaoyao.


    Ye Yifan paused and cast his eyes over Tang Xia. Indeed, Fang Yan¡¯s behavior seemed quite suspicious, at this point.


    But accusing a man of being Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s murderer, because he was wandering along the corridor at midnight, was a little rash, and would seem like it was an attempt to frame him.


    Tang Xia looked back at Song Sisi, who was watching their every movement, as if they were about do something excessive.


    Song Sisi glared fiercely at Tang Xia, when she saw Tang Xia looking at her. But Tang Xia ignored her and looked at Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Song Sisi said something to me when you were out. She kept saying that I was Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s killer.¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t tell him how she had threatened Son Sisi by saying that she would kill her first.¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at her in bewilderment. ¡°Why are they so convinced that you killed Zhang Yaoyao? What¡¯s their purpose for setting up such an elaborate trap for you last night?¡±


    That sounded so strange.


    ¡°Ah! Yes!¡± Tang Xia appeared to have realized something. She looked around.


    Ye Yifan saw that she seemed to be searching for something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you looking for?¡±


    Tang Xia grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s hand and said excitedly, ¡°The housekeeper! The housekeeper! He seems to know something!¡±


    ¡°The housekeeper? What¡¯s wrong with the housekeeper? Why was she so excited about him?¡±


    ¡°When I was arguing with Song Sisi, he rushed over and told us that you all were in danger and may not survive.¡±


    Ye Yifan raised his eyebrows. Why would the housekeeper say that, as if he knew what was going to happen to them? But they did encounter an accident, and Dabing was indeed hurt.


    Thus, the housekeeper¡¯s words indicated that Dabing¡¯s getting injured, was not an accident. So¡­


    ¡°Why would the housekeeper say that?¡±


    Tang Xia said in confusion, ¡°I kept asking him why he was saying that, but he kept repeating the same words.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡±


    Tang Xia touched her jaw, as she recalled his words, ¡°There is a man¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan was instantly startled. ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. When I asked him, he acted like he had a headache. He covered his head, squatted, frowned and kept repeating the same words.¡±


    But when Tang Xia looked around, she could not even see the housekeeper¡¯s shadow. The housekeeper always seemed as if he knew something was going on.


    Ye Yifan tried to rationalize. First, Fang Yan and Song Sisi¡¯s behavior seemed too strange. Then Dabing¡¯s injury today was weird, as was the housekeeper¡¯s warning. All of these events seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg. Looking at Tang Xia, Ye Yifan smiled suddenly.


    Since they found the clues, there was still hope for them to escape.


    Ye Yifan raised his hand and caressed Tang Xia¡¯s hair.


    ¡°At present, all we need to do is watch out for Fang Yan and Song Sisi. Pay close attention to them. Though it looks like Song Sisi is unwilling to come into contact with Fang Yan, I feel their relationship is rather strange, though I don¡¯t know why.


    ¡°It feels like they have reached an agreement. And, at the moment, the only breakthrough point we have, is the housekeeper. So we must start from the housekeeper!¡±


    Tang Xia nodded, her mind wandering to Dabing, who was lying on the couch, in a coma.


    ¡°What about Dabing? We¡¯ve been stuck here and there¡¯s no way out, let alone finding a hospital.¡±


    Ye Yifan was also at a loss. Frankly speaking, he did not know what to do, either. They had been searching for a way out, but failed to find it. What was worse, Dabing was hurt.


    Tang Xia comforted him by patting his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll be all right. Trust yourself. We will find a way if we keep trying. And we will survive!¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s smiling face, he felt a slight warmth in his heart. He pinched her cheeks lightly. ¡°H¡¯m. Now that my princess has told me this, I will protect her till the end.¡±


    Tang Xia blushed at once. She was comforting him; how could he tease her instead?


    She glared at Ye Yifan a little bit unwillingly, which, in Song Sisi and Fang Yan¡¯s eyes, was apparently, proof of her affair with Ye Yifan.


    Fang Yan cast his eyes over them in anger. ¡°How should she hook up with Ye Yifan after breaking up with him only a few days ago? What did she think her ex-boyfriend was?¡± So he said in a loud voice, ¡°How can you banter with each other, under such conditions?¡±


    Tang Xia chuckled. ¡°But all you had eyes for, when you came in, was Song Sisi, right?¡±


    Then her eyes lingered on him and Song Sisi. They showed their disdain as if they were watching Tang Xia¡¯s husband idling away with a mistress, and had been caught in the act by his wife.


    Fang Yan and Song Sisi were embarrassed by Tang Xia¡¯s gaze. After all, he had broken up with Tang Xia for Song Sisi.


    ¡°You and Ye Yifan are so close to each other. Who knows if you have been ogling each other even before we broke up?¡±


    Whoops, Fang Yan, the scumbag, sounded so righteous. Song Sisi, standing beside him, also straightened her back.


    ¡°Yes. Who knows if you have been hooking up with Ye Yifan, before that!¡±


    Tang Xia listened to them echoing each other, and thought it was ridiculous. ¡°So? You¡¯ve found another prey for yourself? You feel it is worthless once you got it?¡±


    Ye Yifan watched how Tang Xia crushed them with her words. He seemed to be able to melt Tang Xia¡¯s look, with his eyes.


    Tang Xia¡¯s looks changed when she saw Fang Yan and Song Sisi, suddenly at a loss for words.


    Ye Yifan was confused. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Dabing. ¡°If it was Fang Yan who pushed Dabing, there should be another man who threw the stone!


    ¡°If this is true, then¡­


    ¡°There should be another man¡­¡±

 Chapter 183 - Whats the Solution?

    Chapter 183 What¡¯s the Solution?


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia instantly felt goosebumps all over her body. Ye Yifan saw that she was troubled, as if she had discovered something. He approached her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After thinking it over, Tang Xia decided not to tell him, because she was not sure of this herself. So she had to keep a lookout by, since there had already been so many things happening.


    She pinched the ridge between her eyebrows. ¡°Nothing. But there have been too many things happening, I can¡¯t think about them all once.¡±


    Ye Yifan was puzzled because his instinct told him that she must have realized something, but she was hiding it from him. He patted her shoulder and said, ¡°All will be fine.¡±


    Tang Xia felt herself instantly comforted, and nodded.


    Seeing them ignoring him, Fang Yan was annoyed. ¡°Are you listening to me? Dabing is still in a coma! Can you stop bantering with each other, under such conditions?¡±


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia glanced at Fang Yan. Then they looked at each other and walked toward Dabing.


    ¡°Then, can you think of other ways to save him?¡± Tang Xia cast her eyes over Fang Yan, and asked him coldly.


    Fang Yan was startled, for he didn¡¯t expect Tang Xia to rebuke him in this way. Seeing Fang Yan beaten, Song Sisi glared at him for his failure and looked back at Tang Xia.


    ¡°What about you? You two have been discussing for so long there, have you come up with any ideas?¡±


    Seeing Song Sisi¡¯s complacent look, Fang Yan gave her an adoring look, as if he was saying, ¡°This is my woman, she¡¯s so excellent.¡±


    Song Sisi met Fang Yan¡¯s eyes and gave him an angry stare. Seeing them looking so smug, Tang Xia was about to say something, but Ye Yifan stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll give Dabing first aid treatment first.¡±


    Song Sisi stood up instantly. ¡°I¡¯ll get the medical kit.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s obviously trying to get his attention; can¡¯t Fang Yan see this?¡± Tang Xia turned to look at Fang Yan, only to find him indifferent to it. She cocked her brows. ¡°Can¡¯t he read the signs?


    ¡°Then there can only be three possible explanations. First, he is a fool. This one is likely to be true, but it still remains to be confirmed. Second, he does not really love Song Sisi.


    ¡°This appears to be the most impossible reason, since he broke up with her, for Song Sisi. And he really treats Song Sisi so well, in many subtle ways.¡±


    ¡°Then there is only one possibility left. Maybe Song Sisi has promised him something and he trusts Song Sisi completely.¡±


    Thinking of this, Tang Xia became more doubtful about their relationship.


    Song Sisi brought the medical kit to Ye Yifan. He immediately set about giving Dabing first aid treatment.


    Song Sisi asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡±


    Ye Yifan kept quiet for a while, and looked up at Tang Xia, ¡°Let¡¯s go downhill.¡±


    All of them were startled. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    Song Sisi shouted immediately, ¡°Go downhill? How will you be able to do that?¡±


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t agree with Song Sisi more, at this moment. She pondered for a while and said, ¡°It¡¯s still raining outside, and the conditions are not improving. It will be dangerous if we go downhill.¡±


    Ye Yifan got up and stared at Tang Xia, with determination in his eyes.


    ¡°We have no other choice. This is the only way. I¡¯ve given first aid treatment, but we can¡¯t leave Dabing here and watch him die. We have to go downhill; this is our only hope.¡±


    Tang Xia fell silent. She knew Ye Yifan¡¯s look well. He was apparently telling her that he had something to say to her. She sighed and looked at Song Sisi and Fang Yan, who stood aside, thinking there was really no other way.


    Song Sisi hid behind Fang Yan. Obviously, she was unwilling to go downhill. She would never sacrifice herself for Dabing, because the way downhill was definitely a dead end.


    She would rather stay in the villa and wait for rescue, or wait for God to let them go, than take such a great risk to go downhill! Fang Yan also looked indifferent. Apparently, he did not want to go with them, either.


    Seeing Tang Xia looking at him, Fang Yan was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°We have just been out and I witnessed how Dabing was hit¡­¡±


    Tang Xia knew what he was going to say next. He was unwilling to go, because it was dangerous.


    Tang Xia looked up at Ye Yifan, with eyes full of determination, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded, but Fang Yan and Song Sisi were shocked. Apparently, they didn¡¯t expect Tang Xia to follow him. On realizing that there was no one else left, except for herself and Ye Yifan, Song Sisi said impatiently, at once,


    ¡°What can you do, being only a girl? You won¡¯t be of any help! Don¡¯t become a burden to Ye Yifan!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at her quizzically and said, ¡°Do you think that everyone is as timid as you? Why can¡¯t I go with him, if you are not going?¡±


    Song Sisi glared at her angrily, ¡°Am I timid? I just¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t want you to die!¡±


    Tang Xia snorted. ¡°Then you are willing to see Ye Yifan die alone?¡±


    Song Sisi couldn¡¯t think of an answer to that. Her speechless and frustrated look made Tang Xia burst into laughter, in her heart. Tang Xia turned and looked at Ye Yifan, ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded. Then they went to their rooms to pack their belongings.


    When they went to their rooms, Fang Yan snorted. ¡°They chose to die together for love!¡±


    Song Sisi tugged at the corner of her coat, out of anger. Alas! Though she loved Ye Yifan she feared the thought of dying with him.


    She hated herself for being so cowardly, but she hated Tang Xia even more for snatching Ye Yifan from her. No one would get what she failed to obtain!


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan changed their clothes, took only what they needed, put on their raincoats and went out, leaving Song Sisi, Fang Yan, Dabing and the housekeeper, in the villa.


    The road was muddy because of the rain, and there had been a landslide. Ye Yifan turned back to remind Tang Xia of the bad conditions of the roads.


    Tang Xia nodded, staring at the road, with wide open eyes. The falling rain blocked her vision and she had difficulty keeping her eyes open.


    As expected, she tripped and fell, due to carelessness. Hearing the scream behind him, Ye Yifan turned back at once, to help Tang Xia up. Tang Xia leaned forward due to inertia, and almost kissed Ye Yifan¡­


    Both of them were in a trance. They felt it was pitiful. Why didn¡¯t they use a little more strength? That would help her kiss him!


    On the muddy road on this rainy day, pink rashes appeared inexplicably on their skins.


    Keeping to a fixed position made Ye Yifan feel tired. Tang Xia broke the silence first and stood up straight, while Ye Yifan looked on in a trance, not knowing where to put his hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± Tang Xia said bashfully.


    ¡°Ok, mind your steps.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded. After walking for some time, both of them felt awkward, for no reason. Tang Xia coughed lightly. ¡°Who do you think is the murderer?¡±


    Ye Yifan was stunned and kept silent for a long time. ¡°I think it¡¯s likely to be Fang Yan because he was the only one who stood behind Dabing, when Dabing was attacked. But¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned. ¡°But, he can prove that he was not on the scene.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded. Indeed, the first suspect that came to her mind, was also Fang Yan. He was the owner of this place and was the most likely suspect for causing Dabing¡¯s injury.


    But what if Song Sisi was with him? Just like before, Fang Yan trusted Song Sisi so deeply that he didn¡¯t mind if she had been in love with another man at all.


    ¡°What if Song Sisi conspired with Fang Yan? She knew Zhang Yaoyao earlier than I do. They came here together. Chances are that something happened between them, and the motive for murder came to Song Sisi, who then killed Zhang Yaoyao.


    Ye Yifan pondered for a while. Indeed, it was likely that something had happened between them, if they had known each other before.


    Think of Song Sisi¡¯s character. she was itching to kill Tang Xia, each time she saw her. It was easy for her to go against someone. Adding that Fang Yan had been her first-love boyfriend, it was quite possible that Fang Yan committed the crime with her.


    ¡°H¡¯m¡­ But now that we left, I suppose there is no one else for them to murder. We don¡¯t have to be so worried.¡±


    Ye Yifan comforted her.


    Tang Xia nodded. They kept on moving, because they had to travel fast, as they foresaw more dangers, once it got dark. This was indeed, a very difficult road.


    Ye Yifan stayed close to Tang Xia, all throughout their journey for fear that she might fall again. Tang Xia seemed to perceive this, because she grabbed him by his coat. They walked forward at a slow pace.


    Sometime later¡­


    ¡°Are there lights in front of us?¡±


    Tang Xia shouted suddenly, waving her hands excitedly and casting her eyes over Ye Yifan. Ye Yifan smiled when he saw Tang Xia so delighted.


    His smile was like a shot in the arm, when she was fatigued, which encouraged her to go through any difficult and tiring task, as long as she saw it.


    Ye Yifan followed the direction of her fingers. It was true that there were several dim lights behind the thicket.


    ¡°We finally reached the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help heaving a long sigh of relief.


    Tang Xia cheered loudly. Ye Yifan laughed with her. It was the first time that he had seen her laughing so joyfully, since their arrival.


    Tang Xia ran out of steam, after jumping around for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡±


    With that, she pounded her shoulders. As Tang Xia was lost in a trance, she suddenly felt herself spinning around and then she hit something hard.


    Tang Xia rubbed her aching nose, blankly. When she looked up, she saw Ye Yifan¡¯s chest¡­ Just now, he¡­ dragged her and held her in his arms!


    Ah! She gazed at Ye Yifan, with a wildly beating heart. Looking directly into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, Ye Yifan smiled gradually. In Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, that smile was extremely tender and gentle.


    Ye Yifan patted his chest.


    ¡°Just lean on me if you are tired.¡±


    Tang Xia felt as if her chest was about to explode. All her exhaustion dispersed suddenly.


    Then the broadcast room exploded.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª! My Ye Yifan!¡±


    ¡°What happened? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Are they going to be with each other?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°I favor them! the couple is so sweet!¡±

 Chapter 184 - The Murderer Was Not Fang Yan?

    Chapter 184 The Murderer Was Not Fang Yan?


    The incessant hubbub in the broadcast room did not subside for a long time.


    After all, it was Ye Yifan, a live show master, who had been so easily captured by Tang Xia. The audience was indignant, although such an ordinary gesture might not mean that much. However, all of them had to wait for their next move.


    Before they noticed, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan started heading for the county hospital. Tang Xia moved her legs as if there was a huge sandbag attached to them. When they finally arrived at their destination, she felt joyful beyond words.


    ¡°Why are you so excited?¡± Ye Yifan was amused when he saw her grinning face.


    Tang Xia shook her head childishly and said adorably, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Then, she ran to a bench not far from her, pointed down and shouted at Ye Yifan, ¡°I¡¯m sitting here for a while.¡±


    After walking for such a long distance, she had used up her strength at the foot of the mountain. As always, women were not so strong as men.


    Ye Yifan sat down beside her. Without saying a word, he waited for her quietly and watched her exhaustedly tap her legs.


    Before long, Tang Xia said embarrassedly, ¡°Let¡¯s move inside the hospital. We don¡¯t have to waste time because of me.¡± In her opinion, Dabing, who had been severely wounded, should be given priority in this case. She needed to withstand this a little longer.


    They rushed straight to the window once they walked in, requesting that an ambulance be sent to treat Dabing.


    Then, a troop of nurses and a doctor boarded an ambulance with a medical case and other necessities. To be sure, on the ambulance were also Ye Yifan and Tang Xia, who were responsible for showing the driver the way.


    When they reached that region, they saw lots of firefighting trucks, some of which pulled over by their side. Firefighters were busy dealing with the natural disaster, although nothing had been restored yet.


    The driver looked back at Ye Yifan and said with an awkward expression, ¡°We can¡¯t get through that place. The crack will only allow a few people to pass.¡±


    The ambulance wouldn¡¯t be able to pass unless the landslide was tackled down. Ye Yifan got off, walked over to one of the firefighters, and asked eagerly, ¡°How long will it take you to handle the landslide?¡±


    ¡°Alas, there¡¯s a long way to go. We won¡¯t solve this for the moment because it¡¯s really hard to deal with.¡± The firefighter, who viewed the devastation in this place, felt as if he were about to devote his life to removing a mountain as the Foolish Old Man once had done.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Tang Xia was a little worried. Thus, she also debearded the ambulance and walked over to Ye Yifan.


    He shook his head, planning to negotiate with the doctor.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, but I have a plan. You may as well leave some of the medicine for us and drive back.¡± Ye Yifan discussed with the doctor. He couldn¡¯t order them to walk back to the villa like him, but he could ask them to leave.


    The doctor had made a trip in vain. The nurses picked out the medicinal necessities and handed them a suitcase. Then, they got on the ambulance and left.


    With the suitcase in his hand, Ye Yifan told Tang Xia, ¡°Let¡¯s get back now. It¡¯s late.¡±


    Two firefighters were walking over to them, ready to guide them. The way that had just been cleared would help them move faster toward the place where the landslide had occurred.


    One of the firefighters told them, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you in.¡± While he was heading for the car, he was stopped by Ye Yifan. The firefighter looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It will be dark when you walk there. It¡¯ll be faster if I give you a ride, won¡¯t it?¡± The firefighter looked up at the darkening sky. The murky air made them uncomfortable.


    Ye Yifan refused quickly. ¡°No, just hurry back to your work. We can make it if we walk faster. It would be bad if we suspended your process. Your superiors would blame you.¡±


    He declined the firefighter¡¯s offer. It seemed that he thought this would delay their emergent aid to the landslide, but he was actually afraid that the firefighter would suffer a misfortune when they reached that villa. They would better be careful.


    Tang Xia walked rather fast on the way back, so she could have even outstripped Ye Yifan. She was in a completely different state from when they had left.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Ye Yifan grabbed her and asked her to walk slower. Otherwise, their legs would hurt much more.


    The way remained unchanged. It was neither longer nor shorter. However, what changed was their state of mind. Nothing seemed strange to them. Thus, they were more at ease with their sense of accurate direction, which told them what to look forward to.


    ¡°I got enough rest on the ambulance just now.¡± Tang Xia threw these words out. In fact, her legs had been moving forward by themselves because they were already numb. Upon the downhill road, she could not help but move fleetly, failing to take control of her legs.


    She wished to walk slower but failed when she tried.


    It was dusk when they arrived at the villa. Sweat trickled down Tang Xia¡¯s face as they approached the door and found it open.


    Tang Xia stopped vigilantly and asked Ye Yifan nervously, ¡°What happened?¡±


    An intense bad foreboding made her heart beat violently. She couldn¡¯t pacify her thrilled heart. Although it might just be an illusion, she remained worried.


    No one could foresee the future before the truth was discovered. Thus, Ye Yifan clapped her on the shoulder and asked her to go with him to have a look. Any right or wrong would be displayed clearly in front of them.


    Tang Xia tremulously followed Ye Yifan, lest he should disappear abruptly. She reached out to hold him by his clothing, slowing down her pace and cautiously moving forward with half steps.


    They were startled once they went in, their eyes opening wide instantly.


    The room was filled with the smell of blood. It was in disorder, as if there had been a fight. Things were totally out of place, and strips of cloth had been torn and scattered all over the floor.


    Moreover, there was a pool of blood flowing and creeping around. Fang Yan was bleeding.


    Fang Yan was miserably lying on the ground. He seemed to have been pushed over by someone on purpose, as his posture was quite unnatural. His head was on the side of the door, facing it. His struggling face looked twisted, while his jaw had been broken after being crashed against the ground. It now looked rather hideous.


    On his back was a knife¡ª¡ªa curved knife with a black hilt that was apparently a portable dagger. Obviously, he had been stabbed in the back and killed. There were no more wounds based on his appearance.


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia had affirmed that Fang Yan was the murderer, yet now he lay dead miserably in front of them. Although the mist enveloped them, they could at least conclude that the murderer was another man.


    The only one who had gone through the same accident as Fang Yan was Song Sisi, who had been staying with Fang Yan in this villa. Where was she now?


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia walked side by side while looking inside. They were wary of any other terrors as they searched for Song Sisi.


    They discovered her. She was hiding behind a partition, where she could not see what was behind her. She was also covered in blood, which made Tang Xia cover her mouth in fright.


    Fortunately, Song Sisi was still alive. She had her arms around her knees as she crouched against the wall and murmured repeatedly, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    She looked as if she had gone blind. Her eyes were dull while they were gazing blankly at the floor and her head was swinging slightly.


    Ye Yifan could not judge based on her extremely terrified look what kind of a man could be so ferocious as to kill his fellows one by one and then cover his tracks silently.


    Although Ye Yifan knew very well that Song Sisi was the key to making a breakthrough, he decided to examine Fang Yan first. He strode over the blood and squatted above Fang Yan¡¯s waist. He examined his wound carefully in an effort to restore the scene of the crime in his mind.


    Fang Yan had known very well how to correctly assess a situation and go about getting himself out of any danger. However, he had not escaped this time. Someone must have orchestrated all of this.


    At the same time, Tang Xia approached and attended to Song Sisi. She stroked her back, helping her calm down and come back to her senses.


    Thanks to Tang Xia¡¯s solace, she managed to regain her consciousness. She looked at Tang Xia pathetically, as if she was about to cry out at any time.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Tang Xia touched her hair gently. In times of danger, she felt safe in the presence of someone she was familiar with and who had not been so hostile to her before.


    Tang Xia asked in a hurry once she calmed down, ¡°What happened to you? We were just out for a few hours. Why does this place look like this?¡± She looked around, feeling rather pitiful.


    When asked what had happened, Song Sisi looked ready to break down. After all, she had suffered this horrible accident by herself. She failed to restrain her tears and held her shoulders with her hands, deeply burying her head in her arms.


    The excessive terror overwhelmed her, which made Tang Xia, who was eager to know the truth, feel quite uncertain. She didn¡¯t know if she should ask her again.


    At last, she made up her mind. She shook Song Sisi and asked, ¡°Tell me what happened first, will you?¡±


    Tears wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. The only way to ensure their safety was to discover the murderer and give him no more chances to harm them again.


    Song Sisi¡¯s eyes were as red as a rabbit¡¯s as she said in a husky voice, ¡°We were sitting in the living room when a tall man in black popped up out of nowhere. We didn¡¯t pay much attention to his motivation.¡±


    She choked on her sobs again and again as she recalled this. It was the first time in her life that she had ever witnessed a bloody scene.


    ¡°Later, I left for a while. Before I knew it, he and Fang Yan had a quarrel. I rushed over and saw Fang Yan trying to run away. However, the man in black seized him and killed Fang Yan cruelly.¡±


    Everything had happened so fast. Before Song Sisi could react, Fang Yan had lost his life.


    So this was what had happened¡­ The identity of the man in black was extremely crucial. After clearing her mind, Tang Xia asked her, ¡°Did you see that man¡¯s face?¡±


    That man had not killed Song Sisi, which made her the only one who had survived this murder case. Could she provide more favorable clues? Tang Xia gazed closely at Song Sisi in the hope that she would offer her some valuable information.


    Song Sisi quavered. ¡°I saw it¡­¡±

 Chapter 185 - Killing For No Reason

    Chapter 185 Killing For No Reason


    ¡°She saw it?¡± Tang Xia immediately grabbed Song Sisi¡¯s arm and spoke excitedly.


    ¡°What did he look like? Do you know him?¡±


    Song Sisi looked up at Tang Xia and screamed abruptly just as Tang Xia had thought she was about to say something.


    ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Startled by her reaction, Tang Xia shuddered and jumped up instantly. Song Sisi opened her eyes wide in terror, tightly holding her head with her hands and muttering the same words again and again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t really know¡­ I know nothing about this¡­¡±


    As she looked at Song Sisi, who was delirious, Tang Xia felt a little puzzled. Was she putting on an act, or had she been frightened so much because she had witnessed Fang Yan get stabbed?


    This assumption had nothing to do with the hostility between them. However, she truly wondered whether Fang Yan had been stabbed by Song Sisi, which was quite possible. After all, until now, there had only been Song Sisi herself in this villa, squatting there and trembling while covered in blood.


    If things had really happened as Song Sisi had told her, why hadn¡¯t the man who had argued with Fang Yan killed both Fang Yan and Song Sisi, who had witnessed him kill a man, to protect himself from being discovered?


    She did not believe that the murderer could have tender feelings for a pretty girl. A man who had killed another man would certainly lose his mind and try to conceal his crime at any cost. Why had he let go of Song Sisi?¡±


    She kneaded her inner brows, unwilling to look at Song Sisi, who was crouching in a corner and trembling. Thus, she turned back at Ye Yifan, who also looked up at her and gestured. Tang Xia walked over to him in confusion.


    After a short silence, Ye Yifan said, ¡°Fang Yan¡¯s dead.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows but remained rather calm. Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia in bewilderment. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised at all.¡±


    Tang Xia remained quiet for a while. Then, she squatted to examine Fang Yan¡¯s body and spoke.


    ¡°I saw him lying still on the floor when I came in. He had bled severely, and his blood on the floor had already darkened. That was why I assumed that he was dead.¡±


    Ye Yifan was amazed by Tang Xia¡¯s careful observation. Moreover, he had failed to expect that a girl would act so unperturbed when exposed to such a case.


    Upon seeing him gazing at her with ardent eyes that were hard for her to ignore, Tang Xia touched the corner of her lips blankly. ¡°Is there anything on my face?¡±


    Ye Yifan stared at her in silence for a long time. He did not remove his eyes from her until Tang Xia appeared embarrassed. ¡°No.¡±


    Tang Xia let out a sigh of relief. She gazed at the dagger on Fang Yan¡¯s back and then suddenly turned to look at Ye Yifan. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that the murderer is Song Sisi?¡±


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked back at Song Sisi in unison, only to find her still shivering in terror, looking around as if someone would approach her at any time.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was stunned for a moment, turned to Ye Yifan instantly. ¡°Why are you so sure? At present, she is the only one who has been on the spot. Plus, she is covered in blood. She looks like someone who has nearly gone mad after killing a man by accident.¡±


    Ye Yifan sighed and pointed at the knife on Fang Yan¡¯s back. ¡°Watch carefully.¡±


    Tang Xia cast her eyes over his back in confusion but saw nothing but a back that had been stabbed.


    Ye Yifan pointed at the knife. ¡°Look at the angle at which the knife was stabbed into his back. Apparently, it was stabbed aslant from above.¡±


    Tang Xia, who had not noticed that until now, clapped herself on the forehead. ¡°Damn it! Why didn¡¯t I notice this? If it was stabbed aslant from above, the culprit must have been a man taller than Fang Yan!¡±


    After all, Fang Yan had fallen down by the door, and there was no such thing as a chair that Song Sisi could have stood on to kill him.


    Surely, it was possible that Song Sisi might have removed that chair afterward, but who would commit murder in such a strange way and stay undiscovered?


    It was less likely that Song Sisi had killed Fang Yan from a higher place and then dragged him to the door, since there was no trace of dragging. For a girl like her, it was quite impossible to walk there while holding a man in her arms.


    By carefully examining his wound, she saw the blade entirely stabbed into his body, which indicated the murderer¡¯s great strength. It couldn¡¯t have been Song Sisi.


    Tang Xia cleared her mind after close observation, entirely convinced that the murderer was a man taller than Fang Yan.


    However, another question came to her. She wondered if Song Sisi really had nothing to do with this case.


    She stood up abruptly and turned to look at Song Sisi, who was squatting in the corner. Ye Yifan, who was stunned by her, looked up at Tang Xia.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Tang Xia moved fast toward Song Sisi and pulled her off the ground instantly, leaving no time for Song Sisi to figure out what was going on.


    The fact that Tang Xia had the strength to pull Song Sisi and take her to Fang Yan¡¯s side was marvelous. Song Sisi looked down and saw Fang Yan¡¯s body, which was covered in blood. She screamed at once.


    ¡°Ah! Blood, blood, blood!¡±


    Tang Xia moved away Song Sisi¡¯s hand, which covered her eyes, spinning her around all at once.


    ¡°Stop faking with me here! Look carefully! Fang Yan has been killed!¡±


    Tang Xia felt grief instantly for Fang Yan¡¯s death, as she knew very well how deep Fang Yan¡¯s love for Song Sisi had been. He had always handled both daily trivial things and important matters for her meticulously.


    However, Song Sisi now did not appear sorrowful for Fang Yan¡¯s death, nor did she shed any tears. All she did was put her hands on her head and tremble.


    Song Sisi was intimidated by Tang Xia¡¯s mighty act, which was so abrupt that it also puzzled Ye Yifan. However, Tang Xia knew in her heart that she was showing her pity for Fang Yan, who had been a scumbag.


    ¡°Tell me, did you ever hook up with Fang Yan?¡±


    She had always found their actions queer. Since things had gone like this and Song Sisi had been proved not to be the murderer, there was no need for her to keep it a secret.


    Upon hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Song Sisi turned her eyes around, which was obviously a sign of a guilty conscience. As she was about to keep on acting scared to muddle through, Tang Xia grabbed her arm instantly.


    Song Sisi, who was stunned, tried to break away immediately. However, she failed to expect Tang Xia¡¯s great strength and remained captured, no matter how hard she struggled.


    ¡°Fang Yan has been killed. Evading this will not benefit you.¡±


    Song Sisi¡¯s brow furrowed instantly. After all, she had never thought that Fang Yan would die. She had human feelings too and knew that Fang Yan had been really nice to her, although she had always been a scheming girl.


    ¡°He and I joined forces only once, when we tried to frighten you that night.¡±


    Tang Xia sneered inwardly. Sure enough, they had been equally evil. Every time she recalled that night when she had been fooled by them and almost been framed as the one who had killed Zhang Yaoyao, Tang Xia would feel prickly.


    ¡°Then why did you try to frame me for Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s murder?¡±


    Tang Xia held back her anger.


    Song Sisi dare not look Tang Xia into her eyes, so she looked down at her feet as she murmured.


    ¡°We just wanted to teach you a lesson. You were so arrogant because you had seized Ye Yifan from me. I asked Fang Yan for help to give you a lesson. You know, Fang Yan always listened to me. That¡¯s why it took place that night.¡±


    Tang Xia took a deep breath, holding back the impulse to beat her. ¡°Then what about Zhang Yaoyao? Did you have anything to do with her death?¡±


    Song Sisi waved her hands hastily and said, ¡°No! No!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why is she so strained? Does she really bear some relation to Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death? Did she deny it so hastily to shirk legal responsibility because she¡¯s become the only suspect after Fang Yan¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! I bear no relation to Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death!¡±


    Suddenly, Song Sisi seemed to remember something. ¡°Oh! Yes, yes! Fang Yan gave me a box of chocolates and I shared them with everyone!¡±


    Tang Xia was confused. Chocolates? What chocolates? She didn¡¯t remember anyone sharing chocolates with her.


    ¡°I hated you at the time, so I didn¡¯t share them with you.¡±


    As she said this, she glanced at Tang Xia with disgust. Undoubtedly, Song Sisi was still very sick of her.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for the murderer to poison one of those chocolate bars.


    In that case, Fang Yan wouldn¡¯t have known which bar of chocolate had been poisoned, let alone been able to ensure that the poisoned bar of chocolate would be given to Zhang Yaoyao.


    Tang Xia cast her eyes over Fang Yan¡¯s body in confusion for a moment. What was more, Fang Yan and Zhang Yaoyao hadn¡¯t known each other at all, nor had they even met each other before. Why would he be so eager to kill Zhang Yaoyao?


    Besides, it was Dabing who had brought Zhang Yaoyao here, which made it even more impossible for him to kill her.


    Could Song Sisi have poisoned the chocolate?


    After all, she had come here with Zhang Yaoyao. It was quite possible for two girls to have some kind of conflict along the way. Compared to Fang Yan, Song Sisi was more likely to have killed Zhang Yaoyao. Tang Xia abruptly looked up at Song Sisi.


    ¡°Tell me. Was it you who poisoned the chocolate before giving it to Zhang Yaoyao?¡±


    Song Sisi glared at Tang Xia like a dog when someone stepped on its tail.


    ¡°Tang Xia! I know there¡¯s a lot of bad blood between you and me, but I suggest that you calm down when dealing with such a matter. Clear your mind and stop trying to blame me for everything!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was startled by Song Sisi¡¯s growl, looked up at her blankly. Was her mind really misguided by her prejudice?


    She thought for a while with her head down. That seemed to be true. Song Sisi had mentioned that she hadn¡¯t given a bar of chocolate to her due to her discontent with Tang Xia.


    If she were really to poison someone, she would have killed her first instead of Zhang Yaoyao.


    At this point, Ye Yifan stood up suddenly and said, ¡°What if he¡¯s killing people for no reason?¡±

 Chapter 186 - Meeting with Chu Tiankuo Again

    Chapter 186 Meeting with Chu Tiankuo Again


    Ye Yifan¡¯s words reminded Tang Xia that her task was ¡°to survive¡±. If the murderer¡¯s goal was just to kill someone, then it didn¡¯t matter to him who it was. That was why she and Ye Yifan¡¯s task was ¡°to survive¡±.


    Looking at Tang Xia, who had sunk into thinking, Ye Yifan smiled slightly because Tang Xia¡¯s manner had a special charm.


    Tang Xia thought deeper, ¡°If the murderer was killing for no reason, Fang Yan wouldn¡¯t pass the buck for Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death and Dabing getting injured. But there remain so many doubts.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan and asked him about her confusion, ¡°But why? What¡¯s his motivation? Why would Fang Yan do this? And who killed Fang Yan? Why didn¡¯t the killer who killed Fang Yan let go of Song Sisi?¡±


    She did not quite understand why the time-travel plot was so much like a detective plot, while their only task was to survive. But she was not suitable to handle a case! She would have begged the murderer to kill her directly had it not been for the task.


    Ye Yifan was also puzzled. He said, ¡°Is there any relationship between Fang Yan and the man who killed him?¡±


    But that did not make sense. There was no evidence for that at all!


    Looking at Ye Yifan, Tang Xia easily said out loud what Ye Yifan failed to express, ¡°Do you mean that Fang Yan had been in cooperation with the man who killed him?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head instantly after she had finished her words. ¡°No, if Fang Yan had been engaged in murdering people just to kill for no reason, he couldn¡¯t have cooperated with anyone. But who is this murderer that popped out? What does he want?¡±


    An idea occurred to Ye Yifan, and he said, ¡°Are they both lunatic murderers?¡±


    Tang Xia shivered after hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, though they might be true according to psychology.


    Some mentally ill lunatics always killed people as a way of provoking the police and society. But this was f*cking horrible. And men with such mentality had to be extremists.


    Tang Xia denied Ye Yifan¡¯s assumption. ¡°No, if Fang Yan were a murderous lunatic, why didn¡¯t he set off killing before he arrived here? And there was no such force that could drive him to be a murderous lunatic.¡±


    Generally, criminals with the mentality of taking revenge on society were those who hadn¡¯t gotten enough love and who had been abandoned by society when they were children. In their mind, they were the law, and they took revenge on society to uphold justice.


    Ye Yifan said exhaustedly and worriedly, ¡°When will such things stop happening to us? Now Fang Yan is dead, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be over. It feels like we are stuck in a thick mist.¡±


    He had encountered events more bizarre than this one but never felt so exhausted at that time, so what happened to him this time? Before, he had never cared about the lives of the people living in the worlds that he had to conquer, but he felt quite different this time.


    At this point, the sound of clapping came from the dark. A man walked out and applauded them. ¡°You got it. But I don¡¯t mean that you seem to have gotten it, I mean that you¡¯ve got it absolutely. It¡¯s not over here yet, and it won¡¯t be over unless I allow it to be!¡±


    Having lost her mind, Song Sisi rushed to the corner, screaming on seeing that man and kept muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    She seemed to have gone mad. But what drew Tang Xia¡¯s and Ye Yifan¡¯s attention was that man walking out from the dark. They hardly had time to think about how Song Sisi felt.


    They wouldn¡¯t have cared about her feelings even if they had noticed her.


    Gazing at the man coming from the dark, Ye Yifan tightly furrowed his brow. ¡°Who is this man? Did he kill Fang Yan? Why would he kill Fang Yan?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled the instant that man walked out of the dark. She gazed at him, although she was neither as terrified as Song Sisi nor as puzzled as Ye Yifan.


    ¡°It¡¯s him! He¡¯s shown up again!¡±


    The man looked at Tang Xia in a strange way. He smiled slightly and said gently, ¡°We are predestined to meet. This is the fourth time that we have met, Tang Xia.¡±


    This time, instead of calling Tang Xia a base servant washing others¡¯ feet, Chu Tiankuo called her by her name.


    Tang Xia said incredulously, ¡°Chu Tiankuo? Are you Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Since Chu Tiankuo¡¯s last disappearance from her previous live show, she had been worrying about him. Now she met him again at last. Indeed, this was the fourth time that they had met with each other. Almost every time, this man would help her. Would he offer a helping hand this time?


    Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes seem trying to dig a hole into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body. ¡°Is this the broadcast room¡¯s bug, Chu Tiankuo, who had entangled with Tang Xia four times and who had helped Tang Xia out three times?¡±


    Under such a strained condition, Chu Tiankuo should have the mood to tease Tang Xia and joke with her. He said, ¡°Could there be a second bug named Chu Tiankuo in your broadcast room? Xiaxia, who else would it be apart from me?¡±


    In Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, this was merely a joke, but to Ye Yifan, it was a provocation, which showed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s scorn for the broadcast room.


    Ye Yifan said suddenly, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, mark my words, the broadcast room will destroy you sooner or later, you bug.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo did not cast his eyes at Ye Yifan until he heard Ye Yifan¡¯s words. He said indifferently, ¡°Has that day come now?¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo said this, he was telling Ye Yifan not to talk about what would happen in the future because the future was always filled with changes and no one was able to make it clear.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words left Ye Yifan speechless.


    Ye Yifan caught sight of Song Sisi, who had lost her mind, hiding in the corner. An idea came to him and he questioned him. ¡°Why would you kill Fang Yan?¡±


    Hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, Tang Xia asked, ¡°You killed Fang Yan?¡±


    Even if Tang Xia used all her intelligence, she could not believe that it was Chu Tiankuo who had killed Fang Yan.


    Chu Tiankuo tittered, looking indifferent to this, and asked, ¡°So what? You feel miserable over him just because Fang Yan is your boyfriend in this place?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head with determination. ¡°I won¡¯t fall in love with a man in order to conquer in a task, much less that Fang Yan is a scumbag.¡±


    She was kind-hearted, but that did not mean that she was naive. She did not belong to this world. She would go back where had she lived once she accomplished the task. Falling in love with someone in this place would lead her to a dead end. But now, there seemed to be an exception.


    Tang Xia glanced at Chu Tiankuo with hesitation.


    But Chu Tiankuo did not see this. He kept thinking, ¡°Won¡¯t she fall in love with a man in order to conquer her task? What about me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s simple question made Tang Xia abandon the plan to ask him if he had killed Fang Yan. But unlike Tang Xia, Ye Yifan kept holding tightly onto the clues.


    Ye Yifan questioned him again. ¡°Chu Tiankuo, why did you kill Fang Yan? Fang Yan was innocent.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo replied indifferently, ¡°Innocent? Fang Yan was innocent? He killed Zhang Yaoyao. A life for a life, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Tang Xia shivered for no reason. Why did she feel that his argument sounded so similar to that of extremists and lunatics?


    Ye Yifan said coldly, ¡°A life for a life. That¡¯s right, but that¡¯s what the police do. It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo said contemptuously, ¡°People in your broadcast room never care about the people¡¯s lives in the worlds that you travel to, do they? Why have you become so righteous today?¡±


    Ye Yifan felt awful in his heart when hearing these words, but he did not know how to rebut. He couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡°Are people in their broadcast room really so ruthless? No! They are just reasonable!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo glanced at Ye Yifan again, and then said to Tang Xia, ¡°Is this your boyfriend?¡±


    Was this the man living in the same world as Tang Xia? Was he the man who was able to live with Tang Xia? But he did not think him reliable at all. He would not allow Tang Xia to be with such a man even if he failed to get her.


    There was no change in his look and tone as he said this, thus, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t guess what he meant.


    Tang Xia cast her eyes at Ye Yifan and then said, ¡°No.¡±


    He was not, was he? It was merely an unrequited love between her and Ye Yifan. Maybe it was not even an unrequited love at all, but just adoration.


    Ye Yifan said nothing after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s answer since she was telling truth.


    Who would rebut the truth?


    But seeing Tang Xia¡¯s look, Chu Tiankuo felt sick. Even if this man was not her boyfriend, Tang Xia had to have special feelings for him, otherwise why would there have been sorrow in her eyes when she said ¡°no¡±?


    Tang Xia seemed to have realized something all of a sudden and asked hurriedly, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, why did you disappear suddenly from my last live show?¡±


    Tang Xia should not have mentioned this because Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes seemed to have been lit with fire once he heard this. He went mad instantly and pushed Tang Xia against the wall, saying irritably, ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Last live show! Last live show! How dare Tang Xia mention to me the last live show!¡±


    Pushed against the wall by Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia felt it hard to breathe, but she still asked, ¡°What do I know?¡±


    She did not know anything about Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden disappearance, did she?


    Chu Tiankuo was pushing Tang Xia with more and more strength, which made her feel suffocated. Was she dying? Would she fail to finish her task? Would Chu Tiankuo really kill her?


    Until this point, Tang Xia still did not believe that Chu Tiankuo, the man who had helped her out three times, would really kill her.


    There was still hope in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    There appeared compassion in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes as he saw Tang Xia being pushed like this. He was struggling in his mind¡ªOne voice suggested that should he kill her since she would not really die, while the other asked him not to kill her or her task would fail.


    On seeing this, Ye Yifan became flurried in his heart. He removed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hands from Tang Xia and said in anger, ¡°Just come at me if you want. Only a coward dares to bully a mere woman.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo cruelly knocked down Ye Yifan and responded coldly, ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter 187 - The Murderer

    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sinister eyes horribly appeared bloodthirsty as he stared at Ye Yifan, who had been trampled down by him.


    Tang Xia saw Ye Yifan trampled under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s feet. He would face Chu Tiankuo¡¯s violent fist as long as he tried to struggle.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, let go of him!¡± she shouted.


    Tang Xia had never seen Chu Tiankuo like this, who seemed had been enveloped by cold air.


    But Chu Tiankuo turned a deaf ear to her words, taking out a shining silvery dagger from somewhere that he waved in his hands from time to time.


    But instead of looking at the dagger being twisted in his hand, Chu Tiankuo focused his eyes directly on Ye Yifan.


    His eyes were afire with murderous intent, which made Tang Xia unable to keep from shivering as goosebumps raised up on her skin.


    Chu Tiankuo looked so insane and so vicious, making it hard for her to associate his current appearance with those old images in her mind.


    When she saw Chu Tiankuo look at Ye Yifan with freezing eyes, the task came to her again.


    ¡°Is he going to¡­ Is he going to¡­¡±


    She could not tell why a crazy idea had emerged in her mind. Then she felt tense in her heart and pounced on Chu Tiankuo hurriedly, shouting, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, no¡ª¡ª¡±


    But she was too late¡­


    As she shouted, Chu Tiankuo had already fiercely stabbed his knife into Ye Yifan¡¯s chest. That was¡­ exactly where his heart lay.


    Tang Xia broke down instantly. Watching the scarlet blood spring out from where the dagger stabbed, she pushed Chu Tiankuo away crazily.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­ what are you doing? What are you doing? Why did you do this? Why?¡± Tears streamed down her face like raindrops, and even her voice began quivering.


    Having pushed off Chu Tiankuo, who had been on top of him, Tang Xia held Ye Yifan in her arms with her hands trembling, feeling her head buzzing.


    She shook her head unconsciously and cried helplessly, ¡°Ye Yifan¡­ No¡­ You can¡¯t die, you can¡¯t die here!¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s pale face was twisted due to pain. Blood kept flowing out from his lips, which made Tang Xia feel extremely miserable.


    But Ye Yifan forced himself to put on a smiling face, struggling to lift his hands to stroke her tearful face.


    He was trying to say something to her, but he coughed as blood kept overflowing out of his mouth.


    When Tang Xia saw more and more blood flow out of his wound and his mouth each time he coughed, she felt much more miserable and full of despair.


    She begged him through tears, ¡°No¡­ No¡­ Ye Yifan, don¡¯t leave, you can¡¯t die¡­¡±


    After coughing up the remaining blood in his mouth, Ye Yifan wiped the tears from Tang Xia¡¯s face and said with great difficulty, ¡°Tang Xia, ahem¡­ don¡¯t cry. Listen to me¡­ you can¡¯t die. Stay alive!¡±


    Tang Xia never thought that Ye Yifan would ask her to stay alive under such a condition. She could not bear it anymore. ¡°I won¡¯t die, and neither will you!


    ¡°Ye Yifan, just hold on. Those firefighters will come soon¡­ Just hold on, we will send you to the hospital¡­¡±


    But Ye Yifan¡¯s face turned paler and paler, while blood kept pouring out from his chest.


    Ye Yifan realized that he would not hold on that long, so he coughed again and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too late¡­ I can¡¯t wait that long¡­¡±


    Tang Xia did not expect that Ye Yifan would say that he could not wait any longer, so she insisted instantly, ¡°Ye Yifan, you can¡¯t say that. You can make it. I beg you. Don¡¯t give up so easily, will you? We¡­ Both of us will make it to survive¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it possible? How could Ye Yifan die?¡±


    He had always been the Prince Charming that she missed day and night. He had never failed to accomplish the tasks in his live shows.


    But why would he tell her that he could not hold on any longer this time?


    He could not hold on? How could her Prince Charming fail to hold on?


    Tang Xia was unwilling to believe or to accept this in her heart.


    She suspected that Ye Yifan must have been trying to scare her. So she reached out and seized that big hand stroking her face, holding it tightly and casting her eyes over him hopefully. ¡°Ye Yifan¡­ are you kidding me on purpose? How could you give up¡­¡±


    But more blood overflowed from Ye Yifan¡¯s mouth, which made it unable for him to answer Tang Xia at all. He started coughing again.


    But his cough put pressure on the wound where the dagger had stabbed, allowing more red blood to pour out from it.


    Chu Tiankuo watched Tang Xia holding Ye Yifan in her arms, and saw her crying and completely ignoring her own image. Her doleful and miserable look pricked his eyes.


    He got up from the floor, rushed over to Tang Xia, and reached out to seize her, pulling her away from Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Tang Xia, tell me. Are you in love with this man?¡± His questioning voice was full of coldness.


    Tang Xia felt her wrist ache and burn when she was violently dragged by him. She became out of balance and staggered forward.


    Her face was about to hit the floor when she was held by his hand and turned over until she dizzily knocked into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hard chest.


    She felt dizzy due to his rude actions, and kept drawing in cold breaths. How could she be able to pay attention to his question at all?


    Tang Xia felt like her aching wrist was to break. She did not know that a man could possess such great strength.


    Her face was wrinkled in pain, and her tears fell down much faster.


    Then she realized that it was Chu Tiankuo who was seizing her. But Chu Tiankuo had laid his murderous hands on so many people, so she shouted without hesitation, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you bastard. You hurt me¡­ Take your hands off me, you murderer¡­¡±


    On hearing her painful shouting, Chu Tiankuo rolled his eyes slightly with hesitation. Though he did not let her go of his hand, he held onto her with much less strength.


    But when he heard her curse him as a murderer, his eyes turned dimmer.


    ¡°Murderer?¡± He snorted, with one of his hands seizing her jaw, so that she had to face him directly and look into his eyes.


    ¡°Loosen your hand¡­ Chu Tiankuo¡­ What on earth do you want? How dare you stab Ye Yifan¡­ You bastard. Why are you grabbing me now? Let me go¡­¡±


    Tang Xia struggled with all her strength, trying to escape from him.


    But she had little strength. She could not even shake off Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand that had been seizing her jaw.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯ll ask you again, are you in love with that guy named Ye Yifan?¡± Chu Tiankuo did not let her go. On the contrary, he asked her a second time.


    Tang Xia could not move at all, and her face turned pale due to anger. She glared at him without thinking much and shouted in a loud voice, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, it¡¯s none of your business who I love!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t tell me?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes turned dark. He sneered all of a sudden and said viciously, ¡°Now that you won¡¯t tell me, I will kiss you in his presence until you tell me!¡±


    Hearing his crazy words, Tang Xia¡¯s waxy face turned even paler.


    She struggled with more strength. Facing him like this, she could not help cursing him. ¡°You are a lunatic, Chu Tiankuo. You are a maniac now¡­ F*ck off!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face tensed up at her words. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°Maniac? Haha¡­ Maybe! I have been destined to be a maniac since we met here in this place.¡±


    Hearing his words, Tang Xia stopped struggling and froze. With a startled face, she looked at him and asked him incredulously, ¡°What do you mean? Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You cursed me so sharply just now. Why are you stammering now?¡± Chu Tiankuo gazed at her with cold eyes that shone in a weird way, which made Tang Xia feel worse.


    She quivered and continued, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, answer me, you¡¯ve been here for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo managed a smile on his cold, hard face but said nothing.


    But his silence confirmed Tang Xia¡¯s conclusion in her mind. She could not help trembling. ¡°That is to say¡­ You did all of these?¡±


    Her voice became husky instantly, and the tears obscured the face in front of her.


    She could not see clearly the man standing in front of her. ¡°Is this man really Chu Tiankuo?


    ¡°Is this the man whom I always remember for his embrace and warmth he gave me on that rainy day?¡±


    There was still hope in her heart. She wished that Chu Tiankuo would deny her answer or simply shake his head.


    But Chu Tiankuo just gazed at her in silence, without saying a word or shaking his head.


    She was in a complex mood. She asked him again when her lips had stopped trembling, ¡°Zhang Yaoyao¡¯s death, then Dabing¡¯s injury¡­ and Fang Yan¡¯s death, were all these¡­ plotted by you?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her with his dim, cold eyes that told her everything.


    She shook her head in disbelief and stared at the man in front of her. She felt like her head was being split open due to such a headache.


    ¡°You maniac¡­ murderer¡­ bastard¡­ Why? Why did you have to do this?¡± Tang Xia could not accept such a fact, as she cried out loudly.


    But Chu Tiankuo was still tightly grabbing her, unwilling to loosen his hand.


    However, the dagger covered with blood that he had been holding in his hand aroused the sickness in Tang Xia.


    She cried out with tears all over her face, ¡°Now I know everything¡­ Why are you still holding me? Do you want to kill me with that dagger in your hand?¡±


    After being questioned by her, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face had turned utterly pale. Feeling pain in his heart from her questions, he loosened his hand that had been holding her.


    Tang Xia regained her freedom, but she did not want to cast her eyes at Chu Tiankuo at all. She said in a loud voice, ¡°Now that you didn¡¯t kill me, get away from me. I never wish to meet you again.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was shocked slightly, and sorrow appeared in his eyes.


    He violently tossed away the dagger covered with blood, letting it fall to the ground. Then he turned and left.

 Chapter 188 - Ashamed and Infuriated

    Although Chu Tiankuo had left, Tang Xia was scarcely relieved from sorrow.


    On hearing Ye Yifan cough again, Tang Xia rushed over to him at once nervously.


    She pressed on Ye Yifan¡¯s chest with her hands in order to slow down the overflowing blood.


    ¡°Ye Yifan¡­ hold on¡­ The ambulance must be on the way. You can¡¯t die. Just hold on a little longer.¡± She could not help worrying when she saw the red blood pouring out.


    But she did not know what to do aside from comfort Ye Yifan and continue to encourage him to not give up.


    But Ye Yifan¡¯s voice was getting fainter and fainter, his face paler and paler. Even his breath was becoming shallower.


    ¡°Ye Yifan¡­ No¡­ Ye Yifan¡­ You are my Prince Charming, how can you die? It can¡¯t be true. You cannot¡­¡± She shook her head wildly, her voice out of control.


    Seeing her cry so miserably, Ye Yifan looked at her sympathetically.


    But he was too weak, insomuch that he could not say a word or raise his hands. Even Tang Xia started becoming blurry in his eyes.


    She held him in her arms with all her strength, but Ye Yifan¡¯s temperature kept dropping little by little.


    In the end, the man in her arms breathed his last, leaving the whole world despairing¡­


    At the same time, a line of words in orange, striking and dazzling, appeared in front of both Tang Xia and Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Result of this round: Ye Yifan is out; Tang Xia wins!¡±


    Tang Xia could not believe what that caption told her. She was not delighted at all; in fact, she felt extremely confused and guilty.


    She cast her eyes at Ye Yifan, who lay in her arms, only to find his figure fading away.


    At this, she could not help feeling at a loss.


    Tang Xia was sent back to the broadcast room as she became lost in a trance.


    As usual, she cast her eyes over the screen instinctively.


    What directly went into her eyes was the red, bold, and rolling result judged by the system.


    1,000 points had been deducted from Ye Yifan, while they had been awarded to her directly.


    ¡°What? 1,000 points?


    ¡°What a huge number!¡±


    Tang Xia drew in a cold breath and then leaned feebly against the chair.


    How could this be? She had barely had a chance to broadcast with her Prince Charming this time. How could the result turn out to be like this?


    All that she wanted when she chose to take on her broadcasting career was to catch her Prince Charming¡¯s attention.


    Though she did make it in this task, she had never longed for such ¡°attention¡±!


    She had thought that she finally obtained a chance to cooperate and interact with her Prince Charming. She had even wished that they would become broadcasting partners.


    But all the joy she felt when Ye Yifan showed up now turned to sorrow.


    What should she do? What would Ye Yifan think of this now? What would he think of her?


    She had just poured out her heart to her Prince Charming and had planned to ask him about what he thought of her now.


    But how could she cheekily show up in front of him after experiencing all of these things?


    How would Ye Yifan think of her in the future? Would he feel disgusted by her from now on?


    Tang Xia felt that her mind was in chaos. All that came to her was how Ye Yifan would react when she met him again.


    At the moment, she was in rather low spirits. She was not in the mood to care about anything else.


    She could not even spare a thought for what the fans wrote on the screen.


    She took out her cell phone and decided to call him, but then put her hands down when she found his number.


    She was going mad. Would her Prince Charming refuse to answer the call if she called him at this point?


    Ye Yifan had broadcast so many times, and he performed perfectly each time. But this time, she not only encumbered him but also led him to such a miserable end¡­


    1,000 points¡­


    Her head ached again¡­


    Why had Chu Tiankuo shown up? Why was he the murderer of all these victims?


    Questions bombarded Tang Xia at this moment, but she could not figure them out anyway.


    She kneaded her temples, which had been aching and swollen, and then she put back her cell phone in the end.


    Now that she failed to make it clear, she had to go home.


    She would feel ashamed if she stayed here.


    Ye Yifan¡­


    ¡°Alas!¡± She sighed deeply.


    Having packed up her belongings with annoyance and frustration, she walked out of the broadcast room in a daze.


    But what she had not expected was Li Xianxian¡¯s face when she opened the door of the broadcast room.


    Li Xianxian had been waiting for her, leaning against the wall opposite the door. She walked up to Tang Xia once she saw her open the door.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯ve finally come out,¡± she said aggressively.


    Knowing that she had been waiting for her specially, she guessed more or less what she was here for.


    But her mind was already mixed up. She was unwilling to deal with her or even meet with her.


    So instead of making a response to Li Xianxian¡¯s words, she closed the broadcast room door, trying to pass by in front of her.


    But Li Xianxian had stayed so long outside, how would she let Tang Xia go from her hands so easily?


    On seeing her trying to leave, Li Xianxian rushed over and stopped her. ¡°Tang Xia, stop trying to escape.¡±


    ¡°What on earth do you want? Listen, I am not in a good mood now, and I don¡¯t want to talk with you. Get out of my way,¡± Tang Xia said impatiently.


    Hearing her words, Li Xianxian was irritated instantly. She cursed Tang Xia with a sharp voice, ¡°Tang Xia, I have to say that you are so good at playing tricks. No wonder you¡¯ve become such a hit recently. But since you have won in such an ignominious way, you must be ashamed of meeting others, mustn¡¯t you?¡±


    Tang Xia, who had already been annoyed, now was much more irritated by her words. She glared at Li Xianxian and said, ¡°What do you mean? What tricks did I play? I know I encumbered Ye Yifan this time, but that was not what I wanted!¡±


    When she mentioned Ye Yifan, Tang Xia felt her heart sink instantly.


    ¡°That was not what you wanted? You have hurt Ye Yifan so utterly, do you think you can pass the buck by saying such words? Ye Yifan should not have shown up in your task, you are an ogre,¡± Li Xianxian said to her indignantly in an aggressive tone.


    Tang Xia blushed at her words. She gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°Anything can happen when we broadcast. How could I know that Ye Yifan would broadcast with me? This has never happened to me before.¡±


    Li Xianxian looked at her, continuing to sneer. ¡°This never happened to you? Do you think this ever happened to any other anchor? Do you think there is an anchor more scheming than you?¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian, what do you mean?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s complexion changed as she glared at her.


    ¡°What do I mean? Every time you broadcast, Chu Tiankuo has shown up. With such a great bug to rely on, how could you lose?¡± Li Xianxian said sarcastically.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face became livid with anger. She defended herself. ¡°I know Chu Tiankuo is a bug. But I am not in charge of him, nor can I control him. I was also in a rage when he killed Ye Yifan, you know?¡±


    Though she had devoted herself to her career as an anchor since she had taken it on, nobody could ever see her efforts. Instead, they all believed that she had taken Chu Tiankuo as her supporter.


    Were they all blind? She could not decide if he would show up at all, nor did she know why she would meet with Chu Tiankuo each time she broadcast.


    But Ye Yifan¡¯s death had no bearing on her at all, did it? Why did Li Xianxian keep saying that she had played tricks?


    She was greatly infuriated on hearing such words from Li Xianxian and lost her temper.


    Seeing that Tang Xia would shout at her, Li Xianxian looked at her with more fierce eyes and cursed her sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t put on an act. No wonder so many netizens recognize you as a scheming b*tch. You can¡¯t be more disgusting.


    ¡°Everyone knows that Chu Tiankuo has been in love with you, otherwise how could you finish those tasks by yourself time and time again? Look at this now, you¡¯ve hurt Ye Yifan. You are so shameless.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled when she heard Li Xianxian say that Chu Tiankuo had been in love with her. She asked her instinctively, ¡°What? What did you say? What did you mean when you said that Chu Tiankuo has been in love with me?¡±


    Seeing her continuing her act, Li Xianxian said immediately with a disgusted look, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent. If he hadn¡¯t been in love with you, why would Chu Tiankuo have helped you win each time he showed up?


    ¡°You have been sent the task together with Ye Yifan. If Chu Tiankuo had not been in love with you, why would he have killed Ye Yifan and left you alive?¡±


    Tang Xia had seldom recalled the past until she heard Li Xianxian¡¯s questioning.


    Since she had become an anchor, she had met with Chu Tiankuo in all her live shows, and she had won in each of her tasks due to Chu Tiankuo showing up.


    No wonder¡­


    No wonder no one recognized her efforts¡­


    No wonder all the netizens cursed her as a scheming b*tch¡­


    No wonder 1,000 points were deducted from Ye Yifan after his death, while she gained 1,000 points though she had survived¡­


    No wonder Chu Tiankuo kept intensely asking her if she was in love with Ye Yifan as he seized her¡­


    She was thinking of all that with a confused mind. All those weird things that had happened to her in her earlier tasks were explained by Li Xianxian¡¯s words.


    Everyone else had seen these things clearly, but she had never figured them out before.


    She thought of these things foolishly while walking ahead¡­


    ¡°So? Tang Xia, I guessed what you thought, so you have nothing to say, do you?¡± Li Xianxian looked at her with satisfaction.


    But she didn¡¯t know that Tang Xia had been lost in a trance with her blank eyes, looking as if she had simply ignored her, and had been thinking about something else.


    Li Xianxian did not expect that she would be disregarded by Tang Xia again and again.


    She could not hate and detest Tang Xia more for acting this way. Everyone saw her gain her popularity by playing tricks, but she still won so many followers.


    Including both her fans and Ye Yifan¡­


    She got angrier and angrier as she looked at Tang Xia. When she saw Tang Xia walking past her, she reached out and thrust her fiercely. ¡°Did I guess what you have been doing, so now you want to leave because you feel ashamed and infuriated?¡±

 Chapter 189 - Calling Her to Count

    Although her temper was not that good, she was not usually that bad tempered, either. But Li Xianxian had been trying to irritate her every now and then. Did she think that Tang Xia was such an easy target?


    Moreover, she was not in a good mood at the moment. She could not tolerate Li Xianxian¡¯s provocation at this time. She did not know what Chu Tiankuo thought of her, nor was she eager to find out.


    Currently, they were surrounded by people who believed that they were quarreling, due to jealousy, and trying to play all sorts of monkey tricks on them. Didn¡¯t Li Xianxian feel embarrassed? How could she still remain so aggressive?


    ¡°Slap!¡±


    As the crowd sat back and watched, Tang Xia turned back abruptly, and slapped Li Xianxian strongly on her face, which made everyone draw a cold breath.


    Even Tang Xia herself, did not know how much strength was in the slap that she dealt Li Xianxian, with. She just felt that through this single slap, she was able to vent all the dissatisfaction that had cumulated, through the days. This involved Chu Tiankuo, Ye Yifan¡¯s death, and Li Xianxian¡¯s words.


    This slap helped to release the stress in her heart. She felt her palm turning numb.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before Li Xianxian could retaliate, she saw Tang Xia¡¯s piercing and profound eyes, which made her feel as if she were stuck in a cold mire. She was only able to utter one word, and then she clammed up.


    She stepped backward. But then she stood upright immediately, and stared at Tang Xia confidently, as she was reminding herself not to be overwhelmed by Tang Xia¡¯s manner.


    Tang Xia pushed Xianxian¡¯s shoulder forcefully, making Li Xianxian stumble backward. Tang Xia then told her, one word at a time, in an icy tone,


    ¡°You-better-not-mess- around- with-me.¡±


    The crowd were startled when they saw Tang Xia¡¯s momentary outburst, and looked at her with wide open mouths. Obviously, Tang Xia had given the impression that she was a mild-tempered girl. They did not know what to make of her sudden, surging rage.


    Li Xianxian was apparently frightened, and stunned at the same time. She always thought that Tang Xia was a person who was easy to handle. This woman, who gave her such a murderous look, frightened her. A saying came to her: The worm turns.


    Tang Xia turned back in silence, and started packing her stuff. Li Xianxian remained motionless for a long while, just standing there and staring blankly. Her assistant, who stood beside her, tiptoed to her, when she saw Li Xianxian¡¯s look.


    She dared not bother Tang Xia, but since it was Li Xianxian who paid her salary, she had to nudge Li Xianxian, while holding her breath.


    Li Xianxian recovered, feeling a burning and aching sensation in her cheek. She covered her cheeks at once. Recalling how she had lost her dignity before the crowd, when Tang Xia had not only slapped her, but also threatened her, she glared at her assistant indignantly.


    ¡°Where did you go just now?¡±


    The assistant looked innocent. She kowtowed and kept apologizing. The crowd immediately held Li Xianxian in disdain, when they saw her not daring to bother Tang Xia, but venting her anger on her assistant, instead.


    When she heard the chaotic arguments around her, Li Xianxian felt more and more ashamed. She stamped her foot fiercely, turned back and trotted away. Her assistant did not know what had happened, but turned and followed her.


    Tang Xia seemed to have heard nothing, and acted as if she had not noticed Li Xianxian¡¯s departure. She continued to pack her belongings. The place was extremely quiet now, since no one dared to comment on Tang Xia. Thus, everyone was looking at her in silence.


    Having packed all her things, Tang Xia walked through the door and took a taxi home, without saying a word.


    Exhausted, she carried her belongings and opened the door, with the key in her hand. Upon seeing the room that she was so familiar with, she put aside her stuff casually, threw her clothes all over the floor, and laid down on the couch.


    She felt like the whole world was silent. There was no Chu Tiankuo, nor Ye Yifan or Li Xianxian. There was no source of trouble, and the day¡¯s trials had been erased. She buried her head into the couch. Yes, she was trying to escape from it all.


    But it was not that easy to hide. How she wished that she could get away from everything.


    She raised her head instantly, got up and headed for the bathroom. She hoped that all the exhaustion could be washed away. Facing a fogged up mirror, she reached out and wiped, until the mirror reflected her image.


    Since she had just taken a shower, her skin was fair and a little bit reddish, while her eyes were clear and bright. She raised her arms to dry her dripping hair, and saw herself in the mirror, with furrowed eyebrows.


    After changing into a bathrobe, she was still eager to know the outcome of the latest state of affairs. She decided to face it, instead of evading the issue. She fetched a bottle of cold soda, sat on the couch, and set about updating her microblog.


    ¡°There must be an insider working for her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tang Xia must have someone working for her!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! How else could Yifan lose?¡±


    ¡°Alas! This is so mysterious!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All that she saw on the microblog were indignant comments made by Ye Yifan¡¯s fans. Tang Xia kept quiet, not knowing how to express her feelings.


    ¡°Tang Xia won honestly!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t care about Ye Yifan¡¯s fanboys.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them, Tang Xia. Xiaxia is the best!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s fans also rebutted, but it was useless. After all, Ye Yifan had maintained his popularity for a long time already, and a newcomer like Tang Xia, could not compare with him.


    She put aside her cellphone and sighed. Actually, she did not know who Chu Tiankuo was. He was apparently a character in the game, but he seemed to be a real man, who lived in the game¡¯s world. Unlike a program, he was so life like.


    She did not understand what the game¡¯s ending would be like, or who should have been the winner. She dared not face Chu Tiankuo, because she felt uneasy in her mind. Moreover, his expression, when he had questioned her in the last game, suggested that there was something that she did not know about.


    Who had truly won the game? She or Ye Yifan?


    Her mind seemed about to break down, when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.


    Tang Xia was stunned. Who would visit her, at this point?


    She picked up all the clothes that were strewn on the ground, and threw them into the laundry basket. When she turned back and opened the door, she saw Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    This was something that Tang Xia had not expected. Why would Ye Yifan come here?


    ¡°So? Aren¡¯t you going to let me in and have a seat?¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised. Indeed, they had been standing at the door for too long. As she recovered from her surprise, she suppressed her curiosity and let him in.


    Tang Xia closed the door, went to the kitchen, and poured a cup of coffee for him. When she came back, she found him looking around her room. When he saw that Tang Xia was back, he smiled and said, ¡°So this is what a girl¡¯s room looks like.¡±


    Tang Xia felt a little embarrassed, instantly, ¡°Is it that messy?¡±


    Ye Yifan shook his head. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s clean and lovely.¡±


    He cast his eyes over Tang Xia, ¡°Are.. are we going to keep standing here?¡±


    Tang Xia had not realized this till now. She walked over to the couch, sat down and passed the coffee to him.


    ¡°How do you know I like coffee?¡± Ye Yifan took a sip.


    Tang Xia was stunned. She did not know that. She had made coffee for him, because she assumed all boys always liked it.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    Tang Xia asked him in bewilderment. Ye Yifan raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I come over, even if I have nothing on?¡±


    Tang Xia was at a loss for words. Then, she waved her hands and said,


    ¡°Yes, yes. I was just too curious.¡±


    Upon seeing her anxious look, Ye Yifan could not stop smiling. Compared with Tang Xia¡¯s listless look, which he had seen when he had just walked in, this look was much better.


    ¡°Why did you come back so early today?¡±


    Ye Yifan put down the coffee. The smile in his eyes was gone, replaced by a vague seriousness.


    Tang Xia was shocked. Apparently, she did not expect that he would ask her such a question. Ye Yifan frowned when he saw her becoming depressed almost instantly, but he kept quiet.


    ¡°I was just tired. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Physically or mentally?¡± Ye Yifan wanted ask, but he restrained himself.


    ¡°I heard that you hit Li Xianxian today?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s depressed heart, skipped a beat. ¡°Humph, so he is here to stand up for Li Xianxian.¡±


    She knew that she should not be bothered about this, since the woman he loved was Li Xianxian. However, when she recalled the sentence he had said to her in the game¡ª¡ª¡±Let me be your knight in this game¡±¡ª¡ªshe felt aggrieved instantly.


    Tang Xia felt upset, though she did not know why. She dropped her eyes, drank a mouthful of the soda water and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    On seeing Tang Xia becoming even more depressed at the moment, Ye Yifan held his cup tightly. As he was about to say something, Tang Xia suddenly raised her head. She smiled and asked, ¡°So? Are you here to lecture me?¡±


    Ye Yifan fell silent suddenly. Although he saw Tang Xia smile, he could perceive the depression deep within her eyes.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised because she had not thought that Ye Yifan would deny it. She recalled that two days ago, she had seen him and Li Xianxian, walking together and passing by her, in the hall. She kept quiet, not knowing what to say. Was he comforting her? Or was he purposely telling her a lie?


    Why would he give her hope each time she felt in despair? She did not know whether she should hate him or not. All in all, she was annoyed by his attitude; she could not tell what it was that he wanted, or what he did not like.


    She was not sure whether he knew that she had been in love with him. Maybe he kept her waiting because he had known about it, and because of this, he kept provoking her, deliberately.


    As Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts wandered, Ye Yifan said suddenly,


    ¡°Li Xianxian has turned our company upside down.¡±


    Tang Xia fell silent at once. She did not know what she should say. Li Xianxian was so haughty and domineering, and always relied on her beauty. Tang Xia could imagine what she had done, and how she had messed up the company.


    She knew that Li Xianxian¡¯s fans had been cursing her for being a coquette, because they believed that she had come between Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian. Their relationship was something that ¡°everyone looked forward to¡±. ¡°Everyone looked forward to¡±¡­ Recalling the expression Li Xianxian¡¯s fans used, she could not help laughing.


    She did not know whether they were from the navy. Anyway, the words sounded rather funny when used in this condition. However, this was not something she cared about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel upset since you lost the game?¡±

 Chapter 190 - I Accept That With Good Grace

    Ye Yifan was stunned. So this was what she cared about. He let out a sigh of relief for no reason, and could not stop himself from smiling, when he saw her anxious look. ¡°No. I feel happy for you.¡±


    When she heard his answer, Tang Xia suddenly fell silent, as if her heart had sunk into a valley. He was just trying to comfort her.


    She remembered Ye Yifan¡¯s serious look in the game. She remembered how he had made great efforts to find out who the murderer was, how he had comforted her, and how he had thought hard, to come up with a solution.


    She even recalled how he had found a way out in the harsh environment and¡­ how he had promised her, that they would both survive.


    He had made such great efforts, and he seemed so powerful, but now, he was lost to her. How could he not hate her? Moreover, it was Chu Tiankuo who had killed him.


    Most importantly, Chu Tiankuo had killed Ye Yifan, on account of Tang Xia. When she recalled the way he had looked at her, before his death, and the words ¡°Just come with me if you want¡±, she became more and more undecided about what she should do.


    When she recalled how he had asked her to keep alive, when he had used up all his strength, and gently loosened her hands, she blamed herself even more. If it had not been for Chu Tiankuo¡­ If the murderer had not been him¡­ the murderer would have killed her, instead of Ye Yifan.


    If so, she would have felt a little better, in her mind now, and he would not have to comfort her, like this.


    Tang Xia quietly took her cellphone, opened up Ye Yifan¡¯s microblog, raised her head, and passed the cellphone to him.


    Ye Yifan was startled when he saw the phone in front of him, as he was lost in a trance. He looked at Tang Xia, who said, expressionlessly, ¡°Take a look at it.¡±


    Ye Yifan took the cellphone, feeling confused, and was stunned when he saw what was on the screen.


    Usually, he barely paid attention to the comments in his microblog, because that was his assistant¡¯s business. His microblog had always been updated by his assistant. He never handled or monitored any of it.


    However, Ye Yifan frowned, when he saw his fans being so extreme, making all kinds of comments, including some abusive ones. He returned the cellphone to Tang Xia, silently.


    Tang Xia took back her cellphone and was about to say something, when Ye Yifan stood up abruptly. Tang Xia was stunned and did not know what had happened. He looked into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, and said, ¡°Take a rest, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Then he turned away and walked towards the door. Tang Xia had not expected that he would react so violently, nor had she ever seen Ye Yifan clenching his fists.


    The door banged shut. The room became empty and silent. Without saying a word, Tang Xia put aside her cellphone, and turned on the TV, although she was not in the mood to watch it.


    But she disliked such sudden silence. She felt alone as if she was the only one left in the world.


    Silence magnified the preoccupation in her mind, until it almost overwhelmed her. She just wanted to free her mind from those annoyances, by watching TV.


    After Ye Yifan left her room, he leaned against the door, and clenched his fists tightly. Suddenly, he hit the wall with his fist. It was always like this, always!


    Every time he tried to protect her, such things would happen. Moreover, he seemed to hurt her unintentionally, all the time. He suddenly took out his cellphone, and dialed a number.


    The next day, although Tang Xia was unwilling to go to her company and face those boring people, she had to force herself to go. After all, her ambition was to become the most popular female anchor. She should not abandon her career, because of others.


    When she thought about Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian, Tang Xia pinched her inner brows, took a deep breath, and strode towards her company, as if she had made up her mind.


    From a distance, when she saw Tang Xia walking inside the building, Li Xianxian followed her and berated her indignantly, with her cellphone held tightly in her hand. ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯ve gone too far! I won¡¯t let you go this time!¡±


    Ye Yifan was stunned when he saw Tang Xia walking into the building. He stepped forward with delight. But as he took the first step, he saw Li Xianxian following behind her, looking rather aggressive. He stopped and frowned.


    ¡°Was she making things difficult for Tang Xia?¡± With this, he put his hands into his pockets and followed them.


    The instant Tang Xia stepped into the company, she noticed that everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed upon her. Tang Xia raised her brows. ¡°So? Did I catch their attention, due to the fight last night? Just because I hit Li Xianxian?¡±


    She did not believe that these people had never seen such a fight before. In the entertainment circle, it was normal for two entertainers to fight with each other in the broadcast circle.


    When she first made up her mind to take up this career, she had seen two female anchors slugging it out with each other. Though she knew very well that this career was quite tough, this had always been her dream.


    This was a dream to get close to Ye Yifan. Therefore, she would do it, no matter how hard it might be.


    ¡°Why were these people looking at her, as if she had done something heinous? Some people were peeking at her, whispering and pointing at her. What on earth had she done?¡±


    Seeing her confusion, her colleague, Rose, came over, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your relationship with Ye Yifan?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. ¡°Why is she asking me about this?¡± She kept quiet for a while and said slowly,


    ¡°We¡¯re just colleagues.¡±


    What else could her relationship with Ye Yifan be? She was in love with Ye Yifan, but Ye Yifan loved Li Xianxian. Moreover, she had slapped Li Xianxian last night. It was just an ordinary relationship¡­ She was silent for a while¡­ ¡°It did not seem that ordinary.¡±


    Rose suddenly nudged her mysteriously, while Tang Xia looked blankly at Rose.


    ¡°Stop covering it up. Tell me the truth. There is no one else here.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes narrowed her eyes, and cast a look at all the people who were staring at her, and waiting for her to speak. How could there no one else?


    Rose smiled. ¡°They are our friends. Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t give your secret away.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent. She did not know how to express her current feelings. ¡°Was she treating her like a fool or just kidding with her?¡±


    ¡°There were so many people there, was there a need to tell anyone else? Was she looking down upon her intelligence?¡± Tang Xia looked at Rose coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, we are just colleagues.¡±


    Rose acted as if she did not notice Tang Xia¡¯s cold eyes. She continued, asking in a doubtful manner,


    ¡°How could it be? You were so affectionate in the game. He even told you that he will be a knight who would protect you. Don¡¯t you know that there has been a mass of fans following you? But now, you are telling me that you are just colleagues?¡±


    People around them, also nodded indignantly. The corner of Tang Xia¡¯s mouth twitched; she did not know how to respond. What should she say? Let her know that Ye Yifan had done that, for the sake of the program¡¯s effect? Or that he had done this, to gain more popularity, or for any other reason?


    Then she remembered that he had left in a haste last night, without even looking back. Had he been disgusted about her pettiness, regarding those comments?


    Tang Xia did not know what to say, because she did not know what Ye Yifan would think of this. He disappointed her each time she thought there was a chance for them to be together, and then brought her hope when she was in despair.


    Seeing that Tang Xia was keeping quiet, Rose took out her cellphone immediately, and showed it to Tang Xia.


    ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t seen this, have you?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. She took the cellphone in bewilderment, only to find a line of words written below Ye Yifan¡¯s blog.


    ¡°You lost to Tang Xia. I accept that with good grace.¡±


    Then, there was a picture of Ye Yifan and Tang Xia taken in the game, where both of them were smiling happily. They looked quite well matched, when they were together, but this made Tang Xia feel a little overwhelmed.


    She felt unexpected delight springing into her heart, instantly. When she was about to look through the comments, someone suddenly knocked the cellphone from her hand. In a daze, Tang Xia heard the cellphone falling to the ground, with a clatter.


    ¡°Ah! My cellphone!¡±


    Rose rushed over to pick up her cellphone, only to find that the screen was broken. She was about to swear, when she saw Li Xianxian.


    In this instant, she did not know whether she should ask her to pay for this or not. After all, Li Xianxian seemed to be extremely angry, at this moment.


    Li Xianxian stared at Rose, then she looked back at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia had not come back to her senses yet, since Li Xianxian had knocked the cellphone from her hand. She was not aware of what had happened, until she heard the cellphone fall to the ground. She looked up and cast her eyes at Li Xianxian, who looked arrogant and apparently was here, to seek revenge. Tang Xia put her hands down, and looked at her, silently.


    ¡°How are you going to compensate me, for slapping me yesterday?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled when she looked at Li Xianxian, who raised her head and glared at her, with her hands on her waist. The half of her face that had been slapped by Tang Xia was swollen. It seemed that she did not mind letting others know, that she had been slapped.


    When Li Xianxian saw her casting a satirical look on that half of her face, she blushed in anger. She wanted to scratch her face so badly, right now!


    ¡°Why are you laughing? What are you laughing at?¡±


    Tang Xia folded her arms, and looked at Li Xianxian, straight in the eye. Li Xianxian was surprised, because she had not expected that Tang Xia would be so calm. Her eyes were as intimidating as the day before. ¡°No! I can¡¯t be timid!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it funny? You¡¯re like a clown, showing everyone that you¡¯ve been slapped on your face.¡± Tang Xia was very certain that Li Xianxian was just jealous about that blog updated by Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia felt an instant warmth in her heart. Alas, Ye Yifan was giving her hope again. But she did not know whether she should feel happy or sad about this.


    Just as Li Xianxian was about to attack her, a figure appeared in the distance. People on both sides, gave way to it.


    ¡°Wow! War of the century! Three main characters gathered together! This must be an exciting play!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia first, then cast his eyes over Li Xianxian. It was lucky that he followed them here, or else, who knew what would happen. Such a matter was not good for them. Meanwhile, a group of people were already looking on.


    Neither Tang Xia nor Li Xianxian had expected that Ye Yifan would show up. Li Xianxian was about to treat him in a petty way, when Ye Yifan said meaningfully,


    ¡°Xianxian, we are colleagues. Don¡¯t mess things up.¡±

 Chapter 191 - A "Redundant" Explanation

    Chapter 191 A ¡°Redundant¡± Explanation


    Li Xianxian froze instantly, while Tang Xia was amazed. She looked at the man behind her and saw his face deepen in anger. It was like an abyss, and one could just fall accidentally into it.


    She had never seen Ye Yifan so angry before. Even when they had been in the villa, when Chu Tiankuo had threatened him, she had not seen him like this. Li Xianxian stood upright and dared not move. She was afraid that a storm might blow over her, once she looked back.


    They kept quiet. Tang Xia did not say anything. Actually, she was a little amazed because notables like Ye Yifan did not have to come to the company, if they were not doing any broadcasting.


    Therefore, he rarely made an appearance in the company. But Tang Xia wondered why he showed up now. He was speaking for her, which made her somewhat puzzled and delighted, though she did not show these feelings on her face.


    However, neither Tang Xia and Li Xianxian realized that he was planning to meet Tang Xia, due to the microblog. He wanted to see what Tang Xia¡¯s reaction was and confirm if he had dealt with it correctly, or if there was any other salutary effect.


    When he arrived at the company, he saw Li Xianxian trailing Tang Xia, which was quite unusual. He thought it strange, and followed them instantly.


    It was fortunate that he followed them. Otherwise, who knew what kind of trouble, the little princess Li Xianxian would have caused.


    Li Xianxian was angry because it felt as if Ye Yifan had burned two holes in her back, using his eyes. She secretly clenched her fists, took a deep breath, turned back swiftly and rushed into Ye Yifan¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Yi Fan! I did not do that!¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned and did not move. However, Li Xianxian could sense that his eyes were boring into hers. Her arms holding on to Ye Yifan froze, and she did not know what to do.


    It seemed that she had irritated Ye Yifan this time. The instant she was sure about this, she finally realized how serious it was. She looked up at Ye Yifan, trembling, only to find him looking at her, without any expression, on his face.


    ¡°What should she do? What should she do? She did not believe that Ye Yifan would really get angry with her! Just because he was¡­


    ¡°Oh, Yifan, my mother is inviting you for dinner at our house.¡±


    Ye Yifan was stunned. His original icy demeanor cracked. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and Li Xianxian let out a sigh of relief.


    She guessed that Ye Yifan would not refuse her mother¡¯s invitation. Even if her mother had not invited him to have dinner together, she would call her mother and tell her that Ye Yifan was coming to have dinner with her!


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan blankly,¡±Why would Li Xianxian invite him to have dinner at her house?¡± ¡°Why? Did Li Xianxian¡¯s parents wish to meet him?¡±


    What mattered most was that Ye Yifan did not decline that invitation at once. On the contrary, he was pondering over it. ¡°Did this mean that they had been in a romantic relationship? And was it time for them to meet each other¡¯s parents?¡±


    It was not Tang Xia¡¯s fault that she had such thoughts. Their words sounded too incredible. Even a passer-by would not believe that they were not in a relationship.


    ¡°Look, Ye Yifan even seemed to be used to such intimate acts from Li Xianxian.¡±


    Ye Yifan kept quiet. Suddenly, he looked up at Tang Xia, who was amazed by his gaze. Then he turned to Li Xianxian and said, ¡°OK.¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s heart had been in her mouth, while she waited for Ye Yifan¡¯s answer. When she heard Ye Yifan saying ¡°Ok¡±, she felt relieved. It was as if a huge stone had been removed from her heart. But she still could not help looking at Ye Yifan, doubtfully.


    Previously he used to accept instantly, when she told him that her mother was the one who wanted him to come for dinner. However, this time he kept quiet, for a long time. Furthermore, she noticed him looking at Tang Xia just now. Was she thinking too much?


    Maybe. After all, she had made great efforts to cultivate her relationship with Ye Yifan and hopefully, it had not been in vain.


    When she thought of this, she felt the anxiety in her heart, disappear. She looked at Ye Yifan joyfully and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t forget to pick me up when I get off work!¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded slightly. Li Xianxian was now like a proud peacock, who twisted her head and stretched her neck, as she glanced at Tang Xia, arrogantly. She smiled sarcastically at her.


    It seemed that she was laughing at Tang Xia, for her overestimation about her own strength, as a fresh anchor.


    Tang Xia stared at Li Xianxian in silence, while the latter sneered, and left.


    Tang Xia felt as a heavy stone that had been placed upon her heart, had been instantly removed, just like the one that had been in Li Xianxian¡¯s heart. She looked at Ye Yifan silently and expectantly.


    But she was very clear in her mind that she should not have looked forward to anything. She should have turned away, but her feet felt as heavy as lead, and she could not move them.


    ¡°What was she doing? Was she expecting him to say something to her?


    Unexpectedly, Ye Yifan slowly walked over to her, and stopped at her side. Rose with her precious cellphone in her hands, was surprised because she had not expected that Ye Yifan would stay on, approach and gaze at Tang Xia. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°He has just promised Li Xianxian to have dinner at her house, but now he is gazing at Tang Xia.¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian¡¯s family and mine are old family friends.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. What did he mean? Was he giving her an explanation? It felt as if what she had looked forward to, had come true. Her muscles refused to budge earlier, because they seemed to have been waiting for his explanation.


    Upon seeing Tang Xia seemingly frozen in place, not making any movement or expression, Ye Yifan seemed a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Li Xianxian and I have known each other since we were young. So¡­¡±


    Tang Xia could not restrain herself any longer. Her face flushed instantly and she felt hot. Thus, she rushed away, covering her face.


    Ye Yifan was stunned. He had not expected that she would rush away. Luckily, he had seen her blush just now, or he would have thought that Tang Xia did not want to see him anymore. As he looked at her fading shadow, his lips curved subconsciously.


    Tang Xia slammed the door of the office, then leaned against the door. She felt her limp body sliding downward, and let out a long breath. Alas, it had been so close. She had almost made a fool of herself!


    ¡°What would she have done if she had lost control and laughed in front of so many people? ¡± Tang Xia felt fortunate that she had made such a swift escape. ¡°But, why would Ye Yifan need to explain to her? And his explanation had been so serious.¡±


    Tang Xia kept quiet. When the initial joy and excitement passed, the remaining calmness occupied her mind.


    She had always been a reasonable girl. Ye Yifan told her that he had grown up with Li Xianxian. In other words, they were childhood sweethearts.


    However, she suddenly realized they were more than Prince Charming and Princess Charming, and this had been recognized by the public. They were a very popular couple on the Internet. Ye Yifan should have known this. He had accepted that in his mind.


    ¡°Then did he take his relationship with Li Xianxian as that of lovers, instead of just childhood sweethearts?¡± She recalled that in the last game, Ye Yifan had protected her in every aspect and even took good care of her. Why would he do that?


    She could feel the affection between them, even though it was rather obscure. Just now, he had given her an explanation. Why would he do this?


    ¡°Because he has fallen in love with you.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. She had not noticed someone opening the door. She saw Rose putting one hand on her waist, the other holding the cellphone, with the broken screen.


    ¡°Tell me, what should I do with this cellphone that I just bought?¡±


    Tang Xia was amazed. She sank into the chair, but decided that she would not take the blame for Li Xianxian.


    ¡°It was Li Xianxian who broke it. Of course, you should make her pay for it.¡±


    Rose¡¯s hand that had been holding her cellphone, trembled. ¡°Ridiculous. Should she ask Li Xianxian to pay for her cellphone now?¡±


    Since that lady dared to break her cellphone, she would certainly not be afraid of anything. She was still venting her anger on her assistant, with her swollen face. If Rose came to her now, then she must be courting death. She was not that foolish.


    ¡°Thinking of it, if I had not shown you Ye Yifan¡¯s blog, my phone would not have been broken? Would Ye Yifan have stopped her?¡±


    ¡°If Ye Yifan had not stopped her, would Li Xianxian have invited him to dinner? If Li Xianxian had not invited him, would he have explained to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop! I¡¯ll pay for it!¡±


    Rose smiled with satisfaction. She felt fine, as long as someone paid for her cellphone. ¡°Then I will not bother you anymore.¡±


    She left and headed for work, without saying a word.


    Tang Xia narrowed her eyes. ¡°This woman is a freak.¡±


    She looked at her cellphone, eager to update her microblog. And that was what she did. She refreshed it several times, though no more blogs were found. Three parties were divided in the comments¡¯ section.


    The first party wished that Tang Xia and Ye Yifan could be a couple.


    ¡°We are in favor of Miss Tang Xia and Prince Charming!¡±


    ¡°This couple can¡¯t be sweeter!¡±


    ¡°May their sweetness be everlasting!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The second party wished that Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan would be a couple.


    ¡°Who the hell is Tang Xia! Fan and Li are fated to be a couple!¡±


    ¡°Xianxian¡¯s pretty face overwhelms that of Tang Xia¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°We are in favor of Prince Charming and Princess Charming!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The third one favored only Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Ye Yifan is mine, don¡¯t take him away from me!¡±


    ¡°Who cares about Tang Xia or Li Xianxian? He is my husband!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nonetheless, most of the microblog¡¯s users were in favor of Tang Xia and Ye Yifan. After all, they had gained much popularity in the last game, because they had impressed their fans in it.


    Although they were a little unsatisfied with the results, most of them liked the way they got along with each other.


    Tang Xia had a subtle feeling, when she saw one of the latest comments: It said that Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian are having dinner together, tonight!


    Tang Xia suddenly remembered that Li Xianxian had invited Ye Yifan to have dinner at her house. Without thinking of it, she knew this comment must have been made by someone who had been there, when she had her argument with Li Xianxian just now. All at once, she was in a flutter. What should she do?


    However, this was something she could not prevent. Their families were old friends, after all. And they were childhood sweethearts. Then, she put aside her cellphone, took a deep breath and got down to work.

 Chapter 192 - This Speculation Method is Not Bad

    Chapter 192 This Speculation Method is Not Bad


    Looking up at the sky that was darkening gradually, Tang Xia was so lost in her thoughts, that she did not know where she was going. She grabbed her bag, and was just about to walk down the stairs to get her car, and drive home, when she saw two figures at the gate. She froze on the spot, immediately.


    Although she knew that both of them had made plans to eat dinner together, when she saw Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian standing together, hand in hand, she instantly felt as if she was the third party.


    Li Xianxian had just stepped out of the office building, and saw Ye Yifan waiting at the entrance by his car. Ye Yifan was dressed in a tuxedo, and was leaning against the car door. Although half of Li Xianxian¡¯s face was swollen, one could still tell that she was very pretty.


    Li Xianxian ran towards him and held his arm. Both of them got into the car, and drove away.


    The car drove away slowly.


    Even though she had been working the whole day, the troubled feeling in her heart did not go away. After retrieving her car, she gripped the steering wheel tightly, but did not seem to know where to go, at this moment.


    Home? Since she did not want to go home, she chose to drive around. She thought of it as a way to relax, and she would go wherever she chose to drive too. This was what she thought, as she gripped the wheel tightly, and started the engine.


    On the way, the neon lights on the street shone brightly, illustrating a stark contrast with the scenario in the car. She felt as if there was a huge rock pressing down in her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. Even looking at the scenery outside the window, did not make her feel better at all.


    She did not know how long she drove, nor what time it was. When she finally came to her senses, she looked around at the familiar environment. Tang Xia herself, was a little shocked. ¡°Where had she driven herself to?¡±


    She was still in a daze, when she heard a knocking sound at her window. She looked up and saw a shadow. When she saw who it was, she was taken aback. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Hearing the voice that could not get any more familiar, Tang Xia was immediately alert. Looking at the surrounding, this was obviously Ye Yifan¡¯s house! Her face turned red instantly. ¡°Why had she ended up driving here?¡±


    Did she subconsciously drive herself here, because she was thinking about him along the way? This was so embarrassing? She could not just drive away in this kind of situation, without giving an explanation, that would be too awkward!


    Tang Xia scrolled down the window. She muttered something, but formed no words and cold sweat even started to form on her forehead. Ye Yifan looked at her and suddenly realized something. Looking at her, his lips curled up, gradually.


    ¡°Are you hungry? You haven¡¯t eaten, right?¡±


    Tang Xia rubbed her stomach, and realized that she had been thinking about so many things that she forgot to have her meal. Hearing her stomach rumble, her face turned red in mortification.


    However, she was too embarrassed to say that she had been wandering around, and had not eaten anything. She turned her head, looked at Ye Yifan and said, ¡°I¡¯m on a diet, haha.¡±


    Ye Yifan thought she was very cute and said, ¡°You¡¯re not fat, why are you on a diet?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly felt happy, but still felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m a female anchor, after all.¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled and patted her head. ¡°Come in, let me treat you to dinner.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he have already eaten with Li Xianxian?¡± She had just witnessed him getting in the car with Li Xianxian, and driving off, so why did he want to eat with her now?


    ¡°Could he be thinking about treating her to dinner, so he could watch her eat? That would be too awkward!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat with Li Xianxian, already?¡±


    Ye Yifan suddenly laughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat much. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get something together.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at him, feeling a bit dazed. Actually, she was very happy that Ye Yifan wanted to eat with her. But her feelings were all over the place right now. After all, he had just eaten with Li Xianxian, and now he was looking for her.


    If the first person he looked for was Tang Xia, she would eat with him happily. But now¡­she had this feeling of being a third party, who had intruded upon their relationship. After staying silent for a while, she looked at him slowly and said, ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡±


    Ye Yifan saw that she finally agreed to eat with him, and immediately felt overjoyed. He opened her car door, stretched out his hand and pulled her out. ¡°Let me make you dinner.¡±


    ¡°What¡­did he just say?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mind was in a mess. She looked at the figure pulling her along. She was already very happy to have such a close interaction with her Prince Charming.


    And right now, her Prince Charming, Ye Yifan, actually said that he was going to cook for her personally. Happiness came too suddenly! She could feel Ye Yifan¡¯s hand holding onto hers; his hand was very big, and it gave her a sense of security and warmth.


    At this moment, he was also warming her soul. All her worries and troubles at the company, and during the drive, had all gone away. She felt like there were pink bubbles floating around her.


    Just as Ye Yifan was pulling Tang Xia into the villa, they did not notice a bright light going off, at the one to two o¡¯clock direction, from the entrance.


    ¡°Ha! Ye Yifan and Tang Xia are meeting each other private, in the middle of the night. Is this piece of news exciting or what?¡±


    Tang Xia was pulled indoors by Ye Yifan and her mind was still sluggish. Ye Yifan looked at her, and laughed out loud, suddenly. He flicked her forehead.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? I¡¯m going to cook dinner now, make yourself at home.¡±


    Tang Xia was awakened by his flick. She looked at him in embarrassment. At this point in time, he had already gone to the kitchen, and put on an apron.


    Tang Xia could only wander around on her own. She looked at the surroundings and was curious. So this is what a boy¡¯s home looks like¡­The whole house¡¯s design was actually very simple. It had a clean, industrial vibe and the main color theme was black, white and gray.


    There were a few books on the coffee table, and even the curtains had black, white and gray stripes. She had to say that the place was really clean. For a man¡¯s home to be so clean, it clearly showed what kind of upbringing they had.


    Just as she was casually walking around, she picked up a book from the table and started reading it. She flipped a few pages and suddenly, something fell out of the book.


    Tang Xia was puzzled and picked it up. She was so shocked when she saw what it was. It was a picture of Ye Yifan and her, in the game, which was the same picture that Ye Yifan posted on his Weibo! She looked at the picture dazedly. Why did he keep it inside a book?


    She turned her head and looked towards Ye Yifan, who was currently cooking in the kitchen. His movements were slow and steady, and was such a gentleman, even when cooking. Needless to say, there was a reason why so many people liked him.


    Just when she was holding onto the picture and blanking out, as she stared at Ye Yifan, he suddenly turned his head and said to her, ¡°Come and help me serve the dishes.¡±


    Tang Xia froze and snapped back to the present, after two seconds, and replied with a delayed ¡®Oh¡¯. Ye Yifan was a little curious as to what she was doing. Tang Xia quickly put the picture back into the book, in its original position.


    Even though Tang Xia thought that she was very quick in her actions, Ye Yifan had already seen it. However, he only smiled faintly, and did not say anything. Tang Xia ran towards him right away, and looked at him.


    Ye Yifan pointed to the dishes beside him, then turned around and said, ¡°Thanks for helping.¡±


    Tang Xia quickly picked up the dishes, and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble, no trouble!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at her, suddenly shook his head, and laughed without saying anything.


    When everything was ready, Yi Yifan took off his apron and left it hanging on the chair. Tang Xia was a little nervous, and did not know what to do. She stared at the spread on the table.


    She never expected that Ye Yifan would be such a great cook. The spread on the table looked so delicious!


    Ye Yifan seemed to suddenly remember something, turned around and headed into the kitchen. Seeing him leave again, Tang Xia was a little confused. But because she was really so hungry, she picked up a piece of meat and ate it. When it entered her mouth, she lost it completely. ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s so delicious!


    She really could not hold back the temptation and pinched another piece. This was the scene Ye Yifan saw, when he came back with a bottle of red wine. He could not stop laughing. He waited until she finished that piece of meat in her mouth, before coming out.


    Tang Xia saw him holding a bottle of red wine and froze instantly. Did he¡­want to drink? A man and a woman¡­candlelight dinner¡­and a bottle of red wine?


    Her face turned red immediately. Ye Yifan indeed, could not be thinking along the same lines as she was thinking. Of course, if he knew, Tang Xia would definitely find a hole to bury herself in, and never come out again, for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Dig in, I wonder how¡¯s my cooking?¡±


    While saying that, Ye Yifan poured her a glass of wine. Tang Xia quickly picked up her chopsticks and started digging in crazily. ¡°Don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care about anything, I¡¯m too hungry!¡±


    However, she ate too quickly, and started choking. She suddenly felt like she could not breathe, and picked up the glass of wine and took a big gulp.


    Ye Yifan was obviously in shock. He stared at her in disbelief. That mouthful of red wine was really too much, and her face turned bright red, immediately.


    Ye Yifan poured her a cup of water and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    While saying that, he also patted her back. It was a pity that she was not a good drinker. Just one mouthful and her face was already red. She quickly waved her hand, and said that she was fine.


    Although Ye Yifan did not believe her, he could only sit back. On the other hand, the incident did not stop Tang Xia¡¯s passion for eating. She continued to eat her food, and ate and drank, as much as she could.


    Ye Yifan shook his head, and looked at her helplessly. He was worried that something might happen to her again, and she might not eat anything, for the rest of the meal.


    Just as he picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks, and was about to eat them, Tang Xia suddenly slammed against the table with a loud bang. Ye Yifan was shocked. He quickly moved towards her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When he reached her seat, he realized that she was so drunk, that she had fallen asleep. She actually¡­fell asleep while eating. Feeling totally helpless, Ye Yifan could only put his jacket over her, and send her home.


    When Tang Xia entered the office the next day, she had yet to figure out what happened to her, when Rose stopped her, the moment she stepped inside.


    ¡°What did you do with Ye Yifan yesterday?!¡±


    Tang Xia was in a state of shock and had obviously not realized what was going on. Feeling helpless, Rose quickly showed Tang Xia her mobile phone.


    ¡°Are you two together? Someone caught you guys going in together!¡±


    Tang Xia grabbed the phone immediately and studied the picture. Rose then suddenly came closer to her, in a sneaky manner.


    ¡°But then again¡­this speculation method is not bad. But you have to be careful about dragging Master Ye down, you might end up triggering him¡­¡±

 Chapter 193 - Escaping from the Garden of Eden

    Chapter 193 Escaping from the Garden of Eden


    Upon hearing what Ross said, Tang Xia suddenly smiled. What had happened between them was neither manipulation or speculation.


    Although she had unconsciously driven to Ye Yifan¡¯s house by herself, he was the one that had pulled her into his house. She had not asked him to make her dinner. He was the one that had initiated it. How could something like what Ross had said happen?


    She sighed and patted her on the cheek. Upon seeing her gossiping expression, she could not hold back her laughter.


    ¡°Your imagination is abnormally wild.¡±


    Ross was dumbfounded. When she saw Tang Xia walk away, she chased after her immediately and grabbed hold of her.


    ¡°What do you mean my imagination is wild? You must know that what I¡¯m telling you right now is good advice! It will all benefit you!¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly felt helpless. This kind of imagination was out of this world! She was talking about unrealistic things.


    However, on second thought, although Ross liked to talk about all kinds of nonsense in the company, this was all for Tang Xia¡¯s own good. Tang Xia could only let her be. She then lifted her hand and flicked Ross¡¯ forehead.


    ¡°When will you restrain your passion for gossip?¡±


    As the two of them were chatting away, they heard the ¡®click-clack¡¯ of high heels coming from afar. Then, just like the way the stars surrounded the moon, Li Xianxian appeared in a crowd of people. It was a group of bustling fans.


    What was going on? Did she have a live scheduled that day? Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian with a puzzled look as she walked directly towards her.


    That day, Li Xianxian was wearing a bright yellow high-end tailored gown. She had topped it off with a white cashmere sweater, a pair of big black sunglasses, and a pair of heels that were eight centimeters tall.


    She was dressed really formally. Tang Xia only felt a suppressing feeling to charge towards her. She had a bad feeling about it, so she quickly turned to look at Ross.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand this to you and take my leave now.¡±


    Ross was stunned. Before she could even react, Tang Xia picked up her bag and left directly. Just as she had managed to take two steps, Li Xianxian saw that she was trying to run away and shouted loudly, ¡°Tang Xia!¡±


    In an instant, everyone in the entire building turned to look at the two of them. Tang Xia had not expected that Li Xianxian would act so crazy that day and put up such a show in front of everyone else.


    She might not care about her dignity, but Tang Xia cared about hers!


    She could only turn around reluctantly. She was not willing to have people think that she was running away at such a crucial time. If she were to leave, she believed that Li Xianxian would stand there alone and scold her the whole day.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Li Xianxian marched towards her and grabbed her wrist harshly. Tang Xia was taken aback. She looked down at her hand, which was being held really tightly. Li Xianxian had exerted so much strength that it felt like she was trying to break her wrist into pieces.


    Tang Xia really wanted to pull her hand away. In fact, she did just that. However, she did not know where Li Xianxian had gotten so much strength from. She could not break free, no matter what.


    ¡°Say whatever you want to say. Don¡¯t make moves behind everyone¡¯s back.¡±


    Tang Xia could not stand it anymore. She lifted her elbow directly for everyone else to see. They were all shocked. Li Xianxian could only let go of her. She took off her sunglasses slowly, but her gaze was still very fierce.


    ¡°Did you deliberately go to Ye Yifan¡¯s house last night to seduce him?¡±


    Actually, Tang Xia had already guessed why she was so furious. This had to be related to Ye Yifan. However, she had not expected this gossip to travel so fast.


    It seemed like she had underestimated the speed at which media could spread information and forgotten that this was what she did for a living. After staying silent for a while, she turned and looked at Li Xianxian. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Her gaze was abnormally calm and serious. Li Xianxian was swayed for a moment. She almost believed her.


    However, this was the truth. She had not seduced Ye Yifan. On the contrary, he was the one that had invited her to his house and cooked for her. In other words, she had not done anything. This time around, Li Xianxian had really misunderstood. There was always a misunderstanding.


    Li Xianxian was a little angry. The paparazzi had already caught her entering Ye Yifan¡¯s house, so she did not believe that Ye Yifan had called her over and pulled her in by force, although the truth was something like that¡­


    Just as she was about to go crazy again, she suddenly heard two claps.


    Both of them were stunned. The crowd surrounding them also reacted immediately and turned to see where the sound had come from.


    They only saw a woman in tight-fitting business attire and a pair of intellectual square glasses. She had a charming perm, and her whole body radiated an intellectual elegance. On top of that, there was also the temptation of the uniform.


    Her red lips moved as she said, ¡°Alright, you two.¡±


    She was obviously there to stop them. After all, Li Xianxian had almost become rough with Tang Xia. Li Xianxian put down her hand and adjusted her skirt. The assistant beside her quickly stepped forward and handed her stuff before touching up her makeup, and so on.


    Tang Xie massaged the wrist that had almost turned purple from Li Xianxian¡¯s grip. Then, she turned around and said politely, ¡°Sis July.¡±


    July glanced at Tang Xia. She made a mental note to remember her and nodded. Compared to Li Xianxian¡¯s self-entitlement and arrogance, she preferred people like Tang Xia, who knew how to remain humble. She had not become proud just because she had gained recognition from a few live streams.


    She then looked at Li Xianxian and felt like shaking her head at her behavior.


    ¡°Alright, you two. I¡¯m already here, so stop fighting. You must have received the notice already. The fans requested that the two of you do a live stream together to see who is the queen of female anchors.¡±


    Notice? Tang Xia was taken aback. Why had she not received anything? Ross, who was standing beside her, said immediately, ¡°I sent you a message yesterday, didn¡¯t you get it?¡±


    Tang Xia had a big sudden realization. She had zonked out and slept through the previous night without looking at her phone at all. She quickly took her phone out of her bag. Indeed, there were several messages about the notice. Frustrated, she smacked her own forehead. What trouble had she caused herself?


    She had not looked at her phone at all before coming to the office. What a bother!


    No wonder Li Xianxian had dressed up so formally that day. She had been prepared for the live stream!


    Li Xianxian snorted. ¡°The queen will definitely be me!¡±


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. Why did she feel like a child that had yet to grow up?


    ¡°It¡¯s you! Alright? It¡¯s you!¡±


    Upon seeing Tang Xia¡¯s indifferent attitude, Li Xianxian became even more furious. She wanted to say something, but July quickly stood between the two of them and said, ¡°Then quickly return to the broadcast room! The fans can¡¯t wait any longer!¡±


    What a joke. How could she possibly allow this princess to cause a scene here? If she was not careful, Li Xianxian would blow the roof off this building.


    Li Xianxian could only give in and glare at Tang Xia harshly. ¡°We shall see!¡±


    Then, she turned around and stomped away in her eight-centimeter-tall high heels.


    After Li Xianxian left, Tang Xia looked at July with gratitude. July raised her brow and said, ¡°What are you doing here? Go and do this live stream now. It¡¯s starting soon.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded and smiled as she thanked her. She then turned and left.


    While she looked at Xia Tang¡¯s increasingly distant back view, a meaningful smile spread across July¡¯s face.


    In the broadcast room¡­


    Tang Xia stood in the middle of the broadcast room and looked at her surroundings in a daze. She suddenly recalled that she had looked at Weibo on her phone earlier. The war between her fans and Ye Yifan¡¯s fans was growing stronger.


    She thought about the scene the previous night. When he had seen her appear at his house, she had faintly seen a hint of surprise in his eyes. She had felt that the whole thing was so surreal until he had dragged her into his house.


    She then recalled him cooking for her personally and even taking her home. If she had not gone to the company that day, or if it had not been for the chaos over the pictures, she would not have believed that this whole thing was real, as she had slept all the way until the morning.


    On Weibo, the number of times that Ye Yifan and her name had been searched together was growing exponentially. Would her relationship with her Prince Charming change because of this?


    While thinking about how she had embarked on this journey as a female anchor for the Prince Charming without hesitation and walked this path, she had indeed fallen in love with everything here.


    However, now that everything had led up to today¡¯s situation, she could not help but want to be closer to her Prince Charming even more. She wanted to be closer to Ye Yifan again.


    Was this a greedy thought? She did not regret it. Even though there were people like Li Xianxian on this journey, she would not back down.


    She suddenly recalled what July had said earlier. This was a battle between her and Li Xianxian. If that was the case, she had to win. For her future, for her path, for Ye Yifan. No matter what, she had to win this.


    ¡°Tang Xia, what are you thinking about?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled by this sudden voice. As if awakened from a dream, she turned to see where the sound had come from. She only saw Ross staring at her and pointing to the monitor. She then realized that her fans had gone crazy already.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it starting yet?¡±


    ¡°I waited until the flowers began withering!¡±


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia immediately threw Ross a grateful look. Then, she turned around and took a deep breath before she started the live stream.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally starting!¡±


    ¡°My popcorn is ready!¡±


    ¡°Sitting and waiting for the voice support of the Tang Ye couple!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia entered the broadcast studio and only saw a white light shining in front of her. This caused her to feel a little dizzy.


    System Warning: The world that you are entering this round is ¡®Escaping from the Garden of Eden¡¯


    Escaping from the Garden of Eden? What kind of mission was that? She had never taken on such a mission. Although she was a little worried, she calmed down very quickly.


    This had to be the battlefield where the fight between her and Li Xianxian would take place! She had to win, no matter what! However, the instant she entered the broadcast studio, she suddenly remembered something¡­


    Every time she did a live stream, someone would always appear and be the Final Boss. This seemed to have become the norm.


    She lifted her head slowly and looked towards the glaring yet hopeful daylight.


    Chu Tiankuo, will you still come back this time?


    Tang Xia did not know why she would think of him. Upon thinking about him killing Ye Yifan in the villa last time, her heart tightened suddenly.


    She then recalled shouting at him and saying that she did not want to see him ever again. She could not help but feel sorry for him.


    Even though he was heartless, this had still been a mission of the system, just like they had to take on this mission to continue staying alive, no matter what happened. As for him, his mission was to kill them, no matter what.


    I hope I won¡¯t meet you this time around.


    When Tang Xia opened her eyes again, an extremely good-looking young man entered her field of vision. He lifted her chin.


    ¡°Will you go back with me or not?¡±

 Chapter 194 - Mysterious Castle

    Chapter 194 Mysterious Castle


    Tang Xia stared closely at the man in front of her. This youth was extremely gorgeous. He had golden short hair, blue eyes, well-defined eyebrows¡­ He was like a sculpture of David that sculptors poured their hearts into making.


    Perfect features, perfect figure. He was as perfect as God¡¯s child.


    But¡­ What was going on? Why was this man flirting with her? And why was she being pressed onto the floor while her chin was lifted up? What was going on?


    She suddenly recalled what the system had showed her earlier. Escaping from the Garden of Eden¡­ Could this be the Garden of Eden? The very garden that Adam and Eve had lived in? She glanced down at her body.


    Wow, thank god. She was still dressed. Although she was not wearing a lot, at least she still had some clothes on. She heaved a sigh of relief instantly. Just when Tang Xia was about to ask him a question, the youth pulled her into a car by force before she could even make a sound.


    What was going on? Was she in the hands of a human trafficking organization? Was such a gorgeous man involved in human trafficking? How could that be possible?


    For some reason, she believed that beautiful things did not hurt. However, upon looking at how rough this man was, she instantly felt like this was believable. Was she going to be sold to a faraway place to become someone¡¯s wife? Or would they take her organs and sell them?


    When she turned her head and scanned her surroundings, she realized that there was nothing around. This was just an empty car. No matter how she looked at it, it looked like a car that had been purposely cleared out to fit in more people¡­ Was she going to die right from the beginning?


    Tang Xia started panicking immediately and struggled with all her strength. ¡°What kind of nonsense is this? I¡¯m not going to leave with you! Let me go! Let me go right now!¡±


    She still had to compete with Li Xianxian. How could she die so easily?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my organs to be sold! I don¡¯t want to be sold as a wife either! Let me go!¡±


    The young man raised his brows. What was this woman talking about? Selling organs? Selling wives? Why did he not understand anything that she said? Was this woman crazy?


    He suddenly took something from his embrace. Tang Xia, who was very alert, was about to charge towards him and push him down when her sight was blurred by a cloud of white fog. She slowly began to lose consciousness¡­ Eventually, a moment before she closed her eyes, she caught a glimpse of that young man¡¯s evil smirk¡­


    ¡°No!¡±


    Tang Xia woke up suddenly and quickly looked around her.


    Huh? Where is that pervert?


    She had already labeled the unbelievably gorgeous young man who had kidnapped her as an errant pervert.


    Upon looking around the environment that she was in, Tang Xia became a little confused. She had still been in a primitive horse carriage a second ago. Why was she now in a luxurious room?


    She looked around in a daze. There was a mural on the ceiling that seemed to be from ancient Greece. It looked real, as if there were really angels circling around the ceiling.


    There were all kinds of beautiful paintings hanging on the walls around her. The floor was made of an unknown kind of jade so stepping on it felt like stepping on a mirror.


    However, there were very few things in the room. Although it was full of decorations, there was not even a single book. There was only a bed and a chair.


    Tang Xia immediately ran forward and grabbed hold of the door handle. It would not open, no matter how hard she rigged it. She then threw herself at the door twice. Indeed, the door had been locked from outside right from the start.


    Annoyed, Tang Xia scratched her head. What was going on? She had just been kidnapped and thrown here right away. Had that gorgeous pervert sold her to a rich family to become someone¡¯s wife? Actually, that didn¡¯t seem so bad¡­


    No! What was she thinking? She shook her head violently. A rich family did not need to buy a wife. And what was with her low self-esteem?


    She slapped herself forcefully. Wake up, Tang Xia! Since they had drugged her and brought her here, this could not be a good thing! She had to escape!


    Unfortunately, the door was locked and she could not see what the world outside looked like¡­ Suddenly, she saw a tiny window above the door. She quickly turned around and brought over the only chair in the room. She stepped on it and started climbing.


    She saw some similar small rooms outside. Tang Xia was shocked. This place looked like it had been built to hold prisoners. It was like¡­ a place where pigeons were raised?


    Each room looked like a cage for one person¡­ Actually, this place was much better than those pigeon-raising places! At least, the things in this room were very luxurious and expensive.


    Suddenlly, she saw a woman walking towards her room. Tang Xia, who thought she had been discovered, quickly got off the chair. She plunged herself onto the bed and covered herself with the blanket, pretending that she had yet to wake up.


    She heard a ruffling sound, as if the woman was searching for a key. The door was opened with a click. ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to wake up slowly. When she looked up at the person in the room, it turned out to be an ordinary maid. She was wearing a maid outfit and looked very ordinary.


    However, the only thing that was amiss was her eyes, which seemed as hollow as an empty shell. She behaved like an emotionless robot. She placed the food on the floor. She was just about to turn and leave when Tang Xia grabbed hold of her.


    ¡°What is this place!¡±


    The maid ignored her completely, as if her soul had been taken away. She did not say anything. She just remained silent.


    Suddenly, as if all the maids reached a time limit and needed to go out, the maid looked possessed. Out of the blue, she pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand off very violently.


    Tang Xia¡¯s wrist was in extreme pain thanks to the maid¡¯s grip. She did not know what was going on. By the time she found out, she saw the maid walk out and slam the door. Tang Xia only saw the maid¡¯s gaze at the last moment. It was hollow and ice-cold. There was not a single bit of emotion to be found.


    Damn it! How could she leave just like that? Tang Xia had not finished asking her questions¡­ No, the maid had yet to answer! How could she leave just like that?


    Ignoring the pain on her arm caused by the maid¡¯s grip, she suddenly turned and looked at the door. She immediately charged towards it, throwing herself at it like a mad person. How could she be trapped here forever?


    ¡°Help! Someone help!¡±


    She had not seen Li Xianxian yet. Could she be trapped here forever? Just thinking about it was terrifying enough. No, she definitely could not just sit here and wait. She still had to go back and see Ye Yifan! She still had to beat Li Xianxian!


    After knocking for a long time, no one came, nor did she get a response. Xia Ting could not help but feel depressed. Actually, she really hated places like this. It was a secluded place with absolutely nothing. She was all alone¡­


    No matter how beautifully a house was decorated, she would not like it.


    Just as she was about to give up, a sound came from outside. ¡°Enough! Stop knocking!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was startled, quickly stepped aside. She heard the ¡®click-clack¡¯ of the key being used to open the door. Tang Xia instantly felt very happy and turned to look at the door.


    A middle-aged woman came in slowly and studied Tang Xia from head to toe. She then sighed and said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Tang Xia was a bit startled. She did not know how to react. What was going on? Was happiness coming so soon?


    Tang Xia was very alert as she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    In this kind of situation, no matter how alert one was, it would still be impossible to change the other party¡¯s mind.


    The middle-aged woman looked at her a little impatiently. ¡°You¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Then, she left on her own. Tang Xia found this a little strange. Was she not afraid that she would run away if she left just like that? Or¡­


    Perhaps she firmly believed that she would not be able to run away? Besides, this middle-aged woman was obviously different from the rest. The other maids had looked like they had lost their souls, but this middle-aged woman still had consciousness. This was a really strange place.


    She believed that it was necessary for her to go with this woman first to see what she wanted to show her before she decided how to escape.


    With this thought in mind, she followed the woman for an unknown period of time. She suddenly saw many people. Confused, she scanned the people around her carefully and found out that they all seemed to be girls.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    The middle-aged woman glanced at Tang Xia. There was always a hint of pity in her gaze. Even though she had hidden it well, Tang Xia still managed to catch it. She looked at the middle-aged woman in confusion. What was the secret she didn¡¯t know?


    ¡°This is the auditorium.¡±


    After saying this, she said nothing else. Tang Xia rolled her eyes. Couldn¡¯t she see it for herself? No matter how she looked at this huge place, it only seemed like an auditorium to her!


    There was only this humongous auditorium on the grass field. The whole auditorium seemed to be made out of ivory, as it shone brightly in the sun.


    Actually, this place was as beautiful as a fairytale. If it had not been for the huge number of robotic maids, the strange middle-aged woman and the good-looking pervert, she would happily have enjoyed this scenery.


    She turned and looked at the middle-aged woman. As they got closer to the auditorium, she slowly saw what was going on there. When they reached the entrance, the middle-aged woman cast a glance at her.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Then, she turned around and left. Tang Xia instantly grabbed hold of her. Was this a joke? She had brought her here, only to leave without saying anything?


    ¡°Tell me clearly, what am I doing here?¡±


    As if she knew that she would react this way, the middle-aged woman pushed her away silently. ¡°You better look out for yourself.¡±


    Then, she turned and left. Tang Xia looked at her back as she walked away. What kind of place was this Garden of Eden exactly?


    She entered she auditorium slowly and saw seas of people. There were a lot of people there. However, after careful observation, she realized that they were all beautiful girls. Why? Was collecting all kinds of beautiful women a source of joy for that young pervert?


    She stopped a girl out of the blue and asked in a low voice, ¡°Where is this place?¡±


    The girl glanced at Tang Xia with a confused expression, as if she was looking at a stranger.


    ¡°I just came here. I still don¡¯t understand this place¡­¡±


    Tang Xia scratched her head in embarrassment, acting like an innocent girl. The small girl immediately became less wary and smiled as she said, ¡°This is Chu Tianjiao¡¯s castle.¡±


    Upon mentioning Chu Tianjiao, her whole person became full of motivation. She acted as if Chu Tianjiao was an unreachable god¡­


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia frowned.


    Chu Tianjiao? Why did this name sound so familiar?

 Chapter 195 - King of Devil

    Chapter 195 King of Devil


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao? Why did this name sound so familiar? ¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart shivered inexplicably. ¡°What was his relationship with Chu Tiankuo? Could he have changed his name here?¡±


    Thinking about the young pervert earlier on, ¡°Was that not Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face? Could it be that the person chasing after him, was not Boss?¡± Tang Xia started panicking inexplicably. Where was this uneasiness coming from?


    She was still in this state of confusion, when the crowd suddenly became chaotic. It was as if something had triggered them. Everyone in the lively crowd, became very excited.


    Tang Xia was confused and turned to ask the girl beside her,¡±What is going on?¡±


    However, the girl was in the same state of excitement as well, and grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s elbow tightly. She pointed towards the stage at the front of the auditorium, and shouted, ¡°Chu Tianjiao! Chu Tianjiao!¡±


    Tang Xia was startled, and quickly turned to look towards the stage. Indeed! The person slowly walking onto the stage, was that absolutely gorgeous, young pervert!


    He took his spot on the stage and pretended to scan casually through the crowd. Finally, his gaze landed on her.


    Tang Xia was startled. This person¡¯s gaze was similar to that of a poisonous snake staring at its prey. It was a very deadly gaze. A smile spread slowly across his face.


    The girl beside her, looked excitedly at Chu Tianjiao. Tang Xia noticed that some were cheering for him, while others were gritting their teeth, silently. What kind of a person was he? How did he manage to get this sort of reaction from the crowd. Some of these girls were rooting for him, yet some obviously hated him so much!


    ¡°Did he catch all of these girls? Why were they all gathered here?¡± There were too many questions in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. After all, this place was really strange.


    All of a sudden, she saw a girl trying to climb onto the stage, but was pulled down by Chu Tianjiao¡¯s security personnel. Tang Xia rolled her eyes. What was going on? Why did it feel as if it was a crazy fan trying to climb onto the stage to have a close up interaction with her idol?


    Tang Xia suddenly noticed that the girl beside her, was trembling. Tang Xia raised her brows in amazement. ¡°Was she that moved by him?¡±


    But when she walked slowly towards her, she realized that the girl was gritting her teeth and staring intensely at Chu Tianjiao. Tang Xia was so shocked that she quickly took a step back. Why were all the people here behaving so abnormally? Just as she was looking around the room, Chu Tianjiao began speaking.


    ¡°The Garden of Eden welcomes a new member!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao then opened his arms, and smiled excitedly. However, even though Tang Xia was standing far away from him, she could still catch the sinister intent in his smile.


    And that pair of eyes was staring so intensely at her.


    ¡°And that is¡­¡±


    As if deliberately keeping the crowd in suspense, he scanned the room casually, and spoke in a drawl.


    ¡°Tang Xia!¡±


    In that instant, everyone¡¯s eyes in the auditorium, swiveled toward her. Tang Xia was startled. She was still looking around the room, when she heard her name being called.


    Everyone then slowly started to make a way for her. She felt many pairs of eyes staring at her. Some were filled with jealousy, as if they wanted to charge towards her and rip her apart. Some of the gazes, on the other hand, hid sympathetic looks.


    In that instant, she felt that everyone here, were like hungry wolves. No, it was like a scene from hell.


    Feeling a little lost, Tang Xia looked at the people around her. Suddenly, two maids walked towards her, like a pair of robots, and grabbed her by the shoulders. Tang Xia was startled and this quickly changed to fear. They forcibly dragged her onto the stage.


    However, she did not want to go up at all. She struggled with all her might, but the maids were really too strong. They functioned like robots, without a single bit of empathy in them, nor were they lady-like at all. Their strength was as great as that of two buff men.


    She was getting closer to the stage, and also getting nearer to Chu Tianjiao¡¯s absolutely gorgeous face. She saw that he was half-squinting at her, and the corners of his lips were curled slightly, in a sneer.


    He was like the devil from hell. He had the appearance of an angel, but his inner self was like that of the devil.


    Just when Tang Xia was being pulled onto the stage, Chu Tianjiao suddenly burst into laughter. The whole auditorium quietened down immediately. Tang Xia and the rest of the crowd were all startled. They did not understand what was going to happen next.


    Just when everyone was at a loss, Chu Tianjiao suddenly stopped laughing. The whole auditorium became so silent that they could hear a pin drop. Everyone dared not breathe too loudly.


    When everyone was silent, Chu Tianjiao suddenly turned and said to the audience between smiles, ¡°Take a guess! What kind of gown do you think I have selected for her?¡±


    Everyone was taken by surprise. A bunch of maids suddenly emerged from backstage. Two of them held onto a beige-color gown, while four to five people carried accessories. All the girls standing below the stage, had their eyes fixated on the scene.


    The gown was absolutely beautiful. The bottom part was studded with countless fine diamonds, and the pleats sparkled brightly. The pieces of jewelry and accessories complemented each other. They were obviously very precious gems. So many people wanted to wear them, but were unable to do so!


    Tang Xia looked at his angel-like face. What was he hiding beneath this skin?


    Tang Xia was very curious. She really wanted to run onto the stage and take his mask off directly. What was he up to, suddenly giving her so much attention?! Just as she was thinking about how to break free, Chu Tianjiao suddenly smiled, and waved his hand.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Tang Xia was a little hesitant, but the bunch of maids suddenly surged toward her. Tang Xia was startled and stepped back subconsciously. She pushed the maids away with all her strength. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Tang Xia screamed in horror.


    She wanted to leave this place. At this moment, the two maids who pulled her onto the stage earlier, came forward. Tang Xia wanted to push them away.


    However, the two maids were too strong, and she was no match for them. She felt as if her bones were being crushed, and she could not move an inch.


    She was at a loss, and did not know what to do. Suddenly the bunch of maids, who were holding onto the gown, charged forward to tear her clothes off. She obviously did not expect them to be so violent, as to rip her clothes apart.


    Tang Xia screamed in horror, and struggled to break free. However, the maids were like robots and did not care about her feelings at all. They were only focused on tearing her clothes apart.


    From the initial struggle to the eventual exhaustion, Tang Xia was really worn out by the experience. She could only close her eyes and ignore Chu Tianjiao¡¯s gaze, and the stares of the audience, watching her from below the stage.


    When she was finally dressed in the gown, Tang Xia opened her eyes, with difficulty. She saw a tinge of surprise flash across Chu Tianjiao¡¯s gaze, before his eyes slowly resumed its satanic blackness. It was a look that was filled with nastiness.


    She turned her head and looked down the stage. All the girls were looking at her, their eyes filled with the green glow of jealousy. They looked as if they wanted to come up on stage anytime, to pull off her gown. Tang Xia looked dazedly around her, at the surroundings.


    At this moment, Tang Xia did not know what to do. She was like a piece of meat being held onto the cutting board. She was at the mercy of others. After all, at this point in time, there was nothing much she could do.


    Chu Tiajiao expressed his satisfaction, at her wearing the gown, with a beaming smile on his face. He was just about to step forward and appreciate her beauty, when a girl from below the stage, suddenly shouted at him.


    ¡°Why is it that she gets to wear such a nice gown?¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. ¡°Was this girl¡¯s brains twisted? Why was she so dumb? How could she ask such a thing? Was that the main point?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they feel that he had really gone overboard, in tearing her clothes apart in front of the crowd, and then making her put on the gown? What was going on, exactly?¡±


    She turned and looked towards Chu Tianjiao. ¡°What was his intention exactly? Why did he make her change into this gown? Why did he introduce her so formally?¡±


    Looking at the sea of girls below the stage, this was like Chu Tianjiao¡¯s harem. All of the girls were crazy about him.


    Chu Tianjiao stared coldly, in the direction of the source of the sound. As if frozen by fear, the girl shivered, as she looked at him.


    At that moment when his eyes landed on her, two maids ran toward her immediately. The girl was startled, and looked at the two maids in a confused manner. They then dragged her outside.


    The other girls beside her reacted as if she had the plague, and were afraid that she would infect them.


    Tang Xia watched the whole scene unfold before her. She suddenly felt a chilling sensation runing down her spine. Chu Tianjiao then turned and looked toward Tang Xia. Then he smiled as he said slowly, ¡°Here, no one opposes me. I¡¯m the owner of the Garden of Eden!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tianjiao staring intensely into her eyes. The feeling of being looked at by the devil, radiated throughout her whole body. This man seemed to be dominating everything, and everyone was like his chess pieces. He was playing a very big game¡­


    And Tang Xia was now the new sacrifice in the game.


    Looking at Tang Xia dressed in the elegant gown, Chu Tianjiao smiled suddenly. He walked toward her slowly. Tang Xia felt a little afraid and shrank in fear. She wanted to step backward.


    But Chu Tianjiao was not going to give her a chance at all. Tang Xia kept retreating and ended up at the edge of the stage. She was so close to falling off the stage.


    Chu Tianjiao leaned forward, grabbed her by her waist, and pulled her back. He looked at her in a teasing manner, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be naughty.¡±


    Seeing Chu Tianjiao¡¯s devilish look, Tang Xia pushed him away violently.


    Chua Tianjiao was a little dissatisfied and he frowned. But after scanning the audience and seeing them in such a chaotic state, he knew that he had already achieved the result he wanted. Hence, he did not fight with her.


    He bent forward slowly and said in a very gentlemanly tone, ¡°Can I invite you to dance?¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. When she pushed him away earlier, she had seen an obvious tinge of killing intent flash across his eyes.


    But now, he was standing in front of her with a smile on his face, pretending as if nothing had happened, and asking if he could invite her to dance? There was definitely something wrong with this person. If not, there must be something bad, that he was going to do!


    Tang Xia stepped back and shook her head.

 Chapter 196 - Li Xianxian Appears!

    Chapter 196 Li Xianxian Appears!


    It was obvious that she was rejecting him. Besides, she was actually really scared, even though it did not show on her face. She was well aware that for people like Chu Tianjiao, if you reject him for any reason, he could very well kill you for that.


    This was a deterrence she felt from inside out. Chu Tianjiao was really like a live demon.


    When his lips curled even more acutely, and the smirk in his eyes grew more intense, Tang Xia knew that this was the sign that he was going to erupt. At this exact moment, a voice came from the back. It could not be more familiar to Tang Xia.


    ¡°May I have the honor to dance with His Royal Highness?¡±


    Tang Xia instantly froze on the spot. She turned and looked towards the person, and realized that it was indeed the one she was thinking of!


    It turned out to be Li Xianxian!


    Li Xuanxuan smirked at Tang Xia. Her gaze was filled with scorn.


    ¡°So what if you wore the most elegant gown? You still could not conquer the male population as well as I can. Hence, the winner of this game will definitely be me!¡±


    A trace of surprise flashed across Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes when he saw Li Xianxian, but it was gone after a while. A mild sinister smirk hung on his lips, as he slowly got up and walked towards her.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s heart was instantly filled with joy. She knew that, no matter what kind of a man was standing in front of her, they would not be able to resist a well-behaved and beautiful woman.


    Hence, as long as she treated them a little better, all men would definitely bow to her charms, eventually.


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia and laughed sarcastically. Tang Xia was a woman who did not know how to make use of her charms, nor did she know how to go with the flow.


    Here, in this Garden of Eden, Tang Xia would definitely not survive. Li Xianxian believed that the final winner would be her.


    Just when Li Xianxian thought that Chu Tianjiao would surely invite her to a dance, Chu Tianjiao suddenly stopped in front of her. Li Xianxian looked at him in confusion, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Royal Highness?¡±


    When she looked at him from a closer distance, she realized that this man had an inexplicable fatal force, which made him very attractive to women.


    He was like an opium-poppy, his beauty was beyond words. She had to admit that this man was even more deadly than Ye Yifan.


    However, Chu Tianjiao suddenly stopped just one centimeter away from her face. She could feel his breath blowing onto her face. After keeping quiet for a while, he lifted his hand and caressed her cheeks.


    Speaking in a highly seductive voice, he said, ¡°Although you¡¯re pretty¡­¡±


    Li Xianxian was surprised. He was actually complimenting her! A joyous expression spread across her face instantly. However, he continued with the rest of his sentence. ¡°But I met someone even more beautiful than you, today.¡±


    After which, he released Li Xianxian, and turned around to look at Tang Xia.


    Li Xianxian stood there for a long while, as her brain refused to process what had just happened. She did not expect him to reject her outright! She had always been a girl who received so much attention all these years, when was she ever treated like this?


    She threw a deadly glare towards Tang Xia. What did he mean by someone more beautiful than her? What a joke! She was the prettiest! How could she be looked down by an NPC? How could it be? She was so mad that she soon became breathless.


    Standing where she was, it was the first time that Tang Xia felt that Chu Tianjiao was quite cute. Only a demon would be able to hurt other peoples¡¯ feelings, in this kind of situation.


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia. Although Tang Xia did not have any expression on her face, she knew very clearly, that she must be laughing at her, silently!


    She would not accept defeat in this battle, between Tang Xia and herself! She threw Tang Xia a deadly stare and stomped away.


    Tang Xia really wanted to laugh out loud in her face, but when she remembered that the devil Chu Tianjiao was still by her side, she had no choice, but to face him.


    Chu Tianjiao looked at Tang Xia, and walked towards her slowly. This time round, she no longer avoided or stepped back. She stared back at him, and her gaze was filled with silence. Chu Tianjiao raised his brow. Was this woman finally getting it?


    ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao seemed to be trying his best to make himself appear more normal. There was no weird expression on his face. Since Tang Xia had already cooperated, he would not show her any more bad expressions.


    Tang Xia frowned, after listening to what he said. She actually wanted to reject his request, but she knew very well that it would not be possible.


    No matter what, she had to have this dance today. Just like forcing her to put on this gown, he could get other people to grab hold of her and force her to dance with him.


    At the end of the day, there was only one rule. In this place, no one could go against him.


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s slightly hesitant expression, Chu Tianjiao felt a little angry and frowned. He was obviously annoyed. He turned and leaned towards her ear.


    ¡°Otherwise, I will force you to dance with me, like how I forced you to wear the gown. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. She started to break out in a cold sweat. Indeed, it was exactly what she thought. If she did not follow his orders, he would do it by all means.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tianjiao and remained silent for a while. Chu Tianjiao looked back at Tang Xia. She changed from being hesitant earlier on, to have a little fear, before she finally settled into having the calm look she had now. All this while, her eyes revealed an endless cold gaze.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll dance.¡±


    Chu Tianjiao was surprised. He then had a sudden realization, that she was indeed the woman that he had been searching for, for such a long time. Truly, she did not disappoint him.


    Chu Tianjiao laughed softly and stretched out his hand, as an invitation. Tang Xia placed her hand into his, and at that moment, the whole auditorium seemed to quieten down.


    Everyone focused on Tang Xia and Chu Tianjiao on the stage, and ignored the bunch of crazy women below the stage. The music started playing. Bit by bit, the sounds of the cello slowly filled the auditorium.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart was thumping loudly. One step, two steps, every step she took, she came closer to Chu Tianjiao. Everything seemed to be so perfect. There was a term called ¡®a match made in heaven¡¯. The image of the two of them together, was probably like that.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. She looked up at Chu Tianjiao, and for an instant, she saw that his eyes seemed to be red, and he looked just like a devil. She was so scared that she wanted to push him away. But luckily, she retained her wits. She silently watched Chu Tianjiao, as he danced. It was really best for her to stay as far away from this man as she could.


    Suddenly, Chu Tianjiao came closer and whispered. ¡°This is just the beginning.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and looked at him in shock. What was this gorgeous pervert saying?! For some reason, his sentence made her panic, as if it was a system reminder saying that the game had just started.


    The dance came to an end, as the music stopped.


    Tang Xia pushed Chu Tianjiao away forcefully, and fled if she was escaping from the gates of hell.


    Chu Tianjiao looked at her reaction, and suddenly smiled. This would only make the game more interesting. After which, he turned and left.


    Tang Xia did not know how far she ran. She was so worn out that she had to lean against a table, to catch her breath. Chu Tianjiao was giving her so much pressure.


    Just as she was resting, she suddenly caught sight of a small girl, eating by the dance floor. She walked towards her and striked up a conversation.


    She did not know the rules of the game at all. Besides, the system had yet to give any mission. Until now, she could only rely on herself to gather any information. Hence, she could only do so, by asking more questions. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    The girl was startled. She turned around and looked at Tang Xia. ¡°Your gown is so beautiful!¡±


    As she spoke, she put down the items in her hand, skipped over to Tang Xia¡¯s side and caressed the fine diamonds on her gown.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes a little. ¡°Haha, really? Is it beautiful? ¡± It was indeed quite beautiful. But she did not like it at all, since it was a gift from the pervert.


    ¡°Really? Haha.¡±


    Tang Xia did not want to talk about the gown. Just as she was about to change the topic, the little girl suddenly looked at her and said, ¡°My name is Zhu Yuanyu, you can call me Pearl.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised. She felt that this girl was quite cute. She then asked, ¡°Do you know what place is this?¡±


    The girl went silent for a while, before she looked up to her and said, ¡°This place is called the Garden of Eden, but¡­¡±


    Pearl suddenly leaned closer to her and said softly, ¡°Chu Tianjiao is a pervert, he keeps a collection of beautiful women, just so that he can lock them up and have them fight it out with each other.¡±


    Tang Xia stared at Pearl in shock. Indeed, she did not expect her to be so forthright. After all, she could see for herself very clearly, that Chu Tianjiao was a pervert.


    But¡­she finally understood why he was doing all these things. Why he would single her out, make her wear the gown and only invite her to dance.


    It was very obvious that he was pushing her to the frontline, to make everyone go against her, to start this disgusting war. This was indeed the Garden of Eden, the sick desire of a pervert was really incomprehensible.


    After staying silent for a while, Tang Xia asked in confusion, ¡°Then have you never thought of running away?¡±


    Pearl also stayed silent. She walked towards her and grabbed her hand before walking to the window slowly. She opened the curtains, and they were greeted by the view of the sea and ¡­


    ¡°This castle is located on the edge of a cliff. We can¡¯t escape at all. There¡¯s nowhere to escape to.¡±


    This was such a well-designed plan. Everything was related and fitted perfectly. There was not even a single bug. Tang Xia had no choice, but to rub the space between her brows that was giving her a headache. What was she going to do now? There was not even a place that she could escape to.


    At this moment, Li Xianxian suddenly walked over to her. Tang Xia looked at her and smiled slowly. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t face enough rejection?¡±


    Li Xianxian threw her a harsh glare. She walked steadily towards Tang Xia, one step at a time. She lifted Tang Xia¡¯s chin. ¡°I will eventually let you know what is called having a taste of your own medicine. Just wait.¡±


    Tang Xia was silent. Did she really understand what that meant?


    ¡°This war had already begun. You and I can¡¯t escape.¡±


    A hint of starlight sparkled in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, suggesting that she firmly believed that everything will end in the way she thought it would.


    Li Xianxian scoffed, ¡°The mission has not been given yet and you¡¯re already thinking of escaping?¡±


    Ignoring Tang Xia¡¯s gaze, Li Xianxian felt a little guilty. At this moment, a line of words appeared in front of them.


    ¡®He who remains, is King¡¯

 Chapter 197 - Game Room No.1

    Chapter 197 Game Room No.1


    Both of them were taken aback by the line of words that suddenly appeared. Tang Xia turned to look at her. ¡°Does this girl know how to predict the future? Why is it that whatever she says always comes true?¡±


    However¡­¡¯He who remains is King¡¯, these five words were already very obvious. Whatever that was going to happen in this Garden of Eden, would definitely not be simple. She had a feeling that there was going to be a bloody fight out here.


    Li Xianxian looked up at Tang Xia, lifted up her head and beaming with confidence and said, ¡°Just wait and see! The winner will definitely be me!¡±


    Her gaze was full of sarcasm, as if she was saying that Tang Xia was over-estimating herself.


    Indeed, Li Xianxian had been doing live streaming in the broadcast room for so long, and she had been thriving in the company for so long, as well. Tang Xia was just an insignificant newbie streamer. How could she take away Li Xianxian¡¯s spotlight! She really over-estimated herself, this time.


    Li Xianxian threw her a harsh glare, turned around and left without looking back.


    Tang Xia stared at her back view silently, as Li Xianxian walked away. If you set your eyes above the limit, you would fall into pieces one day.


    This was a battle between Li Xianxian and herself. And in this battle, not only was it a battle of glory between Li Xianxian and herself, there was also Ye Yifan¡­


    Thinking about Ye Yifan, Tang Xia clenched her fists. She looked up suddenly, and her eyes glowed brightly, confirming her determination.


    ¡°I must win.¡±


    Thinking about what Pearl said, Tang Xia suddenly turned to look at her.


    Pearl watched Li Xianxian, who was as beautiful as a fairy, leaving. She then saw how serious Tang Xia was. Looking into her eyes, Pearl froze instantly. She was so scared that she did not even dare to breathe too loudly.


    ¡°Would this woman dressed in such a beautiful gown, pull her down too, because she had a quarrel with the fairy-like sister?¡± Just when Pearl was staring at Tang Xia in alarm, she saw Tang Xia frowning, as if she had just thought of something, suddenly.


    Assuming that not everyone was taken in by Chu Tianjiao¡¯s jaw dropping beauty, then, surely there must be someone else who had been forcefully dragged here by him, just like Tang Xia. She must also be disgusted with him.


    In that case, there was a possibility that some people also wanted to escape from this place. But why did it seem like everyone here was very obedient, and none of them seemed to want to leave this place?


    She turned around and looked at Pearl, and with furrowed brows, asked her, ¡°Isn¡¯t there any one else here who wants to escape?¡±


    Hearing what Tang Xia wanted to say after holding it in for so long, Pearl instantly heaved a huge sigh of relief. She gasped for air, desperately. Tang Xia¡¯s earlier facial expression had been so scary, she thought that something was wrong. She turned towards Tang Xia and sighed before saying, ¡°Of course, there are people who have tried to escape.¡±


    Seeing how depressed Pearl looked, Tang Xia asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened in the end?¡±


    Feeling a little helpless, Pearl looked at the sea outside the window. The ocean waves dashed strongly against the rock wall. The whole castle stood on a stone cliff, and it looked very dangerous, as if the whole castle could just fall and collapse, during a storm.


    ¡°Yes, many people have tried to escape.¡±


    Pearl turned to look at Tang Xia with a serious look. ¡°But once they fail in their escape, they will be fed with a medicine.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. Medicine?


    ¡°What kind of medicine?¡±


    Pearl hesitated for a while, and did not know if she should tell her this. But after thinking about it, since Tang Xia was asking her all these questions, it meant that she also harbored ideas of escaping from the Garden of Eden.


    Although she only met Tang Xia once, she still did not dare to let her jump into the dangerous pit. After staying silent for a moment, she told her eventually, ¡°A medicine that will make them become like those maids!¡±


    It felt so refreshing to let it all out all at once! Pearl then tried to pace her breath. Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. The maids that Pearl mentioned, should be the same maids that brought her food and dressed her!


    They were like a bunch of emotionless robots, who cared about nothing. There were no sarcasm or pity in their eyes. It seemed like their souls had been completely sucked away.


    Thinking about what those maids were like, it was no wonder that they looked as if they were being system-operated. Tang Xia started to feel scared.


    No matter how hard she thought, she would never be able to think that this bunch of people became like this, because of their failure to escape. Tang Xia then asked Pearl softly, ¡°Then are there are people who have managed to successfully escape?¡±


    Pearl was startled, but she quickly reacted. Tang Xia still did not give up on this idea, even after listening to what she said! Pearl was suddenly very worried and pulled Tang Xia¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯t you even think about it!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Pearl speechlessly, but she was also very grateful toward her. After all, they had just met, and she was already thinking about her safety, to this extent.


    In this Garden of Eden, a world that was filled with demons, it was so rare to find a stranger like Pearl, who was so kind and so worried for her.


    Looking at the crazy women around her, who were acting like wolves and tigers, Tang Xia suddenly felt that Pearl was like a little sheep, that had accidentally strayed into this den of wild beasts.


    Tang Xia suddenly smiled and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    Even if she wanted to escape, she would not tell her. Tang Xia was not dumb; how could she tell a girl whom she barely knew, about something that might endanger her life? How could she admit to it, so simply?


    Tang Xia then watched Pearl seemingly heave a sigh of relief. She then patted her chest, as if her worried heart was now at peace. Seriously, how could she cause someone¡¯s death, because of something she said? If that was the case, she would live with the guilt for a long while.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at her, and suddenly also felt happy herself, for some reason.


    Pearl took a huge gulp of fruit juice and looked at Tang Xia, as she spoke softly, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have much details, I haven¡¯t been here for very long.¡±


    Suddenly, she mysteriously leaned closer towards Tang Xia and said softly, ¡°But¡­I did hear of someone who managed to escape successfully. But until now, no one has ever told us if that person managed to escape or not.¡±


    Indeed. This kind of situation was nearly impossible to confirm. After all, the person was already missing. Did she manage to escape? Was she caught and brought somewhere else? Or was she¡­dead? There was no way and impossible to find proof for such things.


    When Tang Xia opened her eyes on the second day, she felt a glaring light shining straight into her eyes. She felt that it was too bright, and feeling a little dizzy, she blocked it out with her hand.


    She then saw through the gap between her fingers, a maid laying out a meal for her. Tang Xia also noticed that there was a tablet next to the meal.


    After the maid finished setting the table, she lowered her head and looked at Tang Xia. ¡°Take note of the information in the tablet.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. She did not expect that the maid could talk. She thought that the maids were all drugged, and were only able to receive and carry out orders. She did not think that they could talk. However, their speech was very stiff, when they spoke.


    After the maid finished giving her the instructions, she went out and locked the room again. Tang Xia remained silent for a while. She looked at the tablet on the floor. She had asked her to take note of the information that popped out on the tablet?


    Why must she listen to her? She walked over and threw the tablet aside. She picked up the meal and started eating. She had to eat. Otherwise, where would she get the energy to survive in here?


    After taking in two mouthfuls, two messages suddenly popped up on the tablet.


    Tang Xia was startled. Just as she was still hesitating whether or not to swallow her food, she found her legs moving on their own accord. She put down the bowl, walked over to the corner and picked up the tablet.


    The message on the screen wrote: Li Xianxian, Tang Xia, Zhu Yuanyu¡­all 8 of you to report to Game Room No. 1.


    Tang Xia was confused. What game? Why was this a game again? She then continued to look at the message carefully. Suddenly she became silent and threw the tablet to the corner again. Who cares about the game? She had to eat now. All things would only be possible if she was full!


    Just as she was about to finish her food, the door opened suddenly. Tang Xia was startled. A maid came in and frowned instantly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dressed yet?¡±


    Tang Xia was a little furious as well. She looked up and frowned at the maid. Why? Was this a changing game?


    Why was it that ever since she entered this world, all she did was get changed and prepare to change? She was already very displeased about this.


    Especially when she was forced to change into that gown on stage, in front of an audience. She felt like she was being raped and played for a fool.


    The maid saw that Tang Xia did not respond and charged towards her immediately.


    ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s not enough time anyway.¡±


    The maid rushed forward, grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s elbows and pulled her away forcefully. Tang Xia was still dumbfounded, and had yet to register what was going on. The bowl and chopsticks in her hands were flung onto the floor, when she let go of her hands.


    These people were really brutal. This strength did not seem like it was gained from taking the medicine, but they were probably born with it!


    When Tang Xia finally realized what was going on, she found herself thrown roughly into a room.


    When she looked up, she then realized that the maid had thrown her directly before Chu Tianjiao. He was sitting in the middle of the room.


    Girls sat on both sides, in an orderly and organized manner. Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on Tang Xia, and she suddenly felt very embarrassed, and scratched her head.


    Li Xianxian looked at the current state that Tang Xia was in, and immediately said in a teasing and sarcastic tone, ¡°What are you wearing?¡±


    Tang Xia then realized that all the girls were wearing what each of them thought to be the most appealing attire. She then looked at what she was wearing. She was still in her pajamas. But so what?


    The pajamas were not exposing her skin, not even her elbows. There was only one man in the Garden of Eden, and that was Chu Tianjiao. Why did she need to dress up so nicely? For the other girls to see? She was not a lesbian.


    If Ye Yifan was here, she would happily wear the most beautiful gown, without needing to be told to!


    Tang Xia remained silent and looked at Li Xianxian, who was continuously rolling her eyes at her. Tang Xia could not help but laugh.

 Chapter 198 - The Kings Game

    Chapter 198 The King¡¯s Game


    ¡°What a joke! Why was Li Xianxian being so proactive now?¡± She had never this proactive, even when Ye Yifan was around.


    Tang Xia smoothed out the edges of her clothes, and searched for an empty seat, before she sat down clumsily. For comfort¡¯s sake, she even crossed her legs.


    Chu Tianjiao looked at Tang Xia, who had taken her seat, and at Li Xianxian, who kept on mocking her. His gaze kept flickering back and forth between the two, and he looked at them with great interest.


    He stood up slowly and as he looked at them, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s play the King¡¯s Game.¡±


    As he spoke, even before he finished his sentence, a maid came forward and started distributing out cards, without giving any explanation.


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She did not even have the chance to object. Although she knew that it would be of no avail, it would be good if she was allowed to express her feelings. He did not even give her a chance to express how she felt about it.


    She looked at Chu Tianjiao. Indeed, this man was very self-centered. It would not be a good idea to make this man angry.


    After the maid finished distributing the cards, Tang Xia was not in a rush to look at the cards. She silently scanned the expressions of those around her. If she wanted to win, she must find any available loopholes, and she hoped to catch this through their facial expressions.


    All of a sudden, Li Xianxian jumped up violently, and waved the card in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m King! I¡¯m King!¡±


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. This was a loophole. No, it should be a given answer.


    Tang Xia looked around at the others, but there were no changes in their expressions. They were just waiting for Li Xianxian to continue, since the King was in charge of giving instructions.


    Just when everyone was waiting for Li Xianxian, she lifted the hem of her luxurious dress and walked slowly towards Chu Tianjiao. Tang Xia and Chu Tianjiao were both shocked. They had no inkling of what she was trying to do.


    Li Xianxian then stretched out her hand suddenly, and pulled Chu Tianjiao¡¯s tie. She looked at him flirtatiously, her eyes seemingly filled with ecstasy, and said, ¡°You will be mine, sooner or later!¡±


    Tang Xia could not restrain herself and snorted with laughter.


    Li Xianxian became angry instantly, but did not let it show on her face. After all, she was trying to seduce Chu Tianjiao.


    She looked at Chu Tianjiao¡¯s smooth skin. It was so pale and tender, as if it had been soaked in milk. His big eyes were as charming and alluring as that of the devil, and the corners of his lips curled up so seductively.


    Actually, Li Xianxian felt his good looks were comparable with Ye Yifan¡¯s. If this was not a game, Chu Tianjiao was actually quite acceptable.


    Pearl did not know what kind of a reaction was expected, as she stared at both of them. Tang Xia took the opportunity to glance at their cards, and instantly fell silent. She did not even utter any sarcastic remarks.


    At this moment, Chu Tianjiao smirked in a sinister manner, and raised his hand to grab hold of Li Xianxian¡¯s hand. Li Xianxian was shocked. She did not think that he would be so dominant.


    Chu Tianjiao slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He then looked up and smiled, ¡°Yes, my Queen.¡±


    Li Xianxian was immediately overjoyed. For some reason, her heart was moved.


    Tang Xia and Pearl could not take it anymore, and rolled their eyes. They did not know what sort of a facial expression was expected of them, at this point in time.


    Apart from them, there were some others who felt a little disgusted. After all, not everyone liked Chu Tianjiao. These were the people who had made plans to escape. They may not show any signs outwardly, but when they did, it would an all out attempt.


    There were also a bunch of people who looked as if they could die from all the excitement. Tang Xia really did not understand what was the attraction for this beautiful pervert, who loved watching girls fight among themselves.


    Tang Xia watched them silently, and thought about her card. She was number five and for some reason, she felt it was not a good card, but there was nothing she could do, for now.


    Li Xianxian turned around and looked at Tang Xia. She suddenly gave a sinister smile and said, ¡°Number three and number six, meow like a cat.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent. Li Xianxian was trying to sieve her out! However, Tang Xia was not so unfortunate this time around. Tang Xia had never seen the other two girls, whose cards had been picked. The two of them looked at each other, and then obediently meowed like cats.


    Listening to them meowing away, even Tang Xia found it a little uncomfortable.


    Li Xianxian discovered that it was not Chu Tianjiao and Tang Xia¡¯s cards, and was instantly a little annoyed. She felt as if she had wasted her chance. She could only continue trying, one by one.


    Tang Xia suddenly smiled and looked at Li Xianxian, as if she was trying to provoke her.


    Li Xianxian was so angry that she scoffed. ¡°Tang Xia, if I don¡¯t make your life difficult today, I¡¯m not Li Xianxian! ¡±


    Tang Xia seemed to be able to decode the intensity of Li Xianxian¡¯s gaze. After all, who would fail to understand the meaning in her gaze? No matter how much you looked into it, it was something unpleasant.


    Tang Xia also raised her brows. ¡°If you¡¯re not Li Xianxian, then what are you? Even if you want to be a pig, it will not be that easy.¡±


    Li Xianxian slammed the table violently. After a few rounds, she still had not called out the numbers for Tang Xia, Chu Tianjiao and herself. Li Xianxian felt that this was impossible. How could the chances be so low? Was it because of her luck?


    She had already tried everything else, and now, there were only those three left. She turned around and looked at Chu Tianjiao, confidently. ¡°This time around, I must make you surrender to me!¡±


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao, you¡¯re just a game after all.¡± She did not gain her fame as the Number One Female Streamer after so many years, by doing nothing. What kind of male character had she not conquered before?


    ¡°Number one and number five, kiss for one minute!¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She looked up at Li Xianxian, who was looking at Chu Tianjiao, at the moment. Li Xianxian could not help feeling happy. ¡°Chu Tianjiao, no matter what, I believe you¡¯ll fall for me after you witness my beauty!¡±


    Noticing Tang Xia¡¯s gaze of bewilderment, Li Xianxian¡¯s smile grew even wider. Was she finally anxious? Haha, too late! Chu Tianjiao was hers! Besides, the eventual winner of this game could only be her!


    Tang Xia slammed the table and stood up. She looked at Li Xianxian and shouted, ¡°Li Xianxian! Are you picking on me on purpose?¡±


    Li Xianxian was dumbfounded. Picking on her? Seeing how agitated Tang Xia was, she did not know what just happened, but she must not lose her cool, no matter what! She placed her hands on her hip, lifted her head and looked at Tang Xia, ¡°How am I picking on you?!¡±


    Tang Xia was so mad that her chest heaved violently. She had never been so angry, even when facing Song Sisi. She was not even as mad as she was, at this instant. How could Li Xianxia be more irritating than Song Sisi?


    Song Sisi was clearly a bad person, but Li Xianxian was bad because she liked playing tricks!


    Li Xianxian saw how angry Tang Xia was, and was confused. What was going on exactly? She could swear that she had not done anything.


    With a loud ¡®piak¡¯, Tang Xia slammed a card in front of Li Xianxian. There was a big number five on the card. Li Xianxian was instantly stunned. She turned to look at Chu Tianjiao. Perhaps¡­did Chu Tianjiao lie to her earlier?


    ¡°No way! I saw the bottom card just now, and it was number five!¡±


    Tang Xia also did not expect it. But judging from Li Xianxian¡¯s expression, she was probably not lying. Then, the problem must be with Chu Tianjiao¡¯s side.


    But thinking about what Li Xianxian did, just to seduce Chu Tianjiao and now becoming the main female character, she was on the verge of throwing Li Xianxian out. ¡°Does this person have brains? How could she be so dumb?¡±


    Li Xianxian was regretting it. She should have thought of it. How could the games¡¯ Big Boss fall into her trap so easily?


    Now, she had to face the consequences. She had tried to harm others but she herself suffered instead. She tried so hard to win, but ended up losing even more. She became increasingly jealous as she looked at Tang Xia. If Chu Tianjiao ended up liking Tang Xia, what was she going to do?


    After Li Xianxian finished speaking, Chu Tianjiao, who had been listening silently from the side, stood up suddenly, looked at her and said slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t seem that ladylike at all, right now¡­¡±


    Li Xianxian had been admonished and her face turned an ugly color. No matter how upset she was, she could not say anything. She could only continue glaring at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was also very angry. Seeing that Li Xianxian still had the audacity to glare at her, she instantly wanted to give her a kick. She really did not have a brain! Why was she sent here? She really wanted to stab her to death.


    ¡°I quit!¡±


    What a lousy game! She wanted to exit the live stream! Tang Xia flung her hands out, and looked at Li Xianxian, in disappointment. She then turned around, and tried to leave.


    But live streams were such that you could not just quit halfway. This was extremely unfavorable for the company, as it would affect its credibility, among other things.


    Tang Xia felt very helpless. Even her fingers were trembling. If she were to continue playing, her kiss with Chu Tianjiao would be broadcasted for the whole world to see. Thinking about it, she really wanted to kill Li Xianxian.


    If Ye Yifan were to see it¡­she would be so ashamed that she wanted to die!


    Li Xianxian must have done it on purpose!


    Tang Xia was so pissed off that she was mad at whoever was in her path. Pearl, who was at the side, really wanted to step forward to comfort her. But she dared not intervene at all, in this situation.


    Just when Tang Xia turned around and was about to leave, a loud bang came from behind her. Chu Tianjiao bumped into a few chairs, as he ran towards her at an alarming speed, and pressed her against a wall.


    Tang Xia was so surprised that she had yet to register what was going on. Chu Tianjiao looked at her with a sinister look, as he scrutinized her face at such a close distance.


    Li Xianxian and the rest of the crowd were all shocked by this sudden move.


    Li Xianxian really wanted to run forward and separate both of them. However, her remaining wisdom told her that she could not do so. If she were to do it, then she would definitely stand no chance in the future!


    When Tang Xia finally realized what was going on, she immediately started struggling and tried to push him away. However, he was really too strong.


    At this moment, Chu Tianjiao suddenly kissed her. Tang Xia was stunned and started struggling even more furiously. At this moment, the entire broadcast room was blowing up.


    ¡°How could he do that! What a pervert!¡±


    ¡°A despicable beast!¡±


    ¡°My Tangxia!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia felt so helpless that she started crying. What if Ye Yifan were to see this! Just when she was starting to feel utter despair, Chu Tianjiao suddenly let go of her. Tang Xia immediately took in big gulps of fresh air. She then looked up suddenly.


    Piak!


    Everyone was shocked. Tang Xia had slapped Chu Tianjiao!

 Chapter 199 - No.1 Hell Haidala

    Chapter 199 No.1 Hell Haidala


    All the girls looked at Tang Xia, their eyes wide open in shock. They had never expected Tang Xia to be so bold, and they were all amazed.


    But after a round of admiring gazes, all of them looked at her with pity. Tang Xia was not aware of anything. She was still trying to wipe her lips forcefully, with the back of her hand.


    Tang Xia felt that the tinge of Chu Tianjiao¡¯s smell that had been left on her lips, was extremely filthy.


    Just when everyone thought that Chu Tianjiao was going to flare up at Tang Xia, in the next second, he suddenly burst into laughter. And it was very loud laughter. It was so strange that Tang Xia and everyone else, were all confused.


    Tang Xia thought that she would probably get into trouble for slapping Chu Tianjiao, in front of everyone. For someone like Chu Tianjiao, he would probably not let her go so easily.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not scared!¡± Tang Xia shouted. It was to help her build up her courage. Even if she received any inhumane treatment later, she felt that being kissed by Chu Tianjiao was even more disgusting.


    ¡°Haha, you wouldn¡¯t say that later.¡± Chu Tianjiao looked at Tang Xia. Among those present, even for those who had not done anything wrong, they would be scared when they saw his expression. However, Tang Xia was not afraid of him at all. Chu Tianjiao really liked that. However, this did not mean that she could avoid the punishment of slapping him.


    Chu Tianjiao then clapped his hands, and instantly, a few ferocious maids appeared, prepared to carry out his orders.


    Tang Xia looked at these maids and thought that they were probably not going to hurt her, as they did not look lethal at all. She could totally win them over.


    However, reality proved that Chu Tianjiao would not let her go that easily. Chu Tianjiao spat out the following words, one by one, ¡°No.1 Hell.¡±


    Tang Xia did not know what No.1 Hell was. She turned to look at Pearl, who was beside her.


    However, Pearl¡¯s reaction was not as calm as Tang Xia¡¯s. She fell on her knees instantly. Her eyes were red and she looked very pitiful. ¡°Master, please pardon Tang Xia and myself.¡±


    Chu Tianjiao looked at Pearl, as if he was looking at trash. She was not worth pardoning at all. In Chu Tianjiao¡¯s mind, the word ¡®pardon¡¯ never existed.


    Tang Xia saw Chu Tianjiao¡¯s gaze and instantly felt nauseated. She wanted to pull the trembling Pearl up, but she would not stand up at all. She kept kneeling on the floor, and pleading for forgiveness.


    Chu Tianjiao gently moved his finger and pointed at Pearl. As if feeling his power, Pearl¡¯s body trembled in fear.


    The maids heard his order, quickly went forward and grabbed hold of Tang Xia and Pearl. Tang Xia really did not like being treated like that. She struggled for her life, after being detained.


    Chu Tianjiao saw his lovely Tang Xia struggling, and the corner of his lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Stop struggling already, it will not work.¡± He said the first half of the sentence to Tang Xia, and the second half to the maids, ¡°If she continues to struggle, give her a slap, then two, then four, until she has no more strength.¡±


    The maids nodded their heads. After hearing that, Tang Xia¡¯s heart tightened. It seemed that she was going to receive inhumane treatment, from now on.


    Tang Xia did not continue to struggle anymore. She did not want to get hit until she became dizzy. It would be very embarrassing in front of the audience.


    Those watching the live stream were also spitting in anger and scolding Chu Tianjiao. However, it was a pity that it would not help the situation at all.


    Tang Xia and Pearl were then detained by the maids. Chu Tianjiao said that they were to be sent to No.1 Hell, but Tang Xia did not know what kind of a place that was. Looking at Pearl¡¯s expression, it did not seem to be a good place at all.


    ¡°Pearl, what is No.1 Hell?¡± Tang Xia asked Pearl, who had already fallen to the ground.


    Pearl looked at Tang Xia with red rimmed eyes and said, ¡°It is the opposite of the Game Room, the Hell is used to punish girls who don¡¯t obey. After entering, even if you don¡¯t die, you would rather you did.¡±


    Pearl had seen too many people who had been sent to No.1 Hell by Chu Tianjiao, so she was naturally agitated. She was afraid that she would not even make it out alive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, we can face this together.¡± Tang Xia felt that she had nothing to say already. However, since she had not seen it before, she did not know how terrifying this thing was.


    Pearl could not find anything comforting to say, at all. There was only endless fear in her heart. She really wished that she did not have to go in, but everything had already been decided now.


    Seeing Pearl in such great fear, Tang Xia felt a little bad. She was the one who slapped Chu Tianjiao, but Pearl had been dragged in, to suffer the consequences with her.


    Very soon, Tang Xia and Pearl were forced to enter No.1 Hell. Tang Xia looked towards it. It was a red room. Both of them were pushed inside.


    Pearl¡¯s body was already very weak, and after being thrown in harshly, she felt an indescribable pain in her body and cried out in agony.


    Tang Xia stood up and walked towards her. Helping her up, she asked, ¡°Pearl, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine for now, but not later.¡± Right now, Pearl wanted to cry, but no tears came out. She curled up in a corner.


    Tang Xia sighed. Now she knew that No.1 Hell was just a red room, with nothing inside. Pearl, on the other hand, saw the short-haired girl in the corner, right away.


    ¡°She¡­she¡¯s there! She¡¯s the devil, the devil!¡± Pearl covered her face and started crying and shouting.


    Tang Xia wished Pearl would calm down, because she became even more anxious, when she heard this kind of screaming. However, Pearl was just too afraid, so she could only choose to forgive her.


    ¡°Okay, Pearl, stop screaming,¡± Tang Xia said a little assertively. However, Pearl would not listen at all. She kept on pointing to the woman in the corner.


    Tang Xia looked towards the direction she was pointing. Indeed, there was a woman there. However, because she was tucked away in a corner, it was too dark for Tang Xia to see what she looked like.


    ¡°Could she be a victim too?¡± Tang Xia thought to herself. On the other hand, Pearl kept on saying that the person was a devil.


    The brave Tang Xia walked directly toward the corner to get a better look at what that person was like. If she was a victim like them, she would get her to join them.


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts were too simple. The person was not a victim at all. She was, as what Pearl said, a devil.


    Those in the broadcast room were all dripping in cold sweat for her. They were really worried in case the devil did something harmful to her.


    The woman in the corner stood up slowly, and walked to a lighted area. That woman had well-developed muscles and her body was covered with scars. There was a nameplate in front of her chest and it stated: Haidala.


    Haidala was indeed the name of a devil. Tang Xia looked at her and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Haidala did not reply her directly. Instead, she walked towards Tang Xia and glared at her. Not only was Tang Xia not afraid, but she glared back at Haidala. She was not going to be so easily intimidated.


    ¡°Slag.¡± This was Haidala¡¯s first impression of Tang Xia, that she was just a slag.


    Upon hearing it, Tang Xia was furious but she held it in. Looking at Haidala and her body, she knew that she would not be able to defeat Haidala so easily.


    But if the hard approach did not work, she could still use the soft approach. Tang Xia said, ¡°Haidala¡­you¡¯re name is Haidala, right? I want to make a deal with you. Can you let me out?¡±


    On the other side of the room, Pearl chanted soullessly, ¡°Devil, Haidala, Devil, Haidala.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a slag, rubbish!¡± Haidala did not answer Tang Xia, and instead hurled vulgarities at her.


    No matter how good-tempered Tang Xia was, there was only so much she could take. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not a slag, nor am I a piece of rubbish. I just want to get out. Let me out, right now.¡±


    Tang Xia spoke sternly to Haidala. However, it was of no use at all. On the contrary, Haidala became even angrier. Perhaps she did not like being controlled or ordered around, at all.


    ¡°Defeat me!¡± Haidala told Tang Xia fiercely.


    Tang Xia thought that as long as she could defeat Haidala, she would be free to go. That was really the question of the century. She was so slim and small-sized, a big contrast to Haidala¡¯s body. It was impossible for her to defeat Haidala.


    ¡°Let me go, if you let me go, I can then let you go.¡± When it came to using brute force, Tang Xia knew that she was at a disadvantage, so why not try to make a deal with her. Seeing the scars on her body, she must have been in a lot of pain, too.


    ¡°Pearl, get up, don¡¯t lie on the floor.¡± Tang Xia saw that Haidala did not answer, so she definitely was not agreeable to let her go.


    Tang Xia might not be able to defeat Haidala on her own, but she could drag Pearl along to try. What if Haidala¡¯s muscles were fake? Otherwise, why were there so many scars on her body? Was there anyone else that could defeat her?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m doomed for sure, I can¡¯t defeat her. She will beat me to death. I¡¯m doomed.¡± Pearl¡¯s world was filled with pessimistic thoughts. Tang Xia could not rely on her at all.


    Tang Xia also tried to look for Haidala¡¯s vulnerable spot. She still needed to try at least. However, it did not bother her at all. It caused her no harm.


    On the contrary, Haidala strangled Tang Xia¡¯s neck at once and pressed her against the floor. She was angry at her and also scornful. ¡°Let you go? Do you know how these scars on my body came about? Don¡¯t ever dream of making me let you go. I will make your life more terrible than mine!¡±


    Tang Xia screamed in pain. Hearing Haidala¡¯s words, her hairs stood up on her arms. However, she was being held by Haidala and could not break free from her at all. Haidala was really too strong. Even a few men might not be enough to fight her.

 Chapter 200 - Plead for Pardon

    Chapter 200 Plead for Pardon


    Pearl saw Tang Xia being manhandled and felt very bad for her. She pleaded to Haidala, ¡°Haidala, is it enough if we admit defeat? We admit defeat!¡±


    Tang Xia was running out of breath, yet she kept on struggling. She pressed her nails against Haidala¡¯s hands and even kicked out at her, continuously.


    But it was as Tang Xia had not touched her at all. Haidala did not even budge an inch. She seemed relaxed.


    As for Pearl¡¯s pleas for pardon, Haidala only felt annoyed. She slammed Tang Xia hard against the floor, without showing any mercy.


    When Tang Xia fell onto the floor, she felt her whole body aching all over. However, Haidal had released the hold on her throat, and she took in deep breaths. She had been throttled for so long, that there were even tears in her eyes.


    However, Tang Xia would not admit defeat yet. She tried her best to withstand the pain, as she stood up again. However, it was nearly impossible for her to stand up.


    Haidala also did not let Tang Xia go as easily as that. She picked up her mace and charged towards Tang Xia and Pearl. As she swung her mace, a blood-thirsty light glowed from her eyes.


    It was as if these were all games customized by Haidala, and it was up to her to define the rules of play. They were played as horribly as they could get.


    After Pearl saw the mace, she curled up and hid behind Tang Xia¡¯s back. Tang Xia, on the other hand, pursed her lips and looked at Haidala fearlessly. Even if she were to die, she would not die in a cowardly manner.


    Outside of this tragic No.1 Hell, Chu Tianjiao was watching Tang Xi, through a video, together with Li Xianxian. He had so much fun watching Tang Xia¡¯s ferocious gaze, even when she was at a disadvantage.


    ¡°See! Tang Xia is so scared that she¡¯s already flustered! But she¡¯s so beautiful, haha!¡± Chu Tianjiao laughed as he said this. Currently, there was no hint of color on Tang Xia¡¯s face. Chu Tianjiao did not understand why Tang Xia would not admit defeat, when Pearl already did.


    Li Xianxian said to him, ¡°Tang Xia has always been such a coward. She¡¯s only pretending to be strong in front of you. And she¡¯s always acting. Up till now, she¡¯s still unwilling to show you her cowardly side. Don¡¯t be fooled by her acting.¡±


    Her intention was to talk bad about Tang Xia, and ruin her image in his heart.


    Chu Tianjiao glanced at Li Xianxian, who was leaning against him. She was indeed a beautiful woman, but he would never be interested in her. In fact, he was even a little disgusted by her.


    ¡°Then what kind of a person do you think Tang Xia is?¡± He really wanted to know how much Li Xianxian would badmouth Tang Xia.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know this. Tang Xia is just evil. That¡¯s all I can say about her. She¡¯s indeed beautiful, but she keeps using her beauty as a tool, in exchange for others¡¯ hearts.¡± Li Xianxian did not even blink, when she told these lies.


    Li Xianxian did not even know what kind of a person Tang Xia was yet, she went all out to defame her. She was a malicious person, for sure.


    After saying all these, not only did she not gain the admiration of Chu Tianjiao, but he even pushed her away violently.


    Li Xianxian lost her balance and fell to the ground immediately. In order not to ruin her image, she stood up instantly, but still felt a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Tianjiao¡­¡± Li Xianxian saw Chu Tianjiao walking towards No.1 Hell, and quickly followed along. No matter how often she called out his name, he would not turn back to look at her.


    She chased him all the way until No.1 Hell, where Tang Xia and Pearl were still being tortured inside. Haidala had already raised her mace and was going to hit Tang Xia and Pearl, with it.


    In that instant, the doors to No.1 Hell opened. Chu Tianjiao walked in and looked at Haidala, Tang Xia and Pearl. Indeed, Tang Xia looked very beautiful.


    Chu Tianjiao felt that she would be even more beautiful if her fear was increased. It was a pity that he did not get to see her beautiful side.


    ¡°How was the experience in No.1 Hell, was it fun?¡± Chu Tianjiao had a sinister look on his face, as he stooped and looked at Tang Xia and Pearl.


    Tang Xia glared at him intensely. The real devil was not Haidala. It was Chu Tianjiao.


    There was a trace of blood at the corner Tang Xia¡¯s mouth. She put on a tough front and said, ¡°Thanks to you, it was indeed very fun.¡±


    Li Xianxian saw that Tang Xia was putting on an act, and did not understand why Chu Tianjiao wanted to come over at this moment. Otherwise, Haidala¡¯s mace would definitely have killed Tang Xia and Pearl. What a pity.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you really like to act tough. Don¡¯t you know the reason why I¡¯m here?¡± Chu Tianjiao looked a little frustrated, as he looked at her. How could Tang Xia not understand his intentions?


    Tang Xia really did not understand why he was there. It must not be for a good cause. ¡°How would I know why you¡¯re here? Perhaps you just want to see how terrible my death is going to be. Perverts like you, probably enjoy seeing such stuff.¡±


    Chu Tianjiao grabbed her by her hair. Tang Xia had to look up at him, because of the pain from the hair-pulling. Even though he was good-looking, he was really a devil.


    ¡°Exactly the opposite. I didn¡¯t come to watch you die. Will you plead for mercy? If you ask for mercy, I will consider letting you go,¡± Chu Tianjiao said to her harshly. His tone sounded very evil, but his facial expression was still incomparably elegant.


    Tang Xia looked at him and laughed hysterically. ¡°Chu Tianjiao, you want me to plead with you? Dream on! Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, what did you say?¡± Chu Tianjiao squinted his eyes. He did not quite understand her now. ¡°What did she want exactly? ¡±


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao, since you are deaf, I don¡¯t mind telling you one more time. I¡¯m asking you to get lost, get lost from here. I feel disgusted whenever I see you, is that enough?¡± Tang Xia did not try to sugarcoat her words at all. She even raised her volume.


    Chu Tianjiao did not expect Tang Xia to turn down the opportunity he had given her. It seemed like she really did not know how to be grateful.


    ¡°Alright, fine. This is what you said. Don¡¯t come crying to me, to beg me to let you go, because that will be just wishful thinking!¡± After saying that, Chu Tianjiao let go of her hair, and threw her forcibly against the wall.


    Although Tang Xia was in pain, she still clenched her lips tightly, to hold back her cry of pain. She finally let go when Chu Tianjiao and Li Xianxian left No.1 Hell. The smell of blood in her mouth, grew stronger.


    Tang Xia knew that her injuries were getting worse. She did not stand a chance now. She could only bear with Haidala¡¯s abuse.


    However, one thing she knew for sure was that she would not be beaten to death. She could tell from Chu Tianjiao¡¯s character, that he would not kill her.


    Tang Xue was right. Before leaving, he even ordered Haidala, ¡°Remember, you can hit her everywhere, except the face.¡±


    What was strange was that Tang Xia saw hatred in Haidala¡¯s eyes. It was hatred for Chu Tianjiao. But since it was hatred, why was she working for him? Tang Xia did not understand this.


    After Chu Tianjiao and Li Xianxian left, Haidala was free to do as she pleased. Of course, she was free to beat and torture the girls.


    Tang Xia looked at Haidala and repeated, ¡°Let us go. Otherwise, when I get out, I will definitely make your life difficult.¡±


    However, Haidala did not care about that at all, because Tang Xia probably would not be able to get out at all. Whether or not Tang Xia would have her revenge on Haidala, the result would still be the same. The wounds on Haidala¡¯s body would only increase indefinitely. Only Haidala herself knew the reason why.


    Seeing Haidala raising her mace at them again, Tang Xia knew that she could not hide anymore. There was no place to hide.


    No matter what, she was going to get hit. Tang Xia closed her eyes decisively. Perhaps, if she did not look at how Haidala hit her, she might feel lesser pain.


    When Tang Xia closed her eyes, indeed, she did not feel any more pain, not a single bit. When she opened her eyes again, it was already the next morning.


    Before she woke up, Tang Xia was still dreaming. She dreamt that Haidala did not let her go and the mace smashed into her face. Blood came out from her head. In fact, Tang Xia was already dead.


    This caused Tang Xia to wake up in cold sweat, and lost control of herself.


    A maid said to her, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Her tone was not very pleasant. There was even a sense of deep disdain in her eyes, when she looked at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia wanted to sit up, but the wounds on her body was so painful that she could not move at all.


    It took all her strength to sit up. She lifted up her blanket and found that her wounds had already been dressed. But based on the number of bandages, her injuries seemed very severe. There were too many wounds.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Tianjiao?¡± Tang Xia had to ask about that man. She now had every intention of avoiding this scary man.


    The maid looked at her with a scornful look. She thought that Tang Xia still wanted to please him, even after sustaining so many injuries, and hated her even more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. Just take care of yourself, don¡¯t always have these messy thoughts. Otherwise, it will be much worse than it is now,¡± the maid said to Tang Xia. She thought that Tang Xia was still ungrateful.


    After which, the maid threw a lunch box at her.


    Tang Xia opened it and saw that the dishes in the lunch box were not fresh. Also, they were starting to smell. It did not look like food meant for human consumption, at all.


    Looking at these, Tang Xia burned with rage, and her gaze was filled with hostility. She wanted to ask the maid if it was for her to eat, or meant for the animals.


    ¡°What sort of meal is this?¡± Tang Xia had just finished asking the question, when the maid left the room, as if she did not hear her at all.

 Chapter 201 - You Will Be The First One

    Chapter 201 You Will Be The First One


    Tang Xia was taken aback by the maid¡¯s arrogance. She watched the maid scurry away. She then looked back at the spoilt food and lost her appetite.


    She waited helplessly for a while, and realized that no one would be coming back. Her stomach kept growling, because she had gone without food for quite sometime already. When she could not take it anymore, she thought that taking a few bites should be fine.


    Hence, Tang Xia widened her eyes to the extent that her eyeballs nearly bulged out and took a deep breath. She tried to quell the nausea in her stomach and picked up her chopsticks slowly. She closed her eyes, and placed the food in her mouth.


    The food was tasteless and she almost swallowed it, without chewing. The strong stench of the foul-smelling food lingered in her mouth, and it was extremely disgusting.


    After swallowing a few bites, she suddenly wanted to vomit. She then pulled out a few pieces of tissue, quickly grabbed a long box and threw up.


    Shreds and bits of food dropped from her mouth to the floor, with strings of saliva still attached. She then used masses of tissue to wipe away the disgusting stuff.


    Her stomach was already empty, but after vomiting, her stomach felt even hollower. She instantly collapsed onto the floor, having no more energy left in her.


    Her lips turned white gradually and her head tilted to one side. Her arms fell naturally onto the floor. Her fingertips turned cold, and her legs were weak. She looked languid and pale.


    Tang Xia did not expect that tainted food could do so much harm to her body. If she had known sooner, she would not have eaten it, even if she were to die of hunger. How could that be possible? She would really collapse, if she continued to remain hungry.


    At this moment, the door opened with a loud bang. A woman wearing a bright red cheongsam came walking in. She moved her hips seductively, and there was even a sinister smile on her face. Tang Xia wondered who she was.


    She turned around and realized that it was Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia really wanted to ask her why she was here, at this moment. But when the words reached her lips, she did not have the energy to speak aloud. It remained as a thought and she could not express her true feelings.


    Li Xianxian walked towards her and found her helpless state very laughable. She stretched out a hand and pinched her cheek ruthlessly, at the same time scoffing at her, ¡°Are you dumb?¡±


    She was so dumb to even eat spoilt food, which of course, made other people think that she was a fool. But when one is experiencing extreme hunger, they would eat anything they could lay their hands on. Even if a live worm was in front of her, she would still grab it, with no hesistation.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s thumb and middle finger were digging into Tang Xia¡¯s cheekbone, creating a dent and ruining her beautiful face.


    Tang Xia hated the way she was being treated and kept turning her head to break free from her evil hand. But after a few attempts, she still could not break away. She had used up the last ounce of her energy.


    Facing Tang Xia¡¯s resistance, Li Xianxian, who did not put in much effort, needed to maintain her balance. Slowly, she started to lose her patience.


    Patience was not something anyone could have. It was an impossible trait for someone like Li Xianxian. She had no room for patience. Being arrogant and domineering were her true traits.


    Hence, she said directly, ¡°Let me tell you this, you better stay far away from Chu Tianjiao. Otherwise, you will suffer the consequences, if you dare to seduce my man. Are you tired of living? If there¡¯s a next time, I will let you taste what it¡¯s like to want to die.¡±


    Tang Xia did not listen to her blabbering at all. She did not have the heart to listen to her nonsense. At this moment, she was focused on combating hunger, which was the most critical issue.


    Li Xianxian had yet to vent her frustration completely. She continued, ¡°As for you, just stay put and do not try to break free. That will be of no use. It is better that you give up, in this place. Leaving earlier means getting freed earlier.¡±


    All these threatening words were meant to force the disadvantaged Tang Xia to give up. It was true she was now at a disadvantage, but that did not mean that she would continue to be like this. Today, she might have been humiliated. Tomorrow, she would definitely turn the situation around.


    After finishing what she wanted to say, Li Xuanxuan stood in front of Tang Xia, decisively. Of course, she released Tang Xia. Bullying a woman with no hands to fight back¡­what kind of capabilities did she have? She had taken advantage of Tang Xia¡¯s injuries to gain the upper hand.


    Their feud dated way back, did she think that it would end so peacefully? Of course not! From the moment when Li Xianxian stepped in, the atmosphere became tense.


    But Li Xianxian did not expect this, when she stood up. When Tang Xia was released, she could still feel the pinch in her cheek. She could not let herself suffer this evil treatment. Why should she be bullied by her, for no reason?


    Having no strength nor food was not important. What was important was her mindset and attitude. Tang Xia had the guts. If it was not because she had no energy to speak up, she would definitely have rendered Li Xianxian speechless.


    With all the hatred in her heart, she collected a mouthful of saliva, and spat at her with all strength. She could not help rolling her eyes, as she did this. What accompanied this eye roll was Li Xianxian¡¯s screech.


    Such a terrifying sound could have deafened Tang Xia. Her reaction, such a heart-wrenching high decibel screech, was a bit too much. No matter what, a bit of spit did not deserve such a reaction; It was as if she encountered a huge monster.


    Li Xianxian was really shocked to the core. When she saw that mouthful of spit, she stepped back frantically and recoiled in disgust. Her hands fluttered in the air above her head. She did not know what to do at all.


    ¡°How could you do that? You disgusting person!¡± Li Xianxian was angry, just by looking at Tang Xia. This woman spat beside her shoes!


    Tang Xia was not bothered about her accusation at all. The white spit disappeared slowly, leaving behind a small white spot. After a short while, it disappeared without a trace.


    Li Xianxian was so mad that she kept jumping around in her heels. She suddenly jumped in front of Tang Xia and kicked her harshly. The tip of her heel hit against Tang Xia¡¯s knees. It was so painful, but Tang Xia only gritted her teeth and pressed her lips tightly together.


    All of a sudden, Li Xianxian seemed to gain a sense of enjoyment by kicking her. She then intensified her revenge on the helpless Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was hungry, right? Li Xianxian aimed for her stomach. The point-tipped heel sprang into action again, and aimed straight for Tang Xia¡¯s stomach. The tip of her shoe almost poked into her stomach.


    When comparing a sturdy and hard matter to a soft body, they were really incomparable in terms of strength.


    Tang Xia immediately covered her stomach. After being kicked violently, together with the joint effect of hunger and pain, her mind started to lose focus. Her vision gradually became blurry. After a few seconds of struggling, she passed out from the overwhelming pain.


    Li Xianxian did not care about her. She scoffed, ¡°So that¡¯s all you¡¯re capable of.¡± Without caring if she was alive or dead, she walked away.


    In less than a minute, Chu Tianjiao came in. He already knew what had happened but he did not try to stop it. He liked it.


    Tang Xia was not conscious and she did not know what was happening. While still in a blurred state, she felt her body fall into a warm embrace, and hugged gently.


    This was not just anybody. It was Chu Tianjiao, whom Li Xianxian had told her to stay away from.


    Both of them would never be separated, because of Li Xianxian. Tang Xia was always in his thoughts, he just never said it aloud.


    When she woke up again, the instant she opened her eyes, she did not see that dark place anymore. Instead, she was in a very bright room.


    As her gaze moved across the room, Tang Xia realized that she was in an extremely luxurious room. The lights were from a chandelier. The window screen was made of silk and the beautifully-carved cabinet must be very valuable.


    Chu Tianjiao was sitting at the side of the bed, looking at her as her eyes wandered around. He started smiling, unknowingly. Although it was just a faint smile, it was enough to express the joy in his heart.


    Tang Xia naturally saw Chu Tianjiao sitting beside her. However, she did not say anything to him. When her hand touched the soft bed, she thought back to the time when she first arrived here, and how she slowly familiarized herself with this place.


    The image of the bed and those women who dressed up differently, came into mind, along with the initial image. She then felt very uncomfortable.


    The image of an indecent scene caused her to become embarrassed, as she subconsciously assumed that Chu Tianjiao must have slept with many women. She could not help but felt very disgusted.


    Chu Tianjiao did not say a word, but he seemed to be able to feel the change in her emotions.


    When she opened her eyes after she woke up, she was still in quite a good mood, as she could see a different view. However, right now, her face was blushing slightly and she was even frowning, as if she was worried. She pursed her lips tightly and did not want to say a word.


    Tang Xia stubbornly turned her head towards the opposite direction of Chu Tianjiao. She did not want to look at him. She liked the crystal-clear lake, the blue cloudless sky, and the breezy sea. She did not like them to be mixed with other things.


    But suddenly, Chu Tianjiao said in a stern tone, ¡°I¡¯ve not touched a single woman here.¡±


    His words expressed how much he wanted to be honest and open with her. It was not lacking a trace of worry as well. This was because this was indeed a serious problem, that had to do with their purity.


    Tang Xia glared at him. She was very surprised. She always felt that he could see through her. How did he know what she was thinking? But he did give her a clear answer.


    Tang Xia did not figure out his intentions, but there was no doubt that he understood hers. Perhaps, it was because he had dealt with countless women. That was why he could understand them so well.


    Just when Tang Xia started getting flustered, his expression turned sinister, all of a sudden. Because of this topic, he slowly started to have ideas about her. He suddenly leaned towards her and said, ¡°But very soon, you¡¯ll be the first one.¡±

 Chapter 202 - The Mysterious Man

    Chapter 202 The Mysterious Man


    ¡°Get your hands off me!¡±


    Tang Xia shouted in terror after noticing that Chu Tianjiao was coming closer and closer. She could never expect that he would force himself on her. She struggled to get away from him, with her body moving violently.


    But instead, the more she struggled, the more turned on he became. His eyes were darkened, and the smile on his face made him look even more evil.


    There is a great disparity in strength between men and women. Obviously, she could not get away from him, not even with all of her strength, not mention that she was wounded all over. She could do nothing but watch his body get closer and closer to her.


    At the very moment, there was a faint knock at the door. ¡°I¡¯m saved!¡± she rejoiced deep in her heart.


    Then a very thin figure showed up in front of the door. It was Li Xianxian.


    Usually, Tang Xia detested encountering her, but not now. Tang Xia thanked God for sending her in, even though she knew that she didn¡¯t come to rescue her.


    Looking at Chu Tianjiao and Tang Xia, Li Xianxian furrowed her brows. It was quite easy to notice the envy in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s so good about her? Why on earth is Chu Tianjiao so interested in her?¡± she wondered in her mind.


    From the way they were positioned and Tang Xia¡¯s messy clothes, it was not hard to work out what Chu Tianjiao was going to do to Tang Xia.


    Because Li Xianxian had intruded, Chu Tianjiao had to stop.


    Chu Tianjiao stood up unpleasantly. Seeing that Tang Xia breathed a sigh of relief, Chu Tianjiao gave her a black look.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock the door? Don¡¯t you see that my hands are tied?¡± Chu Tianjiao glared at Li Xianxian and said with an angry voice.


    He dressed himself up the moment he stood up. He even smoothed out the wrinkles on his fine clothes. It was really hard to imagine that this well-dressed man was the same brutal man.


    Li Xianxian changed her envious look into a sweet one and complained, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. I knocked on the door for quite a while. You didn¡¯t answer, that¡¯s why I came in without your permission.¡±


    Her voice was more sweet than harsh, anyone would be touched under such gentle intonation.


    Handsome and grim as Chu Tianjiao was, but still, he was moved by Li Xianxian and was not able to scold her.


    ¡°You promised me that you would keep me company. I have waited for you till now. It¡¯s been a long time,¡± said Li Xianxian with a charming tone and the intention of blaming him.


    It was not until then that Chu Tianjiao thought of it. There was an unhappy look on his face. Though he was reluctant, he left with Li Xianxian.


    Before Chu Tianjiao left, he took a deep look at Tang Xia. The obvious lust in his eyes made her nervous again.


    At the very moment, she noticed that they left without locking the door. She was thrilled.


    Tang Xia pretended to lower her head as if she was broken down. But deep in her heart was strong joy.


    Chu Tianjiao confirmed that there was nothing wrong with Tang Xia, so he left along with Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia waited for a while until there was no sound heard outside. She looked up. Though her face was still pale, she made up her mind that she would try every possible means to run away from this.


    From the look that Chu Tianjiao threw at her, she knew he would not spare her and surely would return to torture her.


    If so, she would not be so lucky as she had been this time to have Li Xianxian interrupt the torture.


    She could do nothing to stop whatever Chu Tianjiao wanted to do to her. At the thought of it, her body was surrounded by coldness as if she were in an icy cellar.


    Though it was just a short moment, she had tasted the terror of hell. Chu Tianjiao was like exactly a demon from hell with a handsome face.


    It was horrible to stay with such a temperamental man. She could not know when Chu Tianjiao would harass her again. She unconsciously bit her lips when she recalled what just happened a moment ago.


    No matter what it took, she had to run away before the bad moment would come. Tang Xia clenched her fists, making up her mind.


    Because of the struggling a moment ago, most of the bandages had come off. The wounds were nothing to her compared to what had just happened. So the bandages were a burden to her. Then she ripped all of them off.


    Tang Xia pulled herself out of bed cautiously, tiptoed to the door, and peered out.


    Though Chu Tianjiao forgot to lock the door, thus leaving Tang Xia a chance of running away, there was a maid watching over the outside of the door. So she couldn¡¯t be too cautious.


    If the maid found out and told others, she would definitely fail. So she had to take her down before anyone could find out.


    Tang Xia searched the whole house and finally, she found a vase. It was a little cumbersome, but it could be a useful weapon if it was well used. What¡¯s more, she had no better choice.


    Tang Xia picked up the vase carefully, took a deep breath, and walked cautiously to the door. She opened the door until she could barely squeeze through it. She was going to knock the maid down even before she could find her.


    However, no sooner had she opened the door than the maid realized her intention.


    ¡°You want to run away¡­¡± The maid stared at Tang Xia with big astonished eyes. Tang Xia had no other options, so she smashed the vase on the maid¡¯s head.


    It made a wound on the maid¡¯s head, and fresh blood started springing out. The blood kept running down her cheeks, thus turning her lovely face into a hideous one.


    She looked down at the maid with her hands trembling violently.


    However, the maid was still conscious because she relented the moment she smashed the vase. After all, she had no such experience and she had already plucked up all her courage.


    The maid pressed the wound on her head and was a little startled. Then she immediately reached out her hands and tried to grab Tang Xia like a mad person.


    ¡°Help, she is going to escape¡­¡± shouted the maid with an alarmed voice, which panicked and frightened Tang Xia. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she was caught.


    Panicked as she was, she smashed the vase on the maid again. This time, she pulled out all her strength consciously.


    Before Tang Xia realized it, the maid had passed out on the ground. Blood was all over Tang Xia.


    She didn¡¯t know whether the blood was the maid¡¯s or hers from her old wound. Tang Xia threw away the vase without any hesitation and rushed out into the hall.


    She was not sure if the maid¡¯s screaming had startled anyone. So she had to run away before anyone even noticed her. Then she might have a slight chance of surviving.


    Tang Xia dared not look back. She ran as quickly as a rocket. She was extremely nervous. If anything unexpected were to happen, she would have broken down immediately.


    Luckily, she did not come across anybody all along the way. After she finally got to the hall, she realized that there were cold tears all over her cheeks.


    The journey in this fictitious world was too hard for her. She could barely persist in staying here until its end.


    She needn¡¯t look into the mirror to know how awful she appeared, with blood and tears all over her, and messy hair caused by her running.


    But Tang Xia did not care about that, she had no time to deal with it. She immediately opened the window of the hall. The hall was situated right on the edge of the cliff. Beneath the window was the dark blue sea.


    Tang opened the window, and a gust of sea air rushed into the hall. She felt a sense of freedom from the sea breeze.


    Tang Xia climbed up to the window, and closed her eyes unconsciously. Her nerves were kind of smoothed out by the sea wind. She couldn¡¯t help wanting more of it.


    ¡°Are you going to die like this?¡± A sudden male voice came from out of nowhere, but was clear enough that it touched deep in her heart. It startled Tang Xia and she opened her eyes in surprise.


    A strange man showed up behind the curtain, but no one had been there before. He just showed up from nowhere. But at this very moment, he was staring at her. Apparently, the voice belonged to him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tang Xia asked in surprise. From the information that she had learned, there was supposed to be only one man here. ¡°Who is this strange man?¡±


    ¡°It is very curious. Why is he here?¡±


    Lots of questions just popped into her mind. Instead of jumping out of the window, she suspended all of her actions unconsciously.


    ¡°Were you going to jump down just now?¡±


    Instead of answering her question, he asked her again, staring directly at her. His eyes were so sharp as if he could see through her, deep into her heart and soul.


    Under his undisguised look, she strangely felt a little ashamed. After all, suicide is a cowardly thing. Though she indeed was going to jump down, she didn¡¯t want to admit it to his face at this moment.


    Human beings¡¯ emotions could sometimes be marvelous. A second ago, Tang Xia was determined to jump down, but she was now unsure of it after this strange man had interrupted her. It seemed that she had changed her mind all of a sudden.


    Looking out at the sea, she found that the dark blue of the water was still as charming as it had been before. But it was not so captivating that she would jump into it.


    ¡°I just need some fresh air.¡±


    Tang Xia blushed, and was a little embarrassed as she lowered her head. The wind kissed her at her ears and blew some strands of hair to her rosy cheeks, thus hiding her ashamed look.


    The cool wind touched her face and hair gently. She seemed to calm down.


    The wind was so gentle, and Tang Xia was almost lost in it. It was when Tang Xia heard a chuckle again from the strange man that she came to her senses. She looked up but saw nobody.


    No one was in the hall. It was like he had never even been there. It seemed that what had just happened was just an illusion.


    But his captivating voice and half-smiling face still remained vivid in her memory.

 Chapter 203 - Fail to Escape

    Chapter 203 Fail to Escape


    Whether it was a hallucination or not, there was no time for her to hesitate.


    Tang Xia shook her head, and kicked the image of that man out from her mind.


    Perhaps Chu Tianjiao had already noticed that she had escaped, and was coming over with his people. She must make a decision as soon as possible.


    Thinking about this, without any hesitation, Tang Xia climbed onto the windowsill once again. But this time around, she was not going to jump into the sea. Instead, she would make her way down, inch by inch.


    Tang Xia had already thought about this clearly. Since she was not afraid of death, what could this mere distance do?


    No matter how bad the outcome might be, it would be better than returning to Chu Tianjiao¡¯s palace.


    As long as she climbed down, she would regain her freedom. Tang Xia looked down at the blue sea and took in a deep breath. Then, she climbed out of the window, without any second thoughts.


    She had thought it through already. Although this cliff was high, it was not very steep. Instead, it inclined outwards slightly. Also, there were many protruding rocks that she could step on.


    Tang Xia used to be in the school¡¯s mountain climbing club when she was in university, so she had some experience. As long as she utilized the geographical bearings to her advantage, it was not impossible to escape from this place.


    Tang Xia carefully climbed onto the part of the window sill that was protruding outwards. She was now completely outside the window, and only her hands were hanging onto the window sill.


    Looking down from this angle, it felt much steeper than when she looked down from the auditorium¡¯s window. Tang Xia stepped onto a piece of protruding rock and her legs went soft.


    For Tang Xia, there was no way back now.


    Tang Xia psyched herself in her heart and mind. Then, she moved downwards slowly. The coarse rocks tore at her unprotected hands. It was very painful, but she could not afford to let this bother her.


    There was only one thought in her mind right now. Climb down and get out of here!


    With only these thoughts firmly in her mind, Tang Xia¡¯s potential was gradually ignited. Although her movements were slow, her small steps were closing the distance between the and herself, gradually.


    Her hands were already badly bruised. Every tiny movement produced a knife like pain. However, Tang Xia did not care at all. She was like a robot, and only focused on moving downwards, one step at a time.


    The sea breeze that occasionally blew against her, was the best comfort she could get.


    After an unknown period of time, Tang Xia was already halfway down. Looking at the nearing distance between herself and the blue sea, the corners of her lips curled into a heart-warming smile.


    At this moment, all the pain and tiredness were worth it.


    As long as she continued at this pace, before long, she would be able to reach the bottom of the cliff, and escape from the Garden of Eden!


    When she thought about it, her legs felt reenergized. After pausing for a while, she continued her descent rapidly. Very soon, she arrived at the middle-bottom part. She had already completed two-thirds of the distance.


    She was only left with the last one-third of the climb. Tang Xia gritted her teeth tightly. Actually, her body had already reached its limit, but she relied on her inner strength and persevered on.


    When she climbed in her college days, it was less than 100 meters, and it was always with safety equipment. And now, Tang Xia was climbing from the window in the auditorium to the bottom of the cliff, a direct distance of nearly 100 meters. She did not have any equipment to aid her climb at all.


    Tang Xia had already reached her physical limit, by this time.


    Just as she was about to continue her descent, she suddenly heard a whirling sound of a helicopter¡¯s blades, from a distance. Following which, a helicopter suddenly came into view.


    It was Chu Tianjiao! He had found out about her escape! A voice exploded in Tang Xia¡¯s mind, and her face turned pale.


    No, she could not let her efforts go to waste! Tang Xia responded by continuing to climb down, regardless of the situation.


    There was only a bit of distance left. She bit her lips hard, and tried to quicken her pace. Her aim was to get to the bottom before Chu Tianjiao arrived. However, no matter how fast she was, how could she beat a helicopter?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop?¡± Chu Tianjiao¡¯s voice screamed at her from a megaphone, echoing loudly in her ears, like the voice of something evil, causing her to stop in her tracks.


    Tang Xia then realized that there was a red dot moving on her body. She turned around instantly, and saw that Chu Tianjiao was aiming at her, with a sniper rifle.


    She could not see his face clearly but she could feel that cold and harsh glare on his handsome face. That glare contained a tinge of anger, as if he wanted to eat her alive.


    This was apparently the last warning he was giving her. If she did not stop now, he would shoot her, without hesitation.


    If she continued to climb down, she would be shot to death. If she gave up, she would be brought back. What awaited her was an unknown yet equally terrifying, punishment.


    No matter which choice she made, Tang Xia was getting even more stressed, in this already distressing situation. Right now, she was pushed into an abyss of despair. The only thing that she could see, was a darkness that had no end.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡±. This was the last thought in her mind.


    In the next instant, all the strength drained from her hands, that were holding tightly onto the rocks. Then, her thin body slid down the cliff, like a kite with a broken string.


    There were bloodstains on her pure white dress, which gave off a bitter yet decisive aesthetic look, as it flapped in the air.


    She was already so close, yet freedom seemed so far. Tang Xia looked at the seawater that was so close to her. There was a faint sparkle of tears in her clear eyes.


    She could only use this method to finish the last leg of her journey. Tang Xia closed her eyes and lost consciousness.


    At the same time, the audience watching the scene in the broadcast room, flooded the screen with their comments.


    ¡°Oh my god, did Tang Xia fall off the cliff?¡± Someone gasped.


    ¡°She should be fine, isn¡¯t Chu Tianjiao right beside her? I just don¡¯t know what kind of punishment she will suffer after she¡¯s dragged back,¡± someone analyzed calmly.


    Someone covered his eyes. ¡°This is too heart-wrenching, I can¡¯t bear to continue watching.¡±


    Somone sighed, ¡°What a pity, she was so close.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to pity? She¡¯s just dumb.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even think it through properly. The cliff is so high, how could she possibly climb to the bottom? She has no brains.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a newbie for sure. Even if she was lucky and shot to fame very quickly, she still lacks the potential.¡±


    Some even sneered.


    Most of these people who gave harsh comments, were Li Xianxian¡¯s fans. They looked down on newbie streamers like Tang Xia, who shot to fame, purely due to luck. Seeing Tang Xia fall off the cliff, they started to throw stones at her.


    ¡°Even so, she¡¯s still better than Li Xianxian, resorting to using dirty tricks to gain fame!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s fans were not ready to admit defeat, and quickly fought back.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Tang Xia, who was in a coma, naturally was not aware of the heated discussion in the broadcast room.


    When Tang Xia finally opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a dark and damp dungeon. Sunlight could not come into the room, and there was a rotten and turbid smell in the air.


    Needless to say, she had been captured by Chu Tianjiao and brought back. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes darkened as she lifted herself up. This move caused her to realize that her whole body was very sore.


    This was apparently the outcome of Tang Xia¡¯s continuous attempt to push her body to its limit. Old wounds meeting new ones, and given the dark and humid environment, Tang Xia could not help, but cough twice. Her voice was extremely dry and hoarse.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A suprised voice coming from nearby, could be heard. Tang Xia then realized that there was a small figure crouching in the corner.


    It was Pearl.


    The light in the dungeon was dim. Tang Xia only saw her face clearly when she walked towards her. Pearl¡¯s clean and white face had become much paler. She was obviously having a hard time in the dungeon.


    Tang Xia conveyed her disbelief through her eyes. ¡°Pearl? What are you doing here?¡±


    Needless to say, Tang Xia was kept here, because of her failed attempt at escaping. But Pearl had not done anything, why was she kept here too?


    Hearing that, a dark look fell on Pearl¡¯s pale face, but she did not say anything. She only opened up softly, after Tang Xia repeatedly questioned her.


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao was very furious after he brought you back. He ordered his people to ¡®take care of¡¯ you. I can¡¯t bear to let that happen, so I pleaded for you desperately. In the end, Chu Tianjiao became mad at me, and he locked us both in the dungeon.¡±


    As she reached the end of her sentence, her expression turned a little bitter. She only wanted to plead for Tang Xia, but not only did Chu Tianjiao not let Tang Xia go, but she herself was also dragged into the dungeon.


    After listening, Tang Xia also became scared. She naturally knew what Chu Tianjiao meant by ¡®take care of¡¯. It seemed like she had really hit rock bottom this time around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this.¡± Tang Xia looked at Pearl, and her gaze was filled with gratitude and apologies. Pearl was fine on her own, she was only involved, because she spoke up for Tang Xia.


    Pearl pretended that it was nothing and smiled. ¡°What dragging are you talking about? In this garden, we are bound to be scared every day. It would not be any better, even if I was not locked up here.¡±


    Needless to say, the difference between a dark, humid dungeon and a bright, warm room was huge. The more Pearl tried to talk of it lightly, the more Tang Xia felt bad for her.


    She knew that Pearl was only saying that, to make her feel better.


    At this point in time, Pearl was still concerned for her. Even though Tang Xia knew that Pearl was just a set of data in a virtual story world, she still gave in to her weak self, and her eyes turned red.


    ¡°Pearl, thank you,¡± Tang Xia said sincerely, while her eyes turned a little moist.


    Pearl was a little startled. She then smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to thank? Isn¡¯t this what friends should do?¡± Her tone was so natural, and the emotions she portrayed seemed so real.


    Tang Xia could not help sobbing and nodded, ¡°Yes, friend, we can get through this for sure.¡±


    Based on Chu Tianjiao¡¯s character, throwing them into the dungeon was not the whole punishment. Instead, it was just the beginning.


    What awaited them were punishments that would surely be more cruel and harder to survive.


    But with a friend to go through the difficulties together, the originally dark and humid dungeon seemed to become a little bit warmer. Pearl looked at Tang Xia and also firmly replied with a ¡®hmm!¡¯. This short exclamation was filled with determination.


    The two girls had built up a most memorable friendship, amidst the worst situation.

 Chapter 204 - Eat Poison

    Chapter 204 Eat Poison


    Just as the two of them were in the midst of a happy conversation, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound. They were both startled and turned around, and saw something on the floor, rolling toward them.


    Thinking about the disgusting place they were in, they guessed that Chu Tianjiao, the pervert, must be playing some trick on them again. Both of them did not act rashly. Ever since Tang Xia heard the sound, she kept on looking around, to see if there were anyone or anything peculiar in the vicinity.


    She only saw a shadow pass by very quickly. It seemed that person¡¯s reflexes were very quick. By the time Tang Xia looked up, she could only see her ankle, before she disappeared into the darkness.


    Tang Xia watched the person leave, and the surroundings turned silent. She turned around and looked at the thing, the person had thrown at them. Pearl did not dare to go forward as well. She stayed rooted on the spot, and looked at it from afar.


    Tang Xia focused her eyes and observed it carefully, as she slowly stepped closer towards it. She felt that it was extremely possible for Chu Tianjiao to throw a bomb at them. After all, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s brain was really abnormal. He was a true pervert.


    Tsk, what a waste for such a beautiful face. Why was it given to such an immoral and despicable person? She suddenly felt that these two words were specially tailored for him.


    Tang Xia slowly got near to the thing and took a look. It seemed to be a bottle. It was probably not anything like a bomb, at all. She turned and looked at Pearl. Pearl was dumbfounded, and came forward to take a look too.


    Tang Xia stretched out her hand and picked up the bottle. Pearl cautioned for her to be careful, and Tang Xia waved her hand.


    ¡°Eh? This seems like a tiny white ball¡­it¡¯s medicine! There¡¯s also a note.¡±


    Pearl came forward and took a clearer look. At this moment, Tang Xia also realized that that thing was really a pill. There was also a note.


    In order to prevent Chu Tianjiao that pervert, from doing anything, Tang Xia and Pearl pinched their noses. Tang Xia held the bottle in one hand and made Pearl open the cap with one hand. After all, what if there was some poisonous gas inside? They were both weak women incapable of fighting it. It would be game over for them immediately.


    There seemed to be nothing unusual. Tang Xia and Pearl were relieved. They took out the note first, and Pearl took the bottle. Tang Xia unfolded the note, and read out its contents softly.


    ¡°No matter who eats the medicine, both will be able to leave.¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly confused. What medicine? Why were they able to leave after eating it?


    Tang Xia scrutinized the bottle carefully. Chu Tianjiao obviously had sent someone to deliver this bottle, which meant that he must have had some perverted idea up his sleeve, again. Suddenly, she thought of the box. ¡°This medicine¡­what kind of medicine could it be¡­?¡±


    Just when Tang Xia was still feeling confused, Pearl suddenly snatched the bottle away from her. She held onto the pill tightly, and looked nervously at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia did not have time to react at all. She only felt the medicine in her hand was gone in a flash. She looked at Pearl in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Pearl, is there anything wrong with this medicine?¡±


    She had never seen Pearl reacting in such a strange way before, and she was even more confused, about the use of the medicine.


    Pearl was also panicking, as she held onto the pill. She did not want to hold onto it, nor did she want throw it away. The dilemma on her face showed clearly, that she knew something about it.


    Tang Xia stepped forward and held onto Pearl¡¯s arms. Pearl looked up suddenly, seemingly afraid that Tang Xia would take it away from her. Seeing Pearl¡¯s reaction, Tang Xia¡¯s gaze was even more firm.


    ¡°What is this? You know what it is, right?¡±


    Pearl kept quiet and did not speak. She shut her eyes tightly and pursed her lips. Tang Xia¡¯s eyebrows lifted, seemed like this was the only way.


    Tang Xia snatched away the medicine in her hand. Pearl was startled and immediately chased after it. However, Pearl¡¯s body was much smaller than Tang Xia¡¯s. Hence, she could only watch Tang Xia take out the pill.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m going to eat it right away. Anyway, no matter who eats it, both of us will be able to get out!¡±


    Pearl did not expect her to do this. She watched Tang Xia slowly put the pill towards her mouth and shouted immediately, ¡°You can¡¯t eat that!¡±


    Tang Xia was startled by her scream, but responded very quickly. Seeing how scared Pearl was, she asked, ¡°Then tell me, what is this thing?¡±


    Pearl remained silent, and Tang Xia tried to scare her again, and again, wanted to put it in her mouth. Pearl quickly grabbed her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Tang Xia calmly waited for her to explain.


    ¡°After taking this medicine¡­you will become like the maids¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. Pearl had been here for quite some time. She would definitely be aware of what this medicine could do.


    But¡­she looked at the pill in her hand, and suddenly became silent. She was deeply shocked for a moment. So this was why the maids looked as if they were controlled by someone. It was due to this medicine. She looked at Pearl in slight disbelief.


    Pearl also felt Tang Xia¡¯s gaze of disbelief. She kept quiet for quite some time. She did not dare to speak, because this pill really should not be eaten.


    Once you take it, you would be controlled by Chu Tianjiao, and become someone with no control over his or her own mind at all. It was as good as being dead.


    Tang Xia threw the pill away and turned around to look at Pearl. She grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted, ¡°We can¡¯t eat it!¡±


    Pearl could feel Tang Xia¡¯s agitation. She nodded and said, ¡°Yes! Both of us can¡¯t eat it!¡±


    Both of them came to a decision. But this dungeon was indeed not fit for survival. There was nothing at all, let alone food and water. The only water there was the extremely murky and dirty water, that could not be drunk at all. If you drink it, you would definitely fall sick.


    Getting sick in a place like this was undoubtedly only going to make things worse. Even though they had no hope, they were determined not to compromise.


    They had been locked up for a very long time. Pearl looked at Tang Xia. Her lips were dry and cracked, due to going without water or food for a long period of time. The color of her lips was deathly pale.


    After a long silence, she knew that they had already endured this ordeal for a very long time already. They did not have the energy to continue anymore.


    Tang Xia looked at the scene in front of her, as the light gradually darkened. She could feel that there was not a single ounce of energy left in her body. She wanted to open her eyes, but could not find the strength to do so.


    She lifted her hand as if to grab something, but there was only air and nothing else. She¡­could not hold on any longer¡­but, she did not want to cause any trouble for Pearl.


    However, her eyelids let her down and refused to open. No matter how much strength she used, they would not open at all.


    Tang Xia felt that her body becoming very heavy, as if she was free-falling into a bottomless pool of water. The water was black and it swallowed her up slowly, drowning her gradually. She seemed to only hear the sound of flowing water, and the sounds of screams mixed in between.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Tang Xia!¡±


    But she could not recall who this person was. This person¡­who is it? Why¡­was her voice so familiar?¡±


    She struggled desperately, struggling to swim upwards. She only felt that there was a bunch of twinkling stars above her, which was her last straw. She put in more effort to swim upwards, and she was getting closer and closer to the light¡­closer and closer¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Tang Xia woke up in shock suddenly, and gasped for air. Her whole body was covered in sweat, due to the nightmare. When her mind finally cleared, she felt disoriented for a moment. Looking all around her, she frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they locked up in the dungeon?¡± She seemed to have fainted, due to lack of energy over an extended period of time, but¡­how was it that she had woken up in her own room?


    She looked around her surroundings. The heart-warming decorations, the soft blankets, and¡­the maid that delivered her daily meals.


    Tang Xia looked at the maid, whose back was to her, while she prepared her meals. She asked, ¡°Where is Zhu Yuanyu?¡±


    The maid did not reply and continued to prepare the meal. Tang Xia knew that all the maids were like this, so she instantly stopped questioning her. Anyway, she would not be able to get any intelligible answer from her.


    But thinking about how they were also captured and also force-fed the medicine, Tang Xia instantly felt pity for them. However, she did not say anything, and only looked at the maid with a blank look.


    The maid tidied up quickly and lowered her head as she served Tang Xia her meal. It looked very sumptuous, much more than on ordinary days. Besides, she had just came out from the dungeon, so she naturally felt that it was very sumptuous.


    She suddenly felt that this maid was very strange. The vibes she gave and her figure¡­resembled someone¡­the maid gently laid the meal on the table, and turned around to look at Tang Xia. It was indeed Pearl!


    Tang Xia looked at the person in front of her in shock, and could not register it right away. She quickly rushed forward and grabbed hold of Pearl. ¡°What happened to you, Pearl?¡±


    However, Pearl did not react at all, and stared at her blankly. That gaze of hers was the same as all the maids, as if they were controlled by something. They did not have any thoughts of their own at all.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was full of disbelief. She suddenly recalled the scene in the dungeon, the medicine thrown at them¡­she then linked it to how she woke up in her room, after her faint. The answer now came to her.


    Tang Xia could not believe the thought in her mind. She shook Pearl violently, ¡°Say something! Quickly say something!¡±


    However, Pearl did not have any reaction at all. Eventually, Tang Xia could not hold it in and hugged Pearl, as she burst into tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    She guessed that Pearl must have swallowed the pill in order to save her, when they were in the dungeon. Otherwise, it was just a matter of time before both of them died. But when she thought about what Pearl had turned into, in order to save her, her heart hurt from all the self-blame, and she was very heart-broken.


    As if receiving an order, Pearl suddenly ignored Tang Xia, and walked out of the room slowly. Tang Xia wanted to follow her, but the door was closed with a loud bang.


    ¡°This time around, Chu Tianjiao, I, Tang Xia, will never give up!¡±


    At this exact moment, a message suddenly popped out on the tablet beside her.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, La Chapelle¡­all eight of you, please proceed to Game Room No.2.¡±


    Tang Xia gave a peal of cold laughter, and turned around to open her closet. Nonchalantly, she changed into the gown that Chu Tianjiao had made her wear on the first day. She pushed the door open and stepped outside slowly.


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao, you will pay for everything!¡±

 Chapter 205 - The Game Begins

    Chapter 205 The Game Begins


    Everyone turned around when they heard the door opening with a loud screech. They saw Tang Xia entering slowly, wearing the gown that she was forced to wear in front of everyone, on the first day.


    A tinge of jealousy and hatred appeared in their gazes instantly. After all, her gown was the most beautiful in the whole palace. On top of that, Tang Xia was also very beautiful. Hence, they admitted and agreed that only Tang Xia was worthy to wear that gown.


    And for that one moment, they realized that the war was still ongoing, and did not have the interest to look at other things.


    This was what Tang Xia saw when she pushed open the doors: A bunch of girls fighting and pushing each other, in order to sit beside Chu Tianjiao. There were even some who sat on other girls. The scene was not funny at all.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. ¡°This Garden of Eden is really like a harem. Chu Tianjiao really thinks he is a king.¡±


    Most importantly, these girls did not realize the situation they were in, and were fighting to be the first to dive into the fire pit. Thinking about how Pearl looked like just now, Tang Xia clenched her fists tightly.


    Pearl had become like this, because of her. No matter what, she must make Chu Tianjiao pay the price!


    At the moment when Tang Xia appeared, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes lit up. He caressed his chin and looked at her with a piercing gaze. Indeed, this gown suited her perfectly, and was not wasted on her at all.


    Tang Xia felt his eyes raking through various parts of her body. One by one, her body parts felt as if it had been burnt. Tang Xia hated this feeling, but she did not say anything and let him look at her, from top to bottom.


    When Tang Xia entered, Li Xianxian had a look of disgust on her face. She felt that it was not fair. Why had the gown been given to Tang Xia, when she was the most beautiful among this bunch of women?


    Since young, she had always been admired by others. She could not tolerate being in second place at all. She looked toward Chu Tianjiao subconsciously, and saw how stunned he looked. She instantly turned to look at Tang Xia with jealousy and hatred.


    Tang Xia noticed Li Xianxian¡¯s gaze and stared back at her directly, making eye contact. Li Xianxian was startled and was so furious that she stomped her feet. ¡°What! Who does she think she is!¡±


    Tang Xia ignored Li Xianxian and turned to make eye contact with Chu Tianjiao. ¡°How could I not join such an interesting game?¡±


    After speaking, she even threw Li Xianxian a challenging glare. Li Xianxian was startled and glared back harshly. ¡°Why is Tang Xia so bold now?¡±


    ¡°Did she have a good time in the dungeon? Why is she so different now that she¡¯s back?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao burst into peals of laughter and shoved the girls on both sides, away. The girls were upset and became angry, but Chu Tianjiao did not even bother to glance at them. From the start to the end, all of his attention and gaze was on Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia remained silent and still, as she stared Chu Tianjiao intently. But as he started walking towards her, the pores on her body started to tense up.


    Seeing him getting closer, Tang Xia¡¯s breathing also became slower. Their noses were going to touch soon, and Tang Xia¡¯s heart was thumping loudly.


    Just when the air in the room seemed to freeze, Chu Tianjiao suddenly pressed her against the wall. He covered the distance between gradually, and breathed against her neck.


    Her neck was indeed also very beautiful. Her neck trembled a little, along with his breathing. It was white and tender. If Chu Tianjiao was a vampire, he would really have bitten her on her neck, at this very moment.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s breath hit against her neck, and she felt goosebumps breaking out, all over her body. She held back the urge to push this pervert away, and clenched her fists tightly.


    No matter what, she must hold it in. Holding it in was the only way to seek revenge for Pearl and also, she had to get the antidote! Just when Tang Xia was wondering what Chu Tianjiao was going to do, he suddenly pushed her aside, and his gaze was filled with unfathomable meaning.


    ¡°You are so beautiful¡­¡±


    Listening to him, Tang Xia instantly felt her pores tightening. But on the surface, she was calm and composed, and smiled faintly. Chu Tianjiao suddenly turned around decisively.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m not interested in you today.¡±


    After which, he sat back on his own seat, and the bunch of girls crowded around him instantly. The corners of her mouth twitched. ¡°This pervert is really so unpredictable!¡±


    However, she could not show it. She must remain as calm and composed as possible. At the side, Li Xianxian suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Hahahaha! Tang Xia, you are also receiving this kind of treatment! Hahaha!¡±


    Looking at how Li Xianxian was so intoxicated with success, Tang Xia¡¯s heart was filled with disdain. The girls also started to laugh at her, as if she was the funniest person.


    Tang Xia remained silent for quite some time. Chu Tianjiao looked at her, wondering what her reaction would be, in such a situation. But Tang Xia seemed not to care at all. She turned to look at Li Xianxian.


    ¡°No matter how unbearable I may be, it cannot compare to how unbearable you are, when you deliberately push yourself onto other people.¡±


    The corner of Li Xianxian¡¯s eye twitched immediately. Indeed, her words hit right at her most vulnerable spot. There were already many people in the broadcast room, who were talking about how Li Xianxian played all kinds of tricks to get what she wanted, and even seduced Chu Tianjiao, and secretly caused harm to Tang Xia.


    These were all the comments on the Internet aimed at Li Xianxian. Tang Xia suddenly laughed. Finally, someone saw Li Xianxian¡¯s true self. Tang Xia wondered if she should celebrate.


    ¡°We do what we can, who cares how we do it?¡±


    Li Xianxian walked towards Tang Xia, like a cat that had its tail stepped on. Tang Xia pushed her away coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t come too close to me!¡±


    Was Li Xianxian mistaken? Tang Xia did not let just about anyone come close to her, but why did they all like to speak into her ear? Couldn¡¯t they just speak to her face directly?


    Li Xianxian was dumbfounded. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this person going by the script! ¡± She became awkward instantly, and did not know what she should do.


    But she had to finish walking through the pit she dug, even if it meant that she had to crawl through it. Tang Xia did not let her come near her, so she could only speak at a volume where only both of them could hear, ¡°The winner is the king, the loser is the beggar.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled. ¡°So what if you win using those dirty methods? It¡¯s not a victorious win, so it¡¯s still useless!¡±


    Li Xianxian frowned. She wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Tang Xia who continued, ¡°Even if you win, you still won¡¯t get Ye Yifan, so what¡¯s the point?¡±


    Before Li Xianxian could react, Tang Xia shoved her aside. Li Xianxian stared at Tang Xia¡¯s back view in shock, and she was not too sure what she should do now.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    The crowd was shocked. Why was Tang Xia laughing? Was she crazy? Did she go crazy after returning from hell?


    Chu Tianjiao also raised his brows. He did not know what they said to each other, nor was he interested. He only looked at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll come again tomorrow.¡±


    After saying that, Tang Xia turned around, and prepared to walk out of the door. Suddenly, Chu Tianjiao slammed the armrest on the chair loudly.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    The whole room fell so silent immediately, that one could have heard a pin drop. The corners of Tang Xia¡¯s lips curled up, as she turned her back on everyone.


    ¡°He took the bait.¡±


    Tang Xia turned around and changed her expression. She looked at Chu Tianjiao with a confused and innocent look.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Xianxian rolled her eyes. She could clearly see that Tang Xia was smiling just now! But Li Xianxian could not just dash forward mindlessly, anymore. She did not say a word and only looked at the two of them with a cold gaze. She must wait for the right time to act.


    Chu Tianjiao stepped forward and pulled Tang Xia back, pushing her onto the chair. ¡°I allow you to join the game.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head gradually, as if she was being shy. But only she knew clearly that her body was trembling out of happiness. Very good, everything was going according to her plan. What was left was¡­


    The group of girls naturally would not allow this girl, whom Chu Tianjiao had given special treatment to, to come forward and snatch their positions. The remaining eight people looked at each other. An enemy¡¯s enemy is a friend. They exchanged glances and nodded at each other.


    The eight of them stood up suddenly, and looked at Chu Tianjiao, and started talking, all at the same time, ¡°How can you do that?¡±


    ¡°She was not invited at all!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be biased!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was even one who dashed forward, tugged at Chu Tianjiao¡¯s elbow, and rubbed her face against his clothes, as she tried to act cute.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this¡­¡±


    Tang Xia instantly became dignified. This was the first time that she was disgusted by a group of females. She was not flustered when she looked at this bunch of people, who impeached themselves. She only sat there, quietly and obediently.


    Actually, she was very clear that in Chu Tianjiao¡¯s heart, he must be thinking about how to play around with her and torture her. How could she give up watching an exciting scene just because she was disgusted by a bunch of women?


    After all, perverts would always be perverted.


    Just when this bunch of women brought out everything they could offer, they also realized that it was not going to work. Chu Tianjiao did not budge an inch, as he watched them put on a show.


    He had been with all sorts of women for so many years, how could he not understand how their minds work? At this moment, a girl stood up suddenly. She was very special, quite different from the other girls.


    Chu Tianjiao also raised an eyebrow. He did not expect such an interesting girl to be present. Thinking about it carefully, this girl seemed to be called¡­La Chapelle?


    La Chapelle looked at Chu Tianjiao, and everyone quietened down, as she stood up. ¡°The quota has been reached, we can¡¯t take in any more.¡±


    It was obvious that La Chapelle did not welcome latecomers as well. She turned around and looked at Tang Xia, who was sitting at the side, with a cold gaze.


    Chu Tianjiao also looked towards Tang Xia. Suddenly, he asked in a meaningful tone, ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent, and lowered her head without speaking a word. The girls beside her naturally, like a bunch of flies, wanted Tang Xia to leave. However, Chu Tianjiao showed no reaction at all. It was obvious, he wanted Tang Xia to stay for sure.

 Chapter 206 - A Trap

    Chapter 206 A Trap


    Li Xianxian naturally, also noticed it. After thinking about it carefully, she made a sudden decision. She turned her head and said to Chu Tianjiao in a loud voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll quit.¡±


    The sudden remark made everyone dumbfounded. They turned their heads uniformly to look at Li Xianxian. Tang Xia did not expect this, and turned to look at Li Xianxian.


    Li Xianxian smiled faintly and walked slowly towards Chu Tianjiao. She grabbed his tie in an extremely alluring manner. Chu Tianjiao looked at this beautiful woman in front of him, who was trying so hard to please him. A spark of interest flashed across his eyes. He raised his eyebrow and said, ¡°You¡¯re quitting?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s voice was extremely seductive. He was like the witch in the vast ocean, who used her beautiful voice to seduce the sailors at sea. It was as if he was trying to seduce her, causing her to lose her focus slowly.


    Tang Xia frowned. She did not believe Li Xianxian completely. They were indeed in the game; how could there be anyone like Chu Tianjiao, in real life?


    He was as beautiful as an angel, but his heart was like a devil¡¯s. The two contradicting factors combined into one, a perfect match! What a pity that such a perfect person chose to be a pervert.


    Li Xianxian was attracted by his voice for a moment, but after that, she snapped back quickly. She asked in a low and shy voice, ¡°How about I quit the game and become the judge?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao chuckled. It was indeed a good idea. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After which, he pushed her away and walked forward, sitting at his own seat. Li Xianxian turned around and looked at Tang Xia, and gave her a provoking glare. Looking at how pleased Li Xianxian was, Tang Xia suddenly felt that it was a little strange.


    Li Xianxian was like a villain intoxicated with success. Indeed, if Li Xianxian was born during the revolutionary period, she would definitely have been a traitor, who would hand over her weapons and surrender immediately.


    Tang Xia gave a peal of cold laughter, and stood up slowly. She walked into the crowd of girls, step by step.


    Game, start.


    All of a sudden, the format of the room changed. It became dimmer and things started moving around, as if Chu Tianjiao had pressed a button.


    Chu Tianjiao was separated from them, and sipped his red wine as he admired this majestic scene of a bunch of beautiful women intent on killing each other. Tang Xia also looked towards Chu Tianjiao. ¡°This time round, I must take revenge for Pearl!¡±


    All of a sudden, the room became more spacious. A row of silk lines was erected. Their irregularity made them look like infrared rays from the movies. There were even bells on both sides of each line. Tang Xia raised her brows, ¡°What kind of a trap is this?¡±


    Suddenly, a broadcast came over the air, explaining the rules of the game.


    Tang Xia generally understood the rules. She had to memorize where the red lines were, and avoid them, while wearing a blindfold. She would win if she passed through everything.


    This was how she understood it.


    The game started and they had to draw lots and divide themselves into groups of four. In the end, Tang Xia, La Chapelle, and two other girls were in a team. The rule of the game was still the same. Whoever loses, would have to go to hell.


    Thinking about hell, Tang Xia almost wanted to get up and beat Chu Tianjiao up. However, she was very clear that doing that would not change anything.


    She wanted to escape with all the girls. Everything could only come to an end, when they all managed to escape from him completely. She would definitely not allow whatever that happened to Pearl, to happen to anyone again!


    Although they were in a game, these characters were flesh and blood people. They had feelings, and would also treat Tang Xia well. She could not let this go out of control.


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia, with a face full of disgust and indifference. ¡°Why am I in the same group with a loser like you?¡±


    Tang Xia snorted with a burst of faint cold laughter, and did not say anything. La Chapelle saw that Tang Xia was ignoring her and became enraged instantly. She grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s elbow and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! Can you hear me?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brows and stared at La Chapelle¡¯s furious look. Tang Xia scoffed. She felt as if she was watching a monkey.


    La Chapelle reached out her hand to pull off Tang Xia¡¯s gown. The more she looked at it, the more unpleasing it was, to her eyes.


    Tang Xia was startled. She did not expect her to take action. ¡°Why are all these women like this? They look like they¡¯ve been starved for a very long time! They are really a bunch of wolf-like women.¡± Tang Xia felt like she had fallen among a pack of wolves.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly annoyed. La Chapelle saw how angry she was. The angrier Tang Xia was, the happier she was.


    ¡°How are you going to move around in this dress? Don¡¯t pull us down!¡±


    The other two did not like the dress too. They immediately agreed with La Chapelle. Tang Xia looked at these drama queens, and laughed coldly before she took off the gown, right on the spot.


    Everyone in the room turned to look at Tang Xia, in that instant. Even Chu Tianjiao, who was drinking his wine, was shocked. He did not know whether to swallow the wine in his mouth or not.


    Tossing the gown aside, Tang Xia was left with her corset and safety pants. Her amazing figure could be seen through these two pieces of clothing.


    Her slender waist could be held easily in one hand. Her long, beautiful legs were white, smooth, and tender, like milk. Her beautiful thighs were like lotus stems. She gently ran her fingers through her hair. She looked as if she had just stepped out of a painting.


    You could say that she had all the curves in the right places. She really had the perfect figure.


    An unknown emotion flashed across Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes, as he gulped down more wine.


    The girls collectively gasped, when they saw her figure. La Chapelle also regretted what she did, and was pissed. Who knew that she had such a perfect figure? La Chapelle ended up giving Tang Xia the chance to show off her figure, in front of Chu Tianjiao!


    If La Chapelle was not afraid of embarrassing herself, she would have taken off her clothes directly for him, too. However, her figure might not be as good as Tang Xia¡¯s. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became!


    Li Xianxian glared angrily at Tang Xia. She really wanted to go up to her and do something to destroy her figure entirely!


    Tang Xia saw Li Xianxian¡¯s angry look and suddenly felt like teasing her. She placed her hand on her hips and looked at Li Xianxian. ¡°Why? Judge, this would not be considered as a foul, right?¡±


    As she spoke, she even gave a peal of cold laughter. She bit gently on her cherry-like lips. She did not mind making them angrier.


    And at this instant, the broadcast room was blowing up.


    Li Xianxian glared at her angrily. Foul? Could this not be considered as a foul? She even took off her clothes! She glared at La Chapelle angrily. This stupid woman! Why did you make her take off her clothes!


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes were almost boring into her. His gaze was like that of a hungry wolf¡¯s, his eyes turning green.


    However, Li Xianxian did not dare to attack her. After all, this was not considered as a foul. She could only pretend to be indifferent towards it and smiled. ¡°No. Prepare yourselves, the game is starting soon.¡±


    Tang Xia gave another peal of cold laughter. Chu Tianjiao suddenly erupted into laughter. ¡°Good courage!¡±


    Tang Xia did not pay any attention to him, because she saw the strong possessiveness in his eyes, the kind that could not be ignored at all. She turned around and started doing warming up exercises. What was waiting for her, was physical work.


    The girls beside her, stopped making each others¡¯ lives difficult, and also started to do warm-ups, while waiting for the game to start. They did not want to go to hell.


    ¡°Game Start!¡±


    After hearing the announcement, everyone dashed forward straightaway. Performing in front of Chu Tianjiao, they did not want to lose, nor did they not want to embarrass themselves. They all fought to show their best performance.


    For fear that their running postures would be too ugly and exaggerated, they all avoided the red lines elegantly, as if they were dancing.


    But this meant going at a slower speed. Hence, Tang Xia was the fastest one. She avoided the red lines skillfully. Her memory skill was very good. Even though she was blindfolded, she could still determine her direction as usual.


    Li Xianxian did not just stand aside. She wished for everyone to go to hell, so she distracted them from where she stood.


    ¡°Left!¡±


    Li Xianxian shouted to a girl. She was already very nervous, and Li Xianxian¡¯s voice caused her to lose her balance and she was eliminated.


    Li Xianxian smiled. This bunch of stupid girls really had no brains. She turned around and realized that Tang Xia had already progressed far ahead. Li Xianxian quickly ran towards her and shouted to Tang Xia directly.


    ¡°No, no, no! To your right, to your right!¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and pretended that she did not hear her. She continued to cross the red lines, based on her memory. Li Xianxian was a little angry. Why was Tang Xia not affected by her at all?


    However, she did not admit defeat. She continued to distract Tang Xia, but she pretended not to hear her, and continued going forward. Li Xianxian looked angrily at the people behind her. Since it was useless to try and distract Tang Xia, it would probably be more useful to distract the others! She turned around to distract La Chapelle.


    La Chapelle¡¯s sense of balance was not as good as Tang Xia¡¯s, but it was much better than many of the others. Hence, she was only second to Tang Xia. However, her focus was not very good. She was almost easily distracted by Li Xianxian. Tang Xia grabbed La Chapelle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about her! Think of her as a barking dog!¡±


    Although Tang Xia did not want to bother about La Chapelle, since she had bullied her earlier, she had no choice, they were a team. She could only do as much as she could, to remind her not to be distracted by her.


    Li Xianxian exploded immediately. She really wanted to go up to Tang Xia and pull her out. What do you mean by a barking dog!


    But afterward, no matter how hard she tried to distract La Chapelle and Tang Xia, it was to no avail. She could only turn around angrily and distract the other girls. And it was really effective. Many girls were eliminated by her tactics.


    Tang Xia pulled La Chapelle¡¯s hand, and with a push, she helped her to succeed. Both of them heaved a sigh of relief immediately. La Chapelle looked towards Tang Xia.


    After all, if it was not for Tang Xia earlier on, she would have been thrown into hell directly. In that instant, she experienced what it meant by seeing through someone, in times of need. She stretched out her hand to help Tang Xia cross over.


    At this moment, Tang Xia seemed to suddenly think of something. She looked up and glanced at La Chapelle. La Chapelle was confused. Was there something wrong?


    Suddenly, Tang Xia smiled to herself, but it went unnoticed.


    She remembered the location of the last red line but¡­she stretched out her hand slowly. Just as she was about to cross over successfully, she suddenly shook her hand purposely. What followed was ¡®ring ring ring ring!¡¯. The whole room was filled with the sound of bells.

 Chapter 207 - Back to Hell

    Chapter 207 Back to Hell


    Tang Xia instantly pretended to be very shocked. The bunch of girls who had failed because of Li Xianxian¡¯s distraction all turned and waited to see Tang Xia¡¯s bad outcome.


    Li Xianxian did not expect her to make a mistake at this moment either. She did not even respond to her various attempts to distract her.


    She had done everything she could, but Tang Xia would not budge at all. She was like a statue. Although Li Xianxian had been really frustrated earlier, now¡­


    Upon seeing Tang Xia bump into the bell so easily, Li Xianxian felt as happy as if she had won the lottery. She really wanted to run over and cheer. She looked at Chu Tianjiao subconsciously.


    Chu Tianjiao was sitting in his room, drinking wine and watching Tang Xia¡¯s performance with satisfaction. However, he suddenly frowned. This was obviously not the result he wanted to see. The maid beside him refilled his wine glass.


    Chu Tianjiao glared at her slightly and placed his wine glass down. For some unknown reason, he was suddenly in a bad mood.


    When Li Xianxian saw Chu Tianjiao¡¯s current state, she did not dare do anything that would cross the line. She looked at Tang Xia sarcastically. ¡°Huh? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you stayed in your room obediently? Why must you come and join in the fun?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian as she crossed her arms and laughed at her like a winner. Although she really wanted to dash forward and make her stop talking, everything was still going according to her plan. Thus, she could not act rashly.


    La Chapelle, who stood aside, instantly did not know what to do. After all, she had only succeeded and escaped from this hell because of Tang Xia.


    However, in order to help her, Tang Xia did not make it. La Chapelle really did not know what to do.


    Upon seeing Li Xianxian ridicule Tang Xia, La Chapelle, who was instantly annoyed, fought back. ¡°You didn¡¯t even play the game. How would you know how difficult it was?¡±


    Li Xianxian saw that La Chapelle was acting a little strange and walked towards her slowly. ¡°I do want to play, but she insisted on joining. Huh? Are you speaking for her because she offered you help just now?¡±


    La Chapelle was dumbfounded. She instantly felt embarrassed, as if her thoughts had been exposed.


    Li Xianxian could tell that she was right just by looking at her expression. She suddenly smiled and got close to her ear slowly. ¡°Have you forgotten? The person who forced Tang Xia to take off the gown¡­¡±


    Hot air blew against her neck. La Chapelle instantly felt her pores tightening. She wanted to push her away but was so distracted by Li Xianxian¡¯s presence that she did not dare to do anything.


    ¡°¡­ was you.¡±


    La Chapelle suddenly pushed her away. However, Li Xianxian¡¯s words hit right where she was hurting.


    La Chapelle admitted that she was not a good person. However, right now, she was indeed grateful to Tang Xia for helping her. She just wanted to repay her. This had nothing to do with profit or benefits.


    Li Xianxian was pushed two steps back. She suddenly let out a peal of cold laughter. She stood still as she said, ¡°Why? Was I right? Are you angry?¡±


    Tang Xia watched the scene unfold with a cold gaze. She really admired Li Xianxian¡¯s ability to turn and twist facts. Tang Xia had learned a lesson before. Upon seeing La Chapelle being controlled by her, there was indeed no doubt anymore.


    Tang Xia turned around to look at Chu Tianjiao. When she saw his sullen expression, Tang Xia smiled internally. It seemed like everything was going according to plan.


    As everyone was bickering back and forth, Chu Tianjiao suddenly pushed open the door with a loud bang. The whole room fell silent immediately.


    Tang Xia also remained silent as she watched Chu Tianjiao walk towards her slowly with a cold expression. However, she did not show her emotions on her face. She only lowered her head and trembled slightly, pretending that she was afraid, as if she was waiting for Chu Tianjiao to punish her.


    Li Xianxian scoffed at Tang Xia¡¯s terrified look and instantly found it very stress-relieving. ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for this.¡±


    The bunch of girls behind her who had failed had the urge to go up to Li Xianxian and drag her to hell with them. If it had not been for her, they might not have lost!


    However, they could not possibly do that. They could only glare at her angrily. So what if she noticed? Those who belonged in hell could not run away. Ha ha¡­


    Clap, clap, clap!


    As everyone was focused on their thoughts, Chu Tianjiao suddenly clapped while he walked. Everyone was instantly awakened by his claps. They all turned to look at him uniformly.


    They saw him standing in front of Tang Xia, suddenly giving her an extremely sinister smirk. His eyes were semi-closed, like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. He was mysterious, strange, and scary.


    ¡°You¡¯re interesting.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. What did that mean? She turned around and looked at him. Both of them were looking each other in the eye. Chu Tianjiao raised his brow and smiled suddenly.


    Indeed, Tang Xia was different from everyone else here. She was calm and silent. On the outside, she was like a quiet white Lycoris Radiata. However, on the inside, she was like the vast universe. One had the desire to guess, imagine, and get closer and closer to her.


    One would then discover more about her and find her even more interesting.


    ¡°But you lost.¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly lowered her head in silence and went back to her previous state. Chu Tianjiao looked at her, his expression slowly fading.


    He cried out loudly, ¡°Come and take them to hell!¡±


    As he spoke, a bunch of maids came running over. The girls who had failed instantly acted like ducks who were being chased away. They ran around terrified and kept shouting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but roll her eyes. The scene before her was chaotic. Suddenly, a maid stood in front of her and pulled her away directly. Tang Xia did not object. She allowed herself to get pulled away.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s gaze deepened as he watched her get pulled away. He turned around decisively and walked out of the room.


    Li Xianxian was just about to approach him and tell him something, yet things became awkward when he left. After taking a step forward, she did not know if she should continue moving forward or take a step back.


    Tang Xia passed by Li Xianxian and suddenly smiled at her. Li Xianxian was startled by Tang Xia. Had she gone dumb because she was scared of hell?


    Tang Xia grabbed onto Li Xianxian¡¯s arm suddenly. The maid was taken aback when she could not pull Tang Xia any longer. ¡°Li Xianxian, remember this. Your turn will come.¡±


    Then, she let go of her arm and let the maid pull her away.


    To this day, Li Xianxian had yet to recover from Tang Xia¡¯s gaze and the words she¡¯d said before leaving. That gaze had been like God¡¯s gaze when he looked down on all living things.


    Her words had been like a warning from God. She did not know where Tang Xia¡¯s confidence had come from, but for some reason, she got scared and believed her¡­


    In the blink of an eye, she was sent to the door of hell. The corners of Tang Xia¡¯s lips curled up slightly. When she turned around and observed her surroundings, she noticed that there was a camera in the room. It was still in that position, just like she had thought.


    Although the maid pushed Tang Xia gently, her push was too forceful. Tang Xia tripped and almost fell.


    She saw that Haidala was still at the corner. She suddenly smiled at her and waved her hand. Haidala obviously did not reciprocate the friendliness. She dashed forward and attacked her. ¡°Cut the nonsense!¡±


    She pressed Tang Xia on the floor and started to beat her up. Haidala¡¯s stick hit Tang Xia and forced her to kneel on the ground.


    Tang Xia covered her head. After all, she could not get hit in the most important area. She was going for the most physically painful plan, but she could not become handicapped.


    Even though the other areas that Haidala hit hurt a lot, Tang Xia still smiled to herself. She glanced at Haidala, who was inexplicably shocked by her gaze. She thought that Tang Xia was provoking her, so she hit her even harder.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. Why was this person behaving like this? She only glanced at her, yet she kept hitting her abdomen. The abdomen was the softest part of the body. Thus, her organs were in great pain after being hit.


    All of a sudden, when Haidala¡¯s stick landed on her abdomen again, Tang Xia passed out.


    Haidala was so shocked that her hand froze. The stick was less than a centimeter away from Tang Xia¡¯s abdomen.


    Haidala quickly knelt down to check on her and her body coincidentally covered the camera. Just as Haidala got closer to Tang Xia¡¯s face¡­


    Suddenly, Tang Xia opened her eyes. Haidala got scared and fell backward. Tang Xia grabbed onto her directly at an angle that was naturally not captured by the camera.


    Haidala was just about to say something, but Tang Xia spoke first. ¡°Do you want to get out of here?¡±


    Haidala was obviously shocked by her words. She stared at her with her eyes open wide. Her body froze completely, but she reacted very quickly.


    ¡°Huh, what are you talking about? How is that possible? Chu Tianjiao guards this place very strictly. Besides, based on this place¡¯s geographical features, escaping would be as hard as flying into the sky!¡±


    However, Tang Xia suddenly smiled. ¡°I only need you to listen to me.¡±


    Haidala fell silent. Tang Xia knew that she was hesitant. Haidala did not know if she should listen to the woman before her. However, she did not want to stay here.


    Besides, she was a girl. Why was she doing a hangman¡¯s work in a place called hell? She was really like an object that had been placed here. She was sick of it already!


    Could she trust this woman before her, though? As she looked at Tang Xia¡¯s determined gaze, for some reason, she felt like she was trustworthy.


    Haidala stood up suddenly. Tang Xia was a little nervous. She was unsure if this bad-tempered person wanted to form an alliance with her or not. She had done everything she could to come here just to find Haidala.


    While Tang Xia was still speculating, Haidala kicked her in the abdomen. Tang Xia, who was shocked by the sudden attack, almost opened her eyes. Luckily, her reaction was fast, so she kept her eyes shut tight.

 Chapter 208 - DIY Gown

    Chapter 208 DIY Gown


    Tang Xia felt her abdomen go numb from that kick. What was left after the numbness went away was a faint sharp pain. This kick had not been gentle at all!


    Tang Xia could not help but complain internally. However, she was also very nervous. Was Haidala going to report her? Then, all of her effort, including being beaten up, was going to go down the drain.


    As she remained silent and pretended to pass out, she heard Haidala¡¯s voice.


    Haidala looked at Tang Xia, who did not budge an inch after getting kicked by her. She suddenly felt that she was trustworthy. Her determination showed that¡­ she would definitely do great things! Haidala then turned around, looked at the camera and shouted at it.


    ¡°She passed out!¡±


    Within two seconds, the door was opened with a bang by the maids. The corners of Tang Xia¡¯s mouth twitched. Chu Tianjiao was really watching her all the time! Luckily, she had spoken to Haidala at a dead angle.


    Two maids carried Tang Xia¡¯s whole body. They did not treat her gently at all. They pressed directly against her abdomen.


    Tang Xia¡¯s whole body was sore. However, the instant before she left the room, she opened her eyes and looked at Haidala. When she blinked her eyes, they both nodded at each other.


    Deal.


    Tang Xia suffered so much pain due to the two maids¡¯ treatment that she passed out. When she woke up again in a daze, she could feel that she was back in her own room.


    Even though she could not see clearly, she was still certain that this was her room. She blinked her eyes slowly to get used to the lighting in the room.


    After all, the lighting in hell was very dim. It seemed as if she was really in hell. Upon thinking about it, she shuddered. Chu Tianjiao was a pervert! He really put in a lot of effort to hurt little girls!


    Where did all the money he used so lavishly come from? She sighed. This was a rich person¡¯s mind. Indeed, perverts were usually rich people.


    Tang Xia moved her limbs slowly to check out her injuries. This trip to hell had not been in vain. She had gained a lot.


    After remaining silent for a split second, she felt that there was nothing wrong with her limbs. However, her organs had almost been kicked out of her abdomen. She stretched out her hand to touch her abdomen and only felt sharp pain. Haidala had really gone all out.


    Just as she was complaining about Haidala in her heart, a big head suddenly hovered above her face. Tang Xia, who got a big scare, stared at the person with her eyes wide open.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    Tang Xia then noticed that there was someone beside her. How long had she been here?


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia with tears in her eyes. She seemed apologetic. Tang Xia was a little confused. She did not understand why La Chapelle was here. Tang Xia looked at her in confusion.


    La Chapelle, who noticed Tang Xia¡¯s confused look, smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m here to thank you for helping me. Otherwise, I would have been lying in bed like you right now.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent. While looking at La Chapelle, she suddenly wanted to chase her out. Was she here to mock her for being beaten up like that? She instantly wanted to hit her. After staying silent for a while, she held back the pain in her abdomen and tried to sit up.


    La Chapelle was quick-witted. She knew that she wanted to sit up, so she quickly took the pillow by her side and placed it behind her. She even helped her up.


    Tang Xia was not used to La Chapelle suddenly treating her so well. She only helped her because she suddenly felt like doing so. La Chapelle had originally treated her as an enemy, which was totally different from the situation right now. She was currently treating her as if she was showing respect to her parents.


    Tang Xia waved her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. Just treat me as usual. I¡¯m not used to this.¡±


    La Chapelle was shocked by her words. ¡°What are you talking about? I was treated like a princess ever since I was young. If I was locked up in hell, I would most likely die! If you had not pulled me back, I would have really died in there!¡±


    La Chapelle really did not know how to repay Tang Xia, especially when she looked at her state right now. Tang Xia had been beaten up so badly that she looked like she only had one more breath left in her. La Chapelle now treated her as carefully as her savior.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Can you eat? Should I get you something to eat?¡±


    Tang Xia felt goosebumps all over her body. She shook her head. ¡°Do what you have to do. You don¡¯t need to take care of me.¡±


    La Chapelle slammed the table and stood up, shouting loudly, ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    Tang Xia got scared. She suddenly thought of a question that she should have thought of when she had first woken up¡­


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    If she remembered clearly, girls were not allowed to mingle with each other. Everyone had to stay locked up in their rooms. They could only go out when there was a game.


    La Chapelle had been about to say a whole bunch of words before she was cut off by Tang Xia. La Chapelle sat down slowly with a sigh and said, ¡°I am Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cousin, so I have some privileges.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. This perverted young man had relatives? She¡¯d thought he was made out of stone! She remained silent for a short while. She felt like she had just been struck by lightning and did not know what kind of expression she should adopt.


    However¡­ La Chapelle was not a pervert. She was still considered a normal person. Why had Chu Tinajiao been born with a brain like this? It seemed like it was not hereditary. His upbringing must have been to blame.


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia¡¯s ever-changing expression in confusion. What is she thinking about?


    ¡°If you are his relative, why are you locked up here?¡±


    He would not even let go of his own relative. Chu Tianjiao was really a pervert! His own cousin was a part of his harem! Tang Xia found it increasingly harder to understand the world of a pervert.


    La Chapelle looked like she did not want to mention it. She avoided Tang Xia¡¯s gaze and stared at her abdomen without saying a word.


    Tang Xia did not really want to know. After all, there were so many people here that she had the luxury of asking them one by one to find out why they were here. She suddenly looked at La Chapelle with a serious expression.


    La Chapelle got scared by her solemnity. She stared into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes without blinking.


    ¡°I suppose that you know about Chu Tianjiao¡¯s background?¡±


    La Chapelle fell silent instantly. After thinking about it for a long time, she could not gather any information. There seemed to be nothing in her mind that was relevant to Chu Tianjiao.


    She shook her head slowly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Chu family has always been very mysterious.¡±


    Tang Xia sighed disappointedly. After all, even a sudden relative who had some sort of blood connection to him did not know his story. What kind of a person was he?


    No one knew about his background? Was he really made of stone?


    Just as the two of them were thinking about this matter in silence, the door was pushed open suddenly. A maid walked in and pulled La Chapelle away without saying anything. Both of them were shocked, and La Chapelle quickly turned around to look at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Have a good rest! I¡¯ll come and see you again if I have the chance!¡±


    Tang Xia could not stop the corners of her lips from twitching. Since when was their relationship so good?


    The maid dragged La Chapelle out and left without forgetting to close the door behind her. The room fell silent all of a sudden. Tang Xia sank deep into thought.


    Right now, her goal was to escape this perverted castle with all the girls in order to save them all from becoming the next Pearl, who was now neither like a human nor like a ghost.


    By entering hell once, she had gotten support from Haidala, the strong assistant. On top of that, La Chapelle could be considered Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cousin.


    What she needed to do right now was trigger the desire to escape in those girls¡¯ hearts and gather more help to allow them all to escape together!


    Tang Xia was determined. She was about to get up to get her meal when a notification popped up on the tablet beside her. Ding-dong!


    Tang Xia was startled. The hand that had reached out toward her meal froze. Perhaps another game was starting?


    She quickly turned to get the tablet. However, her action was too strenuous, so she pulled her abdomen. The pain made her take a deep breath. Tang Xia turned her head and saw the tablet beside her. She stretched her hand out slowly to retrieve it.


    Then, she saw the mission displayed on the screen.


    ¡°Everyone will get a bunch of materials to make their own dress. There will be a fashion show tomorrow.¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. What kind of a mission was this? She had not even studied fashion design! How could she possibly make a gown? What a joke!


    Tang Xia held onto the tablet and sat there in a daze. She felt like she had just been struck by lightning. Chu Tianjiao was indeed the most perverted boss she had ever met.


    Not only did he like to capture beautiful women, make them part of his harem and watch them fight, but he also liked to punish them with a wooden stick! Chu Tianjiao had refreshed Tang Xia¡¯s perspective of him. He even had some kind of gown fetish¡­


    On her first day here, her clothes had been stripped off her and she had been forced to wear a gown in front of everyone. Now, he even wanted them to make their own gowns. He really knew how to torture people!


    However, the broadcast room got lively all of a sudden. The audience and the fans were very excited to see what kind of an end product Tang Xia and Li Xianxian would come up with, as they were both inexperienced. They wanted to see how they would perform.


    Both fandoms were also excited to see what their idol would come up with.


    The mission had just been announced and Tang Xia was still complaining about Chu Tianjiao, when the door was suddenly opened and a maid came in carrying a tray. There was a piece of cloth on the tray.


    Tang Xia thought that this had to be the material. They were very fast! She had yet to react, but the maid had already placed the tray down and walked out before closing the door behind her.


    Tang Xia looked at the tray covered with the cloth suspiciously. Why did they make delivering materials so mysterious?


    When she lifted the piece of cloth, she was instantly dumbfounded¡­


    There was only a pair of scissors and a piece of cloth on the tray.


    Tang Xia picked up the cloth angrily and made a cut.

 Chapter 209 - Wanted to Cry But There Were No Tears

    Chapter 209 Wanted to Cry But There Were No Tears


    When she cut through the cloth, Tang Xia was completely flabbergasted. Other than the part that she cut, the other parts of the cloth also got torn apart slowly, forming a leaf-like shape.


    Obviously, Chu Tianjiao had given her a piece of cloth that was pre-processed.


    As Tang Xia held onto this piece of rag-like cloth, which had very few parts that could still be used, she wanted to cry. However, no tears were coming out. Was Chu Tianjiao playing with her?


    At the same time, the fans in Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast room started to flood the screen with comments.


    ¡°What the¡­ Tang Xia does not have enough fabric!


    ¡°Is Chu Tianjiao playing a trick on her intentionally?¡±


    ¡°How could she possibly make a gown out of this?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I think that this bit of cloth might not even be enough to cover her ass.¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian must have also received the same mission. I wonder how the fabric she got is.¡±


    ¡°I just came over from Li Xianxian¡¯s side. She got a piece of gauze that¡¯s not much better than Tang Xia¡¯s cloth.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­ Seems like Chu Tianjiao is deliberately testing them.¡±


    ¡°Now, it all depends on who can make good use of their materials and stand out in the fashion show tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Now that you said it, I¡¯m quite excited.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wonder who will win!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Because of Chu Tianjiao¡¯s weird idea, the two popular female live-streamers in the Time-Travel Broadcast Room were going to have a costume battle. Thanks to this dramatic arrangement, the fans in the broadcast room were all hyped up. They were looking forward to the fashion show tomorrow.


    This information was also quickly pushed to the most eye-catching position on the front page of the Time-Travel Broadcast Room¡¯s comment section and forum.


    Breaking News! Tang Xia VS Li Xianxian, Garden of Eden Fashion Show! Who Will Shine?


    In just a short period of time, the comment section was filled by enthusiastic fans. That night, this topic did not leave the hot discussion section.


    Because of this hyped-up atmosphere, the broadcast room was also experiencing a sky-rocketing data flow. The number of viewers kept increasing. The fashion show finally opened its curtains amid the fans¡¯ anticipation.


    No matter how bad a cloth they had gotten, they had to attend the show. Tang Xia held onto the cloth and studied it for a long time. Eventually, she decided that, since she could not change it, she might as well make use of it and treat it as a unique feature of her design.


    As she thought about it, Tang Xia did not just try to fix it. She even picked up the scissors and cut the strip of cloth into tinier, even pieces. It now looked even more artistic.


    When it was finally showtime, Tang Xia tied one of the pieces around her chest and one around her waist. As for the dangling parts, she either tied them into knots or just let them hang loosely. Although it looked messy, her design stood out from the rest.


    Then, Tang Xia looked into the mirror and created a suitable detailed look. She had a good foundation, so she usually would either wear no makeup or put on some light makeup that made her look very pure and lovely.


    However, this time around, Tang Xia did something different. She put on relatively elegant makeup and styled her hair into big waves. This caused her to look sexier and way more charming.


    Once everything was done, Tang Xia twirled in front of the mirror and turned into a passionate gypsy girl. As a result, although her outfit was slightly worse than a normal gown, it would still pass.


    Tang Xia thought that it was about time and headed off to the small auditorium.


    When she arrived at the auditorium, she realized how naive she had been.


    Other than her, everyone else was wearing an elaborately-tailored gown. Not only were the designs elegant, but they were also unique. This made Tang Xia doubt whether she was in the Garden of Eden or at an international big brand¡¯s fashion show.


    Compared to the others, she was like a crane amid a flock of chickens. Or rather, like a chicken in a flock of cranes.


    Tang Xia looked at the others and then looked at herself. She really wanted to find a hole to bury herself into. She confirmed once again that Chu Tianjiao was definitely messing around with her.


    The gowns that the others were wearing could definitely not have been produced by using the material that she had received.


    Tang Xia walked over to a small corner silently and caned Chu Tianjiao 180 times in her heart.


    ¡°Tang Xia?¡± A confused voice was heard. Tang Xia snapped out of her thoughts and saw that La Chapelle had been standing beside her for an unknown period of time. She was appraising her with a shocked expression.


    La Chapelle was wearing a white off-shoulder, high-knot gown. Her hair was tucked behind her head, while two strands of wavy hair hang by both sides. She looked elegant and sexy.


    Tang Xia, who was startled at first, greeted her.


    Tang Xia¡¯s appearance was very different than usual. Thus, it was only then that La Chapelle was sure that the person standing in front of her was Tang Xia. She even said in a shocked voice, ¡°It¡¯s really you! Why are you dressed like this?¡±


    La Chapelle could not help but take two more glances at Tang Xia as she spoke. When she saw that Tang Xia had only tied two pieces of cloth casually around her body, she could not help but frown.


    Compared to the other contestants¡¯ detailed preparation, Tang Xia¡¯s outfit left one speechless.


    Tang Xia heard her question and smiled helplessly. Her smile was filled with bitterness and sorrow. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to wear this, but Chu Tianjiao only gave me this much fabric!¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s explanation, La Chapelle realized that Tang Xia had received a different fabric than them. This showed clearly that Chu Tianjiao was deliberately making things difficult for her. While thinking about this, there was a hint of pity in La Chapelle¡¯s eyes, which were looking at Tang Xia.


    ¡°You must have had a hard time. You¡¯ve already done a great job using this limited fabric to create such a design¡­¡±


    La Chapelle patted Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder and comforted her. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Li Xianxian entering the auditorium. La Chapelle suddenly made a loud sound and almost choked on her own saliva.


    ¡°Am I seeing things? Is that Li Xianxian?¡± La Chapelle pointed towards a figure that had just stepped through the auditorium¡¯s door. Her eyes were open wide in shock.


    Li Xianxian was basically not wearing anything at all. Just like Tang Xia during the last game, she was only wearing a tube top and a pair of safety pants.


    The only difference was that her figure was obviously not as nice as Tang Xia¡¯s. Wearing such clothes only cost her coverage and exposed the defective parts of her body even more.


    Her ultimate failure was the piece of light-green thin gauze she had tied around her neck. Not only did it make her proportions look even weirder, but it also added a nondescript vibe to her look.


    If Tang Xia was a chicken in a flock of cranes, Li Xianxian was a pheasant in a flock of cranes.


    Tang Xia followed La Chapelle¡¯s gaze and looked over. She could not help snorting. She thought that she was already bad enough compared to everyone else. However, she had not expected that Li Xianxian would create such a high-level outfit.


    This was a whole new level of low. Tang Xia¡¯s worries were instantly healed by Li Xianxian.


    La Chapelle retracted her graze, her eyes still filled with disbelief. ¡°I take back my words. Compared to Li Xianxian, your outfit is very nice.¡±


    Everything had to be compared in order to determine which one was better and which one was worse. Compared to Li Xianxian¡¯s outfit, La Chapelle realized that it was really incredible that Tang Xia had managed to find her own style by using a rag.


    When Li Xianxian heard Tang Xia¡¯s laughter, her face fell. She obviously did not want to wear this, yet Chu Tianjiao had only given her a piece of gauze. She¡¯d had no other choice.


    Li Xianxian had spent half a day figuring this out in her room without reaching a conclusion. Upon seeing that time was almost up, she had only casually tied it around her neck and left the room.


    When she saw the well-designed gowns that everyone else was wearing and their attractive makeup, Li Xianxian turned blue. One could not tell if this was because of her light green gauze or because she felt depressed.


    By this point in time, almost everyone was here. Tang Xia scanned the crowd of girls in the auditorium and realized that only she and Li Xianxian were not wearing a gown.


    It seemed like Chu Tianjiao had given them a special test. However, Tang Xia had received a cloth, while Li Xianxian had been given some gauze.


    ¡°Seems like only the two of you have been specially taken care of,¡± La Chapelle said as she realized this. From the looks of it, Tang Xia had made use of her material better than Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia glanced at Li Xianxian and nodded. Then, she said with a hint of emotion in her voice, ¡°Actually, her gauze is easier to style than my cloth.¡±


    Gauze was a very malleable element in many top-notch fashion shows. It could expand into various directions in terms of design.


    On the other hand, the fabric that Tang Xia had received had been torn into pieces right from the start. Compared to the gauze that Li Xianxian had received, she had faced more limitations in terms of styling.


    The reason Li Xianxian had failed so terribly at styling was that she did not understand the strengths and limitations of her own body. She also had not managed to integrate the uniqueness of the gauze into her own uniqueness, which was why it looked like it did not belong on her.


    While Tang Xia and La Chapelle were studying Li Xianxian, Li Xianxian also scanned Tang Xia from head to toe. Jealousy flooded her when she saw how Tang Xia had used a piece of cloth to express her own style.


    On top of that, she also heard the two of them talking into each other¡¯s ears every now and then. They seemed to be bad-mouthing her. The smile on Tang Xia¡¯s face made it look like she was scoffing at her.


    Li Xianxian, who could not hold back her anger anymore, walked up to them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    It had been fine while she had not talked. However, when she did, the scarf around her neck made her style look extra ridiculous. Tang Xia, who was unable to hold back, let out two peals of laughter.


    La Chapelle was even more merciless. She looked at Li Xianxian¡¯s angry face in disdain and sneered in a cold tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick on you, but if you don¡¯t have a nice figure, you shouldn¡¯t wear exposing clothes.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, a good game will be messed up. You will only make a joke out of yourself.¡±


    As La Chapelle spoke, her gaze seemed to twirl around Tang Xia and Li Xianxian¡¯s bodies. She was obviously teasing Li Xianxian for copying Tang Xia and only wearing a tube top and safety pants, even though her figure was not as nice as Tang Xia¡¯s.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face kept changing from red to white and back again after hearing her words. Her mood was uncertain, which was very exciting.

 Chapter 210 - Getting Jealous While Fighting For Attention

    Chapter 210 Getting Jealous While Fighting For Attention


    ¡°You¡¯re just someone that takes advantage of relationships! You only dare to cause a scene here because you have a bit of a connection to Chu Tianjiao! Do you really think that you¡¯re a big shot?¡±


    La Chapelle looked at the furious Li Xianxian. After hearing her words of frustration, she suddenly found this very funny. She pulled her hand away from Li Xianxian¡¯s hands, which were grabbing onto her arms. Li Xianxian¡¯s strength was quite intense!


    She was indeed the girl that was favored by Chu Tianjiao. While holding onto La Chapelle, Li Xianxian continued to add more strength. La Chapelle could feel that Li Xianxian was almost causing her arms to turn purple.


    Tang Xia could see the commotion but did not want to get involved. After all, this was not something she was good at.


    She believed that the people who played this kind of mind and heart games had nothing better to do.


    Even on usual days, she rarely watched palace dramas. She felt that it was not meaningful. On the contrary, it was pretty dumb for a bunch of women to fight over a man. However, she had never thought that one day she would be one of them.


    La Chapelle could tell that Tang Xia did not want to get involved. She did not say anything. Instead, she only glared at Li Xianxian. She remembered clearly that Li Xianxian had wanted her to lose. She was a vengeful person that hated people easily.


    ¡°Even so, I was capable enough to be born with it! Do you have an opinion on that?¡±


    Li Xianxian was instantly dumbfounded by her words. Even after holding back for a while, she did not know how to reply. La Chapelle saw Li Xianxian¡¯s face turn red and green and happily stuck out her chin.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia could not hold back anymore and started laughing. Why were these people acting like a bunch of kids that had yet to grow up?


    The two of them put no substance in their words. La Chapelle and Li Xianxian turned their heads to look at Tang Xia at the same time. Tang Xia was startled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Tang Xia quickly changed her expression and pretended that nothing had happened.


    La Chapelle was also confused. She should be on the same team as Tang Xia. Why was she laughing at her so obviously?


    Just as the war between the trio was just about to be reignited, the door was slammed open and everyone in the room turned to look at it uniformly.


    Even Li Xianxian, who had wanted to scold Tang Xia, stopped talking instantly and turned to look at the door. Chu Tianjiao entered slowly, attracting everyone¡¯s attention.


    He seemed to have changed into new clothes for this so-called fashion show. He looked different than usual.


    He was already beautiful beyond words to begin with, like a standard combination of an angel and a devil. Now that he was wearing this figure-enhancing, extremely charming special suit, he looked just like satan climbing out of hell. He entered slowly, accompanied by a bunch of maids.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes hard. This person had such a deep interest in this. He had even changed his clothes and dressed up for this inexplicable game. Was this what was known as the cuteness of one¡¯s contrast?


    However, his entrance meant that the war had begun.


    The girls all around cheered loudly, as if they had never seen Chu Tianjiao before. Tang Xia touched her face. Didn¡¯t this bunch of people have a sense of dignity? Wasn¡¯t he just someone who looked very good?


    Why didn¡¯t they feel a single bit of frustration about getting fooled and played by him? Where had they thrown their dignity?


    Upon entering, Chu Tianjiao noticed Tang Xia and Li Xianxian. After all, they were the most outstanding people in the room.


    When Tang Xia saw that Chu Tianjiao was walking towards them, her eyes wandered around as she began to think. She took one step towards Li Xianxian silently.


    The others did not notice, but Li Xianxian did. She frowned. Why had this dude gotten so close to her suddenly? Tang Xia¡¯s sudden movement meant that she was not up to anything good! Li Xianxian turned her head and shoved her away.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    As Tang Xia was pushed down, even La Chapelle looked at her in confusion. What is she up to again? Can¡¯t she see that Chu Tianjiao is over there?


    The corners of Tang Xia¡¯s lips twitched when she saw how disappointed La Chapelle was at her. Was she doing this just to attract Chu Tianjiao¡¯s attention? She was so stupid! She seemed to be nothing other than his cousin.


    Characters with brains like hers always died in the first few episodes of drama series.


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia¡¯s eyes and inexplicably felt that she was being looked down on. Li Xianxian saw the eye contact between them and instantly realized that something was amiss. She turned her head and looked at Chu Tianjiao, her eyes showing that she was really sad and pitiful, as if she was really going to tear up.


    Chu Tianjiao looked at Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes. He had seen the interaction between the trio just now. A tint of inexplicable meaning flashed across his eyes as well.


    Tang Xia, who saw that Chu Tianjiao¡¯s gaze had been successfully attracted by their actions, felt happy. However, she quickly grew worried and frowned.


    Damn it. Although she had practiced before, she had never done such things in front of a man. She took in a deep breath. Then, as if she had made a decision, she lifted her head suddenly.


    Chu Tianjiao, Li Xianxian and La Chapelle were all startled. What was she going to do?


    Li Xianxian had an ominous premonition. Was this woman going to play a dirty trick? No, she could not fall victim to her trap! Unfortunately, she was too late.


    Just as Li Xianxian was about to make a move, Tang Xia lifted one hand slowly and rested it on her hips. The other hand was hanging down naturally. Her long, slender arms looked as if they were carved out of white jade, and her legs were naturally crossed.


    Her skin looked as if it had just been soaked in milk. It was smooth and tender. She stood with her chest and head up high, her confident look causing the surrounding girls¡¯ faces to fall. She slowly exposed her collarbone as she breathed. Even her belly button looked like it had been carved out diligently by a sculptor.


    The small amount of cloth covered the parts that should be covered, and the faintly-outlined figure looked even more tempting and fatal.


    Li Xianxian suddenly realized what that act was all about. She was using her as a stepping stone!


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia, who was showing off her figure to Chu Tianjiao. She was so furious that she wanted to just charge forward and tear down the little amount of cloth on her. However, she knew very well that this was Li Xianxian. How could she do such a superficial thing?


    ¡°Tianjiao!¡±


    Tang Xia and the surrounding girls were all startled by this sticky, greasy voice that sounded deliberately cute. Li Xianxian¡¯s voice also distracted Chu Tianjiao, who had been admiring Tang Xia¡¯s figure, and brought him back to reality.


    When he finally snapped back to reality, he only saw Li Xianxian running towards him with a pitiful expression. Chu Tianjiao frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Xianxian threw herself at him directly, but Chu Tianjiao obviously did not want to get close to her. Although Li Xianxian felt awkward instantly, she quickly reacted.


    ¡°They are bullying me! Look! They only gave me a pathetic gauze!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao followed the direction she was pointing at and took a look. Without saying a word, he turned to look at Tang Xia, who was standing aside. Tang Xia was startled. Was she supposed to do something at this point in time? After all, her strategy for the day was seduction¡­


    La Chapelle instantly wanted to approach Li Xianxian and give her a tight slap. Didn¡¯t Tang Xia have a lesser material? However, Tang Xia was not crying and pretending to be all sorrowful just to gain his pity.


    She dared to assume that if Tang Xia were to act pitiful, it would be an easy task for her.


    Tang Xia, who had prepared herself for a while, looked up at Chu Tianjiao. She suddenly smiled and walked up to him.


    ¡°Look at my outfit today. Does it look good?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao was dumbfounded. Indeed, he could tell that Tang Xia looked a little different today. However, he could not pinpoint exactly how.


    Right now, Tang Xia¡¯s shy face looked like a wild rose whose torn had finally been plucked out by him. Was she trying to act cute in front of him?


    Chu Tianjiao had so many questions in his heart, yet he did not show them on his face. He only looked at her and then at Li Xianxian, his gaze wandering between the two of them. He eventually looked at Li Xianxian.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s just a piece of pathetic gauze, you are still the most beautiful person here.¡±


    Li Xianxian was elated beyond words! Chu Tianjiao pulled her into his embrace swiftly.


    Tang Xia had not expected that her first effort to act cute and seduce someone would be pointless. La Chapelle, who had witnessed the whole scene from the sidelines, was also shocked that Chu Tianjiao had chosen Li Xianxian. After all, in his place, she would have chosen Tang Xia.


    As Li Xianxian was busking in happiness and Tang Xia and La Chapelle were frowning deeply, there seemed to be a commotion by the window.


    Chu Tianjiao looked in the window¡¯s direction and shoved Li Xianxian away. The crowd looked and saw that a girl was trying to jump out of the window.


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle were shocked. They both glanced at each other and remained silent. They looked at Chu Tianjiao, who was standing beside them, in confusion. What was going on?


    Two maids ran forward suddenly and tried to drag the girl down by her arms. Tang Xia frowned. Chu Tianjiao¡¯s expression was blank and cold. He watched the scene unfold before his eyes in silence.


    The girl¡¯s reaction was very intense as she swung the two maids¡¯ hands away.


    She shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t care if I die, I just don¡¯t want to become a walking zombie!¡±


    The room fell silent. Only the girl¡¯s cries and the sound of other people breathing could be heard. The air was as silent as if it was frozen. They all watched the girl in silence, as if she was already a dead person in their eyes.


    ¡°Then let her die.¡±


    As Chu Tianjiao looked at the girl, a cold smile formed on his lips. The two maids charged forward again and slammed the girl down violently.


    The girl fell onto the ground in pain, the skin on her arm peeling off due to the friction. However, Chu Tianjiao did not treat her gently at all. He coldly watched her get dragged out.


    The room was scarily silent. All the girls were too afraid to speak. While Tang Xia watched the girl being dragged, her heart could not stop shivering in fear.

 Chapter 211 - Are You Trying to Escape Again?

    Chapter 211 Are You Trying to Escape Again?


    ¡°What will happen to that girl?¡± Tang Xia asked La Chapelle. She could not stop her voice from trembling.


    Looking at the girl being pulled away, La Chapelle¡¯s eyes darkened. She said softly, ¡°She¡¯s either going to die, or live and wish that she had died.¡±


    Although she had already guessed it, Tang Xia still felt her body stiffening, after hearing what La Chapelle said.


    It was not cold at all, but she felt as if there were chills running up and down her spine. She could not stop trembling.


    These girls were like ants in Eden Garden. Their lives and deaths were all decided by Chu Tianjiao in an instant. Today it was this girl and tomorrow, it could be their turn.


    Thinking about this, Tang Xia made up her mind once again. When there was no one around them, Tang Xia lowered her voice and looked at La Chapelle. She asked, ¡°Do you want to get out of here?¡±


    Tang Xia was really tired of living in fear.


    ¡°What?¡± After listening clearly to what she said, La Chapelle almost cried out in shock. Luckily, she held it back at the last moment. But seeing the look in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, she could not hide her shocked feelings.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    La Chapelle pulled Tang Xia¡¯s elbow. Luckily no one noticed them just now. Otherwise, they would have been punished, based on what Tang Xia had said earlier.


    However, Tang Xia had a determined look in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else, just answer my question. Yes or no?¡±


    La Chapelle was slightly startled when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s determined gaze. Her heart could not help but waver. ¡°Did she really have a way to escape from here?¡±


    After a momentary hesitation, La Chapelle nodded intensely. ¡°Yes, even in my dreams.¡±


    She was not the only one. There was probably not a single girl in the Garden of Eden that did not want to escape. It was just that no one had actually dared to do it.


    And for those who were brave enough to do it, they were either killed by Chu Tianjiao, or turned into a maid without any mental consciousness.


    This was basically a hellish place.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Thinking about the outcome of those girls who failed to escape, a look of hesitation appeared on La Chapelle¡¯s face. She was just about to speak, when she was interrupted by Tang Xia. ¡°That is enough.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at La Chapelle. Under the influence of her determined gaze, La Chapelle¡¯s uneasy heart calmed down a little.


    At this moment, after the girl had been taken away, chaos resumed in the auditorium. Tang Xia and La Chapelle paused their conversation.


    Meanwhile, the other girls were fighting to show off their gowns to Chu Tianjiao.


    Under a situation where they could not escape, getting into Chu Tianjiao¡¯s good books was the only way to live peacefully in the Garden of Eden. And this was the method that Li Xianxian chose.


    Seeing the other girls wearing such gossamer gowns, Li Xianxian could not help but let her expression fall, when she looked at the drab outfit she was wearing.


    However, she would not admit defeat. On the contrary, she made her voice even softer and gentler, as she whined at Chu Tianjiao.


    ¡°Look at them, they¡¯re all wearing such nice dresses. I¡¯m the only one that received this piece of useless yarn. I don¡¯t care, you¡¯re biased. I won¡¯t accept it.¡±


    As Li Xianxian whined away, her arms that were so soft and seemingly boneless, also inadvertently wrapped themselves around Chu Tianjiao¡¯s arms.


    Needless to say, while Li Xianxian¡¯s figure was not as good as Tang Xia¡¯s, in terms of whining and acting cute, Tang Xia was no match for her.


    At this moment, Li Xianxian moved her eyes flirtatiously, and that, together with her soft and delicate voice, brought a smile to Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes. He placed one hand around her waist, and tightened his grip.


    ¡°Who cares how they look? You¡¯re the only one in my eyes, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Chu Tianjiao said. His phoenix eyes were seemingly smiling, as he looked at her with a tinge of playfulness.


    Li Xianxian snorted, but pressed herself closer to him. ¡°You really know how to say pay nice compliments,¡± she said, as she pretended to snuggle into his chest.


    Judging from the strength she exerted, it was a scratch rather than a push. Not only would it not cause any discomfort, but on the contrary, it made it hard for him to hold it back.


    Chu Tianjiao grabbed onto Li Xianxian¡¯s hand and squeezed it hard. Li Xianxian had managed to attract his attention. The girls around them, who had been trying to charm him, had all faded into the background.


    When the girls saw how close they were, they were a little jealous. They then tried even harder to show off their gowns. It was a totally chaotic scene.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia and La Chapelle did not participate in this charade. While no one was paying attention to them, Tang Xia whispered to La Chapelle, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    After which, Tang Xia pulled La Chapelle towards the window. She looked down and observed the geographical landscape, while pretending to be very relaxed and bored.


    ¡°That is the big auditorium, I tried to escape from there last time, but failed.¡±


    Since she had already attempted to escape, Tang Xia knew a little more about the geographical layout of the Garden of Eden, as compared to La Chapelle. Now when she pointed at the big auditorium, her eyes inevitably darkened, and her tone was a little emotional.


    That time, she had tried her best, for such a long time. But eventually, it was all to no avail.


    Meanwhile, when La Chapelle heard that Tang Xia had tried running away and even failed, her eyes were filled with shock as she asked, ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    According to her understanding, those who had been caught escaping would be severely punished. They would definitely not be safe and sound like her, right now.


    Of course Tang Xia knew what La Chapelle was confused about. She laughed bitterly. She told her the story about how Pearl tried to save her, and had been turned into a maid by Chu Tianjiao.


    After hearing the story, La Chapelle¡¯s mouth opened wide in shock, and she could not say anything. The despair and fear that Tang Xia had gone through were far beyond her imagination.


    ¡°Now you know why I must escape?¡± Tang Xia asked. She looked down and the emotions in her eyes were unclear. However, she had unconsciously curled her fingers into a fist. And because she was exerting so much strength, her knuckles were turning white.


    She knew that if she stayed here, there would be no future whatsoever. If she gave up resisting, not only would she not forgive herself, but Pearl¡¯s sacrifice for her sake, would have been in vain.


    La Chapelle kept quiet. There was a complex emotion in her eyes. After keeping quiet for some time, La Chapelle gritted her teeth, and her gaze gradually became more determined.


    Tang Xia was right. If they did not escape, they would be living the life of the walking dead. Then what was the point of that?


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan? Count me in.¡± La Chapelle said to Tang Xia, after making up her mind.


    Tang Xia was overjoyed. Now she would not be fighting alone. Tang Xia nodded her head, ¡°It¡¯s not finished yet at the moment, but we still have time to work on it.¡±


    Most importantly, they needed to have strong faith. As long as they had the determination to escape, they would be able to overcome all kinds of challenges, one by one.


    This may sound easy, but it was not really that easy to carry out the plan in the Garden of Eden. Facing Chu Tianjiao¡¯s hundreds of methods of torture, many girls, who initially had the idea of escaping, lost their desire to do so slowly, and settled with staying and becoming his toy.


    At this moment, a gush of wind blew suddenly and the curtain flapped. Tang Xia suddenly felt a familiar feeling coming over her. When she looked back, she saw another man standing by the curtain.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Tang Xia looked at the man in front of her, and she could not hide the shock in her eyes. It was because this man was the same man whom she met, when she was about to jump into the sea, during her last attempt to escape.


    Afterward, the man disappeared suddenly. Tang Xia thought it had to be an illusion, and did not think too much about it. Unexpectedly, she bumped into him again here, and in such a bizarre way too.


    But this time around, she was not alone. Tang Xia looked suspiciously toward one side. She saw Chu Tianjiao and Li Xianxian still being affectionate with each other, and it seemed as if they did not notice this man¡¯s appearance at all.


    Meanwhile, La Chapelle was looking at her in a strange manner, and then at the curtain. ¡°Tang Xia, what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a man over there, didn¡¯t you see him?¡± There was a tinge of shock in her voice. The man was standing right over there, but be it Chu Tianjiao or La Chapelle, they did not seem to have seen him.


    Could it be that she was really the only one that could see him?


    Tang Xia cast her gaze onto the man again. She heard him say, ¡°After getting out, climb towards your right and you will find a foothold.¡± His voice was not loud, but it travelled into her mind clearly, as if it had blocked out the chaos from the auditorium.


    ¡°What foothold?¡± Tang Xia froze for a moment, and did not manage to register it quickly. She was just about to question him, but when she looked up, the man had already disappeared.


    This happened again. Appearing and disappearing without a trace. This was obviously not an illusion, but there seemed to be no better explanation for it, other than it being an illusion.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind was filled with what the man had said. After getting out, climb towards your right and you will find a foothold. She sank into deep thoughts immediately.


    Meanwhile, La Chapelle looked at the direction where Tang Xia had been staring at for some time, but did not see any man. She turned around and asked her ¡°What man? Are you hallucinating?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head. She was sure that it was not an illusion, but she just could not explain why she was the only one who could see him.


    The man¡¯s words were obviously some kind of hint. She could feel that he was trying to help them to escape. She did not know why, but she trusted him.


    ¡°What are you guys doing over there?¡±


    At this instant, a cold-looking figure came up behind them. Tang Xia turned around and found that Chu Tianjiao had stopped talking to Li Xianxian for an unknown period of time, and had come up to them.


    ¡°Nothing, trying to get some fresh air by the window.¡± Tang Xia looked at his sullen face, and could not help panicking. She forced herself to reply calmly.


    Upon hearing her answer, the corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile that made one shiver in fear. Following which, he grasped her chin and forced her to meet him his gaze.


    ¡°Are you trying to get fresh air¡­or trying to escape?¡±


    Accompanying his voice, his grip also tightened. But what caused her the most discomfort was his gaze. She felt as if he could see through her soul.

 Chapter 212 - hu Tianjiao Is An Orphan

    Chapter 212 Chu Tianjiao Is An Orphan


    Tang Xia frowned. Chu Tianjiao¡¯s hand was not gentle at all. Even though he only used two fingers to pinch her chin, she still felt spasms at the back of her head, from the pain.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s expression made it look as if everything was so natural, and he was merely touching her chin gently.


    However, the slightly red mark on her chin was proof that he was almost crushing her bones.


    Seeing his light expression, Tang Xia really wanted to kick him.


    However, she was very certain that it would not do her any good. So what if it would vent her anger? Those who should be caught would still be caught, those who should be locked up, would still be locked up. She held back the urge to push him aside, and pretended to shook her head in a flustered manner.


    ¡°No, no! Why would I ever think of escaping?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao frowned slightly when he saw how she refuted him directly. His expression told her that he obviously did not believe her. He exerted more force on the hand tugging at her chin.


    Tang Xia looked at him, as he continued exerting more force, as a tinge of coldness flashed across his eyes. She looked down. How could she convince him in such a way that he would believe her? Her chin would be turning purple anytime soon!


    ¡°I just miss home.¡±


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s expression changed suddenly. Tang Xia was surprised. She had only said it casually. She did not expect him to believe such a lame excuse. Tang Xia instantly felt like she had won the lottery.


    Seeing Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face turn red and green, Tang Xia was a little confused as to what was happening to him. Why did his manner change, after hearing that she was homesick?


    Chu Tianjiao let go of her chin, and left instantly. Tang Xia immediately touched her chin. She only felt bursts of pain.


    Right now, she really wanted to take a look at a mirror. She did not even know what was the condition of her chin. Could it have turned purple and left a bruise?


    Looking at Chu Tianjiao¡¯s increasingly-distant back view, Tang Xia felt an inexplicable sense of sorrow.


    When did Chu Tianjiao ever display this emotion? Wasn¡¯t he always wearing that sinister smirk on his face? Now, he did not even bother about her intention to escape, and had just walked off like that?


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia¡¯s confused look, and suddenly smiled. She waved a finger in front of her eyes, but Tang Xia was too focused in her thoughts, and showed no reaction.


    La Chapelle saw that she was so engrossed in her thoughts and pulled at her directly. Tang Xia then snapped back into reality. La Chapelle looked at her, feeling confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at La Chapelle and touched her chin that was still throbbing after being pinched so hard. She turned around and asked her.


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong just now?¡±


    La Chapelle was startled. What did she mean by ¡°saying anything wrong?¡± Recalling Chu Tianjiao¡¯s strange reaction, she suddenly understood what was going on.


    ¡°Although the Chu family is very mysterious, but as Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cousin, I still understand him a little.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised and immediately lifted her head to look at her. What did she mean by that?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t understand him that well?¡±


    ¡°Why did she suddenly say that she understood him? Liar!¡±


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia¡¯s confused and skeptical look, and felt instantly embarrassed. Her cheeks turned red, and as she quickly waved her hands, she said,


    ¡°I forgot the last time, my memory is not good, hahaha.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at her silently. Right now, she did not want to say anything, nor did she want to pay any attention to her at all. After thinking about it for a while, La Chapelle leaned close to her ear and said softly,


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao was actually adopted by the Chu family.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked, and she instantly turned back to look at her. What? There was a hidden fact like this?


    She had never expected Chu Tianjiao to have such an identity. She found herself speechless for quite some time. Could it be that his identity was the reason why he was so abnormal? This was too dramatic!


    But after all, the world was that dramatic. One should not take everything so seriously.


    Tang Xia nodded in her heart. La Chapelle looked at her. What kind of nonsense was this person thinking of again? Seeing her expression, La Chapelle knew that she was not thinking of anything good.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. There was more?


    ¡°Spill any other information that you have!¡±


    ¡°Let me enjoy it all at once.¡±


    La Chapelle spoke softly, ¡°Chu Tianjiao was adopted by the Chu family when he was young, so that he could be a playmate for the Chu family¡¯s young master.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but frown. What kind of rich family was this? To adopt a kid just to play with their child? How rich was this family?


    If this castle was just a tiny playground built for Chu Tianjiao, then this Chu family was really living like a game bug.


    The Chu family must spoil the young master a lot, in order to give such a big castle to his playmate that they adopted for fun.


    But¡­what kind of an existence was it for this young master?


    For some unknown reason, when she heard that Chu Tianjiao had a brother, she felt an inexplicable shiver run down her spine, as if an answer had surfaced.


    It also seemed as if she was unwilling to face it. She only wished that this time around, it better not be what she last wanted it to be¡­


    ¡°Seems like this young master is also a pervert!¡±


    La Chapelle smiled and said nothing. After all, she did not know the Chu family very well. She was just a cousin, she did not know the rest.


    However, she agreed with what Tang Xia said. Chu Tianjiao was already so sick, yet he was just a playmate. Then wouldn¡¯t the young master be even more of a pervert than him?


    ¡°Do you know anything else? Just tell me everything all at once, don¡¯t leave me hanging by telling me bit by bit.¡±


    Tang Xia folded her arms and stared at La Chapelle, as if she was interrogating her. La Chapelle could not help taking two steps back. She quickly waved her hands and said.


    ¡°No more, no more, no more. There¡¯s really no more.¡±


    She was not part of the Chu family, how could she possibly know so much? While thinking about it, she turned her head towards the other side. She saw that everyone had dispersed, and the maids had arrived to bring everyone back to their rooms.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, time for us to go back.¡±


    As if she was escaping from her, La Chapelle pulled her maid along, and ran to her room. Tang Xia rolled her eyes. Did she need to do it to this extent? It was the first time she saw her pulling her maid to her room.


    Suddenly, a maid walked towards her. She said nothing, and started to bring her to her room. Tang Xia scanned her environment. Everyone else had indeed returned. She let the maid pull her back.


    Seeing the maid slam the door shut, Tang Xia felt as if she was already used to this prison-like life, just that this was a luxurious prison.


    She turned her head towards the window and suddenly thought of the man outside the window. Who was he? Why did he help her for no reason? He even told her where she could land her leg.


    She kept on feeling that there was something familiar about him. She was also very curious about this man in the Garden of Eden that was full of women, whom even Chu Tianjiao did not know of.


    She had a hunch that he would appear again.


    The next day.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Tang Xia was in the middle of her sleep, when she was woken up by a sudden knock on her door. Feeling a little annoyed, she lifted her blanket. She then saw La Chapelle barging in all of a sudden.


    Tang Xia obviously had not yet registered what just happened. She only felt some unknown object plunging toward her. Tang Xia looked at her in shock, and felt that the whole situation was very inexplicable.


    ¡°Why did you come out?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she a bit crazy? Even if she was Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cousin, she should not be running around everyday! She should not be so willful, even with her special status. At that instant, Tang Xia felt a bit skeptical about her. Why was she not set up as Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cousin, since she came here voluntarily?


    She was kept here like a canary, and other than playing some mind games, all she did was to sleep. She was so tired that she was doubting her life. She was unlike La Chapelle, who could go anywhere she wanted to.


    La Chapelle seemed to have understand what was behind Tang Xia¡¯s look in her eyes. She quickly held her hand and said,


    ¡°Every Sunday is our free time, but we can¡¯t get out of the premises of the Garden of Eden. But since I¡¯m his cousin, I¡¯m entitled to run around!¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised. There was such a system in place? She quickly turned and looked at La Chapelle in disbelief. She observed the situation outside the door, and ran back to whisper in La Chapelle¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it a good opportunity to escape today?!¡±


    La Chapelle shook her head slowly. She looked at Tang Xia¡¯s hopeful face and sighed slowly.


    ¡°If only it was that simple.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. Could there be any hidden agenda? She turned to sit beside her and asked.


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia. She was still underestimating the Garden of Eden, and how sickening and inhumane Chu Tianjiao was.


    ¡°Those caught escaping on Sunday will¡­.in front of everyone¡­¡±


    Tang Xia saw that La Chapelle could not bear to tell her. What could it be that would cause her to feel so disgusted, just by thinking about it? Tang Xia looked at how La Chapelle was acting in such a mysterious way, and felt like beating her up at that very instant. She hated those who stop talking halfway, the most!


    ¡°What will happen to them? Say it!¡±


    Tang Xia tugged at La Chapelle¡¯s arm anxiously. La Chapelle¡¯s tone was sinister, as she said.


    ¡°Those caught escaping will be whipped to death, in front of everyone.¡±


    Tang Xia was taken aback. Although Chu Tianjiao was a pervert, she thought that he would not do something that would threaten one¡¯s life. However, she had never thought that he could be so cruel.


    La Chapelle looked at how Tang Xia remained sullen. She was just about to say something when Tang Xia stood up all of a sudden. La Chapelle jumped in surprise. Tang Xia then pulled her towards the door.


    She had never thought that Tang Xia would bring her to a place like this hell. Tang Xia saw Haidala when she looked inside. But just as they were exchanging glances with each other, Haidala avoided her stare.

 Chapter 213 - Im The One Behind All This

    Chapter 213 I¡¯m The One Behind All This


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did anything happen?¡± Tang Xia asked, when she saw that Haidala was acting abnormally.


    Haidala did not even glance at Tang Xia, as she replied in an extremely cold voice, ¡°You guys should go. My agreement with you is already nullified.¡± After which, she opened the door, and her attitude was as if she was chasing them away.


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia, and her whole face was filled with confusion. Meanwhile, Tang Xia was even more shocked. ¡°Why?¡±


    She had put in a lot of effort to persuade Haidala to join her. Now that their chance was near, she did not expect that Haidala would want out. Tang Xia could not stop her expression from changing, and she quickly asked in a different tone.


    However, as if she had turned into a different person, Haidala was extremely cold towards Tang Xia. No matter how Tang Xia asked, she would not say anything. Later on, she felt so stressed from the questioning that her facial expression changed completely, and she pushed Tang Xia outside.


    ¡°I already said that our agreement has been nullified, you guys are not welcome here anymore.¡± Haidala¡¯s face was dark, and she even picked up her mace. Her intention was clear; if Tang Xia and La Chapelle did not leave any sooner, she would take action.


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle looked into each others¡¯ eyes. Their gazes was filled with helplessness. In such a situation, no matter how unwilling they were, they could only leave.


    ¡°Okay, I will leave immediately, as long as you answer my question. And I promise that I will never come back to bother you,¡± Tang Xia said to Haidala, as she gritted her teeth.


    Haidala¡¯s facial expression relaxed a little, maybe because she saw that Tang Xia was about to leave. However, she did not say anything.


    Tang Xia saw it and knew that Haidala was wavering. Her voice became softer as she continued, ¡°Even if you change your mind, you have to give me an explanation. Otherwise, I really can¡¯t accept it.¡±


    Tang Xia was extremely sincere, and she did make sense.


    Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s sincere gaze, Haidala¡¯s gaze finally softened a little. She said to her hesitantly, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. But you have to promise that you¡¯ll leave immediately after, and you won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Haidala said, as she threw the mace aside. Tang Xia quickly nodded and said, ¡°I promise.¡± As long as Haidala was willing to open up, there was still a chance for things to turn around.


    Seeing that Tang Xia had made a promise, Haidala then started to explain.


    ¡°That day, after you left, I tried to convey your idea to the other girls in hell. One of them quickly tried it. They¡¯ve already had enough of staying here and could not tolerate it any longer.¡±


    ¡°Elsa was one of them, and she was the most excited. Sigh, I should have noticed it sooner.¡±


    Speaking of which, Haidala sighed and she began to look sad. She muttered, ¡°If I had discovered it sooner and talked her out of it, perhaps it would not be like this right now.¡±


    Her depressed tone caused Tang Xia and La Chapelle to have a bad feeling. ¡°What happened afterward?¡± Seeing that Haidala was not saying anything, Tang Xia could not help prompting her.


    Haidala looked up and glanced at her, before quickly looking down again. Her voice was a little low and hoarse, as if she was swallowing a lump in her throat. ¡°Elsa could not hold back and she was caught escaping. She will be publicly caned today.¡±


    Caning! Tang Xia and La Chapelle both knew what it meant. Hearing this, their gazes lost focus for a moment, and both were struck dumb. No one would have expected this to happen.


    No wonder Haidala had such a big change in her attitude. Anyone who faced this would waver. After listening to her explanation, Tang Xia finally understood why Haidala wanted to call it off.


    After Haidala was done, her eyes also darkened by a few shades. She then told Tang Xia and La Chapelle, ¡°Okay, this is the story. You can go now.¡±


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle stood up and took a few steps towards the door. Just as they reached the door, Tang Xiacould not help turning back. She held onto Haidala¡¯s hand and tried to persuade her again, ¡°That was just an accident. Nothing would happen to us as long as we stick to my plan.¡±


    Haidala glanced at her absent-mindedly, and did not say a word.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Haidala, the chance is right in front of our eyes, don¡¯t you want to escape?¡± Tang Xia looked at her and asked anxiously. She really could not bear to see Haidala give up just like that.


    That girl had failed because she was too rash. She had not planned out the route and direction properly. However, Tang Xia was different. As long as Haidala cooperated with her, she was confident that she could help them to escape safely.


    After she continued to persuade her for a while, Haidala finally sighed. She shook off Tang Xia¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but it¡¯s that it¡¯s useless when only I believe in you.¡±


    After the news of Elsa being caught and that she would be caned spread to hell, all the other girls lost the courage to escape. Other than Haidala, no other girl believed in Tang Xia.


    When she heard what Haidala said, Tang Xia¡¯s brows furrowed, and she was also a little discouraged. Elsa¡¯s accident was a huge blow to the girls in hell. Even with Haidala¡¯s help, it would be very difficult to restore their confidence.


    But Tang Xia was not willing to give up just like that. After pausing momentarily, just as she was about to persuade Haidala, an angry and suppressed voice came from behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re that rebel?¡±


    Tang Xia heard the voice and turned around. She saw a girl who was as muscular as Haidala, staring at her with a face full of fury. Upon seeing her, Haidala¡¯s expression became a little unnatural. ¡°Sun Jin, why are you here?¡±


    Sun Jin was the girl in Hell No.2. She was the closest to Elsa. Now that Elsa was caught, she was naturally the most upset. Hence, she was also the one who resented Tang Xia the most.


    From Sun Jin¡¯s point of view, if it was not for Tang Xia¡¯s encouragement, Elsa would definitely not have had the urge to escape, and ended up being caught by Chu Tianjiao.


    After hearing some movements from next door, Sun Jin became a little suspicious. Now that she saw Haidala¡¯s unnatural expression, she was even more certain about Tang Xia¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Haidala, why are you still in touch with her? Have you already forgotten Elsa¡¯s punishment?¡± Sun Jin first scolded Haidala angrily. Haidala hung her head low, and a tinge of hesitation appeared in her eyes.


    Sun Jin then turned and looked at Tang Xia, her gaze filled with hostility. ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused us enough harm us? How dare you come back here? What exactly do you want?¡±


    Sun Jin said. As she was too furious, she subconsciously started to get rough with Tang Xia. Tang Xia wanted to explain at first, but Sun Jin was too oppressive, and did not give her a chance to speak.


    Haidala saw that Sun Jin was getting more agitated as she spoke , and she kept pushing Tang Xia. The situation was very bad. Haidala then pulled Sun Jin back, while throwing glances at Tang Xia and La Chapelle.


    At the same time, she pretended to be angry and said, ¡°Leave now! Don¡¯t let me see you guys here again!¡±


    The girls in hell were now full of hostility towards Tang Xia. If more girls were to join, this would not end well. Tang Xia assessed the situation and knew that Haidala was doing this for her own good. She threw her a grateful glance, then left with La Chapelle.


    None of them expected this to happen to Elsa. Now that the girls in hell had such an attitude towards her, it would be extremely difficult for Tang Xi to persuade them right now. She could only put a hold on this.


    That night, everyone was notified to gather at the auditorium, without knowing what was going on. Just as everyone was in a state of confusion, Chu Tianjiao walked onto the stage and announced in a cold tone that they had caught someone trying to escape, and he was going to carry out the caning in public.


    Upon hearing the news, all the girls were all in a state of utter dismay and shock. This was because Chu Tianjiao¡¯s punishment was so cruel that it had been a long time since someone tried to escape out of the Garden of Eden. They did not expect that there would be another one right now.


    After they got over their shock, they were then filled with deep dread. It had been a very long since anyone tried to escape, so the who was caught this time must suffer Chu Tianjiao¡¯s cruel punishment.


    Thinking about this, they could not bear to continue watching. Meanwhile, Tang Xia and La Chapelle¡¯s gazes had darkened. They had already found out from Haidala that the person who had been caught was Elsa. Right now, they felt an inexplicable suppression.


    ¡°Bring her up.¡±


    Following Chu Tianjiao¡¯s orders, two maids forced a girl with short blonde hair up onto the stage. It was Elsa. At this current moment, she was very flustered, and her eyes were filled with horror. She could not help trembling from thinking about what was going to happen next.


    Chu Tianjiao glanced at her face with his extremely cold gaze. He then moved away disdainfully, and then scanned across the auditorium at the other girls. The atmosphere in the auditorium dropped to freezing point. No one dared to make a sound.


    And this was exactly the effect he wanted. He wanted everyone in the Garden of Eden to know that this was the outcome of being daring enough to escape.


    Chu Tianjiao walked up to Elsa and caressed her face with his icy cold hand, as if he was playing with a prey that he caught. His action was very gentle, yet she dared not make a single sound. Tears even started to form in her eyes.


    This was because she knew how terrifying the owner of that hand could be.


    When Chu Tianjiao saw this scene, he did not waver at all. After he had enough of touching her face, his expression changed and he held onto her chin. He asked in an extremely cold voice, ¡°Tell me, why did you try to escape?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao looked down at Elsa¡¯s face that was extremely pale, due to her fear. Elsa was too scared and did not dare to meet his eyes. She looked down and her voice trembled. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s Tang Xia who instructed me to do so!¡±


    As her voice fell, another gasp was heard from the audience. Everyone¡¯s gazes turned towards Tang Xia. Some were shocked, some were pitiful, and some were glad.


    This was because no matter what the truth was, Tang Xia would find it hard to get herself out of this one, because of Elsa¡¯s admission. It was very likely that she would be punished together with Elsa, or receive an even harsher punishment.


    ¡°Was it?¡± After hearing her answer, Chu Tianjiao let go of Elsa¡¯s chin, and a harsh smile formed at the corner of his lips. He looked at Tang Xia playfully.


    Seeing this scene, Tang Xia knew that she had nowhere to run to. She made a decision and gritted her teeth. Ignoring La Chapelle who tried to block her way, she took half a step forward, ¡°She¡¯s right. I¡¯m the one behind all this. Let her go!¡±

 Chapter 214 - Caning

    Chapter 214 Caning


    Everyone turned to look at Tang Xia in shock. Even La Chapelle thought that Tang Xia was crazy. In situations like this, the one who admitted to it would definitely have to die! Yet she dared to admit directly!


    Li Xianxian was also startled. She had never thought that Tang Xia would become so crazy as to walk up to death herself. Even though she was overjoyed in her heart, when she saw how righteous Tang Xia looked, she suppressed the joy in her heart and side-glanced at Chu Tianjiao.


    Tang Xia, this time around I didn¡¯t harm you, you¡¯re the one who inflicted death upon yourself. You really can¡¯t be stopped!


    Subconsciously, La Chapelle secretly tugged at Tang Xia¡¯s shirt. She leaned towards her and whispered to her.


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±


    However, Tang Xia showed no fear on her face and only kept on staring at Chu Tianjiao. She ignored La Chapelle and the sea of shocked faces completely.


    However, she felt uncomfortable from the gazes cast on her. For example, that tint of pity and that subtle sneer. At this instant, her emotions were complicated.


    She had put in so much effort to help everyone escape together, but not all of those whom she offered her kindness would take it.


    She only felt that these people were very cold towards her, yet she felt extremely helpless. So what if they were cold towards her? She should still save those whom she had to save.


    La Chapelle saw that Tang Xia spoke not a word, as if she could not hear anything at all. She could not help but feel more anxious.


    Seeing Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face getting darker and darker, all hairs on La Chapelle¡¯s body stood up. She really wanted to just pull Tang Xia away and run. But she was very clear that they would die faster if they were to escape.


    Damn it, did this idiot leave the house without her brain?


    Was it not best to deny something like this? They did not have any evidence against them, what was there to be afraid of? Why must she admit it? The one who was punishing this girl did not even check if it was Tang Xia.


    She pulled Tang Xia over forcefully and glared at her while being mindful of their environment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t anyhow admit! You can¡¯t be a hero for everything!¡±


    If she were to be a hero for this incident, it was very likely that she would lose her life! La Chapelle could only call such a daring move as stupidity!


    However, Tang Xia had no response. One should be responsible for his own actions. She could not watch this girl be caned to death!


    As a human with flesh and blood, she could not allow one¡¯s life to be lost because of her. She took in a deep breath and glared into Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes fearfully.


    Seeing how stubborn she was, La Chapelle instantly felt like she was not angry anymore. She was so angry that she had no more temper. Why was she trying to be selfless at this moment! Her life was more important!


    ¡°If you were to die or get into an accident, then who¡¯s going to bring them out of here?!¡±


    Tang Xia froze a little and her heart wavered slightly. Just as she was still contemplating in her heart, Chu Tianjiao suddenly burst into laughter.


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle were both shocked. They did not even have time to think about it. Tang Xia glared at Chu Tianjiao without taking her eyes off him. Her fist tightened.


    She actually feared death terribly. Even though she was very clear that this was just a game world, she was still very afraid of death. However, she had no other choice. As compared to death, she was more intolerable of watching someone die because of her.


    She did not want to owe anyone, nor did she wish to cause trouble to others. Hence, she had no choice but to lift up her head and look him in the eye stubbornly.


    All who were present heard Chu Tianjiao¡¯s loud laughter. Everyone did not even dare to breathe, even Li Xianxian, who stood at one side, also held her breath. She too did not know what was wrong with Chu Tianjiao. Was he triggered from being too angry?


    However, she was very smart. She was very good at observing men. For an attractive man like Chu Tianjiao, she was very clear that at this moment, all she had to do was to stand by his side quietly and utter not a single word.


    Who knows? You might suddenly say something wrong and you could fall from heaven to hell the next moment. The more you say, the more mistake you would make. This idiom was applicable anywhere.


    Chu Tianjiao laughed out loud and the laughter stopped all of a sudden. The whole punishment area became extremely quiet. Tang Xia also stood motionless. She did not blink her eyes. She glared at him carefully, as if she was trying to figure out his thoughts.


    But how would his thoughts be read so easily?


    ¡°You said¡­you want to replace her?¡±


    His voice at this moment was like Satan¡¯s. It was playful, yet one could clearly hear that tint of strange coldness in his voice.


    Tang Xia was taken aback by his question but reacted quickly. She lifted her head and nodded solemnly, proving how determined she was about it.


    However, Chu Tianjiao suddenly pushed Li Xianxian aside. He stood up slowly and laughed out loud as he said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re sure of what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Suddenly, his gaze turned sharp as he looked at Tang Xia. ¡°Then you too shall die.¡±


    Die?! Tang Xia was extremely shocked by his last words. She felt like a big stone was dropped in her heart and her whole person suddenly felt very heavy-spirited.


    She heard Chu Tianjiao turn around and waved his hand as he ordered, ¡°Start the execution!¡±


    Tang Xia clenched her fists tightly, so much so that it looked as if she was trying to poke blood out of her palm. La Chapelle could not bear to watch at all, but she could not do anything. She was very certain that Chu Tianjiao was very furious at this moment.


    If she did not plead nor say anything, Chu Tianjiao might find a tint of consciousness in him and secretly let Tang Xia off. However, if she rush up and say something right now, she could be killed immediately.


    She was very sure that her cousin would definitely not allow anyone to challenge his authority. Even as his cousin, her words were of no use.


    A maid walked up onto the platform slowly while handing long whips. Another two maids pressed Tang Xia onto the penalty platform. Tang Xia did not resist at all and allowed them to force her onto the platform.


    The surrounding girls were already used to this and their eyes were blank. Some who watched it for the first time were screaming loudly.


    But just as Tang Xia was halfway there, a maid on the stage suddenly picked up the whip to hit the girl on the platform.


    Tang Xia immediately broke free from the two maids¡¯ restrictions and dash onto the penalty platform. She wanted to make use of this inertia to push away the maid holding onto the whip.


    But sadly, the maid was too strong for her. Besides, the maid had already saw Tang Xia charging towards her from afar and had some mental preparation. Tang Xia was pushed away directly.


    But Tang Xia did not give up. She picked herself up and plunged onto the girl directly. The maid did not care and started hitting onto Tang Xia¡¯s body harshly.


    Tang Xia felt her back full of great pain, causing her whole body to have spasms. The maid was like a robot following orders and did not stop at all. She kept on hitting her. Tang Xia felt her mind going blank and she gradually lost


    After she woke up, she only felt as if her back was on fire, as if someone was pouring pepper water on her wounds. It was so painful that she had to be careful with her breathing. It was at this kind of situation when she wondered why this game experience was so real.


    She opened up her eyes slowly and only felt that her eyelids were so heavy that she could not open them. She turned her head and looked at her side. She found that she was in a room that she had never been in before. The whole room was painted an empty white, it had nothing.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind went blank instantly as if she could not remember anything. She scanned her surroundings slowly and suddenly found someone sitting by her bed. Her mind went loose and she could not react.


    La Chapelle looked at Tang Xia lying on the bed while putting on a peaceful expression. Tang Xia looked at her in a state of confusion. After thinking about it carefully, she then realized that she must have been sent here after she passed out from being beaten.


    Meanwhile, La Chapelle did not want to take notice of her at all. Luckily, luckily she understood Chu Tianjiao better. She knew that Chu Tianjiao had an inexplicable obsession and interest in Tang Xia.


    She also did not know why but she could feel it nonetheless. Hence, she did not plead for her. She knew that he would let her off. However, she was really on the verge of tears because of how stupid this woman was. Why was there a woman on earth who was so dumb and selfless?


    She was so angry that she did not want to talk to her at all. Instead, she wanted to hit her two more times to wake her up. If you¡¯re not that capable, why did you even try to take it?!


    Tang Xia was a little confused when she saw La Chapelle¡¯s blank look but did not say anything. After thinking for a while, she asked slowly.


    ¡°How¡¯s that girl?¡±


    That girl? For a moment, La Chapelle did not know what she was talking about. She finally recalled after a while that this fella was trying to save a girl just now, using her own life. Wasn¡¯t it the one called Elsa? But¡­that Elsa¡­


    La Chapelle¡¯s gaze turned icy cold all of a sudden. She shook her head and got up suddenly. She stared at her coldly and turned to leave.


    Tang Xia was taken aback. She did not expect La Chapelle to look at her like this. What was this about? What happened? What happened to that girl? What happened exactly during this period of time when she fainted?


    Perhaps, was there something that she did not know about? She kept on having a bad hunch. La Chapelle was acting so abnormally, perhaps¡­could she have betrayed her?!


    Thinking about this, she could not lie down any longer. She used up all her strength as she struggled to get up. She did not even care about the wounds on her body. At this moment, she had to chase up to her.


    Otherwise, she did not know when would be the next time that she came to see her. If she lost her at this point in time, she really did not know what to do.


    Tang Xia stumbled along the way and passed by several girls. However, she felt that they were all avoiding her as if she was very filthy. Some even pushed and scolded her.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you die!¡±

 Chapter 215 - Replace Elsa

    Chapter 215 Replace Elsa


    Tang Xia was instantly confused. She did not know what had happened to cause this bunch of girls to avoid her as if she was a snake and even push her and pass evil remarks.


    She did not understand why everyone seemed as if they were isolating her while she did not even do anything against them. Why did this bunch of people have a 180 degrees change in attitude towards her?


    Tang Xia was in despair. She felt as if she had given all the good things in this world to someone else but they did not accept it. Instead, they even stepped on it.


    Why was this happening?


    Just as Tang Xia was on the verge of collapsing, the whole area seemed to quieten down. Tang Xia looked up feeling lost. She saw two figures walking towards her slowly. Her blurry vision told her that it looked like a man and a woman.


    Wait, a man and a woman? A man? Tang Xia looked up suddenly at the couple walking towards her and her whole person was filled with so much anger that she clenched her fist.


    Chu Tianjiao had his hand resting intimately on Li Xianxian¡¯s waist as they walked slowly towards Tang Xia and deliberately stopping in front of her. Tang Xia did not care about her surrounding and glared at him directly.


    No matter when it is, she would never be willing to lose in terms of determination. A small smile hung from the corner of Chu Tianjiao¡¯s lips. He was obviously very surprised at Tang Xia¡¯s stubborn self-healing ability.


    It seemed like he had once again underestimated this girl in front of him. Indeed, she was different from that bunch of girls.


    Li Xianxian scanned Tang Xia from head to toe. She had lost too much blood from the whipping and her cheeks were very pale. Even her lips were also pale.


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s gaze was still so determined, as if she had never been beaten. But the color of her face said otherwise.


    Li Xianxian sneered. It was already at this stage, why did she still want to put on an act? Who was she trying to entertain? She hated how Tang Xia only had herself in her eyes the most. It was so hateful.


    Especially when she saw Tang Xi and Ye Yifan together. Tang Xia saw that Li Xianxian¡¯s gaze was just like this. She saw a tint of contempt.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve already become a street mouse, everyone is shouting and trying to hurt you.¡±


    Tang Xia listened to Li Xianxian¡¯s words. She knew that there was a hidden meaning, but at this moment, seeing how Li Xianxian acted as if she had won, Tang Xia remained silent while fighting the urge to tear away her disguise.


    She wanted everyone to know what kind of a person Li Xianxian was. What kind of a person she was to make use of every means in this world to get close to a man?


    She had come from the same world like her and should have the same idea. How could she sell her body to gain Chu Tianjiao¡¯s trust?!


    Tang Xia loosened her clenched fist and charged towards Li Xianxian, pushing her away and shouting loudly.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Li Xianxian obviously did not think that Tang Xia would become like this, still so scared of embarrassment and was willing to suffer for it.


    She was still thinking earlier, if Tang Xia would beg her nicely or even kneel down and bow to her, promising that she would not be entangled with Ye Yifan anymore, she would then forgive her.


    But now it seems like she did not have the intention to do so at all. She did not have the concept that one should lower his head in front of someone of higher authority.


    Seemed like she should remind her when necessary about what kind of a place they were at.


    Thinking about this, Li Xianxian was just about to wan her when she saw Tang Xia suddenly shouting at Chu Tianjiao and asking.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that girl?!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao only laughed coldly as he looked at Tang Xia who was standing in front of him, trembling from anger. He stayed silent and spoke not a word. Tang Xia was not dumb and she thought about it. No matter what, she had a brain to think. Otherwise, how did she become a live-streamer?


    La Chapelle¡¯s eyes suddenly turning icy cold at the mention of the girl¡¯s name, the surrounding girls all giving her a pitiful and terrified look after she asked them, Li Xianxian¡¯s satisfied look¡­Tang Xia basically got the answer. The girl was probably¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted that I¡¯m the one that instructed her to do it! Why did you still kill that girl?!¡±


    A tint of shock flashed across his eyes. Indeed, he was most pleased with this woman. He had yet to say anything and she already inferred that he had killed Elsa.


    However, at the penalty platform today, her actions were really not wise. How could she just admit that it was her? She was a very contradicting woman.


    Sometimes she was so smart that she out beat everyone, but sometimes she was so dumb that he wanted to stab her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like women who are too obedient.¡±


    Chu TIanjiao laughed coldly and looked at Tang Xia. Through his gaze, she knew that he was giving her a warning. He was warning her that he would let her off this time around and she should better tone down. Otherwise, the outcome of being disobedient would be like Elsa.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes sunk. At this instant, she really did not know how to react. She was scared, especially in front of Chu Tianjiao. But she was confidently scared and would not show that she was scared.


    She saw Chu Tianjiao clap his hands and two maids came forward. Chu Tianijao glanced at Tang Xia¡¯s current appearance and said slowly, ¡°Send her to Hell No.3, to replace Elsa who has died.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked and did not manage to react before the two maids came forward and pressed her down.


    Elsa? Was that the name of that girl? But if it was like this, it was obvious that she should be punished in her place. She did not want to pay with her life, so she could only suffer for her.


    Tang Xia was brought away by two maids and they walked along a path that she could not be more familiar with ¨C to hell. This was only her third time here, but why did she feel like she had been here countless times?


    After staying silent for a while, she turned around and scanned her surroundings. What was different from before was that she was entering Hell No.3 this time around. But¡­why were they taking a turn before hell?


    The two maids held onto Tang Xia and they entered a tiny room. Tang Xia was confused instantly. She saw the two maids picked up something like a scissors.


    Tang Xia had a bad feeling immediately. She struggled to move her body but the two maids were not to be played with. They were already like a robot and they did not have a trace of humanity at all.


    Tang Xia felt herself being slammed onto the table and her chin was pressed against the icy-cold table. At this moment, she kept on having a bad hunch.


    She saw the two maids starting to cut her own hair. Tang Xia was so shocked she froze on the post. What is this bunch of people doing? Is there a mistake in the procedure? Why are they cutting my hair for no reason?


    She watched her hair fell onto the floor chunk by chunk and her heart was in so much pain that she became speechless. She tried to mutter something but did not know what to say at all. She only felt her heart in deep pain.


    That feeling was even worse than seeing Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan together.


    Tang Xia did not stop struggling, but it was of no use at all. The maids¡¯ hands were like steel, they did not budge an inch. But were they not just girls who were controlled mentally?


    Why did it feel as if they had been installed with a heavy metal arm?


    She did not know how long she had been lying on the time. She suddenly realized that there was no more cutting sound. Before she could react, she was lifted up by the two maids and carried out of the room. They headed to Hell No.3 immediately.


    She walked inside slowly. The maids were so heartless that they slammed the door shut right after she stepped into it. Tang Xia got a shock from the slamming sound.


    Just as she was about to turn around to see how the door was doing, she got a big scare from the girl in Hell No.2 who hit on the window pane. After all, this was really not a very good place.


    She saw that the girl looked a little familiar. She tried to rummage through her memories of this person and realized that she seemed to have checked on her name before. She seemed to be called Sun Jin. She must be like a little bully in this hell.


    Sun Jin had a disdain look on her face, as if she was going to punch Tang Xia. Eventually, she did not let her go and directly gave her a middle finger.


    Tang Xia remained silent and pretended as if she saw nothing. She walked straight towards the corner. The way she crouched her body was as if the whole world had betrayed her. No, it was as if the whole world hated and abandoned her.


    She did not understand. She just wanted everyone to regain freedom. Why did everyone become like this all of a sudden? She did not understand what she had done wrong so wrong to cause them to treat them like an enemy.


    Tang Xia continued curling up in a corner. Soon, it was time for dinner. However, Tang Xia did not feel like eating yet. This was because all the girls in hell had to eat together.


    If this was in the past, she would just be a regular member who was thrown in for making a mistake.


    But today, she was sent here because her idea of running away had caused one to die. This caused everyone to be against her and wanted to harm her.


    Tang Xia walked out slowly. Like what she expected, all the girls were very cold towards her. She returned with a cold gaze and looked at everyone who was eating.


    And she was like a monkey and everyone was staring and laughing at her. SHe felt like a balloon that was slowly being filled up with air. But sooner or later, this balloon will burst because of all the air.


    Right now, this was how Tang Xia felt. She really could not stand it anymore. But the only person she could think of was Haidala.


    Her first reaction was to rush out to find Haidala. Seeing Tang Xia running towards her, Haidala did not say anything. Her attitude was cold and distant. However, she still did not want to form an alliance with her.


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while before she looked up at Haidala and apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen.¡±


    Haidala stayed silent for a while as well and laughed bitterly. She took a bite very roughly. ¡°You can¡¯t be blamed fully.¡±

 Chapter 216 - Knowing How To Resist

    Chapter 216 Knowing How To Resist


    After hearing a ¡®Boom!¡¯ everyone turned to look at Sun Jin in shock. Tang Xia was also surprised at her sudden movement.


    She turned her head towards Sun Jin suddenly and saw that her face was full of anger. Her towering rage made it seem as if her veins on her forehead were popping out. Tang Xia watched as she smashed her bowl onto the floor.


    The broken pieces of the porcelain bowl splattered everywhere and a piece even flew to her face and scratched her cheek.


    In that instant, a small cut was made on her soft and tender cheek. A drop of blood oozed out slowly from the wound. Tang Xia only felt a slight warmth on her cheek. She lifted her hand to touch it and saw the bright red on her hand. In that moment, her surrounding turned silent.


    Sun Jin looked at her wound and snorted. The expression on her face was extremely cold as she shouted, ¡°If we don¡¯t blame you then who do we blame?!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the fresh blood on her fingertip that was still warm. She put two fingers together and rubbed it gently. The heat produced turned the drop of blood gradually into a lighter color. She remained silent.


    At this exact moment, she stared at her fingers quietly, as if she did not hear Sun Jin¡¯s words at all. The people around them were also too scared to make a sound. They just froze and watch to see what kind of reaction these two would have.


    A conflict seemed to be on the verge of occurring. What sparked this war? And what would cause it to end?


    But just as everyone thought that Tang Xia, who had always been isolated and wronged, would explode after this incident, after all, ever since she appeared in the Garden of Eden, she had always been the center of attention.


    person. They were well aware of the fact that Tang Xia was not an ordinary person. But they were also confused about why this woman whom Chu Tianjiao had set his eyes upon would want to lead them to escape from this castle. She was not at a weak end here.


    Just as everyone thought that Tang Xia would not take it anymore and explode, they saw her suddenly doing a 90 degrees bow. Everyone was utterly shocked and looked at her in bewilderment. Was she so scared of Sun Jin that she became dumb?!


    After doing the 90 degrees bow, she stood up slowly and said, ¡°Firstly, I am also upset about what I had caused upon Elsa.¡±


    Sun Jin snorted and pointed to Tang Xia¡¯s nose and said loudly, ¡°You should be!¡±


    However, Tang Xia did not show any kind of emotions of expressions against it. She just stayed still silently as she received Sun Jin¡¯s scolding. She felt that she was indeed deserving of all these. She lifted her head slowly and continued.


    ¡°I sincerely apologize for this.¡±


    And just at this moment, they suddenly heard a series of applause. The sound was very striking in this quiet setting. Everyone turned towards the source of the sound.


    They saw an alluring and slim figure walk towards them slowly. Tang Xia frowned. She could not be more familiar with this figure and could not hate her any more. She lowered her head silently and pretended to not hear.


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia¡¯s reaction when she saw her and laughed out loud immediately. She walked up to Tang Xia and said loudly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tang Xia? Has your plan failed? Hahahahaha!¡±


    Her tone was heavily-filled with sarcastic sneering. The crowd also echoed. Some showed looks of sneer but most chose to remain silent and watch the show with a cold attitude.


    Hearing Li Xianxian¡¯s words, Li Xian frowned as well. As compared to Tang Xia, she hated people like Li Xianxian even more. They gain some benefits and then become obnoxious, thinking that they are very smart.


    In the past, Tang Xia was not arrogant nor did she try to climb up the social ladder.


    Seeing Tang Xia remaining silent, Li Xianxian did not feel like she failed at all. Instead, she sneered at her even more. She walked up to her slowly.


    ¡°You still dream about escaping from the Garden of Eden?¡±


    Li Xianxian leaned towards her ear and said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too naive?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± After which, Li Xianxian laughed out loud and walked away from Tang Xia slowly. Tang Xia only watched her silently. That gaze was as if she was looking at something very pitiful.


    Why did Li Xianxian always fail to understand where she was wrong? Did she really think that putting in all her effort to climb up the social ladder would really grant her victory?


    Did she really think that the glorious authority she got by submitting to others and always living according to their wishes would always be hers? She had made a big mistake, a major one!


    Standing at a side, Sun Jin heard Li Xianxian¡¯s soft conversation with Tang Xia and she frowned instantly. Her heart started to feel complicated and an inexplicable deep thought flashed across her eyes.


    Just as Li Xianxian thought that Tang Xia would not say anything else, assuming that she had caused her to become speechless, and was just about to leave.


    When the crowd also thought that Tang Xia was just going to be suppressed by Li Xianxian, Tang Xia lifted her head suddenly. She turned and stared right into Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes.


    Li Xianxian did not think that Tang Xia would suddenly become like a changed person. Her gaze was full of determination.


    Just as Li Xianxian was about to react and say something, Tang Xia suddenly refuted confidently and loudly.


    ¡°Are you going to continue to be enslaved forever because you don¡¯t know how to fight back?!¡±


    Li Xianxian was dumbfounded at her words and she froze on the spot. Not only was it the determination in her gaze, but her words also inexplicably caused Li Xianxian to find no words to refute.


    Tang Xia did not evade her gaze at all. The gaze was like watching a rat in the drain. The disgust and determination in her gaze could not be ignored.


    Li Xianxian was not the only one that was shocked by her words. All the girls who were trapped in hell all fell silent immediately, as if they were all reflecting on something.


    Tang Xia remained silent. Sun Jin listened to what Tang Xia blurted out and turned towards her immediately. It seemed like she had underestimated her.


    Her gaze flickered and she stood up immediately. Li Xianxian got a shock from her sudden move.


    Li Xianxian suddenly realized how embarrassing her shocked state was after being yelled at by Tang Xia. She flared up immediately and looked at Sun Jin, shouting loudly.


    ¡°Who are you trying to scare by standing up suddenly!¡±


    Sun Jin cast a cold glance at how Li Xianxian had furiously vented her anger on herself and her good feeling towards her decreased a little again. She glared at her a little furiously and shouted.Read more chapter on novelhall.com


    ¡°If you want to cause a scene here, I¡¯m sorry, this is not your place!¡±


    Li Xianxian did not expect a woman kept in hell would even dare to talk back to her. She flared up instantly and shouted back.


    ¡°I have the authority, I can go wherever I want! Do I need you to care? Who do you think you are?! You¡¯re just a girl kept in hell!¡±


    After listening to Li Xianxian¡¯s words, all of the girls in hell turned to glare at her furiously immediately. They were so pumped up and ready to show her who was boss.


    Tang Xia also noticed it. The words that Li Xianxian just said had offended so many people. She could not help but turn around to look at her. She really admired her talent to use words to get on men¡¯s good side. However, the same mouth only knew how to offend women.


    This was where she was not smart, and also why she was hated by so many people.


    Sun Jin also noticed the hostility rising among other people. She turned around and glared at Li Xianxian, shouting loudly.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Li Xianxian got a fright from her sudden shout. She also noticed that the unfriendly glares from around her. However, having been embarrassed in such a situation, she was so angry that she wanted to give all these people a whip.


    However, she was well aware of the fact that if she did that, Chu Tianjiao would be unhappy. Li Xianxian turned around and pointed to Sun Jin¡¯s nose and shouted.


    ¡°You guys are a bunch of barbarians! You¡¯re indeed a bunch of guys in hell with no good character!¡±


    Someone from the crowd suddenly threw her porcelain bowl and it landed directly beside Li Xianxian¡¯s feet. She jumped in shock from the sudden attack but she knew that she could not do anything.


    At this moment, in a place like hell, since she had caused widespread enrage, she could possibly be beaten up by everyone. Then during then, she would not be able to voice out her suffering. Chu Tianjiao would definitely not help her out.


    ¡°You guys are a bunch of bandits!¡±


    After which, Li Xianxian ran out as if she was escaping from here. Tang Xia, Sun Jin, and the crowd watched her pitiful back view as she left and they instantly felt so good and let out a sigh. Tang Xia turned and looked at Sun Jin.


    ¡°Thank you for speaking up for me.¡±


    Sun Jin also turned around and took a look at Tang Xia. After staying silent for a while, she waved her hand a little embarrassedly. But after this incident, miraculously, no one went to find trouble for Tang Xia.


    On the next morning, while Tang Xia was still sleeping, she suddenly felt someone calling her. She looked up blurrily and looked at the figure. It looked like Haidala¡­


    When she finally woke up, she forced her eyes open immediately. Taking a clearer look, it was indeed Haidala. She looked at her feeling a little confused.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Did something happen? Why did she come to find her in the early morning? Was there something urgent? Just as Tang Xia was thinking of all sorts of possibilities, Haidala said in a slightly embarrassed tone.


    ¡°Training.¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She looked at her in disbelief and confusion. What training? How come she did not know that there was training involved in this place?


    However, Haidala did not give her a second more to react. She pulled her out of the bed and headed to the training ground.


    When they reached the training ground, they saw that it was filled with girls in hell. Tang Xia could not help but turn and looked at Haidala who was standing beside her.

 Chapter 217 - Falling Down The Cliff

    Chapter 217 Falling Down The Cliff


    ¡°What the heck? Why didn¡¯t I know there¡¯s a training ground here?¡±


    Haidala looked at Tang Xia and could not help but wipe away the sweat on her forehead. Bullshit, of course she did not know. Previously, Chu Tianjiao had specially instructed them to not be too harsh on Tang Xia. That was not the real hell yet.


    The place that she was now at was the real inside of hell.


    Haidala did not say anything. She pushed her inside directly, causing her to stumble and somehow ended up falling into line. Tang Xia looked around her and all the girls were panting while doing all sorts of training.


    Everyone had been kept here for a long time, so they were very familiarized and were skillful in what they were doing. However, there were also many like her who had never done anything before. They looked around with a blank look.


    Suddenly, a bunch of maids holding onto whips instructed them to do all sorts of training. Some had to move sandbags while some had to pull a heavy cart while running.


    Just as Tang Xia was still in a daze, a maid walked up to her suddenly. She was carrying a barbell and obviously looked very weak.


    However, when she carried the barbell, she looked as if she was a strong person.


    Tang Xia was extremely surprised. What kind of medicine were they fed to break through their body¡¯s limits while being mentally controlled? Some of them had strength that was not reciprocal of their figure.


    Tang Xia touched her chin in confusion. The maid stopped beside her suddenly. Tang Xia was startled. The maid threw the barbell in her hands into Tang Xia¡¯s arms.


    Tang Xia lost her balance when the heavy object fell into her arms. She almost fell over with it.


    ¡°Carry it and run 20 laps.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. What did the maid just say? Carry this barbell? And run?! Was she joking? This thing was so heavy and she wanted her to run while carrying it? Was this training? It was capital punishment!


    But just as Tang Xia was in a daze, the maid saw that she stood rooted to the ground and whipped out the whip in her embrace and was just about to hit her.


    Seeing that she was going to hit her, Tang Xia quickly carried the barbell and ran forward. The maid¡¯s whip had obviously missed its target. Tang Xia also started to run for her life.


    In the broadcast room, those watching Tang Xia facing such a bad treatment started to pity her. A bunch of comments that pitied her flooded the screen.


    When Tang Xia returned to her room, it was almost dark. At this moment, she could only take in deep breaths by leaning against the door frame. This place was really hell. They put their lives at stake and really forced people to the extremes.


    Thinking about all those people who were risking their lives, she thought about what they would have to suffer in order to do such sickening and mundane things so skillfully.


    She supported herself against the door frame. At this moment, her whole body felt like it had melted into a puddle of water. She had not a single ounce of energy left in her body. Her whole person felt like it was a floating boat at sea. She was so floaty, so shaky and unstable.


    Just when she was so tired that she was about to call it a day, she suddenly saw that there seemed to be a figure in her room. Feeling confused, she tried to pry her eyes open to see who it was.


    But she was already so tired after the whole day, her eyes felt as if they were being blurred by something. She could not see clearly no matter what. She slowly walked up to that person.


    She realized that the person was wearing a maid¡¯s outfit and was instantly disappointed. It was just a maid after all.


    She walked to her bed slowly. But what was this maid doing in her room? She looked towards her in confusion. At this moment, they were about just a step away from each other.


    Tang Xia rubbed her eyes and lifted her head to look at this person. Her whole person froze instantly when she did so. She saw the maid holding a bowl of chicken soup, but that was not the main point. Instead, this woman, she¡­she was obviously Pearl!


    Tang Xia ran forward excitedly and hugged Pearl. It had been a long time since she last saw Pearl.


    Ever since Pearl delivered her meal to her room after she came back from hell, every day, she had hoped that Pearl could come. But she had never seen her.


    At this moment, she finally saw Pearl again. The fact that Pearl was holding a bowl of chicken soup while standing by her bed made it looked as if she was waiting for Tang Xia to come back. Tang Xia could not help but feel that she had recovered her consciousness.


    Or perhaps, Pearl had always remembered and thought of her in her subconsciousness.


    ¡°How have you been during this period of time?¡±


    But just when Tang Xia wrapped her arms around Pearl, as if being triggered, Pearl started to break free from her arms crazily.


    Tang Xia did not expect her reaction to be so severe. She was instantly at a loss. Just as Pearl was struggling, she accidentally spilled the whole bowl of boiling chicken soup on Tang Xia¡¯s body.


    Tang Xia let out a shriek immediately. The boiling feeling over a big patch of her skin felt like it had overtaken her pain nerves. She jumped away at the first instance as if she had just been stung by a bee.


    However, Pearl did not show any reaction at all. She felt that there was no one hugging her anymore and just stood rooted to the ground. She stared at Tang Xia wide-eyed as she tidied her clothes.


    Tang Xia immediately ran towards the tap. Again and again, she ran her burnt skin under running water. But no matter how she did it, she still felt that burning pain on her skin.


    This was not just a painful feeling on the flesh, but mentally, she also felt pain in her heart.


    Recalling how she had hugged Pearl just now, she was actually aware that Pearl was just being controlled mentally. Hence, she would subconsciously resist anyone nearing her based on her instinct.


    But even if she understood her, she still felt very upset, especially when she was burnt and Pearl just stood there not doing anything. She instantly felt very lonely, as if she had worked hard for so long just to find that she was the only one on this path.


    While running her wound under running water, she could not help but started to cry. She really felt very pitiful. Since when had she felt so pitiful before?


    She turned around and looked at Pearl who still stood rooted to the ground. She started crying more fiercely. This was all her fault as well. If it was not for her, Pearl would not have become like this, she would not have become this emotionless monster.


    No, she could not take it anymore. All the emotions she had been suffering all these days were bursting like a water fountain at this instant.


    She was whipped a few days ago. Even though she had no direct relation to it, but she had caused someone to die. Also, her hair got chopped off. She received all kinds of glares and isolation. And she was tortured the whole day today¡­


    She really could not take it anymore. Looking at her good friend in front of her, she made a decision in her heart.


    Even if she lost to Li Xianxian, she must escape from this place! She did not mind if she lost. No matter what, she had to get out of here.


    Thinking about this, she dashed out of her room. She saw that at this moment, the moon was hanging high up in the sky. She subconsciously ran towards the auditorium.


    Inexplicably, she suddenly thought of what that stranger told her the other day. She could not help but feel full of hope.


    When she ran towards where she met that man the other day, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Looking at that window, she recalled what he said to her. Climb out of the window and there will be a place to land your foot on your right.


    Tang Xia had a subtle strange feeling in her heart. Why did she trust what this man said so much?


    After staying silent for a long time, she still had no answer. She comforted herself, thinking that it must be because she was so determined to leave that she would believe him unconditionally.


    After rearranging her thoughts, she directly walked towards the window and climbed out of it. Thinking that she had to climb towards her right, she grabbed tightly onto the brick on the wall and climb with some difficulty. She suddenly saw a place to land her foot.


    At that instant, she was so surprised and felt like there was a big firework going off in her heart. However, that landing point was a bit far. She had to climb towards it slowly.


    Judging by the looks of it, the wall of the castle was not made to be climbed so easily. It was slippery, as if deliberately preventing people from escaping.


    Tang Xia panted heavily. She had used too much energy today. After carrying the barbell and running the whole day, her whole body was weak and she was starting to see stars.


    But at this moment, she was still putting in so much effort into climbing the wall. Her body started to give in suddenly but she could not give up. She had already arrived at this stage. If she gave up now, then all would be for nothing!


    She put in a lot of effort and after a while of climbing, the distance covered had already exceeded her body¡¯s limitations. She turned around and looked at the landing point. Why did it seem like she could never reach there?


    Just as she was feeling exhausted, she suddenly started seeing dark spots. She told herself that it was not good and quickly shook her head harshly. When she reopened her eyes, for a moment she thought she saw a figure.


    Tang Xia instantly stared at the person in front of her in shock. She finally saw a clearer view and without a doubt, it was that man that had pointed her directions. Just as she was about to say something happily, she man suddenly smiled at her.


    Seeing his smiling face, Tang Xia suddenly feel that this man looked a little familiar. Just as she was thinking about it, the man suddenly waved at her and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and her mind went blank instantly. Before she could gather anything from his low voice, the man came towards her suddenly and stretched out his hand.


    Just as she was being confused, the man pushed her out directly¡­


    While she was still in a daze, she felt as if she saw the man still smiling. Meanwhile, she plunged into the sea¡­

 Chapter 218 - Chu Tiankuo Appears

    Chapter 218 Chu Tiankuo Appears


    Tang Xia felt as if her entire body was immersed in the ice-cold sea, and it seemed that she could only hear the sound of the waves crashing. Her body felt slightly itchy, as if fishes were nibbling at it.


    Tang Xia was slightly puzzled about what happened to her. Earlier before¡­ What had happened earlier before?


    Her body felt as heavy as lead, and she could feel the seawater filling up her nostrils and choking her slightly. She wanted to cough, but could not manage to do so, no matter what she did.


    ¡°What exactly had happened earlier?¡±


    It seemed that she wanted to climb out of this castle, and out of this place to find a place to stay. Subsequently? Subsequently¡­ Someone seemed to have pushed her off. Who pushed her off? Who was it¡­


    Suddenly, she awoke with a start and gulped in deep breaths. Tang Xia felt as if she had been reborn after she escaped from the sea, and she pounded her chest hard.


    At that very moment, it felt as if her heart was about to stop. That feeling was akin to that of climbing out from hell.


    She shook her head hard, but could only see a blurred scene in front of her. It was as if there was a thin layer of fog, and everything that she saw in front of her, was hazy. She reached out her hand and rubbed her eyes.


    It was only then that she found out that the sea of white in front of her was so clear that Tang Xia was stunned. Where is this place? She could not help, but reach out her hand to touch her blanket.


    This felt similar to the linen fabric of hospital beds. Tang Xia instantly looked around her in surprise, and when she turned her head, she saw the medical equipment around her. She rubbed her eyes furiously. ¡°Could she be dreaming?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Did I escape from the Garden of Eden?¡±


    Puzzled, she scanned her surroundings to see if there was anyone, and immediately ran to the window. When she looked out, she saw that the outside view was completely different from that of the castle. One could only see the sea, when one looked out of the windows at the castle.


    However, what she saw were trees, flowers and people walking by. She had done it! She truly managed to escape!


    Tang Xia was instantly overwhelmed by surprise to the point where she did not know how to react. She danced with joy, as if she was about to fly up to the heavens, and she suddenly lunged for the bed.


    She inhaled the scent of the disinfectant that was unique to hospital blankets, and the scent of warm sunshine from the blankets which had been hung out in the sun earlier. This was the scent! This was the scent of freedom!


    However, just when she was caught up in her sense of joy, she suddenly heard a sound at the door. She looked up at the door and, true enough, she saw someone at the door, turning his head around slowly to look at her.


    Furthermore, that person was Chu Tiankuo, the man whom she was afraid would appear since the time she entered that Garden of Eden! As expected, he still appeared after all¡­


    Both of them looked at each other in silence for some time. Eventually, Chu Tiankuo could not stand it anymore, and walked over slowly. Every step that he took, felt as if he was stepping on her heart.


    The entire livestream room seemed to have gone mad. Fans who liked the Chu Tang cp were already fanatical. There was a crowd of excited, crazy cheers for Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Oh my God!! Chu Tang cp is finally showing some sweetness!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve waited for so long! Wuli Chu boss is finally out!¡±


    ¡°Crazy shout out for Chu Tang!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia watched in shock as Chu Tiankuo walked towards her, step by step. He maintained his usual ice-cold and overbearing face and his eyes had the same unexplainable look in them.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo and suddenly remembered how she ran around randomly like a fool earlier before. Could it be¡­ that he saw all of it?!


    All of a sudden, her entire body felt well. Her face flushed red like an apple, and she quickly buried her face in the blanket. Chu Tiankuo was also stunned by her sudden action.


    Actually, he did not see what Tang Xia did, after she woke up. She was already watching him when he looked over.


    ¡°You wretched feet washing maid. How did you end up in such a sorry state?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo thought that the reason that Tang Xia did not have the cheek to face anyone was because she had suffered so many injuries in the castle. Even her hair had been cut off, so he suddenly clutched his waist and mocked her.


    Tang Xia gradually sat up straight, and turned her head to look at Chu Tiankuo. Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia, who now had short hair and scars all over her body. He did not know what to say, and remained silent.


    There was an unclear look in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes. There was anger, more anger and¡­ self-reproach.


    Tang Xia was secretly shocked when she saw his reaction. Why¡­ She also seemed to have a strange feeling in her heart?


    She could not help but lower her head ,and shook it to stop her thoughts from running wild. Tang Xia heart was filled with the desire to empty all the thoughts from her mind. ¡°A Chinese cabbage is standing in front of me! Yes! A Chinese cabbage!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo gazed at Tang Xia¡¯s conflicted look quizzically, and gradually smiled at her. Could it be that this woman had become crazy after staying in that place?


    Why were all her actions so odd after she woke up? Just when he wanted to reach out and touch her head, Tang Xia suddenly straightened her back, sat up and stared straight at him.


    ¡°He is a cabbage! A cabbage!¡±


    As this thought ran through her mind, Tang Xia widened her eyes, as she looked at him. Chu Tiankuo was scared by Tangxia¡¯s abnormal actions, so he simply stood there awkwardly and said slowly, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    But the more Tang Xia looked at him, the more she felt that something was amiss and she could not help but furrow her brows in doubt. ¡°This face¡­ Why does this face, this figure and this silhouette resemble the man who pushed her into the sea?¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but rise and pinched his cheek as she examined it carefully. It really¡­ looks similar!


    She could not help but frown, and in her dazed state, said slowly,


    ¡°Why did you push me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the dazed Tang Xia who stood before him, and instantly raised his eyebrows in bafflement. ¡°What was the woman talking about? What did she mean when she said that he pushed her?¡±


    He only saw her moments ago and certainly did not push her at all. He could not help but feel puzzled by her question. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were also still blurry, and she did not manage to react to the situation. She was just voicing out what she felt in her heart. Could it be that she could not be controlled?!


    Chu Tiankuo was suddenly shocked by his own thoughts, and he raised his hand to touch her forehead, but the temperature was normal.


    Tang Xia was shocked by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden action, and her head cleared up in an instant. She looked at Chu Tiankuo dazedly and slapped his hand away.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seeing that she still seemed to be very energetic, Chu Tiankuo sighed with relief in his heart, and reached out his hand to tousle her hair.


    ¡°You do not have a fever. What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    Tang Xia instantly became silent. She recalled that she seemed to have asked him if he had pushed her earlier before ,when she was still in a dazed state. She looked up and met his gaze before she said,


    ¡°I was pushed into the sea by a man whom I did not know¡­ I was already here when I woke up. But I feel that that man¡¯s silhouette was like yours.¡±


    Stunned, Chu Tiankuo caressed her cheek gently.


    ¡°Tell me about the things that happened during this period of time.¡±


    Tang Xia sat there quietly and allowed him to touch her randomly. She also felt a strange feeling in her heart as she calmly told him about all the things that happened in the past two days.


    It included how she was locked up in a room, how she was beaten in hell, how Pearl was controlled after she took the medicine in order to save her, as well as the things that happened between Li Xianxian and her. How she eventually caused the death of Elsa and trusted the words of the man in black and fell into the sea¡­


    The only thing that she did not tell him was about how her clothes were removed in public and how she was then dressed in a gown.


    She also did not know why, but she simply did not feel like telling him about it.


    A strange feeling crossed Tang Xia¡¯s heart. What place did Chu Tiankuo hold in her heart? She vaguely remembered that in the previous livestream, she had shouted at him in the castle that she did not want to see him ever again¡­ Her heart instantly felt an inexplicable stinging pain.


    The expression on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face gradually changed as he listened to her detailed account of her experiences in the castle. His eyes became increasingly dark like the night, and it was as if water would drip from them. Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo, puzzled and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was silent for a while. His hands covered his face and he looked slightly sullen. Tang Xia became even more confused. Didn¡¯t she only talk about her experiences for the past few days? Why did Chu Tiankuo seem to so embarrassed?


    Chu Tiankuo loosened his hand and gradually looked towards Tangxia. ¡°Chu Tianjiao is my younger brother.¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly shocked. She looked up at Chu Tiankuo incredulously. However, it seemed that everything was expected and reasonable.


    Suddenly, she remembered the time when she first came to this world. The moment she heard Chu Tianjiao¡¯s name, she felt unwell. Her first reaction was Chu Tiankuo because after all, Chu Tiankuo would appear every time. Certainly, she fervently hoped that he would not appear this time but he still appeared.


    She should have thought about this kind of thing a long time ago. Actually, she already thought of it, but in her heart, she did not dare to believe it.


    However¡­ Tang Xia looked up at Chu Tiankuo, and examined his face carefully for a moment. This guy¡¯s face did not resemble Chu Tianjiao at all.


    Oh, right. Chu Tianjiao was a child whom the Chu family adopted to help the eldest young master to kill time. This dude was the real master whom that twisted handsome youth served ¡ª the real eldest young master of the Chu family.


    So he was that twisted eldest young master.


    Just when Tang Xia was despising Chu Tiankuo in her heart, Chu Tiankuo reacted. As if he could tell that she was grumbling about him in her heart, he raised his eyebrows and pinched her chin.


    Tang Xia was shocked by his actions and forgot to react. She was forced to look into his eyes and just when she was about to slap his hand away, Chu Tiankuo suddenly smiled at her.


    ¡°Woman, long time no see. Shouldn¡¯t you be missing me?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at his seductive, incubus-like gaze and his slightly upturned lips. She only felt that this guy could not be any worse than that twisted, handsome youth Chu Tianjiao. They were both homme fatales!


    Tang Xia subconsciously wanted to break free of him, and Chu Tiankuo expressed his displeasure at her resistance.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t this guy be more normal and stop being so physical?¡±


    They actually did get along very harmoniously, especially at that moment. There was always an inexplicable gap between them, and Tang Xia found him slightly repulsive, deep in her heart.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned and snorted coolly, ¡°Do you want me to send you back to the Garden of Eden?!

 Chapter 219 - Because I Like You

    Chapter 219 Because I Like You


    ¡°Why are you two brothers equally perverted?¡± Tang Xia pushed Chu Tiankuo away. She merely felt that the two brothers were no different and she struggled to get down from the bed.


    Chu Tiankuo crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at her without saying a word. It was obvious from the look of derision in his eyes that he did not believe that Tang Xia could get up on her own.


    Tang Xia furiously shot daggers back at him with her gaze. She gritted her teeth and tried to stand up. However, just when she stood up, before she could smile, her legs went soft and she fell down grandly.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help yelping. She already fell half-flat on the ground. Chu Tiankuo merely looked at her condescendingly with his facial features slightly twisted, showing a look of contempt.


    ¡°This unsympathetic guy!¡± Tang Xia clenched her fist tightly once again and prepared to hold onto the wall and help herself up.


    ¡°It is impossible to count on this pervert in front of me anyway,¡± Tang Xia thought. She subconsciously gave Chu Tiankuo a vicious glare. With much difficulty, she supported herself against the wall and began to stand up slowly.


    She looked like a physically disabled warrior with a strong determination, which could move one to tears.


    Tang Xia seemed to hear Chu Tiankuo give a barely audible sigh, and right after, a pair of strong palms lifted her up horizontally. After a moment of giddiness, all that was left in front of her eyes was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s shockingly handsome face.


    His sharp, high nose, tightly pursed lips, clearly chiseled facial features, and an almost flawless face that could only exist in novels were so close in front of Tang Xia¡¯s eyes that her heart subconsciously raced faster.


    The most terrible thing was that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s usually indifferent eyes were filled with tenderness at that moment. His gaze at Tang Xia was like a deep pond, and it almost caused one to want to sink into it.


    Even Tang Xia went into a daze for a moment. She subconsciously wanted to push Chu Tiankuo away and escape from his warm chest.


    However, Chu Tiankuo merely drew her in closer and opened his thin lips slightly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always wondered why I¡¯ve kept following you?¡±


    As the distance between the two decreased, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s burning breath seemed to linger on Tang Xia¡¯s face as he spoke, and her face quickly became red. Tang Xia was slightly unaccustomed and she hung her head down. She could hear Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice from over her head.


    ¡°Because I like you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s low and raspy voice brought about an indescribable magical power to this simple sentence and made it irresistible.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Tang Xia was completely stunned. Just when she opened her mouth to say something, she saw Chu Tiankuo lower his head and envelop her slightly opened pink lips directly.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Seeing this scene shocked the livestream room completely.


    Fans of the ¡°Chu Tang¡± CP were especially delighted with what they saw and heard. They were celebrating and spreading the news around, and that lively atmosphere was almost comparable to last year¡¯s!


    ¡°AHHHHH! Big Boss Chu is such a Mary Sue! My girlish heart!¡±


    ¡°They are finally showing us sweetness! How sweet!¡±


    ¡°Pull me up, I could continue to stand for another 500 years for this CP!¡±


    ¡°Tell me. Who! Is the sweetest! Today!¡±


    ¡°Chu Tang! Chu Tang! Chu Tang!¡±


    ¡°AHHHHH¡­¡±


    There was a solemn sea of pink in the livestream room, but a voice boomed in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. The ¡°because I like you¡± that Chu Tiankuo had said earlier filled up her mind completely.


    Was Chu Tiankuo confessing to her?


    Tang Xia managed to react in hindsight, and she felt as if her entire body was in the clouds and there was a light and unrealistic feeling.


    Yes, after she experienced so many fictional worlds, she could vaguely sense that she might be a special existence in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart.


    However, in her opinion, that was at best because Chu Tiankuo liked to mock her and found joy in doing so. She never once thought that Chu Tiankuo would actually like her or even initiate a confession to her!


    That was especially since Chu Tiankuo was different from other virtual characters and already knew of the existence of the Time-travel Broadcast Space. He also knew that right from the beginning, Tang Xia had approached him to attack him.


    However, Chu Tiankuo still fell for Tang Xia even under such circumstances and it shocked her.


    It was as if thunder had boomed in the calm ocean and a storm brewed in Tang Xia¡¯s heart. Even she could not tell if she was more pleasantly surprised or more shocked, or if it was something else.


    Chu Tiankuo noticed that the person in his arms was distracted and he furrowed his brows slightly. The hands that supported Tang Xia¡¯s head from behind tilted it forward slightly and the kiss deepened.


    Current seemed to run through the point of contact of the four lips and bring about a burst of numbness. Not only did Tang Xia¡¯s eyes become tinted with a slightly blurry look, but her heart also became confused.


    Because of this kiss, there was an additional ambiguous feeling in the air. Only the soft and mild sound of the couple¡¯s breath and intertwined lips and tongue could be heard in the entire room.


    Suddenly, a clear face of another person flashed across her mind. That was when Tang Xia finally managed to react and push Chu Tiankuo away hard. Her cheeks were already flushed red and it made her feel drunk.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s breath still seemed to linger on her lips and Tang Xia subconsciously raised her hand to wipe it away. She did not notice the look of dejection in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes when he saw that scene.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there is already someone I like.¡± Tang Xia bit her lip and did not even dare to look up at Chu Tiankuo.


    She was the one who first charged into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s world and painstakingly left traces in his heart. Yet now, she wanted to reject him.


    There was an unknown sense of discomfort in Tang Xia¡¯s heart. She knew that Chu Tiankuo was just a virtual character in the world of fiction, but the person in front of her was so real that there was no way for her to just treat him as a virtual character.


    Ye Yifan was the one that was fully occupied Tang Xia¡¯s girlish heart. In the beginning, Tang Xia even became an anchor in the Time-travel Broadcast Space because of him.


    However, as time went by and she had more opportunities to interact with Ye Yifan, while everything seemed to be smooth sailing, Tang Xia¡¯s feelings for Ye Yifan gradually became blurred.


    She interrogated herself more than once about whether her feelings for Yifan were truly love.


    The answer was that she did not know. Currently, Tang Xia¡¯s heart was like glue paste, and all kinds of emotions were mixed together. Not only could other people not see it clearly, but neither could she.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was already cold, and even the hand that was holding onto Tang Xia became extremely stiff. The next second, Chu Tiankuo threw her onto the bed with no expression before he turned around and left.


    Tang Xia could not help yelping out in pain. Just when she turned her head to condemn the culprit, Chu Tiankuo was already nowhere to be found.


    The entire ward was empty and only the faint sense of pain from Tang Xia¡¯s body reminded her that what happened earlier was actually real. Tang Xia was stunned and she could not tell why there was an unknown sense of dejection in her heart.


    At that moment, the door which Chu Tiankuo had slammed shut before was suddenly pushed open again, and Chu Tiankuo actually came back in.


    Tang Xia looked at him in a daze, and even she herself did not notice the hint of joy that flashed across her eyes the instant she saw that Chu Tiankuo had returned.


    Before she could open her mouth to ask, the ashen-faced Chu Tiankuo strode over and picked her up again without even a word of acknowledgement.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tang Xia frowned slightly and tried to struggle, but to Chu Tiankuo, she was just like a mischievous kitten. No matter how she thumped her hands and legs, she could not escape from his clutches.


    Chu Tiankuo did not say a word and directly carried Tang Xia out of the ward.


    When Tang Xia noticed the various types of looks that the people around were giving them, Tang Xia also felt embarrassed about her carelessness. She stopped struggling and could only bury her face in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms. At the same time, she drew circles in her heart and cursed Chu Tiankuo 180 times.


    This kind of guy, who wanted to carry others whenever there was a disagreement, should be given a taste of the dizzy feeling of being carried by someone!


    Tang Xia imagined how Chu Tiankuo would struggle uselessly when he was carried by a strong man who was much taller and stronger than him. Her lips could not help curling up slightly and her heart felt more satisfied.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Make him struggle!¡± Tang Xia was overjoyed with her imagination and yearned to shout it out.


    Unfortunately, while her fantasy was eventful, the reality was bony. Before Tang Xia could fully appreciate her imagination of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s ¡°panic¡±, her body shook all of a sudden and she was thrown into the car by Chu Tiankuo.


    He still had an ice-cold face that did not seem to have any emotion. After he threw Tang Xia into the passenger seat, Chu Tiankuo opened the car door and got in. He then started the car and drove toward an unknown place.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Tang Xia tried to sound him out. However, silence was the only reply she received. Chu Tiankuo pursed his lips tight as if he was blocking out the incessant noise that the woman beside him was making.


    When Tang Xia saw this, she gave up pursuing it further and looked out of the car window.


    She already understood after so many times that while Chu Tiankuo was mean with his words, was sadistic, and did not know how to be gentle with women, he never did anything truly excessive to her.


    On the contrary, many times, when Tang Xia encountered critical situations in the fictional world, it was thanks to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s help that she was able to turn the tables again and again.


    As she thought of this, Tang Xia¡¯s heart was also put at ease and she quietly watched the constantly retreating scenery outside the car window. After spending a long time in the Garden of Eden, she almost forgot how rich and colorful the world outside was.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s car finally stopped outside a shopping mall.


    Could it be that he wanted to buy her clothes? Just when Tang Xia was puzzled, she was lifted up by Chu Tiankuo again and they walked straight to the suit area.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart felt even stranger. Her usual style was the boring sweet style, and she rarely tried this type of unisex style.


    ¡°Enter an ad.¡±


    At the same time, outside the livestream room, July, who had always been paying attention to Tang Xia¡¯s moves, instructed his subordinates coldly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man was puzzled but he did not hesitate when he heard July¡¯s order and immediately did some configuration on the computer.


    Under his operation, the original live video was instantly replaced by an instant noodle advertisement and there was a burst of complaints and shushing in the livestream room.


    However, July merely stared straight and was unaffected by the scene in the livestream. There was a faint look of expectation in his eyes. ¡°Let me see what kind of surprise Tang Xia will give me.¡±

 Chapter 220 - Returning to the Garden of Eden

    Chapter 220 Returning to the Garden of Eden


    Just as the fans watching the livestream were going to lose their patience, the lengthy instant noodle advertisement finally ended. A brand new Tang Xia appeared in front of the fans.


    Unlike her usual sweet image, Tang Xia was wearing a well-cut exquisite suit. She wore a pair of gold-framed glasses on top of her small, high nose. She also had a clean-cut short hairdo and looked very youthful.


    However, she did not only look cool. Her eyes were still clear and feminine. They contained the purity and innocence of a young girl and exuded a soft light.


    If Tang Xia was considered beautiful in the past, then her beauty had undoubtedly reached another level! She had subtly broken the gender barrier and displayed the charm of both genders.


    Right now, Tang Xia was the epitome of neutral beauty.


    July¡¯s eyes lit up and the fans watching the livestream went crazy.


    ¡°Go write an article about her new image right now, this instant! I want to see this news on the main page of the broadcast room before tomorrow!¡±


    July ordered her assistant immediately. She jumped up from her chair because she was overly excited.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing July¡¯s instruction, the assistant quickly got up to prepare it.


    Although July was talking to her assistant, her eyes were glued tightly onto Tang Xia, who was doing a live broadcast. July did not want to miss a single scene.


    Tang Xia was indeed Tang Xia; she did not disappoint her. Looking at Tang Xia on the screen, July¡¯s eyes were shining.


    At the same time, in the virtual world¡ª


    Tang Xia stood in front of the mirror. She was still a little unused to her new image. She gently pushed her glasses up her nose, completely unaware of the fact that this action had sent the bunch of male fans watching the livestream screaming.


    ¡°Ah! My feelings for Tang Xia are changing every day!¡±


    ¡°This kind of a refined rascal look is totally my type!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia looks so good in this outfit, she¡¯s both handsome and beautiful!¡±


    Of course, there were a few traditional fans who did not like her new image. However, the majority of her fans quickly accepted her new outfit and expressed their support.


    ¡°Is it really okay for me to wear this?¡± Tang Xia could only ask for Chu Tiankuo¡¯s opinion after she did a turn in front of the mirror. She was still a little unaccustomed to it.


    Chu Tiankuo saw that she had finished changing into the outfit, and a tint of pleasant surprise flashed across his eyes, although he covered it up quickly. His deep gaze was once again left with indifference and coldness.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Chu Tiankuo responded faintly. After thinking about it for a while, he added, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    If this came from someone else, this ¡°not bad¡± would have sounded a little forced. However, Chu Tianjiao was obviously different from others. Tang Xia knew very well that he was very picky. It was already a huge compliment to hear him say ¡°not bad¡±.


    Tang Xia looked in the mirror again. She was also very satisfied with her new image. She made a handsome pose subconsciously, which caused the fans watching the livestream to scream again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go if you¡¯re done.¡± Chu Tiankuo rushed her. Without waiting for her response, he walked up to her and carried her up bridal-style and walked out.


    Tang Xia was so shocked by the sudden move that she let out a shriek, causing several people near them to cast curious glances at them.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face turned bright-red immediately. Although Chu Tiankuo had carried her in like this, it did not mean that she was already used to it.


    No matter how many times he did it, she would never get used to it! Besides, she had already recovered some strength, so she could already walk on her own.


    ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± Tang Xia cried out anxiously with her face still burning red. Why did this guy like to carry people suddenly so much?


    Tang Xia struggled in his embrace restlessly. However, it did not disrupt Chu Tiankuo¡¯s steady pace at all.


    ¡°Too late.¡± Chu Tiankuo furrowed his brows as a response.


    Seeing more and more people casting them curious looks, Tang Xia could only give up struggling.


    But either Chu Tiankuo was too thick-skinned or he had a strong psychological endurance; he carried her out of the mall directly, as if none of those affected him.


    Tang Xia did not know where to look, so she could only bury her head in his embrace. He had carried her in using the same method, but she was still not used to it at all.


    Tang Xia thought angrily, ¡°Seriously, how could I get used to something like this!¡± She also wanted to let him experience what it felt like to be lifted up and carried suddenly. However, the difference in their physical strength caused this to remain just a thought.


    At least he did tell her beforehand this time around. This was how Tang Xia comforted herself, which helped her to become calmer.


    Luckily, Chu Tiankuo had long legs and he walked fast. It only took a short while for them to get out of the mall, after which he threw her into the back seat of the car.


    ¡°Start driving, to the Garden of Eden,¡± Chu Tiankuo ordered the driver in a harsh tone. Hearing his order, the driver promptly started the car and set off smoothly toward the Garden of Eden.


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s face had turned extremely pale upon hearing the destination. Was Chu Tiankuo really going to send her back?


    Thinking about the last time when she failed to escape and was caught, even her teeth were shivering.


    Seeming to have noticed her fear, Chu Tiankuo turned to look at her. His tone was gentler when he said, ¡°To make him pay for his actions.¡±


    Hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s explanation, Tang Xia then heaved a sigh of relief. But when she thought about returning to that horrifying place, a tint of fear still lingered in her gaze.


    But why did Chu Tiankuo react so strongly when she told him about Chu Tianjiao and what happened in the Garden of Eden? Thinking about what happened before, the more she found it to be strange. She could not help but ask.


    ¡°Do you control your little brother?¡± Tang Xia asked as she looked at him curiously.


    She saw him freeze for a little while upon hearing her question. His face then turned gloomy. He kept his lips glued together and did not say a word.


    It was not the first two days that Tang Xia had interacted with Chu Tiankuo, so she naturally knew what his reaction meant. However, she did not expect him to give her an answer anyway. She then turned to look out of the window.


    Seeing that they were getting closer to the Garden of Eden, Tang Xia¡¯s heart thumped faster. When she saw the castle from afar, this fear finally reached an extreme.


    ¡°Can we not go?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face was pale and she pulled the corner of his shirt. She thought that she could overcome the fear in her heart, but the trauma that the castle had given her was much worse than she imagined.


    When she saw the architecture from afar, her body started uncontrollably shaking gently. If Chu Tiankuo was not by her side, she would have fled directly.


    Chu Tiankuo only realized that her face had turned scarily white after he heard her voice. Her body was also trembling uncontrollably. As if a part of his heart had been triggered, his usual cold gaze started to dissolve.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Chu Tiankuo paused before he said this to her gently in a low and hoarse voice. Seeing her body shaking uncontrollably, a hint of pity flashed across his eyes. He pulled her into his arms directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, no one can hurt you,¡± he continued. His determined tone made it sound like a promise.


    His voice was not loud, yet it had the power to comfort one¡¯s heart. Under his assurance, Tang Xia¡¯s uneasy heart calmed down gradually.


    The car headed into the outermost section of the Garden of Eden very quickly. Along the way, those patrolling maids did not stop them.


    Upon reaching the castle, both of them got out of the car. Chu Tiankuo prepared to lift her up. This time around, Tang Xia was prepared. She stopped him beforehand and said, ¡°No need, I can walk on my own.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was still a little pale, but her eyes were full of stubbornness. Chu Tiankuo looked at her, and after making sure that she could really walk, he did not insist.


    Both of them walked to the castle¡¯s door side by side. After opening this door, they would see the Garden of Eden. Tang Xia looked at the heavy door and took a deep breath.


    This was the door that separated her and the other girls in the Garden of Eden from the outside world. It caused them immense torture from Chu Tianjiao.


    Thinking about him, she could not help trembling slightly. This showed how much trauma he had given her.


    And in the next moment, Tang Xia saw Chu Tiankuo opening the door without hesitation. From her perspective, he was not merely opening a door but also demolishing the high wall that isolated the girls from the outside world.


    In this moment, Chu Tiankuo was as dazzling as a god in her eyes.


    To the old Tang Xia and every girl in the Garden of Eden, this door was like a big insurmountable mountain. But now, it was pushed open so easily by Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Go on in.¡± Tang Xia snapped back to reality upon hearing his voice. She nodded at him determinedly. At this point in time, she finally let go of her fear of this place and Chu Tianjiao.


    That was because now, Chu Tiankuo was here to destroy it.


    Tang Xia followed Chu Tiankuo into the castle without hesitation. The appearance of a foreign male created a big to-do in the castle just as expected. All the girls looked at him curiously and with a little fear.


    There had always only been one man in the Garden of Eden, and that was Chu Tianjiao. ¡°Who is this guy?¡± The girls all looked at Chu Tiankuo in surprise, and then when they saw Tang Xia beside him, no one dared to go up to them.


    Chu Tiankuo could not help frowning when he saw this scene. He frowned even deeper when he noticed the scars on the girls¡¯ exposed skin. He turned to Tang Xia and asked, ¡°Did Chu Tianjiao did all of this?¡±


    Tang Xia nodded. Thinking about the torture she had suffered here, her eyes turned red subconsciously and tears glistened in her eyes.


    Although she did not say it explicitly, Chu Tiankuo could guess the bulk of it just by looking at her face. Recalling how terrified she was before coming here, his heart pained for her even more.


    Judging by her behavior, it was not hard to imagine how much pain she had suffered here. Chu Tiankuo started to regret a little that he did not show up earlier and had caused her to suffer pain for so long.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, no one will dare to hurt you now,¡± he said in a gentle voice as he wrapped her in his arms. The eyes that were looking at her were filled with a rare gentleness and pity.

 Chapter 221 - What Were You Doing Just Now?

    Chapter 221 What Were You Doing Just Now?


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all over.¡± Thinking about the past, Tang Xia¡¯s gaze became a few tones darker. But in that instant, she wiped away the tear from the corner of her eye and forced a smile at Chu Tiankuo.


    She was never one to dwell on the past. The present and the future should be grasped onto.


    Thinking about this, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes became more determined. She no longer hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll bring you to hell.¡±


    ¡°Hell?¡± Chu Tiankuo did not know that such a place existed in the Garden of Eden, so he repeated after her in disbelief. Tang Xia could only explain to him some of the rules here on the way, including what hell was used for.


    His face darkened as he listened.


    Upon entering the Garden of Eden, be it what he saw or heard, everything was beyond his imagination. Right up to this point in time, Chu Tiankuo finally realized why Tang Xia was so afraid of coming back.


    Under Chu Tianjiao¡¯s control, the Garden of Eden had turned into an uncompromising ¡°hell¡±. No wonder Tang Xia had to escape at all costs.


    Thinking of Chu Tianjiao, Chu Tiankuo clenched his fists silently. His half-opened eyes caused others to be unable to figure out his emotions.


    Under Tang Xia¡¯s guidance, both of them walked toward hell. They encountered several girls from the Garden of Eden. Seeing Chu Tiankuo, a foreign man appearing suddenly, they all looked at him with disbelief in their eyes.


    Some of them who saw Tang Xia walking with him could not contain their disbelief and went up to ask her.


    ¡°Tang Xia, who is this man?¡±


    ¡°There cannot be another man other than Chu Tianjiao in the Garden of Eden, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Listening to their voices, Tang Xia only cast them a silent look before walking away. She did not answer them. The girls found it strange but did not continue asking.


    ¡°Forget it, if Chu Tianjiao finds out, he will definitely punish her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we should leave quickly lest we get entangled in this.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia give no response, the girls found it strange and quickly avoided her. Their gazes showed that they were afraid of getting in trouble.


    Their fear of Chu Tianjiao had been deeply engraved into their bones, they did not even dare to have a single thought about resisting him. Seeing the situation, Tang Xia shook her head silently.


    Following which, Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo both hurried their footsteps and arrived at hell in no time.


    Tang Xia found Haidala, and without a proper greeting, she opened the door directly and asked, ¡°Haidala, does our agreement still count?¡±


    Haidala was in the midst of training. She got a scare when she saw Tang Xia. When she saw a foreign man beside her, her eyes sparkled and her gaze became complex.


    Tang Xia knew that Haidala was hesitating. She was not in a rush for an answer. After all, so many things had happened, so Tang Xia could not ensure that Haidala would not waver.


    Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo stood at a side, listening to their conversation. Every now and then, he would scan the environment. His gaze became darker and darker.


    Just as the three of them stood in silence, a loud bang came from the door all of a sudden.


    ¡°Tang Xia! How dare you come back!¡± Chu Tianjiao kicked open the door and looked at her with fervent eyes. Tang Xia¡¯s heart tightened. Her fear of him came creeping into her heart again and her face became much paler.


    Seeing the situation, Chu Tiankuo held her hand without saying a word. Tang Xia felt the warmth from his palm and started to calm down.


    At this moment, Chu Tianjiao then noticed that a man was standing next to her. His expression became colder. ¡°How dare you bring a man into the Garden of Eden!¡±


    Because Chu Tiankuo was facing Chu Tianjiao with his back, Chu Tianjiao subconsciously prepared to ask the maids to deal with this foreign man. At this moment, Chu Tiankuo finished comforting Tang Xia and turned around. Chu Tianjiao then saw his face clearly and his expression froze instantly.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Chu Tianjiao stuttered. The arrogant look on his face was gone and his eyes were filled with bewilderment. He could not even stand still and he started to take a step back subconsciously.


    ¡°You still have the guts to call me your brother?¡±


    Ever since Chu Tiankuo entered the Garden of Eden, he had been holding back his anger, which he let out all at once. He lifted his leg and kicked Chu Tianjiao in the chest. His voice was filled with anger as he said, ¡°How dare you turn the Garden of Eden into this!¡±


    He was merciless in his kick. Since Chu Tianjiao was so shocked when he saw Chu Tiankuo, he was sent flying from that kick and fell on his back.


    ¡°Hey, Tianjiao, what¡¯s going on?¡± Li Xianxian came from behind and was about to watch a show but did not expect to see Chu Tianjiao being kicked to the ground first.


    ¡°There is someone so daring in the Garden of Eden? How dare he be so disrespectful to Chu Tianjiao!¡±


    Li Xianxian exclaimed in her heart as she quickly helped him up. Seeing his pale face, she lost her incomparable spirit immediately. She even dared not lift her head to look at the person in front of her.


    Who could it be that could cause Chu Tianjiao to become like this? Li Xianxian was dumbfounded and lifted her head to take a look at the same time. She then saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s cold expression that was bursting with chills.


    Li Xianxian froze. Having lived in the Garden of Eden for so long, she never thought that she would see a man other than Chu Tianjiao. She was shocked for a while, and then when she saw Tang Xia standing beside him, she quickly recalled the news of Tang Xia doing her broadcast.


    Could this be that legendary dark figure, Chu Tiankuo?


    Thinking about this, Li Xianxian¡¯s expression gradually turned awful. She already had her eyes on Chu Tianjiao and everything was going her way in this fictional world. But now that Tang Xia had brought in Chu Tiankuo, there was some variable brought into it.


    If Chu Tiankuo really helped Tang Xia like in those broadcasts in the past, did it not mean that Tang Xia¡¯s chances of winning would increase tremendously?


    If that was the case, would not everything that Li Xianxian had done all go down the drain?


    Li Xianxian¡¯s gaze at Tang Xia started to burn. Her expression kept on changing and she finally cried out in anger, ¡°You b*tch, how dare you bring in Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    She glared at Tang Xia and then glanced at Chu Tiankuo. Her look of gritting her teeth was extremely bitter and mean.


    Before Tang Xia could respond, upon hearing Li Xianxian¡¯s voice, Chu Tiankuo gave her a cold stare. It was a simple stare, yet it was filled with a terrifying power.


    The arrogant Li Xianxian then started to lower her head inexplicably. Her confidence also weakened. She dared not meet Chu Tiankuo in the eye. Yet in her heart, she continued scolding. ¡°Dammit, Tang Xia has brought in Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    However, Tang Xia did not care about what Li Xianxian just said. On the contrary, she had seen a lot of her mean sides, so she was not surprised that Li Xianxian would say something like that. At this moment, what bothered Tang Xia more was another question.


    Starting from when Li Xianxian first entered the door, Tang Xia had already noticed how messy Li Xianxian¡¯s clothes were. Her hair was all over the place and even her makeup was ruined. On top of that, she came in after Chu Tianjiao, and that raised more suspicion.


    ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± Tang Xia looked at her suspiciously then finally asked, after which she glared at Chu Tianjiao with an obvious judging look.


    Although Li Xianxian had always been trying to get on Chu Tianjiao¡¯s good side ever since she entered the Garden of Eden, Tang Xia always thought that Li Xianxian would not do anything that crossed the line. But right now, it seemed to not be the case.


    After her words ended, Li Xianxian¡¯s expression turned unnatural.


    Meanwhile, the fans watching the livestream all exploded when they saw this scene.


    Ever since Chu Tiankuo had brought Tang Xia back here, all of the fans watching the livestream had been following along nervously. The atmosphere even reached a climax when Chu Tiankuo met with Chu Tianjiao.


    With such an intense scene, the addition of Li Xianxian did not seem all that interesting after all.


    Hence, at this point in time, after hearing Tang Xia, the fans watching the livestream then noticed that Li Xianxian looked vastly different from her usual self. They started to feel that something was wrong.


    ¡°Li Xianxian¡¯s clothes are a bit messy¡­¡± someone hesitated and said, leaving others to fill in the blanks with their imagination.


    ¡°I noticed it just now. I thought I was overthinking. Seems like I wasn¡¯t,¡± someone added.


    ¡°Li Xianxian and Chu Tianjiao entered one after another, could they be doing something R-rated?¡± Someone guessed with a speculating voice.


    ¡°No way, Li Xianxian is a streamer, could she do something inappropriate?¡± Some were in denial mode.


    ¡°Look at Chu Tianjiao¡¯s neck, is that lipstick?¡± Some sharp-eyed fan pointed it out at this moment.


    ¡°Tsk, look at the two of them. I can¡¯t believe that they didn¡¯t do anything,¡± someone said as if he or she was watching a show.


    At this moment, a clear-minded fan said, ¡°All right, all right, did anyone just come from Li Xianxian¡¯s livestream? Spill the beans please.¡± It was definitely not a solution to keep on guessing.


    If there were fans who came over from Li Xianxian¡¯s livestream, it would save them the energy of quarreling.


    ¡°I just came over, Chu Tianjiao almost did it on her.¡±


    As the person spoke, the whole livestream acted as if a bomb had been dropped on them. Even those that remained silent before reacted.


    ¡°See? That¡¯s what I said! Look at Li Xianxian, does she look like nothing happened?¡± The person who said this was the one who was watching the show. Now that his or her guess had been verified, their tone was filled with satisfaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s still being streamed, she really doesn¡¯t know where to draw the line.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? She has crossed the line this time.¡±


    After the speculation was confirmed, waves of lashing at Li Xianxian came flooding into the livestream. Comments about Li Xianxian fell to a low point instantly.


    There were still some fans who argued for her at the start, but now they did not know what to say. Many fans expressed their disappointment and said that they would not support her anymore.


    ¡°Many fans quit supporting her on the livestream just now.¡±


    ¡°She already became like this, who would continue liking her?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Looking at her previous livestream, I thought she was an upright person. Seems like it was all a pretense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed, I even treated her as my idol. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s someone like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m turning into an anti-fan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Instantly, a debate blew up in the livestream and the atmosphere got overly intense.

 Chapter 222 - Working Together

    Chapter 222 Working Together


    Tang Xia witnessed the change in Li Xianxian¡¯s expression and it confirmed her guess.


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian before glancing at Chu Tianjiao, who was standing beside her. She was hesitant as she said, ¡°You¡­ you did it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Based on Li Xianxian¡¯s look, the answer was already clear.


    Listening to Tang Xia¡¯s voice, Li Xianxian¡¯s face fluctuated between red and white. Her eyes kept on flickering and she seemed a little annoyed. But she covered it all up in an instant.


    She gritted her teeth so hard that it felt like they were going to break. She pointed at Tang Xia furiously and said, ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t you dare accuse someone like that!¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s tone was aggravated and she was emotional and filled with fury. She looked as if she had really been accused by Tang Xia.


    Unfortunately, Li Xianxian¡¯s unnatural gaze and messy shirt were not convincing at all. On the contrary, it exposed her guilty conscience.


    Seeing this scene, the comments in the livestream were leaning toward Tang Xia. They started to ridicule Li Xianxian.


    ¡°Did I hear that right? She¡¯s still trying to argue her way out at this point in time?¡±


    ¡°She really thinks the fans in the livestream are blind.¡±


    ¡°Trying to hide your dirty secrets will only make them more conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°This time around, Li Xianxian cannot batter her way out.¡±


    ¡°Even if she wants to lie, she should first tidy her clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head silently and stopped arguing with Li Xianxian. At this point in time, she did not have to say anything else.


    The audience were not fools. Those with a pair of working eyes could tell if she had some ambiguous relationship with Chu Tianjiao. Right now, the more she tried to deny and explain, it would only tarnish whatever good impression of her that the audience had left.


    No matter who would win or lose at the end of this broadcast, Li Xianxian¡¯s reputation had been completely tarnished.


    Li Xianxian pointed at Tang Xia and scolded her. Seeing that Tang Xia was not responding, she found it boring. She then realized that her clothes were messy and her image was indeed inappropriate. Her face turned pale and she ran away flustered.


    Chu Tiankuo lifted Chu Tianjiao up with one hand and pressed him against the wall. His cold face was filled with the color of anger. ¡°What else have you done in the Garden of Eden? Be honest with me!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s brows twisted in pain, following which, the eyes that stared at Chu Tiankuo become harsher.


    ¡°I have always been a toy since young, I also want to try turning others into toys!¡± A tint of lunacy flashed across his eyes. He became fierce all of a sudden and pushed Chu Tiankuo away.


    Chu Tiankuo was unprepared and stumbled a few steps back. The eyes that were looking at Chu Tianjiao were filled with shock.


    He had never thought that Chu Tianjiao¡¯s thoughts would be so twisted.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia also frowned slightly. She was speechless upon hearing Chu Tianjiao¡¯s logic. Just then, Chu Tianjiao suddenly dashed toward her and gave her a tight slap.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s action was very sudden. Even Chu Tiankuo did not manage to react immediately. When he heard the crisp slap, a few bright red fingerprints were already imprinted onto Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tang Xia held her face in her hands and her eyes staring at Chu Tianjiao were filled with disbelief.


    Chu Tianjiao was stiff. He ordered her in the same overbearing tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you comment on my actions!¡± As he spoke, his face became gloomier and more terrifying.


    ¡°When did I ever do that?¡± Tang Xia was just about to rebut when Chu Tianjiao lifted his head and added arrogantly, ¡°Not even in your heart!¡±


    Tang Xia was left completely speechless. Chu Tianjiao was now like a sick pervert with twisted thoughts. One¡¯s glance and emotion could make him go crazy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already become crazy,¡± Tang Xia threw at him coldly. She did not want to talk to him anymore.


    Hearing her voice, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face fell. She wanted to dash over to punish her, but at this moment, Chu Tiankuo kept a stern face as he shielded her.


    Chu Tiankuo did not imagine that Chu Tianjiao would dare to be so arrogant after meeting him. Did he stay too long in the Garden of Eden and lose control?


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face fell. ¡°Are you trying to rebel?¡±


    Hearing his voice, Chu Tianjiao paused for a while, after which a look of indifference formed on his face. ¡°Who are you to lecture me?¡±


    As he spoke, the two brothers quickly got entangled in a fight. Chu Tiankuo was already completely triggered by Chu Tianjiao. Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face was also filled with fury, and it was difficult to separate them.


    While Chu Tianjiao was being occupied by Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia took advantage of the fact that he would not take notice of her and crept into hell. When Chu Tianjiao appeared earlier, Haidala had returned to her room.


    The few girls in hell were all gathered together. They were apparently at a loss after hearing the two men fighting.


    ¡°Haidala, have you thought about it? If you want to leave this place, now is the best time!¡± Tang Xia found Haidala and said directly.


    Chu Tianjiao and Chu Tiankuo were now busy fighting each other. If the girls in hell all worked together to escape, there was a huge possibility that they could actually make it out.


    Tang Xia held onto Haidala¡¯s hand and her eyes were filled with glowing hope. Right now, the freedom that they had dreamt of was right in front of their eyes. As long as they decided to be courageous enough, they could definitely make it out.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s voice, Haidala immediately understood what she meant. Her gaze faltered, and just as she was about to respond, Sun Jin, who was standing beside them, became very dissatisfied when she saw Tang Xia.


    She pulled Haidala to her side and then turned her head toward Tang Xia. She suppressed her anger as she asked, ¡°You again. What are you trying to do now?¡±


    Before waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s response, Sun Jin said to the other girls in hell, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t forget what we learned from Elsa¡¯s incident. This Tang Xia was the one who caused it.¡±


    As Sun Jin spoke, the eyes glaring at Tang Xia were filled with increasing hostility. When the other girls in hell heard her voice, they started to stand further away from Tang Xia, as if they would get involved just by standing beside her.


    Tang Xia did not take notice of her. She kept on looking at Haidala. But in such a situation, Haidala¡¯s gaze became hesitant.


    Seeing this, Tang Xia was both disappointed and anxious. ¡°Do you guys actually want to stay here for the rest of your lives?¡± At this point in time, the sound of the fight outside was gradually stopping. Apparently, Chu Tiankuo and Chu Tianjiao had stopped their fight.


    If they missed this opportunity, they might never have the chance to escape from here ever again.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s rhetorical question, some of the girls seemed hesitant. They were obviously slightly swayed by her. However, most of them still kept a straight face and no one stood out at all.


    ¡°Haidala, have you given up as well?¡± Tang Xia could only turn her focus back to Haidala. Right now, every second was important. There was not enough time for them to continue hesitating.


    Haidala looked at Tang Xia and then at Sun Jin. Ultimately, her yearning for freedom won over her fear of Chu Tianjiao. Haidala broke free of Sun Jin¡¯s hand and walked out. She stood beside Tang Xia.


    Sun Jin even tried to pull her back, but Haidala was ready to leave.


    ¡°Haidala, have you forgotten how Elsa was motivated by her and then killed by Chu Tianjiao in front of everyone?¡± Sun Jin looked at Haidala in utter disbelief. She still could not believe that she had chosen to stand on Tang Xia¡¯s side.


    ¡°I have not forgotten about it,¡± Haidala said softly but her eyes were giving off a color of determination. She looked at all the girls in the room with her determined gaze. She seemed to have the power to shake one¡¯s heart.


    Following which, Haidala¡¯s slightly hoarse voice rang in everyone¡¯s heart. ¡°And it is because I didn¡¯t forget that I choose to follow Tang Xia and seize this opportunity.


    ¡°You guys are the ones who have forgotten.¡±


    As the girls all looked at each other, their gazes were filled with confusion. They did not know what she meant by that.


    Haidala¡¯s expression became solemn. She continued, ¡°Did you guys really think that Tang Xia was the one who killed Elsa?¡±


    Before Haidala asked this question, there were indeed a number of people who thought so. But after she asked them, they were silent. No one spoke for a while.


    Sun Jin was the only one who was still furious. She glared at Tang Xia, treating her as her enemy. She cried out angrily, ¡°Haidala, what are you talking about? Who else could it be?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. The one who killed her was Chu Tianjiao.¡±


    Haidala¡¯s expression was calm. Having been in the Garden of Eden for so long, she felt most awake at this moment. When she said his name, there was no trace of extra emotion on her face.


    Hearing her voice, not only Sun Jin, but the expressions of all the girls also froze and they fell into silence.


    ¡°Elsa died because she was seeking freedom. From what I think, she is much better than us, who are still suffering. Because at least she once fought bravely. As for you guys, you don¡¯t even have the courage to resist. Instead, you only know how to blame the one who is brave enough to fight back.¡±


    After she finished, she did not take another look at the girls. She turned toward Tang Xia with a determined gaze. ¡°I believe you, let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    Tang Xia nodded intensely and her eyes sparkled. She was both touched and overjoyed. The words that Haidala just said were exactly the thoughts in her heart.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get out of here together!¡± Tang Xia said firmly. She then looked at the rest of them with a subtle gaze.


    ¡°If you guys are still willing to stay here, then so be it. But I hope that when you think back on this day, you won¡¯t regret it. Because you guys did not even try and just blatantly gave up on the chance to gain freedom.¡±


    After which, Tang Xia and Haidala did not stay any longer and walked toward the door immediately.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re coming with you!¡± A girl from hell plucked up the courage and followed behind Tang Xia, after which more girls joined them.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Rather than suffering like this, we might as well fight for it for once!¡± a girl from hell said. There was no longer any hesitation in her eyes. Instead, they were filled with the yearning for freedom.


    Tang Xia looked at them and nodded. Her eyes were smiling with contentment. At last, her efforts were not in vain. These girls had yet to completely lose the courage to pursue freedom.


    After a moment of hesitation, even Sun Jin stood behind Tang Xia.

 Chapter 223 - All Efforts Are In Vain

    Chapter 223 All Efforts Are In Vain


    ¡°Haidala is right. I should not blame Elsa¡¯s death on you, nor should I lose the will to escape.¡± Sun Jin looked at Tang Xia, and there was a little regret in her eyes.


    Haidala¡¯s earlier words were like a wake-up call, helping Sun Jin to see that she was lying to herself. The one who was at fault was not Tang Xia. Instead, it was those who did not dare to turn against Chu Tianjiao, and instead channeled all the hate toward Tang Xia.


    If they did not grab this opportunity to escape, it would really be a huge mistake.


    Tang Xia gave her an indifferent smile. ¡°As long as you realize it.¡± Following which, all the girls in hell looked outside, and their wills came together like a fortress. Their eyes were full of desire.


    ¡°To freedom!¡± Someone shouted. It ignited the fire in the hearts of the others, and they chanted, ¡°Yes, to freedom!¡±


    The girls shouted and dashed outside, without hesitation. Their cries carried the weight of their prolonged suppression and long wait


    Chu Tianjiao and Chu Tiankuo were facing each other. Chu Tianjiao suddenly saw the girls in hell dashing out, one by one, as if they had lost control. A tinge of panic flashed across his eyes. He quickly exploded. ¡°Are you guys trying to rebel?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s anger had reached its peak. His outburst was filled with power. He had been building up his authority in the Garden of Eden for a long time. All the girls in hell had a deep seated fear of him.


    Hearing his roar, their united courage subsided instantly and their voices weakened immediately. At that moment, they looked at him, and did not dare to proceed.


    Tang Xia saw what happened and quickly shouted, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be scared. Think about how he treated you, and give him a taste of his own medicine!¡± She cheered the girls on.


    When they heard her voice, it was as if they had all taken a calming pill, and their girls¡¯ gazes gradually became more determined. They nodded and charged outside, heedlessly.


    There was nothing that could stop their yearning for freedom! Not even Chu Tianjiao!


    Chu Tianjiao became even more alarmed, when he saw the situation. The chaos caused by the girls in hell, were evidently growing beyond his control.


    ¡°Arrest them!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao did not hesitate and issued the order to the maids quickly. These maids did not have any consciousness, they only knew to obey his orders. Very soon, the maids and the girls started to fight with each other, and the whole situation turned extremely chaotic.


    Usually, these maids were the scariest beings, in the eyes of the girls from hell. But right now, in their bid to escape from the Garden of Eden and regain their freedom, the girls seemed to have forgotten all about their fear, and rushed headlong to fight fearlessly. They were even on the side that had the advantage.


    ¡°Come on, we can get out of here, once we defeat these maids!¡±


    Haidala¡¯s voice rang among the girls , and stirred up their emotions.


    ¡°Charge!¡± The girls felt extremely uplifted, and they all charged towards the maids.


    Tang Xia watched from a distance, and felt an immense sense of comfort. As long as they continued like this, before long, they could get out of this place.


    Thinking about this, she charged towards the center. This was when she realized that there was no trace of Chu Tianjiao, and Chu Tiankuo was also missing.


    Tang Xia¡¯s gaze froze instantly, and her breathing became heavier. That they were able to reach this point was more or less only possible, because of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s presence. Without him, Tang Xia started to feel panicky, and she had a very bad feeling.


    Tang Xia broke away from the scuffle, and started searching for Chu Tiankuo among the crowd. However, it was to no avail. Not only that, even Chu Tianjiao seemed to have suddenly vanished, too.


    They had confronted each other not too long ago, could something have happened? The more Tang Xia thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. Her expression gradually became more flustered.


    At this moment, a figure appeared behind her silently, and grabbed her by the neck!


    Tang Xia¡¯s breathing paused instantly. She then heard a cold voice coming from above her head. ¡°Did you think that you guys can escape, after you found my brother?¡±


    It was Chu Tianjiao! Tang Xia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and all the color drained from her face instantly. Why was he here? If that was the case, then where was Chu Tiankuo?


    Tang Xia struggled desperately, but she could not break free from his grip at all. He had an extremely sinister smile on his face. He dragged her to a high place, and then roughly shoved her aside.


    Tang Xia was finally able to breathe. She quickly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Tiankuo?¡± Her eyes were filled with anxiety.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s first response was to laugh, ¡°Haha!¡± A normal person¡¯s smile was alluring and bright, yet his smile only instilled fear in others¡¯ heart, making them afraid of him.


    He then gripped her chin down harshly. ¡°You¡¯re still counting on him to come and save you? In your dreams!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao was very strong, and Tang Xia¡¯s chin hurt from his grip. She could not help, but furrow her brows from the pain. Seeing her reaction, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s eyes showed that he was more satisfied.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that caused this chaos, right? Congratulations, you¡¯ve made more people¡¯s lives miserable once again. Because of you, they will all be punished severely.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart froze. Before she could think through what he meant, he pressed her head and forced her to look downwards.


    Her heart was in great shock, when she saw what lay before her eyes. At the same time, she felt a sense of intense fear and helplessness.


    She saw that Chu Tianjiao¡¯s maids had taken out an electronic batons and these weapons made the girls retreat. They could not stop screaming, as they were being zapped by these batons.


    However, they still did not give up. They continued to grit their teeth, and gave their all to fight for that one slim chance¡­


    Seeing this, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes could not help tearing. Her whole body started trembling as if she was a piece of paper, fluttering in the wind. She did not think that after all these preparations, she would still fail in the end


    ¡°What do you think? Is this the ending you wanted?¡± Chu Tianjiao pressed harder on Tang Xia¡¯s head, and asked in a ghastly voice that sounded as if it came from hell.


    Tang Xia trembled and her tears could not stop falling.


    ¡°They were fine at first, but because of you, they have to bear such pain now,¡± Chu Tianjiao continued to say. He kept on working on her weakest line of defense, in her heart.


    Tang Xia heard his voice, and then looked down at those girls who were injured from resisting and fighting. She could no longer maintain the determined faith she had, right from the start.


    ¡°Was I wrong?¡± Tang Xia could not help, but doubt. Perhaps, right from the beginning, she should not have involved all these girls. That way, they would not have to experience such torture.


    ¡­


    The fight was finally over. Chu Tiankuo had disappeared, and the girls from hell had to conclude that their fight was a failure. All those who had participated had been captured by Chu Tianjiao, to await their punishment.


    Tang Xia crouched in a corner, and her gaze was empty. She had completely lost the drive she had earlier. Chu Tiankiao laughed coldly and ordered someone to throw Tang Xia into the bunch of maids.


    Tang Xia then realized what was going on, and looked around her. When they saw Tang Xia, countless pairs of harsh eyes glared at her. Without a doubt, if they were not being controlled by the maids, these girls would have run toward her and beat her up.


    In that instant, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes darkened, and she lowered her head. She did not dare to look into the eyes of the girls from hell. They had trusted her so much to bring them out to freedom. However, Tang Xia had misplaced their trust.


    Seeing this scene, Chu Tiankuo laughed coldly. He notified all girls in the Garden of Eden to gather.


    Tang Xia knew that he was going to announce their punishment. Yet she still kept her head lowered, and did not have the energy to fight back. She even had a small thought in her mind to admit defeat.


    If she was thought she was depressed and sad from the last failed attempt, then she was in complete despair this time around.


    She had already put in so much effort, and tried so many ways, but it still failed. Chu Tianjiao was like a demon that could not be moved. It seemed like no matter what she did, she could not escape from him.


    Everyone at The Garden of Eden gathered around Chu Tiankuo. After he sent out the notification, the girls quickly came in together. They all looked towards the corner in confusion, staring at Tang Xia and the rest.


    ¡°Tang Xia was indeed caught and brought back.¡±


    ¡°This time around, the owner will definitely not go easy on her.¡±


    ¡°And she even ignited the fire in so many girls¡¯ hearts to create chaos, she¡¯s so daring!¡±


    ¡°This Tang Xia is really so ignorant, how can she even think of escaping!¡±


    All the girls whispered among themselves. They all turned toward Tang Xia and cast their pitying, spiteful and complicated looks at her. Meanwhile, Tang Xia crouched in fear. She did not even have the energy to lift her head.


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    The girls only stopped talking, when Chu Tianjiao¡¯s majestic and powerful voice was heard.


    ¡°I gathered you all, because a big thing happened in the Garden!¡± Chu Tianjiao said coldly. At this moment, he glanced at Tang Xia subtly. The expression in his eyes made one¡¯s heart quake in fear.


    ¡°Girls in hell were encouraged by someone to launch a rebellion. I hereby imprison them in hell, am limiting their meals to only one meal per day, and banning them from all outdoor activities!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao continued speaking. He cast his glance across all the girls with the intent to instill fear in them.


    Hearing what he said, all the girls gasped, and they looked at the girls from hell with sympathy.


    The punishment this time around was indeed severe. One meal a day and no outdoor activities, this could easily drive someone crazy.


    Meanwhile, the girls from hell did not say anything, and kept their heads lowered. They looked at the floor and were very quiet. The impact of their rebellion was so huge, this punishment was already expected.


    Tang Xia¡¯s gaze also darkened. She knew that he would announce her punishment next. As the one who had ignited their rebellious behavior, and also trying to escape more than once, Chu Tianjiao would definitely not go soft on her at all.


    Will she be whipped to death in front of everyone like Elsa? Tang Xia started to make wild guesses. Based on his character, he might even come up with a punishment that was worse than death.


    For some reason, she thought of Chu Tiankuo again. A weak glow of light flashed across her eyes. She wondered where he was right now, and why he disappeared all of a sudden. At the same time, Tang Xia could not help, but hope that he would appear again.

 Chapter 224 - News From Chu Tiankuo

    Chapter 224 News From Chu Tiankuo


    Just as Tang Xia was still panicking, Chu Tianjiao only made an authoritative speech, without saying a word about Tang Xia¡¯s punishment. Finally, he took his leave in front of everyone, who were staring at him in shock.


    Chu Tianjiao was letting Tang Xia off, just like that?


    After realizing this fact, all the girls in the Garden of Eden were dumbfounded. Countless complicated gazes filled with jealousy, injustice, confusion and shock were cast at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia herself was so shocked, that she stood rooted to the ground. She did not understand what his intention was.


    Just moments before, definitely no one believed that she would emerge unscathed. None of those who failed in their escape attempts, had ever had a good ending. This was evident by many of the bloody punishments meted out.


    Besides, not only did Tang Xia try to escape, she even instigated the girls in hell to rebel. In such a situation, it was obviously much more serious than merely trying to escape.


    But right now, it seemed like what was deemed impossible, had happened just like that.


    All the girls looked at Tang Xia in shock, as if she was a monster.


    But no matter what, this was Chu Tianjiao¡¯s decision after all. He was the leader of the Garden of Eden, no one would dare to question his decisions.


    The girls thought, ¡°Perhaps he has yet to figure out a proper way to torture her.¡± After Chu Tianjiao left, they returned to their rooms soon after.


    Meanwhile, the girls from hell were quickly brought away by the maids to accept their punishment. The hateful glares they threw at Tang Xia before they left, caused her to lower her head silently. She did not dare to meet them in the eye.


    Soon, Tang Xia was left standing all alone. Chu Tianjiao did not punish her, nor tell her how he was going to deal with her. Tang Xia¡¯s gaze faltered, she did not know what to do.


    But soon, there was a trace of determination in her face.


    Why Chu Tianjiao did not punish her, did not matter. Since he did not restrict her actions, she would make full use of this chance.


    She gritted her teeth and strode towards the door.


    A big reason as to why she failed this time around was due to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden disappearance. Tang Xia had to find him to get an explanation. He was the one who brought her back to deal with Chu Tianjiao, why was he the one who backed down first?


    Tang Xia did not believe that Chu Tiankuo had been lying to her right from the start, but she could not accept his disappearing act either. Hence, she had to find him, to question him.


    Chu Tiankuo had disappeared during the chaotic fight. Other than herself and Chu Tiankuo, those who were present included the other girls from hell, Chu Tianjiao, as well as the maids.


    It went without saying that Chu Tianjiao and those maids without consciousness could not be relied on. The only way to find a clue was to look for the girls from hell.


    Recalling their hateful glares, Tang Xia was a little hesitant. But it was just momentary. Tang Xia strengthened her resolution, and walked out without any hesitation.


    Escaping would never be a solution. She was the one who had confidently said that she was going to lead them out of the Garden of Eden. She should also have the courage to bear the responsibilities of the failure.


    Tang Xia thought that she was already mentally-prepared, but when she eventually reached the dungeon, she was still shocked by what she saw.


    The girls were all feeling dispirited and were crouching in the corners. Several of them had wounds on their bodies from the fight. As part of the punishment, no one was there to treat these wounds.


    However, the wounds on their bodies were only secondary. What was more intolerable was the despair in their eyes. There was not a single trace of life in their gazes. They were only filled with endless darkness.


    Chu Tianjiao did not kill them directly. Instead, he used this method to take away their will and vitality slowly.


    This kind of punishment was, to a certain extent, much more intolerable than killing them directly.


    When Tang Xia appeared outside the dungeon, these eyes finally had a different emotion.


    ¡°Tang Xia, how dare you come!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not for you, would we have ended up like this?¡±


    ¡°What I regret most is believing you back then!¡±


    ¡°You traitor, liar!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All the girls clutched the metal bars in the dungeon, as they roared at her furiously. If looks could kill, she would already be dead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Tang Xia could only repeat these words, non-stop. Seeing the situation they were in, her eyes teared instantly. Even her voice was trembling.


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re sorry? Just a ¡®sorry¡¯ and we will be able to escape from Chu Tianjiao¡¯s punishment?¡± One of the girls retorted angrily. She brushed aside Tang Xia¡¯s apology.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Another girl snorted. She was not even willing to take another look at her. ¡°Why are you still talking to her? Anyway, she will not be punished, how could she understand how we feel?¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop talking now. Save some energy, we don¡¯t have much water.¡±


    The girls only stopped scolding Tang Xia, when they heard this low and hoarse voice. But the eyes that were fixed on Tang Xia, were still filled with hate.


    Not only did Chu Tiajiao limit their food, but he also limited their water.


    ¡°Tang Xia¡­what are you doing here?¡± After the majority of the girls quietened down, a weak and hoarse voice came into Tang Xia¡¯s ears. She then noticed Haidala, who was in a half-lying position in a corner.


    During the fight, Haidala was the first at the frontline, so she also sustained the most injuries.


    When she saw Haidala, Tang Xia could not hold it back anymore. Tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­it is all my fault for causing you guys to be locked up here.¡±


    When the girls saw Tang Xia¡¯s tears, they sneered, and their gazes were filled with contempt. Compared to what they had suffered, her tears were useless.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Haidala paused for a while, before saying that. She was the only one that held no grudge against Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart was warmed, and her tears fell down uncontrollably. Right now, the girls from hell were all so hostile towards her. Only Haidala was still willing to talk to her.


    Thinking about her purpose here, Tang Xia asked anxiously, ¡°By the way, during the fight, did you see where Chu Tiankuo went? He¡¯s the guy who came with me to find you.¡±


    Haidala knotted her brows as she tried to recall. Eventually, she shook her head helplessly, ¡°It was too chaotic back then, I did not notice.¡±


    Hearing that, a disappointed look flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s face. Following this, she turned to ask the other girls. However, none of them answered her. Some of the girls even turned their backs towards her, as they did not want to look at her.


    ¡°I think you should go¡­they won¡¯t talk to you.¡± Seeing the situation, Haidala was also hesitant. She had already received a few eye-rolls for continuing to talk to Tang Xia.


    Looking at the other girls, Tang Xia knew that Haidala was right. After a few more tries that were to no avail, she finally stood up and prepared to leave.


    ¡°No matter if you guys believe in me or not, I will never give up.¡±


    Before leaving, Tang Xia looked at the girls for one last time with a heartfelt gaze. Her eyes were still red from crying earlier. But her gaze was filled with a stubborn determination.


    After which, she turned her head and left, without waiting for their response.


    ¡°Get lost quickly, you are not welcome here!¡± Behind her came an angry and suppressed voice.


    Tang Xia clenched her fists subtly. She knew that whatever she said at this moment would be useless. But sooner or later, she would prove through her actions, that she had yet given up on the hope to bring them out of here!


    Her most important task right now, was to find Chu Tiankuo. Although she did not gain any clues from the girls, she was not discouraged. She grumbled a little, and headed toward the big auditorium.


    Her instinct told her that if she could meet that mysterious man once again, perhaps she might get some valuable information.


    Tang Xia had this thought, and she went speedily to the big auditorium. Like the last time that she was here, the curtains were flapping in the breeze from the sea.


    Tang Xia tried to close her eyes and open them again, just like the last time. She even climbed onto the window sill. However, the mysterious man did not appear this time around.


    The spot behind the curtain was empty. There was no trace of that mysterious man at all.


    Why? Tang Xia lowered her head in disappointment. Just as she was about to take one step further to try, a scornful female voice came from behind. ¡°Why, are you trying to escape again?¡±


    Tang Xia turned around and saw Li Xianxian¡¯s delicately-drawn face. To be honest, her beauty was quite appealing. But now when Tang Xia looked at her, she only found it disgusting.


    The scornful look she had right now, made Tang Xia feel even more uncomfortable.


    Tan Xia looked away dully. Her expression became cold. ¡°What are you doing here? I don¡¯t want to fight with you right now.¡±


    Li Xianxian was triggered by Tang Xia¡¯s cold attitude. A trace of intense hatred flashed across her eyes. If you looked carefully, you could even see that it hid a trace of jealousy.


    But soon after, this expression was covered up by her mocking smile. ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you want to know Chu Tiankuo¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    Li Xianxian raised her voice as she saw how Tang Xia¡¯s face changed, after she heard the three words.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Tang Xia asked anxiously. Li Xianxian chuckled and pulled out a tablet calmly. The image showed that he was also being imprisoned.


    Tang Xia¡¯s gaze darkened. It turned out that Chu Tiankuo did not leave on his own. He was also being controlled by Chu Tiankuo. Before she could take a closer look, Li Xianxian put back the tablet.


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re still not willing to give up?¡± Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia in satisfaction, and her tone was confident.


    Chu Tiankuo was Tang Xia¡¯s biggest help, in passing through so many novel worlds. Now even he was locked up, what else could she do?


    Hence, she should just admit defeat now. And as for Li Xianxian, she would be the final winner. Thinking about this, the corner of her lips curled into a satisfied smile.

 Chapter 225 - Seeing La Chapelle Again

    Chapter 225 Seeing La Chapelle Again


    Li Xianxian¡¯s smile did not last for long, before it froze.


    That was because she heard Tang Xia saying this to her, articulating each word slowly, ¡°As for winning and losing, no one knows for sure. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m confident of.¡± At this point, Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian, and gave her a meaningful smile.


    ¡°And that is, after this broadcast is over, your reputation will definitely be tarnished.¡±


    The fact that Li Xianxian and Chu Tianjiao had almost let something happen between them, had spread like wild fire. Even if she were to gain victory this time around, her reputation had fallen terribly.


    Hearing what Tang Xia said, Li Xianxian understood what she meant, at once. Her face paled instantly and she became fidgety. She lifted her hand, ready to give Tang Xia a slap across her face.


    However, before her palm could make contact with Tang Xia¡¯s face, Tang Xia grabbed hold of her hand.


    ¡°You want to hit me? Sure, but let me remind you. Your fans are still watching from the broadcast room.¡± Tang Xia said calmly, as the corners of her lips curled up gradually.


    She was never a tiny white rabbit, whose life could be dictated by others. If Li Xianxian thought she was like a soft persimmon that could be pinched and prodded, then she was wrong.


    The broadcast room was already in a heated argument, because of Li Xianxian¡¯s action. Her eyes lost their focus, and she let down her hand slowly.


    Without any further action, Li Xianxian left directly. She was not that dumb to further tarnish her own reputation in a situation where she had already lost all the good feelings her fans had for her.


    Tang Xia¡¯s facial expression became solemn, after Li Xianxian walked off.


    Of course she would not become despicable, after gaining a slight upper hand in this battle. No matter what Li Xianxian¡¯s reputation was after this broadcast, the situation at hand was most important to Tang Xia.


    Judging from the video that Li Xianxian showed her earlier, Chu Tiankuo seemed to have been locked up in Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room.


    Chu Tiankuo was involved in this situation, because of her. Hence, Tang Xia must think of a way to save him. After thinking through, she decided that she should first go to Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room, to assess the situation.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room was the most highly-protected place in the whole of the Garden of Eden. Along the way there, there were many maids patrolling the area. In order to avoid attracting their attention, Tang Xia hid herself in an inconspicuous room.


    Upon entering, Tang Xia realized that the room was very spacious. It was filled with all sorts of medication, some with labels that were illegible. It looked like some sort of a lab.


    She was not sure if there was anyone inside. She hid behind the door, hoping to leave quickly after the maids on patrol left.


    At this moment, a hesitant voice came from behind. ¡°Tang Xia¡­what are you doing here?¡±


    Tang Xia had such a fright that she almost shrieked. Seeing her reaction, the person quickly covered her mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only me.¡±


    Tang Xia then calmed down and looked at the person. She then realized that this person looked a little familiar. An instant later, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes widened, and she exclaimed in surprise, ¡°La Chapelle?¡±


    It was not that Tang Xia was forgetful. La Chapelle looked totally different from Tang Xia¡¯s memory of her ¨C refreshing and sweet. Not only had she shaved off her beautiful long hair, but her previously smooth face was now scarred.


    ¡°Did La Chapelle go through any punishment for something that she did? Tang Xia looked at La Chapelle, and her whole face was filled with confusion. La Chapelle had already drawn the line between them.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± said La Chapelle, seeing that Tang Xia recognized her. She grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand and as she walked, she kept on looking around surreptitiously, as if she was looking out for someone.


    However, even though she pulled her hand, Tang Xia did not move. La Chapelle turned around and it was only then that she realized Tang Xia was still staring at her in confusion.


    When Chu Tianjiao sent Tang Xia to hell, La Chapelle¡¯s attitude had been very cold. Tang Xia thought that she had betrayed her. But what was it with La Chapelle¡¯s behavior now?


    Tang Xia stood rooted to the ground, hesitantly. She did not say a word, nor followed La Chapelle. Her eyes were filled with extreme caution.


    Sensing the situation, La Chapelle added helplessly, ¡°Trust me.¡± She then looked inside the room, in a worried manner.


    Tang Xia saw that her gaze was sincere, and was moved eventually. She followed La Chapelle to a corner. She could not be harsh toward one, whom she had treated as a friend.


    If La Chapelle was really going to harm her, she could only accept it.


    However, the truth was that Tang Xia had made the right choice by trusting La Chapelle. After walking to the corner, La Chapelle explained to her why she had acted so coldly toward her.


    It turned out that La Chapelle did it as a cover, so that she could wait for an opportunity.


    If she had not maintained a distance from Tang Xia, she would very likely have been punished too. Tang Xia had already been sent to hell, if La Chapelle was also sent to hell, then they would have no chance at all.


    During the time when Tang Xia was in hell, La Chapelle had not given up on their plan. She found her way into the lab, and tried to get the antidote for controlling the maids¡¯ minds, but she failed. This was how she got the scar on her face.


    After listening to La Chapelle¡¯s explanation, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned red. La Chapelle¡¯s gaze also darkened. She heard about what happened to Tang Xia recently, and felt a little helpless about her failures.


    However, they knew that this was not the time to be sentimental. After a short catch-up, Tang Xia told La Chapelle that Chu Tiankuo was locked up in Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room. La Chapelle immediately said that she would help Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia did not reject her. With La Chapelle¡¯s help, it would definitely be much better than working alone, and in such a dangerous situation. Just as they were discussing how they should go about with the plan, a test tube filled with chemicals on a shelf, was accidentally knocked over.


    The glass tube shattered into pieces. The sound was very loud. A look of horror formed on La Chapelle¡¯s face. A female voice came from the room inside, ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡±


    After that, they heard a series of footsteps, and a fat woman who wore a white coat, came toward them. There was confusion in her voice. ¡°La Chapelle, what are you doing?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart was on the verge of jumping out of her throat. La Chapelle thought of a brilliant idea on the spot. She pressed Tang Xia¡¯s hand against her back, and as if trying to earn some credits, she said, ¡°Professor, I¡¯ve caught Tang Xia!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± That fat woman who wore a white coat, studied Tang Xia from head to toe, after hearing that. Tang Xia quickly cooperated with La Chapelle, and pretended to struggle.


    The fat woman looked away, and did not find anything suspicious. She replied calmly, ¡°Hmm.¡± She then ordered La Chapelle, ¡°Bring her in!¡±


    After which, she entered the room first.


    ¡°Yes, professor!¡± La Chapelle answered firmly, yet her heart was very anxious. She looked around and found a wrench in the cabinet. She passed it to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Do it when you have the chance,¡± La Chapelle said softly. Tang Xia understood what she meant and nodded. She pretended to be captured by La Chapelle, and entered the room.


    Upon entering, her line of vision widened immediately. It seemed that this was the main part of the lab. The room that she had unknowingly entered earlier, must have been a storage room.


    La Chapelle looked around and realized that there was no one else there, other than the fat woman. She pretended to ask casually, ¡°Professor, where are the rest?¡±


    The fat woman took a sip of water. She did not find anything suspicious at all. ¡°They went to give medicine to the maids.¡±


    So that meant that there was only the fat woman here. La Chapelle was overjoyed, and gave Tang Xia an imperceptible look. Tang Xia subtly positioned the wrench in her hand.


    The fat woman remained seated. There was an average-sized office desk between them. She could not see what they were doing at all.


    ¡°Why were you hiding in the store room? Were you slacking again?¡± The fat woman looked up at La Chapelle. Her eyes were full of reprimand.


    But before La Chapelle could respond, she turned her gaze towards Tang Xia, and said in a pleased tone, ¡°But you¡¯ve made it up for catching her. When I report this to the owner, he might prolong your free time.¡±


    La Chapelle forced herself to look overjoyed, and nodded sincerely, ¡°Thank you professor!¡±


    However, she was a little anxious. The fat woman remained seated. There was an alarm behind her. Even though they could act now, she might trigger the alarm and call for the maids.


    She must lure the fat woman away!


    Seeing the fat woman pick up the phone, ready to report Tang Xia, La Chapelle¡¯s heart dropped and she shouted anxiously.


    ¡°By the way, professor, when Tang Xia was struggling just now, she accidentally knocked over a few test tubes. There seemed to be a ¡°danger¡± label on them. Will this cause any impact?¡±


    Some of the test tubes in the lab contained complex chemicals. Usually, the fat woman took extra care to tell them to be careful, especially those that were labelled as ¡°dangerous¡±.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± Hearing what La Chapelle said, the fat woman¡¯s face color changed immediately. She put down the phone and said to La Chapelle anxiously, ¡°Quick! Bring me there!¡±


    ¡°I was too focused on catching her and did not notice.¡± La Chapelle pretended to look guilty and scratched her head, while secretly giving Tang Xia a look. Tang Xia returned her look, to indicate that she understood, and held the wrench tightly in her hand.


    The fat woman did not notice their exchange of looks, stood up quickly and headed toward the store room.


    ¡°Right over there, professor.¡± La Chapelle lured her away from her desk. Halfway there, the fat woman suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her gaze on La Chapelle was filled with doubts. ¡°No, you¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°That storeroom only stores normal test tubes. Ever since one of the batches had sprung a leak, the dangerous test tubes had been moved to a cabinet that was not easily accessible.¡±


    The fat woman did not realize this, because she was too anxious earlier. Now she found that something seemed wrong, and became suspicious of La Chapelle immediately.


    However, it was already too late.


    Upon hearing her say the word¡¯ no¡¯, Tang Xia, who was behind her, had already made her move. She lifted the wrench and smashed downwards, without any hesitation!

 Chapter 226 - Getting Hold of the Antidote

    Chapter 226 Getting Hold of the Antidote


    ¡°You two¡­¡± The fat woman¡¯s eyes were opened wide as she stared at Tang Xia in disbelief.


    She struggled while she turned her head back, trying to press the alarm. However, once her body moved a little, she passed out completely and fell onto the floor. She had lost her consciousness.


    ¡°Professor? Professor?¡± La Chapelle tried to call out. She then gently kicked the body twice. Upon seeing that the fat woman did not respond, she finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Did she pass out?¡±


    Tang Xia asked La Chapelle while the hand holding onto the wrench was still trembling slightly.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± La Chapelle nodded and lifted her hand to wipe out the sweat on her forehead. Although she had seemed extremely calm earlier, her heart was about to jump out of her throat.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Xia threw the wrench aside and her tense body finally relaxed.


    However, even though they had taken care of the fat woman, their troubles had yet to end. Tang Xia looked at the fat woman on the ground and asked a little hesitantly, ¡°Now what?¡±


    La Chapelle was more familiar with the situation at hand than her. Hence, Tang Xia subconsciously turned to La Chapelle and asked for her opinion.


    La Chapelle made a low humming sound before answering, ¡°We have to hide her first. We must move fast.¡±


    The fat woman had said that the rest of them had gone to give medicine to the maids and they did not know what time they would be back. They definitely could not let them find her body.


    Tang Xia nodded. La Chapelle found a hemp rope in the utility room and tied up the hands and feet of the fat woman. She also stuffed her mouth with a piece of cloth. That way, even if she were to wake up, she would not be able to alert the others.


    Then, the duo dragged her into the cabinet and closed the door. Even if the others came back, they would not know immediately that something had happened.


    ¡°The antidote that can help the maids recover their consciousness is here. I¡¯ve seen it once. It¡¯s a green bottle. Let¡¯s look for it separately.¡±


    La Chapelle spoke to Tang Xia after finishing everything. They had limited time, so they had to make use of every second. After Tang Xia responded, the duo split up to start searching.


    Tang Xia quickly scanned the racks full of medicine, yet she did not find the green bottle that La Chapelle had mentioned. Meanwhile, La Chapelle was also shaking her head. Apparently, she had found nothing too.


    The duo glanced at each other and could not help looking disappointed. Were they going to end up returning empty-handed?


    Tang Xia bit her lips tightly as she got lost in deep thought. If this was her, where would she put the antidote?


    After a moment, a light flashed across her eyes. She walked straight to the fat woman¡¯s desk and started rummaging through it. Through the small crack of the desk drawer, she faintly saw the corner of a green bottle.


    It was indeed here! Tang Xia was overjoyed. ¡°Found it!¡± Just as she was about to pull open the drawer to retrieve the antidote, she realized that the drawer would not budge at all. It was locked.


    La Chapelle heard her and came over. She also felt a little helpless when she saw that the drawer was locked. However, just a second later, a smile formed on her face. She turned around and felt the fat woman¡¯s body. Just as she had expected, she found a bunch of keys.


    ¡°Luckily, we¡¯ve already knocked her out.¡± La Chapelle sighed emotionally. The fat woman had hidden the antidote so secretly that if they had not knocked her out first, even if they had found the secret place, they would not have been able to open it and everything would have been in vain.


    As she spoke, La Chapelle inserted the key into the keyhole. It was indeed a match. She opened the lock easily and retrieved the antidote.


    The two of them had just gotten their hands on the antidote, yet before they could even rejoice, they heard a series of footsteps coming from outside.


    ¡°Oh no, the others are back.¡±


    La Chapelle¡¯s face fell and she quickly returned the drawer to its original state. She then turned around and told Tang Xia, ¡°Take the antidote and go. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    Tang Xia kept the antidote, but her gaze was hesitant. They had knocked out the fat woman and stolen the antidote. Would La Chapelle be in danger if she stayed here alone?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. They won¡¯t find out so soon.¡± Upon hearing the footsteps approaching, La Chapelle urged her even more.


    Tang Xia knew that this was not the time to push and pull. After taking one last look at La Chapelle, she headed to the storage room without hesitation. It was the room she had chanced upon right from the start.


    At the moment, she already knew that there were two exits in the lab. The storage room was located at the back door.


    When she entered the storage room, a bunch of women dressed in white coats also entered the laboratory. Although they were separated by a door, Tang Xia could still faintly hear La Chapelle¡¯s voice as she talked to them.


    La Chapelle was doing a very good job concealing everything. Like she had said, it should be fine for now.


    Tang Xia paused for a while and calmed herself down a little. Through the tiny gap on the other side, she saw that the patrolling maids had left and dashed outside without hesitation.


    Although she had already gotten the antidote, which meant that the maids were no longer that much of a threat, she was still alone. She had to be careful with everything.


    Upon thinking of this, Tang Xia still decided to save Chu Tiankuo first.


    She sneaked outside Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room carefully. Although she faintly heard sounds of intense fighting coming from inside, the sounds were unclear.


    Tang Xia could only press her ear against the door to listen clearly.


    ¡°What have you done to Tang Xia?¡±


    Although the voice was soft, this icy-cold voice could not be more familiar to Tang Xia. It was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice. He was still concerned about her. Her heart became warm as she leaned even closer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t punish her at all.¡±


    She heard another cold voice that was filled with sarcasm. It was obviously Chu Tianjiao¡¯s.


    ¡°When are you going to stop making mistakes? Let me advise you one more time. Let go of Tang Xia and the girls in the Garden of Eden.¡± When Chu Tianjiao heard this, his tone became more relaxed, but his choice of words was still strict.


    Although Tang Xia could not see what was going on inside, she could still imagine Chu Tiankuo furrowing his brows unhappily.


    ¡°Brother, why are you being so stubborn? Is the present so bad?¡± Chu Tianjiao¡¯s response sounded agitated. It seemed like he was very unhappy with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s repeated obstructions.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to listen to me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I told you already, I¡¯m fine with everything but letting them go!¡±


    As the conflict grew among the two of them, the voice coming from inside became louder and fiercer. It was even accompanied by the faint sound of breaking cups and porcelain.


    It seemed like they had failed to communicate and turned to vent their anger on the objects around them.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face fell. She had focused all her attention to listen to the movements inside the room and had not realized that a maid had walked up to her silently.


    When the maid¡¯s icy-cold hand landed on her shoulder, Tang Xia had to bit her lower lip with all her might to suppress the urge to scream. However, a layer of cold sweat still formed on her forehead.


    They were outside Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room. If he gave an order, countless maids would come and surround her. Then, Tang Xia herself would not be safe, so she would have to forget about saving Chu Tiankuo.


    Without hesitation, Tang Xia quickly turned around and fought against the maid. She wanted to deal with this one first before more came along.


    However, the maid¡¯s strength was extraordinary. Before long, she had already grabbed hold of Tang Xia and pressed her against the floor. Tang Xia grabbed the maid¡¯s hand for dear life and waited for a chance to reverse the situation.


    Then, Tang Xia finally saw the face of the maid. She became a little distracted and cried out, ¡°Pearl?¡±


    Although her hair and outfit were just like the other maids¡¯, Tang Xia could still recognize her face. This was the first friend she had made in the Garden of Eden- Pearl.


    In order to save her, Pearl had taken the poison and become a maid.


    Upon thinking of this, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°Pearl, it¡¯s me, Tang Xia,¡± she said, choking with emotion.


    She had not expected to run into Pearl again under these kind of circumstances. Tang Xia spoke in a low voice to awaken her consciousness.


    However, Pearl only paused for a short while and then continued to choke her without the slightest hesitation. Her hollow eyes were emotionless.


    Upon seeing this, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes darkened. Pearl was controlled by poison, so she would not remember her. Without waiting for Tang Xia to stop being sentimental, Pearl attacked her strongly again.


    However, Tang Xia had recognized Pearl and did not want to hurt her. Thus, as she faced Pearl¡¯s attack, several scars were formed on her body in no time.


    Tang Xia gritted her teeth and held on. She accumulated energy and when she had the chance, she jolted up and controlled Pearl temporarily. Tang Xia dared not hesitate; she quickly popped a pill inside Pearl¡¯s mouth.


    Immediately, Pearl let go of her grip on Tang Xia. Tang Xia was so exhausted that she fell down beside her. If Pearl were to attack her again at this moment, she would not even have the energy to resist.


    Fortunately, the antidote took effect quickly. Pearl¡¯s action was stopped half-way in mid-air. Her hollow gaze now contained a burst of emotion.


    ¡°Pearl, are you awake?¡± Upon seeing this, Tang Xia could not restrain the joy in her heart.


    Pearl suddenly noticed Tang Xia, who was half-lying on the floor. Her gaze was filled with shock. ¡°Tang Xia? What are you doing here?¡± Upon seeing the scars on her face and legs, she exclaimed in shock, ¡°Who beat you up like this?¡±


    It seemed like after a person regained their consciousness, there tended to be a gap in their memory. However, this was much better compared to a completely unconscious maid. Tang Xia was just about to explain simply to Pearl what had happened during this period, when the door to Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room burst open suddenly.


    Chu Tianjiao walked out of the room, his icy-cold gaze wandering between Pearl and Tang Xia for a while. The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile. ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re really determined.¡±


    First, she had tried to escape by the cliff. Then, she had attempted to ignite a rebellion among the Hell Girls. Now, she had turned her attention to the maids. She was really filled with perseverance.


    As Chu Tianjiao stared at her coldly, there was an inexplicable chill in his gaze.

 Chapter 227 - Working In Collusion

    Chapter 227 Working In Collusion


    Everything else aside, this kind of cold gaze alone would be enough to make one tremble in fear.


    Pearl¡¯s face instantly turned ghostly pale. Although she was still unclear as to why Chu Tianjiao would treat Tang Xia with such an attitude, she could tell that Chu Tianjiao was very angry right now.


    In the Garden of Eden, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s anger meant destruction.


    Driven completely by her subconsciousness, Pearl moved half a step forward and tried to plead for Tang Xia.


    Previously, Chu Tianjiao had vented his anger on her because of this and locked her up in the dungeon to be punished along with Tang Xia. Eventually, in her bid to save Tang Xia, she had become a maid without a consciousness.


    This time, she was also prepared to do so. After all, Tang Xia was her friend. A look of resolution flashed across Pearl¡¯s pale face before she straightened her back slightly and prepared to speak.


    The only difference between now and last time was that this time, Tang Xia was by her side. When Tang Xia noticed Pearl¡¯s actions, she felt a sense of warmth in her heart. However, she beat Pearl to it and stepped out in front of her.


    Tang Xia first shook her head slightly at Pearl. She meant to tell her not to be afraid or plead with this demon. That would only please Chu Tianjiao even more.


    Afterwards, Tang Xia looked at Chu Tianjiao fearlessly. ¡°I know that you think that I am overestimating myself, but it does not matter. I will not give up as long as there is a chance.


    Under your shadow, Eden was a complete hell. Thus, as long as there is even a slight possibility, I will not hesitate to grab the chance to lead them and escape from this place.¡±


    Tang Xia spoke word by word, actually challenging Chu Tianjiao publicly.


    No one could speak to him like that in the Garden of Eden!


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s handsome face became distorted and his voice trembled slightly in anger. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Tang Xia had dared to call his Garden of Eden hell? That was his paradise, and nobody was allowed to desecrate it! Anybody who wanted to escape would have to pay the price!


    ¡°Was I wrong to say that?¡± Tang Xia, however, chuckled and retorted without flinching.


    Then, under the scarily gloomy gaze of Chu Tianjiao, she added, ¡°You treated the girls in the Garden of Eden as toys. Those who complied with you would prosper while those who opposed you would perish. If the person who disobeyed you did not die, you would control her with drugs and she would become a maid without consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao, don¡¯t you feel that doing so makes you very inhuman?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it very cruel when you see those living girls get turned into maids after you rob them of their sense of autonomy?¡±


    Since Tang Xia had already spoken up, she did not hold back. She vented all her dissatisfaction with Chu Tianjiao¡¯s actions word by word.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you are courting death!¡± Chu Tianjiao was completely enraged when he heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice. Anybody could tell that he had already reached the peak of his anger. Even the green veins on his neck had surfaced.


    After he said this, Chu Tianjiao got ready to call his maid to punish Tang Xia. He had not even been so angry when Tang Xia had instigated Hell Girl to start an upheaval.


    However, he now lost control just because of a few words that Tang Xia had said. Did this also mean that Tang Xia had touched a nerve?


    Tang Xia¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and she continued to use her words to expose and denounce the evil deeds of Chu Tianjiao. Chu Tianjiao, who was furious, wanted to teach Tang Xia a lesson in person.


    At that moment, another figure came out of Chu Tianjiao¡¯s room upon hearing the commotion. He first took a look at Tang Xia before he yelled at Chu Tianjiao harshly, ¡°What are you doing? Go back to the room!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo quickly walked over and blocked Tang Xia. He watched Chu Tianjiao, his eyes full of the dignity of an elder brother.


    ¡°Stop ordering me around!¡± Chu Tianjiao¡¯s expression changed slightly upon seeing Chu Tiankuo. However, he ignored Chu Tiankuo¡¯s orders.


    Tang Xia sneered from the side when she saw that the two brothers were about to quarrel again. ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you do not need to say anything else. Even an outsider like me can tell that your brother does not listen to you at all. Can¡¯t you see it?¡±


    ¡°Chu Tianjiao turned out like this because of your lax family upbringing.¡±


    Tang Xia spoke coldly, her words actually attacking Chu Tiankuo as well. From her point of view, as Chu Tianjiao¡¯s elder brother, Chu Tiankuo was also responsible for Chu Tianjiao¡¯s current state.


    When Chu Tianjiao heard Tang Xia¡¯s criticism for Chu Tiankuo, his initially angry expression faded away slightly and his lips curled up into a smile. He looked at Chu Tiankuo mockingly. ¡°Brother, you cared about her a lot, but it seems like she does not buy into it at all.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened, but he said nothing.


    Suddenly, the booming sound of a helicopter nearby was heard. It sounded like it was headed towards the Garden of Eden.


    The expression of everyone present changed simultaneously. Before Chu Tianjiao could react, Chu Tiankuo had already pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand quickly and yelled out in a low voice, ¡°Go!¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment. She did not understand what Chu Tiankuo meant. However, when she saw his anxious expression, she did not object. She dashed all the way to the big auditorium with Chu Tiankuo.


    Behind her, Chu Tianjiao¡¯s ballistic screams could still be heard vaguely. ¡°You betrayed me!¡±


    The screams seemed to be directed at Chu Tiankuo. However, Chu Tiankuo did not stop. He continued to run forward with Tang Xia without turning his head back.


    Tang Xia, who did not know if Chu Tianjiao would chase after them with his men, could only follow Chu Tiankuo and dash all the way. When they reached the big auditorium, Chu Tiankuo finally stopped. Tang Xia finally got a chance to breathe and could not help but pant as she supported herself against the wall.


    A helicopter was suspended in mid-air outside the window of the big auditorium, a rope ladder hanging from it. She only needed to climb out of the window sill and she would be able to escape from the Garden of Eden by helicopter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After a moment of rest, Chu Tianjiao came over and took hold of Tang Xia¡¯s hand again.


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment before she followed Chu Tianjiao for a few steps. Then, she finally seemed to react to this and stopped walking. She looked at Chu Tianjiao with a confused expression on her face. She could not help but call for a pause. ¡°Hold on. What the hell is going on?¡±


    She had obviously been in a standoff with Chu Tianjiao just now. In the blink of an eye, she would be able to escape from the Garden of Eden?


    Hadn¡¯t Chu Tiankuo been locked up by Chu Tianjiao? Where had he gotten this helicopter to pick them up?


    ¡°It was too rushed last time,¡± Chu Tianjiao explained to Tang Xia exasperatedly when he saw the situation.


    However, when Tang Xia heard this, she flung Chu Tianjiao¡¯s hand off coldly and her expression also turned cold. ¡°So, last time, you encouraged us to start an upheaval when you weren¡¯t even prepared?¡±


    Her voice sounded ice-cold and emanated a chilling sense.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression changed, but he did not reply.


    When Tang Xia saw Chu Tianjiao¡¯s reaction, her voice turned even colder and her eyes filled with disappointment. ¡°Do you know how much courage it took for them to make this decision and how much effort they put into it? How could you do this?¡±


    Hell Girls¡¯ terrible situation in tangled warfare was still vivid in her mind. Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo in disappointment. She could not believe that his excuse was that he had not been prepared the previous time.


    Hadn¡¯t he known the kind of price the Hell Girls would pay because he had not been ready? Tang Xia¡¯s eyes turned slightly red when she recalled the situation the last time she had been in the dungeon.


    ¡°Listen to me, it¡¯s not what you think. I have my plans.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo knew that Tangxia had misunderstood him, so he continued to speak in a deep voice. He gazed at Tang Xia with a sincere look in his eyes. ¡°Trust me, you will understand sooner or later.¡±


    When Tang Xia saw the sincere expression in his eyes, she began to waver. While she always said words that stung, deep in her heart, she had never believed that Chu Tiankuo would really do something harmful to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave first. After I¡¯ve made some arrangements, we¡¯ll return to save these people.¡± When he saw Tang Xia waver, Chu Tiankuo heaved a sigh of relief and pulled Tang Xia up the helicopter.


    However, Tang Xia still did not move.


    ¡°I cannot leave with you now,¡± she said hesitantly, although her expression was firm.


    ¡°Why?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone became urgent and his eyes, which were looking at Tang Xia, dimmed inconspicuously. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head and whispered, ¡°No, I believe you. It¡¯s just that I cannot leave yet.¡±


    After a lot of difficulties, she had managed to get the antidote with La Chapelle¡¯s help. However, she had only managed to restore Pear¡¯s consciousness so far. There were other maids that needed to be saved. The Hell Girls were also still suffering in the dungeon. She could not leave alone like this.


    As Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia¡¯s firm expression, he gradually understood. However, he still asked with a hint of worry in his voice, ¡°You really aren¡¯t going to leave with me?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled wryly and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be careful. When it¡¯s time, make the necessary preparations outside. I will save the maids in the garden and we¡¯ll work in collusion.¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo heard this, he pondered deeply and muttered to himself for a moment. If he accepted Tang Xia¡¯s proposal, the actual odds would undoubtedly be much greater. However, the risk that Tang Xia faced would also increase greatly.


    Tang Xia¡¯s expression was firm, so Chu Tianjiao knew that he could not persuade her. Time passed, and the helicopter could not stop there indefinitely. Thus, he could only nod his head. ¡°We¡¯ll do what you said, but you must be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will,¡± Tang Xia replied prudently.


    Then, Chu Tiankuo boarded the helicopter without hesitation. Before he left, he took one deep look at Tang Xia. Since Tang Xia insisted on staying here, he could only cooperate with her and prepare as soon as possible to ensure her maximum safety.


    Tang Xia stood on the spot and watched the helicopter fly away. After some time, she walked outside.


    She believed that Chu Tiankuo would definitely make the necessary preparations outside, so she should hurry up and save the maids as soon as possible so that she could coordinate with Chu Tiankuo when the time came.


    As she thought of this, Tang Xia quickly walked out of the big auditorium. Unexpectedly, as soon as she walked out, Tang Xia met a person she did not really want to meet.


    The person in front of her had intricate makeup on her face, yet she appeared to give off the vibe of a mean, petty person. She was beautiful anchor Li Xianxian, who had entered this novel world with Tang Xia.


    ¡°For some reason, I always bump into Li Xianxian at times like this,¡± Tang Xia thought angrily. She wanted to avoid Li Xianxian and continue to move forward, but Li Xianxian relentlessly blocked Tang Xia¡¯s way.


    ¡°Tang Xia, is that you? Why are you in such a hurry? What is it? What are you up to again?¡± Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia mockingly, her words full of sarcasm.

 Chapter 228 - Saving the Maids

    Chapter 228 Saving the Maids


    ¡°It is none of your business.¡±


    Tang Xia replied coldly and left after pushing Li Xianxian aside.


    Behind her, Li Xianxian¡¯s exquisite face became slightly twisted as she continued to scream hysterically, ¡°Tang Xia, stop wasting effort! You will never win!¡±


    Even after Tang Xia heard her voice, she did not pause. She continued to move forward without looking back and pushed Li Xianxian¡¯s voice and figure far away in the back of her mind.


    Everything that Li Xianxian had done had served the purpose of obtaining the final victory. In order to achieve her goal, she could be unscrupulous even at the cost of her own reputation.


    However, Tang Xia was different. She treated Pearl, La Chapelle and the Hell Girls with sincerity. She was not just doing a live stream. She genuinely wanted to help them escape from the Garden of Eden and regain their freedom.


    Many people thought that she was foolish to devote herself to them when she obviously knew that they were virtual characters.


    However, that was how Tang Xia live-streamed. This was the intrinsic difference between her and Li Xianxian. Unfortunately, people like Li Xianxian would never understand this.


    After she left the big auditorium, Tang Xia returned straight to the laboratory to find La Chapelle.


    Tang Xia was unaware of the situation inside, so she first snuck into the storage room and pressed her ear against the door to eavesdrop on the activity inside. However, it was silent inside.


    She had clearly seen many scientists return to the laboratory previously. Why was there no sound? What was going on?


    After some hesitation, Tang Xia pushed open the door probingly and a strange medicinal scent instantly filled her nostrils.


    Tang Xia frowned subconsciously and was surprised to see the scientists sprawled all over the ground. They seemed to have lost their consciousness.


    As Tang Xia was shocked and bewildered, she felt her head spin so fast that she almost fainted.


    ¡°Tang Xia!¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard, making Tang Xia recover some of her consciousness. She saw La Chapelle hand her a wet towel. ¡°Use this to cover your mouth and nose.¡±


    Baffled, Tang Xia followed her instructions. When she felt a cooling sensation on the tip of her nose, she recovered from her dizziness.


    After she left the laboratory with La Chapelle, Tang Xia could not help but ask, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Why were those scientists knocked out on the ground within such a short period of time?


    La Chapelle smiled slyly. ¡°While they were not looking, I placed some drugs in the vents that made them pass out.¡±


    It turned out that while La Chapelle had been looking for the antidote, she had also hidden some chloroform on her body. When these scientists had returned, she had secretly placed the drug in the vents and quietly hidden up and covered her nose and mouth so that she would not be affected by the scent.


    No wonder La Chapelle had told her not to worry. It turned out that she had been prepared. When Tang Xia heard this, she secretly praised La Chapelle for her thoughtfulness.


    ¡°I just found some antidotes in the cupboard. I combination with what I found previously, this should be sufficient to restore the consciousness of the maids in the Garden of Eden.¡±


    La Chapelle spoke to Tang Xia as she took out a few green medicine bottles. After she had knocked out those scientists, La Chapelle had found the keys on their bodies and opened the locked cabinet she had been unable to search through previously.


    One had to admit that these scientists were also very cautious. Other than being obscurely hidden, the antidotes had also been spread out.


    Tang Xia nodded. Now, there was no need to worry about the antidote. The question was how to get the maids to consume the antidote. Judging from the amount of effort it had taken Tang Xia to get Pearl to take the medicine, it would obviously be very difficult to make the maids consume the medicine solely based on her and La Chapelle¡¯s efforts.


    After the two of them talked for some time, they decided to go to hell to seek help from the Hell Girls.


    As soon as they reached hell, the Hell Girls hurled abuse at Tang Xia and gave her a hateful look upon seeing her.


    ¡°Why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°Get lost! You are not welcome here!¡±


    ¡°Nothing good comes out of seeing you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost, you jinx!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This abuse and scolding attitude went on incessantly. The Hell Girls had been severely punished because of the last rebellion and thus directed their resentment towards Tang Xia.


    Upon seeing this situation, Tang Xia and La Chapelle both felt very helpless.


    ¡°I know that none of you trust me now, but please ask your hearts. Are you really give going to give up on the chance to regain your freedom?¡±


    Tang Xia stepped forward as she spoke, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the curses of the Hell Girls. In the face of their anger, words were simply too weak.


    Hailada was the only one who did not insult Tang Xia like the other Hell Girls. Instead, she stood on her side, even though she appeared to be in a slightly difficult position. ¡°Tang Xia, I believe in you, but we are locked here right now. What can we do?¡±


    After the last rebellion, Chu Tianjiao had cancelled the free time of the Hell Girls and even locked the door. Every day, the door would only open briefly when the maids came to deliver the meals.


    When Tang Xia heard this, she did not back off like Hailada had expected. Instead, she asked Hailada when the maids would come to deliver the meals. Coincidentally, this would happen soon.


    A pensive look flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s eyes before she exchanged a look with La Chapelle. They then hid in a corner and did not try to speak to the Hell Girls again.


    The Hell Girls were very confused when they saw this. However, the things they said about Tang Xia were still unfriendly. ¡°What kind of tricks is she playing again?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time on her. The maids will arrive soon anyway.¡±


    ¡°She was the one who wanted to stay here. If she¡¯s caught by the maids, it¡¯s because she¡¯s asking for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Hell Girls discussed this noisily. Most of them were gloating over Tang Xia¡¯s behavior. Only Hailada, who was slightly worried, attempted to persuade her. ¡°Tang Xia, why don¡¯t you leave first? You need to preserve your strength in order to have an opportunity in the future.¡±


    Tang Xia gave Hailada a slightly grateful look but shook her head firmly.


    When Hailada saw this, she could only give up persuading her. Judging by Tang Xia¡¯s confident expression, perhaps she really had a way of dealing with the maids.


    Soon, the maids who were supposed to deliver the meal arrived.


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle exchanged a look. Then, the two of them seized the opportunity to rush forward, restrain a maid and feed her an antidote.


    After taking the antidote, the maid quickly recovered her consciousness. When she realized that Tang Xia and La Chapelle had saved her, she thanked them profusely.


    The change was so sudden that all the Hell Girls widened their eyes. After they ascertained that Tang Xia¡¯s medicine had really helped the maid regain her consciousness, the way they looked at Tang Xia changed slightly.


    Tang Xia did not stay for long. After she got the keys from the maid, she opened the gates of hell one after another.


    ¡°You all saw this. I have already obtained the antidote that can restore the maids¡¯ consciousness. As long as we save all the maids, Chu Tianjiao will no longer be able to stop us. However, this would require your help.¡±


    The Hell Girls, who had witnessed the earlier scene, began to hesitate. It was obvious that witnessing the maid regain her consciousness had made a great impact on them.


    ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, then there is nothing that I can do,¡± Tang Xia added as she gritted her teeth.


    Finally, Hailada stepped forward. ¡°I am with you.¡± Subsequently, many Hell Girls came forward firmly or a little hesitantly.


    Staying here would just be a continuation of a life that was worse than death. Thus, they might as well try to fight.


    Moreover, this time, Tang Xia had also found the solution to the most pressing problem: the maids. Perhaps they could really take advantage of this opportunity to escape and regain their freedom.


    As this thought crossed their minds, a glow of hope surfaced once again in the eyes of the Hell Girls.


    Tang Xia and La Chapelle watched the change in the Hell Girls with delight and distributed the antidote to them. The group of people quickly began to take action.


    With the help of the Hell Girls, it would be much more efficient to feed the maids the medicine.


    At the beginning, Tang Xia still needed to evade the maids who patrolled in groups. However, soon, they bumped into fewer and fewer maids on the way. Many of them had already consumed the medicine and regained consciousness. It was obvious that the Hell Girls¡¯ participation had played an important role.


    Tang Xia did not idle about. Whenever she got an opportunity, she would feed the antidote to any maids who were alone. All of a sudden, just as Tang Xia was caught up with one of the maids, a commotion was heard from the side.


    ¡°Tang Xia, what are you doing?¡± It was Li Xianxian, who was looking at Tang Xia in surprise.


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes at Li Xianxian and continued to feed the maid the medicine without speaking. As the saying goes, there¡¯s little common ground for understanding between people of differing principles. She had chosen a completely different path from Li Xianxian, so there was nothing to say.


    However, while this was what Tang Xia believed, Li Xianxian did not agree. Although she did not understand what Tang Xia was doing at the moment, she subconsciously felt that Tang Xia¡¯s actions wouldn¡¯t benefit her.


    Li Xianxian immediately yelled and tried to get the maid to catch Tang Xia. However, the maid had already consumed the antidote and regained her consciousness, so she obviously did not listen to Li Xianxian¡¯s instructions.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face changed and became even more aghast. Tang Xia had actually been able to help the maid regain her consciousness. This discovery made her a little flustered. If this continued, Tang Xia might really be able to lead others to rebellion!


    If that happened, wouldn¡¯t she be defeated? No, she had dedicated so much to this live stream. She couldn¡¯t possibly allow Tang Xia to obtain the final victory!


    A vicious look flashed across the eyes of Li Xianxian, who actually grabbed hold of Tang Xia personally. As she yanked Tang Xia¡¯s elbow, she yelled out Chu Tianjiao¡¯s name.


    Even at this point in time, she still believed that her choice was correct. As long as she informed Chu Tianjiao in time, no matter how prepared Tang Xia was, nothing would happen. Only one person could be the final victor, and that person would be her!


    Tang Xia, who was scared by Li Xianxian¡¯s demented look, frowned. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°You are the crazy one!¡± Li Xianxian yanked Tang Xia carelessly like a real shrew. ¡°When Chu Tianjiao comes, you will be punished.¡±


    As Li Xianxian said that, a smug smile appeared on her face. Even though Tang Xia was lucky and had not been punished by Chu Tianjiao previously, this time, Chu Tianjiao would certainly not let her off again.


    When they got into a fight, Chu Tianjiao heard the commotion and rushed over.


    However, before Li Xiangxian could look at him triumphantly, she saw the look of panic on Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face. It was completely different from his usual high and mighty look.


    ¡°Quick! Come with me!¡± Chu Tianjiao pulled at Li Xianxian¡¯s hand while speaking urgently.

 Chapter 229 - Are You Leaving Again

    Chapter 229 Are You Leaving Again


    Li Xianxian¡¯s expression changed but she did not move for some time. The development of these events was quite different from what she had expected.


    From her point of view, Chu Tianjiao should punish Tang Xia severely after he arrived and then commend her for her timely discovery and report about Tang Xia¡¯s strangeness. How could he leave when he had just arrived?


    ¡°Tianjiao, she¡­¡± Li Xianxian glared at Tang Xia furiously. She pouted her lips and behaved coquettishly around Chu Tianjiao, even though she wanted to complain about what Tang Xia had done earlier and encourage Chu Tianjiao to punish her.


    However, before she could finish speaking, Chu Tianjiao interrupted her harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her. Hurry up and leave with me. We¡¯re running out of time!¡±


    As Chu Tianjiao spoke, he merely followed Li Xianxian¡¯s gaze and took one glance at Tang Xia before he shifted his eyes away. He did not even care about the peculiarity of the maid beside him.


    After he said this, Chu Tianjiao pulled Li Xianxian and left quickly. Although Li Xianxian was reluctant, when she saw how Chu Tianjiao looked, she could only follow him and leave first.


    As Tang Xia watched the unusual behavior of Chu Tianjiao, she could not help but wonder. After a brief pause, she secretly followed them.


    Chu Tianjiao seemed to be in a flurry. He was looking around while he pulled Li Xianxian and walked hurriedly. He seemed to be worried about someone.


    The more Tang Xia looked, the stranger she felt. Chu Tianjiao had always acted as he pleased and abused his power in the Garden of Eden. Who could make him worry like this?


    However, something even more shocking for Tang Xia was in store. Chu Tianjiao pulled Li Xianxian all the way to the big auditorium. Tang Xia only managed to react when she heard the whirring sound of the helicopter.


    Chu Tianjiao actually wanted to escape with Li Xianxian!


    Before Tang Xia could think this through, another group of people rushed over from the other side. It turned out to be Chu Tiankuo, who had even brought a group of men in black. It seemed like they had forced Chu Tianjiao to escape.


    When Chu Tiankuo saw Tang Xia, he nodded at her but did not say much. Instead, he charged straight at Chu Tianjiao. Tang Xia knew that Chu Tiankuo wanted to stop Chu Tianjiao from running away, so she followed him.


    Chu Tianjiao had just entered the big auditorium, yet before he could get onto the helicopter, he saw Chu Tiankuo rush over with a group of men in black. His face changed and he hurriedly called for his maids.


    However, Tang Xia had already fed most of the maids the antidote and they had regained their consciousness. Therefore, why would they still obey Chu Tianjiao¡¯s instructions?


    As a result, Chu Tianjiao only managed to summon over a dozen maids. It was obvious that he would not be able to compete against Chu Tiankuo¡¯s men in black with so few people.


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s face turned white and a look of shock appeared in his eyes for the first time. ¡°How could this be?¡±


    Li Xianxian associated this with the previous events and realized that Tang Xia was behind it. She stared at Tang Xia with so much resentment that it seemed as if blood would flow. However, the situation had already reached this state. This would be good enough if she could save herself. How would she get the strength to take revenge against Tang Xia?


    Previously, when she had followed Chu Tianjiao, she had still been slightly reluctant and thought that she would deal with Tang Xia when she had the chance to do so in the future. She had definitely not realized how severe matters were. Now that she had seen Chu Tiankuo and the men in black appear, her expression finally changed.


    In any case, although there were only a dozen maids, they could temporarily protect Chu Tianjiao and Li Xianxian. Because they had no consciousness, Chu Tianjiao ordered them to risk their lives to stop the men in black, which made the situation very tricky.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned. He was about to instruct the men in black to deal with the maids by using tough means, when Tang Xia quickly stopped him. ¡°No! These maids merely lost their consciousness. It will be alright after they consume the antidote.¡±


    Even though these maids were temporarily under the control of drugs and had lost their consciousness, they were all living girls. Tang Xia really could not bear to see them get injured or even die for Chu Tianjiao.


    When Chu Tianjiao heard what Tang Xia had said, he also hesitated for a moment. He then instructed the men in black not to hurt the maids and merely control them.


    However, this greatly increased the amount of time spent. Tang Xia, who was grateful to Chu Tiankuo for his understanding, gave him a meaningful look before she quickly joined the battle.


    Whenever the men in black controlled a maid, she would feed the maid the medicine and they would cooperate with chemistry. Most importantly, this would not hurt the maids.


    When Chu Tianjiao saw the decreasing number of maids around him, his expression changed. At this rate, he would undoubtedly be defeated!


    Chu Tianjiao decisively gave Li Xianxian a look. He wanted to board the helicopter and flee while Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia were busy dealing with the maids.


    By then, Li Xianxian had also realized the severity of the matter and she did not dare stay for long. She quickly followed Chu Tianjiao and silently shifted next to the window sill, where Chu Tianjiao¡¯s helicopter was waiting.


    Chu Tianjiao moved fast and climbed onto the helicopter first before he got ready to pull Li Xianxian up. When Li Xianxian saw the cliff below the window sill, she instantly appeared shocked and hesitated to go up.


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Chu Tianjiao urged anxiously when he saw this. The number of maids in the room was also decreasing.


    Li Xianxian turned back and took one look. She knew that there was no time to hesitate now. She gritted her teeth and began to climb onto the window sill, but her movements were still not very agile.


    At that moment, Tang Xia caught sight of this from the corner of her eye and her expression turned cold. If she allowed Li Xianxian to leave, there would be many variables in the subsequent plot and things would not end.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let Li Xianxian leave!¡± When this thought crossed her mind, Tang Xia shouted out anxiously without thinking it through.


    When Li Xianxian heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, she became even more anxious. Not daring to stop, she quickly climbed onto the window sill. At the same moment, Chu Tianjiao, who was on the helicopter, had already caught hold of Li Xianxian¡¯s hand and could now pull her up in a matter of seconds.


    By that time, if the helicopter flew away, it would be too late for even Chu Tiankuo to chase after them.


    Chu Tiankuo, who had also heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, saw her anxious expression and noticed that Chu Tianjiao was already on the helicopter. After a moment of thought, he yelled at Chu Tianjiao in a deep voice, ¡°Leave the girl behind and I will let you go!¡±


    Chu Tianjiao¡¯s stopped abruptly and gazed at Li Xianxian with a hesitant look in his eyes.


    By then, Li Xianxian was already suspended in mid-air. There was a cliff below, and her face was already pale from fear. When she saw Chu Tianjiao¡¯s hesitation at that moment, she trembled even harder out of fear.


    She forced a smile, even though her voice was shaking. ¡°Tianjiao, you surely wouldn¡¯t listen to him?¡±


    Chu Tianjiao did not answer, but his expression was hesitant as he gazed at Li Xianxian.


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re on the plane, he will not be able to catch up. Don¡¯t listen to his threats,¡± Li Xianxian added hurriedly. There was already the hint of a plea in her voice.


    When he heard this, Chu Tianjiao seemed slightly moved. Upon seeing Li Xianxian¡¯s pitiful look, his heart became firm and he increased the force in his hands to prepare to pull her up.


    When he saw this, Chu Tiankuo snorted coldly and gestured at the men in black behind him to direct the sniper at Chu Tianjiao.


    At this distance, Chu Tianjiao would be shot before his helicopter could fly away.


    Although Chu Tiankuo would not harm Chu Tianjiao¡¯s life because of the fact that Chu Tianjiao was his younger brother, it would not be too difficult for the well-trained men in black to shoot other non-vital areas.


    When Chu Tianjiao saw the red dot on his body, he knew that Chu Tiankuo was not joking and his expression changed completely. His hand trembled as he held onto Li Xianxian¡¯s hand. Before he could react, he heard a blood-curdling scream and Li Xianxian fell off the cliff.


    Right up until the moment when Li Xianxian fell off, she had still been looking at Chu Tianjiao with a hopeful, pleading look in her eyes. However, a moment later, all that was left was a hopeless howl that echoed in the cliff and made one feel shocked.


    When Tang Xia saw this, she quickly ran over to the window just in time to see Li Xianxian fall into the sea as she shrieked.


    At the same time, Tang Xia could hear the sound of the system prompt in her ear. Her challenge was deemed a success. Tang Xia had won this round¡¯s attempt to escape from the Garden of Eden in the novel world as well as her confrontation with Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia turned her head aside, many complicated emotions flooding her heart.


    From the very beginning, when she had entered the Garden of Eden, Li Xianxian had chosen to please Chu Tianjiao. On the contrary, she had constantly been pitting herself against Chu Tianjiao right from the start.


    They had chosen completely different paths and, most of the time, Li Xianxian seemed to have made a more sensible choice.


    Chu Tianjiao backed her up, so one could say that Li Xianxian led a prosperous life in the Garden of Eden. In contrast, Tang Xia had been repeatedly exposed to danger and had almost jumped off the cliff because she could not bear the torture.


    After she had been captured and taken back, she had been subjected to even more torture. She almost hadn¡¯t made it in the dungeon and had been even further tortured subsequently when she had been punished and brought to hell.


    At the time, not many people had placed their faith in Tang Xia. Most of the people in the broadcast room had taunted and jeered at her. However, the current result had delivered a vicious slap across their faces.


    Even until the last moment, Li Xianxian perhaps still did not understand what she had done wrong. Actually, since the very beginning, she had wrongly chosen to rely on Chu Tianjiao.


    How could a person like Chu Tianjiao, who treated girls like toys, have genuine feelings for Li Xianxian?


    Therefore, in the end, Chu Tianjiao had hesitated when caught between the choice of taking a risk and bringing Li Xianxian with him versus leaving alone. That was why he had released his hand subconsciously and caused Li Xianxian to fall down the cliff.


    After Li Xianxian fell, Chu Tianjiao actually only hesitated for a brief moment before he ordered the helicopter to leave. This showed that Li Xianxian did not hold much weight in his heart. However, Li Xianxian had not understood this.


    Tang Xia sighed by the window for a while before she turned her head. However, she had not expected to meet Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes upon turning around. His eyes were as deep as a lake that would make one sink inside if one was not careful.


    Had Chu Tiankuo been watching her all along when she had been in a daze earlier? As this thought crossed Tang Xia¡¯s mind, her cheeks felt slightly warm and she hurriedly shifted her eyes away.


    That was when she discovered that she and Chu Tiankuo were the only two people left in the entire auditorium. It seemed that after they had finished handling the maids, Chu Tiankuo had asked the men in black to take them out.


    Both of them thought about the things that weighed on their minds, yet they did not know what to say as they looked at each other. Meanwhile, the wind blew through the window and played with the tips of their hair from time to time, creating a faintly-discernible suggestive atmosphere.


    Tang Xia lowered her head and stared at her toes while Chu Tianjiao watched her deeply with a shred of dullness in his eyes. ¡°Are you leaving again?¡±

 Chapter 230 - A Change Of Style?

    Chapter 230 A Change Of Style?


    She had been removed from the novel world and returned to the broadcast room.


    The broadcast room was filled with messages from Tang Xia¡¯s fans congratulating her for conquering yet another novel world. Tang Xia selected the most interesting comments and interacted with them, but for some unknown reason, the face of Chu Tiankuo which she had seen before she left, flashed in her mind.


    After it had ended, July¡¯s assistant came to call Tang Xia for a meeting. Tang Xia adjusted her mood and upon arriving at July¡¯s office, discovered that only July and Li Xianxian were inside.


    Li Xianxian had arrived earlier than Tang Xia and it seemed that she had been lectured by July for quite some time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How could you screw up like that during the livestream?¡±


    July slammed the table and stood up with a furious and dissatisfied look on her face. Li Xianxian looked embarrassed as she stood before the office desk in silence, while July continued to reprimand her.


    ¡°I know that you usually like to play dirty tricks during the livestream. As long as you don¡¯t cross the line, I won¡¯t bother you. I always thought that you knew your place, but this time, you really disappointed me!¡±


    July continued to speak angrily, his face flushed red with agitation.


    In front of him, Li Xianxian¡¯s face continuously changed. She bit her lip, as if she wanted to speak, but stopped, ¡°July, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything else,¡± July stopped her with an agitated wave of his hands. He held his forehead as if he had a headache. ¡°The company will not be able to help you this time. Think about how you are going to explain it to your fans!¡±


    Li Xianxian lowered her head and appeared crestfallen, a hint of remorse in her eyes.


    Tang Xia stood at the door of the office. It was rather awkward for her to witness such a situation and at that moment, she felt she could neither enter nor leave.


    Just when Tang Xia was thinking about whether or not to come back later, July noticed her and unconsciously smiled. ¡°Tangxia, you are here.¡± Even his voice softened, growing slightly gentler.


    When Li Xianxian heard July¡¯s voice, she turned her head and saw Tang Xia. A look of jealousy and hatred appeared in her eyes, when she noticed July¡¯s change in attitude, her teeth gnashed even harder as if she could not wait to swallow Tang Xia into her stomach.


    Tang Xia could only bite the bullet and entered the room under the murderous gaze of Li Xianxian. She greeted July and July warmly praised her, ¡°Tang Xia, you did a great job this time.¡±


    Wittingly or unwittingly, July glanced at Li Xianxian when he said it.


    Li Xianxian instantly felt slightly indignant. She straightened her back and pointed angrily at Tang Xia. ¡°July, it is rather unfair of you to say so. Wasn¡¯t Tang Xia just relying on Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face was full of displeasure as she mentioned Chu Tiankuo. If Chu Tiankuo did not appear suddenly to help Tang Xia to deal with Chu Tianjiao, how could she be so thoroughly defeated?


    Randomly being mentioned together with Chu Tiankuo caused Tang Xia¡¯s face to change, but she did not speak.


    July shook his head. ¡°Chu Tiankuo is a special case. Furthermore, Tang Xia¡¯s clothes were not in disarray like yours were during the livestream.¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face was pale but everything that July said was true and there was no way for her to refute it. She could only bite and crack her silver teeth and swallow her feelings into her stomach.


    ¡°Alright. Go back and reflect on your actions. Beyond that, you should not do another livestream again this month.¡± July waved his hand at Li Xianxian signaling that he was done lecturing her.


    ¡°Forbidden to do a livestream for a month?¡± Li Xianxian¡¯s face was already pale from earlier and when she heard these words, she could not help but yell out before she quickly backed off. ¡°Isn¡¯t the duration of this punishment too long?¡±


    Even Tang Xia, standing to the side, turned her eyes slightly when she heard this and looked at Li Xianxian with sympathy.


    Not to mention a month¡¯s duration, a restriction on livestream would imply zero exposure and heat for the anchor, and it would have a significant impact on the anchor¡¯s popularity.


    When July heard this, he sneered, ¡°I think that you are still unaware of the seriousness of the matter.¡±


    As July spoke, he took out a tablet with a webpage already open on it and casually typed in three words ¡°Li Xianxian¡±. Immediately, a series of news reports about Li Xianxian¡¯s inappropriate conduct during the livestream appeared along with photos of her messy attire and appearance during the livestream.


    ¡°Take a look for yourself. Could such a terrible impact cool down in less than a month?¡± July said coldly as his fingertip tapped on the offending news.


    When Li Xianxian saw the content with her own eyes, her face changed and she no longer had the confidence to rebut July. At that point in time, she was already so regretful she felt nauseous. However, things had already happened so what was the use of regret?


    Li Xianxian glared viciously at Tang Xia clearing blaming her for the incident. If it wasn¡¯t for Tang Xia, she wouldn¡¯t be so caught up by victory and defeat during the livestream to the point that she would do this kind of foolish thing.


    The thing that was the hardest for her to let go of, was obviously still the final result. She had clearly dedicated so much and yet she still lost to Tang Xia. How could she be willing to accept this?


    ¡°Sooner or later, I will get you back for this,¡± Li Xianxian thought angrily and left July¡¯s office. Before she left, she could still vaguely hear July speaking in a soft, gentle voice to Tang Xia and it made her even more jealous and hateful towards Tang Xia.


    It wasn¡¯t until Li Xianxian left the office that the frost on July¡¯s face faded away slightly. After a few more words of encouragement to Tang Xia, the subject suddenly changed, ¡°Have you considered a transformation?¡±


    Transformation? Tang Xia was stunned for a moment, and for a while, she did not understand what July meant. July smiled meaningfully, an intriguing look in his eyes. ¡°You can take a look on Weibo first.¡±


    She had just finished her livestream and had only rested for a short while before she came to July¡¯s office, so naturally she had no time to pay attention to Weibo. Puzzled, she opened the hot search.


    Much to her surprise, among the top three topics was the topic ¡°Tang Xia Short Hair¡±. Tang Xia pondered the information for a moment before she clicked on it. Inside the link were images of her dressed in a suit with her hair cut short in the livestream.


    It seemed that she had started a trend of an androgynous style of dressing on Weibo. Many netizens even sent photos of themselves imitating her style.


    ¡°What do you think? If you extend the style beyond your livestream, I think you will be able to maintain this heat.¡± July continued to speak as Tang Xia finished looking at the images, his eyes shining. It was obvious that he was looking forward to it.


    However, there was a hesitant look on Tang Xia¡¯s face. Although it was a good choice to try a new style, she had also noticed some posts in the comments which were not optimistic about it.


    It was obvious that this style was still very controversial.


    Most importantly, she did not know if Ye Yifan would like her to dress like that. Tang Xia bit her lip and remained silent for a moment before she eventually shook her head.


    ¡°Why?¡± July was slightly disappointed by her reaction, but he did not give up and continued to persuade her, ¡°Several fashion magazines have contacted me these past few days because of these style images. They are interested in photographing you for the cover. Are you really not going to consider it?¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s mind. She shook her head firmly and politely smiled, ¡°I will keep this for now.¡±


    When July saw Tang Xia¡¯s firm attitude, he did not persist any further but his expression seemed slightly regretful. ¡°Alright then. I respect your opinion but do inform me if you change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tang Xia readily agreed and left July¡¯s office.


    When she passed the public office area, there was a buzz in the crowd.


    The atmosphere in the Time-travel Broadcast Room was relaxed. Usually, when there was nothing to do, the staff would play games with each other and crack jokes to liven up the atmosphere. However, it seemed that the situation was slightly different today.


    As this thought crossed Tang Xia¡¯s mind, she could not help but stop in her tracks, curious, she directed her attention towards the content of their discussion. As Tang Xia stopped, the sound of the staff¡¯s discussion immediately reached her ears.


    ¡°I heard that July banned Li Xianxian from doing livestream for a month. I think that she is completely finished this time.¡± A woman¡¯s voice said in a slightly gloating manner.


    ¡°One month? That¡¯s really long. Is July ready to give up on her?¡± Another gossipy woman¡¯s voice joined the discussion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but even if he does not give up on her, it shouldn¡¯t be far from that.¡± The previous woman¡¯s voice said.


    ¡°Even if this is the case, who can she blame? She was the one who did not keep her behavior in check,¡± a man¡¯s voice said disdainfully.


    ¡°Not that I want to say this. It doesn¡¯t matter that she behaves like this usually, but she does not even know that she should restrain herself during livestream. She really deserved it,¡± the woman chuckled with a hint of mockery in her voice.


    ¡°If I were her, I would have dug a hole and buried myself in it. How does she have the cheek to remain in the company?¡±


    ¡°Only a shameless hussy like Li Xianxian could stay on in the company as if nothing had happened.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Li Xianxian was usually arrogant and conceited in the company based on the fact of her popularity. This had already stirred up many people¡¯s dissatisfaction, but at that time, no one dared to offend her.


    However, things were different now. The fact that Li Xianxian almost got banged during the livestream was the talk of the town and she had even been banned from livestream for a month as a result. As the saying goes, everyone hits the man who has fallen. When people saw that Li Xianxian had lost the upper hand, the people who were previously bullied by her would naturally appear.


    Although Tang Xia and Li Xianxian had previously had many conflicts, Tang Xia¡¯s heart still could not bear to hear so many people comment about Li Xianxian.


    ¡°Li Xianxian is out.¡± One of the sharp-eyed staff immediately yelled out to tip the others off when he spotted Li Xianxian coming out of the washroom.


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s out?¡± A woman¡¯s voice asked disdainfully. Taking advantage of the fact that there were many people, not only did they not restrain themselves, the discussion became even louder as if they were afraid that Li Xianxian could not hear them.


    As expected, Li Xianxian¡¯s expression changed when she heard their voices and she walked up to the center of the crowd with a dark expression. ¡°What did you all say?¡±


    The few people were initially stunned and it seemed that they did not expect Li Xianxian to confront them directly. Subsequently, a sea of laughter erupted.


    ¡°We are talking about your shameless behavior.¡±


    ¡°Why, do you still think that you are a popular anchor? Who are you showing that stinking face to?¡±


    ¡°Haha, why are you still putting on airs here?¡±


    The group commented back and forth until it made Li Xianxian¡¯s face turn ashen with rage. She almost wanted to fight them.


    Tang Xia could not bear to listen further and stepped forward, ¡°Guys, quit it.¡±


    In her opinion, while Li Xianxian was certainly wrong, it had not reached the point where she should be universally condemned. She could not help but feel slightly sympathetic towards Li Xianxian particularly when these people were going increasingly overboard with their remarks.

 Chapter 231 - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    Chapter 231 No Good Deed Goes Unpunished


    When the staff heard Tang Xia speak, the few colleagues who had gone too far stopped ridiculing Li Xianxian. However, when they recalled what Li Xianxian had done during the livestream, they looked at Tang Xia with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Tang Xia, why are you still speaking up for her? Don¡¯t you remember how she treated you during the livestream?¡± a female colleague could not help but ask.


    Another female colleague immediately chimed in, ¡°Yes, Tangxia. You are too big-hearted.¡±


    After they said this, the two colleagues exchanged a look and their expressions gave off the same message. They would not have been able to let it go like Tang Xia.


    When Li Xianxian heard their voices, her expression turned even uglier. Not only did Tang Xia¡¯s words fail to make her grateful, but they made her feel even more embarrassed instead.


    When Tang Xia recalled Li Xianxian¡¯s mean look, her expression changed slightly. However, she quickly recovered and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s all water under the bridge now.¡±


    Since Tang Xia had let it go, everyone else was even less qualified to fuss about it. The expressions of those few colleagues changed. Although they continued to look at Li Xianxian with contempt, they did not comment any further.


    When Li Xianxian saw the change in them, she became even more hateful and jealous of Tang Xia. It was fine when Tang Xia did not speak. However, when she spoke, Li Xianxian immediately directed all of her resentment and hatred at her.


    ¡°Tang Xia, who needs your false kindness?¡± Li Xianxian screamed, giving a shock to everyone present. Nobody had expected her not to buy it after Tang Xia had helped her.


    Tang Xia, who was also stunned, opened her mouth to explain. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you just trying to win over the hearts of the people by pretending to be a good, big-hearted person?¡± Before Tang Xia could finish her sentence, Li Xianxian sneered coldly and interrupted her disdainfully.


    Tang Xia had not expected that Li Xianxian would evaluate her good intentions like this. She instantly looked at Li Xianxian speechlessly.


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, would I have ended up like this?¡±


    Li Xianxian became increasingly motivated by what she was saying. She seemed to blame Tang Xia for her misfortune, for losing her reputation after the livestream, and for the ban on her livestream.


    Tang Xia was left speechless when she heard Li Xianxian. On the other hand, Li Xianxian was so enraptured in what she was saying that her saliva was flying out. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped when they saw this.


    ¡°What? Are you at a loss for words?¡± Li Xianxian asked smugly with persistence when she saw this, her eyes full of mockery.


    Tang Xia was completely defeated by Li Xianxian¡¯s world view. A self-deprecating smile surfaced on her face subconsciously. To think that she had actually sympathized with Li Xianxian earlier¡­ Perhaps she was out of her mind.


    Considering how Li Xianxian was, why would she need her sympathy? To think that her brain had short-circuited earlier and she had even stood up for Li Xianxian¡­ She was truly asking to be embarrassed.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± When Li Xianxian saw Tang Xia¡¯s smile, she felt insulted, which made her even angrier. A malicious look flashed in her eyes as she raised her hand to slap Tang Xia viciously.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Tang Xia had had enough of Li Xianxian¡¯s unreasonable abuse. When she saw that she was trying to push her luck, she directly raised her hand to block Li Xianxian¡¯s arm, her expression turning cold.


    Li Xianxian did not manage to hit her but she continued to try to make a move while she cursed Tang Xia. Suddenly, a subtle clicking sound could be heard nearby. It was the sound of the camera of the cell phone, which had not been turned off.


    It turned out that a colleague who had witnessed this scene from the sidelines had taken a photo of it.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face turned pale. Now that she was infamous, if this photo was circulated, she would never be able to bounce back again.


    ¡°Give me the phone!¡± Li Xianxian immediately turned and hurled a torrent of abuse like a shrew. At the same time, she charged towards the colleague who had secretly taken the photo to snatch the phone and delete the photo.


    The colleague was naturally unwilling and the two of them were quickly entangled. Li Xianxian seemed to have lost all sense of reason, so she was not even bothered when her hair became disheveled. She disregarded everything else and simply tried to snatch the cell phone.


    When Tang Xia saw this, she shook her head silently. She no longer felt any sympathy for Li Xianxian. After all, she had asked for it. Tang Xia could not be bothered to stay here any longer. Thus, she took one last glance before leaving without any hesitation.


    Right now, the person she wanted to see the most was Ye Yifan. When Tang Xia thought about Ye Yifan, she could not help but feel expectant. She had not seen him in a long time and she wondered if he had also missed her slightly the way she had missed him.


    Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts ran wild as she walked out with a slight skip. However, as soon as she went through the door, cameras were aimed at her. When the reporters saw Tang Xia, their eyes shone and they stepped over each other to crowd around her.


    ¡°Tang Xia, your androgynous appearance during this livestream has caused a heated discussion on the Internet. What are your views on this?¡±


    ¡°Will you use this opportunity to change your style?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought about extending the style of the livestream to your actual life?¡±


    ¡°What are your views on Li Xianxian¡¯s misconduct during the livestream?¡±


    ¡°When Chu Tiankuo confessed his love for you, you replied that there was already someone you liked. Could you share with us who that is?¡±


    ¡°Could you answer?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Right after that, questions came one after another. Tang Xia gazed helplessly at the reporters, who had crowded around her so tightly that even a drop of water could not leak out. Was this the price of popularity?


    The helpless Tang Xia could only deal with them one by one. After a lot of effort, she finally managed to send off the last reporter. By then, the sky was already dark. Tang Xia lowered her head, feeling slightly discouraged.


    Initially, she had still been prepared to look for an opportunity to have a chance encounter with Ye Yifan. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t get such a chance that day. As this thought crossed Tang Xia¡¯s mind, her expression dimmed down.


    Suddenly, a chuckle came from above her head. ¡°What? Are you unhappy?¡±


    It was Ye Yifan¡¯s voice! Tang Xia¡¯s eyes instantly turned bright and regained their glow. When she looked up, she saw Ye Yifan staring at her with a smile. The expression in his eyes was as gentle as water.


    Tang Xia quickly denied it. ¡°No.¡± Why would she be unhappy? When she saw Ye Yifan, she was so happy that she almost went crazy! Even though she had felt slightly depressed earlier, this feeling disappeared when she saw Ye Yifan.


    If Ye Yifan hadn¡¯t still been looking at her, she would probably have laughed out loud.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s smile deepened when he saw how cute Tang Xia was. Then, he asked gently, ¡°In that case, do you want to have a meal together?¡±


    Happiness always came so suddenly. Tang Xia quickly nodded her head hard.


    After she ate with Ye Yifan, the slight feelings of depression Tang Xia had experienced earlier were instantly wiped off. All that was left was the joy of having dinner with Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan took Tang Xia to a newly-opened restaurant. It was said that the chef had been hired with a high salary from abroad and his cooking skills were quite good.


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s mind was not on the food at all. During the meal, she often looked up at Ye Yifan subconsciously and exclaimed deep in her heart, ¡°Oh, how could Ye Yifan be so charming?¡±


    Actually, objectively speaking, while Ye Yifan ate, his expression and actions were no different from those of ordinary people. At most, his table manners seemed slightly more gentlemanly. However, for some unknown reason, Tang Xia simply could not get enough of his face, no matter how much she looked at him. This was probably the cultivation of a fangirl.


    Tang Xia thought about this while she stared at Ye Yifan. She did not even realize that she had stared at him for a long time.


    While she did not notice this, Ye Yifan felt rather uncomfortable because of her stares. Eventually, he smiled slightly and could not help but ask, ¡°Why are you constantly staring at me?¡±


    Tang Xia finally woke up from her fantasy and her face instantly flushed red. Initially, she had thought that Ye Yifan would not notice her tiny action. However, he had unexpectedly picked up on it.


    Tang Xia quickly drank a large glass of water and her face felt slightly more natural. Tang Xia then asked cautiously, ¡°Hey¡­ Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ye Yifan replied in an easy-going manner. The modest, amicable look on his face sent Tang Xia¡¯s heart aflutter.


    Tang Xia bit her lip and paused for a moment before she asked hesitantly, ¡°What do you think of Li Xianxian?¡±


    After she asked the question, Tang Xia pretended to be focused on eating the food that lay before her. However, from time to time, her eyes still glanced at Ye Yifan subconsciously, exposing her inner concern.


    ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± Ye Yifan wiped his mouth, seemingly skipping the question inadvertently. ¡°Oh, right. I will be attending a cocktail reception tomorrow. Do you have time to be my female companion?¡±


    Tang Xia, who had originally felt slightly down because he had not answered the question or shared his view of Li Xianxian, instantly felt happy again when she heard the last part of his response.


    How could she miss the opportunity to attend a cocktail reception with Ye Yifan?


    Tang Xia quickly agreed. The fact that girls should be more reserved was completely tossed to the back of her mind.


    Subsequently, Tang Xia¡¯s mind was completely filled with the information that she would be attending a cocktail reception with Ye Yifan tomorrow. It was almost impossible for her to think about anything else.


    If someone asked Tang Xia how the food at this restaurant tasted, she would probably be unable to answer. She had only been eating mechanically throughout the meal, as her mind was on other things.


    After the meal, Ye Yifan took Tangxia home like a gentleman. Before he left, he promised to pick her up tomorrow night. When Tang Xia agreed, she said goodbye to Ye Yifan reluctantly.


    After Tang Xia returned home, she immediately opened her closet and began to prepare for tomorrow night¡¯s cocktail reception. It was the first time she would be attending a cocktail reception with Ye Yifan! Therefore, she had to treat it with prudence.


    With this thought in her mind, Tang Xia almost turned over her entire wardrobe before she finally found a relatively satisfactory set of clothes.


    The next day, Tang Xia differed even more from her usual casual style. She took special care while doing her hair and makeup, and she seemed to be even prettier and more charming than usual.


    Her date with Ye Yifan was at seven o¡¯clock in the evening, but Tang Xia actually started making preparations for the evening as soon as she opened her eyes in the morning.


    At six o¡¯clock, Tang Xia had already finished her meal and prepared everything. All that was left was to wait for Ye Yifan to pick her up. The moment she thought about being able to see Ye Yifan soon, even the wait became sweet.


    As Tang Xia was waiting, her cell phone rang all of a sudden. It was a call from Ye Yifan. Without any hesitation, Tang Xia immediately answered the call and brought the phone close to her ear. ¡°Hello?¡± Even her voice sounded full of joy.


    However, Ye Yifan¡¯s voice sounded apologetic. ¡°Sorry, but something has come up suddenly, so I will not be able to pick you up. Could you go to the cocktail reception by yourself?¡±

 Chapter 232 - Not To Live For His Sake

    Chapter 232 Not To Live For His Sake


    Tang Xia dressed up in her best attire and left her house to drive herself there. The bustling streets flashed past her throughout her journey, but she had an inexplicable feeling that something was not right.


    However, she felt that Ye Yifan probably really had some urgent matter to attend to. Otherwise, someone as gentlemanly as him would not have done this.


    When the car gradually reached the venue of the event, the cheering and laughter coming from the interior of the big, tall villa could already be heard from afar. Tang Xia gradually stopped the car and handed the keys over to the attendant who approached her. ¡°Miss, do you have an invitation?¡±


    Tang Xia took something that resembled a card out of her handbag. ¡°Are you referring to this?¡±


    The attendant instantly replied in a more respectful and courteous tone, ¡°So you are Miss Tang. Please come in.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled slightly and lifted her skirt gently to walk into the venue slowly, one step at a time. When she stepped onto the marble floor in her stilettoes, a crisp sound echoed.


    Everyone was stunned when they noticed Tang Xia, who was slightly embarrassed as she returned their tasteful smiles. However, just as Tang Xia was about to walk to the center of the lobby, she spotted two figures that she couldn¡¯t be more familiar with. She was instantly stunned.


    She felt her spine turn cold instantaneously. The handsome hunk and pretty lady, who were so dazzling when they were together, were obviously Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian!


    Li Xianxian was smiling like a flower as she chatted with Ye Yifan about something. Tang Xia did not know what was wrong with her, but she felt so terrible that both her hands were balled up into fists.


    Suddenly, Ye Yifan, who had been chatting happily with Li Xianxian, noticed Tang Xia, who was staring at them while she stood far away. He was instantly stunned before he turned his head to shoot a glance at Li Xianxian.


    Li Xianxian was also slightly puzzled. When she turned around and saw Tang Xia, she frowned, unable to conceal the look of loathing on her face. When Tang Xia saw the two of them looking at her, she turned expressionlessly and left.


    Ye Yifan suddenly felt his heart sink. He dashed over directly and caught hold of Tang Xia. His sudden action caused Tang Xia to lose her stability and get slammed straight into Ye Yifan¡¯s arms.


    Before Tang Xia could respond, she heard Ye Yifan¡¯s anxious voice. His voice was deep and low and seemed to have a certain magical charm to it. ¡°Li Xianxian suddenly ran over to my house. Don¡¯t be angry, Tang Xia. I did not expect it either¡­¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind was not quite lucid as she rubbed her temples. Gradually, she regained her lucidity, pushed Ye Yifan away, and broke free from his arms before she asked him softly, ¡°So you just threw me aside?¡±


    She had originally thought that Ye Yifan had some urgent matter to attend to, but it turned out that Li Xianxian had suddenly come over. No matter how she thought about it or how hard she pondered it, she could only jump to the conclusion that she did not hold as important a position as Li Xianxian in his heart!


    Ye Yifan was stunned for a moment. He had never seen Tang Xia look so angry before. It was as if a volcano that had remained dormant for a long time could not contain itself anymore and suddenly erupted one day.


    He was instantly lost. He had no idea what to do. He had never encountered such a situation before. He took a deep breath and slowly stepped aside before he reached out with his hand like a gentleman.


    ¡°I wonder if I could have the honor of having the opening dance with Miss Tang as a form of apology?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s extended hand. As she felt hesitant about whether she should agree, she suddenly heard a yell that was accompanied by the sound of brief panting.


    Before the two of them could react, an unidentified object dashed straight into Ye Yifan¡¯s arms. Both of them were instantly shocked. However, Ye Yifan, who was the first to react, pushed Li Xianxian away. ¡°Xianxian, stop fooling around.¡±


    It was at that moment that Tang Xia finally saw clearly. The person in front of her was Li Xianxian. She suddenly felt as if a stone was weighing down on her heart. She felt slightly oppressed and found it hard to breathe.


    Li Xianxian was weeping like a pear blossom bathed in the rain. She gripped onto Yifan¡¯s arm for dear life. No matter how hard Ye Yifan tried, he could not break free. ¡°Yifan, look! They are all talking about me behind my back. I really hate how they are acting!¡±


    Ye Yifan could not push Li Xianxian away. Thus, he secretly took one peek at Tang Xia from the corner of his eye before he sighed helplessly. ¡°Xianxian, during this livestream, you did things which were not right. That much is true.¡±


    Li Xianxian was stunned for a moment. She had not expected that Ye Yifan would side with Tang Xia at that very moment. He did not even say something nice or offer her some words of comfort!


    She immediately turned her head and glared viciously at Tang Xia. Coincidentally, Ye Yifan could not see from this angle, but her glare left Tang Xia speechless. Actually, she had been silently resisting the urge to rush over and throw Li Xianxian out.


    It¡¯s all because of you! If it hadn¡¯t been for you, she would not have done that livestream. That incident would not have happened and Ye Yifan would not have treated or spoken to her like this.


    Li Xianxian found it hard to bear her anger. She instantly felt indignance along with a shred of dissatisfaction. The tear stains on her face had yet to dry, and she looked like the gentle and delicate Lin Daiyu from ancient times, which made one¡¯s heart ache for her. ¡°But Yifan¡­¡±


    Before Ye Yifan could recover, Li Xianxian pointed at Tang Xia viciously. She appeared to be slightly furious and resentful. ¡°Can you vouch that she could be safe and sound there and that she never did anything bad?¡±


    Suddenly, both of them went silent and merely stared at Li Xianxian.


    ¡°Yifan, you did not enter that livestream, so you don¡¯t know how ruthless it was inside or how the weak were the prey of the strong. I was merely using my beauty to protect myself. I did not do anything wrong!¡±


    At that instant, Tang Xia was so angry that she wanted to laugh. However, she did not want to argue with Li Xianxian over such meaningless things. If her thoughts had been genuinely simple and pure back then, why had she stopped her from saving those girls over and over again and told on her instead?


    Ye Yifan knew very well why. He had also watched their full livestream, yet even though he understood, he could not speak fiercely. After all, Li Xianxian was a girl.


    Ye Yifan gently pushed her hand away. There was a faint note of helplessness in his voice as he said, ¡°Xianxian, you should seriously think about it.¡±


    As Li Xianxian watched Ye Yifan push her hand away, she instantly found it hard to believe. In the past, Ye Yifan had never treated her like this. She immediately glared at Tangxia with resentment. Then, she turned and ran out while crying.


    Ye Yifan was stunned. When he reacted a moment later, he wanted to chase after her. Tang Xia watched coldly as Li Xianxian ran out. She had brought all this upon herself through her actions.


    She had never once played underhanded tricks against Li Xianxian. Why did it seem as if she was the one who had victimized her? Who was she pretending for? When Tang Xia saw that Ye Yifan was about to chase after her, she grabbed hold of his hand. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    When Ye Yifan felt Tang Xia¡¯s tight grip around his hand, he instantly quietened down. He gradually recovered from his earlier impulse to just rush out and calmed down. Then, he looked up at Tang Xia¡¯s face and saw a pair of clear eyes that seemed to be pleading.


    Ye Yifan thought for a while. At that moment, he felt that he could not bear it. He slowly lowered his arm and gently held up her hand with his backhand. ¡°Let¡¯s dance.¡±


    Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief and held onto Ye Yifan¡¯s hand gently. She instantly felt relaxed, as if the big stone in her heart had settled down.


    Ye Yifan held onto her and walked slowly to the dance floor. They elegantly waltzed along with the rhythm of the music.


    The people around them began to applaud, while some of them even whistled. After all, the man and the woman looked really compatible. Some people were even fans of the Tang Ye CP party. Thus, everyone got excited.


    Tang Xia felt a shred of sweetness in her heart as she recalled the interaction between her and Ye Yifan at the ball earlier. However, when she turned to look at Ye Yifan, who was next to her, there seemed to be an anxious look on his face.


    A bad feeling filled Tang Xia¡¯s heart as she reached out with her hand to tug Ye Yifan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Ye Yifan turned his head to gaze at Tang Xia, who appeared to be slightly worried. He then smiled and patted her back lightly. ¡°No, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Although Tang Xia had doubts in her heart, she still did not say anything. She quietly allowed Ye Yifan to hold her hand as they got into the car after taking the car keys from the attendant.


    However, at that moment, Ye Yifan did not open the door for Tang Xia like a gentleman like he would usually do. Tang Xia confirmed that something had to be on Ye Yifan¡¯s mind.


    The car slowly drove to the foot of Tang Xia¡¯s apartment. However, as soon as they reached it, Ye Yifan seemed anxious to get out of the car and open the door for Tang Xia. Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? You seem very anxious.¡±


    Ye Yifan, who was stunned for a moment, frowned as he thought for a while. He did not want to hide from her anymore. Therefore, he answered honestly, ¡°I am worried that something will happen to Xianxian¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly dumbfounded. She did not know what she said, but by the time she reacted, she saw his car speed off and gradually disappear into the night.


    When she thought about Ye Yifan¡¯s behavior earlier, she suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly. She changed clothes, took a shower, and buried herself straight under her quilts.


    She did not understand the thoughts in Ye Yifan¡¯s heart, and neither was she in the mood to think about this now. She turned on her tablet and watched the replay of her livestream. She suddenly noticed that the comments about her short hair had already blown up. She immediately sat up straight.


    At the moment, she did not want to live based on Ye Yifan¡¯s preferences anymore. If she thought about it, Ye Yifan was not concerned about her at all, so why should she think so much about him?


    She secretly made a decision in her heart.


    The next day, she got up early and changed into a set of nice clothes that differed from her previous style. Then, she headed straight to the hair salon with the tablet.


    When the people in the hair salon realized that this was actually Tang Xia, they were instantly stunned. They quickly stepped forward to welcome her. Tang Xia smiled and held up the tablet. ¡°I want to have this hairstyle.¡±


    Meanwhile, July was a little unhappy in the office. Why was Tang Xia suddenly late today? She was usually very punctual.


    Just as she turned her head to ask someone to give her a call, she heard a sudden commotion downstairs. She frowned as she noticed someone in the center of the crowd.


    Who was that? A group of people crowded around an individual and fangirled. When she went over to take a closer look, she was instantly stunned to see a short-haired Tang Xia who was smiling at her. ¡°Hi, July.¡±

 Chapter 233 - Framed

    Chapter 233 Framed


    Tang Xia stood in the middle of the crowd. At the moment, she had a fresh haircut and her hair was sleek and clean. She was also wearing a dashing suit that made her look just like a live-streamer.


    It seemed as if Tang Xia had been born to be a dazzling star, a celebrity many people looked up to. The chic vibe that she gave off from head to toe was very different from her usual gentle self. One could say that she was like a bright pearl that had been dusted off.


    The people around her were shocked and full of admiration. All of them seemed to be unable to close their mouths. ¡°Oh my god, is this Tangxia?¡±


    The girl beside her rebutted, ¡°What are you talking about? Tang Xia has always been this beautiful!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so gorgeous!¡±


    July looked at the people around her, who were fangirling over Tang Xia. Although she was feeling very happy, she also felt a hint of pride. This is my artist!


    However, the situation was slightly out of control. She stomped over in her heels, yet the crisp sound went unnoticed.


    She deliberately coughed loudly. ¡°Do you guys have nothing to do? Why are you standing around Tang Xia? Is there a flower growing on her face?¡±


    The crowd was dumbfounded as it turned to look at July¡¯s direction uniformly. Instantly, everyone turned away and left at the same time to get back to their own work.


    Tang Xia smiled vibrantly at July while July replied by knocking on her forehead sternly. ¡°Why are you smiling like this? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re late?¡±


    Tang Xia instantly became obedient and let July drag her to her office. July threw her into the room and turned around to slam the door shut loudly. Upon hearing the loud bang, Tang Xia trembled a little. She waited for July to explode.


    However, just as she thought that July was going to tear her into pieces, she suddenly heard a joyous cheer. Then, July approached her and gave her a hug. She might as well have picked her up and twirled her in circles. ¡°Your idea is amazing! We should have done that earlier!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was shocked by her sudden actions, quickly realized what was going on. She only wanted to laugh. This guy is exaggerating!


    After the excitement was over, the duo sat down on the sofa, looking at each other. July felt increasingly satisfied with Tang Xia¡¯s hairstyle as she looked at it.


    ¡°Let me organize a fan meeting for you this weekend!¡±


    ¡°The fans must take a look at this dashing hairstyle and outfit! You can also boost your recognition rate and beat Li Xianxian completely during the broadcast.¡±


    Tang Xia simmered for a while. After careful consideration, she agreed.


    Very soon, the weekend came. Backstage, the makeup artist rummaged through the items and picked out the good stuff for her. After all, the makeup artist was also very satisfied with how Tang Xia had styled herself and her hair.


    Tang Xia looked at her phone in her hand and heaved a sigh of relief gently. Luckily, she still had many fans who supported her on Weibo. At least one person would turn up.


    After getting ready, she walked slowly to the front of the function room. Her fans were waiting behind this door! She took a deep breath. Actually, at this very moment, she felt very nervous. However¡­ when she pushed the door open, she froze instantly.


    She had never thought that she would have so many fans. At the moment, she felt very loved. Upon seeing Tang Xia dressed as nicely as she did in the broadcast, the fans burst into squeals and started fangirling without caring that they were in public. ¡°Wow! So gorgeous!¡±


    Tang Xia waved at them, feeling a little embarrassed, and immediately caused a huge uproar. Behind her, July was a little dissatisfied. ¡°Don¡¯t over-interact with them. Just a little attention will do.¡±


    After all, only people that were hard to get close to would ignite in one the desire to get closer. Tang Xia nodded. The bodyguards guided her in and then she slowly took her seat. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Tang Xia¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Tang Xia¡¯s introduction, the whole place blew up again. Tang Xia suddenly felt overwhelmed. Then, the door opened up out of the blue.


    Tang Xia was confused. Was this a segment prepared by July? She suddenly turned around as she wondered. July could not help but roll her eyes at her. ¡°Why would I prepare a segment for a fan meeting? Even if there was a segment, you would be the one performing!¡±


    Tang Xia thought about it and realized that she was right. The moment she turned her head to see what was going on, she saw a bunch of people dashing into the room suddenly.


    Tang Xia and July were shocked. Even the audience did not have any time to react. A series of screams were heard before Tang Xia stood up immediately.


    Everyone in the group was holding onto a bucket of paint. There were all sorts of colors around. Immediately, they dashed towards Tang Xia¡¯s fans and poured the paint on whoever they saw.


    July looked lost, and Tang Xia had yet to realize what was going on. When she finally did, she ran straight toward them.


    However, those people¡¯s target was not just Tang Xia¡¯s fans, but also Tang Xia herself. When they saw Tang Xia dashing towards them, how could they just sit and wait?


    Several of them ran towards Tang Xia with the paint in hand and splashed it on her without saying anything.


    Tang Xia, who could already sense what was going on, took off her jacket to block the paint. Although her face was safe, a large part of her body was inevitably coated with paint. ¡°Seriously¡­¡±


    She could not help but become vulgar as she turned around and shouted at the security guards. ¡°Why are you not catching them?¡±


    The security guards then realized what was going on and immediately rushed forward to stop these people.


    Upon seeing a group of people still splashing paint at her female fans, Tang Xia dashed over and used her jacket to shield them. The female fans had obviously yet to realize what was going on. When they saw Tang Xia standing in front of them, they screamed excitedly. Was this boyfriend energy?


    The security guards quickly gained control over the situation. After all, they had not been hired for no reason. Tang Xia glared at the row of people that were caught. ¡°Take them to the police station!¡±


    She did not want to look at them right now, in case she could not control herself and she ended up beating them up. ¡°This harmonious society saved you.¡±


    The people who had been caught heard her words and snorted instantly. Tang Xia did not want to bother. Let them wait for the police car to come and take them away!


    Since the situation had been controlled just in time, only a few people had been splashed with paint. Tang Xia¡¯s assistant, who stood aside, could not help quickly stepping forward to pass a towel to her. However, Tang Xia passed the towel to her fans instead, who were so touched that they did not know what to say.


    Tang Xia turned around and got back on the stage. She picked up the microphone and said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry that something like this happened during my fan meeting. I am truly sorry.¡±


    She then bowed down respectfully, leaving her fans dumbfounded. She stood back up slowly and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are or why they wanted to hurt my fans.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely investigate this matter and give all of you, as well as myself, a satisfactory answer.¡± She turned around and said something to July, who nodded silent. She then turned around and ordered someone else.


    ¡°I will get someone to write down the names and contact numbers of those of you who were splashed with paint. I will buy you all a whole new outfit as a form of apology. I only ask all of you to please forgive us for the inconvenience caused.¡±


    Instantly, the big crowd suddenly burst into cheers. She heard a widespread gasp of disbelief amid the cheers.


    However, that was not the end. Tang Xia turned around again to give an order. Then, she turned back to the fans and added, ¡°You must tell us even if you have just a small stain!¡±


    ¡°I also prepared a small gift for everyone in order to compensate you for the shock. After all, all of you must have gotten quite a shock.¡±


    ¡°We are okay!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, we love you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When she vaguely heard the cheers of the crowd, Tang Xia¡¯s face broke into a small smile.


    Indeed, Tang Xia¡¯s attitude was currently very sincere. She was a victim herself, yet she had protected her fans really well and even compensated them. At the moment, the fans felt that liking Tang Xia had been the right decision!


    Furthermore, Tang Xia had the biggest amount of paint on her body, yet she had not grumbled once or thrown a big tantrum. There were not much people with such a temperament.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone. Thank you.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but keep thanking them. As she faced so many people who liked her and understood her so well, it was difficult not to be touched.


    However, while everyone was submerged in this sentimental feeling, a sudden proclamation gave everyone a big shock. The group of people who had caused a scene earlier suddenly shouted loudly, ¡°Tang Xia is a b*tch! Li Xianxian is the number one female streamer!¡±


    Suddenly, the entire venue went silent. Everyone was dumbfounded. Tang Xia also turned to look at them. The security guards were holding them down. They had already been caught, yet they were still misbehaving.


    July gave the security guards a look. They immediately turned around and led them down. The crowd started to burst into an uproar, and everyone began talking with each other. ¡°Seriously, they are just straight-up telling everyone that Li Xianxian sent them!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Li Xianxian was like that in the broadcast too. Seriously, who is the real b*tch?¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t be afraid! We love you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When everything was already taken care of, Tang Xia was too busy to even change out of her clothes. Thus, she drove home directly. When she opened her room with the key, she was so exhausted that she just leaned against the door.


    She realized that she did not even have the strength to change out of her clothes or take a shower. She stood up slowly. No matter what, she had to change out of her clothes and wash her body. She could not stand the smell of the paint on her body anymore.


    When she came out of the bathroom, she gently wiped away the beads of water on her hair. Indeed, she felt more relaxed after taking a shower. Just as she was about to grab a drink and sit on the sofa, her phone started to ring.


    Tang Xia frowned. She could not help but be suspicious. Who could be calling her at this hour? When she walked over, she was shocked by what she saw. There were more than 10 missed calls, all from July. She immediately picked up the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She wanted to know what had happened that had caused her to call her so many times. She only heard someone exclaim on the other end of the line anxiously, ¡°Take a look at Weibo now!¡±


    Tang Xia was just about to say something, when the line got cut off. She opened Weibo in confusion and instantly almost dropped her phone.


    Her feed was full of stories that claimed she had directed her own show to make herself look pitiful and then blame it on Li Xianxian¡­

 Chapter 234 - Mastermind

    Chapter 234 Mastermind


    Tang Xia already had an idea about what was going on. Her first instinct was that Li Xianxian had done this. This explained why a bunch of people would barge into her fan meeting. It was all because of her. Just thinking about it was funny enough.


    She picked up her phone and called Li Xianxian directly. As she listened to the beeping tone, she felt that this wait was particularly long. After staying silent for a while, she heard a clicking sound through the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Upon hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Tang Xia asked immediately, ¡°Did you do all this?¡±


    The other party was obviously dumbfounded. Li Xianxian asked in shock, ¡°Did I do what? What happened?¡±


    Tang Xia snorted. At this point in time, this gal was still trying to act dumb. Li Xianxian, Li Xianxian¡­ Why did you end up not having any other skills but a perfect ability to act dumb? She could not hold back her laughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you didn¡¯t go on Weibo today.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice became calm gradually. She already had some answers in her heart. She was afraid that, no matter how she questioned her today, she would deny this.


    The truth proved that Tang Xia was right. Li Xianxian asked in a confused voice, ¡°Weibo? I didn¡¯t check Weibo the whole day! What happened exactly?¡±


    Tang Xia snorted. What a joke! Even if Li Xianxian had not checked Weibo, Tang Xia did not believe that she had not heard! Her assistant Linda would be running after her to tell her the good news.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, no matter how much you deny it, this incident definitely had something to do with you. Did you think you wouldn¡¯t be exposed? Did you think that your plan was flawless?¡±


    The woman on the other end of the line had already been silent for a while now. Li Xianxian was currently on the verge of breaking down. Upon listening to Tang Xia¡¯s words, she started to panic.


    Suddenly, Li Xianxian shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! No matter how many times you say it, I¡¯ll tell you plainly: This had absolutely nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expose myself, nor was there any flaw. You won¡¯t be able to find one, no matter what you do! Tang Xia, just admit it! You dug your own grave and now you can¡¯t run away from it!¡±


    While listening to Li Xianxian get flustered out of fear of being caught, Tang Xia could not help but laugh. Her subtle laughter was heard clearly on the other end of the line. Li Xianxian exploded instantly and hung up.


    Upon hearing the buzzing sound through her phone, Tang Xia felt a stronger urge to laugh. Li Xianxian had already exposed herself.


    She turned around and put down her phone. It seemed like she would need to make a trip to the company to discuss this with July. Thus, she changed clothes and headed downstairs to drive to the company.


    The people all around saw Tang Xia taking big strides into the office and started to point fingers at her as they whispered among themselves. After experiencing the previous incident, Tang Xia was already used to it. This bunch of people was always so easily swayed. They would blindly accept and follow whatever society was talking about.


    No matter what the news said, if the majority believed it, then it had to be true.


    She headed straight towards July¡¯s office. When she pushed open the door, she saw July walking back and forth anxiously while talking on the phone. She turned around immediately when she heard noise at the door.


    Upon seeing that it was Tang Xia, she ran towards her and grabbed her hand. ¡°What do you think we should do this time? How did things end up like this?¡±


    It was heaven one minute and hell the next.


    Tang Xia, who had really experienced the big tides of life, was also helpless. She had already gotten used to this feeling. Thus, she comforted July by patting her hand. ¡°No worries. I¡¯m 80 to 90% sure that Li Xianxian had something to do with this.¡±


    July nodded. She thought so too. Although she was not sure what had happened between them, based on what had happened in the Garden of Eden alone, Li Xianxian already had enough motivation to do this.


    As the two of them were brainstorming and looking for ideas, July smiled suddenly. ¡°Right! The bunch of people who were caught at the venue were involved too!¡±


    Tang Xia, who also had a big realization, patted her forehead. ¡°Right, we still have them. Let¡¯s go now! We might be able to find evidence that points to Li Xianxian!¡±


    July thought so too. Thus, she nodded. Then, she turned around, picked up her coat, pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand and ran out of the room.


    The duo drove and reached the police station in no time. A police officer led them in. Before they even pushed open the door, they already heard a quarrel happening inside.


    When they listened carefully, they realized that this was the bunch of people who had caused a scene. They were talking about what had happened at the venue. ¡°Tang Xia planned all of this!¡±


    Another person echoed, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Tang Xia planned all of this! It was her!¡±


    The police officer frowned. ¡°Why would she hire you guys to harm her fans for no reason?¡±


    The troublemakers slammed the table and said angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see her anxious reaction? She did this to show how good she treats her fans, yet she still blamed everything on Li Xianxian!¡±


    The police officer frowned. Actually, he had also watched the broadcast, so he naturally knew what had happened between the two women.


    Tang Xia pushed open the door and entered slowly. When the bunch of troublemakers saw her, they all pointed towards her and shouted, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! She was the one that hired us! We only did what we were paid to do!¡±


    The police officer frowned. After staying silent for a while, he turned around and pointed to a chair beside him. Tang Xia sat down politely. ¡°I wonder if Miss Tang has anything to explain? They¡¯re all accusing you of hiring them to do this.¡±


    Tang Xia was silent at the moment. She was currently feeling an inexplicable helplessness.


    Suddenly, she could not hold back her laughter anymore. She stood up and turned around to look at the bunch of troublemakers before she sent a slap across someone¡¯s face. That person jumped directly and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    However, Tang Xia was still laughing. ¡°What am I doing? You were the one who asked me to hit you!¡± That person obviously had not realized what was going on. Thus, he pushed away Tang Xia instantly. ¡°What are you talking about? I asked you to hit me? Am I crazy?¡±


    Tang Xia stumbled a little from the push before her face broke into a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to hit you to show how evil I am and make you guys look even more innocent?¡±


    July and the police officer were dumbfounded. Meanwhile, these people stayed silent. She also suddenly realized what this move meant.


    She was trying to replicate what had happened at the venue. That slap was akin to hiring them to pour paint. The troublemakers could not keep still. ¡°You were the one who hired us! Don¡¯t try to change the topic!¡±


    July sighed. She believed Tang Xia, but not everyone was willing to do the same. As the situation worsened, they heard a slam from the door. Tang Xia turned around in surprise and saw that it was Ye Yifan!


    What was he doing here? Ye Yifan walked towards them and, without saying anything, he pulled out one of them and said, ¡°Take out your phone.¡±


    That person¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Why would I give it to you? Who are you?¡± However, Ye Yifan was obviously not going to waste any time on him. He gave him a punch that sent him falling to the ground directly.


    The surrounding people were all shocked, especially Tang Xia. She was so shocked that she was at a loss for words. However, she eventually went over to stop him. ¡°What are you doing? This is a police station!¡±


    Ye Yifan glanced at her but did not say anything. Tang Xia was a little worried that the police would arrest him. After all, he had punched someone in front of the police.


    However, the police took on the role of the peacemaker and approached him and grabbed his hands. ¡°Aiya, Master Ye, please calm down.¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. The surrounding troublemakers, who had not expected this either, all froze instantly. Had they just offended someone with powerful authority?


    Tang Xia also wondered to herself what kind of authority his family had. The police did not even care that he had beaten up someone. Instead, they had laughed it off.


    The troublemakers were a little scared. After weighing the pros and cons, the guy ended up taking out his phone. Upon seeing the police officer¡¯s attitude, they realized that this guy could not be messed with. After all, they were just working for the money. Luckily, he was already prepared.


    Ye Yifan snatched his phone directly and opened it. Tang Xia, who was also a little curious, went over to take a look. The police officer was also a little curious. After all, this was his case. The phone had not crossed his mind at all before he went over directly to take a peek.


    When Ye Yifan opened the contacts, Tang Xia froze instantly. The police officer¡¯s face fell too. What was going on?


    He stared at the screen, which showed that the last few calls had all been with Tang Xia. He naturally panicked a little as he looked at Ye Yifan. Ye Yifan, on the other hand, remained silent.


    Tang Xia immediately turned to look at the troublemakers and saw that the man had a confident smile on his face. Tang Xia understood immediately. This incident definitely had something to do with him.


    Tang Xia turned around immediately and snatched the phone. Ye Yifan did not say anything. He just let her be.


    However, the police officer frowned. Was she going to destroy the evidence? Just as he was about to go and snatch it, he caught a glance of Ye Yifan, who was looking at him. Shocked, he went back to his place obediently.


    Tang Xia looked through the call history carefully. The calls dated back to more than three days ago. It seemed like this had been planned for quite a while now. In an instant, she felt a gush of anger coming from within her.


    She got a shock when she opened the phone. She looked at the phone number, but it was obviously not hers! She could not help but turn around and look at Ye Yifan.


    However, Ye Yifan did not say anything. He stared at the phone, signaling at her to continue looking. Tang Xia pressed the call button and put it on loudspeaker. The surrounding troublemakers started to look uneasy.


    Tang Xia looked at their reaction and laughed immediately. The big stone in her heart was finally lifted off. The call was connected suddenly and a woman¡¯s voice was heard saying, ¡°Has everything been taken care of?¡±

 Chapter 235 - Masked Broadcast

    Chapter 235 Masked Broadcast


    Upon listening to the female voice coming from the other end of the line, Tang Xia froze. Why was this voice so familiar? While he was standing beside her, Ye Yifan¡¯s face also became sullen. He remained silent and said nothing. The police officer was also shocked. It seemed like there was another truth behind this whole story.


    However, at the moment, the more July listened to the voice, the more familiar she found it. She started frowning before, all of a sudden, as if realizing something, she asked in a confused tone, ¡°Linda?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. What had she said? Linda? Wasn¡¯t that Li Xianxian¡¯s assistant?


    Tang Xia suddenly laughed coldly deep in her heart. Li Xianxian still insisted that she had not done it, yet her assistant had picked up the phone when they¡¯d called the number. She wondered what she would have to say for herself now.


    The woman at the other end of the line fell silent after hearing her voice. Obviously, she had not expected July to be calling her. It seemed like there was a bunch of people with her. Suddenly, she panicked and quickly ended the call.


    Tang Xia turned around and looked at the bunch of troublemakers. She passed the phone to the police officer directly. It was a piece of evidence after all. The troublemakers, who did not dare to look her in the eye, became flustered and looked away instantly.


    July suddenly stomped her foot in anger. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this was really Li Xianxian¡¯s doing!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the agitated July and then turned to look at Ye Yifan. She was full of questions and she believed that Ye Yifan should give her an explanation.


    Why had he asked for the phone as soon as he had barged in? Was there anything that she did not know? Or had he already known what Li Xianxian had done?


    Ye Yifan felt embarrassed by her stare, and his gaze started to wander around. July suddenly pulled Tang Xia over and said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going to find Linda. I want to hear how she¡¯s going to explain this!¡±


    Tang Xia was still in a state of shock while she was dragged away by July. Before she left, she turned around and gave Ye Yifan a meaningful glance. She thought that he would not go back with them, but he left with them in the end.


    He just sat beside her, both of them sitting in the back seat together. Suddenly, inexplicable awkwardness filled the car. Along the way, July kept talking about Linda.


    Although Tang Xia and Ye Yifan did not talk, it was not very awkward. On the way, Tang Xia was thinking if she should ask him. However, when they reached the company, she suddenly could not bring herself to do it.


    July dragged her arm and pulled her into the company directly. When the surrounding people saw July dragging Tang Xia in forcefully while looking extremely angry, they started to whisper among themselves.


    Is July pissed about Tang Xia¡¯s self-directed show of pity? Is she going to fire her?!


    Tang Xia heard their comments and could not help but roll her eyes. How much were they hoping that she would suffer?


    As she was wondering to herself, she saw that they had arrived at Linda¡¯s office. July did not even push the door open. She just kicked it open directly. Everyone was instantly dumbfounded and started gossiping again. Why had she barged into Linda¡¯s office so angrily?


    Linda was dressed formally as she was sitting in a very uptight manner in her office. July¡¯s kick had given her such a scare that she had frozen there instantly. ¡°Linda! What a great move!¡± July pointed at her nose and started to accuse her angrily.


    Although Linda started to panic, she did not show it on her face. ¡°What are you talking about? How come I don¡¯t understand anything that you¡¯re saying?¡±


    She was still acting even at this moment? Tang Xia laughed and threw her phone at her. ¡°Do you want to check the call history?¡± The real phone had been kept by the police as a piece of evidence, so she was just using her phone to scare her.


    At the moment, Linda did not have the energy to determine who the phone belonged to. Thus, she became flustered immediately and answered, ¡°It was really not me!¡±


    July smiled. ¡°You were the one who answered the phone just now, right?¡± She walked slowly towards Linda.


    Linda, who started to panic, took two steps back. She stumbled a little and almost lost her balance, which caused her to land on the sofa with her butt. She waved her hand subconsciously as she said, ¡°It was not me! It was not me!¡±


    ¡°It was not you? Then take out your phone and let us take a look! Even if you deleted the call, we can still trace it!¡± July slammed her hand directly against the sofa behind Linda¡¯s back.


    At the moment, Linda¡¯s mental capacity had already collapsed. She quickly said in a soft voice, ¡°It was me! It was me!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. ¡°Louder, we can¡¯t hear you.¡± Linda turned around to look at Tang Xia, her gaze hiding a hint of hatred. If it hadn¡¯t been for Tang Xia, she would not have done something like this, nor would she have been caught!


    However¡­ Since they were already here, she had no choice but to admit it. ¡°It¡¯ was me! I hired those people to throw paint during your fan meeting.¡±


    Tang Xia sat down on the sofa slowly. ¡°And?¡±


    Linda naturally turned to look at Tang Xia. Wasn¡¯t Tang Xia going a little overboard? Why was she harping on what she had done at the moment? However, she had also forgotten the way Tang Xia had been splashed with paint in front of everyone.


    ¡°I also made them spread the rumor that you were the one who ordered them to do so.¡±


    Tang Xia finally nodded in satisfaction and took out her phone, which she had somehow gotten back at a certain point in time. Linda was a little confused when she realized that Tang Xia had been recording all this. She finally pressed the stop button. Linda flared up a little immediately. How could she do that?


    Tang Xia waved the phone in her hand. ¡°We now have a witness and physical evidence, as well as her confession. Sister July, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    July nodded in satisfaction. This gal had finally used her brains. It was indeed time for her to grow up.


    July was just about to say something when Tang Xia, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around and asked Linda, ¡°Did Li Xianxian order you to do this?¡±


    Linda¡¯s pupils dilated instantly as she looked up into Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Ye Yifan standing outside the door. She quickly denied it loudly. ¡°No! It had nothing to do with her! I did it all by myself!¡±


    Tang Xia and July were both shocked by how defensive she was. When Tang Xia followed her gaze and looked at the door, she instantly understood something.


    July looked at her with some suspicion. The more enthusiastically she denied it, the more she felt that this was the case. What was the story behind this exactly?


    However¡­ Regardless of whether Li Xianxian had ordered this or not, this matter had to come to an end. She had to pay the price for her own actions.


    As July looked at Linda, her facial expression was extremely solemn. She suddenly said in a cold voice, ¡°Considering that you have done such a thing and harmed our own artist¡¯s reputation, I think it¡¯s not necessary for you to continue being an assistant.¡±


    ¡°You can go now. From this day onwards, you¡¯re no longer one of our employees.¡±


    Linda looked up suddenly. Then, her eyes became peaceful again, as if she had expected this and found it perfectly understandable.


    Linda stood up slowly. She suddenly paused by Tang Xia¡¯s side and just stared into her eyes, smiling suddenly. ¡°You must remember, my ending will be the same as yours.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was startled, stood there frozen, replaying Linda¡¯s words in her mind. July was about to head out. However, after pushing the door, she saw Tang Xia standing there motionless. ¡°Tang Xia! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Tang Xia snapped back to reality upon hearing her voice and became alert instantly. Then, she followed July back to the office.


    After returning to her office, July called for her assistant and threw a document directly at her. Then, she told her the whole story from beginning to end. ¡°Write an article about this incident and release it to the press.¡±


    Although the assistant was in a state of utter shock, she nodded and left quickly.


    Tang Xia shook her head helplessly. It seemed like this incident would spread again. After giving her these orders, July walked over to her and patted her shoulders gently. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that this story will spread to every corner of the company in no time.¡±


    However, July smiled suddenly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? You won¡¯t even have to hold a press conference to clarify things.¡± Sometimes, gossip could bring one to hell, but it could also bring one to heaven.


    Tang Xia could not hold back her smile. Indeed, this was a good thing. July suddenly looked at her seriously. ¡°Let me give you some time off. Take one week off and then come back to work.¡±


    After all, after experiencing all these things, she understood the big swings in Tang Xia¡¯s emotions.


    Tang Xia stood up and shook her hand gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Sister July.¡± July nodded. ¡°Go.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and turned to head out of the door. She planned to go home and get some rest. However, she had not expected that Ye Yifan had yet to go home. She was so shocked to see him that she looked at him in slight amazement.


    Ye Yifan walked up to her slowly. He had heard their whole conversation earlier. ¡°How do you plan to spend your one week of vacation?¡±


    Tang Xia thought about it for a while. ¡°I heard that Mask It! has a broadcast. I want to try that.¡± In her heart, she secretly expected him to say something.


    Ye Yifan stayed silent for a moment and eventually nodded. ¡°Okay then.¡± Tang Xia felt instant disappointment. She looked up at him and could not hold back the urge to say something. However, she turned around and left eventually.


    Tang Xia drove home directly. She took a deep breath and patted her cheeks. ¡°Tang Xia, Tang Xia, why are you overthinking? He won¡¯t even take a look at you.¡±


    She changed clothes and downed a drink in one go. Tang Xia eventually still decided on doing the broadcast and registered an alt account. It was not a very cumbersome process. Very soon, the system informed her that they were starting the broadcast¡­


    When she opened her eyes again, she got a shock. She looked around her and could not help but gasp. This place was extremely beautiful.


    She was sitting on a small boat on the lake, which was as clear as crystal. She felt that the surrounding area was as beautiful as West Lake. After taking this in for a while, she finally decided to get up.


    When she looked at the blooming lotuses on the surface, they were so beautiful!


    However, she stretched out her hand and touched her chin. Was this¡­ a thin layer of yarn over her face? A mask? She scanned her boat and then realized that there was a man sitting beside her!


    Just by looking at his body shape and outline, she could clearly feel that this man was definitely not simple.


    He had covered half of his face, so Tang Xia could not see his appearance. However, based on what was exposed, she was very confident that this man was extremely good-looking!

 Chapter 236 - Mission Start

    Chapter 236 Mission Start


    Before she could appreciate his beauty and wonder what he looked like beneath the mask, a sudden white light startled her. Her pupils enlarged naturally.


    She saw a line of words appear before her eyes suddenly. ¡°You¡¯re playing Tang Ning and you have to acquire Zhong Ze¡¯s jade pendant.¡±


    It took Tang Xia a while to realize what was going on. The way Mask It! released missions was so dazzling that the white light pierced her eyes painfully. Were they afraid that people would not be able to see the missions?


    Although her heart was full of complaints, she did not show it on her face.


    Tang Xia thought about the mission that had just been released by the system carefully and lowered her head to think hard. It seemed like she was now called Tang Ning, but she did not know what her identity was.


    She turned around and looked at the handsome man beside her. It seemed like he was Zhong Ze. What was her relationship with him, though? Besides¡­ She could not help but lower her head and glance at the jade pendant at his waist.


    It seemed like that was the one. Should I snatch it directly? Would that be cheating? As Tang Xia was still thinking about how to get hold of the jade pendant, the handsome man asked her suddenly, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. She could hear a tint of annoyance in his voice as she shook her head absent-mindedly. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    No wonder the mission was to get his jade pendant. She was obviously not on good terms with him. She naturally thought through all the possibilities in her mind.


    The handsome man was apparently not satisfied with her answer. He stood up suddenly and looked at her with a very dissatisfied expression.


    Although Tang Xia had some doubts in her heart, she could not act rashly at the moment.


    However, Zhong Ze suddenly smiled at her, startling Tang Xia. She could not help but think to herself: This man has such a nice smile.


    The sound of his laughter was initially like a spring breeze, but it turned into a cold breeze now. Tang Xia instantly felt that this man was very dangerous.


    At the moment, his eyes were as heavy and dull as the Dead Sea. He stared at her emotionlessly, causing her to shiver.


    Tang Xia was still feeling a little scared, when Zhong Ze suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her arm. He was so strong that Tang Xia almost lost her balance and stumbled two steps back. She felt her arms burning in pain from his grip.


    Before she could even react, he dragged her directly to the side of the boat. Tang Xia felt dizzy while she was flung forcefully against a wooden handgrip. She had to lean against it in order to stand up.


    Before she could react, Zhong Ze grabbed her shoulders and asked maliciously, ¡°Did you kidnap Ling Er?¡±


    Tang Xia felt like her head was all over the place. She looked at his furious face as he questioned her loudly. Who was Ling Er? She had not even seen her before. She looked at him in confusion.


    Upon seeing that she seemed to know nothing, Zhong Ze pushed her against the side of the boat. Then, a loud thud was heard. Tang Xia instantly cried out in pain.


    Zhong Ze squeezed the following words through his teeth. ¡°Tang Ning, I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯t try to play tricks on me!¡±


    Withstanding the pain in her back, Tang Xia stood up rather unnaturally. She lifted her head and looked at him. This man really did not know how to be gentle with girls. Zhong Ze glared right into her eyes as if he was looking for something in them.


    However, Tang Xia really did not know or understand what was going on. Hence, he could only retreat unsuccessfully. He pushed her away forcefully and turned around. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to look at your face.¡±


    Tang Xia felt bullied for no reason. What was up with her face? Why had he started picking on her so much the moment she¡¯d arrived? She was the one who did not want to see him!


    She rubbed her waist, flinching in pain. It felt as if the knock against the boat had caused her whole body to fall apart. It seemed like it should be turning purple any minute now. She turned and glared at Zhong Ze angrily. As she looked at his back view, she wanted to kick him into the water!


    However, she held it in for the sake of getting his jade pendant.


    Just as she was acting behind him, he turned suddenly around and stared at her for a while, thinking something to himself. He could not find anything to ask, so the two of them just stood there producing no results. He instantly frowned in annoyance.


    By now, the boat had already docked. Zhong Ze took one step forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her over forcefully and causing her to stumble and almost fall. However, Zhong Ze did not seem like he was going to be gentle. He continued to drag her along as he walked forward.


    Tang Xia, who could not help but feel annoyed, shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    However, Zhong Ze did not seem like he was going to pause. ¡°Since you¡¯re not going to talk, then there¡¯s no point in us wasting time here. We should just go back to the house.¡±


    Upon hearing his emotionless, icy-cold voice, Tang Xia fell silent. Back to the house? What house was she going to return to? What was her relationship with him? Judging from the way he questioned her, they could not be very close.


    As she thought about it, Zhong Ze flung her onto the horse carriage. Tang Xia was prepared for it this time around, so she was able to balance herself.


    Zhong Ze found it funny when he looked at her, but he only gave her a cold glance. After staying silent for a moment, he eventually got onto the horse carriage and sat beside her.


    Tang Xia raised her brow but did not say anything. Neither of them spoke a word during the whole journey. It was a warm spring day, yet it felt like bitter winter in the carriage. Tang Xia could not help but shiver a little. Very soon, the horse carriage arrived at the house that Zhong Ze had mentioned.


    Zhong Ze abandoned her and got off the carriage himself before heading straight into the house. Tang Xia could not help but lift up the corners of her lips. This dude had no gentlemanly demeanor at all. He was just like Chu Tianjiao; pleasing to the eye, but worthless.


    Tang Xia fixed her dress and got off the carriage carefully. No one was there to help her down. At that moment, a maid came running out of the house.


    Tang Xia was startled when she heard the maid shout anxiously, ¡°Madam! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Tang Xia, who had yet to realize what was going on, saw the maid dashing towards her, stretching out her hand to help her down.


    Naturally, she had no reason to reject her help. She stretched out her hand and alighted from the carriage with her help. But¡­ What had the maid just called her? Madam? When the master and the servant walked into the house slowly, the surrounding servants greeted her.


    Tang Xia was even more confused. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re finally back. Madam, you¡¯re the main wife, yet you¡¯re always bullied by Ling Er, whom Sir dotes on. Bi Luo really thinks that¡¯s unfair to you!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. There was too much information in one line. However, she now knew her identity.


    Just as she was about to say something, she saw Zhong Ze standing not far away. He did not leave. Instead, he walked towards her slowly.


    Tang Xia was a little confused. While they were standing side by side, he leaned towards her ear and whispered so softly that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do anything that crosses the line.¡± Then, he turned around and left without hesitation.


    Tang Xia was left stunned and rooted to the ground. Was that a warning? She couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed. Why was this guy always picking on her as if she had done something wrong?


    Bi Luo, who was standing beside her, flared up instantly and stomped her feet. ¡°How could he do that? Madam is the main wife! How could Ling Er, who is a concubine, fight with you?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and pulled Bi Luo over before they both headed to her room.


    Upon entering, Bi Luo started to make tea for Tang Xia. Tang Xia was indeed thirsty, so she picked up the tea cup and drank.


    Ever since Tang Xia had come back, Bi Luo kept nagging her about this person called Ling Er. Tang Xia just sat there and listened to her talk without saying anything. After all, she did not understand this world very well. Letting Bi Luo say things herself saved her the trouble of asking.


    ¡°Madam, Ling Er is really a bully. This time, when she went missing, everyone said that you kidnapped her and smuggled her out of the house!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. Was Tang Ning such a powerful master? She did not know if Tang Ning had really done this or not, but she instantly started to feel guilty. She lowered her head and continued sipping her tea without saying a word.


    Bi Luo looked at Tang Xia and suddenly realized that she was not as angry as she had expected her to be. Bi Luo suddenly slammed the teapot in her hand onto the table.


    Tang Xia got quite a big scare. She was not holding onto the teacup in her hand properly, so she spilled some tea on her dress. Bi Luo became scared and flustered instantly and went to fetch a handkerchief. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. I was in the wrong.¡±


    Tang Xia waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can just change clothes.¡±


    Bi Luo nodded and turned around. She got some clean clothes and passed them to Tang Xia, who took them and started changing. Bi Luo stood aside, feeling bored. Suddenly, she thought of something and approached to look at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia frowned. Why was she staring at her like that? Bi Luo then spoke up. ¡°Madam, I even heard that Ling Er eloped with a secret lover!¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. Did this incident have nothing to do with her? She felt relieved instantly. However, she looked up and scolded the servant solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    Although Bi Luo felt wronged immediately, she said nothing else. At that instant, Tang Xia felt that the world had become quiet all of a sudden. Bi Luo helped Tang Xia change into her clothes. After all, these clothes were ancient, so she did not know how to wear them.


    As the duo stayed silent, they suddenly heard a knock on the door. It seemed like someone had come in. Tang Xia looked at Bi Luo and understood what she meant. Thus, she bowed. ¡°I will go and take a look.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded. She then heard Bi Luo¡¯s sarcastic voice. ¡°Cai Wei? What are you doing here? What? Now that your master is gone, you have no one to serve?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned. When she tidied up her clothes and went out to take a look, she saw a maid looking at her arrogantly.


    Upon hearing Bi Luo¡¯s words, Tang Xia could guess that this was Ling Er¡¯s maid. She instantly put on an angry facade. ¡°How dare you! Isn¡¯t she just a maid working for Ling Er? How dare you be so rude and disrespectful?¡±


    However, Cai Wei did not seem scared at all. Instead, she looked Tang Xia in the eye boastfully and said arrogantly, ¡°My master is back!¡±

 Chapter 237 - Snatching Deliberately

    Chapter 237 Snatching Deliberately


    Bi Luo, who was shocked, immediately turned around to look at Tang Xia. However, Tang Xia did not react. She did not feel anything.


    Ever since the broadcast had started, the characters had been revolving around the so-called Ling Er, causing her to get annoyed about hearing her name so much. However, she was also ever more curious to find out what kind of person this Ling Er was.


    Tang Xia walked to the side slowly, sat down on a stool and crossed her legs. Then, she asked Cai Wei in a slightly unbothered tone, ¡°So what?¡±


    Cai Er, who had not expected Tang Xia to react like this, panicked a little. Upon looking at Tang Xia, she realized that she had nothing to say. Feeling a little helpless, she said, ¡°So¡­ So you guys can stay away from sly thoughts!¡±


    With a slam, Tang Xia set her teacup on the table. Cai Wei got a scare. She glared at Tang Xia as the latter approached her slowly. Tang Xia looked at her emotionlessly. The nearer she got, the more Cai Wei panicked.


    Tang Xia stretched out her hand and pointed at her nose. ¡°Sly? I would like to see who is slier! Keep away your sly thoughts! Didn¡¯t you come here to boast and show off your authority? Did you think that the main wife would be so easily bullied? Did you think that I would allow a lowly maid to come and bark at me?¡±


    Cai Wei did not dare to talk instantly, and her hands started trembling unconsciously. While standing aside, Bi Luo only felt soothed. She instantly looked at Tang Xia in admiration.


    Cai Wei seemed to be really shocked, so Tang Xia instantly lost the urge to play with her. She turned around and waved her hand. ¡°If you have nothing else to do, go back and eat your food, take a shower, and go to sleep¡­¡±


    This was when Cai Wei finally digested what was going on. She stopped her trembling hands and lifted her head before shouting loudly, ¡°Just you wait!¡± Then, she turned around and left.


    Tang Xia shook her head as she walked her out. Suddenly, she found it a little funny. She turned her head and looked at Bi Luo, who was standing aside. Upon seeing her trying to hold back her laughter while looking towards the door, Tang Xia shook her head helplessly.


    When she recalled what Cai Wei had said just now, she suddenly wanted to see what kind of a person Ling Er was. She got up directly and pulled Bi Luo along. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet that infamous Ling Er.¡±


    Although Bi Luo was a little worried that her master would be taken advantage of, she still followed Tang Xia along. However, the moment they headed out, they saw Zhong Ze¡¯s anxious figure from afar.


    Tang Xia instantly felt the urge to play with him. ¡°Where is Sir heading to looking so flustered?¡± Then, she stepped forward and grabbed him by the arm.


    Zhong Ze had not expected Tang Xia to appear here. After the initial shock, his eyes turned furious. He shoved her away and shouted loudly with furrowed brows, ¡°Get lost!¡± Then, he started to leave.


    Upon seeing how anxious he was, she felt even more determined to make him angry. She ran up to him again and held him back. ¡°Did you hear that sister Ling Er is back? Are you very anxious to see her?¡±


    When he heard her mention Ling Er, Zhong Ze paused instantly. He turned around and looked at Tang Xia, holding her by the wrists as he warned her sternly. ¡°I already said that I want you to stay far away from her!¡±


    As he spoke, he pushed her elbows away. Tang Xia lost her balance due to the push and took two steps back. Bi Luo immediately approached to help her. ¡°Madam! Are you alright?¡± Tang Xia shook her head. She then realized that Zhong Ze had already walked far away.


    Bi Luo followed Tang Xia¡¯s gaze and looked over before she asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you opposing Master so much today, Madam?¡± Tang Xia raised her brow. It should have been him against her!


    If she was not having a good time, how could she allow him to have a good time? While thinking about this, she lifted her dress and dashed over. Zhong Ze had not expected that Tang Xia would be so stubborn as to run over.


    Tang Xia ran all the way until she was in front of him. Then, she glanced at him but did not slow down. She continued to take quick steps towards Ling Er¡¯s room.


    Very quickly, under Bi Luo¡¯s guidance, they arrived at Ling Er¡¯s room. Without even thinking about it, Tang Xia slammed the door open.


    She saw a woman as delicate as Lam Mui Mui inside. She was wearing a white outfit and she looked extremely weak. When she saw her sitting on the couch and crying silently, even Tang Xia pitied her as a woman, especially she saw her red and swollen eyes.


    So this was Ling Er. As expected, the main wife always met a bitter end because of a woman like this.


    When Ling Er looked up slowly and saw that the person who had entered was not Zhong Ze but Tang Xia, she was disappointed immediately. She sat up straight and glared at her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the way her face changed almost immediately and instantly found it funny. She walked over slowly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡±


    Ling Er grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it at Tang Xia. ¡°Get lost!¡± Tang Xia became annoyed immediately. Why was this woman behaving like this? Why was she hitting her for no reason?


    She had still been crying and seeking attention one second earlier, yet she acted like a shrew now.


    Tang Xia caught the pillow she had thrown at her and tried to feel how heavy it was. She smiled suddenly. ¡°Ever since I returned home, people around me have been talking about you. At first, I was very curious to see what kind of person you are, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so tricky and inconsistent.¡±


    Ling Er, who had been about to continue throwing things at her, paused suddenly. She had a hard time digesting what was going on. Why was she suddenly chatting with her?


    While Ling Er was still confused, Tang Xia suddenly threw the pillow in her hand back at her, hitting her shoulders. Ling Er felt a sudden pain and turned around immediately to glare at Tang Xia. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡±


    Tang Xia patted away the dust on her hand. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You were the one who threw the pillow at me. I was just returning it to you.¡±


    Ling Er became overwhelmed with anger. She suddenly turned into a shrew and started shouting and scolding Tang Xia. Meanwhile, she also kept throwing things uncontrollably.


    Tang Xia looked at her with a cold gaze and suddenly smiled. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve seen the legendary Ling Er, I know she¡¯s just a snowflake shrew.¡±


    Ling Er was shocked. Although she did not know what she meant by ¡®snowflake¡¯ she knew what the word ¡®shrew¡¯ meant! Just as she was about to continue venting her anger, she quietened down instantly, knelt down on her sofa, and continued sobbing.


    Tang Xia, who was really shocked, did not know what had just happened. Ling Er sobbed pitifully and even cried out between her tears. ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    Tang Xia then realized that Zhong Ze had come in. When she turned around, Zhong Ze was indeed standing there. She could not help but burst into laughter and tell Ling Er, ¡°You¡¯re really a big snowflake!¡±


    No matter how dumb Ling Er was, she could tell that this was not good. ¡°Sir! It¡¯s Tang Ning! She was the one who kidnapped me! She sent many people to capture me! I only managed to escape because I reacted fast enough¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she continued to sob. Her tears were like free water that kept coming, and her eyes were already red and swollen. Zhong Ze¡¯s gaze was full of pity.


    Just as he was about to go over and hug her, he saw a figure take a great leap forward and grab hold of Ling Er¡¯s chin.


    Ling Er did not have the time to react at all. She only felt stinging pain at her chin. Tang Xia had deliberately used a lot of strength. Ling Er, who felt as if the bones in her chin were being crushed, struggled to get away from her.


    Zhong Ze dashed forward suddenly and grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand before shoving her forcefully. Tang Xia felt pain. This guy had really used a lot of strength in order to save a beautiful woman!


    Bi Luo stepped forward directly and looked at Tang Xia¡¯s arm, which was flung away. Then, she asked softly, ¡°Madam, how is your arm? Does it hurt?¡±


    Although Tang Xia was touched, she had to teach Ling Er a proper lesson at the moment. She was way too arrogant!


    Zhong Ze patted her back gently and comforted her in a gentle voice, ¡°How are you? Does it hurt?¡±


    The area around Ling Er¡¯s chin, where Tang Xia had grabbed her, now had a thumbprint. Ling Er lifted her hand gently and touched her own chin. Before she even touched it, she suddenly felt pain. Instantly, her eyes became red again and tears seemed to be on the verge of flowing. However, they did not spill out. This was an extremely pitiful state.


    Zhong Ze was also helpless. He could only comfort her gently. ¡°Wait for me to punish Tang Ning for you, okay?¡±


    When Tang Xia heard this, she felt like she had become a shameless mistress instead!


    She flared up instantly and, using strength from god-knows-where, she shoved him away. Then, she pressed down against Ling Er, her face as ice-cold as frost. ¡°If I wanted to kidnap you, I would have made sure to get rid of your flesh and bones. Why would you have come back peacefully?¡±


    Zhong Ze, who obviously had not expected Tang Xia to be so daring and strong, could not react in time. Ling Er was also dumbfounded by her sudden action.


    At the moment, Tang Xia¡¯s face was in a state of coldness that she herself had never seen before. She was very much like Shura from hell. While standing aside, Bi Luo was also shocked by her action. She instantly did not know what to say.


    As the crowd was lingering around lost in thought, Tang Xia turned around and snatched the jade pendant at Zhong Ze¡¯s waist.


    At the moment, they had yet to realize what was going on. Tang Xia held the jade pendant in front of his face and smiled. Zhong Ze snapped back to reality instantly when he saw Tang Xia running outside. ¡°Let me play with this for two days!¡±


    She waved the jade pendant in her hand at the same time. She then ran outside without looking back.


    Tang Xia was very anxious as she looked at the jade pendant. She did not know if her mission was considered complete or if she could escape from this place safely. However, she did not have time to think about what to do right now. She had already snatched something, so there was no return!


    It was just a jade pendant. Surely, Zhong Ze would not be so stingy?


    Meanwhile, Zhong Ze looked at Tang Xia, who was running away, with a stingy gaze and quickly shouted, ¡°Tang Ning! Stop right there!¡± Tang Xia ignored him completely.


    Ling Er and Bi Luo also realized what was going on. They could not help but wonder to themselves, ¡°Is Tang Ning crazy? How dare she snatch the jade pendant from his waist!¡±


    Zhong Ze suddenly grabbed hold of Tang Xia. Tang Xia, who was shocked, could not help but sigh deep in her heart. Indeed, a woman could not be compared to a man.


    Zhong Ze held onto her hand and said with a sullen expression, ¡°Let it go right now!¡±

 Chapter 238 - Catching The Secret Lover

    Chapter 238 Catching The Secret Lover


    Upon looking at the furious Zhong Ze, Tang Xia was a little shocked by his gaze. Her heart could not help but sink a little. However, since she was already caught, she could not become a scaredy-cat now. ¡°I already said that I¡¯m just going to keep it for two days. Why are you so serious?¡±


    When she saw that Zhong Ze was about to hit her, Tang Xia quickly dodged. Although she might have dodged his attack, his hand was still squeezing her wrist tightly. He was exerting so much strength that it seemed as if he was going to crush her bones.


    Hua Zheng frowned tightly instantly. Is this dude even a man? It¡¯s just a jade pendant!


    ¡°I asked you to let go! Can¡¯t you hear?¡± Zhong Ze practically squeezed these words through his teeth.


    She felt the strength exerted on her hand becoming stronger. Her hand was undergoing immense pain. She seemingly heard a crack, as if her bone had been cracked open.


    In that split second, Tang Xia wanted to push him away, but he was too strong. He was also prepared this time around. No matter how hard she pushed, it was to no avail. He stood there motionlessly, glaring at her.


    Helpless, she could only soften her attitude and shout quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you! I¡¯ll let it go! Is that enough?¡± As she spoke, she passed the jade pendant to him. Zhong Ze then let go of her hand. After taking the jade pendant from her, he flung her hand away.


    Tang Xia stumbled two steps back and quickly checked her wrist. She realized that there was a blue-purple spot on her wrist and a few clearly-defined fingerprints. She was pissed immediately. This should be considered domestic violence!


    Bi Luo, who had been standing beside her, quickly went over to check her hand. Upon seeing her wrist, she became dumbfounded instantly and gasped in shock. ¡°Madam! Your wrist! Does it hurt?¡±


    Tang Xia did not know what to say. Could she say that it was already numb, so she felt no pain?


    Zhong Ze put the jade pendant back at his waist area, turned around and looked at Tang Xia in disgust. ¡°Get lost!¡± he said with extreme annoyance.


    Tang Xia knew that she had failed. Upon seeing how delighted Ling Er was as she sat on the couch, Tang Xia said nothing and remained expressionless. She cared only about her mission. She was not interested in how the people here viewed her. Bi Luo quickly followed her.


    Along the way, Tang Xia said nothing. She just walked very fast. Bi Luo did not know what else to do. She could only trot behind while panting, running and shouting at the same time, ¡°Madam! Wait for me! Wait for me, Madam!¡±


    However, Tang Xia had no intention of waiting for her at all. As if she had not heard anything, she ran back to her room without stopping. Tang Xia sat down on the chair as soon as she entered her room in a daze without saying anything.


    When Bi Luo finally made it, she leaned against the door and panted heavily. ¡°Madam¡­ What happened to you today? Why are you so different?¡±


    Tang Xia, who was in a daze, was brought back to reality by her words and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s different about me?¡± Bi Luo regained her breath and said carefully and respectfully, ¡°Madam was more willing to cause trouble for Sir than usual¡­¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. By right, Tang Ning should not have been bullied easily in the past. Why had she become a coward only in front of Zhong Ze?


    Tang Xia suddenly turned around and glared at Bi Luo. ¡°What¡¯s with Zhong Ze? Does the jade pendant hold any significance for him?¡± Tang Xia thought that Zhong Ze did not seem like someone who would flare up at others often.


    Bi Luo froze. She felt that Tang Xia had crossed the line earlier. ¡°The jade pendant that you tried to snatch away just now¡­ had been given to him by the late First Madam¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. There was still a First Madam? She finally realized what was going on. So that was the case¡­ She understood suddenly. If the pedant had been given to him by his previous lover, it was no wonder that he treasured it so much.


    She became happier instantly. It seemed like she had to form a long-term plan in order to get the jade pendant. While thinking about this, Tang Xia stood up slowly. ¡°Bi Luo, find me some ointment for my bruises and help me apply it on my wrist.¡±


    Bi Luo, who had also been staring at her wrist for a very long time, responded immediately and turned to find some ointment.


    Tang Xia was getting bored of staying in the house alone. Thus, she stood up right away. Perhaps she should go to the courtyard to take a stroll. Since she had nothing to do anyway, perhaps a change of mood would help her think of an idea to get the jade pendant.


    As she spoke, she turned around and left the room. Tang Xia looked around, rubbing her wrist every now and then. By now, the sky had gradually darkened. The whole mansion seemed to be enveloped in the quiet moonlight.


    Tang Xia could not help but sigh. The night view of this ancient place was indeed beautiful. Just as she was immersed in this night view, she suddenly heard a sound behind her and quickly turned around.


    She saw that there seemed to be something in the bush that was shaking. Feeling confused, Tang Xia walked towards it and gently spread open the bush. She was greeted by the back view of a man who was looking around sneakily.


    This was strange. A man was looking around the mansion sneakily at night. No matter how hard she thought, she did not think that he was doing anything good. She suddenly had the urge to play a trick on him. She walked up to him directly and tapped her index finger on his shoulder.


    The man was so shocked that his whole body shook and he almost landed on his behind. He looked at Tang Xia almost speechlessly and pointed at her. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow and pointed at herself. ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine, but why are you hiding in the bushes sneakily at night?¡±


    The man, who did not know how to answer her, wanted to escape. Tang Xia¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°And yet you¡¯re trying to escape?¡± As she spoke, she went up to him and pressed him against the ground.


    Tang Xia then realized that the man was holding a lunch box in his hand. She froze momentarily and pressed his neck. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here at night?¡±


    The man had not expected to be suppressed by a woman to this extent. Although he struggled to break free, he was helplessly restrained by her. He had no chance to turn over.


    Tang Xia smiled coldly. Had her training in the Garden of Eden been a joke? The man gave up helplessly and lay on the ground, crying miserably, ¡°I¡¯m just taking Second Madam some food!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. He had been hiding in the bushes sneakily at night just to bring Ling Er some food? Why did she not believe him? ¡°Are you trying to bluff?¡± The man started to defend himself anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s true! Look at the lunch box! These are Second Lady¡¯s favorite dishes!¡± Tang Xia could not help but laugh coldly. She could not believe that things were so simple!


    As she thought so, she pulled him up forcefully. The man, who was shocked, had not expected her to have such great strength. He could not even escape from this woman.


    Tang Xia held the lunch box in one hand and the man in another while taking him to her room directly. Actually, she was not very strong. On the contrary, this man was too weak. That was why he could not be compared to Zhong Ze.


    Bi Luo came running back after searching for the ointment. However, when she entered, she realized that Tang Xia was missing and started to search around anxiously. Unfortunately, no matter what, she could not find her. Feeling helpless, she could only return to the room and wait.


    When Tang Xia returned, this was what she saw. Bi Luo was holding onto a bottle of ointment while pacing back and forth anxiously.


    Upon hearing footsteps at the door, she immediately looked up towards it. When she saw Tang Xia¡¯s face, she was really happy.


    However, when she saw that she had brought a man back, she froze there instantly. Her mouth widened but she said nothing for a very long time. Tang Xia, who was a little confused about what had happened to her, approached her and waved her hand in front of her.


    Bi Luo snapped back to reality instantly and grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand. ¡°Madam! Are you crazy? How can you bring back a young man? Master already did not want to see you! How could you bring another man back?¡±


    Crazy, crazy, crazy. Ever since Madam and Sir had come back from their boat ride, they had been acting abnormally.


    Tang Xia sucked in a cold breath due to Bi Luo¡¯s tight grip. She had coincidentally grabbed onto her bruised wrist. Bi Luo got a shock and quickly let go of her wrist before taking the lunch box in her hand.


    Tang Xia could not help but smile. The young man¡­ She also thought that he was a young man. ¡°Bi Luo, go close the door and lock it.¡± Bi Luo was a little confused, yet she still did so anyway.


    Actually, she was afraid that this man would run away. ¡°And find me a rope to tie him up.¡± Bi Luo, who was startled, nodded. She then turned around to find a rope to tie him up.


    After making sure that it was a tight knot, she turned around to inspect the lunch box and opened the lid slowly. At the same time, she studied the man¡¯s expression. She saw that he became increasingly nervous and could not sit still anymore.


    Tang Xia emptied out all the food in the lunch box and knocked it gently. Indeed, it was empty inside. However, it was still very off.


    As she thought so and was about to dismantle the lunch box, the man who was tied up and kneeling on the ground ran towards her suddenly to snatch it away.


    Tang Xia responded immediately. She dodged away and picked up the fruit knife beside her, swinging it in front of him. ¡°If you move one more time, I¡¯ll find someone to kill you!¡±


    The young man fell silent immediately. Even though he was not completely reconciled, he did not continue to cause trouble.


    She just turned around and continued to study the lunch box. She touched it everywhere. What exactly was different about this box? As she thought about it, she suddenly heard a crack. She froze instantly as Bi Luo stepped forward curiously.


    Meanwhile, that man panicked immediately but dared not move. He could only watch the lunch box with his eyes. He had probably succumbed to her threat.


    A box popped up suddenly. Tang Xia focused and saw that there was a hairpin and a note inside. She picked up the hairpin in confusion and shook it. There was nothing different about it, except that it was a little plain and elegant.


    Tang Xia set the hairpin aside and opened the note. In an instant, her eyes opened wide. The note specified the time and place of a lovers¡¯ rendezvous.

 Chapter 239 - Brought Down By Your Own Intelligence

    Chapter 239 Brought Down By Your Own Intelligence


    Tang Xia looked at the thing in front of her in disbelief. She instantly found it a little funny. She turned around and looked at the man who was tied up on the ground before she waved the slip of paper in front of her chest.


    ¡°Not bad. Is this how you take food to Second Madam? 7-9 pm, at the small forest outside the mansion? You guys are so daring!¡±


    Not only Tang Xia, but even Bi Luo, who was listening with a blank face, froze instantly after hearing this and exclaimed in extreme disbelief, ¡°Oh my god! Second Madam really eloped with someone else?¡±


    The man, who seemed as if he was sitting on a needle-filled mat, could not say anything at all.


    What a coward! Was he a man or not? He did not even dare to admit to adultery. So what if he did? As long as Ling Er did not obstruct her big plan to acquire the jade pendant, she would not care what he did. He could take her out and give her a child for all she cared. She would even approve of this!


    However, the man kept pleading her. ¡°Please, Madam, please don¡¯t tell Sir! He will kill me and Ling Er!¡±


    Tang Xia got a little pissed instantly. What a coward! As she thought about it, she kicked him to the ground with one foot.


    Bi Luo, who was standing aside, could not watch any longer. She was just about to say something when Tang Xia suddenly waved her hand. ¡°Bi Luo, bring Sir here.¡± Although Bi Luo was startled, she also agreed to this decision. Thus, she responded and turned to leave.


    After all, her Madam had been scolded by so many people because of this young man. They had all thought that her Madam had kidnapped Ling Er, but Ling Er had actually let loose and then victimized herself and defamed her Madam.


    ¡°Come on, if you confess your relationship with Ling Er, I might let you go.¡±


    She wanted this man to admit his relationship with Ling Er himself. However, the man said nothing. His panicking eyes had already exposed him. Tang Xia could not help but sneer.


    While looking at the man kneeling in front of her and trembling, she said, ¡°Then I must get Sir to take a good look at you two star-crossed lovers. You can beg him to set you guys free.¡±


    The man struggled desperately. ¡°No, no! Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    Tang Xia could not be bothered caring about him. Considering that she had suffered so much for nothing, how could she let go of this chance? The man, who seemed to have thought of something, said, ¡°If you let me go, I¡¯ll speak.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow. Although she knew that he was up to no good, since he could not beat her physically, she listened to his request and untied him.


    Suddenly, they heard a loud bang. Zhong Ze had barged through the door.


    Although Tang Xia was shocked that he had come so quickly, she did not react. Bi Luo followed him respectfully. She looked up at Tang Xia and signaled at her with her eyes that Zhong Ze was not in a good mood.


    Tang Xia remained silent. She was not in a good mood either! However, just as she was about to call out to Zhong Ze, she felt the lower part of her body become heavy and she instantly looked down at her legs.


    The man she had just untied was hugging her legs tightly and crying. The amount of strength he was using had not been evident before. ¡°Ning Er! Don¡¯t leave me!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind turned blank. She stood there in a daze, as if her mind had just been struck by lightning.


    While standing behind her, Bi Luo also let out a scream. What was going on? Why had the plot been reversed? It was not supposed to be like this! Wasn¡¯t this young man Second Lady¡¯s secret lover?


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia realized what was going on. She was the one who had been tricked. Right from the start, this dude had been a trap. A trap set up by Ling Er.


    She suddenly smiled helplessly. After so many broadcasts, she had now fallen into someone else¡¯s trap. Ling Er was really good at scheming.


    Just as the whole room fell into an awkward silence, Zhong Ze¡¯s long-awaited voice was heard. ¡°This is what you meant when you mentioned catching a secret lover?¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent. She did not know what to say. She could see that Zhong Ze was about to reach his maximum anger threshold but she had no remedy for this.


    Bi Luo, who was standing aside, could not help but take a few steps back. She felt that while he was standing beside Zhong Ze, his whole body was giving off a cold vibe that caused her scalp to go numb.


    She noticed that Zhong Ze¡¯s tightly-clenched fists were crackling and his veins seemed to be popping.


    ¡°If I said that what you¡¯re seeing is not true, would you believe me?¡± Tang Xia blurted out after staying silent for a while.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhong Ze realized that as long as he was facing her, he would not stop being angry.


    Tang Xia kicked away the man beside her in disgust. ¡°What if I said that this is the man that eloped with Ling Er? Would you believe me?¡±


    As she spoke, she passed him the hairpin and note. ¡°I found these in the secret compartment of his lunch box. I also found him in the bushes.¡±


    Upon hearing that this was related to Ling Er, he took the things in her hand. After examining them carefully, he said, ¡°There¡¯s no name on these things. How are you so sure that this has something to do with her?¡±


    At the moment, Tang Xia did not know what to do. She should have remembered that the man in front of her was extremely ruthless. Exactly because he was ruthless, whatever she said would be useless.


    ¡°Besides, based on what I saw when I came in, you should be the biggest suspect.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. Although she was about to deny this, Zhong Ze did not wait for her reply. He just turned towards the man. ¡°Speak.¡±


    The man was startled, yet he responded quickly and crawled up to him. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I can¡¯t satisfy Tang Ning anymore, so I thought of how I could make it up to her. I came here to give her a letter.¡±


    ¡°I gave her this note and that hairpin¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was so shocked that she was left speechless immediately. What the heck was this guy saying?


    He couldn¡¯t satisfy her? ¡°You bastard! What rubbish are you talking about? Who do you think you are?¡± As she spoke, she gave him a kick. However, she was pulled back by Zhone Ze, whose face was as black as the bottom of a wok. ¡°Let him continue!¡±


    The man did not give up. Instead, he added, ¡°That¡¯s why Ning Er wanted to get rid of me and frame Second Madam. She wanted your pity¡­¡±


    Tang Xia immediately turned around to look at Zhong Ze. Did this guy believe him? Upon seeing Zhong Ze¡¯s extremely dark face, she realized that his whole body had turned green, although she had not caused this.


    ¡°You b*tch!¡± As he spoke, he shoved her aside. Tang Xia felt dizzy, but Bi Luo quickly came over to hold her. ¡°Madam!¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head and glared at Zhong Ze. ¡°You would rather believe a concubine than the woman you married?¡±


    Zhong Ze suddenly burst into a peal of cold laughter. ¡°The woman I married?¡± Then, without saying a word, he turned around and walked to a table beside him. He fetched a piece of paper and ink and started writing something.


    Tang Xia stood up slowly. This was really a situation that could not be explained by words. She felt really helpless. She had thought of using this opportunity to expose Ling Er, but she had not expected that she would be brought down by her own intelligence and get into trouble.


    Zhong Ze finished writing very soon and threw the piece of paper at her. The paper fell to the ground slowly. She did not even bend down to pick it up. She just stood there and looked. Upon first glance, she already saw one big word: Divorce.


    He said in a cold voice, ¡°From this day onwards, you¡¯re not a part of the Zhong family! You¡¯re no longer my wife!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Zhong Ze and suddenly burst into a peal of cold laughter. ¡°Fine by me.¡± However, Bi Luo pulled her aside and whispered anxiously, ¡°Madam! You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    She was getting divorced because of infidelity. If she really got a divorce, then she would not be able to get married for the rest of her life! However, Tang Xia ignored her. She walked to the side, sat down on a chair, picked up a teacup and started sipping tea.


    ¡°But I want something. As long as you give it to me, I will leave with no lingering feelings.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were extremely cold. She had not had any good feelings about this place right from the start. Thus, she just wanted to finish her mission.


    Zhong Ze pondered this for a while before he looked up at her. ¡°What?¡±


    He knew that if he wanted to divorce her, it would take more than a letter. Her background was a huge obstacle for him as a divorcee. If she agreed to divorce him willingly, it would be best.


    Tang Xia lifted her hand slowly and pointed towards his waist. ¡°I want that.¡± When his eyes followed her finger, he saw his jade pendant. He flared up instantly and got ready to approach her and give her a tight slap. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    What did he mean by that? She only wanted a jade pendant. Was that too much to ask?


    Tang Xia put down her teacup instantly. ¡°I¡¯ve been worrying about the mansion¡¯s matters for so many years. What¡¯s wrong with rewarding me with a jade pendant?¡±


    Even Bi Luo, who was still standing aside, found this outrageous. She went up to her and tried to pull her back. ¡°Madam! Are you out of your mind? You¡¯re divorcing just so that you can get a jade pendant? Madam! Wake up, please!¡± How was she not awake? She felt that she was more awake than anyone else.


    Zhong Ze¡¯s face was sullen as he walked towards her slowly. He grabbed her by the wrist and said, ¡°You crazy woman! Actually, you¡¯re not just a crazy woman! You¡¯re also a despicable, corrupted woman!¡±


    In his heart, Tang Xia was no longer just a woman who had committed adultery with an outsider. She had been upgraded to a loose, corrupted woman.


    Tang Xia snorted. Then, she lifted her finger and pointed at the jade pendant. ¡°As long as you give me this, I¡¯ll allow you to say anything you want. You can scold me like an animal!¡±


    Zhong Ze immediately flung her hand away in disgust, as if he would get dirty just by touching it. ¡°Disgusting!¡±


    Tang Xia smiled coldly. Ling Er, whom you treasure so much, is the kind of person you think I am! She heard his cold voice say, ¡°Since you value money so much, take whatever you want from the warehouse.¡±

 Chapter 240 - The Old Madam Takes Action

    Chapter 240 The Old Madam Takes Action


    Tang Xia looked at Zhong Ze with slight disgust. ¡°How dare he look down on me? I should be the one looking down on him!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your stinking money. I also have my principles, ok?¡±


    The expression in Zhong Ze¡¯s eyes suddenly changed, as he looked at her and raised his eyebrows. ¡°What principles could you possibly have? If you had principles, would you have done such a shameless a thing as to sleep with this man?¡±


    Tang Xia was fed up and she clenched their fists tightly. What did he mean by a shameless thing like sleeping with a man? She had not done such a thing at all! She did not even know that she was being cuckolded!


    She took a deep breath. Right now, she did not want to argue about this matter at all. Anyway, as long as there was no evidence, Zhong Ze would not believe that she had beaten him to death. ¡°I don¡¯t want to discuss such a useless problem. I just need one word from you. Would you agree to a mutual divorce in exchange for the jade pendant?¡±


    Zhong Ze suddenly became angry, rushed directly to Tang Xia and grabbed her throat. ¡°Tang Ning! I already stretched my tolerance to the maximum, when I allowed you to assume the position of the First Lady.¡±


    ¡°Yet now, you repeatedly tried to take away the only thing that she left behind for me to remember her by!¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned, and stood rooted to the spot, and she could only feel that her throat becoming slightly constricted. ¡°What¡­the heck¡­¡± Why could she not understand a single bit at all?


    Just as Tang Xia was about to pass out, Zhong Ze released her.


    Tang Xia immediately began to take in deep breaths of air. She heard the voice of Zhong Ze by her ear, ¡°Let me warn you one last time. You better behave yourself and depart from here. Otherwise, I will not go easy on you.¡±


    After Zhong Ze said this, he turned around to pick up the divorce letter and threw it in front of her, before he left without looking back.


    Bi Luo, who was standing by the side, was shocked. She had never seen the master in such a scary mood before, and this instantly overturned her opinion of the master by one level.


    ¡°Madam! Are you alright!¡± Bi Luo was so scared that tears flowed from her eyes, and she cried as she checked Tang Xia¡¯s body.


    However, Tang Xia gradually spaced out as she watched his back view. She lifted her hands to brush off Bi Luo¡¯s hands, which were randomly checking her body. ¡°I¡¯m fine. This is nothing compared to that sicko Chu Tianjiao, who only knows how to torture others every day.¡±


    Bi Luo became even more lost. ¡°Who was Chu Tianjiao? What is a sicko?¡± But Tang Xia did not expect her to understand this.


    She walked straight up to the fair-faced man and gave him a kick. ¡°Speak! Why did you frame me? Was this on the instructions of Ling Er?¡±


    Her kick caused the man to stagger forward and fall to the ground, but he did not say a word and merely trembled as he knelt there.


    ¡°Haha, you have quite a strong character! Are you going to speak up or not?¡± As Tang Xia spoke, she turned to look for a weapon and mindlessly lifted up a flower vase.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t speak up, I will let you know what it feels like to have your head cracked open today!¡±


    The man was instantly stunned and his face, which was already fair, immediately became paler. However, at that moment, an older maid walked over, and caught sight of this scene, as soon as she came in.


    Bi Luo, who was standing by the side, actually felt a little embarrassed and Tang Xia placed the vase down.


    ¡°First Madam, the Old Madam would like to invite you over.¡± As the maid spoke, she even bowed. Bi Luo, who was standing by the side, quickly returned her bow. ¡°Thank you for passing on the message, Aunt Su Zi.¡± It immediately dawned on Tang Xia that she was the Old Madam¡¯s aunt and her name was Su Zi.


    ¡°Please tell the Old Madam that I will head over, after I¡¯ve changed my clothes.¡± Tang Xia replied politely.


    The man, who was kneeling beside her, was so relieved to have been saved. However, when he lifted his head, he saw Su Zi giving him an indifferent look, before she turned and left.


    Tang Xia looked at him. She no longer had the mood to bother about him and straightaway went to tidy herself up. ¡°Bi Luo, there isn¡¯t anything inappropriate about me, is there?¡± Bi Luo sized Tang Xia up carefully, and nodded her head.


    She had just changed her clothes and did not want to change again. It would be too tiring and she merely said that to buy some time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bi Luo. Let¡¯s go and meet the Old Madam.¡± Bi Luo then pointed to the man next to them. ¡°But Madam, what about this man?¡±


    However, Tang Xia did not even look at him. ¡°Lock all the doors and windows. I would like to see if he can escape! I will deal with you when I¡¯m back!¡± Tang Xia gritted her teeth as she said this. She then turned directly, pulled Bi Luo along and left.


    Even with Bi Luo leading the way, Tang Xia reached the Old Madam¡¯s residence with much difficulty. The maids, who stood at the entrance, bowed to her. ¡°Greetings, Madam. The Old Madam has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± As she spoke, she made way and the two of them entered.


    When the two of them walked in, they heard the Old Madam¡¯s giggles and they saw her come forward to receive Tang Xia personally. Tang Xia was instantly overwhelmed by this and said, ¡°Greetings to the Old Madam.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You are finally here! Come quickly and take a look at the sugar pear cake that Su Zi made for me today. I¡¯ve already tried it, and it is really delicious.¡±


    As she spoke, she stuffed a piece into Tang Xia¡¯s hands. The two of them sat down on the chairs and Tang Xia appeared to be slightly helpless. ¡°Did the Old Madam treat Tang Ning so well too?¡±


    Under the watchful eyes of the Old Madam, Tang Xia could only take a bite. But before she could swallow it, she heard the Old Madam ask in a soft voice, ¡°Have you been wronged? Why are your eyes so red?¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly stunned. Her eyes were red? She immediately understood when she recalled that she had been nearly strangled, earlier on. Thinking that the Old Madam should be able to help her to get even, she placed the cake aside, and suddenly began to act lonesome and pitiful like Ling Er.


    ¡°Old Madam, I caught Ling Er¡¯s adulterer, but that adulterer accused me of being his lover!¡± As Tang Xia said this, she even managed to force out a few drops of tears.


    When the Old Madam heard that, she instantly fumed with anger and slammed the table. ¡°Blasphemy! Blasphemy¡± Tang Xia was shocked and Su Zi, who was standing by the side, hurried forward to support the Old Madam and rub her back to help her breathe better.


    ¡°Old Madam, do not be angry. Do not be angry¡± Su Zi comforted her over and over again.


    The Old Madam gradually returned to her senses and looked at Tang Xia. She pulled her hand over gently and caressed it over and over again. ¡°I should have tried my best to oppose, back then when Zhong Ze wanted to buy her from the brothel!¡±


    Tang Xia was instantly stunned. Ling Er had actually been paid off from the brothel?


    The Old Madam suddenly appeared as if she could not bear to bring it up. ¡°But that woman resembled Cheng Lingsu, who had passed away¡­ I could not help it either. To think that I should have given birth to such a foolish son.¡±


    Cheng Lingsu? Zhong Ze also seemed to repeat this name earlier on. After Tang Xia thought about it for some time, she thought that it must be the legendary First Madam Cheng Lingsu, who had passed away.


    Tang Xia instantly understood what the dispute was about. So¡­ Ling Er was only favored because of her face¡­


    As Tang Xia thought about it, she lowered her head and pretended to sob tactfully, ¡°But Old Madam, the Master¡­ he wants to divorce me because of that man¡¯s accusations!¡±


    Why should she not pretend to be pitiful during times like this, so that she could stay and retrieve the jade pendant?


    However, the Old Madam did not show much reaction. It seemed as if she already knew about this long ago. No wonder she called her over.


    The Old Madam patted her hand gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. As long as I¡¯m here, Zhong Ze will not dare to divorce you.¡± Tang Xia was instantly stunned. What kind of feeling was this? Why did it feel so awesome when her mother-in-law sided with her?


    Tang Xia was instantly so moved that she did not know what to say, so she nodded her head continuously. The Old Madam took two more sugar pear cakes and told Su Zi to pack it up.


    ¡°Ning Er, bring these two sugar pear cakes back and have a good rest.¡± Tang Xia took the food container and expressed her gratitude, before she handed it over to Bi Luo. The mistress and maid then took their leave.


    However, when Tang Xia looked at the sky, it was still early and she did not want to go back yet. She suddenly wanted to see the face that closely resembled the First Lady during her lifetime.


    ¡°Bi Luo, let¡¯s go and see that extra-marital affair pro!¡± Bi Luo was stunned and while she did not understand what that meant, she still followed after Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia opened the door to Ling Er¡¯s room and even brought along Bi Luo, who was holding onto the food container.


    Ling Er was in the midst of dressing and when she saw Tang Xia, a look of mockery suddenly flashed in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a place to stay? Why do you like to come here all the time?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t the main wife come over to show some concern for the mistress?¡±


    The corners of Ling Er¡¯s lips instantly twitched and she glared at Tang Xia with even greater fury. She then slammed the comb in her hand down on the table. ¡°What¡¯s there for you to be proud of? You¡¯re merely a used piece of rag!¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to use your position to oppress me! I¡¯ve already heard that Zhong Ze wants to divorce you!¡± ¡°She is so well-informed?¡± Tang Xia could not resist mocking her in her heart. So what about it?


    ¡°At least I am not a substitute for someone else. Unlike you, I have my own backing, my own family. You¡¯re nothing but a maid from a brothel.¡±


    Ling Er¡¯s expression instantly became slightly twisted. What Tang Xia said was the last thing that she wanted to hear. If Zhong Ze had not used her as a substitute, she would not have¡­


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it just the Old Madam who is supporting you? If you have the capability, then get the Old Madam to be your backing for this lifetime!¡± Tang Xia sneered as she watched Ling Er¡¯s slightly trembling hands.


    ¡°At least for now, you don¡¯t have the ability to defeat me.¡± Moreover, she was not the real Tang Ning, and she did not want to stay here forever.


    ¡°You! You¡¯re really a bitch!¡± Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°She¡¯s going to curse since she can¡¯t win a verbal argument? Ha, she merely has the appearance, but not the substance.¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly stopped speaking and stared directly at Ling Er¡¯s face, her fine, willow-like eyebrows and her lips which looked like cherry blossoms. She looked beautiful when she smiled, and it left behind a lingering feeling.


    She was indeed a beauty, and it was just that her current expression was a little ugly. If Cheng Lingsu had such an appearance, she should be a beauty that caused the downfall of cities and countries.


    Ling Er felt her heart crawl under the watchful eyes of Tang Xia, and eventually, she could not help but say, ¡°Tang Ning! If you have no business, then scram and stop being such an eyesore!¡± Tang Xia suddenly muttered mockingly,


    ¡°Say, if your appearance is ruined, will Zhong Ze still like you?¡±

 Chapter 241 - That Shameless Hussy!

    Chapter 241 That Shameless Hussy!


    Ling Er¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Her beautiful face instantly twisted in fury.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± She stared viciously at Tangxia and screamed.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Tang Xia snorted. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything that I don¡¯t dare to do. Aren¡¯t I a used rag like what a certain someone just said?¡±


    Ling Er knew that Tang Xia was threatening her, and she was so angry that her chest heaved continuously, while her tiny face flushed red from the suppression.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk.¡± Tang Xia shook her head and a strange smile appeared on her face. When Ling Er saw that, she could feel a cold, chilly sensation crawling up from her soles.


    ¡°Ling Er, say, did you have this same expression when you were rolling on the bed with that man who snuck into the mansion?¡±


    That chilling sensation surged straight to her brain!


    Ling Er¡¯s face, which was originally red, because of her deep intakes of breath, instantly darkened. She widened her eyes and looked at Tang Xia incredulously.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!¡± Ling Er continued to force herself to put on a strong front, although she was feeling faint inside. She glared at Tang Xia.


    ¡°What am I talking about? Madam Ling, are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Tang Xia continued to smile as she spoke. However, in the eyes of Ling Er, Tang Xia¡¯s smile was not simply an eyesore. It was like a sharp blade that pierced her heart. Her hands clutched tightly at the corner of her clothes, and cold sweat broke out on her palms, and even drenched the corners of her clothes.


    ¡°Madam Ling, if you do not want anyone to know about it, then don¡¯t do it. This time, I was the one who caught the man. But next time, if he continues to behave out of place like this and sneak into the mansion, who do you think he will be caught by?¡±


    Tang Xia took a step forward and patted Ling Er¡¯s face pitifully, with a regretful look on her face.


    Ling Er¡¯s teeth bit hard into her lips. She was afraid that Tang Xia had hidden something sharp in her hands, in order to destroy the face that she had always been proud of.


    ¡°You¡­ why are you helping me?¡± she asked in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Help you?¡± Tang Xia felt as if she heard the greatest joke in the world. ¡°Oh my god. Little girl, you¡¯ve just contracted the punch lines for my entire year.¡±


    Ling Er did not know what the words ¡°contract¡± and ¡°punch lines¡± meant, and she looked at Tangxia quizzically.


    ¡°Ling Er, Ling Er. You should know that Zhong Ze has never doted on me. Will he believe me if I were to tell him directly that I caught your lover?¡±


    Tang Xia gnashed her teeth as she said this. She felt her frustration building up when she thought about being beaten up by that bastard, as well as how that mentally retarded Zhong Ze chose not believe her.


    Since Zhong Ze did not believe her, she would use this incident to scare Lin Er. Perhaps there could be some unexpected gains!


    On the other hand, Ling Er also meticulously spelt out what Tang Xia meant.


    Tang Xia meant that if she did not mention that cursed man this time round, but if he disregards his own life and flips over the wall again the next time, there would be a high chance that he would be discovered by the master.


    If the master found out about him and Tang Xia were to tell the master that she had caught the man previously, she, Ling Er, would be doomed beyond redemption.


    She could not allow this to happen!


    ¡°Ling Er, the heavens are watching everything that you do. I am kind enough to help you to cover up your unfaithfulness this time round. You might not be so lucky the next time round!¡±


    ¡°God is fair. You¡¯ve messed up big time this time round. Next time, maybe God will also want to mess up big time on you to regain some dignity!¡±


    Ling Er instantly turned deathly pale from fear.


    Tang Xia seemed to anticipate the everchanging expressions on Ling Er¡¯s face. She was finally able to release the pent up anger in her heart. Before Tang Xia left, she did not forget to remark sarcastically, ¡°Look out for yourself, the most favorited mistress madam of the master of the Zhong Mansion!¡±


    Right after Tang Xia stepped out of the door, she heard the sound of a resounding crash behind her.


    Even without looking, Tang Xia already knew that Ling Er must have smashed all the things that could be destroyed in her house, in order to produce such a loud sound that would startle the universe and move the gods.


    Tang Xia returned to her courtyard in high spirits. She sat in a chair and pretended to taste the tea. ¡°By the way, Bi Luo, where is the man whom we caught yesterday? Bring him over. I want to interrogate him!¡±


    Bi Luo shrugged and began to stutter.


    Tang Xia frowned and instantly sensed that something was not quite right. She slammed the table. ¡°Bi Luo, I said to bring that man over. I want to interrogate him!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Bi Luo suddenly fell to her knees and knelt on the ground. Her teary eyes looked down slightly and she said in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Madam, that man is no longer in our courtyard!¡±


    ¡°Where did he go!¡± Tang Xia cursed silently. ¡°A big, living person could not just have evaporated into thin air!¡±


    ¡°He¡­ he¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak up!¡± Tang Xia slammed the table again. She already had a vague answer in her heart.


    ¡°He was taken away by the master!¡± Bi Luo was now on all fours, and she kowtowed repeatedly.


    As expected!


    Tang Xia cursed Zhong Ze¡¯s generation of ancestors in her heart, and she commiserated with herself for having the greatest misfortune to have such an incompetent pig of a teammate.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart felt doubly tired. She stood up and went back inside to take a short rest. However, the moment she laid down, she felt that there was something about the position of her pillow, that did not seem right. She quickly pulled the pillow away and discovered that the letter of divorce, which she had hidden under the pillow, was gone!


    She did not give up and continued to feel about under her pillow.


    Nothing!


    Zhong Ze had taken back her letter of divorce!


    Tang Xia felt a silent glee in her heart. Fortunately, Zhong Ze was a mummy¡¯s boy and she had the backing of the Old Madam, who was the best person in the entire Zhong Mansion who could control Zhong Ze. She was very lucky indeed.


    She laid limply on the bed and felt very gleeful! Subsequently, she heard another sound and in one flip, she rolled from the ground to the bed.


    That was the scene which Bi Luo saw when she came in. Madam lying flat on the bed with a pillow in her arms, and a look that seemed to indicate that there was no meaning left in anything.


    ¡°My Madam!¡± She rushed over straight away. ¡°Don¡¯t take things too hard!¡±


    Tang Xia turned her head stiffly to one side, with a vacant look in her eyes and she looked so pitiful.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°Bi Luo¡­¡±


    Both of them cried out simultaneously. However, right after Bi Luo addressed Tang Xia, she did not speak anymore. She merely listened to the soft murmurs of Tang Xia¡¯s doubts and grievances.


    ¡°Bi Luo, what am I lacking in comparison to Ling Er? Why doesn¡¯t Zhong Ze like me? It¡¯s alright if he doesn¡¯t like me, but why does he treat me like this?¡±


    Tang Xia truly did not understand. When she came to this world, all she saw was complete darkness and she did not have the memory of the original owner. She was not aware of anything.


    Bi Luo gritted her teeth and stood up to close the doors and windows in the room, before she walked back to Tang Xia.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment, and wondered if she should tell her madam about the incident.


    When Tang Xia saw her hesitant look, her heart felt even more anxious, and she could not resist but urged her, ¡°Hurry and speak!¡±


    When Bi Luo finally spoke when she saw Tang Xia¡¯s anxious look, ¡°Madam, there were actually rumors in the mansion that you were the one who caused the death of the original Madam Cheng.¡±


    ¡°Madam Cheng?¡±


    Bi Luo¡¯s eyes widened and she gave her an incredulous look. ¡°I meant Madam Cheng Lingsu! The original wife of the master! Madam, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head, a blank look on her face. She really had no idea.


    ¡°Everyone said that you are a viper-hearted woman, and that you caused the death of the original First Madam for the sake of her status and honor!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Tang Xia felt that her head was full of question marks, and she looked at Bi Luo with eyes filled with incredulity.


    Bi Luo quickly expressed her loyalty. ¡°Madam, I have never gossiped with those little maids!¡±


    ¡°Madam is such a gentle person who could not even bear to step on an ant. How could you have caused the death of Madam Cheng, for the sake of usurping the position of the First Madam! I absolutely believe in your innocence!¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head stiffly.


    There was too much information and she needed to digest them properly.


    Bi Luo still felt that Tang Xia did not believe her, and she continued to stare grievously at Tang Xia and said, ¡°Madam, you must believe in me! I really did not gossip with them!¡±


    After listening to Bi Luo, Tang Xia knew that this little girl probably misunderstood something.


    She nodded her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe you. You can take your leave. I want to be alone.¡±


    Bi Luo silently heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that based on Madam¡¯s gentle temperament and how she was always sharp-eyed and observant, she would not malign her!


    However, when she saw how Madam¡¯s mind seemed to be somewhat unhinged, she knew that those rumors must have been a big blow to her. She could not help, but feel sorry for Tang Xia.


    When Tang Xia saw that she was still not going to leave, she thought that Bi Luo was probably still worried about her.


    She sighed. ¡°Bi Luo, I¡¯m really fine. You can take your leave first!¡±


    Bi Luo bit her lip when she saw how Tang Xia insisted that she leave, so she obediently left.


    Before closing the door, she did not forget to add, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll be standing guard outside. You can call me directly if there¡¯s anything. I¡¯ll be able to hear it.¡±


    Tang Xia acknowledged this, and spaced out as she continued to lie on the bed.


    The atmosphere instantly quietened down, but Tang Xia was restless!


    She tossed and turned in bed. Eventually, as she found it hard to calm down, she sprang up in bed and changed her clothes before she went out.


    Bi Luo was standing guard at the door, and she noticed that her Madam had changed her clothes, and could not help but ask, ¡°Madam, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To eavesdrop!¡±


    Tang Xia replied, without turning back.


    While Tang Xia felt that there was nothing wrong with her own actions, she was still going to eavesdrop on a private conversation between Zhong Ze and his beloved mistress. She hid behind two tree branches outside their courtyard.


    Inside the house, Ling Er could not help but whimper, as if she had suffered great indignance. ¡°Master¡­ Sobs¡­ Master, you must seek justice for me!¡±


    Zhong Ze listened to Ling Er¡¯s cries, as he sat at the side.


    ¡°I have never let Sister Ning down in any way, but she actually barged into my room and accused me¡­ of having an affair with another man!¡±


    Ling Er already was an outstanding beauty with her willow-like eyebrows and lips which looked like cherry blossoms. She was truly a classical beauty. Now she was a weeping beauty. Tears rolled from her eyes ,but did not trickle down, and watching her made one feel pity for her.


    Tang Xia felt that if she was a normal man, she would not be able to withstand this beauty¡¯s offensive, and would also not be able to control herself.


    She silently waited for Zhong Ze to reach out his hand to wipe her tears and say to her in a soft, gentle tone, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Ling Er. I believe you.¡±


    However, Zhong Ze replied in a cold voice, ¡°Say no more!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was under the window, was stunned and so was Ling Er, who was crying hard.


    ¡°Stop talking.¡± Zhong Ze repeated, and as he spoke, he stood up to get ready to leave.


    Ling Er could no longer hold back her tears. When she saw Zhong Ze stand up and walk over to the door of the room to prepare to leave, the dissatisfaction in her heart reached its peak.


    ¡°Master! Have you forgotten how Sister Lingsu died?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That shameless trouble stirring witch!¡±


    Tang Xia secretly cursed in her heart.

 Chapter 242 - The Truth

    Chapter 242 The Truth


    As a youth in the 21st century, Tang Xia believed that she had always behaved herself and abided by the law. She was a youth who fully conformed to the core values of socialism. How could she do such a ruthless thing that was utterly devoid of conscience, and which was against reason and nature!


    It must be Ling Er, that bitch!


    The more Tang Xia thought about it, the angrier she felt. She immediately kicked the door open and pointed at Ling Er, as she cursed, ¡°You bitch! How dare you make unfounded and malicious attacks on me! Have you forgotten what I said to you! God is watching everything that you do! Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution for slandering me like this, right now?¡±


    Ling Er shrieked the moment Tang Tia kicked the door open, and she forcefully squeezed herself into Zhong Ze¡¯s arms. She waited for Tang Xia to finish speaking, before she cried even more bitterly. She then tried hard to squeeze into Zhong Ze¡¯s arms before she began to whimper softly.


    Tang Xia looked at her aggrieved look and she felt even more resentful. She stepped forward, pulled Ling Er away from Zhong Ze¡¯s arms, then raised her hand and slapped her hard on the face.


    ¡°Bitch! How dare you still pretend to be ignorant and foolish even at this point in time, and to hold me accountable for all those evil deeds?¡±


    Ling Er covered her face before she fell to her knees and knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Ling Er, I would advise you to speak the truth in front of the master!¡±


    When Ling Er saw this, she looked up at Tang Xia. She then sneaked a peek at Zhong Ze before she said softly, ¡°Sister, the heavens could testify that I really did not do these things.¡±


    ¡°If sister insists that I have to help you to take the rap, I have nothing to say. But just like what sister said, God is watching everything that you do. If there is any retribution, then let me share it with you.¡±


    ¡°Share it with me?¡± Tang Xia turned from anger into laughter. She pointed at Ling Er, who was kneeling on the ground, and screamed coldly, ¡°You want me to share the burden of all those evil things that you did with you? I am not interested in incurring retribution with you!¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­¡±


    Before Ling Er could finish speaking, Zhong Ze, who was beside her, could not bear to watch this anymore. He pulled Ling Er up from the ground, and roared out loud at Tang Xia,


    ¡°Get out from here!¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned; she had not expected Zhong Ze to yell at her.


    By the time she reacted, she saw that Zhong Ze had switched to a gentle expression and was comforting Ling Er, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Wait for me to go out and make things clear with that venomous woman. I will not let you suffer any grievance again.¡±


    Ling Er peeked at Tang Xia carefully and, as if she was greatly intimidated, she quickly retracted her gaze. She burrowed herself in Zhong Ze¡¯s arms, and nodded her head gently.


    Tang Xia really could not bear to watch the affection between the couple, so she turned in rage and slammed the door shut, as she left.


    Zhong Ze carried Ling Er to the bed, tucked her in and patted her hand to indicate that she had no need to worry. He then went out.


    Outside, Tang Xia stood in front of a bunch of flowers, breaking off its leaves forcefully. Zhong Ze, that bastard. Aside from the fact that he was spoiling his mistress and neglecting his wife, he even wanted to hold her accountable for the horrible deed of conspiring and murdering his lawful wife.


    She was truly fuming mad!


    A while after Zhong Ze had comforted his shameless mistress, she would definitely reason it out with him!


    Tang Xia had finished destroying that stalk of flower and leaves, and was about to find another stalk to destroy, when she noticed from the corner of her eye that Zhong Ze had already come out from the room. He even closed the door gently, as if he did not want his beloved mistress to overhear their conversation.


    She became even angrier when she saw Zhong Ze¡¯s actions. She put down the stalk of flower, which she had yet to destroy completely, and charged up to Zhong Ze, angrily.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all outside the room, if there¡¯s anything that you want to say, say it quickly.¡±


    Zhong Ze gave her a look and calmly walked over to a spot far from the door of the room. Coincidentally, he stopped in front of that stalk of flower and leaf which Tang Xia had destroyed earlier on.


    He snorted and remarked mockingly, ¡°After so many years, you still have not changed your habit of destroying flowers, whenever you are angry.¡±


    Tang Xia was momentarily stunned. She did not think that her unintentional move was actually similar to the personality of the original owner.


    However, she quickly sorted out her mood and tried her best to deal with Zhong Ze¡¯s mockery ¡°Master, you are unaware, not only do I destroy flowers, but I also to destroy weirdos. I am the legendary deflowerer.¡±


    Zhong Ze was not in the mood to think about Tang Xia¡¯s strange talk. He snorted coldly and his tone of voice was chilly, ¡°Tang Ning, what exactly do you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want?¡± Tang Xia asked rhetorically. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything! I am just pleading with Master to clear my name and declare my innocence.¡±


    ¡°Innocence?¡± Zhong Ze laughed out loud, as if he heard the best joke in the world. His expression was like an evil spirit who had escaped from hell, and he said viciously to Tang Xia,


    ¡°Innocence? Where is your innocence from, Tang Ning? If it weren¡¯t for you, would Susu have gone to the wilderness alone? Would she have been violated? Would she have thrown herself into the water and die?¡±


    Tang Xia flushed red with anger. Zhong Ze had probably been fully brainwashed by that bitch and the most basic ability to distinguish between right and wrong had ceased to exist in his brain!


    ¡°Great! Great! Great!¡± She said these three words consecutively. ¡°Well Zhong Ze, you have actually been brainwashed by that vixen. Oh, no. Your brain was directly eaten by the vixen!¡±


    ¡°You are really thick-skinned!¡± Instead of being angry, Zhong Ze laughed. ¡°Did you think that I do not know who summoned those beggars who violated Susu? Did you think that I have no evidence?¡±


    ¡°Evidence?¡± Tang Xia asked with a frown. She suddenly felt a little flustered, and it was as if things were no longer within her control.


    ¡°Why, Miss Tang, what are you thinking about? Were you thinking about what went wrong with your plan, and how I actually managed to get hold of the evidence?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make unfounded slanders!¡±


    Zhong Ze took a step forward. His aura was strong and he closed in on Tang Xia. Tang Xia forced herself not to back off. She then glared back furiously at him, with her chest out and her head held up high.


    ¡°You really are not going to shed tears until you see the coffin, are you? Tang Ning, let me tell you. If it¡¯s not because your father wields great power and is able to control the situation in the court, do you think that you would still be alive today? Did you think that you could still behave wildly at will in the Zhong Mansion? Did you think that you would still be able to stand here and talk to me?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head incredulously. ¡°No, this is impossible!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Zhong Ze snorted. ¡°Impossible? Miss Tang, you are really forgetful. It was obviously something that you did, and yet you still dare to say that it is impossible?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head. Suddenly, she rushed forward as if she was mad and she clutched at Zhong Ze¡¯s clothes tightly, as she shouted, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Zhong Ze looked straight at Tang Xia. As he looked into her eyes, he forcefully removed her hands away from his clothes, and said one word at a time, ¡°Just like what you said to Ling Er, God is watching everything that you do.¡±


    ¡°God is also fair. God will definitely not malign a good person and neither will God let a bad person off! Tang Ning, maybe you did not even know it yourself, but you more or less left behind some evidence for all the things that you thought you had done covertly.¡±


    Tang Xia felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her legs went soft and she fell to the ground.


    Her hair was loose and messy, and locks of hair hung down beside her ears. The hairpin, which she originally wore on her head, also hung loosely on top of that lock of hair, like a canoe in the sea. There was a hollow expression in her eyes, and her lips opened and closed like a dying fish.


    When Zhong Ze saw her appearance, he felt even more disgusted, in his heart. He bypassed Tang Xia and walked straight back into Ling Er¡¯s room.


    Before he closed the door, he did not forget to say, ¡°If you have nothing else, scram back to your own courtyard. Don¡¯t come out and make a fool of yourself, when you have nothing better to do!¡±


    Tang Xia did not know how she managed to make her way back to her courtyard.


    What Zhong Ze had said was too shocking for her to indicate that she could not believe it at all.


    In her opinion, she was a great youth and would not do such evil deeds that were against reason and nature. However, Zhong Ze¡¯s words sounded justifiable, and he seemed to have the evidence. This made it difficult for her not to believe them.


    ¡°Madam!¡± Tang Xia heard Bi Luo exclaim.


    Tang Xia seemed to have regained her energy and she grabbed Bi Luo¡¯s arms and asked as if she was possessed, ¡°Bi Luo, Zhong Ze also said that I was the one who caused the death of Cheng Lingsu. Do you know about this incident? Tell me about it. Could you tell me about it?¡±


    Bi Luo was shocked and the tray fell from her hands.


    She panted and shut her eyes tightly. ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    However, it seemed that Tang Xia did not hear her and she continued to clutch Bi Luo¡¯s arm as she spoke agitatedly, ¡°You must know right? Tell me! Tell me!¡±


    Bi Luo knelt on the ground with a plop, and the sound made Tang Xia¡¯s heart tremble.


    Subsequently, Bi Luo¡¯s voice became slightly shrill and miserable, ¡°Madam! ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree not to talk about these things anymore!¡±


    It was the final nail in the coffin!


    Tang Xia suddenly released her hands which had been holding onto Bi Luo¡¯s arm. She staggered back into the room, and threw herself on the bed.


    Bi Luo followed after her closely, and her heart felt very miserable when she saw her Madam¡¯s distracted and dejected look.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± She half knelt down beside the bed, and placed her hand on Tang Xia¡¯s knee.


    ¡°Bi Luo, you¡¯ve known all along, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Madam.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Bi Luo replied honestly. After that, she began to talk about the incident in detail, without waiting for further instructions from Tang Xia.


    ¡°At the time, you were the one who asked Madam Cheng to go out to admire the flowers. You then asked me to use the excuse of helping you to deliver a letter back to your maternal home, to meet the gang of beggars in the suburbs, and lead them to where Madam Cheng was admiring the flowers at. After that¡­ after that¡­¡±


    ¡°Subsequently, nature took its course?¡± Tang Xia said hopelessly.


    Bi Luo acknowledged softly before she added, ¡°But Madam, at the start, you did not intend to take the life of Madam Cheng! Well¡­ You merely wanted to scare Madam Cheng and get her to leave the Master!¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and shook her head, without speaking.


    This incident was indeed her fault. Even if her initial plan was not to take the life of Cheng Lingsu, but it produced that result. Cheng Lingsu died, and she became the First Madam of the Zhong Mansion. However, she lost Zhong Ze¡¯s heart.


    She was the one who did not think about Cheng Lingsu¡¯s staunch moral integrity. She was forced to see the ending that she did not want to see, and was forced to accept the status quo that she did not want to accept. She then became angry, and cried and screamed, but what was done had been done, and it could not be brushed aside.


    As this thought crossed her mind, she was prepared to summon the system to admit defeat.


    But all of a sudden, she thought of something. She looked at Bi Luo who was half-kneeling next to her and she asked, ¡°What about Ling Er? What¡¯s with her?¡±

 Chapter 243 - Ye Yifan, Youre Such a Bastard

    Chapter 243 Ye Yifan, You¡¯re Such a Bastard


    At this moment, Tang Xia¡¯s gaze was increasingly deadly, as if she was going to eat her up. Bi Luo¡¯s body trembled a little and she looked up carefully.


    She said in a terrified voice, ¡°Second Madam Ling Er¡­ she actually has nothing to do with Master!¡± After blurting it out, she closed her eyes in fear and shrank her neck as if she wanted to escape from reality.


    Tang Xia was already breaking down, and now she was not fine at all. She looked at Bi Luo in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean by that?! Are you saying that right from the start everyone here had been tricking me?!¡±


    Bi Luo quickly shook her hands in denial. ¡°No, no, Madam! You have to believe me! I¡¯m always on your side!¡± After which, she dashed forward to tug on Tang Xia¡¯s sleeves.


    Looking at her trying to prove her loyalty so desperately, Tang Xia felt the coldness in her heart reaching to the core.


    She flung her away. ¡°Get lost! When did I need people like you to do things for me?!¡±


    She had never thought that everything was really caused by her. At that moment, she suddenly felt that she was really dirty. Her hands were stained with someone¡¯s blood!


    Bi Luo was flustered by her shove. She fell to the ground instantly and hit her head hard. When she registered what just happened, her eyes turned red instantly.


    ¡°Madam! How could you do this to me?! Everything I did was for you!¡± Tang Xia had such a strong urge to just give her a tight slap to wake her up. At this moment, Bi Luo was just like Ling Er, pretending to be weak and helpless.


    Seeing Tang Xia staring at the floor and not speaking a word, Bi Luo quickly crawled toward her. ¡°Madam! I even helped you become First Madam!¡±


    When Bi Luo mentioned ¡°First Madam¡±, Tang Xia felt her body freeze. Why was this Tang Ning so wicked? Why did she become Tang Ning?


    Tang Xia took a deep breath. ¡°What else? Continue to tell me everything.¡±


    Bi Luo was startled and she lightened up immediately. Thinking that Tang Xia had finally thought it through, Bi Luo continued happily, ¡°Second Madam is just a canary bred by Master. Besides, Master already knew that Second Madam had an affair¡­¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Bi Luo. Bi Luo¡¯s faze faltered. ¡°What did you say?! That guy that I caught¡­ that was just a buffoon?!¡±


    Bi Luo could only nod her head even though she could barely bring herself to do so. She could not deny it. It was indeed something that everyone was well aware of, she was the only one that was kept in the dark.


    ¡°But Madam¡­ none of these are so serious. Even after all these things, as long as you go and beg Old Madam, she will definitely not take away your position as First Madam. She¡¯ll definitely not forsake you.¡±


    ¡°Second Madam is not a threat at all. Madam, you can continue to be Madam!¡±


    Tang Xia glared at her deadly. What did she mean by that? Was she telling her not to say anything and continue to live her life without giving a damn? When did Tang Xia ever do something like that?!


    Just as Tang Xia was about to flare up, someone knocked on the door suddenly. Both of them were startled. Tang Xia did not respond. Bi Luo glanced at her and hesitated before going to open it.


    Neither of them expected it to be the servant who served the Master. Bi Luo let him in. ¡°Does Master have some order for us?¡±


    The servant instantly felt like he was put on the spot as he looked up to glance at Tang Xia. Eventually, he still gave the thing in his hand to Bi Luo. ¡°Master said that this was to be given to Madam.¡± After which, he turned around and left.


    At this moment, Tang Xia¡¯s heart was in a mess. Standing at one side, Tang Xia was very curious as to what it was, but she did not dare to flip it open. She passed it to Tang Xia directly.


    Tang Xia accepted it. It was an envelope. It was a little heavy, as if there was something inside. Tang Xia had a rough idea as to what it was. The moment she opened it, her heart sunk. Indeed, it was the jade that she had thought up so many schemes to get her hands on.


    She took it out gently and felt as if her hands could feel Chen Suling¡¯s warmth radiating from the jade. It felt like a hot potato.


    ¡°Madam! What does Master mean by this?! He! He! He gave this to her?!¡± Tang Xia also frowned and said not a word. She took out the letter in the envelope and opened it slowly. Bi Luo quickly went forward. Could it be¡­


    But when she came toward her, she understood it immediately. The two big words ¡°divorce letter¡± told her everything that she should and should not know. It was all clear.


    ¡°Master! How could this be?!¡± Bi Luo suddenly shrieked. She suddenly found a note on the floor. Tang Xia must have dropped it when she took out the divorce letter.


    After looking at the content, Bi Luo suddenly lost it and looked at Tang Xia. ¡°Madam¡­ Master¡­ said that he¡¯s giving you the jade¡­ He asked you to¡­. to¡­. move out tomorrow¡­.¡± Her voice grew gradually softer, as if she was afraid that she would break something.


    But unexpectedly, Tang Xia held onto the jade tightly. Bi Luo quickly shouted loudly and leaned forward, attempting to stop her. ¡°Madam! What are you doing?!¡± However, she was still one step too late. She saw Tang Xia holding onto the jade.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot! Too hot!¡± The jade was too hot! It contained one¡¯s life!


    At that instant, Bi Luo thought that she had gone crazy. But she was still not as fast as Tang Xia. She heard a crack, and immediately following that, the jade scattered into a million pieces. Bi Luo looked at the floor full of broken jade pieces in shock. ¡°Madam! Are you crazy?!¡±


    However, Tang Xia did not even look at her. She suddenly started to laugh coldly. She had no expression on her face as she mumbled, ¡°I admit defeat.¡±


    Suddenly, the world came to a standstill. As the broken pieces of jade had yet to fall to the ground, Bi Luo stared at Tang Xia in shock.


    Tang Xia ignored everything around her. Suddenly, these words appeared in front of her eyes: ¡°Confirm Admit Defeat?¡±


    Tang Xia clenched her fists and showed no hint of hesitation. ¡°Confirm.¡± She saw her surroundings gradually being swallowed by glaring white light. She closed her eyes slowly. All of this should end eventually.


    When Tang Xia opened her eyes again, she was in a daze. She thought that she was looking at a ceiling. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was indeed her house.


    She could not help sighing. She was finally back in the real world¡­


    But¡­ why did it feel so empty in her heart? She turned her head and looked at the time. It was already approaching nighttime. She lay on her bed and took in a deep breath. She pulled up the blanket swiftly and covered her head.


    She had no way to lie to herself. If she was wrong, then she was wrong. Even if it was for her future, then she did not dare to agree with them.


    Just as she was having a difficult time under her blanket, she heard her doorbell ring suddenly.


    Tang Xia could not help feeling confused. Who would come at this time? She could only drag her exhausted body out of bed to open the door. Throwing the blanket aside, she grabbed a bottle of ice water from the refrigerator as she walked past. She twisted off the cap and took a huge gulp.


    Right now, her mood was very heavy, as if there were a big rock blocking her heart. She felt like she could not breathe.


    She heard the doorbell turning into a knock. The other person probably thought that the doorbell was too quiet and they were afraid that she could not hear it.


    The more the person knocked, the more annoyed Tang Xia felt. With a loud bang, she put the bottle of water on the table. She went over to the door and opened it directly. Ye Yifan, who was going to continue knocking, stopped knocking and his hand froze in midair awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s already so late, can¡¯t we talk tomorrow?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s expression showed that she could not be bothered. She had apparently not walked out from the broadcast just now. After saying it, she tried to close the door.


    Ye Yifan had already knocked on the door for so long, how could he just let her close the door? He stuck out a leg and blocked it. Tang Xia was startled, but since he was so insistent, she could only let him be.


    Ye Yifan also noticed that she was not in a very good state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent and made not a single sound. She went in directly and Ye Yifan followed behind her. She picked up the bottle of water again and took another gulp. ¡°Why did you come to find me so anxiously?¡±


    Ye Yifan saw that she was avoiding the topic and did not continue to force her. He became serious suddenly and looked at Tang Xia. ¡°Xianxian¡­¡±


    Tang Xia frowned suddenly. Why must the name of someone that she did not like be mentioned? Especially by Ye Yifan?


    But she did not interrupt him and let him continue. ¡°Li Xianxian is in a very bad state¡­¡±


    Tang Xia threw the empty bottle into the trash can. ¡°What has that got to do with me?¡±


    Ye Yifan was startled. He did not know what was going on. It was the first time that he had seen Tang Xia have such a cold expression and attitude. He further confirmed that something had happened to her that caused her to be like this.


    ¡°I hope that in the future you can avoid Li Xianxian as much as possible¡­¡±


    Tang Xia could not hold it in anymore. She slammed on the table and stood up. ¡°For what? The victim is me! I did not do anything and yet Li Xianxian is always picking on me!¡±


    Ye Yifan was also put on the spot. He looked at Tang Xia and walked over to pat her back gently.


    He comforted her by saying, ¡°I know. But for the sake of both of you being able to get along well in the future, I hope that you two can meet as little as possible, lest she get triggered again¡­¡±


    Tang Xia shoved him away. ¡°Li Xianxian being triggered? What can she be triggered by?!


    ¡°She¡¯s just paying for her own actions, and that¡¯s called being triggered? I should be the one that¡¯s triggered! She was the one who provoked me! I merely protected myself!¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia become more agitated, Ye Yifan seemed awkward. He did not know what to do.


    Just as both of them were both silent, Tang Xia became calm again. She lifted her head slowly and said to him, ¡°Ye Yifan, you¡¯re such a bastard.¡±

 Chapter 244 - Removing His Halo

    Chapter 244 Removing His Halo


    Tang Xia¡¯s words echoed in his ear, causing his expression to turn horrible.


    He had never thought that Tang Xia would say something like that to her. Ye Yifan looked at her with a complicated gaze and then left without saying anything.


    After he left, the house became quiet again. Tang Xia stood rooted to where she was for a while before she walked to the table and poured herself a glass of water. The ice-cold liquid glided down her throat smoothly.


    For some strange reason, she felt a great sense of relief.


    Even she herself was shocked by what she just said, let alone Ye Yifan. It seemed as if those words did not run through her brain and she just blurted them out so naturally.


    Tang Xia thought that perhaps she had really kept it inside for too long. Contrary to what she had expected, there were no strong emotional fluctuations.


    When did it start? Ye Yifan had gradually lost that halo of a god in her eyes. What accompanied that was everything that had been previously covered up by his halo being exposed one by one.


    Unknowingly, there were too many things that tainted her feelings for him. As time passed, right now, Tang Xia herself could not even say what kind of feelings she still held for him.


    Was it love? She thought that she did once love that broadcast master whose user ID was Hell Shura. But tearing this layer of identity apart, what did she feel for Ye Yifan in real life?


    Her heart would flutter because of one line of encouragement or a casual smile. She would also rejoice over some contact with him in her daily life, but that was about it.


    When their distance grew smaller, more problems surfaced, especially when Li Xianxian came in between them. Tang Xia realized that she was not this patient.


    She admitted that she was too rash when she said that one line, but the feeling of relief in her heart was not something that she could ignore.


    If this could not explain anything, then when Ye Yifan left, she was certain that she did not have the desire to make him stay.


    Tang Xia lay on her bad and her thoughts roamed everywhere. His face came into her mind and she quickly shooed it away.


    ¡°So be it.¡± That was Tang Xia¡¯s last thought. She used a vague statement to conclude her relationship with him.


    She was never one to think too much, just like how she had joined the Time-travel Broadcast Room because of him. She wanted to, so she did it. It was that simple. As for other things, she would think about them later.


    Time passed quickly, and it was already late. Tang Xia had just closed her eyes and started to feel sleepy when her phone started ringing.


    The flashing light from the phone seemed extra glaring in the dark. It was accompanied by a noisy ringtone. Tang Xia stretched out her hand annoyedly and saw that the caller ID was Ye Yifan.


    What was he doing calling her at this hour? Was it because of Li Xianxian again? Tang Xia¡¯s face fell. She wanted to just decline the call, but somehow she found herself pressing accept.


    ¡°Hello? Is this Miss Tang?¡± A foreign male voice came from the other end.


    ¡°Is this not Ye Yifan¡¯s phone?¡± Tang Xia placed the phone next to her ear hesitantly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, I¡¯m calling from the Rescue Bar. This sir had gotten drunk alone. We are closing soon and you¡¯re the last person he contacted. Would it be convenient for you to come and pick him up?¡±


    Ye Yifan had always been one to stay calm and take care of himself. Why would he go and drink alone and even become so drunk? Tang Xia was startled but still replied in a cold tone, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    After which, she hung up the phone directly without waiting for the bartender¡¯s response. She shut down her phone.


    If he was drunk, then let him be. What did it have to do with her? Tang Xia pulled the blanket over her head and prepared to go back to sleep.


    However, she did not feel sleepy anymore. Because of the phone call just now, she was even more flustered. All of her sleepiness was gone.


    There was no more noise from the phone, and the room had already become dark and silent again. Yet for some reason, the silence caused her to panic.


    Her mind was full of the bartender¡¯s words and the image of Ye Yifan¡¯s back when he left silently. She could not get them out of her head no matter what. She was still lying on the same bed, but it felt like there was now a layer of needles. It did not feel comfortable no matter what.


    ¡°Did Ye Yifan drink because of what I said today?¡±


    Tang Xia could not control herself from thinking about it. It had only taken a moment, but it felt like it was as long as a century. After a while, Tang Xia finally gave up resisting. She flung off her blanket, crawled out of bed swiftly, and changed her clothes.


    When she turned on her phone again, she realized that it had only been a few minutes. She scoffed at her herself. Was she going to let go of him or not?


    She warned herself, ¡°Pick him up and leave after taking him home.¡± Following the address that the bartender had given her, she drove over.


    It was already late, but this city¡¯s noise was far from being done. When Tang Xia parked her car at the entrance of the Rescue Bar, the whole city was still bustling and lively.Read more chapter on novelhall.com


    All kinds of neon lights decorated the dark sky, almost turning it into daytime, but the mysterious dark sky added a hint of mysterious attraction as the background.


    Tang Xia stayed at home often. Although she was young, she did not like to hang around in such places. After getting out, she headed straight to the Rescue Bar.


    She had come over in such a hurry that she only casually put on a coat. Her chic short hair had been blown messy by the night wind.


    Her bare face also contained a tired look. She was just about to enter the bar to start looking for him but froze when she saw who it was at the door.


    Li Xianxian had apparently reached this place before her. She was currently trying to carry the drunk Ye Yifan out of the bar with the help of a bartender.


    Ye Yifan was indeed very drunk. His footsteps were all empty. If it was not for Li Xianxian and the bartender holding one arm each, he probably would not be able to even stand still.


    One party was about to go in, while the other had just come out. And they met so coincidentally at the door. Both were slightly startled and stood rooted to the spot.


    Judging by how Tang Xia was in a hurry, it was not hard to guess who she came for.


    Li Xianxian was first startled, and when she saw Tang Xia, there was a hint of pride in her gaze. The smile on the corners of her lips turned sarcastic. ¡°You still claim that you¡¯re a loyal fan. There¡¯s been an incident and it took you so long to get here.¡±


    As she spoke, she seemed to subtly turn Ye Yifan toward her, and because he had already blacked out, he unconsciously leaned his head against her shoulder. Amidst this commotion, his lips almost touched her cheeks. There was close intimacy.


    Tang Xia silently witnessed all these small details. She said dismissively, ¡°Don¡¯t try to stir things up.¡± After which, she did not take a second look at her and prepared to leave.


    Since Ye Yifan already had someone to pick him up, there was no need for her to remain there and look at her face. However, she felt pissed that she had made an empty trip.


    ¡°Luckily, he did not depend on you, otherwise, god knows how much longer Yifan would have had to wait.¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s persistent voice was heard, accompanied by an exaggerating high pitch. Tang Xia turned around and saw her gently fixing his hair on his forehead, seemingly trying to declare that he was hers.


    Tang Xia suddenly laughed. ¡°Li Xianxian, you¡¯re not confident at all, right?¡±


    A sudden yet clear voice came to her along with the wind. Li Xianxian¡¯s face fell immediately. Her lips twitched. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice was slow and steady. The gaze staring at Li Xianxian tightly was extremely sharp. ¡°Otherwise, why are you trying to put on such a show for me?¡±


    As Tang Xia spoke, the corners of her lips were curling. In Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes, it was extremely irritating and sarcastic.


    As if being exposed, Li Xianxian¡¯s delicate face became twisted immediately. She lost the calm facade she had and started scolding her. ¡°You shameless¡­ Out of all things, why must you come and seduce my fiance?¡±


    Her harsh and pricky tone was extra glaring at night. Even the thumping beat of the music coming from the bar next door could not cover it up. The spinning disco light shone onto Li Xianxian¡¯s face, illuminating the growing wickedness and cunning in her eyes.


    ¡°Fiance? Does Ye Yifan admit it? Li Xianxian, stop giving yourself so much credit,¡± Tang Xia replied calmly, not concealing the sarcasm in her voice at all.


    Li Xianxian was extremely pissed. She raised her hand and was about to slap Tang Xia. Her long fingernails formed an arch across the night sky. It was going to land on Tang Xia¡¯s face in just a bit, but she could not advance.


    Li Xianxian could not believe her eyes when she saw a well-defined hand on her wrist. Ye Yifan had woke up at an unknown point in time. A hint of soberness had returned amidst his hazy gaze.


    ¡°Yifan, this woman¡­¡± Li Xianxian¡¯s face turned white. She was just about to complain to Ye Yifan when his hand fell down again, as if that bit of soberness was just temporarily.


    ¡°Go home.¡± Ye Yifan leaned against Li Xianxian¡¯s body. His warm breath that was mixed with the smell of alcohol brushed against her face. His voice was low and husky.


    As his warm breath brushed against her ear, it seemed to calm her down as well. A hint of delight formed on her face. She replied obediently, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home.¡± She could not control her voice from becoming high pitch.


    After which, Li Xianxian even looked at Tang Xia with a meaningful gaze. It was full of the arrogance of how Ye Yifan had chosen her earlier.


    No matter how Tang Xia looked at her, she seemed like a despicable person that was delighting over her dirty tricks. Tang Xia could not tolerate her arrogant look anymore and turned to leave after glaring at her.


    As she turned, she purposely knocked her in the shoulders. Li Xianxian was unprepared and she stumbled. Tang Xia got into her car swiftly and prepared to start the engine and drive off.


    Through the rearview mirror, she could still see the loving image of Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan sticking with each other. Li Xianxian regained her balance and stretched out her hand and stuck up a middle finger in Tang Xia¡¯s direction. Her face was full of provocation and arrogance.


    Tang Xia looked away angrily. Without hesitation, she stepped on the gas and the car drove away, emitting a trail of exhaust and leaving both of them far behind.

 Chapter 245 - Celebrity Battle

    Chapter 245 Celebrity Battle


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Upon returning home, Tang Xia slammed the door. Recalling what happened earlier, she still could not suppress the irritating feeling in her heart. Coincidentally, there were a few cans of beer left in the refrigerator and she took them all out determinedly. She chucked them all.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re drunk and now you¡¯re a big shot?¡± Tang Xia thought angrily and chucked down a can. When she thought about how intimate Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian were, her whole body felt uncomfortable.


    She had rushed over so hurriedly, yet all she got in return was to be pissed for nothing, especially Ye Yifan. Now when she thought of him, she felt disgusted.


    Recalling how she used to worship him, Tang Xia swore to herself that she would definitely not care about anything to do with him in the future. He could be with anyone, get drunk at a bar and left unattended¡­they have nothing to do with her.


    Tang Xia thought about a lot of things while she was drunk. She fell asleep on the sofa unknowingly. She did not have a good sleep, she had many dreams that night.


    One was about Ye Yifan being taken away by a monster, one was about Li Xianxian turning into an evil snake and laughing out loud.


    If one were to say that it was not strange for them to appear in her dreams as she had just seen them, then one could only use ¡®surprise¡¯, or even ¡®shock¡¯, to describe the appearance of the third person.


    At the end of the dream, a Huluwa dropped from the sky and chased out the evil snake and Ye Yifan. Tang Xia was just about to thank him when he turned around and she saw that it was Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face!


    There were seven Huluwas, which were seven Chu Tiankuos from different worlds, all looking different. All of a sudden, all of their gaze landed on her. That cold and deep gaze was just like Chu Tiankuo¡¯s and they kept on magnifying before her eyes.


    Tang Xia suddenly let out a scream and woke up from her dream in shock. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat. She lifted her hand to wipe it off. It was then that she realized that she was lying on the sofa.


    There were beer cans scattered all around her. It was the aftermath of last night¡¯s let-loose. Tang Xia frowned while she rubbed her forehead. Although beer could not make her drunk, it still caused quite the headache.


    Seriously, why did I dream of Chu Tiankuo? When she thought of the scene when the seven Chu Tiankuos stared straight into her eyes, she felt her hair standing. She could not help but shudder in fear.


    After spending time on all these, she was definitely late for work.


    Tang Xia rushed to her company hurriedly yet she had to bump into Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan getting off a car together. They had apparently came together.


    When Ye Yifan saw Tang Xia, there was a tint of awkwardness in his gaze. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say hi. Meanwhile, Li Xianxian¡¯s face was full of arrogance, she might as well have written the word ¡®pleased¡¯ on her face.


    Tang Xia was not in the mood to think about what happened to them yesterday night. She looked straight and walked past them, as if she did not know them.


    ¡°Tang¡­¡± The name that Ye Yifan had called out halfway was stuck in his throat. Seeing Tang Xia walk past him directly, he could only lower his hand silently.


    When she arrived at the office, July called her over immediately. Tang Xia thought that she was going to reprimand her for being late and she lowered her head to prepare for the lashing. However, unlike what she had expected, July turned her head and asked, ¡°Did you quarrel with Ye Yifan?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. She thought that July might have seen their exchange just now, so she did not bother to hide. She nodded and answered truthfully, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t both of you very close?¡± Hearing her answer, a shocked look flashed across July¡¯s eyes. Her voice was full of confusion.


    Tang Xia stared at her toes. A look flashed across her eyes, yet she said not a word.


    Seeing this, July knew that there may be something that she could not bring herself to tell her, so she did not bother asking. Following which, her gaze changed and she started to persuade her in a heavy and meaningful voice.


    ¡°The Celebrity Battle is about to happen. You have to be in a good relationship with your coworkers. Even if there are some hiccups, you can¡¯t let it get to a disruptive stage.¡±


    When Tang Xia heard the words ¡®Celebrity Battle¡¯, her eyes lit up instantly. She did not even listen carefully to what July said afterwards.


    The Celebrity Battle is the biggest event in Time-travel Broadcast Room that only happens once a year. The top 10 popular streamers would participate in this competition. It was one that garnered lots of attention.


    Before she became a streamer, she would catch the show every year. But this time around, she was participating in it as streamer herself. It was a whole new experience.


    From July¡¯s office back to her own seat, Tang Xia kept on thinking about it. She was both looking forward to it and also nervous.


    ¡°Tang Xia, have you seen Weibo?¡± A-Zhu, her next-door colleague, asked her suddenly, bringing her back to reality. Tang Xia side-glanced at her. A-Zhu¡¯s round face had a mysterious look. She even lowered her voice deliberately, as if afraid that someone might hear her.


    Listening to her tone, Tang Xia guessed that it was most likely some gossip about the entertainment industry. She was not that interested, but she could not suppress that growing desire to find out. Hence, she took out her phone and started searching. ¡°Not yet, is there any breaking news?¡±


    Tang Xia clicked into Weibo¡¯s Hot Searches casually. Before she could hear A-Zhu¡¯s response, her eyes sprang wide open after she looked at the trending words. At the top of the page was ¡®Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan¡¯.


    Tang Xia clicked on it. It was full of news talking about how Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian hung out in a bar late at night and then both went back to his house to spend the night. There were even pictures of them in the bar and outside of his house.


    The trending post wrote it in a very scandalous manner. It emphasized how their relationship was not ordinary. There were many people giving their blessings in the comments section.


    Tang Xia felt her heart turning cold. Just a while ago, Li Xianxian was being backlashed so badly online, how did she become clean again so quickly?


    Also, about last night, Tang Xia was outside of the bar as well. If the pictures were taken by a paparazzi, there would not be a reason for them to crop her out of the picture. After all, Tang Xia was now a streamer that was as popular as Li Xianxian.


    If they were to include her in the picture, there would be more things to talk about. Why did they so coincidentally not capture her? Tang Xia suppressed the suspicion in her heart and looked through many different posts. They were all talking about how Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan were a perfect match. Tang Xia could not help but feel suspicious.


    ¡°Did you know? Li Xianxian bought this trend!¡± A-Zhu¡¯s voice came towards her at the right time. Her face lit up with excitement for gossip. ¡°And those comments below, they are all netizens that she bought to flood the comments section.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked, but she expressed her disbelief. ¡°How can that be? Is she that bored?¡±


    While saying that, she continued scrolling through Weibo. She then realized that the pictures were in such high definition that they did not seem like they were being secretly taken. Adding on to those strange things from before, Tang Xia was now pretty much convinced.


    If it was someone else, Tang Xia might not believe it. But because it was Li Xianxian, Tang Xia was confident that she could do anything.


    A-Zhu looked around her. There was a hint of sarcasm in her suppressed voice. ¡°I know right?¡± She pointed to the congratulatory comments in Weibo. ¡°Look at these people¡¯s accounts. I wouldn¡¯t believe it if you tell me they aren¡¯t paid comments.¡±


    Out of curiosity, Tang Xia clicked onto these profile pictures. The accounts were bare and there were only a few posts made, and they were all shallow content. One look and she could tell it was not someone¡¯s account. She was amazed at what she saw.


    It seemed like Li Xianxian had sacrificed quite a bit of budget to come up with all these. Tang Xia was a little unclear of her intentions. She started discussing with A-Zhu. ¡°What is she after?¡±


    Tang Xia continued to scroll through the Weibo¡¯s comments. The netizens were indeed not dumb. There were a number of them who could tell that the trend was bought. Their comments on Li Xianxian became even worse.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s ill behavior in the broadcasts was not yet forgotten by the public. There were many that were still against her. Seeing that she had bought the trend, they started scolding her in the comments section.


    A-Zhu said with a deep smile. ¡°Of course it¡¯s to get close to Master Ye and wash way her sins.¡±


    Tang Xia sighed but did not say anything else. Meanwhile, colleagues around them overheard their conversation and came over out of curiosity. Hearing that they were talking about how Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan were on trending, they all sneered.


    It seemed like the fact that Li Xianxian bought this trend was no longer a secret. A colleague of theirs whose friend worked in an entertainment company even gave the details on how Li Xianxian had taken the initiative to contact the press to release the news.


    Just as the crowd was deeply engrossed in a heated discussion, Li Xianxian appeared not far from them at a certain point in time. She said with a disdain look, ¡°You guys are just jealous.¡±


    She crossed her arms in front of her chest and ran her eyes through the bunch of colleagues who had gathered together to gossip. She displayed a superior attitude.


    Seeing the woman of the topic appear before them, the crowd dispersed. Tang Xia had just taken a sip of water and almost spit it out. The tea was already spilled, why can¡¯t she just admit it?


    She finally swallowed that mouthful of water and started laughing. ¡°Jealous of you having the money to buy trends of jealous that the accounts you bought did such a great job?¡±


    The surrounding colleagues all burst out laughing after hearing her direct exposure. Initially, they were all secretly laughing to themselves, seeing that Li Xianxian was there. But now that there were so many of them, they just let go and laughed out loud. At that instant, the room was filled with laughter.


    Li Xianxian was so pissed that her face turned white. She stomped her way to Tang Xia in her high heels. The gaze that looked down on her was filled with impatience. ¡°Tang Xia, what nonsense are you sprouting?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly covered her nose and her brows curled together in disgust. ¡°What¡¯s that stench?¡± Li Xianxian¡¯s face fell. Seeing that Tang Xia had once again looked down on her. She turned and asked A-Zhu, ¡°A-Zhu, did you smell it?¡±


    A-Zhu did not like Li Xianxian in the first place. She cooperated and also covered her nose. She seemingly glanced at Li Xianxian with a look of disgust. ¡°I know right, what¡¯s that stench?¡±


    She even raised her tone deliberately. The colleagues on the other side heard her and they all cast complex looks at Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia could not help but to give A-Zhu a big thumbs up. Both of them exchanged glances that were filled with mischief. Tang Xia saw that Li Xianxian was startled and laughed even more hysterically. It was so relieving.


    Li Xianxian was so furious at Tang Xia¡¯s joke. When she saw the looks of the colleagues around her, more fuel was added to the fire. She stomped her foot angrily, creating a loud sound with her heel. She pointed at Tang Xia and said sternly, ¡°Are you determined to go against me?¡±


    Tang Xia then kept her smile, turned around and glared at Li Xianxian. She raised her brow, which added more sarcasm to her words. ¡°Obviously? Did you think that we were playing house?¡±

 Chapter 246 - The Battle on Doomsday

    Chapter 246 The Battle on Doomsday


    ¡°Well then, you asked for this.¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Li Xianxian was so furious that she started laughing. The cold gaze in her eyes was almost vicious. ¡°Prepare for your great fall in the Celebrity Battle.¡±


    Li Xianxian stressed on her words, especially ¡®great fall¡¯. On top of that, the dark coldness in her eyes that seemed like it was going to seep inside her bones caused the surrounding colleagues to feel chills down their spines.


    Even after Li Xianxian left, everyone in the room still remained eerily silent.


    A moment later, A-Zhu could not help but tap on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder. There was worry in her eyes. ¡°Tang Xia, would Li Xianxian do anything to you during the competition?¡±


    There was no change in Tang Xia¡¯s facial expression. ¡°It¡¯s up to her to do whatever she wants.¡± Her voice was so monotone, as if Li Xianxian¡¯s words did not affect her.


    ¡°But she looked pretty serious just now, what if she really comes up with something during the competition¡­¡±


    A-Zhu regained her composure, but once she thought of Li Xianxian¡¯s strong resentful gaze before she left, she could not help but shudder. ¡°I think you should still pay more attention to her during then. Try to avoid her.¡±


    Tang Xia pretended to be pissed and rolled her eyes at her. ¡°You don¡¯t believe in me at all?¡± After all, Tang Xia was the one who succeeded in ¡®Escape from the Garden of Eden¡¯.


    Did she have to be so worried about the mean things that Li Xianxian said?


    A Zhu spat out her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you will be taken advantage of during then. Come on, I still support you! I¡¯m looking forward to your performance!¡± While saying so, A-Zhu even showed her a cheering gesture.


    There was never a lack of topic to talk about in the office. Not long after, everyone found something else to discuss and they threw everything to the back of their minds.


    A-Zhu was a simple-minded girl. After discussing with Tang Xia for a while, seeing that she did not care a lot, A-Zhu went on to find someone else to gossip with.


    After talking for a long time, Tang Xia¡¯s mouth felt a bit dry, so she went to the pantry to get some water. There was only a young man waiting for coffee. Tang Xia recognized him immediately. He was Haizi, Ye Yifan¡¯s assistant. Tang Xia did not even feel like drinking water anymore. She turned around and prepared to leave.


    As the saying goes, ¡°You love everything that your lover loves.¡± Right now, she was the exact opposite; she hated all things that her ¡®lover¡¯ loved. She did not even want to meet people in his social circle, let alone Ye Yifan himself.


    ¡°Tang Xia.¡± Haizi¡¯s greeting came from the back. Tang Xia paused for a while and she walked away even faster out of anger.


    When Haizi saw it, he quickly ran up to her helplessly and stopped her. ¡°Tang Xia, did you have to turn away from me just because you¡¯re angry with Ye Yifan?¡±


    He looked sincere while saying it. Tang Xia turned to take a glance at him. Recalling the times before her relationship with Ye Yifan became like this, she was quite close with Haizi too. Her facial expression became more relaxed and she returned the greeting before asking politely, ¡°Yes?¡±


    Haizi opened his mouth and was just about to say something when Tang Xia seemed to have thought of something and added, ¡°If you want to speak for Ye Yifan, then forget it.¡±


    This sentence caused Haizi to swallow back the words that he was just about to say. It turned into a sigh. ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing this? Actually, Yifan¡­¡±


    Once she heard his name, he interrupted him immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if you¡¯re finding me just to talk about Ye Yifan, then there isn¡¯t much for us to talk.¡±


    After that, Tang Xia¡¯s expression became cold. She was just about to turn and leave when Haizi quickly stopped her. With gritted teeth, he said, ¡°Actually, Yifan has his difficulty for doing so.¡±


    ¡°Difficulty?¡± Tang Xia tugged the corners of her lips, her face full of disdain. ¡°Is this the excuse for Ye Yifan to flirt around with me while having an unclear relationship with Li Xianxian?¡±


    This is not some stupid drama, did he really think that she was just a pretty face? It was still alright before he said it, but now he just made Tang Xia recall the unhappy experiences, hence deepening her hatred for Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia was firm in her attitude. Haizi quickly pulled her back and said between gritted teeth, ¡°Just listen to what I have to say, just one line. After that, I will not stop you from leaving.¡±


    He had already said it like this, if she still insists on leaving, then it would make her seem ruthless. Tang Xia paused her footsteps and stared at Haizi coldly, waiting to hear what he has to say.


    ¡°Their relationship is not like what you think, it is entirely the Ye elders who are pushing for it. Yifan is now being forced to get married. He is undergoing a lot of pressure.¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia beginning to loosen, Haizi could not care more about anything else and explained the whole thing in one breath, and then carefully observing her reaction.


    Ye Yifan did not let him say these things, but seeing their relationship become like this, he could not hold it back.


    Tang Xia became silent for a moment. Just when Haizi thought that there would be a turning point, he heard the Tang Xia¡¯s cold voice, ¡°Then I must stay further away from him.¡±


    There was no expression on her face, as if she did not falter because of Hai Zi¡¯s words at all. Haizi was discouraged instantly. He had already said so much, was it still useless?


    ¡°Can I go now?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s voice was heard again. The discouraged Haizi did not even want to lift his head. He silently gave way to her.


    Without hesitation, Tang Xia walked the way he made for her. It was then that Haizi finally lifted his head and glanced at Tang Xia¡¯s back view. Eventually, he sighed and turned away.


    Tang Xia¡¯s icy-cold expression only faltered when she returned to her seat. Haizi¡¯s voice kept on repeating in her mind. Her heart was in a mess.


    Forced marriage? Was that why he was always entangled in a relationship with Li Xianxian? The party last time, when he spoke up for Li Xianxian, was it because of pressure from the Ye family?


    But he was a grown man. If he were to fall over because of this, then he really did not treat her with importance.


    Tang Xia wanted to drive out these complicated thoughts in her mind, but she could not do it no matter what. Throughout the day, Tang Xia was uneasy because of Haizi¡¯s words. Even when A-Zhu came over to gossip with her, she was not interested.


    There were several times when Tang Xia wanted to go up to Ye Yifan directly and get a clear answer from him. However, she could not muster up the courage at all. In the next few days, Ye Yifan never appeared in the company. It was as if he had disappeared.


    In this somewhat chaotic situation, the much-awaited Celebrity Battle finally kicked off.


    Bright and early in the morning, July led Tang Xia and others to Water Crystal Stadium to meet up with other streamers.


    The stadium was full of people. The venue could accommodate tens of thousands of people and there were no seats left. The gigantic LED screen would be live-streaming the entire competition through various angles.


    When Tang Xia and others entered the arena, the fans cheered wildly. Usually, the livestreams were all online, this time around, they were able to see them in real life, so they were all very passionate in their cheers.


    Many fans were even holding onto signboards and banners to support their favorite streamers. Tang Xia was pleasantly surprised to find that there were also many fans of her own. She waved to them passionately, causing a series of screams.


    But in general, this was Tang Xia¡¯s first time experiencing such a big event. Facing so many people, she could not help but feel nervous and her palm was sweating slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, just keep smiling.¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s voice came at the right time. When Tang Xia turned her head, she found herself bumping into his gentle eyes. It was this enticing and deep look that had caused her to be head over heels for him.


    Tang Xia looked away hurriedly and unknowingly became less tense because of his encouragement.


    Speaking of which, this was the first time she saw Ye Yifan since the day. She realized that she suddenly did not know how to face him.


    After the 10 popular streamers have all arrived, the competition started very soon. Tang Xia and the other streamers entered their respective preparation areas, and the host began counting down.


    ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡±


    The rhythmic voice stirred up the audience¡¯s atmosphere. At the start, there was only the host¡¯s voice. From an unknown point in time, it became the whole crowd¡¯s cheering.


    Tens of thousands of people joined in the counting down. Even though it was just simple numbers, it was still a proliferating source of support. Tang Xia secretly adjusted her breathing and felt the hyped-up atmosphere. She suddenly understood why people in the past had to shake their flags and shout before going on a battle.


    ¡°Seven, six, five¡­¡±


    She suddenly felt a cold glare burning at her. Tang Xia looked up in shock and found Li Xianxian, who was standing not far from her, looking at her in arrogance.


    In her mind, she slowly recalled the harsh words Li Xianxian had said in the office on that day. Tang Xia frowned and looked away.


    ¡°Four, three, two¡­¡±


    In the final stage of the countdown, several streamers started to stretch their hands and fingers. Their eyes were glowing with hopeful expectation. Tang Xia unknowingly swept her eyes across her surroundings. She paused when she saw an empty seat.


    That was Ye Yifan¡¯s preparation area, why did he suddenly disappear? Tang Xia¡¯s face fell. But before she could think more about it, the sound of ¡®One¡¯ also fell. A glaring light shone across her eyes and she could not help but to close her eyes.


    At the same time, information about the novel world that they were entering appeared in all of the streamers¡¯ minds. The Battle on Doomsday.


    The end of the world is coming, rampant loss is everywhere, the human world is in ultimate chaos. The 10 popular streamers are going enter the world as ordinary human beings. Their only purpose is to survive in this world¡­


    Survival, a seemingly simple word, yet the most extravagant desire in this world. On one hand, they must face ferocious zombies, and on the one hand, they must compete with their kind for resources. The bloody cruelty in the process is no lesser than the massacre on the battlefield.


    It was indeed the Celebrity Battle. It was only the first scene, yet it was already so exciting.


    That was what Tang Xia thought. While being nervous, she was also full of expectations for the next adventure. The novel world that she was entering this time round was much more dangerous than the previous novel worlds that she had entered.


    When she opened her eyes again, Tang Xia found that she was already in a run-down house. It was an ordinary residential building structure, but it was unoccupied.


    ¡°Since I had just entered, I should fist look around and see what resources are there for me to use,¡± thought Tang Xia. When she started searching in a room, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.


    Was she going to bump into a zombie so soon? Didn¡¯t they say that the zombies would only walk around at night? Tang Xia¡¯s heart sank, but she did not dare to act rashly. She casually picked up a pan that was lying around and hid behind the door.

 Chapter 247 - Teaming Up with Ye Yifan

    With the sound of old furniture creaking, the half-closed door was slowly pushed open. A black figure then appeared behind the door. Tang Xia gritted her teeth, held the pan up and smashed it on the black figure.


    There was a loud bang, but it turned out that she had hit the door instead. The black figure was fast and alert. Once he realized that something was not right, he immediately stepped back.


    Tang Xia was startled. Did zombies have such quick reflexes? She could not care more about anything else. She lifted the pan again, preparing to hit. This time around, she had only lifted it up half way when someone grabbed hold of her wrist.


    ¡°Is this how you greet your teammates?¡± The incoming person curled the corner of his mouth. His gentle facial features added a few tints of evil attractiveness.


    ¡°Ye Yifan?¡± Because she was too shocked, Tang Xia did not notice the particular wording he had just used. After putting the pan down, she examined him carefully.


    After confirming that it was indeed Ye Yifan that was standing in front of her, Tang Xia could not conceal the shock in her eyes anymore. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    This competition was a personal contest. By right, the 10 streamers would be assigned to different landing points. How was it possible for her to meet Ye Yifan right when she came in?


    Ye Yifan¡¯s voice was faint and emotionless. ¡°I came in a little later on purpose.¡±


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s heart started to beat faster with the end of his sentence. It meant that Ye Yifan had specially came in late just to join her. Looking at Ye Yifan, Tang Xia suddenly did not know what to say next.


    Ye Yifan seemed to be unaware of the strange atmosphere between the two of them, and he continued naturally, ¡°Let¡¯s go find a hiding spot first.¡±


    ¡°This place is indeed not suitable to say for long,¡± Tang Xia replied as she looked at the surrounding torn-down walls and windows. She then followed Ye Yifan out, as if it was logical to do so.


    After following Ye Yifan and taking a few steps, Tang Xia then realized what was going on. Did the earlier conversation mean that they are in the same team? Thinking of his marriage contract with Li Xianxian, Tang Xia could not help but feel strange.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that person will get jealous that you teamed up with me?¡± After hesitating for a while, Tang Xia could not hold it back anymore and asked.


    A smile seemingly hung from the corner of his lips. His voice was low and husky as he said, ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    Not anymore? What does that mean? Did it mean that he did not care about Li Xianxian, or did it mean that they had canceled their marriage contract?


    Hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s answer, Tang Xia was even more confused. She was just about to continue asking when she realized that Ye Yifan was already very far away. She quickly caught up to him, leaving the rest for later.


    While running, Tang Xia realized that her body had become a lot lighter. She used to be unable to breathe when running 800 meters, but now she did not feel burdensome at all. She caught up with him easily.


    ¡°Did you notice that our speed seems to have improved?¡± Tang Xia looked back. In just a few minutes, the house that had come out of was already nowhere in sight.


    Ye Yifan nodded. ¡°Not just speed, but also response and strength.¡± ¡±The system must have added all these to make us more similar to the zombies.¡±


    Having said that, Ye Yifan looked down and glanced at Tang Xia with a smile. ¡°Or else I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide from your pan earlier.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I thought you were a zombie!¡± Tang Xia blushed out of embarrassment. During then, she had just entered the zombie world and was easily frightened by some slight movements. How could she have expected the person to be Ye Yifan?


    Now that she thought about it, Tang Xia then discovered the benefits of working in a team. More people meant more people to take care of each other. At the bare minimum, she would feel much safer She could also discuss many things with him.


    Ye Yifan looked up at the gray sky and his face became solemn. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded and her gaze became more cautious. The setting here was that zombies will be walking around at night. If they do not find a suitable place to spend the night before night falls, then it would become very dangerous for them.


    But on the way, all they saw were run-down residential buildings and ordinary shops. Even ordinary people would be able to break in easily with some tools, let alone zombies.


    Although they still did not how strong the zombies are, they would not go wrong with being careful. Tang Xia pondered for a while and her eyes suddenly lit up when she saw the ATM at the side of the road. ¡°Bank!¡±


    ¡°Bank?¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia, his eyes full of doubts.


    ¡°Yes, the bank.¡± Tang Xia nodded assuredly and there was joy on her face. ¡°What could be safer than the bank vault?¡±


    The bank¡¯s vault was always heavily protected. There were armed policemen watching the entrances and exits. Although there were no armed police in this zombie world, the structure of the iron wall of the vault itself was enough to protect them from the zombies¡¯ attack.


    Ye Yifan understood what she was trying to say very quickly and cast her glance of praise. ¡°Yes, the bank vault is a good place to hide.¡±


    Without further ado, the two confirmed their goals and the search that followed became easier. Landmark buildings like banks were not hard to find. Very quickly, Ye Yifan and Tang Xia found a small bank.


    Other than the fact that there was no one, everything inside was still complete. There was even countless cash in the counter. However, in the world they were in, the cash could not help in their combat.


    The two looked at each other and headed straight to the vault. The entrance to the vault was in a corner of the bank and was not difficult to find. The hard part was that the door was locked.


    The construction of such a lock was complicated. Without a key, they had to break in by force, which was extremely difficult. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes could not help but become darker. This felt like she had just struck a 10-million lottery ticket but could not get the money because the lottery ticket was damaged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, everything else is in good condition. The key is probably here.¡± Ye Yifan saw her face fell and became silent for a while before saying.


    That one line ignited hope in her again. In order to save time, both of them divided their work and searched in the bank separately. They did not overlook a single drawer and each small corner. However, the key was still nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Tang Xia suddenly screamed in surprise, and there was a silver key in her hand. She quickly went to the vault to try it out, but the key did not even fit into the keyhole. It was obviously not the right one.


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face became pale and she almost sat on the ground. What was worse than sorrow was an empty joy. She thought that she had found it, but it turned out to be an empty hope. This was the most torturous.


    This was already the last drawer she had found. She saw that the sky was getting darker and darker and even heard a faint sound made by an unknown creature. She could not help but start to feel impatient. If they do not find the key soon, all of their efforts would be wasted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, it should be here, just that we have yet to find it.¡± Ye Yifan was steady and calm as always. Instead of looking through the drawers again, he calmed down and observed the structure of the bank.


    Having failed to find the key after so long, Tang Xia was getting impatient. Her voice was filled with helplessness. ¡°But I¡¯ve already looked through all the drawers, where else can I look?¡±


    While saying so, Tang Xia went out. It was already late. If they do not find the key any sooner, no matter how reluctant, they must give up the bank and find somewhere else to stay.


    Without the key to the vault, the bank was a half-open place. It was not any better than the dilapidated house that she first entered. At least the doors and windows of that house could be closed.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s voice came from behind. Tang Xia looked at the darkening sky outside and could only stop in her tracks. Ye Yifan was right, they have been delayed here for too long. If they go out and find another place now, they would only die faster.


    Instead of going out and bumping into everywhere like a headless fly, it was better to concentrate and search for the key. Tang Xia gradually calmed down and returned back to the bank to search for it.


    ¡°Tang Xia, where is the key that you just found?¡± Ye Yifan suddenly asked Tang Xia as he searched.


    Tang Xia took out the silver key helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s no use, I¡¯ve tried it, this is not for the v¡­¡± Before she finished her sentence, Ye Yifan had already hurriedly taken the key from her hand and ran towards the other corner opposite the vault.


    Tang Xia was startled. Was he driven mad and trying all sorts of methods possible? Judging from the previous live broadcasts, Ye Yifan was not such a person. After pausing for a while, Tang Xia followed after him.


    She found that there was another room in the corner which was also locked. Ye Yifan inserted the silver key that Tang Xia found and it fit perfectly.


    But this was not a vault after all. There was no strong defense inside it. Even if they opened this room, it could only protect them for a while.


    As night fell, there were more and more strange sounds outside. Tang Xia¡¯s brows furrowed tighter. She voiced out her concerns to Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan smiled at her. ¡°Look what¡¯s written outside this room?¡±


    Tang Xia paused. She did not pay attention to it just now, but what does this have to do with the key to the vault? This was what Tang Xia thought as she listened to him and looked at the words carefully. Sure enough, she found a few blurred words on the door: ¡°Manager¡¯s Office¡±


    Tang Xia was the type of person that could understand a situation once enlightened. She was impatient just now, but now that she was reminded by Ye Yifan, she understood it very quickly.


    The key to the vault was usually kept by the bank manager. Of course the manager would put it in the office. No wonder they could not find them outside, because the key was in here!


    Realizing this, Tang Xia became alive again right away. The manager¡¯s office was small. They worked together and quickly found the key in the pocket of a coat hanging on the wall.


    Tang Xia took the key to try outside the vault. It matched!


    At the same time, the sky darkened completely. Through the window, they faintly saw the group of zombies walking around on the streets. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan did not dare to hesitate. They quickly hid in the vault and locked the door.

 Chapter 248 - Not the Right One

    Chapter 248 Not the Right One


    The night fell and the city was quickly enveloped by the darkness.


    The power supply had already been cut off. There was only a lonely moon hanging in the air, elongating the shadows of the few people on the streets.


    From a distance, they were no different from humans. But looking closely, one would see that there was something off about these shadows.


    They were slow-moving, stiff and emit rancid stench. The most terrifying thing was their faces. There was not a single chunk of flesh that was good. There were even spots on their faces that exposed their bones inside.


    Other than their human-like skeleton structure, they were more rotten than a rotten body.


    Zombies, the nightmare of the world, act at night. If the singled-out survivors do not find a suitable hiding place, it would only be a dead-end if they encounter zombies.


    The most frightening part was that as time goes by, the strength and quantity of these zombies were constantly growing. The house that was able to resist the zombie attack the day before might be attacked the next day.


    In this situation, everyone was afraid all the time. No one knows when they could live until.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A sorrowful scream pierced through the night sky. The store that a young man was hiding in could not withstand the attacks by the layers of zombies. They had already created a hole.


    Before the young man could recover from his shock, the zombies had already invaded like crazy. There was not even time for him to struggle before he lost the strength to cry for help.


    Fresh blood started spreading on the ground. The plain eyes of the zombies started lighting up like crazy. They devoured the young man¡¯s body into pieces and then headed off to their next spot.


    Such screams were heard time and again throughout the night. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were hiding in the extreme corner of the vault. The torchlight that was placed against the wall was emitting a weak glow.


    Outside the door, the sound of zombie striking and scratching continued way past midnight. It was mixed with the deep roars of the zombies. Tang Xia crouched down subconsciously and hugged her own arms.


    The vault could block the zombies, but it could not keep this bone-chilling coldness outside the door. Tang Xia warmed her hands by blowing hot air onto them. She could not stop her body from shuddering and she sneezed.


    ¡°Cold?¡±


    A man¡¯s voice filled with concern came from her side. Tang Xia had just turned around when Ye Yifan had already taken off his own jacket to put it on her. Since it was just taken off, it was still filled with his warmth.


    Tang Xia was stunned and she subconsciously wanted to return it. However, when she saw his deep gaze, she stopped. His gaze was filled with concern. The gentleness in it was stronger than his words.


    The dim light of the flashlight shone on his face, bringing out its paleness. Yet, it caused his facial features to look even more well-defined. It was the beautiful face that Tang Xia had waited to see on livestreams countless times.


    Since and unknown point in time, the sound of the zombies banging on the door had stopped. The vault was very quiet. Tang Xia could only hear her heart beating.


    It was then that she realized this atmosphere between both of them was a little special. If it was not doomsday, one could probably describe it as loving.


    The men¡¯s coat seemed big as it draped on her body, yet it managed to keep away the coldness. Tang Xia unknowingly hugged onto it tighter. The complicated emotions came out again.


    If I don¡¯t ask now, it wouldn¡¯t be convenient to do so in the future, right? After a long while, Tang Xia finally gritted her teeth and turned towards Ye Yifan and asked, ¡°You and Li Xianxian¡¯s marriage contract¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, the torchlight flashed and there went the faint light. The vault entered complete darkness. Based on his memory, Ye Yifan found the torchlight and he tried meddling with it. His voice was filled with helplessness, ¡°It¡¯s out of battery.¡±


    The second half of Tang Xia¡¯s sentence was stuck in her throat. She could not continue, nor could she stop herself from wanting to say it. Her face was full of awkwardness. Luckily, the surrounding was pitch-dark. He could not see her expression.


    After a moment of speechlessness, the room became silent again. There were only their breathing sounds that were loud and clear.


    Just as Tang Xia was pondering whether or not to open her mouth again, Ye Yifan¡¯s voice suddenly rang, ¡°I won¡¯t marry her.¡±


    So he heard it. Tang Xia¡¯s heart suddenly missed a beat. She could not help but glance at him. The room was pitch dark. She could only see his shining gaze, but could not figure out the emotions inside it.


    ¡°Does your family agree to it?¡± Tang Xia asked. The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it slightly. Wasn¡¯t that bullshit? If the Ye elders were so easy to convince, then Haizi would not have specifically told her about Ye Yifan being forced to get married.


    Sure enough, after hearing those words. Ye Yifan paused for a while. When he started talking again, there was a tint of self-pity in his tone. ¡°Of course not, I moved out of the house after I had a big fight with them. Even my bank card was cut off.¡±


    Tang Xia listened to him speaking of it so lightly, yet she could faintly tell how difficult he had been the past few days. No wonder she rarely saw him in the company these days. He must be taking care of these things.


    ¡°Why?¡± Tang Xia suddenly understood Ye Yifan¡¯s difficulty which Haizi told him about and could not help but ask. At first, Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian went along well, no? Why did he do it knowing that his family would suppress him?


    There was a bold answer in her heart that she did not dare to think about. However, Ye Yifan did not answer for a long time. Feeling confused, Tang Xia turned her head towards him. Her eyes met his deep gaze. It was like entering a deep lake. She almost drowned in it.


    ¡°Because she is not the right one.¡± Ye Yifan fixed his gaze on her. His voice was husky.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart started beating very quickly. For a long time, she said not another word.


    The night was dark. Only the young lady¡¯s troubles flowed silently. Tang Xia did not even know what time she fell asleep.


    When she woke up the next morning, the sun was already hanging high up in the sky. Tang Xia then realized that she had been leaning against Ye Yifan¡¯s shoulder. She quickly got up.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s voice traveled from above her head. He must have woken up earlier but did not want to wake her.


    Tang Xia replied with a ¡®hmm¡¯ and she looked embarrassed.


    Luckily, Ye Yifan had no intention to continue this topic. He stood up to stretch and said to Tang Xia, ¡°We only found a place to hide and did not find any resources. Let¡¯s go out and take a look.¡±


    The sky was now bright and there was no need to worry about zombies¡¯ attack. Tang Xia nodded. She had the same idea as well. The most basic resources were food and water. Following which, tools like torchlight were essential as well.


    Both of them got ready and headed out. Once they stepped foot outside, they then realized how bloody the zombies¡¯ attack was last night. There were even deep vents on the metal gate of the vault.


    The streets outside were in a greater mess. The glass windows of the stores were shattered. Every now and then, they could see broken limbs on the streets. There was a faint blood smell lingering in the air.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan looked at each other and could not conceal the shock in their eyes. The situation was way worse than they thought, If they had not found the key to the vault yesterday, they were most likely in a very bad place right now.


    They also met some survivors on the streets, but everyone was focused on finding resources for themselves. Their gazes were filled with strong vigilance.


    At first, Tang Xia wanted to find out more, but before she got near, the other party already ran away. If not, they would be holding onto a weapon and warning her, their faces full of distrust.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s impossible to enquire about anything.¡± Tang Xia sighed and continued to walk with Ye Yifan. She thought that humans would become more united because of the zombies, but it was the exact opposite.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s silent and calm gaze was filled with an answer. ¡°This is doomsday.¡±


    Not only do they have to face the threat of zombies, they also need to fight with their kind. In such an extreme situation, it was possible to see humans eating each other, let alone what just happened.


    Many stores on the streets have already been raided. They were not the only ones who needed supplies urgently. There were people who fought over them.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were unwilling to fight over supplies. They walked a few streets down before they found a convenience store in a remote corner. There was no one inside.


    ¡°Here!¡± Tang Xia waved at Ye Yifan excitedly. There were many food and water that had yet to expire. They should last them many days.


    Ye Yifan followed the sound and followed her in, not forgetting to close the curtains, in case other people come and fight with them.


    Both of them took a backpack each and started stuffing as much food and water inside the bags as possible. No one knew what was going to happen next. These supplies were the most basic thing that would ensure their survival.


    After preparing the food enough for a few days, Tang Xia started searching for other tools. Although the convenience store was small, it had everything. There were basic necessities and Tang Xia even found a sleeping bag under the cashier.


    They only needed two torchlights, but more batteries. When Tang Xia walked to a corner to continue searching, she suddenly heard a scratching sound.


    Tang Xi froze. After confirming that she was not hallucinating, an alarm went off in her heart. She quickly motioned to Ye Yifan with her eyes.


    Ye Yifan was searching for things on the other side. Seeing the situation, he quickly put down his bag and came to Tang Xia. Both of them walked towards the corner carefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t eat me!¡± A young girl was crouching in the corner and her voice was hoarse. Her pale face was filled with the look of terror and there were even traces of tears on her face.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes were wide opened. They did not expect this. At this moment, Tang Xia recognized the girl. It was Jiang Yu. She was also a contestant in the Celebrity Battle. Tang Xia saw her livestream before. She was a very cute girl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, the zombies are gone.¡± Tang Xia immediately let loose her tightened emotions. She put down the baseball bat that she had just picked up casually and comforted in a gentle voice.


    Jiang Yu seemed to have gotten quite the scare. Tang Xia had to repeat it several times before she dared to lift up her head. ¡°Really¡­really?¡± The pair of wet eyes were still looking out onto the streets.


    Are those zombies who eat people really gone?


    ¡°Really.¡± Tang Xia said with affirmation. After another round of comforting, Jiang Yu finally believed that the zombies were gone. She then started crying uncontrollably and even plunged herself into Tang Xia¡¯s embrace and started bawling.

 Chapter 249 - A New Mission

    ¡°Eating people¡­ last night¡­ zombies¡­¡±


    Jiang Yu spoke in broken sentences. Her tears fell like pearls of a broken necklace. Tang Xia¡¯s heart wrenched while looking at her. She could only put her hand behind her back and comfort her gently. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all over.¡±


    After crying for a while, Jian Yu finally stopped her tears. However, she still twitched from time to time.


    From her crying, Tang Xia slowly got an idea of what happened. Jiang Yu had seen the gory scene of the zombies eating humans the night before through the windows. She had a big scare.


    At this moment, Tang Xia could not help but feel lucky that she had already teamed up with Ye Yifan. If she had to face that alone, she might have a trauma as well.


    Tang Xia kept on persuading her and looking at how pitiful she was, Tang Xia could not bear to leave her here alone. She blurted out, ¡°Why not you come with us?¡±


    Jiang Yu had cried so much her eyes were red. Hearing that, she looked up at Tang Xia and then looked at Ye Yifan. Her voice showed that she was not confident in herself, ¡°Can I?¡±


    Tang Xia then remembered that she had yet to ask Ye Yifan for his opinion. She quickly turned to look at him. Ye Yifan smiled and his voice was joyous, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Just like that, the two-people squad became a three-people squad. With Tang Xia¡¯s comfort, Jiang Yu slowly walked out of the trauma of seeing zombies eating people from the night before. She slowly showed the side of her that was lively and loved to smile.


    Seeing that she was completely fine, Tang Xia could not help but feel curious about the zombies¡¯ situation. ¡°You saw the zombies yesterday? Can you describe it? ¡±


    They had been hiding in the vault yesterday and had not really seen the zombies yet. They did not know what the zombies¡¯ capabilities are.


    Jiang Yu tried to recall. She then shook her head. ¡°It was too dark at the time. I only saw a few shadows rushing over to a person. It didn¡¯t take long before the person was torn into pieces¡­¡±


    While saying so, it evoked bad memories. Her face was stuck with dumbfoundedness and it became much paler.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, think slowly. Did that person resist? ¡±


    Tang Xia first comforted her. Seeing Jiang Yu¡¯s emotions become stable, she then continued asking. Thinking about it again, she explained, ¡°We still have to continue to survive in this world. We will come face to face with the zombies sooner or later. It would be better if we can gather some information beforehand.¡±


    Jiang Yu knew that Tang Xia made sense. She tried to overcome her fear and recall. Eventually, she still lowered her head feeling sorry. ¡°I was too scared, so I didn¡¯t pay attention.¡±


    After saying so, she looked at Tang Xia in guilt. She was feeling sorry because she could not help.


    Tang Xia knew that she had tried her best to recall. Although she was a little disappointed, she still smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Just when Tang Xia had given up getting information from Jiang Yu, after a short while, Jiang Yu suddenly remembered something and cried out, ¡°Oh right, I think I heard gunshots!¡±


    ¡°Gunshots?¡±


    ¡°Yes! ¡°It seems like there were zombies who were hit. ¡± Jiang Yu was more certain the more she thought about it.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan found the street that Jiang Yu saw through the window. Indeed, on the ground were remains of zombies, blood, and broken human limbs. From afar, they could already smell a stench that combined the foul stench of a rotting body and blood.


    Jiang Yu had yet to walk out of her trauma completely and she did not dare to sit there alone. She tugged onto Tang Xia¡¯s shirt and covered her eyes. Tang Xia suppressed the nauseousness and walked towards it with Ye Yifan to observe.


    The zombies¡¯ heads were blown up, and the broken bodies were covered with brains juice. The scene was too much for the eyes. Tang Xia could not even watch zombie films, so she quickly turned away.


    ¡°It seemed like the zombie films, just that their heads were shot,¡± Tang Xia said.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s gaze searched through the wreckage and found a pistol. However, there were no bullets inside. It seemed like this was why that person was killed by zombies yesterday.


    Holding onto the gun and thinking for a while, Ye Yifan went on to say, ¡°If we can get hold of guns, then even if we were to encounter a zombie, we can still fight.¡±


    While saying so, the three of them started walking out. Jiang Yu only opened her eyes after leaving that area. Hearing what he said, she interrupted, ¡°But where do we get guns?¡±


    After pausing for a moment, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan thought of the same location at the same time: ¡°Police.¡±


    The two looked at each other and there was a flash of light in their eyes.


    As it turned out, they were right to go to the police station. Not only did they find enough guns and ammunition, but there was also a shooting range for practice.


    Because of how the system strengthened their various abilities, although it was their first time touching a gun, the three did not spend too much time before they were able to hit their target easily.


    In the beginning, Jiang Yu was still anxious. But after she realized that her capabilities were boosted, she became more daring and even said that she wanted to look for a zombie to practice.


    Tang Xia teased her, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t end up crying.¡±


    In order to prove to her, Jiang Yu took the pistol and shot five bullets in a row. Each shot was spot-on. Her eyes were beaming with satisfaction, ¡°That was before. Now the zombies can only escape when they meet me.¡±


    Everything was better said than done. Even if they were to have enough practice in shooting, the trio still did not dare to go face to face with the countless zombies.


    Seeing the sky darkening, the trio quickly packed their things and headed back to the vault. As compared to other places, this was the best place to hide for the time being.


    Since they got a whole lot of supplies from the convenience store, it did not feel that empty when they slept in the vault this time around. Tang Xia took out portable sleeping bags from her backpack and passed to them. As they discussed the plan for tomorrow, a row of words suddenly appeared before their eyes.


    System notification: Zhou Chong eliminated


    Tang Xia¡¯s gaze faltered and she looked into Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes. She could not conceal the shock in her eyes. It was only the second day and someone was already eliminated. This showed how cruel this world could be.


    However, as compared with Jiang Yu, their reactions were considered dull. Because Jiang Yu started crying immediately. Her heartbroken despair was worse than when they found her in the convenience store during the day.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tang Xia saw that she was crying so sadly and asked in curiosity.


    ¡°Zhou Chong¡­ is my best friend¡­¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as she sobbed and replied. Tang Xia then understood what was going on. Her eyes that looked at Jiang Yu was filled with sympathy.


    The moment she came in, she witnessed the gory scene of zombies eating humans. Following which, her best friend was eliminated. Jiang Yu really had the worst experiences.


    Tang Xia sighed and felt helpless. At that moment, she really did not know how to comfort her. She could only support her silently. Jiang Yu was a relatively simple girl. Her emotions come and go quickly. After a while, she got tired of crying and fell asleep.


    When she woke up on the third morning, Jiang Yu¡¯s gaze was still solemn. She was obviously not as lively as she was in the shooting range yesterday.


    Tang Xia knew that she was still sad over her friend being eliminated and did not deliberately comfort her. She only changed the topic occasionally to help divert her attention.


    There was even a mission this morning: Go to West Town and save the besieged little girl.


    Looking at the map they got from the store, they already knew that they were on the north side of this city. There was quite a distance to West Town. At that moment, they did not even hesitate. They set off right away after they replenished their supplies.


    It was really too far from West Town. It was nearly impossible for them to reach by nighttime on foot. Ye Yifan muttered to himself and found a car at the side of the road.


    There were benefits of doomsday. For example, these things belonged to no one and they could use them freely. With a car, the trio could now travel much faster. Unfortunately, the car ran out of petrol halfway.


    The trio could only get off and walk. Luckily, there was not much left to walk. They could make it in time even on foot.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it anymore.¡± After walking a few more kilometers, Jiang Yu walked to the side of the road and sat down, wiping the sweat on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    Although Tang Xia was a little better than her, she also seemed a little tired. Seeing that it was not that early anymore, she said to Ye Yifan, ¡°Let¡¯s stop and have a rest.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded, and the three sat down on the side of the road for a short break. Tang Xia took out compressed biscuits and water from her bag and gave them to Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu to replenish their physical strength.


    The trio ate while discussing the next plan. After they were almost done resting, they were just about to stand up and continue on their way when Jiang Yu suddenly pointed towards a bunch of people coming from the other side. ¡°Look, is that Li Xianxian?¡±


    Tang Xia then looked in her direction and that there were indeed two people sitting below the tree and resting. They were too far away for them to see clearly, but Tang Xia could recognize that b*tchy look from far away. Who else could it be other than Li Xianxian?


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart twitched and she subconsciously turned to look at Ye Yifan who was beside her, only to see that he was looking in that direction as well.


    If they follow their original route, they would definitely bump into Li Xianxian and her group at where they were currently resting.


    Ye Yifan hesitated for a while before looking at Tang Xia. ¡°Do you want to detour?¡± It was a tone of inquiry. Jiang Yu did not know what was going on so she came close to them to gossip, ¡°Why do you want to detour? Do you guys have any relationship problems?¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan¡¯s faces were horrible.


    Then, as if Jiang Yu suddenly remembered something, she pointed at Ye Yifan excitedly and shouted, ¡°Right, you and Li Xianxian were trending once!¡±


    Ye Yifan did not say anything and only looked at Tangxia.


    Tang Xia waved her hand generously, ¡°Why do you want to detour? Just follow the original route!¡± She did not do anything wrong, did she need to be afraid of Li Xianxian?


    The trio went on just like that. As the distance grew closer, they gradually saw the situation there. Li Xianxian seemed to have broken an ankle or something and was resting by the road. There was a boy beside her who was helping her.


    At the same time, Li Xianxian also saw Ye Yifan and Tang Xia. Her face fell and she glared at Tang Xia harshly. She then stumbled her way into Ye Yifan¡¯s arms.


    One of her leg was limping, so Ye Yifan was not in a good position to push her. He just stood there frozen. Li Xianxian did not care about anything and just pulled him into her embrace. Her tears fell naturally down her cheeks, making her looking very pitiful.

 Chapter 250 - Harvesting the Loot

    Chapter 250 Harvesting the Loot


    Ye Yifan furrowed his brows and widened the distance between him and Li Xianxian without a change in his expression. His voice was calm and there was no fluctuation in his tone. ¡°I have to get moving.¡±


    Hearing that, Li Xianxian¡¯s tears-ruined face froze instantly, as if his cold attitude towards her was completely unexpected.


    At the next second, she wrapped her hands tightly around Ye Yifan¡¯s arm and asked earnestly, ¡°Yifan, where are you going? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    As she said so, she swept her glance across Tang Xia and Jiang Yu, with her intentions unclear. There was a slight contempt in her gaze. She did not believe that Ye Yifan would team up with them and yet not bring her along.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia. He hesitated for a moment and did not say a word. Li Xianxian tugged on his arm, as if she wanted to say some more. A cold snort came from behind her. It was the streamer that was with Li Xianxian in the past, Lu Huanyu.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, don¡¯t forget what you promised me.¡± Lu Huanyu¡¯s eyes swept across Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan unpleasantly. There was a tint of warning in his tone.


    Hearing his voice, Li Xianxian froze. Her eyes moved left and right, as if she was trying to weigh something. Lu Huanyu saw that she was hesitating and snorted in dissatisfaction before he headed in another direction.


    When Li Xianxian saw this, she then made up his mind and stomped her foot. She forced a smile at Ye Yifan. ¡°Yifan, we¡¯ll have the chance to see each other again.¡±


    After saying that, she did not wait for Ye Yifan to answer and quickly followed behind Lu Huanyu¡¯s footsteps.


    ¡°I feel that the atmosphere between Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu seems a bit strange.¡± After Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu left, Jiang Yu came up to them with a mysterious look on her face. Her gaze looked as if she had seen it all.


    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Tang Xia asked curiously as she also entered deep thoughts while looking at Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu¡¯s back views.


    Jiang Yu shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know, intuition.¡±


    Tang Xia rolled her eyes. She might as well have said nothing! The two girls fussed over the situation for a while and only remembered that they were in a rush when they heard Ye Yifan¡¯s reminder filled with helplessness.


    Due to the delays, when the three people arrived at West Town, it was already evening. West Town was an old city area. The streets were narrow and there were many houses that layered above one another by the roadside.


    The mission description only gave them a rough scope. They had to search for the specific address on their own. Tang Xia looked at the dull sky and suggested, ¡°Why not we split up to search for it?¡±


    Ye Yifan had yet to express his opinion when Jiang Yu quickly tightened her grip on Tang Xia. ¡°No! It¡¯s better if we stick together!¡±


    ¡°Are you scared again?¡±


    Tang Xiu looked at Jiang Yu suspiciously only to see her looking around at high alert. She might as well have written the word ¡®scared¡¯ on her face. There was a tint of helplessness in Tang Xia¡¯s voice as she said, ¡°Yesterday at the shooting range in the police station, who was the one who said that she was not afraid of zombies anymore?¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment, yet she was still stubborn and did not want to admit. ¡°I¡¯m not scared, I¡¯m just worried that you guys might be in danger!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, a sorrowful scream of a cat came from the rubbish cans near them. Jiang Yu immediately let out a scream and buried herself in Tang Xia¡¯s embrace.


    Tang Xia glanced at her helplessly. That was what she called ¡®not scared¡¯? As if she could her hear voice, Jiang Yu quickly poked her head out. ¡°No!¡±


    Tang Xia lost to her completely. She turning her gaze towards Ye Yifan to ask what he thinks. Ye Yifan muttered to himself a bit and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look peaceful here. To be safe, let¡¯s stay together, like what Jiang Yu said.¡±


    This time around, Jiang Yu quickly raised her hand enthusiastically. ¡°I agree!¡±


    Just like that, the trio started searching in the vicinity together. The run-down houses looked extra creepy in the evening. Jiang Yu held on tightly to Tang Xia¡¯s arm and refused to let go. At the start, Tang Xia was still uncomfortable, but eventually, she gave in to her.


    ¡°Do you guys hear anything?¡± Jiang Yu suddenly stopped in her tracks after passing by a block. She tried to listen carefully.


    Tang Xia followed her and stopped as well. However, she only heard the cries of stray cats. She replied disdainfully, ¡°It¡¯s just cats.¡± While saying so, Tang Xia prepared to enter the next block to continue searching.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cats. There¡¯s really something. I think it¡¯s coming from the house by the side.¡± Jiang Yu stopped in her tracks and listened for a while before saying to Tang Xia stubbornly.


    Tang Xia saw that she was being serious, and also quietened down to listen carefully. Indeed, there was a faint cry coming from a house not far away. Tang Xia¡¯s face fell and she became serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s there!¡±


    After the trio confirmed the source of the sound, they walked into the house together.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Ye Yifan walked in front and observed the environment while watching out for the two girls. Tang Xia and Jiang Yu nodded. The pistols that they got from the police station were already in their hands as protection.


    Ye Yifan pushed the old door open and a rotten stench filled up their noses instantly. The trio slowed down and made their way cautiously into the house.


    As they got closer to the house, the crying became clearer. It was even filled with strange scratching sounds. It felt as if there was an unusual danger hidden in the dim environment.


    ¡°The cry is coming from upstairs.¡±


    Ye Yifan listened carefully and concluded. He led the two girls upstairs. Tang Xia saw that the house was dimly lit, causing them to be unable to see clearly, so she took out torchlights from her backpack. However, she had unknowingly left the group.


    Tang Xia turned on the torchlight and was about to re-join the group when a black shadow suddenly burst out from the room next to her. It was so powerful, bringing Tang Xia down in an instant. Her torchlight and backpack rolled over to the side.


    ¡°Zombies!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pale and she instantly called out to her two companions. When she took out the torchlight, she had put the pistol back into her backpack first. Now, she had nothing to defend herself.


    Ye Yifan heard the commotion and quickly turned back. Seeing the zombie biting towards Tang Xia with its bloody mouth opened wide, he hurriedly went forward and kicked it away.


    The zombie was tenacious. This kick could do nothing to hurt it. It quickly climbed up from the ground and roared as it charged towards Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A gunshot was heard. The bullet ran through its eye sockets, causing its brain to explode. The zombie swayed for a bit before falling to the ground. It lost its threat completely.


    Jiang Yu was standing behind it, holding onto her pistol and having her eyes shut tightly. Her hands were still trembling slightly. She heard the gunshot but did not dare to open her eyes. With a trembling voice, she asked Tang Xia, ¡°Is it dead?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked to see such a scene. She went up to give the zombie a kick. After ensuring that it was not moving anymore, she went to pat Jiang Yu¡¯s shoulder excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s 100% dead!¡± This shot is so timely! ¡±


    Jiang Yu opened her eyes slowly and saw an excited Tang Xia with her thumbs up. ¡°Not bad! You killed a zombie in your first shot!¡±


    ¡°Haha, now do you know how amazing I am?¡±


    Jiang Yu raised her hand to wipe away the cold sweat on her forehead and smiled at Tang Xia. Her face was still a little pale. She was too embarrassed to tell Tang Xia that she was actually scared out of her mind earlier but seeing how critical the situation was, she had no choice but to fire the shot.


    Fortunately, the zombie problem was solved smoothly. Jiang Yu patted her chest and there was still lingering fear in her eyes.


    ¡°It was great, it was great.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s life had just been saved, so she cooperated and complimented her. The trio took a little break before heading upstairs. In order to prevent running into zombies again, this time round, all of them held onto their pistols.


    Indeed, when they got upstairs, they faced the attack of several zombies. But with their experience from earlier on, they seemed to take it calmly.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan gradually entered the state while Jiang Yu also gradually overcame her fear. The trio cooperated with each other and took care of all the zombies in no time.


    After eliminating the zombies¡¯ threat, the trio followed the cry and found a small girl in a room in the corner. She was probably a NPC.


    When the little girl saw the three people, she stopped crying immediately. She said her thanks and passed them a simple wooden box.


    ¡°Wishing you guys good luck.¡± The little girl gave them a mysterious smile and then disappeared right in front of their eyes.


    Tang Xia took over the wooden box. It¡¯s exterior was simple and there was nothing special about it. She stretched out her hand to open it. At this moment, Ye Yifan looked outside the window and saw that the sky had become completely dark. His face became solemn and he urged, ¡°There¡¯s no time, let¡¯s open it when we go back.¡±


    There were faint roaring sounds in the darkness. The zombies had probably come out. They were not left with many bullets. They did not know how many zombies they would encounter if they stay here. They have to return to the vault first.


    ¡°OK.¡± Tang Xia did not hesitate after hearing his suggestion. After keeping the wooden box, the trio hurried their way back into their darkness.


    The moment they stepped foot outside, they were faced with a bunch of zombies. They took a while to eliminate them. Once again, the faint sound of zombies came from not far away. They were aiming for the trio.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this. We will run out of bullets before we reach the vault.¡± Ye Yifan looked at the remaining bullets and his face became more solemn. He turned towards Tang Xia and Jiang Yu, saying, ¡°Try to avoid conflicts with big groups of zombies.¡±


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu nodded. They turned off their torchlights and with the help of the darkness of the night, they became more cautious and managed to avoid some of the zombies¡¯ attacks.


    Fortunately, luck was on their side. They found an off-road vehicle by the roadside. In order to get onto the car successfully, they came face to face with another bunch of zombies. Luckily, they managed to eliminate them with the remaining bullets.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally back.¡± Jiang Yu said emotionally as they returned back to the vault. She sat down directly. She had already lost count of how many zombies she had killed the whole day.


    Sitting down beside her, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan also did the same. Although the system gave them some boosters, they still used up a lot of energy to counter the countless zombies.


    The trio rested for a while and took out compressed biscuits and water to replenish energy. Tang Xia remembered the small wooden box the little girl gave to them and quickly took it out.


    ¡°Luckily we still have a trophy. It¡¯s not an empty trip.¡± Tang Xia took out the wooden box. Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan heard her and cast their curious gaze towards it. They were very curious as to what was in the box.


    As the wooden box was opened slowly, a piece of paper appeared before their eyes slowly.

 Chapter 251 - The Oriole Behind

    Chapter 251 The Oriole Behind


    Tang Xia exchanged a look with the two of them and slowly opened the note. On the note was an eye-catching address, and the three of them were instantly puzzled.


    Jiang Yu took over the note directly and continued to look at it. However, there were only a few words, regardless of whether it was the front or the back.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be? Only a few words were written on such a large piece of paper.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t one location enough? What more do you want to have?¡± As Tang Xia spoke, she snatched the note back again and read the address that was written on it over and over again.


    Jiang Yu was slightly reluctant, and she leaned backwards rather weakly. ¡°We spent so much effort to save the little girl. I thought that it would give us something good! But in the end, we have to go to the next location again.¡±


    She could not be blamed. They had experienced many things and saved the little girl after they had gone through many hardships. They were inevitably a little tired, and a casual word of complaint or two was also inevitable.


    Tang Xia did not say anything. In her heart, she actually also felt a slight hint of disappointment.


    Ye Yifan thought for a long while and turned to look at Tang Xia. ¡°Should we go or not then?¡± Tang Xia held onto the note in her hand and slowly shook her head. She seemed very conflicted and also did not know if they should go or not.


    Jiang Yu suddenly came over and said quickly, ¡°It might not necessarily be compulsory to go, right? We don¡¯t even know if there is any danger there. If it is a trap, wouldn¡¯t we all be eliminated?¡±


    Ye Yifan actually shared the same sentiment as her. He was not afraid of death, but he wanted to be as safe as possible.


    Tang Xia already knew Ye Yifan¡¯s intentions with merely one look at his expression. She frowned and thought for a while. ¡°We should still go.¡±


    Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan were both stunned, and they turned their heads to look at her. ¡°We¡¯re really going to go? Our weapons are also limited. What should we do if it¡¯s a trap?¡± However, Ye Yifan did not express his opinion and waited for what Tang Xia wanted to say.


    Suddenly, they merely saw her smile and shake the note in her hand. ¡°So what then? If we don¡¯t go to this place, do all of you have a better suggestion? At most, we¡¯ll die. Since we won¡¯t really die, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    Both of them instantly went silent, and they looked at Tang Xia in a slightly incredulous way. While they felt that her words were a little crazy, they also felt that what she said was very reasonable, and there was no way to refute it.


    Jiang Yu also smiled helplessly. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go then. I agree. What about you? Ye Yifan?¡±


    Ye Yifan, who had been spacing out all along, suddenly returned to his senses and nodded, agreeing as well. Tang Xia patted Ye Yifan on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re so engrossed. What are you thinking about?¡± However, Ye Yifan shook his head to indicate that it was nothing.


    Although Tang Xia was slightly puzzled, she did not think too much about it. Thus, she continued to turn her head and talk to Jiang Yu. Ye Yifan was slightly dazed as he watched Tang Xia speak. For a moment earlier before, he had suddenly felt that Tang Xia had changed.


    She was no longer the small fan in the past, who always looked up to him, and neither was she the princess in the Close Your Eyes When It¡¯s Dark villa, who always needed his protection.


    Without his realization, she had gradually grown up to be a true anchor, who could rely on her own strength to manage things on her own.


    Ye Yifan clearly felt that her entire being seemed to shine. He could not help but smile slightly. She had grown up.


    Tang Xia watched Ye Yifan space out again and realized that he was spacing out as he watched her. She was slightly puzzled and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Jiang Yu, what happened to him?¡±


    Jiang Yu also turned her head to look at Ye Yifan, and she, too, shook her head in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Was he scared silly?¡±


    ¡°Scared silly? He was already scared silly before we even headed to that place?¡± Tang Xia does not think so, and she immediately gave Jiang Yu a look. She then turned to look at Ye Yifan and waved her hands in front of him. Unexpectedly, Ye Yifan caught hold of her hands. ¡°I am stupid.¡±


    The two of them were stunned. Tang Xia looked at Jiang Yu with a slightly blameful look. Jiang Yu indicated that she was also very innocent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go to that place.¡± Ye Yifan released Tang Xia¡¯s hands and pointed at the note. The two of them instantly nodded gravely and prepared the weapons and necessary items. The three of them then headed straight to the place on the note.


    Reality proved that this road was tough to travel. Throughout the journey, they never took any breaks. Ye Yifan directed them, and the two women naturally followed after him and served as his backing.


    From time to time, a bunch of zombies would charge over. At that moment, they could not help but feel relieved that they had weapons on them. However, they also could not help but worry about that place being even more dangerous. If so, it would truly be game over for them.


    It could be said that the three forced their way through the countless zombies with great difficulty. They also faced many problems before arriving at the location stated on the note. However, when they were at the target location, they instantly fell silent.


    Jiang Yu shook the note in her hand, and her voice also quivered slightly. ¡°Tang Xia, are you sure that the address refers to this place?¡±


    The wasteland scene, which they saw, was merely a remote courtyard. Furthermore, it also seemed that nobody had lived in it for a long time. The roofs of the houses were all leaking, and weeds grew everywhere.


    Jiang Yu could not help but fall in despair. Ye Yifan took the note and looked at it solemnly for a while. ¡°This should be the place.¡±


    Jiang Yu instantly burst into tears and squatted on the ground. ¡°God! Did we go through so much trouble just to find a lousy courtyard? This paper is too much of a rip-off!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Jiang Yu rather helplessly and sighed. He then turned and looked at Tang Xia and saw that she did not seem disappointed at all. Instead, she was observing the courtyard solemnly. He felt an inexplicable sense of emotions in his heart.


    Just when they were completely clueless, as if Tang Xia had suddenly recalled something, she turned her head and said, ¡°Say, do you think that it may be hidden under the ground?¡± The two of them were stunned and looked at her doubtfully.


    ¡°Under the ground? Probably not. Why do you sound like you¡¯re talking about TV dramas and novels?¡± Jiang Yu shook her head in disbelief. On the other hand, Ye Yifan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I think it is highly possible. Don¡¯t forget that this is a zombie game.¡± Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan, and he looked right back before they smiled at each other.


    Jiang Yu was utterly speechless. When did they have such great chemistry? However, she only had one mouth and could not persuade them otherwise.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s search underground and see if there is anything under the earth.¡± As Jiang Yu said this, she lowered her head and began to check around. However, at that moment, she merely heard Tang Xia laugh and say, ¡°In my opinion, we don¡¯t even need to search.¡±


    The two of them looked towards Tang Xia and merely saw her glance at a small mound. After listening to her, they walked over directly. ¡°Hurry and dig this. Maybe it¡¯s below this!¡±


    The three of them were instantly motivated and started to dig the soil. However, while they were digging, Jiang Yu seemed hesitant.


    ¡°Say, we wouldn¡¯t dig out zombies, would we?¡± She was a timid girl, after all. Tang Xia patted her shoulder and comforted her,


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely impossible. Why would they bury zombies below? ¡°We¡¯re already here. Do you still want to give up like that?¡± After listening to Tang Xia, Jiang Yu eventually decided that it would be better to continue digging.


    Not too long after, something was exposed in sight. Ye Yifan was stunned, and he quickly got the other two to stop while he continued digging. The girls were slightly puzzled.


    Ye Yifan was afraid that it might be a bomb or something, so he instructed the girls to stand further away. Tang Xia understood his intentions and pulled Jiang Yu and backed off two steps.


    Ye Yifan swept away the soil on the top silently and carefully. All that he saw was a small wooden box. They were all stunned. ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s not a zombie.¡± As he spoke, he patted his chest lightly.


    Tang Xia was in the mood to play. She smiled and said teasingly, ¡°A small zombie might be in such a small box, right?¡±


    Jiang Yu was shocked, and she turned to look at Tang Xia. When she saw the joking expression on Tang Xia¡¯s face, she then understood the latter was teasing her. Thus, Jiang Yu stomped the ground rather angrily.


    At that moment, Ye Yifan opened the wooden box. The cover fell to the ground with a bang, and the two girls, who were playing, immediately looked over.


    They merely saw Ye Yifan smile and wave his hands at them. ¡°Come over quickly. It¡¯s a good thing!¡± Only then did Tang Xia and Jiang Yu manage to react. They looked at each other and happily smiled before they ran over together.


    As they moved closer and took a look, they discovered that the wooden box was filled with resources. Then, they exclaimed in surprise. Coincidentally, they had found a few submachine guns, which they lacked, as well as a medical kit.


    Ye Yifan opened the medical kit and found a bottle of serum inside. Jiang Yu instantly stared at it in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, my God! There is even a bottle of serum!¡± That was something that even Tang Xia had not expected. This was definitely not a wasted trip. Ye Yifan was also very surprised. He lifted his head up and looked at Tangxia to ask for her opinion on what should be done.


    Tang Xia pondered for a long while. ¡°We better entrust this to you for safekeeping since you are a boy, after all.¡±


    After Jiang Yu thought about it for a moment, she also felt that it would be safer to do so. Hence, she nodded and agreed as well.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia felt that something was amiss with their surroundings. She instantly stopped what she was doing and looked at Ye Yifan. He, too, realized that something was wrong.


    Although Jiang Yu did not know what had happened, she also knew that she should quieten down and not act rashly.


    Tang Xia gave the other two a look, and they also understood and nodded. They turned around and discover that two people were standing behind them.


    Tang Xia frowned. When they walked closer, she realized that the two newcomers were Lu Huanyu and the other streamer, Skye.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Tang Xia increased her vigilance and clenched onto the submachine gun tightly.


    Lu Huanyu merely smiled and pointed the gun in his hand at them. ¡°Why? What¡¯s so strange about us being here? Since you found something good, you should share it with everyone. Come on, hand over the resources that you found, and we¡¯ll spare your lives.¡±


    The three of them glanced at each other and shook their heads.


    Lu Huanyu dashed, and just when Tang Xia was about to use the submachine gun, he kicked it away. Everything happened in an instant, and he held the pistol against Tang Xia¡¯s head.

 Chapter 252 - The Common Target

    Chapter 252 The Common Target


    ¡°Tang Xia!¡±


    Unable to conceal her surprise, Jiang Yu shrieked when she saw Tang Xia fall into Lu Huanyu¡¯s hands. Ye Yifan, who was about to rush forward, was forced to stop, and his expression darkened a few notches.


    Nobody expected Lu Huanyu to erupt suddenly. With the cold barrel pressed against her, Tang Xia¡¯s body stiffened, and she did not dare to move recklessly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see her being eliminated, hand over the resources obediently.¡±


    Lu Huanyu¡¯s lips curled up into a winning smile, and his voice was so cold that there was not a shred of warmth in it.


    ¡°You are really shameless. We clearly obtained these resources after much trouble, and yet you¡¯re using this method to enjoy the benefits of the fisherman!¡± When Jiang Yu saw that Tang Xia was in danger, she became so angry that her face turned red. She pointed at Lu Huanyu and cursed him.


    When Lu Huanyu heard this, the smile on his lips deepened, and he seemed to object against Jiang Yu¡¯s accusations. ¡°This is a competition. If you can¡¯t afford to play, then don¡¯t play.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re shameless!¡± Jiang stomped in anger. However, she had nothing against him and could only turn her eyes anxiously towards Ye Yifan to find a solution. ¡°Big Brother Ye, what should we do?¡±


    Lu Huanyu could tell that Ye Yifan had been entrusted with taking care of the resources. He had a teasing expression in his eyes, and he shifted his gaze towards Ye Yifan. ¡°Why? Have you decided? Do you want your resources or your teammate?¡±


    Right after that, a subtle but clear sound could be heard. Lu Huanyu had expertly pulled open the gun¡¯s safety with one hand. At the same time, his right index finger and middle finger were already holding onto the trigger. Throughout the entire process, the muzzle never left the back of Tang Xia¡¯s head.


    If Ye Yifan had the slightest intention to retaliate, he obviously would not hesitate to pull the trigger and eliminate Tang Xia from the game.


    ¡°Let go of her, and I will give you the resources.¡± Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked at each other and exchanged a helpless look. Then, he placed the backpack with the resources down and handed it over.


    However, Lu Huanyu did not reach out his hand to accept it, nor did he relax his control of Tang Xia. Pointing at the backpack on the ground, he said cautiously, ¡°Stand there and don¡¯t move. Kick the backpack over.¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s hand froze midair, and he frowned slightly. Suddenly, through the corner of his eye, he saw Tang Xia nod slightly to him. He immediately maintained his composure and assumed a cooperative look. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll do as you said.¡±


    As he spoke, Ye Yifan kicked the backpack over to Lu Huanyu. When Lu Huanyu saw that Ye Yifan was so cooperative, he merely thought that Ye Yifan was willing to sacrifice the resources because he was too concerned about Tang Xia¡¯s safety. Thus, he did not have further doubts. With a look of joy on his face, he indicated for Skye to pick the backpack.


    Skye walked to the middle and coincidentally blocked Lu Huanyu¡¯s line of sight. Just when his hands were about to touch the backpack, Tang Xia shot Ye Yifan a look and the latter took the chance to move forward and kick the backpack away. It was coincidentally kicked towards Jiang Yu¡¯s direction.


    At the same time, Tang Xia made use of Lu Huanyu¡¯s psychologically relaxed state to stomp hard on top of his feet. Simultaneously, she used her right hand to deliver a vicious and long-awaited elbow jab in his abdomen.


    As Lu Huanyu was utterly unprepared, he bent in pain, and his expression became twisted. ¡°How dare you play tricks!¡± His green veins popped up as he was outraged. He raised his hand, aimed at Tang Xia, and pulled the trigger. ¡°Get ready to be eliminated then!¡±


    Presently, Ye Yifan had already put down Skye. When he saw the critical situation that Tang Xia was in, he dashed and pushed away the hand that Lu Huanyu used to hold onto the gun. The two of them exchanged blows, and amidst the chaos, a bullet was shot on the ground.


    Tang Xia did not expect him to really shoot. The shock caused a layer of cold sweat form on her forehead. Lu Huanyu did not manage to hit Tang Xia with that shot, and the situation was instantly reversed. His face turned green, and he picked up the pistol to shoot Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Put the gun down!¡± A female voice could be heard from afar. The voice was shaking, but it had an imposing aura. It was Jiang Yu, who they had neglected. Without their realization, she had gotten hold of the submachine gun and had aimed the muzzle at Lu Huanyu.


    Lu Yuyu froze his action, his aura weakened, and his expression became ugly as though he had eaten a fly.


    ¡°Put the gun down!¡± When Jiang Yu realized that he did not react, she reiterated the sentence with a hint of warning in her tone of voice. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll shoot!¡±


    Skye, who had been put down by Ye Yifan, had just gotten up. When he saw the standoff, he turned and charged towards Jiang Yu to get the gun out of her hands.


    Jiang Yu turned the gun towards him. ¡°Stop there!¡±


    With the black muzzle pointed at him, Skye¡¯s face could not help turn pale. He forced himself to remain calm and say, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare to shoot.¡±


    ¡°See if I dare!¡± Jiang Yu yelled back and shot directly at the ground. The extremely impactful gunshot reached the ears of Skye and Lu Huanyu, and their expressions became increasingly ugly.


    Now that things had developed to this stage, it would not be easy for Lu Huanyu and Skye to escape unscathed. Not to mention, to snatch the resources from Tang Xia and the others.


    Lu Huanyu¡¯s expression changed and changed again. Finally, he understood that since things had reached this state, he could not force it. Thus, he shifted the gun away from Ye Yifan¡¯s head and clenched his teeth. ¡°Retreat!¡±


    After saying that, he left with Skye without any further hesitation. Jiang Yu only put the gun down slowly when they had disappeared from sight. Her hands ached slightly.


    Without bothering about other things, Jiang Yu rushed to Tang Xia and Ye Yifan. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± she asked worriedly.


    Then, she looked in the direction that Lu Huanyu and Skye had gone, her face was filled with resentment. ¡°Those two are too much. I definitely have to teach them a lesson when I have a chance.¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan shook their heads. Because of the additional add-on to the system, the physical toughness of their bodies had also significantly improved. Right now, to them, a little bump was nothing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the vault first.¡± Worried that there would be further accidents, Ye Yifan spoke to Tang Xia and Jiang Yu in a low voice. Tang Xia and Jiang Yu nodded. Just when they boarded the bus, a system prompt simultaneously appeared before their eyes.


    [Notice: Tang Xia, Ye Yifan, Jiang Yu obtained the serum]


    Their expressions changed simultaneously, and they increased the speed of their car and drove back to the vault. Fortunately, they did not bump into anyone else along the way. They closed the door properly, and while eating something to recover their physical energy, they discussed their subsequent plans.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the remaining survivors will probably have seen the notification, and we have already become the common target.¡±


    Ye Yifan analyzed in a deep voice. When they were on their way earlier on, through the rear mirror, he had vaguely seen some people following after them. Although they had disappeared the moment he had turned his head around, he did not think that it was a coincidence.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face turned slightly pale when she heard this. ¡°It¡¯s already hard to deal with Lu Huanyu when he suddenly popped up just now. Wouldn¡¯t it be worse now that everyone is eyeing us?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know whether receiving these resources is considered a reward or a punishment,¡± she muttered and made a sound as she bit the biscuits angrily. ¡°We can¡¯t hide here all the time.¡±


    ¡°Why should we hide?¡± Tang Xia questioned after she had remained pensive and quiet all along.


    Jiang Yu was momentarily stunned, and she replied without thinking, ¡°What can we do if we don¡¯t hide? There¡¯s only the three of us. We will have to deal with both the zombies and the other anchors. Just by thinking about it, we should already know that we can¡¯t stomach this.¡±


    As she spoke, Jiang Yu recalled Tang Xia¡¯s usual style. She widened her eyes and looked at Tang Xia, unable to conceal her surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you want to initiate the attack?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and nodded. Jiang Yu looked at her as though she was crazy. When she noticed that Ye Yifan had not spoken all along, Jiang Yu turned her gaze towards him and asked, ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t tell me that you want to initiate the attack as well?¡±


    Before her voice faded away, she saw Ye Yifan nod as well and turn to look at Tang Xia. They looked at each other and smiled with chemistry.


    Jiang Yu ultimately gave up on resisting and shrugged helplessly. ¡°I see, both of you are pro-attack, I give up.¡±


    After she finished the biscuits, Jiang Yu wiped off the biscuit crumbs on her hands, and her voice sounded slightly grand. ¡°Speak up. How do you intend to do it?¡± After hanging out with Tang Xia and Ye Yifan for the past few days, she had gradually become less afraid.


    ¡°We have already become everyone¡¯s common target. Instead of avoiding them carefully, we should take advantage of our strengths and initiate the offensive,¡± said Tang Xia.


    ¡°We are the common target. What advantages do we have?¡± Jiang Yu was confused. She scratched her head, and her expression was full of doubt and puzzlement.


    Before Tang Xia could reply, they saw Ye Yifan smile calmly. Then, his thin lips slowly spat out the words, ¡°Await the exhausted enemy at our ease.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jiang Yu became even more confused. Why do the things that these two people talk about sound more and more difficult to understand?


    ¡°We¡¯ll set up a trap and wait for them to fall right into it.¡± Tang Xia continued on the topic. She and Ye Yifan could not help but look at each other and smile again. It seemed that they were thinking about the same thing.


    ¡­


    After discussing and fixing the plan, the three of them drove their car out to find a suitable location. Not long after they came out, they felt that someone was stalking them. They merely pretended to be unaware and wandered around.


    Jiang Yu found it hard to hold it in. She turned her head back to look from time to time, while her expression was somewhat uneasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be bothered,¡± Tang Xia whispered to Jiang Yu when she saw this. There was a confident look on her face. ¡°They can¡¯t figure out our current situation, so they wouldn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.¡±


    Jiang Yu gradually began to rest easy. The three of them explored and investigated their surroundings. Finally, they locked their eyes on a laboratory next to the hospital. It was well preserved with no traces of zombies, and it formed a striking contrast to the dilapidated buildings in the surroundings.


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Tang Xia could not help but reveal a look of surprise when she saw how neat the lab was.


    This place had been subjected to zombie invasion for a long time, and there were very few places that could remain well preserved. It would either have a strong defense like the vault, or its terrain was too high for the zombies to reach for the time being.


    However, these two labs clearly did not possess either of the qualities. Tang Xia observed them strangely for a while. Could it be that the zombies were afraid of something there?


    The three of them searched about, and eventually, they locked their gazes on the laboratory¡¯s ultraviolet light. The power supply there had stopped for a long time, but the UV light remained on. It was probably capable of converting solar energy.


    Tang Xia looked up and observed the transparent skylight. She became increasingly certain about the speculation in her heart¡ªThe zombies were afraid of ultraviolet rays. It was probably because of the ultraviolet light that they had not invaded this place.


    For the subsequent period of time, the three of them pretended as if they had not realized that they had been followed. They frequented the lab until they were sure that they had aroused the attention of others before they returned to the vault in the evening.


    ¡°The fish bit the hook.¡± Ye Yifan smiled at Tang Xia and Jiang Yu. Without their realization, he was already holding onto something that looked like a detonator.

 Chapter 253 - Trap, Elimination

    Chapter 253 Trap, Elimination


    When Tang Xia saw the detonator in his hand, she could not help but exchange a look with Ye Yifan and smile.


    Jiang Yu was slightly worried. She took the detonator from his hand and looked at Ye Yifan somewhat doubtfully. ¡°Are you sure that this thing can explode normally? If something goes wrong with this thing, then we would be as good as going for the chicken and coming home without our rice.¡±


    When Tang Xia noticed that Jiang Yu was slightly alarmed and afraid, she also understood that her fears were not unreasonable. If they were unsuccessful, they would expose their whereabouts, which would be even more dangerous. She could not help but sigh before going forward to patting Jiang Yu¡¯s back to comfort her,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ye Yifan had checked this thing many times. There¡¯s no problem with it. Don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    Ye Yifan also smiled comfortingly and took the detonator back from Jiang Yu. ¡°Rest assured. We¡¯ve spent so long to set up this detonator together. I will ensure its usability no matter what.¡±


    Ye Yifan turned his head around and checked the detonator thoroughly once again for a long time. When Jiang Yu saw the serious expression that the two of them had, her heart felt slightly more emboldened.


    Tang Xia looked up at the ultraviolet light and smiled slightly. Everything was ready except for the opportunity. They only needed to activate the detonator setup, and once it exploded, all the ultraviolet lamps would be crushed.


    Once the threat of the ultraviolet lights was gone, the entire laboratory would be under the attack of the zombies within moments.


    When they saw how Tang Xia brimmed with confidence, the two of them were inevitably infected by her. The three of them hid and waited for the night.


    For those who wanted to sneak attack them to obtain their serum, while nighttime was slightly risky since that was the time when the zombies would roam about, it was also the best time to sneak attack.


    It did not take long before the sky gradually darkened. The three people were equipped with weapons and medical kits, and they even ate some food to prepare for the battle later on.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan did not feel anything when they saw that the sky had already darkened, but Jiang Yu became increasingly nervous.


    When Tang Xia realized that something was wrong with Jiang Yu, she touched her hand and was instantly a little surprised. ¡°Oh my god, why are your hands so cold?¡± The temperature of her hands was like that of ice. When Ye Yifan heard this, he, too, turned his head to look at Jiang Yu.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. They¡¯re always like that when I¡¯m nervous. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Hurry and look at the lab. Don¡¯t miss the opportunity.¡±


    Jiang Yu retracted her hand with slight embarrassment. Although Tang Xia was still worried about her, she could only turn around and continue to observe the situation in the laboratory.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any movement. Why don¡¯t we wait a little longer?¡± After listening for a long time and realizing that nobody seemed to have come, Ye Yifan looked back at Tangxia to seek her opinion.


    However, at that moment, Tang Xia quickly tugged Ye Yifan over and lowered her body before she gestured for him to remain silent. Jiang Yu, who was beside them, also got a scare, and she quickly lifted her head and looked over.


    They discovered two figures approaching the laboratory in a sneaky but careful manner.


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows gleefully while Ye Yifan could not resist himself from giving her a thumbs up. Tang Xia patted his hand and pointed to the laboratory to indicate for him to be serious.


    They saw that the two newcomers did not enter from the main door. After they searched around for some time, they finally decided to flip inside through an open window. When they saw how clumsy the two newcomers were, the three of them found it a little funny. It did not take long for the two newcomers to get inside.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± The prey had already entered. It was time to catch them all in one fell swoop. Ye Yifan understood her intention, and he nodded while tightening his grip around the detonator in his hands. Then, he began to count down.


    ¡°Five, four, three, two, one!¡± The moment right after Ye Yifan said this, he straightaway activated the detonator. In the blink of an eye, the whole lab was filled with the sound of exploding glass lamps.


    The three of them were forced to crouch down from the impact caused by the moment of the explosion. Before they could react, they heard the sound of a big group of zombies rushing and trampling into the laboratory.


    Jiang Yu trembled. She really could not stand seeing so many zombies appear before her, and she could not help but feel like throwing up. Tang Xia quickly stepped forward to calmed her down, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. They won¡¯t come over.¡± Ye Yifan was also slightly worried as he watched Jiang Yu.


    At that moment, the system notification suddenly blasted out [JOJO, Cheng Ye were eliminated]


    All three of them, especially in Jiang Yu, were stunned. Her eyes instantly glowed and she looked at Tang Xia excitedly. ¡°We have succeeded!¡±


    Tang Xia was also very happy, and she turned to look at Ye Yifan. He also nodded happily. ¡°It¡¯s your credit.¡± Tang Xia smiled and said nothing.


    Early the next morning, the three people packed their things with refreshing spirits. There would not be any zombies in the morning, so they had decided to go find food together and not leave anyone behind. Enemies in the day were even more dangerous.


    However, they did not travel too far before two people suddenly charged out from a dark corner. The three of them responded quickly and raised the submachine guns in their hands.


    When they focused on the people in front of them, they realized their opponents were actually Skye and Irene. The two of them looked at the trio with hostility.


    ¡°Why did you set up a trap? You actually killed JOJO and Cheng Ye!¡± As Irene spoke, she became more agitated and began to gesture with the gun in her hands. Tang Xia expressed her speechlessness, and she looked at the two of them with a frown.


    ¡°Do you not understand the rules of the game? Or you couldn¡¯t differentiate between the enemy and yourself? If we did not set up a trap yesterday, then the three of us would be the ones who would be eliminated today.¡±


    Skye and Irene watched as she spoke in a righteous way and, for a moment, they could not think of any words to refute her. Indeed, they were too childish to question them like this.


    Ye Yifan watched how firm and confident Tang Xia was from the side, and he felt his emotions turn within him. This little girl had really changed. She had become mature and reliable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Don¡¯t you find your actions despicable? If you have the capability, then confront us face to face like what we¡¯re doing right now! What does it make of you to set a trap secretly!¡± There was a look of fury and indignance on Irene¡¯s face, and the gun in her hand shook agitatedly.


    Tang Xia could not help but pout. ¡°We would long be dead if we had a face to face confrontation. Only brainless people would think about using brute force.¡± When the two people across from her heard what she said, they became even more agitated. The two groups of people were on the brink of a tangled fight.


    Right at that tense moment, they merely heard someone shout happily from behind them. ¡°Yifan!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s body was instantly covered in goosebumps. She did not even need to look back to know who had come.


    Li Xianxian had seen that Ye Yifan was there from afar, and she had quickly run over. However, when she arrived, she realized that there was something wrong about the atmosphere between the two groups, especially since they were pointing their guns at each other.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Xianxian could not help but ask carefully. However, she quickly stood before Ye Yifan to prevent Irene from pointing the gun at him.


    When Irene saw that Li Xianxian was prepared to protect Ye Yifan, she instantly frowned gloomily. ¡°Xianxian come over! They set up traps and eliminated JOJO and Cheng Ye! They must give us an explanation!¡±


    Li Xianxian listened and realized that it was because of this incident. Last night, she also heard the system notification and had been afraid for quite some time. So they were the ones who set up the trap.


    But no matter what, she would not allow them to hurt Ye Yifan. ¡°Irene, don¡¯t be like this. Could you not be calculative about these on my account?¡±


    Irene saw how Li Xianxian was dead set on the idea that nobody would be allowed to touch Ye Yifan, and she instantly kept the gun in her hands irritatedly and kicked a pebble furiously.


    ¡°Really!¡± As she spoke, Irene pointed at Tang Xia and Jiang Yu. ¡°This time, I will not bother with you on Xianxian¡¯s account. If we meet again, the next time, ha.¡± After she finished speaking, Irene glared at them viciously before she turned and left.


    Tang Xia watched the back of their silhouettes as they left, and she put away the gun in her hand. She could not help but exclaim in her heart why they had not brought Li Xiaxian away with them. As the thought formed in her mind, she turned her head to look at Li Xianxian, who stood by the side.


    Li Xiaxian kept flocking around Ye Yifan like a flower, and as she pulled Ye Yifan¡¯s elbow, she asked shyly, ¡°Are you hungry? Come and eat with me?¡±


    Jiang Yu watched the trio from the side, and she eventually decided that it was best not to speak. She kept the gun quietly and backed away two steps.


    Before Ye Yifan could reply, Tang Xia snorted coolly. ¡°What are you guys going to eat? Hardtack biscuits?¡±


    Jiang Yu could not help but burst out into laughter from the side. When Li Xianxian heard Tang Xia¡¯s sarcastic taunts and Jiang Yu¡¯s sneers, her face instantly flushed red, and she felt so embarrassed.


    ¡°That¡¯s still better than you guys, who still need to go out and search for food!¡± As Li Xianxian spoke, she stomped her feet in embarrassment and fury. Tang Xia laughed and did not continue to speak. She stood silently by the side and began to wipe the dust on the submachine gun.


    Upon seeing that Tang Xia remained silent, Li Xianxian turned around and tugged the corner of Ye Yifan¡¯s shirt shyly with slight coquetry.


    ¡°So what now? Won¡¯t you come and have dinner with me?¡± As she spoke, she even shook her body. Tang Xia really could not stand it anymore, and she directly turned her head aside.


    Ye Yifan also frowned and gently pulled her hand away. Li Xianxian was instantly stunned, and she looked in astonishment at Ye Yifan. He actually pulled her away like this?


    ¡°Sorry, I better go along with them to find something to eat. You should keep your team¡¯s resources for yourselves to eat.¡± Although he looked very sincere, there was a hint of indifference and distance in his voice.


    It may not be so clear to others, but Li Xianxian was extremely sensitive to everything about Ye Yifan. Hence, she immediately understood the meaning behind his words. She instantly looked at him incredulously. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    When Ye Yifan saw her expression, he knew that she had understood his intentions. He did not continue to hide from her and make concessions to adhere to her. ¡°It¡¯s not very suitable for us to be too intimate.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned his head slightly and took one look at Tang Xia. Li Xianxian naturally saw this little action clearly.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s heart instantly dropped, and she grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s arm rather anxiously. ¡°We still have a marriage agreement! Why can¡¯t we be intimate?¡± When Ye Yifan saw that she was on the verge of breaking down, he knew that he should make things clear with her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s invalidate it.¡± As he spoke, he turned around with the intention to leave with Tang Xia and Jiang Yu.


    However, at that moment, Li Xianxian suddenly shrieked out loud. The three of them were stunned, and when they turned their heads around, they realized that Li Xianxian had run into a residential building.


    Jiang Yu quickly said, ¡°Oh my god! Don¡¯t those zombies hide in the dark corners of those buildings during the day? Is she crazy? She ran there?¡± When Ye Yifan heard that, he almost subconsciously dashed over anxiously to chase after her.

 Chapter 254 - Li Xianxian Was Bitten

    Chapter 254 Li Xianxian Was Bitten


    There was no window in this old-fashioned residential building. Even in the daytime, it was dark and opaque. After the end of the world, it had become the best place for zombies to hide in the daytime.


    Li Xianxian rushed in without bringing anything. It could be estimated that it was ominous. Ye Yifan hurried to follow her. Tang Xia paused for a while and followed too.


    As soon as he entered, Ye Yifan encountered a zombie. Ye Yifan had entered in a hurry, and only then did he find that there were no bullets in the gun he was carrying. While he was struggling to deal with it, Ye Yifan suddenly heard a gunshot and the zombie fell.


    Looking back, he saw Tang Xia, so Ye Yifan was a little surprised. ¡°Why did you come?¡± Tang Xia and Li Xianxian did not get along with each other well, which could be seen without saying.


    Tang Xia handed Ye Yifan a full magazine. ¡°That¡¯s not a horse of the same color. Take her out first.¡±


    The voice had not yet fallen, and a few zombies rushed out in the corner. Ye Yifan quickly changed magazines, and both of them worked together to battle the zombies. And it was much easier.


    There was a sudden scream from the distance, which sounded extraordinarily mournful in the empty corridor.


    ¡°It is Li Xianxian!¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan¡¯s expressions changed at the same time, speeding up the process of eliminating the zombies in front of them. They rushed in the direction of the scream and saw that Li Xianxian was entangled by two zombies. Ahe was resisting by instinct, which looked extremely embarrassing.


    Without hesitation, Ye Yifan hurriedly stepped forward to kick the two zombies away from Li Xianxian. Without waiting for them to move further, Tang Xia pulled the trigger. The bullets accurately shot their heads, rendering them completely harmless.


    Ye Yifan rushed to Li Xianxian¡¯s side and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you all right?¡± He couldn¡¯t see Li Xianxian¡¯s expression because the light was dim, so it was unknown whether she was injured or not.


    ¡°Yifan!¡± Li Xianxian threw herself in Ye Yifan¡¯s arms the moment she saw him. Ye Yifan¡¯s body was stiff, but it was not good to push her away at this time. Thus, he stayed still and let her hug him.


    Worried that there were zombies around, Tang Xia said to Ye Yifan, ¡°Go out first and talk later.¡± Ye Yifan nodded and just wanted to get up. Li Xianxian clung to him and did not let him go. Ye Yifan had to hold her out.


    When out of the residential building, the light instantly brightened. Ye Yifan put Li Xianxian on the open space. Jiang Yu, who was waiting for them outside, rushed to them. ¡°You finally came out. If there was no news, I couldn¡¯t help going in!¡±


    Although Jiang Yu waited outside, it was not easy for her. The gunshots inside had never stopped since they had entered. She had been worried about their safety, and she only felt a little better now.


    Tang Xia simply told her about the situation inside. When listening, Jiang Yu felt terrible and couldn¡¯t help blaming Li Xianxian for this. It was fine to run to wherever she wanted except this place. Wasn¡¯t it fast enough to die?


    While thinking, Jiang Yu heard Li Xianxian suddenly crying. Jiang Yu turned her head and saw Li Xianxian licking her face, the tears could not stop spilling from her fingers.


    A long wound on the arm was clearly visible. The wound was different from normal ones. The blood flowing out was not normal blood red, but was blue black, and it also exuded a rotten smell.


    ¡°She was bitten by a zombie?!¡± Jiang Yu opened her mouth and couldn¡¯t conceal her surprise. She had just thought about it, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be true.


    Everyone here knew what it meant to be bitten by a zombie.


    At this time, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan also saw the wound on Li Xianxian¡¯s body. Their faces suddenly turned solemn. No one spoke at the moment, only Li Xianxian¡¯s intermittent crying could be heard.


    At the same time, the fans in Tang Xia¡¯s broadcast room started to flood the screen with comments.


    ¡°It seems that Li Xianxian will be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°What a pity! I was quite optimistic about her.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a pity at all. It was she who wanted to die. Who doesn¡¯t know that the zombies are hiding in these places during the day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are many places. Why did she go to the place where there are zombies?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that? She obviously had a dispute with Ye Yifan, and then she angrily rushed in.¡±


    ¡°It is because she is stupid!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the broadcast room, many fans were debating because Li Xianxian would be eliminated. There was a fan who interrupted. ¡°It is uncertain whether she will be eliminated. Ye Yifan had gotten the serum, hadn¡¯t he?¡±


    The serum could purify the zombie virus, which was basically equivalent to a life in the end of the world, but it was extremely precious. If this wasn¡¯t the case, Tang Xia and others would not be targeted by so many people because they had obtained the serum.


    The disputing fans thought of the existence of the serum. When they recalled the preciousness of the serum, their sound of the rebuttal was generally sizzling.


    ¡°The serum is so precious, of course, it will be left for themselves. How can they use it for Li Xianxian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s more, Li Xianxian rushed there on her own accord. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia were risking their lives to save her. They had already done everything possible. How can they waste the serum?¡±


    ¡°The relationship between Tang Xia and Li Xianxian is bad. Even if Ye Yifan takes his relationship with Li Xianxian into consideration, and is willing to take out the serum, Tang Xia will not agree.¡±Read more chapter on v ip novel. com


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certain that Li Xianxian will be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The fans debated heatedly, and soon their sentences drowned the original voice.


    Although there were controversies in many aspects, one thing was recognized, that was, Li Xianxian would definitely be eliminated.


    After all, if someone was bitten by a zombie, only the serum could resolve it. However, the only serum was in the hands of Tang Xia. No matter from the aspect of competitors or from personal relationship, there was no reason for her to use it to save Li Xianxian.


    However, at this time, what happened next made everyone fall through their glasses. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked at each other. Tang Xia nodded slightly and took the serum out. She handed it to him and signaled a gesture to her, showing that Li Xianxian could use it.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be true. They really want to use the serum on Li Xianxian?¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia did agree!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the broadcast room, there were voices of surprise and doubt. At the same time, Ye Yifan did not hesitate to inject the serum into Li Xianxian.


    With the injection of the serum, the blue black color on Li Xianxian¡¯s wound dissipated at a visible speed. Obviously, the zombie virus was suppressed by the serum, which meant that Li Xianxian would not be eliminated.


    Seeing that Ye Yifan had actually used the only serum on her, Li Xianxian was shocked first. Then, she grabbed Ye Yifan tightly. ¡°Look, I know that you still care about me, otherwise you would not have given me such precious serum!


    ¡°Yifan, don¡¯t get rid of the marriage contract, okay? I will forget what you have said before, okay?


    ¡°I love you, Yifan!¡±


    Li Xianxian spoke incoherently. She was still crying, but her expression was laughing. Here were the tears of joy, not only because she was still alive after the disaster, but also because Ye Yifan had saved her, making her rekindle hope .


    ¡°Li Xianxian.¡± Ye Yifan paused for a moment, looking at Li Xianxian¡¯s unconcealed love. He was a little helpless, but he still did not hesitate to push her away, pulling the distance between them.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s smile was stiff on her face, and she was awkward about Ye Yifan¡¯s attitude toward their distance. ¡°Yifan¡­¡± She wanted to act like a spoiled girl like before, but Ye Yifan¡¯s serious expression made her unable to continue.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it, I understand. You see, you have given me the only serum. You must love me, right?¡±


    Subconsciously, Li Xianxian wanted to stop Ye Yifan from saying what he would say next. Thus, she spoke indiscriminately. She did not know whether to convince Ye Yifan or to convince herself.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t love you.¡± Ye Yifan looked at Li Xianxian calmly. The sound of no ups and downs was like a pot of cold water pouring out Li Xianxian¡¯s self-deception.


    The light in Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes quickly dimmed, and she said puzzledly, ¡°Why did you save me just now?¡±


    There was only one serum, and it was very likely that there would be no chance to find any more. Ye Yifan had given her the serum, which was equivalent to giving her a life. In Li Xianxian¡¯s view, Ye Yifan obviously cared about her.


    Looking at Ye Yifan, she had a look of hope in her eyes. Maybe Ye Yifan only had a hard mouth and refused to admit it. She gave an excuse for the words just now, but all the hopes were crushed by Ye Yifan¡¯s next words.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to see that you got eliminated because of me,¡± replied Ye Yifan. The ¡°just that¡± expression made Li Xianxian¡¯s heart completely cold.


    ¡°And the serum was not my own. If Tang Xia hadn¡¯t agreed, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the serum to save you. If you have to thank someone, she is the one you should thank.¡±


    As if he did not notice Li Xianxian¡¯s pale face, Ye Yifan spoke like that. At the same time, he cast a grateful look to Tang Xia.


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia with her gaze and was a little surprised at Ye Yifan¡¯s words. It seemed that she did not want to accept the fact that Tang Xia had saved her. She quickly moved her eyes, and for a long time, she did not say a word.


    The sky gradually got dark. Jiang Yu whispered to Tang Xia, ¡°Should we go back?¡± If they didn¡¯t leave, the zombies would come out to act.


    Tang Xia nodded and signaled to Ye Yifan. He understood, and the three of them were ready to leave. However, they saw Li Xianxian stay still in the same place.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help reminding her, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, and you should go back to find your teammates.¡±


    This sentence was kind. However, Li Xianxian did not appreciate it and glared at Tangxia. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your reminder. Tang Xia, do not think that you have helped me, I will not hate you anymore,¡± she said coldly with hostility.


    ¡°How can you say something like this?¡± When hearing this, Jiang Yu thought it was unfair for Tang Xia, so she wanted to go up and reprimand Li Xianxian. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to return people¡¯s kindness?¡±


    Tang Xia pulled her back and shook her head. ¡°Forget it.¡± Then she turned to Li Xianxian/ ¡°Whatever! It¡¯s up to you!¡± After that, she took Jiang Yu and left.


    Jiang Yu still wanted to say something more. Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s unscrupulous attitude, Jiang Yu had to give up, but she was dissatisfied with Li Xianxian.

 Chapter 255 - Noahs Ark

    Chapter 255 Noah¡¯s Ark


    On the way back, upon remembering Li Xianxian¡¯s attitude, Jiang Yu still thought it was very unfair for Tangxia. ¡°She was so ungrateful. We saved her. She didn¡¯t know how to return the favor, but she also had a stinky face. As if we owed her!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, why did you stop me just now? It is time to scold a person like her! It is a pity that we have wasted a serum!¡± Jiang Yu became angrier and turned to Tang Xia.


    If Tang Xia hadn¡¯t stopped her, she would have gone to quarrel with Li Xianxian and she would not be sulking here right now.


    While thinking of this, Jiangyu looked at Tang Xia doubtfully. ¡°I see that you are usually very courageous, and you are not a person who will eat dirt. She did the same just now, so why are you not angry?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and answered with a question. ¡°Have you ever seen a cat catch a mouse?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we talking about Li Xianxian? Why are you talking about a cat catching a mouse?¡± Jiang Yu shook her head with a puzzled look in her eyes, as if she didn¡¯t seem to understand.


    Although Tang Xia looked at Jiang Yu, her eyes seemed to have drifted into the distance. Her voice sounded a little ethereal as she said, ¡°When the cat catches a mouse, it will play with the mouse first. When it gets bored, it will eat the mouse eventually.¡±


    While she said this, there was still a smile on her lips. Jiang Yu suddenly had a chilling feeling. She was not angry with Li Xianxian anymore. Instead, she felt some sympathy for Li Xianxian.


    Although she didn¡¯t know what plans Tang Xia had, her intuition told her that if Li Xianxian wanted to cause Tang Xia trouble, she would only suffer from her own losses.


    ¡­


    When the three of them returned to the vault, the sky outside was completely dark. Out of habit, they ate something to replenish their physical strength and began to prepare to rest.


    Maybe it was because too many things had happened that day, but Jiang Yu felt sleepless and bored as he listened to the radio. She had accidentally taken this radio when she had taken things from the store before.


    Jiang Yu switched a few channels at random but only heard a murmur.


    ¡°It is the end of the world, but there are still some people left to perform the show.¡± Tang Xia was trying to tease her, yet she suddenly heard a sound while Jiang Yu was switching channels. She quickly straightened up. ¡°Wait, go back.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Jiang Yu did not harbor any hope. Suddenly, she noticed that Tang Xia¡¯s face was serious. Although she was somewhat confused, she did what Tang Xia said.


    After several adjustments, she found the channel that Tang Xia had just heard.


    The murmurs were still terrifyingly loud, but some rumors could be heard. This time, they all heard the voices and suddenly became serious.


    ¡°It seems to be telling something.¡± Ye Yifan took the radio from Jiang Yu¡¯s hands and adjusted the antenna for a while. Although the sound was still intermittent, he could finally hear it.


    ¡°Human gathering place¡­ Noah¡¯s Ark¡­ North City Dream Of Returning Harbor¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the words that were faintly transmitted, they looked at each other, not understanding the meaning exactly. Tang Xia put her ears closer to hear more information. The radio only repeated this sentence again and again.


    Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan also tried the radio and confirmed that they could only hear that sentence. Then, they put down the radio to analyze the information they got.


    ¡°Noah¡¯s Ark? Isn¡¯t that a myth? Does it have anything to do with this?¡± Jiang Yu wondered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a boring prank?¡±


    Ye Yifan indulged for a moment and expressed his denial. ¡°Impossible. This is doomsday, so everyone is in danger. Self-protection is not easy. How can someone be so bored and exhausted as to spread false news?¡±


    ¡°I agree with Ye Yifan¡¯s view. North City Dreams Of Returning Harbor is obviously an address. The person who issued the notice must have discovered something and started trying to gather the survivors.¡±


    Tang Xia also agreed. She and Ye Yifan looked at each other with an eager expression on their faces.


    Upon looking at their expressions, Jiang Yu suddenly panicked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go there, do you?¡±


    Tang Xia quickly nodded. A strong desire had been driving her to the place on the radio ever since she had heard the news. Her intuition told her that there would be something there.


    ¡°But the location is in North City. It takes a day and a night to drive there. It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    Jiang Yu blurted out her opposing view and tried to convince Tang Xia. ¡°We are so good now. Why do we have to go so far and take risks for this news?¡±


    Tang Xia knew that Jiang Yu had always been conservative, so she did not expect her to agree quickly. Instead, she placed her hopes on Ye Yifan. ¡°Do you have an opinion?¡±


    Ye Yifan only showed his attitude with a pause. ¡°I am in favor of this.¡± It was rare to get any news from the radio. Thus, he shared the same opinion with Tang Xia and didn¡¯t want to miss it.


    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s two votes to one vote.¡± Jiang Yu reluctantly grinned. Every time this was the case, she was always numb while following these two radicals.


    ¡°Relax, we are with you. Whenever there is a danger, we will stand in front of you.¡± Tang Xia teased her and then said, ¡°It is decided. Tomorrow, we will go to the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbor.¡±


    Jiang Yu muttered two sentences and accepted it. Who had asked her to form a team with these two adventurous guys? From her current point of view, the results were not bad. She sighed. May this time be the same.


    Thus, the three of them were ready. They set out toward North City the next morning. It would take a day and a night to travel to North City, which meant that they would be exposed to the zombie world this evening.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were okay, but Jiang Yu began to get scared after sunset. Upon looking at the darkening sky, she turned her head to look at Tang Xia. ¡°Maybe we should find a place to hide first. It¡¯s not too late to continue tomorrow.¡±


    That way, they would not only avoid the zombies¡¯ action time, but they could also get a short break without having to travel all the way. Tang Xia thought that this proposal sounded feasible, so she asked for Ye Yifan¡¯s opinion.


    Through the rearview mirror, Ye Yifan saw that Jiang Yu was scared to death. Therefore, he thought for a moment before he said, ¡°We can think about it.¡± While saying this, he drove the car to the side of the road and stopped.


    They got off and checked the situation around them. This was also a block-like place, but it was much more ruined than the vaults they hid. Many walls of the building were exposed.


    Upon seeing this, Ye Yifan shook his head. ¡°No, we should continue our journey.¡± Then, he got in the car first.


    ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s fear had just been eased a little when she suddenly heard Ye Yifan saying that they should get on their way. Immediately, she felt worried.


    Tang Xia also looked at Ye Yifan strangely, not understanding why Ye Yifan had made this decision. Ye Yifan stopped and pointed to the surrounding houses. ¡°Do you see the surrounding houses? Are they badly ruined?¡±


    Jiang Yu still did not understand. ¡°So what? Wasn¡¯t the majority of the houses on our way here the same way?¡±Visit vi p novel. com


    Tang Xia, who was reminded by Ye Yifan, immediately understood and nodded in agreement with Ye Yifan¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Jiang Yu, who was more confused, wanted to ask questions. Meanwhile, Tang Xia cautiously glanced around and said, ¡°Get in the car first.¡±


    Upon seeing Tang Xia¡¯s dignified look, Jiang Yu also had to push back the doubts in her heart and follow Tang Xia to the car. Ye Yifan started the car.


    While the car ran smoothly on the road, Tang Xia explained to Jiang Yu why they should keep moving.


    ¡°The more broken a house is, the more it is affected by zombies. The number of zombies must be quite amazing if a house is broken. It is safer to stay on the road than hide there.¡±


    Only then did Jiang Yu understand this. Upon recalling these ruined houses, she felt scared. Afterwards, she never mentioned hiding first.


    They drove on the road like this while the sky turned completely black. Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t hold back the fear in her heart. Thus, she closed her eyes to get some rest. When she was asleep, she would not be afraid anymore.


    Tang Xia, who felt sleepless, kept looking at the window to observe the situation. As night fell, occasionally, zombies were around. However, they were just a flash as the car galloped.


    Only one zombie made Tang Xia feel uneasy. At an intersection, Tang Xia suddenly saw a zombie on the side of the road, staring at them.


    At first, Tang Xia thought it was an illusion, as the zombies they had seen had basically been eyeless or empty-eyed so far. At most, when they were eating people, there would be a crazy look in their eyes. However, this zombie was different. It made Tang Xia feel like she was being watched.


    As the car traveled, this feeling became more and more obvious. Tang Xia discovered that the zombie¡¯s eyes had been watching them without moving, even though the car was moving all this time.


    The reason it seemed that its eyes didn¡¯t move was apparently that the zombie¡¯s eyes had been following the movement of the car.


    Tang Xia¡¯s expression changed before she looked at Ye Yifan. ¡°There is a zombie in the back that seems to be watching us all the time.¡± Even while she had spoken, the eyes of the zombie had never left their car.


    Upon hearing this, Ye Yifan looked at the rearview mirror and saw a pair of green eyes following them closely in the night. He felt his heart tighten immediately.


    Jiang Yu, who had not fallen asleep, opened her eyes and saw the zombie. She immediately got frightened.


    Just as the car finally turned around the bend, the zombie was about to be left behind. Suddenly, the zombie caught up with them at a terrible speed.


    Tang Xia was ready to breathe a sigh of relief when she suddenly saw this. She was so scared that her tongue almost twisted into a knot. She hurriedly told Ye Yifan, ¡°It is coming!¡±


    The car could only drive on a smooth road, and it needed to turn around a big bend. The zombie was directly inclined across the road without considering the road¡¯s condition.


    Jiang Yu and Tang Xia sat in the back seat, watching the zombie get closer and closer to them. Their faces were pale as they urged Ye Yifan to hurry.


    Ye Yifan hurriedly stepped on the gas pedal, making the car speed up.

 Chapter 256 - Fight The Way Through

    Chapter 256 Fight The Way Through


    The night was dark, covering everything under the darkness and giving people a sense of calm. However, in this apocalyptic world, there was never real peace, at least not now.


    Ye Yifan pushed the throttle to the end. His eyes were fixed on the chasing zombie in the rearview mirror, so he did not dare to relax.


    ¡°What to do¡­ More and more zombies are coming.¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s face was white. She was so afraid that her lips could not help trembling.


    The zombie suddenly let out a strange cry and more and more zombies emerged from all directions and approached them.


    At this rate, it would not be long before their car was surrounded by zombies. By that time, given the thin defense of the car, it would be impossible to resist so many zombies.


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was also dignified. Obviously, she was aware of the serious situation they were facing now. Upon seeing that some zombies were approaching the back window, she didn¡¯t dare hesitate. She took the submachine gun from the bag and handed it to Jiang Yu as she said quietly, ¡°Do it.¡±


    At first, for fear of attracting more zombies, Tang Xia did not want to shoot. However, given the current situation, a fierce battle couldn¡¯t be avoided.


    Jiang Yu took over the submachine gun, still feeling a little hesitant.


    Tang Xia urged her, ¡°Hurry up, there¡¯s no time!¡± While she said this, a zombie had begun to pat the glass on her side. Tang Xia rolled down the window and threw a bullet directly at it. The zombie, whose face looked ugly, turned into a broken corpse.


    Jiang Yu responded and looked at the ugly face of the zombie, who was constantly zooming out of the window. She bit her teeth and looked out of the window to see the zombies on her side.


    ¡°Save bullets and only deal with the ones that are close. Leave alone the rest that are not threatening for the time being.¡± Tang Xia accurately shot the nearest zombie¡¯s head off while she was yelling at Jiang Yu.


    This time, the road to North City was relatively far away. Although they had brought all the remaining bullets out, they couldn¡¯t resist the countless zombies. Thus, they had to save the bullets.


    Jiang Yu nodded, slowly entering the rhythm under Tang Xia¡¯s leadership and shooting the zombies more and more casually. Thanks to their cooperation, the zombies¡¯ offense was gradually fought off. However, due to the gunshots, the number of zombies that arrived was also growing.


    This way, the bullets would run out sooner or later. Tang Xia finished a magazine of bullets and asked Ye Yifan, who was driving, ¡°How long will it take to get out of this area?¡±


    Her voice had not yet faded when, with a loud noise, the car suddenly sank. A zombie had jumped to the roof of the car. Their faces sank at the same time, and a glimmer of light flashed in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes. He suddenly turned the steering wheel. ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu realized that Ye Yifan wanted to use the dangerous way. They held the armrest of the roof tightly before a strong bump followed.


    Ye Yifan even gave up the flat section and drove the car directly into the slope next to it at an extreme speed.


    There were pits on the slopes, as well as sporadic trees. If Ye Yifan didn¡¯t control the car properly, it was very likely that they would crash.


    However, in the face of the numerous zombies around and their growing number, they had no choice but to fight.


    While they drove through the bumps, the scenery in front of their eyes changed rapidly. Ye Yifan held the steering wheel tightly and tried to avoid hitting other obstacles while getting rid of the zombies.


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu strongly resisted the surging feeling in their stomachs. From time to time, they poked out to get rid of some difficult zombies. The three of them understood that they had reached the end of life and death, so they all looked dignified.


    When the car drove out of the forest, the surrounding zombies finally became fewer slowly and disappeared in the end. Tang Xia put down her sore arm and exhaled. ¡°We finally got rid of them.¡±


    ¡°I got scared to death.¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s face was still white. She had just experienced a thrilling scene, so her heart kept beating quickly just to keep breathing.


    She looked back at the window, which was full of splatter from the zombies. She could only observe through the gap. Luckily, they had managed to get rid of the zombies. Jiang Yu¡¯s entire body was relaxed a bit, but her face still looked shocked.


    Ye Yifan slowed down slightly, his forehead also filled with cold sweat. It was obvious that his earlier crazy driving had not consumed a small amount of energy.


    ¡°Next up is a wasteland, so there should not be so many zombies around,¡± Ye Yifan told Tang Xia and Jiang Yu. The speed of the car was gradually stabilized.


    Suddenly, the car stalled. Ye Yifan¡¯s expression changed as he tried to start the car several times. He just could not restart it.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tang Xia realized that something was wrong and put her head forward.


    Ye Yifan tried again, yet the car still didn¡¯t move. He patted the steering wheel in frustration. ¡°The car suddenly stalled.¡±


    Although Tang Xia and Jiang Yu felt numb, they were relieved after thinking about it. After the earlier crazy driving, it would be strange if the car didn¡¯t have any problems.Visit vi p novel. com


    However, feeling relieved was one thing. The problem still existed.


    ¡°What should we do now? Get out of the car?¡± Ye Yifan looked at the map. They were not far from the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbor. Even if they walked, they could arrive in one day.


    The only problem to worry about was the zombies. Without the car, this last layer of obstacles would be difficult. If they encountered a situation like earlier again, they would really die.


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while as she looked at the quiet environment outside. Then, she looked at the sky and replied with a sigh, ¡°There are too many variables when it comes to walking. It would be better to stay in the car. Anyway, the sky is getting brighter.¡±


    Jiang Yu agreed. At dawn, they could take a short break instead of staying as vigilant as before.


    Finally, they agreed to stay in the car and wait for the day to start. After making up their mind, they first took some food and water out of the bag to supplement Tianli. Then, they took turns watching for any movement outside, in case there was a zombie raid.


    Fortunately, there seemed to be no zombies in this wasteland. Until the morning, when the sun fell through the gaps between the leaves, they were not attacked by a large number of zombies. Sporadic zombies were quickly dealt with by them.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally dawn!¡±


    Tang Xia yawned. There was a faint blue color in her eyes, as she had not rested that night. Jiang Yu looked exactly the same. However, when they thought that they would not encounter a zombie attack again, their mood improved a lot.


    ¡°I will go see if I can fix the car.¡±


    Upon saying this, Ye Yifan got out of the car and checked the cause of the car¡¯s flameout. He found only a small problem related to oil blockage. The appliance was removed from the trunk and he repaired the car.


    After solving the car¡¯s stalling problem, they re-started the car on the road. Without the intrusion of any zombies, the road was very smooth. At noon, they successfully reached the North City Dreams of Returning Harbor.


    There was a fortress-like building in the middle that was very eye-catching, and many people were patrolling around it. Tang Xia¡¯s face was filled with repressed joy. ¡°We made a good choice.¡±


    It seemed that this was the gathering place of the humans they had heard about on the radio. Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu also nodded with a smile and walked to the entrance of the fortress.


    At the door were two young men in uniforms who were guarding the place. They were very surprised to see Tang Xia and the other two people. When they heard that they were from somewhere else, the two young men were even more surprised.


    ¡°It would take a day and a night to cross that distance! How did you escape the zombie attack last night?¡±


    The three of them shook their heads with a smile and said that they didn¡¯t want to recall last night¡¯s experience. The man saw their appearance and understood. He patted Ye Yifan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you are here, you no longer have to worry about the zombies.¡±


    ¡°I will take you to the captain. There have been no newcomers in a long time. The captain will definitely be very happy to see you.¡±


    After saying this, the young man enthusiastically welcomed Tang Xia¡¯s three comrades. The captain he had mentioned was a strong, sturdy man who was about 30 years old. When he saw them, he looked surprised at first. After a while, he remembered to introduce himself.


    ¡°Hello, I am Axon. Welcome here.¡±


    Axon enthusiastically gave the three of them a big hug with a smile that could not be concealed. ¡°According to Chelsea, you came from South City. That is not close. Did you face any hardships along the way?¡±


    After saying that, he didn¡¯t wait for them to answer. Axon called someone to prepare a rich lunch for them. The three of them had been eating compressed biscuits from a convenience store for days. Their mouths could nearly feel nothing.


    The meal provided by Axon might not have seemed like anything luxurious during peaceful times, but it seemed like a feast to them right now.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain, we will have it!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mouth lifted into a bright smile as she ate the food directly. Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan, who were quickly attracted to the food, also ate it.


    Upon seeing this, Axon smiled and said, ¡°Eat it slowly. Don¡¯t worry, there haven¡¯t been newcomers here for a long time. If we hadn¡¯t seen you today, we¡¯d think that human beings had gone extinct outside. Well, how did you get the news?¡±


    ¡°We accidentally heard it on the radio.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mouth was full as she answered Axon¡¯s question honestly. However, her eyes were unwilling to move away from the food.


    Axon heard the news and habitually licked his beard. ¡°It seems that it would be wise not to give up broadcasting.¡±


    There was always controversy about whether to release the news inside the castle. After all, no one had come in a long time. Many people suspected that human beings had gone extinct. It was useless to send messages by radio.


    Ye Yifan remembered the other people they had met on the road. When he connected them with what Axon had said, he was a little surprised. ¡°So other people still don¡¯t know about this place?¡±


    According to Axon, they were the first people who had been to the North City Dreams Of Returning Horbor in a long time. They had only heard the news on the radio, while others were still struggling outside.

 Chapter 257 - Tang Xia Was Shot

    Chapter 257 Tang Xia Was Shot


    Jiang Yu was a simple little girl who had eaten so that she would have an oily look. After hearing this, she touched her mouth. ¡°Shall we go back and find them? We should let everyone know about this good place.¡±


    While speaking, she was still stuffing food in her mouth. She did not notice the strange look Tang Xia gave her after hearing this. Ye Yifan did not answer.


    Tang Xia put down her food and forced a few smiles. She then said hesitantly but seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t agree about going back. This is a competition after all. We are now competing with them, so there is no need to share everything.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing more than a match, and that doesn¡¯t mean we will connect with each other anymore. If there is such a safe place, why not tell them the news?¡±


    Upon hearing what Tang Xia said, Jiang Yu was somewhat dissatisfied. ¡°We are also competitors. If you really think that, don¡¯t take me with you anymore. I am a burden after all.¡±


    Somehow, Jiang Yu also remembered some unpleasant things and sneered. Even the food in front of her could not hold her interest now.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Tang Xia explained, also sounding a little impatient. Jiang Yu was good, but sometimes her mind was too simple and she was occasionally stubborn.


    While looking at the two people suddenly arguing, Axon was listening to the clouds in the fog. He grabbed this chance and asked, ¡°Wait, what do you mean? Is there anyone else outside?¡±


    Tang Xia, who could not communicate with Jiang Yu clearly, just gave up and turned to answer Axon¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, but they don¡¯t know about this place yet.¡±


    ¡°Really? Great, tell me the exact location.¡± Upon hearing this, Axon got excited and grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s arm, his beard twitching along with his lips.


    Tang Xia was really excited to see him acting like this. It was a bit strange. Axon explained, ¡°According to a rule the founder of Noah¡¯s Ark has set, the more members one finds, the better one will be treated.¡±


    Tang Xia hadn¡¯t expected that there would be such a rule here. She no longer had any doubts. She nodded at Axon and then apologized to Jiang Yu. ¡°Sorry, you are right. We should send news back.¡±


    Jiang Yu¡¯s anger came quickly and disappeared quickly. Upon seeing Tang Xia take the initiative to apologize, she wasn¡¯t angry anymore. They quickly reconciled. After simply packing up, they were ready to go back with Axon¡¯s team.


    That road might have been so tiring that Jiang Yu¡¯s physical strength couldn¡¯t stand it. Upon noticing that she was too tired, Tang Xia asked her to rest at the base.


    ¡°Then you should be careful at the base.¡± After telling Jiang Yu as much, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan left the castle with Axon¡¯s team.


    There was a total of five people in Axon¡¯s team, all of whom were fully armed. After Tang Xia and Ye Yifan joined them, they also got two submachine guns that were much stronger than the submachine guns they had used before.


    When he saw Tang Xia sigh upon getting the gun, Axon smiled and pointed at the gun. ¡°This is not a big deal. If you have been in Noah¡¯s Ark a long time and you have reached a certain level, more powerful weapons will be waiting for you.¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan nodded. It seemed that the members of Noah¡¯s Ark were also using a hierarchy, so the higher the level of the members, the more resources they could use.


    After leaving the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbor, Axon led Tang Xia and some other people to an armored car and pointed to it. ¡°Let¡¯s drive in this car.¡±


    As soon as he said this, a tall teammate took the initiative to sit in the driver¡¯s seat and start the car. Axon led the others into the car. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan also followed them.


    It was the first time both Tang Xia and Ye Yifan used such a car. They used to watch such cars during the military parade on TV. They couldn¡¯t help looking at it for a while.


    This car was much better than the ordinary family car they had used before. There was also a hidden machine gun design, and the engine could attack when necessary.


    If Tang Xia and the others had been driving this car at the time, they would not have been so embarrassed upon encountering a large number of zombies on the road.


    On the way, Tang Xia and Axon had a chat casually. While observing the internal structure of the car, Tang Xia asked Axon, ¡°Can this protect us against zombies?¡±Visit vi p novel. com


    Axon smiled. ¡°A small team is still okay, but it will not work if there are too many. If you encounter a large number of zombies like you did before, it will be very difficult.¡±


    During this chat, Tang Xia also told Axon what had happened when they had arrived. Upon hearing that, Axon was also surprised. Tang Xia had not known that being sieged by so many zombies was not a common occurrence.


    Axon also gave Ye Yifan a thumbs-up. ¡°It was a nice job. Being able to get out of a siege of so many zombies is amazing.¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled modestly and felt proud. ¡°We were forced to do so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not easy either.¡± Axon¡¯s wild eyebrows made him look a little dissatisfied with Ye Yifan¡¯s modesty. He was a direct man who liked to be straight and admired people with skills.


    The three of them chatted, unknowingly getting familiar with each other. Meanwhile, the other teammates were playing poker. This hard time was passing a lot faster.


    Axon¡¯s armored car was modified. Thus, not only had its defense and attack power improved, but its speed had also been optimized. The same distance was crossed faster than when Tang Xia and the others had crossed it.


    However, because they set off in the afternoon, it was also necessary to spend the night outside.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan used this opportunity to see the true power of this armored car.


    The members of Axon¡¯s team were also experienced in combat. The submachine guns in their hands swept over, causing most of the zombies to fall down. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were really happy to see this.


    Thanks to their shots, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan hardly needed to do anything. They just cheered.


    They returned to the city before noon the next day. Axon took the team members to the place where Tang Xia had told them to look for other people. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan went back to the vault to check.


    Upon seeing that the door of the vault was open, Tang Xia looked confused. ¡°I remember locking the door before I left.¡± Had the zombie broken the door?


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan looked at each other and went to the door to check. Only then did they find that the lock was levered. Zombies did not possess this much sanity. It could only have been done artificially.


    The things they had left in the vault had also been turned upside down. Although they had taken most of the useful materials before leaving, this situation was still very uncomfortable.


    ¡°Someone has been here.¡± Ye Yifan looked dignified, even though the person in question had broken the lock and made a mess. Obviously, this had been no good guy.


    If they hadn¡¯t left and successfully found Noah¡¯s Ark, if they had stayed here instead and their hiding place had been destroyed like this, they would have found no other safe place. In the evening, they would undoubtedly have been exposed to danger.


    Whoever had done this was obviously ready to push them to death.


    While looking at the levered lock, she couldn¡¯t help doubting her previous decision. Should she have brought Axon¡¯s people here to rescue them?


    Even if she was willing to put down the game for a while, judging by the fact that the lock of the vault was levered, other people would not be able to get along with Tang Xia peacefully.


    However, no matter what, she had already brought Axon. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan discussed it and decided to go to the places where the other anchors broadcast.


    They met Irene on the road. When Irene saw Ye Yifan and Tang Xia appear, she said with hostility and an alert look, ¡°What are you doing here? You are not welcome here.¡±


    Tang Xia told her about Noah¡¯s Ark. ¡°We accidentally heard the news on the radio. Most of the humans who survived are in the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbor, where there is no need to worry about zombies¡­¡±


    Tang Xia hadn¡¯t finished talking yet when she was interrupted by Irene. ¡°What the hell did you hear on the radio? What Noah¡¯s Ark? Tang Xia, what games are you trying to play?¡±


    Her voice was full of mockery. ¡°You set up the trap to eliminate JOJO and Cheng Ye before, and now you want to trick us?¡±


    While mentioning JOJO and Cheng Ye, she looked at Tang Xia even more resentfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Listen to me¡­¡± Tang Xia just wanted to explain, but Irene had already called Skye and another anchor over.


    Skye did not harbor any good feelings for Tang Xia and Ye Yifan either. No matter what Tang Xia and Ye Yifan said, they wouldn¡¯t believe it. They not only would not appreciate it, but they would sneer at Tang Xia and Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia¡¯s explanation was useless, and her temper gradually flared as she argued against the opposite. The situation on both sides became increasingly tense. No one knew exactly who suddenly shot at the opposite side. However, Tang Xia, who had been unprepared, was hit in the arm.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tang Xia screamed, only to see blood on her arm.


    ¡°Tangxia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The situation was too confusing. Ye Yifan didn¡¯t pay attention. When he heard the gunshot, it was already too late. Tang Xia bit her lower lip, and the arm shot by the gun trembled constantly.


    Axon and his team were already nearby. When they heard the gunshots and saw what was going on, they couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia was shot. They did it!¡± Ye Yifan clung to Tangxia, biting his teeth and pointing at Irene and her team. He looked extremely angry.


    Upon hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, Axon looked at Irene and the others. His eyes were sharp. When Irene saw that a team of well-trained people like Axon had suddenly appeared beside Tangxia, she panicked.


    While the eagle-like eyes of Axon stared at her, Irene couldn¡¯t help stepping back and wanting to leave.


    ¡°Still want to go?¡± Axon snorted and gestured at the other teammates. Two of the teammates understood and immediately grabbed Irene and tied her unceremoniously.

 Chapter 258 - Zombie Group

    Chapter 258 Zombie Group


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡±


    Irene struggled fiercely and glared at the members of Axon¡¯s team. Instead, she was tied more firmly. As she tried to break the rope, she scolded angrily, ¡°You robbers!¡±


    ¡°Robbers?¡± Axon¡¯s team members heard that and couldn¡¯t help laughing out. They said to Tang Xia, ¡°We don¡¯t know how this stupid woman has survived till now.¡±


    When hearing this, Tang Xia looked at Irene coldly, ¡°Irene, you see, this is a member of Noah¡¯s Ark. You still don¡¯t believe it?¡±


    It was stupid to regard Axon as a robber. If Tang Xia hadn¡¯t promised to Axon that they would bring other people back, Tang Xia would have thrown Irene into the zombie heap group to kill her.


    ¡°What Noah¡¯s Ark? Tang Xia, play less of this trick, I won¡¯t believe you! I don¡¯t care where you found these people, let me go, do you understand?¡± screamed Irene. Her hysteric outburst made her look like a shrew in the street.


    Tang Xia lost all her patience and was about to act. Ye Yifan quickly stopped her. His tone was full of concern. ¡°Does your injury not matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the bullet didn¡¯t hit me, it¡¯s just a bruise,¡± explained Tang Xia. The system had increased her body¡¯s resilience, so the blood on the arm had stopped. Consequently, her wound was healing at an extraordinary rate.


    Upon seeing that the wound on Tang Xia¡¯s arm was much better, Ye Yifan felt relieved.


    On the other hand, Irene was still groaning, and the words coming out of her mouth became more vicious and vulgar. Tang Xia was out of patience, and she directly took out her gun, pointing it at Irene¡¯s head. ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    All that needed to be explained had been explained. Irene¡¯s present state made Tang Xia suspect that something was wrong with her. Only tough means could wake up Irene now.


    However, Irene¡¯s face only turned slightly whiter, and she got even madder. ¡°If you have the ability, shoot! Anyway, you have already killed JOJO and Cheng Ye. Just shoot me and knock me out!¡±


    Tang Xia was provoked, and she almost had to pull the trigger. In the end, her rationality still had the upper hand. ¡°You are insane.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to argue with this madwoman,¡± thought Tang Xia coldly and put away the gun. She didn¡¯t want to entangle with Irene anymore.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you dare?¡± Seeing this, a smug look appeared on Irene¡¯s face. The smile on the corner of her mouth was mocking. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up to let me go now, or I won¡¯t forgive you.¡±


    Irene even threatened her with future events. Tang Xia secretly shook her head and refused to comment on Irene¡¯s stupidity. Didn¡¯t she know her present situation? If Tang Xia wanted to do something to her, she would be the first one to be unlucky.


    ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t talk nonsense with her.¡±


    Upon seeing that scene, Axon frowned, wasting time got him impatient. He waved his hand and swayed to his members. One of his members immediately stepped forward to cover Irene¡¯s mouth, as well as tie her to the car.


    This time, not only Irene¡¯s hands and feet were tied, but her mouth was also covered. She could only make vague sounds. One of the members said, ¡°It¡¯s finally quiet.¡±


    Some of them entered the armored car and rushed to the gathering place of other anchors. In the evening, Axon did not decide to take the risk this time. After all, he had worked hard to battle the zombies for two days, which was not a small consumption issue for them.


    ¡°Stay in the car to rest tonight. We¡¯ll go to find someone else tomorrow,¡± said Axon, while distributing the food he had carried to other people. When Axon saw Irene in the corner, he pointed at her, and asked Tang Xia, ¡°What should we do with her?¡±


    After getting on the bus, Irene had struggled fiercely at first, but when she had found it was useless, she had remained quiet. Seeing that Axon¡¯s team members were well-trained, she had calmed down and began to believe Tang Xia.


    After all, Tang Xia had never meant to hurt her all the way.


    Tang Xia glanced at Irene, and seeing she was a lot calmer, Tang Xia nodded to Axon. Then Axon untied Irene, removed the cloth from her mouth, and gave her a piece of food.


    Probably knowing that she had misunderstood Tang Xia and the others, Irene did not say a word after getting untied and just ate silently. Suddenly, Irene recalled something, and her facial expression changed. ¡°Is it already night?¡±


    Due to her earlier behavior, nobody in the car had good feeling for her, so they shrugged her question off. The armored car had no windows, and they could not see the sky¡¯s color outside. Thus, Irene stood up and went out.


    ¡°What are you doing? There are zombies outside now. Do you want to die?¡± Axon grabbed her immediately with an annoyed look on his wide face.


    Irene snorted and whispered, ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s night.¡± After that, a firm look appeared in her eyes. ¡°No, I am going to find Skye. He must be waiting for me!¡±


    In order to do so, Irene needed to break Axon¡¯s shackles first. Seeing that she was uncooperative, Axon tied her up again. ¡°You asked for it.¡±


    After tying Irene, Axon sat down and wanted to rest for a while. Irene was still restless, and since Axon ignored her, she looked at Tang Xia. After all, it seemed that Tang Xia and Axon were much more familiar than Irene was.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I was wrong earlier. Can you talk to them and drive back to save Skye? I have an appointment with Skye. He must be looking for me now. Now there are zombies outside. He must be in danger!¡±Access v ip novel


    Irene looked worried, while her voice carried a pleading tone.


    Tang Xia was still angry with Irene. ¡°No!¡± She said coldly and then turned her back.


    Irene was getting more and more anxious, but no one paid her any heed. Due to the various emotions, her tears welled up and surged out. ¡°I beg you, save Skye, please. He must be in danger!¡±


    Ye Yifan found it a little unbearable at the side. After listening to her, Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help feeling a little moved. He suggested, ¡°Should we go to the place she mentioned?¡±


    After witnessing Irene cry like pear blossom bathed in the rain, Tang Xia¡¯s anger had already disappeared, but she still pretended to be angry. ¡°It depends on Axon. After all, he is the captain,¡± she said.


    Axon felt a little embarrassed. ¡°It is too dangerous to go there right now. And we haven¡¯t brought enough ammunition.¡± Axon did not want to get in trouble for Irene¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Please, there are so many of you, and it must be no problem. I don¡¯t know how Skye is doing out there. I beg you, save him!¡±


    Irene pleaded in hope they would help.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so she helped Irene to beg Axon. ¡°Please, let¡¯s go there to help. If you save Skye, you will gain one more survivor, won¡¯t you?¡±


    In Noah¡¯s Ark, the more survivors the members had found, the more benefits they would get. In the end, Axon indulged her as he couldn¡¯t stand Irene¡¯s bitter pleading. He nodded and ordered to drive to the location Irene gave them.


    Irene gradually stopped crying, but she still looked worried. There were a few sporadic zombies on the road, but fortunately, they were easy to kill.


    When they arrived at the location Irene had given, they saw many zombies in the distance, more than they had met along the way. Everyone looked at each other at the same time. In their mind, even if Skye was there, it was very likely that the zombies had already bitten him.


    Only Irene was unaware of that. When they arrived, she couldn¡¯t wait to get out. She pointed at a distant figure and excitedly said, ¡°That is Skye. I saw him. He is still there!¡±


    The moment she spoke, Irene also wanted to rush over. Tang Xia was shocked and quickly pulled her back. ¡°Do you want to die? Don¡¯t you see there are many zombies around him?¡±


    Only then did Irene realize what was happening, and she looked pale. ¡°What to do? Skye is still there, and he must be in grave danger!¡± She cried again. ¡°I beg you, save him.¡±


    Axon looked a little hesitant due to the huge zombie group before them. ¡°There are so many zombies here. Likely, he has already been¡ª¡± Before Axon could complete his sentence, Irene interrupted him. ¡°No, we still have time. He is there. Haven¡¯t you seen him?¡±


    Irene pointed at the figure in the middle and nearly rushed forward.


    There was no weapon on her body. Even if she rushed there, she would be killed. Tang Xia sighed and pulled her back. ¡°You have no weapons. If you go, you will only die. Just wait in the car. We will save him.¡±


    After persuading Irene, Tang Xia looked at Axon. ¡°Anyway, we are already here. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Driving all the way there was already risky. Why not take one more risk now?


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Axon ground his teeth and began distributing equipment. Axon was a straightforward man, and once he determined to do something, he would do it.


    They swiftly stormed at the zombies. Tang Xia also picked up a submachine gun, pulled the safety skillfully, and rushed to the front. A rain of bullets followed, and a pile of zombies fell.


    She was wearing a camo uniform, which Axon had distributed earlier. Her short hair looked particularly heroic in the night wind.


    A bit of perseverance and courage added to her soft appearance in the tempering of the post-apocalyptic world. At this time, she picked up the submachine gun and rushed to the lead, which gave her a kind of compelling momentum. People could not move their eyes away from her.


    Upon seeing this, the screams of girls suddenly sounded in the broadcast room.


    ¡°Wow, Tang Xia is so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I want to have a baby with Tang Tang!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Sure enough, there is no need to associate with men when a girl looks this beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s entire body is beautiful. Even the hair is beautiful. I like her so much!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, you are great! Kill them all without leaving a piece of armor!¡±

 Chapter 259 - Bitten In Chaos

    Chapter 259 Bitten In Chaos


    Upon seeing Tang Xia rush forward fearlessly, Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help feeling a little different. It was as if he had the energy to do the same in an instant.


    As Ye Yifan held the submachine gun, he seemed to have changed to another person. He directly rushed in front of Tang Xia, startling the latter and causing her to feel doubtful. However, she did not say anything, and they continued to fight against the zombies.


    Suddenly, a zombie pounced at Irene. Tang Xia was shocked and swiftly dashed to push the zombie away. Irene was also stunned. ¡°Tang Xia! Be careful!¡±


    Tang Xia forcefully pressed against the zombie and pain invaded her.


    Irene¡¯s scream caused Tang Xia to ignore the pain of the impact and look at the zombie underneath her. The zombie had opened its bloody mouth and wanted to bite Tang Xia.


    Ye Yifan had not noticed what was happening behind him. Only after hearing Irene¡¯s shout did he look back. Tang Xia was about to get bitten by a zombie! Ye Yifan¡¯s heart almost stopped beating, while he subconsciously rushed back to help. ¡°Tang Xia!¡±


    However, when everyone thought that Tang Xia would be bitten, the latter responded quickly and stabilized her body. Then she directly shoved the submachine gun in her hand into the zombie¡¯s mouth.


    Everyone was petrified. ¡°What are you doing? Come and help me get rid of it!¡± said Tang Xia, exhausted.


    Irene was very scared and didn¡¯t dare to move. Ye Yifan took the gun and shot the zombie. Soon, flesh and blood gushed out from its body, before it stopped moving.


    Tang Xia could not help heaving a sigh of relief. She stood up, and the three of them continued to fight their way in.


    However, when they managed to break through the zombies, they pushed through the crowd and saw that Skye was kneeling in the center. He looked abnormal.


    Axon couldn¡¯t help having some doubts. He wanted to go forward and check, but Tang Xia stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t move. There is something wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°Even so, we have to check. ¡± Axon wanted to break away from Tang Xia¡¯s blockade. When he just wanted to step forward, he saw that Skye, who was kneeling on the ground, was convulsing. Axon stopped.


    ¡°He¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Irene took a few steps back in fear, clutching Tang Xia¡¯s clothes tightly, and couldn¡¯t bear to look. Tang Xia gently patted Irene¡¯s hand to comfort her. Ye Yifan also stood in front of Tang Xia to protect them.


    As Skye¡¯s convulsing intensified, Tang Xia pushed Ye Yifan gently, stepped forward slowly, and asked cautiously, ¡°Skye, how are you? We are here to pick you up.¡±


    Unexpectedly, at that moment, Skye stood up. Everyone was shocked and could not help stepping back two steps.


    He suddenly snorted, but his voice did not sound like a human¡¯s. Irene couldn¡¯t help squinting. ¡°Look at him!¡± she said fearfully.


    Everyone heard her and followed Irene¡¯s finger with their eyes. They noticed that Skye had lost his hair, all of it on the ground. Even his skin became dry in a flash.


    Ye Yifan quickly raised his hand in front of Tang Xia, and everyone began to retreat slowly.


    Tang Xia immediately turned back and said to everyone, ¡°He has become a zombie! Run!¡± In this case, they didn¡¯t know what to do. After all, Skye was the person they wanted to save.


    Irene shuddered and cried, ¡°The last serum has been given to Li Xianxian. We have no serum to save him.¡± All of them were clear of what had to be done¡ªone of them had to kill him.


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s shout, the zombie dashed at her. Ye Yifan immediately kept her behind him.


    Tang Xia pushed Ye Yifan away. She directly lifted the submachine gun and shot him¡ªit was a headshot! Skye¡¯s brain instantly splashed, he fell on the ground. Everyone was flabbergasted.


    Watching Tang Xia put away her submachine gun, the broadcast room also fell quiet. All of them had been surprised by Tang Xia¡¯s decisiveness.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t pause at all. Right after she had killed Skye, they had been surrounded by a group of zombies.


    Tang Xia could not help but pick up the submachine gun and shout, ¡°Move! We are surrounded!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s voice awoke everyone, and they quickly raised their weapons. Irene looked at the countless zombies around her, and she almost dropped her weapons.


    ¡°So many zombies! What should we do? We have not enough bullets!¡± Tang Xia also thought of that question, and her heart tightened. Ye Yifan didn¡¯t know what to do either. He could only keep vigilant.


    Suddenly, the ground vibrated, causing Tang Xia to frown. ¡°Wow, What is going on here? What is it?¡± Irene felt it too, and she also heard a buzzing sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s our armored car!¡± Axon looked back to the sound source. Tang Xia was also stunned. She was delighted to look at Ye Yifan. Both of them looked at each other and smiled.


    Irene was driving the armored car and rushing straight to them, killing a bunch of zombies in the center. ¡°This fella is finally of use.¡± Tang Xia shook her head, helplessly.


    The armored car reached them swiftly, and Irene slammed the door open. ¡°Get in the car!¡± she shouted. They nodded and quickly got on the vehicle. Ladies first, and men followed.


    However, as they were entering the car, a zombie suddenly dashed and bit one of the members¡¯ leg.


    Tang Xia and other people in the armored car heard him scream and felt doubtful. ¡°Save me! Don¡¯t give up on me!¡±


    The member quickly grabbed Axon¡¯s hand and tried to catch him to climb up. Axon looked at him, feeling grief. Tang Xia gently patted his back to comfort him.


    ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t let you come with us. It is a threat to everyone, sorry.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let everyone fall into danger because of his personal feelings. Axon took out a gun from his pocket and looked at the pleading man before him. His eyes were full of tears. In the end, Axon shot him.


    The spectators felt sad. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help holding her mouth, while tears were also forming in her eyes. Ye Yifan noticed Tang Xia¡¯s sadness, and he gently stroked her head and held her in his arms.


    Axon also entered the car and closed the door. He couldn¡¯t bear to watch his member¡¯s body being smashed by the zombies. He kept everything out of the door. The mood in the car was somber.


    At first, Irene had witnessed Tang Xia killing Skye, and she had wanted to ask questions. However, after seeing Axon kill his teammate, her mood became heavier.


    The people in the car were silent. Only the screams of zombies that had been run over by the armored car could be heard.


    Irene couldn¡¯t help it anymore and asked, ¡°Why? It¡¯s just a game! Why is it so cruel? Why is everything so real?¡±


    Irene was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, so Axon stepped forward swiftly to hold and calm her down.


    Tang Xia could only bury her head deeper and deeper. She had considered this problem long ago, and the person who had wanted to escape this problem was also her. Ye Yifan felt Tang Xia¡¯s action, and he could only hold her tighter.


    Axon calmed Irene down. Then he turned to look at Tang Xia. ¡°Do we still need to find other people?¡± Tang Xia had become the center of attention unconsciously.


    After listening to Axon¡¯s question, Tang Xia gently pushed Ye Yifan away. She wiped her tears, smiled bitterly, and said, ¡°Yes. Why not?¡±


    When Axon looked at Tang Xia, he could tell that her mental state was not very good, so he stopped.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We always have to be strong enough to deal with all the things that might happen afterward. If the same thing happens again, we have to do the same as Axon without hesitation. Only in this way can we have the opportunity to win!¡±


    Looking at the frustrated people, Tang Xia wanted to cheer them up.


    She turned around, looked at Ye Yifan, and smiled. ¡°If I¡¯m the one that gets bitten, you must also do this, you know?¡±¡±


    Upon seeing Tang Xia¡¯s firm eyes, Ye Yifan did not know what to do. Although he had already realized the changes in Tang Xia, he had not expected her to change so thoroughly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Even if we die together, I won¡¯t.¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia solemnly, shocking her. She could not help feeling overwhelmed. Then Ye Yifan looked at everyone in the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest this evening. Since so many things have happened, everyone must be tired.¡± In particular, he knew that Tang Xia¡¯s current state was not very good. He could only let everyone rest for one night and discuss about that matter the next day.


    Tang Xia nodded. Nobody had a different opinion, so they all found a place to sit down. The conditions were a bit hard, but they had to spend one night there. For the whole night, no one said a word.


    Early in the next morning, they found some food as their breakfast and began to look around for other people. It didn¡¯t take long for Tang Xia and her party to see two people in the distance. They could not help stopping. Someone who was walking in the daytime must be a person, not a zombie.


    However, when they wanted to see who it was, the two people rushed over. When the two people were closer, they found out that they were Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu.


    Tang Xia frowned. ¡°Why is them again?¡± Irene also expressed that she did not want to see them and turned around.


    They hadn¡¯t had time to speak out. Lu Huanyu rushed over and asked aloud, ¡°Did you kill Skye?¡± Ye Yifan was dissatisfied, and frowned when he heard that. ¡°Do you know anything about last night¡¯s situation?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Lu Huanyu did not listen to Ye Yifan¡¯s words at all. He immediately yelled and took out the gun from his waist. He wanted to shoot them!


    Comment (0)


    Chapter 260 The Founder Of Noah¡¯s Ark


    ¡°Skye had become a zombie since he was shot. We went to save him. Lu Huanyu, don¡¯t you know!¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face was cold as he took out the gun and confronted Lu Huanyu.


    ¡°How could he be bitten out of a sudden? Who knows if you had set up any traps?¡±


    Upon hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s explanation, Lu Huanyu screamed, and his words were still hostile to Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    The two of them were arrogant, and neither wanted to take a step back. Seeing that the atmosphere was a little tense, Li Xianxian suddenly smiled and walked between the two.


    ¡°If there is something to say, say it slowly. If the gun goes off, it will be bad.¡± Li Xianxian smiled and advised. She turned her head and slowly released Lu Huanyu¡¯s gun.


    After Li Xianxian intervened, Lu Yuanyu frowned and stopped, but his face still looked unsightly. ¡°I have nothing to say to them.¡± He glared at Ye Yifan and Tang Xia, like staring at Skye¡¯s murderers.


    When she saw that, Li Xianxian grabbed Lu Huanyu and increased their distance with the other to whisper something in his ear. As she had deliberately lowered her voice, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. They could only tell that Lu Huanyu¡¯s attitude was much better when they returned.


    ¡°Sorry. I just didn¡¯t understand the situation. I shouldn¡¯t blame you for Skye¡¯s death.¡± Lu Huanyu apologized to Ye Yifan. ¡°It¡¯s because Skye was eliminated, which saddened me.¡±


    He put the gun away and looked apologetic. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia were somewhat puzzled about his sudden change of attitude, but they could only think that he had figured out the situation. It must also be due to Li Xianxian¡¯s persuasion.


    In this case, they didn¡¯t need to worry about what happened just now. Although the hostility had temporarily been resolved, it didn¡¯t mean that they could become friends.


    Tang Xia still didn¡¯t have a good impression of Lu Huanyu and Li Xianxian. After looking at Axon, she asked them impatiently, ¡°Are you coming with us?¡±


    Tang Xia was certain they would refuse, but unexpectedly, they readily agreed.


    Tang Xia felt that they were a bit strange, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Since they agreed, Axon introduced the situation of Noah¡¯s Ark to them. They returned to the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour.


    Noah¡¯s Ark lay in the middle of the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour. Behind the blockade lines, several high and low fortresses stood in the middle, and the structure was tight and connected.


    There was a gazebo every ten meters. Soldiers were guarding in rotation for 24 hours, and well-trained soldiers were patrolling every time to ensure the safety of the fortress.


    After returning and witnessing this faction¡¯s order, Tang Xia still couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked in her heart. It was the first time for Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu seeing something like that, so they praised them all the way.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, there was such a place where their enemy had yet to invade, which was unexpected. After entering the fortress, Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu said that they wanted to see it, so Axon asked someone to take them.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were a little tired, so they stayed in the rest area and chatted with Axon.


    Tang Xia was full of curiosity about Noah¡¯s Ark. This fortress had been built after the end of the world. On the one hand, it was facing the threat of zombies, and on the other hand, it was necessary to organize people to build the fortress. It could be imagined how difficult it was.


    ¡°Who is the man that dared to organize the construction of Noah¡¯s Ark?¡± Tang Xia asked Axon out of curiosity.Access v ip novel


    Axon habitually touched his beard and replied in a low voice, ¡°Everything that has to do with Noah¡¯s Ark, including the current management system, was established by Mr. Chu.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chu?¡± Tang Xia repeated thoughtfully, and suddenly a figure that had not appeared for a long time surfaced in her mind. Her face changed slightly, and then she asked, ¡°Can you tell me Mr. Chu¡¯s full name?¡±


    Tang Xia did not notice that her tone had become anxious.


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan on the side looked at Tang Xia, and he felt sad.


    Axon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ever since I came her, I have always called him Mr. Chu. Other people also call him that.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head in disappointment, but she did not give up. ¡°Do you know of any other deeds of Mr. Chu? For example, how to build Noah¡¯s Ark, what¡¯s his character?¡±


    Axon was just about to answer, but he suddenly paused. He looked at Tang Xia strangely and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly so interested in Mr. Chu?¡±


    Tang Xia had asked so many questions about Mr. Chu as if she was greatly interested in him.


    Tang Xia was embarrassed and scratched her head, ¡°I think that the person who can created Noah¡¯s Ark must be particularly amazing. I want to know more. If it is not convenient, forget it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Chu is indeed a great person.¡± Axon nodded and agreed with Tang Xia.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him who built such a place to accommodate human survivors, I might have been roaming outside, or turned into a zombie,¡± he replied, looking respectful.


    Axon¡¯s respectful tone when mentioning Mr. Chu only made Tang Xia more curious. ¡°According to you, Mr. Chu seems to be a very respectable person?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Axon replied without hesitation. In his opinion, what Tang Xia said just now was nonsense. ¡°No one in Noah¡¯s Ark does not admire Mr. Chu.


    ¡°There is no need to mention other things. We can sit and talk quietly here. It is because of Mr. Chu and¡­¡±


    When he mentioned Mr. Chu¡¯s deeds, Axon was really respectful. He thought Mr. Chu was the only existence comparable to God.


    The more Tang Xia listened to Axon, the more disappointed she was. The image of the elegant style described by Axon was far from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s decisive character.


    After confirming that this Mr. Chu was not Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia suddenly lost interest and got tired of Axon¡¯s monologue.


    When Axon noticed that Tang Xia had lost interest, he was stunned. ¡°Why did you suddenly seem to have lost interest?¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Tang Xia had not noticed it, and she shook her head. ¡°No. Go on,¡± she said in a blank tone.


    Axon continued, and at some point, he inadvertently looked up. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were almost closed. Axon closed his mouth puzzledly. ¡°Tang Xia, are you tired?¡±


    Tang Xia also noticed she was not attentive and replied apologetically, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Ye Yifan had been quietly watching Tang Xia, so he said, ¡°Is this the case, is it because you are tired?¡±


    His sentence was very abrupt. Tang Xia looked at him puzzledly, but she still nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± When saying that, she yawned to prove it was the truth.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes betrayed a tinge of loss. ¡°Tang Xia, are you lying to me, or are you trying to cheat yourself?¡± he muttered to himself in a low voice, which only he could hear.


    All this time, Ye Yifan had been watching Tang Xia, and none of the changes in her expression had gone unnoticed. How could he not see that Tang Xia was thinking about Chu Tiankuo?


    That was the reason she had suddenly felt interested in Mr. Chu, as well as had suddenly lost interest in him¡ªit was all because of Chu Tiankuo.


    Just the same surname would affect Tang Xia¡¯s mood to this point. Was Chu Tiankuo so deeply engraved in Tang Xia¡¯s heart? The more Ye Yifan thought of it, the more awkward his face looked.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tang Xia could see Ye Yifan¡¯s moving lips but couldn¡¯t discern what he was saying. She thought he was talking to her, so she couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Ye Yifan smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you? Why do I feel that you are a little strange today?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned at Ye Yifan, and suddenly a strange feeling appeared in her heart. From the beginning, there had been something wrong with Ye Yifan¡¯s performance, and what he said was strange and confusing.


    ¡°Maybe I am tired too,¡± replied Ye Yifan with a smile, while wondering whether he was self-deprecating or satirizing Tangxia. Without waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s response, he turned his attention to Axon, ¡°I want to see Mr. Chu, can I?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chu is very busy, and he likes quiet. He doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed.¡± When he heard Ye Yifan¡¯s request, Axon felt a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I want to see him once. If he has something to do, I promise I will not disturb him,¡± said Ye Yifan solemnly.


    Tang Xia also spoke. ¡°Well, it will be okay if we make an appointment. Captain Axon, please help us to talk with him. I want to meet this legendary Mr. Chu.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Axon hesitated, but looking at Ye Yifan¡¯s sincere look and Tang Xia¡¯s expectation, he finally nodded. ¡°Well, I will help you to meet him, but I can¡¯t guarantee that Mr. Chu will agree.¡±


    ¡°Great, thank you, Captain Axon!¡± Tang Xia directly ignored the second half of his sentence, revealing a big smile toward Axon.


    Axon smiled helplessly. He turned around and went out. It seemed that he was going to inform Mr. Chu of Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    While waiting, Tang Xia asked Ye Yifan, ¡°What do you think of Mr. Chu?¡± Without waiting for Ye Yifan to answer, she said to herself, ¡°Is he an earnest person? After all, he is the founder of Noah¡¯s Ark.¡±


    ¡°But he can manages it so well, and Axon is so respectful to him, maybe he is a very easy-going person.¡± She thought about it, then turned her head and asked Ye Yifan, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled and said, ¡°You will know when you see him.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tang Xia nodded. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little bit of expectation for the next possible meeting.


    However, this expectation only lasted until Axon returned.


    ¡°Mr. Chu agreed, but Mr. Chu does not see women, so only Ye Yifan can go,¡± said Axon.


    Tang Xia struggled for no results and had to watch Ye Yifan follow Axon. She could not help being more curious about Mr. Chu, who didn¡¯t see a woman.

 Chapter 260 - The Founder Of Noahs Ark

    Chapter 260 The Founder Of Noah¡¯s Ark


    ¡°Skye had become a zombie since he was shot. We went to save him. Lu Huanyu, don¡¯t you know!¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face was cold as he took out the gun and confronted Lu Huanyu.


    ¡°How could he be bitten out of a sudden? Who knows if you had set up any traps?¡±


    Upon hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s explanation, Lu Huanyu screamed, and his words were still hostile to Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    The two of them were arrogant, and neither wanted to take a step back. Seeing that the atmosphere was a little tense, Li Xianxian suddenly smiled and walked between the two.


    ¡°If there is something to say, say it slowly. If the gun goes off, it will be bad.¡± Li Xianxian smiled and advised. She turned her head and slowly released Lu Huanyu¡¯s gun.


    After Li Xianxian intervened, Lu Yuanyu frowned and stopped, but his face still looked unsightly. ¡°I have nothing to say to them.¡± He glared at Ye Yifan and Tang Xia, like staring at Skye¡¯s murderers.


    When she saw that, Li Xianxian grabbed Lu Huanyu and increased their distance with the other to whisper something in his ear. As she had deliberately lowered her voice, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. They could only tell that Lu Huanyu¡¯s attitude was much better when they returned.


    ¡°Sorry. I just didn¡¯t understand the situation. I shouldn¡¯t blame you for Skye¡¯s death.¡± Lu Huanyu apologized to Ye Yifan. ¡°It¡¯s because Skye was eliminated, which saddened me.¡±


    He put the gun away and looked apologetic. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia were somewhat puzzled about his sudden change of attitude, but they could only think that he had figured out the situation. It must also be due to Li Xianxian¡¯s persuasion.


    In this case, they didn¡¯t need to worry about what happened just now. Although the hostility had temporarily been resolved, it didn¡¯t mean that they could become friends.


    Tang Xia still didn¡¯t have a good impression of Lu Huanyu and Li Xianxian. After looking at Axon, she asked them impatiently, ¡°Are you coming with us?¡±


    Tang Xia was certain they would refuse, but unexpectedly, they readily agreed.


    Tang Xia felt that they were a bit strange, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Since they agreed, Axon introduced the situation of Noah¡¯s Ark to them. They returned to the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour.


    Noah¡¯s Ark lay in the middle of the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour. Behind the blockade lines, several high and low fortresses stood in the middle, and the structure was tight and connected.


    There was a gazebo every ten meters. Soldiers were guarding in rotation for 24 hours, and well-trained soldiers were patrolling every time to ensure the safety of the fortress.


    After returning and witnessing this faction¡¯s order, Tang Xia still couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked in her heart. It was the first time for Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu seeing something like that, so they praised them all the way.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, there was such a place where their enemy had yet to invade, which was unexpected. After entering the fortress, Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu said that they wanted to see it, so Axon asked someone to take them.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were a little tired, so they stayed in the rest area and chatted with Axon.


    Tang Xia was full of curiosity about Noah¡¯s Ark. This fortress had been built after the end of the world. On the one hand, it was facing the threat of zombies, and on the other hand, it was necessary to organize people to build the fortress. It could be imagined how difficult it was.


    ¡°Who is the man that dared to organize the construction of Noah¡¯s Ark?¡± Tang Xia asked Axon out of curiosity.


    Axon habitually touched his beard and replied in a low voice, ¡°Everything that has to do with Noah¡¯s Ark, including the current management system, was established by Mr. Chu.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chu?¡± Tang Xia repeated thoughtfully, and suddenly a figure that had not appeared for a long time surfaced in her mind. Her face changed slightly, and then she asked, ¡°Can you tell me Mr. Chu¡¯s full name?¡±


    Tang Xia did not notice that her tone had become anxious.


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan on the side looked at Tang Xia, and he felt sad.


    Axon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ever since I came her, I have always called him Mr. Chu. Other people also call him that.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head in disappointment, but she did not give up. ¡°Do you know of any other deeds of Mr. Chu? For example, how to build Noah¡¯s Ark, what¡¯s his character?¡±


    Axon was just about to answer, but he suddenly paused. He looked at Tang Xia strangely and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly so interested in Mr. Chu?¡±


    Tang Xia had asked so many questions about Mr. Chu as if she was greatly interested in him.


    Tang Xia was embarrassed and scratched her head, ¡°I think that the person who can created Noah¡¯s Ark must be particularly amazing. I want to know more. If it is not convenient, forget it.¡±Update by vi p novel


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Chu is indeed a great person.¡± Axon nodded and agreed with Tang Xia.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him who built such a place to accommodate human survivors, I might have been roaming outside, or turned into a zombie,¡± he replied, looking respectful.


    Axon¡¯s respectful tone when mentioning Mr. Chu only made Tang Xia more curious. ¡°According to you, Mr. Chu seems to be a very respectable person?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Axon replied without hesitation. In his opinion, what Tang Xia said just now was nonsense. ¡°No one in Noah¡¯s Ark does not admire Mr. Chu.


    ¡°There is no need to mention other things. We can sit and talk quietly here. It is because of Mr. Chu and¡­¡±


    When he mentioned Mr. Chu¡¯s deeds, Axon was really respectful. He thought Mr. Chu was the only existence comparable to God.


    The more Tang Xia listened to Axon, the more disappointed she was. The image of the elegant style described by Axon was far from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s decisive character.


    After confirming that this Mr. Chu was not Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia suddenly lost interest and got tired of Axon¡¯s monologue.


    When Axon noticed that Tang Xia had lost interest, he was stunned. ¡°Why did you suddenly seem to have lost interest?¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Tang Xia had not noticed it, and she shook her head. ¡°No. Go on,¡± she said in a blank tone.


    Axon continued, and at some point, he inadvertently looked up. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were almost closed. Axon closed his mouth puzzledly. ¡°Tang Xia, are you tired?¡±


    Tang Xia also noticed she was not attentive and replied apologetically, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Ye Yifan had been quietly watching Tang Xia, so he said, ¡°Is this the case, is it because you are tired?¡±


    His sentence was very abrupt. Tang Xia looked at him puzzledly, but she still nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± When saying that, she yawned to prove it was the truth.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes betrayed a tinge of loss. ¡°Tang Xia, are you lying to me, or are you trying to cheat yourself?¡± he muttered to himself in a low voice, which only he could hear.


    All this time, Ye Yifan had been watching Tang Xia, and none of the changes in her expression had gone unnoticed. How could he not see that Tang Xia was thinking about Chu Tiankuo?


    That was the reason she had suddenly felt interested in Mr. Chu, as well as had suddenly lost interest in him¡ªit was all because of Chu Tiankuo.


    Just the same surname would affect Tang Xia¡¯s mood to this point. Was Chu Tiankuo so deeply engraved in Tang Xia¡¯s heart? The more Ye Yifan thought of it, the more awkward his face looked.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tang Xia could see Ye Yifan¡¯s moving lips but couldn¡¯t discern what he was saying. She thought he was talking to her, so she couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Ye Yifan smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you? Why do I feel that you are a little strange today?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned at Ye Yifan, and suddenly a strange feeling appeared in her heart. From the beginning, there had been something wrong with Ye Yifan¡¯s performance, and what he said was strange and confusing.


    ¡°Maybe I am tired too,¡± replied Ye Yifan with a smile, while wondering whether he was self-deprecating or satirizing Tangxia. Without waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s response, he turned his attention to Axon, ¡°I want to see Mr. Chu, can I?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chu is very busy, and he likes quiet. He doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed.¡± When he heard Ye Yifan¡¯s request, Axon felt a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I want to see him once. If he has something to do, I promise I will not disturb him,¡± said Ye Yifan solemnly.


    Tang Xia also spoke. ¡°Well, it will be okay if we make an appointment. Captain Axon, please help us to talk with him. I want to meet this legendary Mr. Chu.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Axon hesitated, but looking at Ye Yifan¡¯s sincere look and Tang Xia¡¯s expectation, he finally nodded. ¡°Well, I will help you to meet him, but I can¡¯t guarantee that Mr. Chu will agree.¡±


    ¡°Great, thank you, Captain Axon!¡± Tang Xia directly ignored the second half of his sentence, revealing a big smile toward Axon.


    Axon smiled helplessly. He turned around and went out. It seemed that he was going to inform Mr. Chu of Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    While waiting, Tang Xia asked Ye Yifan, ¡°What do you think of Mr. Chu?¡± Without waiting for Ye Yifan to answer, she said to herself, ¡°Is he an earnest person? After all, he is the founder of Noah¡¯s Ark.¡±


    ¡°But he can manages it so well, and Axon is so respectful to him, maybe he is a very easy-going person.¡± She thought about it, then turned her head and asked Ye Yifan, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled and said, ¡°You will know when you see him.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tang Xia nodded. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little bit of expectation for the next possible meeting.


    However, this expectation only lasted until Axon returned.


    ¡°Mr. Chu agreed, but Mr. Chu does not see women, so only Ye Yifan can go,¡± said Axon.


    Tang Xia struggled for no results and had to watch Ye Yifan follow Axon. She could not help being more curious about Mr. Chu, who didn¡¯t see a woman.

 Chapter 261 - Unraveling the Conspiracy

    Chapter 261 Unraveling the Conspiracy


    Other than rubbing the guns in her hands out of boredom, Tang Xia didn¡¯t have anything else to do. Ever since Ye Yifan had gone to meet the so-called Mr. Chu, she had been upset. She couldn¡¯t stand it, so she stood up.


    On the other side, Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t help looking at her doubtfully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You have been abnormal ever since Ye Yifan went out,¡± she said, while pouring a glass of water and taking a sip.


    Tang Xia seemed to have been seen through, and she patted the dust on her clothes unnaturally. ¡°Have I? Haha.¡± She laughed in embarrassment. Jiang Yu looked at her and shook her head helplessly. She turned and sat down to rest.


    At that moment, the door suddenly opened. Tang Xia looked at the door.


    Ye Yifan entered with a sullen expression. Axon, accompanying Ye Yifan, shook his head helplessly and patted Ye Yifan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You should both take a rest here for the time being. I still have something to do, so I will go out first. ¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded slightly. Axon turned around, exited the room, and closed the door.


    Tang Xia ran and looked at Ye Yifan. He was different from before, looking weird. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°How is everything going? What kind of person is Mr. Chu?¡± She subconsciously became nervous, looking forward to Ye Yifan¡¯s reply.


    However, Ye Yifan just looked at Tang Xia. He turned around and walked to Jiang Yu¡¯s side, wanting to pour a glass of water.


    What happened to him? Tang Xia was puzzled. He had ignored her completely. Tang Xia took a deep breath, calmed down her inexplicably excited heart, slowly walked over, and poured a glass of water to Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Just tell me, what happened just now?¡± Ye Yifan looked at the cup in front of him and remained silent for a long while. In the end, he did not pick the glass of water, and instead watched the corner silently.


    Jiang Yu suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the whole room seemed to be tense, and she slowly got up.


    ¡°You two talk first. I will go out for a walk.¡± Jiang Yu turned around and walked out. Tang Xia looked at Jiang Yu¡¯s back, and then turned her head, while still holding the glass of water in her hand.


    ¡°How long do you want me to hold it?¡± Tang Xia could not help feeling a little angry.


    Ye Yifan sighed, and finally received the cup, but he still did not mention anything about Mr. Chu. Although Tang Xia was somewhat angry, she was helpless.


    Night would soon descend. Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan, who was sitting in a daze. Although she was curious about what had happened, she could do nothing. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she had used up all the martial arts.


    Currently, many people seemed to be outside. Thus, Tang Xia quickly went out to check.


    After wearing their uniforms and preparing the weapons, Axon was organizing a bunch of people. It seemed that they wanted to do something. Tang Xia felt puzzled and moved slowly toward Axon.


    ¡°What are you going to do? You dressed so neatly.¡± As Tang Xia approached, Axon smiled and asked those people to check the items themselves. He went to greet Tang Xia.


    ¡°Why did you come out? Why not stay inside?¡± Thinking of Ye Yifan in the room, Tang Xia felt a little unhappy, though at first, she felt relaxed. Axon also noticed her sudden change, so he felt confused.


    Tang Xia patted Axon¡¯s shoulder and revealed a smile. ¡°It¡¯s too stuffy and hard to breathe. You haven¡¯t told me what you are going to do. Even the weapons are so equipped.¡± She touched the gun in his hand.


    Axon thought that there had been something wrong with Ye Yifan ever since he had come out. He immediately understood why Tang Xia¡¯s facial expression had changed so suddenly.


    ¡°We are going to patrol. After all, this place is the last surviving point for mankind. We have to prevent the fortress from being polluted.¡± After listening to him, Tang Xia also nodded seriously.


    ¡°Right. The defense here should be stricter.¡± Axon looked at the time and then at the dark circles around Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, and he could not help sighing.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had a good rest in the past two days. As a girl, you need to go to sleep.¡± He pushed her hard and sent her back into the room.


    However, there were too many things in Tang Xia¡¯s heart. She had been irritated for the whole day. What was worse, Ye Yifan hadn¡¯t told her anything. She couldn¡¯t sleep at all now.


    She quickly stabilized herself and pulled down Axon¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m too energetic today, and I can¡¯t sleep. How about going with you to patrol?¡± she said with pleading eyes and blinked.


    Looking at Tang Xia, Axon shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°All right. Take your weapon. If there is an accident, I can¡¯t protect you.¡± Tang Xia nodded happily, turned back to the house and took her weapon. Then a group of people set off to patrol.


    Soon they arrived at the patrol area. Axon assigned everyone a different place to check.


    Tang Xia volunteered to walk around casually. Axon pondered for a while and finally agreed. After all, it was not so dangerous in this place. The zombies were kept out, and the patrol was just prepared for an emergency.


    Tang Xia held her gun and walked aimlessly. She didn¡¯t want to patrol. She just wanted to stroll and relax. What she thought was Mr. Chu, and her brain was almost at the verge of exploding.


    When Tang Xia walked to the side of a pile of containers, she heard someone talking in the silent night. She immediately stopped. She stood there and listened to the sounds around her. She frowned. It was true that someone was talking there!


    Upon realizing that, Tang Xia quickly hid behind the container. She looked for the sound¡¯s source carefully and slowly approached. When she understood who was talking, Tang Xia felt stunned. The voice belonged to Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu!


    However, it was not very close. Tang Xia could not hear clearly, so she secretly glanced from the gap of the container.


    Sure enough, the people who were talking there were the two of them. Tang Xia observed them for a while but found that there was no place to hide in the vast open space around them.


    Judging from their sneaky behavior, Tang Xia felt that they weren¡¯t saying anything good. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t get any closer to them. She could only hide there and faintly hear a few keywords.


    ¡°Full moon¡­open¡­serum¡­¡± Tang Xia felt confused. When she wanted to listen to more details, Tang Xia noticed that she could not hear anything. The two of them were slowly approaching in her direction. Tang Xia could only stand up and try to leave.


    However, when she was about to leave, she accidentally bumped into the container next to her. Tang Xia was shocked. Without thinking, she quickly got up to run in the opposite direction.


    However, Lu Huanyu was a man after all. Realizing that it was Tang Xia, he pounced at Tang Xia and pressed her.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Li Xianxian looked at Tangxia in horror. She did not expect to be discovered by Tangxia. Tang Xia sneered at both of them. Lu Huanyu did not have any good feelings for Tang Xia, and his eyes betrayed that he wanted to kill her.


    ¡°What secrets do you guys want to hide? You look so nervous. If I tell you that I have not heard a word, will you believe it?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the two of them. They looked at her suspiciously. Lu Huanyu suddenly tried to force her face on the container.


    His sinister eyes seemed able to dig a hole in Tang Xia¡¯s body. ¡°Stop saying nonsense. We don¡¯t have any secrets. We want to kill you!¡±


    As he spoke, his hands around Tang Xia¡¯s neck became more and more forceful. Tang Xia only felt that breathing was getting more and more difficult, and her brain was gradually blank.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Axon rushed straight to kick Lu Huanyu before both of them could realize it.


    Li Xianxian was shocked to shout. Lu Huanyu was directly kicked and knocked down a few boxes. He got angry immediately. When he looked up and tried to fight back, he found a gun pointing straight at his brain.


    Tang Xia was instantly released, only to feel like she was still alive at the moment. Then she breathed in a big mouthful of fresh air. ¡°Tang Xia! Are you okay?¡± Axon did not look back and kept glaring at Lu Huanyu.Access v ip novel


    Tang Xia coughed fiercely twice. She supported herself to stand up while her brain was still a little dizzy. She stood firmly and looked at Lu Huanyu, who was being pointed at by Axon¡¯s gun. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She waved her hand.


    ¡°What did you want to do? Did you want to strangle Tang Xia?¡± Axon waved his gun and Tang Xia approached them. She grabbed his gun and shook her head. Axon felt confused by that action.


    ¡°Nothing, let him go.¡± Not only Axon felt it was strange, but even Lu Huanyu and Li Xianxian were looking at her puzzledly. However, Lu Huanyu stood up unceremoniously and spat.


    Lu Huanyu looked at Tang Xia with a sneer, and he said, ¡°Ha, don¡¯t think I will thank you! Listen, one day, you will fall into my hands!¡±


    Li Xianxian looked at Lu Huanyu with a look of concern. Hearing this, Axon directly waved the gun in his hand as a threat. Lu Huanyu stepped back a few steps. He snorted and pulled Li Xianxian. Then they turned around and left.


    While looking at their backs, Tang Xia could not help constricting her eyes. Axon quickly stepped forward to check Tang Xia¡¯s condition. Other than her red neck, there were no scars, so he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I will send you back. It is not safe now.¡±


    Axon directly supported Tang Xia, and the two returned to the room. As soon as they entered the door, they saw that Ye Yifan was still sitting there, unable to sleep. Soon, Ye Yifan noticed the mark on Tang Xia¡¯s neck. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    He swiftly got up to check her. Looking at his anxious expression, Tang Xia told him everything that had just happened.


    After hearing her words, Ye Yifan suddenly changed into another person, frowning at Tangxia, ¡°If something goes wrong, do you choose morality or friendship?¡±

 Chapter 262 - To Doubt The Spy

    Chapter 262 To Doubt The Spy


    For an instant, Tang Xia did not know how to answer because she did not understand what this sentence meant at all. Axon, who was behind her, was also a little confused, but he could also tell from the current atmosphere that it was inappropriate for him to remain there. ¡°You guys go ahead and chat. I¡¯ll go out first. ¡±


    Both Ye Yifan and Tang Xia did not respond, so Axon sighed again, turned, and left.


    When Tang Xia heard the sound of the door close behind her gently, she also slowly raised her head up. The light in the entire room was slightly dim, and Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes also became increasingly dark, like the quiet star on a pitch-black night.


    ¡°What do you mean by saying this?¡± Tang Xia and Ye Yifan looked at each other. Nobody would evade deliberately as this question seemed very serious.


    ¡°The literal meaning.¡± Ye Yifan inevitably took in a deep breath as if the decision was a difficult one. Tang Xia also lowered her head and thought seriously for a while before she suddenly looked at him and smiled.


    ¡°If that is the case, I don¡¯t want to answer.¡±


    When Ye Yifan heard Tang Xia give her answer so easily, he frowned instead. He was apparently dissatisfied with her answer. He walked over slowly and supported the wall with both of his hands, circling Tang Xia in the space between his arms. He looked at Tang Xia with an increasingly serious expression.


    ¡°I need you to answer me seriously. Don¡¯t give such an ambiguous answer.¡±


    That was the first time that Tang Xia saw Ye Yifan appear to be so serious. The suspicion in her heart inevitably deepened ,and she pushed his hand away gently. Ye Yifan was not too forceful, and the two looked at each other like that.


    ¡°My answer is also serious. The reason why I refuse to answer was because my friend would not do things that are against morality. That¡¯s why I answered so firmly.¡±


    As Ye Yifan listened to her words, he gradually calmed down and turned to walk over to the sofa area to take a seat. He felt slightly weak all over, and he relaxed his body.


    Tang Xia also rubbed her hot and sore neck before she sat down over with him. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± No matter how hard she thought about the incident that had happened earlier, she could not believe there was nothing to it. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Ye Yifan averted his gaze rather uncomfortably, but he still looked like he completely did not want to say anything. All of a sudden, he stood up and gave Tang Xia a shock. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a glass of water.¡±


    He then went straight to the kitchen without even having the courage to look back at Tang Xia.


    When Tang Xia saw the water glass on the table in front of her, she shook her head rather helplessly. ¡°There is water on the table.¡± Ye Yifan, who was pouring the water, instantly froze and tried hard to calm himself.


    ¡°The water on the table is already cold. I¡¯ll pour you a glass of hot water.¡± Tang Xia said nothing more, but his reaction made her increasingly suspicious that something must have happened when he had gone to see Mr. Chu.


    Although she did not know what it was, she was certain that it must be related to Mr. Chu.


    Ye Yifan walked over slowly with the glass of water and placed it down on the table helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t drink it yet. Leave it to cool for a while before you drink.¡±


    His words sounded slightly anxious, and it seemed as if he was afraid that Tang Xia would continue to ask him something. Tang Xia also knew what Ye Yifan was thinking about, and so, she did not continue to speak.


    The two of them remained in silence like that for a while. Tang Xia reached her hand forward and took the glass of water on the table. She took a sip before she exhaled softly. ¡°What should I do about Lu Huanyu¡¯s matters?¡±


    Ye Yifan was startled for a moment. He had thought that she would talk about the earlier topic, and he immediately felt relieved.


    He was still quite clueless even after he had thought about it for a while. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. ¡°Earlier on, you said that Li Xianxian was also with Lu Huanyu?¡± Tang Xia was stunned for a moment, and then she nodded and saw him take a sip of water.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid that Li Xianxian would be embroiled into something?¡± asked Tang Xia in a slightly unfriendly manner. She then placed the glass of water aside. The sound of the water glass colliding against the table in the quiet room was particularly sharp on the ears.


    Ye Yifan raised his eyebrow. In his heart, he also knew some of the thoughts that Tang Xia had.


    He turned his head around and smiled. ¡°No. I think that it will be easier for me to ask about this kind of thing.¡± Ye Yifan also placed the glass of water on the table and stretched his waist lazily.


    It was then that Tang Xia¡¯s heart felt much more at ease. However, she also had a strange feeling. She did not seem to care as much about whether Li Xianxian had anything to do with Ye Yifan anymore.


    There was inevitably some confusion in her heart, and she did not know what had happened to her all of a sudden. A figure constantly flashed across her eyes.


    Ye Yifan noticed that there was something strange about Tang Xia¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He quickly came over to check on Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia shook her head. ¡°Then, let¡¯s wait to find Li Xianxian tomorrow.¡± Ye Yifan was still a little worried. When he saw that there were no other problems with Tang Xia, except for the red mark on her neck, he simply turned and left.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s anxious silhouette with a puzzled expression, but Ye Yifan did not answer her.


    He brought over a medicine box directly from the cabinet on the side and carefully observed her wound. Then he flipped through the medicine box for some time and finally found an ointment.Access v ip novel


    When Tang Xia saw the solemn expression that Ye Yifan had on his face when he applied the medicine on her, she did not continue to speak. The silence at that moment was something that they did not have in a long time. It was especially relaxing. Her consciousness gradually became fuzzy until she completely lost consciousness.


    After Ye Yifan applied the medicine for her, he realized that Tang Xia had fallen asleep, and he could not help but smile helplessly. He placed the medical box aside and gently lifted Tang Xia up to bring her back to her bedroom.


    Early in the next morning, Tang Xia was awakened by the glare of the sun, and she reached out her hand to shield herself from the sun. Tang Xia waved her hands impatiently before she bolted up and sat there for a moment to scratch her head in doubt.


    Wasn¡¯t I talking to Ye Yifan yesterday? How did I suddenly return to the bedroom?


    Just when she was extremely puzzled, Tang Xia heard a particularly loud sound of running footsteps outside the door. As the sound got closer and closer, she suddenly heard a slam and saw that Irene had actually banged her door open.


    Tang Xia stared at Irene with her mouth open. ¡°You¡­ What are you doing!¡± The shock caused all the sluggishness that Tang Xia felt to disappear completely.


    Irene gasped heavily, and she held onto the door frame to cool herself down. She was slightly little out of breath as she said, ¡°Bad¡­ Bad news. Hurry and go take a look¡­ Jiang Yu and Li Xianxian have clashed in the cafeteria.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment, but she hurriedly flung her blanket aside and jumped down from bed. Luckily, she had not changed out from her clothes, so she directly put on her jacket, pushed Irene aside, and dashed out.


    Tang Xia would not have cared so much if it was someone else, but it was actually Jiang Yu and Li Xianxian who were in conflict!


    ¡°Hey! Wait for me!¡± Irene sighed exasperatedly but eventually followed after her rather helplessly.


    The two of them quickly arrived at the cafeteria a short while later, and right after the panting Tang Xia entered through the door, she saw Jiang Yu crying silently as she knelt down on the ground. On the other hand, Li Xianxian had a self-righteous look on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you draft a script when you slander other people? Who do you think you are? Everything that you say would be right?¡±


    When Tang Xia realized that Li Xianxian was about to dunk the rice in her hands onto Jiang Yu¡¯s body, she immediately rushed over angrily and pushed Li Xianxian away, causing the latter to stagger two steps back. Li Xianxian did not hold onto the rice in her hand securely, and it directly poured onto her own skirt.


    Suddenly, Li Xianxian¡¯s bloodcurdling screams echoed throughout the cafeteria. ¡°What are you doing! Tang Xia!¡± She lifted her head up and glared straight at Tang Xia.


    However, Tang Xia completely ignored her. She directly turned around to help Jiang Yu up and patted the dust off from Jiang Yu¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Jiang Yu, are you all right?¡± asked Tang Xia rather worriedly. Jiang Yu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and, with her eyes swollen like walnuts, she shook her head to indicate that she was all right.


    When Li Xianxian, who was behind them, saw that Tang Xia did not even take a look at her, she immediately boiled with rage.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Can¡¯t you hear that I¡¯m talking to you?¡± Li Xianxian almost wanted to move forward and hit her. However, Tang Xia was not so easily bullied, and she turned her head and outrightly looked straight into her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t hear you clearly. I simply don¡¯t want to bother with you! You shrew!¡± When Li Xianxian heard Tang Xia call her a vixen, she exploded instantly. She pointed her finger at Tang Xia¡¯s nose and was about to curse at her when Irene quickly stepped forward from the side to stop her and get her to calm down.Updates by vi p novel


    When Tang Xia saw how Li Xianxian looked, she simply found it unexplainably funny, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°What? With that self-righteous look of yours, I really want to know why you bullied Jiang Yu like this. What did she do to you?¡±


    Tang Xia absolutely would not believe it if she said that Jiang Yu was the one who started the fight.


    Li Xianxian suddenly whined and appeared to be timid as though she was a victim. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it all because Jiang Yu slandered me!?¡± Tang Xia found it rather funny and frowned as she moved closer to Li Xianxian¡¯s face.


    ¡°With your thick skin, what could she do to slander you?¡±


    Tang Xia had a serious and curious look on her face and Irene, who was standing by the side, instantly slapped her own face in regret. What was going on? How did Tang Xia end up fighting with Li Xianxian after she had called her over?


    Irene hurriedly dragged Li Xianxian back just when she was about to explode. ¡°Chill!¡±


    How could Li Xianxian listen and accept that? Irene directly dragged Li Xianxian over and told her seriously to stand by the side. She then looked at Tang Xia and interrogated her loudly, ¡°I called you over as a mediator and not to fight!¡±


    Tang Xia did not bother about Irene at all and simply stared straight at Li Xianxian. The latter directly retorted out loud, ¡°Jiang Yu accused me of being a spy! How could I be a spy!?¡± As she spoke, Li Xianxian pushed Irene aside and told Irene not to touch her before she tugged her own clothes.


    Jiang Yu instantly looked up at Li Xianxian. ¡°I merely suspected you and Lu Huanyu. I did not accuse you of being a spy!¡± As she spoke, she backed away two steps behind Tang Xia. Tang Xia turned and looked at Li Xianxian with an amused expression on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to cover up.¡± When Li Xianxian realized that there were so many people around them, she suddenly found it hard to maintain her pride, and she tugged the edge of her skirt rather unnaturally.


    ¡°We shall see!¡± Li Xianxian snorted coldly before she turned and left. As Tang Xia watched her leave, she pulled Jiang Yu helplessly to continue to have their meal together. They even dismissed the people around them.


    However, while they were eating, Jiang Yu looked at Tang Xia and whispered with a little embarrassment, ¡°I heard everything that you said to Ye Yifan from outside the door.¡± Tang Xia was instantly shocked and, for a moment, she did not know what to say. She seemed as if she wanted to speak but stopped on second thought.


    Jiang Yu lowered her head with slight embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped.¡±

 Chapter 263 - Ye Yifan Was Bitten

    Chapter 263 Ye Yifan Was Bitten


    When Tang Xia saw the apologetic look on Jiang Yu¡¯s face, she paused and consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Jiang Yu only heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words, and her expression eased a little. However, her fingers still subconsciously fiddled with the corners of her clothes, and she seemed as if there was something that she wanted to say but was hesitant because of some concerns.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something else that you want to say?¡± Tang Xia asked patiently.


    Under Tang Xia¡¯s encouragement, Jiang Yu carefully looked around them, and after she saw that nobody noticed them, she then said slowly, ¡°Actually, during the past few days in the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour, I realized that it wasn¡¯t very safe.¡±


    Jiang Yu looked serious when she said that, and she was obviously not paying lip service. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan¡¯s expression changed at the same time and they looked at Jiang Yu in shock.


    Ever since they had been at the North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour, there would be guards on patrol on the inside and outside of the fortress, so they had never worried about safety. But Jiang Yu¡¯s words inevitably made them have second thoughts.


    Tang Xia¡¯s expression became more serious, and she continued to press on and ask, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°There was one night when I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I went out to loiter about. I inadvertently saw the patrol team carrying many things and throwing them into the sea. At first I did not take it seriously, but afterwards, I found out that it was not just that day. They would do it every night.¡±


    Jiang Yu then added, ¡°Furthermore, they were always very careful whenever they carried things. It was as if they were hiding something. I always felt that there was some secret in those bags.¡±


    When Jiang Yu finished speaking, she noticed that Tang Xia and Ye Yifan did not show much response, so she asked with slight skepticism, ¡°Am I thinking too much?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head solemnly. ¡°I just find it very strange, and I¡¯m thinking through it.¡± She then turned her gaze and looked at Ye Yifan to ask for his advice, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It was indeed rather against the norm.¡± Ye Yifan supported his chin and looked thoughtful. ¡°If it only happened once, we could reason that they were throwing garbage away. But based on Jiang Yu¡¯s description, it was obviously not so simple.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head in agreement.


    Ye Yifan then turned to look at Jiang Yu again. ¡°Do you remember where they threw those bags at?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go there directly to investigate?¡± Tang Xia instantly understood Ye Yifan¡¯s thoughts and asked in a baffled way, ¡°Even if Jiang Yu still remembers, those things would probably not be in its original location, right?¡±


    The seawater constantly changed, and those things had probably been washed away long ago.


    When Jiang Yu heard that, she was also a little bit surprised, but she first answered affirmatively, ¡°I can find the general direction.¡± She then continued to speak with slight hesitation. ¡°But Tang Xia is right. Even if we went there, we might not find anything. ¡±


    Ye Yifan had a resolute expression. ¡°We still have to give it a try.¡±


    After a round of discussion, the three of them eventually decided to take a look at the place that Jiang Yu mentioned. After they arrived at the beach, there were indeed many black bags floating on the sea, but they were too far away to reach.


    Tang Xia was discouraged. ¡°As expected, it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Just when they were about to leave, Ye Yifan suddenly held her back. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while more.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Tang Xia paused with a slightly stunned expression on her face.


    Ye Yifan pointed his finger at his watch. ¡°The high tide will come soon.¡±


    The high tide and low tide followed a certain pattern. It could be deduced when combined with some information about the geographical location. Tang Xia was weak in geography and did not consider this aspect, but when she heard Ye Yifan¡¯s words, she then waited by the side doubtfully.


    After about ten minutes, the seawater indeed rose and the few black bags of items drifted towards the shores along with the tide. However, as the tide receded, they drifted back to the center of the sea and floated from place to place.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s much closer, let¡¯s find a pole and fish it over when it¡¯s closest to us,¡± said Ye Yifan as he stood up.


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu saw the feasibility of the idea, and their attitude towards this became more positive. The three of them acted together and quickly found a pole to fish a black bag up.


    The black bag was heavy and Ye Yifan and Tang Xia only managed to drag it up the shore when they joined forces. However, their expression loosened up a lot because, right now, they only needed to open the bag to find out its contents.


    Tang Xia opened the bag and saw that there was another layer of inflated inflatable bag inside, and it was difficult to tear it open by hand.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    When Ye Yifan saw this, he took out a spring knife, which he kept for self-defense, and began to slice it open from the top. Tang Xia and Jiang Yu watched closely from the side. They were both nervous and eager. After all, the mystery that had troubled them for so long was finally about to be solved.


    As the sharp tip of the blade sliced the bag open slowly, the inflatable bag quickly flattened.


    At that moment, Tang Xia noticed that something was moving in the bag. Ye Yifan did not touch that area at all, so it could not have been caused by Ye Yifan¡¯s touch.Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart suddenly sank. She had a very bad hunch and blurted out almost without any hesitation, ¡°Danger, duck quickly!


    As soon as she said that, a zombie growled and poked its head out of the bag. When Ye Yifan heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, he hurriedly retracted his hands, but he still did not manage to avoid in time, and his finger was bitten by the zombie.


    At the same time that Tang Xia gave the reminder, she quickly pulled out her gun and shot the zombie dead before she kicked it back into the sea. Then she quickly rushed over to Ye Yifan. ¡°How is it? Are you alright?¡± Her expression was full of anxiety.


    Ye Yifan lifted his hand up with a bitter smile. There was a visible wound on his finger and although it was very small, the result was the same as long as one was bitten by a zombie. It was only a matter of time.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll be making a move first.¡± Ye Yifan placed his hand down. It was hard to tell the expression in his lowered his eyes. ¡°I was still prepared to be with you right till the end.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Tang Xia stared at the wound on Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, and she could not accept that the situation had suddenly developed into this.


    Now, they no longer had the mood to think about why the patrol team would put the zombies into bags and throw them into the sea every day.


    When Jiang Yu saw this scene, she already panicked and began to blame herself for the mistake. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned about the patrol team and bring you all here. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, she turned pale as she saw Ye Yifan hands turn black quickly and could not find it in herself to continue to speak.


    Ye Yifan looked at her and continued to smile gently. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t blame yourself. Nobody would have expected the bags to contain zombies that still had the power to attack.¡±


    As Ye Yifan spoke, he frowned. ¡°It¡¯s increasingly strange. It seems that you¡¯re right. The North City Dreams Of Returning Harbour is indeed rather unsafe.¡±


    He analyzed calmly as if the person who had been bitten by a zombie and who would soon be eliminated was someone else and not him.


    Tang Xia could not stand Ye Yifan¡¯s calm acceptance of the situation, and her eyes turned red as she interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. Let¡¯s leave it till later.¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at her helplessly. ¡°There would not be a later. You know what happens to a person who was bitten by a zombie¡­¡±


    ¡°I will not let you become like that.¡± Tang Xia directly refuted what he was about to say.


    Ye Yifan sighed and his expression dimmed. ¡°Tang Xia, stop behaving like a child. Li Xianxian had used up the only bottle of serum previously. What else can we do?¡±


    He handed the gun to Tang Xia and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Kill me before I¡¯m infected by the zombie virus.¡±


    Tang Xia took the gun and before Ye Yifan could heave a sigh of relief, he saw her throw the gun to the ground furiously. There was an unprecedented toughness in her tone of voice. ¡°I will not allow you to give up until the last second!


    Ye Yifan still wanted to say something, but Tang Xia directly pulled him up and walked towards the fortress with a firm attitude. ¡°Go find Axon. They must still have serums in the fortress!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Axon might have a solution.¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s eyes sparked hope after she heard Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    Axon had no serum and Ye Yifan knew that. If there was any, they would have given it to that player previously. But when he saw Tang Xia¡¯s stubborn expression, he did not have the heart to say it.


    Although Tang Xia appeared to be gentle, she was extremely stubborn deep inside. Since the zombie virus would not spread fully for a while, I could stay and accompany her for a while.


    If it really does not work, then I will let Axon kill me personally at that point in time. Axon understands the importance of the matter, and he would not hesitate to take action.


    As this thought crossed Ye Yifan¡¯s mind, he followed Tang Xia back to the fortress. Tang Xia dashed straight to Axon¡¯s room and asked anxiously, ¡°Axon, do you have any serum?¡±


    ¡°Why, who¡¯s in trouble?¡± Axon looked baffled when he saw Tang Xia¡¯s anxious expression. Right after he said that, he saw Ye Yifan raise his hand with a bitter smile from behind her.


    As the zombie virus was spreading, Ye Yifan¡¯s bitten arm had begun to turn black and rot.


    Axon¡¯s face instantly changed. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tang Xia tried to repeat the matter as succinctly as possible and when Axon learned that they had taken the risk to do such a thing, he reprimanded them furiously, ¡°Nonsense! ¡°How could you be so reckless?¡±


    Tang Xia and the other two also regretted their decision now, but things had already happened, and it was useless to regret. Tang Xia looked at Axon and begged.


    ¡°I know that we lacked consideration this time, but now that Ye Yifan has been bitten, I can¡¯t just watch him turn into a zombie like this. Please.¡±


    After Axon finished scolding them, he also knew that it was not the time to press on about this matter. so he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have the serum.¡±


    Ye Yifan had already anticipated this, so he did not seem surprised. However, Tang Xia and Jiang Yu¡¯s faces turned pale instantly. Surprisingly, Axon¡¯s subsequent words reignited their hopes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it, but Mr. Chu should have it. I¡¯ll take you to him,¡± added Axon.


    Since Axon was willing to help, Ye Yifan could be saved. The trio looked elated, and they followed Axon to the outside of Mr. Chu¡¯s room.


    Mr. Chu had once said that he would not meet women, but they could not bother about this anymore during times like this. Axon brought the three of them to Mr. Chu¡¯s room, but they did not barge inside recklessly. Instead, he knocked on the door first. ¡°Mr. Chu, it¡¯s me, Axon. I need to see you urgently.¡±


    Probably because he heard Axon¡¯s voice, the person inside the room opened the door readily without any hesitation. Just when Tang Xia was about to go in, she looked up to take a good look at Mr. Chu¡¯s face and she was startled.

 Chapter 264 - Inseparable

    Chapter 264 Inseparable


    They looked at each other, and Tang Xia suddenly did not know what to do. Her mind simply went blank, and she suddenly felt relieved after being shocked.


    ¡°I have thought about the so-called Mr. Chu countless times, but I never expected him to be you.¡± The person across from her was obviously at a loss as to what to do.


    ¡°I thought he would not let you come over.¡±


    As he spoke, he straightaway pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand to let her in, but Tang Xia stopped him directly. She held onto the door frame and refused to go in. Chu Tiankuo turned his head back to look at Tang Xia, and he inevitably seemed puzzled.


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I will eat you?¡±


    Tang Xia immediately denied and pulled away Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand, which was holding onto hers firmly. Although she felt a faint excitement in her heart, Tang Xia also knew that now was not the time to reminisce about the past. When Chu Tiankuo saw Tang Xia reject him, he was inevitably angry.


    ¡°No. Just now, Ye Yifan was bitten by a zombie. I was hoping that you could give him the serum. Please, time is running out!¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head, and there was a hint of pleading in her voice. Chu Tiankuo, who was already rather unhappy, became visibly angrier when he heard Ye Yifan¡¯s name from Tang Xia, who had just rejected him.


    Tang Xia instantly felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere around her, and she could not help shivering. But at that moment, she was not in the mood to think deeply about those things.


    ¡°I beg of you. Please save Ye Yifan¡¯s life!¡± Tang Xia could no longer hold herself back when she saw how Chu Tiankuo gave no response.


    However, Chu Tiankuo ignored her pleas and shook her hand off. ¡°Impossible. I will not give it to you.¡±


    After he said that, he turned and went straight into the room. Tang Xia was instantly stunned. Chu Tiankuo had also refused her request previously, and it had also been related to Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Why are you so against Ye Yifan? Did he do anything bad to you?¡± Tang Xia could not help but explode.


    Whenever Tang Xia recalled that Ye Yifan was on the brink of life and death, she could not keep her head cool. But whenever Chu Tiankuo heard Tang Xia utter Ye Yifan¡¯s name, he would be unexplainably frustrated.


    He rushed over straight and pressed Tang Xia against the wall. Tang Xia merely felt a sense of dizziness, as well as a pain in her back in that instant.


    When she opened her eyes again, she saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bloodshot eyes and was inevitably shocked. ¡°Why do you think I hate him so much? Aren¡¯t you clear about this in your heart?¡± As he spoke, he slowly approached her.


    Tang Xia merely felt her heart beat before hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s bewitching devil-like voice,


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re clear about it in your heart. You¡¯re merely subconsciously trying to evade the problem. I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± As he spoke, he slowly moved closer to Tang Xia¡¯s ear and blew out a breath of air gently.


    Tang Xia merely felt her ears tickle a lot, and she could not help but shrink her neck. Suddenly, she pushed him away. ¡°Can we not discuss this problem now? Ye Yifan¡¯s situation is really pressing!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo slapped the wall angrily and Tang Xia jumped from shock. She then saw him glare at her viciously. ¡°See! You¡¯re running away from this problem again. Over my dead body. I will not give it to him! ¡±


    As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the sofa. Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s resolute silhouette, and all the grievance and anxiety over Ye Yifan, which she felt during this period of time, suddenly flooded her heart.


    Chu Tiankuo, who initially planned to sit down, immediately paused when he heard Tang Xia suppressing her cries as she leaned against the wall.


    Chu Tiankuo was instantly at a loss as to what to do. He bent his body helplessly and was unsure about whether he should proceed to sit down or stand up.


    ¡°What¡­are you crying for? Was it because of Ye Yifan?¡± When he realized this, he instantly boiled with rage and pushed everything off the table to the ground.


    Tang Xia had been pushed to tears by her frustration, but when she heard the clatter, she was suddenly shocked by his actions.


    The whole room was so quiet that only the sound of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s rapid breathing could be heard. Tang Xia sorted out her emotions and walked slowly. ¡°Only this time. Could you just listen to me for once this time?¡± Ye Yifan really could not wait any longer.


    Chu Tiankuo turned his head to look at Tang Xia and, after a long silence, he finally sighed helplessly. He really could not bear to see her stare at him so seriously with bloodshot eyes. He could only turn his head aside and not look at her.


    Tang Xia thought that Chu Tiankuo was still disagreeable and tears surged to her eyes once more.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°I have a condition.¡± Chu Tiankuo still did not turn his head around, and he merely stared at the ceiling. Tang Xia, who wanted to cry, hesitated for a moment before she quickly looked at him with anticipation.


    ¡°Speak! I will agree to anything that you request for!¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly turned his head and suppressed the anger in his heart. She could speak so recklessly about such things for Ye Yifan?


    However, there was one thing which he ignored. Tang Xia probably also ignored it. Tang Xia dared to speak so recklessly precisely because he was Chu Tiankuo.


    She subconsciously believed that he would not state any conditions that would hurt her. ¡°I ask of you to be by my side in the future.¡± Tang Xia could not help but frown when she heard him speak in such a domineering and irrefutable tone.


    Before Tang Xia could reply, he continued to speak. ¡°Inseparably.¡± Tang Xia went silent when she saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s serious expression. She inevitably felt very conflicted in her heart, but she also knew that this was not the time to be conflicted. Ye Yifan could not afford to wait.


    ¡°Alright! I promise! So hurry and give me the serum!¡± When Chu Tiankuo saw the resolve in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, he got up to get the serum despite his reluctance.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you. I¡¯ll inject it into him personally so that everyone knows. Otherwise, who knows if you will go back on your words.¡± Tang Xia had a strange, unexplainable feeling that he felt proud when he said such things, and she was shocked about by this thought.


    After a while, she saw Chu Tiankuo walk over with the serum. Tang Xia could not care about anything else, and she rushed forward, grabbed hold of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand, and dashed out.


    The two of them almost dashed out at the speed of flying. Although Chu Tiankuo looked extremely reluctant, he was also very helpless.


    The crowd watched as Tang Xia brought Chu Tiankuo over. Their eyes instantly lit up with hope, and they made way for them. Chu Tiankuo looked at Ye Yifan with a look of disgust on his face, but, under Tang Xia¡¯s intimidating gaze, he still walked over.


    ¡°Mr. Chu actually promised to get the serum?¡± Axon could not help but ask Tang Xia softly, but the latter merely frowned and did not answer.


    They watched as Ye Yifan laid on the ground. At that very moment, he was already showing many signs of transforming into a zombie. All of his hair had fallen off, and his skin was gradually drying up.


    ¡°Hurry and inject! What are you looking at!¡± Tang Xia could not help but step forward and urge Chu Tiankuo. Everyone was a little surprised that Tang Xia actually dared to speak like this to Mr. Chu.


    Chu Tiankuo was extremely reluctant as he held onto the serum to inject it. But Ye Yifan continued to struggle and Chu Tiankuo could not take action.


    He frowned and looked at the crowd. ¡°You guys should hold him down.¡± The crowd then reacted and quickly came forward to try to control him. Although Ye Yifan continued to struggle. and he even knocked down a few people, they still managed to hold him down after much effort.


    Chu Tiankuo directly injected the serum. Ye Yifan gradually stopped struggling and quietened down. Tang Xia quickly stepped forward to check on Ye Yifan, but was pulled away by Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia looked at him in surprise for a moment, and she merely saw the look of dissatisfaction on his face. ¡°Keep away from him. You¡¯re not allowed to approach him.¡±Access v ip novel


    When she thought about what she had just promised him, Tang Xia did not continue to insist. Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, Ye Yifan¡¯s skin was visibly and gradually restored to its initial state, but all his hair had fallen off and did not grow out again.


    Chu Tiankuo could sense Tang Xia¡¯s joy as she stood next to him, and he squeezed her palm to express his dissatisfaction.


    Although Tang Xia felt helpless, she did not say anything. Ye Yifan also slowly opened his eyes, and he saw a dozen pair of eyes looking at him. With the help of the crowd, he sat up.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± As he had just woken up, his mind seemed slightly foggy, so Axon quickly explained the situation. Ye Yifan was also relieved, and he only felt a cool sensation at the top of his head. When he raised his hand and touched himself on the head, all he felt was a smooth surface.


    Tang Xia could not help but burst out into laughter, ¡°The price of escaping death was to lose your hair.¡± Ye Yifan then noticed Tang Xia as well as Chu Tiankuo, who was standing beside her. His eyes inevitably darkened. As expected, she had still met him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s good to have a change of hairstyle.¡±


    As Tang Xia spoke, Ye Yifan stood up under their support. Even without asking, he knew that Tang Xia must have saved him. He still remembered how shocked and anxious Tang Xia was just before he had lost consciousness. He slowly walked towards Tang Xia with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Tang Xia was at a loss as to what to do when she saw the sincere look in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes. However, Tang Xia felt Chu Tiankuo pinch her hands again twice, and she could not help but frown. She then turned and looked at Ye Yifan with a forceful smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re all friends. It¡¯s what we should have done after fighting side by side for so long.¡± When Chu Tiankuo heard Tang Xia¡¯s reply, his lips curled up in satisfaction.


    Ye Yifan felt that something was strange, but he could not put a finger on it. He ignored Chu Tiankuo, who was standing by the side, and he directly pulled Tang Xia¡¯s arm with the intention of leaving.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m fine, I want to go back and rest for a while.¡± As he spoke, Ye Yifan was about to leave but Chu Tiankuo blocked directly in front of Ye Yifan. The atmosphere between the two of them instantly became different.


    Tang Xia only felt as if she smelled a hint of gunpowder. Under the watchful eyes of Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia could only push Ye Yifan away helplessly.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia with a puzzled expression. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t go.¡±


    As she spoke, Tang Xia walked towards Chu Tiankuo. Even if Ye Yifan looked at the situation with his toes, he could also tell that only Chu Tiankuo had the serum. He turned his head and glared angrily at Chu Tiankuo. The conflict between the two of them was on the verge of erupting.

 Chapter 265 - Chu Tiankuos Namelist

    Chapter 265 Chu Tiankuo¡¯s Namelist


    The atmosphere in the area was so tense that it solidified, and neither of the two men was willing to show their weakness. There were sparks of fire in their eyes as they looked at each other, as if they would start a fight at any time.


    The cause of all this was that girl who stood by the side.


    Tang Xia had a complicated look on her face, and before the situation could worsen, she held onto Ye Yifan and said hesitantly, ¡°Yifan, could you leave first? I have something to say to Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    ¡°Yifan? How intimate.¡± Chu Tiankuo stared coldly as Tang Xia and Ye Yifan held each other¡¯s hands, with the word ¡°dissatisfaction¡± clearly written on this face.


    As if Tang Xia had sensed his gaze, she silently let go of Ye Yifan¡¯s hand and merely looked fixedly at Ye Yifan with a pleading look in her eyes.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because he threatened you?¡± When Ye Yifan heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, his expression loosened up slightly but his eyes continued to watch Chu Tiankuo with great hostility.


    ¡°No. How could I be threatened by him?¡± Tang Xia denied it and forced a smile on her face to try to make her voice sound more lighthearted.


    Ye Yifan looked at her suspiciously and then looked at Chu Tiankuo. There was an obvious look of suspicion in his expression. ¡°Really? Then why did you say earlier that you ¡®can¡¯t leave¡¯?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s complexion turned pale very slightly. Ye Yifan held onto her shoulder with a serious expression. ¡°Tang Xia, I hope you understand that if you have to force yourself to save me, then I would rather be a zombie.¡±


    As he said this, Ye Yifan even took an intentional glance at Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes shone as he stared at Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, which was placed on Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder. His expression could almost kill a person.


    When Tang Xia saw that the atmosphere between the two of them had become tense again, she denied repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯s really not like you think. I really have something to talk to Chu Tiankuo about. Could you excuse yourself for a while?¡±Access v ip novel


    This time, Tang Xia¡¯s tone of voice was much more firm than before. She frowned and pushed Ye Yifan¡¯s hand away from her shoulder and she already seemed to be a little displeased.


    Ye Yifan was stunned. ¡°Could it be that I really misunderstood?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Tang Xia asked you to leave first.¡±


    That cold voice could be heard and Ye Yifan moved his eyes. He saw that Chu Tiankuo had already walked over without him realizing it. He stood beside Tang Xia and was looking at him unhappily.


    They looked like a compatible couple, and he would only ruin the atmosphere if he continued to stay here.


    Ye Yifan suddenly remembered that Tang Xia had always been interested in Mr. Chu. Maybe he really had misunderstood. As if he had suddenly lost his confidence, Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia with a dim look. ¡°I¡¯ll go first then.¡±


    His voice was low and muted and was completely stripped of the sense of sharpness that it had when he confronted Chu Tiankuo earlier on. After he said this, Ye Yifan took one final deep look at Tang Xia before he turned and left.


    Tang Xia watched his forlorn silhouette and opened her mouth, but in the end, she said nothing.


    ¡°Why? You can¡¯t bear to part with him?¡± Chu Tiankuo snorted and straightaway closed the door to block Tang Xia¡¯s view. Did she care so much about him that she even had to watch his silhouette?


    When Tang Xia saw that Ye Yifan had left, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. When she heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice again, she shook her head and looked at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Do you wish fervently that I would not be here?¡± Chu Tiankuo replied with a rhetorical question. The expression on his face was hidden by the backlight when he spoke, and it made it impossible for one to guess his emotions.


    Tang Xia was a little stunned, and for a moment, she did not know what to say.


    Chu Tiankuo took her silence as a silent acknowledgment and directly came forward and grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s jaw viciously. ¡°There is nothing you can do about this, even if that¡¯s what you think, because you will have to stay close by my side in the subsequent period! Don¡¯t forget that you made the promise yourself!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo increased the force of his hands when he recalled the anxious look on Tang Xia¡¯s face when she pleaded with him in order to save Ye Yifan. His expression became increasingly dark and it was unclear whether it was because of jealousy or resentment.


    Tang Xia stood up painfully and pushed him away hard. ¡°Chu Tiankuo, what are you doing?¡±


    She looked at Chu Tiankuo in disbelief. After the previous few fictitious worlds, she thought that Chu Tiankuo had changed. But now, it seemed that she was wrong.


    This Chu Tiankuo made her feel afraid.


    ¡°What am I doing? Tang Xia, I should be asking you this. What are you going to do?¡± Chu Tiankuo suddenly became agitated, and the expression on his face looked like that of a child who was hurt.


    ¡°That man was the one whom you previously said that you liked, right?¡± He held onto Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder firmly. He was going to wipe out the area that that man had touched with even greater force.


    After a while, Tang Xia managed to react to the fact that he was referring to Ye Yifan. She merely felt tired in her heart and wanted to push him away but she could not seem to break free from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s clutches.


    ¡°Can you not be like this?¡± After Tang Xia struggled to no avail, she could only give up. She lost control of her emotions and yelled out at Chu Tiankuo. Since the moment that they met again, Chu Tiankuo had constantly been forcing her.


    Chu Tiankuo suddenly embraced Tang Xia and his voice was dull and muted. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I can only see you through this.¡±


    Those words were obviously warm words, but when Chu Tiankuo said them, it only made Tang Xia feel chills down her spine.


    Since they had met this time, the sense of oppression that Chu Tiankuo had been imposing on her become stronger and stronger. It seemed that Chu Tiankuo increasingly could not conceal his feelings since that confession and was becoming more and more capricious.


    For example, a second ago they were still in confrontation with each other, but in the next second, he hugged her tightly with so much force that it was as if he wanted to rub her into his body.


    Tang Xia felt so choked by him that she could not breathe, nor could she break free. As she struggled on, tears somehow began to fall from her eyes.


    The warm liquid trickled down her cheeks and fell onto Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arm. It made him regain his rationality instantly and he released Tang Xia. When he saw her tear-stricken face, he raised his hands to wipe them away for her, and his actions were gentle and slightly helpless.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sudden gentleness and sudden overbearing manner tortured Tang Xia and drove her mad. She asked with bloodshot eyes, ¡°What do you want?¡± Her voice still had a hint of tears.


    Chu Tiankuo stroked her cheek. ¡°Just stay by my side with your mind at ease.¡±


    For a moment, Tang Xia did not know whether he was referring to the end of the current livestream or if he meant to remain in the fictitious world forever. She felt a sense of chill around her when she thought of the latter.


    After all, she and Chu Tiankuo were people from two different worlds and there would not be an ending.


    Tang Xia wanted to say it out loud honestly, but swallowed her words when she came into contact with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, which suddenly turned cold.


    With Chu Tiankuo¡¯s current capricious character, who knew what would happen to her after she said it? Tang Xia took one glance at Chu Tiankuo and ultimately chose to remain silent.


    In the subsequent time, Chu Tiankuo did not speak again. Tang Xia could not figure out what Chu Tiankuo was thinking about and she did not dare to speak rashly. The two of them remained in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s office quietly. The atmosphere was strangely quiet but inexplicably peaceful.Updates by vi p novel


    Chu Tiankuo did not restrict Tang Xia¡¯s actions, nor did he allow her to leave the office. Tang Xia could only watch Chu Tiankuo from aside or walk around bored. At night, Chu Tiankuo suddenly got up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. You stay here,¡± Chu Tiankuo said to Tang Xia in a deep voice and walked out.


    Tang Xia was so bored that she quickly followed after him and asked eagerly, ¡°Where are you going? Can I come along?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The answer that she received was merely a cold word from Chu Tiankuo, he did not even stop.


    ¡°You even said that I could not leave your side,¡± Tang Xia complained before she suddenly thought of another possibility. She asked with anticipation, ¡°In that case, can I go out to hang around for a while during the time that you¡¯re gone?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo had already walked over to the door, and when he heard her voice, he turned his eyes gloomily and took one glance at Tang Xia. It was obviously warm in the room but that look made Tang Xia shiver inexplicably.


    ¡°Does she want to look for that man?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was even colder than his eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    After he said this, Chu Tiankuo did not give Tang Xia any further chance to speak as he directly opened the door and left. After he left, Tang Xia tried to open the door but it would not budge.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s locked.¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly discouraged, so she went back to his desk and sat down and played with a pen on the table in boredom.


    She found it increasingly hard to understand Chu Tiankuo now. He used the serum to ask her to stay close by his side. But after she remained behind, he did not seem to have any other plans.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much about a feeling of affection but rather that of possessiveness.¡± Tang Xia criticized in her heart. When she recalled the spine-chilling gaze that Chu Tiankuo gave her before he left, she continued to feel a sense of chill. Chu Tiankuo was really an unfathomable person.


    He did not let her leave and yet he ran out mysteriously for some unknown matters. The more Tang Xia thought about it, the more resentful she felt while she rolled the pen around on the table.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s desk was neatly kept and the suede mat on the table was spotlessly clean. Tang Xia was initially only playing with the pen, but suddenly, she had a desire to explore Chu Tiankuo¡¯s work desk.


    She placed the pen down and looked out the door. Chu Tiankuo probably would not be back for a while, right?


    ¡°Since he was the one who did not want to take me along and I am bored, it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt for me to look around.¡± As this thought crossed Tang Xia¡¯s mind, she opened all the drawers one by one to take a look.


    Most of the drawers were largely filled with professional books and notes. Tang Xia was uninterested, but just when she was about to close the drawer, from the corner of her eye, she saw a small corner sticking out from one of the books. It seemed to contain something between it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Tang Xia paused her actions for a moment and pulled the book out. Sure enough, there was a piece of paper in it that was even turned over. Baffled, Tang Xia flipped the paper around and she saw a few names written on it:


    Tang Xia, Ye Yifan, Jiang Yu, Li Xianxian, Lu Huanyu, Irene


    This was obviously the list of surviving anchors. Why would Chu Tiankuo write this down? Tang Xia felt a chill in her heart. All the names aside from her own were crossed out.


    As Tang Xia looked at the list intently, she did not notice the soft noise outside the door. By the time she realized it, Chu Tiankuo was already standing before his desk.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The gloomy voice seemed to speak right beside her ears and it made Tang Xia stand up in shock. In a panic, the list of names even slipped through her hands.


    Chu Tiankuo picked up the list of names, and with merely a glance, his face instantly darkened. Tang Xia flinched and tried to back away but Chu Tiankuo directly pressed her against the wall. ¡°How dare you!¡±

 Chapter 266 - Zombie Transformation

    Chapter 266 Zombie Transformation


    Tang Xia responded and pushed Chu Tiankuo away before she retorted smoothly, ¡°You were the one who wanted to keep me here and you didn¡¯t say that I am not allowed to look at the things here.¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo heard this, his black pupils looked at Tang Xia coldly. Even the air around her seemed to have cooled down instantly. The temperature plummeted suddenly and Tang Xia could not help shivering.


    Just when Tang Xia thought that Chu Tiankuo would flare up, he took the list of names without a word and then walked over to his seat and sat down. As he did not look at Tang Xia anymore, it was hard to tell if he was convinced by Tang Xia or merely too lazy to argue about it with her.


    His abnormal attitude actually aroused Tang Xia¡¯s curiosity. Chu Tiankuo clearly wanted to let this matter slide. What was he hiding?


    As Tang Xia recalled the list of names that she had hurriedly glanced at earlier, her suspicion and worry deepened. She directly walked over to Chu Tiankuo and questioned him. ¡°What is that paper just now? Why are you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she saw Chu Tiankuo look up and stare at her with a pair of narrow and sharp eagle eyes. It was as if he wanted to bore a hole in her. There was no doubt that if Tang Xia continued to question him, she would be the unlucky one.


    ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯d better leave things as they are when I don¡¯t intend to argue with you about it.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s thin lips moved and he slowly spat out the words of warning.


    Under his frightening gaze, the momentum that Tang Xia had been garnering instantly weakened.


    One had to admit that some people seemed to be born with a strong aura. Even if they were seated, they could still scare others with a look or a word. He was one such example.


    As Tang Xia thought in frustration, she shut her mouth timidly and walked over to the sofa by the side to sit down. After all, she did not know how long she would have to stay by Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side, and if the atmosphere became too tense, it obviously would not be good news for her.


    The room became peaceful again, so calm that it made one panic. Tang Xia played in boredom with the knots that hung from the cloth of the sofa, unaware that Chu Tiankuo had focused his eyes on her.


    ¡°Are you very bored?¡± Chu Tiankuo asked quietly after a long time.


    Tang Xia was focused on playing, and without lifting her head up, she replied without thinking, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She was almost bored out of her wits in this office. Previously, she could still chat with Jiang Yu. But now, she only had Chu Tiankuo beside her and he was a stuffy gourd.


    He either remained silent and busy with his own matters or he would open his mouth and choke you with his words¡­ It was better not to talk. Here, there was also a complete absence of other things to pass time with.


    Wasn¡¯t it boring when she was with that man? Chu Tiankuo paused for a moment before he pretended to ask inadvertently, ¡°What is your relationship with Ye Yifan?¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned by the speed at which he jumped from one topic to another. She then remembered that she had to answer, but she did not know that in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, her current state was one of suspicious silence.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in any relationship. We¡¯re just friends,¡± Tang Xia replied indifferently.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression instantly sharpened and he rejected it flatly. ¡°Impossible.¡± He seemed to be emotionally agitated, for he even smacked the table.


    When Tang Xia perceived the change in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone of voice, she turned to look at him and merely saw the disbelief written all over his handsome face. ¡°If you guys do not have any relationship, then why were you so worried that he would transform into a zombie?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo snorted coldly with a tinge of sourness in his voice. He could not show her any good attitude the moment he remembered how Tang Xia looked when she begged him to save Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia was speechless. ¡°Can¡¯t friends worry about each other?¡± Just when she was about to say something, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Tang Xia stopped and walked over to open the door. She saw Axon standing outside the door with an anxious look on his face.


    When Axon saw that it was Tang Xia who had opened the door, he briefly greeted her before he anxiously asked, ¡°Is Mr. Chu in there? I have something urgent to report to him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in there.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head, and just when she was about to make way for Axon to come in, she suddenly heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice beside her. ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    It turned out that when he heard the sound, Chu Tiankuo had already walked over to the door without her realization.


    When Tang Xia inadvertently took one glance in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s direction, she suddenly caught sight of half a syringe sticking out from a pocket of his coat. Her expression turned slightly more serious and the doubts that had faded before became clear again.


    ¡°What did Chu Tiankuo do when he went out earlier? Why didn¡¯t he allow me to follow? And what does that name list mean?¡± Just as Tang Xia was wondering about these, Axon¡¯s anxious voice could be heard from the side.


    ¡°Mr. Chu, there was suddenly a wide-scale zombie transformation in the castle. Over a dozen people have been quarantined for now after they showed the symptoms.¡±


    ¡°Zombie transformation? Why would this happen all of a sudden?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face became increasingly serious as she listened to this. Suddenly, her eyes landed on the syringe sticking out from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s pocket once again, and she watched Chu Tiankuo with slightly greater suspicion.


    ¡°How could it be so coincidental that such a thing would happen in the castle after Chu Tiankuo went out? Could the zombie transformation be related to Chu Tiankuo?¡± As Tang Xia thought of this possibility, her face remained calm but her heart was screaming with suspicion.


    ¡°What?¡± Chu Tiankuo frowned and his expression became serious. ¡°Take me there quickly.¡±Updates by vi p novel


    After he said this, he left hurriedly with Axon.


    After some thought, Tang Xia quickly went after them. Perhaps it was because the matter was urgent or that Chu Tiankuo was worried that Tang Xia would continue to look around if she stayed in the room, but he merely swept one calm look at her and tacitly agreed to let Tang Xia tag along.


    Axon led Chu Tiankuo and Tang Xia to a quarantine room. The room was transparent and the situation inside the room could be observed clearly through the glass.


    There were a lot of people who had received news about the survivors. Perhaps they had relatives and friends who were quarantined or they were curious, for they all looked around nervously outside. However, when Chu Tiankuo appeared, they all looked respectful and automatically made way for Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo walked through the gap in the crowd to enter and observe the situation. Tang Xia also followed after him, and just when she was about to move forward, a pair of fair, slender hands grabbed hold of her right elbow tightly.


    Puzzled, Tang Xia turned her head, and when she saw that it was Jiang Yu, she silently heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked at her quizzically and asked in bewilderment, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came over when I heard the news,¡± Jiang Yu explained and pointed her fingers rather anxiously at the quarantined area. ¡°I heard that Irene is also inside. What should we do?¡± Her voice was flustered and helpless.


    Tang Xia looked in the direction that she was pointing. Sure enough, there was a familiar slender figure among the over dozen people in the quarantined area who had almost completely transformed into zombies. It was Irene.


    When Tang Xia discerned Irene¡¯s figure, she could not help looking serious. ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    Jiang Yu shook her head and bit her lip rather helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Irene has been hanging out in the castle recently. By right, she shouldn¡¯t have come into contact with zombies. Why would she become like that all of a sudden?¡±


    These days, Jiang Yu had become closer to Irene and felt very upset when she saw that Irene had suddenly turned into a zombie. She grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s arm and begged her. ¡°Is there any way to save her?¡±


    Ye Yifan could be saved when he was bitten by the zombies previously. Jiang Yu subconsciously felt that Tang Xia would have a solution.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Tang Xia said in a soothing voice to calm her down. Her heart was also in a mess and her mind was a little confused by the current chaotic situation.


    After a pause, Tang Xia decided to comb through and understand the situation right from the start. She looked at Jiang Yu and asked, ¡°Was there anything unusual or strange about Irene before she became like this?¡±


    ¡°Anything strange? No.¡± Jiang Yu frowned and thought hard before she shook her head.


    When Tang Xia heard that, she was a little disappointed, but she still did not give up and continued to press on. ¡°Think through it carefully again. It could be anything that was different from normal.¡±


    When Jiang Yu heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, she knew that it had something to do with Irene¡¯s sudden transformation into a zombie. She, too, tried hard to recall it but she still did not find anything strange, so she replied helplessly, ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything. If I had to say something, it would be that she seemed to be in a good mood lately as though she was in love. But this probably had nothing to do with her transformation into a zombie, right? ¡°Access v ip novel


    Tang Xia also had no idea at the moment and she could not figure out the connections. Before she could think deeper about it, Chu Tiankuo had already understood the situation from Axon.


    ¡°Mr. Chu, how should we deal with these ¡®people¡¯?¡± Axon was in a difficult position as he asked Chu Tiankuo.


    Strictly speaking, they could no longer be considered to be human. Axon¡¯s eyes fell on dozens of figures in the quarantine area. They had almost completely transformed into zombies, and if they continued to stay in the castle, they would only threaten the safety of other survivors.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned and answered without hesitation, ¡°Kill them all and burn the corpses to prevent the virus from spreading.¡±


    When the crowd heard his reply, they sighed. Some of the people who were quarantined were their relatives and friends, so when they heard that they would be killed, it was natural for them to feel upset.


    However, that was basically it, nobody really raised any objections. After all, it was obvious that these people had become zombies. If they continued to stay in the castle without being killed, it would only threaten the safety of the living.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing Chu Tiankuo¡¯s order, Axon arched his hand respectfully toward Chu Tiankuo and gestured to his men who were on patrol. Immediately, a fully-armed team was sent out and prepared to shoot.


    Jiang Yu¡¯s face turned pale and she looked at Tang Xia anxiously. ¡°What should we do? Is there completely no hope of saving Irene?¡±


    After spending these few days in the castle together, Jiang Yu and Irene were already good friends and she could not bear to see them shoot Irene dead after she inexplicably transformed into a zombie.


    When Tang Xia saw this, her expression also changed and she quickly stopped the patrol team before they could take action. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Several of the patrol team members had gone out with Tang Xia to look for other surviving anchors, so they were acquainted with her. When they saw her step forward, they stopped their actions and looked at Axon with puzzled expressions.


    Axon was about to ask Tang Xia what she wanted to do when he saw her lunge in front of Chu Tiankuo and ask, ¡°Why kill them? Don¡¯t you have the serum? Can¡¯t you save them?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo with a puzzled expression. That was a dozen lives. How could he just simply order to have them killed?

 Chapter 267 - Stay behind with Me

    Chapter 267 Stay behind with Me


    Before Chu Tiankuo could speak, the crowd already heard Tang Xia¡¯s voice, then there was an uproar.


    ¡°Is it true that Mr. Chu has the serum?¡±


    ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t he used it before?¡±


    ¡°But that girl doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s paying lip service.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Mr. Chu really has had the serum in his hands but has been merely hiding it all along?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Having lived to this day, these survivors more or less personally experienced the pain of leaving their relatives or friends after they were bitten by a zombie. Now that they heard that Chu Tiankuo had the serum, they looked at him differently.


    When Tang Xia saw the reaction of the people around her, she then realized that other people in the castle did not know that Chu Tiankuo had the serum. She was inevitably shocked and could not help looking at Chu Tiankuo with an increasingly puzzled expression. Why did he hide the fact that he had the serum?


    Axon did not expect Tang Xia to openly mention that Chu Tiankuo had the serum. His face changed instantly and he hurried forward to interrupt Tang Xia. ¡°What nonsense are you talking? Why would Mr. Chu have the serum?¡±


    When the crowd heard Axon speak, their expressions changed again and they looked at one another with confused looks on their faces. For the time being, they were unsure of who they should believe.


    Tang Xia managed to not react to this and she looked at Axon strangely before she looked at Chu Tiankuo. ¡°He obviously¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo obviously had the serum. Previously, it was also Axon who took them to Chu Tiankuo. Why would he say this now?


    Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Axon again. When Axon saw that Tang Xia was not cooperating, his expression became serious and his tone of voice was a lot stronger. ¡°Mr. Chu does not have the serum. Tang Xia, are you so anxious that you became confused for a moment?¡±


    While he spoke, he secretly gave Tang Xia a look.


    Tang Xia was stunned, but when she saw the anxious look on Axon¡¯s face as well as how Chu Tiankuo was staring at her coldly, she was forced to change her words to go along with what Axon said. ¡°Yes, I was confused for a moment.¡±


    Axon finally heaved a sigh of relief. When Axon realized that the survivors around them continued to watch Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo suspiciously, he gestured to the patrol team to dismiss the onlookers.


    ¡°The zombies are about to be executed soon. In order to avoid accidental injuries, it is better for everyone to excuse yourself for the time being.¡±


    Although this reason was a bit far-fetched, they could not care so much about it for now. Thanks to the efforts of Axon and the patrol team, the crowd gradually dispersed and the area was quiet again.


    After the execution of the zombies, Axon wiped his sweat away and watched Tang Xia as he reprimanded her harshly. ¡°There were so many people present just now. How could you thoughtlessly leak the news that Mr. Chu has the serum?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡± Tang Xia also knew that the way that she dealt with the situation earlier lacked consideration. Her expression dimmed as Axon lectured her, but when she remembered the lives of the dozen or so people who were executed, she still couldn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°You clearly had the serum. Why didn¡¯t you save them? They merely became zombies and they can still be saved if we use the serum in time.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Axon and Chu Tiankuo fervently. She did not understand why they hid the fact about their possession of the serum from the survivors. Wasn¡¯t this place supposed to enable more people to live on? Now, they clearly could save the lives of more people and yet they did not do so. Wasn¡¯t that against their original intention?


    As this thought crossed Tang Xia¡¯s mind, her tone of voice also became more agitated.


    Upon hearing Tang Xia¡¯s interrogation, Axon sighed, but before he could speak, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened and he suddenly stepped forward and dragged Tang Xia out.


    As he didn¡¯t control the force of his hands, it hurt Tang Xia and her face twisted in pain. ¡°What are you doing?¡± As she said that, she tried to break free from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s grip but she could not seem to do so no matter how she struggled.


    Chu Tiankuo did not say a word and merely strode forward as he dragged Tang Xia. He only stopped walking when they reached their room. He then shook her hand off and his face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Tang Xia finally managed to break free from his clutches, and she complained while she rubbed her swollen wrists. When she lifted her head up and saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s displeased expression, she then looked in the direction of his gaze and she only saw a safe in front of him. For a moment, she does not understand what Chu Tiankuo meant, so she asked in a puzzled way, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo snorted coldly and opened the safe as he said in a cold voice, ¡°The serum you wanted.¡±


    Tang Xia looked over and saw that there was only one single box of serum in the small safe. She was stunned for a moment before she then asked in disbelief, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What do you think then? Did you think the serum is produced in unlimited quantities?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sneered coldly and his voice was full of sarcasm and mockery. ¡°There are only so many serums left in the entire world and everyone wants to survive. Who do you think you should give it to?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly understood why Chu Tiankuo concealed the fact that there was still some serum left. When it was doomsday, the existence of serum would be equivalent to an extra life. It would be good if one did not know about it. But once they knew, it would be enough to drive some people crazy.


    In the face of life, human nature was fragile and incapable of withstanding tests.


    When Tang Xia remembered the expression of the survivors after she had said that Chu Tiankuo had the serum, she could not help feeling afraid. If it wasn¡¯t for Axon¡¯s timely response, there could have been a real mess.


    ¡°Sorry, I was too naive.¡± Tang Xia was not a person who could not see the situation clearly. After she realized her mistake, she sincerely apologized to Chu Tiankuo. Tang Xia still understood the principle of owning up to one¡¯s mistake when one was at fault and to tell the truth even if one had to be beaten.Access v ip novel


    When Chu Tiankuo heard Tang Xia apologize, his expression eased slightly and he closed the door of the safe again.


    Just when he closed the door, Tang Xia suddenly noticed that there was a syringe box at the innermost side of the safe. It looked similar to the serum but the color was different. The serum was blue while the box inside was yellow.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Tang Xia made the link to the syringe that was half-exposed from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s pocket earlier and her expression inevitably turned serious. Her instincts told her that Chu Tiankuo had to have some secrets that he was still hiding from her.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t be reckless. If the survivors break out into a riot, no one can protect you.¡± Chu Tiankuo closed the door but he did not notice the change in Tang Xia¡¯s expression and he continued to reprimand her.


    Tang Xia lowered her head without speaking. Her mind was full of the image of the box of yellow serum and the fact that Chu Tiankuo went out with a syringe. Now, she then associated it with Chu Tiankuo¡¯s list of names, on which everyone¡¯s name except for hers had been crossed out. The answer was almost shouting out to her: ¡°Chu Tiankuo must be planning something in the dark!¡±


    While Tang Xia pondered this, Chu Tiankuo suddenly changed the subject and pulled Tang Xia back from her daze. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to talk about you and me then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Right after Tang Xia snapped back to her senses, she met Chu Tiankuo¡¯s deep eyes and she was inevitably stunned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be a fool, Tang Xia. I think I have made myself clear enough.¡± When Chu Tiankuo saw Tang Xia¡¯s shocked response, he continued to speak rather impatiently.


    Tang Xia recalled his previous confession as well as the various emotions that he has been unable to conceal since they met this time. She gradually reacted to the situation, and her cheeks felt as if they were burning slightly. She then replied with some hesitation, ¡°You should know¡­¡±


    ¡°I know we are not from the same world,¡± Chu Tiankuo interrupted her straight away and looked at Tang Xia with a fervent and sincere expression, ¡°but I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°But I care,¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart screamed and before she could think of a way to reject him, she heard Chu Tiankuo speak in an overbearing manner. ¡°Stay behind with me. I will give you everything you want.¡±


    ¡°But this is unreal after all.¡± Tang Xia looked dazedly at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s look of confidence and eventually could not stop herself from interrupting him.


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned for a moment, then he smiled indifferently. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? We have everything that you have outside, we even have better things here.¡±


    As he spoke, there was a look of longing on his face. It was as if he had already had the blueprint of life planned out after Tang Xia stayed behind. As he brought up something that he was excited about, Chu Tiankuo grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s hand eagerly and reiterated, ¡°Stay behind with me. We will be very happy.¡±


    The shocked Tang Xia allowed him to hold on to her, and only managed to react to the situation a second later. She hurriedly pulled her hand away and there were only three words in her mind. ¡°You are crazy.¡±


    She said it out loud without any embellishment or euphemism, and it showered Chu Tiankuo from head to toe like a basin of bone-chilling cold water.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression froze like that. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    His words were spat from his mouth one by one as if they were also frozen.


    Tang Xia looked at him with a complicated expression. She did not want to continue to give him any hope. ¡°I said that you¡¯re crazy. Didn¡¯t you hear? Then let me repeat it again. You are crazy. You are crazy. You are crazy¡­¡±


    As if Tang Xia wanted Chu Tiankuo to see and accept the fact completely, Tang Xia repeated it thrice until Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression slowly darkened.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Chu Tiankuo interrupted Tang Xia¡¯s words angrily, and the blue veins on his forehead were on the verge of rupturing. ¡°This is your reply?¡±


    He asked rhetorically. There was a barely detectable look of hurt on his face, which looked like he was at the peak of his anger.


    He had done the maximum that he could for the sake of Tang Xia and had even subverted himself constantly. Yet that was the reply that he received.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Tang Xia replied through gritted teeth, then she said firmly, ¡°I can¡¯t stay here. No matter how good it is here, it is still unreal.¡±


    After Tang Xia said that, she paused for a moment and ultimately, she still said the most hurtful sentence, ¡°That includes you. You are also unreal. To put it plainly, you are just a bunch of numbers.


    ¡°So how could I be with a virtual character?¡± As if she did not see Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hurt expression, Tang Xia sneered coldly and clenched her fists secretly. Having exerted too much force, her nails dug into her palms and made marks in them.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve said so much, he probably won¡¯t continue to tangle with me, right?¡± Tang Xia carefully looked at Chu Tiankuo. Under the dim light, his expression changed constantly.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A sudden loud noise could be heard. Chu Tiankuo had slammed his fist violently against the wall beside Tang Xia. Tang Xia¡¯s face turned pale and she saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s enlarged face appear in front of her.


    He stared fixedly at Tang Xia. There was a chilling expression in his eyes that made her shudder with fear. Along with his handsome face, he looked like an asura from hell. ¡°Wishful thinking!¡±


    His thin lips parted and his voice was deep and somber as though it came from the depths of hell. ¡°I will make you stay, regardless of whether you¡¯re willing to or not.¡±

 Chapter 268 - Together?

    Chapter 268 Together?


    Tang Xia could feel the hot breath of the man in front of her on her neck. Inexplicably, she felt as if something in her heart was agitated, and she became more panicked.


    Chu Tiankuo saw clearly that her ears were getting redder, and he exhaled a breath beside her ears for fun.


    Tang Xia looked up at Chu Tiankuo in horror. When seeing his eyes, Tang Xia could not help feeling stunned. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were full of aggression. She pushed him away.


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t expect her strength to be so forceful. He was pushed away without being prepared for it.


    After taking two steps back, he looked up with dissatisfaction and saw Tang Xia pouting discontentedly. ¡°Stay away from me.¡±


    Turning around, she planned to go to sleep. Chu Tiankuo did not expect that she was like a coquettish girl, and opened the door to the new world instantly.


    Tang Xia looked around for a long time. There was only one bed in the whole room, and she turned to look at Chu Tiankuo.


    Seeing this, she threw herself on the bed at once. It was a kind of happiness to have such a soft bed in this period.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrow and walked directly to hold her collar, lifting her. Tang Xia froze, suddenly staring at him angrily. ¡°What do you want? A gentleman would never raise his hand at a woman!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mood suddenly improved when seeing that her cheeks looked like a pair of white rabbits.


    He pointed to the floor next to him and the closet on the other side. ¡°Sleep on the floor. The bedding is in the closet. Get it yourself.¡±


    Tang Xia had some doubts about if she was hallucinating. ¡°Why is this person so shameless?¡±


    ¡°You are a man! And you ask a delicate girl to sleep on the floor?¡± Tang Xia directly grabbed the quilt and did not let go. No matter how Chu Tiankuo pulled her, she stayed there.


    Chu Tiankuo was impatient. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you are a delicate little girl.¡±


    Tang Xia wanted to refute him but she could feel Chu Tiankuo approaching her and then hugging her. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help exclaiming. She looked at him in surprise.


    She felt they were close to each other. She could hear that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart was beating fiercely. She looked up at Chu Tiankuo.


    He also looked down at her. As soon as their eyes met, their hearts were a little bit nervous. She saw his Adam¡¯s apple sliding up and down.Access v ip novel


    When Tang Xia was immersed in this strange atmosphere, Chu Tiankuo suddenly threw her onto the sofa. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help exclaiming.


    When looking back, she saw that Chu Tiankuo had opened the bed and was lying down on it. Tang Xia could not help cursing resentfully. In the end, she had to struggle to spread out the bedding herself.


    ¡°Oh my God, how could Chu Tiankuo do this?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s no gentleman at all!¡±


    ¡°No! Chu Tiankuo is still a macho. He is so handsome!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope they will be together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done. I won¡¯t be his fan anymore.¡±


    ¡°They will be together.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    However, while the two of them were making a fuss, their fans watching the livestream were about to explode.


    Soon after, it was the next morning. Although Tang Xia had slept on the ground, she slept comfortably because the room was warm. While she was still dreaming of beating Chu Tiankuo, she heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­ open the door¡­¡± Tang Xia struggled not to get up, but after waiting for a while, no one had opened the door.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. She sat up straight from the bed and turned to look at Chu Tiankuo. He was still asleep. Tang Xia got up and made an angry gesture twice, but she didn¡¯t dare to touch him.


    When she opened the door, Chu Tiankuo pulled her collar from behind. Tang Xia didn¡¯t understand, and she frowned suddenly. ¡°Get your hands off me. Why are you pulling me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo expressed his distrust. ¡°In case you run away.¡± Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help narrowing her eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to open the door just now. But when I walked over to the door, he got up. Dammit.¡±


    Turning around and looking in the doorway, it turned out to be Jiang Yu. Her anger was gone immediately. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Jiang Yu, why are you here?¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia with dissatisfaction. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want a third person to come in.


    Under the coercion of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes, Jiang Yu smiled a little embarrassedly. ¡°Nothing. I want to have breakfast with you. I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡± Tang Xia was stunned.


    ¡°Why eat with us?¡± Looking at her tangled expression, Jiang Yu seemed to have something to say. Tang Xia nodded her head.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s eat after I¡¯ve cleaned up.¡± When Tang Xia turned around to wash, Chu Tiankuo stood like a wall. Tang Xia suppressed her desire to curse.


    ¡°What do you want to do? Let me go.¡± Chu Tiankuo raised an eyebrow to show that he was the biggest here. Besides that, he straightened his waist and looked at Jiang Yu behind Tang Xia with a hint of threat and dissatisfaction in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡± Only three words were said.


    Tang Xia was stunned. ¡°Just to eat breakfast! Why is this person so arrogant?¡± Tang Xia turned her head to look at Jiang Yu and gave her a comforting look. And then she turned to look at Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t care much about her dissatisfied stare. Tang Xia took a deep breath. There was no point in butting heads with him. What about trying another way?


    Chu Tiankuo was so stunned when Tang Xia stepped forward and took his arm directly. ¡°Please! Let me go to eat once! Just once! You are the best!¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t notice that she looked like she was being coquettish with a boyfriend.


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned in place. He didn¡¯t react for a long time. Seeing this, Tang Xia shook his arm coquettishly. ¡°Please!¡±


    Jiang Yu at the side also watched the interaction between them. In her eyes, when looking at Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were covetous all the time. When Tang Xia was gentle, the two were more like a couple.


    Chu Tiankuo had never seen Tang Xia¡¯s coquettishness. His heart softened instantly, with a touch of pampering that he didn¡¯t even notice. ¡°Well, go!¡±


    Tang Xia immediately seemed to be granted amnesty. She jumped up happily and turned to change clothes and wash up.


    After Tang Xia finished cleaning up, Chu Tiankuo regretted it internally. ¡°Why did I promise that she could eat with others and leave me behind?¡±


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu went out under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s resentful eyes. After going out, they felt like they were breathing anew.


    The two walked for a while before Tang Xia noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with Jiang Yu. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Jiang Yu looked up at Tang Xia, wondering whether she should say it or not. Finally, she stood up to Tang Xia with courage. ¡°Are you with Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Tang Xia felt surprised. She did not expect that Jiang Yu had been wrangling with this question for so long. She did not understand. ¡°You¡­ Why do you ask this question?¡±


    She never seemed to think about the two of them being together.


    ¡°The interaction between you seems to show that you have been together for a long time!¡± Jiang Yu somewhat admired Tang Xia¡¯s EQ now. She could not help worrying about Tang Xia¡¯s future.


    Tang Xia¡¯s expression became more and more heavy. She had been unaware of this problem and could not help whispering, ¡°How can I¡­ He and I are people of different worlds¡­¡±


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t understand what she was saying at all, but looked at the time and quickly dragged her away.


    ¡°Hurry! Or we will miss breakfast.¡±


    They went directly to see Ye Yifan. He had prepared breakfast and was waiting for the two of them. They sat down without talking nonsense.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°After two days of observation, I found that the people who turned into zombies were all alone.¡±


    Tang Xia listened to his words and thought about it seriously. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Jiang Yu, who was on the side, nodded in agreement to the matter and ate a mouthful of breakfast.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia seemed to remember something, and she said quickly, ¡°I have seen an unidentified syringe in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s safe, and I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    Jiang Yu was stunned. She did not expect Tang Xia to suspect Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°No. Chu Tiankuo has no motivation at all to do this.¡± Jiang Yu shook her head. Tang Xia looked stunned for a moment. She looked at Jiang Yu with some doubts.


    ¡°Why do you believe him?¡± Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help asking. Jiang Yu faced her seriously, apparently without any hint of defending him.


    ¡°You are too sensitive. I¡¯m discussing the issue on its own merits.¡± After saying this, Jiang Yu turned around and continued with her breakfast. Tang Xia was embarrassed. She lowered her head in a panic.


    Seeing that Tang Xia looked as if she had turned into another person when mentioning Chu Tiankuo, Ye Yifan frowned, dissatisfied.


    ¡°In my opinion, it seemed to be done by Li Xianxian and Lu Huanyu.¡± Ye Yifan touched his chin seriously and Jiang Yu put down the spoon and nodded.


    Tang Xia also thought so. When she was about to speak, Lu Huanyu walked over. The three people stopped and looked up at him. Ye Yifan was a bit uneasy and impatiently leaned back.


    He came up and patted Ye Yifan¡¯s shoulder. He said to Ye Yifan in a commanding tone, ¡°Come out at eight in the evening.¡±

 Chapter 269 - Lu Huanyu Was Eliminated

    Chapter 269 Lu Huanyu Was Eliminated


    Ye Yifan glanced at him lightly, as if he didn¡¯t hear what Lu Huanyu had said. Then he talked with Tang Xia and Jiang Yu. Tang Xia and Jiang Yu also did not have a good feeling about Lu Huanyu. The three of them spoke to each other and ignored Lu Huanyu directly.


    Lu Huanyu was irritated by their attitude. He came forward and grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s collar. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Ye Yifan, don¡¯t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!¡±


    ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± Ye Yifan glanced at him coldly. He pushed him away with a frown and unhappily arranged his collar. Lu Huanyu lost his balance and almost fell.


    After finally stabilizing, Lu Huanyu felt that he had lost face in front of them, and he screamed, ¡°This is what you are looking for!¡± Then, his whole body shot directly at Ye Yifan, and Ye Yifan fought back unwillingly. The two people quickly scuffled together.


    Beside them, Tang Xia and Jiang Yu could do nothing to help. They could only watch them fight harder and harder. They tried to stop them but to no avail.


    At this time, a patrol team came to the site and saw Ye Yifan and Lu Huanyu scrambling together from a distance. They quickly stepped forward and pulled them apart.


    After the patrol team had restrained the two, the captain of the patrol team shouted in a deep and harsh voice, ¡°What are you doing? Fighting is forbidden in Noah¡¯s Ark!¡±


    Lu Huanyu¡¯s face was hurt, and his hands and feet were being held. He still refused to give up and yelled at Ye Yifan, ¡°It¡¯s this guy who doesn¡¯t know what to do!¡±


    When saying this, he choked on the ground and tried to break away from the patrolmen.


    Ye Yifan was better and calmer than him. When he saw this, he only snorted, and there was no fear in his eyes.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± As the patrol leader saw Lu Huanyu look like this, he frowned impatiently, gesturing at the two team members who restrained him, and the two guys understood and directly tied Lu Huanyu¡¯s hand.


    As for Ye Yifan, because there was no drastic action, his hands and feet weren¡¯t tied up with rope but were held by the two team members.


    ¡°Mr. Chu asked you to go, so you¡¯d better cooperate,¡± seeing that the situation was basically under control, the patrol leader said in a low voice. He pulled Ye Yifan and Lu Huanyu to leave. Lu Huanyu struggled unsuccessfully and scolded himself in exchange for another warning from the patrol.


    When seeing them, Tang Xia wanted to take Ye Yifan away. She was worried and she stepped forward to stop them. ¡°Where are you taking them?¡±


    The patrol captain glanced at Tang Xia, saying calmly, ¡°Mr. Chu ordered that if Miss Tang tried to stop us, we would bring her back with them. So, would Miss Tang like to come along with us?¡±


    When saying this, his sharp eyes fell on Tang Xia in an imposing manner.


    Tang Xia could not help looking away. Before speaking, she heard Ye Yifan¡¯s warm voice. ¡°Tang Xia, this has nothing to do with you, I will go with them. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    When she heard the sound, she saw Ye Yifan smiling at her with a reassuring look.


    Upon hearing the words, the captain of the patrol glanced at Ye Yifan. There wasn¡¯t any emotion in his eyes, and then he turned his eyes back to Tang Xia. ¡°What does Miss Tang intend to do?¡±


    The voice was neither too fast nor too slow. It seemed that Tang Xia was being given the option.


    Tang Xia hesitated for a moment, still taking a step back. She wouldn¡¯t be of much help if she went, so she might as well stay here and wait.


    ¡°Be careful, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here,¡± Tang Xia said to Ye Yifan. Having no obstruction, Ye Yifan and Lu Huanyu quickly left under the restraint of the patrolmen.


    ¡°Tang Xia, will Ye Yifan be okay?¡± Jiang Yu stood beside Tang Xia, looking in the direction that the patrol had gone. There was a worried expression on her face.


    ¡°It was a fight, and Lu Huanyu made the first move. Chu Tiankuo wouldn¡¯t do anything to Ye Yifan because of this, right?¡±


    Tang Xia softly tried to console her. She couldn¡¯t understand what Chu Tiankuo suddenly wanted Ye Yifan and Lu Huanyu to do, so she had to blame it on the fight just now.Access v ip novel


    ¡°Right.¡± Jiang Yu nodded her head, slightly reassured, and the two of them talked while staying in place.


    They didn¡¯t expect that it would be for a long time. Seeing that the surrounding sky was beginning to darken, Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t help changing the look on her face. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he come back for so long?¡±


    This time, Tang Xia¡¯s face was also solemn. After so long, Ye Yifan hadn¡¯t returned. She wouldn¡¯t believe that nothing had happened.


    If she had known this, she might have left with Ye Yifan at the time. Then she would not be worrying about it now. When thinking, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were even more worried.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming back!¡±


    When thinking, Jiang Yu¡¯s excited voice pulled her back from her absorption. Tang Xia looked carefully and saw Ye Yifan walking toward them slowly. Her steps were a bit heavy. And because the light was dim, she could not see the emotion on his face.


    Jiang Yu had already rushed over and asked anxiously, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    As if he had just returned to God, Ye Yifan shook his head. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡±


    Tang Xia noticed that his face was a little pale, and she couldn¡¯t help wondering what happened just now. She asked, ¡°Why did it take so long?¡±


    Tang Xia glanced behind Ye Yifan and did not see Lu Huanyu. She felt a little strange. They went together and should come back together. Did they leave separately?


    A thought flashed through her mind. Tang Xia didn¡¯t think about it, then moved her eyes to Ye Yifan quickly.


    Ye Yifan looked as if he had lost his soul. He looked down at the ground. He didn¡¯t answer the questions of Tang Xia and Jiang Yu. When seeing this, Tang Xia gave up on asking. ¡°Forget it. Go back to have a rest.¡±


    As he was about to leave, Ye Yifan suddenly remembered something and grabbed Tang Xia. ¡°Oh, Chu Tiankuo asked you to see him.¡±


    Tang Xia noticed that his hands were very cold. She felt puzzled but nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yifan lowered his hands and resumed his silence.


    It seemed that if she wanted to know what had happened, she would have to see Chu Tiankuo. Tang Xia sighed and walked toward Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room.


    Halfway there, she suddenly saw the patrol team carrying a zombie corpse out. Why were there zombies again? Tang Xia¡¯s eyes flickered, and she couldn¡¯t help looking a few more times.


    At this point, it was frightening. This zombie was none other than Lu Huanyu, who had previously fought with Ye Yifan and was taken away by the patrolmen to see Chu Tiankuo!


    He had turned into a zombie. His entire body was terrifying with a gunshot wound in his head. With the colorful mixtures, he looked ugly.


    Although Tang Xia didn¡¯t like him, seeing him become like this, she couldn¡¯t help bursting into coldness and accelerate her pace to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room.


    Chu Tiankuo sat at his desk looking at something. Hearing Tang Xia coming in, he glanced at her lazily and said without any emotion, ¡°You are here.¡±


    That Lu Huanyu had turned into a zombie was on her mind. Pointing in the direction that the patrol team was leaving, her voice trembled. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You mean that guy? He turned into a zombie and was killed. What? Can¡¯t you see it?¡± Chu Tiankuo replied lightly with a playful tone.


    Tang Xia was shocked by his understatement. It was a person, a living person. How could he use such an indifferent tone?


    ¡°Did you do it?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face became cold, and her voice was still questioning.


    Before going to see Chu Tiankuo, Lu Huanyu was fine. How could he suddenly become a zombie? The only explanation was that Chu Tiankuo had used some method.


    With suspicious clues such as the previous list of names, the syringe, and acting alone at night, the answer was almost out in the open.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s voice, Chu Tiankuo gave her a cold look and did not speak.


    Tang Xia took this as confirmation. Her tone became more and more intense. She stepped over to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s desk and raised her voice. ¡°Answer me! Did you do it?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo closed the book on the table. His face sank. ¡°You¡¯re scolding me? Who gave you courage, huh?¡± He was unhappy.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t deny it, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help looking pale and taking a half step back. Although she had speculated for a long time, this situation was different from the fact in front of her.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Tang Xia said to herself and stepped back. She didn¡¯t want to look at Chu Tiankuo. This man was even more terrible than she had thought.


    ¡°You knew what?¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia coldly with a pair of narrow eagle eyes.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°From the time I saw that list, I knew you must be planning something. You went out at night, but you didn¡¯t let me follow. The syringe in your pocket¡­ I should have known¡­¡±


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t notice Chu Tiankuo¡¯s change at all. She kept back and murmured in her mouth. Her face was pale.


    ¡°Those people that turned into zombies, did you do it?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly looked up at Chu Tiankuo in shock, only to find that Chu Tiankuo had come over and was looking at her gloomily.


    ¡°Yes. I did it.¡±


    He slowly spoke, forcing Tang Xia into the corner step by step. His voice was chilling.


    Tang Xia flinched, looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s suddenly enlarged cold face, and almost without thinking, she raised her right hand up high and hit him.


    ¡°Smack!¡±


    With a crisp sound, Chu Tiankuo was beaten slightly by her, and a red mark quickly appeared on the left side of his face. And falling over his cold face was a sense of evil charm.


    ¡°Why have you done this?¡± Almost hysterical, Tang Xia roared this sentence.


    As Chu Tiankuo turned to look at Tang Xia, his cold eyes were playful. ¡°Why?¡±


    He repeated it playfully, and the radian of his lips slowly twitched, but the words he spoke stunned Tang Xia for a while. ¡°Because there are no surviving humans out there. In a few days, Noah¡¯s Ark will become a hell.¡±

 Chapter 270 - Imprisoned Again

    Chapter 270 Imprisoned Again


    ¡°You are insane.¡±


    Tang Xia was so scared that she could not speak. She could only mumble and repeat these three words. She stared at Chu Tiankuo as if looking at a monster.


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s voice, the smile on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face became weird and crazy. ¡°Yes, I am insane. I have been insane since the moment I fell in love with you.¡±


    The flashing light in his eyes was too hot. Tang Xia did not dare to look at him and turned her head to avoid his eyes.


    ¡°Why, are you afraid of me?¡± A cold voice sounded from above her head. Chu Tiankuo stiffly lifted Tang Xia¡¯s head, and there was inexplicable loneliness in his expression.


    Tang Xia shrank in the corner. Her voice was trembling as she said, ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    This Chu Tiankuo made her feel strange and scared. Every minute and every second around him made Tang Xia want to escape.


    ¡°If I let you go, who will let me go?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face grew more and more gloomy, with a sense of love and despair. As the voice fell, he suddenly caught Tang Xia¡¯s hand.


    His hands were so cold that Tang Xia tried to break away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her voice was panicked. It seemed as if Chu Tiankuo were a monster.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression faded, but he stubbornly pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand toward him and placed it on his chest.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t understand what he intended to do. She tried her best to withdraw her hand, but accidentally touched Chu Tiankuo¡¯s skin. She couldn¡¯t help being stunned.


    There was almost no flesh there, as underneath his thin skin was bones, which startled Tang Xia. She paused unconsciously and looked up at Chu Tiankuo.


    Only then did she find that he was haggard.


    His jaw was sharper. His unruly eyebrows were tinged with exhaustion. He looked at Tang Xia with lost and melancholy eyes. At that time, he seemed to be an unfulfilled child. His voice was dumb and dry. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    Tang Xia came back to her senses. When Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t restrain her anymore, she drew back her hand and lowered her head. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look like this.¡±


    For a long while, Tang Xia whispered and her heart was aggrieved.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t want your sympathy!¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was covered with frost, and his tone of voice was aggravated.


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t dare to look up at him. Her teeth sank into her lower lip and she did not say a word.


    ¡°Are you still thinking about Ye Yifan?¡± Chu Tiankuo thought of something. His voice was so cold that the air around him seemed to freeze.


    Tang Xia shook her head. How could she make Chu Tiankuo understand? It was neither because of Ye Yifan nor because of anyone else. They were people of different worlds.Access v ip novel


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s so good about a man who thinks in one way and behaves another?¡± Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t believe it. A sneer appeared at the corner of his lips with a sense of self-deprecation.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like Ye Yifan, you don¡¯t need to discredit him.¡± Upon hearing that, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help interrupting him. ¡°He¡¯s a great person.¡±


    Ye Yifan was the idol whom she had worshiped for so many years. Worried that Chu Tiankuo would be stimulated again, Tang Xia held back and said nothing.


    But Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face sank as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± He stared at Tang Xia with sharp eyes. It seemed as if he were going to dig a hole in her body.


    Tang Xia did not answer and expressed her attitude with silence.


    Seeing this, the smile on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lips became meaningful. ¡°Do you know why Lu Huanyu turned into a zombie?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do it?¡± Tang Xia wanted to retort. But looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s calm look, she knew that even if she did say it, he would deny it. So she closed her mouth to hear what he would say next.


    ¡°Because of Ye Yifan.¡± Sure enough, Chu Tiankuo did not wait for Tang Xia to answer and soon spit out the answer.


    ¡°Bullshit! You did it, and you admitted it yourself!¡± upon hearing this, Tang Xia said angrily. She finally couldn¡¯t stand him stigmatizing Ye Yifan again and again.


    Chu Tiankuo glanced at Tang Xia indifferently. ¡°That was because you insisted that it was me, so I admitted it. Besides, Ye Yifan and Lu Huanyu came together. Lu Huanyu became a zombie, but Ye Yifan went back. Don¡¯t you wonder why?¡±


    After hearing the second half of the sentence, Tang Xia¡¯s momentum could not help weakening. What Chu Tiankuo also said was what she was doubting. Her low voice seemed a little lackluster as she replied, ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe¡­¡±


    She bit her lip and tried to excuse Ye Yifan, but she couldn¡¯t think of a good explanation at the moment.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia with a sneer. His eagle-like eyes were so sharp that he saw through Tang Xia¡¯s heart. ¡°Do you dare to say that Ye Yifan must be innocent and he did nothing?¡±


    Tang Xia was speechless, and she was surprised to find that Chu Tiankuo was not unreasonable, but her emotions prevented her from admitting that Chu Tiankuo was right.


    ¡°That must be because of what you did, so they tied to kill each other!¡± Tang Xia paused, yelling at him.


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t expect that at this point Tang Xia would still be speaking up for Ye Yifan, and his knitted brows, showing his inner anger. ¡°You are hopeless!¡±


    After speaking, Chu Tiankuo never looked at Tang Xia again. He turned and left.


    The door was closed heavily. The room was quiet again. Tang Xia went forward to open the door. It was locked by Chu Tiankuo again.


    In the next few days, Tang Xia was imprisoned in the room. She wanted to escape, but Chu Tiankuo never forgot to lock the door. The window in the room was welded shut. She couldn¡¯t escape.


    Tang Xia was groping in front of the door and heard the door open. She knew that Chu Tiankuo had returned. She went back to the seat and pretended to be calm.


    ¡°Give up. I¡¯m not like my stupid brother.¡± Chu Tiankuo could guess what Tang Xia was doing just now. His smile was cold and mocking.


    Tang Xia rubbed the corner of her clothes with a look of annoyance. Chu Tiankuo placed a meal in front of her, saying without emotion, ¡°Eat it.¡±


    For the past few days, Chu Tiankuo had delivered food to Tang Xia personally. It was troublesome, but it had also prevented Tang Xia from contacting others.Access v ip novel


    Tang Xia was not arrogant. She opened the box and began to eat. Because of the lack of world supplies, food could only satisfy the requirements of being full, being delicious was out of the question.


    However, Tang Xia was eating very happily. She knew that only after filling her stomach could she produce enough energy and be ready for any change at any time.


    ¡°You are not a picky eater.¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia playfully, and the rising voice was a bit cynical.


    Tang Xia drank some water and continued to eat without speaking. Arguing with Chu Tiankuo was a waste of words for her. It would be better to save some energy.


    Seeing that she was not talking, Chu Tiankuo was not angry. He took out a tablet. After taking out something, he put it on Tang Xia¡¯s table. ¡°Here you are.¡±


    After saying this, he went to the other side and sat down. Tang Xia subconsciously felt that Chu Tiankuo did not have good intentions. She didn¡¯t want to look up. Hearing some gurgling sounds from the tablet, she finally couldn¡¯t help looking up.


    The surveillance footage was from somewhere in the fortress. Several controlled zombies were struggling in disguise, and some survivors on the sidelines stared at the zombies with complicated looks, as if they couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Later, there were a few gunshots. The zombies were disposed of by headshots without exception. The flesh-scarred corpses and the stumps were scattered all over the place. Splashes of mixed juice doused the lens, right in front of Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia felt disgusted. She didn¡¯t have an appetite anymore when looking at the food in front of her.


    ¡°What? Can¡¯t you eat?¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at the scene. He smirked and took back the tablet with a sarcastic expression on his face.


    Tang Xia suppressed the feeling of nausea and looked at Chu Tiankuo complicatedly. ¡°You are a pervert.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stand it?¡± Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t care about Tang Xia¡¯s cursing at all, and the smile at the corner of his mouth was deep. ¡°This kind of thing happens every day in the fortress.¡±


    Tang Xia thought that this was a video of the last zombie change. When hearing this, the zombie in the picture seemed to look different from the last time. She could not help changing the look on her face. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    If these zombies were not the last group, then that meant¡­


    ¡°This kind of thing happens every day in the fortress.¡± Chu Tiankuo repeated it with patience and explained to Tang Xia, ¡°In the fortress, people become zombies every day, and the survivors are very scared.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s back chilled. Chu Tiankuo chuckled. ¡°Do you know how blessed you are?¡±


    ¡°Blessed?¡± Tang Xia shuddered. Chu Tiankuo seemed absent-minded as he said a sentence to Tang Xia, ¡°Treasure the following time.¡± Then he left.


    Tang Xia¡¯s head was full of the surveillance images that she had seen. She was still sitting there for a long time after Chu Tiankuo left, and her face was pale.


    The situation was getting worse. According to Chu Tiankuo, if people in the fortress became zombies every day, sooner or later, Ye Yifan or Jiang Yu would appear among those killed zombies.


    Tang Xia secretly tightened her fists. She couldn¡¯t leave it alone.


    As her eyes fell on the safe in the corner, Tang Xia¡¯s pupils tightened. It was the serum that Chu Tiankuo showed to her last time. The serum that could cure the zombie virus was there.


    She walked over to the safe, and Chu Tiankuo had set a password. After thinking for a moment, Tang Xia tentatively typed her birthday. She heard a slight sound and the door opened.


    The serums were in it as before. Tang Xia took out three serums and folded them. Looking at the orange-red injections, her eyes became deep.

 Chapter 271 - Begin Sooner

    Chapter 271 Begin Sooner


    Tang Xia didn¡¯t know what the other pile of orange-red injection was. She thought for a while and finally decided to keep one first. If she had an opportunity later, she would study what it was.


    Chu Tiankuo was no longer the person he used to be. He was a bit disheartened. Maybe this orange-red injection was the key to everything.


    Tang Xia looked around. After confirming that there was no one beside her, she closed the safe.


    She didn¡¯t expect the password to be her birthday. Tang Xia looked down at the orange-red injection in her hand. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little complicated. When she was thinking about it, she heard a click. It was the sound of opening the door with a key. Tang Xia was shocked but still put the injection into her pocket calmly.


    Perhaps she believed that even if Chu Tiankuo found out, he would not be harsh to her.


    Chu Tiankuo closed the door and turned to look at Tang Xia, who was pretending to be calm. Tang Xia thought that he would reprimand her coldly, not expecting that he would smile.


    Tang Xia wondered what had happened to make him feel so good.


    Chu Tiankuo came in slowly, the sound of shoes stepping on the floor seeming extremely crisp in this quiet room, step by step as if stepping on her heart.


    ¡°Guess how many survivors there are.¡± Tang Xia was stunned. She didn¡¯t want to talk about this topic. But Chu Tiankuo raised it.


    In particular, he now had a mysterious expression on his face, as if he was Satan in hell, inexplicably frightening and scary.


    Chu Tiankuo got closer and closer to her. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help stepping back, but behind her was the wall. She had no way back. Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t intend to stop until he almost stuck to Tang Xia¡¯s body.


    Tang Xia could feel the heat he exhaled hitting her cheek. She reached out to stop him and rushed to resist him at his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, nor do I want to guess.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to, but because she didn¡¯t dare to. The current Chu Tiankuo was not the Chu Tiankuo from before.


    Seeing her vigilant look, Chu Tiankuo could not help frowning. He reached out to pinch her chin, forcing her to face him.


    ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t this something you¡¯ve been caring about? Is there anything to be scared of now?¡± Yes, he saw the fear in her eyes.


    He hated the look on her face. He hated that she looked at him with this look. Tang Xia looked at him with a mocking expression.


    ¡°Scared? Am I afraid of you? Mr. Chu Tiankuo has always been friendly to me, and the things he has done are always for my benefit.¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand holding her chin could not help exerting some effort, which made Tang Xia frown.


    He leaned forward close to her ears, and the exhaled heat hit her neck.


    Tang Xia shrank her neck a bit, and only heard a sneer beside her ears. ¡°You know, everything I do is for your good.¡±


    As if knowing what Tang Xia¡¯s next move would be, he quickly got up and released the hand that squeezed her chin. She originally intended to hit him and stopped in the air a bit awkwardly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to keep us guessing!¡± Withdrawing her hand, Tang Xia subconsciously touched her pocket to ensure that Chu Tiankuo had not just taken it.Access v ip novel


    After all, he was so close to her. She felt stunned for a while especially at the words he said. She had to admit that she was shocked.


    Chu Tiankuo sat on the sofa aside and crossed his legs. He poured a glass of water for himself and took a sip gently. ¡°Still the question, do you want to guess?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned somewhat impatiently. When she was about to say that she didn¡¯t want to guess, she heard Chu Tiankuo speak.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to guess, let me tell you.¡± He put the cup on the table and looked at her with a cold smile.


    ¡°Less than a hundred people.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s brain shook, and she took two steps in disbelief. Her ears were filled with a tinnitus hum, and she fretfully covered her ears.


    Immediately, she rushed to kneel on the sofa and lifted Chu Tiankuo¡¯s collar, but Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t lose his temper and looked at her so indifferently.


    It was as if he had expected this reaction long ago. Tang Xia asked nervously, ¡°What about Jiang Yu? She hasn¡¯t become a zombie, has she?¡±


    Although Tang Xia was a little angry, she still had her senses. After all, she didn¡¯t dare to mention Ye Yifan¡¯s name.


    Chu Tiankuo raised an eyebrow, as if he knew what she didn¡¯t say after saying Jiang Yu¡¯s name. There was also a little surprise in his mind that she didn¡¯t ask about another person, but was quite satisfied with her performance.


    He smiled slightly, holding her hand that was grabbing his collar. ¡°Relax. She is all right. And Ye Yifan is all right.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and could not help feeling a little guilty. She escaped his eyes, and slowly realized that they were confronting each other in this strange posture, and quickly wanted to be free from it.


    When she was about to stand up, Chu Tiankuo wrapped his arms around her waist. Tang Xia was scared because of the serum that was in her clothes pocket.


    She tried to get free of his clutches, but Chu Tiankuo was like a shackle and she couldn¡¯t get away from him.


    While Tang Xia was anxious, Chu Tiankuo exerted more force. Tang Xia did not support herself and lay down directly on his chest. The two were very close to each other, almost touching the tips of their noses. Tang Xia was stunned.


    ¡°You can relax, my friend, I will finally start.¡± He gently stretched out the other hand and touched her hair, and put the messy hair on her forehead behind her ear.


    However, Tang Xia only felt terrified and looked at him with wide eyes and a look of horror.


    Now Chu Tiankuo gave her a sense of fear and an overwhelming desire to escape. She directly supported her body and broke away from his embrace, and quickly backed away a few steps.


    ¡°Then I should thank you for that?¡± Tang Xia smiled reluctantly, and all the fears on her face were gathered. Her left hand tried to hold her right hand to restrain them from trembling.Updates by vi p novel


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t seem to see her fear. He looked relaxed. He straightened her clothes and took a sip of water.


    ¡°If you have to thank me, you can make a promise and stay away from Ye Yifan.¡± Tang Xia thought that he was joking. When she looked up, she saw Chu Tiankuo looking seriously at her, and it wasn¡¯t like a joke.


    She dodged her eyes away a bit unnaturally, and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention him. This time you mentioned him yourself.¡±


    She looked at him with a look of ridicule. Chu Tiankuo raised an eyebrow and seemed to be indifferent to her words. The two were very quiet for a while.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help touching the serum in her pocket. Fortunately, that thing was still there. It seemed that her heart was settled all at once. Chu Tiankuo was silent beside her, and she wondered what he was thinking about.


    Looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s serious face, Tang Xia¡¯s thoughts poured out like spring water. When did Chu Tiankuo become what he was now?


    From the beginning when they met for the first time, they could not explain the ambiguousness. But now knowing that he was sitting in front of her, she was disgusted with him.


    Tang Xia shook her head to get rid of all these thoughts in her mind. As she was thinking, Chu Tiankuo suddenly looked at her. ¡°Come and sit next to me. Why are you sitting so far away from me?¡± He pointed to the open space next to him.


    But now she didn¡¯t want to sit there. She couldn¡¯t refuse him now. She walked slowly over and sat next to him. Although she hated him now, she had to be patient in order to carry out her plan.


    When Chu Tiankuo was approaching, there was a knock at the door. Tang Xia was relieved and turned to look at Chu Tiankuo aside.


    He frowned with anger, feeling unhappy by being interrupted.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Chu Tiankuo sat upright, picked up the water and took a sip.


    The door was pushed open slightly, maybe the person was a little scared to hear Chu Tiankuo¡¯s dissatisfaction. Tang Xia looked up at the door and saw that it was exactly Axon who came in. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling joyful. After all, he was also an acquaintance.


    Axon closed the door nervously. Looking at Chu Tiankuo, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Chu Tiankuo couldn¡¯t stand him acting shy and embarrassed like this. ¡°If you have any words, say it straight.¡±


    Axon looked up at Chu Tiankuo and said in a panic, ¡°There has been a large-scale panic outside because there are more and more zombies and fewer and fewer survivors. Everyone is worried about when they will become a zombie.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned. She had lost all the joy she had upon seeing Axon. Her heart became heavier.


    Looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s indifferent face, Axon finally got up the courage to say everything he thought.


    ¡°Mr. Chu! It¡¯s not only me. Everyone knows that you have serums. Many people wish for Mr. Chu to give away the serums. They hope that Mr. Chu can save them.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised for a while. That Chu Tiankuo had the serum was spread by her. His remaining serum was not enough to be distributed to a dozen people.


    As she was blaming herself, she heard Chu Tiankuo smiling coldly beside her. ¡°Since this is the case, let doomsday begin sooner.¡±

 Chapter 272 - The King of Zombies

    Chapter 272 The King of Zombies


    ¡°What does it mean to let doomsday begin sooner? What does it mean?¡± Tang Xia stepped forward and looked at him doubtfully. Axon couldn¡¯t help feeling confused about why the atmosphere became tense.


    Chu Tiankuo stood up mystically and walked over to Tang Xia, who looked at Chu Tiankuo smiling in front of her. She felt a sense of fear in her heart and took two steps back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come over here. Say what you want to say!¡± Tang Xia could not help angrily resisting his chest. Chu Tiankuo stopped pressuring her. Where he stood, the corner of his mouth became deeper and deeper. Tang Xia felt more upset.


    His thin lips opened slightly. He raised his hand to touch Tang Xia¡¯s cheek. There was a look of complicated feeling in his eyes.


    ¡°You already guessed it in your heart, didn¡¯t you? You already know what I want to do, so why do you ask me again?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart froze, and then she shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s impossible. How do you know what I think in my heart?¡±


    She shoved him to the side when pushing him away. Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t get angry, but kept looking at her with a smile as if she were a spoiled child.


    Chu Tiankuo didn¡¯t say anything more. He turned around and walked to the window. Looking at the panicked survivors downstairs, he could not help smiling. ¡°Look at them! How ridiculous!¡±


    Axon was stunned a bit and did not understand. ¡°Why does Chu Chuankuo look strange now?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart sank, especially when she heard what he said. She rushed forward sadly. She grabbed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand and forced him to turn around.


    Chu Tiankuo felt dizzy and relaxed his eyes. He saw that Tang Xia had erupted.


    Tang Xia glared at him with bloodshot eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Chu Tiankuo! What do you want!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned. He had never seen Tang Xia look so angry. Only then did he realize that something had changed between them.


    At the door, Axon looked at them with a grimace, and asked a little embarrassedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it about the serum? Why is there a sudden emotional instability?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo, who was smiling and looking at Tang Xia at first, threw him a cold look.


    Axon felt that he was hit with a glance as if he had fallen into an ice cave.


    ¡°Get out at once,¡± Chu Tiankuo said gently, but his words were as cold as he was. Axon felt panicked and hurried out, closing the door.


    When Axon went out, the entire room was quiet, leaving only two people. Chu Tiankuo smiled slightly. ¡°Finally, only the two of us are left.¡±


    When he was about to touch her, Tang Xia avoided it subconsciously.


    Chu Tiankuo was dissatisfied with her behavior. He clenched his hand into a fist in midair, his eyes becoming sharper. He grasped Tang Xia¡¯s hand and turned away.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t break away from him. Chu Tiankuo was so angry that he squeezed Tang Xia¡¯s wrists as if he wanted to crush her bones. He walked fast. She couldn¡¯t keep up and had to run.


    ¡°Where are you taking me!¡±


    Tang Xia could only question him angrily. But Chu Tiankuo ignored her. After a long walk, they entered a room together. Chu Tiankuo threw her aside and Tang Xia had to try to stand still.


    Chu Tiankuo said with a cold and distant voice, ¡°How is it here? Doesn¡¯t it look good?¡± When saying this, he looked at Tang Xia with open arms. Tang Xia looked around and could not help wondering.


    ¡°Where is this place?¡± All around was strange, as if it were a high-tech room that could only be seen in a movie. Chu Tiankuo stepped on an iron plate and walked over slowly.


    ¡°This is the ventilation system for the entire harbor.¡±Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia was stunned. It was not clear what the so-called ventilation system looked like, but there was an inexplicable panic in her heart, and instinctively, she felt nothing good.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Tang Xia slightly asked.


    However, Chu Tiankuo just sneered, and with a mysterious look, turned and pulled out an orange-red glass bottle from his clothes pocket.


    Tang Xia was stunned. This orange-red glass bottle was the injection she saw in the safe, and she had just taken one herself.


    When she was wondering what it was, Chu Tiankuo threw the glass bottle in his hand into the ventilation system.


    When she realized it, she only heard the sound of the broken glass bottle, and then she saw the orange-red liquid gradually turn into smoke.


    Tang Xia turned to look at Chu Tiankuo, who was indifferent beside her. It seemed as if he was looking at the weak human beings as if he was looking at small ants, without any feeling.


    ¡°What did you do? What did you break?¡±


    Suddenly, realizing that this place was a ventilation system, Tang Xia was shocked. She could hardly stand up. But hearing her questioning voice, Chu Tiankuo smiled.


    ¡°Nothing. It is just a catalyst to bring about doomsday quicker.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo couldn¡¯t help smiling slightly as he walked close to Tang Xia and dragged her arm directly. Tang Xia began struggling subconsciously with a look of panic.


    ¡°What do you want to do to me?¡± She now completely thought that the person in front of her was no longer the Chu Tiankuo from before.


    However, Chu Tiankuo totally ignored her questioning, held her firmly in his arms, took the serum from her pocket with the other hand, and injected the serum in her with a needle. Although his movements were a bit rough, she knew that he was protecting her.


    But protecting her must not kill everyone. ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo sneered but didn¡¯t answer. He let go of her and took two steps back. Tang Xia felt pain in the place where she had been injected with the serum.


    Chu Tiankuo slowly tore off his clothes, and Tang Xia stepped back in fear. ¡°Are you mentally deranged now?¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s look of defense, Chu Tiankuo smiled with ridicule, then exposed the thin place that Tang Xia touched before.


    But when Tang Xia saw it clearly, she realized that the so-called thin bones were not the bones she felt because he was thin, but because¡­


    Looking at the exposed zombie skin, Tang Xia was trembling.


    ¡°Your¡­ your body, what¡¯s going on!?¡± Pointing incredulously at his body, Tang Xia covered her mouth and looked at the dried-up body, which looked extremely scary.


    It seemed that Chu Tiankuo had expected Tang Xia to have responded this way long ago. He did not show a sad expression but kept sneering. It seemed that he didn¡¯t care about it.


    ¡°When the doomsday virus spread, my body became like this due to using the incomplete serum.¡±


    Under the horrified look on Tang Xia¡¯s face, he slowly put on his clothes and arranged his sleeves with a light look.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°How come? Why are you so indifferent? Have you always lived with this body?¡±


    Tang Xia still refused to believe that Chu Tiankuo had experienced these things. She couldn¡¯t help wanting to come forward. She was sympathizing with him and distressed about him in her heart.


    Hearing this, especially seeing the pity in her eyes, Chu Tiankuo was a little displeased.


    He whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me with eyes like that. Although my body has become the body of a zombie, I¡¯ve still kept my mind. The most important thing is¡­¡± Then, he approached her slowly.


    Breathing beside her ear, he said, ¡°The most important thing this incomplete mechanism brings me is that it gives me the ability to call all zombies!¡±


    Tang Xia, who still had an unbearable expression, looked at Chu Tiankuo in disbelief. But Chu Tiankuo seemed to be in control of everything.


    Tang Xia had to believe that what Chu Tiankuo said was true. She was afraid to take two steps back. Her entire brain was blank, like she was unconscious.


    Looking back on the past, would there be any zombies attack ordered by Chu Tiankuo?


    However, when Tang Xia digested what Chu Tiankuo said to her, the door slammed open, and then a group of people rushed in.


    Tang Xia, who thought it was zombies, took a step back in fright. They turned out to be the survivors. All of them were indignant as if they were coming for something.


    The leader suddenly knelt on the ground with his eyes full of fear of this world, clutching Chu Tiankuo¡¯s trousers.


    ¡°Mr. Chu, we beg you! Give us the serum! Now more and more people have become zombies, and we are all more and more panicked!¡± he said full of panic.


    A group of people behind him also quickly stepped forward to echo him. Tang Xia looked at this group of people and thought of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s plan. They should not have known what happened. ¡°They are a group of people in the dark!¡± She couldn¡¯t keep from feeling indignant as she glanced at Chu Tiankuo.


    But Chu Tiankuo looked bored and wanted to kick him away, but that person was like nougat. ¡°Mr. Chu! We all know that you have serum. Please send it to everyone!¡±


    When the group of people was surrounding Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia fled in haste. According to her memory, she found Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu.

 Chapter 273 - The Outbreak of Mortification

    Chapter 273 The Outbreak of Mortification


    Seeing Tang Xia waving at them breathless, Ye Yifan waved back and responded, ¡°Come here!¡± Tang Xia could not help feeling doubtful. Ye Yifan seemed to be anxious as if there was something wrong.


    She ran without a pause. She looked at Ye Yifan confusedly and found that he was holding the fainted Jiang Yu in his arms. Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan in surprise and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Jiang Yu? ¡±


    Ye Yifan also looked puzzled, inspecting Jiang Yu¡¯s body, and found that her body seemed to have dry skin after being bitten by a zombie.


    ¡°Damn! Isn¡¯t this the way I was bitten by a zombie before?¡± Ye Yifan grasped Tang Xia¡¯s hand. Tang Xia also saw that Jiang Yu¡¯s appearance looked mostly like she had been poisoned by zombies.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. She wasn¡¯t bitten at all!¡±


    But as soon as the words were spoken, Tang Xia regretted them. Remembering that Chu Tiankuo had said that doomsday was coming ahead of time, in addition to the bottle of unknown liquid he threw at the vent, then he immediately gave her serum, the suspicions were even more certain.


    It wasn¡¯t time for discussion. She took out the serum from her pocket. When Ye Yifan was wondering how this serum was brought in, Tang Xia injected it into Jiang Yu¡¯s arm without hesitation.


    Jiang Yu, which was originally dizzy, gradually opened her eyes. The skin on the body was recovering at a speed that could be seen by the naked eye. Tang Xia stepped forward and gently held Jiang Yu up. ¡°How are you feeling? Do you feel better?¡±


    Jiang Yu looked at Tang Xia, who hadn¡¯t been seen for a few days, and hugged her aggrievedly. ¡°You finally came back. Did Chu Tiankuo make things hard for you?¡±


    Tang Xia felt it funny and pulled her hand down.


    ¡°Take it easy! I¡¯m okay. The main thing now is not to talk about the old days, but about what I have found at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s place in these two days!¡±


    She looked at Ye Yifan seriously, and then told them everything that had happened in the past few days. Jiang Yu could not help looking at Tang Xia in shock.


    ¡°Do you mean that Chu Tiankuo is the ultimate boss?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head helplessly. Although she did not want to believe it, it was indeed a fact. Ye Yifan was not surprised at all about Chu Tiankuo¡¯s true identity. Tang Xia did not care about it too much.


    After the two people had digested everything, Tang Xia continued to say, ¡°I have analyzed what we can do now, and there are two ways.¡±


    Jiang Yu also thought about it seriously.


    ¡°What two ways?¡± Ye Yifan also looked at Tang Xia in wonder, waiting for her to talk. They were used to her leadership. Tang Xia looked around. All the survivors had gone to Chu Tiankuo to plead with him.


    ¡°One way is that we stay here and dispose of all the zombies.¡± Jiang Yu could not help being a little shocked. After all, she was still a little girl, and she was so afraid that she shivered.


    ¡°Do you mean that we should kill so many zombies?¡± Now the North City Dreams of Returning Harbor could be said to be a place of hell on earth. Ye Yifan did not agree with it, but he did not express his feelings.


    ¡°What about the second way?¡± Jiang Yu looked at Tang Xia expectantly.


    But this time, she didn¡¯t dare to say. However, looking at the hopeful eyes of the two people, she took a deep breath and said it.


    ¡°The second way is that we escape from the North City Dreams of Returning Harbor, and maybe we can find a new place to stay.¡± The two of them felt stunned and looked at Tang Xia in astonishment.


    Ye Yifan frowned angrily and looked up at Tang Xia seriously. ¡°Are you trying to make us deserters?¡± Jiang Yu also shook her head.


    Tang Xia immediately smiled with some relief.


    ¡°The second way is the last one I want to take. Although the first way seems difficult, it can be considered that we¡¯ll try to solve the problem head-on. At least we¡¯d have a clear conscience.¡±


    Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu could not help nodding with smiles. Eventually, the three decided to stay here, even if everyone would become a zombie.


    ¡°Since we decided to stay, I think we should get some weapons.¡±


    Ye Yifan spoke after careful consideration. Tang Xia and Jiang Yu also nodded. They got up and went to the arsenal sneakily and carefully.


    Ye Yifan looked around and walked out guarding the two others, looking at the door to the arsenal in the distance.


    But at this time, a person screamed aloud, and Tang Xia was stunned and quickly stopped. After a closer look, she found that they all had a symptom of mortification.


    The three were relieved. Tang Xia frowned and looked around. ¡°Several people around here already have symptoms of mortification.¡±


    Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu also nodded in sorrow. Now, this situation was not something the two of them could change.


    ¡°Okay. Stop watching them. Hurry up, or we won¡¯t have weapons at hand when their bodies have changed.¡±


    Jiang Yu quickly took Tang Xia and Ye Yifan together and ran to the arsenal. As soon as they approached, they saw the guards patrolling there.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°It should be that the air is spreading slowly here, so this guard is okay.¡± Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help sighing. Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan thought for a while and finally decided that it should be up to the boy to solve it.


    Ye Yifan rushed to stun the person who kept watch on the arsenal, and the two did not scuffle. Seeing that the guard was unconscious, he grabbed the key from his body and opened the arsenal door.


    They rushed straight in and closed the door nervously.


    ¡°Okay. Now find your weapon and get some more bullets, bombs, and so on.¡±


    Tang Xia also turned to look for them. After all, time was urgent, but Ye Yifan on the side looked at Tang Xia a little bit unsteadily, making it difficult for Tang Xia to ignore him.


    Tang Xia touched the submachine gun in her hands and looked at Ye Yifan confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to say something to me?¡± Ye Yifan looked up at Tang Xia awkwardly.


    ¡°I think I should explain one thing to you.¡± Tang Xia raised an eyebrow puzzledly. She raised her chin to signal for him to continue. Ye Yifan also took a weapon to ease his awkwardness.


    ¡°I was in Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room with Lu Huanyu at the beginning. I shot Lu Huanyu myself.¡±


    Ye Yifan uttered all the words in one breath and felt very relaxed all the while, but at the same time, he was also being judged by Tang Xia.


    Jiang Yu, who had just taken a small pistol in the distance, came over. When she wanted to show them the pistol she had just taken, she heard Ye Yifan saying this and she stopped.


    Hearing the sound, Ye Yifan looked at Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu walked over with a smile and patted his shoulder gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t blame it on you.¡±


    Ye Yifan didn¡¯t expect Jiang Jiang to understand him, and Tang Xia smiled helplessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know this. Take it easy. We won¡¯t blame it on you. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Feeling funny, she picked a weapon for him and handed it to him, signaling him to try it out. Ye Yifan took the gun and examined it.


    ¡°This should be okay. According to my observation, this is the weapon that you used most during this time.¡±


    Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help smiling. Jiang Yu was infected by this atmosphere. While they were feeling happy, they heard the noise outside the door, and some people even hit the door.


    Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t help being afraid as she said, ¡°Fortunately, I just locked the door.¡± She patted her heart to relieve her fear.


    Tang Xia also frowned. She did not expect that everything would come so fast, then she turned to look at the other two people.


    ¡°Pick out your weapons quickly, and then load the bullets and everything. Check carefully. Don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± When saying this, he asked Jiang Yu to install grenades and bullets, and Ye Yifan also checked his weapons in hand.


    The three of them squatted together and looked at a heavy machine gun, thinking for a moment. ¡°We two girls can¡¯t get any heavy weapons. You use this one that produces the heaviest damage.¡±


    Tang Xia patted him on the shoulder. Ye Yifan did not refuse. He picked it up and tried it. He put one weapon on his back and one in his hand. He was well prepared.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°You keep all these grenades and bullets and hide behind us. If necessary, throw a thunderbolt from time to time.¡±


    After all, Jiang Yu was timid. Jiang Yu also agreed that she should put a bunch of grenades in her pocket. Tang Xia took two of the submachine guns and loaded up a lot of bullets.


    The three people who were now prepared listened to the sound of the door, and their hearts inevitably began to beat quickly.


    Jiang Yu asked with some fear, ¡°Did you say that they will all become zombies outside?¡± Tang Xia raised an eyebrow and shook her head to express that she was unclear.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be so fast.¡± Tang Xia had to comfort Jiang Yu, and also subconsciously wanted to comfort herself. Looking up at Ye Yifan, who had been silent for a while, she saw his face look strange.


    Tang Xia could not help asking him in doubt, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you uncomfortable? Would you like me to inject you with another serum?¡± As she spoke, she wanted to take it out of her pocket. Ye Yifan stopped her and shook his head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. But I always feel that I¡¯ve forgotten something.¡± Jiang Yu also tilted her head in confusion. Tang Xia put the serum back.


    However, when they were all thinking, Ye Yifan raised his head and looked at Tang Xia in fright. Tang Xia felt puzzled, looking at him with some doubt.


    Ye Yifan said regrettably, ¡°Yes, I forgot that Li Xianxian didn¡¯t know this!¡±

 Chapter 274 - Be My Enemy

    Chapter 274 Be My Enemy


    Both of them were stunned and had completely forgotten about Li Xianxian. Tang Xia was silent for a long time. Although she felt a little uncomfortable, she patted Ye Yifan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go and save Li Xianxian. ¡±


    Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help looking at Tang Xia, feeling touched.


    Jiang Yu thought for a while and then said relaxedly, ¡°Anyway, we are going to go out and face the zombies. Now we have Li Xianxian as our target. Let¡¯s go out to look for her as soon as possible.¡± As she said this, she put the safety on her gun.


    Seeing that both people supported him to save her and they didn¡¯t care about things that had happened before, Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help feeling grateful. Tang Xia knew his current feelings and prepared her guns.


    ¡°Okay, since everyone is ready, let¡¯s stop talking nonsense. Let¡¯s go. Li Xianxian can¡¯t wait for so long.¡±


    Jiang Yu nodded, and Ye Yifan immediately picked up his weapon. After the three of them were armed, they were ready to go.


    Jiang Yu gently unlocked the door. The three listened carefully to the sounds coming from outside the door. It was different from the noise before. There was no sound at all.


    Tang Xia gave a gesture. Ye Yifan understood and gently opened the door. He exposed a thin line of sight and observed for a long time. Suddenly, he was surprised and turned around to look at the two.


    ¡°Why is there no one here? There are still voices.¡±


    Jiang Yu came out and looked around for a while. She looked at Tang Xia in surprise. ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone here!¡±


    Tang Xia frowned, feeling that something was wrong, but she did not hesitate. They rushed out only to find nobody on the street.


    This situation gave them a bad feeling.


    Jiang Yu felt scared, hiding behind Ye Yifan, who didn¡¯t care about it. As they walked with their weapons, they heard a big sound.


    Jiang Yu pointed to the sky and shouted surprisedly, ¡°Look!¡± Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked up in surprise and saw that two curved lids were gradually closing over the entire fortress. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling scared.


    ¡°Oops! The entire fortress is closed this time!¡± Ye Yifan was a little scared, let alone Jiang Yu. They wanted to hide in a corner.


    However, when they were about to leave, the two curved lids suddenly snapped together. The sound was so loud that it made their ears hurt.


    They felt that their eyes were bright before they realized it. The lights were on, and the entire fortress was bright.


    They were exposed to the fortress. But the lights turned away and hit the roof. They saw the large LED screen that appeared not far away.


    Jiang Yu stepped back. ¡°What the hell happened? Why do I always feel like something bad should happen?¡±


    Tang Xia had this feeling in her heart, but she didn¡¯t say it. Ye Yifan stepped forward to protect Tang Xia behind him.


    When everyone was panicking, the LED screen above lit up. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s figure appeared on the large LED screen.


    Tang Xia was surprised. She immediately pulled Ye Yifan away. ¡°Chu Tiankuo? What is this for?¡± Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan were also at a loss and pretended to be calm.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the screen and sneered, ¡°Welcome to the end of the world.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised for a moment. The two people on the side looked at Tang Xia in confusion, remembering that Tang Xia had told them that Chu Tiankuo had said before that doomsday would come sooner.


    Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows, and his tone became different. ¡°Tang Xia, you are watching, right? It¡¯s better to come back to me faster. Do you know that?¡±


    Tang Xia raised an eyebrow and felt in her heart that this sentence seemed to indicate something, but at this time, she suddenly heard an unusual voice.


    Tang Xia quickly stopped the two people to silence them. Jiang Yu shuddered with fear. Ye Yifan also clearly heard the surrounding sounds. He and Tang Xia looked at each other firmly and then they pulled Jiang Yu tightly.


    Just as they looked around, suddenly a large group of zombies rushed over. They were all stunned and quickly grabbed Jiang Yu to run fast.Updates by vi p novel


    Jiang Yu didn¡¯t respond. She just felt that her body was being dragged by the two of them as if she were flying.


    ¡°Why are there so many zombies all of a sudden!¡± When Jiang Yu could see clearly, she felt that her spine was cold, and the whole person was instantly in a poor condition, panting breathlessly. ¡°Why did Ye Yifan and Tang Xia have time to talk nonsense?¡±


    Soon they dragged her directly into a house, and Tang Xia shut the door.


    They sighed against the door panel, breathing heavily.


    Listening to the sound of many zombies whistling outside the door, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling a little frightened, and turned to look at Jiang Yu aside. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jiang Yu was so weak that Tang Xia had to worry about her.


    Jiang Yu shook her head and said, ¡°They will be corpses, so they all look like this?¡±


    Tang Xia nodded aside, and although she was extremely reluctant to admit it, that should be the case according to the observation so far.


    ¡°It should be the bottle of orange-red liquid that Chu Tiankuo shattered in the ventilation system.¡± As Tang Xia looked down and touched her clothes pocket, she took out a bottle of orange-red liquid. Looking at it, Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu were stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Why do you have this thing!? You put such a dangerous thing on your body! What if you break it?¡±


    Jiang Yu looked in horror at the thing in Tang Xia¡¯s hands and took two steps back. Tang Xia thought for a while, and finally, put it into her pocket.


    ¡°Maybe this thing will be useful.¡± She looked at the doorway and listened carefully to the sounds. There was no sound at all.


    She opened the door to observe for a while, confirming that they were no longer in danger, then they went out.


    Jiang Yu hesitated for a long time and looked at Tang Xia. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t ignore her eyes. In the end, she stopped. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±


    Ye Yifan on the side looked at her puzzledly.


    She looked embarrassed while saying, ¡°I have been thinking, there are almost no living people on the street, then¡­ will Li Xianxian also become a zombie? Then do we have to go?¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised for a moment. She had forgotten this and turned to look at Ye Yifan aside.


    Ye Yifan was also trembling a little, at a loss. Tang Xia looked at his reaction and knew what he thought. She sighed and patted Jiang Yu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Regardless of this, everything will be said after we arrive. Is it possible that Li Xianxian has hidden? Maybe she is waiting for us to rescue her.¡±


    Jiang Yu thought for a while and finally agreed with Tang Xia. This time, she also gathered up her courage and pulled the two together. Ye Yifan couldn¡¯t help looking at Tang Xia with thanks. Tang Xia shook her head and said it was okay.Access v ip novel


    The three continued to approach Li Xianxian¡¯s place.


    After a long time, a zombie suddenly popped out, but fortunately, these three people were also battle-hardened, so they could reach the place unimpeded.


    But when they arrived, there was no one there, only the sound of the wind blowing through the air. Jiang Yu became more and more afraid.


    ¡°Here¡­ it¡¯s a bit quiet and weird¡­¡±


    Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t help murmuring. Although Tang Xia agreed in her heart, she could not show it. Ye Yifan frowned. It was like the calm before the storm.


    While they were wondering, they heard a few clear sounds of applause. Tang Xia shuddered and grabbed the corner of Ye Yifan¡¯s clothes. Chu Tiankuo was walking forward calmly behind the building next to him.


    When he noticed Tang Xia gripping Ye Yifan¡¯s clothes, he frowned. But he didn¡¯t react aside from lowering his eyes. This small detail was noticed by Jiang Yu.


    ¡°You guys are here.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were different from before, and there was a feeling of indifference to the extreme as if he had become another person. The eyes that looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes seemed to be sharp.


    When Tang Xia saw Chu Tiankuo, she relaxed her mind. She released Ye Yifan and walked to the front of them. The four people looked at each other. ¡°Have you been waiting for us?¡±


    Tang Xia could not help wondering. Chu Tiankuo sneered. However, at this time, a group of people emerged from behind Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia was stunned, and could not help taking two steps back because behind him were not ordinary people, but a lot of zombies!


    ¡°You! Chu Tiankuo! You are crazy!¡± Tang Xia could not help uttering in surprisedly. She knew that he could call the zombies. She also knew that as long as he ordered it, all of them were done.


    Chu Tiankuo changed his expression, looking at Tang Xia with a look of pleading and intolerance. ¡°Can¡¯t you once be on my side? Leave the person beside you, OK?¡±


    Tang Xia had never seen Chu Tiankuo look like this and was at a loss for a moment.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop?¡± Tang Xia was also a little angry, but there was a faint pain in her heart. Chu Tiankuo changed his look and stared at them sharply.


    ¡°Are you insisting on being my enemy?¡± Seeing that he wanted to kill someone, Tang Xia came to her senses.

 Chapter 275 - The Storm Ends

    Chapter 275 The Storm Ends


    ¡°Yes! If you have always been the enemy of the world, how can I accompany you to be the enemy of the world?¡±


    When listening to Tang Xia¡¯s cold voice, Chu Tiankuo felt as if he had heard something broken in his heart. Ye Yifan was inevitably excited and stepped forward to protect Tang Xia.


    He looked down at his palm and the corpse¡¯s body had gradually eroded into his palm.


    When looking at the dry skin, Chu Tiankuo sneered and looked up at Tang Xia. ¡°Since this is the case, don¡¯t blame me.¡± The zombies behind him couldn¡¯t wait to move.


    ¡°You¡­ What are you doing!¡±


    Tang Xia looked in horror at Chu Tiankuo, who had lost his mind. Jiang Yu was scared and took up her weapon. Ye Yifan was also alert. Chu Tiankuo stared blankly at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Since it is the case that I can¡¯t win your heart, why not destroy it?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his hand and gently kept pointing directly at them.


    The zombies screamed in excitement as if they were in violent mode. Tang Xia felt uncomfortable for a moment and grabbed Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan to break into the room together.


    Ye Yifan closed the door and pushed a few heavy things to block it. Tang Xia looked around, then Jiang Yu shouted, ¡°Come here! Li Xianxian is here!¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan rushed over immediately and ran to the side of Jiang Yu. But when they saw Li Xianxian, they felt disbelief.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s hair had begun to fall, and even her skin became dry. Ye Yifan rushed forward to hug Li Xianxian.


    Tang Xia was looking for the serum in her pocket but found that she had only one shot of serum left. After thinking for a while, she decided to give Li Xianxian an injection.


    However, at this moment, Jiang Yu¡¯s arm began to tremble. Tang Xia stopped and stepped forward to check Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu pushed Tang Xia away looking pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can give her an injection.¡± After saying this, she turned around and wanted to leave. Tang Xia stepped forward and took her hand.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± said Tang Xia. She found that Jiang Yu¡¯s arm was bitten by a zombie. It must have been bitten when they rushed into the room.


    Tang Xia was annoyed at once. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so!? What did you do!¡± When hearing this, Ye Yifan didn¡¯t know what to do. Jiang Yu was groaning painfully, and Tang Xia was instantly embarrassed.


    ¡°What to do? She needs a shot of serum now, but I only have one.¡±


    At this time, she could only seek Ye Yifan¡¯s opinion. She handed the serum in her hand to Ye Yifan, letting him choose.


    Looking entangled at the two people who were also going to be corpses, he had to make up his mind. He lowered his body, touching Li Xianxian¡¯s cheek gently. His eyes were full of apology as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    When saying this, he took out a pistol from his pocket and reached for Li Xianxian¡¯s head.


    Tang Xia was stunned. She heard a bang before she could realize it. That bullet was shot directly in between Li Xianxian¡¯s brows.


    Jiang Yu was also stunned and then began to cry, saying sorry all the time. Tang Xia was at a loss. She did not expect Ye Yifan to be so determined.


    He gave the serum in his hand to Jiang Yu, who took the serum with trembling. Her eyes were full of tears. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t bear to look, so she turned around to look at the ceiling.


    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. Inject it quickly, or it won¡¯t be useful.¡±


    He turned around to hold Li Xianxian¡¯s body in a clean place, took off his coat, and covered her. Jiang Yu looked at the serum in her hand and injected herself with it.


    After a while, Jiang Yu returned to normal, but the atmosphere was still very heavy. Suddenly, there was a loud sound at the door. They looked at the door in amazement. Tang Xia turned her head to Ye Yifan.


    ¡°What to do? I don¡¯t think this door can block them for a long time. We have to find another way!¡±


    Ye Yifan agreed, and he turned to pull Jiang Yu up. They looked for a second exit in the house. But after searching for a long time, there was still no result.


    When listening to the creak of the door, they were nervous and didn¡¯t know what to do. Jiang Yu¡¯s heart broke down. ¡°What can I do if I can be saved with serum? We still have to die in this place!¡±


    She knelt down hopelessly. When listening to Jiang Yu¡¯s desperate voice, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling a little depressed.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t be like this!¡± Then she took the gun in her hand and looked at Ye Yifan aside. At that time, she looked brave and righteous.Access v ip novel


    ¡°Even if we are going to die, after all, we must die with honor!¡±


    When talking, she pulled Jiang Yu. She wiped the tears on Jiang Yu¡¯s face. But because she ran for a long time, her face was dusty. The whole person was like a little colorful cat.


    Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help laughing loudly. ¡°Okay, anyway, there are only three of us left. What are you afraid of! Anyway, this is just a broadcast game. Don¡¯t make it the same as life and death!¡±


    Jiang Yu was stunned. After hearing what Tang Xia said, her feeling was different at the moment. She wiped away the tears on her face instantly, summoning up her courage and straightening her back.


    ¡°Yes! Anyway, we can¡¯t survive! Why not die with that guy Chu Tiankuo!¡± Ye Yifan looked at them both and couldn¡¯t help grinning and sighing helplessly.


    However, as they cheered themselves on, the door couldn¡¯t hold out any longer and was smashed open. A bunch of zombies stepped aside, and Chu Tiankuo came in slowly.


    When listening to the sound of his leather shoes hitting the floor, it seemed as if they were stepping on everyone¡¯s heartstrings.


    He looked at them coldly and said, ¡°What a good pair of life-and-death partners! You have such a tacit understanding. Have I disturbed your tender moment?¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and felt that Chu Tiankuo exuded the temperament of the world¡¯s largest boss.


    Tang Xia slowly walked to the front of the three people and looked at him indifferently, saying, ¡°You have driven us to despair, and we can¡¯t resist, so it¡¯s better to die together.¡±


    When saying so, she threw the gun directly to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s feet.


    Chu Tiankuo froze for a moment, not expecting Tang Xia to concede defeat. And for a while, he did not know how to continue.


    Ye Yifan stepped forward and held Tang Xia, looking at her with an incredulous look. ¡°You are crazy! Why did you throw your weapon down?¡±


    Tang Xia looked indifferent and smiled. ¡°Anyway, it is a death. It¡¯s better to die sooner.¡±


    Tang Xia pushed Ye Yifan away and made him stay away from her. Jiang Yu felt that something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t know what it was. She simply said nothing.Access v ip novel


    ¡°Do you want to give in to me? Why didn¡¯t you realize that just now?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was suddenly in a good mood and had the zombies behind him directly retreat. He walked slowly by himself, waving to Tang Xia to come over.


    Tang Xia resisted her dissatisfaction and went over. However, when the two people got closer and closer, Tang Xia suddenly took out the pistol in her arms and faced Chu Tiankuo¡¯s head straight on. She quickly pulled the trigger.


    Chu Tiankuo did not change his expression at all, as if he had expected it. He tilted his head slightly and avoided the bullet.


    Tang Xia looked at him in surprise. ¡°You¡­¡± However, while she was frightened, Chu Tiankuo suddenly rushed over and grabbed Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was shocked and struggled quickly, only to hear Chu Tiankuo sigh helplessly beside her ears.


    ¡°All your thoughts are too easy for me to understand. You still haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± With a somewhat tender and domineering tone, Tang Xia was inexplicably confused.


    However, Tang Xia still did not give up struggling. Ye Yifan in the distance also quickly pointed his gun at Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned and turned around to protect Tang Xia behind him. When facing Ye Yifan¡¯s muzzle, he waved his hands. The zombies were instructed to rush over directly at Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡± Suddenly Tang Xia¡¯s heartbreaking shout echoed throughout the room. Chu Tiankuo was stunned and looked down to see the orange injection that Tang Xia took out of her pocket. He didn¡¯t realize what had happened.


    Tang Xia slowly spit out two words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Immediately, Chu Tiankuo felt only a momentary pain at his neck. He looked at Tang Xia in disbelief, and his brain suddenly became confused and buzzed. His body gradually lost strength and backed away.


    When Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo with complex eyes, Chu Tiankuo suddenly raised his head and smiled softly at her.


    Tang Xia was stunned, and she wanted to come forward to touch him, but in the next moment, Chu Tiankuo suddenly lost consciousness and became an ordinary zombie.


    Tang Xia withdrew her hands and pointed a pistol at his head, her eyes unconsciously streaked with tears.


    Under the incredulous eyes of Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu, only a bang was heard, and the entire world stopped. When looking at the scene where she herself had delivered a headshot to Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t stand it and turned around.


    At this moment, the system prompts displayed their triumph, and a white light flashed. When Tang Xia opened her eyes again, she had returned to the real-world water crystal stadium, only to hear the cheers from the audience.


    Tang Xia looked around blankly, and there were still marks on the corners of her eyes. Ye Yifan rushed over and hugged her.


    Tang Xia was still immersed in the world just now and subconsciously embraced Ye Yifan, only to hear Ye Yifan whisper in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s nice to have you.¡±

 Chapter 276 - Ambiguous Relationship

    Chapter 276 Ambiguous Relationship


    Tang Xia was stunned and she did not hear what he had said clearly. After all, the whole stadium was filled with cheers for their victory.


    Although it was deafening, what sense of happiness she felt at that very moment was incomparable to the cheers of the whole world.


    ¡°Did you just say something to me?¡± Tang Xia looked quizzically at Ye Yifan, who stood in front of her, and yelled out loudly as though she was afraid that he could not hear what she said clearly. After all, the noise here was indeed too loud.


    Ye Yifan shook his head slowly and replied loudly, ¡°Nothing!¡± He then smiled with relief.


    While Tang Xia had some doubts in her heart since she had just seen his expression and the shape of his mouth and she knew that he must have said something, but seeing that he did not want to talk about it, she would not press on.


    Both of them released each other, and while Ye Yifan was reluctant to leave the embrace, ultimately, he did not ask her to continue.


    Tang Xia also cheered out excitedly. When she saw Jiang Yu smile at them from afar, she also could not contain her happiness and returned a smile to her. She inevitably muttered softly, ¡°Thank you. Thank you all for staying my side all along.¡±


    Jiang Yu seemed to see that she was stiff-mouthed and could no longer hold back the tears in the corner of her eyes. She directly grabbed hold of the person beside her and, ignoring whether or not she knew that person, she began to cry out loud.


    Looking at her, even though it was a little embarrassing, the corners of her lips still curled up into a faint smile.


    Ye Yifan, who was beside her, was inevitably a little speechless. Right at that moment, she suddenly saw Li Xianxian standing beside them. There was a look of resentment on Li Xianxian¡¯s face, regardless of whether she was looking at Tang Xia or Ye Yifan, who was next to her.


    Ye Yifan also noticed her and he was slightly evasive of her gaze.


    Just when Li Xianxian was about to rush forward and make trouble, the sound of radio voice-testing could suddenly be heard and everyone quieted down instantly. Tang Xia and Li Xianxian also pricked up their ears and listened attentively.


    They merely saw the organizer¡¯s representative stand up slowly at the rostrum and walk slowly toward both of them with a microphone in his hand.


    The staff member standing by the side led the two of them and walked toward the highest platform. They merely saw a smirk at the corner of the lips of the organizer¡¯s representative as he slowly pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand.


    Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he slowly raised her hand up. ¡°I hereby declare that the winner of the first round of the match is¡­¡± Music began to play and, under everyone¡¯s expectant gazes, he began to announce both of their names.


    ¡°Congratulations to Tang Xia and Ye Yifan for winning the first round of the match!¡±


    As soon as he said this, thunderous applause and cheers echoed throughout the entire hall. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were inevitably moved to tears.


    Right at that moment, they saw two staff members bring a plate over suddenly.


    Just when the two of them were a little puzzled, they saw the organizer place two things in front of them directly. ¡°Let¡¯s congratulate them. Other than the basic rewards for winning the match, we also threw in an additional mysterious grand prize!¡±


    While he said that, he looked at the two of them mysteriously.


    The cheering instantly stopped. It seemed that everyone wanted to know what this so-called mysterious grand prize was.


    Even Tang Xia and Ye Yifan began to feel expectant. However, Li Xianxian, who stood by the side, seemed jealous and eager to charge straight up and shred up Tang Xia¡¯s face.


    They merely saw the organizer lift the red cloth on the plate. ¡°Our mysterious grand prize is the rights to conduct the internal time-travel test for the fantasy castle, which the time-travel platform has just developed!¡±


    As he spoke, the organizer passed the qualification card on the plate to both of them. Tang Xia was stunned for a moment and she inevitably felt joyful in her heart. Everyone in the area instantly cheered with envy, and some cheered for their exciting performance.


    After they received the prize, Ye Yifan stretched out his hand and Tang Xia was a little puzzled. ¡°Hold onto my hand when we go down. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you will fall.¡±


    Tang Xia was then relieved and held onto his hand as they walked down slowly. The two of them inevitably exuded pink bubbles and all the Yetang cp Fans around them instantly cheered.


    After they experienced this battle side by side, their initial frame of mind was already different from before.


    The two of them descended the steps slowly. July, who was standing downstairs waiting for them, could not help looking at them a little suggestively. When Tang Xia saw her expression, she had an inexplicable feeling that something was amiss.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at us like this?¡± Ye Yifan, who was standing by the side, turned his head rather unnaturally and he released Tang Xia¡¯s hand. July could not help finding the two of them really interesting.


    She pouted her lips to indicate for Tang Xia to look behind her. ¡°Go and see for yourself. It¡¯s so big. Are you blind? But¡­ do you two plan to be together? Are you planning to make it public?¡±Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia was startled for a moment and she looked at July with an expression as if she looking at a lunatic. But July completely did not pay attention to her expression and continued to complain by the side. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you thank me if you guys got together?¡±


    Tang Xia truly could not stand her crazy manner, so she turned her head to look at the thing nearby that July told her to take a look at. However, she already regretted it the moment she turned her head back. She merely saw one photo displayed across all the big screens in the entire stadium.


    Every screen showed the scene of the two of them hugging agitatedly when they exited the game earlier on.


    Tang Xia inevitably turned to look at Ye Yifan beside her. He also had a look of embarrassment and he suddenly seemed to be a little unwell.


    There was an inexplicable strange feeling in Tang Xia¡¯s heart and she turned to look at July. ¡°Wake up! Don¡¯t talk about things that don¡¯t exist!¡±


    After Tang Xia said that, she turned and wanted to leave straight away. Ye Yifan thought that she was angry and he quickly chased and grabbed hold of Tang Xia.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not angry, are you?¡± Tang Xia looked at him strangely but did not manage to react. After she thought for a while, she then understood why Ye Yifan was suddenly so nervous and she then sighed rather helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry. What¡¯s there to be angry about? I¡¯m just going to the washroom.¡± She then turned to glare at July, who was standing at the side. July found it rather baffling and she immediately went forward and blocked her way.


    ¡°Why did you glare at me? I¡¯m not the one who put the photo up there. Also, go ahead if you want to use the washroom. Let¡¯s hurry back to the company to share the good news with them.¡±


    As she spoke, she directly pulled her and ran. Tang Xia merely felt her head spin, and by the time she managed to react again, she was already in the car heading back to the company.


    July sat by the side and swiped through Weibo while she sniggered like an infatuated girl from time to time. Tang Xia could not help frowning and looking at her. ¡°What¡¯s with that aunt-like smile? ¡±


    Ye Yifan was also swiping through Weibo by the side and he naturally knew why she was laughing. He looked out of the car window with slight embarrassment.


    When Tang Xia saw how the two of them ignored her, she turned around, took out her mobile phone, and snorted coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll look at it myself since neither of you want to tell me!¡±


    As she spoke, she directly opened Weibo and began to swipe through. However, she was instantly stunned the moment she opened it.


    She merely saw that all the headlines on Weibo were about the two of them.


    ¡°Yetang cp giving out candies!¡±


    ¡°Yetang going public about their love relationship?¡±


    There were even those who directly cooked up rumors and announced news of their marriage.


    Tang Xia looked up at the two of them with a dumbfounded look on her face only to see a look of complete indifference on the face of the other party involved.


    The car quickly arrived at the company. Physically and mentally exhausted, Tang Xia got out of the car. The moment she entered through the door, everyone jumped up immediately and congratulated Tang Xia and Ye Yifan happily.


    Under everyone¡¯s enthusiastic applause, Tang Xia accepted their congratulations and the flowers that they sent.


    She inevitably lowered her head to smell the flowers and she simply felt a sense of being a lucky survivor of a disaster. She looked at Ye Yifan off to the side and could not help laughing out loud. ¡°I still think that you look more handsome with a bald head.¡±


    Ye Yifan was stunned for a moment before he then shook his head somewhat helplessly.


    When everyone saw the interaction between the two of them, the instantly began to hype them up. ¡°Wow! Get together, get together!¡±


    Tang Xia was startled by their sudden enthusiasm, and she looked at Ye Yifan with slight embarrassment. She could not help feeling great regret for her choice of speaking earlier on.


    Just when everyone was creating hype, Tang Xia suddenly heard an abrupt, mean, and provoking voice.


    ¡°She merely won because of Chu Tiankuo. What¡¯s there to be so happy about? Was it worth it? I feel ashamed for you!¡± They merely saw Li Xianxian looking at Tang Xia with disgust.Updates by vi p novel


    Suddenly the whole company quieted down and all the hype ceased. Tang Xia could not help finding it rather funny that this was how the hype actually stopped.


    Ye Yifan, who was standing by the side, felt that Li Xianxian had gone too far. He wanted to come forward to say something but Tang Xia quickly grabbed hold of his hand and shook her head.


    Ye Yifan frowned. But even though he was very unhappy, since Tang Xia did not allow him to step forward and she naturally had her own reasons and so, he did not speak any further. He slowly backed away two steps before he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled slightly and nodded her head in acknowledgment. When Li Xianxian saw the interaction between the two of them, she became even more furious. At that moment, two people suddenly came forward.


    ¡°Yes, I think Xianxian is right. It was merely because Chu Tiankuo happened to be a boss and looked out for her more.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and did not say anything. When Li Xianxian saw her look of indifference, and she felt even angrier in her heart.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking? Are you dumb? Or do you feel that you are in the wrong? Do you also feel the same?¡± She suddenly laughed sarcastically and her voice echoed throughout the great hall.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t afford to lose so why are your acting so mighty with me here?¡±


    Everyone was stunned. What she said completely did not sound like something that she was capable of saying. In their eyes, Tang Xia had always been a new anchor who would not dare make a retort.


    Li Xianxian also completely did not expect Tang Xia to refute her like this. She suddenly felt that she was treated unjustly and became angry, so she directly rushed forward to give Tang Xia a slap.


    Tang Xia sneered coldly and, just when Ye Yifan wanted to rush forward to stop her, he saw Tang Xia grab hold of Li Xianxian¡¯s hand at that moment.


    He merely heard her say coldly, ¡°Li Xianxian, now I¡¯m not someone whom anyone can bully anymore.¡±

 Chapter 277 - Letter to The Mastermind

    Chapter 277 Letter to The Mastermind


    Both of them were on the brink of starting a war and Ye Yifan was caught in a difficult position as he thought about how to mediate between the two of them.


    They merely saw July walk over suddenly. She wore stilettoes, and when she walked on the marble tiles in the hall, the clicking sound was exceptionally crisp in the quiet hall.


    ¡°All right. Stop arguing. All of you, get back to work. Don¡¯t you all have things to do? Why are you all flying up after the great match ended?¡±


    July¡¯s harsh voice reverberated throughout the hall and everyone dispersed awkwardly. Only Tang Xia, Li Xianxian, and Ye Yifan were left. Obviously, neither Tang Xia nor Li Xianxian wanted to give in.


    When July saw how the two of them were secretly pitting against each other, she could not help pinching the bridge of her nose rather helplessly. ¡°Enough, both of you. We¡¯re all from the same company, so why can¡¯t¡­¡±


    She suddenly stopped talking. ¡°All right. I also can¡¯t be bothered to persuade you two to get along anymore. Now get away from each other immediately.¡±


    Li Xianxian instantly looked at July with a slightly aggrieved expression. ¡°Look, this is not my fault. Obviously, she was the one who has been holding onto me and refusing to let go!¡± July frowned and looked at Tang Xia. Ye Yifan also pulled her elbow helplessly.


    Tang Xia then let go of her, took a deep breath, and tidied up her clothes. July looked at Tang Xia with a solemn expression and Tang Xia was inevitably baffled. ¡°What? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else. Come with me first.¡±


    She directly turned and dragged her straight to the office without turning her head back.


    Ye Yifan could not help wondering as he watched their silhouettes. Li Xianxian, who was beside him, clutched onto her wrist in pain. However, for the first time, she did not cling onto Ye Yifan and complain tearfully.


    The two of them entered the office and Tang Xia no longer held herself back. She sat down directly on the sofa at the side. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why so serious?¡± Seriously speaking, she had never seen July look so serious before. She had obviously been happier earlier on in the field.


    She merely saw July turn the computer screen around directly to show it to her and then speak in a slightly solemn tone. ¡°Come and see for yourself. This matter is really very serious.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes inevitably darkened and she quickly got up and walked over. When she looked at the computer screen, she was instantly shocked.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart thumped once. July yanked her hair with slight frustration. Her face had a look of impatience and she took a deep breath to force herself to calm down.


    ¡°This is an article that was jointly written by fans and they all accused that there is a shady deal behind this. They said that you won because Chu Tiankuo was biased toward you.¡±


    Tang Xia naturally understood the article, and while her heart did not really want to believe it, the facts were laid out in front of her eyes. This matter was gradually blowing up.


    July suddenly punched the table with a furious expression. ¡°I was baffled as to why Chu Tiankuo kept holding onto you and refused to let go of you. He was the one who stirred up all these things!¡±


    Tang Xia could only remain silent. She also wanted to understand what was going on with this.


    Just when the two of them were silently thinking about what to do about this, someone suddenly pushed open the office door directly. Tang Xia was stunned for a moment as she merely saw Liu Huanyu and Irene walk over slowly with cold sneers on their faces as they looked at Tang Xia.


    ¡°July, you should give us an explanation for this matter! It¡¯s about Tang Xia¡¯s cheating!¡±


    Tang Xia was already confused and annoyed to begin with. Now that these two people suddenly came to make trouble, it made Tang Xia even angrier. She straight away smacked the table and stood up to look at the two of them.


    ¡°Do you have any evidence that I cheated? How do you know what I did?¡±


    July was stunned for a moment. She did not expect Tang Xia to blow up so abruptly. She hurriedly stepped forward and patted her on the back to appease her. But there was no way that Lu Huanyu and Irene would let Tang Xia off the hook so easily.


    Irene snorted coldly and took one big step forward. ¡°Do you still want me to list all those things that you and Chu Tiankuo did?¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. She inevitably felt slightly puzzled in her heart and she also strode forward. Irene did not expect her to step forward instead of retreating, so she instantly lost some of her confidence.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯d like to know what unspeakable things have I done to cause you all to mobilize so many people to come here and make trouble with me!¡±


    When Lu Huanyu saw that Irene was subdued by Tang Xia, he instantly felt exasperated by her failure to live up to his expectations and he directly dragged her over. He personally stepped forward and looked down at Tang Xia.


    ¡°We are also uninterested in listing them one by one. It is meaningless to talk nonsense like this.¡±Access v ip novel


    He turned to look at July and then laughed coldly. ¡°I just want to ask you if you would be willing to give us an explanation now. Now, either fire Tang Xia or fire me. Take your pick.¡±


    Everyone present was instantly shocked. Nobody expected Lu Huanyu to raise the stakes up so high.


    Tang Xia also could not help looking at him with slight surprise. Just when she was about to say something, July, who was standing by the side, quickly hurried forward to stop her. She then turned toward Lu Huanyu. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be like this. We¡¯re all from the same company, so why should we make things so unpleasant?¡±


    Lu Huanyu raised his eyebrows and took one look at Irene standing off to the side. Irene lowered her head rather shamefully. ¡°I can¡¯t quit my job¡­ Unlike you, a second-generation rich man, I depends on myself for finances and I have to feed myself¡­¡±


    Lu Huanyu gave her a slightly disdainful look then he turned to July. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s all cut the crap. You¡¯re bent on siding with Tang Xia until the end, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    July instantly became silent. She really did intend to side with Tang Xia. ¡°I witnessed every single step she took. I will not let her resign so easily.¡±


    Liu Huanyu could not help laughing out loud. He turned to look at Tang Xia and gave her a thumbs-up.


    ¡°Great dirty trick! Truly a great dirty trick! Not only Chu Tiankuo, but even July became one of your men. You are really impressive!¡± As he spoke, he directly punched the sofa and sneered coldly while looking at the ceiling.


    Although Tang Xia was grateful that July had sided with her so unconditionally, it was not the right time. ¡°I can only declare again that there is nothing between me and Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    But now that things had reached this state, who would believe this? Public opinion had never been particular about evidence. Once many people heard about it, it would become a fact.


    Lu Huanyu suddenly sneered coldly and reached out his hand to point straight at the tip of her nose. ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯d better watch out in the future!¡±


    After he said that, he directly turned and slammed the door behind him as he left. Irene, who was standing by the side, looked around rather awkwardly and then eventually still chose to leave with Lu Huanyu.


    When July saw that the two troublemakers had finally left, she instantly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. Lu Huanyu is a second-generation rich man anyway. Compared to him, you need this job more.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head, but she felt increasingly aggrieved in her heart.


    ¡°This clearly has nothing to do with me. Chu Tiankuo was the one who did not want to let go of me. Why does everyone think that there is a different relationship between the two of us?¡±


    Right now, Tang Xia truly felt that it was beyond dispute. Although July did not understand her feelings, she also knew that Tang Xia could not be blamed for the incident.


    She slowly walked over and patted her lightly on the shoulder as she smiled slightly.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t think too much about this. Didn¡¯t you experience things like this quite often previously in the past? Didn¡¯t we get through it eventually? Adjust your frame of mind. You still have me despite everything, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help looking at July with a grateful expression on her face, then she directly hugged her. ¡°Thank you. Actually, right now, my heart has crumbled, but luckily I still have you with me!¡±


    July sighed helplessly. She could also see that Tang Xia was in a bad state.


    ¡°All right, all right. Get up quickly. Don¡¯t lean on me. Go and find your rumored boyfriend¡­ no, I mean your rumored fianc¨¦ to go home with you.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was initially touched, instantly froze. The sudden teasing made her slightly at a loss as to what to do. She turned her head to look at her and she could not help glaring at her a little resentfully.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m teasing you.¡± As July spoke, she directly pushed Tang Xia out.


    ¡°Stop hanging around my place. I¡¯m also someone who needs to work. Now go home and have a good sleep. Be well and don¡¯t think about anything, all right?¡±


    While Tang Xia was feeling helpless, she eventually still listened to what July said and she turned and left.


    The moment she pushed open the door, she saw Ye Yifan waiting outside with an anxious look on his face. The moment he saw Tang Xia come out, he quickly went forward.Access v ip novel


    ¡°How did it go? Lu Huanyu didn¡¯t do anything to you, did he? I saw him go in aggressively. I felt that you could also solve it by yourself and that you didn¡¯t want anyone to interfere, so I didn¡¯t go in.¡±


    July could not help raising her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, since when did Master Ye know our Xia Xia so well?¡± Ye Yifan instantly scratched his head rather bashfully and Tang Xia could not help looking at July furiously.


    ¡°Guess you do have other expressions beyond anger. Ye Yifan, you must take Tang Xia home safely!¡±


    Tang Xia then understood that July¡¯s joke was entirely for the sake of helping her change her mood. She inevitably felt warm in the heart and she took in a deep breath of air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s not bother July.¡± Ye Yifan nodded his head and the two of them went downstairs side by side. July watched their silhouettes as they left, and the smile at the corners of her mouth inevitably disappeared gradually. As she looked into the distance, there was a deep look in her eyes and it was hard to tell what she was thinking about. Eventually, she still returned to the office.


    Just when Tang Xia and Ye Yifan planned to head downstairs together, they discovered that there was a commotion at the entrance of the company. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help wondering while Ye Yifan frowned. He constantly felt a sense of foreboding. The staff members around them were also looking at Tang Xia with strange looks in their eyes.


    Ye Yifan hurriedly pulled the staff member who was standing by the side. ¡°What is going on at the entrance?¡± The staff member sighed helplessly, but his eyes glanced toward Tang Xia, who was beside Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Well, I would advise you not to go out yet. A lot of fans and paparazzi have blocked the entrance outside. The moment you step out, you will probably be blasted to the point where there wouldn¡¯t even be smithereens left.¡± As he spoke, he shook his head and turned to leave.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia, and he seemed to be in a difficult position. He merely saw her pulling him with a righteous look on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We have to face it eventually!¡± As she spoke, she directly strode out.


    As soon as Tang Xia appeared, all the fans and paparazzi charged forward. As Tang Xia looked at all the different colors of faces, she merely felt her head swimming from all the questions that they asked.


    In the face of the mass of crazy bombardment, Ye Yifan, who was behind her, hurriedly supported her back. Tang Xia could not help turning her head around to look at him.


    ¡°What do you think about the relationship between you and Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    ¡°What is your response about what they say on the Internet regarding how you won because of your relationship with Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    ¡°Your relationship with Mr. Ye Yifan is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s head swelled from all the questions. At that moment, Ye Yifan suddenly leaned over to her ear and his voice sounded like a cool breeze. ¡°I will always stand behind you. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±

 Chapter 278 - To Surround And Cause Trouble

    Chapter 278 To Surround And Cause Trouble


    As Tang Xia listened to Ye Yifan whispering in her ear, she felt her whole body quiver. It was as if she was located in another world, and she could no longer hear all the noises around her. She and Ye Yifan seemed to be the only people left in the entire world.


    As Ye Yifan¡¯s words lingered in Tang Xia¡¯s mind, he suddenly grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s hand and dashed out of the crowd. Tang Xia was stunned. She saw the surprised look in the eyes of all the people around them, and a group of people hurriedly picked up their cameras and began to snap crazily away.


    Tang Xia could not help, but laugh. It was a feeling of happiness that came from within.


    ¡°Ye Yifan!¡± Tang Xia could only shout out loud, amidst the ruckus caused by the crowd.


    Ye Yifan turned his head in bafflement, but he did not break his stride at all. However, when Ye Yifan turned his head around, he was immediately captivated by her smile. At that moment, Tang Xia¡¯s smile was an indulgent one, which he had never seen before.


    With a willful smile, Tang Xia said loudly, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The Tang Ye cp around them instantly boiled over with excitement. It was the first time that they encountered this scene of ¡°giving out candy on the spot¡±. Ye Yifan immediately smiled with relief and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Right after he said this, a car suddenly stopped in front of them. Tang Xia did not manage to react to the situation, and she looked at Ye Yifan with a puzzled expression.


    The car door suddenly opened and Ye Yifan quickly pushed her in. Tang Xia felt her head spinning as Ye Yifan got into the car quickly.


    By the time she recovered, she realized that the driver was actually Ye Yifan¡¯s assistant. ¡°So you actually made plans?¡±


    Tang Xia inevitably found it funny, and she began to admire him.


    Ye Yifan smiled and felt slightly abashed. As he watched the fans and paparazzi swarming around the car, he got his assistant to drive off quickly.


    The assistant seemed to be a seasoned veteran. With a sudden burst of speed, he instantly shook off the group of fans behind them. As the two of them sat inside the car, they suddenly remembered their earlier conversation outside, and both of them became a little embarrassed.


    After a short while, the car stopped at the entrance of Tang Xia¡¯s house. Tang Xia said in a slightly teasing way, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your assistant to be so familiar with the way to my house.¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled and watched Tang Xia going into her house. After Ye Yifan¡¯s car gradually disappeared from Tang Xia¡¯s view, she then tidied up and went to sleep.


    In her dazed state, she suddenly felt as if there was someone standing nearby with his back turned towards her.


    Tang Xia approached him cautiously, but that person disappeared in an instant. A series of deja vu scenes flashed before her eyes, and Tang Xia could not help, but wonder. All of them were of Chu Tiankuo and the tender expression that he had, when he looked at her.


    She felt her breath gradually quicken. All the scenes disappeared instantly, and that person gradually turned around.


    She was stunned when she saw his face clearly. She saw Chu Tiankuo looking at her with a smile on his face. There was a tenderness in his eyes which could not be ignored, and she felt a sense of pain as if someone had carved away her heart.


    All of a sudden, Tang Xia sat up. After she checked her surroundings, she instantly felt at ease. She gently stroked the spot where her heart was, and could not help, but feel a little puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. It was obviously a dream, but why does my heart hurt so much?¡± Tang Xia gradually steadied her breathing, before she threw the quilt aside and got out of bed to pour herself a glass of water.


    Tang Xia thought about what happened yesterday and she eventually turned the television on. The TV was filled with the scandals about herself and Ye Yifan, and Tang Xia could not help but smile slightly. ¡°Luckily it was not as bad as I thought.¡±


    All that was on the television were news about the possible public disclosure of her romantic relationship with Ye Yifan. News about how she could have possibly cheated to win the match was probably suppressed.


    As Tang Xia watched the photos of Ye Yifan and herself on the television, she inevitably sighed helplessly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if Ye Yifan confessed to me about his feelings?¡±


    But after Tang Xia finished speaking, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s figure suddenly flashed across her mind, and she was instantly stunned. For a moment, she did not manage to hold onto the glass of water in her hands, and it fell to the ground with a crash.


    Tang Xia instantly felt a little frustrated and remorseful. ¡°What the hell is going on today? Why do I constantly dream about him and even as I watch the news, I am again reminded of him?¡± As she said this, she could only pick up the broken glass on the ground.Updates by vi p novel


    At that moment, her cellphone suddenly rang. Tang Xia was startled and she quickly got up to answer the phone. She heard July¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, July? Why do you sound so anxious?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to the company today. Have a good rest at home. I suppose you are also worn out from yesterday!¡± Tang Xia could not help but frown, and she had a feeling that something was amiss.


    ¡°When you don¡¯t allow me to go to the company, it probably isn¡¯t as simple as wanting me to take a rest at home!¡± July was stunned. She did not expect Tang Xia to actually be so astute, and she could only sigh helplessly, before she altered her tone of voice, and laughed.


    ¡°Come on, believe me, baby. It¡¯s nothing.¡± After she said this, she directly hung up. Just when Tang Xia was about to say something, she heard the busy tone on her cellphone, and she felt that something strange was going on. She then called another colleague.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening in the company?¡± Tang Xia asked rather solemnly. Her colleague was stunned for a moment, and then he stuttered awkwardly for a long time, before he finally said it out.


    ¡°I would advise you not to come to the company. Right now, Lu Huanyu has gathered a bunch of people to block the entrance, and they have even surrounded the company grounds.¡±


    ¡°No one dares to go out now and the people on the outside dare not come in, either. He even told July that if she does not fire you, then he would not leave.¡± After Tang Xia¡¯s colleague said this, he sighed helplessly.


    Tang Xia did not expect Lu Huanyu to stoop that low, and she forced herself to suppress the fire that burned in her heart.


    ¡°Alright, I got it. Help me to pacify the other colleagues and tell them not to be afraid. I¡¯ll go over now to solve the problem.¡± After Tang Xia said this, she directly hung up.


    The colleague, who was on the other end of the phone, was stunned as he held onto his cellphone. He was somewhat at a loss as to what to do, and he quickly went to look for July and told her that Tang Xia was coming. July knocked his head a little angrily. ¡°How could you tell Tang Xia! Don¡¯t you still think that the matter has been blown out of proportion already?¡±Updates by vi p novel


    After Tang Xia kept her cellphone, she ignored the broken glass on the ground, and she changed before she drove her car to the company. As soon as she arrived at the entrance of the company, she saw Lu Huanyu leading a group of people, and yelling loudly at the entrance, ¡°If Tang Xia does not resign, we will not leave!¡±


    As Tang Xia watched this group of people, she inevitably found it very funny. She gradually drove her car over and stopped directly in front of Lu Huanyu. She then opened the car door gently and got out of the car.


    Lu Huanyu was startled as he did not think that Tang Xia would dare to appear in person, in such a situation. He immediately came over with the air of a local ruffian and hooligan. ¡°Oh, look who we have here? It is actually Miss Tang. Why? Have you finally decided to resign?¡±


    Tang Xia ignored him and looked at the few people beside him, instead. She could not help sneering coldly, ¡°Why? Lu Huanyu, you are minimally a second generation rich. How could you live like a little gangster in this society?¡±


    ¡°When you don¡¯t have the ability to chase me away, you found a bunch of people to create trouble here. Can you still call yourself a man?¡±


    Lu Huanyu frowned and looked at her impatiently. ¡°I initially wanted to continue to force July to fire you. Now, it seems that now you yourself intend to resign.¡± Tang Xia raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Resign? Why would I resign? Oh, I see. You probably also feel that you don¡¯t have the capability to be a good anchor?¡±


    ¡°So right now, aren¡¯t you standing in front of me and criticizing me just because you¡¯re jealous? Because I won and you lost. Most importantly, you were killed by Chu Tiankuo.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes became increasingly sharp, and every sentence she said hit Lu Huanyu directly in the heart.


    Lu Huanyu became a little anxious and angry, and wanted to come forward to hit her directly.


    ¡°Why? Now that you can¡¯t defeat me through words, you want to hit me? You are a real man, aren¡¯t you!¡± As she said this, she directly took a step back and took out the phone from her hand and sneered at him, coldly.


    ¡°If you take a step closer now, I have already recorded what you said earlier on. I will disclose to the public that you said that you forced July to fire me.¡±


    ¡°Even if you leave the live broadcast industry, I can still get you to make the headlines again! I can even call the police and instantly have you locked up in the bureau for two days!¡±


    Lu Huanyu was shocked for a moment. He did not expect Tang Xia to actually be so vicious.


    Just when Lu Huanyu was at the peak of his anger and about to hit Tang Xia, Ye Yifan suddenly grabbed hold of his fist. Ye Yifan had a furious expression on his face. Tang Xia did not expect Ye Yifan to actually appear. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at her rather angrily. ¡°Why did you come alone! If July had not told me that you were here alone, what would you do if Lu Huanyu¡¯s fist really landed on your body!¡±


    At that moment, he suddenly turned his head to look at Lu Huanyu, and he hit him with his fist.


    Lu Huanyu cupped his cheeks in pain, and just as he was about to fight back, he saw a sharp look in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, and it sliced into his cheeks like the blade of a knife.


    ¡°Lu Huanyu, who do you really think you are? You are not the only second generation rich. So what if your family has power and influence? If you punched my face or Tang Xia¡¯s, I will let you know what we mean by, ¡°Why are the flowers so red!¡±


    Lu Huanyu stunned for a moment, and he was not sure whether he should put his fists down or if he should continue to fight. The few people standing next to him quickly began to egg him on, ¡°Hit him back! Boss, don¡¯t be afraid! You still have us!¡±


    Lu Huanyu slapped his face irritably and Tang Xia was a little shocked. She looked at Lu Huanyu doubtfully, and felt that he might be a little crazy.


    On the other hand, Ye Yifan gave a slight smile. ¡°Seems like you have made your choice.¡± Lu Huanyu threw one last furious glance at Tang Xia, before he turned to look at Ye Yifan. Eventually, he still chose to swing his arms and leave.


    When Lu Huanyu left, Tang Xia watched his silhouette and felt a little baffled. She turned to look at Ye Yifan and she could not help, but wonder, ¡°Why is Lu Huanyu so obedient towards you?¡±

 Chapter 279 - Meeting the Parents

    Chapter 279 Meeting the Parents


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s questions, Ye Yifan unconsciously scratched his head. Then he suddenly found that he should be the one feeling angry so he turned his head and pretended to get angry, with no answer.


    Tang Xia felt it funny so she pulled his sleeves and acted coquettishly. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t risk my life alone in the future, okay? Please, Yifan, tell me!¡±


    Ye Yifan was very angry when he got the call. But his anger went away suddenly when seeing Tang Xia again.


    Besides, Tang Xia acted coquettishly for the first time in his presence. He stopped pretending to be angry and said with a sigh,¡± All right, I¡¯ll tell you, okay?¡± Then, he took Tang Xia to the company.


    Ye Yifan was too embarrassed to speak. After a period of silence, he just sighed. ¡°Do you have time tomorrow? Can you come to my home with me?¡±


    Tang Xia stood still and felt her head humming and her heart racing.


    ¡°What¡­ did you say?¡±


    Looking at her confused face, Ye Yifan found it interesting and touched her hair. Before he was going to repeat it, Tang Xia became serious suddenly and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Tang Xia had said yes to Ye Yifan¡¯s proposal so quickly yesterday. When thinking of that, she felt a bit angry and hopelessly sighed while twiddling with her short hair in the mirror.


    ¡°They may not like short hair. I shouldn¡¯t have cut my hair short. Parents prefer gentle and quiet girls.¡±


    In order to match her short hair, Tang Xia had to choose a short yellow skirt that went to her knees.


    After all, it was to visit Ye Yifan¡¯s parents, so Tang Xia thought it better to wear formal clothes and put on light makeup. So she did not dress herself up too meticulously and just put on her favorite little high heels.


    Looking at herself in the mirror, Tang Xia felt a little bit nervous. At the moment, the doorbell rang.


    Tang Xia got excited and turned to look at the door at once as it opened up. It was Ye Yifan, who stood still the moment he saw Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was embarrassed and smiled while uncomfortably pulling down her skirt. ¡°Do I look weird?¡± Ye Yifan shook his head immediately and gave her a smile in return.


    ¡°No, it looks pretty. My parents will like it.¡±


    Then, Ye Yifan took Tang Xia¡¯s hand and they got in the car. In a minute, they arrived at Ye Yifan¡¯s home.


    When the villa came into her view, Tang Xia was numbly surprised and immediately realized why Lu Huanyu would listen to him and just leave.


    They went straight to the hall, but before entering the hall, they heard a very familiar voice. Tang Xia stopped for a second and saw Li Xianxian talking with Ye Yifan¡¯s mother excitedly.


    Ye Yifan was also too surprised to react. Then, he rushed over to question Li Xianxian in low voice. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Li Xianxian pretended to be scared, and after taking a look at Mrs. Ye, she said in a different voice from the aggressive voice she used with Tang Xia every day, ¡°Yifan, what are you saying? Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be here? But why do you bring her here?¡± Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia with a flicker of disgust in her eyes.


    Of course, Mrs. Ye also saw Tang Xia and said nothing, even looking a little bit indifferent, totally different from her enthusiasm for Li Xianxian just now.


    Mrs. Ye scolded Ye Yifan. ¡°What are you doing? Why be so rude to Xianxian! Is that the basic courtesy a man shows to a woman?¡±


    Ye Yifan felt reluctant to let go of Li Xianxian. He went back over to Tang Xia and smiled unnaturally. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her here. She came uninvited.¡±


    Tang Xia did not say anything and just nodded. Then, she went to bow and greet Mrs. Ye.


    As a decent woman, Mrs. Ye just nodded and did not choose to ignore her. Tang Xia did not feel embarrassed but still uncomfortable.


    It would be meal time soon. The servants got the meal ready and the Ye family sat at the table. But it was a little bit awkward as they ate.


    Tang Xia sat on one side of Ye Yifan while Li Xianxian sat on the other. Mrs. Ye sat next to Li Xianxian. The arrangement for their seats exposed their complicated relationships.


    Tang Xia could do nothing but lower her head and eat. She had no idea what she should do right now because what a woman should do with her mother-in-law was already being done by Li Xianxian.Updates by vi p novel


    Like now, Li Xianxian was getting food for Mrs. Ye and pretending to be sweet, telling her to eat more.


    Mrs. Ye smilingly ate those dishes, threw an eye at Tang Xia, who was focusing on eating next to Ye Yifan, and then suddenly laughed grimly. ¡°Well, Xianxian, such a sweet girl. She picks out food for me. How thoughtful she is.¡±


    Li Xianxian knew that Mrs. Ye said that for Tang Xia to hear, so she immediately chose some meat for Mrs. Ye, and then lowered her head like a shy pretty girl. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m just doing what I should do.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows. ¡°What you should do? You must be thinking of yourself as Ye Yifan¡¯s wife-to-be.¡±


    However, Mrs. Ye became happier after hearing that and smiled at Ye Yifan. ¡°Yifan, don¡¯t just focus on yourself. Get some food for your colleague, otherwise she may feel that she is being treated shabbily.¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned in anger. ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡±


    Mrs. Ye¡¯s mouth twitched and she turned to touch Li Xianxian¡¯s hair like a friendly mother, full of great affection.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°A girl should be as a girl is. Like you, so gentle and quiet, even your hair is done so gently. Look at her long hair, how beautiful.¡± Then, she took a quick look at Tang Xia¡¯s short hair.


    Instantly, Tang Xia did not know what to do and had to put down the chopsticks awkwardly.


    Ye Yifan felt a little furious and also put down his chopsticks and looked up at his mother. ¡°She cut her hair for her job.¡± Tang Xia felt more awkward.


    Mrs. Ye sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t mean her. What are you so angry?¡±


    Tang Xia immediately grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s arm and shook her head. The latter had to keep himself silent.


    But Li Xianxian did not want to spare her. She intentionally said, ¡°Well, for her job? We¡¯re doing the same job, then why I don¡¯t need to cut my hair?¡±


    Tang Xia glared at Li Xianxian. When a quarrel was about to erupt, Mr. Ye lightly coughed and knocked on the table suddenly.


    ¡°All right, now it¡¯s meal time. Stop talking. Just eat your food!¡± Then, Tang Xia and Li Xianxian stopped looking at each other and went back to eating.


    When everyone was eating, Mr. Ye suddenly raised his head and asked Tang Xia in a steady voice, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised. She instantly put down the chopsticks, looked back to Mr. Ye, and answered politely, ¡°Tang Xia.¡±


    Li Xianxian frowned and looked at Mrs. Ye, who was still wondering why Mr. Ye suddenly started talking to Tang Xia. Mrs. Ye touched Mr. Ye, but the latter just raised his eyebrows at Mrs. Ye impatiently, telling her to leave him alone.


    ¡°You, Yifan, and Xianxian are doing the same work, right? You and Yifan are the winners of a competition, and the prize should be owed to you?¡±


    Hearing so many questions from Mr. Ye, Tang Xia felt a little bit stunned, but she still behaved herself and gave her answers.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve been working with Yifan for a while. It¡¯s been my dream since I was young. I decided to be an online celebrity because I watched his livestreams. My dream is now realized.


    ¡°But regarding the competition, I, Yifan, and another girl cooperated together to win. It would have been impossible to win if I did it alone.¡±


    Hearing her answer, Mr. Ye nodded with satisfaction. Looking at her decent behavior, he felt that she was very good.


    Tang Xia felt a little thirsty after saying all of this. Ye Yifan immediately got her a cup of water and put it in front of her. Tang Xia was touched and smilingly took a sip.


    All of a sudden, Ye Yifan stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bathroom.¡± Then, he turned to leave. He felt at ease now. After all, Mr. Ye and Tang Xia had a good talk.


    After he left, Tang Xia was still talking with Mr. Ye.


    Looking at them talking so happy like there were endless topics, Li Xianxian got angry but could do nothing. She felt more furious, especially when she found Tang Xia¡¯s answers to be perfect.


    As Ye Yifan just left the bathroom, Tang Xia picked up the cup to drink.


    But suddenly, someone violently stepped on her foot with high heels under the table. Tang Xia could not hold the glass steady because of the sudden pain. Then, there came the sound of the glass being broken to pieces.


    All of them were stunned and locked their eyes on Tang Xia. Such a ringing sound was very harsh when it was very quiet in the hall.


    Ye Yifan went over to Tang Xia immediately and checked on her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Tears came into her eyes because of her foot being stomped on. Ye Yifan¡¯s parents looked at her numbly and had no idea what had happened just now.


    ¡°Hey, why couldn¡¯t you hold your glass steady?¡±


    Li Xianxian gave her a meaning look, as if she was taking pleasure in her misfortune. Tang Xia had no time to react. She took a deep breath and held back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.


    Looking at Ye Yifan worrying a lot, Li Xianxian felt angrier. ¡°Seeking a man¡¯s sympathy after doing something wrong!¡±

 Chapter 280 - The Rescue

    Chapter 280 The Rescue


    Noticing Li Xianxian¡¯s aggressive look and Mrs. Ye¡¯s unkind look, Tang Xia took a deep breath while suppressing the stabbing pain in her foot, feeling very helpless.


    She turned to look at Ye Yifan, asking for his help. But Ye Yifan unnaturally evaded her gaze.


    She felt as if her heart was hit hard by something, even her breath was bringing her stabbing pain. Seeing her helpless and rattled look, Li Xianxian sneered with satisfaction.


    Li Xianxian ran over to help Tang Xia pick up those glasses pieces and said in a low voice that could only be heard by the two of them, ¡°You thought you¡¯d be different when Ye Yifan took you here, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly lifted up her head and looked at Li Xianxian, only to see her smiling.


    ¡°Listen, he dares not retort to me in his parents¡¯ presence, no matter what I say.¡± Then, she picked up a piece of glass with a victorious smile.


    But suddenly, Li Xianxian¡¯s hand was cut, no one knew if it was done intentionally or unintentionally. Blood was dripping down from her hand. Li Xianxian pretended to be wronged and looked at Ye Yifan with red eyes. ¡°Ah! My hand!¡±


    Mrs. Ye hurried over to her, looking very nervous, as if her own daughter had been cut. ¡°Ah, how could you be so careless! Zhang, go and fetch our first-aid kit!¡±


    Then, she took Li Xianxian¡¯s hand and carefully blew on it.


    Noticing Li Xianxian¡¯s tearful eyes sneering at her, Tang Xia unconsciously clenched her fists. They looked like a harmonious family while she was like an annoyance to them.


    The most important thing was that Ye Yifan just stood there, neither saying anything nor showing any attitude!


    Tang Xia had had enough of all of this. She pounded on the table, ground her teeth while glaring at Li Xianxian, and yelled word by word, ¡°If you think that posturing to be a decent lady makes you one, well, I¡¯d rather be a common woman!¡±


    Then, she went straight to get her bag and forced her way out, without looking back.


    Ye Yifan was surprised, and when he was about to go catch up with her, Li Xianxian, who was holding her bloody finger and looked very pathetic, stopped him. ¡°Yifan! It hurts! Look at me!¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned and refused to look at her obviously. But Li Xianxian up ran to him and stood in front of him. So Ye Yifan had to look at her.


    Mrs. Ye saw Tang Xia leaving and turned to look Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian, who were in a stalemate. Then she said after a cough, ¡°All right, Yifan, come back and sit here. Bandage Xianxian. Zhang, give the first-aid kit to Yifan.¡±


    Looking at the first-aid kit, Ye Yifan had to take it over. Although he wanted to refuse, he had no courage to disobey his mother¡¯s order.


    Tang Xia regretted it when she was outside because she had arrived here in Ye Yifan¡¯s car. Her own car was not here. That meant she had to take a taxi.


    But when she got to the street, she found no taxis there. Ye Yifan¡¯s parents lived in a villa, which was distant from downtown. It was difficult to get a taxi here.


    After a long time, there was still no taxi and Ye Yifan did not show up either. The last hope that Tang Xia had originally clung to disappeared totally at that moment.


    Tang Xia went to a hidden place and took off her shoes. She felt exhausted when she saw the bruise made by Li Xianxian and her red foot made by the high heels.


    She started to sob when thinking of what happened just now, and then she just walked barefoot. There was no one else on the way back home. Tang Xia then cried out loud.


    She did not know how long she cried. She did not put on her high heels until she met some people, and she tried to lower her head so that others would not recognize her. After all, she had captured the headlines in recent days.


    But Tang Xia still felt wronged and was in a flood of tears along the way. She finally felt relieved when she saw her house.Updates by vi p novel


    When she sped up back home, suddenly several men blocked her way. Tang Xia raised her head in confusion, only to recognize them as hooligans nearby. She unconsciously cursed to herself. ¡°God, what a bad day!¡±


    Those hooligans found such a beauty weeping, so they wanted to tease her. ¡°Hey, sister, why are you crying here? Who upset you? Let us help you vent your anger, what do you think?¡±


    Tang Xia rubbed her eyes, which became as big as two nuts because she had cried for so long, trying to make herself see everything clearer.


    She pushed them away and yelled, ¡°Bah! It¡¯s none of your business! I¡¯ve had a bad day! You¡¯d better leave me alone!¡±


    Then, she tried to rush out. But it was not a livestream and she had no gun either. She was just a girl being blocked with nowhere to go.


    The leader seemed interested, touched his chin, and sneered at her body, with filth in his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, little girl, you have a fierce temper. But would other places on your body are fierce! Come on! Drag her in!¡± then he looked around and said to other hooligans.


    The other hooligans got the order and tried very hard to drag her into the alley. Tang Xia found herself in a bad situation and immediately started to struggle.


    At the critical moment, a man rushed over suddenly and he questioned in a low, righteous voice while pointing at them. ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    The leader raised his eyebrows and looked at him with contempt. ¡°Where are you from? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s good for yourself? It¡¯s none of your business. You¡¯d better leave us alone! You may get bloody!¡± Then, the other hooligans pulled out knives.


    That man did not step back and suddenly gave them a mocking smile. ¡°You think you¡¯d be the leader here with only a few knives, don¡¯t you? Shame on you!¡±


    Then, he went straight to kick away the knife held by one of the hooligans. Everyone was stunned. They did not expect him to be so speedy and resolute.


    The leader became a little discouraged. After all, they rarely encountered a powerful man. Others would just run away when seeing their knives. That was why those hooligans were still running wild around here.


    ¡°Hey! Come on!¡± The leader pointed to that man but his body couldn¡¯t help moving back.


    A bold hooligan held onto his knife and rushed over at the man. Then, the man directly tossed him with an overarm throw.


    Those hooligans stared at him in fright and ran away after throwing their knives down. Looking at the hooligan who was sitting on the ground in fright, the man pointed to the alley. ¡°Get out now!¡±


    The hooligan ran away as fast as possible. Tang Xia slowly stood up with the help of the wall. The man hurried over to help her. Tang Xia waved at him and struggled to walk by herself.


    After all of this, Tang Xia felt sadder. But she knew that tears meant timidness so she had to hold them back.Access v ip novel


    The man was still worried about her, as she was in a daze, so he followed her.


    After thinking about it for a while, he put on the kindest smile he could and said, ¡°Where¡¯s your home? What¡¯s your name? Oh, my name is Su Yanxun. No need to thank me for what I did just now. That¡¯s what a man should do!¡±


    Because of the constant questions, Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help turning back to look at him. The man was shocked and had no idea what to do. Looking at his adorable look, Tang Xia burst into laughter.


    The man was surprised by her smile obviously. If he was right, she was crying just now. Immediately, he was at a loss and had to scratch his head. ¡°Why are you laughing? But, you look pretty when smiling!¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised by his sudden compliment, and then she came to her senses and thought him quite interesting. After pondering over it for a while, she said slowly, ¡°You asked me so many questions. Which one should I answer?¡±


    The man felt pleased and rushed over to look at her as if they were old friends. ¡°Whichever, it¡¯s up to you! I believe we can be good friends!¡±


    Tang Xia already became immune to his flattery in just five minutes. Those sad things seemed to be left behind after she encountered him.


    ¡°First, my home is just nearby. Second, my name is Tang Xia. Third, I have no plan to thank you. The end.¡±


    The man felt a little disappointed by her tidy answer. ¡°Hey, why be so indifferent? What¡¯s your job? I¡¯m a streamer in the Era Time-travel Company! Oh! Tang Xia, that sounds familiar¡­¡±


    When he was about to say something more, suddenly a car parked in front of them. Tang Xia unconsciously frowned. Then, Ye Yifan got out of the car.


    Looking at the man suddenly appearing, Su Yanxun sensed an unusual aura.


    He was right. Ye Yifan rushed over to grab Tang Xia¡¯s hand and looked at her apologetically. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sorry for everything just now.¡±


    A flicker of disgust flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. She threw his hand off and turned to leave impatiently. But Ye Yifan would not let go of her so easily and tried to seize her again.


    But Su Yanxun, who was standing next to her, blocked his way. Ye Yifan finally discovered the man next to Tang Xia.


    He stared at Su Yanxun in confusion, and hostility could be seen in his eyes. ¡°Who are you? Why are you following Tang Xia?¡±


    Su Yanxun noticed the hostility in his question and thought that he had to be her boyfriend or pursuer who had done something wrong.

 Chapter 281 - To Refuse A Live Stream

    Chapter 281 To Refuse A Live Stream


    ¡°Me? I am Tang Xia¡¯s benefactor. I just rescued her from the devil¡¯s clutches. Since you are her friend, shouldn¡¯t you also thank me?¡±


    Ye Yifan could not help feeling slightly puzzled. Could it be that something happened while he was away just now? But as he watched Tang Xia going further and further away, he could not afford to think anymore about this, and shoving him aside, he dashed after Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia wanted to leave quickly, but she could not walk fast in her high heels and Ye Yifan eventually caught up with her after taking two big strides. He grabbed hold of her rather roughly, and there was a hint of impatience in his voice,


    ¡°Tang Xia, I have already apologized. Can¡¯t you just forgive me? Xianxian came uninvited. My mother also tends to side with her more, because she has watched Xianxian grow up as a child, but they do not have any ill intentions.¡±


    Tang Xia merely felt the fire burn even more strongly in her heart when she listened to him evading the crucial points and talking about trifles, in his explanation to her. She shook off his hand angrily, and she looked up at him with a pair of angry, apricot shaded eyes.


    Ye Yifan was clearly frightened by her expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling me so much? Your mother and Li Xianxian are singing in tune with one another, and I was put on the spot. Did you know how my heart felt?¡±


    Ye Yifan felt slightly guilty and he evaded her gaze awkwardly, as he turned his head to look into the distance.


    When Tang Xia saw his reaction, she felt increasingly disappointed and she smiled coldly, ¡°You do not have the courage to go against your mother anyway, and neither do you have the resolution to ignore Li Xianxian decisively in front of your mother. In that case, you should stop provoking me.¡±


    ¡°Since your mother does not like me, I will not be a bootlicker and suck up to her!¡±


    She then left directly after giving a cold snort.


    After Su Yanxun listened to the conversation between the two of them, he seemed to have a rough understanding of what happened between them, previously.


    When he saw Ye Yifan¡¯s awkward expression, Su Yanxun sighed, ¡°Brother, you can only blame yourself for failing to live up to her expectations.¡±


    After he said that, he quickly followed after Tang Xia. Ye Yifan was left standing alone at the same spot, staring at his hands which Tang Xia had shrugged off. At that moment, he actually felt that he was indeed incompetent and could not help but mutter softly, ¡°Ye Yifan, you¡¯re really useless.¡±


    It was only at times like this that he was envious of Chu Tiankuo, who would chase after what he wanted, without having to think twice about it.


    Tang Xia, who was initially angry and walking hurriedly, suddenly stopped. Su Yanxun, who was behind her, was also stunned for a moment and quickly stopped too.


    He saw her turning around, her face showing a myriad of conflicted expressions, but all she saw was Su Yanxun¡¯s face.


    ¡°Even if I gave him another chance, he would still choose not to chase after me¡­¡±


    Tang Xia could not help giving a smile of relief. Since this was the case, then why should I expect something? Su Yanxun saw the fleeting, forlorn look on her face, and while he could not bear to watch that, he did not say anything.


    Soon, she reached home. Just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly realized that Su Yanxun was still following her. She looked at him in slight surprise, before she chided him angrily,


    ¡°Why are you following me? Don¡¯t you intend to leave after now that I¡¯ve reached the doorstep of my house?¡±


    Su Yanxun smiled in slight embarrassment and turned around to pull out his cellphone. However, the fawning expression on his face made it hard for Tang Xia to dislike him. ¡°Can you give me your contact number?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Tang Xia could not help but feel surprised that he followed her all the way because he wanted her phone number. She took out her phone from her bag helplessly and called him. Su Yanxun quickly saved her contact number.Access v ip novel


    He put the phone back in his pocket with satisfaction. ¡°After all, it¡¯s rare to meet someone whom you can hit it off with instantly, and I don¡¯t want to lose contact like this.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded her head helplessly, before she ordered him to leave. Su Yanxun was no longer insistent, and he quickly turned and left.


    Early the next morning, Tang Xia planned to go to work after she finished packing. However, she saw that her eyes were as swollen as walnuts, and she could not help feeling very helpless. She held the ice pack against her eyes for a long time until the swelling was slightly reduced, before she quickly drove off to work.


    The moment she arrived at the company, she saw Ye Yifan getting off the bus. The atmosphere between both of them instantly dropped to freezing point.


    In the end, Ye Yifan decided to come forward and greet her. But just when he wanted to say something, Tang Xia directly turned around and left. Ye Yifan felt very embarrassed, but he still followed after her.


    Tang Xia went directly to July¡¯s office. July was working on a document and her back was toward Tang Xia.


    She merely heard Tang Xia speaking in a slightly drawling voice, ¡°July, you called for me?¡± As she spoke, she sat down on the sofa. However, Ye Yifan also pushed open the door and entered the room right at that moment. When he saw Tang Xia, both of them were stunned, and then he closed the door rather awkwardly.


    When July heard the sound, she knew that both of them had probably entered the room and she turned around and looked at them. She initially wanted to say something, but was suddenly shocked by the big, black sunglasses that Tang Xia was wearing. ¡°You¡­ This¡­ Why are you wearing glasses out of the blue? It¡¯s not sunny outside.¡±


    Tang Xia gave her a stiff smile and she tucked her loose hair behind her ears. ¡°No reason. I just think that it is more suitable with my short hair. Don¡¯t the uneducated, common folk in the market place look like this as well?¡±


    As she spoke, she looked meaningfully at Ye Yifan, who was standing at the side. Ye Yifan was taken aback by her sudden, veiled words.


    On the contrary, July increasingly felt that something was wrong, but she did not pay too much attention to it, and merely waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not talk nonsense anymore. I called you both over today to ask when both of you would be ready to do a Livestream together? The quota for the internal testing of the fantasy castle that the both of you won during the big match, is about to begin.¡±


    Ye Yifan was silent for a long time. ¡°I can do it anytime.¡± However, Tang Xia frowned from the side, and looked at July with a reluctant expression.


    ¡°Do I have to do it with Ye Yifan?¡±


    It was then that July found out that she had been picking on Ye Yifan since the moment she entered the door, and what she said earlier on sounded just like words that she said in a fit of pique.


    Ye Yifan also frowned slightly at Tang Xia, and the expression in his eyes seemed as if he was interrogating her.


    However, Tang Xia did not seem to see it at all. She lifted her sunglasses and crossed her arms in front of her chest, before she replied, with a sullen expression on her face, ¡°I will not go, if I have to do it with him.¡±


    July was a little confused and she could not understand what was going on.


    Finally, Ye Yifan could not bear it anymore, after he was both directly and indirectly snubbed at for so many times. He truly could not stand it anymore, and he instantly stood up to look at Tang Xia, with anger in his eyes. He suppressed the anger and said slowly,


    ¡°Tang Xia, can you stop being so unreasonable? It was my mother who let you down, not me. Why are you venting all your anger on me?¡±


    Tang Xia raised an eyebrow and she suddenly felt that the man who stood in front of her was rather funny. She could not help but snort coldly.


    ¡°Look at yourself now. If you could be so confident and righteous in front of your mother yesterday, the subsequent things would not happen. Ultimately, it is still because you are weak!¡±Updates by vi p novel


    Ye Yifan felt slightly strange and he pointed at himself in disbelief, with a baffled look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m weak? How am I weak?¡±


    July, who was standing by the side, could also tell from their exchange that something that she was unaware of, had happened yesterday, and she could not help, but sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know clearly in your heart why you are weak? You could not distinguish right from wrong, and you listened to your mother¡¯s words directly. You totally did not help me at all, and no matter what your mother said, she was right. You would never go north if she told you to go south!¡±


    As Tang Xia spoke out, she also lost control of herself as she spat out this sentence. When July saw the situation, she quickly stepped forward to separate the two of them.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop fighting. Based on your conversation, I roughly know what is the cause already.¡±


    As she spoke, she made both of them sit on the sofa, and then moved next to Tang Xia. She took her hand and patted it to try to get her to calm down.


    Tang Xia also realized that she had lost control of herself, and took a deep breath to try and calm herself as much as possible.


    When July saw that Tang Xia had calmed down, she then spoke slowly in a warm and gentle tone of voice, as if she was talking about some domestic trivia.


    ¡°Even if something happened, don¡¯t take it too seriously, alright? Otherwise, ultimately, you will be the one who is sad.¡±


    ¡°After all, you are a girl. Just like the issue with the media for the past two days, if you take it too seriously, you will not have the right mentality to be in the live streaming industry.¡±


    After Tang Xia calmed down, she thought about the things that happened previously. She made it through them eventually, and it was all because she did not take it to heart, which reduced the amount of psychological harm that it had on her.


    When July saw the expression in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, she knew that Tang Xai had accepted her words. Then she turned to look at Ye Yifan, who was seated by the side. She instantly threw him a look of frustration for his failure to live up to expectations.


    ¡°Why are you still sitting down over there? When a man quarrels with a girl, no matter who is at fault, you should still apologize first!¡±


    Right after Ye Yifan argued with Tang Xia, he actually regretted it. When he thought about how he lost his demeanor and yelled so loudly at a girl, he felt so ashamed that he wanted to dig a hole and hide inside. Fortunately, July gave him the lifeline to get out of the awkward situation. If not, he would not have known how to carry himself.


    He quickly leaned towards Tang Xia¡¯s side and smiled with slight embarrassment.


    ¡°Sorry, I said those words earlier because I was too agitated and lost control of myself. I was not in the right frame of mind, since it is so early in the morning, and I¡¯m still not fully awake. Don¡¯t take what I said, to heart!¡±


    Tang Xia turned her head and looked at the window in the distance. It was obvious that she did not want to bother with him, but July, who was seated next to her side, was pinching her arms. She even gave Tang Xia a look and so, the helpless Tang Xia could only look at Ye Yifan.


    ¡°Are your words sincere?¡±


    Ye Yifan quickly agreed anxiously, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Tang Xia thought about it for some time and eventually, she nodded her head and forgave him reluctantly.


    When July saw that everything ended well for everyone, she wanted to ask Tang Xia about the live stream. But right at that moment, Tang Xia¡¯s sudden resolute voice could be heard beside her ear.


    ¡°But I refuse to participate in the internal test for the Fantasy Castle.¡± Both July and Ye Yifan, who originally heaved a sigh of relief, did not manage to react to this immediately and Ye Yifan inevitably frowned.


    July could not help, but look at her with a dumbfounded expression, and asked her in a shocked voice, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you forgive Ye Yifan already? What else is there?¡± However, Tang Xia looked rather tired, as she leaned backwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a good mood, and I don¡¯t want to do the live stream.¡±

 Chapter 282 - Everything Goes Wrong

    Chapter 282 Everything Goes Wrong


    When July saw the look of resolve on Tang Xia¡¯s face, she knew that she could not force the issue any further, so she stepped forward and gently stroked the back of her hand.


    ¡°Alright. Many things have happened recently. You need a good rest to settle your mood, so I will not force you anymore.¡±


    Tang Xia felt slightly better when July did not persist any further. Although July was very considerate towards her on the surface, she knew that July really hoped that she would be able to participate.


    Tang Xia sighed rather helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have really not been in a good state of mind for the past two days. It¡¯s hard for me to breathe and it is as if there is a big rock weighing on my heart. I¡¯m really not in the mood to do a live stream. I want to take a day off to rest.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to look at Ye Yifan, who was beside them and she said in a tone of voice that sounded a little indifferent and hostile, ¡°Please assist July to take good care of the company¡¯s matters.¡± After that, she slowly stood up and straightened her clothes.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll make a move first. The both of you can take your time to chat.¡±


    After Tang Xia said that, she left without looking back, and she even closed the door after her. When July saw Tang Xia leaving like that, she too, had no other choice.


    At that moment, Ye Yifan, who had been silent for a while, stood up all of a sudden. He looked at July absentmindedly and said, ¡°Since Tang Xia is not doing the live stream, it¡¯ll be meaningless if it is just me. I want to take a day off as well. ¡±


    July was stunned for a moment. She did not expect that the two most popular celebrities in the company would both want to take a break at the same time. After Ye Yifan said this, he ran out hurriedly and, July, who had yet to recover from the situation, was left sitting alone on the sofa.


    ¡°Go then! Go then! Get as far away from me as you can! It would be better if you do not come back!¡± July said this angrily and resumed her work.


    After Tang Xia came out of the company, she felt frustrated and distracted throughout the entire journey home. When she passed by the supermarket near her house, she suddenly stopped the car. She thought that she would have to replenish the vegetables at home and so, she went straight into the supermarket.


    Tang Xia could not help but space out as she looked at the bunch of red and green vegetables in front of her, and she sighed helplessly. Just when she was spacing out, two girls, who were standing beside her, suddenly began to point and talk about her in a manner as if they were sounding her out.


    ¡°Look, why does this person look so familiar? Could she be Tang Xia from the live stream?¡±


    When the girl beside her heard the name Tang Xia, she immediately rolled up her sleeves furiously and charged over. The other girl hurried forward to try to stop her, but it was to no avail.


    She suddenly rushed forward and pushed Tang Xia aside. Tang Xia was caught unawares, and the sudden impact caused the apple she was holding in her hand, to drop onto the ground.


    Tang Xia looked at the angry girl and inevitably had a slightly displeased look in her eyes. ¡°Do I know you? Why are you behaving as if there is some deep grudge and hatred between us?¡±


    The girl snorted coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t know me, but I definitely know you! You¡¯re the anchor who won the first round of the match! You merely won because of your good relationship with Chu Tiankuo. What¡¯s the big deal about that!¡±


    Tang Xia felt increasingly strange. She looked at the girl for a long time, but she eventually decided to ignore her and bent to pick up the apple.


    However, the moment she bent down, the girl lifted her foot and stomped on the apple. Tang Xia could not help frowning, and then, she looked into the eyes of the girl in front of her, who was clearly looking for trouble.


    ¡°I just want to ask you one thing now. What gives you the right to cheat so confidently and drive my Lu Huanyu away! How dare you? How great a backing do you have?¡±


    Tang Xia then realized that this girl was a fan of Lu Huanyu, and she could not help but shake her head. She was just a brainless little fangirl.


    Just when the little fangirl thought that Tang Xia had nothing to say, and she was about to continue with her sarcastic remarks, Tang Xia suddenly glared back at her with a sharp look in her eyes. Her sudden expression frightened the girl. ¡°You¡­ What do you want? Are you going to hit me, since you can¡¯t win a verbal fight?¡±


    All of a sudden, Tang Xia merely smiled coldly and folded her arms, as she looked at the girl. ¡°Firstly, what is it to you, as to whether or not there is a relationship between Chu Tiankuo and myself?¡±


    ¡°Secondly, how did you know that I was cheating? Even the organizer did not say anything, so what gives you the right to spread the rumor? Thirdly, I don¡¯t know if I have a backing or not. I only know that your Lu Huanyu¡¯s backing is much bigger than mine.¡±


    The little fangirl was instantly dumbfounded by Tang Xia¡¯s sudden retorts. The girl who was standing by the side saw that the situation was not going well, and she quickly pulled the little fangirl away, with the intention to leave.


    But how could Tang Xia let them go so easily? She directly grabbed hold of the girl and said righteously,


    ¡°Lastly, you were the one who made the first move. I did not do anything. You were the one who was clowning around and so, please compensate the supermarket for the apple on the ground. This will prove your caliber as a fan of Lu Huanyu.¡±


    After Tang Xia said that, she directly let go of her hand and sneered coldly.


    Many people had gathered around them, who had been attracted over by the little fangirl¡¯s shouts. Naturally, there were also many people who had watched the match, and they were instantly impressed by how Tang Xia carried herself.


    Tang Xia did not want to this matter to blow up either, so she carried her bag and rushed out through the crowd, directly.Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia did not buy anything and left empty-handed. She felt that everything had not gone well for the past two days. She sighed as she walked towards her house, and she thought about making do with eating instant noodles.


    However, as she walked on, she noticed that something seemed to be amiss and instantly turned her head back to take a look, but she found nothing.


    ¡°Is the hooligan incident from yesterday making me neurotic?¡±


    She was still slightly shocked and tried to calm herself down. Just when she wanted to hurry home quickly, she could hear the footsteps behind her become increasingly louder.


    It was impossible for Tang Xia to ignore it. After she turned her head around in panic, she saw a man standing behind her. When she focused her eyes on him, she saw that it was actually Ye Yifan.


    Her tensed nerves instantly relaxed. ¡°So it¡¯s you. Why did you walk so quietly!¡± Tang Xia still felt slightly afraid and she inhaled deeply. Ye Yifan scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed and smiled, as he gradually walked over.


    ¡°Well, I saw that you were in a bad mood and I was worried that something might happen to you. I wanted to come forward just now at the supermarket, but I did not after I saw that you settled it by yourself.¡±


    That was when Tang Xia realized that the unusual stares she had felt constantly at the supermarket earlier, was actually him staring at her.


    ¡°Why did you come to look for me?¡±


    After Tang Xia¡¯s fear subsided, both of them felt a sense of awkwardness, as they stood there. Ye Yifan scratched his head and he scanned the surroundings. Finally, he saw a tavern by the side of the road, and he instantly pointed at the tavern and said rather happily,


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner. I suppose you have not eaten yet.¡± Tang Xia thought for a while, and she felt that since her other option would be to eat instant noodles, she readily agreed. Ye Yifan immediately pulled Tang Xia into the shop.


    After they ordered some dishes, Tang Xia asked the waiter to serve some alcohol. Ye Yifan understood that she really needed to relieve her pent-up emotions, so, he did not stop her.


    After the two of them drank together for a while, Tang Xia gradually became slightly drunk and her vision became a little blurred. Ye Yifan did not drink much, but Tang Xia drank continuously.


    Ye Yifan took the alcohol bottle away from her hands rather helplessly. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t drink anymore. Nobody drinks alcohol as if it was water like what you are doing!¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly displeased, and she moved forward to snatch it. However, she did not manage to reach it even after several tries, and so she directly gave up. Instead, she started to choke up and her eyes turned red.


    ¡°Sorry, you must have been implicated by me. It¡¯s all because of me that you were also subjected to public opinion. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m definitely unsuitable to be a good anchor!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps my initial desire to be a streamer was a wrong decision to begin with ¡­¡± As Tang Xia spoke, her emotions became slightly unstable, and she began to wail out loud.


    Ye Yifan was slightly at a loss as to what to do, and he quickly moved over, put Tang Xia¡¯s head on his shoulder, and patted her back gently, to comfort her.


    ¡°No, I have not been implicated by you at all. Don¡¯t think of it that way. You can¡¯t be blamed for everything. Furthermore, the others might not be aware, but don¡¯t I know about it? Chu Tiankuo was the one who refused to let you off all along, and you have nothing to do with it!¡±


    When Tang Xia listened to Ye Yifan¡¯s consoling words, she merely felt as if she had found a confidant, and she threw herself into his arms and broke down in tears.


    ¡°I knew it! Finally, someone understands me! Do you know how terrible I felt during this period of time! It¡¯s all because of Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    Ye Yifan also felt helpless. However, after Ye Yifan¡¯s consoling words, Tang Xia did take things easier and the knot in her heart eased greatly. The relationship between the both of them also improved slightly.


    That night, Ye Yifan was the one who sent the drunk Tang Xia back to her house. But he left after he tucked her in bed.


    The next day, Tang Xia felt her head aching badly when she woke up. She usually did not have the habit of getting drunk to the point where she blacked out. She remembered how she went crazy after she was drunk last night, and felt her cheeks burning..


    However, when she recalled what Ye Yifan had said, she could not help but smile with relief. She then turned to change her clothes and head to the company to work, in a new and refreshed mood.


    July was stunned when she saw how refreshed Tang Xia looked, and she then laughed and said, ¡°Why? Your mood has really improved today, merely after a day off?¡±


    Tang Xia also laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed and stuck out her tongue mischievously.


    ¡°Sorry July. Aren¡¯t I here to work now? Oh right. I want to participate in the internal testing of the Fantasy Castle.¡±


    When July saw the positive and firm expression on Tang Xia¡¯s face, she could not help but feel even more curious about what could have happened yesterday, and how that actually transformed the dejected Tang Xia into the current fully rejuvenated Tang Xia.


    July watched Tang Xia as though she was looking at an alien, and she then sighed helplessly and patted Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder gently.


    ¡°The internal testing was postponed. The first round of participants for the internal testing met with an accident during the live stream. It was considered an accident as it impacted the brains of all of the participating anchors in varying degrees.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment, and she looked at July in disbelief. Coincidentally, Ye Yifan suddenly came in right at that moment, and he naturally heard what July just said. He frowned with an unreadable expression on his face, and then looked at Tang Xia and teased her,


    ¡°Luckily you were in a bad mood yesterday. Otherwise, you would have been one of those whose brains were affected.¡±

 Chapter 283 - The Pre-match Conspiracy

    Chapter 283 The Pre-match Conspiracy


    July sighed rather helplessly before she went up and gave Ye Yifan an angry glance. ¡°Yes, I am really glad that you also took leave yesterday, and left me to work alone here.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment before she realized that since Ye Yifan drank alcohol with her yesterday, he must also have applied for leave.


    Ye Yifan smiled slightly. ¡°If the two of us had not been saved by the bell, you will still have to work alone today. You need to think on the bright side for everything.¡±


    As Ye Yifan spoke, he quickly poured a glass of water for July, in an attempt to pacify her. Tang Xia also smiled rather helplessly.


    Just when the three of them were chatting happily, they suddenly heard a knock on the door. July straightened her clothes before she let the people in. They saw a colleague who looked at Ye Yifan with a rather embarrassed expression. ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    Ye Yifan was momentarily stunned, before he frowned a little doubtfully.


    ¡°Who is it? That person is looking for me at this time?¡±


    The colleague coughed slightly and gave him a look to indicate that he would know after he came out. Ye Yifan could only head outside and before he left, he looked at the two of them. July nodded.


    They watched as Ye Yifan left and July pulled Tang Xia over to the sofa at the side. Both of them sat down and July seemed to want to have a good chat with her, which made Tang Xia a little flustered.


    She saw July looking at her with an unusual smile. ¡°Now that you¡¯re in a better mood, you should be able to proceed with the next match properly, right?¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly astonished, then she frowned. ¡°The next match? Why did they postpone the internal testing for the Fantasy Castle?¡± July thought for quite some time, but she eventually shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact time, but the main thing now is that the second round of the match will be starting soon.¡±


    ¡°After you¡¯ve experienced the first round of the match and was reduced to such a state, frankly, I was worried about what will happen in the second round of the match. What mattered most was whether you will be able to persevere.¡±


    As Tang Xia listened to her words, she also sunk deep into her thoughts, and she smiled rather helplessly.


    ¡°Indeed, since so many things already happened in the first round of the match alone, I am not sure if the situation in the first round of the match will recur in the second round.¡±


    When July saw her increasingly depressed look, she instantly regretted getting into a discussion with her.


    Suddenly, she saw Tang Xia looking up at her. ¡°However, people will often only grow up after they¡¯ve gone through a variety of experiences. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure that I can persevere. No matter what, I¡¯ve already come to this point, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    When July saw Tang Xia smile, she felt increasingly relieved. ¡°It¡¯s best if you can think like this.¡± She then turned around with the intention to attend to her own matters.


    As Tang Xia watched July¡¯s silhouette, the expression in her eyes gradually darkened. Actually, she also felt very uneasy in her heart. She did not know if she would meet that person again in the second round of the match.


    ¡°What kind of mood will I be in, when I face him after we meet once again?


    Just when Tang Xia was about to get up and leave, Li Xianxian pushed open the door suddenly and entered the room. Tang Xia and July were both a little surprised. They saw the expression in Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes change the instant she saw Tang Xia.


    Her lips curled up in mockery. ¡°Oh, look who is standing here! It turns out to be an uneducated commoner from the market!¡±


    Tang Xia clenched her fists a little angrily, before she suddenly laughed coldly. ¡°If you have to find some trouble whenever you see me, I would advise you to give me a break.¡±


    ¡°Up till now, I still remember the kick that some supposedly proper lady gave to me. That day, I did not react, because I was giving you face. Don¡¯t take advantage of that.¡±


    As Tang Xia said this, she directly went forward and bumped against Li Xianxian¡¯s shoulder, before she left the room.


    Li Xianxian was so angry that she stamped her feet. Just as she was about to step forward to stop Tang Xia and argue about it with her, she was stopped by July¡¯s slightly reproachful voice coming from behind her and so, she could only let Tang Xia leave.


    When Tang Xia thought about Li Xianxian¡¯s indignant expression, she felt secretly gleeful that she was the one creating trouble for Li Xianxian, for once.


    Just when she closed the door and prepared to head out, she suddenly heard Li Xianxian¡¯s coquettish voice coming from the room. Tang Xia was stunned for a moment, then she eventually stopped to lean against the door and tried to listen to the conversation going on inside.


    But ultimately, the door to the office was tightly closed and she could vaguely hear a few keywords. She straightened her neck and stuck her ears to the door, but she still could not hear clearly.


    She merely heard Li Xianxian¡¯s voice, ¡°Next time¡­ Vampire¡­ Please do me a favor¡­ I know¡­ bug¡­¡±


    Tang Xia thought for a long time, but she did not know what they were talking about. Just when she wanted to continue listening, she could not hear a single word anymore. It seemed that Li Xianxian probably lowered her voice.


    Feeling helpless, Tang Xia could only turn around and leave. But just when she took the first step, a thought suddenly flashed in her mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± A colleague, who happened to pass by, was taken aback when she saw her suddenly talking to herself. Tang Xia waved her hand, feeling slightly embarrassed, and she sank into a deep reverie.


    Why did she forget that the next [Uncrowned King] match was about vampires? Li Xianxian also mentioned something about a bug. Could it be that she¡­ intended to cheat!


    When she thought of this possibility, she felt a slight chill running down her spine. ¡°No, I have to discuss this with Ye Yifan.¡±


    As she said this, she took her bag and went to look for Ye Yifan. She quickly found the colleague who had called Ye Yifan out earlier on.


    ¡°Where did Ye Yifan go? I have some business with him.¡±


    The girl was stunned for a moment, before she glanced at her rather awkwardly. Eventually, she pointed to the office beside her. Although Tang Xia felt slightly puzzled, she did not say anything, then turned around and left.


    Tang Xia did not think too much about it and she pushed open the door to Yifan¡¯s office. However, she instantly regretted it the moment she went in. She saw Ye Yifan looking at her with a shocked expression on his face, as Mother Ye sat next to him.Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia instantly understood why the colleague looked awkward earlier on, and she wanted to chide for not telling her.


    When Mother Ye saw that it was Tang Xia who had entered, a slightly dissatisfied frown immediately appeared on her face.


    ¡°So it is you. But how old are you? Didn¡¯t anyone teach you to knock on the door before you come in? You¡¯re so brash and really lack upbringing. It¡¯s no wonder that you actually threw down your chopsticks and left without notifying anyone that day.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head rather reluctantly. She treated her remarks as something that went in one ear and out the other, and she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was a bit headstrong. I am sorry to have disturbed you.¡±


    Tang Xia recalled that Ye Yifan also helped her a lot yesterday, and there was no need to make things difficult for him today, so she did not say anything.


    Ye Yifan could not help but frown when he saw how she bowed and scraped, and he quickly tugged at Mother Ye¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mom, we are at the company now, so stop talking so much.¡±


    However, Mother Ye was slightly unhappy and she shook off Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, as she glared at him with a disappointed look at his failure to live up to her expectations.


    ¡°What do you mean that I should stop talking so much? Did I say anything? What I said were clearly all facts. Look at her. She should learn to behave herself if she does not want to be commented on by others. Look at Li Xianxian. She would never come in without first knocking on the door! Isn¡¯t this the upbringing that every proper lady should have?¡±


    Mother Ye did not stop and instead continued ranting. Tang Xia thought about how Li Xianxian also did not knock before she entered the office earlier on, but she was too lazy to be bothered about it.


    Mother Ye continued to nag and Tang Xia found it a little hard to stand up to her. However, for the sake of appearances, Tang Xia did not reveal her dissatisfaction, and she said with a smile, ¡°Since both of you are having a good time chatting, I won¡¯t disturb you. You can carry on and I will go out now.¡±


    As Tang Xia said this, she planned to turn and leave, but Mother Ye completely had no intention to let her off.


    ¡°Oh, why? Are you unhappy that I made a few comments about you? I think Xianxian is gentle with others, so I suppose she can bear with you. I will ask Xianxian to teach you what is etiquette, and what a real proper lady should look like, when she is free.¡±


    Mother Ye looked at Tang Xia in disdain, before she turned to take the cup of tea on the table and sipped on it.


    Tang Xia also stopped in her tracks reluctantly, and looked at the mean Mother Ye. She could not help but give a helpless smile. If Li Xianxian were to teach her, she really would not know what she would turn into.


    Mother Ye expressed her extreme dissatisfaction at Tang Xia¡¯s smile. She slammed the teacup in her hand, on the table, and some tea even splashed out, which gave the two of them a shock.


    ¡°What are you laughing about? Are you displeased? Since you have the intention to approach Yifan, you should think about what you should do, and whether you deserve to be compared with Yifan¡¯s fiancee!¡±


    As Tang Xia listened to this, she could not help, but find it even funnier. Finally, she could not hold back any further and she instantly looked directly at her, with a sharp expression in her eyes.


    ¡°First of all, let¡¯s not talk about what Li Xianxian is like, according to you. Did I even say a single word after I entered through the door? ¡°It¡¯s just that the moment I pushed open the door and entered the room, you¡¯re already scolding me. I¡¯ll let that slide as well. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, I¡¯ll just get out, and yet you are not allowing me to do so. If I stand here without saying a word, you¡¯re also angry. What exactly do you want?¡±


    After Tang Xia said so many things in one go, she felt extremely relieved. The more she said, the uglier Mother Ye¡¯s expression became, and she wanted to rebut her.


    Ye Yifan really could not bear to watch them sniping at each other, and he said sharply, ¡°Alright, Mom. Tang Xia is Tang Xia. She does not need to be compared with anyone, and neither does she need you to teach her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s great and she¡¯s not as bad as what you said. I also hope that you can respect others more in the future. Don¡¯t be so aggressive.¡±


    Mother Ye instantly looked at Ye Yifan in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ You are saying that I am aggressive? Great, so this is the good son I¡¯ve raised, who is helping an outsider to scold his own mother! Really I¡¯ve raised a white-eyed wolf!¡±


    As she spoke, she swung her hand and gave Tang Xia a vicious glare, before she pushed her away and turned to leave through the door.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan with a slightly awkward expression. Just when she wanted to say something, she was cut off by Ye Yifan. She heard him sighing,


    ¡°Okay, I know what you¡¯re going to say. Although I¡¯m also a little guilty, but I¡¯ve been listening to my mother since I was a kid¡­¡±


    ¡°But I also understand now that if I don¡¯t fight, I will not get anything.¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia as he said this, and he had a burning gaze.

 Chapter 284 - The Confession on the Cruise

    Chapter 284 The Confession on the Cruise


    Ye Yifan¡¯s deep eyes seemed to contain some form of power that could calm the human heart. Tang Xia knew that he was now determined to make the change.


    She slowly stepped forward and held his hand gently. Ye Yifan, who was immersed in his own world, was roused by her sudden move.


    When he looked up, he saw Tang Xia looking at him with a gentle expression and a smile on her face. Ye Yifan felt a warm feeling in his heart and he held onto her hand, with a smile on his face. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s also because of you that I have the courage to resist and do what I want.¡±


    Tang Xia saw a look of affection flash across Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, and she lowered her head rather unnaturally.


    ¡°No, I should thank you for choosing to help me this time instead of watching idly on the side. Otherwise, I really would not have been able to bear with your mother.¡±


    As she said this, her eyes shone, and she felt mildly touched.


    Ye Yifan also blushed slightly. Just when the atmosphere between the two of them was becoming a little ambiguous, Ye Yifan finally could not stand it anymore and he decided to break the awkwardness, ¡°Right, why were you looking for me?¡±


    It was also at this moment that Tang Xia remembered that she came to look for Ye Yifan, as she had some business with him. She had forgotten about it due to the run in with Mother Ye, and so, she smacked her head in slight frustration.


    ¡°Oh yes, I came to look for you to tell you that when I came out of the office just now, Li Xianxian coincidentally went in, and seemed to be discussing secrets with July, but I just heard a few keywords.¡±


    When Ye Yifan heard Tang Xia mention Li Xianxian, he gave a barely perceptible frown, then he asked seriously, ¡°What did you hear? Tell me.¡±


    Tang Xia thought about it for a while. Based on her memory, she remembered a little and she told Ye Yifan everything based on what she heard earlier.


    ¡°I suspect she wants to cheat. After all, the next match is about vampires.¡±


    Ye Yifan listened to what she said and he, too, became lost in deep thought. After he was silent for some time, he turned his head and looked at Tang Xia who was beside him, then he suddenly grabbed hold of her shoulder, with a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s not act rashly any more. Let¡¯s observe well for some time to see what the situation is like. We will talk about it after we have the evidence. This time, I won¡¯t allow you to fight the enemy alone.¡±


    When Tang Xia saw the faint look of concern in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, she thought for some time before she nodded her head helplessly.


    The two fell silent again and Tang Xia could not help giving a little awkward cough. However, Ye Yifan took out two invitations from his pocket and handed them to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia took it with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°What is this?¡± As she spoke, she opened it and saw an address printed on the invitation. It was even decorated with a bow that Tang Xia liked.


    Ye Yifan smiled, pointed at the invitation and said, ¡°This is the pass for a cruise party. Would you be willing to go with me tomorrow?¡±


    Tang Xia inevitably felt a little puzzled. She looked at it for a long time and she was certain that there was only one address.


    ¡°What party is this? Why didn¡¯t they even state the owner¡¯s name and they just left an address?¡± However, Ye Yifan blinked in a guilty way and he looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go, because it¡¯s a special party!¡±


    Although Tang Xia felt that it was unusual, she also knew that she would not lose out even if she went. Furthermore, now that she was on good terms with Ye Yifan, she was naturally willing to go, so she nodded her head and agreed.


    Tang Xia got up early on Saturday and dressed well, since she was a respectable lady after all. The party that Ye Yifan invited her to was not a casual affair, so she tried her best to dress more appropriately.


    After the previous lesson that she learned, she no longer wore high heels. However, before the agreed time that evening, Ye Yifan already came to pick her up personally. Tang Xia could not help but wonder, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it starts in the evening? Why are you here now?¡±Updates by vi p novel


    Ye Yifan panted lightly for a while, before he directly pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand without saying a word, with the intention to leave. Tang Xia hurriedly closed the door and Ye Yifan shoved her into the car.


    After the car drove on for a while, Ye Yifan then said slowly, ¡°A friend of mine wants to propose today and I don¡¯t think you would want to miss out on what we¡¯ve prepared previously, so I thought I should pick you up earlier.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned for a moment before she came to understand why there was only one address in the invitation. It turned out that it was because they only invited all of their good friends and so, only one address was written.


    However, when Tang Xia thought of how she would be able to witness the entire process of another person¡¯s marriage proposal, she could not contain the excitement in her girlish heart.


    Soon, the two of them arrived at the so-called cruise dock where the proposal would take place that night, and Ye Yifan smiled as he held Tang Xia¡¯s hand and went in.


    As soon as the two of them walked in, they saw a bunch of boys busily decorating the venue. There were pink balloons all around them, and Tang Xia could not help but exclaim softly.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia who was looking around curiously, as if she was looking at the flamboyant world and he gave a slight frown. Tang Xia also noticed that something was wrong with Ye Yifan and she hurriedly pulled his elbow and asked softly,Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you feel unwell?¡±


    Ye Yifan did not know how to answer, and just when he froze and was at a loss as to what to say, a man in the distance shouted out loud at him,


    ¡°Yifan, why are you still zoning out over there? Why don¡¯t you hurry over here and help out?¡± It was after he said this, then he noticed that there was a girl standing next to Ye Yifan.


    As if he was granted amnesty, he quickly ran over and said, ¡°Coming!¡± Although Tang Xia knew that something was amiss with him, she did not say anything. Since Ye Yifan did not want to talk about it, she would not ask, then she turned and went to look around by herself.


    The man gave him a cheeky smile and he said, ¡°Hey, who is that girl! Why are you not with Li Xianxian? Isn¡¯t she your fiancee?¡±


    Ye Yifan glared at him angrily and the man apologized sheepishly. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll stop talking, alright?¡±


    The sky gradually darkened. Halfway through, Tang Xia felt tired and went to sit in the lounge for a while, but she suddenly heard a commotion in the doorway. Feeling slightly puzzled, she went out to take a look.


    Right after she stepped out, she was stunned by the sight before her eyes. She saw a bunch of balloons strewn all over the place. There were even lights and rose petals sprinkled on the ground. However, she felt slightly puzzled as she obviously heard a commotion earlier before, but right now, there was not a single person in sight.


    Tang Xia slowly walked over to the balloons in the center. Right at that moment, she suddenly heard a sound behind her.


    When she turned her head, she suddenly saw Ye Yifan bending down on one knee, with a smile on his face and a diamond ring in his hand. With a blissful look on his face, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Marry me.¡±


    Tang Xia did not know how to react. Her brain instantly could not function, but her heart felt slightly strange.


    When Tang Xia cupped her mouth in shock and did not know what to say, Ye Yifan also looked a little embarrassed, as he held onto the diamond ring and seemed at a loss too.


    The two of them were silent for a long time, and just when Tang Xia was about to say something, Ye Yifan suddenly stood up. Aa bunch of people suddenly popped up from behind him and they began to laugh with satisfaction, as they watched the two of them.


    ¡°Yifan, you¡¯re done for. You instantly hurt a little girl¡¯s heart!¡± Another boy, who stood by the side, quickly covered his mouth and laughed in embarrassment, ¡°He is joking. You guys can carry on. Please continue.¡±


    Tang Xia was a little confused and she could not understand what was happening now. She looked at Ye Yifan with a puzzled expression and that look seemed to be asking him to give her an explanation. Ye Yifan smiled rather awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    As he said this, he turned around and gave the diamond ring in his hand to a man who was dressed in a formal suit. The man nodded his head with satisfaction, and took the ring. ¡°Yes, the effects are great. I will propose like this later on, then.¡±


    That was when Tang Xia realized that it was just a rehearsal earlier on, and she inevitably felt slightly helpless and depressed again.


    Tang Xia smiled and quickly waved her hand. ¡°I knew it. From the start, I already knew that you guys were just joking with me earlier on.¡±


    Although she said this, her heart felt slightly disappointed and she turned to look at the table by the side. There was some alcohol on the table and because Tang Xia felt bored, she went over to pour herself a glass.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia¡¯s desolate silhouette and he quickly followed after her. The friends around him did not pay much attention to them, and everyone was anxiously waiting for the real female lead to arrive.


    Tang Xia pursed her lips lightly and she felt hot. Although she was a little disappointed, she did not know why she also felt a sense of relief in her heart.


    Just when she was about to take a second sip, Ye Yifan suddenly came over and took the cup out of her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drink anymore. After all, I will not know what to do if you get drunk here.¡± Tang Xia raised an eyebrow and did not insist. The atmosphere between the two of them was strangely awkward.


    Ye Yifan thought about it for a while, before he drew in a deep breath and said as if he had made an important decision, ¡°Actually¡­ You can take what I said just now, seriously.¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned and could not understand what he was referring to. Ye Yifan pulled his tie nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I like you. I¡¯m not sure if you would be willing to be my girlfriend, or to take a step further.¡±


    After experiencing the surprise earlier, what he said this time made Tang Xia feel rather calm and her expression was rather blank.


    At that moment, the people who were not far away, suddenly quietened down. They saw a goddess-like girl enter with a blank expression on her face, as she looked at the surroundings. Her expression was exactly the same as that of Tang Xia¡¯s earlier on.


    The difference was that it was a fake proposal earlier on, but it was the real thing now.


    After the proposal, the cruise became lively again and Tang Xia and Ye Yifan stood together in silence.


    Just when Ye Yifan thought that Tang Xia was unwilling to give him an answer, she suddenly turned to look at him with a serious expression on her face. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t agree to this now.¡±

 Chapter 285 - To Break Off the Engagement

    Chapter 285 To Break Off the Engagement


    Ye Yifan was inevitably a little surprised, then he quickly stepped forward and grabbed hold of Tang Xia¡¯s shoulders. He had a look of disbelief, and even his voice trembled with agitation.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you have any feelings toward me as well? Didn¡¯t you become an anchor because of me? Why are you rejecting me now?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked by his agitated look, and she struggled gently and broke free from his grasp. That was when she realized that all the people around them were actually looking at the both of them.


    It turned out that his voice was a little loud just now, and they were all looking over, out of mild curiosity. Tang Xia quickly waved her hand in embarrassment. ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s nothing. Please carry on.¡±


    The crowd did not bother about them anymore, as they resumed their conversation. Tang Xia inevitably heaved a sigh of relief before she turned her head to look at Ye Yifan.


    ¡°The reason is very clear. It is also something that we have to face. Did you forget? You still have a marriage contract with Li Xianxian, so how can I, Tang Xia, be with someone who has a marriage contract? Wouldn¡¯t I become a mistress then?¡±


    Ye Yifan was rendered speechless by her words and he actually lost the will to question her. It was as if he was instantly drained of his strength and became completely defeated. He smiled helplessly, ¡°Yes, I forgot that I have a marriage contract¡­¡±


    Tang Xia could not bear to look at Ye Yifan, so she took a deep breath of air before she went forward and shook his shoulders. ¡°But don¡¯t you want to resist now? Wouldn¡¯t it be timely for you to reject what you don¡¯t want? Go all out and do it. I will always wait for you.¡±


    When Ye Yifan saw the firm look in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, he gradually regained his resolve. The sense of heaviness in his heart seemed to have settled down, and he gripped Tang Xia¡¯s hand before he said firmly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Ye Yifan, too, held onto Tang Xia¡¯s hand and they walked into the crowd together. That evening, everyone had a great time. The person who was proposing, performed very well and pulled it off successfully.


    The noise and excitement were like a passing scene of empty extravagance. The sense of beauty did not seem realistic, but Tang Xia knew that she only needed to enjoy the moment now.


    Within a few days, the second round of the [Uncrowned King] match would officially begin. Tang Xia finished washing up, and as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror, she smiled with satisfaction.


    She patted her cheeks confidently and muttered to herself, ¡°All the best, Tang Xia! Although this round of the games is very likely going to be more dangerous than the previous game, I believe you will be able to pull through it!¡±


    As she spoke, she arranged her sleeves. As she did not need to take anything, she went to the company dressed like that, since it had been agreed upon previously that everyone would gather in the company to take the company car, to take part in the competition together.


    However, just when she arrived at the company, she saw a lot of people standing there waiting for July. Strangely, she did not see Ye Yifan and she could not help raising her eyebrows in bafflement, as she grabbed hold of a colleague to ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t Ye Yifan here yet?¡±


    When the colleague saw that it was Tang Xia, he smiled with a slightly ambiguous look in his eyes. ¡°Oh, Ye Yifan? Just now, July seemed to have some business with him, so he went directly to her office.¡± Tang Xia nodded her head and thanked him.Updates by vi p novel


    Just when she turned her head with the intention to go to July¡¯s office, she felt a strange force tugging at her clothes from behind. She was dragged over and felt her head spinning. Subsequently, she heard a ¡®pop¡¯ sound and her cheeks began to burn like fire.


    Everyone around her was shocked by this crisp sound. When they turned around, they saw Tang Xia frowning as she cupped her cheeks and looked at the angry Li Xianxian, in surprise.


    Li Xianxian had a furious expression on her face and she was breathing rapidly. Tang Xia¡¯s chest, too, rose and fell violently.


    Right at that moment, Ye Yifan and July ended their conversation and when the two of them came out, they saw Li Xianxian slap Tang Xia. They, too, did not manage to react to what had happened.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, are you crazy? Why are you attacking people randomly in the morning!¡±


    After Tang Xia regained her senses, she began to boil with rage. However, she also knew that she could not fight back in such a situation, since a human could not bite a dog, after one was bitten by a dog.


    Some colleagues quickly came forward to check if Tang Xia was alright and Tang Xia shook her head to indicate that she was fine.


    However, when she took her hands away, everyone was shocked. They saw that Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks were red and swollen, which showed how much strength Li Xianxian had used.


    However, Li Xianxian showed no repentance at all. She even made threatening gestures and wanted to come forward to claw Tang Xia¡¯s face, but was quickly restrained by the colleagues behind her quickly.


    ¡°Let me go! Why are you holding on to me! Quick, let me carve up her face! This vixen! She can only use this face to seduce men!¡±


    Everyone could not help, but look at Tang Xia. However, Tang Xia did not understand why she was being labeled a vixen, and she, too, felt a little angry.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, watch your words. What do you mean by a vixen? Who did you see me seduce?¡±


    Ye Yifan, who was originally stunned and frozen in place, finally managed to react to the situation and quickly rushed forward to separate the two of them. He then turned to stare at Li Xianxian with a serious expression on his face, then he chided her in a deep, angry voice,


    ¡°Xianxian, are you done creating a ruckus? How can a girl hit other people at will! To think that my mother even said that you are a proper lady!¡±


    When Tang Xia saw Ye Yifan coming over to help her, she felt slightly comforted in her heart.


    However, it was different for Li Xianxian. When she saw Ye Yifan defending Tang Xia, her expression instantly became twisted, and she said sharply,


    ¡°Look! And you said that you did not seduce men! It¡¯s because of you that Ye Yifan is breaking off the engagement with me! It¡¯s all because of you! Up till now, he always helped you, instead of me!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, you truly have great scheming moves. You snatched my place and then you snatched my man!¡±


    There was an uproar and even Tang Xia was at a loss as to what to do. She looked at Ye Yifan in disbelief. She did not expect that she had actually convinced Ye Yi Fan to terminate the engagement.


    However, Ye Yifan was slightly annoyed and he frowned as he scolded her in a deep voice, ¡°Xianxian, watch your words. It¡¯s only because we are not suitable and that the person I like is not you. You will not be happy even if you married me.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s good for both of us to terminate the engagement early.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned around to look at Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks which were becoming increasingly swollen. This made Ye Yifan¡¯s heart ache even more, and he felt even more resentful towards Li Xianxian. When Tang Xia saw the hint of heart ache in Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, she could not help feeling moved.Updates by vi p novel


    Li Xianxian looked like she still wanted to say something, but July, who was standing by the side, was reluctant to allow the farce to continue, so she hurriedly stepped forward to stop Li Xianxian.


    ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s office hours now and the second round of the match is about to start soon. There¡¯s no time for all of you to discuss these personal issues. Hurry up and prepare for the game. We are leaving.¡±


    The onlookers around them, who were watching a good show, dispersed and July came forward to check on Tang Xia¡¯s face. She felt extremely annoyed and turned to look at Li Xianxian, before she reprimanded her angrily,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that today¡¯s match is about to start? You actually injured her face without consideration for what is important! Go off and reflect on your actions properly!¡±


    As she said this, she dragged Tang Xia off with the intention to help her to reduce the swelling. Although Li Xianxian felt very unwilling, she could only give up. Ye Yifan also went along to prepare an ice pack for Tang Xia. However, even after she iced her cheeks for a long time, it did not have much of an effect, and her cheeks were still very swollen.


    July was also anxious and at a loss as to what to do. She quickly sent someone to the props department to retrieve a silver, half-faced mask for her to put on.


    ¡°We can only make do with this.¡± When July saw that the mask covered the swollen half of Tang Xia¡¯s face, she also felt very helpless. Tang Xia looked at herself in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction. However, Ye Yifan looked at her from the side with a strange expression, and shook his head.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. Give me one too. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that if Tang Xia is the only one to don a mask among everyone, the media will say that she is trying to be a big shot, and there will be a bunch of negative comments and news.¡± After July pondered deeply about it, she also felt that Ye Yifan¡¯s consideration was well rounded, and she quickly got someone to prepare one for him as well.


    July looked at the two with satisfaction. At a glance, nobody will notice a problem with their faces. Instead, the two looked strangely compatible.


    It was almost time and all the anchors made their way to the Aqua Crystal Stadium together, under July¡¯s lead. Initially, Li Xianxian wanted Tang Xia to make a fool of herself. After she found out that Tang Xia¡¯s face had swelled after she hit her, she instantly felt secretly gleeful.


    However, after she got on the car, she discovered that Tang Xia did not appear with a swollen pig¡¯s head and was, instead, wearing a mask. She looked inexplicably mysterious and there was no trace of awkwardness at all. The main point was that Ye Yifan even paired up with her, and used the same mask!


    Li Xianxian stepped forward with slight annoyance and frustration.


    ¡°July! Does the game allow one to wear a mask?¡±


    As soon as Tang Xia heard Li Xianxian¡¯s voice, she knew that this person was going to wreak havoc again. Just when she turned her head to say something, she saw July throw a sideway glance at her angrily, her expression seeming to convey that she was reluctant to be bothered with her.


    ¡°There are rules which allows one to wear a mask, but there are also no rules which forbid one to wear a mask. If you are too idle, then go catch up on your sleep. Don¡¯t cause any trouble here with me.¡±


    She had been busy for half the day only because Li Xianxian did not consider what was important and so, she felt disgruntled in her heart now. Li Xianxian could only pout and return to her seat.


    Soon after, they arrived at the gymnasium. The moment Tang Xia and Ye Yifan got down from the car, they immediately attracted the attention of all the fans.


    The two of them wore silver masks and there was a strange, mysterious and ambiguous atmosphere around them. July was very satisfied with the response of the fans around them and she inevitably felt relief in her heart.


    However, at that moment, Li Xianxian suddenly came over. Tang Xia did not expect her to continue with it at this time, and she gave a displeased frown.


    ¡°I would advise you to give me a break. Even though Brother Yifan and I have broken off our engagement, I am still his childhood sweetheart. Your status is still incomparable to mine, and I believe that we will renew our marriage contract!¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but find it funny and she turned her head to cast her a sideway glance. ¡°I¡¯ll return the same words to you. No matter what moves you have, bring it on. I¡¯ll definitely take you on.¡±

 Chapter 286 - The Vampires’ Feast

    Just as both of them were in the midst of their conversation, the whole stadium erupted into cheers. Tang Xia and Li Xianxian could only let it slide and turned to look at the main stage.


    The host held onto a microphone and as if on a high, he said excitedly, ¡°Alright, today is the second round of our ¡®Uncrowned King¡¯! But before we start, we have a surprise for everyone!¡±


    Tang Xia tilted her head and looked towards July with doubt. ¡°What surprise? Did the organizing party mention this before?¡± July was also unsure, but she felt that it would not have anything to do with them.


    Just when everyone was all confused and knowing that he was keeping them on their toes, the host smiled. Suddenly, the spotlights turned to the stage. Two people were standing there, waving to the audience.


    ¡°We¡¯ve specially invited two well-known streamers from time-travel to come down as special guests to give us support. Let us welcome them!¡±


    Instantly, the whole venue erupted into cheers. Tang Xia deliberately took two steps forward. She felt that one of the figures looked really familiar. She rubbed her eyes and continued to look towards that direction. She suddenly realized that it was Su Yanxun, whom she saved from the gangsters in the alley!


    The host was also very satisfied with the response. He seized the opportunity and introduced them. ¡°One of them is the popular streamer in time-travel, Su Yanxun, and the other is America-born Chinese, Katherine!¡±


    Tang Xia never thought that an America-born Chinese would come back to do live streaming. She looked at her golden blonde hair and blue eyes.


    Tang Xia shook her head and sighed, ¡°Given her looks, how many fans does she have!¡± Standing beside her, Ye Yifan looked at how Tang Xia was filled with admiration and could not help but laugh.


    At this moment, Su Yanxun, who was on the stage, walked towards Tang Xia. Everyone was confused as to what he was trying to do. The spotlights followed him.


    He dashed towards Tang Xia and stretched out his hand excitedly ¡°Oh my god! I never thought that I¡¯ll see you here!¡±


    Tang Xia was also slightly shocked. After a few moments, her delayed response prompted her to stretch out her hand. She smiled, ¡°I also did not expect our next meeting to be here!¡±


    Both of them gave each other a smile and also shared a hug. Standing at one side, Ye Yifan finally realized that Su Yanxun was the man who held him back the other day.


    Naturally, Su Yanxun also saw Ye Yifan and greeted him. Ye Yifan nodded awkwardly.


    Watching them from aside, Li Xianxian snorted in bitterness. ¡°I say, I¡¯m right after all! You only know how to seduce men, and you seem to be always surrounded by people whom you can seduce!¡±


    Standing at a side and feeling annoyed, July frowned and chided. Li Xianxian adopted an attitude and stopped talking. Meanwhile, Su Yanxun had silently remembered her.


    When the few of them were catching up, all the fans had gone crazy. They never expected God Su Yanxun to be so close to Tang Xia. They looked like they already knew each other for a long time. The whole venue erupted into chaos again.


    The host saw that the crowd was hyped up enough and coughed gently. Using a very formal tone, he announced, ¡°Today is the second round of ¡®Uncrowned King¡¯. What makes it different from the first round is that it is a battle!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brow in confusion. She looked towards Ye Yifan who was standing at aside. Although she heard that this competition was about vampires, no one told her beforehand that it was going to be a battle. Ye Yifan and July did not hear of it as well. July went up to her and tapped on her shoulder. ¡°No worries, I trust the two of you. No matter what kind of competition, you guys will win for sure!¡±


    Looking back at July¡¯s confident look, Tang Xia smiled genuinely. Su Yanxun said eagerly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have me, the God will bring you through!¡± Tang Xia rolled her eyes helplessly.


    The host continued, ¡°Since it is a battle, then we need to randomly pick teams!¡±


    After saying so, he turned around and signaled to the staff with his eyes. A balloting system was shown on the big screen suddenly. Tang Xia and the rest of the group, as well as the two mystery guests, all went forward and took turns to draw.


    The host received the results and nodded. He then turned to the audience and said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll announce the results!¡±


    While saying so, he turned to look at Tang Xia and the rest. ¡°Tang Xia, Ye Yifan and our mystery guest Katherine have picked the Revived Vampire Team. Although it¡¯s a little of a pity, it is still better as compared to humans.¡±


    The fans below the stage all booed. After all, they all hoped that they could draw a better team.


    However, they were not prepared for a more disappointing result. The host had a solemn look on his face as he looked towards Su Yanxun. ¡°This time around, our God Su is not that lucky, he got the Humans Team.¡±


    The whole venue erupted into chaos. However, there were still fans who expressed their faith in him. ¡°Master Su is the best! We believe in Master Su!¡± It was then that Tang Xia realized Su Yanxun had so many fans. It seemed like his capabilities cannot be undermined.


    Next up, the host was going to announce something that made everyone most nervous. After all, the most powerful players were up next. ¡°Let us all cheer! Next up, we¡¯ll announce the OG players. Li Xianxian, Jiang Yu¡­¡±


    Tang Xia lifted her brow naturally. She saw Li Xianxian jump up in surprise. ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so lucky!¡±


    While saying so, she quickly ran to Ye Yifan and tugged onto his shirt with a flirty look. ¡°Yifan, are you interested in teaming up with me? I¡¯ll take good care of you!¡±


    Then, she side-glanced at Tang Xia who was standing next to her. Yi Yifan smiled awkwardly and quickly pushed her away to maintain a distance between them. While doing so, he got one step closer to Tang Xia. ¡°No thanks, we should stay in our own teams. I can take good care of myself, but congrats, you¡¯re lucky to draw a powerful OG Vampire.¡±


    Li Xianxian stomped her feet angrily. She looked at Tang Xia and smiled. ¡°Why? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I hope you can remember what I said to you just now. I have always been able to keep my words, and I hope that you won¡¯t be a coward when you bump into me in the game!¡±


    Ye Yifan was a little dissatisfied. He was just about to say something when Su Yanxun suddenly came over. He looked at her with a slight seriousness. ¡°We should all put in our best into the game, what¡¯s the point of over-thinking? Besides, you drawing the best character doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll win. I think you should keep calm and focus on the game.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Su Yanxun with gratitude. He secretly blinked, causing her to burst out a giggle. Li Xianxian was pissed seeing everyone helping Tang Xia.


    At this moment, the host announced the start of the game. Everyone started to enter the game. Li Xianxian turned around and snorted at Tang Xia. ¡°Watch out.¡± After this, she entered the live stream.


    Tang Xia was also helpless. She turned around to look at Ye Yifan. Both of them met each other in the eye and nodded seriously at each other as they entered the live stream together. Tang Xia felt a piercing white light in front of her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she felt exhausted, as if she was run over by a car. Her body felt as powerless as if she was tied up.


    Using all of her strength, she forced her eyes open. However, she felt that her whole body was icy-cold. She looked straight and realized that she was lying on the ground. When she stretched out her hand to try to get on her feet, she felt a ball of fire burning inside her. She could not help but start coughing. It felt like there was something changing inside her.


    The immense pain in her shoulder caused her brain cells to be confused. Her vision also started to get blurry. She tried her best to remain conscious but realized that she could not do it at all.


    She slowly lifted her head and saw a huge moon hanging in the sky. Apparently it was nighttime, but the moon light was so bright that it felt like the daytime.


    Forcing out some strength, she rubbed her forehead that was in pain. Things that she saw seemed duplicated. She could not see clearly at all. At this moment, she suddenly realized that a pair of delicate leather shoes had appeared before her.


    Feeling a little strange, she lifted her head slowly and looked towards it. She saw a man wearing a clean suit and was looking at her as she was some lowly being.


    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± Tang Xia used all her strength to force these three words out of her mouth. She felt as if her throat had been sliced by countless knives. Her voice sounded horrifying.


    However, that man ignored her. He slowly turned his body to face the moon. His figure stood right in the middle of the moon and his shadow looked like¡­a vampire!


    It was now that Tang Xia finally realized that the person in front of her had probably just bitten her. She felt a little helpless but her body could not take it anymore.


    The ongoing battle in her body caused her to become more agitated. She stretched out her hand to touch her shoulders that were in immense pain. She caressed her shoulder and realized that there were bite marks on them. There were two cavities.


    She looked at her hand again and realized that they were stained with her own blood. Her whole body felt powerless due to blood loss. On top of that, the pain from turning into a vampire caused her to be unable to withstand it anymore and she crouched into a ball.


    In her body, it felt like ice and fire were clashing into each other. From hot to cold, from cold to hot. She knew that this was the critical moment, a sign that she was probably turning into a vampire.


    She stretched out her hand with all her might, trying to catch something, but to no avail. She could only sink her fingers into the ground, leaving behind trails of blood.


    Just as Tang Xia¡¯s distracted mind was going to break down, she suddenly howled loudly, venting out all of her pain.


    Her eyes popped wide open and her forehead was covered with sweat. She sat up straight in a strange way as if all of the pain in her body were gone in that instant.


    She quickly lifted her head and looked at the direction where the man was standing and realized that there was no one, just a giant glistening moon before her.

 Chapter 287 - Uncontrollable Hunger and Thirst

    She lifted her hand and felt her own pulse. She felt her pulse thumping furiously. All of the tiredness in her body was completely gone. She felt as if there was an energy source in her body, making her bustle with energy.


    She could not help but muttered to herself, ¡°So this is what it feels like to be a vampire¡­¡±


    Although she had picked a vampire, for some unknown reason, she felt that there was nothing good about it. She looked around her and realized that she was at home. She could not help but feel helpless. How dumb was it to be bitten in her own home!


    Having this thought in mind, she got up directly to close the windows.


    No lights in the house were turned on, so it was pitch dark. However, Tang Xia was still able to see perfectly fine, as if she had night vision. She observed her surroundings with caution.


    She could not help but wonder, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where Ye Yifan is and if he had gone through so much pain like me.¡±


    She shook her head. She only felt a little hungry and turned around to head to the kitchen to search for food to eat. However, she realized that there were only a few bread and milk.


    Caressing her own stomach, she felt helpless and could only live with it. However, when she brought the bread to her mouth, she paused.


    Taking a sniff of the bread, she found that it smelt disgusting. It smelt like some chemical products. There was no fragrance of food at all. After a moments¡¯ hesitation, she still decided to eat it. After all, she was really hungry.


    But after she chewed on it for a second, she regretted it instantly. For some reason, it tasted like wax, resulting in a nauseous feeling after consuming chemical products. She could not hold it back anymore and dashed into the toilet to spit everything out. She finally felt better after that.


    When she returned to the kitchen, she looked at the milk and could not help but feel paranoid. She felt fearful as she was no longer human. With trembling hands, she picked it up and took a sip. It was like clear water with no taste.


    At this moment, she became devastated and threw the milk in her hands aside.


    She did not know what to do now. Caressing her stomach, she felt even hungrier by the minute, making her even uncomfortable. She was panicking, feeling annoyed, and did not know what to do. All these emotions were mixed together. She did not know what to do at all. Looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that the wound on her shoulder had disappeared already, leaving behind the large surface area of blood on her shirt.


    She turned around and sighed as she went back to her room to change her clothes. The room was eerily silent, sending chills down her spine. This loneliness was eroding her heart.


    Feeling afraid, she crouched down in a corner. Her hunger was increasingly eroding her own consciousness. She used all her strength to hold back the thought and grab onto herself.


    After an unknown period of time, she felt herself becoming stiffer. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a ray of light suddenly shone in.


    Tang Xia became wide awake instantly. While she struggled to lay her hands on her stomach that was in throbbing pain, she got up to draw the curtains. After all, vampires are afraid of the light.


    However, as she approached the window and laid her hands on the curtains, the sunlight shone on her face directly. She realized that she did not feel anything at all and felt that it was very strange. She tried to test it again by moving forward. She confirmed that she was really not afraid of the light.


    Feeling confused, she could not help but scratched her head. At this instant, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her eyes. Not knowing what to do, she quickly covered them.


    But it only lasted for a second. The pain came and went quickly. She quickly ran to the toilet to check her eyes, but she realized that they had turned blue. She covered her mouth in shock.


    She has now¡­turned into another species.


    Feeling the spasms from the starvation, she suddenly lifted her head and looked into the mirror. She had a determined look on her face; she could not continue to stay in this room.


    She must think of a solution. With that in mind, she turned around and grabbed a pair of sunglasses before turning around and stepping out of the door.


    When she stepped out of the door, she felt her whole body warming up under the sun light. She still did not understand why vampires were afraid of light, but she was not.


    She shook her head and stopped thinking about it. Now that her hunger was getting even more intense, she kept her head lowered as she walked on the streets and tried to make herself unnoticeable.


    At this moment, a small girl suddenly ran towards her and into her embrace. Tang Xia stumbled and quickly held onto the girl. The girl found her footing and looked at her in a daze.


    But just as Tang Xia touched the little girl¡¯s white, silky skin on her neck, her eyes bulged open immediately.


    The accumulated hunger attacked her logical thoughts violently. At this moment, a middle-aged woman ran towards them quickly and pulled the girl away. She smiled apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting my child run into you, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    After which, she hit the back of the little girl¡¯s head, ¡°Quickly apologize!¡±


    The little girl nodded obediently. She turned around and stared at Tang Xia with her big, glistening eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, older sister.¡± Tang Xia suddenly felt her vision become blurry and she tried very hard to not go after her neck.


    Looking at the woman, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were instantly attracted by her neck as well. She turned around and realized that all the people around her had white necks.


    She could not stand it anymore and pushed the middle-aged woman away and ran away. The woman was shocked by her sudden action and frowned annoyedly, ¡°Where did this psycho come from?¡± After this, she led her daughter away.


    Tang Xia did not know how far she ran, she only knew that she was exhausted. She leaned against an empty valley and gasped for fresh air.


    However, even after running, her hunger was not alleviated at all. On the contrary, the visuals from earlier kept playing in her head.


    She could not help but took in a deep breath and took out a small knife from her pocket. She had prepared this earlier for self-defense. Although she looked more dangerous now, out of self-awareness, she still prepared a knife.


    She aimed the sharp tip at her wrist. As if having made a big decision, she sliced it across her big artery. In that instant, blood started to overflow, staining the ground bright red.


    The audience in the live stream platform were all surprised; they did not know what Tang Xia was trying to do.


    But just shortly after she cut herself, the wound healed again. Tang Xia became firm and gave herself even more cuts. The ground was covered with her blood and it looked extremely appalling.


    She finally stopped when she felt her body getting weaker. She threw the knife onto the ground and walked out of the valley.


    Eventually, she decided to go to the hospital. After tidying her clothes, she put on her sunglasses to make herself seem just like everyone else.


    However, she was shaking from trying to withstand her hunger. No matter what, she did not look normal at all. A nurse saw that she was not well and quickly came up to ask, ¡°Miss, is anything wrong?¡±


    Tang Xia tried her best to lower her head and look away from the nurse¡¯s skin that was exposed. Tang Xia stared at the nurse¡¯s shoes and said with a trembling voice, ¡°I¡­I feel week, I think I need blood transfusion.¡±


    The nurse took a moment to examine her carefully. She did indeed look weak, she stumbled even when walking.


    She nodded and helped Tang Xia into the department to look for a doctor. The doctor saw that she was indeed not well and quickly arranged for a work up.


    Tang Xia kept on pleading for a blood transfusion, but the doctor hesitated after looking at the results. He shook his head slowly, ¡°You are indeed a little anemic and needs to be hospitalized, but you don¡¯t need a blood transfusion, we¡¯re not quite there yet.¡±


    Looking at the doctor and hearing the results, Tang Xia could not hold back anymore. All of her emotions came gushing into her mind all at once.


    She was devastated. With the desperation of not knowing what she was going to do, she lost her balance and stumbled two steps back. The doctor and the nurse were shocked and quickly came forward to hold onto her.


    But when she saw their skin, she pushed them away rudely. With a tint of despair in her eyes, she warned them, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Stay away from me!¡± After which, she crouched down in a corner.


    Being in a state of shock, the nurse looked at the doctor. The doctor was also not sure what was wrong with Tang Xia. At that moment, a rattling sound came from the door.


    Tang Xia turned to look and saw a whole cart full of blood bags. In that instant, her mind instructed her to push away the doctor and the nurse and dash towards the cart.


    A bunch of nurses was just about to send a cart-full of fresh blood into the blood bank. The nurse and doctor who were pushed over felt dizzy and had yet to recover.


    When they turned to look over, they saw Tang Xia running away with two bags of blood without looking back. The two nurses in charge were initially talking among themselves. They would never imagine that someone would snatch away the blood. They were flabbergasted.


    The doctor and nurse started to run, they were anxious to catch her. The two nurses also realized what was going on and started to chase.


    Maybe because she had turned into a vampire, Tang Xia¡¯s physical capabilities were much better. She outran any normal person and dashed out of the hospital like a whirlwind.


    She ran home while staggering all the way and never once did she look back. She did not even know when she lost her glasses. The hand that held onto the key to open the door was even trembling a little.


    After pushing the door open, she leaned against it and gasped for air. After an unknown period of time, she finally calmed down.


    Holding onto the two bags of blood, she looked at them for a moment. She felt her body craving for it, but she could not bring herself to open it. Although she was very clear in her heart that this was just a game.


    But she could not bring herself to drink it. She could only tremble while holding onto them. Her heart had never been so conflicted.

 Chapter 288 - The Vampires’ Castle

    With her hands trembling as she held onto the bags of blood, Tang Xia withstood the urge to drink it. She turned around and took a cup from the kitchen before pouring the blood into the cup.


    Tang Xia thought that this would make herself feel better. Looking at the blood in the cup, she tried very hard to persuade herself that it was red wine. She picked up the cup slowly and brought it to her mouth, trying to take a sip.


    However, the bloody smell from the cup kept provoking her senses. Tang Xia took a deep breath, trying to remove all the messy thoughts in her head. She pinched her nose and planned to just down the cup in one gulp.


    To the present her, blood was a delicacy. But when the cup was near her mouth, she still placed it back onto the table.


    The glass cup made a loud ¡®bang¡¯ against the table. She breathed heavily. The bloody smell kept reminding her that she was once a human, she could not persuade herself to drink human blood.


    Tang Xia furrowed her brows intensely. She was even dripping sweat on her forehead. She turned around and crouched down in the corner again. She was trembling from trying so hard to refrain herself.


    She did not know how long more she could withstand it. She thought about what could distract her attention. She looked around the room and suddenly saw a television.


    Tang Xia recalled a movie that she watched. It was about vampires. She remembered that the vampire was also unwilling to drink the blood. Eventually, it drank the blood from an animal it caught.


    In that instant, it was as if she found hope to live again. She sprang up instantly and adjusted her mindset. She turned around and stepped out of the house.


    It was only during then that she realized it was already late at night. She could not help but feel a bit strange. She had been holding back for so long.


    However, it was bad this time around. She was going to go out and buy a small animal, but now that it was dark, she could not buy one anymore. She pondered about it for a while and decided to go catch one in the countryside.


    She turned around and stopped a taxi immediately. ¡°To the countryside.¡±


    The driver looked at her strangely. It was so late at night and this young girl was going to the countryside on her own. However, he drove off, nonetheless. Looking at Tang Xia through the rearview mirror, the driver started a conversation. ¡°Young lady, it¡¯s not good to wear contact lenses at night, it hurts your eyes!¡±


    Tang Xia froze for a while and smiled awkwardly. She obviously did not want to respond. As if not feeling the cold attitude from her, the driver continued, ¡°It¡¯s so late at night, what are you going to do in the countryside?¡±


    Tang Xia also did not know how to answer to this. The hunger inside her grew more intense after the saw the driver¡¯s neck. She trembled a little as she sneezed.


    The driver saw that she was a little abnormal and also felt that something was not quite right, so he continued to drive in silence.


    After an unknown period of time, they finally reached the countryside. Tang Xia saw that they were surrounded by trees and quickly asked the driver to stop the car. She paid him and got off the car directly.


    The driver looked at her dive straight into the forest and disappeared. He felt the chills and quickly drove back.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes easily allowed her to see well at night. When she ran, she also felt her body become lighter. When she was still being amazed at the changes, she caught sight of a rabbit.


    Tang Xia was excited and quickly plunged herself towards it. She caught it straight away. Even a rabbit could not outrun her.


    While she was shocked by her speed, she was even more amazed at the power of a re-born vampire. Looking at her hands under the moonlight, she was even more in awe.


    Suddenly, the hunger stroke her again. Tang Xia had a spasm and immediately crouched down on the ground. She cried out in pain and she almost strangled the rabbit to death with her strength.


    At this moment, Tang Xia realized what was going on and quickly relaxed her hands. With a complicated feeling, she stroked the rabbit¡¯s fur while looking apologetic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, rabbit, I¡¯m going to suck your blood now. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just take a bit, it won¡¯t endanger your life!¡±


    After which, Tang Xia looked at her surroundings. It was filled with silence. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes slowly. As if it could sense something, the rabbit struggled to break free.


    Eventually, Tang Xia still could not hold back the spasm in her stomach anymore. Just as she was about to bite into it, someone tapped on her shoulder.


    Tang Xia got such a fright that she looked up at the person in shock. At the same time, she flung the rabbit out of her hands.


    This man was back facing the moonlight while standing before her, so she could only see a black figure. She rubbed her eyes to try to see better.


    She realized that it was Ye Yifan standing before her! He was stretching out his hand, handing her something in a drink bottle.


    ¡°Ye Yifan! Is that really you!¡± Tang Xia jumped up immediately. At this moment, she could not care about a rabbit. She plunged into his embrace instantly.


    All of the sufferings she had withstood gushed into her mind right away, especially the internal struggles she faced these few days. That loneliness was very depressing.


    Ye Yifan did not expect her to be so emotional. He was naturally very happy that she took the initiative to hug him. He quickly patted her back and comforted her softly.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s fine now, it¡¯s fine now. You¡¯re already such a big girl, why are you so afraid?¡±


    Hearing that, she became emotional instantly and started bawling, ¡°I was alone these two days, I¡¯m so conflicted!¡±


    She was especially conflicted on whether or not to drink human blood, but she was too embarrassed to say it out. Ye Yifan could also tell from her eyes and caressed her hair pitifully.


    After she calmed down, she realized that she had lost control of herself and pushed him away awkwardly. She smiled a little embarrassedly.


    ¡°The hunger strikes again. Unable to withstand the pain, she bent over slightly. Ye Yifan quickly opened the drink in his hand and passed it to her. ¡°Quick, drink this!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at it with doubt. Even if she had to withstand pain, she would never allow herself to drink someone¡¯s blood. ¡°What¡­is this? Where did you get it from?¡± When he looked into her eyes, he could tell that he was doubting it.


    Ye Yifan felt a little helpless. ¡°You¡¯re worrying about that now? Forget it. Seeing you take a taxi to come all the way to catch a rabbit at night, I already know that you¡¯re unwilling to drink human blood. This is special, it¡¯s a drink to replace blood.¡±


    Recalling how he had stared at Tang Xia so sternly when he just entered the game,


    ¡°When I first became a vampire, the vampires brought me to their Vampires¡¯ Castle. They invented this drink. You can rest assured and drink this. After all, they can¡¯t just grab a human and drink their blood.¡±


    Hearing his explanation, Tang Xia finally relaxed. She took over the drink from his hand and after a moment of hesitation, she placed it at her nose to take a sniff. Indeed, there was no blood smell. It was just like an energy drink.


    Ye Yifan also knew that she would not believe it completely if she did not check it herself, so he let her be.


    She tried to take a sip. She was able to accept the taste. It tasted just like a regular drink. Unlike the tasteless milk, she could taste that it was sweet.


    She finally started to drink in big gulps and felt that her starvation was not as serious anymore. She emptied the bottle in one go and heaved a long sigh.


    Seeing her satisfied face, Ye Yifan looked at her in confusion while touching his chin. For no reason, Tang Xia touched her face. ¡°What¡­are you looking at? Is there anything on my face?¡±


    She then returned the empty bottle to him, which he received helplessly and smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never drank blood after you became a vampire?¡±


    Tang Xia paused. She avoided his gaze a little embarrassedly. Ye Yifan looked at her in shock. Tang Xia felt that his reaction was a little over. She could not help but hit his chest.


    ¡°How did you hold that in? The first time I felt the hunger, I was already dying from the pain! But you didn¡¯t even suck blood once! Your determination is so alarming!¡±


    Tang Xia also felt helpless. Although she knew very well that it was just a game, the thought of sucking human blood grossed her out.


    Feeling relieved, she smiled. ¡°Really? Although I felt like I would rather die, as compared to living just for the sake of living, I prefer the former.¡±


    Ye Yifan also had a sudden realization. This was the real Tang Xia. She had her own bottom line and would not succumb to giving in. Perhaps, this was the point that attracted him the most. He tidied her clothes.


    When he got closer to her, she realized that his eyes were different from hers. Feeling confused, she stretched out her hands, wanting to touch them. Ye Yifan was startled and looked at her in a daze. ¡°Why are your eyes different from mine? Why are yours black?¡±


    Ye Yifan then realized that Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were blue. He was confused. ¡°Did you wear contact lenses? Or did your eyes actually turn blue after you became a vampire?¡±


    Tang Xia nodded in a daze. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡±


    Ye Yifan did not know what to say. The problem was big; the vampires in the castle all had black eyes, but now she had become an abnormal species. But when he looked up at the sky, he quickly held onto her hand anxiously.


    ¡±Alright, let¡¯s stop worrying about that for a second. The sky is turning bright soon, we have to return to the castle right away!¡± He then started to move.


    But Tang Xia was even more confused and stood rooted to the ground. Ye Yifan saw that she was not moving and turned back in confusion and looked at the dazed Tang Xia.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the light. Are vampires really afraid of the light?¡±


    Ye Yifan was shocked once again. He did not know what he should say. He only felt that his worldview was shattered twice in such a short period of time. However, seeing that the sun was about to rise, he frowned in worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the light, so go back with me first!¡± Tang Xia quickly nodded and returned to the castle with him. At the moment when they entered, the sun had just started to rise.

 Chapter 289 - Reunion of Old Friends

    Both of them were panting exhaustedly from the continuous running. Tang Xia was almost on par with Ye Yifan physically, which caused him to be puzzled. He felt that there was something different between both of them, but he could not pinpoint exactly.


    After catching her breath, Tang Xia looked around her surroundings and examined the castle. She felt that the whole castle was decorated very luxuriously in an old vintage vibe.


    A crystal chandelier, a painting in gold frame, a red carpet on the floor. Tang Xia could not help but to be amazed that since a long time ago, vampires have always been rich.


    Most importantly, all the windows in the castle have been blocked by curtains that blocked out the sunlight. Although the castle was very bright, it was due to the extensive amount of lights.


    As if he suddenly thought of something, Ye Yifan pulled her hand and quickly hid at a corner. Tang Xia looked at him, feeling lost. ¡°Wait for me over here. Remember, don¡¯t let anyone notice you!¡±


    After saying so, he dashed out immediately. Tang Xia wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. Seeing how quiet the environment was with no one walking around, she guessed that the vampires were all resting in the morning.


    Not long after, Ye Yifan came running back. Tang Xia looked at him and asked in a confused tone, ¡°Where have you been? Why did you leave me alone?¡±


    Ye Yifan pulled out a pair of black contact lenses and passed it to her with a smile.


    Tang Xia received it and looked at it. Ye Yifan said softly, ¡°Put it on quickly. Luckily, we have this here. Your eyes are too special, you can¡¯t let others see them. Otherwise, you¡¯ll attract their attention and bring trouble upon yourself!¡±


    ¡±Bring trouble upon myself? Why?¡± Although Tang Xia was confused, she still wore them. She blinked her eyes and Ye Yifan nodded in satisfaction before pulling her out.


    ¡°This castle is not as peaceful as it seems on the surface. Actually, there is an on-going raging war on the inside. Every vampire is part of a clang. It is a full-on war.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded understandably. After all, she herself had seen many vampire movies. At the end of the day, she was someone who once mingled among the rich.


    At that moment, she suddenly heard an overjoyed voice from behind her. ¡°Tang Xia! It¡¯s you!¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but turn around in confusion. She saw Katherine running towards her excitedly. At that instant, Tang Xia felt like it was a big family reunion. She also smiled and welcomed her.


    However, Katherine¡¯s face started to twitch. Tang Xia was shocked and did not know what to do. Katherine started to come for her.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face fell. He tried to go forward to stop her, but at that critical moment, the flustered Tang Xia managed to defend herself, although she hit Katherine so hard that she stumbled a few steps back.


    The trio were all dumbfounded. Tang Xia looked at her own hand in disbelief. Katherine looked like she was in great discomfort as she grasped onto her chest and coughed twice. Tang Xia quickly ran over to help her up.


    ¡°Are you alright? How are you feeling? You¡¯re not hurt by me, right?¡±


    Ye Yifan also ran over to check on Katherine. Seeing that she was fine, they then heaved a great sigh of relief. Katherine finally regained her composure and shook her head.


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry for what happened earlier. To some extent, I can¡¯t control myself, but luckily you¡¯re fine.¡± Tang Xia could not help but look at her in confusion. Just as she was about to ask her why, Ye Yifan, who was standing at a side, snatched to explain.


    ¡°Katherine has been bitten by an elder among the vampires, called War king. Hence, she has inherited the strong battle genes in his blood. Often times, she will lose control of herself and want to fight with others.¡±


    Katherine slapped her forehead annoyedly. Tang Xia nodded her head after understanding the whole situation.


    At this moment, Ye Yifan examined Tang Xia with an interrogating look. Katherine also looked at her with great suspicion. This caused Tang Xia to be embarrassed.


    Katherine could not help but to grab onto Tang Xia¡¯s next and examined her eyes in detail. ¡°Your power is so strong! You can even defeat me so easily! You¡¯re really so powerful, totally unlike a vampire newbie!¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan nodded in agreement. Tang Xia smiled embarrassedly and pushed her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m also a little embarrassed. I didn¡¯t know that I was this strong.¡±


    Katherine and Ye Yifan stared at each other solemnly and she turned to Tang Xia with a serious look and said, ¡°Do not show your powers here, understand? It is very easy to bring trouble upon yourself by outshining others.¡±


    Tang Xia was also shocked at how serious both of them were. The trio fell silent instantly.


    At this moment, two people came towards them. Ye Yifan and Katherine made way for them immediately while Tang Xia looked at them in a daze.


    Ye Yifan said softly, ¡°They¡¯re here to bring you to the elders. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just to say hi.¡± Tang Xia then sighed in relief and let them lead her away.


    She did not know how long they walked for. She only felt that they went through one corridor after another. Each place looked almost exactly the same. Tang Xia could not help but feel worried.


    If she were to walk around alone, she would definitely get lost. Just when she was starting to feel tired, the two people suddenly stopped in front of a door.


    They pushed open the door slowly. Tang Xia had no choice but to follow them in. What entered her eyes was an even more luxurious room.


    The room was full of antiques as decoration. After examining the room, her gaze fell on the two people playing chess on the table in the center of the room.


    The butler bowed to them and said respectfully, ¡°Elders, this is a newcomer.¡±


    A man who seemed quite mature slowly lifted his head. He must be the so-called War King. He side-glanced at her and gave her a nod. The other person was a woman who was back facing her. Tang Xia could not see her face at all.


    The room fell silent instantly, and the only sound came from their ¡®click-clack¡¯s from playing their chess.


    For some reason, Tang Xia felt a little awkward. She was contemplating whether or not she should step forward and introduce herself. She took two steps forward slowly and coughed gently, ¡°Greetings.¡±


    At this moment, the woman then had a reaction. She slowly turned around and looked at Tang Xia. At that instant, both of them froze.


    Tang Xia almost shrieked in surprise. The woman was obviously Jiang Yu, whom she had worked alongside in the zombie game!


    ¡°Jiang Yu! It¡¯s you! Fancy meeting you here! This is awesome!¡±


    The people around her all looked at her in shock. Tang Xia herself also realized instantly that something was not quite right.


    War King, who had been thinking about the game all this while, finally lifted his head and took a proper look at Tang Yu. On the contrary, Jiang Yu turned around with a cold look on her face.


    Tang Xia could not help but be confused. However, she made not another sound. Recalling how Ye Yifan kept on reminding her to be careful of the people in the castle, she stood there obediently without saying another word.


    Funnily enough, the War King placed the chess piece in his hand aside and looked at Jiang Yu playfully. ¡°Why? You know this kid?¡±


    While saying so, he looked at Tang Xia with an interrogating look. Tang Xia quickly lowered her head. For some reason, she did not dare to meet him in the eye.


    Jiang Yu frowned. Looking at the chess game on the table, she replied coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡± After which, she looked up and glanced at War King. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    War King froze for a moment before laughing. He lowered his head and continued to assess the game. After giving it some thought, he looked up helplessly at Jiang Yu.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you force me to the extreme? It¡¯s just a game, why are you so serious!¡± After which, he made his next move.


    On the other hand, Jiang Yu looked at him and shook his head with no expression. She did not say anything.


    At this moment, Tang Xia realized that something was not quite right. Jiang Yu must have her reasons for doing so. Once she thought of it this way, then everything made sense. Just when Tang Xia thought that they would not pay any attention to her anymore, War King suddenly looked towards her with a harsh gaze.


    Tang Xia got a shock. War King asked playfully, ¡°Why are you over-reacting? She doesn¡¯t even know you.¡±


    Jiang Yu was just about to make her next move when she stopped in her path for a split moment before continuing her move as per normal.


    Tang Xia¡¯s palms started to sweat. She lowered her head and pondered for a second before saying excitedly,


    ¡±I¡¯ve heard of Elder Jiang Yu since a long time ago, now that I finally met you in person, your aura is indeed one-of-a-kind. I¡¯ve admired you for a long time.¡± After saying so, the two butlers all looked at Tang Xia in shock.


    Jiang Yu raised her brows so slightly that it also went unnoticed. On the other hand, War King was a little lost. Looking at Tang Xia, his face fell. For some reason, he began to flare up. His whole person was emitting a powerful aura, causing Tang Xia to not know what to do.


    Jiang Yu said in a lowered voice, ¡°What are you? It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    War King glanced at Jiang Yu a little unwillingly and Tang Xia finally realized the reason. She quickly added, ¡°When I was outside, I¡¯ve also heard of how great War King is. When we hear of your great works, we lose our courage and were fear-stricken.¡±


    After hearing all these, his expression turned better and the corners of his lips curled up. The butlers also heaved a sigh of relief and wiped away their sweat.


    ¡°Not bad, this child can think on her feet. Alright, ask them to prepare you a room and the other stuff.¡±


    After saying so, he waved his hand to ask them to get into action right away. The butlers nodded and Tang Xia naturally greeted the elders happily and turned around to leave.


    When she was just about to leave, she turned around to look at Jiang Yu, but she had no reaction at all.


    Tang Xia walked out with a heavy heart. The butlers brought her to Ye Yifan once again. Seeing him, she quickly ran to him and held his hand.


    Ye Yifan could not help but be worried.


    After contemplating for a moment, Tang Xia said, ¡°I just saw Jiang Yu, but why did she pretend like she doesn¡¯t know me? What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chapter 290 - Momentary Contact

    Seeing how confused Tang Xia was, Ye Yifan hesitated for a moment and looked towards Katherine. Katherine nodded and turned to explain to Tang Xia. ¡°She probably had her reasons for doing so.¡±


    After which, she pulled Tang Xia to sit on a nearby stool. Tang Xia saw how contemplated they looked and wanted to know the answer even more.


    ¡°Alright, stop keeping the cat in the bag, tell me quickly! I¡¯m still new to everything here.¡± Tang Xia grabbed onto Ye Yifan¡¯s hand nervously and her face was very solemn.


    Ye Yifan looked around and after ensuring that there was no one around, he pulled her closer and said softly, ¡°Anyways, you have to know that Jiang Yu had picked a vampire elder, so she¡¯s on a different team as us.¡±


    ¡°Right now, this castle is full of internal chaos. There are many pairs of eyes watching all of us, so we have to be mindful of what we say and do.


    Tang Xia lowered her head and after thinking about it for a moment, she lifted her head and asked, ¡°No wonder when War King saw that I seem like I know Jiang Yu, his face was very skeptical. So, it¡¯s because of this.¡±


    Katherine also looked nervous as she patted her shoulder to tell her to be careful.


    ¡°Yes, it may seem like nothing on the surface, but the vampire elders and us vampire newbies always have a grudge against each other. But you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t come into too much contact with them and don¡¯t show them your special powers that are different from ours, they will probably not do anything to you.¡± Ye Yifan smiled lightly in an attempt to lighten up the heavy atmosphere.


    Katherine added, ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can to protect you and prevent your special abilities to be discovered. You must not outshine others. The higher the tree, the more the people waiting to bring it down. Do not forget this.¡±


    Tang Xia understood. Suddenly, she thought of something. She looked up at Ye Yifan and asked in a confused tone, ¡°By the way, is that drink you gave me something the vampire newbies made? Why do they do that?¡±


    After pondering over it for a moment, Ye Yifan said slowly, ¡°Right now, all the vampire newbies are humans-turned-vampires who have been bitten by vampires. Hence, they are wired to hate to drink human blood, which is why they created this.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but feel fortunate that someone created it.


    At this moment, Ye Yifan seemed to have thought of something suddenly and continued, ¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you the most important thing ¨C why the vampire newbies and vampire elders have such a deep grudge against each other.¡±


    Tang Xia was also curious about this. She waited for him to continue. His thin lips started to move slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the two teams¡¯ unique points. The vampire newbies do not want to drink blood and created their own drink. However, some vampire elders still cannot change the habits of their species that they were born with, they¡¯re always catching humans.¡±


    While saying so, he pointed to Tang Xia, Katherine and himself. He sighed helplessly and said, ¡°We have become like this because we were captured by them.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but be pissed off. She slammed the table and got up. Thinking back about how she had struggled at home, she felt like she might as well have died. She scowled,


    ¡°We should really prevent things like this from happening again! And I¡¯m also against drinking blood!¡± After making her declaration, she looked at the two with great determination.


    ¡°I support the vampire newbies team!¡±


    Both of them nodded in agreement.


    Just when the trio were in their heated discussion, Tang Xia suddenly heard a strange sound. She turned and looked at them in confusion. ¡°Did you guys hear anything?¡±


    Feeling strange, both of them also looked outside and nodded.


    The trio quickly ran to the window and secretly lifted a tiny part of the curtain and looked outside.


    They saw an army of humans not far away from them, all armed in complete armor. They were holding onto guns that they had never seen before and wearing clothes that seemed anti-explosives. They were even holding onto anti-explosive shields.


    Tang Xia got such a great shock that she quickly crouched back and asked in shock, ¡°What are these people doing? Is there a bomb here? Why are they here dressed to scare people?¡±


    Ye Yifan and Katherine looked like they were used to it already. However, there was still a tint of seriousness in their brows.


    Katherine turned to explain to Tang Xia, ¡°This small group of people are human police. Not long after, a bunch of people will be here to test waters. However, every time they¡¯re here, there would always be a war.¡±


    Ye Yifan also shook his head and took two steps back. ¡°This is the thing that I do not want to see the most.¡±


    Tang Xia raised her brows and went up once again to take a look. Indeed, the human police were full of wary and prepared to spring into action. Meanwhile, the vampires also had their own defense team. It looked like a war was just about to start.


    Tang Xia frowned and turned to look at the two who looked a little solemn. ¡°We should get down quickly and assist them.¡±


    Both of them hesitated for a moment and looked at their hands with no confidence. After all, they have only been here for a few days, so they were not familiar with their powers.


    Looking at the undecided duo, Tang Xia pulled them down the stairs directly. At that moment when they stepped foot outside of the door, they heard the gun shots of a chaotic fight, as well as the vampires¡¯ howling.


    Tang Xia did not hesitate at all. She pulled along the both of them and ran to the back of the vampires¡¯ base.


    There were already a few vampires who were already hurt. Their faces showed that they were in great distress. Their flesh was turned inside out, and their skin was rotting due to long exposure under the sun. Tang Xia could not help but raised her brow in confusion.


    She quickly went up to them to take a closer look and realized that their wounds were caused by something else. The wounds were definitely deep, and the healing process would be extremely slow.


    Tang Xia was confused, and she turned around to look at Ye Yifan, ¡°Look, why are their wounds like this! It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s a gunshot wound!¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan also walked over and after squatting down to take a closer look, watching how the vampire was whining in pain, he shook his head helplessly and said to her solemnly,


    ¡°After the humans discovered the vampires, in order to guard against them, they also made many new weapons for this.¡±


    While saying so, she grabbed her hand and turned to look at the guns the police were holding and said slowly, ¡°The guns they are holding onto now is their most successful weapon.¡±


    ¡°The bullets that come out of those guns are UV bullets. Once hit by those bullets, the vampires can turn into ashes¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She stared at the weapons in disbelief. ¡°They can now turn UV rays into bullets? They really went straight for their fatal point.¡±


    While saying so, she looked at the injured vampire beside her. ¡°They¡¯ve become like this just by coming into close contact with bullets. They will really turn into ashes if they¡¯re hit!¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan looked at her shocked side-profile rather seriously and muttered softly, ¡°Meanwhile, you¡¯re not afraid of the light. What can the bullets do to you?¡±


    At this moment, Tang Xia was focusing on the war zone and did not hear him.


    Seeing that many vampires have turned into ashes, Tang Xia could not help but to frown. She turned to look at Ye Yifan very solemnly.


    ¡°We should quickly head over there! Although I don¡¯t want to fight against humans, I can¡¯t let our team lose!¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded. He was just about to call Katherine along when he suddenly paused. He realized that the spot beside him was long empty. He asked Tang Xia in a confused tone. ¡°Where did Katherine go?¡±


    Tang Xia looked around and her gaze landed on someone. She pointed.


    Following her finger, he saw that Katherine had already joined the fight long ago. She had smashed some of the policemen¡¯s guns into broken pieces.


    Ye Yifan could not help but to sighed helplessly, ¡°She¡¯s really a born fighter.¡± Tang Xia smiled and pulled him along onto the war field.


    Tang Xia dashed over right away and came behind a policeman at lightning speed and snatched his gun away. Before he realized what was going on, she had already broken it into two.


    The police looked at her in shock. Tang Xia did not want to hurt him. She smiled at him gently and knocked him out. She then threw him to the police¡¯s base.


    She turned around and started to search for her second target. The surrounding police were all surprised to see that she did not kill him. At this moment, a bunch of police not far away came onto the war field carrying some even scarier-looking guns.


    Tang Xia frowned and quickly stepped backwards. Many vampires were turned into dust by the lasers.


    Tang Xia had a bad feeling about this. Just as she was about to turn around and look for someone to sneak an attack on, suddenly, Ye Yifan was helplessly facing a bunch of policemen who were pointing their guns at him. He was being surrounded.


    Seeing that they were about to fire, Tang Xia quickly dashed towards him and pulled him out.


    Both of them were in great disbelief, feeling fortunate that they had just escaped death. Turning around, they saw those policemen chasing after them with their guns.


    In the blink of an eye, Tang Xia went up to them and snatched away from their guns and use them like a bat to hit the back of their necks.


    Before they realized what was going on, they had already passed out. Before Tang Xia could catch a breath, Ye Yifan had once again got entangled in another fight.


    Although a vampire is physically much stronger than a human, Ye Yifan was not familiar with his strengths at all.


    And at this moment, Tang Xia noticed someone not far away, holding up his gun, ready to shoot him. Her eyes bulged open and she quickly dashed over and stood right in front of the gun.


    The bullet was blocked off just like that. However, she did not notice that someone had just shot a bullet at Ye Yifan from a close distance.

 Chapter 291 - Meeting the King

    Tang Xia got a great shock instantly, and she could not help but shout out loud, ¡°Quickly dodge!¡± While saying so, she dashed to him as fast as she could and stood in front of him.


    Ye Yifan only felt that everything was in chaos. He felt that he was pushed away all of a sudden by a shadow that dashed to him. He was very lost and confused.


    There was a loud ¡°Boom¡±, followed by Tang Xia¡¯s shriek. Ye Yifan immediately regained his balance and looked over.


    All he saw was Tang Xia standing in front of him in a position to protect him. However, she was slowly crouching into a circle. The immense pain caused her face to twitch uncontrollably.


    When Ye Yifan realized what was going on, he was in great shock. He quickly ran up to her and brought her into his embrace. He saw that the bullet had hit her stomach directly. He felt his mind went blank and he suddenly could not hear the noises of the world. He screamed with all his heart.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Are you alright!¡± Katherine had noticed the things that were happening at this side earlier on. Seeing Tang Xia get shot by the bullet, she also rushed over and quickly squatted down to check on her.


    The police around them looked at her in shock. They did not understand why she did not turn into ashes despite them shooting right into her body.


    Just when the police were still being dumbfounded, Tang Xia¡¯s face slowly turned to normal. Feeling confused, she rubbed her own stomach. ¡°Huh? Why didn¡¯t I turn into ash?¡±


    At this moment, the two people beside her then realized this question. They looked at Tang Xia strangely as she checked her own skin. However, she was perfectly fine. She did not even have a wound from being burnt by the sun.


    Ye Yifan was so shocked that he could not say a word.


    At this moment, the police around them quickly held up their guns again, wanting to shoot one more time. Tang Xia was quick to notice and instantly took care of them all. Ye Yifan held onto her hand and asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright? How do you feel now?¡±


    Tang Xia placed her hand on her stomach. After thinking about it for a while, she said slowly, ¡°Um¡­there¡¯s only some pain from the impact of the bullet. Nothing else.¡±


    The other two were still quite worried about her. However, when they suddenly thought of how different she was from them, they gave in.


    Just as the three of them were still thinking about what just happened, they heard a loud whiz from the sky. They were forced to cover their eyes as a huge gush of wind came towards them. Suddenly, a man came down from the sky.


    Tang Xia peeked through her fingers. It seemed like it was the elder who was playing chess with Jiang Yu earlier ¨C War King.


    He cast Tang Xia a meaningful look. Suddenly, a policeman came up from behind him. War King snorted. His body was emitting the bloody smell of a vampire elder, as well as an aura that terrified others.


    He simply stretched out his hand, grabbed the policeman behind him by his neck, and lifted him up.


    The policeman stared at War King in terror. War King had no expressions on his face, and he snorted. He pulled him towards his mouth and took a big bite on his neck.


    Tang Xia could not help but frown. The redness in the eyes of War King grew darker, eventually turning bloody-red.


    Tang Xia only felt chills down her spine. She stared with disbelief at how War King sucked all the blood out of the policeman. The policeman slowly turned into skin and skeletons. Even his skin was starting to crumple together.


    Tang Xia held back the nauseous feeling in her stomach. She turned around, not wanting to watch. Ye Yifan quickly pulled her into his embrace and pressed her head against his body, gently patting her back.


    Very soon, there was no more sounds coming from behind them. After sucking the blood out of the man, War King threw him directly beside the bunch of policemen.


    The policemen were all startled and stepped backward while frantically shooting at War King. However, he blocked off all the attacks; their efforts were in vain.


    Ye Yifan patted Tang Xia¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s all over.¡±


    Tang Xia then slowly looked up and stood up straight. However, she could not hold back the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Just when everyone thought that the war was over, War King suddenly looked towards Tang Xia solemnly.


    Although Tang Xia was back facing him, she could feel an obvious glare staring at her from behind. Feeling confused, she could not help but turn around. Once she did so, she met War King in his bloody-red eyes directly. Feeling a little disgusted, she frowned.


    He walked towards her direction and she could not help but take two steps back. Ye Yifan and Katherine also felt that this was not going to end well.


    At this moment, War King suddenly came towards her in a flash and caught her by her shoulders directly. With an interested gaze, he said to her in a firm voice, ¡°I was watching you from above and saw that you were perfectly fine despite being hit by a bullet. This is why I came down.¡±


    Tang Xia could only feel as if her shoulders were being crushed. She could not help but whine. Ye Yifan was about to step forward to say something, but Katherine quickly grabbed him and shook her head.


    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡±


    Seeing that War King did not speak afterward, Tang Xia could only make the next step. She lifted her head and stared into his eyes determinedly. War King did not expect her to not be afraid of himself. He could not help but be more interested in her.


    ¡°Come with me. You should be honored that I¡¯m bringing you away.¡±


    He grabbed her by the shoulder directly while saying, wanting to bring her away.


    Tang Xia slapped his hand away directly. War King was taken aback. He was shocked at how strong she was. At that instant, he lured out all of his mightiness. Tang Xia was not going to back down. She dashed towards him and they became entangled in a fight.


    Everyone was dumbfounded by how Tang Xia, a vampire newbie, could possess so much power that even War King had to put in so much effort to fight her. Furthermore, she was gaining the upper hand.


    However, at the end of the day, Tang Xia had just turned into a vampire, so she had no fighting experience. Eventually, she still lost to War King.


    She was dragged all the way like a rabbit. Although she wanted to break free, she gave up at the end as she knew that she would not be able to win him.


    War King burst into laughter, and looking at this prized trophy, he carried her back to the castle.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s frowns were furrowed and he was pissed. He wanted to go forward to save her but Katherine pulled him back with all her strength.


    ¡°Ye Yifan! Don¡¯t act so rashly! Don¡¯t worry, Tang Xia is very strong. Nothing will happen to her. Even if you went, you won¡¯t be able to fight him like her!¡±


    Ye Yifan was so angry that he could barely breathe, but he gave in eventually. He knew better. He could not help but be angrier at why he was so useless.


    On the other side, Tang Xia was thrown into a cell after returning to the castle. War King then threw her onto a punishment. He locked her arms with chains and his actions were extremely ruthless.


    Although Tang Xia wanted to break free, she could not get out of this at all.


    War King could not stop himself from laughing coldly. ¡°Alright, stop trying. This thing is specially used to lock up vampires. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely not be able to break out of it. It¡¯ll be useless, even if you¡¯re powerful.¡±


    While saying so, he slowly leaned towards her and took a sniff of her smell. He nodded in satisfaction and his face was full of enjoyment.


    ¡°Hmm¡­a smell full of power!¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but feel disgusted. Although there was nowhere to run to, she still took two steps back. She turned around and looked at her surroundings, trying to see if there was anything she could use to help herself break free of this thing. However, there was nothing at all, which caused her to be disappointed.


    At this moment, without warning at all, War King made a slit across her wrist with a silver dagger. Tang Xia instantly erupted into a scream while struggling to break free. Cold sweat was forming on her forehead.


    When she realized what was going on, War King was greedily receiving her dripping blood with a bowl. The bowl was about to reach its brim.


    Tang Xia felt a little weak and leaned back a little. She could not help but become weak due to a huge loss of blood. Just the day before, she had caused herself to lose lots of blood and she did not drink the blood bag at all. Hence, her body was becoming weaker and weaker.


    With a joyous look on his face, War King held onto the bowl of blood and took a sniff. A blood-heavy smell welcomed him. Tang Xia was disgusted by his look of enjoyment.


    As if he had made a determination, he downed the whole bowl at once. He licked the corners of his lips in satisfaction.


    Tang Xia frowned at his satisfied look. ¡°What a delicacy¡­¡± Just as he finished his words, his face suddenly turned bitter, as if he had just been poisoned.


    Tang Xia was confused as to what just happened, but seeing him suffer, she thought that it was probably a good chance to escape.


    She struggled with all her might to break free, but it was to no avail. Full of frustration, she glared at War King, ¡°Ha! This is karma! What¡¯s the point of tying me up? You might as well just let me go! What a dishonorable elderly! How dare you call yourself a vampire elderly!¡±


    War King was already grabbing onto his stomach due to the overwhelming pain. Hearing her full-fledge scolding, he exploded instantly. He grabbed onto a punishment tool by the side and said harshly, ¡°You¡¯re just an ant! You¡¯re now a prisoner and you still won¡¯t stop! Let me just kill you!¡± While saying so, he lifted the tool and prepared to make the hit.


    Tang Xia never expected him to really want to kill her. At that moment, Katherine suddenly barged into the room, panting heavily. When she opened the door, this was the scene she saw.


    Tang Xia instantly looked at her with great relief. Katherine swallowed her saliva and looked at War King with fear as she said anxiously, ¡°Sir, someone¡¯s looking for Tang Xia.¡±


    While saying so, she looked at Tang Xia, signaling to her to not be too worked up. Tang Xia nodded and remained silent without provoking him.


    War King¡¯s face twitched in pain. He frowned and growled fiercely, ¡°No matter who is it, I¡¯m not letting them see her!¡±


    During then, Katherine was looking at him with a contemplated look. However, War King was already dying from the torture by Tang Xia and his own body.


    Seeing that War King was going to lift up a weapon again, Katherine quickly said, ¡°The person who wants to see her, is the King.¡±

 Chapter 292 - Vampire King

    When the words left Katherine¡¯s mouth, both of them were shocked. Tang Xia felt that it was strange and confusing, while the one with the biggest reaction was War King.


    A tint of fear was added onto his already-painful expression. He quickly realized that there were others around and he quickly kept his expression. He then turned and threw the punishment tool onto the ground.


    ¡°Then you bring her away!¡± He basically said it through his gritted teeth. After this, he turned his back against them. He was extremely unwilling, but he had no choice but to give in.


    Katherine was overjoyed. She looked at Tang Xia and winked cheekily. Tang Xia realized what was going on and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Katherine immediately went forward and used a tool to open up the chains to Tang Xia. She pulled her up and Tang Xia stretched her wrists that now had a red marking on them from the tight grip. The wound from the slit earlier was starting to heal.


    Tang Xia had a solemn realization. Luckily, she was saved by Katherine. Otherwise, under the hands of the agitated War King, if she did not end up dying, she would at least be handicapped.


    Katherine looked towards War King¡¯s fury back view and bowed respectfully, saying, ¡°In that case, War King, we¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    War King was shaking from the pain, but he showed no reaction to her words. Katherine did not wait for a response either and pulled Tang Xia out directly.


    Both of them closed the door quickly and then took a deep breath as if they had just escaped hell¡¯s gates.


    Katherine looked at the wounds on Tang Xia and pitied her. She grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Luckily, the King heard about your powerful performance from earlier and made me come and bring you over. Otherwise, you might really just die here!¡±


    Tang Xia also felt the thrills of surviving a deadly encounter. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I came out perfectly fine!¡±


    As if she suddenly thought of something, she looked at Katherine with a confused look and asked, ¡°The King that you mentioned, why does he want to meet me?¡±


    Katherine caressed her chin and pondered for a second. Judging by her furrowed brows, she herself obviously did not know why either. She turned around and looked at Tang Xia solemnly, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t state the specifics. But I guess it¡¯s because he already knew how special you are. I already told you from the start to not show your powers, but you still did it anyways.¡±


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Tang Xia lowered her head. She was indeed too careless. Katherine wasted no more time and pulled her along towards the King¡¯s residence.


    On the way there, Tang Xia felt that her surroundings were starting to become dimmer but at the same time also more luxurious. The sparkling-gold ornaments were just like the kind of antique decorations one would expect to find in a rich vampire family. On the way there, Tang Xia made all these observations.


    The number of guards also became lesser as they proceeded along. This caused Tang Xia to be confused.


    Not long after, both of them reached. Tang Xia looked up at the doors that were beautifully decorated with gold carvings and could not help but be in awe. She sighed and said, ¡°This is really luxurious.¡±


    Katherine shook her head helplessly and pushed the door open directly. Upon entering, she did not even dare to lift her head up and immediately made a greeting.


    Tang Xia only felt a white light flash before her. The curtains in the room were all drawn. The room felt very luxurious, and it was well-lit by the sunlight and it felt warm.


    Katherine did not dare to go in at all. She took two steps back and nodded at Tang Xia. She then turned and left directly while bringing in the door behind her.


    In this ginormous and luxurious room, there stood a man at the window, looking out at the view downstairs.


    Tang Xia felt that this back view was extremely familiar. She tried to go forward, but just as she was about to, that man slowly turned around while shaking the wine glass in his hand.


    He stared at her full of authority. His gaze was filled with extreme coldness, as if he were born to be a rich and powerful King. However, when Tang Xia saw his face, she felt her heart take a huge plunge and she shivered.


    Because the man standing before her was none other than Chu Tiankuo.


    Dressed in a gentleman suit, he looked very posh. Although he had always looked perfect, it was as if he always got to play the rich and dominant character.


    He walked towards her slowly and stretched out his hand to lift up his chin. He smiled coldly. ¡°Ha, we meet again.¡±


    Tang Xia was unable to digest this whole situation for a long while. Seeing that she was in a daze, Chu Tiankuo frowned.


    With a suppressed anger, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long while, but you¡¯re so evil. You actually bear to kill me so harshly. You really shattered my heart into pieces.¡±


    Tang Xia felt a punch to her heart. She then regained her composure and shoved him away. She looked at him with a sharp glare and spoke solemnly.


    ¡°You only have yourself to blame for what happened last time. You were the one who wanted to destroy the world against all advice. But this time around, you¡¯d better not do all those extra things. Stop trying to help me!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was taken aback. Seeing that her gaze was now filled with fury, he pushed her against the corner of the walls and slammed his palm against the wall. ¡°What did you say? I helped you and you¡¯re not thanking me? I will do whatever I want! Can you stop me?¡±


    Seeing how wanton he was, Tang Xia became even more annoyed. She shoved him away and glared at him.


    ¡°These are my own personal matters. I don¡¯t need you to interfere. I want to win you righteously. Do you know the kind of heated debates I was brought into because of your help?¡±


    The more she said, the more accused she felt. Tang Xia was so pissed that her eyes were turning red. Chu Tiankuo saw that she was about to burst into tears and his heart softened. He wanted to comfort her but did not know how to go about it. He just stood there not knowing what to do.


    At this moment, Tang Xia suddenly realized that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were blue. She immediately grabbed his face.


    ¡°Were you the one who bit me! Your eyes are blue, just like mine! Oh god, I never thought that you were this kind of person!¡±


    Tang Xia already had some opinions towards him, and now that she realized this, all of her good feelings for him vanished immediately. She was so pissed that she turned around immediately, prepared to get out. Chu Tiankuo quickly ran up to her and grabbed her by the elbow.


    ¡°What do you mean by biting you! I¡¯ve never bitten you! What are you thinking about? I will never ever do that to you!¡± Chu Tiankuo was extremely sincere in his words, but in the ears of the furious Tang Xia, it was no use at all.


    She shrugged his hands away and glared at him harshly. She gave him a cold smile and said, ¡°As if I would believe that!¡±


    After saying so, she pushed the door open and prepared to walk out. Chu Tiankuo was also triggered. Looking at her back view, he punched the wall angrily and muttered ¡°Shit!¡±


    Before Tang Xia could take her second step out of the door, a gush of crazy wind came towards her and took her by surprise.


    When she opened her eyes again, War King was laughing sinisterly while looking at her like he was watching ants. He dragged her by the collar and said, ¡°Ha! Young woman, you can¡¯t run away from me this time round!¡±


    Tang Xia struggled to break free, but she could not get out no matter what. At this moment, she wished that a certain someone would come and save her.


    Suddenly, the image of Chu Tiankuo came into her mind, but she rejected the idea instantly. ¡°No, I can¡¯t rely on him anymore!¡± After saying so, she struggled even harder.


    Just as War King was about to leave, he heard footsteps from behind. A stern voice spoke lightly yet firmly, ¡°She¡¯s mine. Where are you bringing her?¡±


    War King was shocked. He turned around and saw Chu Tiankuo staring him sternly. He could not help but shudder in fear. A cold sweat broke out on his back.


    ¡°My¡­my King, I didn¡¯t know that she¡¯s your hostage. But this woman has trampled on my bottom-line several times. I should punish her!¡±


    While saying so, he ran over to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side fearfully like a toady. After he let go of Tang Xia, she looked at him with disgust.


    ¡°Do I need you to punish my people?¡±


    While saying so, he gave him a cold, stern stare. He turned around and looked at Tang Xia. A tint of worry flashed across his eyes and he sighed helplessly. He went up to her and helped her to tidy her clothes. However, he was thanked by a slap on his hands.


    Tang Xia snorted angrily and said, ¡°Stay away from me! I don¡¯t need you to help me! I¡¯ve just said it; you¡¯ve forgotten it already?¡± While saying so, she glanced at War King and turned to leave.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at how she was pushing everyone away and felt his blood boiling. However, he could not do anything to her. He looked towards War King at this side and kicked him over angrily.


    ¡°This is all because of you! You useless piece of sh*t!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo channeled all of his anger onto War king. War King was dumbfounded when beaten up by him, and he felt very accused.


    Tang Xia ignored the pitiful cries and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s angry howls. She ignored them completely and walked back.


    When she returned, she saw Ye Yifan walking back and forth in the room anxiously. Suddenly, Tang Xia felt very sorry for herself, but she did not show them on her face. Upon regaining her composure, she walked over.


    Seeing that she was back, Ye Yifan quickly went up to her to see if she was alright. She felt comforted seeing how worried he was. After confirming that she was fine, he finally heaved a heavy sigh of relief.


    He grabbed her hand and asked anxiously, ¡°Are you alright? Did War King put you on the spot? Oh, I also heard that the King summoned you. He didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, did he?¡±


    Tang Xia forced a smile and twirled around in front of him. She smiled and said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m perfectly fine! Don¡¯t worry, I have special powers; no one can hurt me.¡±


    She then narrated all the things that happened to her. Ye Yifan was also very shocked to find out that the King was Chu Tiankuo.


    Now that he knew what she was feeling right now, he quickly went up to her and pulled her into his embrace. Patting her back gently, he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s all over.¡± Tang Xia nodded, and keeping her head against his chest, she responded with a low ¡®hmm¡¯.

 Chapter 293 - Hacking into the Police Station at Night

    Just when the both of them were still hugging together, Li Xianxian, who had already heard of what happened to Tang Xia, quickly rushed over.


    But when she arrived and saw him hugging her, she flared up instantly, ran up to them and split them up. She glared at Tang Xia furiously and shouted, ¡°Tang Xia, you b*tch! How can you throw yourself onto him so shamelessly!¡±


    Tang Xia was trying to relax herself to stop thinking about those troublesome things, but now that she was pushed aside all of a sudden, her mood became bad again instantly. Looking at how Li Xianxian had her hand resting on her hip, looking confident that she had just caught a ¡®mistress¡¯, Tang Xia found it humorous.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? What do you mean by throwing myself onto him? Look carefully! He was the one that took the initiative to hug me!¡± While saying so, she became annoyed and frowned.


    Standing at a side, Ye Yifan heard how Li Xianxian had wrongly accused Tang Xia and became pissed. He turned to look at Li Xianxian and said firmly, ¡°Xianxian, watch your mouth. How can a woman¡¯s mouth be so dirty? Also, I was the one who initiated the hug; it has nothing to do with Tang Xia.¡±


    Seeing how he was speaking up for her, Tang Xia felt warm in her heart. She snorted at Li Xianxian, ¡°Heard that?¡±


    Li Xianxian was instantly embarrassed. She linked her arm around his flirtatiously and blinked her eyes continuously as if she had just suffered the greatest disadvantage.


    ¡°Yifan! How can you help an outsider! I know your character. Tang Xia must have been acting all pitiful to lure you! Don¡¯t worry, I understand!¡± While saying so, she turned her head and glared at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia felt helpless. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be in the wrong no matter what. But who do you think you are to come and disturb us? His fianc¨¦e? Don¡¯t forget, you guys already called it off.¡±


    Li Xianxian¡¯s face froze immediately and she did not know what to do. She avoided their eyes.


    ¡°So¡­so what!¡± While saying so, she pretended to be weak and wanted to hug Ye Yifan and cry. Meanwhile, Ye Yifan lifted his brow and gently pushed her away and rejected her. Tang Xia smiled as she was very satisfied with his answer.


    Right when both of them were in the midst of a heated argument, War King walked towards them slowly at some point in time. The three of them instantly fell into silence. When Tang Xia saw him, she could not help but take two steps back out of caution.


    On the contrary, War King did not do anything that crossed the line. Even his eyes that looked at Tang Xia were filled with a tint of fear. ¡°There¡¯s a mission today, and you need to go.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. Feeling confused, she lifted her finger and pointed at herself and asked, ¡°You¡¯re talking about me?¡±


    She had just arrived; how could she receive a mission already?


    Meanwhile, War King nodded impatiently. It had to be Tang Xia. He then turned around and look at Li Xianxian tangling herself onto Ye Yifan.


    ¡°And you, as well as Katherine. The three of you come with me.¡± After this, he turned around and left.


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia both sunk into deep thoughts. However, Tang Xia was thinking about how she noticed something amiss about War King¡¯s eyes ¨C it was a little blue in color, like hers and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s.


    At this moment, Ye Yifan pushed Li Xianxian away and walked to Tang Xia. Seeing how serious she was, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you worried about tonight¡¯s mission?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and finally snapped back from her thoughts. She looked at him, smiled, and shook her head in response.


    However, this bothered Li Xianxian. She came up again to get Ye Yifan¡¯s attention, but Tang Xia was indeed tired. She turned around to go back to her room to rest.


    Ye Yifan looked at Li Xianxian and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have a mission tonight. I have to go back now to get some rest.¡±


    Looking at their back view as they left, Li Xianxian stomped her foot angrily, yet she could not do anything.


    Very soon, the sky darkened. Tang Xia and the team got ready and met up with War King. When War King looked at Tang Xia, his eyes darkened. After this, he pretended as if nothing had happened and led them on the way.


    However, Tang Xia managed to notice the difference in his gaze. She could not help but be more alert.


    Very soon, the trio landed beside a police station. Seeing the neighboring police on patrol, Tang Xia complained to War King, ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    War King snorted and said to Tang Xia seriously, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Our mission for tonight is to sneak an attack on the police station. Don¡¯t care about it too much. Your powers aren¡¯t given to you for free. There must be somewhere it can be used.¡±


    After which, he sprang into action, but was pulled back by Tang Xia. War King looked at her annoyedly.


    ¡°What are you trying to do now?¡±


    Seeing how enraged he was, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes darkened. She said in disagreement, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with sneaking an attack on the police station. Why must we fight? Can¡¯t we just leave them alone and not cause trouble?¡±


    Ye Yifan and Katherine also agreed with her. War King¡¯s facial expression looked terrible. He looked at Tang Xia angrily and scolded her.


    ¡°What are you talking about! We are a bunch of prestigious vampires, and yet you¡¯re thinking of letting it go after we¡¯ve been attacked by humans? Don¡¯t you think that is the behavior of a coward?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at him with fire in her eyes. She still wanted to stop him. ¡°What can you do with this satisfaction? Can you eat it? Is your life more important or this sense of satisfaction?¡± After saying this, she glanced at him with disdain.


    Katherine added from aside and War King glared at her in dissatisfaction. Katherine quickly recomposed herself and stole a glance at Tang Xia.


    War King said, ¡°Right now, we are defending the honor of our species. It is not for us. We should make our species proud! Alright, stop bickering. Let¡¯s move quickly!¡±


    While saying so, he led the team to sneak in. Tang Xia stared at his back view and eventually could not help but follow along.


    After all, this was the game¡¯s mission, and she could not get out of it, so she could only follow along. Because it was at night, the police had enforced more security in the guards.


    The four of them snuck into the station sneakily. For some reason, Tang Xia felt embarrassed. War King looked at her seriously and gave his orders. He drew a map on the ground and pointed at four corners.


    ¡°Each of you, go take one spot and take over these four main points. We¡¯ll gather afterwards in the center.¡±


    Tang Xia stared at the map for a long time. She still did not feel that it was right. However, she still nodded and agreed.


    Just when the four of them had finished discussing and were about to start action, a group of people suddenly rushed in and every one of them had a UV gun in their hand. Tang Xia felt that something was terribly wrong and quickly gathered with the rest of them.


    All four of them were flustered. ¡°Oh no, we fell into a trap!¡±


    At this moment, War King suddenly looked at Tang Xia and smiled sinisterly. He turned around, grabbed Katherine¡¯s hand and then flew away with her naturally.


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded. She then realized that she had been tricked by him.


    She turned to Ye Yifan and said sorrowfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve brought this onto you. I should have known that I¡¯m his only target.¡±


    However, Ye Yifan did not mind at all. He nodded and chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thankfully, I¡¯m here. Otherwise, if you¡¯re here alone, you¡¯ll be so helpless.¡± At that instant, the broadcast platform was in chaos, and all Ye-Tang Couple shippers were cheering.


    Tang Xia also did not expect him to say that. She could not help but look at him strangely and feel touched.


    At this moment, someone shouted from behind, ¡°Catch them alive! Don¡¯t kill them!¡± The crowd nodded and kept their UV guns.


    At this moment, everyone ran towards the couple. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia would not hurt humans at all. On the contrary, they were being outnumbered, so it would not be feasible even if they tackled them one by one.


    Not long after, Ye Yifan was caught. Tang Xia looked at him being caught and wanted to go up to save him. However, Ye Yifan shook his head and shouted to her to go.


    ¡°Quickly go! At least one of us can run away!¡±


    Tang Xia was lost. She looked around at the people and did not know what to do. Suddenly, she burst into a scream, which immediately created a gush of mad wind, blurring their eyes. When they finally recovered, Tang Xia was already gone.


    ¡°Quickly chase after her! Don¡¯t let her get away!¡± A bunch of people immediately started chasing after. Ye Yifan heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the bunch of people not far away from him and prayed in his heart that they would not catch her.


    Hearing the shouting from behind, Tang Xia turned into a small path. She could not care less about where she was running to, and she just continued running with no intention to stop.


    Just when she closed her eyes to sprint ahead blindly, she suddenly collided into someone. Both of them lost their balance, but it was the other person that helped her up.


    She felt a little dizzy and when she recovered, she realized that it was Su Yanxun.


    Su Yanxun also did not expect to bump into her here. Just when both of them were still in complete shock and did not know how to react, they suddenly heard a loud cry. Su Yanxun frowned and suddenly realized that Tang Xia was a vampire.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no other choice.¡±


    Tang Xia only heard him apologize and before she knew it, he kissed her directly. She felt a moist sensation on her lips and her mind went blank instantly.


    At this moment, the bunch of police caught up to her and Su Yanxun hid her behind his back.


    When the police saw that it was him, they heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing him making out with a woman, one laughed. ¡°Why are you guys doing this on the streets? We just saw a vampire, you guys better head home to continue.¡±


    Su Yanxun responded with a ¡®hmm¡¯ absent-mindedly and the police stopped caring about them and left to continue their search.


    Su Yanxun only let go of Tang Xia when he no longer heard any sound from behind him. He scratched his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier. I can only think of this method.¡±


    Tang Xia did not take it to heart and smiled to show that she understood. But looking around, she saw that he was alone and could not help but asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡±

 Chapter 294 - Rescue Plan

    Chapter 294 Rescue Plan


    Su Yanxun tidied his clothes and looked at Tang Xia, who looked confused. After pondering for a moment, he laughed. He turned around and pulled her along, saying with a mysterious look on his face, ¡°Let¡¯s not care about all these first. We should quickly find a safe place!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s ears stood up. Hearing the sound of a big bunch of people patrolling around, she realized that he was right, so she nodded and agreed.


    Along the way, Su Yanxun grabbed Tang Xia by the hand. Whenever they encountered someone, he would hide her behind his back. Hence, their whole journey was quite smooth. Just when they were about to get out, Tang Xia suddenly saw Ye Yifan from not far away. He was being held captive by a bunch of people and was about to be thrown into jail. Tang Xia was shocked and stopped dead in her tracks subconsciously.


    Sensing that something was wrong with her, Su Yanxun could not help but frown. He then noticed Ye Yifan. However, just a glance and he could already tell that he was heavily guarded. After that, he said in a solemn tone, ¡°Alright, now is not the time to look at him. We should go now! If you¡¯re caught, you can only suffer with him!¡±


    While saying so, he forced Tang Xia to get moving. Tang Xia had a contemplated look on her face and her tone was filled with unwillingness. ¡°But¡­we can¡¯t just leave him there! We have been tricked. He can¡¯t just die!¡± At this moment, Ye Yifan, who was being pushed into a car far away, suddenly noticed Tang Xia. He froze immediately.


    Both of them stared at each other. Ye Yifan quickly shook his head gently, signaling them to leave now. Luckily, the police did not notice anything and forced him onto the car. At this moment, a policeman casually turned around and noticed Tang Xia standing right there. He shouted immediately, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t run!¡±


    While saying so, he sprang towards her. Su Yanxun¡¯s heart fell. Without saying anything, he grabbed her hand and fled. Tang Xia also got a scare. This time around, she no longer hesitated and started fleeing right away. At this moment, Ye Yifan, who was already in the car, heard the commotion outside and was filled with worry.


    Luckily, Tang Xia had the powers of a vampire and Su Yanxun also had outstanding physical capabilities, which were the only reasons why they managed to escape, leaving the bunch of policemen far behind. They were even worried that it would not be safe enough and ran a few extra rounds before going back to Su Yanxun¡¯s house.


    Tang Xia pushed open the door feeling a little worn out. Although she had ran so many rounds, she was still going strong physically, but just a little bit hungry. After scanning the room closely, she realized that this was just an average-sized rented room. She raised her brow and asked curiously, ¡°You live here?¡±


    Su Yanxun chuckled. Looking around his own room, he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t told you my character, right? I¡¯ve been staying here ever since I entered the game. I realized that I¡¯m a member of the humans¡¯ Navy Seals. Since I might have to report to duty anytime, I rarely get to go home. I didn¡¯t really care about my accommodation.¡±


    Tang Xia finally understood that Su Yanxun actually held an important position among the human race. After tidying up his slightly messy house, he made some space for her to sit. Tang Xia really wanted to tease him, ¡°Are boys¡¯ homes all like this? Is your real-life house also in this state?¡±


    Hearing her question, he avoided her gaze uncomfortably. Tang Xia got the hint and snorted. Su Yanxun felt a little embarrassed and tried to change the topic. He said in a firm voice, ¡°Right now, we should think about how to save Ye Yifan. We need to discuss about it.¡±


    Tang Xia focused and nodded. However, she was suddenly hit by her hunger, which caused her so much pain that she had to place her hands on her stomach. Su Yanxun was shocked. He quickly came up to her and asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you hurt when we were trying to escape?¡±


    She quickly shook her head and fished out a small bottle of the drink from her shirt¡¯s pocket. She twisted the cap open and downed the whole thing. After that, she became refreshed instantly. ¡°Luckily, I came prepared. Otherwise, I won¡¯t have energy to save Ye Yifan.¡± Judging by her energy, Su Yanxun also knew what she just drank and he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Holding onto the drink bottle and analyzing it, Su Yanxun sighed, ¡°This is quite amazing. I kind of regret not picking vampires.¡± While saying so, he sighed and put it down before looking at Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia felt absurd and laughed. ¡°What¡¯s good about being a vampire?¡± She then sat up right and asked, ¡°Do you have any ideas on how to save Ye Yifan?¡±


    Su Yanxun caressed his chin and rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course! Can¡¯t you tell from my identity? Usually, after vampires are caught, they will be sent to a big prison specially catered for them. But it is indeed quite late. The officials would probably only send them there at six to seven a.m.¡±


    Tang Xia paused and looked at the time. It was two a.m. ¡°In that case¡­we still have four more hours?¡± Su Yanxun nodded semi-solemnly and stood up. He turned around to prepare the weapons he would need. On the other hand, Tang Xia was in panic mode.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°Do you think anything would happen to him before he¡¯s sent to the big prison?¡± Su Yanxun¡¯s hand that held onto a weapon froze mid-air. After a moment of silence, he still turned around and replied.


    ¡°It is very likely that he would be used for research. Although the eventual endpoint for everyone thrown into the big prison is for research purpose use, this police station is well-equipped. Often times there are vampires who are used for research purposes before they are thrown into the big prison.¡± The more she heard, the more frantic she became. She jumped up immediately and looked at him determinedly.


    ¡°No! We have to save him now!¡± After that, she tried to walk out of the door. Su Yanxun did not try to stop her. On the contrary, he took out a set of uniform from the cabinet behind him and threw it at her. Upon receiving it, she was full of confusion.


    ¡°You can go, but you must wear it first. You can¡¯t possibly head in there in that outfit. You might as well say, ¡°I¡¯m a vampire, come and catch me!¡± Tang Xia looked at him with gratitude and went to the bathroom to change into his uniform. It was still a little bit bigger, but it looked like it fitted well.


    Out of nowhere, he managed to get a wig for her and even prepared a set of human skin, mask, and beard. Looking at Tang Xia, who had undergone his transformation, he nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. Luckily, our team often had to carry out different missions, so we had to transform ourselves pretty often.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at the mirror curiously and realized that she seemed like a completely different person. She was like a young man that was shorter than Su Yanxun just a little. ¡°This is great! Our plan should go well!¡±


    Su Yanxun nodded and get himself prepared. He handed her the gun in his hand. ¡°For extreme situations.¡± Tang Xia received with gratitude. After the duo got ready, they left right away without saying anything else.


    They arrived at the police station very quickly. The policemen had been searching around to no avail and had given up. Most of them went to rest and only a handful were still patrolling around. Even so, the station was still heavily guarded. After all, vampires worked at night.


    Su Yanxun made sure she stayed behind him. Tang Xia pretended to be his little sidekick and walked behind him. When the guard saw them, Su Yanxun flashed his identification. The guard immediately lowered his head and bend forward slightly while allowing them in. Tang Xia managed to get in without showing any identification.


    Along the way, there would be people who recognized Su Yanxun that would come and say hi. At this moment, a man looked at Tang Xia and asked curiously, ¡°Yanxun, is that a newbie behind you? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡± Tang Xia tensed up immediately and held onto her gun tightly.


    Su Yanxun remained calm and smiled. He patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Yea, he just came a few days ago, of course, you wouldn¡¯t know him. Alright, not the time for catch-up. I¡¯m going in to take a look.¡± After that, he prepared to leave. However, that man insisted on taking a look. Just when his hand almost touched Tang Xia¡¯s cheek, someone from behind suddenly called him.Updates by vi p novel


    ¡°What are you doing over there! Why aren¡¯t you coming! What happened to drinking thru¡¯ the night!¡± That man was startled and quickly responded that he was coming right away. He turned his head and glanced at Tang Xia again. He left eventually.


    Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Su Yanxun was perfectly fine. He was very confident with his makeup skills. He led her into the place where Ye Yifan was being held captive. It was a small place that looked like a hospital. It was probably a small-scale lab that they had set up. Tang Xia followed behind him carefully.


    Earlier on when Su Yanxun was having a chat with someone else, he made use of the physical contact to steal his identity card, which he then directly used to enter. It was a smooth-sailing ride. He lowered his head and said to her, ¡°Walk in front of me. There¡¯s CCTV here. I¡¯m afraid of being recognized.¡± Tang Xia nodded and stood in front of him to block him.


    Very soon, they arrived at Ye Yifan¡¯s research lab. She saw unhealed wounds on his body cut open by scalpel and he looked like he was on the brink of death with blood all over his body. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes bulged open. She observed her surroundings and realized that there was no one inside at all. She looked at Su Yanxun in confusion.


    ¡°They must have gone to rest. It¡¯s already four-thirty a.m., let¡¯s bring him away quickly. We only have one hour.¡± Tang Xia nodded. She did not realize that they had wasted so much time earlier. She went up and broke the chain to Ye Yifan¡¯s arm apart to let him down.


    When Ye Yifan saw a stranger out of the corner of his eye, he was shocked and wanted to back up. Tang Xia quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Tang Xia!¡± Ye Yifan then realized what was going on. Su Yanxun quickly took out a set of uniform from his backpack.


    ¡°Quickly change into this. We don¡¯t have much time!¡± Ye Yifan smiled at the two with gratitude. After that, he quickly took off his clothes and changed. Not long after, the trio was prepared to head out.

 Chapter 295 - Assassinating War King

    Chapter 295 Assassinating War King


    At this time, the alarm rang suddenly. It was the person in the monitoring room who suddenly found someone hijacking. Seeing that Tang Xia was at a loss because of panic, Su Yanxun calmly patted her on the shoulder. Then the three of them calmly walked out before the police came.


    As soon as the three of them walked out of the research room, a group of people rushed towards the research room and surrounded it directly. When Tang Xia patted her chest in fear, suddenly, the alarm sounded in the whole police station. Sensing Tang Xia¡¯s confused gaze, Su Yanxun frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s the alarm to block the whole police station. It¡¯s not good news, and we must get out quickly!¡±


    Tang Xia admired Su Yanxun so much when seeing him find a car, break the glass, open the door, and let the two of them get into the car. Then, Su Yanxun began to study the lines, rubbed them for a while, and the car started, which made the other two admire him even more.


    Without hesitation, Su Yanxun drove to the outside at a high speed and directly hit the gate that was to be closed. A group of people came after them, shouting to catch them, but they quickly disappeared out of their sight.


    After sighing with relief, Tang Xia calmed down and smiled at Su Yanxun, saying, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to do this!¡± As she said, she looked in the rearview mirror and pulled off her head cover and human-skin mask, and then took off the suit used for camouflage, leaving her own clothes. At last, she rubbed her hair to maintain her good image.


    Su Yanxun smiled a little sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve learned this in the previous live broadcast. It was also my fault that I forgot to prepare a car for us. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t forget the skill.¡± Though Ye Yifan didn¡¯t say anything, he admired Su Yanxun too, and now he was taking off his coat, leaving a shirt stained with blood.


    At this time, Su Yanxun suddenly became serious and looked at Tang Xia hesitantly. ¡°What¡¯s up? What do you want to say?¡± Tang Xia was confused, and Ye Yifan also looked at Su Yanxun curiously.


    ¡°I¡­ Can I go to the castle of the vampires with you? I have one thing to do there.¡± Su Yanxun¡¯s words surprised Tang Xia. Turning around to exchange a look with Ye Yifan, Tang Xia thought for a long time while keeping touching her chin, but she still couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Why do you want to go to our zone? Don¡¯t you know that as a human being, you are like a sheep going into a tiger¡¯s mouth?¡± Su Yanxun replied her with a hearty smile and an indifferent expression.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Since I put forward this request, it means that I¡¯ve been prepared for it for a long time. I¡¯ll be safe, and you can rest assured. This is a must for me and no one can stop me.¡± Knowing that she couldn¡¯t persuade Su Yanxun since he had made up his mind, Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan for his opinion, who finally nodded his head.


    ¡°OK, but remember to stay with me when you get there; otherwise I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡± Su Yanxun quickly nodded his head and gave Tang Xia a grateful look. After that, the three of them chatted all the way to the castle and soon arrived.


    Seeing that it was almost dawn, Ye Yifan rushed into the castle, leaving Tang Xia, who was not afraid of the sun, walking calmly with Su Yanxun. As soon as they entered the castle, they saw two gatekeepers looking at them in astonishment as if they were frightening ghosts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tang Xia asked confusedly.


    The two gatekeepers hesitated for a while and replied, ¡°War King just announced that you were arrested by the human police¡­ We didn¡¯t expect you to come back so soon. We thought¡­¡± ¡°We thought you would never come back.¡±


    Tang Xia seemed to be amused by the two gatekeepers, but there was another emotion in her smiling eyes. At the same time, she clenched her fist. Ye Yifan hurriedly came forward to hold her hand and shook his head while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, because you are not strong enough to defeat him. Now even if you are bullied by them, you can only endure it.¡±


    Although Tang Xia was angry, she couldn¡¯t do anything but smash her fist on a nearby column. Neither Tang Xia nor Ye Yifan noticed that at the moment, Su Yanxun behind them showed a cold expression. The two guards on one side noticed the stranger and asked in curiosity, ¡°Who is he?¡± Tang Xia was stunned and didn¡¯t know how to explain it.Updates by vi p novel


    At this time, a gust of wind suddenly blew around them, and Tang Xia knew that War King was coming. Sure enough, War King suddenly appeared in front of them with a look of astonishment. But he soon calmed down and gave Tang Xia a fierce look before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to escape from there and come back by yourself!¡±


    Tang Xia was very angry and wanted to kill him immediately, but she was tightly held by Ye Yifan, so she tried to suppress her emotions and restrain herself from doing anything crazy.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, War King! But don¡¯t you feel ashamed? It was you who took us to do the task, but when you were spotted, you ran directly and left the two of us behind. It¡¯s shameful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    War King twitched his lips and felt a bit embarrassed, but he soon became more serious, and the pressure he released immediately strengthened. Tang Xia couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows, saying, ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you want to fight with me? What an in-time suggestion. I¡¯m itching for a fight. How about we do some ¡®exercise¡¯?¡±


    Ye Yifan and the two guards thought that Tang Xia was crazy. They all remembered how Tang Xia was tied up by War King and brought into the castle.


    When the war between the two was on the verge of breaking out, suddenly, a voice of surprise came from the second floor, ¡°Tang Xia! Ye Yifan! You are back!¡± As she said that, she rushed towards them without noticing the tension on their side. Katherine¡¯s arrival calmed Tang Xia down.


    Only when Catherine came near did she notice War King, and she felt embarrassed for a moment. Not knowing what to say, Katherine lowered her head and said hello to War King in a respectful way, who turned to look at Tang Xia and said, ¡°I spare your life this time, but you can¡¯t be always lucky. Next time, I¡¯ll show you no mercy.¡±


    It took Tang Xia great strength to keep herself from fighting back with words. When War King was about to leave with Katherine, and everyone, except Su Yanxun, though it was over, they heard Su Yanxun say indifferently, ¡°Why do you leave so soon? You don¡¯t have to wait for the next time!¡±


    While saying like this, Su Yanxun rushed at War King without hesitation, which stunned all the others present. Until this moment did Katherine spot Su Yanxun, who took out his ultraviolet gun and shot at War King.


    However, War King reacted fast. He just froze for two seconds before moving to dodge most of the bullets. Though a bullet still scratched his skin, leaving a burn wound, it was not so tragic for him.


    Tang Xia looked at War King in surprise, and found that his eyes were as blue as hers but not as scarlet as before on the battlefield. ¡°Be careful! There¡¯s something wrong with him now!¡± Tang Xia was a little frightened. Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Su Yanxun began attacking War King more fiercely, but the speed of his rival became faster and faster, and even the bullets couldn¡¯t catch up with him.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Su Yanxun scolded in his mind, finding that his bullets were almost gone. He decided to fight hand-to-hand, but was soon caught and pressed on the ground by War King after a few moves. Tang Xia was shocked, and then she heard War King laughing sardonically.


    ¡°How dare you challenge me as a human being? It¡¯s so funny! Don¡¯t you know that it is beyond your ability? Thank you for sending me fresh blood and saving my time, so I don¡¯t have to bother to catch other human beings. I won¡¯t kill you now. I want to play with you!¡± After that, War King began to beat Su Yanxun on the ground, who struggled hard but could not resist at all.


    Tang Xia was astonished and didn¡¯t care about anything else. She shook off Ye Yifan¡¯s hands, rushed towards the two on the ground, and pushed War King away, who was taken by surprise and staggered a few steps. Taking this opportunity, Tang Xia hurriedly helped Su Yanxun up and found that he was covered with blood. Besides, Su Yanxun was so soft and weak that he obviously had multiple fractures.Updates by vi p novel


    Tang Xia turned her head and stared angrily at War King, but the latter still looked indifferent. At this moment, a sharp sneer resounded throughout the hall. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s quite lively downstairs!¡± They saw Li Xianxian slowly walk downstairs in high heels. Li Xianxian sensed the tense atmosphere and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    She was happy to see more and more people offended by Tang Xia, so she didn¡¯t want to stop the fight. It surprised her when she saw Su Yanxun, who was half dead, but it was Ye Yifan¡¯s blood suit that shocked her the most. Rushing towards Ye Yifan, Li Xianxian shouted, ¡°What happened to you? Who hurt you?¡± Obviously, she didn¡¯t know what War King had done.


    While Ye Yifan ignored Li Xianxian, both Tang Xia and War King were not bothered by her, either. With a gust of wind, the two of them soon got into a fight. Though Tang Xia was not proficient enough, her strength was much stronger than that of War King, and she took this fight much more seriously than the previous one. Therefore, she soon turned the tables on War King.


    Finding that Ye Yifan had been watching Tang Xia all the time, Li Xianxian was extremely jealous. Seeing that Tang Xia and War King were in a fierce fight, Li Xianxian despised the weak War King even more. When War King was about to lose, Li Xianxian looked around and found Su Yanxun on the ground, and then she sneered.


    When Li Xianxian was approaching Su Yanxun slowly, both Ye Yifan and Katherine, who were watching the fight, didn¡¯t notice it. When Tang Xia was about to make a critical move, she heard Li Xianxian laughing and suddenly stopped.


    Li Xianxian caught Su Yanxun by the neck and looked at Tang Xia viciously, saying, ¡°Tang Xia, I advise you not to act rashly now, or I will break his neck!¡±


    Tang Xia stared at Li Xianxian with bulged eyes and shouted, ¡°Li Xianxian!¡± Looking at Li Xianxian, War King sighed with relief. He slowly stood up, brushed the dust on his clothes, and looked at Tang Xia with a sneer.


    ¡°Well, lock her up!¡±

 Chapter 296 - Caught in the Act

    Chapter 296 Caught in the Act


    Forced by her situation, Tang Xia could only give up struggling, since she could not just let Su Yanxun die when he was already on the brink of death. Two people went up to her and got hold of her.


    Ye Yifan wanted to save her but Katherine held him back tightly. He could only watch Tang Xia getting taken away by War King. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly! You can I combined cannot win War King!¡±


    Li Xianxian had no interest in Su Yanxun¡¯s life or death. After letting go of him, she wiped away the blood on her hand with a face of disgust.


    The more Ye Yifan looked at Li Xianxian, the angrier he was. He dashed towards her and grabbed her shirt. ¡°Li Xianxian, what do you want exactly!¡±


    However, the unflustered Li Xianxian started laughing and blinked her eyes as if she was being wronged. ¡°Yifan, have you forgotten that this is a game? You and I are in different teams. We only have one goal, and that is to win. There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Ye Yifan was speechless. He knew that what she said made sense. Katherine quickly went up to help Su Yanxun up. ¡°Alright, stop bickering. What¡¯s more important is to save Su Yanxun. Come and give a hand!¡± The helpless Ye Yifan could only let go of Li Xianxian and went to take care of Su Yanxun.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia was thrown into jail after being captured. Judging by the thick rusty and bloody smell around her, this place had probably been used to keep vampires who have done something wrong over the years. She frowned in disgust. She could not even find a place to sit.


    ¡°Make sure you watch after her carefully and don¡¯t let her escape, understand! I¡¯ll come and look for her later!¡± War King looked at Tang Xia in a sneer as he ordered the two guards who quickly nodded obsequiously. Seeing them walk out, Tang Xia squatted down out of exhaustion.


    However, not long after, she suddenly heard a hissing sound from the door. Having very sharp ears, Tang Xia stood up immediately. Indeed, she saw someone sneakily wearing a long robe and using a hat to cover her face. Tang Xia took two steps back in caution. The person got close to her and took off her hat. Tang Xia froze and immediately looked at the person in great shock.


    ¡°Jiang Yu! Why are you here!¡± Indeed, the person was Jiang Yu. Out of fluster, she motioned for Tang Xia to lower her volume. Tang Xia got the cue and did so. Jiang Yu looked at her with a face full of worry. She grabbed her hands and sighed.


    ¡°I came to visit you secretly. I¡¯m in the same team as War King, but now he wants to rebel! There is already widespread chaos outside, I took advantage of it to sneak in and find you. Are you alright? I heard you got in a fight with War King.¡± While saying so, she ran her hands over Tang Xia to see if she had any wounds or anything like that.


    However, Tang Xia did not have any wounds at all, which confused Jiang Yu. Tang Xia could tell by her gaze and said a little helplessly, ¡°Nothing happened to me, but Su Yanxun is almost half-dead after beaten up by War King. I could not take it anymore and end up in a fight with him. In the end, Li Xianxian came to interfere. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be caught by him.¡±


    Jiang Yu also felt shocked. She never expected Tang Xia to already be at the level to fight with War King. ¡°But right now, War King is very ambitious, we all have to be careful. He is already at the stage where he wants to take over the King¡¯s position! He is really unstoppable now.¡±


    Tang Xia saw that she was feeling a little put to the spot and quickly grabbed her hand and plead anxiously, ¡°Jiang Yu, will you please let me out! The world outside needs me, I shouldn¡¯t be trapped here!¡±Access v ip novel. com


    Jiang Yu looked at her and thought about it for a moment. She herself had come here secretly, if she got caught¡­eventually, she still decided to open the door for her. But just at that critical moment, the door behind them was opened with a loud ¡®Boom!¡¯. Both of them froze. They then heard Li Xianxian¡¯s scornful voice, ¡°Well, well, well! I was wondering who it was! It¡¯s Elder Jiang Yu, what are you doing here?¡±


    War King followed closely after Li Xianxian. Seeing that things were not right, Jiang Yu rolled her eyes and her tone became cold again. ¡°I¡¯m just here to take a look at this newbie vampire who apparently could fight with War King.¡± While saying so, she tidied her outfit and side-glanced at Tang Xia.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m done, I shall get going. I shan¡¯t disturb you all.¡± While saying so, she made her way out. Tang Xia watched silently from a side and dared not make a sound. However, Li Xianxian laughed and stretched out her hand to stop her.


    ¡°Do you think anyone will believe in your bullshit? Just now, we heard clearly from the door what you two were talking about. You want to get her out! Come, lock her up!¡± At the end of her sentence, two men came in and suppressed Jiang Yu. Why would Jiang Yu just give up? She turned around and kicked them away.


    Behind them, War King suddenly laughed coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t know your boundaries.¡± After which, he dashed forward and grabbed Jiang Yu by her neck. After all, she was not a match for him. She struggled profusely but it was to no avail at all. Just like that, she was thrown into the empty cell next to Tang Xia¡¯s.


    Jiang Yu was flustered. She scolded them furiously, ¡°You two are slandering me, what evidence do you have? How dare you lock me up!¡± Li Xianxian found it funny and looked towards the two guards.


    ¡°Both of them notified me immediately when they saw you. Otherwise, could we have come on time? Right now, both of us are the most powerful in the castle, yet you want to talk about righteousness? Ha! Stay put!¡± After saying these, standing beside Li Xianxian, War King shoved her aside looking impatient.


    ¡°Alright, enough said. It¡¯s my turn to taste!¡± Tang Xia felt a gush of wind and quickly covered her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that the lock on her cell had been blown open. She looked beside her in shock and felt something sucking her away. Her neck tightened. Somehow, War king was strangling her neck.


    She looked at him in fear, yet he started smiling coldly. ¡°Hahaha, nice gaze you have there. Weren¡¯t you being arrogant just two days ago? Why am I seeing panic in your eyes?¡± Standing at a side, Li Xianxian was also very pleased. As long as Tang Xia was doomed, she was extremely happy.


    Without waiting for her to struggle, he took a big bite on her neck. She first felt a wave of spasm, as if her body was being emptied instantly. She felt an obvious loss of blood from her body. She struggled to fight, but it was like an ant trying to fight an elephant ¨C it was useless.


    Tang Xia stretched out her hand, wanting to push him away. However, the faint blue in War King¡¯s eyes became darker. It sparkled faintly, as if he had gained some power. Although Tang Xia looked at him in shock, she felt more of the weakness from her life being sucked away.


    Although War King was suffering while sucking her blood, like how he was poisoned when sucking blood the previous time, but it was all worth the pain. It was like he was drinking some stimulant, he was suffering happily. Li Xianxian was a little curious, but she did not have the desire to suck her blood. On the contrary, she was a little disgusted.


    ¡°Help¡­me¡­¡±Tang Xia¡¯s struggles became weaker. The blue in her eyes became fainter. Her voice faded. In another cell, Jiang Yu was also frantically trying to break free to save her. However, the cell was made using a material that vampires could not break. It was useless at all.


    There was not a single person in the room who could help her. Tang Xia also felt more despair. Just as she was about to give up, War King suddenly stumbled and fell onto the ground. Tang Xia was shocked. Her eyes were blurry, she was already so weak that she could not see clearly what was in front of her. At that moment, she lost her balance and almost fell onto the ground.


    She struggled to lift her hand and wipe her eyes. She lifted her head in fluster to look at what was going on. All she saw was War King being stepped upon by someone and had no means to fight back. Meanwhile, Li Xianxian was kneeling on the ground in fear while looking at this person. Tang Xia struggled to lift her head to look over and she saw Chu Tiankuo smiling at her sinisterly. Yet, the tone in his voice had a tint of anger. ¡°What now? Do you still want me to help?¡±Access v ip novel. com


    Seeing that the person was Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia was overjoyed, but she felt more guilt. Seeing Chu Tiankuo frowning while standing there, struggling to support his body, she knew that War King had sucked a good amount of her blood already. Besides, she probably did not have enough energy to continue on. Yet, her gaze was still so stubborn.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t need it!¡± Hearing that, Chu Tiankuo suddenly clenched his fists tightly. The gaze that looked at her grew deeper. He could tell that she was losing her life slowly. If she did not get blood infused into her body soon, she would die. Although his heart ached terribly, he was still angry at how she would rather die than accept his help.


    ¡±Are you sure? Even when you can just end the game anytime? Just say something nice to me and I¡¯ll clear all obstacles for you. Even so, you¡¯re not willing?¡± However, Tang Xia¡¯s consciousness was about to be consumed by her body breaking down. She almost could not hear clearly what he was saying.


    Feeling blurry, she felt the scene before her eyes turning white. However, she still waved her hand subconsciously. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s powerful aura suddenly became more intense. Li Xianxian shuddered uncontrollably. She stepped back to avoid getting blood on herself. Meanwhile, War King dared not move under Chu Tiankuo¡¯s feet.


    Chu Tiankuo smiled coldly and looked down at War King before lifting his feet and letting him go. War King was shocked and feeling grateful to be alive, he heaved a sigh of relief. Chu Tiankuo left right away without saying another word.

 Chapter 297 - Getting Rid of War King

    Chapter 297 Getting Rid of War King


    Li Xianxian also heaved a sigh of relief. Jiang Yu, who was locked up beside Tang Xia, suddenly shouted with many struggles, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you can¡¯t do this! Tang Xia is going to die!¡± Seeing that Tang Xia was about to lose consciousness, War King stood up and laughed out loud. He stepped forward and lifted Tang Xia¡¯s chin.


    ¡°Do you know what this is teaching you? You can¡¯t live according to your own accord. So what if you are the Prince? You still end up in my hands! Hahaha, if I suck away all of your remaining blood, even the Prince can¡¯t do anything to me!¡± While saying this, he shouted at the sky excitedly. Suddenly, he turned around like a lunatic, wanting to bite Tang Xia again.


    All of a sudden, he felt a black shadow flash across him. War King was startled. He saw Chu Tiankuo standing in front of him, looking at him coldly, as if he was looking at something dead. He suddenly sneered and said, ¡°What? I heard it loud and clear just now. You¡¯re trying to replace me?¡±


    War King¡¯s eyes flickered and he pondered for a moment. His body had just absorbed Tang Xia¡¯s blood, but it was still not very stable. Moreover, his body was still in pain before his blood merged with hers. If he fought with Chu Tiankuo now, he might not gain the upper hand.


    His expression changed instantly and he said with a flatteringly, ¡°Haha, Your Highness, you must be hallucinating. How could I say something so disrespectful?¡± He quickly took two steps back as he spoke.


    However, Chu Tiankuo raised his eyebrows with much meaning. His whole face was filled with the look of disbelief. At this moment, behind him, Tang Xia struggled for a short while and eventually lost all her strength and fell down, almost hitting the ground.


    Chu Tiankuo was shocked and quickly turned around to hold her in his arms. He held her by her waist gently and felt that her body was as light as a piece of cotton. He could not feel her vitality at all. At this moment, Chu Tiankuo finally panicked and his grip became tighter. ¡°Tang Xia! Are you alright?¡±


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s mind was so blank that she did not have the strength to speak at all. Chu Tiankuo instantly cast a furious glare at War King before giving him a kick that made him kneel on the ground.


    War King was so flustered and when he was about to say something, Chu Tiankuo grabbed his hand and make a slit across an artery on his wrist with great force. Blood gushed out instantly. War King let out a deathly shriek. He tried to break free, but Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand was like steel and iron, it did not budge at all.


    Chu Tiankuo grabbed War King¡¯s wrist with one hand and held Tang Xia gently in his other arm. He comforted her softly with a tint of gentleness that he had never noticed before, ¡°Come, Tang Xia, drink his blood first, otherwise, you might easily lose your life!¡± Among the blurriness, Tang Xia heard what he said, but she still shook her head in disgust and refused to drink it no matter what he said.


    Chu Tiankuo instantly did not know what to do. She was obviously already dying, but she still held on so strongly to her grudge. He looked around but could not find the drink he heard the new vampires made. Suddenly, an idea flashed across his mind and he slit his own wrist without hesitation. Instantly, lots of blood came gushing out.


    He did not even frown a single bit and placed his wrist by her mouth. Tang Xia suddenly smelled something that attracted her and she leaned forward uncontrollably to lick his wrist and suck his blood gently. Li Xianxian and Jiang Yu watched the scene unfold before them in amazement.


    War King¡¯s wound healed quickly. Seeing Chu Tiankuo focusing on attending to Tang Xia, he planned to secretly sneak out. Li Xianxian also quickly went into hiding and made herself un-present. Just when War King was about to successfully sneak out, Chu Tiankuo suddenly looked up at him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    His voice was icy-cold with not a trace of warmth. Even though he was starting to become weak due to Tang Xia sucking his blood, he was still energetic. War King froze for a moment and dashed out without looking back. Chu Tiankuo was just about to chase after him when Tang Xia, who was still in his arms, suddenly whined. The color in her cheeks were returning after sucking his blood.


    When she opened her eyes and saw Chu Tiankuo looking at her worriedly, her face turned red instantly. She then thought of how he had offered to help when she was on the verge of dying and she became flustered. She quickly got up from his arms. Chu Tiankuo raised his brows angrily. ¡°What now? You finished using me and now you¡¯re throwing me away?¡±


    Tang Xia did not know what to say. Just when they were caught in that awkward moment, Jiang Yu said anxiously from aside, ¡°War King has gotten away, now is not the time to flirt around!¡± Tang Xia got a shock and quickly went to release Jiang Yu. Chu Tiankuo also frowned sternly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s just an ant. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± After which, he turned to Tang Xia and said worriedly, ¡°You better rest up now. Leave the rest to me.¡± Even though Tang Xia had taken in his blood, she was still weak. After all, she had a really close shave with death.


    Tang Xia replied with a ¡®hmm¡¯ uncomfortably. Chu Tiankuo then walked out leisurely. When the two girls turned to look, he was already gone like the wind. Chu Tiankuo was the King after all. His power was without a doubt several times higher than War King.


    War King returned to his room right away to digest the newly-injected blood. After so, he tried out its effects easily. He felt filled with power. At this moment, Chu Tiankuo came looking for him.


    War King burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you now! The King¡¯s position is reserved for one that has power! I¡¯ve now gained a strong power; I don¡¯t need to live for the sake of living anymore!¡±Access v ip novel. com


    After which, he dashed towards Chu Tiankuo and started the fight without saying a word. Chu Tiankuo snorted and just stood rooted to the ground, not doing anything. ¡°You don¡¯t know your boundaries.¡±


    He looked at War King charging towards him. War King had indeed become very powerful after taking in Tang Xia¡¯s blood and he was able to control this power even better. However, he was still unable to cause any threat to Chu Tiankuo. He managed to stop War King with just two moves.


    Chu Tiankuo broke his limbs right away. At this moment, a bunch of people barged in and bowed towards Chu Tiankuo respectfully. ¡°Arrest him and take him to the execution ground!¡± Hearing the order, the guards took him away immediately.


    Meanwhile, after getting Jiang Yu out, Tang Xia heard that Chu Tiankuo had captured War King and was going to kill him himself. Jiang Yu quickly dragged her there. When they arrived, they saw that the place was filled with vampires. Not far from them, they saw Ye Yifan and Katherine. Because they were too far away, they did not manage to greet them.


    The execution ground was very huge, it was a round structure, like a Roman execution ground. The half-dead War King was tied to a pillar. Tang Xia could not help but be amazed by how powerful Chu Tiankuo was to suppress War King to the extent that he could not fight back. She turned around and looked at the main position. Coincidentally, Chu Tiankuo also noticed her. Both of them met each other in the eyes instantly.


    Chu Tiankuo glared at her with great dissatisfaction and mouthed the words, ¡°Go back! Rest up!¡± Tang Xia pretended not to see him and turned her head to the other side. Chu Tiankuo was a little annoyed and he took in a deep breath helplessly. Feeling pissed, he could only turn around and pass the order, ¡°Time¡¯s up, execute!¡±


    The guard nodded and passed the order down immediately. The executioner looked at Chu Tiankuo from the opposite side and after the latter gave a gesture, he launched the mechanism.


    Suddenly, a hole appeared in the pillar above. With a loud ¡®Boom!¡¯, the sun shone in. In the blink of an eye, War King¡¯s face twitched in pain. Then, with a loud roar, he vanished completely, leaving behind the chain falling to the ground.


    In that instant, the venue turned silent. Everyone was terrified. Chu Tiankuo stood up slowly from his main seat and he announced to the audience loudly, ¡°If anyone has evil intentions to rebel, this shall be your outcome. Don¡¯t blame me. I¡¯m sure everyone has witnessed it for yourself!¡±


    Everyone quickly knelt down in fear and chanted, ¡°Long live the King!¡± Chu Tiankuo looked down at the people below the stage arrogantly and turned around to leave with a cold attitude. The people who were left behind were in utter shock. Tang Xia also had fear lingering in her heart. However, despite watching it with her own eyes, the resentment in her heart towards War King was not cleared completely.Access v ip novel. com


    Jiang Yu also heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Tang Xia¡¯s relaxed face. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet up with Ye Yifan and the rest, shall we?¡± Tang Xia nodded and they set off to find Ye Yifan and Katherine. When Ye Yifan saw Tang Xia, he ran towards her immediately. Feeling horrified, he examined her from head to toe. Tang Xia herself was still feeling a little weak, she felt a little dizzy being pushed around by him.


    ¡°Are you alright? Did anything happen to you when you were taken away by War King?¡± Standing beside her, Jiang Yu sighed and told him all that had happened. While lingering in shock, Ye Yifan was also glad that Tang Xia was fine. He quickly patted his chest with lingering fear. The few of them decided to leave the venue first and continue their discussion elsewhere.


    When they arrived at the hall, they saw Chu Tiankuo standing there waiting for Tang Xia. As soon as he saw them coming, he walked over slowly and looked at Tang Xia. Ignoring Ye Yifan, he said gently, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room. I have something to tell you.¡± Then, he took Tang Xia by her hand and wanted to take her away.


    Ye Yifan immediately went up to stop him. He scowled, ¡°Stay away from Tang Xia. She only became this unlucky after she met you. Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused her?¡±


    Hearing what he said, Chu Tiankuo shoved him away directly. Ye Yifan covered his chest in pain. He heard Chu Tiankuo scowling angrily, ¡°You¡¯re going against the rules! When have I given you permission to interrupt me?¡± At this moment, a few elders came up and pull Ye Yifan away.


    Feeling his world becoming quiet, Chu Tiankuo continued to pull Tang Xia towards his room. He closed the door upon entering. Tang Xia thought about what just happened and after hesitating for a moment, she blurted out eventually, ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 298 - Signs of Conspiracy

    Chapter 298 Signs of Conspiracy


    It was rare for Chu Tiankuo to see Tang Xia talking to him so calmly and peacefully. He became interested and raised his brows. He walked up to her slowly. Tang Xia was vigilant and took two steps back. Chu Tiankuo reached out his hand slowly and Tang Xia quickly closed her eyes. However, nothing happened. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the indifferent look on his face.


    ¡°What? Am I a jackal, wolf, tiger, or panther trying to eat you? Why are you so nervous?¡± Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone was obviously filled with dissatisfaction. Tang Xia smiled embarrassedly. She also saw a tint of disappointment flash across his eyes. She felt even more guilty to him.


    ¡°No, I was just scared by the War King. It has nothing to do with you. Didn¡¯t I just thank you? Now that you¡¯re no longer crazy, of course, I won¡¯t treat you like a jackal, wolf, tiger or panther.¡± While saying so, she suddenly felt her body becoming weak and her vision turning blurry. She almost fell over. Chu Tiankuo got a shock and quickly caught her in his arms. He carried her diagonally and placed her gently on the sofa.


    Tang Xia let out a gasp in surprise. She had never seen him being so gentle. The small tint of anger in her heart was erased completely. Chu Tiankuo said annoyedly in a deep voice, ¡°I told you to go back and have a good rest, but you didn¡¯t listen. Do you know that you just had a close shave with death!¡±


    She lowered her head like a child admitting her mistake. She could only reply with ¡°hmm¡±s and ¡°ah¡±s. Chu Tiankuo also did not know what to do with her, which seemed to always be the case. He could only say helplessly, ¡°Alright, as you wish, I will not help you in the future. In this game, you are the only one you can rely on.¡±


    After saying so, he turned around and looked out of the window, pretending that he was not going to hear what she was going to say next. Tang Xia felt grateful to him and said with a smile, ¡°I know that you have always been good to me and you have no bad intentions, so I¡¯m accepting you as my friend. Don¡¯t worry, I will work harder in the future.¡±


    However, Chu Tiankuo did not make any sound at all and continued to look out of the window as if he did not hear her. Seeing him acting like this, Tang Xia knew very well that he did not want anyone to disturb him. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Seeing that he still had no answer, she pushed the door open and went out directly.


    Hearing the sound of the door behind him closing, Chu Tiankuo then turned his head around slowly. His gaze was deep and desolate, which Tang Xia had never seen before. He could not help but murmur, ¡°Just¡­ friends¡­ha.¡±


    Meanwhile, when Chu Tiankuo dragged Tang Xia away, Ye Yifan was released by the elders. Ye Yifan quickly went to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s door to wait for her. As soon as Tang Xia came out, he immediately went up to her. He was shocked by how weak she looked. He became so angry instantly and wanted to rush into Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room immediately. Tang Xia was startled and quickly stopped him. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Ye Yifan forced himself to suppress his anger and asked in a low voice, ¡°What did Chu Tiankuo do to you? Why are you so weak?¡± Tang Xia finally understood that he had misunderstood the situation. Feeling slightly exhausted, she sighed and rested all her strength on him.


    ¡°Nothing, we just had a chat. I made him promise me not to help me anymore and stuff like that.¡± Ye Yifan did not believe her completely. He looked at her and was about to say something when Tang Xia quickly continued to explain.


    ¡°I¡¯m weak because of the War King, not him. He was the one that saved me from having my blood completely sucked away.¡± Hearing her explanation, Ye Yifan finally believed her. Although he did not like Chu Tiankuo, he knew that Chu Tiankuo would definitely not tolerate seeing Tang Xia being hurt.


    Ye Yifan helped Tang Xia back to her room. However, just as they started to walk back, they bumped into Li Xianxian. Tang Xia frowned a little annoyedly. Just as she was about to make a detour, Li Xianxian stopped them and said, ¡°Tang Xia! Don¡¯t go!¡±


    Tang Xia ignored her and asked Ye Yifan to quickly take her away. Ye Yifan also did not like Li Xianxian that much now. The scene of her strangling Su Yanxun¡¯s neck and forcing Tang Xia to surrender was still vivid in his memory. However, Li Xianxian was determined to catch up with Tang Xia. She could not care less about maintaining her lady-like image. She ran to them and stood in front of them, panting.


    ¡°Li Xianxian, what exactly do you want? After all the things that happened earlier, you still have the decency to come here? I can¡¯t afford to provoke you, but I can afford to hide from you.¡± After saying so, she shoved Li Xianxian away and continued walking. But how could Li Xianxian give up so easily? She quickly grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand and did not let go.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°Listen to what I have to say! I was forced by the War King. Although I¡¯m from the Elders Team, you must know that I cannot defeat him. I was forced to help him only. You must believe me. This is a drink to quickly restore your energy. Drink some.¡± While saying so, she handed her a drink. Tang Xia was skeptical and looked at Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan also shook his head to express that he also did not know what was wrong with her that made her so hardworking. Tang Xia pushed back the hand that offered the drink and looked at her with a cold gaze. She said feebly, ¡°Li Xianxian, I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying to do. I only know one truth. One who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions. You should use this time to think about how you¡¯re going to win.¡±


    After saying so, she left without looking back. Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia¡¯s back and her eyes turned red with grievances. Fans in the broadcast room also looked at Li Xianxian strangely. There were a lot of ongoing arguments about her.


    After Tang Xia went back to her room, Ye Yifan took care of her for a while. After making sure that she was fine, he left. Tang Xia finally had a good sleep. Without the War King, except for Li Xianxian, she had almost nothing to worry about here.


    But when she just woke up, she heard a knock on the door. Tang Xia was a little confused. She was feeling much better after taking a nap. She struggled to get out of her bed to open the door. She thought it would be either Katherine or Jiang Yu, and did not expect it to be Li Xianxian. She was holding onto some food and looking at her with a charming look.


    Tang Xia raised her brows. Almost instantly, she slammed the door shut. However, Li Xianxian was not going to give up. If Tang Xia did not open her door, she would keep on knocking on it, causing Tang Xia to be annoyed. Eventually, she could not help but open the door and scold, ¡°Li Xianxian, what on earth do you want?¡±


    But when she looked closely, she realized that there was actually no one at the door. There were just two bottles of drinks left at the doorstep. Tang Xia raised her brows. She picked up the drink and observed carefully. She muttered quietly, ¡°Could she have poisoned these?¡± Eventually, she threw the drinks away.


    She thought that this matter had come to an end, but she did not expect Li Xianxian to come to her room every day at the same time. Tang Xia was extremely helpless. Anyone with amazing patience would have been defeated by Li Xianxian. Looking at Li Xianxian who was standing at the door, Tang Xia finally could not hold herself back from saying, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Li Xianxian was different today. She pointed at her room shyly and asked, ¡°Can I go in and talk?¡± Although Tang Xia was scolding her in her heart, she still let her in. She wanted to talk through everything today in case Li Xianxian would torture her. Even someone made of iron would not be able to endure it.


    ¡°Can you say it now?¡± There were only two of them in the room. Li Xianxian was no longer shy. She turned her head and became serious. Treating the place like her own, she sat down on her bed and said to her,


    ¡°Actually, all the things that I did these few days were all orders from July. After all, we are under the same company, and we are all family. July hopes that we can work together. Recently, cross-era live streaming companies are threatening our company¡¯s position. Otherwise, why do you think I¡¯m so persistent to come and please you every day?¡±


    Li Xianxian was also helpless. Although Tang Xia still had some doubts, there was no other way to explain her actions during this period of time.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    She looked at her helplessly and said, ¡°Even so, you don¡¯t have to act like this every day. You can just say it! Every day, you made me thought that you¡¯ve become crazy. It¡¯s really scary.¡±


    A hint of imperceptible sarcasm flashed across Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes. She suddenly smiled gently and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already known the whole story, I won¡¯t stay longer. I¡¯ll give this drink to you. You should keep it and drink.¡± Then, she stood up, straightened her clothes, pushed the door open, and walked out without saying anything else.


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian¡¯s back as she left, and then at the drink on the table. Although she understood July¡¯s intentions, it was impossible for her to trust Li Xianxian completely. It was just like a weasel giving new year blessings to a chicken. She walked towards it slowly but still ended up throwing the drink into the garbage can.


    At that moment, they were oblivious to the fact that Li Xianxian¡¯s actions had caused a sensation in the broadcast room. A huge number of Li Xianxian¡¯s fans started to help her regain her conscience. The whole broadcast room was filled with praises for her.


    ¡°My Xianxian is so sensible, gentle, and lovely!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s not ungrateful like Tang Xia!¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Xianxian! You¡¯ll always be the best!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    One night, Li Xianxian suddenly called Tang Xia and Ye Yifan to gather together in the hall. Tang Xia could not help but wonder what tricks she had up her sleeve.


    Although Ye Yifan was also uncertain about what was going on, her actions in the past two days had proven that she had changed herself for the better. Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian had grown up together, and their relationship had been ongoing for many years. Hence, he was naturally inclined to her nonetheless.


    ¡°Say, why did you ask us out so late at night?¡± Tang Xia also knew that on the surface level, everyone was now on the same team. Hence, her facial expression was not as impatient as she truly was.


    Li Xianxian looked at the two of them apologetically and said, ¡°We have a task tonight, and we need the two of you to go together, sorry.¡±

 Chapter 299 - Falling into the Trap

    Chapter 299 Falling into the Trap


    Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian and could not help but be a little puzzled. ¡°If there¡¯s a mission then we should do it, what¡¯s there to be sorry about? Ye Yifan, make sure you make good preparation this time around. You¡¯re a not that familiar with your skills, just like me, so we must make enough preparation before setting off.¡± Hearing Tang Xia being so worried for him, Ye Yifan quickly nodded. He felt a warm sensation flowing from his heart.


    Watching the two of them flirt right in front of her, Li Xianxian could not help but clench her fists.


    On the surface, the two of them could not see her anger at all. Li Xianxian turned and looked at Tang Xia, saying in a demure manner, ¡°We¡¯re using your night time after all, so we do feel a little apologetic. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s all split up to get ready.¡±


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan did not have any objections. The two turned around and went back to their separate rooms to get ready. Li Xianxian was left alone, feeling a little overwhelmed. When the couple left, the smile on her face disappeared, and her eyes were filled with ruthlessness that was never seen before.


    When the trio was ready, they set off together. Tang Xia looked at the map and asked Li Xianxian casually, ¡°Where are we going to carry out the mission?¡± However, Li Xianxian ducked her eyes and looked out the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s a downtown area. The mission was sent down from above, it¡¯s probably to rescue a fellow vampire.¡± Hearing that this time around they were not going to annihilate humans but to rescue, Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief. She looked at Ye Yifan who was behind the wheel and smiled.


    ¡°Seems like we can have it easier this time around, we no longer having to contemplate whether to kill or not.¡± Ye Yifan also smiled heartily. Sitting at a side, Li Xianxian watched them talk to each other sweetly and she could not help but sneer in her heart. Let¡¯s see if you guys can continue to laugh later.


    After a while, the three of them arrived at the downtown area marked on the map. Looking at the crowd of human beings before them, Tang Xia could not help but wonder, ¡°Are you sure we have a fellow vampire left here? No matter how I look at it, it doesn¡¯t look like a place a where you can get trapped. ¡±


    Ye Yifan also felt a little strange. However, just when they were being confused as to what was going on, all of a sudden, Tang Xia just felt her body shiver and a particularly familiar feeling surged up. This feeling was the hunger that she experienced when she just turned into a vampire. Ye Yifan froze and quickly took Tang Xia in his arms. ¡°Tang Xia, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    Tang Xia felt that this time around, the hunger was obviously different from the previous one. She could suppress it last time, but this time around it was even more violent. Her consciousness was gradually being swallowed up and she groaned in pain, ¡°Ye Yifan, there¡¯s¡­there¡¯s something wrong with me, quickly¡­get out of here! ¡±


    Ye Yifan was somewhat startled. He did not know why Tang Xia became like this all of a sudden. Tang Xia¡¯s vision started to become blurry. She had drunk the energy drink before leaving because she was afraid of situations like this happening. Her situation right now was very abnormal, she was as excited as if she had taken some drugs.


    It took just a mere moment for her consciousness to be taken over. She felt her brain shut down for a short moment. She faintly heard Ye Yifan shouting her name, as well as Li Xianxian¡¯s startled screech.


    After a while, she regained her consciousness, but her headache was very bad. She could not help but lifted her hand to rub her temples, only to find herself kneeling on the ground. She was confused.


    When she slowly lifted her head, she then saw Ye Yifan and Li Xianxian looking at herself with shock. Before she could start to worry, she heard a fierce voice stopping her, ¡°You are surrounded! Surrender now!¡±


    Tang Xia froze and looked up. She saw a group of policemen before her. They were dressed and armed in full gear and surrounded the three of them. Just when she was still at a lost, she suddenly realized that there was someone lying before her. Feeling confused, she took a closer look and realized that it was a dead body!


    She got such a big shock that she let out a shriek. When she lowered her head, she realized that she was covered in blood. In that instant, all sorts of possible scenarios flashed across her mind. She felt as if her vitality had been sucked away. she just sat there feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. She burst out crying like a little child.


    Ye Yifan quickly hugged her in her arms and gently patted her back. He comforted in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here. I will not allow anyone to hurt you! ¡± Hearing his words, Tang Xia cried even more. She buried her head in his clothes, wetting his shirt with her tears.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Seeing Tang Xia in such great distress, Ye Yifan also felt bad. Forgetting about the blood transferring from her body to his clothes, he looked up at the bunch of police, carried Tang Xia in his arms and dashed towards them. The policemen were shocked. They have never seen anyone so reckless and not afraid of death. They started to lift up their guns and shoot at him.


    However, Ye Yifan was smiling coldly. Naturally, as a vampire, he was physically stronger than ordinary people. He took two big steps and a turn and flung over a short wall with Tang Xia in his arms. All of the policemen were stunned. ¡°What are you waiting for! Chase after them!¡±


    The policemen responded loudly and the large group started chasing after them. At this point, Tang Xia had no more energy to fight now. She felt like she was a murderer and looked defeated. Ye Yifan got even more worried when he looked at her. The trio kept running, knowing that they could only stop when they reach the car.


    However, just when they were about to get to the car, all of a sudden, a bunch of policemen came out of nowhere. The trio were shocked. Ye Yifan quickly got in the car to start the engine. Tang Xia and Li Xianxian decided to get in the car together.


    Just when Tang Xia was about to get into the car, all of a sudden, someone came running towards her with a dagger in hand. At that critical moment when he was about to stab her, Tang Xia closed her eyes, submitting herself to her fate.


    Unexpectedly, Li Xianxian tanked the shot for her. Tang Xia watched the dagger stab into her wrist. Li Xianxian screamed in pain and Tang Xia froze. She then immediately kicked the person aside. The car started just in time. The policemen behind could not catch up and started to shoot them.


    Tang Xia pulled Li Xianxian in and closed the door. Feeling weak, Li Xianxian gasped for air. However, the wounds on her wrist did not heal. A steady stream of blood overflowed.


    This was because the police had invented a drug that caused vampires¡¯ wounds not to heal easily and they swabbed this drug on the dagger. Tang Xia had already regained her self-control, but smelling the blood that was so close to her, she felt her innermost desire being provoked again.


    The police behind them were not shooting real bullets but UV rays. Hence, it did not cause any impact on the car. Not long after, the trio managed to escape from the police. However, once again, Tang Xia felt her vision becoming blurry. As long as she could smell blood, she would start struggling in pain.


    Ye Yifan heard Tang Xia¡¯s painful moaning from the back and quickly found an isolated place to stop the car. Ye Yifan quickly got out of the car and went to the back seat. He opened the door and got in. He said in a lowered voice, ¡°Xianxian, take care of your wound first and then take over the wheel.¡± Looking at how Tang Xia was in pain, Li Xianxian hesitated for a while before nodding and getting into the driver¡¯s seat.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    After opening all the windows in the car, the wind came in and the smell of blood dissipated. Tang Xia finally felt better. Ye Yifan held Tang Xia in his arms and suppressed her struggling movements. He comforted her and patted on her back gently, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay now. Everything¡¯s fine now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Tang Xia looked up at Ye Yifan and slowly calmed down. She started tearing in his arms. She wiped away her tears and her throat was now a little hoarse. She turned to look at Li Xianxian and said with a hint of apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened earlier, it all happened because I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Please forgive me if you feel offended.¡±


    Ye Yifan also knew that Tang Xia had calmed down. He heaved a sigh of relief and gently wiped away the tear streak on her face with a piece of tissue.


    Li Xianxian looked at Tang Xia through the rearview mirror. She looked like a tiny frightened creature lying in Ye Yifan¡¯s embrace. Seeing this, Li Xianxian moved her slightly dark gaze away. After building up her courage, she smiled and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I understand. We are all vampires; you must have lost your consciousness just now.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but feel a little surprised. She originally thought that Li Xianxian would scold her and did not expect her to forgive her so gently. Even Ye Yifan also got a shock. Looking at Li Xianxian, he paused before saying, ¡°Xianxian, is your wrist okay? Is everything all right?¡±


    Li Xianxian could not help but complain in her heart, ¡°How could you only notice it now!¡± But she did not show it on her face at all. She turned her head around and smiled at Ye Yifan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a cut. Although the recovery is slow, at least I¡¯m recovering. But Tang Xia looks pretty bad, you should look after her.¡±


    After hearing these words, the entire broadcast room blew up. Fans were all very surprised that Li Xianxian did not throw a tantrum. Right now, it was as if the two of them had suddenly swopped character; Tang Xia became abnormal while Li Xianxian became empathetic.


    Although Ye Yifan was puzzled, he still started to pay attention to Tang Xia who was lying in his arms. He saw that her mental state was weak and she looked like she had no strength. He could not help but sigh, ¡°You¡¯ve had a rough night, if you¡¯re tired, just go to sleep. You might feel better when you wake up.¡±


    Tang Xia had no strength to think about other things at the moment. She nodded and immediately fell asleep in his arms. However, none of them noticed the triumphant grin on Li Xianxian¡¯s face at that moment when she lowered her head.

 Chapter 300 - Something Is Wrong

    Chapter 300 Something Is Wrong


    The trio remained silent all the way. No one took the initiative to mention what just happened. Soon, they returned to the castle.


    Looking at Tang Xia who was currently soundly asleep in his arms, Ye Yifan still could not bear to wake her up. Li Xianxian turned off the engine and looked back in confusion when she did not see them get off the car.


    She saw Ye Yifan in a daze as he stared at Tang Xia¡¯s face. This inexplicably made her feel that this moment shared between the two was actually very sweet. Jealousy started to form in her heart. With a slightly sharper voice, she asked, ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s not awake yet? We¡¯re here, we should go in now.¡±


    After which, she opened her door and deliberately slammed it loudly.


    Ye Yifan did not think too much about it. Tang Xia was awakened by Li Xianxian. She opened her blurry eyes and the first thing that entered her gaze was Ye Yifan¡¯s worried look.


    She supported herself up with some effort. She felt that she could not open her eyes. She subconsciously touched them and realized that they were swollen. ¡°Where are we?¡± She asked weakly.


    ¡°We¡¯re back at the castle, we¡¯re safe now.¡± Ye Yifan took off his coat and put it directly on her. He opened the door and jumped down, turning around and stretched out his arm with a smile on his face.


    ¡°If you want to continue sleeping, you can do so after we get indoors.¡±


    Tang Xia was wide awake now. Looking at the mottled blood on her clothes, everything that just happened became fresh again. In that instant, she felt that she could not breathe properly.


    In the end, she stretched out her hand and placed it on Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, letting him pull her out of the car.


    Seeing her come out, Li Xianxian quickly stepped forward and asked her if she was alright. She made a fuss about quickly getting Tang Xia into the castle. When they got in, the guards at the door felt that the trio¡¯s disheveled look was very strange.


    Tang Xia was in a daze and she kept thinking about everything that just happened. The speed that she was walking at became slower. Walking beside her, Ye Yifan noticed it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled by his sudden question. She looked at him blankly and then shook her hand and head to reply that she was fine. Ye Yifan did not think too much about it. Suddenly, Tang Xia stopped walking. Li Xianxian and Ye Yifan all turned towards her.


    She slowly lifted her head and asked in confusion, ¡°Why did I suddenly become so bloodthirsty? I used to be able to control myself, I had¡­¡±


    She had been able to control herself for two days in a row. Why did she suddenly turn into a beast?


    Ye Yifan did not know why, too. Meanwhile, Li Xianxian did not say anything. Tang Xia did not wait for their reply too, she walked past them and quickly went up the stairs.


    Ye Yifan was taken aback and quickly followed after her, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Tang Xia waved his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m going to demand an answer from Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    She said it with firm eyes and then went up the stairs. When Ye Yifan heard Chu Tiankuo¡¯s name, he was just about to stretch out his hand to stop her when he suddenly realized that perhaps other than this king, no one else could provide an explanation for this situation. Hence, he let her be.


    However, none of them noticed that Li Xianxian was currently looking at the faraway Tang Xia with a sullen gaze from behind. She suddenly smirked and turned around to leave.


    Tang Xia was not shy at all. She pushed open Chu Tiankuo¡¯s door directly. Since the previous time, the guards have learned that Tang Xia was a special person to Chu Tiankuo, so they just let her in.


    Chu Tiankuo was resting when he was jolted by her large move. Looking at the panting Tang Xia, he could not help but ask in confusion, ¡°What are you doing here? And you¡¯re covered in blood!¡±


    After which, he quickly ran up to her and checked her body. Soon, he realized that the blood was not hers. He then sighed in relief.


    But he suddenly realized that the coat she was wearing belonged to a man and his gaze became sharpened. He tore it down right away. Tang Xia was about to say something when she got a shock by his sudden move.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Before she could react, he had already taken off his coat and put it on her.


    Tang Xia was taken aback. A strange feeling formed in her heart. Chu Tiankuo then nodded with satisfaction and threw Ye Yifan¡¯s coat directly into the trash can.


    ¡°Enough! I¡¯m here to ask you a question.¡±


    Then, Tang Xia told him everything that had just happened.


    The more Chu Tiankuo heard, the more he felt that something was amiss. After she was done, he sank into deep thoughts and sat down on the sofa slowly while pulling Tang Xia to sit next to him.Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Although Tang Xia was a little reluctant, she could not fight him anyway.


    ¡°I want to ask you, why did I suddenly become so bloodthirsty? I was good at self-control before.¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo looked up, he saw Tang Xia¡¯s confident gaze that was without hesitation. After getting to know her for so long, he was naturally well-aware of her self-control ability.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, I think you should go find Li Xianxian for this matter.¡±


    Tang Xia froze a little and looked at him strangely. Her gaze seemed to say, ¡°What¡¯s the use of finding her?¡± Chu Tiankuo figured out what she meant with just one glance. He turned around and smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Li Xianxian. She¡¯s probably the only one among the Elders who understands our species so thoroughly.¡±


    After saying these, Chu Tiankuo called a butler in and asked him to fetch for Li Xianxian. The butler responded and turned around to follow his orders.


    Tang Xia listened to what he said and sunk deep into thoughts. She kept on feeling that there was something about this whole incident that she could not point a finger to.


    Not long after, Li Xianxian came in. As soon as she entered and saw the two of them sitting together, her gaze flickered twice. She then looked at Chu Tiankuo and said respectfully, ¡°Your Highness, why have you sent for me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo also knew that Li Xianxian and Tang Xia did not get along well, so he also did not like her very much.


    He asked her Tang Xia¡¯s question in a slightly serious tone. Li Xianxian¡¯s pupils roamed around her eyes twice. She then smiled and said,


    ¡°Probably because the vampire who had bitten Tang Xia was bloodthirsty itself, just like War King and Katherine. This situation is very normal, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    But none of them noticed the scheming look that flashed across her eyes.


    Chu Tiankuo did not know if what she said was true or not, although there was a little possibility. He then sent Li Xianxian out.


    At the moment when the door closed, Chu Tiankuo turned back and said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if what she said is true, but I know that you have to be careful with this person.¡±


    Tang Xia was actually feeling dubious in her heart as well. After hearing what he said, she naturally felt a little more affirmed. Naturally, she knew that he had no malicious intent and was reminding her genuinely. She then nodded and got up to leave.


    After all, there was nothing left to say. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s back view, Chu Tiankuo frowned. What was going on exactly?


    As soon as she stepped out, she closed the door gently. She turned around and saw that Li Xianxian had yet to leave. She could not help but feel a little strange. She smiled and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have anything else to look for Chu Tiankuo?¡± Li Xianxian shook his head and then looked around before pulling Tang Xia away by her arm.


    Looking at her careful and mysterious manner, Tang Xia could not help but doubt. When there was no one was around, Li Xianxian then looked back at Tang Xia and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to wait for you.¡±


    Tang Xia was a little surprised. She pointed to herself, ¡°Wait for me? Did anything happen?¡±


    Li Xianxian seemed to be torn apart and thought about it for a while. Finally, as if having made a decision, she looked at Tang Xia, scaring her with her affirmed gaze.


    ¡°Let me tell you this, you must be careful around Chu Tiankuo. After all, he is the only immortal in the entire castle.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of grievances you guys have had before, but this time around, he might be trying to use you, so you must be careful.¡±


    Tang Xia did not fully understand what she was talking about. ¡°What is an immortal? Is it any different from vampires?¡±


    Li Xianxian thought for a while and looked at Tang Xia¡¯s eyes with disappointment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know about the immortals? Let me tell you this, I am indeed the one that understands the vampires the most. The immortal species do not get old and do not die. They are not afraid of sunlight or UV rays. They are strong and normal vampires can¡¯t take them down. Their existence is like a bug in the game.¡±


    Tang Xia froze a little. Why did this sound so familiar?


    Although everything that Li Xianxian said was very reasonable, from the bottom of her heart, Tang Xia always felt that Chu Tiankuo would not harm her. For some reason, in her heart, between Chu Tiankuo and Li Xianxian, she chose the former.


    She suddenly noticed that Li Xianxian still had unhealed wounds on her hand from the attack. She looked at Li Xianxian apologetically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to dinner today. After all, you¡¯ve blocked a knife for me, I have to pay the favor back.¡±


    While saying so, she started to pull Li Xianxian along. Li Xianxian started laughing and suddenly flung Tang Xia¡¯s arm away. Tang Xia looked at her in disbelief. She felt uneasy and always thought that Li Xianxian was going to do something to her.Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Just when she thought that Li Xianxian was going to return to her nature again, Li Xianxian knocked on her forehead as if they were good friends who had known each other for many years.


    Tang Xia was a little overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Li Xianxian said indifferently, ¡°Look at your mind! Have you forgotten who we are?¡±


    ¡°Who we are? Vampires.¡±


    Obviously Tang Xia had yet to notice what was wrong. She looked at her feeling confused. However, a touch of impatience, but more of annoyance, flashed across Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes. This was probably how she won the hearts of many men.


    ¡°Vampires never eat. How can you treat me to dinner?¡±


    Tang Xia froze and finally came to the realization. She patted her forehead embarrassingly and felt very awkward. She could not possibly grab someone to let her drink their blood.


    Just when the atmosphere was a little awkward, Ye Yifan walked towards them slowly. He had followed after Tang Xia and was waiting not far away.

 Chapter 301 - Wanted Worldwide

    Chapter 301 Wanted Worldwide


    Seeing Ye Yifan coming towards her at that moment, Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly walked towards him and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia safe and unharmed, Ye Yifan finally stopped being anxious. He quickened his footsteps to welcome her. Standing beside them, Li Xianxian clenched her fists as she watched Tang Xia plunge herself onto Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan checked Tang Xia from head to toe and asked softly, ¡°How was it? Are you all right? Did Chu Tiankuo do anything to you?¡±


    Feeling helpless, Tang Xia shook her head. She grabbed hold of Ye Yifan ¡®s shoulders and looked at him seriously. Ye Yifan was startled. He did not know why she suddenly acted like this.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo is now a friend of mine. He promised that he would not help me, nor would he hurt me, so you can rest assured that he will not do anything to me.¡±


    While saying so, she gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and gave him a smile that she felt was warm. Ye Yifan had never expected that she would say something on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s behalf. He could not help but feel that something was wrong.


    ¡°But look at how he treated you in the previous broadcasts¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan suddenly realized one thing ¨C no matter which broadcast it was, Chu Tiankuo would never do anything to harm Tang Xia. Even if he did not do things for her good, he would never hurt her.


    He then became silent. At this moment, he then realized that the coat she was wearing belonged to Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia was a little confused, so she tilted her head and looked at him. Ye Yifan felt a little uncomfortable and looked away.


    Li Xianxian, who had been silent at this time, suddenly laughed. She stepped forward and looked into Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes, saying with a gentle smile, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me how I¡¯m doing?¡±


    Her tone sounded very relaxed, as if it was just a joke made in idleness. Although Ye Yifan was more grateful for her timely rescue, he was still a little uncomfortable with how gentle she spoke to him.


    ¡°How you¡¯re doing? Oh, by the way, what are you doing here?¡±


    A tint of annoyance flashed across Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes instantly but she did not show it. On the contrary, her smile became gentler. ¡°Chu Tiankuo brought me in to ask me something. Why? You didn¡¯t see me?¡±


    Suddenly, she pretended to be sad. ¡°I¡¯m so sad, I was standing right next to you but you didn¡¯t even notice me.¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled a little embarrassedly. He felt the situation getting awkward. However, the more Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian, the more she felt that something was amiss. After hesitating for a while, she decided to not speak up.


    What exactly did Li Xianxian want to do? Did she really turn over a new leaf or was she planning an even bigger scheme?


    Just when the three of them remained in silence, a figure suddenly ran towards them. They all looked at the person strangely.


    It was Katherine, and she was panting heavily, as if there was something urgent. She gasped for breath while resting her hands on her waist. Tang Xia did not rush her, she let her catch her breath first.


    ¡°Hurry up and go out, someone is looking for you at the door!¡± After saying so, she started panting again.


    Tang Xia could not help but wonder who would look for her at this hour. She did not want to delay any more time and quickly ran over. Seeing Tang Xia run away without waiting for her, Katherine started chasing after her.


    ¡°Wait, slow down. I must bring you there. Be careful, you cannot be noticed.¡±


    After listening to Katherine¡¯s words, Tang Xia became more confused. She followed behind Katherine obediently. Not long after they came out of the castle, they arrived at a relatively secluded area. It was a valley.


    Before Tang Xia could ask who wanted to see her, Katherine stepped aside, revealing a Su Yanxun who was looking at Tang Xia with a smile.


    Tang Xia quickly ran to him joyfully and checked his body from head to toe. ¡± Su Yanxun! How¡¯s your body? I haven¡¯t seen you since the last time you were beaten until you were half-dead!¡±


    Su Yanxun scratched his head a little embarrassedly. ¡°Give me some face, okay? What do you mean by half-dead? I am a commando nonetheless!¡±


    Tang Xia also smiled. She patted his shoulder and her eyes were full of tease.


    ¡°No wonder Katherine said she had to lead the way, it¡¯s you! If you appear in the castle again, even if you don¡¯t die, your skin will be peeled off. But last time because I was caught, I don¡¯t know what happened to you.¡± After saying so, she looked at him worriedly.


    ¡°Thanks to Katherine and Ye Yifan last time, they brought me out and sent me back to the police station. When they saw how badly injured I was, they made me stay in bed for a long time.¡±Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at her seriously.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not here to catch up with you.¡± Then, he gave her a conflicted look. He did not know whether he should say it. Suddenly, he leaned forward and grabbed her by her shoulders.


    Tang Xia was also a little startled. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Did you kill someone in the downtown area today?¡± Tang Xia froze and her eyes dodged his gaze a little. This was the last thing she wanted to admit. She had no idea what happened.


    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I was going to rescue a fellow vampire. I don¡¯t know why it felt like there was something there that made me unable to stop. I became bloodthirsty all of a sudden and when I woke up, there was someone lying in front of me and I¡­ was covered in blood.¡±


    As Tang Xia recalled, her body started to tremble. When Su Yanxun looked at her, he knew that she did not do it on purpose and he quickly pulled her into his embrace to comfort her.


    ¡°Now things have suddenly gotten complicated. Because the person you¡¯ve killed was coincidentally the daughter of a federal member. Right now, the demon hunters across the entire world are hunting for you.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and felt a little strange. Meanwhile, Katherine obviously did not know what was happening and she also looked very confused.


    At this moment, Tang Xia then felt that something seemed amiss, as if she had fallen into an inexplicable trap, but after stepping into the trap, she was falling deeper into it, like a mud pond.


    Seeing how Tang Xia had her head lowered and deep in her thoughts, Su Yanxun could not hold it back anymore. Just as he was about to say something, Tang Xia suddenly looked up and smiled at him helplessly. Her pitiful look made his heart ache.


    ¡°You ¡­ are a demon hunter, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have such good skills. Are you here to take my life?¡±


    Su Yanxun was slightly taken aback. He pushed her away impatiently and his tone was filled with suppressed anger, ¡°What are you talking about? How can I be that kind of person? In your eyes, am I someone with no principles?¡± Tang Xia quickly comforted him and shook her head forcefully.


    ¡°No, I was wrong, I ¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡±Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Seeing how helpless she was, Su Yanxun knew that she was having a hard time as well. He also felt helpless and his heart softened instantly. He went up and patted her on her back and he gave her a gentle smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely protect you, just like when we first met, in that alley. I will eliminate everyone who bullies you or intends to hurt you. I will pave your path ahead for you.¡±


    Tang Xia did not expect him to suddenly say such sentimental words. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved. She felt her whole person becoming warm at this moment.


    However, just when the two of them were surrounded in the inexplicably gentle atmosphere, all of a sudden, a shadow fell from the sky and landed directly behind Su Yanxun.


    Hearing the sound, he had just turned around and was prepared to pull out the gun from his waist when Tang Xia quickly yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    This was because she saw clearly that it was Chu Tiankuo. However, Su Yanxun was extremely fast. When the words left her mouth, his bullet had already been shot.


    In that brink of a moment, Chu Tiankuo slapped the bullet away sternly. Both Tang Xia and Su Yanxun were stunned. Staring at the perfectly fine Chu Tiankuo in disbelief, they entered a daze.


    Su Yanxun also did not expect that. He immediately followed up with a kick. Chu Tiankuo finally bothered to look at him. He dodged the kick perfectly and in just a blink of an eye, he went up to him and lifted him by the collar before throwing him backward. Both of them were stunned.


    Patting off the dust on his sleeves, he walked towards Tang Xia slowly. His slow and confident pace caused Su Yanxun to feel threatened for the first time.


    With one swift move, he pulled Tang Xia into his arms, exuding a strong possessiveness. He declared coldly, ¡°Tang Xia only needs me to protect her, you should get lost as soon as you can.¡±


    However, Su Yanxun could not stand the way Chu Tiankuo looked at everything with contempt, as if he was ruling over the world. He clenched his fist and ran up to him. Since the bullet was useless, he threw it away.


    Chu Tiankuo raised a brow and did not dodge at all. He caught his fist directly and squeezed it in his palm.


    Su Yanxun was shocked and wanted to take it back, but there was no way Chu Tiankuo was willing to let him go so easily. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s strength was so strong, as if he was going to crush his bones.


    Tang Xia quickly stopped them. ¡°Enough! Su Yanxun has just recovered from a serious injury, don¡¯t be like this! You might leave a permanent injury!¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia defending him in this way, Chu Tiankuo felt a wave of inexplicable anger surging in his heart. Su Yanxun could not break free and he quickly kicked him. Chu Tiankuo did not dodge it this time around. On the contrary, he grabbed his foot.


    This kick caused Su Yanxun to throb in pain. Tang Xia could not hold it back anymore and she flared, ¡°Chu Tiankuo! What do you want!¡±


    Seeing that she was really angry, Chu Tiankuo then let go reluctantly. Su Yanxun clutched his knees in pain and gasped for air.


    Tang Xia quickly went forward to check on him. ¡°You should go back first; you can¡¯t beat him. If there¡¯s any updates, just get Katherine to notify me.¡±


    Knowing that he could not win the fight, Su Yanxun gave up. Before leaving, he glared at Chu Tiankuo. Chu Tiankuo was not afraid of him at all. He accepted his shot of fury.


    Tang Xia then turned around and looked at Chu Tiankuo helplessly. Just when she was about to ask him why he was here, he beat her to it and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like this man.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. What was he trying to say? Was he asking her to stay away from him? He walked up to her suddenly and his eyes were painted with a gentle color. ¡°I don¡¯t like you to be close to any man, in the future, belong to me only, alright? I like you?¡±


    Tang Xia felt her mind go blank instantly. However, she also suddenly recalled the promise she made to Ye Yifan. Feeling put on the spot, she frowned.


    Chu Tiankuo was confused when he saw her conflicted look. Out of anger, he suddenly grabbed her by her shoulders tightly and said in a lowered tone, ¡°Did that Ye Yifan confess to you?¡±

 Chapter 302 - Exposing Small Tactics

    Chapter 302 Exposing Small Tactics


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes were filled with fierce. Tang Xia subconsciously dodged his eyes. Suddenly, she felt like it was something that did not need to be concealed. Hence, she nodded at him openly. ¡°You guessed it.¡±


    Although Chu Tiankuo already had the answer in his heart, at the moment when Tang Xia said it herself, he still could not contain his anger.


    Tang Xia suddenly felt a dizzy spell and Chu Tiankuo had forced her up against a wall. She rubbed her back in pain and looked at him in a displeased manner, saying unpleasantly, ¡°What are you doing! Are you crazy!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m crazy! I¡¯m crazy to fall in love with you! I know very well that you and I are from two different worlds, but yet I still chose to dive straight into a burning fire. I willingly leaned towards your side, I¡¯m willing to be condemned by everyone¡­¡±


    Listening to Chu Tiankuo suddenly expressing his affections for her so agitatedly, Tang Xia just stood there completely stunned. She felt like her brain had malfunctioned.


    By the time he finished, Tang Xia was still in a daze. Feeling annoyed, Chu Tiankuo punched the wall directly. Tang Xia was frightened. She snapped back from her thoughts instantly and turned to look at his fist.


    Seeing that blood was slowly dripping from his fist. Tang Xia¡¯s heart dropped and she quickly pulled his hand over and held it in hers. ¡°Even if you¡¯re an immortal you shouldn¡¯t torture yourself like this!¡±


    Seeing how anxious she was, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression finally thawed. He smoothened out his brows and continued speaking in a serious tone, ¡°Ye Yifan cannot stay. I won¡¯t have him staying by your side.¡±


    After saying that, he pulled his fist away and planned to walk away. Tang Xia quickly grabbed his arm and looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Tang Xia could not let him lose his temper anymore. This was not affecting just her alone.


    Hearing the alertness in her tone, Chu Tiankuo frowned again. However, he could not bring himself to swing her hand away. The duo stood still like that in the alley.


    ¡°Ye Yifan is useless by your side. In terms of ability, brain, or love for you, how is he better than me? I¡¯m going to kick him out of the game now. You only need me by your side, you don¡¯t need this useless piece of crap.¡±


    Without waiting for Tang Xia to react, he prepared to walk away.


    Tang Xia was startled and she quickly used a lot of effort to grab hold of him. She said anxiously, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, stop acting like a child. Do you think you can kick him out as you wish? Do you know what are the consequences?¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo heard that she said he was acting like a child, he glared at her angrily.


    Looking at how he was acting right now, Tang Xia¡¯s heart also swelled with anger. She was not going to back down and also glared back angrily. She reprimanded, ¡°You said and promised me that you won¡¯t interfere in my affairs anymore. You can¡¯t go back on your words!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo instantly regretted being stupid and promising her something like that. He finally flung her hand away and turned to leave without saying anything. Otherwise, he would really die on the spot from being triggered by her.


    Tang Xia looked at his back view. In her heart, she was certain that he would not think about kicking Ye Yifan out of the game anymore.


    Her heart tightened immediately. Since when did she understand him so well? She quickly shook her head and patted her burning cheeks. ¡°Stop overthinking!¡± While saying so, she also returned to the castle.


    Upon entering the castle, she stopped walking suddenly, as if she had remembered something. She then turned around, pretended nothing had happened and returned to her room.


    Just when she was about to reach her room, she suddenly looked around and confirmed that nobody was watching around her.


    Then, she sneaked towards Jiang Yu¡¯s room. When she bumped into the guard along the way, she quickly hid. Although she knew Jiang Yu and War King was dead,


    the war between the Elders and the new-born vampires was still not over. She did not dare to find Jiang Yu so openly. Otherwise, this would pose as a problem for both her and Jiang Yu.


    She knocked on Jiang Yu¡¯s door gently. Jiang Yu, who was reading a book in her room, froze immediately. She almost thought that she was hallucinating. When she went to open the door, she realized it was Tang Xia and quickly let her in.


    Jiang Yu asked in surprise, ¡°Why did you think of coming over?¡± Suddenly, something came to mind and she said in a displeased tone, ¡°Why? You¡¯re going to ask something again?¡±


    Tang Xia froze and grabbed Jiang Yu¡¯s arm for a while, asking in shock, ¡°How did you know? I really have something to ask you!¡± Jiang Yu could not help but roll her eyes, her gaze seemingly saying, ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say that you missed me and came just to see me?¡±


    Jiang Yu looked outside and closed the door after ensuring that there was no one else.Read More chapter on vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia laughed and sat on the sofa that was placed at a side. She flipped through the book that Jiang Yu was reading and sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Come on¡­okay, enough joke, I¡¯m here for serious matters.¡± Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s serious look, Jiang Yu knew that it was something serious, as she had taken high risk to come here.


    She then subconsciously straightened her back and listened to Tang Xia narrate everything that had happened in the downtown area.


    Jiang Yu could not help but be a little shocked. She looked Tang Xia carefully from head to toe and Tang Xia asked in confusion, ¡°Right now, I just want to know why I¡¯m suddenly so bloodthirsty.¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian said that I was most likely more bloodthirsty because the vampire who bit me was like that.¡±


    Jiang Yu caressed her chin and thought for a moment. Suddenly, she nodded. ¡°Yes, what she said is indeed possible, just like Katherine. She also inherited the competitiveness of War King. It¡¯s not strange when you think about it.¡±


    However, Tang Xia was a little anxious. She said with a tint of desperation, ¡°But I wasn¡¯t like this when I first turned into a vampire.¡±


    ¡°I had suppressed it for three days with my self-control and I was not dominated by the hunger in my body. Why did it suddenly become like this?¡±


    Suddenly, Jiang Yu felt that what she said was not unreasonable too and her brows furrowed tightly. She sank deep into thinking before turning around and saying solemnly,Read More chapter on vi pnovel. com


    ¡°That being the case, it seems that there are two possibilities. One is that the bloodthirsty trait has always hidden in your body. The other ¡­ I¡¯m afraid only Li Xianxian knows.¡±


    Tang Xia froze slightly and then lowered her head to ponder about it for a moment. Then, she directed a firm gaze to Jiang Yu. It was clear that Jiang Yu and Tang Xia were thinking about the same thing.


    The two nodded at each other without saying a word. This tacit understanding developed over the previous broadcasts caused them to smile when they met each other in the eyes.


    Once again, the duo secretly sneaked into Li Xianxian¡¯s room. Since it was among the Elders¡¯ rooms, it was not far away. Coincidentally, Li Xianxian was not in her room.


    Tang Xia learnt how to open locks through the previous broadcasts. Although she had already forgotten it, she still remembered it. After hearing a click, the door opened.


    Jiang Yu would like to compliment on her skill, but it was not the right time. The duo sneaked in and gently closed the door behind them.


    Tang Xia pointed to the other side, directing her to check over there while she would handle the other side. Jiang Yu nodded and the duo split up their work.


    However, no matter how much they looked around, they could not find anything abnormal. Tang Xia could not help but feel a little devastated. Using her eyes, Jiang Yu asked her if she had found anything.


    Tang Xia shook her head helplessly, and so did Jiang Yu. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go back first. Li Xianxian should be coming back at this timing.¡±


    Although Tang Xia was not willing, she could only leave it there. Just when she turned to leave, she suddenly noticed something under the sofa and squatted down to look at it.


    She saw a small iron box lying there. Tang Xia raised an eyebrow and lay down on the ground to get the box out.


    There was a small lock on it. Standing at a side, Jiang Yu was also surprised. She walked over and observed the box for a while before saying in a lowered voice, ¡°I think there¡¯s something that cannot be seen hidden in the box. Otherwise, why did she wrap it nicely and even hide it under the sofa?¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent. After fiddling with it for a while, she managed to open the small lock. There were a few packets of dark-red powdered medicine that looked like blood.


    Tang Xia froze and Jiang Yu quickly took out a bag and studied it. At that moment, they heard a click at the door. It was the sound of the lock being opened.


    Both of them panicked, and Jiang Yu quickly put the powder packet she was holding onto into her pocket. After a wave of fluster, Tang Xia became at ease.


    She stood up slowly. Upon stepping into her room, Li Xianxian saw such a scene in front of her. Tang Xia held onto the powdered medicine in her hand. Both of their gazes were filled with interrogation.


    A spark of panic flashed across Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes uncontrollably, but it was gone the next instant.


    ¡°You two ¡­ came into my room without my permission and took my things, I think you guys ought to give me an explanation, right?¡±


    Jiang Yu snorted instead. She did not like Li Xianxian, so she was not afraid to offend her. ¡°You should be the one explaining. What is this? To prevent us from being accused, everyone should be honest with each other.¡±


    The conflict between the three of them blew up immediately.


    Li Xianxian lowered her head for a while and brewed her emotions. Suddenly, her eyes became red, as if she had been greatly misunderstood.


    Tang Xia froze slightly. Suddenly, Li Xianxian said helplessly, ¡°What you have in your hand is just a medicine I developed to replace plasma. You guys act as if I did something that could not be seen.¡±


    While saying so, she also wiped away two drops of tears.


    However, Jiang Yu hated this look the most. She said sarcastically, ¡°Who knows if what you said is true or not? If it was just a medicine, why did you have to lock it and put it under the sofa?¡±


    Although Tang Xia also wanted to ask this question, she did not say it out loud.


    On the contrary, Li Xianxian became even more aggrieved. She sobbed and said, ¡°As an Elder, I¡¯m already sick and tired of drinking blood every day. I also wish to be like a human. After all, I¡¯m a human outside of the game¡­

 Chapter 303 - Su Yanxun Was Bitten

    Chapter 303 Su Yanxun Was Bitten


    Tang Xia understood very well the kind of feeling Li Xianxian was saying. She could not help but start to feel a little guilty. Feeling embarrassed, she returned the packet of powdered medicine in her hand back to her.


    She said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was reckless. I shouldn¡¯t enter your room without your consent and conduct a search. I hope you can forgive us.¡±


    Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment. She did not expect Tang Xia to apologize so easily. She could not help but feel shocked. She was still feeling very against it, but she had no choice since Tang Xia had already said it. She could only cooperate and say, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    After these three words came out of her mouth, she walked past her and even made sure she brushed against her shoulder when she exited.


    Tang Xia smiled apologetically when she saw how Jiang Yu was reacting. ¡°Jiang Yu is not usually like this. There¡¯s probably something wrong with her today. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll also head out now.¡± While saying so, she started to walk towards the door.


    At this moment, Li Xianxian finally spoke up. Although she did not blame them verbally, her tone was filled with helplessness. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a search anyways, and it¡¯s nothing much. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t spread this.¡±


    While saying so, she touched the corner of her eye to wipe away the tear that no one could tell if it actually existed. She then sniffed her nose and put away the packet of medicine.


    Tang Xia did not know what to say. She simply went out and closed the door behind her. However, none of them noticed the smile forming on Li Xianxian¡¯s lips when they walked out.


    As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw that Jiang Yu was still standing at the door, waiting for her. Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief, as if she had suddenly escaped from trouble.


    However, at this moment, the broadcast room became chaotic. People were questioning if Tang Xia was starting to be smug. There were even some of Li Xianxian¡¯s fans who felt unfair for Li Xianxian. However, there were still Tang Xia¡¯s fans who pitied Tang Xia.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Tang Xia?¡±


    ¡°How dare she defile our Xianxian!¡±


    ¡°Really, to be fair, as a third party, I feel Tang Xia has really gone overboard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia and Jiang Yu went back to Jiang Yu¡¯s room together. Feeling displeased, Jiang Yu sat on her sofa right away. Tang Xia also quietened down. After thinking it through, she suddenly became angry with herself for dealing with the whole matter so emotionally.


    Jiang Yu did not have to say anything to understand what Tang Xia was thinking. ¡°Why? You also feel that something is wrong?¡±


    Upon hearing her voice, Tang Xia froze. Jiang Yu was staring at her with a serious look. Tang Xia nodded and said in a lower voice, ¡°Indeed, it might look like nothing on the surface, but after I thought about it, there are so many suspicious points.¡±


    While saying so, she caressed her chin and entered into deep thoughts.


    Jiang Yu suddenly smiled helplessly and took something out of her pocket. She asked teasingly, ¡°Look at what this is!¡±


    Tang Xia, who was in a daze at that moment, looked at Jiang Yu¡¯s satisfied look in shock. Jiang Yu was holding onto Li Xianxian¡¯s so-called powdered medicine. Upon seeing it, Tang Xia broke into a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something! It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t send you to the FBI.¡± While saying so, she stretched out her hand and grabbed the packet over.


    However, Jiang Yu looked a little annoyed. ¡°Who knows? If you don¡¯t always deal with matters so emotionally, I wouldn¡¯t have to be extra mindful.¡±


    Tang Xia stopped teasing her and studied the powder in her hand in great detail. Suddenly, she opened the packet and was about to swallow it directly when Jiang Yu got a shock and quickly stretched out her hand to stop her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to test the poison yourself! None of us know what¡¯s in it. How can you eat it just like that!¡±


    Jiang Yu looked at Tang Xia as if she was a fool. Tang Xia was a little helpless.


    She broke free of her grip and said solemnly, ¡°This is the only way to test it now. Or do you have a better idea? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m different from ordinary new-born vampires. I¡¯m not even scared of the sun. Do you think I¡¯ll be scared of some powdered medicine?¡±Read More chapter on vi pnovel. com


    After hearing her words, Jiang Yu could only let her do it.


    She watched as Tang Xia ate a little bit of the powder just like that. After a while, Tang Xia did feel the hunger in her body going away a little. After that, the heavy rock in her heart was finally put down.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed the same as what Li Xianxian said. She didn¡¯t lie. We¡¯ve really blamed her wrongly, and my apology was not for nothing.¡±


    Jiang Yu was in a daze as she looked at Tang Xia. She was thinking about something else. At that moment, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Both of them froze instantly and Tang Xia quickly got up, wanting to hide.


    Jiang Yu opened the door and saw that it was Ye Yifan. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said to the flustered Tang Xia, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t need to hide. It¡¯s Ye Yifan.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled, and when she popped her head out to see, she found out it was really Ye Yifan. With a flustered look on his face, he pulled her hand and started dragging her out without saying anything. Tang Xia was taken aback, and she flung his hand away instantly. ¡°What are you doing? Did something happen?¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat. He had obviously been searching for her for a long time. While panting lightly, he said in a broken sentence, ¡°Quickly come with me. Su Yanxun is in danger!¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked, and Jiang Yu, who stood at a side, was also startled. Both of them quickly dashed out of the room with Ye Yifan, following closely behind them.


    Soon, the three of them arrived at Ye Yifan¡¯s room. He had hidden Su Yanxun in his room.


    When Tang Xia saw Su Yanxun lying on the bed looking as if he was on the brink of dying, she could not help but feel devastated. She quickly ran to his side and saw him frowning in pain. It felt like the same scene as when she first turned into a vampire.Read More chapter on vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia quickly rushed to his side and started checking his whole body. At this moment, Ye Yifan walked over anxiously and said, ¡°He got bitten by a vampire. He¡¯s probably turning into one soon.¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. It was then that she realized there was a bite mark on his neck. It did not look very deep.


    Su Yanxun, who was lying on the bed in pain, then struggled to open his eyes. He saw Tang Xia right by his side, but at this moment, he could not bring himself to be surprised. He whined weakly, ¡°Tang Xia¡­¡±


    Tang Xia quickly reached out for his hand and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, but this can actually be a good thing. You can take this opportunity to become a vampire. Vampires are indeed much stronger than humans. Although they are afraid of the sun, their strength is very powerful.¡±


    Tang Xia tried to persuade Su Yanxun, but Su Yanxun struggled to shake his head. A firm intention flashed across his eyes.


    As if using all of the remaining strength he had, he said in a very weak voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want, I don¡¯t want to become a vampire. I will betray the human race. More importantly, I will lose right away¡­¡±


    After hearing what he said, Tang Xia suddenly remembered that they were in different teams. He was a human being. If he became a vampire, he would lose. Feeling helpless, she turned to Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan, who were standing at one side, for their suggestions.


    Ye Yifan also did not know what to do. ¡°I said exactly the same thing just now. He also rejected me the same way, which is why I went to find you. I was thinking you might have other ideas.¡±


    Just when Tang Xia was at a loss, seeing Su Yanxun going to lose his consciousness, Jiang Yu suddenly shouted.


    Both of them turned to look at her instantly. She exclaimed in delight, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we just suck out the venom in his body that was injected by the vampire?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! Why didn¡¯t I think of that just now!¡± Ye Yifan could not help but praise. Tang Xia looked at Su Yanxun hesitantly, wanting to ask for his opinion.


    While in his blurry state, Su Yanxun had heard what they were saying. He also nodded in agreement.


    However, Tang Xia hesitated. She turned to look at the other two. ¡°Who is going to do it?¡±


    Jiang Yu and Ye Yifan were both stunned. They only thought of a solution to this problem, but they did not think who should do it.


    Ye Yifan suddenly rolled up his sleeves, saying indignantly and annoyedly, ¡°Let me do it then. We¡¯re all men, and it¡¯s more convenient.¡±


    However, Jiang Yu stopped him from the side.


    Looking at both of them, she said hesitantly, ¡°I think it¡¯s better for Tang Xia to do it. After all, we don¡¯t know who the toxins in his body belong to. Tang Xia¡¯s body is more special than ours. She is the best at digesting unknown toxins. So, it¡¯s safer for her to do it.¡±


    After listening to her explanation, even though Ye Yifan did not really want to admit it, it was still the fact, so he had to give way.


    Tang Xia was hesitant and could not come to a decision. Recently, she always had an inexplicable desire for fresh blood. She was afraid that she would eventually lose control of herself.


    However, due to the situation, she still leaned over and gently sucked the toxin-contaminated blood from his body. Su Yanxun also frowned in pain while whining.


    Just when everyone looked at them nervously, Tang Xia opened her eyes suddenly. The blue color in her eyes was becoming denser.


    Tang Xia also realized that something about her was a bit off. She felt like her body was dominated by someone and her mouth stuck to his body and could not move away.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Enough!¡± Jiang Yu finally realized that something was not right, and she quickly shouted for them to be separated.


    But at this moment, Tang Xia had lost consciousness. Ye Yifan quickly rushed forward and pulled Tang Xia away.


    Tang Xia was struggling like a mad demon, and she wanted to continue drinking. When the blood source got cut off, she became wide awake immediately. She saw that Su Yanxun had already entered a state of shock.


    Jiang Yu touched his neck and said anxiously, ¡°He probably entered a state of shock due to excessive loss of blood. His pulse is very weak, so we must send him to the hospital right away!¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but take two steps back. She was filling very guilty. She held her head in unbelief. Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu did not have the spare effort to comfort her. They sent Su Yanxun to the hospital.


    Tang Xia looked at her hands, and her heart was filled with remorse. She could not understand what was wrong with her. Her bloodthirsty situation had become more serious recently.

 Chapter 304 - Plan Failed and Exposed

    Chapter 304 Plan Failed and Exposed


    All three of them waited anxiously outside the operating room. Feeling overwhelmed with guilt, Tang Xia lowered her head and stared at her palms. She exerted some strength and clenched her fists tightly.


    Jiang Yu looked at her and was just about to go up to her to comfort her when suddenly a shadow flashed past before her. She stopped in her tracks and saw Ye Yifan walking towards Tang Xia slowly, putting his jacket over her.


    He stretched out his hand to reach for Tang Xia. Feeling slightly surprised, Tang Xia looked up and saw Ye Yifan smiling and looking at her.


    Feeling the warmth from his hand, Tang Xia felt her heart warming up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine. You can¡¯t blame yourself entirely for this. It¡¯s inevitable. After all, you can¡¯t just sit there and do nothing about the fact that he was bitten.¡±


    Listening to his words, she became even more upset. Her eyes turned red and she looked at him, trying very hard to stop her tears from coming out. ¡°I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. Why have I become like this? I¡¯m like a demon now¡­¡±


    While saying so, she became more agitated. Ye Yifan quickly pulled her into his embrace and comforted her in a soft voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t think like that, it¡¯s not your fault. You have to think about good things. If you didn¡¯t save him, he would have become a vampire now and get out. Don¡¯t worry, he only lost too much blood.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia finally felt better. She closed her eyes tightly.


    Ye Yifan slowly let go of Tang Xia and looked at her slightly red eyes. While on the way there, Jiang Yu had already told him everything that happened when they went to Li Xianxian¡¯s room earlier.


    The situation was more urgent earlier and he did not have the time to think about it. Now that he had quietened down, he said in a serious tone, ¡°I think there¡¯s indeed something wrong in this whole incident.¡±


    After saying so, he stood up and walked towards Jiang Yu. He stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Give me the powdered medicine you took from Li Xianxian today. Let me see what it is.¡±


    Jiang Yu gave him all that she had. Ye Yifan took it and smelled it, but felt that something was wrong. He frowned, and after a moment of thinking, he started to leave.


    Jiang Yu quickly called out to him. She grabbed his clothes and asked, ¡°Where are you going? Su Yanxun has yet to come out.¡±


    When Tang Xia heard the commotion, she also turned to look at Ye Yifan in confusion. Ye Yifan smiled helplessly.


    ¡°I forgot to say, I¡¯m going to try and see if I can get her to tell me anything. I think she might really be planning something. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    After hearing his explanation, Tang Xia then understood. Jiang Yu also let go of his shirt. She spat out her tongue apologetically. It was indeed better for Ye Yifan to take over this incident.


    ¡°Sorry, then you should go quickly and come back soon. Be careful.¡± While saying so, she glanced at Tang Xia worriedly. Without Ye Yifan here, she was unsure if she would be able to tame Tang Xia on her own.


    Ye Yifan gave Tang Xia a comforting glance and she nodded. After which, Ye Yifan turned around and headed out.


    Suddenly, silence resumed outside the operating room. Looking at the nervous and anxious Tang Xia, Jiang Yu sighed helplessly.


    She sat beside her and patted her shoulder gently, saying in a gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, don¡¯t worry, Su Yanxun will be fine.¡±


    Just when she finished her sentence, the door of the operating room suddenly opened. Both of them were shocked and quickly stood up. They saw the unconscious Su Yanxun being pushed out by a few nurses.


    Tang Xia quickly grabbed the doctor and asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, is Su Yanxun all right? Will there¡­be any sequelae?¡±


    Actually, what she wanted to ask was if he would turn into a vampire, but it did not come out of her mouth.


    The doctor was already used to family members being like this. He took off his gloves calmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the patient is not in danger because you guys have sent him here soon enough.¡±Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what method you used to remove all the toxins in his body. There¡¯s only an excessive loss of blood. Luckily you guys have handled it promptly.


    Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief instantly. Jiang Yu also could not help but laugh. One of the nurses said annoyedly, ¡°Can both of you please make way? We have to send the patient to the ward.¡±


    Feeling apologetic, Tang Xia and Jiang Yu quickly stepped aside. The nurses pushed the bed and walked away. After they thanked the doctor, they quickly followed after the nurses.


    At the moment when they entered the ward, Su Yanxun woke up. Tang Xia quickly ran towards him and asked anxiously, ¡°How are you feeling? Is your body okay? Do you feel pain or anything like that?¡±


    Jiang Yu sighed when she saw how she acted. Su Yanxun was startled by her enthusiasm the moment he woke up.


    ¡°What¡­what¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m okay, my body feels fine, just that I don¡¯t have much energy.¡±


    Right after saying this, Su Yanxun suddenly seemed to understand something. Looking at Tang Xia, he could not help but burst out laughing. ¡°Were you worried that I¡¯ll die because you sucked too much of my blood?¡±


    Feeling that he had seen through her, Tang Xia lowered her head embarrassedly. Jiang Yu quickly stepped forward to interrupt.


    ¡°Alright, everything¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯ve woken up. You don¡¯t have enough energy because you¡¯re weak. You¡¯ll feel better after eating something. You don¡¯t know this but Tang Xia was so close to crying when she was waiting outside the operation room. Stop teasing her.¡±


    Listen to what Jiang Yu said, the smile hanging on Su Yanxun¡¯s lips became wider. Feeling embarrassed, Tang Xia glared at Jiang Yu angrily. Jiang Yu quickly waved her hands and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy him some porridge, you two can continue to talk.¡± After saying so, she ran off. Su Yanxun looked at Tang Xia with amusement while Tang Xia felt more embarrassed from his glance.


    He stopped putting her on the spot and teased, ¡°Alright, alright. Anyways, you owe me one life now. Tell me, how are you going to return me?¡±


    In her heart, Tang Xia knew that this was a joke. She straightened her back and looked at him arrogantly.


    ¡°What do you mean? Would you like me to commit suicide right now? Then I can return you one life!¡±


    Tang Xia pursed her lips annoyedly. Seeing her vent-up anger, Su Yanxun felt that she was so cute. He sighed helplessly and slowly supported himself to sit up.


    ¡°How can I be willing to let you give me your life, seriously.¡± The two looked at each other in the eyes and then burst out laughing.


    However, they did not know that, at that moment, there was a shadow standing outside the ward watching them having a good time with each other. This person¡¯s eyes became darker. After an unknown period of time, this person finally turned and left.


    Shortly after, Jiang Yu came back with porridge. After watching him devour the whole thing, they discussed something before leaving. Watching their back view as they left, Su Yanxun also snuggled into his blanket.


    When Tang Xia and Jiang Yu entered the castle, they saw that Ye Yifan had just come out. Tang Xia froze for a while. Thinking about it, he must have just finished asking Li Xianxian, so she ran to him.


    When Ye Yifan saw Tang Xia, his face fell drastically instantly. Feeling complicated, he frowned. After which, he smiled awkwardly. ¡°You guys are back.¡±Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    When Tang Xia walked towards him, she saw a wound on his cheek. She frowned immediately and caressed his face in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s this? What happened exactly?¡±


    Jiang Yu was also a little shocked. Both of them looked at Ye Yifan, waiting for an explanation.


    Ye Yifan sighed helplessly, ¡°I just asked, there¡¯s indeed a problem with this medicine. Li Xianxian indeed has her own hidden agenda.¡±


    Tang Xia was also slightly taken aback when she heard it. She had tried the medicine and there was nothing wrong with it. However, when she saw the wound on his cheek, she asked in doubt.


    ¡°Explain to me first what is going on with that wound on your face.¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes dodged hers uncomfortably. Tang Xia confirmed that he was hiding something. She instantly pretended to be angry. ¡°Since you¡¯re not going to say, then I¡¯ll ask Li Xianxian!¡± After saying so, she turned to leave.


    Ye Yifan froze and quickly stepped forward and pulled her hand. He said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. Stop being mad.¡±


    Tang Xia smiled slightly at her victory. She then turned around and pretended to be expressionless. Watching from aside, Jiang Yu also secretly covered her mouth and smiled.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan with a cold gaze and her arms crossed. She said arrogantly, ¡°Tell me, did you go find Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Ye Yifan froze. Jiang Yu also looked at Tang Xia in disbelief. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Ye Yifan could not help but gasp. Jiang Yu was even more shocked. It was true!


    Tang Xia snorted, ¡°I knew it! How could anyone here be so bold to hit you and leave a mark on your face? Other than Chu Tiankuo, I can¡¯t think of a second person.¡±


    Ye Yifan hung his head in embarrassment. However, thinking of Chu Tiankuo, his anger rose and his fist tightened.


    He said in a pissed tone, ¡°I did go to find Chu Tiankuo and showed him the powdered medicine. After looking at it, he also said that there was something wrong with it.¡±


    Tang Xia also knew that he did not want to mention why they ended up in a fight, so she did not ask. She then took over the powdered medicine in his hand and sighed.


    As if she had made a major decision, her gaze was determined as she said, ¡°This time around, I¡¯ll see what else Li Xianxian has to say!¡±


    After saying so, she directly turned around and went to find her. Ye Yifan knew that there would not be peace when the two of them comes together. He was worried that something would happen so he quickly followed after her. Jiang Yu saw that they were both gone and also followed along.


    This time, Tang Xia no longer did it sneakily. She went to her room directly and knocked on the door. Not long after, she opened the door. Seeing the three of them, she could not help but feel suspicious.


    However, when she caught sight of the powdered medicine in Tang Xia¡¯s hand, she could not help but dodge her gaze guiltily. ¡°What a big group of people. What do you want?¡±


    However, with a serious look on her face, Tang Xia threw the powdered medicine at her and said in a cold tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t you well aware of why we¡¯re here?¡±

 Chapter 305 - An Attack in the Chaos

    Chapter 305 An Attack in the Chaos


    Standing at a side, Jiang Yu could not stand it anymore. She stepped forward and said sarcastically, ¡± Li Xianxian, indeed, I knew that a person like you won¡¯t do anything good. You were pretending that you were misunderstood earlier, why, if you continue to pretend now it would be too fake!¡±


    Tang Xia pulled Jiang Yu¡¯s arm and shook her head, telling her not to be so agitated in her words.


    However, Li Xianxian was not embarrassed after being exposed. On the contrary, she continued to pretend that she was lost. Looking at Tang Xia, she said pitifully,


    ¡°What are you guys saying? Why don¡¯t I understand anything? You¡­how dare you steal my medicine! Tang Xia, this time around it¡¯s not that I want to pick on you, but what you guys did is really dirty.¡±


    While saying so, she even put on a distressed expression on her face. This pushed Jiang Yu¡¯s limits even further. She was just about to step forward and say something when Tang Xia stopped her. At this moment, Ye Yifan, who had been standing silently at a side, stepped forward and said in a disciplinary tone,


    ¡°Xianxian, you¡¯re in the wrong this time. Do you know how much pain Tang Xia had to go through because you did something wrong? Do you know that you almost killed someone?¡±


    Feeling flustered, Li Xianxian stepped forward and grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, saying on the verge of crying, ¡°Yi Fan, I really don¡¯t know what you guys are talking about. Have you guys misunderstood something?¡±


    Right now, she can only deny it to the end. They could do nothing about it.


    However, Ye Yifan pushed her hand away emotionlessly. He said in a cold voice, ¡°I personally brought the medicine to find Chu Tiankuo. Since when have you become someone who didn¡¯t dare to own up to your own mistake? Oh no, Xianxian, since when have you become someone that even I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Li Xianxian was a little taken aback. Her pitiful expression became distorted instantly. She turned around and glared at Tang Xia. She looked as if she was going to dash towards her and rip her face apart.


    Out of caution, Tang Xia took two steps back. Ye Yifan also stood in front of Tang Xia.


    Looking at the two displaying their affections for each other, Li Xianxian¡¯s face became even more twisted. But all of a sudden, she burst out laughing, as if she had suppressed herself.


    They all thought that she was crazy, but did not expect her to say teasingly, ¡°Why are you guys making such a fuss out of it? I did it for Tang Xia¡¯s good, but she still let me down eventually.¡±


    ¡°Let you down? Li Xianxian! You are the one that let us down, okay! But we can¡¯t even say that we are disappointed. Anyways, we are already used to the fact that this is the kind of thing that you do,¡± Jiang Yu voiced out, feeling unfair. Tang Xia quickly stepped forward to stop her.


    ¡°Huh, I only made this medicinal powder because I wanted to test Tang Xia¡¯s self-control, but she still failed the test. What has that got to do with me? If you want to blame, you can only blame her. She¡¯s still useless until now!¡±


    Hearing Li Xianxian saying such a thing with grandiose, Tang Xia could not hold it back anymore.


    ¡°You wanted to test me? Did you know that your test had caused me to kill someone? You did it on purpose, right?¡±


    ¡°You deliberately led me to the downtown area and killed the federal legislator¡¯s daughter through me! Your final goal is to make me the number one target of all demon hunters across the world, right?¡± Li Xianxian choked on her own guilt and she did not say anything.


    At this moment, all the fans in the broadcast room finally understood what was going on. It turned out that all of these were Li Xianxian¡¯s plot. They all felt unfair for Li Xianxian.


    ¡°I knew it! How could Li Xianxian become a good person all of a sudden!¡±


    ¡°She had been acting for so long! What a scheming bitch!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, they are all on the same team, how could she suddenly stab Tang Xia behind her back?¡±


    ¡°A moment of silence for Tang Xia!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    However, at this exact moment, there was a commotion from outside. The group of people stopped interrogating Li Xianxian. Tang Xia also came to a realization. She was just about to ask what was happening.


    Katherine rushed towards them while panicking. Panting heavily, she leaned against the wall and said in a broken sentence, ¡°You guys¡­. are here! Quick, quickly go! There¡¯s a batch of special forces outside!¡±


    The group was shocked. Tang Xia stepped forward and helped Katherin up while asking anxiously, ¡°What is going on exactly? Why are the special forces here?¡±


    The three people who stood behind them also did not understand why the humans launched an attack all of a sudden. Katherine then took a deep breath and composed herself slowly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know as well, but it¡¯s now daytime, so it¡¯s very unfavorable for us. It¡¯s best to go into hiding quickly.¡±


    Tang Xia frowned and looked at Ye Yifan, saying in a low voice,


    ¡°You guys go hide first. I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Seeing Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu in disagreement and wanting to refute, Tang Xia quickly grabbed his hand and said firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not scared of the sunlight, but you guys are different. So it¡¯s best for you guys to go into hiding first, I will be fine.¡±


    Both of them also thought that what she said made sense. Although they felt a little devastated, they could not help but admit that Tang Xia was stronger than them. They could only nod and let her go. Looking at Tang Xia walk away, Katherine¡¯s gaze became darker. She then turned around and said to the rest, ¡°You guys follow me, I¡¯ll bring you guys to the basement to hide.¡±


    Before long, Tang Xia reached the castle¡¯s lobby. Because it was daytime, humans were very powerful. She heard continuous sounds of glass shattering.


    They broke down all of the black glass installed on the outer wall of the castle. The entire castle was immediately illuminated with the sunlight that shone in.


    With the sunlight shining onto her, Tang Xia could not help but squinted her eyes uncomfortably. She watched as her species turned into dust right beside her.


    Tang Xia frowned and ran out immediately to stop the people who were breaking down the glass. However, her little efforts were to no avail as there were simply too many people. No matter what, she could not possibly grow three heads and six arms.Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Seeing that most of her species were running to the basement, Tang Xia could only do something to delay time. However, the special forces suddenly noticed that she was different and a few of them gathered to target her.


    Originally, they wanted to shoot her with guns, but she was not afraid of bullets at all. Eventually, they could only attack her physical body and they charged towards her with knives.


    Although Tang Xia was very strong, she was not very skilled in fighting physically. She blocked their attacks awkwardly and was taken down very soon.


    After all, she was surrounded by several people. She felt that they had made a cut somewhere on her body and her body was cramping.


    Also, their knives were coated with a drug that made it difficult for the wounds to heal. Not long after, her body was filled with wounds everywhere.


    Just when Tang Xia was terribly outnumbered, she suddenly felt a strong gust of wind. Some people were overwhelmed and used their elbows to cover their eyes. Tang Xia closed her eyes as well.


    Suddenly, she felt herself landing into a warm embrace. Feeling startled, she opened her eyes and saw Chu Tiankuo looking at her with a reprimanding look. Tang Xia felt as if something had hit her heart at that instant and her mind went blank.


    She heard him yelling causally, ¡°Did you squeeze your head at the door? Why are you here alone! Don¡¯t you know what it means to protect yourself?¡±


    Tang Xia was dumbfounded by his scolding. At this moment, a group of people rushed forward with their knives held up, ready to fight them. Chu Tiankuo already saw the many wounds on Tang Xia¡¯s body and there was some pent-up frustration that he had yet to vent.


    He frowned coldly and all of a sudden, a strong gush of wind blew past Tang Xia like a wave of attack. The group of people were suddenly sent flying away as if they had all suffered a huge punch.


    Just when Tang Xia was shocked at how strong Chu Tiankuo was, he released his grip on her. Chu Tiankuo took her by her hand directly and dragged her along forcefully with a black face.


    Feeling at a loss, Tang Xia looked at him.


    ¡°Stay still in the basement, you guys can only come out after I handle them.¡±


    Soon, they arrived at the basement and he threw her in directly. Looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s angry gaze, Tang Xia felt that he was putting on a facade for his worry for her.Read More chapter at vi pnovel. com


    Just when Chu Tiankuo turned around and was about to leave, Tang Xia suddenly grabbed his hand. ¡°Be careful.¡± It was just two simple words, but it caused Chu Tiankuo to be dumbfounded for a long time.


    Without any expressions on his face, he pulled his hand away before turning to leave. Although he did not say anything, at this very moment, his heart was overwhelmed with all kinds of different feelings.


    Looking at his back view as he went on to take on this fight alone, Tang Xia could not help but feel touched. She only slowly turned around after watching him disappear from her sight. She then saw that the entire basement was filled with her species.


    At this point in time, Ye Yifan and Jiang Yu discovered Tang Xia. They quickly ran over and when they saw her covered in blood, they checked her from head to toe anxiously. They only heaved a sigh of relief when they realized that they were just skin-deep wounds.


    ¡°See! I told you that you shouldn¡¯t go alone!¡± Jiang Yu complained.


    Tang Xia smiled and just when she was about to say something, Li Xianxian suddenly walked towards them, looked at Tang Xia resentfully and pulled her aside.


    Tang Xia had yet to realize what was going on before she was slammed against the wall by Li Xianxian. Li Xianxian scowled, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! If you hadn¡¯t killed the federal legislator¡¯s daughter, they wouldn¡¯t be coming after us right now!¡±


    She deliberately said it loud enough such that the vampires who were busy talking among themselves fell into silence instantly. Everyone turned to look at Tang Xia.


    She felt embarrassed by their burning gaze. Standing beside her, Jiang Yu quickly came forward and questioned Li Xianxian, ¡°You still have the decency to bring that up? If you had not poisoned Tang Xia, would all of this happen?¡±


    However, the crowd did not know, so a small group of people mumbled, ¡°If we hand Tang Xia over, would they then leave?¡±


    As soon as someone said it, most of the people agreed immediately. Someone even stepped forward, wanting to push Tang Xia out. Li Xianxian looked down and started to smile.


    Even Ye Yifan and the rest could not hold so many people back. Just when the crowd was getting increasingly chaotic, Tang Xia suddenly looked up and scanned the room with a vicious gaze. Those who were pushing her were all startled.


    Suddenly, she took a big step forward and dashed into the crowd. She grabbed hold of the throat of that one person who initiated the whole movement and shouting aggressively, ¡°I¡¯ll see which one of you dare to touch me!¡±

 Chapter 306 - Secret Deal

    Chapter 306 Secret Deal


    Everyone was instantly shocked by Tang Xia¡¯s voice. Her cold gaze was like a sharp knife scratching them all. The chaos stopped instantly.


    Everyone looked at Tang Xia and did not dare to turn away. Feeling afraid, they all took a step back.


    Seeing that everyone¡¯s attention was captured by her, Li Xianxian felt that things were not good and she quickly took a step forward, saying sarcastically, ¡°Huh, what now? You don¡¯t dare to admit what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so selfless all along, but now you don¡¯t dare to sacrifice yourself for us? Besides, this happened because of you, must we suffer the consequences for you?¡±


    The things she said became increasingly hurtful, each word pushing Tang Xia to the extreme.


    Although the person held captive by Tang Xia was a little scared, seeing how she looked like a weak girl, he thought that she would not actually do anything to him. Hence, he stood up straight and snorted,


    ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t dare to take up the responsibility for what you¡¯ve done! Strangle me to death if you can! I want to bring justice for everyone, even if it means that I¡¯ll die!¡±


    Hearing what the two of them said, everyone felt more supported and once again, they all started to make lots of noise, wanting to push Tang Xia out. Seeing that the situation had been overturned again because of Li Xianxian. Ye Yifan could not help but panic. Just when the whole basement was in utter chaos, Tang Xia suddenly smiled, which caused everyone to be startled.


    Seeing how Tang Xia was starting to look like a crazy demon, Li Xianxian also felt startled. ¡°Is¡­ there something wrong with your brain? Have you become crazy?¡±


    However, unexpectedly, as soon as she finished her sentence, Tang Xia suddenly turned and glared at her intensely. Li Xianxian stiffened and did not dare to move. At this moment, the troublemaker whom Tang Xia was grabbing onto started struggling intensely.


    ¡°Quickly let me go if you don¡¯t dare! Get out now and stop wasting everyone¡¯s time! Isn¡¯t it worth it to use your life to redeem ours?¡±


    While she was talking, she suddenly felt her neck tighten. At that instant, she glared at Tang Xia in disbelief. Tang Xia looked calm and peaceful and smiled at her, as if she was looking at a patch of weed.


    Tang Xia said indifferently, ¡°Human beings have always been unable to co-exist with vampires. Even if you hand me over, do you think they will actually be kind enough to let the entire species go and retreat? Are you stupid, or are they stupid?¡±


    ¡°But¡­since you want to die so badly, then I shall fulfill your wish. Anyways, it¡¯s much better to die in my hands than the human beings¡¯.¡±


    While saying so, Tang Xia slowly exerted strength and her grip tightened. Li Xianxian glared at her wide-eyed and exclaimed, ¡°Tang Xia, are you crazy! How can you kill someone!¡±


    However, Tang Xia turned a deaf ear. The troublemaker started to have difficulties breathing. Suddenly, Tang Xia tightened her grip further. In the silent basement, a cracking sound was heard as the neck broke. Immediately after, there was no breath.


    Everyone looked at Tang Xia in disbelief and utter shock. They had never expected her to be so cruel In that instant, everyone¡¯s gaze towards her changed. Tang Xia¡¯s solemn voice rang throughout the whole basement.


    ¡°I repeat, I don¡¯t offend people if they don¡¯t offend me. If you all don¡¯t want to end up like him, you better stay where you are!¡±


    Tang Xia patted her hands with a slightly disgusted expression. She looked up towards Li Xianxian, causing the latter to take a step back in shock. The fear in her gaze was very obvious.


    Tang Xia snorted before turning around and pulling Ye Yifan, Jiang Yu, and Katherine to a corner to rest.


    The people around them were all afraid of Tang Xia. No one dared to go near them and they even spoke softly. Tang Xia did not have extra energy to care about them.


    Looking at the time, Tang Xia realized that Chu Tiankuo had been gone for a while now but had yet to come back. Tang Xia¡¯s heart was filled with worry. Thinking about how he had so determinedly, she could not hold it back anymore and stood up right away.


    Ye Yifan was startled. He pulled her sleeve and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did anything happen?¡±


    Her sudden movement caused everyone around her to be alarmed. They all looked at her in shock.


    Tang Xia then sat down slowly. ¡°Chu Tiankuo has been out for a long time, until now there hasn¡¯t been any noise from outside, I¡¯m worried that¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan naturally knew what she was worried about. For a split second, his eyes turned dark. Then, he pretended to not be bothered and smiled.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s wait for it to turn dark before we go out and take a look together.¡±


    Feeling touched, Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan and smiled. Jiang Yu remained silent as she watched their three-way relationship play out. She could not interfere in this.


    Soon, it was nighttime. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan snuck out secretly to search for him. Without doubt, no one else in the basement dared to go out. What was there to reject when these two had volunteered to find out what was going on outside?


    Their night vision was naturally excellent. Tang Xia looked around anxiously for Chu Tiankuo yet she only saw the rumbles of the ruined castle. At this moment, a giant boulder almost fell onto her out of nowhere.


    Ye Yifan was startled and immediately rushed to cover her. He looked at her whole body anxiously, checking if she got hurt. Tang Xia quickly waved her hands to say that she was fine.


    Suddenly, she saw a broken wall that was exposed due to the fallen boulder. There seemed to be a body beneath it.


    Tang Xia got up and ran towards it right away without saying a word. On the other hand, Ye Yifan just laid on the ground with a blank expression on his face. When she got closer to the wall, she realized that it was Chu Tiankuo.


    She realized that he had passed out. Even though he was pinned to the ground, he still gave off an untouchable aura. There was not a single tint of dishevelment.


    She quickly went to him and shook his body. He started to open his eyes blurrily and saw Tang Xia looking at him worriedly and her eyes were slightly red.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! Did you have to push yourself to the extreme? Why can¡¯t you bring me with you?¡± The more she said, the angrier she was. However, at this moment, Chu Tiankuo was so weak that he could not say anything. It was tiring enough to open his eyes.


    Seeing him like this, Tang Xia quickly picked up a broken rock from the ground and cut her wrist without hesitation. Blood started pouring out instantly.


    She immediately reached out her hand to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s mouth. While in a daze, he felt a warm liquid dripping into his mouth. He started to suck on it greedily.


    Not long after, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes became clearer. It was then that he saw Tang Xia clearly. Seeing that she seemed to have cried, he felt a sense of joy.


    With slight difficulty, he lifted his hand to caress her cheek. His tone was filled with a gentleness that even he did not realize, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s all over now, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    However, Tang Xia patted his hand away angrily. Chu Tiankuo immediately pretended to be weak and whined. Hearing the sound, Tang Xia quickly checked on him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I hit you too hard?¡± However, Chu Tiankuo just pulled her towards him immediately. There was a tint of tease in his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, I drank your blood, you drank mine. Are we considered to be connected by blood then?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    When Tang Xia heard the unruliness in his tone, she did not know what to do with him and gave him an angry glare. She also dodged his gaze unnaturally. Just when she was about to push him away again, she suddenly realized that his lower body was pinned under the wall. This was not going to work.


    After thinking about it, she stood up and placed her hands on the wall. Chu Tiankuo naturally knew that she wanted to save him. ¡°Can you push it away? I think you should call someone.¡±


    He felt that Tang Xia was not able to do it. Unexpectedly, right after he finished his sentence, there was a loud thud. Tang Xia had pushed away the wall by herself. He stared at her in shock while she stretched out her hand and smiled proudly.


    Chu Tiankuo did not know what to do with her. There was also a smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. He gave her his hand and she pulled him up with much strength. However, because he had been pinned under for too long, his legs were numb. Hence, Tang Xia had to support him up.


    Just then, Ye Yifan walked towards them slowly. Seeing the two, he got an idea of what happened. When he turned to look at Chu Tiankuo, there was a tint of coldness that flashed across his eyes.


    He did not have many opportunities to stick himself to Tang Xia and lean on her completely. Tang Xia¡¯s strength was not to be undermined. She did not feel anything but Ye Yifan was very uncomfortably watching them.


    Chu Tiankuo naturally noticed his gaze. He commanded in a serious tone, ¡°Go find if there are any other survivors.¡±


    Ye Yifan saw that he wanted to shoo him away and he snorted and gave him the cold eye. ¡°I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m tired.¡± After which, he stood on Tang Xia¡¯s side and stare at her without taking his eyes off her.


    Chu Tiankuo could not help but feel annoyed. Suddenly, he remembered something and smiled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget our deal.¡±


    This sentence caused both of them to freeze. However, Ye Yifan suddenly frowned. He glared at him a little resentfully before turning away without saying anything.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel lost. She looked at Chu Tiankuo in confusion and asked, ¡°What deal? Why did Ye Yifan suddenly follow your orders? Are you guys hiding something from me?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was a bit annoyed by her questions. He pretended to have a headache and buried his face in her neck.


    Tang Xia felt her whole body stiffening at the moment. When his burning breath hit against her skin, she felt ticklish. She could not hold it in anymore and struggled to break away from him. She glared at him.


    Just by looking at his eyes, she knew that this was intentional. Feeling a little pissed, she turned away and wanted to go alone. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to tell me then you can go back alone!¡± Then, she pretended that she was going to leave.


    How could Chu Tiankuo tolerate it? He pulled her back directly into his embrace. She felt like she was spinning and finally ended up hitting into his firm chest.


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart could not help but tremble. Feeling lost, she looked back and saw him smiling at her. At that moment, it felt like spring.


    When she noticed this, she quickly struggled to break free. However, it was to no avail. She grew tired and gave up directly. When everything became quiet again, she suddenly realized that she was very peaceful in his embrace.

 Chapter 307 - End of Career

    Although Ye Yifan was extremely reluctant to obey Chu Tiankuo¡¯s orders, he still went to do it obediently. All for the deal.


    Looking at the ruins on the ground, Ye Yifan could not help but feel that the war this time around was really bad. At this moment, he suddenly heard a whine. After turning around, he saw a vampire gasping for air. He looked like he was on the brink of death.


    Ye Yifan quickly rushed over to check on him. However, he found that the vampire¡¯s injury was too serious.


    Even though the war was already over for a while, the wounds on his body had yet to heal fully. He started to rummage through his body and found that he had two bottles of the drink with him, and he quickly passed them to the vampire.


    It was only then that he realized that this vampire was an Elder. At this point in time, he could not be bothered to care if it was blood. In order to get the energy he needed, he had to drink it.


    After he fully regained his consciousness and the wounds on his body had healed, he then pointed to a side and said in broken sentences, ¡°There are, two more people there!¡±


    Ye Yifan froze and looked at the direction he was pointing towards. There was only a pile of rubble and he could not help but walk towards it slowly with confusion.


    At this point in time, he was at least more capable of controlling his power as compared to when he just entered the broadcast. He pushed the stones away swiftly and after the flying dust had died down, he saw two vampires hiding inside. They looked like they were in a good state.


    They must be hiding from the humans, which was why they hid inside and did not come out.


    Ye Yifan reached out his hand and pulled them out. After talking to them for a while, he decided to let the three of them search with him.


    With more people working on it together, they were naturally much faster. Not long later, they found a few more. However, as they continued on, they could not find anyone else.


    Soon, Ye Yifan took these people to meet Chu Tiankuo. Seeing that they were in a similar state as him, Chu Tiankuo felt troubled.


    Tang Xia was also quite helpless. She muttered softly, ¡°This battle resulted in such a heavy loss! Almost most of the main fighters have been buried.¡±


    As Chu Tiankuo listened to her words, his brows furrowed even closer together. Feeling frustrated, he clenched his fist tightly and punched the wall at a side. With a loud boom, the wall was smashed into ashes.


    Suddenly, as if he had made a decision, he looked at the remaining vampires and said, ¡°You guys, go find the Vampire¡¯s Cloak.¡±


    Everyone was startled and they looked at him in shock. Tang Xia was the first to ask in confusion, ¡°What is Vampire¡¯s Cloak? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo smiled mysteriously. He then turned around and patted away the dust on his hand. When he was about to open his mouth and say something, the Elders standing at a side frowned and said,


    ¡°The Vampire¡¯s Cloak¡­that¡¯s an artifact. Why didn¡¯t I think of it! If we had that, we wouldn¡¯t have suffered such a bad loss today!¡±


    His words made Tang Xia even more intrigued. Just as she was about to continue asking, Chu Tiankuo smiled and pinched her nose as he said slowly,


    ¡°It¡¯s a cloak that can withstand all physical attacks and its user won¡¯t need to be able of the sun. It¡¯s considered quite amazing.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. She could not believe there was such a thing. She could not help but worry that if the vampires have that item, they would become undefeatable.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s face as she sank deep into thoughts, Chu Tiankuo found her even more adorable. Just when he was about to lay a finger on her, Ye Yifan suddenly leaped forward and pulled her away.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand froze mid-air just like that. His gaze became darker. He looked up at Ye Yifan was pissed. He said in a lowered voice, ¡°Ye Yifan, what do you want?¡±


    Ye Yifan could not bear the defamation and he should have asked him the same thing. However, he did not do that. Instead, with no expression on his face, he said seriously,


    ¡°Since we¡¯re going to find the Cloak together, then Tang Xia and I shall be in the same group.¡± After saying so, he pulled her hand and left. Tang Xia did not even have time to react.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand that froze mid-air slowly turned into a clenched fist. He turned towards Ye Yifan¡¯s back view and yelled furiously, ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    After all, he was also a King. His thick and dark voice made everyone tremble a little. Ye Yifan stopped in his tracks. Tang Xia just felt that there seemed strange seemed to be going on between the two.


    Trying to be a peacemaker, she turned around and suggested in a gentle voice, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case then I¡¯ll go with Ye Yifan.¡±


    Seeing that Chu Tiankuo was dissatisfied and was just about to say something, Tang Xia quickly continued, ¡°Your body has not recovered completely, your injuries are too serious. You should go and have a good rest first.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Ye Yifan and I have been partners for a long time. I can be more efficient when I¡¯m with him.¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo heard her say the word ¡®partner¡¯, his anger instantly dissipated. Seeing how Tang Xia was already on the verge of being somewhat coquettish, he agreed reluctantly.


    After the two left, Tang Xia suddenly stopped walking when she remembered something. Ye Yifan was taken by surprise. Her gaze suddenly darkened and she said slowly, ¡°Before we go, there is someone we have to meet.¡±


    Although Ye Yifan did not know who she wanted to see, he could only follow her. The two returned to the basement again. Tang Xia kicked the door open with a loud bang.


    The noisy crowd instantly turned towards the door. When they saw that it was Tang Xia, they all fell silent instantly. Seeing how cowardly they were, Li Xianxian could not help but tut.


    However, unexpectedly, Tang Xia dashed towards Li Xianxian directly. Everyone cleared a path for her.


    Feeling afraid, Li Xianxian took a step back. However, she still pretended to be calm and stood up straight, complaining, ¡°Why are you coming towards me! Don¡¯t think that just because they are afraid of you, I¡¯ll also be afraid of you! Let me tell you, no matter how powerful you are, you are just a mistress!¡±


    Tang Xia naturally knew that she was talking about their real life. Standing at a side, Ye Yifan frowned angrily. He was just about to say something.


    Tang Xia suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed her neck. Li Xianxian looked at her in utter shock. She struggled to hit her hand. ¡°Tang Xia, you¡¯re crazy! Let me go right now!¡±


    However, regardless of what Li Xianxian said, Tang Xia continued to look at her indifferently without saying a word. She exerted more strength gradually. Li Xianxian felt that it was getting more difficult to breathe. This suffocation felt so real.


    Out of instinct to survive, Li Xianxian could not help but start to plead, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everything is my fault, please let me go!¡±


    At this moment, Tang Xia finally smiled. She asked sarcastically, ¡°You said you were wrong, so what did you do wrong?¡± Li Xianxian heard the satire in her words but at this point in time, she could not care much.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have framed you and caused you to be chased after by the whole world. It¡¯s all my fault. I was the one that made you carry this blame. And for all the things I did to you before, I apologize! Could you¡­forgive me! ¡±


    When the crowd heard her confessing everything, they were inevitably in shock. It was then that they realized they have all misunderstood Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia had achieved her purpose and she gradually lessened the tightness of her grip. Feeling alive again, Li Xianxian immediately gasped for air. Tang Xia did not want to continue harping on this, so she turned and left.


    After Li Xianxian regained her thoughts, she suddenly realized how shameful she was earlier. She then yelled at Tang Xia furiously, ¡°So what if I did those things? You deserved it! Who asked you to be my mistress!¡±


    She thought that Tang Xia did not kill her because they were in the same company and she could not hurt her own people.


    However, out of everyone¡¯s expectation, Tang Xia suddenly dashed towards her angrily, grabbed her by the throat directly and gave off a burst of cold laughter. Before Li Xianxian could react, there was a crackling sound. Tang Xia had broken her throat.


    Li Xianxian only felt her vision turning white. Suddenly, the system prompt sound was heard. Li Xianxian ¨C Eliminated. Following which, when she opened her eyes again, she was back at White Crystal Stadium. Feeling shocked, everyone erupted into chaos. The broadcast room exploded.


    ¡°Oh my god! Tang Xia is so domineering!¡±


    ¡°Li Xianxian only has herself to blame. She could have survived, but she just had to make herself die!¡±


    ¡°As Li Xianxian¡¯s fan, I feel like I¡¯m going to stop supporting her. How can someone be this stupid!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, July did not even think that such a thing would happen out of nowhere. She quickly went up to Li Xianxian.


    Li Xianxian¡¯s eyes were red and her whole body was trembling with anger. She stomped her feet in her high heels and glared at Tang Xia¡¯s face on the screen. She clenched her fists tightly and said, ¡°Tang Xia! There is no end to this! Just you wait!¡±


    After making the declaration, she dashed off the stage. Seeing this, July quickly rushed after her and wanted to hold her back. However, she did not expect Li Xianxian to fling her hand away. This scene was coincidentally captured and played on another big screen.


    During then, the host was making commentaries on Li Xianxian¡¯s performance. In the eyes of the audience, this scene showed how ignorant she was.


    Looking at how Li Xianxian¡¯s decisive back view, July shook her head helplessly. She muttered softly, ¡°I¡¯ve done everything that I could. This time around, you ended your future. Li Xianxian¡¯s era had probably come to an end.¡±


    Her assistant who stood beside her did not understand what she meant. However, she knew that it was impossible for Li Xianxian to start new this time around.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the broadcast, Tang Xia had no idea what happened after Li Xianxian was eliminated. After throwing her corpse onto the ground, she patted her hand.


    Although Ye Yifan could not bear for it to happen, he did not say anything. After all, she deserved it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    While saying so, Tang Xia got ready to set off. However, she did not see Ye Yifan following along. She could not help but turn around in confusion.


    She saw that he had a conflicted look on his face as he looked at the time. Tang Xia looked at Li Xianxian corpse and tried to ask, ¡°Are you¡­blaming me¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan knew what she wanted to say without the need for her to finish her sentence. He quickly shook his hands and explained, ¡°It¡¯s not about her. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s going to be daytime soon. The sun¡¯s coming out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t carry out operations during the day, I¡¯m afraid I will drag you down¡­¡±

 Chapter 308 - Prying for Information

    Chapter 308 Prying for Information


    Looking at Ye Yifan who was standing in front of her, Tang Xia was a little dumbfounded when she heard what he said. Although it looked like nothing, she was still sensitive enough to realize the unusualness in his tone.


    Feeling confused, she took a step forward slowly. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheeks. ¡°What happened? You seem off.¡±


    Ye Yifan looked down at his toes in silence, as if he deliberately did not want to look her in the eyes.


    Tang Xia also felt it. She cupped his face and forced him to look into her eyes. She said slowly, enunciating each word carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the reason is you¡¯re afraid of the sunlight. I want to hear your real reason.¡±


    Looking at the determination in her eyes, Ye Yifan knew that she would not let this matter go unless she got her answers. At that instant, he suddenly felt annoyed. Using a little strength, he pushed her hands away.


    Tang Xia froze. She did not expect that Ye Yifan would reject her. He dodged her gaze and looked into a corner, saying in a lowered voice, ¡°Nothing, I mean it literally. You¡¯re overthinking.¡±


    However, his behavior made Tang Xia doubt him even more. She looked at Li Xianxian¡¯s corpse and then at Ye Yifan. She could not help but worry.


    She looked up at Ye Yifan slowly and asked, ¡°Are you being like this because of Li Xianxian? Because I eliminated her personally?¡±


    Ye Yifan froze. He remained silent and did not want to speak. However, Tang Xia could not get anything out of him at all. The two of them just stayed like this for a long time.


    The people around them looked at them and did not dare to make a sound. Everyone was very anxious. They were afraid that Tang Xia would lose her temper once again and kill someone. She had killed two people in the span of one day.


    ¡°You can tell me anything, what am I supposed to do now that you suddenly become like this? Just tell me what you feel and we can solve it together!¡±


    Tang Xia could not stand it too. It felt like cold violence. At this moment, Ye Yifan suddenly turned his head to look at her. He looked as if he had something inexplicable to say.


    Suddenly, he scratched his head annoyedly, turned around and left directly. Tang Xia was flustered and quickly went up to grab him. However, he flung her hand away. Looking at his back view as he walked away, Tang Xia felt a little stuffy at her chest.


    She remained at her spot and thought about it for a while. Eventually, she still decided to chase after him. After all, she was not sure if there would be human special forces lurking around at this moment. If something were to happen to him, the consequences were unthinkable.


    Everyone looked at Tang Xia¡¯s back view as she ran out and they all heaved a sigh of relief, as if they had just sent away a Buddha.


    After exiting the basement, Tang Xia started looking around. However, all she saw was a vast land of ruins. After searching for a long time, she still could not see any trace of Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel a bit dispirited. Just when she was feeling exhausted and bending forward to take a rest, someone suddenly stood in front of her.


    Tang Xia froze. She quickly looked up to see who it was. It turned out that Su Yanxun was standing in front of her, looking at her with a confused look. She felt slightly disappointed and lowered her head again and panted heavily.


    Su Yanxun naturally noticed the disappointment in her eyes. He could not help but feel a little sad. Feeling unfair, he said, ¡°Hey! What kind of expression is that! Why do you have that expression when you see me!¡± After saying so, he turned around angrily.


    Tang Xia was feeling very conflicted at this moment. She was not in the mood to play around with him. After resting enough, she stood up, turned around and left.


    ¡°Ye Yifan just ran out, and he did not look well. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have the time to chat with you today.¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was about to run away, Su Yanxun quickly stepped forward to hold her back. Tang Xia looked at him in shock. He quickly said seriously,


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let me search with you. It¡¯s easier with more people.¡±


    It felt as if his voice had the magic power to comfort one¡¯s heart. It was just like when he saved her at their first encounter. She felt at peace with him beside her.


    Feeling a little shocked, Tang Xia nodded slightly and the duo set off to search for Ye Yifan.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    The two of them searched for a long time in the ruins of the vampires¡¯ castle but found no trace of Ye Yifan. Left with no choice, they started looking outside the castle.


    Soon, the sky became bright. Tang Xia could not help but start to worry. Su Yanxun noticed that she was off. He asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the sun making you uncomfortable? Or is something wrong with your body?¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly shocked. She then shook her head slightly. With her brows slightly frowned, she said worriedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Ye Yifan is doing. Now the sunlight is so strong, I¡¯m afraid that he¡­¡±


    At that moment, Su Yanxun finally realized that she had been worried for Ye Yifan all along. He could not help but feel upset. However, he could only comfort her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ye Yifan will be fine. Even I can survive, so he will be fine.¡±


    Tang Xia felt a little better after hearing Su Yanxun¡¯s words. The two continued to search aimlessly.


    Although Tang Xia had already been here for a while, she had never been to the surrounding area. She had only heard that there were many vampires gathered in the surrounding area.


    Su Yanxun looked at Tang Xia with a deep gaze. He pretended to ask casually, ¡°Right now in your company the more famous ones should be you and Ye Yifan, right?¡±


    Tang Xia froze and stopped to look at him. Su Yanxun quickly waved his hands embarrassedly, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else, I just wanted to chat with you to calm you down.¡±


    Tang Xia was then relieved and became relaxed. She continued to search. ¡°Probably not. There are many streamers in our company, how could the famous ones just be the two of us?¡±


    Instead, Su Yanxun laughed out loud and quickly caught up to her. Looking at her, he said casually,


    ¡°But I see that you two are the most active and highly talked about. But you¡¯re quite good at what you do, I heard that not long after debut, you manage to achieve your current accomplishments. That¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia smiled embarrassedly. She did not say anything.


    After that, Su Yanxun also asked a lot of information about Time-travel Broadcast Company. Tang Xia answered his questions casually and did not think too much about it.


    Su Yanxun also knew that Tang Xia had no interest in continuing to talk about these things. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s anxious gaze, he smiled and said, ¡°You must be the best female streamer in your company now, right? You have so many fans even I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but feel happy about it. Having so many people recognizing her hard work was indeed something to be happy about.


    However, she was a little awkward because of his sudden compliments. She laughed awkwardly and quickly shook her hands, ¡°You¡¯re joking, we still have Li Xianxian. She has a lot of fans and is gaining a lot of attention.¡±


    While saying so, she was inevitably wondering if Li Xianxian would take revenge against her when the competition ends and she had to return to reality.


    Although this was how she thought, the most important goal right now was to find Ye Yifan. Everything must wait after the competition ends.


    After saying these things, Tang Xia became filled with confidence and took big steps forward as she continued searching everywhere. Ye Yifan quickly followed after her.


    Throughout the entire journey, Su Yanxun kept chatting with Tang Xia from time to time. Not long after, they arrived at somewhere they had never been.


    Feeling confused, Su Yanxun could not help but point to a castle not far away. The castle was very similar to his. ¡°What is that place?¡±


    Tang Xia had never been there. She was also a little confused. Suddenly, she remembered there might be groups of vampires in that area. At that moment, a tint of realization flashed across her eyes.


    She then turned and said to Su Yanxun, ¡°I heard that it¡¯s the territory of other vampires.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Su Yanxun froze and his gaze grew darker as he looked towards that place. The two of them started walking towards it slowly. The two guards at the door noticed them quickly.


    Tang Xia deliberately made Su Yanxun put on his cloak and cover his face. She turned to the guards and said as gently as possible, ¡°Have you guys seen a man? He is a vampire. We are here to look for him.¡±


    However, her words were obviously useless. As if they did not understand, the two guards went up to them and captured them right away.


    Tang Xia wanted to break free, but suddenly, she thought that Ye Yifan could have been caught and sent here too, which was why they could not find him. Hence, she let them suppress her and bring her in.


    The interior decoration of the castle was also very similar to their own. Most of which were black glass, red carpet, and gold frames. She could not help but be in awe that all vampires have the same sense of aesthetics.


    Not long later, they were pushed into a cell. At this moment, they pulled off the hat of Su Yanxun¡¯s cloak. Tang Xia could not help but be startled.


    However, it was already too late. The two vampires quickly grabbed him by his neck and yelled angrily, ¡°He¡¯s a human! There¡¯s a human beside this vampire!¡±


    While saying so, the guard¡¯s gaze became icy-cold and he had the intention of killing Su Yanxun. Tang Xia got a shock instantly and quickly pushed away the two who were grabbing onto her. With a swift kick, she sent the two people grabbing onto Su Yanxun¡¯s neck flying away.


    The two kept whining at the pain. Seeing the surrounding prison guards running to them, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes suddenly emitted a strong blue light. She glared at everyone and scowled,


    ¡°I see who dares to come over!¡± Everyone was stunned by her eyes. Standing at a side, Su Yanxun also entered a daze as he looked into her eyes.


    Immediately, the crowd started discussing among themselves in confusion. They felt that the more they looked at her eyes, the more they found the resemblance to be very high. Eventually, their leader stepped forward slowly and said in a low voice,


    ¡°We won¡¯t touch him anymore, but you have to come with us.¡± Then, he made an inviting gesture.


    Tang Xia looked at him in a slight shock but she had no choice but to follow them.

 Chapter 309 - King Bogula

    Chapter 309 King Bogula


    Su Yanxun could not help but worry as he watched them take Tang Xia away. Tang Xia was also afraid that they were trying to lure her away to do something to Su Yanxun. If he were to be killed while she was not there, there would be nothing she could do.


    She turned her head and looked at the leader who was standing at one side. ¡°I can go, but he needs to come with me! Who knows what you guys are going to do behind my back!¡±


    Unexpectedly, the leader bent forward and said respectfully, ¡°Everything shall be done according to your will.¡± After saying that, he made an inviting gesture. This time around, Tang Xia was finally relieved. She pulled Su Yanxun and both of them followed after them.


    They walked past corridors after corridors. The situation felt so familiar, just like the first time when she was brought to see Chu Tiankuo.


    Tang Xia turned to look at Su Yanxun who was on the other side. Seeing him also on a high alert, she felt more confident. They were probably bringing them to see the King.


    Not long later, indeed, they arrived in front of a big door. Sun Yanxun could not help but slowly touched his waist area. He realized that his gun was taken away earlier. He felt a little helpless.


    However, Tang Xia smiled and patted him on the shoulder, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here with you.¡± For some reason, this sentence touched Su Yanxun. He nodded with a smile.


    The two guards slowly pushed the door open. It opened up to an extravagant hall. There was a man sitting at the top looking at the two of them interestingly.


    Tang Xia was not afraid at all. She walked in slowly with confidence. Su Yanxun followed right behind her.


    It was then that they finally saw clearly who was sitting on the stage. It was a man who could be considered to be in his mid-thirties. He looked like an uncle in real life.


    However, if you were to talk about his appearance, he can be classified as a top-grader. He was not the same kind of handsome as Chu Tiankuo and Ye Yifan, but it was a sense of maturity that accumulated over time.


    ¡°I just heard that they caught someone with the same eyes as me. So you¡¯re the one!¡±


    There was an undisguised joy in his tone. He walked down slowly from the top and only stopped when he reached Tang Xia. When he lifted his hand and was about to caress Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks, Su Yanxun suddenly lifted his hand and stopped him.


    The man then noticed that there was someone standing beside him. After looking at him from head to toe, he then asked with a raised brow and in a confused tone, ¡°Human?¡±


    Suddenly, as he had thought of something, he laughed at himself and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot. You were once a human. It¡¯s not surprising that there¡¯s a human with you.¡± Tang Xia was confused by what he said and she looked at him with a lost look.


    ¡°You know me from before? Have we met?¡± However, the man burst out laughing. He looked at Tang Xia¡¯s face and suddenly looked at her very seriously.


    ¡°Why? Have you forgotten me so quickly? I was the one who turned you into a vampire in your house!¡± Tang Xia felt her mind go blank. She looked at the person in front of her in disbelief. She then noticed his luxurious outfit.


    ¡°You¡­are the King?¡± The man nodded without denying it.


    Tang Xia looked at him in shock. So the person who bit her was this guy and not Chu Tiankuo. They must have different eyes because they were different species. Slowly, she started to feel more at ease.


    The man bent down slowly and did a gentleman¡¯s bow from the medieval times. ¡°I am the King here, and I go by the name Bogula. However, I can allow you to just call me by my name. Only you.¡±


    After saying that, his gaze turned to Su Yanxun, who stood beside her. Su Yanxun was also shocked. The atmosphere felt like they were long-lost relatives who were finally reunited.


    Bogula invited them to sit at a couch at one side. He even ordered someone to serve them red wine and fresh blood.


    For vampires, not only was the color of red wine similar to that of blood, but it was also the only human drink that they could taste its flavor.


    Tang Xia did not touch the blood. Instead, there was a trace of disgust in her eyes.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Naturally, Bogula noticed this flicker of disgust very clearly.


    While swirling the blood in his glass, he looked at her with a misty gaze and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What is your mood like right now? Have you ever hated me for turning you into a vampire?¡±


    Tang Xia did not expect him to ask her how she felt. After thinking about it for a second, she suddenly burst out laughing. No matter what, the game was configured this way.


    No matter what happened to her, there would always be someone who would turn her into a vampire. If it was meant to be the same, why not let a powerful vampire do it? Hence, she said indifferently. ¡°What¡¯s there to hate? We should just accept whatever that comes.¡±


    After saying that, she picked up the glass of red wine and took a small sip. After hearing what she said, Bogula suddenly burst out laughing. His gaze at Tang Xia also had a tint of admiration instantly. ¡°Indeed, I did not set my eyes on the wrong person!¡±


    After saying that, he clinked his glass with Tang Xia¡¯s. Both of them treated each other respectfully and politely. They were also courteous with each other and got along well.


    Tang Xia also talked about her experience after she turned into a vampire. Bogula then knew that she had gone to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s castle.


    Feeling confused, he then asked her, ¡°Why did you come here suddenly? Is there anything you have to do?¡± Thinking of the Ye Yifan¡¯s back view after he turned away, Tang Xia could not help but worry.


    ¡°I came to find my friend. I originally said that I would and find the Vampire¡¯s Cloak with him, but I did not expect him to suddenly get lost.¡±


    After saying that, her gaze became hopeful as she asked, ¡°Do you know this man? He¡¯s very tall and look very handsome. Has he been here?¡±


    Bogula thought about it for a moment and called onto the guard at the door. The guard pondered for a moment. ¡°The only people who came to the castle today are these two. There was no one else.¡±


    Tang Xia was inevitably a little disappointed after hearing that. Feeling helpless, Bogula sent the guards down.


    He sank into thoughts for a moment and suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°Although I can¡¯t help you find that man, if you want the Vampire¡¯s Cloak, I can help you.¡±


    Feeling shocked, Tang Xia looked up at him and saw his mysterious look. He stood up directly and pulled Tang Xia and Su Yanxun to a warehouse. Upon entering the door, there was no dust at all. It seemed like someone came here to clean regularly.


    Tang Xia looked at the gold and silver jewelry in utter shock. She did not expect all vampires to be tyrants.


    All of a sudden, the door slammed shut with a loud bang. Tang Xia was startled and when she looked back, she only saw the front door behind her shut tightly. Su Yanxun was about to go in but did not expect the door to close. He quickly realized that something was not right and banged on the door loudly.


    Tang Xia could only listen to Su Yanxun¡¯s shouting without doing anything. She also felt that something was not quite right. She looked towards Bogula in confusion.


    However, Bogula looked calm and did not feel like anything was wrong. Looking at Tang Xia who stood at one side, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Relax. The warehouse doesn¡¯t let humans come in. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Although that was what he said, she still felt like something was off. She kept her fists clenched tightly and lowered her head cautiously. Bogula was now searching around the warehouse.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia saw something beside her that seemed to be smashed into pieces. Out of curiosity, she picked it up. After looking at it closely, she realized that it was something like a map.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    When Bogula saw what she was holding onto, a weird look flashed across his eyes. He walked up to her slowly and took over the map in her hands. ¡°This¡­how did you find it?¡±


    Tang Xia froze a little and took a step back unconsciously. She pointed towards a gap at one side, indicating that she took it from there.


    Bogula gave an understanding smile. Suddenly, Tang Xia felt like something was wrong with him. There was also a tint of wretchedness in his eyes. It felt as if he turned into a different person and was no longer a gentleman as he was outside.


    He approached Tang Xia slowly and stretched out his hand to caress her cheek. Tang Xia could not help but take two steps back in shock. However, she realized that there was nowhere to run to. ¡°What¡­are you doing?¡±


    However, Bogula got even more excited upon hearing the tremble in her voice. He grabbed her hand in one swift motion and pinned it behind her. He placed the other hand that held onto the map onto her waist and even squished it.


    Tang Xia was frightened and her breathing became faster. She heard him chuckle in her ear and say, ¡°I bit you back then because you look really beautiful.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart fell and she looked at him in utter dismay. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she gained this immense amount of strength to push him away. While doing so, she also snatched away the map in his hand and kicked him in the crotch.


    Bogula did not expect Tang Xia to come up with this. He bent forward in pain. Tang Xia took advantage of this gap and opened the big lock. She pushed the big door open and ran out. She then turned around and closed the door. Pulling onto Su Yanxun¡¯s hand, she started running without saying a word.


    Su Yanxun looked at Tang Xia in shock. He felt her hand shaking. The guards standing at one side did not know what happened.


    Suddenly, the door of the warehouse was kicked open. Bogula stood there smiling sinisterly and roaring loud enough for the whole castle to hear clearly, ¡°Grab the two of them!¡±


    Although Su Yanxun wanted to ask, there was no time for that. The two were chased after just like that and they fled into the woods. Tang Xia grabbed onto Su Yanxun¡¯s hand and did not dare to stop for even a second. She could not stop herself from turning back. She saw the group of people chasing after them closely.


    Tang Xia could not help but started swearing in her heart. Suddenly, she bumped into someone while running. Tang Xia got such a big fright that she stepped back and almost fell. The person quickly caught her by her waist and prevented her from falling over.


    Tang Xia looked up in shock and saw Chu Tiankuo looking at her with a blank expression. It was as if she had returned back home. Her whole body started to relaxed. Su Yanxun was also a little shocked to see Chu Tiankuo.


    Before they could catch up with each other, Chu Tiankuo pushed Tang Xia behind him. He saw Bogula and the rest catching up.


    Bogula saw Chu Tiankuo and smiled disdainfully. ¡°Hand Tang Xia over!¡± Chu Tiankuo still kept the blank expression on his face. He shook his head firmly.


    Seeing him like this, Bogula could not help but feel pissed. Suddenly, he gave a cold smile and said in an icy tone, ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re not worthy to be my opponent at all. Can you protect her?¡±

 Chapter 310 - A Narrow Escape

    Chapter 310 A Narrow Escape


    The atmosphere between the two became denser. Anytime soon, the war was about to start. It was as if you could see sparks flashing past. Tang Xia had a bad feeling. She looked at Chu Tiankuo worriedly and stretched out her hand gently to hold his hand.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body trembled. He looked at her in shock. When he saw her eyes, they were full of worry. At this moment, he was captured by them.


    She leaned close to his ear and said anxiously, ¡°You must be careful. He is not as easy to defeat as he looks.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo then turned around. His gaze looking at Tang Xia gradually softened. He lifted his hand slowly and tapped her forehead. Tang Xia¡¯s face scrunched up from the pain.


    Tang Xia was just about to get angry, but when she opened her eyes, she saw his smiling face. He was like the only shining star in the dark night. At that instant, the world seemed to have become quiet and she could only hear the loud thumping of her heart.


    The corners of his lips curled up slightly. With the magical power to captivate one¡¯s heart, he said in a low voice that had a hint of determination, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely not leave you alone.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. She felt as if an inexplicable emotion had stirred up in her heart.


    However, at this moment, Bogula looked a little impatient as he stood before them. ¡°When are you two going to stop being all lovey-dovey? If you aren¡¯t going to hand her over, then let¡¯s get this fight over and done with quickly. You can snatch her back when you¡¯re handicapped.¡±


    While saying so, he burst out laughing, earning him a look of disgust from Tang Xia.


    She said coldly, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t hate you, but now, I¡¯m beginning to. I would rather a nobody come and bite me rather than have my body filled with your blood!¡±


    As soon as these words left her mouth, Chu Tiankuo was shocked. He did not expect Bogula to be the one that bit her.


    Bogula was not happy. In just the blink of an eye, he dashed toward Tang Xia.


    He was so fast that Tang Xia only felt a gust of wind blow past her. However, Chu Tiankuo was sharp-eyed. With one swift motion, he grabbed Bogula¡¯s wrist that was going to strangle her neck.


    Feeling infuriated, he scowled slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her! This is a match between you and me!¡±


    Then, he pulled Bogula and threw him toward the open space on the other side.


    Bogula inevitably felt some pain. He struggled to stand up.


    Chu Tiankuo was on a roll. However, when he threw a fist at him, he was stopped suddenly. The word ¡°bloodthirsty¡± was sprawled all over Bogula¡¯s scornful face. The attack earlier was like a breeze to him. It did not bother him a single bit. The hand that was gripping Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand was tightening.


    Chu Tiankuo also frowned slightly from the pain, but he held back the urge to moan. Looking from one side, Tang Xia was very anxious, but she could not do anything to help him at all.


    All of a sudden, Chu Tiankuo looked up and landed a kick on his life-gate.


    Bogula was shocked. He looked at Chu Tiankuo in disbelief and scowled, ¡°Chu Tiankuo! You¡¯re so despicable!¡±


    Tang Xia cheered for him from the side.


    Chu Tiankuo smiled sarcastically and snorted, ¡°It¡¯s common to use this on people like you.¡±


    Following this, the probing stage was over. Chu Tiankuo began his attacks officially. Bogula was overwhelmed, but he had to get serious eventually. However, Chu Tiankuo did not have Bogula¡¯s years of experience. Before long, he was taken down.


    Bogula suddenly gave him a slap, which sent him flying. He fell down beside Tang Xia and could not help spewing out a big mouthful of blood.


    Tang Xia was horrified. She went over to help him up and checked his body anxiously. However, Chu Tiankuo grabbed her by her shoulders. He looked at Su Yanxun with a serious look. ¡°Quick, take her away. I can¡¯t hold on much longer. Quickly take her away!¡±


    Tang Xia broke free from his grasp and dashed forward to hug him. Chu Tiankuo coughed from the pain. On the verge of tears, Tang Xia choked as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere! How can I leave you here when you¡¯re not leaving! Who am I to you!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo was also very helpless. Although he was very touched, he knew that her life was more important. Before he could open his mouth to reply, Bogula suddenly launched an attack. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly pushed Tang Xia into Su Yanxun¡¯s embrace. ¡°Take good care of her! Take her away!¡±


    After saying that, he turned to fight Bogula head-on. Tang Xia was so worried that she was on the verge of tears. Seeing this, Su Yanxun suddenly remembered something. He took out a dagger from the small bag at his legs and put it in Tang Xia¡¯s hand.


    Tang Xia looked at the dagger in front of her. She then turned back to look at him with a puzzled expression.


    Su Yanxun pushed it into her hand anxiously. ¡°This is a dagger that can stab vampires. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s useful, but right now, you are the only one that can save Chu Tiankuo¡¯s life.¡±


    As Tang Xia looked at the dagger in her hand, her hand tightened around it slowly, as if she had made a big decision.


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang. Bogula had pinned Chu Tiankuo against a tree and was strangling his neck. Although his gaze was blue, he looked extremely bloodthirsty.


    Looking at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s exhausted state, he could not help bursting out laughing. His voice was so shrill that Tang Xia could not help covering her ears.


    ¡°I already said that you can¡¯t beat me, yet you still want to try those useless tricks. Do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at him with a cold gaze. Even though he was now defeated, he was not disheveled at all. And precisely because of this, Bogula had the urge to rip his face apart! Suddenly, his fangs were exposed and he was going to sink his teeth into his neck.


    However, the instant when his teeth briefly scratched his skin, Tang Xia suddenly dashed at him.


    At that moment, before everyone could react to what was going on, she took out the dagger and stabbed it into his chest with all her might.


    Bogula stared at Tang Xia in utter disbelief. She was right in front of him, nearly gnashing her teeth. He lifted his hand slowly, wanting to remove the dagger with his hand. Seeing this, Tang Xia pushed it in even further.


    Bogula¡¯s body spasmed. Fresh blood oozed from the corners of his mouth. He could only choke out the sound ¡°Uh, uh¡±.


    Tang Xia was afraid that he could still move, so she pushed the dagger into his chest directly. At this moment, Bogula could not even form an angry expression on his face.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    With a push from Tang Xia, he fell onto the ground directly.


    When the surrounding vampires saw their King get killed, they all rushed forward. Without saying anything, Tang Xia quickly picked Chu Tiankuo up from the ground and started running.


    Su Yanxun saw that she had succeeded. What was left was just a piece of cake. He took out his gun and took care of it for them.


    They ran for an unknown period of time. When they could not hear or see the vampires anymore, they then found a cave and rested.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s wounds. Seeing him still unconscious, for some reason, she felt distressed.


    Seeing this, Su Yanxun decided to go out to find some firewood and some fruits while he was at it. Although they did not need to eat, he was a human and had to feed himself.


    When Tang Xia saw Su Yanxun walk far away, she then looked for a sharp stone on the ground. She created a slit across her wrist without hesitation.


    Fresh blood burst out instantly. Tang Xia endured the pain and moved her hand near Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lips. Seeing him slowly sucking on it unconsciously, she was then relieved.


    Not long after, he woke up. Seeing that Tang Xia had slit her wrist for him, he was very unhappy and quickly pushed her hand away. Tang Xia was too happy to care about it. ¡°How are you feeling? Is your body still in pain?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was just going to lecture her but he became speechless at that instant. This girl was always making him unable to continue when he wanted to scold her. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ use your blood next time.¡± After saying that, he turned his head away.


    Tang Xia looked at him and found it funny. ¡°Are you feeling awkward?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo blew up instantly and suddenly stretched his wound, causing him to suck in a breath of cold air. Tang Xia quickly checked on him.


    Looking at how nervous Tang Xia was, Chu Tiankuo suddenly quieted down. His gaze was as dark as the Dead Sea. The smell of Tang Xia¡¯s blood still lingered on the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Actually, Ye Yifan and I have reached an agreement. Neither of us will interfere in your matters. We will let you do it yourself. This is the only way to dampen the comments.¡± Tang Xia, who was looking around, suddenly paused. Feeling surprised, she looked up into his eyes. Seeing his serious expression, she had no choice but to believe in him. At that instant, her heart felt so complicated.


    The agreement that these two men arrived at for her sake caused her to feel sorry for them. Chu Tiankuo continued, ¡°Also, most importantly, both of us are going to compete fairly. The choice is in your hands. Me or him, the choice is up to you.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help feeling shocked. Her gaze looking into his eyes was also filled with disbelief. She was just about to say something when she was suddenly interrupted by him. ¡°But this time around, I was rash. I really can¡¯t see you in a dangerous situation and do nothing. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, he lowered his head in guilt.


    However, Tang Xia felt like something had hit her in the heart. Looking at Chu Tiankuo, who was hanging his hand in sadness, she felt like it had hit the softest corner of her heart.


    The corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously. She lifted her hand slowly and caressed his hair. ¡°No, I should thank you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was startled and lifted his head suddenly. He caught sight of her gentle side before she could hide her expression.


    He brightened up instantly. Without caring about the wounds on his body, he pulled her into his embrace. Tang Xia was taken by surprise. At this moment, there was a ¡°Whoosh¡± behind them.


    Both of them looked back in shock. Su Yanxun was standing there, staring at them with a blank expression on his face. The ground was covered with branches scattered all around.


    Tang Xia quickly pushed Chu Tiankuo away and tidied herself. Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo cast Su Yanxun a dissatisfied glare. He had seen it¡ªChu Tiankuo did it on purpose.


    Su Yanxun gathered the firewood and looked up at the two. He teased them, ¡°What is the relationship between the two of you?¡±


    Before Chu Tiankuo could say anything, Tang Xia quickly replied, ¡°Good friends!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face darkened instantly.

 Chapter 311 - Su Yanxun, Eliminated

    Chapter 311 Su Yanxun, Eliminated


    When Su Yanxun saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression, he burst out laughing instantly.


    After that, he said a little hatefully, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s who he is.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo raised his hand slowly while keeping a blank expression on his face. He clenched his fists tightly, causing his joints to snap. Su Yanxun had definitely seen Chu Tiankuo¡¯s power, so he shut immediately and focused on starting the fire.


    Tang Xia was helpless as she looked at the two. However, since there was no one talking, she could finally clear her mind.


    She pulled out the torn map from her arms, which she had snatched from Bogula. She flipped through it and realized that it was just one half of the whole map. She deliberately kept it and turned around to pass it to Chu Tiankuo.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at it for a moment and then said in a lowered voice, ¡°Let¡¯s rest here tonight. I know where the other half is. I¡¯ll bring you guys there tomorrow.¡±


    Tang Xia was a little shocked and then she quickly nodded and put away the map in her hands. She helped Chu Tiankuo to lie down and then turned behind to look at Su Yanxun.


    ¡°Go to sleep first, I¡¯ll keep watching. You¡¯re human after all, you need to sleep at night.¡±


    Su Yanxun wanted to reject her initially but he suddenly remembered that they were vampires. He then agreed. The night was relatively peaceful. There were no troops out there searching for them.


    The next morning, Su Yanxun woke Tang Xia up. She had fallen asleep last night while keeping watching. She smiled embarrassedly. Looking at one side, Chu Tiankuo had already recovered and was stretching on the ground.


    Tang Xia could not help but mumble in awe, ¡°He¡¯s indeed the vampire King, his recoverability is out of the world¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was confused when he saw her look. He touched his cheeks and said, ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks turned red instantly and she hurriedly pushed them to pack up. The trio set off in search of the Vampire¡¯s Cloak and the other half of the map.


    Chu Tiankuo led the way throughout the journey so there was no detouring or being chased by troops. The trio easily found the so-called oldest vampire castle.


    Just looking at the exterior alone, they could already see the traces of time. Even though it had been existing for so long, it was still a fort standing strong.


    Feeling a little scared, Tang Xia pulled Chu Tiankuo¡¯s sleeves and asked, ¡°Will we be thrown into prison again this time around?¡±


    Su Yanxun also had a little trauma. He almost died there and then. Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo found the situation funny. He patted the back of her hand to comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not every castle is so cunning like Bogula¡¯s.¡±


    This sentence instantly caused Tang Xia to be relieved. She then followed behind Chu Tiankuo.


    The three walked towards the castle together. The guard initially wanted to stop them, but as soon as he looked up, he saw Tang Xia and Chu Tiankuo¡¯s blue eyes and quickly cleared the path for them respectfully. He even made an inviting gesture.


    ¡°I am sorry for failing to recognize, distinguished guests. May I ask for your forgiveness.¡± Chu Tiankuo ignored them and walked in with his chest up high as usual.


    Su Yanxun was a little overwhelmed. He also straightened his back like him and followed them in. Tang Xia looked at him and burst out laughing.


    Su Yanxun frowned with dissatisfaction. Tang Xia tried to hold back her laughter and said, ¡°You know, you remind me of an idiom.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was interested and looked towards them. Su Yanxun¡¯s face was in a blur. She continued, ¡°A fox flaunting in the tuition of a tiger.¡± After saying that, she burst out laughing and ran towards Chu Tiankuo.


    Su Yanxun also shook his head somewhat helplessly. Soon, the trio was led to the castle owner¡¯s room. Looking at the owner, Tang Xia could not help but be a bit wary of him. Chu Tiankuo quickly comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Earl Carl is a good person. Besides, everyone here are all noble purebreds. They are a bunch of arrogant people that don¡¯t give a damn about playing dirty tricks.¡±


    Tang Xia finally calmed down. Suddenly, she asked in confusion, ¡°Do you come here often? Why do so many of them respect you?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, Chu Tiankuo looked at her as if she was a retard.


    ¡°You and I both have blue eyes. Didn¡¯t you realize that those with blue eyes are nobles?¡± Just then, the Count turned his head around.


    Tang Xia looked and realized that the person in front of her indeed had blue eyes. She suddenly understood that they only treated her and Chu Tiankuo like distinguished guests because of their blue eyes.


    Earl Carl looked at Chu Tiankuo kindly and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Which century did we last meet?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo also smiled politely. The two began to exchange formalities.


    Feeling upset, Tang Xia pouted. ¡°Pft, you still said that you¡¯ve never been here.¡±


    After the two exchanged formalities for a while, Chu Tiankuo finally spoke of the main reason why they were there. He handed Carl the one half of the map. A tint of confusion flashed across Carl¡¯s eyes. He suddenly smiled mysteriously and turned to Tang Xia who stood at one side.


    ¡°You guys are here for the second half of this map, right?¡±


    Tang Xia froze. She did not expect him to say it out so plainly. She nodded a little embarrassedly, ¡°In that case¡­do you have the other half of the map?¡±


    Earl Carl pondered for a moment. Just when he opened his mouth and was about to say something, there was a glass-shattering sound from behind.


    Before everyone could react, a figure ¡®whooshed¡¯ out and dashed towards them like lightning. Chu Tiankuo was alarmed. It was obvious that this person was coming for Tang Xia.


    At that moment, Tang Xia felt everything become dark. A figure was blocking her.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo could not help but be a little confused. It was at this moment that he realized that the person who had dashed towards them was Bogula!


    Tang Xia could not see anything. She only heard the crowd¡¯s shocked gasps and Su Yanxun¡¯s muffled voice. Immediately after, she felt her face burning.


    It was as if something had spilled on her face. She could not help but blinked her eyes. When she opened her eyes once again and looked forward, she only saw Su Yanxun¡¯s big built blocking in front of her. At his chest area, a hand with long and sharp fingernails was holding onto a bright red beating heart.


    That heart, at that moment, was only a centimeter away from her nose tip.


    She only felt her brain going blank instantly and she almost lost her balance and stumbled backward.


    Chu Tiankuo roared loudly and punched Bogula¡¯s face with a loud ¡®boom¡¯. Bogula was sent flying several meters away. He was then forced to retrieve his hand while holding onto the heart.


    Su Yanxun¡¯s body could not take it anymore and he fell onto the ground gently.


    Tang Xia felt her atrium collapsing at that instant. Her heartbreaking cry rang throughout the entire castle. She ran forward to hug Su Yanxun. However, Su Yanxun stopped breathing before he could speak.


    Tang Xia was so devastated she did not know what to do. Looking at the hole in his body where his heart should be, her body started twitching.


    Chu Tiankuo was outraged when he saw this. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past.


    Earl Carl did not know what was going on but he could tell that Chu Tiankuo had heavy killing intent. Hence, he snuck out secretly.


    Tang Xia heard a ¡®ding¡¯ and a system prompt appeared in front of her. [Su Yanxun, Eliminated]


    Tang Xia slowly regained her composure, perhaps because of this beep. At least she knew that Su Yanxun did not really die. He was just eliminated.


    However, the scene earlier was too brutal and too real, giving her trauma until now. Unbearingly, she closed her eyes and took off her jacket to cover Su Yanxun¡¯s body. She then felt slightly better.


    However, her heart was still throbbing. She lifted her hand and touched her cheek. What she touched was the fresh blood that was scattered onto her face earlier.


    At the same time, Su Yanxun was forced to be eliminated from the game. When he looked back at the big screen, Tang Xia¡¯s devastated cries made his heart ache.


    At the same time, the fans in the broadcast room also exploded. They did not expect him to be eliminated so quickly and in such a brutal way too.


    On the other hand, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attack this time around was obviously completely different from the previous one. It was almost suppressing completely. Su Yanxun¡¯s death had triggered Chu Tiankuo.


    Bogula initially wanted to kill the three of them directly, but he did not expect to almost lose his own life. He was punched by Chu Tiankuo again, this time at his chest.


    Bogula had yet to fully recover from that stab by Tang Xia. After all, the knife went straight into his chest.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s gaze became colder. His blue eyes seemed to contain an unstoppable storm. Bogula became subconsciously afraid. It was the fear of his life being threatened.


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo flashed and took down the silver sword hanging on the wall. He deliberately picked a thick one. Before Bogula could react, he dashed towards him and pierced through his chest.


    Bogula felt immense pain and his whole body shuddered. ¡°You¡­¡±


    However, this was not the end, Chu Tiankuo continued to draw the sword and pierced him once more.


    After countless stabs, Bogula¡¯s heart was completely shattered and he disappeared like ashes carried away by the wind. Chu Tiankuo looked at the ashes on the floor with a cold expression before throwing away the sword in disgust.


    When he looked back, he saw Tang Xia kneeling in front of Su Yanxun¡¯s corpse in a sluggish state. He immediately ran towards her and covered her with his jacket.


    He comforted softly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ve taken revenge for him, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After saying that, he then hugged her in his arms and patted her back gently to comfort her.


    Tang Xia could only sob and cry. Her words were staggered and she could not form a complete sentence.


    When the fight broke out, Earl Carl secretly went out. At this moment, he was standing at the door. He had just made a trip to the warehouse. After ensuring that everything was fine, he then walked in. When he returned, he held the other half of the map in his hand. Looking at Chu Tiankuo, he said slowly, ¡°If you want this map, I have conditions.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia slowly broke free from Chu Tiankuo¡¯s arms. She wiped away her tears and heard Chu Tiankuo asked in a lowered voice, ¡°What conditions?¡±


    Carl did not keep them on their toes. ¡°I only need you to promise one thing. When the humans fight back to annihilate the vampires, I hope that our two castles can help each other and keep a look out for each other.¡± In other words, he wanted to form an alliance.


    Chu Tiankuo pondered for a while. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s swollen eyes, he nodded. ¡°I can promise you that, but I also have a request.¡±


    Carl felt a little worried. However, he had already witnessed his power earlier. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Say it.¡±


    However, Chu Tiankuo glanced at Su Yanxun who was lying on the ground. ¡°I want you to give him a proper burial.¡±

 Chapter 312 - Sneaking into Underground Palace

    Chapter 312 Sneaking into Underground Palace


    A burial is something small and much easier as compared to other conditions. Earl Carl would naturally not reject.


    He gave the two maps in his hands to Chu Tiankuo. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, the hiding place of the Vampire¡¯s Cloak is marked on the map. The rest is up to you two to go find it. I can only help you so far.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo received the two torn maps from his hands. After checking, he confirmed that they were the real deal. Glancing at Tang Xia who was still lowering her head and sobbing, he passed her the map.


    He coaxed gently, ¡°We have the complete map now. Let¡¯s go to the next place. I¡¯ve asked them to give him a proper burial. There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t leave behind now.¡±


    Tang Xia naturally knew that Su Yanxun was just eliminated. She quickly composed herself and gave a big nod to Chu Tiankuo. At this moment, her eyes were clear and clean as if they were just washed by heavy rain.


    The duo got the items they needed on this trip to the Underground Palace from Earl Carl. They also changed into clean clothes. After they finished getting ready, they watched Su Yanxun get buried and then headed off to Underground Palace with a comforted heart in search of the Vampire¡¯s Cloak.


    They started searching while looking at the map. The journey was a little difficult. Every turn led them to a harsher environment.


    Chu Tiankuo managed to resolve all the sudden situations, which caused Tang Xia to be displeased. Chu Tiankuo then remembered that he had agreed with Ye Yifan to not interfere in Tang Xia¡¯s matters. Today, he had already interfered in quite a lot.


    He felt a little helpless and could only let Tang Xia walk in front of her. Looking at her back view, he had this inexplicable feeling that this girl was very different. He slowly walked up to her until he was beside her. He then asked, ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you are different from normal girls?¡±


    Hearing this, she lifted her head blurrily. She looked at him. ¡°How am I different?¡±


    When talking to him, she did not look at the road. There was a swamp ahead and she almost stepped into it.


    Chu Tiankuo was startled and immediately pulled her up into his embrace. Tang Xia got such a big scare that her heart was thumping like crazy.


    She picked up a stone and threw it in. The stone was sunk in no time. Tang Xia quickly took two steps back and looked at him angrily. ¡°This is all your fault! Why are you talking to me? I almost ended up like that rock!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo also felt a little apologetic. Seeing Tang Xia walk around the swamp angrily, he could only follow after her.


    Looking at her cheeks that were puffing with slight arrogance, he found her extremely cute. ¡°You are really much stubborn than normal girls, yet you are just a little girl yourself.¡±


    Tang Xia was surprised when she heard it yet she pretended that she did not hear him. Thinking about how she was always unwilling to let him come close to her or to let him help her, and also her anxious face when he was injured the day before, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s facial expression suddenly darkened. He asked solemnly, ¡°Tang Xia, why are you so against me helping you?¡±


    With regard to this issue, since Chu Tiankuo had already reached an agreement with Ye Yifan, shouldn¡¯t he know the reason for it?


    Tang Xia wanted to refuse to answer the question, so she did not say a word.


    However, unexpectedly, Chu Tiankuo leaped forward and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him in the eyes.


    Tang Xia looked at Chu Tiankuo blankly. Seeing his earnest expression, she had no choice but to answer. ¡°The reason is very simple. When I first wanted to become a streamer, I wanted to become the best through my own effort. That can only happen if I rely on my own effort! I don¡¯t want others to say that I¡¯m just a streamer that relied on others to get to where I am today!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes seemed to be concealing a burning hot sun. Not everyone could have that ray of confidence.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart seemed to be captured by her eyes. He had always liked how confident she was.


    Tang Xia wanted to break free of his hand. She said helplessly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already finished asking the question, can you let go of me now? We still have to get moving! We need to quickly find the cloak and go back as soon as possible. I still need to check if Ye Yifan had returned safely.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was initially going to let go of her but when he suddenly heard the three words ¡®Ye Yifan¡¯ coming out from her mouth and the worried tone, he suddenly felt displeased inexplicably. Hence, his grip on her shoulders intensified.


    Tang Xia was startled. Feeling his strength intensifying instead of lessening, she looked at him in shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    His gaze suddenly became heavy. With a tint of jealousy, he asked, ¡°Then let me ask you this. What are your feelings towards me?¡±


    After hearing the question, Tang Xia did not know what to do. She dodged his gaze and looked at one side. She even started to stammer, ¡°You¡­why are you suddenly asking this?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    She felt that she wanted to escape this question out of instinct.


    Chu Tiankuo also clearly noticed this from her expression. However, he became even more serious and continued, ¡°When I was heavily hurt, I can feel that your anxiousness is different. I can also clearly feel how you treat me differently. Tang Xia, I just want to know what you really think.¡±


    Tang Xia did not even know what she really thought about it. She just felt a little awkward at that moment.


    At that moment, she suddenly saw a weird shape not far away. It looked like a tombstone. She quickly pointed at it and exclaimed, ¡°Hey! Look what¡¯s that!¡±


    However, Chu Tiankuo did not look at it at all. His gaze did not even falter. He just stared at her seriously.


    Tang Xia suddenly felt a little awkward. She patted his hand and pointed behind him. She said with a slight plea, ¡°Really, there¡¯s something behind you! It looks like a tombstone.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo remained silent for a while before releasing her shoulders a little defeatedly.


    He knew she was shifting the subject, but he also looked at the tombstone she said. He frowned impatiently and said, ¡°This is the exit of the Underground Palace, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    After saying that, he walked towards it on his own.


    Tang Xia froze. She did not expect that the excuse she had used to change the topic was really the entrance of Underground Palace. She quickly followed after him.


    After taking a closer look, she realized that the tombstone was only used to attract attention. The most important thing was the set-up below.


    Chu Tiankuo found it in no time and the door to Underground Palace was opened.


    Since Tang Xia had to insist on walking in front, Chu Tiankuo did not let her be. He pointed at the long and empty corridor ahead and picked up a rock to throw towards it.


    Tang Xia watched as the stone was cut into two by a wire-like thread. She covered her mouth in shock.


    On the contrary, Chu Tiankuo was very calm. He took out a dagger from his waist and suddenly rushed in like the wind. He was so fast that she could not even see his figure.


    Soon, Chu Tiankuo was standing on the other side. He said lightly, ¡°You can come now.¡±


    Then, he wiped the dagger in his hand.


    When Tang Xia walked towards him, she realized that the ground was covered with steel wires cut by the dagger. At that instant, her admiration for Chu Tiankuo increased.


    After walking for an unknown period of time, the Underground Palace became increasingly moist. Soon, there were more traps which the duo solved one by one. The whole journey could be considered to be dangerous.


    Suddenly, there were several things like chess in front of them. The black and white on the ground looked like a chessboard. Each piece was taller than Tang Xia.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at it for a while before turning to Tang Xia and said, ¡°We must probably solve this game in order to open that door.¡±


    Tang Xia observed it carefully for a long time. It was indeed a game of chess. She looked at Chu Tiankuo and chuckled. Chu Tiankuo thought that she was strange.


    She spent some time figuring the game out and pushed the pieces to different places. Suddenly, the door behind opened.


    Chu Tiankuo could not help but be a little surprised. Tang Xia then patted away the dust on her hands confidently. ¡°I was trained in chess.¡±


    Actually, for the past two days in the Vampires¡¯ Castle, she only had western chess to keep her company. She was already bored with it.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo walked to where the chess pieces were moved and checked the original tiles. After a short while, he suddenly said in a lowered voice, ¡°If you¡¯ve made one wrong move, we would probably be gone with the wind already.¡± After saying that, he stood up slowly.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel confused after listening to what he said. ¡°What are you saying? What do you mean?¡± She quickly ran towards him and checked out what he had just checked.


    He pointed to the tiles on the ground. ¡°There are bombs below. You can say that there are bombs below the entire chessboard. When one goes off, all of it will also go off. You can¡¯t escape it even if you¡¯re a god!¡±


    After hearing that, Tang Xia was a little scared. She looked at the tiles and thought, ¡°How many bombs are there! This is enough to bomb the entire place to a leveled ground!¡±


    Anyways, since it was over already, she did not want to think about it.


    Chu Tiankuo pulled Tang Xia¡¯s hand and the duo entered the door that opened behind them. Upon entering, they saw a huge circular space. The surrounding walls were curved. The decorations looked like they have been for a long time. There were some murals on the top, but they could not figure out what the painting was about.


    The two walked slowly. Chu Tiankuo observed for a while and said, ¡°This should be the center of the whole Underground Palace.¡±


    Tang Xia took out the map in her hand and looked at it for a while. This was indeed the case. This room was the middle ground. She said, ¡°Then according to the map, Vampire¡¯s Cloak should be here.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo nodded.


    The two started to search for it. When they took their first step forward, the whole Underground Palace started to shake while making ¡®vroom vroom¡¯ sounds. Tang Xia was startled and looked at Chu Tiankuo in shock.


    ¡°Is it going to collapse!¡± Chu Tiankuo frowned. After looking around a few times, he shook his head. This did not seem like it was going to collapse!


    He took Tang Xia¡¯s hand and wanted to hold her in his arms. Some small stones from above started falling due to the shock. Chu Tiankuo quickly blocked them with his hands to prevent them from hitting Tang Xia.


    Just then, an empty pit suddenly appeared in the center of the Underground Palace.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned. Meanwhile, Tang Xia was in his arms and saw nothing.


    Following that, a squarish thing slowly rose to the ground from the big pit. At the same time, the entire Underground Palace stopped shaking.

 Chapter 313 - Gone with the Wind

    Chapter 313 Gone with the Wind


    Chu Tiankuo slowly let go of Tang Xia. The two turned uniformly to look at the thing that had suddenly appeared.


    Tang Xia could not help but wonder, ¡°What is this?¡±


    The thing was squarish and looked like it was made of glass.


    Suddenly there was a beam of light from above and the two of them finally saw it clearly. It turned out to be a crystal coffin which shone extremely brightly under the faint illumination of the light.


    Yes, it looked pretty, but there seemed to be someone lying inside it.


    Tang Xia quickly wanted to go up front to take a look, but she was pulled back by Chu Tiankuo. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, there might be another trap.¡±


    Then, he walked in front of her to test out the water.


    However, when they got to the crystal coffin, nothing happened.


    Chu Tiankuo looked up at the sunlight shining in. Above them was an even bigger crystal that reflected off the sunlight, making it even more dazzling. It was very obvious that the Underground Palace was below a cliff, which was why it had never been found.


    Chu Tiankuo murmured softly, ¡°So the thing on top is the trap. If an ordinary vampire faces such a strong light they would have been gone with the wind already.¡±


    Tang Xia also followed his gaze but she felt her vision blurring and looked down. She then rubbed her eyes. Eventually, she thought that she should first look at what was inside the crystal coffin.


    Chu Tiankuo lifted the coffin lid. However, when their gaze fell onto the person lying inside, Tang Xia felt her mind going blank. Chu Tiankuo was also shocked because the person lying in the coffin was none other than Ye Yifan!


    Ye Yifan was lying peacefully inside the coffin and he was wearing a pure black cloak. This was obviously the Vampire¡¯s Cloak they had been looking for. Hence, when the sunlight shone on him, he did not turn into ash.


    At this moment, Tang Xia¡¯s face was extremely pale. She looked at Chu Tiankuo in shock and asked, ¡°Why is Ye Yifan here? How could he lie here for no reason? And he¡¯s also wearing the cloak!¡± Everything was too absurd.


    However, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s face was also blank. He turned and looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t know too. It is very obvious that he can¡¯t possibly reach this place! There are so many traps here, he can¡¯t reach here in one piece and even deliberately put on the cloak and sleep here!¡±


    Tang Xia also calmed down a little. Indeed, his abilities had yet to be mastered. It was too difficult for him to reach this place on his own. Besides, he was now being placed inside here like an object. The Western chess had no traces of being moved as well.


    ¡°Then how did he get here?¡± Tang Xia kept on having a feeling of uneasiness. Chu Tiankuo also shook his head. This time around he really did not know.


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo noticed that Ye Yifan¡¯s elbow was lying on top of something. He pulled the thing out and realized that it was a silk scroll.


    Tang Xia quickly came over and opened the scroll slowly. There were a few words written on it and she read them aloud one by one.


    ¡°Take off the cloak and the person lying in the crystal coffin will be gone with the wind?¡±


    While reading it, she felt so bewildered that her tone was raised. Even Chu Tiankuo also frowned seriously.


    Tang Xia quickly leaned against the beside the coffin and patted Ye Yifan¡¯s cheek. Although vampires had no temperature, his body temperature was too abnormal.


    Standing at one side, Chu Tiankuo could only pull her hand away. ¡°Calm down a little! Relax and then think of a solution.¡± He then patted Tang Xia¡¯s back to comfort her.


    However, when Tang Xia saw Ye Yifan lying there lifelessly and thought of the words on the scroll, she found it extremely difficult to calm down.


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we can do? If we want the cloak, Ye Yifan has to die. But if we can¡¯t get the cloak, we can¡¯t beat the humans! Making this decision is like asking me if I want to cut off my left arm or my right arm!¡± While saying so, Tang Xia became more emotional.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression was also very serious. At this point in time, there was really no perfect solution.


    Suddenly, the entire palace quietened down. Neither of them spoke a word. They were thinking very hard what they could do.


    Chu Tiankuo let go of Tang Xia and looked around. He looked up at the crystal at the top and had some questions. He then looked at Ye Yifan who was lying inside. He walked over and blocked off the light that was shining on him. He realized that there seemed to be something wrong with him.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°What¡¯s the relationship between the crystal on top and the crystal coffin below?¡± Chu Tiankuo could not help but entere into deep thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia was having serious contemplations over what she should do and did not even realize that Chu Tiankuo said something.


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo seemed to think of something. He quickly raised his hand and blocked Ye Yifan¡¯s face. He finally realized what was wrong. Without the reflection, Ye Yifan¡¯s skin became transparent!


    He turned to Tang Xia with a serious look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is not Ye Yifan, it¡¯s just an illusion. All of this is fake!¡±


    Tang Xia was a little shocked when she heard that. She turned to look at Ye Yifan but could not tell that any part of him was fake.


    She asked doubtfully, ¡°Are you sure? This Ye Yifan has flesh and blood, how could you know that this is fake?¡± Tang Xia was very cautious. After all, if the judgment was wrong, Ye Yifan would die.


    Chu Tiankuo squeezed his cheeks and said with the same certainty, ¡°It¡¯s definitely fake. Having been a King for so many years, there¡¯s nothing I have yet to see. This is not the first or second time that I¡¯m seeing an illusion like this. Trust me.¡±


    What he said was indeed very reasonable. Even though Tang Xia had some doubts, Chu Tiankuo had become very experienced in this journey, which was why he had successfully reached here.


    ¡°So¡­are you sure? What if it was really Ye Yifan? What if he gets eliminated?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the flash of loneliness in her eyes. He also knew that she had just experienced Su Yanxun¡¯s elimination and was not in the best state to accept another departure. ¡°Although I really don¡¯t want to admit it, Ye Yifan is an important partner to you. But this time around, you can¡¯t waver because of him. We won¡¯t be able to achieve our goal if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Feeling contemplated, Tang Xia clenched her fists. She did not even realize that she was sweating on her palms. Indeed, there were still many people in the castle waiting to be saved. If they wanted to win, they must acquire the cloak. ¡°Alright then, let me get the cloak. Don¡¯t interfere this time around.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo nodded. Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s nervous expression, his gaze was also filled with nervousness. Chu Tiankuo stepped forward to help her lift Ye Yifan up and this was also stopped by Tang Xia.


    She carefully unbuttoned the cloak and took it off gently. She was so gentle, as if she was afraid that she would break him.


    Seeing that Ye Yifan did not show any changes after she took off the cloak slowly, she heaved a sigh of relief instantly. She then shook the cloak in her hands.


    Chu Tiankuo took it over and upon careful observations, he nodded. ¡°This is indeed the real deal. This trip has not been wasted.¡±


    Tang Xia also started smiling.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, just after he finished his sentence, like a scene in a movie, Ye Yifan turned into speckles of dust from his head to his toes. He started disappearing bit by bit in front of Tang Xia.


    Both of them were dumbfounded and did not even have the time to react.


    In that split second, Ye Yifan disappeared in front of them.


    Tang Xia was in utter shock and she plunged forward, trying to grab onto whatever she could. However, it was just dust. Just when she started to have a bad hunch, the system prompt sounded again. Ye Yifan, Eliminated.


    Even Chu Tiankuo himself did not expect Ye Yifan to really disappear like this!


    He even threw away the cloak in his hand onto the ground and dashed to the coffin in shock. He looked at it carefully. ¡°This is impossible, he was just an illusion, how could he suddenly be eliminated?¡±


    The dust that was visible to the naked eye was extremely poignant when the sunlight shone on them.


    Tang Xia felt a sharp pain in her heart and she bent down in utter disbelief. She gripped onto her shirt tightly at her chest area. Looking at the dust in her hand, the scene of Su Yanxun being eliminated also came to her mind.


    After looking around for a while, the two found nothing unusual.


    All of this was unusual. Tang Xia took out the silk scroll and read it again carefully. There seemed to be something new on it. ¡°It is impossible for one to turn into dust for no reason. It could only be an illusion.¡±


    All of this felt like someone was controlling it. They were like the chess pieces at the door, taking each step just like how this person planned to be. She hated this feeling of being controlled! That person should be around them!


    The only thing left in the coffin was Ye Yifan¡¯s clothes. How was he going to explain himself this time around¡­


    Chu Tiankuo hesitated before walking towards Tang Xia slowly. He crouched down and listened to her sob. Each time he heard it, his heart ached terribly.


    He slowly lifted his hand. He wanted to comfort her but he dared not touch her.


    This time around, he was the one that caused Ye Yifan to be eliminated. However, he could not bear to see her being this upset. As if having made up his mind, he slowly lifted his hand, wanting to bring her into his embrace.


    However, as soon as his hand touched her, she slapped it away immediately.


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes looked like they were on fire. She stared at Chu Tiankuo directly. He could clearly see the red blood vessels in them. At that instant, it was as if something had hit his heart. He hesitated and was afraid to say anything.


    Tang Xia stood up slowly. She looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s clothes in the coffin. She went forward and caressed the clothes with trembling hands.


    At this point in time, everyone in the broadcast room who saw this scene all felt bad for Tang Xia. They could tell from her current emotions that she was not putting on an act to gain sympathy.


    At this moment, there was a trace of anger in her eyes. She was also trying to suppress the anger in her voice. She looked at him and pointed at the coffin as she questioned in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this is an illusion? Why did it become like this!¡±

 Chapter 314 - Celebratory Ball

    Chapter 314 Celebratory Ball


    Facing Tang Xia¡¯s harsh accusation, Chu Tiankuo could not find the right words to say. He gently held the hand that was pointing towards the coffin. Just when he was about to say something, she swung his hand away agitatedly.


    There was a tint of devastation in her gaze as she said harshly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was just an illusion? Why was he eliminated all of a sudden?¡±


    There was some doubt concealed in her tone.


    Chu Tiankuo stared at her for a while and she slowly regained her consciousness from the sudden seriousness in his eyes. Chu Tiankuo finally had the chance to open up.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t know why this happened, but I can swear to god that I didn¡¯t cause this to happen. Although I don¡¯t like him, I will never do anything that will make you unhappy.¡±


    Listening to his convincing explanation, Tang Xia¡¯s heart wavered. She knew that Chu Tiankuo had never lied to her.


    She became more settled with his assurance. She turned around and looked at the dust in the coffin. She still could not let it go. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Ye Yifan got eliminated so easily. This cannot be.¡±


    She slowly clenched her fists. Chu Tiankuo knew that it was normal that she could not accept it at that moment. He could only go up to her, pull her back and force her to look at him in the eyes.


    Her eyes were sparkling like stars. He felt that he could see a faint spark.


    He became serious and put on a solemn expression, saying in a lowered voice, ¡°Tang Xia, no matter what, you have to believe it. The system had already prompted that Ye Yifan had been eliminated. There¡¯s no way to bring him back, nor will anything change.¡±


    ¡°Accept the reality. Let us continue the game and live his part as well, alright?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s tightly-clenched fists began to loosen as if she was calming down after hearing what he said. Her gaze also began to settle down. She closed her eyes with disappointment.


    Unknown to them, the broadcast room in the reality was in complete chaos. All of the audience did not understand why such a thing happened. None of them knew why Ye Yifan got eliminated.


    ¡°What the heck? What¡¯s going on? My Ye-Tang Couple cannot be separated!¡±


    ¡°How can Master Ye be eliminated without reaching the end?¡±


    ¡°There must be a bug in the game!¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s recklessness caused my Master to be eliminated!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing the fans outside get even rowdier, July also did not know what to do. At this moment, the eliminated Ye Yifan exited the broadcast.


    He saw that all of the fans felt outraged at the unfairness and most of them were picking on Tang Xia. He quickly went to grab the microphone and calmed them down.


    ¡°Everyone, please don¡¯t be too worked up over this. I also feel helpless over being eliminated, but this has nothing to do with Tang Xia. Please continue watching the broadcast as a logical audience.¡± Seeing that Ye Yifan had already spoken up, the fans then calmed down.


    Meanwhile, in the broadcast, Chu Tiankuo picked up the Vampire¡¯s Cloak and passed it to Tang Xia. ¡°Since we had gone through so much to gain this, you should keep it.¡±


    After saying that, he wanted to put it on for her. However, Tang Xia frowned in disgust and smacked it onto the floor. She stared at it coldly as if she wanted to tear it apart.


    ¡°Why would I want something that is exchanged using Ye Yifan¡¯s life!¡± She basically roared this sentence. She was so emotional that her voice was slightly trembling. This time around, Chu Tiankuo was a little upset. His gaze deepened and his aura became stiff and cold.


    ¡°Look at how you¡¯re behaving. Do you still expect to win? What a joke! It¡¯s more practical if you go back home to sleep.¡±


    After saying that, he slowly picked up the cloak from the ground and shook the dust off. Hearing this, Tang Xia became upset. She looked up at him in disbelief.


    ¡°What did you say!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was trying to trigger her to wake her up. However, she became even more angered. Feeling helpless, he kept the cloak in his hand and looked at the enraged Tang Xia with a cold gaze.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even treasure the thing that your partner sacrificed his life for and you¡¯re still so indecisive. I thought that you were different from other women, but in the end, you¡¯re just the same as those emotional creatures. You¡¯ll never be a winner.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    She stared at him wide-eyed as his thin lips spewed out those words that hurt her more and more. They were like knives stabbing into her heart.


    Even though she agreed with his words, she would definitely not cave in on this matter. When Chu Tiankuo saw the stubbornness in her eyes, he knew that what he just said was useless.


    Indeed, Tang Xia suddenly gave a peal of cold laughter. She pointed at the cloak in his hand as if she was looking at something dirty.


    ¡°No matter how logical you may be, I have my principles too! I will never step on my partner¡¯s corpse, especially one who had fought side by side with me, just to gain victory!¡±


    ¡°Even if I want to become a winner, I want to do it proudly by my own efforts and no dirty tricks!¡± After saying that, she swung her hand harshly and turned around to leave.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned and looked at her back view. He squinted his eyes and heaved a long helpless sigh. His thin icy gaze was filled with helplessness. He could only murmur softly, ¡°Tang Xia, Tang Xia, what should I do?¡±


    When facing this stubborn Tang Xia, he was always helpless.


    He could only quicken his footsteps and follow after her. They left behind an empty extravagant palace, a lonely crystal coffin lying in the middle, and a room full of silence.


    Tang Xia walked back the path where they came from. This time around, she was really triggered. Along the way, she spoke not a single word to Chu Tiankuo and did not even glance at him. She treated as if he did not exist.


    Even though Chu Tiankuo was like a cat on a hot tin roof and could not contain himself, he still could not do anything to her.


    Their trip back was quite peaceful. They arrived at the castle not long after. Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo had already ordered them to rebuild the castle before leaving. When they arrived, even though part of it was still not done, the main structure was completed.


    Seeing the castle looking just like how she had left it, Tang Xia halted her footsteps. She quickly opened the door and entered. It looked just like before.


    When the people in the castle heard that Chu Tiankuo was coming back, they all ran out quickly, stood in two rows and bowed to him.


    After all, they only managed to survive because Chu Tiankuo had gone out to deal with the humans alone. The respect towards him came from their hearts.


    Chu Tiankuo gave them a slight nod and gestured for them to get up. Tang Xia said plainly that she wanted to return to her room but Chu Tiankuo grabbed onto her. He slowly lifted the other hand that held onto the cloak.


    Everyone was curious as to what it was. Chu Tiankuo announced in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already acquired the Vampire¡¯s Cloak. In order to celebrate getting such a powerful item, I¡¯ve decided to host a ball!¡±


    The crowd was surprised and in that instant, whispers began to fill the room. Within a short while, everyone settled down and congratulated him uniformly.


    Standing at one side, Tang Xia witnessed the whole scene with a cold eye. Although they knew that they had retrieved the hope of defeating the humans, they did not know the price paid for it.


    She swung his hand away coldly and said in an icy-cold voice, ¡°You¡¯re done announcing, I can go now, right?¡± She did not even wait for him to reply and turned around to leave without turning back.


    When the crowd witnessed this scene, they were filled with curiosity but no one dared to comment about it. The silent hall was filled with Tang Xia¡¯s footsteps as she went upstairs.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her back view with a faint gaze as she went upstairs. His gaze was like a dead sea, it encamped the calm before the storm.


    He then turned to give a few orders for the arrangement of the ball. He also turned around and went upstairs. Upon receiving their orders, everyone started to get busy with their own tasks.


    In the next two days, Chu Tiankuo did not find Tang Xia. She remained in her room and did not come out of a daze. No one took the first step to break the silence, they went on their ways and did not disturb each other.


    However, the butler noticed that Chu Tiankuo had been doing something in the past two days. He was kept busy in his room doing something. He did not allow anyone to enter, which made the whole situation mysterious.


    Chu Tiankuo only left his room when the day of the ball came. The first thing he did, however, was to look for Tang Xia.


    In the past two days, Katherine and Jiang Yu came to ask Tang Xia what happened. Although she did not want to talk about it, she could only tell them the whole story.


    On this day when Chu Tiankuo went to knock on her door, she thought that it was the girls again so she opened the door without paying much attention.


    However, when her gaze caught sight of Chu Tiankuo, a tint of unhappiness struck across her eyes instantly. She then tried to close the door.


    Chu Tiankuo quickly struck out his leg and stopped the door from closing. Tang Xia could not close it no matter what. She knew clearly that she would not win him so she let him be. Feeling like she got nothing to lose either way, she turned back and sunk onto her sofa.


    Chu Tiankuo gently passed her the box in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve taken the past two days to think it through. Back then I didn¡¯t think about your feeling carefully so the words I said and the attitude I used were not very good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize with a gift. Would you be willing to forgive me? I made this myself.¡±


    Tang Xia raised a brow. She looked at the gift box in his hand suspiciously. She did not expect him to make her a gown on his own. Just this point alone already reduced her anger by half.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    In the past two days, he had thought a lot. That day, he was indeed a little too agitated. Just now, he was just trying to regain his pride.


    This time around, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s attitude when apologizing was good. Tang Xia would be deemed a little childish if she still harped on it. ¡°I also went a little overboard the other day. Let¡¯s call it even.¡±


    She took the gift box from him. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s lips curled happily.


    After opening the box, she realized that it was a small gown. Although it looked like it was just a gown, the design was very casual. It kept the elegance while allowing for free mobility. A tint of surprise flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s eyes. ¡°You made this?¡±

 Chapter 315 - On the Verge

    Chapter 315 On the Verge


    Chu Tiankuo smiled and nodded. He asked her to try it own before turning around and closing the door like a gentleman.


    Tang Xia did not make a fuss. She carried the gown in and changed into it. However, at that moment when she put it on, she felt like something was injected into her whole body.


    Her whole body felt her strength increased exponentially. Tang Xia stared at her reflection in the mirror in shock. She felt that something was wrong.


    She quickly pushed the door open and wanted to ask Chu Tiankuo. Seeing her in the gown that he had made himself, he could not help but nod in satisfaction. All the details, be it the size or the waist length, were all near perfection. This was basically made for her.


    ¡°Why do I feel something strange when I wear this gown? I feel like I suddenly became more powerful!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was not surprised that she brought this up. On the contrary, he looked as if everything was in control. This caused her to be even more curious.


    He walked towards her slowly and helped her to adjust the gown. He lowered his head and she could see his long eyelashes. The whirling blue gaze seemed to entail a raging storm.


    Tang Xia stared at him for some time and found herself trapped in it. His cello-like low voice spoke slowly, ¡°I made this gown especially for you. I planned to give it to you when we were going to look for the Vampire¡¯s Cloak.¡±


    His already-intoxicating voice caused her to be in a daze for a moment. However, when she heard the content of his words, she woke up instantly. Her eyes widened immediately. She held onto the gown in disbelief.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­this gown¡­is made using the Vampire¡¯s Cloak?¡±


    Although he knew that she would be annoyed and would flare up, he would rather that and ensure she was safe and unharmed. He had no expression on his face as he nodded calmly. Everything was going as planned.


    However, for Tang Xia, this was as disgusting as eating the bones and blood of her own partner to live on. She immediately struggled to break free of the gown.


    But when she tried to take it off, she realized that this gown seemed to have become one with her. She could not take it off at all. When she realized it, she was so enraged that she could explode.


    She turned and looked at Chu Tiankuo who acted as if all was good. She howled at him angrily, ¡°Chu Tiankuo, you¡¯ve gone way too overboard! How dare you lie to me! You never lied to me! I trusted you!¡±


    Seeing that her eyes were almost shooting flames, he helplessly wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.


    ¡°You must know one thing. No matter what I do, it is to protect you. Even if I were to lose my life, I will definitely protect you until the end, let alone a mere cloak.¡±


    Tang Xia, who was initially struggling as hard as she could, calmed down gradually after listening to his heartfelt words.


    The ball was about to begin. Both of them hugged each other in silence for a while before Chu Tiankuo finally let go of her. However, Chu Tiankuo already knew that she was holding a grudge against him without her saying or doing anything. He could only pull her to the venue.


    Tang Xia let him do whatever he wanted. The venue was almost filled up.


    Seeing how crowded and lively the atmosphere was, Chu Tiankuo hoped that it could change her mood. He slowly walked to the center of the stage and announced, ¡°The ball begins!¡±


    At that instant, the ball began to turn to life. However, at this moment, the big door behind suddenly opened. Everyone turned to look at it out of curiosity. Even Tang Xia also looked up.


    However, when she saw who it was, she froze. Feeling shocked, she turned her head and looked at Chu Tiankuo who was standing beside her, as if questioning why he was there.


    The person was none other than Earl Carl, the owner of the pure breed castle whom they got the map from. He even came with a bunch of young and strong-looking vampires. They looked like they were the elites among them.


    Chu Tiankuo also felt Tang Xia¡¯s gaze. At an angle where no one could see, he squeezed her palm gently and gave her a glance hinting to her that it was okay.


    However, despite him saying that everything was fine, she still had a bad hunch. When she was about to ask something, he suddenly let go of her hand and welcomed them.


    The two Kings welcomed each other with smiling faces. Their smiles were gentlemanly and polite. Chu Tiankuo went up to him and waved his hand. The butler near him quickly brought him a glass of wine. The King smiled and took it.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    He said politely, ¡°This ball is well-organized. We met not too long ago, but it seems like you¡¯ve been successful at finding what you need.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo nodded and made an inviting gesture, hinting to talk aside. He turned around and told everyone to carry on. Everyone then continued their loud chatters. The atmosphere became lively again.


    Carl nodded and followed Chu Tiankuo. While doing so, he walked past Tang Xia coincidentally. Both of them nodded at each other as a form of greeting.


    Tang Xia kept on feeling that something was off. She also did not know what Chu Tiankuo and Carl were discussing. They did not allow anyone to follow them and stepping aside to talk made her suspicion stronger.


    They seemed to be talking about something very serious and their faces were focused.


    Just when she took a glass of wine and was about to go eavesdrop, a man stopped her all of a sudden. She was a little startled at the young vampire¡¯s well-built body.


    The vampire chuckled, ¡°Miss Tang Xia, do you not remember me?¡± Tang Xia was surprised. She realized that he was Earl Carl¡¯s people and she tried to recall.


    She suddenly looked up and pointed at him, ¡°You¡­you are the one that welcomed Chu Tiankuo and I at Earl Carl¡¯s palace?¡± The young vampire smiled and nodded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you remember me.¡±


    After saying that, he took a sip of wine. Tang Xia lowered her gaze. Perhaps this was a good chance to get something out of him. Her eyes wandered around sneakily and she leaned towards his ear slowly.


    She asked softly, ¡°What is your King doing here? Did anything happen? He can¡¯t possibly be here just to attend the ball, right?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    The vampire looked at her weirdly. He suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Since King Chu Tiankuo brought you there last time and he¡¯s so nervous about you, you¡¯re probably entitled to know, right?¡±


    He then pondered for a while, seemingly hesitating whether to tell her or not. Then, he made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you secretly, you cannot tell anyone else.¡±


    Tang Xia quickly nodded. He leaned in towards her ear and said, ¡°It looks like a big war is coming soon.¡± Instantly, a bad hunch came to her. When she continued to ask for the details, he did not know the answers. She could not help but feel disappointed.


    Just when she sunk into thoughts, Jiang Yu and Katherine saw her and waved their hands. They called out her name several times but she did not respond.


    Both of them were confused. They walked to her and caught her deep in thoughts with her head lowered. She only snapped back when they patted on her shoulder. She did not know when they had come.


    The vampire smiled awkwardly. ¡°Since there¡¯s someone looking for you, I shall excuse myself.¡± Then, without waiting for Tang Xia to reply, he left. Jiang Yu looked at his back in confusion.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Katherine was obviously intrigued to find out too. She observed the person carefully. He had come in with the person who barged into the ball.


    Rather, they were more eager to know who that person talking to Chu Tiankuo was.


    Tang Xia¡¯s mind was obviously not thinking about that. She waved her hand casually, ¡°Just someone who came to say hi.¡±


    Then, she gulped down the entire glass of wine in her hand. Instantly, her body felt like it was on fire. Jiang Yu quickly snatched away the glass.


    She scolded, ¡°Who drinks like this? Do you have any trouble?¡± They were all very suspicious of what she just said. They felt that she was acting abnormally. Hearing that, Tang Xia froze. She then pretended everything was alright and smiled.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just excited to attend my first vampire ball.¡±


    Then, she picked up another glass of wine again. She looked at the crowd near her who were having way too much fun. She would not tell them things that have yet to be confirmed so that they would not worry.


    She then turned to look at Chu Tiankuo and Carl who were still talking. Her gaze slowly became dense.


    Jiang Yu and Katherine obviously did not believe her but they did not continue to ask. At this point in time, they suddenly noticed her gown. Actually, they already noticed it at first glance. Katherine teased, ¡°What a beautiful gown, where did you get it from?¡±


    Feeling tired, Tang Xia massaged her brows. She sighed lifelessly, ¡°I¡¯m a little tipsy right now, I want to go back and sleep.¡± Actually, she was trying to change the topic. She was too shy to say that it was the Vampire¡¯s Cloak.


    Jiang Yu knocked on Tang Xia¡¯s forehead a little apologetically, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let me help you back.¡± Then, she supported her to climb up the stairs. Just then, Tang Xia suddenly froze and looked towards the big door.


    She seemed to have heard many bullets hitting against the door. Katherine and Jiang Yu were all confused at her sudden stop. They were just about to ask what was wrong when suddenly there was a loud bang.


    The crowd all turned to look at the door in shock. The door had just been kicked open and countless human police were holding guns that were loaded with real bullets.


    Tang Xia instantly got a great shock. She looked out the window and realized that it was the break of dawn. Was history going to repeat itself again?


    The vampires were only startled for a short while. Very quickly, everyone got into combat mode and a large army of vampire butlers came surging in.


    Jiang Yu quickly pulled along Tang Xia and Katherine to take two steps back. Seeing that the two sides were facing each other head-on, the war was on the verge of happening.

 Chapter 316 - Competition Over

    Chapter 316 Competition Over


    In almost that split instant, the air froze. Jiang Yu and Katherine both got a scare. Everyone did not think that humans would initiate a sudden attack. They were all at a complete loss as they faced a strong enemy.


    Tang Xia stood rooted to the ground for a long time, immersed in her thoughts. Suddenly, she turned towards Chu Tiankuo and Carl¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Is this the big thing he said was going to happen?¡± Tang Xia could not help but mutter. Standing at one side, Jiang Yu¡¯s sharp ears heard it loud and clear. She quickly grabbed her arm.


    She asked nervously, ¡°What do you mean? You already knew long ago that the humans would suddenly attack us?¡± When Katherine heard it, her gaze at Tang Xia changed instantly.


    Tang Xia was taken aback. She quickly waved her hands and explained, ¡°No, I just found out. I didn¡¯t expect them to come right after I found out.¡±


    After understanding the situation, Jiang Yu then let go of her. She turned to look at the two parties who were at swords¡¯ points and could not help but frown in frustration. Their numbers this time around was way larger than the previous special forces.


    The people at the ball slowly started to panic. Everyone was actually very afraid and their conversations grew louder gradually.


    ¡°Oh my god, what are we gonna do? So many of us were just injured badly and even the King suffered a great injury the last time. Are we all gonna die this time?¡±


    Tang Xia heard a cry from the crowd and her gaze darkened. Suddenly, while everyone was in extreme panic, a thick and powerful voice rang throughout the entire hall. ¡°Enough.¡±


    The crowd all searched for the source of the voice. They saw Chu Tiankuo slowly walking out of the crowd in full confidence. There seemed to be not a single bit of nervousness in his gaze, as if he had already predicted all of this and have already made a decision.


    The vampires were very cooperative and made a way for him. Everyone started to calm down as they saw his expression that seemed like everything was under control. Meanwhile, when walking past Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo did not even give her an extra glance.


    This caused her to be shocked and she quickly grabbed onto him. He then turned towards her but without saying anything, he pushed away her hand and continued walking towards the human police.


    After coming to a stop, he scanned the crowd with a sharp gaze before saying slowly in a low voice, ¡°I want to speak to your commander.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback. The human police quickly lifted their guns and pointed at him. Tang Xia gasped in shock and when she was just about to step up, someone walked out slowly from the crowd of policemen.


    That person had confident footsteps just like Chu Tiankuo. One glance was enough to tell that he was the commander of the human police.


    That person lifted his hand for the rest to put down their guns. He glanced at Chu Tiankuo with a cold gaze. ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡± After saying that, he even took out a cigarette.


    Chu Tiankuo was not bothered by how casual he was. ¡°I think there¡¯s no point in us continuing to fight. Why not we both take a step back?¡±


    ¡°We promise to not hurt the humans again and you guys will promise to never disturb the vampires. From today onwards, we shall never interfere with each other and walk our own paths. How¡¯s that?¡±


    After these words were spoken, the vampires and the police were all shocked, especially Tang Xia. She would have never thought that Chu Tiankuo would try to negotiate.


    The human police then looked up and glanced at him. He almost dropped the cigarette in his hand. He started laughing in disbelief. ¡°Are you trying to negotiate with me? But you vampires have always been cunning, things that come out from your mouth are not convincing!¡±


    The human police behind him also shouted loudly as if they were against coming to a consensus. Chu Tiankuo lowered his gaze slightly.


    Indeed, the two species¡¯ grudge dated back a long time ago. It was an accumulation of hatred between their ancestors, how could it possibly change because of him?


    ¡°Then¡­have I failed at negotiating?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo suddenly laughed coldly. Tang Xia felt her whole body trembling. She clenched her fists tightly. Her palms and forehead were covered with cold sweat. This war was probably going to break out soon. The tension between the two parties became very stiff instantly.


    However, Chu Tiankuo did not seem like he was close to fighting a battle. On the contrary, he smiled calmly and suddenly turned around and dashed towards Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia was taken aback. She looked at him full of confusion, unclear of what he was trying to do. He came to a stop in front of her and stood still. He lifted his hand and gently caressed her cheek.


    Everyone was shocked. They did not expect him to show his affection in such an inappropriate setting.


    Just when Tang Xia was about to flare up at him, he suddenly smiled at her gently. This smile caused her heart to waver. His charming, deep cello-like voice sounded in her ears.


    ¡°Goodbye, my Tang Xia.¡±


    This sentence caused her to feel uncomfortable for some reason. She looked at the smiling Chu Tiankuo with a blank look. ¡°What are you talking about? Are you saying goodbye because you¡¯re certain that we will lose?¡± The war had yet to begin.


    However, Chu Tiankuo¡¯s smile deepened. However, there was a tint of apology between his eyes. Tang Xia naturally caught it well. His hand fell onto her gown slowly and he gently caressed the cold texture.


    After staying silent for some time, he said slowly, ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t told you all this while but the mission of this competition is just to find the Vampire¡¯s Cloak.¡±


    Once these words were spoken, standing at one side, Katherine, Jiang Yu, and Tang Xia all froze in shock. Tang Xia lowered her head in dumbfoundedness and looked at her gown. At this point in time, she could not help but flared up.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! How dare you lie to me! I told you not to help me and yet you still¡­¡±


    She could not finish her sentence as she was pissed to the extreme. Chu Tiankuo looked at her unwillingly. He smiled helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just want to give the best to you. I said this before, I cannot help myself from helping you all the time.¡±


    Even though he did not want to end this competition, he had no authority to prolong the competition. He suddenly turned around and announced to everyone, ¡°The competition is over.¡±


    At the next instant, a system prompt suddenly flashed before Tang Xia: [Congratulations on gaining victory]. Tang Xia froze. She quickly lifted her head and wanted to grab onto Chu Tiankuo. She had too many things to say, how could she possibly let him go?


    However, it was all too late. In the backdrop of the white light that was slowly eating everything away, she saw Chu Tiankuo¡¯s last gentle smiling gaze filled with apology.


    Even though she was aware that the smile was for her, she still could not hold back the urge to blame him. When she opened her eyes again, she was already logged out of the system and had returned to Aqua Crystal Stadium.


    All of the fans erupted into chaos instantly. No one had expected this ending and even the MC did not know what to say. July quickly went up to help Tang Xia. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Tang Xia recovered after some time. Suddenly, she saw Ye Yifan standing not far away, looking at her worriedly. At that instant, she felt devastated. At this moment, the reporters all flocked towards her and started throwing questions at her with their microphones pointing at her.


    ¡°What do you think about Chu Tiankuo helping you to win this competition?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that the competition is fair?¡±


    ¡°What do you feel about eliminating Ye Yifan and then gaining victory?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All of these questions were critical and pierced at her heart. July could not hold back her urge to scold them but Tang Xia kept a straight face and walked past them without saying a word.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    The reporters were reluctant to let her go just like that. They quickly followed after her and continued to do so even after she got into her car.


    When she reached home, she finally felt peace and quiet. Looking at the spacious room, she felt extremely peaceful. She took off her shoes and plumped herself onto her bed.


    She buried her head in her blanket but the scene of Chu Tiankuo¡¯s last smile kept appearing before her and his ¡®sorry¡¯ kept repeating in her ear.


    Her phone was buzzing non-stop. Feeling annoyed, she picked it up and glanced at it. She had missed more than 10 calls from July and more than 20 from Ye Yifan.


    After staying silent for a while, she finally opened her texts. She saw that they had sent her many voicemails, but she did not want to hear any of them. She placed her phone down right away.


    She thought about it again after a while. Eventually, she still mustered the courage and opened her Weibo. Without exception, everyone was questioning the results of the competition. The company¡¯s official account was also under fire. Most netizens were questioning if the company was deliberately helping Tang Xia.


    Although these were all expected, Tang Xia still felt attacked. In that split instant, all the comments came crashing on her like a giant wave.


    In the following few days, Tang Xia did not pick up any calls. She stayed at home and refused to come out. Alone at home, she just stared into space all the time and cut off connections from the world. She did not even turn on the TV.


    All of the news about her was negative. After an unknown number of days, someone knocked on her door one day. Tang Xia dragged her tired body towards the door and she took a peek at the peephole. It was Ye Yifan.


    She became flustered instantly. Listening to the banging on the door, she did not know what to do and leaned against the door with her back facing him.


    She really did not have the courage to see him now. She could not help but slowly crouched onto the ground lifelessly. Her hands were wrapped around her body tightly like a helpless child.


    After an unknown period of time, the knocking finally stopped. While Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief, she still felt reluctant.


    After a short while, the knocking resumed again. Tang Xia pondered for a while before standing up slowly. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the door handle. Perhaps she must still face what she had to face.


    As if having made a decision, she opened the door with great strength. However, she only saw a sack coming at her.


    Tang Xia only felt everything before her turning black. She quickly started screaming and struggled to break free. She felt someone coming at her and picked her up. At that instant, she was turned upside down and her heart was full of panic.

 Chapter 317 - Kidnapped and Humiliated

    Chapter 317 Kidnapped and Humiliated


    She felt a bump and seemed to have been carried into a van suddenly and was thrown inside very violently.


    Tang Xia tried to struggle, but the man tied her up with a rope outside of the sack. She was like an object tied up like a caterpillar.


    Tang Xia could not help but shout loudly, ¡°Who the hell are you! Why are you tying me?¡±


    However, no matter how she shouted, these people said not a word so as to not give her a chance to distinguish their voices. They seemed to find her annoying and stuffed something in her mouth from outside the sack.


    The sack was already very dirty. Tang Xia quickly shook her head and compromised. ¡°I won¡¯t talk anymore, I won¡¯t talk anymore, stop stuffing!¡±


    The group of people finally let her go. After an unknown period of time, the panicking Tang Xia finally calmed down. Listening to the roaring engines of the car, she tried to calculate how long they had traveled and figure out where they were heading.


    Just when she tried to focus and listen, the car stopped all of a sudden. Tang Xia was startled and immediately, someone came and carried her down. They seemed to enter a basement-like place.


    This was because Tang Xia felt that she was walking downwards. Soon, she was thrown onto the ground.


    At this moment, she heard the footsteps of a man. He walked towards her slowly and started to laugh loudly. ¡°Not bad, you guys did a good job. This is your reward, get lost.¡±


    While saying so, he handed them the briefcase filled with money. That group of people took the money and left.


    However, Tang Xia was very familiar with this voice. It was clearly Lu Huanyu¡¯s voice. Sure enough, he walked towards her slowly and lifted the sack.


    Tang Xia felt a sudden bright light glaring into her eyes. When she could see clearly, Lu Huanyu was looking at her teasingly. ¡°Come and see who it is!¡±


    Then, he lifted his hand and gently lifted her chin up. The stubborn Tang Xia shook her head to fling his hand away. She looked at him with disgust and asked in a cold voice. ¡°What do you want! Don¡¯t you know that kidnapping is illegal!¡±


    As if hearing something funny, Lu Huanyu said sarcastically, ¡°Illegal? You¡¯re so funny. Since I dare to do this, of course I would¡¯ve known the consequences long ago. You¡¯re talking law to your kidnapper?¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia felt her heart sank.


    ¡°Did you bring me here to get revenge on me?¡± Although Tang Xia was scared now, she could not lose her momentum. There was not a single tint of fear in her voice.


    Lu Huanyu suddenly scanned Tang Xia from head to toe with a cold glare.


    He spewed coldly, ¡°How can revenge be so simple? Now that you are so famous, someone is willing to pay to get something from you. I could only kidnap you here. Besides, it is quite a hefty sum.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s heart suddenly sank and she looked at him in utter shock. Lu Huanyu seemed to like her current expression a lot. He slowly put his face closer to her and reached for something in his shirt pocket.


    He squeezed her cheek with his other hand. Just when Tang Xia was startled, he suddenly injected the thing he was holding onto in his hand into her arm.


    Tang Xia frowned in pain and she quickly started to break free. She looked at the thing and realized that he was holding onto an unknown injection. Slowly, she felt her whole body becoming weak, as if it had become empty instantly.


    It was also at this moment that she realized the thing he injected into her was none other than a tranquilizer.


    She stared at him feebly and said weakly, ¡± Lu Huanyu, you asshole ¡­¡± However, before she could finish speaking, she gradually lost consciousness and fell into a coma.


    When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the depths of this basement. Her surroundings were extremely dark and damp. She felt like she was locked up in a cage. There was nothing in this huge space and she was not tied up by anything.


    Suddenly remembering what Lu Huanyu said, she quickly checked her to see if anything was missing. However, her body was perfectly fine. She instantly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Since she was free to move, she quickly ran to the only door that would lead her out. After pushing it, she realized that it was locked tightly.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Feeling disappointed, she took two steps back. She kept on hearing the sound of water dripping. Perhaps the water pipe from upstairs was leaking. The room was so damp there was nowhere she could sit. Helplessly, she could only crouch in a corner.


    She felt a thrill of hunger in her stomach. Although this feeling was not good, it was much more endurable than a vampire¡¯s hunger.


    She looked at the ceiling but did not know what time it was, whether anyone outside noticed she had disappeared, or whether Ye Yifan would find something fishy.


    Just when she was starting to think about all kinds of different things, there was suddenly a whooshing sound at the door. Tang Xia immediately looked up and turned towards the door.


    She saw two people walking in and looked at Tang Xia with a cold glare. Their eyes were filled with disgust. Without saying a word, they threw the bun in their hand at her and then turned to leave.


    Tang Xia hurriedly called onto them. ¡°Wait a minute, who are you guys? Why the hell am I locked up here? Where is Lu Huanyu? Where is he?¡±


    Listening to her long list of questions, the two became even more impatient. They threw her a disgusted glance and then closed the door without saying a word.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel annoyed. She looked at the bun soaked up in the water on the ground and frowned. She walked towards it slowly and picked it up. ¡°Can this still be eaten?¡± After saying that, she directly threw it on the ground and continued to crouch in the corner.


    However, after an unknown period of time, Tang Xia could not stand the hunger in her stomach anymore and went to sleep directly. After all, you could not feel anything when you are asleep, so she would naturally not be hungry anymore.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Just when she was soundly asleep, she suddenly smelled an aroma and she started to frown in her sleep. She opened her eyes suddenly and saw a large burger in front of her.


    Tang Xia was shocked. Just when she was about to grab it, she suddenly noticed the hand that was holding onto this burger.


    Her gaze traced along with the hands and moved up. She saw a person wearing a mask looking at her with a cold gaze. Although she could not see his face clearly, she could not ignore the strong mordacity in his gaze.


    He laughed coldly and shook the burger. ¡°How is it? Is it very fragrant? I just got someone to buy it. As long as you listen to me, I¡¯ll give it to you. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Tang Xia glared at him coldly without saying a word. The mask man saw that she was stubborn yet her eyes were filled with disgust. He said sarcastically, ¡°If you can bark for me twice, I¡¯ll give you this hot and aromatic burger. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Looking at the man in front of him, Tang Xia could not help but feel a bitter chill.


    As if he was something disgusting, she said, ¡°Are you perverted? Or are you suffering from a mental illness? How can you have such a disgusting thought?¡± Perhaps this man had special hobbies? She instantly felt a chill down her spine.


    The mask man was not angry at all. Instead, he looked at her with increasing interest. He raised his hand and pinched her chin as he observed her face like she was an interesting object. However, only Tang Xia knew that the strength he was exerting on her chin was enough to break her bones.


    She broke free of his grip and hit his hand away. She glared at him coldly. ¡°Are you a lunatic?¡±


    After saying so, she wanted to take two steps back but he grabbed her directly. He held onto her wrist very tightly. Tang Xia never knew how she got herself involved with such a pervert.


    This time around, no matter how she struggled to break free, the mask man would not let go of her. Tang Xia was already feeling the effects of hunger and she did not have any strength. The mask man saw that she gave up struggling and started laughing out loud all of a sudden. His laughter became more hysterical.


    Tang Xia saw that he seemed to be relaxed and less vigilant. She took a deep breath.


    At the next instant, she used all of her strength to send him a flying kick in his groin. The mask man¡¯s loud laughter stopped abruptly.


    At that instant when he fell, she quickly snatched away the burger from him. Feeling the immense pain, the mask man covered his groin area with his hands. Although his face was covered, she could still feel his features being distorted.


    Tang Xia saw that he could not move at all at this instant and she recalled how he had asked her to bark. All of the pent-up anger came up instantly and she gave him two more kicks at the most critical part.


    She snorted, ¡°What a pervert. I shall leave you with no descendants! This is a favor for mankind!¡±


    The mask man lying on the ground groaned in pain. Tang Xia suddenly noticed the mask on his face. After pondering for a while, she slowly bent over and her hand hovered above his mask.


    She could not help but mutter, ¡°I would like to see how does this pervert looks like. He even wore a mask!¡±


    While saying so, she leaned over to take off his mask. Just when his true image was about to be revealed, the mask man suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her from proceeding.


    Tang Xia was a little taken aback and she quickly wanted to take her hand away. However, it was already too late. The mask man suddenly flung her aside very violently.


    Tang Xia felt immense pain for a while and her burger also dropped to the ground. When she turned back to look, the mask man had already stood up.


    He pulled down the mask that was already half-lifted. He patted away the dust on his clothes and he suddenly glared at Tang Xia from head to toe.


    Tang Xia suddenly felt an ominous hunch. She struggled to get up, but the mask man suddenly dashed towards her. He grabbed her hair and she felt her scalp in extreme pain. She could only look up and meet his gaze.


    His eyes were filled with burning flames. He suddenly lifted his other hand and gave her a slap across her face.


    She felt a burning pain on her face. After a few slaps, the mask man finally heaved out a refreshed sigh and snorted, ¡°Bitch!¡±


    After saying it, he threw her to the ground and patted his hands as if he had touched something dirty. He then turned around and left angrily.


    Hearing the door being slammed again, Tang Xia tried to touch her burning face with her hands trembling. She instantly retrieved her hand when she touched it. Looking at the burger on the ground, she trembled as she picked it up. She opened the packaging slowly. Thankfully it was not dirtied.


    At that instance, all the grievances she had put up with all emerged in her heart. She could not help but let her tears fall. She took big bites off the burger as an attempt to stop herself from making a sound. However, she could not hold it back and started to sob.

 Chapter 318 - Escalation of Crisis

    Chapter 318 Escalation of Crisis


    She only calmed down after she finished the burger in her hand. She wiped away the tear streaks on her face with her sleeves, sniffed her nose and took two deep breaths, as if she had made a determination.


    Tang Xia stood up slowly and looked around her surroundings. She could not sit and wait any longer. It would only let them humiliate her with no holding back.


    She tried to find the exit, but with just one glance, it was clear that the basement had nothing but a few boxes of things left behind. After pushing them aside, she still did not find any ways to escape in the form of underground tunnels or things like that.


    Looking at the only door that she could exit through, Tang Xia sat on the ground powerlessly. This was basically an enclosed space.


    However, just when Tang Xia was starting to get disappointed, the tightly-shut iron door burst open with a whoosh.


    Tang Xia¡¯s whole body shook and she looked towards the door. A man, still wearing a mask, walked in slowly. This time around, he carried nothing.


    Tang Xia could not hide the fear that was starting to form in her heart. She took a few steps back. That man did not close the door. He smiled sinisterly and walked towards her with a tint of creepiness. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going? Was the burger delicious?¡±


    When she heard his voice, Tang Xia, who was still originally a little dominated by fear, suddenly came to her senses. She frowned and looked at the mask man in front of her, asking in shock, ¡°You¡¯re not the same person as just now!¡±


    Obviously, although the man in front of her was wearing the same clothes, his voice and built were very much different than the previous man.


    The mask man seemed to not care and walked towards with a sneer. Tang Xia sensed his scary vibe and secretly glanced at the door.


    She saw that the door was opened at this moment. Just when the mask man was not paying attention, she suddenly got up and zoomed towards the door.


    She basically did not dare to look back. However, when she realized that there was no sound of people chasing after her, she could not help but turn back in confusion. Just when she had run to the door and was just about to step out, two people outside the door suddenly blocked her way.


    Tang Xia paused in her tracks but she was not stopped. This was her only chance. If she did not manage to escape this time around, the mask man inside might do something else to her.


    Looking at the two men on guard duty, her gaze became firm and she dashed towards them directly.


    However, she had underestimated them. She bounced back after hitting their steel-like body.


    Tang Xia rubbed her forehead in pain. She looked at them as if she was looking at some monsters. Suddenly, there was an applause behind her. ¡°Your courage is commendable, you deserve an award.¡±


    Feeling creeped out all of a sudden, she slowly turned her head around. She saw the mask man walking towards her in confident footsteps. His gaze was full of mordacity. This time around, she really had nowhere to run to. She could only close her eyes and leave it to fate.


    However, the mask man directly grabbed her arm and chuckled twice dismissively. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I should reward you well, so let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    After saying so, he started walking out without waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s consent. However, Tang Xia did not think that this was a reward, especially when she saw the sinister gaze of his.


    Facing the widely opened door and the long, dark corridor leading to the unknown, she hesitated and struggled to not leave. ¡°You lunatic, where are you taking me!¡±


    This time around, her move pissed him off completely. He exerted some strength and pulled her out directly. ¡°You will know later.¡±


    The two guards also made way for them. He dragged Tang Xia along, causing her to stumble a little dishevelledly. After all, this was not a game. She did not have the strength to win a strong man.


    Tang Xia took a good look at the dim corridor. She realized that the entire basement were filled with rooms. Many of them were filled with the smell of decay and dim lights.


    Looking at the place, Tang Xia could not help but think of the scenes in the movies when people did things that could not see the light of day. The evil chill in her heart intensified.


    After walking for an unknown period of time, the mask man suddenly stopped her at the door of a room. After opening the door with a key, he flung her into the room mercilessly.


    Tang Xia lost her balance and fell to the ground directly. She cried out in pain. Before she could digest what just happened, the mask man had closed the door with a loud boom.


    Tang Xia quickly struggled to get up. She wanted to open the door, but no matter how hard she shook the door it was locked. Looking around her, it was obvious that this room was more infiltrating than the other one.


    The ground was eroded by the rust and the wall was peeling off. Tang Xia could not help but feel sick.


    Feeling panic, she quickly used all her strength to hit against the door, shouting at the other side angrily, ¡°Let me out! Quickly let me out!¡±


    The door was squeaking from her banging but no matter how much she shouted, no one responded. Just when she wanted to give up, she suddenly heard a movement on top. She looked up and saw the mask man was staring at her through a small window at the top of the door.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good if you listened? Anyways, no matter how much of a fuss you make, I will definitely not open the door.¡± After saying so, he looked at her with a gaze full of mordacity and burst out laughing.


    Tang Xia did not expect there to be such a small opening on the door. Unleashing her vent-up anger, she suddenly reached her hand out violently, wanting to poke his eyes to turn him blind. Unexpectedly, his reaction was very fast and he dodged it instantly.


    The mask man roared angrily, ¡°Huh, trying to play tricks on me? Can¡¯t you just stay still! Seems like I must really show you what I¡¯m capable of!¡±


    Then, he seemed to be giving some orders to the people behind him. Just when Tang Xia was still puzzled, she suddenly heard something amiss behind her. She turned back in shock and saw a door that was about half a person¡¯s height suddenly shaking.


    Tang Xia was a little dumbfounded. This was because the sound coming from behind could not belong to a human. The mask man could not help but snorted, ¡°At first I thought you were brave, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a coward! What a useless piece of shit!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    At a time like this, how was she supposed to be in the mood to talk nonsense with him? The small metal door suddenly opened with a loud boom and a big wolfhound crawled in, scaring Tang Xia completely, causing her to be flustered.


    However, she did not dare to act rashly. She saw somewhere that the more humans run, the more dogs wanted to chase after them. Hence, Tang Xia could only stand still and not move.


    The wolfhound looked at Tang Xia and barked loudly. It growled at her and even its fur was standing on its ends.


    Tang Xia was originally not very afraid of dogs, but this one in front of her looked too much like a wolf. Even its eyes looked green in this dim room.


    The mask man stood behind the door and saw Tang Xia admitting defeat to the dog. He could not help but said sarcastically, ¡°How is it? Were you surprised? Were you shocked? Do you like the big gift I got for you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so despicable! Let me out now!¡±


    However, as if he did not hear, he continued to look at her with a cold gaze. The wolfhound started to approach her and it looked at her as if she was prey. While having the chills running down her spine, Tang Xia still had to pretend to be calm and composed.


    Seeing that the wolfhound was getting closer to her, Tang Xia was getting more and more afraid. Her legs turned to jelly and she fell to the ground.


    Seeing that the wolfhound was already closing up to her face, she could not help but close her eyes. However, she did not feel the pain that she was expecting. When she opened her eyes, she found the dog sniffing at her pryingly. Suddenly, as if having lost interest, it took two steps back.


    Tang Xia felt as if she was brought back to life. Looking at the wolfhound who was sniffing around, she lifted her hand and patted her tiny heart.


    At this moment, the mask man reminded her in a cold voice from behind her, ¡°It looks like he¡¯s not hungry right now. I¡¯m afraid he will eat people when he¡¯s hungry.¡±


    Tang Xia was already on the verge of devastation and she almost burst into tears after hearing what he said. She banged on the door and cried, ¡°I¡¯m begging you guys, please let me go. I¡¯ve never done anything against you, why are you doing this to me?¡±


    Seeing Tang Xia crying and begging so desperately, the mask man became a little bit soft-hearted.


    He said gently, ¡°In that case, how about I give you a chance? As long as you bark twice, I¡¯ll let you out immediately without saying another word. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Tang Xia, who was struggling and begging at that moment, kept her tears right away. She flared up instantly and looked at the mask man, her gaze filled with burning fire.


    ¡°Why are you guys so obsessed with trampling on others¡¯ dignity? Does it give you any pleasure? Do you know that doing this only makes me feel that you¡¯re pathetic?¡±


    Having heard what she said, the masked man was so mad he started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m pathetic? Look at the situation we are in now. Who¡¯s more pathetic!¡±


    ¡°You guys who trample on others just to feel good are merely poor worms who have suffered failures in reality! You¡¯re seeking comfort here!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s swift counter-attack caused the mask man to be speechless. He wanted to dash in and beat her up, but it seemed like someone behind him stopped him in time. He then gave up on that idea and snorted as he looked at Tang Xia.


    ¡°You wait and see.¡±


    After saying that, he closed the small window that could only expose his eyes before Tang Xia could respond. She heard the sounds of footsteps leaving from outside.


    Tang Xia stood up and wanted to bang on the door to question him. However, when she stood up, she saw the wolfhound suddenly turning its head and staring at her. Tang Xia froze there instantly. She could only give up and slowly shift herself to the corner. She crouched down and did not dare to make a single sound.


    The wolfhound did not seem to be interested in her. It laid down at one side and fell asleep soundly. However, Tang Xia kept her eyes wide-opened as she kept a constant lookout for any small changes happening around her. The wolfhound was especially the biggest threat to her.


    After an unknown period of time, Tang Xia¡¯s body also felt a little sleepy. It seemed to be night time already.


    However, after so long, no one came to give them anything to eat. This worried Tang Xia a lot. She still did not forget what the mask man said ¨C it would eat humans when it was hungry.


    Listening to the sound of the wolfhound¡¯s breathing, Tang Xia always felt that it might wake up anytime. Although her brain was very tired, she could not sleep at all and felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns.

 Chapter 319 - Live Kidnapping

    Chapter 319 Live Kidnapping


    After what seemed like a long day of nerve-wracking, Tang Xia could not hold it anymore and fell asleep unknowingly.


    When she was soundly asleep, she suddenly felt her surroundings getting colder and colder. Whilst still in her dream, she subconsciously wrapped her clothes around her body. However, it was not useful at all and she even started to have goosebumps.


    All of a sudden, she opened her eyes. She realized that the ceiling light had been turned off without her knowing. The room was pitch dark and there was nothing around her. She was terrified and she could not see the fingers on her hands.


    She slowly hugged herself tightly. Remembering that she was still locked up in a room with a wolfhound, the fear in her heart intensified.


    When she was inadvertently looking around, she suddenly saw two green spots not far away. At that instant, she felt a chill down her spine and she started to tremble in fear.


    Wolfhounds were night-vision animals. During the night, it was like the day to them. It started moving towards Tang Xia without stopping.


    Tang Xia could only close her eyes tightly and not look at it. However, when its breathing sound was close at hand, she did not feel the pain that she had expected to come.


    Instead, it was panting heavily with its mouth open. Tang Xia felt a wet sensation on her face.


    Feeling shocked, Tang Xia raised her hand and touched it. She was in the basement where she could not see anything at all yet she felt something sticky on her hands. Combining all these with the breathing she heard, she figured it out instantly ¨C it was the wolfhound¡¯s saliva!


    She could not help but wiped it away with disgust. However, the wolfhound¡¯s breathing was right by her ear. She could feel its wet nose sniffing all over her body.


    The goosebumps throughout her entire body did not go away at all. Just when she was filled with extreme anxiety, she suddenly heard a click from not far away. It was the sound of a lock being opened.


    Sure enough, when she looked up towards the door, she saw that they had opened it and the light from the corridor shone in.


    Tang Xia felt like she saw raw hope. She could not help but heaved a sigh of relief. The mask man walked towards her slowly but his gaze at her was a little unwilling.


    He waved his hand and two people came in after him. The mask man looked at them and ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Get the dog away.¡±


    The two men walked in with big strides and pulled the wolfhound by its collar and dragged it out. At that instant, Tang Xia felt the atmosphere around her became lighter and she also started to relax.


    The mask man, who was standing in front of her, sneered scornfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so stubborn, you¡¯re still so calm after spending a night with the wolfhound.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but rolled her eyes. She looked at him as if she was looking at an idiot and said, ¡°Did you really think so?¡±


    Earlier on, she was so frightened that her heart was about to jump out. She was not as brave as he thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman as brave as you. Aren¡¯t women usually afraid of the dark? Or is that just a rumor? I deliberately turned off the lights yet you are still so calm.¡±


    Tang Xia froze and looked up at the ceiling light. So it turned out that it was not spoiled, he had deliberately turned it off to force her to be submissive to them.


    However, before she could say anything, the mask man dragged her by her elbow with a glum expression on his face. Feeling taken aback, Tang Xia started to struggle. However, she was already very tired out. On top of that, she was feeling very tense from the lack of sleep. She had no energy at all.


    The mask man brought her back to the basement once again. Tang Xia felt inexplicably familiar with the basement and relaxed her body with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, quite impressive.¡±


    The mask man pointed at Tang Xia with a trembling hand. He was obviously pissed to the extreme. This caused Tang Xia to start to speculate that something was wrong.


    ¡°Why have you guys tied me up? It can¡¯t possibly be for the sole purpose of torturing me to seek thrills, right?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia instantly became smarter and more mindful of what was going on. Seeing that Tang Xia¡¯s gaze was becoming doubtful, the mask man looked away guiltily. Tang Xia naturally noticed his small move.


    She stood up slowly and walked closer to him with a tint of suspicion. She grabbed his arm. ¡°Now that I think of it, ever since I came in here you guys kept on asking me to bark like a dog. Could it be that¡­¡±


    However, before she could finish her sentence, he pushed her to the ground directly, Tang Xia was not prepared at all and she cried out in pain.


    Looking at her scratched hands, she suddenly felt angry. However, she also knew that beggars could not be choosers. Hence, she did not say anything.


    Seeing that Tang Xia did not even whine after getting injured, the mask man could not help but feel even more annoyed. ¡°Look at her being as stubborn as a cow, how are we going to force her to submit to us!¡± He could not help but scratched his head in annoyance.


    Suddenly, he became serious again. Seeing Tang Xia struggling to get up, he could not help but mumble, ¡°This won¡¯t do, if we continue like this, we can¡¯t accomplish the mission!¡±


    Tang Xia, who had just stood up, heard it and looked at him in shock. She quickly dashed towards him and grabbed his hand, asking in confusion, ¡°What mission are you talking about? What is the secret behind all these? Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    The mask man froze and his gaze became erratic. He could not help but lowered his head feeling annoyed that he had a slip of the tongue.


    He instantly grabbed hold of her wrist tightly and his strength was so strong he could crush her bones. Tang Xia instantly frowned from the pain. ¡°What are you doing! Quickly let go of me!¡±


    However, the mask man was obviously not as calm as he was before. It was as if he was triggered by what she had just said. His aura became fierce and his tone was deepened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll suggest you behave. Crouch in the corner obediently, and stay silent like a woman. Otherwise, I will really get the wolfhound in to spend another night with you!¡±


    Tang Xia was frightened by his threat. The fear of the wolfhound was still lingering.


    However, she was not as obedient as he imagined. Instead, she gritted her teeth to hold back the pain and stared at him stubbornly. ¡°You are guilty, right? There must be something I do not know!¡±


    He did not expect this woman to pester him non-stop. He suddenly flung her aside and decided not to waste any more time talking to her. He then turned around and walked out.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia rubbed her wrist that had turned red from the grip. Looking at this back view, she suddenly shouted, ¡°I want to see Lu Huanyu! Get him over here!¡±


    The mask man froze and turned around to look at Tang Xia in shock. He was at a loss and did not know what to do. Tang Xia did not expect him to react like this. She was also a little taken aback.


    The mask man looked around as if she had revealed some shocking secret. He spoke haltingly, ¡°What to do¡­this is being broadcasted live¡­¡±


    Tang Xia did not hear what he whispered there. After all, at this point in time, Tang Xia did not know that she was not in the real world, nor was she kidnapped by Lu Huanyu to a basement. Instead, he had brought her to a broadcast room.


    The fans who were watching the broadcast attentively gasped when they heard her mention Lu Huanyu¡¯s name. It turned out that they too did not know that this unknown streamer was actually Lu Huanyu.


    ¡°No way, this sick streamer is Lu Huanyu?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I never thought that Lu Huanyu would do this kind of live broadcast!¡±


    ¡°This is big news. Did both of them work together for such a sick broadcast?¡±


    ¡°Is it because no company wants him after he left Time-travel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this point in time, Tang Xia did not know what was going on. She was even more curious when she saw how the mask man looked like he was being put on the spot. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know Lu Huanyu. I will only believe you if my brain has spoilt!¡±


    The mask man was struggling inside, and his gaze at Tang Xia was getting more and more annoyed. He was thinking about whether to go up to her and shut her mouth.


    ¡°You better give me a break. Say one more word and don¡¯t blame me for what comes next!¡± After saying that, he started to leave. He did not want to continue staying there, in case she slipped her tongue.


    However, Tang Xia obviously did not want to listen to him. She suddenly sneered, ¡°Indeed, the mission that you guys are talking about is about me, right? You guys want to get something from me?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m very curious, I was abducted by Lu Huanyu, why did it suddenly become a task you need to complete?¡±


    The mask man was just about to step out of the door when his whole body suddenly shook. His eyes bulged out in shock. Tang Xia had basically sifted out the whole truth.


    At this point in time, the fans in the broadcast room finally realized what was going on. After listening to Tang Xia¡¯s words, there was an uproar. They did not realize that Tang Xia had been kidnapped to do this broadcast. Everyone was flabbergasted and they quickly entered a heated discussion.


    ¡°No way! She was kidnapped? Then hasn¡¯t Lu Huanyu committed a crime!¡±


    ¡°It turns out that Tang Xia didn¡¯t know it was a live broadcast! My gosh!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was thinking why would she suddenly come to participate in this kind of sick live broadcast. Hurry and call the police.¡±


    ¡°Call the police, kidnapping is a crime!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia did not know that there was a heated discussion in the broadcast room, talking about whether they should call the police. Instead, she was confused as she looked at the mask man who was feeling powerless.


    She suddenly snorted, ¡°Why? You¡¯re feeling helpless after I found out the truth? Or are you afraid of going to jail after I exposed your crimes?¡±


    The mask man suddenly turned around and stared at her without blinking. The red blood vessels in his eyes were popping out clearly, as if he was going to kill her.


    Tang Xia quickly took two steps back. She pointed at his chest and said with a trembling voice, ¡°You need to calm down, don¡¯t continue to act stupid, or you might have to squat in a prison cell for life!¡±


    Seeing that the mask man was boiling with anger and unable to say anything, Tang Xia also knew that he could not refute at all. Her gaze at him suddenly turned fierce, exuding a cold aura.


    She spoke in a cold and low voice, ¡°I suggest you take me to see Lu Huanyu right now. I have a lot of things to clear with him.¡±

 Chapter 320 - Comments Everywhere

    Chapter 320 Comments Everywhere


    Facing Tang Xia¡¯s firm attitude, the mask man still ignored her. He snorted, ¡°Continue staying here obediently, no matter who you want to see, it can only be a dream.¡±


    After saying that, the mask man then turned to leave. But how would Tang Xia give up on this last chance? She quickly went up to him and grab his arm.


    The mask man turned around and looked at her in shock. Before he could react, he felt a pain in his arm. She had bitten on his finger.


    ¡°Let go of me! You crazy bitch!¡± While saying so, the mask man tried to shake her off. However, Tang Xia had no intention of doing so. Instead, she started to mutter while still bitting onto his finger.


    Since she had the finger in her mouth, her words were muffled and unclear. ¡°If you continue to push me away, I might just bite your finger off!¡±


    The mask man was dumbfounded. He could only look at her in pain. Feeling annoyed, he suddenly kicked her in her abdomen. Tang Xia instantly whined from the pain. However, she still had no intention of letting go.


    He could only give her two more kicks. Even though Tang Xia was having cramps, she still did not let go. Eventually, he could only pull her away by grabbing onto her hair. However, doing so only led to his finger being more painful. All the nerves on his fingertips were connected to his heart. It felt like his finger was tearing apart.


    ¡°What exactly do you want!¡± The mask man gave in eventually.


    At this point in time, the broadcast room was already blowing up because of their conversation. Although these fans usually watched more extreme broadcasts, when they realized that this was a kidnap situation, they started to feel worried. Some of them even called the police.


    ¡°The police have been called, hope that they come soon!¡±


    ¡°This is simply a case of abuse!¡±


    ¡°This is another side of him!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was exhausted too. She opened her mouth and spit in disgust. Her teeth were hurting from biting and she could not help but exercised her jaws. Before she could say anything, the mask man launched a sudden attack and directly pulled her by her hair and flung her towards one side.


    He roared, ¡°Stupid bitch how dare you bite me! You bitch!¡± Then, he gave her another two harsh kicks.


    Tang Xia instantly crouched into a ball from the cramps. The mask man was also bleeding profusely on his arm. He could not help but gasp, ¡°Stupid bitch! You want to meet Lu Huanyu? Hmph! Stay here obediently and wait to die!¡±


    With that being said, the mask man threw her aside directly. Before leaving, he even slammed the door behind him. The sound of the metal door banging caused Tang Xia to shudder. With a blurred consciousness, she looked at the tightly-shut door. However, she could not do anything.


    Tang Xia could not help but scorned at herself, ¡°You are really useless, why are you a girl?¡± While saying so, she then fell asleep blurrily.


    When she woke up again, she was still in the dark basement, facing the same icy-cold metal gate and¡­herself curled up into a ball.


    Tang Xia was woken up by hunger. Her stomach had been kicked several times. On top of that, she had not eaten anything after the burger. She was basically living on the edge of hell.


    She suddenly remembered the bun from before that had fallen into a puddle. She struggled to get up slowly and glanced around the dim basement.


    However, when her gaze fell onto the two buns, she saw two mice biting off them. Tang Xia had no choice. She struggled to get up and walked towards it. Hearing the sound, the two mice scurried away.


    Tang Xia looked at the leftovers on the ground and could only laugh. She laughed until she started tearing. She was very helpless in this place. She felt a wave of weakness hitting her body and in no time, she fell onto the ground like a jelly.


    However, she was still consciously awake. Her whole body was drained of energy and she no longer felt sad or hungry. Very soon, her willpower was consumed. On the brink of losing her breath, she muttered something.


    This basement seemed to be forgotten. Lu Huanyu did not come, nor did the mask men. She tried to climb to the door before, and through the cracks, she could see that even the two guards were not there.


    ¡°Eh? Where did everyone go?¡± Tang Xia could not help but mutter weakly. She gradually lost her consciousness. At the last moment before she passed out, the person on her mind was not Lu Huanyu, nor was it Ye Yifan. It was Chu Tiankuo.


    She was in a coma for an unknown period of time. Finally, the police came, when they opened the basement door, they saw a woman curled up at the door, at the brink of death.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia¡¯s vision was blurry, as if there was a layer of mist. At the end of the midst, there seemed like a person standing there.


    That person seemed to be smiling at her. He tried to smoothen his brows but it was impossible to do so.


    However, she could vaguely hear him say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I always cannot help but help you.¡±


    At that instant, Tang Xia felt her heart in pain, as if it was stabbed with a knife. Suddenly, the floor below her legs disappeared. Tang Xia¡¯s body fell down like a torn willow.


    Suddenly, there was a loud boom and she seemed to have touched the ground. She started to feel intense pain in her abdomen area. She struggled to open her eyes yet what she saw was the dim and damp wet basement.


    ¡°No! No!¡± Tang Xia opened her eyes widely. She was panting heavily and sweating all over.


    When she realized what was going on, she could not help but be shocked. Looking around, she was not in the basement. Instead, her surrounding was a neat, structured place and there was even the smell of disinfectant in the air.


    ¡°Is this a dream?¡± Tang Xia quickly looked down at herself. She was wearing a blue-and-white striped patient gown and was covered with a hospital quilt. At that instant, she felt the difference between heaven and hell.


    However, she did not know that what would come next was the real hell.


    Just then, the door of the room was suddenly opened. Tang Xia turned to look with a dazed look. Ye Yifan entered with porridge in his hand. When he saw that Tang Xia was awake, he froze and quickly walked towards her.


    He casually set the porridge aside and grabbed onto Tang Xia¡¯s hand anxiously, asking, ¡°You finally woke up! How are you feeling? Is there any discomfort in your body?¡±


    Suddenly, he patted his forehead with a little annoyance and quickly pressed the bell. ¡°Look at me, I was so nervous that I forgot to call the doctor.¡±


    However, Tang Xia did not say a word. Instead, the growing pain in her abdomen called for her attention. She slipped her hand out from his grip and touched her own abdomen. However, it was hard and stiff. Seemed like it was entangled in lots of bandages.


    Ye Yifan looked at her action and his eyes dimmed. He said slowly in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your abdomen has been kicked many times, so your internal organs were injured. You¡¯ve just finished a minor operation, but don¡¯t worry, there will be no serious repercussions.¡±


    Just then, the doctors suddenly came in and quickly checked up on Tang Xia. After ensuring that she was fine, they then heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Ye Yifan, they said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Ye. This lady is fine now, she just needs to rest well.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Ye Yifan¡¯s face lit up instantly. He pulled the doctor out to chat for a bit. It seemed like Ye Yifan had used his special connections to get her into a VIP room.


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while. Suddenly, she noticed the TV in front of her. She frowned and pondered for a moment before deciding to turn it on.


    She saw that her kidnapping incident was on TV and all over the news, and they were even headlines.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel a little confused. The TV reporters were mostly using clickbait. They were all talking about things like ¡®Famous Influencer-Streamer Tang Xia Kidnapped, Disappeared in Basement for Three Days, Situation Unknown¡¯.


    Ye Yifan, who had just finished talking with the doctor, also came in. Upon entering, he heard the sound from the TV and froze immediately. He quickly ran to her bed, grabbed the remote from her hand and quickly turned it off.


    ¡°Why are you looking at those things? Those are just clickbait titles written by a bunch of people who do not know what happened!¡± While saying so, Ye Yifan smashed the remote onto the sofa angrily.


    He could not help but turn around to look at Tang Xia cautiously. He saw that at that moment, she was looking at him with a dull gaze. Her eyes seemed to have lost focus, as if her spirit had flown away.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s heart dropped and he quickly went up to her and brought her into his embrace.


    He patted her back gently and comforted, ¡°It¡¯s okay, they are just a bunch of mad dogs. Don¡¯t worry, it will all past. Besides, no matter what happens, I will always be behind you.¡±


    However, Tang Xia still did not show any response. She remained quiet in his arms and did not say anything. Ye Yifan was also very helpless. He could only let go of her and bring her the porridge he brought.


    Full of consideration, Ye Yifan opened the lid and took a scoop with a spoon and brought it to Tang Xia¡¯s mouth. He coaxed gently, ¡°Come, have a mouthful.¡±


    ¡°The doctor just told me that you fainted in the basement because you were hungry. You only relied on infusion these past two days and it¡¯s not good for your body. Come, have some porridge.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while. Eventually, she still took it obediently. Ye Yifan then heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she looked up slowly and said to him .¡±Did you bring my phone?¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s hand was froze mid-air but it was just for a split second. He then continued to feed her. ¡°Why do you need your phone? Focus on eating first. After you finish your meal, recover fully and get discharged, we will then talk about it.¡±


    After hearing what he said, Tang Xia did not say anything else. She then drank the porridge obediently. However, Ye Yifan lowered his heavy gaze.


    In the next few days, Ye Yifan cut off all Internet connection. Even so, Tang Xia was very well-behaved. She said nothing and did not make any noise. Although this was what Ye Yifan hoped for, seeing her like this made him even more worried.


    In the end, Tang Xia recovered. When she packed up her things to prepare to leave, Ye Yifan finally handed her her phone helplessly. Tang Xia received it in silence. Finally, when she saw the fans¡¯ comments, she burst into tears.

 Chapter 321 - No Trace

    Chapter 321 No Trace


    Eventually, Ye Yifan could not take it anymore and snatched away the phone from her hand. He took in a deep breath and pulled her into his embrace.


    He comforted her in a low voice, ¡°I know that you¡¯re someone who¡¯s eager to excel and you will definitely want to look at the results, which was why I gave the phone to you. But I hope that these won¡¯t destroy you, understand?¡±


    However, none of these words were entering Tang Xia¡¯s ears. Each and every single word that she read earlier pained her to the core. It was the first time that she knew that comments could kill someone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s such a good actor. She just had a drama in the competition and now she¡¯s being kidnapped. Who knows if this is just a publicity stunt?¡±


    ¡°I used to be a fan, but now I¡¯m turned off.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys think that she had been raped when she disappeared in the basement for three days?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She originally thought that she had just escaped from hell, but she did not expect that the previous one merely hurt her in the flesh while the next hell that she was entering hurt her deep in her heart.


    In the next few days, Tang Xia couped herself at home just like when the competition was over. Every day, she watched her recorded competitions. She always felt like she was searching for something.


    However, Tang Xia allowed Ye Yifan to come. She would always open the door for him. He would regularly buy her a bunch of food. After all, she had just recovered from a serious injury and her stomach sustained the worst injury.


    Tang Xia continued to lie around at home. Now, she was increasingly decadent. Other than Ye Yifan, she did not want to see anyone else. Ye Yifan had watched her become like this gradually.


    On this day, Ye Yifan came to her home as usual. After opening the door for him, Tang Xia planned to return to her bed and lie down as usual.


    Ye Yifan followed her into her room. After looking at her for a while, he suddenly walked to the curtains and draw them open.


    Feeling annoyed, Tang Xia whined. She frowned and looked at Ye Yifan. Since she had not spoken in a long time, even her throat was hoarse. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    However, Ye Yifan walked towards her and pulled her up. With a dumbfounded look on her face, Tang Xia was pulled into the bathroom. He said, ¡°Today, the company is holding a meeting about you. You have to go.¡± Then, he handed her the mouthwash cup.


    Tang Xia froze. She looked at herself in the mirror for a second and then put the cup down. She said faintly, ¡°Why do I have to go? Can I change anything if I go?¡±


    These words made Ye Yifan unable to refute. He remained silent for a while. Eventually, he still forced her to wash up.


    He said in a commanding tone, ¡°No, you have to go today. This concerns whether or not you can keep this job. What if you lose this job?¡±


    Before Tang Xia could reply, Ye Yifan turned and left, slamming the door behind him angrily. He left a stunned Tang Xia behind with the cup in her hand. She suddenly smiled. ¡°Never mind. Since you¡¯ve given in to me for such a long time, I¡¯ll just follow suit once.¡±


    Actually, Ye Yifan felt a little uneasy after heading out. He did not know if Tang Xia would listen to him. After waiting for a long time, Tang Xia still did not come out. When he was just about to push open the door and take a look, Tang Xia had just come out after taking a shower.


    They both got a shock as they met each other in the eyes. Tang Xia then said faintly, ¡°I¡¯m going to change.¡± Ye Yifan quickly nodded and watched as Tang Xia walked into her dressing room.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    After they were ready, they set off together for the company. Tang Xia could not help but feel uneasy. She had not seen anyone all these while and now she was afraid. Right up till the moment when Ye Yifan held her hand to get out of the car and entered the company, her heart had never been settled.


    However, when she walked in with Ye Yifan side by side, she felt that the sound around her extremely piercing. Ye Yifan frowned and glanced at the surrounding staff. Everyone then quickly lowered their heads. However, Tang Xia could still hear their voices very clearly.


    ¡°I heard that she was decadent for a few days, she finally bothered to come out?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, she can¡¯t do it anymore. She¡¯s merely a struggling influencer whose hayday is over.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that this time the upper management and shareholders are going to decide if she gets to stay or not. They might even give up on her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her gaze slowly and followed him into the elevator without saying a word. Until the moment when the doors of the conference room were opened, everyone¡¯s gaze was on her. Some were filled with disgust, some doubtful, some calm and some were just watching a show.


    Under everyone¡¯s attention, she slowly walked up to the front. Standing in front and facing everyone, she did not say anything. She just remained calm and indifferent.


    An old man coughed twice and said in a low voice, ¡°We will not beat around the bush. There is a lot of negative news about you at the moment. Your reputation is also tarnished. It is a fact that your hayday is over.¡±


    ¡°We all have different opinions. Anyways, you guys decide. I think we should stop promoting her.¡±


    The others looked at each other. July, who had been managing the artist, was also there. She quickly stood up and objected.


    ¡°I object. Everyone here knows how much Tang Xia had contributed to our company. It is now her most difficult period and you¡¯re asking us to abandon her. I object!¡±


    The crowd became silent instantly, as if they were just going to follow the majority. Another person stood up.


    He said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t agree. The benefits she brought to us were only possible because we were promoting her. It is the fact that she¡¯s bringing to us negative news and growth. If we continue like this, it will tarnish the reputation of us shareholders.¡±


    However, from the beginning to the end, Tang Xia the main character remained silent and said nothing. Ye Yifan, who had been watching from one side, suddenly stood up. He looked at the people present, walked up to Tang Xia solemnly and then turned to face everyone.


    ¡°If Tang Xia doesn¡¯t stay in the company, then I¡¯ll definitely leave too. If you all are going to kick her out, I will go with her.¡± After he finished, there was an uproar.


    Tang Xia was still expressionless. Remaining in her sluggish state, she said not a word. To Ye Yifan, changing a company was as simple as changing a dish just because he did not like it. After all, he had a strong family background.


    Ye Yifan did not care about what others think. He grabbed her hand and ran out. Everyone was shocked but no one stopped them. At this moment, everyone¡¯s phone started ringing. Feeling confused, July took out her phone.


    The number one trending topic in the news section said that Su Yanxun, on behalf of Cross-era Livestreaming Company, was inviting Tang Xia to join them.


    July found the situation funny. She suddenly looked up at the bunch of upper management and stood up slowly, saying confidently, ¡°I think all of you should take a good look at the headline on your phone.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    After which, July left the conference room without turning back, leaving behind everyone to look at each other.


    Meanwhile, Ye Yifan held onto Tang Xia¡¯s hand and was walking quickly to get out of there. Seeing them leave so angrily, the staff started to speculate among themselves. Tang Xia was now extremely sensitive to these comments, so she was walking faster than Ye Yifan.


    Right after leaving the company, Tang Xia stopped abruptly. Ye Yifan also quickly stopped and looked at Tang Xia in confusion. He followed her gaze and saw Su Yanxun standing not far away, smiling at her.


    Ye Yifan let go of her hand slowly and let her walk over. Tang Xia¡¯s gaze was also fluctuating. She said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Until today, she still could not forget that Su Yanxun died for herself.


    Even though it was just a game, it was still done from his own consciousness. Tang Xia could feel that the person in front of her cherished her.


    Instead, Su Yanxun stepped forward and gave her a big hug, as if he was passing her all his strength. It was like when he saved her at the alley that they first met. Ever since then, he had always been saving her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a competition. Don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯ve never blamed you. Meanwhile, you must have had a hard time during this period of time. It¡¯s okay, your company doesn¡¯t want you, but I want you.¡±


    Su Yanxun¡¯s words were like him, so to-the-point, so clear.


    After many days, while looking at him, who was as warm as the sun, Tang Xia still could not help but curl her lips.


    Tang Xia refused to let Ye Yifan send her home. Along the way, she kept thinking about a problem. It was a problem that came to her mind while she was wasting her time away all these days.


    Ye Yifan and Chu Tiankuo, which one of them occupied more space in her heart. Or more precisely, which one of them treated her with a more sincere heart.


    When she returned home, let down all of her tiredness and could not help but cry her heart out, when she sobbed and looked at the paused scene of their competition on TV, she seemed to have understood everything.


    It was the scene when she won the game and Chu Tiankuo had personally announced that the game was over. He smiled and looked at her. His gaze was filled with tenderness.


    Indeed, Ye Yifan had always stood behind her to be someone she could rely on. Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo was the one who would personally protect her from all storms and waves. Every time there was a crisis, Chu Tiankuo would cut off all possibilities for her beforehand.


    Tang Xia suddenly climbed up from the ground. She did not even have time to take off her jacket and entered the broadcast room right away. Taking a look at her account, she could not use her main account anymore but her second account was not being used. As if heaving a sigh of relief, she entered the broadcast.


    Right now, she had a very urgent idea. She wanted to see Chu Tiankuo and no one could stop her.


    After she went in, she searched all the places where she met Chu Tiankuo. Every place was filled with the memories between the two of them. Everything was so familiar, and she could even recall every sentence that they said when they were together.


    However, after searching everywhere, Tang Xia did not see any traces of Chu Tiankuo. She seemed to have forgotten that he was not the system. He was an existence beyond the system.


    However, she could not find him. In the vast universe of data, she could not find him. Whenever she closed her eyes, she would hear him saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. Chu Tiankuo did not know that the one who should be saying sorry is not him but herself.


    In the end, she exited the broadcast room feeling disappointed. Looking at the screen in front of her, she entered a daze. In the next few days, once again, she did not say anything, did not leave the house, did not go online. It was as if she was even more shut-off than before.

 Chapter 322 - Disqualified

    Chapter 322 Disqualified


    When Ye Yifan came to Tang Xia¡¯s door with a bunch of things again, he hesitated for a long time while looking at her house number. The comments and rumors about Tang Xia have almost calmed down now.


    However, Tang Xia did not get better. On the contrary, her condition got worse. This was clearly the last thing he wanted to see. He took a deep breath and eventually still decided to press the doorbell.


    Actually, Tang Xia was already wide awake since early in the morning. Recently she had nothing to do, yet she still could not fall asleep. She was very aware of the reason. Every day she would just lie in her blanket and stare into blank space.


    Because as soon as she closed her eyes, that person¡¯s image filled her mind.


    Hearing the doorbell, Tang Xia knew that Ye Yifan was here. She struggled to get out of her blanket. Looking at the mess all around, she laughed scornfully, ¡°I never thought that I would be so reckless.¡±


    While saying so, she went to open the door for Ye Yifan. Seeing Tang Xia and her house in a mess, Ye Yifan¡¯s gaze deepened.


    ¡°Help yourself.¡± She gave Ye Yifan an indifferent look and turned to go back to her bedroom. However, she did not notice the faint anger in his eyes. When she turned around, he grabbed her by her elbow directly.


    Tang Xia was shocked and looked at him with confusion. Turning around, she met his furious gaze. She was instantly startled. He threw the things he was carrying onto the ground and slammed the door shut.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The shocked Tang Xia could not help but ask. However, Ye Yifan directly pulled her and threw her onto the sofa. He was so angry his chest was rising up and down.


    ¡°Tang Xia, how long are you going to do this for? Don¡¯t you know that no matter how hard life is, you must still continue with life?¡± Ye Yifan pointed at Tang Xia and scolded.


    ¡°Look at yourself now! Are you still the Tang Xia that I met on the live broadcast? The calm, intelligent Tang Xia?¡±


    Looking at Ye Yifan who was standing in front of her, Tang Xia knew that if she were a guy, he would have beaten her up. However, she was no longer interested in these things. She was probably disappointed in the Internet.


    No matter what Ye Yifan said, Tang Xia remained indifferent. She crouched on her sofa and looked at the TV screen indifferently. Other than lying on her bed, the only thing she did in the past two days was to re-watch her live broadcasts with Chu Tiankuo.


    Ye Yifan naturally noticed this. He turned around and looked at the TV. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s useful to watch these things from the past? If Chu Tiankuo saw your current state, how would he think?¡±


    ¡°He¡­will probably think that I¡¯m useless.¡± It sounded like a mutter but also like a disappointed statement for Chu Tiankuo to hear. She lowered her gaze and slowly sounded like she was going to cry.


    Ye Yifan never thought that Tang Xia would cry because of what he said. Once she started to cry, he was at a total loss. He stood there for a long time and yet said not a word.


    In the end, he sighed and turned around slowly. ¡°Forget it, since whatever I say is useless, it¡¯s actually good that you continue like this. Otherwise, if you were to enter a competition, I think Chu Tiankuo will also be disappointed if he sees you like this.¡±


    Suddenly, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes widened. Hearing the gentle closing sound of the door, she jumped up from her sofa. ¡°Right, I can¡¯t find him in those place, but he will definitely appear if I go live or enter a competition!¡±


    As if receiving sudden inspiration, she quickly tidied up her room and opened all the curtains. Looking at her neat and tidy room, she could not help but form a smile gradually.


    She turned around and went to change her clothes. She dressed up deliberately and went out of the house quickly as if she had found a direction for life again. She headed straight to the company.


    Her colleagues were a little surprised to see her come to the company so abruptly and they started to chat among themselves. When a small assistant saw Tang Xia, she hurried to notify July.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°What did you say? Tang Xia came to the company?¡± The documents that she was holding onto fell onto the table. The little assistant nodded quickly. July suddenly became flustered. She could not help but start pacing back and forth.


    ¡°What¡­what should I do? I had planned to let her calm down for two days first before informing her. She¡¯s here so early, she¡¯s basically¡­no, I have to stop her.¡± After saying that, she quickly got up and went upstairs, as if having made a decision.


    Meanwhile, when Tang Xia came to the company, the upper management was in a meeting. Tang Xia walked towards the conference room without saying anything. When July heard that Tang Xia had gone to the conference room, she quickly followed after her.


    The few people who were standing at the door of the conference room saw Tang Xia coming over and quickly stopped her. ¡°Sister Tang Xia, why are you here?¡± Tang Xia frowned a little bit when she heard this.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I come?¡± The two of them were about to say something when Tang Xia pushed them away directly. Looking at the conference room door, she barged in without hesitation.


    Everyone was a little shocked to see her. However, Tang Xia did not intend to give up this time around. This time around, she had a goal. She stood up straight and walked in confidently towards the front of the crowd. ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your meeting.¡±


    ¡°Psh, she still dared to say this is not intentional.¡±


    The leaders started to talk among each other. Just then, July came flusteredly. However, she saw that Tang Xia had already gone in. She instantly regretted not being able to stop her in time.


    Tang Xia did not pay attention to the gossip between them, on the contrary, she said with full confidence. ¡°I think everyone is very concerned about me, so today, I¡¯m here to fight to continue broadcasting.¡±


    ¡°After all, if I do broadcasts again, it may be able to dispel the rumors and the company can see my worth again.¡±


    After listening to her, everyone could not help but look at each other. Suddenly, a senior executive looked at her in confusion.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    He said, ¡°Why? Did no one notify you that you have been banned from broadcasting now? And you have also been disqualified from the finals. Did no one tell you that too?¡±


    Tang Xia froze instantly. She could only feel her mind going blank as she stared at everyone¡¯s faces.


    It was as if everyone was gloating and laughing at her. Tang Xia looked around in confusion. Suddenly, her gaze landed on July, who was standing at the door in deep contemplation.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia understood everything. Listening to the mocking and sarcastic remarks around her, she slowly lifted her head and glared at everyone with her sharp gaze. At that instant, the conference room quietened down.


    ¡°Why? Based on what? It¡¯s so clear that I¡¯m the victim, and the competition has nothing to do with me. I am also the one that was kidnapped and hurt. Why did it turn out to be all of the bad things happening to me?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s voice rang throughout the conference room. Almost every word came from her heart and they were very impactful. However, everyone still kept an indifferent look on their faces. Only July could not beat it anymore.


    ¡°Because your matters have brought negative impacts to the company and have harmed the interests of everyone here. The company has already gone as far as to not fire you,¡± an elderly executive said slowly.


    ¡°Oh, is that right? You didn¡¯t fire me just because of what Ye Yifan said about staying and leaving with me, right? And because your opponent Cross-era is putting pressure on you, right? Huh, I really have to thank you guys.¡±


    After saying all these, Tang Xia glanced at everyone who was present with a cold gaze and then walked out decisively. It was as if the crisp sound of her high heels trampled on everyone¡¯s hearts. She was like a gust of wind that came and went quickly.


    However, it left a hole in all of their hearts.


    However, when she walked past July, she stopped and gave her a faint look. She did not make any expression. It was just one glance. She then turned and walked away.


    When July saw her back view, she instantly felt unsettled. She stretched out her hand but still did not have the courage to call her name. Eventually, she could only let down her hand helplessly.


    At this moment, an employee hurried over. She happened to pass by Tang Xia. Although she was a little confused as to why she was there, she still ran towards July anxiously.


    ¡°Sister July, things are not good. After news of the company banning Tang Xia from broadcasting and disqualifying her spread, Tang Xia¡¯s fans have surrounded the company and there¡¯s no way out!¡± After saying all this, she could not help but take two big breaths.


    When July heard it, she was shocked. Also, the employee was not soft at all, the whole conference room heard what she said. Looking at the upper management starting to look uneasy, July could not help but snorted.


    She deliberately spoke louder and anxiously, ¡°What? Why did Tang Xia¡¯s fans block the company¡¯s entrance?¡± While saying so, July winked at the staff, who got the hint instantly.


    The staff quickly responded loudly, ¡°The fans are protesting, they are saying that Tang Xia should be the victim. Then they sat silently in front of the company. They said that if the company doesn¡¯t let Tang Xia come back and do broadcasts or take part in competitions, they will continue to sit in front of the company until we agree!¡±


    Instantly, everyone in the conference room started to talk among each other.


    Seeing that her purpose had been achieved, July turned and dragged the staff away. She quickly took out her phone and called the receptionist, ¡°You must stop Tang Xia, don¡¯t let her leave outside of the building!¡±


    After hanging up, July hurriedly went downstairs to chase after Tang Xia. When she arrived, she saw Tang Xia frowning at the bodyguard who would not let her go no matter what.


    ¡°What are you guys doing? I just want to go home. You guys don¡¯t even let me do broadcast or enter competitions, can¡¯t I go home?¡±


    ¡°Tang Xia, I¡¯m the one who asked her to stop you. I have something to talk to you about.¡± Tang Xia became silent when she heard July¡¯s voice. She turned around slowly and looked at July who was standing on the stairs, looking at her with a firm gaze.


    In the end, she gave in reluctantly. After working with July for so long, she knew that she would only do things for her own good, which was why she did not tell her about the company¡¯s decision.


    Looking at Tang Xia who was sitting on the sofa without saying a word, July sighed helplessly and poured her a cup of coffee from the pantry. Tang Xia said nothing, but the coffee ended up in her hands.

 Chapter 323 - The Final Match Begins

    Chapter 323 The Final Match Begins


    Tang Xia was actually panicking when she interrogated the upper management. Until now, her hands and feet were still cold and trembling. The warm cup of coffee was just nice to warm her nervous heart.


    July sat down slowly beside Tang Xia. The two looked at each other and actually had nothing to say to each other. After a long while of silence, Tang Xia opened her mouth first. ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t tell me because you¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll be sad and you want to tell me after I¡¯m better.¡±


    While she said so, faint darkness flashed across her eyes. She turned to look at July, who was sitting beside her with her brows furrowed.


    Tang Xia said faintly, ¡°But I hope that you can just tell me all of it directly. Then I¡¯ll be able to digest them at one go. Otherwise, after I climb out of a pit, I will fall into another one right away. This is very torturous.¡±


    This sentence seemed to poke directly at July¡¯s heart. After a long while of silence, she slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t know whether I was doing it right or not. In fact, I was there when the police sent you to the hospital.¡±


    Tang Xia froze. She looked up in shock. She always thought that only Ye Yifan came to see her. She did not expect July to go.


    July started to recall that day and said slowly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to really be kidnapped. I was in a state of shock right up until I got a call. But when I went to the hospital and saw the red light outside the operating room turn on, and when I saw your pale face that didn¡¯t have a single trace of blood as they pushed you out, I was then really worried.¡±


    July¡¯s gaze at Tang Xia seemed like it had a trace of apology. ¡°I know how hard this journey had been for you. I¡¯ve brought you up myself. When I saw the news and the comments, my heart ached too, so I don¡¯t want to give up on you.¡±


    ¡°But so what if you don¡¯t want to give up? They¡¯ve already made it clear that they¡¯re going to remove some of my rights. I¡¯ve already a useless card. Whatever else that we do will just be a struggle.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes grew darker and her whole person exuded a sense of decadence. July naturally knew that she had mustered up great courage to come to the company today. However, she was defeated by the harsh reality once again.


    July held onto Tang Xia¡¯s hands slowly and persuaded her sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you¡¯re still in the company, there¡¯s hope. You are Tang Xia, you should not give up easily.¡±


    However, Tang Xia repelled even more. ¡°So what if I¡¯m in the company? The company only pitied me and kept me because of Ye Yifan. Now that I¡¯ve been banned from doing live streaming and entering competitions, what¡¯s the difference from being kicked out?¡±


    After finishing that, she slammed the coffee cup she was holding onto the table and was totally unaware of her hand that had been splashed with coffee. She stood up and turned to leave right away.


    July quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her anxiously. ¡°You can¡¯t go out now, your fans are all outside. They¡¯ve heard that the company disqualified you and came to protest! If you go out, it will cause a commotion!¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and her hand froze on the door handle. However, she did not stop. Instead, she pushed the door open directly. ¡°What¡¯s the use of protesting? There¡¯s still no possibility.¡± After that, she left and slammed the door shut behind her.


    Looking at her back view as she left, July could only sigh helplessly. She slowly took out her phone. ¡°Go get Tang Xia through the back door, don¡¯t let anyone see her.¡±


    July then dangled her weak hand. She leaned against the sofa and stared at the ceiling for a while. She felt that it was good for Tang Xia to go back home and digest all this new information quietly.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    For Tang Xia, perhaps time may be the best medicine.


    In the next few days, Tang Xia resumed her previous lifestyle again. Every day she lazed around at home and did nothing. Ye Yifan was shocked when he heard that Tang Xia had gone to the company the other day and caused a scene. He quickly went to find Tang Xia but she would not say anything.


    Feeling helpless, he could only go to the company to protest. However, it was to no avail until one day, Time-travel Company suddenly faced a real crisis.


    Looking at the screen in front of her, July was neither conceited nor rash. Instead, she even chuckled.


    Cross-era Livestreaming Company had launched the idea of couple pairing streamers to complete a task. However, other than Tang Xia and Ye Yifan this couple pairing, Time-travel Company had no other couple pairings that they could use to compete. This was an opportunity for Tang Xia.


    An opportunity to come back.


    Suddenly, a young assistant came running in anxiously. She did not even knock on the door, but July did not blame her. Instead, she took a leisure sip of her coffee. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Catch your breath first before speaking.¡±


    The young assistant caught her breath and pointed anxiously outside the door as she said, ¡°Sister July, the upper management are having a meeting about the couple pairing streaming. Why aren¡¯t you anxious at all? The upper management looks like they have faced their biggest enemy!¡±


    July slowly put down her cup and glanced at her. Then she turned to look at the comments on the screen that Tang Xia¡¯s fans had left. She could not help but smile.


    ¡°This time around, I would like to see how you guys are going to hide Tang Xia!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°I won¡¯t watch anyone other than our Tang-Ye couple pair!¡±


    ¡°Raise the banner of Tang-Ye!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to go and see what they¡¯ve discussed.¡± After saying that, she went upstairs slowly without panicking. The young assistant, on the other hand, was so confused that she started scratching her head.


    Before entering, July could already hear the intense dispute going on inside. She slowly pushed open the door and walked in. After finding an inconspicuous spot, she sat down and listened as an observer.


    A man slammed the table angrily and said, ¡°See? Why did you cancel Tang Xia¡¯s qualifications back then? Now, which one of you can find a couple pairing to compete?¡±


    On the other side, an old gentleman frowned, disapproving, and opposed in a deep voice, ¡°Our company can operate as well without her! We have so many artists. She isn¡¯t the only one who can do that job! I don¡¯t care, just find someone else to replace her!¡±


    A rather alluring woman sneered and said ironically, ¡°Find someone else to replace her? Are you sure you can still win? The biggest highlight of this final is probably the couple pairing. You¡¯re already old, please don¡¯t try to mix in with the new generation. Pedantic.¡±


    Everyone started to voice out their own opinions. July managed to get a good sense of what was going on. Basically, they wanted to find Tang Xia, but they did not want to say it out. Since that was the case, she shall take the lead.


    After the meeting, July drove directly to Tang Xia¡¯s house. Tang Xia was extremely decadent at home in the past two days and did not even go online. She did not know what mess the world was in right now. Hearing someone knocking on her door, she got up to open the door.


    When she opened the door and saw July¡¯s face, her face became dull instantly. Both of them stood at the door for a long time in silence before Tang Xia invited her in. As July saw how messy the house was, her expression was not very good.


    ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± Tang Xia made an effort to get her some water but was instead dragged back to the sofa by July.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s increasingly bad expression, July said slowly, ¡°No need. I¡¯m here not to waste time. I¡¯ll cut straight to the chase. For the competition this time around, the company needs a couple pairing to take part in the final.


    ¡°Some of the company¡¯s upper management has proposed for you to come back, so I¡¯m here to ask you to come back to participate in the competition.¡±


    After finishing her sentence, July looked at Tang Xia with anticipation. However, Tang Xia seemed to be contemplating something. She frowned indecisively. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I can¡­¡±


    However, she suddenly remembered that she went to the company last time to do a live broadcast again. She had wanted to see Chu Tiankuo so badly. She seemed to have found her confidence. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    July could not help but smile in satisfaction. ¡°This is the last game, you must do your best.¡± After saying that, she touched her head like a big sister.


    When July spread the news of Tang Xia¡¯s comeback to the media, the upper management then knew that she had decided for herself to bring Tang Xia back. However, they only said a few words about it. After all, given the situation, this was the only way out.


    However, despite the company¡¯s announcement of Tang Xia¡¯s comeback and rolled out love and hate gimmicks for Ye-Tang Couple Shippers, the response was still not good.


    Tang Xia¡¯s popularity had particularly plummeted since the incident. Only those fans who had witnessed her climb to her spot now step by step cheered for her at this point.


    The last match was still held at the Aqua Crystal Stadium but there were fewer spectators, not as many as before. This was especially because the impact of Tang Xia¡¯s controversy from the previous match had remained to this day.


    The host pretended as if nothing happened and still tried to hype up the atmosphere. ¡°Come, let us welcome our Ye-Tang Couple Shippers! Today, the show is about them!¡±


    In front of everyone¡¯s intense stares, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan walked slowly before them. However, the response from the spectators was not good. Ye Yifan patted her shoulder comfortably.


    However, Tang Xia smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± Seeing that she was so calm, Ye Yifan was relieved. He knew that Tang Xia had matured a lot mentally after the whole saga.


    After leaving behind her vanities, she was now much calmer.


    Looking back at July who was standing behind them, Tang Xia saw her cheering for her and her smile widened. Both of them slowly walked to the center.


    The host watched the time and announced with great excitement, ¡°The final match officially begins!¡±


    Ye Yifan slowly reached out his hand and held Tang Xia¡¯s. Both of them looked at each other in the eye and then smiled lightly before entering the broadcast room together.


    When the two of them opened their eyes slowly, they could not help but be startled by the surrounding. Tang Xia turned her head in shock towards Ye Yifan. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan smiled with a reminiscence. He then turned to look at her with a gentle gaze and said gently, ¡°Yea, this is the broadcast where we first met. ¡®He who Remains is King¡¯.¡±


    Thinking of their first encounter, Tang Xia was also full of reminiscences. She still remembered how she was feeling at the beginning. Now, after all these, she finally reached the final.


    However, just when the two of them looked at each other, a system prompt sounded in front of them. [Destroy the Virus]


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan in confusion. ¡°What virus?¡±


    However, Ye Yifan¡¯s gaze grew deeper. He slowly looked far at the other side.


    He then said in a nearly discernible voice, ¡°It is probably Chu Tiankuo.¡±

 Chapter 324 - Meet Again

    Chapter 324 Meet Again


    Looking into Ye Yifan¡¯s pitch-black eyes, there seemed to be a complex and unclear emotion. His voice was especially filled with various emotions all mixed together. This caused Tang Xia¡¯s heart to thump faster.


    ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s just your guess, right? After all, this is a system. Even if we entered the live broadcast of ¡®He who Remains is King¡¯, Chu Tiankuo might not necessarily be the pathogen!¡±


    Tang Xia patted her chest lightly and finished her sentence slightly agitatedly. She started panting slightly.


    Hearing her emotional words, Ye Yifan frowned and looked at her. Seeing how emotional she was and how her eyes were filled with disbelief, it was obvious that she did not believe him.


    Looking at Tang Xia¡¯s cheeks, he pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed her by her elbow. Tang Xia was shocked by his sudden move and she stared at him in shock with her eyes wide-opened.


    She saw that his eyes did not blink. She had never seen him look at her so seriously before as if it was a life and death matter.


    His deep voice rang by her ear, ¡°Tang Xia, I want you to wake up now. Whether or not Chu Tiankuo will come, you already have the answer in your heart long ago. Why are you lying to yourself and to me and discussing all these things with me?¡± A tint of disappointment flashed across his serious gaze.


    After listening to Ye Yifan¡¯s words, the last thing she wanted to admit was exposed to the world ruthlessly. She knew very well that every time Chu Tiankuo appeared, he would be the final ace of her broadcast.


    Her gaze was slightly lowered. Her long eyelashes seemed to cover something. Her eyes were filled with mist. Others could not see her face clearly, but they were affected by her sadness.


    Ye Yifan was extremely unwilling to see her become like this. He suddenly regretted what he just told her. He contemplated whether he should comfort her and after hesitating for a moment, he did not know what to say.


    Suddenly, as if having thought of something, Tang Xia lifted her head. Ye Yifan¡¯s hand that was already in mid-air froze. She looked around anxiously.


    He could only withdraw his hand awkwardly. He said embarrassedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you looking for something?¡±


    However, Tang Xia ignored him. The place they were at now was the scene when Ye Yifan and her were facing the last challenge in that broadcast. It was the villa where everyone was gathered.


    It was still the same decorations. Even the places where everyone stood were the same. However, this caused Tang Xia to panic even more.


    On the other side, the broadcast room also became chaotic instantly. After all, many who were able to follow all the way to the finals had watched this particular broadcast. Everyone¡¯s reaction to this was different.


    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s this place! This was where I started stanning Ye-Tang couple!¡±


    ¡°Where is this? Why does it seem like many people have seen it? Drama-watcher here needs an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I bet Tang Xia has backup this time around. Chu Tiankuo will protect her again definitely!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, Chu-Tang couple pair should not give up!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was looking down at Fang Yan¡¯s corpse that was lying by their feet. She could not help but frown tightly. She looked up slowly at the villa¡¯s tightly-shut door.


    This was because she knew that if she continued like before, soon, that person would come in through that door.


    Ye Yifan felt the tense atmosphere from Tang Xia and naturally knew why it was so. He turned to look at the clock hanging on the wall and counted down silently. ¡°Three, two, one.¡±


    As he finished his last word, the villa¡¯s door started shaking slightly. Tang Xia fixated her gaze on the shaking door anxiously while Ye Yifan was full of relief.


    With a loud bang, the door was suddenly pushed open. The whooshing sound of the rain from outside grew louder gradually. Suddenly, extremely dazzling lightning flashed across the sky, instantly lighting up the whole house.


    The newcomer¡¯s shadow was cast onto their bodies. The newcomer wore black shoes and raindrops were sliding down his hoodie. It was exactly the same as how she remembered it to be.


    The comer slowly raised his head. ¡°Tang Tang.¡± The eyes that could not get any familiar were exposed in the air. Tang Xia could not help but stop breathing. She had spent so long searching just for this face that was almost imprinted in her heart. The anxiety and panic in her heart disappeared completely instantly.


    He was indeed Chu Tiankuo. Unlike the last scene, this time around, he was still holding onto the knife and looking at her furiously. But this time around, the raindrops rolled down his face and he gave her a doting smile.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia finally could not hold it back anymore. She ran towards him and jumped into his embrace. She did not even realize the coldness as she contacted with the rain on his skin. Her slightly-red eyes could not hold back the tears anymore and she started bursting into tears.


    Chu Tiankuo held her tightly in his arms and tried to smell her scent. He really wanted to hold her forever and not let her go. He said in a low voice, ¡°You¡­don¡¯t blame me for making the decision to let you win?¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s hands that were hugging him became stiff and she pushed him away slowly. Looking at his careful and mindful look, she could not help but burst into a smile.


    ¡°Indeed, I won after I exited the game, but I did not feel the joy of victory. Instead, I was so suppressed by the comments that I could not even lift up my head.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo, who was already guilty, instantly did not know what to do. His gaze also grew darker. He slowly retrieved his hands but Tang Xia grabbed them again suddenly. Feeling surprised, he looked up and saw that she was smiling at him.


    At this point in time, her eyes were no longer as impetuous as before. However, it was filled with the calmness of after going through many things.


    ¡°But it¡¯s nothing. Although I was decadent at that time, I only survived it because of you.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her in shock. He seemed to not understand what she meant. However, Tang Xia snuggled herself into his embrace once again. She said gently, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for you all this time because I know that you will be waiting for me somewhere.¡±


    As soon as he said this, even Ye Yifan who stood at one side was also shocked. He seemed to finally understand why she had been hiding at home during this period and repeating the broadcasts, and especially only the parts with her and Chu Tiankuo. It was not a glorious advance battle yet she was still so persistent about it. It turned out that she was not furious.


    On the contrary, she had confirmed that feeling.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s heart seemed to fill up instantly filled. He looked down at Tang Xia and his gaze was filled with devotion. At this moment, Ye Yifan who now figured out the truth suddenly dashed towards them and pulled Tang Xia away from Chu Tiankuo.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Left in utter shock, Tang Xia looked back at Ye Yifan who looked calm on the outside but emotions surging in the inside. His sharp gaze scanned across Chu Tiankuo and he said to her in a lowered voice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we are here to destroy him.¡±


    Suddenly, Tang Xia¡¯s heart fell. She quickly grabbed his hand and asked in disbelief, ¡°What are you going to do!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo naturally understood what they meant. However, seeing Tang Xia protect him to see this extent, he was even more excited.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I want to do, it¡¯s what you have to do! Tang Xia! Do not forget, you are a human. This guy is just a bug in the system, your task is to destroy him personally to entertain the audience!¡±


    Ye Yifan said this almost as if he was snarling. He clutched Tang Xia¡¯s shoulders fiercely as if he wanted to crush her bones.


    Seeing Ye Yifan go out of control, Chu Tiankuo dashed towards him and forced him into a corner. He grabbed him by his collars and said in an icy-cold voice, ¡°Tang Xia is in pain, can¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, don¡¯t hurt him!¡± Tang Xia rushed forward and stopped him. Chu Tiankuo then released him but still looked at him with angst. From beginning to end, they had never liked each other.


    Ye Yifan covered his arm in pain. He straightened his back slowly. He pulled out a dagger from a pocket in the clothes beside him. Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes deepened but he did not do anything. Tang Xia was taken aback.


    He handed her the dagger directly. His eyes were like a thick black ink clot that could not be smoothened out. It was so heavy that no one could tell what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Tang Xia, this time around, you kill him personally.¡±


    Tang Xia froze instantly. She looked at the dagger in his hands and did not even know what to do. Seeing her hesitate, Chu Tiankuo, who stood at one side, did not make any sound too. This time around, he wanted to see her make a choice.


    Seeing her not moving for a long time, Ye Yifan became a little impatient. His tone became a little irritable and said, ¡°Tang Xia, did you forget that you end up in the comments saga all because of him?¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for all the comments, how would Lu Huanyu have the chance to kidnap and torture you! And how would you face suspension and being fired!¡±


    When Chu Tiankuo heard him talk about kidnap and torture, he looked up instantly at him. Tang Xia hesitated but Ye Yifan put the dagger into her hand.


    Tang Xia quickly looked up at him only to see him nod solemnly. ¡°You must kill him personally to end this game. All the comments will then be resolved. You can continue your broadcast career and won¡¯t have to face suspension or being fired. Only if you kill him.¡±


    However, with the dagger in her hand, Tang Xia still could not bring herself to do it. She eventually let go of her trembling hand that was holding onto the dagger.


    She then turned to look at him determinedly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t do it! I¡¯ve been through so many things, I only know that Chu Tiankuo is very important to me, extremely important. I am willing to take part in the finals because I want to see him. How could I possibly kill him!¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was at the brink of breaking down, Chu Tiankuo quickly stepped forward to support Tang Xia. Ye Yifan looked at the dagger dropped onto the ground. He remained silent for a while, before suddenly picking up the dagger. He dashed towards Chu Tiankuo, getting ready to stab him.

 Chapter 325 - Forced Suspension

    Chapter 325 Forced Suspension


    No one at the scene predicted this sudden change of events.


    Tang Xia stared in shock at Ye Yifan¡¯s almost-ferocious face and the incoming sharp blade. Her body almost acted faster than her brain and she dashed forward to block Chu Tiankuo.


    Ye Yifan did not even think that she would rather lose this game than to be willing to let Chu Tiankuo disappear. At this critical point in time, Chu Tiankuo quickly grabbed Tang Xia and pulled her behind him. With a swift turn, he managed to dodge Ye Yifan¡¯s attack.


    Although he was very dissatisfied that he did not hurt Chu Tiankuo, he was very grateful that Tang Xia was not accidentally injured. He quickly dropped the dagger in his hand and wanted to check on Tang Xia.


    However, Chu Tiankuo carried Tang Xia and took two steps back. Tang Xia could not help but feel lucky too.


    Just when Ye Yifan was a little displeased with Chu Tiankuo occupying Tang Xia, Chu Tiankuo suddenly pinched Tang Xia¡¯s chin. Although it was a little abrupt, he was still gentle.


    Tang Xia stared at him in shock with her eyes wide-opened and lost. However, there was not a single trace of anger in his eyes. Instead, it was full of doting.


    Before everyone could react, he suddenly leaned forward slowly. Like gentle wind breezing past, he landed a soft and gentle kiss on her lips.


    ¡°Remember not to be so reckless next time.¡±


    When Tang Xia opened her eyes again, he was no longer in front of him. She searched around in a daze yet there was no trace of him. The sense of touch left on her lips proved that it was not a dream.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look for him, he disappeared.¡± Ye Yifan was just about to dash forward and hit Chu Tiankuo when he suddenly disappeared. He could not help but mutter that Chu Tiankuo was lucky.


    Hearing that, Tang Xia suddenly remembered that he had dashed to stab Chu Tiankuo without her permission. She could not help but be annoyed. She went up to him and pulled his sleeve while she asked, ¡°Why did you attack him? I told you not to do it!¡±


    However, Ye Yifan clenched his fists tightly and did not speak. Tang Xia regretted it instantly right after she said it. She silently released his sleeve and lowered her gaze.


    She knew that everything was for her own good, but she still did not allow anyone to hurt Chu Tiankuo, even if that person was Ye Yifan.


    The two stared at each other and stayed silent. Just when the broadcast room was becoming awkward, they suddenly heard a system prompt and following right after, a white light flashed past and there was a change of background.


    For the first time, Tang Xia was so thankful for the system for being so mindful of the situation. However, she froze when she saw the scene. When she saw Ye Yifan and herself standing in a dungeon surrounded by captivated girls, she understood it immediately.


    This was ¡®Escape from Garden of Eden¡¯, where she fought fiercely against Li Xianxian. It was also because of this broadcast that Li Xianxian¡¯s popularity declined.


    Recalling back then, she was still fighting against Li Xianxian with her life. Meanwhile, both of them are now having a difficult time, one worse than the other. Tang Xia could not help but lower her head sadly.


    However, Ye Yifan was confused as to what this was. He had never been here. Although he had heard that she had one broadcast with Li Xianxian where there was no winner. There were also many scandals of Li Xianxian from the broadcast.


    However, he had never thought that the environment would be like this. Tang Xia also suddenly remembered that she had never brought this up to him.


    Suddenly, the guard from aside came. Tang Xia quickly pulled Ye Yifan¡¯s hand to squat down and she explained to him in a low voice what she experienced here.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    After hearing all these things, Ye Yifan could not help but feel shocked. When he thought about there being a pervert in this castle who kept on finding trouble for her and how she was beaten up so many times, he was so frustrated he could not wait to find Chu Tianjiao directly and beat him up.


    Things were now different from the past. After getting out of the cell, they arrived inside the castle in no time. Tang Xia looked at the sky full of stars and the sea outside the window and she suddenly recalled the rooftop where she jumped into the sea.


    Tang Xia let go of Ye Yifan¡¯s hand suddenly. Without hesitation at all, she dashed towards that auditorium filled with too many memories. Although Ye Yifan was confused, he could only follow after her.


    Soon, they joined forces and entered the auditorium directly. Ye Yifan asked with a little confusion, ¡°Why did you rush here so hurriedly? Is there anything here?¡±


    Ye Yifan could not help but look around in confusion. However, he did not find anything. Meanwhile, at this point in time, Tang Xia basically could not hear anything. With a clear goal in mind, she charged towards the window that she used to climb.


    The masked person whom she always met here always refused to say who he was. That person always gave her advice and even personally pushed her into the sea and then saved her.


    Since a long time ago, she already knew that the person was Chu Tiankuo.


    When she poked her head out, she saw a pair of feet stopping in front of her. Tang Xia could not help but look up. Her gaze followed the delicate leather shoes up and she saw a doting pair of eyes smiling at her.


    Before Tang Xia could say anything, Chu Tiankuo made a ¡®do not talk¡¯ gesture. He gently pulled her up onto the rooftop. He then turned around and closed the window. Ye Yifan could not help but feel shocked. She was just standing beside him a moment ago and after zoning out for a short while, she disappeared.


    He looked around quickly, but other than the corridor, there was only the window and the sea outside. At this point in time, Ye Yifan was very anxious. Meanwhile, Tang Xia was leaning against Chu Tiankuo¡¯s embrace. She instantly looked at him, not knowing what to do. Her breathing also became faster.


    ¡°The person who¡¯s in our way, let him wait outside. Let¡¯s go find a quiet place to talk.¡± Without waiting for Tang Xia¡¯s consent, he directly pulled her running towards where she jumped into the sea.


    Although Tang Xia was a little puzzled, she did not try to break away from him. They only stopped going forward when Chu Tiankuo stopped. Tang Xia looked at the waves that keep on hitting onto the shores and she slowly calmed down.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly drag me here?¡± Although that was what she said, in reality, she would forgive him unconditionally for whatever he does. This was because she had not seen him for a very long time.


    Chu Tiankuo gently tucked her hair blown by the sea breeze behind her ear. His gaze that looked at her eyes was filled with faint reluctance.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s voice was so gentle as if it was about to melt in her heart. ¡°Tang Tang, thank you for being willing to come to me. And thank you for being willing to hold my hand. Between Ye Yifan and I, you chose my hand without hesitation.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    While saying so, Chu Tiankuo slowly held her hand. He kissed gently at the back of her hand and Tang Xia¡¯s gaze trembled slightly. Her gaze at Chu Tiankuo became embarrassed.


    At this moment, Chu Tiankuo suddenly knelt down in front of her. This Tang Xia to feel a bit startled. She covered her mouth in astonishment and took two steps back.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her directly and his gaze was filled with love. The sea breeze hit against his face and a few strands of his hair were flying. It was as if the whole world was helping him at this moment.


    He raised a finger and pointed to the rough sea below. An unprecedented seriousness rose in his eyes and his tone was also very serious, which was rare.


    He said solemnly, ¡°Tang Tang, I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve said this to you, but I still can¡¯t hold back my thoughts. I just want to tell you, I love you, Tang Xia.¡±


    Although the confession this time around was not much different from the one last time, it conveyed two different feelings. The gaze that stared at Chu Tiankuo also started to turn red and she started sobbing while looking at him.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, do you know what you are saying right now? What are you doing? Maybe a few weeks ago I could just laugh it off, but now I can¡¯t do it at all.¡±


    Tang Xia tried to keep her voice steady, but tears could not stop flowing out.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at her tearful face and his heart was instantly pained. He quickly brought her into his embrace. ¡°I know, and because I know, I decided to confess to you again.¡±


    However, at this moment, Ye Yifan, who had been searching for Tang Xia in the auditorium, finally saw them on the other side.


    They did not know that the broadcast room had already blown up at this moment when Chu Tiankuo took her away.


    ¡°Oh my god, he really confessed! Hold up the Chu-Tang couple pair banner!¡±


    ¡°No way! She¡¯s being serious with a system-generated character? Is it the company¡¯s way of hyping her?¡±


    ¡°Those who are just drama-watchers are getting more and more confused!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    While watching the broadcast, July was full of cold sweat. At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed that it was her direct supervisor. She had no choice but to pick up the call.


    After pressing the answer button, she only heard a deafening rage, ¡°Give me a good explanation about what¡¯s going on! Also, stop the broadcast immediately!¡±


    Then, before July could say anything, the call ended instantly.


    At this moment, the host also came out slowly. He announced anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, due to the special conditions of the competition, the system has run into an error suddenly. The system will close immediately and the final match is going to end abruptly. I apologize for any inconvenience caused. ¡±


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Tang Xia was just about to open up to Chu Tiankuo when she suddenly heard a loud hum. An electric current passed through her brain and Chu Tiankuo, who was standing before her, was also at a loss. Her world became empty all of a sudden.


    When Tang Xia opened her eyes again, she suddenly saw that she had returned to the real world and Ye Yifan was also kicked out of the game as well. She instantly looked up in shock and met with July¡¯s deep gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Something¡¯s up. We¡¯ll discuss after we get back to the company.¡± After saying so, July turned and left on her own.

 Chapter 326 - The Last Broadcast

    Chapter 326 The Last Broadcast


    Although July did not say much, when Tang Xia saw her expression, she knew that something big had happened. She hesitated for a moment. Even though she could not bear to leave Chu Tiankuo, she still followed her.


    Ye Yifan saw Tang Xia¡¯s awkward steps and quickly followed after her. Both of them had been forced out of the system so abruptly so their heads were more or less feeling uncomfortable. Hence, their footsteps were quite erratic.


    Knowing this, Ye Yifan quickly stepped forward and helped Tang Xia. Tang Xia did not say anything. The two of them leaned against each other and slowly got into the car and went back to the company.


    After telling Tang Xia that they would talk after going back, July got into the car first. Ye Yifan and Tang Xia both sat in the car without talking. It was so quiet until it felt weird.


    The two were silent for a while, but Ye Yifan finally spoke first. His eyes were filled with concern for her. ¡°Do you¡­know what is the reason behind this sudden forced shutdown?¡±


    Tang Xia was slightly startled but she did not show too much expression. Thinking of July¡¯s heavy expression when she left, Tang Xia already knew what was the reason.


    She answered extra calmly, ¡°The upper management is probably angry that I didn¡¯t listen to them and kill Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    Ye Yifan did not answer. He took out his phone from his pocket and let Tang Xia see all the comments the fans had left in the broadcast room.


    ¡°You should take a look first so you can be prepared, in case you don¡¯t know how to explain to the upper management when we get back.¡±


    Tang Xia remained silent for a while. She slowly took the phone from his hand. After scrolling through for a while, she figured out the general situation.


    However, she did not expect the sudden halt on the broadcast to become a headline.


    She returned the phone to Ye Yifan and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s just that, it¡¯s obvious what happened just now is going to create a negative impact.¡±


    However, Ye Yifan was a little pissed, especially when he was isolated outside. When the two of them left like they were eloping, he felt very angry.


    His gaze could not help but darken. ¡°Did you ever think about the consequences of those things you did? Did you not know that July made the decision to let you enter the competition? What¡¯s going to happen to her now that this happened?¡±


    Faced with his series of questions, Tang Xia was a little overwhelmed. She did not expect July to make the decision for her to re-enter the competition. She thought that she went to find her on behalf of the company.


    Ye Yifan also knew that she was probably feeling guilty now, so he did not say anything else. Soon, the two of them reached the company.


    As soon as Tang Xia got off the car, she ran towards July¡¯s office. When the employees saw her, their gaze this time around changed again. However, Tang Xia was not in the mood to care.


    Tang Xia quickly arrived at July¡¯s office. Just as she was about to push the door and enter, through the glass panel on the side, she saw her walking back and forth frustratedly and pulling her hair. She then leaned against her chair helplessly.


    Tang Xia could not help but blame herself. However, she did not regret what she did. This was her choice. There was only one Chu Tiankuo. Only he treated her so well and loved her so much. She could not bear to give up on him.


    After sorting out her emotions, she knocked on the door slowly. After July said ¡°Come in¡±, she then walked in slowly. Looking at July struggle to get up from her chair, Tang Xia also sat down on the sofa at a side silently


    July looked at Tang Xia and remained silent for a long time. Eventually, all the words she wanted to say evolved into a sigh. She stood up slowly and walked towards her and sat down beside her.


    She then said earnestly, ¡°Do you know what you have done this time?¡± While saying so, she poured herself a glass of water and drank it in one gulp, as if she wanted to calm herself down.


    Tang Xia nodded. She lowered her head and her attitude in admitting her mistake was very good. ¡°I know that I was reckless this time around. I should have treasured your decision to fight for my spot in the competition, but I didn¡¯t.¡±


    However, at this moment, Tang Xia suddenly looked up. Her gaze that looked at July became firmer. ¡°But now I understand one thing. I don¡¯t regret at all.¡±


    July almost spit out the mouthful of water she just swallowed. She stared at Tang Xia in shock but soon understood the situation. She put the cup down slowly and sighed helplessly.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°I want you to recognize a fact. At the end of the day, Chu Tiankuo is just a virtual character. No matter how much feeling you invest in, he would not turn into a human and come out of the system.¡±


    It was as if the words that Tang Xia did not want to hear the most had just been revealed. Her eyes could not help but flicker. She frowned in disagreement.


    ¡°Even if he is not a human but just a virtual character, he is more emotional than humans. From the beginning until now, he is the only one who never abandoned me and only focused on helping me. He¡¯s willing to pay whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°But eventually, he¡¯s just a system bug, he¡¯s just a bunch of data programmed by humans to cater to people¡¯s preferences. Why are you so persistent?¡±


    July also could not help but flare up. She was willing to scold Tang Xia till she wakes up from her stupid stubbornness.


    However, Tang Xia smiled and then said calmly, ¡°Perhaps he is just a statistic to you guys, but to me, he has flesh and emotions.¡±


    ¡°Other than being in a different world than us, he¡¯s no different from humans. He has his own set of thinking, and this alone goes beyond data.¡±


    July saw that she could not beat her at all. Just then an assistant came over to knock on the door. July let her in angrily.


    As soon as she came in and saw the scene, she said while trembling slightly, ¡°Sister July, the meeting will start soon. The board is starting to ask for you.¡±


    July nodded her head to indicate that she got it. The assistant then felt relieved and left quickly. Meanwhile, sitting at one side, Tang Xia squeezed her fingers anxiously. The upper management meeting was probably about her.


    July got up slowly and looked at Tang Xia faintly before sighing helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the meeting first. You sit here and think about it. No matter how good Chu Tiankuo is, he¡¯ll never become a person and leave the system.¡±


    After saying that, she stopped caring about her and turned to leave the office. Suddenly, she was left alone in the empty room. Tang Xia could not help but recall what she just said.


    ¡°If only¡­you could come out and stay with me.¡±


    Meanwhile, as soon as July entered the meeting room, she was faced with a series of reprimands. Regarding this issue, the upper management were in a state of anger that was unprecedented. What was meant to be was now July¡¯s sole responsibility.


    ¡°I think, this time around, let¡¯s just let Tang Xia not show up ever again. What had she done in the competition?¡±


    ¡°We told her that everyone will be happy as long as she killed Chu Tiankuo, but she ended up confessing to a virtual character? This is unheard of!¡± An elderly senior executive could not help but scold.


    At this point, toning down the whole matter is the company¡¯s utmost priority. However, it was still very difficult. Right now, the entire Internet was filled with the clip of the two confessing to each other earlier. It even appeared in the trending page of Weibo.


    A slightly younger man did not agree. He frowned and said, ¡°We need her to come out and do a closure, otherwise, everything will still continue. Right now, firing her or just keeping her aside is not going to do the job. We need to target the root cause.¡±


    As soon as his words were spoken, they received the support of everyone. ¡°I agree, why not let¡¯s do this: Let Tang Xia do one last broadcast and eliminate Chu Tiankuo. If she can¡¯t do it, then she can¡¯t blame us for giving her a chance. We will blacklist her then.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    It was unknown who made this suggestion. In the voting segment, almost everyone passed it. July wanted to stop it after hearing it but it was too late. There was no chance for her to interfere at all. Eventually, she returned to her office feeling helpless.


    When she pushed open the door, she saw Tang Xia still sitting there in a daze. When she saw July come in, she started to have a slight emotion on her face. However, she noticed that July did not look too good. Tang Xia was confident.


    July slowly walked in front of her. She pondered whether she should say it or not.


    Tang Xia smiled lightly, and said in an empathetic manner, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just tell me anything directly. What is the upper management¡¯s final decision? Don¡¯t worry, I can take it.¡±


    After going through so many things, she now had a higher tolerance in her heart.


    sKnowing this, July said, ¡°The upper management eventually decided to let you do one last live. This live requires you to eliminate Chu Tiankuo. If you fail this time around, the company¡­ will blacklist you.¡±


    It took a lot of courage for July to say these words, but after she blurted out the whole thing and tried to look at Tang Xia, she was shocked. Tang Xia was extra calm, as if she did not hear what she just said.


    Just when she was thinking about whether to repeat it once more, Tang Xia exhaled a long breath, like a sigh. It had a hint of helplessness.


    ¡°I never thought that the company would be so ruthless. Hais, but I brought this upon myself, I can¡¯t blame others.¡±


    Hearing this, July froze. She did not know what to say. She naturally heard the deep disappointment in Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    ¡°So¡­what are you going to do? My stance is still the same, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it for a virtual character. Perhaps, you should pay more attention to the person in front of you.¡±


    After saying that, July¡¯s eyes slowly turned to the window. It turned out that Ye Yifan had been waiting at her office door for an unknown period of time. However, Tang Xia lowered her head slowly. She looked at her palms and no one knew what she was thinking about.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the company¡¯s request. Let me know when it¡¯s time to go live.¡±

 Chapter 327 - Destroying the System

    Chapter 327 Destroying the System


    As soon as Tang Xia finished saying that, she got up and was about to pack up and leave. However, July felt inexplicably worried as she looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re just going to agree like that? You¡¯re not even going to¡­consider it?¡±


    Feeling humored, Tang Xia glanced at July, but her tone was full of helplessness. ¡°Do you think I still have a choice? If I disagree, I will probably be blacklisted. If I agree, at least I get to live two more days.¡±


    While saying so, she jokingly walked towards the door slowly. July also became silent as she had spoken the truth and she could not refute it.


    However, at that instant when her hand touched the door handle, she suddenly stopped. She did not look back, but said in a low voice, ¡°If I agree, at least I can see him one more time. I already don¡¯t care about things like popularity.¡±


    After saying that, she left behind a stunned July in the office. At the moment when she stepped out of the room, Ye Yifan, who had obviously been waiting for very long, quickly came to her. He looked at her and did not know what to do as well.


    ¡°Um, you must¡¯ve heard about the company¡¯s final decision, right? I think July must have said it.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded lightly. ¡°I agreed to it. As long as the company notifies me about the time, I will go.¡± However, Ye Yifan¡¯s brows furrowed deeper, as if he was very distressed.


    ¡°Can I be with you for this live broadcast? I¡¯ll be worried if you¡¯re alone.¡± Ye Yifan simply made it clear and did not beat around the bush. However, Tang Xia frowned as she felt displeased.


    She only agreed to this broadcast just so she could see Chu Tiankuo one last time. However, if Ye Yifan joined, he would get in her way. Hence, she rejected him directly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it on my own.¡±


    However, Ye Yifan went up to her and grabbed her by the wrist directly. He said angrily, ¡°That is precisely why I am worried! I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ll be able to do it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know you will be blacklisted if you fail this time around? Do you know what it means to be blacklisted?¡±


    Tang Xia did not want to know at all. She just wanted to go back and rest for a while. However, she could not break away from his grasp. ¡°It¡¯s just losing my job, what else do you want me to do?¡±


    It seemed like Tang Xia did not know the seriousness of this matter. Ye Yifan could not help but feel like yelling at her, ¡°Blacklisting you means that you cannot continue in the broadcast industry anymore, do you know that? Even if you want to change to another platform, no one will dare to take you in, do you know that?¡±


    After listening to his explanation, Tang Xia became dull again. Ye Yifan looked at her expression and thought it finally worked. However, she suddenly laughed and said, ¡°So what?¡±


    Suddenly, she looked at Ye Yifan very seriously and asked a question she always wanted to ask. ¡°I want to know, in your heart, is Chu Tiankuo just a virtual character without any human touch?¡±


    Ye Yifan was immediately stunned by her question. The two of them looked at each other for a long time. Ye Yifan felt it was a century-long. After a long time, he slowly said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tang Xia was silent. In fact, during the period of time he was thinking, he had already got the answer and only he knew. She just wanted to ask the question and did not want to know the real answer.


    This time around, Ye Yifan did not have the urge to hold her back anymore. Tang Xia broke free from his grip and turned to leave. Looking at her back view, Ye Yifan stayed silent for a while. Eventually, he smiled helplessly, ¡°Yes or no, does the answer matter? Can it change the result?¡±


    The time for the live broadcast was soon fixed. The next day, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan, who would not let her go alone no matter what, entered the broadcast together under all the upper management¡¯s supervision.


    After they entered, they felt that this time was different from each time. The atmosphere was also very strange.


    When the white light in front of them disappeared completely, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan then realized that this was a white room with nothing around them. It was different from all the live broadcast world.


    It seemed like a world that Chu Tiankuo had created himself to deliberately lure them here. Ye Yifan touched his body and was suddenly relieved when he felt a hard and sharp tool on the side. Fortunately, the system gave him a weapon to kill Chu Tiankuo.


    The room was very huge. Suddenly, they noticed someone standing not far away from them. Tang Xia took just one glance to figure out who it was. She instantly ran towards him excitedly.


    The person sitting in the center was indeed Chu Tiankuo. His expression was different from the past, but his eyes that looked back at Tang Xia were still gentle.


    Tang Xia initially wanted to plunge into his arms directly and held back by her strong restrain. Looking at the man in front of her, she remained silent for a while and frowned in contemplation. ¡°Last time, I was kicked out because the game was stopped halfway.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s eyes at her were still full of smiles. ¡°I know, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re here now anyway. As long as you¡¯re by my side, everything is fine.¡± After he said those words, standing on one side, Ye Yifan was not pleased.


    Tang Xia hesitated for a moment and eventually made up her mind to tell him the truth. ¡°Actually, my current mission is to kill you, so you don¡¯t have to be so good to me.¡± After all, she came with a sinister purpose.


    Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo still looked like he did not care. Instead, he smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so honest. Your mission last time around was to kill me too, right? But you didn¡¯t. Let me try to guess the reason.¡±


    After saying so, he touched his chin to act like he was thinking hard. Tang Xia became nervous subconsciously. She lowered her head and did not dare to look at him. At this moment, Ye Yifan suddenly interrupted from one side.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, since you want the best for Tang Xia, you should disappear directly. Do you know that if she does not complete the task this time around, she will be blacklisted after she exits the game!¡±


    Tang Xia was stunned. What she did not want to let Chu Tiankuo know had just slipped from his mouth. Tang Xia could not stop him. She instantly glared at him angrily. ¡°Who told you to talk!¡±


    Ye Yifan only chimed in so that Chu Tiankuo would not continue what he was about to say, so he randomly found something to say. However, because of this, Ye Yifan was very upset.


    ¡°But are you going to sacrifice your own future in exchange for the future of a virtual character?¡±


    However, Tang Xia was even more pissed when she heard the words ¡®virtual character¡¯. She quickly glanced at Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression. Indeed, his expression had changed. At that instant, she did not know what to say.


    I saw Chu Tiankuo suddenly scoffed. He glanced sideways at Ye Yifan. ¡°Huh, a virtual character?¡±


    ¡°Right now, your virtual character wants to destroy this entire broadcast system. This way, I¡¯ll no longer be a virtual character and you guys cannot enter this world of virtual characters anymore, how about that!¡±


    Tang Xia suddenly froze and looked at him in shock. Even Ye Yifan recovered his senses.


    ¡°What do you mean? You want to destroy all of these? Do you know what are the consequences of doing this!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was surprisingly calm. He slowly stood up from the chair and walked towards Tang Xia step by step. His eyes that looked at her were still so soft. So soft that people could not believe this was an emotion that a virtual character could have.


    ¡°Of course I know what the consequences are, but I think it¡¯s all worth it. If I destroy the entire live broadcast system, in the future, your so-called real world and the virtual world will go on our own path and never intersect again.¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, you will be with me forever.¡± After saying so, he gently wrapped his arms around her.


    Although Tang Xia felt that this embrace was extremely warm, she still did not want him to go astray.


    She struggled to say, ¡°Then do you know that if you really destroy the entire live broadcast system, thousands of innocent streamers will be trapped in the world of fiction and never return to the real world.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo seemed to feel pitiful too. However, he suddenly remembered something and became firm. ¡°But if that is the case, you should think that we can be together then. If we want to be together forever, this is the only way.¡±


    This was also something that Tang Xia knew very well. Chu Tiankuo could come to the human world, let alone become human.


    But for those innocent people involved, Tang Xia still decided to stop him.


    She grabbed his arm and said firmly, ¡°But I can¡¯t accept this kind of getting together. We have to sacrifice so many people in exchange for our happiness. I can¡¯t accept it, so don¡¯t do it, alright?¡±


    Looking at Tang Xia softening in front of him, Chu Tiankuo was silent for a long while.


    He then grabbed her hands and said slowly, ¡°But Tang Tang, do you know? You can leave here whenever and wherever you want, but I can only wait here forever. I can only see you when you come in. This is not fair to me.¡±


    For Tang Xia who had never thought about this, this sentence was a great hit to her. She initially thought that she knew him very well, but she was shocked to find out that she did not know how helpless he felt.


    Facing Tang Xia¡¯s silence, Chu Tiankuo slowly brought pieces of her hair behind her ears. ¡°Tang Tang, are you the same as others who just treat me like a set of data in the world of fiction, or an abnormal virus?¡±


    Tang Xia quickly shook her head. Remembering how July kept on emphasizing that he was only a system data, her heart pained for him.


    ¡°No, I never felt that way. Since I first met you, I had never treated you like a set of data, which was why I would save you back then.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo could not help but smile rather sadly. ¡°From the moment I discovered the live broadcast platform, until the time when I accepted that I was a character in the novel world, I also don¡¯t know why it became like this.¡±


    ¡°If I could choose again, I hope that I will never find out and just be a set of data happily.¡±


    Standing at one side, Ye Yifan frowned as he listened more. Feeling increasingly distressed, Tang Xia grabbed his hand tighter.


    He continued to complain, ¡°Why do people in the real world think they can treat us casually like a past-time hobby!¡±

 Chapter 328 - Agree to Stay

    Chapter 328 Agree to Stay


    Tang Xia could hear the endless sorrow in his tone but she was helpless. She quickly grabbed Chu Tiankuo¡¯s hand and tried to convey the warmth from her body to him.


    She held his hand that was trembling from the anger. Chu Tiankuo calmed down slightly. He could feel that Tang Xia seemed a little scared and he noticed that he had scared her, so he slowly raised his hand to caress her cheek.


    For some reason, Tang Xia¡¯s body was very cold, just like her heart. She only had two choices.


    If she killed the person in front of her, then she will save thousands of people. If not, she will listen to him and stay with him in this virtual world and be with him forever. The price to pay would be everyone who was doing live with her at the moment would be brought in as well.


    No, there was still a third option.


    As if suddenly remembering something, it was as if a meteor struck across her gaze that was dark as night. She looked at Chu Tiankuo firmly. ¡°You are not just a past-time, knowing you is the best thing to happen to me.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was stunned. The anger that was originally in his eyes disappeared instantly without a trace.


    She continued and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for this system, how could I have met you? I should be grateful for it. It bridged our encounter, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    His gentle and misty eyes that looked at Tang Xia were dazzling as if she was the only one that existed in the world. She was always like this, living in his heart unknowingly. Each and every single word that she said could easily move his heart.


    ¡°But if we don¡¯t destroy the entire system, we can¡¯t be together forever. I know people get old, get sick, and die, but I don¡¯t want you to. As long as data exists, we will exist. Isn¡¯t that good?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s tone was filled with helplessness, he just wanted to be with his loved one. Tang Xia did not know what to say, she lowered her eyes, as if she was thinking about something.


    However, she did not know at this moment, outside the broadcast room, all fans and the company executives were all watching the live broadcast very closely. When the broadcast room heard that Chu Tiankuo was going to destroy the system and trapped all the streamers in the virtual world, they could not sit still anymore.


    ¡°My god! Will Chu Tiankuo really be able to do that? But at the end of the day, he is just a virtual character.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it must be written like that on the script right? Is the company putting in so much effort just to hype up Tang Xia?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the case! It¡¯s not right from the beginning when Chu Tiankuo appeared!¡±


    ¡°Gosh! What can we do! This is the greatest crisis of the century!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this exact moment, the senior executives of Time-travel Broadcast Company were sitting nervously in the conference room. The live broadcast of the broadcast room was projected on the wall. Everyone¡¯s hands were sweating.


    An elderly senior executive could not help it anymore. He slammed the table violently and scolded loudly, ¡°Can everyone still continue sitting down? Look at what¡¯s happening now!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Another young executive also rolled his eyes. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one being anxious now? What do you think we can do!¡±


    A woman looked at this bunch of old stubborn men and could not help but said sarcastically, ¡°I think it¡¯s either we don¡¯t do it or we go all the way. We should destroy Chu Tiankuo and hack the system with a virus. It will save us from being so worried.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about! Your parents are still supporting you, your family doesn¡¯t worry about money, but we are all counting on the company to feed ourselves!¡±


    ¡°If we hack the system, although it will not affect the safety of all streamers, our company¡¯s system will not be usable in the future! The company will then close down!¡±


    As soon as this remark came out, everyone became silent. The reason why they did not speak up was because they knew about this and all the consequences. Hence, no one dared to speak.


    They were different from outsiders, they all know what kind of existence Chu Tiankuo was ¨C a monster that had his own set of thinking that was detached from the virtual world.


    The woman sneered. She looked around the conference room and snorted ironically when she saw everyone remaining silent. ¡°I say, it¡¯s all because of your own benefits.¡±


    Suddenly, her eyes became extremely sharp instantly.


    She glanced around harshly and said coldly, ¡°But you all knew a long time ago that if Chu Tiankuo this monster really destroys the system, thousands of streamers will be trapped inside and never come back. Can you guys bear responsibility for that?¡±


    This sentence seemed to pierce into everyone¡¯s heart. They all lowered their heads. She could not help but give them another wake-up call. ¡°Which is more important? The company or the fact that you guys will be regarded as murderers?¡±


    Being locked in the system forever was equivalent to dying inside. There was no difference. It may be more painful for family members.


    Suddenly, all the executives slammed the table violently. After thinking for a long time, they said slowly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s vote to decide.¡±


    However, none of them saw that at this moment in the broadcast room, Tang Xia was trying her best to talk Chu Tiankuo out of it. Listening to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s words, Tang Xia also became silent. Perhaps this was the only way they could be together forever.


    Standing at one side, Ye Yifan quickly pulled Tang Xia behind him. He then looked at Chu Tiankuo with a caution. He stared at him coldly to signal to him not to come near. Although Chu Tiankuo was a little pissed, he also knew Ye Yifan was doing this for Tang Xia¡¯s good.


    Tang Xia was shocked. She was obviously not happy with Ye Yifan¡¯s move. She frowned and looked at him and asked, ¡° Ye Yifan, what are you doing? I haven¡¯t finished speaking to him. If you¡¯re going to keep stirring trouble, just get out.¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan turned his head. He grabbed her by her shoulders anxiously and said agitatedly, ¡± Tang Xia, you must not do anything stupid. Just looking at your expression from earlier, I already know what you are thinking. Listen to me, don¡¯t do it.¡±


    Tang Xia became quiet as she looked at his anxious state. She lowered her head slightly. Ye Yifan had been with her for so long, they were partners who went through life and death challenges together. He had already understood the meaning behind each of her actions.


    When he saw her lowered her head, he already knew what she was thinking. A tint of helplessness flashed across her eyes, and then a tint of despair. He let go of her shoulders slowly and his hands fell. ¡°Really? Since that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t stop you at all.¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at him apologetically. Her tone was full of helplessness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t just give him up like this, and I can¡¯t bear to watch him make this mistake just like that.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded. He smiled faintly helplessly and stood aside.


    Tang Xia slowly walked to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s side. She stretched out her hand slowly between both of them. She smiled faintly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m willing to stay with you to face everything and be together forever.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the hand in front of him and froze. He looked at her in shock and asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re really willing? But in that case, you¡¯ll never return to the real world.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°So what? I only need you.¡±


    This sentence shone into his heart like a ray of sunlight. His whole person instantly felt warm. This virtual world did not seem so hateful anymore.


    He slowly reached out and gently held Tang Xia¡¯s hand before raising it in the air. He smiled genuinely. Looking at his smile, Tang Xia felt affected. Her unsteady heart calmed down instantly.


    Her own decision was worth it.


    ¡°But if I stay, I don¡¯t need other streamers to stay with me. You should let them go. Isn¡¯t it enough to have me by your side?¡±


    While saying so, she stretched out her arms and hugged his body slowly to feel his body temperature. He did not feel like a virtual character at all. He had flesh and blood.


    Chu Tiankuo was startled. He pushed her away with some suspicion. There was a trace of hurt in his eyes and his voice became a little hoarse. ¡°Did you¡­agree just so you can save them?¡±


    Tang Xia did not expect Chu Tiankuo to think so. She instantly hit his chest angrily and scowled, ¡°I¡¯m just advising you, how could you think like that!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo could not help but laugh out loud. He held her tightly in his arms. Tang Xia felt the immense happiness his whole body was giving. She herself could not help but curled her lips, as if they could just be together forever.


    Tang Xia noticed Ye Yifan who was standing at one side, watching them with a black face and cold eyes. She pushed Chu Tiankuo away slowly. Chu Tiankuo looked at her in shock. He suddenly noticed Ye Yifan and the trio became awkward.


    ¡°In that case, you should go back first. Perhaps we won¡¯t meet again in the future, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be very happy here.¡± After hesitating for a long while, Tang Xia could only say this.


    Ye Yifan looked at Chu Tiankuo and suddenly ran up to him. He grabbed Chu Tiankuo by his collar and punched him directly. Tang Xia was shocked and quickly went to stop the fight. However, Chu Tiankuo raised his hand to stop her.


    Tang Xia stood there feeling a little helpless. Chu Tiankuo touched the corner of his mouth and said coldly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, let him hit. Perhaps I owe him these.¡±


    After all, he had stolen Tang Xia away from him. This is hurtful for another person who loved her so much. It was naturally frustrating. He would probably feel better if he let him give him a few punches.


    Ye Yifan started torturing him. Chu Tiankuo did not fight back at all. He just stared at Ye Yifan with a cold gaze. Tang Xia could only stand at one side. Since they did not let her interfere, there was nothing she could do.


    ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s enough! Chu Tiankuo, are you looking for self-torture!¡± Hearing her voice, Ye Yifan also slowly stopped his hand. Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s worried look for Chu Tiankuo, his final punch landed on the wall behind Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo, I have never thought that not only will I lose to you in a game, but I still cannot win you in Tang Xia¡¯s heart. If we can redo this, let us have a fair and just fight in the real world!¡±

 Chapter 329 - Virus Invasion

    Chapter 329 Virus Invasion


    Perhaps it was just an expression of dissatisfaction, or perhaps it was a promise. Chu Tiankuo looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s eyes that were turning red and nodded seriously. ¡°Okay, you have my word.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯ eyes could not help but turn red at this scene. Her lips curled slightly. Ye Yifan stretched out his hand and Chu Tiankuo smiled and also lifted his hand to shake his hand. He pulled him up as well.


    Tang Xia then quickly ran over to check whether Chu Tiankuo was okay. However, Chu Tiankuo was in the system, so there was nothing wrong with him. He looked at how anxious she was and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You forgot, I¡¯m a virtual character.¡± Although Chu Tiankuo said this jokingly, Tang Xia was still very upset and patted his cheek directly.


    ¡°What are saying? You¡¯re a human in my heart!¡± Chu Tiankuo could not help but bring her into his embrace lovingly. However, at this moment, the originally empty room suddenly saw many sparks of light. Tang Xia could not help but feel confused.


    Chu Tiankuo looked at the lights floating in front of them and could not help but smiled slightly. He stretched out a hand slowly and grabbed one of the sparkles of light.


    Tang Xia was stunned. She did not expect to be able to grab these sparkles of light. She leaned in curiously and looked up to ask curiously, ¡°What is this? There¡¯re fireflies in here?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo smiled and knocked her forehead lovingly. He said gently, ¡°No, this is the memories between us.¡±


    While saying so, he gently opened his hands. Instantly, she saw a world appear in his hands, and in the world were two miniatures of them together.


    A trace of surprise flashed across Tang Xia¡¯s eyes instantly. She was so surprised she wanted to touch it right away. However, when she touched it, it disappeared instantly like foam.


    Tang Xia shouted in shock and then lowered her head in frustration. Chu Tiankuo did not blame her. He grabbed another one for her and it was another scene. Tang Xia¡¯s eyes started to turn red as she looked. She could not stop tears from flowing out.


    This was because it seemed like in the memories between the two of them, Chu Tiankuo was always sacrificing for her while she always rejected, and even hurt him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Chu Tiankuo was shocked. He was confused and did not know why she suddenly said that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Meanwhile, Tang Xia lowered her head in even more guilt.


    She said in a muffled voice, ¡°I will treat you well in the future, and I will never let you be hurt again in my place!¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at her firm look and felt his heart going soft. He caressed her hair dotingly.


    However, at this moment, Tang Xia suddenly realized that Chu Tiankuo¡¯s expression became more serious. She was instantly confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look very good.¡±


    Ye Yifan also felt that something was wrong. He frowned as he looked into the sparkles of light and spotted many black lights mixed in them.


    Chu Tiankuo also pointed at the black lights seriously. Tang Xia then noticed them and looked at him in shock instantly, ¡°What¡¯s that? It doesn¡¯t seem like a memory.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is indeed not a memory, but¡­¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at the ceiling seriously. Tang Xia could not help but feel confused. She followed his gaze but found nothing.


    ¡°Is there anything up there?¡± Tang Xia could not help but ask in confusion. Chu Tiankuo scoffed and slowly lowered his head.


    ¡°Probably the people up there cannot sit still anymore. The people controlling the whole system can see this broadcast, right?¡± Chu Tiankuo looked at Tang Xia and asked with a cold smile.


    Tang Xia froze for a moment. After thinking about it, she suddenly understood who he was referring to. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the upper management at the broadcast company, right? Yes, they can see us, but¡­what has that got to do with the black spots?¡±


    Chu Tiankuo turned to look at her seriously. ¡°They probably have made a decision. They were probably frightened by my words. So, they have prepared to destroy this place, to destroy¡­me.¡±


    As soon as he said it, Tang Xia understood immediately. She remembered the final mission and task given to her by those senior executives ¨C to eliminate Chu Tiankuo. However, Tang Xia did not kill him as they said. Perhaps, they were already getting started.


    Hearing that, Ye Yifan also panicked. ¡°You guys should be watching, right? Let me warn you guys, do not try to hurt Tang Xia!¡± Ye Yifan looked up and shouted to the air.


    Tang Xia could not help but feel touched. She looked at him and saw that the black spots were increasing around them. Tang Xia could not help but feel confused. She stretched out her hand to try to touch them. She wanted to see what these were.


    However, just when she was about to touch it, Chu Tiankuo suddenly grabbed her wrist. He lost control of his strength and Tang Xia cried out in pain. Chu Tiankuo quickly released her.


    He could not help but say apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t touch it, don¡¯t do it!¡± Tang Xia rubber her wrist. Seeing the black lights all over the sky, she could not help but feel more confused.


    ¡°Why are there more of those things? They are swallowing our memories!¡± Seeing the black dots engulfing the memories in the air mercilessly, Tang Xia hated them more and more.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Chu Tiankuo also did not know what they were. However, for some reason, he felt that something was wrong. He subconsciously felt that it was not something good. Under Tang Xia¡¯s watch, he stretched out his hand slowly to touch the light.


    He reached for it slowly and at that instant when his skin touched it, he suddenly felt a pain. He cried out in shock and quickly pulled his hand back. There were no fires on these things, but he felt like he was burnt by a fire and it was extremely painful.


    Tang Xia quickly took his hand and checked on him. She saw a burnt wound on his skin and could not help but looked up at him in shock.


    He was completely fine after suffering those punches from Ye Yifan, but now he was scalded by such a small light. ¡°What the hell is this? It can hurt you!¡±


    Chu Tiankuo pulled his hand away and looked at it. His gaze grew deeper. Looking at the light spots that gradually surrounded them, he said in a low voice, ¡°This, should be a virus. Only a virus can burn me.¡±


    ¡°What! Is it from the company! They actually launched an attack?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s mind went completely blank. She did not expect her failure to complete the mission to result in the company raising all stakes to destroy the system just to remove Chu Tiankuo.


    Ye Yifan also frowned. ¡°This time around, it seems like I won¡¯t be of any help. The company has made their decision.¡± When Tang Xia heard it, she became instantly more disappointed in the company. She never thought that they would die together.


    However, before they had the time to think about it, the virus suddenly began to grow. In the split of an eye, all the virus in the room started multiplying. Tang Xia stood there in shock. She did not know what to do at all.


    Chu Tiankuo, was standing on one side, rushed over quickly, grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her head tightly. Ye Yifan frowned. He had nothing on him but a dagger. There was nothing to stop the virus.


    Suddenly, Chu Tiankuo raised his hand forcefully and his body exuded a ray of light which gradually formed into something the size of a glass shield. Chu Tiankuo shouted at Ye Yifan, ¡°Quickly get over here!¡±


    Hearing that, Ye Yifan quickly ran into the glass shield. However, it was obvious that the photomask could not hold for long. The virus became more and more and quickly caused the whole room to be filled with black balls other than the photomask.


    Tang Xia was wrapped in his embrace and she struggled to look up. Meanwhile, Chu Tiankuo did not have a single thought of letting her go. He remained motionless.


    ¡°How long will you be able to hold? This won¡¯t work for long!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Chu Tiankuo anxiously. He also started to feel dissatisfied at the company. He never thought that this bunch of people would want them to disappear with Chu Tiankuo. They did not force them to log out at all.


    Chu Tiankuo frowned solemnly. Of course he knew that. Suddenly, he shut his eyes tight. Ye Yifan could not help but feel stunned. Suddenly, a small light faintly appeared in front of them. It slowly grew bigger and expanded.


    Ye Yifan knew what this was. He could not help but look at him in shock. It was obviously the door that links between their novel world and the real world. He was trying to force open the door.


    Tang Xia was suppressed so hard she could not move at all. Hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s shocked voice, she could not help but started scolding Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo! What the hell are you doing! Let me go quickly! If you dare to do anything stupid, I will never talk to you again!¡±


    She kept on having an ominous hunch which was so strong that her heart kept panicking. It was especially so when everything before her was dark and she could only see his rising and falling chest.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    There was a heart there, a breathing, living heart.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Ye Yifan could not help but sigh, as if he was relieved. Tang Xia was a little puzzled when she heard that. Before she struggled to break free, Chu Tiankuo let go of her directly. Tang Xia looked around in shock.


    Chu Tiankuo¡¯s photomask had broken a lot. Many viruses have poured in and were approaching them slowly.


    Seeing that the virus was about to erode Tang Xia¡¯s body, Chu Tiankuo quickly hurled her directly into Ye Yifan¡¯s arms. Those viruses just plunged directly on Chu Tiankuo¡¯s body.


    As if suddenly being burned by fire, he could not help but let out a loud moan. He held it back with all his might and turned to look at Ye Yifan and Tang Xia, who was struggling to want to run to him. ¡°Quick, get her out of here!¡±


    Tang Xia cried desperately and screaming heartbreakingly, ¡°Chu Tiankuo! I don¡¯t want! I would rather die with you!¡± However, Ye Yifan held her back with all his life. No matter how she bit onto his hand, he would not let go.

 Chapter 330 - Live Broadcast Room Was Shut Down

    Chapter 330 Live Broadcast Room Was Shut Down


    When Ye Yifan saw that his arm was already bleeding from Tang Xia¡¯s bite, his arm did not loosen at all. ¡°Tang Xia! Calm down! Your life is the most important right now! Let¡¯s go now!¡±


    While saying so, he carried Tang Xia and walked towards the side of the Time Travel Door. However, Tang Xia struggled even more. Chu Tiankuo saw that she did not want to leave at all. While feeling anxious, he also sensed more comfort.


    He endured the severe pain of his body being swallowed up and struggled to force a smile. However, this smile looked worse than if he was crying. He roared in his hoarse voice, ¡°Why are you still caring about me? Quickly go with him! I don¡¯t need you to be my follower anymore! Quickly leave!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face was covered with tears. When she saw that Chu Tiankuo was already half-swallowed, her heart wrenched as if there were blades slicing through it. She sobbed and muttered, ¡°No¡­¡±


    Chu Tiankuo looked at Ye Yifan carry her and push her out. His tense heart was relieved instantly. When Tang Xia was gradually swallowed by the white light, she tried to stretch out her hand to touch his cheek. However, she could not reach it at all.


    As he strayed further away from her vision, his face also became more blurry. All she could see now was his blurry cheeks. His lips opened and closed. Perhaps the fans in the broadcast room did not see clearly what he was trying to say, but Tang Xia saw it very clearly.


    ¡°I love you, and goodbye.¡±


    At that instant, countless black spots engulfed Chu Tiankuo. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan used the tunnel and returned to the real world. Many fans saw the last scene of Chu Tiankuo being swallowed up before the screen went completely dark.


    Tang Xia stared at the dark scene in front of her in a daze. Suddenly, she plunged herself towards a monitor screen at one side and hit on it very hard. She shouted in a disheveled state, ¡°No! I don¡¯t want it to become like this! I want him back! I want Chu Tiankuo to come back!¡±


    Ye Yifan could only come over from behind and wrapped her in his arms gently. He comforted her by patting her back, wanting her to calm down. However, he could not find any comforting words to say, so he just stayed with her silently.


    Tang Xia turned around to look at Ye Yifan. Her face was covered with tear streaks and her eyes were almost completely red from crying. Suddenly, she felt a dizzy spell and her whole body collapsed. July quickly rushed to her. ¡°Tang Xia!¡±


    Tang Xia looked around her and saw that everyone seemed to be calling her name. She blinked her eyes in a blur. Gradually, her ears started to hear no sound, as if they were all distancing from her. Slowly, the scene before her eyes was eroded away by darkness.


    The last trace of bright light also disappeared.


    As if there was a gentle breeze blowing past, all the pores on her body opened up. As if her body was enjoying this moment, Tang Xia opened her eyes gradually and saw that she was floating on water.


    She frowned a little in confusion and propped her body up. Looking around, she realized that it was all darkness. Just when she was confused as to where she was, a white beam of light suddenly flashed before her eyes.


    Tang Xia looked at the white light and saw a familiar figure standing right below the beam of light. ¡°Chu Tiankuo!¡± She suddenly stood up with many struggles and then dashed towards him.


    Hearing her voice, the figure turned around slowly. He looked at her, and his lips slowly curled. That smile was exactly the same as the one he gave the last moment before he disappeared.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    When she touched his cheek, she could not stop herself from sobbing. When she saw his eyes so close-up again, Tang Xia felt so precious. Suddenly, she felt a suction force from behind that slowly pulled her apart from Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± Tang Xia struggled but it was to no avail at all. Chu Tiankuo looked at her and his smile remained. He gently caressed her cheek.


    ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Tang Xia opened her eyes suddenly and saw just a scene of white. Staying beside her, Ye Yifan was also startled. She was in a state of shock, which then turned into a helpless sigh. He gently helped her up.


    Tang Xia lowered her eyes slightly. It turned out to be a dream. When she touched the wet towel in Ye Yifan¡¯s hand, she realized that she had been in the water because he was wiping her face. ¡°You¡­ your face is covered with tear streaks. Let me wipe them for you.¡±


    She suddenly remembered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s last sentence. ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Tiankuo! Where is he!¡± Tang Xia grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s hand that was wiping her face.


    Although Ye Yifan already knew that she would ask this question and he had already thought of the answer, when he saw how she looked like as if she would collapse when he said anything, he decided not to say anything at all.


    Tang Xia seemed to understand his intention. Her eyes darkened instantly. She slowly lowered her head and leaned against a nearby pillow without energy. She looked into the air in a state of daze, as if her soul had been sucked away.


    Ye Yifan panicked when he saw her reaction. He tried to find another topic to talk about. ¡°Um, Time-travel¡¯s live broadcast room has been shut down. All streamers have exited safely. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Tang Xia stopped breathing, plunged herself forward, and grabbed his shirt. She asked in disbelief, ¡°So¡­ that means that the system has barred people from entering. I can¡¯t go in and find him anymore?¡±


    Seeing how agitated she was, Ye Yifan became more determined and nodded directly.


    ¡°Yes, you will never see him again. Besides, you should be aware of this matter already. Wake up, he¡¯s another kind of existence in the system. You won¡¯t have a future with him. This might be a good escape for you!¡±


    As if scared by him, Tang Xia withdrew her hand. She slowly hugged herself like a frightened animal and buried her head in the quilt.


    Ye Yifan also noticed that he was scaring her. He wanted to comfort her but did not know what to do. At that instant, he really wanted to kill himself. ¡°I was too harsh in my words, please don¡¯t take it to heart. I apologize.¡±


    However, no matter what else he said, Tang Xia stopped talking. She was like a turtle that retracted into her shell. She did not say a word. At this moment, the doctor came over slowly. He looked at Ye Yifan and was also helpless.


    ¡°Why is this girl coming to the hospital so often? But luckily this time around it was just over-exertion of emotion in her brain that caused her to faint due to hypoxia. It¡¯s not serious. I gave her some glucose supplement for strength. She can be discharged anytime.¡±


    Ye Yifan quickly got up and thanked the doctor. He then turned to look at Tang Xia and sighed helplessly. The doctor pulled Ye Yifan out. Although Ye Yifan was a little puzzled, he still followed him and closed the door behind him.


    The doctor said to him solemnly, ¡°Uncle can tell that this girl does not have you in her heart. I am only giving her extra care and attention because of your father. But you¡¯ve done so much. This girl might not be able to understand.¡±


    Ye Yifan did not expect him to mention this. He remained silent for a while and then smiled. However, from the doctor¡¯s perspective, it was a bitter smile. ¡°She actually understands.¡±


    The doctor sighed rather helplessly and patted his shoulder. ¡°You kid, you rejected the Li family¡¯s marital arrangement just for this girl, right?


    ¡°Uncle actually supports you for being so brave to fight against your family¡¯s decision for the first time. However, when she was unconscious just now, she kept on calling another boy¡¯s name. Listen to my advice, let her go.¡±


    However, at this moment, the door of the ward was suddenly pulled open from the inside. Both of them were instantly shocked. Tang Xia, all dressed up in her clothes, was staring at them. She did not seem to find the timing a little awkward. She said faintly, ¡°You guys continue.¡±


    Then, Tang Xia turned and walked away, leaving behind two stunned men standing there. The doctor could not help but ask awkwardly, ¡°What I said earlier¡­ do you think she heard them all?¡±


    Ye Yifan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I need to go too, goodbye Uncle.¡± Then, without caring about anything else, he turned and followed after Tang Xia. The doctor looked at them with a blank face. Eventually, he sighed and left.


    ¡°Young people.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia had not walked too far and Ye Yifan grabbed her directly. He panted heavily while resting his arms on his waist. ¡°Where¡­ where are you going?¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at him in silence before turning away. ¡°To the company.¡± After saying so, she tried to break free of his hand. Ye Yifan frowned but did not let go at all.


    ¡°Are you going to the company to ask for an explanation?¡± Feeling suspicious, Ye Yifan raised his brows. However, Tang Xia suddenly stared into his eyes. It felt as if something in her eyes were lit.


    ¡°So what if I am? They killed Chu Tiankuo. Can¡¯t I get an explanation on his behalf?¡±


    Seeing that he could not hold onto her hand anymore, Ye Yifan directly hugged her. Tang Xia repelled even more. It was just like how he hugged her and pushed her back to the real world in the end.


    Seeing Tang Xia repelling even more fiercely, Ye Yifan shouted quickly, ¡°What will change if you go!


    ¡°The company didn¡¯t kill anyone. They just wiped out a virus named Chu Tiankuo. In order to save all the streamers, they have done nothing wrong.¡±


    As if receiving a big blow, Tang Xia became silent instantly. She stopped trying to break free too. Ye Yifan let go of her hand cautiously. A trace of tear flash across the corner of her eye. She lifted her head slowly and looked at him like an injured small animal.


    ¡°Then¡­ did he just disappear like that? No one felt pitiful for him?¡± He had disappeared silently, just like how he appeared in her life silently.


    However, Ye Yifan shook his head slowly. He smiled lightly and pushed her hair behind her ears. His gaze was like a healing medicine that allowed her to forget her pain in an instant.


    ¡°No, there is you.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but stop breathing. Her gaze suddenly faltered. As if having found faith again, she wiped away the tear in the corner of her eye suddenly. She forced herself to smile. ¡°Yes, there is still me. Come with me to the company. There is something I want to do.¡±


    Ye Yifan raised his eyebrows and asked in doubt, ¡°Do what? You¡¯re not asking for an explanation anymore?¡± Tang Xia¡¯s eyes became darker. She took a deep breath and looked up at the blue sky.

 Chapter 331 - Termination of Employment

    Chapter 331 Termination of Employment


    ¡°No, I know that the company could fire me over this incident, so I¡¯m trying to fight for it.¡± Seeing Tang Xia¡¯s determined gaze, Ye Yifan could only nod and agree. He pulled her along and they took his car to the company.


    As soon as they entered the company, someone quickly notified July. Everyone was a little shocked that Tang Xia would still come to the company. The company had already stopped operations due to this matter.


    Tang Xia ignored everyone¡¯s gaze. Both of them went upstairs directly. As soon as they reached, Tang Xia saw July standing at the door looking at her. Tang Xia frowned and could only follow her.


    She followed July¡¯s footsteps. Along the way, July did not say a single thing. This time around, she had nothing left to say. She had already done what she should do and also what she should not do.


    At this point in time, it was just up to Tang Xia.


    July suddenly pushed open the door. The white light from inside pricked Tang Xia¡¯s eyes instantly, causing her to shut them tight. When she opened her eyes gradually, she saw a bunch of people staring at her with cold gaze.


    Tang Xia took in a deep breath. She still had to face what she had to face. She straightened her back and entered directly. Behind her, Ye Yifan also wanted to follow her. However, July grabbed him directly. Ye Yifan could not help feeling shocked.


    July shook her head. She turned to look at Tang Xia¡¯s back view and said lightly, ¡°This time around, you won¡¯t be able to protect her.¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s breathing took a quick pause. He was filled with slight disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean? Is there no turning point already?¡± Ye Yifan refused to believe. However, July was very calm. She lifted her head slowly and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°The company has stopped operations because of her, do you think it will still keep her?¡± There was no way he could refute this. Ye Yifan lowered his head slowly too. He turned around and punched the wall.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xia was facing everyone in the room. Although July did not tell her, she had a rough idea. Just when she was about to say something, a woman suddenly scoffed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still dare to come. However, we¡¯ve waited for you for very long.¡± Her tone was filled with sarcasm. Tang Xia kept a straight face and did not show any reaction.


    ¡°I know that the system is now paralyzed because of me. But I feel that I¡¯m not the only one in the wrong for this incident. Everyone here is also involved.¡± After saying so, she glanced across the room with a cold gaze.


    ¡°We were wrong? Try to tell us where we were wrong.¡± One of the seniors could not help sneering. People around him also threw her sarcastic glances.


    Suddenly remembering what Ye Yifan told her before, Tang Xia said indifferently, ¡°I am not here to discuss these. I am just trying to fight for my spot in the company. I¡¯m asking everyone here to give me a chance.¡±


    The woman could not help but look at her funnily. ¡°You still have the decency to fight for it? The company is now like this because of you! Just go home and wait for the dismissal letter. Why bother coming to the company to cause a scene!¡±


    However, another man said in a deep voice, ¡°Try telling us why we need to keep you.¡±


    Tang Xia pondered for a while and when she was about to say something, the highest senior executive slammed the table directly. ¡°What else is there to say! Security, get her out!¡± Then, he threw the dismissal letter towards that direction.


    At this moment, standing outside the door, Ye Yifan heard the commotion inside and could not help feeling shocked. Following right after, a bunch of people rushed in. Ye Yifan also quickly followed them in.


    Tang Xia looked at the letter of termination scattered on the ground in front of her. She slowly bent down to pick it up with her fists tightly clenched. At this moment, the security guards suddenly rushed over and stopped her with a clamp. Ye Yifan quickly rushed towards them and gave the two security guards a punch each.


    ¡°Let me see who here dares to touch her!¡± Everyone present was stunned for a moment and the security guards no longer dared to move recklessly. Tang Xia looked at the man in front of her and could not help but smile.


    ¡°It seems like you all have already prepared the dismissal letter long ago and were waiting for me here? Are you guys waiting for me to come and be humiliated?¡± Towards the end of her sentence, Tang Xia became emotional. She basically shouted those words.


    Everyone looked at her coldly and did not speak. Tang Xia scorned and pulled along Ye Yifan¡¯s hand as she turned around and walked away. Actually, they were discussing what the company should do in the future. They did not expect her to come.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    The crowd watched the two of them slowly leave the meeting room. When Tang Xia walked to the door, she suddenly scoffed and turned her head. ¡°You guys are worse than the system.¡±


    Then, she turned away without looking back, leaving behind a group of silent senior executives. July looked at the duo¡¯s back and her gaze gradually darkened.


    After leaving the company, Tang Xia kept a stern face and did not say anything. Her hands were still gripping tightly onto the dismissal letter she just got. Ye Yifan could not help feeling worried. ¡°Let me take you home.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s response was delayed. She turned around and glanced at him. Then, she nodded and did not reject him. After they got onto the car, Tang Xia was unusually quiet. This caused Ye Yifan to be even more worried.


    The car pulled to a stopped below her house. Tang Xia got off the car and turned around to go upstairs. Ye Yifan quickly grabbed onto her hand. He said worriedly, ¡°Will you be fine being along?¡± He was very afraid that she would do something stupid.


    Tang Xia nodded numbly. She broke free of his hand and went straight home.


    Looking at the empty room, she could not stand still and fell to the ground directly. Hugging onto her knees tightly, she started to cry.


    However, no matter how much she cried, the discomfort in her heart was still very strong. Suddenly, she remembered that alcohol may be the best medicine for healing wounds.


    She propped up her weak body and went to the refrigerator to look around, but she found nothing. She then simply turned around and went out to the supermarket to buy. However, she forgot that she had just cried and directly went downstairs with red eyes.


    She did not even care what kind of wine she was looking at and took several bottles. When the cashier saw Tang Xia, she was instantly taken aback. She thought that she must have just broken up and gave her an extra bag out of goodwill.


    However, at this moment, a paparazzo just happened to be ambushing below her house. Chancing upon her buying alcohol, he quickly took a couple shots.


    She did not have extra energy to pay attention to her surroundings. She turned around and went back home.


    When Tang Xia was still lying in bed the next day, she suddenly heard a loud banging on her door and it instantly woke her up.


    Still in a daze, she stood up to get the door. Ye Yifan pushed the door open and entered the house. Upon coming in, he saw that she smelled of alcohol and was pissed instantly.


    He frowned and scolded her, ¡°Why have you become like this! Do you know that photos of you buying alcohol is already in the trending searches?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked for a moment. Feeling lost, she scratched her head. Then, she realized what was going on and smiled instead. ¡°So be it. What else can happen? I¡¯m already fired anyways.¡±


    Then, she turned around and sat down on the sofa directly. Ye Yifan followed after her and turned on the television. When he switched to the news channel, it was announcing the fact that Time-travel Broadcast Company had announced that Tang Xia was no longer a streamer in the company.


    ¡°Huh. Once news of me drinking alcohol went around they decided to announce that I¡¯m fired right away. So ruthless.¡± Tang Xia scoffed and then turned to hug the sofa pillow and closed her eyes.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Ye Yifan frowned. Seeing how indifferent she was, he was a little annoyed. ¡°Do you know that based on your current reputation, no other broadcast company will be willing to hire you! How can you still sit here and say something so sarcastic?¡±


    Tang Xia felt irritated and she opened her eyes. ¡°If you came here today just to inform me all these, you can go now.¡± Then, she pointed at the door.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Quickly wake up! Don¡¯t ruin your life because of Chu Tiankuo!¡± Ye Yifan stood up directly and snatched away the pillow in her hand.


    She glanced at him with a calm gaze. Then, she jumped up and pushed him to the door directly. Ye Yifan could not help feeling shocked. ¡°Are you really chasing me out!¡±


    Tang Xia ignored him. She opened the door directly and pushed him out. Ye Yifan still wanted to say something, but Tang Xia slammed the door. All the words were swallowed back into his stomach.


    Suddenly, the quiet house caused Tang Xia to feel at a loss. She turned directly to her room and continued to sleep. She realized that as long as she closed her eyes, she could see Chu Tiankuo. Right now, sleep was the only way she could be a little closer to him.


    Ye Yifan looked at the closed door and eventually had no choice but to leave.


    However, there would always be a moment when she was awake. She slept all the way until the sky turned dark. The whole house was pitch-black. Tang Xia could not get used to it, so she quickly turned on all the lights.


    Looking at the empty house, she felt a little scared and curled up on the bed. However, her hands could not stop trembling.


    Just when she was looking around blankly, she suddenly saw the computer on the side. As if suddenly remembering something, she quickly lifted the quilt and ran towards it.


    Now that her main account had been taken away by the company, she directly logged in to her own alternate account. She did not believe that Chu Tiankuo had disappeared just like that. As long as he was still in the system, she believed that there was a chance that he would survive.


    However, when she logged into the alternate account, the system prompt said that the system was under maintenance and she could not enter at all. In the next few days, she kept on logging in day and night, but it still failed.


    After an unknown number of days, when Ye Yifan was bringing her some food, he realized that she was trying to log into the system. However, he did not say anything and just turned around and left.


    When she tried to log in again, she unexpectedly managed to log in. She was instantly surprised. When she was really in the virtual world, she started to run around like crazy searching for Chu Tiankuo. However, she was suddenly pulled back by someone.


    Tang Xia turned around in shock. She saw Ye Yifan holding onto her hand. He sighed helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll look with you.¡±


    She suddenly realized that she was now able to log into the system the day after Ye Yifan came. She instantly felt that something was off, so she asked, ¡°Did you do anything? Why did I fail to log in after so many tries but I suddenly came in today?¡±


    Ye Yifan remained silent and turned around. He pulled along her hand and started walking. Tang Xia looked at his back view in confusion. She stumbled and followed after him.


    Suddenly, he said, ¡°I hacked the system.¡±

 Chapter 332 - Persevere Till the End

    Chapter 332 Persevere Till the End


    Hearing that, Tang Xia was shocked. At this moment, when she looked at Ye Yifan¡¯s back view, she felt the tip of her nose tingling. Although the man in front of her was always supporting her from the back, he had slowly learned to stand in front of her and shield her from the wind and rain.


    But it was a little too late. When she liked him, he did not grasp onto it. When Chu Tiankuo appeared, he inadvertently invaded into her heart.


    Tang Xia stopped her footsteps slowly. Ye Yifan, who was holding onto her hand and moving forward, suddenly froze. He looked back in confusion. He saw Tang Xia lowering her head. However, he could feel that she seemed to be sobbing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you¡­unhappy because I hacked the system?¡± Ye Yifan could not help feeling anxious. After all, it was his first time doing something illegal. After all, he grew up in a strict family and had never done anything like that before.


    Tang Xia remained silent for some time. She slowly raised her head and suddenly smiled. There was still a teardrop hanging at the corner of her lips. It shone extra bright under the sunlight. ¡°Thank you, Ye Yifan.¡±


    Ever since Chu Tiankuo disappeared without a trace, he had not seen a smile on Tang Xia¡¯s face in a long time. It was like the first dew after a rainfall, gently dripping into his soft heart.


    Ye Yifan also blushed a little. He took Tang Xia¡¯s hand and wanted to start walking again. However, Tang Xia still did not move. When he turned around, he found Tang Xia frowning at him, as if she was facing contemplation.


    ¡°You have already done a lot for me. From the beginning till the end, you have been helping me unconditionally. I am already very happy that you can do something out of your league such as hacking into the system. Now, let me find him on my own.¡± Then, she smiled and tried to break free of his hand that was clenching onto hers.


    However, Ye Yifan was very unhappy. He said in a lowered voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be very worried if you go alone. Besides, I¡¯ve already accompanied you for so long, I don¡¯t care about this one time.¡±


    However, Tang Xia was still full of contemplations. She still wanted to break free from his hand. ¡°But I¡¯ve already owed you enough. If we continue like this, this lifetime is not enough for me to pay you back.¡±


    Suddenly, Tang Xia lifted her head and both their gazes collided mid-air. Ye Yifan could not help feeling surprised. He did not think that Tang Xia would be so serious. She said solemnly, ¡°So let me go. I have nothing now, I can¡¯t give you anything.¡±


    Her heart had especially been given to someone else a long time before.


    Ye Yifan seemed to know what she was referring. After a few moments of silence, he suddenly broke into a clean smile that felt like the clear breeze in the mountains. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Perhaps I was after something at the start, but after Chu Tiankuo appeared, I had watched how you were taken away by him bit by bit.¡±


    He slowly let go of his hand and gently grabbed her by her shoulders. In both of their gazes, there seemed to be only one other. He said in a serious tone, ¡°So I¡¯m very certain that I can¡¯t have you back anymore. I¡¯m not asking for anything in return, just let me accompany you. At least right now, when you¡¯re the saddest and vulnerable, keep me by your side.¡±


    Tang Xia felt as some pain in her heart as if it was being pierced by something. It was just like a nail. When stabbed into her heart, it was painful yet unforgettable. At that moment when it was taken out, it had to leave a hole in her heart.


    Or perhaps it was Ye Yifan.


    She could not help but lowered her gaze slightly. Her dark eyes seemed to be covered with mist. It was so unclear that no one could tell what she was thinking. After an unknown period of time, she sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    She still could not win Ye Yifan. Since that was the case, then let him do what he wants.


    Ye Yifan instantly became cheerful. He took her hand and they started their aimless search once again. They place where they could search was still in the world that they met Chu Tiankuo each time.


    Although they have been searching perseveringly, no matter how long they searched, there was still no news or traces of Chu Tiankuo. It was as if he had disappeared without a trace.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia carried her heavy footsteps and looked around her surrounding environment. They have already reached the previous Vampires¡¯ Castle. Although all the decorations and displays here were still the same, it was missing the castle¡¯s owner.


    She slowly walked up the stairs. Perhaps this was where Chu Tiankuo became completely imprinted in her heart. When she walked to where the ball was held in the last competition, she could not help slowing down her footsteps.


    Ye Yifan also became silent. This place seemed to be the turning point of everything. From here onwards, everything started to become unexpected. Tang Xia¡¯s life was also ruined since then.


    ¡°Chu Tiankuo¡­¡± She still clearly remembered Chu Tiankuo¡¯s gentle gaze and the tint of devastation in his eyes when he sent her out of the game.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia felt her body becoming weak. She then stumbled and fell onto the ground directly. The cold marble felt bitter cold, just like her emotions at this point in time.


    Ye Yifan ran towards her quickly. He tried to help her stand up and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong! Are you okay?¡± His gaze focused on her gradually weakening gaze and his heart could not help dropping.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go on searching like this. We have been searching for so many days, your body can¡¯t handle it! Quickly get up, we will log out now. Let me take you out for a good meal.¡± Then, he tried to pull her up.


    However, Tang Xia shook her head and broke free from his grip. She struggled to get up. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it. I¡¯ll keep looking!¡± Then, she supported herself against the ground and slowly climbed up. However, she almost fell because of physical exhaustion.


    Seeing this, Ye Yifan quickly came over to support her. He could not help but scold her, ¡°Why are you trying to push it! Is this the time to be like this? You can¡¯t even stand, yet you still want to look for Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    While saying so, he tried to pull her to force her out of the system. However, he had to stop because she was rejecting it so profusely. Ye Yifan was feeling helpless. He could only soften his tone and said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, can I do the searching instead? You go back home, have a good rest, get some food and then come back to continue searching, okay?¡±


    However, what he said was of no use. Tang Xia could not hear it in at all. She shook her head violently and continued walking forward. She said in a weak voice, ¡°No, I have to find him myself. Chu Tiankuo must be waiting for me somewhere. He must be waiting for me!¡±


    Suddenly, all that came to her mind was the dream she had in the hospital that day. He looked at her so tenderly and gently touched her cheek.


    ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Tang Xia could not forget those two words. It was just like a vow with magic power. It always caused her to believe in it, even though it was just a dream.


    Ye Yifan looked at her stubborn back view and became silent for a while. He also knew that he could never change her mind on what she was set on doing. Eventually, he still gave in. He supported her by his side and the duo continued to search in all the worlds.


    However, even though both of them searched through all the worlds, they still could not find any clues left by Chu Tiankuo. Looking at the novel world created by the system, Tang Xia was suddenly lost.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    This world so perfect, yet it was so big. It was so real that she could not differentiate between real and fake, so real that she could not find him.


    Looking up at the sun in this world, it was dazzling to the eye. Suddenly, she felt like she could not hear any sound and her body was starting to lose intuition gradually. Looking at Ye Yifan in front of her, she felt as if she had fallen in his arms. She looked at him seemingly frantically calling out her name, yet she could not hear anything. This went on until her vision was gradually swallowed by darkness.


    When Tang Xia woke up again, she was awakened by a series of knocks on the door. Tang Xia struggled to open her eyes. She looked around in confusion. Staring at the pale ceiling, her tears could not help but roll out of her eyes.


    She could not help but lifted her arms until they appeared in her vision. She could not even find him and yet she had fainted due to her incapable body. The knocking on the door became louder, as if the person was going to barge in.


    Tang Xia dragged her weak body and stood up slowly. Supporting herself against the wall, she slowly walked to the door and opened it. Tang Xia was forced to exit the system after she fainted. After logging out of the system frantically, Ye Yifan dashed to her house right away.


    However, after knocking on the door for a long time, it still did not open. At that moment, he could not help but panic. He almost wanted to knock down her door. When Tang Xia opened the door, he almost fell over.


    Ye Yifan regained his balance and quickly turned to look at Tang Xia who was supporting herself against the wall. Seeing her pale and cracked lips and the cold sweat on her forehead, his heart fell and he quickly stopped her up and placed her onto the sofa.


    Tang Xia let out a shriek in surprise. She felt her world spinning. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Although Tang Xia shouted it out, it was a weak whine in Ye Yifan¡¯s ear.


    After putting her down, he directly turned to the kitchen and poured her a glass of ice water. Fortunately, there were still some vegetables he had bought for her. He took them out and started to make a simple egg fried rice for her. This was the only thing he knew how to make.


    Tang Xia received the ice water and gulped it down. Indeed, her body was starting to fail to hold it in. She could not fight back her sleepiness. Soon, when Ye Yifan walked towards her with the fried rice, he saw her soundly asleep.


    However, Ye Yifan could not tell whether she had fainted or fell asleep and quickly woke her up. Tang Xia saw an anxious Ye Yifan in her blurry gaze and slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Eat this before you sleep, otherwise you might just pass out in your sleep.¡±


    Then, he handed her the rice. Tang Xia received it in silence and said weakly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she started to devour it one mouthful after another.

 Chapter 333 - Hope Ignited

    Chapter 333 Hope Ignited


    After Tang Xia finished her meal, Ye Yifan hesitated for a while before finally deciding to say it. After she finished her meal and drank some water, her body was obviously better. Her cheeks were even getting their colors back.


    ¡°I think you should give up. There are some things that won¡¯t come true just because you persist. After all, we¡¯ve already searched for so long and we still can¡¯t find any traces of him,¡± Ye Yifan could not help but advise her solemnly.


    Tang Xia, who was drinking water at that moment, almost choked. Ye Yifan quickly patted her back to help her breathe but was pushed away by. A pair of cold eyes stared at him sternly and questioned, ¡°What is your point? You can leave, you know? I¡¯ve never forced you to stay with me right from the start, and it still remains the same.¡±


    ¡°But look at yourself, what have you become? If you continue like this, I¡¯m afraid you might break apart!¡± This was especially so after she suddenly fainted today. Honestly, Ye Yifan was getting more worried now. He was afraid that one day, not only did she not find Chu Tiankuo, she might even lose her life.


    Tang Xia slowly stood up and pulled him up too. Ye Yifan looked at her with some doubt. She said in a deep voice, ¡°If you want to leave, don¡¯t take me with you. No matter what, I have to find him. I don¡¯t care how.¡±


    Then, she started to drag him out. Ye Yifan looked at her in shock. However, he did not dare to break free from her grip. He was afraid he might accidentally touch her weak body.


    Ye Yifan looked at her and remained silent for a while. Just as he was about to say something, he was suddenly interrupted by Tang Xia¡¯s roar, ¡°Scram!¡±


    Suddenly, he felt a blur before his eyes and the door was slammed in his face. Ye Yifan looked at the tightly-shut door and had no choice but to go back.


    Tang Xia watched him leave and then slowly squat down. She hugged herself tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I do this, you¡¯ll probably ignore me forever. I¡¯m taking it for granted.¡±


    In the next few days, Tang Xia locked herself in her room all the time. Other than the meals and water for her necessary energy intake, she stayed in the system in the remaining time and went to those places she had been to with Chu Tiankuo to reminisce.


    Almost every grass and every tree in those places were carved into her heart. In the blink of an eye, half a year gone by. She was still so persistent. Her thoughts for Chu Tiankuo never decreased. Until this point in time, she then realized that she was really drawn into it. She was unable to pull herself out.


    ¡°But Chu Tiankuo, where are you? I have been waiting for you for so long, but you have never appeared.¡± Tang Xia looked at herself in the world of ¡°Destroy the Virus¡± and reminisced, but there was only the scenery to look at, the person was not there.


    She had been here for so long that she had forgotten the time. Every day¡¯s search felt like years, so she became unwilling to take note of the time.


    Looking at the empty scene, Tang Xia could not help muttering even more. ¡°Chu Tiankuo! Where the hell are you! Did you lie to me? If you lied to me why do you want me to wait for you?¡± Then, she could not hold it back and slowly crouched down and cried.


    At this moment, there was suddenly a loud sound coming from behind her. Tang Xia was inevitably shocked. She turned around to look with her blurred eyes. There seemed to be a few people walking towards her.


    Tang Xia was not in the mood to care about them, so she turned her head and ignored them. However, at that moment when she turned her head, she could not help but feel stunned and the tears in her eyes stopped flowing.


    She could not help but stood up suddenly and murmured in surprise, ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right. Why are there people in this place? I¡¯m sure¡­it has already been locked up. I only managed to come in because Ye Yifan hacked the system!¡±


    Hearing the voice behind her get closer and closer, Tang Xia turned around to see. A bunch of fully armed men was standing together, looking at her.


    ¡°Who is this person? Is she a virtual character in the system?¡± One of them could not help but say to another in doubt.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, everyone did not know, so they ignored her and turned around, ready to advance forward. Tang Xia quickly went up to them and stopped them. She said anxiously, ¡°Who are you guys? How did you come here?¡±


    The group of people looked at each other in the eyes and all chose to ignore her. They turned to leave. Tang Xia frowned and went up once again to ask, ¡°What are you guys trying to do here!¡± If they were here to cause a mess, she would not allow them to destroy the world between her and Chu Tiankuo.


    However, they still bypassed her. They ignored her and walked away. Tang Xia was even more puzzled. After a slight hesitation, she still decided to follow them. After they were gone, she carefully started following slowly by hiding behind a wall.


    Suddenly, a pair of hands stretched out to her and pulled her inwards. Tang Xia was shocked. Her brain was unable to process the quick change and she was so shocked she wanted to shout for help. That person quickly covered her mouth.


    ¡°Hush! Don¡¯t make any sounds!¡± Then, he dragged her to a secretive place. Tang Xia was stunned. At this moment, she then realized that this person who stopped her was none other than Ye Yifan. She heaved a sigh of relief instantly. Then, she gave him a glare full of blame.


    Ye Yifan was also very helpless. He let go of his hand that was holding onto Tang Xia¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure enough, when I¡¯m not with you, you¡¯ll always do these dangerous things.¡± He then sighed helplessly.


    However, Tang Xia felt that he was being nonsensical. She frowned and asked him full of doubt, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He had not been here in a very long time.


    However, Ye Yifan started to dodge her gaze unnaturally. He turned to look away. He would definitely not tell her than for the past six months, he had been hiding every day and watching her, afraid that something would happen to her.


    ¡°Today is one of those days when I go online occasionally. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so disobedient. Why are you following them for no reason?¡± There was a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone.


    Tang Xia then remembered that she was in the midst of stalking. She instantly blamed him. ¡°I lost them all because of you! Oh right, who are they? Why did they suddenly appear here? I thought only the two of us can come in?¡±


    Ye Yifan was startled. He then suddenly remembered that she had not been out of the house for half a year, so he explained patiently, ¡°Time-travel bar has stopped running. It has now been overtaken by streamers from Cross-era. Those who just walked past are some very popular streamers at present¨CMu Chengxuan and the rest.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but feel shocked. She did not realize that her muddled days had caused her to be unaware of such big changes happening outside.


    ¡°That is to say, the previous Time-travel Bar system had been re-enabled by Cross-era?¡± Tang Xia murmured her question and Ye Yifan nodded in silence.


    ¡°You can say that, but the difference is that this world is now the live broadcast world of Cross-era¡¯s most famous streamer, Mu Chengxuan. I remember the name to be ¡°Altar¡±. Fortunately, I took a glance at the broadcast they were doing outside and knew enough information.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia pondered for a while before suddenly lifting her head excitedly and asked, ¡°Since this world has been reactivated, that is to say, all characters or things should also be reactivated?¡±


    Ye Yifan was startled. Seeing the emotional Tang Xia, he instantly understood what she was thinking. Now, the only person who could make her heart ripple a little was probably that one person.


    He could not help but slowly nod and admitted, ¡°By right, it is possible. But you should not get your hopes high up. After all, the virus that the company used when Chu Tiankuo disappeared was a permanent virus imported from overseas. You need to be mentally prepared.¡±


    However, right after he said that, he regretted it instantly. This woman before him had been so muddled for such a long period of time, waiting for Chu Tiankuo. Would she care about the time? Her mental preparedness was done right at the instant when Chu Tiankuo disappeared.


    After listening to his words, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes froze. She seemed to recall the scene when Chu Tiankuo disappeared. After such a long time, almost every night, she would still dream of the last sentence he said to her and that smile when he looked at her.


    Seeing her become silent instantly, Ye Yifan did not know what to do. After a while, Tang Xia sorted out her mood and turned to smile and look at Ye Yifan. ¡°It ¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve waited so long already. I don¡¯t care about waiting another half a year. Besides, isn¡¯t this the moment I¡¯ve always been waiting for?¡±


    After saying that, she straightened her back slowly and prepared to head out directly. Ye Yifan stopped her again. This time around, Tang Xia looked annoyed. Ye Yifan said anxiously, ¡°This won¡¯t do either. You haven¡¯t met Mu Chengxuan. His way of handling things is extremely cruel. For your safety, I have no choice but to stop you.¡±


    However, Tang Xia raised her eyebrows with some doubt. ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t die in the real world. At most, I¡¯ll just lose this chance. But if I don¡¯t go, I won¡¯t even have a chance to try. I¡¯ll lose the chance to see him directly!¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s powerful words, Ye Yifan was left with no choice. However, he still did not want her to risk it. His gaze darkened instantly. ¡°Are you sure? But I¡¯m really scared that¡­¡±


    However, before he finished talking, Tang Xia interrupted him. She leaned forward slowly and gave him a hug. She patted his back and said gently, ¡°No matter how powerful that Mu Chengxuan is, he¡¯s just a human after all. I¡¯ve already waited for so long, I really don¡¯t want to give up this opportunity.¡±


    Ye Yifan could feel that this hug was just a hug between friends without a trace of other emotions. He could not help but let a trace of loneliness flash across his eyes.


    She slowly let go of him. Her eyes had not shone like this in the past six months. It was as if there were stars hidden inside them.


    Then, she said determinedly, ¡°And Chu Tiankuo gives me the courage to not be afraid.¡±

 Chapter 334 - Trying to Stop

    Chapter 334 Trying to Stop


    Tang Xia¡¯s determined look and her last sentence crippled Ye Yifan¡¯s last tint of perseverance. Eventually, he still lost to Chu Tiankuo completely.


    Ye Yifan smiled at Tang Xia helplessly. However, only he knew how bitter this smile was. He turned to the few people who were not far away and said in a low voice, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s quickly follow up. You want to meet him so badly, it will be wrong for me to continue stopping you.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but cheered happily. Feeling emotional, she plunged herself at him, grabbed him by the neck and planted a kiss on his forehead. She said excitedly, ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± Then, she turned and continued to follow the group without turning back.


    Ye Yifan was left alone to let the wind hit him. He had been partners with Tang Xia for so long. He already knew what each of her gaze and action meant. He naturally would not misunderstand.


    He slowly lifted his dark gaze. Looking at how she had instantly regained her energy after six months, it felt like he had seen the shining, most popular female streamer of Time-travel Bar from six months before ¨C Tang Xia.


    ¡°Perhaps, this is the right thing to do. As long as you can come back.¡± Ye Yifan¡¯s murmur slowly dissipated in the wind.


    Eventually, he still had to follow her out of helplessness. Tang Xia turned back and glanced at Ye Yifan. She then turned back and looked at Mu Chengxuan that bunch of people carefully. She did not know how long she had stalked them. Soon, she identified one of them who always seemed arrogant. His eyes were filled with sternness.


    Tang Xia pointed to the person in the middle and turned to ask Ye Yifan who was behind her. She asked in doubt, ¡°Is that person the Mu Chengxuan you mentioned?¡±


    Ye Yifan also looked up into the direction she was pointing. After observing for a while, he nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. When I heard that he was coming here, I went to check his recorded broadcasts. He is not an easy man.¡±


    After hearing that, Tang Xia lowered her head and started to think. After a while, this group of people all stopped. Tang Xia was startled and looked towards them in confusion. Mu Chengxuan waved his hand, signaling all of them to stop. He then said to them, ¡°We are reaching Altar soon. Now, let¡¯s discuss our combat plan.¡±


    Then, the group of people gathered around and started discussing over a map. Tang Xia frowned. She turned to look at Ye Yifan in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s their mission?¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan froze and instantly hit his forehead in frustration. ¡°Ah! I forgot to tell you earlier. Their mission is to destroy the Altar. That is the final mission.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s heart sunk uncontrollably. She was instantly at a loss. She almost let out a loud cry.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Ye Yifan did not expect her reaction to be so big. He quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth, leaving out Tang Xia¡¯s pair of stunned eyes.


    The two quickly hid in a camouflaged place. Ye Yifan popped his head out to make sure they were not discovered. He then sighed in relief and let go of her. ¡°Why are you so agitated? It¡¯s just destroying the Altar, not Chu Tiankuo.¡±


    However, Tang Xia had yet to calm down. She grabbed Ye Yifan¡¯s shirt in horror. ¡°But they are destroying the only remaining memories between Chu Tiankuo and I! I will definitely not allow them to do that!¡±


    Then, she pushed Yifan away and cautiously popped out her head to listen to their conversation carefully. One man suggested, ¡°If the mission is to destroy the Altar, do we have to destroy the things around it too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± another man said.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, at that moment, Mu Chengxuan, who had been silent all these while, suddenly opened his mouth. His eagle-like gaze scanned across the group sternly. He then suddenly said in a cold voice, ¡°Just destroy everything, in case it gets in our way.¡± Then, he turned to look at the not far away Altar with a cold gaze.


    When Tang Xia heard it, her whole body froze instantly. She lifted her head in shock and looked at him. ¡°What¡­what did he just say? He wanted to destroy everything in Altar!¡±


    Although Ye Yifan did not want to admit it, he heard the same thing. ¡°Yes.¡± However, Tang Xia did not want to rush out as irrationally as she did earlier. On the contrary, she began to calm down slowly.


    He felt her trembling body slowly calm down. Then, she lowered her head, as if she was thinking. Ye Yifan could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    The calmer she was, the more worried he was. She looked at him and said in a low voice, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I want to stop them.¡± Once this sentence was said, Ye Yifan did not know what expression he should use to express what he felt at that moment.


    He grabbed her wrist violently and scolded, ¡°Are you crazy? That¡¯s ridiculous! It¡¯s just the Altar, let them destroy if they want! This has nothing to do with Chu Tiankuo, why are you so persistent!¡±


    However, Tang Xia shook his hand away. Her eyes were full of seriousness. ¡°I will not tolerate this group of people destroy anything between me and Chu Tiankuo!¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s remaining persistence crippled instantly when he saw her serious gaze. He let go of her hand slowly and sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help but smile gratefully. The group of people seemed to have finished their discussion and was packing up. They slowly advanced towards the not far away Altar together. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan looked at them and quickly followed up.


    The group of people sneaked into it. Tang Xia watched as they spread out. They went to steal the wine originally prepared for the sacrifice. One person carried two jars and they were all buried near the Altar.


    Then, when everything was ready, the group of people finally left. Now all that was left was to wait for the wizard on stage to light up the fire. As soon as the fire was ignited, everything here would turn into ash in the blink of an eye.


    Tang Xia hid in the shadow on one side. She frowned and thought about what she should do. Just then, Ye Yifan slowly stood up from beside her. Tang Xia froze and quickly tried to pull him back. She scolded, ¡°What are you doing! You¡¯ll be easily discovered from that angle!¡±


    However, Ye Yifan did not come back. Instead, he turned to look at Tang Xia beside him and ordered in a low voice, ¡°Just stay here obediently. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Tang Xia froze and did not register what he meant. She looked at his back view in confusion and finally understood, she quickly ran to him to pull him back but was scolded by him. ¡°Quickly go back! Two of us together will be too noticeable!¡±


    Tang Xia had no choice but to retreat. She saw him slowly approaching the pile of wine just buried by the group of people and he tried to move them all away.


    However, there was not enough time already. Although she did not know what that wizard was saying, she could see that he had already lit up the fire stick. Although there was still a bunch of people dancing in the surrounding, she could tell that it was almost time.


    Seeing Ye Yifan digging the soil bit by bit, Tang Xia¡¯s palms became all sweaty. She suddenly stood up. ¡°No, I can¡¯t owe Ye Yifan a favor anymore!¡± Besides, if Ye Yifan failed to complete it, he would be destroyed with the Altar.


    The wizard had completed the pre-ignition ritual and was about to ignite the fire soon, and Yifan was also frantically busy outside. On the other side, Mu Chengxuan and his group of people were staring nervously. Their mission was about to be completed.


    However, at this critical juncture, a sudden shout of to end all of these caused everyone to freeze. Tang Xia suddenly shouted loudly, ¡°Hold on! Stop right there!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Ye Yifan stopped breathing for a moment. He looked up in shock. Tang Xia slowly walked towards the wizard and several guards on the side quickly stopped Tang Xia.


    Mu Chengxuan¡¯s eagle-like gaze instantly turned to the woman who suddenly appeared on the stage. He then turned to the people behind him and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that woman an NPC? Why would a virtual character stop the ritual?¡±


    They obviously did not know what was happening and shook their heads one after another. Mu Chengxuan looked at Tang Xia and said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s better if this woman does not stop it. Otherwise¡­hmph.¡±


    Even though Tang Xia was stopped by several guards, she did not panic at all. Instead, she said anxiously, ¡°Please do not ignite. Someone has buried wine all around the Altar! If you guys light the fire, everyone will die!¡±


    However, the wizard looked at her as if she was some lunatic. Obviously, he could not understand what she was saying. It was at this moment that Tang Xia finally realized they could not understand what she said. She was at a loss instantly. ¡°Oh my god, what a genius! I forgot about this!¡±


    However, the wizard knew very well that this woman who suddenly appeared was definitely here to stop the ritual. She must be here to cause a scene.


    Then, he said something to the guards on the side and the people around him suddenly started cheering. Tang Xia looked at them in confusion and found that their gaze at her looked a little unfriendly.


    At this moment, several guards on the side suddenly lifted her up. Tang Xia let out a shriek in shock. Ye Yifan wanted to go and stop them but it was already too late. She was tied to the Altar directly.


    ¡°Let me go! You all will be destroyed in just a moment!¡± Tang Xia struggled with all her strength, but they did not understand what she was saying.


    Instead, the wizard raised the stick of fire in his hand and cheered loudly. He probably meant that Tang Xia was a disease and needed to be sacrificed to heaven.


    The wizard held onto the torch in his hands and slowly walked towards Tang Xia and lit up the surrounding rice straws around her. Tang Xia could not help but shut her eyes tightly. At this point in time, there was no use struggling.

 Chapter 335 - Back to Time-travel Bar

    Chapter 335 Back to Time-travel Bar


    The blaze spread all around her instantly and Tang Xia started coughing uncomfortably. The smoke was making her tear up. She had never been in a fire and did not expect to experience it here.


    Seeing that Tang Xia was going to be swallowed up by the blaze that was reaching the sky, Ye Yifan quickly rushed towards her. He could not care about anything else. When the surrounding guards saw one more person coming up, they all lifted their weapons.


    When compared to these people non-vampires who did not have superpowers, his combat skills were still not bad. Furthermore, he was being very paranoid at that moment. He could not care less about these people and directly ran towards them.


    However, the fire was too strong. Just by going near, he already felt a burning sensation. He watched from outside for a long while and still did not know how he should enter. He paced around the fire for a long while and could not sit back anymore.


    ¡°Tang Xia! Are you okay!¡± This was the only way Ye Yifan could confirm if she was still conscious. Tang Xia could only hear the sound of the fire from inside, she could not hear Ye Yifan¡¯s shout at all. While struggling, she could not say anything at all as her throat had become hoarse from the smoke.


    The number of guards around Ye Yifan was also increasing, causing him to be outnumbered easily. Mu Chengxuan and the rest looked at Ye Yifan from one side and were also confused. ¡°Where did this guy come from?¡±


    Everyone shook the heads. However, the more Mu Chengxuan looked at them, the more he felt that those two were familiar. Suddenly, as if discovering something, he quickly said, ¡°I remember now, aren¡¯t these two the talk of the town just half a year ago?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I recalled as soon as he called out Tang Xia. This name was all over the news half a year ago!¡±


    Mu Chengxuan¡¯s gaze darkened gradually. He sneered suddenly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the two outdated streamers from Time-travel Bar. Are they here to create a mess for us?¡±


    ¡°They really don¡¯t know who they are messing with. They¡¯re already a failed company yet they¡¯re still looking for trouble here. But they¡¯ve now trapped themselves inside instead, we don¡¯t need to do anything.¡±


    On the other hand, Ye Yifan¡¯s body was starting to become weaker. Watching Tang Xia be surrounded by the blazing fire, he could not help getting anxious. ¡°Chu Tiankuo, this is all because of you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Tang Xia wouldn¡¯t be suffering right now!¡±


    However, just when his voice fell, the fire suddenly shone extra bright. Ye Yifan was shocked. The surrounding people all covered their eyes. Even Mu Chengxuan and the rest were at a loss.


    Suddenly, there was a sudden burst of light from inside the fire. It shot up into the sky and broke through the layers of clouds. At this moment, the big fire was instantly separated. At this moment, Ye Yifan saw clearly that Tang Xia had already fainted and was surrounded by that streak of light.


    Ye Yifan was shocked for a split second and quickly rushed over. He grabbed hold of Tang Xia and instantly forced her to exit the broadcast world. Ye Yifan looked around and stared at Mu Chengxuan and that group of people with a cold gaze. He snorted and then also exited the system.


    Both of them exited the broadcast system together. Tang Xia still felt the smoke in her throat and coughed for a long time as she laid in bed. She slowly got up to pour herself a glass of ice water.


    After gulping down the glass of ice water, she felt more comfortable. At this moment, there was suddenly a knock on her door. Tang Xia raised her brow. There was no need to guess who it was.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Sure enough, upon opening the door, she saw Ye Yifan panting heavily. Tang Xia turned to pour him a cup of water and passed it to him directly. However, after entering her house, Ye Yifan did not receive the water. Instead, he went up to her and squeezed her shoulders. ¡°Tang Xia! Are you crazy! You really undermine your life! Although it was just a virtual world, it still felt very real!¡±


    Tang Xia knew that he was worried about her, so she did not say anything. Ye Yifan looked at her being silent and became more annoyed. He frowned and said fiercely, ¡°Next time, no matter what, even if Chu Tiankuo was standing there, you cannot act recklessly! Understand!¡±


    Tang Xia was a little pissed. She slowly looked up at him. ¡°I know that I was a little rash this time, but if given a choice, I would do it again.¡±


    Ye Yifan was instantly speechless. Looking at her, he could not say anything. Tang Xia thought for a while before saying. ¡°When we came out just now, did you see what happened to the Altar? Did it get ruined?¡±


    As soon as she said that, Ye Yifan felt his vision becoming blurred. Looking at her, he did not know what to say. He pinned her against the wall violently and banged his hand on the wall. ¡°Tang Xia! I want you to wake up! Is your life or that bloody Altar more important? Don¡¯t you think your thoughts right now are ridiculous!¡±


    Tang Xia raised her eyebrows angrily. ¡°Why do you have to follow me every time! Yes, I know you are worried about me! But why do you have to stop me every time? I know I can do it alone. If you cannot bear to watch me do it, then don¡¯t! Don¡¯t stick your hands into my business!¡±


    Then, she pushed him out and slammed the door, leaving Ye Yifan staring at the tightly-shut door alone. Tang Xia leaned against the door and took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    Just when she decided to go in once more to look, her phone started ringing. Tang Xia could not help but raise her brows. It had been very long since someone called her. Why would someone suddenly call her?


    She walked to her phone and picked it up. She was even more puzzled after glancing at the caller ID. It was a number she had never seen before. After thinking about it for a while, she still picked it up. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±


    However, she found the voice from the other end very familiar. ¡°Hello Tang Xia, I am the assistant of Time-travel Broadcast Company¡¯s CEO. We hope that you can make a trip to the company. The senior executives would like to meet up.¡±


    Tang Xia could not help feeling shocked. She never thought that Time-travel Bar would look for her again. ¡°Are you¡­a fraud company?¡± Tang Xia remained silent for a long time and finally blurted out this sentence.


    The other party also paused for a long time before slowly smiling, ¡°Miss Tang, you¡¯re humorous. I¡¯m really representing the company¡¯s senior executives. They really want to meet you again.¡±


    ¡°Meet me? Okay, I¡¯ll see what other tricks you guys have.¡± Then, without waiting for a response, she hung up and went to change her clothes and got ready. She had not cut her sleek short hair in the past six months. Now it was already at her shoulders. Her whole person looked even gentler.


    After getting out, she went to the company directly. When she arrived below the company, she was taken aback. The company that used to be swarmed with people looked extra depressing right now. She hesitated for a moment before entering.


    As soon as she entered the company, she saw the CEO assistant standing at the door waiting to greet her. Looking at her, Tang Xia felt very emotional. She wondered where sister July went.


    None of them said anything along the way. When they arrived at the familiar conference room at the top floor, the assistant then looked at her seriously and said, ¡°Miss Tang, hope that you will choose carefully this time around.¡±


    With that said, she opened the door slowly. Tang Xia raised her brows. Although she did not understand what she meant by that, she did not put it to her. Today, she came to just see how the company was doing.


    As soon as she walked in the door, she saw the same senior executives as before, but there were a few seats that were obviously empty. There was a tint of a smirk in the corner of Tang Xia¡¯s lips. Under the gaze of everyone, she slowly walked in.


    ¡°So why did everyone here call me back again half a year later?¡± Tang Xia looked at them with a faint gaze. She especially looked towards that leader who had chased her out and threw the dismissal letter at her mercilessly.


    Everyone suddenly lowered their head embarrassedly. Suddenly, the leader at the front coughed twice and said, ¡°We called you here today because we hope that you can continue to sign with us. Although you did not have much popularity in the last six months, we believe that we can still bring you to fame again!¡±


    Tang Xia sneered. ¡°Are you kidding me? Half a year ago, this was the place where I was kicked out. Now you guys want me back? What do you guys treat me as?¡±


    In the end, the highest-ranking leader spoke, ¡°I know that I¡¯ve upset you half a year ago. Since you¡¯re jobless right now, why not come back? We promise that we can make you famous again. This time around, we promise that we will not make the same mistake again. How¡¯s that?¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Everyone looked at her with much anticipation, as if she were to reject them she would be making their lives difficult. However, Tang Xia¡¯s character was originally very stubborn.¡±Ha! If I cared about a job, I would¡¯ve joined Cross-era a long time ago. You guys brought all that¡¯s happening to yourselves. There¡¯s no one else to blame.¡±


    During then, they sacrificed her and nothing else was affected. However, they destroyed Chu Tiankuo single-handedly. Right now, Time-travel Bar was so empty. It was their retribution.


    ¡°Tell us your conditions and we will agree no matter what. How¡¯s that?¡±


    This was their bottom line, Tang Xia knew that. However, just when she was about to reject them, she suddenly thought of something. If they are hiring her back that meant they were going to restart the system.


    Tang Xia looked up suddenly and looked at them sharply. ¡°Well, I only have one condition. Re-organize all the worlds.¡±


    Hearing that, everyone was utterly shocked and looked at each other. ¡°We still need to discuss this. Please take a rest outside first.¡±


    Tang Xia did not care. She turned and went out. The assistant led her to the lounge and poured her a glass of water. The two sat down and started chatting.


    ¡°If Miss Tang can come back, the company will have hope. Recently, the company was attacked by angry fans. It is no longer like before and we still have to face oppression from Cross-era. This time around, if we gather all the influential streamers from before, we might be able to compete with them.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s hand that held onto the glass of water suddenly froze. She finally understood why the company called her back. At this moment, another assistant pushed open the door and came in. Tang Xia looked at her. The assistant said. ¡°Miss Tang, the senior executives have agreed with your request. Please come with me to sign the contract.¡±

 Chapter 336 - Live Broadcast After a Long While

    Chapter 336 Live Broadcast After a Long While


    On the next day, Time-travel Broadcast Company released the news of Tang Xia signing with them again to the press. Once the news was released, numerous fans who were upset that she had left the industry became excited again.


    But truth be told, they were only a small bunch of the old fans. During the past six months, people came and left too quickly in the industry. Even Tang Xia, who was once so popular, did not attract much attention now.


    Hence, this time around, the company decided to arrange for Tang Xia and Ye Yifan to do a live broadcast together as soon as possible. They also hoped that they could quickly help to salvage the company¡¯s reputation.


    Cross-era Livestreaming Company found out about this too. They were somewhat mindful of Tang Xia after they tried to bring her over to help her return to the industry. However, at the end of the day, she was just an online personality who was no longer in her heyday. She was not worth it for them to be wary.


    ¡°This is your first live broadcast after six months. The company hopes that you will be able to start off with a victory and show Cross-era your power. So you must complete your mission seriously, understand?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at July who was standing in front of her. She was so familiar working with her that there was no way this relationship could deepen further. July was still very naggy. At that instant, Tang Xia suddenly felt a sense of closeness and dashed forward to hug her.


    July was shocked by her sudden move. She then stretched out her hands helplessly and hugged her. She patted gently on her back twice to comfort her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Tang Xia slowly let go of July and the two looked at each other. The past six months were not long, nor were they short. However, after Tang Xia left, July chose to change to another department. Hearing that Tang Xia had returned, she quickly applied to be transferred back again.


    Tang Xia was moved when she found out about this. After all, Tang Xia knew how difficult it was for them to reunite again.


    ¡°Nothing. I just want to say, long time no see, and I will appreciate your guidance in the future.¡± She could not stop herself from sobbing and her eyes started to turn red unknowingly.


    During this long period of time, no one lived stably. Although July did everything she could to help her, she still failed to keep this person whom she had put in everything to promote.


    July could not help but gave a slight smile. She then gently pushed her away and said, ¡°Okay, time is almost up. Remember, this time around, you can only succeed. No failures. However, the broadcast world this time around is ¡®Saving the Mascot¡¯. If you bump into Mu Chengxuan, you must be more careful.¡±


    She too heard that Mu Chengxuan seemed to be the most popular in the online personality industry at the moment. He was well-known in the industry to be harsh and reckless in his way of doing things.


    Tang Xia nodded firmly. Her eyes were full of determination. She slowly turned around, stepped forward, and closed her eyes. A white light flashed across her eyes and she quickly entered the broadcast room.


    This time around, she must try her best to find Chu Tiankuo, no matter what it may cost her.


    When she opened her eyes again, she saw many people moving around busily. They were all wearing police uniforms and there were documents scattered everywhere. Everyone¡¯s faces were full of tiredness but full of energy.


    At this moment, someone in a police uniform walked towards her quickly. Tang Xia was still looking at him when she realized that he stopped right in front of her. She could not help but feel startled.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    She could not help lifting her head in confusion. The man¡¯s gaze was sharp. He spoke in a solemn voice, ¡°Madam Tang, Sir Li asked you to go to his office.¡±


    Tang Xia entered a long daze while looking at him. That man shook his head helplessly when he saw that she was in a daze. He turned and left without saying anything.


    When she saw his back view, she finally snapped back to reality. That person looked somewhat like Chu Tiankuo. She could not help slapping her own face. She felt like she was sick, for to her, everyone seemed like Chu Tiankuo.


    She remembered what the man had just said and quickly ran to the office. As soon as she entered the room, she saw several people who seemed like they were important people sitting together in a circle, seemingly discussing something.


    Seeing this, Tang Xia quickly stood where she was and said solemnly, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re looking for me?¡± As soon as her voice fell, the few people who were discussing something serious quickly turned around and looked at her. However, they seemed to feel slightly doubtful. They all turned their heads and looked towards the one called Sir Li.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to use her for this mission? If you can¡¯t get it back, it¡¯s going to be very serious!¡± A middle-aged man could not help pointing at her and frowning disapprovingly.


    However, Sir Li just smiled. He turned to Tang Xia and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her. Her work performance in the police station does not lose to any man at all. This mission will be successful. You guys can rest assured.¡±


    After getting the assurance from Sir Li, they stopped fussing over it. The man turned towards Tang Xia. After thinking silently for a while, he said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, this time around we will be handing the matter to the police. We will not intercede anymore, as long as you guys can get the mascot back.¡±


    After getting Sir Li¡¯s consent, the group of people turned around and left. When the office quietened down, Sir Li then looked at her seriously and told her the gist of the whole mission.


    Specifically, all preparation for the WTO Conference was already completed. However, the most valuable mascot was suddenly lost. The conference was going to start soon yet something like this happened right before it. They needed Tang Xia, a police officer, to search for it.


    Suddenly, a task prompt suddenly appeared in front of Tang Xia. ¡®You must find the mascot before the conference begins¡¯. However, as she looked at the taskbar, Tang Xia¡¯s expression became serious.


    After receiving the news, Tang Xia went back to her seat directly. She looked at the things in front of her and entered a daze. She quickly started working. She was assigned a bunch of people and everyone started tracing the mascot together.


    Tang Xia looked at the monitoring records of the night when the mascot disappeared. She realized that a bunch of people had worked together to take it away. Perhaps this fell within her expectations, so she did not find anything wrong with it.


    However, all of a sudden, she seemed to have noticed something wrong with one of them. She quickly replayed the scene and pressed the pause button. She stared at the screen in great detail for a long time. The person beside her also noticed her acting differently and quickly came over and took a look.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with this?¡± Hearing his voice, Tang Xia was startled and she quickly waved her hands and smiled to tell him that it was nothing. Seeing that she was acting strangely, the person turned and walked away.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, Tang Xia¡¯s gaze grew deeper after he left. Looking at the screen, standing in an extremely inconspicuous gap was someone wrapped tightly from head to toe except for the eyes.


    Tang Xia remembered this pair of eyes very clearly. These eagle-like eyes were so sharp as if everything he saw was prey. She had learned of this a long time ago.


    This person must be Mu Chengxuan, the streamer from Cross-era who wanted to blow up the Altar in the ¡®Destroy the Altar¡¯ episode.


    It turned out that she was not wrong. On the next day, all investigation results were laid on Sir Li¡¯s table. Tang Xia was also called to the office.


    ¡°Sir Li, you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Tang Xia asked as she pushed the door open slowly. The person who was reading the documents put down the documents in his hands directly. His gaze at her was very serious.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. With regard to the theft of the mascot, we eventually decided to send you to be an undercover agent. After all, the person who stole the mascot must not be easy to deal with. Hence, I hope that you will take note of your own safety.¡± After saying that, he handed the documents in his hands to Tang Xia.


    Tang Xia leaned forward to receive them. She opened the file and took a look. However, as expected, she saw Mu Chengxuan¡¯s photos. She felt confused and looked up at Sir Li.


    She listened and he continued, ¡°I think you are no stranger to this group of people. They are responsible for a number of crimes. This person, Mu Chengxuan, is their leader. They probably stole the mascot to earn money. You¡¯re one of the officers from our station that¡¯s rarely seen, you¡¯re most suitable to be an undercover agent.¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xia could not help feeling like she wanted to spit out a mouthful of water. Instead, she put on a calm facade on the outside. She nodded and turned around to leave with the documents.


    This Sir Li would have no idea that she had already exposed herself at the Altar a long time ago. She could only pray that Mu Chengxuan did not remember her. Thinking about this, she settled down and continued to think of ways to sneak her way in.


    However, while she was overwhelmed with thoughts about how to get in, she did not expect the station to prepare an opportunity for her. They had already found Mu Chengxuan¡¯s hiding spot. They did not know the specific details, so they dared not take action recklessly. Eventually, they decided to send Tang Xia over to find out more first.


    Hence, Tang Xia directly headed towards the hideout¡¯s surrounding without any complaints. She also sent a few men to act as if they were chasing after her so that she could deliberately appear before Mu Chengxuan and pretend to seek shelter in their nest unknowingly.


    Mu Chengxuan heard some movements from outside and sent someone to check. However, when he pulled out his gun, he realized that they were not here to catch them. He heaved a sigh of relief and at the same time was very curious about the person being chased after.


    When Tang Xia ran into the building and hid behind a pillar, she did not even dare to breathe out loud. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her over.


    Tang Xia¡¯s body stiffened instantly. She suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She lost balance and knocked into that person¡¯s embrace. Both of them looked at each other face to face.


    Just as expected, the person who caught her happened to be Mu Chengxuan. Even Tang Xia herself never thought that she would be so lucky. Just when the air was filled with silence, they suddenly heard two gunshots, followed by the sound of bullets hitting the pillar.


    There was no need to put on a full show!


    Just when Tang Xia¡¯s face was turning pale from being frightened, Mu Chengxuan put on a cold expression, grabbed onto her hand, and started running. While doing so, he even fired two shots at two police officers. Luckily, they reacted fast and quickly shouted in shock, ¡°Retreat! She has company!¡±


    This acting made Tang Xia believe that she was really a criminal on the loose.

 Chapter 337 - Mission Fail

    Chapter 337 Mission Fail


    However, she had undermined this person in front of her, this streamer who was deemed to be the most cruel to date ¨C Mu Chengxuan.


    He seemed to have heard the sound of cars leaving. However, that was not the case. They only moved to the other side and continued to keep an eye on them. Tang Xia was tugged away by Mu Chengxuan¡¯s strong arm. She felt like a little chick as he pulled her along easily.


    ¡°What are you doing! Let me go!¡± Tang Xia frowned while trying to break free of his grip. At this moment, Mu Chengxuan stopped and turned around to look at her seriously. After staring at her for a while, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something.


    Mu Chengxuan approached her slowly. Each step he took felt like he was trampling on her heart. Suddenly, he put his face close to hers. She was instantly surrounded by a gust of bitter cold aura. She heard him ask in an icy-cold voice, ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    Tang Xia had yet to register what was going on. When she heard his question, she felt a chill spreading from her toes to her head. She smiled and stuttered, ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡±


    However, Mu Chengxuan kept a stern face. His icy-cold expression did not have a single bit of warmth. He continued to lean forward, leaving Tang Xia with no choice but to move backward. He only stopped when she reached the pillar behind her. ¡°Really? But I feel that you look very familiar. You¡¯re the one who spoilt my plan the last time, right?¡±


    As soon as these words left his mouth, Tang Xia became so nervous she could hardly breathe. She suddenly gave a peal of cold laughter. ¡°You¡¯re indeed the ace streamer of Cross-era. Not only are you as good as they say you are, but I can also feel the oppression from you just by standing here.¡±


    This sudden change caught Mu Chengxuan by surprise. He did not expect this woman to admit it directly. However, he was only stunned for a moment. ¡°Why? You¡¯re now admitting that you know me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny it since you already recognized me. I didn¡¯t admit it because I didn¡¯t want to create unnecessary trouble for myself. Last time, my mission was to protect the Altar, which was why I had a clash with you. But that was inevitable. I think you won¡¯t be so petty, right?¡±


    There was not a single trace of nervousness in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes just because she had been exposed. She said those words so lightly as if it was really the case. Instantly, the number of fans in the broadcast room doubled. They all admired how she had the courage to go against Master Mu.


    Mu Chengxuan remained silent and studied her a little. Just when Tang Xia thought that nothing was going to happen, he suddenly laughed coldly. He slowly lifted his head and caressed her hair. That gaze he had when he saw a prey came back again. This time around, it landed on Tang Xia.


    ¡°Huh. If I didn¡¯t check your background after I exited the game that day, I might have believed your words.¡± Tang Xia¡¯s body stiffened instantly. She never thought that this person would conduct a background check on her!


    His eagle eyes naturally noticed her small change. ¡°But it¡¯s such a pity, I¡¯ve already done a thorough check on you. There are all kinds of information on the Internet. Miss Tang Xia, six months ago, you were the woman of the moment, a popular female streamer from Time-travel Bar.¡±


    ¡°So what if I am Tang Xia? My mission this time around has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m only stealing a cultural relic, what does that have to do with you!¡± Tang Xia started to fight back strongly after saying that. She wanted to push him away but did not expect him to lock her in place with a backhand.


    She heard him whisper in her ear, ¡°I can easily do a test to find out what¡¯s your mission. You trying so hard to justify yourself only makes you more suspicious.¡±


    While Tang Xia struggled, she could not help feeling afraid. This person was too scary.


    He suddenly lifted his head and directly pulled her away from others¡¯ fields of vision. He pressed the gun in his hand against her temple and locked her in his embrace. He shouted towards the direction that her teammates were hiding in, ¡°Hey! Stop hiding! I¡¯ll count to ten, if you guys don¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    He started to count down. ¡°Ten, nine, eight, ¡­ three, two, ¡­¡±


    Although Tang Xia did not know how he found that they had not left, she could only close her eyes and pray for them not to be discovered. Mu Chengxuan looked at her with a cold glare. The curl on his lips became bigger.


    ¡°One!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! We¡¯ll come out!¡± Then, two policemen raised their hands and walked out slowly. Tang Xia¡¯s body loosened instantly. She looked up feeling speechless and gave each one of them a big eye-roll.


    Mu Chengxuan smiled as he turned around and looked at Tang Xia. He said sarcastically, ¡°Do you know why I know that they had not left?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at him and scoffed helplessly. ¡°Usually when the police run into a situation where the criminal on the run has an accomplice, they will not choose to retreat. Meanwhile, the civil police will be determined to wait for backup. However, these two said to retreat very decisively.¡±


    Tang Xia looked back at the two policemen again. Once again, she had the urge to yell at them. Do people in the system have no IQ?


    No, Chu Tiankuo was not like this.


    At that moment when she thought of Chu Tiankuo, Mu Chengxuan noticed her gaze softening instantly. At that moment, he felt captured by her beauty.


    ¡°Okay, at least I already know why I¡¯m going to die. Now just get it over and done with.¡± Tang Xia eventually compromised helplessly. However, Mu Chengxuan did not plan to just stop there.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t die yet. You have to be my hostage until the day when the WTO starts.¡± After saying that, he gave a peal of cold laughter.


    Although Tang Xia heard of this person¡¯s insidious and unscrupulous means, she did not expect him to be so shameless. ¡°Mu Chengxuan, do you not have a moral bottom line? How could you keep a hostage!¡±


    However, Mu Chengxuan did not feel anything. Tang Xia suddenly scoffed. She turned to the system and said, ¡°Abandon mission, log out of the game!¡± Meanwhile, before Mu Chengxuan could react, a white light quickly flashed past. When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the real world.


    July had witnessed the whole process and read many comments from the fans. Although she knew that Tang Xia should not be blamed for this ending, she still could not help but feel pity for her. ¡°What do we do now? The whole company is waiting for you to oppress Cross-era with a victory. Now we are the ones being slapped across the face.¡±


    Once the result was set, a bunch of fans screen captured the last scene of her giving up on the mission. A majority of those who did not know the full story and was lazy to watch the video were all confused by that clip.


    Once the video was released, all sorts of click baits were made. There were countless of them, such as ¡°Once Time-travel Bar¡¯s Popular Streamer, Tang Xia Meets Mu Chengxuan and Quits Broadcast!¡± and ¡°After a Disappointing Comeback, Netizens Asks Tang Xia to Go Back Home and be Decadent.¡±


    Although some of her fans tried to speak up for her, they could not win over the netizens who only judge things from the surface and follow the trend. Naturally, there were also anti-fans hired by Cross-era to oppress Time-travel Bar who was trying to revive themselves.


    ¡°Gosh, how can someone like this be a streamer? She should just continue staying at home!¡±


    ¡°Giving up on the mission halfway through the live broadcast? Is this still the same Tang Xia who was known to be the queen of skills?¡±


    ¡°At the one who talked about skills; haha, she only won beautifully in the past because her company planted Chu Tiankuo that bug to help her.¡±


    ¡°Leave the streamer industry, this is not for you anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia was sitting in July¡¯s office scrolling through Weibo. However, her facial expression could not be any calmer. On the other hand, sitting beside her, July was overwrought. Having achieved such a terrible outcome in the first mission upon returning, she did not know how to face the senior executives.


    ¡°My dear, how can you still act as if nothing happened!¡± July looked at her and eventually could not help but blurted out. However, Tang Xia only smiled faintly.


    ¡°Anyway, if someone deliberately talks bad about me, I can¡¯t stop them. So why not just let them be? At least I can have some peace and quiet.¡± After saying so, she put down her phone and slowly leaned back while stretching her back.


    However, at this moment, the door of the office was suddenly pushed open. The CEO¡¯s assistant said to Tang Xia with a sullen face, ¡°The CEO is looking for you.¡±


    Tang Xia already knew from the moment she came in. She slowly stood up and tidied her outfit before following after her, leaving July standing there at a loss.


    The assistant did not say a word this time around. Tang Xia also knew that this was very serious. Soon, the two of them arrived at the so-called office. They pushed the door open and entered directly.


    Seeing that there were only a few senior executives with the most power in the CEO¡¯s office, it was probably a last-minute meeting. Tang Xia was neither obsequious nor supercilious when she walked in. ¡°Good afternoon.¡±


    Seeing her acting like this, Mr. Xu eventually could not help but slammed the table and scolded her, ¡°Good afternoon? The company had put in so much effort to hire you again and this is how you do things? Have we dealt with you too easily?¡±


    Ms. Jin gave two peals of cold laughter. ¡°Probably. Although I had high expectations of you in the beginning, I am now starting to doubt your capabilities too. You scored a defeat in your first game, what a way to make us proud.¡±


    At this moment, the door of the CEO¡¯s office was suddenly pushed open. Other than the senior executives, even Tang Xia was also a little stunned. They watched as Ye Yifan ran in gasping for air.


    ¡°Why are you here? You already won at the beginning. You don¡¯t need to come in such a hurry. You can go back and rest.¡± While saying so, Ms. Jin glanced at Tang Xia, obviously mocking her.


    Ye Yifan ignored them and directly pulled Tang Xia behind him. The crowd looked at his protective gesture and were stunned. However, they also felt that it was reasonable.


    This person had been protecting Tang Xia since half a year ago. He also left and even rejoined the company because of her. It was unexpected but reasonable.


    He panted heavily while speaking up for her loudly, ¡°As long as you watched the live broadcast attentively, you will know that this matter has got nothing to do with Tang Xia. She lost due to an external factor, so you all have no right to pick on her.¡±

 Chapter 338 - Psychological Accumulation

    Chapter 338 Psychological Accumulation


    The high-level executives became speechless instantly. After all, they did not watch the live broadcast and simply followed the crowd.


    ¡°You guys cannot doubt Tang Xia¡¯s ability. I worked with her for the longest time, I am most clear of what she is like. I will let Cross-era receive the punishment they deserve, you guys should stop attacking her personally.¡±


    After saying this, Ye Yifan directly pulled Tang Xia out of the CEO¡¯s office. The senior executives could only watch them leave. After all, Ye Yifan had started with a victory. His previous media influence and skills could only let them treat him like a jewel.


    After the duo went out, they became silent instantly. Ye Yifan quickly released his hand that was grabbing onto hers. ¡°I¡¯m tired now, if you have nothing else, you should quickly head home and rest.¡±


    Then, Ye Yifan quickly left. However, Tang Xia immediately followed him. She grabbed onto his hand and said anxiously, ¡°Hold on. When you entered your world, did you see Chu Tiankuo? Isn¡¯t he usually the ultimate leader?¡±


    Ye Yifan stiffened. He could not help patting his forehead annoyedly. He wanted to leave quickly because he wanted to avoid this question. However, he was still caught.


    He had no choice but to keep a cold expression. He glanced at her casually and said, ¡°Too many things happened today, the senior executives are also making things difficult. There are tons of news and comments surrounding you right now. You should go back, take a good rest, and prepare for the next broadcast.¡±


    The moment his voice fell, he turned around and walked away. However, Tang Xia could tell that he was trying to avoid the topic. She dashed towards him to pull him back, even if it meant that she had to use all her strength. The staff around them all stared at them.


    ¡°Oh my, look at them. After so many years, they¡¯re still the on-screen couple that has to go through numerous hardships.¡±


    ¡°Who said they¡¯re not? If I was a fan, I would love this pair too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that Chu Tiankuo is a bug.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how perfect would it be if he was a human!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The chattering gossip from aside made the two feel awkward. Ye Yifan could only pull her up and said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t see him in my world. You¡¯ve been looking for a long time, it¡¯s time you give up on something meant to be given up. You should give up on something that can never be found, you need to treasure¡­¡±


    Treasure¡­those around you.


    However, he could not bring himself to say the last three words. He still remembered Tang Xia¡¯s determination to live with Chu Tiankuo forever in the virtual world. It was a kind of determination to abandon life and everything in reality.


    However, Tang Xia frowned and said disapprovingly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that he will leave just like this, and definitely not disappear just like that. Even until now, I will often have that dream where he asked me to wait for him. So I will continue to wait for him, until one day when he comes back!¡±


    The anger in Ye Yifan¡¯s heart brewed. He directly grabbed her by her shoulders harshly and shouted, ¡°What if he¡¯s never coming back! Are you going to spend your entire life waiting for someone from a virtual world?¡±


    This sentence attracted the people around them to look at them. At that instant, Tang Xia felt a little embarrassed, but she felt more attacked by his words.


    After noticing the surrounding stares, Ye Yifan let go of his hands directly and turned around, leaving angrily. He did not take a second look at Tang Xia. However, even after Tang Xia fought with Ye Yifan, she still went to find many other streamers to ask about Chu Tiankuo.


    However, until today, no one had seen him.


    On the next day, it was Tang Xia and Ye Yifan¡¯s second live broadcast. Although the time was a bit rushed, the company could only adjust the live broadcast time to be as close as possible so that they could quickly make this an online sensation.


    After Tang Xia logged into the system and the white light in front of her completely dissipated, she saw that there was a figure here with her. It was very obvious that it was Ye Yifan.


    When the two of them stood together, it unknowingly felt a little awkward. When Tang Xia recalled how furious he was the day before, she did not know what to say to ease the tension.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Tang Xia could not help it and ask first. However, she regretted it immediately. She quickly lowered her head and remained silent.


    However, Ye Yifan looked at her lightly and said indifferently, ¡°Stay behind me obediently, just don¡¯t drag me behind.¡± Then, he started walking forward on his own.


    However, only Ye Yifan knew how nervous he was. After he said those words, even Tang Xia, who originally wanted to apologize, had no choice but to follow behind him. At this moment, the fans in the broadcast room started to form opinions about their relationship.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Master Ye finally going to abandon Tang Xia? Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t care about that hater.¡±


    ¡°The Ye-Tang couple banner shall not fall!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°I think Master Ye also cannot handle Tang Xia that vermin anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, the system prompt bar suddenly appeared in front of them. It showed them the background of this world and their mission. In general, it talked about a sick serial killer case that ended up with a female hostage. Their mission is to find the hostage and the killer.


    [You must find the last female hostage and the killer. Otherwise, you will fail the mission ¡®Psychological Accumulation¡¯]


    When both of them saw the mission, they could not help but stop. They stood together and started thinking. The long partnership caused them to develop telepathy. If they discussed the strategy at the beginning, things would be easier later on.


    Tang Xia caressed her chin and she sank deep into thoughts. She recalled how ruthless Mu Chengxuan was yesterday and said in a low voice, ¡°I have a feeling that the killer this time around belongs to Cross-era.¡± Her tone was filled with disgust.


    Ye Yifan also knew that she hated them. ¡°We don¡¯t have any clues on hand. Since that¡¯s the case, why not we just activate stalking mode right away? It¡¯s not wrong anyways.¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her head and pondered for a while. She felt that it was a very good suggestion. The duo started to turn on stalking mode. Soon, Mu Chengxuan¡¯s coordinates appeared before them.


    With a tacit understanding, both of them looked at each other. However, at the moment when their gaze met, they looked away feeling a little awkward. This subconscious move caused the two who were in a fight to feel helpless.


    However, at this moment, they did not know that earlier on when they just entered the game, that group of people had already set their eyes on them and have been observing them secretly. Now that they suddenly realized these two have started tracking them, this group of people burst out in laughter instantly.


    ¡°We caught the fishes without casting a net! God is really helping us! Right, Master Mu?¡± After saying so, he turned around and looked at Mu Chengxuan who had been keeping a straight face.


    Mu Chengxuan looked at Tang Xia¡¯s back view and snorted coldly, ¡°Let them have a good taste of what it is like to be fooled. It¡¯s best if they can know that Cross-era is not something they can clamor at.¡±


    After saying that, Mu Chengxuan turned and left. His teammates could not help but chuckle as well when they looked at his back view. He then organized his team and disappeared into the darkness with them.


    Tang Xia looked at the result of the tracking displayed in front of her. It was obvious that they were not far from them. However, for some reason, they could not catch up to them no matter what.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? It clearly shows that they are not far away from us!¡± Tang Xia could not take it anymore and stopped to complain. Ye Yifan did not stop her. On the contrary, he stopped with her.


    Actually, he also felt that there was something wrong. Looking at the tracking system, they did not stop moving because he and Tang Xia stopped. Instead, they started chasing in the opposite direction.


    Ye Yifan quickly turned his head to look at Tang Xia who was beside him. ¡°But look, they are now going towards another direction. Seems like we¡¯ve thought too much.¡±


    Tang Xia also discovered this point. She quickly headed to their gathering place with Ye Yifan. The night was very dark and their vision became a little blurry. They could not see clearly what was in front. However, unexpectedly, the tracking system ended up bringing them to a dead end.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did they discover our plan and is making a fool out of us?¡± Tang Xia could not help but guess aloud. Ye Yifan also frowned. Right now, he was starting to suspect that to be the case.


    Just when they were feeling suspicious, they suddenly heard a whimper from the other side of the wall. They even heard someone covering another mouth and scolding, ¡°I told you to be quiet! Otherwise, I¡¯ll end your life! Like how I ended those before you!¡±


    The voice was not very very loud, but since it was night time and there was no one on the street, on such a silent night, the voice was extremely pricking to the ear.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were also stunned. They immediately reacted and hurried over to try to listen closely. However, they found that there was no more sound.


    ¡°I¡¯ll climb up, I¡¯m flexible. You cooperate below!¡± Tang Xia quickly began to divide the work. Ye Yifan nodded. Tang Xia was extremely careful with her actions as she was afraid of making a sound. After climbing for a short while, she made it on top of the wall. However, when she popped her head forward slightly, she saw nothing.


    She felt very confused and looked carefully. However, there was really nothing. She turned around and shook her head at Ye Yifan. He caught her gaze and understood immediately. After thinking about it for some time, he eventually decided to climb up too.


    Both of them jumped down and quickly hid at one side carefully. However, Tang Xia felt like she had stepped on something dark. She looked down and saw that the whole ground seemed to be covered in that dark thing.


    She felt curious and bent down to touch it with her fingers. She discovered that it was liquid. She guessed that it must have spilled over. She brought her finger to her nose to take a sniff but she was taken aback and jumped up in shock.


    Ye Yifan was busy looking around. When he saw her sudden movement, he could not help feeling confused. ¡°What happened to you?¡±

 Chapter 339 - Direct Provocation

    Chapter 339 Direct Provocation


    Although Tang Xia had seen things like this many times, it was her first time encountering serial killers. She was indeed frightened. She pointed at the dark-colored thing on the ground with her trembling finger. ¡°Blood¡­this is blood¡­¡±


    Ye Yifan was stunned. His gaze followed her finger and he realized that the ground was filled with traces of blood. It only looked like it was black in color because it was dark at night.


    ¡°And there is a strong bloody smell, you shouldn¡¯t touch it.¡± After saying that, Tang Xia felt disgusted and retched a little. Meanwhile, Ye Yifan did not seem to be bothered. He had already gotten used to it from the time with zombies. After all, he was a man.


    He also lifted his hand and touched it. It was indeed blood, just like what Tang Xia said. However, it was not fresh blood. It was normal that Tang Xia failed to recognize it because she did not dare to drink the bags of blood the vampires had stolen.


    But he did, so he was familiar with the taste. He frowned and looked towards a dark spot at the other side. Suddenly, he stood up and laughed coldly, ¡°Seems like they¡¯ve yet to gotten far. This trace of blood should be left behind just now. Let¡¯s chase after them.¡±


    Tang Xia nodded in agreement and the two walked along the trace of blood. Meanwhile, the group of people in the dark spot started to panic. ¡°Master Mu, do you think we left some clues behind? We don¡¯t know if the plasma we got from the hospital can fool them.¡±


    Standing in the dark spot, Mu Chengxuan¡¯s eagle-like eyes stared intensely at the two who were following the blood trace. Mu Chengxuan¡¯s gaze grew deeper. He glared at his teammate with a cold gaze and said in a low voice, ¡°Anyways, we need to be careful of that Ye Yifan.¡±


    When the two reached the end of the blood trace, they saw that there was a factory before them. At this current moment, the factory looked so disheveled as if a gust of wind could make it collapse.


    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re hiding here? I feel that we can only get killed or be smashed to death by the walls,¡± Tang Xia could not help complaining. Meanwhile, Ye Yifan¡¯s gaze deepened.


    Suddenly, they heard the sound of a machine running. Tang Xia was startled greatly. The foot that was just about to step forward was pulled back by Ye Yifan. She turned around and looked at him in shock.


    With a stern expression, he stared at the direction in which the sound was coming from. With one hand carrying his own hat, he said, ¡°Why did you guys lead us here on purpose?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled and quickly looked around. However, she did not see anyone. She could only hear the machine sound coming closer. She could not help looking towards it.


    Suddenly, they heard a loud bang and the wall in front of them started falling towards their direction. Ye Yifan was quick to notice and instantly pulled Tang Xia along, successfully dodging it. Tang Xia felt a chill down her back. This was obviously an attempt to kill them.


    Soon, another wall collapsed too. This time around, it was Tang Xia who pushed Ye Yifan away. However, a brick fell on her leg. When Ye Yifan realized it, he saw that the wall behind her was going to collapse soon.


    At this moment, a man suddenly came running out while pulling along a woman. While running, he scolded, ¡°Who! Who is it! If you caught me then so be it! Why must you tear down my house!¡±


    At that instant, the demolishing machine stopped moving. Everything seemed to freeze. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan also froze on the spot obviously. In that strange situation, Ye Yifan suddenly ran out and grabbed hold of that man.


    Tang Xia also struggled to stand up. She limped over to take a look and realized that this man was really grabbing onto a female hostage that was tied up. Suddenly, she had a weird feeling. Although this was the supposed ending, she still felt that they were being controlled.


    At this moment, there was suddenly a round of applause coming from behind them and someone jumped out of the demolition machine. When they walked closer, Tang Xia then saw that it was Mu Chengxuan and his bunch of people from Cross-era.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°You guys have been stalking us?¡± Tang Xia finally asked what she had been thinking about. She always felt that she could not find them using the tracking system.


    ¡°Not only that, you guys designed this too, right? You used the plasma to put on a show to direct us here. You wanted to bury us in the rubble, but you miscalculated. The serial killer and the female hostage were really hiding here.¡± Ye Yifan gave a peal of cold laughter as he told them his speculation. He even glanced at the man beside him.


    However, Mu Chengxuan did not look like he had been exposed. He laughed coldly and said to them in a low voice, ¡°You were fifty percent right and fifty percent wrong.¡±


    After Tang Xia digested everything, she eventually could not help but scowled, ¡°You¡¯re so cunning! You wanted to kill us for a game!¡±


    Mu Chengxuan ignored her and said in a cold voice, ¡°I did use some methods to lure you guys here. I also made them use the bulldozer to demolish this place. But I didn¡¯t want to kill you guys. After all, this is not my mission.¡±


    After saying so, Mu Chengxuan gave Ye Yifan a scornful look. However, Ye Yifan¡¯s body stiffened. When that one possibility came to mind, he felt the disgusting feeling of being set up.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, you¡¯re right. Our mission is to prevent you guys from failing. If you guys win, we also win. We already knew that the serial killer and hostage were here, so we lured you guys here.¡±


    He slowly approached them and leaned towards Yifan. He put on a cold smile and said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t plan to kill you guys by using a bulldozer to demolish the house, I just wanted to give you guys a scare for fun.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s breathing stagnated. This man in front of her felt increasingly unreasonable, to the point that she felt like he was a devil. At this moment, the system prompted that both sides had won and both parties then exited the novel world.


    When Tang Xia and Ye Yifan came out, none of them said a word. Although the system prompted that both sides had won, they were very clear that they had lost completely. They had lost their dignity from being set up.


    July walked over and handed the phone to both of them. Ye Yifan did not want to take it. Tang Xia knew that this was a blow to Ye Yifan¡¯s self-esteem. Instead, she took it on her own. It was filled with fans bombarding Time-travel Bar.


    ¡°What a joke! How can someone so brainless be a streamer? She even publicized her return, but it turns out her brain just short-circuited.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m truly speechless at Time-travel Bar. Where¡¯s my Tang Xia¡¯s original IQ? Is it gone after half a year off?¡±


    ¡°Just shut down already, Time-travel Bar. You¡¯re just a half-dead company still struggling to live.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tang Xia merely took a quick glance and she roughly knew the whole situation. She passed the phone to Ye Yifan. After a moment of silence, she eventually said, ¡°Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Ye Yifan was silent and threw the phone back to July. He then turned around and exited the room. Tang Xia quickly chased after him, wanting to comfort him.


    As soon as she left the room, she realized that there was no trace of Ye Yifan. She panicked immediately. She started running around the company in a frenzy. Eventually, she found him in the lounge.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    He was leaning tiredly against the sofa, but his eyes did not close. Tang Xia walked over and sat down silently beside him. Both of them just sat there in silence.


    Just when the room was very quiet, Ye Yifan suddenly leaned over and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m really tired.¡± Then, he hugged Tang Xia directly. She was startled by his sudden move, but when her gaze saw the lowness in his eyes, she let him be.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. In our previous broadcasts, we¡¯ve never met someone so unethical like Mu Chengxuan. There¡¯s no need to be sad. At least he can¡¯t win us if we do everything in an upright manner.¡± Then, she lifted her hand and gently caressed his hair.


    However, Ye Yifan did not say a word. He just held onto Tang Xia. After an unknown period of time, Ye Yifan suddenly said, ¡°I want to find a shoulder to lean on, can I?¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. Her eyes lost focus before she lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ll find someone better.¡± She knew what he meant and why he said it. Hence, she answered him clearly to not give him a glimpse of hope.


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan loosened his hands. His gaze seemed as if he wanted to poke a hole in her face. He laughed coldly, ¡°You¡¯re so cold-blooded. I still can¡¯t compare to a system data that has no flesh or blood.¡±


    This sentence seemed to poke at her deepest pain instantly. She stood up suddenly and left without saying anything. Ye Yifan looked at her back view as she left silently and could not help but laughed at himself.


    In the next few days, the two companies went through several rounds of competition, and Time-travel Bar lost eventually. Cross-era flew their own color which allowed them to enjoy uninterrupted success. Meanwhile, the streamers from Time-travel Bar continued to lose one after another. Most importantly, with Mu Chengxuan as their leader, the team of Cross-era streamers even challenged all of Time-travel Bar¡¯s streamers to a knockdown.


    When this news reached Time-travel Bar¡¯s senior executives, they exploded instantly. Coupled with the pressure of public opinion, they could not lift up their heads at all.


    ¡°What is this? Did we spend a large sum of money to hire you guys just for the company to enter hot waters again? Then I would rather have hired a new batch of people!¡± After saying so, the CEO threw the compilation of recent comments and reports at Tang Xia and Ye Yifan.


    However, Tang Xia knew that he was mainly talking about her. He continued, ¡°Especially you, Tang Xia. Look, everyone on this compilation is asking you to quit. Let me tell you this, if it was not for Ye¡­other reasons, you would have scrammed by now!¡±


    Tang Xia lowered her gaze slightly and glanced at them coldly. The CEO and other senior executives all felt the chills from her gaze. The CEO quickly coughed twice and continued, ¡°Anyways, from now on, if you guys can¡¯t give Cross-era a lesson, I will teach you two a lesson!¡±


    Ye Yifan was calm all the way as if he did not take note of any of these. Tang Xia glanced at him and could only stay silent. The CEO saw their moves and slammed the table. ¡°Enough! Go back and think about it!¡±

 Chapter 340 - Initiate the Attack

    Chapter 340 Initiate the Attack


    When news of Time-travel Bar accepting the challenge came out, the entire live broadcast industry entered a frenzy. This was equivalent to a public statement notifying of an upcoming bloody storm in the live broadcast industry. Since raindrops come after thunder, they would only end with a thunder.


    It was a match of the century between the current leader in the live broadcast industry and one that once reigned. This may be the case, but after Time-travel Broadcast Company¡¯s continuous defeat recently, fans were saying that they did not look forward to it.


    ¡°What else is there to fight? Just surrender already instead of taking on a big challenge.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Time-travel Bar had already lost so badly, if they continue to fight, they will just end up with scattered corpses.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about how I used to love Tang Xia and Ye Yifan from Time-travel Bar so much. Such sorrow, such pity!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Looking at the fans¡¯ comments on her phone, Tang Xia could not help feeling shocked. This time around, Time-travel Bar seemed to be going all out. The two companies had made a bet.


    [The side that loses in the final match has to exit the live broadcast industry forever and never reenter.]


    Ye Yifan, who was preparing at one side, was also silent. Both of them had not had a real talk in a few days. It was inevitable to feel awkward when they were together.


    At this moment, July came walking towards them slowly in her high heels. Looking at both of them, she could not help but sigh helplessly. ¡°Who knows? The company really went all in this time around. If you two lose this match, you will be barred from the live broadcast industry forever. You two have to think about it carefully.¡±


    July sighed helplessly. Tang Xia stood up slowly. Looking at the streamers not far from them who were getting ready together, her gaze grew deeper uncontrollably. Her hands slowly turned into fists and she muttered, ¡°I won¡¯t, this time around, I won¡¯t.¡±


    After saying that, she turned around directly and walked towards the broadcast room¡¯s entrance. July felt inexplicably sad as she watched her back view. Actually, Ye Yifan felt the same too as he sat at one side.


    This was because of all the people here, only two of them understood what Tang Xia was thinking. They were very clear that if it was not for Chu Tiankuo, Tang Xia would never come back so easily.


    ¡°Alright July, bring them together. Time¡¯s almost up, we should start.¡± Ye Yifan also finished getting ready. He got up to prepare to enter the broadcast room.


    Seeing that they were ready, July gathered the streamers. The group of people lined up to enter the broadcast room. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were the first to start.


    Before they entered the game, they were already familiar with the rules of the game.


    It was something like this: [Both sides will carry out a team battle and be divided into two teams ¨C Time-travel Bar and Cross-era. These two teams will be led by Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan respectively. Whichever team defeats the other completely first will win.]


    The system repeated the mission rules again after the two parties entered. Meanwhile, Tang Xia looked at the fortress not far away from them and the feelings of hatred and determination filled her heart.


    When all the streamers have all entered and were ready to start the game, a system prompt appeared in front of everyone suddenly. [Game Start]


    Instantly, the people on both sides listened to their respective team leaders¡¯ assignments and how they should guard themselves. This was because the map given was random, so both parties would not be able to have made a combat plan in advance.


    The place they were assigned to was very similar to the scene in the vampire episode, except that both parties were in castles that were not far away from each other. As compared to the previous game, this was a smaller scale battle.


    After Ye Yifan assigned everyone their roles, they settled down and started to guard their own areas. Tang Xia was assigned to the storm troopers, which was what she wanted. Hence, both parties started a long tug of war.


    ¡°This time around, we must be careful. We cannot panic simply because this battle is determinant of our live broadcast career. At times like this, all the more we should focus and devote ourselves to it. This time around, we must let Cross-era know what are true skills!¡±Access vi pnovel.com


    Ye Yifan stood in front of the group of streamers to emancipate their minds. Although this was necessary, it still seemed a little funny from Tang Xia¡¯s perspective.


    After all, Tang Xia was always the one giving commands in the past. Ye Yifan would always stay behind her. She was also assured to leave her back to him.


    On the opposite side, Cross-era did not have any movement. They just preserved their energy. Both parties were waiting for the moment for the war to start.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia who was beside him. He kept on having this feeling that something about her was off. He could not help but ask in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem more nervous than me.¡±


    Tang Xia was startled. She did not expect him to speak to her after so many days. Hence, she was a little not customed to it. She gave him a faint smile and loosened her tightly-clenched fists and said, ¡°Nothing, isn¡¯t it normal to be nervous?¡±


    After saying so, she slowly let her hands down and continued to focus on the nearby Cross-era¡¯s movement. Suddenly, Ye Yifan pulled her back violently. He said in a low voice, ¡°Tang Xia, this time around, you cannot do things at your own pace. Everything is under my command. This match is very important, so you must be careful.¡±


    However, Tang Xia was a little dissatisfied with what he just said. She looked at him with some annoyance in her gaze, as if there was some anger. She swallowed her own feelings and said solemnly, ¡°I know that this is important. But for Mu Chengxuan¡¯s side, us being too careful might lead us to his trap. Why not we just give our best shot all at once and take them by surprise!¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia¡¯s eyes and felt her becoming weirder. However, just when he wanted to say something, there was suddenly a loud bang. Both of them were startled and they turned their heads to look.


    The bottom of the castle had been blown by a grenade thrown over a long distance. Instantly, a large group of people swarmed upwards. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were shocked. Both of them quickly went down to prepare their weapons and take on the fight.Access vi pnovel.com


    Since this battle was set to be a fair round, the weapons, guns, and ammunition were all evenly distributed. They could also search for them outside the castle, but risk being caught. Hence, until now, no one dared to take the risk.


    Tang Xia was holding onto the submachine gun which she loved to use in a shootout. Although it was small, it was definitely enough in fighting head-on. For Chu Tiankuo, she could not allow himself to lose in this battle no matter what. Hence, this fight seemed to be determinant of the rest of her life.


    The energetic and daring Tang Xia was not afraid at all. She directly charged forward with her submachine gun. Having good gun skills, Tang Xia eliminated three to four people at once. Her firepower caused everyone in Cross-era to start to fear. Soon, all firepower started to concentrate on her only.


    She also suffered a few shots, but thanks to her dodging skills, they were not considered for her to be eliminated. She quickly hid somewhere and used the first-aid kit. She sprang to life instantly and once again charged forward with her gun.


    Tang Xia was too powerful, causing Cross-era to gradually retreat. Just then, Mu Chengxuan could not stand it anymore. He pulled out his sniper rifle and a shot hit on Tang Xia¡¯s body with a loud bang.


    Fortunately, it was just a shot in the arm. Ye Yifan, who was protecting Tang Xia from the back, was shocked by Mu Chengxuan¡¯s sniper sound. After thinking about it for a while, he finally decided to retreat.


    ¡°Retreat! Let¡¯s retreat first! Do not press the enemy at bay! Let¡¯s go back to recuperate!¡± Once this was said, many people planned to retreat. However, Tang Xia continued to charge forward, as if she did not hear it.


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia charging forward desperately, risking her life. He was instantly annoyed. Seeing that she was even leading a group of people, their whole team would die here if she continued like that.


    He quickly ran over and grabbed hold of her. He shouted at her against the backdrop of gunfire, ¡°I said retreat, didn¡¯t you hear me!¡± However, Tang Xia flung his hand away directly. She did not even know that he was grabbing onto her arm earlier. With her gun in hand, she trampled into Cross-era¡¯s defense zone.


    Seeing that she was already crazy, Ye Yifan called onto two people and rushed forward with them. Just when Tang Xia was about to continue making her shots, Ye Yifan suddenly toughened up, pulled her behind a building, and snatched away her gun.


    The two people behind them rushed over quickly. Before waiting for Tang Xia to respond, they tied her up using the coats they had taken off earlier as ropes.


    ¡°Ye Yifan! How dare you tie me up!¡± Tang Xia could not help but shout angrily. Before she could finish saying that sentence, they stuffed a cloth into her mouth. Both of them carried her back to their base.


    Everyone saw this scene and then started to retreat. Meanwhile, back at the base, Ye Yifan threw her onto the ground directly. Tang Xia already had a few gunshot wounds. When she fell onto the ground, the pain was too much for her and she frowned deeply in pain.


    ¡°Logistics, quickly come over and bandage Tang Xia¡¯s wounds!¡± Ye Yifan saw the situation and quickly called for help. A few girls who did not know how to use guns also quickly ran over. Although they did not have medical knowledge, the system would do the job as this was just a game.


    Hence, they did not need to move much. She would be fine after they take out the bullets and address her wounds. While she was being treated, they carried her into a room. This room resembled the one that she had in the castle last time. However, this process still made her feel like she was on the verge of death.


    After the logistics dressed all her wounds, Ye Yifan finally could not help but reprimanded her severely, ¡°Do you know what the consequences are if you do this? Did I tell you right from the start that you must obey my commands?¡±

 Chapter 341 - Charging Through the Frontline

    Chapter 341 Charging Through the Frontline


    However, Tang Xia felt very wronged. She frowned and defended herself, ¡°But you¡¯re not going to be able to win them like this! If we continue like this, they will defeat us sooner or later, especially when Mu Chengxuan¡¯s brain is filled with disgusting thoughts!¡±


    Seeing that not only was she being unrepentant but also stubbornly arrogant, Ye Yifan exploded instantly. ¡°You were never like this! In my memory, you are always a girl that has grown to become mature and have leadership skills!¡±


    After he said that, Tang Xia, who was just about to say something, suddenly started sobbing. They just stared wide-eyed at each other. Seeing that she had turned silent suddenly, Ye Yifan turned to the other two and ordered them harshly, ¡°Keep a good eye on her. Do not let her go out and act alone!¡±


    There was disdain in their gaze at Tang Xia yet they could only nod as it was an order from Ye Yifan. When Tang Xia heard that he was going to imprison her, she exploded instantly, ¡°Ye Yifan, stop right there! What are you trying to do? You want to lock me in here?¡±


    Ye Yifan turned around and glanced at her faintly. He then said calmly, ¡°I just want you to be more obedient. You have to think about it. If all of us end up losing because of your recklessness, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences alone!¡±


    However, after hearing that, Tang Xia was even more pissed. She thought about how hard she had worked. Even if she did not achieve any results, at least she did put in the hard work. ¡°What do you mean? Did I bring you trouble? I¡¯ve already eliminated so many people, why did you say that I¡¯m being reckless?¡±


    Ye Yifan, who was just about to turn and walk away, heard this and his gaze darkened instantly. He slowly turned back and said to her in an icy voice, ¡°Did you know how many people had been sacrificed because they were taking the bullets for you while you charged alone? Did you really think that it would only take a few bullet shots for you to reach their frontline?¡±


    The unappeased expression on Tang Xia¡¯s face froze immediately. She instantly recalled the pitiful screams coming from behind her while she was charging forward. She slowly lowered her head and stopped talking.


    Although Ye Yifan knew very clearly that no one was protecting her while she charged forward and she had made it that far with her own efforts, he still had to say it in order for her to calm down.


    ¡°So you just stay here obediently and don¡¯t do anything. You protecting your life is the best help for this war!¡± Ye Yifan intended to leave right after saying that, but Tang Xia was not resigned to being locked up in a room, unable to do anything throughout the whole period.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°Wait! I don¡¯t want to stay here until the end! I know that I was a little impulsive, but I was thinking for the benefit of the team. Ye Yifan, I really don¡¯t want to stay here. Let me out, I will be an obedient frontline, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Seeing how Tang Xia¡¯s attitude was softening, Ye Yifan also felt a little soft-hearted. However, when he thought about how dangerously she fought, he rejected her instantly. ¡°No, you won¡¯t remember anything by the time you¡¯re on the battlefield. You¡¯ll only think of Chu Tiankuo and not the lives of other streamers!¡±


    As soon as those words came out, the gaze of the two who were looking at Tang Xia also changed a lot. The whole room fell silent instantly. Ye Yifan said in a heavy voice, ¡°Do you know how selfish you are? I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±


    After saying that, he directly turned around and left the room without looking back. This time around, Tang Xia did not try to hold him back. Instead, she watched silently as he left. At this moment, both felt as if a knife had pierced through their hearts.


    Ye Yifan had been a little bit harsh in his tone because he wanted to make her stay there obediently. However, those words hit her in the heart.


    She squatted down slowly and gave up struggling. She fell onto the soft bed immediately and looked at the room¡¯s decorations in a daze. Everything here resembled the castle she lived in with Chu Tiankuo.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really gone crazy. No matter what I¡¯m looking at, I can always think of him¡­¡± Tang Xia could not help muttering to herself in a daze. The two standing at a side glanced at each other and ignored the fact that she turned around and sat on the sofa at a side to rest.


    Although they did not like Tang Xia very much, being able to just stay here felt not bad. After all, they did not need to be on the frontline. Anyways, they did not have such capabilities.


    However, not long after Ye Yifan came out, a person dressed in ragged clothes and covered in gunfire burns ran towards him frantically, as if risking his life. He panted heavily and said anxiously, ¡°Things¡­things are not good!¡±


    Ye Yifan was shocked by the man who suddenly dashed in. He quickly helped him up and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t rush, take your time!¡± Then, he even patted him on the back to ease his breathing.


    The man pointed outside anxiously and said in broken sentences, ¡°Our troop¡¯s¡­frontline had been defeated! Everyone is worn out already¡­it seems like it will be difficult for us to sustain for long!¡±


    Ye Yifan frowned upon hearing the news. After thinking for a while, he eventually decided to take a look for himself. He turned around and ordered, ¡°Logistics! Come and treat this wounded person. Be careful when carrying him into the ward. Can I have two more men coming with me to the frontline!¡±


    Upon hearing that, everyone quickly came to carry the messenger to rest. Two base guards also quickly ran over. They volunteered to check out the frontline with Ye Yifan.


    Without further ado, Ye Yifan and the two of them headed off directly. However, as soon as they got there, they saw that the frontline had already been completely tarnished. Looking at the injured streamers sprawled across the ground, Ye Yifan instantly felt overwhelmed.


    Suddenly a grenade came exploding in their direction. Ye Yifan was saved by the two beside him who suddenly pulled him aside. He only realized what happened afterward. He quickly divided their jobs. ¡°Bring those injured back first, bring them to logistics to get treated as soon as possible. Those who know how to use a gun follow me! Cover them as they retreat!¡±


    After hearing his command, everything became orderly. Soon, they gained control over the situation. However, it was still a lot of effort when relying on Ye Yifan and a few others only. In fact, those who were hiding behind the buildings at the sides because they were injured did not have the chance to come out.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°This is really weird. Why did they suddenly charge towards us so agitatedly?¡± Ye Yifan could not help muttering to himself. Those around him also had no idea what happened exactly.


    ¡°However, after Tang Xia was sent back to the base, they turned on us like crazy dogs,¡± one of them could not help saying.


    Ye Yifan suddenly understood. Looking at Cross-era¡¯s frontline, his heart started burning furiously instantly. Did these mice think they could come out and play just because Tang Xia the cat was away? Thinking about this, he carried his gun and rushed out.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Mu Chengxuan could not help curling his lips slightly when he saw how the situation was overturning. A teammate suddenly ran towards him and said, ¡°Luckily Master Mu told us Tang Xia was gone. Otherwise, we would still be suppressed by her and not be able to lift up our heads!¡±


    However, after Mu Chengxuan listened to his words, his gaze deepened immediately. He slowly turned and looked at him. ¡°Tang Xia¡¯s capabilities are definitely not to be undermined. I was clearly aiming for her heart when I fired that shot.¡±


    The person beside him froze and was suddenly at a loss for words. ¡°Then¡­why did that bullet only hit her arm? Master Mu¡¯s marksmanship never fails!¡±


    Mu Chengxuan slowly lifted his hand and looked at the sniper rifle. He could not help but say in a deep voice, ¡°That is to say, this woman¡¯s flexibility and marksmanship are not to be undermined. She¡¯s very smart. I can sense that something was occupying her mind, which was why she became a little crazy. Otherwise, she would not have done it to this extent.¡±


    On the other side, Tang Xia still sitting in her room in a daze. All the words that Ye Yifan just spoke to her echoed in her mind. However, at this moment, she suddenly heard a loud bang and the whole room shook.


    Instantly, the two people at the side stood up in a hurry. However, Tang Xia frowned a little solemnly. She turned and looked at the two, saying anxiously, ¡°Quick! Go and find Ye Yifan immediately! Tell him I need to tell him something!¡±


    However, the two people obviously looked like they would rather ignore her. After thinking about it for a while, they eventually decided to go out and take a look. However, shortly after they went out, Ye Yifan returned back. The first thing he did was to take care of those who were injured.


    Then, he headed towards Tang Xia¡¯s room immediately. Tang Xia was pacing around anxiously when she suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. She quickly turned around and saw Ye Yifan walking into her room. She immediately dashed forward, took his arm, and made him spin around twice. After making sure he was not hurt, she then heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I know that the situation outside is because of me. Judging by the sound, they seem to have barged into close proximity. Just let me out, I will definitely not bring you any trouble!¡± Tang Xia was already filled with regrets. She only wished that he would give her a chance to do something for them.


    However, Ye Yifan was still firm. He said in a deep voice, ¡°If you¡¯re only looking for me just to tell me this, then by staying here obediently, you¡¯re already being my greatest help.¡±


    After saying that, the turned around and left without looking back. No matter how much she wanted to go out, these two people would definitely not let her go. Hence, she could only sit there obediently.


    After an unknown period of time, the sound of fighting coming from outside was becoming louder. Tang Xia felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. Eventually, she could not hold it in any longer and jumped up. ¡°The two of you, can you help me find out about the situation outside?¡±

 Chapter 342 - As a Transaction

    Chapter 342 As a Transaction


    However, these two people basically did not look at her at all after Ye Yifan left. It was as if she did not exist. They treated her like air.


    Tang Xia could not hold it in anymore and wanted to vent her anger. However, there was no way she could do that. After all, at this point in time, everyone must hate her a lot. They were in this situation because she had stirred up the plan.


    ¡°Well, no matter what, we still need to know what¡¯s happening outside, right? No one is benefitting from being stayed in this room, right?¡± Tang Xia tried to encourage them in a gentle voice. However, although they did glance at her, they still did not take her seriously.


    Tang Xia could feel very clearly the deep hostility they had towards her. The silent treatment was just one of the ways they used to hate her. She touched the ropes tied on her body. After entering the room and having her wounds dressed, they took back their jackets and replaced them with ropes.


    It seemed that they would not help her find out about the situation. She could only walk around in circles. Suddenly, she turned her gaze towards the vase at a side. She instantly felt lucky that this system was well-equipped to make a war place feel so comfortable.


    Tang Xia glanced at the two people behind her. After confirming that they were not paying attention to her, she directly ran towards the side of the vase and shifted her body a little, causing the vase to shatter into pieces instantly.


    With that loud clash, it would be difficult for them not to turn around. They instantly looked at her in dissatisfaction. ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you just sit still?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and pretended to say embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just being anxious and accidentally broke the vase. But can you guys help me to find out what is going on outside?¡±


    Upon hearing that, both of them turned their heads away immediately with a cold attitude and pretended as if they could not see her. Tang Xia could not help but sneer from the corners of her mouth.


    It was exactly Tang Xia¡¯s intention for them not to look at her. She scooped down and picked up a broken piece of the vase. She started to cut through the rope on her body.


    After a long time at the frontline, Ye Yifan managed to force them to retreat a little. However, he could only do his best to prevent both sides from firing and to take a break. However, he was eventually still heavily injured on the battlefield. His right chest was hit by two bullets and he suffered a tiny blow from a grenade.


    The logistics quickly hurried over. A group of people started to cover them and sent Ye Yifan away. Although they managed to send them back safely, the serious injuries were still a problem. In the short run, he would not be able to hold a gun.


    Several logistics personnel quickly came to treat his wounds. Although he could not hold a gun, he could still talk and command. However, with Ye Yifan down, it was as if they had all lost their backbone.


    While everyone was panicking and starting to search for the main reason for this current outcome, someone suddenly jumped out from the crowd and shouted, ¡°Master Ye! We are in this current state all because of Tang Xia! I think we need to punish her properly!¡±


    When someone started to voice out, it would be followed by a second, third and fourth one¡­.until everyone was on the same stance, even those who did not know the truth was merely going with the flow. They did not care what it was about, as long as everyone was happy.


    Initially, Ye Yifan did not want to talk because he was injured. However, seeing everyone making a commotion, he felt inexplicably agitated. He struggled to endure the pain as he waved his hand. ¡°Enough! Behave yourselves! Right now, the most important question is how we are going to deal with our current status. As for the punishment, you can do whatever you want after you win the game!¡±


    After saying that, he could not help but cough twice. This made those who wanted to cause a scene to stop. Indeed, the most important thing right now was to be united.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°Okay, okay. Everyone, stop talking. Quickly carry Master Ye in.¡± The people around him then quickly hurried over and everyone sent him back to his room together.


    At this moment, Tang Xia was still cutting the rope with the broken vase. Just when she had successfully cut through the rope, she suddenly heard a commotion at the door. The two people who were keeping a watch on her quickly went out to take a look.


    Tang Xia took advantage of the mess and popped her head out to take a quick peek. However, she saw that Ye Yifan was covered in blood and was being carried in. At that instant, she felt like all she could see was white color and there was a buzz in her mind.


    Tang Xia dashed through the chaotic crowd. However, a few people stopped her. Tang Xia¡¯s expression was grim as they looked at her in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­locked up by Master Ye?¡±


    At this moment, the two guards then realized what was going on. They quickly ran over and wanted to pull her back. However, they did not imagine her to have such enormous strength from god-knows-where that caused them to be shoved aside directly.


    ¡°Ye Yifan! Did you lock me up just for me to see this state that you are in?¡± Ye Yifan heard this cry while he was still in a daze. At that instant, he subconsciously wanted to open his eyes.


    His blurry vision saw Tang Xia¡¯s red and tear-filled eyes. At that instant, he felt his heart ache. He struggled to say in a weak voice, ¡°Bring her¡­back! Lock her up!¡±


    Seeing that he still wanted to lock her up at this point in time, she quickly grabbed his blood-stained wrist and sobbed, ¡°No! I want to take care of you! Can I?¡±


    Hearing her almost-pleading voice, he suddenly did not know what to do. His remaining logic made him refuse her request and scowled, ¡°Why are you still not locking her up!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone quickly continued to carry him away. A few men came up to her and pulled her back to her room. No one listened no matter how she pleaded. She wiped away the tearstains at the corners of her eyes and sobbed against the door. This was the second time she felt so helpless.


    The first time was when Chu Tiankuo disappeared.


    Ye Yifan passed out immediately after Tang Xia was locked up in her room. Fortunately, the logistics managed to wake him up again. However, after waking up, he suddenly thought of her.


    Just when everyone was thinking back on how Tang Xia held back Ye Yifan, the system suddenly activated a broadcast announcement. The buzzing system prompt instantly caused everyone to be confused.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    [From now on, hand Tang Xia over. Otherwise, we will let all Time-travel Bar streamers be sealed in this virtual world forever.]


    Ye Yifan, who was closing his eyes and resting, suddenly opened his eyes. All Time-travel Bar streamers were at a loss. Even the locked-up Tang Xia did not know what was happening.


    Not long after, Ye Yifan came running towards her. Tang Xia was still in her room feeling confused when she saw him panting heavily as he dashed in. Seeing the numerous bandages around his body, she was shocked and quickly went up to him to support him.


    ¡°What are you doing? Your wounds had just been bandaged, how can you get off your bed so quickly!¡± Tang Xia could not help disciplining him when she saw him like this.


    However, Ye Yifan was obviously unable to listen to whatever she said. He directly grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s hand. He was so anxious that he did not even care about his injuries. ¡°Do not go! Do not interfere with this!¡±


    Tang Xia could see the anxiety in his eyes clearly. She frowned but said nothing. When this thing happened, perhaps she already had some considerations.


    At this moment, the two guards who had gone out also quickly ran towards her after hearing the system broadcast. This was the scene they saw after opening the door.


    Ye Yifan was just looking at her anxiously, seemingly waiting for an affirmed answer. However, Tang Xia looked at the two and said, ¡°The two of you, aren¡¯t you going to carry Master Ye back?¡±


    The two guards were instantly at a loss. They looked at him and then looked at her again. However, after their gaze caught sight of his sullen face, they would not move no matter what.


    Tang Xia could not help glaring at them. At this moment, Ye Yifan also turned on the system broadcast suddenly. He announced directly: [No matter what, I will definitely not entertain Cross-era¡¯s nonsense. I promise to fight you guys till the end!]


    As soon as this news came out, everyone was instantly shocked. They started to discuss among themselves softly whether or not it was worth for Ye Yifan to protect Tang Xia to this extent.


    Hearing that, Tang Xia thought deeply for a while before turning to Ye Yifan. She smiled and approached him slowly. She directly gave him a gentle hug and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be mindful of my own safety. I know the limits to everything. I just hope that you can lead them to win this fight with them, understand?¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, Ye Yifan felt that something was not quite right. Unexpectedly, Tang Xia gently knocked behind his neck, sending him into a coma right away.


    The two people standing at one side could not take it anymore. They quickly ran towards them and snatched him away from her hands. ¡°What are you doing! How can you knock out Master Ye!¡±


    Seeing that the two were about to pull out their guns, Tang Xia still had no fear to face the guns. On the contrary, she could not stop herself from smiling after watching them. ¡°Why are you so nervous? I¡¯m not trying to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you knock him out! Are you going to do something that will betray Time-travel Bar? Indeed! Since a long time ago I could already tell that you¡¯re a spy!¡± After saying that, he put on the safety.


    Tang Xia gradually loosened her smile.


    She gently caressed his cheek and said in a deep voice, ¡°He is Ye Yifan. With these three words, I will never hurt him in my life.¡±


    She was extremely serious while saying that, causing the two to start to feel doubtful. Just when they were at a standstill, Tang Xia suddenly stood up slowly and turned around before making a system broadcast.


    [Tang Xia is in, but we need to have a two-hour truce]


    ¡°Oh, by the way, remember to bring him back to his bed for him to rest. Otherwise, he will catch a cold.¡± After saying that, Tang Xia then prepared to walk out.

 Chapter 343 - Internal Disorder

    Chapter 343 Internal Disorder


    ¡°Hey! Are you really going in on your own?¡± One of them was still reluctant to let her go. Tang Xia was a little surprised. She did not expect anyone here to worry about her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. There are too many opinions about me here. Besides, I¡¯ve owed Ye Yifan too much. If he was awake, he would definitely not let me go, so I knocked him out. But don¡¯t worry guys, I only hit him in the back of his neck. I already checked, he was not hurt there.¡±


    After saying that, Tang Xia prepared her submachine gun and directly pushed open the door, headed out, leaving behind the two to look after Ye Yifan. They stood there in a daze and looked at each other wide-eyed.


    The moment Tang Xia stepped out, she saw a bunch of people looking at her with a strange gaze. However, she ignored them. She pretended as if she did not see them at all, turned around, and headed out.


    Cross-era was very trustworthy. After agreeing to the two-hour truce, they did not continue to fight at all. As a transaction, Tang Xia walked to Cross-era¡¯s door slowly. She saw that many guards were holding many guns.


    ¡°Throw away all of your weapons!¡± One of the guards ordered violently as he forced a gun against her head. However, her cold gaze swept across them before she threw all of her weapons at the door without any reluctance.


    ¡°There, is that enough? Is there anything else you¡¯re not satisfied with? Do I need to take off my clothes as well?¡± Tang Xia gave a cold smile and played with her hair that had grown longer. Immediately, the few Cross-era guards stopped talking.


    Just when Tang Xia was feeling puzzled, she saw someone walking out slowly. She had seen this person numerous times. However, it was not Mu Chengxuan. It was his subordinate.


    He was obviously the one with a better tone. He raised his hand, inviting Tang Xia to go in. ¡°Since her weapons are all thrown away, just let her in right away.¡± After saying that, the two of them went in together.


    Tang Xia looked at the blank expressions of the guards and heaved a helpless sigh. Then, both of them entered together. The internal structure was about the same. Mu Chengxuan¡¯s room was equivalent to Chu Tiankuo¡¯s room back then.


    When the door opened slowly, Tang Xia felt like she had traveled back to that period of time. It felt as if Chu Tiankuo was always in this room, as if she was still harping on not letting him help her.


    However, at this moment, the person standing in this room was Mu Chengxuan. She saw him standing at the window, giving off a cold aura. She slowly walked towards him and realized that the view here was exceptionally good.


    Mu Chengxuan suddenly turned around. He did not seem to be afraid when he saw Tang Xia. On the contrary, he pulled her towards him directly and they stood by the window and looked at the view.


    She could feel the coldness of his hand that was grabbing onto hers slightly dominantly. She wanted to push him away but did not have the strength to do so. He said in a deep and distant voice, ¡°Look at how beautiful the view is from here. Soon, that bunch of people from Time-travel Bar will become our defeated opponent.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    However, Tang Xia smiled faintly. Her tone was inevitably filled with some sarcasm. ¡°Oh really? But I don¡¯t think it will be that smooth.¡± Having said that, she gently wrapped her fingers around some loose hair by her ear.


    Mu Chengxuan looked at her unscrupulously, as if he was looking at a prey. He sneered and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re indeed the person I laid my eyes on. No matter what you do, you¡¯re just so different. How about following me this time around? Cross-era has a lot of benefits. As long as you have the capabilities, I can help you to secure the perfect salary.¡±


    After saying that, he could not help but burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Tang Xia just looked at him calmly. There was only a faint smile on her face and no other special expression.


    Seeing that Tang Xia did not say anything, he suddenly felt his throat become dry and he was a little dissatisfied. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I heard that one of our seniors also asked you to join us but you didn¡¯t respond. Although I don¡¯t know what your reason was back then, there is one thing I am sure of.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at him and asked, ¡°Oh? What is it that you¡¯re so sure of?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan stared at Tang Xia¡¯s face for a long time and finally broke into a cold smile, saying, ¡°You are a rare talented broadcaster. Time-travel Bar is not for you. Even if you used to be Time-travel Bar¡¯s queen of popularity, they cannot bring your heyday back. However, Cross-era can!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at his extremely confident face and remained silent for a while. Eventually, she asked lightly, ¡°Then take a guess, why didn¡¯t I join your company back then?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan looked at her and thought silently for two seconds before saying slowly, ¡°Back then, Cross-era probably lifted the ban so you can¡¯t go to our company.¡±


    However, Tang Xia shook her head to express her disagreement. ¡°I know that you will definitely not let go of the Time-travel Bar streamers, so naturally I have to come with the capability of doing something equivalent.¡±


    ¡°If you can keep everyone from Time-travel Bar in this world, then I can naturally make all your Cross-era streamers unable to return to the real world as well.¡±


    Hearing that, Mu Chengxuan thought that she was being humorous. He asked with a cold laughter, ¡°What do you think you are doing? You want to, so you can?¡±


    However, as if having seen something funny, Tang Xia suddenly looked at him with a cold expression and said, ¡°Then let me tell you what happened half a year ago when I exited the industry. How about I talk about how all the streamers were trapped in ¡®Destroy the Virus¡¯?¡±


    After Mu Chengxuan listened to the whole story, he put on a cold expression and thought silently for a while without saying anything. At that instant, the relationship between the two became a little awkward.


    During then, there were several people eavesdropping at the door. They naturally remembered all that Tang Xia said. After all, in just one night, the whole Time-travel Bar had to cease operations. A number of them from Cross-era were once from Time-travel Bar.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Hence, they believed her. However, Mu Chengxuan sneered and said sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s just a virus at work. How long has it been already? Besides, according to what you said, shouldn¡¯t the virus disappear a long time ago already?¡±


    Disappeared a long time ago¡­


    Tang Xia became silent instantly. She looked at him with a cold gaze and smiled. ¡°Whether he disappeared or not is a problem, a problem no one can solve. This is because right from the start, he was already a virtual character with feelings and who was detached from reality. Since he could even override the program to have feelings, what¡¯s impossible now?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan became more solemn when she finished speaking. He slowly approached Tang Xia and said, ¡°You said all these just to make my people panic, right? But your plan has failed. He¡¯s just a program, I don¡¯t fear him at all!¡±


    However, Tang Xia was strangely calm as she looked at him and continued to threaten, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, if you all don¡¯t believe it, then let¡¯s just wait and see. What¡¯s the point of talking so many useless things?¡±


    After saying so, she looked out of the window that he was looking at. Both sides started getting ready to fight. The two-hour truce she mentioned was just a joke to them. ¡°You shot me from this spot, right?¡±


    Tang Xia slowly lifted her hand and caressed her shoulder. The place where she was just shot was still a little painful. However, Mu Chengxuan put on a cold face and snorted, ¡°Someone come and lock her in the basement room!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, two people rushed in immediately. Without saying anything, they got hold of Tang Xia, turned around, and walked away. However, when Tang Xia looked back at those people beside him, she saw that their heads were lowered and they did not say anything. This was when she knew that she had achieved her goal.


    Tang Xia was pushed to the basement directly. After all, a dark and damp place could not be a good place. Not long after she came in, someone could not hold it in anymore and came in directly.


    Listening to the unstable footsteps, Tang Xia held back the smile at the corners of her mouth. She slowly lifted her head and looked towards the person. It was Mu Chengxuan¡¯s mighty teammate from earlier. Upon entering, he was open right from the start and asked in a low voice, ¡°You have so many crazy ideas. As long as you tell me whether that broken system is true or not, I will directly send you out and you can go wherever you want to go. How¡¯s that?¡±


    However, Tang Xia pretended to look at him blurrily and asked doubtfully, ¡°Why should I tell you if it¡¯s true? Why do I need to explain it again when it is clearly true?¡±


    The man could not help falling silent after he saw her reaction. He thought for a bit before continuing to ask, ¡°As long as you tell me whether or not it is true, just tell me if you want to become our streamer, I can immediately arrange for you to come in. And even if Time-travel Bar loses, you don¡¯t have to suffer the eternal punishment. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Perhaps the ordinary Time-travel Bar streamer would have agreed to this temptation by now. However, Tang Xia did not. She just gave him a faint smile. The perseverance on her face did not fade. Instead, it became visibly stronger.


    Her calmness obviously caused them to panic again. Looking at the back view of Mu Chengxuan¡¯s mighty teammate as he left, she could not help but sneer. She could tell that their panic was growing. At this point in time, there was already an internal disorder.


    They were just waiting for an opportunity and Time-travel Bar could take advantage of this opportunity to tackle down Cross-era while their internal structure was in a mess.


    Before she could rest a little bit, the basement door opened again. Mu Chengxuan rushed in angrily without saying anything. She was initially closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. When she saw him, she could not help but want to say hi.


    However, Mu Chengxuan was obviously very furious. He directly waved his hand and said to the two behind him in a low voice, ¡°Bring her away!¡±

 Chapter 344 - System Crash

    Chapter 344 System Crash


    As soon as Mu Chengxuan¡¯s words fell, the two men behind him walked towards Tang Xia ferociously. She frowned and did not speak. She just looked at Mu Chengxuan with a cold gaze.


    ¡°I really underestimated you. I didn¡¯t expect you to not only be good at with your body and brain, but your ability to spread rumors is also top-notch,¡± Mu Chengxuan said with a cold smile.


    Tang Xia only smiled faintly and said coldly, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen my other skills yet, huh.¡± Then, she looked at him with a slightly provocatively gaze.


    Suddenly, as if suddenly remembering something, she put on an innocent look and said, ¡°But I really didn¡¯t spread any rumors. The system crash that I mentioned is true. No matter what, I will never joke about this kind of thing.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s face became serious immediately, causing Mu Chengxuan to become a little flustered. Just when the two men were about to lay their hands on Tang Xia, there was suddenly a gunshot at the door.


    Mu Chengxuan shouted immediately, ¡°Grab hold of Tang Xia first!¡± Tang Xia¡¯s face turned blank when she heard the gunshot. The last thing she wanted to happen came into her mind immediately.


    Hearing Mu Chengxuan¡¯s command, the two men quickly turned around to grab hold of Tang Xia. At that moment when they touched her clothes, a bullet suddenly hit one of their hands.


    ¡°I will kill whoever dares to touch Tang Xia!¡± Mu Chengxuan heard a loud roar coming from behind him. At that instant, everyone in the basement froze on the spot.


    Tang Xia knew this voice the best. The thing she worried about the most still happened eventually.


    Mu Chengxuan quickly turned around when he heard the voice. He picked up his gun, and got ready to shoot whoever was behind him. However, he did not expect to come face to face with a muzzle.


    ¡°Why are you here!¡± Tang Xia eventually could not help but roar loudly. The two people beside her did not dare to step forward at all. The hand that suffered the gunshot was bleeding heavily and the man groaned in deep pain.


    Mu Chengxuan was currently having a gun pointing at his head. He could not calm down at all. Cold sweat covered his body as he looked at this person. Yes, it was Ye Yifan.


    ¡°If I guessed correctly, you should be seriously injured now, right? I deliberately let you keep your life and you still dare to come here alone to save her?¡± Mu Chengxuan tried his best not to sound as scared as he was.


    However, Ye Yifan sneered. He moved the gun down a bit and said in a cold voice, ¡°Just because Tang Xia and I were either caught or seriously injured, you thought that there¡¯s no way we can fight back, so you let your guard down?¡±


    Two other men came quickly, ran in from behind and said respectfully, ¡°Master Ye, the people here have all been taken care of. We have suppressed most of them.¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Yifan nodded. Looking at the dead bodies of the system-assigned virtual characters sprawled all over the place, he turned and shouted at Tang Xia, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Tang Xia walked out of the room and the two men did not dare to stop her. After all, they knew that they were taken down. Ye Yifan had changed into a set of clean clothes and looked as if he was not injured. However, until today, as long as she closed her eyes, she could still recall the sight of him covered in blood.


    ¡°A bunch of useless junk!¡± Mu Chengxuan scolded them for failing him. Tang Xia also shook her head helplessly as she looked at him.


    ¡°Forget it. Since we already have a clear winner and loser, let¡¯s get out of here quickly. If we kill him, that painful feeling is unendurable. In a place like this, I believe Master Mu knows what it means to pay the price for the bet that you lost.¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Tang Xia deliberately let Mu Chengxuan learn how to be humble. She only spared his life because it was not easy in this industry. Mu Chengxuan glanced at her and slowly lowered his gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed my fault. Right from the start, I shouldn¡¯t have thought about bribing Tang Xia. Now, I¡¯ve dug my own grave.¡± Then, Mu Chengxuan sighed helplessly.


    Ye Yifan nodded and said coldly, ¡°If you didn¡¯t catch Tang Xia at the beginning, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have thought of doing a surprise attack and you guys might still have a chance of winning.¡±


    One of them was filled with regrets, one was emotional. Tang Xia could not help feeling speechless as she looked at them. Looking at the bunch of people behind him who followed him to charge through the frontline, she quickly said, ¡°Since they¡¯ve lost, why hasn¡¯t the system showed anything?¡±


    Ye Yifan also frowned. They had destroyed even their home and Mu Chengxuan had personally admitted that they had lost. However, the system still did not respond.


    Some people quickly pulled out the logout menu after hearing what she said. However, when they tried to log out, there was no response.


    At that instant, everyone around them started to panic. They recalled what Tang Xia said earlier and some of them shouted loudly, ¡°What¡¯s happening! Did the system really crash? Are we going to be stuck here?¡±


    Just when everyone was panicking, the whole world suddenly shook violently. Everyone got such a great shock that they froze for a while. Feeling lost, Tang Xia looked back and saw the dripping water in the basement freezing mid-air and the dust from all the fighting all froze mid-air as well.


    Ye Yifan was shocked to see the virtual characters around them stop moving. Only the human streamers were left not knowing what happened exactly.


    Even Mu Chengxuan was shocked and overwhelmed. He quickly went forward, grabbed Tang Xia¡¯s arm, and asked sternly, ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±


    Both Tang Xia and Ye Yifan experienced this before. Last time, everything stopped when they were on the helicopter. However, that was just for a moment, it was nowhere as long as this time.


    Ye Yifan could not help but say in a deep voice, ¡°Is the system really destroyed?¡± Hearing this, Tang Xia¡¯s whole body trembled. She naturally knew about this possibility. She quickly pulled out the system menu and chose to communicate with someone outside. However, there was no response.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. This time around, we are really trapped in this system.¡± Ye Yifan put down the gun in his hand directly. He was perhaps much calmer than he was during the last system crash.


    As soon as the surrounding streamers heard that they were really unable to get out, they broke down instantly. They rushed towards Tang Xia and grabbed onto her. She was shocked by their sudden attack. ¡°What are you guys doing!¡±


    How could Ye Yifan allow them to touch Tang Xia? He fired shots in a circle around their legs and said in a slightly threatening tone, ¡°All of you! Get away from Tang Xia!¡±Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    The gun threat caused the streamers to jump away immediately. However, they could not just let it go. They pointed at her and scolded, ¡°This is all because of her! She said that the system will crash! She threatened us! She must be the one behind this! Let us go back now!¡±


    Tang Xia did not know whether to laugh or cry. She looked at the two of them as if they were retards and said helplessly, ¡°Even if I can destroy the system anytime I want, would I trap myself inside? Besides, we¡¯ve already won! Are you guys dumb or am I dumb?¡±


    The two of them became speechless instantly and could not say a word for a long time. Tang Xia thought about it for a while and said helplessly, ¡°But I think it should be fine. The system was recovered very quickly last time. I think it shouldn¡¯t take long this time. Let¡¯s just wait patiently.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone started to relax. They were all trapped in this world together, no one was in the mood to find fault in one another. Ye Yifan also kept his gun while Mu Chengxuan sat quietly at one side.


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia sat together. Ye Yifan rubbed his aching arm and asked casually, ¡°Have you found Chu Tiankuo?¡±


    Tang Xia was shocked. She then shook her head. However, a trace of desolation flashed across her eyes. Ye Yifan looked at her expression and understood what was going on. ¡°But only Chu Tiankuo could do something like this.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what is going on exactly. I just said it casually, I didn¡¯t expect it to really happen. Although I know that only he can do it, I really have nothing to do with this.¡±


    Ye Yifan nodded. He patted her back to express his understanding. He then turned to look around at those people and said, ¡°Everyone, keep on trying. Maybe we can go out suddenly.¡±


    Then, Ye Yifan also tried to open the menu to see if he could go out. Everyone began to try after listening to what he said. However, the multiple attempts were all to no avail.


    However, just when everyone was waiting in silence, there was suddenly a loud buzz-like bang that sounded throughout the entire world. Everyone could not take this high-pitch sound and struggled to cover their ears in pain.


    Tang Xia did not expect something like this to happen. She tried to stand up by supporting herself against the wall. After looking around, she realized that there seemed to be something wrong with the virtual characters.


    ¡°Everyone, get away from the system-assigned people immediately!¡± Tang Xia quickly shouted at everyone. She then swiftly grabbed a gun from someone at the side.


    No one expected this sudden change. This loud buzz seemed to have activated the entire system. All the virtual characters suddenly became crazy like zombies. The whole world started operating again and everything started moving.


    However, the virtual characters did not care what they were after. As long as they saw a streamer, they would start to tear them apart crazily. Tang Xia held onto the gun and started shooting those people. Seeing this, Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan quickly helped her.


    After a few loud gunshots, the virtual characters all fell to the ground. Tang Xia and the rest then heaved a sigh of relief. Mu Chengxuan wiped away the sweat on his forehead and questioned Tang Xia angrily, ¡°What the hell is going on? Why did that bunch of ghost-like things start to attack us?¡±


    Tang Xia could not stand it anymore as well. She glared back at him and responded, ¡°You¡¯re asking me, but who can I ask! I¡¯m not the system, how am I supposed to know why they started acting like crazy!¡±


    She only mentioned it casually and did not expect it to really happen.

 Chapter 345 - Joint Collaboration

    Chapter 345 Joint Collaboration


    Mu Chengxuan did not expect Tang Xia to become so agitated all of a sudden. He was shocked by her outcry. He turned around and looked at Ye Yifan. The latter also knew that this was a burst of pent-up emotions.


    Receiving the signal from Mu Chengxuan¡¯s gaze, Ye Yifan quickly went up to her and wrapped his arms around her. He patted her back and comforted her gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are not blaming you. Everyone is just feeling lost at this sudden turn of events so their words are a little harsh. Just ignore them.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s eyes started to turn red as she listened to his words. She sobbed and said, ¡°Then what have I done to deserve them pushing the blame all onto me! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    At this point in time, Mu Chengxuan was also a little embarrassed. He scratched his head as he watched Tang Xia let out her emotions. He also felt that he had gone overboard. Just when he was still contemplating whether or not to apologize to her, a bunch of people outside the basement started screaming.


    At this point in time, Tang Xia could not care about anything else. She quickly calmed herself down and pushed away Ye Yifan. The trio rushed up to take a look.


    However, when they reached upstairs, they saw something unexpected. All of the system-assigned individuals were attacking the streamers like crazy. Tang Xia and the rest stood there in a shock. They had no idea what was happening.


    Seeing that a system-assigned man was about to attack one of the streamers, Tang Xia quickly picked up her gun and ran towards them. She shot at the system-assigned man until he dissipated.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Tang Xia helped the streamer up. Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan rushed to help as well. Seeing that there were more system-assigned people turning crazy, the trio was unable to save too many people.


    ¡°Everyone, listen to me! Raise the guns in your hands! We don¡¯t know why these system-assigned characters started going crazy. Before we find out the reason, everyone please protect your own safety!¡±


    Everyone heard what Tang Xia said. Although they were dissatisfied with Tang Xia, it was not a fight between Cross-era and Time-travel Bar anymore.


    Tang Xia grabbed a submachine gun from somewhere. The familiar grip made her more skillful. With a dodge, she ran towards Mu Chengxuan. She hid from the surrounding system-assigned people and said anxiously, ¡°Master Mu, now is not the time to settle our personal grudges. I think we should lay all things aside and take care of these people first.¡±


    However, Mu Chengxuan raised his brows and snorted with disapproval. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you guys win already? No matter what¡¯s the result, we can¡¯t win anyway. Maybe we can return to the real world after being killed. Is there really a need to join forces?¡±


    As soon as he said those words, Tang Xia had the urge to point the gun at his head. She took a deep breath to suppress the urge to shoot him. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Your way of thinking is very dangerous. Until now, no one knows whether or not there is a system crash. If it really crashed, then we would be really dead when we are killed. In that case, we would no longer be able to go back. Understand?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan could not help but shiver when he heard that. He looked at her in shock. After thinking for a while, he suddenly stood up and shouted at all the Cross-era streamers, ¡°Everyone, listen up! From now on, lay aside the grudges with Time-travel Bar! Right now, we shall save people first! We will settle the rest after everyone is safe!¡±


    There was already a portion of those from Cross-era who died, leaving about three quarters behind. Hearing his command, they all braced themselves and started to destroy the system-assigned people.


    Everyone charged towards Time-travel Bar¡¯s castle full of energy. After all, they still did not know if those at the castle had fallen. Otherwise, it could still act as a safe harbor.


    Mu Chengxuan, Tang Xia, and Ye Yifan were charging together in the frontline. However, the number of system-assigned individuals who woke up was increasing. No matter how many they killed, the same number of people would appear out of nowhere.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there an end to killing them!¡± Mu Chengxuan could not help but scold. Tang Xia also did not know why they kept coming endlessly. They were like zombies, flowing towards them like a stream of water.


    The streamers would be at the losing end if they used so much energy for a prolonged period. Soon, only a quarter remained. Even the most powerful soldiers could not win a war of attrition.


    The remaining streamers from Cross-era and the unit in the frontline from Time-travel Bar fought for an unknown period of time. Finally, they saw Time-travel Bar¡¯s base castle not far away.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    ¡°Everyone, charge! We¡¯re reaching soon!¡± Tang Xia was emotional when she saw the castle. She felt hope in her heart, but she was afraid to go near because she was afraid that this hope would also turn into disappointment.


    After annihilating two more people by his side, Ye Yifan quickly ran to her side. The way she was charging forward could cost her life. ¡°Be careful! You already have a few bites on your body!¡±


    Tang Xia did not mind. She wiped away the sweat on her forehead and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We will be there soon. I can bandage them after we reach the castle. Also, they are not real zombies, and I won¡¯t mutate after I get bitten.¡±


    Ye Yifan wanted to say something more but could only swallow them down. He could only stay behind her to protect her until they all reached the castle¡¯s entrance.


    However, when they arrived, they found a lot of streamers¡¯ dead bodies. Tang Xia was hopeful at first but now stood rooted to the ground. Ye Yifan came in after her and his heart sank.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did they fall too?¡± Tang Xia ran into the castle quickly. Standing behind them, Mu Chengxuan saw the scene and followed after her without saying a word. However, they also saw the same system-assigned people acting wantonly.


    Tang Xia started going around shooting them like crazy. Ye Yifan could not stop her and could only let her be. He turned around and asked all streamers to come in. Then, they pushed the stone statues at both sides of the entrance together.


    Mu Chengxuan looked at him with confusion. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ye Yifan gave him a cold look like he was looking at an idiot.


    ¡°Come and help me close the doors! At least the bunch outside can¡¯t get in!¡± After Mu Chengxuan heard that, he also asked everyone to come and block the doors.


    Everyone heaved out a sigh of relief instantly. Ye Yifan did not start to relax. He immediately grabbed his gun and charged upstairs. ¡°Tang Xia! Don¡¯t be rash!¡± After giving it some thoughts, Mu Chengxuan also decided to go up and help.


    ¡°You guys, go look for medical supplies and treat each other. We¡¯ll go upstairs to take a look.¡± Everyone looked at each other. There were people from both companies in the remaining bunch. Although they did not get along well with each other, they did not have any opinions against the instructions and all nodded.


    On the other side, Tang Xia rushed to the top of the building and saw a large number of system-assigned people being blocked at the door. Without saying anything, Tang Xia directly picked up her gun and started shooting at them. However, she ran out of bullets halfway through. The system-assigned people were rushing up.Read More chapter on our vi pnovel. com


    Just then, Ye Yifan reached just in time and took care of the remaining people. Meanwhile, Tang Xia undermined them and they managed to bite onto her arm, tearing away a piece of her flesh.


    Ye Yifan looked at her bloody arm and scolded her angrily immediately, ¡°I already told you not to act rashly! Why can¡¯t you listen to anything I say!¡± Tang Xia also knew that she was in the wrong. She just looked at her arm in pain and did not say anything.


    When they eliminated all of the system-assigned people, the door that was blocking them was suddenly opened. Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were shocked. Then, they saw many streamers coming out of it.


    ¡°You guys¡­ are still alive!¡± Tang Xia immediately stood up in excitement. At that moment, everyone saw how hard she worked and did not know what kind of expression they should look at her with.


    Ye Yifan also thought that they were killed. He did not expect them to be in hiding instead. He instantly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know what happened. Suddenly, all the virtual characters started attacking us like crazy. We could only hide in here. However, we still lost many of us.¡±


    At this moment, Mu Chengxuan caught up with them. Ye Yifan pondered for a while and eventually decided to let everyone gather here. Then, he brought all the remaining medical supplies in the castle here and organized them.


    ¡°We lost too many people when we were charging forward earlier.¡± Mu Chengxuan looked at the remaining streamers, and the whole atmosphere became solemn.


    Tang Xia also did not know how to comfort them. She could only receive the treatment from the logistical personnel silently. At this moment, there was chaos among the streamers. Someone stood up suddenly and shouted, ¡°We might as well just die. Perhaps we can return to the real world when we are dead!¡±


    Then, everyone started shouting to support him. Tang Xia stood up suddenly and scolded, ¡°You guys are too naive! Even if it is just a system failure, if we die, the live broadcast exceeds what the streamer¡¯s body can handle and we may still die!¡±


    As soon as she said that, the streamers causing the chaos suddenly panicked. The whole situation was much uncontrollable than before. Tang Xia frowned. She was feeling annoyed by their noisiness. She continued, ¡°But you guys don¡¯t need to worry! It¡¯s already been so long, so the people outside are probably fixing it already! They will not leave us alone!¡±


    As soon as her voice fell, Ye Yifan, who had been sitting at the back silently, suddenly stood up. He looked at her solemnly and said in a deep voice, ¡°But I think we should take the initiative. After all, this time is vastly different than before. If the system really crashed, the people outside might not necessarily have the power to fix it.¡±


    What he said caused her to think about the situation when Chu Tiankuo disappeared. During then, Chu Tiankuo also took the initiative and sent them out. Otherwise, their lives would be at stake at that moment. How could they then live until now?

 Chapter 346 - Where Does the Soul Belong?

    Chapter 346 Where Does the Soul Belong?


    At that time, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan thought of the same thing. According to Tang Xia¡¯s character, she would definitely not stay here and wait for death.


    At this point, if they didn¡¯t have great courage to fight with the enemies, breaking through the gate would be only a matter of time for those crazy system-assigned men outside, and by then they would die hundreds of times more tragically than before.


    Tang Xia stood up suddenly. She looked at the crowd firmly and said, ¡°I agree with Ye Yifan!¡±


    ¡°Take the initiative to attack!? Are you sure we can survive as long as we take the initiative to attack?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan was originally in high spirits, but his eyes now turned dim. Cross-era had suffered heavy losses in this task, and the right-hand man of Mu Chengxuan was killed in front of him.


    Tang Xia understood Mu Chengxuan¡¯s hesitation at this time, but she could not allow this passive idea to take root in the crowd.


    Tang Xia puckered her lips and wore a terrible look.


    At this time, her bright eyes burst out a frightening light. ¡°Mu Chengxuan! Have you been scared by the system-assigned men? Are you still the arrogant Mu Chengxuan you used to be?¡±


    The questions knocked on Mu Chengxuan¡¯s heart. His eyes gradually became gloomy and were filled with hatred towards the system-assigned men. His teeth glittered with cold light. He raised his eyes and said in a sonorous voice, ¡°Good! I¡¯ll give it my all this time!¡±


    When the Cross-era streamers saw their leader join the attack, they all requested to fight side by side with Mu Chengxuan.


    Tang Xia then realized that the rise of Cross-era was not only because of the decline of Time-travel Bar, but also because there was a rope between the streamers, which linked them together and formed incomparably strong unity.


    ¡°Ye Yifan, what are you going to do?¡± Tang Xia fixed her eyes on him and asked him to make a reasonable arrangement.


    At this moment, everyone looked at Ye Yifan, as if they had regarded him as their backbone.


    ¡°Mu Chengxuan, you lead a group of people to get out of the main entrance and eradicate a group of system-assigned men at the main entrance. Tang Xia and I will support you in the rear first. After those in front are wiped out, we will attack the others separately from the left and right sides. The pressure of eliminating them in three ways will be less.¡±


    ¡°Why should we Cross-era people be the first to die!¡± an inconspicuous streamer from Cross-era said in a muffled voice.


    Tang Xia just wanted to help Ye Yifan to explain, but she didn¡¯t expect that Mu Chengxuan spoke first. ¡°The people who survived in Cross-era are more than those in Time-travel Bar. So it¡¯s understandable for us to carve out a way first. What¡¯s more, the people in Cross-era are all elites. Are we afraid of these unconscious system-assigned men?¡±


    The arrogant Mu Chengxuan had returned! Once Mu Chengxuan said these words, everyone was quiet.


    Tang Xia said timely, ¡°Time-travel Bar will assign some people to help you. Now it¡¯s time for us to cooperate closely. Don¡¯t make anyone die because of old grievances!¡±


    After saying that, Tang Xia glanced at Mu Chengxuan strangely. She could not believe that he would speak up for them.


    Ye Yifan heaved a sigh of relief and frowned. ¡°Time is limited. We must stop wasting time! From now on, everyone must be full of energy! Attrition warfare is about to begin! Remember that every bullet in your hands is a powerful weapon that can hit the enemy!¡±


    At this time, Mu Chengxuan had already assembled a group of streamers who carved out the way. Everyone had a heroic expression on their faces, as if they were ready to die. This made Tang Xia feel very uncomfortable.


    She quickly prepared supplies, and the medical supplies were put in the nearest place to the door first.


    Deep, beast-like sounds could be heard from outside the door one after another.


    Everyone¡¯s face froze. They were afraid that the system-assigned men were already coming this way.


    Every time the voice sounded, everyone clenched the gun more tightly.


    Mu Chengxuan raised his hand and tied several guns and bayonets around his waist. Those who were responsible for charging marched in unison to the door.


    They chose a place that was a distance away from the entrance and wiped out a few wandering system-assigned men.


    Before they could even catch their breath, another batch of system-assigned men wobbly rushed over from afar.


    These system-assigned men were extremely like zombies, feasting on human flesh without reason. However, they were not infectious. It was unknown where the endless system-assigned men had come from.


    Mu Chengxuan and his party were exposed to the vast world. They were just like bloody and tasty prey, attracting system-assigned men in all directions to come.


    Those system-assigned men would bite a person when they saw him, and he could not get rid of them because they were just like leeches. After a few bullets went into their heads, they finally fell down from the streamers¡¯ arms and lost their fighting capacity.


    With the gathering of system-assigned men, the gun, which was still able to aim, seemed to lose its target and direction.


    The bullets of the crowd were desperately shot into the crowd. After a hail of bullets, only a small part of the system-assigned men was killed.


    However, this part made it possible for Tang Xia and Ye Yifan to attack the system-assigned men from a safer side.


    Tang Xia touched the submachine gun in her hand and had a clear idea in her mind.


    Ye Yifan patted Tang Xia¡¯s shoulder. Then they looked at each other and nodded, encouraging each other.


    The two attacked from both sides of the castle and killed all the scattered system-assigned men coming from the opposite side.


    Tang Xia¡¯s movements were swift and she was much calmer than when she shot the Cross-era streamers.


    As the cool breeze swept by, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were filled with the smell of blood, which added a sense of killing to her body.


    Tang Xia left everyone behind. Before other streamers could see Tang Xia¡¯s actions clearly, they saw the system-assigned men around her fall down in an instant.


    Her shooting skill was so superb that her bullets hit the vital parts of those system-assigned men. A single bullet she fired was even more effective than a hail of bullets.


    Tang Xia¡¯s outstanding performance undoubtedly reassured the streamers behind her. Everyone calmed down. At this life-and-death moment, everyone¡¯s shooting skill was much better than it used to be.


    Therefore, Tang Xia¡¯s shooting was much faster than that of Ye Yifan.


    Ye Yifan was in a conservative sniping mode. After everyone squatted behind the rock, they placed their sniper rifles one by one and aimed at the system-assigned men in the distance with a cross. The accuracy was high but the clean-up was a little slow.


    Originally, the system-assigned men who were at such a horrifying level should have been killed. However, it was strange that as soon as they disappeared, new system-assigned men would be added to the system endlessly.


    They crazily tore at the crowd. The charging team led by Mu Chengxuan was already scarred at this time, and even Mu Chengxuan was bitten.


    The fierce pain attacked Mu Chengxuan¡¯s heart, but he did not care about it and even became crueler because of it. The system-assigned man who was close to Mu Chengxuan was killed by his knife and his head was cut off. His smelly black blood spilled all over the ground.


    Under the close fight of the three teams, it didn¡¯t take long for the three teams to gather together and face the remaining ¡°never-ending¡± system-assigned men together.


    It turned out that Ye Yifan¡¯s strategy worked. At this time, the crowd was not fleeing in a panic as before. They were able to fight against the system-assigned men.


    At this time, the number of system-assigned men had been reduced by half, and the good thing was that the number of casualties was very small.


    This kind of situation had something to do with the cooperation of Time-travel Bar and Cross-era.


    Those weak streamers served as rescuers in the rear and treated the wounded in time with medical resources. Some of them even overcame fear and voluntarily went out to kill system-assigned men for those who could not participate in the battle.


    The people inside and outside the castle took turns to rest to replenish their strength and resources.


    Flesh and blood flew in all directions outside the castle. The strong smell of blood stimulated Tang Xia¡¯s stomach and made her feel like puking.


    She was the main force of this battle. In the past, the people of Cross-era mocked Tang Xia and thought that she won the task again and again with the help of bugs. Even if she returned to the streamer circle now, she was just a has-been who was struggling to survive.


    However, this battle made the Cross-era put away their contempt for Tang Xia and begin to face up to her ability.


    Tang Xia had consumed a huge amount of her physical strength, but she only rested for a short while before returning to the battlefield.


    Ye Yifan supported Tang Xia¡¯s shaky body and said worriedly, ¡°Tang Xia, you can¡¯t force yourself anymore. Listen to me, will you have a good rest?¡±


    Tang Xia shook her head and let go of Ye Yifan¡¯s hold. She smiled and said, ¡°Ye Yifan, have I told you that you really look like a naggy mom? Don¡¯t worry, I know my own body. The system-assigned men have not been exterminated yet, so I can¡¯t let my companions take the risk.¡±


    Ye Yifan growled, ¡°I don¡¯t care about them! I can¡¯t bear you to take the risk!¡±


    Ye Yifan was shocked when he raised his eyes and saw Tang Xia¡¯s determined eyes. He sighed helplessly. ¡°All right. You must call me when you are in danger!¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    After streamers around her bandaged the wounds on her legs, Tang Xia threw herself into the battle again immediately.


    This battle was extremely taxing. After a whole day of fighting, those system-assigned men still did not die out. Tang Xia and the rest had more and more wounds on their bodies, and there were quite a number of people who had missed their arms and legs in the castle.


    What was worse, the medical supplies were gradually decreasing. They were in urgent need of breaking through the siege and going to other places to look for the products for treatment.


    At this time, the night fell, and the bright full moon covered all the blood.


    Two-third of the system-assigned men surrounding the castle had already been killed, and the crowd was barely able to catch their breath.


    However, everyone knew that ease was only temporary. Before long, the system-assigned men would come back again without a break. The key to survival was to leave this place first.


    Through the unremitting efforts of them all, although the speed of the system-assigned men lunging forward had slowed down, Tang Xia and the others could barely hang on. All of them were exhausted. They were like spent bullets. If they continued to fight, they would be swallowed up by the system-assigned men.


    Tang Xia covered her arms and leaned against a tree to gasp. Through the leaves, against the moonlight, she found that a cloud of smoke rose.


    She carefully gazed at the source of the smoke. It was left behind by the system-assigned men after they died.


    The smoke was emitting a soft light, which was easily ignored in the daytime.


    Tang Xia observed it carefully again, and the last wisp of smoke left by the system-assigned men after they died always drifted north.


    Tang Xia climbed up a high tree quickly and looked far into the distance. She could faintly see a small town in the north, but it was too far away. It was just a point, so she could not see it clearly.


    Tang Xia quickly told Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan what she had found and both of them had already discovered that. The three knew that there must be something in the northern town.

 Chapter 347 - Take a Risk

    Looking at the town in the north, which shrank into a small dot, Tang Xia frowned intensely. She had an intuition that there must be some major clues hidden in the town.


    But right now, Tang Xia and the others had just consumed lots of energy in the battle earlier. They were all injured and it seemed that their injuries were not minor.


    Although these system-assigned men had slowed down their attacks, they were still being produced non-stop and launching attacks against them. If they went on like this, Tang Xia and her people would definitely overdraw their strength.


    The system-assigned men were deprived of consciousness and would not feel tired. However, their people were very alert. Coupled with the constant fighting, Tang Xia could see that everyone was relying on their consciousness to hang on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back first. It¡¯s not a good idea to continue fighting in this way. Let¡¯s discuss what we should do next after taking a break,¡± said Tang Xia as she looked at Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan.


    Right now, everyone was very tired. It was not the time to discuss problems. Their top priority was to treat their people as soon as possible and make adequate preparations for all the possibilities that might appear later.


    Ye Yifan turned around and looked at the others. He felt that Tang Xia¡¯s suggestion was advisable. After all, judging from the current situation, they had always been at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Listen to Tang Xia, let¡¯s retreat back to the castle!¡± Ye Yifan said loudly.


    He made sure that the people who were fighting could hear him, but his hands kept attacking.


    Actually, all of them were aware of their current situation. However, they did not want to be the only deserter as they were afraid of how others would think of them. Now that someone initiated to rest first, they would definitely do as told.


    The system-assigned men and Tang Xia¡¯s people were in a tug-of-war state until Tang Xia¡¯s team all stepped back.


    They entered the castle and closed the gate tightly. The system-assigned men were blocked outside the door.


    To prevent them from breaking the door open, they deliberately found a few thick sticks to put behind the door as an additional preventive measure.


    Without the system-assigned men¡¯s attack, the group of people dragged their tired bodies and fell onto the ground. They all tried to catch a breath and did not say a word. Emptying themselves was the best and fastest way to rest.


    After a long time, seeing that everyone was properly rested, Tang Xia stood up while leaning against the wall and told everyone what she had found.


    ¡°When we were fighting against the system-assigned men just now, Ye Yifan, Mu Chengxuan, and l all found that the dead system-assigned men would all turn into a puff of smoke and float toward the small town in the north,¡± Tang Xia said while she stood and looked at her comrades-in-arms who were resting.


    ¡°So I was thinking, why not we go and take a look at that small town? We¡¯ll definitely find some new clues.¡± While voicing out her suggestion, she also looked at the reaction of the crowd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree!¡± As soon as Tang Xia finished her words, someone jumped out to oppose her.


    Tang Xia looked at that person, who turned out to be a streamer from Cross-era.


    Looking at this person, Tang Xia did not seem very surprised. When she was resting just now, she had already expected someone would refute her, so she did not say anything and waited for that person to continue.


    ¡°We are all injured now and our medical supplies can¡¯t support us for a long distance. Besides, we don¡¯t know when the system-assigned men will attack us again.¡± That person voiced his concerns.


    That person continued, ¡°As compared to dying on the road and being nervous all the time, it¡¯s better for us to wait for them here. Since they will attack us, there must be a reason. We are likely to find some clues and maybe the person behind all this will come out.¡±


    Hearing that person¡¯s words, Tang Xia was silent for a moment.


    She knew that what he said made sense, but her instincts told her that the things in the small town were more important. She must go.


    ¡°But we¡¯ve already searched through this castle and found nothing. What if the system-assigned men barge in? By then, we¡¯ll have no medical supplies. Won¡¯t it be a turkey shoot?¡±


    Tang Xia looked at everyone¡¯s expressions and continued to speak her thoughts without giving others a chance to speak.


    ¡°If we go to that town, maybe we will find other supplies on the way. Anyway, it¡¯s better than staying here and waiting to starve!¡± Tang Xia said with more confidence.


    From her point of view, going to the town would not be a mistake.


    In the current castle, on one hand, there was no supply. On the other hand, there was a constant flow of system-assigned men behind the door. If they continued to guard the door like this, the outcome was obvious.


    However, it would be different if they go to the town. They are very likely to find other supplies on the way. Although it was just a possibility, there was still hope anyway.


    ¡°Staying here really means waiting to die. If we fight our way out, we may be able to reverse the situation and seize the opportunity!¡± Tang Xia said anxiously. Her brows were furrowed tightly because of how nervous she was.


    Right now, Tang Xia really hoped that this group of people could unite as one. After all, in this kind of situation, fighting alone was like seeking death. There was no chance of victory.


    However, while looking at Tang Xia¡¯s anxious look, a few other people shook their heads.


    They also did not want to risk going out either. Rather than being on tenterhooks all the time, it was better to wait here for the mastermind behind the scenes to appear.


    Tang Xia looked at the few of them shaking their heads. Suddenly, she felt disappointed at them. Why could they not just think about what she just said?


    When both parties were in a stalemate, Ye Yifan, who was standing aside, said, ¡°How about this? Those who agree to go out will go out to gather information. Those who don¡¯t want to go out will stay in the castle, serve as logistics, and search through the castle again.¡±


    ¡°However, we must all be careful. We are outnumbered by the enemy, we can¡¯t lose anyone,¡± said Ye Yifan.


    Perhaps as the most popular streamer in Time-travel Bar, Ye Yifan was more convincing. Besides, it was true that a man¡¯s words would be more effective. After thinking for a moment, everyone nodded and agreed.


    ¡°This method works. Just do what Ye Yifan said and go out if you want, or stay here if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Mu Chengxuan was the first to speak and echoed Ye Yifan¡¯s suggestion.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan and then at Mu Chengxuan. Since they all agreed with this method, she could only agree. Besides, she could not a more appropriate method.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s decided then. Those who are willing to go out will leave with me early tomorrow morning. We still have the whole night to consider,¡± said Tang Xia.


    After saying that, she sat down to address her wound. She still felt a little oppressed because of what happened just now.


    However, since it was already decided, she shall stop thinking about it.


    Ye Yifan saw that Tang Xia had sat down next to him, but she still looked unhappy. Hence, he moved closer to Tang Xia and shortened the distance between them.


    ¡°Tang Xia, don¡¯t care about it too much. We all have our own considerations. It doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re wrong if we object to you. Nobody is right or wrong in this kind of situation, it¡¯s just that we all think differently,¡± Ye Yifan comforted in a low voice.


    Looking at Ye Yifan who was staying with her and comforting her patiently, Tang Xia was suddenly moved.


    At times like this, Ye Yifan was the only one who would still stand by her side and say something to support her.


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan gratefully and then said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that fragile. I¡¯m Tang Xia!¡±


    Although Tang Xia was grateful to Ye Yifan, she could not show her weakness directly in front of him as it would put him in a bad spot and make him worried.


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia looked at each other and smiled. The gloomy atmosphere disappeared immediately. It could be considered as a moment of comfort in the nervousness.


    After a night¡¯s rest, everyone¡¯s spirits were much better when they woke up the next morning. Wounds have all been bandaged up and the whole team was more energetic than last night.


    Everyone woke up one after another and the complexion on their faces had also recovered a lot.


    Tang Xia heaved a sigh of relief. She was afraid that a comrade-in-arms would fall down at this time when there was a lack of medical supplies. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured as of now.


    ¡°Well, everyone is somewhat rested up. After a night¡¯s consideration, those who want to go out with me should go and prepare yourselves. Let¡¯s set off after 10 minutes,¡± said Tang Xia.


    10 minutes later, Tang Xia led a group of people and opened the castle¡¯s gate carefully and quickly. They intended to charge their way through the crowd of system-assigned men outside the door.


    There were not many people who were willing to take the risk with Tang Xia. This situation was also within Tang Xia¡¯s expectations.


    However, Tang Xia felt that these people were enough. After a night of consideration, those who were still willing to follow her must have been well-prepared mentally.


    A well-prepared person was more useful than three unwilling people, so Tang Xia was not afraid.


    Although she was already mentally prepared before coming out, she was still shocked when the system-assigned men turned to them immediately as soon as they saw them coming out and attacked them ferociously.


    Could it be that these system-assigned men were too tired yesterday, which was why their attack speed had decreased and after one night of rest, they had also recovered their physical strength now?


    However, Tang Xia had no time to think about it. She started a new round of fighting against the system-assigned men who were attacking her.


    The people around her also fought with her. No one slacked off.


    Since they had come out, it meant that they were willing to take the risk. However, it did not mean that they were willing to die.


    They finally managed to charge their way through the crowd of system-assigned men. Tang Xia quickly led her companions to run towards the nearest building.


    While running, Tang Xia said, ¡°Later we will split up to find the useful things in this building as quickly as possible. Everyone, take care, and stay safe.¡±


    After entering the building, Tang Xia and the rest immediately took split up to look for useful clues or supplies.


    Tang Xia looked around the building and found that there was no one else except themselves. However, Tang Xia could also feel the traces of a bustling scene.


    Although there was no one in the building, the computers used for work were still in working condition and the monitors were all turned on.


    Seeing all this, Tang Xia felt slightly confused and frowned. However, due to the urgency of time, she had no time to think about it carefully and started her search in this direction immediately.

 Chapter 348 - Sudden Changes

    Chapter 348 Sudden Changes


    Tang Xia knew that the system-assigned men all changed suddenly and because of this sudden change, too many things became unpredictable, which led to the system breakdown.


    Right now, the only thing that Tang Xia did not understand was why such a sudden change occurred.


    By right, some things had happened in a fixed period of time, but why did these system-assigned men change so frequently?


    Based on the current situation, Tang Xia could find no clues nor did she have any thoughts.


    ¡°Forget it. Since this is the case, l probably won¡¯t be able to think of anything. Just thinking about it would be a waste of time. I might as well quickly go to the town in the north to find the answer. Perhaps we might be able to find some clues there, and all of my doubts will be solved naturally!¡±


    Tang Xia had no idea what was going on in this current situation and she ran out of ideas. She could only comfort herself silently in her heart.


    Tang Xia soon overcame various difficulties and came to another building. During this period of time, she came across system-assigned men.


    Those who came with Tang Xia began to waver because they had no leads.


    ¡°If not, let¡¯s go back first. That building is not bad. There¡¯s no one inside and there are no system-assigned men. At least we¡¯re safe. If we continue to search aimlessly, we¡¯ll all die!¡±


    It seemed that a streamer who was slightly older than Tang Xia and had followed her here did not want to take risks like this anymore. He still felt that it would be safer to hide in a certain place and maintaining the status quo was the safest.


    After hearing this, Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were very opposed to his thoughts. However, if they took everyone¡¯s safety into consideration, his idea was indeed more reliable.


    However, if those system-assigned men returned to that building again, they would definitely die. Or if they stayed there, they would just be wasting their time. They might as well quickly go find clues so that they could get out of here.


    After saying these, the person finally became silent because others also wanted to try a risky way. They could discuss more after finding some clues.


    ¡°Why not let¡¯s all quickly find useful clues. We can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing. After we get back to that building, if those system-assigned men come out, we will die for sure. No matter what, this is safer. Worst come to worst, we¡¯ll take a risk!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The waver in this slightly older person¡¯s voice was obvious. Actually, it was not that he did not want to take the risk and find the clues.


    It was just that everything here was too clueless. Also, they did know what the northern town was like. If it turned out to be more terrible than here, they would die in vain.


    Naturally, the more active people of the group comforted him.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Of course, if we have a better method, we would definitely not be willing to take risks here. Let¡¯s quickly find a way to reach the northern town. We can only make a decision after going there and finding out the situation there.¡±


    In such circumstances, Tang Xia knew that if she did not say anything else, the whole plan would collapse. She had taken a big risk just now for them to make it to this point.


    ¡°Well, I know what you¡¯re thinking. Of course, it¡¯s also a risky way. But if we don¡¯t go to the northern town to find something as soon as possible, we¡¯ll definitely be trapped to death in this system.¡±


    Initially, after seeing that everyone was wavering, Ye Yifan wanted to blow his top. However, Tang Xia held him back and told him in a low voice, ¡°This is not a problem that can be solved by being angry. We must first calm everyone down. Not everyone is willing to take risks. The reason why he has such concerns is also because of his personal reasons.¡±


    ¡­


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Ye Yifan did not get angry. Instead, he continued to head towards the northern town with his companions. It was because now they knew that they had to first find out more and gather useful information to prepare themselves. Otherwise, everything would be in vain.


    With great caution, the group of people finally arrived at the town in the north.


    ¡°Okay, now everyone, listen to me. We have come to the northern town and we still don¡¯t know what is going on inside. So, everyone, you must be careful and you can¡¯t act alone! We will try to find useful information quickly and evacuate as soon as possible!¡±Access vi pnovel.com


    Tang Xia dared not talk too softly because she was afraid that others could not hear her. However, she was also afraid that the loud sound would attract the system-assigned men, so she was in a dilemma.


    Looking at everyone¡¯s confused look, Tang Xia knew that she had to take action as a leader.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it like this. The strong ones form a group with the agile ones. Each group will make up for each other¡¯s shortfalls.¡± After Tang Xia finished saying that, everyone felt that she made sense.


    Therefore, under Tang Xia¡¯s and Ye Yifan¡¯s arrangement, the scattered members formed into teams.


    Meanwhile, Ye Yifan and Tang Xia were in a group. They were also careful and led the way until they entered the northern town.


    After making sure there were not too many dangers inside, they began to take action separately. However, they were mostly in groups of three to four or at least in pairs.


    Before they separated, Ye Yifan set a time limit for everyone.


    ¡°Well, everyone, listen to me. The main task is definitely to find information, but we must hurry up. We must meet in half an hour, and we can¡¯t waste too much time. If we can¡¯t find anything, we will give up. We can¡¯t risk our lives to find clues.¡±


    After Ye Yifan and Tang Xia¡¯s comfort, everyone finally calmed down and began to search for these clues quietly. The journey was relatively safe and they did not encounter many system-assigned men.


    Tang Xia led these people to search secretly. However, they still could not find anything useful after searching for a long time. In the end, they almost searched through the two thoroughly and started to gather.


    ¡°Well, has anyone found anything useful after searching for half an hour? If you have something, please take it out and we will analyze it accordingly.¡±


    Tang Xia cast her expectant eyes on the crowd, but no one stepped out. They just shook their heads and sighed helplessly, which indicated that there was nothing.


    After seeing this, Tang Xia could not help but frown. She wondered what was going on and why they were so passive.


    Ye Yifan knew that it would not work if they continue like this, so he came up with another idea.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the highest building here and search. If we find system-assigned men, we must ask everyone to attack him together. Otherwise, it will be too dangerous. So let¡¯s go to this building first to see if there are any useful clues. If there is nothing, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s near-collapsing morale was boosted again. They were now still full of fighting will and followed Tang Xia and Ye Yifan into this building.


    There was indeed a glimmer of hope in the building. They found supplies in the lounge, a lot of them, so while they were confused, some of them began to ask others for help.Access vi pnovel.com


    ¡°Someone comes quickly! I¡¯ve found the supplies. Let¡¯s split them up and take them away, or we¡¯ll be too slow!¡±


    After hearing this, everyone came over one after another. After everyone distributed all the supplies among themselves, it was not too much of a heavy burden for each person.


    ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve temporarily found some of the supplies here, let¡¯s go to the next place to search. These supplies are probably not enough. Also, don¡¯t forget to find useful information!¡±


    Tang Xia continued to call on them to go to other places. Being able to find the supplies had given them a great deal of hope.


    Everyone went out of the building in high spirits, but they did not expect to meet system-assigned men. Tang Xia signaled for everyone to be quiet, but the system-assigned men still managed to find them.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be afraid when you face these system-assigned men. It¡¯s still possible for three or four of us to attack one of them, but we must pay attention to protecting the supplies!¡±


    Tang Xia looked at these system-assigned men fearlessly and realized that they were not very aggressive. At least three or four people of them could defeat them.


    ¡°These system-assigned men are really so hateful. If I don¡¯t kill them today, I¡¯m not me anymore!¡±


    Someone in Tang Xia¡¯s group shouted out this sentence. Hence, they all picked up their weapons one after another, charged towards the system-assigned men, and started fighting. Meanwhile, Ye Yifan and Tang Xia chose two relatively more powerful ones to deal with.


    After the battle, they eventually won against this group of system-assigned men. They did not dare to stay any longer and quickly left one after another.


    ¡°It seems that we have to speed up. We can use the ropeway to get into one building first and then use the noose again to slide to another lower building. Otherwise, we will waste more time. If we meet more system-assigned men, we have to fight again, which will waste too much time!¡±


    Tang Xia could not care too much anymore and told everyone her plan directly. Everyone thought that it was reliable, so they followed Tang Xia into the tallest building.


    After searching for a long time, they did not find anything useful at all, which was worse than that lounge.


    Seeing that there were basically no clues, Ye Yifan asked Tang Xia, ¡°Are we choosing to go back now? We have searched everywhere and there is no useful information. It will be a waste of time if we stay here. Why don¡¯t we lead them back? What do you think?¡±


    Tang Xia looked around. It was true that everything here had been searched thoroughly. Other than the supplies in the storage room, no one had found any other useful information. Besides, there were still system-assigned men appearing, which was also a danger for everyone.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not stay any longer and inform everyone to evacuate as soon as possible!¡±


    After Tang Xia said these, everyone spread the words that they were going to evacuate. Soon, everyone got together again 10 minutes later.


    After seeing this, Tang Xia knew that they could leave now and were ready to leave.


    The disappointed people recharged their fighting spirits.

 Chapter 349 - Strangeness

    After coming out, they tried their best to walk towards the original route. Fortunately, they did not meet any system-assigned men on the quiet route.


    They were originally very happy and thought that they could return safely and smoothly. However, they did not expect to meet a different system-assigned man on a street.


    ¡°All of you, stop! Be quiet and hide!¡±


    After Tang Xia discovered the strangeness ahead, everyone stopped immediately.


    If a system-assigned man was not disturbed, it was still possible for him to retreat quietly.


    Everyone stopped moving after hearing what Tang Xia had said. Seeing this, Ye Yifan questioned Tang Xia, ¡°What happened? Why did you suddenly stop walking? Shouldn¡¯t we hurry back?¡±


    ¡­


    Ye Yifan asked in a very low voice such that only two of them could hear. She pointed to the front, asking him to look.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s a system-assigned man over there who is left out. I¡¯m thinking whether we should bypass him, or you can go and deal with him, and then we¡¯ll walk away directly from the nearer path here?¡±


    The rest of the people also seemed to have discovered that system-assigned man and they did not dare to make a sound for fear of provoking him.


    In the face of such a situation, naturally, Ye Yifan would not dare to make a judgment casually. He was afraid that a mistake in his leadership would cause them to be attacked by that system-assigned man. Although there was only one system-assigned man, his power was probably not small.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on first. We can¡¯t act rashly. We¡¯re a group, not a single entity, so we can¡¯t take risks.¡±


    Ye Yifan replied to Tang Xia while thinking about this single system-assigned man. After thinking for a while, Tang Xia also hid with the others and did not take any action temporarily.


    After observing for a while, Tang Xia kept on feeling that there was something wrong with that system-assigned man because other system-assigned men seemed to be very conscious and would wander around. Why did that system-assigned man seem like he did not have his own consciousness as if he was a zombie?


    ¡°Have you discovered that there¡¯s something wrong with that person? Why do I feel like someone has sucked away his soul? It¡¯s been so long already and not only did he not realize we are here, but he also did not move at all. He has no mechanism, which is different from other system-assigned men.¡±


    Facing Ye Yifan, Tang Xia frowned and told him her doubts.


    However, Ye Yifan refuted Tang Xia¡¯s idea and told her all that he had found.


    ¡°I keep on feeling that he is not an ordinary system-assigned man. His eyes are not only filled with the mechanism of a system-assigned man, but he can also have human-like thoughts and consciousness.¡±


    After Ye Yifan finished his sentence, Tang Xia observed that system-assigned man more carefully. Meanwhile, the others hid behind their backs. They did not dare to stick out their heads for fear that they would bring trouble for Ye Yifan and Tang Xia.


    Realizing that this was not going to work out, Tang Xia decided to go and have a look herself.


    ¡°Okay, Ye Yifan, you and the rest wait for me here. If things are okay, you guys go back first. I¡¯m going to find out why that system-assigned man is like this. I find him very strange as if there¡¯s a secret hidden behind him.¡±


    Hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Ye Yifan frowned even more. He thought that she was crazy. Why would she have such an idea?


    ¡°Are you crazy? That¡¯s impossible. The system-assigned men were always ruthless and aggressive to humans. If you stalk him, wouldn¡¯t you be giving your life to him freely?¡±


    Then, he pulled back Tang Xia who was in a position ready to leave. He definitely would not allow her to go alone.


    When others heard that Tang Xia wanted to go and look at that system-assigned man alone, they were also worried and tried to persuade her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait here for a while. If this system-assigned man leaves on his own, we¡¯ll also leave by this road. Otherwise, we can take the risk of taking a longer way. You can¡¯t take this risk.¡±Access vi pnovel.com


    Tang Xia naturally understood that everyone was worried about her. However, she knew that she really wanted to investigate this system-assigned man. He was different from other system-assigned men. He seemed to have his own consciousness, and this was what attracted Tang Xia the most.


    Tang Xia was hesitant for a while, but she still followed him eventually.


    ¡°No, I have to investigate this system-assigned man. I will have doubts in my heart If I don¡¯t investigate him thoroughly. Maybe this is a clue, just that we haven¡¯t found it before!¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s tone was very firm and she had already gone out. Ye Yifan was unable to stop her, so he could only tell her not to go too far away.


    Seeing that the delirious system-assigned man was getting closer and closer to her, Tang Xia was so happy that she thought she would definitely have a chance to catch up to him.


    At this point, Tang Xia was only a few hundred meters away from Ye Yifan. She could still clearly see the actions of the group of people who were not far away, as well as that slightly-conscious system-assigned man. However, a group of mechanical system-assigned men suddenly appeared and chased after Tang Xia and the rest of them.


    ¡°Tang Xia, stop chasing after that system-assigned man. We can see him again if we have a chance, we¡¯d better leave as soon as possible!¡±


    Seeing the system-assigned men coming over, Ye Yifan quickly called Tang Xia back. Tang Xia was in a dilemma. She had already chased after that system-assigned man for a while now, but if she kept chasing after him, she would be in danger. Moreover, these emerging system-assigned men were still aimed at the crowd.


    Seeing such a situation, Tang Xia knew that she could not take any more risks. So she shouted as she walked back, ¡°Ok, you lead them to defend yourselves, I¡¯ll come back now!¡± As she spoke, Tang Xia got closer to the crowd.


    Tang Xia originally thought that they would also have a fierce battle with these system-assigned men. She did not expect them to take initiative to attack that slightly-conscious system-assigned man. Everyone had a close shave. It was just a false alarm.


    ¡°Tang Xia, come back quickly. He will attack us if we don¡¯t go now. Think about what¡¯s going to happen after this. We can¡¯t spend too much time on them. Let¡¯s leave quickly and stop wasting time!¡±


    Ye Yifan was very anxious when he looked at Tang Xia for fear that she would not listen to him.


    Hence, Ye Yifan kept shouting for Tang Xia to come back. He certainly could not rush out to get her back now.


    If Tang Xia was alone, he would definitely go out and do that, but the problem was that they were in a group. He could not possibly leave them alone.


    The crowd stopped making trouble for Tang Xia and Ye Yifan and no one dared to say things like they were not willing to take risks.


    ¡°Okay, Tang Xia, let¡¯s go now. Leave that system-assigned man alone. We can¡¯t waste our time here any longer. Otherwise, we will all be in danger. Besides, others are still waiting for us to go back.¡±


    Ye Yifan reminded Tang Xia out of goodwill. After glancing at the crowd, Tang Xia decided to go back with them.


    ¡°Protect yourselves first. I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Tang Xia decided not to let them worry about her anymore. She knew that given their character, it was impossible for them not to worry about her.


    The investigation of that system-assigned man had come to an end. If it were not for the sudden siege and obstruction by these system-assigned men, Tang Xia would definitely go up and find out what was going on.Access vi pnovel.com


    There were still system-assigned men waiting for Tang Xia to deal with them. After that system-assigned man stopped Tang Xia¡¯s group, these system-assigned men continued to wander around here. Hence, Tang Xia had no choice but to lead the crowd to go back to the castle.


    ¡°Open the door quickly, Tang Xia and the rest are back, let them in! It seems that they have brought back supplies! Hurry up, don¡¯t look back. The system-assigned men are coming. Let them in first!¡±


    When Tang Xia was still 100 meters away from the castle, she saw the sentinel shouting for the door to be opened.


    Tang Xia also picked up speed and quickly ran into the castle with the crowd.


    ¡°Everyone, hurry up. The city gate is opening and we must enter it as soon as possible in case the system-assigned men appear and create new danger for everyone!¡±


    Ye Yifan and Tang Xia took the lead and the crowd also ran into the castle as fast as they could. The distance between them was a few hundred meters, so they naturally could not lower their guards.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll speed up!¡±


    It was as if everyone had been injected with energy. There was hope in front of them, so they naturally would not give up so easily. Their response back to Tang Xia and Ye Yifan was like a cheer for themselves.


    Finally, everyone successfully gathered together after a false alarm.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that you guys can come back. Are you guys alright?¡±


    Looking at their travel-worn faces£¬Mu Chengxuan naturally knew that they had gone through great danger.


    At this moment, Tang Xia was not in the mood to talk about this with them. Seeing that the group had collated all of the supplies on their own, she pulled Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan over.


    ¡°We met a non-mechanical system-assigned man on the way, but he seemed to have some human consciousness. If it weren¡¯t for the obstruction of those system-assigned men who emerged suddenly, I would have run after him!¡±


    Tang Xia pulled Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan to a corner and explained the situation to them while doing so. Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan both expressed that there must be a reason why this person had such a problem.


    ¡°My guts tell me that this system-assigned man surely has something to do with other system-assigned men¡¯s attack. Otherwise, why was it so coincidental that his appearance led to their attack?¡±


    Both Tang Xia and Ye Yifan thought that what Mu Chengxuan had said was reasonable, but they could not prove it. It was just an inference.


    After listening to their inputs, Tang Xia put everything together carefully and deconstructed them one by one. Then, she seemed to have thought of something.


    ¡°Do you think that someone is controlling these system-assigned men to mass-kill streamers? Otherwise, how can they know all of our actions so clearly?¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Ye Yifan was still opposed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are right. These system-assigned men are like zombies. They have no intelligence but only mechanism. So, I think that this is just chaos caused by the system virus.¡±


    However, Ye Yifan regretted it after he finished his words because after he thought about it carefully, it seemed that what Tang Xia had said was true.


    Meanwhile, Mu Chengxuan remained silent and did not speak.


    He tried to make an in-depth understanding of what he had heard and what Tang Xia had told him. However, his thoughts were different from Tang Xia¡¯s. Then he thought about it silently at a side before he blurted out uncontrollably in a low voice, ¡°Is Chu Tiankuo really not dead?¡±

 Chapter 350 - Rake up The Past

    Chapter 350 Rake up The Past


    After hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, Tang Xia¡¯s eyes lit up again. She looked into the distance and there were even tears glistening in her eyes.


    Then, Tang Xia quickly controlled her emotions. After all, she still needed to calm down and find the solution.


    Tang Xia focused and said, ¡°We still need to think about what to do next.¡±


    Tang Xia knew that be it wanting to survive or finding Chu Tiankuo, who she had been thinking about day and night, she had to break through the current predicament as soon as possible. Otherwise, no one could survive alone in such a situation.


    After hearing this, Mu Chengxuan lowered his head and continued to think about the plan. However, Ye Yifan glanced at Tang Xia seriously and said, ¡°Now that we have found the problem, we should make a decision based on it. Since we all agree on how the system-assigned men had changed, let¡¯s discuss how to deal with them. What should we do?¡±


    After hearing this, Mu Chengxuan lifted his head. He looked around at the people around him and said, ¡°Right now, we all have our own ideas. I¡¯m afraid that only the three of us have the same idea. What about the rest? We can¡¯t leave them alone.¡±


    Tang Xia thought for a while and said, ¡°How about this? We discuss what to do first and then act together. We definitely can¡¯t leave any one of them alone.¡±


    Tang Xia felt that no matter what her relationship with each one of them was like, they were still lives. She definitely could not just them be. After all, it was not a desperate situation now.


    ¡°Tang Xia is right. That¡¯s our best plan for now.¡±


    Ye Yifan was glad that Tang Xia was very alert and rational enough. Hence, he said, ¡°Since a different system-assigned man has appeared, we can only focus the breakpoint on this matter.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan went on to say, ¡°There must be something wrong with this system-assigned man, but now the problem is that he may have his own consciousness. What we should do is to find him as soon as possible, and maybe we can get something we need from him.¡±


    Tang Xia looked at Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Well, let¡¯s gather everyone and split them up into three groups. I have only told you two the specific details, no one else knows.¡±


    ¡°How about this? The three of us will be divided into three ways, and each of us will lead a group of people to conduct searches. We can only find out how to solve our current problem after we find this different system-assigned man.¡±


    Hence, Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and Ye Yifan gathered everyone and divided them into three teams. The three of them would lead one team to explore different places separately.


    Tang Xia led a few people to search in the east. Everything went well at first, it was quiet and there were no troubles.


    After a short while, they had walked quite far away. However, they still did not see that abnormal system-assigned man.


    They kept walking. After a short while, system-assigned men rushed out from nowhere. It was as if they had accidentally poked a hornet¡¯s nest and they were densely concentrated. One would get goosebumps just from a glance at them.


    Tang Xia and the rest retreated while defending themselves. They escaped the encirclement quickly and ran towards the castle. They had a hard time getting out of the siege and returning to the camp. It was a pity that some of them were injured.


    Mu Chengxuan also had the same experience. He led a few people towards the west and also walked for a long time but did not find that system-assigned man. When they were about to go back, they were surrounded by system-assigned men who appeared suddenly. Mu Chengxuan and the others charged their way through and ran back to the castle.


    Unfortunately, no matter how careful they were, there were still two people who were seriously wounded and they were carried back by their teammates.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s situation was a little better. They did not go too far north. Not only were there no system-assigned men, but no one even attacked them.


    However, Ye Yifan felt that this was just the calm before the storm. After exploring for a distance, he still did not find anything. Hence, he gave up going forward decisively and returned to the castle. There were no casualties.


    Although there was not much of a problem, everyone was covered in cold sweat when they returned to the castle encampment. They were nervous and terrified.


    After all, life was precious for everyone, and everyone only had one chance.


    They had been going back and forth several times. Although there were some hiccups along the way, all of the injuries were minor and there was no life-threatening issue. However, they still did not find the abnormal system-assigned man that they were looking for.


    Time passed by slowly. They continued to keep looking for that system-assigned man but always returned with disappointment.


    Everyone was initially hopeful, but after beaten down again and again, they gradually lost their fighting spirit. All of them had their heads lowered and were full of disappointment.


    In fact, in this kind of situation, what everyone feared was not a disappointment but the despair after the hope collapsed.


    The number of people who went out to search was falling ceaselessly. Eventually, only Tang Xia, Ye Yifan, and Mu Chengxuan wanted to go out to look for him. However, because they were worried about safety, the search for the system-assigned man had been shelved passively.


    Gradually, other streamers from Cross-era and Time-travel Bar started to be anxious. They all felt that they could not see any hope and could only wait in despair and watch.


    Everyone wore a bitter expression on their faces and their emotions were getting increasingly unstable.


    They kept fighting and killing system-assigned men non-stop.


    Although every mission in the past was more or less harmful, it was never like this.


    They did not get to rest or relax even for a moment. They were always tense and ready to fight. Even those who had poor psychological quality did not dare to close their eyes. Their red eyes were constantly staring and their faces were filled with fatigue.


    Time passed by non-stop. Everyone was exhausted. Not only were the supplies about to be depleted, but their bodies were also on the verge of collapse because they did not have a good rest.


    They were under a lot of stress, but the mental tension was even more intense. Some girls had already started crying in a corner.


    They kept on killing and could not see the end of it. They did not know what would happen tomorrow. Such worry was almost crushing these people who were about to collapse.


    Seeing that the people in front of her were about to break down one by one, Tang Xia was even more worried. Luckily, although Tang Xia was also anxious, she was relatively clear-headed and rational.


    Tang Xia thought it was not right to go on like this. They could not just wait for death. Even if they were not killed, they would be scared to death by themselves.


    Hence, Tang Xia intended to call Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan to discuss the countermeasures.


    Tang Xia had a small meeting with them.


    Tang Xia looked at the people around her and said to Ye Yifan and Mu Chengxuan in a low voice, ¡°This is not the right way to deal with the problem.¡±


    ¡°At first, we thought that we could find him, but later on, everyone gradually became very disappointed. Some people even showed despair on their faces. If it goes on like this, not only will we not have enough supplies, but we will also not get through this given our mental state. We have to think of other ways.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan said, ¡°Tang Xia is right. They could kill themselves like this. We can¡¯t do that. We have to find a way to energize everyone so that we can continue to find our way out.


    Ye Yifan thought for a moment and said, ¡°You guys are right. We really need to reorganize ourselves. The biggest problem we¡¯re facing now is that we still can¡¯t find that abnormal system-assigned man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if we can¡¯t find him, we will not be able to continue. Hence, finding this abnormal system-assigned man is the key to solve the problem.¡± Tang Xia murmured in a low voice.


    ¡°Tang Xia, if that abnormal system-assigned man¡¯s appearance has a reason or even purpose, what kind of things can attract him to appear?¡± Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia in confusion.


    Tang Xia thought, ¡°Yes, there must be a reason, but what could it be?¡±


    Tang Xia could not figure out. When he appeared, a group of them had gone out, but now, it was also a group of people. So what was the problem?


    ¡°Ah! Is this it?¡±


    Tang Xia, who was still deep in her thoughts, suddenly shouted out loud, which startled Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tang Xia, what did you think of?¡± Mu Chengxuan asked in a hurry.


    ¡°If we are just baits for that abnormal system-assigned man, is it because our bait is not attractive enough to attract him, so he was too lazy to show up? After all, in terms of catching a big fish, if the bait is too small, it can¡¯t attract the attention of the big fish. What do you guys think?¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°It was almost the same few people who went, and the number of people was also about the same. So what is the difference? Where exactly are we lacking? Or is there something wrong with the place we went to?¡±


    Mu Chengxuan raised three questions one after another. After all, Mu Chengxuan felt lost after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the three of us. We are the most well-known ones among everyone and also the most controversial. Hence, the three of us are the main targets. Big incidents will only happen every time we gather together. What do you guys think?¡± Tang Xia said faintly.


    After all, it was just speculation. Tang Xia could not be sure that her own opinion was right.


    ¡°It makes sense, but it¡¯s impossible for all of us to go out or the three of us to go out alone. This is not realistic. What if something happens? We will be too big of a target if all of us go out together.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan felt that if they were to move together, they would even be able to call for rescue if they encounter an accident. Hence, it would be more appropriate for them to act separately.


    ¡°Well, what you said is reasonable, so the three of us can¡¯t act together, and we definitely go out like a swarm. In this case, even if there really is a danger, there will still be someone to rescue us,¡± Tang Xia said.


    Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan looked at each other and said nothing. They just waited for Tang Xia¡¯s arrangement quietly.


    Tang Xia thought for a while and continued, ¡°How about this? Mu Chengxuan and I go out with a group of people. Ye Yifan, you stay in the castle. If there is any danger, I will give you a signal. If I find that system-assigned man, I will also tell you the result. I hope that we can make it this time.¡±


    Ye Yifan quickly retorted, ¡°No, Tang Xia, I have to stay with you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be worried. Besides, it¡¯s okay to make Mu Chengxuan stay here. I¡¯ve been with you for a long time and have telepathy with you, which will make it more convenient.¡±


    Seeing Ye Yifan¡¯s big reaction, Tang Xia did not know what to say and just looked at him. However, Ye Yifan¡¯s reaction was even more intense after he saw this gaze of hers.


    ¡°Tang Xia, let me go with you. If you encounter any danger, I can better protect you. I can also help you if you meet Chu Tiankuo. So take me with you. I don¡¯t want to be here,¡± Ye Yifan pleaded.

 Chapter 351 - A New Breakthrough

    Chapter 351 A New Breakthrough


    Tang Xia looked at Ye Yifan and said, ¡°I put you in the most important position because l trust you. You have to guard the back carefully. If anything happens to me, I trust that you will come to save me immediately, right?¡±


    Ye Yifan listened to what Tang Xia said and had no choice. He knew that Tang Xia¡¯s decision could not be changed, so he could only give in.


    Ye Yifan said to Tang Xia solemnly, ¡°Tang Xia, you must take good care of yourself and protect yourself. If there is something you can¡¯t handle, you must leave immediately, understand?¡±


    Seeing that Ye Yifan had compromised, Tang Xia heaved a heavy sigh of relief and comforted him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, l will be fine. I¡¯m just going to take a look. If something goes wrong, I will come back immediately. Besides, Mu Chengxuan will take care of me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was rational enough, Ye Yifan glanced at Mu Chengxuan and said seriously, ¡°No matter why we ended up working together and no matter what our relationship is, we are on the same frontline and we need to face this situation together.¡±


    Ye Yifan paused for a while and continued. ¡°I hope that now we can completely put aside the grudge between Cross-era and the Time-travel Bar and also our prejudice against each other. After all, in this current situation, we must unite to fight against the enemy.¡±


    Then Ye Yifan put on a pleading expression and said sincerely, ¡°Please take care of Tang Xia for me, please.¡±


    Ye Yifan had no choice. He was really afraid that Mu Chengxuan would have bad intentions towards Tang Xia. If he did and Ye Yifan was not around, what could he do?


    After saying this, Ye Yifan lowered his head and glanced at Mu Chengxuan seriously. Then he bowed deeply to everyone.


    Tang Xia, who was standing by his side, was even more upset when she saw this.


    Tang Xia knew that she was owing Ye Yifan more and more, and she had no way to compensate him.


    However, Tang Xia knew that all these were inevitable. Once she had someone in her heart, no one else could squeeze into another position in her heart.


    Mu Chengxuan was stunned for a while. He looked at Tang Xia, whose expression showed that she was full of guilt, and then looked at Ye Yifan, whose expression showed that he was pleading him. Mu Chengxuan said earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter what happens, Tang Xia is a woman after all. I will take good care of her. Don¡¯t worry, just guard the back and wait for our instructions.¡±


    Then, they packed up the things they would need when they go out and walked out with several reliable people. Ye Yifan looked at them getting further and further away with a worried look on his face.


    After walking out of the door, Mu Chengxuan did not know what to do. He looked at Tang Xia and asked, ¡°Tang Xia, where should we go? What should we do now?¡±


    Tang Xia looked far away and then turned back to Mu Chengxuan and said, ¡°I want to try my luck by going to that place where l met that abnormal system-assigned man for the first time. I want to see if he only appears in that place. If he does, that would be great.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Last time we saw that abnormal system-assigned man there, we were suddenly surrounded by other system-assigned men. This time, we should be careful. It¡¯s important to find that abnormal system-assigned man, but we still need to protect ourselves. If we are in danger, we should retreat as soon as possible and then discuss countermeasures after we get back to the castle.¡± Tang Xia reminded him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll follow your arrangement. After all, you¡¯re the only one who has met that abnormal system-assigned man.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan and the others all agreed. While talking, they arrived at the street where they previously saw the abnormal system-assigned man.


    When they walked to the corner of the street, she suddenly found that there were very few system-assigned men there. There were only a few system-assigned men wandering around the various street corners. They would also leave the place and repeat again.


    For some reason, when Tang Xia saw such a scene, she was suddenly certain that the abnormal system-assigned man must be here. Her intuition was just so inexplicable.


    Tang Xia said to everyone, ¡°I think that the abnormal system-assigned man must be around here. Let¡¯s all look for him. Everyone, we must be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Everyone also replied in a low voice.


    Just like that, the group formed into a small circle. Tang Xia led the way in the front while the others followed her behind. Mu Chengxuan would guard the back and ensure the safety of the team.


    But even so, there were still dangers.


    Tang Xia had carefully passed by a corner on a street and just when her teammates behind her were about to pass, she realized that several system-assigned men were charging towards her.


    Obviously, Tang Xia and her team had been discovered by the system-assigned men in this area.


    They had no choice. Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and the rest killed a few of the system-assigned men with as minimal moves as possible.


    After making sure that the surrounding area was safe, they stopped to take a good rest for their exercised bodies and ease their extreme nervousness.


    Tang Xia understood that now, they could only be more careful. Fortunately, there were only a few of them this time. If they had alarmed all of the system-assigned men¡­


    Tang Xia turned around and looked at the rest of the people. She knew that if they really encountered a large number of system-assigned men, the whole team would die here.


    Hence, Tang Xia led the team more cautiously and they carefully avoided the areas that each system-assigned man was looking out for one after another. They carefully crossed the streets and Tang Xia stopped at a corner.


    Mu Chengxuan did not know why the team suddenly stopped moving forward. He asked Tang Xia in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop? Did you find anything?¡±


    Tang Xia made a gesture asking him to be quiet. She pointed at the dessert shop on the opposite side and said in a low voice, ¡°I think there must be someone in this shop, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s that abnormal system-assigned man.¡±


    Seeing that Tang Xia was about to walk towards the dessert shop, Mu Chengxuan quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Let¡¯s have a quick break for a few minutes to restore our strength. If something really happens later, at least we will have the strength to escape.¡±


    Tang Xia realized that she was too rash. Looking at the ¡®comrades¡¯ around her who seemed to be very tired, she had to agree with Mu Chengxuan¡¯s suggestion. After all, she could not allow her negligence to bring loss to others.


    Hence, Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and the rest looked around their surroundings. After making sure that they were safe, they rested where they were. Everyone drank some water and restored their physical strength. After all, they might have to escape at any time.


    After resting for a while, Tang Xia noticed that everyone was well-rested, so she whispered to them, ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a look. You guys keep a lookout for me. Look at my gestures.¡±


    After saying that, Tang Xia looked towards the dessert shop. As expected, Tang Xia found a figure in the shop through the reflection of the glass panel.


    Hence, Tang Xia made a gesture for everyone to keep quiet and walked carefully towards the dessert shop on her own.


    Tang Xia knew that the road ahead was dangerous, but no matter what happens, she could not retreat at this point in time. Her discovery this time around would determine everyone¡¯s fate.


    Hence, no matter how frightened Tang Xia was, she had to muster up the courage and walk towards the dessert shop one step after another.


    Halfway through, a system-assigned man passed by her. Tang Xia was so scared that she quickly hid behind a building. After waiting for a while and making sure that there were no other movements, she set off again.


    Then, Tang Xia made a gesture for them to follow her. Mu Chengxuan led the rest to quickly catch up to her. He was very careful of fear that many system-assigned men might suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    This was not a joke. Facing so many system-assigned men would really make one¡¯s hair stand on end.


    After reuniting with Tang Xia, Tang Xia asked everyone to wait there and went into the shop alone.


    Mu Chengxuan realized that Tang Xia wanted to enter the shop alone and wanted to stop her. However, when he thought about how he was so close to the dessert shop, he could only pull her arm and shake his head, indicating that he also wanted to accompany her as he would be worried.


    Tang Xia understood Mu Chengxuan¡¯s intention. She smiled and patted his hand, indicating that he could be rest assured she would be fine on her own.


    Looking into Tang Xia¡¯s determined gaze, Mu Chengxuan understood that she insisted. Eventually, he could only let go.


    Mu Chengxuan thought that if something happens, he must be the first to rush in and get Tang Xia out. Otherwise, he would be too ashamed to face Ye Yifan if something really happens to Tang Xia.


    Mu Chengxuan watched Tang Xia walk away. As he watched her approaching the dessert shop one step after another, his heart beat faster and faster. He was afraid that something would happen.


    Tang Xia was walking forward nervously and carefully. The closer she was to the dessert shop, the faster her heartbeat was. Tang Xia quickly calmed herself down.


    Just like that, she walked into the dessert shop while comforting herself.


    Just when Tang Xia stepped into the door of the dessert shop, she smiled. Wasn¡¯t the one in front of her the abnormal system-assigned man whom she had been searching high and low for so long?


    However, Tang Xia still did not dare to be careless. After all, she did not know the specific situation of this system-assigned man. If he suddenly went crazy and attacked her, it was still fine. However, if he gathered other system-assigned men just like the last time, they would have no way out.


    Tang Xia observed this system-assigned man carefully and dared not to be careless at all.


    Tang Xia felt that his behavior was very strange. He was just standing in front of the dessert cabinet looking at the dessert. He just watched quietly and did nothing.


    Tang Xia did not understand why. So, she continued to observe as she wanted to know more.


    After all, the more she knew, the more help they could get to leave this situation.


    Tang Xia approached him carefully one step after another. She studied him carefully and observed each and every single detail.


    Hard work always pays off. Just when Tang Xia¡¯s eyes were extremely sore, she suddenly discovered that this abnormal system-assigned man had some business cards in the pocket of his coat. The corner that was protruding out of his pocket showed the name and it said ¡®Gu Ze¡¯.


    Tang Xia inferred that those business cards probably belonged to this abnormal system-assigned man. Hence, she stepped forward boldly, hoping to talk to him and see if she could successfully communicate with him.


    Tang Xia asked cautiously, ¡°May I ask if your name is Gu Ze?¡±

 Chapter 352 - Gu Ze

    Chapter 352 Gu Ze


    After Tang Xia shouted at the abnormal system-assigned man, he did not respond. She thought that maybe she was too soft or too far away and he could not hear her at all.


    For a moment, Tang Xia did not know if she should keep moving forward.


    Tang Xia turned around and looked at the others. She immediately saw Mu Chengxuan looking at her nervously and full of worry. Tang Xia felt very sorry.


    She then looked at her surroundings. Then, she decided to call everyone over to discuss countermeasures.


    Hence, Tang Xia waved her hand and asked them to gather around her. Then, she kept an eye on the situation around her in case the abnormal system-assigned man suddenly lose control and cause harm to everyone.


    Mu Chengxuan rushed over in a hurry. When he saw that Tang Xia was fine, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    When he was about to ask what had happened inside, Tang Xia interrupted him with a gesture, asking him to stay silent.


    Tang Xia said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just worried that you guys will be worried while you¡¯re staying there and I¡¯m also afraid that you guys will run into danger, so I called you all over.¡±


    Tang Xia looked back and said, ¡°Did you guys notice that there was never another system-assigned man around this one?¡±


    When Mu Chengxuan and the others heard this, they quickly surveyed their surroundings and realized that it was indeed the case. Hence, they nodded and waited for Tang Xia to continue speaking.


    ¡°The main reason why I asked you all to come here is that if something goes wrong, we can take care of each other. Otherwise, it would be much more dangerous if we all go on separate ways.¡±


    Tang Xia thought for a while and continued to say, ¡°How about this? You guys wait here and don¡¯t make any noise. Get someone to keep watch outside. If anything goes wrong, quickly come back and notify us so that we can leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Let me do it. I¡¯m alert and quick to react. I can complete this task.¡± Before Tang Xia could finish her sentence, Mu Chengxuan volunteered himself.


    Mu Chengxuan did not want Tang Xia to take all the risks. Be it for the dignity or the responsibility of a man, Mu Chengxuan felt that he should take the initiative to step forward when needed.


    Seeing Mu Chengxuan stand out on his own, Tang Xia did not say anything else and gave him a few reminders.


    ¡°You must be more careful. If something really goes wrong, you must inform me immediately.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan nodded intensely as a response. After that, he walked towards the door to be a good sentinel and guard everyone¡¯s back.


    Tang Xia watched Mu Chengxuan walk to his ¡°post¡± before making arrangements for the rest.


    Tang Xia said to everyone seriously, ¡°Just now I tested this abnormal system-assigned man but I found that something was not quite right. I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on. Once I find something, it means that we have hope.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to do? Will it be too dangerous?¡± One of them asked.


    Tang Xia felt everyone¡¯s concern for her and was moved. Hence, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen either. Because I¡¯m unsure, I have to try. I might just succeed.¡±


    While saying this, Tang Xia saw the ray of hope in everyone¡¯s eyes. Hence, she whispered, ¡°Remember, if anything happens later, don¡¯t worry about me. Go find Mu Chengxuan and run away without looking back. You¡¯ll be safe when you get back to the castle.¡±


    ¡°Then what about you?¡±


    Tang Xia smiled and said, ¡°No need to care about me. Don¡¯t worry, I have my way.¡±


    Actually, Tang Xia did not know what to do. However, she could not pull them back for her sake. Hence, she must tell them the plan for the worst-case scenario first so that they would not panic too much if something was to happen.


    ¡°Alright then, you take care of yourself. If you feel that something is wrong, you must run quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± Tang Xia smiled.


    After saying that, Tang Xia walked towards the abnormal system-assigned man.


    Tang Xia¡¯s instinct told her that this abnormal system-assigned man was called ¡°Gu Ze¡±. But why did he ignore her just now, as if he did not hear her?


    Tang Xia felt that this abnormal system-assigned man probably had his own self-consciousness. However, she did not know the reason why he lost a part of his memory and even a large part of his self-consciousness.


    Tang Xia felt that this abnormal system-assigned man named Gu Ze must be the key to solving all the problems.


    Hence, Tang Xia was unresigned and carefully searched for Gu Ze again. She wanted to know more details.


    ¡°Gu Ze, are you Gu Ze?¡± Tang Xia tried to strike up a conversation with him again.


    Just like that, she asked three or four times continuously and got no response. Just when Tang Xia was very frustrated and about to give up, she suddenly heard someone talking. She turned around and saw ¡®Gu Ze¡¯ starting to talk.


    ¡°Gu Ze, I¡¯m Gu Ze. Where is Mu Mu?¡±


    Tang Xia was very shocked to receive a response from ¡°Gu Ze¡±. She was surprised to find out that ¡°Gu Ze¡± could communicate. Hence, she quickly asked probingly, ¡°Do you know what happened in this world that caused it to become like this?¡±


    However, this time around, she got his silence. This abnormal system-assigned man named ¡°Gu Ze¡± had been staring intensely at the cake counter in the dessert shop without moving.


    Tang Xia did not know what caused ¡°Gu Ze¡± to lose his speech function. She could only examine everything about him carefully.


    Suddenly, Tang Xia seemed to have thought of something. Hence, she could only ask cautiously again, ¡°Gu Ze, who is Mu Mu?¡±


    Who would have thought that ¡°Gu Ze¡± would speak again! ¡°Mu Mu, Mu Mu¡­¡± After he finished speaking, there was no more sound.


    Tang Xia asked again. She had thought that ¡®Gu Ze¡¯ would tell her, but unexpectedly, he suddenly turned around, looked at her, and said to everyone, ¡°Cake, Mu Mu loves to eat, you guys, no Mu Mu!¡±


    After saying all this, he started to go crazy. He lost control of his actions and threw everything around him onto the floor. Then, when he saw Tang Xia in front of him, he started attacking her without saying anything else.


    Tang Xia was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. She responded quickly and started defending herself. She quickly dodged his attacks in order to avoid getting hurt.


    While dodging, Tang Xia shouted, ¡°Quickly go! Don¡¯t look back!¡±


    When the rest of the people saw this, they were all so shocked and dumbfounded. After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s voice, they then came back to their senses again.


    They knew that what Tang Xia had said earlier, about asking them to escape and not care for her, was her trying to buy more time to help them escape further.


    And later on, when she said that she had her own way to solve the problem, they were just words of comfort.


    To be honest, everyone could tell how much Tang Xia had sacrificed. If they leave her behind at this life-and-death moment, without doubt, it would be equivalent to sending her to death.


    How could they agree to such a thing?


    As expected, Tang Xia became a little flustered after failing to dodge several attacks. There were a few times when she was barely able to avoid the attacks. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before Tang Xia lost.


    Looking at how Tang Xia was protecting them by risking her life, everyone became determined to save her.


    Hence, the rest of the team hurried forward to help Tang Xia. In no time, the dessert shop was in complete chaos. Everything was in disarray and the situation was so messy no one could see clearly what was going on.


    Tang Xia understood that the most important thing now was for everyone to evacuate. This was not a problem that could be solved head-on. If the commotion becomes too big and alarms a big crowd of system-assigned men, it would be terrible.


    None of them would be able to escape and they would not even have time to send out a signal for help. Or, even if they successfully called for help, they would not be able to wait until help finally arrives.


    Tang Xia was very anxious right now. However, there was nothing she could do no matter how anxious she was. She could only shout loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Hurry up and leave. Get Mu Chengxuan and quickly go back to the castle. Tell Ye Yifan something happened here, don¡¯t come looking for me.¡±


    However, everyone just let Tang Xia shout and not a single one of them retreated.


    ¡°Tang Xia, we know your intentions, but we will not leave you alone. Save your strength to fight.¡±


    Tang Xia glanced at everyone gratefully and said, ¡°Okay, as long as we try our best, we will definitely be able to go back!¡±


    Before Tang Xia could finish, Mu Chengxuan ran in. He froze from being shocked by the scene. It was not because he was afraid, but because he did not know why they started fighting.


    When Tang Xia saw Mu Chengxuan, she thought that he was here to help her. Hence, she said angrily, ¡°Mu Chengxuan, why did you come in suddenly? Didn¡¯t we agree that it would be good for you to be on guard? If you are also like this, we don¡¯t even have a sentinel. If something really happens, we won¡¯t be able to get out for real! You have to get out now!¡±


    After hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Mu Chengxuan immediately came to his senses and joined in the fight with a bitter smile.


    While fighting busily, he explained, ¡°Tang Xia, we can¡¯t leave already. I came in to tell you guys that we are about to be surrounded and should leave as soon as possible. But now it seems that none of us can get away.¡±


    Tang Xia was also very shocked when she heard Mu Chengxuan¡¯s words. This was because Tang Xia clearly remembered that the last time she was surrounded by a large group of system-assigned men was when she met this abnormal one. What was going on exactly?


    ¡°Mu Chengxuan, what¡¯s the situation outside now? Do you know?¡± Tang Xia was not reconciled and asked.


    ¡°We can all see what¡¯s going on outside, but I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re not coming in. Look outside if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± While saying this, he pointed towards the window.


    Tang Xia looked towards the direction he was pointing at and saw a dense concentration of system-assigned men. Tang Xia was shocked and felt devastated. However, no matter what, she could not give up now. She firmly believed that they could get out.


    Did this ¡°Gu Ze¡± call all those system-assigned men outside to come here?


    Suddenly, a thought came to Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Although she was shocked by her thought, she decided to give it a try because she thought it was feasible.


    Meanwhile, when Tang Xia recalled how Gu Ze had turned crazy, she suddenly remembered something and then shouted loudly, ¡°Gu Ze, Mu Mu is here!¡±

 Chapter 353 - Luring

    Chapter 353 Luring


    Mu Mu?


    A hint of hesitation flashed across Gu Ze¡¯s eyes. He stopped thinking and the two words he just heard echoed in his mind.


    After hearing this name coming out from someone else¡¯s mouth, he suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had not heard that name in a century. How long has it been since he last heard that name?


    The frenzy all over his body gradually became tame. At this moment, Gu Ze was motionless, just like a puppet.


    Seeing that Gu Ze had calmed down, Tang Xia was overjoyed. Knowing that her words were useful, she continued. ¡°Mu Mu¡­she¡¯s still here. Really! Doesn¡¯t she love to eat cake? When we find her, we¡¯ll take her to eat a lot of delicious cakes.¡±


    She did not know whether Gu Ze would believe it or not, she only knew that he still remained in the same position, silent with his head lowered. She did not know what he was thinking about.


    At this point in time, Tang Xia could only give it her all. There was no other way.


    His mechanical-like, rigid fingers moved. His heart was full of Mu Mu¡¯s name. He seemed to be unable to remember her appearance clearly. He only knew that he missed her very much¡­


    After a long while, he finally moved his lips and said, ¡°Mu Mu¡­ where is she?¡±


    Seeing that Gu Ze was responding, Tang Xia was overjoyed. However, she still had to remain calm and pretend to be chill. She could not alert the enemy and startle the other system-assigned men, especially Gu Ze.


    ¡°She¡¯s in a small town in the north.¡±


    A small town in the north? Gu Ze frowned slightly. He was feeling a little conflicted.


    Why did he not remember anything? He seemed to have forgotten who he was as well. Until now, he only remembered Mu Mu.


    Due to Gu Ze¡¯s change, the surrounding system-assigned men also stopped their attacks on Tang Xia and the others. Like Gu Ze, they also froze on the spot, as if they were blocks of wood. They could only wait for Gu Ze.


    Tang Xia knew that he could understand what she had said. Knowing this, Tang Xia¡¯s uneasy heart calmed down a lot.


    She had originally been probing him while hoping for luck. She did not expect it to work.


    However, Gu Ze continued to stand there. That was not a long-term solution. She continued to say in a soft voice, ¡°Mu Mu is still there. She didn¡¯t leave you. She was just caught by a group of people and brought to the northern town.¡±


    Upon hearing that she had been taken away, Gu Ze became inexplicably irritable.


    Even standing some distance away, Tang Xia could feel the instigation from Gu Ze¡¯s heart. She knew that he was angry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get agitated. As for who took her away, we don¡¯t know either. We only know that she was captured to the northern town, but we can guarantee that she is fine and hasn¡¯t been injured anywhere.¡±


    Tang Xia approached Gu Ze cautiously. After shouting for so long, her throat was getting hoarse. She could only get close to him and let him hear her clearly.


    However, Gu Ze¡¯s eyes were full of an endless massacre. He muttered, ¡°Who¡­ who is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s go find her together, okay? By then, you¡¯ll see for yourself who took Mu Mu away and punish them then.¡±


    As Tang Xia continued to coax him, she approached Gu Ze step by step. She wanted to ease his frustration so that he could calm down.


    If he really got pissed, they would really not be able to escape.


    Tang Xia had accidentally heard him mention Mu Mu. Her first instinct told her that this name carried great significance to him. Even if he became an emotionless person and was unable to think normally, he could still remember this name.


    Mu Chengxuan had been observing Tang Xia and Gu Ze all along. After listening for so long, he had some idea.


    Seeing Tang Xia picking up the courage to approach that motionless Gu Ze carefully, Mu Chengxuan raised his delicate brows slightly.


    To be honest, she was really good at comforting people. Even a system-assigned man like Gu Ze was listening to her. Fortunately, she never lied to him. Otherwise, he might really not be her match.


    He knew that Tang Xia had lied to Gu Ze about Mu Mu being in the northern town so that Gu Ze could take the lead in finding out details of the northern town.


    It seemed that Gu Ze was the leader of this group of system-assigned men. Otherwise, they would not have followed Gu Ze to freeze.


    It was all thanks to Tang Xia this time.


    On the opposite side, Tang Xia was still trying to persuade Gu Ze. Gu Ze¡¯s eyes were filled with haziness. He did not have any clues as to what he should do.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you like Mu Mu the most? She¡¯s in danger now, should you save her or not? What if¡­ I mean what if she¡¯s really in trouble? You¡¯ll definitely regret it for the rest of your life.¡±


    Tang Xia was not in a hurry at all. When dealing with system-assigned men like Gu Ze, it requires patience. If you did not have the patience to deal with them, how would they have the patience to listen to you?


    There was no doubt that Gu Ze was still looking at the cold ground with his dull gaze. Given his current intelligence, it was a bit too much to let him learn how to think.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see Mu Mu for yourself? She¡¯s in the northern town, hurry up and go find her! Don¡¯t miss this good timing. She must be so helpless being somewhere without you. Aren¡¯t you feeling helpless too? Do you want Mu Mu to become like you?¡±


    Tang Xia threw him a series of questions that he still did not understand.


    However, Gu Ze could understand the gist of what she meant. He loved Mu Mu more than his own life. He did not want to lose her.


    Furthermore, he could not understand why Mu Mu had disappeared so suddenly. Now that he had heard that she had been kidnapped, even if his brain was being stubborn, he felt like he lost a part of the corner of his heart.


    ¡°Hmm? Mu Mu is still waiting for you to save her. Stop hesitating anymore. Mu Mu is in the north. When you get there, you can see her. Mu Mu is in the north. When you get there, you can see her. Mu Mu is in the north¡­¡±


    Seeing that Gu Ze was still unresponsive, Tang Xia could not help but repeat those words over and over again. She hoped that Gu Ze could imprint those words in his heart and never forget them.


    After waiting for a long while, Gu Ze still did not move. Tang Xia could not help but feel a little flustered. If this went on, it would take way too long for them to complete the mission.


    When they looked at each other and were ready to give up, Gu Ze¡¯s eyes recovered a little consciousness and he murmured, ¡°Mu Mu, north.¡±


    Although his voice was not loud, Tang Xia was the closest to him and a glimmer of hope appeared in her heart. Could it be that he had finally awakened and remembered what she had said?


    ¡°Mu Mu¡­ north¡­¡±


    These words came out of his mouth over and over again. Tang Xia could not help feeling overjoyed. All that she had said were really not wasted.


    She nodded intensely and said happily, ¡°Yes, Mu Mu is in the north, she is in the north.¡±


    This sentence was like a lullaby, causing Gu Ze to slowly lift his gaze. His eyes were dark and empty. At first glance, it was even somewhat scary. However, Tang Xia knew that he was not malicious at this moment.


    She pushed away the strangeness in her heart and stared at Gu Ze intensely, hoping that he would take the next step.


    Sure enough, after hearing Tang Xia¡¯s words, Gu Ze¡¯s black pupils reflected a glimmer of light. Mu Mu¡­ was in the north, so he would go there.


    He looked up towards the faraway north. Gu Ze kept repeating these words. He wanted to embed them in his mind and try to make himself remember them.


    Gu Ze began to move and like someone who had not been moving for a long time, his joints made cracking sounds which made people¡¯s scalps feel slightly numb.


    Gu Ze slowly started heading north like a robot. Tang Xia¡¯s voice was still echoing in his mind. As long as he reached the town in the north, he would be able to find Mu Mu.


    A miracle happened. Gu Ze took a small step towards the north. All the system-assigned men behind him turned to the north and faced that direction. They all followed Gu Ze systematically.


    Tang Xia watched as Gu Ze and the system-assigned men walk toward the north in a grandiose manner. An incredulous look flashed across her eyes.


    She initially felt like she wanted to give it a try, but she did not expect it to really work.


    She really did it.


    Mu Chengxuan did not expect it either, but it was good that they could help them find out details of the north for them.


    Initially, he thought that it was already good enough if they could persuade Gu Ze alone. However, somehow they unexpectedly found that he was really the commander. No wonder he could even understand her.


    Now, they did not have to worry anymore. With so many people accompanying them, the stone that had been hanging in their hearts was finally put down.


    When they had walked quite a distance away from them, Tang Xia saw someone looking at her with a teasing smile.


    Tang Xia¡¯s temper flared up instantly. If she had not been quick-witted, their current situation would definitely be very dangerous. There were so many system-assigned men. Even if there were a few more Tang Xias, she still would not be a match for them.


    Tang Xia quietly approached Mu Chengxuan. She copied him to raise her eyebrows slightly and signaled to him proudly to quickly catch up with her.


    Mu Chengxuan shook his head helplessly. He had already known that she was stingy, but now that he had witnessed it with his own eyes, he felt really helpless.


    The group of them followed behind the system-assigned men. When their powerful footsteps fell onto the fine dust, the air quickly became dusty. Tang Xia could not help covering her nose and mouth to prevent herself from inhaling the dust.


    In this space, everything was unknown, so they must be careful in all things. Otherwise, their lives may get threatened at any point in time.


    Mu Chengxuan only closed his mouth and covered his nose. The sand and dust blinded his eyes, but he had to keep a close eye on the people in front of him.


    It had to be said that with so many people walking on the road, not only was there a lot of dust, but even their footsteps sounded very grand. As they stepped on the dusty road, they left orderly footprints one after another.


    They followed closely behind the system-assigned men They kept a large gap between them and observed them silently.


    Gu Ze led the whole team like a leading sheep. Behind him, all the system-assigned men were walking stiffly, just like him.


    Looking at this powerful arrangement, an image of the ancient soldiers came to Tang Xia¡¯s mind uncontrollably, which caused her to get goosebumps all over her body. Right now, they were almost creating as big as a commotion the soldiers did.


    As for whether or not Mu Mu was really being hidden in the northern town, Tang Xia could not guarantee it at all. Perhaps she might have already passed away. She did this not only for their safety but also to find out the details of the northern area.


    They knew nothing about the road ahead. Having such a powerful troop of system-assigned men protecting them was already the best outcome.


    As for Gu Ze¡­ Tang Xia silently prayed in her heart that one day he would really find his Mu Mu.

 Chapter 354 - Stalk

    Chapter 354 Stalk


    The system-assigned men followed behind Gu Ze and moved towards the town in the north.


    However, not long after, Tang Xia realized that they were moving very slowly, almost as fast as a snail.


    Following behind them, Tang Xia was feeling very anxious.


    She had been following behind them for two hours and they had only moved one kilometer. Tang Xia was a little devastated.


    At this rate, when would they be able to reach the northern town?


    Tang Xia initially thought that she could count on Gu Ze and the other system-assigned men to help them a big favor. Who would have known that their speed was so slow?


    It would not work for Tang Xia to keep on following behind them like that.


    She glanced at Mu Chengxuan, who was also very helpless, and a plan came to her mind suddenly.


    ¡°Mu Chengxuan, you see, we can¡¯t continue following behind them like this. Why don¡¯t we go back to the castle first?¡±


    Tang Xia discussed with Mu Chengxuan whether or not they should go back to the castle first and tell others the news.


    ¡°I think it might work. Why don¡¯t we go back first and discuss about this? Let¡¯s listen to Ye Yifan¡¯s suggestions.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan felt that based on the system-assigned men¡¯s speed, it would not be difficult for them to catch up with them when they come back. He did not see why they should not go back to the castle first.


    With one more person, there would be one more brain to think of a solution. Perhaps there might be a better way.


    Actually, it was very obvious that Mu Chengxuan and the others had already treated Ye Yifan as a friend. Seeing that Mu Chengxuan had agreed, Tang Xia gave up following Gu Ze and the system-assigned men. The two of them went back to the castle.


    After returning to the castle, Tang Xia told Ye Yifan everything, hoping that he could give them substantial suggestions.


    She also believed that Ye Yifan could do it.


    After hearing the news, Ye Yifan pondered for a while.


    He did not think that Tang Xia would directly lure Gu Ze and the system-assigned men to the northern town.


    Ye Yifan found the map and looked at it. Then, he wrote and drew on his notebook. No one else knew what he was scheming.


    ¡°Tang Xia, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so smart.¡±


    Ye Yifan looked at Tang Xia and praised her sincerely. Being praised by Ye Yifan so suddenly, Tang Xia blushed like a ripe apple.


    Seeing that Tang Xia was shy, Ye Yifan stopped teasing her.


    However, the smile on his face did not fade away. He just lowered his head and continued to calculate.


    After a while, Ye Yifan asked Tang Xia to gather all the streamers in the castle. He had something to say.


    Tang Xia knew that Ye Yifan must have come up with a new idea. Otherwise, he would not have made such a big fuss. Although Ye Yifan was famous, he was very approachable and rarely ordered others around.


    Since her idol was planning something, Tang Xia naturally went to gather everyone obediently.


    Tang Xia was always very hard-working when it came to running errands.


    She knew that she was still a rookie. A rookie should act like one. For something like this that required no technical skills, of course she would not bother her master to do it himself.


    Not long after, Tang Xia gathered everyone.


    Tang Xia¡¯s execution ability had always been top-notch. Besides, this was what her idol had asked her to do.


    When all the streamers gathered together, the hall which initially looked spacious suddenly seemed crowded.


    Everyone was discussing among themselves. They did not know why they were suddenly gathered together.


    ¡°Please be quiet, everyone.¡±


    Ye Yifan showed up at the right time. As soon as he spoke, the hall became silent in an instant.


    Ye Yifan¡¯s popularity and talent were all noticeable. Everyone had witnessed his abilities.


    ¡°According to the information provided by Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan, we are no longer threatened by the system-assigned men as we stay in this castle.¡±


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief after hearing the news.


    In the past few days, everyone¡¯s spirits were extremely tense, and many people were about to be defeated.


    Now, without the threats of players of the system-assigned men, everyone could relax a little.


    ¡°This is all thanks to Tang Xia. Her smartness helped us to lead the system-assigned men to the small town in the north.¡±


    After hearing that, Tang Xia was stunned. She thought that everyone here felt that she was just a popular streamer who relied on others to gain popularity. She felt that whatever she did was insignificant.


    Ye Yifan totally could have not mentioned anything at all, but he did not. Instead, he chose to tell everyone about it. Tang Xia¡¯s heart was filled with gratitude.


    The way everyone looked at Tang Xia also changed.


    Some admired her, some were puzzled, and some were grateful, and so on.


    All this did not matter. After this incident, Tang Xia¡¯s name will be in all the streamers¡¯ hearts.


    ¡°Since we are no longer receiving threats from the system-assigned men, we have much more freedom to carry out activities in the castle.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement. Before this, everyone had to stay here because of the system-assigned men.


    ¡°For our priority right now, I would suggest that we replenish some more supplies. What do you guys think?¡±


    Ye Yifan knew very well how important having supplies was, so the first thing to do was to ensure that they had them.


    ¡°Then are we still going to stay here?¡± Someone in the crowd asked.


    ¡°Of course not, we¡¯re going to the town in the north.¡±


    Ye Yifan knew that everyone would be worried about that.


    ¡°Before, the system-assigned men caused us to be unable to gather a complete set of supplies. There are still many things that we don¡¯t have.¡±


    Ye Yifan persuaded them patiently. Right now, the most important thing to do was to take care of everyone¡¯s emotions.


    In the current situation, they could only escape this predicament if everyone stayed united.


    ¡°According to what Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan told us about how fast the system-assigned men are moving, it will take them at least three or four days to arrive at the northern town.¡±


    This was what Ye Yifan had been calculating before this.


    ¡°For us, we only need a day to get there, so we can wait until the last day to set off.¡±


    By calculating the precise timing, it could minimize the amount of time they would have to waste on the road. The time saved could be used to prepare for other things.


    Tang Xia thought in her mind, ¡°He¡¯s indeed my idol. His strategy is really so outstanding.¡±


    Tang Xia¡¯s infatuated thoughts for Ye Yifan increased uncontrollably. Her admiration for him deepened.


    ¡°This way, we can save time and quickly get out of this predicament.¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s words were forceful and powerful.


    His logic was clear and coherent. These a few words that he said almost bought over all everyone¡¯s hearts.


    After Ye Yifan finished speaking, he especially glanced at Mu Chengxuan who then nodded his head.


    After assessing the situation, everyone felt that there was no reason to refute his suggestion and all agreed with him.


    Seeing that everyone had agreed, Ye Yifan divided them into several groups to gather supplies.


    Powered with hope, everyone became quicker in their actions. Everyone immediately went to check what kind of supplies they were lacking. They collated all the missing supplies so that they could go gather them with a purpose and hence save time and energy.


    Without the threat of system-assigned men in the castle, everyone was able to move about more freely.


    Collecting things became much more convenient and they no longer had to do it fearfully. Everyone¡¯s spirits were uplifted a lot and they were not as anxious as before.


    Tang Xia and Ye Yifan were in the group that was mainly in charge of collecting weapons.


    Being in the same group as her idol, Tang Xia was overjoyed.


    Tang Xia had been extremely proactive while collecting supplies in the past few days. She went to places with armed weapons like the police station to gather weapons.


    Because Tang Xia had almost taken up all the tasks, there was nothing left for Ye Yifan to do.


    He spent all day sitting idly in the castle while guarding the array of weapons that Tang Xia had collected.


    He classified all the weapons and distributed them based on everyone¡¯s characteristics.


    After three days of searching, they had lots of gains. Everyone gathered together to share the results of what they had collected in the past three days.


    A smile began to appear on everyone¡¯s faces.


    On the night of the third day, Ye Yifan gathered everyone together again.


    ¡°According to the timeline, the system-assigned men led by Gu Ze should be nearing the northern town.¡±


    As soon as he finished his words, the smile on everyone¡¯s face faded away and the atmosphere became dense.


    ¡°We should set off soon. In just a moment, I¡¯ll allocate the supplies and distribute the weapons to everyone.¡±


    Upon hearing Ye Yifan¡¯s words, everyone felt much more relieved.


    With Ye Yifan as their backbone, everything became simpler.


    Tang Xia did not expect Ye Yifan to have made so many preparations. He had even thought about the distribution of weapons.


    Her feelings towards him were now more than just infatuation. However, it was not anything near liking him. Perhaps it was just pure admiration.


    ¡°Everyone, have a good rest tonight. We will set off tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ye Yifan¡¯s words seemed to have magic. After hearing his words, everyone seemed to regain their fighting spirit.


    Ye Yifan was really a natural-born leader. No matter what kind of difficulties he was facing, he had a way to solve them.


    Tang Xia helped Ye Yifan to distribute the gathered supplies to everyone.


    No one had any objections due to unfair distribution. Tang Xia was very curious how Ye Yifan managed to do it.


    ¡°Put yourself in their shoes.¡±


    Ye Yifan knew what Tang Xia was thinking about and he only gave her these few words.


    Ye Yifan knew that Tang Xia was kind-hearted and was not good at being scheming. For something like this, all it took was to guess what the other person was thinking.


    ¡°Put yourself in their shoes?¡±


    Tang Xia repeated these words, but she did not figure out what it meant. When she was about to ask him, he had already gone to bed.


    Tang Xia had also been busy the whole day, so she was also a little tired. She looked around her and saw that almost everyone had fallen asleep except for her.


    Lying on the bed, Tang Xia closed her eyes. She was physcially exhausted but in good spirits.


    Actually, Tang Xia was going through a turmoil. She did not know what to say about the man behind all this.


    It was as if a movie was playing in Tang Xia¡¯s mind. Everything was about Chu Tiankuo.


    Every frame was full of his back view.


    All the scenes of her first mission filled her mind and would not go away.


    Although Tang Xia did not see Chu Tiankuo these days, she would still think of him from time to time.


    Tang Xia did not know what was happening to her, but she had a strange feeling.


    Tang Xia hoped that the person behind all this was Chu Tiankuo, but she also hoped that it was not. She was very conflicted.

 Chapter 355 - Setting Out

    Chapter 355 Setting Out


    Everyone let their guard down and rested for a while. After all, what they were going to face would be more severe. Hence, everyone had to prepare in advance. It would be terrible if they did not have enough strength when an accident happens.


    Early in the morning, everyone packed up their bags, took their own supplies with them, and was ready to go.


    Before leaving, Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and Ye Yifan held an emergency meeting again.


    ¡°This time, we are still divided into two groups. Some of us will go out with ¡®Gu Ze¡¯ to the town in the north, and just in case, the rest will still be responsible for guarding the castle,¡± Tang Xia said.


    ¡°Let me go with you this time. What happened last time was too dangerous. I¡¯m still worried about you. I will definitely keep you safe when I¡¯m around you,¡± said Ye Yifan.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m not as good as you, and I can¡¯t protect Tang Xia, right? I really don¡¯t know what makes you so confident to think that you¡¯re better than me.¡±


    Mu Chengxuan did not expect Ye Yifan to not trust him. He was very angry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. You should understand what I mean. Why must you twist my words?¡± Seeing Mu Chengxuan was all worked up, Ye Yifan could not help but quickly explained himself.


    ¡°How is this twisting your words? Just now you were clearly hinting that I¡¯m unable to do my job well and protect Tang Xia. Why? Do you think that in this current situation I can still hurt Tang Xia deliberately?¡±


    One could say that Mu Chengxuan¡¯s temper was really hot.


    Ye Yifan said, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that way. What happened before was an accident and you were also injured. Of course, I would not think like that. I just wanted to stay with Tang Xia so that l can be less worried.¡±


    ¡°What? So you will be worried if she stays with me?¡± Before Ye Yifan could finish his sentence, Mu Chengxuan spoke again.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t you guys know what¡¯s going on now? Why are you still arguing here? You¡¯d better save the energy to deal with emergencies instead of quarreling. Can you don¡¯t be so childish!¡± Tang Xia was very angry.


    Tang Xia knew that Ye Yifan was thinking for her good, and she also knew that Mu Chengxuan had no bad intentions. However, it was really not appropriate for them to quarrel in such a situation.


    Tang Xia was already feeling frustrated. Now, she was even more frustrated because of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it was like before. Today, you must listen to me no matter what. If today¡¯s plan fails because of you two, I will wait and see how you two will compensate for the efforts of all of us have put in the past few days!¡±


    Tang Xia knew that if she did not say something malicious now, the two of them would not be able to listen to her obediently.


    As expected, when they saw that Tang Xia was really angry, they did not dare to speak and remained silent obediently. Both of them knew that Tang Xia was the only one who was the soberest right now. Both of them were all flustered by the things that happened in the past few days.


    Hence, Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan looked at each other, lowered their heads, and stopped talking. They waited compliantly for Tang Xia¡¯s arrangement.


    Having seen that the two of them finally stopped arguing, Tang Xia knew that her method worked. Hence, she calmed herself down and prepared to make arrangements for later.


    ¡°Mu Chengxuan and I will still be leading the teams. Ye Yifan will stay here with a team.¡± After finishing her sentence, she lifted her head and glanced at Mu Chengxuan and Ye Yifan.


    Tang Xia saw that Mu Chengxuan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up while Ye Yifan¡¯s gaze faded a little. He looked at Tang Xia plaintively.


    She could tell that he already knew that this would be the result.


    Mu Chengxuan was really surprised when he heard the arrangement. Although what happened last time was an accident, it was true that he did not protect Tang Xia well.


    However, Tang Xia still trusted him so much this time around. This made him feel a little more grateful.


    Of course, Mu Chengxuan was grateful for Tang Xia¡¯s trust in him.


    No matter what temper Mu Chengxuan had, he was a nice person by nature. In addition, Tang Xia trusted him so much regardless of what happened before. Mu Chengxuan told himself that he must protect Tang Xia this time no matter what happened.


    However, Ye Yifan felt even more upset. Tang Xia was afraid last time because he was not by her side. This time around, he was still not by her side, which made him more worried.


    Ye Yifan knew that Tang Xia¡¯s intension was to protect him and she did not want to owe him anything more. However, he knew that he did not need her guilt towards him. Instead, he just wanted her to be safe. This was the best result for him.


    Tang Xia knew that both of them were undergoing emotional turmoil, but she did not mess up her thoughts.


    ¡°Mu Chengxuan, when we go out this time, we must bring people who are equally good in both combat skills and reflexes. Otherwise, I am afraid that we can¡¯t deal with it like last time. After all, the distance to escape is not short this time.¡±


    After hearing that, Mu Chengxuan nodded.


    ¡°Ye Yifan, we definitely need to choose better people to stay at the castle. You definitely can¡¯t be careless. You must follow all signals that we send out. Don¡¯t act on impulse, understand?¡± Tang Xia reminded Ye Yifan again and again.


    Seeing the determination in Tang Xia¡¯s eyes, Ye Yifan could only nod and agree.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be careless, but you must protect yourself no matter what happens. If anything goes wrong, bring everyone back as soon as possible. Don¡¯t be rash. When there is life, there is hope. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be rash. Besides, Mu Chengxuan will be there too. Everything will be okay.¡± Tang Xia smiled and comforted Ye Yifan.


    While they were talking, Mu Chengxuan picked their teammates and got ready to set off.


    ¡°Tang Xia, these people all fit your requirements. When should we set off?¡±


    ¡°We should not delay this. Let¡¯s go now.¡± After saying that, Tang Xia glanced at Ye Yifan with a deep gaze. Then, she turned around and left with her group of people.


    Ye Yifan looked worried and silently watched them leave. He only stopped looking when Tang Xia and the others disappeared in his sight.


    Mu Chengxuan and Tang Xia led their team to advance quickly and chase after the system-assigned men without stopping.


    Thankfully, they had a good rest last night. Otherwise, they would not be able to take all of this without resting.


    They kept going on like this from morning to afternoon. Finally, Tang Xia and the rest saw the army of system-assigned men led by ¡°Gu Ze¡±. Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan looked at each other and did not make any big movements.


    They quietly followed behind the army of system-assigned men. They were careful and cautious for fear that they would be besieged like before.


    The team followed the system-assigned men and moved towards the town slowly.


    After a while, Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and the rest saw that the army of system-assigned men had already entered the town. Tang Xia waved her hand, signaling everyone to stop.


    Just like that, the army of system-assigned men entered the small town slowly. Meanwhile, Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan led the team to stop in a place not far outside the town. They did not go forward.


    Tang Xia said to everyone cautiously, ¡°Let¡¯s not enter first. We will wait and see. If there are any changes, this distance is enough for us to have enough time to react. if the town is not as peaceful as we thought, we will also not be besieged.¡±


    ¡°Okay, no problem. We¡¯ll still listen to your commands this time. Still the same thing, we must be alert in knowing what¡¯s happening around us so as to avoid being surrounded again.¡±


    Obviously, Mu Chengxuan still had a lingering fear of what had happened last time.


    While they were talking, ¡°Gu Ze¡± had led the army of system-assigned men into the town. They were now searching everywhere.


    Meanwhile, ¡°Gu Ze¡± was still saying ¡°Mu Mu, Mu Mu¡­¡± faintly as if he was in a dream.


    The small town was abnormally quiet at this time, and no other system-assigned men were spotted. This caused the atmosphere of the town to be eerier.


    This strange silence was just like the calm before the storm. Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan kept on feeling that the gale was raging and the storm was about to burst. This feeling made them even more uneasy.


    Everyone was more nervous because no one knew what would happen next.


    To tell the truth, Mu Chengxuan felt that this feeling was as silent as death. Or one could also say that it was a huge trap waiting for the prey to walk into it by themselves.


    Such silence made everyone worried, especially Tang Xia. This was because, in her consciousness, this town had a very important special significance.


    Seeing how anxious Tang Xia was, Mu Chengxuan asked, ¡°Shall we go in and have a look? It feels strange. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be so simple.¡±


    Tang Xia asked him back, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I also feel that something is wrong. Shall we wait and see? What do you think?¡±


    While Tang Xia, Mu Chengxuan, and the rest were still worried about the situation inside and could not decide if they should enter and have a look, chaos erupted in the town.


    A lot of system-assigned men suddenly appeared from nowhere. They were like a swarm of bees that were densely packed together. Tang Xia shivered when she uncontrollably thought of the scene where they were surrounded by the system-assigned men.


    However, the only difference was that they were not the ones being surrounded.


    Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan were both in cold sweats and felt a lingering fear.


    Fortunately, they did not enter impulsively earlier. Otherwise, they would be facing the attacks by the system-assigned men from both sides. After all, the system-assigned men did not know which side they were helping.


    The two groups of system-assigned men became entangled in a fight just like that. The scene was very chaotic. Since they were not close to them, Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan could only quickly take out their binoculars to observe them.


    Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan found that the system-assigned men led by ¡°Gu Ze¡± were fighting with another group of system-assigned men that came out from nowhere. The fighting scene was chaotic and primitive as they used their bodies as weapons to attack the enemies directly. This caused Tang Xia and Mu Chengxuan to burst into cold sweats.


    It had to be said that such a battle scene was really rare. It was simply a hand-to-hand fight.


    They landed each punch and kick heavily, sparing not an ounce of strength. No matter where these punches hit, they would certainly leave a painful mark.


    Perhaps it was because the army of system-assigned men that ¡°Gu Ze¡± led did not respond to their enemy that sprang out from nowhere in time. At this moment, ¡°Gu Ze¡± and his army were slowly losing and falling into a disadvantage.