Chapter 73 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

Just as she was about to retort, Meng Qingrou was interrupted by He Yunxiao. "Is the snack tasty?" He asked as he quickly diverted the conversation. Meng Qingrou nodded honestly, "Yes, it's delicious." "Have another piece," He insisted. "Okay." He Yunxiao picked a piece of snack and swiftly fed it to her mouth. With her mouth full, Meng Qingrou couldn't speak. Her hand was held by He Yunxiao, and she could only sit quietly beside him, gracefully chewing the pastry. In fact, when a person becomes beautiful, everything they do becomes pleasing to the eye. As He Yunxiao watched her eat, he couldn't help but admire her. In his eyes, Meng Qingrou was a spiritual girl—innocent, kind, and lovely. Her naive nature and trusting demeanor easily evoked his protective instincts. He decided he had to confess to her as He Yunxiao. It was unavoidable. If "Xiao Yun" spoke ill of her sister, Meng Qingrou, and broke her trust by revealing his true identity, it would end any chance of him being with Meng Qingrou's sister. Besides, even if "Xiao Yun" had a flawless identity, could he really stand by and watch as Nan Zhu, his wife, stood up to her sister and mother for him? This story's plot twist was unbelievable—how could he bear to see his lovable wife suffer the slightest injustice? Dealing with the Empress Dowager might be slightly easier, but Meng Qingrou was definitely no walkover. She was quick to demote or exile others and even ordered the chopping of those charged with attempting to assassinate her. How could Nan Zhu handle her? Maybe it was best to just tell her that he was He Yunxiao and let her follow the proper procedures to marry into the Marquis's residence. Everyone would be happy. As He Yunxiao contemplated, Meng Qingrou's quiet eating caught his attention. He smiled at her. "Finished already? Come on, open your mouth." Wanting to say something, Meng Qingrou was once again interrupted by the delicious snack in her mouth. She had to reluctantly enjoy the rare delicacy, her mouth moving again. One person eating, and one person watching. The night was calm, and so was the moment. After finishing the meal, Meng Qingrou used her free hand to cover her mouth and said, "Sir Xiao! I need to tell you something!" Helplessly, He Yunxiao put down the snack and said, "Go on." Meng Qingrou cautiously asked, "Sir Xiao, have you consumed the Soul-Eating Pill?" Pretending to be surprised, He Yunxiao said, "Why is the lady so insightful? It's like a goddess has descended to earth!" Blushing, Meng Qingrou continued, "When you first saw me, you had asked about the Soul-Eating Pill. Also, considering the speed of recovery from the injury, which was solely through the blood, there is only one possibility, and that is the Soul-Eating Pill." Flattering her, He Yunxiao said, "The lady is truly exceptional!" With a resentful tone, Meng Qingrou's voice turned from its previous cheerfulness to a gentle gloom. "According to medical literature, those who have consumed the Soul-Eating Pill rarely live for more than a year. Even those with robust health can survive for a few months at best, or just over a year. Sir Xiao has clearly not long to live, yet you are not taking this seriously." Surprised, He Yunxiao defended himself, "How am I not taking this seriously?" Meng Qingrou pouted in dissatisfaction. "The doctor should take the initiative when seeking treatment. How can you not take this seriously?" Quick to retort, He Yunxiao said, "The Lady Nan Zhu, when seeking treatment, isn't honest either. She demands the doctor come to her." Blushing once more, Meng Qingrou hurried to explain, "I mean, men and women should keep their distance!" He Yunxiao added, "I also maintain my distance." Lowering her head, Meng Qingrou softly said, "Nan Zhu can't argue with you. However, she doesn't want to deceive you. Although she is confident in her medical skills, treating slowly while the poison acts quickly. Moreover, the Soul-Eating Pill is the most exceptional elixir in the world—a great poison and a great tonic. How long has Sir Xiao been taking this pill?" He Yunxiao thought for a moment before replying, "Not long." Meng Qingrou breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. If it's not for long, I have a fifty percent chance of finding the antidote." "Fifty percent?" With the enhancement of his "Poison Resistance" from his elder sister, He Yunxiao's tolerance to the Soul-Eating Pill was far stronger than that of an average person. A fifty percent chance for an ordinary person would equate to about an eighty percent chance for him. Having an eighty percent chance put He Yunxiao's mind at ease. He wasn't a reckless person, and an eighty percent chance was more than enough. Moreover, he had her elder sister's "Hundredpoison Heartguard Pill" as a backup. If all else failed, using it to counter the poison would ensure there was no risk. Despite having a double layer of assurance, He Yunxiao couldn't resist teasing Nan Zhu. "Fifty percent? There's no way, Nan Zhu. If I'm about to die, I won't want to burden you. You should marry someone else." Seeing He Yunxiao speak like this, Meng Qingrou quickly exclaimed, "Oh, don't lose hope. I haven't finished speaking yet. The fifty percent chance comes from taking just one dose of medicine. If you visit me every day, I will pulse-check you and adjust your prescription daily, which could raise the chance to eighty percent!" Seeing Nan Zhu's eager expression, He's happiness knew no bounds. He then observed Nan Zhu's affection for him—already at 88. Perfect. Nan Zhu could no longer escape. With such a high level of affection, could it even go down? How could Feilong Qi lose? He Yunxiao leaned closer to Nan Zhu and whispered in her ear, "Are you that unwilling to let me go?" Blushing, Nan Zhu pretended to be polite and replied, "Sir Xiao saved Nan Zhu, so Nan Zhu will also save Sir Xiao." Looking to confess something, He Yunxiao suddenly heard fast approaching footsteps coming closer and closer. As a Wushu practitioner of the eighth rank, He Yunxiao's senses were much stronger than an average person at this stage. Meng Qingrou couldn't hear what he could, especially sounds like footsteps and breathing, which needed particularly sensitive and accurate senses. However, his hearing couldn't perceive things that were too far. Although he could hear from quite a distance, it wasn't excessively far. Through the door, it was only about twenty to thirty meters. The footsteps were getting very close, and the door would be pushed open at any moment. The Princess had a reputation to maintain, and if she was found hiding a man, it would be catastrophic. Originally, she was supposed to marry into the Marquis's residence. If her reputation was tarnished, even ordinary official families would reject her. After several trials, He Yunxiao had reached the "Grandmaster" level in the art of "concealment." He was lightning fast! He immediately embraced Nan Zhu and then used his lightness skills to hide behind a curtain in the room. These curtains were common in palaces and were often used to separate the "living room" for guests from the sleeping area in the bedroom. With these curtains, there were three layers of protection when it came to concubines and princesses. The first layer was the outer door, accessible to ordinary men. The second layer was the curtain, only accessible by eunuchs and physicians. The third layer could only be accessed by the Emperor. Right now, He Yunxiao was hiding in the second layer of the area, only accessible by eunuchs and physicians. He even held onto Meng Qingrou's hand. "Sir Xiao, Xinger is here. Please let go!" Meng Qingrou urged. He Yunxiao held Meng Qingrou's hand tightly and showed no sign of releasing her. This forced her to press herself against the hanging curtain, masking the fact that her hand was being held by someone. "I can't let go now; I'm currently undergoing treatment." "You! What are we going to do?" Meng Qingrou was anxious. He Yunxiao thought, "Nan Zhu is indeed too naive. Sister Du and Chu Xiaoxiao didn't need any guidance. They were completely self-sufficient." He said, "You stay here and find an excuse to send that person away." At that moment, Xinger entered the room. Meng Qingrou's performance was far from convincing. ""X-Xinger, I'm fine. Do you need something?" Xinger thought her Lady was acting strange today and decided to approach and show concern. "Princess, you—" Suddenly, Xinger's steps halted when she noticed a half of a foot behind the curtain! According to the style of the shoe, it was evidently a men's shoe. She looked at Meng Qingrou with a shock stricken expression on her face.