Chapter 86 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

Amid the shocked gazes of the palace guards, He Yunxiao and Li Jin each carried a large bundle and proceeded towards the palace. Typically, a large amount of goods entering or leaving the palace would warrant thorough inspection. However, He Yunxiao possessed a Golden Feather Token given by his mother-in-law, which held such high status that it exempted them from inspection. As they approached the Lixuan Palace, He Yunxiao noticed several hidden guards around it, who remained watchful of their every move. These guards were the ones he unexpectedly stumbled upon when he sneaked into the Lixuan Palace the previous night. However, these guards seemed to be both present and absent at the same time. Even as he and Li Jin passed by, arriving at the gates of the Lixuan Palace, the guards showed no response. This time, He Yunxiao came with pure intentions. Standing under the steps of the Lixuan Palace, he declared loudly, "Your humble servant, He Yunxiao!" Then he nudged Li Jin with his elbow. Li Jin thought to himself, Really? But under the intimidating gaze of He Yunxiao, he said, "Your humble servant, Li Jin!" He Yunxiao continued, "Requesting an audience with Her Royal Highness, Princess Nanzhu!" The cool night breeze outside the Lixuan Palace stirred the wild grass around them. The cold moonlight shone from a distance over the two figures on the open ground. In contrast to He Yunxiao's resounding voice, the Lixuan Palace remained silent in the night. He Yunxiao understood that even if he skipped these formalities and entered the palace directly with Li Jin, Nanzhu would not object. However, he knew it was not acceptable. This time, he came with full sincerity and had to enter the Lixuan Palace with the proper decorum. He intended to showcase his wife, Princess Nanzhu, as the grand and distinguished princess she was, letting everyone know that Qi still had a princess more precious and dazzling than Meng Qingqian , rendering everyone incapable of criticizing her. Meng Qingrou was escorted by her servant as she hurried out of the palace. When she saw He Yunxiao, she exclaimed with surprise, "Master Xiao!" He Yunxiao bowed and smiled, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I have something to explain to you." "Please go ahead," Meng Qingrou replied. "Your Royal Highness, I am not Xiao Yun. I am He Yunxiao, the veritable son of Marquis Wuqing, He Yuanhao." Meng Qingrou's smile froze on her face as she looked at the earnest He Yunxiao, finding it somewhat hard to accept all this. "You are He Yunxiao?" "Yes." "What about him?" He Yunxiao quickly nudged Li Jin. Li Jin grasped the situation and said, "I am Li Jin, actually the distant nephew of my aunt." He Yunxiao nudged Li Jin again, whispering, "Who is your aunt?" "Oh. My aunt is Meng Qingqian. So, in a way, Your Highness, you could be considered my distant cousin." He Yunxiao bowed and declared loudly once again, "Your Highness, please believe me, I am indeed He Yunxiao." Hearing this, Meng Qingrou's frozen smile had vanished entirely, dissolving into the cold night air. She suddenly felt cold, shivering uncontrollably. Even her heart began to ache. The blood that was infused into her body that night, symbolizing warmth and healing, now flowed like icy sand through her veins. Every time it passed through her brain, it brought a wave of dizziness and headaches, forcing her to relive the events of that night. And as it coursed through her heart, it awakened the warmth from that night, carving deep, irreparable wounds in her staunch yet fragile heart. "He Yunxiao, come with me," she said with an unusual calmness, her tone as cold as the homeless night wind. He Yunxiao joyfully ran up the layered stone steps of the Lixuan Palace upon hearing Nanzhu summon him. Meng Qingrou displayed no expression as she turned away and walked into the palace. "Xinger, do not let anyone enter," she instructed her servant. As He Yunxiao followed Meng Qingrou into the palace, he assumed they were out of sight and took the initiative to hold Nanzhu's delicate hand. It was so cold. "Nanzhu, it's November. Shouldn't you wear more clothes?" He Yunxiao held Meng Qingrou's freezing hand in his, secretly using his internal strength to warm it. Meng Qingrou remained silent, expressionless, and did not resist. In that moment, she seemed like a dam on the verge of breaking, and no one knew how long she could hold on. Perhaps she could withstand it for a long time, or she might collapse at the slightest wind or disturbance. At least outwardly, she appeared emotionally stable, without a single hint of tears. She led He Yunxiao to her room, where the rouge he had presented the previous day and the uneaten snacks were still there. Finally, they stopped here. Meng Qingrou turned around to pull her left hand out of He Yunxiao's grasp, but he showed no intention of letting go. "Let go." "Nanzhu, we are healing." "Let go." She calmly repeated her demand. He Yunxiao had intended to play the rogue, stubbornly holding onto Nanzhu's hand. However, as Meng Qingrou gazed into his eyes from below, she extinguished all his mischievous thoughts in an instant. "Nanzhu, what's wrong?" He asked. This time, Meng Qingrou easily pulled back her left hand, with no further resistance from He Yunxiao. "Xiao Yun..." He Yunxiao watched Meng Qingrou's abnormal state and forced a smile, "Nanzhu, I am actually He Yunxiao. The identity of Xiao Yun was a lie, a deception from me." [Gained Favorability: 92 → 20] [The favorability of the captured character has experienced a significant loss. The system's protection mechanism is activated. Host, please choose whether to forcibly restore the favorability to 80.] [Yes or No] "Why did you deceive me?" Meng Qingrou's tone was as though she was speaking to a stranger. "Nanzhu, listen to me..." [Character: Kind, Innocent, Strong and Reserved] Originally eloquent, He Yunxiao had become tongue-tied, realizing the seriousness of the situation as he observed Meng Qingrou's "strong and reserved" character. He knew that any further mistake at this moment would lead Nanzhu to leave him forever. "Why did you lie to me that night?" "I came to the palace that day to consult a royal physician to cure the Soul-Eating Pill. Then, I, I visited the Empress Dowager first. The Empress Dowager had intentions of betrothing you to me. I heard you were beautiful, and without thinking much, I agreed. After that, I went to find Doctor Wei. The doctor said that you could cure the Soul-Eating Pill." "Then I, I came to see you. When I saw you squatting and secretly cutting grass, you looked so beautiful. I couldn't help but admire you for a while. Then, I saw you cut your hand. At that time, I was afraid that you would know of my reputation and think that I only coveted your beauty... and wouldn't cooperate with healing me..." "Because healing requires holding hands, I was afraid you would resist. Desperate, I had no other choice but to use the name of the royal medical pavilion, pretending to be an apprentice, to make you trust me and cooperate with healing." Meng Qingrou asked coldly, "Then why didn't you explain later?" At that moment, He Yunxiao felt ashamed and guilty. "You, you are so adorable. I couldn't help but want to tease and bully you a bit." "Am I just a plaything to you?" "No! I genuinely like you! I really want to marry you! I was particularly afraid that you and your mother and sister would quarrel over 'Xiao Yun.' So I quickly brought Li Jin to explain it to you." "They won't quarrel now. I won't marry Xiao Yun." "Or He Yunxiao." "Nanzhu! Listen to me, I actually..." "Was the hand-holding for healing also a lie?" He Yunxiao deflated and grinded his teeth, "Initially, it wasn't, but later... it was." Silence. "You can use the power of the marquis's house to pressure my mother and sister. I can also marry into the marquis's house because of them. Anyway, as long as the so-called 'Nanzhu' marries into the marquis's house and fulfills her duty, it would be enough, right? In the big Qizhou marquis's house, whose mistress hasn't faced death?" He Yunxiao was instantly disarmed, "Please! I won't pressure you, absolutely not! Please, don't do anything foolish!" For the first time, Meng Qingrou's gaze softened slightly as she looked at He Yunxiao. "I've been fooled once. I won't be fooled a second time." [Gained Favorability: 20 → 80] [The favorability of the captured character has experienced a significant loss. The system's protection mechanism is activated. Host, please choose whether to forcibly restore the favorability to 80.] [Yes or No] Seeing the system's prompt, He Yunxiao clenched his fist. He could instantly make Nanzhu have an overwhelming favorability towards him, deeply moved by his explanation, and then easily reconcile with him. But wasn't that just using the system to achieve the desired effect? Wasn't he once again deceiving her and manipulating her emotions? Is this the result you want, He Yunxiao? To marry a Nanzhu who has been emotionally influenced by the system, with no soul? No. Absolutely not! Choice! [No!] [Notice: Once the host confirms the option, it cannot be changed permanently. This system…] To hell with it! No need for bull***t talk! I'm choosing "No!" ... Meng Qingrou looked at He Yunxiao, who stood silently in place. "Master He, it's getting late. The palace is preparing for rest, and you should go." Struck by the absolute trust she had bestowed upon him, which he had shamefully betrayed, and the significant blow she had experienced, Meng Qingrou hadn't shown a hint of vulnerability or shed a single tear throughout the whole ordeal. [Name: Meng Qingrou Relationship: Stranger Specialty: Medicine Personality: Kind, Innocent, Strong and Reserved Favorability: 20 Difficulty in Capturing: Extremely Hard Successful Reward: Improved Agility (Already Obtained), Lasting Affection (New)]