Chapter 114 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

In the bewildered gaze of He Yunxiao, Xing'er emptied every drop of the medicinal soup used to counteract the Soul Devouring Pill, pouring it all onto the ground. She said, "Young Master He, even if the prince is angry with you, even if it's nighttime, She still insisted to find a way to have Court Physician Wei deliver the medicine to you. It must be vital for you to consume it, right?" He Yunxiao looked at the steam rising from the earth soaked with the medicinal soup and answered, "Yes. She said it must be consumed daily, and it must be taken hot." Xing'er chuckled, "That's what I thought. Otherwise, there would be no need to go through the trouble of using hot coals to keep it warm. Now that the piping hot soup is gone, Young Master He, if you want more, the princess needs to have another batch made for you." Suddenly enlightened, He Yunxiao said, "Xing'er, I get it now! I understand your plan. By pouring the medicinal soup, Nanzhu can only make a new one for me." Xing'er remarked, "That's not enough. The princess could brew it and bring it here. This way, you still won't be able to enter. With no more soup, a new one cannot be made right away. Taking advantage of this time gap, Lord only needs to pretend to feel unwell at the door. I can then go and ask Nanzhu to come out. Given the princess soft-hearted nature and the cool night wind, when the Lord is unwell, she will definitely invite him in." Hearing Xing'er's plan, He Yunxiao hurriedly said, "No, it won't work!" Perplexed, Xing'er asked, "Why?" He Yunxiao quickly explained, "I can't pretend to be sick. I promised not to lie to her again." Xing'er had only considered whether He Yunxiao could convincingly feign illness, but hadn't expected he would refuse to pretend. With the medicinal soup already gone, another batch must be made by Nanzhu. However, He Yunxiao's reluctance to cooperate meant there was no way to explain why the soup had been poured. The situation came to a standstill, and Xing'er had no other choice but to comfort He Yunxiao, "Young Master He, you indeed need to drink the medicinal soup to get better. Since the soup is gone, it's normal for you to feel unwell. It doesn't count as lying." Although He Yunxiao's tone was light, his gaze was resolute. He understood that Xing'er's method was indeed effective and would quickly bring him closer to Nanzhu. In the past, he would have readily accepted, but now he wouldn't. "Xing'er, I thank you truly. Today's me is not the same as yesterday's. I have realized that to pursue someone like Nanzhu, a good woman, I must use sincerity. This is more important than anything else. Regardless, I will never lie to her again." Hearing He Yunxiao's words, Xing'er was happy for her young mistress, yet she felt trapped in a dilemma. "Young Master He, you don't want to lie to the princess, but you can't enter the mansion. Without entering, you can't see her, and it's useless. Young Master He, this matter can't be delayed. If it's dragged out, even the deepest affection will fade." He Yunxiao clasped his hands, saying, "Xing'er, I appreciate your efforts. Please go back and tell Nanzhu the truth. Just tell her the truth, don't speak too fondly on my behalf. I also bought some pastries for her. Please take them along. And some jewelry... I intended to use them to please you and the other palace maids, but now that I understand your heart, I don't intend to win your favor. Consider it a token of gratitude. I thank you and the other ladies of Linxuan Palace for taking care of Nanzhu all these years." This time, Xing'er didn't throw the jewelry and accepted it. She said, "On behalf of the other maids in Linxuan Palace, thank you, Young Master." Before leaving, she asked, "Young Master He, don't you have anything to say to the princess?" He Yunxiao smiled helplessly, "I have many things I want to tell her, but the most important thing I want to say is 'I miss you, I want to see you.'" Xing'er said, "Young Master He, it's dark now, take this lantern. I know my way back, so don't worry." Since Xing'er said so, He Yunxiao didn't protest. He accepted the lantern, thanked her, and after watching her retreat into the distance, he immediately sat down to meditate. Never before had He Yunxiao felt so compelled to become stronger after achieving enlightenment. He deeply understood that in the original novel, aside from the protagonist's halo, the main reason why Chu Fan could effortlessly capture the harem was his strength. Chu Fan's extraordinary martial arts talent and power made him suitable for all the female leads, including the "Empress" Meng Qingqian of Qi State. He Yunxiao sighed inwardly, relieved that Meng Qingqian wasn't currently part of the targets he needed to conquer; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known how to win her over. Meng Qingqian even looked down on Yang Zhe. He Yunxiao knew his status and position were extraordinary, but compared to Yang Zhe, he only had the advantage in appearance. Apart from that, his family background, talent, strength, and connections were all inferior to Yang Zhe. As a result, even He Yunxiao himself felt that even a prodigy like Yang Zhe, who was second only to Chu Fan, couldn't win Meng Qingqian's affection. If there ever came a day when he needed to win her over, it would be impossible to earn her admiration. In the end, he needed to become stronger. Both in strength and influence. He promptly discarded the useless musings, focused his mind, and began to meditate. The night pressed upon the land, leaving only the lantern Xing'er left behind to cast a small light beside He Yunxiao. ... At night, Linxuan Palace was livelier than during the day. During the day, the palace maids would be busy inside and outside the palace. But at night, everyone would stay inside their own rooms, entertaining themselves. Among the palace maids, the pastimes included gossiping, sewing, and crafting homemade gamings like throwing vessels and wooden cards. However, these were just games for the palace maids. Except for Xing'er, no one dared to play around with the Princess, Nanzhu. So, when Xing'er went out to deliver the medicine to the Court Physician Wei, there was only Nanzhu in Meng Qingrou's sleeping chamber. Meng Qingrou sat quietly on the chair, making sachets without singing. The jewelry and pastries He Yunxiao had bought were still in their previous spots. Not a single piece of the sweets had been touched from yesterday's sulking till now. A light knock on the door could be heard. Xing'er's voice reached the room. "Princess." Meng Qingrou, who sat making the sachet with her head down, perked up and looked towards the door, delighted, "Xing'er, you're back. Come in. Is it cold tonight?" Xing'er entered the room, closed the door, put the container of medicinal soup and the pastries that He Yunxiao had brought on a table, then walked to sit across from Meng Qingrou. She took the unfinished sachet and silver needles that Meng Qingrou held, which might get harmed, and placed them on the nearby table. Meng Qingrou's big and beautiful eyes flickered with suspicion as she watched Xing'er's actions. "Xing'er, what's the matter with you?" Only after everything was set up did Xing'er finally speak, "Princess, while I was out delivering the medicine, I met Young Master He, He Yunxiao. He was waiting for you at the entrance of Linxuan Palace." *Translated by Soothsayer.io