Chapter 154 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

Xing Er and several other palace maids have no martial arts skills and naturally no way to conceal their breath. He Yunxiao had long noticed them eavesdropping nearby, but didn't pay much mind to it, as they had done the same when he last saw Nan Zhu. Thankfully, their eavesdropping last time created an opportunity for him to grow closer to Nan Zhu. But even He Yunxiao himself hadn't anticipated Xing Er daring to smash the porcelain dish he had bought with a brick. He only saw a black shadow flash past and then collide with the porcelain dish on the ground, creating a loud, crisp sound as it shattered. "Bang!" Subsequently, the fragmented porcelain pieces created another round of crackling noises as they scattered and fell. He Yunxiao looked at the shattered porcelain dish in front of him, then turned to Xing Er, still not entirely grasping the situation. While Xing Er cautiously stepped back, she pointed with her finger towards Nan Zhu's room and gestured for He Yunxiao not to look at her, but to turn his head away. He Yunxiao still didn't understand. It wasn't until the hurried footsteps sounded from within Nan Zhu's chambers, and then the door that had been tightly shut suddenly swung open! "He Yunxiao, you..." Squatting on the ground, He Yunxiao raised his head to meet the woman who had just opened the door. He Yunxiao looked at his wife Nan Zhu, her heaving chest and flushed cheeks, unable to help but smile knowingly. His wife Nan Zhu was like a toffee wrapped in tin foil. You couldn't directly eat it; first, you had to peel off the fragile tin foil and then put it in your mouth. At that moment, the toffee, naked in your mouth, would melt from the warmth and you’d be left with a soft, creamy, and sweet flavor. Meng Qingrou watched He Yunxiao, unscathed, and then lowered her gaze to the shattered porcelain dish on the ground, her face even redder and more vibrant. She took a step back, her cheeks flushed, and gripping the doorframe with both hands, she attempted to close it with force. But He Yunxiao was no fool. Xing Er had already created such a good opportunity, and if he didn't know how to seize it, he might as well just commit suicide. He Yunxiao quickly stood up, taking a step forward, with one foot inside Nan Zhu's chambers and the other still outside. He braced the door about to be shut, creating a gap big enough to see her entire face. It was no longer Meng Qingrou looking down at He Yunxiao; rather, he was now looking down at her. He Yunxiao gazed into Nan Zhu's eyes and said tenderly, "Nan Zhu, I missed you." [Meng Qingrou's favorability has increased from 50 to 52.] Meng Qingrou, a girl who had spent a long time in the cold palace, couldn't withstand He Yunxiao's affectionate words. Blushing, she grit her teeth and tried to close the door and hide in her room. However, He Yunxiao was much stronger than her. With him holding the door, Meng Qingrou couldn't close it no matter how hard she tried. Not far away, the palace maids of the Lín Xuān Palace, who were watching the scene, covered their mouths and blushed, jumping around in excitement. It seemed they were even more stirred up than Meng Qingrou herself. Meng Qingrou felt flustered under He Yunxiao's gaze. She heard a voice in her head murmuring, "Let him in. He's come with a gift, so shouldn't I at least let him in to drink the antidote before he leaves?" Meng Qingrou remembered yesterday, when he had almost been hit by a medicine rack while trying to save her, and how fiercely He Yunxiao had scolded her. Although he had been stern and severe, deep down she knew that he only had her best interests at heart. After all, he had saved her twice. Regardless, at the very least, she had to give him the medicine concoctions to counteract the poison, even if she didn't forgive him for other things. Meng Qingrou decided not to attempt to close the door again and instead placed her hand down from the door and said, "Have you... had dinner?" He Yunxiao awkwardly replied, "I have, today." Silence. Meng Qingrou grabbed the doorframe again. He Yunxiao hastily said, "I've had dinner, but there's still supper. Xing Er!" Xing Er immediately emerged from behind the corner. "Here." "Go make dinner. I want to have dinner from Lín Xuān Palace." Xing Er unhesitatingly replied, "Yes, I'll go prepare it right away." Meng Qingrou then watched as her palace maids obediently walked out from behind the wall to prepare dinner for He Yunxiao. "He Yunxiao." "Yeah." "It seems like Xing Er and the others listen to you very obediently." "Yeah... maybe because I brought you some food and I also brought them some." Meng Qingrou widened her eyes, incredulously saying, "Did you bribe them all?" He Yunxiao explained, "I only brought them some food, didn't mean to bribe them. I bought some yesterday when I came. You knew, didn't you?" Meng Qingrou insisted, "You didn't bribe them. How come they're so obedient to you?" "I... I don't know either." "You did bribe them." "Nan Zhu, you know I wouldn't lie to you. I really didn't bribe them." Meng Qingrou naturally knew He Yunxiao wouldn't lie to her and believed that the sisters of the Lín Xuān Palace weren’t so easily swayed. But now, she didn't know whether to let He Yunxiao in and could only latch onto this topic. So, pouting, she grumbled, "I don't care." As soon as "I don't care" was uttered, Meng Qingrou regretted it. Just yesterday, she had been reprimanded for being willful, and yet, today, she subconsciously did the same. She didn't understand how she could act this way, as she never did when interacting with Xing Er. But once she was facing He Yunxiao, she seemed to cast aside her "knowledge and reason" and instead embrace "petulant and willful." She could reason with anyone, but she didn't want to with He Yunxiao. It was as though she had concluded that He Yunxiao would always curb her and let her do as she pleased unreasonably. In the face of Meng Qingrou, He Yunxiao knew he owed her, but didn't naively back down. Whenever it was possible to indulge her, he did his best. But sometimes, he couldn't indulge her. Even if it meant the favorability would rise slowly, he couldn't allow her to become unreasonably unruly. When He Yunxiao heard Meng Qingrou say "I don't care," his expression subconsciously became serious, and his brow furrowed. Meng Qingrou, who was still aggressive a moment ago, immediately became "timid." She didn't hold onto the door anymore, instead crossing her hands in front of her and naturally hanging them down, intertwining her fingers. Her big eyes blinked rapidly as she gazed directly at He Yunxiao, and her mouth quickly said, "I'm sorry." Watching Nan Zhu, quickly admitting her mistake, He Yunxiao couldn't help but smile wryly. She had truly mastered the art of swiftly apologizing. Seeing Nan Zhu like this, He Yunxiao couldn't summon any anger. He didn't speak aloud, but internally berated himself for having no backbone. He scolded himself mentally for letting his principles be swayed by looks. Just because someone was beautiful, allowing all kinds of mistakes to be easily forgiven. Was this all he, as the country's successor, had for ideological awareness? Don't let women manipulate you! Stand firm! After firming up his thinking, He Yunxiao gazed at Meng Qingrou with a cold expression. This time, he wouldn't be defeated! After persevering for a second. Heh heh. My Nan Zhu, my adorable Nan Zhu. Tl: Soothsayer.io