Chapter 42

Those ominous words sent Li Nantong into a furious rage. But when he saw that handsome face, his anger quickly faded. He cast Yun Yaoyao a sidelong glance. “Speak. What do you want with me?”

Yun Yaoyao waved her folding fan and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Help me deal with Yun Liang. Once it’s done, I’ll give you what you want.”

Li Nantong let out a cold laugh and looked at her as if she were an idiot. “You’re the hundred and eighth person to say that to me.”

“I may not like Yun Liang, but I’m not stupid. He’s family. If something happens to him, do you think I’ll be able to escape unscathed?”

“Besides, the Li family only enjoys its current prosperity because of him. I’m perfectly satisfied with my present life—doing nothing but eating, drinking, and waiting to die, all while having money to spend. Don’t bother telling me you can offer me more money or even make me a high-ranking official. Without Yun Liang, my family wouldn’t have the ability to hold on to a larger fortune, and I certainly don’t have what it takes to become a high official.”

“So give it up. There’s no way I’m helping you.”

Yun Yaoyao was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected Li Nantong, who appeared to spend his days muddling through life, to have such a clear mind. He wasn’t as stupid as he looked.

Without the slightest hint of urgency, Yun Yaoyao turned to leave. “Oh? Is that so?”

“I was going to tell you the truth about your infertility, but since you feel that way, I suppose there’s no need.”

The moment those words fell, Li Nantong’s pupils contracted, and he stopped in his tracks.

His infertility had always been the deepest pain in his heart. After marrying his first wife, he had been able to blame their childlessness on her. But after taking one concubine after another, and none of them conceiving for more than a decade, the problem could only lie with him!

What was worse, after his first wife divorced him and remarried, she had given birth to three children in just two years. It was practically a slap in the face.

His father had also pointed at him and cursed him more than once, saying that the Li family’s bloodline would end with him.

Li Nantong’s expression turned ugly. “Tell me first. Then I’ll consider helping you.”

Yun Yaoyao smiled lightly and shook her head. “Now you’re the one asking me for something.”

That smile instantly left Li Nantong staring blankly.

Yun Yaoyao was dressed in a fine white brocade robe today. Her originally cold and dignified face had been altered through disguise into that of a handsome, innocent-looking young gentleman. She was practically dancing all over Li Nantong’s type.

That was right—Li Nantong was attracted to men, and he especially loved pretty young men with fair skin.

Looking at Yun Yaoyao’s tall, shapely figure, Li Nantong thought that if the other person were a man, he wouldn’t mind being the one on the bottom.

Li Nantong stared at Yun Yaoyao with burning desire and audibly swallowed. “How about this? Become mine, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Yun Yaoyao: “?”

Where had this lunatic come from all of a sudden?

Seeing the lust in his eyes, Yun Yaoyao understood.

Damn it. He was a shameless faggot!

Why hadn’t Lin Qingti mentioned this? If she had known, she would have approached him differently.

Yun Yaoyao instantly lost all interest in manipulating him any further and went straight to the point. “Your infertility was caused by Madam Yun.”

Those words abruptly pulled Li Nantong out of his fantasies. His expression filled with shock.

“Madam Yun has long coveted the entire Li family. After obtaining a powder that could end a bloodline, she first made you and your father infertile. Later, because she found it difficult to conceive after giving birth to Yun Yanyan, she simply made Yun Liang infertile as well. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?”

“Once your bedridden father dies, she’ll take the son of the Li family’s third daughter, bring him here, and change his surname to Yun. Then, after you die, the Li family will naturally fall into her hands.”

“Can you still believe that as long as Yun Liang remains untouched, your Li family can continue benefiting from him and you can go on living this comfortable life of eating, drinking, and waiting to die?”

Li ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍Nantong’s entire body began to tremble. At that moment, all the scattered pieces finally fell into place, and his mind descended into chaos.

At the same time, on the main road outside the gambling house, a carriage was making its way toward them.

The carriage suddenly stopped as it passed the gambling house. Lin Qingti climbed out and hurried inside.

The soldiers of Prince Ze, lying in ambush near the tavern diagonally across the street, immediately felt their hearts sink.

“The intelligence says he never gambles. If he suddenly stops to enter a gambling house, he must have noticed something!”

“This is bad. The gambling house is crowded and chaotic. Kill him before Lin Qingti gets inside!”

Li Nantong was still dazed. As soon as he stepped out of the gambling house, he saw a large group of masked assassins charging in his direction with swords drawn. His legs went weak, and his thighs began to tremble.

Yun Yaoyao, who had just come out behind him, immediately cried out in alarm, “Who did you offend? They sent so many people to kill just you! And I had to come looking for you today of all days. What terrible luck!”

“Run!”

But Li Nantong’s limbs seemed to have stopped obeying him. Unable to move, he could only squeeze his eyes shut in terror.

Li Nantong: “Aah! I’ll never forgive you, even as a ghost!”

The assassins who passed him: “…”

What was wrong with this man? Was he blind? Couldn’t he see that they were after Lin Qingti? And he had even been scared into wetting himself, making the whole place stink!

Yun Yaoyao let out another heavy sigh. “You’re completely useless! If you weren’t useful to me, I wouldn’t even bother saving you!”

With that, Yun Yaoyao kicked him to the ground, grabbed him by the leg, and hurried back into the gambling house.

Li Nantong was a coward who treasured his life above all else. He didn’t dare open his eyes and could only scream at the top of his lungs as Yun Yaoyao dragged him along.

Yun Yaoyao moved leisurely amid the gamblers fleeing in panic.

First, Li Nantong crashed into a gambling table. Then his head smacked against the wall. And then, somehow, someone’s foot stomped straight into his mouth while they scrambled to escape.

The taste was like sauerkraut fermented for ten days and ten nights, mixed with manure, sweat, and a beggar’s greasy hair oil, all stirred together.

Li Nantong immediately vomited with a loud retch.

Yun Yaoyao found him even more disgusting now.

Ugh. He absolutely reeked.

Yun Yaoyao shifted her gaze to Lin Qingti, who was fleeing among the gamblers. Several gamblers who were actually members of the Dragon Shadow Guard had disguised themselves and were creating chaos, blocking the assassins’ path. Lin Qingti was perfectly safe.

After leading the assassins on a merry chase for a while, Lin Qingti finally pretended to be struck by a blade. He spat out the pig’s blood he had prepared beforehand, collapsed to the ground, and tremblingly pointed a finger at the assassins.

“Wh-who are you?”

“His Majesty will never… f-forgive you!”

With that, Lin Qingti rolled his eyes back and fainted.

Yun Yaoyao could only say that his acting was nowhere near as good as hers.

The patrol officers on the main road were almost there, so the assassins quickly fled.

Yun Yaoyao also dragged Li Nantong out of the gambling house, tossed him into a carriage, and headed toward the Li residence.

Inside the carriage, Yun Yaoyao gave him a cool sidelong glance.

“Li Nantong, you’re safe now. Do you know who tried to kill you today?”

Only then did Li Nantong dare open his eyes. Without realizing it, he edged closer to Yun Yaoyao.

Remembering that he was attracted to men, Yun Yaoyao wanted to kick him away—but she was afraid he might actually enjoy it.

She had no choice but to shift farther away and keep her distance.

Li Nantong wiped his nose and tears. “I… I don’t know. I don’t usually… make enemies with anyone.”

Yun Yaoyao coaxed him along. “No enemies? Then someone familiar must have made the attempt. How interesting.”

“Li Nantong, think carefully. If you died today, who would benefit the most?”

What Yun Yaoyao had said at the gambling house had already convinced him of most of the truth, and he now hated Madam Yun. After enduring that heart-stopping assassination attempt, the first person who came to Li Nantong’s mind was Madam Yun!

“It was her! It has to be her! She’s the only one with a motive to kill me!”

“Li Nantong, it seems your situation is far worse than I imagined.” Yun Yaoyao smiled brightly.

Li Nantong steeled himself and, despite the pain, knelt directly before Yun Yaoyao. “My lady, I’ll help you deal with Yun Liang. In return, you send people to protect me!”

The Yun family had been the first to betray me, so they can’t blame me for showing them no mercy!

“My lady, what do you want me to do?”

Yun Yaoyao flicked open her folding fan. “Yun Liang and Madam Yun aren’t trying to have your third sister’s son adopted into the Yun family? You personally deliver the child to the Yun family, then find an excuse to stay there for a few days.”

“After that, casually let it slip to him that Madam Yun gave Yun Liang a powder that would leave him without heirs!”