Chapter 516

In the room next door, Mu Nanzhi barely got any sleep all night. Although the side door between the rooms offered decent soundproofing, some noises still slipped through—faint, yet unmistakable. With all that going on, how could she possibly sleep?

When she heard the door open, Mu Nanzhi immediately sat up in bed. As soon as she looked over, she saw Bian Suwen carrying Shao Wanwan back inside.

Shao Wanwan’s eyes were shut tight, her face alternating between pale and flushed, and even in sleep, her brows remained tightly furrowed. It didn’t take much imagination to know that she had suffered.

Mu Nanzhi suddenly recalled the curse she’d muttered not long ago, saying Shao Wanwan would get her retribution eventually. Who would’ve thought retribution would come so swiftly? Maybe this was karma after all—those who harmed others would inevitably be harmed in return.

Bian Suwen set Shao Wanwan down on the floor, then rather roughly shook her awake.

Looking utterly drained, Shao Wanwan slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was her long-standing rival, Bian Suwen. She tried lifting her arm, but before she could do much, Bian Suwen had already grabbed her wrist.

“Never thought I’d see the day a vixen like you ended up like this,” Bian Suwen said with a grin of schadenfreude. She pulled out her phone and waved it teasingly. “Now that I’ve got dirt on you, too, how about we make a trade?”

Shao Wanwan scoffed coldly. Of course, she knew Bian Suwen was bluffing. But she couldn’t expose her—if she said too much, the Old Ancestor’s identity might be revealed.

After thinking it over, she chose not to respond.

“Not willing to trade? Then fine, we’ll both hold on to our aces. But I’m warning you, if that video about Nanzhi ever gets leaked, yours will go public too. Understand?” Bian Suwen’s voice was stern, though her heart held a flicker of guilt.

Shao Wanwan said nothing, silently accepting the terms.

Bian Suwen was bluffing—but wasn’t she doing the same? In truth, neither of them had actual leverage. Going along with the bluff might not be a bad thing after all.

Ignoring Bian Suwen, Shao Wanwan turned her eyes toward Mu Nanzhi. “We’re even now.”

Mu Nanzhi frowned slightly. What she had lost could never be recovered—how could this be considered even? But then again, Shao Wanwan paid a price of her own, and at least she no longer had to fear her secret being exposed.

Still, Mu Nanzhi couldn’t help noticing that Shao Wanwan didn’t look nearly as devastated as she had been when it happened to her. Compared to her own breakdown, Shao Wanwan seemed far too composed.

That imbalance tugged at her, but even so, she didn’t have the heart to keep going after Shao Wanwan. After all, the woman never actually tried to kill her.

“Suwen, let her go,” Mu Nanzhi said softly.

Bian Suwen nodded and released the restraints on Shao Wanwan.

Regaining control over her body, Shao Wanwan slowly got up from the cold floor. Just that small movement made her draw in a sharp breath, her brows creasing even deeper from the pain.

“Need some medicine? I’ll even give you a discount,” Bian Suwen teased with a smirk.

“Save it,” Shao Wanwan snapped, glaring at her. Though her focus was on poison techniques, she still understood medical principles. This kind of thing—she could handle herself.

Struggling to her feet, she limped toward the main door. As she walked, a trace of emptiness crept into her heart, but the feeling wasn’t unbearable. In the end, the Old Ancestor lowered himself to help her detoxify. What right did she have to complain? In a way, it was an honor.

“Does this make me… kind of the Sect Master’s wife?” The thought suddenly popped into her mind, but before it could bloom, it quickly faded away.

She was being ridiculous.

The Old Ancestor was a man who kills without blinking—how can someone like him ever feel something as ordinary as love?

That thought alone left her heart feeling strangely hollow.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Bian Suwen glanced toward the doorway Shao Wanwan had left through, then turned to Mu Nanzhi.

“My boyfriend’s still sleeping like a log in the next room. Didn’t you say you were curious about him? Want to sneak a peek while he’s still out?”

“Better not,” Mu Nanzhi replied with a laugh and a shake of her head. “What if I see something I shouldn’t? You’ll get jealous.”

“How could I be jealous of you? If it were someone else, maybe I’d mind. But we’re sisters—I’m not that petty,” Bian Suwen joked.

“I have a boyfriend too, you know. I’m not interested in yours. Just introduce him properly next time we meet in public,” Mu Nanzhi said with a smile.

“Fine, fine,” Bian Suwen said with a shrug. She didn’t push it further. Instead, she slipped back through the side door into the adjacent room and quickly tidied up all traces of the night’s chaos.

Most importantly, she dealt with the fallen petals on the bed.

Once everything looked normal again, Bian Suwen walked over to Wang Haoran’s side and unsealed his sleep acupoint.

But Wang Haoran didn’t stir.

Smiling, Bian Suwen plucked a small lock of her own hair and tickled his nose with it.

He twitched and rubbed his nose, then slowly opened his sleepy eyes as if waking up naturally.

“You’re finally awake,” Bian Suwen said brightly, flashing him a radiant smile—but deep inside, she still felt a trace of sourness.

After all, she just lent out her boyfriend. No matter how understanding she was, it still stung.

But the memory of Shao Wanwan’s pathetic, disheveled appearance helped ease that bitterness a little.

“You’re up early,” Wang Haoran said groggily.

“Of course,” she replied, blinking her big, bright eyes. “See? I told you—I’m cured. My condition’s completely gone.”

Her words were a veiled reminder of what had happened the night before.

She knew the drug in the wine had both sedative and hallucinogenic effects. She was sure Wang Haoran wouldn’t remember the specifics of last night—at most, he might have some vague impressions.

That’s exactly why she said what she did. She wanted him to believe that she had been by his side the entire time.

“Well, you’re cured, but I’m still a little dizzy,” Wang Haoran said as he rubbed his temples, acting as though he was still feeling out of sorts.

Bian Suwen instantly realized that the drug’s effects might not have fully worn off yet.

“Maybe you overdid it last night. It’s normal,” she said quickly, then offered, “Let me massage your head—it’ll help.”

After a few minutes, Wang Haoran put on a convincing act and sat up looking refreshed. “Much better now.”

“That’s good,” Bian Suwen breathed a quiet sigh of relief and glanced at the time. “Come on, let’s get breakfast.”

Wang Haoran looked out the window.

The sky had just started to brighten.

“Isn’t it a little too early for breakfast?” he said, shooting her a meaningful look.

Bian Suwen froze, catching the implication. Her heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered her best friend was still in the next room.

“If you don’t want to go, fine. I’m heading out. I have a patient this morning anyway,” she said quickly, making her escape before she could be dragged into anything.

Wang Haoran watched her go, feeling a little resentful.

So after all that, she thought she could just leave as if nothing had happened?

If he does not get some payback later, he’ll never be satisfied.