Shan Xiaoya heard Man Hanting’s words and looked at Hu Yannan in confusion. She asked softly, “General, is what he said true about my identity? Am I a princess of Manyi Kingdom?”
Hu Yannan, who was about to say “no,” looked at the crowd below and, after careful consideration, silently nodded.
Shan Xiaoya’s cold eyes suddenly showed a different light. She tried to break free from Hu Yannan’s embrace. “General, please let go quickly. I want to get down.”
Hearing Shan Xiaoya’s somewhat displeased tone, Hu Yannan’s heart tightened, and the fear of losing her filled his mind. “Xiao Ya!”
Shan Xiaoya stubbornly said, “I want to get down! I want to get down!”
Hu Yannan didn’t look at Man Hanting, increased the strength of his arms, and held the person in his embrace tightly, afraid she might fly away. He almost pleaded with the woman in his arms, “Xiao Ya, let’s leave here!”
“No! I want to get down. I want to see the place where I used to live. I don’t understand why I appeared ‘there,’ and I don’t want to know. But now that I know my identity, I want to see it. General, please, let me go!” Her lively eyes were misty…
Hu Yannan furrowed his brows, feeling suffocated, swallowed hard, and reluctantly dismounted with Shan Xiaoya. His hand around her waist never loosened, always protecting her under his wings…
Man Hanting signaled to his subordinate, and a guard approached, eagerly taking the reins from Hu Yannan. Man Hanting extended his arm and gestured towards the city. Hu Yannan led Shan Xiaoya inside.
Man Hanting looked at Hu Yannan’s back, beckoned a personal guard, whispered something in his ear, and the guard quickly left after acknowledging the order.
In the banquet hall of the Manyi Kingdom’s palace, gracefully dressed dancers performed emotionally, with lingering music floating in the air. Hu Yannan sat at the head of the table, smiling and casting deep, emotional glances at Shan Xiaoya below. Hu Yannan sat upright and expressionless beside Shan Xiaoya, seemingly unaffected by the peaceful song and dance. Shan Xiaoya sat at the table, ignoring Hu Yannan and staring thoughtfully at the dancers’ performance. Her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed. If she was indeed a princess of Manyi Kingdom, then she would be Hu Yannan’s legitimate wife as he said. But how could she explain spending an entire year ‘there’? Looking at his deeply affectionate appearance, he seemed to care about her specially. But if he truly cared, who would send someone they care about to ‘that place’?
Previously, what he said about the ruler of Manyi Nation having a wolf’s ambition to unify the world – isn’t this the person sitting right here? He calls himself her imperial brother, even though he is her imperial brother.
If he were to unify the world, it would only benefit her. But looking at the two of them, there seems to be an entangled hatred between them… Shan Xiaoya raised her head, looking at Man Hanting with confusion… Man Hanting saw that the person who had been watching him for a long time finally looked at him and hurriedly raised his wine cup to signal to her, his eyes showing love and affection… Having stayed in the Magic Kiln for so long, Shan Xiaoya could naturally distinguish the meaning behind a man’s gaze. Seeing him express his feelings, Shan Xiaoya, who was originally puzzled, became even more bewildered… What was she in exactly? The man beside her assumed the posture of a protector, imprisoning her; the man who claimed to be her imperial brother – she felt no intimacy with him, and he was teasing her with a gaze that should not exist between siblings… Shan Xiaoya raised her cup and toasted Man Hanting, then elegantly drank the wine in one gulp…
Hu Yannan, sitting in front of the table, didn’t touch anything, his attention entirely on Shan Xiaoya. Seeing her toast Man Hanting ambiguously, he felt uncomfortable but couldn’t say anything. Looking at Man Hanting’s face, a bad feeling filled his heart…
We should go back.”
Shan Xiaoya looked at Man Hanting above, then at Hu Yannan beside her who seemed on edge. Shan Xiaoya stood up, raised her cup to Hu Yannan: “General, you haven’t touched anything all this time. I want to toast you; before toasting, I want to ask you something and hope you’ll tell me the real reason.” Hu Yannan glanced at Man Hanting and said thoughtfully: “Xiaoya, can we discuss this after we return to An City?”
Shan Xiaoya said wildly: “I don’t want to! Since you admit I’m a princess of Manyi Nation, you must explain here. Otherwise, I won’t go back to An City with you!” “Xiaoya! Don’t be so stubborn. When we return, I’ll definitely tell you the truth.” Shan Xiaoya pressed: “Do you know what I want to ask? Are you answering so quickly? Or are you guilty? Afraid I’ll expose something?”
Man Hanting waved his hand, and everyone withdrew. Only three people remained in the large banquet hall. Man Hanting came down, standing between Shan Xiaoya and Hu Yannan. “Xiaoya, you can ask me anything. I’ll be completely honest.”
Shan Xiaoya looked at Man Hanting’s smiling face. In a sweet voice, she said: “Imperial Brother! Are you really my imperial brother?” She lightly bumped her shoulder against his chest. Man Hanting was pleased, stroking where she had bumped.
He countered: “What do you think?” “I hope not!” Man Hanting happily said: “How clever! You are not my imperial sister.”
Shan Xiaoya’s expression changed instantly. She suddenly tensed her face and shouted at both of them: “Who am I exactly? Don’t hide it from me!” Hu Yannan frowned, emotionally saying: “No matter who you are, I still love you.” Man Hanting, not afraid to cause chaos, said: “Xiaoya, I love you too. If you agree, I’ll make you a concubine! Enjoy endless wealth and honor.”
Hu Yannan’s face turned ugly, possessively embracing Shan Xiaoya’s waist. “Xiaoya! Let’s go!” When Man Hanting heard he was leaving, his expression changed instantly. His eyes flickered, then suddenly he reached out to block Hu Yannan’s path. “Stop! Xiaoya hasn’t agreed to go with you. Leave her behind!”
Hu Yannan coldly laughed. “You think you can stop me? You don’t have that ability!” Man Hanting laughed confidently. “General Hu, I know your martial skills are impressive. But look where you are! On my territory, you want to act wildly? Impossible. Leave the person, and you can go whenever you want.”
Her words startled the two men who were staring at each other defensively. Hu Yannan reluctantly let go of his hand. “Xiaoya, have you gone mad? You actually want to stay? Do you know what staying means?”
Shan Xiaoya coldly looked at Hu Yannan, her eyes devoid of warmth.
“General, I have considered this carefully. I know what staying means. It means enjoying endless wealth and glory for the rest of my life, and having a high-ranking status. These are things you cannot give me. I originally wanted to ask why I appeared in the magic kiln, but I now find that unnecessary. Even if I knew, I would still be standing here. Perhaps I should thank the person who sent me there, because there I learned many things, and understood the coldness of human nature and the cruelty of reality.” At this moment, Shan Xiao Ya’s eyes held a beast-like cruelty and opportunistic smoothness…
Her expression made Hu Yannan’s heart tighten, with regret tormenting his soul like torture. He said painfully, “Xiao Ya, everything in the past is over. I will treat you well in the future.”
“Treat me well? How can a general about to lose his country treat me well? Do you want me to live a life of wandering and hiding with you?”
Man Hanting’s expression changed when he heard this, thinking Shan Xiao Ya already knew his plan for tonight. He looked nervously at Hu Yannan…
Hu Yannan looked hurt, looking at Shan Xiao Ya, not noticing Man Hanting’s changing expression. Her fickleness and cold-bloodedness were hard for him to accept.
