For these two days, I ate and slept, slept and ate. My guards didn’t look that tired either, they didn’t even leave my room. This made Tong Lin more certain that he had already won the bet.
Yan Xi tried to come test me using different methods, but I was a green tea and milk tea expert, a talent I cultivated thanks to Nanyang and Jing Yan. As the day drew to an end, Tong Lin had people come to invite me.
When I arrived, his expression was smug, “Nanxing, when will our bet end?”
I thought and then said, “How about midnight?”
He nodded. “Fine, a little more time won’t hurt.”
I shrugged. I walked to the dining table and sat down to eat. Eating is important. If I’m hungry, where would I find the strength to escape?
“Nanxing, you really are similar to my aunt.” Tong Lin cut at his steak and sighed.
My hand paused. “Actually, why don’t you tell me more about my mother? Consider it a bonus for me.”
He ate piece of steak and the prawn that Yan Xin peeled for him. He then said, “The worst thing aunt ever did in her life was to marry your father. If your father wasn’t Nan Zheng, if he was one of the 7 brothers, your mother would still be alive. She’d still be queen and you’ll be an actual princess.”
“You really need to study up on biology. If my father wasn’t Nan Zheng, then I won’t be Nanxing. That’s simple genetics.” I said coolly.
Tong Lin ignored me. “But conceited women never have good ending. Your mother is the perfect example. If she wasn’t so confident in her ability, and revealed this treasure to the underworld, she wouldn’t have caused this bloody mess and dragged you into it. She did this to herself.”
I sighed. “I find that you’re a very contradictory person. On one hand, you’d praise my mother and then the next moment, you’d find any chance to slander her name. Why would she have a nephew who is as crazy as you?” I turned back to my meal and said, “Cousin Tong Lin, remember what you said, if you lose the bet, there shall be no fighting and resisting.”
Tong Lin nodded. “And if you lose, you have to lead me to the hidden room.”
Yan Xin smiled, “You two are really like siblings bickering.” This Yan Xin truly was something else. How did she see this as bickering was beyond me. Tong Lin and I looked at her and then retracted our gazes at the same time. We shared a look because we both heard the propellers.
When Tong Lin’s people rushed in, I jumped up from the table and pressed my fork against Yan Xin’s throat. Yan Xin started to scream. She was frightened.
“Nanxing, what are you doing?” She sobbed. I pulled her up and used her as a shield.
“Cousin, you said to surrender without resistance!” I reminded Tong Lin. Tong Lin’s face was dark. His people were about to swarm at me but Tong Lin stopped them. I smiled, this man at least was a man of his words.
“Nanxing, Nanxing, can you please let me go?” Yan Xin pleaded. Her tears fell on my hand. My heart softened. “Miss Yan, please cooperate with me. I won’t hurt you.”
“What do you need me to do?” She asked in a shaking voice.
“Just stay like this.” I counted the time in my heart.
“Why didn’t you cooperate with Tong Lin then?” Yan Xin’s voice lost the tremble. Before I knew what happened, my hand numbed and the fork fell to the ground. I quickly stepped back.
Yan Xin turned around to face me. Her face carved with a twisted smile. “Nanxing, how you can treat me like that when I was so nice to you? I knew you are a heartless person!”
My eyes moved to Tong Lin. His brows were knitted together and his eyes landed on Yan Xin.
I laughed, “You really have no right to judge me. So this is the real Yan Xin, well this is eye-opening.”
Yan Xin’s smile turned charming. “Darling, be a dear and tell me how did you release the location of this place to them? And why were you so certain that they’d come looking for you?”