Chapter 493: [Who Fears Whom] (Part 1)

Xi Yan's scallion-like fingers jabbed hard into his forehead: 'Hu Xiaotian, don't act all shameless; if you refuse a toast, you'll drink a penalty. With just one order from me, I'll have these birds tear you apart alive, and your precious princess too—hehe...' She laughed, her smile revealing an indescribably sinister and vicious expression. Yet with her peerless beauty, no matter how vicious her expression, it never makes people dislike her.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'How so?' It seemed Princess Anping's identity had been thoroughly investigated by her.

A layer of cold killing intent covered Xi Yan's flawless jade-like face: 'If you don't agree, I'll slaughter all of your people down to the last.'

Hu Xiaotian drew a cold breath; this demoness could do what she said, and if he really angered her, she might actually carry it out. Hu Xiaotian said, 'Why drag others into our matter?'

Xi Yan said, 'Nothing can change what I've set my mind on, Hu Xiaotian. Everyone saw you split the embroidered ball I threw. If you refuse to marry me, what face do I have to face others? There are only two choices for you: marry me or die.'

Hu Xiaotian found it both laughable and exasperating; having lived two lifetimes, he had never encountered a girl like this who would force a marriage on a eunuch. Hu Xiaotian said, 'Girl, we could say we've met before. With your looks, even if you can't be called peerlessly beautiful, you're certainly alluring to the bone. Whoever marries you as a wife is enjoying blessings from a past life.'

Although Xi Yan found it somewhat unpleasant to hear, it was at least praise, so she furrowed her brows and accepted it.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I'm already in this state, and you still don't despise me; if I refused now, it would be ungrateful. But I must state beforehand that my parents arranged a marriage for me since childhood; if you insist on marrying me, you can only be a concubine...'

Xi Yan said, 'Enough, aren't you just the daughter of Li Tianheng from Xichuan? Stop lying to me—wasn't your marriage pact already dissolved?'

Hu Xiaotian realized he couldn't bluff his way out of this. He was momentarily speechless.

Xi Yan said, 'Listen carefully: catching my embroidered ball means you acknowledge me as your wife. Understand?'

Hu Xiaotian nodded. Xi Yan curled her finger and tapped his forehead, saying, 'From now on, you're not allowed to fool around behind my back. Clear?'

Hu Xiaotian gave a wry smile: 'I'm a eunuch; I don't have the means to philander.'

Xi Yan gave him another knuckle rap: 'I know what kind of character you have. Though you lack the ability, your ambition is sky‑high—you even dare to scheme against Princess Anping. What else wouldn't you dare to do?'

Hu Xiaotian, frightened, hastily covered her mouth with his hand and looked around: 'You can't talk nonsense like that; you're setting me up. As a eunuch, I don't harbor such thoughts.'

Xi Yan slapped his arm down and said softly: 'From the day I saw you, I knew you were a philandering radish; even if you lost your kids, your fickle nature wouldn't change.'

Hu Xiaotian was dumbfounded. That metaphor was really apt.

Xi Yan said, 'I'm not hiding it—I didn't just happen to show up in Tianbo City.'

Hu Xiaotian laughed: 'I knew it.'

Xi Yan said, 'You're so capable. Then guess why I really came this time.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought Xi Yan's appearance this time was probably related to Princess Anping nine times out of ten, but he didn't voice his thought, shook his head and said, 'I can't figure it out.'

Xi Yan said, 'Are you thinking I came for Princess Anping's affair?'

Hu Xiaotian gave a hehe laugh: 'Indeed, nothing can be hidden from you.'

Xi Yan said, 'That's only natural—who knows a husband better than his wife!' She actually regarded herself as Hu Xiaotian's wife.

Hu Xiaotian didn't have the heart to interrupt her. He coughed and said, 'Right?'

Xi Yan shook her head, moved closer, and lowered her voice: 'Actually, this time I came for you.'

Hu Xiaotian couldn't believe it: 'I don't seem to have that much charm.'

Xi Yan said, 'Someone found me and asked me to help kill you.'

Hu Xiaotian never imagined he was Xi Yan's target; his heart sank, and if she truly intended to deal with him, he feared future trouble.

Xi Yan's clear, water‑like eyes shone like stars in the night sky; her captivating gaze swept over Hu Xiaotian's face as she whispered, 'After thinking it over, I have only one reason not to kill you.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Who told you to kill me?'

'Someone very close to me.'

'It wouldn't be a man, would it?'

'Pah! Why is your head full of all this nonsense.'

'Then it's a woman!'

Only then did Xi Yan realize she had unwittingly fallen into his trap; he was clearly trying to pump her for who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Xi Yan said, 'Anyway, just obey me—I won't harm you.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'You treat me so well that I'm even more reluctant to hurt you—I'm a eunuch; being with me would surely bring you a lifetime of suffering.'

Xi Yan laughed: 'I like eunuchs—I like you, this neither‑male‑nor‑female fellow.'

'You're really perverted!'

At that moment fireworks burst at the base of the pagoda; a shaft of light shot toward the heavens, and with a bang! a firework exploded above their heads, the colorful display lighting up the night sky. Xi Yan lifted her lovely face, gazing up at the blossoms in the air, her beautiful eyes dreamy, her expression poetic and illusory.

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought that obtaining such a lovely wife and beautiful companions would not be a bad thing in life, but this demoness had deep scheming; her motives were far from simple.

Xi Yan said, 'How's your consideration going?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'What consideration?'

Xi Yan snapped, 'Do you want to die?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'If I can live, why seek death? To marry a beauty like you, a thousand‑fold charming maiden, I'd gladly die for it.'

Blushing at his words, Xi Yan whispered, 'Do you really mean that?'

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, 'True, truer than true! I think tonight's lovely scenery would be better spent if we kneel here on the tower's peak, bow to heaven and earth, and seal a beautiful marriage—what do you say?' Hu Xiaotian timely turned the tables on Xi Yan.

Xi Yan said, 'You don't need to report to your parents first?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Marriage is a matter of mutual affection; if my parents know we truly love each other, they won't blame us for a private pledge—they'll only bless us wholeheartedly.'

Xi Yan said, 'Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, you have so many excuses—all of them your own logic—I'm actually a little afraid; who knows if you'll deceive me later.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly amused, recalling that just moments ago she had been chasing after him, shouting she wanted to marry him; now, when it came to the real thing, she seemed a bit stage‑frightened. Hu Xiaotian shifted from defense to offense, pressing step by step: 'Empty words prove nothing; let's still bow to heaven and earth, let heaven and earth bear witness, let wind and snow bless us—never mind worldly rites; after tonight we'll be husband and wife.' Seeing Xi Yan's embarrassed expression, obviously retreating, Hu Xiaotian stepped forward and seized her hand.

Xi Yan lowered her head and whispered, 'But marriage is no trivial matter; I think we should talk about bowing to heaven and earth later.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly glad, thinking, 'To contend with me, girl, you're still immature,' and he deliberately said, 'That won't do—I, Hu Xiaotian, am a responsible man; since I split your embroidered ball, I must take responsibility for you.'

Xi Yan suddenly burst into a giggle, her smile blooming like a flower, her lovely eyes rippling with spring waves as she looked at Hu Xiaotian and said, 'You think I'm afraid of you? Bow then—let's bow!'

Only then did Hu Xiaotian realize she had just been pretending, putting on an act to let him get carried away and stumble into her trap. 'Bow then—bow, do I still fear you? No way—I'm not the fickle radish they think I am.'

Each harboring their own thoughts, they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes, both guessing the other hid secret calculations, yet they truly knelt together on the tower's summit. Hu Xiaotian looked at Xi Yan and said, 'I, Hu Xiaotian, accept Xi Yan as my wife; from now on I will forever possess you, whether circumstances are good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or ill—I will love, respect, and cherish you until death parts us. I declare this to heaven and pledge my sacred vow to you.'

Xi Yan had originally intended to watch his performance, but hearing him utter those many words in succession was strange—each sentence seemed to strike deep within her heart. At first she felt nothing, but later she felt an urge to tears, and she abruptly turned away, fearing Hu Xiaotian would see her crying.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Your turn!'

Yet at this moment Xi Yan shook off his hand, soared into the air like a red cloud drifting into the night sky, and her laughter came from afar: 'Hu Xiaotian, you actually took it seriously—I was just joking with you.'

Hu Xiaotian rose to his feet, watching her receding figure: 'A joke? You can't afford to play one.' He suddenly remembered something: 'Ah! You took my cloak!'

Hu Xiaotian had been missing for an hour, hiding on the tower's top and enjoying romantic moments with Xi Yan, but here a city-wide search operation was launched. Although Wen Boyuan wished Hu Xiaotian would remain missing—preferring neither a living body nor a corpse—he still had to keep up appearances. After escorting Princess Anping back to Yi Zhan, he sent out three hundred warriors to search within Heaven Wave City, and also notified the city's Governor Wang Wenyou, asking him to assist in locating Hu Xiaotian's whereabouts.

Just when everyone thought Hu Xiaotian might have met with misfortune, this fellow returned safe and sound. Upon hearing the news of Hu Xiaotian's safe return, Princess Anping, heedless of others' gazes, hurriedly came to the front courtyard of the post house to greet him. In that short while, her eyes had already become red and swollen from crying. Anyone could see that the princess's feelings for Hu Xiaotian were extraordinary. Of course, most people understood that Hu Xiaotian was a eunuch, and the princess's attachment might be merely deep master-servant sentiment, with few thinking otherwise.

Hu Xiaotian stepped forward quickly, bowed to Princess Anping, and said, "I acted without authorization and caused the princess to worry; please punish me, Your Highness."

Second chapter uploaded—please vote for recommendation! (To be continued~^~)