So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Ning Yu woke up when it was almost dark. She touched the cold bedding next to her and knew that no one had gone to sleep. She cursed herself for wasting the opportunity and quickly got dressed and got up.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she saw Qingfeng standing guard at the door. She paused for a moment, then asked, "You haven't left yet?"

"When Madam wakes up, please go to Qingling Terrace. Master is waiting for you in the Water Pavilion."

A waterside pavilion?! Ning Yu had no idea that there was a waterside pavilion behind this temple.

The royal temples were built in a magnificent manner. Qinglingtai was where the emperor would stay when he came to the temple for the prayer ceremony. After passing through the quiet pavilions, we came to a building that was exquisite and exuded an ancient atmosphere. It was located in the middle of the water and was open to the air from all sides.

The pavilion was above the lake. Through the window, she could see a familiar figure sitting inside. It was too far away for her to see the face clearly, but she knew it was probably that scoundrel.

She walked through the plank road and entered the water pavilion. When the assassin guarding the door saw that it was her, he pushed open the door and let her in.

The atmosphere inside the room was somewhat strange. Ning Yu sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered; he seemed to be in a bad mood.

Her back pain and leg soreness immediately disappeared, replaced by a chilling fear as she frantically tried to figure out if he knew something.

To be honest, Xie Xun is a very unpredictable person. One second he can be intimate with you in bed, and the next he can be wielding a knife and killing you. This is the real reason why she was forced to fake her death but didn't dare to turn against him.

She knew that if she really angered him, he would really kill her.

"Why is the Governor here?"

Xie Xun sat in the armchair, fiddling with something in his hand. He glanced at her coolly, lifting his eyelids. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Ning Yu was taken aback. She had kept many things from him, and she didn't know which one he was referring to.

She calmly replied, "No, I've been staying in the other courtyard for the past two days, with my nanny by my side the whole time. What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

He just stared at her without saying a word.

Ning Yu seemed to remember something again, "Yesterday I asked my maid to buy some cold rice cakes on Zhuque Street. The Governor wouldn't be so reluctant to let me buy some, would he?"

She turned the tables, and Xie Xun's face darkened slightly. "That maid said you bought some cold rice cakes and ended up in a brothel?"

"---" Can you please not be so rude?

Ning Yu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Xia Zhu said she took the wrong turn, but I don't know what happened."

"I don't know what happened?" He paused slowly, his gaze fixed on her uncertainly. "So, do you know what happened?"

His fingers gently fiddled with the earring's clasp, and with a clang, Ning Yu's brow twitched, and her heart suddenly tightened.

He actually discovered the earring she had secretly placed under the lotus-shaped incense lamp!

"It's my earring, how did it end up with the governor?" She seemed to have just discovered it and hurriedly checked the purse on her person.

Xie Xun looked at her bare earlobes and asked, "Why are you putting earrings in your pouch instead of wearing them on your ears?"

"I lost one, so I haven't been wearing it. I probably just accidentally left it somewhere."

"I see." He seemed not to be angry, but his expression didn't soften at all. "So, it turns out I misunderstood you."

Before Ning Yu could speak, he continued, "Yesterday, an assassin broke into the villa. I thought it was because you didn't want to stay by my side, and your lover received your signal and came looking for you. It seems I misunderstood you."

"---"

"I only have the Governor-General; where would I get any mistresses?"

"So, you're saying you're willing to stay by my side?"

Did she have a choice? Ning Yu lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement, "Yes, I'm willing."

Xie Xun stared at her face for a long time. The atmosphere in the room was so quiet that it was hard to breathe. The time it took to drink half a cup of tea felt like an eternity. Then, the sound of a gentle breeze came from outside.

"My lord, King Zhao has arrived."

Ning Yu thought she must have misheard. She had tried every means to find Xie Yun, but she didn't want to meet him under these circumstances.

She subconsciously looked out the window towards the walkway and, sure enough, saw a figure walking towards her from the other end of the corridor in the distance. Her heart skipped a beat.

Her gaze instantly shifted to the man's face, and she vaguely guessed what was going on, but didn't dare to say it directly.

"If the Governor has other matters to attend to, I shall take my leave."

"I heard that King Zhao is looking for you, so I've invited him to come and let you catch up."

Ning Yu's face turned pale instantly. He found out?!

Knowing that she was secretly sending messages and that she wanted to escape from that villa, she arrogantly summoned Xie Yun, clearly telling her that no one could protect her and no one could save her.

A fire suddenly rose in her chest, and she said in a slightly angry voice, "Everyone knows I died at the bottom of the cliff, how can I go to see King Zhao like this?"

"You want to see him, and he wants to see you. I brought him here for you, so why are you angry?"

Ning Yu knew he wouldn't let the Xie family know she was still alive. The fact that he dared to let Xie Yun know meant he never intended for Xie Yun to leave the temple alive.

Her eyes involuntarily reddened, whether from fear that Xie Yun would die because of her, or from knowing that she had no way to escape him.

She had tried so hard, so carefully, to avoid being discovered, but who was he? He was the King of Hell, who controlled the Imperial Prison. In his eyes, everything she had meticulously planned was nothing more than the most superficial means.

"I don't want to see him," she said hoarsely. "It has nothing to do with him."

Xie Xun looked at her calmly, "Do you really not want to see him, or are you afraid he'll die?"

The Xie family had immense influence and connections; their elders controlled the government, and even the emperor was extremely wary of them.

Xie Yun grew up alone in the palace without a mother, struggling to survive. He was not favored by the emperor, had poison in his body, and had several brothers who were his enemies. If he offended the Xie family, his situation would become even more difficult.

She shouldn't have dragged him into this.

"come over."

A commanding voice came from behind her. She looked up at him; his expression remained calm, but his usually unreadable eyes held a hint of sinister malice.

Ning Yu's heart sank. She glanced instinctively at the man who had already climbed onto the plank road, then turned to hide behind the screen.

"Have you thought this through? If you just leave like this, Xie Yun will drown at the bottom of the lake."

Her steps faltered abruptly, and she turned to look at him, her back slightly stiff. "What exactly do you want?"

"Didn't you say that you were willing to stay by my side? King Zhao is so worried about you, so just tell him yourself that you love me and want to stay with me."

Ning Yu's body went numb for a moment. Looking at his expression, which showed no sign of relaxation, she felt no pain as her fingers dug into his flesh.

The temple had many meditation rooms, and Xie Yun searched for most of the day, even going to the peach blossom grove. When he returned, someone suddenly came to say that Grand Commander Xie was in the temple and that they wanted to talk to him about something.

He thought of Ning Yu's matter and vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he still came in the end.

If Ning Yu really didn't die, and was in Xie Xun's hands, was Xie Xun insane? What exactly is the relationship between the two?

A mix of emotions swirled in his heart. He glanced in the direction of the waterside pavilion, then suddenly fixed his gaze on the window. There was a girl in the pavilion, tall and slender, whose profile he could only vaguely see, her face obscured, yet she seemed strangely familiar to him.

"I don't want anyone to know that I faked my death."

Inside the waterside pavilion, Xie Xun looked at her, a mocking smile flashing in his eyes. "How did Xie Yun know that? You answer me."

Ning Yu's palms were sweating, and he stood frozen in place, unable to speak.

Xie Xun glanced at the man not far from the window, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes. Did he even deserve to dream of being a hero to save her? Did he even deserve to covet her?!

His gaze grew increasingly cold. Leaning back in the armchair, he looked at her and said, "Come and kiss me."