Leng Qingmei was in despair.
She hadn't expected Chen Nan to see through her inner thoughts.
And even use this method to control her.
Chen Nan walked with a smile towards the bed, "If I'm not mistaken, you'll definitely find a chance to kill me later, won't you?"
"So, for the sake of our peaceful coexistence in the future, to live in harmony and not turn against each other."
"I can only adopt this method."
Leng Qingmei's mind exploded, and she cried uncontrollably, "You're simply a devil!"
Chen Nan lay on the bed, looking at her with a smile, "Come, sit and talk. This way, we can understand each other more deeply."
Leng Qingmei's face was full of humiliation.
She had no mood for anything.
However.
She dared not refuse Chen Nan.
She couldn't defeat him in a fight.
What's more, he held her life in his hands.
If she truly angered him, she might suffer more than she gained.
Seeing Leng Qingmei obediently comply with his orders, Chen Nan felt incredibly exhilarated. Although they had been intimate before, it was as a mysterious figure. Now, he was Chen Nan. This felt different. Even though he knew Leng Qingmei was not willing, it didn't matter. He firmly believed that feelings develop over time. Even if Leng Qingmei now harbored hatred towards him, with his abilities, wasn't it enough to make her comfortable? Of course, Chen Nan wasn't that insidious. The pill he gave Leng Qingmei was not poison, but a potent medicine to enhance mental power.
Afterward.
Leng Qingmei lay quietly nestled in Chen Nan's arms, her mood complex and filled with deep emotion. She never imagined that she would end up with someone she once looked down upon. And it was against her will. However, to be fair, he was truly potent! Much more so than the protagonists in her novels.
At this moment.
Chen Nan's voice echoed, "You don't need to come here anymore. Prepare an extra pillow for me."
"I'll sleep at your place."
A bitter feeling rose in Leng Qingmei's heart. When they weren't intimate, they slept in separate beds. Now, they were to sleep together. After a moment of hesitation, she nervously said, "How about we remarry!"
Chen Nan looked at her and calmly asked, "Are you worthy of me?"
Pfft!
Leng Qingmei almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She was the most beautiful woman in Tongcheng, proficient in everything from chess, go, calligraphy, and painting to poetry and songs. Now, the man she once considered a good-for-nothing was asking if she was worthy of him! This was practically slapping her in the face!
Chen Nan got up and put on his clothes, "You'd best not tell anyone about my affairs, nor should you trouble my family. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our past marital ties." With that, he put on his mask and cloak and left the Yuexiang Inn.
Leng Qingmei stood by the window, watching Chen Nan's retreating figure, her eyes flashing with intense killing intent, "Chen Nan, don't celebrate too soon."
"One day, I will break free from your control."
"I will make you wish you were dead, unable to live or die."
Her proposal to remarry earlier was primarily to lull Chen Nan into a false sense of security. After a moment's hesitation, she took out a white paper figure from her storage artifact. She had obtained this paper figure by chance. The paper figure had been communicating with her, urging her to drip blood on it, promising her a great opportunity. But she hadn't done so, because she knew that dripping blood on it meant aligning herself with a devil, with no turning back. But now. Did she have a choice? Even if it meant consorting with a devil, she had to escape Chen Nan's control. And kill him. Taking a deep breath, Leng Qingmei's gaze was resolute. She bit her fingertip and dripped a drop of blood. Instantly, the paper figure turned blood red, emitting a red glow, as if it had come to life.
"Senior, this junior is willing to join the Anti-Heaven Sect."
------
The next day.
After breakfast at home, Chen Nan went to the yamen. He had expected Song Yunfei and the others to have returned already, but to his surprise, they were nowhere to be seen for the morning roll call. This gave him a sense of foreboding. Song Yunfei and the others had never been late before, especially since he had assigned them a mission the previous night. Without further thought, he hurried to the inn opposite Ruyi Tower. There, in one of the rooms, he found the sleeping Song Yunfei and the others. Some were slumped over tables, others lay on beds. He asked the waiter to bring a basin of cold water and splashed it directly on the sleeping five. Waking up, all five looked bewildered, having no idea what had happened.
Chen Nan asked in a low voice, "What happened? How did all five of you fall asleep?"
Song Yunfei replied nervously, "Boss, we don't know what happened either."
"Last night, around the hour of Hai, we all felt extremely drowsy and wanted to sleep."
"So the five of us gathered in this room."
"We thought we could chat to ward off the sleepiness, but then... we all fell asleep."
Zhang Lu lowered his head in shame, "Boss, I'm sorry, we failed to complete the mission you assigned."
Chen Nan looked at Ruyi Tower across the street from the window, a knowing smile on his face, "This isn't your fault."
"If I'm not mistaken, you were exposed last night."
"They know we're secretly monitoring Ruyi Tower."
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is getting more and more interesting." He had previously suspected that Hu Ning'an's disappearance was related to Ruyi Tower. Now, he was certain that Ruyi Tower was undeniably involved.
"What should we do now?" Song Yunfei asked nervously.
Chen Nan replied, "Go to the moat. If nothing unexpected happens, Hu Ning'an's body should have floated to the surface. Once we examine his body, we should find the answer."
"Right, right, let's go to the moat."
Afterward, Chen Nan led the five to the moat. At the same time, they encountered Wang Xingping and his team. In fact, Chen Nan's team of constables was not on duty today. However, Han Zongyuan had assigned them the case of Hu Ning'an's disappearance. Until the case was solved, they had no leave. Similarly, they were only responsible for investigating Hu Ning'an's disappearance. The routine work of maintaining order was handled by Wang Xingping and his team.
Looking at the body that had been recovered and the weeping Mrs. Hu kneeling on the ground, Chen Nan walked forward and asked, "Captain Wang, has Hu Ning'an's body been examined?"
Wang Xingping nodded, "It has been preliminarily examined. Hu Ning'an's body is intact, with no injuries, consistent with signs of drowning."
"But for the specific circumstances, we'll need to take the body back for a more detailed autopsy by Old Deng."
Chen Nan looked at Hu Ning'an's body and used his Qi observation technique, seeing a strong aura of resentment. Clearly, he had died with resentment in his heart. Afterward, Hu Ning'an's body was pulled back to the county yamen on a handcart for Old Deng to perform the autopsy. Chen Nan stood by obediently to observe. After all, professional matters were best left to professionals. Old Deng first examined Hu Ning'an's body. As Wang Xingping had said, there were no external injuries, not even bruises. However, when he cut open Hu Ning'an's chest, Old Ji's expression turned solemn, "Something's wrong, Hu Ning'an did not die from drowning!"