Chapter 11

Nan Gongye had known since childhood that his elder brother was domineering. No one could, and no one dared, to take anything from him.
But this time was different.
“A'Ming and Jian Yu'er are not simple pawns you can place wherever you please. Even if you are the Crown Prince, you cannot have both,” Nan Gongye stated firmly. This was a fact, and not even the Crown Prince could refute it.
Nan Gongxuan looked down at his younger brother. Nan Gongye's expression was so earnest, yet it couldn't hide his underlying tension. He let out a derisive laugh. “Do you know what she said? She said she would marry me even if she couldn't be the principal consort.”
Nan Gongye staggered, nearly losing his balance. Despite the shock and fury raging inside him, he steadied himself and sneered coldly. “So what if A'Ming said that? The Duke of Ding's family would never allow their legitimate daughter to become a concubine. Besides, even if she said it, that was in the past. Now, she has accepted my bracelet. You should know what that means, Your Highness.”
How could Nan Gongxuan not understand this? It was only because of Yan Yiming's words back then that he hadn't thought it through carefully. Now, with Nan Gongye mercilessly exposing the truth, the suppressed fury in Nan Gongxuan's heart ignited once again. Step by step, he closed in on Nan Gongye and questioned in a low voice,
“The Empress said you went to great lengths to coax that pair of bracelets from her, claiming you had taken a fancy to some young lady. I thought my dear younger brother had finally come to his senses, but I never expected you to dare set your sights on me! Who gave you the audacity! I almost forgot to ask, when did you start harboring these improper thoughts? And how did you know about Jian Yu'er? Did she tell you?”
As the Crown Prince, Nan Gongxuan carried an imposing and oppressive aura. Even Little A, who had been secretly watching, felt her hairs stand on end. Though Nan Gongye looked somewhat uneasy, he remained unflustered and let out a light laugh.
“A’Ming would never say such a thing. If I hadn’t happened to overhear her conversation with Jian Yu'er, I wouldn’t have known that Your Highness had developed feelings for Miss Jian, nor would I have realized how deeply A’Ming had been wronged by you. When did I start falling for her? I can’t quite remember clearly, but it was probably back when A’Ming had never once said she liked you. Logically speaking, I met her earlier than you did, Brother.”
“You scoundrel! How dare you!”
Nan Gongxuan had assumed his brother’s improper intentions were recent, never imagining they had been hidden away for so long.
Suddenly, it dawned on him. Nan Gongye had always loved visiting the Yan residence and the Eastern Palace, and no one had ever questioned it, after all, he was close with the Yan family’s young master and had a strong bond with his own brother. But now, thinking back, every time Nan Gongye came to the Eastern Palace, Yan Yiming was present. And his frequent visits to the Yan residence were clearly because of Yan Yiming as well.
He had been kept in the dark by this scoundrel for so many years!
The guards nearby were frozen in fear, and even the old Duke, who had come specifically to mediate, dared not step forward. In the dead silence, Nan Gongye’s unwavering voice could still be heard, “Brother, you are not married, and A’Ming is not betrothed. She does not belong to you, why should I not dare?”
A collective gasp swept through the onlookers.
“When her heart was still full of only you, Brother, you turned a blind eye to her. Now that she has decided to give up on you, Your Highness, you can no longer control her.”
Nan Gongxuan stared at his younger brother in shock, for the first time uncertain whether he truly had any hold over Yan Yiming.
Little A watched with exhilaration. After gathering the frontline intelligence, she hurried back to Yan Yiming’s side, only to find her lounging lazily in a bathtub, submerged up to her neck. All that was visible were her slender neck and elegant shoulder blades, her hair scattered loosely in the water. Little A let out a shriek and covered her eyes.
Yan Yiming didn’t open her eyes, lost in thought. After a moment, hearing the commotion, she chuckled softly, “Why so shy? Don’t tell me your system has a gender distinction.”
“No,” she said, but her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Only after blocking her vision did she ask Yan Yiming, “Host, what were you thinking about just now?”
“Me?” Perhaps because the bath was too comfortable, Yan Yiming's voice was slightly hoarse, her lazy tone almost seductive. “I was wondering what my little general looks like.”
Reality and the game were always different. Yan Yiming had already met two of the four male leads, leaving two more: Jiang Yi and Shao Jingyu. Having seen Nan Gongxuan and Jian Yuyan, Nan Gongxuan with his noble bearing and striking handsomeness, Jian Yuyan with his delicate features like a jade-faced gentleman, both possessed top-tier looks. It was only natural to be curious about Shao Jingyu, her favorite.
Her host was actually thinking about what Shao Jingyu looked like while bathing? Little A suddenly felt her face grow warm. “He... he’s naturally extremely handsome. You’ll see when you start his route, but for now, our main focus is still Nan Gongxuan!”
“I was just saying,” Yan Yiming sighed. “So, what interesting things have you seen after watching for so long?”
Little A quickly returned to normal and vividly recounted everything she had just witnessed, complete with her own commentary. “Host, you’ve successfully turned a domineering, devoted emperor into a scumbag.”
“For someone to evolve into a scumbag, they must have the potential for it. A relationship that can be disrupted was never true love to begin with. It seems Nan Gongxuan’s feelings for Jian Yu’er weren’t that strong. Wait, technically, isn’t Jian Yu’er the one who intruded?”
Little A felt dizzy from the explanation. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Yan Yiming nodded. “Never mind, continue.”
Though still confused, Little A resumed her narration. Yan Yiming found it amusing how Little A’s slightly thin metallic voice imitated Nan Gongxuan’s “You scoundrel!” but, for the sake of her system’s pride, she coughed twice and held back her laughter. Especially when she heard Nan Gongye’s final words, Yan Yiming clicked her tongue and chuckled.
“Outwardly calm, but inwardly panicking, he’s putting on quite the act. This kid is so adorable, I almost feel bad deceiving him.” Yan Yiming traced her finger absently along the edge of the bathtub and sighed. “I’m such a good person.”
Little A automatically ignored the last sentence. From what she had seen, Nan Gongye hadn’t shown any weakness and had even left the Crown Prince speechless. How could he be panicking?
“Panicked? Of course he is, but not because he’s afraid of Nan Gongxuan. After all, Nan Gongxuan is his own brother,” Yan Yiming explained. “It’s just that the former Lady Yan was too fixated on the Crown Prince. Nan Gongye may speak firmly, but he’s afraid I might soften and go back to him because of the Crown Prince’s change in attitude. Women are often emotional when it comes to love, especially someone like Lady Yan, who loved the Crown Prince to the bone. Don’t believe me? Little Five will definitely come to the Yan residence first thing tomorrow morning. Want to make a bet?”
“Bet what?” Little A perked up eagerly.
Yan Yiming lifted her wrist, bruised from Nan Gongxuan’s grip, the green jade bracelet still on it. “If Nan Gongye really comes tomorrow morning, I’m keeping this bracelet.”
“That’s not allowed!”
“Stingy.”
It was a rule, and Little A couldn’t do anything about it. She could only propose an alternative. “If he really comes, I’ll give you a probability boost for the next card draw!”
“This is good, perfect for someone like me,” Yan Yiming thought contentedly as she stood up from the bathtub and draped her clothes over herself. After the maids dried her hair and she went to bed, Little A remembered Yan Yiming’s bruised wrist, which had been squeezed by Nan Gongxuan, and asked if she needed treatment.
“No need,” Yan Yiming mumbled sleepily. “Keep it. It might come in handy.”
Little A didn’t understand how a minor injury could be useful, but by the next morning, she had no time to dwell on it. Just after Yan Yiming finished dressing, the Dowager Duchess (Dowager Duchess) sent someone to summon her, as it was said that the Fifth Prince had arrived at the Yan residence.
Nan Gongye probably hadn’t slept well all night, but being young, he could handle the exhaustion. He arrived at the Yan residence early in the morning and spoke with the Dowager Duchess and Madam Yan (Duchess). By the time Yan Yiming saw him, although he looked tired, he still seemed spirited.
“Youth is truly wonderful,” Little A sighed. Yan Yiming glanced at the air and reminded it, “Remember my probability UP.”
“...Got it.”
At that moment, Yan Yiming acted as if she knew nothing, unaware of what had happened the day before, unaware that Nan Gongye had rushed over and had a dispute with Nan Gongxuan. She took the tea set, personally warmed the water to brew tea, her wide sleeves lending her an air of effortless grace.
After pouring the tea, she handed it to Nan Gongye. “This is Lushan Yunwu tea, delivered just a few days ago... What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Didn’t rest properly last night?”
Why wasn’t she mentioning that his elder brother had visited yesterday? What exactly had they talked about? Nan Gongye’s mind was a tangled mess. He looked up and met Yan Yiming’s concerned gaze, momentarily stunned, and then he just blurted it out:
“A’Ming, I heard that my elder brother came to the Yan residence to see you yesterday.”
Yan Yiming’s hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, spilling tea on her fingers. She smiled, wiped her hands clean with a handkerchief, and quickly regained her composure. “Yes, it must have been that kid Qi’er who told you, right?”
Nan Gongye watched as she seemed to evade the topic again because of his words, his heart aching as if an ant were crawling inside, unbearable and painful.
She still cared about his elder brother after all.
Just one sentence from him could make her so flustered.
His hand gripping the teacup tightened involuntarily. Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Nan Gongye forced a smile. “No, I remembered yesterday that there was something I hadn’t told you, so I turned back. Unexpectedly, I happened to run into my elder brother.”
Nan Gongye was testing Yan Yiming’s attitude, wanting to see if she would inquire about the Crown Prince’s stance or what he had said. But after waiting for a while, he heard Yan Yiming ask him, “What was it?”
Nan Gongye was taken aback.
Yan Yiming lifted her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at him with a radiant smile. “You said you turned back yesterday because you had something to tell me. What was it?”
Nan Gongye suddenly felt that all the heaviness weighing on his heart had vanished completely because of these words and this smile.
“You see, even though you're a year younger than Qi'er, you're far more mature than him,” Yan Yiming reached out and gently smoothed the slight frown on Nan Gongye's brow. “I know what you want to say and ask, but honestly, none of it matters. I've already decided to let him go. After all these years, I think it's time I started being kinder to myself.”
Nan Gongye's lips curved into a faint smile as he whispered, “It's about time.”
The touch of her fingers on his forehead was light, yet it felt as though it had caressed the depths of his heart, leaving him reluctant to let go. Nan Gongye allowed Yan Yiming's fingers to linger on his cheek, his lips unconsciously lifting into a soft smile, until the sound of footsteps from behind snapped him out of his reverie, and he quickly composed himself.
Turning around, he realized it was the steward from the Eastern Palace. His brows furrowed once more.
“Young Lady Yan, His Highness specifically sent me to deliver this Blood-Congealing Balm. He mentioned that you were injured yesterday...”
Yan Yiming glanced subtly at Nan Gongye, pretending not to notice his fading smile. “Please convey my gratitude to His Highness for his kindness. As for the balm, I must trouble you to take it back. It's just a minor injury, hardly worth His Highness's concern.”
The steward was taken aback, hardly believing his ears. When he looked up and met the Fifth Prince's expressionless face, he shuddered and hastily nodded before retreating.
Once the steward had left, Yan Yiming smiled and looked at Nan Gongye. “Happy now?”
A glimmer of amusement flickered in Nan Gongye's eyes, but he didn't answer. Instead, he seemed to draw closer to her as he asked, “Where were you injured?”
Yan Yiming rolled up her sleeve, revealing a jade-green bracelet and a wrist still tinged with purple bruises. “It looks worse than it is. It doesn't hurt.”
Nan Gongye’s heart ached at the sight of her pale wrist. He produced a small vial from somewhere, and when he opened it, a delicate fragrance filled the air.
Curious, Yan Yiming asked, “What is this?”
“Mother gave it to me to carry in case of injuries,” Nan Gongye explained as he took her hand and gently applied the ointment. The young man bowed his head, and Yan Yiming could see his long, thick eyelashes, still as a small fan, so focused as if he were performing the most important task.
Yan Yiming rested her chin on her other hand, tilting her head as she watched him, her eyes filled with laughter.
From a distance, Young Master Yan, who had come to find his sister and her close friend, abruptly halted when he saw the tranquil scene between the two. After a moment's thought, he decided to go feed the fish by the lake instead.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Nan Gongxuan listened as the steward reported that Yan Yiming had returned all the gifts. His handsome face grew cold, and when the steward hesitantly added that Nan Gongye had also been at the Yan residence and had been intimate with Yan Yiming, his expression darkened further.
The teacup in his hand suddenly overturned, the celadon porcelain shattering into two pieces on the ground with a suffocating sound.
Little A, however, cheered happily,
“Nan Gongxuan's favorability: 70%. Woohoo!”