TFRLTOP Chapter 62 Part 2

Ming Ming’s eyes lit up like a bulb. Right—Emperor Wangan had choked her! That was genuine abuse, unforgivable!

“He’s a tyrant! What good could I possibly get from him? You have no idea—” Ming Ming pointed at her neck, where the finger marks had already faded completely. She was about to launch into her story when Jiang Fuling, looking a bit warm and seeing there were no outsiders around, untied the silk scarf at her throat.

Ming Ming froze mid-sentence.

Jiang Fuling shot her an impatient look. “You were saying?”

“I… uh…” Ming Ming stammered, pointing at her sister’s neck. “What happened to you?”

Jiang Fuling brushed her fingers across her throat—it was still sore. “What do you think? That damned tyrant strangled me.”

“What? He—wait, he strangled you too?”

Jiang Fuling went to the bronze mirror and tilted her head to look. “It’s been eight days! Eight! The bruises still haven’t faded. You should’ve seen it before—my whole neck was purple!”

“When he lifted me by the throat, my feet were off the ground—I swear my neck almost snapped!” Just remembering it made her shudder.

Ming Ming gasped, horrified.

“What were you going to say earlier?” Jiang Fuling retied her scarf with a grimace. “Don’t tell me he strangled you too?”

“…No,” Ming Ming said through clenched teeth.

Thank goodness she hadn’t bragged about it—her marks had vanished in half a day. If Fuling found out, she’d probably go ballistic.

“I think,” Ming Ming began carefully, “there might be some kind of misunderstanding here.”

“Misunderstanding? Oh, you think?” Jiang Fuling sneered. “If it weren’t for you, would I have misunderstood that mangy emperor into thinking he actually liked me? I was such a fool—thought I’d found true love! Nearly got myself killed for it!”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Ming Ming said weakly. “I thought my analysis made sense at the time! Who knew the man doesn’t play by any rules?”

She tried flattery. “But really, Sister—you’re so stunning, anyone would assume only the best man in the world deserves you!”

“Bah! That bastard’s a concubine-born son—he doesn’t deserve me!”

“…Right, right, of course,” Ming Ming mumbled.

Before leaving, Jiang Fuling glared at her. “You owe me armor nail guards. Go back and get me some.”

Ming Ming blinked. Out of all the chests Emperor Wangan had given her, she didn’t remember seeing any nail guards.

“I don’t care! Gold, silver, tortoiseshell—I want them all! Bring them to me, my dear Lan–Fei–Niang–Niang!”

Ming Ming whimpered. “Fine…”

She slunk back to her palace, only to find Emperor Wangan already waiting inside, alone. The room was empty of attendants. He looked up as she entered. “Where were you?”

Where do you think? She wanted to snap. You own this whole palace, and you’ve got spies everywhere—you already know exactly where I went.

But remembering her mission, she softened her tone and said, “Why do you care where I went? …I was visiting my sister.”

That sounded polite enough—“civility before combat,” as she told herself.

Wangan’s face didn’t change. Ming Ming sat across from him, thought for a second, then reached out to rest her hand on his thigh. “I want nail guards. Bring me all the ones in your private treasury.”

The gesture, half-pleading, half-coquettish, sent a pleasant jolt through him—but his heart stayed cold.

He looked down at her bright red nails, the gold accents shimmering under the lamplight. “You painted them so beautifully. Why hide them under guards?”

“…Because I want to,” she said with a little pout, as if scolding him for not indulging her. “Don’t question it. I just want them.”

Wangan stared at her silently.

Great, she thought bitterly. So much for “I’ll give you anything you want,” huh? Men really do lie through their teeth.

Fine. If sweet talk didn’t work, time for battle.

She pulled her hand back, pinched her thigh hard, and blinked until her eyes filled with tears. Then she glared at him. “Don’t think I don’t know—you killed my father!”

He chuckled, amused by the act. Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her into his lap, trapping both her hands where he could see them.

“Drop the act,” he said coolly. “If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t need to pinch yourself to cry.”

He turned her hand over, inspecting it. “Still, pretty nails. Red suits you. Gold makes you look expensive.”

She tried to pull back. “I—I was crying outside earlier…”

Wangan leaned close, brushed a kiss across her cheek, and whispered in her ear, “You’ve no idea what you look like when you cry… but I do.”

“Don’t try to deceive me.” He loosened his grip just enough to make her wobble, forcing her to throw her arms around his neck for balance. The feeling pleased him immensely.

“Stop saying nonsense,” she muttered, blushing.

“Nonsense?” He took her hand and kissed her palm, then bit lightly at the soft skin of her wrist.

She hissed. “What are you—”

“What did they tell you?” he asked, eyes sharp.

Of course, he knew she’d met Jiang Fuling. The servants had been dismissed, and the two sisters had talked in private for ages. What were they plotting?

He already disliked those sisters, convinced they’d ruin his favorite concubine—turn her against him like Jiang Wenyuan and the rest of that cursed family.

“What do you need nail guards for?” he asked, guiding her hand to his throat. “Planning to stab me with them?”

Ming Ming blinked. “Wait—what?”

“Or maybe,” his voice dropped low, “they told you to kill me in bed—while I’m too lost in you to fight back?”

“What are you even talking about—wait! What are you doing?”

She grabbed his hands as he began unfastening her robes.

“Show me what you can do,” he murmured. “If you don’t know, I’ll teach you myself.”

“Can you just listen—ah!”

The doors were still wide open. She panicked, but he silenced her with a kiss. “Relax,” he said against her lips. “No one dares come near.”

He smirked. “Focus on me. You couldn’t strangle me even if you tried.”

When she couldn’t calm down, he simply lifted her into his arms and carried her to the inner chamber. She buried her face against his shoulder, whimpering softly.

He chuckled, laying her on the bed and guiding her hand to his bare chest. “There. Feel that? When you look at me like this, my heart beats faster. Right now, you could drive something straight through it, and I wouldn’t stop you.”

She yanked her hand back, covering her mouth, shaking her head violently.

He continued, regret flickering faintly in his eyes. “A shame you can’t see yourself right now…”

A low groan escaped him as she arched her neck, exposing her bruised skin like a sacrifice. His fingertips traced faint red lines down her throat.

He pressed a kiss there, then moved her trembling hand to his neck. “If you had nail guards,” he murmured, voice dark with amusement, “you’d stab me right here.”

“One thrust, one hole—blood everywhere…” He even laughed softly. “And I’d die right on top of you.”

Ming Ming shuddered, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Li He… you bastard!”

Wangan hummed in satisfaction, brushing her cheek. “You’re right, my love.”

When Ming Ming woke again, there was a small lacquer box on her pillow—inside, several exquisite nail guards, each one more ornate than the last. Gold, silver, tortoiseshell… even a whole chest of them on the floor.

Ming Ming stared. “…Unbelievable.”

This man is insane.