Now, as he rose to greet her, that sa smile stretched across his lips.
"Yu’er."
The sound of that intimate address scraped against her nerves like claws on glass.
"It’s been far too long since we last t like this."
Ling Yu’s eyes, sharp as a blade, flickered briefly before narrowing into a cold, half-lidded stare. "Not long enough."
For the briefest mont, Xu Mochen’s smile faltered, but it returned quickly, brighter, as though her rejection only fueled his desire. He spread his arms wide, his voice dripping with false affection.
"You’ve grown stronger and more beautiful. Truly, the disaster has refined you into a fine lady."
Ling Yu let out a low laugh, utterly devoid of mirth. "Refined? Or perhaps just burned away the naiveté you used to profit from."
Xu Mochen chuckled, a low rumble ant to sound indulgent. "Always so sharp-tongued. That hasn’t changed about you."
He gestured to the seat nearest his, as though it were a place of honor. "Co here and have a sit. Let us... catch up."
Ling Yu moved forward without hesitation, though every step was deliberate, controlled. She sat where he indicated, her posture regal, her eyes never leaving his face.
The attendants hovering in the shadows poured wine into crystal goblets. Xu Mochen lifted his glass with a flourish, offering it toward her.
"To new beginnings."
Ling Yu’s lips curled. She lifted her own glass, touched it lightly to his, but didn’t drink.
"New beginnings," she echoed softly.
The golden liquid shimred in the light, untouched.
As the feast unfolded, Xu Mochen fawned over her with an intensity that bordered on obsessive desire. He asked about her comfort in the fortress, whether she’d found the accommodations adequate, and whether she’d suffered any mistreatnt. His voice was warm, concerned, almost tender, but Ling Yu could see the glint of hunger behind his gaze, the calculation simring beneath every word.
It wasn’t a concern for her well-being, but his sche.
And when his hand lingered a fraction too long as he refilled her cup, when his eyes slid down her figure with the sa covetousness that once ruined her life, Ling Yu finally understood.
’Does he want to use ?’
Ling Yu smirked as she understood his intentions. It wouldn’t be bad to play him a little, right?
He wants to use her as a replacent for Jiang ng, sothing to fawn over and cage at his whim. The realization settled in her stomach like poison as her system chid softly in her mind.
[Hidden Sub-Objective Updated: "The Snake in Silk Robes"]
[Objective Xu Mochen seeks to claim you as Jiang ng’s replacent.]
[Outco possibilities: Exploit, Eliminate, or Manipulate.]
’I don’t need your explanation to understand this much.’ Ling Yu’s fingers tightened around her goblet as she thought.
Xu Mochen leaned closer, his smile turning softer, mockingly intimate. "Yu’er, I regret so much of the past. If I could turn back ti... perhaps things would have been different."
Her laughter cut through the air like shards of ice. "Regret? Don’t insult . n like you don’t regret, but find a replacent. Isn’t that right?"
For the first ti that night, his expression froze, before he dismissed her words with a laughter.
.
.
.
The flickering lamplight cast soft shadows across the lavish chamber, every detail bathed in a false warmth. Xu Mochen leaned back on his chair with a smile so practiced that it no longer reached his eyes. His posture was casual, yet his gaze was sharp and predatory, watching Ling Yu’s every subtle motion as though she might betray so priceless secret with the twitch of her lips or the flicker of her lashes.
The table between them was crowded with delicacies, roasted at, stead vegetables, and gleaming fruit trays far too extravagant for the current age. And of course, the wine. A dark red vintage, the liquid catching the glow of firelight, was poured generously by Xu Mochen into Ling Yu’s cup.
"Yu’er," he said, his voice deliberately softened, dripping with nostalgia. "I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see you again. Truly, the heavens have blessed by delivering you here. Do you rember the evenings in my courtyard? When we used to drink together under the peach blossoms?"
Ling Yu let her lashes lower, hiding the cold sharpness of her eyes as she traced a fingertip along the rim of her cup.
Peach blossoms?
She rembered, all right. She rembered how easily he had abandoned her, how quickly he had run to Jiang ng without hesitation. The so-called peach blossoms had wilted in her mory the very day he broke their engagent and abandoned her heartlessly.
But her lips curved into a faint smile, as if she was indulging him. "Ah, yes. That courtyard had such a refined atmosphere... though, I must say, this city of yours carries a much heavier air." She tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Tell , Mochen, how do you maintain such stability in tis like these?"
Xu Mochen chuckled softly, leaning closer, his hand brushing the edge of hers as he pushed the cup toward her. "Stability is built on vision, Yu’er. On decisiveness. A true leader must know what sacrifices to make and what treasures to protect. That is why this city thrives while others fall into chaos. Because I was the chosen person to guide it."
Her system pinged faintly in the back of her mind.
[Subject Xu Mochen is attempting to influence the Strear through a subtle Charm-based ability. Nullyfying skill has been automatically activated.]
Ling Yu took a slow sip of the wine, allowing its bitter sweetness to slide over her tongue. She t his eyes over the rim of her cup, her gaze steady, her smirk faint. "And the divine anchor in the city’s heart... is that also your ’vision’?"
For the briefest mont, Xu Mochen’s smile stiffened. A crack, so tiny that anyone else might have missed it. He quickly smoothed it over with a laugh, pouring himself more wine. "Ah, you’ve heard of it. Word travels fast, I see."
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