Si Xie: "..."
No, he didn't want that either.
'Mining on an abandoned planet? Is that any way for a person to live?'
According to rumor, even the robots there worked two shifts, only needing to be active twelve hours a day. But the Beastmen exiled there could only rest for four hours a day until their sentences were served and they had "reformed." There was no telling how many Beastmen worked themselves to death in those mines every year.
He snapped back to his senses and retorted guiltily, "Who said I was going to abuse her?"
"As long as you weren't!"
Fu Yuan didn't seem to care whether he was telling the truth. He let go, his expression indifferent, and changed the subject. "By the way, have you noticed? She seems completely different from before."
Hearing this, Si Xie nodded in vigorous agreement.
"Isn't it the truth? Ever since I almost choked that damn woman to death yesterday, it's like she's been replaced by someone else. Could it really be as she said—that she was under Ling Ze's Control before, and that's why her mind wasn't clear?"
As he finished speaking, he frowned and fell into deep thought, his mind replaying the scenes from yesterday.
He couldn't recall many of the details, but he vaguely remembered that just as he was about to choke the life out of her, the woman had undergone an instantaneous, drastic Transformation. The most obvious changes were to her personality and her eyes.
Before, that woman had been vicious but stupid, her gaze always arrogant and cruel. Now, she was just infuriating with a pure, malicious glee!!!
If he hadn't witnessed the woman's Transformation with his own eyes, he would be tempted to suspect she'd been replaced by someone else entirely.
"We can't fully trust her words, but we can't completely dismiss them either. If she really was being controlled by Ling Ze, then what was his objective?"
'Jun Yao's inner core?'
'Or the four of us?'
Fu Yuan narrowed his eyes, seriously analyzing the situation.
"If she really was under Control, then I think it was probably because of Jiang Wanwan. That damn woman must have been bad-mouthing Jiang Wanwan everywhere and shamelessly seducing her man. Ling Ze must have wanted to get even for Wanwan, so he resorted to such a desperate measure."
Si Xie sneered, stating his speculation casually. In the next instant, his gaze turned cold, becoming sinister and intimidating.
"But regardless, he dared to mess with us. We can't let him off this easily."
Watching the instantaneous shift in the man's aura, Ming Ye rose from the sofa. His phantom-purple eyes were cold as he looked at Si Xie and reminded him, "But you are no match for Ling Ze."
And Jiang Wanwan had six other men just as powerful by her side. Those six were arguably the greatest prodigies in the Empire today.
"Hah, so I'm not Ling Ze's match. Are you? Speaking of which, this is all that damn woman's fault."
The moment the topic was raised, Si Xie's anger flared again, and he was absolutely fuming.
That damn woman had taken all their Cultivation Resources to curry favor with other men, with the result that ever since they'd been assigned to her, their Cultivation hadn't just failed to advance—it had actually regressed.
Being assigned to her was truly the worst luck in eight lifetimes!
Si Xie gritted his teeth, his resolve to pursue Contract Termination in three months hardening.
"What's the point of being so angry?"
Fu Yuan lifted his gaze and said calmly, "Ming Ye is just worried you'll act rashly and bring disaster down on our heads. Besides, we still don't know if that woman is telling the truth. Why should we fall into disarray over it?"
He paused, then continued, "The way I see it, we just need to be more on guard from now on. We shouldn't make any rash moves. And if you get bored, keep an eye on that woman. I have a feeling there's something strange about her!"
Hearing this, Si Xie refused without hesitation. "If you want to watch her, you go. I'm not doing it."
'Just looking at that woman for too long makes me want to spit up blood from anger. Why would I go looking for trouble by getting close to her? Am I some kind of masochist?'
Fu Yuan: "..."
Ming Ye: "..."
*
Meanwhile, as soon as Jiang Yunnuan entered the room, she saw a tall, powerfully built man lying on the simple, large bed by the window. The blanket was draped just so over his waist, and his shirt was open, revealing a gruesome wound on his abdomen.
She tiptoed over, her full attention on the unconscious man, completely unaware of the conversation the other three were having outside.
"Wow, what a gorgeous six-pack."
Jiang Yunnuan propped her arms on the hard mattress, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the beautifully sculpted abs before her, practically drooling.
She had wanted to exclaim just like this when she saw Fu Yuan and Ming Ye applying medicine earlier, but alas, they were both awake, and Si Xie was there too. For the sake of her image, she had held back.
'But now... this man in front of me is unconscious. He'll never know what I did. He's the perfect person to take advantage of.'
[Aren't his pecs gorgeous too?]
"They are, of course they are..."
[Hah! I never expected you to be this kind of Host. I barely tested you, and you showed your true colors!]
"So what?"
Jiang Yunnuan was smug, taking pride in it rather than feeling any shame. "Isn't he, in name, this body's husband? Since he's my husband, am I not allowed to look? And forget just looking. As long as I'm willing, anything I do is perfectly legal."
'I worked hard my whole past life. This is a perk I've earned.'
"Besides, you're the one who foisted these men on me. Once they were given to me, they became mine."
[System: ...]
She was getting into it and was just about to reach out for a feel when she suddenly sensed a piercing gaze from above her. Jiang Yunnuan froze. She quickly wiped the lustful expression from her face and looked up, meeting the man's pale gold eyes.
Those eyes were cold and emotionless, but a loathing that was impossible to ignore simmered in their depths.
"Hi, you're awake."
Jiang Yunnuan met his gaze for a moment before waving with a smile. She showed no trace of the embarrassment or guilt one would expect from being caught in the act. Her expression was so natural that her shamelessness was almost breathtaking.
"You dug out my inner core, and then you gave it back. Jiang Yunnuan, what in the world are you trying to do?"
He questioned her, his handsome face cold, his voice laced with disgust.
He had actually woken up when Fu Yuan came in to check on him, so he already knew the inner core had been returned to his body. More than that, he could feel that his power, which had vanished, had also come back.
But he didn't understand. He didn't understand why she would do this.
"Oh, that. I'm very sorry. It was my fault for taking your inner core, but it was never my intention. I was also being controlled by Ling Ze. That's why I did those things to hurt you all."
Jiang Yunnuan lowered her head, putting on a show of remorse and guilt as she repeated the same excuse she'd used before.
'I've already told the other three. My story for Jun Yao has to be consistent. I can't just change it, otherwise they'll compare notes and my cover will be blown, won't it?'
"After I hurt you yesterday, Si Xie threw me to the ground and I hit my head. I suddenly came to my senses. Once I was clear-headed, I was overwhelmed with guilt, so I found a way to return your inner core..."
Jun Yao: "???"