"Nangong Muyan" watched as Jiang Ning poured tea and drank water, then heard her counter-question. She smiled and said, "Negotiation psychology? N, don't play these games with me. I taught you everything you know. This feels like my left hand trying to outwit my right."
"No, I'm genuinely thirsty," Jiang Ning said, pouring herself another cup.
At this moment, Nangong Ya, who was locked outside, knocked on the door. "Ling'er, let your father in."
Jiang Ning looked towards the door, thought for a moment, and replied, "Father, please take your wife back to rest. I need to talk to Second Sister first."
Nangong Ya said something else, but Jiang Ning ignored him, repeating the same response. Finally, Nangong Ya had no choice but to leave with Luo Siyi.
The morning had been too overwhelming for Luo Siyi, and she couldn't take any more. Nangong Ya needed to settle her first.
When it was finally quiet outside, "Nangong Muyan" looked at Jiang Ning and said just two words: "Time travel?"
Jiang Ning nodded, got up, walked to the dressing table, found a mirror, and tossed it to her.
"Nangong Muyan" picked up the mirror and carefully examined the face in it. After a moment, she put it down and looked at Jiang Ning with a half-smile. "N, it seems you arrived here a bit earlier than me. So, I'll trouble you to introduce the characters to me."
"Sure," Jiang Ning nodded without hesitation, then changed the subject. "But you have to answer my questions first."
"Nangong Muyan" chuckled softly, leisurely poured herself a cup of tea from the pot on the table, took a few sips, and then spoke slowly, "Your wings have grown strong."
"Mm-hmm." Jiang Ning admitted frankly, "They've been strong for a long time. Ever since I replaced you as N, I've never been afraid of you."
"Nangong Muyan" looked her up and down, laughed again, but this time with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"I sent you to get the blood lotus seeds. Black Snake betrayed your whereabouts, and that exhibition was a trap. When I found out, I wanted to warn you, but it was too late. You had already gone in, and all communication signals were blocked inside. I had to rush there myself to save you."
At this point, "Nangong Muyan's" eyes flashed with a fierce light. "It turns out that trap was set for both of us. I had just sneaked into the secret room where the blood lotus seeds were kept when I saw you surrounded by a bunch of people with guns. Before I could do anything, you detonated the bomb, and then I died."
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "You came specially to save me?"
"Nangong Muyan" smiled indifferently. "If you don't believe me, that's fine."
"So you came here right after you died?"
"No, I think I've been dead for a while," "Nangong Muyan" recalled. "It felt strange, like my soul was floating in clouds and mist, but I couldn't remember anything clearly."
"Then why did you try to kill Luo Siyi just now?" Jiang Ning asked. Fortunately, she had reacted quickly to stop it, otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"Who? You mean the woman who was hugging me? I had just regained consciousness, and my memory was still stuck at that exhibition. I thought I hadn't died. When I woke up and saw a woman in ancient clothes, I thought it was one of Black Snake's tricks."
"Alright." Jiang Ning had no more questions. It seemed they had died on the same day, but she had arrived in this world first.
"Nangong Muyan" reminded her, "It's your turn to tell me about the characters here."
"Okay, listen carefully. I'll only say this once."
Jiang Ning wrote "Nangong Muyan" with her finger on the table. "This is your name."
"Nangong Muyan? Sounds nice. Alright, I'll go by that from now on." Nangong Muyan adapted quite well.
"This is a dynasty that doesn't exist in the history we know..."
Jiang Ning, like an NPC, meticulously explained the historical background and character backgrounds to Nangong Muyan. Then she described her own situation: "I'm now Nangong Ling, your sister. You were previously a malicious woman..."
Nangong Muyan carefully noted down everything Jiang Ning said. When she finished, Nangong Muyan asked, "So, I'm a bad woman now, and my father wants to whip me? And later I have to marry a prince?"
"That's right," Jiang Ning nodded in confirmation.
Nangong Muyan held her teacup silently, as if pondering something.
"What are you thinking? Continue killing?" Jiang Ning probed Nangong Muyan's thoughts. "You can kill if you want. If Nangong Ya wants to beat you, you can kill him, and while you're at it, kill everyone else in the household. He's the Prime Minister, so the court will send people to arrest you afterwards, but you can keep killing. After all, no one can stop you."
Nangong Muyan stared at Jiang Ning for a while, then smiled. "N, your way of persuading people to lay down their swords is quite unique."
Jiang Ning said nothing, sipping her tea in small mouthfuls, waiting for her answer.
"I've decided..." Nangong Muyan took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "After taking this beating, I'll be a good, proper young lady, living a carefree life to the end."
"This body is so good!" Nangong Muyan continued with feeling. "Not even eighteen yet, young and healthy, with parents, money, leisure, power and influence. No more living in fear just to survive, no more worrying about knives in the dark or scheming plots. I just need to eat and sleep like a pig... What's one beating compared to all that? It's a bargain!"
Jiang Ning smiled. This choice was within her expectations.
People like them who had lived in darkness for so long all deeply craved stability and warmth.
With such a good family background and loving parents, Nangong Muyan's life was bright and full of sunshine. She wouldn't let herself return to the darkness.
Nangong Muyan then turned to look at Jiang Ning, saying somewhat meaningfully, "You seem to smile a lot more now. You're no longer just a sharp knife; you have a human touch about you."
Jiang Ning was taken aback, then heard her ask unexpectedly, "Are you in love?"
Before Jiang Ning could speak, Nangong Muyan had already read everything from her expression. She smiled and said, "Looks like I'm right."
This person's eyes were too sharp. Jiang Ning had been trained by her for over a decade; every move she made was transparent to her.
Seeing Jiang Ning's guarded look, Nangong Muyan smiled again. That face should have looked charming and alluring when smiling, but with both cheeks swollen and five clear fingerprints visible, it looked somewhat comical.
"N, don't worry, I won't interfere with your romance. You're not an assassin anymore. If you want to date, go ahead, don't hold back. Besides, didn't you say your wings have grown strong? I can't control you anymore. I'm just curious who your boyfriend is..."
"Don't call me N," Jiang Ning said. "And don't be nosy."
Nangong Muyan complied readily: "Then what should I call you? That man just now called you Ling'er, should I call you that too? Or should I call you Third Sister?"
"...Whatever."
To be honest, both these names sounded odd to Jiang Ning.
"Oh, alright, Third Sister," Nangong Muyan chose a name, then asked another question. "Do you know what's the deal with those blood-red lotus flowers?"
Jiang Ning narrowed her eyes, her hands on her legs slowly clenching into fists. It seemed their soul transmigration to this world was related to the blood lotus seeds.
Earlier, because Nangong Muyan's resurrection was too shocking, Jiang Ning had been busy controlling the situation and had no time to pay attention to the state of the space inside her.
Now, hearing Nangong Muyan's question, Jiang Ning sensed the space within her body and found that it had returned to its original state.
Jiang Ning didn't answer directly, but instead asked a question that had long been on her mind: "I can't understand why you, being perfectly fine, insisted on making me get the blood lotus seeds for you? Just because it's supposedly a national treasure? But you're not a person who's greedy for money or curious about oddities..."
She had thought this question would never be answered, but unexpectedly, they had met in this world by chance.
"Because..." Nangong Muyan smiled and started unbuttoning her clothes.
Jiang Ning was puzzled, but saw Nangong Muyan pull down her collar. Above her heart, on her snow-white chest, was a voluptuous red lotus flower. The entire pattern was about the size of an egg, exquisite and vivid, as if growing out of her flesh.
"This thing indeed came along," Nangong Muyan looked down and said, unsurprised.
"This is—"
Before Jiang Ning could finish speaking, footsteps were heard outside the door.
The two exchanged a glance. Nangong Muyan refastened her clothes and said in a low voice, "We'll talk later. I'll go face them one by one first."
Jiang Ning nodded. The sound of footsteps was already very close. She stood up and opened the door. Nangong Ya had his hand raised, about to knock, with Jin Yao and Jin Hui standing behind him.
"Ling," Nangong Ya frowned as he looked at Jiang Ning, still unable to understand what she was trying to accomplish with this act.
Jiang Ning knew he had questions, but she had no intention of explaining anything to him. She simply stepped aside, allowing Nangong Muyan to walk out from behind her.
Jin Yao and Jin Hui looked at Nangong Muyan, their eyes filled with astonishment. They had seen her hanging from the ceiling beam, and when they took her down, they had confirmed that she was completely dead.
Now, Nangong Muyan stood before the two brothers, very much alive, with clear strangulation marks still visible on her neck. It gave them an inexplicable, eerie feeling in their hearts.
"Father, your daughter acknowledges her mistake and is willing to accept punishment," Nangong Muyan said obediently, presenting a docile and repentant demeanor. It was a stark contrast to her earlier hysterical state, making Nangong Ya feel as if the situation was surreal.