After wiping her hands dry, Nangong Muyan took a step back, looked at Zhou Yi, and chuckled lightly again: "Stop glaring. I just want to ask you a few questions, then I'll let you go."
"I won't say anything!" Zhou Yi immediately replied firmly.
"Oh? So uncooperative?" Nangong Muyan raised an eyebrow, her smile growing even brighter. Combined with her face as beautiful as peach blossoms, it only made people think of the word "alluring."
"Won't you at least listen to what I want to ask?" Nangong Muyan continued.
"You must have evil intentions. You see that my sister-in-law is doing well now, so you want to harm people again!" Zhou Yi spoke with conviction.
"Not at all, I just want to check on my sister's situation," Nangong Muyan said, looking a bit innocent.
"You're fooling no one," Zhou Yi felt his intelligence was being insulted.
"Really."
"I don't believe you!"
"How about I swear an oath? If I'm lying to you, may my father be struck by lightning."
"I won't believe you even if you swear!"
"Then what will make you believe me?"
"I won't believe you no matter what! Give up on that idea!"
Nangong Muyan looked at Zhou Yi, who had turned his face away and refused to look at her anymore. Her eyes grew colder: "I was going to talk to you nicely for her sake..."
Zhou Yi sensed something was wrong and turned his head back to look at Nangong Muyan. He found that there was not a trace of a smile left on her face, and those beautiful eyes that were once full of emotion now held only coldness.
"You've really exhausted all my patience..."
Zhou Yi heard Nangong Muyan speak softly, and for some reason, his heart began to pound.
Nangong Muyan stepped forward and slowly reached out her hand towards Zhou Yi...
"W-what are you doing?"
Zhou Yi's voice trembled slightly as he tried to back away, but he was tied up tightly and could only watch helplessly as Nangong Muyan's hand inched closer to him.
"Now you're scared?"
Nangong Muyan curled her lips into a smile, and under Zhou Yi's anxious gaze, she reached her hand to his waist...
Then, she yanked off his belt in one swift motion!
"What on earth are you trying to do?" Zhou Yi was shocked and dismayed.
"Why the rush? You'll know soon enough."
Nangong Muyan casually replied, then unhurriedly opened Zhou Yi's layers of winter clothing, pulling them down to his elbows, leaving him with only one layer of undergarment.
"Y-y-you... Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Zhou Yi was suddenly terrified.
"Take advantage of you?" Nangong Muyan's face filled with disgust upon hearing this. "You wish!"
Zhou Yi was filled with fear, completely unsure of what was happening. He watched as Nangong Muyan raised her hand, licked the back of it, then held it high in the air with her eyes closed, as if in deep concentration.
Is she... performing some kind of sorcery?
Zhou Yi nervously swallowed several times, feeling a chill run down his spine.
After a while, Nangong Muyan lowered her hand and opened her eyes, turning to look at Zhou Yi with a radiant smile: "The perceived temperature is 3 degrees Celsius, southwest wind at level 3, air humidity around 50 percent..."
Is this some kind of spell incantation?
Zhou Yi couldn't help but shrink his neck, not daring to speak.
"I know you don't understand," Nangong Muyan smiled slightly, appearing both affectionate and bewitching, yet instinctively making Zhou Yi feel danger.
Her slender fingers hooked onto the collar of Zhou Yi's remaining undergarment: "I just want to tell you that in weather like this, if I strip you naked and tie you here for a night, you'll freeze to death. That's all."
With a flick of her fingers, the last piece of clothing on Zhou Yi's body was also torn open. His bare skin was exposed to the cold wind, and as the wind blew, all warmth seemed to dissipate. He felt himself shivering uncontrollably.
"You wicked woman, how can you be so evil? Aren't you afraid of karmic retribution?" Zhou Yi's teeth chattered from the cold as he cursed through gritted teeth.
Nangong Muyan dismissed this with a smile and simply asked: "Now, are you ready to hear what I want to ask? As long as you answer truthfully, I'll help you put your clothes back on."
Zhou Yi remained silent, turning his head to one side with a look of tragic heroism on his face. However, he heard Nangong Muyan begin to ask: "How old is Liu Ming'an?"
Huh?
This question seemed answerable.
Zhou Yi turned his head back and said quietly, "Nineteen."
"Tsk tsk tsk, an older sister-younger brother romance!"
Nangong Muyan's eyes gleamed with excitement as she spoke, while reaching out to help Zhou Yi put his undergarment back on. "What does he do for a living?"
Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment, thinking this question also seemed safe to answer: "He's a scholar, already a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, preparing for the metropolitan examination."
Nangong Muyan nodded and helped Zhou Yi put on another layer of clothing.
Though two layers of clothing did little for warmth, at least they blocked the cold wind. Zhou Yi felt a bit better, but was puzzled about why Nangong Muyan was asking these questions.
"What do his parents do? Are they harsh people? Do they have many rules? Would they make life difficult for a daughter-in-law? Are there other people in the family? Are the family members kind? Are they easy to get along with?" Nangong Muyan fired off a series of questions in one breath.
"His parents are both deceased, and in the family..." Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There's no one else, just him."
"Hehehe..." Nangong Muyan suddenly laughed, her eyes rippling with charm, captivating yet chilling Zhou Yi to the bone.
Those hands reached out again, and Zhou Yi thought she was going to help him put on more clothes. Unexpectedly, with a flick of her wrists, she tore open the two layers he was wearing, leaving Zhou Yi once again exposed to the cold wind.
"Lying to my face, you really have a death wish," Nangong Muyan snorted, walking to the broken pottery urn and scooping up a handful of water, which she then splashed onto Zhou Yi's body.
"Ah!" Zhou Yi hissed from the cold, feeling like his body was about to go numb.
Nangong Muyan returned to Zhou Yi's side, using his clothes to wipe the water off her hands, and said with a smile: "I'll give you one more chance. Answer the previous question again."
"His parents really are dead!" Zhou Yi was on the verge of tears. What kind of female demon was she?
"Hmm, I believe that part. You lied about the second half," Nangong Muyan stared directly into Zhou Yi's eyes.
"There really are other people in his family, but I can't tell you. Anyway, they've cut ties, and he and my sister-in-law only have each other now."
"You won't tell me?"
Seeing Nangong Muyan's smile again, Zhou Yi put on a face of resignation to his fate: "I promised my brother Liu. Even if you freeze me to death, I won't tell you!"
"You're quite loyal!" Nangong Muyan gave Zhou Yi an appreciative look and helped him put on two layers of clothing again. "Last question, and then I'll let you go."
"Has Liu Ming'an ever visited a brothel?" Nangong Muyan asked Zhou Yi seriously.
This question was the most important.
Given Jiang Ning's personality, that Liu Ming'an definitely wouldn't dare to take a concubine. Therefore, Nangong Muyan was worried that he might have previously indulged in carnal pleasures and later used sweet words to trick Jiang Ning into marrying him.
In her previous life, she had only taught Jiang Ning how to kill, never about matters of love, though she herself had no experience either.
But it was precisely someone like Jiang Ning, who was naturally cold and hadn't experienced much genuine emotion, who would be most likely to fall deeply once she did develop feelings, losing her usual judgment and decisiveness.
"What are you saying? How could Brother Liu, such a pure and kind person, ever visit a brothel?"
Zhou Yi was somewhat angry and shouted at Nangong Muyan. In his heart, even putting Liu Ming'an's name together with the word "brothel" was an insult to Liu Ming'an.
Nangong Muyan looked at Zhou Yi without speaking, seemingly trying to judge whether he was telling the truth or not.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I've never been to one either! I'm still a pure... man," Zhou Yi shouted indignantly.
"Who asked about you?"
Nangong Muyan was momentarily speechless.
The questions were finished, and the sky was growing dark. Nangong Muyan knew that if she didn't return soon, she might be discovered. So she walked behind Zhou Yi and untied the silk scarf binding his hands.
"I'm leaving now. Put your clothes on properly and leave by yourself."
With that, Nangong Muyan left without looking back, showing no mercy.
Zhou Yi stood there with his clothes in disarray, watching Nangong Muyan leave without a backward glance. He raised his hands to look at the two red marks on his wrists where the bindings had cut into his skin, and felt a surge of grievance.
Why was he so unlucky?