The child will never be born.

Fortunately, Guan Canghai was in good health; otherwise, he might have been scared senseless by her godlike appearance.

“Demon! I’m talking to you!” Yan’er stood with her hands on her hips.

“I have a proper name,” Guan Canghai replied, keeping his distance. He wondered how he had ever thought Yan’er looked like an immortal beauty. It seemed women truly were best admired from afar…

“I’m hungry,” Yan’er flopped onto the bed, deflated, staring at Guan Canghai.

He said nothing.

“You can’t just capture me and then let me starve before Yueyang has a chance to save me. That’s the most painful way to die.”

“So, you know hunger. At least you’re not entirely deranged,” Guan Canghai muttered, looking on with distaste at the disheveled woman before him. After just one day locked up, she’d changed from the fairy in his memory to a beggar by the roadside.

“Bring out the food,” Yan’er tilted her head at him, noticing he seemed to be in a foul mood today.

“Someone, come,” Guan Canghai commanded.

At his order, a maid brought in a table full of dishes. Yan’er’s mouth nearly watered at the sight; she was famished.

“You plan to eat dressed like that?” Guan Canghai covered his mouth, looking at her in disgust.

Yan’er shot him a glare. Did he think she wanted to eat in this state? Wrapped up like a ghost, anyone who didn’t know her would think she was a specter. And those maids of his, every one of them came in with curious faces, as if she were some sort of monster!

But these were just her thoughts. Under another’s roof, eating was the most important thing, especially with a child in her belly. She absolutely couldn’t let this demon know she was pregnant. She wasn’t stupid; if he used Yueyang’s child to threaten her… the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yan’er picked up her chopsticks and began wolfing down her food. She couldn’t worry about anything else now. If she didn’t eat her fill, who knew when this demon would let her have her next meal.

“You’re very hungry?” Guan Canghai looked at her with revulsion, as she ate without the slightest regard for decorum. There truly wasn’t a woman in the world who seemed perfect to him.

Ignoring him, Yan’er continued shoveling food into her mouth.

“Water!” Yan’er rubbed her chest; she’d eaten too fast and was choking.

Almost without thinking, Guan Canghai reached for a cup of water and pushed it toward her.

Yan’er grabbed the cup, drained it in one gulp, then dug into her food again. “Finally, I’m full!” she declared, rubbing her belly with satisfaction.

“You’re full?” he asked.

“Can’t you tell, demon?” Yan’er truly loathed this man.

Guan Canghai found he didn’t know how to converse with her. The woman whose glance had once shaken his soul now only repulsed him.

A loud belch escaped Yan’er, and she grew a little embarrassed. She was a lady, after all. She’d just been too hungry—how improper.

“How detestable,” Guan Canghai said, standing to leave.

“Wait!” Yan’er called out hurriedly as she saw him going.

He didn’t look back. Bringing her here had been a mistake.

“Could you find me some clothes?”

“Someone, bring her something to wear,” Guan Canghai ordered. He was so exasperated by this woman, he’d forgotten all about her soaked clothes and hadn’t even given her something to cover herself with. If Pan Yueyang knew his woman stood half-naked before another man… the thought was oddly satisfying.

“Change in front of me,” Guan Canghai said with wicked delight.

“Eh?” Yan’er was so startled she dropped the clothes.

“It’s not as if I haven’t seen before…”

Yan’er’s thoughts turned to Pan Yueyang. Yueyang, where are you? I’m being humiliated.

“What’s this? Shy now?” He sneered. Wasn’t she just one of Pan Yueyang’s concubines, serving in his bed? Why be so coy?

“What do you want from me?” Yan’er shouted at him, anger flashing.

Smack! A slap landed across her face, forceful even from a distance.

Yan’er fell onto the bed, tasting blood. She licked the inside of her mouth, realizing he’d struck her hard enough to draw blood. Frightened, she said no more.

She resumed a meek, pitiful demeanor, soft as a frightened rabbit. Guan Canghai’s eyes darkened as he approached.

“I like you like this—it makes me want to cherish you.” His demonic hand caressed her beautiful face.

Yan’er lifted her head and looked coldly at this unpredictable, beast-like man.

“Angry?” he teased.

“Please, stay away from me,” she replied icily.

“I suspect Pan Yueyang won’t come for you. Why don’t you… serve me instead?” His words dripped with lechery.

Despicable man! “He will come,” she said, thinking, Even if not for me, then for the child in my womb!

Guan Canghai ignored her and left the room.

Yan’er lay on the bed, haunted by his words. It had already been a day, and Yueyang still hadn’t come. Would he really leave her here?

She curled up, calmly mulling over everything that had happened in the past three months: losing her memory, being taken in by Yueyang, regaining her memories, accepting the role of a concubine despite knowing she’d never be his wife, and constantly worrying about causing him trouble, even seeking out Mubai to help him. Maybe if she never came, she would never be a burden to Yueyang.

These thoughts grew tiresome, and before she knew it, Yan’er fell asleep.

She didn’t know how long she slept, waking and dozing off again and again, until a commotion outside woke her with a start.

“Hurry up!”

“Aah—”

“Get up, now!”

A girl was kicked to the ground by a guard. Crying out in pain, the girl lay on the floor as the guard pressed a boot into her back, then prepared to strike her again. With a creak, Yan’er flung open the door.

“Stop it!” Yan’er glared at the guards escorting a group of young girls.

The guards ignored her, knowing she was someone special but also someone under house arrest. They dragged the fallen girl to her feet and marched the rest of the girls away.

Yan’er blinked in confusion. Why were there so many girls all of a sudden? Judging by their ages, they were about her age—fourteen to eighteen, all with blank, despairing faces. Yan’er wanted to follow but was blocked by the guards at her door. Helpless, she watched as the girls were led away, each one with hopeless eyes.

“Guard, I’m hungry,” Yan’er said, her eyes rolling mischievously.

No response.

“Guard, I’m thirsty,” she tried to another.

Silence.

The two guards at the door kept their swords drawn, their blades gleaming. Yan’er shrank back. “Demon! Guan Canghai! Where have you disappeared to?” Her sudden scream echoed through the courtyard.

In another room, Guan Canghai sneezed.

“My lord, the people have been brought,” a shadow guard appeared in the center of the room, kneeling respectfully.

“Mm,” Guan Canghai rubbed his nose.

“My lord, the women from Panlong Kingdom are in the room…” another shadow guard knelt as well, unsure how to report that the woman inside was loudly cursing him with every name in the book.

“What about her?” Guan Canghai’s seductive eyes fixed on the guard, his slight smile enough to enchant anyone.

“She’s insulting you.”

“She’s truly an infuriating woman!” Guan Canghai regretted ever being captivated by her at first glance. Clearly, his taste in women was getting worse and worse.

Nevertheless, he got up. “I’ll go see her.”

The other shadow guard spoke up, “My lord, what about those women?”

“Lock them up for now!” Guan Canghai strode from the room.

From a distance, he could already hear the words “demon,” “beast,” and “fox spirit” drifting from Yan’er’s room. He shook his head, smiling with a hint of charm.

“Demon! Come out! Locking me up is useless—I’m hungry!” Yan’er was sitting in a chair, gasping for breath. She’d been yelling for so long she was exhausted, but that fox still hadn’t appeared.

With a creak, the door opened.

Guan Canghai stood coldly at the threshold. “I hear you missed me. Have you made up your mind?” By that, he meant whether she was ready to serve him in bed.

Yan’er glared at him, but suddenly felt her aura deflate, lowering her head and feigning disdain.

“So stubborn,” he said. He knew she insulted him just to get him to come, yet when he appeared, she ignored him. “Very well, I’ll give you one more day to consider.” With that, he turned to leave.

“Wait.”

He smirked—just as he thought, she had something to say. He looked her over. Beautiful, yes, but she lacked the proper air of a woman. After these three days, he thought her beauty was wasted.

“It’s been raining for three days straight. The room is damp,” Yan’er said, shaking her clothes. She realized her remark was irrelevant, so she rolled her eyes and asked, “What are you doing with all those girls?”

Smack!

Another slap—the second she’d received from him, and again on her left cheek. The last one hadn’t even healed.

“Insolent woman! How dare you meddle in my affairs!” Guan Canghai’s face twisted with rage, severe as constipation.

“I…” She had only asked out of curiosity. She never saw anyone, no one spoke to her all day… and besides, all women were curious. “Just asking,” she mumbled, shrinking back.

Guan Canghai’s wicked charm returned as he slanted his eyes at her. “I overestimated you. Pan Yueyang would never storm the city for you… beautiful face, but you have no sense of propriety.”

She fell silent.

“Do you think I don’t know Mu Qianxue is in Pan Yueyang’s camp?” Guan Canghai looked at Yan’er as though she were nothing but an ant.

“You may not understand Mu Qianxue’s intentions, but I do. The Phoenix Seal is in her hands, and she’ll use the entire Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom as a wager—her target is Pan Yueyang!” Guan Canghai stepped closer, his eyes piercing through her.

Yan’er’s body tensed. She had never considered why Mu Qianxue was treated so well in the camp, why Yueyang was distant yet seemed to avoid her. So that was it? Mu Qianxue was using the kingdom as leverage against Yueyang.

“I’ll wait for him to come take me away!” Yan’er straightened, abandoning her usual languid manner.

“Heh, it’s been three days. Where is Pan Yueyang?” Guan Canghai found her laughably naive.

“He’ll come! Even if not for me, he’ll come!” Yan’er clenched her fists. Yueyang, don’t disappoint me—you will.

“This child of yours… is destined not to be born—” Guan Canghai’s eyes turned cold and sinister, filled with hatred.