Chapter 110

Collecting his thoughts, Ning Chen shot ‘Duanmu Yao’ another look, signaling her to leave.

Li Yiya received the message, smiled, and nodded silently.

After one last glance at the “castle,” she tiptoed away without a sound.

Even as she exited the room.

Under the blanket, Tantai Yu-Ruo remained oblivious, still lost in the aftermath.

Slowly disengaging, she clasped a hand over her throat to stifle her coughs.

But as she withdrew to the tip, it brushed against her taste buds.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

So sweet!

Life had always been bitter, so she had a fondness for sweetness.

Even after achieving grain abstinence, she occasionally indulged in desserts.

But she was never one to overdo it—excess spoiled the taste.

Yet all these years, she had never found a flavor that truly satisfied her.

Who would’ve thought she’d find it today—in a man, no less!

Sweet but not cloying, subtle yet delightful!

The faint dragon’s saliva fragrance teased her senses, and like one entranced, she began cleaning up.

An intelligent cleaning robot, leaving no trace behind.

Just as she was engrossed in her task—

Whoosh!

The blanket was flung aside with force.

“Aah! A-Yao, don’t look~!”

Tantai Yuruo jolted awake.

She hastily disconnected, curling into a ball, her heart pounding in terror.

Eyes squeezed shut, she couldn’t bear to face reality.

In her mind, her daughter’s confusion, disappointment, hatred, and scorn stabbed at her like knives.

But after several breaths, no sound came.

Her anxiety eased slightly, and rationality returned.

Why hadn’t A-Yao said anything yet?

Cautiously, she cracked open an eye, scanning the room like a guilty thief.

Apart from the man before her, the room was empty.

“Wh-where’s A-Yao? Cough! Cough!” Her earlier shout and the repeated unclogging left her throat raw, triggering a fit of coughs.

Ning Chen studied the woman before him.

She had been buried under the covers for nearly a quarter of an hour. Her once-neat hair bun had come completely undone, strands of hair clinging to her flushed, mature face, adding to her allure.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her lips still glistening with unlicked moisture, and her chest heaved so violently it was dizzying to look at...

Ning Chen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“He’s been gone for a while. What were you thinking about?”

Gone?

Tantai Yuruo froze.

She really hadn’t noticed.

As for what she was thinking…

She turned her face away awkwardly.

She had been too preoccupied with how sweet the drink tasted.

Clearing her throat lightly, Tantai Yuruo  covered her chest with one hand and asked timidly, “S-Senior, may I leave now?”

She was genuinely worried that staying away too long would make Yaoyao suspicious.

At the same time, an overwhelming sense of misery washed over her.

Today had been a complete disaster.

Not only had she misunderstood her daughter’s situation and failed to seek justice, but she had also nearly been caught in a compromising position.

And in the end, she had swallowed that filth without even understanding why.

Her chastity, preserved all these years—gone just like that!

Hearing her request, Ning Chen smirked coldly and pointed at the corner of her lips. “You took everything you could, and now you want to leave?”

“What do you mean, ‘took everything’?—You!”

At first, Tantai Yuruo didn’t understand, but when she followed the direction of his finger and instinctively licked her lips, she realized—and immediately flared up.

Her enchanting eyes burned with fury.

And whose fault was this?!

If this man hadn’t torn her clothes, she wouldn’t have had to hide like this, too afraid to show herself! None of this would have happened!

But… she didn’t dare say it aloud.

In all her years of living, this was the first time she had felt more humiliated than when she had been forcibly summoned into the palace all those years ago!

Her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched like a young girl’s facing an infuriating situation.

How despicable!

“There’s one thing I’m curious about,” Ning Chen suddenly said, his tone icy.

“What?”

“Duanmu Yao is your daughter, yet I don’t see much resemblance between the two of you.”

Ning Chen spoke each word deliberately.

The surveillance footage hadn’t been clear enough before.

But now, after seeing her up close and comparing her to Li Yiya’s flawless imitation of ‘Duanmu Yao,’ something felt off.

Were they beautiful?

Undoubtedly—but in completely different ways.

Duanmu Yao was a delicate, vibrant, sunny girl.

Li Yiya, judging by her face alone, was serene, refined, and naturally gentle.

A flicker of panic flashed in Tantai Yuruo’s eyes, but she kept her voice steady. “A-Yao takes after her father. Is there a problem with that?”

Ning Chen chuckled.

Oh, there was a problem, all right.

“Then why did you use a secret medicine on your chest?”

Tantai Yuruo’s pupils contracted for an instant.

“That—that’s because A-Yao was frail at birth! Ordinary milk wasn’t enough, so I had no choice but to use this method!”

She raised her voice, even using the royal “We” she despised to bolster her confidence.

“I see.” Ning Chen nodded.

But his suspicions remained.

Her reactions earlier had been more like those of an untouched maiden than a palace consort who had lived in the imperial harem for decades.

The corruption and depravity of the palace were no less than what he had seen in his own life.

Unless…

Ning Chen’s gaze darkened.

As absurd as the possibility seemed, the truth was often stranger than fiction.

If that was the case, why not verify it?

Satisfying his own curiosity was more important than anything else right now.

And Ning Chen was very curious.

“Senior, if there’s nothing else, We shall take Our leave now.”

This time, Tantai Yuruo spoke with deliberate authority.

She suddenly remembered that her loathsome status still carried weight.

The Great Xia Dynasty’s strongest cultivators only reached the Nascent Soul stage.

And the imperial family had no shortage of Nascent Soul elders—she had nothing to fear!

The only reason she still addressed him as “senior” was out of basic respect for the strong.

“By all means.” Ning Chen replied indifferently.

But before Tantai Yuruo could turn away, he casually pulled out a memory stone.

Placing his palm over it, a projection appeared before them—completely dark at first.

Tantai Yuruo frowned. “What is the meaning of this, Senior?”

“Ah.” Ning Chen feigned realization. “I forgot to adjust the brightness and sound.”

With a wave of his hand—

Slurp. Slurp.

The sounds of vigorous sucking filled the air.

The image brightened to crystal clarity—1080p high-definition, capturing every vivid detail.

Tantai Yuruo: “!!!!”