Why would taking care of Bai Yaxin and strengthening my own wings be a dead end?

Souren Manranyama couldn’t figure it out for a moment.

She forced herself to stay composed, not letting her confusion show on her face.

Could Tang Mingtuo just be trying to scare her?

But it was obvious Tang Mingtuo wasn’t putting on some fake mystery.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation or doubt in those sharp eyes of his.

Tang Mingtuo wasn’t trying to scare her.

He had neither reason nor motive to do that.

If he said this, then it had to be true.

Panicking inside, Souren Manranyama clung to her calm on the surface, steadying her stance. She knew she couldn’t afford to lose here—at least not in momentum.

Otherwise, from this point on, she’d be at Tang Mingtuo’s mercy.

And she was sure this was exactly why Tang Mingtuo had shown up tonight.

“Mr. Mingtuo, what do you mean by that? I don’t see how it’s a dead end.”

Souren Manranyama forced herself to argue back.

Hearing that, Tang Mingtuo actually froze for a second.

He’d thought someone as smart as Souren Manranyama must’ve already figured all this out and was just stuck on what to do.

Then his timing would be perfect—he’d show up right when Souren Manranyama was troubled and bring her a solution.

But from what she’d just said, she hadn’t figured it out at all.

Tang Mingtuo let out a helpless, bitter smile, like he’d just been asked a completely pointless question.

“Bai Yaxin’s faction, at its root, split off from the Manranyama clan. If you, Lady Manranyama, take her under your wing, you think Uminari Manranyama will just sit back and ignore it?”

“On the other hand, Old Mr. Yan is on good terms with Uminari Manranyama. So he’ll help him deal with you, not form any kind of alliance with you.”

A few simple lines, and Souren Manranyama’s mind suddenly cleared.

And every word Tang Mingtuo said felt like a knife stabbing into her heart.

Every point hit home.

This wasn’t fearmongering.

But she was Souren Manranyama.

She couldn’t show weakness here.

She still had to struggle a bit.

“After leaving the Manranyama clan, I’ve always survived between the cracks. I made it when I was weak and alone. Once my wings are fully grown, I’ll only live better.”

She thought she was arguing with solid logic.

But as soon as she finished, Tang Mingtuo helplessly lifted a hand to his forehead.

“Of course you can live when no one cares about you.”

“Think back. From the moment you left the Manranyama clan till now, has anyone actually made things hard for you? Was it Uminari Manranyama, or Old Mr. Yan?”

“Don’t act like your current life is that miserable, Lady Manranyama. Right now, you’re completely free.”

Those words left Souren Manranyama speechless.

It really was true.

No one—no faction—had ever come to cause her trouble.

These days, you could honestly call her life pretty carefree.

Souren Manranyama, who had been forcing herself to argue this whole time, finally fell silent.

She couldn’t get a single rebuttal out.

Her mind was spinning at full speed.

But she couldn’t think of a single useful idea.

Then she understood.

This was why Tang Mingtuo had come tonight.

Tang Mingtuo wanted her, Souren Manranyama, to realize she’d hit a dead end.

And then accept some kind of proposal from him, Tang Mingtuo.

Should she ask him for guidance?

As the eldest daughter of the Manranyama clan, her pride made the words stick in her throat.

“Don’t force it.”

As if seeing straight through her thoughts, Tang Mingtuo spoke up on his own.

“I know you can’t bring yourself to ask me for help, so let me say it first.”

The faint, half-there smile on Tang Mingtuo’s face vanished. He turned serious and cold.

“Once Bai Yaxin is taken care of, Lady Manranyama, you’ll come under my command…”

“That’s your only way out.”