“You’re the one who poisoned me. You must have the antidote, right?”

Liya glared darkly at Mu Nanyan, her small, fair fists clenched tight as if she were squeezing Mu Nanyan’s throat.

“I do.”

Mu Nanyan cleared her throat and arranged her features into the calmest expression she could manage.

At the same time, she hid her slightly trembling hand behind her back. She didn’t want Liya to see her falter.

Even the slightest hint of fear would be fatal for Mu Nanyan.

If she wanted to survive, she had to follow Long Aotian’s path.

She had to do everything Long Aotian could do—and everything he couldn’t. Only then could she survive... Only by surviving would she have a chance.

If Mu Nanyan died here, everything would be over. Worse, Long Aotian would also get his hands on her parents and younger sister.

Mu Nanyan quickly went over the plot in her head. Thankfully, she had a good memory and remembered the book’s details clearly.

If she remembered right, after Mu Nanyan disappeared and Long Aotian defeated the Demon Emperor, Mu Nanyan’s parents were branded Class-A criminals. The Demon Clan tortured them, dismembered them, and dumped their remains in the wilderness.

Mu Nanyan’s younger sister took her place, bearing the brunt of Long Aotian’s repressed, boundless bestial desires. Within three years, she died on the bed in Long Aotian’s secret residence.

The original story never described what happened to Mu Nanyan herself, but these details were enough to paint a pretty clear picture...

Her own end wouldn’t be any better.

“You agreed pretty readily. Hand it over! I might even consider leaving your corpse in one piece.”

“No chance.”

Mu Nanyan straightened her back slightly. She was tall, with a strikingly mature, elegant figure. Her body was slender and shapely, without an ounce of excess.

Most of all, she was just the right height. Calling her a graceful beauty wasn’t an exaggeration.

Liya was beautiful too, her half-Blood Clan features as delicate as a doll’s. But she was much shorter than Mu Nanyan.

Standing side by side, it was obvious which of them looked more like the parent.

Mu Nanyan’s defiance took Liya by surprise, but the look of astonishment vanished almost at once.

Liya gave Mu Nanyan a scornful smile. “I knew it. My sisters were right to stop me from coming to find you...” she muttered under her breath.

She raised a hand, ready to strangle Mu Nanyan where she stood.

But Mu Nanyan stopped her...

“Don’t rush, Little Jasmine. I’m not a bad person. You have to believe that my feelings for the Demon Emperor are true as heaven and earth.”

“L-Little Jasmine? You called me Little Jasmine? How could you possibly know that name...?”

Liya’s outstretched hand froze halfway in the air. She stared at the woman in front of her, utterly shocked.

Little Jasmine was the other name the Demon Emperor had given Liya—and the pet name the Demon Emperor used for her in private.

No one else knew it. Only the Demon Emperor and Liya.

The Demon Emperor had once told her that anyone who knew that name was absolutely worthy of trust, just like the bond between the Demon Emperor and Liya.

“Shh. Of course I know.”

Not only do I know that, I also know many of your little secrets. I even know exactly what color panties you like best, young lady.

Don’t ask. I saw it in the book.

Mu Nanyan glanced around theatrically, as if checking whether anyone was following her.

Once she’d put on enough of a show, she grabbed Liya’s hand and dragged her into the room.

“This isn’t what you think. Anyway, it’d take far too long to explain, so I’ll skip that for now.”

“All you need to know is that your mother and the Demon Emperor are working hard to catch a really bad person...”

Mu Nanyan met Liya’s suspicious gaze. She wanted to keep making things up, but the words stuck in her throat.

Could this girl have seen through my scheme so easily? Looks like I’ll have to use a talisman... But first, I need to buy some more time to finish it.

“Whose mother are you? Don’t try to act familiar with me. The antidote! Hand it over!”

After Mu Nanyan called her “Little Jasmine,” Liya’s expression had softened a little, but she was still wary of her.

Still, it was a good sign. At least Mu Nanyan wouldn’t have to use her dangerous trump card.

“Boil northern wind grass, rot-sand worms, a rainbow snake’s gallbladder, and clearwater fruit into a soup. Let it cool before drinking.”

“Those are all poisonous! You wicked woman! Poisoning me once wasn’t enough—you’re trying to do it again, right in front of me? Do you think I’m an idiot?”

A sharp blade suddenly appeared in Liya’s hand. Its cold gleam reflected Mu Nanyan’s breathtaking face.

“I’m giving you one last chance. Hand over the antidote, or I’ll peel the skin off your face, seal it in a frame, and hang it on the wall!”

Liya threatened her, holding up the dagger in her hand.

Mu Nanyan didn’t dare take the threat lightly, even though it came from a kid. The little girl in front of her wasn’t an ordinary child.

She was a little demon. If she said she’d do it, she really would.

But... she was still a young girl, and every young girl had a soft spot. Right now, Mu Nanyan was the only person in the world who knew what this one’s was.

“Be good, Little Jasmine. How can you point a knife at your own mother? You may not be my biological daughter, but the moment I set foot on Demon Clan soil, I already thought of you as my very own, most beloved daughter.”

“Y-Your most beloved? Me?” Liya seemed momentarily stunned. “Tch! What are you talking about? Don’t try to trick me!”

Liya shook her head hard. Looks like she wasn’t as easy to fool as Mu Nanyan had thought.

“Listen, Little Jasmine. I know you might not believe me right now. I know the whole Demon Clan may already hate me to the bone.”

“But have you ever wondered whether what you’ve seen is really the truth?”

Mu Nanyan looked gently at the wary girl before her. Her voice was soft, and there was a faint hint of affection in her tone.

Imagine a stunning, elegant, and gentle older woman speaking to you in the softest voice she can manage.

Even a heart of stone would soften a little, wouldn’t it? Let alone a girl who’d never known a mother’s love.

Mu Nanyan was beautiful. Truly beautiful. So beautiful that Liya’s threat had been to frame her face and hang it on the wall.

With a face like that, even when she swore, she somehow sounded a little cute. And gentle words of comfort were even more effective.

“Have you ever wondered why I’d do this? Assassinate the Demon Emperor? No ordinary person would do something that reckless, even if they were trying to get themselves killed.”

“But what if there’s another reason behind it? Try to guess. Think it through carefully. You’re a clever girl—you’re sure to figure it out.”