Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 17

Section 27

None of this had happened in the original novel.

As the highest-ranking of all the supporting male leads, the Prince Regent, Gu Nanzhou, had always been powerful, composed, and completely in control right up until Tan Lian ascended the throne.

But now, he had humiliated himself so thoroughly in front of everyone. Not only had he been caught in bed with another man… he had even been the one on the bottom.

No matter how I looked at it, it felt like he had lost the right to compete for the heartthrob’s affections.

After Gu Nanzhou was punished, all the other princes aside from Shen Huaihuan were beside themselves with delight. Without the slightest courtesy, they carved up the power Gu Nanzhou had held among themselves.

Logically speaking, identifying the person behind the scheme should have been as simple as figuring out who benefited from it.

Unfortunately, Gu Nanzhou had far too many political enemies, and I knew next to nothing about the imperial court. I genuinely couldn’t guess who this righteous hero might be.

I failed to work out the answer.

But then the answer came knocking on my door.

Section 28

Three days later, Tan Lian went to report for duty at the government office as usual. Gu Nanzhou, who had been confined to his residence as punishment, took the opportunity to sneak into Tan Manor.

It was no exaggeration to say that the instant I saw him, I thought I was looking at the Grim Reaper himself.

How had three days apart made him look as though he had been dead for three years? The sinister aura rolling off him was terrifying.

I opened my mouth to call for the guards, but Gu Nanzhou stopped me.

“Don’t. I didn’t come here today to harm you.”

He claimed he meant me no harm, yet he made no effort whatsoever to conceal the chilling hatred in his eyes.

But I soon realized that hatred wasn’t directed at me. It was directed at-

“Do you really know Tan Lian?”

My grip tightened around the account book in my hand. “I certainly know him better than you do.”

Gu Nanzhou sneered. “Do you? Then did you know he was the one who drugged me at the palace banquet?”

I thought Gu Nanzhou had gone mad.

He had lost his chance to compete for Tan Lian, so now he had come to badmouth him to the winner. What a complete lack of grace.

My expression turned cold. “If the Prince Regent has nothing sensible to say, then please leave. The Tan Family is too humble to accommodate someone as exalted as you.”

Gu Nanzhou laughed.

He looked like a venomous snake that had finally discovered its enemy’s weakness. Even his smile radiated a bone-chilling cold.

“If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself. See what kind of monster your husband really is.

“Madam Tan, you’re no fool. Burying your head in the sand won’t end well for you.

“If you trust him and get yourself killed, that’s your own affair. But you had better be careful not to drag the Xie Family or your parents down with you. When the time comes, don’t say I didn’t warn you today.”

All the scattered suspicions that had briefly surfaced before suddenly took root and began to grow.

I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath.

“But I don’t trust you. How can you guarantee you won’t try to hurt me again?”

“I won’t act recklessly over a treacherous beauty again.” Seeing that I remained unconvinced, Gu Nanzhou shrugged. “Madam Tan may bring guards along, then. Rest assured, I swear upon every ancestor of the Gu Family that I mean you absolutely no harm.”

Well, well. Who would have thought the Prince Regent was such a devoted descendant?