Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 19

Section 30

I’m such a fool. Truly.

I knew Gu Nanzhou was no good. Why did I believe his nonsense and come all this way?

Well, this is just perfect. My life may indeed be hanging by a thread, but you, Gu Nanzhou, have lost your ancestors as well.

Was it worth it, Gu Nanzhou?

Section 31

I tried to pretend my feet were slipping, inching forward one step only to slide back two.

But Tan Lian had run out of patience. He closed the distance between us in a few quick strides and caught me just as I was about to slide backward again.

My hair had gotten a little disheveled while I was running around with Gu Nanzhou earlier.

Tan Lian raised his hand, instinctively reaching out to smooth it for me.

There was no blood on his fingertips, but the stench of it clung to him so strongly that it made me sick. My head spun from the smell, and I instinctively recoiled.

Tan Lian’s hand froze in midair. Then he slowly lowered it to his side.

I cautiously looked up and discovered that his expression was somehow even more frightening now than when he had been torturing those assassins.

This time, all the color truly drained from my face.

Seeing that, Tan Lian did not come any closer, though his expression remained grim.

His voice was tight with barely suppressed anger. “Baoping, I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

He didn’t mean to?

Then what in the world counted as intentional?!

Suppressing my fear, I lowered my eyes so I would not have to look at his face.

“Tan Lian, have you been using me all along? Did you marry me and treat me well only because you wanted the Xie Family’s money?”

Even as the words left my mouth, I found myself ridiculous.

After everything that had happened, was that really what I wanted to know most?

Even more ridiculously, Tan Lian did not deny it.

His voice was icy, as though now that his deception had been exposed, he saw no reason to keep pretending.

“Does it matter?”

He really was something. Whether he was wearing that false mask or showing his true colors, he always managed to make my heart race.

Before, it had been because I was smitten. Now, it was purely from rage.

As anger surged through me, some of my fear receded, and I could not stop myself from demanding, “You’ve lied to me for so long. Don’t you feel even the slightest bit guilty?!”

“No. I don’t believe I have anything to feel guilty about.” Tan Lian remained unmoved, then offered a thoroughly insincere explanation. “Because I can protect you.”

I was left speechless. For the first time, I realized just how shameless Tan Lian could be.

He continued, “You liked the false persona I showed you. That’s why I never told you.”

So now it was my fault that he had lied to me?!

I was so furious that my reason was on the verge of vanishing, but one final shred remained.

That shred of reason told me I could not confront Tan Lian head-on. Otherwise, I might be the next person he strung up and had their eyes gouged out.

“A divorce, Tan Lian. I want a divorce!”