Chapter 516 - 513: A Solitary Figure

Chapter 516: Chapter 513: A Solitary Figure

Bai Wanwan looked into Jiao Yin’s eyes, still gentle but now filled with confusion, and didn’t hide anything. "Mm. He plotted against me."

Jiao Yin’s heart plummeted. The happiness that had clouded his judgment instantly vanished, and his mind cleared. A flood of overlooked details rushed back to him.

’Wanwan’s obvious distance before, her unusual passion that day, her avoidance afterward...’ A terrible suspicion began to form in his mind.

’That day, Wanwan had seemed a bit dazed at first, but he’d thought it was just because she’d drunk some of the Monkey Wine.’

’Some females couldn’t handle Monkey Wine; it made them dizzy.’

’But if Hua Han had designed this all from the start... then hadn’t he... mated with her against her will?’

’So... was that why Hua Han was driven away?’

At this thought, a knot formed in his chest, and his mind descended into chaos.

He practically held his breath as he asked the question he most feared, yet had to ask. "What... what did he plot against you?"

He paused, his voice painfully hoarse. "Was... was what happened between us that day... was it... Hua Han’s design?"

He couldn’t even bring himself to meet her gaze, terrified of seeing confirmation—and disgust—in her eyes.

Bai Wanwan fell silent for a moment.

After that day, she had deliberately avoided him. Only now had the blazing fire of her rage begun to yield to reason, slowly subsiding.

"He deliberately brought that Monkey Wine over and made me drink it..." Her voice was placid, but it carried a detached, scrutinizing edge as her sharp gaze fell on Jiao Yin. "And you? Were you in on it with him beforehand?"

Her gaze and tone at that moment sent Jiao Yin back to when he first met her in the Tiger Clan Tribe.

’Cold, distant...’ His heart sank to rock bottom, and a bitterly pained smile touched his lips, one he couldn’t suppress.

"Wanwan," his voice was filled with helplessness, "no matter what the process was, I was the one who ultimately benefited from it. It seems no explanation I give now can clear my name."

He took a deep breath, his ice-blue eyes filled with an earnest plea and a sort of self-condemning honesty. "Can you... stay just a few more days? I’ll do everything in my power to get to the bottom of this and give you a proper explanation."

His brows furrowed, the bitter curve of his lips a stark line on his handsome face. "Wanwan, if you’re going to be angry, if you’re going to punish someone, direct it all at me. Don’t be angry with Hua Han. He truly loves you—so much that he’d do anything. All he’s ever wanted is to find a way to stay by your side forever."

In Jiao Yin’s eyes, Hua Han’s love was purer, more fervent than his own.

He carried the weight of his entire clan on his shoulders; he couldn’t afford to be as single-minded and unreserved as Hua Han, whose heart held only Bai Wanwan.

He had already braced himself for the likelihood that Bai Wanwan would never choose to be mates with him, a Deep Sea Merfolk.

This outcome was simply the worst-case scenario he’d already envisioned. But he didn’t want to drag Hua Han, who loved Wanwan with his entire being, down with him.

"His feelings are purer than mine... Perhaps this all started because of me."

Bai Wanwan didn’t answer him.

He finished speaking in a low voice, aware that Wanwan probably wanted nothing to do with him right now.

He gave Bai Wanwan one last, deep look, his eyes a complex mix of adoration, guilt, and helplessness.

"Wanwan, wait for me. I’ll get you an answer."

His retreating figure looked desolate as he turned and swam away into the rippling water.

After Jiao Yin left, Bai Wanwan remained seated alone in the magnificent Coral Palace, her thoughts in a tangle.

’She knew Hua Han’s feelings for her were genuine. His fervor and persistence had often moved her.’

’But she could never approve of the way he chose to love.’

’She understood that everyone had a different personality, and she knew that as a member of the Fox Clan, Hua Han was naturally cunning and skilled at scheming.’

’But those schemes and calculations should never, ever have been used on her—or in their relationship!’

’Without consulting her, he had presumptuously used this humiliating method to "deliver" her to Jiao Yin’s bed.’

’A terrifying thought struck her: if he could drug her and plot to get her into Jiao Yin’s bed this time, what about next time?’

’For the sake of some "benefit" or "alliance" that he deemed necessary, would he hesitate to plot her into someone else’s bed?’

The feeling of being disrespected, of being arranged like a possession, chilled her to the bone.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

Xin Feng entered carrying a tray of exquisitely prepared food, its aroma momentarily dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the palace.

"Wanwan, you’ve barely eaten all day. Are you hungry? I roasted some Lu Lu Beast Meat, which I know you like, and I traded with the Merfolk for some of their special sweet seaweed."

Xin Feng’s voice was as gentle as ever, like a warm spring breeze.

Bai Wanwan shook her head. She really had no appetite.

Xin Feng sat on the Coral Stool beside her, gently setting the platter—a giant, colorful seashell—to one side.

He didn’t press her to eat. Instead, he watched her with a gentle expression and asked softly, "Wanwan, have you really... decided to never see Hua Han again?"

Xin Feng’s question sent another ripple across the already turbulent waters of Bai Wanwan’s heart.

What Hua Han had done infuriated her. Yet, when she recalled him being dragged away by Zhu Xiu and Jin Yi—the desperation and defiance in his eyes, his battered figure—and when she thought of all his careful attempts to please her and the fervent love he always showed, her heart couldn’t help but ache with a sharp, difficult pain.

Sensing the struggle and turmoil in her heart, Xin Feng reached out and gently took her cool hand in his warm, dry one.

The gesture was one of silent comfort and support.

"If Hua Han truly did something unforgivable, something that seriously hurt you," Xin Feng said, his tone earnest and firm, "then all of us will banish him without a second thought. We’ll never give him another chance to get near you or hurt you again."

Bai Wanwan blinked, looking into his deep, gentle eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"For the past two days," Xin Feng sighed, telling her the truth, "Hua Han has been trying to break in to see you. Zhu Xiu and Jin Yi have stopped him every time, but he keeps trying, even though he’s gotten beaten black and blue. He hasn’t given up. He wants to see you, to explain himself in person."

He paused, looking into her eyes, his voice growing even softer. "Hua Han... back then, he was captured and tortured by those Beastmen because he ignored his own safety to save you. I’ve always been grateful to him for that. So... Wanwan, I want to ask a favor on his behalf. Would you be willing... to see him just one more time? To hear what he has to say? At the very least, give him a chance to explain. That way, you can make your final decision without any regrets. All right?"

Xin Feng’s voice was like a potent sedative, slowly calming the crashing waves of anger and complicated emotions in Bai Wanwan’s heart.

’Perhaps... I really should give him a chance to explain,’ she thought, calming down.