Chapter 827: I'll Let You Go This Time

“Can’t go back.”

Finally, she could be coaxed into speaking.

All the way here, Yeh Hannian hadn’t heard her say much, really fearing she would suffocate from keeping it all in.

But mentioning Bo Yanching, she finally showed some reaction, making him quite annoyed.

He had to endure that annoyance, or else the topic would be cut short, and there’d be nothing left to talk about.

“Why can’t you go back?

You didn’t show your face.

After you drop me off on this trip, can’t you just go back?”

Nan Jiaojiao didn’t want to speak again.

Yeh Hannian scooted closer to her, nudging her foot, “Talk to me, talk to me.”

Nan Jiaojiao pulled her foot back, speaking blandly, “I have to return to the Killing Alliance for some matters.”

“Didn’t you resign?

What are you going back for?” Yeh Hannian blurted out.

As soon as he said it, he regretted it, quickly trying to make amends, just in time to see the self-mocking smile on her lips.

“Oh, right, considering how highly White Fox values you, there’s no way the Killing Alliance would let you go.”

Suddenly, it struck him; he still didn’t know what position Nan Jiaojiao held in the Killing Alliance, so he asked directly, “Are you one of the Five Great Elders?”

Nan Jiaojiao gave him a sidelong glance, her thin lips slightly pulling, “No.”

“Well, it’s not if you say it’s not.”

Yeh Hannian took a sip of wine, leaning on his elbows, looking up at the pitch-black sky, counting the few forlorn stars.

“To be honest, I planned to take you to Mingzhou.

No matter what, I wouldn’t let you go.

If I really couldn’t keep you, I’d let Tuantuan hold onto you, eventually softening your heart.

Then, being close by, over time you’d grow fond of me, and our pretend marriage back then would turn into a real one, keeping you for ten, maybe eight years, and by then you must have shifted your affections to me.”

Yeh Hannian let out a somewhat sleazy laugh, but he only deliberately made his voice like that, with no inappropriate expression on his face.

After a while, he sighed, sounding deflated, “Now I’ve given up on that idea.

You have someone in your heart.

As the formidable leader of Mingzhou, with a reputation, why should I hang myself on this crooked tree?”

Nan Jiaojiao chuckled lightly.

But to Yeh Hannian, it was priceless.

She reached to take the wine, but Yeh Hannian covered the bottle’s mouth with his hand, “You better not drink, it’s enough that I’m drunk.”

Nan Jiaojiao glanced at him.

He justified himself, “Sister, this is the desert, there are bandits and robbers.

One of us has to stay sober.

We fought all day; I’m really worn out.

Just pretend I’m hiding behind drunkenness, give me some face.”

Nan Jiaojiao pulled her hand back.

Yeh Hannian went on to say many more things.

After finishing his own jar of wine, he poured the rest of Nan Jiaojiao’s into his jar and drank that too.

Drunk to the point of seeing stars, he started mumbling nonsense.

Nan Jiaojiao propped her face up, not listening carefully, but she just happened to hear the most muddled sentence clearly:

“This time I’ll let you go, Rongcheng City…

I’ll go again in the future.

If that Bo guy treats you badly, don’t just use tricks, I’ll take you away by force.”

Nan Jiaojiao’s eyelids twitched twice, not knowing if it was intentional.

When she looked toward Yeh Hannian, he was already passed out on the sand.

She sat for a while, then went to get a blanket to cover him.

In the latter half of the night, Nan Jiaojiao couldn’t hold on either and lay down beside Tuantuan to sleep.

When she woke up, Yeh Hannian had already woken up.

He had gathered a pile of dry branches from somewhere, set up a makeshift fire pit, tossed in his iron water kettle, and placed a triangle wooden rack over the fire, smoking the leftovers from last night on a stick.