The contempt and scorn in Scarface’s tone made Bai Shuilian’s face burn hot, as if she’d been slapped several times, stinging and shameful.

She argued stubbornly, "He said that if the great plan succeeded, he’d grant me the position of consort. You don’t understand. Since I already belong to him and even gave him a child, of course my heart leans toward him."

Scarface laughed. "With that brain of yours, the fact he picked you as a spy really must’ve been hard work for him. No wonder you’re only fit to be used and discarded."

Bai Shuilian bit her lip.

You can despise me, but you can’t humiliate me.

"He didn’t even let you see his real face. How did you come to believe he’d grant you some consort title and shower you with glory and wealth? Just because you bore him a little girl?" Scarface said mercilessly. "If a man wants children, as long as he can produce seed, who can’t he find to bear them? You think he’d care about that one girl? And use your head for once—what kind of man would send his own woman out, then take her back to accept her as wife or concubine—much less promise a consort title? What do you think being the Emperor is, that he can casually accept any filth and stench without scruple? Even if he were willing, the Imperial Censor and Ministry of Rites wouldn’t allow it."

What a pity Song Ci wasn’t here; if she were, she’d probably sigh deeply—so in the end, it’s still men who know men’s nature best. This man’s clarity about men... this old lady is a fan now.

Bai Shuilian was also stupefied.

"I say you’re naïve and you refuse to admit it. A few sweet words and you think you can save the world and help that Xia clan remnant achieve great things? Why don’t you just ascend to heaven while you’re at it."

"I..." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"You probably don’t even know that daughter of yours was smothered to death by him long ago, do you?"

"You’re talking nonsense!"

Bai Shuilian’s face changed drastically. Impossible, how could that be?

"You and I have never crossed paths, and I’m just acting under orders. Why would I pull lies out of thin air to fool you?" Scarface glanced at her with disdain. "With a status like his, you think he lacks noble women to bear his children? You think those in high places don’t care about bloodlines?"

Bai Shuilian collapsed onto the straw-covered ground, feeling her body grow colder and colder.

"That man—what does he actually look like? You didn’t manage to catch even a glimpse?" Scarface’s voice seemed to come from beyond the sky.

Bai Shuilian shook her head and murmured, "I don’t know. He wore a mask, his lips are very thin, his body lean and taut. Oh, right, at the cleft of his buttocks, there’s a red mole."

Scarface frowned. Looks like he really didn’t know. He cast a glance at the few tiny holes in the wall, then said in a lewd tone, "A red mole at the buttock cleft... seems you served him very diligently."

Bai Shuilian’s face flushed a congested purple at his words, humiliated—and also, she wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but she seemed to hear the sound of someone’s breathing quickening.

"That’s all I know, nothing else. Everything else was done in secret by Madam Quan. I only followed orders. I had just one task: to maintain my pure, harmless facade and keep a tight hold on Song Zhiqing." Bai Shuilian knelt, pressing her palms together in prayer. "I don’t know anything. No matter who your master is behind the scenes, let me go. I promise I’ll disappear without a trace and never show up again."

"So what you’re saying is, you don’t want to go back to the third master of the Song Family? He doesn’t know a thing. Just last night he was still at Xingshan Temple holding a funeral and guarding your coffin, so devoted. With your skills, if you go back to his side and live your days steadily, you can still enjoy all that glory. After all, you have a pair of dragon-phoenix twins." Scarface coaxed her patiently.

Song Zhiqing stood behind the other wall, listening to the conversation coming through it. His whole body trembled—with rage, with disgust, with sheer disbelief.

He looked at Song Zhiyuan beside him, only to see the latter hook his lips in a faint smile.

Song Zhiqing’s vision went black. This eldest brother is a demon, and the people he raises are all demons just like him!