He found it novel and exciting, especially when he thought about Pei Xinglin as the object of his affections, he couldn't bring himself to resist.
This idea is really... a bit dangerous.
"Scared?" Pei Xinglin laughed and released his grip.
She stood up and patted Tang Xun's cheek.
"If you're scared, then don't mess with me again."
"Otherwise, once you get entangled with this ugly monster, it will be too late to regret it."
"Your Highness, you're awake?" Tang Xun's thoughts were brought back to reality by a gentle woman's voice.
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mu Xinglin, disguised as Mu Lanke, sitting in front of the dressing table outside the bed curtains, looking at him with a smile.
That face, adorned with exquisite makeup, was as beautiful as a forest sprite, seemingly capable of captivating the soul.
"I asked the kitchen to prepare some hangover soup. You were drunk yesterday, so a bowl of soup this morning will make you feel better."
Tang Xun sat up and asked the woman, "Why are you up so early?"
He remembered that he had gotten drunk last night and went to bed early. Now that he woke up, it was only early morning outside. How could this princess get up so early?
“As your fiancée, it is my duty to get up early the next day to take care of you when your husband is drunk. It is my responsibility.”
Her every word and gesture appeared extremely dignified and proper, leaving no room for criticism.
But Tang Xun just felt that something was off.
“Hmm…” he replied, “But we’re just a couple in a contract, you don’t need to take such good care of me, it would make me feel burdened.”
"Why does Your Highness feel burdened?" Mu Xinglin asked him. "Is it because you feel guilty for the person in your heart since we are so close?"
"Huh?" Tang Xun was stunned for a moment, his expression somewhat panicked: "What do you mean, 'the person in your heart'? How do you know? No, when did I say I had someone in my heart?"
"You kept saying someone's name in your dream yesterday."
"Whose name should I say?"
Tang Xun already had the answer in his heart, but he still braced himself and waited for Mu Xinglin's reply.
“Pei Xinglin…”
The woman feigned confusion and continued to ask Tang Xun, "I want to know, is this Pei Xinglin the one you've been thinking of?"
"No!" Tang Xun clenched his fists and denied loudly, "Don't make wild guesses! And don't mention that name in front of me again!"
"And don't tell anyone in the Oro Empire that there is such a person as Pei Xinglin!"
After saying that, he got up and rushed into the bathroom.
The sound of flowing water was faint. Mu Xinglin, sitting in front of the dressing table, frowned, a dark cloud hanging over her.
"Why is he so quick to deny it? Does he really have no feelings for me at all?"
In the afternoon, Mu Xinglin met Yu Tang and Yu Xiao at the agreed location.
Yu Tang winked at Yu Xiao.
Yu Xiao then hacked into the entire teahouse's surveillance system, ensuring their conversation was kept absolutely confidential.
Afterwards, Yu Tang laid out all the information about Mu Xinglin and the Xinghan Organization on the table and asked Mu Xinglin directly, "Mu Xinglin, the prince of the Weiss Empire and the leader of the Xinghan Organization, what is your purpose in replacing Princess Mulanke to marry into the Aoruo Empire?"
Mu Xinglin glanced at the scattered documents on the table and said with a smile, "Looking for someone..."
"Who should I look for?"
"Tang Xun..." Mu Xinglin stated his position directly: "Ten years ago, I was the interstellar thief who kidnapped Tang Xun."
I took care of him for three years afterward, and fell in love with him. Now I'm back, naturally for him.
Yu Tang and Yu Xiao had guessed this would be the outcome. But they didn't expect Mu Xinglin to admit it so openly.
"Does anyone else in the Weiss Empire know that you've taken Princess Mulan's place?"
“Only Lan Ke knows,” Mu Xinglin replied. “She wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Then, he looked up at Yu Xiao and said, "Besides that, I came to the Oro Empire to find you."
He took off his gloves, revealing his right hand, and with a thought, five metal spikes emerged from his fingertips.
Amidst their shocked gazes, he asked Yu Xiao.
"General Yu Xiao, do you still remember Dr. Helan, who dissected you countless times?"
Chapter 28
The villain was resurrected for the seventh time (28)
Upon hearing Mu Xinglin's words, Yu Xiao instantly tensed up.
Seeing this, Yu Tang quietly took Yu Xiao's hand from below.
He remembered Yu Xiao telling him that the doctor was Yu Xiao's third owner and had caused Yu Xiao extremely serious harm in the basement.
For a long time, Yu Xiao mistakenly believed that self-harm was a way for him to be happy.
When Yu Xiao was sent to the garbage disposal plant, the doctor was imprisoned for medical malpractice involving Cysiks.
He is currently serving his sentence.
Later, Yu Tang arrived and took Yu Xiao away, preventing Yu Xiao from killing the doctor.
Hearing the doctor's name from Mu Xinglin again, Yu Xiao's emotions inevitably fluctuated.
"Of course I remember," Yu said with a smile. "He's my enemy. If you know where he is, tell me right away, and I'll kill him immediately."
“He’s dead.” Mu Xinglin put his gloves back on and said, “I killed him…”
"I'm saying this not to make you feel indebted to me, but to let you know that I'm on your side."
Mu Xinglin's tone was slightly serious: "Four years ago, I led people from the organization to the planet Nayu, where the Jersey Empire is located, and discovered their secret base for researching smiling robots."
The Jersey Empire is the country that Xu Lanze told Yu Tang about, which is currently at war with the Oro Empire.
They had coveted the Oro Empire for a long time, and launched an attack two years ago when the Oro Empire was at its weakest.
They have already plundered two planets and continue to harass them.
"I disguised myself and infiltrated their ranks, where I met Dr. Helan," Mu Xinglin continued. "He was one of the researchers at the base, and he said he recognized General Yu Xiao of the Oro Empire as the smiling robot he had dissected."
He said you're different from other robots. Your terrifying abilities demonstrate that smiling robots are more than just pets or commodities; they possess immense military value.
"The purpose of the Jersey Empire in establishing this secret base is to continuously research and optimize, and create a new batch of robots that are as good as you, or even better than you."
"Because this also involves genetic modification. So there are all sorts of novel creatures in the base, including merfolk."
“I couldn’t stand what they were doing, so I led the people in my organization to destroy that base.”
"But what followed was the Jersey Empire's furious retaliation."
“They have more than one base. There are many unfinished robots at other bases, and they are all quite powerful. They have killed many of my brothers.”
"Therefore, I've been thinking of cooperating with the two generals to crush the Jersey Empire's ambitions. I wonder if you would be willing to accept my suggestion."
Yu Tang frowned and pondered for a moment, then looked up at Mu Xinglin and said, "I am willing to accept your suggestion, but on the premise that you must tell us why you, a human, also have the same ability as Yu Xiao."
Mu Xinglin didn't mince words and said directly, "That's what I want to say next."
He took out a photograph of a man with an incredibly ugly face, covered in burns and scratches, which was disgusting.
"This is me from before."
After Mu Xinglin and Yu Tang and Yu Xiao had seen the photo clearly, they put it away and continued, "Back then, I was severely disfigured, and my voice was hoarse like an old man's. I felt disgusted with myself."
So I'm not afraid of you calling me selfish, but I did indeed infiltrate the base.
Instead of immediately destroying the base, they decided to utilize their abilities, voluntarily becoming experimental subjects. After several brushes with death, they finally fused with the metal within the chip and successfully mutated into a new type of human.
“From then on, I never had any scars on my face or body again.”
"Although my bloodline is not pure, I still have a face that I am proud of."
I now possess a skill I can offer, and the power to protect that person.
"Only in this way can I be worthy of him."
Chapter 29
The villain was resurrected for the seventh time (29)
When Mu Xinglin spoke, his gaze was open and honest, and both Yu Tang and Yu Xiao could tell that he was not lying.
Yu Tang asked, "Is he referring to His Highness the Second Prince?"
Mu Xinglin smiled and said, "Besides him, no one else can make me work this hard."
He said, "I threatened you before because I didn't want you to ruin my plans."
After all, if you were to reveal my identity at the engagement banquet, it could very well lead to war between the Oro Empire and the Weis Empire, and it would also strip me of this legitimate reason for staying by Tang Xun's side.
Yu Tang asked him, "So when do you plan to tell His Highness that you were the one who was with him for three years?"
His question stumped Mu Xinglin.
The man, who had just been looking at them with an open and honest gaze and chatting fluently, now had a rare look of melancholy on his face.
"I don't know..." After a long silence, he finally said, "I don't know how to face him with my original identity."
Because I felt he didn't really want to see me.
Mu Xinglin recalled the time when he parted ways with Tang Xun. Tang Xun was found by the people of the Oro Empire and was about to be taken away. Mu Xinglin rushed forward but was surrounded by layers of soldiers.
He called out to Tang Xun across the crowd: "You little coward!"
The response I received was a cold, unfamiliar look in the other person's eyes.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I am the second prince of the Oro Empire, not some coward.”
Mu Xinglin saw Tang Xun say to the officer beside him, "This area is not under the jurisdiction of the Oro Empire. He is just an insignificant civilian. You can drive him away, but don't do anything."
At that time, Tang Xun was noble and aloof, displaying the demeanor of a royal aristocrat.
The way he looked at me was as if I were looking at an insignificant ant.