*Chapter Three:
How Many Men Have You Slept With?!
After that day, the entire capital lost its mind.
The most ruthless war god in the empire—Ye Wuhen, who had buried seven fiancées and had a temper worse than hell itself—announced, in front of the entire court:
"Bai Jinli will be my wife."
And then pulled out a blood-red diamond ring.
Rumor had it the ring was carved from the bones of one of his dead fiancées, the gem soaked in the heart's blood of a general he personally killed.
Insane. Unhinged. Batshit crazy.
Bai Jinli looked at the ring and chuckled lazily.
"You gave me your ex-girlfriend's corpse as jewelry?"
"She was never as pretty as you," Ye Wuhen said, eyes shining like he saw God. "You deserve it."
"Then dig her up and have her apologize to me," she said with a tilt of her head.
Ye Wuhen nodded. "I'll open her grave tonight."
He meant it.
He was serious.
Completely. Deranged.
At first, Jinli wanted to use his obsession to manipulate him—to get close, then strike, then make him pay.
But she underestimated just how far gone he was.
Because while she was still figuring out her next move…
Another lunatic arrived.
Her ex-fiancé—Xiao Changyao, heir to the Marquis of Jing—heard she was back in the capital. Heard she was "seducing" Ye Wuhen. So what did he do?
He knelt in front of the brothel.
Right in front of Wan Hua Tower, kneeling on stone, hands bleeding.
"Jinli!" he screamed. "You said you'd only ever marry me!"
Bai Jinli was on the third floor, lounging on a red sandalwood windowsill, cat in one arm, wine in the other, glowing like a demon in moonlight.
"I've said a lot of things," she called back with a smirk. "You believed that one?"
Xiao Changyao looked like someone punched him in the soul.
He choked out, "How many men have you slept with?!"
She blinked innocently. "You mean this week, or in my lifetime?"
"Y-You… You used to be pure—so gentle, so sweet! What happened to you?!"
"Oh," she said coolly. "You mean before or after you helped destroy my family?"
His face went pale.
She stood up, her silk dress billowing like smoke, barefoot as she floated down the stairs toward him. Every step was a war drum to someone's heart.
She bent down in front of him, eyes sharp and cruel. "Didn't you always say I was your precious little girl?"
He swallowed. "I… I did."
"Then kiss me," she whispered. "Let's see if you still can."
Just as his lips trembled forward—
Clack.
A sword unsheathed behind them.
Ye Wuhen stood there, holding a blade, eyes black and bottomless.
"Try it. I dare you."
Bai Jinli looked back and laughed softly. "It's just a kiss. Why are you always so dramatic?"
"Didn't you say only I could kiss you?!" Ye Wuhen sounded absolutely wrecked.
"I never said that," she smiled.
Next thing she knew, Ye Wuhen had slung her over his shoulder like a madman and stormed off, snarling at the stunned crowd:
"SHE'S MY INSANITY. MY OBSESSION. MY GODDAMN LIFE. GET IN MY WAY AND I SWEAR I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU."
Behind him trailed a small army of pissed-off men—every single one Bai Jinli had flirted with, touched, teased, or toyed with.
The entire capital was in love with her.
And every last one of them had gone completely insane.
Ye Wuhen whispered against her ear as he ran:
"I want to cage you for the rest of your life. On my bed. Where no one else can see you."
Bai Jinli: "…"
She started to think, maybe—just maybe—she'd f**ked up.
All she wanted was revenge.
Now every man in the empire wanted to marry her, cage her, or die for her.
Everyone. Was. F**king. Crazy