"You say I'm your substitute, but why do I feel like there's absolutely nothing similar between the two of us?"
Xun'er's sharp question caused Hun Dai'er to pause slightly. From the very first moment she laid eyes on Xun'er, she'd felt an inexplicable sense of resemblance. She had always believed that Xun'er was merely a replacement Xiao Yan found for her. But… in what way were they alike?
Her own hair was silver, while Xun'er's was soft and black. She was scheming and manipulative, while Xun'er was gentle and graceful. Her looks carried a pitiful charm, while Xun'er exuded refined elegance. Upon closer reflection, there truly wasn't much similarity between them.
So why did she feel like Xun'er was her substitute?
"And also… you say you're the one Brother Xiao Yan truly loves, but why have I never heard him mention you even once?" Xun'er's smile remained serene. She had clearly seen through Hun Dai'er's feelings for Xiao Yan, which was exactly why she struck without holding back.
In truth, if it were any other girl who liked Xiao Yan, Xun'er wouldn't be so aggressive. She had always gotten along well with his other companions, even becoming sworn sisters with some of them. While jealousy occasionally flared, it never threatened their friendship.
But Hun Dai'er was different.
From the moment they met, Xun'er had sensed a killing intent directed solely at her. That made it obvious—this silver-haired girl was not like the others. If Xun'er didn't suppress her now, she would become a serious threat.
"He never mentioned me…?" Hun Dai'er stood there in a daze. She had always believed that, even if Xiao Yan hated her, his feelings wouldn't allow him to completely forget her—that he would at least mention her from time to time. But now, it seemed he had truly decided to let her go. Otherwise, why would he deliberately avoid the topic while interacting so closely with this girl?
The truth was, Xiao Yan had remembered her. The reason he never brought her up was because he didn't want to rip open an old wound. If Hun Dai'er had been thinking clearly, she would have realized this. But faced with the overwhelming threat of Xun'er and the barrage of words that followed, her mind faltered.
"No, wait... Brother Xiao Yan did mention you once." Xun'er leaned in close to her ear and whispered, word by word, "He said... he really hates you. Hates you very, very much."
Hun Dai'er stiffened. Her stunned gaze turned to Xiao Yan—only to meet a pair of eyes calm as still water.
No hatred. No bitterness. No emotion at all.
That serene gaze was the final straw.
Hun Dai'er knew. Xiao Yan had truly let her go. Because he now had someone far more worthy of love.
Even Xiao Yan hadn't expected that bringing Xun'er here would be so effective. He had originally planned this as just the beginning. Who would have thought the usually soft-spoken Xun'er would become so sharp-tongued? With just a few words, she had broken Hun Dai'er's defenses—saving Xiao Yan a lot of effort.
In truth, Hun Dai'er had already started to unravel the moment she saw the undisguised love in Xiao Yan's eyes for Xun'er. She was merely struggling to resist. But now, it was time to face the end.
Her only path left was to kill Xun'er in a desperate gamble. But Hun Dai'er knew she couldn't do it—not in her current state. And even if she could, with Xiao Yan's current strength, he could easily revive her. This time, she had truly lost.
"Xun'er, could you step outside for a moment? I have something to discuss with her." Xiao Yan smiled at Xun'er with an apologetic tone. The next conversation might not be appropriate for her to hear. He didn't want her to witness that side of him.
"I understand." Xun'er nodded obediently and turned to leave.
Just as she reached the doorway, Hun Dai'er suddenly asked, "You know he has other women, right?"
"Of course I do." Xun'er kept her usual smile.
"You know… and you're not jealous?"
"Jealous? Of course I'm jealous." Xun'er glanced at Xiao Yan with a teasing smirk. "But so what? I can't go around killing them, can I? Not that I could even if I wanted to. And if I really did, wouldn't I be playing right into your hands?"
"..."
"Oh, and by the way," she added with a meaningful smile, "those women you're talking about? They're my sworn sisters."
With that, Xun'er left without looking back, leaving only Xiao Yan and Hun Dai'er behind—two people bound by a bitter past, now staring at each other in silence.
"She's the Gu Clan's heiress, right? Then you should know that her reason for entering the Xiao Family was the same as mine—she's also after the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade," Hun Dai'er finally broke the silence.
"Yes, she did come for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade," Xiao Yan replied calmly, "but she would never betray me for it."
Back during the Path of Reincarnation, he had once shown the jade to Xun'er. Not only did she not try to take it, she solemnly warned him of its importance instead.
Hun Dai'er, on the other hand, had chosen a different path. She turned against him completely for the sake of that jade. If not for that, things between them might not have reached this point.
"You really love her?"
"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
"Like how you used to love me?"
"No." He shook his head. But just as a flicker of hope appeared in Hun Dai'er's eyes, he added, "I love her even more than I ever loved you."
Hun Dai'er collapsed to the ground, her expression dark and desolate. She knew—this time, she had lost everything.
"We can't go back, can we?"
"From the moment we turned against each other, there was no going back." Xiao Yan walked up to her and said gently, "But… I can offer you another choice."
"Another choice?" Hun Dai'er lifted her head in confusion, only to see Xiao Yan holding a collar in his hand. He gave it a small shake and smiled. "You should know what this means, right?"
Was he trying to utterly humiliate her?
Recalling the words he had said before, Hun Dai'er gave a bitter smile. Then, slowly, she lowered her head and placed the collar around her own neck.
From this day forward, there would be no more young prodigy of the Hun Clan.
Only a pet—one who had forgotten the past and all her hatred.
(End of Chapter)
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