Qin Yining never expected that A’na Ri would be such a brainless person who would draw a knife at the slightest disagreement.

Her reaction wasn’t slow either—she quickly stepped back to avoid the knife tip.

However, no matter how agile Qin Yining was, she still didn’t know martial arts.

In her fury, A’na Ri was determined to make Qin Yining pay with her life. Even if she couldn’t leave her life here, she would at least slash several bloody marks across her face to turn her into a complete ugly monster. So A’na Ri used all her strength, every strike aimed at Qin Yining’s face.

Qin Yining dodged nimbly, but her movements lacked any technique. Having been weakened for so long, her strength and stamina couldn’t match A’na Ri’s robustness. Soon sweat appeared on her forehead, and she tripped over herself and fell to the ground.

A’na Ri’s eyes lit up, seeing an opportunity. She immediately gripped the dagger and stabbed it toward Qin Yining.

Only then did Si Qin finally tire of watching the show and step forward to grasp A’na Ri’s wrist.

“Enough, Khan, calm your anger.” That gentle voice seemed to carry magic that could dispel rage, making A’na Ri somewhat calmer.

“Why are you stopping me! Let me ruin her face first—then let’s see what she’ll use to seduce men!”

Si Qin smiled as he took the dagger from A’na Ri’s hand, grasping her hand with one of his before saying: “Silly girl, have you forgotten what I need this woman for? Do you know about the grievances between the Qin family and Prince Zhongshun’s household?”

Upon hearing this, A’na Ri thought for a moment, then nodded: “Her father once used a stratagem to cause the death of Prince Zhongshun’s father.”

“Exactly. Her family has a blood feud with Prince Zhongshun’s household. Why do you think Prince Zhongshun was willing to marry such a woman?”

A’na Ri vaguely understood.

“You mean… her beauty?”

Si Qin nodded and smiled: “Pang Zhixi likes her, and it must be because of that face. If you ruin her face and Pang Zhixi no longer likes her, what if he refuses to pay the ransom?”

Although this reasoning was correct, A’na Ri still felt somewhat unbalanced in her heart.

But thinking of all that gold and silver from the ransom, A’na Ri felt her mood improve somewhat.

“Fine,” A’na Ri’s anger subsided slightly, and she smiled apologetically, “Sorry, I got hot-headed and didn’t consider the Prince Consort’s plan.”

“It’s nothing—I know you care about me.” Si Qin shook her hand.

A’na Ri’s face flushed completely red, both proud and delighted. After chatting and laughing with Si Qin for a while, like a little girl, she happily went out to join the bonfire gathering for roasted lamb leg, as if she hadn’t been the one wielding a knife trying to kill someone just moments before.

Qin Yining wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, thinking to herself that A’na Ri was simply a brainless madwoman!

Watching Si Qin coax A’na Ri like a child, seeing A’na Ri’s fury treated like a joke in Si Qin’s eyes—something that could be persuaded away and calmed down—Qin Yining once again confirmed her suspicions.

This Si Qin definitely had problems!

Si Qin smiled: “You saw that, didn’t you?”

“Saw what? How the Prince Consort coaxes the Khan?”

Si Qin’s face showed some pride as he again approached Qin Yining’s side, his voice low and soft: “In Tatar, the Khan listens to me most. I’m completely confident I can persuade her to do anything.”

Si Qin raised his hand toward Qin Yining’s cheek: “If you’re willing to follow me, I’ll immediately persuade the Khan to release you. What do you say?

“This deal won’t cost you anything. You’re already married anyway. Even if something happens between us, as long as I don’t tell, no one will know. Even when your man pays the ransom to redeem you in the future, as long as neither of us tells him, you’ll still be pure and innocent, still belong only to him…”

“Slap!”

Qin Yining’s palm struck Si Qin’s face hard.

Her chest rose and fell violently as she panted with anger.

“What kind of thing are you! Someone like you being mentioned in the same breath as my husband is simply insulting! You call yourself a man! Despicable!

“Let me tell you—a good woman doesn’t serve two husbands. I will never submit! Kill me, torture me—do as you please! But if you want me to become your appendage and live ignobly, I’m sorry—I cannot do it!”

Si Qin was slapped so hard that the corner of his mouth split open, blood slowly flowing out. His cheek hurt terribly and immediately swelled up.

The slap made Si Qin’s ears ring. He never imagined that such a gentle, water-like beauty could be so domineering when angry. She actually dared to slap his face!

“You really don’t want to live!” Si Qin spat out the blood in his mouth.

Qin Yining sneered: “I told you long ago—I’m not afraid of death. You’re welcome to kill me. That would actually be doing me a favor!”

Si Qin pressed his lips together, glaring angrily at Qin Yining.

The most difficult to deal with were people like this who feared nothing and wanted nothing.

Without desires or demands, she was slippery as an eel, making his methods of threat and bribery impossible to deploy.

He couldn’t grasp her weakness, which meant he had no capital for threats.

As for bribes, he couldn’t currently think of anything that could move her.

As for life and death, she seemed even less afraid, not caring at all about being “killed off.” What she cared about instead was whether she would drag down Pang Zhixi.

Such a deeply devoted beauty, yet her feelings weren’t for him—it really made one’s heart feel blocked just looking at her.

However, Qin Yining should care very much whether Pang Zhixi would come to rescue her, right?

Combining Qin Yining’s reactions, Si Qin reasoned that a woman who had invested so much emotion would naturally hope for equal return from the other party. If Pang Zhixi didn’t come to rescue her, or only went through the motions, she should be heartbroken, right?

Although Qin Yining hadn’t explicitly stated this, Si Qin could just sense Qin Yining’s feelings.

Because women were such emotional creatures—A’na Ri was like this, and Qin Yining would be too.

Si Qin used his tongue to probe the corner of his mouth, tasting blood.

He spat and angrily turned to leave.

Qin Yining watched him coldly as he left. Only after he was gone did her tightly clenched fists relax, and she collapsed onto the bed.

At least she had endured this trial.

She rubbed her slightly aching forehead. Under the double torture of physical and mental fatigue, her complexion was somewhat pale.

Qin Yining lay down again, pulling the blanket over herself.

She was now on Tatar soil. That A’na Ri was a brainless madwoman, and Si Qin was a scoundrel skilled at acting. They could barge in at any time. Qin Yining felt that whenever she could rest, she should rest well, conserving her energy to deal with any sudden situations.

Qin Yining slept very alertly.

But even light sleep was better than the previous period of wandering in the desert.

Early the next morning, the maid who had served her with washing and dressing yesterday came again. While helping her with grooming, she smiled and chattered to her in Tatar.

Qin Yining couldn’t understand what she was saying and looked at her in confusion.

The maid also seemed troubled, then her eyes lit up. She took Qin Yining’s hand and pointed toward outside the tent.