Early the next morning.
Hancock came to the prison again. After dismissing the guards, she sat directly on Salome and asked Bai Ina with a lazy expression, "White-haired brat, what's your name?"
"..."
Lying on his side on the prison's broken bed, Bai Ina's mouth twitched. He simply ignored the Empress's nonsense.
"Not going to tell me?"
Hancock saw his reaction and curled her lips into an imperious smile. She turned toward the outside and called, "Guards!"
The guards stationed outside the prison immediately rushed in, their weapons pointed straight at Bai Ina. At a single command from the Empress, dozens of spearheads coated in Haki would turn him into a pincushion.
Feeling the chill of the sharp points behind him, Bai Ina slowly closed his eyes, still refusing to turn around.
"Go smash all the stone statues on the warship in the harbor, then throw them into the sea."
"Yes!"
The guards were taken aback, but still answered without hesitation.
"Bai Ina!"
Bai Ina sat up at once, looking at Hancock with a conflicted expression. "My name is Bai Ina!"
"Never mind. Go back outside and stand guard."
Hancock smiled at his answer and waved the guard beside her away.
"..."
The guards exchanged bewildered looks, but still followed orders and headed out of the prison.
"What about your age?"
Once all the women had left the prison, Hancock asked again.
"What do you want from me?"
Bai Ina frowned and looked at the neurotic woman before him, his expression icy.
"Hmm?"
Hancock languidly swept the hair from her neck, revealing her delicate collarbones. She propped her cheek on one hand and regarded Bai Ina with an imperious expression.
"You're crazy!"
Bai Ina's mouth twitched. There was nothing he could do about it, though, so he finally answered with a dark expression, "Thirteen!"
"Thirteen?"
Hancock's delicate brows lifted slightly. After studying Bai Ina for a moment, she murmured so softly that only she could hear, "Eight years younger than me?"
"What?"
"Nothing!"
Hancock shook her head. "Then what do you like to eat?"
"Mandarin oranges and curry rice!"
"What about your parents?"
"I don't have any!"
"How tall are you?"
"One meter forty-two!"
"And what's the name of the woman you like?"
Bai Ina's brow furrowed at once. A chill spread from him as he looked at the Empress with an icy expression. "What do you want?"
"Nothing."
A trace of irritation appeared on Hancock's face. "I just want to know the name of the woman who can make you ignore my charms."
"What difference would it make if you knew?"
"Tell me your story with her. Perhaps I'll consider undoing the petrification of your men and letting them leave."
Bai Ina was taken aback. A hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but in the end he shook his head. "There's nothing to tell. I just did something to her that she'll never forgive me for."
"What did you do?" Hancock asked, her brows drawing together and her tone cool.
"To survive, I claimed her."
Bai Ina looked at Hancock and spoke each word deliberately. The chill surrounding him grew even stronger.
"Claimed her?"
Hancock's slender brows knitted together. With a confused expression, she asked, "What does that mean? Did you marry her? If so, why would she never forgive you?"
"..."
Bai Ina's mouth twitched, and the icy chill around him vanished at once. He sighed helplessly. "I mean, I did something to her without her permission—something only a married couple should do."
"Something only a married couple should do?" Hancock blinked her beautiful eyes, curiosity mingling with her bashfulness. "What is that? A hug? Or... a kiss?"
"..."
Bai Ina was truly at a loss for words this time. In the end, he simply lay back down and turned his back to the Empress. "Do whatever you want. Kill me or cut me up, I don't care. I can't explain it to you!"
"You really won't tell me?"
Hancock's expression turned cold, and the imposing authority of someone long accustomed to power filled the entire prison.
Bai Ina didn't even turn his head. He simply ignored Hancock.
"Fine, don't tell me!"
Seeing this, Hancock slowly stood up, her imposing aura fading. She walked straight to the cell and looked at Bai Ina lying with his back to her. A strange smile appeared on her face.
"How about I give you a chance?"
Bai Ina turned around at her words. "What chance?"
The battle in the Goa Kingdom still depended on this shipment of supplies. Even if he died here, as long as the supplies made it back, the Kingdom of Goa would still have a chance of winning.
Bai Ina believed that even without him, Zongcilang had the wisdom to win the war.
Pleased by Bai Ina's reaction, Hancock smiled. Then she took off her high heels, revealing her soft, beautiful feet. Her instep was neither too high nor too low, her soles neither too large nor too small. Her toes were even, and her skin was fair and lustrous. Her feet were delicate and elegant, with ankles of just the right fullness.
But what Hancock said next made Bai Ina wish he could chop off that beautiful foot and feed it to the dogs...
"Kneel down and lick my feet like a dog, and I'll let your men go!"
"..."
Bai Ina's face darkened like the bottom of a pot, killing intent pouring from his eyes. "Are you trying to die?"
"Can you do it?"
Hancock smiled scornfully.
"..." Bai Ina.
He was at a loss for words. Forget Bai Ina in his current state, with his injuries still unhealed—even at full strength, several Bai Inas combined wouldn't be enough to withstand a few kicks from the Empress...
He simply ignored the nasty woman's spiteful game, turned away, and closed his eyes to sleep. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Seeing this, Hancock burst into a triumphant laugh. Bai Ina had ignored her beauty time and again over the past few days, which had greatly irritated her. Now that she'd finally seen him get flustered, she was delighted!
Still laughing cheerfully, the Empress turned and walked out of the prison.
"She's crazy!"
Bai Ina's mouth twitched. He slowly sat up, a worried look on his face.
Earlier, he'd thought everyone aboard the warship had died, so he hadn't given it much thought. But after learning that the people aboard were still unharmed, he couldn't help worrying about the battle in the Kingdom of Goa. That shipment of supplies was still needed on the battlefield.
If they didn't transport the supplies back within six months, they'd have no weapons or ammunition to replenish their stocks. Even Zongcilang wouldn't be able to turn things around then.
"I should try asking the Empress for help!"
Bai Ina sighed helplessly. There was no point getting worked up; at the moment, he could barely even protect himself. If the Empress woke up in a bad mood one day, she could kill him whenever she pleased.
What Bai Ina hadn't expected was that Hancock would become a regular visitor to the prison over the next month. She came almost every day to ask him all kinds of ridiculous questions and, while she was at it, find new ways to make him squirm!
Except for what he'd told her about Kuina, Hancock learned every last detail about Bai Ina during that month.
Since he needed her help, Bai Ina couldn't exactly refuse. He was practically ready to report to the Empress what color underwear he'd worn each day...
PS: Thanks to Kong Nuo, Chen Weimin, Bloody Romance, Draem, Prosperity Remains, Bloody Lone Cloud, Attack on Creeper, and Blowing Away Stories for the tips. Thanks for your support.
PS: I recommend a friend's book, a rare Fox Spirit Matchmaker fanfic: Strongest Brother System.
PS2: Pfft... Xiao Jiao knows it's so melodramatic too... Please bear with it for a few more chapters... It'll be over soon...
Before you continue