Eva and Cinderella

Deep within the imperial palace, in a dim bedchamber.

The Magic Mirror floated before Eva, clearly reflecting everything taking place in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's study.

"Pfft..."

Watching Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe's conversation, Eva first let out a restrained chuckle. Then, her laughter grew louder and more brazen until it became uncontrollable, manic laughter.

"Hahahahahaha! Seduction? Sending the crown prince to seduce me?"

"Hahahaha! Ning Fengzhi, Ning Fengzhi... I truly overestimated you. For the sake of power, you actually came up with such a vile... yet brilliant idea. This is far too amusing."

Eva laughed so hard her body trembled, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

She raised a finger to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, her face openly brimming with interest.

Eva's gaze returned to the Magic Mirror. Looking at Xue Qinghe with his head lowered, her crimson lips curled into a bewitching, teasing smile.

"Sacrificing yourself for the country? Enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens?"

She gave a soft snort, the last note of her voice carrying a seductive tremble. "Tsk, what a wonderful script, Your Highness the Crown Prince~"

Excitement glimmered in Eva's eyes.

She had initially found the daily life of the Heaven Dou Empire somewhat boring and had been preparing to find some entertainment to brighten her life.

Yet before she could even go looking for amusement, amusement had come looking for her.

"Interesting, far too interesting. This is ten thousand times more entertaining than a simple honey trap."

Looking at Xue Qinghe's handsome profile in the mirror, she lightly tapped her red lips with a finger. Her smile resembled a blooming poppy—dangerous yet captivating.

"Since your dear teacher has delivered such a handsome man right to my lips, how could I possibly disappoint such kind intentions?"

Eva lazily stretched her body, her tone carrying a languid anticipation.

"Come, let me see just how our crown prince, who endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens, intends to display his charms."

"I can hardly wait to play the leading role in this wonderful show!"

"Honestly, just thinking about it makes me unbearably eager!"

Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province.

Ever since Tang Hao had fled that valley with Cinderella and Tang San, he had done nothing but run.

He had no destination, nor any direction.

Tang Hao was now nothing more than a shell whose soul had been ripped away, supported only by muscle memory and an ingrained hatred that kept him fleeing without pause.

He was fast, yet his steps were unsteady, as though he might collapse headfirst at any moment.

"A Yin... A Yin..."

Tang Hao's eyes were hollow. From time to time, he called out A Yin's name, as though doing so could make her still alive.

He could no longer feel his body's exhaustion. Only overwhelming grief enveloped him.

In Tang Hao's arms, Cinderella's tiny body swayed with his violent jolting.

She desperately clawed at the inner wall of the light cocoon, her huge sapphire-blue eyes filled with helplessness and utter despair.

A day! A whole day!

Cinderella frantically complained about Tang Hao in her heart.

This big idiot only knows how to run! Run! Run! Aside from A Yin's final words, is there nothing in his head but mush?!

Cinderella was truly speechless at Tang Hao now.

At first, she had been somewhat saddened by A Yin's death. But she was an adult, after all, and knew that the dead could not be brought back to life, so she quickly adjusted herself.

She thought Tang Hao must be grieving terribly, so she decided not to disturb him. Thus, during their escape, Cinderella had perfectly controlled the bodily urges of her current infant body.

But!

Tang Hao had spent an entire day running while holding her and the baby A Yin had just given birth to!

Throughout the day, Tang Hao occasionally shouted at the top of his lungs, completely failing to consider the fact that he was holding two infants.

Cinderella turned to look at the little baby beside her, who was still sleeping without any awareness.

She sighed. The little fellow's face was all scrunched up, and his lips had turned slightly purple from hunger and cold.

"Hey! Wake up, little runt!"

Cinderella poked Tang San's chubby cheek, trying to wake him. She was worried this child would starve to death right after being born.

And she was starving too. She had not eaten anything for an entire day.

On top of that, Cinderella now had an even worse problem.

"Urgh..."

A powerful urge to urinate struck her. She was about to burst!

With A Yin's meticulous care, when had she ever suffered like this?

Heavens! Someone save me! Someone please do something about this unreliable big idiot!

Cinderella was on the verge of tears.

She missed the days when A Yin had been around more than anything. A Yin had always been so gentle and attentive—when to feed them, when to change their diapers, everything had been perfectly arranged.

Tang Hao only needed to stand nearby and grin foolishly, or awkwardly hold her.

But now? A Yin had only been gone for a day, yet Cinderella already felt as though she had been forced into the hell-mode version of infant life.

Looking at Tang San sleeping obliviously beside her, a powerful wave of sympathy rose within her.

Little runt, you have it worse than I do. You were just born, and before you could even remember what your mother looked like, she was gone. And with a father like this...

She simply did not dare imagine what life would be like in the future.

Cinderella had also tried using her cries to remind Tang Hao.

"Waaah—!" (I'm hungry!)

"Waah waah—!" (I need to go to the bathroom!)

"Waah waah waah—!!!" (The little runt seems cold! Check on him, idiot!)

However, Tang Hao, immersed in boundless pain and madly fleeing, had completely shut out all sounds from the outside world.

Cinderella's loud cries could not reach Tang Hao's ears at all.

At last, just as Cinderella felt that her bladder was about to explode and her hunger was making her chest cling to her back, Tang Hao stumbled and slammed heavily into a massive ancient tree, finally coming to a stop.

He leaned against the rough, icy trunk, gasping heavily—not from exhaustion, but because that suffocating grief had once again engulfed him.

Tang Hao lowered his head and looked at the cocoon in his arms, which still emitted a soft blue glow.

The light of the cocoon had dimmed somewhat.

Tang Hao's bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the light cocoon, as though he could see A Yin through it.

Trembling, he reached out to touch it, only to jerk his hand back as though burned.

"A Yin!"

Inside the light cocoon, the moment Cinderella saw Tang Hao finally lower his head, she immediately began to cry loudly.

"Waah waah waah—!!"

"The... children?"

Hearing Cinderella's cries, Tang Hao finally realized that there were two children inside the light cocoon he held.

Two fragile infants, crying out to be fed.

At that moment, another wave of immense guilt flooded Tang Hao's heart. What had he done?

He had actually completely forgotten about the two children he and A Yin had!