Feeding a tiger is a recipe for disaster!
The idiom that best describes Dai Paipai's current situation is exactly that.
When Dai Paipai was still in Qingyun, she was a pathetic little thing whom Su Nanyin could have condemned to death with mere words.
But now Dai Paipai—
—has become a frog-woman, more formidable than President Jiao San, determined to kill Su Nanyin!
Whose fault is this?
Su Nanyin is not to blame.
When she sent people to assassinate Dai Paipai, she had sought the opinions of Li Xiao and his wife Li Wujiang.
Furthermore, she was playing the villain for Li Qianfan.
So is Dai Paipai to blame?
She hadn't done anything wrong; why should she be assassinated by people sent by Su Nanyin?
It's only natural that Dai Paipai now considers Su Nanyin an enemy she must kill, given how Su Nanyin treated her back then!
The problem arises—
Both Dai Paipai and Su Nanyin have unusual relationships with Li Qianfan.
Yet, they are in a relationship of irreconcilable enmity!
If one of them must die, whom would Li Qianfan want to die?
This question is an absolute death trap for Li Qianfan.
Most crucially, the question Su Nanyin posed is not some idle nonsense, no playful game of choosing between two.
It is absolutely serious.
And requires Li Qianfan's sincere consideration!
Dai Paipai is determined to kill Su Nanyin.
Su Nanyin is not the type to offer her other cheek after being slapped.
Since Dai Paipai dared to assassinate her—
She will use all her intelligence, wisdom, and power to eliminate Dai Paipai!
After a long silence, Li Qianfan said, "I hope both of you can live well."
Heh.
Su Nanyin gave a light laugh, turned, and swayed her voluptuous waist as she walked towards the kitchen, saying, "Go take a shower. I'll cook for you."
She had already gotten her answer from Li Qianfan's words.
If, one day, Li Qianfan had to choose between her and Dai Paipai, who would die.
The one Li Qianfan would want to die is Su Nanyin!!
Why would he say that?
It’s simple—
Dai Paipai, who was transformed into a master by the Dark Net in the shortest possible time, represents evil.
While Su Nanyin, who wholeheartedly helps Li Qianfan, represents righteousness.
The key point is that Li Qianfan himself stands on the side of "justice," with the mission of eradicating evil (the Dark Net).
So when justice and evil collide, and one must die, Li Qianfan should have no hesitation in choosing to let evil die.
Yet, he told Su Nanyin that he hoped she and Dai Paipai would both live.
Such an answer, while seemingly fair,
actually means that in Li Qianfan's heart, Dai Paipai's position is far superior to Su Nanyin's!
She didn't feel any heartache or anything of the sort from Li Qianfan's choice.
Because she knew better than anyone—
Dai Paipai is Li Qianfan's woman!
What man would choose his woman to die?
Su Nanyin, remarkably calm, did not feel heartache; only an inexpressible loneliness.
Li Qianfan took a shower, ate his fill, and returned to his room, falling into a deep sleep.
Having not slept all night, it was nothing for the energetic Li Qianfan.
And being held by Jiao San for a while after their passionate encounter with Dai Paipai was also not a big deal.
What truly left Li Qianfan feeling physically and mentally exhausted was Su Nanyin's hypothetical "Who would you choose to die?" question.
Reason told him he should have apprehended Dai Paipai last night.
But doing so would have meant Dai Paipai losing the modified version 209 specially prepared for her by the Dark Net, and she would soon reach her peak human beauty.
Li Qianfan didn't want Dai Paipai to die.
Last night.
Li Qianfan had also clearly expressed his hope to Dai Paipai that she would not resent Su Nanyin, nor return to the East Land.
But Dai Paipai had only kissed him desperately, not answering his question.
She had made the absolute killing of Su Nanyin her lifelong obsession!
The sun gradually slid westward.
Su Nanyin, who hadn't slept all night, sat quietly on the living room sofa, staring out the window.
Day broke again.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere at home, the caterpillars stealthily left the house early in the morning to go to their respective workplaces.
Su Nanyin was still on vacation.
As her secretary, Li Qianfan had no reason to sit idly at her unit if she wasn't there.
He might as well sleep in.
However—
At ten o'clock in the morning, there was a visitor.
The Seventh Elder of Li Family Village and Ye Tianjiao.
"Oh my, they say you're getting younger and more beautiful, and I didn't believe it. Seeing you today, it's true."
Ye Tianjiao, seated in the central courtyard living room by Su Xin's arrangement, stood up and exclaimed loudly the moment she saw Su Nanyin.
Even the Seventh Elder looked astonished.
Su Nanyin smiled sweetly, repeatedly saying, "Where, where."
But when Li Qianfan, with his hair looking like a bird's nest, appeared in the central courtyard living room, both the Seventh Elder and Ye Tianjiao were stunned.
"Seventh Master, Aunt Jiao."
Li Qianfan chuckled sheepishly, "I had planned to sleep in today. Upon hearing you arrived, I didn't even have time to wash my face. Please excuse my appearance."
"Lazybones are all like that. Heh heh. Guanyin, come with me. I have something I want to discuss with you privately."
Ye Tianjiao chuckled, glanced back at the Seventh Elder, and, in a show of affection, took Su Nanyin's arm as they walked out of the living room.
As they reached a corner, Ye Tianjiao's smile quickly vanished.
Her tone became stiff: "Su Nanyin, enough is enough! Besides, Li Qianfan is not the only young man in this world. Although my Li Family Village did not support Qianfan due to your scandal, I absolutely will not allow you to continue to harm him! Let him go."
Li Family Village was unaware of the "Four Phoenixes Entwined" situation.
Ye Tianjiao, seeing how young and beautiful Su Nanyin was, while the then 22-year-old Li Qianfan looked like a thirty-six or thirty-seven-year-old uncle, immediately thought of terms like "stealing yang for beauty."
She was furious.
And she despised Su Nanyin for being old and shameless!
Su Nanyin, however, remained smiling: "I won't."
Ye Tianjiao's brows furrowed: "Why?"
Su Nanyin turned, looking up at the sky in the backyard.
Her smile vanished, and her tone turned cold: "One, I am pregnant and don't want my child to be fatherless. Two, Yang Xiao, Li Nanfang, Li Xiao, and Li Wujiang don't care. What right do you, Ye Tianjiao, and Li Family Village have to interfere in our affairs?"
Ye Tianjiao—
In the living room.
The Seventh Elder slowly said to Li Qianfan, "Qianfan, do you know why our village did not come to congratulate the Su family on establishing their residence on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year?"
Li Qianfan nodded, "Seventh Master, I know."
"Logically, when even the Sect Master (Li Nanfang is the Sect Master of Li Family Village) does not interfere with your being with Su Nanyin, our village has no right to meddle in your affairs."
The Seventh Master continued, "But you are aging too rapidly now. I suspect Su Nanyin might possess a technique for stealing youth for beauty. If you continue to be with her, even if Mr. Yang Xiao has found a way to curb your aging, your lifespan will be greatly shortened because of her."
Sigh.
Li Qianfan sighed inwardly and smiled, "Seventh Master, I understand. There are some matters here that are inconvenient for me to tell you. Because the elder (Li Nanfang) instructed that he did not want Li Family Village to get involved in this."
"Fine."
The Seventh Master was not as assertive as Ye Tianjiao.
Since Li Qianfan had brought up Li Nanfang, he asked no further questions.
Changing the subject, he said, "I am here on behalf of Mr. Yang Xiao."
The third mistress of Longxu, along with Zhuang Wujian, were in Hancheng, initiating a蛊 (gu) raising plan.
Zhuang Wujian required Li Qianfan's flesh and blood to feed the 蛊.
Ye Tianjiao and the Seventh Elder had come this time to, at Yang Xiao's instruction, take a portion of flesh and blood from Li Qianfan's left arm.
And using the "exclusively developed" ghost fire dye from Li Family Village, they would tattoo a pair of mandarin ducks on his left arm.
Digging out flesh to tattoo birds—
The Seventh Master was skilled in this art!
But to make the mandarin duck tattoo as lifelike as possible, the Seventh Master spent a full three hours to complete it (taking flesh from under the skin, without damaging the skin).
Li Qianfan and Su Ziyu's mandarin ducks were both golden-red.
The Seventh Master would personally deliver Li Qianfan's flesh and blood to Hancheng to tattoo Su Ziyu's bird.
Because these 蛊 worms are particularly fond of decaying flesh, there was no need to worry about the flesh spoiling.
"Qianfan, in the future, be as good to Ziyu as possible. She has sacrificed too much for you. She has also endured too much grievance for you. I hope that once the mandarin ducks curb your aging, you will have a baby soon. Aunt Jiao hopes even more that you will become a good husband who dotes on his wife."
The above words were solemnly spoken by Ye Tianjiao to Li Qianfan before she left.
The implied meaning was naturally self-evident.
How could Su Nanyin, standing nearby, not understand?
But she continued to stand there, smiling, saying nothing.
Li Qianfan naturally stated that he would bear Aunt Jiao's teachings in mind.
"Take care of yourself."
As Ye Tianjiao spoke these words, her gaze swept across Su Nanyin's face, and she bent down to get into the car.
She would accompany the Seventh Master to the airport immediately for Hancheng.
After watching their car drive away, Li Qianfan and Su Nanyin returned to the backyard.
"Li Qianfan, you should go take care of matters in Modu."
As Su Nanyin was about to reach the living room entrance, she said softly, "But you must remember. After you finish those matters and come to the Su family, do not ever come to the backyard again. If you dare to step into the backyard even half a step!"
Her voice suddenly rose.
Turning to look at Li Qianfan, her eyes were icy: "I will ruin this face of mine."