The villain becomes my little fan girl.

"Bang!"

A silver basin brimming with water toppled over.

Sang Nian darted out of the room, her voice urgent and strained:

"Where is Xie Chenzhou now?!"

Chun'er froze for a moment, still clutching a comb, before chasing after her mistress.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

What's wrong?

I'm dying—that's what.

Sang Nian wished the world would crumble at that very moment.

"Why did my brother strike Xie Chenzhou?"

"A runaway slave, that's what he is," Chun'er said indignantly. "Miss, the fact that he caught your eye is a blessing his ancestors couldn't dream of, and yet he dares to show you defiance? Of course, he deserved to be beaten! Besides," she added with a huff, "after the way he tormented you last night, it's clear he was taking revenge. Naturally, he needed to be taught a lesson."

Sang Nian halted mid-step. "Actually… this matter wasn't entirely his fault."

"Miss, you can't keep defending him," Chun'er replied with a frown. "We all know the truth."

No, you don't understand!

None of you do!

It was early May, the gentlest time of the year. The breeze, soft as silk, brushed against the blossoming branches, scattering a few delicate pear blossoms to the ground.

Sang Yunling, Sang Nian's late mother, had adored pear blossoms, and so the Sang City Lord had planted an entire garden of them—rare and exquisite varieties whose blossoms lingered long, coating the branches in snow-like white.

Now, a few drops of crimson splattered onto the pristine petals, tracing lines of scarlet like tears through the purity.

The sun slipped behind thick clouds, casting a pall of somber gray light over everything, the world awash in cold tones. Except for one—a lone figure garbed in shocking red.

Xie Chenzhou hung by his wrists from a willow tree, coarse ropes biting deep into his flesh. His back bore the marks of countless lashes, his tattered clothing soaked in blood. Droplets fell steadily, staining the ground beneath him.

"How dare you defile the lady's favorite blossoms?" a guard barked, his whip cracking through the air like thunder.

Arriving in a breathless rush, Sang Nian's heart clenched at the scene. She cried out sharply, "Stop this!"

At the sound of her voice, the guards froze, then bowed respectfully.

"Untie him," Sang Nian demanded between gasps for air.

The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. "But the City Lord—"

"I said," Sang Nian raised her voice, "release him!"

Unwilling to defy her, they scrambled to obey, fumbling as they lowered Xie Chenzhou. He fell heavily to the ground, coughing up blood.

His head lifted weakly, strands of dark hair clinging to his pale, sweat-drenched face. His eyes, void of light, stared at her like a still, icy lake.

Their gazes met, and Sang Nian's heart skipped a beat.

Suppressing her panic, she crouched beside him, intending to inspect his injuries. Chun'er grabbed her arm. "Miss, don't! You'll soil your hands. His wounds are ghastly—what if you're frightened?"

Sang Nian shook her off, kneeling to help Xie Chenzhou. But his body was so ravaged there wasn't a single unbroken patch of skin for her to touch.

Recalling something, she swiftly retrieved a vial of medicinal pills from her pouch.

"Open your mouth," she ordered.

Xie Chenzhou turned his head away, silently refusing.

"This isn't poison," she explained. "It's medicine to treat your wounds."

Still, he did not yield. Frustrated, Sang Nian forced his mouth open and shoved the pill inside.

The medicine dissolved instantly. He had no chance to spit it out.

"You think I want to save you?" she snapped, her tone fierce. "If you weren't so annoyingly good-looking, I wouldn't have bothered."

Unexpectedly, Xie Chenzhou didn't react with anger. Instead, he laughed—a rasping, blood-flecked sound.

"Don't laugh!" Sang Nian scolded. "You're scaring me!"

His lips moved faintly, uttering something almost inaudible. Sang Nian leaned closer to catch his words.

"Too bad," he murmured, "no one in this world can kill me."

Even now, his defiance was unyielding.

Sang Nian felt a pang of guilt. "I didn't know my brother would go this far… It's our fault. Rest and heal. We'll talk once you're better."

Before she could say more, Xie Chenzhou's eyes closed. He had passed out.

"Take him away," she instructed Chun'er. "Use the best medicines. Make sure he survives."

Though reluctant, Chun'er complied.

As Sang Nian turned to follow, a guard stopped her. "Miss, the City Lord requests your presence."

She nodded, heading toward the main courtyard.

A tiny parrot, Six-Six, fluttered onto her shoulder, yawning as it settled. "How was it? Easy mission, right?"

"Piece of cake," Sang Nian replied with a faint smile.

Then, seizing the unsuspecting bird, she balled it up in her hands and squeezed hard.

Six-Six squawked in alarm. "Help! Murder! Someone's killing a poor, innocent bird!"

The guards glanced back curiously.

"Quiet," Sang Nian hissed, gripping its feathers. "Or I'll pluck you bald right now."

Six-Six immediately covered its beak but continued ranting telepathically:

"Abuse! This is staff abuse! I'll report you to the Main System—you'll be sent to mine coal!"

"Negative twelve thousand favorability points," Sang Nian retorted with a menacing grin. "Is that what you call 'no difficulty'?"

Six-Six froze. "Tw-Twelve thousand? That's… nothing!"

Sang Nian tightened her grip.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!"

Satisfied, she released it. Sighing, she contemplated her bleak prospects.

"How did you know his blood would help you?" Six-Six ventured cautiously.

Sang Nian poked the bird's cheek. "Isn't it a classic trope? Anyone with a special constitution must have blood with miraculous properties. It's a universal rule."

"Ah, right," Six-Six said, enlightened.

As they chatted, they reached the study. Just as Sang Nian raised her hand to knock, a deep male voice called out, "Nian-Nian? Is that you?"