Chapter 517: Threatening Bai Wei

Chapter 517: Threatening Bai Wei

Yun Mu scoffed lightly before producing a photograph.

"Is this the person you want to protect?"

The moment Bai Wei saw the photo, her face contorted in unprecedented panic. She even lunged forward, trying to snatch it from Yun Mu’s hands, but missed and was tripped by Yun Mu, sending her sprawling onto the sofa.

Yun Mu’s eyes turned glacial as she looked down at her from above. "You refuse to betray Shangguan Yu just to protect her?"

"Yun Mu, don’t you dare touch her!" Bai Wei roared.

Nothing disgusted Yun Mu more than deceit and betrayal. "I trusted you once— took you in when you were at rock bottom, even entrusted my life and my lab to you. And what did you do? You deceived me, not only trying to kill me but also my child! Bai Wei, I believe in giving people a taste of their own medicine. Either tell me the truth, or... Snatching someone from Shangguan Yu’s clutches would be child’s play!"

Bai Wei knew Yun Mu meant every word. The killing intent in her gaze was palpable.

She straightened up and warned, "Don’t you dare act rashly, Yun Mu! If you harm her, you’ll regret it! You will!"

Without so much as a blink, Yun Mu tore the photograph in half.

The air grew thick with tension.

Yun Mu hissed coldly, staring down at the fury in Bai Wei’s eyes, "Why would I regret it? This woman might mean more to you than life itself, but to me... she’s just a stranger. I wouldn’t lose sleep over killing her!"

Bai Wei’s fists clenched until her knuckles turned white, her entire body trembling with rage.

She looked ready to argue, but in the end, nothing came out. Instead, she gritted her teeth and pleaded, "I’m begging you, don’t hurt her. She knows nothing—she’s innocent!"

Yun Mu casually took a seat on the opposite sofa. "Who is she?"

"My adoptive mother," Bai Wei answered.

Yun Mu scoffed. "I thought Shangguan Yu was your benefactor? Since when did you have an adoptive mother? His lover?"

"Enough! How dare you slander her!" Bai Wei bellowed.

Yun Mu narrowed her eyes. "If you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t just slander her—I’ll kill her."

"You—!"

Bai Wei’s pallid face contorted with barely restrained fury. Her neck veins bulged as she struggled to contain her anger.

Watching her like this, Yun Mu felt an odd sense of satisfaction, like playing with a cornered animal. The power would always be hers—the power of life and death.

"Speak. Why does Shangguan Yu want me dead?" Yun Mu leaned back lazily, weariness settling in.

Bai Wei stared at her, seeing no resemblance to the woman who had once been like a mother to her.

"I don’t know anything. If you want to know how I used Yi Hou to poison you, I can tell you that. But as for the rest, I know nothing," Bai Wei said.

"I’m not interested in that. I want to know what grudge Shangguan Yu holds against the Yun family. And now, I’m also very curious about this adoptive mother of yours. My father’s death was Yun Chengsen’s doing, but Shangguan Yu must have been involved too. Before Yun Chengsen died, he mentioned that the woman he loved most wasn’t dead—that she had returned..." Yun Mu’s gaze flicked to the torn photograph, her mouth twisting into a smirk. "That woman he spoke of... wouldn’t happen to be your adoptive mother, would it?"

Bai Wei went deathly pale. "No! My adoptive mother has nothing to do with your Yun family!"

But her vehement denial only made it more suspicious—the lady doth protest too much.

Yun Mu's voice was icy.

"Bai Wei, you have 24 hours to figure out how to answer me. Because that’s all the time I’m giving your foster mother."

The wind outside the window died abruptly.

Bai Wei went rigid, shouting, "You can’t touch her! I really don’t know anything! Shangguan Yu just used me—he never told me a single thing about his relationship with the Yun family! Yun Mu, just trust me this once!"

But Yun Mu had already stood up, staring coldly at Bai Wei. "Then start thinking. Hard. Right now, your foster mother's life is in your hands."

With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

Bai Wei rushed forward, but the door slammed shut with a sharp bang.

Outside, Yun Mu looked at Yun Shumo. She hadn’t closed the door when she entered earlier, so he must have heard everything between her and Bai Wei.

"Cut the pitying look. I wasn’t the one who got emotionally deceived!" Yun Shumo said.

Yun Mu nodded. "Glad we agree."

Yun Shumo: "...”

Yi Jue sighed and clapped him on the shoulder, then took Yun Mu's hand to leave.

He just ordered guards to seal off the room completely for the night.

"Yun Mu, open the door! Yun Mu!"

Inside, Bai Wei hammered the door, screaming herself raw.

After finishing a cigarette, Yun Shumo walked to the door. "Quit your fucking screaming. She’s not opening that door."

Bai Wei finally quieted down. After a long pause, she asked, "Yun Shumo, is that you?"

Yun Shumo didn’t answer.

Bai Wei knew it was him. "Yun Shumo, I’m sorry. I never meant to lie or keep things from you. Just help me this once. Please don’t let Yun Mu hurt my foster mother. I’m begging you—please."

Yun Shumo, duped for the first time in his life, never expected he could still manage to laugh.

"Karen—wait, no. Bai Wei. You think you’ve got the right to ask me for shit?"

"It’s my fault. I lied to you, used you... I’m sorry. But name your price! This is the last time I’ll ask you for anything!" Bai Wei pleaded. "She’s all I have left. I can’t let her suffer because of me."

Yun Shumo sneered. "You owe me way more than that."

Bai Wei froze.

Then she heard Yun Shumo say, "Do you know who that baby girl your aunt kidnapped in the Southern Nether Continent all those years ago was?"

Dread coiled in Bai Wei’s chest.

"That was my sister—my blood! I still don’t know if she’s alive!"

Bai Wei’s stomach dropped.

So that’s it... Her debt to Yun Shumo ran deeper than she’d ever imagined.

"Just stay in there. When you come to your senses and talk, Yun Mu will naturally let you out."

With that, Yun Shumo also turned and left.

He was afraid that if he didn't leave now, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from opening the door for her.

He'd even lose respect for himself.

Deep down, he knew all too well—he had indeed been played for a fool in love.

The more Yun Shumo dwelled on it, the worse it hurt, so he called Ji Ming to meet up for drinks.

Screw it—two miserable love fools getting wasted together!