Insidious, Even the Strongest Man Needs Coaxing

The carriage stopped at Nolan's Suburban Villa outside the city. Because Ninth Royal Uncle was so cold and distant, Serena Feng obediently kept quiet, waiting inside for a long while. When she saw that Ninth Royal Uncle remained motionless in the carriage, she hesitated, then opened the door and got out by herself—without noticing how Nolan's face instantly darkened.

Stupid woman!

Ninth Royal Uncle was so furious he could cough up blood.

Couldn't she see he was angry? Didn't she know to come over and say something nice to him?

Ninth Royal Uncle was so angry he nearly smashed the carriage. After Serena Feng got out and waited for ages, he still didn’t move, sulking like a child waiting for their parents to coax them. But Nolan was no child, and Serena Feng certainly didn’t have a parent’s instinct.

Serena Feng waited outside the carriage for a long time, but Ninth Royal Uncle still didn’t come out. She glanced at the guards beside her, asking with her eyes, “Aren’t you going to remind Ninth Royal Uncle to get out?”

The guard hesitated a moment, then gritted his teeth and stepped forward: "My lord, we've arrived at the villa."

It wasn’t the voice he was waiting for—Nolan’s anger exploded. With a thud, he punched the carriage wall, making the whole vehicle shake. The guards’ faces went pale and they dropped to their knees with a thump.

"Please forgive us, my lord."

They were certain there were no assassins or suspicious people near the carriage. The only explanation was that their lord was angry. They didn’t know the reason, but as servants, all they could do was endure their master’s wrath.

Serena Feng jogged after him inside.

Many years later, when Serena Feng remembered this incident, she finally understood just how insidious Nolan was.

Damn, even his anger was something he could use. Even in a rage, he could lay out a meticulous scheme—this man was truly terrifying.

With that punch, he made his injury visible to everyone, letting them all know that Serena Feng had angered Ninth Royal Uncle inside the carriage, and in his fury, he struck the carriage and hurt his own right hand.

Although Nolan never said a word from start to finish, anyone with half a brain could imagine, even inventing all sorts of stories about what must have happened between him and Serena Feng inside the carriage.

But what was the truth?

In reality, it was two nights ago that Nolan had bloodied his hand—smashing walls and mirrors with his fist—and in the end, he shifted all the blame onto Serena Feng.

Serena Feng’s gaze was so intense—unless he were dead, how could he not notice her eyes on his hand? Nolan didn’t show it on his face, but inside he was secretly pleased.

He knew Serena Feng still cared about him. Even though she hid so much and tried to distance herself, the moment she saw he was hurt, she immediately worried.

He was bubbling with smugness inside, but kept a straight face, looking serious. Ignoring Serena Feng’s worried look, Nolan tucked his injured right hand into his sleeve.

His hand bore both old and new injuries, so of course he couldn’t let Serena Feng see them, much less let her bandage them. So, Serena, you’ll just have to keep worrying a little longer.

Once they arrived at the villa, Nolan and Serena Feng changed into disguises. With eighteen guards, they rode toward the canyon where Prince Titus of Lyndaria was hidden.

With the memory of their last failed attempt, Nolan had already given up the idea of sharing a horse with Serena Feng. But...

Serena Feng looked mournfully at the horse assigned to her, raging inwardly.

Today, she really wanted to ride with Nolan. Couldn’t she just give this horse back?

Last time, it was night—pitch dark, so she couldn’t tell direction or remember the route. Plus, she hadn’t known Nolan was taking her somewhere so secret.

But now, in broad daylight, riding alone, she’d almost certainly memorize the route. She didn’t want to know so much—she wanted to ride with Nolan, blindfold herself, and see nothing. Wouldn’t that be better?

The more you know, the sooner you die. In her previous life, knowing too much got her killed. She really didn’t want to know Nolan’s secrets. Serena Feng looked at Nolan with pleading eyes, hoping he’d change his mind.

But her and Nolan’s brainwaves didn’t match—they weren’t telepathic. Seeing her hesitate to mount, Nolan assumed she was worried about his injury, raised his now-bandaged right hand, and ordered, “Set out.”

Serena Feng had no choice. She couldn’t bring herself to ask to ride with Nolan—her skin wasn’t that thick—so she reluctantly mounted her horse.

Hyah!

She snapped her whip and followed Nolan toward the canyon.

Sigh... At this speed, on such a rugged path, there’s no way she could ride blindfolded. All she could do now was keep calm and hope Nolan wouldn’t decide to silence her afterward.

Nervous the whole way, Serena finally arrived at the canyon. But when she saw the great gorge, she felt an odd sense of calm.

The last time she came at night, she hadn’t seen anything—only knew the cliffs were high and the valley deep. Seeing it by day for the first time, she realized it was all breathtaking scenery.

Towering mountains, surging rivers, lush forests, and sheer, almost vertical cliffs—standing at the bottom, Serena marveled again at nature’s wonders.

Faced with such grandeur, any words seemed inadequate. Seeing the canyon’s majesty, Serena was simply awestruck.

Seeing Serena so stunned, Nolan couldn’t help but smile. He’d known she’d love this place, and her awe filled him with pride like never before.

It just goes to show—even the strongest men need praise, need someone to look at them with admiration. Of course, not all praise or flattery works.

For Nolan, ordinary people’s admiration meant nothing. As for flattery—who in this world dared flatter him? He didn’t care about most people, but the one person he did care about not only refused to flatter him, she even lied to him...

But he could only accept it—after all, fate had brought them together.

Such is destiny.