Coaxing Her, the Young Clan Is a Step Too Late

Serena, furious after learning the true causes of General Feng and Madame Feng’s deaths, was beyond reasoning with. Prince Nolan knew he couldn’t argue with her in this state, but Serena’s stubbornness and lack of control made communication nearly impossible, leaving him at his wits’ end.

Ninth Royal Uncle let out another sigh and tried to persuade her helplessly: “Serena, don’t be like this. This isn’t you. Even if you blew up the Emperor and the Empress, what would it change? Your parents wouldn’t come back, and you’d be dragged down with them. Hurting those close to you and letting your enemies rejoice—this isn’t the way. If you want revenge, this isn’t how you should do it.”

Fine, he admitted Serena was right. She was still holding herself together—for now. If she really lost control and used explosives to kill the Emperor and Empress, that would be a disaster.

If that happened, Eastlyn would plunge into chaos, and the other three kingdoms would seize the chance to invade. In the end, it would be the people of Eastlyn and Serena herself who suffered most.

Ninth Royal Uncle’s pain and disappointment were plain for Serena to see, but she couldn’t control her temper. The moment she saw Nolan, she couldn’t help but lash out at him.

She hated this side of herself too—knowing she didn’t have the right to be reckless, yet acting as if someone would always indulge her, as if she could do anything without consequences.

Serena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reminding herself that this wasn’t right. No matter how much Nolan cared for her, no matter how much he spoiled her, he couldn’t always forgive her for being unreasonable.

“Hah... Uncle Nolan, you’re right. Even if I blew up the Emperor and the Empress, my parents wouldn’t come back.” Even if she killed everyone in the world, she would never get the love of her father and mother.

Serena Feng—her fate was simply to be without parents. On this point, no matter how much she fought it, she couldn’t change it.

“It’s good you understand that, Serena. We need to take our time with this. Don’t be impulsive. I promise you, I won’t let General Feng and Madame Feng die for nothing.”

Seeing Serena’s expression finally soften, Prince Nolan relaxed. He stepped forward, tentatively brushed her sleeve, and when Serena didn’t pull away, his face lit up with joy. Boldly, he pulled her into his arms.

Serena struggled a bit but didn’t break free. She stopped resisting and leaned against Nolan’s shoulder, letting his large hand gently stroke her back.

“Serena, I know you’re hurting inside. I know you’re full of hate. If you need to vent, curse me, hit me—just don’t hurt yourself. I’m really worried about you. You know you’re not free right now. Serena, please don’t make me worry...”

Right now, the Emperor was watching him like a hawk. Even getting out once was hard enough. If Serena couldn’t calm down, Nolan wouldn’t be able to rest easy in the Imperial Clan Prison. If he lost control and did something reckless there, it would only benefit the Emperor.

Honestly, being cared for like this felt wonderful. In moments of heartbreak, having someone to lean on was true happiness. With Prince Nolan, she didn’t have to be strong or brave—she could just be herself.

Serena clenched her fist and lightly thumped Nolan’s chest. “Cursing you—what’s the point? Yelling at you won’t bring my parents back. It won’t change the fact that your brother and sister-in-law helped kill them.”

Nolan Dongling, let me tell you—I really hate you. Why do you have to be an Eastlyn? Why do you have to be brothers with that bastard? Why do you treat me so well? Why...?”

By the end, Serena was no longer hitting him softly—she was pounding Nolan with heavy blows, thump thump thump... She didn’t hold back at all, every punch landed hard, and she even kicked him from time to time.

Since Nolan said she could hit or curse him, Serena wasn’t about to waste the opportunity. Who knew if she’d get another chance? Honestly, giving Nolan a beating was already letting him off easy.

Hiss...

Nolan was really in pain now. If Serena kept hitting him like this, he’d probably be sore all over tomorrow. But since he’d said she could, he couldn’t stop her—he just let Serena vent.

When Serena finally tired herself out and stopped, Nolan breathed a sigh of relief. He ignored his own injuries and just hugged her tighter: “Serena, I know you’re angry, I know you’re sad, I know you’re hurting—but none of that changes anything. You’ve hit me, you’ve yelled at me. Now, can we talk this through properly?”

"Mm." Serena answered softly and snuggled closer into Nolan’s arms, wiping her tears and snot all over his clothes.

She blamed him for being an Eastlyn, for having a brother and sister-in-law who killed her parents, for telling her to calm down, for his arrogance, for... breaking out of prison.

Every time Serena wiped her face on Nolan’s clothes, she added another crime to his list. As for whatever Nolan said while holding her, she honestly didn’t hear a word of it.

After venting at Nolan with punches and curses, Serena finally calmed down.

Just like Nolan said, no amount of heartbreak could change the facts. Instead of wallowing in grief, it was better to plan her revenge.

Blowing up the Emperor and Empress would be the most reckless thing she could do. If she killed them, Eastlyn would fall into chaos, and she’d become the enemy of the entire realm. Whoever became the next Emperor would rally the whole country to avenge the old Emperor and Empress by killing her.

Fine. When your enemies are the sovereign and the mother of the nation, all you can do is scheme in secret. There’s no rushing this.

Nolan rambled on and on, saying more comforting words than ever before—breaking his own record for talking in one go. But as he kept going, Nolan suddenly realized...

Serena spaced out.

Nolan grew angry. He realized Serena was testing his patience tonight: “Serena Feng, did you hear a word I just said?”

If Serena dared to say no, he’d probably pick her up and give her a beating.

"Yes." Serena snapped back to attention and answered quickly.

“Really? Then tell me—what did I just say?” From her voice, Nolan could tell Serena had finally calmed down.

Good. Time to settle accounts!

What did he say?

Serena’s mind was full of question marks. She hadn’t been listening at all—how could she know what Nolan said? But if she admitted it, he’d probably lose his temper.

Serena’s mind raced, searching for something to distract Nolan and dodge his question. Suddenly—a flash of inspiration. She had it.

“Ahem, Uncle Nolan, did you hear about the Young Clan’s marriage proposal a few days ago?” Even if she didn’t bring it up, Nolan would find out soon enough—the Young Clan’s move was anything but subtle.

Bravo—Serena’s topic change was a total success. Nolan immediately dropped the issue of her spacing out and hugged her tighter, his voice suddenly threatening: “The Young Clan? What, you want to marry into the Young Clan?”

Who would have thought the Young Clan had such good taste, able to see Serena’s worth and ignore her reputation to propose in person? Too bad they were a step too late—Serena was already his...