Chapter 2213: Heart-to-Heart

Shang Hongyu had removed almost all her jewelry, leaving only a delicate white flower hairpin. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just cried. Her "peach blossom eyes" naturally conveyed deep affection to anyone she looked at. Now, combined with the faint cloud of sorrow between her brows, her entire demeanor exuded a delicate fragility, instantly eliciting a feeling of tenderness and pity from anyone who saw her.

"Sister!" Shang Liuyu quickly got up and distanced herself from Zu An, as if caught flirting with her brother-in-law by his true spouse. Although he wasn't truly the Dragon King, her recent intimate memories with her sister were so vivid that she couldn't help but genuinely regard him as her brother-in-law. *But I was here first... Ptooey, what am I thinking? We're siblings.*

"Your attire... is for?" Zu An looked at Shang Hongyu with a hint of confusion, though his eyes were filled with admiration.

Shang Hongyu sighed softly, "They're publicly announcing the Dragon King's death this time. As the Queen, I have to oversee his funeral. I've been busy with it just now."

Zu An realized, *So that's it. No wonder she's dressed like a widow.*

"You seem to have been crying?" Zu An noticed her slightly red and swollen eyes.

Shang Hongyu rolled her eyes at him. "I'm supposed to be known as a virtuous Queen. Now that my husband is dead, am I supposed to smile in front of everyone? Of course, I have to act sad. Do you think I'm a bad woman, capable of feigning emotions for something like this?"

Shang Liuyu, standing nearby, coughed lightly. "I'm still here. Can you two try to be more discreet when chatting?" Her sister's words just now sounded as if she were afraid of her lover misunderstanding, truly quite a manipulative performance.

Shang Hongyu suppressed a smile, then wrapped her arms around Liuyu. "You're not an outsider anyway. Who was it that snuggled into his arms in front of the entire Merfolk race?"

"Stop it!" Shang Liuyu couldn't maintain her composure any longer and, enraged, pinched her sister's waist. Soon, the two sisters were grappling playfully, creating quite a lively scene.

A faint smile appeared on Zu An's face. The sisters were beautiful, and even their playful squabbles were a pleasant sight.

Shang Liuyu was still physically weak, so she was no match for her older sister. She was soon pinned beneath her. "Little sister, you're still a bit too soft."

"A'Zu, look at her..." Shang Liuyu's hands were pinned to the bed by her sister, leaving her in a rather unladylike posture. With their clothes disheveled, some revealing glimpses were inevitable. She wasn't as uninhibited as her sister, so she could only call for help.

Zu An, seizing the moment, advised, "She's just been injured and is weak. She can't handle this roughhousing. Get up now."

Shang Hongyu couldn't help but feel a little jealous. "It's only been a few days, and you're already siding with her, making me feel like an outsider." Despite her words, she still got off her sister, worried she might accidentally injure her.

"I was here first anyway," Shang Liuyu retorted as she got up and tidied her disheveled clothes.

"A'Zu, did you hear that? She admitted it," Shang Hongyu said with a smile, looking as if her scheme had succeeded.

Shang Liuyu finally came to her senses, blushing deeply. "What are you talking about? I meant I met him first, which is true!"

"Mmm, yes, yes, yes," Shang Hongyu replied without contradicting, her gaze simply flitting back and forth between the two of them.

"I'm not talking to you two anymore; I'm going to take a bath first." Shang Liuyu didn't dare meet Zu An's eyes and hurried out.

Watching her slightly flustered figure, Zu An chuckled. Her personality was clearly so carefree and composed, yet in front of her older sister, her emotions became much more sensitive. Was this the 'bloodline suppression' an older sister had over her younger one?

"So, you two haven't 'done the deed' yet, have you?" Seeing her sister's panicked expression, Shang Hongyu couldn't resist teasing.

"Sister Shang and I are innocent; don't spread rumors," Zu An replied.

"Innocent?" Shang Hongyu chuckled, as if she'd heard an amusing joke. "The way you carried her out of the Myriad Dragon Tomb earlier looked a lot like someone who had just lost her virginity and couldn't walk properly."

Zu An: "???"

"Don't look at me with such a surprised expression. Plenty of people had the same thought as me back then. Otherwise, why do you think so many people were hostile towards you?" Shang Hongyu said with some emotion. "My little sister is the dream goddess of countless men among the Merfolk race, and she was 'defiled' by you. Of course, they'd be upset."

"She had just been through a major battle, was exhausted, and had some injuries. What are you all thinking?" Zu An retorted, annoyed.

"But my little sister really did look like that after such an event, and it's not like I haven't experienced it myself..." Shang Hongyu mumbled softly, her cheeks flushed as if recalling a specific scene. Against her white attire, her face appeared even more delicately alluring.

Zu An: "..."

"Oh, right," Shang Hongyu suddenly thought of something amusing, her eyebrows perking up. "My little sister calls me 'Sister,' and you call her 'Sister.' Shouldn't you call me 'Sister' too?"

"No," Zu An flatly refused.

"I knew you were a scoundrel. Every time we're like that, you make me call you 'Big Brother'..." Shang Hongyu's eyes sparkled, her tone devoid of any anger, instead conveying endless seductiveness.

Zu An's heart fluttered. He pulled her into his embrace. It had to be said, Shang Hongyu's body was incredibly soft, like cotton, no matter which part.

Shang Hongyu's eyes were now shimmering with moisture. She bit her lip lightly and gently pushed him away. "I'm wearing these clothes right now; it's bad luck."

Zu An thought, *You're underestimating how much people in my world like this kind of clothing. Its allure would easily rank in the top three, maybe even number one.* However, he knew more important matters were at hand, so he quickly composed himself and asked, "The Dragon King is dead. Are you very sad?"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not sad at all. After all, we've been husband and wife for many years; even if there wasn't love, there was some familial affection," Shang Hongyu sighed faintly. "But to say I'm extremely sad... not really. You know we've both lived our own lives for years. We were more like partners than spouses."

Zu An nodded after hearing this. "Then I should tell you what truly happened in the Myriad Dragon Tomb..."

Shang Hongyu's expression grew serious. She knew, of course, that the publicly released version of events was not the truth, but she didn't know how much the other party had been hiding.

Zu An recounted in detail everything that had happened after entering the Myriad Dragon Tomb. He told her almost everything, except for a few sensitive secrets, such as those involving Emperor Fengdu, which would bring danger if revealed.

Shang Hongyu listened with widening eyes, utterly astonished that he had encountered so many incredible things. The world wondered why Zu An, at such a young age, possessed such exceptional cultivation. Yet, just a few days of his experiences were more eventful than most people's entire lives. When she later heard about the Underworld and Hell, she was truly shocked. As the Queen of the Merfolk, she had been a prodigy since childhood and had experienced many remarkable encounters. But compared to Zu An, her experiences paled in comparison.

However, when she heard about the Dragon King's departed soul making an appearance, her excited expression gradually cooled. Finally, upon hearing the Dragon King's ultimate fate, she fell into complete silence.

"Although there were reasons, the Dragon King was indeed killed by me. I felt I shouldn't hide this from you," Zu An said gravely, believing that her sincerity deserved his own in return.

Shang Hongyu was silent for a moment before finally sighing. "I had thought that even if the Dragon King was a bit of a philanderer and had peculiar preferences, he was at least considered a hero in this world. I never imagined he would be so disgraced after death."

"Hell is indeed very tormenting. To some extent, his choice can be understood," Zu An replied.

Shang Hongyu shook her head slightly. "To disregard the Merfolk race and the safety of the entire world for his own future, collaborating with those demons—I don't think I could do such a thing, and I believe you wouldn't either."

Zu An solemnly stated, "Indeed, I would never sacrifice the lives of the entire world to satisfy my selfish desires."

Shang Hongyu's expression gradually became resolute. "Originally, I felt guilty. Although the Dragon King's philandering betrayed me first, I was still his Queen. What happened between you and me... though it was necessary to deceive those demons, I always felt somewhat sorry towards him. But if I had known he was such a person back then, I would have..." As she spoke, her eyes reddened. Continuing would risk Zu An thinking she was trying to excuse herself, as if a couple were like birds of the same forest, each flying off when disaster strikes. Yet, not speaking left her heart burdened with unspoken frustration. She couldn't help but feel a touch of self-pity, believing that ultimately, fate had been cruel to her.

Zu An felt a pang of apology and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I shouldn't have told you all this; I've put you in a difficult position."

"What difficult position?" Shang Hongyu replied, quite relieved. "The ones who truly killed the Dragon King were the Lord of Myriad Transformations and the Skin-Peeling Ghost King. You even killed them to avenge the Dragon King. As for the one from the Underworld, that was just a tormented and twisted soul from hell, not my husband."

Zu An was taken aback, then smiled with relief. "I was too attached to appearances."