Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 436 Threads of Desire, Unmoving Heart

The hush lingered.

A hush heavy with scheming thoughts.

Suddenly-

A gentle voice shattered it.

"Father Emperor!"

All whispers ceased at once.

Every head swiveled.

Yu Feiyan-no, Qin Lingxiao-advanced one pace. Her steps flowed with elegance.

Her face showed no rage or pain.

Just warmth and empathy.

She dipped into a slight bow.

"Allow this daughter to converse with Young Master Bai," she murmured tenderly.

Her tone rang sweet-mellow to melt defenses, steady to ease tensions.

Next, she raised her eyes.

And fixed them straight on Bai Zihan.

"Young Master Bai," she uttered, her voice earnest, nearly affectionate, "this one never meant to stir up issues."

Her statement pulled focus like a magnet.

"If your affections lie elsewhere," she went on, "how could I impose myself on you?"

A handful of folks nodded without thinking.

Such a sensible princess.

Such poise.

Such composure.

Qin Lingxiao offered a subtle smile.

"But-" she whispered.

That lone syllable sparked Bai Zihan's gut reactions.

"But emotions aren't offenses," Qin Lingxiao proceeded. "Nor is esteem."

She shifted her sight to Chu Ziyan.

"No aim to slight Miss Chu Ziyan," she stated mildly. "Nor the Chu Clan."

Her phrasing was spotless.

Without flaw.

Still, Bai Zihan sensed a shiver trace his back.

(This woman... She refuses to back down!)

"I simply wanted to heed my heart for once."

She dropped her head.

"If Young Master Bai really can't accept it," she breathed low, "then I won't press."

A brief halt.

Then-

"But I hope," she tacked on gently, "that this issue won't conclude in misconceptions... or enmity."

Her eyes rose anew.

"I never meant to wound anyone," she murmured softly. "Nor to interfere in the bond between Young Master Bai and Miss Chu."

Her sight dipped a touch, eyelashes quivering.

"But... emotions aren't things one can command."

The phrases were straightforward.

Genuine!

A soft stir swept the chamber.

Some exhaled inwardly.

Some inclined their heads on reflex.

In truth, countless cultivators had tumbled into the very trap Yu Feiyan outlined.

Yu Feiyan raised her eyes once more, now staring right at Bai Zihan.

"No call for strife," she pressed on quietly. "If my being here has brought unease, then I'm ready to withdraw."

A momentary stop.

"However..." she wavered, seeming to battle inner turmoil, "...might I have a brief word with Young Master Bai?"

Her voice held a near-beseeching note.

"Just a handful of sentences. If afterward, I can't release these sentiments... then I

will abandon them."

The chamber quieted down.

A secluded talk.

An opportunity for amicable closure.

To the spectators, it seemed fair.

Even thoughtful.

Chu Ziyan creased her brow faintly.

On impulse, she sensed unease-but couldn't pinpoint why.

Bai Zihan raised his sight.

His gaze clashed with Yu Feiyan's.

For a split second-

His reality wavered.

It was faint. So faint that others missed it.

The instant their stares connected, Bai Zihan felt an unseen force coil around his awareness.

Not force.

Not murderous vibe.

Merely-

A pull of allure.

His pupils contracted slightly.

Then-

His face smoothed out.

Feeling ebbed from his gaze, replaced by an icy serenity that disturbed.

The grip on Chu Ziyan's arm... relaxed.

And dropped.

Chu Ziyan noticed right away.

The coziness faded.

She whipped around, alarmed-but Bai Zihan was already striding ahead.

No one saw it as odd.

After all, he was just consenting to chat.

Just brief remarks.

Yet-

Bai Zihan's thoughts roared.

(Danger!)

All his senses screamed alerts.

But his form advanced regardless.

At the same time-

Yu Feiyan's mouth arched barely noticeably.

Within her thoughts-

(Simple!)

From Qin Lingxiao's view, events played out precisely as planned.

Though unforeseen twists arose-like Chu Ziyan, and Bai Zihan, who ought to have eagerly embraced the choice.

Ultimately, through her enticement art, she seized Bai Zihan's affection in a flash.

It proved trivial, given the foe was merely a disabled one.

She barely exerted a fraction of her total skill to sway a figure like him.

The second their looks intertwined, she had already infiltrated the gaps in his mind.

No fightback.

Seamless.

(So this is Bai Zihan?)

She pondered steadily.

(Nothing remarkable.)

She moved to approach him, her demeanor unchanged: kind, innocuous.

Yu Feiyan drew nearer.

One stride.

Then the next.

The gap between her and Bai Zihan narrowed effortlessly, so fluidly that nobody doubted it.

She halted within reach of an arm.

Then-

Her palm extended.

Slim digits grazed Bai Zihan's robe, then trailed to his palm, softly encircling it.

Toasty, yielding, and close.

A flawlessly timed action.

Soft intakes of breath echoed lightly in the chamber.

Yu Feiyan tilted her face up to him, her gaze pure and mild, her look bearing a hushed fragility.

"Brother Bai," she whispered, her tone hushed to seem personal, "shall we talk in private?"

"Just briefly?"

Her thumb grazed the top of his hand-a natural, fond gesture.

"I really want to settle this without harming anyone."

She lingered.

This was the instant.

The instant when males invariably agreed and yielded to her.

From Qin Lingxiao's standpoint, the result was set.

Bai Zihan remained rooted.

For one breath-

Two.

His stare was vacant, his face remote, like his mind drowned under calm depths.

Chu Ziyan's chest tightened.

Watching Bai Zihan ignore Yu Feiyan's touch, a spark of alarm ignited in her.

What if Bai Zihan succumbed to love?

Yu Feiyan was a royal who could elevate Bai Zihan's standing beyond what she offered.

Besides, her sweetness and purity drew many mighty figures.

Might Bai Zihan follow suit?

She edged half a pace nearer, mouth opening-

Then-

Bai Zihan drew in a deep breath.

The stupor cracked.

His digits stirred.

Gradually-with intent-he drew his hand from Yu Feiyan's hold.

!!!

Yu Feiyan-no, Qin Lingxiao-felt instant astonishment.

This couldn't occur.

Once ensnared by her, no one ever desired separation.

They'd lose their sanity if parted beyond an hour.

Yu Feiyan's pupils wavered.

Bai Zihan raised his sight.

This time, his gaze shone clear. Piercing and frosty.

"Princess," he stated evenly.

The lone term conveyed separation.

"It would be improper."

Yu Feiyan stiffened.

"And discourteous."

His arm shifted-not to her-but returned beside Chu Ziyan.

He hadn't contacted her yet, but his stance alone declared much.

"If you have words to share," Bai Zihan declared straightforwardly, "speak them here."

Yu Feiyan's kind smile froze for a fleeting moment.

The jolt she experienced was profound.

In her mind, a keen fracture split her poise. (Rejected? Unthinkable!)

She had already woven into his awareness.

A disabled soul could never defy one like her.

He ought to have crumbled without effort.

Yet-

He hadn't.

She regarded him anew-truly regarded.

Beneath her mild facade, her musings turned.

(Did I restrain myself excessively?)

To avoid turning Bai Zihan into a witless fool-and since he was only disabled-she hadn't pushed.

But now she questioned if that allowed Bai Zihan to escape her enticement.

Her smile reemerged-soft, empathetic, impeccable.

"As you prefer, Brother Bai," she replied mildly.

Yu Feiyan's smile held firm.

On the surface, she stayed kind and stately-fully the gracious princess who'd been courteously turned down.

Deep down-

A subtle annoyance sprouted.

(Insufficient?)

Her stare dwelled on Bai Zihan a tick longer.

This round, she avoided contact.

She didn't require it.

Qin Lingxiao released a quiet breath.

It went unnoticed.

But in that exhale- Something altered.

An unseen ripple emanated from her form, faint yet commanding-like a scent that pierced straight to the spirit, bypassing the senses.

Her presence transformed.

Not fierce or hostile.

Simply... captivating.

A allure that echoed with yearning, craving, reverence-slightly warped to haze judgment.

A number of cultivators blinked.

Some gulped reflexively.

A youth from a lesser clan abruptly gripped his torso, eyes flaring wide.

"Princess Yu Feiyan..." he breathed unaware. "She's... she's so compassionate..."

"I know, right?" a different tone hissed eagerly. "How could anybody spurn someone like her?"

"She's ideal..."

"She's tolerant, lovely, regal-what else could one desire?"

The mutters swelled. Not cunning hisses.

Not tactical ones.

These rang heartfelt.

Two youthful cultivators-both males who'd been scowling at one another

earlier over group disputes-suddenly pivoted together.

"I believe I'm in love," one stammered.

The other shot back on instinct, gaze flushing.

"You?! Don't jest-she's mine!" "What did you say?!" Their presences surged.

Qi swirled.

A seat dragged gratingly over the ground.

"What are you doing?"

An elder snapped curtly, only to stumble in his phrase as his eyes wandered back to

Yu

Feiyan.

His tone gentled against his will.

"... Such poise," he grumbled, brow furrowing as if puzzled by his utterance.

Numerous males with frail willpower had fallen to Qin Lingxiao's sway

even from afar.

Qin Lingxiao's gaze snapped to Bai Zihan.

She pushed her presence a tad further.

(Now. Submit to me!)

Her strength coiled him like myriad unseen strands, infiltrating his faculties, his sentiments, his core.

She anticipated.

She foresaw-

Craving.

Yielding.

But-

Nothing stirred.

Bai Zihan stayed put.

His face held steady.

His gaze stayed frosty and keen!