Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT) novel Chapter 536

Chapter 536: given an inch take a mile

"How do you know my tastes?" Han Xin asked, his voice steady but laced with suspicion.

Xiang Yu smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a way that was almost disarming. "Because I know everything about you." His tone was confident, but it held a weight that made Han Xin’s brow furrow slightly.

Han Xin did not move. He kept staring as if Xiang Yu’s next words would either determine whether he would live or die. The silence stretched between them, charged and heavy.

Xiang Yu leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking softly beneath him. "I know it’s unsettling to learn that I know this much. Believe me, I mean you no harm." _{freewebnσvel.cøm}

"But you tried to kill me," Han Xin shot back, his voice hardening with the memory of betrayal.

Xiang Yu sighed, the weight of his past self’s choices settling on his shoulders. "You can call it a momentary lapse in judgment... but the truth is even stranger."

Han Xin studied Xiang Yu’s face, searching for any signs that Xiang Yu was lying but his gut was settled like he could trust Xiang Yu with his life.

"What do you really want from me?" Han Xin finally asked.

Xiang Yu hesitated, lips parting as if he was about to say something, then closing again. The words forming in his mind were too raw, too dangerous. He could not afford to scare away the stray cat he had just caught. Instead, he rubbed the side of his nose with his thumb, exhaling slowly.

"I want loyalty," he said. "I want someone I can sleep beside at night, knowing they have my back. I want a family."

Han Xin’s heartbeat quickened at those words. Once, he believed he would have that when the alliance first proposed through marriage for mutual benefits. At that time, peace seemed within reach and they would have thought provisions secured for his people. For that, he had prepared himself to learn to live well with his wife. He had naively thought, the alliance could survive.

But the bride had turned into a groom, and the man had tried to kill him. Now, here Xiang Yu stood, asking for the same thing.

Reason whispered that the logical path was clear. Xiang Yu was an enemy. The safest choice, the wisest course, was to kill him and end this once and for all.

But Han Xin’s heart that was encased in ice had thawed and started to speak. And this time, it refused to be drowned out.

Xiang Yu set the can down with a soft clink, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You didn’t just come to bring me snacks and talk about this, right?"

Their gazes locked. Han Xin didn’t answer immediately, his silence stretching long enough to fill the room. Finally, he spoke, his voice steady but low. "I will accept your offer, but under specific conditions."

Xiang Yu leaned forward, propping his head on his fist, a playful glint in his eyes. "What conditions?"

Han Xin’s expression didn’t waver. "You don’t call me husband. Ever."

Xiang Yu’s lips quirked into a grin. "Really? Then can I call you Xin-ge?"