Chapter 116: I Really Should Lock You Up

In Xiao Youlan's memory, the last time this topic was brought up, she was still posing as Doukou.

She said she was illiterate.

Later, Xiao Youlan thought about it; she was an orphan and an Assassin, so she likely wouldn't know how to read or write either.

Unfortunately, Nan Xueyin disappointed him.

She said, "I am literate, and I can write as well."

Nan Xueyin's father was very scholarly and knew how to read and write; when people in the village needed to write or read letters, they all came to find her father for help.

Her father was open-minded and not constrained by the worldly saying that "a woman's lack of talent is a virtue," so he taught Nan Xueyin poetry and books from a young age.

Nan Xueyin could write, and she practiced diligently; when she was little, her father always praised her for having a good hand at calligraphy.

Her memory was also very good, and at a young age, she could recite long passages of poetry by heart.

The neighbor uncles and aunts would always look with envy at Nan Xueyin in the courtyard reciting books and practicing calligraphy, then turn back and poke their own sons on the forehead: "You good-for-nothing! Look at the Nan Family girl!"

Nan Xueyin could hear them, so she would recite even louder, and the next day she would pick even harder poems to recite.

Her mother would whisper to her, "Little rascal."

Nan Xueyin would stick out her tongue, looking just like a cunning little fox.

"Back then you pretended to be Doukou, saying you didn't know a single character." Xiao Youlan looked at her.

"I was lying to you," Nan Xueyin said with complete composure, "At that time, from head to toe, from inside to out, I was lying to you."

"You also said you only knew how to write three characters, which were my name."

"Just a means to seduce you."

Xiao Youlan looked at her deeply: "You are indeed very good at seducing people. After you finished writing it back then, you even asked me if it was too offensive. If it were an ordinary man, I fear his soul would have been snatched away by you."

Nan Xueyin smiled without warmth: "Otherwise, how could it be called professional."

Xiao Youlan gave a huff and, with a bit of force, ruffled Nan Xueyin's hair.

Nan Xueyin glared at him; he resorted to physical force when he couldn't win an argument, what kind of person was he!

Linglang had spent quite a while styling her hair today, and she actually liked it quite a bit.

In order to settle the score on the spot, Nan Xueyin adjusted her hair while saying, "Xiao Mingyu also asked me if I knew how to write."

"Hm?"

After becoming an orphan, Nan Xueyin was taken in by Xiao Mingyu.

Xiao Mingyu once asked Nan Xueyin if she knew how to write her own name.

At that time, Nan Xueyin was still very cautious; she felt that it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, so she simply hid it and shook her head, meaning she didn't know how.

She still remembered that Xiao Mingyu was especially happy at the time and offered to teach her.

At this moment, perhaps because things like the Noble Lady were making her annoyed, Nan Xueyin deliberately brought up this old story in front of Xiao Youlan, saying: "Before you, Xiao Mingyu had already taught me how to write."

Xiao Youlan was suddenly stunned.

Teaching someone to write meant hand-to-hand contact; how intimate!

Xiao Youlan held his breath and asked, "What did he teach you to write?"

Nan Xueyin replied truthfully: "My name."

She glanced at him, "And a line of poetry. To hold your hand, and grow old with you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Youlan's expression suddenly collapsed, looking very unpleasant.

Everyone knew this was a love poem.

Nan Xueyin saw him suffer a setback, yet inexplicably found it very funny.

Xiao Youlan said in a muffled voice: "He really does like you."

Nan Xueyin shrugged her shoulders.

Like, so what if he does.

Some people's affection, if you fed it to a dog, the dog wouldn't even sniff it.

"To hold your hand, and grow old with you."

Xiao Youlan repeated it, his clear, mellow voice filled with twelve parts jealousy and unwillingness.

But looking at Nan Xueyin, he truly felt that if he stayed with her, he would definitely be unable to stop himself from liking her and wanting to hold her hand and grow old with her.

Xiao Youlan was angry at Xiao Mingyu, and also angry at himself.

If he had been the one to find Nan Xueyin back then, would there even be any room for Xiao Mingyu?

"Write one for me too," Xiao Youlan suddenly said.

Nan Xueyin didn't understand for a moment, "Write what?"

Xiao Youlan repeated: "To hold your hand, and grow old with you."

He wanted to mount these eight characters she wrote and hang them in his room.

He stared unblinkingly at Nan Xueyin, his gaze burning.

Nan Xueyin felt that his next sentence would be "You surely don't want Wu Zhui to suffer, do you," so she curled her lips and said in advance: "I can write it."

Xiao Youlan's brows relaxed, clearly very pleased, and he immediately wanted to spread out the rice paper and grind the ink for her himself.

Nan Xueyin, however, was still lazily leaning against the back of the chair, not looking in any hurry to start, and continued, "However, I am going out."

Xiao Youlan's movements stopped immediately; he turned his head and stared at Nan Xueyin, "Going out where? To do what? To see whom?"

Nan Xueyin did not hide it and said, "I am going to see Xiao Mingyu."

Xiao Youlan's handsome face instantly turned cold and dark.

His tone was also icy, "No."

He didn't understand why she suddenly said this; was it because he brought up the topic of practicing calligraphy, which made her recall that line "To hold your hand, and grow old with you," so even if it meant angering him to his face, she still had to go back to find Xiao Mingyu?

He understood even less what exactly Xiao Mingyu had that was better than him, making Nan Xueyin so unable to forget him, not only risking her life for him but also trying to escape from his side time and time again for his sake.

Xiao Youlan's refusal was within Nan Xueyin's expectations.

She tilted her head, "If I take the initiative to kiss you, can you let me go see Xiao Mingyu?"

Xiao Youlan was stunned.

For the sake of seeing Xiao Mingyu, she was actually willing to kiss him?

Was she really that deeply in love?

Xiao Youlan's expression became even uglier, "That won't work either!"

He stared fixedly at Nan Xueyin, dark tides surging in his deep eyes, as if a storm were brewing, with danger ready to descend at any moment.

Nan Xueyin had not expected that even a kiss would not work.

Fortunately, before coming here, she had already thought about how to broach the subject.

She stopped stroking the little black panther's head and said, "Then do you still remember that adult black panther, Mulan? She is Xiaoyang's mother; the reason she went mad at the birthday banquet was because she missed Xiaoyang. I also know that you deeply revere your Empress Mother. Although I am an orphan, I was already ten years old when my parents passed away, and my memories of them are deep enough. All of this proves the same thing: parental love. I am going to find Xiao Mingyu not for any other reason, but because I need to..."

"Nan Xueyin."

Before she had the chance to mention that crucial Guanyin Pendant, she was interrupted by Xiao Youlan, who had a cold face.

Xiao Youlan stared at her, "In order to go see Xiao Mingyu, have you started using fatherly love and motherly love as excuses?"

Nan Xueyin cried out in injustice in her heart.

Xiao Youlan, however, was in the heat of anger, almost gritting his teeth, "I really should lock you up."

For the first time, Nan Xueyin felt that the Crown Prince was actually not that smart.

She rolled her eyes in all sincerity and spoke once again.

Xiao Youlan did not want to hear her speak and reached out to cover her mouth again—