Chapter 137: Life is too bitter, I cannot smile

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Nan Xueyin heard some good news.

"That leopardess's injuries have healed!"

That day at the Empress Dowager Zong's birthday banquet, the leopardess had suddenly gone mad and injured people; Emperor Yongzheng had originally intended to kill it, but Xiao Youlan could not bear to see it happen and saved the leopardess.

However, because the leopardess had been forcibly pinned to the ground by guards at the time, it had many wounds on its body and in its mouth, so Xiao Youlan brought it back to the Eastern Palace and arranged for people to tend to its injuries.

After nursing it for several days, it was finally doing better.

"I'll go take a look." Nan Xueyin's tone was cheerful.

Xiao Youlan glanced at her, rarely seeing her expression so lively and vivid.

His own mood improved along with hers, "I'll go with you."

Feihong was holding official documents, waiting for the Crown Prince to review them; hearing this, he looked up in surprise, "Your Highness, this..."

Xiao Youlan said calmly, "You look them over first; I will be back in a moment."

Feihong had no choice but to watch as Xiao Youlan and Nan Xueyin departed side by side.

They first returned to their room and brought Xiaoyang along.

This mother and son had been separated for so long, and now they could finally meet again.

Perhaps Xiaoyang had some sort of premonition; it hopped and skipped along the way, looking incredibly happy.

Watching it, Nan Xueyin couldn't help but wear a smile herself.

Xiao Youlan's gaze rested on her face for a long time.

Nan Xueyin noticed and asked him, "Is there something on my face?"

Xiao Youlan smiled lightly, "You look very beautiful when you smile; why were you always not smiling before?"

Nan Xueyin: "Life is too bitter; I couldn't smile."

Xiao Youlan chuckled, "Is it really that bitter?"

"Bitter." Nan Xueyin was telling the truth.

When she was at the Duan Prince Mansion, every day the moment she opened her eyes, it was to kill; she was either killing, or on her way to kill.

Sometimes, she didn't need to kill and only needed to be by Xiao Mingyu's side to be responsible for his safety, but this was also very bitter.

Because Xiao Mingyu was always in heat, taking various women to bed, to the couch, and even in the bathtub, behind the rockery, or on the grass—they might have a go at it anywhere.

Nan Xueyin couldn't just walk away, so she could only stand at a distance neither too near nor too far and listen to the entire process.

At that time, she still liked Xiao Mingyu.

That was truly too bitter.

Hearing her say this, Xiao Youlan thought about it very seriously for a moment, then took something out of his sleeve, "This is for you."

Nan Xueyin took it naturally before asking, "What is this?"

"Candied fruit."

Only then did Nan Xueyin see that it was indeed candied fruit, wrapped in oil paper.

Even through a layer of oil paper, she could smell the sweet fragrance.

"Where did you get it?" Nan Xueyin asked.

"I swiped it at the engagement banquet." Xiao Youlan was calm and composed.

Nan Xueyin:?

Nan Xueyin: "The Crown Prince also swipes things from banquets?"

Xiao Youlan laughed, "I saw you eat a few more pieces at the time, so you must like them, and I just took them."

Nan Xueyin didn't even remember herself that she had eaten more of this candied fruit at the time.

She had been absent-minded then, eating whatever she did purely by instinct.

So, it turned out her body had honestly chosen to eat this.

Thinking this, Nan Xueyin unwrapped the oil paper and put the candied fruit into her mouth; the sweetness instantly spread through her mouth, and her mood improved significantly along with it.

"Is it a little less bitter now?" Xiao Youlan looked at her.

"For now." Nan Xueyin answered while holding the candied fruit in her mouth.

Xiao Youlan smiled, "Next time I will make candied fruit for you to eat, a lot of it."

Nan Xueyin shook her head, "Just making a little is fine; eating too much rots your teeth."

Xiao Youlan: "Who told you that? Nonsense."

Nan Xueyin was calm: "My mother."

Xiao Youlan followed the flow: "... Mother-in-law makes a valid point."

Nan Xueyin:?

Nan Xueyin: "When did she become your mother-in-law? Watch your phrasing."

Xiao Youlan smiled, "It will be soon."

Nan Xueyin didn't know what to say; she bit down hard on the candied fruit and chewed and chewed.

Xiao Youlan had not yet noticed the slight abnormality in her emotions at this moment.

Just then, the two people and one leopard had arrived at the place.

The leopardess was kept here; even outside the courtyard gate, one could hear a young girl's voice: "Mulan, you should at least eat a little more; how can you always be so wilted like this?"

Nan Xueyin remembered this voice: Jiang Lian'er.

Then came an old man's sigh: "She is worried about her youngest son."

Xiao Youlan had consulted her opinion regarding the Jiang Family father and daughter tending to the black leopard in the Eastern Palace.

Nan Xueyin and Xiao Youlan walked inside.

The father of the Jiang family was the first to notice the arrivals and hurriedly stood up, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Jiang Lian'er had been crouching in front of the cage, worrying over the mother leopard lying dejectedly on the ground and the bowl of meat that had only been touched a little, but she stood up immediately upon hearing the commotion.

"No need for formalities."

Xiao Youlan was quite courteous to Father Jiang, "I have brought Little Xue and Xiaoyang along to take a look."

Nan Xueyin was just about to tell Xiaoyang to go check on its mother.

Lowering her head, she saw that Xiaoyang had already sensed something and was walking toward the cage of its own accord.

The mother leopard in the cage smelled a familiar scent, and it suddenly opened its eyes and lifted its head.

Seeing Xiaoyang, it became instantly excited and lunged forward violently.

But the cage was still there, and it slammed its head against the bars.

The mother leopard could not help but let out a pained low growl.

Xiaoyang rubbed its head against the mother leopard's through the cage.

The mother leopard's low growl turned into a low whimper, and whether it was an illusion or not, Nan Xueyin seemed to see tears welling up in its eyes.

Jiang Lian'er breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "With this, Mulan will surely eat her meat well today."

Nan Xueyin turned to look at her.

Jiang Lian'er hurriedly lowered her head, avoiding her gaze.

Nan Xueyin asked in confusion, "Are you very afraid of me?"

Jiang Lian'er hung her head, "I... I feel... sorry toward you..."

After all, when she came to the Eastern Palace back then, she had said so many nasty things to her, and the things she did... were also quite disgusting.

Nan Xueyin looked at her, "You did it for your father; I understand."

Putting herself in Jiang Lian'er's shoes, if she had not undergone training in killing, and her own father's life was held in someone else's hands, she would also do these things without hesitation.

Jiang Lian'er's eyes turned slightly red.

Nan Xueyin turned her head again to look at the black leopard mother and child, watching them being affectionate through the cage.

She suddenly missed her own parents very much.

However, she would never again have the chance to snuggle in her mother's arms and act spoiled.

Her eyes felt sore, and she took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her emotions.

"Let Xiaoyang stay here," Nan Xueyin said.

"And what about you?" Xiao Youlan glanced at her.

He had bought this little black leopard to amuse Nan Xueyin.

Nan Xueyin was very calm, "I have nothing to do, so I can come here too."

Xiao Youlan pondered for a moment, "That works too."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

At this moment, Feihong's voice came from outside the courtyard gate, the tone drawn out, carrying helplessness and urgency.

Xiao Youlan looked over, "Did I not say I would go in a while?"

Feihong made a bitter face, "But, Lord Yan has arrived, saying he wants to see you..."

Xiao Youlan was slightly stunned.

Yan Zhirong's father?