Chapter 48: It Was You Who Sent Miss Nan to Kill

Speaking of this, Xiao Youlan suddenly paused, as if unwilling to voice that one possibility.

He lowered his eyes, his thick lashes veiling the emotions in his gaze, yet his sorrow was too conspicuous; it could not be hidden.

A long silence fell between the two of them once more.

It was nearly summer, and it should have been the afternoon; the sun was bright, and outside the window, birds were singing clearly. Nan Xueyin raised her eyes, and a vast expanse of verdant green filled her vision.

After an unknown length of silence, Xiao Youlan asked in a low voice, "Then what is your name?"

Aside from her eyes, and knowing she was Xiao Mingyu's Assassin, Xiao Youlan knew nothing at all about her.

"I want to know your name," Xiao Youlan repeated.

But Nan Xueyin did not speak.

He waited patiently for a long time, waiting until the sun had shifted.

Nan Xueyin still did not speak; she remained leaning against the bed in the same posture, her eyes icy, cold and hard as a blade.

After a long while, Xiao Youlan slowly made a sound, saying, "You haven't recovered your health yet. It doesn't matter."

It was as if he were speaking to her, and as if he were comforting himself.

He stood up and said softly, "It is time for dinner. Is there anything you would like to eat?"

She did not speak, and he did not mind, continuing, "Before, you said you liked to eat Almond Crisp; that must have been a lie to me as well. I suspect that pastry shop is actually one of Xiao Mingyu's intelligence outposts. It doesn't matter. Whatever you like to eat, I will eventually know."

Having said this, he left.

Finally, as if having survived a disaster, Nan Xueyin sat on the bed and began to gasp for air in large gulps.

Xiao Youlan stayed at the manor to accompany Nan Xueyin for dinner.

Nan Xueyin did not refuse to eat, but her body had not recovered well; whether chewing or swallowing, her movements were much slower.

And so, she ate slowly, in tiny little bites.

After she finished, Xiao Youlan watched her drink her medicinal soup.

Aside from not speaking, Nan Xueyin did not resist anything else.

Xiao Youlan seemed somewhat reassured, "Then you rest well here for now. I am returning to the Eastern Palace. I will come tomorrow to have breakfast with you."

Nan Xueyin still did not speak.

Xiao Youlan gazed at her for a moment, then rose and left.

After he was gone, Nan Xueyin stood up and tried to walk out the door.

Outside the door, there were only two Momos keeping watch; it looked as though there was no one else, and it was very quiet.

But Nan Xueyin sensed the hidden presence at once. She was an Assassin herself and was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of her own kind; she knew those were all people left behind by Xiao Youlan.

"Miss, do you have any instructions?" the Momo outside asked respectfully.

Nan Xueyin remained expressionless, retreated back into the room, and closed the door.

Elsewhere.

Jiaoyuan.

The doctor rested his fingertips on Hua Lianying's wrist, taking her pulse.

Hua Lianying's gaze shifted, landing on Xiao Mingyu to the side. Ever since she was diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse that day, she had not seen him again; this was the only time she had seen him in these past few days.

Xiao Mingyu's brows were tightly locked; Hua Lianying knew he was thinking of Nan Xueyin.

That day, Wu Zhui had not brought her back.

Hua Lianying had heard from a little maid that the Prince had flown into a great rage and smashed many things.

If Hua Lianying had not feigned feeling unwell again today, she certainly would not have been able to see him.

"Miss's pulse is perfectly fine. As long as you remember to drink the anti-miscarriage medicine every day, there will be no issues," the doctor withdrew his hand and advised softly.

"Thank you, Doctor," Hua Lianying said, still looking at Xiao Mingyu, and bit her lip.

She was just about to speak when Wu Zhui entered from outside.

Seeing that he was alone, Hua Lianying quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Zhui, however, let his gaze sweep over Hua Lianying, and asked with a sarcastic tone, "So, what has happened to Miss Yingying again today?"

He emphasized the word "again" heavily.

Hua Lianying looked timidly toward Xiao Mingyu.

Xiao Mingyu did not look at her; his thin lips parted slightly as he asked, "Still no news?"

"Prince, that is a question to ask—if there were news, your subordinate would have reported it the moment I walked in. Why would I start by asking about Miss Yingying first?"

He was still as acerbic as ever. Xiao Mingyu was quite displeased, "Did you eat Gunpowder today?"

Tears welled up in Hua Lianying's eyes, and she said pitifully, "I know that Officer Wu is concerned for Sister. I didn't want Sister to have an accident that day either; I also hoped Sister would return safely... All the faults, all the mistakes, are mine. I beg Officer Wu not to blame the Prince."

Wu Zhui said coldly, "Stop the act, Hua Lianying."

Hua Lianying looked innocent, "I... I really don't know what Officer Wu means."

Wu Zhui simply laid it all out, "I captured Yunqi and Yuncheng and interrogated them thoroughly. Everything they should have said, and everything they shouldn't have, they spilled it all."

Hua Lianying was startled.

"Yunqi is the maid who takes care of you, and Yuncheng is her younger brother. Originally, in the plan, Yuncheng was supposed to go outside the Dali Temple Prison to meet Miss Nan. I told him the time and location. But after I did, you went to him and told him the situation had changed, making him set off half a quarter-hour late. At the same time, you suddenly fainted, drawing the doctor to take your pulse, letting the Prince know you were pregnant. Yet in reality, you knew you were with child six days ago, but you had Yunqi hide it for you—you deliberately schemed to delay our rendezvous with Miss Nan!"

Wu Zhui stared at her with a tone of absolute certainty, "You deliberately wanted to kill her!"

Xiao Mingyu was stunned; his gaze fell upon Hua Lianying, carrying a cold and sharp scrutiny.

Hua Lianying's expression was miserable, "Prince, I, I didn't..."

"Just stop being so sickening!"

Wu Zhui was filled with extreme disgust, "You like the Prince and want to be with him; Miss Nan never said anything, nor did she ever stop you. She was only doing her mission. Why do you always, time and time again, ruin her affairs? Why do you want her dead? Why, exactly?"

Under his barrage of questions, Hua Lianying's face turned deathly pale; she was actually unable to speak.

She raised her hand to stroke her lower abdomen, looking as if she were in great pain.

Xiao Mingyu's gaze shifted over; after all, it was his child, and he still could not bear it, saying, "Wu Zhui, that is enough."

"Is it enough?"

Wu Zhui laughed as if mocking himself.

He had always been respectful and obedient, but today, for the first time ever, he questioned Xiao Mingyu: "Prince, do you think that in this matter, she is the only one who did wrong?"

Xiao Mingyu frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean nothing. It is just that that day, this subordinate urged you repeatedly; the doctor had arrived, and the maidservants were all there, so we should have hurried to meet Nan Xueyin, but you kept hesitating. Furthermore, she was indeed fine afterward! You should have set out for the Dali Temple Prison from the start, instead of letting this subordinate go alone—when this subordinate arrived, the Dali Temple Prison had just captured people, and the scene was in utter chaos. If the Prince had been there to create a certain amount of chaos, Nan Xueyin could have escaped alive. But you, Prince, did not. By the time this subordinate returned to inform you of the situation and you rushed over, the Dali Temple Prison had already strengthened its defenses, and even the Eastern Palace had intervened. We could investigate nothing; we do not know if Nan Xueyin is dead or alive."

Wu Zhui's eyes were bloodshot, "Prince, do not forget, it was you who sent Nan Xueyin to kill! And what was the result? You were the one who needed her, and you were the one who abandoned her! Do you not feel even a shred of regret, even a shred of guilt?"