Chapter 53: How Many Times Have I Escaped Now?

It is not hard to guess the identity of the woman in Xiao Mingyu's arms; it is none other than Yan Zhirong.

She had been kissed for too long and was still panting slightly, leaning against him as she said, "Why don't you just not go back? Stay in Fengdu and keep me company."

Xiao Mingyu kissed her cheek, "How could that be? Lianzhou is, after all, my fief. I only came to Fengdu because my mother, the Consort, was ill. Now that her illness has healed, I naturally cannot stay for long."

Yan Zhirong gave a light huff, "I'm afraid you're just thinking of that orphan girl in Lianzhou."

Xiao Mingyu was puzzled, "What orphan girl?"

Yan Zhirong said, "I have heard all about it. Ten years ago, you took in an orphan girl from the street. I don't know her name, but you have always kept her by your side. Everyone says you like her and that one day, you will marry her as your primary wife."

In the night, Nan Xueyin stood there all alone.

She heard Xiao Mingyu laugh very softly, his laughter filled with disdain and mockery, "You know as well as I do that she is an orphan. How could an orphan become a Duan Prince Consort? Besides, if I truly liked her, I wouldn't have gone ten years without doing anything, would I?"

He lowered his head and pecked at Yan Zhirong's lips, "It is true that I like you. Whenever you are by my side, I cannot help but want to kiss you."

"Then what about that Assassin of yours?" Yan Zhirong pressed against his chest, "I heard one of your Assassins ran into trouble, and that Wu Zhui of yours is looking for him everywhere. Aren't you going to look for him?"

Xiao Mingyu caught her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss, "He is just an Assassin; if one dies, there will be another. I only want to spend my time on you."

Having said that, he kissed her deeply once more.

This time, Yan Zhirong did not resist.

Nan Xueyin's figure was hidden in the darkness, watching the two kiss lingeringly, the words Xiao Mingyu had spoken still echoing in her ears.

For a moment, she could not even describe what kind of emotions she felt inside.

Was she sad? Angry? Or perhaps disappointed?

She frowned, feeling that perhaps it was all of those.

Before she could sort through her thoughts, subtle yet rapid footsteps suddenly came from her side, carrying a chilling murderous aura.

Nan Xueyin was instantly alert—this was an Assassin hidden in the shadows who had discovered her tracks.

Her injuries had not fully healed, and she was no match for the Assassin.

She had to escape quickly.

However, the opponent's movements were far too fast; in an instant, he had closed in on her, and before Nan Xueyin could react, a sharp blade-wind swept over.

Nan Xueyin had dodged fast enough, yet the blade still grazed her side, neatly slicing off a few strands of hair.

Because of this, Nan Xueyin saw the Assassin; he was a burly man with a thick beard.

The man saw her too, frowning slightly, "A woman?"

Nan Xueyin said nothing.

"A pity, you are in the wrong first for eavesdropping on my master's secrets, and my master wishes to keep his secrets." As he spoke, he brandished his golden blade and slashed at her.

Nan Xueyin had no suitable weapon at hand, and her physical strength had not kept up, so within a few moves, she had been cut in several places on her body.

These injuries made it even harder for her to continue, leaving her with no room to counterattack.

She clutched her left shoulder, where blood was gushing out; the wound had not yet fully healed.

The man wiped the blood from his blade and walked over with long strides, raising his hand to stab into Nan Xueyin's throat to finish her off completely.

Nan Xueyin took a deep breath, her peripheral vision catching a stone on the ground.

Taking advantage of the distance the man still had, Nan Xueyin hooked a large stone from the ground with her toe and kicked it with force toward the location of the two on the pleasure boat.

The stone smashed against the window lattice, emitting a dull "Thud!"

The two passionately kissing on the pleasure boat were startled by this and immediately separated.

"Who?!" Xiao Mingyu demanded sternly.

Yan Zhirong called out, "Yan San!"

Consequently, the footsteps approaching Nan Xueyin slowed and changed direction, heading toward the pleasure boat first.

Nan Xueyin seized this opportunity to flee rapidly.

Over there, Yan San boarded the pleasure boat and stopped outside the door to ask, "Does the Miss have any instructions?"

Yan Zhirong asked, "Who is outside?"

Yan San replied, "I do not know for now; I have not yet captured them."

Yan Zhirong was slightly annoyed, "Then hurry and go capture them! The events of tonight must never be known by a fourth person!"

The Yan Family had very strict discipline; they were not allowed to stay out overnight, and before a man and woman were married, they were not even allowed to hold hands.

If they knew she had snuck out to meet the Prince in private, and even engaged in such bold and intimate acts with him, her parents would surely punish her severely!

"Yes!"

Yan San responded.

Xiao Mingyu was standing by the window, looking out through it.

In the direction the stone had been thrown from, there seemed to be a hazy figure in the night, one that felt inexplicably familiar, making him intuitively think of Nan Xueyin.

But... it shouldn't be her, right?

How could it be her?

"... Prince, Prince!"

Yan Zhirong called out several times in succession before Xiao Mingyu finally came back to his senses.

She also looked outside, her expression chiding as she asked him, "What are you looking at? Who are you thinking of? Why didn't you answer me after I called you so many times?"

Xiao Mingyu skillfully stroked her cheek and said, "I was worried that your family members had followed you here."

Yan Zhirong huffed and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his waist, "If you really like me, then come to my house to propose marriage sooner. Once you and I are husband and wife, no matter how intimate we are, they won't be able to say anything to us."

"Zhirong is right," Xiao Mingyu smiled and lowered his head, "Then wait for me, wait for me to marry you."

As he spoke, he kissed her deeply again.

Yet while kissing Yan Zhirong, the image of Nan Xueyin appeared in Xiao Mingyu's mind—her face, her back.

He became increasingly certain that the figure from just a moment ago was indeed Nan Xueyin.

But... why didn't she appear here?

Xiao Mingyu could not avoid feeling guilty and nervous—how much of what he had just said had she heard?

Nan Xueyin ran as if her life depended on it, heading in the direction of the residential houses.

She ran until she was completely drained of strength, collapsing and kneeling in a small alleyway, only then gasping for breath as she turned her head to look at the injury on her shoulder.

It seemed that ever since she came out of the Dali Temple Prison, the healing speed of her wounds had slowed down significantly; at this moment, the wound on her shoulder was still bleeding.

Nan Xueyin leaned her back against the wall, closed her eyes, and tried hard to steady her breathing.

She had to heal before the Assassin caught up, otherwise, he would be able to track her down by the scent of blood.

But she was truly too weak, her consciousness hazy and unclear; by the time she realized something was wrong, footsteps were already close at hand.

Someone had found her!

Nan Xueyin's first reaction was to scramble to her feet to flee, but someone grabbed her wrist.

The force in the other person's hand was immense, and Nan Xueyin instinctively thought she was going to die here today.

Yet when she looked up, she unexpectedly saw the extremely handsome and elegant face of Xiao Youlan.

He half-knelt before her, his eyes deep, and sighed, "How many times is this that you've run away, hmm?"