Chapter 65: Extremely Displeased

Nan Xueyin's expression was very indifferent as she retorted, "He didn't call for me, so why should I go to help him?"

She had not forgotten that she was using the name "Hua Lianying" in front of Xiao Youlan.

Xiao Youlan followed up by asking, "If he were to call for you, would you go?"

"I would not."

Nan Xueyin withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and decisively tore off the front hem of her garment. She wrapped up all the gold and silver, lifted the corners, and deftly tied a dead knot, ensuring not a single ingot of silver would fall out, before handing it to Xiao Youlan.

Xiao Youlan had not reacted in time, yet he had already taken it with a natural movement.

He glanced at the bundle of gold and silver in his arms, then looked up again.

Nan Xueyin strode to the side, kicked over the overturned gambling table, and dragged a person out from behind it; it was the very dice-thrower who had been shaking the dice cup just moments ago.

Her grip was heavy, and as she hauled the worker by the shoulder, he cried out in pain, "Young Master, Young Master, good sir!"

Nan Xueyin asked straight to the point, "Where are the people your gambling den has captured recently being held?"

The worker was stunned for a moment and instinctively looked at Xiao Youlan behind her.

There was no expression on Xiao Youlan's face.

"I am the one asking you," Nan Xueyin said.

The worker put on a fawning smile, "This... this is a matter for the gambling den. I'm just a dice-thrower, I don't know anything about that..."

Nan Xueyin's voice was cold: "If you lose a hand, you might remember more clearly."

As she spoke, she kept dragging him with one hand while using the other to seize his right hand and twist it backward with brute force, truly looking as if she were about to snap his arm.

The worker broke out in a cold sweat from the pain and begged for mercy repeatedly, "Young Master! Good sir! I, I know! I'll tell you, I'll tell you, won't that do!"

Nan Xueyin did not let go, but instead increased the force in her hand, "Are you telling the truth?"

"The truth! The truth! I wouldn't dare lie!"

Nan Xueyin stared at him for a moment, then suddenly released her hand.

The worker felt a sense of relief, panting heavily with sweat covering his face. Once he had recovered slightly, he said, "I heard that the gambling den did capture someone recently. I don't know his name, and I don't know why they captured him, but according to our gambling den's usual practice, people who are captured are usually kept in the basement first."

Nan Xueyin gave him a shove: "Lead the way."

The worker stole another glance at Xiao Youlan, but seeing no unusual expression, he sighed helplessly and walked forward obediently.

Behind them, the reinforcements must have arrived, as the few Assassins were quickly brought under control.

Yan Zhirong grabbed the last remaining survivor and interrogated him: "Who sent you here? If you confess, I guarantee you won't die! Otherwise, you'll suffer!"

Nan Xueyin felt that this was a proper young lady from a noble family; she seemed not to understand why Assassins existed, nor did she understand what Assassins did.

Sure enough, she heard the Assassin laugh out loud.

Yan Zhirong asked unhappily: "What are you laughing at?"

Before the words had even left her lips, she suddenly screamed; the Assassin had bitten off his tongue to commit suicide.

"It's alright."

Xiao Mingyu spoke in a low, slow voice; because he was injured, his voice sounded somewhat weak.

Yan Zhirong asked him with concern: "Prince, how are your injuries?"

Xiao Mingyu forced a smile, "It's nothing, just a small wound."

Nan Xueyin also felt that it was indeed a small wound, not even enough to damage his muscles or bones.

It was just that for all these years, she and Wu Zhui had always been by Xiao Mingyu's side, guarding him too thoroughly, so he hadn't been injured in a long time; therefore, the words "small wound" were merely him putting on a brave front.

"Should we go out and find a doctor to take a look?"

Yan Zhirong's voice was filled with concern and worry.

Nan Xueyin did not hear Xiao Mingyu's reply, but instead heard Yan Zhirong exclaim: "Prince!"

Xiao Mingyu had fainted.

Nan Xueyin instinctively wanted to turn back, but she controlled this impulse internally; she only paused for a split second before continuing forward.

She followed behind the dice-thrower through a hidden door into a secret room. Judging by the furnishings, it was a study, elegant in every detail, with many scrolls displayed on the shelves.

"Is the big boss behind your gambling den so fond of learning?" Nan Xueyin asked coldly.

Xiao Youlan gave a hum, "He even reads the *Strategies of the Warring States*."

The worker blinked his eyes, "I'm just a dice-thrower; I don't know anything about other matters."

He was just playing dumb, pretending to know nothing at all.

Nan Xueyin did not pursue the matter; saving the person was more important, so she said: "Continue leading the way."

The worker gave an "ah," walked up to the bookshelf, and turned a green jade goblet on the shelf.

The wall beside the bookshelf creaked, and a new secret door appeared.

Inside the door, candles were burning on the walls on both sides, revealing stone steps leading downward, from which the faint sound of one or two people talking could be heard.

The worker warned: "There are always people watching down there."

He glanced at the two of them, "I'm afraid it won't be easy for you two brothers to force your way in."

Nan Xueyin didn't even think about it; she pushed the worker toward Xiao Youlan, "Hold onto him, don't let him run off to send a message."

Xiao Youlan pressed down on the worker's shoulder, "Very well."

Nan Xueyin walked downward without looking back.

The worker watched her back, feeling somewhat worried; after all, the people left to guard the dungeon were formidable characters. He feared this thin, weak young master would suffer if he went down there!

But when he turned his head to look, the young gentleman beside him still had a calm and composed appearance.

He couldn't help but lean in and ask in a low voice: "Noble one, I wonder which person from the Crown Prince's side you are? How do you have the Crown Prince's jade pendant?"

He asked again: "What have you come here for? Does the Crown Prince have any instructions?"

Xiao Youlan glanced at him, his gaze impossibly cold.

The worker couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

It was also at this moment that a shout came from the dungeon: "You brat, where did you break in from? Stop right there!"

This was followed by the solid, muffled thuds of fists and feet hitting flesh, accompanied by shouts and cries of pain.

A fight had broken out, and it was quite intense.

Not long after, all the sounds in the dungeon ceased.

"You can come down now."

A cold voice rang out immediately.

Xiao Youlan curled the corners of his lips and nudged the shop assistant, "Go down."

The dungeon was in total chaos, with all the guards having fallen to the ground, unable to rise.

The shop assistant was too shocked to speak.

The smile on Xiao Youlan's lips deepened significantly—this was exactly how she should be.

Nan Xueyin looked as if nothing had happened; apart from the torn-off front hem of her garment, there was not a single extra wrinkle on it.

She calmly fished the keys from a guard and walked toward one of the cells, opening the cell door.

Locked inside the cell was a young man, his figure haggard and weary, bearing wounds of various sizes and severity, currently sitting with his eyes closed, leaning against the corner of the innermost wall.

Hearing the movement of the lock, he stirred, opened his eyes, and looked outward with vigilance.

Nan Xueyin's figure was backlit, so he could not see her face clearly and spent a good while trying to identify her.

"I am Hua Lianying."

Nan Xueyin spoke first, simultaneously picking the lock and pushing open the cell door.

Wu Zhui reacted for a moment, "You..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he began to cough violently.

Nan Xueyin strode inside, bent down, and patted his back.

She switched to her own voice, though the volume was kept very low, audible only to each other: "The one outside is the Crown Prince; I am here to rescue you."

Wu Zhui's pupils dilated slightly, and his eyes turned red.

As for outside the cell, Xiao Youlan could not hear what Nan Xueyin was saying; he only watched her patting Wu Zhui's back, such an intimate and natural gesture, and felt extremely displeased, his gaze darkening inch by inch.