Chapter 67: Yinyin

Xiao Youlan ordered: "Seize Wu Zhui and take him back to the Eastern Palace."

Nan Xueyin was about to speak again, but Xiao Youlan noticed her lips trembling, so he pressed his finger down harder.

The Hidden Guard acknowledged the order, looked up at the person the Crown Prince was pinning against the pillar, and asked, "Then she..."

"She will ride in the carriage back with me," Xiao Youlan said.

The Hidden Guard understood and left, taking Wu Zhui with him.

Nan Xueyin's gaze followed them as they left; Xiao Youlan's eyes were dark as he turned her head back toward him, "What are you worried about? I won't kill him."

His fingertip was still pressed against her lips; because it had been so long and with such force, Nan Xueyin only felt her lips going numb, yet he still had no intention of letting go.

Nan Xueyin felt stifled, so she simply opened her mouth and bit down hard on his thumb.

Xiao Youlan lowered his eyes, "Biting me again?"

The word "again" was used quite cleverly.

Nan Xueyin remembered the scene from the last time she bit him, which made her even more agitated, and she exerted force with her teeth.

Suddenly, a faint, bloody taste exploded in her mouth.

She had bitten through the skin of Xiao Youlan's finger.

This time, Xiao Youlan hissed; it actually hurt a little.

Nan Xueyin finally felt relieved and let him go.

Xiao Youlan looked at his finger, where the bloodstain was obvious, and then looked at Nan Xueyin.

She was frowning, still looking unhappy, with a trace of dark red remaining on her lips—it was the blood seeping from his finger, which had smeared onto her lips before she could wipe it away.

She was dressed in men's clothing today and wore no makeup, so her lips were naturally pale, making this smear of dark red appear particularly abrupt.

Xiao Youlan watched, his gaze slightly darkening.

He asked, "Are you done venting?"

Nan Xueyin sneered, raised her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth, and wiped away the bloodstain in the process.

Xiao Youlan said in a low voice, "If you aren't done venting, shall I let you bite me again?"

As he spoke, he voluntarily offered his hand toward her.

Nan Xueyin heartlessly slapped it away.

"If you won't bite, then that means you're done venting," Xiao Youlan smiled.

Nan Xueyin sneered again, wondering how he had arrived at that conclusion.

"Let's go back," Xiao Youlan looked at her, his voice gentle, "You haven't taken your medicine tonight yet."

Nan Xueyin didn't speak and started walking out of the courtyard.

She thought to herself that the Crown Prince should know that once her body recovered, the first thing she would do was plot how to escape as far away as possible.

To continue treating her injuries like this, his mind was truly not very clear.

Elsewhere.

Jiaoyuan.

Xiao Mingyu was injured and unconscious, and Yan Zhirong was so anxious that her eyes were red and brimming with faint tears.

She accompanied Xiao Mingyu back to Jiaoyuan and busied herself calling for the servants to quickly fetch the best doctor, having them carefully place Xiao Mingyu on the luohan bed.

Sitting before the bed and looking at Xiao Mingyu's sleeve, which was soaked through with blood, Yan Zhirong's tears fell uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't clamored and insisted on going to the gambling den, the Prince wouldn't have been attacked today, and he wouldn't have been hurt so badly..."

Yan Zhirong's heart was almost filled with guilt.

Her personal maid, Zisu, comforted her, saying, "My Lady, you need not blame yourself. The Prince has often been attacked in the past, and we have never heard of a situation like today's. This matter has nothing to do with you; it is truly those Hidden Guards who failed to protect him well—it is all their fault."

Yan Zhirong did not commit to this, sniffled, and turned her head to look tearfully outside the door.

Zisu was clever and instantly understood her meaning, "Why hasn't the doctor arrived yet? You people, don't you know to hurry up and urge them! The Prince's injury cannot wait!"

The servants hurriedly ran out.

Before long, they finally saw the maidservants and manservants ushering the doctor inside.

Yan Zhirong wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief and said, "Quick! Examine the Prince's injury!"

The doctor leaned over the luohan bed and lifted Xiao Mingyu's sleeve, revealing the sword wound on his arm.

The doctor said, "The Prince's injury is not serious. Clean the wound, apply some herbal medicine, and it will heal very soon."

Yan Zhirong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zisu also said, "The Prince truly is blessed by heaven."

The doctor took a clean handkerchief from his medicine chest and gently wiped the bloodstains from Xiao Mingyu's arm.

Accidentally touching the wound, Xiao Mingyu on the luohan bed frowned, his lips moving slightly as if he had said something.

Yan Zhirong saw it, but she was not certain.

"My Lady, the Prince seems to have said something." Zisu suddenly spoke up.

"You saw it too?"

Zisu nodded with a hint of a smile, "I wonder, could it be that the Prince is still concerned for My Lady's safety even while unconscious?"

Yan Zhirong could not help but curl the corners of her lips.

Xiao Mingyu liked her and cared about her very much.

Because of the pain, fine cold sweat broke out on Xiao Mingyu's forehead, and he moved his lips again, calling out something.

Yan Zhirong was curious and leaned in close to him.

And so, she heard Xiao Mingyu's murmur: "Yinyin..."

Yan Zhirong was slightly stunned.

Why wasn't it Rongrong?

"Yinyin..."

Xiao Mingyu was still calling out in a soft voice.

When he was with her on ordinary days, Xiao Mingyu always called her "Rongrong," his tone gentle and intimate.

Yet today, Yan Zhirong suddenly discovered that this so-called "Yinyin" was filled with a more heartfelt affection than "Rongrong," as if it had traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, thousands of years and ten thousand ages.

She could not speak for a long time, only feeling her heart constantly plummeting, until finally, it shattered into pieces.

"Miss?"

Zisu sensed that something was wrong with her.

Yan Zhirong straightened her body, said nothing, and strode toward the outside.

Zisu did not understand the reason and dared not ask rashly, so she could only hurry to keep up with her mistress's pace.

After leaving the room, Yan Zhirong walked straight toward Bai Sheng, the personal attendant most recently promoted to be by Xiao Mingyu's side.

"Miss Yan..."

Before Bai Sheng could finish his words, Yan Zhirong opened her mouth and said, "I have something to ask you. You will say whatever you know; if you dare to hide anything from me, you will surely regret it!"

Bai Sheng was momentarily flustered and knelt down, "Miss Yan is the true love in the Prince's heart; how would this lowly one dare to deceive you? I will certainly tell you everything I know!"

Hearing the words "true love in his heart," Yan Zhirong felt it was more or less ironic.

She did not dwell on it too much and asked, "Do you know who 'Yinyin' is?"

Bai Sheng was stunned, and for a split second, he could not find his voice.

Seeing his reaction, Yan Zhirong already had a rough deduction in her heart, "So, she does exist."

She stared at Bai Sheng, "Has she always been by the side of your Prince Duan?"

Cold sweat had already broken out on Bai Sheng's forehead.

"Speak!" Yan Zhirong raised her voice.

Bai Sheng was speechless and choked with silence, thinking to himself that being the Prince's personal attendant was truly not an easy job; in the past, he had often envied Wu Zhui and even thought about taking his place, but now that he was truly this personal attendant, he missed the past every single moment.

"Miss Yan, are you asking about Miss Yingying?"

At this moment, a maidservant nearby stepped forward and gathered the courage to ask.

Yan Zhirong swept her gaze over, "You know her?"

The maidservant performed a salute, "Indeed. This servant can even lead Miss Yan over to see this Miss Yingying."