Chapter 31

Linglong: "Young Master, what good are you!"

Just a worthless spoiled rich kid!

"Don't forget, last time it was Young Master who invited Zhang Mama over, so the master wouldn't be wrongly sent to the Imperial Court of Justice." Xiao Yunzi reminded.

Xiao Nianzi nodded: "You're right, he even helped our master find the previous medicine box, and who knows where he got a large pile of Gold Dragon Gallbladder Grass, he's quite capable!"

"Don't think about it, having one more person to help is better than none. Who among you can get out of the palace?" Hongdou asked them.

"I'll do it! I know there's a secret dog hole!" Xiao Nianzi volunteered.

Leave it to you.

Don't worry!

Xiao Nianzi, taking advantage of the patrolling guards' inattention, smoothly slipped out of the palace gate through the dog hole; he rode a fast horse and reached Pingnan Wangfu in less than a quarter of an hour.

I don't even know if the Young Master's illness has gotten better.

"Open the door! Young Master!" Xiao Nianzi pounded on the door.

The gatekeeper Shan Shan arrived late; he opened the door, saw a stranger, and instantly became alert: "Who are you?"

"I'm someone from Princess Mu Yuanzhi's palace, I have an urgent matter to see the Young Master!"

Knowing Xiao Nianzi was someone from Mu Yuanzhi's palace, the servant's expression softened considerably, yet he didn't step aside, saying: "Sorry, our Young Master is ill and cannot withstand the wind to see people; if you have something to say, tell me, and I'll relay it to the Princess for you."

"It's a matter of life and death!" Xiao Nianzi was anxious to death, craning his neck to see if Gu Rongjin was inside.

"This..." the servant really couldn't make up his mind.

The Young Master had ordered that no one except Princess Mu Yuanzhi could be let in, and he also said it concerned the safety of the entire Pingnan Wangfu, so he must be obeyed.

Last time, when Grand Secretary Xiao barged in, it was only thanks to the Princess resolving the situation.

But now this little eunuch again says it's a matter of life and death; perhaps something has happened to the Princess?

"I'm begging you!" Xiao Nianzi was so anxious he was about to cry.

The master's life or death is unknown; every moment delayed adds more danger.

At this moment, Mu Yuanzhi was struck by a flying chair back, a horrifying gash ran from her ear downwards, blood pouring out.

If it weren't for the loud buzzing in her ears, she would have thought her ear had been cut off by the chair back.

But she soon couldn't hear what the fool was shouting, only feeling the world spin.

Has she gone deaf?

Mu Yuanzhi was terrified.

The fool was still raging, smashing harder and harder.

"You... calm down..." Mu Yuanzhi's feeble advice lacked strength; she could hardly focus.

The effect of the Soft Bone Powder had faded by half, yet she still couldn't break free of the ropes.

Will she die?

Even if she were to die, she absolutely could not let Pei Yunxi succeed!

Mu Yuanzhi lowered her head, blood flowed into her eyes, her vision grew even more blurred; she exerted all her strength to clench her teeth, striving for a sliver of clarity.

Mu Yuanzhi was skilled in medicine and poison; her sense of smell was sharper than average's. If she wasn't mistaken, once the dye in here touched her, its smell and color would take three days to dissipate.

Pei Yunxi will surely come back to take this jade pendant!

After completing this action, Mu Yuanzhi's held breath relaxed, her whole body went limp, she collapsed onto the wooden plank; the last thing she saw was a large water tank flying toward her.

"Little Yuanzhi!"

Gu Rongjin?

"Little Yuanzhi!"

Brother Rongjin... you've come?

Mu Yuanzhi's consciousness had already scattered to the point she couldn't distinguish reality from illusion; she didn't know whether Gu Rongjin's voice was real or just her imagination born of pain.

The repeated urgent cries stirred the fool's nerves; he grabbed two thick sticks from the ground and flung them at the broken door, grinning: "Die, all of you!"

However, his smile froze the next instant as the flying sticks rebounded with lightning speed, striking his face; the strong wind, together with the sticks, flung him straight to the ground.

"It hurts so much! Honey! Honey!"

Gu Rongjin had no time to worry about anything else; he saw Mu Yuanzhi lying near death in the midst of shattered pottery shards.

"Little Yuanzhi..."

Gu Rongjin's heart clenched; he lunged forward, not knowing how to hold her, as many pottery shards were embedded in her body, her blood mixing with the water so he couldn't tell which was which.

He crouched, daring not to pull out those shards hastily, and carefully lifted her up.

Her red robe was soaked in blood, making the horrible wound look even more shocking.

"It hurts..."

Of course it hurts; she's injured all over, how could it not hurt? Gu Rongjin's heart ached as well.

Yet she was in excruciating pain and didn't cry, though even a tiny ache before would have her coaxing her brothers for comfort.

And many times, when she cried, he would end up unlucky; now he actually wishes she would cry, not remain so lifeless, as if she were about to vanish any moment.

"It's okay, Brother Rongjin is here." Gu Rongjin softly coaxed Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi lowered her head, blood flowed into her eyes, her vision grew even more blurred; she exerted all her strength to clench her teeth, striving for a sliver of clarity.

Mu Yuanzhi was skilled in medicine and poison; her sense of smell was sharper than average's. If she wasn't mistaken, once the dye in here touched her, its smell and color would take three days to dissipate.

"It's okay, Brother Rongjin is here." Gu Rongjin whispered, coaxing Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi instinctively leaned over, nestling into the familiar warm embrace; her consciousness seemed to return a little. She clung tightly to the clothing before her, not letting go, and with her weak lips she struggled to speak.

"What do you want to say?" Gu Rongjin lowered his head, drawing close to Mu Yuanzhi's lips.

"Don't……let people know……here……" Mu Yuanzhi said the last word, then finally exhausted her remaining strength, lowered her head and fainted.

"Okay, I understand."

Gu Rongjin held Mu Yuanzhi and walked outward.

When Mu Yuanzhi woke up again, she was already in her own sleeping palace; her whole body ached, but it was obvious she had already been given medicine. She wanted to move her hand a little, only to find it gripped tightly—turns out Gu Rongjin was holding her hand while sitting asleep.

Recalling the horrifying scenes, Mu Yuanzhi still felt a lingering fear, but what frightened her even more was that when she knew Gu Rongjin had come to save her, she had placed her wholehearted trust and reliance on him.

This is a terrible feeling; she shouldn't be like this!

Besides herself, she can no longer blindly trust and rely on others, or it will doom her forever!

"Little Sister Zhi, are you awake?"

Pei Shangyan pushed the door open and entered, seeing Mu Yuanzhi already sitting up. He was overjoyed and about to speak, but when he saw the coldness in her eyes looking at him, it was like a basin of cold water poured over him, extinguishing all his enthusiasm.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin clasping hands, making Pei Shangyan feel even more anguished.

Little Sister Zhi refuses to get close to him, her older brother, and instead is so intimate with Gu Rongjin—why? She clearly dislikes Gu Rongjin the most, yet because he treats her a little better, she lets bygones be bygones?

But he's been good to her for sixteen years, he dotes on her—are the incidents at Eternal Lane and last night enough to cancel all that out?

He didn't not want to save her; he felt pain too, thinking that Xiao Yichen could rescue her, so he…

It's all Xiao Yichen's fault!