Chapter 41 - Chapter 41

Inside her room, Duan Muyan's eyebrows were knitted tightly as she looked in bafflement at the white rabbit on the table. In the time it took to make a cup of tea, the white rabbit suddenly twitched uncontrollably in all fours on the table!

"Esteemed Wangfei…" Without bothering to knock on the door, Qiu Yue pushed the door open and rushed in after tightly closing the door. She ran towards Duan Muyan, panting heavily.

"Yue'er, look at this rabbit… It seems like… It seems like something is wrong…" Duan Muyan anxiously pulled Qiu Yue over as she spoke with worry!

"What…?! How could this be? Wangfei, this not good! This white rabbit was gifted to the deceased principal Wangfei by His Highness! Right now, His Highness had ordered everyone in the manor look for this rabbit. If he knew that this rabbit was here, and something had happened to it…" Qiu Yue really did not dare to think about it!

"Let's not worry about that first. Let's see if this rabbit can still be saved!" As Duan Muyan spoke, she picked up the white rabbit and was about to leave the bedroom!

"Wangfei...! No, you can't go out now! If this rabbit dies in your arms and the Prince sees it! Then Wangfei really can't explain it even if Wangfei has done nothing wrong! " Qiu Yue blocked the door abruptly, looking at her mistress in fear.

"But what if it could still be saved? We can't just watch it die!" However, at this moment, the rabbit in her bosom suddenly began to twitch once again. Then took its last breath!

"Wangfei…! What should we do...! The rabbit died here... Right now, even if we jump into the Yellow River and swear into the heavens, we won't be able to explain it…" Qiu Yue's tears flowed freely as she looked at the dead rabbit. If she hadn't been so nosy and wanted to save some rabbit, they wouldn't be in this situation. It was one thing if she was to suffer now, but if she would implicate the Wangfei, she would be the one who committed the most heinous crime!

"Don't worry… We didn't do anything wrong... His Highness won't do anything to us. Calm down…" Duan Muyan forced out a smile to comfort the flustered Qiu Yue! In her heart though, she was nervous!

A knock was suddenly heard at the door!

"Who?" Duan Muyan softly asked.

"It's this Prince!"

Qiu Yue's lips quavered, and without thinking, she snatched the rabbit out of Duan Muyan's embrace and ran towards the bed! She understood the prince's temperament very well! Back then, when his late wife's favourite porcelain bowl was broken, her mistress had suffered so much! What's more with a living white rabbit?

"Yue'er!" Duan Muyan didn't want to do this, but in the very next second that Qiu Yue had hidden the rabbit, Xiao Jinfeng had already pushed open the door and entered!

"What were you doing that you didn't open the door immediately?!" Xiao Jinfeng walked straight into the bedroom and coldly looked at Duan Muyan as he spoke!

"Nothing… Chenqie was embroidering... we were disentangling the thread…" She really wanted to speak bluntly, but the current situation was something that she couldn't explain clearly. She didn't care what Xiao Jinfeng would do to her, but she was afraid for Qiu Yue. With her current status and identity in this house, she could not protect Qiu Yue even if she wanted to.

Speechless, Xiao Jinfeng looked coldly at Qiu Yue who was standing at the side.

"You didn't go out today?" Xiao Jinfeng originally wanted to speak straightforwardly, but when the words reached his mouth, his words changed!

"Chenqie did not…" Her long eyelashes cast a shadow over her beautiful face. Duan Muyan lowered her gaze as she spoke, but her heart was like a taut zither string that could snap at any moment!

"Really...? What about Yue'er? Did she not go out...?!" Xiao Jin Feng's gaze swept past Qiu Yue who was at the side of the bed, and his eyes darkened! Qiu Yue's head was drooping, her small hand clenched tightly in front of her chest. Could it be that she was still afraid of him from the last time? A trace of guilt flashed through Xiao Jinfeng's heart as he thought of this!

When Duan Muyan saw Xiao Jinfeng walked towards the bed, she hurriedly took two steps forward to stand in front of him and respectfully reply, "Yue'er has always been by Chenqie's side and has never gone out…"

"Really...?!" Xiao Jinfeng suspiciously looked at Duan Muyan. He had the nagging feeling that she was acting different from the past, but he couldn't tell what was different about her!

Duan Muyan only nodded slightly, her gaze still downcast. She didn't want Xiao Jinfeng to notice the panic and fear in her eyes!

As he walked around the table, her eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of the clear water on the table. At the same time, Qiu Yue was shocked to discover that the blanket did not cover the back leg of the rabbit!

The familiar smell caused Xiao Jinfeng's eyes to grow cold. Ever since Chu Shirou left, he'd carried Xiao Rou to sleep every night at his late wife's room. How could he not recognise that scent?

Maybe something is destined to happen, no matter how much you want to avoid it, it would still happen! Just as Qiu Yue was about to cover the rabbit's hind leg in panic, Xiao Jinfeng suddenly turned around and stared at Qiu Yue's hand with a gaze so sharp as a blade!

"Your Highness…" This sudden turn of events was unexpected for Duan Muyan. She wanted to stop Xiao Jinfeng from rushing towards the bed, but he pushed her aside and she crashed into the bed! At this time, Qiu Yue was also frightened that she froze!

Without any hesitation, Xiao Jinfeng lifted the quilt and the white rabbit appeared in front of him!

"Xiao Rou?!" Xiao Jinfeng's relief was evident as he scooped the white rabbit into hist chest and gave it a hug. However in the next second, Xiao Jinfeng stared at the rabbit, perplexed! Then it dawn on him, the rabbit wasn't breathing, the rabbit was dead!

Xiao Jinfeng's gaze rippled, his heart stopped beating, and with a frown, his handsome face darkened like the sky before a storm! The killing intent in his eyes surged outward filling the entire room! When that gaze shot towards Qiu Yue, it was too sharp, it wanted to cut her in half!

"Who was it?!" Xiao Jinfeng furiously roared at Qiu Yue. Beside him, Duan Muyan was fully aware of Xiao Jinfeng's temper, so she instantly took a few steps forward to block him towards Qiu Yue's path!

"Your Highness! It's not…" Duan Muyan frowned as she looked at Xiao Jinfeng, her eyes giving him a pleading look. She wanted to explain that the death of the white rabbit had nothing to do with them, but Xiao Jinfeng seemed not wanting to give them a chance to do so!

Just as Duan Muyan was to say something, a gust of wind blew past her ear. Xiao Jinfeng's palm solidly slapped Duan Muyan's cheek, and salty blood flowed from the corner of her lips. Duan Muyan couldn't take the force, and her entire body fell to the ground like a fallen leaf!

"Wangfei…! Your Highness! It was not the fault of Wangfei...! It was this servant who brought the rabbit in! But this servant really doesn't know why the rabbit died…" Qiu Yue rushed to Duan Muyan's side and helped her up before prostrating on the ground in fright, kowtowing to Xiao Jinfeng non-stop. Blood flowed from her forehead, but she didn't dare stop!

"You don't know?! Xiao Rou died in this room, how come you don't know?!" Xiao Jinfeng held the white rabbit tightly in his embrace with one hand, as if he was hugging his most beloved Chu Shirou while his other hand was mercilessly grabbing onto Qiu Yue's collar!

"It's you! It was the two of you who killed Xiao Rou! And I want you to pay it with your lives!" Xiao Jinfeng's blood-shot eyes were radiating with a terrifying killing intent, his brows were tightly knitted as he spoke with gritted teeth, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. His face right now was so frightening it could compare to a devil's.

"It wasn't Yue'er's fault, Your Highness! It's Chenqie's fault! Release Xin'er...!" Duan Muyan looked at Qiu Yue, who was suffocating by the collar, and staggered to her feet. She used both of her hands to viciously grab onto Xiao Jinfeng's hand, attempting to get him to release Qiu Yue's collar!

However, no matter how much strength Duan Muyan exerted, she was unable to make Xiao Jinfeng let go. Seeing Qiu Yue's face turning even more purple, in a moment of desperation, Duan Muyan fiercely bit Xiao Jinfeng's wrist!

Xiao Jinfeng was in pain, but he still did not let go of Qiu Yue's collar! At this moment, it was as if he'd lost all reason and wanted to take revenge for Xiao Rou's life!

Xiao Jinfeng tried to shake off Duan Muyan, but she would not let go! Then at his wrist, a stream of dark red blood flowed down his palm. Xiao Jinfeng felt pain, and abruptly released Qiu Yue. With a backhand swipe, he slammed his fist viciously towards Duan Muyan!

"Slut! Give Xiao Rou back its life!" Xiao Jinfeng almost went mad as he charged at Duan Muyan. With one hand, he pulled up Duan Muyan's scattered hair, forcing her to look at him!

"We didn't kill him… Even if… His Highness felt that… This rabbit is even more important than our lives… " Duan Muyan stubbornly endured the humiliation as tears rolled down her face without any warning. She looked at the man before her with resentment, and the hatred at the peak of her despair slowly rose!

"Your Highness! We are wrongly accused... Your Highness…" Qiu Yue exhaled and immediately rushed towards Duan Muyan in an attempt to explain. However, she was slapped to the ground by Xiao Jinfeng!

"Yue'er…" Duan Muyan really wanted to go over and support Qiu Yue, but before she could react, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Xiao Jinfeng. Before she could react, she heard a clear sound of bone cracking and a piercing pain spread out from her wrist, spreading to her four limbs!

Duan Muyan's eyes widened in shock, her cherry lips trembled, and her entire body spasmed involuntarily. That pain was akin to an attack that could topple mountains and overturn seas, drowning Duan Muyan to the point where she couldn't breathe!

"Esteemed Wangfei...!" Qiu Yue looked at her mistress in pain as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"You know pain?! Xiao Rou is the only thing Shi Rou left for me! How dare you kill it! I knew there would be such a day!" Xiao Jinfeng's anger did not calm down just because of this, and it even intensified! That ice-cold hand suddenly grabbed onto Duan Muyan's neck. Xiao Jinfeng's cold eyes were bloodthirsty as he mercilessly pulled Duan Muyan up!

"Ugh…!" Duan Muyan's consciousness slowly fading from the sudden suffocation. In her mind, she suddenly recalled her mother's face! 'Mother… Mu Yan misses you… Take me with you... Mu Yan really wants to leave this place… Mother!'

Right at the moment when Duan Muyan gave up struggling, a shrill voice suddenly rang out beside her ear!

'Mother wants you to remember, do not be wronged by others! Do not be wronged by others... Mother wants to see you happy... Promise mother you must be happy... Mu Yan … Don't be wronged... Don't...'

"Wangfei, you can't die...! If you die, what would we do? How about the First Prince?! He won't be able to take it! Esteemed Wangfei…" With the Dragon staff in her hand, Qiu Yue staggered to Duan Muyan's side as she shouted in a crazed manner!

'Mother… Imperial Brother… Yue'er… No... She can't die… Not now... not yet!'

"Ugh...! Qiu…" Duan Muyan painfully opened her eyes to see Qiu Yue raising the Drago staff towards her! She used her last bit of strength to extend her hand in an attempt to catch the three-foot long staff. She couldn't die just yet, not like this! There were still people in this world that she couldn't let go!

"Dammit…" Seeing Duan Muyan struggling, Xiao Jinfeng increased his strength! Almost at the same time, Duan Muyan tightly gripped the Dragon Staff and used all her strength to smash it against Xiao Jinfeng's arm!

"Duan Muyan!" Xiao Jinfeng loosened his grip in pain and couldn't help but take two steps back! Seeing this, Qiu Yue immediately ran to Duan Muyan's side to support her!