"Elder sister, don't worry. One day, Xing Yi will personally prove to you just how important Duan Muyan's life is… It's getting late… It's about time for Xing Yi to leave, otherwise, he might not be able to make it back in time for the palace curfew!" Duan Xingyi pursed his lips as he lightly shook off the dragon pendant in his hand with his slender jade-like fingers. He then got up and left!
Looking at Duan Xingyi's departing figure, Duan Zitong's brows furrowed and her gentle eyes narrowed. She wanted to know exactly why her little brother was to leave the palace! After pondering for a moment, Duan Zitong also stood up and left the Sage Storage Pavilion. However, she didn't notice that the chair Duan Xingyi sat earlier had already sunk to the ground.
Spring Festival Courtyard.
It was a magnificent building, exuding with a strong smell of makeup. The top three floors were carved out of jade. The glazed tiles on the four corners of the eaves were sparkling, appearing exceptionally dazzling! Especially the big words 'Spring Festival', which was made of pure gold, and under the sunlight, it formed a golden halo!
At the massive main entrance, two gorgeous women were doing their best to recruit guests. Their clothes were thin, and their graceful bodies twisted like water snakes. With just a glance, these men couldn't help but change their direction! On the jade railings of the second and third floors, there were also beautiful women that were like flowers. They waved the square handkerchief in their hands, and from time to time, they would throw it onto the head of a man who had fallen in love with them.
At this moment, when the man dressed in deep purple appeared at the main entrance, almost all the girls stopped playing around. Dozens of eyes, without exception, landed on Duan Xingyi's body.
The woman standing in front of the main entrance crazily wiggled her water snake waist, swaying it to Duan Xingyi's side. She fiercely straightened and coincidentally rubbed against Duan Xingyi's left arm. "This young master… Are you here to look for Xiao Hong?"
"
"Reporting to young master, this one is called Xiao Hong…" The woman named Xiao Hong suddenly felt inferior. When her skin came into contact with his skin, she even felt that Duan Xingyi's fingers were as delicate as a baby's snow-white skin. In comparison, her own face was slightly rough!
"I'm sorry then, but I'm looking for the number one player here, Leng Bing Xin…" Duan Xingyi's slender jade-like fingers slowly slid down from Xiao Rong's chin to the lowest part of her collar. After spinning a few times, he immediately withdrew his jade-like fingers and walked towards the receiving hall! Rong seemed to be intoxicated by the sensation from earlier. It couldn't hear who Duan Xingyi was looking for.
"Oh, where did this handsome young master came from?! This is your first time here, do you have a girl you like? Or would you want to have all the girls come out so you could choose one on your own...?!" Dressed in heavy makeup, an old procuress greeted him with a flick of her hips. The Spring Garden had been open for 30 years, but there had never been a handsome man who could topple the world! At this moment, the old procuress wished that she could return 30 years later, perhaps she would have the chance to enter the young master's eyes!
Imperial Palace—Phoenix Storage Pavilion.
Qing Lan respectfully stood by Duan Zitong's side.
"Reporting to Mistress, this servant followed the Second Prince until…" Qing Lan was silent. She didn't know how to describe the place Duan Xingyi had gone to!
"General Xiao Manor?! He really went…" Noticing that Duan Zitong was infuriated, Qing Lan hurriedly opened her mouth to explain!
"Reporting to Mistress, it isn't the Xiao Manor, it's… It's the Spring Festival!" Hearing these words, Duan Zitong was shocked as she looked at Qing Lan with disbelief!
"What did you say?! Spring Festival?! Isn't that…" Duan Zitong stood up with a start. She was about to get angry, but his anger dissipated before it could reach its peak. Spring Festival wasn't that bad... Besides, her little brother was a man after all!Furthermore, this report had made her at ease. As long as it wasn't the Xiao Manor, it didn't matter where!
"You saw him go in with your own eyes?" Duan Zitong sat down slowly with an indifferent expression!
"Reporting to mistress, this servant saw it with her own eyes. This servant was still in the dark for an hour, and seeing that the second prince had not come out, I returned to report…" Qing Lan spoke the truth, but her mistress's attitude surprised her!
"Forget it… Maybe I was thinking too much! Xing Yi wasn't young either. Since he had the heart to love beauties, I would just let him be… When I see imperial father one day, I should mention him the matter of choosing a concubine for Xing Yi! If I can get him a beauty he likes, it would save him the trouble of going out…" In her heart, these weren't the most important things. The most important thing was how to capture Xiao Yuxuan's heart, and how to make Duan Muyan wish she were dead!
At the cemetery in the eastern suburbs.
"Fourth Master, we've done it!" A tall and sturdy man dressed in plain clothes respectfully walked to Duan Xingyi's side and pointed at the coffin carried by four people not far away.
"Are you sure it's Consort Li's corpse?!" At the bottom of his heart, he scoffed at his own imperial father. As a Sovereign ruler, he was actually so petty. If Duan Chen had had countless achievements in his life, then the matter regarding Consort Li would be a stain on his achievements!
"Reporting to Fourth Master, it can't be wrong! When the people at the palace threw the corpse of Consort Li over, your subordinate was in the dark!" The man said confidently!
"Mm… Well done! Remember, if you don't know anything, don't even think about it!" Duan Xingyi spoke faintly, his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowing with an unfathomable radiance!
"Yes, master!" The man did not ask, just like Leng Bingxin, he never doubted his master's orders!
Duan Xingyi suddenly seemed to have thought of something and called back Ye Li who was about to leave, "Ye Li…"
The person named Ye Li suddenly turned around and respectfully spoke, "Fourth Master, do you have any other orders?"
"Go visit Bing'er when you're free. I'm afraid something might have happened to her!" Towards Leng Bingxin, he always had an extra bit of pity and concern. Duan Xingyi was very clear that this had nothing to do with love. It was just that the scene that happened that year was too miserable for a woman to experience.
"Yes sir!" Upon hearing this, Ye Li accepted the order. With a glint in his eyes, he turned around and left.
General Xiao Manor
The setting sun gradually sank as the new moon quietly rose. The vast sky gradually dimmed as the first rays of the moon illuminated the land with a hazy glow. It was like a dream or illusion, and the land was completely silent!
Moonlight shone through the window frame onto the figure lying on the soft bed. At its edge, Qiu Yue sobbed softly, her small hand lightly dipped in the ointment as it smeared on Duan Muyan's back, which was covered in cuts and bruises! Even though it had been two days, Duan Muyan's wound still hadn't healed!
"Ugh…" At this moment, Duan Muyan felt a burning pain coming from her back. The intense pain filled her whole being, and not a single part of her body was able to escape from it. Although the pain was heart-wrenching, Duan Muyan stubbornly refused to cry out!
"Esteemed Wangfei…
"Yue'er… This has nothing to do with you... You're not at fault...! It's just a flesh wound, it'll heal in a few days…" Feeling that Qiu Yue had done smearing the ointment at her back, Duan Muyan struggled to get up. Her clear eyes looked at Qiu Yue with a trace of gentleness as she forced a smile!
"Wangfei… Sorry…" Seeing that devastatingly pale face, with the corners of her dry lips bleeding, Qiu Yue's nose turned sour, and her tears welled up like falls! She swore that she would return the innocence of her mistress and herself! Cui Xin and Feng Xue were clearly lying, and there definitely shouldn't be that medicine in her mistress' room! She could already guessed who was behind this!
"Don't cry... it's not good for your wound... Yue'er… I have wronged you. If you hadn't followed me, you would not suffer this much… How about I tell Steward Zhou…" Her gentle voice contained a great amount of remorse. As she spoke, Duan Muyan gently caressed Qiu Yue's small face and wiped away the sparkling tears on her face. No one knew that this simple action had caused Duan Muyan to experience an unimaginable amount of pain!
"No! Yue'er wants to follow Wangfei… Yue'er will only acknowledge Wangfei as her mistress in this life! Even if I die, Yue'er will still stand in front of Wangfei!" Qiu Yue tightly gripped Duan Muyan's jade-like hand which was on her face. Her voice was sonorous and powerful, her gaze was exceptionally resolute!
"Ugh…" Suddenly, the pain in her back increased as Duan Muyan couldn't help but softly moan. When Qiu Yue heard her voice, she immediately released her hand and looked at her mistress with a pained gaze!
"Wangfei… I…"
"Yue'er, don't worry, I am fine… Yue Er… Thank you... Fortunately, I have you with me in this Xiao manor… It's getting late… You should go back and rest as well…" Duan Muyan forcefully endured the pain as she opened her cherry lips and looked warmly at Qiu Yue! She knew that in the vast General Xiao Manor, only Qiu Yue treated her sincerely. The rest… She was no different from the servant girl in the palace. It was as if she was a goddess of plague, they couldn't wait to escape!
After Qiu Yue left, Duan Muyan's gaze dimmed as she quietly sat onto the edge of the bed. Her mind was filled with the grieving gaze of her mother!
"I shouldn't let anyone wrong me... But Mother, Mu Yan was unable to do so… Mu Yan is so sorry for being weak...! No matter how Mu Yan tried, but he won't believe me anyway...Mother, Mu Yan misses you so much…!" Tears silently rolled down her face. It was already deep into the night, yet her tears flowed unceasingly. Only at this moment did she dare to cry… And only here, in this room, she dared revealing her weakness with no one to see, how she cried out with bitterness!
The light within was like a sharp blade that made people shudder in fear. Through the window, Duan Xingyi could clearly see the crystal clear tears of the woman sitting on the bed. His mind was in inexplicable panic and confusion, and his heart in tremendous anger! For a moment, he even wanted to charge in and take that woman away! However, it was only for a short period of time, and the surging waves had already died down! This... It was something he wanted to see.
Night slowly faded in silence. Early in the morning, the first rays of sunlight appeared in the sky. The autumn wind blew gently, and the willow branches swayed in the wind. It was a scene of melancholy.
Old Zhou was wearing a plain robe and walking out of the manor with his eyes closed. Just as he was turning the corner, he bumped into something strange!
"Ugh… Prince… Your Highness...?! Why are you here...?!" Old Zhou raised his eyes and saw Xiao Jinfeng standing in front of him with a solemn expression!
"Walking... Where are you going?!" There was no trace of joy or anger in his clear voice, and Xiao Jinfeng's gaze flickered, as if he couldn't look straight at Old Zhou's eyes.