Han Jin could feel her legs trembling but she still continued to run as fast as she could. She had only managed to cover a bit of some distance when she lost consciousness completely.
Lu Tiangming heard some noise from behind him, he briefly turned around and was surprised to find the bed empty.
"Leave", Lu Tiangming coldly dismissed the guard and hurriedly strode back into the room.
He checked almost every single corner and chamber of the room but there was no sign of the little peach he had spent the night with.
Lu Tiangming squinted his eyes when they fell on the single small window behind him, after some time he clenched his fists.
After some time, his eyes fell on a piece of her torn clothing and he squeezed it tightly, "Little peach, I'm sure it was definitely you. I barely managed to find you yet you escaped immediately like a gust of wind"
Lu Tiangming dressed up and soon walked out of the guest chamber.
Gu Xin stood on the down floor chatting with a few maidens when he caught sight of Lu Tiangming gracefully descending the stairs.
Seeing the cold look on Lu Tiangming's face, he had a bad feeling and thought that Lu Tiangming was angry about what had happened the previous night.
He had arranged for a concubine the previous night but the concubine told him that nothing had happened between them.
She said she had been kicked away by the palace guards who claimed that there was another woman in the prince's chamber.
Gu Xin already planned to explain to Lu Tiangming that everything that happened was not actually his fault because Lu Tiangming had ended up sleeping with the wrong woman on his own accord.
"Your Highness...", Gu Xin immediately stood straight when Lu Tiangming had gotten closer, he had rehearsed over his speech and was ready to speak but was interrupted by Lu Tiangming.
"That land you have been eyeing in the northern part of the providence, it's now yours", said Lu Tiangming, his eyes turned gentle as he spoke.
"What? That...That land? But I've been eyeing that land for years and you never agreed to give it to me. Why have you suddenly...", Gu Xin's eyes widened as he gasped.
_'Could it be that he's giving me that piece of land because of what happened last night? Did he actually enjoy it? Who's the lucky woman then?'
"Seems like you had a great time last night, who's the lucky girl? Are you planning on keeping her as a concubine?", Gu Xin couldn't help but giggle.
Lu Tiangming had always acted cold and didn't seem interested but that illusion seemed to be wrong.
Lu Tiangming sharply glared at Gu Xin with his cold eyes.
"Haha... forget it, I'm not interested anymore", Gu Xin laughed dryly as he swallowed his saliva.
...
Han Jin finally opened her eyes after some time. She found herself lying in a bed made of hay but covered in a blanket made from the skin of a sheep.
Han Jin tried sitting up but felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"You're weak, lie back"
Han Jin felt her fingers tremble when she heard a familiar voice she had never expected to ever hear.
Han Jin slowly looked up and met the cold eyes of Shan Tian.
"Seems like you had a great time last night", Shan Tian's eyes fell on the hickeys covering Han Jin's neck.
Han Jin knew what Shan Tian was referring to however she wasn't interested in explaining.
She turned her head aside not wanting to even see the face of Shan Tian. She wondered how she ended up here in this place of hell in the midst of assassins.
She had thought she was finally free from them but perhaps she was wrong, it was indeed her fate to be sold.
Knife and Black Dog stood outside eavesdropping.
"This girl must have really bad luck, she barely escaped yet she was caught again", Knife sighed as a feeling of pity rose into his heart.
Black Dog however was quiet, he had been secretly glad when Han Jin had escaped even though he had been slapped for his carelessness.
But now, she had been brought back and was going to be sold.
He was unhappy about it but unfortunately there was nothing he comes do.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me? Is something wrong?", Knife slapped Black Dog hard on the shoulder.
"What? What were you saying?", Black Dog snapped out of his thoughts.
"Forget it, anyways, I heard that Flowerless Nie is returning from his mission.", Black Dog pulled Knife into a corner.
"What? He's already coming back today?", Knife sounded unhappy.
"Seems like I'm not welcome back into my own home", a youthful and playful voice was heard from a distance away.
Knife and Black Dog both turned around, their faces looking like they had seen a ghost.
Standing at the entrance was a young boy dressed in a flashy hanfu which almost touched the ground. He had a very attractive face which seemed to be screaming to capture the hearts of many most especially young ladies.
Flowerless Nie chuckled and winked at the two men who stared at him as if he were a ghost.
He found the two boring yet still strode towards them eager for some gossip.
"I heard our Queen found a little flower girl, huh?", Flowerless Nie placed each arms on the shoulders of the two.
Black Dog and Knife felt a chill down their spine with Flowerless Nie so close to them.
"Yes! Yes, they're in the next room, you can go find them immediately!", Black Dog couldn't wait to push the young lad away from him.
"Really, thanks for the tip. I owe you one then"
Flowerless Nie kicked the wooden door with a loud bang without a second thought and strode in.
Han Jin was almost scared out of her wits when she heard the noise, she cast her eyes towards the door.