“Let’s go, continue,” Yan Xuan said, already in night clothes and holding another set. “You change too. I think we didn’t succeed last night because you weren’t prepared enough.”
Ruan Ning was so angry she didn’t want to speak. She burrowed into the blanket, pretending not to hear.
However, Yan Xuan wasn’t one to give up easily. He grabbed the corner of her blanket and pressed her down, flipping her face down and putting sleeves on her arms.
Ruan Ning felt life was meaningless; her lack of sleep made her want to harm someone.
Today, their escape went smoothly, and they reached the Qixia Palace gate without being stopped. At a fork in the road, one path led to Yan Xuan’s sleeping quarters and the other to the front court. Ruan Ning asked, “Which way are we going?”
Yan Xuan let go of her hand, his voice turning cold: “I killed him right there.”
He pointed to a pine tree along the path to the front court. “He wanted to kill me, but he was unlucky. The knife got stuck in the tree.” Yan Xuan walked over to the trunk, seemingly searching for traces from that time. “I took the opportunity to kill him with one fatal strike.”
The chilling aura around him made Ruan Ning instinctively step back, preparing to slip away quietly. Yan Xuan swiftly noticed and grabbed her wrist tightly, causing her pain. “You’re hurting me, Yan Xuan. Let go,” she pleaded.
“Is it you? The one from Chen Kingdom?” Yan Xuan asked, still holding her. He guided her hand to a spot on the trunk. “Feel it. Can you feel his blood? It flowed down from here, a large pool.”
He began to laugh, his voice fluctuating: “The former Emperor was very angry. That was his most beloved son. He wanted to kill me to avenge his son, but he didn’t dare, do you know why?”
There was no blood on the tree, but Ruan Ning seemed to see the scene from his words. She shook her head, not daring to answer. This reaction pleased Yan Xuan. He released her, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “Because I killed all of his sons. He didn’t dare kill me; if he did, he would have no sons left.”
