After lunch, Xiao Chizhan asked her to change into simple clothes.
A moon-white silk skirt and jacket, a white fox fur coat, and her soft, smooth black hair were tied up with a simple moon hairpin. Her palm-sized face was bare of makeup. Although she lost her enchanting allure, she gained a touch of purity.
Xiao Chizhan nodded with satisfaction, then mounted his horse and took her away from the prince's manor.
She had never explored Youzhou City much. Her bright, dark eyes darted around, completely unaware of the cold aura emanating from the man behind her.
It wasn't until they entered a royal tomb that she realized where they were.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The grand entrance to the underground palace opened, revealing a dark and long passage.
Ye Luan was pulled into the tomb by him. A chill wind blew, and a shiver ran down her spine.
Glazed fires burned on both sides of the corridor, making the underground palace even more eerie.
"Your Highness—"
"Hm?"
His voice was cold and deep, sending a chill down her spine in the dark underground palace.
She quickly changed her address and, holding his arm, asked, "Brother Chizhan, why are we here?"
The man turned to look at her, his dark red eyes appearing particularly terrifying in the gloom.
He smiled faintly, "So timid?"
"—"
Ye Luan fell silent.
He let go of her hand, embraced her waist, and said lightly, "If only you had this much courage when you hit me."
"—"
The atmosphere fell silent.
Held by him, Ye Luan was wrapped tightly in his white cloak, and her back no longer felt so eerie.
After passing through the passageway, the area ahead suddenly brightened.
A coffin made of nanmu wood, inlaid with gold thread, rested on a moon-white platform. Below it was a long brazier, with fierce flames burning intensely.
The tomb ceiling was covered with luminous pearls, and the bronze cauldron was inlaid with colorful paintings. A throne and an incense burner were placed in front, with two spitting chǐshǒu at the bottom.
The pillars were purple, and the beams were gold. The opulence was astonishing.
But what shocked her was that the coffin was suspended by several iron chains, and a deep, passionate fire burned beneath the coffin, which was exceptionally eerie.
"Come here."
He reached out his hand and pulled her forward.
"Go and offer incense."
Although Ye Luan couldn't decipher the carvings on the golden plaque, she vaguely guessed that this was probably the tomb of his birth mother.
What was he thinking? Why was the coffin hung up like that, and why was it burning with such fierce fire? It was so inauspicious.
She respectfully offered incense and retreated.
But Xiao Chizhan wouldn't let her leave. He grabbed her and pushed her forward.
Damn it.
Could he be any rougher?
'Call someone.'
Who should she call?
Ye Luan pursed her lips and glanced back at him, clearing her throat.
The man behind her narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly displeased with her.
She was startled, immediately turned back, and respectfully kowtowed towards the coffin, "Greetings, Madam."
Upon hearing her words, Xiao Chizhan's face darkened, and he lightly kicked her, "Are you stupid?"
"You have—"
Before she could finish the word "illness," Ye Luan glanced at the coffin with concern.
Forget it, she shouldn't embarrass herself in front of his mother.
However, she cursed him silently in her heart: vile, stingy, uncivilized brat.
'Call her Mother.'
His dissatisfied voice came from behind.
Ye Luan was stunned for a moment, then spoke calmly, "Ye Luan pays her respects to Mother."
Looking at the girl's serious expression, Xiao Chizhan felt inexplicably content. He pulled her up, leaned down, and kissed her.
Ye Luan's face instantly turned red, and she quickly pushed him away.
It was unbearable. He didn't care about the location at all and would become aroused at any moment.
"Why are you pushing me?"
She gritted her teeth inwardly, but explained outwardly, "You need to maintain some decorum."
Xiao Chizhan sneered, "You're so fussy."
Ye Luan found him utterly impossible to communicate with and quietly retreated to the side.
The man in front, dressed in white robes, stood tall and slender. His expression was very cold, almost terrifyingly so.
He slowly took off the Buddhist beads from his wrist, played with them for a moment, then suddenly crushed one of them, muttering, "Xiao Rong's skull."
Xiao Rong?!
Ye Luan was shocked. Wasn't that his father?
What skull?
She couldn't help but swallow. What was he doing?
The crushed bead was thrown into the brazier and began to burn inch by inch.
She could clearly see the man with white hair and red eyes in front of her, his eyes flashing with malicious cruelty, and the corners of his lips curving into an extremely sinister smile.
It was truly chilling.
"On the next death anniversary, I'll send Madam Hu's skull down to serve you and make her atone."
Ye Luan could no longer bear to look at the Buddhist beads on Xiao Chizhan's wrist. Could these be ground from the skulls of those in the Dingbei Prince's manor?!
She felt like she was going to vomit.
Recalling that there were no other tombs in the royal mausoleum on their way, she couldn't help but look at the brazier. Had their remains all been burned?
"Luan Luan, come here!"
The man suddenly turned his head, extending his slender, well-defined hands towards her. His voice was eerily gentle, and the curve of his thin lips was chilling.
Especially since he was still holding the string of Buddhist beads, her scalp tingled.
Ye Luan really didn't want to go forward, but he kept staring at her, his deep red eyes narrowing slightly with displeasure.
She had no choice but to brace herself and reach out her hand.
He pulled gently, restraining her limbs, and a knife appeared in his hand. He quickly cut her finger and dripped blood into a bowl.
"Hiss, what are you doing?"
Crazy lunatic.
Ye Luan trembled with anger, pushed him away, and freed her hand.
He turned back with a faint smile, "Afraid of pain?"
"You—"
"Hush, don't speak."
His actions were truly bizarre and chilling. Ye Luan feared he would go mad, covering the small wound on her finger and cursing him silently in her heart.
Xiao Chizhan raised his eyebrows slightly, tossed her a porcelain bottle, and said, "Apply medicine."
After saying that, he ignored her, suddenly cut his own palm with the knife. The wound was large, much bigger than the small cut on her finger.
Blood flowed into the bowl like water.
But he seemed to feel no pain, his face completely indifferent.
The porcelain bowl, which originally only contained a few drops of blood, was instantly full.
Ye Luan looked at his actions in horror, a chill running down her spine.
Has he gone mad?
The knife clanged to the ground.
The tomb was filled with a pungent smell of blood.
Xiao Chizhan looked at the bowl of blood, a smile on his lips. After slowly bandaging his wound, he placed the blood-filled bowl on the altar.
"This is for you."
Ye Luan was speechless at his madness. Others offered wine for sacrifice, but he was different, not following the usual path. Would this scoundrel cut his own blood to offer to his mother every year?
Nuts.
Did he think everyone was as bloodthirsty as him?
The thought of marrying him and having to come here to offer blood every death anniversary sent a million tiny goosebumps crawling all over her back.
"Delicate one, come here."
He was calling her again.
Ye Luan shuffled her feet to his side, and he took her hand.
He glanced at her finger, then leaned down and kissed her cheek, murmuring.
"Does it still hurt?"
She didn't know where he got his medicine from, but as soon as it was applied, the pain gradually disappeared.
Moreover, the wound on her finger was extremely small and thin, incomparable to the injuries she had suffered before. It didn't actually hurt much; she was just speechless at his behavior.
She said coldly, "It hurts."