Ye Luan let out a sigh of relief and immediately jumped off him.
Had Xiao Chi Zhan truly harbored murderous intent just now?
Lan Murou let out a breath and was about to pull Ye Luan over, but upon glimpsing the hint of cold red in his eyes, she withdrew her hand and smiled, signaling for people to go to the kitchen.
Once they returned to the pleasure boat and the figures of the four men were no longer visible, Lan Murou’s meaningful gaze fell upon her.
“A’luan, I’ve known the Prince for several years, and I’ve never known him to soften his heart over a few words.”
“Ah,” Ye Luan, holding salted pepper beans, crunched them with a crisp sound. “Softened his heart?”
“Yes, when the Prince smiled like this before, his favorite pastime was hanging human skin lanterns in the manor.”
Human skin lanterns?
Ye Luan felt a chill, unable to imagine it.
Lan Murou chuckled, “You don’t know, the Prince loved to kill the most, especially on rainy days. Those who offended him rarely had a good end.”
“Back then, if it weren’t for the three of them holding him back, the entire Shangjing would have likely become a living hell. However, the Prince’s temper has become much milder in recent years.”
Ye Luan frowned, nibbling on an almond cake, “Why did he become like this?”
“I don’t know. The Prince’s past has been completely erased, making it impossible to investigate.”
Hearing Lan Murou’s words, she suddenly recalled the Buddhist beads on Xiao Chi Zhan’s wrist and asked, “Do you know where the Prince’s Buddhist beads came from?”
As soon as this was mentioned, Lan Murou nervously cautioned her.
“You absolutely must not touch his Buddhist beads, nor inquire about his past; he will go mad.”
Thinking about having removed his Buddhist beads in the hot spring before, Ye Luan gave a sheepish smile and drank her tea.
“I remember when I first arrived in Shangjing, the General took me to a banquet. That day is unforgettable for me.”
As she spoke, Lan Murou trembled slightly, as if recalling something terrifying.
“At the banquet, a powerful official touched the Prince’s Buddhist beads. He was completely flayed and hung on the palace’s phoenix-glazed pillars.”
“At the time, everyone was terrified. Some angrily denounced the Prince as cruel and drew their swords, only to be flayed and their tendons ripped out by the Prince, hanging from the ceiling, with blood and flesh everywhere.”
“Everyone was driven mad with fear, sitting in the hall trembling, so disgusted they couldn’t eat. Yet, the Prince seemed to be looking at something he enjoyed, eating slowly with a smile on his lips.”
“I was terrified. Can you imagine a feast being held amidst a hall full of corpses? I can’t forget it to this day.”
Ye Luan felt nauseous and vomited, holding onto a red glazed pillar until she was empty.
Lan Murou quickly poured her a cup of water, “It’s my fault for telling you this. Don’t be afraid, the Prince has become much gentler over the years.”
Her stomach felt sour, and Ye Luan’s retching continued.
“It’s alright.”
She spat out everything she had eaten and forced herself to eat a little more before shaking off the scenes from her mind.
“A’luan, are you really okay?”
Ye Luan shook her head and grabbed a pot of tea to leave.
“Let’s go.”
“But the Prince wanted wine.”
As soon as they stepped out of the pleasure boat, a cold wind swept through, causing the flowers on both banks of the cliff to dance in the wind.
Ye Luan placed the tea on the table and stood quietly behind Xiao Chi Zhan, watching him play chess.
“Wine!”
“There’s no more wine.”
Xiao Chi Zhan sat lazily on the chair. Hearing her words, he raised an eyebrow and glanced back.
Ye Luan did not dodge and walked to his side, quietly pouring him a cup of tea, “Drink tea, it’s good for your stomach.”
Everyone watched this scene with knowing glances.
Li Qiongyu laughed heartily, “The young girl is quite concerned about you. If you keep drinking, you’ll lose your life.”
“What did you eat to get your mouth so dirty?”
The rough fingertip brushed past the corner of her lips. Ye Luan stiffened but did not retreat, smiling back, “I just ate a little something.”
Tai Yew looked at Xiao Chi Zhan’s obedience with dissatisfaction, “How many years have I told you not to drink, did you listen?”
“The tea is very fragrant,” Liu Rongruo smiled and clinked her tea cup at her across the air.
Ye Luan nodded and smiled in acknowledgment.
With a bang, Xiao Chi Zhan put down his teacup and said lightly, “Continue.”
Ye Luan stood behind Xiao Chi Zhan, watching them play chess.
Standing for a long time made her feet ache, so she sat down next to Lan Murou.
“What are you carving?”
Lan Murou said expressionlessly, “Carving a person.”
Seeing Tan Taiye playing drinking games with Li Qiongyu at the bow of the boat, Ye Luan smiled and teased softly, “The Great General?”
“Yes,” Lan Murou added, “The Qiqiao Festival is in two days, a grand event in the capital. Do you want to go out and have fun?”
Ye Luan wanted to as well.
Seeing her troubled expression, Lan Murou sighed and said no more.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Luan began to feel sleepy.
A cold wind whistled, and the mist was hazy. A full moon emerged from the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the sea.
A voice as gentle as the wind finally spoke.
“A’zhan is as formidable as ever.”
Xiao Chi Zhan had won!
Ye Luan immediately woke up.
Could they disembark now?
Could she finally sleep?
“No, after all this thinking, I still haven’t beaten him,” Li Qiongyu shouted, jumping down from the edge of the boat, drunk with a flushed face.
Liu Rongruo shook his head with a wry smile.
Xiao Chi Zhan, having won the chess match, was clearly in a good mood and beckoned her.
“Are you tired?”
Xiao Chi Zhan held her in his arms. Looking at the dispersing crowd, she asked, “When are we going back?”
“We’ll dock tomorrow and head straight back to the capital.”
“Ah, so we’re staying on the boat tonight?”
Xiao Chi Zhan rubbed her waist as they walked back into the pavilion, “You don’t like it?”
Ye Luan shook her head and followed him to eat. Hearing them talking about playing Mahjong, she tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “I’m so tired, I want to go up and sleep.”
Xiao Chi Zhan saw her sleepy expression and touched her forehead.
“No fever. Alright, go to sleep.”
Ye Luan was truly exhausted. After bathing and applying medication, she lay down on the couch and fell asleep, not even knowing when Xiao Chi Zhan had returned.
However, in the middle of the night, it suddenly started raining outside. The rain was continuous, the wind was cold and desolate, chilling people to the bone.
Ye Luan was startled awake by the man beside her.
She threw off the covers and stared in shock at Xiao Chi Zhan leaning against the bedside. His eyes were terrifying, and he exuded an aura of intense killing intent.
Seeing that she was awake, Xiao Chi Zhan let out a chilling smile and caressed her neck with his chillingly cold hand.
“Seeing me in such a sorry state, shouldn’t I kill you to silence you?”
The candlelight flickered, and the night grew deeper.
In the dim tent.
Ye Luan suddenly remembered Lan Murou’s words, “The Prince loved to kill the most on rainy days.”
She looked him over inch by inch. Xiao Chi Zhan’s left leg was trembling uncontrollably, but his expression was indifferent, as if he felt no pain.
But Ye Luan knew that he was in extreme pain right now.
“Was the Prince’s left leg injured?”