"Your Highness."
Qin Liuyan knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.
She had thought Prince Xuan was still in a coma, but for some reason, he had ordered her to be brought to him tonight.
Ever since Chu Qianli had brought her here last time and exposed Chu Huaiyu as a death warrior, she had been confined to a secluded courtyard in the prince's mansion.
Only today was she allowed to step half a pace out of that courtyard.
But now, facing Feng Yexuan, even though he hadn't spoken, the chilling aura that seemed to freeze the marrow in her bones made her wish she could have stayed in that courtyard forever, never to face him again.
"Your Highness, I wonder... I wonder why this lowly one has been summoned, wh-what is the...?"
"You are not Li'er's mother."
This question had remained unanswered last time due to Chu Huaiyu's sudden abduction of Fu Ning.
Qin Liuyan's heart jolted.
She knew she couldn't evade this forever.
She prostrated herself on the ground, and before she could speak, tears of shame and regret began to roll down her cheeks.
"Your Highness, this lowly one deserves death! This lowly one is not Miss Li'er's mother; Miss Li'er is Long Qianyue's true daughter."
Feng Yexuan remained silent. Although he had already guessed this after the incident with Chu Huaiyu that day, he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.
She deserved death.
And how could he not deserve death as well?
He had known, deep down, that Qin Liuyan couldn't possibly be her mother. But because of her defiance, her lack of obedience, her constant desire to leave him.
Those aspects he had found suspicious, he had deliberately suppressed.
He refused to think, refused to ponder, and like everyone else, he had concluded that she was in the wrong!
He had merely wanted to punish a disobedient woman.
But he had never imagined that he had become an accomplice, and the harm he had inflicted upon her was immense!
"So, how many people were involved in this matter?" Feng Yexuan asked expressionlessly.
His voice sounded remarkably calm.
However, whether it was Leng Ji standing beside him or Qin Liuyan kneeling on the ground, both trembled in fear.
His Highness was angry enough to kill.
But for some reason, his Highness had held back.
It was rare that he didn't fly into a rage.
Qin Liuyan took a deep breath, her panicked voice caught in her throat, almost unable to escape: "This lowly one and Huaiyu... only this lowly one and Huaiyu knew."
But that Huaiyu was not Huaiyu at all; she was an assassin, a death warrior!
The thought of her own tragically deceased daughter brought a wave of regret and remorse to Qin Liuyan.
She looked up at Feng Yexuan. Though afraid, she had lost all will to live and had calmed down somewhat.
"Your Highness, it is all this lowly one's fault. This lowly one wanted to secure a better future for her own daughter."
"But now, this lowly one knows that she is not my daughter at all. This lowly one has no hope left in this life!"
"Your Highness, please order this lowly one to be executed! This lowly one cannot bear to live."
She was not being dramatic or playing a game of feigned surrender; she genuinely saw no hope in continuing to live.
As a woman from the pleasure quarters, she had married into the Duke's mansion. Although she was a concubine, she had never lacked for fine clothes and food.
Over the years, she had felt a sense of gratitude.
Before, it was for her daughter's success. Now, what was there to hope for?
"Your Highness..."
"This King will not kill you."
Feng Yexuan waved his hand and said indifferently, "This King still needs you to vindicate Li'er! If you truly wish to atone, then make this matter public."
...As soon as Qin Liuyan was escorted away, Chu Qianli returned.
Leng Ji had escorted Qin Liuyan out, leaving only Feng Yexuan and Chu Qianli in the room.
"Why are you angry again? Didn't I tell you that anger would affect the speed of your recovery?"
"I am not angry," Feng Yexuan said calmly.
"Oh, you're not angry? Then why are your brows furrowed like that?"
Chu Qianli walked up to him, intending to check his pulse.
Unexpectedly, he extended a long arm and pulled her into his embrace.
"Be careful of your injuries!"
Chu Qianli frowned, trying to escape his arms.
He was covered in injuries, both internal and external. With the slightest carelessness, he could hurt himself.
In this state, he still wanted to hug a woman; his lust was truly insatiable.
"Li'er..." Feng Yexuan suddenly murmured, burying his head in her neck and closing his eyes, gently inhaling the faint fragrance of her.
This murmuring, dreamlike call stirred Chu Qianli's heart.
A tingling sensation instantly pierced her heart, leaving her momentarily dazed.
This man was like poison! With just a soft call, he could easily steal your soul.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Chu Qianli took a deep breath inwardly, trying her best to appear calm and not reveal her flustered state.
This scoundrel rarely spoke calmly with her in such intimate proximity.
In the past, such closeness usually involved bickering and hurting each other.
"Aren't you calling me a dead woman anymore?" she tried to make her voice sound calmer.
She was unaccustomed to such a romantic atmosphere.
It made her heart race, her cheeks burn like fire, and her entire body inexplicably felt weak...
It was too uncomfortable; she would rather... rather argue!
But Feng Yexuan clearly did not want to argue tonight.
He tightened his arms.
Chu Qianli's slender body was immediately held tightly in his embrace.
"Don't do this..." Chu Qianli felt inexplicably flustered and unaccustomed to it!
Her heart was beating too fast, and she didn't know what would happen next.
Because she didn't know, her heart beat even faster, making her breathing uneven.
"What is it you want to say?" she gently pushed him, but didn't dare to use much force.
Earlier in the day, he had been so stern and difficult to deal with. Now... well, now he was even more difficult to deal with.
Right now, she had absolutely no idea how to interact with him.
"Feng Yexuan, let me go first." But as the words left her lips, they sounded so soft and sweet, not at all like a refusal.
Feng Yexuan chuckled softly.
He hadn't expected that the woman who always opposed him during the day, the seemingly cold and unfeeling dead woman, would also have moments of shyness.
When shy, she was truly... adorable.
"I'm not feeling well. Holding you will make me feel warmer," he said in a husky voice.
"Are you cold?" It was a bit chilly tonight. She quickly said, "Lie down, and I'll cover you with a blanket."
"Lie down?"
Feng Yexuan's gaze fixed on her, and then his thin lips curled into a smile: "Alright."
Just as Chu Qianli was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he unexpectedly pulled her down with him as he fell back.
"Your Highness..."
"What do you call me?"
In her panic, Chu Qianli looked up, only to find him lowering his head to look at her.
Accidentally, her forehead bumped against his lips.
That kiss landed, and instantly, her entire body felt like it was on fire.
"You..."
"What do you call me?" Feng Yexuan insisted on asking, tightening his arms and pulling her into his embrace. His voice was deep and hoarse, "Hmm?"