Cen Yu shifted her body, but the guards had bound her tightly. The knots were of a special kind; the more she struggled, the tighter they became. She simply relaxed her body and leaned back against the chair: "Don't be in a hurry, we have plenty of time. We can talk slowly. I imagine you're very eager to know who lured your father out of the city."
"It's simple, someone who understood my father and knew my mother." Xiao Man said slowly, "Cen Yu, don't play games with me. I know far more than you imagine!"
Cen Yu curved her lips into a smile: "Xiao Man, before you speak, I have a question for you. What does Mo Han mean to you? A friend, family, or the one you love?"
"It's none of your business."
"I presume he's not the one you love." Cen Yu leaned forward, closing the distance to Xiao Man, and stared into her eyes: "The one you love in your heart should be Prince Qin, Nangong Yu."
Xiao Man frowned: "My patience is limited."
Cen Yu smiled: "Don't rush. What I'm about to say will surely interest you!"
"I advise you to play fewer tricks. Not only do I have poor patience, but I also have a worse temper."
"Alright, let's talk business. On that day, there were a total of five groups of people who visited Nanluo Manor, not counting myself." Cen Yu spoke as if telling a story, her voice melodious. "The first to arrive ordered incense and brewed tea. Your father was an old acquaintance of hers."
"Who was he?"
"A young woman, no, she should be called a madam," Cen Yu said slowly. "A woman connected to your mother."
Xiao Man narrowed her eyes: "Name."
"I remember, your father called her Aunt Qin," Cen Yu said slowly. "Do you know this person?"
Xiao Man shook her head. She didn't know this person. Steward Lu might, as he had been a subordinate to her mother.
"I don't know."
"The second group of people was a group of assassins, but your father beat them away."
"I know that."
"The third group was the Princess of Qi. At that time, your father was poisoned and couldn't move. She immediately stabbed your father three times, then left the knife and walked away, saying, 'A daughter's debt is paid by her father.'" Cen Yu said with a smile. "The Princess of Qi hated you, but she couldn't touch you, so she took it out on your father. In a way, your father was killed by you?"
Xiao Man remained silent. She had guessed why Du Yulan hated her, it was likely due to her losing her child. She just hadn't expected Du Yulan to be so insane.
"Why did you so maniacally harm the people around Mo Han?" Xiao Man asked.
"Because he is all I have. I want him to be good only to me. But you want to take away the only thing I have. You already have so much, why must you snatch away the sole light of others?"
"Did I snatch it away?" Xiao Man asked softly. "I never intended to take anything from you. Why don't you consider that you misunderstood?"
Cen Yu looked at Xiao Man and smiled eerily: "Even if you didn't intend to, you did indeed take away all our hopes. Prince Qi admired you. The Princess of Qi finally had a child, but you caused its demise. Mo Han is the only light in my life, and you've stolen him. Xiao Man, don't you think it's laughable when you say this?"
"Even if you hate me, there should be a clear account. Why did you attack my family?"
"Because we couldn't get close to you at all. The Imperial Guards of the General's Mansion, the Prime Minister's Mansion, and Prince Qin's Mansion – the guards around you were comparable to those protecting an emperor!" Cen Yu said slowly. "I've always been curious, under such strict protection, who was so formidable that they could repeatedly inflict serious injuries upon you?"
Xiao Man remained silent. Her severe injuries almost always occurred in public. Xiao Zhen couldn't expose her importance, Prince Qin dared not reveal his feelings, and her own influence couldn't be revealed. The only ones openly protecting her were the hidden guards of the Wen family!
And Wen Mo Han hid nothing of his affection for her. His Majesty also implicitly allowed the Wen family's hidden guards to protect her. Her repeated injuries were also partly due to her deliberate display of weakness. If she hadn't wanted it, it wouldn't have been easy for those hidden in the shadows to harm her.
"He is indeed formidable. He saw through everyone and used everyone around me to push me to a dead end. However, people's hearts cannot be manipulated. Sooner or later, he will face retribution!"
Cen Yu was silent for a moment, then continued: "My story isn't finished yet. Do you still want to listen?"
"Speak."
"The fourth group was a man. He shattered your father's chest with a single palm, leaving him critically injured." Cen Yu's eyes were full of malice. "Guess who he was?"
Xiao Man stared at Cen Yu with cold eyes, as if she wouldn't believe a single word he said.
"You are very familiar with that person, so familiar that you would suspect everyone else, but not him!" Cen Yu's smile widened as she looked at Xiao Man's composed demeanor. "You've always been suspicious. Even with Mo Han, you're not entirely trusting. I don't know how Xiao Zhen taught you, but I know there aren't many people you trust, and you already have an answer in your heart, don't you?"
"Who was the last group?" Xiao Man's voice was indifferent, as if nothing could shake her.
"The last group didn't enter, but stood outside and used hidden weapons. I didn't see the person, but not many people use plum blossom needles as hidden weapons. I presume you've started investigating." Cen Yu taunted her. "Xiao Man, you truly have many enemies. Each of them wishes you dead, yet they can't kill you, so they try every way to kill those you care about. But that only hurts you for a short while. Xiao Man, what would it take to make you suffer unbearable pain?"
"It's impossible!"
"You are indeed cold-blooded." Cen Yu continued to lean back in her chair. "Even I couldn't remain indifferent. Yet you can face your beloved father and the man you love with such detachment. Do you even have a heart?"
Xiao Man said slowly: "A ghost who crawled back from hell, not even a human, how could I have a heart?"
"A ghost?" Cen Yu frowned, looking at Xiao Man in confusion.
"You haven't seen true hell yet, you don't know what true despair is." Xiao Man stood up. "Come back and ask me this question after you've seen true hell."
Cen Yu stared blankly at Xiao Man's retreating figure. Hell, what is hell? From childhood to adulthood, Xiao Man had been doted upon by Xiao Zhen, enjoying endless love and luxury. After growing up, she was protected by Prince Qin and Mo Han. What hell could she have witnessed?
"Hell, if there is truly hell in this world, I truly wish to see it."