Zi Xia's face turned pale. Her preference for men was already unacceptable to the world, and what was worse, the person she liked didn't like her back. This was even more painful than unrequited love!
"If I were you, I'd go save them immediately instead of wasting time here!"
Xiao Man withdrew her foot. "Arrest them and interrogate them thoroughly. I want to see what Cen Yu is planning!"
"Yes."
Xiao Man turned and headed out of the city. Dongfang Wei appeared. "That treacherous Cen Yu, do you really intend to go alone?"
"Is it possible to go alone?" Xiao Man said faintly, "I'm not stupid."
"But he wants you to go alone."
"You take thirty elites and set off in half an incense stick's time, heading straight for Nanluo Mountain Villa. I'll go meet Cen Yu first," Xiao Man said slowly. "He might know something I don't."
Dongfang Wei frowned. "You should still take someone with you."
"Prioritize Mo Han's safety. Don't worry, I'll try to stall for time until you arrive." In the blink of an eye, Xiao Man was already several feet away and disappeared in moments. Dongfang Wei felt an uneasy premonition and immediately went back to gather his men, timing their departure to aid Xiao Man.
At Prince Qi's mansion, in the main courtyard, Du Yu Lan sat before a bronze mirror, her waterfall-like black hair being brushed. She saw Nangong Yi stride in and turned her head, smiling gently. "Your Highness, you're back."
"Is Xiao Zhen's death related to you in any way?" Nangong Yi had been drunk and caused a scene at the imperial palace last night. Du Yu Lan had been summoned to the Golden Hall to confront the accusers while he slept soundly in Consort De's palace. By the time he woke up, it was already evening. He had dinner with Consort De and only learned of Du Yu Lan's summons after leaving the palace.
"Your Highness, how could I, a weak woman, kill someone?" Du Yu Lan said softly. "It's just a frame-up."
"I know Xiao Man; she's not someone who would frame others!"
"Then, Your Highness means I'm lying?" Du Yu Lan's face was as pure as ever, just as when he first saw her. Facing Nangong Yi's doubt, she remained composed.
"This Prince only wants to know the truth!"
"The truth is that Xiao Man framed me."
"She would never frame you!" Nangong Yi roared angrily. "Yu Lan, tell me, is Xiao Zhen's death related to you?"
"What if it is, what if it isn't?" Du Yu Lan looked at Nangong Yi quietly. "At this point, Your Highness still hasn't given up? Are you still thinking of being with her?"
"Du Yu Lan!"
"Nangong Yi!" Du Yu Lan slammed the table and stood up. "I'm telling you, Xiao Man will never be with you. You should give up this idea as soon as possible!"
Nangong Yi's eyes turned red. He grabbed Du Yu Lan's shoulders. "You are not her, how do you know we can never be together?"
Du Yu Lan smiled, her smile gentle yet cruel. She whispered in Nangong Yi's ear, "Because, I conspired with the Empress Dowager to kill Xiao Zhen."
Nangong Yi looked at Du Yu Lan in disbelief. He couldn't understand why the formerly gentle and kind Du Yu Lan had become so cruel.
"You... how can you still smile?"
"Why can't I smile?" Du Yu Lan reached out and touched her belly. "She stole my man's heart. I don't blame her; it's my fault for not being able to hold onto my man's heart. But she killed my child, and I will never tolerate it. The pain of losing a child, you don't understand, but it tortures me day and night. If I can't have peace, neither will you! You like Xiao Man and want to be with her, so I'll cut off the possibility of you being together. Let's see if Xiao Man will be with the son of her father's murderer!"
"Madwoman, you are all mad!"
"Madwoman, I am indeed a madwoman!" Du Yu Lan said hatefully. "The day you treated me as Xiao Man's substitute, the day Xiao Man killed my child and you brushed it off lightly, I became mad! Nangong Yi, I am in pain, and you will accompany me in pain. As for Xiao Man, I want her to suffer a hundred, a thousand times more than I do!"
Nanluo Mountain Villa. Since Xiao Zhen's death, Xiao Man had never returned. She feared encountering scenes that would stir up her grief, and even more, she feared she couldn't suppress the hatred in her heart and rush to fight Feng Tian Lan. Even though she had gathered some strength, she was still far from Feng Tian Lan's match. Unless she could kill him with a single blow, attacking Feng Tian Lan would be like plunging herself into hell.
Xiao Man stood outside Nanluo Mountain Villa. Without hesitation, she pushed the door open and went inside. It was pitch black inside, as if no one was there. As she walked in, the lights in the room flickered on. Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Man hesitated for a moment before walking closer. The door was open, and no one was inside. Her gaze swept across the room. A cup of tea sat on the table, steaming. The aroma of She Lan tea wafted through the room. Xiao Man's fingers clenched tightly, her nails piercing her skin. She used the pain to remind herself to stay calm, not to fall into the enemy's trap.
From the censer on the small table, wisps of smoke curled, mixing with the She Lan tea to create a peculiar sweet fragrance.
"Why don't you come in?" a voice came from inside the room. "Aren't you here to save someone?"
A person walked out from behind a screen. They were tall and slender, with a face that was neither male nor female. No matter how many times Xiao Man saw it, she found this face very deceptive.
"Now, you won't even let Mo Han go?"
"It's you who won't let him go," Cen Yu walked to the table and sat down, picking up the teacup on the table and bringing it to his nose to sniff carefully. "The best She Lan tea of early spring. Won't you have a cup?"
"Didn't your father tell you not to eat things given by strangers?" Xiao Man remained unmoved.
"I heard that General Xiao loved She Lan tea the most. That day, he was sitting in the very spot I am now, smelling the fresh fragrance of She Lan tea, savoring its mellow sweetness. I suppose General Xiao never dreamed that his favorite She Lan tea would become his death warrant!" Cen Yu said slowly.
Xiao Man gritted her teeth and stared at Cen Yu. She finally understood why Wen Mo Han had fallen into Cen Yu's hands. It was likely that Wen Mo Han had been lured here with clues about the murderer.
"Where is Mo Han?"
Cen Yu heard her and crossed his legs, looking at Xiao Man and smiling. "I thought you would ask who the murderer was."
"Where is Mo Han?" Xiao Man took a deep breath and asked again.
"Wen Mo Han's whereabouts, and the murderer of your father, I can only answer one of them. Do you want to think carefully about which answer you truly desire?" Cen Yu said faintly. "If you miss this opportunity, you may never know the truth."
Xiao Man stared at Cen Yu coldly, unmoved. "Where is Mo Han?"
The smile on Cen Yu's face disappeared. He stared blankly at Xiao Man. In his opinion, Xiao Man had no true feelings for Wen Mo Han. He had used the murderer of her father as bait, and Xiao Man would surely choose the information about the killer over Wen Mo Han. Who would have thought that Xiao Man would exceed his expectations?