Chapter 31 Fate's Fourteenth Encounter!

Chapter 31

Yan Danqing's "undercover agent" in the court is truly capable; he actually managed to bring out Chi Zhanlan Ce. Now that peace talks are about to begin, the sudden appearance of the Northern Yan delegation in the Western Market of the Southern Capital must mean something important is happening.

The carriage sped past like a gust of wind, kicking up clouds of dust.

Ye Xiren took a few steps back, her gaze following the direction the carriage had traveled. Yan Shuang and the others were waiting ahead, ready to begin the assassination plan as soon as Chi Zhanlan Ce disembarked…

The carriage suddenly stopped.

Just past the Jade Silver Pavilion, before they had even reached their intended destination, Moller suddenly tightened the reins, and the carriage lurched to a complete stop.

Yan Shuang, who was constantly observing the carriage's position, frowned and tensed up instantly. Her eyes were fixed on the stopped carriage. The distance was quite far, and even with her excellent eyesight, she could only see the carriage stop for a moment before the driver slowly turned around as instructed.

What happened?!

Not far away, Ma Shan gestured to her:

Have we been discovered?

Yan Shuang was unsure and shook her head, indicating that they should hold back for now. In the gradually bustling West Market, pairs of eyes hidden in the crowd were watching the carriage. Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging.

The carriage turned around, and the horses' hooves swayed, actually heading straight back the way they came.

Have we been discovered?!

That shouldn't be the case. If they were able to lure people out, they must have used "bait." Why would the carriage stop and turn back before even seeing its target? Especially in such an ordinary place.

What did Chizhan Lance discover?

Ye Xiren frowned instantly, watching the carriage return in front of her, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

However, the carriage stopped again.

It stopped in front of Ye Xiren.

Her brow twitched instantly, as if a hand had suddenly gripped her heart, causing her heartbeat to stop for a moment, making it difficult to breathe, and sending chills down her spine.

The carriage window curtain was drawn back, and a familiar face appeared before him. His complexion was pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time. He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a thin, smiling mouth. He leaned lazily against the carriage window, and his long, narrow phoenix eyes, when he looked at someone intently, were like being stared at by a cold, venomous snake, sending chills down one's spine.

He looked intently at Ye Xiren, a flicker of doubt passing through his eyes.

"Miss, do we know each other?"

Chi Zhanlan Ce spoke slowly, languidly and casually, but his eyes were fixed on her, as if trying to see through her appearance and understand the sudden sense of familiarity. The inexplicable intuition always made him wary.

Ye Xiren stood frozen in place.

Chi Zhanlan Ce's heartbeat, which had momentarily stopped when he looked at her, was now gradually returning to normal. Her breathing seemed to have completely disappeared, but her heartbeat had become incredibly clear.

Thump.

Knock knock.

Each beat resonated in my ears like the resounding beat of drums.

He mustn't notice anything amiss!

She could feel Chi Zhanlan Ce observing her closely, like a venomous snake sniffing its prey, ready to strike and kill at any moment. Her back was instantly soaked with sweat, and her hands, hidden under her sleeves, clenched tightly, her nails digging painfully into her palms, but her mind was perfectly clear.

Ye Xiren frowned, her voice filled with embarrassment and annoyance: "What do you mean by this, young master?"

After saying that, she turned to leave.

Chi Zhanlan Ce seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly smiled, realizing something. His phoenix eyes curved into crescents. "It seems that Miss Ye has indeed forgotten that we have met before."

Ye Xiren stopped in her tracks.

With her back to Chi Zhanlan Ce, she tensed her body, her hands silently clasped together, and touched the dagger hidden in her sleeve. The cold, hard touch gave her a little confidence, preventing her legs from going weak.

Not far away, Yan Shuang and Ma Shan simultaneously went on alert, reaching for the weapons hidden nearby, waiting for Ye Xiren's command to pounce and attack.

"On the first day of the third month, my carriage collided with Miss Ye's carriage. We had met once before," Chi Zhanlan Ce's voice rang out again.

Ye Xiren's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and she withdrew the dagger.

She slowly turned around, her eyes first filled with confusion, then she suddenly realized and curtsied, "So it is Your Highness Chizhan. This humble girl greets Your Highness."

Chi Zhanlan Ce casually leaned against the car window, his eyes lowered as he stared intently at her, murmuring:

"No need for formalities. Have we really only met once? Today, I felt that Miss Ye was particularly familiar and approachable. I spotted her at a glance as I passed by."

Ye Xiren: "..."

"Perhaps it's because I have a kind face." She tugged at the corner of her mouth, suppressing her impatience as if she had been disturbed. "I suppose Your Highness has other important matters to attend to, so I will not disturb you any longer. Farewell."

This person is a bit strange, and Ye Xiren doesn't want to stay any longer.

Recalling the previous loop, she remembered how this person's heart had been pierced, yet he still clung to her tightly, insisting on asking for a name, and her wrist throbbed with pain.

"Wait a minute." Chi Zhanlan Ce called out to her, and said, "It's nothing urgent. Where are you going, young lady? I'll see you off."

Ye Xiren didn't turn her head: "No need, I have other things to do, so I won't trouble Your Highness."

After saying that, she quickly left.

Two Northern Yan people appeared silently ahead, blocking the road. Chi Tzhan Lan Ce narrowed his eyes, still pressed against the carriage window, his voice devoid of laughter, and slowly spoke:

"Come up."

He was never a patient man; that wasn't an invitation or a polite gesture, but an order. He felt that Ye Xiren looked familiar, and a strange emotion arose in his heart, so he had to find out the truth.

Yan Shuang frowned and looked at the archer, who had moved his position silently. The archer shook his head.

Chi Zhanlan Ce appeared to have shown his face, but his position was excellent. No matter which direction he shot from, the carriage would block his view, making it impossible to hit the target with a single shot.

Ma Shan's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he gripped the long knife beside him tightly. If all else failed, he would have no choice but to fight head-on.

Do not act rashly.

Ma Shan looked at Yan Shuang, whose grip on the knife loosened. She shook her head and leaned against the mud wall, her brows furrowed. Today's mission had failed. Miss Ye had boarded the carriage alone to buy time.

Assassinating Chizhan Lance and stalling him, though with different outcomes, both achieve the same effect: distracting him from the imperial prison, thus facilitating the successful transfer of the young general...

"But, Miss Ye is in danger," Yan Shuang murmured.

Ye Xiren was indeed planning to stall for time.

Since the mission has failed and Chi Zhanlan Ce has not been lured out as planned, but is instead preparing to turn back, then we should adapt to the situation. As long as we can hold him off, Yan Danqing can also be successfully transferred.

Although it is dangerous to negotiate with a tiger, she has already experienced enough dangers, and at worst she can just die and start over.

She boarded the carriage, dutifully playing the role of the innocent "Second Miss Ye" who had been forced onto it. Her face showed shame and anger, and she sneered, "Is this how Your Highness comes to Daliang as a guest? Although I am not an important person, I will not allow the people of Northern Yan to humiliate me!"

The carriage was warm and spacious. It was hot today, so there was no charcoal brazier, but a thick wolfskin carpet was laid on the floor, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Besides Chi Zhan Lan Ce, there were only two kneeling maids inside the carriage, both dressed as people from Northern Yan. One of them poured tea for Chi Zhan Lan Ce, and the other served Ye Xi Ren at his signal.

He paused, his brow furrowing slightly, and continued:

"The girl looked so familiar, as if I had seen her before. I noticed her at a glance in the crowd and couldn't take my eyes off her."

Ye Xiren pushed away the maid who wanted to wash her hands and serve her tea, her face growing increasingly ashamed and angry, feeling utterly humiliated. "Your Highness Chizhan's way of speaking is far too vulgar. We only met briefly before, how could we possibly know each other?"

"Miss Ye, please don't be angry. I meant no harm." Chi Zhanlan Ce still had that smiling immortal look, seemingly very gentle.

Outside, Mole lowered his voice and asked in his native Northern Yan dialect, "Your Highness, aren't you going?"

Chi Zhanlan Ce remained expressionless and gave the order:

"Please have Mr. Ucho handle this. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't go in person. Please make sure it's clean and leaves no trace."

"yes."

The few sentences were all in the local dialect of Northern Yan. The official language of Northern Yan is similar to that of Daliang, but the accents of the local dialects are very strong. At least Ye Xiren couldn't understand a single word.

She lowered her eyes.

Speaking in his hometown dialect in front of her, the content must be a secret that no one else can know. Although she can't understand it, she silently repeats it in her mind, imitating the accent, and tries hard to remember it.

Ye Xiren's ears twitched; several people outside had quietly left the group.

“Second Miss Ye.” Chi Zhanlan Ce looked at her again, his eyes filled with inquiry and scrutiny, then, unwilling to give up, asked again, “Have we really only met once? Why… do we seem so familiar?”

That's really strange.

He had never felt this familiar before. Even if the person in front of him was hidden in the crowd, he could still notice him at a glance. It was as if his heart stopped for a moment and he felt a faint throbbing pain.

Ye Xiren gave a forced smile, her voice indifferent:

"Your Highness, I've already told you that your tricks for getting close to women are something even纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) in our Great Liang wouldn't stoop to. I have no acquaintance with Your Highness, no connection whatsoever, so how could we possibly be familiar with each other? Are you going to talk about some kind of fate from a past life next?"

Her hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched tightly. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she was overwhelmed by fear and panic. Anxiety spread endlessly, but on the surface, she still tried her best to maintain a calm and natural demeanor, stalling for time.

Chi Zhanlan Ce is a madman!

So what if I killed him once in the last cycle? Even after restarting, he still remembers it!

Ye Xiren's reply was subtly sarcastic. Even if there was some truth to it, she should have been furious and changed her attitude in the face of such a response.

However, Chi Zhanlan paused, spilling some tea from his hand onto his clothes. A maid quickly cleaned it up to prevent his clothes from getting wet, but he didn't care at all. He just looked at Ye Xiren and murmured, "Fate?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly clasped his hands together and laughed, as if enlightened. "So this is the destiny of love at first sight."

Ye Xiren: "?"

What? !

Chi Zhanlan Ce sized up the woman in front of him. She was beautiful, with a slender and delicate figure. Her doe-like eyes were dark and clear, as if they could reflect all the darkness in the world.

She appears delicate and obedient, but this is clearly just an act. She was "invited" onto the carriage by the prince of the enemy country halfway there, but she remained calm. Beneath her delicate exterior lies a resilient heart that can withstand a thousand blows. This woman is very good at putting on an act.

Chi Zhan Lan Ce narrowed his eyes and smiled, "What is Miss Ye's name? Do you have a courtesy name? My surname is Chi Zhan and my given name is Lan Ce. Miss Ye can just call me Lan Ce from now on."

Ye Xiren: "??"

Chi Zhanlan leaned closer and poured tea for her personally. His long, white-trimmed sleeves slid down to Ye Xiren's sides, and the two drew nearer to each other. His manner was warm and gentle, and his eyes were filled with a smile.

"Lan Ce is not yet married. After the peace talks, he will propose marriage to the Emperor of Liang, hoping that our fate will allow us to maintain good relations between our two countries forever."

Ye Xiren: "???"

She jerked backward, moving away from Chi Zhanlan Ce, her head hitting the carriage without her noticing, her eyes filled with terror as if she had seen a ghost, frantically creating distance.

Ye Xiren forced a smile, unable even to manage a fake one, and said with difficulty, "Your Highness, you jest."

"I am serious."

Chi Zhanlan Ce moved closer to her, their sleeves intertwined, and his voice seemed to whisper in her ear: "I fell in love with you at first sight, heaven and earth are my witnesses. We are a perfect match, what's wrong with us?"

Ye Xiren had nowhere to avoid it. She suppressed the urge to slap him and rush out of the carriage, and forced a smile: "Marriage is a serious matter, how can it be treated like a game? I don't like Your Highness, we are not meant to be."

She was calculating the time in her mind.

Has Yan Danqing been successfully transferred? She's already got the key, and her father should know the situation is critical and will act quickly, right? She's about to collapse...

“But I feel like we’re destined to be together,” Chi Zhanlan Ce said, raising his hand to his chest and murmuring, “Otherwise, why would my heart race the moment I see you? My intuition tells me something.”

He always trusted his intuition, which he believed helped him avoid disaster and bring the most accurate answers.

Ye Xiren glanced out the window, exhaled, and smiled slightly: "We've arrived at the Ye family's residence. I'll stop here. Thank you, Your Highness. Farewell."

The transfer should have been completed successfully.

Yan Danqing...

She knew she should hurry; she wasn't going to delay any longer and would find another opportunity to kill him.

"Wait." Chi Zhanlan Ce grabbed her sleeve, refusing to let her go.

Just then, a strange whistle sounded.

Chi Zhanlan Ce's expression suddenly changed. The carriage door was opened, and Mo Le lowered his voice in the Northern Yan language: "Your Highness, something has happened to the Imperial City Guard. Yan Danqing has been moved away."

Ye Xiren didn't understand what he was saying.

But the name "Yan Danqing" made it clear that the only news that would arrive at this time, making the people of Northern Yan look grim, was that Yan Danqing had been successfully transferred!

Ye Xiren breathed a sigh of relief.

"I suppose Your Highness has important business to attend to. Farewell." She climbed out of the carriage, trying to break free from Chi Zhanlan Ce's grasp and jump down.

However, Chizhan Lanze refused to give up.

Ye Xiren turned to look at the sleeve he was clutching, her brows furrowing. What did this man mean? Yan Danqing had already been moved away, and he wasn't going to deal with the aftermath?

Chi Zhanlan Ce looked at her, grabbed her sleeve with one hand, pointed to his heart with the other, smiled softly, and said in a low voice, "Do you know what the voice here told me when I saw you?"

"Huh?" Ye Xiren was taken aback.

"I'll kill you!"

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Author's Note: A guessing game (no prize): Will Xixi fail this time?! Hahaha!