The slide just now had both blood and worms on it, but now only worms remain.

Xiao Qingyin couldn't help but have a horrifying thought.

Could these insects be blood-sucking?

To verify this idea, she picked up a small amount of insects and put them into the drop of blood that had just been used for examination by the Marquis of Yong'an, and then observed it under a microscope.

The insects kept wriggling towards the surrounding blood, and soon they had sucked it all up.

Xiao Qingyin gasped.

Do these insects only feed on blood?

Do they even eat muscle tissue, connective tissue, and nerve tissue?

If Linlang's body is full of these worms, wouldn't she be constantly being eaten away?

How did she endure the pain and remain conscious?

Perhaps she has some kind of inhibitor that can control the insects' devouring behavior?

What are these terrifying insects used for?

Xiao Qingyin's mind was full of questions.

He wished he could call Linlang over and ask her for an explanation.

But Linlang is mute!

The mastermind behind this must have considered this point, which is why they specifically found a mute person!

That's infuriating!

Xiao Qingyin told Yi Shuihan and his family about this discovery.

Yi Shuihan nodded: "I will have people keep an eye on her every move."

"Can I take some of these insects back to study?"

Xiao Qingyin really wanted to figure out the purpose of these insects.

“Of course you can,” Yi Shuihan replied, “but you must be careful not to touch these insects with your own hands.”

"Uh-huh."

Xiao Qingyin certainly wouldn't touch them.

They're so small, they can get into her body through her pores, and she doesn't want to be eaten clean.

Discussions here alone will not yield results; many things still require investigation.

Seeing that there was nothing more for her to do, Xiao Qingyin left with her medical kit, microscope, and some insects.

Yi Shuihan also went to arrange the personnel for the investigation.

In the blink of an eye, only Princess Zhaoyang and Marquis Yong'an remained in the study.

The two looked at each other without saying a word for a while.

Princess Zhaoyang broke the silence first: "I'm sorry, I've been lying to you for so many years."

He clearly didn't like women like her who spent their days riding horses across the grasslands, wielding swords and spears, or drinking and eating heartily.

She pretended to be a demure older sister to deceive him.

He kept lying for over twenty years.

If she were in her shoes, she would definitely have already grabbed a knife and started attacking someone.

Marquis Yong'an stared at her intently.

“I don’t mind, really. At first, I was just attracted to your beauty and asked the Emperor to grant me marriage before I even knew what kind of person your sister was. Over the years, my heart has always been with you.”

Princess Zhaoyang, however, felt that he was just trying to comfort her.

"That's because you don't know what kind of person I really am."

Princess Zhaoyang sighed.

"What you see is me playing the older sister."

"When I was young, I hated reading and practicing calligraphy the most, let alone composing poems."

"Back then, my biggest dream was to be a female knight-errant who roamed the martial arts world, find a young knight-errant with superb martial arts skills, and together we would fight against the strong and help the weak, rob the rich to help the poor, and uphold justice."

"When I get old and can no longer fight, I will find an ordinary small town to live in seclusion and live the life of an ordinary person."

“He slaughtered pigs and I sold wine. Every day after we finished our work, we would sit in the yard, eat braised pig ears, drink wine, and chat about everyday things.”

Marquis Yong'an: "..."

I'm sorry, he's too old and has long since missed the stage of strengthening his muscles and bones, so he really can't learn martial arts anymore.

As for slaughtering pigs... well, maybe, perhaps, possibly I could still give it a shot?

If you have someone clean the pig a bit more and tie its snout tighter, he should still be able to kill it, right?

"I can be a butcher too."

He said it weakly.

Princess Zhaoyang chuckled.

“There’s no need to force it. We can switch roles. I’ll be the pig butcher, and you can be the wine seller.”

Marquis Yong'an imagined the scene and shuddered.

The scene was too beautiful for him to bear.

After Princess Zhaoyang finished laughing, her eyes darkened.

"You promised to live out the rest of my sister's life for her, but you've already broken your promise..."

"Just be yourself from now on."

Marquis Yong'an felt a pang of heartache.

"If your sister is watching from heaven, she would definitely think the same way. She risked her life to save you, not to make you another version of herself."

Princess Zhaoyang certainly knew.

My sister is so gentle and kind; she'll definitely think of her best interests.

She decided to let her sister "live" because she didn't want her sister to disappear from this world.

Moreover, after playing the role of the older sister for so many years, she has integrated her personality, preferences, and habits into her very being, and it is no longer possible to distinguish which part is herself and which part is the older sister.

What's the point of talking about being yourself then?

"My sister and I have become one, and we can't be separated."

Princess Zhaoyang replied.

"It doesn't matter."

Marquis Yong'an smiled.

"I only like you, not any particular type of woman."

He loved her whether she was gentle and virtuous or free-spirited and unrestrained.

Princess Zhaoyang felt more relaxed than ever before after hearing his words.

It turns out my worries were unnecessary.

He didn't care at all.

Her heart suddenly calmed down.

What should I call you from now on?

Marquis Yong'an asked.

Situ Ning was not her name; he didn't want to call her Ning'er anymore.

"How about I call you by your original nickname?"

Princess Zhaoyang shook her head.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!