Chapter 51 051 Running Again...

Lin Wan had no idea she would run into her.

She walked towards the fish pond in the front yard, thinking that there was a small, secluded side door nearby. She planned to take advantage of Xie Huaiyuan's absence and the fact that he was less vigilant about her to check out that small side door.

After seeing clearly the group of people walking towards them from the covered walkway, it was too late to dodge.

The lady, dressed in magnificent robes and with exquisite makeup, walked in with a large entourage of maids and servants. The princess walked in front, carefully supported by a maid, while the others followed closely behind, their expressions solemn and unwavering.

Lin Wan withdrew her gaze, respectfully stopped, stood to one side, and bowed to the princess with her eyes lowered.

Upon seeing Lin Wan, the princess paused in her approach, then withdrew her hand from the maid's, stood still, and stared intently at Lin Wan, who was standing under the veranda.

She asked, "Lin Wan?"

Lin Wan maintained her bow, saying, "Lin Wan greets Your Highness."

Since the princess heard that Lin Wan from the Su family had been missing for nearly a month, Lord Su had already dispatched people to search the capital extensively with the city patrol, leaving no corner or secluded place unchecked, even the lowest of the low, and even those brothels, for fear that she might have been sent to such places by mistake. This was already the worst possible scenario.

The princess looked her up and down carefully. Her face was rosy and delicate, and even the clothes she was wearing were the most fashionable spring dresses in the capital at that time.

She hummed softly. Everyone assumed she had probably met with some misfortune long ago. After disappearing for so long, even a good unmarried girl from a respectable family would have had her reputation ruined by now. Yet, she was one of the few people who knew she had disappeared.

Seeing Lin Wan walking freely here, accompanied by Xie Huaiyuan's trusted maid Liu Ye, it's clear that her disappearance is inextricably linked to Xie Huaiyuan.

The princess's expression changed slightly upon realizing this, but she quickly regained her composure, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"I really didn't expect that Miss Lin was actually in the villa in Pear Blossom Lane. I doubt many people in the capital would dare to search this place. No wonder the city patrol team searched day and night for almost a month and still couldn't find a trace of her. Who would have thought that she was brought back to the villa by the young master?"

Lin Wan lowered her eyes and smiled obediently, without uttering a word of rebuttal.

The princess said coldly, "It's hard for Lord Su and his wife to worry about this every day, not to mention Old Madam Su in the Su family. She fell ill from heartbreak upon hearing about Miss Lin's whereabouts. Yet, Miss Lin, you are here enjoying yourself. You are truly happy."

Faced with the princess's questioning, Lin Wan stiffly curled the corners of her lips and replied meekly, "Thank you for reminding me, Your Highness. If possible, I also hope to see my uncle and the others as soon as possible. I miss my grandmother very much after not seeing her for so many days. I wonder how my grandmother is treating me now?"

No matter how coldly the princess treated her, Lin Wan always obeyed respectfully.

In the eyes of the princess, this only made her dislike it even more.

Such a woman is too good at manipulating people's hearts.

Throughout her smooth-sailing first half of life, Xie Huaiyuan had always been upright and polite, and had never acted so recklessly.

They actually hid her in a separate courtyard. Luckily, everything is still alright for now, but what if...?

Lin Wan was the only one he was determined not to back down from. The last time he mentioned Lin Wan and his marriage, he actually contradicted himself for Lin Wan's sake, which really upset her.

Even worse, just as she was trying to find a way to arrange a marriage between Xie Huaiyuan and her, he resolutely refused, saying that he could only accept Lin Wan.

She grumbled a lot of bad things at Lin Wan in her heart, but Lin Wan listened to everything and didn't refute her at all.

The princess stood there, angrily berating Lin Wan, who endured it all.

She stood at a distance until the princess left.

However, she noticed a woman dressed in the uniform of a palace official following closely behind the princess. The surprise and scrutinizing look in that woman's eyes made Lin Wan feel very uncomfortable. She felt that the woman was staring at her in a dark and sinister way, as if she were being coiled around by a snake.

This made her feel very uncomfortable.

The princess originally intended to come looking for Xie Huaiyuan, since he had rarely returned to the Xiangyang Prince's Mansion recently and she rarely encountered him. So she thought she would come to this residence to look for him, but she still came up empty-handed.

However, it wasn't without its gains. At least she now knew Xie Huaiyuan's true intentions. His words about wanting Lin Wan weren't empty talk; he had actually hidden her in this mansion.

Before leaving, the princess glanced at Lin Wan with a complex expression.

Xie Huaiyuan didn't return until the moon was high in the sky.

As Xie Huaiyuan walked, he spoke, stepping on the veil of moonlight that fell on the floor.

"Has anything happened today?"

The steward of the manor said, "The princess came by today and talked with Miss Lin for a while. She left only one sentence, telling you, young master, to remember to come back to the manor when you have time. She also said that secrets can't be kept forever, and if the truth comes out in the future, it may damage your reputation."

Xie Huaiyuan ordered people to keep an eye on Lin Wan's whereabouts in the courtyard. Although he did not keep Lin Wan under too much control, he did not expect his mother, the princess, to come.

He chuckled softly and nodded to indicate that he was aware of the matter, then said no more.

Since His Majesty fell ill, the affairs of the court have become increasingly numerous, not to mention that the Crown Prince is overseeing the country and managing state affairs. As a result, the discord between the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince has gradually worsened, and he has no choice but to navigate between them.

He has indeed been quite busy lately, almost always leaving early and returning late.

Even so, he still went to see Lin Wan as before.

But when he reached the dormitory door, Xie Huaiyuan's heart sank slightly, and he stopped in his tracks.

Just today, he sent people to investigate Li Yunzhou's matter and they have found out. There are so many things hidden in this matter.

Of all the complicated matters, what concerned him most was that Lin Wan had known Li Yunzhou for many years. If it weren't for the unexpected events that followed, he probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet Lin Wan now.

What he cared about was that Lin Wan would still search for him after so many years. It was also today that he finally remembered why he felt so deeply about Li Yunzhou when Gu Qinghe mentioned him that day. This person was one of the assassins who appeared in the palace many years ago, and later, he died...

Xie Huaiyuan pondered for a moment, then pushed open the door and went in.

The dormitory was silent, with only the candle burning on the table. In the innermost bed, a light gauze-like curtain hung down, and the faint silhouette of a person could be seen rising and falling inside.

The moment he lifted the bed curtains, Lin Wan, who had been keeping her eyes closed, slightly opened them, squinted as she looked towards the sound, and tentatively asked, "Young Master?"

"Um."

Lin Wan, lying on the bed, finally slowly came to her senses, remaining in bed without getting up. "Why are you so late today? Are there many matters to attend to at court?"

Lin Wan had only said it casually and did not expect Xie Huaiyuan to respond to it.

In the past, Xie Huaiyuan would have only stayed here for a while and then let her continue to sleep, but tonight was different.

He kept watching her by the bedside, his expression unreadable, but his dark eyes seemed to see right through her heart, his gaze so direct that it couldn't be ignored.

Lin Wan was startled by the gloom in his eyes. She looked up at him, wondering if she had actually found the small doorway today, and that he shouldn't know it.

"Wanwan, will you always stay by my side?"

His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable pressure that compelled her to respond.

Lin Wan tilted her head slightly, then frowned gently, her eyes, brimming with autumn water, glanced at him, "Of course..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was completely silenced.

Lin Wan's lips, which were about to gasp in surprise, were sealed shut by his kiss.

The attack came so fiercely that Lin Wan had no chance to dodge. The burning sensation kept raging, and for a moment, she couldn't think straight. She could only clench her fists tightly under the blanket.

Xie Huaiyuan looked down at her in his arms, at the beautiful woman's flushed cheeks and restrained expression, and his passion surged even more intensely.

It seemed to contain a silent plea to stay.

Lin Wan was almost overwhelmed by Xie Huaiyuan's aggressive and plundering style, and she swallowed her rapid breathing.

After a while, she asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Wanwan, remember you promised you'd always stay with me."

In the end, Xie Huaiyuan let her go and didn't make things too difficult for her. He managed to restrain himself with great difficulty before turning around and leaving the dormitory.

Lin Wan, lying on the bed, stared blankly at the door. After a long while, she slowly lowered her head and nervously opened her hand hidden under the covers.

She opened her fist, revealing a slip of paper. In the dim candlelight on the table, a few words were hastily written on the crumpled paper: "Tomorrow night, at sunset, meet me at the back door."

This is what the lady-in-waiting who accompanied the princess to the residence today secretly slipped into her hand before leaving, drawing a crowd to her side.

Unexpectedly, this person was a lady-in-waiting of Princess Zhaoyi.

Lin Wan stared at the note in her hand; the few scribbled words sent a chill down her spine.

She remembered there was one more urgent thing to do: something very important had fallen into the hands of Princess Zhaoyi.

The next day.

Unexpectedly, Xie Huaiyuan did not go out today. He stayed by her side the whole time and was very interested in teaching her to play the zither. He held her in his arms and patiently taught her step by step.

It wasn't until dusk that Xie Huaiyuan suddenly received an urgent summons from the palace, and he hurriedly left.

"Wanwan, wait for me. I'll teach you to play the piano again when I get back."

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, a fire suddenly broke out in the kitchen at the back of the house. The flames, carried by the wind, quickly spread and burned.

At this moment, everyone was busy fighting the fire and no one noticed that Lin Wan was quietly and quickly running towards the back door from the dark and winding path on the side of the corridor.

Every step was a heart-pounding, nerve-wracking experience.

Finally, we reached the back door.

Lin Wan, slightly out of breath, eagerly opened the tightly closed door; all she had to do was step out…

"Wanwan, didn't you say you wouldn't leave me? Where are you going?"