Chapter 51 He never really wanted Yunzhu to die...

Xiao Mingzhang stood in front of her again.

When Yunzhu returned from the grassland, she heard that the children had all gone to Granny Fang's house, so she wanted to go to Granny Fang's house to pick up Mu Zhaozhi. Unexpectedly, she saw Xiao Mingzhang, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, outside the door.

This was the first time Xiao Mingzhang had appeared before her in half a month.

Yunzhu met his gaze, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She walked past him without saying anything to him.

But as the two passed each other, Xiao Mingzhang grabbed Yunzhu's wrist.

Perhaps knowing her dislike for him, he held her very lightly; Yunzhu could easily shake him off with just a slight lift of her hand.

And that's exactly what she did.

Xiao Mingzhang said wearily, "Yunzhu, let's talk."

This was the umpteenth time Xiao Mingzhang had said this since their reunion.

Yunzhu didn't want to talk to Xiao Mingzhang from the beginning. She may have wavered at times, but after learning that he hadn't come to see her even once in three whole years, she changed her mind.

She didn't want to think about it anymore; she completely didn't want to think about it anymore.

She said to Xiao Mingzhang, "I have nothing to talk to you about. The only thing I want to talk about is that you should stop bothering my daughter in the future. She is my daughter, not yours."

Yes, the fact that Xiao Mingzhang was standing outside Granny Fang's house was enough for Yunzhu to know that he was actually after Mu Zhaozhi today.

Yunzhu's daughter has always been her Achilles' heel. She has said that she will not allow Xiao Mingzhang to have any contact with her, not even in the slightest.

Xiao Mingzhang was puzzled. Ever since their reunion, Yunzhu had repeatedly denied his relationship with Mu Zhaozhi.

He recalled what Mu Zhaozhi had just told him, and, with a heart full of anguish, asked, "Why isn't she my child? She clearly carries your and my blood, Yunzhu, this is a fact you can never deny!"

"What utter nonsense about bloodline! I've long heard that when you Central Plains royal families fight for the throne, you never care about brotherhood or kinship. Didn't you want to kill me back then? Now you're suddenly thinking about the bloodline I gave birth to? What, you Central Plains don't like the crown princess from the Western Regions, but you like the child born to a woman from the Western Regions? Do you really think she's a product of your royal family? Will you treat her sincerely in the future?"

If bloodline hadn't been mentioned, it would have been fine, but since bloodline was brought up, Yunzhu's questions suddenly became like a string of witty remarks, each word striking Xiao Mingzhang's heart.

Yunzhu's eyes were bloodshot. She thought that the word "bloodline" was the one she hated most in her life. Because of the word "bloodline," she had suffered all kinds of grievances in the Huanwang Mansion. Because of the word "bloodline," her whole family had worked together to kill her. Now, she had even come to hide in a place like this, yet Xiao Mingzhang still dared to mention bloodline in front of her.

Is bloodline something so important that it can surpass human life?

Bullshit, all of it is bullshit!

Yunzhu's eyes gradually grew fiercer as she glared at Xiao Mingzhang, as if he were her mortal enemy.

Xiao Mingzhang was startled by Yunzhu's reaction; it seemed he had said something wrong in front of her again.

He hurriedly said, "Yunzhu, that's not what I meant. I..."

"Didn't you say it yourself? You wanted me to reconsider killing you?" Xiao Mingzhang tried to explain, but Yunzhu blocked his way. "What, Xiao Mingzhang? Three years have passed. Have you figured it out? If we could go back to the beginning, if I hadn't heard those words, how would you have killed me?"

I don't.

I never intended to actually kill you.

Xiao Mingzhang wanted to speak and explain everything that happened in the study back then, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know where to begin.

Because those words were indeed spoken by him, even if they were just excuses to appease Lou Yan and the other man. He did indeed say those words.

"Yunzhu, I never really wanted you to die..." The usually eloquent and shrewd Crown Prince Huan could only manage this feeble rebuttal in the face of his wife's accusations.

Yunzhu found it extremely ridiculous.

"Are you still trying to say that your threat to kill me was just a delaying tactic? A last resort to stall them?"

"..."

Xiao Mingzhang was speechless, knowing that saying something at this moment would only invite Yunzhu's more undisguised mockery. But besides that, he didn't know what else to say.

Even when he was being pressured most by his father and his advisors, Xiao Mingzhang never really wanted Yunzhu to die. The most outrageous thing he ever thought of was to make Yunzhu fake her death temporarily.

He admitted that the idea of ​​having Yunzhu temporarily fake her death had lingered in his mind, and not just for a moment.

But in the end, he abandoned the idea because he couldn't bear to part with Yunzhu, his wife of three years, with whom he had shared a bed and was deeply in love. He knew that if he made such a decision, Yunzhu would inevitably be utterly disappointed in him and would inevitably drift away from him, and he didn't want that...

Call him indecisive or a bad leader, but Xiao Mingzhang did indeed choose Yunzhu in his heart.

But no one knows what's on his mind. Even if he explains it clearly, outsiders will still look at him with their preconceived doubts and many questions.

Xiao Mingzhang was always a man of action rather than words.

He remained silent for a long time, saying nothing, but gazing intently at Yunzhu.

Yunzhu, however, felt that she had already obtained Xiao Mingzhang's answer.

He was so guilty he didn't dare speak, so what could she possibly hope for? She couldn't hope for anything at all.

A mocking and contemptuous chuckle escaped her lips as she turned and entered the courtyard of Granny Fang's house, just like Mu Zhaozhi had done before.

Xiao Mingzhang watched helplessly as the mother and daughter moved and appeared almost identical, standing silently in place, doing nothing more.

He was just waiting.

After they came out of Grandma Fang's house, he quietly followed behind them, like a shadow.

Neither the mother nor the daughter turned back.

—

Xiao Mingzhang reappeared.

Ayan only found out about this that evening.

When Yunzhu and Mu Zhaozhi returned, neither of them mentioned Xiao Mingzhang. Ayan assumed that it would be the same today, and that Xiao Mingzhang had not come to Hanze.

Unexpectedly, he came, right outside their door.

That night, the first rain of autumn fell in Hanze Town, and the chill rising from the ground began to seep into everyone's body. Ayan listened to the autumn rain inside, remembering the bundles of firewood she had carried back that morning, which were still outside the door. She decided to go and bring them inside, but when she opened the gate, she saw a man, soaked to the bone, standing like a ghost in the darkness, right outside their door.

Ayan was startled and peered through the door frame, only to discover that the person was not a real ghost, but Xiao Mingzhang.

Xiao Mingzhang?

Ayan was terrified. He had reappeared, and was standing outside their door in the middle of the night, getting soaked in the rain? Had he lost his mind?

In that instant, Ayan couldn't tell whether the real vengeful ghost was more terrifying, or Xiao Mingzhang, who stood motionless outside their door, getting soaked in the rain.

She came to carry firewood, but as she dawdled while carrying it, her gaze lingered almost entirely on Xiao Mingzhang.

Ayan didn't know what he was thinking. Did he think that if he stood there in the rain, Yunzhu would go back with him, or was he thinking about something else?

One of the Thirty-Six Stratagems is the "bitter flesh ruse," which Ayan knows. But the real "bitter flesh ruse" involves actually being beaten and whipped. He thinks he can use the "bitter flesh ruse" just because he's getting caught in the rain? Isn't that a bit too unethical?

Ayan had no intention of thinking too much about Xiao Mingzhang. Seeing that he stood in the rain without any reaction, she simply closed the courtyard gate and went inside.

Ayan went back into the house, put down the firewood, and couldn't help but glance back into the bedroom a few times.

She didn't know if Yunzhu knew that Xiao Mingzhang was currently standing outside in the rain...

To be fair, Ayan is not a very empathetic person. She was trained to be Yunzhu's guard from a young age, and from childhood to adulthood, the only person she truly cared about was Yunzhu.

At most, we can add Mu Zhaozhi now.

Whether Xiao Mingzhang would get sick from being out in the rain was not a concern for her at all. As soon as she thought that Yunzhu would be upset if she told her about it, she would immediately decide not to tell Yunzhu.

So Ayan, quite at ease, pretended nothing was wrong and went into the bedroom to chat with Yunzhu about tomorrow's breakfast.

Just as Mu Zhaozhi was about to go to bed, she heard them talking about breakfast and said, "Aunt Yan, I want to eat mare's milk cake after school tomorrow!"

It's rare for the little girl to make a request, so Ayan naturally had no reason to refuse.

Actually, Ayan's cooking skills weren't good to begin with. She had been learning martial arts since she was a child, not trained to be a cook. But after leaving the Huanwang Mansion with Yunzhu, Ayan was forced to learn many cooking skills.

When they first arrived in this small town, Yunzhu was six months pregnant and had great difficulty moving around. Ayan was busy taking care of Yunzhu, learning to cook, tidy up the house, chop wood, wash clothes... During that time, she learned almost everything, without exaggeration.

Thinking about all this, Ayan felt that it was no big deal for Xiao Mingzhang to get rained on. She could bear the suffering herself. She never imagined that her princess would give birth to her child in such an obscure town, without a single relative by her side when the child was born.

Thinking of this, her hatred for Xiao Mingzhang only increased.

Therefore, Ayan felt even more strongly that there was no need to tell Yunzhu about Xiao Mingzhang's affairs.

She was busy discussing tomorrow's food with Yunzhu, completely oblivious to the fact that the rain outside was getting heavier and heavier...

Finally, the torrential rain pounded against their windowpanes, bringing a downpour. Ayan looked outside; it was pitch black, so dark she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if Xiao Mingzhang was still there.

Just as she was pondering, her brow furrowing slightly, she suddenly heard a shrill, mournful cry from amidst the rapid patter of the rain—

It was the voice of the old lady next door.

"Help! Someone help! Someone has fainted here! Someone come and save him!" the old woman cried.

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Author's Note: Late but not over, here's the update! [kissing emoji]