Search (repair)
The last time I saw him was in a dark alley. When he heard my words of admiration, he left in a hurry, without showing the slightest sign of being moved.
Dou Yanxun, however, was a far cry from his usual leisurely and lazy demeanor. His moon-white robe, which should have been elegant and ethereal, was now covered in bloodstains.
His entire right arm was soaked in blood, with specks of crimson adorning his pristine white robe, resembling a bewitching red rose blooming serenely, making the scene all the more shocking.
That once clear and bright face is now completely devoid of color.
How did he end up in such a sorry state?
Dou Yanxun lowered his head, trying hard to press the wound on his right arm with his left hand, but blood still kept flowing out from between his fingers, staining his fair fingers with a terrifying crimson color.
The drops of blood continued to trickle down his wrist—
Until they were all submerged on the thick, purplish-red carpet with eight auspicious symbols laid out in the private room.
Lin Xu was stunned by the scene before her. Before she could react, she saw Dou Yanxun's eyes locked as he looked up at her.
A slight smile lingered on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. Instead, his eyes were filled with a ruthless intent that gripped her gaze tightly.
But he was clearly the uninvited guest who forced his way in.
Lin Xu opened his mouth, about to question her, when he heard hurried footsteps sound again outside the private room.
Dou Yanxun also heard it.
His expression tightened, and he quickly glanced around. After confirming that the furnishings in the private room were intact, he raised his uninjured arm, put his index finger to his lips, and looked at her with unwavering eyes.
That was a signal for her to keep quiet.
Lin Xu couldn't help but hold his breath.
Her gaze flickered until it met the eyes of the person before her. This was the first time she had ever seen such panic and disarray on his face.
She still wanted to ask him why he was here today, and why he was involved with the assassin. Was he here specifically to assassinate Prince Mao?
A strong smell of blood assaulted her nostrils, disrupting her thoughts. She looked down at his arm, where the injury was severe; it had been bleeding profusely ever since he entered. Dou Yanxun's pale face was clearly a sign of excessive blood loss.
If this isn't dealt with soon, not only will his arm be ruined, but his life will also be in danger...
After much deliberation, Lin Xu finally lowered his head and took out a clean embroidered handkerchief from his pocket.
Dou Yanxun leaned against the door, his breathing rapid and labored. Since he came in, he hadn't explained or asked her why she was alone there.
An unbearable silence fell between them.
Seeing her holding a handkerchief and about to step forward, a hint of unreadable emotion flashed in his deep eyes, but he did not stop her, only watching her silently.
Dou Yanxun watched as the beautiful woman in front of him took out a handkerchief, and as if she had mustered up her courage, she lifted his arm and carefully bandaged it.
The handkerchief, folded diagonally, was just enough to cover the wound on his arm. Lin Xu gritted his teeth and struggled to tie the handkerchief tightly.
The owner of the arm was also in pain, his mouth twitching, but he couldn't make a sound. His pale forehead was covered in cold sweat; it was a face showing him enduring the pain. His lips had been bitten until they turned white.
As if to distract himself, he looked down.
But he paused when his gaze fell on the knotted handkerchief.
Lin Xu followed his gaze and saw that the embroidered handkerchief was soft and stained with blood, but in the intact part, there was still a pattern that was not wetted by the blood.
There, embroidered, was a pair of very plump... mandarin ducks.
Needlework was never her forte; she only embroidered for fun in her spare time.
In this urgent situation, she took out the embroidered handkerchief to bandage him, forgetting that it was just a masterpiece she made when she first learned needlework.
The two brightly colored little creatures on the embroidered handkerchief didn't resemble mandarin ducks at all; they looked more like a pair of chubby birds of some other kind. Liang Si had once teased her about this, jokingly saying they looked like two fat geese huddled together.
His gaze remained fixed on that spot... For some reason, her cheeks suddenly began to burn.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Dou Yanxun's lips, which seemed to curve upwards as well.
Was he making fun of her too?
However, the silence lasted only a moment before the menacing footsteps and the clanging of weapons suddenly rose again outside the door, growing ever closer. It seemed as if a large group of armed guards would burst into the small private room at any moment.
The situation is now even more urgent.
Lin Xu subconsciously clenched his sleeves, quickly calculating something in his mind.
Dou Yanxun is seriously injured, and if someone breaks in, the two of them will have no chance of escape. Furthermore, she has a bow and arrows hidden here; if discovered, not only will she be unable to explain herself, but the consequences will be unimaginable.
In that brief silence, Dou Yanxun suddenly spoke in a low voice, in a tone only she could hear:
"—What happened today is none of your business."
His tone was calm yet ruthless, and seeing the person in front of him flinch upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun continued:
"If you want to live, do nothing."
Lin Xu's brows twitched slightly. She knew that her original plan had been disrupted, and all she could do now was to listen to him and remain still.
Both of them held their breath, listening to the approaching footsteps outside the door, a sense of urgency washing over them. Her heart pounded, and for the first time, she felt like she was about to suffocate.
.
Duan Jinru was dressed in gleaming, heavy armor embroidered with the exclusive patterns of the Prince's Mansion. His face was cold and stern, and his tall and imposing figure was completely devoid of the scholarly air he had displayed in the school.
He led a group of guards and opened the door of each private room to check it.
The heavy armor clanged with each step, and his gaze, sharp as a knife, turned toward the next closed door.
All the rooms have been checked. Only this last one remains.
Duan Jinru hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and pushed open the door to the private room.
"Squeak—"
As the wooden door was pushed open, the furnishings of the private room came into view. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, but there was no one in sight.
"Damn it!" Duan Jinru cursed inwardly, but when he looked at the screen in the corner of the room, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
But then, beside the screen, there was clearly a tall man pressing a delicate woman down on the carpet beneath him.
The man turned around at the sound, his face pale, but he was quite handsome; Duan Jinru had seen this man before.
It was Dou Yanxun, his robe half-open.
His moon-white robe was draped loosely over his body, and the front of his inner garment was open to his chest, revealing his very strong and muscular physique.
His jet-black hair was tied up high, and the moon-white ribbon fluttered to the side of his cheek as he turned his head. His expression was as relaxed as ever, but there was a clear hint of displeasure at his good deed being disturbed.
The two of them were in a rather ambiguous position...
Several guards around Duan Jinru couldn't help but cough lightly, and then their faces turned red.
The woman he had pinned down was also in disarray. Although her face was not clearly visible, a blush was visible on her fair profile and exposed neck, making her appear quite shy.
It was more like the two of them were spending a romantic night together.
However, a glimpse from afar evoked a sense of familiarity.
Duan Jinru frowned slightly as he looked at the enchanting spring scenery. The guards accompanying him had already turned their heads away knowingly.
Dou Yanxun was a notorious playboy in the capital, so it was not surprising that he did such an absurd thing.
Duan Jinru narrowed his eyes in disgust, hesitated for a moment, but before he could speak, Dou Yanxun lazily curled his lips into a playful smile, his face full of frivolity:
"So that's why there's such a commotion. It turns out General Duan has arrived. I'm sorry I didn't greet you sooner. But I'm really too busy right now—General Duan surely understands the feeling of having a beautiful woman in his arms, and he's also kind enough to grant my wish..."
His words were full of licentiousness and flippancy, along with a hint of displeasure at having his important business disrupted. The implication was clear: don't delay my work.
Duan Jinru's gaze sharpened slightly, but he remained standing at the doorway.
He frowned, slowly scanning the furnishings of the private room and examining everything around him, remaining silent the entire time.
The only sound all around was the extremely quiet sound of breathing.
Lin Xu was pinned down by Dou Yanxun. His injured side was now powerless, so he could only lean entirely on her.
She could even clearly feel his body trembling slightly.
He was about to give up.
Lin Xu used all his strength to hold his breath; his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his chest.
"Have you seen anyone acting suspiciously here before?"
In the darkness, she could only hear her classmate from Zhiqiongtang speaking slowly.
After a moment of silence, Dou Yanxun chuckled softly, seemingly unconcerned, and said:
"What kind of assassin dares to disturb my peaceful sleep? If he dares to come in, there's no need to trouble General Duan; I, Dou, will take care of him first."
Silence returned to the surroundings.
Just as Lin Xu was about to give way to Dou Yanxun's body, he heard Duan Jinru's calm, deep voice from the doorway:
“Young Master Dou, if there is nothing serious, please be mindful of your conduct. The Prince’s safety is of utmost importance right now. Our search is merely a routine matter. Please forgive my intrusion.”
Dou Yanxun laughed lightly:
"General Duan is absolutely right, but my disheveled appearance is a minor matter. My fiancée is a young woman and has a sensitive nature. It would be a serious matter if she were seen in such a state. My wife and I were just having a private talk behind closed doors. I'm sure you wouldn't be so tactless as to insist on giving us some peace and quiet, would you?"
Duan Jinru's eyes darkened. No wonder he felt the woman was very familiar after just a quick glance.
It turned out to be Lin Xu.
The news of his classmate's engagement to the illegitimate son of the Dou family is now spreading like wildfire in Mujing, and he has also heard about it.
Seeing that Dou Yanxun spoke in a seemingly relaxed manner but kept his body covered by his loose robe, and that the person beneath him had half his neck exposed, it was likely that what Dou Yanxun was trying to hide was Lin Xu beneath him.
After a moment of silence, Duan Jinru finally pursed his lips and did not press the matter further. He waved to the guards behind him, signaling, "In that case, continue searching the other private rooms."
The guards immediately bowed their heads in response, and the clanging of armor gradually faded into the distance.
Duan Jinru turned to leave, but before he did, his gaze swept over Lin Xu, who was being pressed tightly down by Dou Yanxun.
Although he still felt uneasy, protecting his uncle's safety was the top priority at this moment. He couldn't stay any longer.
.
The door to the private room closed gently again, and silence returned. Dou Yanxun breathed a sigh of relief, and the smile on his face gradually faded.
He slowly released Lin Xu, looked up at her, and his eyes held a hint of mockery:
"...It seems your classmate isn't entirely impartial after all. Today he's pretending to be deaf and dumb, covering for you perfectly."
Previously, he had been pressing down on her with most of his body, which had already made her petite frame unable to bear it. As he propped himself up, Lin Xu was finally able to catch her breath.
However, as soon as she relaxed, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her palm.
Lin Xu frowned slightly and looked down, only to find a thin wound on the palm of his right hand, which was now faintly bleeding.
Wound?
Blood?
She suddenly remembered that in the chaos just now, she had hurriedly hidden the bow and arrows behind the screen. The arrows were extremely sharp, and perhaps it was then that she had accidentally cut her palm.
To make matters worse, the arrows... also contained poison she had personally added!
Her heart sank.
This poisoned arrow was prepared for the Dou family father and son to ensure the father's safety today. The aconite flower is extremely poisonous; once the arrowhead pierces the skin, the venom will silently spread into the bloodstream.
But since blood has already seeped out, the venom must have already seeped in as well.
She instinctively clenched her palms, the throbbing pain becoming increasingly unbearable.
I must have been in such a hurry that I didn't notice the wound. Judging by the time, it's almost time for the poison to take effect.
Dou Yanxun was using his uninjured hand to support himself on the ground, struggling to sit up, but stopped as if he had sensed something.
He glanced down, then narrowed his eyes slightly, frowned gently, and asked softly:
"What happened? Are you injured?"
She forced herself to calm down, looked up at Dou Yanxun, suppressed all her panic, and whispered:
"I accidentally scratched it."
Her gaze climbed upwards.
The handkerchief embroidered with plump mandarin ducks is still firmly tied to his arm.
When she was bandaging his wound, her bleeding right hand touched it, which means...
The poison has now also contaminated his body.
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