After this incident, Lin Qian's initially cheerful mood vanished instantly, and she lost all interest in sightseeing. Her face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, and her eyes revealed a hint of exhaustion and anger, a rage that seemed to burn everything around her to ashes. Everyone around her was terrified, not daring to even breathe loudly, for fear of angering their mistress who was in such a bad mood.
The group walked back in silence. Although the sun was still shining brightly, it couldn't dispel the gloom in Lin Qian's heart. A gentle breeze blew by, but it seemed to carry a hint of coolness, sending a chill down their spines. Lin Qian tightened her cloak, as if that could ward off the chill rising from the depths of her heart.
When Lin Qian and her entourage returned to the mansion, the setting sun had already dyed half the sky red. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the courtyard, making the originally tranquil scenery appear even more desolate.
"Miss, you're back." The maid Xiaotao greeted her, a hint of worry on her face. "Are you alright? I heard..."
"I'm fine." Lin Qian interrupted her calmly, her tone devoid of any emotion.
Seeing that Lin Qian's expression was not good, Xiao Tao did not dare to ask any more questions. She just silently followed behind her and returned to the room.
The room was filled with the gentle fragrance of sandalwood incense, emanating from the incense burner. Lin Qian, however, had no time to appreciate it. She walked to the window, opened the window frame, and let the evening breeze caress her cheeks.
"Prince Ning, you are truly disappointing me more and more," Lin Qian murmured softly, her tone tinged with sarcasm.
She had initially thought that even if Prince Ning was incredibly foolish, he wouldn't choose to oppose her at this time. But as it turned out, she had overestimated his intelligence.
At this moment, the voice of System 003 rang in Lin Qian's mind: "Host, look at the foolish actions of Prince Ning. He thinks he can deal with you by sending a few assassins. He is simply overestimating himself!"
Lin Qian sneered inwardly: "Hmph, that's all the Prince Ning is capable of. He thinks he can do anything to me with this? How laughable."
003 continued, "That's right, host, you are wise and powerful. Those assassins are no match for you."
Lin Qian's eyes were icy: "Prince Ning is courting death. I will not let him go. 003, you are to closely monitor Prince Ning's every move and report any abnormalities to me immediately."
“Understood, host!” 003 replied. “I will keep a close eye on Prince Ning at all times, and no little thing he does will escape my surveillance.”
Prince Ning paced back and forth in his study, as restless as an ant on a hot plate. He muttered to himself, "Damn it! Are those good-for-nothings even capable? That woman Lin Qian is no pushover..." His eyes were filled with anxiety and unease, large beads of sweat dripped down his forehead like raindrops, and his heart pounded like a startled rabbit, making him extremely agitated.
A suffocating atmosphere permeated the study, and the heavy bookshelves seemed even more solemn within this tense environment. Prince Ning's face was terribly grim, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Suddenly, the study door was flung open, a gust of cold wind howled in, and a man in black, covered in blood, stumbled in. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood, and blood was still seeping from his wounds. "Your Highness...something terrible has happened..." the man in black stammered, his breath weak. Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground, his body twitching a few times before falling still. It was clear he was not going to survive.
"Useless! All of you are useless!" Prince Ning rushed over in a fit of rage, kicking the corpse on the ground hard. His eyes were filled with anger and despair, but his heart was even more panicked. He never expected that Lin Qian would be so difficult to deal with; the assassins he sent out had all been wiped out.
No, he had to think of something quickly! Prince Ning forced himself to calm down, taking a deep breath to try and calm his wildly beating heart. His mind raced, searching for a solution. He knew Lin Qian was not someone to be trifled with, but he was now in a bind. If he couldn't get rid of her, she would eventually kill him!
"Guards!" Prince Ning shouted at the door, his voice filled with undisguised anger. Soon, a guard entered respectfully. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Go, investigate! I need to know who the expert is by Lin Qian's side!" Prince Ning said through gritted teeth, his eyes revealing a fierce glint. "I refuse to believe that a mere woman confined to her home can cause any trouble!"
"Yes!" The guard acknowledged the order and left, his footsteps fading into the distance along the corridor.
Prince Ning was still pacing anxiously in his study, muttering to himself, "Damn it, how could that woman be so lucky! So many assassins, each one a master fighter, couldn't even take her life!"
He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and swept the tea set off the table. The fine porcelain shattered instantly, making a crisp sound, and shards flew everywhere. Tea splashed onto the expensive Persian carpet, blurring its once exquisite patterns, but he didn't care at all.
Prince Ning irritably tossed the memorials on his desk to the ground, scattering papers and making the writing on them a jumbled mess. He also swept an exquisite jade carving to the floor, shattering it into pieces. A shard flew up, grazing the back of his pale hand and leaving a bloody mark. But he paid no heed, only gritting his teeth and growling, "Damn woman, she really has a lucky life!"
“Your Highness, please calm your anger,” a man dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice. His head was lowered, and he dared not look directly into Prince Ning’s eyes. “This subordinate has failed in his duties. Please punish me, Your Highness.”
"Useless! All of you are useless!" Prince Ning kicked the man in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Prince Ning's strength was immense; the man rolled several times on the ground before stopping. "What use are you lot to me? You can't even handle a woman!" Prince Ning's voice was almost a roar, his furious shouts echoing throughout the study.
Lin Qian was sitting at the table, holding a cup of hot tea, trying to dispel the gloom in her heart. At this moment, the voice of System 003 sounded in her mind: "Host, Prince Ning is in an uproar. After learning that the assassins he sent had been completely wiped out, he was furious in his study!" 003's tone carried a hint of schadenfreude.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a contemptuous smile: "Hmph, he brought this on himself. He thought he could take care of me by sending a few assassins? He's dreaming."
003 continued, "The Prince of Ning was furious. He smashed everything he could in the study, cursing incessantly. Seeing his pathetic state was truly satisfying!"
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