Xu Ruankuang finally couldn't help but show herself and carefully helped Qiao Zhen up. "Princess, are you alright?"
Qiao Zhen stared dejectedly at the ground. "It's nothing." She took a step to move, "Hiss—"
The pain in her ankle made her gasp, "It hurts!"
Xu Ruan Kuang knelt down in front of Qiao Zhen, his face flushed, and said, "If the princess doesn't mind, let me carry you back."
"Mmm." Qiao Zhen responded softly, then leaned against Xu Ruankuang's hard back. "Ah Kuang, Lu Yuanchuan is so mean! Today, in front of me, he carried Miss Lin into his bedroom, showing no respect whatsoever for men and women!"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but shed tears again. "When Miss Lin was talking to that one-armed, ugly fat man, they thought I was still unconscious. Actually, I was already awake. Miss Lin didn't reveal my identity several times. She just gave the one-armed, ugly fat man a few words of advice. If I hadn't been fierce, I'm afraid I would be a cold corpse by now!"
Xu Ruankuang felt terrible. His princess, whom he cherished, was being treated so badly by those people!
"Princess……"
"Um."
Xu Ruankuang silently carried Qiao Zhen back to the princess's residence. "Princess, please have some dinner, take a bath, and rest well. I will go to the kitchen to get you two boiled eggs."
Qiao Zhen slid off Xu Ruan's basket with difficulty, but Chun Zhu quickly caught her.
"Princess, let me help you back to your room." Chunzhu looked at Qiao Zhen's disheveled appearance, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I'll go and get you some food."
Qiao Zhen watched Chunzhu's hurried departure, her eyes darkening considerably. Qiao Zhen's right index finger traced the knuckles of her left hand inch by inch, a habitual action of the original owner when she was deep in thought.
Xiao Ling: [What did you do? Do you think you're from the villainous female supporting character department?! How did you get yourself into this state?!]
Qiao Zhen: [Didn't you guys want me to make Lu Yuanchuan fall in love with me, and then have me hurt him badly? I'm setting the stage! Why do you always suddenly appear when I'm emotionally invested?! I'm prone to breaking character!]
Xiao Ling: [A mission is a mission; don't get too caught up in it. I thought your Eastern mystical world had some kind of powerful force, but you can't even control your emotions.]
Qiao Zhen: [Do you know? Every word you say makes you seem extremely, exceptionally, and particularly ignorant. Animals without feelings are incomplete in our eyes. Perhaps you can handle things rationally, but never expect to gain someone else's feelings through reason.]
Qiao Zhen sighed and said in a motherly tone, "My silly son, if you're so ignorant, go and learn more. Even though I'm your mother, sometimes I can't help but complain about you!"
Xiao Ling: [You trash Zhenzhen! You clearly couldn't control your emotions, yet you kept saying those convoluted things to me!]
Qiao Zhen: [Idiot! I'm blocking you. Please don't show up again unless it's absolutely necessary. Bye~]
Xiao Ling angrily dissed Qiao Zhen a few more times, but each sentence was accompanied by a red exclamation mark! It furiously spammed Qiao Zhen with 999 junk messages until its database was a bit slow before it finally gave up.
Qiao Zhen waited for Chunzhu to bring in the meal and two boiled eggs. She said casually, "The guards at the Princess's residence are getting more and more lax. I wonder how Xue Ping found out the time of my departure."
Chunzhu paused slightly as she placed the dish on the table. "Princess, the Princess's residence has been heavily guarded lately. The maids and servants are all dispatched by the Emperor from the palace. How could anyone have tipped you off? And if Xue Ping knew you were a princess, how would he dare to send someone to kidnap you?"
Qiao Zhen suddenly realized that the mystery had been solved. The key to the matter lay in the words Xue Ping uttered during their fight, which proved that Xue Ping did not know she was a princess.
If Xue Ping abducted her near the princess's residence, he should have known her identity.
Therefore, there must be a third person involved.
Qiao Zhen picked up her chopsticks without changing her expression. "Go and call Ah Kuang over. I have something to tell him."
"Yes." Chunzhu curtsied, then stood up and left.
When Xu Ruankuang learned that Qiao Zhen wanted to see him, he quickly finished the porridge in the bowl in front of him, wiped his mouth, and went to see Qiao Zhen. He slightly bent his straight back, cupped his hands, and said, "Princess."
Qiao Zhen raised her index finger and beckoned to Xu Ruan's basket, "Come here."
Xu Ruankuang naturally brought her ear close to Qiao Zhen's mouth, "Please speak, Princess."
"I don't think Xue Ping is smart enough to come up with such a clever plan. If he could have kidnapped me so easily, why would he have kidnapped me to such an easy place to find? And if he kidnapped me from near the princess's residence, how could he not know that I am a princess? I think there is clearly someone else involved. Send two smart men to keep an eye on Miss Lin and Chunzhu. If they find anything, be sure to inform me as soon as possible."
"Yes." Xu Ruankuang's expression was somewhat solemn.
Qiao Zhen turned her head away and pushed Xu Ruankuang outwards, saying, "Akuang, you are not allowed to spread the embarrassing things that happened to me today!"
Xu Ruankuang replied in perfect compliance, "Your subordinate obeys."
Qiao Zhen pouted and waved her hand impatiently, "Go out. You've gone to so much trouble for me today, go have some dinner and take a shower while you're at it."
"yes."
Qiao Zhen watched Xu Ruan Kuang's departing figure. She ate a few bites of her dinner with little interest, then wrapped an egg in a silk handkerchief and applied it to her swollen eyes.
Xu Ruankuang followed Qiao Zhen's instructions and placed his capable henchmen in the shadows of Miss Lin and Chunzhu.
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