Chapter 102 "Baby, have you missed me...?"
Xiao Yan looked at him in disbelief: "Third brother, what... what did you say?"
“I say,” Xiao Che smiled slightly, his voice light and ethereal, “Xiao Jue has become a cripple, and you, Second Brother… tsk, have become a commoner. So, who do you think will become the Crown Prince?”
A buzzing sound filled my ears, as if I had suddenly plunged into the bottom of a lake, with the surrounding lake water pouring into my ears, and all the sounds around me becoming chaotic and distant.
Xiao Yan's lips trembled as all the doubts from the past surfaced in his mind.
All the things that I couldn't understand at that moment suddenly connected.
Why did news of Xiao Che's claim that he had resolved the Xue Run matter still reach his father's ears?
Why did Xiao Jue suddenly obtain all the evidence in the "horse fall" case when he couldn't find anything before?
Even... why did Xue Run suddenly change his usual obsequious attitude at the brothel in Huaizhou that day, acting like a madman and trying to take Hua Yao from him? He was clearly manic and insane, yet his reactions were slow, which led to him accidentally killing him.
Was everything, from beginning to end, a scheme set up by Xiao Che?
If that's the case, then everything makes sense.
Xiao Yan suddenly grabbed his collar, drew closer, and his chest heaved violently: "It was you, you did it all, didn't you?!"
"The first time I orchestrated Xiao Jue's fall from his horse, only you knew about it. You said you had already destroyed that mad horse for me. If that's the case, how come, several months later, Xiao Jue found evidence again proving that both falls were intentional and that the horses were given the same kind of spice that drives them mad?"
"You didn't destroy that mad horse at all, did you? The second time I staged the fall, I followed your orders completely, used your men, and did it at the timing you specified... Of course you know everything... It was you... it was you who deliberately let Xiao Jue discover all of this, wasn't it?!"
"And in Huaizhou, you orchestrated Xue Run's affair, didn't you? I was wondering how that bitch Hua Yao dared to scheme against me. Afterwards, she even preferred to have her face ruined rather than confess a single word. Who bewitched her... Now that I think about it, only you in the whole world could have such abilities. I should have realized it sooner..."
"It was all a scheme you set up... Xiao Che, I treated you with all my heart, and this is how you repay me?!"
Xiao Che raised his hand and gently removed Xiao Yan's hand from his collar. He smiled and said softly, "Second brother, with so many strange things going on, you only started to doubt me now—I'm really touched by your trust in me."
"You! Xiao Che!" Xiao Yan stared at him intently, his eyes bloodshot. "How dare you treat me like this! I trusted you so much, how could you do this to me! I've never been a person who values loyalty and righteousness, but all the little bit of sincerity I had left was given to you. I treated you so well, how could you do this to me?!"
"Why? Why did you do this? What do you want that I can't give you... After I ascend the throne, I will grant you land, and you can be a carefree prince, living a life of leisure. If you want Xiao Jiarou, I will also hold a grand wedding for you, so that you can get married in style... Why did you do this? Why did you betray me..."
Xiao Che let out a very short laugh, the flickering candlelight reflecting in the depths of his pupils, the light and shadow flashing: "I want the position of Crown Prince, can my second brother give it to me?"
"you……"
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Che's lips, his voice ethereal: "Second Brother, to reach that position, this is the only way I can do it."
"We are both sons of the Emperor, and both Xiao Jue and you have the opportunity to sit on that throne, so why can't I?"
"It is time for me to fulfill my mother's last wish."
"Do you remember how my mother died? That bowl of ginseng soup and that fake Liu Songnian painting soaked in Bai Zhuoxiang were delivered by you and Xiao Jue one after the other. If you say that my mother's death has nothing to do with the two of you, Second Brother, I don't believe it."
Xiao Yan was taken aback: "You suspect that I murdered the Imperial Concubine? How could that be? I have no grudge against her..."
“Even if you weren’t the mastermind, you were an accomplice. Second brother, your deceased mother wanted to murder my mother, and you have to admit it.”
Xiao Yan: "But if she really did it, and it was for that good-for-nothing Xiao Jue, what does it have to do with me?!"
“Even if she did it for Xiao Jue, you were still an accomplice. Regardless of whether you knew the truth or not, my mother’s death is inextricably linked to you.”
"Since things have come to this, Second Brother, I am still willing to spare your life so that you can live out the rest of your life as comfortably as possible. This is already fulfilling our brotherly bond."
He gave him one last look and said softly, "Second brother, take care of yourself... I hope you will take care of yourself."
After saying that, he turned to leave, but Xiao Yan suddenly called out to him, "Wait!"
Xiao Che paused, "...Is there anything else, Second Brother?"
"Xiao Che, now that things have come to this, I only have one question for you," Xiao Yan said, looking at his retreating figure, his Adam's apple bobbing, "...All these years of brotherly affection, was it all a lie? Have you ever, even for a moment, considered me your second brother?"
Xiao Che had his back to him, and his shadow, cast obliquely on the ground, swayed gently with the candlelight.
He stood with his back turned, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly called out to him, "Second Brother."
"At this point, is there any point in asking these questions?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with resentment, and suddenly chuckled.
"Xiao Che, I curse you! One day, you will taste what it feels like to have your sincerity trampled on and be betrayed by your closest loved ones! Hahahaha..."
The eerie laughter lingered above the cell, accompanied by vicious curses, creating a rather sinister and chilling atmosphere.
Xiao Che's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't say anything and walked away.
Xiao Yan slumped back into the dark corner, his expression ashen, leaning against the cold stone wall, and slowly closed his eyes.
On the other side of the cell, in the shadows where the light hadn't reached, after Xiao Che left, a corner of a colorful robe slowly appeared, embroidered with a lifelike four-clawed python in gold thread.
——
Yan Jiarou soon heard that Xiao Yan had gotten into trouble, seemingly related to the case of his elder brother, the Crown Prince, falling from his horse, as well as the things he had done in Huaizhou. Somehow, the news had also reached the Emperor's ears.
She found it strange. Hadn't Xiao Che already settled things in Huaizhou for him? How could the Emperor still know about it?
She didn't think much of it, only that her second brother was now convicted and exiled, and that Qianzhou was a long way away. She was afraid that she would never see him again after this parting. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat and decided that no matter what, she should visit him one last time before he left.
But Xiao Che wouldn't allow her to go.
He held her in his arms and deliberately scared her, saying, "...I've already been to the prison, and guess what I saw?"
Hearing his tone, Yan Jiarou subconsciously felt uneasy: "Wh...what?"
"A mouse the size of a rabbit, and a spider the size of a rabbit's palm... Oh, and when I got there, the mouse was gnawing on something. I went closer to take a look, and guess what I saw? It was... gnawing on a human's finger..."
He took Yan Jiarou's hand and pried her fingers apart one by one: "Look, it's about the size of a rabbit's finger. One finger can be gnawed off in the blink of an eye. When you bite the knuckles, it makes a crisp sound... Does the rabbit want to see the mouse? Let it bite your finger too?"
"ah!"
The little girl was terrified, her face turning ashen. She screamed and hid in Xiao Che's arms, crying, "No...don't...don't bite me...my fingers don't taste good at all..."
Xiao Che patted her back gently and said with a smile, "Then don't go."
"What kind of place is a dungeon? It's dark, damp, and never sees the sun. It's full of rats and insects. What would a soft, white rabbit do in a place like that?"
"But...but I want to visit my second brother. Although he did something wrong, causing my brother, the Crown Prince, to fall from his horse and be seriously injured, he is still my second brother and has always treated me very well. Now that he is about to be exiled and we may never see each other again, I must go and say goodbye to him..."
Xiao Che lowered his eyes and pondered, "You don't necessarily have to go to the dungeon to see him. You can go see him on the day he sets off for Qianzhou. The prison is a filthy place. How can you say goodbye properly there?"
The little rabbit thought about it and agreed, immediately nodding and saying, "Yes! Then let's wait for that day!"
She thought for a moment and then said, "I heard they set off before dawn on the day of their exile, so I must go to bed early the night before, or I'll miss it!"
Unfortunately, she was destined not to rest early that night.
Just as she finished washing up and was about to go to bed, Xiao Che arrived.
Suddenly, an arm swept across her waist, and her back slammed against a warm, hard chest. Startled, she was about to cry out when a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She blinked and tentatively asked, "...Brother?"
The newcomer chuckled softly, wrapped his arms around her from behind, bent down and rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice languid: "It's me, Little Rabbit."
She turned around in surprise, her red lips slightly parted: "Brother... why are you here so late?"
"Can't I come?"
"No, it's just...it's so late..."
"Don't worry, no one saw me come."
Yan Jiarou blinked: "Um, is there something urgent?"
Xiao Che slowly narrowed his eyes: "What, can't I come to see you unless it's urgent?"
"Brother, that's not what I meant..."
Xiao Che chuckled softly: "That would be for the best."
As he spoke, he slipped his hand inside her blouse, gently biting her earlobe, and said in a hoarse voice, "Who said I don't have urgent matters? This is an urgent matter... Baby, have you missed me...?"
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