Clear up the misunderstanding
The two stared at each other for a long time, confusion evident in their eyes.
Su Manyan muttered to himself: Why are you suddenly asking this irrelevant question?
Xiao Lin was suspicious in his heart: I have given you a way out, why don’t you answer?
Su Manyan was choked by the saliva in his throat and was speechless. He coughed for a long time and replied with a frown: "Nothing happened last night. Why should I be angry?"
She couldn't understand why he had suddenly changed the subject, having looked so gloomy and murderous just a moment before. Could it be that just because she was a girl, all the kindness he had shown her could be ignored? She had saved him so many times, and this time, she even risked her own head by confessing his poisoning.
What a black-hearted person!
The wind from the window blew in, sweeping across the bookshelves and rustling the pages. Xiao Lin was still dressed in a black robe, with a golden cloud pattern embroidered on the inner collar, which made him look more stable. The wide sleeves of his robe were blown by the wind, and they circled around his wrists.
Thin and lonely.
Su Manyan looked at the man before her, remembering the fate the system had revealed—this man would eventually face destruction, perhaps due to the chronic poison in his body. Their fates were now tightly bound together. If one were doomed, the other would inevitably be destroyed. It was hard to say who was redeeming whom: though she had arrived in Xiao Lin's world, she was a spirit wandering in another world.
A man who was once dead, a man who is about to die, isn't it?
Su Manyan suddenly stopped caring about Xiao Lin's hesitant and stubborn attitude. Perhaps she had finally figured it out, understanding why he didn't believe her: a prisoner who clearly sensed something was wrong with his body but couldn't find the cause would inevitably become wary, distrustful, and even give up, rejecting her advances.
Since we're going to cooperate, we can't let him hesitate any longer. Isn't it just suspicion that she's disguised as a man? Let him check it out for himself.
Su Manyan gathered herself together, exhaled a long sigh, and gazed directly at Xiao Lin with her dark eyes. She straightened her back and spoke in a clear voice, "Your Highness, I swear to heaven that I will serve you until death. I fear for the safety of your body, for the unknown chronic poison lingering within it. I, Ayan, am willing to guarantee this with my own life. My life is worthless, but I only wish Your Highness good health and well-being."
She took another step closer to Xiao Lin and continued, "I know Your Highness suspects A Yan of disguising herself as a man. Could that be why you don't trust me? I do have a secret that I cannot reveal, and I will tell Your Highness everything in the future. As for the genitals, I beg Your Highness to examine me immediately. I only ask Your Highness to trust me, and A Yan will do his best to help. Not only will I be able to treat your illness, but if Your Highness has any inconvenience in the palace, you can entrust A Yan to handle it. A Yan is naturally much more familiar with this cold palace than Your Highness. Words are not enough, Your Highness does not need to rush to question it. Just wait and see, A Yan will definitely make Your Highness get what he wants."
Every word is sincere and powerful.
Xiao Lin's heart warmed as he looked at Su Manyan's face, strained with earnestness. He hadn't expected such openness from her. Her obsidian eyes were filled with seriousness. This lowly servant in the palace possessed extraordinary skills, resembling a hermit. Since she had confessed with reservations, he believed her.
Don’t employ people you doubt, and don’t doubt people you employ.
He tried to avoid her kindness in a roundabout way, but she was not afraid of being rejected. She did not follow his words to avoid the topic, but instead insisted on her own opinion with ease.
Xiao Lin looked at the young eunuch standing straight in front of him, and inexplicably thought of the small poplar tree he planted in the Hu Kingdom's mansion.
The one he liked very much.
Su Manyan's resounding words, amidst the rustling of pages, seemed particularly long and profound. Suddenly, a soft laugh echoed in the air, low and cold, with a subtle hint of helplessness.
If even she doesn't believe it, I'm afraid I can only sit and wait for death.
Ah Yan, Ah Yan, who on earth are you? Why are you so stubborn?
Su Manyan frowned slightly, tilted his head and looked at Xiao Lin in confusion: I have said everything I need to say, talked about the benefits, and expressed my loyalty, what else do you want?
"Then I'll ask you again, are you still angry?" Xiao Lin asked again, this time with a smile on his face.
"Even if Your Highness asks a thousand times, A Yan will still give the same answer."
"Are you really going to detoxify this king? In the Southern Kingdom's palace, detoxifying a hostage from a defeated enemy nation? Do you know what this means?"
Xiao Lin spoke very slowly, pausing for a moment after each question to allow Su Manyan to think carefully.
"Your Highness, there is no need to say more. I understand what you mean. In this deep palace, those who can make Your Highness helpless must be controlled by someone behind the scenes. A Yan can vaguely guess this. Your Highness, don't worry. Although A Yan is from the south, he may not be. You only need to know that A Yan is here for you. Nothing else matters."
Su Manyan spoke frankly, and his passionate emotions spread out like the warm sun, enveloping Xiao Lin.
"Why is this?" he asked in a low voice.
"Your Highness, there is no need to ask any more questions. Today, let's be frank: I am your Highness's attendant and your loyal advisor. When the time comes, A Yan will tell Your Highness everything. This is my humble request to you."
Xiao Lin nodded, ultimately not pressing the point. Su Manyan's words inexplicably convinced him. She was a clever woman, no doubt understanding his unspoken concerns. The idea of a lowly eunuch from the Southern Kingdom's palace willing to risk his life to serve the prince of an enemy nation seemed absurd to anyone. Perhaps it was fate unwilling to be oppressed, or perhaps, as she had said, she "came for His Highness." In short, he had to accept the offer: if the other party treated him sincerely, it would be a blessing from heaven; if it was all a lie, he would put an end to it himself. There was no other way.
He was like a poor businessman, hesitating whether to take a gamble and risk his most secret collection. After struggling for so many days, he didn't expect that Su Manyan would speak first.
Finally, this cautious "trader" decided to share his treasure with the "traveler" of unknown origin. His tense face finally relaxed, and he extended his hand, curled his lips and looked at Su Manyan. This was his response.
I believe you.
"Boom boom!" Xiao Lin could hear his heart pounding, as if it was about to burst out of his chest. Somehow, he repeated the words "I believe you" silently in his mind several times, feeling as if he must have practiced saying them aloud many times. Otherwise, how could there be such a strong sense of familiarity? It felt like it took him years to muster the courage to say these three words.
The wind outside the window died down, and the warm winter sun crept into the house, its golden light gradually covering the damp and cold corners. Su Manyan saw Xiao Lin's frown relax, and realized that he was truly happy.
She smiled heartily, her heart finally at ease. Fortunately, he wasn't pedantic; cooperation was the best option right now. While she still had her doubts, could anyone else be trusted? If Xiao Lin dismissed her completely simply because she was a woman, then she had no other choice. Throughout history, has a king who was so suspicious and afraid to take risks ever achieved great things?
"Ding! Congratulations to the male protagonist for his blackening value dropping to 88%. Host, please keep working hard!" This was the first time Su Manyan heard the sound of the blackening value dropping. She believed that one day it would be cleared to zero.
Afterwards, Su Manyan carefully felt Xiao Lin's pulse, but of course he was just pretending, because the real "doctor" was 625, who had hidden his merits and fame.
"When did Your Highness discover that you were feeling unwell?"
"After coming to this damn place." Xiao Lin gritted his teeth and finally spoke his mind in front of Su Manyan, cursing this evil place harshly.
Su Manyan nodded in agreement, drawing out a long "hmm." She couldn't agree more. If it weren't for her life, she'd also want to tear this place apart.
After Xiao Lin finished scolding Nan Guo, he deliberately turned around to see her reaction. Seeing that she agreed with him and didn't seem to be faking it, he couldn't help but laugh.
Did he really hate this place so much? If he could return to his homeland one day, he thought, if she was willing, he could take her with him and escape this dangerous place. After all, he looked like a man, so treating her as a younger brother wouldn't cause any controversy.
He couldn't help but care about this "brother" who was only as tall as his shoulders, but his thoughts were interrupted.
"Your Highness, what is your grudge against the Southern Kingdom? Since you have been reduced to a hostage and imprisoned in the cold palace, why would someone go to such great lengths to poison you? Have you ever considered that you are, after all, a prince. If something happens to you, the Southern Kingdom will be hard-pressed to explain."
"Hu Kingdom and Nan Kingdom were originally neighbors, always at peace. But fifty years ago, their feud deepened, and my father never told me the reason. In recent years, the war has been constant. As a general leading troops and one of the heirs to be appointed to the throne of Hu Kingdom, it's understandable that Nan Kingdom would be on guard against me. But I simply can't understand who is so determined to kill me."
Su Manyan's question brought out the confusion that had been lingering on Xiao Lin's mind. He detailed his acquaintances with the Southern Kingdom's rulers and ministers, and their grievances, but still had no clue. He also clearly told Su Manyan that he could sense the poisoning, but he could not find the source.
Seeing Xiao Lin growing increasingly impatient, Su Manyan patted his shoulder and soothed him, "Don't worry, Your Highness. It will take time to uncover the culprit behind this. The most important thing right now is to avoid alerting the enemy. As for the poisoning, I have a guess: perhaps it wasn't just one poison, but several. They're harmless when alone, but only when combined together can they cause harm. This also explains why only Your Highness was poisoned, while the other eunuchs and maids living with him were unharmed."
Xiao Lin's eyes lit up as he listened to her speculation. He had underestimated her; this speculation wasn't impossible. Who in this deep palace could have such a meticulous mind, mobilizing so much manpower and resources to lay out such a conspiracy?
"Your Highness, A Yan will begin a detailed investigation today. I hope Your Highness can help you."
"Sure, sure." Xiao Lin's tone was filled with respect, and he genuinely admired the person before him. She seemed to have suddenly changed, losing her usual naivete and becoming rational and wise. He felt increasingly satisfied; he had truly found a talented person.
But watching her lower her eyes in thought, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up, a look of worry on her face, he felt an inexplicable emptiness in his heart. It was good to be so foolish before, so heartless, at least she was happy. Now that she followed him into this muddy water, she felt sorry for her kindness.
"Ayan, is there anything else you need? Although I am currently under someone's control, I will do my best to satisfy you." Xiao Lin's hands twirled the corners of his clothes uncomfortably, feeling like a kept concubine, relying on this weak and pitiful eunuch for everything. He was clearly a prince, yet now he was hiding behind Ayan, letting her share his worries.
After all, he did owe something and felt guilty about it.
After hearing this, Su Manyan seemed to be hesitant to speak. He scratched his face and muttered uncomfortably, "Your Highness, you really sound like a scumbag when you say this."
Well, the kind that only moves the mouth but not the hands.
Xiao Lin: “?”
"Ayan. What does 'scumbag' mean? Why have I never heard of it?" Xiao Lin put these two words in his mouth and repeated them over and over again. He didn't understand the meaning of the words, but considering Su Manyan's guilty look, it didn't feel like a compliment.
Su Manyan was secretly pleased, but Xiao Lin didn't understand. Complaining about one's superior to his or her boss's face had always been a joyful experience. But she reverted to her cowardly persona and quickly changed the subject: "Um... Your Highness, didn't you say we'd have a physical examination? I think we can do it today."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Xiao Lin with shining eyes and anticipation, her face full of words: Arrange it quickly, arrange it quickly! Come and check it out!
Xiao Lin was amused by her positive attitude. When he suspected her before, she always got angry. Why was she begging for verification now?
Looking at Su Manyan's positive attitude, he roughly understood in his heart that the other party's maleness was a foregone conclusion.
But for some reason, he rubbed his fingers and felt bloated in his heart.
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