duplicity
There was no warning of this person's arrival, and he suddenly appeared in the side courtyard.
Su Manyan's eyes widened, his mind fuzzy, and he couldn't help but wonder: Why did he come so suddenly, so late and snowing? And what a coincidence... Ying Xiao had just left when Xiao Lin arrived.
Really?
Su Manyan's mind raced with one nasty thought after another. She clutched the vial of poison tightly in her hand, her nails digging deep into her flesh. A cold sweat broke out, spreading from her scalp to her back. A tingling sensation coursed through her veins, from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Seeing someone about to enter, Su Manyan ignored her fear and forced herself to remain calm. She quickly took off her coat and stuffed it under the covers along with the things in her hands. Her mind raced, debating whether to pretend to be asleep, but a glance at the lit candle nearby made her abandon the idea. Spinning like a top, she hurriedly cleaned the room, hiding anything suspicious to avoid revealing her identity. She pulled a book from the desk and sat at it, pretending to read.
It was done in one go, flowing smoothly, but the deafening sound of her heartbeat betrayed her panic.
Not only was there chaos inside the house, but the night visitor outside was also not calm.
Xiao Lin felt particularly hot tonight. Even after downing a bowl of hangover medicine, the drunkenness didn't dissipate at all; instead, it became even stronger. He stared out the window for a long time, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
By the time he reacted, he was already on his way to the side yard.
Now that we're here, we should make the best of it. There's no point turning back halfway. Snowflakes fell, and his mind was in a tizzy. He hoped Su Manyan was already asleep, so he wouldn't have to explain why he'd come. But he also hoped she wasn't asleep, because the purpose of his visit was to check on her injuries.
It was really strange. Compared to matters of life and death, he had never before agonized over such a trivial matter as whether to go or not. Yet, in the end, he still went.
No matter how erratic his mood was along the way, once he truly gazed at the west wing from afar and saw the flickering lights through the red windows, his heart was at peace. Regardless of whether the other person was asleep or awake, as long as he had a clear answer, his anxiety would be relieved.
Just like the matter of him meeting Su Manyan tonight, whether he met her or not, it was enough for him to go. He just wanted to resolve the tangle in his heart.
He quietly opened the wooden door of the side courtyard, crossed the courtyard, stopped outside the wing room door, and knocked lightly with his fingers: "A Yan."
"Who is it?"
Xiao Lin heard the confused sound of the person yawning in the room, and replied patiently: "It's me, Xiao Lin."
Since Xiao Lin had already introduced himself, there was no reason for Su Manyan not to open the door. No matter how reluctant she was, she still lingered to the door with a bitter face. When she put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door, her expression was full of excitement.
First there was confusion, then shock, and finally joy.
This series of changes in expression fully demonstrated her confusion about someone visiting her late at night, and her ecstasy after seeing Xiao Lin.
The above is Queen Su’s profound analysis of this performance.
A dramatic person is naturally a dramatic person. Xiao Lin looked at Su Manyan's sleepy expression and regretted disturbing him in the middle of the night. He looked so innocent and gullible. It was really... He usually acted so arrogant in front of him that he didn't even realize he was being bullied.
Moreover, in the moonlight, he could clearly see the light in Su Manyan's eyes when she opened the door and saw him.
Are you looking forward to my coming?
"Your Highness, why are you here so late?" Su Manyan tilted his head in confusion. Noticing that the snow was still falling outside, he still warmly invited him in. "Your Highness, please come in. It's warm inside."
There was a charcoal fire in the room. Although it wasn't of the best quality, it was still effective in keeping out the cold. Therefore, Su Manyan wore a single layer of clothing, revealing her curves.
Xiao Lin didn't know where to look, wondering if this would be a bad idea. But then he thought, since they were both men, what was wrong with that?
He fixed his eyes on Su Manyan's legs. Her slender legs were hidden in the wide trouser legs, and the injured part could not be seen.
Su Manyan noticed Xiao Lin's vague glances towards her calves, and wondered if this wicked man would really come all the way here to check on my condition. Could he really be so kind? He knew this just after returning?
She had a plan in mind, and hopped on one foot to move away from the door to let Xiao Lin pass. She led him into the house in a hopping manner, staggering all the way and moving very inconveniently.
"Your Highness, why are you here so late? It's cold and the roads are slippery. If you need anything, just let me know. It would be bad if Your Highness caught a cold and fell."
Su Manyan thought that these words were very soothing and must have touched Xiao Lin's heart. Just as he was feeling proud of his eloquence, he felt a warm sensation on his arm.
Xiao Lin gently held her hand and pulled her to sit down: "Slow down! Your leg is injured, and you are still trying to be brave. How can you come to me on one leg?"
He was terrified when he saw Su Manyan jumping on one leg, and his words were full of helplessness.
"Skylark told me everything. Have you seen the doctor?"
"I checked it, I checked it, it's nothing serious, it will be fine in a few days."
"That's good."
“…”
There was endless silence between the two.
So, Su Manyan looked at Xiao Lin sitting on a chair warming himself by the fire. Judging from the dry conversation, it was impossible that the other party came here specifically to see his injured leg.
She couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness?"
The eyelashes blinked, and each one was wondering: What on earth am I doing here?
In fact, Su Manyan was also quite unsure. Xiao Lin's sudden attack in the middle of the night seemed very strange. She didn't know whether the other party knew that she was a spy for the prince and came to her after hearing the news.
But looking at the other person's stern profile, he hasn't said anything from the beginning to now. Is his temperament so gentle?
Xiao Lin could see Su Manyan's confusion. They were sitting so close together that he could even see the tiny hairs on her face. He averted his gaze and feigned a cough, unable to directly say what was truly in his heart: "I heard you were injured. I came to see you."
This is not in line with his image in public, and the other party will definitely be frightened if brothers are so corny.
Now it was Xiao Lin's turn to make an excuse. He shifted his gaze from Su Manyan's face to the painting of a snowy landscape on the table. He raised his chin, indicating the painting. "I heard there was something wrong with the painting, so I came to ask you. Is it related to detoxification?"
Su Manyan suddenly realized, so that's how it was, he almost forgot about this.
But is that really the case? Is it really just because of this?
She looked at Xiao Lin's face. He looked serious and didn't seem to be lying.
Su Manyan told him all the information about the White Shark Tears and finally concluded, "There are probably two more sources of the poison. Although destroying one of them can solve the problem, we still need to find all the sources of the poison in order to prescribe the right remedy and cure Your Highness."
Xiao Lin pondered, feeling a sense of detachment at Su Manyan's reassurance. Ever since arriving in this cold palace, the poisoning had plagued him. He knew someone within the harem was plotting to harm him, someone who must be in a prominent position. He had been disorganized for a long time, but with Su Manyan's arrival, everything had been resolved. The elixir he'd used had also largely cured his previous ailments.
What a lucky little star...
Mermaid Tears were used by the Emperor of the Southern Kingdom. He, a prince of the Hu Kingdom, didn't know much about them. He really admired A Yan for knowing so much about them.
After Su Manyan finished speaking, he felt that he had spoken out of turn. He thought that he was too mysterious and unfathomable, as if he were a great immortal. Xiao Lin would definitely be suspicious of a low-level eunuch who was so knowledgeable.
But fortunately, Xiao Lin gave him his full trust, so he simply nodded and bowed his hands to express his gratitude. He was completely grateful and respectful, not even uttering a single question.
Su Manyan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was a decent person and would not make things too difficult for her.
"Do your feet still hurt?" A concerned voice came out of the blue.
Su Manyan shook his head, explaining that his injuries were not serious. He had thought that tonight's conversation was over, but he didn't expect Xiao Lin's next words to explode like a time bomb.
"Since you are the full-time eunuch beside this prince, you should be careful about who you interact with and who you shouldn't."
What does this mean? Has he discovered my relationship with the Crown Prince? He also found out about my secret meeting with the secret guard. Is this a warning to me?
Su Manyan's forehead was instantly covered with beads of sweat. She replied with a trembling voice, her voice full of guilt: "Your Highness, you know everything?"
"Yeah." The final word.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. Everything I have done can be explained."
Su Manyan slumped to her knees, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't understand how she'd been brought down so soon. It was all the Crown Prince's fault, coming to her at this very moment. Xiao Lin would definitely kill her now, even if he spared her. The system wouldn't let this spy thing go unpunished. Was her life really going to end so soon?
They had just uncovered the source of a poison today, and they had been chatting so happily a while ago, so how could they suddenly fall out? She only hoped that he would let her go because she had saved him so many times.
"Your Highness, I deserve death, I..." Her knees knocked against the cold, hard floor tiles, a piercing chill creeping up her leg bones, yet she forgot even the pain. Xiao Lin's eyes were looking down at her condescendingly, as if he had already seen through everything.
"I will take care of Yicui's matter for you, but don't let it happen again." Su Manyan found himself being helped up by a gentle male voice. The man said helplessly, "Why are you kneeling for no reason? The study is dirty, so what? Do you think I will blame you?"
Yi Cui? What Yi Cui? Su Manyan was interrupted by Xiao Lin before she could finish her words. She raised her head and saw Xiao Lin staring at her with a frown. But when their eyes met, he turned away awkwardly: "This prince has nothing to do with Yi Cui. I will transfer her away from now on. No one will bully you anymore."
Su Manyan:?
Su Manyan was shocked to realize that they had been chatting on the wrong screen, and that their conversation was completely irrelevant. She had originally thought that the Crown Prince's spy had been exposed, but she didn't expect that Xiao Lin was talking to her about Yi Cui.
Really...
Su Manyan breathed a sigh of relief. That wave of shock hadn't frightened her to death. Luckily, she hadn't thrown all her baggage out in a sudden jolt. If she had, she would have been dead tonight. She watched Xiao Lin tilt his head slightly, the candlelight casting a shadow on his sharply defined profile, a hint of unease etched in her. This resolute and ruthless Seventh Prince actually seemed to be comforting her at this moment?
"Do you know what I mean by 'next time'?" Xiao Lin saw that Su Manyan didn't respond, and thought that the other party was still in fear, so he slowed down his tone and asked.
"Next time... don't dirty the study again?" Su Manyan was very uncertain.
Xiao Lin: “…” Angry!
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