Love

Although he didn't know how Gu Huaizhi knew this, Tan Wenhuai still nodded with a red face.

He was indeed engaged to the girl he had always dreamed of.

To this day, he feels as if he is dreaming.

Gu Huaizhi calmly took a sip of tea and spoke slowly: "Did you force her?"

He had already inquired about it and found out that Tan Wenhuai was a cousin of the Su family.

If it weren't for the Su family's help behind the scenes, how could he, a mere seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy, have climbed into the Marquis's mansion?

Tan Wenhuai's eyes were blank. He didn't understand who Gu Huaizhi was referring to by 'she', nor did he understand who he was forcing. "Prince, what do you mean by this?"

Gu Huaizhi sneered and suddenly put down the teacup.

The sudden crisp sound made the slow-reacting Tan Wenhuai tremble all over.

It would have been fine if Tan Wenhuai behaved like this in front of Mu An Ning, but why did he have to pretend to be harmless in front of him now that there was no one around?

It's so annoying.

Just when Tan Wenhuai was in a state of panic, Gu Huaizhi's sinister gaze shifted from the slightly shaking tea to Tan Wenhuai.

Gu Huaizhi suddenly patted the table and said slowly, "Brother Tan, please sit down. Why are you standing all the time?"

Faced with the young man's friendly tone, Tan Wenhuai felt inexplicably frightened in his heart, but when he realized that he was the owner of the mansion, he still gritted his teeth and walked over to sit next to Gu Huaizhi.

Although there was a table between the two of them, Tan Wenhuai felt a silent pressure, as if a sword was hanging over his head.

Gu Huaizhi clasped the red sachet at his waist with his fingers, turning it over and playing with it for a while before asking, "Brother Tan, do you know who gave this to you?"

Tan Wenhuai glanced at the thing in Gu Huaizhi's hand with a misty look.

Although the young man kept calling him "Brother Tan", he could tell that the other party had bad intentions.

Gu Huaizhi raised his eyes and saw him pursing his lips and not saying anything, thinking that he had guessed: "Brother Tan, there are some things that you can't dream of."

In the past, Mu An Ning had made so many things for him personally, which was something Tan Wenhuai could not compare to.

Just like this unique sachet.

"Some people," Gu Huaizhi raised his eyebrows, but there was no smile in his eyes: "They are not what you can expect."

Tan Wenhuai looked at the young man with an uncertain expression, and his eyes became even more confused.

The person he desires?

He asked himself, I have never coveted anyone, if I must say so...then there should be one person.

But he had no evil intentions at all.

Tan Wenhuai's eyes widened suddenly, and a possibility suddenly emerged in his mind.

So Prince Gu went to great lengths to come to the Tan residence to find him, just for An Ning?

Then it all makes sense.

No wonder Prince Gu asked about his marriage with An Ning as soon as he saw him, and said so many strange things which was out of character for him.

Even though Tan Wenhuai had a good temper, he couldn't help feeling a little unhappy at this moment.

He carefully considered his words before speaking in one go: "Forgive me for being so bold, but what you said is wrong, and it is really disrespectful."

He really couldn't tolerate such a vulgar word as "desire" being put together with An Ning.

Gu Huaizhi snorted coldly, thinking to himself that this fellow had finally revealed his true colors. He could clearly speak properly, so why was he pretending to stutter? "It is not your turn to say what I am like."

He just revealed Tan Wenhuai's little thoughts. What's more, how could Tan Wenhuai have the nerve to ask him to respect himself?

If it weren't for Aning, he wouldn't have cared about Tan Wenhuai, who was the third place winner every year.

Hearing Gu Huaizhi's arrogant words, Tan Wenhuai blushed, but was still determined to protect his beloved: "Sir, I know that you and An Ning were engaged."

Gu Huaizhi raised his eyebrows, a smile appearing on his lips.

It’s good that Tan Wenhuai knows it.

He and Aning had been engaged for three years, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would have gotten married this year.

Now, these things are nothing more than passing clouds and insignificant episodes.

Once he has resolved these issues, he will definitely be able to go back to the way things were before with her.

"But now that the prince and An Ning have cancelled their engagement, please be more respectful to An Ning." Tan Wenhuai paused, then mustered up the courage to continue, "Also...Also, An Ning and I are in love with each other."

Tan Wenhuai stopped talking and hurriedly adjusted his disordered breathing, trying his best not to lose momentum in front of the young man.

"Mutual love?" Gu Huaizhi's face froze. What nonsense was this guy talking about? It was clearly unrequited love from him, yet he dared to say that Aning also had feelings for him.

But Tan Wenhuai didn't seem to notice the change in the boy's expression. Although his face turned red to his neck, he still nodded hurriedly.

That day, the matchmaker said that everyone in the Mu family was satisfied with this marriage, naturally including An Ning.

Seeing that Tan Wenhuai blushed and seemed to be very sure of what he said, Gu Huaizhi was silent for a moment, and his mind suddenly flashed with the girl's completely different expressions when facing the two of them.

Are Mu Anning and Tan Wenhuai in love with each other?

No, that's not possible.

ridiculous!

Gu Huaizhi raised his eyes, and his gaze was like a sharp blade, sweeping across Tan Wenhuai's fair face that could deceive women.

Oh, even if Aning really had feelings for him, she was just looking for something new.

He is a hundred times more handsome than Tan Wenhuai, and his physique is a hundred times stronger than Tan Wenhuai.

He just couldn't compose poetry, but if Aning liked it, he was willing to learn.

However, even though this marriage is temporary, Tan Wenhuai now has the qualifications to show off in front of him.

In a moment, Gu Huaizhi suddenly raised his right hand and looked at the handsome face of the man in front of him.

Tan Wenhuai came back to his senses immediately, looking at the boy's strange movements with some confusion: "Prince?"

Gu Huaizhi slowly raised the corners of his lips. He only needed to flick his fingers to easily destroy Tan Wenhuai's face: "Are you scared?"

Tan Wenhuai let out an "ah", and was even more confused. He had never expected that the boy's sleeves held a secret.

Looking at Tan Wenhuai's silly look, Gu Huaizhi suddenly felt a little angry.

Forget it. He still couldn't do such a thing as disfiguring someone's appearance.

What's more, what if Tan Wenhuai takes advantage of the opportunity and tries to show sympathy to Aning?

If he really did that, wouldn't Tan Wenhuai succeed?

However, just as he was about to put down his arms, the boy suddenly felt his chest beating violently. An indescribable discomfort washed over his heart like a wave, making him feel stuffy and painful.

Gu Huaizhi's breathing stagnated slightly, and two thoughts flashed through his mind at once, causing him to subconsciously pull the trigger on his sleeve.

Mu An Ning also wore the amulet he gave her.

Also, it is very likely that something happened to Mu An Ning again.

A breeze quickly brushed past his left cheek, and Tan Wenhuai felt a slight coolness. He subconsciously reached out to touch it, and his fingertips were instantly stained with a barely detectable hint of bright red.

Tan Wenhuai's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at the young man who had stood up with an increasingly ugly expression in disbelief: "Prince, you..."

However, before he could finish the rest of his words, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

There was a flash of disbelief in Gu Huai's eyes, and then he grasped the man who was about to fall to the ground and fixed him firmly on the seat.

His gaze narrowed slightly and fell on the tiny bloodstain on Tan Wenhuai's face, and then he realized that his hand had slipped.

He patiently took another look, after all, it was he who had hurt the person.

The injury was not serious, it was so minor that Aning should not blame him.

However, this guy is too fragile.

A person who can't even protect himself actually dreams of spending the rest of his life with Aning.

Gu Huaizhi said impatiently: "Someone, your young master is dizzy."

*

The alley was dark and eerie, filled with a damp chill, as if it was a path leading to the underworld, which made people shudder.

Mu An Ning shuddered, as if his body was attacked by an invisible cold wind, and the fine chill penetrated from the top of his head straight into his bones.

The originally blurred eyes finally became clear.

Mu An Ning came back to his senses and looked up suddenly. The setting sun was gradually sinking, and the remaining afterglow in the sky turned into a faint purple cloud in the vast sky.

She tried hard to recall what had just happened, but her memory was like a broken scroll, discontinuous and unable to be strung together into a complete picture.

She vaguely remembered that she came to find Mu Wan'er, but she couldn't recall how she walked into this dark alley alone.

There was complete silence all around, as if she was not in the bustling and prosperous Shangjing.

Mu An Ning took a deep breath, knowing that now was not the time to panic.

She had been walking forward just now, which meant that if she wanted to go back, she should just need to turn around.

Mu Wan'er has always been talkative, but at this moment her ears were empty, without that familiar voice. It seemed impossible that Mu Wan'er was here.

Mu An Ning closed his eyes, his heart beating like a drum, but he still quickened his pace and walked back.

This alley seemed particularly long. She walked for a while, but she seemed to be walking in circles in the same place, and the scene around her looked the same.

It's like being stuck in a maze.

As Mu An Ning felt a chill in his heart, a pungent smell of blood suddenly came to his nose.

She has always been sensitive to this kind of smell, and she immediately locked onto the source of the smell, which was right in front of her.

Mu An Ning stopped moving forward instantly, not knowing whether he should be glad that he finally met someone, or feel terrified that he was involved in another dispute.

She looked around and immediately hid behind a wooden barrel that appeared out of nowhere a few steps away from her.

The disturbing smell of blood filled the air, followed by the sound of a fight that seemed to be getting closer and closer to her, loud and violent.

A deep male voice sounded, neither fast nor slow, and was particularly clear in this empty alley: "Oh, is this all the Jinyiwei can do?"

Royal Guard?

Mu An Ning slowed down his breathing. It seemed that this matter concerned the royal family.

Before she could think about it, a loud shout came from not far away, which seemed to be from the leader of the Jinyiwei: "Come on!"

Hearing the increasingly fierce fighting sounds, Mu An Ning, who was hiding behind the wooden barrel, closed his eyes and ears like covering his ears, curled up slightly, and dared not make any sound.

It sounded like there were two groups of people, but she had an inexplicable feeling in her heart that no matter which group found her, she would be dead for sure.

She vaguely guessed that she was here thanks to the so-called system.

Could it be that the system's goal is to kill her?

But it was clearly capable of manipulating her, and she couldn't understand why it would go to such great lengths.

The air was filled with the smell of blood, more than twice as strong as before, and the sounds of fighting finally died down.

Mu An Ning pinched the corner of her clothes tightly, slowly opened her eyes, and listened carefully to the sound in the distance.

A round of applause rang out: "The deputy pavilion master is still the same as always. He will not let me down."

It was the man who had mocked the Imperial Guards earlier.

It looks like the JWG is defeated.

I don’t know the identities of these remaining people, but they have such ability to resist the most powerful Jinyiwei in Daliang.

"Give me the antidote." The woman's voice was extremely melodious and echoed in the quiet alley: "I will go back to Daliang with you."

Mu An Ning's eyebrows twitched. It turned out that these two people were from Liang.

Previously, when the envoys visited Da Chu, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Gu Huaizhi were inexplicably assassinated.

Now that I think about it, it has something to do with Liang State.

But how did they do it, so recklessly and so violently, causing chaos in the Great Chu?

[Hey, I finally caught these two! ]

Mu Wan'er is also here?

Mu An Ning straightened his back and looked around calmly, but he did not see the girl.

The man laughed softly, as if a gust of cold wind blew from the darkness, so chilling that it made one's hair stand on end: "You don't have to go back."

The woman hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Who?"