"You're really capable."
Nan Lingqin looked at Lan Xinyue.
Yuwen Yao couldn't help but glance at Lan Xinyue again, his eyes seemingly filled with doubt, but he instantly understood.
"The Northern Emperor was right; I got lucky."
Under Yuwen Yao's all-knowing gaze, Lan Xinyue was extremely frank: "That day I went out on business and happened to see two groups of people fighting. Out of curiosity, I hid in the shadows to watch the whole thing, and then... I stepped in to take over."
They stepped in and took over?
Looking at Lan Xinyue, Nan Lingqin suddenly felt that she was growing to like this woman more and more.
"It's a pity you're a woman, otherwise I would have fallen for someone else."
Nan Lingqin said this in a seemingly ambiguous way.
"It would be a pity if we didn't have that."
Yuwen Yao immediately rejected the idea.
"Don't be jealous of women, it's too sour."
Nan Lingqin spoke softly as she approached the bedside. Looking at Zhuidamu, who was lying on it with his limbs bound like a lamb to the slaughter, her expression was anything but friendly.
"It's great that you've actually achieved this."
"Didn't you say that Beirong Palace City was occupied by Xu Yiran? Nan Lingqin, you still have the mood to stay here."
“Of course, as for An Shangning, I gave you some information about her whereabouts that day. With your abilities, you should be able to find her.”
At the mention of that name, Zhuidamu's entire face froze, his eyes becoming like a bottomless abyss, a layer of worry suddenly filling his eyes. "Nan Lingqin, if I said that I was tricked and fell into a trap because I was in a hurry to find An Shangning, would you believe me?"
I believe you.
Nan Lingqin said.
Zhuidamu was taken aback, looked at Nan Lingqin, and showed a hint of excitement, "I didn't expect that even now, you would still believe me."
"You're wrong. I don't trust you; I only trust An Shangning, and I believe that it's true you love An Shangning. But what about what you just said about falling into a trap?"
“Someone gave me a tip that Shang Ning was there, so I went there, but we almost all perished. In the end, this Miss Lan took the opportunity to capture us.”
"Could the person who fought against Zhuidamu at that time have been Xu Yiran's man?"
Nan Lingqin was asking Lan Xinyue this question.
“They are people from the Underworld, but… just like those people you saw earlier who broke into the mansion and wanted to harm my Lan family…” Lan Xinyue looked at Yuwen Yao, “I think you, the Northern Emperor, know best, right? It’s obvious that after you abandoned the Underworld, either something went wrong or there was another hand secretly controlling it.”
Yuwen Yao nodded, seemingly lost in thought.
"If that's the case, then this person is very likely the one who has a great relationship with Xu Yiran."
Who are you talking about?
Lan Xinyue was naturally unaware of what had happened at the Xu residence. She admired and loved Xu Yiran, but she didn't know much about his family or past.
Nan Lingqin glanced at her, offered no explanation, and then looked at Yuwen Yao again. "So, it's more likely that An Shangning is really in their hands right now."
"What?" Zhuidamu's expression changed drastically. He twisted the iron chains so excitedly that they rattled. His eyes were filled with a desire to grab Nan Lingqin and demand an explanation.
"Thinking about it, that makes sense. If we capture you alive, whether we use you to restrain An Shangning or use An Shangning to threaten you, the other side won't lose out."
Nan Lingqin looked at Lan Xinyue and said, "This is indeed a great gift. I think your room is nice, so let him stay here and enjoy it."
"Wait!" Zhuidamu suddenly became angry. "Nan Lingqin, let me leave. I need to go find her."
"If you could protect her, she wouldn't have fallen into someone else's hands and her fate would still be unknown. If you could protect her, you wouldn't have betrayed me in the first place, causing An Shangning to be angry with you and shut her heart away and leave. She is such a determined person, you don't understand her at all."
Nan Lingqin stared intently at Zhuidamu, her words cold and sharp, "I'm not killing you today only because I want to wait until the day when An Shangning personally deals with you."
After saying that, Nan Lingqin was the first to leave the house.
Lan Xinyue walked last.
"In that case, let's shut it down again."
His tone remained indifferent.
...
The moonlight, like a layer of ink, was obscured by the wind, creating a dark and indistinct effect.
Inside a mountain cave, An Shangning and An Shangyu were imprisoned. Their major acupoints were locked, making them unable to move, weak, and powerless. Apart from being able to speak and eat, they were too weak to do anything else.
"Sister, I've been counting down the days; we've been locked up here for over a month."
An Shangyu was breathing heavily. After saying one sentence, he took a long time to catch his breath before continuing, "It's a pity that even now, we don't even know who captured us."
"Don't speak, keep your breath."
An Shangning spoke up, and the long-term confinement had caused the two gentle and beautiful women to lose their charm, their faces were sallow and their expressions were dejected.
Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.
They walked very slowly, step by step.
An Shangning's expression tightened upon hearing the footsteps, and then a look of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Just then, the owner of the footsteps appeared before them, carrying a food box in his hand.
"Eat up, the beggar's chicken I made today can help you replenish your strength."
The newcomer was a woman of medium height and delicate features. She was not particularly outstanding, but she was still a girl from a modest family. Standing in this cold and desolate cave, she seemed somewhat out of place.
"Li Qingru, you are a young lady from the Minister's family. You were there at the Marquis of Anping's residence on Shang Yu's tenth birthday, weren't you? I've also heard that Sister Lingqin helped you, and afterwards, you received a lot of help from her. I'm really curious, what made you willing to risk your life for someone else and betray Sister Lingqin? What benefits did they give you? Didn't they say that the person who captured us is someone you admire?"
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