No need to worry
He slowly, extremely slowly, turned his head to the center. His once deep and cold eyes were now like an abyss filled with ice, churning with a fury and unbelievable ferocity that could freeze the soul.
The air pressure around him instantly plummeted to freezing point, even the wisps of water vapor seemed to condense. It was the absolute pressure belonging to those in power, those who held the power of life and death, carrying murderous intent, pressing down on Gu Jinghong relentlessly.
His hand, still damp from the search, swiftly seized the wrist that Gu Jinghong had just used to hit him, with such force that it almost crushed her bones. At the same time, his other hand instantly gripped her throat.
"Gu, Jing, Hong... How dare you! You dare to hit me, the Prince? Who gave you the audacity?! Do you know that in my Great Yong Dynasty, slapping a Prince is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"
Gu Jinghong's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, yet she still stared at Xiao Chengyan with anger and stubbornness.
As his anger reached its peak, a tear fell from Gu Jinghong's eye, its burning heat spreading across Xiao Chengyan's hand.
Xiao Chengyan loosened his grip on Gu Jinghong almost imperceptibly.
In that instant, Gu Jinghong knew she was safe—she had seen too many people who wanted to kill, and none of them would waste words before taking action. Moreover, Gu Jinghong was also a martial artist, and judging from Xiao Chengyan's initial exertion, if he truly wanted her dead, she would already be a dead soul at his hands.
Gu Jinghong quickly regained her composure: "Your Highness, before you wrongly accused me, why didn't you look for me again!"
That makes sense.
Xiao Chengyan seemed to think that what she said made sense, so he let go and suppressed the inexplicable emotions surging in his heart, and turned to the shelf.
He picked up his dark-colored casual clothes, his fingers instinctively, with a hint of eagerness he himself was unaware of, reaching into the inside pocket of the garment.
Suddenly, his expression froze as his fingertips touched the familiar cold, hard surface.
The key was still lying quietly in his palm!
The key... is still there?!
But he clearly put the key on the shelf, so how come it's now in his casual clothes?
Xiao Chengyan's gaze froze on the key for a moment, then abruptly turned to Gu Jinghong, who was kneeling before him, her clothes disheveled, tears streaming down her face, and her body still trembling slightly.
She sneaked into his bathroom, risking being killed on the spot, only to be so...searched and humiliated by him, and it turned out...the key wasn't lost at all? She really didn't take anything?
Could it be... that she's just incredibly audacious? Or... a foolish delusion?
No, no, that was just a body search, and she reacted so strongly, she actually dared to...
Thinking of this, Xiao Chengyan felt a burning pain on one side of his face.
The loss of control made him inexplicably irritable.
"Get out." Xiao Chengyan's voice remained icy. "If there's a next time, I will definitely..."
Before he finished speaking, Gu Jinghong had already left the bathhouse, his back ramrod straight, but his steps carried a barely perceptible unsteadiness.
As Xiao Chengyan watched her leave in anger, he felt a mix of emotions, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the keys.
...
Only after running back to his room in Chun Shen Yuan, closing the door, and sliding down to the floor against the cold door panel did Gu Jinghong dare to breathe heavily.
The bathroom was such a mess just now!
Now, her inner shirt was soaked with cold sweat, her heart was still pounding, and the places that had been touched seemed to still retain the burning sensation and power, making her weak all over and her cheeks burning hot.
In all my years as a scout, I've never been as disheveled as I am today.
With trembling hands, she pulled the real key from her chest and examined it closely in the dim candlelight.
Yes, she switched the baby with the swan.
Once she's seen a perfectly realistic fake, she can replicate it... Gu Jinghong's ability to easily spot the subtle differences between fakes and genuine articles is due to her talent, something Xiao Chengyan definitely can't do!
The cold night wind swept across the eaves of Chun Shen Garden, making a soft whistling sound.
Gu Jinghong snapped out of her daze and took a deep breath—Xiao Chengyan wasn't a fool who would wait for her to act slowly; time was of the essence, and some things had to be done immediately.
As the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) approached, the Prince's Palace fell into a deep sleep, with only the rhythmic footsteps of the night patrol guards echoing through the air.
Gu Jinghong, dressed in a tight-fitting blue-black night outfit, her face veiled in black gauze, her ponytail tied high with a simple wooden hairpin, was like a ghost blending into the night. She avoided all the visible and hidden sentries and sneaked to the door of the secret room once again.
She looked around to make sure no one was there before inserting the "finger ring key".
She then placed the key in the appropriate position and reached out to turn the south-facing lock. A series of soft "clicks" were heard as the lock opened suddenly, and Gu Jinghong gently pushed open the door to the warm pavilion.
The warm room was simply furnished and empty, with only a musty smell of dust.
Her gaze swept across the ground, and she immediately grabbed several unusually worn floor tiles. Then she squatted down, reached out and felt along the cracks, and quickly found an extremely hidden protrusion, which she pressed down hard!
A dull hum of machinery turned. A huge slab of floor tile, along with the stone slab below, slowly slid to one side, revealing a dark, downward-facing opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.
A stronger, cold wind, mixed with the scent of herbs and dust, rushed towards him. Without hesitation, Gu Jinghong slipped inside and closed the mouthpiece behind him.
The cave was not completely dark; faint fluorescent stones on the walls emitted a ghostly green light, barely illuminating the narrow, downward stone steps.
Her footsteps were silent, her heart pounding like a drum.
At the end of the stone steps was a heavy stone door with a keyhole, presumably requiring Xiao Chengyan's key.
Gu Jinghong took out the key he had recently replicated, inserted it, and turned it!
"Clang, clang, clang..." The heavy stone door slowly opened inward.
An indescribable, rich, and almost overwhelming medicinal fragrance, mixed with the scent of old books, surged forth.
The secret room was small, with sandalwood shelves embedded in the walls on all four sides. The shelves were neatly arranged with countless brocade boxes, jade bottles, scrolls, and books, and on the very top sat a small wooden mechanical bird, which seemed out of place with the surrounding objects.
In the southwest corner of the secret room, there was a cold jade box placed alone. The lid of the box was semi-transparent, and one could vaguely see a strange herb lying inside, which resembled a dragon's whiskers, was entirely green, and had a blood-red fruit at the top. It was exactly the same as the one she had seen in the book at Zhuoyue Tower.
Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass!
Gu Jinghong stepped forward and carefully opened the Cold Jade Box. The icy chill and rich life force intertwined, invigorating her. She quickly took out the herbs, wrapped them in layers of specially prepared oiled paper, and tucked them into the specially insulated inner lining of her bosom.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, her gaze inadvertently swept over the top of the tallest shelf in the center of the secret room.
There were no brocade boxes or jade bottles there, only a solitary token hanging there, gleaming with a faint blue luster. It was about the size of a palm, neither gold nor jade, and its material was indiscernible. The token had no intricate patterns on its surface, only a very ancient, vigorous, and primordial pictograph engraved in the center.
Gu Jinghong's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
This token… the ancient characters on it seemed to writhe with life, instilling in Gu Jinghong a deep-seated sense of repulsion. She instinctively looked away. This item was not what she sought, nor was it relevant to the mission. The most important thing right now was to leave with the Resurrection Grass!
...
2:45 AM
Gu Jinghong appeared silently at the entrance of the Prince Jin's mansion.
She had changed into the most inconspicuous coarse cloth dress, tightly binding the Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass around her waist and abdomen. Beneath the bulky disguise lay taut nerves.
As soon as she pushed open the door, a night breeze carrying a faint scent of rouge brushed against her face, along with a cold, sticky gaze that locked onto her like a venomous snake.
Gu Jinghong's heart sank. She slowly raised her eyes and saw a tall figure leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed in the shadows of the corridor. His deep red robe almost blended into the night, with only the jade flute at his waist gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the dim light.
His long hair was unbound, with a few strands brushing against his pale yet strikingly handsome profile—it was Xie Yan.
This freak?! Could it be that he actually timed it perfectly and was waiting to blow up the Prince's mansion?!
Xie Yan slowly straightened up and stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating the undisguised, mocking, and maniacal smile on his face.
"Heh... Look who this is? Our esteemed Manager Gu... Tsk tsk, this outfit is truly... unique."
His narrow phoenix eyes, like poisoned hooks, swept precisely over Gu Jinghong's bloated waist and abdomen. His gaze suddenly turned sharp as a knife, and his voice was lowered to a whisper, "In the dead of night, like a thief... What's wrong? Has the delicacies of the Prince Jin's mansion spoiled your palate, or is Xiao Chengyan's bed not warm enough, making you rush out to hunt for wild food?"
Gu Jinghong's face froze, his tone hard as iron, and he didn't back down an inch: "Xie Yan, step aside. It's none of your business to interfere in the affairs of Zhuangmu Pavilion!"
"It's not my place to comment?"
Xie Yan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. A smile appeared on his lips. He deftly twirled the jade flute between his fingers, and the tip of the flute, with a sharp whistling sound, unexpectedly pointed at Gu Jinghong's waist and abdomen where the medicinal herbs were hidden.
Gu Jinghong was prepared and retreated quickly, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, but the strong wind carried by the flute tip still made her waist and abdomen ache. Her eyes flashed with cold light, and the short blade slid into her palm.
Xie Yan, having missed his first attack, did not pursue. Instead, he used his jade flute to point to the location where she had hidden the medicine, his eyes looking at her as if she were a madwoman courting death: "Gu Jinghong, you actually brought out the 'flesh'? What do you plan to do with it? Save that old man and curry favor?"
He suddenly took a step closer and grabbed Gu Jinghong's arm: "I know you've suffered a lot at Qin Jin's hands and have long disliked him. Now that you've got the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass, you're determined to bring him down. How about I help you...?"
Gu Jinghong gripped the short blade tightly, meeting his crazed gaze without flinching, a cold sneer curling at the corner of her lips: "Help? I appreciate your understanding, but my life or death is none of your concern!"
Xie Yan, enraged, laughed coldly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent before suddenly turning menacing, his laughter chilling: "Gu Jinghong, you can't escape me no matter what, so you might as well do me a favor. If you don't, I'll hand you over to Xiao Chengyan right now. You should know what kind of person Xiao Chengyan is..."
Before he could finish speaking—
"Who I am is none of your concern."
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