Mu Yunhe's crimson lips curved into an alluring smile. Under his black cloak, he slowly opened his arms, as if gradually unfurling the black wings of a demon, slowly enveloping Zhuge Hualuan.
Zhuge Hualuan was overjoyed and too excited to move. Her mind screamed: Is he going to hug me? Is he going to hug me?
"Aren't you going to close your eyes?" A cool, amused voice came from above, and Mu Yunhe's sexy Adam's apple floated lightly in front of Zhuge Hualuan's eyes.
Zhuge Hualuan closed her eyes, powerless to resist, and slightly raised her head. Her body trembled; she was excited, ecstatic. Perhaps her heart was also beating with the most exhilarating joy; she thought Mu Yunhe was going to kiss her. If he wanted to kiss her, then let him kiss her. No reason was needed, no need to know why, because she was confident she had the charm to make Mu Yunhe fall for her!
A deep glint of mockery and disgust flashed in Mu Yunhe's dark pupils. His smile gradually turned wicked and cold as he pulled her into his black robe with his outstretched arms. With a twist of his wrist hidden beneath the robe, even the flashes of lightning outside could not illuminate the darkness and murderous intent beneath his robe.
With a soft "pfft!"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Zhuge Hualuan suddenly opened her eyes. Her pupils contracted, her face paled, but she didn't even have the strength to scream. She stared in utter horror at the man before her. This man, whose beauty she found breathtaking, was still smiling at her—a smile so beautiful yet so cold. Despair slowly crept into her eyes, and then she slowly looked down at the exquisite, dark gold dagger embedded in her chest, and at that pale yet slender hand.
Blood flowed from the gap where the dagger had plunged to the bottom, instantly soaking her chest. This stab had struck her heart squarely!
Zhuge Hualuan's mouth was agape, but her sharp tongue could no longer utter any insults or slanders. She could only struggle to breathe, and the only sound in the cold air was her heavy panting, which sounded particularly eerie and terrifying.
"Why...why..." These words, laced with blood, boiled in her throat, filled with pain and resentment. 16656220
Mu Yunhe grabbed Zhuge Hualuan's only remaining hand, making it look like she was holding a dagger, as if she were committing suicide, and said with a smile, "Because if you don't die, Aheng will be a constant threat!"
One instance of being framed was enough. One moment of kindness almost forced Luo Zhiheng to separate from him, ruined her reputation, and subjected her to public condemnation and harm. Such harm, once was enough! He would never allow anyone to torment him like an unquenchable hornet.
This time, he learned what it meant to "cut the weeds at the root, and they will grow back in the spring breeze"! Now that he had learned it, he naturally had to carry it through to the end. If Zhuge Hualuan wanted Luo Zhiheng dead, then he would cut the weeds at the root.
Under Zhuge Hualuan's dim, menacing gaze, Mu Yunhe gradually withdrew his fake smile, placed his large hand on her forehead, and forcefully pushed her backward. Zhuge Hualuan's body fell straight backward, crashing to the ground with a thud. Her weak breathing gradually faded, and blood flowed onto the ground.
Mu Yunhe didn't draw his dagger; he made no attempt to conceal the truth of his murder. Having done it, he wasn't afraid of anyone knowing. The reason he lured her here was simply to end this vile woman cleanly and efficiently, without causing any further trouble. (He then shifted to a seemingly unrelated sentence about a manipulator.)
He wasn't in a hurry to leave. He slowly took out the handkerchief that Luo Zhiheng had prepared for him and carefully wiped his slender hands. It was the first time he had killed someone with these beautiful hands, but he felt neither nervous nor guilty. Was he really a cursed person full of sins? He only deserved to live in the dark hell. How could he be worthy of Aheng?
Staring blankly at his hands, Mu Yunhe felt a sense of disorientation and confusion, and his vision gradually became blurry and damp. Then, raindrops began to fall, pattering against the ground, followed by a torrential downpour.
Mu Yunhe forced a smile. So it was raining. No wonder his eyes welled up with tears after killing someone. He was the younger brother of a ruthless man, the son of someone who schemed and plotted, even poisoning others. He was the legitimate son of Prince Mu, a powerful figure who had killed countless people. His body was stained with blood and filth. How could someone like him possibly be a kind person?
In the torrential rain, he could barely see anything. Fog rose in the hazy alleyway. He coldly stared at Zhuge Hualuan on the ground, watching her blood being instantly washed away and diluted by the sudden downpour, watching her chest finally stop heaving, watching her eyes open as the rain poured down on them without her noticing...
He knew she was dead. At that moment, Mu Yunhe turned stiffly, pulled up his large hood, and staggered out of the alley, gradually disappearing into this deadly place. 172.
A voice suddenly sounded beside him: "Do you need my help?"
Mu Yunhe knew those were the secret guards left behind by his father. He smiled sarcastically and said in a cold voice, "No need."
Leaning against the cold, damp, moss-covered wall, Mu Yunhe finally emerged from the alley. He looked up at the unfamiliar street, not knowing where he was. He didn't know why, but when he learned that Zhuge Hualuan had come to cause trouble for Luo Zhiheng again, a surge of anger welled up inside him, making him want to kill Zhuge Hualuan immediately.
He came out, sent Xiao Xizi away, and left alone through the back door. But now, he seemed unable to find his way back.
Mu Yunhe felt a surge of panic. If he couldn't go back, he might never see Luo Zhiheng again. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to never see Luo Zhiheng again. Right now, he only felt suffocated and desperate. So he hurried along, his shoes and socks completely soaked, trudging through the rain, struggling forward in the torrential downpour.
The carriage he had hired was nowhere to be found, and the streets were deserted except for him, a filthy madman. They refused to use the men his father had left behind. So he could only struggle on alone. His sister's matter seemed to be over, but he knew it wasn't. All the questions were reduced to one: had he really killed Rui'er? If his mother hadn't stopped that man from saving Rui'er first, would Rui'er still be alive and well?
This thought confuses Mu Yunhe, making him increasingly distressed. He felt trapped in a giant whirlpool, unable to escape, and his confusion gradually silenced him. Mu Yunhe began to feel dizzy, and for a fleeting moment, he wondered if dying like this would be a kind of relief.
No longer burdened by the suffocating grudges and resentments, no longer living such a sinful life, he could return his life to his sister, the innocent child who lost her life, and cleanse himself of all his sins...
But he died, and then he would never see Ah Heng again. What would happen to Ah Heng now that he was gone?
Leaning against the wall, Mu Yunhe shook his throbbing head violently, his breathing heavy, his vision blurry. He steadied his exhausted body, his leaden legs feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds. He could hear the sound of horses' hooves splashing through the water; he looked up, but couldn't make out the figures faintly visible in the mist on the other side of the road.
The clattering of hooves flashed past him quickly and coldly, so fast that it filled him with despair!
He gave a bitter laugh. What else did he have to hope for? If he didn't want to die, he should stand up and go back to Luo Zhiheng's side. If he wanted to atone for that child's sins with his death, then he should stop here. He knew this downpour could easily take his life!
But while Mu Yunhe was still struggling to make a decision, the sound of a fast horse, which had been fading away, suddenly reappeared, growing closer and faster until it finally appeared beside him. With a crisp shout, the horse was forcibly pulled back by the reins and neighed to a stop. The figure on horseback quickly dismounted and ran towards him by the wall.
Luo Zhiheng returned, drawn by a fleeting glimpse of a black figure in the corner of her eye. She didn't know who it was, but she wasn't willing to let go of any possibility that it might be Mu Yunhe. As she drew closer, she knew—it was Mu Yunhe!
The moment Luo Zhiheng lifted his hood, she wanted to curse him out, but the dazed smile on his pale face and his hoarse murmurs silenced her, leaving her with only a heart full of tenderness.
Mu Yunhe's head was spinning, and he couldn't see the person in front of him clearly, but that familiar touch and scent couldn't be extinguished even by a heavy rain. At that moment, Mu Yunhe felt both guilty and happy, his expression innocent like a child who had been found by someone he liked after playing hide-and-seek, shy and apprehensive: "Aheng? You found me..."
Before he could finish speaking, he fainted and was pulled into Luo Zhiheng's arms in a panic.
It's past midnight! There's another bonus chapter today! I'll keep working hard, Hua Sha! Love you all! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Mwah, my darlings!
267 Understand him! Poisoning strikes! (Bonus chapter for 16,000 comments)
Updated: 2013-08-18 20:07:01 Word Count: 3350
Luo Zhiheng stood in the corridor, her face grim. She watched the rain outside gradually subside, the cool rays washing away the summer heat, but unable to quell the anxiety in her heart. How long had she been standing here? An hour? Two hours? Or had it been a whole night? How long had Mu Yunhe been imprisoned? How long had the Poison Saint and Lady Huoyun been inside? She seemed to know nothing anymore; all she could see was Mu Yunhe's face, a pale smile reflected in the rain.
"Miss, you must take good care of yourself so that the young prince can rest assured. You see, even when the young prince is in so much pain and suffering from illness, he is still thinking of you and doing everything he can to ensure your safety. I can see clearly how much the young prince cares about you, so don't worry, everything will be alright." The wet nurse draped a dry garment over Luo Zhiheng and said gently.
Luo Zhiheng's eyelashes trembled slightly. She didn't say anything, but just kept looking at the rain outside, her expression inscrutable.
In the early hours of the morning, just now, someone brought news that the body of Zhuge Hualuan had been found in an alley five streets away from the Zhuge family. The preliminary judgment is that it was a suicide, because she died with a dagger in her hand, stabbing herself in the heart.
Ke Luo Zhiheng knew it wasn't a suicide. She had a strong feeling that Mu Yunhe had killed Zhuge Hualuan! She found Mu Yunhe at the alley entrance in that location. Although the rain was pouring down, it couldn't mask the unfamiliar scent emanating from him. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated.)
All the anger and resentment vanished the moment they heard the news. But what followed was boundless fear and panic. If Zhuge Hualuan's mother had been with him at that time, Mu Yunhe wouldn't have succeeded so easily, and he might have even been implicated. The consequences would have been unimaginable.
She was angry at Mu Yunhe's impulsiveness and recklessness, yet moved by his protection and care. He made her feel conflicted, giving her a deeper understanding of love. She realized that love wasn't just about one-sided effort; she had been giving so much without knowing if it was love. But when Mu Yunhe was devastated and on the verge of collapse, she said she felt utterly disheartened.
She seemed to have her thoughts and reason controlled by Mu Yunhe. Her actions revolved around him. She resisted this involuntary behavior, but even the slightest action from Mu Yunhe could instantly change her mind. She would feel happy and joyful because of what he did for her in secret, and she would worry and blame him for his recklessness.
It turns out that when Mu Yunhe made his feelings for her, her heart was warm and tender. 16613532
"Miss, are you alright? You've been standing all night, you should go back to your room and rest." Seeing Luo Zhiheng's dazed look and the faint smile on her lips, the nanny was quite frightened. Could it be that the young lady had been scared silly by the young prince?
"I'm fine. I need to wait until they come out and say that Mu Yunhe is alright," Luo Zhiheng said stubbornly. She turned her head slightly and added, "Has the Zhuge family already started to get involved in this matter?"
The wet nurse said indifferently, "On the surface, we don't care about this matter. But the Zhuge family sent someone today to say that Zhuge Hualuan had no connection with the Zhuge family since before she died yesterday. She was kicked out and removed from the family tree. She is no longer a member of the Zhuge family, so her life or death has nothing to do with the Zhuge family."
"On the surface? What are they doing behind the scenes?" Luo Zhiheng hadn't slept all night, but she still managed to grasp the hidden meaning in the wet nurse's words.
The wet nurse smiled and said, "Miss is clever. The Zhuge family has already secretly sent people to start investigating. It seems that they will soon find out about the young prince. The murder weapon on Zhuge Hualuan is a big flaw. The young prince was careless. If he brings the dagger back after killing Zhuge Hualuan, it means that the flaw is gone."
Luo Zhiheng's brows furrowed with a hint of understanding and a gentle relaxation as she said, "He deliberately left this huge flaw. He was telling the Zhuge family and others that he wasn't afraid of causing trouble, and that he was the one who killed this person."
"What?! Why would the young prince do this? Isn't he just asking for trouble?" the wet nurse exclaimed.
Luo Zhiheng chuckled lightly: "He's not afraid of any trouble. The key is that someone has to dare to cause him trouble. This man is just too reserved. Even his arrogance is so low-key."
The wet nurse was momentarily bewildered, but then she remembered Mu Yunhe's sensational and noble status that had shocked the world, and immediately understood. However, the wet nurse asked again, "Since the young prince isn't afraid of people knowing he did it, why would he deliberately create the illusion that Zhuge Hualuan committed suicide? Isn't that a contradiction?"
With a hint of helplessness and tenderness in her eyes, Luo Zhiheng smiled faintly, "That's what makes him so mischievous. He tells everyone he killed this person, yet makes the world believe the person committed suicide. Even though those in the know understand he killed him, they dare not speak the truth because they fear his status. I'm afraid Mu Yunhe is doing this to make the Zhuge family suffer. He wants them to know the truth, but to be forced to accept the falsehood against their will. Mu Yunhe is dealing with them; although his methods are simple, they're very effective, aren't they? At least the Zhuge family doesn't dare say a word; they can only say that Zhuge Hualuan committed suicide out of shame."
The wet nurse was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sighed, "This kind of logic is really childish. I'm afraid only someone as pure-hearted as the young prince would think of it. But it's quite interesting, making the Zhuge family suffer in silence, unable to express their bitterness. That's not bad."
“Miss and the young prince are truly a match made in heaven. Perhaps only you in this world truly understand the young prince,” the wet nurse said with a smile.
Luo Zhiheng smiled faintly and remained silent. If she truly understood him, she wouldn't be wandering around this unfamiliar country like a headless fly, searching for him. But it's not too late to start getting to know him properly now, is it?
With a creak, the door behind her opened. Luo Zhiheng, her nerves on edge, whirled around, but because she had been standing for so long, her body was stiff, and she stumbled forward. Fortunately, her nanny reacted quickly and caught her.
"Are you alright?" the wet nurse asked worriedly.
Luo Zhiheng shook her head, her sharp gaze fixed on the Poison Saint. For a moment, she felt dazed and awkward. The Poison Saint in front of her looked a little more awkward than before. Although it was still the same person, the fact that the great prodigy, the World King, was always by his side made him even more conspicuous.
A stunningly beautiful woman and a stunningly... beggar—the visual impact of putting these two together is too great. And it seems this beautiful woman, the World King, is even more masculine than a man, shamelessly clinging to the Poison Saint. The Poison Saint, however, is quite ungrateful, throwing all sorts of tantrums, making Luo Zhiheng feel uneasy and covered in goosebumps whenever she sees them.
Steadying her twitching lips, Luo Zhiheng asked coldly, "How is he?"
"He won't die for now." The King spoke before the Poison Saint could, then took the Poison Saint's old hand, which looked like tree bark, with a worried expression and said with heartache, "You've been busy taking care of someone else's little lover, and you've made my beloved concubine tired all night. Luo Zhiheng, how can you be so shameless? My dear concubine, let's go and rest quickly. I'll give you a good massage. I'm afraid your once radiant skin will become dull after not sleeping all night."
The wet nurse remained calm, but Luo Zhiheng couldn't take it anymore. She hissed, "That's enough! Get out of here, or don't blame me for plucking this old man's beard clean!"
"Luo Zhiheng, have you grown bold? Or are you jealous of the deep affection between me and my beloved concubine?" the Prince provocatively asked with a smile. He wasn't even angry at Luo Zhiheng's earlier rudeness.
Luo Zhiheng felt a surge of anger, wishing she could slap the smug and shameless Prince Shi to death. She sneered, "Could you be any more shameless? Seducing men in front of everyone like this! If you want to disgust people, please choose a place where people can accept your behavior. Don't forget what you promised me: if Mu Yunhe doesn't survive, I'll kill your beloved concubine! No, I'll have someone kill your beloved concubine first, then kill her, kill her and then kill her again, kill her and then kill her again!"
"Enough! Luo Zhiheng, you are too vicious! Believe me or not, I will kill you right now!" The King's face changed, and he roared, gripping the Poison Saint's hand tightly.
"You've gone too far! Qin Yinshi, you bastard, get the hell out of here! I'm not your concubine! Damn it, have you ever seen a man be someone else's concubine? How long are you going to humiliate me? Get out of here now, don't let me see you, seeing you is annoying!" Poison Saint angrily shook off the King's hand, angrily pulled out his beard, and angrily spun around in place.
The king was terrified and immediately softened his voice to coax her, "Alright, alright, I'll leave right away. You can leave with me, my beloved!"
"Qin Yinshi, go to hell!!" Poison Saint roared, tearing off a clump of his beard and throwing it at the King's face.
The king caught it with a smile, and said with a charming and seductive tone, "It should have been plucked a long time ago. Hurry up and pluck it all off. I've been annoyed by your unkempt beard for a long time."
"Go to hell!" the Poison Saint roared, his face turning red with anger.
Luo Zhiheng held her breath for a long time, but she really couldn't bear it any longer. She gritted her teeth and said angrily, "What exactly happened to Mu Yunhe? You're not going to tell me, are you? Madam Huoyun, you tell me. I don't expect these two idiots to tell me anymore."
Lady Huoyun's eyelids twitched violently. Luo Zhiheng had such audacity to call the Prince an idiot. But strangely, ever since he saw the Poison Saint, the Prince had rarely been truly angry. And why did the Prince not react to Luo Zhiheng's various excessive words?
Huo Yunqing coughed, but Poison Saint spoke first: "Mu Yunhe has a high fever and his condition is very dangerous. He has already shown signs of the poison taking effect. It seems that he suffers from the poison once a year, which is very painful. He is already very weak and cannot withstand the slightest disturbance. A heavy rain can cause a serious illness, and with the sudden and fierce onset of the poison, I judge that without the antidote, he will not survive more than three days."
268 How Can I Save You? The King's Memories and Interrogations!
Updated: 2013-08-19 13:32:50 Word Count: 7617
The phrase "a bolt from the blue" perfectly describes Luo Zhiheng's feelings at this moment! Her expression seemed to be on the verge of tears, yet also on the verge of incredulous laughter. In the end, only rage remained. She roared like an enraged lioness: "Then hurry up and save him! What are you good for? And you, Prince Shi, hurry up and save him! You have time to flirt here, but you don't even save my Mu Yunhe!"
The King was filled with helplessness, secretly blaming the Poison Saint for not being more tactful in his words, which had now angered Luo Zhiheng. However, the King was unwilling to let his beloved be scolded. He snorted coldly and said, "I will naturally keep my promise to you, but now there is a very thorny issue. Let's go inside and talk. Have your men guard the outside and no one is allowed to approach."
Luo Zhiheng hurriedly followed inside, her heart pounding with anxiety and panic. The wet nurse automatically closed the door to prevent anyone from peeping in. Even Elder Tong and the others who had rushed over upon hearing the news were kept outside. After all, they were getting on in years and couldn't wait all night, which was why they had returned to their rooms. However, Mu Yunhe's status was now extremely important, and he couldn't afford to make the slightest mistake. These old folks couldn't sleep at all, and were now anxiously waiting outside like ants on a hot plate, yet they dared not disturb him.
"Speak quickly, I don't want to hear any more nonsense!" Luo Zhiheng hurried towards Mu Yunhe's bedside. When she saw Mu Yunhe's face flushed abnormally and touched his alarmingly high temperature, she gritted her teeth and growled, "You've been busy all night, and you're still letting him have a high fever?"
"You can't blame me for this. I only know how to make and detoxify poisons. I don't know anything else." The Poison Saint shirked all responsibility.