Shen Lixue nodded. That was a good method, but with so many people she knew, checking each one would be too time-consuming. She needed to find out the identity of the flute player in the shortest possible time...
As dawn broke, people got up early to open their doors and shops. A tall, slender figure in black wandered back and forth on Buzhou Street. His dark eyes were like a pool of water, clear and deep, as he carefully observed every woman who passed by.
"Who is he?" It was still early, and the shop hadn't had any customers yet. The employees stood together, discussing among themselves: "We've seen him loitering around there a lot these past few days, like he's looking for someone..."
"Judging from his clothes, he seems to be a wealthy young master..."
A woman in green walked by not far away. The man was overjoyed and quickly chased after her, calling out, "Li Xue!"
The woman turned around, but it wasn't the face he remembered. The man's joyful expression instantly darkened. It wasn't her, and this wasn't her either. She had promised to come see him, so why hadn't she?
The man walked slowly and mechanically, continuing to search for the face in his memory. At the corner, a woman who had been standing for a long time smiled coldly, slowly walked forward, and blocked the man's way.
The man looked up and saw a woman in pink standing gracefully before him, with bright eyes and a beautiful smile. She was very pretty, but she was not the one he was looking for.
The man lowered his head expressionlessly and walked straight past the woman, about to move forward, when the woman's clear voice rang out from behind him: "You're looking for Chen Lixue?"
The man stopped and turned around, a strange light flickering in his eyes: "You know Li Xue?"
The woman smiled slightly, a smile that could launch a thousand ships, yet deep within that smile lay a chilling intent: "We are good friends, I can take you to see her!"
064 Li Xue Teases the Scumbag Girl
In a daze, Shen Lixue tried to turn over, but she couldn't move at all. Her waist was tightly held in place, and the faint scent of pine resin lingered in her nose. She heard a strong heartbeat in her ear, and Shen Lixue was startled and suddenly opened her eyes.
What catches the eye is a white undergarment, with two buttons undone, revealing a strong, tanned chest that rises and falls with each shallow breath.
Warm breath sprayed on her hair. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Dongfang Heng's handsome face. He was fast asleep, and his usual indifference and coldness were gone. His features were as soft as a poem or painting.
She was actually held by Dongfang Heng and slept through another night!
Shen Lixue quickly sat up and quietly pulled on Dongfang Heng's arm, which was tightly embracing her waist. Last night, she had planned to rest on the soft couch by the window, but she fell asleep while thinking about the problem...
"It's still early, why not sleep a little longer?" Dongfang Heng opened his eyes, his dark pupils as deep as a pool.
"It's dawn, I need to get back to the manor as soon as possible to avoid arousing suspicion!" Shen Lixue pulled away from Dongfang Heng's arm and got out of bed, quickly walking to the mirror to straighten her clothes.
The bright bronze mirror reflected Dongfang Heng's handsome face on the carved bed. His obsidian-like eyes were sharp and clear, without a trace of the drowsiness of just waking up. Shen Lixue gritted her teeth inwardly. He had been awake for a while, but he hadn't gotten up and had been pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed...
Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue: "Your clothes are wrinkled, go change into something new!"
"I'll change as soon as I get back to the Prime Minister's residence!" Shen Lixue had a habit of changing her clothes every day. She had been wearing this outfit for a day and it was a little wrinkled. Even if Dongfang Heng hadn't reminded her, she would have changed into a new one.
“Wearing wrinkled clothes all the way will arouse suspicion if someone sees them. Change into that outfit!” Shen Lixue followed Dongfang Heng’s gaze and saw a Xiangfei purple Xiang dress lying quietly on the soft couch in front of the window, reflecting the morning light, looking very beautiful.
"How come there are women's clothes here?" Shen Lixue paused slightly in removing her hairpin, a half-smile playing on her lips. Dongfang Heng was a man, and the servants around him, besides guards and servants, were all male; there wasn't even a maidservant. Yet, women's clothes had appeared in his room...
"This dress was accidentally mixed in with the gifts someone gave me!" Dongfang Heng said casually, looking at Shen Lixue: "You should change into it. This wrinkled dress is attracting a lot of attention!"
"Has anyone worn that dress before?" Shen Lixue asked. It was really inappropriate for her to return to the Prime Minister's residence looking like this, but she didn't like wearing other people's clothes.
"No, it was just delivered recently and has been sitting here!" Dongfang Heng replied.
"Thank you!" Upon receiving a positive response, Shen Lixue stopped insisting. She took her clothes and went behind the screen. Behind the screen was clear water and a bathtub. The water in the tub was hot, and steam rose gently. Since Shen Lixue had limited time, she did not take a bath. After a quick wash, she changed her clothes.
The Xiang skirt is made of the most popular Xiangfei purple color. The upper body is simple and plain, while the hem is embroidered with beautiful flower petals. Three gemstones, one large and two small, are adorned at the waist, their shimmering light complementing each other and making the whole skirt even more beautiful.
The dress was neither too big nor too small, fitting Shen Lixue perfectly, as if it were tailor-made for her. Two thin, short lines hung from the hem, as if they had been rushed into production and forgotten to be cut. Shen Lixue tied the thin lines into a knot and hid them behind the fabric.
Stepping out from behind the screen, her long, flowing black hair cascaded down her back, a natural and effortless beauty that stirred the imagination. Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened slightly, and a subtle, graceful smile curved his lips.
"Dongfang Heng, is this dress really a gift from someone?" Shen Lixue was a little incredulous. It was such a coincidence that it was sent at such a time, and it fit her perfectly.
"Of course!" Dongfang Heng nodded, turned his gaze away from Shen Lixue, and skillfully fastened the buttons on his new clothes.
Dongfang Heng was the Azure Flame War God, and his exceptional intelligence was beyond question. Trying to get anything out of him was harder than climbing to heaven. He insisted on his story, and Shen Lixue didn't say anything more. She walked straight to the bronze mirror and had just picked up the wooden comb when a commotion came from outside the door: "Dongfang Heng, why are you blocking this young master from entering? Do you have some great beauty hiding in this room...?"
A fierce fight broke out. Shen Lixue looked out the window and saw Zi Mo and several guards ambushing a young man. He was dressed in light sandalwood clothes, had a bewitching face, and was holding a folding fan. It was none other than Nangong Xiao, the heir of the King of Yunnan.
"You all step back!" Dongfang Heng's indifferent voice rang out, and Zi Mo and the guards immediately stopped and stepped aside.
Nangong Xiao snorted, opened his folding fan, and swaggered into the room. The wicked smile on his lips froze instantly. His surprised gaze shifted from Shen Lixue, who was combing her hair, to Dongfang Heng, who was buttoning his coat, and then from Dongfang Heng to Shen Lixue, who was combing her hair: "You...you guys..."
"Dongfang Heng, you were in such a hurry to get rid of me yesterday just so you could do something bad!" Nangong Xiao's charming eyes were practically spitting fire with anger. A beautiful flower had actually been plucked by Dongfang Heng first! Ugh, he was furious! This ruthless scoundrel had definitely been up to no good!
"Nangong Xiao, you're meddling too much!" Dongfang Heng said coldly, fastening his clothes and waving his hand. The wide-open curtains instantly fell, covering the somewhat messy bed. In Nangong Xiao's eyes, it was clear that he was trying to cover up what had happened last night.
"This young master just loves to meddle in other people's business..." Nangong Xiao fanned himself vigorously with his folding fan, then sat down at the table without any politeness, looking like he was determined not to leave. His fiery eyes glared at Dongfang Heng: "Did you use some special methods last night?"
Shen Lixue is so aloof, she would definitely not agree to such a thing before marriage. It was precisely because he knew Shen Lixue's personality that he left the Holy King's Mansion without any worries. He never expected that something that should not have happened would actually happen in just one night.
Nangong Xiao shook his fan in frustration. How could he forget that Dongfang Heng was the cunning and ruthless god of the Azure Flame? He could even scheme against him, let alone Shen Lixue.
"Nangong Xiao, what nonsense are you talking about? Dongfang Heng is injured, and I just stayed to take care of him!" Shen Lixue is the young master of the world and is already twenty years old in modern times. Of course, she is clear about matters between men and women. In addition, Nangong Xiao did not speak in a veiled way, so she naturally understood what he meant.
She and Dongfang Heng only slept in the same bed for one night, and nothing happened. Nangong Xiao had a special personality, and if she told the truth, it would only make things worse. So, she changed the subject and gave a general account.
"Take care of the injured!" A thought flashed through Nangong Xiao's mind, and she gritted her teeth. So that's how Dongfang Heng lied to her. He was really clever. Who would be wary of a seriously injured person?
Shen Lixue frowned. Her explanation seemed to have only deepened his misunderstanding. Explaining Yun further would only make things worse: "Nangong Xiao, you came here so early in the morning. Did you find any important clues?"
"There are clues, but there aren't!" Nangong Xiao replied casually, fanning himself with his folding fan. "None of the people we know have gone missing, but Tian Meiren's body is missing!"
Shen Lixue was shocked: "Consort Tian was the Emperor's concubine. The Empress ordered that her funeral be conducted according to the standards for a Consort. Her body should have been guarded by palace servants. How could it be missing?"
“I don’t know either!” Nangong Xiao shook his head: “Consort Tian was punished by crashing into the door and died. The palace guards were practically useless. The coffin containing Consort Tian was left in the Cold Palace, intact. There were signs that the coffin nails had been pried open. I secretly opened it and saw that it was empty…”
"The palace is full of people and eyes. Where can such a large corpse be transported?" Shen Lixue's gaze deepened.