Shen Lixue was secretly alarmed. Could this person be invisible? Otherwise, the guards would have been able to see him!
"Squeak!" The door was gently pushed open a tiny crack.
Shen Lixue could feel the gaze peering through the narrow crack in the door, fixed intently on her. She closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep, and remained motionless.
"Squeak!" The door opened a little wider, and Shen Lixue quietly slipped her small hand under the pillow, gripping the hidden dagger tightly. She was just waiting for the person to enter the room before she made her move.
With a loud "bang!", the slightly ajar door slammed shut.
Shen Lixue was startled. Oh no, the person had discovered that she was pretending to be asleep.
The footsteps quickly faded into the distance. Her gaze turned cold, and she threw off the covers, got out of bed, grabbed a coat from the side, and draped it over herself. Her slender figure instantly appeared at the door, pulled it open, and thrust the dagger in her hand towards the direction of the footsteps.
White robes fluttered in the night wind as a tall, slender figure dodged her dagger, his jade-like fingers gripping her wrist tightly, rendering it immobile: "Li Xue, what are you doing?"
A familiar voice rang in her ears, accompanied by a faint scent of pine resin. Shen Lixue was startled and turned to look. Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, stood tall and elegant, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's you!" Shen Lixue frowned deeply. "When did you arrive?"
"Just now, when you stabbed me with the dagger!" Dongfang Heng took the dagger from Shen Lixue, released her wrist, and wrapped his arm tightly around her small waist. His jade-like fingers gently stroked her beautiful face: "Did you have a nightmare?"
Dongfang Heng's hands were warm, the gentle temperature seeping into his skin, feeling comfortable and safe, completely opposite to the coldness of the person just now: "Did you sense any strangers in the War King's Mansion?"
Shen Lixue only has half the internal strength of Dongfang Heng, and her perception is limited. When she encounters someone with deeper internal strength than her, she cannot detect them at all.
Dongfang Heng possessed profound internal strength and his perception was many times stronger than hers. She couldn't sense the mysterious man's location, but Dongfang Heng should be able to.
Dongfang Heng frowned: "When I came to the Prince Zhan's mansion, I had already searched the entire mansion, and there were no strangers!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue frowned. It seemed that the person had already left, fearing that Dongfang Heng would find out.
"What's wrong with you?" Dongfang Heng clearly sensed that something was off with Shen Lixue.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired!" Shen Lixue shook her head, looking exhausted and lacking any energy.
"Then let's rest!" Dongfang Heng picked up Shen Lixue and carried her into the room, then slammed the door shut.
He carefully placed her on the bed, and his jade-like fingers naturally unbuttoned her outer garment and the half-buttoned inner garment, leaving only a crimson bodice embroidered with plum blossoms, covering her chest.
"Dongfang Heng, why are you at the War King's Mansion at this hour?" It was past midnight, and dawn would break in two more hours.
"I just finished dealing with things at the manor, and I was worried you wouldn't sleep well, so I came to check on you!" Dongfang Heng took off his outer robe, lying on the bed in only a shirt and trousers. He reached out and pulled Shen Lixue into his arms. Just because Shen Lixue didn't live in the Holy King's Mansion didn't mean they couldn't share a bed.
Ice buckets were placed in the four corners of the inner room, and the temperature inside was a bit low. Dongfang Heng pulled a thin blanket over the two of them. Apart from not having had that kind of relationship, the two of them were no different from a married couple.
"Dongfang Heng, I suspect someone has infiltrated the War Prince's mansion." The bed beside her was dented in a large area, and the faint scent of pine resin enveloped her. Shen Lixue's gaze deepened as she murmured to herself.
Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened: "What's going on?"
Shen Lixue recounted what had just happened, her beautiful eyes grave: "I couldn't see anyone, and the guards couldn't see anyone either, but I know there must be someone there!"
"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you!" Dongfang Heng's strong arms held Shen Lixue tightly. Qingyan Capital City was full of hidden talents, but those who had the ability to break into the War King's Mansion without being discovered were few and far between.
Shen Lixue nodded, closing her eyes wearily. With Dongfang Heng here tonight, that person should not dare to come again. Tomorrow, she must think of a way to find that person.
He heard even breathing from her chest. Dongfang Heng looked down and saw that Shen Lixue was asleep in his arms. Her long eyelashes were curled up, and her sleeping face was peaceful. She looked less aloof than usual and more serene and refreshing.
A soft light spilled in, creating a warm atmosphere in the room. In the darkness, a pair of eyes were fixed intently on Li Xue Pavilion.
Dongfang Heng suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze peering through the crack in the window at the dark night sky. The cold glint in his eyes seemed to freeze one's soul. What a despicable and shameless scheme.
Bright sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, illuminating the floor of the interior room, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere!
On the carved bed, under the light blue curtains, Shen Lixue slowly opened her eyes. The bed beside her was cold, and the scent of pine resin was so faint that it was almost undetectable. Dongfang Heng had been gone for quite some time.
There was a note on the bedside table. Shen Lixue reached out and picked it up, quickly glanced at it, and smiled slightly. She got out of bed and went behind the screen to wash up.
Last night, apart from Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng, no one noticed that person. The guards and secret guards all claimed to know nothing. Looking at the sun high in the sky, Shen Lixue rubbed her forehead and boarded the carriage to Zuixianlou. Dongfang Heng's note said that he wanted to invite her to lunch at Zuixianlou.
The capital city was bustling with activity, shops were thronging, and the streets were crowded with people. The carriage was moving very slowly. As the time she had agreed to meet with Dongfang Heng was approaching, Shen Lixue frowned and said, "Driver, stop up ahead. I'll walk!" The carriage was too big and took up too much space, so it was much slower than walking.
"Yes!" the coachman replied, and stopped the carriage near the roadside.
Shen Lixue lifted the curtain, jumped off the carriage, and was about to head to Zuixianlou when she heard a commotion beside her. Turning around, she saw a burly man with a messy beard that covered most of his face. He was slovenly and cursing, "You filthy woman, you stole my money and are trying to run away with some wild man. Get back here!"
"Who are you? I don't know you at all!" A petite, pretty girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in plain clothes, stood two meters away from the man, looking at him with confusion.
"She's seen with some random man all the time, and she doesn't even recognize her own husband anymore, you shameless woman!" the man cursed angrily, grabbing the woman's arm and roughly dragging her forward.
"You've mistaken me for someone else, I'm not your wife!" The woman panicked and tried to hit the man, but his hand seemed to be attached to her arm, and no matter how hard she hit him, he wouldn't budge.
"You old hag, stop pretending! I'd recognize you even if you were ashes!" The man angrily grabbed the woman and strode past the crowd.
The woman was alone and helpless, trembling with fear, tears streaming down her face. She patted the man and shouted to passersby, "Help! I'm not his wife! I don't know him at all..."
"You stubborn woman, still talking back!" The man slapped the woman hard across the face.
"How can a grown man beat a woman in the street?"
"That's right, bullying the weak!" Passersby murmured among themselves.
The rude man glared at her coldly and said viciously, "What are you looking at? She's the woman I married. She stole my money and ran off with another man. Is it wrong for me to bring her back?"
The crowd fell silent instantly, their gazes towards the woman now tinged with disdain: "So she's an adulterer, stealing her husband's hard-earned money, shameless!"
"Once they're caught, they should be taught a severe lesson. How dare they cheat on their husbands!"
The crowd began to discuss the matter again, but this time they were loudly condemning the frail young girl and siding with the rude man.