“Qingchen, put down the sword.” Yan Shiyao’s lashes were heavy with tears.

Xuan Yanyu pressed his lips into a thin line, sheathed his sword, and wiped the still-wet blood from the blade. His expression darkened as he turned and left.

Yan Shiyao tugged at the corner of her mouth, glanced at Luo Xuan kneeling on the ground, then turned and went back into her room.

Yan Yunning’s eyes darted about. She hurried to Luo Xuan’s side and struck first. “Didn’t you say the plan was foolproof? What happened?!”

Fafa: Master, not to say this, but you are quite clever — you got in ahead of Luo Xuan and spoke first, letting her think this had nothing to do with you.

Yan Yunning: ……

“Xuan Yanyu.” Luo Xuan’s eyes shimmered with a faint red tinge. Her delicate white fingers dabbed at the blood on her throat, and she let out a soft laugh.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together.

“The medicine pouch I gave you — give it to Xuan Yanyu to drink tonight.” Luo Xuan braced herself against the ground and rose to her feet.

Yan Yunning straightened the pin in her hair, her brow knitting faintly. “Tonight won’t work. He left just now with a terrible look on his face — he must be angry with my sister. If I go looking for him, he’ll just throw me out.”

Luo Xuan giggled, pinching a flower petal between her fingers and rubbing it slowly. “He won’t.”

“?” Yan Yunning was at a loss for words.

How would she know whether he would or not — she’d already been thrown out of his room twice. Besides, that medicine pouch Luo Xuan had given her was already sitting at the bottom of the waste basket.

“Second Miss Yan, how curious, don’t you think — that today of all days, I confided in you, and today of all days, Xuan Yanyu brought Yan Shiyao out.” Luo Xuan touched the tip of her tongue to her lips, smiling brightly as she studied her.

Yan Yunning’s throat worked furiously. Was this really where the conversation was going?!

“Second Miss Yan, wouldn’t you say that’s quite the coincidence.” Luo Xuan tilted her chin up, and the smile at the corner of her lips grew sweeter and more dangerous.

Yan Yunning laughed drily and moved her hand away.

A short while later.

Yan Yunning rattled the securely locked door and cursed under her breath. Fafa! That madwoman Luo Xuan!

Fafa: On the bright side, Master, at least she didn’t kill you.

Yan Yunning kicked the door, puffing up with indignation. Am I supposed to thank her for that???

Fafa: Well, that wouldn’t really be necessary either, Master. Why would you thank her?

Yan Yunning struggled to suppress the urge to cough up blood.

Fafa: Master, how do we get out?

Yan Yunning rubbed her nose. ……Let me think.

……

“Chieftain, Xuan Yanyu was too ruthless.” Nuo Nuo gingerly applied medicine to the wound on Luo Xuan’s throat.

The pale skin of her neck was still seeping thin threads of blood. Against the white of her skin, the red was shockingly vivid. Nuo Nuo looked at it, her eyes growing red, and let tears of sympathy fall.

Luo Xuan gritted her teeth, the pain making her fingertips tremble slightly. She let out a cold laugh. “I shall simply reclaim it from Yan Yunning later.”

Nuo Nuo sniffled, a little baffled. “Chieftain, why reclaim it from Yan Yunning? Shouldn’t it be from Yan Shiyao?”

Luo Xuan tilted her head, the corner of her lips curving. “Today, with Yan Shiyao’s hands in the state they were — did Xuan Yanyu care in the slightest?”

Nuo Nuo carefully put away the antiseptic and the gauze. “He didn’t seem to care much at all. But how does the Chieftain know he cares about Yan Yunning?”

Luo Xuan smiled in a way that was difficult to read.

“Chieftain, shall we go to the dining hall? Or shall I have someone bring the meal here?” Nuo Nuo changed the subject.

“To the dining hall.” Luo Xuan pressed her tongue against her back teeth.

Only Xuan Yanyu and Yan Shiyao were in the dining hall. Luo Xuan curved her lips into a smile and went to sit beside Yan Shiyao.

None of the three said a word. The silence was quiet and heavy with unspoken things.

The pain in Yan Shiyao’s wound was a constant dull ache, and she had no appetite to eat. She glanced toward the entrance of the dining hall and murmured, “Ningning is usually the most eager one when it comes to meals. Why hasn’t she come yet today?”

Xuan Yanyu’s hand stilled on the jade thumb ring he had been turning. He cast a cool look toward Luo Xuan.

Luo Xuan met his gaze, her red lips curving upward. “Master Xuan, why are you looking at me? Surely you don’t think I’ve locked the second Miss Yan up somewhere?”

The man’s voice was utterly devoid of warmth. “Chieftain Luo, it would be best if this had nothing to do with you.”

Luo Xuan held his gaze with a provocative glint in her eyes and said lazily, “Disobedient people ought to be punished — don’t you agree, Master Xuan?”

The implication was unmistakable. Yan Shiyao had been freed so quickly; it could only mean Yan Yunning had told Xuan Yanyu.

Yan Shiyao looked between the two of them, utterly bewildered.

Xuan Yanyu touched the tip of his tongue to his lips, drew the dagger from his belt, and thrust it toward Luo Xuan’s chest. “Where is she?”

Luo Xuan let out a muffled grunt, laughing softly. “What are you saying? Where is who?”

“Qingchen, let her go.” Yan Shiyao’s voice shook with fright.

A glint of killing intent flashed through Xuan Yanyu’s eyes. He slowly rotated the dagger at the wrist.

Luo Xuan bit down hard on her lip. Cold sweat broke across her skin.

This madman!

“Qingchen, please let her go quickly.” Yan Shiyao’s voice trembled.

“Hmm? You won’t say?” Xuan Yanyu’s voice was low, and a cruel smile played at the corner of his lips.

“Xuan… Master Xuan.” Blood quickly soaked through the fabric of her clothing. Luo Xuan winced, the pain making her furrow her brow.

“Qingchen, you cannot hurt her.” Yan Shiyao reached out to seize the dagger from Xuan Yanyu’s hand.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her sidelong. “Do you no longer want that hand?”

Yan Shiyao froze, then looked down at her own hand wrapped in gauze. She understood what Qingchen meant — he was afraid she would hurt herself again if she grabbed for the blade.

Luo Xuan’s brow furrowed. She could not make sense of Xuan Yanyu. He was clearly anxious about Yan Yunning — so why did he also show concern for Yan Shiyao?

“Qi Qingchen, when will we be leaving Taoyuan Village?” Yan Yunning fiddled with the silk ribbon on her sleeve and swayed it back and forth.

Oddly enough, she had been wracking her brain for a way to escape just moments ago, and then a maidservant had simply come and opened the door to her room of her own accord. She had rushed out and happened to run into Qi Qingchen, and the two of them had come to the dining hall together.

After all, with Qi Qingchen present, Luo Xuan wouldn’t dare do anything to her.

“At midday tomorrow, we will leave this place.” Qi Qingchen smiled.

At the sound of Qi Qingchen’s voice, Luo Xuan’s eyes brimmed with tears. Her body trembled faintly, the very picture of helplessness.

Yan Yunning had barely begun to feel relieved before she noticed the dagger lodged in Luo Xuan’s body, Xuan Yanyu standing beside her unhurriedly wiping his hand with a square handkerchief, and Yan Shiyao standing rigidly to one side, at a loss for what to do.

What on earth happened between the two of them this time?!

Fafa: Master, the book doesn’t say.

Yan Yunning: ……

“Qingchen.” The tears in Luo Xuan’s eyes spilled down her cheeks.

“A’Xuan, who hurt you?” Qi Qingchen’s eyes turned cold.

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t the culprit standing right there wiping his hands?

Luo Xuan weakly clutched at Qi Qingchen’s robes and leaned against him, her voice fading. “Qingchen, it hurts.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you to find a physician.” Qi Qingchen’s voice was soft and soothing. With that, he swept Luo Xuan up into his arms and strode quickly out.

Luo Xuan nestled in his embrace, tilted her head back slightly, and looked at Yan Shiyao with an expression that was somewhere between a smile and a smirk.

Yan Shiyao pinched her fingers together, struggling with everything she had not to cry.

Yan Yunning bit on her fingertip, her head spinning. Fafa, was this all deliberate on Luo Xuan’s part? She knew she couldn’t arrange the wedding night with Qi Qingchen anymore, so she used Xuan Yanyu to injure herself — so that Qi Qingchen would feel guilty.

Fafa: ??? Master, why would Qi Qingchen feel guilty just because Xuan Yanyu hurt Luo Xuan?

Simpleton. Xuan Yanyu was brought to Taoyuan Village by Qi Qingchen. Luo Xuan was hurt by him — any man with a shred of conscience would feel bad about that! What I’m curious about is what Luo Xuan said to provoke Xuan Yanyu — or whether she did something to my sister.

Fafa: Unknown. Master, before your sister was taken into the hidden chamber, someone nearly violated her. Could it be that Xuan Yanyu mistakenly believed Luo Xuan arranged it? But that doesn’t quite add up either — in the book it was just an accident!

Wait — someone nearly violated her? Yan Yunning looked at Yan Shiyao with a complicated expression.

Fafa: Yes!

Yan Yunning’s heart lurched. Trouble. Real trouble — Luo Xuan will surely blow this out of proportion. She might make it so her wound never fully heals, just to keep Qi Qingchen looking after her.