A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, tall and imposing, with eyes like torches. Yet, under such a gaze, Nan Gongyu showed no signs of guilt, "So it's the Great General."
The person was none other than the Protector of the State, General Xiao Zhen!
Xiao Zhen was currently the commander of the Divine Capital Guard. When his subordinates detected an anomaly, he followed them out and, to his surprise, stumbled upon an astonishing piece of news: five years ago, it was Du Gu Man who spared the Prince of Qin, allowing him to return alive from the battlefield!
"I've heard that the Prince of Qin has saved my daughter's life several times. This humble general thanks Your Highness for your grace," Xiao Zhen said. He was always a steady man, a trusted minister of His Majesty, and a staunch royalist.
However, whenever Xiao Man was involved, he tended to lose his composure. It was common knowledge in the Imperial City that Xiao Man was Xiao Zhen's weakness, which was why Old Madam Xiao particularly detested Xiao Man.
"It was but a small favor, Great General need not concern yourself with it," Nan Gongyu said slowly. "It is rather late, Great General. Are you leaving the city for a specific reason?"
"My subordinates reported a suspicious person leaving the city, so I came out to investigate. Since the matter has been resolved, I shall return. Your Highness should also return early. It is far less peaceful outside the city than within."
With that, Xiao Zhen turned and left.
He neither questioned Nan Gongyu about letting the enemy general go nor mentioned the incident. It was likely he intended to overlook it, considering the Prince of Qin had saved Xiao Man multiple times.
A hint of confusion arose in Nan Gongyu's heart. Xiao Zhen harbored animosity towards him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint its origin. Could it be that saving Xiao Man was a mistake? Or was it because he had let Xia Hou Ying go that the Protector of the State had become wary of him?
Xiao Zhen walked alone on the streets in the early morning. After leaving Xiao Man's Shui Yue Small Abode, he had intended to rest. However, his men had discovered Xia Hou Ying's whereabouts, and what surprised him even more was that Xia Hou Ying's target was Xiao Man!
That couldn't be right. Had Man'er's true identity been leaked? Were Yun Qi's people trying to stir up trouble using this information?
Thinking this, Xiao Zhen's expression turned cold. If Yun Qi dared to play games with Man'er's identity, he would not let it slide! And the Prince of Qin, his attitude towards Man'er also made him uneasy.
After sending Xia Hou Ying away, Xiao Man saw the sky beginning to lighten with the dawn. She felt no inclination to sleep. Xia Hou Ying had risked his life to come to the Imperial City at such a crucial moment. Was he suspecting her? Sudancf.com
Xiao Man felt a headache coming on. If Xia Hou Ying reported his suspicions to Murong Sheng Rui, given Murong Sheng Rui's temperament, even a shred of doubt might lead him to err on the side of caution and eliminate any potential threat.
Xiao Man regretted letting Xia Hou Ying go. But by now, Xia Hou Ying was likely long gone. Even if she regretted it and wanted to chase after him, she probably wouldn't be able to catch up.
Xiao Man walked aimlessly on the street, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the morning market that the Prince of Qin had once brought her to. The market was bustling with people, the calls of vendors and hawkers echoing incessantly. The mingled aromas of various foods created a scene of everyday life.
A thought flickered through Xiao Man's mind. Since she was here, why not have a bowl of wontons? She then walked towards the wonton stall.
However, as Xiao Man approached the wonton stall, she saw Prince Nan Gong Yu there as well. She instinctively stopped, wanting nothing more than to flee!
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't react this way. But ever since she discovered last night that the man she had forcefully taken advantage of was none other than Prince Nan Gong Yu, Xiao Man felt extremely flustered and turned to leave.
"Xiao Man." Nan Gong Yu spotted Xiao Man and called out to her.
Xiao Man tried to pretend she hadn't heard, but Prince Nan Gong Yu gave her no chance to escape. "Owner, please cook a bowl of wontons for this young lady, with extra green onions."
"Coming right up!" The stall owner quickly put the wontons into the pot and began preparing the seasonings. "Miss, please, make yourself comfortable."
Xiao Man let out a sigh of relief and turned to sit beside Nan Gong Yu. "Your Highness's body has just recovered and is still weak. This morning dew is cold and damp, which is not good for your health."
"It's nothing, I can withstand this bit of cold," Nan Gong Yu replied.
Xiao Man felt helpless and reached out to take Nan Gong Yu's wrist, carefully feeling his pulse. As she did, a sense of confusion washed over her.
"You... you fought with someone?"
Nan Gong Yu coughed twice. "I encountered an old acquaintance on the way and exchanged a few moves. It's nothing."
Xiao Man gave Nan Gong Yu a stern look, took out a small green bottle from her personal pouch, poured out two pills, and held them out to Nan Gong Yu. "Take these."
Nan Gong Yu's lips curled up. He didn't reach out to take them but instead used his tongue to draw the two pills into his mouth. As his tongue brushed past Xiao Man's soft palm, she felt goosebumps rise all over her body and quickly retracted her hand.
Fortunately, at that moment, the owner brought over the wontons. "Sir, Miss, please enjoy."
Nan Gong Yu picked up a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Xiao Man, then took a pair for himself and began eating the wontons. "No matter how many times I eat them, I never seem to get tired of them. And this lively morning market, it's endlessly fascinating, yet I can never truly blend in."
While eating her wontons, Xiao Man watched the bustling crowd. "The world bustles, all for profit; the world teems, all for gain. They seek small profits, Your Highness seeks great profit. Everyone is a part of this myriad of beings, and no one can escape it."
"Indeed. And what about you? What are you seeking?" Nan Gong Yu asked curiously.
"I seek a breath," Xiao Man said slowly. "A breath that I simply cannot swallow."
"Resentment?"
Xiao Man thought about it carefully. Resentment described it quite accurately. "Yes, resentment!"
"Then, how can the resentment in your heart be appeased?" Nan Gong Yu inquired.
Xiao Man didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked into the distance through the swirling steam, her expression gradually calming.
No one knew that only blood could quell the resentment in her heart, and only the destruction of Yun Qi could bring peace to her soul.
Nan Gong Yu watched Xiao Man intently. The hatred that surfaced in Xiao Man's eyes was involuntary. Xiao Man harbored someone in her heart! And she hated this person immensely. Yet, he had investigated almost everything about Xiao Man from her birth until now. Although Xiao Man was willful and prone to trouble, she definitely did not have someone she hated to this degree.
"Are you alright?" Nan Gong Yu asked with concern.
Xiao Man withdrew her gaze, suppressing all the hatred, seemingly reverting to the carefree eldest daughter of the General's residence.
"I'm fine. It's getting late, I should be going back. Your Highness is still quite weakened, so you should return to your residence as well. Try to avoid using your inner strength for now."
"Alright." Nan Gong Yu watched Xiao Man's figure disappear into the crowd and couldn't help but sigh.
Xiao Man, when will you open your heart to me?