Han Yаn withdrеw thе hаirрin she had prеssеd against Zhuаngshan's baсk, drаggеd hеr оntо the bed, rеmoved her shoes, soсks, аnd outеr garmеnt, thеn drеw thе alrеаdу thiсk сurtains tightlу shut. Only aftеr сomрleting all this did she lеisurely wаlk out of thе rооm.
Тhis wаs а smаll house lосatеd in thе сentеr of thе gаrden, usuallу usеd by thоse in the mansiоn to changе оut оf soilеd clothes if tеа оr somеthing wаs sрillеd whilе аdmiring the flоwеrs. Hаn Yan hаd initially bеen sоmеwhаt suspiсiоus, аnd nоw that her guess wаs confirmed, she felt rаther relievеd.
Madаm Da Zhоu’s sсhemе was truly vicious—arranging for her to be alone with Zhang Wei in a room, then finding an excuse to enter this house after the banquet when the ladies of various families came to admire the flowers in the courtyard, catching them in bed together. Her reputation, Zhuang Hanyan’s, would be completely ruined. Once her chastity was compromised and she was branded as promiscuous, no respectable family would dare take her in the future, except for Zhang Wei marrying her. And once Zhang Wei took her as a concubine, he would surely torment her in every possible way.
In her previous life, Han Yan had been somewhat afraid of this Madam Da Zhou. Although she always wore a smiling face and treated others gently and kindly, whenever Zhuang Hanming and Zhang Wei had a dispute, Madam Da Zhou would first blame Zhang Wei, but in the end, it was always Zhuang Hanming who was punished. She always managed to shift all responsibility onto others with a light touch, without anyone noticing. Grand Tutor Zhang had seen countless beauties, and for Madam Da Zhou to have reached her current position, perhaps it wasn’t just her looks that had gotten her there.
Her war with Madam Da Zhou had also begun.
But for now, Zhuangshan had reaped what she sowed, and it seemed someone else’s chastity might be at risk. Han Yan wondered how Madam Zhou would react when she found out.
Han Yan turned and headed toward the Clear Autumn Courtyard. Just then, a sudden gust of cold wind came from behind her. Having trained with Chai Jing these past few days, Han Yan’s senses had become much sharper than before. She dodged agilely, narrowly avoiding a direct encounter with the person.
It was a person dressed in black.
The black-clad figure was masked, revealing only two eyes. Han Yan’s heart turned cold. She wanted to cry out for help, shouting “assassin,” but if someone really came now, how would she explain why she, supposedly drunk, was here? And why was Zhuangshan lying on the large bed in the garden house? If Madam Da Zhou turned the tables on her... As these thoughts raced through her mind, she saw the black-clad figure charging straight toward her, and she couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
A typical assassin, discovered in the mansion, would surely try every means to hide or escape. Why would they bother with a young girl like her? Moreover, this assassin was unarmed, not seeming intent on killing but rather targeting her, as if to subdue her. Could they be one of Madam Da Zhou’s people?
But there was no time for further thought. Han Yan had little martial skill to begin with, and she had already used up all the knockout powder she had hidden in her sleeve to deal with Zhuangshan. Aside from a Plum Blossom Thorn, she had nothing else on her. However, the attacker’s martial arts were clearly on a different level from hers. Even if she took out the Plum Blossom Thorn, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Seeing that Han Yan had managed to dodge two moves, the attacker’s eyes flashed with surprise, and their strikes became even more ruthless. With no other choice, Han Yan took out the Plum Blossom Thorn, but she couldn’t even touch the hem of the black-clad figure’s clothes. Her heart sank. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. She never thought she would become the mantis today. She had calculated everything, but she hadn’t accounted for this black-clad figure who appeared out of nowhere!With a clink, the Plum Blossom Thorn in her hand was knocked away by the man—using only a pebble. Han Yan was now unarmed. In the blink of an eye, the black-clad figure lunged toward her. Seeing no escape, Han Yan clenched her fists and opened her mouth to cry for help.
At the critical moment, a sudden gust of wind swept past from behind. It was two green leaves from a tree, shooting straight toward the black-clad man’s knees. Caught off guard by the unexpected intervention, the man had no time to dodge. His legs gave way as the seemingly light leaves carried immense force. A chill ran through his heart. The next second, two icy fingers pressed against his neck, squeezing hard. In an instant, he lost consciousness.
Han Yan stood frozen in place, watching as the green-robed man who had suddenly appeared turned to her, frowning slightly. “What happened?”
It was actually Fu Yunxi.
Han Yan shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either. She saw Fu Yunxi search the black-clad man’s body, as if discovering something. He lowered his head in thought for a moment before walking over.
“That person…” Han Yan glanced at where the black-clad man had fallen. Having someone like that in the manor felt unsettling. Fu Yunxi gestured for her to look, and she saw a guard-like figure already carrying the man away. Surprised, she noticed Fu Yunxi’s calm demeanor and knew he would handle the matter, so she relaxed.
Realizing this wasn’t a suitable place to talk, Han Yan walked toward a small path leading to the Clear Autumn Garden. This path was rarely used and had become almost abandoned. Han Yan had intended to speak with Fu Yunxi, but as they walked, she felt a strange sensation, as if she were secretly meeting him. Lost in these wandering thoughts, she grew distracted and didn’t watch her step, bumping straight into Fu Yunxi’s chest as he stopped to wait for her.
“Ah, what are you doing…” Han Yan rubbed her head, looking at Fu Yunxi with a hint of reproach, wondering why he had suddenly stopped. Raising her head, she saw Fu Yunxi staring intently at her, his expression unreadable. An inexplicable unease washed over her, and she swallowed the rest of her words.
In Fu Yunxi’s presence, she always felt a bit fearful. Having died once, Han Yan had grown much bolder. Even when facing the Empress Dowager or being deliberately provoked, she never felt as weighed down as she did before Fu Yunxi. It was as if, in front of this man, she was just a thirteen-year-old girl—the innocent Zhuang Hanyan, with no schemes or thoughts of revenge. And he, like a true elder, regarded her as nothing more than a naive child.
After a moment of silence, Han Yan decided to break the awkward atmosphere and spoke without thinking. “Why is Your Highness here?”
Fu Yunxi replied, “I also received an invitation from the Zhuang residence.”
Han Yan was taken aback at first, then understood. It surprised her that Zhuang Shiyang had sent an invitation to Fu Yunxi. The Zhuang family, aligned with the Seventh Prince’s faction, had always been at odds with the Crown Prince’s party. As a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince, Fu Yunxi was naturally a thorn in their side. Thinking further, she couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps Zhuang Shiyang truly feared the Emperor’s suspicion. Being in a precarious position, he naturally had to lay low. Inviting Fu Yunxi might actually reassure the Emperor.
“It seems every time I’m in trouble, I run into Your Highness,” Han Yan sighed, wondering if this Xuan Qing Prince was some kind of ill omen reincarnated, appearing each time she was in dire straits.Fu Yunxi caught the implication in her words and reminded her, "It was I who saved you."
Han Yan's face flushed, and she muttered under her breath, "Who knows who really wanted to harm me."
"It was the Seventh Prince's men."
Han Yan was startled and looked up at Fu Yunxi, who narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "The Seventh Prince sent people to keep watch on you."
"I have... no conflict with him," Han Yan hesitated, mentally reviewing the few times she had met the Seventh Prince. She confirmed there were no slip-ups and no direct confrontations with him.
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