Thinking about it, Ning Xueyan took a bowl to Prince Yi and said, "Your Highness, your favor will be carved on my bones."

She conveyed her appreciation to Prince Yi and also admitted who she was.

Prince Yi suddenly burst into laughter. He used his hand for supporting the forehead. And his fingers which were white as the jade glided over his black robe but his beautiful voice was cold as hell.

"Twice!"

It wasn’t a question, it was an affirmative sentence. Prince Yi was telling Ning Xueyan that he had certainly helped her twice. No matter she admitted it or not, when he thought it was, then it must be. He was the boss.

Would he need anyone’s favor? She couldn’t imagine what the favor would be, maybe it would cost her life.

Ning Xueyan felt her hands, which was hidden in the sleeves, trembling and swallowed some saliva unconsciously. Prince Yi’s peaceful eyesight seemingly focused on her with the treacherousness, and she could sense it moved on her tender skin inch by inch as a sharp sword poking into her frail neck.

This truly frightened her!

Ning Xueyan composed herself. Trying hard to repress her fear, she raised her head and made eye contact with Prince Yi’s beautiful cold eyes, saying, "Your Highness, if you don’t ask me here, I’ve already been released by Third Prince."

This meant, she refused his generous favor! Ning Xueyan thought she would be out of danger by now if Prince Yi didn’t take her here. Now he caught her first, and released next. In the end, did he want her to regard it as a favor?

Seriously?

Seeing her bloodless bitten lip and the stubbornness in her jade-dark eyes, Prince Yi could feel her deep fear. But it seemed she didn’t plan to capitulate. He smiled slightly.

His jade-like hands reached out and stayed at her front, lifting her sharp chin. He stared at her peaceful jade-dark eyes smiling significantly with sudden coldness, "Not again!"

His face confronted Ning Xueyan’s beautiful face with bloodthirsty coldness.

It was not a compromise! It was a warning!

"Yes...never again." Ning Xueyan said without noticeable pause although she halted a little. She looked at him, trying hard to keep calm under his strong oppression. The eyesight from this incredibly handsome man scared her deeply.

"If you did such thing again..." Prince Yi withdrew his hands from her chin and didn’t go on talking. His hands skimmed over her delicate neck, with his sword-like fingers stained with venom. The fingers were so cold that he would kill her with mild strength.

Prince Yi showed satisfaction when he saw her pupils magnifying.

Then he released her. He waved, suggesting her leaving.

Seeing the troops went into Cold Mountain Temple, Ning Xueyan got refreshed. Even though she seemed peaceful just now, only she knew the sweat under her vest. Now the wind blew over, she felt colder. She had no doubt that the hands on her neck minutes ago would take her life instantly.

At that moment, she sensed his intent on killing her clearly!

If she didn’t talk along with his way, and guaranteed to pay for his favor, she would be dead already.

Prince Yi, Ao Chenyi, what a fathomless and ruthless man he was!

She needed to be more careful!

After the renewal, Ning Xueyan understood the importance of life more. She didn’t finish her revenge and she knew Madam Ling was hard to break down, so she couldn’t die for the unknown cause now. She might avenge herself with the help of powerful Prince Yi.

Once the thought appeared in her mind, it disappeared quickly!

She wanted to use Prince Yi for her own revenge unless she was ready to die! Maybe she would be killed by him before she could borrow his power.

Shili Pavilion in the suburb was necessary to enter and leave the capital. Ning Xueyan arrived there early. According to the time that Mother Han said, she found she still got hours before her uncle came, so she sat down.

Soon after her sitting down, she saw a carriage moved slowly towards her. There wasn’t any sign on the carriage, but it could be told from the number of maids and older female servants aside that the personage inside was rich or respectable. The carriage stopped and a handsome young man got off the horse behind the carriage. He glanced at Ning Xueyan then turned around, walking to the carriage.

With the curtain lifted, a maid and an older female servant jumped off, then a noblewoman who was about 30 years old came out and got off the carriage supported by the young man’s hands. She raised her head and took a look of the sky, then planned to go into the pavilion without talking.

"Madam, my young master, someone was there!" Instead of kicking Ning Xueyan out forthwith like the other bureaucracy family, the older female servant went back to report because she went first to check on the pavilion. And she found Ning Xueyan occupied the only stone table.

"Please ask her whether we can have a table!" The young man said impatiently taking one look at Ning Xueyan, but the tender madam didn’t speak.

This was also the same. Although they were polite, they wouldn’t sit with a servant. Ning Xueyan was in a manservant robe now, so she would leave the table for them no matter what. She couldn’t lead them to suspect her.

"Hey, bro, can you make a concession?" The older female servant came close to her and asked politely.

Ning Xueyan nodded then stood up. She sat by the railing of the pavilion then.

Their maids put some brocade over the stone chairs and served tea. Madam and the young man sat down. It seemed they were waiting for someone. Several older female servants stood by the roadside. Madam waved her hands, telling the other servants to step aside. Only she and the young man were left in the pavilion.

"Who is your master? Are you also waiting for someone here?" The tender madam asked Ning Xueyan after sitting down and drinking some tea. She seldom saw a servant waiting here without the master.

"I come from Lord Protector’s Manor. I’m here for our great-uncle." Ning Xueyan answered loudly while standing up. She must tell the truth because her uncle would be here soon. They would suspect her identity.

Madam Ming was Ning Zu’an’s first wife, of course, her brother was Lord Protector’s Manor’s great-uncle.

The face of the young man aside became darker. He snorted coldly. Ning Xueyan had no idea what she did to piss him off. Why did he look so irksome? So awkward!

"Lord Protector’s Manor? Does your marquis ask you to pick up your great-uncle?" This astounded the madam, but she asked gently.

"Not my Marquis, It’s my Fifth Young Lady who asked me here. My lady hears her uncle will come to the capital today, so she let me wait for him here." Ning Xueyan said with a slight smile. Although she was in manservant’s robe, her jade-dark eyes and exquisite facial features attracted people.

Even the handsome young man, who turned away and looked at her with great impatience, couldn’t help looking at her more.

"Have your Fifth Young Lady still been in Cold Mountain Temple now?" The madam asked frowning. She took a close look at Ning Xueyan’s over-exquisite pale face. Some unknown doubts and mysteries flashed by in her eyes, but her tone was still gentle.

Ning Xueyan knew shrewdly that the madam in front of her paid much attention to her, but she had a good feeling on her inexplicably. She didn’t hide anything from the madam.

"My Fifth Young Lady is in Cold Mountain Temple now. She hears her uncle will come today, so asks me to wait here." Ning Xueyan said.

"I thought your lady was capable of anything! Now she retreats in order to advance, but where was she before? She can’t even protect her own mother. Useless!" The young man interrupted the madam’s conversation and said with anger staring at Ning Xueyan. It looked like Ning Xueyan committed a great crime. This astonished Ning Xueyan to speechless looking at him with shock.

"Hua’er, be polite!"

"Mother, I’m telling the truth. I heard before that Fifth Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor was an incompetent girl. However, looking at her now, she understands how to avoid opponents’ sharpness. It is obvious that she is smart. In spite of her cleverness, she can’t protect her own mom. Now, does she feel embarrassed about having a helper?"

The handsome young man waved angrily. He was pissed off seemingly with his eyes filled with rage.

Ning Xueyan really confused what was going on here. She tried to figure out what she had done to get him there, but she couldn’t. She didn’t remember she knew him. Not to mention how to piss him off. But he regarded her as an enemy.

"Hua’er, if you do this again, you go to talk to him yourself when you see your father." The madam said with her face darkened when she saw her son talking without thinking.

Her words confused Ning Xueyan, but the handsome young man seemed to understand and became quiet. The way how he looked at Ning Xueyan was still with hatred. If Ning Xueyan weren’t herself, she would think she did something horrible to him, causing his great anger.

"Does Fifth Young Lady ask you to take the man to Cold Mountain Temple?" The madam asked gently. She dropped her eyes, then raised her head with a smile reshowed on her face.

"My Fifth Young Lady has to talk to her uncle, so she asks me to take a message. "Ning Xueyan said as winking with a smile. She definitely couldn’t wait here aboveboard as Fifth Young Lady. Or else, she would be caught by Madam Ling. This would damage her and her uncle in the future, making them passive.

"Does Fifth Young Lady know she has an aunt in the capital?" The madam signed and looked at Ning Xueyan with soft eyes. There was some obscurity in her eyes.

Her aunt? Ning Xueyan was surprised and raised her head suddenly. She looked at the madam in wonder. The madam was smiling slightly with mercy in her eyes. All her gestures meant she was the aunt of Ning Xueyan.

Her uncle had guarded the frontier over ten years and never returned. How was it possible that her aunt was in the capital?

Madam Ming never talked about her uncle’s family to Ning Xueyan. If Mother Han didn’t bring up, Ning Xueyan wouldn’t know she had an uncle who loved her by now. Now that her uncle was at the board all these years and nobody reached out to her mother when Ning Xueyan was in Lord Protector’s Manor, she assumed her aunt followed her uncle to the frontier.

But who was the madam in front of her? Ning Xueyan’s eyes fell upon the young man’s face who was beside the madam opening his eyes wide with shock. He looked her up and down, and his eyes seemed the same as her mother’s so it was apparent they two had blood connection. Ning Xueyan didn’t look closely just now because he was a man after all.

https://guanfang.me