Xuan Yuanheng’s icy gaze fell upon her, and he said coldly, "Feng Ran, this prince does not have the leisure to entertain your nonsense."
"You should know why this prince summoned you here."
Feng Ran paused, looking at Xuan Yuanheng. Was he waiting for her to beg for mercy?
"I do not know," Feng Ran replied calmly.
If she knew, she wouldn't be so confused right now.
"Your Highness, when I was about to act against Huang Qianqian, you sent Bei Chenye to stop me. In reality, you were always waiting for me to make a move, weren't you? And then you had Bei Chenye intervene."
"Oh, really?" Xuan Yuanheng's eyes sparkled as he looked at Feng Ran with a surprised expression. He clapped his hands, speaking with a hint of excitement, "These are your thoughts. This prince has never done such a thing."
"Xuan Yuanheng, you have been plotting against me from the very beginning. Now, as you wished," Feng Ran said coldly.
"Heh, Feng Ran, slandering and framing this prince without cause is a capital offense," Xuan Yuanheng stated coldly, his eyes full of anticipation as if waiting to watch a good show.
"A capital offense? Then, Your Highness, are you going to bestow death upon me?"
Xuan Yuanheng glanced at Feng Ran with surprise, his eyes filled with mockery. "Feng Ran, are you deliberately provoking this prince, wanting this prince to bestow death upon you? When did the proud eldest daughter of the Feng family develop such intentions?"
Hearing this, Feng Ran’s eyes filled with disappointment. The eldest daughter of the Feng family, she was no longer that person.
He should know better than anyone why she had become this way, yet he spoke such words. Wasn't that laughable?
"Whatever Your Highness thinks, so be it."
Xuan Yuanheng’s gaze was fixed on her, as if he could see right through her. When had she become so indifferent to everything?
He remembered that the Feng Ran of the past cared most about these things.
"Feng Ran, do you really want to take Huang Qianqian's life? If Bei Chenye hadn't intervened, you would have killed her, wouldn't you?"
"But Feng Ran, this prince will not let you have your way."
"You say, you attacked Huang Qianqian so fiercely today, yet you didn't take her life. Tell me, will Huang Qianqian seek to kill you?"
"In that case, this prince has brought danger to you."
"Feng Ran, if you kneel down and beg this prince, perhaps this prince will stand up and speak for you."
Xuan Yuanheng looked at the indifferent Feng Ran, his whole body emanating a chilling aura, and said coldly, "If you kneel and beg this prince to spare you, then this prince will spare you."
His voice was filled with coldness and mockery. "No, Feng Ran, your life is already this prince's. If this prince wants your life, he can have it at any time. So, think about it, what do you have that can make this prince willingly do things for you?"
"Yes, Your Highness is right," Feng Ran's hoarse voice rang out. Her gaze was now fixed on Xuan Yuanheng. "However, I do not need Your Highness's help."
"Your Highness, may I leave now?"
Xuan Yuanheng looked at Feng Ran with utter bewilderment. At this moment, if she had knelt and begged him, her life would have been safe, but she chose to give up.
"Feng Ran, how dare you..."
"I dare."
"Heh, do you truly believe this prince dare not take your life?"
"No, how could I dare? I am merely a lowly life. Your Highness can have it whenever you wish."
Feng Ran knew very well that if Xuan Yuanheng had wanted her life, she would not be alive now.
She stopped speaking, keeping her head bowed, waiting for Xuan Yuanheng to tell her to get lost.
Xuan Yuanheng stared intently at Feng Ran, who kept her head down. Was she so resolute that he wouldn't take her life? Was that why she was so reckless?
Suddenly, with a 'swish', he stood up abruptly, strode towards Feng Ran, and before she could react, he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to the window. He pointed to the empty space in the backyard and accused her coldly, "That is where Wan Yan was killed by you. There was blood all over the ground then. You should not have forgotten."
Feng Ran desperately tried to turn her head away. She did not want to look, nor did she want to recall.
Only she knew what had happened that day.
Heh, Xuan Yuanheng pointed to that spot and said she had killed Yu Wan Yan. But did he remember that her unborn child was also there, punished by him, forced to kneel, humiliated by others at his behest, and ultimately lost the child? The large pool of blood on the ground, she groaned while covering herself, even desperately begging him, but he stood not far away, watching.
At that time, his face was filled with a bloodthirsty smile.
"Your Highness, please let go. If such a lowly person like me stains your hands, aren't you afraid?"
Feng Ran said coldly, her calm demeanor as if the person she was slandering was not herself but someone else.
At this moment, Xuan Yuanheng's cold voice rang out, "Heh, you've learned your lesson these past few days. You know to call yourself dirty now."
He said in a low voice, "If you had possessed such self-awareness back then, you wouldn't be in this state now."
As soon as his words fell, Xuan Yuanheng dragged Feng Ran and forced her head into the water.
The water in the wooden tub was something he had instructed Bei Chenye to prepare in advance.
Feng Ran went from initial calm and no struggle to eventually struggling.
A triumphant smile spread across Xuan Yuanheng's face. "How is it? Do you know how to speak to this prince next time?"
"Your Highness, it is my fault. I was disrespectful. I will kneel, I will beg for mercy."
"Whatever Your Highness says is right."
Xuan Yuanheng laughed, looking at Feng Ran with mockery. "Feng Ran, you had such backbone just now. Now you know to beg for mercy."
"Feng Ran, you should have died long ago. Keeping you alive was only for torment."
"Don't get any improper ideas. Your status does not allow it."
"If this prince wants to crush you, it is as easy as crushing an ant."
"You will never escape from this prince's grasp in this lifetime."
What Xuan Yuanheng said was indeed the truth. Feng Ran knew it very well.
Therefore, she had no other thoughts. From beginning to end, she only wanted to live a good life.
"Feng Ran, the torment of those years was not enough. The real beginning is yet to come."
Xuan Yuanheng reached out and pinched her chin, saying coldly, "Feng Ran, you'd best abandon any thought of making friends. Do you know why that person died back then?"
Feng Ran, whose eyes were previously filled with lifelessness, could no longer remain calm upon hearing Xuan Yuanheng's words.
She looked at Xuan Yuanheng, her eyes filled with rage, and coldly questioned, "Xuan Yuanheng, it was you, wasn't it? Lan Lan was killed by you?"
"Xuan Yuanheng, why? Why did you do that?"
"She was my only light. She was so kind."
"Xuan Yuanheng, if you want to kill, then kill me. I am but a lowly life."
Feng Ran said emotionally. She had originally thought Lan Lan's death was an accident, but she never expected it to be Xuan Yuanheng's deliberate act.
She was ultimately an ill-omened person. Those connected to her would never have a good outcome.