“Yuan Zhao gege, save me…”
Seeing Xue Ling burst into the room, Xue Yuan Zhao put down the wine pot in his hand and narrowed his eyes. “Xue Ling, you are so rash…”
Before he could finish speaking, a voice as cold as frost came from outside the door, “Princess Xue Ling, please come out with us.”
Xue Ling, terrified, quickly hid behind Xue Yuan Zhao.
Xue Yuan Zhao looked at the trembling Xue Ling, realizing this was probably the first time he had seen her so frightened.
“Your Highness Yuan Zhao, we apologize for the intrusion!” Two people appeared at the doorway.
Xue Yuan Zhao looked up at the people who appeared at the door. He recognized the man in the lead as Xue Li, Xue Jing Yun’s guard.
“Yuan Zhao gege, I’m scared…” Xue Ling said, clutching Xue Yuan Zhao’s clothes tightly, her grip strong.
A hint of coldness flashed in Xue Yuan Zhao’s eyes. He looked up and said coldly, “Do you know this is this Highness’s room? Did this Highness invite you in?”
Xue Li was startled, then took a step back and said, “Your Highness Yuan Zhao, we apologize for the intrusion. It is truly a matter of urgency…”
Xue Yuan Zhao coldly interrupted Xue Li, “What does this urgency have to do with this Highness? Close the door.”
Xue Li took a deep breath and said, “Your Highness Yuan Zhao, this subordinate is acting on my Prince’s orders to escort Princess Xue Ling. My Prince…”
“As this Highness said, your Prince’s affairs have nothing to do with this Highness. Get out…” Xue Yuan Zhao was furious, his tone turning unpleasant.
“Yuan…”
“If there’s something, have your Prince speak to this Highness directly. Otherwise, no one will enter this door,” Xue Yuan Zhao said coldly.
Xue Li retreated, saying, “Yes, we apologize for the intrusion.”
With that, Xue Li left.
Xue Ling watched as the people left and finally breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing onto the floor and gasping for breath.
It was as if she had narrowly escaped a disaster.
Xue Yuan Zhao turned and looked at Xue Ling coldly, asking, “Now can you tell me what happened?”
Xue Ling’s gaze faltered, and she avoided his eyes. “What… what happened? Nothing.”
Xue Yuan Zhao didn’t press further. Although Xue Ling could be spoiled, she was not ill-mannered. He assumed it was due to past events.
In the past, Xue Ling had been fond of Xue Jing Yun, as he was very handsome. However, his younger brother had always been cold and unfeeling. If it weren’t for the Empress, he wouldn’t have known that such a cold person could also be moved.
“Yuan Zhao gege, I can’t stay here with you tonight?”
“No,” Xue Yuan Zhao refused directly.
“Yuan Zhao gege, please, could you let me stay here for the night?” Xue Ling was almost in tears.
“Men and women should not touch each other. Princess, you must know this, right?” Xue Yuan Zhao said coldly, looking at Xue Ling.
Xue Ling bit her lower lip and suddenly looked up, saying, “I won’t disturb you, just let me stay in this room for one night.”
Xue Yuan Zhao looked at her, his gaze filled with a hint of inquiry. “Xue Ling, what exactly are you trying to do?”
“No… nothing, I just…”
Before she could finish speaking, a powerful force directly blew the door open. She was flung out through the window, followed by the sound of a landing outside.
It was likely a complete mess.
A tall figure walked in. He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, which for the first time was not spotless but covered in dust.
On his refined and handsome face was an expression as cold as winter frost, chilling to the bone.
His eyes, which had once shone like stars, now held a terrifying murderous glint like blood.
Even Xue Yuan Zhao was slightly shocked, let alone the formidable killing intent emanating from him.
Yes, he wanted to kill.
However, Xue Yuan Zhao quickly regained his composure and said coldly to the murderous Xue Jing Yun, “Xue Jing Yun, you broke into my room. What do you want?”
“Hand her over to me…” Xue Jing Yun said coldly, pointing at Xue Ling.
“Yuan Zhao gege, please don’t hand me over.” Xue Ling, behind Xue Yuan Zhao, was trembling with fear. The current Xue Jing Yun pointing at her was too terrifying, truly terrifying.
“Jing Yun, calm down. What happened?” Xue Yuan Zhao also sensed that something bad had happened.
“A Ning is missing,” Xue Jing Yun uttered word by word.
Only when speaking of Xue Zi Ning did the murderous glint in his eyes show a hint of pain.
Xue Yuan Zhao trembled. “The Empress… the Empress is missing?”
Xue Jing Yun nodded. “I have already ordered a city-wide search, but there is no news. Someone saw Xue Ling leave the palace last night to meet a mysterious person. I suspect that person she met is related to A Ning’s disappearance.”
Xue Ling sank to the floor. Had she been discovered so quickly?
She didn’t know that Xue Jing Yun, in order to find Xue Zi Ning as soon as possible, had mobilized all the forces he could. He wouldn’t hesitate to turn the entire Xue Kingdom upside down.
Xue Yuan Zhao turned back to look at Xue Ling’s dazed expression. His heart sank to the bottom. It seemed Xue Jing Yun was right; Xue Zi Ning’s disappearance was likely related to Xue Ling.
He stepped forward, bent down, and asked coldly, “Tell me, is the Empress’s disappearance related to you?”
Xue Ling trembled. She saw the coldness in those eyes, as severe as the heavy frost of late autumn.
“Yuan… Yuan Zhao gege…”
“Answer me truthfully…” Xue Yuan Zhao asked coldly.
Xue Ling bit her lip, and after a long pause, said, “I… I don’t know what’s going on. He… he said he only wants Xue Zi Ning, and that if she disappears, then Yuan Zhao gege will truly belong to me…”
“Come, take her back and interrogate her strictly,” Xue Jing Yun said coldly.
Xue Ling’s eyes widened in alarm. She grabbed Xue Yuan Zhao’s hand. “Yuan Zhao gege, save me! I don’t want to go with him. He’s a devil, a devil!”
“Jing Yun, Xue Ling is a princess. It might not be appropriate for you to take her back. If you want to ask something, let me do it, alright?” Xue Yuan Zhao asked.
Xue Jing Yun looked at him coldly, his murderous gaze filled with disdain. “Xue Yuan Zhao, I trust no one. Take her away…”
Xue Li stepped forward to take Xue Ling.
Xue Ling, terrified, held onto Xue Yuan Zhao’s sleeve, refusing to let go. “Yuan Zhao gege, save me…”
“Xue Jing Yun, doing this will cause dissatisfaction. You…”
“I don’t need anyone’s satisfaction for what I do,” Xue Jing Yun said coldly.
Upon hearing this, Xue Yuan Zhao pushed Xue Li away and said coldly, “In that case, unless you defeat me, Xue Ling will not be taken away…”
Suddenly, a powerful force struck him. He had no ability to resist and was sent crashing against the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood unexpectedly.
He clutched his chest, and his vision was filled with a pair of cloud boots embroidered with dark patterns. He subconsciously looked up and saw Xue Jing Yun’s murderous, blood-red eyes, terrifyingly cold. “If A Ning is safe, she will be safe. If not, I will not let her go.”
With that, he turned and left.
The sound of Xue Ling’s cries followed.
Xue Yuan Zhao spat out another mouthful of blood.