Chapter 35: The Heroine was Captured

As the curtain was pulled aside, the man stepped out decisively. Xia Tong pursed her lips and had no choice but to follow. The length of her skirt almost caused her to trip, but fortunately, Qing’er was there to steady her.

At that moment, a square-faced man suddenly emerged from the mansion. He glanced warily at Xia Tong and leaned in to whisper something to Gu Qin, his words too quiet to catch.

Not wanting to be a bother, Xia Tong ignored them and headed straight into the mansion. Once back in her room, she had Fang Yu change her bandages. Luckily, the villain was generous, providing her with excellent medicinal supplies for her injuries.

Later that night, after carefully washing her wounds, Xia Tong noticed that the guard at the door had disappeared, which was quite unusual.

“Where’s Hongxue?” She leaned against the door, cradling a cup of hot milk.

Hearing this, Qing’er tied her cloak and whispered, “I don’t know either. I just feel like the guards have become much stricter today. Miss Hongxue was called away by someone close to the prince for quite a while, but she should be back soon.”

When Xia Tong heard that she would return, her mood soured. She had a nagging feeling that Hongxue would say bad things about her to her master. After all, why did the villain always get angry at her? It had to be that woman stirring up trouble behind the scenes!

“You don’t need to keep watch tonight. If she likes guarding the place, let her stay there,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she walked back inside while holding the milk.

“Is that really okay? After all, she’s still the prince’s person,” Qing’er hesitated.

Leaning lazily against the soft couch, Xia Tong rubbed her eyes and replied dismissively, “So what if she’s the prince’s person? Isn’t she here to monitor… I mean, protect me? If she’s here, why are you still keeping watch? It’s cold outside, so be careful not to catch a chill.”

Though she said this, Qing’er still hesitated but didn’t press further. Instead, she went to get some pastries to pass the time.

As night fell and the dew became heavy, the evening wind howled outside. Inside, the candlelight flickered as the girl on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, flipped through a storybook while chuckling softly. Her delicate, perfectly sculpted feet swung slightly. Suddenly, there was a noise from the dark window.

The girl on the couch jumped in surprise and looked over, only to see a familiar man in black lying on the floor. He seemed injured, with a long arrow stuck in his left chest, and his hands were covered in blood.

“You… how did you get here?”

Xia Tong was so frightened that she quickly huddled into the couch with her blanket. She was just cannon fodder, so why did someone always try to assassinate her?

The man frowned, pulled out the arrow, and, after hearing something, slipped under the bed.

Just then, the door was pushed open from the outside. Qing’er walked in with a tray of pastries, glancing back curiously. “I don’t know what’s going on. The house seems to be in chaos tonight, like they’re searching for someone. I don’t know if there are assassins, but you mustn’t go outside, Master.”

Just as Xia Tong was about to speak, something suddenly struck her arm, leaving a large red mark. She bit her lip and glanced at the space under the bed, realizing that if she spoke, she might be killed in an instant.

After taking a deep breath, she nodded calmly and said with some dissatisfaction: “Go and see what happened. It’s so noisy in the middle of the night.”

Qing’er nodded and closed the door as she left. Xia Tong immediately covered the injured spot and stared intently at the space under the bed.

“What brings the Fifth Prince here at this late hour?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow emerged from under the bed. The man was handsome and dignified, and despite his severe injuries, his eyes shone with intensity. He scanned the room before pulling out a pill from his pocket and swallowing it.

“Does the princess plan to aid the traitor?”

His voice was cold and calm, carrying an inexplicable chill in the night air. Xia Tong grabbed a hairpin and pretended to be calm. “What do you mean, Fifth Prince?”

As his complexion gradually improved, Xiao Ming stepped closer, gazing at her with piercing eyes. “The Regent has captured Xin’er.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Oh my god, I almost forgot! There is indeed a part in the story about this, but it was the Crown Prince who came to rescue her. Why has the second male lead taken over now? Why does the villain insist on opposing the female lead?

Clearing her throat, she pressed her lips together and replied seriously, “To be frank, Your Highness, your actions are like using an egg to hit a stone. I don’t even know where the prison is in this residence. Moreover, there are so many guards in the prince’s residence. Do you really think you can rescue her alone?”

“That’s why I need the princess’s help,” Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.

Seeing his shamelessness, Xia Tong couldn’t help but laugh in anger, lazily playing with the hairpin in her hand. She raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’ll help you?”

Seeing the other party’s fingertips move slightly, Xia Tong chuckled again, “Of course, you could threaten me, but you definitely won’t get out. With the prince’s personality, everyone, including princes, will be kept here. Do you think that’s worth it?”

Xiao Ming fell silent, staring at the girl across from him. Her charming smile and delicate face lacked intimidation, yet her words made one feel defensive. This woman and that treacherous villain were indeed a perfect match.

“I might consider helping you rescue her, but you have to agree to one condition from me, as a matter of reciprocity,” Xia Tong said with a faint smile. However, her palms started to sweat as she felt quite anxious inside.

Their gazes locked, and after a long pause, the man suddenly lunged forward and grasped her throat. His fingers tightened dangerously, filled with murderous intent. “I don’t like being threatened.”

“Hey! You can’t go in there!”

Suddenly, Qing’er’s voice rang out from outside. Xia Tong felt a surge of joy, but the grip on her neck tightened. She turned pale and started coughing, and in an instant, he released her, leaving behind a simple “okay” before swiftly leaping out through the back window.

Just then, the door was kicked open, revealing a group of guards holding torches outside, led by the man who had come to find Gu Qin earlier, along with an anxious butler.

“What happened?” Xia Tong swallowed hard, her face darkening as she looked at the crowd outside.

“There… there are assassins in the residence. Is the princess all right?” The butler smiled nervously as he surveyed the surroundings.

The square-faced man leading the group immediately began searching through the room without a word. The other guards exchanged glances, too fearful to move. After all, this was the princess’s room…

Xia Tong stared wide-eyed as she watched the man rummaging through her room, leaving a mess while acting so nonchalant, her face turning livid!

“Get out! Get out!” The butler quickly pulled on the square-faced man, urging him to stop. This was the princess’s room!

However, the man ignored him and walked straight to the back window. He wiped the windowsill with his hand, revealing a fresh streak of red, clearly recent blood.

“I heard the princess is afraid of the cold, why open the window at night?” His sharp gaze fixed on Xia Tong.

Her expression changed, but she gathered her courage and coldly scoffed, “Does this princess need to report my actions to you?”

“Then how do you explain the blood on the windowsill?” He took a step closer, tightening his grip on the sword in his hand.

Xia Tong leaned back unconsciously, and suddenly missed Xifeng a little. why were the other subordinates of the villain so ruthless?

“I… I…”

“Your Highness,”

As voices of greeting sounded from outside, the butler quickly shrank back like a turtle. Seeing the newcomers, the square-faced man immediately stepped forward to report, “I suspect the princess is hiding an assassin and deliberately let them escape. Otherwise, why would there be blood on the windowsill?!”

The newcomer, dressed in a long black robe with a cold, expressionless face, glanced at the woman inside but said nothing.

“Master—”

Waving his hand, Gu Qin looked at those behind him and ordered, “Everyone, leave.”

“But the princess—” The square-faced man shot a sharp glance at Xia Tong.

She swallowed hard, secretly pinching her thigh. With red-rimmed eyes, she feigned innocence, saying, “That bloodstain was from when I changed my bandages today. Yet you barged in, rummaging through my things and ignoring the fact that I’m still changing! What are your intentions?!”

As soon as she spoke, the square-faced man’s expression changed. But the next moment, he felt a chilling gaze on him. He turned to see his master glaring coldly at him.

“Anyone who entered the princess’s courtyard today will receive twenty lashes,” Gu Qin’s icy voice sent shivers down everyone’s spine. They all immediately bowed and retreated to receive their punishment. The butler shot an accusatory glare at the square-faced man, thinking, “I told you not to provoke the princess. Now you realize your mistake, don’t you?”

After giving Xia Tong a glare, the square-faced man slowly lowered his head and stepped back.

Outside, Qing’er trembled in fear, relieved to see the prince supporting her master. She finally exhaled and closed the door behind her as she left.

Xia Tong felt as if she were dreaming—was the villain actually helping her?!

Curled up on the soft couch, her delicate feet exposed to the air, Gu Qin frowned and walked toward her step by step, his expression serious.

The room fell silent. Seeing him approach with a dark face made Xia Tong so frightened she nearly cried. She quickly raised her hands and said, “Earlier… there really was an assassin, I almost got choked to death…”

If she came clean, perhaps he could spare her life!

Indeed, there was a faint mark on her pale neck, and her clear eyes held a hint of tears. Though no one had bullied her, she always appeared pitiful, which was quite vexing.

Gu Qin raised his hand to cover the delicate skin of her neck and asked, his gaze piercing, “Did the assassin see you while you were changing?”