Chapter 129
Chapter 129: The Portrait
Prince Qi Manor.
When Yun Wan Ye arrived, the guards at the gate did not block his way but led him directly into the front courtyard of the royal manor.
Before long, Mo Yuan Hao appeared in plain clothes. He looked at Yun Wan Ye with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes: “A’Ye, what brings you here? Is there something the matter?”
Seeing him arrive so quickly, Yun Wan Ye could not be certain whether Su Qian Xue had managed to slip inside or meet Mo Yuan Hao, so he decided to probe discreetly. “I was idle today and thought I’d drop by to share a few drinks with Your Highness. I hope I’m not intruding on other plans?”
Mo Yuan Hao smiled faintly and sat beside him: “Speak plainly. What is your real purpose in coming to see me?”
He did not believe a single word of Yun Wan Ye’s explanation. The last time this man set foot inside Prince Qi Manor was during his birthday banquet earlier that year. Normally, even if invited, he would not come—if there was nothing urgent, he would never seek him out.
“Nothing can be hidden from Your Highness!” Yun Wan Ye sighed in mock frustration. “You’re right. I came to discuss Yao’er.”
Mo Yuan Hao was not easily fooled; without a reasonable excuse, he would remain suspicious. Since Yun Wan Ye could not speak of his true intentions, he used Yun Wan Yao as a shield.
Hearing this, Mo Yuan Hao’s brows furrowed, and a trace of concern flickered in his eyes: “What about Yao’er?”
Yun Wan Ye coughed lightly, suppressing his guilty conscience, and spoke solemnly: “Please don’t be alarmed. Yao’er is well. What I meant was—about those harboring ill intent toward her…”
“You mean Pei Yu?”
The name came to Mo Yuan Hao’s mind instantly. His gaze narrowed slightly, a dangerous light flashing through it.
Noticing his reaction, Yun Wan Ye’s own eyes shifted slightly. “So Your Highness already knows. In that case, I won’t say more. Regarding Yao’er’s carriage accident last time, I heard you were investigating. I wanted to know if you found anything.”
“To be frank, my father also sent people to look into it, but they found nothing. That’s why I came to see if you had uncovered any clues.”
“I see.”
Mo Yuan Hao nodded, then took a folded sheet of paper from his robe and placed it on the table. “I have indeed been investigating and have found some leads.”
Before Yun Wan Ye could speak, he continued: “My men questioned the nearby residents and actually found several witnesses. According to them, two men attacked the hidden guards trailing the carriage—one gave chase, the other stayed behind to erase traces on the ground. The pursuer’s appearance was described in detail, and this portrait was drawn from their account.”
His eyes fell on the folded paper.
Yun Wan Ye frowned, picked it up, and unfolded it—only to see an all-too-familiar face. Despite the creases, the man’s striking features were unmistakable. The likeness to Pei Yu was uncanny.
He pressed his lips together and remained silent for a long while.
Unable to read his thoughts, Mo Yuan Hao broke the silence: “There is not yet enough evidence. I know a single portrait may be hard for you to accept. After all, it could be fabricated. But I can assure you, I never interfered—the artist drew it exactly as the witnesses described.”
“I believe Your Highness,” Yun Wan Ye replied, setting the portrait down, “but…”
“But you find it hard to believe he would do such a thing, is that it?” Mo Yuan Hao sipped his tea calmly, finishing the thought for him.
“Exactly. What could his purpose be?” Yun Wan Ye nodded, sighing heavily, his performance flawless.
In truth, Yun Wan Ning’s heart voice would reveal that nearly everyone in their family suspected Pei Yu of being behind Yun Wan Yao’s ordeal—so of course he would not be an exception. Acting incredulous was merely what Mo Yuan Hao expected of him.
“Perhaps it was a rescue ploy, or perhaps something else entirely,” Mo Yuan Hao mused, his brows knitted in puzzlement. Their engagement had been decreed by the emperor and was known throughout Great Wu; no one could break it. Such a stunt could never affect it, and Pei Yu was not a fool—yet he still went to such trouble. Why?
Unless his aim was not to play the hero at all. But then what was it?
Mo Yuan Hao could not unravel the mystery, yet he was certain Pei Yu was hiding something.
Yun Wan Ye was thinking along similar lines, but with more information at hand, he suspected Pei Yu’s actions were tied to Su Qian Xue. In that case, the better question was not why Pei Yu acted, but what Su Qian Xue intended.
The two spoke until night fell. Mo Yuan Hao’s demeanor remained composed, without the slightest hint of someone concealing a guest—leaving Yun Wan Ye no closer to knowing if Su Qian Xue had entered the manor.
Lingering indefinitely was not an option, so after some thought, Yun Wan Ye rose to take his leave.
“It’s late,” Mo Yuan Hao said, trying to persuade him to stay. “Why not remain here tonight and return tomorrow?”
Yun Wan Ye’s heart leapt, though he feigned hesitation. “Wouldn’t that be an imposition?”
“Not at all. I’ve been bored lately. You did say you wanted to drink with me—let’s do it tonight.”
In truth, he had planned to summon Pei Yu soon and force a confession, even if it meant using torture. But fortune had intervened—someone had already beaten Pei Yu badly enough to confine him to bed. Mo Yuan Hao did not know who was responsible, but he approved of the deed; Pei Yu had long been an eyesore.
Since the man could not even walk, interrogating him would have to wait.
That night, Yun Wan Ye stayed at Prince Qi Manor, sharing several pots of wine with Mo Yuan Hao. Between cups, he spoke ill of Pei Yu without restraint, fanning the flames. Realizing they shared a mutual dislike, Mo Yuan Hao’s opinion of him improved further.
By the end, Mo Yuan Hao’s cheeks were flushed, his mind pleasantly hazy. Yun Wan Ye, however, was putting on a show of being utterly inebriated—clinging to Mo Yuan Hao’s arm and insisting they sleep in the same bed.
Faced with the strikingly handsome youth before him, Mo Yuan Hao felt a headache coming on. If it were anyone else, he would have thrown them out long ago. But this was Yao’er’s elder brother—and he bore a face remarkably like hers—so he could not bring himself to be harsh.
With a resigned sigh, he led him to the bed, shoved him onto it, and pulled the covers over him. Then, rubbing his temple, he lay down fully dressed on the short couch by the window, his legs extending over the edge, and closed his eyes.
The instant his eyes shut, the “drunk” youth’s opened—dark irises clear and sharp, lips curling in a triumphant smile. Tonight, with him keeping watch, even if Su Qian Xue had made it inside, she would accomplish nothing. Tomorrow, he would find an excuse to search the manor thoroughly.
Inside, the atmosphere was calm. Outside, it was another story.
In the inky night beside a rock garden, Su Qian Xue was on the verge of freezing solid. In the depths of winter, the difference between day and night was severe; while the daylight was bearable, the night was icy enough to freeze water and chill bone.
Her hands numb, she hugged herself, teeth chattering. [So cold. System, give me something useful—if I stay like this, I’ll freeze to death.]
[…]
[No items left. Given the circumstances, I’ll activate a cold resist mode for you.]
[Cold resist mode?]
[Yes. Once it’s on, you won’t feel the cold.]
[Then hurry and activate it!]
[Understood. Ding—cold resist mode activated.]
Instantly, the bone-deep chill vanished, replaced by comfortable warmth. Surprised at how effective it was, she felt pleased—no more fear of the cold from now on.
But before she could enjoy the thought, the system’s voice returned with a blow. [Warm reminder: as you have no points, the system has deducted ten days from your lifespan as payment.]
[…]
[What? My lifespan?] Her face went green with disbelief, her body shaking with fury.
[Yes. I told you—nothing is free. Without points, the cost is taken from your lifespan, or your looks, knowledge, charm, and so on. Since your looks and charm are key to completing missions, and your knowledge is… limited, the system deducted lifespan first.]
[…]
[Why didn’t you say so earlier? Or ask me?]
[You didn’t ask. And would it have mattered? You said you were about to freeze to death. Would you rather die now or live ten days less?]
She had to admit it made sense—of course she’d choose the latter. She endured the system’s control for one reason only: to survive.
[Don’t worry. Once you earn enough points, you can buy the lifespan back.]
[Fine. Just tell me what’s happening with Mo Yuan Hao. And that bastard Yun Wan Ye—he hasn’t left the manor since he came in. See what’s going on.]
Now, more than ever, she wanted to complete her mission quickly. Points meant power—better gear, more incredible functions. She could almost taste it.
[Understood.]
The system scanned Mo Yuan Hao’s room and sent a short video. Seeing him and Yun Wan Ye in the same chamber, Su Qian Xue cursed Yun Wan Ye in every foul way she knew. [With him camped in the manor, how can I get close to Mo Yuan Hao? Pei Yu was supposed to handle the Yun family—spread rumors, cozy up to Yun Wan Yao, manipulate public opinion—but he barely completed the first step before getting himself ambushed. How am I supposed to proceed?]
[He’s useless. In the original plot, he was never attacked. The only time the story changed before was the Xiangming Teahouse incident—and that was the Yun family’s doing. Could they be behind this as well?]
[Yes. If Yun Wan Yao is the new female lead and knows the original story, she’d know Pei Yu will one day love me and ruin her—so she’d strike first.]
Duke Ning Manor.
After drinking her milk, Yun Wan Ning opened her mental chat window and saw Su Qian Xue conversing with her system. She skimmed the earlier messages and spotted the short video—playing it, she saw Yun Wan Ye and Mo Yuan Hao.