The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 39

Fu Qingyin got up and left, leaving Wen Ying alone in the room once more. She hugged her knees and simply stared at the decorations in the room.

She never imagined that meeting Fu Qingyin again would be under such circumstances. Had Fu Qingyin come to take her back?

Wen Ying couldn’t help but wonder. Yet when she suggested they flee together, Fu Qingyin had refused.

“Stop biting! If you truly hate me, then bite me instead.” Fu Qingyin’s eyes were filled with heartache as she extended her arm, offering it for the other to sink her teeth into.

Wen Ying couldn’t bear to do it. She only loosened the pressure on her lower lip, then pulled the embroidered quilt over herself, her voice despondent: “I think I want to sleep a little.”

“Alright.” Fu Qingyin didn’t press further. After tucking Wen Ying in, she sat beside her, watching as she drifted off though such an intense gaze made it impossible for Wen Ying to truly sleep. She merely closed her eyes and feigned slumber.

Fu Qingyin could see the faint tremble of Wen Ying’s lashes, but she, too, remained silent, choosing not to acknowledge it.

After what felt like an eternity, Fu Qingyin suddenly rose and hurriedly left, leaving Wen Ying alone in the room once more. Slowly, Wen Ying opened her eyes. The emotions she had suppressed while pretending to sleep now surged forth. No one could understand the depths of her despair. Hugging her knees on the bed, she felt as though her entire body ached.

Exhausted from crying, Wen Ying knew it was time to leave. If Fu Qingyin, too, intended to take her life, then she would choose to return to the palace and die alongside her father and sisters.

Having made up her mind, Wen Ying got up and began assessing how to escape. She opened the window and looked out. Though it was the second floor, the drop wasn’t too high perhaps only slightly taller than that low wall from before. Still, she didn’t dare take the risk. Instead, she pushed open the door, hoping to find a way to slip past the guards unnoticed.

With a soft creak, the wooden door opened cautiously. Fu Qingyin was indeed gone, likely occupied with some urgent matter. Wen Ying stepped out carefully, only to lock eyes with a servant.

” Wen Yuan?” Wen Ying gasped in shock, the name slipping out before she could stop herself. Wen Yuan quickly covered her mouth, gesturing for her to follow him outside.

It seemed Wen Yuan had arranged everything in advance. Their path out was unimpeded, and they left without a single obstacle.

The streets were nearly empty, the capital having been thrown into chaos. Wen Yuan led Wen Ying to a deserted tea stall, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared at her. “Elder Sister, was it that Fu Qingyin who locked you up?! She’s a demon she’s surrounded our father and the palace!”

Bloodshot veins streaked Wen Yuan’s eyes, his exhaustion evident, as though he hadn’t slept in days.

“Wen Yuan, shouldn’t you rest first?” Wen Ying worried he might collapse at any moment, but Wen Yuan was too agitated. “If I can just kill Fu Qingyin, the linchpin of all this then as the prince, with our father gone, I can ascend the throne!”

His words bordered on madness, yet he believed himself perfectly rational. The only reason he had rescued Wen Ying was because he’d discovered she was Fu Qingyin’s weakness.

Wen Yuan had no intention of harming her. He merely kept her close as the two of them stealthily made their way toward the palace.

“How did you escape?” Wen Ying asked, her face smudged with dirt after the long trek. Her clothes and shoes were now worn and tattered.

Wen Yuan had led her on a winding path through half the capital before finally arriving at the abandoned plum garden behind the palace, a place left unguarded and forgotten.

“Originally, there were many guards here, but now with the palace in turmoil and the Xiongnu surrounding us, all the guards have been dispatched to fight,” Wen Yuan said while scanning for a low section of the wall to climb over. Wen Ying stared at the short wall, nearly in tears why was she always stuck dealing with low walls?

But since her own intention was to return to the palace anyway, Wen Ying didn’t resist this method of entry. In fact, when her short legs couldn’t quite reach, Wen Yuan gave her a tug upward.

Wen Ying clumsily expressed her gratitude, her round, puppy-like almond eyes filled with appreciation. Clutching Wen Yuan’s sleeve, she followed him slowly, gazing at the once-gleaming palace that now seemed shrouded in gloom.

“How did it come to this?” Wen Ying sighed, trailing closely behind Wen Yuan, who suddenly seemed much taller and more dependable. Wen Yuan wasn’t sure how to interact with her but held deep respect for his elder sister, responding even when he didn’t know what to say.

“Because of the Xiongnu.”

The answer was almost worse than no answer at all, but Wen Ying didn’t blame him. Her mind was in chaos she didn’t know how to face Fu Qingyin. Would she be run through with a blade if she encountered the Xiongnu now?

After a few steps, Wen Yuan suddenly turned back. “Elder Sister, if I become emperor, I will honor you as the Grand Imperial Princess.”

Grand Imperial Princess. The title felt unfamiliar to Wen Ying. Remembering the revered elder princesses of past dynasties, she nodded eagerly. That sounded wonderful.

Wen Yuan didn’t elaborate. His priority was finding a place to hide Wen Ying, he didn’t want to use her as leverage unless absolutely necessary.

Obedient as ever, Wen Ying let herself be guided, allowing Wen Yuan to stash her wherever he deemed safe, even though her heart ached with worry for Yun Chu.

After some maneuvering, Wen Yuan brought her to the embroidery tower. The Xiongnu disdained such places, preferring to stand guard with weapons drawn before the main hall. Besides, the embroidery tower was an easy place to hide.

At the sight of the dust-covered fabrics, Wen Ying’s tears fell. Memories of what had happened before she left the palace overwhelmed her, and she wept openly.

Wen Yuan had no attention to spare for her emotions his own focus was razor-sharp, his mind racing with uncertainty. His immediate task was to sneak into the main hall and assess the situation.

Once Wen Yuan left, Wen Ying stood alone in the embroidery tower, the very place where she had once gotten lost as a child.

“Nanny Gu, where are you?” Wen Ying whispered, not daring to raise her voice. She called out softly as she walked, not expecting a reply until she heard one.

“Little A-Ying,” The voice was weathered, but Wen Ying recognized it instantly. Her tears flowed harder as she rushed toward the sound, finding Nanny Gu seated amidst piles of fabric, nearly invisible if not for careful scrutiny.

“Nanny Gu, why are you still here? Let’s escape together, please?” Seeing her, Wen Ying finally understood why she had been so determined to return to the palace so many people she cared about were still inside.

As long as she could bring them all out together, Wen Ying could finally hide with peace of mind. However, Granny Gu shook her head: “I’m fine. Those Xiongnu didn’t harm me. In fact, someone even told me to stay inside the embroidery tower these days. Yun Chu has also come, though she’s asleep now. Ever since you left, she’s been missing you day and night and caught a slight chill.”

Granny Gu knew exactly what Wen Ying was worried about, so she spilled everything in one breath. And precisely because she did, Wen Ying was able to confirm who had brought the Xiongnu here.

No one would care about the lives of these palace maids except for Fu Qingyin, who had endured these hardships alongside them. But Wen Ying feared this might be part of a larger scheme, a greater murder. She could no longer trust anything now.

“Little Wen Ying, how have you been these days?” Granny Gu rarely showed tears.

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