Tearing the Prince's Clothes after Withdrawing Marriage
Chapter 288 - 287: Uninvited Guest

Chapter 288: Chapter 287: Uninvited Guest

"Chu Qianli, you’ve gone too far! You must go and apologize to Huaiyu right now!"

Han Zhan chased after Chu Qianli.

But Chu Qianli just kept walking towards the back door.

She ignored everything he said.

Just as she stepped out of the Duke Residence, Han Zhan quickly moved forward and blocked her path.

"Chu Qianli..."

"If I say she’s the assassin, she definitely is. You’re afraid to look at the wound, but I saw it clearly—it’s a fresh wound caused by Corrosive Powder, not a burn from a fire."

"You..." Han Zhan was truly infuriated.

He was angry that despite knowing how vile and indifferent she was, he still held hope for her.

What was he hoping for, after all?

"Han Zhan, you and I were never on the same path. Pretend nothing happened tonight, and please go back."

She had things to do; she continued past him towards the back mountain.

Han Zhan was very angry, indeed he shouldn’t have concerned himself with her anymore.

But as he watched her enter the woods behind the mountain alone, he couldn’t help but follow her.

Chu Qianli was getting annoyed: "What exactly do you want to do? I really don’t have time for you!"

Saying anything about Chu Huaiyu, he felt it was a slander. They were not meant to work together—why bother saying more?

Moreover, Chu Huaiyu’s target was her, and for the moment, she wouldn’t act against Han Zhan.

She didn’t need to force him to believe.

"Han Zhan." Chu Qianli looked at him seriously, "I really do have things to do, and I can’t afford the delay."

Chu Huaiyu’s attempt to assassinate her was unexpected and had already caused her too much delay.

"What are you doing on the back mountain?" Han Zhan could tell that indeed, she had things to handle.

But, in the middle of the night, what was she planning to do in such a desolate place as the back mountain?

"It’s none of your business."

"You are living at the Duke Residence now, I am responsible for the safety of everyone there, your matters are indeed my business."

Han Zhan knew that it was just an excuse, but he really didn’t feel at ease about her going to the back mountain alone in the middle of the night.

What if that ghostly assassin came to kill her again? What would happen then?

Alone, she was no match for that ghostly figure.

Chu Qianli looked at him.

Han Zhan looked down, also staring intently at her.

"Either take me with you, or explain clearly to me." Of course, even after being clarified, he might still follow her.

"Can I trust you once?" Chu Qianli narrowed her eyes.

She was also asking herself this question.

"Forget it, if you come with me, at least, you’re not a bad person. But you must keep this matter secret, even from Chu Huaiyu."

"As long as it’s not something that harms Huaiyu, I see no need to tell her." Han Zhan nodded.

Chu Qianli didn’t want to waste any more time with him, and she quickly headed towards the back mountain.

Han Zhan soon found out what she was up to.

"She’s still alive?" How could this be?

The maid Fu Ning by Chu Qianli’s side had not thrown Qin Liuyan’s "corpse" at the Mass Burial Mound at all.

Because, Qin Liuyan was not dead yet.

It was just a cracked skull, which to the people of ancient times usually meant death without assistance and uncontrolled bleeding.

But, for Chu Qianli, saving her was not difficult.

Back in the medicine room, Chu Qianli stepped forward as if to check on Qin Liuyan’s injuries, when in fact, she was sealing her acupoints to stop the bleeding.

After that, she sealed her qi points as well, causing her to appear in shock for a short period.

That’s why Chu Huaiyu believed that Qin Liuyan was truly dead, and even the doctor hadn’t noticed anything odd.

Fu Ning took Qin Liuyan’s body to the back mountain and immediately, as Chu Qianli had secretly instructed her, released Qin Liuyan’s qi points.

Qin Liuyan came back to life.

However, at that moment, she was hanging by a thread.

Chu Qianli immediately gave her an injection and tended to the wound.

Looking at her, she was still hanging by a thread, but at least she was holding on.

Chu Qianli casually explained, and Han Zhan didn’t ask further.

But he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were perhaps not that simple.

"Miss Li, it won’t be easy to hide such a big living person, what should we do now?" Fu Ning asked.

"We can’t let anyone know she’s still alive, or else someone will definitely come to silence her, right?"

Chu Qianli’s words prompted Fu Ning to glance at Han Zhan.

Han Zhan felt somewhat suffocated, "I’ve said I wouldn’t reveal anything, and I won’t say a word more!"

He would never be so without honor!

Only then did Fu Ning withdraw his gaze and look at Chu Qianli, "Where shall we hide her?"

Chu Qianli couldn’t think of a solution for the time being.

Fu Long knew many people and should be able to find a place to settle Qin Liuyan.

However, he was currently in the palace, so they had to find him, wait for his arrangements, and then transport the person there.

This back and forth trip, by the time it was completed, the sky would be bright.

Han Zhan, glancing at the Qin Liuyan lying on the ground, finally looked at Chu Qianli, "If you trust me, I can help you settle her."

...Having no other choice, Chu Qianli chose to trust Han Zhan this time.

Han Zhan placed Qin Liuyan in a small house belonging to a friend of his from the jianghu.

Upon returning, Han Zhan couldn’t help but ask, "Is she really your mother?"

Han Zhan couldn’t tell if it was Chu Qianli’s natural indifference or that Qin Liuyan simply wasn’t her mother, but he always felt Chu Qianli’s gaze towards Qin Liuyan was too cold and emotionless.

There was not the slightest hint of familial affection.

"What if I say she’s Chu Huaiyu’s mother, and it was them two, mother and daughter, who framed me..."

"Please don’t slander Huaiyu again!" Han Zhan’s face changed in an instant.

Remembering the burn scar on Chu Huaiyu’s chest, he felt an immense guilt.

Given how Huaiyu treated him, yet recently, he didn’t know what was happening with his thoughts... his mind was always on...

Forget it!

He was the one who had wronged Huaiyu! Now, he definitely couldn’t allow Chu Qianli to humiliate Huaiyu like this!

Even behind her back, it was unacceptable.

Chu Qianli just sneered.

That age-old saying still held true—those who have diverging paths do not scheme together.

And so they parted on bad terms!

...By the time Chu Qianli returned to her room, there was just over an hour left before dawn.

She hurriedly caught up on some sleep.

However, these past couple of days, she was doomed to have little rest.

Not long after daybreak, an unwelcome visitor barged into her room.

Seeing him, Chu Qianli was slightly surprised, "Fu Long?"

Fu Long was always at the palace and seldom left; why had he come in person today?

Could he not have sent Fu Ning to convey any message?

"What’s the matter? You seem very anxious. Has something happened?"

The urgency in his face made Chu Qianli anxious as well.

She hurriedly got out of bed.

Fu Long immediately turned his face away, recalling that this was a lady’s bedroom.

In his haste to arrive, he had forgotten everything else.

"Ali, I have some news for you, but... you need to prepare yourself, it’s not good news."

Chu Qianli had already gotten out of bed and draped herself with clothing.

The somber tone of Fu Long’s voice sent a shiver through her heart, and for some reason, she suddenly felt very uneasy.

"What exactly is the news? Speak quickly!"

Fu Long took a deep breath before speaking, "Last night, Prince Xuan was attacked by a large number of Medicine Men and fell off a cliff... his life and death are uncertain."