Chapter 48: Leaving Alive

Shen Ningyuan felt a surge of hesitation as she lifted her foot and stepped into the utterly chaotic room.

She pushed aside layer after layer of bed curtains, yet could not find a trace of Xie Ranzhou.

"Gone just like that?"

Shen Ningyuan swept her gaze around the room with suspicion.

However she searched, she could not find the slightest sign of human presence in the room.

It was as if Xie Ranzhou had never appeared in this house at all.

Yet the fragrance of wine lingering in the air reminded her that everything that had just happened was real.

Thinking of this, Shen Ningyuan touched the back of her neck with lingering fear.

"From now on, I must never come within half a step of Lin'an Palace again."

With these words, Shen Ningyuan squatted down and began earnestly picking up the shards on the floor.

Looking at the wine spilled all over the ground, Shen Ningyuan could not help but sigh, "Thank you, Father, for giving me a second life."

After cleaning the floor, Shen Ningyuan raised her eyes to look at the room, covered in dust and spiderwebs, and the withered grass and fallen leaves dancing in the wind outside the courtyard.

A sudden sense of trance washed over Shen Ningyuan.

In her mind, the scene from her past life resurfaced, where she was confined within the chastity archway, looking at the fallen leaves scattered all over the courtyard.

When Xie Ranzhou stayed alone in this vast Lin'an Palace, during the moments when his mind had returned to normal, would he also experience this profound sense of loneliness of being abandoned by the world?

At this thought, driven by some inexplicable impulse, Shen Ningyuan picked up the broom she had just set aside and began sweeping away the dust and spiderwebs in the room.

As soon as the bristles touched the surface of the furniture, dust flew into the air, rushing toward Shen Ningyuan's face.

Covering her nose and mouth, Shen Ningyuan coughed as she swept.

The entire Lin'an Palace was enveloped by the airborne dust, making it look dim and gloomy.

Shen Ningyuan swept diligently, failing to notice that not far away, on the high wall, Xie Ranzhou stood facing the wind, quietly watching Shen Ningyuan's figure as she dusted the room.

His gaze was gentle yet filled with perplexity.

"Your Highness, what is she doing?"

At that moment, a man in cyan robes suddenly flashed behind Xie Ranzhou.

Xie Ranzhou shook his head, his face equally bewildered. "This Prince does not know what she is doing either."

Yet the stirring in his heart could not deceive him.

Ever since he went mad, no one had ever come to clean this vast Lin'an Palace.

After a moment of silence, Xie Ranzhou suddenly spoke, "Lingqing, you don't need to look for that girl I asked you to find before."

Lingqing was stunned, asking with confusion, "Your Highness, weren't you in a rush to find that young lady just moments ago? Why have you suddenly stopped searching?"

Xie Ranzhou did not answer, merely shifting his gaze back to Shen Ningyuan without a sound.

Because he had already found her.

Seeing this, Lingqing asked no more questions and, following Xie Ranzhou's gaze, quietly watched Shen Ningyuan.

After a moment, Lingqing's expression turned fearful as he looked hesitantly at Xie Ranzhou and advised, "Your Highness, your behavior today was perhaps a bit too normal. In case those two palace maids speak of it, I'm afraid it might arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives."

"It is fine, it was only once," Xie Ranzhou said in a low voice. "If I were to remain out of my mind indefinitely, it would instead provoke doubt. Occasionally acting normal is entirely reasonable."

Hearing this, Lingqing pondered for a brief moment.

Finding the logic sound, he offered no further counsel.

By this time, Shen Ningyuan had finished most of the cleaning and, broom in hand, began sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Just as she had swept all the leaves into a pile in the corner, the grand doors of Lin'an Palace were forcefully pushed open from the outside.

"Yuan'er!"

As soon as Song Yan'er stepped through the threshold, she anxiously called out Shen Ningyuan's name.

Seeing Shen Ningyuan standing safely in the corner of the courtyard, Song Yan'er instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

The corners of her eyes reddened as she walked toward Shen Ningyuan.

"Yuan'er, are you alright?"

Song Yan'er looked her up and down, and upon confirming that Shen Ningyuan was unhurt, she let out another sigh of relief.

"Good, good. Seeing that you're safe, your sister-in-law can finally rest easy."

With that, Song Yan'er glanced around warily and asked in a low voice, "Yuan'er, you weren't frightened, were you?"

Shen Ningyuan shook her head and replied, "Sister-in-law, do not worry, I am fine."

"As long as you're fine." Song Yan'er let out another breath.

Meanwhile, Song Ying'er stood at the entrance of the main hall, not daring to take a single step inside, as if wary of someone within Lin'an Palace.

Seeing that Song Yan'er and Shen Ningyuan showed no intention of leaving yet, Song Ying'er could not help but remind them, "Yan'er, we should leave. This Lin'an Palace is... very dangerous."

At the end of her sentence, Song Ying'er swallowed nervously.

Back when she first entered the palace, she had the misfortune of witnessing Xie Ranzhou wielding a blade and killing people.

That bloody and gruesome scene had terrified her into having nightmares for several nights in a row.

Every time she woke up, she would hug her quilt and sob miserably.

She did not wish to experience that bone-deep terror ever again.

Hearing Song Ying'er's words, Song Yan'er snapped back to reality. "Right, right, right. Yuan'er, this place is not somewhere we should linger, we must leave quickly."

Song Yan'er took Shen Ningyuan by the hand and led her out of Lin'an Palace.

Once the two of them came out, Song Ying'er instructed the palace attendants to close the doors of Lin'an Palace and turned away without looking back.

Urging them on as she walked, she said, "Hurry, let's go. Staying here a moment longer adds a layer of danger."

At that moment, Song Yan'er looked at Song Ying'er with worry and asked, "Elder Sister, I never expected the Empress's claws to reach all the way into your Shulan Palace!"

Song Ying'er furrowed her brow tightly. "Neither did this palace expect that the Empress had planted eyes inside Shulan Palace. Doesn't that mean everything I do in Shulan Palace is crystal clear to the Empress?"

With these words, Song Ying'er looked at Shen Ningyuan, her gaze carrying a hint of appraisal.

She spoke softly, "Your entry into the palace actually eliminated these two spies for me, doing me a massive favor!"

Shen Ningyuan bowed her head slightly and said in a low voice, "Consort Ying flatters me. It should be this wife bringing trouble to Your Ladyship."

She added, "If Consort Ying had not appeared in time, this wife does not know how long the Empress would have continued to make things difficult for me."

"Not at all. Even without me, you would have managed to escape." Song Ying'er smiled softly, her gaze lingering deeply on Shen Ningyuan.

The image of Shen Ningyuan holding a silver hairpin and killing someone resurfaced in her mind.

The resilience and composure in those eyes had left a profound impression on her.

She truly was the tiger-daughter of a military family!

With a sigh of admiration, Song Ying'er looked toward the main gate of the imperial palace. "This time, Yan'er and I will escort you out of the palace. Let's see how the Empress dares to make a move against you!"

With that, Song Ying'er took Song Yan'er by one hand and Shen Ningyuan by the other, striding toward the main gate of the palace.

Lingqing watched the group depart and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, they have left."

Xie Ranzhou gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, his eyes fixed firmly on the direction of their departure.

To be precise, he was staring at Shen Ningyuan's retreating back.

At that moment, Shen Ningyuan also felt a burning sensation on her back, as if a pair of intense eyes were staring intently at her.

Yet when she turned around to look, there was nothing behind her.

Shen Ningyuan withdrew her gaze, dismissing it as a mere illusion.