Chapter 53: She Lied to Him for This Good-for-Nothing Man?

Jiang Lingyao gritted her teeth and stabbed fiercely into the root of her own thigh once more. Then, she knocked on the door and said to the errand boy outside, "Go and pass on a message for me. Find someone at the Manchun Pawnshop and tell them that Liao Yun is waiting here."

"No one is to come near. I have important business."

"Miss, this is not according to the rules."

Jiang Lingyao pulled the door open by a crack and pushed a gold ingot through. "Take this. There will be more rewards if you handle this well."

"Yes, yes, yes! Rest assured, Miss, my legs are the fastest in the entire establishment. Just wait and see."

Drained of all strength, Jiang Lingyao leaned against the side of the door and slowly slid down.

A sense of utter despair crept over her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Who was trying to harm her?

If Liao Yun came and proved unable to handle this, she might have no choice but to leave with him today.

How heartbroken her grandmother would be.

Her tears fell, but she lacked the strength to wipe them away, her entire body limp and weak.

Yet, she was unwilling to accept this! She was completely unwilling!

She had just caught a glimpse of the Divine Doctor Li, her grandmother was still waiting for her at home, and she hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye!

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

"Mingzhu?"

Catching the heavy stench of blood filling the room, Liao Yun's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly closed the door and rushed to support Jiang Lingyao.

She had pushed herself to the absolute limit. The moment she heard Liao Yun's voice, she collapsed entirely.

Liao Yun's face turned pale. He unfastened the brocade pouch at his waist, popped an antidote pill into Jiang Lingyao's mouth, checked her pulse, and then stood up to walk over to the table. He picked up a teacup, dipped his fingers lightly into the water, and brought them to his nose.

It was Floating Splendor, a secret poison from the Southern Frontier designed to render its victims unconscious and permanently mute!

His expression shifted violently, and he forced a few more pills into Jiang Lingyao's mouth. Turning his head, he spotted Wenqiu slumped nearby; with a sigh, he fed her a few pills as well, his gaze turning dark and heavy as he looked down at them.

If he hadn't come today...

Liao Yun's eyes hardened. He opened the door, intending to summon his subordinates to carry the two women away.

Unexpectedly, the moment the door opened, a pair of hands violently grabbed the gap. Liao Yun tried to slam the door shut, but the intruder refused to let go, using the leverage to force the door open and slip inside.

"Who are you?"

Liao Yun instantly drew a dagger and pressed it against the intruder's neck, his gaze fierce like a wolf's. "Forget it. I'll just kill you both."

"If you kill me, you won't make it out of the capital alive."

Pei Xingzhi's voice was icy. "I am the Grand Princess's son."

Liao Yun paused. Jiang Lingyao had mentioned this man to him—unfeeling, arrogant, and cold toward her. Why would he suddenly appear here?

Jiang Lingyao had once said that Pei Xingzhi regarded her as—

Without lowering his dagger, Liao Yun continued to press, "What are you here for? She is injured, and I am taking her away."

He could naturally see what Liao Yun was about to do. While his tone remained steady, his eyes were brimming with fury.

Who was this man?

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Pei Xingzhi paused and murmured under his breath, "Liao Yun?"

How did he know who he was?

Sensing the slight hitch in Liao Yun's breathing behind him, Pei Xingzhi said coldly, "You have no way of sending her safely back to the Duke's estate. Only I can. Let go of me."

Liao Yun released Pei Xingzhi. "I will clean up here. You take her back."

Jiang Lingyao hadn't even had time to say goodbye to her grandmother; Liao Yun knew she would never willingly leave with him today.

Pei Xingzhi's gaze remained locked onto him like a sworn enemy, wishing he could strip his flesh and tear his bones apart.

Liao Yun? The close girl companion she had depended on for mutual survival in the temple?

Liao Yun was remarkably handsome, with a high-bridged nose carrying the distinct exotic features of the Southern Frontier. The pupils of the eyes looking back at him held a faint trace of grayish hue, resembling a wolf.

Pei Xingzhi's anger at Jiang Lingyao's deception had reached its absolute peak, yet he still stepped forward to lift her from Liao Yun's arms, silently taking the brocade pouch from his waist.

"Don't feed her that; I've already given her medicine. She will wake up shortly."

Liao Yun stopped him. "You take her and get her safely back. I'll handle things here."

"She mentioned you, saying she used to treat you like an older brother. I trust you will escort her back properly."

Naturally, this was a lie.

Liao Yun could clearly perceive Pei Xingzhi's unusual feelings toward Jiang Lingyao and had simply chosen to exploit them.

For a moment, Pei Xingzhi could not articulate the chaotic emotions churning in his chest. Instead, he snapped at Liao Yun, "Get out. I'll wait until she regains some clarity before taking her back."

Liao Yun made no move to leave, furrowing his brow, but Pei Xingzhi cut him off sharply, "Two men have just broken in consecutively. Do you want to draw the attention of outsiders and put a target on her back?"

"I'll finish cleaning this up and leave."

Pei Xingzhi let out a cold laugh, his brows and eyes radiating a sharp, aggressive arrogance. "Who do you think you are? Get lost. For her sake, I won't bother arguing with some wild man who suddenly crawled out of nowhere."

Liao Yun's expression remained completely unchanged. He merely cast one deep look at Jiang Lingyao before turning and walking away.

The moment Liao Yun left, Pei Xingzhi's suppressed fury broke through all bounds, plunging his face into an icy frost.

Jiang Lingyao had lied to him!

Liao Yun was a man—what on earth was their relationship?!

Was she really willing to lie to him just for a man she could easily dismiss with a few words?