Chapter 24: The Disappearance of Mingyu

Seeing Meng Yuanheng clutching her hand tightly, murmuring “Don’t go” over and over, Shen Qianmo felt a pang of pity. She instructed Changdong to bring gauze and medicine. After cleansing his wound, she wrapped it carefully and meticulously.

Situ Gong, standing nearby, was surprised by Shen Qianmo’s professional, deft movements. With his years of medical experience, he could tell at a glance that the Princess Xuan was composed and resolute—absolutely not a simple woman. No wonder the prince regarded her so differently.

As she bandaged, Shen Qianmo asked, “Doctor Situ, how has Prince Xuan’s leg injury really recovered? A few days ago, I saw him seemingly able to stand and walk on his own—how is that possible?”

Situ Gong replied, “His Highness’s legs are actually not injured. It’s the cold poison inside his body that renders his legs powerless. In the years when the poison was at its worst, even getting out of bed was difficult. Lately, the cold poison has been somewhat suppressed. Relying on his inner strength, His Highness can forcibly restrain it for a while, but each time he does so, the backlash during the next episode becomes even more severe, and the pain more intense.”

So, that was the truth! Remembering the two times he had come to her room at night, Shen Qianmo felt a jolt inside. She watched as Meng Yuanheng’s brows tightened in pain, cold sweat beading on his forehead. She wiped the sweat from his face with a cloth, then gently stroked his furrowed brow.

Throughout the journey, Meng Yuanheng’s condition had been poor. Changdong and Situ Gong were clearly struggling to care for him. Shen Qianmo said to them, “You two go rest. Tonight, I’ll stay here and watch over him.”

His cold poison had flared so violently this time, and ultimately, it was because of her. Staying the night to care for him was only right—a small way to make amends.

When Shen Qianmo finally awoke the next morning, she opened her eyes to find a strikingly handsome face close to hers. Meng Yuanheng was watching her intently, his eyes luminous and smiling, bright as the stars.

She blinked in confusion, realizing she was lying on the bed, with Meng Yuanheng right beside her.

What was going on? She was sure she’d fallen asleep slumped over the bed’s edge last night.

“Mo’er, you’re awake.” Meng Yuanheng’s voice was lazy and seductive, sending a sudden jolt through Shen Qianmo and, unusually, staining her delicate cheeks with a faint blush.

The scene was just a bit too intimate. As Shen Qianmo tried to sit up, Meng Yuanheng’s long arm pulled her slender body into his embrace. Startled, she instinctively tried to break free.

“Please, just for a moment,” Meng Yuanheng murmured above her head, his voice carrying a faint tremor.

He knew his action was abrupt and might frighten her, but he simply couldn’t restrain himself. In front of Shen Qianmo, the self-control he prided himself on seemed all but gone.

Listening quietly to Meng Yuanheng’s rapid heartbeat, Shen Qianmo’s lips curved into a smile. It seemed Prince Xuan was not as cold and heartless as rumors claimed—so much for hearsay.

Though she wasn’t certain of Meng Yuanheng’s feelings for her, at this moment, she found she didn’t mind his embrace. The faint herbal scent on him was comforting. She decided to follow her heart and stopped struggling.

In matters of emotion, Shen Qianmo had never been one for affectation.

Just then, an anxious voice called from outside the door: “Miss, Miss, are you in there?”

“Young lady, His Highness is resting—please leave,” came Changdong’s voice.

Green Bamboo, flustered, retorted, “You with your stone face! Move aside—I’m here for my young miss! What’s it to your prince?”

Shen Qianmo snapped back to herself, remembering she hadn’t returned to her room all night; her maid must have come looking for her. She slipped from Meng Yuanheng’s arms, straightened her clothing, and said to him, “Your Highness, I must go. Please rest well.”

Meng Yuanheng reluctantly let her go, watching her retreating figure with a flash of annoyance in his eyes—this girl was truly a nuisance!

Shen Qianmo opened the door to find not only Green Bamboo but also Xie Mingyu’s attendant, Bi An.

Green Bamboo rushed to her, exclaiming, “Miss, something’s wrong—Young Master Xie is missing!”

Bi An hurried forward as well, his face pale with worry. “Cousin, the young master is gone! I’ve searched the entire inn and can’t find him anywhere.”

Shen Qianmo’s heart skipped a beat—Xie Mingyu was missing? There was certainly something strange about this place!

She forced herself to remain calm and said steadily, “Don’t panic. Let’s first check my cousin’s room. Bi An, tell me exactly what happened last night.”

She hurried away. Meng Yuanheng, having heard everything, summoned Changdong into the room and asked coldly, “Who suggested inviting the princess here last night?”

Changdong immediately knelt. “I deserve punishment, Your Highness. Please forgive me.”

Meng Yuanheng knew he meant well. He’d never wanted Shen Qianmo to know about his physical condition, fearing she’d be frightened or driven away by his frailty. Thus, he had always hidden himself during his episodes.

But now he saw that Shen Qianmo, for all her composure, was soft-hearted and kind—far from shallow. The thought softened his gaze.

“This time, I’ll let it go on her account. Next time, don’t act on your own. You heard what just happened—go and assist the princess,” Meng Yuanheng said coolly.

Meanwhile, Shen Qianmo was examining Xie Mingyu’s room. The furnishings were untouched, with no signs of a struggle. On the table sat a half-finished cup of tea and an open book. The bedding was neat and undisturbed. It seemed Xie Mingyu had been taken before he went to sleep.

“What time did your master go to bed last night?” Shen Qianmo asked Bi An.

Bi An thought for a moment. “Last night, the young master read in his room until the second watch. He told me to go rest first, saying he’d sleep soon. So I left for my own room. This morning, when I brought in water, he was gone.”

Shen Qianmo’s brows knitted. So, Xie Mingyu had been taken around the second watch. To spirit away a grown man without a sound—it was certainly no ordinary criminal. The door and windows were intact. How had the abductor entered and left?

She looked up at the ceiling—it had to be there. But how to check? None of those present knew martial arts. Just then, Changdong arrived, pushing Meng Yuanheng in his wheelchair, with Situ Gong following.

After hearing her deduction, Meng Yuanheng signaled for Changdong to investigate the roof. Shen Qianmo saw a blur as Changdong’s figure vanished, only to reappear in front of them moments later, silent as a ghost. Green Bamboo and Bi An stared with mouths agape—they’d thought this stone-faced man was a simpleton, but his lightness skill was astonishing!

Shen Qianmo, though, was used to such things. Not just Changdong—even the sickly Prince Xuan in his wheelchair possessed martial skills that were fathomless.

“Your Highness, there are indeed traces of the roof tiles having been moved,” Changdong reported.

Just as she’d thought. She didn’t bother correcting Changdong’s address for now, and went to the table to pick up the cup of tea. “Doctor Situ, could you examine this tea for anything unusual?”

Situ Gong dipped a finger into the tea and tasted it. “Knockout powder.”

“Anything special about it?” Shen Qianmo asked.

Situ Gong shook his head. “It’s just a common knockout drug, nothing rare.”

It seemed the abductor was meticulous, leaving no clues. Shen Qianmo couldn’t help but worry—Xie Mingyu was clever, but without strength to defend himself, even the greatest wit was useless against brute force.

Suddenly, a gust of wind shot into the room, and with a sharp “clang,” a dagger pierced through the window, lodging itself in the beam beside Bi An, who jumped in fright.

Changdong darted outside, but saw only a black figure disappearing in a few swift leaps—someone whose lightness skill rivaled his own. Concerned for Meng Yuanheng’s safety, he quickly returned.

Shen Qianmo had already retrieved the dagger from the beam. Pinned to it was a slip of paper with a few words: “Brahma Forest outside the city.”