Chapter 35

 Pei Yuan hadn't slept all night. Stubble had sprouted on his chin, tinged with a bruised color, and his eyes were bloodshot, exuding a murderous aura.

He walked down the road dragging a heavy knife, the blade scraping against the ground, leaving a winding mark on the compacted earth. Those who passed by kept their distance, pointing and whispering.

Someone murmured, "Wasn't it him who did that six years ago? In the dead of night, he set fire to someone's house, and stood at the door with a sword. When someone ran out, he killed one with a stab... Blood splattered all over the walls. He was only twelve at that time!"

Younger ones unfamiliar with the past watched Pei Yuan's back, shrinking into their homes. "Who is he going to kill this time? Look at his face, still stained with blood."

"Who knows... just stay away from him. If he can't see you, you'll be fine."

"But what if he comes back for me? What if he decides he doesn't like me and cuts me down? Who will I appeal to? He's a prince, he can kill anyone he wants... Didn't he almost kill his own father recently?"

Someone angrily muttered, "He's a beast in human clothing!"

"But we shouldn't say that." A slightly older man sighed as he watched Pei Yuan's silhouette. "I have a younger sister who used to serve in the palace. She said the Fourth Prince's current state is related to his mother. His mother died terribly, a stunning beauty among all the palace concubines, irreplaceable... The Fourth Prince was fine before, just a bit melancholic, until he saw his mother's corpse and went mad. The Luo family massacre happened during that time. The Emperor feels guilty and has always favored him, so even when the Fourth Prince rebelled recently, he was treated leniently."

There was a moment of silence around, then someone asked, "I heard the Fourth Prince got married?"

"Yes..." murmurs arose from the crowd, "I wonder which unfortunate girl is marrying him. With the Fourth Prince's peculiar temperament, who knows when he might turn sour. A young girl might not survive being married to him."

The conversation caused a stir, and people looked at Pei Yuan with newfound interest. Everyone liked a bit of bloody excitement, as long as it didn't happen to them.

Many began to secretly anticipate the arrival of the Fourth Prince's bride.

...

Pei Yuan heard the whispers behind him but remained silent. He knew he was indeed considered mad.

Xu Guang made him mad.

Every word Xu Guang spoke felt like a steel needle piercing his heart. Even though they tore down the house and found no trace of Baoning, even though Xu Guang's subordinates later said they saw Baoning escape, Pei Yuan still felt the pain.

He couldn't control his mind, involuntarily picturing the horrific scene Xu Guang described.

How could his Baoning endure such things?

Even if it was false, he couldn't accept it.

Pei Yuan thought, if he still couldn't find Baoning today, he didn't know if he could control his own hands. He might go to the Ministry of Justice and slice Huang Ji into pieces, go to the Eastern Palace and tear out Pei Xiao's heart, turn it into pulp.

Anyone who could harm Baoning, don't even think about living!

There was just a tiny bit of hope left in his life, destroyed by others. He didn't feel life was worth living anymore. Might as well die together and settle the score in the underworld!

The violent urges were stirring in his heart. Pei Yuan turned around, his eyes sweeping over the faces of everyone on the street with a dark gaze, secretly thinking, if they all died, skinned, boned, tendons pulled out, wouldn't that smell good when the wind blew?

After all, he was considered mad by everyone, so he might as well show them madness!

Rubbing his thumb against the rough knife handle, Pei Yuan tilted his head slightly and suddenly grinned, revealing a strange smile.

He was handsome, with narrow phoenix eyes, a high nose, and a naturally intimidating aura. Normally, young girls on the street would blush when they saw him.

But with this smile, everyone who saw it felt their hair stand on end, screamed, and scattered in panic. A madman, like a demon crawling out of hell to devour people!

...

"Baoning!" Ji Anlu pushed open the door and rushed in, her face filled with fear. "Did you see? The Fourth Prince, the Fourth Prince is downstairs!"

She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her wrist trembling. "Baoning, what should we do? Have you heard those rumors? Will he really kill someone?"

"He won't!" Baoning turned around, his voice resolute.

Her eyes were a bit red, whether from the wind when she opened the window or from seeing Pei Yuan's smile.

But it had only been one night since they last saw each other. How did he manage to look so messy and smile so hideously?

Baoning felt a pang in her heart.

She reached for her clothes at the bedside and started putting them on. "I'm going down to find him now."

"Are you crazy?" Ji Anlu exclaimed in shock, grabbing her. "If he hurts you, what will we do? Who knows why he's become like this? Is he even in his right mind? No, I can't let you go."

Baoning's nose was stuffy, her voice thick with tears. "He's definitely like this because he's looking for me. He's worried. If I go down now and he sees me, everything will be okay."

"What if not?" Ji Anlu said urgently. "Baoning, don't be so confident. Look at the Fourth Prince now. Aren't you afraid?"

Baoning lowered her head. She looked at the tip of her shoe. Was she afraid? To say she wasn't afraid at all would be a lie, but there was a voice in her heart telling her that Pei Yuan wouldn't hurt her.

Pei Yuan himself said it. After that rainy night, he said, "I won't hurt you."

He also said, "You can trust me, anytime."

Baoning thought, Pei Yuan is such an honorable person, so concerned about dignity. He wouldn't lie to her.

Baoning looked up at Ji Anlu. "I want to take a chance."

"Don't be foolish..."

Baoning quickly put on her clothes, ignoring Ji Anlu's unfinished words, and went around her, running down the stairs.

Ji Anlu followed her, leaning anxiously on the railing. "Baoning, be careful!"

"It's okay, don't worry." Zhang Heyu approached, patting her back reassuringly. "Baoning looks blank, but she's sensible. She knows what she's doing."

...

Everyone on the street saw a young woman suddenly rush out of the entrance of Ancient Well Restaurant.

She wore a light pink dress, with long braids hanging over her shoulders, fair and delicate, the kind of girl who seemed to have no fighting power at first glance.

She ran towards Pei Yuan.

Everyone gasped, their eyes fixed on her, waiting to see what would happen next.

Pei Yuan stood five steps away from her.

Baoning looked at his back. Still tall and broad-shouldered, but whether it was her imagination, Pei Yuan's back, which had always been straight, now seemed a little bent.

Baoning scratched her palms with her fingernails, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, "Pei Yuan!"

A commotion ensued.

Someone whispered to her softly, "Miss, Miss, are you crazy? Come back quickly, stay away from him. Aren't you afraid he'll attack you?"

Baoning didn't move.

Pei Yuan didn't move either.

The wind blew, carrying a faint smell of blood, but Baoning didn't notice. She shouted again, "Pei Yuan! Look back at me, I'm Baoning!"

A murmur spread through the crowd.

Pei Yuan's wrist turned slightly. It seemed he finally heard her, stiffly and gradually turning around.

Bao Ning suddenly felt like crying.

She wiped her tears, took a few steps, and reached out to grab his sleeve, her voice hoarse, "What's wrong with you? How did you end up like this, dressed in tatters and dirty everywhere... Wandering the streets with a knife in broad daylight, are you really going to hurt someone or what? If others see this, they might think I haven't taken care of you, or that I've mistreated you and kicked you out..."

Bao Ning couldn't stop herself from rambling.

Pei Yuan lowered his head to look at her, his gaze steady and silent.

Bao Ning noticed the blood on his face. She frowned, wanting to wipe it away by tiptoeing, but the blood had already dried and wouldn't come off.

Bao Ning panicked, reaching to touch his face. She found no wounds there, then moved to touch his chest and arms, "What's going on? Whose blood is this? Did Xu Guang hurt you? Is it serious?"

Pei Yuan remained in the same posture, silent and unmoving, just staring at her.

Bao Ning hammered him lightly, "Say something!"

"Bao Ning..." Pei Yuan lifted his hand to grip her shoulder, gritting his teeth, "Where did you go!"

He released one hand, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her close to his chest, as if trying to embed her into his body with this gesture. The force was so strong that Bao Ning almost couldn't breathe.

Until she turned her head and, in horror, saw Pei Yuan's wrist. The sleeve had slipped down, revealing a mass of black veins that were originally the size of soybeans, now swollen to the size of fists.

Bao Ning trembled as she called out, "Pei Yuan..."

Suddenly, Pei Yuan released his grip on her, dropped his knife, and knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. With a loud "wah," he spat out a mouthful of poisonous blood that splattered onto Bao Ning's feet.

"What's happening!" Ji Anlu rushed out anxiously, "Why are you spitting blood?"

"He's injured..." Bao Ning sniffed, reaching out to help him stand up.

Pei Yuan was too heavy, and Bao Ning couldn't lift him. Anxious, Ji Anlu tried to help but was swatted away by Pei Yuan's arm, almost falling back before Zhang Heyu caught her.

Apologizing to Ji Anlu with her eyes, Bao Ning asked softly, "Shall we rest at Sister San's shop?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Pei Yuan lifted his head. Exhausted, his face was as pale as death, with traces of fresh red blood at the corners of his lips, appearing weak and feeble. "I want to go home."

The distance was too far. Thinking of persuading him again, Bao Ning frowned. Pei Yuan frowned again, repeating, "I'm not going anywhere. I want to go home."

"Okay, okay!" Bao Ning knelt on the ground, holding his face in her hands, tears streaming down. "Listen to me, let's go home now."

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