Chapter 214: The People She Cares About

Chapter 214: The People She Cares About

The man's voice was soft, but it struck Xin You's heart like a heavy hammer.

Was there still someone she cared about in this world?

She looked at the man in front of her and thought that, if she weren't deceiving herself, the answer was yes. But this care could not be placed on a scale and compared to the tragic deaths of her family.

So she replied coolly, "No one left."

Upon hearing this response, He Qingxiao's eyes, filled with many emotions, were masked by calm. His voice was low but firm, "But there are still many people in this world who care about you."

Xin You smiled, "Lord He, it's strange for you to say such things. I merely spoke out of line and slightly offended King Qing. It's not like I—"

"You were preparing to assassinate King Qing," He Qingxiao interrupted her.

His certainty and decisiveness were as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

Xin You tried to deny it, "Lord He, you're mistaken—"

The man's action stopped her from continuing.

He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, and in her stunned moment, he retrieved the thin blade from her palm.

Her delicate palm, where she had hidden the blade, was now cut, and blood trickled through her pale skin.

"What is this?" He Qingxiao asked, pinching the blade.

In Xin You's experience, Lord He was always composed, gentle, and handsome. But now she heard a trace of anger in his tone.

This was a side of him she had never seen before.

Xin You pressed her lips tightly, and the man in front of her was equally persistent, staring at her as he waited for a response.

After a long pause, Xin You finally spoke. "It's a blade."

This response made He Qingxiao look frustrated.

He wasn't blind.

"Alright, I did intend to take King Qing's life," Xin You admitted, raising her confusion, "But how did Lord He know?"

"After the sudden murder of Count Gu Chang, there was widespread panic, so Count Gu Chang's mansion has been under the Jinlin Guard's surveillance. When I heard from my subordinates that Miss Kou had sent sacrificial offerings to Count Gu Chang's mansion, I became suspicious," He Qingxiao looked at Xin You, "Miss Kou, you harbor deep hatred for Count Gu Chang's family, so why would you send sacrificial offerings? When I heard that King Qing had gone to the bookstore, I began to suspect."

He paused, noticing that Xin You's expression remained unchanged, and a wave of fear washed over him.

It was an unfamiliar emotion, something he had never felt before.

"The purpose of sending the sacrificial offerings was to lure King Qing there through Gu Chang's son, Dai Ze. And luring King Qing there surely wasn't just for a chat."

Xin You's injured hand clenched slightly, "How did Lord He know it was a blade?"

The blade hadn't been in her hand from the start but had been neatly hidden in her sleeve. Later, when Lord He disrupted her plan and King Qing's attention shifted to him, she had kept it in her hand.

He Qingxiao's gaze fell on her hand as he explained, "From the moment I entered, Miss Kou's hand had never loosened, and I—"

He seemed to think of something and paused briefly before continuing, "And my sense of smell is quite good; I couldn't ignore the faint scent of blood."

Xin You cast her gaze downward and smiled bitterly, "Lord He is truly observant."

He Qingxiao fell silent for a moment before asking, "Are you upset that I ruined your plans, Miss Kou?"

Xin You answered truthfully, "A little."

She knew he was acting in her best interest, but what she wanted wasn't merely to survive. If she couldn't avenge her mother and the others, even if she had mountains of gold and feasted on the finest delicacies every day, she wouldn't be happy.

"Miss Kou, wait a moment."

He Qingxiao walked out and returned shortly after, holding some salve and cloth.

Xin You watched silently as he took her hand, applied the salve, and wrapped her palm with the soft white cloth.

"I'm not that fragile, Lord He. You don’t need to go to such lengths," Xin You tried to pull her hand back.

But her wrist was firmly held by him.

"I'm a very unlucky person, and I've realized that since I was old enough to understand," Xin You stopped moving.

"I often get hurt, and sometimes I nearly lose my life. I've never seen my parents' faces. The only person I truly care about in this world is probably Aunt Gui," the man's voice was as clear and pure as spring water, without self-pity or emotional manipulation, just purely sharing with the girl in front of him, "Life has been tough, and sometimes it feels like giving up wouldn’t be such a big loss. But I still find joy in living—reading, seeing beautiful places, meeting interesting people, and experiencing new things. Miss Kou, you're only seventeen. When you're seventy and tell your grandchildren about your youthful triumphs in avenging your family, wouldn’t that be something to look forward to?"

When he finished, he had also finished bandaging her hand, his dark eyes looking at the girl in front of him gently.

From his eyes, Xin You saw a deeply hidden plea, and the word "no" suddenly became hard to say.

She looked down at her bandaged hand, wrapped very meticulously.

"The cut is narrow but deep. Wrapping it will prevent it from getting wet. Make sure to take it off and change the bandage before bed."

"Thank you, Lord He," Xin You thanked him but still didn't answer whether it was "yes" or "no."

She valued her life, but she was willing to sacrifice it if necessary.

But one thing she was certain of, she absolutely couldn't bear the thought of King Qing remaining a lofty prince, soon-to-be crown prince, and future ruler of Great Xia.

He Qingxiao saw her determination and, after a brief pause, revealed something, "There’s evidence suggesting corruption in King Qing’s disaster relief efforts in Dingbei."

Xin You was slightly startled, "Lord He, do you have any clues?"

"Two days ago, the Jinlin Guard found a person acting suspiciously. After capturing and interrogating him, he claimed to be the son of the chief clerk of Beiquan County. The area most severely affected by the recent Dingbei earthquake was Beian County. Beiquan County, being the closest to Beian, also suffered significant damage. This person said that the Beiquan disaster victims were left waiting for aid and ended up freezing or starving to death in large numbers. His father reported the situation upward but was brutally killed. He fled to the capital to file a personal appeal to His Majesty but was hunted down by the capital garrison under Wu Yanting—"

"Wait," Xin You's expression changed slightly, "Is this person of medium build, lean, with delicate features, a young man?"

He Qingxiao was startled, "Miss Kou knows him?"

"Not exactly, but I might have seen him," Xin You didn't say it outright but was almost certain it was the young man who had hidden under her carriage that day, "Lord He, can I see him? It would be best to take a quiet look without alerting him, just to see if he's the person I've seen."

He Qingxiao wasn't afraid of Xin You making requests; he was afraid of her being indifferent and only focused on death. He naturally agreed.

Soon, Xin You, separated by a wall, saw the young man through a specially left opening.

It was definitely the young man she had met on the way to Thousand Sakura Mountain.

"It's him," Xin You didn't hide anything and explained what had happened that day to He Qingxiao.

"In that case, his words seem quite credible."

"What does Lord He plan to do?"

"I've already sent someone to Dingbei to secretly verify this matter. If his claims are verified, we will need to inform His Majesty," He Qingxiao looked at Xin You seriously and asked, "Miss Kou, can you give me some time?"

This time, he finally received the answer he wanted to hear.

"Yes," Xin You softly replied.