Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Xiao Yi then asked about what happened after the Prince of Cheng captured them.

Did that beast use torture? And how did you escape?

We were absolutely terrified!

You don't know, at that moment I wished it was me who fell, instead of you and Ayan.

Xiao Yi spoke from the bottom of his heart.

"Brother Shi Qi, you seem to care about me a lot?"

"Peach joked."

"I...of course I care about you, because you and Ayan have a good relationship."

If something happens to you, that little guy will cry his eyes out.

It was Ayan who fell with you; you even fell down while trying to save him.

Now, our Xiao family owes you something again.

Xiao Yi stammered an explanation, thankfully it was nighttime and he couldn't see clearly, otherwise Tao'er would definitely have seen him blush.

Tao'er giggled, "Brother Shi Qi, I was just joking, don't take it seriously!"

I know that Ayan is Prime Minister Xiao's only son, and of course I know how important he is to you.

But don't worry, no matter when or where, I will never let anything happen to the young master, even if something happens to me.

Just kidding, if Ayan gets into trouble, she'll be finished too.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi was so moved that he didn't know what to say.

However, he changed the subject, afraid that if he continued, Tao'er would discover his ulterior motives.

"Tao'er, thank you for saving Ayan once again."

But you still need to tell me how you escaped from that bastard Cheng Wang. He's a ruthless fellow.

Tao'er revealed a sly smile, "I tricked King Cheng back then. That bastard fell for my trick, and then I took advantage of his inattention and escaped with Ayan under the cover of night, and even set his camp on fire."

She spoke with great enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling like a triumphant little fox.

Of course, she didn't mention the space at all.

That was her biggest secret; even Ayan didn't know the whole story.

Moreover, Xiao Yi.

So she started the story with an old hunter rescuing her, and everything that followed made perfect sense.

Xiao Yi listened attentively, his gaze fixed on her face.

Looking at her radiant appearance and the smug look on her face as she gestured how to set fire to the camp, the weight that had been hanging over his heart for days finally lifted.

She was still alive, standing lively and energetic in front of him, still that clever, brave, and fearless girl.

He shook his head with a smile, his tone full of affection, "You are good in every way, except that you are too bold."

You mustn't do such dangerous things again.

Tao'er nodded and giggled, "No, no, that's just an emergency measure."

Xiao Yi looked at her smile, and his heart melted completely.

He couldn't bear to be really angry, but thinking of the fear and anxiety he had felt these past few days, he couldn't help but give a few more words of advice.

After walking for a while, Xiao Yi asked about A-Chen.

"Tao'er, how did you get together with that Young Master Chen?"

What happened along the way?

Tao'er then told her about the shady inn.

She said she took Ayan to find lodging, but they unexpectedly encountered a shady inn. She then used a trick to get them both drunk, and finally tied them up while they were intoxicated.

Later, Chen Gongzi's subordinates brought him here, saying they were going to find a doctor, but he never returned.

Ah Chen had a high fever, and she couldn't just leave him to die, so she had no choice but to take him to the county town, because that small town lacked everything.

She planned to heal his injuries before taking Ayan to the Chen family in Jiangnan.

I just didn't expect them to catch up with me.

Tao'er avoided the important points and only said what needed to be said.

She didn't mention a single thing that shouldn't have been said, such as how she realized that Ah Chen's identity was not simple, or how she discovered that those who were chasing him were all experts.

He didn't say he killed three assassins, because no one would believe it; to others, it was a fantasy.

Xiao Yi also couldn't believe that a little girl like himself could kill three assassins.

Anyway, the bodies of those three assassins were in the cesspool, and by now they were probably mostly eaten by maggots.

After listening, Xiao Yi remained silent for a while before nodding.

"I see." He paused, looking at Tao'er with a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "Tao'er, do you know the true identity of that Young Master Chen?"

Tao'er shook her head: "I don't know."

This young master Chen has amnesia. He doesn't know who he is, but he remembers that his name contains the character "Chen", so we call him young master Chen.

Even if you didn't say anything, I could tell he was from a wealthy family.

She recalled the details about Ah Chen: his manners, speech, and habits, all of which revealed his good upbringing and indicated that he was not from an ordinary family.

Especially the dragon-shaped jade pendant, which was generally a symbol of status in ancient times.

Xiao Yi looked at her and lowered his voice: "Tao'er, don't get too close to him in the future."

Tao'er paused for a moment, looked up at him, her eyes filled with questions.

Xiao Yi's gaze passed over her and landed on the window in the east room where the light was on.

Two shadows, one large and one small, were cast on the window paper. It was probably Qingfeng changing Achen's dressing, with Ayan beside him.

"Because he is Xie Jingchen, the deposed crown prince who has now been exiled to the north as the Prince of the North."

These words fell into the night like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Tao'er was stunned.

She considered many possibilities.

I wondered which prince's son he was, which noble family's young master he was, and even whether he might be a nephew of a powerful official in the court.

But she never expected it would be the Crown Prince.

The deposed crown prince.

The crown prince who was rumored to have rebelled, deposed, and almost reduced to a commoner.

She remembered Ah Chen sometimes staring blankly into space, or gazing thoughtfully in a certain direction.

His words and actions, his gentleness and humility.

Is such a gentle and refined person the Crown Prince?

Xiao Yi's voice continued to echo in the night, "If I'm not mistaken, they were assassinated on their way north."

They were probably King Cheng's assassins or secret guards.

His bodyguards are probably all gone.

Tao'er didn't say anything.

She remembered what Ah Chen had said.

He said he didn't remember anything.

She remembered the delirious things Ah Chen said when he had a fever that night, saying to run. Although she didn't hear it very clearly, she still understood it.

Looking back now, perhaps he was calling out to those who died for him.

A night breeze blew by, carrying a hint of coolness.

Tao'er stood there, looking at the window of the east room, her heart filled with indescribable feelings.

She was just a little girl from the mountains who accidentally saved someone, but she never expected that the person she saved was the crown prince.

Seeing her stunned expression, Xiao Yi said softly, "Tao'er, I don't mean for you to ignore him."

But you must understand, his identity is extraordinary, and the two of you…”

Tao'er came to her senses and looked at Xiao Yi with a puzzled expression.

He wondered what Xiao Yi meant by those words.