So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

It's relatively easy to hide in the dark. Ning Yu hid in a big tree and watched for a while without noticing the presence of the sentries. She then climbed up the pillar and flew onto the roof in a flash, heading towards the corner door of the kitchen at great speed.

In order to avoid the patrolling guards and not be discovered by the sentries hiding in the courtyard, she had already lingered in the courtyard for quite some time.

The bright moon in the sky illuminated the magnificent courtyard, and a clanging sound, seemingly from nowhere, slowly enveloped it.

Ning Yu paused when she heard the voice, and quickly crouched down to hide herself by using the back of the house.

Xie Xun had never restricted her activities. She would often wander around and enjoy the scenery, so she naturally knew that this villa was in a prime location, but it was very secluded, surrounded by villas and courtyards of nobles from the capital.

How could I hear the sounds of swords, spears, and halberds?!

Before long, she knew where the sound was coming from.

All the head maids and guards in the villa woke up at once, and the entire mansion was instantly brightly lit, with a cacophony of sounds spreading all around.

When Ning Yu looked out from the side door of the kitchen, she found that not only the main door, but also the side door of the kitchen was blocked by soldiers dressed in imperial guard uniforms.

Those soldiers all carried knives and wore Imperial Guard uniforms.

Damn, could it be that Xie Xun did something to anger the emperor and they've come to confiscate his property?

That's not right. If they were going to confiscate property, shouldn't they be confiscating the Xie family's residence, the governor's mansion? Why would they be confiscating a separate courtyard?

Ning Yu quickly learned the answer. She hid in the shadows of the corner, watching the noisy commotion in the front hall, her body stiff and unable to move.

In the distant hall, a man dressed in a black robe, with handsome features and a resolute face, exuded an innate noble air rather than a bloodthirsty aura from years of battlefield combat.

But now he exuded an icy aura, and his dark eyes swept over the attacking guards, scaring them so much that they dared not step forward.

It wasn't a raid on her home; it was Xie Yan who confirmed that she wasn't dead and knew she was at Xie Xun's residence, so he ordered his men to surround the villa.

Ning Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, leaning against the wall and clutching her heart.

What to do? What should she do? The front yard and back gate are surrounded. Where can she run?!

The villa was surrounded, and the prince's men searched every corner of the mansion in a grand manner. The steward tried to persuade them to come back, but they ignored him completely.

This was the heir of the Xie family, the elder brother of their governor. They didn't dare to actually make a move, and so the situation remained deadlocked.

"Your Highness, if you are looking for someone, why don't you tell me and I will help you find them?"

"You'll help me find it?!" Xie Yan slowly walked out of the hall and looked at him.

The steward was startled by the imposing manner and took two steps back. "Yes, the governor's wife is still living in the manor. If the young master makes such a fuss, it won't look good for the governor when he returns."

Xie Yan looked at the guards who were closing in and said, "I'm looking for your governor's wife. Please bring her out."

"This—" the steward said helplessly, "Your Highness should wait for the Commander to return. It's not appropriate for Your Highness to see the Madam in the middle of the night."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yan stopped arguing with him and waited quietly for news.

The villa was very large. The guards who went to search ran back and forth several times but couldn't find anyone. Just as the steward, who was initially relieved, was about to say something, a nanny rushed in to report that the madam was missing.

"What?!"

The steward hurriedly pulled the old woman outside, saying, "Didn't Madam go to sleep? How could she be missing?"

The old woman was sweating profusely with anxiety. "After hearing that the young master had led troops to surround the villa, we rushed in to look for the madam. We thought she was asleep, but when we opened the curtains, there was no one inside."

Oh no, oh no, what should I do?

They didn't know where the governor was. He had originally planned to send someone to the Xie family's ancestral home to inform them, but now that the lady was missing, it was too late.

He hurriedly ordered the guards to search and find it, "Go quickly, don't just stand here."

Xie Yan listened to the report from below and saw the guards around him hurriedly scattering to search for the person. He felt uneasy and strode towards the inner courtyard.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you mustn't! That's the inner quarters—"

Xie Yan had been to this villa before, so he knew where the main courtyard was. He followed the guards straight to the main courtyard.

There were many anxious and noisy old women outside, but when Xie Yan arrived, they immediately shut up. He pushed aside the old women who tried to stop him and strode into the inner room.

The house was clearly inhabited, with exquisite and luxurious furnishings. The tea set on the table was the same one Xie Xun used to use, and the rhinoceros horn deer carved with celadon glaze and agate was worth a fortune.

In front of the dressing table were many women's items. Further inside, one could see a man's python robe draped over an embroidered screen, and on the bed behind it was a mandarin duck brocade quilt, which felt cool and smooth to the touch, and was made of the finest silk brocade.

He glanced at the layout of the room, then touched a familiar glass comb in front of the dressing table—the one she usually used.

A mix of intense emotions surged through his heart like sparks colliding. He kicked the sex chair on the floor to pieces, strode out of the room, and said coldly.

"Search! Find him for me!"

The mansion was filled with soldiers searching for people, and even the mansion's sentries had come out to look for them. Ning Yu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, not knowing what to do.

She had just slipped back to the main courtyard when she heard Xie Yan's furious voice, which startled her.

From the time she met Xie Yan to the time she spent with him, she never saw him lose his temper even once.

She hid in the shadows, watching Xie Yan's tense, cold face under the eaves. Her eyes reddened, and her body trembled slightly.

If Xie Yan knew about her affair with Xie Xun, he would probably want to kill her too.

But she couldn't get out; all the doors were blocked, and more and more people were patrolling around the villa, leaving her with almost nowhere to hide.

How unlucky! I was planning to go to Mozhou first, to fake the fact that she was rescued, and to pin the matter of the corpse on the Yuan family of Leshan.

How could Xie Yan have received accurate information at this time and immediately ordered his men to surround the villa?

She couldn't run away; there was nowhere to escape.

"Who?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out, and everyone's eyes turned to the prince who had spoken.

Xie Yan stared at the dark corner of the wall and strode down the steps.

The moonlight illuminated his tall and slender figure. Ning Yu noticed the figure walking towards her. The approaching footsteps almost made her gasp for breath. She clenched her fists and held her breath.

Xie Yan went up the corridor and stopped just a step away from the corner of the wall. "Who's there? Come out."

Ning Yu knew she couldn't escape it any longer, so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly walked out of the shadows.

Under the moonlight, the woman's face was beautiful; dressed in black, her natural beauty surpassed all others.

The moment their eyes met, Xie Yan's icy gaze cracked almost imperceptibly.