Weird, my gaming life

Unlike the desolation outside the city, Shengjing was bustling with activity and adorned with beautiful flowers, truly befitting its status as the capital of a nation.

Looking out the car window, Lin Yuan saw rows of shops lining both sides of the street, and the pedestrians around him, whose clothes, while not exactly glamorous, were quite appropriate.

However, all of this was superficial wealth. At least with Lin Yuan's keen observation skills, he saw that there were still many beggars in many places.

They were all thin and emaciated.

The carriage had not gone far when a commotion suddenly broke out on the street ahead, and pedestrians hurriedly moved to both sides to make way.

A troop of splendidly armored cavalry escorted an even more luxurious nanmu wood carriage as they approached, eventually stopping in front of Zhu Wanying's carriage.

A tall, handsome young man stepped down from the carriage.

He wore a moon-white brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and his long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. Every gesture he made exuded the unique nobility and composure of a scion of a noble family.

"Zhao Shixun of the Xuanwu Marquis's Residence greets Your Highness."

He gave the carriage a flawless bow, his voice gentle and refined.

Zhu Wanying, who was talking to Lin Yuan, paused slightly. Her body stiffened as she turned to look at the familiar figure through the carriage curtain, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This is her fiancé, Zhao Shixun, the eldest son of the Marquis of Xuanwu.

Zhu Wanying took a deep breath, slowly pushed open the car door, and got out.

"Sehun, what brings you here?"

When Zhao Shixun saw Zhu Wanying, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his well-timed concern.

"I heard Wanying had been traveling for several days to clear her head and returned to the capital today, so I came to welcome you. Wanying... what happened to you? Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"

His gaze swept over Zhu Wanying's dusty clothes and the two guards behind her whose old wounds had not yet healed.

"Just some petty thieves, that's all been dealt with."

Zhu Wanying didn't want to talk to her fiancé about the dangers on the road, because she knew clearly that her fiancé was not as simple as he seemed.

Just then, Zhao Shixun's gaze fell on Lin Yuan, who was following behind Zhu Wanying. She saw that he was just an ordinary-looking child, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Who is this?"

"His name is Qin Xiu, and he is my savior." Zhu Wanying slightly shielded Lin Yuan with her body, her tone filled with undeniable protectiveness.

"My savior!"

Zhao Shixun's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Lin Yuan, who was now blocked.

A six or seven-year-old child?

"So it's a young hero! You've really worked hard. Zhang Long, take this young hero to claim his reward!"

His tone was casual, as if he were dismissing a beggar who had come to ask for a reward.

A hint of pleasure immediately appeared in Zhang Long and Zhao Hu's eyes; whether this trip would be a reward or a punishment was still uncertain.

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

The two quickly and respectfully replied.

Zhu Wanying's face instantly turned cold. "Young Master Zhao, he's not here to collect a reward. I'll say it again, he's my benefactor, a distinguished guest of Princess Changping's residence. You have no say in this!"

Prince Zhao's expression instantly turned somewhat pale.

Just then, another series of clear bell sounds came from afar.

"Oh dear, isn't this my third sister! You're finally back! I've been so worried about you!"

A magnificent carriage adorned with crimson curtains and emerald feathers arrived, and a beautiful woman in palace attire gracefully stepped down.

She bore a striking resemblance to Zhu Wanying, yet at this moment wore an utterly hypocritical, gentle smile.

It was none other than Zhu Xiaoyun, the second princess of the Ming Dynasty.

When Zhu Wanying saw her, her blood seemed to freeze.

Zhu Xiaoyun seemed oblivious to Zhu Wanying's cold expression, walked straight up to her, and affectionately took her hand.

"Look at you, what happened to you? I told you long ago that the martial world outside the capital isn't a good place to live, but you insisted on going out to suffer like this."

Her gaze shifted and then landed on Lin Yuan, and she feigned surprise by covering her mouth.

"Hey, little sister, where did you pick up this little beggar? You're something else, bringing all sorts of people around you. What if they run into someone with ill intentions? You're a princess, after all!"

Her words were full of barbs, and Lin Yuan, who was following behind Zhu Wanying, really wanted to jump up and slap her.

Although his outfit wasn't particularly fancy, it certainly didn't look like that of a beggar. Your little beggar has such fair skin and such a healthy, plump body.

"He's not a beggar!" Zhu Wanying abruptly shook off her hand, holding Lin Yuan even tighter. "Second sister, you don't need to worry about my affairs!"

"What are you saying, little sister? We're sisters. If I don't care about you, who will?"

Zhu Xiaoyun looked at her with a smile, but her eyes, like those of a venomous snake, slid across Zhao Shixun's face before finally settling on Lin Yuan.

"However, little sister, you've developed some rather peculiar skills this time you went out; even your taste has become so...unique."

Seeing this, Zhao Shixun stepped forward, trying to smooth things over.

"Alright, Your Highnesses, let's go to the palace to meet the Emperor first, so as not to keep him waiting."

He looked at Zhu Wanying and said gently, "Wanying, your carriage is damaged. Why don't you get into mine?"

Zhu Xiaoyun immediately chimed in, "Yes, sister. The Marquis's carriage is spacious, which is perfect for me to enjoy as well. We sisters haven't seen each other in a long time, so we can have a chat."

As she spoke, she reached out to pull Zhu Wanying away.

Zhu Wanying instinctively took a step back, avoiding her hand.

Looking at the two people in front of her, one was her older sister who had been framing her since childhood, and the other was her fiancé who was nominally hers but whose heart was unknown. She felt a chill in her heart.

She shook her head.

"No need, my car is still usable."

She turned around, took Lin Yuan's hand, and was about to get back into the car.

Lin Yuan did not utter a single word from beginning to end.

He simply stood there quietly, but in reality, he was already pondering the strange relationship between the three of them.

His gaze shifted from Zhao Shixun's face to Zhu Xiaoyun's smiling face.

Just as Zhu Xiaoyun turned around, thinking she had won and a smug smile appeared on her lips, Lin Yuan's nose twitched slightly.

He smelled an extremely delicate fragrance.

The scent emanated from an exquisite embroidered sachet hanging from Zhu Xiaoyun's waist.

Lin Yuan, who possessed advanced pharmacological knowledge, immediately sensed something was wrong.

It was a blend of lily fragrance and ambergris, a common incense used by nobles in the palace.

But beneath that, there was another, almost imperceptible, chilling medicinal fragrance.

"Ghost-faced grass".

A very rare poisonous herb, which is not poisonous itself, but can mask the smell of blood on weapons and the stench of rotting corpses for a long time. It is something that only top assassins and death warriors would use.

The assassin leader whose throat he severed with a single finger carried that same scent.

Lin Yuan's eyes suddenly turned deep and unfathomable.

He raised his head, his gaze like two sharp swords, piercing straight into Zhu Xiaoyun's back.

Zhu Wanying had never told him who her enemy was. Seeing her occasional hesitant expression, Lin Yuan quickly guessed that it was probably related to her identity, and that the enemy's relationship with her was definitely unclear.

Now that the case is solved, it turns out that the one who wanted to kill her was actually her scheming older sister. Hah, the royal family! How ruthless.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan silently followed Zhu Wanying into the carriage. She was now his most trusted confidante, and he was determined to protect her safety no matter what.

But there's no rush. After he's spent some time lying low and has gained absolute power, she'll let that woman know why the flowers are so red. There's no such thing as not hitting women in his dictionary.

Once he confirms someone is an enemy, even if they are as beautiful as an angel, Lin Yuan can ruthlessly destroy them with his eyes closed.