Chapter 191: A New Identity

Before handing it to Murong Lingxiao, she carefully examined it herself, only to realize that a more fitting term for the pill in her hand would be a wax-coated pill, though she had no idea what was hidden inside.

Murong Lingxiao observed it with Murong Lingxi's help and gave it a thorough sniff, his brow furrowing deeply. It was not until the pill was in his mouth and he tasted it carefully that a glimmer of realization dawned on him, followed by an expression of utter disgust as he forced it down.

Watching the entire process, Murong Lingxi's gaze carried a hint of deep inquiry.

Gradually, Murong Lingxiao began to regain some sensation in his hands and feet. He looked at Murong Lingxi with a bitter expression, his eyes filled with an undeniable sorrow. "Elder Brother, did you make out anything unusual about this medicine?"

Accompanying Murong Lingxi's shake of the head, Murong Lingxiao's voice rose accordingly. "In truth, I have always known that I was merely a pawn of our father—a pawn used to shield Elder Brother's true identity. Therefore, I never dared to expect too much. When the day came that I was no longer needed, I planned to find some ordinary little town, open a medical clinic, and thus live out the rest of my days. Compared to the heavy burdens resting on Elder Brother's shoulders, that might not have been an unhappy life."

"Yet I truly never imagined that Father would be so untrusting of me as to poison me with gu venom just to be safe. Elder Brother, do you know how much my heart ached when I first discovered it? But after these past few days, my heart has grown numb, little by little, to the point where I can no longer even feel what pain is."

Murong Lingxi looked at Murong Lingxiao, whose eyes were filled with self-derision and irony. Hearing him mention that he had been poisoned with gu venom, Murong Lingxi would never have believed it had it not been for the pill beforehand. Both of them possessed exceptional medical skills, yet neither had ever detected this abnormality.

And when Murong Lingxiao spoke of his numb heart, Murong Lingxi's own heart gave a violent, painful tug. It was one thing for Father to be cruel to himself, but why treat Lingxiao this way? Lingxiao had already sacrificed far too much for the Murong family and did not deserve such treatment.

Murong Lingxi was never one adept at expressing his emotions. At this moment, the only thing he could do was place his heavy palm firmly upon Murong Lingxiao's shoulder, using his actions to tell him that this older brother of his had always been there.

Murong Lingxiao naturally understood the meaning his elder brother wished to convey. Although this elder brother of his was usually ice-cold and seemed indifferent to everything, Murong Lingxiao knew that he genuinely cared for him.

Whenever he felt dejected and trapped in despair, his elder brother would silently stand behind him. Though he said nothing, Murong Lingxiao knew that no matter what decision he made, if there was only one person in the world supporting him, that person would undoubtedly be his elder brother.

Therefore, he had always been more than willing to act as his elder brother's double, without a single shred of resentment.

Pulling his scattered emotions together, Murong Lingxiao deliberately feigned a carefree attitude to change the subject. "And Sister-in-law? How are things over on her side?"

Murong Lingxi then recounted the whole story of how Chai Mengqing had lent her assistance. Thinking of the young woman who had been the first to pierce through his disguise, a gradual warmth began to bloom within Murong Lingxiao's heart.

Early the next morning, Murong Lingxi, who had been absent for a long time, once again appeared before the gates of the Prince's Mansion. This time, the guards did not offer much obstruction. Naturally, the person who had arrived was the real Murong Lingxi, while Murong Lingxiao remained in the room behind the study, having gathered every book related to gu arts and plunging himself into intense study.

Although everyone in the Prince's Mansion was well aware of Murong Lingxi's objective, he still went to see Yue Lingjun first. He offered a brief explanation for his seclusion over the past few days, and incidentally presented a bottle of the newly improved blood-ganoderma pills he had just obtained from the Old Pharmacist.

In truth, Yue Lingjun had harbored some doubts as to why Murong Lingxi had gone into seclusion precisely when An Ming's obituary was issued, only to reappear once Lian Yue had confirmed the news. Yue Lingjun had even gone so far as to hold the Murong family responsible for the recent mishap involving An Ming.

However, compared to An Ming, who had not yet truly become his brother-in-law, the Murong family and the Yue family were far closer ties. Thus, some matters were simply best overlooked with one eye closed.

Yet, despite arriving at such an early hour, Murong Lingxi still found his visit in vain. Upon learning from Yue Lingjun that Lian Yue had taken Yaoyao and headed to the Myriad Phenomena Tower just as the sky was beginning to brighten, he casually made up an excuse and hurried after them.

As he turned and left, Murong Lingxi failed to notice the look of deep probing and puzzlement in Yue Lingjun's eyes.

Inside the Myriad Phenomena Tower, the person suffering the most at this moment was undoubtedly Chai Mengqing. Aided by the pills provided by Murong Lingxi, though Chai Mengqing was spared any heart-rending agony, she still felt utterly exhausted.

When Chai Mengqing opened her hazy eyes and saw Lian Yue standing by her bedside, she regretted for the first time having told Doli to let Lian Yue straight in the day before.

"My good ancestor, look at the sky outside. Even the roosters don't wake up as early as you do. Have some mercy and let this sister of yours rest a little longer. Right now, I couldn't remember a thing even if you asked me."

Lian Yue felt a twinge of embarrassment, but having tossed and turned all night without sleep, her mind consumed entirely by thoughts of An Ming, she had barely managed to endure until dawn. How could she possibly wait any longer?

Chai Mengqing was not the only one whose sleep was disturbed; Yaoyao, curled up on the soft couch nearby, was another victim. Just imagine—Yaoyao, who was always exceptionally spirited whenever she caught wind of gossip and possessed boundless curiosity, could not even muster the energy to care. That left only two possibilities: either the matter was completely uninteresting and utterly dull, or she was simply far too sleepy to summon any curiosity whatsoever.

And right now, it was clearly the latter. Before falling back asleep, Yaoyao did not forget to mumble instructions, "Sister Chai, I'll leave Sister Yue'er in your care. I'm going to sleep for a bit; tell me all about it again once I have some energy." Without waiting for a reply, the sound of steady breathing drifted softly from the couch.

Drivin to the brink of madness, Chai Mengqing mentally tortured Lian Yue eight hundred times over in her mind.

In the end, she chose to compromise. "Ask whatever you want to know. I'll answer just like this, lying down."

Lian Yue nodded eagerly, terrified that Chai Mengqing might renege on her word, and blurted out, "How did you find out that An Ming was injured?"

"Murong Ling... Xi sent someone to tell me. He received a letter from the Old Pharmacist, but it was inconvenient for him to go personally. Since I happened to be looking for him, he entrusted the matter to me."

"Then did you see An Ming?"

"I saw him." More than just seeing him, she had even traveled the entire journey with him.

Lian Yue asked anxiously, "How severe are his injuries, and where is he hurt?"

Chai Mengqing finally realized that if her answers today failed to satisfy this formidable ancestor of hers, she would not be getting any sleep anytime soon. Pulling the quilt around her, she forced herself to sit up, opened her eyes by sheer willpower, and said word for word, "My dear Miss Yue'er, let me state this again: your An Ming is doing fine—unexpectedly and exceptionally fine. As for why he cannot immediately appear before you right now, he has unavoidable difficulties. As to what those difficulties are, you will have to ask him yourself. Furthermore, as for where he is wounded, it is truly inappropriate for a maiden like me to speak of it. If you really wish to know, write him a letter and ask him yourself." Having said that, she collapsed back onto the bed, and even remembered to add, "Oh right, if you have anything you wish to ask him, you can write a letter and have Murong Lingxi forward it for you. As for Murong Lingxi, since you've already shown up here, he should be arriving shortly. The bee-hole is on the wall; keep an eye out for it yourself."

Surely this would finally let her off the hook! As for the rest, Murong Lingxi could deal with it himself. She really had a hard lot in life, running back and forth for the sake of these two people; now, she just wanted to get some proper rest!

This outcome satisfied Lian Yue immensely. Finding the writing desk on her own, without needing anyone to wait upon her, she picked up her brush and began writing the letter, word by word.

Even if Murong Lingxi didn't come today, she would have to make a trip to the Chanyue Tower later anyway. Didn't Murong Lingxi have a white eagle named Meng'er? It could serve as a courier, allowing her to receive An Ming's reply very soon.

In the end, Lian Yue wrote a full six pages. Glancing at Chai Mengqing and Yaoyao, who were both still dead to the world, she let the ink dry, folded the letter meticulously, and walked over to the bee-hole.

At that moment, Murong Lingxi was already seated in his usual spot, quietly sipping his tea.

When this scene fell into Lian Yue's eyes, her entire heart leaped with joy. There was no time to lose; she would act immediately.