Chapter 135: Little Liar

“Bao Ning!”

When Pei Yuan rushed over, this was the scene he witnessed: his Bao Ning was like a butterfly in the wind, falling from the high building, her skirts fluttering and swirling in the night air.

In that instant, Pei Yuan felt his breath hitch; his blood seemed to flow in reverse, and his eyes throbbed as if they were about to burst.

Amidst the collective gasps of the crowd, Pei Yuan let out a furious roar and sprinted forward. A split second before Bao Ning hit the ground, his hands managed to reach her waist. He seized the momentum to pull her into his embrace, rolling with her across the ground several times before finally coming to a halt.

The hard stone pavement made every bone in his body ache. Lying flat on his back, Pei Yuan didn’t even pause to catch his breath; he frantically brushed away the hair covering Bao Ning’s face. “How are you? Ningning, are you hurt? Where does it hurt? Say something to me—”

Pei Yuan’s anxious, cracking voice stopped abruptly when he saw the blood on his palms.

In the moonlight, his hands were covered in bright red. His mind went blank for a second. What happened to his Ningning? Why was there so much blood?

“Ningning?” Pei Yuan gently patted her cheek, calling her name. Still receiving no response, a massive panic surged from the depths of his heart. He scrambled to his feet, swept Bao Ning up in his arms, pushed through the crowd, and ran toward the Imperial Academy of Medicine. “Hold on, I’m taking you to a doctor.”

Jiang Yan, the head eunuch by the Emperor’s side, tried to stop him. “Fourth Prince, the imperial physicians are already on their way. You can just wait here…”

“Get lost!”

His voice was so loud that Bao Ning, pressed against his chest, was jolted awake and let out a cough.

Pei Yuan’s ears felt as if they were trapped under a heavy hood, buzzing so loudly he couldn’t hear anything else. Feeling the slick blood on Bao Ning’s clothes, he felt a cold chill as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Regret and self-reproach washed over him. He shouldn’t have left Bao Ning alone in the Palace of Eternal Autumn; perhaps he shouldn’t have involved himself in this muddy mess again at all! If not for this, he would be sitting at home with Bao Ning right now, eating a simple meal. He would never have let her endure this terror and pain…

Bao Ning was someone who feared pain so much—with this much blood, how much must she be hurting?

Bao Ning clutched his collar, eyes closed as she moaned, “You’re jolting me…”

Pei Yuan still couldn’t hear. With bloodshot eyes, he focused only on moving forward. Bao Ning took a deep breath, summoned her strength to reach up a bit higher, and pulled his ear: “Pei Yuan, stop! You’re jolting me so much I’m going to throw up!”

Bao Ning let out a gagging sound. “I just ate poisonous mushrooms and ruined my stomach… don’t jolt me…”

This time Pei Yuan heard her. He stopped in his tracks hesitantly and looked down. Bao Ning’s face was flushed from retching, her eyes were watery and bright, and she was staring at him reproachfully. “Why are you walking so fast? My stomach hurts terribly; can’t you go a bit slower?”

Pei Yuan felt as if he were in a dream, pulled from the depths of infinite terror into a massive wave of joy. He asked in disbelief, “You’re okay?”

Bao Ning said, “My stomach hurts.”

Pei Yuan asked, “No other injuries?”

Bao Ning wrapped her arms around his neck and gave her legs and hips a little wiggle. Feeling no pain elsewhere, she answered firmly, “No.”

Pei Yuan breathed a sudden sigh of relief. With lingering fear, he pressed his lips to Bao Ning’s forehead and sighed, “Baby, you nearly scared me to death.”

Bao Ning was scared too. She was never a particularly brave person. For a moment just now, she truly thought she was going to die. If no outsiders were present, she would have definitely burst into tears in Pei Yuan’s arms, but now was not the time for weeping.

Bao Ning secretly wiped her tears on Pei Yuan’s sleeve and tried to hop down. “Let’s go back.”

“No need.” Pei Yuan didn’t let go, insisting, “I’ll carry you.”

Bao Ning couldn’t win against him and could only comply.

Thus, the Emperor and the assembled ministers saw the Fourth Prince—who just moments ago had rushed out like a crazed demon holding his Princess—return looking like a completely different person, calmly carrying his wife. He set Bao Ning down on the ground, took off his outer robe to drape it over her shoulders, his gaze as cool and steady as usual.

Those with sharp eyes even noticed that the Fourth Prince even had the presence of mind to be “handsy,” using the cover of the robe’s sleeves to rub her stomach.

The crowd exchanged looks, marveling at the Fourth Prince’s ability to change his face faster than any ordinary man.

Pei Xiao had already come down from the building. Looking at Bao Ning in Pei Yuan’s arms and seeing she was unharmed, his worry faded only to be replaced by a trace of bitterness.

Just now, when Bao Ning was sitting on the windowsill and he reached out to save her, it had been purely instinctive, without a shred of calculation. But he could read from Bao Ning’s eyes that she didn’t believe him at all. She would rather sit in that dangerous spot waiting for Pei Yuan than trust him.

Was he truly that unworthy of trust?

Pei Xiao looked away, no longer watching the two of them huddled together.

Emperor Zhou first showed concern, and only after seeing that Bao Ning and Pei Yuan were both well did he speak: “Pei Xiao just recounted what happened. It was the work of a eunuch named Zhao Qian from the Noble Consort’s palace. He had a past grudge against Yuan’er and used it as an excuse to commit this crime against Bao Ning. Fortunately, Pei Xiao arrived in time and slew Zhao Qian with his sword, but he was still a step too late and couldn’t catch Bao Ning, allowing her to fall from the building.”

He no longer referred to him as the Crown Prince or “Xiao’er,” only “Pei Xiao.” Upon hearing this address, the expressions of everyone present became subtle.

Pei Xiao naturally noticed this as well, his lip line tightening, though he said nothing.

Emperor Zhou asked Bao Ning gently, “Is that how it happened?”

Bao Ning was silent for a moment. Then she looked up, her gaze steady. “No!”

The ministers erupted into an uproar.

Emperor Zhou narrowed his eyes. Pei Xiao also turned his head in shock, staring into Bao Ning’s eyes. He had a faint premonition of what she might be planning…

Bao Ning took a deep breath and said in one go: “It was the Crown Prince who pushed me! After Zhao Qian backed me to the window, he told me the truth. He said it was Noble Consort Gao who incited him to murder me. After he finished speaking, I lit the signal flare; Zhao Qian panicked, and the Crown Prince arrived. Fearing the matter would be exposed and wanting to clear himself and the Noble Consort, he killed Zhao Qian with one stroke of his sword. Out of a guilty conscience, he wanted to kill me too. Before he could strike me with his sword, I leaned back and fell.”

She was blatantly lying!

Pei Xiao felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His chest heaved for a moment before he knelt and said loudly, “Every word I have spoken is the truth. I beg Imperial Father to see clearly!”

Bao Ning also knelt with tears in her eyes. “I beg Your Majesty to investigate this thoroughly and grant this daughter-in-law justice!”

Emperor Zhou had someone help Bao Ning up. He shot a disappointed look at Pei Xiao. He didn’t make a judgment on the spot, but simply waved his hand. “Yuan’er, take your Princess down to rest. She must be exhausted. Stay with her for a while, then come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. I have words to say to you.”

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