bayedsolid Chapter 216 Like a Walking Dead
Chapter 216 Like a Walking Dead
Moreover, she possessed a unique charm that Ye Jingchu found intriguing. He didn't want Li Yanran to die so easily; she still held more value for him to discover.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince?" Li Yanran asked weakly, her voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.
She felt less weak this time than after being drained of blood last time, and her mind was full of doubts, but she dared not ask too many questions.
"What, I'm still willing to let you die... But, my secret?"
Nightfall's crimson eyes have now returned to normal, but the lingering light within them still sends chills down one's spine, as if concealing countless untold secrets.
He stared at Li Yanran, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—warning, curiosity, and a barely perceptible tenderness.
"Your Highness, you are my husband. We share both glory and ruin. I understand this principle..."
Li Yanran mustered her courage and said that she knew that at this crucial moment, only by showing her loyalty could she make Ye Jingchu put aside his doubts about her.
Her gaze was fixed firmly on Ye Jingchu, and despite her physical weakness, her eyes revealed a fearless determination.
"Hahahaha...Very good, go back!" Ye Jingchu suddenly burst into laughter, his hearty laughter echoing in the dilapidated house, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding ruins.
He reached out and gently touched Li Yanran's face, then turned around and strode away with a meaningful smile.
Li Yanran watched Ye Jingchu's departing figure. Her body was still weak, but a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes, as if she had seen a ray of dawn in this dark and desperate situation.
Li Yanran dragged her weak body, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and slowly and laboriously moved back to her courtyard.
With each step she took, it seemed as if she had used up all her strength. Her face was as pale as paper, and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her once bright eyes had lost their luster, leaving only endless exhaustion.
"Dong'er! Dong'er..." Li Yanran's voice was hoarse and weak, echoing in the quiet courtyard.
She was calling for her beloved maid, who was her only source of warmth in this cold mansion.
From the moment she stepped into the courtyard, Li Yanran keenly sensed something was amiss.
Everything here felt so unfamiliar; those once-familiar faces seemed to have vanished overnight. All the servants in the courtyard had been replaced, and she recognized none of them. A sense of foreboding washed over her.
"Miss..." After what seemed like an eternity, Dong'er's familiar voice finally rang in my ears.
Li Yanran looked up and saw Dong'er's figure appear before her. Her clothes were somewhat disheveled, and her eyes revealed a hint of fear.
When Dong'er saw Li Yanran covered in injuries, she rushed forward without saying a word.
Her eyes were red, but she held back her tears and quickly began to bandage Li Yanran's wound.
Her movements were gentle yet swift, as if she were handling the most precious treasure in the world, each gesture filled with tenderness for her young mistress.
After the wound was bandaged, a strange maidservant came in carrying a bowl of nourishing soup.
The maidservant was expressionless, with cold eyes, like an emotionless puppet.
She mechanically walked up to Li Yanran and said coldly, "Drink it, Consort Li."
Seeing all this, Li Yanran understood that all these changes must have been orchestrated by the Crown Prince. A flash of anger crossed her eyes, but it was quickly masked by exhaustion.
She took the tonic soup expressionlessly and drank it all in one gulp. The taste of the soup lingered in her mouth, but it was like chewing wax.
"Take it..." After finishing her drink, Li Yanran slammed the bowl heavily onto the tray, her anger finally bursting forth.
The maid remained unmoved and expressionlessly carried the tray away.
“Dong’er…you…” Li Yanran suddenly noticed a deep wound on Dong’er’s arm. The skin and flesh at the wound were turned outward, and there were purplish bruises around it, which meant that she had been severely tortured.
Seeing this, Dong'er quickly shook her head, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. She forced a smile and said, "Miss, I'm fine. Please listen to His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Consort Li, this is a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince..."
The butler then entered, bowed to Li Yanran, and waved his hand, ordering people to bring in boxes of clothes, jewelry, gold, and silver.
The jewels shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, and the clothes were made of the finest silk, exquisitely embroidered. The steward said with a fawning expression, "Consort Li... His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on you, and he specially ordered me to bring these things to you."
Looking at these luxurious items, Li Yanran felt no joy. She simply said, "Okay, I understand. I want to rest now."
After saying that, he unceremoniously ordered them to leave.
The steward paused for a moment, then smiled again: "Hehe, then this old servant will take his leave."
Looking at the things that His Highness the Crown Prince had sent, Li Yanran's mind was in turmoil.
She didn't understand why the Crown Prince treated her this way; behind this apparent favor lay nothing but pretense!
She felt an unprecedented loneliness and helplessness, as if she were in a dark abyss from which she could not escape.
Meanwhile, after leaving the dilapidated house, Ye Jingchu staggered a little.
He could clearly feel that bloodthirsty desire surging wildly within him, like a beast awakened from its slumber, impossible to suppress.
"What did this woman in black do to me? I feel so terrible right now..."
Ye Jingchu frowned, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes. He reached up and put on his face mask, trying to calm himself down.
As they passed the stables, the horses neighed uneasily, as if sensing the dangerous aura emanating from Ye Jingchu.
As Ye Jingchu looked at the horses, a surge of bloodlust washed over him again, even stronger than before. The uncontrollable urge made his body tremble slightly.
Ye Jingchu moved with lightning speed. He rushed forward, grabbed the horse by the neck, and his sharp teeth pierced the horse's blood vessels.
Warm blood rushed into his mouth, and the taste of blood made his eyes even more crazed.
"Thump..." One horse fell down, followed by two more... In no time, all the horses in the stable had been drained of blood by Ye Jingchu, their corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, a bloody and terrifying scene.
In a secluded mountain cave, the woman in black slowly opened her eyes.
A smug smile curled at the corner of her lips, a smile brimming with wickedness: "Hehehe... Ye Jingchu, you certainly haven't disappointed me..."
After saying that, she closed her eyes again and continued her cultivation, as if waiting for an even greater storm to come.