Chapter 116

In the afternoon, Xiao Jingheng still had to meet with court officials, so even though he had the intention and ability, he had to temporarily "let go" of Song Zhao for now.

After leaving Bitong Academy, Song Zhao saw that it was almost time for the Empress Dowager's afternoon rest, so she went to the Bamboo Hall to pay her respects.

To save some distance, Song Zhao chose a shortcut through the Purple Bamboo Forest from Bitong Academy to the Bamboo Hall.

After walking through the bamboo forest for a considerable distance, Song Zhao suddenly heard a strange roar that shook the birds in the forest, causing the tender leaves to flutter down.

Song Zhao was startled for a moment and looked around in bewilderment.

Finally, her gaze met a pair of dazzling golden eyes.

Right in front of her, a black panther emerged!

The black panther's fur was sleek and glossy, like satin.

Its teeth were sharp, its claws thick and sharp.

Song Zhao was initially very frightened, but when she saw the string of bells around the panther's neck, her nervousness eased slightly. The fact that it wore bells indicated that it was not a wild beast but a domesticated one.

However, even domesticated animals can become aggressive, despite their docile nature.

Song Zhao watched the panther's every move and slowly took off the hairpin that was holding her bun, tightly gripping it in her hand.

The previously docile panther may have been provoked by her action, as it suddenly roared angrily and charged towards her like a madman.

The panther's roar sent shivers down one's spine.

Song Zhao, despite her composure, was still a weak woman, and how could she not be afraid when faced with such a scene?

Her hand trembled, and the hairpin fell to the ground.

"Ah!"

She was so frightened that her legs went weak. She let out a cry, furrowing her brows, closing her eyes, and remaining motionless.

"A Huan, stop fooling around."

At this critical moment, a clear and unrestrained voice of a young man reached Song Zhao's ears.

Somehow, upon hearing this voice, she inexplicably felt a sense of reassurance.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw that the black panther had stopped just a yard away from her, obediently lying on the ground and licking its paws with its bright red tongue.

Behind it, another slender figure appeared.

Song Zhao's gaze slowly settled on the man who walked towards her. He was dressed in a fitted brown shirt, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. His gait exuded an air of nonconformity.

As her gaze moved upward, she noticed his well-defined eyebrows, starry eyes, straight nose, thin lips, and a fresh green bamboo leaf in his mouth, giving him a slightly roguish charm as he smiled at Song Zhao.

At a glance, Song Zhao recognized him.

This man was none other than Prince An, Xiao Jingyan, who had a brief encounter with her at Xiao Jingheng's birthday banquet.

The sunlight pierced through the cracks in the bamboo forest, breaking into scattered golden rays that fell disorderly on Xiao Jingyan.

With his head slightly raised, he displayed the vigor of youth.

The prominent Adam's apple moved up and down as he put on a carefree expression, waving his hand towards Song Zhao and uttered, "Lady Song, greetings."

Song Zhao didn't know why Xiao Jingyan appeared in the Purple Bamboo Forest at this moment,

She only knew from the rumors in the streets that this Prince An was a lazy and idle scoundrel, taking advantage of Xiao Jingheng's favoritism towards him. He would often indulge in debauchery and misbehavior, and his reputation in the capital was already rotten.

Song Zhao naturally wanted nothing to do with such a person.

So, she hastily uttered, "Prince An," and hurriedly walked away, taking quick steps.

But as she passed by Xiao Jingyan, she heard him teasingly say,

"Even noble ladies can be afraid?"

Song Zhao ignored him and quickened her pace.

But he chuckled even more, "A noble lady who isn't even afraid of death, how could she be afraid of a big cat?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhao furrowed her brows and was forced to stop.

With her back turned to Xiao Jingyan, she solemnly said,

"I don't understand what you're saying, Your Highness."

Xiao Jingyan sauntered over to Song Zhao's side, found a slightly thicker bamboo stick, and casually leaned on it.

"I, this young master, happened to stumble upon the flower garden five days ago when I was returning from the manor after drinking with my imperial brother," he said, spitting out the leaf that was between his lips. The bamboo leaf spun perfectly in the air and landed right on the forehead of the black panther named A Huan.

"Meow~"

A Huan suddenly let out a cat's cry, raising its head and lowering its eyelids, looking aggrieved.

"Stay put," Xiao Jingyan dismissed it, then turned back to Song Zhao, lowering his voice with a mischievous smile.

"In the flower garden, I happened to come across someone disposing of a corpse. Hiss... It seems that person was a eunuch from the noble lady's side."

!!!

Upon hearing this, Song Zhao's heart skipped a beat...

Of course, she couldn't admit to this matter, and her brain quickly raced to come up with a plan.

She knew that even if Xiao Jingyan saw it, by now it had been many days since the incident, and Xie Ying's corpse had already decayed. There was no way to verify the truth. Moreover, if Xiao Jingyan wanted to inform Xiao Jingheng, he would've done so long ago, without waiting until now.

So she forced herself to remain calm and said,

"Your Highness is mistaken. Little Fuzi went to save someone, not dispose of a corpse."

Xiao Jingyan leisurely observed Song Zhao for a while, then lightly bounced back a step, instantly standing in front of her.

He leaned down, his nose almost touching Song Zhao's face, which startled her, causing her to quickly retreat several steps.

"Your Highness!" she exclaimed.

Seeing her flustered and at a loss, Xiao Jingyan smiled triumphantly and mischievously, "Whether it's disposing of a corpse or saving someone, in any case... the noble lady has lied to my imperial brother~"

Song Zhao finally realized that

this man was truly a complete madman.

Continuing to entangle with him would only be detrimental to herself, so she spoke in a cold voice,

"I don't understand what you're saying. If you think it was Little Fuzi who had a dispute with Xie Ying and accidentally killed her, then you should inform the Palace Affairs Department and let them thoroughly investigate. I'm in a hurry to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Your Highness, please excuse me."

"Ah! Let me finish what I have to say first!"

Xiao Jingyan grabbed Song Zhao's arm,

Song Zhao struggled hard and managed to break free from his grip, which wasn't exerting any force,

But because her movement was too sudden, her unfastened hairpin caused her hair bun to instantly come apart.

Silken black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, swaying gently in the forest breeze, carrying a faint scent of jasmine that wafted into Xiao Jingyan's nostrils.

He glanced at Song Zhao for just a moment, but it felt like an eternity.

Realizing his rudeness, he quickly averted his gaze.

Just then, he noticed a silver hairpin glimmering in the sunlight by his feet. With a flick of his toe, he kicked the hairpin up and caught it skillfully, then returned it to Song Zhao with an elegant flourish.

"Your hairpin, my lady."

Blushing, Song Zhao accepted the hairpin without a word of thanks and hurriedly walked away, her hair still in disarray.

However, Xiao Jingyan followed her like an unwanted shadow, incessantly pestering her along the way.

"My lady, please don't be angry. This matter can remain a secret, but I need a favor from you as repayment for this act of kindness."

Song Zhao's face was full of disgust, as if she had encountered a plague. She refused to even look at Xiao Jingyan.

But as they were about to leave the Purple Bamboo Forest, Song Zhao realized that if Xiao Jingyan continued to pester her like this, it would invite gossip and speculation.

So she halted abruptly, raised her head, and glared at Xiao Jingyan, her voice laced with irritation.

"What exactly do you want to do!?"

"Hehe," Xiao Jingyan chuckled, raising his index finger to rub the tip of his nose. With a mischievous grin on his face, he replied,

"It's quite simple, my lady. I need you to help me... commit a little theft."