Chapter 352: Chapter 353: Everything is Predestined
He Family was completely stunned.
’I thought this was a domestic drama about a cheating husband, but it’s turned into a bloody revenge story in the blink of an eye.’
It was all too much to take in. She had no idea how to react.
But Hua Manman understood Prince Zhao’s meaning at once.
’Knowing Prince Zhao, he wasn’t the type to hesitate. If he wanted revenge, he would have struck long ago. The fact that he’s dragged it out this long and is still undecided can only mean there’s something special about the girl.’
Hua Manman asked, "Where is Miss Lan Xuan?"
Li Ji ordered Gao Shan, who was beside him.
"Go and bring her here."
"At once."
Lan Xuan was brought in shortly after.
But when Hua Manman saw her with her own eyes, she finally understood why Prince Zhao was hesitating.
The girl was blind.
Lan Xuan wore a pale yellow blouse and skirt, her hair styled in a double-ring bun. Her face still held a hint of baby fat, which, along with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, made her look like a young, innocent girl.
She clutched a bamboo cane to feel her way, her eyes staring straight ahead. Her lips were pressed tightly together, betraying a sense of nervousness and unease.
Seeing this, He Family couldn’t help but soften her voice.
"You must be Lan Xuan?"
Lan Xuan turned toward the sound of the voice, but because she couldn’t see, her gaze never quite settled, making her seem a little vacant.
"Yes, I am Lan Xuan. And you are?"
He Family introduced herself. "I am the wife of Elder Zhong’an and the mother of Princess Consort Zhao."
Lan Xuan quickly curtsied. "Lan Xuan pays her respects, Madam."
Hua Manman glanced at Prince Zhao and saw his brow furrowed in clear irritation.
Regardless of whatever hardships Tong Huai might have faced, his betrayal had been real. But because he died too soon, Li Ji never even got the chance for revenge.
All this time, Li Ji had been holding in a breath of pent-up resentment.
He had thought that finding Tong Huai’s daughter would finally allow him to release this frustration.
Who would have thought Tong Huai’s daughter would be blind?
No matter how ruthless Li Ji was, he wouldn’t bring himself to kill a blind girl.
Hua Manman said to He Family.
"Please take Miss Lan Xuan to get something to eat."
He Family understood that she wanted to speak with Prince Zhao alone, so she took the cue and rose to her feet.
"Lan Xuan, come with me."
Lan Xuan obediently followed He Family out of the room.
The bamboo cane tapped against the floor, making a rhythmic TAP, TAP, TAP.
The sound grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely.
Li Ji swept aside the hem of his robes and sat on the edge of the bed. Frowning, he said, "I didn’t expect her to be blind."
’One thing should be separate from another; a young girl like Lan Xuan shouldn’t have to bear the burden of Tong Huai’s mistakes. But that was just an outsider’s perspective. She had never been betrayed by someone she trusted most, so she couldn’t possibly fathom that kind of bone-deep hatred.’ She recalled her maternal grandfather’s lesson: it was best not to judge what one didn’t understand. She’d always remembered his words.
Li Ji slowly exhaled. "I don’t know what to do."
Hua Manman said, "Since you can’t decide right now, just wait. There’s no need to rush."
Li Ji looked at her. "If I decide to kill Lan Xuan, will you think I’m completely inhumane?"
Hua Manman blinked.
’Isn’t it obvious?’
’This jerk has never been humane!’
Li Ji: "..."
’What was wrong with him? Why was he even asking for her advice?’
Hua Manman said, "I think... even if you did kill Lan Xuan, you might not find peace."
Li Ji fell silent.
He had killed many people, always striking cleanly and decisively.
He never felt guilty for killing.
He knew they were his enemies. If he didn’t kill them, they would kill him.
To survive, he had to strike first.
But that didn’t mean he enjoyed killing.
Other than a natural-born psychopath, no one enjoyed slaughtering their own kind.
After a long silence, Li Ji finally spoke in a low voice.
"I need to think about it more."
This meant he was going to wait.
Hua Manman looked at him and smiled.
Li Ji was puzzled. "What are you smiling at?"
Hua Manman said, "It’s rare to see you looking so troubled, Your Highness. It’s actually kind of cute."
Li Ji: "..."
’In all his life, no one had ever called him cute. He’d never imagined a soft, flimsy word like "cute" could ever be applied to him. He was speechless.’
Hua Manman leaned closer, resting her cheek on his arm.
"Whatever you decide, I’ll be on your side."
Li Ji’s heart stirred.
It was as if a warm breeze had passed through him, leaving a warm feeling in his chest.
He looked down, his eyes meeting hers.
Hua Manman gave him a brilliant smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing her smile in a soft, warm glow.
Li Ji stared, mesmerized. He said in a daze,
"Why are you trying to seduce me again?"
Hua Manman: ???
"I accept your seduction."
With that, he kissed her.
The gentle kiss was like a soothing balm, easing the frustration in his heart.
He gradually forgot the resentment from Tong Huai’s betrayal. In that moment, in his eyes and in his heart, there was only Hua Manman.
No amount of hatred could compare to the woman before him, to her every expression.
’He even felt a faint sense of gratitude toward Tong Huai.’
’If it weren’t for the arrow Tong Huai shot, he wouldn’t have been so gravely injured.’
’If he hadn’t been injured, the Emperor wouldn’t have urgently summoned him back to Shangjing.’
’If he hadn’t returned to Shangjing, he wouldn’t have married Manman.’
’Every loss holds a gain; every sip and every peck is preordained by fate.’
Having come to this realization, Li Ji was finally no longer so resistant to Xuanlan’s existence.
She was allowed to stay at the Prince Zhao Mansion for the time being.
Li Ji planned to send her far away from Shangjing after Liu Ze’s case was settled.
Xuanlan didn’t know about the grudge between her biological father and Prince Zhao, nor did she understand why the Prince had suddenly brought her to the Prince Mansion. She was filled with questions, but she dared not ask any of them.
Years of being displaced had made her more mature, cautious, and sensitive than others her age.
She had been smart since she was a child. After being abducted by traffickers, she deliberately made herself filthy and smelly. That, combined with her blindness, meant no one was willing to buy her.
Not wanting to be stuck with her, the traffickers ended up selling her to a brothel for a pittance.
She became a cleaning maid at the brothel, with an endless stream of menial chores every day.
That was until someone from the Liu Family suddenly appeared and bought her out of the brothel.
Liu Ze had people prepare a spacious room for her, along with comfortable clothes and delicious food.
Liu Ze even told her with a beaming smile that he wanted to adopt her as his daughter.
’To be fair, Liu Ze treated her very well.’
’But Xuanlan knew deep down that there was no such thing as kindness without a reason in this world.’
’The better Liu Ze treated her, the greater his motives must be.’
The thought made her deeply uneasy.
Now that Liu Ze was in prison, likely with no hope of getting out, Xuanlan quietly sighed in relief. At the same time, she felt lost and apprehensive about her own future.
