Mrs. Ye’s sinister eyes stared fixedly at Ning’er. If looks could kill, Ning’er would have been reduced to a thousand pieces long ago.
But, Ning’er showed not the slightest fear. She simply crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, continuing to guard it.
Today’s visit to the Ye Residence by them was arranged personally by the Emperor.
Their prince, using the guise of borrowing flowers from the noble concubine, revealed to the emperor a renowned itinerant physician named Tang Bai.
And Tang Bai gave the emperor a potent tonic to restore his health. After taking it, the emperor felt incredibly comfortable all over and came to believe that Tang Bai was a divine physician.
The little flower continued to praise Tang Bai’s medical skills in the emperor’s ear, saying that she could cure madness and idiocy, and even make a mute speak.
It is a coincidence that Dr. Ye recently mentioned Ye Er, who is insane, dumb, and mute, to the emperor.
Thus, in order to return the favor to Doctor Ye, the emperor sent someone to invite Tang Bai to treat Doctor Ye’s second son.
Although Ye Taiyi didn’t believe in so-called folk healers, after receiving the tonic made by Tang Bai from the emperor, he had to admit that Tang Bai was indeed quite capable.
The emperor personally arranged for Ye Er to be treated by imperial physicians. He, as a subject, had no choice but to accept the grace, so Tang Bai came!
Today, even Taiyi Ye wanted to see Tang Bai, but unfortunately the emperor summoned him into the palace this morning and he is not at the residence right now.
Ning’er, as soon as she mentioned the emperor, naturally subdued everyone in the courtyard, including Mrs. Ye.
So these people could do nothing but stare at Ning’er blankly.
By this time, An Xuetang had already walked up to Ye Er. Just as Ye Er was about to feign insanity and give her a silly grin, she lowered her voice and spoke first, “Ye Er, how long are you going to pretend?”
An Xuetang’s words came as such a surprise to Ye Er, who hadn’t been spoken to in this manner with such seriousness for many years. He was momentarily stunned.
The painstakingly crafted facade was so unexpectedly exposed by An Xuetang.
Ye Er still wanted to continue acting crazy, but the woman’s eyes in front of him seemed to see through everything, leaving no room for him to pretend anymore.
Their eyes met in the air for a few seconds. Ye Er clenched his fists, his heart pounding – he couldn’t deny feeling nervous. Who exactly was this woman?
Why could she tell he was faking it?
For so many years, he had hardly left his home. He was certain he had never seen her.
What is her purpose for coming today?
Expose his lies?
Kill him? <<<
Ye Er’s breathing grew heavier, but An Xue Tang suddenly let out a laugh. “Don’t get so excited,” she said, “With your current condition, it would be rather difficult to kill me directly.”
As she spoke, An Xuetang had already sat down, her hand gently resting on the table, tapping it rhythmically. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Ye Er’s face.
This boy, who looked to be only in his twenties, no longer had the air of pretending to be crazy. Instead, he was shrouded in darkness.
It seems that over the years, the hatred in his heart hasn’t diminished at all. I just wonder what he wants to do now.
Ye Er’s eyes were bloodshot, she glared fiercely at An Xue Tang. The two stared silently at each other for several seconds before Ye Er lowered her voice and gritted out, “Who are you?”
An Xuetang raised an eyebrow, sure enough this Ye Er wasn’t a mute.
But his vocal cords must have been severely torn, otherwise his voice couldn’t be so hoarse and with that particular sense of foreignness.
After sizing Ye Er up for a moment, An Xue Tang retracted the smirk from her lips and stared at him, enunciating each word, “Do you think it’s alright to have Xiao Qin take the blame and force her to marry into the Ye family to die?”
“!”
Ye Er’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring fixedly at An Xue Tang, clearly shaken by her words.
Impossible!
How could she possibly know?
Impossible!
Ye Erqiang suppressed the shock in his heart and quickly regained his composure. His deep, dark eyes stared intently at An Xue Tang’s face, afraid of missing any of her expressions.
He pursed his lips, “Who are you exactly? And what nonsense are you spouting?”
An Xuetang didn’t expect him to admit it right away. She took out a porcelain bottle from her waist and handed it to Ye Er, “I’m afraid we have a lot more to say. Your throat hurts, take this pill, it can relieve your pain.”
Ye Er didn’t take it. His eyes were full of confusion, and a lack of trust towards An Xue Tang.
A sudden stranger woman appears, knowing all his disguises. Now she gives him a pill, how dare he take it?
Only he knows how hard his life has been up to this point. He’s not afraid of death, but since his enemy is still alive, he’s reluctant to die.
Ye Er’s attitude was within An Xue Tang’s expectations, and An Xue Tang didn’t care. This bottle wasn’t anything harmful; it was just peppermint candy she had made herself.
Looking at Ye Er’s eyes, which didn’t believe her at all, An Xue Tang wasn’t angry. She poured herself a grain and put it in her mouth:
“This candy was made by me, it really helps your throat, of course you can not believe that.”
Upon finishing her words, An Xuetang placed the porcelain bottle on the table and went straight to the point. “Ye Er,” she said, “all these years of feigning madness, what have you been aiming for?”
Ye Er did not respond, those gloomy eyes just stared at An Xue Tang.
You can choose not to say, but I won’t beat around the bush any longer. I’m here for Xiaoqin today. In the eyes of the Ye family and everyone else, it was Xiaoqin who killed your elder brother. She owes your Ye family a life, so even a three-year-old child can see that once Xiaoqin enters your Ye family, there is only one way out – death.
Ye Er clenched his fists, but didn’t say a word.
“Nobody knows how your elder brother died, Ye Er. Don’t you know either?”
Ye Er stared fixedly at An Xuetang, hearing this he could finally no longer remain calm, “What do you mean?”
“Well.”
An Xuetang let out a cold snort, “I’ve made my position clear. Are you still going to play coy with me? Ye Er, I like smart people, and I despise those who pretend to be foolish in front of me. If it weren’t for you poisoning your older brother first, how could he, a grown man, have died at Xiaoqin’s hands?”
Finally, An Xue Tang had made her intentions so clear that Ye Er couldn’t remain calm. He suddenly stood up from his chair, the disbelief in his eyes very apparent.
He didn’t understand, he had drugged Ye Xiaoming that day, no one else knew about it, but she… how could she possibly know about the drug?
That medicine wasn’t bought by him, he made it himself. How on earth did she find out?
Ye Er stared at An Xue Tang, unable to help but ask again, “Who…who are you?”
“I? I might be the one to push you into an abyss from which there is no return, or perhaps the only one who can pull you out of the jaws of death completely.”
When she said this, her expression was so arrogant.
She looks like a god who has it all figured out right now, like everything in the world is under her control.
She wants who to die, who dies. She wants who to live, who lives.
For so many years, he hadn’t been afraid of anything except that one time when he almost died as a child.
At this moment, this woman instilled in him a fear greater than that he had felt before.