Reborn as a concubine's daughter and entering a noble family: Xie Lang, don't be too seduc

"what!--"

When footsteps sounded again outside the palace gates, Hawthorne held her breath and casually picked up a blue brick from the edge of the flower bed. As the palace gates were pushed open, she mustered all her strength to greet them...

With a bang, the blue brick fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Xie Lin reacted quickly enough, otherwise he would have been hit on the head.

Seeing the disheveled and terrified person in front of him, Xie Lin was stunned for a moment. Then, when he heard the commotion outside, he quickly covered Huo Sanghua's mouth and dragged her aside.

We waited until the patrolmen passed by...

Hawthorne pried his hands away. "What are you doing here?"

After confirming that those people had gone far away, Xie Lin withdrew his gaze and looked at Huo Sanghua again, unable to help but burst out laughing.

This is so embarrassing!

Huo Sanghua was furious, both ashamed and angry, and punched him.

How could she not know that she had been knocked unconscious and carried here, locked up for who knows how long, and then crawled out through that incredibly narrow window crack and had been hiding here for half a day... she must not be in any good condition.

Xie Lin crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly toward her. "If I had known you were so strong and could escape on your own, I wouldn't have rushed over here."

When he realized something was wrong, the first person he thought of was Sang Hua.

Having finally escaped, they searched Yaohua Palace, practically turning it upside down, but couldn't find Sanghua anywhere...

At that moment, he didn't know why he was acting like a madman.

All I can think about is—

What if something happens to Sang Hua?

Until I saw that she was unharmed, though a bit disheveled, but still able to throw a brick at me...

I immediately felt relieved.

My heart, which had been pounding wildly, gradually calmed down, and when I looked at her dirty little face, I couldn't help but want to laugh.

Fortunately, she is alright.

But he didn't tell Hawthorne how panicked he was when he couldn't find her. He only felt that everything was alright when he saw her getting angry because he laughed.

"And you still dare to talk? Do you know how much effort I had to put in to climb out of that dilapidated hall when I woke up? The door was locked, and there was no one around... I don't know how much effort I had to put in to climb out through that narrow window."

Even she herself didn't realize that the moment she saw Xie Lin, she felt a sense of relief, her initial tension and unease vanished, and even though she was in a sorry state, she felt at ease.

She could even casually complain to him about how miserable she had just been.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked Xie Lin, "What exactly happened outside?"

Outside the palace gates, it seemed quite lively, with groups of people passing by. Xie Lin kept an eye on the situation outside, unable to lead her away immediately. Turning his head, he met her large, questioning eyes...

"Sigh." He sighed, then, while observing the commotion outside, he recounted what had happened since she left her seat...

After Consort Qi had Huo Sanghua escorted away to change his clothes, a dancer who was performing at the banquet suddenly attempted to assassinate His Majesty, causing a stir among the guests.

Then chaos broke out in the palace. No one knows who organized it—a premeditated assassination.

“Then… ……” Hawthorne was dumbfounded, then thought of the owner of that voice.

In her past life, she stumbled upon the scene of Xie Shu's murder during an assassination attempt at the Marquis of An Ding's residence, which led to her being silenced. How did this time it become an assassination attempt in the palace?

Xie Lin only heard "that" and was still waiting for her to continue.

I considered all the things she might ask, but I still couldn't figure out what she wanted to know from her facial expression.

Leaning against the wall, avoiding anyone who might spot them, their eyes reflected Hawthorne's disheveled appearance. "What do you want to ask?"

"..." Huo Sanghua finally looked up and found Xie Lin staring straight at her. For a moment, she even forgot what she had originally wanted to ask. "I, I wanted to ask... ...you really don't know who they are?"

Xie Lin was stunned for a moment.

Then he immediately looked away and looked elsewhere.

Hawthorne was alert; Xie Lin didn't seem like someone who was completely unaware. "Do you know who they are?"

so... ...

The person who killed Xie Shu in his past life, and... everything, is actually related to Xie Lin?!

There must be a secret behind Xie Lin.

Huo Sanghua involuntarily took a step back. Thinking of the person who killed her in her past life, who might be related to Xie Lin, her feelings towards Xie Lin went beyond mere fear...

Perhaps, as Xie Lin suspected, he wasn't a member of the Xie family; he was...

So, was everything that happened later just his revenge against the Xie family?

He wants to kill Xie Shu?!

On her wedding night in her past life, the assassin who murdered Xie Shu was actually connected to him, and she, Huo Sanghua, merely happened to be passing by and became a witness to everything, yet she was poisoned and died on her wedding night along with Xie Shu?!

Just a moment ago, she felt reassured by Xie Lin's appearance...

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

She thought she had escaped death on her wedding night by marrying Xie Lin, but it turns out that Xie Lin was the real danger!

Hawthorne felt a chill run down his spine.

She actually married the very person who killed her on her wedding night in her previous life?!

Xie Lin saw Huo Sanghua's reaction. Just as Huo Sanghua took a step to escape from him, he quickly stepped forward, covered Huo Sanghua's mouth, and pinned her against the wall.

Hawthorne stared at him with wide, terrified eyes.

yes... ...

Why didn't she think of that?

Even though something happened in the palace, Xie Lin was still able to move freely and run to find her...

How could he have done it if he hadn't been connected to the assassin in the palace?!

“Listen to me,” he said, lowering his voice as much as possible, knowing that with Hawthorne’s intelligence, he must have guessed that he was connected to the assassins who attacked the palace today. “Do you remember I promised you that I would protect you no matter what happens?”

really--

Hawthorne vaguely remembered the promise he had made to her when he entered the palace that day.

I will ensure her safety.

So back then... he already knew what would happen today, and he dared to assure her that he would protect her safe and sound, actually because...

Is he the mastermind behind all of today's actions?!

"My promise to you still stands, but you... you can't tell anyone what you know today." Xie Lin didn't want to threaten her, but Huo Sanghua was far smarter than he had anticipated, catching him completely off guard. "...Did you hear that? If you reveal what happened today, even if I don't harm you, someone else will take your life!"

But what he was really worried about was...

That person.

If that person knew that Hawthorne had already discovered their purpose, he would be helpless even if he wanted to protect her.

Their eyes met, and memories of Xie Lin from the beginning of their acquaintance flashed before her eyes. At first, she only thought of him as a notorious and idle second young master of the Xie family, but she never expected that the secrets behind him were so intricate.

It was so terrifying.

But... she seemed to believe Xie Lin.

She could see from Xie Lin's eyes that he genuinely wanted to save her life.

Slowly, Hawthorne forced back the tears welling in her eyes and nodded anxiously to Xie Lin.