Chapter 595: The Secret About the Past (213)

Just as she closed her eyes, she heard a ringing sound in her ears.

An Xiaoning listened closely, only to find that there were no longer any noises.

As much as she was extremely weary, she dared not catch a wink of sleep, for fear that she would miss out on anything important.

She did not hear the ringing sound for the next consecutive days.

However, she heard it again a while later, along with a string of other noises.

Being an intelligent and quick-witted person, An Xiaoning could not help but be reminded of the possibility of a secret chamber after hearing the same, peculiar sound twice.

Could there be a secret chamber in Shi Xiaoyu’s bedroom?

An Xiaoning’s mind began buzzing with ideas at the thought of the likely situation.

Tuoba Shuo was in love with Mother, and so was Tuoba Rui. Given that Shi Xiaoyu fancied Tuoba Rui and was Mother’s half-sister, could it be that…

After some careful thought, she felt a little horrified at the likely possibility.

Besides, she had never eliminated the likelihood of such a situation.

After all, Mei Yangyang and Mei Shuangshuang were always at loggerheads and could not see eye to eye with each other, despite sharing the same biological parents. Thus, it was not impossible that Shi Xiaoyu would harm her mother.

An Xiaoning’s initial fatigue vanished without a trace as she brainstormed for the possible outcomes, though she was unsure if she was overthinking.

After tossing and turning in bed, she decided to sit up, put on her shoes, and make her way downstairs.

The temperature was a little chilly at night. After pacing about the mansion for a while, she bumped into Tuoba Gucheng unexpectedly.

Unlike what she had thought, he did not return to his room to sleep earlier on.

Feelings of tension and awkwardness filled the air.

However, An Xiaoning took the initiative to greet him first. “Your Highness, why haven’t you gone to bed yet?”

“You haven’t either, have you?”

“It’s your big day today, Your Highness. Why do you seem so troubled?”

“Do you know why I’m troubled and upset?” he asked, staring at her calmly.

“No.”

How could I possibly know why he’s feeling that way? It’s not like I can read his mind.

Tuoba Gucheng gazed at her composedly and said, “I can’t sleep. Take a walk with me.”

“Sure,” An Xiaoning agreed with a nod.

He came just at the right time since she had the intention to try and sound him out, in a bid to find out more information.

The two exited the mansion and strolled along the sidewalk.

“Make a guess. Why do you think the Princess Consort didn’t come looking for me even though I’m out so late at night?”

An Xiaoning glanced at him and answered, “Did the Princess Consort fall asleep?”

“She did,” he answered unhurriedly, sounding rather unconcerned about Lin Shishi.

An Xiaoning was puzzled. Which newlywed bride would be so dull and dense as to go to bed early, alone, on the night of her wedding? Well, unless…

“Are you very surprised? Do you know what it feels like to marry a woman whom you neither fancy nor detest?” asked Tuoba Gucheng, who rarely poured his feelings out to others.

“Please don’t ever say something like that again in the future, Your Highness. Most relationships have to be nurtured. After some time, you would definitely develop feelings for them and change the way you think. The Princess Consort seems like a pure and innocent girl who’s also rather nice. Your Highness, you’ll perhaps see her in a different light once you’ve spent enough time with her,” An Xiaoning advised.

“Are there really any innocent women in the Autumn Palace? Even if they were pure and naive in the beginning, they would be bound to become scheming once they’ve been around here long enough,” he scoffed.

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An Xiaoning cocked her head toward the side, feeling a little guilty since she could not deny that she was indeed a scheming woman like he had mentioned. She was neither innocent nor naive, and could never be that way.

If she had still remained innocent and ignorant even until this day, she would have probably died long ago.

“Your Highness, so you’re troubled because you had to marry beyond your own will, that’s why…”

“That’s not the only reason.”

Not wishing to continue talking about his relationship, An Xiaoning changed the subject and asked, “Your Highness, is there a secret chamber in your mansion?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps I’ve been watching too much television, but I’ve always found secret chambers to be particularly mysterious.”

“You’re such a bumpkin,” he jested with laughter, which was rare to come by.

An Xiaoning smirked and said, “Don’t you always call me a country bumpkin? Well, I’m indeed a hillbilly who has never seen much of what the world has to offer.”

“At least you’re self-aware.” He added, “Mu Ning, have you ever loved someone before?”

Slightly startled, An Xiaoning answered, “Yes, I have.”

“Was it that boyfriend of yours who died?”

“Yes, he’s already passed away. He’s dead in my heart too.”

“What does it feel like to love someone?”

“Don’t you know at all, Your Highness?” she asked in astonishment.

“No.”

“Firstly, when you fall in love with someone, you’d focus all your attention on them. Your feelings and mood would be largely affected by theirs. When they’re happy, you’re happy. The same goes for when they’re upset. You tend to miss them dearly whenever they’re not around, and when you finally get to be with them, you’d wish for time to just slow down a little, or better yet, to stop completely. You’d want to meet them again and again, hug and kiss them infinitely, and just be by each other’s side ’til you’re old and gray,” An Xiaoning explained, feeling as if she was an extremely experienced teacher who was imparting her knowledge to her clueless student.

An Xiaoning began to tear up as a lump formed in her throat. She continued, “It’s not only you who have your own reasons and the desire to be with a person you truly love, I also do too. But then again, isn’t that the case for everyone?”

The next thing she knew, she was pulled into his embrace forcefully, causing her heart to almost jump out of her chest. She tried to break free and murmured in astonishment, “Your Highness…”

“I don’t mean anything else, just let me hug you for a while.”

An Xiaoning stood rooted to the ground and teased half-jokingly all of a sudden, “Your Highness, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me.”

He let go of her and said sternly, “Have you forgotten who you are just because I’m treating you a little nicer?”

An Xiaoning guffawed upon hearing his words and said, “I’d really be mistaken.”

In the darkness of the night, Tuoba Gucheng’s eyes lit up with joy at the sight of her sweet, alluring smile. Staring at her, he said, “I’ll do whatever I can to protect you in this Autumn Palace and compensate you for all the pain I’ve caused you. Mu Ning, I’m the only person in here whom you can trust and rely on. Do you understand?”

An Xiaoning stopped smiling and answered him with a look of seriousness, “Your Highness, you didn’t cause me any harm or pain and suffering. Neither do I really think that you’re being nice to me because you’ve fallen in love with me. I’ll never harbor such thoughts. I know very well what my qualities are and where I stand. I’d be the last person you fancy. Don’t worry, Your Highness, I won’t ask you such questions anymore in the future. As for relying on you…”

She looked down and continued, “Mu Ning dare not rely on anyone, especially men. I’m forever the only person I can depend on, and I’m my best bet. However, I’m very touched to hear these words from you. Thank you, Your Highness.”

Tuoba Gucheng could not wrap his head around what kind of a woman she was, to be able to blurt out such words of bravery and independence.

However, there was one thing he was extremely certain of.

That is, she did not trust men at all and only believed in herself.

—

Lin Shishi woke up the next morning to find that her husband had already gotten dressed and was putting on his tie.

Reminded of the fact that she had fallen asleep right after showering last night, she felt a little awkward and called out, “Hubby.”

He smiled and said, “Hurry and go downstairs for breakfast.”

“Alright.” Lin Shishi proceeded to wash up and change into a fresh set of clothes before making her way downstairs.

There was only her and Tuoba Gucheng’s breakfast on the dining table while the bodyguards sat at a separate table to have their meal.