LoT Phoenix 1

Chapter 146: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Although your wound on the face is fully healed, Prince Jin doesn't send you back to Si Yan's side. Instead, he has sent all kinds of skin-care creams and ordered handmaidens to apply for you. And you can't go anywhere outside this courtyard. You are virtually under house arrest.

Xiu Ying: It seems he is going to send me out as a gift. No, I'm not going to become a gift. I stay here to get close to Prince Jin. If I can't stay close to him anymore, there will be no reason for me to stay.

Xiu Ying: But how can I leave here?

As you are lying on the bed worrying, a beautiful figure suddenly walks through the door.

Si Yan: It seems I was worrying for nothing. You seem to enjoy your life here.

Xiu Ying: [immediately sit up] You finally come to me, Si Yan. I thought you have forgotten me.

Si Yan: You think it's easy to come to you now? It took me days to bribe the guard so that I can get in.

Si Yan: [sneer] You are now very important to His Highness. No one dares to make light of you with His Highness' order.

Xiu Ying: Enjoyable as I am, I don't even know how long I will live.

Si Yan: Humph. So you are afraid too. I thought you didn't fear anything.

Xiu Ying: Are you here just to mock me?

Si Yan's expression changes. She stands in front of you and coughs, then hesitantly speaks.

Si Yan: Thank you. If it weren't for you, I would have been fed to the beasts.

Xiu Ying: It's good that you remember my favor.

Si Yan: But... why did you help me? I had been treating you badly, and I deserve your hatred. Why did you suffer for my fault?

Si Yan is staring at you. She is dressing as she used to be, unlike the normal copied look of Yan'er, and she looks quite charming in confusion.

Xiu Ying: I'm not that kind. I help you for my own purpose.

Xiu Ying: Si Yan, could you tell me your relationship with Yan'er?

Si Yan: [stunned for a second and smile] You are a frank person. Since you have helped me with your life, I have no reason not to trust you.

Si Yan: Yes, you are right. Yan'er and I share not only the face, we share... the same blood. She is my twin sister.

Xiu Ying: [exhale deeply] As I suspected.

Si Yan: I grew up in a poor family. At the age of 7, my parents decided to sell a kid, so Yan'er was sold to a brothel for some money to keep us living.

Si Yan: Then we moved away from the capital, but I always missed my sister and had been looking for her. Unexpectedly, she was looking for me too, so we met again.

Si Yan: I learned that she was lucky enough to be brought into the mansion by Prince Jin himself on the day she was sold. Although she was a handmaiden, she lived a life better than many ladies.

Si Yan: Yan'er told me that she would ask Prince Jin to take me into the mansion as well, but I learned of her death a few days later.

Si Yan: Later, I had found out that my sister's death was because Prince Jin thought she had betrayed him, so he allowed his guards to murder her... But all she wanted was to tell Prince Jin that she had a sister!

Si Yan becomes more excited as she speaks, her voice full of rage. You softly calm her, for fear of drawing other people's attention.

Xiu Ying: Si Yan, calm down!

Si Yan slowly resumes her calmness after your comforting and keeps talking.

Si Yan: When Prince Jin realized Yan'er was innocent, he had all my sister's killers executed out of guilt. Others called him a loving person, but I know his false love!

Si Yan: Can't forget my sister? He is just unable to shake off his guilt! That's why I seek my revenge on him!

Xiu Ying: [thoughtful] So you get close to him for the chance of revenge?

Si Yan: Yes. I got close to him easily, thanks to my similarity with my sister. I've been pretending to make him relax, so that one day I can send him to his doom!

Si Yan has clenched her fists and let out each word from her teeth, her face now shrouded in fury. You stand up and pat her shoulder gently to appease her.

Si Yan: [stare at you] Afu, you are getting close to Prince Jin deliberately too, aren't you?

Although Si Yan has told you her secrets, you can't verify her words yet. Besides, perhaps due to her sister's death, Si Yan often falls into a state of madness, and you can't be certain what she would become. Anyway, you need to be careful.

Xiu Ying: [shake head] Not deliberately. It was an accident. I wanted to learn more about you and Yan'er so that I could have more allies to leave here.

Si Yan: You want to get out of here?

Xiu Ying: [smile bitterly] I've narrowly escaped death for too many times, and I'm too afraid to stay here. I'll leave as soon as I have the chance.

Si Yan: [eyes flashing] The prince has spared your life repeatedly, which is a clear evidence of your uniqueness. What's more, you are brave and smart. If you stay here, you could... become even more important than my sister did.

Xiu Ying: No way! I just want to stay alive! Besides, I believe Prince Jin is planning to send me out as a gift to other powerful figures. Have you heard of this when you were following Prince Jin?

Si Yan: Never. But there are many powerful people visiting the mansion these days.

It's late already. Si Yan gets herself ready and is about to leave after finishing her story.

Xiu Ying: Si Yan, can you help me if I want to leave the mansion?

Now that you are under house arrest here, Si Yan is the only one who can help you. Moreover, Si Yan is seeking revenge, and you are seeking Prince Jin's downfall. Since you both share a common goal, you may be able to cooperate and help each other.

Si Yan: You helped me once, I will return the favor, but if you get caught, don't leak me out.

Xiu Ying: Don't worry. That's the basic ethics of mine.

After reaching the agreement with Si Yan, you suddenly have an idea as you are looking at her. Although she hasn't been following Prince Jin as long as Yan'er did, she may still have learned many things as Yan'er's replacement.

Xiu Ying: [seemingly unintentional] Do you know what Prince Jin has been doing lately?

Si Yan: [smile] I know you are seeking information on him, but he seems to always stay alert, and I haven't learned many things except that he has been looking for something.

Xiu Ying: Looking for something?

Si Yan: It seems to be a book of weapons.

Book of weapons? That immediately reminds you of Western Liang Secret Weapon Book, which is the second task the Emperor assigned you with. You will need to take it back. If Prince Jin is also seeking it, it must be something very important. But why would Prince Jin want it so eagerly at this moment? Could it be his ace in the hole? Your mind is full of questions, yet Si Yan knows none of their answers. It's up to you yourself to find out.