TRWSB – Chapter 96 Mu Xuelan’s Remorse

“Xueling, are you sure about this? Is Yifan really Qianmian?”

“Of course I’m sure! Haven’t you noticed that Yifan and Qianmian’s dorms are very close, and that the two of them are never seen together?”

“But just because they’re never seen together doesn’t prove they’re the same person. That seems like a stretch.”

“Yifan crippled Yibing in the secret realm, which is why Yibing became a useless person. And let me tell you, the day Qianmian revealed his dual mastery of water and fire magic, Principal Lu Ming came to see him. Clearly, it was Qianmian who entered the principal’s office, but Yifan was the one who came out. And when Yifan left the office, he went straight back to Qianmian’s dorm.” The well-informed female student spoke triumphantly.

“No way! Xueling, how do you know this?”

“The academy has magical monitoring stones observing everything! The security department confirmed it. Also, after Principal Lu Ming returned to Shenghuang Academy, he never mentioned Qianmian again. I heard Yibing’s mentor got only seven words from him: ‘A wise judge avoids domestic disputes.’”

“If that’s the case, then Yifan might really be Qianmian.”

“Our academy truly is full of hidden talents! First Qi Shaorong, and now Yifan.”

“If Yifan really is Qianmian, he’s incredible. In terms of strength, he might already surpass Qi Shaorong. I wonder who’s stronger between him and Zhuang Hao.”

“Probably Zhuang Hao. Yifan is dual-element, but Zhuang Hao has mastery of seven elements.”

“Mu Xuelan is something else. She gave up the Second Prince before, and now she’s given up Yifan. She’s really willing to let go!”

“I don’t think she’s really willing. She’s probably regretting it somewhere right now.”

Mu Xuelan returned to her temporarily rented villa and couldn’t help but close her eyes.

Leaning back on a long bench, she used her arm to shield her eyes, and it took a long time for her to calm down.

Not long after Mu Xuelan settled in, a knock came at the door. She opened it, and her face immediately darkened. “Second Prince, what an unexpected guest! Long time no see!”

“Xuelan, long time no see. You’re looking more beautiful than ever. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Tang Tianfeng asked with a smile.

Mu Xuelan stared at him for a while before stepping aside to let him in.

“What’s wrong with Xianglan?” Tang Tianfeng asked, noticing the dazed and vacant look on the maid in the room.

“She was traumatized—she’s gone mad,” Mu Xuelan replied.

Tang Tianfeng glanced at her. “This girl has gone mad? You’re left without anyone to take care of you. Should I find two maids to serve you?”

Mu Xuelan shook her head. “No need. I can take care of myself.”

“Xuelan, you don’t have to be so distant with me,” Tang Tianfeng said.

Mu Xuelan looked at him and said, “The Second Prince must have come for more than just a courtesy visit, right?”

“Is it wrong for me to come check on you?” Tang Tianfeng asked.

Mu Xuelan chuckled softly but didn’t respond.

Tang Tianfeng looked at Xianglan and asked, “Was this girl scared like this by Yifan?”

Mu Xuelan nodded. “Yes. Yifan is Qianmian and can control venomous snakes. Xianglan was frightened out of her wits by him. If you have something to ask, just be direct—there’s no need to beat around the bush.”

Tang Tianfeng looked at her and said, “Xuelan, you’ve misunderstood me.”

Mu Xuelan closed her eyes. “If you won’t ask, I’ll just tell you what I know. In the secret realm, Yifan harmed Yibing and framed Yihuo. The poison Yibing used to cripple Yihuo was indirectly provided by Yifan. Yifan and Yi Xun, his father, are completely at odds now. From what I see, their conflict will be hard to resolve.”

“I’ve told you everything I know. You can leave now,” Mu Xuelan said.

Tang Tianfeng looked at her and asked, “Do you know about the connection between Yifan and the Allure Cosmetics shop?”

Mu Xuelan frowned in confusion. “What connection could there be between Yifan and Allure Cosmetics?”

Tang Tianfeng studied her puzzled expression and replied, “It’s nothing.”

After exchanging a few more polite remarks, Tang Tianfeng took his leave.

Mu Xuelan sat on the bench, her heart feeling hollow. Closing her eyes, she came to a sudden realization: she had always thought too highly of herself. She believed the Second Prince would regret his decisions, but in truth, he had happily married Shen Manwu, one of the Three Great Beauties, and was living a content life. She once thought marrying Yifan was beneath her, but Yifan had clearly despised her. In the end, she was nothing to anyone.

Mu Xuelan stayed inside for a while before another knock came at the door.

She frowned, a bitter smile forming on her lips. Once upon a time, my door would go untouched for an entire month. But today, they come knocking one after another.

When she opened the door and saw who it was, a coldness rose within her. “Father, why are you here?”

“I came to check on you! I heard that Yifan is Qianmian—a dual-element water and fire mage, no less, and already at the seventh level. Among the young talents in the capital, his strength is second only to Zhuang Hao,” Mu Jian’an said.

Mu Xuelan nodded. “Yifan is indeed remarkable.”

“If he’s so remarkable, why did you separate from him? I heard that during the Inter-Academy War, Qi Shaorong won over 30 million gold coins and shared several million with Yifan,” Mu Jian’an pressed.

“Yifan doesn’t like me,” Mu Xuelan replied.

“What’s wrong with you?! You couldn’t win over the Second Prince, and you couldn’t even keep Yifan. What good are you?” Mu Jian’an said coldly.

Mu Xuelan clenched her fists. “You’re right, Father. I am useless.”

“You’ve always thought too highly of yourself. Back then, the Second Prince wanted to take you as a concubine, and you refused. Would being his concubine really have been so humiliating? Men having multiple wives and concubines is perfectly normal! Then, out of spite, you married Yifan. Fine, but after all these years, did you never notice Yifan’s talent?”

Mu Xuelan closed her eyes. “Father, why are you really here?”

“You were married to Yifan for years. There must be some feelings left between you. I heard the separation was your idea. Apologize to Yifan and reconcile with him—restore this marriage.”

“Yifan has someone he loves. He only married me to sever ties with the Yi family. Now that the person he loves is in the capital, he’s more than eager for the separation. There’s no way he’d agree to reconcile,” Mu Xuelan said, shaking her head.

Mu Jian’an glared at her. “What use are you?”

“I’m indeed useless. Thank you for coming all this way, Father. Sorry to disappoint you,” Mu Xuelan said.

After berating her, Mu Jian’an left. Mu Xuelan took a deep breath, lowered her head, and hugged herself tightly.

At the Second Prince’s residence.

“Second Prince, you’re back!” Shen Manwu greeted.

“Yes, Manwu. The capital is truly bustling lately—one spectacle after another,” Tang Tianfeng said with a sigh.

“Who would’ve thought that Mu Tingxuan would expose Qianmian’s true identity? I always felt that Yibing’s injuries didn’t seem like Yihuo’s doing. Yihuo doesn’t have the capability. It turns out it was Yifan.”

“The relationship between Mu Tingxuan and Yifan seems far from simple,” Tang Tianfeng noted.

Tang Tianfeng had played a role in Mu Tingxuan’s capture by the mercenary group. Initially, his aim was to uncover the true owner of the Allure Cosmetics shop, but unexpectedly, this led to the exposure of the culprit behind the harm to the Yi brothers.

“Of course. Yifan has kept a low profile in the capital for years. Even after Qi Shaorong was exposed, he stayed hidden. But now, a single Mu Tingxuan has thrown him into chaos. Truly, heroes fall to beauty’s charms. Though Yifan’s taste is peculiar—I hear Mu Tingxuan is disfigured,” Shen Manwu said with a sly smile, resting her hand on Tang Tianfeng’s shoulder.

She couldn’t help but mock inwardly. Back then, Mu Xuelan married Yifan out of spite for Tang Tianfeng, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. But Yifan, blind to charm, prefers Mu Tingxuan over a great beauty like Mu Xuelan. Then again, if Yifan truly likes Mu Tingxuan, there must be something extraordinary about him.

“Yifan and Qi Shaorong seem to have a good relationship. The true owner of Allure Cosmetics is likely connected to the two of them,” Tang Tianfeng said.

“The main owner is probably Qi Shaorong. At most, Yifan is just assisting,” Shen Manwu speculated. “Qi Shaorong isn’t easy to deal with. Zhuang Hao is pursuing him, and the two even have an accidental contract. Their engagement might not be so easily broken.”

Tang Tianfeng nodded. “I think so too.”

Tang Tianfeng had kept an eye on Allure Cosmetics for years. While he wasn’t poor as a prince, his expenditures were high. He had once thought of taking over the shop if its owner wasn’t strong, but if it was Qi Shaorong, things would be complicated.

“If it’s Qi Shaorong, the situation is different. I’ve never seen Zhuang Hao care so much about anyone. For Qi Shaorong, Zhuang Hao seems quite unhappy with your brother,” Tang Tianfeng noted.

“Shen Yuan deserves it,” Shen Manwu said.

Tang Tianfeng chuckled. “If I were Zhuang Hao, I wouldn’t like your brother either. He ruined a perfectly good engagement. Then again, maybe it’s a blessing he did.”

“If Shen Yuan hadn’t broken the engagement, Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao might already be married. If that happened, the Qi family wouldn’t have easily exiled Qi Shaorong. With the Qi and Zhuang families allied through marriage, even the emperor would have trouble sleeping at night.”

Shen Manwu nodded. “True. Now that Qi Shaorong is at odds with the Qi family, even if Zhuang Hao marries him, it has little to do with the Qi family anymore.”