Chapter Fifty-Five: Cousin, So Handsome (Part One)

The Shadow Wind was the first to react, helping Su Nanxing up and saying, "Let's ask what happened first! Maybe it's just someone with the same name."

Su Nanxing leaned against Shadow Wind, quietly watching the Ten-Step Killing Formation before them.

The Seventh Prince was deeply puzzled. "You know Tao Ming and Ruanruan?"

A shadow flickered in Su Nanxing’s eyes, and his voice softened. "Tao Ming is my wife. Ruanruan is my daughter."

The Seventh Prince was even more confused. "Wife? What’s that?"

Shadow Wind, however, understood. "Wife means spouse."

The Seventh Prince looked Su Nanxing up and down. "You? Was Tao Ming blind?"

At that moment, Tao Ming, who was inside the small building, hugging Ruanruan and Nuonuo and fast asleep, naturally had no idea what was happening outside.

Earlier, when Long Linyi had caught up with the convoy and asked about the Imperial Dragon Guards, the Seventh Prince and Qin Sihao had gone out together to deal with him.

Left alone and bored, Tao Ming had entered the Douzhuan Xingyi to check on the two little ones. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered, Xingxing spoke up: "I’m worried sick! Not being able to communicate with you mentally is so inconvenient."

Tao Ming felt her heartbeat surge to two hundred. "Did something happen to them?"

"No, no, they’re both fine."

Tao Ming let out a breath. "Then why are you making such a fuss?"

"I sensed a powerful energy outside, extremely dangerous."

Tao Ming was dubious. "Didn’t you say you can’t sense the outside world for the time being?"

"This energy is right beside you, strong enough to threaten your life. That’s why I felt it."

Upon hearing this, Tao Ming prepared to go out, but Xingxing quickly stopped her. "Why go out? It’s dangerous!"

"I just want to take a look. I can’t let the person leading me into rebellion die!"

Xingxing actually sighed. "Fine, fine, I’ll lend you something."

As soon as the words fell, an object appeared out of nowhere in the air and drifted toward Tao Ming.

When Tao Ming took it, she saw it was just a black turtle shell, smooth to the touch. "What’s this?"

"The shell of a Black Armored Turtle."

Tao Ming scratched her ear. "A what?"

"The shell of a Black Armored Turtle! It’s just for you to use this once—return it to me when you’re done!"

Tao Ming turned it over and over in her hand. "What’s it for?"

"It can block all damage for five seconds—long enough for you to get back."

Knowing this was something good, Tao Ming thanked Xingxing and left Douzhuan Xingyi.

She pushed open the carriage door and saw the Seventh Prince and Qin Sihao had already moved some distance away, while Mu Zhong was standing guard at the door.

An idea struck her; she took off the wedding ring hanging around her neck and shoved it into Mu Zhong’s hand, not knowing how effective the shield on the ring would be.

Mu Zhong looked bewildered as Tao Ming instructed him, "Hold onto this for me. You’d better take the guards and hide for now, and let the Seventh Prince know I’ve gone to find Ruanruan."

She then re-entered Douzhuan Xingyi to play with the two little ones.

As they played, Ruanruan yawned, and Nuonuo followed suit. Tao Ming looked at them and felt sleepy herself. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in days, and with the danger outside still unresolved, she decided to rest while she could.

So, hugging the two little ones, Tao Ming climbed into bed with them.

...

The Ten-Step Killing Formation gradually weakened, and within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, it vanished completely, leaving only multicolored fine sand mixed together on the ground.

Mu Zhong, trapped within the formation, narrowly escaped death, the white glow around his body gradually fading.

Su Nanxing saw him and clung to a glimmer of hope. "Let me see what Tao Ming gave you."

Mu Zhong looked at the Seventh Prince, who nodded, so Mu Zhong handed over the item to Su Nanxing.

Looking at the familiar wedding ring in his hand, Su Nanxing was finally certain that this Tao Ming was indeed his wife.

He spat out another mouthful of blood and murmured, "Tao Ming, Ruanruan, I’m coming to join you."

Shadow Wind quickly pressed him down. "The Seventh Prince said Tao Ming is fine."

"It’s useless. You can’t fool me."

The Seventh Prince looked at him with distaste. "If I weren’t worried Tao Ming would hold a grudge, I’d kill you myself right now."

Su Nanxing, seeing the Seventh Prince remain so composed, gradually regained a measure of reason. "How do you know Tao Ming is all right?"

The Seventh Prince shot him a proud glance. "I just do."

"Fine, I’ll trust you this once. Where is she?"

The Seventh Prince rolled his eyes. "I don’t know either. We just have to wait."

Seeing him roll his eyes, Su Nanxing’s gaze brightened. "The way you rolled your eyes—that was just like Tao Ming."

The Seventh Prince snorted and turned to pull Qin Sihao aside. "Fifth Uncle, who knows when Tao Ming will come out? Have the guards rest here for now, and we’ll decide what to do when she returns."

Qin Sihao lowered his voice. "What’s with that Su family brat? Should we just get rid of him?"

The Seventh Prince glanced at Su Nanxing. "Let’s wait for Tao Ming. If we’ve got the wrong person, Tao Ming will never let it go."

Qin Sihao said no more and went to give orders to the Qin family’s death warriors.

Long Linyi sidled up to the Seventh Prince. "Can you tell me what’s going on?"

The Seventh Prince took a step back. "No."

With that, he turned and went to sit beside Su Nanxing, settling in to wait quietly.

Long Linyi could only sit down next to him.

The five of them sat there, waiting.

...

Two hours passed. Dusk was falling, and Tao Ming had yet to appear. Su Nanxing’s emotions were growing more and more unstable, constantly asking the Seventh Prince if Tao Ming was really all right. Just as the Seventh Prince was about to lose patience and kill him, Tao Ming finally emerged.

Tao Ming had slept extremely well. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ruanruan and Nuonuo had already gotten out of bed to play.

She gave them a few words of advice, then left the small building and called for Xingxing. "What’s the situation outside now?"

"That energy has been gone for four hours already."

Tao Ming grunted in acknowledgment and made to leave, but Xingxing stopped her. "Wait! What if it’s still dangerous?"

"I still have the turtle shell with me!"

However, as soon as she left Douzhuan Xingyi, she fell straight from the air and landed right in a pile of colored sand, sending it flying everywhere. Coughing, Tao Ming muttered, "Well, this sandstorm is certainly unique."

Su Nanxing saw Tao Ming, but she seemed a little different from his memory. He was a beat too slow to react; the Seventh Prince had already rushed forward, scooped Tao Ming up, and moved her to a safer spot. "Thank goodness you’re all right!"

Tao Ming jumped in surprise and patted the Seventh Prince on the back. "Didn’t I tell Mu Zhong to let you know I was going to find Ruanruan? Or did he die?"

Mu Zhong: "..."

The Seventh Prince, holding Tao Ming’s shoulders, looked her over from left to right. "Even though I knew you were all right, seeing it with my own eyes is still a relief."

At that moment, Su Nanxing edged closer, hesitating as he stared at Tao Ming’s face. "Wife?"

At his words, Tao Ming glanced at him and immediately bristled. "Su Nanxing? I knew there was something off about you!"

Su Nanxing grew excited. "Wife, it really is you! But why do you look different?"

He squeezed past the Seventh Prince to hug Tao Ming. The Seventh Prince hesitated but stepped aside.

Tao Ming reached out to block him, face full of anger. "Who’s your wife? We’re already divorced!"

Su Nanxing’s lips quivered, and tears sprang to his eyes. "Wife, I had no choice!"

Tao Ming rolled her eyes. "Don’t give me that!"

Su Nanxing instantly wiped away his tears, grinning cheekily. "Wife, I missed you so much!"

Shadow Wind watched in shock from the side. Was this really the Su Nanxing he knew? Where was his dignity?

Tao Ming said crossly, "I’m not the person you used to know anymore!"

Su Nanxing, undeterred, tried again to hug her. "Wife, it’s your soul I love!"

Tao Ming turned away, ignoring him, and asked the Seventh Prince, "What’s going on?"

The Seventh Prince tugged Tao Ming closer to his side. "He came to kill you and Ruanruan."

Su Nanxing pressed closer. "Wife, I really didn’t know it was you! If I had, even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn’t have dared come!"

Tao Ming shot him a sidelong glance. "Oh? What did you say?"

Su Nanxing immediately changed his tune. "If I’d known it was you, I’d have crawled here if I had to—just to protect you!"