Chapter 143: The Blossom Thief

Chapter 143

The Blossom Thief

Once they were left alone, Song Ren spoke softly to Princess An Le, his handsome face still flushed with color.

"Does Your Highness like me?"

This time, it was An Le’s turn to blush. She quickly raised her voice, louder than intended.

"L...Like you? I only pity you."

The corners of Song Ren’s mouth curled upward. Now that he understood what was going on, his heart swelled with joy. He hadn’t expected the princess to take the initiative before him, and his eyes sparkled as he gazed at her.

"If Your Highness doesn’t like me, there’s no need to go this far. I’ll go and inform His Majesty that I’m willing to marry that princess from the Xi Region."

"You dare?"

An Le stepped forward, standing close to him in a way that seemed challenging. Her small frame didn’t even reach Song Ren’s shoulders, yet she acted like an angry little kitten, glaring up at him in a threatening manner with her head tilted back.

"If you don’t like me, you don’t need to go to such lengths. I wouldn’t dare be a burden to you, Your Highness. My life belongs to His Majesty, and whatever he commands, I shall obey,"

Song Ren said, unbothered by her fierce demeanor, smiling down at her. An Le suddenly felt defeated by his gentle gaze. She wanted to argue that she didn’t like him, but couldn’t think of any other reason why she had insisted on marrying him.

Song Ren raised his hand and gently brushed the furrowed brow of the girl, chuckling deeply.

"Isn’t it tiring for Your Highness to keep coming up with reasons? If you can’t think of one, don’t worry. Song Ren is happy to marry you."

An Le’s heart raced. She didn’t know why, but his words left her speechless. Her face grew hot, and she instinctively raised her hand to touch her cheeks. Seeing her reaction, Song Ren found her even more endearing and gently patted her head.

"Your Highness is kind to accept me as an imperial son-in-law. Even if you don’t like me, that’s fine. It’s enough that I like you."

Upon hearing this, it felt as if a volcano had erupted inside An Le’s head. She stood there frozen like a wooden doll, her eyes wide and her cheeks as red as cherry. Song Ren knew that if he kept teasing her, the strong-willed princess might get truly angry, so he gently took her hand. It was so small and soft in his grasp. Leading her towards the pavilion, An Le didn’t resist at all, walking along with him as if her soul had left her body. Nie Shuang hadn’t gone far. When she saw Song Ren leading the beaming princess out of the hall, she winked and quietly slipped away, relieved that everything had turned out well between them.

While things were progressing smoothly in the capital, the people of Huangjing were gripped with fear. The streets were filled with patrolling constables and guards. Recently, reports had come from Nan Fang province and surrounding areas of the Blossom Thief. This fiend was infamous for kidnapping beautiful young women and subjecting them to cruel physical and emotional torment before discarding them in a brutal manner once he grew bored.

The Blossom Thief was elusive, his movements swift and silent, suggesting a high level of martial arts skill. Once a woman was taken, the chances of her returning safely were slim. The vastness of the land, with its mountains and rivers, often meant that even bodies were never found. His victims were usually unmarried young women who were snatched without warning. But this time, the criminal escalated his audacity by shooting an arrow with a message attached, piercing it into the front gate of Master He’s manor, declaring his intent to abduct He Xiyou, the most beautiful woman in Huangjing and Master He’s daughter. This put the authorities under immense pressure, feeling as if they could scarcely breathe.

Huangjing was a large city and a bustling trade hub, making it difficult to identify outsiders. Most of the city’s troops had been relocated to guard Master He’s manor, making it nearly impossible for even a fly to pass unnoticed. Should anything happen to Young Miss He, they wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility. However, this heightened security only worsened the anxiety of the city’s residents. What if the thief changed his target and kidnapped their daughters instead? Fear and unease hung over the entire city like a dark cloud.

Mu Rongying only traveled between the tea house and her mansion, not daring to take any chances. She doubled her guards and security measures. Yan Zhan selected skilled and trusted personnel from the Shen Nong Protection Agency to protect her specifically. The tension lasted for about half a month, and when no incidents occurred, the city slowly relaxed. Some even speculated that the threat might have been a false alarm.

That night, during the new moon, after all the lamps were extinguished, everything was shrouded in darkness, save for a few lanterns hanging in the corridors. Mu Rongying had already fallen asleep but was jolted awake in the middle of the night. When she opened her eyes, she saw a shadowy figure at the foot of her bed. She nearly stopped breathing from fright but quickly gathered her composure and pretended to stay asleep. Under the blanket, her hand fumbled for the small dagger she always kept beside her. A cold draft blew into the room—likely from the window the intruder had used to enter.

She then heard a low chuckle.

"Since you’re awake, get up. I’d rather not waste my energy."

Mu Rongying sat up and calmly asked,

"Who are you?"

The man in black chuckled again.

"You’re the first woman who hasn’t screamed. Good! Come quietly, and I won’t have to hurt you."

Though terrified, Mu Rongying didn’t let it show. Sister Nie Shuang had taught her that when facing a stronger opponent, she shouldn’t show any fear, otherwise, it would only encourage them to act more aggressively.

"There’s no point in shouting for help. If you made it this far, I assume the guards have already been dealt with?"

She asked, pretending like she had guessed the situation, though she was really probing for information. The thief answered smugly,

"Exactly. I slipped sleeping powder into the incense burners at the guard posts. It’ll be at least four hours before they wake up. By then, we’ll be long gone. Enough talk, Young Miss Nie. I’ve taken a liking to you, so I’ll be keeping you for a while."

Mu Rongying trembled, dreading what would happen if she fell into this man’s hands. The women who had gone missing before surely hadn’t met good ends. With the guards being incapacitated by the sleeping powder, and the authorities focused on protecting Master He’s manor, she had no one to rely on but herself. She needed to buy time.

"I need to change into proper clothing first. Wait outside,"

She commanded, trying to sound authoritative. But the despicable man wasn’t fooled.

"Why be so shy? You’ll be my wife soon enough. I’ll stay right here. Don’t try anything funny. Normally, I’m not this lenient, but since you’re being cooperative, I’ll grant you this small mercy."

Mu Rongying said nothing. She concealed the dagger in her sleeve and walked behind the dressing screen to change clothes. The thief called after her.

"Don’t take too long. I’m not the most patient man."

Her hands trembled as she dressed. Chunmei was probably fast asleep in the adjacent room. Mu Rongying intentionally knocked over a vase, hoping someone would hear the noise and sense something was wrong.

"Don’t try that again. Otherwise, I’ll take you as you are now. Your maid is out cold—I hit her pressure point. She won’t wake up easily,"

The man threatened in a menacing tone.

"Didn’t you declare that you would abduct Young Miss He? Why have you changed your target to me?"

Mu Rongying asked, even though she had a hunch about his intentions.

"Hah! That was just to distract the authorities. Young Miss He? People only praise her because of her father’s high ranking. Compared to you, what is she?"

Although Mu Rongying received his compliment, she felt no joy. She dressed herself properly, tying her hair neatly, then opened a wooden box, discreetly hiding some jewelry in her clothes. The thief seemed to have sharp hearing as he immediately asked,

"What are you taking?"

"Just some jewelry. Who knows what lies ahead? Can you afford to take care of me? It’s better if I bring something valuable along for peace of mind."

Carrying the jewelry would help conceal the weapons she had hidden. The thief laughed but didn’t object.

"You’re quite an odd woman, still thinking about such things at a time like this. Is that what all merchant families are like?"

Mu Rongying didn’t respond. She snapped a pearl necklace, leaving one pearl on the table. But the thief, fearing that she would stall for time, followed her behind the screen, lifted her over his shoulder, and leaped out the window.

Mu Rongying gasped in shock as the gust of wind rushed past her face. The night air was cold. Everything blurred by so fast that she felt dizzy, but she didn’t forget to scatter pearls along the way, hoping someone would notice and come to her aid. Deep down, however, she felt a sinking hopelessness. Kang Wang’s face flashed through her mind. Fighting back tears, she vowed not to give up as long as she still had hope.

She considered using her hidden dagger to stab him in the back, knowing it was a risky move. A minor wound wouldn’t hurt someone with martial arts skills, and worse, it might provoke him into a violent rage. But she had resolved to risk her life. She regretted that she couldn’t be of more help to Sister Nie, and more so that she couldn’t return Kang Wang’s feelings. But then, the thief suddenly descended into the courtyard of a house and carried her inside. Mu Rongying quickly hid the dagger back in her sleeve. He set her down on a chair and picked up some rope from a nearby table. Mu Rongying frowned. Had they already arrived after such a short journey? The thief saw her expression and laughed.

"We didn’t go far. This is the empty house next door. The owner is away, so I killed the caretaker. It’s the perfect hideout. Once people chase me out of the city, we’ll take the opportunity to leave the city."

He then sealed her voice by hitting the pressure point and tied her up. It turned out the place was a neighboring property that the Hou had purchased.

"Wait here. I’ll come back after creating some false evidence to make it seem like we’ve left the city. At that time, no one will bother us anymore. Once they’re all chasing after us, we can enjoy ourselves before disguising ourselves and sneaking out of the city. Normally, I avoid targeting women in big cities because it’s too much trouble. But I like you so much—though it’s a bit risky, it’s worth it."As he gazed at her with predatory intent, Mu Rongying felt a wave of both fear and disgust. She didn’t resist, knowing it would be futile. She planned to wait until the thief left before trying to come up with an escape plan. However, it seemed he was highly skilled in tying knots, leaving her barely able to move, let alone reach the hidden dagger. Mu Rongying exhaled softly, her eyes turning cold. If things truly turned dire, she would exchange her life.