Chapter Thirty-One: We're Even

"Linjiang City is far too boring. It took so much effort to finally find something interesting..."

"Do you have any idea what you just..."

Xu Lan suddenly buried her head in her knees, her voice trembling, carrying a trace of fear and unease, and perhaps... a hint of a sob.

"You, you scared me to death..."

"..."

Just a moment ago, Lin Jiangnian’s ferocious aura had truly frightened her out of her wits. As the eldest daughter of the Xu family, Xu Lan had been pampered and provided for since childhood, rarely encountering any setbacks. The Xu family was considered a prominent clan in Linjiang City, and with the close ties between the Xu and Lin families, this young lady had naturally been showered with affection. Consequently, she was like a flower in a greenhouse, having never weathered any storms.

She had never imagined that one day she would face a life-threatening situation—it was never something she had needed to consider. But just now, all of that had been shattered! The suffocating sense of terror was still vivid in her mind; even though she tried hard to suppress it, her delicate frame could not stop trembling.

Fear, panic, helplessness, grievance... and an indescribable, complex sentiment. At this moment, her expression was conflicted and dazed, feeling somewhat at a loss, along with the emptiness that follows a sudden shock.

...

Lin Jiangnian’s gaze remained cold as he watched the girl beside him, whose mood had undergone such a sudden transformation. She sat limply on the ground, head buried in her knees, her disheveled hair obscuring her profile. Her clothes, rumpled and unkempt, betrayed the trembling of her emotions.

She was terrified.

And what Lin Jiangnian was considering was... the truthfulness of her words.

Another long silence ensued. Eventually, after an unknown amount of time, Xu Lan seemed to finally calm down. She slowly raised her head, revealing a slightly pale face framed by dark hair, her eyes rimmed with red. Biting her lower lip, she met Lin Jiangnian’s gaze.

All she could see were those same icy eyes—devoid of any warmth, lacking any emotion.

It was hard to put into words. She seemed to realize something; her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she lowered her eyes. "You... don't believe me?"

Lin Jiangnian remained expressionless. "Do you think I should?"

Xu Lan froze, then gradually fell silent.

Yes. Why would he believe her? Someone as cautious and vigilant as him—how could he trust her one-sided claim?

"But..." Xu Lan whispered in defense, "I, I really didn't intend to expose your identity..."

"Whether or not you are the real Heir of the Prince of Lin does not matter to me..."

Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes hesitant, as if she wanted to say something. She stopped herself, left the words unsaid. Finally, she sighed deeply. By the time she met Lin Jiangnian's eyes again, she had regained her composure. Except for her slightly reddened eyes, the look of panic had largely faded. She looked away, staring blankly ahead. "Believe it or not, I truly never intended to betray you..."

"I was just curious about who you really are. Why you would impersonate him? Where you came from, and what your purpose is..." she murmured to herself.

These were things she was deeply curious about. Linjiang City was just too boring! Under the protection of the Xu family, she had lived a carefree life as a young lady for over a decade. This peaceful, uneventful existence had made her exceptionally bored.

And at that moment... Xu Lan’s heart trembled slightly again. It was the first time in her life she had experienced such a stimulus, to the point where her nerves were still shaking. Seeming to think of something, she turned her head back to look at Lin Jiangnian. "So, you really don't intend to kill me anymore?"

Lin Jiangnian’s gaze turned cold. "Do you want me to kill you?"

Xu Lan shook her head. "I just wanted to know... why you suddenly stopped. Was it a sudden pang of conscience? Or is there some other reason?"

She watched him, trying to find an answer on his face. But Lin Jiangnian’s calm, undisturbed expression—that face which was both familiar and yet somewhat alien—stirred up an indescribable feeling in her heart. She could not guess his concerns and found his sudden decision to spare her both surprising and difficult to fathom.

She took a deep breath, and as if a thought had occurred to her, her eyes dimmed. She glanced at Lin Jiangnian and spoke suddenly: "Actually... Chen Yingying died because of me."

Hearing this, Lin Jiangnian’s expression shifted, and he looked up at her.

Xu Lan remained with her arms wrapped around her legs, a look of guilt and unease on her face. "You wanted to know why I could tell at a glance that you were a fake Heir of the Prince of Lin, didn't you?"

On her exquisite face, there was a heavy, subdued expression as she spoke calmly: "Because the person who truly caused the death of the real Heir... was me!"

Lin Jiangnian was deeply shocked, staring at Xu Lan in disbelief. She was the one who caused the Heir's death?! How could this be?!

"The one who actually lured him out of the city was me... Chen Yingying was just a convenient scapegoat who happened to appear."

"How could a mere courtesan have coaxed the Heir of the Prince of Lin? It was I who secretly pushed things behind the scenes, using her to lure him out..." Xu Lan offered a bitter smile. "Even though our relationship wasn't good, we had known each other for over a decade. He wouldn't have suspected that I would deceive him, so... the one who caused his death was, in fact, me!"

"And since I was the only one who knew about this, then... when you were attacked and returned alive, and didn't come to settle the score with me, I knew..."

"You were a fake. Right?"

"..."

The look of astonishment on Lin Jiangnian’s face did not fade for a long time. It was her?! She was the mole hidden within the Prince of Lin's mansion? The true culprit behind the Heir’s death?! Surely, no one within the entire mansion could have expected this. The Lin and Xu families were long-time friends, their bond so close, yet this young lady of the Xu family had actually...

"Why?" Lin Jiangnian’s voice was low. "Why would you want to harm him?"

Xu Lan continued to hug her legs, her delicate features showing a hint of bewilderment. After a long silence, she shook her head, her lowered eyes flickering with unease. "I don't want to say."

She offered no explanation for her motives. Why would she harm the Heir? Which faction did she truly serve? She remained silent. But Lin Jiangnian realized from her expression that the matter was far from simple. Upon learning this news, his mind remained in a state of turmoil for a long time.

Was she lying? Lin Jiangnian studied her expression—it didn't seem so. From his interactions with her over the past few days, she did not seem like the type to be so calculating, unless... all of this was a facade.

If that were the case, then she was hidden far too deeply! She had used a scapegoat to fool everyone, clearing herself of all suspicion in the murder of the Heir. A truly masterful deception! No one would have ever guessed that the one who truly caused the death of the Heir was this young lady of the Xu family, who had known him for over a decade and whose families were such close friends.

How unpredictable the world truly is!

"So..." after another moment of silence, Xu Lan slowly raised her head to look at Lin Jiangnian, forcing a smile onto her slightly pale face. "Now that you know my biggest secret..."

"Are we... even now?"