Tang De rushed in and whispered a report in Oser’s ear.

“Your Highness, something has happened in the northern outskirts.”

Oser sent Ling Yi a nonchalant glance and stood, walking out of the ward with Tang De.

Ling Yi intuitively felt that what Tang De said must be related to him, but he didn’t know how. His brow furrowed.

Nan Ting happened to be coming this way, and heard Captain Tang De deliberately lower his voice at the end of the corridor. Thinking of Ling Yi’s request, she immediately took more caution and stopped to eavesdrop.

“The prime minister’s replacement was in a car accident on the way to the execution grounds. The escort vehicle exploded and caught fire on the spot. After the fire was put out, only four bodies were found inside, completely unrecognizable.”

“Now everyone thinks Ling Yi was burned to death, and people are gathering to protest at the prime minister’s residence. All the police and army personnel in the city were sent to provide support, but the situation won’t be resolved for some time.”

“Let them make a fuss. I just fear they won’t make it big enough.”

Oser spoke with disdain. This car accident was exactly what he wanted.

“Was the accident arranged by that old man?”

Tang De shook his head.

“I don’t think so. It looked more like someone was trying to carjack the vehicle and accidentally set it on fire. The driver is still alive, but he’s on his last breath, so we can’t interrogate him.”

“Where is he now?”

“I sent someone to pick him up in secret. He’s currently receiving emergency treatment on the first floor.”

“He must be kept alive until we can figure out who he is.”

Oser was a little angry.

“I just promised Little Weed that I would take care of his cats and dogs, and now the cats and dogs are rushing to die. They’re really causing trouble for me.”

Tang De pitched his voice even lower: “I’m afraid there’s more than one person causing trouble. Your Highness, You Lin has returned to the country and wants to see you…..”

His voice was too low, and Nan Ting couldn’t hear what he said at the end.

As the footsteps of the two gradually faded away, she quickly walked back to the ward and repeated to Ling Yi everything she had heard.

Ling Yi paced anxiously in the ward after listening to Nan Ting’s retelling.

“Did Captain Tang De say anything about what the driver who was sent here looks like?”

Nan Ting shook her head: “That’s all he said.”

“I need to go up and confirm with my own eyes.”

“Doctor Pat won’t allow you to leave, and neither will His Highness Oser.”

“Then I won’t ask for their approval. I’ll just go up to take a look and come right back.”

“But my only door pass is with Doctor Pat.”

“That works for me.”

Doctor Pat heard the call bell and rushed into the ward. Ling Yi was leaning against the wall, and looked to be in poor health. 

“What happened? Are you feeling unwell? Where is Nan Ting? Didn’t I tell her to take care of you?”

Ling Yi waved his hand weakly: “I asked her to pour me some water, but as soon as she left, I—”

“Nausea,” Pat cut in quickly. “And vomiting, right?”

“…..” Ling Yi was going to say dizziness. “Yeah.”

“That’s normal. Alphas who spend a long time with His Highness will react like this to some extent.”

“…..Really?”

“Although he didn’t stay long, I can roughly guess what His Highness did to you.”

“Technically speaking, this is an adverse pheromone response, which is mainly caused by excessive stress. I particularly sympathize with you.”

Ling Yi suddenly felt that this person was rather pitiful.

Everyone around Oser deserved sympathy.

“I’ll get you some stress-relief medication. You lie down in bed first. Can you stand? I’ll help you.”

As soon as Ling Yi stood up, Pat very quietly fell down.

Ling Yi caught him expressionlessly: “Apologies, Doctor Pat. But this is better than putting hands on a young lady.”

Nan Ting’s work ID was in Pat’s jacket pocket.

“I’ll borrow this for a while and return it to you later.”

People were bustling in and out of the emergency room, and nobody noticed that there was an uninvited guest on the scene.

Ling Yi wore a white uniform, a mask, and a work ID hung casually on his chest, blending in perfectly with the background of the medical college.

The driver who was sent here was dying. His entire body was covered in blood, and several medical staff were endeavoring to stop the bleeding.

When he recognized that face, Ling Yi didn’t know whether to rejoice or grieve.

Fortunately, it wasn’t his adopted father. But he was his adoptive father’s good friend.

Even an uncle who had no blood relationship with him was willing to risk his life for Ling Yi. He was even more worried about his adoptive father’s current situation.

Feigning calmness, he walked over and pretended to inspect the patient’s condition.

“How is he?” he asked.

“It’s not optimistic,” the doctor working on him said without looking up. “He’s lost too much blood, and has no desire to live.”

Ling Yi took a deep breath and said at the risk of being discovered: “He’s a person of importance, and His Highness Oser has ordered that his life must be saved at all costs.”

The other party briefly looked up at him: “Captain Tang De just explained this in person.”

“…..That’s good. I just wanted to emphasize again that you don’t want to bear the wrath of His Highness Oser.”

Ling Yi’s fingertips were grasped without any warning, with such force that it called into question whether this person was actually dying.

Their eyes met, and Ling Yi knew from the shock in the other’s gaze that he recognized him.

“He’s awake!” a nurse exclaimed.

The doctor who had just assessed that the patient had no desire to live was astonished to see that all vital signs were recovering rapidly.

A person who desperately desired to live had a much higher chance of survival than one who was determined to die.

The doctor saw hope – not only the hope of a successful rescue, but also the hope that he would avoid punishment from His Highness.

“Proceed with the blood transfusion! Bring the blood bags!”

Ling Yi held the patient’s hand back tightly, fingers trembling from the excessive force.

He must have thought Ling Yi had died in the car accident he caused, and completely lost hope.

His pale lips opened and closed with difficulty, as if he was trying to say something to him.

Ling Yi immediately leaned forward, and an intermittent whisper reached his ears:

“Xi En…..prime minister’s office…..assassination…..”

“Make way, make way.”

Ling Yi was pushed aside by a nurse who rushed in with the blood bags.

The surroundings were bustling and noisy, but Ling Yi seemed to have lost both his hearing and vision, standing there in a daze without moving.

It wasn’t until he heard someone suddenly call out to him that he regained his senses.

“What?”

“I said, if you have nothing to do, don’t just stand there. Come here and help.”

The doctor wanted to call him by name, but couldn’t remember it. He just felt that he had seen those eyes somewhere before.

“Which department are you from?”

Ling Yi took a step back and calmly covered his work ID.

“Sorry, I have something urgent to deal with.”

He backed away as he spoke, then turned around and walked out with long strides. One after another, he passed by doctors and nurses wearing identical uniforms before gradually leaving the commotion behind.

Even at noon, there was barely any light in the underground parking lot.

The staff vehicles were parked in an orderly fashion near the entrance, with just one black Soaring Eagle parked quietly in a blind corner spot.

This was an expensive, low-profile, extended-cab vehicle. The C-shaped rear seating could accommodate up to eight people, making it a favorite choice for wealthy people who didn’t want to be ostentatious.

The windows of the vehicle were covered in 100% blackout film, and one could only see darkness when peering at the windows from outside.

Two people sat face-to face inside the vehicle, one sitting upright, and the other in a posture of haughty disinterest. The difference in their statuses was obvious at a glance.

“You graduated?” Oser asked leisurely.

You Lin lowered his eyes respectfully: “Thank you for your care. I did, Your Highness Oser.”

“Why did you return after graduation instead of staying there?”

“Even while I was abroad, I followed the news from back home. I’ve been following the case of the murder of the Lu family’s youngest son since the beginning. When I learned that the defendant was sentenced to death, I rushed back as soon as I could.”

“Oh. What does this have to do with you?”

“It may be because the defendant’s experience is somewhat similar to mine that I can empathize with his situation. So I would like to ask Your Highness to let me take him away.”

“You?”

“Yes, I’ve learned how to conceal my identity and adapt to life abroad over the years. Once I take him over there, I can take care of his daily necessities and help him apply to schools…..”

“Stop.”

Oser raised his hand impatiently.

“You’re planning long-term, but who said you’ll be able to save him?”

Only then did You Lin hesitantly raise his eyes: “Your Highness doesn’t plan to save him?”

“It’s too late. He’s already dead.”

You Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Just half an hour ago, that person was burned to charcoal. If you really want the ashes, you can take them and go.”

You Lin had never expected that despite all his efforts, he would be a step too late. 

What surprised him even more was His Highness’s attitude.

“Your Highness…..why didn’t you stop it from happening?”

“Why do you think I had an obligation to stop it?” Oser asked.

“Because…..”

“Because he killed my uncle? So I should commend him, sing his praises, and shield him from my grandfather’s poison at all costs?”

“Your Highness!” You Lin was extremely agitated. “Six years ago, my father was the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court. In order to uphold justice, he sentenced the second son of the Lu family to death, but was retaliated against. He was framed, convicted, and ultimately executed in secret.”

“Lu Hulun even refused to let my father’s family go. It was you who saved me from his clutches, sent me abroad, helped me change my name, and funded my studies. Since you lent me a helping hand, why won’t you help that kid when his situation is so similar to mine?”

Oser crossed his long legs, his expression full of contempt for You Lin’s accusations.

“Why, everyone seems to think I’m a philanthropist who loves to hand out charity. Saving one isn’t enough – I must save a second one. Are you some sort of victim’s alliance, forcing a buy one, get one free deal?”

“He’s only twenty-two years old. He hasn’t even graduated from the Military Academy yet!”

“If the two of you are so afraid of death, you shouldn’t have provoked the wrong people in the first place. Don’t provoke someone and then find out later that you couldn’t afford to. Whether through seduction or coercive moralizing, people have been begging me to save them left and right.”

S-seduction?

You Lin was momentarily confused, but he soon put it behind him.

“Your Highness, I never intended to use coercive moralizing against you.”

“You didn’t want to die in vain, so I sent you abroad. You wanted to study law, and I supported your studies. Now you come back from school just to accuse me to my face for not being a good person at all times. What sort of ingrate have I nurtured all these years?”

You Lin lowered his head even further, regretting speaking out due to a momentary impulse.

“Your Highness, you will always be the person I respect the most. No matter what happens, I will remain loyal to you till death. My words were just wishful thinking, please don’t take them to heart.”

Oser gave a deep, nasal scoff. When his cell phone rang, he turned the speaker on without even looking to see who it was.

“Speak.”

Pat spoke in a panic: “Your Highness, it’s b-b-bad.”

. . . . . . .

Once Ling Yi locked onto his target, he carefully circled the Soaring Eagle twice to confirm that there were no guards or surveillance. 

He removed his mask and put it in his pocket. Then he feigned calmness and moved closer to the car. Using his body as cover, he gingerly tugged at the door.

As soon as he did so, he got a sense that something wasn’t right.

The door wasn’t locked. A strong sense of foreboding came over him.

But he was already here, so he could only bite the bullet and open the door. The strong scent of Alpha pheromones smacked him in the face – pheromones that he could never forget after smelling them once. 

A stranger he had never met leaned forward when he opened the door, and his eyes practically popped out of his head in shock. 

The person sitting opposite looked at Ling Yi with a smile, a familiar voice emitting from the speaker of his cell phone.

Pat: “Your Highness, it’s b-b-bad…..Ling Yi has escaped!”

“It’s alright,” Oser said into the speaker. “I see him.”

Ling Yi: “……”

Oser hung up the phone and curled his lips ambiguously. 

“What a coincidence.”

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Chapter 5 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 7