ebookland Chapter 15 Searching for Lin Qianqian
Chapter 15 Searching for Lin Qianqian
Murong Yi carefully escorted Su Wan'er back to the Su residence. Upon hearing that the Ninth Prince had arrived in person, everyone in the Su household came out to greet him. Su's father, with a beaming smile, hurried forward to greet her, but when he saw Su Wan'er's tearful and distraught appearance, his smile instantly froze, replaced by anxiety and concern. He hurriedly asked what had happened.
Murong Yi turned slightly to the side, filled with guilt, and said softly, "Wan'er was captured by bandits and suffered injustice."
Upon hearing this, Su's father was shocked and looked at Su Wan'er with worry in his eyes. He tightly grasped her hand, "Ah~ my good daughter, how could this happen!"
Su Wan'er forced herself to stay calm, her eyes moist, and said softly, "Father, I'm alright now. Thanks to the Prince's timely rescue, I was able to stay safe." Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was still shaken.
Upon hearing this, Su's father breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Murong Yi with a face full of gratitude: "Your Highness's great kindness will be remembered forever. Please, Your Highness, stay in the mansion for a while today, and allow me to serve you tea and water to express my sincere thanks."
Murong Yi raised his hand slightly and politely declined, saying, "Lord Su, you are too kind. I still have matters to attend to in my palace, so it is really inconvenient for me to stay any longer. I will definitely come to visit again another day when I have time."
After saying that, he turned his gaze to Su Wan'er, his eyes filled with a hint of tenderness and pity. "Wan'er has been frightened. Lord Su must make sure she gets some rest. You must not be careless."
Su Wan'er had hoped that the Ninth Prince would stay in the manor a little longer, but she hadn't expected him to be in such a hurry to leave. She felt a pang of regret and disappointment, but said nothing, and could only reluctantly part ways with him. "Your Highness~ Take care on your journey!"
Murong Yi met her gaze and said softly, "Hmm~ Wan'er, I will come to see you again another day!"
After bidding farewell to the Su family, Murong Yi mounted his horse and, instead of returning directly to the Prince's residence, spurred his horse toward the Prime Minister's residence.
Murong Yi rode swiftly to the Prime Minister's residence. The guards at the gate, recognizing the Ninth Prince, hurriedly bowed and rushed inside to report. Murong Yi, anxious and impatient, strode straight into the residence, where he encountered Prime Minister Lin, who had come to greet him.
Prime Minister Lin bowed respectfully: "I was unaware of Your Highness's presence. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."
Murong Yi waved his hand and asked anxiously, "Prime Minister Lin, has Lin Qianqian returned to the manor?"
Prime Minister Lin looked puzzled: "Your Highness, my daughter has not yet returned to the manor. I am also wondering where she has gone."
Murong Yi's expression instantly turned solemn, his worry growing stronger. He paced back and forth, pondering for a moment before saying to Prime Minister Lin, "I went with Miss Lin to rescue Miss Su, but in the chaos, Miss Lin got separated from us. I thought she would return to the manor first, but now it seems she may have met with misfortune. Prime Minister, rest assured, I will do my utmost to search for her and bring her back safely."
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Lin was greatly alarmed: "Your Highness, what... what should we do? My daughter may be a bit stubborn, but she is by no means a reckless person. How could she disappear without a trace? Please, Your Highness, find my daughter as soon as possible!"
Murong Yi nodded in agreement, turned and left the mansion, mounting his horse. At this moment, his mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Xiaoqian's safety, and various possible dangerous situations kept flashing through his mind. He secretly vowed that he would find her no matter what and would never let her be harmed.
In a small corner behind the hall railing, Aunt Liu and Lin Yueyue overheard the entire conversation between Murong Yi and Prime Minister Lin. Upon learning of Lin Qianqian's disappearance, Aunt Liu's lips unconsciously curled into a smile, a barely perceptible hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. She gently tugged at Lin Yueyue's sleeve, signaling her to remain silent.
The news quickly reached Xiaodie's ears. She was carrying a tea tray to deliver to Prime Minister Lin when she heard the news. The tray clattered to the ground, spilling tea everywhere, but she paid no heed. Her eyes widened instantly, filled with worry and heartache.
"Miss, Miss, where have you gone?" Xiaodie murmured, her voice trembling with tears. She was frantic, pacing back and forth, Lin Xiaoqian's image constantly flashing through her mind, remembering her mistress's usual gentle voice and smile, and her tender care for her. She knew her mistress had gone to rescue someone, but how could she have disappeared?
Xiaodie, disregarding the mess on the ground, turned and ran out of the mansion. She had to find her mistress, even if there was only a sliver of hope. She inquired everywhere along the streets outside the Prime Minister's mansion, asking everyone she met if they had seen Lin Qianqian. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her hair became disheveled, but she still didn't stop. Her anxious figure weaving through the streets and alleys became a striking sight, yet she had only one thought in her mind: to find her mistress and bring her home safely.