The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 527: Chapter 527: You Hate Me That Much?

It was total chaos.

Everyone present was stunned.

Who could have expected Zhou Kangxue to spit out such words at the very end?

It wasn’t enough to drag Xiao Lansi down with him; he actually intended to embroil Xiao Chengxuan as well?

But in an instant, everyone realized a crucial point that couldn’t be ignored—what Zhou Kangxue said could very well be true.

Jiang Qingmei’s and Xiao Chengxuan’s fall to their current miserable state was indeed inextricably linked to Ye Chutang.

And there was no need to elaborate on the bond between Xiao Lansi and them.

Everyone knew that Xiao Lansi had been raised by Jiang Qingmei and had always shown deep concern for Xiao Chengxuan.

—When Xiao Chengxuan was under house arrest at Chengxin Lake, she was the only one who visited him without fear or avoidance.

With such a deep bond, to say she held no resentment toward Ye Chutang seemed... difficult to believe.

Zhou Kangxue’s speculation was not without reason.

The air in the vast side hall seemed to freeze.

No one spoke, as if afraid of disturbing something.

The atmosphere was stretched to its breaking point.

Ye Chutang clicked her tongue internally. ’What a fine show.’

She looked at Xiao Chengxuan with great interest, a hint of pity even showing in her eyes.

’—With this endless, overwhelming barrage of accusations, anyone would break, wouldn’t they?’

...

The Eldest Princess frowned. ”Halt.”

The guards immediately stopped.

Zhou Kangxue was panting heavily, his face flushed the color of pig’s liver.

But a strange, perverse sense of satisfaction welled up inside him.

’—They won’t let me live in peace? Then no one gets to live in peace!’

’Even if I have to die, I’ll drag a few others down with me!’

Fan Chengzhuo’s heart tightened, and he immediately stepped forward. ”Eldest Princess, Zhou Kangxue has lost his mind! His words cannot be trusted!”

But the Eldest Princess didn’t even glance at him, her gaze fixed directly on Xiao Chengxuan.

”Cheng Xuan, do you have nothing to say?”

Xiao Chengxuan looked as if his soul had left his body.

At the sound of her voice, he slowly raised his head, his expression frozen, as if he were still processing Zhou Kangxue’s words.

The Eldest Princess narrowed her eyes, her expression turning stern. ”Are you involved in this matter?”

Fan Chengzhuo wanted to say more, but when he saw the Eldest Princess’s expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed his words.

In truth, everyone was waiting for Xiao Chengxuan’s answer.

Xiao Chengxuan, of course, realized this as well.

He suddenly found it laughable.

And then he actually laughed.

The corners of his mouth slowly stretched into a bizarre arc, his shoulders beginning to tremble with increasing intensity.

It started as a silent tremor, then grew into a hoarse chuckle, and finally erupted into a strange, unhinged laugh that bordered on a complete breakdown.

”...Heh... heheh... HAHAHAHA!”

A chill ran down everyone’s spines.

The Eldest Princess’s brow was tightly furrowed.

Chen Songshi stared at him intently, trying to discern what was happening.

Even Zhao Chengyin, the very man who had come to accuse Xiao Chengxuan today, was completely bewildered, his face a mask of confusion.

’What... What’s wrong with him!?’

Suddenly, Xiao Lansi crawled forward two steps on her knees, her eyes red as she cried out, ”Eldest Princess! My second brother has nothing to do with this! I beg you to see the truth! I don’t know how I offended Doctor Zhou to make him frame me like this, but I am willing to bear all responsibility alone! You can investigate however you wish! But—but please do not implicate my second brother in this! I’m begging you!”

Her plea was truly sincere and moving.

The Eldest Princess did not agree immediately, a hesitant look on her face.

Xiao Lansi turned to Xiao Chengxuan, sobbing softly. ”...Second Brother, I’ve dragged you into this. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...”

Xiao Chengxuan just watched her, his smile gradually fading.

His gaze turned icy, and a sneer touched his lips.

”Is that so? Is that what you really think?”

His voice was soft, no different from a casual greeting.

But Xiao Lansi could still sense that something was wrong.

She opened her mouth, somewhat confused. ”Second Brother, what are you saying?”

Xiao Chengxuan stared at that harmless-looking face.

Timid, beautiful, obedient, and skilled at arguing.

These contradictory traits merged, making her seem exceptionally unique.

’But why had I never noticed before?’

Xiao Chengxuan stared at her and spat out a single sentence:

”You’ve met Wu the Fourth, haven’t you?”

...

The words were like a stone cast into a calm lake, sending ripples through the crowd.

At first, the crowd didn’t react, but soon, they all gasped in unison.

—Wu the Fourth!

Wasn’t that the man who hired assassins to kill Ye Chutang!?

Zhao Chengyin had said he was Xiao Chengxuan’s trusted subordinate, but Xiao Chengxuan had vehemently denied any connection to the matter.

And now, unexpectedly, Xiao Chengxuan was asking Xiao Lansi such a question!

’So... does this mean the assassination attempt was also orchestrated by Xiao Lansi!?’

All eyes, filled with disbelief or stunned amazement, focused on Xiao Lansi.

Xiao Lansi’s eyes slowly widened, teardrops still clinging to her lashes, making her look utterly bewildered.

”Second Brother, what are you talking about? Who is Wu the Fourth?”

Xiao Chengxuan stared at her fixedly, without blinking.

Xiao Lansi’s brow furrowed slightly, her voice trembling. ”Second Brother, don’t scare me. What’s gotten into you?”

’When Xiao Lansi was brought here, only the matter with Zhou Kangxue was mentioned, not Wu the Fourth,’ the crowd thought, exchanging glances. ’Her reaction seems plausible.’

But Xiao Chengxuan, as if he couldn’t hear her at all, stubbornly continued, ”After returning to the capital, you visited my mansion several times. On one of those occasions, you happened to run into him. You knew he was my man.”

Scene after scene from the past replayed in his mind.

Those once-blurry, fragmented memories were suddenly being threaded together by an invisible line, gradually forming a clear picture!

The more Xiao Chengxuan thought about it, the more certain he became of his suspicion, and his words began to tumble out faster.

”From that moment on, you were secretly keeping an eye on him. After my downfall, the people of the Prince Qi Mansion were either imprisoned or scattered. Wu the Fourth, because he was responsible for my network of spies in the capital, wasn’t investigated and managed to escape. But you knew he existed. You found him and used my name to make him do your bidding, didn’t you?”

Xiao Lansi seemed to have been frightened into tears, shaking her head repeatedly.

”No, that’s not it! Second Brother, I don’t know anything! I didn’t do any of the things you’re saying! Why would you suspect me like this? Why?”

She was almost sobbing too hard to speak.

Being suspected by the person she trusted most was undoubtedly the most painful blow.

Meanwhile, the onlookers were already stunned by his string of accusations.

This... this...

But faced with her tears, Xiao Chengxuan only found it laughable.

He laughed mockingly. ”I do hate Ye Chutang! But I’ve been locked up this whole time, where would I have had the opportunity to do such a thing? What’s more, if she died, everyone would suspect me! Of course I want revenge, but I’m not that stupid!”

’If Ye Chutang died, he feared he wouldn’t live for long either!’

’That would be the true, absolute end!’

’Therefore, the person who most wanted Ye Chutang dead wasn’t him!’

It was—

”Do you hate me that much? You want me dead!?”