Even Xue Lianyu, who had seen the world, was shocked. "What on earth has happened?"
Qiao'er dropped to her knees with a thud, her eyes brimming with tears. "Your Highness, please return to the mansion quickly. Miss... Miss is on the verge of death!"
Cheng Xiran almost instinctively glanced at Helian Duo, but he seemed completely detached from the situation.
Weren't they about to get married? Didn't she think he loved her deeply? Could it all be a lie?
Xue Lianyu immediately tensed up, shedding his usual nonchalant demeanor. "Let's go. I'll go back with you to find out what's going on."
Seeing that they were about to leave and having nothing else to do, Cheng Xiran and Chu Liyin simply went back to the mansion with them.
Sure enough, just as Qiao'er had said, the room was in complete disarray, clearly ransacked.
Looking at the various antiques that had been smashed to pieces, Cheng Xiran couldn't help but feel a bit sorry.
Helian Duo didn't go inside to check on Su Yunxiu's injuries. Instead, he summoned Zuo Yan and questioned him in detail about what had happened.
"The mansion is heavily guarded. How could a thief have easily entered and attacked someone?"
His tone was as calm as ever, but there was an imposing air of authority.
Cheng Xiran saw Xue Lianyu with a cold expression on his face. She didn't even dare to breathe loudly, fearing that she might anger Helian Duo and be punished.
Zuo Yan looked embarrassed. "It was during the guard shift. There must have been a loophole. When I heard a commotion in the back house, I led a group of people to investigate. Unexpectedly, this happened in the front yard."
"Have you caught the assassin?" Helian Duo asked indifferently.
Seeing Zuo Yan shake his head, he didn't press further. He simply commanded sternly, "I want an explanation for this, no matter what. You'd better find the culprit. I'd like to see who dares to cause trouble in the mansion deliberately!"
Zuo Yan took the order and retreated, and Helian Duo didn't seem to have any intention of going in to see Su Yunxiu.
Xue Lianyu couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him, "Blockhead, aren't you going in to take a look? After all, she was injured by the scoundrels while protecting your personal belongings."
To Cheng Xiran's surprise, Helian Duo looked at her after hearing this.
She wasn't the one who was injured, nor was she the one who attacked. Why was he looking at her?
His gaze was so intense that it made Cheng Xiran hold her breath. After a few moments of stalemate, she had no choice but to excuse herself. "Your Highness, I just remembered that I have some things to do. I'll take my leave first..."
As she was about to slip out, Qiao'er came out of the inner room with a mournful face, sobbing, "Your Highness, please go in and take a look. Fortunately, the doctor arrived in time, and she's not in any serious danger. But she injured the muscles and bones in her shoulder. The doctor said she needs to rest for a while to fully recover."
"Since she's fine, you take good care of her. I have other things to attend to."
Helian Duo left without looking back, leaving the rest of them behind.
Qiao'er stood there in a daze.
Xue Lianyu also called out to him repeatedly, "Hey, blockhead! She got injured for you. Aren't you going in to see her? Are you really that heartless and merciless?"
Chu Liyin watched the scene with an amused look on her face.
"Forget it. He's been in a bad mood these past few days. You go in and take care of your young lady."
After Qiao'er left, Cheng Xiran didn't plan to stay either. The group returned to the newspaper office from the mansion. On the way, they accidentally met a few avid fans of "Capital Gossip", who were all asking about the continuation of the story. Cheng Xiran was too tired to deal with them and just gave vague answers.
When they returned to the newspaper office, Helian Duo was nowhere to be seen.
"This guy must have gone to deal with this matter. If it's not a prank, then this is a serious issue."