C9 Little Cutie Xiao Leng

At the Myriad Flower Tower, she had already tended to her wound, applying some antiseptic ointment, so it wouldn't look too unsightly. Besides, with a veil covering her face, how did he even notice? Would he suspect her?

Lo Li's heart was in turmoil, but after waiting for a while, no one came to arrest her. Instead, a young runner actually brought her ten silver coins.

"Are you the new post-mortem examiner, Lo Li?"

The young runner looked about eleven or twelve, with eyes as bright and innocent as a fawn's.

Lo Li nodded.

The runner suddenly smiled, his eyes crinkling, and handed her the money.

"My name's Xiao Leng. I'm just a temporary runner, so I don't get a salary. My brother said this money is for you, an advance payment, so you better not run away. With the royal family gone, we don't know if a new king will take over or if we'll become part of another country, so our office is really tight on funds. This is all from my brother's own pocket."

Lo Li couldn't help but smile a little.

"Alright, I understand. I promise I won't run away."

Xiao Leng grinned, revealing a gap where a tooth was missing, which made him look especially cute.

"We don't have a cook at the moment, so you'll have to sort out your meals for the next few days. You can cook for yourself or buy food from the street. A copper coin will get you a flatbread, but I suggest you buy steamed buns—three for a copper coin. You're so petite, you could probably eat three meals with that."

Xiao Leng was particularly charming and didn't mind that Lo Li was a post-mortem examiner. He chatted away without a care, regardless of whether Lo Li wanted to listen or not.

At that moment, Lo Li's initial panic from almost being recognized by Xiao Zhu began to fade. Xiao Leng's endless chatter slowly calmed her cold and anxious heart.

...

When Prince Ximu and Feng Wuqing arrived at the Myriad Flower Tower, they didn't find the usual lively and bustling scene. Instead, it was eerily quiet and tense.

"What happened?" Prince Ximu, hidden in the shadows with his mask, asked. Feng Wuqing resignedly grabbed a guard and pulled him aside to inquire.

"It was Princess Mingyue. She killed a stable hand and fled." In reality, it was the young man who committed the act before leaving, but he moved so quickly that Lo Li didn't see it.

The people at the Myriad Flower Tower entered to check when they heard no sound for a quarter of an hour. Consequently, the blame for the murder was firmly placed on Princess Mingyue.

"What? That little girl who can't even hurt a fly actually killed someone?" Feng Wuqing was taken aback.

"Yes, now General Lin is furious and has ordered a citywide search. It's said that the city gates are closed, so even if Princess Mingyue tries to escape, she won't get far. But no one knows where she's hiding."

Feng Wuqing knocked out the guard and turned to look at Prince Ximu.

"Useless!" the prince scoffed.

Feng Wuqing knew the prince was referring to Lin Feng.

"He's connected to your uncle. If he finds out you're here, it could be troublesome. Plus, it looks like that girl is hiding, and finding her won't be easy."

"Let's head to the county office," Ximu Longchen decided after a moment of thought.

Xiao Zhu, who was once the prince's study companion, had been sent to Yancheng as a governor because of his loyalty to the prince. Unexpectedly, this situation ended up helping Ximu Longchen. Hiding in the county office was undoubtedly the safest option at this point.

With their decision made, the two quietly slipped away from the Myriad Flower Tower under the cover of night, heading towards the county office.