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Mei Shuang let out a sigh of relief, her body relaxing as she felt a layer of sweat forming in her palms.
Nangong Nuo's voice sounded slightly hoarse, suddenly bringing her memories back to the distant cave in Qishan, causing her to momentarily lose focus.
However, facing Nangong Nuo's teasing, Mei Shuang was not about to let him take advantage of her. She immediately replied, "That's why people can easily go mad in a dark, isolated environment. It's only been a few days, and I've already been tortured by loneliness to the point where hearing Zhao Prince's voice feels strangely comforting..."
This caught Nangong Nuo off guard. He looked at Mei Shuang's back, his gaze filled with deep meaning.
Mei Shuang set down her chopsticks and turned around.
In the flickering candlelight, the proud figure of Nangong Nuo stood tall in a moon-white brocade robe, adorned with a Jade Belt. The Silver Mask on his face shimmered under the dancing flames, but beneath the mask, his eyes were as dark as ink, captivating and intense.
After a moment of silence, Mei Shuang asked, "Are you... sick?"
"What?" Nangong Nuo casually turned his head to glance around before fixing his gaze back on Mei Shuang. "It’s been a while since this prince has seen you. How have you been here?"
Mei Shuang shook her head. "It's nothing... Uh, how long do you plan to keep me imprisoned here?"
Nangong Nuo took a few steps closer, standing just about ten feet away from Mei Shuang, and arrogantly declared, "Miss Mei Shuang, I came precisely to discuss this matter. If Miss Mei Shuang does not wish to stay any longer, I will release you immediately..."
Mei Shuang remained silent, quietly meeting the gaze of those eyes hidden behind the mask.
Sure enough, Nangong Nuo stated his condition: "Accompany me for one more exploration of Qishan..."
"......"
Immediately, Mei Shuang recalled the earlier warning: "No matter who comes later, do not trust them."
She took a deep breath, "You've gotten what you deserve, so why risk it all?"
Nangong Nuo chuckled softly, "How do you know if I have truly received what I should? And how do you know what I want to obtain?"
Mei Shuang was momentarily taken aback.
Nangong Nuo stepped closer, quietly gazing at Mei Shuang for a moment before suddenly reaching out his hand. His fingers lightly brushed against the skin on her cheek, gently stroking it twice.
Mei Shuang was shocked by his actions, feeling the hairs on her arms stand on end. Instinctively stepping back two paces in a mix of anger and embarrassment, she wiped her cheek fiercely with her sleeve and exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing?!"
Her somewhat excessive reaction caught Nangong Nuo off guard for a moment, but then he shrugged it off with indifference. "Miss Mei Shuang, this isn't our first encounter. Why are you making such a fuss? Hmph, have you decided to become a chaste woman since following Xiao Luo and cast aside any feelings for me?"
Mei Shuang paused her wiping motion and lifted her gaze, suddenly shifting her attention to something behind Nangong Nuo. She gasped in surprise, "Ah?! Zhao Prince?!"
Nangong Nuo froze at her words and instinctively turned around to look behind him. However, all he saw was darkness; there was no one there.
A chill ran through him as he turned back to find Mei Shuang staring directly at him, as if she had anticipated his reaction. Her eyes were clear and cold, filled with mockery.
His brows furrowed slightly; it was evident that Mei Shuang's earlier startled reaction had been intentional. But now that he realized it, it was already too late.
Mei Shuang's cold smile confirmed his earlier judgment about her.
"You are right; indeed, my encounters with Zhao Prince are not new, so there’s no need for alarm. However, this is the first time with you..."
Nangong Nuo's pupils suddenly constricted beneath his mask. He stared at Mei Shuang standing proudly before him, a layer of darkness gradually rising in his eyes.
This woman was indeed clever; she had noticed the clues. Yet his mind raced to analyze where he had gone wrong.
Nangong Nuo's eyes shifted, remaining silent, while Mei Shuang showed no restraint. "Stop pretending! You are not Zhao Prince at all!"
"Oh? How can you tell?" Although exposed, Nangong Nuo remained unfazed, staring at Mei Shuang with a calm tone.
"Just now!" Mei Shuang retorted coldly. "Do you remember when I asked if you had a cold?"
Nangong Nuo slightly pursed his lips, not responding.
"Even though you resemble Zhao Prince in every way, there's one thing: your voice! At first glance, your voice sounds just like Zhao Prince's, but upon closer inspection, it's somewhat different. The truth is, Zhao Prince rarely interacts with others, so few can distinguish his voice. Do you know why I asked if you had a cold? If you had a cold, your voice would naturally be a bit hoarse. But you, first of all, are not sick; second of all, you don't even know what 'having a cold' means. Let me tell you, the real Zhao Prince Nanguo Nuo would never be unaware of those two words..."
After laying out her reasoning, Nangong Nuo suddenly smiled lightly. "Very good, go on..."
Mei Shuang took a deep breath, turned to pick up the silver chopsticks on the table and stirred the flickering candle flame, instantly brightening the room. "In fact, you've always known that I suspected you back in Qishan, right? That's why no matter what I said, you could respond effortlessly; it was all to make people believe you were the real Zhao Prince Nanguo Nuo..."
Mei Shuang set down the chopsticks and turned to say calmly, "Also, why do you always wear a mask? Is it because there are still some differences between you and Zhao Prince?"
Silence.
As their gazes locked, Nangong Nuo stared into Mei Shuang's eyes and suddenly burst into laughter.
The sound startled the cloaked figures inside; several appeared from different directions, looking at their usually stoic master in confusion, unsure why he had suddenly laughed.
Seeing Nangong Nuo wave his hand, they quickly retreated silently.
After laughing heartily, the malice in Nangong Nuo's eyes became evident as he spoke again with a tone full of hostility. "Not bad! Miss Mei Shuang is right! Truly worthy of being reborn; even your mind has become sharper! I underestimated you!"
Although she had suspected this for a long time, hearing Nangong Nuo admit he was an imposter left Mei Shuang utterly shocked.
She stared blankly at Nangong Nuo, watching as he raised his hand to remove his mask.
Mei Shuang's heart raced. Damn it! Who else could this be but Nangong Nuo? Every feature of his face, every detail of his brows and eyes, was exactly the same as before. Even at such a close distance, she couldn't detect anything amiss, and she couldn't help but marvel at how advanced this disguise technique was.
However, a sudden flash of realization struck her mind, reminding her of the time when the fake Left Chancellor Li Tang had poisoned her twin brother.
Her expression changed as she glared at Nangong Nuo, panic rising in her voice. "Could it be that you and Zhao Prince are twin brothers?"
Nangong Nuo let out a cold laugh, playing with the shimmering silver mask in his hand, noncommittal.
Mei Shuang fixed her gaze on the mask he held. "And what about the mask Zhao Prince gave me before? Was that also made by you?"
Indeed! In the past, Xiao Luo had commanded her to pray for the Empress Dowager and wanted Mei Shuang to accompany her. Not wanting to reveal her true identity, Nangong Nuo had given her a mask. Now that she thought about it, the styles of the two masks were somewhat similar.
Seeing Mei Shuang scrutinizing the mask in his hand, Nangong Nuo couldn't help but smirk. "You're quite clever; that's indeed the case..."
Startled, Mei Shuang took several steps back, her voice no longer calm. "Who are you?! Where is the real Zhao Prince?!"
Her mind raced as she tried to recall who that Nangong Nuo was when she first arrived at the cave.
As Nangong Nuo put the mask back on, Mei Shuang suddenly noticed a small black mole on the inner side of his wrist—something that this Nangong Nuo did not have. It was clear that the man before her was not the real Nangong Nuo.
"The Zhao Prince you speak of is my twin brother. However, aside from you, no one else knows this matter. Even the current emperor may not be aware that there are two identical Zhao Princes in this world. To put it simply, I am my brother's shadow; he is the one in front of people while I remain behind. You can understand it as my brother being me and me being my brother..."
Although Mei Shuang found his explanation somewhat convoluted, she grasped its essence and steadied herself. "Alright then, can you tell me your name and where your brother is now?"
Nangong Nuo snorted coldly. "You don't need to know my name because according to our family tree, I will never exist... However, I can tell you this: from now on, I am the Emperor's uncle and the only Other Clan Prince of the Great Qin Empire—Zhao Prince... Nangong Nuo..."
Mei Shuang was taken aback. What did that mean?!
Suddenly, she understood. Oh my!
She couldn't believe it as she said, "So you're saying you actually... killed your brother to take his place?!"
Nangong Nuo nodded, standing with his hands behind his back, proudly declaring, "To achieve the great ambitions of the family! Even kin can be sacrificed!"
Those words sounded so familiar!
A certain unique empress in history had once said something similar.
It seemed that for the sake of so-called grand ambitions, ruthless individuals could have such astonishing similarities in their words and actions.
Mei Shuang nodded in realization. "I understand now. It seems all of this was your doing, not Zhao Prince's. But do you realize that because of the treasure affair, you are already guilty of treason, notorious and the court will not let you off? You still have the mind to play the role of Nangong Nuo; you must be out of your mind..."
"Hahaha," Nangong Nuo chuckled lightly. "Miss Mei Shuang, you worry too much. You need not concern yourself with my affairs. When I meet Emperor Xiao Luo of the Great Qin Empire, I will tell him a story. The most important point is that the one who went to Qishan to seize the treasure was a twin brother unknown to Zhao Prince, who was eliminated by Zhao Prince for his righteous cause. Therefore, I will plead for forgiveness from Xiao Luo... So everything has nothing to do with the loyal Zhao Prince."
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