Chapter 113: Suddenly, an Uncle Appears Out of Nowhere

Late at night, Yan Heru left the post house alone. Following the instructions on the note, she arrived at the designated location and, to her surprise, found someone waiting there.

That person stood bathed in moonlight. Unable to discern whether they were friend or foe, or even if they were the person mentioned in the note, Yan Heru watched from a distance for a while before deciding how to proceed.

Just as she hesitated about whether to reveal herself, the figure in the moonlight suddenly turned around. As they faced her, Yan Heru realized this was no stranger at all—it was a woman she knew very well: Anuo.

"Your Highness," Anuo said with a faint smile, walking toward her.

Seeing Anuo, Yan Heru’s expression turned cold. "I never expected it to be you. So, you were the one who threw the dart, and you were the one who wrote the note?"

"Yes. I only wanted to bring Your Highness to a safe place; I meant no harm," Anuo replied.

Yan Heru gave a cold snort. "That sounds nice. You wanted to take me to a safe place, but I felt perfectly safe at the post house. Why did you have to bring me here? And what about the Prince? Where have you taken him?"

Anuo shook her head, responding helplessly, "I truly do not know anything about that matter."

Yan Heru did not believe her. "If you don't know, then no one does. I hope you can tell me the truth. I have already followed the instructions on your note and come here. Can you not tell me now?"

Anuo hesitated. At that moment, another person emerged from the shadows—a stranger this time.

"Are you... Ru'er?" The man looked at Yan Heru with a gaze filled with guilt and an overwhelming sense of tenderness.

The scene left Yan Heru completely bewildered. The man who had suddenly appeared did not seem to pose any threat, and yet the situation was utterly baffling. Although he was a stranger and she was certain he did not exist in her memories, for some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward him.

"Who are you? Did you order her to lure me here?" Yan Heru asked.

The man replied, "You could put it that way, but I brought you here with no ill intentions. I only wanted to tell you the truth and take you home."

"Take me home?" Yan Heru found herself increasingly lost. Was her home not the Yan residence? Was this man sent by them? But that explanation made no sense from any perspective.

"Yes, home. You were meant to be a noble princess, not the wife of a useless prince as you are now. Ru'er, I am your uncle!" As the man spoke, tears began to stream down his face.

Yan Heru was shocked by his behavior. How had she suddenly acquired a long-lost uncle?

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, the man realized he had been too forward. Revealing his identity before explaining the situation would surely make anyone feel wary. He quickly wiped his tears and moved closer to explain, but when he saw Yan Heru instinctively step back in self-defense, he dared not approach further.

Standing where he was, he began to explain, "This is not something that can be explained in a few words, but in short, your mother was my sister, and I am your biological uncle. You should be the most noble princess of the Nanyang Kingdom!"

The information left Yan Heru reeling. The most noble princess of Nanyang? An uncle? A niece? This was entirely beyond her comprehension.

"Don't be afraid... Did I... did I say too much and overwhelm you? But everything I said is the truth! Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I am your uncle, Nan An, the Third Prince of Nanyang." Nan An offered what he thought was a kind smile.

However, as a man who had spent his life on the battlefield, his smile lacked genuine warmth. Yan Heru could not feel much kindness in it, though she could sense that he was trying his best to convey gentleness and warmth.

"I... I still find it hard to believe what you are saying. But more than that, I want to know where you have hidden the Ninth Prince." Yan Heru’s tone was sharp. She was taking a gamble; she had seen the sincerity in the man's tenderness and was betting that he truly cared for his niece. Regardless of their actual relationship, she intended to use her cold demeanor to pressure him into revealing the Prince's whereabouts.

Nan An sighed helplessly. "I truly do not know. Although I once considered capturing him, I abandoned the plan. I have heard the news of his disappearance, and while we are currently enemies, I admire him as a man and would never resort to such despicable tactics. I am actually investigating his location in secret. You must believe me!"

Nan An appeared genuinely flustered, clearly afraid of her distrust. Yan Heru watched him and concluded that he was not faking it; he was a dignified Third Prince, after all, and had no need to put on such a performance for someone like her. If he wasn't lying, it meant he truly was her uncle—or rather, the uncle of the original Yan Heru.

"If it wasn't you... then who..." Yan Heru looked from Nan An to Anuo, noticing that Anuo’s eyes were darting away, as if she were hiding something from the Third Prince.

Yan Heru narrowed her eyes and asked, "Is Anuo one of your people, Third Prince?"