Oops, the princess is surrounded by the male protagonists

Chapter 531 Xingmian, I'm sorry, I'm a cowardly man.

Shen Xingmian's eyes were blurry with tears, and her voice was so choked with sobs that it was almost broken.

“That…that box…I carved it myself and gave it to Brother Wuzheng back then…”

She suddenly looked up, her tear-blurred eyes fixed on Zhuang Wuzheng's resolute yet lifeless face, her emotions so intense she was almost out of control.

"Brother Wuzheng! You held it until the very end... Was there something important you wanted to entrust to me? Don't worry, whatever it is, I promise you! I promise you everything!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than she disregarded Luosha's obstruction and lunged forward, directly touching Zhuang Wuzheng's fingers that were tightly gripping the brocade box.

Those fingers were already cold and stiff, as if cast in iron, devoid of any warmth, yet she seemed oblivious, her fingertips pressed tightly against them.

"Madam, be careful!"

Luosha cried out in alarm, her heart leaping into her throat, fearing that something was amiss with Zhuang Wuzheng's body and might harm Shen Xingmian.

But the next second, a miraculous scene unfolded!

The moment Shen Xingmian's fingertips touched Zhuang Wuzheng's hand, the corpse, which had been as still as if cast in iron, and the arms that had been tightly embracing him for countless years, actually loosened slightly!

Immediately afterwards, Zhuang Wuzheng's stiff fingers slowly opened, and even the slightest rotation could be seen between his knuckles. The brocade box that he had guarded until his death slid down his arm and was held firmly in Shen Xingmian's arms.

"Brother Wuzheng..."

Shen Xingmian looked at the hand she had just touched Zhuang Wuzheng, and tears rolled down her cheeks like broken pearls, hitting the brocade box with a soft rustling sound.

"That's strange, the old master's body should have stiffened by now, how could it be..."

Just as Luosha was marveling at the sight, Bai Yue grabbed Shen Xingmian's wrist and shouted in her mind.

"Xiao Quan! Quick! Scan Great-Grandma's body to see if there are any abnormalities!"

"Scan complete. The patient's vital signs are stable, and no toxins or abnormal energy fluctuations were detected in the body. The patient is in good health, so please rest assured!"

The electronic voice of "Complete Collection of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments" sounded just in time, instantly putting Bai Yue at ease.

After releasing Shen Xingmian's wrist, she explained to everyone.

"Don't worry, everyone. There's nothing wrong with my great-aunt's body. There shouldn't have been any hidden weapons on my grandfather's body. The way he acted just now... perhaps it really is because his spirit in heaven has something important to tell my great-aunt."

She spoke with certainty, but in her heart she couldn't help but sigh. The plot in the martial arts novel was indeed true. However, compared to his adopted granddaughter, Zhuang Wuzheng's greater obsession was Shen Xingmian.

After hearing Bai Yue's explanation, Zhuang Xiaoye and Luosha were relieved and turned their attention to the brocade box in Shen Xingmian's arms. The brocade box was exquisitely crafted, with a tight fit without any gaps, and a complex, interlocking mechanism was clearly embedded in the lid.

"This lock..."

Zhuang Xiaoye frowned. He had practiced martial arts for many years but was not proficient in mechanical arts, and for a moment he could not figure out the trick.

"This should have been added by Brother Wuzheng later."

Shen Xingmian wiped away her tears, her hands still trembling as she held the brocade box, but with a newfound determination.

"He knew I loved these kinds of ingenious gadgets. Back in Hero's Village, he would even make little contraptions to amuse me..."

As she spoke, she reached out to unlock the mechanism.

Seeing this, Bai Yue quickly stepped forward and asked softly.

"Grandma, this lock looks complicated. How long would it take you to unlock it?"

"The tenon and mortise joints of this lock are more exquisite than any I've ever seen before. I'll probably need an hour..."

Shen Xingmian carefully examined the lock cylinder and answered truthfully, but before she could finish speaking, Bai Yue reached out without hesitation and took the brocade box from her arms.

"Great-aunt, leave it to me, I can untie it right away."

"Master, no!"

Hua Mu'an and Ling Xuzi spoke almost simultaneously, stepping forward to stand in front of Bai Yue, their eyes filled with worry.

"What if there's a trap inside the box that might accidentally injure you?"

"Don't worry, I trust my grandfather's character."

Bai Yue smiled and shook her head, her fingertips already touching the patterns on the lock.

“Since he left the brocade box to his great-aunt, he certainly wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tricks.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her slender fingers began to move. Her fingertips moved swiftly, like butterflies flitting among flowers, plucking, pushing, and rotating on the tiny wooden tenons. Her movements were fluid and graceful, with a strange sense of rhythm that dazzled the onlookers.

After a while, a soft "click" was heard, and she easily unlocked the seemingly complicated mechanism!

"Xiaoyue, you..."

Shen Xingmian looked at Bai Yue in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief.

The fact that Bai Yue was able to crack such a complex mechanism in such a short time shows that her intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Bai Yue didn't have time to respond at this moment. She just took a deep breath and slowly lifted the lid of the brocade box.

Hua Mu'an and Ling Xuzi stood guard on either side of her, their hands on their sword hilts, their eyes warily fixed on the inside of the brocade box. At the slightest sign of trouble, they would immediately take action and risk their lives to protect Bai Yue.

But what was inside the brocade box stunned everyone. There was no "Gentleman's Sword Technique" manual as expected, nor any divine weapons. There were only two slightly yellowed, neatly folded letters lying quietly at the bottom of the box, as if they had been asleep for many years.

On the cover of one of the letters, it was clearly written: "To my son Xiaohan."

The other letter clearly reads: "To my beloved Xingmian."

“My…my love?”

All eyes turned to Shen Xingmian, who froze on the spot, her eyes wide with shock and bewilderment.

She and Zhuang Wuzheng had known each other for several years and always addressed each other as "brother and sister." He treated her gently and never overstepped his bounds.

But those two words in the letter were like a heavy hammer, shattering all her memories of the past.

Bai Yue gently touched the covers of the two letters with her fingertips to confirm that there was no poison residue before carefully picking up the letter addressed to "My beloved Xingmian" and handing it to Shen Xingmian with both hands.

"Grandma, this letter is specially written for you by Grandpa."

As if sleepwalking, Shen Xingmian mechanically reached out and took the letter.

When her fingertips touched the cool, fragile paper, her whole body trembled uncontrollably, and even her breathing became rapid.

She took several deep breaths to calm herself down, and with her trembling hands that could barely hold the letter, she carefully and slowly unfolded the letter that had been sealed away for who knows how many years.

What came into view was Zhuang Wuzheng's familiar handwriting, but the very first sentence was like a dagger chilled to ice, piercing Shen Xingmian's heart and instantly bringing tears to her eyes.

"Xingmian, I'm sorry, I'm a cowardly man."