“Your Highness, the hot water is ready.”
A servant emerged carrying a wooden bucket and bowed to him.
Xiao Yan acknowledged with a hum and gave him the remaining pastries as a reward.
The door closed. The man’s distinct knuckled hand lifted the curtain as he removed his python robe.
The swaying curtain and dense steam obscured the view, only faintly revealing the robust, fluid lines of his figure through the mist.
With a splash, he entered the bath pool.
The sound of water continued. When he emerged again, his damp hair hung loosely, droplets trickling from the ends onto his chest, soaking his underwear along his lean waist and abdomen. The pure white underwear turned translucent, clinging to his body and outlining six well-defined abdominal muscles. Below Apollo’s belt, a considerable size… made one blush with a single glance.
Barefoot, the man exuded a damp, misty aura, resembling a bewitching water spirit that had crawled from the depths—handsome beyond compare.
After a servant entered to wring his hair dry, Xiao Yan changed into fresh underwear and went to sleep.
Perhaps it was because Lin Zhaoyue had subtly mentioned the name Liu Yiyi in front of him earlier that day.
In his dream, he truly saw Bai Yiyi dead!
And by his own hand.
In the dream, a sunless dungeon reeked of foulness as rats gnawed at a mutilated woman.
The woman, missing her limbs, was chained to an iron pillar. Filthy blood and pus oozed from her body, dripping to the ground with a putrid stench.
Squeaks mingled with the sound of bones being crunched as plump rats dangled from her, devouring her flesh, blood, and bones.
Her face was crisscrossed with fresh and old scars, only recognizable from the general outline as Bai Yiyi.
She cursed furiously, her voice hoarse and strained:
“Xiao Yan, do you think tormenting me like this will bring her back? She died long ago! When she was locked in the Cold Palace, it was the happiest time of my life, you know?
I had people feed her sour rice, stabbed her when I was displeased, and executed her maids by beating in front of her—even her most beloved dog. Watching her suffer, watching her in agony, you have no idea how much joy it brought me!
Until her death, she believed you loved me. Aren’t you supposed to avenge her? Have the guts to kill me, come on, kill me!”
A “thud” sounded as a sharp dagger pierced through her chest—white blade in, red blade out—blood dripping from the dagger onto the ground.
“Drip,” “drip.”
The sound of blood drops mixed with water droplets echoed in his ears, faintly accompanied by a woman’s cat-like cries.
In the vast petal bath pool, the water shimmered, petals scattered across the floor.
“Husband, no… more.”
“Zhaozhao, be good, it’ll be over soon. Don’t… clench… so… tightly.”
The man spoke, his cool, pale fingertips threading through her hair, as if soothing or restraining.
He kissed her forehead gently, repeatedly, the affection in his eyes enough to drown anyone.
The pool water gradually cooled, turning piercingly cold.
A snowflake landed on his forehead, between his brows. In the blink of an eye, the figure in his arms sat withered on a pile of straw, her body stiff and cold, devoid of any breath.
“Zhaozhao, Zhaozhao…”
The man trembled, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He murmured the name repeatedly, his eyes hollow and despairing.
A viscous, bloody fluid kept gushing from his throat, overflowing from the corners of his mouth. His once lush black hair turned completely white in mere moments. He wanted to scream, to shout, but no sound could escape.
A profound sorrow engulfed him, a suffocating sensation overwhelmed him, and Xiao Yan abruptly awoke from his nightmare.
He gasped for breath heavily, unable to distinguish reality from dream.
The agony of losing Lin Zhaoyue choked him, his heart felt as if sliced by knives.
After a long pause, his heart still thumped violently.
Xiao Yan threw off the covers, drank three full cups of cold tea to suppress the sorrow, pain, and fear within.
He sat quietly, holding the teacup, his dark ice-like eyes gazing emptily into the pitch-black night. After a while, he suddenly chuckled softly.
He never imagined that in the dream, he had personally killed Liu Yiyi, and in the dream, he had passionately entangled with Lin Zhaoyue. After her death, he was unexpectedly so heartbroken and devastated.
It was truly laughable, utterly absurd!!
“Your Highness, do you have any orders?”
The night guard, seeing candles lit in the Crown Prince’s chamber, inquired.
“Nothing.”
Xiao Yan replied, returning to bed and waving his sleeve to extinguish the candles.
But after lying down, he couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.
Since Lin Zhaoyue began practicing swordplay, her sleep improved day by day, dreamless nights until dawn when the rooster crowed woke her.
She opened her bleary eyes, rolled around on the bed once before reluctantly getting up.
Chun He came to assist her with washing and dressing, knowing her lady now trained every morning, so she dressed her in convenient, practical attire.
After washing up, Lin Zhaoyue began her training and went to check on Qingzhu.
It was unclear what constitution Qingzhu had; such a severe cold had mostly recovered after just two days of rest, even her complexion had become much rosier.
Occasionally, when Lin Zhaoyue rose early for training, she would encounter Duke Lin heading out for court and spar a few moves with him. But most times, when she awoke, Duke Lin had already left for court.
After training and another wash, it was just time for breakfast.
The mother and daughters ate with relish. After the meal, they walked in the back garden. Just a few steps later, a servant reported that someone from the yamen had come, saying a servant from the Lin Residence had been beaten and requested Lin Zhaoyue to go there.
Chun He overheard this report and angrily said:
“If someone was beaten, go find the steward. Why ask my lady to go to that yamen? Is there no order?”
“But those officials said it was that person who specifically requested the Second Miss to go.”
“Outrageous.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Furen, rarely angered, was truly furious.
If that servant were a maid, it might be tolerable. But if it were a manservant, appearing in the courtroom and specifically requesting her lady to attend, wouldn’t it imply some connection between the lady and the manservant, unjustly damaging her reputation?
Moreover, Zhaozhao was the future Crown Princess; she couldn’t bear any added stigma.
“Which courtyard does that wretched servant belong to? Who is his steward? Thirty strokes, then sell him off immediately.”
In other households, such a servant would have been beaten to death with clubs, but Lin Furen was not a cruel or bloodthirsty person.
When Lin Furen grew angry, her imposing aura of authority was not something everyone could withstand.
The servant who rushed to report knelt on the ground with trembling legs, continuously bowing his head.
Lin Zhaoyue pondered for a moment, considering another possibility.
“You may rise. Bring the chief steward to me.”
What Lin Furen thought, Lin Zhaoyue naturally also considered.
She indeed was not suitable to appear personally.
Summoning the chief steward, Lin Zhaoyue entrusted him with matters concerning Chu Bai before sending him off with confidence.
She had great trust in the chief steward’s capabilities.
“Very well, I understand. Please rest assured, miss, and await news at home.”
Having received his orders, the chief steward departed.
The chief steward had always been swift and decisive. While Lin Zhaoyue was practicing swordplay with Seventeen in the backyard, she saw the chief steward leading in a bruised and battered Chu Bai.