Hah.
So this was where he was waiting for her.
Lin Zhaoyue’s chopsticks paused slightly as she picked up a dish. She raised her head calmly, meeting his eyes directly, and asked with feigned confusion:
“Your subject’s daughter is dull-witted and does not know what Your Highness the Crown Prince is referring to?”
Meeting Lin Zhaoyue’s gaze, Xiao Yan chuckled softly:
“Zhaozhao, has anyone ever told you that you’re not good at lying?”
Her act of pretending to be puzzled, then looking directly into his eyes to feign sincerity—it was obviously fake at a glance.
Who did she think she could fool with that?
Seeing her remain composed even after being exposed, Xiao Yan narrowed his long, slender eyes slightly.
She had improved somewhat.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince has sharp eyes. Your subject’s daughter would not dare deceive you. It is truly that I do not know which matter Your Highness is referring to. Your subject’s daughter is anxious and begs Your Highness to clarify.”
Now she was even using official rhetoric.
Just as Lin Zhaoyue waited for Xiao Yan’s response, the man suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between them to barely a fist’s width. The air between them was thick with the rich scent of ambergris emanating from him.
His cold hand caressed the woman’s slender, warm neck, rubbing it gently as a voice like a demon’s whispered in her ear:
“How much force do you think I would need to snap it?”
His warm breath brushed against her neck, while the temperature of his hand was colder than a snake’s.
Recalling the scene outside Huguo Temple, Lin Zhaoyue’s body tensed abruptly.
He’s insane, a madman, a pervert!
Lin Zhaoyue truly suspected he was not a normal person.
“Your subject’s daughter believes that even if Your Highness were foolish, you would not dare act within the Guogong Mansion.”
“So Zhaozhao is calling This humble one foolish?”
Her skin was pale, so pale that the pulsing blood vessels beneath and the thyroid cartilage quivering with tension were visible.
The girl’s neck was slender and graceful, her skin smooth and tender—it looked as if it would be easy to squeeze.
“I’ve heard that when someone’s neck is squeezed, they don’t die immediately. Instead, they first hear the sound of their own bones breaking. Zhaozhao, would you like to try it?”
Lin Zhaoyue restrained her emotions, reached out to grasp his wrist, and spoke with a cold tone:
“If Your Highness wishes to try, Your subject’s daughter can oblige you.”
Xiao Yan looked down at her, a slight curl at the corner of his lips. The kitten had finally extended the sharp claws hidden within its pink paw pads.
But they were still not sharp enough.
Lin Zhaoyue felt her body suddenly lighten, the world spinning around her. By the time her vision could focus again, she was already seated on Xiao Yan’s lap, her long legs straddling either side of him.
The position was as bold and unrestrained as it could be.
This was no Crown Prince—he was clearly a scoundrel.
Lin Zhaoyue flushed with anger.
Her face, pale from illness, now glowed red like the evening clouds.
Seeing her slightly reddened eyes, a flicker of morbid obsession and desire flashed in his dark, icy pupils.
He wanted to make her cry as she had in his dreams, whimpering softly and delicately like a kitten.
Her sweet voice would carry a pitiful sob.
His large hand enveloped hers, guiding it to his neck:
“Come, Zhaozhao, use your strength.”
This was what he had asked for.
Lin Zhaoyue’s chest heaved violently. She closed her eyes, her hand gradually tightening.
If she could just kill him, then kill Liu Yiyi, the Lin family would be safe.
Just a little more force…
Her hand, calloused and no longer as soft as before, now carried a hint of strength.
Xiao Yan watched the girl with her eyes closed, feeling the pressure on his neck. If he truly did not resist, she really could strangle him.
The crisp sound of bones breaking seemed to echo in his ears. At this moment, he could clearly feel her hatred toward him.
But where did her hatred come from?
In a daze, Xiao Yan remembered that dream…
Just as Xiao Yan was nearing suffocation and about to raise his hand to knock her unconscious, the young woman on top of him went limp and collapsed onto his body.
Only then did Xiao Yan notice that the young woman’s face was frighteningly pale.
His heart trembled. He picked her up while calling for help.
Xiao Ran couldn’t understand how Zhaozhao had fainted in the short time she had been away.
She glanced at Xiao Yan with some confusion, only to see him staring unblinkingly at the person on the bed, as if afraid that the moment he blinked, the person before him would vanish.
Xiao Ran suddenly sensed something different…
“The young lady has suffered another episode of Soul Separation Syndrome. Did I not warn you before? She must avoid extreme emotional fluctuations.”
Any physician would feel frustrated and disappointed with patients who disregard medical advice.
“Soul Separation Syndrome?”
A deep voice abruptly interjected.
Lin Furen was too worried about her daughter to pay attention to anyone else and asked:
“Is Zhaozhao alright?”
“I will prescribe a few more doses of medicine for her. She will recover after taking them for a few days, but in the future, she must remember to avoid extreme emotional fluctuations. When this illness flares up, it drains her vitality.”
Hearing that her daughter was fine, and since Xiao Yan was, after all, Zhaozhao’s future husband, there was no need to hide the truth. Thus, Duke Lin said:
“When Zhaozhao was young, she was mischievous and insisted on following her eldest brother on a hunting trip. Later, she got lost and fell into a trap in the mountains, which led to her developing Soul Separation Syndrome. It’s not a serious illness, so please rest assured, Crown Prince.”
Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something, Feng Xin hurried in from outside.
He whispered into Xiao Yan’s ear, and the man’s brow furrowed slightly.
Duke Lin noticed that Xiao Yan had matters to attend to. After Feng Xin finished his report, he proactively said:
“Crown Prince, my daughter is fine now. My wife and I can take care of her here. If you have urgent matters to handle, please go ahead.”
Xiao Yan gazed at the person on the bed for a long moment before finally speaking:
“Let Zhaozhao rest well. This humble one will visit another day.”
Seeing that Xiao Yan had finished speaking but still hadn’t left, Duke Lin asked:
“Your Highness?”
Xiao Yan paused slightly, then finally took out an exquisite box from his sleeve:
“This is for Zhaozhao from this humble one. I must trouble Duke Lin to deliver it to her on my behalf.”
Duke Lin, having been through such things himself, could guess from the Crown Prince’s thoughtful and conflicted expression earlier that the box likely contained something expressing affection. He accepted it with pleasure.
After leaving the Guogong Mansion, Xiao Yan headed straight for the Lanting Waterside Pavilion.
In the dungeon, a corpse missing an arm lay quietly on the ground.
Red blood continuously flowed from the sword wound on its neck, and there were few patches of intact flesh left on the body.
This person was the one Xiao Yan had captured outside Huguo Temple last time—a contact for intelligence from the Shadow Moon Sect, specifically responsible for gathering information from various sources for the remnants of the former dynasty.
His bones were tough; no matter what methods Xiao Yan used, he never uttered a single word.
Shen Yanzhou stood to the side. Usually dashing and debonair, he now bore several wounds on his body, bleeding profusely, clearly having endured a fierce battle.
“We pursued the person to the bamboo grove in the outskirts, but then they vanished without a trace. Judging from her sword technique and physique, it was the same person as last time. This time, she fought with a determination to die. The one who died last time was a decoy.
Your Highness, the forces of those remnants of the former dynasty are more powerful than we imagined. If we don’t eliminate them soon, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
“Is there any other useful information?”
Shen Yanzhou shook his head. The other party had been too thorough—all useful leads had been erased.
The trail had gone cold again.
Everyone fell silent.
“Has that family been found?”
“They’ve been settled in the villa.”
“Let’s go take a look…”
…
When Lin Zhaoyue first awoke, before she could even clearly see her surroundings, Xiao Ran rushed over and hugged her, tearfully pouring out her worries.
“Oh heavens, thank goodness you’re alright! You scared me to death! How could I possibly live without you…”
Watching her exaggerated performance, Lin Zhaoyue: …
Duke Lin: …
Lin Furen: …
Lin Wan: …
“Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Are you hungry? Would you like some medicinal cuisine?”
Hearing the words “medicinal cuisine,” Lin Zhaoyue quickly shook her head.
Seeing her refusal, Xiao Ran turned to Duke Lin and said:
“Duke Lin, Zhaozhao isn’t unwell or hungry. Didn’t the Crown Prince give Zhaozhao a gift?”
Xiao Ran hinted pointedly.
Lin Zhaoyue looked at Xiao Ran’s expression, which clearly screamed “I want to see it, I want to see it,” and once again: …
Duke Lin let out an “ah,” then took out the gift box Xiao Yan had asked him to pass on to Lin Zhaoyue.
Truth be told, he was quite curious about what was inside as well.
As soon as Lin Zhaoyue took the box, everyone crowded around, their faces filled with curiosity.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Lin Zhaoyue slowly opened the box.
Inside lay an extremely ordinary, even somewhat shoddy, white jade bracelet.