Lin Zhaoyue’s mind was in turmoil, and she walked quickly.
As she walked, she saw someone blocking her path. Without paying much attention, she moved to the left, intending to go around them, but the person also shifted to the left.
She moved to the right, and they moved to the right as well.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she regained a bit of focus.
Why did this person’s clothes look so familiar? It was the Crown Prince’s uniform… the Crown Prince?
Xiao Yan?
Gathering her thoughts, she stopped and looked up.
Her first instinct was to glance behind him, but she didn’t see Liu Yiyi.
Why wasn’t he accompanying Liu Yiyi to the main hall? What was he doing here?
Withdrawing her gaze, Lin Zhaoyue spoke:
“Does Your Highness have business with me?”
The distance was too close, and the scent of ambergris from him kept drifting into her nose.
In the past, she had loved this fragrance, but now it made her feel uncomfortable.
Lin Zhaoyue took two steps back.
In her previous life, she had been married to him for nine years and still hadn’t seen through him. Now, she had no desire to understand him either.
Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Zhaoyue was about to leave when, unexpectedly, the man took a step forward, closing the distance between them so suddenly that she could almost feel his breath.
Xiao Yan lowered his gaze, his sharp phoenix eyes scanning her as if seeing through everything. Lin Zhaoyue’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched and then relaxed.
“Are you afraid of This humble one?”
“I dare not.”
She said “dare not,” not “no.”
That meant she was afraid.
Lin Zhaoyue waited for a long moment, but Xiao Yan said nothing. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head and met his eyes directly, saying:
“If Your Highness has no further business, I will proceed to Qingyao Palace.”
Qingyao Palace was Xiao Ran’s residence.
With that, she lifted her foot, ready to leave.
The man reached out, his jade-like fingers gripping her arm, his voice slightly low:
“This humble one said from the beginning that I am not a good person. It’s too late for you to be afraid now.”
Almost the moment Xiao Yan took hold of her, Lin Zhaoyue felt such disgust that she instinctively tried to pull her arm away.
But Xiao Yan held her firmly, so firmly that even with all her strength, Lin Zhaoyue couldn’t budge him an inch.
A deep sense of helplessness washed over her. Lin Zhaoyue hated this feeling of being utterly powerless, no matter how hard she tried.
She swore to herself that once she returned, she would ask her father to find a master to teach her martial arts.
“Since Your Highness says it’s too late to regret now, and the matter is already settled, there’s no use saying more. I ask Your Highness to show some restraint. Although the Emperor has bestowed the marriage, we are not yet wed.”
The words “show some restraint” were something Xiao Yan used to say to her when she pestered him to the point of annoyance: “Please show some restraint, Miss Lin.”
Lin Zhaoyue never imagined that one day she would be able to return those words to him.
Xiao Yan paused slightly but did not release her hand. Instead, his gaze fell brazenly on her face.
The young woman’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes were misty, filled with anger, annoyance, and stubbornness as she glared fiercely at him.
She looked exactly like an irritated cat, finally baring its claws.
Unconsciously, Xiao Yan’s pale pink lips curved into a faint smile.
That smile dimmed the heavens and the earth.
In the past, if she could have seen such a smile from Xiao Yan, Lin Zhaoyue would have been willing to die for it. But now…
She truly wished she could sew his mouth shut with a needle and chop him up to feed to the dogs.
But Xiao Yan’s status was noble—he was the ruler, and she was the subject. Lin Zhaoyue dared not.
She could only stare coldly at Xiao Yan, her fists unconsciously clenching tightly.
Sensing that Lin Zhaoyue’s patience was nearing its limit, Xiao Yan, afraid of truly angering her, released her hand.
After gaining her freedom, Lin Zhaoyue strode toward Qingyao Palace without looking back once.
Xiao Yan, with his long legs, followed her at a leisurely pace.
Listening to the footsteps behind her, Lin Zhaoyue grew increasingly agitated.
All she wanted now was to stay as far away from him as possible.
Upon arriving at Qingyao Palace, Xiao Ran had already finished dressing up, adorned in the splendid attire of a Princess for her coming-of-age ceremony, looking radiant and captivating.
“Ranran.”
Lin Zhaoyue called out to her.
Xiao Ran turned her head, and upon seeing her, her eyes filled with delight. She instinctively took a step forward but, remembering something, gave a proud, light hum and withdrew her foot.
Lin Zhaoyue knew she was upset and quickly went over to coax her:
“Ranran, I was wrong. It’s all because I was haunted by nightmares today. Dear Ranran, won’t you forgive me?”
Lin Zhaoyue tugged at Xiao Ran’s arm, acting coquettishly.
They had agreed that she would be the first to congratulate her on her birthday, yet she had only just arrived.
Xiao Ran had no intention of forgiving her so easily.
She slightly lifted her chin, gave a light hum, and shifted her gaze elsewhere, refusing to look at her.
Lin Zhaoyue took out the protective talisman she had obtained from Huguo Temple and held it out to Xiao Ran, saying:
“Ranran, I’m sorry. This is a protective talisman I had blessed by a master at Huguo Temple. May our Ranran’s beauty endure like the flowers in her hair, year after year.”
Inside this talisman was a copper coin. In her previous life, during the spring hunt, Xiao Ran, wanting to set her up with Xiao Yan, had eagerly followed him around.
However, an unexpected incident occurred during the journey. A group of black-clad assailants appeared out of nowhere, intent on taking Xiao Yan’s life.
Amid the chaos, a crossbow bolt struck Xiao Ran. Fortunately, this protective talisman shielded her, or she would have perished then and there.
Lin Zhaoyue had gone to Huguo Temple originally to ask Xiao Yan’s master, Bai Mozi, to bless the talisman. However, after several visits without meeting him, she had another master at the temple perform the blessing instead.
Unexpectedly, it proved quite effective. She hoped this talisman would continue to protect Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran took one look at the talisman and instantly fell in love with it.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The palace maid outside the door curtsied upon seeing Xiao Yan.
Hearing the commotion outside, the two of them turned their attention toward the entrance.
Seeing Xiao Yan, Xiao Ran called out brightly:
“Third Imperial Brother, what brings you here?”
“I came to see Ranran, of course. Are you all prepared?”
As he spoke, Xiao Yan’s gaze inadvertently swept over the protective talisman in Lin Zhaoyue’s hand.
“Everything is ready.”
Xiao Ran replied, noticing Xiao Yan’s glance. She took the talisman and asked:
“Thank you, Zhaozhao. Do you have one for my Third Imperial Brother?”
Xiao Ran asked this because, in the past, whenever Lin Zhaoyue bought or gifted something, there were always two copies—one for Xiao Yan, whether he liked it or not.
Naturally, there was one for Xiao Yan.
When she went to request the protective talismans, she had asked for five in total.
One for her father, one for her mother, one for her elder sister, one for Xiao Ran, and one originally intended for Xiao Yan.
But now, she had no intention of giving it to him.
“Today is your birthday, so there isn’t one for the Crown Prince.”
Upon hearing Lin Zhaoyue’s words, Xiao Yan’s eyes darkened slightly as he turned his head to look at her.
Lin Zhaoyue kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Xiao Yan’s gaze.
She feared he would see right through her thoughts with a single glance.
It was all because she had just been reborn today and couldn’t control her emotions.
Xiao Yan appeared gentle and serene on the surface, like a benevolent deity, but she knew he was an extremely cautious, ruthless, and violent person. She shouldn’t have made her feelings so obvious all at once.
If he detected any clues, not only would she fail to protect the Lin family, but she might even die without knowing how.
She couldn’t be too impatient.
Lin Zhaoyue felt a sharp gaze sweeping over her, as if that stare had materialized into something tangible.
Cold like a thin blade, it made her breathless.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard a matron’s voice outside:
“Princess, it’s almost time. We should head to the main hall.”
“Let’s go then, Zhaozhao, come with me to the main hall.”
As she spoke, Xiao Ran came over and took Lin Zhaoyue’s hand, and they all walked toward the main hall together.
Lin Zhaoyue arrived at the entrance of the main hall and entered first.
When she arrived, everyone was already seated.
A few noble ladies who were close to her dared only to greet her secretly with their eyes, and Lin Zhaoyue returned a polite smile.
In her previous life, when the Lin family faced disaster, these people treated her like a venomous snake.
After Xiao Yan married Liu Yiyi, they immediately switched to her side.
The world is bustling, all driven by profit.
Lin Zhaoyue could understand their actions, but from then on, she would never confide in them again.
Recalling her past life, Lin Zhaoyue remembered the young man who died protecting her on Wu Men Jie, pierced by stray arrows. Calculating the time, he should appear in the Black Market by the end of this month.