The wind stirred his white, elegant hair ribbon, and stray strands of hair fell across his forehead, brushing gently against his eyes. Through the haze, he saw her face—surprised yet pure and beautiful—bathed in sunlight.
The scene was so perfect it felt like a dream.
Looking up at her, he watched as she looked down from above, then finally came to her senses. A cute blush rose to her cheeks as she seemed slightly embarrassed, averting her gaze from his intense stare.
From that very first look, Xiao Keyu knew he already liked her deeply.
The feeling was clear and strong—even though he had thought his capacity for emotion had died along with his mother.
But now it had come alive again, all because of this strange, unfamiliar woman who had mysteriously appeared before him.
In the sunlight, she shone like a celestial being.
Could this be love at first sight?
Of course, he was still grieving his mother’s passing and did not dwell on the thought too long or deeply—it was merely a fleeting notion in his mind.
“…Who are you mourning here?”
Lin Lin’s eyes drifted to the brazier on the grass, surrounded by joss paper weighed down with stones—clear signs of a memorial for the deceased. She spoke up to ask him.
The woman full of mysteries was the first to break the silence.
Xiao Keyu felt no annoyance at her taking the initiative. After all, he was now just a forgotten former Crown Prince, as lowly as the wild weeds growing unchecked around him. To have someone care about what he was doing felt almost strangely flattering.
It had been so long since anyone had spoken to him like this.
“My mother… she… passed away.”
His voice was stiff, his speech slightly rusty. Living in the Cold Palace for so long had made him feel like an outsider—not quite like a normal person, in speech or in mind.
“She was buried in haste today. Father did not even come. Instead, eunuchs arrived with looks of disgust, wrapping her body and taking her away… They probably thought her presence was unlucky. I heard her remains were not laid to rest in the imperial mausoleum—my uncle took her home instead. Since she is no longer Empress, she is not worthy of being buried alongside Father in the future.”
He spoke slowly, lost in memory. Once, he had his mother to rely on, but now she was gone, leaving him alone in this vast, empty Cold Palace—even quieter than before.
The “uncle” he spoke of was the father of Li Yi, the new favorite serving Crown Prince Xiao Fusu.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Those who once curried favor with him had all flocked to the new Crown Prince. Two years had passed in the blink of an eye, and even his mother’s death had caused no stir. It was likely his very existence had been forgotten.
To say he was not pained would be a lie, but even in grief, he had no choice but to endure.
How long would this life last? A lifetime? A prisoner, a monster spurned by all? He lowered his eyes, his long lashes fluttering as he forced himself not to think further.
“So… you were burning joss paper for your mother alone?”
Looking at him before her, Lin Lin felt her heart ache in sympathy.
Xiao Keyu was truly pitiful.
“My mother suffered all her life. I fear she will be mistreated in the afterlife, so I wanted to burn plenty of paper money for her.”
Xiao Keyu spoke earnestly, his face full of devotion—as if he truly believed in ghosts, gods, and the underworld.
“Money makes the world go round—even in the realm of the dead. The King of Hell will see your filial piety and surely reward your mother with a good reincarnation in her next life, free from suffering.”
It was the only comfort she could offer.
“Actually, I had to beg Zong Shan—my brother’s attendant—for a long time before he agreed to give me this joss paper.”
He looked up at her again, managing a slight smile, though his eyes held deep bitterness.
“I couldn’t ask Father—I dare not go to him, and even if I did, it would be useless. He would only grow angrier with me. Trapped here in the Cold Palace, I couldn’t go to my uncle either—it would be too risky, too easy for others to use it against us. I didn’t want to cause trouble, so I turned to Zong Shan. Among the palace staff, aside from the imperial family, he holds the most authority. If I wanted to avoid drawing attention, he was my only option.”
His status was so sensitive that no one dared help him—even Zong Shan had been hesitant, as he served Xiao Fusu and wanted no trouble. But Zong Shan had a weakness: greed. He often accepted bribes and abused his power for personal gain. Since losing his status, Xiao Keyu had been penniless—he had nothing valuable to offer except one precious item.
To persuade Zong Shan to help, he had given away the only keepsake his mother had left him: a cloud-patterned jade pendant he had worn since childhood. Only then had Zong Shan secretly provided him with joss paper to honor his mother, and he had done so without telling Xiao Fusu.
The moment he handed over his mother’s relic to Zong Shan’s subordinate, he made a vow: one day, he would take back everything he had lost.
But Lin Lin did not see the resolve hidden in his shadowed eyes—she only felt more pity for his circumstances.
“Zong Shan seemed so kind and approachable—I never thought he could be so heartless!”
Lin Lin exclaimed, feeling a quiet anger at such snobbish behavior.
Thinking back to Zong Shan’s obsequious smile toward her, then comparing it to how he had treated Xiao Keyu, she felt a wave of nausea.
How repulsive! She had thought he had shown her special regard, but what did she have to deserve it? She was nothing more than someone cast out by Xiao Fusu—a stray dog just like Xiao Keyu. To be treated differently… should she be grateful for his care? Now, all the gratitude she had felt earlier had vanished.
“People treat others based on their status—it’s only human nature.”
He smiled gently and calmly, in stark contrast to her anger at the injustice. His expression was detached, as if he were not the one being wronged. He could face it all with indifference, silence, even cold observation.
“I was already cast aside. Now that my family has fallen, I’ve seen all the coldness of the world—I’m used to it by now.”
He continued, and Lin Lin said nothing—she truly did not know how to comfort him.
He seemed strong, as if he needed no comfort.
Yet he also seemed so lonely and fragile. She had seen his tears earlier, crying for his mother—his face streaked with tears, so pitiful.
Even now, the corners of his eyes were still red, dried tear stains visible on his cheeks.
Seeing her silence, his eyes moved slightly. After a moment’s thought, he studied her face and asked gently, tentatively, “But from what you said, you seem to have a good impression of him… Why did you suddenly appear in the Cold Palace?”
Her words had made it clear she knew Zong Shan well, even on friendly terms. Yet she did not look like a common palace servant, and having grown up in the palace, he was certain he had never seen her before—nor did she seem to be a noble lady from a powerful family.
That Zong Shan would treat her differently… could she be one of Xiao Fusu’s people?
His mind turned, and he began to reason carefully. By nature sensitive and sharp-witted about court affairs, he was already suspicious of the identity of this woman who had suddenly appeared before him.