Xin Long froze for a moment. She silently thought, Exit, and when she opened her eyes again, she was back in the princess’s chambers.
The next instant, the door was shoved open.
A man nearly six-foot-three strode inside, a long sword gripped in his hand. His features were breathtakingly handsome, as ethereal as an immortal cast down from the heavens.
The moment Xin Long saw his face, she paused.
Him?
The man she had seen in the Underworld—the one with one hundred thousand merit points, waiting to be reincarnated?
Without even sparing her a glance, Xiao Jinghe walked straight past her, shoved her aside, and flipped over the pillow on the couch.
Finding nothing beneath it, his handsome face darkened instantly.
He spun around.
Swish!
The icy blade of his sword was suddenly pressed against Xin Long’s neck.
His refined, elegant face was now filled with blazing fury as he demanded,
“Where did you hide it?”
His sudden outburst startled Chu Xiangyue, his eldest sister-in-law, who had just entered behind him with several children.
She immediately spread her arms protectively in front of them, staring warily at her younger brother-in-law, who had returned home only to point a sword at his own wife.
“Jinghe, have you lost your mind? Put the sword down! Whatever it is, talk it out!”
Xiao Jinghe stared coldly at the beautiful woman before him, his grip on the sword perfectly steady.
Memories from his previous life surged through his mind.
Because of this woman, the entire Xiao family had been exiled to Lingnan.
His nephews and nieces had been torn apart and eaten by starving refugees along the journey.
His sister-in-law had even sacrificed her own dignity, submitting herself to the cruel escorts just to spare him a little of their abuse.
In the end, none of them even reached Lingnan.
A brutal cold wave struck midway through the journey, freezing every member of the Xiao family to death.
Their entire bloodline was wiped out.
Until the moment he died, he had never understood why Xin Long had betrayed him.
Only after arriving in the Underworld and reading the Book of Life and Death did he learn the truth.
The woman who had become his wife had been an imperial spy all along.
The emperor had arranged their marriage for one purpose only—to destroy the entire Xiao household when the opportunity arose.
In his previous life, Xin Long had hidden a counterfeit Imperial Jade Seal beneath his pillow.
The eunuch Rui’an had arrived with imperial guards, discovered the evidence, and caught them red-handed.
That very day, the entire Xiao family was sentenced to exile.
But now…
Why wasn’t it under his pillow?
Could it be…
She simply hadn’t had the chance to hide it yet?
Xiao Jinghe’s expression was as cold as frost.
Hatred churned in the depths of his eyes like a bottomless icy abyss, threatening to swallow Xin Long whole.
His grip tightened around the sword until his knuckles turned white and veins bulged across the back of his hand. His bones creaked under the strain.
He wanted nothing more than to behead this vile woman on the spot and avenge his family’s tragic deaths.
But he forced himself to remain calm.
Having been granted a second chance at life, he would protect the Xiao family at all costs.
He would never allow history to repeat itself.
Meeting his gaze, Xin Long immediately understood.
He’s been reborn.
She merely raised an eyebrow, remaining completely unruffled.
After all…
She wasn’t the original Princess.
She had no intention of taking the blame for someone else’s crimes.
Her eyes drifted toward the frightened children huddled together nearby, then to Chu Xiangyue, whose face was filled with confusion and alarm.
Calmly, Xin Long said,
“Close the door. We need to talk alone.”
Xiao Jinghe’s handsome face remained expressionless.
If anything, her composure only deepened his disgust.
What trick is this woman playing now?
Fearing she had hidden the fake jade seal somewhere else, he turned to Chu Xiangyue.
“Sister-in-law, I have something private to discuss with the Grand Princess. Please take the children outside and wait for a moment.”
His voice remained low, though he deliberately softened his tone so as not to frighten the children.
Xin Long also smiled reassuringly at Chu Xiangyue.
“It’s fine, Sister-in-law. We’re only arguing like any married couple. Please take the children outside first.”
The tense atmosphere between them only made Chu Xiangyue more suspicious.
Jinghe had always been gentle and courteous.
She had never seen him lose control like this.
Something clearly wasn’t right.
Still, since he insisted, it wasn’t appropriate for her to interfere in a husband-and-wife dispute.
She could only scold him not to hurt Xin Long before reluctantly leading the children out.
“Mother… what’s wrong with Uncle and Auntie?”
Eight-year-old Xiao Rui stood at the doorway, his delicate little face full of worry.
Beside him stood his twin sister, Xiao Xiang.
The twins stared with wide, watery eyes, their identical faces filled with confusion.
In their memories, their uncle had always been gentle and kind.
He had never argued with anyone.
Much less drawn a sword against their beautiful aunt.
The sudden turn of events left their young hearts filled with fear.
The carved wooden door slowly creaked shut, cutting off the curious eyes outside.
Only Xin Long and Xiao Jinghe remained in the room.
The air grew taut, as though a tightly stretched bowstring might snap at any second.
Xiao Jinghe still held his sword at her throat.
The razor-sharp blade had already left a faint red line across her fair neck.
“Speak.”
“Where did you hide it?”
His voice was low, each word carrying overwhelming pressure.
Facing the murderous gaze that seemed intent on slicing her into pieces, Xin Long’s lips curved into a faintly mocking smile.
She slowly straightened her posture, utterly composed, showing not the slightest fear of the gleaming sword.
Its cold reflection shimmered across the ebony furniture, where her wavering silhouette seemed ready to shatter at any moment.
Looking directly into his eyes, she said,
“Xiao Jinghe, I’m not your wife.”
“But I can help you.”
Her words exploded through the silent room like a thunderclap.
Xiao Jinghe’s hand trembled.
His dark eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her, as though trying to peer straight into her soul.
Xin Long met his gaze without flinching.
“Judging from your reaction, you already know what your wife was planning to do.”
“But I’m not the Grand Princess.”
“So don’t take your anger out on me.”
“We can work together.”
After experiencing something as impossible as rebirth, Xiao Jinghe’s ability to accept the unbelievable far exceeded that of ordinary people.
His sharp gaze swept over the woman before him like that of a hawk.
He quickly realized…
The woman standing before him was nothing like the Xin Long he remembered.
She was calmer.
More composed.
Those clear eyes shone with intelligence and unwavering confidence.
The Grand Princess of his memories had always looked at him with disgust and rejection, as though he were something filthy.
These two completely different gazes left him with only one conclusion.
The woman before him…
Really wasn’t the same person.
“…Who are you?”
he finally asked, his voice low and hoarse.