Hearing it was Lin Xian, Pei Xiaoyun’s fury deepened, as if he wanted to crush the shattered porcelain into dust.
He could never forget the past between Ming Ying and Lin Xian three years ago. Perhaps from that time onward, they had never truly severed ties!
They had long conspired behind his back to fake her death and escape, joining forces to deceive him. While he was mourning her, she was sharing tender affections with Lin Xian, discussing marriage.
The rage in his chest surged like a hurricane-driven wave, threatening to devour someone whole.
For the first time in his life, he felt an immense humiliation.
Four years, he sneered coldly. He had treated her so well—ensuring she lacked nothing in food and clothing, granting her every wish—only to have nurtured a treacherous ingrate by his side. Since that was the case, why keep her? Better to strangle her and be done with it.
He would also kill Lin Xian, making her watch with her own eyes—this was the price for betraying and deceiving him.
Just then, the Suzhou Prefect arrived to report on the case. Entering and seeing the disarray on the floor, he was startled.
“Have you found anything?” Pei Xiaoyun’s eyes were filled with turbulent anger.
Cold sweat trickled down the Suzhou Prefect’s spine. “Your Excellency, w-we have. That Kongchan Sect follower fled to Hangzhou. I have already dispatched men to investigate there.”
A dark glint flashed in Pei Xiaoyun’s eyes, a cold curve lifting the corner of his mouth. “I will go personally.”
He would go personally to thoroughly settle this new grudge along with the old scores. None would escape.
He had word spread that he had returned to the capital.
That very night, however, an official vessel secretly set sail for Hangzhou.
Lin Residence, Hangzhou.
Late into the night, a desolate cold wind made the wooden window shutters creak and groan.
In her sleep, Ming Ying clenched the quilt tightly, her forehead beaded with fine sweat. A stern face kept pressing closer to her, like a mountain collapsing.
She jolted awake instantly, sitting up and gasping for breath, but knocked over the cardamom water on the bedside table.
Hearing the sudden sound of shattering porcelain from the room, the man outside knocked on the door and asked, “A-Ying, are you all right?”
Ming Ying gradually calmed her nerves. The face from her dream slowly faded away. She wiped her face, only then realizing it had been another nightmare.
Ever since she saw Pei Xiaoyun in Suzhou, she had been dreaming for several consecutive nights—always scenes from the past when he oppressed and forced her, as if a pair of hands were choking her neck, making it hard to breathe.
She was still afraid he might recognize her.
Not only had she not died, but she had also deceived him. With his temperament, he would never let her go.
“A-Ying?” Seeing her unsettled these past few days, Lin Xian feared something might happen to her and had been keeping watch over her almost all night.
Gradually, a trace of color returned to Ming Ying’s face. She called out, “I’m fine, Ziming. Come in.”
Lin Xian carried a candlestick, opened the door, and entered, only to see her leaning against the headboard, her hair damp with sweat.
He lit the wick, brightening the entire room.
Seeing her in this state, his heart grew heavy. He sat by her bedside, holding her cold hands. “A-Ying, he has returned to the capital. Don’t be afraid.”
Ming Ying pressed, “Returned to the capital?”
Lin Xian nodded.
Receiving confirmation once more, Ming Ying let out a heavy sigh of relief, releasing the days of anxiety, fear, and unease one by one, tightly grasping the hand he offered.
He had returned to the capital. How wonderful.
She had been overthinking. In that single glance, he hadn’t recognized her at all.
She was still Shen Ying. She would marry Lin Xian, return to Baili Qing as her qin master, and continue living her life.
Lin Xian held her hand tightly and comforted her further: "It's all in the past now. Don't worry, I will never let you down after you marry me."
Ming Ying forced a smile and nodded in response.
She trusted him, so there was no need for more words.
"Let me see the wound on your neck. Did you apply medicine today?" She reached for Lin Xian's collar and saw the rather deep cut.
They had hurried back to Hangzhou under the cover of night when they encountered several boat bandits on the river.
While protecting her, Lin Xian had been injured during the struggle. A blade had slashed the side of his neck, fortunately only cutting through skin and flesh, but the wound was not small. If not treated promptly, it might leave a scar later.
Lin Xian said gently, "I've already applied medicine. There's no need to worry."
Only after hearing this did Ming Ying nod in relief.
The wedding was to be held at the Lin residence in Hangzhou. With two days left until the ceremony, the Lin estate was decorated with lanterns and colorful silk everywhere, filled with festive joy.
Ming Ying sat in her room, watching the servants prepare the mansion, feeling a wave of emotion.
Once upon a time, she had also seen such vibrant wedding silks and such festive lanterns, but back then, she was merely an unworthy onlooker.
She never imagined she could become the protagonist of a wedding banquet, a wife properly married with full ceremony.
All of this had passed too quickly, as fleeting as a dream.
Lin Xian's parents were both merchants, straightforward and unpretentious, without the airs of a wealthy family. They treated her kindly and warmly. As their only son had been away from home for many years, they were naturally overjoyed to see him finally marry and start a family.
Ming Ying looked up and saw magpies playfully carrying twigs in their beaks. The green leaves cast a patch of shade beneath the window, and she began to sincerely believe that hardship would not always befall one person.
From now on, she would always be safe and smooth-sailing.
On the morning two days later, the wedding attendant came early to urge her to prepare. Ming Ying was surrounded by a group of maids and dressed in a magnificent, fiery red wedding gown embroidered with golden threads.
The tall wedding candles reflected a pair of mandarin ducks with their necks entwined, and seeing this, she couldn't help but smile a little more.
Since her family lived in Suzhou, it was impractical to travel all the way from Hangzhou to fetch the bride, and she herself did not wish to make a spectacle, so they skipped the bridal departure ceremony.
Having a wedding banquet was already more than enough for her.
The sound of firecrackers at the estate never ceased, ringing from dawn until noon.
The Lin family's business was extensive, and guests coming to offer congratulations and drink at the wedding feast crowded the doorstep.
Ming Ying was naturally beautiful and did not need much makeup. With lightly drawn eyebrows and crimson lipstick, the reflection in the mirror showed skin like creamy jade, stunningly beautiful.
After donning a heavy pearl phoenix crown, a maid helped her stand. "Miss, it's time to rise. You should go out for the ceremony now."
Ming Ying picked up a round fan to cover her face and, supported by the maid, went out.
For some reason, on this joyous day, she felt an uneasy weight in her heart.
The guests were all strangers, and among them were some who, drunk, began to make a commotion.
Ming Ying was rarely exposed to such scenes and couldn't help feeling a bit shy. Lin Xian appeared just in time, scolding a few drunkards and taking her hand. "It's alright, just stay with me."
Finally feeling at ease, Ming Ying took his hand and walked step by step toward the main hall.
The deafening sound of gongs and drums filled the air. After the wedding ceremony, according to local custom, the bride had to lower her fan and follow her husband to toast the guests.
Knowing she was uncomfortable dealing with strangers, Lin Xian held her hand the entire time, soothing her nerves: "A-Ying, just stay behind me. You don't need to toast. After we finish the first two tables of close relatives, you can go back to the room and rest."
Ming Ying shook her head. Customs were not easily changed, and on such a joyous day, it would be unseemly to cause a scene. Therefore, she insisted on toasting with him together.
Faced with such a gentle, virtuous, and understanding wife, Lin Xian’s smile deepened as he tightened his grip on her hand.
The newlyweds took the wine cups from the servant, poured clear wine into them, and first toasted the table of close relatives.
The first to rise was a blue-robed man, Lin Xian’s uncle. With an honest appearance, he seemed genuinely happy as he raised his cup and laughed heartily, "A toast to my worthy nephew and niece-in-law. May you live in harmony for a hundred years and soon bear a noble—"
Before he could finish his words, a sharp arrow pierced through the air, directly shattering the wine cup in his hand and embedding itself firmly into the table.
Uncle Lin’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. The guests panicked, screaming in confusion, unsure of what to do.
Ming Ying’s face instantly turned as pale as snow, a pallor that even powder could not conceal. The wine in her cup swayed and spilled onto her shoes, and if Lin Xian had not steadied her, she would have stumbled and lost her footing.
Lin Xian’s face also turned ashen as he shouted toward the center of the courtyard, "Today is my wedding day! Who is hiding in the shadows, playing tricks and disrupting my wedding banquet?"
A tall, broad-shouldered man in purple robes slowly walked in. Wherever he passed, the surrounding air grew so cold it seemed to freeze. Behind him followed several black-clad guards, clearly indicating ill intentions.
Countless eyes turned toward him. When Ming Ying saw that face, her heart leaped into her throat, her blood ran cold, and the wine cup in her hand finally slipped from her grasp and shattered on the ground.
Pei Xiaoyun’s sharp gaze was fixed on her, a cold and dangerous smile playing on his lips, like a cat confidently taunting a mouse it had caught.
The fury in his eyes was enough to ignite the garish red silks adorning the estate and burn them to ashes.
He had traveled for three days to Hangzhou, only to hear the news that the eldest son of the Lin family in Hangzhou was getting married.
At that moment, he even wished he could tear these people to pieces.
She had hidden from him, fled to Hangzhou, and now hastily held a wedding, becoming another man’s wife behind his back. Did they think they could live happily? Impossible!
After three years, Ming Ying finally met his gaze directly. His dark eyes, filled with turbulent emotions, overlapped with the eyes from her nightmares, carrying a ferocity that seemed intent on tearing her apart.
She lost her composure, gasping for breath as fear dragged her down, one step at a time.
"Is it you?" Lin Xian firmly shielded Ming Ying, unafraid of his approach.
Lin Xian’s father hurried over upon hearing the commotion. From a distance, he glared at Pei Xiaoyun and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble here! Guards!"
"Have my aunt and uncle forgotten me?" Pei Xiaoyun stood in the center of the courtyard, his imposing presence overwhelming, his lazy words laced with hidden daggers. "I was passing through Hangzhou on official business and heard there was a celebration in your household. I came specifically to ask for a cup of wine and, incidentally, to meet my cousin’s wife."
The words "cousin’s wife" pierced Ming Ying’s ears, leaving her mind in turmoil and her vision darkening.
Lin Xian steadied Ming Ying and glared coldly at Pei Xiaoyun. "You came uninvited. What exactly do you intend?"
The courtyard fell into silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop. Two pairs of icy eyes met, the atmosphere tense and hostile.
Lin Xian’s mother recognized Pei Xiaoyun. Steeling herself, she stepped forward with a forced smile, trying to smooth things over. "So it’s Second Young Master. I didn’t recognize you for a moment. We had intended to send an invitation to Guogongfu but feared you might not grace us with your presence. Since we’ve met by such a coincidence, please, take a seat."
Clearly unaware of the entanglement between her son, daughter-in-law, and Pei Xiaoyun, she only knew that this formidable figure before her was not to be trifled with. She hoped to gloss over the matter and send him away as quickly as possible.
Pei Xiaoyun remained silent, merely lifting his robe to take a seat, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Ming Ying.
That small, palm-sized face was etched with terror, yet her appearance had not changed in the slightest. If anything, the wedding dress and makeup only enhanced her radiant, captivating beauty.
Suddenly, he seized her with his gaze, like a predator locking onto prey with nowhere to run, waiting for her to approach, to come obediently…
Since Lin's mother had spoken thus, the guests had no choice but to humor her, pretending as if nothing had happened and continuing to drink as though the uninvited guest had never appeared.
The clamor around her, a facade of normalcy, became a soothing balm for Ming Ying's heart.
She picked up another wine cup, pondering carefully.
The Lin family were prominent merchants in Hangzhou, influential and respected. The guests present today were also of high status, many with connections to the government, all witnessing her marriage to Lin Xian.
Now that she was a member of the Lin family, no longer alone, even if Pei Xiaoyun wielded immense power, he would not dare to act recklessly.
Holding the wine cup, she took small, delicate steps toward him. Suddenly, Lin Xian grabbed her arm.
She shook her head, signaling that it was fine.
She understood that Pei Xiaoyun had come for her today, and it was up to her to resolve the situation. She truly did not want to ruin this meticulously planned wedding.
Pei Xiaoyun watched the two of them pulling at each other, the fire in his eyes eager to consume Ming Ying.
Ming Ying walked up to him, raised her wine cup, forced herself to appear calm, and smiled gently. "This is my first time meeting Second Young Master, so it’s only natural to feel unfamiliar. This cup of wine should be offered by me."
These words were clearly spoken for everyone to hear.
By drawing a line between herself and him, he would find it difficult to act inappropriately in front of so many witnesses.
Pei Xiaoyun watched her approach, a cryptic smile curling his lips. Suddenly, he reached out and touched her snow-white cheek.
Like a master teasing a lost pet that had returned.
"You…" Ming Ying was stunned, taking a large step back. Wine splashed all over her skirt, and a powerful force wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Instantly, she was enveloped by the man’s scorching, dangerous presence.
It’s over, all over.
At that moment, her heart turned to ashes.
Pei Xiaoyun’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light, his gaze sharp as a blade, sweeping inch by inch across her fair, snow-like skin. Slowly, he uttered, "First time meeting? My dear sister-in-law has even borne a child for me, and you still claim we’re not close?"
This shocking act left the guests present dumbfounded, murmuring and whispering, the scene descending into chaos.
Lin Xian clenched his fists, pulled the arrow from the table, and lunged toward Pei Xiaoyun, only to have his wrist seized by a guard behind him. A brutal kick to his knees forced him to kneel awkwardly on one knee.
Immediately after, a large group of armed soldiers kicked open the mansion gates, flooding in and surrounding everyone present.
Panic-stricken, the guests scrambled to their feet, only to hear a sharp command: "Lin Zhengen, head of the Lin family, is accused of colluding with the Kongchan Sect. By order, he is to be arrested. Anyone who makes a sound will be executed on the spot!"
Instantly, the courtyard fell into dead silence.
"Outrageous!" Lin Xian tried to rise and resist but was struck in the back by the hilt of a sword, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Don’t hurt him!"
Seeing Lin Xian injured, Ming Ying’s eyes welled up with tears, which fell unbidden. She shouted at Pei Xiaoyun, "This has nothing to do with him! If you have anything to say, direct it at me!"
Pei Xiaoyun watched the two of them, so affectionate and devoted to each other, grinding his teeth in frustration. He couldn’t help but let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Direct it at you?"
As if he were the villain, tearing apart a pair of star-crossed lovers.
The fire that had flickered and flared within him over the past three years surged to its peak. He seized Ming Ying, pinning her against the table, his out-of-control hand gripping her neck as he hissed each word like a demon’s whisper: “Do you want to die?”
He truly wanted to kill her—for betraying him, deceiving him, and daring to marry another man behind his back.
While he had spent three years first in longing, then in resentment, tossing and turning in agony, she had been indulging in romance with another man.
But soon, he released her.
What good would killing her do? Death would be an easy escape, letting her off too lightly.
He would make her pay for toying with him.
As his grip loosened, Ming Ying, believing she was truly about to die, bit down hard on the fleshy part of his hand in a desperate instinct for survival, leaving a bloody imprint of her teeth on his skin.
Pei Xiaoyun seemed impervious to the pain, but his rage only grew.
Was she willing to fight him to the death for Lin Xian?
He would show her the consequences of repeatedly provoking him, make her understand who should and should not be by her side.
Dusk settled, and darkness enveloped everything.
The red silk ribbons fluttering in the courtyard swayed with the wind, intensifying the throbbing ache in his head.
Ming Ying struggled fiercely beneath him, fueling his fury. He scooped her up and carried her into the house, glancing back at Lin Xian lying motionless on the ground. He ordered his subordinates, “Clear everyone else out. Tie him to that tree.”
The wedding night, a moment of springtime bliss worth its weight in gold.
What should have been a joyous night for the newlyweds was torn apart by the woman’s cries.
Pei Xiaoyun threw Ming Ying onto the bed, the vivid red wedding curtains glaringly bright.
He removed the cumbersome phoenix crown from her head, stripped off her wedding gown, leaving only a thin layer of undergarments.
Realizing his intentions, Ming Ying tried to crawl away, but he dragged her back by the ankle. Struggling was futile, so she pleaded, “Why won’t you let me go? It’s over between us. Can’t you just pretend I’m dead?”
He had once tried to kill her, and she had narrowly escaped with her life. Why wouldn’t he let her be? Did he truly want her dead?
“Pretend you’re dead? But you’re alive and well, aren’t you?” Pei Xiaoyun’s rough thumb scraped across her tear-streaked face, as if relishing the thrill of toying with a once-obedient pet. His voice was icy as he sneered, “Even if you die, it will be by my hand.”
“Then kill me. Kill me and let them go. They’re innocent. I’m the one who deceived you. It’s my fault.”
Ming Ying closed her eyes, waiting for his hand to tighten around her neck.
Hearing her words, Pei Xiaoyun’s pupils darkened like stagnant water.
He couldn’t bear to hear her plead for Lin Xian. Every word of her plea made him want to stab Lin Xian a few more times.
“Want to die? It won’t be that easy.”
He rubbed her lips harshly, the crimson lipstick smearing across her pale face and staining his slender fingers.
He wouldn’t kill her. He wanted her to become Mian’er again—to obediently serve him, please him, and atone for her sins.
“Since you were so eager to marry him, I won’t ruin your wedding. But this wedding night…” He traced her face inch by inch. “How could it be spent alone?”
Ming Ying shuddered, gritting her teeth as she glared at him in fury. “You’re despicable.”
She wished he would just kill her, grant her a swift end, rather than humiliate her like this and drag others into it.
Pei Xiaoyun watched her snow-white teeth part and close, spitting out two barbed words that felt like a cat bite, sending a tingling pain through him.
She truly had grown more capable, and bolder too.
His gaze darkened as he tore the fabric from her chest.
A chill swept over Ming Ying's chest, and immense shame buzzed in her ears. She desperately covered herself with both hands.
"Let go of me!"
Pei Xiaoyun pulled a red silk ribbon from the bed curtain and, without another word, bound her wrists, tying them to the carved wooden railing at the head of the bed.
Freed from restraint, the snowy expanse of her chest was fully exposed.
He examined it closely and noticed that the characters he had personally carved into her chest years ago were gone, replaced by a budding camellia flower.
Because of Lin Xian, he hated this flower the most.
He leaned close to her ear, his voice teasing and low. "Did Lin Xian draw this for you?"
Unable to move, Ming Ying could only turn her face away to avoid his intimacy, cursing him. "Do you think everyone is as filthy as you?"
She hated the characters on her chest and despised wearing earrings.
Her jewelry box had never contained earrings, and the characters on her chest had been covered by a camellia flower drawn by a female tattoo artist.
Pei Xiaoyun nodded, repeating the word "good" several times.
He pressed down on her, biting her lip until it bled, the metallic taste of blood spreading between their lips and teeth.
Her scent filled the emptiness he had felt day and night for the past three years, leaving him feeling unprecedentedly whole, yet also hollow inside, tormented by desire.
He kissed her until she was nearly suffocating before releasing her. As he lowered himself, he gazed at her tightly furrowed brows and deliberately said, "Knowing you're thinking of Lin Xian, I had him tied to a tree outside the window, so you won't worry or keep missing him."
Hearing this, Ming Ying trembled all over, almost wishing she could vanish from shame and indignation.
"Don't… don't do this to me. I was wrong. Just kill me."
It was her own foolishness to have provoked him. Once entangled with him, she could never break free or hope for a peaceful life.
She was so close, just one step away!
Pei Xiaoyun ignored her pleas and sobs. Every word from her lips was like a drug that fueled his ruthlessness. He wanted her—and Lin Xian—to see what it meant to indulge in wishful thinking!
Ming Ying could hardly bear the splitting pain. Like a weak beast tortured to the brink of death, she bit her lip bloody but dared not make a sound.
She didn't want Ziming to hear such humiliating noises.
"Has Lin Xian ever touched you?" The thought made Pei Xiaoyun even more ruthless in his plunder. If Lin Xian had so much as laid a finger on her, he would go out and kill him immediately.
His possession could never be tainted by another.
Ming Ying sobbed, ignoring his question.
"Speak," Pei Xiaoyun commanded, looking down at her eyes, his hand gripping the fragile flower. "Will you tell me, or shall I ask him?"
"N-no, he hasn't," Ming Ying stammered, terrified he would act on his threat. She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling as if her body were roasting over a fire, suffocated by overwhelming shame.
This was supposed to be her wedding night. Why had it turned into this?
Her husband was being humiliated, and she was being forced—in their own bridal chamber…
Pei Xiaoyun smiled with satisfaction, biting her earlobe hard, his low voice whispering in her ear. "This is your punishment, and it's not enough."
The bed curtains rustled like raging waves, and every gasp, sob, twist, and turn was heard without fail by the person outside the window.
Lin Xian's eyes were bloodshot, his refined features twisted with rage. He trembled, clenching his fists tightly, and lowered his head.
It was supposed to be his wedding night, yet everything had been ruined in an instant. He was weak, incompetent—his wife had been humiliated right before his eyes.
Gritting his teeth, he bowed his head, something slowly dripping down.
If this grudge went unavenged, he would be no gentleman.
At dawn, the same magpie arrived again, carrying a twig in its beak.
In just one day, everything had changed.
Ming Ying lifted her vacant eyes, watching the magpie fly away, as if something no longer belonged to her, vanishing without a sound.
She had developed a high fever. Pei Xiaoyun saw her flushed face, unresponsive to words, as if she had lost her senses, and felt a flicker of panic. He sent someone to fetch He Lianqing.
He Lianqing, still groggy from sleep, heard it was to treat the newly recovered concubine and said from outside the door, "I am a physician, not your servant."
Pei Xiaoyun replied indifferently, "Go see what illness she has, and check her condition while you're at it."
He Lianqing entered the room and, upon seeing Ming Ying's face, was momentarily stunned.
Ming Ying's still, lifeless eyes suddenly flickered with recognition the moment she saw him.
The two exchanged glances, recognizing each other as old acquaintances from years past. Yet, both being clever, with Pei Xiaoyun present, they said nothing.
"How is she?" Pei Xiaoyun urged.
He Lianqing withdrew the pulse pillow and gave him a meaningful look, as if to say, "This is your doing."
But mindful of Ming Ying's presence, he omitted that remark and simply said, "A severe chill, with extreme emotional fluctuations. She must not be overexerted. Her constitution was already weak, and she never fully recovered from childbirth, leaving lingering ailments."
Ming Ying leaned against the headboard, blinking faintly, not uttering a word.
Pei Xiaoyun stared at her for a long time, a surge of frustration still churning in his chest. He said to her, "You deserve it."
Who told her to recklessly insist on leaving Guogongfu, even fabricating a difficult childbirth to deceive him? It was a miracle she hadn't died along the way.
Hearing these words, Ming Ying managed a bitter smile.
She did deserve it. Even death would be deserved.
After He Lianqing left, a servant brought the brewed medicine. Ming Ying refused to drink it. Pei Xiaoyun waved the servant away, placed the medicine bowl heavily on the bedside table, and taunted, "Shall I have Lin Xian come see you?"
Ming Ying finally reacted strongly, her features twisted with sorrow as she gazed at him mournfully. He had deliberately made such a commotion last night, just so Lin Xian would hear and she would be humiliated.
In her current state, how could she face Lin Xian again?
Her parched lips moved slightly. "What have you done to him?"
"The Lin family colluded with the Kongchan Sect, rebels against the court. What do you think?"
Pei Xiaoyun sneered. With him, she was like a dead fish, but the moment Lin Xian was mentioned, she stirred.
"He is innocent." Ming Ying suddenly grew agitated. She knew Lin Xian's character well; he couldn't possibly be involved with any Kongchan Sect. "You're abusing your power for personal reasons."
"And what if I am?"
"I told you, this is your punishment." Pei Xiaoyun's expression turned icy in an instant, his eyes chillingly cold. "If you plead for him again, I'll kill him."
He shoved the medicine bowl into her hands, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Drink the medicine. I still plan to take you back to the capital."
These words seemed to strike Ming Ying's most fragile nerves. Her eyes hardened with resolve as she refused outright, "I won't go back."
She would not return to that life of servitude and endless darkness.
Why? He now had everything—glory, power, a wife. Why couldn't he just let her go?
Pei Xiaoyun strode away, leaving behind a final remark: "You have no choice."
Author's Note: Recommending a friend's ongoing novel "Jiang You Qiaomu" by Jiang Bushisheng.
Pseudo-sibling relationship / melodrama / sea of hatred, sky of love
Synopsis:
In her childhood, Jiang Qiao often heard her elder brother speak of the past—the towering palace walls, the splendid garments, halls of white jade and pearls that shimmered in the night. As royal children, they had once been showered with boundless affection.
Later, when the Great Zhou fell, they were reduced to commoners—a dilapidated temple, two plain robes, penniless and begging on the streets.
But Jiang Qiao did not mind. As long as she could stay with her brother, she was content.
Begging, quarreling… even when falsely accused of theft by noble ladies in the capital, she endured it all for her brother's future.
She only wished to be with him forever.
Until the day the chancellor's youngest daughter was betrothed to become the Crown Princess.
She watched her brother stay in his study all night, emerging only to utter a single sentence: she would take the bride's place.
One argued with flushed cheeks, the other remained silent.
Only then did Jiang Qiao realize that she was no different from gold, silver, or paintings—merely a tool in her brother's hands for restoring the kingdom, nothing more.
Since coming of age, Jiang Bai had only one great ambition in mind—reviving the Zhou dynasty.
For this, he could grovel before his enemies and exploit the innocent.
After all, he was already a stray dog, with no regard for conscience or righteousness.
Yet there was one person he could not disregard—the "sister" who had accompanied him for years, Jiang Qiao.
For her sake, he schemed tirelessly, risking all his previous efforts to place Jiang Qiao on the throne as Crown Princess.
Only in this way, whether he succeeded or failed, could she be guaranteed her life.
But on the day he personally escorted her to the wedding, his outstretched hand met empty air. The young woman in crimson robes walked away without looking back.
The pain cut like a knife.
Jiang Bai knew he was wrong.
Years later, the emperor passed away, and the fate of the dynasty hung in the balance once more.
With foreign powers eyeing the land covetously and court officials divided, the Crown Prince, frail and bedridden, could no longer rise.
When Jiang Bai was first summoned to the Eastern Palace, he had already risen to the position of chancellor, standing above ten thousand others.
That day marked exactly one year since he had last seen Jiang Qiao.
A noblewoman, imposing and dignified, stepped before him, lifting her gaze to meet his. Her clear eyes were just as they had been in the past.
Yet she said, "Have you decided? Become the tutor to my child. In three years, when he ascends the throne, you will be enfeoffed as a prince."
"This is the last chance I will give you."
The last time they parted in discord after a long, intimate moment, the same words had been spoken.
Jiang Bai remained silent for a long while before uttering just two words: "I'm sorry."
For the sake of the girl she once was.