The words felt strangely familiar, as if an invisible hand had closed around Yan Qi’s heart.
He raised a hand, intending to seize Chu Zhao by the wrist.
But Chu Zhao, already full and satisfied, wasn’t about to let him catch her so easily. She sprang up with a swift movement and dodged him first. Yan Qi’s fingertips closed on empty air. His gaze darkened, and he reached for her again.
Chu Zhao twisted aside, but in the struggle, her collar was suddenly pulled half open. Her snow-white shoulder was abruptly exposed, its smoothness dazzling to the eye.
Yan Qi’s fingers froze in midair.
Chu Zhao glanced down at her exposed shoulder, then looked up at him. With a cold laugh, she drew her robe closed again. “Like what you see?” You little bastard!
After he’d “voluntarily” come to offer his blood last night, she’d shown him a little kindness. And now this brat was taking advantage of it!
Yan Qi withdrew his hand expressionlessly and clasped it behind his back, the fingers curling slightly. He studied her with an even deeper, more scrutinizing gaze.
“I did underestimate you.”
“You’re quite skilled.”
Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow. Realizing what he meant, she thought: So this brat thinks she’d used some trick to “seduce” him into coming last night?
What a shameless brat—he’d inherited every last one of his ancestor’s tricks!
“Then you’d better be careful. These aren’t the only tricks I have.” Chu Zhao leaned forward and raised a challenging eyebrow. “Next time you show up in my room, it’ll be your neck that’s bleeding.”
Yan Qi’s eyes darkened.
He stared at her lips, moving as she uttered her threats.
Swollen and stained with blood—the lips he’d bitten open last night.
The taste of blood still lingered at the back of his tongue.
He couldn’t remember what had happened last night, but the wound on his lip didn’t lie.
He had bitten her, and she had bitten him. They had grappled in this shabby room. The thought blazed like a fire, burning from his spine all the way to the back of his neck.
What unsettled him even more than that fact was the fragrance lingering beneath his nose.
It was faint, almost imperceptible, yet it hooked him like a barb.
The scent had soothed his headache, but it also made him inexplicably restless. Something inside him stirred, repeatedly testing the edge of control.
“What incense did you burn?” he suddenly asked.
Chu Zhao shot him a baffled look.
In this broken-down shack, with barely three tiles to its name, what was she supposed to burn incense with? A pile of bones?
She was just about to sneer at him when the person outside, unable to wait any longer, knocked on the door, steeling himself.
“Your Highness, I have something to report.”
Their confrontation was interrupted. Yan Qi turned and left. The moment the door opened, Qi Yun caught sight of the wound on his lips and froze. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Chu Zhao behind him, her lips just as swollen and bloodstained. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Chu Zhao curled her lips wickedly, raised a hand, and slowly drew a finger across her throat.
Qi Yun: !!!
He hurriedly looked away, lowered his head, and followed Yan Qi, fleeing Wutong Courtyard as if for his life.
Only after they had left the courtyard did Yan Qi ask in a low voice, “What is it?”
“Nanxing’s message has arrived.” Qi Yun lowered his voice. “He returned to the Chu family home and found a lead on the relic of the King of Xuanzhao that you’ve been searching for.”
Yan Qi kept walking, but his back stiffened for a moment.
“That Black-Iron Phoenix Hairpin was part of Duchess Shen’s dowry,” Qi Yun said, lowering his voice further. “It should still be in her hands.”
Yan Qi’s brows knitted together.
Duchess Shen?
The vicious woman who had sent someone to drown her own daughter yesterday to make room for her concubine-born daughter?
Shen Zhaozhao’s mother?
“Your Highness, I’ll send men to sneak into Duke Shen’s Residence—”
“No need.” Yan Qi rubbed his brow. “We’ll go today.”
He couldn’t bear the thought of that hairpin falling into such filthy hands. Even the idea of it being there for a moment made him sick.
“Duchess Shen was attacked at the residence yesterday. I should pay her a visit to inquire after her health.” He paused, his voice turning cool. “Bring Shen Zhaozhao along, too.”
After all, it wouldn’t do for a son-in-law to visit his mother-in-law alone.
Qi Yun accepted the order. Before leaving, he hesitated and asked, “Your Highness, last night, you and the Princess Regent… well…”
Yan Qi shot him a cold glance.
Qi Yun understood. It seemed they were still going to divorce.
“Wait.” Yan Qi suddenly called him back. After a few moments’ pause, he asked, “Last night… did she behave strangely?”
Qi Yun looked troubled. Th-this was a question that could get him killed.
“The Princess Regent behaved normally. In the latter half of the night, Your Highness went to Wutong Courtyard… You and her… well…”
A vein throbbed at Yan Qi’s temple. He shut his eyes and waved a hand. “Leave.”
Qi Yun was as good as reprieved. He bowed and hurried off at a near run.
Yan Qi frowned. The place where his tongue had been bitten throbbed faintly, making him even more irritable.
“Outrageous wretch.”
He wasn’t sure who he was cursing.
…
Duke Shen’s Residence.
Madam Chu’s hands were wrapped up like dumplings, and her face was as pale as a ghost’s. Her ten fingers throbbed with pain, trembling again and again. With every tremor, her hatred for Shen Zhaozhao grew.
“Mother, how did you get hurt so badly?” Shen Yuzhu leaned against her bedside, looking ready to burst into tears. “Mingzhu’s heart aches for you.”
She raised her tearful eyes, her voice soft and gentle. “How could assassins have gotten into the Prince of You’s Residence for no reason? I wonder whether Eldest Sister is… all right.”
Madam Chu’s chest heaved.
She gazed at Shen Yuzhu with tenderness. But at the mention of Shen Zhaozhao, her expression changed at once. “What could happen to that fool? She’s still a mad—”
The words died on her lips when Madam Chu caught sight of Shen Yuzhu’s startled little face. She swallowed the venomous words. Enduring the pain in her hands, she managed a faint smile to soothe her.
“Don’t worry, Yuzhu. With me here, I’ll never let that fool take the bright future meant for you.”
“The position of Princess Regent is yours and yours alone.”
Shen Yuzhu’s long lashes fluttered, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
“Mother, please don’t say that.” She lowered her eyes, her voice soft and delicate. “Eldest Sister is the primary consort. Even if His Highness the Prince of You were to take another woman into his household, the position of secondary consort wouldn’t be mine…”
As she spoke, her face paled again. Her lowered lashes made her look like a flower drenched by wind and rain.
“It’s only that I was born unlucky. I wish I’d been born from your womb…”
Madam Chu’s expression stiffened for a moment. She was just about to say something when a servant came to report, “Madam, His Highness the Prince of You has brought the Princess Regent to visit you.”
Madam Chu’s body trembled.
Her first thought was: Shen Zhaozhao, that madwoman, had really come back to the family home to take revenge?
But she quickly suppressed the absurd thought.
With His Highness the Prince of You there, how would that madwoman dare cause trouble?
She remembered the Prince of You she had seen yesterday: such a noble, handsome figure, with such regal bearing. How could he truly have taken a fool and madwoman as his Princess Regent?
Yesterday’s plan had failed, but today…
Today might still be a good opportunity!
At the thought, Madam Chu felt a little calmer. She glanced at Shen Yuzhu beside her. Seeing the young woman’s lovestruck look, she grew even more certain.
“Your father is on duty and isn’t at home,” she said gently. “I can hardly go out looking like this without showing our distinguished guests proper respect. Yuzhu, go and welcome His Highness the Prince of You for me.”
She paused, suppressing the pain in her hands, and patted Shen Yuzhu’s hand lightly.
“Dress up properly. Don’t bring disgrace on Duke Shen’s Residence. You were raised by my side, so you’re as much a legitimate daughter of this house as anyone.”
Shen Yuzhu’s breath caught.
How could she fail to understand the meaning behind Madam Chu’s words?
The blush on her cheeks deepened.
She lowered her eyes and gave a soft “Mm,” her voice so gentle it seemed to melt.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I certainly won’t slight my brother-in-law.”
She didn’t mention Shen Zhaozhao even once.
“By the way.” Madam Chu suddenly remembered something. “Do you still have the Peace Talisman I got for you?”
Shen Yuzhu nodded and took a yellow talisman, folded into a triangle, from the sachet she wore close to her body. She handed it over with both hands.
Madam Chu took the talisman and smiled. “You’ve had this one for too long. Daoist Wang said that after you’ve worn it for a while, you have to burn it to dispel the baleful influence.”
Shen Yuzhu didn’t suspect a thing.
As soon as Shen Yuzhu left, Madam Chu immediately called over her personal nanny and handed her the talisman.
“Burn it in water. Make sure the Prince of You drinks it.”
The nanny accepted the order and slipped away without a sound.
Madam Chu drew a deep breath.
It was a pity she hadn’t managed to kill Shen Zhaozhao and take her fortune.
But as long as the Prince of You drank this Heart-Enchantment Talisman, nourished by Yuzhu’s aura while it was kept close to her body, there was no way he wouldn’t fall in love with Yuzhu at first sight.
Once he divorced Shen Zhaozhao, that little wretch would be a discarded wife, with no choice but to return to Duke Shen’s Residence!
And then, wouldn’t killing her be easy?
Madam Chu leaned back against the soft pillow and smiled slowly.