As expected, on the day of the wedding, he saw her hiding in the alley. He thought that such a bright wedding dress would look better with a bit of blood on it.
With that thought, Chu Yin let out a soft snort of amusement. He hadn’t expected that the frightened little white rabbit would mistake him for a passerby.
And she even asked, “Are you running away from the wedding too?”
She even thought that marrying him was a good match.
What had he thought at the time? He remembered thinking that it was the first time he’d heard someone say that marrying him was a good thing.
Second Prince Chu Ming’s expression darkened at Chu Yin’s snort. “What are you laughing at?”
Yu Jiao instinctively positioned herself behind Chu Yin, craning her neck slightly and lowering her gaze. “Why are you yelling at my Prince?”
Ying Feng suddenly appeared before them, sword in hand. “Second Prince.”
Second Prince?
Was this the scoundrel who had conspired with Yu Ning’er to frame her?
Yu Jiao blinked, vaguely recalling him.
Chu Yin watched her intently as she stared at someone else. A faint red brushed the corners of his eyes. His hand tightened around her waist, lips curling slightly.
He narrowed his eyes and leaned close to her ear, his voice extremely gentle. “Is he handsome?”
Yu Jiao froze. The gentleness felt a little strange. She shook her head and hesitated, saying, “I really had poor taste before.”
The words “poor taste” pleased Chu Yin immensely. The imposing aura around him vanished like a tamed lion, and the curve of his lips widened.
Chu Ming froze in place, unable to believe it.
Whenever Yu Jiao saw him, she had clung to him, coquettishly calling “Second Prince.”
Whenever he lowered his head to give her a favorable expression, she would act demure and praise him—handsome, spirited, the most attractive person in Yan Capital.
What strange spell had she fallen under today?
“You…!” Chu Ming’s eyes fell on Chu Yin’s face, realization dawning.
He understood.
She must be throwing a tantrum at him.
He knew this foolish woman only knew jealousy and scheming, unlike the considerate Yu Ning’er.
“Yu Jiao, you don’t need to play these ‘catch and release’ games.”
Yu Jiao gave him a dark look, tugging at Chu Yin’s sleeve. In a soft voice, she said, “Prince, there’s something wrong with this Second Prince, isn’t there?”
She pointed toward his head. “Clearly, my Prince outshines him by every measure. He’s not even one ten-thousandth of the Prince. If you’re going to play catch-and-release, you should do it with my Prince. How dare he have such a big ego?”
Chu Yin almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Look, when the rabbit got angry, it didn’t bite—it bared its teeth and scratched at someone’s face instead.
He affectionately ruffled her hair, scolding yet indulging her at the same time. “Nonsense.”
Yu Jiao stuck out her tongue, looking at Chu Ming provocatively.
“Not even one ten-thousandth of him?” Chu Ming gritted his teeth, glaring at her in fury.
He sneered. “Yu Jiao, you don’t think climbing onto this monster means you’re safe, do you?”
Chu Ming looked at her with a mocking, sinister smile. “Do you know his name? Prince of Yan. Crowned at five, he seized the throne by force. And I… am the Second Prince.”
Yu Jiao understood. Since childhood, Chu Yin had been crowned and had seized power. He was destined never to sit on the imperial throne.
But so what?
She tilted her head and smiled innocently. “But he’s still not even one ten-thousandth of my Prince.”
Chu Ming was furious. He sneered. “But he’s a monster! A monster everyone despises!”
“He’s also a dying man!”
“Slap—”
Chu Ming tilted his head, eyes widening as he froze, a clear handprint appearing on his face.
The shopkeeper trembled behind him, lowering his head. This… this was something he could even witness?
Yu Jiao looked defiant. “Second Prince spoke rudely. I am teaching you a lesson on behalf of my Prince.”
“My Prince is even a year older than the Second Prince. You should call him Imperial Brother. If the Second Prince doesn’t know how to speak, he should learn. Can’t he learn to stay silent if he can’t speak properly?”
Yu Jiao repeated “my Prince” over and over. Chu Yin’s lips curved high, but in his heart, he muttered:
Flatterer.
“Yu Jiao, you have a lot of nerve!” Chu Ming was livid.
Chu Yin reached out, shielding her behind him.
Chu Ming looked at Chu Yin and laughed instead of being angry. “Ha, who do you think you are? You’re a monster even your own Mother Consort fears and despises!”
Chu Yin took a step forward and stopped before him, his voice soft as silk. “What did you say?”
The guards behind Chu Ming drew their swords. “Prince of Yan, you—”
Before the words were finished, several of them collapsed to the ground, eyes wide, a streak of blood cutting across their necks.
Chu Yin’s hand held a dagger at his side, blood running down its blade, gathering at the tip before dropping onto the ground.
He looked at Chu Ming, his eyes bloodshot. He wiped the blood at the tip with his finger, rolling it lightly between his fingers.
It had been a long time since he’d smelled fresh blood. He licked his lips, a trace of nostalgia stirring—he had almost forgotten this sensation.
“Prince of Yan, you… you dare! What do you intend to do to me?”
Chu Ming stumbled back in fear, realizing again that this was a monster who enjoyed killing.
Chu Yin lifted his hand, gripping Chu Ming’s neck. “Didn’t you say I, was a monster? Didn’t you say I, was bloodthirsty? Weren’t you afraid of I? Then killing a prince shouldn’t be a problem, right? After all… it’s only natural for a monster to kill.”
Ying Feng and Ying Jue were shocked, speaking in unison. “If Your Highness kills the Second Prince, it will be trouble!”
Yu Jiao shouted suddenly, but Chu Yin’s eyes had already turned red; he couldn’t hear her.
“Prince, let go!” She grabbed his wrist, inexplicably finding the strength to pry his hand from Chu Ming’s neck. Chu Ming immediately ran, shouting over his shoulder that he wouldn’t let this go.
Seeing Yu Jiao openly defend Chu Ming in front of him, Chu Yin’s eyes flared red with murderous intent. He grabbed her chin and demanded, “What did you just say with your mouth—let go? Hm?”
His grip on her jaw left her faintly in pain, tightening continuously, as if he wanted to crush her mouth as well.
Yu Jiao looked up at him, forcing out a few words. “Prince… I… am… Yu Jiao.”
Chu Yin lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes. He stared at her face, twisted in discomfort, his blood-red eyes softening slightly, a trace of confusion in them.
His hand loosened unconsciously.
“Yu Jiao…” he murmured.
Yu Jiao responded softly, a fine sweat forming on her forehead, staring at him. “It’s me. I am Yu Jiao.”
Chu Yin muttered again, “Yu Jiao…”
Yu Jiao held his hand, her breathing quick from the pain. She whispered, “Prince, can you let go? It hurts.”
Her face flushed, yet her hands kept tapping lightly against his.
A thought crossed her mind, and she spoke slowly to him:
She would stand in front of him to protect him.
She would firmly and gently tell him not to be afraid.
She would repeat, over and over, that he was hers.
With every word, the pressure of his hand eased slightly.
But…
The hand gripping her chin suddenly tightened again.
Yet she had just let go, freeing Chu Ming. She was no longer protecting him!
Even though Chu Ming had said he was a monster. A monster even Mother Consort feared and despised…