Lin Yao carried the food box to the gates of the Wuju Courtyard.
The doors were tightly shut, looking starkly out of place within the opulent manor—like a silent temple standing amidst a bustling marketplace. Inside sat a man of supreme nobility, a being of sacred coldness untainted by the mortal world.
And she was here to desecrate that sanctity.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. She was a woman who knew how to trade, how to manage wealth, and how to navigate the complex social webs of the elite. she was well-read and worldly. But in the art of seduction, she was a complete novice.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
the door was opened by a handsome youth chewing on a stalk of foxtail grass, looking thoroughly bored.
“Another one?” The youth rolled his eyes. Seeing the food box, he scoffed. “The same old trick? My Prince has no worldly cravings. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Lin Yao studied him. This was Chang Feng, exactly as Xiao Ju had described. She held the box out to him.
“You want me to deliver it for you?” Chang Feng didn’t take it. “You’re a coward, aren’t you? If you’re this timid, how do you expect to seduce the Prince? Take my advice and go home.”
“It’s for you,” Lin Yao said softly. “Pastries from Jiangnan.”
Chang Feng froze. For him? This was a tactic he hadn’t encountered before.
In her past life, Lin Yao had traveled to Jiangnan with Gu Yulan. Because he loved the local sweets, she had gone out of her way to learn how to make them from a famous master. The shop owner had been so impressed by her talent that he had begged her to stay and work for him. Upon learning she was the wife of the Grand Secretary, he had sighed with regret, saying, “Your husband is a lucky man to have such a gifted wife.”
Lucky? Lin Yao later discovered those very pastries ended up in the stomach of Gu Yulan’s mistress. Back then, she had been a fool to please him so desperately. But at least she had kept the skill. Knowing Chang Feng was originally from Jiangnan, she had prepared these specifically for him.
Chang Feng opened the box. The pastries were as delicate as those in his memories. He took a bite.
“How is the taste?” Lin Yao asked.
“Average,” he said coldly, though he immediately stuffed three more into his mouth. Noticing her smile, he muttered an awkward explanation, “I couldn’t tell the flavor from just one piece. Now that I’ve had four… yeah, definitely average.”
Lin Yao’s smile deepened.
“Are you trying to bribe me?” Chang Feng squinted at her.
“Yes. You are the Prince’s closest confidant. Getting on your good side is useful to me.”
Her blunt honesty took him aback. “I won’t help you,” he grumbled.
A moment later, he sniffed the air. “Why do you have a strange smell on you?”
Lin Yao’s instincts flared. She pulled the sachet from her sleeve. “Is there something wrong with this scent?”
Chang Feng frowned. “That scent? Do you have a death wish? The Prince loathes that smell. It enrages him. Throw it away, quickly!”
The boy was dead serious. Lin Yao tossed it aside immediately, a cold sweat breaking out on her neck. If not for Chang Feng’s warning, she would have walked into a “Hell Mode” start. The Princess Consort was in the same boat as her; she wouldn’t sabotage her. That meant the old woman who delivered it was working for someone else.
She looked at Chang Feng. And you said you wouldn’t help me? Once the scent had dissipated, she asked, “Where is the Prince?”
“In the prayer hall. My master hasn’t officially shaved his head, but he’s no different from a high monk. No matter how beautiful you are, in his eyes, you’re just a skeleton in a dress. My advice? Don’t bother.”
“Thank you for the guidance, Chang Feng. But I have no choice,” Lin Yao said with a bitter shadow in her eyes.
“Fine. Go on then. Just stay quiet. He hates noise.”
Lin Yao walked toward the hall. The closer she got, the faster her heart beat. As she reached the entrance, the scent of sandalwood drifted out. She stepped inside cautiously.
There, sitting on a prayer mat, was a man in black. He sat perfectly upright, his ink-black hair flowing down and loosely tied with a simple cord. His features were strikingly handsome—a high bridge to his nose and sharp, aggressive lines that were softened by a chilling, detached “Buddha-nature.” He looked like a white lotus atop a snowy mountain, unreachable and divine. Yet, his robes were draped loosely, offering a glimpse of firm muscle beneath.
Lin Yao felt a sudden, violent impulse. He was so cold, so arrogant—she wanted to drag him down from his pedestal. She wanted him to fall into the mortal world and taste its pleasures.
Suddenly, the man opened his eyes. They were frigid, devoid of any human emotion.
Lin Yao didn’t speak. She didn’t intentionally expose her skin or try any overt seduction. Instead, she simply sat down quietly nearby and began reading a volume of sutras. She genuinely loved books, and she found the Buddhist texts intriguing.
Because she was so composed, Prince Yu found himself glancing at her. He thought her behavior odd.
When evening arrived, Lin Yao stood up to leave. The Prince looked at her again. She’s just… leaving? Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she tumbled toward the floor. It was a genuine fall, and she let out a soft, pained whimper.
The Prince’s eyes turned cold. So, her patience was just a bit better than the others. Her methods are the same. He expected her to stay down, act frail, and wait for him to help her up. He felt a surge of disgust.
But when he looked up, he saw her picking herself up, limping out of the hall without a second glance. She didn’t linger at all.
The Prince was, for the first time, surprised.
Outside the courtyard, a small smile played on Lin Yao’s lips. She wasn’t an expert at seducing men, but she was an expert at reading them. Every other woman who entered that hall was desperate to show off their charms. By being different, she had piqued his curiosity.
She had read in stories that curiosity is often the beginning of love. An iceberg cannot be melted in a day; she had to find a crack and slowly pry it open. Seducing a man was like running a business—it required long-term management and couldn’t be rushed.
The news that Lin Yao had stayed in the Wuju Courtyard for half a day spread through the manor like wildfire. Most women were kicked out within fifteen minutes.
In her dining hall, Princess Consort Lin Sianwan froze with her chopsticks mid-air. She looked at Nanny Rong. “Nanny, I made the right move, didn’t I? She might be able to do what I couldn’t!”
Nanny Rong nodded. “The Princess is wise to find a way out of a dead end.” But secretly, she was worried. Staying in a courtyard for a few hours was a far cry from winning favor. Her mistress was truly being driven to desperation.
“Nanny, give me another bowl of rice,” Sianwan said. For the first time since her wedding, she actually had an appetite.
Meanwhile, in another courtyard, Xu Yanshu smashed several teacups in a rage. “That little bitch wasn’t kicked out? She stayed that long?!”
The news even reached the Empress in the palace. The Empress frowned, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. “To think I’ve come to rely on such trivial matters for a bit of joy.”
Her heart was weary. She couldn’t win against the Buddha, and she was losing the lifelong battle against her rival, Noble Consort Wang.