Lin Yao returned to her own courtyard. On the outside, she appeared indifferent, but her heart was racing with heat.
Having lived two lives, Lin Yao had always been one to go with the flow. As a concubine-born daughter of a crumbling family, she had to marry; after weighing her options, Gu Yulan had seemed the most suitable. Once married, she wanted a good life, so she worked hard to earn money and urged him to achieve academic success. She had done everything expected of a wife simply because circumstances demanded it—not because her heart was in it.
But since meeting Prince Yu yesterday, an obsession had taken root in her soul. She wanted to peel that black robe from his body; she wanted to see those cold, detached eyes stained with the colors of desire.
Yet, this “flower on a high ridge” was notoriously difficult to pluck. She would have to plot her course slowly.
The next day, Lin Yao prepared some pastries and left a note for the Princess Consort with Xiao Ju before heading to the Wuju Courtyard. She knocked and handed the food box to Chang Feng.
“I’m getting tired of these. Can’t you come up with something new?” Chang Feng grumbled. But when he opened the box, he froze.
She really had changed it up. Does this woman read minds? The pastries were shaped like little rabbits and piglets. Chang Feng was speechless. Does she think I’m a child? Still… they were undeniably cute.
Lin Yao made her way to the prayer hall with practiced ease. Prince Yu was sitting on the same prayer mat as yesterday, eyes closed, face like ice. Lin Yao sat quietly to the side, reading and transcribing sutras. She was so still her presence was barely felt, yet the Prince felt as though she was brewing some sort of scheme.
“Your Highness, may I ask you a question about the scriptures?” Lin Yao approached him.
A question about the scriptures? Was she actually studying?
“Your Highness, is the world permanent or impermanent?” she asked.
The question was elementary; the answer was written plainly in the texts. So, she looked serious but hadn’t actually absorbed a single word?
“Why don’t you speak, Your Highness?” Lin Yao asked, looking puzzled. Then, she let out an “ah” of realization. “Oh, so Your Highness doesn’t know either.”
Prince Yu felt a sudden surge of indignation. He didn’t know? He had studied Buddhism for years; if he didn’t know the answer to that, he would be a fraud. He was simply practicing Mauna—the vow of silence!
Lin Yao turned away, unable to suppress a smile. She had done it on purpose to test his limits and needle him. Sure enough, she saw a flicker of frustrated annoyance on his cold face. This “Ice Prince” was actually quite fun to tease.
At lunch, Chang Feng brought a food box filled with light vegetarian dishes—small portions, but many varieties. The Prince took a few bites and set his chopsticks down.
“Your Highness, I’m hungry. May I eat the leftovers?” Lin Yao asked expectantly.
The Prince pursed his lips and said nothing, not even glancing at her.
“The Buddha says one must not waste,” Lin Yao persisted.
The Prince finally looked at her, his eyes simmering with annoyance as if asking, When did the Buddha ever say that? Lin Yao maintained her innocent act.
“The Prince is under a vow of silence and cannot speak; his silence means he has agreed,” Chang Feng interjected.
Lin Yao broke into a radiant smile. “Then I thank Your Highness.”
The Prince shot a cold look at Chang Feng. When did I agree? Had this woman already bribed his personal attendant?
Lin Yao stayed until evening before departing. The Prince breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt troubled that his state of mind had been so easily disturbed. He wrote a single sentence and handed it to Chang Feng.
“Don’t let her in?” Chang Feng was shocked. There was a “gentleman’s agreement” between the Prince and the Empress: the Prince didn’t have to touch the women sent to him, but he had to let them through the door. Now, the Prince was willing to break that agreement?
However, Prince Yu never expected that the next day, Lin Yao would appear before him anyway. Her hair was messy, her face was flushed, and she was panting, her chest heaving for breath.
“Your Highness wouldn’t let me in through the front gate, so I had to crawl through the dog hole. I didn’t expect a dog to be there; it chased me for so long! Luckily, I wasn’t bitten.”
The Prince was stunned. She crawled through a dog hole? And she’s proud she didn’t get bitten?
“Why won’t you let me in? Is it because I’ve stirred Your Highness’s heart? It seems your devotion isn’t as firm as you thought,” Lin Yao teased.
The Prince’s lips tightened. Impossible. He gave Chang Feng a look: Let her in tomorrow.
“Oh, no, it’s torn here.” Lin Yao noticed a tear under her arm.
From the Prince’s angle, he could see a flash of her red chemise and the curves hidden beneath. If one were to lift that chemise… The Prince’s thoughts spiraled out of control. His expression darkened, and he quickly averted his eyes, forcing his mind back to stillness.
“Chang Feng, find me some needle and thread.” Lin Yao stepped into the side room.
Once inside, a cunning smile crossed her lips. She was testing his boundaries step by step. Despite her behavior, he hadn’t kicked her out. He felt differently about her—she was sure of it. It was time for the next step.
She emerged only after sewing her dress. She picked up a volume of sutras from the shelf, its pages yellowed and ink faded. After reading for a long while, she tucked a folded piece of paper inside and returned it to its place.
At lunch, Lin Yao naturally joined the table. When Chang Feng brought two bowls of rice, she took one and started eating. Seeing the Prince staring at her, she waved him on. “Eat, Your Highness. Don’t be polite!”
Prince Yu: “…” He had never met someone so utterly shameless.
After lunch, she continued reading the same book until evening. Once she left, the Prince’s gaze fixed on that specific volume. What could possibly be so interesting that she read it over and over for a whole day?
He stood up, took the book down, and opened it. It was a very common scripture he knew by heart. As he flipped through, he found the folded paper. He opened it, and his face instantly turned a deep crimson.
It was a painting of a lady—Lin Yao. In the picture, she wore a white dress, leaning against a railing. Her figure was draped in a way that was both revealing and hidden. Beneath her almond-shaped eye was a vivid beauty mark, and her gaze was a soul-snatching invitation.
The Prince dropped the paper as if it had burned his hand. Yet, the image remained scorched into his mind.
The next day, Chang Feng noticed his master was still silent, continuing his vow of silence. Chang Feng was bewildered. Usually, the Prince only did this when he felt he had lost his temper and needed to punish his own lack of discipline. But the Prince hadn’t done anything wrong yesterday… or had he?
Lin Yao left her courtyard with her food box, wondering if the “Ice Prince” was feeling as restless as she hoped. Suddenly, a group of nannies blocked her path, and one rudely knocked her food box to the ground.
“You—”
Before she could speak, one nanny grabbed her by the hair while another seized her torso and dragged her away. Lin Yao struggled, but they were immensely strong. She was slapped twice; her face stung and her head rang, the pain dulling the sensation of her feet being dragged across the dirt.
She was hauled into a courtyard and thrown to the ground. As she tried to push herself up, a foot stepped onto her hand, grinding down with enough force to crush bone. Cold sweat poured down her face from the agony.
Lin Yao looked up and saw a familiar face from her past life.
Xu Yanshu.