Xiao Junyan stopped in his tracks and frowned, his sharp brows knitting together as he asked the person behind him,
“Wei Xing, did you hear some kind of voice?”
Wei Xing looked confused. “Your Highness, there doesn’t seem to be any sound nearby.”
“Did you hear a woman’s voice?” Xiao Junyan asked again.
“Your Highness, there aren’t even any women around us. Where would a woman’s voice come from?” Wei Xing desperately wanted to ask if his prince had heard wrong.
Just then, the voice sounded again beside Xiao Junyan’s ear.
“It’s not that I don’t know how to dress up. I just leave some dignity for the rest of you. Otherwise, if I really dressed to impress, you’d all go blind from my beauty!”
At that moment, Lin Yanxi was inwardly basking in her own narcissistic self-praise, yet every single word clearly entered Xiao Junyan’s ears.
Xiao Junyan raised his eyes and glanced at the signboard of Huajin Workshop before decisively dismounting his horse and walking inside to see what exactly was going on.
“Y-Your Highness, this is a women’s clothing shop, we… we probably shouldn’t…” Wei Xing tried to stop him, but Xiao Junyan moved too quickly. Before Wei Xing had even dismounted, the man had already stepped inside.
His tall figure resembled a silent mountain. Merely standing at the doorway blocked much of the light. His dark gaze swept casually across the room before finally landing on the young woman who had just emerged.
Instantly, the scene from the day they entered the capital surfaced in his mind.
Wasn’t this the strange woman from before?
Only today, her appearance was completely different. Fortunately, Xiao Junyan never forgot a face.
Lin Yanxi slowly stepped out wearing the Golden-Thread Hundred-Butterfly Cloud-Satin Dress. The outfit transformed her entire aura. The crimson cloud-patterned satin made her skin appear rosy and luminous. The pale-red wide sleeves were lined with soft fur, while countless silver-thread butterflies decorated the skirt, so lifelike that they seemed ready to flutter away at any moment.
The dimples at her cheeks appeared faintly as she smiled. Her bright, lively eyes gave her an especially spirited charm, making her look both sweet and adorable.
As Xiao Junyan studied her with a probing gaze, the voice sounded again beside his ear.
“Why did this guy suddenly come here? What’s he doing?”
“Why is he staring at me like that? Has he been bewitched by my beauty?”
At that moment, Xiao Junyan finally confirmed that the voice belonged to the woman standing before him.
But she hadn’t opened her mouth.
Then what exactly was this voice?
“Oh no, oh no. Why is my face suddenly getting red for no reason? My heartbeat’s speeding up too. Can someone tell me why this is happening?”
In Xiao Junyan’s eyes, her face had become as red as an apple. He could even tell that her breathing had started quickening.
She hadn’t spoken.
So… these were her thoughts?
The realization shocked Xiao Junyan. At the same time, he became deeply puzzled as to why he alone could hear this woman’s inner voice.
Then he recalled the words he had heard the day they entered the city.
She knew about the poison in his body.
She even knew he only had three years left to live.
For the sake of keeping his poisoning secret, this woman could not be allowed to live.
A murderous intent flashed through his eyes, and an icy aura instantly enveloped his body.
Seeing Xiao Junyan like this, Lin Wanxin panicked. She subconsciously clenched her hands tightly.
Had he discovered something?
If he uncovered her identity, could she possibly escape from someone like him?
Her heart tightened, and even her breathing became hurried. If he truly found out who she was, then she could only fight to the death.
Meanwhile, Lin Yanxi’s thoughts rang out again:
“W-What? Is he trying to kill me? We don’t even have any grudge against each other! If you dare kill me, I’ll turn into a ghost and sleep beside you every night until I scare you to death!”
Hearing this, Xiao Junyan withdrew his gaze and silently turned to leave.
Only after his figure disappeared beyond the doorway did Lin Wanxin finally relax. She let out a long breath and realized her palms were already drenched in sweat.
Lin Yanxi also noticed that the moment Xiao Junyan left, her heart instantly calmed down, and the blush on her face slowly faded.
That was… really strange.
After leaving the shop, Xiao Junyan instructed Wei Xing,
“Investigate the woman in red. Focus especially on everyone she’s come into contact with.”
Wei Xing’s eyes widened. Looking at him oddly, he asked,
“Your Highness, why investigate a young lady? Could it be that she…”
He desperately wanted to finish the sentence, but faced with Xiao Junyan’s sharp gaze, he wisely shut his mouth.
“Understood. I’ll send people to investigate immediately.”
“I want the results before nightfall. Delay even a moment, and accept your punishment yourself.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Inside, Wei Xing couldn’t help muttering to himself. His prince had never shown interest in any woman before. Had he finally met someone who moved his heart?
Wei Xing secretly stretched his head inside the shop for another look. He wanted to see just what kind of beauty this woman in red possessed to make his prince so nervous.
And once he saw her, he too was stunned.
“So there’s actually such a stunning beauty hidden in the capital. No wonder His Highness is interested.”
Wei Xing quietly memorized the situation before dispatching his subordinates to thoroughly investigate the girl and gather every bit of information about her.
Although Lin Yanxi desperately wanted nothing to do with Xiao Junyan, all information about her still landed on his desk before nightfall.
Inside the dimly lit study, Xiao Junyan stood with his back facing the window. His powerful frame was half-hidden in darkness, while his eyes resembled a crescent moon in winter—cold enough to send chills through anyone who saw them.
“Has everything been investigated clearly?”
Wei Xing respectfully presented the gathered information with both hands.
“Reporting to Your Highness, everything has been confirmed.”
Xiao Junyan’s long fingers unfolded the documents one by one. He swiftly skimmed through the contents, his thumb repeatedly rubbing against the paper as he pondered something.
In a low, hoarse voice, he asked,
“Has she recently come into contact with anyone from Linyuan?”
Wei Xing’s expression froze, immediately turning serious.
“We haven’t discovered any contact between her and people from Linyuan within the capital. However, the Lin family only moved here from Jiangnan three months ago. Jiangnan is extremely far from the capital, so we cannot determine whom she may have encountered during that period.”
The atmosphere inside the study sank to freezing levels.
Realizing the severity of the matter, Wei Xing asked again,
“Your Highness suspects she’s a spy from Linyuan?”
“Have people monitor the Lin residence. Pay special attention to her every move. If she shows any suspicious behavior, kill her immediately.”
Wei Xing’s heart jolted violently.
He couldn’t understand why his prince was so wary of Lin Yanxi. They had encountered spies before, yet Xiao Junyan had never been this tense.
Though confused, he could only obey orders and arrange for the Lin residence to be placed under surveillance.
That very night—
Lin Yanxi lazily reclined beneath the grapevine trellis in the courtyard of Xiyan Pavilion, drinking wine and admiring the moonlight while blissfully enjoying the comfort of the night breeze.
The rocking chair swayed gently, making her drowsy. Combined with the effects of the alcohol, her head felt pleasantly hazy.
Her gaze drifted toward a certain spot. Raising the corners of her lips to reveal two shallow dimples, she called out toward the rooftop:
“Hey, big brother on the roof—want to come down and have a drink with me?”