Spring Gazing Pavilion, third floor.
Outside the window lay the shimmering waters of Yongliu Lake, veiled in a vast expanse of mist.
Inside the room, silence reigned, punctuated only by occasional, indifferent remarks that accentuated the hollow chill of the space.
After roughly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a Taoist priest in a yellow robe bowed respectfully. “This humble priest shall take his leave.”
Bai Ze watched him coldly, his gaze drifting between the man’s head and neck.
“If anything goes wrong, you will learn what it means…”
His voice was unhurried, each word like a slicing blade.
“…to make a pact with a tiger.”
The long-bearded old priest shuddered, recalling the dried human skin hung on the city gate just a month prior. He feigned composure and straightened his posture.
“Only success is possible—there is no room for error.”
Bai Ze withdrew his gaze, returning his attention to the teacup in his hand.
The priest hurried away, his steps unusually swift.
In the soundproofed room, only the breathing of three people remained audible.
Bai Ze gently swirled the pale tea in his cup, scenes from his past life surfacing in his mind.
The Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, the Crown Prince’s injury, the Emperor demanding nearly half his blood…
This life? Heh.
Closing his eyes briefly, Bai Ze unconsciously began twisting the Buddhist beads in his hand.
In the profound stillness, a cloyingly sweet voice suddenly pierced the air.
“Cousin!”
“Is Cousin inside? Step aside!”
Ling Shuang’s breath hitched in alarm—what was this commotion?
Who outside dared call him “cousin” so loudly? Who the hell is your cousin?
Feiyun, noticing his master’s expression darken, immediately moved to open the door.
As the door cracked open, before Feiyun could speak, a lithe figure in pale apricot darted swiftly under his arm, accompanied by a faint fragrance.
Feiyun and Ling Shuang: !!!
They lunged to seize the shameless intruder, but they were too late.
Sun Ningning had already scurried to Bai Ze’s side with a beaming smile, curtsying and cooing ingratiatingly:
“Greetings, Cousin! I am Sun Ningning. My grandfather is Grand Secretary Sun, the Empress Dowager is my grand-aunt, and the Empress is my maternal aunt. By family rank, I ought to address Prince Qin as cousin!”
Seeing the living person before her, Sun Ningning broke out in goosebumps all over.
Oh my god, oh my god!
The real person!
The real person!
The sensation was like a small stone cast into still waters, the ripples mirroring Sun Ningning’s feelings at this very moment.
As if struck by lightning, a tingling numbness shot from her soles to the crown of her head.
It spread from her chest to her limbs, permeating every inch of her skin.
The person she had secretly adored for six years was truly sitting before her!
I can’t breathe… I’m suffocating…
Ling Shuang and Feiyun halted their movements at once.
How could they evict her?
With her status!
They dared not even touch her, let alone throw her out!
Bai Ze stared directly at Sun Ningning, noting that despite her smile, she trembled with nervousness.
He sneered and retorted, “Cousin?”
Sun Wanwan’s younger sister?
In his previous life, around this time, Grand Secretary Sun had returned to the capital with his two granddaughters of marriageable age for their grandmother’s birthday banquet.
He only knew that the younger Sun daughter and Bai Ling had developed mutual affection and were soon betrothed to his third brother as Wu Wangfei.
She spent her entire life in Jinling, returning to the capital once every three years to visit family.
In both his past life and this one, he and she had absolutely no connection.
Then why was she the one in his dreams?
Bai Ze’s tone dripped with disgust and aloofness, but Sun Ningning failed to detect it—and even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared.
Hearing the object of her secret affection call her “cousin,” her legs turned to jelly in an instant.
His magnetic, deep voice made her want to immediately cling to his lean waist.
A few days ago, in her dream, she had only seen a vague outline.
But now, in reality, at this very moment!
Face to face with the 2D character come to life, sitting right before her eyes, and even calling her “cousin”!
Sun Ningning’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, were clenched tightly, forcing herself to stay calm.
But when she saw him looking at her with that mocking gaze, his expression was just… she couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
Oh please, why is he ten times more handsome than in my dreams?
Is it even real that his skin has no flaws at all?
Can I turn into a tiny raindrop and slide down the bridge of your nose?
Even a mocking smile counts as him smiling at me, right?
He even has those aegyo-sal? Oh my god, what an absolute cutie!
Summoning all the self-control she had in her life, Sun Ningning spoke again in a gentle, cautious tone:
“Yes, your cousin! You can just call me Ningning, cousin!”
“I was just passing by and noticed the Qin Prince’s insignia on the guards’ uniforms at the door, so I thought I’d come in and say hello to you.”
The original host’s voice was quite similar to Sun Ningning’s.
When speaking softly, it carried the delicate, graceful tone unique to women from Jiangnan.
When deliberately acting cute or coquettish, it took on a sweet, lilting, soft quality.
Knowing of his cleanliness obsession and dislike for people getting too close, Sun Ningning deliberately maintained a carefully measured distance.
Her skin glowed with a crystalline sheen, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned with a hint of allure;
With her dark hair, red lips, and striking features, her speech still carried the charming liveliness of a Jiangnan girl.
Bai Ze looked at the exact same face from his dream, listening to the cloyingly sweet voice.
Seeing her act so familiar, his gaze shifted to her red lips as they moved with each word, pausing for a second before looking away.
The memory of that wet, intense kiss surfaced, bringing an immediate wave of disgust and a churning desire to kill.
He couldn’t act yet.
There was no reason to.
“Miss Sun, enjoy your time,” his voice rang out, cold and detached.
Bai Ze completely ignored Sun Ningning.
Regardless of whatever sweet things she said next, he tossed out that icy remark and stood up to leave.
Sun Ningning watched as Bai Ze stood and walked toward her, so excited she couldn’t even move her eyes.
When Bai Ze passed by, keeping a wide berth, Sun Ningning even took a deep, almost obsessive breath.
Are his legs seriously 1.2 meters long? The author didn’t lie! They really reach up to my waist!
As he passed, a faint scent of temple incense drifted by? Oh my god, that’s so my type! Where can I buy the same fragrance?
“Cousin, take care! See you next time, cousin!”
She knew she couldn’t rush things or say more and risk annoying him.
Today, pretending to pass by and greeting him—he’s definitely remembered me!
Sun Ningning watched as the group left, her palms drenched in sweat from how tightly she’d been clenching them.
Once all their figures had disappeared, she finally slumped against the windowsill, panting with exhaustion.
“So nervous, so nervous… oh my god.”
“Gosh, seeing him in person, I couldn’t even bring myself to confess.”
“System, Xiao Ze really is cold, but that’s good—that way, no other girls can get close to him, hehe.”
The moment she recalled Bai Ze lifting his chin and giving her that indifferent look earlier—
Hiss!
Sun Ningning gasped sharply and quickly patted her cheeks to calm down.
Blushing, she sat down in the very spot Bai Ze had occupied.
The System couldn’t take it anymore: “It’s not that no girls dare approach him; with that fake smile of his, probably even men don’t want to get near him.”
Sun Ningning instantly roared in her mind:
“Don’t you dare badmouth my husband! Or I’ll report you!”
The System, realizing it had sent the wrong person into the book and that it would cost hundreds of Points to switch worlds, immediately deflated:
“Bai Ze is the best! I’m just reminding you that the path to winning him over isn’t easy, so take it slow.”
Sun Ningning’s expression shifted instantly. She picked up the teacup her dear little cutie had drunk from and poured herself a cup.
Following the rim still damp with moisture, her red lips pressed against it as she took a sip.
“Tsk, my behavior is so creepy.”
After saying this, she took another sip.
This scene was entirely witnessed by the Death warrior hidden in the shadows.
Half an hour later
The Death warrior entered Prince Qin’s residence to report.
“Master, the Second Miss of the Sun family sat in your seat and drank from the teacup you used. She drank five cups in total.”
“She didn’t say a word, nor did she meet anyone else. After finishing the tea, she went shopping with her maid.”
Ling Shuang, who was grinding ink, paused her hand.
Feiyun stood nearby in a daze, utterly stunned.
Using the master’s used cup?
How could such a… such a woman exist in this world?
What the two were thinking, if summarized in modern terms, would be: shameless, perverted, creepy…
Bai Ze simply waved for the Death warrior to leave and remained silent for a long time.
Sitting where he had sat?
Using the teacup he had used?
Suppressing his disgust, Bai Ze barely restrained his killing intent by continuously rotating his Buddhist Beads.
Next time…
If she dared to approach him as she did in the dream, he would pretend not to recognize her and “accidentally” eliminate her.
He would never allow any accidents to occur.
Cousin?
Hah, what does she amount to?