“I didn’t.” Yun Si denied it aloud, though she felt a slight urge to back down.
On second thought, however, it wasn’t as if they had never slept together before—what was there to be afraid of? If sleeping with him once could coax him and smooth things over, it wasn’t a bad deal. Hardening her resolve, she squeezed her eyes shut and leaned close to him.
Qin Ye let out a muffled groan.
Yun Si’s hand seemed to have pressed down on a place it shouldn’t have.
“Qin Ye!”
Panicking, she tried to pull back, but Qin Ye grabbed her by her slender waist, lifting her across the desk and pulling her directly into his arms. His voice was husky and fraught with danger: “Yun Si, I gave you a chance. You… don’t regret this.”
Before Yun Si could react, Qin Ye scooped her up by the waist. Her back was pressed against the carved folding screen in the inner room of the study. The sandalwood chill seeped into her skin through her thin clothes.
“Wait…” A burning kiss sealed off her voice.
Qin Ye’s fingertips stroked the side of her neck, sending a shiver through her: “Weren’t you quite bold? What, scared already?”
He bit down gently on her earlobe, his voice carrying a suppressed, long-held intensity: “Back then, it was I who provoked you, and I bore all the consequences. Now you provoked me. No matter what the consequences are, don’t ever think about escaping from me again!”
Suddenly, rapid footsteps sounded outside the window.
Qin Ye paused mid-motion and shielded Yun Si behind him.
Mu Ze’s voice echoed through the door: “Your Highness, something went wrong at the Bureau of Armaments!”
Yun Si could feel Qin Ye’s muscles tense instantly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his composure had returned: “Prepare the horses.”
Turning around to smooth down the front of Yun Si’s robe, his fingertips lingered for a moment at her collarbone: “I’ll settle tonight’s score with you later.”
The moment Qin Ye left, the overpowering pressure slowly dissipated.
Only then did Yun Si realize her legs were trembling uncontrollably. She had never seen Qin Ye act so domineering. With lingering fear in her heart, she returned to Qiwu Courtyard.
She forced herself to calm down. In any other situation, she could stay calm, collected, and completely at ease. But when facing Qin Ye like that, she realized she truly struggled to hold her ground. She couldn’t stop her heart from pounding, nor her body from going limp. Even though they had already slept together once, she remembered nothing about it. As a result, she felt like an innocent young girl again, nervous and frightened.
After finishing her medicinal bath, Yun Si changed into a comfortable, lightweight nightgown.
Qin Ye had said he would settle accounts with her when he returned later. Would he come looking for her tonight?
With that thought on her mind, Yun Si tossed and turned in bed, not even knowing when she eventually fell asleep. She slept soundly through the night.
After waking up, Yun Si sat staring at her bed in a daze for quite some time.
Qin Ye hadn’t come. Yet, strangely enough, she felt like he had.
Yun Si didn’t think much of it. After getting up, she went about her business as usual.
Around noon, news finally arrived that Shen Qian had been found.
The Patrol Guard had practically turned the entire Marquis Manor upside down before rescuing Shen Qian from a hidden chamber. By then, he had been starved to the point of near death.
The guard’s corpse had already begun to decompose and emit a foul odor. The Court of Judicial Review took it away for an autopsy.
The Shen family had demanded that the authorities identify the killer and give the Shen Manor an explanation.
Let them investigate.
Yun Si was certain the scene had been cleaned thoroughly. Everything damaged had also been restored to its original state. At most, the wounds on the guard’s body might reveal a few clues. But those clues were nowhere near enough to lead them to Yun Si, the true culprit.
“Lan Xin, help me prepare some nourishing gifts. Now that Young Master Shen has returned, it would only be proper for me to visit him.”
“Oh.” Lan Xin reluctantly went to make the preparations.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu looked deeply worried. They were afraid Yun Si would become the way she used to be. Every time she went to see Young Master Shen, she returned and treated His Highness even more coldly than before.
Things were different now. They were no longer in the position they once enjoyed and could not afford that kind of turmoil again.
“Mistress…” Lu Yu started to speak, then stopped herself, hesitant to continue.
“Don’t worry.” Yun Si sighed helplessly and said, “I may have been a bit of a fool in the past, but think about it. When have I ever lied to you?”
Come to think of it, that was true.
Lu Yu nodded, instantly reassured.
“Mistress.” Lan Xin, who had gone to prepare the gifts, suddenly came hurrying in from outside.
“Miss Lin is on her way to Qiwu Courtyard. She says she’d like to see you.”
Yun Si raised an eyebrow. After holding back for so long, that woman had finally run out of patience. “Show her to the reception hall first. I’ll be there shortly.”
Nanny Qian personally escorted Lin Shuyan to Qiwu Courtyard.
Halfway there, Nanny Qian gently advised her, “Miss Lin, to be honest, she is no longer the mistress of Prince Xiao’s Manor. She’s only staying here temporarily and will leave sooner or later. There’s really no need for you to go out of your way to see her.”
“It’s all right.” Lin Shuyan smiled. “No matter what, she was once Brother Fu Ye’s principal wife. I’ve been recovering here for so long already. I should have paid my respects to her long ago.”
No sooner had she spoken than she seemed to realize something and said with embarrassment, “I mean, His Highness. His surname is no longer Fu. Look at me, I’ve gone and forgotten again.”
“It’s of no consequence.” Nanny Qian smiled kindly. “You and His Highness grew up together. Naturally, you needn’t address him as formally as others do.”
As they spoke, they reached the entrance to Qiwu Courtyard.
Lan Xin led them into the reception hall and served tea, fruit, and pastries.
Before long, Yun Si stepped into the hall. The first thing she saw was Lin Shuyan, sitting upright in a grand armchair with a teacup in her hands.
“Sister Yun.” The moment she saw Yun Si enter, Lin Shuyan rose and performed a flawless curtsy. As she lowered her gaze, her eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes. Her voice trembled slightly. “I hope you’ll forgive my unannounced visit.”
Yun Si reached out as if to help her up and assessed her calmly.
The young woman before her looked about sixteen or seventeen. After the severe injuries she had suffered earlier, her complexion had once been deathly pale. But after recuperating these past days, her skin had become as fair and translucent as fresh snow. Her features were elegant and beautiful, and her demeanor was gentle, refined, and serene. She was a beauty of the highest order. Most striking, however, were her eyes. They were so clear and transparent that one could seem to see straight to the bottom of them, making it hard for anyone to be wary of her.
“Please, have a seat, Miss Lin.” Yun Si took her place in the seat of honor. Lan Xin immediately handed her a cup of hot tea.
Taking it, Yun Si lifted it to her lips and sipped leisurely before looking toward Lin Shuyan. “May I ask what brings Miss Lin to see me today?”
Upon hearing the question, Lin Shuyan, who had only just sat down, immediately rose to her feet again. She looked at Yun Si, clearly wanting to say something, yet finding the words difficult to speak.
A faint smile curved Yun Si’s lips. “If there’s something you wish to say, Miss Lin, please don’t hesitate.”
“Sister Yun, Shuyan truly does have a request to make.” Suddenly, Lin Shuyan dropped to her knees. The hem of her pale dress spread across the floor like scattered flower petals.
“I beg for your mercy, Sister!” She pressed her forehead heavily against the ground, her back trembling like reeds swaying in the wind. “My parents are both gone. I’m all alone now, an orphan with nowhere to turn…”
Before Yun Si could speak, Nanny Qian hurried forward, wanting to help her up. “Oh my, Miss Lin, what are you doing? Whatever difficulty you’re facing, His Highness can surely help you resolve it. Why put yourself through this…”
“Nanny.” Lin Shuyan gently pushed Nanny Qian’s hand away, her gaze fixed on Yun Si. “Sister Yun, please help me!”
Yun Si’s expression remained calm. In a cool voice, she asked, “And how exactly can I help you?”
“I wouldn’t dare hope to become a Secondary Consort.” Tears shimmered on Lin Shuyan’s lashes as she raised her head, yet stubbornly refused to let them fall. “I only ask that Sister allow me to remain in the manor as a servant girl. Or if Sister feels uneasy about that, perhaps Fu… perhaps His Highness could acknowledge me as his sworn younger sister. As long as I have somewhere to stay, Shuyan will be endlessly grateful.”
What a clever retreat to advance.
Yun Si smiled, reached out, and helped her to her feet. “Since you’ve called me ‘Sister,’ then let me speak to you honestly.”
“Please do, Sister.” A nearly imperceptible gleam flashed across Lin Shuyan’s eyes before quickly dissolving into a veil of sorrow.
Taking Lin Shuyan’s hand, Yun Si led her to a nearby armchair. “Sister Shuyan, you’ve probably heard about my situation as well. In truth, we’re much alike, both victims of misfortune. You’re an orphan, while I…” She paused briefly. “After the disaster that befell the Marquis Manor, my parents were exiled. And now that His Highness and I are divorced, I’m merely staying here temporarily. What authority do I have to decide whether you stay or leave?”
Nanny Qian was left completely dumbfounded by those words. Truthfully, that was what everyone thought behind closed doors. What she hadn’t expected was that Yun Si viewed herself the same way.
A shadow crossed Lin Shuyan’s face as she lowered her head sadly. “I’m sorry. I’ve put you in a difficult position, Sister. I…”
“As long as you don’t blame me.” If Lin Shuyan looked sorrowful, Yun Si appeared even more so. “After all, you and His Highness share childhood ties, and you once risked your life to save him. He’ll certainly take good care of you and never leave you homeless and alone.” Her gaze lowered. “As for me… that’s another matter entirely.”
Lin Shuyan: “…”
It suddenly felt as though today’s decision had been a mistake. Was Yun Si pretending? For the moment, Lin Shuyan couldn’t tell.
According to her original plan, Yun Si was supposed to say all sorts of cruel and unpleasant things. Then Nanny Qian would relay them to Qin Ye, making him disgusted with Yun Si. But the situation was developing in a direction completely different from what she had anticipated.
Forcing a smile, Lin Shuyan could only offer comfort, even though it went against her own interests. “Sister Yun, don’t worry too much. His Highness still cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to let you stay in the manor.”
Yun Si said nothing more.
After sitting for a little while longer, Lin Shuyan finally took her leave. Upon reaching the courtyard gate, she suddenly turned back and smiled. “Sister Yun, there’s actually something I’ve always been curious about. Why did you return to the manor? Was it because you learned something in advance?”
The moment those probing words left her mouth, Yun Si caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.
Qin Ye was standing beneath the phoenix tree outside the gate. His dark robes almost blended into the tree’s shadow, yet they couldn’t conceal the powerful presence surrounding him.
Yun Si’s expression remained composed. Then suddenly she broke into a radiant smile, deliberately raising her voice a little. “I’m not quite sure what you mean, Shuyan. But the reason I returned to the manor is because I’ve realized that I’ve fallen in love with His Highness.” Her smile deepened. “I simply can’t live without him…”