Qin Ye froze for a moment when he heard her words. Then, as though he had just heard the greatest joke in the world, he said coldly, “Yun Si, what right do you have to say something like that?”
Yun Si knew she had no right. But if she wanted to change the tragic ending of her previous life, personally kill Shen Qian to avenge herself, and clear the Marquis Manor’s name, the first thing she needed to do was return to the Prince’s Manor. So she had no choice but to say it.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was calm. “I know I no longer have the status or standing to say these things, but I really don’t want you to marry someone else.”
Qin Ye stared at her frail figure, the corner of his lips curling into a mocking smile. “Since you know you have no standing…” His fathomless eyes were filled with indifference and ruthlessness. “Then why don’t you get lost?”
“…”
On her way here, Yun Si had thought only of changing the fate of her previous life and seeing Qin Ye as soon as possible. She had been excited, and she had already prepared herself for his coldness. But now, hearing such heartless words from him… She had hurt him first. Facing his hostility and harsh words now was no more than she deserved.
Yun Si was in poor health. After everything that had happened that night, her legs felt as though she were walking on cotton. Forcing herself to steady her mind, she steadied her emotions and spoke again, shamelessly. “Qin Ye, I… I regret it. Can I…”
“No.” A trace of ridicule flashed through Qin Ye’s eyes before being concealed by cold indifference. “Are you leaving or not? Don’t delay this prince from welcoming his secondary consort into the manor.”
If Yun Si had not known clearly that, in her previous life, Qin Ye had descended into madness and unbearable grief while holding her corpse after her death, then hearing these repeated heartless remarks might truly have deceived her. She might have believed his indifference and retreated. She had wronged him. Too many misunderstandings had happened between them in their previous life. One never asked; the other never explained. Neither of them knew how to communicate. In this life, no matter how things ultimately ended between them, she wanted to clear up those misunderstandings.
With that thought, Yun Si gradually calmed down. “All right.” Using retreat to advance, she looked at Qin Ye sadly and forced a bleak smile. “I’m sorry. I’ve disturbed you.”
After speaking, she slowly turned around and walked away step by step. The April wind blew against her thin frame, making her shiver. She could feel Qin Ye’s gaze fixed on her departing back.
Yun Si was gambling. If she failed to return to the Prince’s Manor and Qin Ye’s side today, the road ahead would be extremely difficult, perhaps even dangerous.
Shen Qian would soon discover that last night’s fire had not harmed her at all. And after her sudden disappearance, he would certainly grow suspicious. Only after living through her previous life did she truly understand what a terrifying hypocrite Shen Qian was. So, no matter what identity she had to assume, she had to find a way to stay in the Prince’s Manor. She had walked several paces without hearing any movement from Qin Ye, and anxiety quietly crept into her heart. This man still had not let go of his resentment toward her. He would not soften so easily. Then she’d have to raise the stakes.
Pretending to be dazed and absent-minded, Yun Si failed to notice the stone steps ahead. Whether her legs gave way or she accidentally missed a step, her entire body suddenly pitched forward, face-first. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the impact and pain. Instead, she fell into a firm, familiar embrace.
Yun Si’s emotions became complicated. In the end, he still could not bear to see her get hurt. And yet, to return to the Prince’s Manor, she was still using him.
“Yun Si?” Catching the “fallen” Yun Si, Qin Ye was about to push her away when he noticed her eyes were tightly closed and the corners of them slightly damp. He frowned.
He lifted her into his arms and turned away. Eunuch Decai, who had been watching from a distance for some time, stepped forward and respectfully reminded him, “Your Highness, the wedding procession has been waiting for quite a while. If you do not depart soon…”
“The wedding is canceled.” Qin Ye dropped the words coolly and strode back into the manor carrying Yun Si.
Yun Si rested obediently in his arms, so light that she seemed almost weightless. In the year since their marriage, this was the first time she had allowed him to hold her so compliantly.
Emotion churned in Qin Ye’s eyes, leaving him strangely irritated. “Yun Si, do you even realize what you’re doing?” he murmured.
But Yun Si had already fallen unconscious.
Qiwu Courtyard.
Yun Si had fallen ill. She slept in a haze for three days straight and only finally regained full consciousness today. Two maids who had accompanied her from Marquis Yongyi Manor as part of her dowry kept watch at her bedside. One was named Lan Xin, the other Lu Yu. When she and Qin Ye divorced in her previous life, Qin Ye had forbidden her from taking anything from the Prince’s Manor, including her dowry and personal servants. Back then, Yun Si had been so desperate to escape Qin Ye that she hadn’t cared about any of it. Now, after living another lifetime and seeing Lan Xin and Lu Yu again, her heart filled with indescribable bitterness.
“My lady!” When they saw her awaken, both maids burst into tears of relief. “You’ve finally woken up. You nearly scared us to death.”
“I’m fine.” Yun Si smiled faintly and gently comforted them.
While she was away, the two had stayed at the Prince’s Manor. Although Qin Ye had never mistreated them, many servants had redirected their resentment toward Yun Si onto them, leaving them with countless grievances and cold looks.
“Lan Xin, Lu Yu, it’s been hard on you both these past years, and even more since following me into the Prince’s Manor.” Her voice was soft.
“But don’t worry. I won’t act recklessly anymore, and I won’t be so foolish again. If possible, I’ll try to win His Highness back.”
The two maids exchanged astonished looks. Was that really something their mistress would say? What had she gone through in the past month to change so drastically? She wanted to win His Highness back? In the past, she had despised him to the very core.
Lu Yu stepped forward and pressed a hand against Yun Si’s forehead. “Three days of fever. Did it burn your brain and somehow burn you back to your senses?”
Lan Xin slapped her hand away immediately. “Stop talking nonsense.” She glared at her, then looked back at Yun Si. “It’s a good thing that my lady has come to her senses. It’s just…” She hesitated. After everything their mistress had done to hurt His Highness, it would be difficult to win back his heart. But she didn’t dare say it aloud, fearing it would discourage her.
Now that the Marquis Manor had fallen and Yun Si no longer had her maternal family to rely on, Qin Ye was her only support. What mattered most was that she had finally understood.
“Has the secondary consort entered the manor?” Yun Si asked.
The day Qin Ye carried her back to Qiwu Courtyard, she had collapsed from illness. She knew nothing of what had happened during the last three days.
If Qin Ye had truly married a secondary consort, then remaining in the Prince’s Manor would become considerably more difficult. The thought worried her. How had she been so foolish, unable to distinguish good from bad?
“Did His Highness come here at all during these three days?”
Both maids’ expressions dimmed, and they shook their heads together. Had this happened in the past, His Highness would certainly have stayed at her bedside personally. This time, however, they had sought him out twice. Each time, he only instructed the manor physician to treat her. From beginning to end, he never came to see her.
It was exactly what Yun Si had expected. Curling her lips into a weak smile, she said, “The secondary consort has just entered the manor. Naturally, he’d be spending his time with her.”
“But she never entered the manor!” Lu Yu quickly replied.
“The wedding was canceled. The Imperial Household Department had already arranged the ceremony. Because of it, His Highness was even reprimanded by the Emperor.”
“That Miss Lin came to the manor herself. It’s said she once looked after His Highness’s mother. His Highness marrying her as a secondary consort was not his own wish at all, but his late mother’s dying wish.”
Lan Xin added, “My lady, while you were gone, His Highness was utterly heartbroken. Then Miss Lin appeared of her own accord, so he agreed to fulfill his mother’s last wish and marry her as a secondary consort.”
“But the moment you came back, he immediately canceled the wedding. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“It means His Highness only has you in his heart.”
“Exactly!” Lu Yu agreed. “But you still need to coax His Highness a little. After all, what you did back then really was too much. Even now, his injuries haven’t fully healed…”
As they continued talking, Yun Si’s emotions rose and fell with their words. The mention of Qin Ye’s injuries filled her with guilt.
“Where is he?” She climbed out of bed. “Help me get dressed. I’m going to see him.”
Hearing that he had not married the secondary consort brought immense relief. If he had, she truly wouldn’t know what to do. Fortunately, he hadn’t.
The Main Courtyard Study.
Outside, a gentle drizzle had begun to fall once more. The damp weather left a lingering chill inside the room.
Qin Ye sat behind his desk reading reports sent from Jinzhou. He had just picked up his brush to write a reply when Eunuch Decai entered. “Your Highness, the person from Qiwu Courtyard requests an audience.”
Yun Si’s status was currently awkward. Even the servants no longer knew how to address her.
Qin Ye’s hand paused briefly. No emotion appeared on his handsome face. After writing another line, he said calmly, “Let her enter.”
Yun Si stepped into the study accompanied by a cool breeze. After closing the door behind her, she immediately saw Qin Ye seated behind the desk.
He wore a black brocade robe embroidered with subtle patterns. Silver cloud motifs adorned the collar and sleeves, understated yet noble. A dark jade belt encircled his waist, accentuating his tall, straight figure. He tied his long black hair back with a jade hairpin, while the rest cascaded over his shoulders, gleaming with a cold luster. His features were strikingly beautiful. Brows sharp, as if carved by a blade. A high, straight nose. Thin lips pressed together. Everything about him conveyed an aloofness that kept others at a distance. Compared to three days ago, he seemed like an entirely different person.
Yun Si’s gaze fell upon his hands. Long fingers held a wolf-hair brush. His knuckles were distinct, powerful, elegant. They were beautiful. How had she never noticed before?
Sensing her stare, Qin Ye looked up. His deep black eyes were as cold as a frozen pool, devoid of warmth.
Meeting his gaze, Yun Si smiled faintly. She walked forward slowly and lowered her eyes respectfully. “Your Highness.” Her voice was soft, still slightly hoarse from her recent illness.
“Recovered from your sickness?” His dark eyes swept over her.
She wore a moon-white jacket and skirt beneath a pale lotus-colored cloak. A matching silk sash outlined her slender waist. Her hairstyle was simple, held in place by a white jade hairpin. A few loose strands framed her face, making her appear even more delicate.
Placing down his brush, Qin Ye spoke indifferently. “If you’re well, you may leave Prince Xiao’s Manor at any time.”
“May I ask Your Highness a question?” Yun Si ignored his remark and attempted to take control of the conversation.
“What question?”
“Why did Your Highness cancel the wedding? Was it because—”
“Yun Si.” Qin Ye cut her off sharply. His voice was cold. “I advise you not to flatter yourself.”
Yun Si lowered her eyes. Then she heard him continue: “There is no medicine for regret in this world. And I am not someone who cannot live without you.”
Silence filled the study.
After a long pause, Yun Si forced a smile. “I’ll remember Your Highness’s words.”
Without waiting for a reply, she changed the subject. “Then let me ask something else. Was it Your Highness who saved my parents and brothers?”
In her previous life, she had overheard Shen Qian and a mysterious man discussing how everyone from the Marquis Manor had supposedly been killed during exile. Yet after her death, when her soul followed Qin Ye, she discovered the truth. Her parents and brothers had survived.
Qin Ye had secretly rescued them and arranged a comfortable place for them to live.
Qin Ye’s eyes darkened. “No.”
“I know it was you.”
“Oh?” His voice turned icy. “Weren’t you once absolutely convinced that I framed the Marquis Manor? If I was the one who ruined them, why would I save them?”
“I was wrong.” Yun Si’s lips were pale. The corners of her eyes reddened as a thin veil of tears gathered. “Qin Ye…”
For the sake of staying in the Prince’s Manor, she was truly giving it everything she had.
Summoning all her courage, she stepped forward. Then she reached out and lightly hooked her finger around his.
“It was my fault before.” Her voice trembled. “Give me one more chance. Let me make it up to you, okay?”
After speaking, she looked up at him nervously, waiting for his answer.