Yun Si swept her gaze around the area. Servants bustled about everywhere. For the moment, there was no way to tell who the “culprit” was.
Whatever. To be honest, she found the whole thing disgusting as well.
After returning to Qiwu Courtyard, Yun Si sat down to carefully consider her next move. She knew that in her previous life, Qin Ye had forced himself to marry the Prime Minister’s legitimate daughter in order to compete for the throne. Yet after the marriage, he had never been happy.
In this lifetime, she would help him obtain everything he wanted, in her own way. But whether it was revenge or helping him, she first had to restore her health as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, in the main courtyard. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung over the study. Standing guard outside the door, Eunuch Decai could hardly breathe.
Nanny Qian, who managed the inner household finances, arrived outside the study and asked, “It’s already so late. Why hasn’t His Highness had dinner yet?”
Eunuch Decai let out a helpless sigh and lowered his voice. “The evening meal has been sent in twice already, but he hasn’t touched a bite. No one dares go in and persuade him.”
After a moment’s thought, Nanny Qian said, “It might have something to do with the one staying at Qiwu Courtyard. They’ve already divorced, so why did she come back? Because of her, the side consort couldn’t even enter the household. Why don’t we come up with a way to drive her out?”
“You’re telling me. But His Highness allowed her to stay. We’re only servants. How could we dare act on our own?”
“You leave that to me. I’ll handle it.” A cold, ruthless glint flashed across Nanny Qian’s eyes. She had long despised Yun Si. Relying on His Highness’s affection, Yun Si had trampled all over his sincere feelings.
Back then, she had been the Princess Consort, the mistress of the household, and Nanny Qian had little to do. But now, she was merely the disgraced daughter of a criminal official, with neither title nor status, stubbornly clinging to the prince’s residence.
Nanny Qian had plenty of ways to deal with her. After she left, a dark figure silently slipped into the study without anyone noticing.
Seated behind his desk in a huanghuali wood armchair, Qin Ye’s handsome, aristocratic features were shrouded in gloom. His eyes were lowered, filled with irritation and suppressed frustration.
“Your Highness, I’ve returned it.” The shadow was Anye, the captain of Qin Ye’s shadow guards.
About fifteen minutes earlier, after Yun Si left the pavilion, Anye passed by and found a jade pendant there. He casually brought it back and presented it to Qin Ye.
The moment Qin Ye saw the pendant, however, his expression turned icy.
Sensing something was wrong, Anye didn’t dare hide anything and hurriedly reported everything he had witnessed.
“The pendant was just given to the Princess Consort by Shen Qian. I also heard her say that she would keep it forever.”
The instant those words left his mouth, Qin Ye’s face darkened to its lowest point. His eyes turned piercingly cold, brimming with ridicule and fury.
Then— The jade pendant in his hand… crumbled into green powder. The powder sifted through his fingers and fell to the floor.
Anye’s mouth dropped open in shock. He swallowed hard. His Highness had ordered him to return the “jade pendant.” Looking at the green powder now drifting everywhere, he felt his scalp go numb. At this point, returning it probably wasn’t a great idea, was it? Well…
He didn’t know what to say. More importantly, he didn’t dare say anything.
Worried that the Princess Consort might come back looking for the missing pendant, Anye hastily gathered up the powder, wrapped it in a sheet of xuan paper, and rushed back to the pavilion. Thankfully, he had been quick enough. He had just finished placing the bundle of powder on the stone table when he spotted the Princess Consort heading toward the pavilion. Panicking, he immediately hid in the rafters. Only after she left did he return to report back to Qin Ye.
“What was her reaction when she saw it?” Qin Ye asked casually, as though he didn’t particularly care.
Anye carefully recalled the scene before answering, choosing his words with caution. “Other than being startled, she didn’t seem to have much of a reaction.”
“No reaction?” A shadow passed through Qin Ye’s eyes. He closed them briefly, feeling a dull ache in his chest. It was as if something were reminding him of a painful truth, and his gaze grew steadily colder.
“By the way, Your Highness, Anmang sent word that the people have been safely escorted to Jinzhou. The news should reach the capital within a few days. When that happens, there will certainly be a thorough investigation. I’m afraid those above may turn their attention to the Princess Consort.”
Anmang was Anye’s junior fellow disciple and the deputy commander of the Shadow Guards. The two of them divided their duties. One remained in the capital, responsible for protecting Prince Xiao and the entire Prince Xiao Manor. The other spent most of his time away, gathering and relaying intelligence from various locations. Of course, every now and then, he handled other tasks as well: saving and killing someone.
Qin Ye shot him a cool glance.
Anye gave an awkward laugh and hurriedly corrected himself. “Force of habit. This subordinate meant Lady Yun.”
“The news from Jinzhou only reached us today. Yet she somehow knew early on that I had rescued the Marquis and the others. Look into what happened during the month she was away from the manor. Find out whether anything unusual occurred.”
“Nothing particularly unusual,” Anye replied. “Though Lady Yun’s return was rather suspicious. She came back the very night the Shen family’s estate caught fire. Even Shen Qian didn’t know when she left. She departed without saying a word.”
Qin Ye fell silent, deep in thought.
After a moment, Anye added, “In my opinion, Shen Qian couldn’t have received the news beforehand. Otherwise, the rescue wouldn’t have gone so smoothly, and he wouldn’t have remained so calm afterward. But if that’s the case, how did Lady Yun learn about it? It really is strange.”
“Your Highness.” At that moment, Eunuch Decai’s cautious voice came from outside the door.
“Princess Con… Lady Yun requests an audience.”
Before he could even finish speaking, Yun Si pushed the door open and walked inside. She was carrying a food box.
The moment she entered, Qin Ye, who had been lounging casually in his chair, straightened immediately. His relaxed expression vanished, replaced by cold indifference.
Before she entered, Anye had already hidden himself from sight.
“I heard from Nanny Qian that you skipped dinner tonight,” Yun Si said as she set down the food box and opened it. “So I had the kitchen prepare a few dishes you like. If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you for a meal.”
Inside were three simple dishes and a soup. Ordinary home-cooked food, no different from what most common families might eat. Yet the sight of those simple dishes made Qin Ye freeze slightly.
Seeing his reaction, Yun Si was pleased. He must be wondering how she knew what foods he liked. After all, throughout their year of marriage, she had avoided him like the plague. She had never paid him any attention. How could she possibly know his preferences? The truth was that after her death, during those years when her soul followed him around, she had gradually come to understand him better. Though not by much. Because while she could follow Qin Ye and witness many of the things he did, she could not hear any sounds. The world after her death had been one of complete silence. Not a single sound existed there.
As a result, many things had happened during those five years that she still didn’t fully understand. She would need to investigate slowly, piece by piece, until the fog surrounding the truth was lifted.
“Your Highness.” Yun Si set the dishes one by one on the tea table nearby and said in a gentle voice, “What are you still sitting there for? Come over.”
Qin Ye’s gaze fell on her face. With a cold expression, he replied, “This prince isn’t hungry.”
“Are you sure?” Yun Si wasn’t in a hurry. She sat down and neatly arranged the bowls and chopsticks. “If you’re not eating, then I’ll enjoy it all by myself.” With that, she picked up a mouthful of stir-fried mushrooms with chili peppers and slowly savored it.
Qin Ye stared at her fixedly. His gaze was cold, sharp, and scrutinizing.
Yun Si neither avoided nor flinched under his inspection.
“Just what are you up to?” After a long silence, Qin Ye finally spoke.
Looking up at him openly, Yun Si answered, “Nothing. I just feel that I treated you terribly in the past, and I want to make up for it.”
Qin Ye let out a cold laugh. “Make up for it?”
A woman who had once wished for his death was now claiming she wanted to make amends?
His answer remained the same. “I don’t need it.”
Setting down her chopsticks, Yun Si sighed softly. “I know. I went too far before. It’s fine if you don’t believe me. We have plenty of time ahead of us. I’ll prove it through my actions.”
“You think a few dishes can make up for everything?”
Unmistakable mockery laced Qin Ye’s voice. “Once something has been shattered, no amount of repair can restore it to its original state.”
“…” Yun Si rubbed her forehead. For a moment, she had no way to refute his words.
Silence descended once more. Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere became heavy and oppressive.
Seeing her remain quiet, Qin Ye studied her with dark eyes before saying coldly, “If this is your attitude, then there’s no need to force yourself. Leave.”
“Is my attitude really that bad?” Yun Si reflected on herself for a moment before humbly asking, “Then what should I do?”
Qin Ye glanced at her. After a brief silence, he said, “At the very least, let this prince see some sincerity.”
Sincerity? Yun Si lowered her eyes and pondered what he meant.
Did he want her to take the initiative and do something? Her gaze drifted to Qin Ye’s exquisitely beautiful face, and her ears warmed uncontrollably. She really had been blind. Such a handsome husband, and she had spent all her time pushing him away. What a terrible waste.
Her eyes settled on his lips. They were a delicate crimson, beautifully shaped, with a sharp cupid’s bow and a full lower lip that curved ever so slightly upward. Like rose petals kissed by morning dew, they possessed a soft, alluring sheen. Even when he wore a cold expression, something irresistibly seductive about him remained. During their year of marriage, because of her hostility and disgust toward him, they had never shared any real intimacy.
Qin Ye had always exercised restraint, observed propriety, yielded to her in everything, and treated her with the utmost respect. Yet this very man had once resorted to despicable means to ruin her chastity in order to force her into marrying him. Because of that incident, the Yun Si of her previous life had hated him to her very core and made countless foolish mistakes.
Yun Si tried hard to recall their only intimate encounter. But at the time, she hadn’t been fully conscious, and afterward she could barely remember what it had felt like. Now, however, she unexpectedly found herself wanting to find out. The thought arose, and she didn’t dwell on it for long. She walked directly behind the desk, bent down, and placed both hands on the armrests of Qin Ye’s chair, trapping him between them.
Their eyes met. Even their breathing seemed to stop.
“Your Highness,” she called softly. Then she closed her eyes and leaned forward to kiss him.
“…”
Qin Ye froze completely. His pupils trembled slightly. For a long moment, he didn’t react at all. Her soft, fragrant body was close against his.
Yun Si’s lips carried a faint coolness, yet they were unbelievably intoxicating. Qin Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The hand resting on the desk slowly tightened into a fist. The next instant, however, the hand that had been about to wrap around her slender waist abruptly pushed her away.
“Yun Si!” Coldness flashed in Qin Ye’s eyes. “Do you even know what you’re doing?”
Caught off guard by the shove, Yun Si nearly lost her balance. At his words, she instinctively asked, “You… you don’t like this?”
Qin Ye looked at her. “Have you forgotten what you once said?”
Confusion flickered across Yun Si’s face. What had she said? After a moment’s thought, the memory quickly surfaced in her mind.