Chapter 23: Read Her

As the last trace of twilight receded, the evening glow faded gradually on the horizon, and the night crept in from the east.

It was almost time for the palace gates to close. The newly appointed nobles who attended the banquet started to leave one after another. When they arrived, the streets were bustling with carriages and horses, but now only the carriage from the Eastern Palace remained standing far away. Beneath the wall, the spirited horses were restless, pawing at the ground, showing signs of impatience.

On the surface, Liu Ying seemed calm, but inside, she was anxious beyond measure.

Her task was merely to deliver the decree from His Highness at the banquet hall, and within a quarter of an hour of her return to the Shicui Hall, the Crown Prince had disappeared. Inside the room, there were only shattered vases, unconscious palace maids, and concubine Liu Meiren moaning in pain on the bed.

Having spent so many years in the palace, Liu Ying had seen all kinds of despicable methods. Sensing that something was amiss, she took immediate action. Sure enough, when the palace maid woke up, even before opening her eyes, she bit His Highness and accused concubine Liu of misconduct.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince was not in the palace at that time, and concubine Liu was properly taken care of by Liu Ying. The palace maid’s confused words fell apart once confronted.

Realizing that her plan had been exposed, the palace maid panicked completely. Taking advantage of the moment Liu Ying called for the imperial physician and the guards to inquire, she turned and ran to the backyard. By the time they found her, there was only a fallen embroidered shoe by the well.

Whether she chose to end her life out of guilt or was silenced by someone, remained unknown.

“The commander Gu Xing has checked, and His Highness has not returned to the Eastern Palace.”

Li Fu wiped his sweat and said, “We’ve searched the buildings and rockery in the Penglai Garden, and the only place left to search is the ponds.”

Upon hearing the word “ponds,” Liu Ying’s expression changed slightly.

If His Highness had truly fallen into the water due to dizziness, by now…

Li Fu muttered to himself and pretended to slap his own mouth, then grinned, “Perhaps His Highness found a secluded spot and fell asleep. I’ll order more lights to be lit and search more carefully.”

Liu Ying understood that Li Fu was just trying to comfort himself.

If His Highness had indeed found a place to sleep, it would be fortunate. However, when she led the search party to the Penglai Garden earlier, she happened to encounter several unfamiliar servants who hurriedly avoided her. Suspecting something amiss, Liu Ying interrogated them and they claimed they were searching for a precious jade belonging to the son of Prince Yong. 

Thinking of consubine Liu inexplicably appearing in the Shicui Hall, her sense of foreboding grew stronger. She said, “Have the Gu Xing keep an eye on the Prince of Yong’s mansion. I suspect today’s incident is related to the Yong Prince’s faction. Also, the Crown Prince’s disappearance is not a trivial matter; we must not make a fuss.”

With everything arranged, Liu Ying took the lantern and continued searching to the west.

On this chilly spring night, she didn’t know where His Highness was, whether he was injured or catching a cold. She had lost the Crown Prince once before, and she couldn’t let history repeat itself.

In the distance, eunuchs approached with long hooks, hanging palace lanterns along the main path. As the east wind blew, the candlelight danced with the shadows of flowers, adding a touch of fairyland charm to the vast imperial garden.

To the west, amidst the lush greenery of the mountains, the Hegui Pavilion stood tall. The dimly lit windows exuded a warm yellow glow, where Wen Renlin was dressing, barefoot on the bed, lighting a floor lamp beside him.

The soft light illuminated his flawless face and the mess on the ground.

Robes and undergarments were tangled indiscriminately, almost everything was out of place. The long white corset hung halfway down the edge of the bed, partly on the edge and partly coiled on the ground, covering the fallen crimson pomegranate flowers.

One corner of the corset was stained with a faint blush, diluted as if by water. It was unclear if it was the juice of the pomegranate flowers or something else…

Zhao Yan’s face grew even paler, and every discomfort in her body helped her recall the difficult detoxification process.

While Wen Renlin was busy lighting the lamps, she finally struggled to sit up and reached for the inner garment beside the bed. A simple task under normal circumstances, but now it seemed exceptionally difficult. She even felt that the pain and shame after torture were nothing compared to this.

To survive, she had voluntarily provoked others, but unfortunately, she had provoked the most dangerous person in the entire palace…

No one had taught Zhao Yan how to handle the current dire situation.

The only thing she could do was to rummage through her clothes one by one, as if by doing so, she could retrieve her invincible armor and disguise herself again.

But her thoughts were in such chaos that she couldn’t even fasten her corset properly.

This thing was long and cumbersome to begin with, usually Liu Ying helped her to fasten it properly. But now she had only her two hands, both trembling with fatigue, struggling to tighten it here and loosen it there.

Wen Renlin had long heard her subtle movements, but he hadn’t decided how to deal with her yet, so he didn’t hurry to turn back and ask. He remained calm until he had lit all the lamps. Only then did he gently blow out the fire, turn around, and look at her.

In the bright light, the little prince… no, the little princess was struggling to fasten her corset. Her lowered eyelashes trembled like crow feathers.

Due to her haste, her disheveled hair hung down from her fair neck, and the soft silk quilt slipped down slightly, revealing the finger marks on her arms. They were not severe, but because of her pale skin, they stood out.

Wen Renlin’s gaze lowered, noticing the faint bruises on her waist.

No one knew better than him how those bruises came about. The poison was too strong, and the young princess was confused and inexperienced. Worried that she might injure her waist at such a young age, Wen Renlin had assisted her. As for whether this assistance was sensible or carried some emotional implications, it didn’t matter now.

Unconsciously, Wen Renlin curled his fingers, and his lips moved slightly as he walked towards her.

As soon as Zhao Yan sensed his approach, she involuntarily tensed her body. She didn’t even bother to dress properly, hastily putting on her boots and turning to run.

In the next moment, her belt was caught. Wen Renlin sneered, his voice tinged with displeasure, “You’re running away already? Isn’t that a bit too much?”

Zhao Yan subconsciously reached out to pull away but encountered a sturdy knuckle. Blurred memories flooded her mind in an instant: gentle strokes through her hair, tight grip around her waist, fingers intertwined on the pillow. She recoiled her fingertips as if burned.

Wen Renlin noticed her reaction and calmly wrapped the belt around twice, saying slowly, “Half of my life’s innocence was ruined by His Highness…”

Pausing for a moment, he deliberately added, “…twice. Don’t I deserve an explanation?”

“It’s not like I wanted the second time!” Zhao Yan almost roared in her mind.

But now that things had come to this, and she was not unwilling, what use was it to argue over once or twice?

Her mind was in chaos, and she just wanted to leave here quickly, find a safe and deserted corner to hide, and digest the humiliating outcome alone.

With disheveled hair, she thought for a while and stuttered, “I… I need to review the memorials.”

After saying that, she wanted to pinch herself, feeling that it was indeed a clumsy and ridiculous excuse.

She had initiated this, so how could Wen Renlin easily let her go?

The man behind her calmly hooked her hair, his voice low and hoarse, “If His Highness reviews the memorials, I’ll review His Highness.”

With a forceful tug, Zhao Yan was pulled backward by the belt and sat into a warm and solid chair.

Realizing whose “seat” it was, Zhao Yan stiffened all over and subconsciously tried to get up.

Her gaze fell on a golden hue in the messy bedding behind her. She took a step back and sat on the mattress, propping herself up on the edge of the bed. But by doing so, the moonlight dimmed, and her hastily wrapped corset loosened again, looking even worse than before.

Ignoring her, Wen Renlin curved his index finger under Zhao Yan’s chin, gently lifting her rigid face toward the warm light of the floor lamp.

He read with extreme patience, even taking the time to tuck Zhao Yan’s hair behind her ear to see more clearly. Seeing a beauty under the light was even more thrilling than when he first saw her. There was an indescribable tenderness in Wen Renlin’s black eyes, creating a sense of entanglement.

Zhao Yan felt a tingling sensation creeping up the back of her head from where he had touched her hair, and the residual memory in her body made her want to tremble uncontrollably.

Wen Renlin noticed her slight tremor. The spring night was slightly chilly, and it was easy to catch a cold. His gaze followed her sunken collarbone downward, and after staring for a while, he gently pinched the loose corset strap, his other hand tapping her arm.

“Raise your hand,” he said.

Zhao Yan tucked her hand into her sleeve and pursed her lips, obeying.

As soon as her arm was raised, she groaned in pain from the soreness.

Hearing her groan, Wen Renlin raised his eyes.

He had already removed her messy and unbearable corset, the white silk hanging from his fingers like a shroud.

Zhao Yan sat stiffly, unable to help but speculate with the worst intentions.

Wen Renlin probably intended to kill her, but she wondered what method he would use, and if it would be painful.

“Your Highness, it might be more comfortable if you rest your arm on my shoulder,” Wen Renlin said as he covered the corset across her chest, pressing with one hand and threading the strap through from the side with the other, tightening it in circles.

Zhao Yan was astonished, of course not believing that Wen Renlin was doing this out of kindness. Since the first day she met him, it had been like this. Every time he showed tenderness, it was brewing a bigger conspiracy…

Her chest suddenly tightened, interrupting her thoughts.

Zhao Yan was horrified: Wen Renlin indeed wanted to strangle her!

Seeing her reaction, Wen Renlin was also taken aback. But facing those beautiful eyes full of suspicion, he couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased, continuing his actions, albeit with a lighter touch this time.

“This is my first time helping a lady with a corset, Your Highness. I’m not sure about the proper pressure. Please forgive me for any discomfort,” Wen Renlin said, his gaze slightly darkening, dragging out the last word, “These things that obstruct, they truly waste natural beauty.”

Because the two were in such close proximity, almost embracing chest to chest, Wen Renlin’s low and hoarse voice fell into Zhao Yan’s ear.

She could even feel the warmth of his lips and the slight vibration of his chest when he spoke.

Without thinking, Zhao Yan instinctively moved back a bit, softly pleading, “I can handle it myself…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she froze.

Wen Renlin noticed the stains on the end of the corset… No, perhaps he had noticed them long before. Zhao Yan had seen him holding this corset when she woke up.

In any case, he deliberately slowed down his movements, lightly pinching the dark red area.

Feeling her cheeks heat up, Zhao Yan averted her gaze.

But Wen Renlin gently turned her face back, making her look at the mark, and asked casually, “Your Highness, what do you think is the best course of action?”

He was teasing her, deliberately making her uncomfortable!

With nowhere to escape her gaze, Zhao Yan closed her eyes and said softly, “Whatever…”

Wen Renlin raised an eyebrow, staring at her trembling eyelashes and chuckled, “Your Highness is shy now, a bit late, isn’t it? Where did the courage from earlier go?”

With that, he lightly tapped the iron ring on his index finger with his thumb, and a sharp blade emerged, glinting coldly in the candlelight. Feeling like she was facing a great enemy, Zhao Yan also clenched the sharp object she had hidden under the mattress.

With a tearing sound, Wen Renlin cut off the dirty end of the corset, then retracted the blade and tightened the corset for her.

Wen Renlin continued to help her get dressed.

Zhao Yan followed his movements like a puppet, the piece of faintly red corset neatly placed on the edge of the bed.

She cleared her throat, finally probing, “Prince Su, can you let me return to the Eastern Palace…”

As soon as she spoke, she realized her throat was hoarse.

Unconsciously moistening her lips, she continued, “I’ve been missing for so long, fearing that something has happened.”

Wen Renlin didn’t answer, carefully buttoning her clothes, tying the knots, and smoothing out the wrinkles, every movement graceful and elegant.

“After such an incident, you still want to return unscathed. Your Highness is too naive,” Wen Renlin said, looking at her, trying to discern something in her eyes, “After all, when Your Highness detoxified, you saw what I looked like.”

As he leaned in, his clothes slightly open, the scratch marks on his chest were vaguely visible, and there were probably more on his shoulders and back.

Zhao Yan had hurt him, even bitten him… She thought Wen Renlin was still resentful about it. Amidst the blurred and confused memories, she couldn’t think of anything else about his “appearance.”

But she didn’t understand: if Wen Renlin wanted her life, he could have let her die earlier. Why wait until now?

Could it be that he just wanted to take advantage of the situation?

Losing her own life was one thing, but this matter would have far-reaching consequences, and she didn’t know how many people would die because of it.

And there was Zhao Yan…

If she were to meet him in such a way, she would surely be ridiculed by him in the underworld.

No, she couldn’t just sit and wait for death.

Suddenly, Zhao Yan calmed down, clutching her sleeve. She lowered her head and murmured something softly.

Wen Renlin had been observing her reaction all along. Seeing her rosy lips move, he furrowed his brow slightly and leaned closer, saying, “Your Highness seems to be muttering something…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp glint was already in front of his eyes.

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