Chapter 45: Bound Wrists

The upper windows of the Mirror Pavilion were tightly closed, yet faint light still seeped through the cracks in the window mullions, illuminating the floating dust in the attic.

Zhao Yan sat on the ground, forced to turn her head to stare at Wen Renlin.

The position was too awkward, causing Zhao Yan’s neck to ache. She had to carefully adjust her knees to change her posture to face Wen Renlin directly. Facing him, Zhao Yan felt a cold oppression in Wen Renlin’s eyes, contrasting sharply with his gentle tone, with dark currents roiling beneath the surface.

Zhao Yan only trembled her eyelashes for a moment before steadying her gaze.

“If breaking my leg would make me obedient… then when I was attacked last year, or when facing Zhao Yuanyu’s threats, should I have just complied?” she spoke candidly, almost boldly.

Wen Renlin chuckled at her frankness, grabbing her wrist with one hand and pulling her towards him, saying in a soft voice, “Then let’s tie up your hands as well. If you still don’t behave, I’ll seal your acupoints and turn you into a puppet to be placed by my side.”

His voice was low and gentle, while his other hand traced along the acupoints behind Zhao Yan’s neck and spine, as if gesturing.

Suppressing her trembling desire, Zhao Yan lightly clenched the hand being held, keeping a slight distance from Wen Renlin’s chest, and asked softly, “Is that what the Grand Tutor desires?”

Seeing Wen Renlin’s silence, she pursed her lips and continued, “The Grand Tutor taught me martial arts and military strategy to turn me into a silent and motionless object one day?”

After a moment, he suddenly smiled, staring at her moist lips, “I never taught Your Highness how to defy me. Perhaps, you shouldn’t have that tongue either.”

Zhao Yan closed her lips warily, pressing them into a thin line.

But after a moment of silence, she raised her eyes, not very sure, and asked, “Is the Prince worried about me?”

Because she was so surprised by this unexpected conclusion, he momentarily forgot to refute it.

Observing his reaction carefully, she became more certain and said clearly, “Unless Crown Prince Zhao Yan’s death is related to you, continuing my investigation would implicate you. Otherwise, why would the Prince have any reason to stop me?”

Wen Renlin looked at her and said, “How does the princess know that the Crown Prince’s death has nothing to do with me?”

Zhao Yan thought for a moment and shook her head, “If my brother’s death was really at the hands of the Prince, I wouldn’t be alive now. Today, the Prince is so angry, perhaps because I obstructed something else of yours, or perhaps, just because of a tiny… worry about me?”

Wen Renlin repeated softly, his lips curved into a gentle smile.

Even the Empress doesn’t believe he didn’t touch the Eastern Palace, yet the little princess believes it. But so what?

With such a heavy darkness burdening him, how could he waver with concern for an insignificant little princess?

“You’re overthinking, Your Highness. Your life is in my hands. If you want to seek death, you can only die by my hand.”

He said casually, but the knuckles at her lower back tightened slightly, and Zhao Yan immediately let out a muffled groan.

Wen Renlin paused, his tone indistinguishable between pleasure and anger, “I haven’t punished you yet, Your Highness. Is your groaning too contrived?”

Wen Renlin’s gaze fell on the spot she was holding tightly, and he said lightly, “You can’t even bear this little pain, yet you want to be a savior of the world.”

“I never thought of saving anyone. I just want to find the enemy who killed my brother in my name. In the dark night, there must be a light to continue hope. I have a clear conscience…”

Zhao Yan belatedly furrowed her brows, her body gradually hunching over, looking somewhat pitiful, “My stomach really hurts from hitting the windowsill just now.”

Her expression didn’t seem fake, and Wen Renlin’s brow also slightly furrowed imperceptibly. Reluctantly suppressing the dark thoughts in his heart, he reached out and lifted her gently from the ground.

The attic hadn’t been cleaned for a long time. After sitting for so long, Zhao Yan’s moon-white delicate gown was covered in a large patch of dust.

Supporting her waist, Wen Renlin bent down, naturally brushing the dirt from the back of her skirt.

The man’s palm was strong and powerful, and Zhao Yan was pushed forward by the brushing, causing her leg to go numb. She quickly reached back to protect that delicate area, feeling a surge of embarrassment on her cheeks.

Wen Renlin’s actions of brushing away the dust carried a hint of venting frustration. With two muffled sounds, it was like an elder punishing a disobedient junior…

Zhao Yan couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burning. The pain in her abdomen was forgotten, and she looked at Wen Renlin in shock.

Although she was not favored by the Emperor and Empress, she had never been treated like this before!

But Wen Renlin, with a stern expression, steadied her posture and said, “Move your hand away.”

With an unquestionable tone, Zhao Yan knew she couldn’t show her displeasure anymore. She bit her lip helplessly and reluctantly moved her hand a couple of inches away. Without saying a word, Wen Renlin made two more light tapping sounds, focusing on brushing away the dirt on her lower skirt.

The soft and slightly elastic feeling under his palm, along with the trembling of the fabric, caused Wen Renlin to involuntarily close his eyes, slowing down his tapping.

The solitary lamp hanging high quickly attracted the attention of several scholars who remained in the academy.

“Since Master Linjiang retired and several doctoral officials who taught here were expelled from Mingde Academy, it’s been about a year, right? For so long, no one has dared to enter that attic again.”

“Yeah, I never expected to see the light on again.”

A younger scholar who had just entered the academy tilted his head curiously, not understanding. Those who had listened to Master Linjiang’s lectures and observed the discussions of the Crown Prince last year all had solemn expressions, gazing intently.

This year’s successful candidates were all from various aristocratic families, with none from Mingde Academy. They lamented, shedding tears of blood, as no one missed the days when diverse opinions were debated and the lights of the Jingjian Building shone brightly.

“The daylight has been obscured for too long,” someone whispered softly in the academy.

Behind Mingde Academy, the jujube trees twisted and green, swaying in the wind.

Under the rustling falling jujube flowers, a shabby scholar with a rough beard and ragged clothes gasped for breath, leaning against the wall and staring blankly at the lights on the Jingjian Building.

He was born timid.

Hearing that the Crown Prince, who had been silent for nearly a year, had left the palace for recuperation, he still held a faint hope and risked returning from Cangzhou to the capital. However, for the past half month, he had been hesitating and wavering, lacking the courage to step out of the inn.

Today, when he saw the lights on in Mingde Academy from afar, he came back to his senses, finding himself standing here in a daze.

“You’ve grown a beard, and you look so disheveled.”

A slightly hoarse voice came from behind, sounding disdainful, “You look ten years older.”

The scholar turned around in panic, only to see a tall woman with a veil limping out from the back door, lifting her hand to reveal a familiar and bold face.

“Baiwei…”

The scholar took a step back, seemingly ashamed to face his old friend in such a cowardly manner.

Back then, their classmates were full of youthful vigor, some went into hiding, some chose martyrdom, but he, out of fear, chose to flee before calamity struck.

“You’re still as timid as ever. When things started, I advised the Crown Prince not to use you because of your instability. But the Crown Prince said, ‘He has a light in his heart, however dim, as long as the lamp of the Jingjian Building is lit, he will still come fearlessly like a moth to the flame.’”

Liu Baiwei limped forward, raised her hand, and heavily punched the scholar’s chest, saying indignantly, “How come you’ve only come now, Wang Yu?”

Wang Yu remained silent, staggering back against the brick wall, tears streaming down his face.

…

Guarding downstairs in the hall, Gu Xing saw Wen Renlin and his young master descending the stairs one after the other, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The lantern in the young master’s hand was missing, and following calmly behind the composed Prince Su, there was a suspicious light blush on his cheeks, and his steps down the stairs seemed somewhat unnatural.

“Where’s Miss Liu?” Zhao Yan cleared her throat and asked.

Gu Xing replied, “Miss Liu said she’s going to see an old friend and went out the back door.”

Zhao Yan glanced around, only to see Wen Renlin standing ahead with his hands behind his back, lightly touching his fingertips, as if reminiscing about something.

The more composed he appeared, the more unfathomable he became.

Zhao Yan had no choice but to be practical, “Leave my carriage to him, and I’ll take Prince Su’s carriage back to the Yuquan Palace.”

Seeing the time, Gu Xing knew that waiting any longer might miss the time for the Crown Prince to leave the city, so he clasped his fists and said, “I’ll obey.”

The journey on the mountain road at night was slow and bumpy. Zhao Yan’s back was still numb, so she instinctively leaned to the side, trying to put some distance between herself and Wen Renlin.

The wind lifted the curtain of the carriage, and looking down from halfway up the mountain, the lights of the imperial city scattered like stars, gently responding to Zhao Yan’s gaze.

Yuquan Palace.

Following Zhao Yan’s instructions, Liu Ying personally brought towel and clean water, then loosened the layers of pale yellow curtains to completely shield the bedroom from view. After ensuring everything was in place, Liu Ying respectfully left and waited outside in the corridor.

Inside the heavy curtains, Zhao Yan’s outer robe and belt were scattered haphazardly on the foot of the bed.

She knelt on the edge of the bed, her hair bun coming undone. Her pure white undergarments loosely draped down to her elbows, revealing her delicate and layered shoulders and chest…

Wen Renlin examined the bruises on her abdomen, lightly touching them with his fingertips.

His fingertips were cool, causing Zhao Yan to involuntarily flinch.

Wen Renlin looked up, said nothing, and went to a low cabinet to retrieve the bruise cream that had not been used up last time. With one hand, he unscrewed the lid and picked up a bit with his finger, applying it to Zhao Yan’s bruised area.

After a refreshing coolness, the cream warmed and penetrated in, gradually eliciting a tingling sensation.

Zhao Yan couldn’t help but inhale sharply, her flat and soft abdomen rising and falling. Wen Renlin placed his hand on her back, without lifting his eyes, and said, “Don’t move.”

Feeling feverish in the summer heat was uncomfortable enough, and it was also slightly itchy. Unfortunately, Wen Renlin applied the cream very slowly, rubbing and massaging it, making it quite agonizing.

“That’s enough…”

Zhao Yan protested softly, unable to resist reaching out to scratch.

Wen Renlin grabbed her hand and leisurely said, “The medicine hasn’t dried yet, don’t touch.”

After saying that, he pondered for a moment, then pulled out the jade-inlaid ribbon from the piled clothes and wrapped it around Zhao Yan’s bound wrists.

Zhao Yan didn’t even see how he moved, and her wrists were bound behind her back in no time. She struggled a bit, but Wen Renlin adjusted the tightness just right, making it impossible for her to break free without causing pain.

Confused, Zhao Yan complained, “Why would Prince Su go to such lengths?”

Wen Renlin continued to apply the cream without haste and said, “It’s because Your Highness can’t keep still and always touches things you shouldn’t. I had no choice but to resort to this measure.”

Zhao Yan was incredulous: she just refused to remain ignorant and wanted to uncover the truth… how did it become like this in his eyes?

She couldn’t believe it, “Is Prince Su manipulating and fabricating charges?”

“Yes.”

Wen Renlin raised an eyebrow slightly, “So what?”

What else could she do? Zhao Yan couldn’t free her hands, so she could only sigh in frustration, her face flushing.

Just as she was biting her lip while enduring the not-too-light massage, she suddenly heard voices outside the hall.

“The Prince has rested…”

“I have something important to discuss, just two sentences.”

Liu Baiwei, as if no one else was present, spoke from afar, her voice gradually approaching the curtain of the bedroom.

Zhao Yan suddenly tensed up and quickly twisted her body to hide inside, trying to cover the clothes hanging on her arm.

Wen Renlin, still holding the medicine box in one hand, frowned displeasedly as he slowly raised his eyebrows.

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