The windows and doors of Changyang Palace were tightly shut, permeated with an atmosphere of death.

Unfamiliar attendants placed a newly repaired golden Buddha with a large belly in the hall, directly facing the Emperor’s dragon bed.

Though the Buddha statue had compassionate eyes, looming in the darkness, it displayed a somewhat eerie gloominess.

On the dragon bed, the Emperor’s mouth and eyes were twisted askew, his hands trembling, already showing signs of a stroke. Ning Yin leisurely dragged a chair to sit half a zhang away, savoring the Emperor’s predicament and helplessness.

After twenty years on the throne, countless women in his harem, in the end, among the sons who survived the endless suspicion and bloodshed, only remained an idiot, a child, and…

The Emperor’s murky eyes stared fixedly at that face somewhat resembling Consort Li, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

…and a madman.

“Kill… kill…”

The Emperor desperately moved his crooked lips, his eyeballs bulging like a dying fish.

“Kill? No.”

Ning Yin curved his lips, his voice particularly gentle, “I won’t kill you, at least not now.”

If the Emperor died, the kingdom would enter a mourning period, which would cast a shadow over his marriage to Yu Lingxi.

He would let the Emperor “comfortably” struggle for breath until after his wedding.

Having seen enough of the Emperor’s ugly state, Ning Yin finally raised his hand lazily. Immediately, two groups of heavily made-up women entered in succession, kneeling on both sides of the dragon bed.

Although these women wore palace maid attire, they exuded an air of courtesans. Each had once been a soul-sucking enchantress, clearly not a people of purity.

Ning Yin swept his gaze around, and the women immediately trembled saying: “This humble servant will serve wholeheartedly!”

Ning Yin smiled with satisfaction, his gaze returning to the dragon bed as he rose, saying: “Enjoy your final pleasures.”

His pale crimson crimson-thin lips opened slightly, uttering two silent words.

The Emperor’s eyes bulged as he read his lip movements saying “Fa-ther,” one syllable at a time, cold and mocking.

“Kill… kill!”

The Emperor struggled like a fish in a dried-up pond, drool flowing from his crooked mouth, still hoarsely muttering the word “kill,” his twisted, withered fingers trembling as they reached toward that deep purple retreating figure.

The gaudy woman swarmed forward, pressing him back onto the dragon bed.

The imperial yellow curtains billowed, like an invisible giant beast, completely swallowing his hateful, hoarse moaning sounds.

…

The Imperial Wardrobe worked day and night, and once the ceremonial clothes were cut, they were promptly sent to Prince Jing’s mansion.

“So quickly?”

Yu Lingxi was brewing tea according to an ancient manual when palace people from the Imperial Wardrobe entered carrying a set of brand-new wedding attire, much to her surprise.

The palace servant smiled and said: “It’s just preliminary cutting and embroidery. Please trouble the young lady to try it on. If the size and length are appropriate, the embroiderers from the Imperial Wardrobe will add pearls and gems.”

Yu Lingxi went to the inner room to try on the clothes, looking at herself in the bronze mirror.

Although the scarlet wedding dress had not yet been adorned with jewels, it was already extremely magnificent. The high-quality soft fabric cascaded to the ground, gloriously resembling the evening glow wrapped around her body.

The fit was perfect, not an inch too much or too little, causing even the senior palace maid from the Imperial Wardrobe, accustomed to making clothes for beauties and noble ladies, to exclaim in admiration.

The bronze mirror in Prince Jing’s mansion was extremely smooth and clear. After trying on the wedding dress, Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but look at herself a while longer.

Turning around in her clothes, she saw Ning Yin sitting leisurely behind the table, not knowing how long he had been watching.

Yu Lingxi hurriedly put on the outer garment hanging on her arm, covering her thin shoulders and back, smiling lightly and asking: “When did you return?”

“Probably, from when Suisui was staring at her chest, measuring its size.”

Ning Yin paused subtly, then nodded, “It seems to have grown larger.”

Ah, that annoying mouth!

“Nonsense.”

Yu Lingxi went over with her scarf, sitting beside Ning Yin, “Strange. The Imperial Wardrobe people never came to measure me. How did they know my size?”

Ning Yin turned his dark eyes, asking: “Was my estimated measurement accurate?”

“…”

Yu Lingxi realized, widening her almond eyes, “When did you estimate it?”

“Since someone previously gifted Suisui to this Prince as a present, naturally I had to unwrap and inspect.”

Ning Yin spoke matter-of-factly, looking at his own long, powerful hands, “Inch by inch, I measured for quite some time.”

Yu Lingxi took a deep breath, unable to face imagining what it would look like for him to use his hand as a ruler to measure her body.

“I wondered why during those days when sleeping, I always felt something constricting… Wait.”

Remembering something, Yu Lingxi asked, “You were preparing wedding clothes that early? Then why did you always bully me at first?”

She had thought Ning Yin was holding a grudge and taking revenge.

“Nonsense, I was cherishing Suisui.”

Ning Yin seemed to see through her thoughts, laughing gently, “No matter what you do, I won’t hate you. Because you are this Prince’s precious Suisui.”

He was accustomed to speaking truth in a joking tone; the more flippant his tone, the more genuine it was.

Yu Lingxi guessed that even if he were truly heartbroken, he would only transfer his hatred to others, destroying this world.

“Little madman.”

Yu Lingxi suppressed the surging sourness and warmth in her heart, tilting her head to rest on his shoulder, saying softly, “Wang Lingqing knew the news of you once being a servant in the Yu household, that was deliberately leaked by you, wasn’t it? Someone as clever as you, if you wanted to conceal your past, Wang Lingqing would never have discovered it.”

Ning Yin picked up the teacup Yu Lingxi had previously poured, hissed slightly, and pretentiously said: “Suisui is so clever.”

“Sarcastic.”

Yu Lingxi smiled faintly, snatching the teacup from his hand and drinking it all at once.

Ning Yin looked at his empty hand, slightly raising his eyebrow.

“There was chili powder in this cup, and you can’t handle spicy food.”

Yu Lingxi hummed lightly, pouring him a new cup.

Ning Yin didn’t take the new cup of tea, but reached out to pull Yu Lingxi over, raising his finger to press on her lower lip and tugging it.

Yu Lingxi opened her mouth to bite his finger, but he took advantage of the opening to capture her lips.

After a while, Ning Yin calmly wiped his colorful mouth, savoring: “It is a bit spicy, but the taste is quite good.”

Yu Lingxi was breathless, licking her reddened lips.

“You won’t drink the proper tea, it’s all spilled.”

The new cup of tea in her hand had already spilled empty, the tea flowing down her fingers along her arm, soaking her sleeve.

She was about to find a handkerchief to wipe it, but Ning Yin grasped her wrist.

“Which mansion would you like to live in?” Ning Yin asked.

Yu Lingxi fluttered her eyelashes, instinctively answering: “This one.”

This mansion was the embryonic form of the Regent’s mansion in her previous life. The towers, pavilions, and corridors all had familiar shadows; living here, she always felt it could make up for many regrets.

Ning Yin didn’t speak, only lowered his head, carefully licking clean the tea that had flowed down along her fingers, bit by bit.

The early spring sunlight was warm; his handsome profile was coated with a thin layer of warm light, looking quiet and beautiful. Yu Lingxi curled her fingers, allowing the tingling sensation to spread from her wrist throughout her limbs.

…

Ning Yin had suddenly become busy lately. These days he left early and returned late; Yu Lingxi rarely had a chance to see him.

Occasionally passing through the corridor, she would see officials and attendants carrying boxes of things inside, seemingly preparing to decorate something.

When did Ning Yin… plan to marry her?

Perhaps it would have to be autumn.

Yu Lingxi calculated the days, thinking that a prince’s wedding would need at least half a year of preparation. By the time all the ceremonies were ready, it would be the season of fragrant osmanthus.

Autumn was good too. In her previous life, she was sent to Ning Yin’s side in early autumn.

February 17th, early morning.

Yu Lingxi woke up in a daze, rolled over in bed, and then rolled into a firm embrace.

She raised her hand to feel, suddenly opened her eyes, and met a pair of clear, ink-black eyes.

“Ning Yin?”

Yu Lingxi blinked, not having seen him upon waking for many days, momentarily thinking she was still in a dream.

Her sleepy appearance was somewhat seductive, her eye corners hook-like and alluring.

Ning Yin’s eyes revealed dark humor as he extended his finger to rub the small hook at the corner of her eye, saying softly: “Get up, after breakfast this Prince will take you back to the Yu residence.”

“Back to the Yu residence?”

Has the little madman changed his ways today?

Yu Lingxi finished washing and eating breakfast, boarding Ning Yin’s carriage full of confusion.

In front of the mansion gates, several attendants were taking down old palace lanterns and replacing them with new red lanterns.

Palace maids moved orderly, carrying candlesticks, silk fabrics, and other items back and forth.

Before Yu Lingxi could look closely, Ning Yin lowered the carriage curtain, gently turning her head until her eyes and heart could only see him.

Yu Lingxi also missed her parents but was reluctant to part with the little madman. She blinked and smiled: “Suddenly being kind and sending me home, aren’t you afraid you’ll miss me later?”

“Suisui is overestimating herself.”

Ning Yin curved a very faint smile, saying meaningfully: “Just one day, I can still wait that long.”

“One day?”

Yu Lingxi felt his expression was unfathomable, not knowing what evil plan he was concocting again.

But soon, when the carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the Yu residence, Yu Lingxi finally understood what “one day” meant.

The entire Yu household was bustling with activity. Yu Xinyi personally directed servants to hang red silk flowers on the plaque at the main door, occasionally stepping back to assess: “It’s crooked, a bit more to the left.”

Seeing her sister getting off Prince Jing’s carriage, she put her hands on her hips and smiled: “Suisui, you’re back? The Imperial Wardrobe has sent over the ceremonial clothes and phoenix crown. Hurry and see if they fit!”

“Sister, what is this…?”

Yu Lingxi looked at the festive red silk and wedding characters all over the mansion, suddenly guessing something, and sharply turned to look at Ning Yin smiling viciously beside her.

“He didn’t tell you?”

Yu Xinyi was shocked by her sister’s confused reaction, exclaiming: “No way, tomorrow is your wedding day, and His Highness didn’t tell you?”

Although she had already guessed, Yu Lingxi still couldn’t stop her heart from racing wildly, a mix of shock and joy to the extreme, giving her a dreamlike, unreal feeling.

“Have you been busy with all this recently?”

Yu Lingxi didn’t know whether to laugh or be upset, after holding back for a long time, she stepped forward to embrace Ning Yin, saying: “When did you set the date? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Deadly, her eyes were a bit sour.

Yu Lingxi turned her head, wiping that sweet dampness completely on his collar.

Yu Xinyi was observing with great interest, stroking her chin, when Yu Huanchen shooed her away.

Ning Yin gently stroked Yu Lingxi’s back, very satisfied with her surging surprise and helplessness at this moment.

Sweetness simmered in warm water never cuts as deep as instantaneous stimulation.

He was born wicked, with little moral sense; whether to marry or not made no difference to him.

A marriage certificate had no constraint on him. As long as it was someone he cherished, he would continue to love her dearly even without marriage; if it was someone he couldn’t be bothered with, bringing her into his household would make her no more than an object.

But, he wanted to make her happy.

He wanted to use every means, whether despicable or normal, to permanently brand himself on Yu Lingxi’s heart, making her heart surge with emotion every time she recalled this day, until death.

“As long as it’s Suisui’s wish, it naturally should be fulfilled.”

Ning Yin pinched Yu Lingxi’s nape, looking down at her almost tenderly: “Hold back your tears, save them for the wedding night for this Prince to taste.”

“I’m not crying.”

Yu Lingxi took a deep breath and raised her head, her curved almond eyes brimming with fragmented, sparkling light.

Ning Yin raised his finger to rub her slightly reddened eye corners, saying gently: “Tomorrow, I’ll come for you.”

This time, he was truly coming to take her home.

Their home.

Yu Lingxi walked through the bustling courtyard, surrounded by red silk and wedding characters.

Returning to her chamber, it too had been decorated anew. On the table sat matching wedding candles, the window panels were adorned with red paper-cuts of wedding characters, and substantial dowry items were piled up across the floor.

In the center on a wooden rack hung a set of scarlet gold-embroidered ceremonial garments. The phoenix crown and hairpins were arranged in a row, a dazzling display. Compared to the previous hastily arranged bestowed marriage, the specifications were incomparably higher, each item an ultimate treasure.

Yu Lingxi reached out to touch the exquisite cloud patterns on the scarlet dress, a faint smile involuntarily curving at the corner of her mouth.

This was the true wedding dress she had waited for through two lifetimes.

After lunch, a matron from the palace came to explain the wedding banquet procedures and matters requiring attention to Yu Lingxi.

By the time everything was arranged, the sun was setting.

Yu Lingxi was so tired she couldn’t lift a finger, yet she was still excited, wishing tomorrow would come quickly.

She sat on the couch resting, gazing at the magnificent wedding dress in the room when she saw Hutao approaching quickly, hesitating to speak: “Young lady…”

Yu Lingxi came back to her senses and asked: “What is it?”

Hutao hesitated for a while, then answered: “Second Young Master Xue has arrived, saying… he has something to give you.”

Yu Lingxi paused, the smile in her eyes fading slightly.

“Where is he?” Yu Lingxi asked.

“With people coming and going, this servant feared others might see and spread unfavorable rumors, so I invited him to wait in the waterside pavilion.”

Hutao asked quietly, “Young lady, shall this servant send him away?”

Yu Lingxi lowered her long eyelashes, looking at the tea leaves floating in the cup, pondering for a long time.

“No need.”

She set down the cup and said, “Go tell my brother…”

After whispering a few instructions, Yu Lingxi rose and went out toward the waterside pavilion.

The spring chill was biting; the setting sun slanted across the smooth pool surface without a single ripple.

Yu Lingxi stood at the end of the walkway, immediately spotting the moon-white figure standing in the pavilion.

A strange servant boy also stood in the pavilion.

On the stone table in the middle sat a pair of exquisitely packaged glass cups and a pot of clear wine.

Hearing light approaching footsteps, Xue Cen paused before turning around.

Their eyes met. He had grown thinner, his gentle eyes still containing unresolved melancholy, somewhat resembling his appearance during their last meeting in her previous life.

“Second Sister…”

Realizing the impropriety of the address, his Adam’s apple moved, and he smiled, correcting himself: “Hearing of Second Miss’s joyous wedding, I’ve brought a modest gift to offer congratulations.”