What would she say?

In truth, she liked him too, didn’t she? She was simply too proud to admit it. Upon hearing that he intended to take a bride, she had been displeased — her earlier reaction had been deliberate spite, hadn’t it?

The Crown Grandson let his thoughts wander, and his cold heart gradually warmed again.

Ling Jingshu’s gentle, clear voice broke the silence: “Your Highness, I have come to the capital not only to seek treatment for A’Xiao’s eyes. More importantly, I have come to seek revenge.”

Revenge?

The Crown Grandson startled. All the tender thoughts filling his mind were doused as if by a bucket of cold water, vanishing in an instant, leaving only bewilderment and shock. “Revenge for what? Who is your enemy?”

Ling Jingshu had already composed her words in the brief time available.

The humiliation and suffering of her past life was her greatest secret — one she would never disclose to anyone. Not even Ling Xiao knew of it, let alone the Crown Grandson. This meant she could not breathe a single word about the entanglement of grievances between herself, Princess Changping, and Empress Xu.

She could only use the Lu Family as her shield.

“My enemy is Lu An.” At the mention of Lu An, Ling Jingshu needed no pretense — flames of hatred filled her eyes, and her voice trembled slightly.

She had always been sharp-minded and composed. Even on the night she was unexpectedly seized by bandits, she had never lost her reason. The near-uncontrolled fury she displayed now made the Crown Grandson quietly uneasy.

Lu An!

The Crown Grandson silently repeated the name, his gaze turning glacial. He asked in a flat tone: “That name sounds rather familiar, though I cannot recall it at the moment. What exactly is his background, and what grievance exists between the two of you? Tell me.”

The Lu Family was indeed a distinguished clan. Lu An, as the head of the household, also served as the Governor of Jizhou — a figure of considerable renown. Yet in the eyes of someone as exalted as the Crown Grandson, he did not quite rank among those who must be remembered.

Ling Jingshu drew a slow breath, barely suppressing the surging hatred within her, and said quietly: “Lu An is the head of the Lu Family and serves as the Governor of Jizhou. He is also my father’s own sister’s husband — my paternal uncle by marriage. The Lu Family is a distinguished clan, with many relatives holding official posts in various regions. Lu An’s younger brother, Lu Ping, holds the position of Department Director in the Ministry of War.”

The Crown Grandson considered for a moment. “Ah, that Lu Family. Lu An has always been stationed in Jizhou — I have never met him in person. Lu Ping, on the other hand, I do have some recollection of.”

Lu Ping was a slippery, opportunistic man, skilled at working his connections. Though his rank was not particularly high, he had carved out a decent standing for himself in the capital. During the New Year, he had come to the Crown Prince’s residence to present gifts. The Crown Prince’s health had been poor, so the Crown Grandson had received him in his stead.

Officials of middling rank such as this numbered in the dozens across the capital — he would never pay them particular heed.

If the Lu Family and the Ling Family were connected by marriage, how had Lu An come to be Ling Jingshu’s enemy?

The Crown Grandson furrowed his brow and asked: “Ling Jingshu, Lu An is your own uncle by marriage. What cause for hatred could exist between you?”

Ling Jingshu seemed to recall something. Her fair face gradually paled, draining of color. Her lips moved, yet not a single word came out.

Then, a dense mist rose in her eyes, on the verge of spilling over as tears at any moment.

The Crown Grandson watched, growing increasingly puzzled — and beneath that puzzlement, a strange, ominous foreboding took shape. He had a persistent sense that the words he was about to hear would be deeply unwelcome.

“Several months ago…” Ling Jingshu bit her lip hard, her voice dropping to a low, hoarse murmur. “It was Grandmother’s seventieth birthday celebration. The eldest uncle who lives in the capital and the second uncle stationed in another region both returned to Dingzhou. Our aunt, who had been married out for many years, came back as well with her whole family. Lu An was among them.”

“When our aunt was married off back then, I was still a child of two. This was, in truth, my first time meeting Lu An and the cousins from the Lu Family.”

At this point, Ling Jingshu paused briefly.

The strange unease in the Crown Grandson’s heart grew denser still. Unable to restrain himself, he pressed: “What happened afterward? Why do you hate your aunt’s husband Lu An so deeply?”

Ling Jingshu’s face turned even paler. After a long moment, she gave a desolate, bitter smile: “Your Highness is so perceptive — surely you can guess? He is my uncle by marriage. What could possibly make me hate him so bitterly, yet leave me too afraid to speak of it openly?”

The Crown Grandson stared in disbelief, his eyes widening. Looking at Ling Jingshu’s pallid face — at the wretched, humiliated expression she wore — the astonishing suspicion that had flashed through his mind resurfaced.

An unprecedented fury surged and flooded his chest.

That Lu An was nothing but a beast in human clothing!

Ling Jingshu was his wife’s niece. And she was a young girl who had not yet even come of age. He — how could such a vile, inhuman thought even take root in him?!

The Crown Grandson pressed his lips into a thin line, his gaze turning vicious and merciless, and forced out the words: “He dared to defile you!”

In that moment, Ling Jingshu entirely forgot that she was playing a part.

These things had truly happened to her. She had been imprisoned in the inner courtyard of the Lu Family’s residence for a full four years. Throughout those four years, she had lived in humiliation and agony — a life worse than death.

The mere thought of that unbearably painful past required no performance from her whatsoever. That bone-deep hatred and resentment rose unbidden to her face on its own.

But she had not lost her reason.

She knew clearly that this was her only and best opportunity. She had to persuade the Crown Grandson — make him believe her completely — so that she might one day draw on the strength of the Crown Prince’s residence to exact her revenge.

“He harbored improper intentions toward me, though I did not perceive it at first. I only felt that the way he looked at me was strange — not like the gaze of an elder toward a junior.”

Ling Jingshu lowered her eyes, her voice trembling: “Then one day, I went to pay my respects to my aunt. By chance she was not there — only he was alone in the room. I sensed that something was wrong and wanted to leave. But he blocked me and refused to let me go… He first said some strange things, then drew close to me and began to reach out his hand…”

As she spoke, her voice began to choke: “I was terrified. I wanted to call for someone but didn’t dare. I was still an unmarried girl. If anyone had witnessed the scene, my reputation for the rest of my life would have been destroyed. The fate awaiting me would have been either to end my own life to preserve my honor, or to spend my days in a nunnery, praying and chanting sutras…”

“Fortunately, footsteps sounded outside at that moment, and he did not dare act further. I managed to escape — to escape that disgrace. Yet I could not tell a single soul about what had happened. I could only swallow that humiliation and bury it deep within my heart.”

“What I never expected was that Lu An still refused to give up. He actually had my aunt propose the match on his behalf. If I had truly been married into the Lu Family, there would have been no escaping his clutches.”

“I accompanied A’Xiao to the capital — first for his eye treatment, and second to escape that marriage arrangement, to escape the fate of being wed into the Lu Family.”

“He is my uncle by marriage, the son-in-law of the Ling Family. Grandmother would never fall out with the Lu Family on my account. To have my revenge, I can only seek another path entirely.”

The fury within the Crown Grandson’s heart converged into his eyes, his right hand clenching into a tight fist.

That despicable, wretched Lu An!

How dare he treat Ling Jingshu in such a manner!

Nothing short of tearing him to pieces would begin to satisfy the hatred consuming his heart.