Zhao Yān realized she had made a fatal mistake.

She shouldn’t have placed all her hopes for survival on a dangerous, capricious official.

Forced forward at knifepoint, Zhao Yān’s mind raced with calculations.

In her quick glance earlier, she had noticed two assassins had caught up: one holding her at knifepoint, and another archer hidden behind the rooftop across the road.

Even if she could somehow deal with the bandit holding her hostage, she feared she wouldn’t make it two steps before being shot through by an arrow from the rooftop.

Zhao Yān bit her lip hard, raised her arm to grip the bandit’s knife-wielding hand, and fixed her gaze on Wenren Lin, who was coldly observing from the sidelines.

The smile faded from Wenren Lin’s lips. Before he could contemplate the change in the little Crown Prince’s eyes, he saw her adjust the angle beneath her wrist, then suddenly arch backward in the opposite direction from the blade.

Almost simultaneously, a sleeve arrow shot from beneath her wrist, piercing upward through the throat of her captor.

He hadn’t waited for the expected pleading—the little Crown Prince had used the hidden weapon he had casually given as a test that day to decisively eliminate her captor—

He had thought such a deadly device would frighten the little Crown Prince into throwing it away immediately, yet surprisingly, it had been carried all along.

…

…

Time seemed to freeze as the bandit’s large body stiffened like a mountain and fell. Zhao Yān quickly fired a second sleeve arrow, but because the distance was too great, she failed to hit the assassin hiding behind the eaves.

With only one sleeve arrow left, Zhao Yān deliberately stumbled forward, intentionally falling toward Wenren Lin.

Everything happened in an instant. Cai Tian and Zhang Cang had no time to react before they saw the assassin’s arrow flying toward Prince Su!

The black horse with snow-white hooves reared up in alarm, its hooves rising high. Wenren Lin’s eyes grew cold as he raised his hand to catch the arrow flying toward his face, then dismounted, pulling Zhao Yān away from beneath the horse’s hooves.

The sky was dim, the snow glistening coldly, and his dark eyes were especially chilling.

That desperate struggle had drained all of Zhao Yān’s strength. With her breath caught, she had no time to discern the source of the faint anger in Wenren Lin’s eyes.

Wenren Lin held her in his arms, reaching from behind in a half-embrace to grasp her trembling right arm, guiding her to aim the sleeve arrow at the assassin who was drawing his bow behind the roof ridge.

A low, mellow voice came from beside her ear, and Zhao Yān instinctively triggered the mechanism.

The last sleeve arrow flew out. Before the assassin could release his bowstring, a spot of crimson appeared between his eyebrows. He stiffened, then fell straight down from the roof.

The dull thud of his landing made Zhao Yān’s pupils tremble as she lowered her arm weakly.

She parted her lips slightly to catch her breath, her vision blurry, hearing only Wenren Lin’s moist breathing against the back of her ear.

Once her blood flow returned and her confused senses gradually cleared, she felt a gentle, tingling sensation on her cheek.

Zhao Yān turned her gaze in confusion to see Wenren Lin half-crouching beside her, using a clean handkerchief to wipe the splattered blood from her face—

It had been inadvertently stained when the first sleeve arrow pierced the bandit’s neck.

Realizing how dangerous their current distance and posture were, Zhao Yān instinctively tried to move away, but Wenren Lin gripped her jaw with his other hand.

Though he didn’t use much force, she was frozen in place as if acupuncture points had been struck. She could only tilt her head stiffly upward, watching as Wenren Lin patiently wiped her pale face clean.

Wenren Lin kept his eyes half-lowered, his thick eyelashes covering those intimidating, beautiful eyes, making him appear peaceful and harmless.

He deliberately slowed his movements, wiping with extreme care and equal vexation.

His gaze moved downward, falling on Zhao Yān’s fox fur collar, dampened with blood. A wet red stain on the soft white fur resembled a vibrant plum blossom in snow.

That wasn’t the assassin’s blood, but blood seeping from Zhao Yān’s neck.

Wenren Lin’s hand, holding the handkerchief, moved down, pushing aside the fur collar to look. Sure enough, he saw a thin wound about an inch long running across her neck, likely caused by the bandit’s blade.

He let out a very soft hiss, frowning as he said: “The Crown Prince, just to drag this prince into the water, truly doesn’t value his own life.”

If he hadn’t maintained such an indifferent attitude of watching for profit, she wouldn’t have had to resort to such dangerous tactics!

“I was truly so frightened, I acted somewhat hastily…”

Her voice still trembled slightly as she said pitifully, “Fortunately, Prince Su wasn’t injured, otherwise I would bear the blame.”

Wenren Lin raised the corner of his lips, his thumb lightly pressing across the slender white neck hidden in the fur collar, wiping away the drop of blood that had seeped out, without exposing her clumsy, flattering lie.

Since these rabble had encountered him today, there was no reason not to intervene and clean up the situation, or else it could become a topic of gossip.

He simply wanted to see the little Crown Prince crying and begging him.

Wenren Lin’s cool gaze fell on the Crown Prince’s smooth, clean throat, showing no roughness or protrusion. After a moment, he calmly ordered his followers: “Bring this prince’s wound medicine.”

Zhao Yān tightened her fox fur coat and struggled to stand, pressing against the stone tiles as she said, “I have medicine in my carriage…”

As soon as she spoke, Gu Xing, his armor splattered with blood, arrived leading a squad of guards on horseback, anxiously calling out: “Your Highness!”

Before his horse had even stopped, he hurriedly dismounted and rushed forward to kneel, saying: “Your servant arrived late to rescue you, please forgive my offense!”

His timing couldn’t have been more perfect!

Zhao Yān finally had a reason to escape Wenren Lin’s scrutiny. She hastily gestured for Gu Xing to rise, saying: “You engaged the main force of assassins, allowing me to break through their encirclement—what offense is there to forgive?”

After speaking, she turned back to Wenren Lin, sincerely saying in a soft voice: “Thank you, Prince Su, for arriving in time to assist and rescue me from the knife-wielding assassin.”

As she straightened, she avoided Wenren Lin’s gaze and boarded the carriage under Gu Xing’s escort.

Liu Ying had awakened after a brief period of unconsciousness. She had a scrape on her forehead and her arm had been cut by an arrow, but fortunately, these were only minor injuries. The assassination attempt on the Eastern Palace Crown Prince on his return journey was no small matter. The Imperial Guards arrived quickly and were now discussing the situation with Wenren Lin and his men.

Zhao Yān lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to peek out. Wenren Lin stood with his hands behind his back, loosely holding the handkerchief he had used to wipe her blood.

The stark crimson on the handkerchief made his knuckles appear even more jade-white in contrast.

Wenren Lin paused briefly, then turned his face toward her without warning.

Zhao Yān immediately dropped the carriage curtain, hiding herself in the cramped shadows.

The Imperial Guards soon cleared the road, and Gu Xing harnessed new horses to the carriage. Before setting off again, there came a very light knock on the carriage wall.

Wenren Lin’s calm voice came from outside: “This prince will escort the Crown Prince back to the palace together with the Imperial Guards.”

The place on her neck where he had touched began to tingle. Zhao Yān sat upright and said hoarsely through the curtain: “Thank you for your trouble, Prince Su.”

Outside the Chongwen Hall, she rarely called him “Grand Tutor,” as if maintaining an invisible boundary, constantly reminding herself not to let down her guard.

Wenren Lin didn’t say much more, just loosely gripped the handkerchief in his hand.

The Imperial Guards escorted them to the entrance of the Eastern Palace.

Zhao Yān alighted from the carriage under Wenren Lin’s gaze, her back stiff as she entered the Eastern Palace. After turning down a long corridor, she went directly to Cheng’en Palace in the inner courtyard.

Only after closing the palace doors did she seem to lose her strength, stumbling and slowly sinking into a seated position while supporting herself on the table.

Liu Ji suddenly rose from her window seat, and upon seeing Zhao Yān and Liu Ying’s miserable state, immediately realized what had happened. “Something went wrong during the sacrifice journey?”

“Your Highness.”

Liu Ying, ignoring her wounds, endured the pain to brew a cup of hot tea and offer it, saying, “Drink some tea to calm yourself.”

Zhao Yān raised her ice-cold fingertips, only to find her hands were shaking too much to hold the teacup.

“Now do you still dare say the Crown Prince died from a relapse of his old illness?”

Zhao Yān looked toward Liu Ying, asking in a hoarse voice.

Liu Ying lowered her head, trembling in silence.

Liu Ji’s expression grew grave as she asked angrily: “Who attacked you?”

Zhao Yān shook her head. Gu Xing had said they were all suicide soldiers who had taken poison after their assassination attempt failed.

But the current crisis wasn’t these assassins of unknown origin, but rather…

She lowered her gaze to the empty sleeve-mounted cattail on her wrist, her lips pressed into a line.

When Wenren Lin had sheltered her in his arms, gripping her wrist to aim at the assassin on the roof, she had clearly and distinctly felt the warmth of Wenren Lin’s fingers against her skin.

In that life-or-death moment, she had no strength to prevent Wenren Lin’s touch.

Had he discovered something?

Perhaps not. The fabric was so thick, and his expression had been too calm, showing no surprise or abnormality.

Zhao Yān supported her forehead, closing her eyes as if exhausted, trying to calm her chaotic thoughts.

She dared not think further, dared not speculate on what awaited her tomorrow.

…

Outside the palace gates, Wenren Lin sat atop his horse, examining in the light a spot of blood on his fingertip.

It had been stained there when he wiped away the wound on the little Crown Prince’s neck, along with the warm, smooth feeling of her skin.

Dark clouds hung low, and his horse snorted restlessly. Zhang Cang and Cai Tian stood guard behind the contemplative Prince Su, one on each side, looking at each other, neither daring to step forward and urge him on.

Wenren Lin rubbed the faint red stain between his fingers, and after a long moment, finally took out the wrinkled handkerchief and carefully wiped away the trace.

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he had found some new amusement.

“Send someone on a long journey. This prince has an important matter to inquire about.”

After saying this, his mood greatly improved, and he spurred his horse, galloping away.