The last ray of sunset folded away, the evening glow at the horizon gradually dimmed, and night crept in from the east.

It was nearly time for the palace gates to close. The newly honored guests who had attended the banquet departed one after another. The roads that had been packed with carriages upon arrival were now empty except for the Eastern Palace’s carriage standing in the distance. The fine horses beneath the wall pawed the ground impatiently.

Liu Ying appeared calm on the surface, but her heart was burning with anxiety.

She had merely gone to the banquet to deliver His Highness’s verbal order, and when she returned to Shicui Hall just a quarter of an hour later, the Crown Prince had vanished. Inside the chamber were only a shattered vase, an unconscious palace maid, and Liu Ji moaning in pain on the bed.

Having spent so many years in the palace, what dirty tricks hadn’t Liu Ying seen? Upon discovering something amiss, she dealt with it immediately.

Sure enough, when the palace maid awoke, before her eyes even opened, she immediately accused the Crown Prince of injuring her and attempting to take improper liberties with Liu Ji.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince wasn’t in the hall at that time, and Liu Ji had already been properly settled by Liu Ying, which naturally exposed the maid’s incoherent accusations as false.

When the maid saw that her plan had been exposed, she panicked completely. While Liu Ying was calling for the Imperial Physician and guards to investigate, she turned and fled to the back courtyard. By the time she was found, only an embroidered shoe remained by the well.

As for whether she had truly committed suicide out of fear of punishment or had been silenced by someone else, it remained unknown.

“Commander Gu Xing has checked and confirmed that His Highness has not returned to the Eastern Palace.”

…

…

Li Fu wiped his sweat and said, “We’ve searched all the pavilions, halls, and rockeries in Penglai Garden. Only the ponds remain unsearched.”

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

If His Highness had truly become dizzy and fallen into the water, by now he might already be…

Li Fu muttered, slapping his own mouth in a gesture of admonishment, then revealed his dimpled smile and said, “His Highness might have found a quiet, secluded corner and fallen asleep. I’ll have people bring more lanterns and search more carefully.”

Liu Ying knew that Li Fu was merely trying to comfort her.

If His Highness had truly hidden somewhere and fallen asleep, that would be fortunate. But earlier, when she led people to the Apricot Garden, she had happened upon several unfamiliar servants who anxiously avoided them upon seeing people. Liu Ying grew suspicious and questioned them repeatedly, and they eventually claimed that one of Prince Yong’s heirs’ precious jades had been lost, and they had been ordered to search for it.

Thinking of Liu Ji’s inexplicable appearance in Shicui Hall, the ominous feeling in her heart intensified. Liu Ying said, “Have Gu Xing keep an eye on Prince Yong’s residence. I suspect today’s events involve Prince Yong’s faction stirring up trouble. Also, the Crown Prince’s disappearance is no small matter, but we must not create a commotion.”

Having arranged everything, Liu Ying took a lantern and continued her search toward the west.

The spring night was chilly. She didn’t know where His Highness was, or if he had been injured or caught a cold.

She had already lost one Crown Prince; she was determined not to let history repeat itself.

In the distance, palace servants approached with long hooks, hanging palace lanterns along the main path one by one.

As the east wind passed, candle flames and flower shadows swayed together, adding a touch of dreamlike wonder to the vast imperial garden.

To the west, the mountains and forests were lush green. Hegui Pavilion stood prominently among them, with warm yellow light diffusing through the dim window paper. It was Wenren Lin, barefoot and half-dressed, who had risen from the couch to light the standing palace lantern beside it.

The soft light gilded his flawlessly pale face and illuminated the mess on the floor.

Robes and undergarments were tangled together indiscriminately, with almost nothing in their original places. The long white chest binding fell as Wenren Lin rose, half hanging over the edge of the couch, half winding on the ground, covering the crimson pomegranate flower that had also rolled onto the floor.

One corner of the binding was stained with a faint dark red, as if diluted by water. It was unclear whether it was pomegranate juice or from earlier…

Zhao Yān’s face paled further as every uncomfortable part of her body helped her recall the unspeakable detoxification process.

While Wenren Lin was focused on lighting the lanterns, she finally managed to struggle up with difficulty, reaching for the undergarment by the couch.

What would normally be the simplest of movements now proved extraordinarily difficult. She even felt that the pain and shame after torture could hardly be worse than this.

To save her life, she had actively enticed someone, and worse still, it happened to be the most dangerous person in the entire palace…

No one had taught Zhao Yān how to handle such a terrible situation.

All she could do was to pick up her clothes one by one, as if by doing so she could recover her all-powerful armor and disguise herself once more.

But her thoughts were in such disarray that she couldn’t even tie her chest binding properly.

This thing was long and cumbersome; usually, Liu Ying helped her bind it neatly. Now with just her two hands, both weak and trembling badly, when she secured one end, the other would loosen.

Wenren Lin had long heard her subtle movements, but hadn’t yet decided how to deal with her, so he was in no hurry to turn around and question her.

His expression remained calm until he had leisurely lit all the lamps. Only then did he gently blow out the fire stick and turn to look.

In the bright lamplight, the little Crown Prince… no, the little Princess was struggling to wrap her chest binding, her lowered eyelashes trembling like raven feathers.

In her haste, her disheveled hair fell from her jade-like neck, and the thin blanket of fine quality also slipped down slightly, revealing finger marks on her arm. They weren’t heavy, but they stood out starkly against her pale skin.

Wenren Lin’s gaze moved downward; there were similar marks on her slender waist.

No one knew better than he how these marks had appeared. The poison had been too potent, and the little Princess, with her clouded mind and lack of experience, Wenren Lin had feared she might twist her young waist and had therefore offered support. As for how much of that support was rational and how much was uncontrollable passion, it no longer mattered.

Wenren Lin unconsciously curled his fingers, his lips moving slightly as he walked toward her.

Zhao Yān tensed up involuntarily upon sensing his approach. She didn’t even bother to dress completely, hastily pulling on her boots before turning to flee.

In the next moment, her sash was caught. Wenren Lin made a scoffing sound, his voice tinged with displeasure: “Running away like this, is that appropriate?”

Zhao Yān instinctively reached out to pull it away, but touched a section of hard knuckles.

Vague, overwhelming memories suddenly flooded her mind: gentle caresses of her hair, firm grasps of her slender waist, fingers intertwined and pressed against the pillow. She withdrew her fingertips as if scalded.

Wenren Lin observed her reaction, twirling her sash around his fingers twice before saying deliberately: “This prince’s lifelong purity, ruined by Your Highness’s hand…”

After a pause, he intentionally added: “…twice. Will you not take responsibility?”

The second time wasn’t my idea! Zhao Yān nearly screamed in her heart.

But things had gone this far, and she hadn’t been unwilling. What was the point of quibbling over once or twice now?

Her mind was in chaos; she only wanted to leave this place quickly, find a safe and secluded corner to hide herself, and process this humiliating defeat alone.

With her black hair disheveled, she thought for a long while before stammering with a pale face: “I… I need to review the memorials.”

As soon as she said it, she wanted to pinch herself. What a clumsy and ridiculous excuse.

She had actively approached him; how could Wenren Lin possibly let her leave so easily?

The man behind her unhurriedly hooked her hair, saying in a low, husky voice, “Your Highness reads memorials, I read Your Highness.”

With that, he applied force to the sash, causing Zhao Yān to fall backward and sit into a warm, solid “chair.”

Realizing whose body this “chair” was, Zhao Yān stiffened all over and instinctively sprang up.

Her gaze swept across a gleam of gold in the messy bedding. She stepped backward and fell, sitting onto the bedding, her hand supporting herself on the edge of the couch.

But in doing so, the hastily wrapped chest binding loosened again, looking worse than if it hadn’t been wrapped at all.

Wenren Lin ignored this, bending his index finger to lift Zhao Yān’s rigid chin, gently raising her face toward the warm light of the standing palace lantern.

He truly examined her with great patience, even taking the time to brush aside the hair at her temples and tuck it behind her ear, allowing him to see more clearly.

Looking at the beauty in the lamplight now was even more breathtaking than when he had first seen her.

Wenren Lin’s dark eyes were tinged with an unfathomable smile, creating an almost tender illusion.

Zhao Yān felt a numbness crawling up from the hair he had touched to the back of her skull. The memories lingering in her body made her want to tremble involuntarily.

Wenren Lin noticed her slight shivering; the spring night was cool, and she could easily catch a cold.

His gaze followed along her concave collarbone downward. After a long look, he condescended to pinch the loose binding with his fingers and pointed at her arm with his other hand.

“Raise your arms,” he said.

Zhao Yān curled her hands into her sleeves and pressed her lips together as she complied.

As soon as she raised her arms, they ached so badly that she let out a muffled groan.

Wenren Lin looked up upon hearing her pained sound.

He had already removed her messy, unsightly chest binding. The white silk cloth hung from his fingers like a death-summoning white silk rope.

Zhao Yān sat rigidly, unable to help assuming the worst.

Wenren Lin would probably kill her, though she didn’t know by what method, or whether it would be painful.

“Your Highness might find it more comfortable to rest your arms on this prince’s shoulders,” Wenren Lin said as he placed the binding across her chest, holding it with one hand while passing his other hand around her side, winding the binding tightly around her in circles.

Zhao Yān was surprised, but certainly didn’t believe Wenren Lin was acting out of kindness.

From the first day she had known him, it had been thus: every facade of gentleness he displayed was merely brewing a greater conspiracy…

A sudden tightness in her chest interrupted her thoughts.

Zhao Yān gasped in terror: Wenren Lin was trying to strangle her!

Seeing such a strong reaction from her, Wenren Lin was also taken aback.

But meeting those suspicious, beautiful eyes, he couldn’t help feeling some pleasure. After a slight pause, he continued his actions, though this time his movements were somewhat gentler.

“This is the first time this prince has bound a woman’s chest. I don’t know the proper pressure. Your Highness must forgive me,” Wenren Lin said, his gaze darkening slightly as he drawled, “Binding up such a thing with this cumbersome object is truly a waste of heaven’s gifts.”

Because their posture brought them extremely close, almost chest to chest in an embrace, Wenren Lin’s deep, slightly hoarse voice fell right by Zhao Yān’s ear.

She could even feel the heat of his lips and the slight vibration of his chest as he spoke.

Zhao Yān unconsciously shifted backward, pleading in a thin voice: “I can do it myself…”

Before she finished speaking, she froze.

Wenren Lin had discovered the stain at the end of the chest binding… no, perhaps he had known all along. When Zhao Yān woke up, she had seen him twirling this binding around his fingers.

In any case, he deliberately slowed his movements, his fingertips lightly rubbing that dark red spot.

Zhao Yān’s cheeks burned, and she averted her gaze evasively.

But Wenren Lin gently turned her face back, making her look at the mark as he asked with a normal expression: “How does Your Highness think we should handle this?”

He was simply bullying her, deliberately watching her squirm!

With nowhere to hide her gaze, Zhao Yān simply closed her eyes and said: “Whatever…”

Wenren Lin looked up slightly, staring at her constantly trembling eyelashes, and laughed: “Your Highness is being bashful now? It’s a bit late for that. Where did the courage go that had you pressing down on this prince earlier?”

With that, he tapped his thumb against the dark iron ring on his index finger, and a small, sharp blade emerged in response, flashing with cold light in the candlelight.

Zhao Yān tensed as if facing a great enemy, also tightening her grip on the sharp object she had found earlier under the bedding.

With a tearing sound of fabric splitting, Wenren Lin cut off the soiled section of the binding, then retracted the blade and tied her chest binding securely.

Wenren Lin continued to help her dress.

Zhao Yān allowed herself to be manipulated like a marionette. The piece of binding stained with light red was now neatly folded on the edge of the couch.

She swallowed and finally ventured: “Prince Su, might you allow me to return to the Eastern Palace…”

Upon speaking, she realized her voice was hoarse.

She unconsciously licked her lips to moisten them, then continued: “I’ve been missing for so long, there may be trouble.”

Wenren Lin didn’t answer, carefully closing her collar, securing the fastenings, and slowly smoothing out the wrinkles, his every movement the epitome of elegance.

“After such an event, to hope to return unblemished—Your Highness is being too naive,” Wenren Lin looked at her, trying to discern something in her eyes. “After all, Your Highness has seen this prince in that state during the detoxification.”

As he leaned closer, his collar was slightly open, revealing scratch marks on his chest. There were likely more on his shoulders and back.

Zhao Yān had injured him, even bitten him… she thought Wenren Lin was concerned about this. Her memories were blurry and confused; beyond this, she couldn’t think of any other “state” he might be referring to.

But she didn’t understand: if Wenren Lin wanted her life, he could have simply let her die then. Why wait until now?

Could it be that he merely wanted to take advantage of her vulnerability?

Her own life was a small matter, but this incident would have far-reaching consequences, and who knew how many people would lose their lives because of it.

And then there was Zhao Yǎn…

If she were to meet him in the afterlife in such a state, he would surely mock her from the underworld.

No, she couldn’t sit and await death.

Zhao Yān suddenly grew calm, gripping her sleeve.

She lowered her head and mumbled something softly.

Wenren Lin had been observing her reactions all along. Seeing her crimson, moist lips move, he frowned slightly and leaned forward, saying: “Your Highness is muttering…”

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp, cold gleam appeared before his eyes.