8

They two of them grew up together.

Green plums and hobby-horse. Childhood sweethearts, innocent playmates.

He could still remember the scene of walking that child home on a rainy day.

The little girl seemingly carved from jade had a tiny red gradient between her eyebrows. Her soft and lovable form was right next to him, and those bright eyes brimmed with fondness and admiration.

His biological mother was of humble origin. A foot-washing girl climbed the bed of a dragon for glory and prosperity, only to die of dystocia.

He was like a ball, being kicked from one concubine to another. No one wished to adopt a hopeless young prince.

In the end, he was brought under the name of Consort Zhang.

She was gentle on the surface, but vicious underneath.

This woman liked to pierce his flesh with her long and dyed fingernails.

The court eunuchs who saw which way the wind blew cursed and beat him. He was a prince, but food and shelter were the main concern. He lived like a stray dog, always filthy and without dignity.

He endured it for the day he would escape this quagmire.

Then, the opportunity arrived.

The Chancellor's daughter was lost in the royal garden. A large number of guards were dispatched to search the palace, but no one could find her.

Of course, they couldn't, because the little girl fell into the pit he dug for hunting animals. Her calf was trapped in the foothold trap. She lay there covered in blood and remained unconscious for a long while.

He orchestrated this perfect drama and successfully earned the girl's trust as well as her dependence.

Soon, he entered Chancellor Zhou's eyes and got the opportunity to study. Although he was the crown prince's companion who could only observe the lessons, the chancellor was no match for his daughter. As a result, he paid more attention to him. Among all the princes, he was the most apt and the most talented one.

Everything was going well.

The love in her eyes became increasingly obvious.

Naturally, they were engaged to one another.

However, Wei Yu was disgusted.

He hated her innocence that never wavered.

He hated... his bloodstained hands.

Pa——

Wei Yu suddenly broke the wooden brush.

He reached out to touch the tears running down his face.

"Well deserved, Wei Yu. You only have yourself to blame."

He looked at the bloody wound in his palm and laughed self-deprecatingly as it dripped onto the paper. In the end, he was so numb, he could not feel the pain.

Sleep did not come to him that night.

Since then, Linlang has never appeared before Wei Yu.

She no longer went to the place they used to meet.

That icy pond was thickening and the green Japanese banana leaves had begun to deteriorate.

He waited for a long time by himself.

The snowfall was getting heavier. It fell like pieces of jade, covering his eyes and eyebrows.

Wei Yu heard the sound of clapping in the distance.

Within the carriage's cyan-blue canopy, dark red tassels trembled slightly. That person sat inside, and her figure was fascinating.

"Peace unto Your Royal Highness."

His eyes followed that figure closely and he was unable to hold back his joy.

"Your Highness may forego formalities."

She had a cold expression, like the icy water on the summit of a snow-capped mountain, not revealing any temperature.

Wei Yu felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart. His blood ran cold and he couldn't warm up for a long time.

She, a monarch. He, a subject.

The indifference resembling strangers.

Wei Yu stared at the sedan chair moving further away. Something sweet flooded his throat. He quickly covered his mouth, allowing trails of scarlet to overflow between his fingers.

He deserved this.

Only now did he realize who was the most important person.

Prince Wei did not attend the imperial court for several days.

They say he was bedridden from a cold and was yet to recover.

The ailing man wore loose plain clothes with a jade crown casually fastened on his head. His wan face had no trace of blood and the formerly red lips were now very pale.

His weakened countenance was unbearably distressing, and even Feng Sisi's dissatisfaction with him disappeared.

"This medicinal soup has just been boiled. Drink it while it's hot." She attentively brought the spoon to his mouth.

"First set it aside. Ben Gong doesn't wish to drink it for the time being." Prince Wei appeared indifferent and turned his face with a trace of disgust.

The girl's heart was pounding over his actions.

Compared to a nobleman with the style of orchids and trees, this cold and detached prince was harder to resist!

She rolled her eyes then her smile suddenly turned strange.

She just thought of a trick to seduce the man.

"Ah, I see. Is it too bitter?" She spoke as if thinking out loud, "I have a way to make it sweeter!"

Wei Yu frowned and looked at her, "What are you talking about?"

After licking the dry corners of her mouth, Feng Sisi directed a charming smile his way. Then, she drew a mouthful of the medicinal soup and leaned down to kiss him.

Haha, she learned this trick from TV. It was guaranteed to make any man fall for her!

Wei Yu was taken aback by her behavior.

He could only stare blankly at this very ordinary woman with cheeks bulging like a toad approach him as if she was going to swallow him whole.

It was really unsightly.

Wei Yu absent-mindedly thought back to the night of the Lantern Festival.

The delicate beauty in a red skirt was trembling with fear against his chest, but still indulged his heinousness.

Her tears were sweet.

Sweet from the bitterness.

Peng——

"Aiyah!"

Feng Sisi clutched her head that struck the corner of the table. The acute pain made her forget her manners. She immediately screamed, "Wei Yu are you sick?! That nearly broke my head. I demand compensation, you bastard!"

The man clothed in a deep purple cloak walked out.

"Hey, you're just leaving like that? Wei Yu, do you have a conscience? You almost injured this old day. Get back here!"

"This damned prince. I'm so pissed!"

The man couldn't see Feng Sisi fling the nearby vase across the room. When that didn't alleviate her anger, she simply smashed all the antiques in her vicinity.

A servant girl heard the commotion and rushed over only to see the shocking mess.

These are priceless antiques!

"Madam, please don't break them. His Highness will be angry!" The young girl was almost in tears.

"Hmph, isn't it just a few lousy antiques? What's so good about collecting dead people's used things?! Who told him to make me angry? If I want to smash them, then I'll smash them to pieces!"

Feng Sisi's chest was heaving. She just couldn't calm down. Turning her head, she pulled down the famous masterpiece hanging on the wall and boorishly ripped it into shreds before throwing them into the air. The pieces fluttered down like snowfall.

"Hah! It's beautiful!" She whirled around the chaos.

The servant's face was deathly pale.

It was over. They were all done for!

"Hey, why are you crying like your parents just died? That's bad luck!" Feng Sisi rested her fists on her waist and spoke with a voice full of anger, "What are you scared of? If that bastard asks, say I did it! It's just you all haven't cleaned up yet!"

She didn't understand the severity of the matter at all.

The corner of the servant's mouth twitched.

Talking is one thing, but acting is another. You are Princess Wei, who would dare make trouble for you?

In the end, the most unfortunate ones are the subordinates!

Wei Yu didn't know that Feng Sisi destroyed his collection. He looked for a secluded cloister and leaned against a pillar.

Thick snow was piled up on the courtyard. The sting from the sunlight reflected on the white surface made him close his eyes.

It so quiet that he could hear the snow falling from the branches.

Soft steps treaded towards him.

"Were you not told not to disturb Ben Gong?" There was a seldom felt hostility in his tone.

"All right, I will leave first. Remember to drink the medicine."

The visitor placed a bowl and spoon next to him.

Wei Yu's eyes flew open and excitedly grabbed the retreating hand.

There was a silver bracelet on that slender wrist.

"Linlang...no, why is Your Highness here?—*Cough*!" He immediately stood up as a series of coughs assailed him. The man looked very unwell.

Linlang supported him with one hand and patted his back with the other.

After a while, his chest eased, but his eyes remained fixed on her, fearing it was only a dream.

"I heard that you are very ill, I...wanted to come see you." She was biting on her lip.

"Chen is all right. There's no need to worry, Your Highness." He spoke softly, "Your Highness should be the one to take care not to catch a cold from walking in this weather."

After not seeing one another in so long, Wei Yu felt like he was reuniting with someone he had lost touch with. The separation made him cherish the moments he could see her even more.

Linlang was somewhat uncomfortable under the man's heated gaze. She quickly opened the food box she brought over and pulled out a cup of soup. "I had someone boil some medicine. The concoction boiled for six hours so it should help ease the chill. It worked well when I had some prior."

Wei Yu was immediately agitated by her words. "You were ill? When? How can you be so negligent!"

Linlang avoided his line of sight, "It was only a minor ailment, nothing worth mentioning."

He fell silent.

They were well aware of the reason.

"Here, drink it while it's hot. It won't work as well otherwise." She handed him the jade bowl.

Smiling, Wei Yu took the cup and downed the contents in one gulp.

The bitterness caught him off guard. He couldn't help but grimace as he smacked his lips from the distaste.

"Is it that bitter?"

Linlang was a little curious. Reaching out, she gently wiped the residual liquid on the person's lips then brought it to her mouth for a taste.

Wei Yu's heartbeat sped up.

He watched her extend the tip of her tongue and lick her finger before saying, "Ugh, it really is too bitter" with a slightly aggrieved voice.

Unlike Feng Sisi's failed operation, Linlang's method undoubtedly earned full marks because, in the next moment, the befuddled man promptly pulled her to the ground.

"...Brother Yu?"

The girl under him was alarmed. She tried to escape his confinement, but her efforts were fruitless.

Wei Yu grabbed her hands and tugged them harshly above her head.

When he bowed his head for a kiss, Linlang immediately turned away. She rolled her eyes in her heart. Provoking him was one thing, but she didn't want to get sick from it.

She caught a glimpse of red the moment she turned her head.

Very few people dared to wear such bright colors in the palace.

Linlang smiled in her heart.

Perfect timing.

Wei Yu's fevered lips had already come down. His teeth grazed along the side of her neck as he slowly moved up to her face.

His breathing grew heavier and the mounting eagerness was evident in his movements.

Regardless of whether she wanted it or not, Wei Yu pulled her face back and kissed her forcefully. Her mouth was soon flooded with the astringent taste of medicine.

Linlang kept struggling but was mercilessly pressed down.

So engrossed was he in the kiss that he did not even sense the presence nearby.

In a place that couldn't be seen, Linlang's slanted eyes narrowed wickedly.

Aiyah, is the heroine satisfied with this performance?