“Sister Yanxi.” Shen Qingyun placed a hand on Lin Yanxi’s shoulder, subtly urging her to accept the hairpin.
Her body swayed imperceptibly, her lashes fluttering. She quickly took a step back, evading Shen Qingyun’s touch.
Shen Qingyun impatiently urged, “Hesitation in certain matters will only implicate more people.”
She straightened her slender back, clenching her thumb and pressing it hard into her palm, hating the feeling of being threatened and powerless.
She thought of how everyone she wanted to protect in her previous life had died because of her. She thought of the one hundred and sixteen people in the Grand Tutor’s mansion, their heads severed and displayed on spikes, save for her half-sister.
She lowered her gaze, her thick, slightly curled lashes casting shadows. Her eyes, as dark as ink, dimmed as they fixed on the white jade hairpin, a mist clouding them.
Gazing at the invisible, colorless curse energy staining the hairpin, it felt like staring into an abyss.
She knew that accepting the hairpin would lead to a greater conspiracy awaiting her. If she was destined to face this calamity, she would also have the courage to face it with equanimity.
Even if she had to walk the same path again in this reborn life, this time, even if pushed to the brink, she would carve out a sliver of survival from the crevices.
Lin Yanxi suppressed the fear in her heart. Her arm trembled uncontrollably as she slowly reached for the hairpin in the wooden box.
Just as her hand was about to touch the white jade hairpin, a large, powerful hand grasped her wrist.
Shen Muzhou’s rough fingertips pressed against the skin of her wrist. Her skin was soft and delicate, a warm current flowing into him.
She looked up at him, her eyes slightly red and filled with a hint of terror, her voice trembling, “Shen, Shen Muzhou?”
“Don’t be afraid.” Shen Muzhou met her moist, dark eyes, her long, delicate lashes trembling, her cheeks flushed from nervousness.
Her face, which should have been incredibly soft and delicate, exuded a stubbornness, like a wounded little rabbit refusing to flee.
His usually indifferent and hardened heart softened.
She gazed at his cold, deep peach-blossom eyes, as if sprinkled with starlight. The moment their gazes met, it felt as if the world was collapsing, leaving only each other.
Seizing her stunned pause, Shen Muzhou pulled the hairpin from his hand and directly placed it in Lin Yanxi’s hair, her scattered strands fluttering in the wind, stirring the heartstrings.
Lin Yanxi: “!!!”
Shen Qingyun’s face darkened as he asked, “Ninth Prince, what is the meaning of this? I know you have always behaved erratically and disrespected your elders, but today, you do not even spare me any regard?”
Shen Muzhou glanced at him, then averted his gaze with disgust. When his eyes fell back on Lin Yanxi, his expression softened, and he pulled her wrist, leading her away.
“Guards, stop them! I want to see who dares to take her away today!” As soon as Shen Qingyun finished speaking, a group of sword-wielding guards surrounded Shen Muzhou.
She recognized these men. They were the Crown Prince’s personal guards, the very ones who had relentlessly pursued her in her previous life.
Shen Qingyun had long wanted to get rid of Shen Muzhou. It wasn’t enough to oppose him at court; now he dared to interfere with his plans today. It seemed he was tired of living.
Dozens of black-clad swordsmen in armor stood before Shen Muzhou, confronting the palace guards. The atmosphere was tense, their hands tightly gripping their sword hilts, ready to draw them at any moment.
These men belonged to the Dark Night Division, under Shen Muzhou’s command, responsible for special missions.
“All of you, stop!” The Empress, seated on her high throne, threw a glazed cup to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Shen Muzhou’s gloomy gaze swept over everyone at the banquet. They all lowered their heads, daring not to meet his piercing gaze, lest they be implicated in this disaster.
Everyone knew that the Crown Prince in the palace was benevolent and kind.
The Ninth Prince, however, was ruthless and cruel, having recently executed the Xiao Gao family in broad daylight.
A family of thirty-seven, not even sparing a three-year-old child.
Only one person stood before the seats, glaring at them with venom in her eyes. Jing Xin stood alone, yet she did not receive even a glance from Shen Muzhou.
Shen Muzhou’s pupils were as dark as obsidian. His voice, though not loud, was exceptionally clear, tinged with mockery, as he questioned, “Crown Prince, you wield great authority. At the hairpin ceremony, offering and accepting hairpins are matters of personal will. By receiving my hairpin, which South Min law have I violated? Are you going to confine her further and coerce her?”
Shen Qingyun was momentarily speechless. He shifted the conversation to Lin Yanxi, asking, “Sister Yanxi, our marriage was decreed by His Majesty…”
Lin Yanxi peeked her head out from behind Shen Muzhou, feigning shyness, her voice soft and sweet, “Brother Crown Prince, I am not yet of age. Speaking of such things is too embarrassing. Moreover, marriage is a grand affair, and I, an unmarried young lady, know nothing. Please do not ask me further.”
Shen Muzhou couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his lips.
The Empress cast a glance at Shen Muzhou and Lin Yanxi and said, “Let them go.”
Shen Qingyun, unwilling, said, “Mother!”
The Empress’s eyes darkened as she repeated, “Let them go! His Majesty will surely deliver justice for you in this matter!”
Shen Qingyun felt utterly wronged as Crown Prince, enduring everything with restraint. He let out a long sigh. Despite his immense unwillingness, there was nothing he could do.
He clenched the wooden box in his hand, killing intent swirling around him. He vowed that Shen Muzhou would not live past this month!
After a long while, Shen Qingyun waved his hand, and the guards parted. Shen Muzhou pulled Lin Yanxi’s wrist and walked towards the imperial garden exit.
After taking just a few steps, Jing Xin, holding her skirt, hurried after them and called out softly and urgently, “Muzhou.”
Jing Xin had thought Shen Muzhou had come to his senses. For four years, she had invited him before the hairpin ceremony each year. This year, he had come, but for someone else.
Then what was she? What were her years of waiting and her devoted love worth?
Lin Yanxi glanced back at Jing Xin. Her delicate, slender, and white wrist struggled slightly but was held tighter in Shen Muzhou’s palm.
She hastily tried to explain, “Jing Xin, you and he… it’s all a misunderstanding. I can explain. This… this hairpin.”
As she spoke, she reached for the hairpin in her hair, intending to remove it.
Shen Muzhou gave a forceful tug, pulling Lin Yanxi behind him. Facing Jing Xin, he said coldly, “Princess Zhaoyang, you are not well acquainted with me. Addressing me as Muzhou is rather intimate. In the future, please refer to me as Your Highness. I hope the Princess finds a good match soon and does not waste her youth further.”
Tears welled up in Jing Xin’s eyes. The pearl ornaments on her forehead swayed as she pursed her soft lips, enduring in silence.
Lin Yanxi felt a strange sense of guilt and sympathy. She wanted to say something to comfort her but didn’t know how. Hesitantly, she said, “Jing Xin.”
As soon as she spoke, Jing Xin’s eyes snapped up, fixing on her, and she said resentfully, “Lin Yanxi, don’t you dare show off in front of me. To His Highness, you are merely a fleeting novelty. This matter between us is not for you to interfere.”
Shen Muzhou frowned, “Princess Zhaoyang, choose your words carefully. Do not vent your anger on others over matters between us.”
With that, he led Lin Yanxi away. Only after they were in the carriage did Shen Muzhou release her.
Lin Yanxi’s mood was low. She lowered her eyelids and rotated her wrist. Five clear red finger marks were starkly visible.
He then remembered when he had grabbed her wrist, it was so thin it was not as thick as the hilt of a sword. It must have hurt her.
“Tender,” he muttered softly, pulling her wrist.
Her eyes held a complex emotion. Thinking of Jing Xin’s situation earlier, she said with a heavy heart, “You and Jing Xin have a deep friendship. You shouldn’t have publicly humiliated her like that.”
He gently rubbed the bruises on her wrist, not answering her question.
Jing Xin had been clingy to him since childhood. Privately, he had rejected her clearly countless times, yet she had not restrained herself and had spread rumors that he had feelings for her. It was only out of consideration for her reputation that he had not exposed her for years, leading to the current situation.
Lin Yanxi gazed at his clear, indifferent profile. His features were sharp and distinct. His long, dark lashes cast shadows in his eyes. His nose was straight, his lips thin, and he was impossibly handsome.
Suddenly, she clutched her chest. Could this be a lingering effect of her rebirth, causing palpitations?
Shen Muzhou asked softly, “What’s wrong with your chest again?”
Her face flushed. As if waking from a dream, she pulled her wrist back and said, “Return the ring to me, and we’ll be even.”
Lin Yanxi reached out to grab it, but Shen Muzhou dodged in time, putting some distance between them. As he raised his hand, a hint of unnaturalness flickered across his face, and his movements became slightly sluggish. He quickly recovered, not allowing her to notice.
Without the aid of talismans and magic, it would be impossible to retrieve the Soul Ring by brute force alone. She immediately broke into a smile, her eyes bright and playful, teasing, “Why did the Ninth Prince suddenly appear at the hairpin ceremony and give me a hairpin? Could it be…”
Could it be that he had fallen for her?
Shen Muzhou watched her small hand reach for the wooden hairpin, intending to remove it. He deliberately darkened his gaze, threateningly, “I happened to be passing by.”
“But anything I give away, if you dare to take it off, you will never get this ring back in this lifetime.”
It seemed he was unaware of the curse on the hairpin, only happening to be there by chance.
He was threatening her with the ring again. She had actually thought for a moment that Shen Muzhou wasn’t so bad.
Now it seemed he was not only bad but utterly wicked!
She immediately withdrew her hand, her tone becoming strained, “You have pestered me time and again, taken my things, and refused to return them? Although I know I am beautiful and come from a good family, do not harbor such thoughts about me. My father will not agree!”
“Oh? So, what you mean is, you agree?”
She scrutinized him from head to toe. His comprehension skills were top-notch.
“Ninth Prince, you are wise and valiant. I would be overjoyed. Since I am so devoted to Your Highness, perhaps you could return the ring to me? It is the only memento my grandfather left me. My grandfather disappeared decades ago, and I, alone and helpless in the mansion, relied solely on this ring to hold onto my longing for him.”
As she spoke, she tugged at Shen Muzhou’s sleeve, pretending to wipe away tears. Her cries grew louder, yet not a single tear fell.
A faint hint of a smile flickered in his cold, deep eyes as he said, “Then that’s perfect. You’ve mentioned before that you admire me, and this ring is so important. Consider it a token of your affection for me.”
“That won’t do!”
She realized her tone was too abrupt and quickly feigned a wronged cry, “What I mean is, although I love Your Highness dearly, a forced union is not sweet. You and Princess Zhaoyang have a deep friendship. Alas! Forget it, forget it. I can only silently wish Your Highness well and no longer bother you.”
He pulled back his sleeve and lightly tapped her forehead, “Remember, I am not acquainted with Princess Zhaoyang. Therefore, you may continue to bother me. And as for whether a forced union is sweet or not, one only knows after tasting it.”
Lin Yanxi rubbed her forehead, carefully observing his expression, unable to decipher his true meaning. His words were always circuitous and difficult to understand.
She furrowed her delicate brows, adopting a look of resignation, “Tell me, what exactly must I do for you to return the ring?”
He turned the ring on his finger and said, “Cure my old illness.”
A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Did he know about the curse on her? Did he also know that she could use the Soul Ring to cast talismans?