Why had he never spoken of these plans to her?
Lin Yanxi had no intention of staying in the capital; this had always been her plan.
She would support him in ascending to the East Palace and becoming Emperor, confining herself to the imperial palace for life, never to see each other again.
Shen Muzhou hid behind the door and let out a cold laugh. Within her plans, there was no trace of him.
Lin Ruoyan asked in surprise, "Then Sister, don't you like Shen Muzhou? What will happen to him if you leave the capital?"
Mentioning Shen Muzhou, Lin Yanxi felt a nameless emotion trouble her heart, a dullness, a bitterness, a reluctance...
She had thought that by avoiding the ruin of Lin Jianqing's reputation in her past life and the engagement to the Crown Prince, she would prevent a repeat. Yet, she still found herself entangled in fate's machinations.
This further solidified her resolve to keep the Grand Tutor's mansion far from the capital, far from the imperial family.
She suppressed the inexplicable emotions within her, her voice turning cold, "Don't like him... What is there about him worth liking? What we have is merely a collaboration."
"I help him ascend to the throne, and he helps me avenge my mother."
Lin Ruoyan did not believe her at all and asked in surprise, "But are all the good things you did for him also fake?"
Lin Yanxi felt even more vexed by the question and said carelessly, "That was merely a gesture of goodwill when one has a request."
Shen Muzhou stood frozen, her voice, even when uttering the most hurtful words, was soft and sweet, each one piercing his heart like a knife scraping his very soul.
Yes, what was there about a man like him worth her liking.
Tragically, he knew he had no right to be sad. This had always been a transaction, as she had made abundantly clear when they were imprisoned.
It was he who had broken the rules of this transaction. Yet, sometimes, after spending so much time together, he had harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that after enduring so much together, something different might develop between them.
Lin Ruoyan did not understand her sister. She claimed not to like Shen Muzhou, yet she had risked her life to save him when he was imprisoned, along with countless other small gestures.
Her sister was usually very clear about her boundaries with people she disliked, drawing a distinct line between them. But only with Shen Muzhou did she not resist his advances.
Were these all merely an act?
Lin Ruoyan couldn't comprehend it. Lin Yanxi sighed, her heart feeling heavy and uncomfortable.
She continued to persuade Ruoyan, "So, be good and don't get involved in the factional disputes anymore. Don't concern yourself with the Crown Prince's affairs. He should pay the price for his actions."
"When everything is over, I will take you away from here and live a peaceful and free life."
Lin Ruoyan's eyes cast downward, and she remained silent, her gaze distant and unfocused, as if deep in thought.
Seeing that she had taken her words to heart, Lin Yanxi took her hand and prepared to leave the room.
Ruoyan, however, grabbed Lin Yanxi's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, at least spare his life."
"I... I'm pregnant."
Lin Yanxi looked at her in shock as she turned her head, a chill creeping up her spine.
Lin Ruoyan took a deep breath and sobbed softly, "I missed my period last month, and this month too. I... I don't have much appetite and feel like vomiting."
She cried, struggling to breathe, and asked helplessly, "Sister, what should I do?"
Lin Yanxi held her close, gently stroking her hair. Lin Ruoyan sobbed in her arms for a long time, whispering, "I'm sorry, Sister, I'm sorry."
"Father will beat me to death... I'm so scared, I don't know what to do. Sister, please help me."
In the dimly lit granary, Lin Yanxi also fell into despair. She recalled what Shen Qingyun had done in her past life, beating her child to a miscarriage.
She was terrified that the same fate would befall Lin Ruoyan.
Lin Yanxi's voice trembled slightly as she calmly asked, "Ruoyan, have an abortion."
Lin Ruoyan stiffened, pushing Lin Yanxi away. She asked in disbelief, "Sister, you would rather I miscarry than spare Shen Qingyun? He harmed many people. He could be deposed as Crown Prince, or face a more severe punishment to atone. Must you destroy him completely?"
Lin Yanxi said, "It's for your own good."
She finally uttered the words her mother had often said to her.
Before, she had never understood, even resented, her mother using "for your own good" as an excuse to hurt her. Now, she understood it all.
"If it's for my own good, then let Shen Qingyun go!" Lin Ruoyan said angrily. She touched her tear-streaked face and insisted, "I will not abort this child. I will give birth to him."
"Alright, then go to the estate and rest well. When the child is born, I will raise him with you," Lin Yanxi murmured, unsure of what she was saying. In the capital of Nanmin, a woman's reputation was paramount.
But she thought, with her wealth and power, taking her sister away from the capital, she might be able to raise a child without relying on a man.
This would be far better than letting Ruoyan repeat her own tragic fate from her past life.
Lin Ruoyan pushed Lin Yanxi away again, a hint of resentment in her eyes. "You know how important a woman's reputation is. Do you want me and my child to be forever pointed at and unable to hold our heads up?"
"You are truly selfish."
With that, she rushed out of the granary, got into the carriage, and instructed the servant to return to the Grand Tutor's mansion.
When Lin Yanxi went out, she noticed it had started raining again. Xiao Liu was outside, holding the carriage and an umbrella, and approached her. "Second Miss, His Highness sent me to wait here to pick you up."
She responded with a dazed air, not thinking much of it.
Upon returning to the mansion, she paused as she passed Shen Muzhou's courtyard. Peering inside from the outside, she saw that the room was completely dark, without a trace of candlelight.
She asked the guards outside the courtyard, "Has His Highness not returned yet?"
The guards glanced inside and said, "Replying to Second Miss, His Highness has likely retired."
Lin Yanxi gazed at the courtyard for a long time before nodding and leaving.
Shen Muzhou sat alone on a wooden chair in his study. The room was pitch black, with only the pale moonlight filtering through the window frames, casting his god-like silhouette into an even deeper, more somber shadow in the darkness.
---
Lin Yanxi barely slept that night.
As soon as dawn broke, she went to find Shen Muzhou.
"Shen Muzhou."
Seeing him standing in the courtyard with Xiao Liu, discussing something, she walked towards him.
As she approached the courtyard gate, the guards stopped her.
"Shen Muzhou!" she called out his name again with growing indignation.
Shen Muzhou continued to speak with his head down, not looking up at her. Lin Yanxi didn't understand what she had done wrong. She stood outside the courtyard waiting for him.
The autumn morning was still a little chilly, the wind carrying a biting cold that seeped into her clothes. She was dressed thinly and shivered from the cold.
"Cough, cough, cough." She coughed softly and sniffled twice.
Upon hearing her cough, Shen Muzhou paused slightly and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. I'm going to the palace."
He then walked towards her, with Xiao Liu following behind.
Seeing him approach, Lin Yanxi flashed a bright smile, revealing a row of white teeth.
Shen Muzhou walked past her directly, without stopping.
"What do you mean!" Lin Yanxi stamped her foot in anger and followed him.
Xiao Liu turned and blocked her way, saying, "Second Miss, His Highness is busy with official matters today. We can discuss whatever it is later."
Lin Yanxi had come to find him early and had been left outside for so long, only to be ignored?
Her childish temper flared, and she persisted, "Get out of the way! I want to talk now!"
Xiao Liu did not move, saying apologetically, "Miss, you can tell me if there's anything, and I will relay it for you."
Frowning, she watched Shen Muzhou walk further away, completely clueless as to what she had done wrong.
Seeing the Prince walking away, he said, "Miss, we can discuss this when we return. Xiao Liu takes his leave!"
With that, he hurried to catch up with the Prince.
Lin Yanxi softly muttered, "Inexplicable."
After they had walked away, Shen Muzhou asked, "Has she gone back?"
Xiao Liu looked back and saw no trace of her light apricot figure on the path. "She has."
"Hmm," he responded, and after a few more steps, he said, "Have the cooks at the mansion prepare a warming soup for breakfast and send it over as well."
Xiao Liu replied with a knowing expression, "Yes."
After a while, he added, "Since His Highness cares so much about the Second Miss, why does he deliberately neglect her?"
Shen Muzhou's face was impassive. "I have always treated people this way."
For a moment, Xiao Liu was taken aback, feeling as if the Prince had reverted to his former self, radiating a palpable aura of aggression, his eyes cold and distant, showing indifference to everyone.
Lin Yanxi went to the back courtyard in the morning to see Jiang Mingsheng.
Fortunately, after much medication, the wound on his leg had not worsened.
Later that afternoon, she went to the Dark Night Division.
The people at the Dark Night Division greeted her in unison, "Greetings, Second Miss."
Lin Yanxi had originally intended to discuss Shen Qingyun's matter with Shen Muzhou that morning, but since he had ignored her, she had no choice but to come herself.
"Take me to see Shen Qingyun," Lin Yanxi said.
The guards at the Dark Night Division all recognized her and knew that the Prince greatly treasured this Second Miss, so they dared not disobey her. However, Shen Qingyun was a special case, and without the Prince's orders, no one dared to bring anyone to see him privately.
A guard said, "Second Miss, please wait a moment. We will report this to His Highness."
Lin Yanxi did not make things difficult for them and nodded, "Alright."
She waited at the entrance of the Dark Night Division, kicking small pebbles on the ground. Shen Muzhou arrived and saw her figure from afar, his eyes growing colder.
He walked up to Lin Yanxi, who looked up at him and smiled, "You have time to visit me now?"
Shen Muzhou lowered his gaze slightly and glanced at her, then slowly said to the guards, "Take her to see Shen Qingyun."
The guards replied, "Yes."
The guards led the way, while Shen Muzhou and Lin Yanxi walked side by side behind them, neither speaking, the atmosphere awkward.
Lin Yanxi couldn't bear the atmosphere any longer, so she proactively took Shen Muzhou's hand, slipping her small hand into his large one, hoping to mend their relationship. "If I have displeased His Highness in any way, I beg His Highness to make it clear."
Feeling her delicate and soft hand holding his, he stopped, his eyes, clouded with an unreadable emotion, looked at her.
The young girl smiled charmingly and endearingly, her clear eyes devoid of any calculation. In fact, he could see genuine affection in her gaze.
And all of this was a lie.
His lips tightened, and he let out a cold laugh, shaking off her hand. "What? Is this also a gesture of goodwill when you have a request?"