His gaze lingered on her for only a brief moment before quickly shifting away, as if nothing had ever happened.
Fuyi looked at the sticky puddle of melted ice water on the ground and bent down to pick up the fallen umbrella, but Sui Tingheng moved faster than her.
He held the umbrella over her again, his entire focus on the assassin who had been struck by an arrow, no longer staring at her.
The arrow’s force had been tremendous, piercing the assassin in one clean stroke. As the Jinwu Guards dragged him over, he convulsed in pain. The owner of the cold treat shop was so terrified he collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, unable to say a word.
“Who sent you to assassinate Yun Junzhu?” Sui Tingheng looked coldly at the assassin, who was barely clinging to life. “You’re familiar with her habits—so much so that you even knew where she might appear. There must be more than one like you on this street.”
He raised the hand not holding the umbrella and lightly waggled his index finger. “Investigate. Every shop Yun Junzhu frequents—investigate them all thoroughly.”
“As you command!” The Jinwu Guards quickly dispersed, and several hidden guards also slipped away. In just a few moments, the street fell silent. No one dared to move casually.
“Boss, go back inside your shop and wait,” Fuyi said, seeing that the shopkeeper was scared out of his wits. “Don’t be afraid. As long as it’s clear you’re not involved, nothing will happen to you.”
“Thank you, Miss Yun.” The shopkeeper nodded frantically. Too frightened to stand, he crawled and scrambled back into his shop.
“Your Imperial Highness.” Fuyi looked down at the shadow at her feet and called again. “Your Imperial Highness?”
The hand clutching the umbrella tightened slightly. When Sui Tingheng finally turned back to her, his expression was normal. “What is it?”
Fuyi took the umbrella from his hand and held it higher. “The sun’s strong. You’re not shading yourself.”
Sui Tingheng avoided her gaze. “It’s fine. I’m not hot.”
Fuyi glanced at him silently, but she did not lower the umbrella.
“Fuyi! Fuyi!” A frantic voice shattered the stillness of the street. Lin Xiaowu came rushing out of a nearby shop, lifting her skirt as she ran, with two Jinwu Guards close on her heels. Her servant girl struggled to keep up.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?!” She grabbed Fuyi’s hand, sweat pouring down her face. “I heard there was an assassin after you?!”
“I’m fine.” Seeing the fear on Lin Xiaowu’s face, Fuyi shifted her gaze slightly to the side. “With His Imperial Highness here, nothing bad will happen.”
Following Fuyi’s cue, Lin Xiaowu finally noticed the figure standing beside them and curtsied. “Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”
“No need for formalities, cousin,” Sui Tingheng replied with a slight nod.
Lin Xiaowu was stunned. Her maternal grandmother was the late emperor’s half-sister, making her mother a cousin to the current emperor. By relation, she was indeed a distant cousin of the crown prince—but this was the first time he’d ever called her that. To be honest, it felt oddly unsettling.
Just as she was reeling from ‘gaining’ an unexpected cousin, Lin Xiaowu noticed, just a few steps away, a Jinwu Guard holding up a man with an arrow through his chest. Blood dripped steadily to the ground beneath him, and she felt her scalp prickle in terror.
“Don’t be afraid—he’s still alive.” Fuyi covered the girl’s eyes and said to Sui Tingheng, “Your Imperial Highness, could you have someone escort Lin Xianzhu back to her manor?”
“No, I will stay with you…”
“Be good. You’ve never been able to stomach these things.” Fuyi kept her hand over her eyes. “We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves at the summer palace in a few days. For now, be obedient and stay at home.”
“But—”
“No buts. His Imperial Highness is still here. With him around, you don’t have to worry.” Fuyi looked up and saw that her two own servant girls had also rushed over. She called Qiushuang over and asked her to accompany Lin Xiaowu home with the guards.
“Don’t worry, cousin,” Sui Tingheng said. “This prince will make sure Yun Junzhu returns home safely. You go on ahead, so she won’t have to worry.”
Since even the crown prince had spoken, Lin Xiaowu didn’t argue further and obediently left under the guards’ escort.
“Xiayu, run back home and let Father and Mother know not to worry,” Fuyi said with a smile. “With His Imperial Highness here, there’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“Yes, Miss.” Xiayu bowed respectfully to the Crown Prince and retreated.
Perhaps it was the heat—Sui Tingheng’s ears had flushed red without him noticing. Seeing Fuyi still holding the umbrella high, he said, “Let me take it.”
He was half a head taller than Fuyi, so to keep him shaded, she had to raise her arm constantly. It must be tiring.
Mo Wen, who had just been about to step forward to hold the umbrella for Yun Junzhu when his liege spoke. At once, he retreated three steps in silence, bowing his head.
With nowhere else to look, he fixed his gaze on his own shadow, beginning to wonder if the sun had boiled his brains. What else could explain this inexplicable suspicion that the Crown Prince might harbor secret feelings for Yun Junzhu?
After all, it was only that His Imperial Highness frequently sent gifts to the Yun family, only that he often summoned Yun Junzhu to the Chengxi Palace, only that he had given her those storybooks he never let anyone else touch…
Mo Wen faltered. The heat was suffocating, the cicadas shrill beyond reason, and his thoughts a muddled tangle.
‘How has it come to this?’
The Crown Prince and Yun Junzhu had never even spoken before. He truly couldn’t see when His Imperial Highness had begun to feel this way about her.
When the Jinwu Guards helped several imperial physicians down from their horses, their arms and legs were trembling from the rough journey. Seeing that the Crown Prince was standing there unharmed, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief before hastily bowing in respect. “These humble subjects pay our respects to His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. May we ask who has fallen ill?”
“Perfect timing, gentlemen. I trouble you to examine this substance and tell us what kind of poison it is,” Fuyi spoke up, pointing to the puddle of ice water at her feet that had mostly dried. Only a sticky layer of sugar frost mixed with dirt remained on the ground, looking rather revolting.
The physicians cast a brief glance at the bloodied assassin but sensibly held their tongues, turning their full attention to the drying puddle. As imperial physicians, their expertise in medicine wasn’t the only thing that mattered—knowing when to stay silent was a crucial survival skill.
“Your Imperial Highness, the heat is stifling. Let’s wait inside the teahouse,” Fuyi said, glancing at Sui Tingheng’s ears, now flushed bright red. “It’s starting to feel overheated.”
“All right.” Sui Tingheng folded the umbrella and turned to enter the teahouse. As he stepped up the threshold, his hand brushed past Fuyi’s wrist—but he quickly pulled back.
As the crown prince, Sui Tingheng was not short of capable aides. Not long after Fuyi sat down, someone brought over a basin of ice and some fresh tea. The arrow-struck assassin was detained outside by the Jinwu Guards, struggling to raise his head as he glared at Fuyi, eyes full of hatred.
Fuyi pondered—‘Why does this guy hate me more than the crown prince, the one who shot him with an arrow?’
From outside came the occasional drip-drip sound—the unsettling sound of blood hitting the ground.
Sui Tingheng gave no order to stop the bleeding, and Fuyi made no move either. She even picked up a cup and leisurely took a sip of tea.
Half an hour later, three more people—two men and a woman dressed like regular commoners—were brought in by the Jinwu Guards. They had been loudly protesting their innocence, but when they saw the blood-soaked assassin, they immediately fell silent.
“Looks like your information was accurate—there truly are more assassins.” Fuyi set down her teacup with a satisfied expression. “Your Imperial Highness, in light of his useful report, shall we have his wounds treated first?”
The first assassin, already barely hanging on, widened his eyes in disbelief at her words. ‘I have said nothing at all—why are you falsely accusing me?!’
He tried to explain his innocence to his companions, but a guard gripped the arrow lodged in his body, and the pain made him completely lose consciousness.
“He might have bought himself a little time, but you three haven’t,” Fuyi said, rubbing the carved pattern on her teacup as she glanced at the first assassin being dragged away.
< Previous | TOC | Advanced TOC | Next >
Wants more chapters?
Click this page for the status of sponsored chapters.
Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.