Chapter 25: Don't Cry, He Will Ache for You

The man’s hands were exquisitely formed; his fingers were long and slender, and his skin was as cold and white as frost. Against the backdrop of mottled tree shadows, there was a strangely lethal sexual tension to him. Fu Junhe’s heartstrings tightened, and her toes curled slightly. She reached out her delicate, jade-like hand and placed it upon Xiao Xuanyin’s large palm. The moment their skin touched, a tingling, spasming sensation surged, spreading through the meridians of her limbs. This god-like figure, so cold and aloof, possessed a palm that was broad, dry, and radiating a heat that brought an inexplicable sense of peace.

Xiao Xuanyin’s pupils clouded with a heavy, carnal desire, and his distinct, alluring Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. A scorching flame gradually began to spread, consuming every corner of his body. A-He’s hand was as delicate as cream—fragrant, soft, and sweet. His palm could easily envelop it entirely. Though his desire surged within, his expression remained as clear and bright as a light breeze, cool as ice atop a mountain peak. "Miss Fu," he said, "the situation is dire. Please forgive the intrusion."

Hearing these upright, gentlemanly words, a trace of loss, which she herself could not fathom, surfaced deep within Fu Junhe’s heart. The Crown Prince had always been disciplined and restrained; he would never be so "intimate" with another woman unless the circumstances were critical. She curled her lips slightly and replied, "You are saving my life, Your Highness; how could it be an intrusion? I am endlessly grateful."

A swordsman in purple robes seized a moment of distraction to strike at Xiao Xuanyin’s back with a gloomy, sinister gaze. Fu Junhe’s pale face turned ghostly, and she cried out urgently, "Your Highness, look behind you!"

Xiao Xuanyin’s brow furrowed with cold malice, yet he did not turn around. With a sharp, wind-whipping motion, he drove his long sword backward, piercing straight through the heart of the purple-clad assassin. The blade carved through bone and flesh before being withdrawn. Blood gushed from the assassin’s chest like a fountain, and the sword in his hand clattered heavily to the ground. He looked down in disbelief at his wound, then raised his head to stare at Xiao Xuanyin’s back with eyes full of terror. Even as a death-sworn assassin, he knew he could never execute such a swift and profound sword technique. How did the Crown Prince do it?

Fu Junhe gazed at Xiao Xuanyin, whose swordsmanship was nothing short of divine, feeling deeply moved and utterly mesmerized. Such a man was peerless; there was none other like him in the world. Seeing her stare, Xiao Xuanyin’s pupils contracted, misinterpreting her look as fear. His voice was low and heavy, carrying a lingering note of comfort: "Miss Fu, the sight of blades and blood may soil your eyes. Close your eyes; I will shield you."

In her past life and this one, all she had ever received from Song Junyao was humiliation, disdain, and even the intent to kill; he had never once considered her feelings. Yet the Crown Prince, despite their casual acquaintance, was so considerate. A silent, surging emotion and ripples of warmth flooded Fu Junhe’s heart. Just as she was about to speak, a second wave of purple-clad assassins descended from the sky. This group was larger, and their assault grew increasingly ferocious.

They circled Fu Junhe, targeting Xiao Xuanyin’s Achilles' heel. Her clear eyes shifted, revealing a sharp, discernible coldness. To take her life, wave after wave of hidden enemies had come for her. Jiang Manxue’s tactics this time were both cautious and vicious. Xiao Xuanyin’s eyes were cold and thin, his entire being exuding a fearsome, murderous aura. One group of assassins held off the Eastern Palace guards, while the other employed a revolving-door tactic to assault Xiao Xuanyin and Fu Junhe.

One assassin sneered coldly, "Your Highness, cease this futile struggle. Even if your swordsmanship is god-like, you cannot escape our encirclement. Besides, you are carrying a burden."

Xiao Xuanyin’s brows knit together in icy wrath, and the air pressure around them plummeted. With a sharp, mournful hiss, he drove his sword through the assassin’s throat. A-He was not his burden; she was the woman he had admired for years. The remaining assassins were so shocked their scalps tingled; they had thought the Crown Prince to be an unapproachable "flower on a high peak," never suspecting he possessed such heavy, murderous bloodlust. Daring not to underestimate him again, they fought with all their might in a life-or-death struggle.

Fu Junhe was tucked safely under Xiao Xuanyin’s wings, well-protected. She followed his steps closely, doing her utmost not to be a drag on him. Xiao Xuanyin was at his sharpest, his snow-white robes now stained with deep red blood. Together, they fought their way through the encirclement and dashed forward. The assassins in pursuit were relentless, their eyes bloodshot with killing intent. They were the few who had survived massacres of thousands; the scent of blood did not frighten them, but rather excited them. The Crown Prince had killed so many of their brothers—it was time for him to pay in blood!

He cared most for Miss Fu, didn't he? She was as fair as snow and as beautiful as a flower, a hundred times better than the prostitutes they kept at the Grand Princess's manor for their own pleasure. They would capture them both alive and make the Crown Prince watch as his most beloved woman was humiliated and trampled to death before his eyes! To see a proud son of heaven suffer such supreme shame—how satisfying it would be!

They ran for a time unknown. Xiao Xuanyin and Fu Junhe reached the edge of a sheer cliff, shrouded in clouds and mist, bottomless and dark. There was no path left to retreat. The wounded assassins caught up, their eyes flashing with a mad, bloody light. "Your Highness, you have nowhere to run! Your only path is death!"

"Hahahaha—" They swept their gaze over Fu Junhe with a lewd, sinister hunger, smacking their lips. "Your Highness, if you hand over Miss Fu for us to enjoy, we might just spare your life!"

Fu Junhe’s long eyelashes trembled as she whispered, "Your Highness, you need not worry about me anymore. Without me as your burden, you will surely be safe."

Xiao Xuanyin’s expression was somber, his eyes flickering with an indiscernible, doting tenderness. He said solemnly, "Miss Fu, you are not my burden. You are the daughter of a court official, and I am the heir to the throne; protecting the people is my bounden duty. I will live and die with you."

The words "live and die with you" carried too much weight; Fu Junhe’s eyes grew hot, and she could not help but shed tears. Since ancient times, it was the duty of subjects to be loyal to their sovereign until death. How could there be an heir who would sacrifice his own life to protect a subject? By what virtue did she, Fu Junhe, deserve such devotion from the Crown Prince?

Suddenly, Xiao Xuanyin’s long sword swept toward the closing group of assassins with a heavy, rolling force. The blade-light was like lightning, as swift as a gale, striking the center of one assassin’s brow. A scream rang out; the assassin’s eyes bulged, blood gushing from the slit of the blade before he fell to the ground, his life extinguished. Xiao Xuanyin wrapped one arm around Fu Junhe’s slender waist, his face as calm and noble as jade. "Miss Fu, another intrusion—hold on tight."

With that, he leaped into the infinite abyss.

Beside her ears, the wind howled. Against her nose, she smelled the cold, pine-wood scent of the man. Against her body, she felt his hard muscles and searing warmth. Fu Junhe’s tears fell faster, streaming down her jade-like face like flowers in a rainstorm. She was filled with resentment; she had tried with all her might to break free from the control of the plot, swearing to escape the tragic fate of her past life and preserve the Grand Tutor’s manor. She had marched forward with solitary courage, fearless and bold.

Yet she never expected that she would meet her end here, ultimately unable to fight against the so-called fate. But more than that, she felt a crushing guilt and gratitude toward Xiao Xuanyin. The Crown Prince’s swordsmanship was divine; if not for being burdened by her, how could he have been driven to such a desperate end, jumping to his death? He was a man of noble character, diligent and governing well—he was destined to be a peerless emperor for the ages. How could she drag down a man who had treated her so well, beyond her own flesh and blood? Fu Junhe hated herself; she should never, never have sought the Crown Prince’s help.

Hot tears fell onto Xiao Xuanyin’s chest, burning a small, aching gap in his heart. A-He had been raised in the Grand Tutor’s manor, pampered by her parents and brothers, and to be hunted by assassins and fall from a cliff today must have terrified her. He did not want to see her cry; he wanted to kiss the corners of her eyes and lick away her tears. At a loss, he offered a clumsy, tender comfort: "Miss Fu, do not cry."

It pained him to see her in sorrow.