Chapter 26: A Man and a Woman Alone

Upon hearing this, a surge of bittersweet anguish welled up in Fu Jinxie’s heart. Her hand unconsciously clung to the taut, muscular waist of Xiao Xuanyin.

The Crown Prince had not only refrained from blaming her but had even turned to comfort her instead. She let out a soft, gentle breath, and before “facing death,” she unburdened her heart to him: “Your Highness, apart from my own flesh and blood, no one has ever shown me such kindness as you have.”

“I am both grateful and moved. Today, I have dragged you with me to our deaths, and for that, I am filled with guilt. Please forgive my lack of composure before you.”

The woman’s slender, delicate hands possessed skin as fine as porcelain and bones as elegant as jade, radiating a soft, luminous sheen. To take a bite of such beauty would be like watching spring snow melt, the sweet nectar and fragrance dissolving on the lips and teeth, seeping deep into one’s very bones.

Xiao Xuanyin’s eyes gradually clouded over with a deep, bone-penetrating darkness as he gazed at Fu Jinxie’s hand. The burning tide of lust and greed, of desire and obsession, crashed against his heart again and again, urging him to take more, so much more.

He longed for Ah He’s hands to be wrapped around his neck. He imagined kissing her face, inch by inch, lingering over every curve of her skin. He wanted to see her perfumed sweat dampen her hair, to watch her weep with desire, and to lose himself in her embrace, experiencing the ecstasy of their union.

Slowly, his heart was filled with intense heartache and a surging, fierce resentment. He knew that Ah He had suffered many injustices among the noble families of Chang’an, and today, someone had even sought her life.

Xiao Xuanyin’s brow was as noble as a god’s, his presence as refreshing as a willow in spring, and he swore a silent, solemn oath. In the past, he lacked the status to protect Ah He completely, but today was different. Anyone who dared to bully or harm her would be killed without mercy.

He would weave a gentle trap, coaxing Ah He to fall into it and surrender her heart to him. If she were to marry him as his Crown Princess, he would grant her a lifetime of glory and favor.

“Miss Fu, rest assured. With me here, neither of us will die.” The man’s voice was poised and noble, inexplicably carrying a heart-stopping, masculine tension.

The moment before they plunged into the lake, Xiao Xuanyin pulled Fu Jinxie’s waist tightly against him, suspending them in mid-air for a brief second to break the force of their descent.

*Splash.*

The two plummeted into the lake, and in an instant, the water swallowed them whole.

The purple-clad assassins perched on the cliff stared down into the vast, abyssal darkness, their eyes glinting with a cruel and excited malice. Falling from such a precipice meant they would certainly be smashed to pieces.

They clapped their hands and laughed heartily. Despite the heavy casualties they had suffered, they had finally fulfilled the Princess’s command and driven Miss Fu to her death. As for the Crown Prince—a high-born aristocrat throwing his life away for a mere woman—it was nothing but a colossal joke.

Xiao Xuanyin immediately gripped Fu Jinxie’s waist and led her toward the shore. He pulled her by the hand, and they climbed onto the bank.

They were not dead!

Fu Jinxie’s heart was filled with joy. Her eyes curved into crescents as she tugged on the corner of Xiao Xuanyin’s robe. “Your Highness, we are both still alive.”

For a moment, she did not stop to wonder how the Crown Prince, who had lived long in the Eastern Palace, knew there would be a lake beneath the cliff outside the hunting grounds, or how he could be so certain they would survive. Nor did she dwell on why his swimming and swordsmanship were so extraordinary. She also failed to notice that in front of him, she had cast aside her resentment toward the protagonists of the storybooks, revealing instead the softer, more feminine side of her nature.

The man’s jade-like face was as pale as snow; his figure was tall and straight. His frost-white, blood-stained robes were completely soaked, revealing well-defined muscles and straight, long legs. Such a cold and aloof deity now radiated a lethal, heart-racing desire that tempted one to sink into the depths with him.

The woman was naturally fair-skinned and beautiful. The clear water had washed over her face, making her look even more radiant than a begonia in the morning dew. Her figure was graceful, the beauty of her chest subtly visible, stirring one’s passions.

The posture of the two was quite intimate. When Fu Jinxie realized this, a blush spread across her cheeks, and her toes curled involuntarily.

Xiao Xuanyin, however, smiled with deep, drowning affection. His eyes cleared like clouds parting to reveal the moon, carrying a stirring, heavy beauty. His voice lowered, sounding like a lover’s whisper in her ear.

“Surviving this ordeal is a blessing for both Miss Fu and myself.”

...

As twilight descended.

A streak of sunset slanted across the sky, and an occasional evening breeze drifted by, carrying the scent of flowers and grass.

Emperor Jing sat high upon the dragon throne, watching his subjects return, each laden with their hunting spoils. He was immensely pleased and did not spare his praise. In recent years, neighboring countries had been restless; the more skilled the youths of Chang’an were in horsemanship and archery, the stronger their military reserves proved to be. Only then, from his seat as Emperor, could he sleep soundly.

Jiang Manxue’s eyes were dark and sultry, the poison shimmering within them enough to make one shudder. Calculating the time, Fu Jinxie should have had her limbs hacked off by Chu Changling to become a human pig, only to be wantonly humiliated by dozens of assassins and tortured to death. She thought with a sense of pity, *truly a miserable end.*

Fu Jinxie, a product of this ignorant era, dared to challenge a talented woman with thousands of years of wisdom? She was simply overestimating herself. Such a tragic end was surely a “fitting death.”

“Report!”

“Your Majesty, Chu Changling, the youngest legitimate son of the Vice Minister’s manor, sent assassins to hunt down the Crown Prince. During the struggle, Miss Fu of the hunting grounds was accidentally caught in the crossfire.”

“The Prince and Miss Fu were chased to the edge of a cliff and jumped. Their fates are unknown, and Chu Changling has already fled, nowhere to be found.” A palace servant reported, his expression frantic.

*Boom.* A clap of thunder seemed to roar across the sky, so loud it felt as if it would pierce everyone’s eardrums. Their faces drained of color.

Chu Changling had such audacity! He dared to send assassins to hunt the Crown Prince? The Prince was highly valued by the Emperor; murdering the heir apparent was a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan! But how could it be such a coincidence that Miss Fu was involved?

A flash of unreadable darkness streaked through Emperor Jing’s dragon-like eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. In an instant, his face turned livid with rage. He slammed his teacup onto the table, his voice deep and booming: “Insolence!”

“Pass my decree: search with all your might for the whereabouts of the Crown Prince and Miss Fu! Capture everyone in the Vice Minister’s manor, especially Chu Changling—do not fail me!”

The Emperor’s wrath was like a thunderbolt. Everyone trembled, their legs turning to jelly, as they knelt and chorused, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

“I shall obey the holy decree!”

Xiao Shengming could barely conceal the wild joy in his heart. Heaven was helping him! Xiao Xuanyin had fallen off a cliff; he was either dead or maimed. Was the throne not now rightfully his? Chu Changling of the Vice Minister’s manor had acted exactly as he had hoped!

The other two princes showed expressions of concern, as if their brotherly bond with Xiao Xuanyin ran deep.

Upon hearing the servant’s words, Jiang Manxue’s expression shifted. It was clearly Chu Changling who was hunting Fu Jinxie; how had it turned into him hunting the Prince and involving her? Could it be that the Prince had sensed Fu Jinxie’s danger and gone to her aid, only to be forced by the assassins to jump off the cliff with her—and even in his final moments, he chose to protect her reputation?

Her heart was eroded by sharp jealousy. What was so good about Fu Jinxie that she was worth the high and aloof Crown Prince sacrificing his own life?

*Serves her right!* The Prince’s death was his own fault. She had once shown him favor, but he had ignored her as if she were invisible. Now, he was dragged down by Fu Jinxie—Heaven had not failed her! Jiang Manxue curled her red lips in a sinister, malicious smile.

Song Junyao’s eyes were filled with a vast, hollow emptiness. His heart felt as though it were being pierced by a knife, the pain so intense he could barely breathe. Fu Jinxie and the Crown Prince had fallen off a cliff together—their fates unknown?

The blood in his veins turned ice-cold. A panic, a terror of losing her, began to spread, threatening to drown him. Compared to Fu Jinxie, he was more enamored with Ah Xue. But why, upon hearing news of her misfortune, did he feel such deep sorrow and such profound fear?

*Was it Ah Xue?* Yes, Ah Xue had once said she would deal with Fu Jinxie to vent his frustrations. Song Junyao turned his head and caught sight of Jiang Manxue’s venomous smile. He had been so angry at Ah Xue because of Fu Jinxie. He had already told her to be magnanimous, to accept that Fu Jinxie would be his primary wife while she would be his co-wife, and for the two to live in harmony. How could Ah Xue be so cruel and ruthless as to hunt her to the death?

...

Night gradually fell.

The moonlight was bright, and the star-filled sky adorned the boundless firmament, casting a clear radiance into the cave.

Xiao Xuanyin was rubbing sticks together to kindle a fire. His brow was like a mountain, his profile beautiful and focused, as he ground a sharp stone against the wood.

*Click.* A spark ignited, illuminating his stunning, well-defined brow bone.

Fu Jinxie’s clear eyes sparkled with light, her tone filled with joy: “Your Highness, the fire is lit.”

Suddenly, she realized something was amiss. The Crown Prince was born in the palace; why would he know how to make fire by rubbing sticks? And his swordsmanship was nearly supernatural, far beyond common logic. Linking this to his past life, when the Prince had mysteriously sealed Lady Shu’s throat with a single strike of his sword, he likely held many secrets.

Xiao Xuanyin used his strong, well-defined hands to place the wood over the rising flames, and the fire grew stronger. He seemed to see through Fu Jinxie’s suspicions, his voice deep: “Before the Empress passed away, she held my hand and warned me that the palace is treacherous and one must be prepared.”

“Therefore, I practiced swordsmanship in secret, and I learned to make fire by chance.”

Fu Jinxie’s brow furrowed slightly, a shadow of sadness passing through her eyes. *That’s right.* The Empress had died young; the struggles in the inner palace were so cruel. Even if the Emperor favored the Prince, he could not protect him from everything. Only by protecting himself could the Prince survive. It was hard to imagine how the young and solemn Crown Prince had endured the pain of losing his mother, how much loneliness and scheming he had suffered, to grow into such a self-disciplined and upright gentleman.

She spoke slowly and softly: “Your Highness has not failed the Empress’s expectations. You are already a man of noble character, a gentleman worthy of admiration.”

*A gentleman worthy of admiration.* Xiao Xuanyin’s eyes flickered like stars, the joy and wild thoughts in his heart rising and falling. He looked at Fu Jinxie and asked, “Is that what Miss Fu thinks?”

Fu Jinxie nodded and smiled: “Naturally.”

Once the conversation began, to her surprise, she and Xiao Xuanyin spoke with great harmony. Her interests were things the Prince could empathize with, and she found herself drawn to his preferences as well.

Alone in the cramped cave, they sat around the fire, their feelings deepening bit by bit, drop by drop, in the silence. An ambiguous, undeniable air of mutual attraction between a man and a woman began to permeate the space.

Suddenly, a night breeze blew, and a chill swept into the cave. Fu Jinxie silently pulled her clothes tighter.

This subtle movement was not lost on Xiao Xuanyin. In the flickering firelight, her soft hair swayed gently in the wind, making her appear even more delicate and exquisite. She was like a lady stepped out of the pages of a poem; simply sitting there, she could stir a man’s heart into a frenzy.

His throat bobbed, and he tightened his long legs, as if restraining something.

A moment later, Xiao Xuanyin stood up, turned his back to Fu Jinxie, and removed his outer robe, quietly tucking away the jade she had given him. He then turned back and removed his inner garment, exposing his torso to the air in a way that made the heart flutter.

The man’s features were cold and clear; his hair was black, straight, and vertical, his long, angled brows like those of a forbidden god, untouchable. Yet, at this moment, he was bare-chested. His skin was cool, his shoulders broad and straight, his collarbones deep, and his incredibly sexy Adonis belt stretched endlessly, inviting infinite imagination.

Xiao Xuanyin walked toward Fu Jinxie step by step, stopping when he was only a step away. He paused, then slowly leaned over, his tall frame casting a deep shadow that completely enveloped her.

Fu Jinxie raised her eyes, her gaze scorched by the surging, masculine aura of Xiao Xuanyin, her breathing spasming briefly. Her heart trembled, and her voice wavered: “Your Highness?”