Yinyin, do you love me?

For the first time, Xiao Zhian tore open his clothes in front of Lin Huaiyin.

For the first time in a real sense, I was intimately close to the woman I loved.

Xiao Zhian enjoyed this intoxicating pleasure, his emotions surging like a tidal wave. He had never been so unrestrained before. Even when his desires were like molten lava, he could hold on with his willpower, pouring a ladle of cold water over his head to extinguish any impulse that might hurt her.

There was no betrothal or marriage ceremony, and she had never said she loved him. Logically and emotionally, it wasn't the right time yet. His love needed to be perfect, not hasty. His Yinyin was a precious jewel that had to be cherished, and Xiao Zhian couldn't bear to tarnish her.

She has desires; she's like a child who craves food, and Xiao Zhian can satisfy them as much as he wants.

He had hands, that was enough, but she insisted, "Zhi'an, I want you."

The fog dispersed in the air.

The bed curtains were swaying gently.

Lin Huaiyin took the initiative to invite him, and Xiao Zhian was forced into a corner. His rationality was being eroded by the tide and was on the verge of collapse.

On the bed, he pressed close to Lin Huaiyin, his heart pounding like an arrow on a bowstring. He still felt a little uncertain, and he managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice as he asked, "Yinyin, do you love me?"

Xiao Zhian murmured, each word burning hot, yet like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Lin Huaiyin jerked her eyelids open, her pupils clearing instantly, the desire and pain on her face transforming into incomprehensible shock—

At such times, while she indulged in his caresses, she would tentatively scratch his back. She was trying to seduce him, betray him, and dig out evidence from him to harm him to death.

Her soul was about to be torn apart, her conscience was being extinguished and she was turning into a ghost, and he actually asked her if she loved him?!

Does it really matter whether you love someone or not?

Does he want the love of a demon?

In her past and present lives, Lin Huaiyin has been with two men and experienced several moments of confusion and bewilderment.

Shen Congyun assaulted her in the White Lotus Sect's den of thieves, lying to her that she had been drugged and that he was forced to save her. Later, on the day of Princess Pingyang's wedding, Shen Congyun used her as a plaything to vent his anger.

In the imperial prison, her relationship with the Crown Prince was a deal she would never regret, even though the Crown Prince was very gentle.

No one ever asked her if she loved him.

Is this related to love?

It's not just one-sided venting and abuse? It's not just about rubbing, kissing, and hugging; is comfort enough? Does it also need to include love?

How come she never knew?

Caught off guard, Lin Huaiyin recalled that night at Heming Mountain, when Xiao Zhian flew into a rage and asked her if she would be intimate with other men. At the time, she didn't understand what he meant and thought, so what if she did? That was her freedom.

Now, she seems to understand a little.

Having lived two lives, Lin Huaiyin had never been treated well by a man. She had never thought about how men and women should behave to be considered correct. She received rough treatment and treated Xiao Zhian just as roughly. She would take what she wanted and give it up when she was satisfied. She even complained that Xiao Zhian was clingy and annoyed that he was never satisfied and would quarrel with her.

At this moment, Lin Huaiyin suddenly felt that Xiao Zhian seemed to be really treating her well. This unfamiliar "goodness" was sometimes sharp, sometimes inexplicable, and sometimes solemn. He had put his heart into her, he must have.

"Yinyin, do you love me?"

Xiao Zhian had reached his limit of patience, but he needed an answer, he absolutely had to.

He opened his eyes and met Lin Huaiyin's tearful gaze.

"Zhi'an, hug me." Lin Huaiyin cried bitterly, hugging Xiao Zhi'an's neck tightly, tears streaming down her face.

She cried, her body trembling, her throat choked with sobs, as if she had suffered a great injustice, making it hard for Xiao Zhian to breathe.

She remembered everything; Lin Huaiyin recalled all the countless good things Xiao Zhian had done for her.

She killed his minister, and he covered for her.

He protected her benefactor, the woman in the white cloak, and risked his life to suck out her poisonous blood.

Just to help her recover from her injuries, he didn't hesitate to dismiss all the officials and organize a grand state sacrifice ceremony.

She didn't ask for help, but he discovered and resolved Su Jinggui's entanglement for her.

She killed Liu Cang, and he took the blame; she killed Pingyang, and even killed him; he was so angry that he went mad and apologized to her.

He was truly very good to her.

If it weren't for him, if it weren't for Xiao Zhian's love for her, Lin Huaiyin would have realized with a clear conscience that without his protection, the moment she killed Zhao Changji on the very first day after her rebirth, she would have been doomed.

Is this what Xiao Zhian calls love?

His love is truly right before our eyes, clear and real.

He would protect her. Lin Huaiyin recalled how arrogant Princess Pingyang had been when she came to the palace, but she was also intimidated by Xiao Zhi'an and bowed her head to call him "sister-in-law".

He will protect her.

Lin Huaiyin suddenly mustered her courage, let go of his arms, cupped Xiao Zhian's face in her hands, and begged him for help: "Zhian, save Yu Li, save me, Zhian."

"I'm here." Xiao Zhian looked directly into Lin Huaiyin's wet eyes, wiped away her tears, and answered earnestly, "Don't cry, Yinyin, leave everything to me."

Xiao Zhian pulled over a brocade quilt, covered the two of them from the waist down, wrapped Lin Huaiyin's small body in it, and pulled her into his arms, feeling both heartache and relief.

He wasn't stupid. The moment Lin Huaiyin shed tears, he connected the dots: she had been missing for half a day and had come running to him soaking wet, begging for his affections. He knew she was in trouble.

While she was crying in his arms, he had already considered countless possibilities and come up with countless excuses to coax her to talk. He also secretly thought that it didn't matter if she didn't say anything. She was in his arms, and anyone who dared to touch her could try.

He knew how tight-lipped she was, but she still blurted it out herself.

Xiao Zhian held her in his arms, feeling that he finally possessed her completely. He hadn't gotten her body, but he had touched her heart. This was the first time she had trusted him and was willing to share his burdens. He was satisfied and trembling with joy.

"Tell me what happened." Xiao Zhian was eager to demonstrate his power and help her out of her predicament.

Lin Huaiyin hugged the brocade quilt, curled up inside, looked into Xiao Zhian's eyes, and repeated Princess Pingyang's words to him, word by word.

As she spoke, Lin Huaiyin observed Xiao Zhian's expression.

He was initially shocked and angry, but soon he became puzzled, and then looked back at Lin Huaiyin with a scrutinizing and perplexed gaze.

Speaking of the jade pendant, the oppressive feeling in Xiao Zhian's eyes grew stronger, his brows and eyes gradually sharpened, he shook his head, narrowed his eyes, and his gaze became heavier and colder.

After saying everything, Lin Huaiyin could no longer look directly at him; she couldn't bear it.

She laid everything out; there was no turning back. If she lost the bet, Yu Li would be doomed.

“But Yinyin, Pingyang and I are siblings from the same mother. We share the same fate, and we share the same fate. If I lose power, she will have a very hard time protecting herself. How could she be so foolish?” Xiao Zhian said after hearing everything.

His words contained serious doubt, and Lin Huaiyin's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously gripped the quilt tightly and dared not breathe.

"Moreover, she has driven you to a dead end, leaving you with no other choice but to come to me. Once I get involved, she will have wasted her time and suffered a complete defeat."

Xiao Zhian pointed out the contradictions one after another.

Lin Huaiyin lowered her eyes, her fingers clenched until they turned white. Xiao Zhian's reaction was completely different from what she had expected. He not only did not offer any comfort or reassurance, but also repeatedly questioned her, as if he did not believe her at all.

Yes, what normal person would believe that their own sister was plotting to frame them?

Lin Huaiyin thought of Princess Pingyang's smug and disdainful expression and finally understood why she was fearless. It was because she was her blood sister with whom she shared honor and disgrace. Xiao Zhian did not believe that she would sever her own meridians. If she deliberately revealed a flaw, Xiao Zhian would be even more suspicious, and Princess Pingyang would be invincible.

The more Lin Huaiyin thought about it, the colder her heart became. She slowly raised her head, wanting to see what Xiao Zhian meant. Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhian suddenly opened his arms and embraced her, his face extremely solemn.

“Yinyin, I finally understand why you had to kill Pingyang.” He looked intently at Lin Huaiyin’s face, his jawline taut, and after several pauses, he slowly said, “You need to be prepared, Yinyin, Yu Li is probably gone.”

"No!!! Impossible!!!"

Lin Huaiyin burst into tears, refusing to let Xiao Zhian say such things, pushing and pounding his chest, "Yu Li is definitely still alive, take it back! Take it back!"

"Thump thump thump!" Lin Huaiyin hit people like a madwoman, each punch landing hard.

Xiao Zhian remained motionless, letting her vent her anger, and slowly explained his reasons to her:

“You’re desperate, so you’ll definitely tell me the truth. The reason Pingyang isn’t afraid of me knowing is because I can’t save your people. You trust me so much, but I’m so powerless. This will become a rift between us.”

When the time comes for a confrontation before the emperor, you won't be able to hold back and will expose our affair. For Pingyang, the dead Yu Li is more useful than the living Yu Li; that's a fact. Yinyin, I'm sorry, I'm the one who made you lose Yu Li.”

"But," Xiao Zhian changed the subject, cupping Lin Huaiyin's tear-streaked face and gently wiping away her tears, "but Yinyin, you must pull yourself together. I thoroughly investigated everyone in Pingyang Prefecture before; they are all innocent. The only one who could have done this for her is a White Lotus Sect traitor. You should dry your tears and interrogate the traitor captured last night. If you can find out who is active around Pingyang, you might still have a chance to find Yu Li..."

"No, Yu Li must still be alive!" Lin Huaiyin covered Xiao Zhian's mouth with her own, tears silently streaming down her face. "I'll go check, right now, I'll definitely find her!"

Lin Huaiyin wanted to leave, but she was too exhausted to cry and had no clothes left. She had arrived soaked and could no longer put on any clothes.

Xiao Zhian got up, dressed simply, and brought over a stack of pale yellow new clothes, along with shoes and socks, a complete set from the inside out.

This was because Xiao Zhian was worried that Lin Huaiyin's back injury would bleed, so he prepared it for her to change into before he set off.

Lin Huaiyin was soaked in the rain, exhausted, and mentally and physically drained.

Xiao Zhian remained silent, dressing her piece by piece. She gradually calmed down, and seeing Xiao Zhian's gloomy face, she suddenly remembered his words and asked, "What do you mean if you lose power, she will have a hard time protecting herself? No matter what, she is still the emperor's flesh and blood, and Shen Congyun will protect her."

"Mmm."

Xiao Zhian shook his head. He was busy with his hands and didn't look up at Lin Huaiyin. He simply explained to her in a low voice:

“Father hates Pingyang to the bone. If something happens to me, Pingyang will be the first to die. So Pingyang will definitely try to make Father die suddenly and frame me. In this way, I will never have a chance to turn the tables. As long as Consort Hui’s offspring are eliminated, Pingyang will be the only royal bloodline. I always thought Pingyang was bewitched by Shen Congyun. I never understood why you were so afraid of Pingyang. Yinyin, it is because of your reminder that I understand now. She has been working hard to secure my position.”

Xiao Zhian's voice was extremely calm. He deduced the whole story from the smallest clues and calmly recounted it.

His expression and voice revealed no emotion; he was indifferent and calm, as if he were talking about unimportant people and things. The words that came out of his lips were irrelevant to him. He calmly picked up one piece of clothing after another and helped Lin Huaiyin put them on.

He was neither sad nor happy, and had no emotions.

Lin Huaiyin saw it all and felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she were seeing that white-clad prisoner in the Imperial Prison again. He sat upright in his cell, spotless, and if he heard something interesting, he might even naturally shake his shoulders and laugh, his eyebrows curving into a beautiful arc.

He really is that Crown Prince.

Lin Huaiyin recalled the scene in the imperial prison of his previous life, where Shen Congyun pronounced his crimes:

"Your Highness, your crimes of harming concubines, slaughtering imperial heirs, and murdering the emperor and father are heinous and abhorrent to both gods and men. You should be executed as soon as possible to appease the spirit of His Majesty in heaven. However, Princess Pingyang is your own sister, and you cannot bear to see the Xiao imperial family's bloodline die out."

Therefore, she defied all opposition and chose a Crown Princess for you. If you can leave behind an heir, Her Highness the Princess will raise him to adulthood and allow him to inherit the throne.

In the end, Princess Pingyang still had to take this path. However, in her previous life, the Crown Prince may have only seen through her scheme at the very end, trapped in the imperial prison with no way to save her. In this life, Xiao Zhian saw through the clouds and discovered the conspiracy ahead of time.

What will he do?