Chapter 66 Your subordinate dares not

Chapter Sixty-Three

“If you hadn’t taken Gu Jinyan out of the Rongguo Duke’s mansion, tied him to the high platform and left him exposed to the cold wind all night, causing him to catch a cold and develop a persistent high fever, I wouldn’t have come looking for you.”

Accused by Shen Panyan, Lin Xiao raised his eyes, glanced at her, and said without any emotion, "So Your Highness summoned me to avenge Gu Jinyan? Does Your Highness want me to apologize to Gu Jinyan, or to retaliate in kind?"

“You…” Shen Panyan frowned, “What are you saying?”

If she wanted him to apologize, would she need to stake out here every day? Wouldn't it be faster to just send someone to the Lu residence?

Lin Xiao remained calm, drew the dagger from his waist, and placed the hilt into Shen Panyan's hand: "If Your Highness wishes to avenge Gu Jinyan, you may do so now. Your subordinate will not resist."

The dagger was icy cold to the touch, and the sharp white light of its blade made her reflexively pull her hand back as if she had been burned. In an instant, the dagger clattered to the ground.

Shen Panyan staggered backward, and when she looked up at his seemingly obedient but actually unruly appearance, she felt an unnamed fire burning in her heart.

She laughed angrily, "Lin Xiao, did you do this on purpose?!"

Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, or are you testing my attitude?

She had intended to have a proper talk with him, but he came here and did this instead. Shen Panyan was so angry she had a headache.

Lin Xiao lowered his eyes: "This subordinate dares not."

"You wouldn't dare! What wouldn't you dare!" Shen Panyan was truly angry this time; she had never been this angry before.

"Do you even know who Gu Jinyan is? He's the young master of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, the son of a duke, a man of noble status. You kidnapped him and tied him to this high platform... You... I really can't believe you came up with this... Gu Jinyan is innocent. Why did you drag him into this? Do you even understand what will happen if the Rongguo Duke's mansion finds out about this, if Father finds out...?"

"Didn't Your Highness say you didn't care about your subordinates?!"

Lin Xiao suddenly interrupted her, his dark eyes fixed on her like a bottomless pool: "Didn't Your Highness already abandon me? Then why should Your Highness care about what I've done or how I've fared?"

"I..." Under his gaze, Shen Panyan bit her lip, took two steps back, and the fire in her heart was blocked in her chest at that moment, unable to refute him.

Lin Xiao looked away, his voice flat, as if he wasn't talking about himself.

"Since Your Highness does not acknowledge you as my master, then you need not concern yourself with my life or death. I have committed such a wrong act and deserve punishment. If I am discovered, then so be it. Whether I live or die is not my concern..."

"Shut up!" Upon hearing this, Shen Panyan's forehead veins throbbed.

“When did I say I didn’t want you? If I didn’t want you, why would I go to Gu Jinyan to apologize to him, ask him to keep the fact that I saw you a secret, and ask him not to cause you any trouble?”

"Am I just bored and looking for trouble?"

Shen Panyan was furious.

She tried her best to save his life, but he didn't care about it at all. He treated it like trash, as if it were someone else's life, not his own.

Lin Xiao turned his head away, lowered his eyes, and pursed his thin lips into a straight line, remaining silent.

Shen Panyan stared at him, noticing his throat bobbing, his tied-up black hair falling loose across his chest, his black clothes exuding an air of arrogance and sharpness, his expression calm, seemingly unconcerned.

But when her gaze fell on his clenched fists, and she saw that he clearly wanted to say something but didn't, with a stubborn look on his face, the fire in Shen Panyan's heart suddenly dissipated.

Never mind, it was her fault for handling things poorly in the first place.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Fine, I'll just make this clear to you from the start."

“Lin Xiao, I have come of age, and the marriage should have been arranged by now. I have spent time with Gu Jinyan these past few days and I think he is quite good, so I chose him. However, I haven’t had a chance to tell Father about this yet.”

"But Your Highness, didn't you say you didn't want to get married yet..." Lin Xiao turned around abruptly, his gaze filled with panic, unease, and helplessness as he looked at her.

Shen Panyan turned her head away, avoiding his eyes, and said calmly, "Lin Xiao, I am a princess, it is impossible for me not to get married."

Even if we don't get married, I can't be with you.

"Your Highness, I never imagined I could be with you..." Lin Xiao's voice was hoarse.

How could he possibly have such extravagant hopes? He just... just...

Shen Panyan bit her lip, trying to calm her agitated emotions: "Lin Xiao, let's just let this matter go. I won't hold you accountable for your mistake. But you must not do such a thing again next time."

“Gu Jinyan is innocent; he shouldn’t have to suffer like this.”

Lin Xiao pursed his lips, looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then lowered his voice, "This subordinate understands, and it won't happen again. I'm sorry, Your Highness, this subordinate has caused you trouble."

"Your Highness..." He reached out and carefully grasped the hem of her sleeve, his eyes brimming with shimmering light, pleading softly, "Lin Xiao knows he was wrong, please don't abandon Lin Xiao..."

Seeing that he had returned to his usual submissive and obedient self, with a hint of red at the corners of his eyes, and a cautious and ingratiating look, Shen Panyan felt a strange sense of irritation rising in her heart.

This was what she had hoped for, but seeing this scene in person, she felt as if there was a thorn stuck in her heart, causing her a dense and uncomfortable feeling.

She took a deep breath to suppress her emotions and said calmly, "Lin Xiao, I told you not to come looking for me anymore, not that I don't want you anymore."

She pursed her lips, but ultimately couldn't bear it and revealed some of her true thoughts.

“Lin Xiao, you are Father’s secret guard and are under his control. Last time at Qu Sheng Lou, you invited me in, and Father found out. He thought I was involved with ‘Lu Yunqi’ and he did not agree to ‘Lu Yunqi’ becoming my consort, so he urged me to get engaged as soon as possible.”

Lin Xiao paused for a moment, then slowly released her sleeve, his eyes dimming. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

It turned out to be his fault. He was the one who forced His Highness to get engaged so quickly. If it weren't for the fact that he saw His Highness with Gu Jinyan that day... he wouldn't have had the right to question His Highness about why he didn't want him.

He harmed His Highness, so it's only right that His Highness doesn't want him... However, His Highness's gentle voice rang in his ears.

She didn't blame him.

“Lin Xiao, this is not just your fault, it is also my fault. If I had refused you that day and had not entered Qu Sheng Lou, this would not have happened.”

"Actually, even without what happened that day, I would still have to get married eventually. Father Emperor can't let me keep putting this off."

As a royal princess, she was not free to choose her own husband. It was already an immense blessing that her father allowed her to choose someone she liked as her consort, instead of marrying him off as a reward to other meritorious officials.

She cannot be greedy.

Shen Panyan lowered her eyelashes, then suddenly remembered something and quickly looked up at him: "By the way, answer me honestly, did Father punish you for the Qu Shenglou incident?"

Lin Xiao's words were vague: "...No...I'm still on a mission..."

Shen Panyan immediately noticed his evasive expression, her expression turned serious, and she said sternly, "Don't lie to me."

"If you lie to me, I will never speak to you again!"

Lin Xiao's expression turned panicked, "Your Highness..."

This time, he dared not hide anything and told everything. However, he did not explain in detail what the dark room was, only that the punishment would not torture the flesh and would not be painful, but it would take a long time, a month.

After hearing this, Shen Panyan's eyelashes trembled.

Sure enough, even she was reprimanded by her father, so how could Lin Xiao escape punishment?

Even if the punishment itself is not painful, what punishment is ever pleasant?

Her previous decision was indeed correct; she should have stayed away from him. However, she could no longer be so reckless as to bring it up again.

Shen Panyan pursed her lips into a small smile, somewhat reluctantly saying, "I understand."

She couldn't help him; she could only watch him be punished.

Shen Panyan felt a dull ache in her heart.

Although her father seemed to care about her on the surface, Shen Panyan had seen through the warning incident very clearly.

It's true that my father cares about me, but there are limits to his concern.

Ultimately, he was simply trying to make up for his guilt towards himself and his mother.

Now, it's impossible for her to get Lin Xiao back from her father in the way she had previously thought—by trying to please him.

Therefore, she had to come up with a more radical way to force her father to agree to this matter while he still felt guilty towards her.

Otherwise, once her father's guilt dissipates, she will truly have no way to get Lin Xiao back.

However, she was unsure whether she should tell Lin Xiao about this.

If she didn't tell him, she was afraid he would do something impulsive. Besides, he had to endure a month of punishment... Shen Panyan was really worried about him. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to tell him anyway.

"Lin Xiao, would you like to come to my side?" she asked softly.

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to believe it, his expression tense. "Your Highness, you mean..."

Shen Panyan nodded: "That's exactly what you mean."

"I'll find a way to get you back from Father." Shen Panyan left the rest of her sentence unfinished.

That is to give him freedom.

Lin Xiao's voice trembled: "Your Highness, what you're saying... is it true?"

"Of course it's true."

"You... don't dislike your subordinates anymore?"

"When have I ever hated you?" Shen Panyan said helplessly. "Speaking of which, is it you who hates me?"

She suddenly remembered something, and a faint dimple appeared on her lips as she teased, "Back at the Royal Villa, I asked you so many times if you hated me. And what did you say? You didn't say a word, and even said that taking care of me was His Majesty's order..."

Lin Xiao: "......"

His voice was muffled: "It was the arrogance of my subordinates that caused Your Highness to suffer. Lin Xiao was wrong."

Shen Panyan gave an ambiguous snort: "I don't know if I felt wronged or not, but I was a little sad at the time. After all, I considered you the most trustworthy person."

“Your Highness…” Lin Xiao’s gaze fell on her, a faint light shimmering in his dark eyes, like the rippling water of a clear spring.

When he looked at her like that, Shen Panyan's cheeks flushed red, and she turned her head away.

Even though she had already made up her mind to part ways with him, she still couldn't help but want to get closer to him when she saw him.

But she had to give it up.

Shen Panyan made up her mind and abruptly changed the subject, "By the way, Lin Xiao, I just saw the Crown Prince riding by in a hurry. Did something happen?"