Lin Huaiyin's Two Faces
There were no lights inside the car.
Xiao Zhian pulled down a silk sash from his waist.
The luminous pearls embedded in the car walls reveal their true forms one by one, radiating brilliance.
The starlight, sparkling and shimmering, illuminated Lin Huaiyin's jet-black hair.
Her black hair was spread out on his pillow.
Her breath fell on his brocade quilt.
Her profile resembled a flower bud glistening with night dew, slightly closed.
Xiao Zhi watched quietly.
He had seen her in many different forms.
He threw silver notes at people, displaying an air of wealth and arrogance.
She hopped and skipped around like a child, her hair ornament swinging against his chest, catching the threads and creating a tangled mess.
She rushed towards him with boundless courage, so strong that she seemed capable of enduring all pain. When she was lost in passion, her little tongue deftly slipped into his mouth.
Her past is shrouded in mystery, hiding many secrets. She can turn on you, lie, do bad things, and even kill. She is fierce and lawless, yet also cowardly.
She's easy to bully; all you have to do is pinch her kitten ears, and she'll obediently curl up on his lap and meow.
But Xiao Zhian's favorite was still Lin Huaiyin when he first met her.
She was in a daze, holding his hand and gazing at his face, as if she had missed him for a long time, as if she had a thousand words she couldn't say, or as if she was begging him to look at her, wanting to prove something to him.
She called him, her voice heavy and resonant as she uttered "Your Highness," sinking into Xiao Zhian's heart and stirring ripples that lingered for a long time.
By now, he has roughly deduced what she is doing and is basically certain that she risked her life to protect him because she values him.
The truth is imperfect, but Xiao Zhian never avoids it.
The little cat wanted to take revenge on Shen Congyun, but as the crown prince, he was a sword hanging over Shen Congyun's head. She couldn't bear to let the Lin family get involved, so she set her sights on him.
Her intention to use someone else to do her dirty work is understandable.
Xiao Zhian could completely understand.
Her judgment was indeed excellent; she chose the empire's sharpest blade.
But it's very impolite to borrow something and then run away.
She has to do something to show it.
Xiao Zhian gently stroked Lin Huaiyin's cheek.
When her fingers touched her face, Lin Huaiyin immediately lost her composure.
She's not stupid; how could she possibly fall asleep in an unfamiliar place? She noticed Xiao Zhian as soon as he arrived.
However, when you're under someone's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.
She needed Xiao Zhian to return to the capital, and she also needed him to rush back to the post station. In the desolate wilderness, if she angered him and was told to "get out," Lin Huaiyin would have nowhere to go.
She kept quiet, but Xiao Zhian actually started touching her.
Lin Huaiyin thought to herself, "I can bend and stretch, can't I just endure it?" She grumbled and turned over, continuing to pretend to be asleep.
She pretended to be resolute and serious, controlling her breathing and even enduring the back pain caused by the forceful turning over. At the same time, she pricked up her ears, alert to any unusual movements from Xiao Zhian.
There was a rustling sound from behind.
Lin Huaiyin gripped the corner of the blanket, becoming more alert and considering the maximum extent of her concessions.
But then all movement ceased.
Xiao Zhian didn't touch her again.
Lin Huaiyin became alert for a moment, sniffing with her nose, twitching her ears, and sneaking glances with her eyes open, unconsciously exhausting all her small movements, but she still couldn't catch anything.
That's really strange. How can a living person just disappear into thin air without a sound?
What exactly is he doing?
This is very concerning.
Lin Huaiyin was extremely concerned, her mind racing with countless imaginings, fearing that if she wasn't careful, Xiao Zhian would end up on her.
She felt an itch in her heart that she couldn't scratch; the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became, and the more silent things were, the more she wanted to find some movement.
Finally, she couldn't resist and pretended to roll over, but then rolled back over.
Quietly, Lin Huaiyin raised one corner of her eyelid.
The luminous pearl emitted a gentle light.
Xiao Zhian leaned back lazily opposite him, slowly opened his eyes, and looked over.
"Do you want me to touch you, or not? Do you have a straight answer?"
He spoke casually, with a hint of complaint, as if he genuinely wanted Lin Huaiyin to give him a definite answer.
Lin Huaiyin felt a mouthful of blood rush to her throat, almost spitting it all over his face.
She didn't respond; she couldn't continue the conversation.
She rolled over and rolled as far as she could, until she reached the side of the car and faced the wall, where she remained motionless.
Xiao Zhian knew she was in a difficult situation, and found her naivety endearing.
She was injured, and he had no such thoughts at all, especially in such a cramped and simple place with people listening outside.
He just wanted to tease her, to see the kitten get angry and roll around on the ground.
He liked her vibrant and authentic self.
Unfortunately, the kitten couldn't take being teased and was about to suffocate.
Xiao Zhian lifted the blanket covering Lin Huaiyin's face and apologized in her ear, "It's my fault, I should have been more direct."
Directly what?
Lin Huaiyin hugged the blanket tightly, her face turning red, and said, "Come on, or I'll scratch your face until it bleeds."
"I should have just said it directly."
Xiao Zhian pinched her little ear and continued, "Tonight, I'll listen to you. You're in charge."
"Really?" Lin Huaiyin's eyes lit up, and she sat up abruptly, hugging the blanket and looking at Xiao Zhian, asking, "You'll do whatever I say?"
"Hmm." Xiao Zhian nodded, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes: the little kitten had already changed her self-identification to "I" instead of "your subject wife," which was a very good self-awareness.
"Then could you drop me off at Shengjiangfang later and wait for me to come back there?" Lin Huaiyin asked anxiously.
She wanted to act alone, using Xiao Zhian as her coachman, so that she could both get things done and keep her tracks hidden.
"No." Xiao Zhian shook his head, shattering her dream: "You can't leave my sight."
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin immediately deflated, pursed her lips, and snorted coldly, "Didn't you say you'd listen to me?"
"I can only hear you when I'm right next to you."
Xiao Zhian argued illogically.
He knew this was a precious opportunity, and he made special arrangements to finally participate in her secret operation and come into contact with her unknown side.
He was determined to go with her and would never back down, but in exchange, he could give her peace of mind.
"I promise I will only protect you from the sidelines, and I will not tell anyone what happened tonight."
Xiao Zhian made a solemn promise, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Seeing his attitude, Lin Huaiyin knew that further words would be useless and that he would not budge.
He was determined to follow her, and she couldn't shake him off at all. Being able to keep it a secret was already the best outcome.
She wanted to tell Princess Pingyang not to find out, but fearing that this would be a false accusation and she would be questioned about the reason, she opened her mouth but then silently closed it.
Lin Huaiyin stared at Xiao Zhian's face. His phoenix eyes were sharp and naturally fierce, exuding an air of authority without anger. At this moment, he looked at her with a smile, as if he could see through her inability to resist. His underlying expression was quite smug. The deliberate smile on the surface was just to coax her into not losing her temper.
Reading these implications, Lin Huaiyin couldn't help but think: it seemed he was deliberately teasing her, using this topic to subtly express his attitude. He had planned it all out, playing her like a fool step by step.
The dignified Crown Prince, who is in charge of the country, is playing mind games with a mere young woman.
Don't you think it's beneath you?
Lin Huaiyin felt she had seen through Xiao Zhian and didn't want to argue with him any further.
She let go of the blanket, re-tied her hair, and slid to the bedside to find her shoes to wear.
Looking down, Lin Huaiyin suddenly froze when she saw four shoes placed beside her feet.
She has a bad habit of kicking off her shoes carelessly when she takes them off.
However, at this moment, her cloud-patterned shoes and Xiao Zhian's upturned shoes, the four shoes were placed side by side, neat and tidy.
Your Highness, have you straightened her shoes?
Lin Huaiyin stared intently at her cloud-patterned shoes, and in a daze, a pair of sparrow-patterned shoes overlapped with them.
In her previous life, in the imperial prison, after their marriage, the Crown Prince, dressed in white prison clothes, also retrieved the blood-stained sparrow-head shoes for her, placed them carefully in front of her, and helped her put them on.
Your Highness.
The white figure appeared before Lin Huaiyin's eyes, and she remained silent for a long time.
Xiao Zhian didn't know what was wrong with her.
She sat quietly beside me, within reach, yet there was an intangible sense of distance, as if I were lost in thought, wandering far away.
"Yinyin," he called out to her instinctively.
"Your Highness." Lin Huaiyin looked up in response. In this world, only that person called her "Yinyin". Only that person had ever called her that.
However, the Xiao Zhian before him, dressed in purple robes and a jade crown, was elegant and aloof, with an overbearing aura and overly clear features. He was not a dragon whose fate was full of ups and downs and who was trapped in the abyss.
He is not himself.
He was not one of her kindred spirits.
Lin Huaiyin raised her hand and frowned.
The difference between ruler and subject is like heaven and earth; the relationship between the crown prince and his subject/wife is a grave taboo.
He was someone she shouldn't have touched.
After tonight, we shall never see each other again.
She slid off the bed, slipped on her cloud-patterned shoes, straightened her clothes, and refused to look at Xiao Zhian again.
Her silence silenced Xiao Zhian as well; her glance just now seemed to be looking at someone else through him.
Xiao Zhian suddenly had this feeling.
Inside the car, no more words were spoken.
Before long, the golden carriage entered the city gate.
Even at the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), the lights in the capital city were still on.
Du Yu drove straight to Shengjiangfang.
Lin Huaiyin placed her hands on her left waist, slowly bent her knees, and said, "Your Highness promised me that nothing tonight would be known to a third party."
"Hmm."
Xiao Zhian nodded.
He didn't correct her use of "your subject," and he felt himself getting closer to her secret.
Her bright and vibrant life seemed to collapse in an instant, the light in her eyes would go out, and she would quickly switch to an unfamiliar face.
Xiao Zhian was fortunate enough to witness this scene.
He didn't want to disturb her; he wanted to keep an eye on her, not missing a single detail.
Lin Huaiyin's attention was completely focused on tonight's mission.
She directed Du Yu to head directly to their destination—Shengshui Temple.
Lin Huaiyin made up her mind to make this one meeting only, and then have the crab claws moved away overnight so that His Highness the Crown Prince would not be able to track them down and there would be almost no future troubles.
Shengshui Temple is a small temple located in a remote area deep in a bamboo forest, where only three nuns live.
People knocked on the door late at night, making the nun very uneasy. Fortunately, Xie'ao had sharp ears and heard Lin Huaiyin's voice. She ran to open the temple gate and welcomed them in.
Crab Ao made a great contribution to the temple, and even climbed up and down to personally repair the temple. The nuns trusted and were close to her, so they did not mind that Lin Huaiyin and her group disturbed them late at night.
Since it was inconvenient to go to the backyard residence with two men, the four of them carried oil lamps and talked in the front Buddhist hall.
Lin Huaiyin and Xie Ao had a private conversation in the Wuguan Hall for a while, and then laid out paper and pen to write a letter.
Xiao Zhian wandered around by the light of an oil lamp.
The temple was small, the halls were dilapidated, the Buddha statues were rough, the wind howled through the hall, and the lamp was dim and flickering.
In the pitch-black, dilapidated private temple, Xiao Zhian spotted a faint green light.
The green light appeared and disappeared intermittently, swaying and flickering, and fell into Xiao Zhian's eyes, giving rise to a strange attraction.
He walked over against his will and entered the Amitabha Hall.
The temple enshrines the Three Western Saints.
And that ethereal green is located at the feet of Amitabha Buddha, the ruler of the Western Pure Land.
Across the Buddhist shrine, Xiao Zhian reached out and touched it. Green light quickly enveloped his palm. He handed over an oil lamp and saw that it was a jade hairpin. The so-called green light was actually the kingfisher feathers on the hairpin, which were illuminated by a glass lamp next to it.
Xiao Zhian could tell at a glance that the craftsmanship and materials of both the hairpin and the glass lamp were no less than those of the Eastern Palace, making them completely out of place in this desolate little temple.
He was surprised and picked it up with his fingers.
However, the moment he touched her, Xiao Zhian's heart contracted violently, as if being stabbed by needles and stabbed by knives, causing unbearable pain.
He clutched his chest, unable to breathe, and lost his balance. The oil lamp crashed to the ground with a clatter and rolled away.
Du Yu rushed over upon hearing the commotion and steadily helped him up.
Crab Claw arrived shortly after, and upon seeing the jade hairpin in Xiao Zhi'an's hand, snatched it back without any hesitation.
Xiao Zhian was stunned on the spot—without the hairpin, the heartache disappeared instantly.
He was incredulous and speechless with surprise.
"These are Miss's things! Who told you to touch them! Be careful, I'll chop off your paws!"
The crab-claw grumbled and took out a handkerchief, polishing the hairpin until it shone brightly and the kingfisher feathers glistened. Only then did it solemnly put it back, put its hands together, and chanted "Amitabha."
"When you work with the young lady, be careful with your words and actions, and don't wander around aimlessly."
Crab claws reprimanded Xiao Zhian and Du Yu.
Du Yu instinctively reached out to punch someone, but Xiao Zhian stopped him with a raised hand and asked, "Why are her things enshrined here?"
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