Xiao Zhian decides to be an accomplice
Let alone two lifetimes, even if Yinyin lived ten more lifetimes, she still wouldn't find a Zhi'an like him.
Xiao Zhian was very confident. He loved Lin Huaiyin without any limits. Based on this alone, no one could compare to him. Looking back ten lifetimes and forward dozens of lifetimes, he was the only Xiao Zhian.
snort.
Xiao Zhian was proud, extremely proud. He earnestly tried to win over Lin Huaiyin, determined to make her remember him deeply and get her into his heart. He was determined to go all the way so that he wouldn't end up like the person in Yinyin's memory, who had no personal characteristics and was just a face that Yinyin could easily seduce.
snort.
Faces are shared, but brains are unique.
Xiao Zhian was smug and began to attack—that good-for-nothing in Yin Yin's memory had his looks and status, but not his wisdom and ability to protect Yin Yin. He would never follow in his footsteps. He had plenty of ways to treat Yin Yin well and would never let anyone hurt a hair on her head. Never.
snort.
Xiao Zhian licked and licked, until Lin Huaiyin couldn't take it anymore, and the corners of her mouth gradually became red and swollen.
"Are you ever going to stop?" Lin Huaiyin was unable to move because he was gripping her chin. "The crab claws are all gone, are you still going to act?"
"Let's get down to business."
Xiao Zhian raised his clear, phoenix-shaped eyes, showing no trace of lust, seamlessly switching between states.
Seeing him like this, Lin Huaiyin unconsciously clenched her fist.
In the past, she would always stop after she finished enjoying herself, and Xiao Zhian would tug at her clothes, always watching her run away in a fit of rage.
But now, he has changed.
Xiao Zhian really didn't like her anymore—if he told her not to act, she really wouldn't. She woke up so quickly, her eyes were clear and innocent, showing no affection for her at all, as if she had just been pretending to please him, just to trick Xie Ao into continuing to take her away.
Heartless and ungrateful.
That bastard who deceives people's feelings.
Lin Huaiyin's small fist slowly reached for the purse. This time, she didn't care about the shape. Lin Huaiyin thought: It's Xiao Zhi'an's fate to get whichever packet of medicine he takes. She is acting on behalf of Heaven.
Lin Huaiyin quietly reached into her purse.
Xiao Zhian looked around. The candlelight flickered, and the bathtub was covered with a lid, wisps of steam rising from it.
Considering she might need it later, Xiao Zhian picked up Lin Huaiyin—"plop".
A soft sound fell at Xiao Zhian's feet.
Lin Huaiyin buried her face in his arms, gritting her teeth and cursing him for standing up so suddenly without making a sound.
Xiao Zhian lowered his eyes—a white five-pointed star lay on the ground, and a small, tender hand, like a cat's paw catching fish, hooked and pawed.
Xiao Zhian was utterly speechless.
She's up to her old tricks again. At the imperial palace atop Crane Cry Mountain, she was quick to kill without a second thought. What's wrong with her this time?
Upon further reflection, Xiao Zhian quickly came to an answer: Yinyin already blamed him for obstructing her revenge, and he had arrested and imprisoned her. She hated him to death, and he certainly deserved what he got.
Squatting down, Xiao Zhian picked up the white five-pointed star and gently placed it in Lin Huaiyin's palm.
Warm fingers, soft skin, a touch followed by a pull away. Lin Huaiyin clutched the five-pointed star, inexplicably furious—her mind wanted to kill him, but her body craved him, hoping more than ever that he would shamelessly come closer and touch her.
Was Xiao Zhian deliberately messing with her today? He flirts with her and then retreats, never giving her enough. If he's not an octopus, what's the point of keeping his hands around?
Lin Huaiyin was having a mental battle with herself—one side clamoring to kill him, the other clamoring to sleep it off before killing him.
Xiao Zhian was unaware of the internal struggle Lin Huaiyin was going through. He walked a few steps to the bathtub and placed her on the lid.
"Yinyin."
He held Lin Huaiyin's shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said softly, "You've been to Zenghua Bookstore."
Xiao Zhian spoke casually, but his voice was like a thunderclap, shattering Lin Huaiyin's understanding. Her eyes widened, her shoulders hunched, and in an instant she understood why Xiao Zhian had arrested her—he knew she had been to Zenghua Bookstore and had seen through her secret. He considered her a demon, disliked her, and didn't want her, so he dug up her crimes, imprisoned her as a criminal, and then brought her out to be executed.
No wonder Xiao Zhian took her from his brother and wanted to execute her.
No, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die.
Lin Huaiyin slid down into the bathtub, trying to escape, but her legs went weak and she swayed unsteadily.
"Don't panic."
Xiao Zhian caught Lin Huaiyin, lifted her back into the bathtub, bent down to embrace her, massaged her round and slender shoulder bones, and pressed his cheek against hers to comfort her: "I know you went to the bookstore, and I also know that someone told you 'Wild deer carrying flowers.' You used the power of this code to intercept nine assassins on the Buddha's Birthday and save my life."
Following down her shoulders, Xiao Zhian grasped Lin Huaiyin's hands tightly, no longer embracing her closely. He looked at her solemnly, gazing into her face, and continued to state the facts: "Yinyin, I know you suffered greatly in another world before coming to my side."
As he spoke, Lin Huaiyin's ten fingers trembled in Xiao Zhian's palm.
The more she trembled, the tighter he gripped her. He held Lin Huaiyin's legs, blocking her way, and stood in front of her. His bright eyes reflected Lin Huaiyin's face. He looked at her calmly and patiently, indicating that he was here with her, willing to share everything with her.
Lin Huaiyin tried to dodge, but he stared intently at her, relentlessly pursuing her until their eyes met. Unable to escape, Lin Huaiyin timidly raised her eyelids, only to find that his eyes held neither the scrutiny nor the admiration one might expect, nor the judgment one would expect of a supernatural being.
He, Zhi'an, did not look at her with that terrifying, tearing-apart, treating-her-person-like gaze.
He wouldn't lock her up and interrogate her, nor would he see her as a celestial being and kill her to silence her.
On the contrary, Xiao Zhian reminded Lin Huaiyin of the time she returned from Bailian last year. She dismounted from Shen Congyun's horse, and her parents, brothers, fourth sister, sister-in-law, Yu Li, and Xie Ao surrounded her. They were just like that back then, with red eyes, trembling lips, red noses, and moist eyes.
Lin Huaiyin was certain that her family loved and cherished her, and now Xiao Zhian was showing the same expression as if he were family.
Xiao Zhian wasn't afraid of her, nor did he look down on her. Lin Huaiyin seemed to understand—he brought her out to find a quiet place to ask about her past life.
Previous life.
The candlelight in the guest room flickered, casting shadows into Lin Huaiyin's eyes and gradually reddening her pupils.
The fire of the imperial prison spread from his pupils, instantly igniting his entire body and engulfing everything in sight.
Suddenly, a sharp force pierced through her back, and endless cold arrows pierced her body with a whooshing sound. The huge impact pushed Lin Huaiyin toward Xiao Zhian.
Xiao Zhian caught it steadily, but Lin Huaiyin was already soaked through and trembling like a leaf.
Her reaction was exactly what Xiao Zhian had expected. She collapsed and shattered, as if her soul had already dissipated in another world and she could no longer support her body.
Xiao Zhi'an felt as if his heart was being torn apart, yet he still insisted on using this sharp blade, which was tearing apart his internal organs, to pry open the festering sores in Lin Huaiyin's heart, resolutely asking:
“I know it’s cruel to do this, Yinyin. I’ve thought about burying this matter forever. Even if Mu Zhanjuan comes back, I can pretend I don’t know anything.”
But Yinyin, I don't want the past to weigh on your heart forever, becoming a knot you can never untie. I can't bear to see you carry that burden alone. Please tell me what happened. In another world I don't know about, what else did Pingyang do to you? Yinyin, please tell me, let's work together to change that ending.
Lin Huaiyin couldn't control her body; it was still trembling.
Her face, buried in Xiao Zhian's arms, was completely bloodless. Her head was throbbing, and she felt dizzy. Memories of her past life and Xiao Zhian's face kept flashing back. Her heart was filled with mixed feelings, and various emotions surged up, forming a monstrous wave that washed over her internal organs. In the end, miraculously, she returned to calm.
Lin Huaiyin had always been cautious and desperately tried to conceal her rebirth. She never thought that one day she would be exposed and questioned, let alone that the person who would reveal everything was Xiao Zhian. Xiao Zhian was the person she was most wary of.
How did Xiao Zhian know that nothing had happened?
Lin Huaiyin was completely unprepared. Hearing about Zenghua Bookstore made her incredibly nervous, terrified of being exposed. But now that she was completely exposed, nestled in Xiao Zhian's arms, listening to his heartbeat, and being questioned by him, she was surprised to find that she wasn't afraid at all. In fact, she was eager to try, so excited that she stood on end—she wanted to tell him, she really, really wanted to tell him.
At this moment, Lin Huaiyin felt both exhausted and relieved. She was like a fully drawn bow, and now someone had finally come to her side, saying they were willing to share the burden.
In my mind, I saw Lin Huaiyin's journey: her loneliness, fear, regret, how she forced herself to be strong and fight, how she killed without blinking an eye, caring about nothing but revenge, she was a demon returned from hell.
She never stopped fighting; her mind was filled with the sounds of planning and battle. Except for the brief moments of peace when she was nestled in Xiao Zhian's arms, the fire of the imperial prison always burned in her heart and never ceased.
But if given a choice, who would want to be a lonely, perpetually restless demon?
If she doesn't want to be alone, who else can she rely on besides Xiao Zhian?
Xiao Zhi'an was a gift given to her by the prince in the imperial prison. It was the prince who guided her to Xiao Zhi'an's side. The prince used the identity of "Crown Princess" and a temporary consummation of the marriage to tell her that there was a man she could trust and that she was absolutely safe by his side.
This was a predestined relationship from a previous life. Lin Huaiyin did indeed walk towards him step by step. He was stubborn and stupid, but he wasn't a bad person.
Lin Huaiyin believed him, because apart from His Highness and Zhi'an, who else could accept this absurd and bizarre rebirth?
"He's dead."
When Lin Huaiyin opened her mouth, she was startled. Her tone was so casual, like a candle flame on a table, burning on its own, with black smoke rising straight up.
"Who died?" Xiao Zhian asked.
He was very uneasy that Lin Huaiyin recovered so quickly.
The calmer she is, the more terrifying it is, which means she has to suppress all her emotions in order to face the situation and be able to say it.
“They’re all dead.” Lin Huaiyin shook her head and smiled bitterly: “Everyone you know started with Yu Li and Xie Ao. On the day of the Shen family banquet, Shen Congyun put me and Su Jinggui in the same bed, used the excuse of beating Yu Li and Xie Ao to death, and drove the Su family father and son out of the capital, so as to control the Ministry of Personnel and make it easier to control me.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhian's eyes turned bloodshot, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
He knew Shen Congyun was despicable, but Lin Huaiyin's words still exceeded his comprehension.
And this was just the beginning. Xiao Zhian looked at Lin Huaiyin with pain. The calmer she was, the more painful it was for him. She carried such a tragic past, and he often threw tantrums at her, bullied her, and didn't trust her.
He deserves to die.
"Then, you were assassinated on the Buddha's Birthday, my elder brother was convicted, Shen Congyun took control of the court, and during the subsequent Golden Register Grand Fast at Heming Mountain, all the court officials who did not submit to Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang died at the hands of the White Lotus Rebels. Five thousand Yuan Cong Imperial Guards were wiped out in the fierce battle, and my elder brother was seriously injured and then imprisoned."
Lin Huaiyin slowly recounted the story, and Xiao Zhian was burning with anxiety.
In order to isolate Lin Huaiyin and Shen Congyun, he made a last-minute decision to come to Heming Mountain, but he told Pingyang in advance, giving Pingyang the opportunity to arrange for the White Lotus Rebels to come up the mountain in advance, which caught Lin Huaiyin off guard.
At this moment, he finally understood why Lin Huaiyin was willing to risk forging a secret edict to guide him to destroy the bandit den of Erwang Temple. He also understood why Lin Huaiyin frantically demanded to return to the capital on the day she set off for Heming Mountain. She would rather injure herself and endure the nausea, using the fact that she was pregnant with Shen Congyun's child as an excuse to return to the capital.
She wasn't being willful or going against him. She knew that the White Lotus Church was attacking the mountain, and she went back to the capital to ask Lin Zhenlie for help in order to save his and the court officials' lives. At the time, he was completely unaware that Lin Huaiyin was extremely worried and repeatedly obstructed him, even treating her coldly and flying into a rage at her.
He deserves to die.
"After that, there was my fourth sister, Lin Mianfeng." Lin Huaiyin's eyes flashed with Lin Mianfeng's pretty face. She unconsciously gripped Xiao Zhian's clothes and laughed sadly: "Do you know? My fourth sister was only twelve years old. She was just concerned about me and secretly investigated Shen Congyun. She was killed by Shen Congyun's personal servant and the murder was staged as a suicide."
I see.
Xiao Zhian remained silent.
During the Shen family banquet, Lin Huaiyin drugged the servant, causing him to go insane in public. It was all to avenge her younger sister, Yu Li, and Xie Ao. When he saw through her scheme, he only thought she was ruthless for targeting a weak woman like Shen, and even stepped in to help the Shen family cover up the scandal by sending them a lot of money.
Xiao Zhian gritted his teeth, regretting it so much that he hadn't been able to help at all, and had instead been dragging Yinyin down the whole time.
"Zhi'an." Lin Huaiyin suddenly called to him, took Xiao Zhi'an's hand back, and smiled with her eyes curving. "Do you know why I must kill Princess Pingyang now? Because next, my second brother will lead his troops south, Shen Zaiyuan will embezzle military pay, Princess Pingyang will betray the country, my second brother will lose five cities, and countless soldiers and civilians will die. Shen Congyun will accuse my second brother of treason and recall him to the capital to be imprisoned. It was at that time that I was imprisoned in the imperial prison."
"You mean Pingyang colluded with Japan?"
Xiao Zhian's eyes were dark, and his shoulders slumped down in dejection.
He still had a superficial understanding of the venomous snakes he kept. He thought that Pingyang had murdered his father and brother to seize the throne, but that colluding with the enemy and betraying the country was truly appalling.
How can someone who wants to be emperor sell out the city and its people? If he can sell these things, what use is the throne if he seizes it?
At this point, Xiao Zhian finally understood—Pingyang didn't want anything at all; she just wanted to destroy everything.
The one who allowed Pingyang to entrenched herself by his side and devour the empire was Xiao Zhian himself. He used power and resources to personally feed Pingyang's ambition, sharpen her fangs, and turn her into a bloodthirsty viper.
He had wronged more than just the victims Yin Yin spoke of. Xiao Zhi'an recognized his sins: he was a sinner of the empire, deserving of ten thousand deaths.
Lin Huaiyin could completely understand Xiao Zhian's shock. She truly pitied him and kindly helped him lay things out clearly: "You were still alive then, and the southern expedition was your order. Princess Pingyang betrayed the country, and you should bear the infamy. Zhian, you are truly pitiful. You still dared to dream of a joint trial by the three judicial departments. I was in the imperial prison for ninety days, and Shen Congyun was outside conducting a joint trial by the three judicial departments, trying my Lin family. Do you know what the result was?"
Lin Huaiyin's eyes were red and alluring as she chuckled and mocked, "In the end, Zhao Changji of the Ministry of War fabricated evidence, and Shen Congyun sentenced my father to treason with you. The entire Lin family, including nine generations, was executed. Shen Congyun personally oversaw the execution. My Lin family, which has been loyal and devoted to the country for a hundred years, ended up being wiped out. My nephew was only two years old when his body was abandoned in the wilderness and eaten by wild dogs."
Lin Huaiyin smiled, her eyes fixed on the gloomy, dark prison cell of the Imperial Prison. The words of the jailer describing the corpses still echoed in her ears—the bones and flesh were rotten and stinking, and at a glance, it looked like animals had been gnawing on it. She dared not approach it. The limbs were scattered all over the ground, indistinguishable and incomplete. How could they be buried?
But Lin Huaiyin and her family are all blood relatives. She couldn't protect them in her past life, and now that they've finally reached this point, how can she sleep soundly if she doesn't take revenge?
No matter the cost, she cannot lose them again.
Tears fell silently, wetting Xiao Zhian's clothes.
"I'm sorry, Yinyin."
Xiao Zhian choked up, tilted his head back, and felt a sharp pain in his chest and lungs.
Imprisoned in the imperial prison, with his entire family wiped out, what excruciating pain that must have been! Xiao Zhian could only hold Lin Huaiyin tightly, unable to truly understand her suffering. The loss of his mother at the tender age of eight had already left a hole in his heart, and Lin Huaiyin's family members—Lin Zhenlie, Lin Cuiyue, Lin Shifeng… one by one, they had all died unjustly…
She didn't believe in the joint trial by the three judicial authorities, because it was a source of deep pain for her.
She killed Zhao Changji with an arrow; her desire for revenge was so unwavering. How could she tolerate Pingyang living in front of her?
The hatred for the extermination of her clan was irreconcilable. She and Pingyang were locked in a life-or-death struggle. As long as Pingyang lived, she would not be able to eat or sleep in peace.
So that day in the bedchamber, even though she knew that she couldn't explain it clearly and would be misunderstood, she still poisoned Pingyang.
Yinyin had been driven to madness by hatred, almost driven insane by Pingyang. Xiao Zhian painfully recalled that time when he intercepted the cup of poisoned tea, lashed out at her, and nearly strangled her. And today, he was intervening to stop Yinyin from killing Pingyang and avenging her great grudge.
That's damn good.
Damn it.
Xiao Zhian bent down and gently wiped away the tears on Lin Huaiyin's cheeks.
He finally understood Lin Huaiyin's extreme fear and hatred. She was almost drowning in the pain of the past, but he was blind to it and presumptuously talked to her about national affairs and politics, trying to force a useless future on her.
She doesn't need a false future; she needs to completely sever ties with the past.
Xiao Zhian's gaze was cold. He decided to be an accomplice; Yinyin needed an accomplice.
He wanted to use the entire empire he still had to turn to Yinyin, to help her avenge this blood feud. The father who planted the rotten and moldy poison in Pingyang's heart was the real culprit and should pay the price for it.
“Yinyin,” Xiao Zhian lifted Lin Huaiyin up and looked her in the eye, “I’ll be with you. Together, we’ll put an end to all of this. I’ll let you kill Pingyang yourself.”
"you."
Lin Huaiyin hesitated for a moment.
She didn't doubt Xiao Zhian's determination to become a demon with her at this moment. She just felt that things hadn't been fully explained, and there was something she wanted to ask Xiao Zhian about.
"You...don't you want to know how you ended up in your past life?" Lin Huaiyin asked.
"No." Xiao Zhian didn't want to hear the story of another man and Yinyin, even if it was his own past life.
“That’s enough, Yinyin, I know what to do.” Xiao Zhian tried to stop him.
"Mmm." Lin Huaiyin shook her head, her eyes red. "You took my jade hairpin, and I want to know what you're going to do with it."
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