Volume 1, Chapter 16: Becoming the Third Prince's Consort

Lin Chuyao’s heart sank at these words. She dragged her feet, moving slowly and doing her best not to make a sound. Casting a glance at the thicket not far away, she gritted her teeth and scrambled inside just before the figures in black drew near.

The pungent scent of damp earth and the sharp sting of thorns filled her senses. She curled herself as tightly as possible deep within the brush, shielding her body with a large, broad leaf. Tiny beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, which she wiped away gently with her sleeve. She held her breath, suppressing even the sound of her own heartbeat.

Nearby, two figures in black descended from the ridge. One said in a chilling voice, "She must be around here somewhere. Search thoroughly!"

One of them approached the thicket and let out a low, mocking laugh: "What good is hiding? She won't escape today." The other slowly thrust a torch into the bushes. As the light drew closer, Lin Chuyao could even feel sparks landing near her face.

She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to remain calm. Her wounds were already seeping blood, and the mixture of mud and gore left her shivering, yet she remained perfectly still, letting their footsteps pass right over her head.

"She's not here!" the man cursed. The torchlight gradually faded into the distance.

Lin Chuyao let out a sigh of relief, but she dared not linger for long. She knew that hiding like this was no solution; she had to find a way out.

She struggled to crawl out of the thicket and began moving slowly along the edge of the woods. Moonlight spilled onto a path ahead, which she identified as a branch of the main road. Dragging her injured leg, she made her way toward it.

The pain in her foot grew more intense with every step, as if she were treading on blades, but she forced herself to keep moving, repeating a single belief in her heart:

"I cannot die here... I absolutely cannot."

Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed from the woods ahead. Lin Chuyao tensed, instantly darting behind a large tree, her heart pounding like a drum. She fought to keep her composure, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled her hairpin from her clothes.

If the men in black caught up, she would fight to the death rather than surrender.

The hoofbeats drew closer, accompanied by a stern command: "Halt! There appears to be someone ahead."

Lin Chuyao started in shock. The voice was cold and hard, yet familiar—it was Han Feng, the Third Prince’s guard! She released her grip on the hairpin and poked her head out from behind the tree, calling out weakly, "Help..."

Seeing Lin Chuyao’s disheveled and battered state, Han Feng looked startled. He immediately dismounted and steadied her. "Doctor Lin! Are you injured?"

***

Lin Chuyao leaned weakly against Han Feng’s shoulder, her voice raspy. "Quick... take me away... they... they are right behind..." Before she could finish, she lost consciousness again.

The guard waved his hand. "Hurry! Escort Doctor Lin back to the city!" The others fanned out to maintain a perimeter, ensuring the men in black had not followed.

The room was silent, the moonlight from outside filtering through the wooden window, soft yet cold. Lin Chuyao slowly opened her eyes to the sight of a plain canopy.

She tried to prop herself up, but the pain throughout her body forced her to collapse back down, a soft groan escaping her throat. Hearing the movement, Shen Lingfeng, who had been leaning by the window, turned around. He was dressed in a green robe, clutching a folding fan, his expression uncharacteristically stern.

"Awake?" Shen Lingfeng asked quietly, maneuvering his wheelchair to the bedside.

Lin Chuyao looked at him, her voice faint. "Where is this?"

"An inn outside the city," Shen Lingfeng replied, sitting down and fixing his gaze on her pale face. "I had you brought here. It is quiet and safe for the time being."

Hearing this, Lin Chuyao was momentarily stunned, a complex, indescribable emotion swelling in her heart. She asked slowly, "My maid... did she go back to notify the Marquis’s estate? Did they send anyone to look for me?"

Shen Lingfeng was silent for a moment before shaking his head, his voice calm yet tinged with coldness: "The Marquis’s estate sent no one. They knew you had been taken by Princess Pingyang’s men, yet they chose to turn a blind eye, even deliberately avoiding the matter. Your survival has nothing to do with them."

These words struck Lin Chuyao like a thunderclap, and the color drained from her face instantly.

The last shred of hope she had harbored was crushed. She wanted to say something, but found her throat constricted, unable to utter a sound.

Shen Lingfeng watched her expression, a flicker of pity passing through his eyes. He gestured toward the medicine bowl on the table. "Drink your medicine first. Your wounds require rest; you cannot afford to exert yourself further."

Lin Chuyao seemed not to hear him. She lay there, dazed, her eyes rimmed with red, biting her lips to keep the tears from falling.

After a long time, she whispered, "That is fine. I will never hold any expectations for the Marquis’s estate ever again."

Her voice was weak and fractured, filled with deep grievance and pain.

***

Shen Lingfeng remained silent for a while before speaking in a low voice: "There are some who care only for profit and power; to them, family is merely a delusion. You need not be saddened by their indifference."

Lin Chuyao closed her eyes, tears spilling over. Her voice trembled: "But... it is my home... it was like this five years ago, and it is the same five years later... why do I always hope, hoping they might do even the smallest thing for me..."

Her voice trailed off, and she could no longer hold back her tears. She tried to wipe them away, but her injuries left her too weak to lift her arms, and the tears flowed silently down her cheeks.

Shen Lingfeng watched her, his brows knitting slightly. He raised a hand and picked up a clean handkerchief, gently dabbing away her tears.

"The Marquis’s estate is not worth your grief," he said, his tone softening in a way rarely seen. "If you need someone to lean on, perhaps you should try trusting me."

Lin Chuyao looked at him in a daze, her eyes still shimmering with tears. "Why would Your Highness save me? If Princess Pingyang finds out, you will offend her because of me."

Shen Lingfeng let out a cold laugh, his gaze icy. "What is Princess Pingyang? She cannot harm me, and she is even less worthy of touching you. Furthermore, I saved you because you are worth it."

The words were cold, yet they carried a weight that made Lin Chuyao’s heart tremble.

"Worth it?" she gave a bitter smile. "I am covered in wounds, abandoned even by my own kin; what value could I possibly have?"

Shen Lingfeng’s gaze grew even colder, yet his tone held a trace of certainty: "You use your own skills to save others; your medical expertise is unrivaled. The Marquis’s estate does not deserve to possess you, and you have no need to depend on them."

Hearing this, the heavy pressure in Lin Chuyao’s heart seemed to lift slightly.

She was silent for a moment before whispering, "I know Your Highness does this because of your leg injury; regardless of the reason, thank you for your comfort!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lingfeng’s eyes dimmed. He turned his head toward the window and said faintly, "Miss Lin, since the Marquis’s estate is so unreliable, have you considered other options?"

Lin Chuyao shook her head. "Other options? What other options could there be?"

"For instance... becoming the Third Prince’s consort..."