Chapter 88: Cold Exterior, Soft Heart
“Take him away.”

Yun Chu was trapped in a dream as soft as clouds.

His entire body was wrapped in a mist-like haze, neither touching the sky nor the ground, as if his soul had drifted away from his body—floating, dazed.

He moved his fingers slightly—

And suddenly grabbed a handful of straw.

Struggling, Yun Chu opened his eyes. Pain spread instantly through his nerves, awakening his muscles.

He was lying on a hard wooden bed inside a prison cell, his fingers unconsciously clenched from the pain, gripping the straw beneath him.

Pain radiated from every inch of his body. His arms were covered in whip marks, the wounds from the previous day had barely scabbed over.

Still alive.

He stared at the straw in his palm, his thoughts bitter.

After yesterday’s torture, he had thought death was inevitable.

Yet he had survived another day.

He tried to lift his body, searching for the little white cat.

It had been with him before he lost consciousness under the punishment.

Had he scared it away?

His body was weak. Yun Chu forced himself to look around, but the cat was nowhere to be seen.

He tried to call out, but before he could make a sound, a chilling noise echoed through the cell.

“Clang—clank.”

His body stiffened instantly.

He knew that sound all too well—it was the guards preparing to unlock the cell door.

Was it time for another round of torture?

Yun Chu instinctively looked toward the small window. The outside world was already bright.

He froze for a moment before the realization hit him—he had been unconscious for that long.

Despite the extended rest, the moment he woke up, he was faced with another round of punishment.

Staring at the sliver of light coming through the window, Yun Chu propped himself up slightly and let out a bitter laugh.

He knew his own body best.

He wouldn’t survive today’s torture.

A heavy bitterness filled his chest, along with the suffocating presence of death.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, determined not to lose dignity in his final moments.

When he opened his eyes again, the cell door would open, sealing his fate.

Just then, something flickered in his vision.

Yun Chu’s gaze fell to the ground near the cell door.

What was that?

A dark shadow, something smooth and rounded, caught the dim light and reflected a strikingly bright, deep red gleam.

His heart trembled.

…This was?

He had personally polished a few red jade beads in the Western Territory before. He knew with certainty—only jade from Yanling had this uniquely luminous quality in the dark.

And this was the innermost prison of the Ministry of Justice.

Had Li Yunli been here?!

The thought took root like a seed hitting the ground, dulling even the pain in his body. A sudden burst of strength surged through him, and he struggled to get off the wooden bed!

His heart pounded violently. His body, however, was weak—he barely took two steps before collapsing onto the cold ground.

Pain shot through him as his wounds pressed against the hard floor, momentarily blackening his vision. Yet he forced himself forward, crawling toward the cell door.

One thought overpowered even his fear of death:

He had to pick up that red jade bead! Even if he died today, he had to take it with him!

Li Yunli had been here! She had come!

Yun Chu crawled desperately, but before he could reach it, the prison guards burst through the door and pressed him down.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Hold him down!”

Let go!

Yun Chu tried to scream, but his throat was too hoarse—no sound came out.

His body had been pushed beyond its limits under torture. He had lost his voice.

His arms were forcefully restrained. The guards, caught off guard by his sudden movement, assumed he was trying to escape. Without hesitation, they dragged him toward the interrogation room.

“Let… let me go!”

Yun Chu dug his fingers into the ground, not even registering the pain as his nails cracked and bled.

His strength had long since drained away. He couldn’t fight back. Yet he struggled with everything he had, trying to reach for that tiny glimmer of red.

The guards had seen too many prisoners in their final struggles. To them, it was just another deathly fear of punishment. They were used to it, their hearts hardened by the job.

“No… no!”

Yun Chu clung desperately to the cell door, panic gripping him as he was dragged outside.

“Strange, isn’t it?” One of the guards spat. “Didn’t make a sound for two days, thought he was a tough one. Turns out he’s just scared like the rest of them!”

Another guard flicked his whip, snapping it in the air with a sharp crack, laughing.

The sound was deafening. Yun Chu didn’t even register it. His mind had shrunk to only two things—his broken body and that unreachable, glimmering red bead.

He crawled forward, yet it felt like the jade was getting further away.

A hallucination.

“Urgh…!”

The whip lashed across his back, reopening his wounds, fresh blood soaking through his torn clothes.

The guards were merciless, their hands trained for cruelty.

Another lash.

His body slammed into the ground. Darkness flashed before his eyes as his vision spun.

The guards no longer dragged him out, agreeing with the suggestion to punish him at the cell door instead.

It was effective. The brutal whip strikes had left him too weak to move.

Despair and helplessness filled his chest.

“Stop…” His lips trembled. “Please… stop…”

All he wanted was to hold that bead.

Even that was too much to ask.

Tears slipped down his face, landing on the cold ground, leaving tiny wet spots.

“Stop… please… I beg you…”

The feeling of life slipping away was overwhelming. Strength and spirit drained under the cruel lashes, as if his very soul wanted to escape his body.

Even lifting an arm was impossible. Yun Chu stretched out his fingers—

Please… stop… I beg you…

Then, for a brief moment, everything stopped.

There was no sound.

Just like the eerie stillness before death.

His body felt light.

Suddenly, he wasn’t in pain anymore. He could move.

Desperately, he crawled forward. His fingertips finally brushed against the jade bead.

His heart pounded wildly. He curled his fingers around it, pulling it close. A weak sob escaped his throat.

His blurred vision was useless, but his touch confirmed it—it was real.

A bitter, metallic taste filled his mouth, and blood spilled from his lips.

His body collapsed. With one hand, he clutched the bead, pressing it to his chest like a precious heirloom, wiping away the bloodstains, terrified someone would take it away.

Silence.

He didn’t even realize—

The whipping had stopped.

Song Tunan stood behind him, his brows furrowed, expression unreadable.

The cell door was wide open.

Sunlight streamed in, flooding the dark prison with blinding brightness.

“Your Highness.”

Song Tunan stepped aside.

Li Yunli strode in, clad in light armor, dust still clinging to her boots.

Behind her, the prison gate was wide open. Sunlight poured in.

The guards paled and dropped to their knees in terror.

Li Yunli’s face was unreadable as she swept a cold gaze over the kneeling guards. Then she looked ahead.

Yun Chu squinted against the light.

Clutching the bead to his chest, he looked up—like a tattered doll—his face filthy.

But he saw nothing.

He heard nothing.

He knelt, then collapsed, completely unconscious.

Song Tunan hesitated, reaching out, but awkwardly pulled back his hand, glancing at Li Yunli.

“Take him away.”

Her expression remained cold.

Her guards obeyed, carefully lifting Yun Chu and carrying him out.

Li Yunli stood in place, staring at the prison cell.

She didn’t know why she had come.

Maybe it was because of Ji Wenxun’s words. Maybe she just couldn’t let go.

Or maybe she simply didn’t want to lose a warm bedmate.

Either way, when she woke up from her drunken haze this morning—she couldn’t forget.

Taking him away… she might regret it later.

But if he died today—

She would definitely regret it.