Chapter 1

“A Que,” Shen Luo pulled Shen Que aside and whispered in his ear, “His Highness hasn’t had his evening meal yet today. He might not be in a good mood, so be extra careful.”

Shen Que nodded and then used sign language to ask, “Why is His Highness upset?”

Shen Luo lowered his eyes slightly, avoiding Shen Que’s gaze, “I’m not really sure…”

Holding a tray with one hand, Shen Que squeezed Shen Luo’s shoulder with the other, a gesture of comfort.

Just as he was about to turn and go inside, Shen Luo suddenly grabbed his wrist again, mouthing silently, “Maybe it’s because of you.”

Shen Que was taken aback.

Before he could react, Shen Luo continued with lip movements, “In any case, no matter what you see or encounter inside, stay calm.”

Shen Luo, usually carefree, looked at him with rare seriousness, making Shen Que inexplicably uneasy.

He had always been cautious and obedient, never daring to touch what the Prince forbade, not even in his dreams. Even with the Prince’s permission, he would avoid doing things if possible.

Thinking carefully, he had no family, no one to cause trouble for him. The tasks the Prince had entrusted to him recently were all handled without issue.

Could it be… the Prince discovered his secret?

No, it couldn’t be. He had hidden it for so many years, never telling anyone, not even Shen Luo.

Now it was Shen Luo’s turn to pat his back. Shen Que finally took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Shen Luo, and then lowered his head, stepping inside.

The hall was filled with a warm fragrance, a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of wax plum, but Shen Que still keenly detected an unusual smell.

It seemed like the smell of iron… blood.

Not just seemed, it was blood. He saw it.

A woman lay on the stone floor of the hall, face down in a pool of blood, her low bun disheveled, wearing a lotus-colored short jacket, clutching a plain silver hairpin in her hand, the tip sharpened to a point.

Ling Er was dead.

Just this morning, she had smiled and wished him a happy birthday, her breath forming white puffs in the cold air.

Her cheeks flushed from the cold, lips painted with rouge, warmth, laughter, such a vibrant life.

Shen Que felt a fog over his heart, not pain, just a daze.

He lowered his gaze, steadily placing the bowl of chicken soup noodles on the table, then removed the dust cover from it.

The person beside the table glanced at the noodles, seeing the clear broth with only a few drops of oil, a white egg without yolk resting on the plain noodles.

“You always pay attention to details,” Xie Shiguan smiled, “You remember I don’t eat egg yolks.”

Shen Que tried hard to control his gaze, not to glance at the woman’s body below, but in his mind, the image of her death was clear.

The Prince’s gaze swept over his face, then suddenly ordered, “Sit.”

Shen Que was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood, kneeling beside the table.

“Eat the noodles.”

Shen Que finally raised his head slightly, using sign language, “But this is prepared for you.”

Xie Shiguan said nothing, just stared into his eyes.

In just that moment, Shen Que hurriedly averted his gaze, obediently taking out a pair of bamboo chopsticks from his pouch, and began eating the noodles while kneeling.

Being watched by the Prince while eating, Shen Que felt his hair stand on end, his heart racing, and a slight sweat seemed to form on his forehead.

Shen Que thought the Prince would say something, but in fact, he said nothing, just silently watched him.

Just when Shen Que thought Xie Shiguan would remain silent, he suddenly spoke, “Do you recognize the person below?”

His sudden question made Shen Que’s wrist tremble slightly, spilling some noodle soup on the table.

Xie Shiguan frowned slightly, then knocked the bowl of noodles to the ground with a fan, the porcelain bowl shattering into pieces, and most of the soup splashed onto Shen Que’s robe.

Shen Que immediately bowed his head, signing quickly, “Your Highness, please calm down!”

Shen Luo, standing outside the hall, was startled by the noise, quickly whispering inside, “Your Highness?”

“Shut up.”

The Prince lowered his head, using the closed fan to lift Shen Que’s chin, “Answer my question, Shen Que.”

Shen Que immediately replied, “I know her.”

“She is… a maid from the outer residence. I met her by chance three years ago, and we are just acquaintances now. But she was always diligent and cautious, I saw it with my own eyes,” Shen Que said, suddenly unable to control himself, asking, “Your Highness, what crime did she commit?”

Xie Shiguan sneered, “Are you suggesting that I, the Prince, can’t distinguish right from wrong, and wronged such a diligent and cautious person?”

Shen Que was drenched in sweat, only able to bow his head.

“She’s just a maid with a signed contract. Whether I beat or kill her, it’s not your place to question.”

In his anxiety, Shen Que’s hands moved quickly, but Xie Shiguan didn’t understand, so he just watched Shen Que’s anxious expression.

When Shen Que’s hands stopped, Xie Shiguan leisurely said, “Just acquaintances, yet you gave her a silver hairpin, and she gave you a sachet. In public, it’s like this, who knows what happened in private.”

“The silver hairpin was a birthday gift. I’ve also given Shen Luo jade pendants and sword tassels, just gifts for friends, nothing more. As for the sachet, I didn’t accept it…”

Xie Shiguan laughed, asking, “If you had no intentions, why would she, a woman, shamelessly give you a sachet?”

Shen Que didn’t know how to explain.

The Prince was always sharp-tongued, while he couldn’t speak, his fingers moved, but he didn’t know how to prove his innocence.

“Maybe…” Shen Que said slowly, “Maybe it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Is it?”

Shen Que lowered his head again.

“Dispose of the body,” Xie Shiguan frowned slightly, “It’s a filthy smell.”

“Yes.” Shen Que immediately responded, but didn’t get up right away.

He knew he shouldn’t ask, but he still did, “Is it because I was too close to Ling Er, that Your Highness…”

Before Shen Que could finish his sign language, Xie Shiguan interrupted, “You shouldn’t speak.”

The words were cold, like the frost on the branches outside the hall.

He knew he shouldn’t ask anymore, so he went to Ling Er’s body, skillfully preparing it for burial.

After Shen Que carried Ling Er away, Xie Shiguan summoned Shen Luo.

“What are your orders, Your Highness?” Shen Luo leaned in.

“After Shen Que returns from burying the body,” Xie Shiguan said calmly, “kill him. In consideration of his years of service, leave his body intact and give him a proper burial.”

Shen Luo was initially stunned, then nodded, “Yes.”

Xie Shiguan paused, then added, “Make sure it’s clean, make it look like the work of the Miao family.”

“I will follow your orders.”

The words came out automatically, but Shen Luo felt his voice trembling unconsciously.

*

At dusk.

In winter, the sky darkens early, and after sunset, a light breeze picked up, with a few snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

According to usual practice, Ling Er’s body should have been stripped, her face disfigured, and thrown into a mass grave, but Shen Que couldn’t bear it. He bought a thin coffin for her, not daring to erect a tombstone, and buried her hastily in the outskirts.

Shen Que stood quietly in front of the small grave.

He didn’t have many friends in the Prince’s residence, only Shen Luo and Ling Er came to mind.

Besides these two, others probably found him dull, because he was mute and had a hidden ailment. He envied Shen Luo’s popularity, envied their ability to talk freely with others, but he didn’t dare.

After standing for a while, Shen Que took out a sachet from his sleeve, which he had picked up while preparing Ling Er’s body. It was made of ordinary material, embroidered with butterflies and flowers, the craftsmanship not refined, just like its owner, an ordinary maid.

He thought of Ling Er again.

This morning, Shen Que planned to practice swordsmanship at the training ground as usual.

On the way to the training ground, he had to pass by a pavilion in the middle of a lake. The lake was called “Jade Mirror,” a warm water lake that never froze, even in the coldest winter months.

From a distance, Shen Que saw a figure, wearing a lotus-colored short jacket, with a plain silver hairpin in her black bun, hands behind her back, head down, fiddling with something in the snow.

A faint smile appeared on Shen Que’s face, and he quietly walked up behind her.

Before he could tap her on the back, Ling Er seemed to sense him and turned around, immediately smiling, her small eyes squinting into slits. She spoke while signing, “Why are you standing behind me so quietly? Did I accidentally offend you, and you’re here to scare me on purpose?”

Shen Que smiled and signed, “What are you doing here so early in this cold weather?”

“In this cold weather, I’m actually quite warm,” Ling Er’s cheeks were rosy, half-jokingly, “You also got up this early, didn’t you?”

“I’m used to it,” Shen Que replied.

He was straightforward, a simple man, not noticing the rouge on Ling Er’s face, thinking she had a fever from the cold, kindly advising, “Your face looks unusually red today, you should ask Aunt Yun for a leave and rest for half a day.”

Ling Er was momentarily stunned, touching her cheeks, but instead of getting angry, she laughed even more heartily.

“You’re such a fool, it’s rouge.”

Shen Que watched her laugh. He liked people like Ling Er, plain-looking, without status or background, “ordinary” like him, yet she had a vibrant energy.

Over the years, besides Shen Luo, the only person in the residence he could connect with was this maid.

They silently looked at each other for a while, Shen Que truly like a fool, not sensing the sudden rise of an ambiguous atmosphere between them.

Finally, Ling Er sighed softly, then took out a brand new sachet from her sleeve, “I noticed your old one was worn, so I made a new one for you. It’s filled with osmanthus I dried in the autumn, with a few plum blossoms added…”

As she spoke, she tried to untie the sachet from Shen Que’s waist.

Only then did Shen Que realize something, hurriedly stepping back.

His mind was in turmoil, not daring to look into Ling Er’s eyes, only daring to look at her shoulder—he wasn’t young anymore, seeing his fellow guards gradually settling down, having partners, Shen Que sometimes envied them.

He harbored unspoken feelings for the Prince, but those feelings could only rot in his heart. There was no possibility between him and the Prince. Even having such thoughts was presumptuous and tainted. If he confessed, he would have to die to atone.

Thinking it over, Ling Er, with her low status and plain looks, was the most suitable maid for him in the residence.

Moreover, Ling Er was honest and lovable, never looking down on him for being mute, treating people warmly. If he were with her, he wouldn’t be lonely in the future.

But unfortunately, Shen Que’s affection for Ling Er was only that of a sister or friend. She was such a good girl, but he was not only mute, he also had an unspeakable defect.

He couldn’t ruin Ling Er’s life.

When Shen Que stepped back, Ling Er understood. Her eyes reddened, her pride and heart hurt.

After that, it was just a red and a white face, facing each other in silence. By the time Shen Que realized, Ling Er had already run away.

In just one day, everything had changed.

Shen Que felt a dull pain in his heart, then untied the sachet, pouring the dried flowers in front of Ling Er’s grave, burning the remaining pouch with some paper money.

Author’s Note:

[Next book preview “A Dog-Blood Sister-in-Law Literature” (Racking my brains, let’s call it this for now) seeking collection, synopsis below~]

Meeting Yu Yan again was at his brother’s funeral. The man held a black umbrella in one hand, caressing the black-and-white portrait on the tombstone with the other, a tear silently sliding down his pale face.

A distant cousin from the Chao family teased him, “Not bad, kid. With your brother gone, you’re the only one left in the Chao family. You’ll have whatever you want in the future.”

But he didn’t know, Chao Yi actually wanted nothing at that moment, only to lick away the tear on his sister-in-law’s cheek.

*

Yu Yan was the rose he kept in his heart.

In the previous life, from the first meeting, Chao Yi fell, almost unable to extricate himself from this forbidden love.

But he didn’t know the deep hatred Yu Yan harbored for him. What he thought was love was just Yu Yan’s calculated seduction and trap.

In just three years, Yu Yan deceived him to the point of ruin, losing his power, losing everything.

What truly pushed Chao Yi into the abyss of despair was finding a report in Yu Yan’s bag, clearly stating Yu Yan was pregnant, six weeks.

He confronted Yu Yan with the report, but Yu Yan just glanced at it, then said indifferently, “I aborted it.”

So Yu Yan really didn’t love him.

*

Chao Yi was reborn, opening his eyes, back at his brother’s funeral, seeing again the noble young master who haunted his dreams and whom he hated to the core.

His nominal sister-in-law.

Torn between love and hate, Chao Yi wanted to strangle his delicate neck, but he couldn’t bear to.

So he could only madly crave him, smashing the gem cufflinks his brother gave Yu Yan, even though they meant a lot to Yu Yan.

Then, in front of his brother’s spirit tablet, in the ancestral hall, in his brother and Yu Yan’s former marital bedroom…

“Do you regret it?” he asked.

“This whole family is mine,” he smiled, “and so are you, Yan Yan.”

Note:

1. Dog-blood drama (really, past life the receiver was scum, reborn the attacker is scum, both are infuriating).
2. Double male pregnancy.