Chapter 2 – Begging for Help

Not far away, a guard saw them trying to escape and immediately shouted, “Stop!!”

He called out to the other groups of guards and charged toward Shu Ruohua and her maidservant.

Several guards, all well-trained men, quickly caught up.

At this point, Shu Ruohua was in an awkward situation.

Because she was too fat, running was extremely difficult for her.

By now, she was drenched in sweat.

Her face was flushed red, and she bent over, panting heavily as she came to a halt. “I can’t do it, Qian Ning… I really can’t run anymore.”

Even though escaping had been her own idea, Shu Ruohua was now utterly defeated by the fat body of the original host.

Qian Ning, although not overweight, was also exhausted and unable to continue running.

Seeing the guards getting closer, Qian Ning quickly grabbed Shu Ruohua and dragged her forward again. “My lady, escaping from the Cold Palace is punishable by death!”

In other words, she was urging her mistress to keep running—getting caught would mean the end.

Shu Ruohua felt a buzzing in her head. Upon hearing the words “punishable by death,” goosebumps covered her entire body.

An overwhelming sense of despair pressed down on her chest.

She had just died once in the modern world—she couldn’t afford to die so casually again in this ancient one!

Panicked, she hurried to follow Qian Ning and continued fleeing.

To stay alert of their pursuers, she kept glancing back from time to time.

As they ran…

Qian Ning suddenly came to a screeching halt.

Shu Ruohua, who was being pulled along, had no warning. Her fat body lost its balance under its own momentum, and she stumbled uncontrollably forward.

In the next moment, something that felt like a cudgel slammed heavily into her shoulder, and a wave of sharp pain surged through her body.

Instinctively clutching her chest, she raised her eyes—only to see a stunningly handsome man.

The man wore a white robe, stood tall and proud, his hair tied up with a jade crown, exuding an air of nobility and elegance.

His pale, finely sculpted face featured chiseled features, his beauty nearly surreal—but…

His jet-black eyes were as cold and deep as an icy lake, emitting a chilling aura.

…

Behind her, the sounds of the pursuing guards grew louder and louder.

Shu Ruohua didn’t have time to take a good look at the man. Her heart was in turmoil as she prepared to run again—but suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her.

With a “thud,” she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The man’s expression darkened instantly upon seeing that the person who had fallen was Shu Ruohua.

“I deserve a thousand deaths!” the guard Zhong Zihan, who stood nearby, immediately dropped to one knee in remorse.

The man was none other than Xiao Che, Crown Prince of Tianqi.

Today, Zhong Zihan had been accompanying the Crown Prince back to the palace. Just as they returned, they heard guards shouting nearby, and then Shu Ruohua suddenly charged at them.

In the heat of the moment, Zhong Zihan mistook her for an assassin.

Thankfully, he had only struck her with the hilt of his sword as a precaution, and she hadn’t been seriously hurt.

…

“Your Highness, please, I beg you, save my mistress,” Qian Ning suddenly rushed over, kneeling before the Crown Prince, her eyes brimming with tears.

Xiao Che didn’t speak. His expression grew darker.

A moment later…

He coldly glanced at Zhong Zihan and said in a low voice, “Get up.”

Zhong Zihan stiffened. He hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to spare him from punishment.

He instinctively looked up—only to meet the Prince’s piercing gaze, sharp enough to kill. Realizing something instantly, he got up quickly and helped move the unconscious Shu Ruohua aside so Qian Ning could tend to her.

…

“Stop! Don’t run!!” The guards’ voices came again, echoing right behind them.

As they spoke, a group of uniformed guards ran over.

But when they saw who was standing before them, they immediately fell to their knees. “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Mm,” Xiao Che replied coldly, saying no more.

Zhong Zihan, watching the Prince’s expression closely, gave a subtle nod, understanding what needed to be done.

He stepped forward. “You may return to your duties.”

With that, he motioned for the guards to leave.

The guards were utterly confused. They had clearly been chasing two unidentified people—so why were they suddenly dismissed?

Still, since the order came from the Crown Prince himself, none of them dared to question it. They scattered in a hurry.

Once the guards were gone, Xiao Che’s expression turned even more grim.

He frowned—just now, that woman in ragged clothes who nearly fell on him was Shu Ruohua, his Crown Princess.

But he had only been away from the Eastern Palace for just over half a month—how had Shu Ruohua ended up looking like that?

Zhong Zihan was equally baffled. During the time he had accompanied the Crown Prince outside the palace, he hadn’t received any news from the Eastern Palace.

…

As they pondered, Qian Ning came running back again.

She fell to her knees with a thud and cried out, pleading, “Your Highness, I beg you, please save my mistress!”

Save her?

Xiao Che indeed sensed something was wrong. His dark eyes narrowed sharply. “What happened?”

…