Chapter 13: Forbidden Longing
A bed so large, yet only for two…

Yun Chu gazed at the woman before him.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her full lips were rich and red, and her face was soft and serene. Her eyes held a vivid light, lively and full of spirit, like verdant bamboo.

Yet, she felt unfamiliar.

Perhaps because he had never paid attention to the eyes of the Eldest Princess of Great Chu.

He only remembered, in the days after he had exacted his revenge and destroyed Chu, how he would meet her gaze as he pressed her beneath him, indulging in the sight of her fear and helplessness.

It had been exhilarating—watching her fall from grace, begging for survival in his hands, reduced to a pitiful existence.

There was a perverse satisfaction in it, a sense of vengeance fulfilled. Yet, no matter how much he took, he could never feel satisfied.

But what if she was not as powerless as he had thought?

Yun Chu’s eyes flickered.

Now, she stood above all others.

Back then, did the Eldest Princess of Great Chu ever look at him with such warmth?

No.

In his previous life, she had never once shown him a shred of mercy.

Yet now, after being reborn, everything seemed different.

Other than the punishment on the first day, Li Yunli had been exceedingly kind to him—so much so that it felt like she was deliberately making amends.

Almost as if… she had also been reborn.

The thought struck Yun Chu like a bolt of ice, leaving his limbs cold and numb.

If he could return to the past, could she as well?

If she had also come back from the future, at what point had she returned?

Did she know that he had succeeded in his revenge? Did she know that he had later imprisoned her? Did she remember the night when he lost control and brutally tormented her?

She…

Yun Chu’s breath hitched.

A moment of silence passed, and then a terrifying realization surfaced in his mind.

Why had she refused to allow Ah Si into the manor?

Why had she ordered people to secretly monitor his letters to Ah Si?

Why had she taken the initiative to leave for Yongzhou, and why had she brought him along instead of leaving him in the capital?

In just a few blinks of an eye, Yun Chu felt as if he had fallen into an abyss of ice.

Every step she had taken… had been in response to what he would do in the future.

She was cautious.

Slowly, inch by inch, he lowered his head. His concealed pupils were filled with cracks, his gaze drowning in silent despair.

She was guarding herself against him.

“Your Highness.” His voice was hoarse as he knelt. “Punish me.”

Li Yunli sighed.

It was rare for her consort to open his heart. Expressing one’s feelings correctly was not a crime, but unfortunately, the original owner of this body had been too violent. Now, even a simple conversation had conditioned him to expect punishment.

“Get up, I will not punish you,” she said gently, extending a hand to lift him up. She smiled. “I’m glad you’re willing to tell me these things.”

“Then, Your Highness,” Yun Chu took a deep breath, “are you willing to trust me?”

Trust?

Li Yunli paused.

She assumed he had been ignored for too long, and now that he was being treated kindly, he sought a sense of presence.

If that were the case, it was a good thing.

“You have never wronged me,” she said. “Naturally, I am willing to trust you.”

Her words were flawless—neither an admission nor a rejection.

But…

He had wronged her.

However, at this very moment, the reborn version of himself had not yet done anything.

Fate was cruel, yet oddly merciful.

He feared that she knew what had happened in their past life, yet he was relieved that, for now, she chose to trust him.

But he did not dare to gamble.

He was like a traveler walking the fine line between light and darkness at dusk.

He did not dare to test her further, afraid that she truly was just like him—a soul returned from the past.

He especially did not dare to let her know that he, too, had been reborn.

He coveted her, like a man in darkness yearning for the first light of dawn—wanting to possess her, yet terrified of losing her.

So he simply said, “No.”

Yun Chu met her gaze, his eyes as calm as still water. “I have never wronged Your Highness.”

“Good. Then I am willing to trust you.”

Li Yunli’s response was crisp and decisive.

She spread out a blank sheet of paper, dipped her brush in ink, and casually spoke, as if making idle conversation.

“I recently received a military pigeon’s report. Yongzhou has suffered successive floods and may soon face a disaster. I was the first to request permission to go, and only later did the Imperial Preceptor cast a divination in my manor. If someone deliberately wants me out of the capital, what do you think will happen next?”

Yun Chu’s heart pounded.

Why was she telling him this?

Was she suspicious of something?

Li Yunli smiled faintly at the blank paper, not even glancing at him.

“Consort, what do you think?”

Since he had already revealed his thoughts, she needed to see his sincerity.

After all, the secret message beneath the southern wall had once existed.

She had to determine whether Yun Chu harbored deep resentment and was merely feigning loyalty, or if he genuinely held feelings for her.

She was too calm, like a merchant sitting at the negotiation table, patiently waiting for the other party to reveal their hand.

Once he took one step back, there would inevitably be a second.

Yun Chu lowered his head, then reached for the brush.

“If I were to set the trap,” he wrote, “I would ensure that Your Highness is surrounded by enemies, forcing you to leave the capital alone.”

Li Yunli raised a brow and gestured for him to continue.

Yun Chu, having gained approval, let his brush dance across the paper.

“Your Highness and His Majesty share a bond as siblings. If His Majesty permits you to leave now, once word of Yongzhou’s disaster reaches the capital, he will hesitate. At that time, he will have to choose between rescinding his order or sending troops to protect you—neither of which is what the Empress Dowager and the Marchioness of Yongcheng want to see.”

“So?”

“So,” Yun Chu marked an ‘X’ between the lines connecting the Eldest Princess’s manor and Yongcheng Marquis’s estate, “whoever is orchestrating this will obstruct the Emperor’s judgment—either by making him believe Your Highness has sufficient forces to protect yourself, or by forcing Your Highness to commit a grave mistake, making the trip to Yongzhou a chance to redeem yourself rather than an opportunity for assistance.”

Li Yunli chuckled.

“You are certain you want to criticize me?”

“Forgive my impudence.”

“It’s fine. Continue.”

Yun Chu’s analysis was meticulous and correct.

At this moment, Li Yunli no longer doubted his sincerity.

He was not blackened yet.

She had pulled him back—just in time.

Not easy. It had taken over a month, but at last, there was progress.

“Sleep now,” she said.

Yun Chu hesitated. “Should I… serve Your Highness in resting?”

Li Yunli pointed behind her.

Yun Chu followed her gaze and saw that the bed was already set with two quilts.

He blinked.

Such a large bed… yet only two separate blankets.

Unfair.

But when he turned, Li Yunli had already wrapped herself snugly and fallen into steady breathing.

So young, yet falling asleep so quickly.

Yun Chu turned over, staring at the carved flowers on the canopy.

Then he looked at her sleeping face, calm and peaceful.

Suddenly, she furrowed her brows.

She was dreaming.