The night was cold as water, the moonlight dappled and shifting, casting a deathly pale glow upon the ground like the ghastly face of a specter.
Guan Shubai slumped in a corner of the prison cell. Moonlight streamed through the narrow window, illuminating her cheeks with a pallid grayish hue. Her white robe was stained with blood, the fabric at her back torn to shreds, revealing gruesome whip marks that snaked across her skin. Most horrifying of all were the fine chains piercing her collarbones, from which dark purple blood oozed with the slightest movement. The chains were exquisitely crafted, about the thickness of a thumb, engraved with intricate patterns and adorned with silver bells that jingled softly at the slightest stir, their clear, crisp sound echoing through the deathly silent cell.
Gu Jin'an had been inside for a long time. Though it was raining outside, it was still August, and the cold was not unbearable. Yet he wore a black cloak and deerskin boots trimmed with fur. Were it not for his excessively pale face, he would have been a handsome figure.
He stood there silently, watching Guan Shubai. The prison door was wide open, and only a few steps separated them—so close that it seemed he could reach out and touch the hem of her robe. In over twenty years of his life, he had never been this close to her. The night breeze drifted in, carrying the dampness unique to prisons, tousling his hair and making his face appear unnaturally pale.
"Does it hurt?"
Guan Shubai neither looked at him nor spoke. He took off his cloak, walked slowly to her, and draped it over her shoulders. Seeing the chains piercing her collarbones, he gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile and gently twisted one of them. "On the day my clan was exterminated, I was strung up like this too, crawling through Changxing Gate like a dog, watching my kin die under the blade. I know how much it hurts."
When Guan Shubai remained silent, Gu Jin'an chuckled softly and gently embraced her. "Xiao Bai, I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re too stubborn. I have no choice."
"I won’t give you the military tally," Guan Shubai retorted weakly, her voice cold and detached. "Give up."
"Who said I came for that?"
Gu Jin'an raised an eyebrow slightly, his fingers tracing her chapped lips as he whispered, "I remember you were always afraid of thunderstorms when you were little. It’s thundering and raining outside now—I came to keep you company."
With that, he leaned in and kissed her neck. Disgusted, Guan Shubai raised her hand to strike him, but Gu Jin'an seized the chain piercing her collarbones and gave it a gentle tug. Instantly, pain shot through her, leaving her limbs weak and limp. A sharp cry escaped her lips, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down her temples. Gu Jin'an captured her mouth with his, swallowing her cries of agony. With one hand pulling the chain and the other deftly unfastening her clothes, he cupped her fair, soft breast and murmured with a low laugh, "Xiao Bai, did he kiss you like this too?"
"Get away from me!"
Guan Shubai’s voice was hoarse with rage. The pain was so intense she nearly passed out, her eyes red-rimmed, yet she stubbornly refused to shed a tear.
Gu Jin'an’s fingers roamed in circles over her lower abdomen, then finally lifted the hem of her skirt and ventured downward.
"He has so many women—how could he possibly spare a thought for you? On a stormy night like this, who is here to hold you?"
The fabric tore with a sharp sound. Gu Jin'an chuckled softly and pressed his body against her soft, snow-white form.The flickering lamplight cast a dim, murky glow. Gu Jin'an's eyes were bloodshot, like a ferocious beast, as he whipped and took from Guan Shubai. Guan Shubai bit her lip tightly, refusing to make a sound, her limbs struggling desperately, yet there was no escape—only more blood gushed out, dark purple and black like crushed rose juice.
It was like an indescribable nightmare. The sound of their bodies colliding rotted in the air, one after another, slicing through the senses like a lingering death. Guan Shubai's resistance grew weaker, her eyes turning hollow. Her long hair was ground into the filthy mud, stained with blood, emitting a salty, metallic smell.
After what felt like an eternity, Gu Jin'an finally let out a satisfied groan. In his ecstasy, he kissed Guan Shubai's bloodied lips and chuckled softly, "Xiao Bai, you're finally mine. Are you happy?"
Gu Jin'an kissed her affectionately, then took out a bottle of medicinal ointment and carefully applied it to her wounds. He dressed her, draped a heavy cloak over her, and held her as he sat down to chat.
He spoke at length, mostly about their childhood—the weather back then, their friends, and mischievous antics. His tone was so cheerful, like that of a young man in his late teens. Finally, he laid her on the ground, pinched her nose with a doting expression, and said with a laugh, "Wait a little longer. Once I kill him with my own hands, I'll come take you home."
Then he left, finally gone. The sound of his footsteps grew fainter and fainter, so distant they gradually faded away, as if he would never return.
Guan Shubai lay there motionless and silent, utterly unresponsive. The surroundings were eerily quiet, only the faint jingle of the bell on her shoulder blade drifting in the air, making the emptiness feel even more vast.
She lay there, as if deaf to the outside world, feeling only that this night was endlessly long—as long as a lifetime. She had known this day would come, ever since the rebels breached the palace gates. Did she feel shame? Disgust? Or perhaps so filthy she wanted to die?
"Heh heh..."
Guan Shubai let out a cold laugh, but the sound was hoarse and terrifying, like that of an eighty-year-old crone.
So filthy, filthy to the point of being mired in mud.
She closed her eyes, her eye sockets burning as if on fire, scorching and dry—so dry she couldn't even shed tears. She only wanted to lie there, to die there, letting all this foul, repulsive, vile, and lowly filth be buried in this murky night!
She bit her lip so hard it nearly pierced through.
What would others do in her place? Weep and wail? Grieve to the point of despair? Scream curses? Or dash their heads against a stone, like the Empress, dying cleanly and decisively?
But she couldn't die yet.
He was still waiting for her. If she died, what would become of him?
She moved her numb hand, turning her wrist over. Hidden in the withered grass was an unsheathed dagger. In the moonlight, the character "An" engraved on the hilt was faintly visible.
She sat up, clutching the dagger, and let out a soft, eerie laugh.
Guan Shubai walked to the cell door and swung the blade at the chains. The lock snapped open with a sharp crack—truly, it could slice through iron as if through mud.The prison cell outside the door was littered with sleeping guards, clearly drugged. A man like him would never let his shameful deeds be witnessed. Guan Shubai sneered coldly as she walked past, yet no one woke.
Leaning against the prison door, her face pale, she gasped softly for breath. A sourness rose in her throat, and the thick scent of blood made her nauseous. Pressing a hand to her lower abdomen, her expression involuntarily softened. She had discovered her pregnancy just after he left. The palace intrigues ran too deep—she had already lost one child. This time, she was even more cautious. Moreover, with him away from the palace and her relationship with the Empress as hostile as fire and water, she concealed all news of her condition to protect herself and the child. Aside from a few trusted confidantes in her palace, no one else knew. Never did she imagine she would end up in such a predicament.
"Don’t be afraid," she whispered. "Your mother will protect you."
The night wind swept in, lifting the dark hair at Guan Shubai’s temples. She took a deep breath. "I will protect you."
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