After beating someone up, Su Su ran to the doorway and shouted, "Someone, come quickly! His Majesty is injured!"
The night was disturbed. Before the palace lanterns were lit, countless shadowy figures had already flown into the palace.
Leading them were Nian Bai Yu and Nian Muning. Su Su stepped aside as the Night Shadow Guards appeared one by one.
Nian Muning caught sight of the young man lying in a pool of blood and nearly cried out.
The Emperor was covered in blood, his black robes slightly disheveled, with even a wound on his face. His body trembled faintly.
When Nian Muning moved to support him, her hand was brushed aside.
Then she watched as the young emperor propped himself up on his elbows and sat up. Tantai Jin raised his narrow eyes, his skin unnaturally pale.
His gaze swept around the hall and quickly landed on the instigator.
Su Su, dressed in pink and white robes, stood by the doorway, watching him with a calm expression as if nothing had happened.
He pressed his lips together and stared coldly at her, blood streaming down from his temple.
The eunuch, frightened by the bruises and blood on the young emperor's face, hurried to summon the imperial physician.
Tantai Jin wanted to speak but found his throat blocked, unable to utter a single word.
The Sorcery had not yet worn off. He was still unbearably itchy—unable to even touch a brush to write, let alone endure anyone touching him.
Catching Su Su's glance, unwilling to dwell on the recent sensations, he coldly closed his eyes.
The young man in black robes shut his dark lashes, his lips pale pink.
He had always possessed a strikingly handsome, ascetic beauty, and his cold demeanor resembled that of a Buddha who had fallen to the mortal realm.
Nian Muning was momentarily dazed.
Su Su gazed out at the boundless night. Most of the Night Shadow Guards had been drawn here, and Tantai Jin was in no state to command them to pursue anyone. She hoped Lord Pang and the others had managed to escape safely.
By the time the imperial physician arrived, the Sorcery had faded. After much effort, Tantai Jin's wounds finally stopped bleeding.
Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.
The curved jade worriedly said, "Young mistress, you treated him like this. When he wakes, will he punish you?"
Su Su replied, "I don't know."
The Night Shadow Guards prioritized Tantai Jin's safety above all else, and now almost all of them were stationed outside the hall.
Su Su was also concerned that this situation might spiral out of control.
She wasn't afraid of Tantai Jin venting his anger on her, but she feared Old Madam Ye might be implicated.
Nian Muning approached and coldly demanded of Su Su, "Who injured His Majesty?"
They had been guarding outside, and Tantai Jin possessed many protective artifacts. He was inherently vigilant, and with the Eighth Prince still at large, it was impossible for His Majesty to be caught off guard so easily.
A thought occurred to Nian Muning, her eyes darkening as she glared sharply at Su Su. "His Majesty despises betrayal above all."
Su Su very much wanted to say, "He begged me to do it."
But Nian Muning had no interest in hearing her explanation. She said coldly, "Arrest her!"
Nian Bai Yu interjected, "Muning!"
Nian Muning angrily retorted, "His Majesty must have been harmed by this enchantress! If there truly were assailants, why is His Majesty injured while this enchantress remains unharmed?"
Nian Bai Yu said, "We should still wait for His Majesty to wake before taking action."
Nian Muning, incensed, declared, "Arrest her! I will bear full responsibility for the consequences!"
Seeing that he couldn't stop his sister, Nian Bai Yu frowned at Su Su but said nothing more. In truth, he also suspected Third Miss Ye was involved.
Su Su was imprisoned.
Since coming to the mortal realm, this was her first time in a dungeon.
Rats squeaked, and the dungeon was damp and dark. Su Su sat cross-legged, unfazed by the hardship.
Tantai Jin would find no evidence, yet this incident was inevitably tied to Su Su.The curved jade said, "I'm here with you, little mistress. Don't be afraid."
Su Su smiled. "I'm not afraid. My relationship with Tantai Jin has reached a point where destruction precedes reconstruction. He's always been wary of me, so this situation isn't necessarily bad."
If his emotion was dislike, then extreme dislike turning into hatred could be considered another approach.
If... it was love.
When a man's boundaries keep lowering, his heart will eventually be pried open.
"Ah! The pearl tears are faintly taking the shape of nails!"
Su Su looked and indeed saw nine golden nails vaguely forming in a row within the pearl tears.
The dungeon was dark, with no sunlight penetrating inside. Fortunately, the pearl tears were warm, and the curved jade would naturally warm Su Su's body.
No one brought her food, nor did anyone come to interrogate her.
Su Su guessed that Tantai Jin probably hadn't woken up yet.
Occasional painful sighs could be heard around her. Su Su calculated the time and estimated it was already dawn outside.
Tantai Jin didn't come, but Nian Muning did.
"Lord Nian?"
"Was it you who caused last night's incident?"
Su Su said, "It was me, but the situation was special at the time. I had no choice. Why doesn't Lord Nian ask His Majesty?"
Nian Muning's expression wasn't good.
Su Su sensed something had happened: "What's wrong?"
Nian Muning gave her an ambiguous look and said, "Princess Zhaohua came to care for His Majesty last night and has been attending to him without rest until now."
It was already noon outside.
Remembering that Ye Bingshang was Princess Zhaohua, Su Su slowly said, "Oh."
Nian Muning said, "His Majesty is having lunch with her and hasn't mentioned you at all."
Su Su smiled: "What does Lord Nian want to say?"
Nian Muning pressed her lips together: "Do you really not intend to harm His Majesty?"
Su Su paused: "No." No, she would.
Nian Muning opened the cell door and said coldly, "Come out."
Su Su looked at her in surprise. Nian Muning walked ahead of her and said in an unfriendly tone, "Compared to you, I dislike that Princess Zhaohua even more."
Su Su said, "But didn't Lord Nian say that if I appeared before Princess Zhaohua, it would sadden her?"
Nian Muning said, "I've crossed swords with Prince Xuan. He was a peerless hero. Even someone like him couldn't earn Princess Zhaohua's deep love, so she can't possibly be sincere toward His Majesty."
So in Nian Muning's heart, Ye Bingshang posed a greater threat than Su Su.
After all, a soft knife is harder to guard against than a hard one when it comes to hurting people.
Su Su followed Nian Muning out into the drizzling rain.
The late January rain carried a chill.
Noon had passed. When they returned to Chengqian Palace, before Su Su could step inside, she heard the sound of someone reading.
Ye Bingshang was softly reading a folk tale in a gentle, melodious tone that sounded quite tender.
Nian Muning pushed Su Su: "Go in."
Su Su stumbled, suspecting she did it on purpose. The stone-faced girl wanted to see her clash with Ye Bingshang.
Su Su had been observing Nian Muning lately and found that she now only cared about Tantai Jin's safety, with no trace of her previous infatuation. She had truly become a loyal subordinate.
Including Ye Chu Feng, who was now also completely loyal to Tantai Jin. If Su Su didn't know that the young Demon God couldn't use demonic power, she would suspect Tantai Jin had replaced their brains.
Her stumbling entrance into the main hall was too conspicuous. Ye Bingshang stopped reading and looked over in surprise.
Her beautiful eyes widened, and after a moment she exclaimed in disbelief, "Third Sister!"Su Su straightened up and greeted her with a feigned smile. "Eldest Sister."
"You... how could you..." Before Ye Bingshang could finish her sentence, another icy voice cut in.
"Who allowed you in? Get out!"
Su Su glanced at Tantai Jin. He pressed a hand to his lips, coughing several times, his gaze gloomy as he watched her. Su Su suddenly recalled last night—how he had curled up and prostrated at her feet, begging her to strike him.
The contrast was too stark. Alright then, he probably genuinely wished to strangle her now.
Truthfully, Su Su didn’t care whether he had any involvement with Ye Bingshang.
If Ye Bingshang could teach Tantai Jin about love, it might not be such a bad thing.
Having reasoned this through, her expression remained calm. Without even looking at them, she said, "Carry on. I’ll get out right away."
Just as she was about to step over the threshold, the young man behind her spoke indifferently.
"Summon someone. Bring Old Madam Ye here."
Su Su’s steps faltered. She whipped her head around to see Tantai Jin staring at her with detached coldness, as if daring her to step outside—threatening to harm Old Madam Ye if she did.
Su Su thought inwardly, Wasn’t it Tantai Jin who told her to get out? Now that she was leaving, he was using her grandmother to threaten her!
Tantai Jin said, "Does Third Miss Ye have nothing to explain?"
Su Su replied, "What have I done wrong that requires an explanation?"
Tantai Jin let out a cold laugh, enunciating each word sharply. "Third Miss Ye possesses remarkable courage and skill. I wonder if Pang Yi Zhi will feel grateful to you. Get back to your cell and stay there. You won’t leave until I have found the person!"
Su Su studied his expression. The dark-robed young man’s face was stern, simmering with a terrifying rage. He actually knew about Pang Yi Zhi’s existence!
And he was certain she had deliberately drawn the Night Shadow Guard to help the man escape.
Perhaps on a deeper level, he had meticulously planned to capture Xiao Lin’s Hidden Dragon Guards, but Su Su had ruined his scheme last night.
Ye Bingshang’s gaze lingered on Su Su’s maid attire, and she spoke with pity. "Your Majesty... why treat Third Sister this way? She was merely immature before. Could it be that Your Majesty still holds a grudge? She was cherished like precious jade while growing up—how could she possibly know how to serve others?"
Tantai Jin turned to Ye Bingshang, his tone softening considerably, devoid of the earlier chill and gloom. "She is not like you. Her crimes are unforgivable. I know you are kind-hearted, but there’s no need to speak on her behalf."
Without sparing them another glance, Su Su strode out of Chengqian Hall.
Nian Muning looked at her. Su Su said, "I’ve been thrown out. His orders are for you to lock me up again."
Nian Muning frowned. "You didn’t admit your fault?"
She had hoped Su Su would show some remorse, but instead, Su Su had not only refused to yield but had also openly defied the Emperor.
Su Su returned to the prison cell, and this time, Nian Muning didn’t dare release her.
She grew faint with hunger, losing track of how much time had passed.
Finally, a young palace maid entered and urged her to eat.
Su Su picked up her chopsticks, paused, then set them down without taking a single bite. Listlessly, she lay back down.
The curved jade anxiously asked, "What’s wrong, little master?"
A mortal body suffers greatly from missing even one meal.
Su Su reassured it, "Don’t worry. I’ll be fine."
The curved jade was terrified. The Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears had not yet transformed into nails, and it constantly feared the young Demon God would kill its little master. Starving to death was still death!
Su Su said, "He won’t let me die."
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent someone with food.
If she yielded and ate, that would lead to dire consequences. With Tantai Jin’s cold-hearted nature, fearing she might cause more trouble, he would keep her imprisoned indefinitely.
Letting Pang Yi Zhi escape was something he could not tolerate.But she couldn't stay locked in the prison cell forever, because ever since she entered the prison, the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears had remained motionless and no longer emitted heat.
She had to get out—whether by making him love her or by making him utterly despise her. She had to leave.
Su Su revealed a faint smile. Yes, she had deliberately betrayed him.
She needed nine Soul Extinguishing Nails.
She also needed his anger at this moment. Knowing he could still feel anger was a good thing. If, by now, he felt no emotion at all, that would be truly despairing.
She held on until evening, when the curved jade said, "The rain outside has stopped."
Su Su licked her dry, chapped lips. Drowsy and unable to hold on any longer, she rested her head on her arm and fainted.
Footsteps sounded in the night as someone opened the prison cell door and lifted her up.
His black robes carried the chill of a winter night and rain. Su Su unconsciously curled up in his embrace, trembling slightly.
He held her tightly.
"I will kill you sooner or later!"
She showed no reaction.
Tantai Jin pinched her chin, took a sip of warm water himself, and pressed his lips to hers, feeding it to her.
The girl swallowed unconsciously, the warm water trickling down her fair, slender neck.
He pulled away from her lips, a faint trace of mockery in his expression.
After mocking her, he repeated the process, feeding her a few more sips of water.
Her dry lips finally looked somewhat better.
The bruising on Tantai Jin's face had not yet faded. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and remained silent for a long time.
A mouse scurried past, squeaking, and Tantai Jin kicked it away.
He picked up Su Su and walked out of the prison cell without a word.
The young man was too thin—his silhouette resembled a tall, straight bamboo stalk.
The curved jade remained silent.
It watched blankly. It didn't understand this situation, didn't dare make a sound, and didn't dare ask.
On one hand, he spoke of killing her; on the other, he kissed her. It had seen everything. The kiss lasted even longer than when he fed her water. If its little master had been awake, she would have been furious enough to hit him.
For the first time, it believed that the young Demon God truly couldn't bring himself to kill its little master.
He had fallen for her.
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