My betrothed had entered the palace—only to become the Empress's pawn.
No Plagiarism!c0dyI02WH5tMsO5Qo4QVposted on PENANA I never imagined I’d see him again—8964 copyright protection191PENANAGrQNFcIMHe 維尼
—least of all like this.8964 copyright protection191PENANAv08q4A8F4h 維尼
That day, under the Crown Prince’s orders, I was in the Hall of Literary Brilliance inspecting eunuch registries. Just as I turned the second page—8964 copyright protection191PENANASpT5UG21jK 維尼
"What a coincidence. Young Master An is here too?"8964 copyright protection191PENANAb40d2ZZPdk 維尼
My hand jerked. The ledger nearly fell.8964 copyright protection191PENANAAWa56D5TKP 維尼
That voice—8964 copyright protection191PENANAh6ucJAgMzs 維尼
How could it be him?8964 copyright protection191PENANAywp9WEVmH6 維尼
I turned slowly.8964 copyright protection191PENANA5Zvgv34qhq 維尼
There he stood beneath the eaves—wearing newly tailored indigo robes, a white jade fish pendant at his waist, his features as refined as I remembered.8964 copyright protection191PENANADJKylSxzxv 維尼
Xu Chen.8964 copyright protection191PENANAuhjpMS0n8z 維尼
Once, I was his betrothed.8964 copyright protection191PENANAjx98gUYb74 維尼
And he was the one who’d pushed me into the abyss.8964 copyright protection191PENANAnRrKxBcAu3 維尼
Three years ago, my family fell. Father and brothers executed. Mother’s suicide. Me—branded a criminal’s daughter.8964 copyright protection191PENANAjmZ7MNOTBM 維尼
The Xu family, our generational allies, tore up the marriage contract and cast me out within hours.8964 copyright protection191PENANAOA4Ua5z9FO 維尼
I thought our paths would never cross again.8964 copyright protection191PENANAtiPNEQjSIt 維尼
Yet now—8964 copyright protection191PENANAK1mo1OYBYu 維尼
He’d entered the palace as the Empress’s "scholarly attendant", ostensibly to compile imperial history.8964 copyright protection191PENANAX2fagEE8Fx 維尼
But the Crown Prince had long exposed him: another of the Empress’s spies.8964 copyright protection191PENANA49XPEgXAE4 維尼
His eyes flickered with shock when he saw me—quickly masked.8964 copyright protection191PENANACPMmTFy8BV 維尼
"...Why are you here?"8964 copyright protection191PENANAhlgnicaUCN 維尼
I bowed, laughter strangled in my throat. "This lowly one, An Liu, pays respects to Lord Xu."8964 copyright protection191PENANA6zrvZduigc 維尼
"An Liu?" His frown said he didn’t recognize me.8964 copyright protection191PENANAZBFgVnLznH 維尼
Good. Better this way.8964 copyright protection191PENANAneTcKEf81x 維尼
As long as he remained ignorant, I could survive.8964 copyright protection191PENANAHLEKJ61rsc 維尼
But then he stepped closer—8964 copyright protection191PENANAiFacHZjLRu 維尼
—and stared at the tiny mole by my eye.8964 copyright protection191PENANA8ldHTt79uq 維尼
My heart plummeted.8964 copyright protection191PENANAuFjI11m2SA 維尼
That mole was my birthmark. Three years ago, he’d teased:8964 copyright protection191PENANAgOCZ0qGNFv 維尼
"Don’t run too far. I’d spot you in any crowd."8964 copyright protection191PENANA66WRUqlwKS 維尼
He remembered.8964 copyright protection191PENANAhYZReINLV3 維尼
"You’re—"8964 copyright protection191PENANAjuqcfjJw9H 維尼
I cut him off. "If Lord Xu has no business here, please leave."8964 copyright protection191PENANAi1NY0it6kh 維尼
He reached for me, but I was already walking away.8964 copyright protection191PENANAkUfLlzG2T0 維尼
Yet I knew: he’d investigate. And if he did—8964 copyright protection191PENANAKvT4fAsPsH 維尼
He’d uncover everything.8964 copyright protection191PENANAy2bSIQiRuZ 維尼
That night, I stood outside the Crown Prince’s study, unable to knock.8964 copyright protection191PENANAWRDslotlsS 維尼
The door swung open before I could.8964 copyright protection191PENANAPBWUqtSTfu 維尼
"Enter."8964 copyright protection191PENANAYfA938b431 維尼
The moment I stepped inside, it slammed shut behind me.8964 copyright protection191PENANAFJeIxVtPUr 維尼
The Crown Prince didn’t mince words:8964 copyright protection191PENANAjALLLjARtH 維尼
"Your past is exposed."8964 copyright protection191PENANAKbtn0an17q 維尼
I stiffened.8964 copyright protection191PENANASAropA7Q8d 維尼
"Xu Chen is digging through Ministry of Justice archives. Hunting you."8964 copyright protection191PENANASo4AAFqNAP 維尼
"Guess which he’ll discover first—that you’re the Su family’s last daughter? Or that you’re a woman?"8964 copyright protection191PENANANAF5IiUerI 維尼
My lips pressed into a bloodless line.8964 copyright protection191PENANAgpValqukD2 維尼
He turned, smiling coldly:8964 copyright protection191PENANA8ZFF5sDK4s 維尼
"Amusing. The Empress’s newest pawn is your former fiancé."8964 copyright protection191PENANA1U0KbDRMtx 維尼
"This game grows more entertaining—"8964 copyright protection191PENANAsxApDkf4U8 維尼
Suddenly, his gaze pinned me:8964 copyright protection191PENANA1VAlfm58zq 維尼
"So tell me. Should I let him die?"8964 copyright protection191PENANAKOxrpQ4uMn 維尼
I lifted my head.8964 copyright protection191PENANAzSvvszN70K 維尼
Heart trembling. Lips shaking.8964 copyright protection191PENANAvxXwmXbuvF 維尼
Yet the words came out steady:8964 copyright protection191PENANAid8qdd8u2i 維尼
"Better to let him live."8964 copyright protection191PENANAYaTyfMsJEp 維尼
"Let him watch… as I claim victory for Your Highness."8964 copyright protection191PENANADBuZ5xq0tY 維尼
The Crown Prince’s eyes ignited.8964 copyright protection191PENANA4xurUxbQ0O 維尼
"Well played, Su Liu."8964 copyright protection191PENANAzHScokWxhf 維尼
"From today, you’re not just my blade—"8964 copyright protection191PENANAsX9BnO6kzH 維尼
"You’re my poison."8964 copyright protection191PENANALHWFfGdG1v 維尼
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