My betrothed had entered the palace—only to become the Empress's pawn.
No Plagiarism!sviMb092rsEFz2nwy04uposted on PENANA I never imagined I’d see him again—8964 copyright protection193PENANAjfhHrBjjmq 維尼
—least of all like this.8964 copyright protection193PENANA2GPNyRnW4Q 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 protection193PENANA2I7ABbPt5b 維尼
"What a coincidence. Young Master An is here too?"8964 copyright protection193PENANAVsLIM0B4Vv 維尼
My hand jerked. The ledger nearly fell.8964 copyright protection193PENANAQYbmImsGKw 維尼
That voice—8964 copyright protection193PENANAtaUfYmfmTr 維尼
How could it be him?8964 copyright protection193PENANAgaIjJRGnoS 維尼
I turned slowly.8964 copyright protection193PENANAN0AZaDgHJX 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 protection193PENANA7RDjfBNaaI 維尼
Xu Chen.8964 copyright protection193PENANAmIlRlc07H3 維尼
Once, I was his betrothed.8964 copyright protection193PENANAcr4PWXzA5k 維尼
And he was the one who’d pushed me into the abyss.8964 copyright protection193PENANAKJ3GaaEGQv 維尼
Three years ago, my family fell. Father and brothers executed. Mother’s suicide. Me—branded a criminal’s daughter.8964 copyright protection193PENANAEQtUYwMlVx 維尼
The Xu family, our generational allies, tore up the marriage contract and cast me out within hours.8964 copyright protection193PENANAC0laZd5ojv 維尼
I thought our paths would never cross again.8964 copyright protection193PENANAFp2wpyyd0W 維尼
Yet now—8964 copyright protection193PENANA67FFebo96A 維尼
He’d entered the palace as the Empress’s "scholarly attendant", ostensibly to compile imperial history.8964 copyright protection193PENANAHKl3ifvYMy 維尼
But the Crown Prince had long exposed him: another of the Empress’s spies.8964 copyright protection193PENANABtVgkH0oQj 維尼
His eyes flickered with shock when he saw me—quickly masked.8964 copyright protection193PENANAOuNKHFRE1u 維尼
"...Why are you here?"8964 copyright protection193PENANAU1l8UYesSY 維尼
I bowed, laughter strangled in my throat. "This lowly one, An Liu, pays respects to Lord Xu."8964 copyright protection193PENANADyp13qsuAT 維尼
"An Liu?" His frown said he didn’t recognize me.8964 copyright protection193PENANAucjF5y8M6D 維尼
Good. Better this way.8964 copyright protection193PENANAZiC8qlqmK2 維尼
As long as he remained ignorant, I could survive.8964 copyright protection193PENANAobKLceWhpC 維尼
But then he stepped closer—8964 copyright protection193PENANAvlHAw1alw7 維尼
—and stared at the tiny mole by my eye.8964 copyright protection193PENANAUd0pqYvAwg 維尼
My heart plummeted.8964 copyright protection193PENANAWHeMqsjCHA 維尼
That mole was my birthmark. Three years ago, he’d teased:8964 copyright protection193PENANAy3nM8qsw7z 維尼
"Don’t run too far. I’d spot you in any crowd."8964 copyright protection193PENANAAUAEFU6MTa 維尼
He remembered.8964 copyright protection193PENANAvc8ZcH8Stm 維尼
"You’re—"8964 copyright protection193PENANA8QSSxEvg92 維尼
I cut him off. "If Lord Xu has no business here, please leave."8964 copyright protection193PENANA450g2BRp9S 維尼
He reached for me, but I was already walking away.8964 copyright protection193PENANAJBV2hqiFjC 維尼
Yet I knew: he’d investigate. And if he did—8964 copyright protection193PENANATlsEQcIWik 維尼
He’d uncover everything.8964 copyright protection193PENANAFaHsXpnl7h 維尼
That night, I stood outside the Crown Prince’s study, unable to knock.8964 copyright protection193PENANAnZ8pdGCI1n 維尼
The door swung open before I could.8964 copyright protection193PENANAqJWtr0x7VB 維尼
"Enter."8964 copyright protection193PENANA9nPMFh9y3j 維尼
The moment I stepped inside, it slammed shut behind me.8964 copyright protection193PENANAeTpbajwkXR 維尼
The Crown Prince didn’t mince words:8964 copyright protection193PENANAmfbRm2YJIJ 維尼
"Your past is exposed."8964 copyright protection193PENANAv03A2xr2Y8 維尼
I stiffened.8964 copyright protection193PENANAVcbsr4EbfE 維尼
"Xu Chen is digging through Ministry of Justice archives. Hunting you."8964 copyright protection193PENANAcsmAF2FdKA 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 protection193PENANA6PNbAqqsv1 維尼
My lips pressed into a bloodless line.8964 copyright protection193PENANAzOsMq8pO1v 維尼
He turned, smiling coldly:8964 copyright protection193PENANALDls04V41V 維尼
"Amusing. The Empress’s newest pawn is your former fiancé."8964 copyright protection193PENANAx2Qj6nokhv 維尼
"This game grows more entertaining—"8964 copyright protection193PENANA46FvQ9ftbv 維尼
Suddenly, his gaze pinned me:8964 copyright protection193PENANALH5QCZfbFC 維尼
"So tell me. Should I let him die?"8964 copyright protection193PENANAQZ2KWcwLvz 維尼
I lifted my head.8964 copyright protection193PENANAVGQJclSonm 維尼
Heart trembling. Lips shaking.8964 copyright protection193PENANAUshST3X1iK 維尼
Yet the words came out steady:8964 copyright protection193PENANAJwz5BJ6vDf 維尼
"Better to let him live."8964 copyright protection193PENANAQob2oSGo1y 維尼
"Let him watch… as I claim victory for Your Highness."8964 copyright protection193PENANASABJDXRHst 維尼
The Crown Prince’s eyes ignited.8964 copyright protection193PENANAntrAKxMIxH 維尼
"Well played, Su Liu."8964 copyright protection193PENANAoroMxqBvk3 維尼
"From today, you’re not just my blade—"8964 copyright protection193PENANACzXxBoZtnn 維尼
"You’re my poison."8964 copyright protection193PENANALpALfAfjFK 維尼
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