Chapter 12 — The Captivity Game
Jiui widened her eyes and asked,
“Don’t tell me… you’ve been secretly keeping people around to watch me?”
While wandering around the residence, she had deliberately put sleeping medicine into the drinking water in various places.
Under normal circumstances, more than eighty percent of the people in Prince Jing’s Residence should already have lost consciousness.
Even Jingxun had been knocked out and was still deeply asleep from the sedative she had used on him.
‘But he isn’t a god. How did he know I was going to escape and wait for me?’
‘This man definitely planted someone to keep watch over me!’
“As expected, you’re no ordinary woman.”
Jingyun’s face turned cold, and his eyes were filled with an icy chill.
“Bring the gift I prepared for Miss Song.”
Jiui instantly got goosebumps all over.
A gift?
What kind of good intentions could Prince Jing possibly have in preparing a gift for me?
A moment later.
Two guards entered from outside carrying trays.
Neatly arranged on the trays were shackles and handcuffs.
A cold breeze made the candle flames flicker, and the atmosphere inside the hall became as cold as ice.
Jiui nervously swallowed and asked,
“Xiao Jingyun, what exactly are you planning to do?”
‘Don’t tell me he really intends to imprison me?’
“Miss Song, excuse me.”
The guards approached. One restrained her while the other immediately fastened the shackles around her ankles.
“Xiao Jingyun! Isn’t this going too far?”
Jingyun leaned casually against a chair and looked down at her.
His gaze was cruelly cold.
“You brought this upon yourself.”
Originally, he had intended to keep Jiui confined inside the residence.
First, because he needed her to treat his poison.
Second, to prevent her from going outside and recklessly revealing information.
But he had never expected her to use medicine and actually attempt to escape.
‘Since that’s the case, I have no choice but to be ruthless.’
‘Damn you, Prince Jing… I’ll definitely make you pay for this grudge!’
Jiui was literally dragged back to Yunshe Pavilion.
Jingxun had also just regained consciousness and awakened.
When he saw Jiui wearing handcuffs and shackles, his expression became extremely complicated.
“Miss Song… I trusted you. I never thought you would deceive even me…”
His words only made Jiui feel worse.
“Didn’t you drug me and put me to sleep without telling me either?”
Jingxun glanced at the shackles on her hands and feet and fell silent.
After a moment, he sighed and carefully said,
“Miss Song, His Highness isn’t really a bad person. It’s just that you provoked His Highness far too much before…”
“Once his anger subsides, I’m sure he’ll release you.”
With those words, Jingxun turned around and left Yunshe Pavilion.
Seeing that the guards around Yunshe Pavilion had increased considerably, Jingxun shook his head and headed toward the front hall.
The moment she confirmed that he had gone far enough, a cold smile spread across Jiui’s lips.
She twisted the jade ring on her finger and took out a thick piece of wire from inside.
Skillfully bending the wire into the shape of a hook, she quickly unlocked both the handcuffs and shackles.
‘He really thought something like this could imprison me?’
‘Does he take people for fools?’
But even after removing the shackles, Jiui’s mood did not improve in the slightest.
She rubbed her slender wrists, which had been rubbed red by the shackles, and gritted her teeth.
“How dare that bastard play an imprisonment game with me?”
“One day, I’ll definitely take your life…!”
She had originally been a military doctor in a special forces unit.
And with the jade ring as her trump card, if she really wanted to, she could have escaped this place long ago.
After venting her anger, she felt somewhat better, but the uneasiness in her heart only grew stronger.
‘Prince Jing is far too cunning.’
‘Not only did he put shackles on me to prevent me from escaping, he also greatly increased the guards around Yunshe Pavilion.’
Her first escape attempt had already failed, so the second one would undoubtedly be much more difficult.
Jiui bit her lip hard.
A cold determination flashed through her eyes.
‘If there’s really no other way… I’ll have to use my final move.’
Front Hall
Jingyun stood coldly in the center of the hall, wearing a dragon robe embroidered with golden thread and a three-clawed dragon pattern.
A deep, heavy aura emanated from his entire body.
Beside him stood a dark shadow in complete silence.
The man’s presence was extremely faint.
Unless one observed carefully, it would be difficult even to notice that there was another person in the hall.
Jingxun entered carrying a lantern and respectfully knelt on the floor.
“This subordinate made a mistake. I beg Your Highness to punish me.”
As soon as Jingxun returned, he had already questioned the people in the residence about what had happened.
He learned that Jiui had not only knocked him unconscious with medicine, but had also drugged the people throughout the residence before attempting to escape.
Jingyun turned around.
Dark, cold energy flickered within his deep black eyes.
“That woman is as cunning as a fox. Even I fell for her tricks at first, let alone you.”
After speaking, he glanced at the dark shadow standing beside him.
“It was thanks to him that she failed to escape.”
“You flatter me, Your Highness. This subordinate will make absolutely certain that Miss Song is properly guarded and cannot cause any more trouble.”
The dark shadow respectfully bowed before standing motionless in the darkness once again.
It was as though he had never existed there in the first place.
Jingxun remained kneeling and said,
“This subordinate will also find a way to earn merit and atone for his mistake.”
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Jingyun’s lips.
“You were by her side, yet you still failed to discover where she got that poison from?”
Even in the bathtub last time, Jiui had been wearing nothing.
Yet she had somehow produced medicine from somewhere.
Moreover, the medicine was powerful enough to paralyze the nerves and make a person fall deeply asleep within a short period.
If his body had not developed a certain resistance to ordinary medicines because of the toxins accumulated within him, he would have already fallen victim to Jiui’s tricks.
Jingxun thought carefully.
“This subordinate failed to notice it. However, that poisoned needle was extremely strange. It appeared out of nowhere, almost as though she had performed some kind of magic.”
‘Even the slightest movement normally cannot escape my eyes.’
‘But this Miss Song… I simply cannot figure her out.’
Jingyun’s expression became even more solemn.
“There are many suspicious things about that woman. She may even be an expert sent by another faction.”
“Keep a close watch on her. Under no circumstances are you to let her move around freely.”
At that moment, Jingxun suddenly remembered something.
“Your Highness, could she perhaps be one of the Crown Prince’s people?”
A dark glint flashed beneath Jingyun’s eyes.
“That possibility cannot be ruled out.”
Xingyun was the Crown Prince’s lackey.
Not only had Jiui saved Xingyun, she had also been excessively close to him, and there had even been discussions of marriage between them.
‘There is certainly enough reason to suspect that this woman may have a deep connection with the Crown Prince.’
Jingyun cast a sharp glance toward the direction of Yunshe Pavilion.
‘Song Jiui intended to marry Lu Xingyun?’
‘That will never happen.’
His expression turning cold, Jingyun turned around and walked outside.
“Bring her maid here tomorrow. From today onward, Miss Song will be staying in the residence for a long time.”
“As Your Highness commands.”
Jingxun respectfully answered and watched Jingyun return to his sleeping quarters.
The Next Day — Anjing Marquis Residence
“Xingyun, come quickly and have a look at these. These are all the betrothal gifts I had people prepare. See if there’s anything else we need to add.”
Madam Shen grabbed Xingyun and anxiously inspected the betrothal gifts.
Xingyun showed little interest. He merely glanced over them indifferently.
“Mother, you can decide yourself.”
Zhang Yiniang, who was standing nearby, suddenly brightened.
“Crown Heir, how can you be so uninterested? Surely you don’t still have that Miss Song in your heart?”
Beside Zhang Yiniang stood a boy dressed in silk robes. He appeared to be around fifteen years old and looked somewhat like Xingyun, sharing perhaps thirty percent of his features.
He smiled and playfully chimed in,
“Mother, Miss Song saved Big Brother’s life, and she’s also the first woman Big Brother has ever cared about. How could Big Brother forget her so easily?”
He laughed mockingly.
Xingyun’s face instantly darkened.
He shot the mother and son a sharp look as cold as a dagger.
“Zhang Yiniang, Xingzhou, you shouldn’t speak carelessly. What will the Ye family think if they hear you? If this marriage falls through, it won’t benefit either of you.”
Madam Shen’s expression also hardened.
“Xingyun is right. Zhang Yiniang, after Lord Hou passed away, the Anjing Marquis Residence has already fallen into chaos.”
“You only know how to look at what is right in front of you. Do you know how much effort I have put into preserving this marriage with the Prime Minister Ye’s Residence for the sake of this estate?”
“If you ruin this marriage, I will absolutely not let you off!”
Xingyun had only barely managed to inherit the position of Crown Heir after going through numerous difficulties.
‘Back then, just before he was supposed to inherit the title, Xingyun was attacked by assassins and disappeared. He vanished for two whole years.’
‘Because of that incident, his appointment as Crown Heir had no choice but to be postponed for quite some time.’
‘During those two years, Zhang Yiniang and Xingzhou gradually became more ambitious.’
‘Hmph. Do you really think that means you can become the masters of this residence?’
Madam Shen had sent people everywhere to search for Xingyun and had finally managed to bring him back with great difficulty.
Now that Xingyun had returned, she once again had someone she could rely on.
‘From now on, I can make sure Zhang Yiniang and her son no longer dare to act arrogantly in front of me!’
Zhang Yiniang forced a smile.
“Madam, Crown Heir, we were only joking around.”
“How could we possibly dare to ruin the marriage with the Ye family?”
As she spoke, she pulled Xingzhou forward.
“Xingzhou is still young and immature. And I’m not exactly a capable person either, so from now on, won’t I have to rely on Madam and the Crown Heir to get by?”
Seeing Zhang Yiniang lower herself, Madam Shen lifted her chin in satisfaction.
During the two years Xingyun had been missing, she had been reduced to nothing more than a nominal mistress of the residence.
Zhang Yiniang and her son had repeatedly looked down on her, and even the servants had sided with whoever seemed stronger and treated her with contempt.
‘But now Xingyun has returned!’
No one would dare look down on her so easily anymore.
Xingyun looked at Madam Shen and quietly spoke.
“Mother.”
He stepped forward and examined the betrothal gifts one by one.
“Did you have all these gold and silver ornaments specially made, Mother? They’re the latest styles currently popular in the capital. Qingsha will definitely like them…”
“I also chose only the finest silk and damask…”
Madam Shen explained each item, unable to hide her happiness.
Xingyun occasionally responded approvingly.
“As expected, Mother’s taste is exceptional. You put so much thought into everything. Qingsha will certainly be pleased.”
Hearing her son praise her, Madam Shen was delighted.
Deungyun approached, respectfully bowed, and quietly waited to one side.
But Xingyun’s heart was already in turmoil.
He bowed respectfully.
“I’ll follow your arrangements, Mother. However, my leg still hasn’t completely recovered, so I’d like to return and rest first.”
Madam Shen looked at him sympathetically.
“All right, go and get some rest. The two renowned physicians sent by the Ye family will also arrive this afternoon. Xingyun, your leg will definitely recover completely.”
“Thank you for your concern, Mother. Then I’ll take my leave first.”
Xingyun turned around and walked straight out through the front courtyard.
Zhang Yiniang and Xingzhou exchanged a glance.
Their eyes were filled with ambition.
