Chapter 2: The Weather Was Too Cold
All the people in Prince Rui’s Manor began to think that a disaster was about to happen. After all, what they were seeing today was about as rare as a goose laying a golden egg.
"Why is Princess Consort Rui still there?" one servant whispered to another. "She’s been kneeling outside Prince Rui’s bedroom for two hours. Do you think she’s really worried about her husband?"
"I doubt it," the other servant replied. "If she’s still the same person we know, she’s probably only doing this because she’s afraid people will suspect she was the one who pushed Prince Rui."
"Or maybe she wants something. I heard her eldest brother has been having trouble in the Imperial Army lately."
While everyone was busy talking about her, Lin Xueyi was drowning in her own thoughts. The more she thought about her situation, the more her head spun.
[I should run away.] The idea appeared in her mind once again. [Ah, no way. That’s impossible! Father would definitely kill me if he found out I ran away from my marriage.]
Lin Xueyi frowned and slapped both of her cheeks so hard that the sound echoed through the hallway.
[Father? He’s not my father!]
Over the past two hours, she had thought of countless ways to escape. She had even dug through the original Lin Xueyi’s memories, hoping to find some hidden ally or secret path she could use.
Unfortunately, this villainess had spent her entire life making enemies. She didn’t have a single loyal friend and there wasn’t even one person willing to help her run away.
As a result, the only thing Lin Xueyi could do now was apologize to her husband and pray that he wouldn’t turn her into a human hot pot.
[Why is the floor so cold?] She wanted to cry. [I thought a prince’s palace would have heaters everywhere!]
Her knees had long since gone numb, but she stubbornly refused to move. After all, no matter how cold the palace floor was, it was still much better than being boiled alive.
"Princess Consort Rui, why are you kneeling here?" The door in front of her suddenly opened, and Eunuch Shen stepped out.
Lin Xueyi was certain he had known she was there the entire time. There was no way he hadn’t noticed someone kneeling outside the prince’s room for more than two hours.
Still, he acted as though he had just discovered her.
"I’m waiting for my husband," Lin Xueyi replied in a hoarse voice. "Has he woken up yet?"
The corner of Eunuch Shen’s lips lifted slightly, but Lin Xueyi could tell from his eyes that he was disgusted by her.
Actually, it was only natural for Eunuch Shen to feel that way. He had raised Rong Shuyan since childhood, so he had developed fatherly instincts when it came to Prince Rui.
What father would willingly let his son’s scheming wife get close to him?
Unfortunately, no matter how much he disliked her, Eunuch Shen couldn’t stop the Princess Consort from seeing her own husband.
So he swallowed his anger and spoke calmly. "His Highness is awake," Eunuch Shen said. "You may come in if—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Xueyi had already rushed past him and sprinted into the room. The moment she entered, her eyes landed on Rong Shuyan.
He was sitting on the bed with his back resting against the headboard. A loose robe hung from his shoulders, leaving part of his chest exposed. Several servants stood nearby, carefully pressing warm towels against his cold skin.
[Oh, Good Heaven, he’s hot!] Lin Xueyi instinctively grabbed her chest. [I almost had a heart attack!]
Rong Shuyan frowned when he heard those words. The voice sounded exactly like Lin Xueyi’s, yet something felt strange about it. The tone was much livelier than usual, and more importantly, she hadn’t opened her mouth at all.
Although he was confused, he pushed that feeling aside for the moment because the sight of his wife filled him with disgust.
"You still dare show your face in front of me?" Rong Shuyan asked coldly.
The moment those words left his mouth, the hairs on the back of Lin Xueyi’s neck stood up because she knew exactly what kind of person he was.
In the original novel, Rong Shuyan was a cold and ruthless male lead who never gave second chances to anyone who hurt him, whether physically or emotionally.
His wife pushed him into a lake? He killed her.
A servant stole his late mother’s jade pendant? He killed him.
The Imperial Family spent years humiliating him? He burned every last one of them to ashes.
He was cold to the bone, meticulous, and patient. He was the kind of person who would remember every grudge and collect every debt, even the most beautiful women couldn’t soften his heart and somehow, readers absolutely loved him for it.
To them, he was the perfect tragic hero and a handsome, angry man with enough emotional damage to fill an entire palace.
In other words, he was an emo kid with power.
[Ridiculous! No matter how many times I think about the plot of this novel, it’s still ridiculous!] Lin Xueyi complained in her head. [There’s no way someone can really have no feelings and be that col—]
The moment her eyes met Rong Shuyan’s icy gaze, every hair on her body stood on end.
[Dear heavens! I think I just got frostbite from looking at him.]
Rong Shuyan looked at Lin Xueyi with even more confusion. She still hadn’t opened her mouth, and yet he could clearly hear her nonstop chatter in his mind.
"Why aren’t you answering my question?" Rong Shuyan asked coldly. "Lin Xueyi, don’t think I don’t know that you intended to kill me earlier. I—"
THUD.
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xueyi suddenly dropped to her knees. The sound echoed throughout the room, making the servants nearly jumped in shock, even Rong Shuyan paused for a moment.
"This Consort begs for Your Highness’s forgiveness!" Lin Xueyi cried. She lowered her head so deeply that her forehead almost touched the floor.
"T-The weather was too cold!" she stammered. "The weather was too cold, so Your Highness’s wheelchair accidentally slid into the lake!"