Cui Yunchu thought, what a sin!
"Brother, I didn't mean it!" she yelled.
They say that when a person is about to die, their words are sincere. Cui Yunchu's repentance was more genuine than pure gold and silver.
But the rapidly falling man suddenly flipped his body, his hand gripping tightly onto a stone near the edge of the fence.
Cui Yunchu's eyes lit up. Using the fastest speed of her entire life, she climbed onto the man and hugged him tightly.
Immediately after, two carriages flew right over their heads...
"Let go," the man's deep, cold, and ruthless voice sounded from above.
"I won't," Cui Yunchu shook her head repeatedly.
The carriages didn't even make a sound when they fell. If it were her, she would be smashed into pieces.
Cui Yunchu was entirely consumed by her desire to survive, completely failing to notice that the man's voice sounded somewhat familiar.
That was until her body suddenly slipped downward, and the sound of tearing fabric reached her ears.
The man's angry voice rang out from above once more, "Do not... pull my pants."
Cui Yunchu looked up, and the man's dark, icy eyes met her gaze.
He was still as aloof and breathtakingly handsome as ever.
Her face instantly froze, and a wave of dread washed over her.
Vaguely, it seemed as if the Grim Reaper was waving at her. Cui Yunchu swallowed hard, her hands gripping his legs even tighter.
"What a... coincidence, Lord Shen."
At this moment, no words could adequately express Cui Yunchu's state of mind.
Shen Xiabai squeezed his eyes shut, barely managing to maintain his composure.
Lord Shen. After crossing paths multiple times, this was the first time he had heard such a polite form of address from this woman's mouth.
The wind at the edge of the cliff was strong, whipping their clothes around wildly. And since Cui Yunchu was hanging below him... looking up meant...
Shen Xiabai's complexion grew exceedingly ugly. He gritted his teeth, "I told you to let go."
"Impossible," Cui Yunchu shook her head.
She could not help but feel that heaven was truly fair. In her past life, she had died at his hands. Now, by some twist of fate, he was going to be killed by her. It was an eye for an eye, perfectly impartial.
Shen Xiabai was furious, but perhaps due to his refined upbringing, it took him a long while to spit out two words, "Shameless."
Cui Yunchu did not care in the slightest.
Her thick skin was not developed overnight. In the face of life and death, shame was just a light drizzle, completely painless and insignificant.
"If you can find a way up, you can scold me however you want."
Shen Xiabai forcefully closed his eyes, having no patience to bicker with her any longer.
His strength was limited, especially with someone dragging down his legs. If they did not get up soon, the only path left was death.
He tried to reach up with his other hand.
Cui Yunchu saw hope, her heart leaping into her throat. "You can do it! I will sincerely pray for you."
"Shut up."
"."
Cui Yunchu was very obedient at this moment and immediately stopped talking. She just tilted her head up, her eyes full of hope as she watched Shen Xiabai's powerful arm slowly climbing upward.
However, the soft fabric in her hands was slowly bunching up over the back of her hands. The torn section was blown away by the wind, revealing a small section of his firm, muscular calf.
Cui Yunchu stared blankly.
"Do not look." The man's voice was dipped in ice.
"...Your pants fell down," Cui Yunchu said, as if possessed by a ghost.
Crash—
The stone Shen Xiabai was gripping suddenly broke loose and rolled down. The two of them plummeted rapidly.
"..."
"No..." Cui Yunchu's tearful wail echoed through the mountain ravine, lingering for a long time.
Cui Yunchu felt that Shen Xiabai's slip-up was largely her fault.
So what if his pants fell down? Even as a sheltered young lady, she did not mind. Did he really have to react like that?
Now look what happened. Let alone his pants, both of them were going to be smashed to a pulp.
In the main hall of Anshan Temple.
Tang Qingwan knelt before the memorial tablet of Madam Tang, née Cui. With reddened eyes, she bowed her head and kowtowed. "Mother, your daughter has come to see you."
The Crown Prince stood a few steps behind her, watching quietly.
At the entrance of the hall, a monk over fifty years old sat cross-legged on the ground, rhythmically striking a wooden fish.
The sound of the wooden fish was low and deep, as if it could strike directly into one's heart, causing everyone present to involuntarily feel a sense of solemnity.
Following that was the offering of incense and the chanting of sutras.
After a series of rules and etiquette, a whole hour had passed. Tang Qingwan's legs had gone somewhat numb from kneeling.
"Benefactor Tang's filial piety is profound. I believe Madam Tang's spirit in heaven will surely see it," the abbot pressed his palms together and chanted Amitabha.
Tang Qingwan returned the bow. "I am deeply grateful for the abbot's trouble in chanting sutras for my late mother today."
"It is my duty." The abbot chanted a Buddhist name, then turned and left the main hall, leaving Tang Qingwan with some time to speak with her mother.
The hall quieted down. When only Tang Qingwan and the Crown Prince remained, Xiao Chen finally stepped forward and offered a stick of incense to Madam Tang's memorial tablet.
Tang Qingwan knelt on the futon, her face sorrowful and her voice hoarse. "Mother, he is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Xiao Chen. Before long, your daughter will marry him."
"Grandmother said that when you were alive, your greatest wish was for me to be safe and happy, to marry and have children. Today, I specifically brought him here so that you can rest assured."
Tang Qingwan raised her tear-blurred eyes to look at Xiao Chen. "He and I have been betrothed since childhood. We are childhood sweethearts with a deep affection for one another. Mother, you can be at ease."
Xiao Chen stepped forward slowly, gently wrapping his arm around Tang Qingwan's shoulders and pulling her against him.
Tang Qingwan continued, "Your daughter will definitely do as you hoped: marry, have children, and live a safe and happy life. When I have a child in the future, I will definitely bring them here for you to see."
"Right?" She suddenly turned her head to look at the gentle-faced Crown Prince. Her eyes were misty, but deep within them, some indiscernible emotion seemed to be hidden.
The Crown Prince's expression paused, his gaze flickering slightly, before he gave a slight nod a moment later.
A happy smile curved Tang Qingwan's lips as she nestled into the Crown Prince's embrace.
"Xiao Chen, I had other choices, but I just couldn't let you go."
"Yes," Xiao Chen's voice was low and hoarse. "I know everything, Qingwan. You have suffered grievances. To have you in this lifetime is my life's greatest fortune."
Tang Qingwan lowered her eyes and smiled faintly.
A child. The Crown Prince's legitimate eldest son, the Emperor's first royal grandson, a prince carrying the bloodline of Madam Tang, née Cui—that was the true foundation for the survival of her family.
Compared to this, what did anything else matter?
"Xiao Chen, you must... absolutely not disappoint me again." She raised her arms to hug the Crown Prince back, her hands tightly gripping his robes.
The Crown Prince lowered his gaze, and what caught his eye were two clear tears falling from Tang Qingwan's face.
From childhood to adulthood, she had always been a strong-willed woman with a fierce temperament. Rarely did she ever reveal such a sorrowful expression.
The guilt and self-blame in Xiao Chen's heart reached their peak at this moment. "I swear, I will never let you suffer any grievances again."
Tang Qingwan smiled.
Her smile was bright and beautiful.
She never believed in oaths, much less his.
As she paved her path step by step, she had never placed her hopes on him.
"Let's go."
Just as the two were about to leave, Tang Qingwan's maid stumbled inside in a rush. "Miss, something happened."
