With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

Inside the room, Pei Jinxuan had already gotten up. He had just worked up a sweat, and his clothes were sticking to his body uncomfortably, so he took off all his clothes and wiped himself with a towel while shirtless.

Hearing the door open, Pei Jinxuan merely glanced up, leisurely wringing out a handkerchief and drenching it on his smooth, fair shoulders. Water droplets slid down the curve of his collarbone and rolled over his firm chest.

As the footsteps drew near, he suddenly turned his ear and realized something was wrong. He quickly grabbed his robe and went behind the carved screen.

"Who?!" He even raised his voice in alarm.

"It's me," Consort Chang whispered sadly.

Pei Jinxuan quickly dressed himself properly and carefully tied his belt twice.

He emerged from behind the screen, still the Prince Jing'an that Consort Chang knew so well, elegant and exceptionally handsome.

Pei Jinxuan said expressionlessly, "This is not a place for you."

Consort Chang remained silent, slowly placing the food box on the table, opening the lid and taking out a white jade porcelain bowl. She then took out three small dishes and arranged them one by one.

"This is apricot porridge that I specially made for you. It can soothe the lungs and stomach, and relieve coughs and asthma. You used to love drinking it the most."

Consort Chang smiled and served Pei Jinxuan a bowl, presenting it to him with both hands.

Pei Jinxuan frowned slightly, hesitating to reach out and take it.

The expectant light in Consort Chang's eyes slowly dimmed, and her smile turned bitter.

She gently placed the bowl on the table and said, "Luckily you were here to help me out, otherwise I would have been severely punished again."

As she spoke, she sobbed softly, her nose turning slightly red.

Pei Jinxuan knew that the Empress was jealous, but as the younger brother of the Yan Emperor, he could not and should not interfere in the affairs of the inner palace. Today, he had already crossed the line.

The more silent he became, the more distressed Consort Chang grew. Suddenly, she embraced Pei Jinxuan, her thin arms tightly wrapped around his waist, as if clinging to the last piece of driftwood.

"Brother Xuan," she called out sadly.

Pei Jinxuan froze, feeling as if he were made of lead. In a moment, he came to his senses, grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and forcefully pushed her away from him.

"Your Highness, please have some self-respect!"

Consort Chang stumbled and bumped into the table, causing the white jade porcelain cup on the table to wobble and nearly tip over.

"Even you don't want me anymore?" Consort Chang looked at him, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. "You have no idea... how much I've suffered..."

Pei Jinxuan panicked and took two steps back, widening the distance between them.

"You are already His Majesty's concubine, enjoying the favor of the entire harem throughout your life. His Majesty treats you like a precious jewel, you..."

"But I don't want to!" Consort Chang cried out, her voice barely audible. "The person I loved back then was you!"

Outside the door, the earthenware pot used for decocting medicine made a loud "bang," and the bitter smell of the medicine became stronger.

Pei Jinxuan turned her head to look at the door and saw a figure moving around. She didn't know if the person had heard what had just been said.

His heart was in his throat, and his head was spinning.

"Your Highness, I think you're just rambling nonsense because you have a fever! Leave quickly before any busybodies arrive." With that, Pei Jinxuan grabbed Consort Chang's slender wrist and pulled her towards the door.

Consort Chang struggled to break free, retreating step by step until her back pressed against the cold wall, with nowhere left to go.

"I never wanted to enter the palace," Consort Chang said, tears streaming down her face. "My father and brothers threatened to kill me. At that time... I thought how wonderful it would be if you came. If you had come, I would have gone with you."

Pei Jinxuan stood there, looking at her.

After a long while, he sighed softly.

"I've always thought of you as a younger sister."

Pei Jinxuan was utterly helpless. "It's true that we grew up together, but I've never had any romantic feelings for you. Now you're a Noble Consort, and the person who loves you is the all-powerful Emperor Yan."

Upon hearing this, Consort Chang suddenly smiled.

"When you like someone, you don't care if they have power over the world." With that, Consort Chang slowly walked up to Pei Jinxuan, took his hand and pressed it against her cheek. She closed her eyes, lingering on the warmth of his hand, and then, like a beggar, pleaded in the most humble tone, "Take me away."

Pei Jinxuan pulled her hand away.

Just then, there was another noise outside the door, and someone opened the door; it was a young eunuch.

Pei Jinxuan subconsciously pulled Consort Chang behind the screen, and Consort Chang leaned into his arms. Both of their hearts pounded.

The young eunuch seemed to notice the movement behind the screen and hesitated for a moment. Lin Ci suddenly walked in and said, "The pottery jar is leaking."

"Huh?" The little eunuch turned around in surprise. "Why is it leaking?"

"I don't know either. Could you please go and get me another one?"

The young eunuch scratched his head without thinking much and did as she said.

Lin Ci also stepped outside and gently closed the door.

The two people hiding behind the screen both breathed a sigh of relief.

After regaining his composure, Pei Jinxuan pushed Consort Chang away again, even more resolutely than before.

He turned his head to the side and said solemnly, "Your Highness, we are not destined to be together in this life. You should leave quickly and not ruin your dignity."

"Dignity?!" Consort Chang chuckled softly, her tear-blurred eyes widening like saucers. She approached Pei Jinxuan almost maniacally, saying, "I've come all this way to find you, what's the point of talking about dignity?"

Pei Jinxuan dared not make a sound and could only retreat.

Consort Chang clung to him like a vengeful ghost, pressing him relentlessly, "Do you really look down on me that much? Is it because I've had a child and I'm not as pretty as before?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Could it be... that you like widows?"

"You..." Pei Jinxuan's face turned pale and then red. He could no longer stand Consort Chang's persistent pestering, so he grabbed her arm and pushed her out the door.

"go out!"

Consort Chang stumbled and almost fell. When she turned around, Pei Jinxuan had already closed the door.

A gust of cold wind blew by, chilling Consort Chang to the bone.

She looked around; the corridor was deserted, except for a small red clay stove that hissed and burned. Without the pottery pot on it, the blazing fire burned dry and grew stronger.

Consort Chang stood outside the door in a daze and knocked twice.

The door didn't open, and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She was rejected, or rather, she never had it at all.

Consort Chang seemed to understand, and gave a bitter laugh.

She turned around, took a step, and like a lonely soul, drifted away into the night, leaving no footprints behind.

Inside the door, Pei Jinxuan felt as if he had escaped death. He was drenched in sweat, his clothes drying and then getting wet again.

He composed himself for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. He flung open the door and shouted, "Lin Ci!"

The corridor was deserted, not a soul in sight.

He called out again towards the palace corridor, "Lin Ci, come out here for me!"

A shadow flickered behind the pillars of the hall under the eaves.

Lin Ci, holding a palm-leaf fan, strolled leisurely to him, lazily raised her eyes, and asked, "What's wrong?"