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

Lin Ci panicked. Her hands were being held tightly, and she couldn't see anything. She was trapped in complete darkness and didn't even know where to run.

"Your Majesty, have some self-respect!" She gritted her teeth and forcefully shook off Pei Jinxuan's hand. She used too much force and lost her balance, falling forward and landing right in his arms.

A lamb enters the tiger's mouth.

Pei Jinxuan took the opportunity to hug her tightly, refusing to let go. His hot breath brushed against her ears and then probed downwards. Then his hand reached into an unknown place, pointing to what seemed to be a ball of fire, igniting her long-dormant body.

Whether it was the alcohol or the medicine, his blood was burning hot. He simply tore off his robe, his burning chest pressing against her fair skin, which aroused a shiver.

Not enough... still not enough...

The sound of tearing fabric was particularly jarring in the darkness.

Lin Ci was terrified, but she couldn't see anything and could only let him run wild.

"Aci," he whispered in her ear, his voice filled with pain and a hint of pleading.

Lin Ci sensed his unusual behavior and fumbled to find his pulse. Her fingertips frantically swept over several spots before finally touching something hard. She thought it was his wrist, but the next moment she was burned and pulled her hand back, her face burning as well.

"This is it..." Pei Jinxuan grabbed her hand and pressed it back to its original position, his large palm enveloping her small hand tightly, making it impossible for her to break free.

She tried to pull away, but he pressed down on her, his hands gripping her waist...

"No...no!" Lin Ci cried out, using all her strength to kick him away. There was a dull thud, like the back of her head hitting the bedpost.

Taking advantage of the moment to catch her breath, she hurriedly groped for her scattered clothes, trying to cover herself. But she couldn't see, so she grabbed a piece of cloth and hastily covered her chest.

The kick jolted Pei Jinxuan awake. The blood receded, leaving only a scene of chaos. Lin Ci huddled in the corner of the bed, her empty eyes darting around frantically, her eyes brimming with tears.

Pei Jinxuan felt a sharp pain in his heart, and his previous beastly behavior was not his intention. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but before he could utter a single word, the effects of the drug surged up again, even stronger and more potent than before.

"Xiao Jingyuan, I'll kill you!" He gritted his teeth, rolled off the bed, and rushed out the door naked.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Lin Ci curled up on the couch, afraid to move. She listened to the sounds outside, but he didn't return. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back into place.

She closed her eyes, and her rapid breathing gradually calmed down. After a while, she opened her eyes again, and at this moment she could vaguely see the candle in the room. It was just a tiny flame, but it was precious in the endless darkness.

Lin Ci's heart skipped a beat, and she sat up straight involuntarily, a strange heat surging through her body. It turned out that she too had been aroused, and the restlessness within her remained. As the heat subsided, the candlelight also dimmed.

She frantically reached out, trying to hold onto the ray of light, but it grew dimmer and dimmer until it finally swallowed her world again.

"You'll definitely beg me then...begging me to take you."

Xuan Jing's words flashed through her mind like a bolt of fire. Lin Ci suddenly understood what kind of curse he had cast—so vicious, so filthy, so repulsive.

poof...

Pei Jinxuan fell into the water. The spring chill hadn't faded, and the pool water was colder than ice, seeping straight to his bones. He remained submerged, motionless, suppressing his surging desires inch by inch. But he couldn't shake the image of Lin Ci's tearful eyes from his mind.

He felt he was worse than an animal and suddenly roared in the water. A series of bubbles surged up and swallowed his voice completely.

Night was drawing to a close.

The chickens in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion were still dozing when a figure burst in. A clattering noise startled everyone in the mansion awake.

Xiao Jingyuan was fast asleep, embracing his beautiful maid, when suddenly a large hand grabbed the back of his neck, lifted him off the bed, and then threw him to the ground without mercy.

Xiao Jingyuan was so shocked by the fall that he saw stars. Just as he was about to curse, he looked closely and saw Pei Jinxuan standing in front of the bed with a livid face, holding a sword in his hand, looking exactly like a deadly demon.

Xiao Jingyuan was instantly terrified. He didn't even bother to put on his clothes before running outside, shouting as he ran, "Help... Pei Jinxuan is going to kill me... Father, help me!!!"

He rushed to the old couple's bedroom, jumped onto the bed, and smashed the unfinished game of chess that the Duke and his wife were playing with the Duke of Zhou to pieces.

The Duke of Zhenguo and the Grand Princess jumped up in fright. Ignoring their shock, they reached for the long sword beside the bed. Suddenly, they looked up and saw Pei Jinxuan had already charged in with his sword drawn.

"Father!" Xiao Jingyuan grabbed the Duke of Zhenguo's leg, "Save your child, please save your child..."

The Duke of Zhenguo glared at Pei Jinxuan, then at his good-for-nothing son at his feet. With a clang, he threw down his sword and slapped Xiao Jingyuan on the back of the head.

"You unfilial son! You've caused trouble again, haven't you? Hurry up and apologize to Prince Jing'an!" He scolded and slapped him, his hands flying with great force.

Xiao Jingyuan, in pain, had no choice but to abandon the leg and scramble behind the curtain, clutching the Grand Princess and wailing, "Mother... your son is going to be beaten to death..."

He let out a wail, and the Grand Princess felt heartbroken and shed tears as well. Mother and son embraced each other, wailing loudly, but no one understood what had happened.

The Duke of Zhenguo had spent half his life cleaning up his son's messes, and was already quite adept at it. He put on his outer robe, walked around the screen, bowed deeply with utmost respect, and began to speak as if reciting a memorized text: "My son is unruly; it is my fault for not disciplining him properly. I hope you will be magnanimous..."

"Call him out here," Pei Jinxuan interrupted him, her smile as radiant as a peach blossom. "I'll personally dismember him."

The Duke of Zhenguo was both amused and exasperated, and bowed again: "Prince Jing'an, I wonder what my son has done to anger you so much?"

Pei Jinxuan snorted coldly, twirled his sword in a flourish, and said nonchalantly, "Last night he drugged my wine, causing me to..."

"Did it work?" Xiao Jingyuan's voice suddenly came from behind the screen. A figure flashed, and he peeked out again, raising an eyebrow at Pei Jinxuan. "Did it finally work?"

"I'll make you..."

With a flash of sword light, the jade screen shattered into pieces, scattering fragments of jade that nearly killed the Duke of Zhenguo.

The news that Pei Jinxuan went to attack Xiao Jingyuan with his sword before dawn spread like wildfire in less than half a day. Everyone was speculating over tea and meals about how Xiao Jingyuan, that troublemaker, could have provoked Pei Jinxuan.

"Could it be that he slept with Prince Jing'an?"

A word to awaken the dreamer.

No wonder Prince Jing'an was still unmarried at the age of twenty; it turns out he had homosexual tendencies.

Half a day later, the news spread like wildfire, eventually reaching the ears of the Prince of Jing'an's residence. Whether or not she had homosexual tendencies, she knew better than anyone.

Pei Jinxuan left last night and hasn't returned. His dazed state suggests he ate something he shouldn't have. Lin Ci knew this perfectly well, but she never expected that this absurd incident would lead her to the secret of curing the curse.

But this door is something I really can't bring myself to open.