Capítulo 2: Chapter 2 Almost Strangled to Death
She was panting lightly, her eyes wide as she stared at the man who sat on a chair merely half a step away from her.
His features were sharply defined, his visage so handsome it was as if he had stepped out of a painting, but the gloomy aura emanating from him was enough to deter anyone from coming close.
Could it be that he was...
"You've disturbed my rest. Ziyi, drag her out and flay her."
Yan Lin tapped his fingertips gently on the mahogany chair, his attractive eyes a hollow expanse, his voice low and pleasant to hear, yet his words seemed like a soul-snatching incantation crawling out from hell.
His nonchalant attitude made the act of flaying a person seem as trivial as discussing the weather.
"Yes, Prince." A man in black stepped out from the shadows, his powerful hands ready to seize Chu Baihan.
Chu Baihan finally realized that this man was the violently cruel Eighth Prince, her "husband," Yan Lin!
The servants of the Prince Residence surely knew he was here, but they had still thrown her in his presence, undoubtedly wishing for Yan Lin to kill her.
"Prince, I am your Princess Consort. If you dislike this marriage arrangement, I have a way to annul it." Lowering her gaze and steadying her mind, Chu Baihan quickly spoke up.
Upon hearing her voice, a slight change flickered across Yan Lin's frigid expression.
After a long pause, he spoke in a ghostly tone, "Then do tell, what way do you have?"
Taking a deep breath, Chu Baihan continued to speak calmly, "I was not the Princess Consort selected by the Emperor; I was coerced to replace my legitimate sister in marrying you."
"Oh?" Yan Lin's tapping faltered slightly.
Moments later, his laughter grew even more terrifying, "Do you believe that I, as a crippled man today, can be so easily deceived? Ziyi, gouge out her pair of eyes for me, send them to General Chu."
"Hold on, Prince! My father's actions are an insult to imperial authority, he's handing his own vulnerability to you on a platter. But if you kill me now, wouldn't that be unjust?" Chu Baihan spoke each word with earnest honesty.
She was gambling, betting that Yan Lin's relations with the Chu Residence were indeed very poor.
"Indeed, quite the daughter raised by Great General Chu, even daring to threaten me now. Ziyi, rip out her tongue too."
Yan Lin's entire being was suffused with a menacing energy that overwhelmed Chu Baihan, making it hard for her to breathe.
Her brows knitted together as she felt increasingly powerless. Negotiating with a bloodthirsty Prince was akin to bargaining with a tiger for its skin.
But her life was her own, and she had to grasp at any chance for salvation.
She lifted her gaze, meeting his unwaveringly, and then spoke loudly, "I was originally the legitimate daughter of the Chu Residence, but at the age of eight, my father favored his concubine over his wife, and cast me out to fend for myself in Jiangnan. Now to protect my half-sister, he has forced me into this wedding palanquin. I am irreconcilably opposed to him, Prince, if you wish, I am willing to serve as your pawn against him."
She was trying her best to lower her stance.
Finally, Yan Lin fell silent, seemingly intrigued by her proposition.
"You, come here," he suddenly beckoned her with a gesture.
Chu Baihan, uncertain of his intentions, could only comply, walking up to him.
But who could have known, in the next instant, a wave of murderous intent swept over her as his right hand reached out and caressed her slender, fair neck.
Though he was blind, his reflexes were not the slightest bit impaired.
With just a bit more pressure, her neck would surely break.
Chu Baihan's body tensed up.
This man had bloodthirst at his core, and her life was in grave danger at this moment.
"How is it that I've heard you and the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Residence share a deep and meaningful relationship? For his sake, you traveled a thousand miles from Jiangnan..."
Yan Lin sneered as he spoke, the calluses on his fingertips scraping against her until it hurt.
She looked up at Yan Lin, who was within an arm's reach. His appearance was indeed handsome, truly worthy of the title of the most beautiful man in Yan Country. If his eyes were to be tinted with color, they would be exceptionally stunning.
Her eyes flickered, but she had no heart to appreciate beauty right now.
He had known all along that she was a substitute bride, and he had even uncovered her affair with Su Yuan.
"Spit it out. What tasks did Su Yuan and Chu Hesheng assign you? My Commander's Seal? Or did you want to take my life prematurely?" Yan Lin's voice was cold as frost, his murderous intent chilling.
Chu Baihan's gaze shifted, her hand hidden in her long sleeve clutching the bloodied hairpin tensed, ready to act at any moment.
She knew that resisting Yan Lin was like slamming an egg against a rock. But she refused to die just like that!
If he truly wanted to kill her, then even in death, she intended to drag him down with her!
At that critical moment, the butler's voice came from outside: "Prince, the Empress Dowager has sent a nanny with the wedding wine and also mentioned that you should bring the Princess Consort to the palace to offer tea tomorrow."
Hearing the words "Empress Dowager," Yan Lin's grip on Chu Baihan's hand slightly slackened, and his expression eased a bit.
Chu Baihan noticed his change and immediately recalled that the Empress Dowager, the emperor's birth mother, loved Yan Lin the most among all her grandsons.
Their relationship must indeed be very good, otherwise, he would not have hesitated for a moment after hearing the message from the Empress Dowager.
"Prince, the death of the Princely Heir 's Consort on her wedding night would not sound good if it got out," she seized the moment to remind him.
Yan Lin snorted coldly, surprised that, even facing death, she still dared to threaten him.
However, in the end, the hand he had on her neck let go.
"Come in," he replied coldly.
Soon after, the door was pushed open, and the Prince Residence's butler, accompanied by two elderly nannies, came in.
Upon entering, they were taken aback by the sight of Chu Baihan's blood-stained face.
But they were seasoned enough to quickly lower their heads, and respectfully addressed Yan Lin: "Eighth Prince, the Empress Dowager knew you didn't like much fanfare, so she kept the wedding ceremony simple. However, certain rituals must not be neglected. The wedding wine and the bridal chamber must still be observed."
Once they finished speaking, the wine was placed on the table.
They also thoughtfully poured out the wine.
"We won't disturb the Eighth Prince and his Consort on their wedding night any longer, so we will take our leave now," they said softly.
After speaking, they exited, making sure to close the door behind them.
Ziyi, who had just been there, somehow disappeared without a trace.
Now only Chu Baihan and Yan Lin were left in the room, the atmosphere growing slightly suffocating.
"Prince, you should rest. I'll keep watch by your side," Chu Baihan lowered her head, sensing that Yan Lin's murderous aura was gone. She concealed the hairpin and spoke with submissive eyes.
She didn't believe he would drink the wedding wine with her.
Yan Lin, however, didn't speak this time, acting as if she didn't exist.
The long silence lasted into the late night, and an exhausted Chu Baihan could no longer persist, starting to drift into a heavy sleep.
As she lay sleeping on the ground, that dark shadow quietly appeared before Yan Lin.
"Master, shall I kill?" Zishen whispered in a low voice.
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