Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 4

Walking through the winding corridors, the scenery ahead grew increasingly desolate. Withered trees and decay were everywhere, and one had to be careful not to brush against spiderwebs. Lu Weiying was clearly familiar with this place, as every slight turn allowed her to evade the gazes of the palace maids and guards.

Ling Yue followed at a distance, her expression unreadable. However, Lu Weiying’s slightly trembling shoulders caught her attention, causing her eyes to darken as countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Though Lu Weiying was a fraud, not everything about her was fake. For instance, she couldn’t control the slight trembling of her shoulders when she was excited. But later, when Ling Yue lost her sight, she never knew whether Lu Weiying had exhibited the same mannerism when she killed her.

Realizing she was overthinking, Ling Yue let out a soft chuckle and shifted her focus back to Lu Weiying.

She vaguely recalled that in her past life, Lu Weiying had been nothing but nervous at this moment. After all, if she failed, it would be difficult to get another chance. So, what exactly was she so excited about now?

Ling Yue had a few guesses, and these speculations only fueled her own excitement. If the other party truly retained memories of their past life, wouldn’t her revenge be all the more meaningful?

Her brief contemplation caused Ling Yue to slow her pace. When she looked up, she noticed Lu Weiying had stopped not far ahead. Lu Weiying, ever the skilled deceiver, crouched down to rescue a butterfly trapped in a spiderweb on a low shrub.

Watching the smile on Lu Weiying’s face, Ling Yue felt nothing but disgust. The other woman was clearly waiting for her, yet she used such a method to conceal her true intentions.

Had it been her past self, she would have fallen for it. But now, she had seen through Lu Weiying’s true nature.

Lu Weiying was indeed pretending. She knew Ling Yue was kind-hearted and believed this act would move her.

Convinced of her success, Lu Weiying stood up and continued walking. When she noticed Ling Yue still following, her inner triumph was nearly impossible to conceal.

Soon, a dilapidated palace with tightly locked gates came into view. The plaque above the gate, bearing the words “Cold Palace,” was coated in a layer of dust. Of course, it wasn’t just the plaque, the entire Cold Palace was shrouded in gloom. Years of neglect and lack of maintenance had stripped it of its former splendor.

Lu Weiying gazed at the place where she had spent the first half of her life, her eyes filled with nothing but loathing.

She was the Fifth Princess of the late emperor, but her origins were humble. Her birth mother was merely a palace maid. Though her mother possessed striking beauty, her timid and withdrawn nature quickly caused her to fall out of favor. In the end, she was framed and banished to the Cold Palace.

Lu Weiying was born in the Cold Palace and raised within its walls. She witnessed her mother’s demise and watched as her body was unceremoniously dragged away, finally leaving this place behind.

She refused to become like her mother and had been searching for an opportunity ever since. She knew that opportunity would arrive today.

A sharp, piercing voice cut through Lu Weiying’s ears, “You wretched brat!”

A tall, slender palace maid delivered a solid kick to Lu Weiying’s stomach, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Quickly curling into a ball, Lu Weiying shielded her head with her hands and secretly glanced toward Ling Yue, who was hiding behind a withered tree, her eyes filled with hope.

In her past life, it had been exactly like this. Ling Yue, seeing her being bullied so harshly, had stepped forward without hesitation, shouting to stop the palace maids and scaring them off. She had then helped Lu Weiying up from the ground, her eyes filled with concern as she asked about her injuries.

This life would surely be no different. All she had to do was repeat the same trick, and everything would unfold just as she remembered.

Another kick landed on her spine, and Lu Weiying nearly cried out in pain. In her previous life, she had been so well-protected by Ling Yue that she had grown somewhat delicate.

But compared to the torment her aunt had inflicted before her death in her past life, this pain was nothing. Out of habit, she instinctively sought Ling Yue’s protection, her tear-filled eyes looking genuinely pitiful.

To her despair, however, Ling Yue’s gaze wasn’t on her at all, she was staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

A sense of foreboding washed over Lu Weiying. She deliberately cried out loudly, “Help! Stop hitting me! It hurts so much, I promise I won’t run out of the Cold Palace again!”

Her desperate pleas did not earn so much as a glance from Ling Yue. Under her hopeful gaze, Ling Yue turned and walked away, heading down a disorderly path to the left. In that moment, her illusions shattered, and reality cruelly crushed her.

The palace maids showed no mercy just because she begged for leniency. As the blows grew more frequent and intense, Ling Yue’s figure vanished from her world.

The screams could no longer be heard. Having watched the scene unfold, Ling Yue decided to take a shortcut back. The way she had come was too long, and being familiar with the palace, she knew of a secluded path that would get her back faster.

The path was cluttered with miscellaneous items, but Ling Yue navigated through them without any hindrance.

Yet, the further she walked, the more uneasy she felt. A strange premonition that something was about to happen grew stronger. Ling Yue did not ignore these feelings after all, such instincts had saved her many times on the battlefield.

Slowing her pace, she cautiously observed her surroundings. After a quick scan, she noticed a small window peeking out from behind a pile of debris to the east.

A faint, chilly plum blossom fragrance wafted from the window. Ling Yue hurriedly covered her nose and mouth, but it was too late. She clutched the back of her neck, where a faint warmth had begun to spread.

She couldn’t believe she had encountered an Earth Xuan in the throes of their heat cycle here. Panicked, she wanted to flee, but then she heard the sound of suppressed, pained panting coming from the small shack hidden behind the debris.

Ling Yue froze in her tracks. An Earth Xuan in heat, without medication or the marking of a Heaven Qian, could easily lose their life. The Imperial Hospital was too far away, and it was impossible for the person to make it there on their own.

Ling Yue’s face flushed red. Though she had lived two lifetimes, she was a very conservative person with zero experience in such matters. Her immediate plan was to use her qinggong to swiftly carry the person to the Imperial Hospital. With her skills, she could get there quickly. The person’s pheromones didn’t seem too overpowering, and she felt confident she could keep her composure.

Having made up her mind, Ling Yue held her breath, pushed aside the debris, and kicked the door open.

“Who’s there?”

Contrary to her expectations of a soft, delicate voice, the Earth Xuan’s tone was cold, though slightly hoarse from the effects of the heat.

The room was dark, and Ling Yue noticed the plum blossom scent inside was even stronger. But she had no time to dwell on it her heart had already turned to ice.

Her eyes widened slightly, and cold sweat trickled down uncontrollably. Wasn’t that the voice of the Eldest Princess?

The room was dim, filled only with the rich, intoxicating floral fragrance. The sweet scent gently caressed the back of Ling Yue’s neck, gradually clouding her mind. It was then she realized the situation was far worse than she had imagined. The other’s pheromones were not weak at all, in fact, they were overwhelmingly strong.

Lu He stared at the uninvited guest standing foolishly at the door, the murderous intent in her eyes almost tangible. The early onset of the Passion Poison had already displeased her, but she could have endured it as usual by finding a secluded corner to tough it out. Unexpectedly, this fool had disrupted her plans.

The pleasant scent of cedar intertwined with plum blossom, gradually blending into an ambiguous fragrance.

As Lu He inhaled this scent that did not belong to her, the Passion Poison within her flared up tenfold. Desire flushed her usually cold, aloof face with a rosy hue, and the icy snow in her eyes melted into a pool of spring water. She gripped the sheets beneath her so tightly she nearly tore them apart.

It seemed she wouldn’t escape this ordeal today.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Lu He nearly choked on her breath. She glared furiously at the untimely visitor by the door, only to meet a pair of sincere eyes. For a moment, she felt they looked familiar. Her gaze drifted downward and caught sight of the deep bite marks on the back of the other’s hand.

She froze for a second. “You!”

Ling Yue was dizzy from the overwhelming floral scent, but the pain in her hand kept her somewhat lucid, though her words came out haltingly: “D-don’t worry, I would never harm you.”

With that simple sentence and Ling Yue’s appearance, Lu He already knew who she was, the unfavored second daughter of the Ling family.

Wave after wave of heat surged through her body, and Lu He let out a soft moan.

This made Ling Yue even more anxious. She swallowed nervously, feeling her consciousness slipping away again. She lowered her head and bit the back of her hand once more, as if tearing into a hated enemy.

Lu He felt a flicker of emotion, yet also thought the other might be a fool. Still, the little fool was rather good-looking.

“Your Highness, trust me. I will escort you safely to the Imperial Hospital.”

Lu He fell silent. The secret of her body could not be revealed.

Using her inner strength, she pulled Ling Yue forward, closed the door, and blocked it with debris, sealing off the small room completely. Darkness enveloped them.

In the pitch black, Ling Yue felt someone touching her face. The heavy floral scent overwhelmed her, and fearing she might lose control, she tried to bite her hand again. But her arms were restrained, and she couldn’t reach.

Though she should have long grown accustomed to darkness, panic began to rise within her.

Uneasy, she called out, “Your Highness.”

In her panic, she felt the person before her undoing her clothes, and her mind went blank.

“Your Highness!”

She clung to the last shreds of her rationality, like a tiny boat tossed in a storm, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.

The sound of her heartbeat suddenly amplified. The other’s breath lightly brushed against her neck, like a feather causing shivers to run through her.

Just as her rationality vanished, she heard the other’s voice: “I permit you this one act of recklessness.”

As night deepened, Ling Fu’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Ling Yue had disappeared after leaving the banquet. Though the Emperor was merciful and did not blame them, he had sent people to help search for her.

Ling Ya was deeply worried and insisted on joining the search despite her frail health. However, after just half an incense stick’s time, she was coughing uncontrollably and had no choice but to give up and stay by her father’s side.

Sensing his daughter’s concern for Ling Yue, Ling Fu found it strange. But when he saw her cheeks reddened from the cold, his heart ached with pity. “Go back inside quickly.”

Ling Ya couldn’t rest easy. Covering her mouth, she coughed lightly. “Father, I’ll wait here for my sister.”

Ling Fu frowned, but seeing the stubborn look in his daughter’s eyes, he decided to go along with her wish. He sighed, “It’s a pity we didn’t get to see the Grand Princess. Such a good opportunity may not come again.”

Ling Ya disagreed, “That person is far too dangerous. Father, you should let go of that idea.”

Watching the sun gradually set, Ling Ya’s brow furrowed even more tightly. “Where has she gone? I hope she hasn’t run into any danger.”

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