116: Crazy Prince's Forced Love (End)

Su Yao huddled on the bed, the festive sound of gongs and drums drifting in from outside the window.

"What's... what's all that noise outside?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

Xiao Cui's eyes were red, and she dared not answer until Su Yao suddenly grabbed her wrist, her nails almost digging into the flesh: "Speak!"

"It's, it's the Regent's wedding today..." Xiao Cui gasped in pain, "The entire city's people have gone to watch. I heard His Majesty personally officiated, a ten-mile red dowry..."

Su Yao's pupils suddenly constricted.

She suddenly pushed Xiao Cui away like a madwoman, rushing to the window barefoot.

The moment she pushed open the window, splendid fireworks exploded in the distant sky, illuminating the night as if it were day.

Those were the Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious Fireworks, used only for royal weddings.

In her previous life, Xiao Jin had never prepared them for her.

"Miss!" Xiao Cui chased after her in a panic, "Don't look..."

Su Yao clung tightly to the window frame, her nails scraping a harsh sound on the wood.

She stared at the dazzling display, her mind a blank.

In her previous life, Xiao Jin's heart was clearly filled with her.

But now, he was holding another woman's hand, receiving the adoration of all people.

"Why..." Su Yao trembled all over, large tears splattering onto the windowsill, "I'm the one who was reborn! I'm the one who should be standing by his side!"

Xiao Cui cried in fright: "Miss, please calm down..."

Su Yao suddenly turned around, sweeping the rouge and powder from the dressing table onto the floor.

Amidst the sound of shattering porcelain, she shrieked hysterically: "Wen Ci, that bitch! She stole my place! She stole my..."

Before she finished speaking, the door was suddenly kicked open!

Prime Minister Su stood at the doorway with a livid face, followed by two burly old women: "Lock this embarrassing thing in the ancestral hall! No one is allowed to let her out without my permission!"

"Father!" Su Yao recoiled in terror, "You can't..."

"Can't?" Prime Minister Su sneered, "Because of you, our Su family has become the laughingstock of the entire capital! Because of you, I, a dignified Prime Minister, can't even hold my head up in court now!"

He violently flicked his sleeve: "Take her away!"

The old women hoisted the struggling Su Yao, dragging her towards the ancestral hall like a dead dog.

As they passed through the courtyard, the servants' pointing fingers felt like knives piercing her.

"I heard the Regent's wedding dress took twelve embroiderers half a year to make..."

"The Regent moved all the rare treasures from Jiangnan to the Regent's Wang Residence..."

"I really don't know what the Eldest Miss was thinking back then, to throw away such a husband..."

Every word was like a poisoned needle, pricking Su Yao until she bled.

*

In the dark ancestral hall, Su Yao knelt on a prayer mat, facing the ancestral tablets of the Su family.

Three days had passed.

No one came to see her, only half a cold steamed bun that Xiao Cui secretly slipped to her.

She mechanically chewed the dry, hard bun when she suddenly heard a soft "creak" from the ancestral hall's side window.

"Who?!" She turned her head alertly.

In the moonlight outside the window, a familiar yet strange face appeared: Lin Xiuyuan!

This scholar, who once made her abandon everything, now wore coarse cloth clothing, a strange smile on his face: "Ci Ci, long time no see."

Su Yao instantly exploded: "You liar! How dare you come here?!"

She lunged towards the window but was blocked by iron bars.

Lin Xiuyuan unhurriedly pulled out an oil-paper package from his embrace, inside was a steaming roasted chicken: "Don't get excited, I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" Su Yao trembled with rage, her eyes bloodshot, "You've been deceiving me from beginning to end, you tricked me out of my money, you tricked me out of my body, and you even tricked me out of all my family's secrets and all the information I knew! You're the one who caused me to fall to this state, and now you come here saying you want to help me?!"

Lin Xiuyuan laughed a few times, then his eyes darted around as he chuckled, "Didn't you also trick me? Your little maid dared to deceive me before, causing me to fall directly into a stinking ditch when I fled that day. Now you've fallen to this state, and your personal maid won't escape either!"

Su Yao's pupils instantly widened, and she roared at him, "Lin Xiuyuan, you wouldn't dare!"

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan's flippant demeanor, Su Yao lowered her gaze. Her voice trembled with a hint of brokenness, "Young Master Lin, have you truly never loved me? Not even for a moment? Before, no matter what you wanted, as long as I could give it to you, I gave it all. I might not be a good person, but wasn't I good to you?"

Lin Xiuyuan paused, then stared at her. He fixed his gaze on Su Yao's tear-filled face, frowned, and then suddenly scoffed: "Eldest Miss Su, who are you putting on this show of deep affection for now?"

He slowly tore off a piece of roasted chicken and deliberately dangled it in front of her: "Hungry? Beg me."

Su Yao bit her lip tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She slowly raised her face, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Young Master Lin... I beg you."

Lin Xiuyuan pursed his lips, then burst into laughter: "The dignified legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister, actually begging me?" He maliciously threw the roasted chicken on the ground and stomped on it with his foot, "Here, eat it."

Su Yao stared at the dirt-stained meat, a hint of viciousness flashing in her eyes.

But she quickly lowered her eyelashes, trembling as she reached out: "...Okay."

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the roasted chicken...

"Bang!"

The ancestral hall door was suddenly kicked open!

"Miss!" Xiao Cui rushed in, her face covered in blood, clutching a blood-stained pair of scissors, "Your servant has come to save you!"

Lin Xiuyuan's face instantly changed: "Bitch!"

He turned to run, but Xiao Cui pounced on him, clinging desperately to his leg: "Miss, hurry and go! He, he has people lying in ambush outside, he wants to kill you to silence you!"

Su Yao's pupils contracted.

Lin Xiuyuan kicked Xiao Cui away savagely: "You're courting death!"

Xiao Cui was kicked until she coughed up blood, but she still clung to him desperately: "Miss... run..."

Su Yao looked at Xiao Cui's pale face and suddenly smiled.

"Run?" She slowly stood up, pulling a sharpened golden hairpin from her sleeve, "Why should I run?"

Lin Xiuyuan finally realized something was wrong: "You..."

Su Yao suddenly pounced, the golden hairpin stabbing fiercely into his neck!

"What I want is your life, Lin Xiuyuan!"

Lin Xiuyuan screamed, grabbing her throat with his backhand.

The two fell heavily to the ground, rolling in a heap.

Xiao Cui struggled to crawl over: "Miss!"

Su Yao's vision blurred from being choked, but she laughed wildly: "Lin Xiuyuan... let's go to hell together!"

She pulled out the hairpin and stabbed down fiercely again!

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered onto the ancestral tablets.

Lin Xiuyuan's eyes widened, a gurgling sound coming from his throat, before he finally slumped to the ground.

Su Yao gasped for breath, climbing up, her face covered in blood.

She looked at the dying Xiao Cui and suddenly burst into tears: "Silly girl... who told you to come..."

For so many days, everyone had shunned and disliked her, only Xiao Cui had stayed with her.

As long as Xiao Cui was sincere towards her, then whether it was Lin Xiuyuan or her family, they only used her.

Only Xiao Cui...

Xiao Cui struggled to crawl to her feet, a bloody smile on her face: "Miss... your servant said... I would always stay with you..."

Su Yao trembled as she hugged her, only to find a dagger stuck in Xiao Cui's back; she had clearly suffered a fatal injury before coming to save her.

"No... no..." Su Yao shook her head in collapse, "You can't die... you can't..."

Xiao Cui's breath was faint: "Miss... don't cry..." She painfully raised her hand, wanting to wipe the blood from Su Yao's face, "In the next life... your servant will still serve you..."

Her hand, in the end, fell weakly.

*

Chaotic footsteps came from outside the ancestral hall.

"Quick! The rebel Lin Xiuyuan ran this way!"

"There seems to be movement in the ancestral hall!"

Su Yao held Xiao Cui's gradually chilling body and suddenly smiled.

Her rebirth was truly too ridiculous.

She hadn't been able to change anything, and still, only Xiao Cui was her confidante.

She looked down at Xiao Cui's face, gently stroking it, then staggered to her feet and kicked over the long-burning lamp.

Flames "whooshed" up the curtains.

The fire quickly spread, engulfing her and Xiao Cui's figures.

If there was a next life, she only wanted to spend it with Xiao Cui in the countryside.

She didn't need anyone else.

She only wanted Xiao Cui.

"Miss?!" The arriving guards looked in horror at the figures in the fire.

But no one answered them anymore.

*

Regent's Wang Residence.

Wen Ci suddenly sensed something and turned to look in the direction of the Su family's residence.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Jin frowned.

Wen Ci smiled softly: "I know someone has completely understood, and will no longer be persistent."

Xiao Jin waved his hand, dismissing everyone, and gently pulled her into his embrace: "This King has also understood, there is nothing in this world more important than you, my wife, so I only want my Ci Ci to be healthy and happy, nothing else matters, not even children."

Wen Ci, while stroking his Adam's apple, teased, "Is my husband's word true?"

Xiao Jin looked down at her and nodded firmly, "Childbirth is too difficult and painful for women. I don't want Ci Ci to suffer. I only want your happiness."

Wen Ci gave a mischievous smile and flipped over, pushing Xiao Jin onto the bed, "No children is fine, but what needs to be done still has to be done."

Xiao Jin was stunned, then laughed heartily, pressing down on Wen Ci's waist, "No problem, your husband will certainly do it until my wife is satisfied!"