Chapter Fifteen: Fearful of Your Ill Intentions
Lin Jiangnian was momentarily stunned, his gaze instinctively flicking toward the door and window. Then he closed the door behind him and locked it. He came to the table and sat down opposite her. “How did you get in?”
Last night, she had appeared silently and left just as quietly. And now she had come again tonight... Did she really think the guards of the Lin Prince’s mansion were mere decorations?
The woman in red cast a brief, beautiful glance at Lin Jiangnian and said lightly, “How I got in isn’t important.”
“That’s very important!” Lin Jiangnian shook his head, worry creasing his brow. “I’m afraid that one night, deep in sleep, you might sneak into my room with ill intent…”
The smile on the woman’s face stiffened slightly. She narrowed her eyes, a dangerous gleam flickering within their depths. “Do you think that’s possible?”
“That’s hard to say.”
Lin Jiangnian ignored her unfriendly look and waved a hand. “What if you sneak in while I’m asleep and kill me… where would I go to plead my case?”
The woman in red was momentarily silent.
“If I wanted to kill you, it would be as easy as flipping my hand.”
She spoke expressionlessly, “You’d better not try any tricks.”
“Don’t dare,” he sighed. “You poisoned me; how could I dare play any tricks?”
“You’d better not.”
The woman in red cast him a cold glance, her eyes narrowing slightly, saying nothing more.
At that moment, Lin Jiangnian suddenly felt a sharp, piercing pain in his chest, as if something was writhing inside. He clutched his chest, his face turning pale, and abruptly looked up at the woman in red.
“What exactly did you poison me with?”
The sudden pain made Lin Jiangnian gasp, but the foreign object he sensed inside his body was even more terrifying.
What was that inside him?
Was that what they called poison?
“An insect curse,” the woman said faintly, withdrawing her gaze.
At the same time, the pain in Lin Jiangnian’s chest gradually faded. His face remained pale, breathing rapid, his eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
The foreign object inside him seemed to vanish, no longer detectable.
An insect curse?
A curse involving insects?
Taking a deep breath, Lin Jiangnian slowly regained his composure and asked in a low voice, “What kind of curse did you place on me?”
The woman in red glanced at him but gave no explanation. She said lightly, “As long as you obey, you won’t be in any life-threatening danger. But if you dare act rashly…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but the threat in her eyes was unmistakable.
Lin Jiangnian suppressed the turmoil in his heart, a relaxed expression appearing on his face. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning to die anytime soon.”
The woman in red nodded with satisfaction, then reined in her emotions, her expression growing serious as she turned to the matter at hand. “What did Zhiyuan make you do in the dungeon today?”
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes. How could she know that? Did the Lin Prince’s mansion have her informants?
“She took me to meet Chen Yingying, the courtesan of Qingfeng Tower.”
Lin Jiangnian’s expression grew somber. “Chen Yingying is dead—she bit her tongue and took poison to end her own life.”
The woman in red was not surprised; this outcome had been expected.
“Did she say anything before she died?”
She was more concerned about that, her eyes grave. “Did she reveal who the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Lin Prince’s heir really was?”
“No.”
Lin Jiangnian shook his head. Although Chen Yingying was only a courtesan, she had a fierce spirit. She would rather die than reveal a word.
Disappointment flickered across the woman’s face. A mere courtesan naturally lacked the power to assassinate the Lin Prince’s heir; the key was who was behind her.
But with Chen Yingying’s death, the trail to that force was severed.
Yet soon, the woman in red’s brow furrowed. “That can’t be right!”
“What isn’t?”
“If she truly knew who the mastermind was, Zhiyuan wouldn’t have let her die so easily.”
Suspicion glimmered in the woman’s beautiful eyes.
The Lin Prince’s mansion was full of skilled men, and Zhiyuan was especially meticulous. She would never overlook such a step.
“There’s only one explanation…”
The woman frowned deeply, her gaze penetrating as she pondered. “Perhaps she never cared whether Chen Yingying lived or died. If that’s the case, does it mean she already found out the real culprit?!”
She looked up at Lin Jiangnian then.
“The Third Prince!”
Lin Jiangnian met her gaze and nodded, sighing. “She said the person behind the assassination attempt on the Lin Prince’s heir might be connected to the Third Prince in the court.”
“The Third Prince?!”
Surprise flickered across the woman’s face, then she frowned and fell silent, lost in thought.
Clearly, this news was unexpected for her.
Lin Jiangnian watched the woman in red quietly. She was still dressed in red, as if she hadn’t changed clothing for days.
Her hair was neatly pinned up, clean and efficient. Her exquisite face was elegant, yet carried an air of mystery. Her furrowed brow hinted at a rogue's spirit—mysterious and captivating.
What was her true origin?
What was her purpose in orchestrating all this?
More importantly... what kind of curse had she placed on him?
The oil lamp on the table flickered, breaking the silence.
“And who is this Third Prince? What grudge does he hold against the Lin Prince’s heir?”
Lin Jiangnian asked again.
The woman in red narrowed her eyes and spoke slowly, “The Third Prince’s name is Li Yuan, somewhat renowned in the capital. He is the biological brother of the current Crown Prince and the Princess, all children of the Empress. He is suspicious, ruthless, and relentless—he won’t stop until he achieves his goal… no better than that scoundrel heir of the Lin Prince.”
She glanced at Lin Jiangnian as she spoke.
His expression tightened slightly.
If you’re going to call that scoundrel a dog, just say it outright. What are you staring at?
“However, there isn’t much interaction between him and that scoundrel heir. Why would he try to assassinate him for no reason?”
A trace of doubt appeared on the woman’s face as she muttered thoughtfully, “Besides, the relationship between the court and the regional kings is tense now. How could he dare assassinate the heir of a regional prince? Isn’t he afraid of pushing matters too far…”
Just then, a spark of insight flashed through her mind.
She seemed to have guessed something, her gaze sharpening.
“Could it be…”
Her eyes darkened with deep thought, contemplating a certain possibility.
“What is it?” Lin Jiangnian urged.
The woman in red gradually collected herself and tucked away her emotions. “Nothing.”
Lin Jiangnian: “...”
Did she take me for a fool?
Yet he did not press further.
“Zhiyuan’s investigation might not be wrong. The assassination attempt on the Lin Prince’s heir probably involves that Third Prince.”
The woman looked up and glanced at Lin Jiangnian. “I’ll need some time to look into this.”
Lin Jiangnian nodded. Tonight, he merely wanted to clarify who the Third Prince was to avoid exposing any weakness. As for why the Third Prince would want to assassinate the Lin Prince’s heir—that was not his concern for now.
The woman in red slowly rose. “You did well today. You didn’t let her find any flaws. Keep it up.”
With that, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward the door.
Her long red dress trailed behind her, her silhouette graceful and enchanting.
An aura of breathtaking beauty.
“Wait…”
Lin Jiangnian watched her retreating figure, suddenly recalling something.
She paused and turned back. “Yes?”
Lin Jiangnian hesitated. “You still haven’t answered my question from last night… What’s your name?”
The woman’s expression flickered, then she narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want to know my name?”
“Is it not allowed?”
Lin Jiangnian sighed. “We’ve at least met... shouldn’t I even be allowed to ask your name?”
“No.”
Her eyes gleamed with amusement, casting a meaningful glance at him. “Don’t you know a woman’s name isn’t to be asked lightly?”
That cold, exquisite face seemed to hold a trace of playful intent at that moment.
Was it deliberate?
Lin Jiangnian: “...”
There’s such a rule?
“Let’s go!”
The woman waved her hand, evidently in a good mood, and strode out lightly and gracefully.
Lin Jiangnian remained standing where he was, watching her open the door and disappear into the night. The carefree expression he had worn vanished, replaced by a cold, indifferent gaze.
Not even willing to reveal her name—she was far more cautious than he had imagined.
He touched his chest, a flicker of lingering fear flashing in his eyes. Though the foreign object inside had vanished, the sharp pain remained vivid in his memory.
An insect curse?
Lin Jiangnian suddenly recalled the strange patterned garments worn by the woman’s subordinates back at the dilapidated temple, pondering silently.
“They’ll find out who you belong to eventually.”
He narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.
“...”