Boom!
Thunder roared across the sky, drowning out the festive sounds of firecrackers in the capital.
Inside the crimson-draped wedding chamber, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood incense, mingled with the dampness of the approaching storm.
Ji Wanyin sat motionless on the carved rosewood bed. She wore a magnificent wedding robe embroidered with golden phoenixes and dragons. Her face was hidden beneath a red silk veil.
Underneath that veil, her eyes held no trace of the shyness expected of a new bride. Instead, they were cold and abyssal, like a thousand-year-old well.
'I have returned,' she thought, her lips curving into a faint, chilling smile. 'Back to the time before the end began.'
In her past life, she was the Demon Empress who brought ruin to the martial world. But in this life, she was merely the neglected daughter of a declining noble house, sold by her father to marry a sickly prince to ward off bad luck.
Xie Lanzhou. The Seventh Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Rumors said he possessed beauty that rivaled the immortals, but his fate was cursed. Born with a frail body and a "Broken Meridian" constitution, the imperial physicians predicted he wouldn't survive the next winter.
"Cough... Cough, cough!"
A violent fit of coughing echoed from the doorway, followed by heavy, unsteady footsteps.
The wooden doors creaked open. A gust of wind rushed in, causing the candle flames to flicker wildly.
Ji Wanyin tightened her grip on the small dagger hidden within her wide sleeve. Her heart beat steadily. There was no fear, only calculation.
"My dear wife... have you been waiting long?"
A deep, smooth voice drifted from above her head. A gold-plated scale was extended to gently lift the red veil.
As the red silk fell away, Ji Wanyin looked up to meet her husband's eyes.
For a split second, her breath hitched.
The man standing before her was breathtaking. His skin was pale, almost translucent, contrasting sharply with his ink-black hair. His lips were colorless, and his peach-blossom eyes appeared watery and gentle, yet filled with an undeniable weariness.
"Husband..." Ji Wanyin's voice trembled slightly. She expertly forced a layer of mist into her eyes, feigning the nervousness of an innocent maiden. "You look so tired. Let me help you out of your outer robe."
She moved to support him, her hands brushing against his body. He felt cold, like touching a block of ice.
"I have troubled you..." Xie Lanzhou offered a weak smile, allowing her to help him sit on the edge of the bed. "This Prince's body is useless. I fear I may not be able to... fulfill my duties as a husband tonight."
"It is alright. Your health is what matters most," she replied sweetly.
Internally, however, she was analyzing him. 'His pulse is faint. His breathing is shallow. It seems he truly is on the brink of death. Good. A short-lived husband is easier to control.'
"But before we rest..." Xie Lanzhou's trembling hand reached for the ceremonial wine pot on the table. He poured two small cups. "According to the Xie family's tradition, we must drink the nuptial wine."
He extended a cup toward her. The strong scent of alcohol wafted into her nose.
Ji Wanyin accepted the cup. Her nose twitched imperceptibly.
As a former poison master, she recognized this scent instantly.
'Bone-Melting Powder?'
Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her smile remained plastered on her face. She reassessed the sickly man before her.
He intended to kill her on their wedding night? Why? To keep his secrets? Or simply because he despised the daughter of a concubine?
Whatever the reason... the game had changed.
"Husband..." She leaned closer, her voice dripping with honey. "This wine smells very strong. Your health is poor; drinking too much might harm you. Let me... help you drink it."
She lifted the cup to her own lips, pretending to take a sip. Then, with lightning speed, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his!
Xie Lanzhou's eyes widened in genuine shock.
Taking advantage of his surprise, Ji Wanyin transferred the liquid from her mouth into his, along with a pinch of antidote powder she had hidden under her tongue—just enough to neutralize the poison for herself, but not for him.
However... as their bodies pressed together, Ji Wanyin's hand, which was resting on his back, felt something wrong.
The muscles beneath his robes... were hard and tense.
This was not the body of a dying invalid!
'This scammer!' Ji Wanyin screamed internally.
In that instant, Xie Lanzhou's trembling stopped completely. His hand shot up and clamped around her wrist—the very wrist hiding her dagger—with a grip like an iron pincer.
With a swift motion, he flipped their positions, pinning her down onto the soft mattress.
Clang!
The dagger slid from her sleeve and fell onto the floor with a sharp ring.
Xie Lanzhou loomed over her. The sickly pallor on his face had vanished, replaced by a sharp, predatory expression resembling a cunning fox.
He licked a drop of wine from the corner of his lips and whispered into her ear.
"My beloved wife... so passionate on our first kiss. And you even know the taste of Bone-Melting Poison... Are you truly the timid daughter of the Ji family?"
Ji Wanyin paused for a moment. Then, the innocent facade melted away. She sneered, her eyes turning cold and mocking.
"And you, my Lord... for a cripple who coughs blood after three steps, you certainly have enough strength to crush my bones. Is this the 'frail body' the physicians spoke of?"
They stared at each other, noses almost touching, while the storm raged outside.
On a wedding night that should have been filled with romance... they had discovered something far more entertaining.
A worthy opponent had finally appeared.