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No Plagiarism!IxNTh3bEmFtm00zJx7j1posted on PENANA I never imagined I’d see him again—8964 copyright protection197PENANA5J4JDyLg5I 維尼
—least of all like this.8964 copyright protection197PENANAFrYjb4pXPS 維尼
That day, under the Crown Prince’s orders, I was in the Hall of Literary Brilliance inspecting eunuch registries. Just as I turned the second page—8964 copyright protection197PENANAxlIPMUgDXd 維尼
"What a coincidence. Young Master An is here too?"8964 copyright protection197PENANAVmOmDRRDCj 維尼
My hand jerked. The ledger nearly fell.8964 copyright protection197PENANAPcEkrerZ05 維尼
That voice—8964 copyright protection197PENANAeDlAvgGLoD 維尼
How could it be him?8964 copyright protection197PENANABrLSZBIYbF 維尼
I turned slowly.8964 copyright protection197PENANAmAuj4WeyaE 維尼
There he stood beneath the eaves—wearing newly tailored indigo robes, a white jade fish pendant at his waist, his features as refined as I remembered.8964 copyright protection197PENANAzouv9GFMGR 維尼
Xu Chen.8964 copyright protection197PENANAXRWJ0EIZ8x 維尼
Once, I was his betrothed.8964 copyright protection197PENANAWTBp9vB6KS 維尼
And he was the one who’d pushed me into the abyss.8964 copyright protection197PENANAZVIKmXiJdH 維尼
Three years ago, my family fell. Father and brothers executed. Mother’s suicide. Me—branded a criminal’s daughter.8964 copyright protection197PENANA4iDFfIedUp 維尼
The Xu family, our generational allies, tore up the marriage contract and cast me out within hours.8964 copyright protection197PENANATSK9NabIik 維尼
I thought our paths would never cross again.8964 copyright protection197PENANAlKe2wIaZzA 維尼
Yet now—8964 copyright protection197PENANAK4BmnIkZAM 維尼
He’d entered the palace as the Empress’s "scholarly attendant", ostensibly to compile imperial history.8964 copyright protection197PENANA1Ek4YaBptG 維尼
But the Crown Prince had long exposed him: another of the Empress’s spies.8964 copyright protection197PENANA2IHjiFa9X4 維尼
His eyes flickered with shock when he saw me—quickly masked.8964 copyright protection197PENANAeibNva6tcK 維尼
"...Why are you here?"8964 copyright protection197PENANAgLEPxRP5nx 維尼
I bowed, laughter strangled in my throat. "This lowly one, An Liu, pays respects to Lord Xu."8964 copyright protection197PENANAjfjl4pdhCf 維尼
"An Liu?" His frown said he didn’t recognize me.8964 copyright protection197PENANApxpueqjQ2R 維尼
Good. Better this way.8964 copyright protection197PENANAZRpOlgGVZe 維尼
As long as he remained ignorant, I could survive.8964 copyright protection197PENANAUOATPAx0da 維尼
But then he stepped closer—8964 copyright protection197PENANAijgiBONCa8 維尼
—and stared at the tiny mole by my eye.8964 copyright protection197PENANArBIRdcNWzr 維尼
My heart plummeted.8964 copyright protection197PENANApS1KtaftoX 維尼
That mole was my birthmark. Three years ago, he’d teased:8964 copyright protection197PENANA1XlhSIntRG 維尼
"Don’t run too far. I’d spot you in any crowd."8964 copyright protection197PENANAkbXN3YQBtU 維尼
He remembered.8964 copyright protection197PENANAcXX16mTdS3 維尼
"You’re—"8964 copyright protection197PENANAy5R5AmJm81 維尼
I cut him off. "If Lord Xu has no business here, please leave."8964 copyright protection197PENANA4TGKPRSq4g 維尼
He reached for me, but I was already walking away.8964 copyright protection197PENANAaXrXSvZJwz 維尼
Yet I knew: he’d investigate. And if he did—8964 copyright protection197PENANABNecEpand4 維尼
He’d uncover everything.8964 copyright protection197PENANAJz4cNNDsmi 維尼
That night, I stood outside the Crown Prince’s study, unable to knock.8964 copyright protection197PENANAu8h0faIhLf 維尼
The door swung open before I could.8964 copyright protection197PENANAehrn26HgBU 維尼
"Enter."8964 copyright protection197PENANASLfnotLFaO 維尼
The moment I stepped inside, it slammed shut behind me.8964 copyright protection197PENANAjBCp9QWFIW 維尼
The Crown Prince didn’t mince words:8964 copyright protection197PENANAQOft5WHTco 維尼
"Your past is exposed."8964 copyright protection197PENANAuBfg4HB9N1 維尼
I stiffened.8964 copyright protection197PENANAILMzQgWDOl 維尼
"Xu Chen is digging through Ministry of Justice archives. Hunting you."8964 copyright protection197PENANAf7EkNStKpm 維尼
"Guess which he’ll discover first—that you’re the Su family’s last daughter? Or that you’re a woman?"8964 copyright protection197PENANAUT1myDoAWJ 維尼
My lips pressed into a bloodless line.8964 copyright protection197PENANA59m5PCJ96c 維尼
He turned, smiling coldly:8964 copyright protection197PENANAVDSBFdvuyW 維尼
"Amusing. The Empress’s newest pawn is your former fiancé."8964 copyright protection197PENANAdT48tVUetu 維尼
"This game grows more entertaining—"8964 copyright protection197PENANAgH77mN6sBF 維尼
Suddenly, his gaze pinned me:8964 copyright protection197PENANArzBX1hsqIv 維尼
"So tell me. Should I let him die?"8964 copyright protection197PENANANMqlwvA6E3 維尼
I lifted my head.8964 copyright protection197PENANAV4oHQ6prUZ 維尼
Heart trembling. Lips shaking.8964 copyright protection197PENANA34S0Du5SNq 維尼
Yet the words came out steady:8964 copyright protection197PENANAwFjrBkrohA 維尼
"Better to let him live."8964 copyright protection197PENANASCRPDhUhYV 維尼
"Let him watch… as I claim victory for Your Highness."8964 copyright protection197PENANAhRyt0HjbNy 維尼
The Crown Prince’s eyes ignited.8964 copyright protection197PENANAh752B8M2I3 維尼
"Well played, Su Liu."8964 copyright protection197PENANABP1bgiq8DI 維尼
"From today, you’re not just my blade—"8964 copyright protection197PENANAZeAU0HgPD3 維尼
"You’re my poison."8964 copyright protection197PENANArpF0uspQ7N 維尼
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