“Shen Yanli!”

A voice crisp as silver bells suddenly pierced the solemn silence of the Shen family ancestral hall.

In the hallowed space where incense smoke curled around hundreds of memorial tablets, Shen Yanli was kneeling on a prayer cushion. The unexpected voice made him momentarily still.

Like a stone disturbing a placid lake, ripples spread in concentric circles across the water’s surface, layer upon layer, endlessly undulating.

Turning abruptly, he saw the girl catching her breath after running urgently. Standing at the entrance, her hair was disheveled from exertion, strands clinging to her cheeks like raindrops on begonia petals, making her appear dazzlingly vivid.

Before she could fully catch her breath, Lin Zhiyu rushed forward and threw herself into Shen Yanli’s embrace as he turned supporting himself on the cushion.

His palm steadied her waist, his strong frame securely catching her.

Clutching his shoulders, Lin Zhiyu let her full weight press against him.

He tilted his head away as her fresh floral scent overwhelmed the heavy incense aroma. While she clung to him panting, he gently rubbed her back and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Still catching her breath, Lin Zhiyu didn’t respond but rested her head against his ear.

His gaze swept beyond the doorway where no one was visible.

His voice turned cold near her ear: “Have they come for you?”

Lin Zhiyu shook her head. Bracing on his shoulders, she knelt up to examine him closely. “Are you alright?” she asked, recalling the bloody scenes from her dream.

Her hand reached for his calf as she looked up. “Does it hurt?” she inquired with seemingly random concern.

The question gave Shen Yanli pause before he replied gently, “No, it doesn’t.”

The girl’s eyes reddened as she mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

His heart clenched painfully, confusion stirring within. Frowning slightly, he lifted her face with slender fingers to meet his gaze. “Why are you crying? Did Ji Xianlin bully you?” he asked hoarsely.

Lin Zhiyu kept shaking her head, choking out, “I had a dream.”

“Shen Yanli, I dreamed of you,” she said as tears began to fall.

His long fingers gently wiped them away. “Was it a bad dream? Did I make you sad in it?” he murmured softly.

Lin Zhiyu pulled down his hand from her tears, clasping it tightly between hers. Her voice trembled with sobs as tears flowed uncontrollably. “No, no,” she cried while shaking her head.

She choked out, “You were hurt. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“I watched them break your legs, don’t you understand?”

Somehow, despite their shallow relationship and her lingering resentment toward him, waking from the dream had left her heart aching in waves, as if sharp blades were slicing through it, her sweat-drenched sheets feeling like they were drowning her.

Shen Yanli seemed momentarily stunned by her words. When footsteps approached the ancestral hall from outside, his expression shifted abruptly.

In one swift motion, he scooped Lin Zhiyu up by the waist, retrieved the prayer cushion from the floor, and placed it behind them. Pulling the dazed Lin Zhiyu to crouch in front of him, he resumed kneeling on the cushion facing the memorial tablets.

Lin Zhiyu continued weeping, bewildered by Shen Yanli’s sudden arrangements. The abrupt change interrupted her emotional outpouring, and she took several calming breaths.

From the doorway, visitors could only see the man’s upright posture Lin Zhiyu was completely concealed behind Shen Yanli’s frame, not even the hem of her dress visible.

Her eyes were rimmed red, tear stains still fresh on her cheeks. Shen Yanli reached out to gently wipe them away.

The young girl’s long lashes were beaded with tears, moisture clinging to the corners of her eyes. He pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Lin Zhiyu, hugging her knees, nodded in understanding.

As the footsteps gradually faded into the distance, Lin Zhiyu peeked out from beside Shen Yanli’s arm. Confirming the coast was clear, she sighed in relief before indignation resurfaced. “They’re still monitoring whether you kneel or not?”

Her brows furrowed in righteous anger on his behalf, the lingering blush from crying at her eye corners deepening.

Shen Yanli’s pinky twitched slightly. He lifted his gaze to the ancestral tablet at the center ahead, polished to a mirror-like shine.

Shen Yuli had died because of him.

For this, he had knelt for fourteen years.

Shen Jun repeatedly sent people to check to see if he still carried guilt for Shen Yuli, to verify his loyalty to the Shen family, using this to determine whether he harbored ulterior motives that might harm the family.

After all, he wasn’t a true descendant of the Shen family. From the moment he was purchased, he was merely Shen Yuli’s substitute, his life and death entirely in the Shen family’s hands.

A turbulent darkness surged in his eyes as he let out a soft, disdainful snort at Shen Jun’s behavior.

Kneeling on the floor, Lin Zhiyu tilted her head upward, observing the shifting emotions in his gaze.

The original novel had offered scant details about the antagonist’s background. Lin Zhiyu only knew he’d been bought by the Shen family from an orphanage the one who resembled Shen Yuli the most after they had combed through every orphanage.

In earlier years, the Shen family had made numerous enemies. To prevent their sole legitimate grandson from being kidnapped or assassinated, Shen Yanli was purchased to serve as Shen Yuli’s public stand-in.

Later, an accident occurred. Shen Yuli died, leaving Shen Yanli behind.

The specifics of what happened weren’t elaborated in the book.

Lin Zhiyu reached out to smooth his furrowed brow.

That must be an unpleasant memory.

Feeling the touch on his forehead, he snapped back to reality.

Lin Zhiyu’s direct gaze met his, her deep eyes filled entirely with his reflection.

Shen Yanli suddenly leaned closer. Puzzled, Lin Zhiyu blinked as his cool fingertips brushed beneath her eyes.

Shen Yanli helped her stand, then shifted the kneeling cushion beneath his knees to her. Lin Zhiyu’s legs had gone numb from squatting, so she accepted it without hesitation, settling comfortably and adjusting her posture. A warm, deep voice sounded above her: “How did you find this place?”

Still kneeling, she answered without thinking, a hint of pride in her tone: “I asked the housekeeper in the courtyard. She said you were here, so I came.”

However, she omitted the fact that she had met Lu Yuchen.

Shen Yanli chuckled deeply: “Weren’t you afraid of being tricked?”

“Didn’t you assign bodyguards to protect me?” she retorted with a sidelong glance of dissatisfaction.

“Didn’t I?”

Shen Yanli let out a soft “ah.”

“You’re the one who personally selected ten bodyguards. Ordinary people can’t touch you.”

Lin Zhiyu huffed an annoyed “hmph.”

Taking in her coquettish pout, Shen Yanli laughed quietly and ruffled her hair. “Will you tell me about it?”

“The story from your dream.”

He knelt with one knee on the cushion as the girl, kneeling beside him, waved her hands animatedly, vividly describing the tale.

Although the version of himself in her story whether in her dream or the future didn’t fare well, at this moment, for the first time, Shen Yanli felt the ancestral hall wasn’t so oppressively silent and dull.

His gaze swept over the rows of Shen family ancestral tablets behind Lin Zhiyu. Shen Yuli’s tablet shone the brightest, specially polished under Shen Jun’s orders.

Just to remind himself, to always remember his identity.

“Are you even listening?” Lin Zhiyu grew annoyed when she saw his attention wasn’t on her, his gaze fixed on the memorial tablets behind them.

Here she was, racking her brains to strategize for his benefit, and he had the leisure to care about the dead.

Lin Zhiyu ignored him, getting up to leave.

Shen Yanli withdrew his gaze, a slight smile curling his lips as he pulled her back. “I’m listening.”

Hands on her hips, she demanded, “Then tell me what I just said?”

He lowered his eyes with a laugh, answering casually, “You said ”

“That you love me to the point of death.”

Lin Zhiyu: “…”

Was that the point?

She thought about it again. Well, it kind of was.

With that in mind, she leaned closer to him, hands braced on the prayer mat, her eyes fixed intently on him. “Shen Yanli, want to make a bet?”

He countered, “Bet on what?”

Lin Zhiyu lifted her chin proudly. “I bet you’ll fall in love with me.”

She spoke with unwavering confidence, as if victory was already assured.

Shen Yanli chuckled softly at her words.

Lin Zhiyu flushed with anger. “What are you laughing at?”

She had a strikingly beautiful face, her every movement captivating, each smile and frown rippling with allure.

Shen Yanli didn’t take the bet, shaking his head.

There would be no other outcome at this gambling table.

If they were to play, he’d bet on her winning.

Lin Zhiyu snorted, “Suit yourself. We’ll see.”

Ignoring her displeasure, Shen Yanli turned his palm upward and extended a hand toward her. “Alright, let’s go.”

She shrank back, frowning, and glanced over her shoulder at the memorial tablets. “Go where? We’re not kneeling anymore? What if they come back?”

Shen Yanli boldly took her hand and pulled her up, his own gaze briefly sweeping over the tablets. “No, we’re not kneeling anymore.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhiyu grew excited, tilting her body to look into his eyes. “Shen Yanli, I’ve noticed you’re getting more and more reckless.”

“You dare run away from this? Will they come to our house to hunt you down tomorrow?”

For once, he didn’t retort, instead looking down at her with dark, unfathomable eyes. “Are you afraid?”

“Hey, hey, hey, what kind of question is that? Is it for real?”

“You’re way too bold.”

She broke free from his hand and walked backward in front of him, hands clasped behind her back, eyes sparkling.

“So excited?” Shen Yanli’s laughter rumbled in his chest.

“You’re on the same household register as me. Do you think you can escape?”

“I…”

Their footsteps never paused. Lin Zhiyu, walking backward toward the door, was about to speak when her heel caught on the threshold, sending her stumbling backward. “Whoa, whoa, whoa ”

Shen Yanli reacted swiftly, catching her by the waist and lifting her over the threshold.

His warm, deep voice sounded, “Pay attention.”

She was set down steadily, waving a hand before clutching her chest and letting out a long sigh. “Phew, that was close. You scared me to death.”

Now properly subdued, Lin Zhiyu walked obediently side by side with Shen Yanli. “Shen Yanli, I’ve been thinking.”

“You’re so capable. In the original story, the only reason you were defeated was because I wasn’t there.”

“Now!” She paused, turning to face him.

“I’ll be your strategist. I’ll protect you.”

Shen Yanli felt a subtle shift at her words, a warmth surging in his chest. He chuckled softly, his large, well-defined hand gently ruffling her hair. “Strategist?”

“Isn’t it good?” Lin Zhiyu tilted her head questioningly.

He gave a faint smile. “It’s good.”

The moon hung high in the midnight sky, the chilly night wind piercing to the bone. Leaves rustled as they were blown about, and the streets were now devoid of any human figures, leaving the surroundings feeling somewhat desolate.

Lin Zhiyu withdrew her gaze, thoroughly satisfied. She looked up at the bright moon suspended high above.

She felt a little homesick.

A wave of sorrow washed over her heart. Lin Zhiyu suddenly halted her steps, lowered her head, and called his name in a muffled voice, “Shen Yanli ”

“Hmm?”

She raised her head and met his gaze. “What if? If I can only go home after the story ends, does that mean you will definitely die?”

“What if I help you? How will the story progress then? Does that mean ” Her voice grew softer and softer, “I won’t be able to go back?”

For the first time, Shen Yanli experienced a sense of helplessness. His little finger trembled slightly, but he couldn’t muster any words to comfort her.

“Zhi Zhi ”

He lifted his arm, which had been hanging at his side.

“I will keep my promise and send you home.”

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