Chapter One Hundred: So It Was Him

It was Dan Ying!

She wasn't surprised—not because she’d foreseen it, but because, since this person was not Ji Wuqing, it hardly mattered who he was.

However, he recognized her—or rather, he recognized the previous Yuan Xue. Judging by his words, he and Yuan Xue once shared a deep connection. But the original soul was long gone, her body now inhabited by a stranger from another world. What he said to her was simply misaligned, a conversation meant for someone else.

“Prince Dan, perhaps Yuan Xue once knew you, but Xue Xue certainly does not,” she replied.

He laughed coldly. “That much is true. Blood Queen, your methods are truly formidable. After Yu Kingdom’s fall, you transformed yourself into the Queen of Ji Kingdom. I never expected it. Ever since you lost your sight, your tactics have only grown sharper.” Dan Ying’s expression was frosted, his striking features tinged with icy disdain.

He was impossible to reason with...

Yet, judging by his tone, Yuan Xue and he had suffered some emotional wound. Physical injuries heal, but heartbreak is not so easily mended. But since that pain was not hers to soothe, she could not offer the apology he sought.

So, between them, only ‘transactions’ remained. As for feelings—whatever their nature, none could sway him now.

“Prince Dan, might I hear plainly the reason you summoned me here?” Xue Xue asked, straightforward and without pretense.

Dan Ying was momentarily stunned, his expression frozen by her words. “I am curious—how did you know I was not Ji Wuqing himself?”

“If you ask so, I must be honest.” She nodded, careful to choose words that would not provoke him. After some thought, she said, “First, you must know that the senses of a blind person are keen. Prince Dan, your disguise nearly fooled me. Yet, in the end, it was the sound of your footsteps that raised my suspicion.”

“You mean to say, I was discovered the moment I appeared, and everything after was simply a solo performance?” Dan Ying arched his brow, surprised by her boldness.

“Not quite. That was only my guess. What truly exposed you and confirmed you weren’t Ji Wuqing was the chess game we played just now,” Xue Xue said, withholding the full truth.

“What about that game?”

“That was a match I’d left unfinished with Ji Wuqing. I should have played the black pieces, but...” But they had swapped roles—she played white, and he played black.

“Blood Queen, your calculations are impressive.” Dan Ying regarded her seriously, then swept his sleeve and departed.

Xue Xue was puzzled. What had angered him?

She lingered in her room for half a day, the sound of water outside ever-present. Restless, she rose and walked out. The waiting maid did not stop her. She stepped onto the deck, where a gentle breeze tousled her hair. The air carried a chill, mingled with dampness; dense woods surrounded the lake, their emerald reflections stirred by the waves.

Listening to the clear sound of water, her thoughts drifted.

Where was this place? She did not know. How was Ji Wuqing now? She did not know.

“Master, what should we do next?” A young woman beneath a distant eave took in everything, her eyes reflecting Xue Xue’s quiet silhouette.

The man beside her did not look up, merely twirling a folding fan—the very prop used to impersonate Ji Wuqing, now useless.

Blood Xue’s words echoed in his ears.

It was the footsteps—she must have realized from that sound he was not Ji Wuqing. She hadn’t said it outright, but he knew.

She was so familiar with Ji Wuqing that she could tell just by the sound of his steps.

His cold eyes narrowed, unreadable, and his handsome face was frozen with chill.

“We shall act as circumstances permit.”

Receiving her orders, the young woman fell silent, watching Xue Xue by the railing with amusement.

Xue Xue gripped the rail lightly. The boat rocked violently, frightening the timid maids into soft shrieks. Xue Xue stood calmly, her lips curving into a mysterious smile.

Her hands clung tightly to the railing, and as the boat swayed, her body rocked with it. The force was enough to toss her overboard. Thinking so, she seized the momentum and, with a sudden turn, fell unexpectedly into the water.

Splash—

A white-robed figure plunged into the lake, sending up a thousand ripples, like a lotus blooming in the water, captivating all eyes.

Instantly, chaos erupted aboard—the sudden fall of Xue Xue, and Dan Ying’s fury.

Xue Xue flailed in the icy lake, the cold biting into her, freezing her stiff. Her eyes burned unbearably, as if they would burst, pain wrenching sharp gasps from her lips.

After swallowing several mouthfuls of lake water, someone lifted her up, the water receding from over her head to her chest. Soon she was out of the water, carried back onto the boat.

“Cough, cough, cough...” Xue Xue sputtered, expelling water.

“Master.”

Xue Xue was handed to Dan Ying, who received her with a cold face, watching her shivering form, taking her from her rescuer and ordering, “Summon Doctor Li at once!”

Xue Xue was laid on the bed, her eyes burning with pain, her body shaking violently. Though her body was strong, such exertion wore her down.

Soon, the maids changed her wet clothes, and Doctor Li swiftly knelt at her bedside to examine her.

Dan Ying stood by, his face grim.

“Prince, the young lady is not seriously harmed, but...” Doctor Li hesitated, head lowered. “But she has caught a chill, and her eyes must not be exposed to water or cold for several days, else... her condition may worsen.”

“No remedy at all?” Dan Ying asked, his face as cold as the lake.

“It is my own incompetence.”

“Leave us,” he said sharply.

Xue Xue clutched the quilt, feeling Dan Ying’s icy gaze. His look was so cold, it seemed he might devour her whole.

“Yuan Xue, were you so eager to leave this place?”

He’d seen through her! Her intent had been to test the lake’s depth—she was always a strong swimmer.

“Have you forgotten you never learned to swim?” Dan Ying sneered. “Or did you wish to threaten me with your life, thinking I might be swayed by old feelings?” His tone was mocking.

Xue Xue no longer bothered to correct him about Yuan Xue; he’d already decided she was Yuan Xue.

She pondered how to break the current stalemate.

“Why don’t you speak? Don’t you wish to know what became of Ji Wuqing?”

Hearing the name Ji Wuqing, she instinctively tilted her head. Her reaction only fueled his anger, though she was unaware. As for Ji Wuqing’s fate, she felt no concern; she was certain he was safe.

Since Dan Ying had captured her, it must have been for some purpose—surely not to rekindle old ties with Yuan Xue. If that were his aim, he would not have acted now.

So, he meant to use her against Ji Wuqing!

“Prince, why the roundabout approach? What is your true purpose in holding me? Is it to threaten Ji Wuqing?” she asked calmly.

“To tell you the truth, that was my original intent. But now, I find it may not be necessary.” His voice was low, his expression unreadable. “Yuan Xue, I want to keep you by my side, to see clearly what kind of woman you truly are.”

Why was Dan Ying doing this? Was it for revenge? Judging by his attitude these past days, it seemed Yuan Xue once wounded him deeply.

Truthfully, Xue Xue wasn’t curious about the love and hate between Dan Ying and Yuan Xue; she was simply puzzled by his demeanor. This man must have loved Yuan Xue—why else would he lose control over her again and again?

Indeed, love is a force that compels one to live or die, controlling a person’s emotions.

Lately, she had been quiet, mainly because Dan Ying guarded her closely, not allowing her to leave her room. She spent her days in peace, at least spared from his cold and sarcastic face.

Suddenly, her door opened from outside, and a woman entered, walking lightly.

She was dressed in a smart outfit, unlike the other maids aboard; she carried herself with more authority and presence. Dressed in blue, her long hair was tied up in a style reminiscent of a man’s, lending her an extra dash of boldness.

“Miss, please come. The Prince requests your presence.” Yu Die glanced at Xue Xue, noting her complexion had improved since the days after her fall.

“Oh?” Xue Xue replied, following her, though somewhat curious.

She wore a blue silk robe, with a jade-white cloak draped over her shoulders, matching her pale skin perfectly, not diminished by the color of her cloak.

Following Yu Die through the corridor, they arrived at a pavilion at the center of the boat, where a tempting meal and a fragrant pot of wine awaited.

Xue Xue couldn’t help but wonder—was this a trap?

Dan Ying sat there, his aura cold and noble, his raised brows exuding a certain arrogance, as if he had always looked down upon others from above.

A sapphire crown adorned his head, his long dark hair neatly arranged, a few stray locks veiling his proud brow, but his cold eyes were impossible to conceal, making it hard to meet his gaze.

“Master, Miss Xue has arrived,” Yu Die said respectfully, then withdrew.

Xue Xue stood at a distance, taking in the surroundings. It was indeed spacious, likely the center of the boat.

“Why are you standing there? Do you want me to personally seat you? I am not Ji Wuqing—I lack his patience,” Dan Ying said, seeing Xue Xue’s calm, expressionless face, neither joyful nor anxious, nor puzzled.

“It’s rare for the Prince to invite me to dine with such enthusiasm.” She stepped forward and took her seat.

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