The midsummer cicadas shrieked from the locust trees in Prince Zhenbei's Estate. Lu Jingyuan stood before the door of Liu Shiyao’s chambers, his knuckles rapping against the wood with enough force to nearly shatter it. Panicked footsteps echoed from within. After a long moment, the door creaked open a crack. Chuntao poked her head out, her face as pale as parchment.
"Heir Lu..."
"Step aside." Lu Jingyuan’s face was cold as he pushed the door open. His black martial robes swept across the threshold, and the sword at his waist glinted with a sharp, chilly light in the sunlight. Liu Shiyao was curled up before her dressing table, her hairpins askew, frantically stuffing something into a drawer.
Chapter 97