The gilded invitation lay on the mahogany table, the embossed characters for "Second Prince's Estate" shimmering with a cold, sinister light in the flickering candlelight, like the fangs of a viper. Shen Mingyue traced the exquisite cloud patterns on the edges of the card, her fingernails digging deep into her palm, leaving crescent-shaped bloodstains on her skin. Memories of the scar-faced figure she had seen in the ancestral hall three days ago caused her pupils to constrict; a mix of vigilance and unease roiled within her.
"Discussing urgent matters of the border?" She let out a cold, mocking laugh and tossed the invitation toward Gu Jinghong. With such force that it slid right off the table, she added, "I suspect the Second Prince doesn't even know if the Yumen Pass lies to the east or the west."
Despite her words, she pondered the true purpose of his summons, convinced that a massive conspiracy lay hidden beneath it. Her fingers traced the wood grain of the table unconsciously, as if she could smooth away her inner turmoil, but her thoughts drifted inevitably to her father’s secret letters. Those unresolved mysteries felt like heavy shackles, suffocating her.
Chapter 55