The pungent smell of blood mixed with lye water lingered in the luxurious bedroom, refusing to dissipate. The servants had long since been dismissed, and Nanny Li, half-dead, had been "sent" away from the Prince's Mansion along with them. The room, which only moments ago had been as noisy as an execution ground, was now deathly silent, with only two sets of breathing left. One belonged to Lin Wan. The other belonged to Zhao Yi, who sat in his wheelchair.
Lin Wan, her back to Zhao Yi, was methodically wiping the silver hairpin that had caused the monstrous uproar with clean water and a cloth. She wiped it carefully, as if it were not a hairpin, but a piece of precise equipment that could not tolerate the slightest flaw. The black marks left by the decaying egg white were wiped away bit by bit, and the silver hairpin regained its bright, pristine state, reflecting her calm and unruffled side profile. This astonishing focus made the scrutinizing gaze behind her grow even deeper.
"You did well."
Zhao Yi broke the silence. This was the first time he had offered praise in such an explicit, unwavering tone, devoid of any probing.
Lin Wan’s wiping motion did not pause, and she did not even lift her eyelids. "I was simply protecting myself. If you, Prince, feel my methods were cruel, you are free to dispose of me right now, so as not to soil the grounds of your mansion."
Zhao Yi looked at her slender yet straight back, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint arc. "The dignity of the Prime Minister's Mansion has been trampled under your feet and torn to shreds."
He turned his wheelchair to her side, his deep gaze falling upon her. "Madame Liu is famous in The Capital for being a smiling tiger who must retaliate for every grievance. Are you not afraid that she will pursue you to the death?"
Lin Wan finally stopped her movements. She tucked the clean silver hairpin back into her hair and turned to face Zhao Yi's inquisitive eyes. "Afraid?" She chuckled softly, as if she had heard a joke. "Prince, from the day I was shoved into the bridal sedan chair to take Lin Xuewei's place and marry into your den of tigers and snakes, the Prime Minister's Mansion and I were already destined to be at daggers drawn."
Her gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing straight into Zhao Yi's eyes. "For every extra day I live, the Prime Minister's Wife will be unable to eat or sleep in peace. The better I live, the harder her face is slapped."
Lin Wan leaned in slightly, drawing closer to Zhao Yi, and the distance between them narrowed to a dangerous degree. She could smell the crisp scent of medicinal herbs on him, and he could see his own pale face reflected in her pupils. "As for you, Prince..." Lin Wan’s voice dropped to a whisper, carrying a hint of knowing insight. "Your enemies aren't just a simple Prime Minister's Wife, are they?"
With that single sentence, the air in the room suddenly tensed! The interest in Zhao Yi's eyes froze instantly, replaced by a bottomless, icy pool. He was poisoned, paralyzed, stripped of all authority, and trapped within the four walls of this mansion—a Prince in name, but a prisoner in reality. This was his deepest scar and his greatest secret. Yet this woman before him, his wife in name only, had exposed it so precisely and mercilessly after only one day of marriage!
Their eyes met. There were no sparks, but there was the clashing sound of blades meeting. In each other’s eyes, they saw the same thing: the situation of being backed into a corner and the tenacity to never let others slaughter them, even if it meant being smashed to pieces.
This was the first true meeting of minds between them. It was no longer a condescending probe or a lowly plea for survival; it was an unspoken transparency based on a shared predicament.
After a long while, the frost in Zhao Yi's eyes slowly melted. He acknowledged that this woman was qualified to stand before him and discuss these matters.
"That is true." He spoke, his voice carrying a hint of self-mocking raspiness. "My enemies are scattered throughout the imperial court, and even..." He looked toward the direction of the Imperial Palace. He did not finish his sentence, but the implication was clear. "These legs are their masterpiece."
He openly admitted to being poisoned and paralyzed. This was a signal—a signal of willingness to expose his weaknesses in exchange for trust.
Lin Wan stood tall. This was exactly what she had been waiting for. "I can cure you."
Five words fell lightly, yet they carried more weight than any of their previous confrontations! Zhao Yi’s breath hitched. He abruptly looked up, and for the first time, a tempest surged within his typically calm eyes. "What did you say?"
"I said, I can cure your legs and neutralize your poison."
Lin Wan repeated herself, her tone determined and unquestionable. She looked straight into his shocked eyes and clearly laid out her conditions, word for word. "But I require your absolute trust and unconditional cooperation. In exchange..." Her eyes flickered with a searing light. "You must become my backing. In this Prince's Mansion and in The Capital, you must protect me and allow me to... do as I please!"
The entire room fell into deathly silence. Zhao Yi stared at her intensely, as if trying to look through her soul. Countless imperial physicians and master healers had been helpless against his legs and the poison in his body. What gave her the right to say this? Was it just that mysterious method of testing for poison? But... what if? What if she truly could do it?
Once this thought arose, it burned through his dead heart like a wildfire! To stand up again! To take back everything that belonged to him! To make those who trampled and mocked him pay ten, a hundred times over! The enormous temptation lay before him. Zhao Yi looked long and hard at the woman. She was beautiful, but her beauty was filled with aggression. She was intelligent, but her intelligence was daunting. She was like the most gorgeous, poisonous flower—one knew that getting close would lead to injury, yet the fatal attraction was impossible to resist.
After a long time, he slowly uttered two words. "Deal."
A promise, a contract betting on the future, was thus made. A smile finally curled at the corners of Lin Wan's lips. It was the first smile from the heart, without any disguise, that she had produced since crossing into this world. It was bright and radiant, yet carried a hint of fox-like cunning.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Prince."
She pulled a prepared piece of paper and a piece of charcoal from her sleeve, then leaned over the desk, quickly writing and drawing. A moment later, she handed the paper, filled with strange medicinal ingredients and odd diagrams, to Zhao Yi.
"Well then, we are allies now." Lin Wan’s smile grew even brighter. "As a start to our cooperation, please help me gather these things first."