Chapter 9: Engagement
Xiao Chen didn't move a single muscle to help her. He stood there, jaw clenched, looking utterly embarrassed. But as Lin Wan's screams faded down the corridor, his eyes shifted back to me.
He stared at me, his eyes wide with a sickening mix of shock, bruised ego, and a sudden, greedy gleam of interest. I had just demonstrated supreme medical knowledge, a miraculous elixir, and a commanding aura he had never seen before.
"Luoyan," Xiao Chen began, clearing his throat and trying to put on his gentle, commanding tone. He took a step toward me, reaching out to touch my arm. "I... clearly misunderstood the situation. You possess quite the miraculous medicine. You should have told me you had such treasures. But... I am willing to overlook your previous disrespect."
I slapped his hand away so hard it echoed.
"Do not touch me with your filthy hands, Xiao Chen."
"Luoyan! I am trying to be magnanimous!" he flared, his face turning red again. "Do not push your luck! You proved your point, but you are still my fiancée!"
"Not anymore."
I reached into my robes and pulled out the Imperial Jade Token—the symbol of our royal engagement, personally blessed by the Emperor. I held it up high for everyone in the hall to see.
Xiao Chen’s eyes widened in genuine panic. "What are you doing? Put that away immediately! You are throwing a childish tantrum!"
"A tantrum?" I sneered, my voice dripping with absolute contempt. "You blindly accuse me of murder, you raise your hand to strike me in my own home, and you publicly embrace another woman, defending a liar. You are a blind, incompetent, arrogant fool. I, Shen Luoyan, would rather marry a stray dog in the streets than share a bed with a man as pathetic as you."
With a fierce flick of my wrist, I threw the Imperial Jade Token violently to the stone floor.
CRASH.
The priceless jade shattered into a dozen pieces, the fragments scattering across the floor like broken glass.
The silence this time was deafening, heavier than a mountain. Even the Matriarch covered her mouth in sheer terror. I had just publicly dumped the Crown Prince of the Empire, smashing an imperial decree.
"We are done, Xiao Chen," I said, my voice cold enough to freeze hell. "Get out of my house."
Leaving him standing there, utterly humiliated, trembling with a rage so deep he couldn't speak, I turned and walked out of the hall. The first face-slap was complete, and the catharsis was intoxicating.
But as I stepped out into the courtyard, the cold morning air hit me. I knew the truth.
Lin Wan's System would not let this go. And the Emperor would never let the public humiliation of his favorite son go unpunished. Destroying the token was an act of treason. If I wanted to survive the impending imperial wrath, I needed a backer. A real bigshot. Someone who could make the Emperor himself sweat in terror.
And I knew exactly who that was.
"Cui'er," I called out to my stunned maid. "Prepare a discreet carriage. We are going to the Bamboo Sea. I have an appointment with a dying tyrant."
Comments