The mountain road ended at a cliff. The horses panicked, the driver was thrown off, and Anran and I were tossed around like dumplings in a pot.
Anran started sobbing. I hugged her, stroking her hair. "Don't be afraid!"
Stay calm, I told myself. I scanned the carriage for anything that could help us survive.
There! At the last second before the carriage tipped over the edge, I grabbed the reins and flung them outward.
They caught on a tree!
I exhaled shakily. "It's okay, Anran. We're safe."
I helped her climb up to safety. She'd barely settled when—snap—the rope broke.
"Yun'er!!!" she screamed.
The icy wind howled, stinging my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking, Am I going to die? What about Jiang Rui? Would he forget me? Maybe that would be for the best…
I floated in that thought until the wind died down. Slowly, I opened my eyes.
I was alive!
Anran's cries drifted down from above. "Anran, I'm fine!" I shouted, realizing I was dangling from a tree branch above a bottomless ravine.
"Go get help! Hurry!" I yelled. If she didn't, my next scream would be even louder.
No answer. Was I not loud enough? I was so dizzy I started hallucinating—was that Jiang Rui's silhouette at the edge?
Impossible.
But then, in a flash of moon-white robes, he leapt down like a celestial lotus.
The scent of sandalwood enveloped me as I was swept into a warm embrace.
I blinked in disbelief.
Seeing me unresponsive, Jiang Rui's voice trembled with panic. "Yun'er! Yun'er!"
"Jiang Rui?" My drifting soul finally anchored. Tears welled up.
It really was him!
All my fear burst out at once. I bawled, wiping my snot and tears all over his fancy robe.
He didn't mind, just patted my back. "Don't be scared, I've got you. Let's get you back up."
I was bedridden for days after. The household matron told me that Jiang Rui had been investigating a case with the Dali Court that day. Hearing Anran's cries, he'd dashed over, leaving his guards in the dust.
"I've never seen His Highness so frantic," she whispered, still in awe.
Once I was well enough to sit up, Chuntao came in beaming. "Princess, we found out—it was Lin Wanran who set the whole thing up!"
Turns out, the Lin family's corruption had been exposed, and Jiang Rui had seized their estate. The entire Lin clan was now in prison.
So that's why Jiang Rui had been leaving early and coming home late—he was handling all this chaos for me.
A surge of warmth filled my heart, quickly followed by worry. My father had warned me: the Lin family's connections in court ran deep. Who knew what dangers Jiang Rui had faced to protect us?
I made a mental note: next time, I'd bring more guards. In this household you never knew when a carriage ride would turn into a flying lesson.
But one thing was certain: with Jiang Rui by my side, even hanging off a cliff felt a little less terrifying—and a lot more like an adventure
Preparing to make some nourishing chicken soup for Jiang Rui, I headed toward the little kitchen—only to nearly collide with the stewardess from the front courtyard.
"What's got you in such a rush?"
"Princess, Prince Lin is here to visit."
The name gave me pause. I'd nearly forgotten who Prince Lin was. Though he'd tried to interfere with my marriage to Jiang Rui before, he hadn't done much since, aside from returning those sappy letters. After I married Jiang Rui, we never spoke of the past. I assumed he'd finally let go. After all, I was now his unattainable royal sister-in-law.
But his sudden visit left me wary.
Prince Lin looked much the same as before, his gaze still disturbingly fixated on me. I tried to shield my face with my teacup; he simply shifted his gaze to the other side. I moved my cup, he followed with his eyes. Annoyed, I set the cup down with a thud.
"May I ask what brings Your Highness here today?"
Only then did Prince Lin reluctantly look away.
"I just wanted to check on you, Royal Sister-in-law. Are you feeling better?"
I nodded coolly and sipped my tea.
He finally got to the point. "I want to beg you to show mercy to Lin Wanran."
My brow arched. "Oh?"
Prince Lin looked awkward, his tone resigned. "My brother has been so busy lately for a reason. Lin Wanran… she's pregnant."
My eyes widened in disbelief. Impossible. Jiang Rui would never betray me.
"Whose is it?"
Prince Lin blurted, "It's mine. We have a child."
Our voices overlapped—my interrogation and his confession. I nearly choked on my tea.
"Ahaha, yours? That's… good."
Prince Lin gave a bitter smile. "Sure. Good."
Word of Prince Lin's plea quickly reached Jiang Rui.
"Oh, our Princess is so kind, she even wants to spare someone like that," he said, voice laced with sarcasm. "There's still a life in her belly. Besides, I haven't agreed to let her out yet."
He turned away, coldness in his tone. "Of course, it's Prince Lin's child, after all."
"What do you mean by that?" I demanded. Was this our first real argument as husband and wife?
Jiang Rui advanced, reaching out to pull me close. "Can't you tell I'm jealous?" His arms circled my waist, our hearts thumping together.
Instead of the confrontation I expected, I got a hug.
Was he always this sweet?
I leaned against his shoulder, a little overwhelmed. "Should I coax my husband, then?"
Jiang Rui lifted my chin, his gaze burning. "Kiss me."
In broad daylight? I glanced around, but realized he'd already cleared the study of servants.
Usually, Jiang Rui was the restrained one, always refusing my advances, claiming he might lose control. I'd always wished he would, but with his injury, I had to keep my own wicked thoughts in check.
But now he was the one taking the initiative—how could I resist? I closed my eyes and kissed him, only for Jiang Rui to deepen the kiss, leaving me breathless.
When I finally opened my eyes, he was smiling, gently wiping the corner of my mouth.
"You misunderstood, Yun'er."
Huh? I blinked, mortified. Had I gotten it wrong again?
But then Jiang Rui kissed my cheek. "I only wanted a little peck, but you were so enthusiastic. I'm delighted."
My face burned as I shot him a playful glare.