Zi Jinling stumbled back into Luoyuge.
Yes, Luoyuge.
Luoyuge was where Zi Linling used to live.
Here, the kind original owner had suffered countless inhuman abuses.
Of course, in the eyes of the Zi family, "useless" was a more fitting description than "kind" for the original owner.
Now, fortunes had turned!
After Zi Wenchang's family was removed from the ancestral registry, they temporarily settled here.
Zi Jinling cowered in the spot where the original owner used to cower, trembling.
She had actually encountered the most unbelievable thing in this world.
She had thought, why did a useless nobody suddenly become so radiant and unattainable?
So, it turned out that person was no longer that person.
The wind outside howled, making the doors and windows creak.
Although Zi Jinling had heard this sound for half a month, she still wasn't used to it.
Especially after she had learned such a terrifying truth, the sound was now tinged with a sinister aura.
The sky slowly darkened.
In Luoyuge, besides Zi Jinling, there was no one else.
Before, her mother, Madam Wang, had accompanied her, but half a month ago, due to the huge sum of money involved with the Jinling Dan, Zi Wenchang was burned to death, and Madam Wang was imprisoned.
Thus, in the decadent and cold Luoyuge, only Zi Jinling remained.
And her elder sister, Zi Yuling, had been taken away by a Fifth Elder of the Ju Yan Sect two years ago and had never been heard from since.
Her younger sister, Zi Huiling, had also been taken in as a closed-door disciple by a person named Yan Wuji a year ago and brought to Lingxiao Mountain.
Therefore, only she was there to entertain Zi Wenchang and Madam Wang.
It was precisely because of this that after Zi Linling rose, she became the one with the most tragic fate among the three sisters.
Of course, before leaving the Zi family, Zi Yuling and Zi Huiling had not spared Zi Linling their bullying.
Zi Linling had not forgotten these debts; she was just waiting for the right time.
In another half a month, it would be winter.
So, the nights at this time of year already carried a hint of chill.
Zi Jinling finally gathered her courage and lit the half-burnt candle on the table.
A faint light spread through the cold room.
Fortunately, when Madam Wang was still around, she had used her money to bribe a few servants to renovate this place.
So, although it was deserted, it was not as drafty as before.
Zi Jinling put on a cloak, covered her face with a mask, and quietly slipped out of the room, scaling the wall to leave the Zi family.
The candle flame inside continued to burn.
After leaving the Zi family, Zi Jinling headed straight for the Crown Prince's residence.
If there was anyone she could trust at this moment, it would be her Crown Prince brother, Ye Yuanhao.
She hoped that her Crown Prince brother could give her some advice regarding Zi Linling's matter.
Distracted as she was on the way, she naturally didn't notice Qingyu, who was hidden in the darkness.
As for why Qingyu was here?
It was naturally on Zi Linling's orders.
After provoking Zi Jinling, Zi Linling had returned to Zijin Pavilion and ordered Qingyu to personally come and monitor Zi Jinling's every move.
She, on the other hand, had hidden in her boudoir and plunged into the purple space, climbing the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.
Her decisive battle with Mo Qingcheng was only five days away.
She naturally had to seize these five days to cultivate.
She had a bad feeling about this decisive battle, as if something was slipping out of her control.
In front of the Crown Prince's residence, Zi Jinling lowered a corner of her mask, revealing her somewhat haggard face.
The guards at the entrance naturally knew that this second young lady of the Zi family, or rather, the former second young lady, was the Crown Prince's beloved.
Therefore, the guard did not dare to delay and led her directly to Ye Yuanhao's residence.
Ye Yuanhao's residence, though brightly lit, was in disarray.
Amidst wine jars scattered all over the floor, Ye Yuanhao lay sprawled drunk, blurrily pouring wine into his mouth.
This phenomenon had become commonplace in the Crown Prince's residence.
And why?
Because since the Zi family's patriarch succession ceremony, Ye Yuanhao's mind had been filled with only a cold, clear shadow.
A shadow he once avoided, but now could not touch, nor even aspire to reach.
"Lin'er... Lin'er... I was wrong, please forgive me!"
Ye Yuanhao mumbled incoherently.
It turned out that after the Zi family's patriarch succession ceremony, he had gone to find Zi Linling more than once, trying to rekindle their past affection.
Alas, a broken mirror is hard to mend!
Zi Linling was no longer the Zi Linling of the past and only felt disgust towards him.
Therefore, Zi Linling always avoided him, directly ordering people to throw him out.
People always have moments of weakness, even His Highness the Crown Prince.
Repeated visits and repeated rejections only made Ye Yuanhao more persistent.
Thus, the noble Crown Prince, being thrown out during the day and getting drunk at night, had become a striking scene in the Crown Prince's residence.
The guard brought Zi Jinling to the entrance and cupped his fist, reporting, "Your Highness..."
"Scram!"
With a cold shout, an object flew out.
The guard who was yelled at instinctively dodged, and the object fell to the ground with a crisp shattering sound.
Zi Jinling looked closely and found that what had shattered on the ground was a wine jar.
The smell of alcohol rushed into her nostrils, causing her brows to furrow.
The guard cast an apologetic glance at Zi Jinling and cupped his fist towards the inside again, "Your Highness, Zi..."
"Scram! Get out, you scoundrel!"
Ye Yuanhao roared, and another wine jar was thrown out, flying towards Zi Jinling.
"Not good!"
The guard muttered and quickly stepped in front of Zi Jinling.
He dared not let Zi Jinling get hurt.
If Zi Jinling were injured, the Crown Prince would definitely punish him severely when he sobered up.
Thus, the wine jar landed heavily on the guard's back, shattering with a clang.
The guard grunted, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Although he was a guard, he was only at the fifth level of Body Tempering. How could he possibly withstand a blow from Ye Yuanhao in a fit of rage without getting injured?
Ye Yuanhao was a spiritual practitioner in the late Qi Condensation realm!
Zi Jinling's face turned pale with fright at the sight of the guard being injured.
"Ah..."
She screamed in terror.
That piercing scream made Ye Yuanhao in the room even more impatient.
"Shut up!"
Ye Yuanhao roared again.
Zi Jinling's tears welled up in her eyes.
Her Crown Prince brother had always spoken to her gently; he had never scolded her so rudely.
She choked back a sob, "Crown Prince brother..."
This soft, boneless cry made the drunken Ye Yuanhao falter for a moment.