"Mother Lin Xia didn't deserve a death like this." After a long intimidating silence between them, Hui Jing enunciated.
"You sound like you know who the true offender is." Shuo Jin shook his head, one side of his lips curled up, forming a sly smirk.
"Of course I have no idea. Everyone presumes you to be the offender but, a son who regularly visits the grave of his departed mother wouldn't conduct such horrific deed against his own birth giver." With a perspicuous expression, Hui Jing once again spoke.
Shuo Jin suspiciously narrowed his eyes, "To console me, is that why you are here, Crown Prince?" He expressed his dubiety.
"First Prince, you have gone through the bitter experience of being falsely accused. So, do you want others to be on your shoes?"
"I don't think anybody has that self-restraint to tolerate what I had suffered." Shuo Jin sniggered, his hands clasped together behind his back.
Hearing him, Hui Jing eyes clouded with melancholy. "The person I am referring to, will surely go through such hardships even in the cost of her life." His voice despondent and pensive.
"Her? Interesting!" Shuo Jin brows raised and knitted together in astonishment. "I think I know that person of yours." He stroke his chin and head tilted down, eyes being largely downcast.
"Yes, First Prince."
"Is she that maiden? What's her name..." Shuo Jin repeatedly tapped his chin, brows slightly flinching.
"Fei Jia."
"Oh yes...."
"As you happen to be the witness of that event, I believe you can give testimony for her." Hui Jing stated in an unruffled voice.
Shuo Jin fluttered his ever so fluttering eyelashes before flashing a menacing beam, "And why shall I do that?"
"Do you want others to be on your shoes?" Hui Jing responded, his eyebrows lowered and pulled closer together. "You were kept in the dungeons for years even though you were innocent. You were separated from your mother, you were forced to abandon the royal life you had. Moreover, you were accused of those offenses you had no idea of. You suffered all those alone.
Do you want Jia'er to suffer the same fate as yours?"
"Stop this." A lump in his throat was formed. Shuo Jin's hand made a fist out of clenching. His face contorted with rage and teeth gritted together. His visions were flooded with the ominous memories.
Shuo Jin turned around to leave that place and as he walked two three steps ahead, he was again stopped by Hui Jing.
"You were innocent, She is innocent. Please save her."
****
In a blink of an eye, the sun set and the Crown Prince residence was cascaded with the moonlight.
Serenity surrounded Anchhi, with the candle as the only source of illumination in the whole chamber.
Her chamber was guided by two guards from outside while, Shoumen was inside to accompany her. Blood vomiting was Anchhi's lone response up to this point.
It was about to be the third day and the last shred of hope that everybody had was gradually vanishing.
Shoumen covered Anchhi's forehead with a damp washcloth since she had a high fever. Only a miracle can rescue her at this point, according to the royal physician.
A crease of distress appeared on Shoumen's forehead. She kept Anchhi's hand in hers while looking at her with anguished eyes. Soon, Shoumen felt asleep without her own notice.
It was past midnight and an indistinct shadow teased against the window of the chamber. An eerie feeling replaced the composed ambience.
The ominous apparition approached Anchhi as it approached from the window and entered the room. His steps were sluggish and languid, tapping the floor.
He saw Shoumen dozing off so he further pressed her back with his thumbs. As a result, she was swayed in the floor.
That man was Shuo Jin. His attention shifted to Anchhi and the pupils of his eyes dilated when he saw the petite fragile girl lying in the bed. This is the first time he was seeing her after that night.
Not to mention, Shuo Jin can differentiate the previous Anchhi from this one. This one who was being laid down on bed had pale and waxy complexion, with her skin sagging. Despite this, she was still effortlessly beautiful as nothing could fade her natural beauty.
"Cheeky girl!" Shuo Jin muttered under his breath followed by a dark chuckle.
"Am I your knight in shining armor or what?" His forehead scrunched up, and one eyebrow raised higher than another, Shuo Jin was mystified.
He folded his arms together and uttered with a devious grin, "Yes, I am but a gray one." But, that poor girl in the bed neither heard him speak nor could respond to him.
Shuo Jin sat next to Anchhi and reached out his hand to brush off the loose hair strands from her face. "That day in the woods from the clutches of wolf and now, from the clutches of my men."
"Why are you this stubborn to risk your life again and again?" His seductive voice once again thundered in the room, but in a low volume.
"You annoy, irritate and infuriate me." Shuo Jin sighed as he withdrew his hand.
Shuo Jin knew in his heart that he was somehow blameworthy for Anchhi's situation, yet he refused to show her even the slightest bit of kindness.
Blameworthy? How?
That night, Shuo Jin was present there from the moment the conflict between Anchhi and his men first broke out. He witnessed her ardent flames glowing in her eyes. He saw her fieriness and not to lie, Shuo Jin was astonished and impressed with her.
Despite his desire to step in, he preferred to watch her suffer at the hands of his men. As Shuo Jin was someone who enjoys watching people be racked with pain. He was a person with a dark heart.
Even though Anchhi fell on the hands of death, she refused to let those ghastly beasts devour her body. She protected herself, her chastity.
"How boyish of you! Never knew this side of yours ever existed." He poked Anchhi's forehead.
Shuo Jin took out a small jar containing antidote from his inner pocket. He opened the lid and chuckled, shifting his gaze from that jar to Anchhi. "I am the only person who has the cure for this poison because the poison you are inflicted with is a product of the UNDERWORLD."
Then, he made Anchhi sit upright and slowly fed her the antidote. As Shuo Jin was feeding her, he noticed how Anchhi was responding to the antidote.
"I never would have entertained the idea of saving you at this hour if it weren't for your Romeo." He sighed. From the way Shuo Jin talked, it's as if Hui Jing begged on his feet to come here and save Anchhi.
She coughed mouthful of blood as a reaction to the poison's antidote. However, he made no effort to rub her blood. Why on earth would he ever do that?
"Bad!!!" Shuo Jin clicked his tongue. "Don't vomit. It will ruin your clothes as well as mine." Shuo Jin flinched his brows at the sight of Anchhi's coughing.
Her lips delicate as usual yet covered in red scarlet. Her lovely eyes were closed, and her ruffled but flowing hair cascaded down to her midriff.
"You are unconscious and after you wake up, you won't remember how and who saved you. However, you owe me this one and I will make sure you repay this to me." Shuo Jin leaned closer towards Anchhi, whispering in her ear.