Chapter 28: Countering the Rumors

Jun Liyang softly called out the name of the intruder.

Then, she widened her almond-shaped eyes, watching him with a mixture of tension and anticipation. The room was not lit, save for a pair of dragon-and-phoenix wedding candles burning quietly on the table. Yet, by the moonlight that poured through the window like frost, Jun Liyang could clearly discern the contours of the man’s features.

His brows were like the glowing moon, his eyes like the shimmering expanse of the galaxy. Upon closer inspection, one could see a hidden, chilling sharpness beneath the flowing light of his gaze—as deep and unfathomable as a frost-covered abyss.

Pei Wuwang. It was truly Pei Wuwang!

The emotions that had accumulated since her death surged forth instantly. With trembling hands, Jun Liyang reached out to touch his face. It was warm and soft, just as it had felt the day she died, when he had held her tightly in his arms.

"Pei Wuwang, is it really you?" Jun Liyang murmured.

"Mm."

Pei Wuwang nodded slightly, his voice raspy.

Jun Liyang grew even more agitated, reaching out to embrace him. But as she moved, she found herself unexpectedly met with a pair of bloodshot, lust-filled eyes.

"Pei Wuwang?" Jun Liyang whispered in doubt.

Hearing his name, Pei Wuwang’s muddled consciousness cleared for a fleeting moment. He steadied himself, staring at her unblinkingly, his expression dazed. Realizing the situation, he struggled to pull away from her, but due to the weakness in his limbs, he collapsed back against her with even the slightest movement.

Seeing him so frail, Jun Liyang’s heart ached, and she could not help but knit her brows. Yet, this simple furrow of her brow caused the last glimmer of hope in Pei Wuwang’s eyes to be replaced by profound sorrow.

"Your Highness, must you despise me so?" Pei Wuwang asked in a cold, clear voice.

Before she could answer, he seemed to have already guessed her response. His eyes grew bitter, his tone filled with an indescribable sadness: "Whether you believe it or not, Your Highness, what happened tonight has nothing to do with me."

Jun Liyang remained silent, seemingly still questioning her current circumstances. Seeing her long silence, Pei Wuwang bit his lower lip, more convinced than ever that she must loathe him to the core. Summoning his remaining strength, he forced himself to roll off the bed onto the floor, where he knelt with his head bowed.

"I know well that you must despise me now. Regardless, it was I who offended your noble person; if you wish to punish me, I have nothing to say."

Seeing this familiar scene, memories of her past life flashed through her mind. In a sudden flash of realization, Jun Liyang felt a jolt—she had been reborn!

In shock and wonder, she tremblingly raised a hand to her chest. Feeling the powerful rhythm of her heartbeat, she wept with joy. She had never imagined that after her heart was carved out in that agonizing death, she would be reborn—back to the day of her wedding to Murong Yu, the day she was framed and lost her innocence to Pei Wuwang!

Jun Liyang looked down; Pei Wuwang was still kneeling on the floor. Even though his face was terrifyingly pale and he looked ready to collapse at any moment, he kept his spine straight, kneeling before her as still as a mountain. Seeing his lips turn white from the effort of suppressing his pain, Jun Liyang hurried off the bed and pulled him into her arms.

Pei Wuwang instinctively struggled, but Jun Liyang held his head firmly against her chest. "Behave. Don't move."

Her voice was gentle, yet carried an authority that brooked no argument.

"Your Highness..."

Pei Wuwang was confused at first, but upon feeling the steady, strong beat of her heart, his mind went blank, as if a great bell had tolled. His cold, aloof features appeared bewildered in the hazy moonlight.

Watching his cautious and lost expression, a dull ache blossomed in Jun Liyang’s chest. Who would have thought that the "Ghostly Yama" feared by the world, the man who was decisive and ruthless, would always be so cautious and eager to please in her presence?

This man, who had treated her as his most precious treasure, had been met with nothing but her disdain and coldness, all because she had listened to slander and been misled by those around her into viewing him as a wicked courtier.

Yet, this man—to whom she had never shown a kind face—had led his soldiers to break through the palace gates when she was falsely accused of treason, imprisoned in a cellar, and had her heart carved out while she was hung at the palace gates, unable to live or die.

At that time, Jun Liyang had only one breath left. Her blood had long since drained away, staining the snow beneath her redder by the layer. Pei Wuwang had spotted her instantly, flying to catch her as she fell from the city wall, his hands trembling as he pulled her into his embrace.

In her final moments of consciousness, she had seen Pei Wuwang’s eyes split with rage, wielding his spear with one hand to return the suffering inflicted upon her tenfold. Finally, he had collapsed with her before a sea of corpses, frantically kissing her broken body over and over, begging her not to leave him.

At that moment, the sight of his crimson eyes and his near-madness had been etched into her soul. Only then did she realize who the wolf was and who her true protector had been. She had wanted to say something, but her tongue had been cruelly ripped out; she could only swallow her final breath in regret and bitterness.

Returning to the present, she looked toward the incense burner nearby, from which a thin trail of smoke curled. Her expression chilled. Living this life again, she knew exactly what was burning inside.

She patted Pei Wuwang’s back and said softly, "Pei Wuwang, I do not blame you. I know it was Murong Yu who added the aphrodisiac to the burner, plotting to frame us both on the day of our wedding..."

Pei Wuwang froze, clearly surprised that she knew all of this.

Jun Liyang gently helped him to the side of the bed, rose, and retrieved a celadon porcelain bottle from a hidden compartment. She poured out two pills and fed them to him. "This medicine will neutralize the poison. Take it."

Pei Wuwang obeyed without a shred of doubt. Seeing his absolute trust, Jun Liyang felt her heart twist. A second later, she leaned in and kissed his lips; as he parted them in surprise, she slipped her tongue into his mouth...

Outside, the wind chimes tinkled as the night breeze stirred. In the frost-like moonlight, Jun Liyang clearly heard Pei Wuwang’s heartbeat accelerate.

Just then, a delicate, surprised cry came from outside the door:

"Oh my! Brother Yu is still here, so who is the man in the bridal chamber with my sister?"

Hearing that voice, Jun Liyang’s eyes filled with a chilling frost.

Jun Jingyi, Murong Yu—the wretched pair who stole her throne and carved out her heart in her past life, we meet again.