"Hiss—"

Pain!

The torment of feeling as if she was being torn apart made Jian Qianci let out a groan, her tightly shut almond eyes suddenly flew open!

Damn it!

Hell's bells!

“Who the hell are you?!”

There was a menacing look on the man's face in front of her, yet his eyes, as dark as ink, brimmed with indifference and resentment, wave after wave of tearing pain sweeping over her.

"Oh? Jian Qianci, isn't this what you wanted?"

All of a sudden, the man roughly grasped her chin, with such force that Jian Qianci felt as if the bones of her jaw were about to be crushed.

"You caused Jin'er to fall into the water, all because you wished to marry this prince, did you not?"

"Now that you've achieved your objective, are you pleased?"

There was an air of loathing on the man's frigid face, as though dealing with Jian Qianci in this manner was a great insult to him.

Jian Qianci looked utterly baffled.

Where had this high and mighty man come from?!

She, a renowned special agent from China, had simply decided to slack off in a computer lab and breach a corporation's firewall. How did she suddenly get sucked into the computer, and when she regained her consciousness, why was she being treated in such a manner by this high and mighty man on the bed?

"Are you insane! Don't touch me!" In the throes of pain, Jian Qianci raised her leg and kicked the man.

Unfortunately, her body was so weak that the strength of her kick barely made a scratch.

"Jian Qianci, this prince has limited patience!" Suddenly, the man forcefully clamped her neck, his knuckles turning slightly white from the exertion.

"You drugged this prince, and threw Jin'er into the water. Did you ever consider this moment would come?""

Drugged?

Pushed Jin'er into the water?

Scenes flooded Jian Qianci's mind like a tidal wave, but the intense pain made her focus only on the key memories.

She had time-traveled!

Moreover, she had arrived in the body of a girl who was the daughter of a court minister.

Such a status would never allow her to gain the emperor's favor, but the original love-struck Jian Qianci, to marry into the king's household, resorted to every conceivable method. Even, during a palace banquet, she had someone push Lin Jin'er, the childhood sweetheart of King Chu Shen Qingran, into the water, thus severing any potential possibility between Lin Jin'er and Shen Qingran.

A tainted woman would never have the possibility to marry into the royal family!

Furthermore, in the ensuing chaos, the original Jian Qianci drugged Shen Qingran, accused him of tarnishing her reputation, and successfully married into the Chu royal family.

As dawn broke, Jian Qianci finally gained lucidity amidst the throbbing pain. Shen Qingran disdainfully used a handkerchief to wipe his hand, then tossed it onto her body, tracing the marks as though he was disposing of rubbish.

"The queen is weak and ill, and needs bed rest."

Afterwards, Shen Qingran stood with his hands behind his back, his voice was cold, "Without this prince's permission, the queen is not allowed to leave her chambers, nor is anyone to enter to take care of her. Those who defy this order, be prepared to face the death penalty!"

That heartless bastard! As soon as he finished his dirty job, he took off!

Jian Qianci wished she could get up and scold him into oblivion, but her body, tormented by the former owner, was so weak it couldn't muster the power to. Blood vessels broke in her apricot eyes as she closed them, her consciousness completely fading.

....

Five years later.

The expression on Shen Qingrang's face was cold and gloomy.

His hair was as black as ink, but his cool eyes were full of sorrow. Below his high nose bridge, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line.

"Hey!"

Suddenly, a soft and tender child's voice came from above his head, "Uncle!"

Shen Qingrang raised his cold eyes and saw a little girl standing on the wall of the courtyard.

The girl was lively, with eyes as black as obsidian that sparkled with mischief. The shadow of her long eyelashes cast a dark shadow onto her soft and white little face under the sun.

"Uncle, catch me!"

Suddenly, the little girl closed her eyes and jumped down!

"Be careful!" Shen Qingrang's heart leaped, not thinking about anything else but reaching out to catch the shooting figure of the little girl.

The porcelain-like little girl gasped in Shen Qingrang's arms, causing his heart to tremble. Those eyes, akin to those of a fawn, brought an irresistible joy to him every time he saw them.

Shen Qingran carefully settled the little girl down, then said sternly, "Where are you from, child? Do you realize how dangerous it is to jump from the courtyard wall?"

"I know!" The little girl replied, raising her chubby finger to the courtyard wall, and then laughing sweetly, "I have an older brother too! Could uncle help get my brother down later too?"

The little girl, with her short and chubby legs, cautiously shouted at the courtyard wall, "Brother, come out! If it's too late mother's going to find out!"

Shen Qingran looked up at the sound of the little girl's words.

Qinglian Residence.

Wasn't this the courtyard he ordered to be closed off five years ago?

That woman...

"Jian Anxun, get your ass down here now!! Where is Jian Youyou!"