Seeing her distrust, Helian Yi offered a gesture of goodwill, “Isn’t Miss Shen curious about what happened to Lu Zhixing in Southern Yue? You would be greatly surprised if you knew.” 

When Helian Yi and Lu Zhixing first met in Southern Yue, Lu Zhixing was just a fledgling youth. In the blink of an eye, he had become a decorated general, a prince who could casually decide the life and death of others.

“If I’m curious, will you tell me?” It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious. Seeing Lu Zhixing’s distraught state, she knew whatever he experienced in Southern Yue must be something shameful.

The exquisite mask concealed the excitement on Helian Yi’s face as he began to reminisce: “If you want to know, I don't mind telling you. Who would have thought that the high and mighty Prince of the Li Dynasty once lived a life worse than a dog in my Southern Yue?”

Eight years ago, Lu Zhixing was still a spirited young man. He was kind and gentle, thus beloved by the soldiers in the army camp. One day, he received orders from Prince Yu to gather intelligence in enemy territory. At the border, Lu Zhixing rescued Helian Yi from bandits. The borderlands were swept by swirling yellow sands, a place where countless travelers disappeared. Helian Yi, feigning being lost, asked to travel with Lu Zhixing to Southern Yue. Lu Zhixing, naive and unsuspecting, agreed. During their journey, they shared meals, slept side-by-side, and spoke freely. Lu Zhixing even confided, “I am aloof and have no friends. I never thought I would make my first friend at the border.”

Thinking of this, Helian Yi couldn't help but laugh. “He was so foolish. How could anyone trust a stranger? I had already learned he was a Li Dynasty spy. I approached him intentionally.”

Shen Ruoyu thought that neither Lu Zhixing nor the man before her were good people. Helian Yi was clearly a schemer. Having lived so many lives, this was the first time she learned that Lu Zhixing was once a naive and innocent youth.

“And then? What happened between you two? Why was he so terrified after receiving your letter?” If that was all that transpired between them, it shouldn't have frightened Lu Zhixing to such an extent.

Helian Yi nodded and continued, “Of course, there's more. After we arrived in Southern Yue, I had him captured. As the ruler of Southern Yue, I naturally couldn't let a spy go free. It just so happened that my debauched, old, and ugly Royal Mother took a liking to his handsome face.”

Hearing this, Shen Ruoyu had a vague feeling that Lu Zhixing’s aversion to women was related to his experiences in Southern Yue. Helian Yi’s next words confirmed her suspicions. 

“My Royal Mother liked him, so I did her a favor and sent him to her as a male consort. No, that’s not quite right. Calling him a consort is too generous. He was more of a plaything. But he was uncooperative and unwilling to serve my Royal Mother. He was stubborn and suicidal day and night. My Royal Mother disliked his temperament and kept him as a dog.”

During that time, Lu Zhixing was kept in a small cage with a heavy iron chain around his neck. Besides losing his freedom, he had to crawl on the ground like a dog. Every day, he had to perform ridiculous tricks in front of that old woman, and even when eating, he could only lap up food with his tongue like a dog.

“Although he didn't become my Royal Mother’s consort, he was quite popular with her as a dog. She would lead him around by the chain around his neck every day. Back then, he mentioned his plans to marry during our idle chats. Why is he interested in your brother now?”

Lu Zhixing’s life was a living hell back then. He tried to commit suicide more than once, only to be saved by Helian Yi’s men.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.”

Shen Ruoyu hadn't expected Lu Zhixing to have such a hidden past. However, he was currently an obstacle in her path. So, despite hearing this story, she wasn’t moved. Just because he suffered, did that give him the right to disregard the lives of others?

Shen Ruoyu thought that regardless of Helian Yi’s motives, it would be wonderful if she could eliminate the threat that Lu Zhixing posed. “Alright, I’ll cooperate with you. What do you want me to do?”

Helian Yi pulled out a sachet and tossed it to her. “I will write to Lu Zhixing again and arrange to meet him outside the city tomorrow. If you want your brother to return safely, take this sachet and go with him.”

“That’s all?” Shen Ruoyu couldn't believe the cooperation was so simple.

“That’s all. This sachet is specially prepared for Lu Zhixing. You just need to take it with you tomorrow.”

After tossing the sachet to Shen Ruoyu, Helian Yi vanished into the crowd. Everything he told her today was true, except for one omission, Helian Yi had embellished his own role in the story.

“Let’s cooperate well, Miss Shen.”

After the man left, Shen Ruoyu returned to her residence with the sachet. The fragrance didn't cause her any discomfort, which made her question its purpose. Could it be that it only affected certain people?

Xiao Chun came to extinguish the lights and reminded her it was time to rest. Shen Ruoyu didn't overthink it. The events of the day had left her exhausted. Resting her head on the soft silk pillow, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps due to the sachet’s fragrance, she, who hadn’t dreamt in a long time, had a bizarre dream. This time, her dream had a specific time. In the dream, she was playing Go with someone. She heard the person across from her say, “A’Yu, it’s the seventh year of Yuansheng. When are you going to forgive me?”

Shen Ruoyu was startled. How could she be calmly playing Go with Rong Yan? The seventh year of Yuansheng—wasn’t that a year from now?

“Who would forgive you? Get lost!” Perhaps because it was a dream, she was even more unrestrained.

Just as she was about to angrily order someone to throw Rong Yan out, a pair of large hands suddenly reached into her robes, right in front of Rong Yan. The man's palms expertly cupped her soft br3asts, his hot breath brushing against her ear: “Hmm? What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”

Hearing this voice, Shen Ruoyu’s body stiffened. Lu Zhixing?! How could he appear in her dream, and doing such a thing…?

“You get lost too!”

Absurd! The two people she least wanted to see appeared in her dream at the same time.

Shen Ruoyu rarely dreamt in her past lives, but every scene in her dreams would come true. Only in this life, why did she have such strange dreams?