Everything went exactly as Duan Ling had predicted.
After Duan Xinning’s near accident with the mad horse, she became utterly devoted to Lin Ting, willing to fulfill any of her requests.
Duan Ling did not intervene.
How Duan Xinning treated others was none of his concern. Â
But whenever Duan Ling discovered Lin Ting scheming against Duan Xinning, hoping to see her humiliated, he would turn the tables and devise a counterplot, letting Lin Ting taste the bitterness of “lifting a stone only to drop it on one’s own foot.”
It wasn’t out of familial sentiment that he stopped her, but simply because he refused to let Lin Ting get what she wanted.
As time went on, their relationship grew bitter.
Though on the surface they maintained the etiquette of polite greetings during encounters, behind the scenes they constantly plotted against each other—always ending with Lin Ting entangled in her own schemes.
A year later, Duan Lisheng died.
The family told outsiders he died in an accident while on Imperial Guard duty, but only a few knew the truth—and Duan Ling was one of them.
He had overheard his parents arguing by chance and learned the whole story.
It was the Imperial Uncle who had recklessly ridden his horse through the street that day—he was the Empress’s only full brother.
The Emperor had only punished the Imperial Uncle with a half-month confinement for reflection, refusing to take harsher action.
His father was enraged and went to the palace to plead his case but received no justice.
The Imperial Uncle held a grudge against the Duan family ever since, constantly setting traps for them.
He even whispered to the Emperor that Duan Lisheng harbored divided loyalties and was unfit to serve as Commander of Imperial Guards, fabricating baseless accusations to have him demoted. Â
The Emperor was weak-willed and incompetent, easily swayed by his maternal relatives.
So, seizing any excuse, he demoted Duan Lisheng and appointed another as Imperial Guard Commander.
The Imperial Uncle was far from done; he sought to destroy the Duan family, continuously oppressing Duan Ling’s father.
The Emperor turned a blind eye.
Disillusioned with Daxia, Duan Ling’s father soon received a visit from his closest friend, who arrived accompanied by a male strategist and a female strategist—the latter far more capable than the former.
From that day, Duan Ling’s father secretly assigned Duan Lisheng to protect this friend.
Later, Duan Lisheng was killed while shielding this very friend.
At this moment, Duan Ling expressionless, tilted his head upward, staring at the manor draped with white lanterns and white cloth strips.
After a while, clutching a book, Duan Ling walked to the pavilion in the backyard.
He was still young and didn’t need to entertain the guests who came to mourn at the Duan estate.
Before heading to the backyard, he had slipped away unnoticed by the adults to look at Duan Lisheng’s body beside the coffin—stiff and silent.
Duan Ling gathered his composure and opened the book.
He hadn’t read two pages when he heard faint noises nearby and raised his gaze.
Lin Ting stood by the lake, crushing flower petals and tossing them into the water, a smug smile playing on her lips.
She soon noticed him in the pavilion and quickly put on a sorrowful expression.
For a long time after Duan Lisheng’s funeral, they did not meet.
Lin Ting rarely came to the Duan Manor, and Duan Ling had been sent by his father to become a Medicine Man.
His father believed that Duan Ling’s cold-bloodedness and love of killing were a sickness and hoped to cure him.
Hearing from the New Emperor that becoming a Medicine Man could be a cure, he sent Duan Ling away.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
Duan Ling was not “cured” but instead became a tool for the New Emperor of Great Yan to control his father.
Life as a Medicine Man was short, unless one found a way to become normal again.
But while the New Emperor controlled the Duan family, he was also controlled by Duan Ling.
The New Emperor was extremely superstitious and believed the Grand Preceptor’s words—that only if a Medicine Man willingly offered their blood would the elixir created possess the effect of longevity.
Thus, the New Emperor dared not imprison Duan Ling to draw his blood forcibly.
As long as Duan Ling did not kill the New Emperor or rebel, the Emperor would grant him whatever he desired.
The next time Duan Ling saw Lin Ting, he was being punished—kneeling in the courtyard.
She feigned concern and hypocritically brought him water, hoping to see him humiliated.
In that moment, Duan Ling wanted to kill Lin Ting but, for some reason, couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Years passed.
Lin Ting’s wickedness persisted as she continued plotting against Duan Xinning.
Duan Ling stopped her as before, which only fueled her hatred for him—she wished he were dead.
She thought it, and she acted on it—leading him into a wolf’s den.
Though young, Lin Ting was ruthless enough for such a scheme.
But just as she led him into danger, regret overtook her.
She turned back, grabbed him, and fled—showing once again the look she had when they first met, only this time tinged with guilt and tenderness.
Duan Ling stared at Lin Ting’s eyes, dazed and captivated.
Beautiful.
He liked them—so much that he wanted to dig them out and hide them away, making that beauty belong only to him.
He could have escaped safely without harm, but because of a momentary lapse, a wolf clawed his foot, nearly biting him.
Hearing his injury, Lin Ting didn’t abandon him but instead picked up a nearby object to strike the wolves and helped him run, even though it slowed her down.
In a haze, Duan Ling thought he heard her apologize, saying she hadn’t meant it.
They returned to the Duan Manor’s gate after an unknown length of time, and Lin Ting, holding him up, was utterly exhausted—unable even to climb the steps or knock on the door, she collapsed right at the entrance.
Duan Ling collapsed with her, lying on the ground together.
He still had some strength but did not get up to knock or call for help.
Instead, he turned on his side, gazing at the unconscious Lin Ting, then reached out and brushed aside the damp strands of hair covering her face, revealing her eyes wrapped in thin eyelids.
He placed his hand over them, sickly savoring the feeling of her eyeballs beneath the lids.
It wasn’t until a quarter of an hour later that others discovered them.
Unfortunately, when Lin Ting awoke, the look in her eyes was gone.
She never mentioned saving him, seemingly afraid the Duan family would hold her accountable.
After all, if she hadn’t led him into the wolf’s den, he wouldn’t have been injured.
From that day on, Duan Ling developed a fascination with digging out eyes and placing them in glass jars.
***Â Â
When he was twenty, she was sixteen.
Duan Ling accidentally noticed that look return to her eyes after so many years.
But he no longer felt the excitement of before—only glanced a few times without delving deeper.
He believed it would disappear as quickly as it had before, like a fleeting illusion.
Besides, he was now part of the Imperial Guard and could derive pleasure from killing and gouging out the eyes of criminals, which tempered his suppressed nature.
***
Two years later.
At Nan Shan Pavilion, Duan Ling saw Lin Ting again after a two-year absence.
She had been kidnapped, a sharp knife pressed against her neck.
He stood below the stairs, his gaze involuntarily fixed on her face—or more precisely, her eyes.
That gaze had been present for nearly two years, never fading, suddenly appearing and disappearing as always.
Duan Ling threw his embroidered spring knife, stabbing the man holding Lin Ting hostage.
She swiftly leapt down the stairs, distancing herself from danger.
After the Imperial Guards captured the assailant, they parted without exchanging a word.
Whenever Duan Ling thought about Lin Ting possibly maintaining that gaze all those years, a rare thrill stirred deep within him.
It proved true.
Duan Ling began to secretly observe Lin Ting.
And she seemed intent on drawing closer to him.
He received a letter delivered by a beggar sent by Lin Ting, in which she wrote, “I like you.”
Lin Ting liked him?
Impossible. Â
But Lin Ting seemed careful not to let him know she had sent the letter, changing her perfume to avoid exposing herself by scent.
Duan Ling didn’t expose her—he wanted to see what she was up to.
***Â Â
Days later, Lin Ting suddenly brought up past events and apologized, becoming “emotional” enough to grasp his hand.
But that meant nothing.
One day, Duan Xinning whimsically wanted to learn horseback riding and brought Lin Ting along.
Duan Ling was responsible for teaching Lin Ting to ride.
She learned quickly and happily ran toward him, as if truly capable of forgetting their past grievances.
Duan Ling’s instincts told him she had ulterior motives.
Just as she was about to reach him, he dodged, watching her tumble into a pile of grass.
Afterward, Lin Ting invited him to Nan Shan Pavilion, claiming to have overheard a plot against him.
After speaking, she warmly escorted him back to the Imperial Guard’s Northern Command Office.
Duan Ling could never fully understand what Lin Ting was thinking but allowed her to get close.
On their way back, passing West Street, they encountered Xie Qinghe hidden among floral arrangements and an ambush.
Lin Ting suddenly grabbed Duan Ling, rolling under a flower cart with him.
Her burning hand pressed against his waist, seeming to penetrate his clothes and touch his skin beneath.
His heart skipped a beat.
Later, Lin Ting kissed him.
The first time was at the Liang Prince’s Mansion, under the Prince’s orders.
Duan Ling could have pushed her away immediately, but looking into her eyes, he was bewitched, neither dodging nor resisting.
The second time was at Nan Shan Pavilion, where she kissed him for a full thirty breaths, claiming drunkenness.
Duan Ling knew she wasn’t drunk—she deliberately kissed him, but without affection.
It was strange.
Lin Ting didn’t like him but sought him out and kissed him.
If all her actions were to lower his guard and then betray him, why did she risk her life to save him time and again?
An act wouldn’t be staged to such an extent.
What was her real goal?
Before Duan Ling could uncover the truth, Lin Ting publicly proposed to him at his birthday banquet.
He had never imagined himself married—let alone to Lin Ting.
Shockingly, and with an indescribable joy, he agreed.
He wanted to marry her.
Slowly, Duan Ling realized his emotions were affected by Lin Ting.
He didn’t want her to care about Jin Anazi, Xie Qinghe, or others.
He wanted her gaze to rest solely on him.
And, he wanted her to like him.
On their wedding night, they did not consummate the marriage as normal.
Lin Ting was not ready, so Duan Ling resolved to take things step by step.
After some time, Duan Ling finally sensed Lin Ting’s subtle affection.
Not long after, they consummated their marriage.
It was Lin Ting who took the initiative.
Soon, Duan Ling discovered she was secretly inquiring about Xia Zimo’s whereabouts and going to great lengths to meet him.
At first, Duan Ling told himself Lin Ting was only keeping an eye on Xia Zimo for Duan Xinning.
Until he found out she had bought Aphrodisiac behind his back and even dug up buried Aphrodisiac the day she was to meet Jin Anazi and Xia Zimo.
Duan Ling felt both hatred and resentment.
Hatred for the men outside who tempted Lin Ting, resentment for those men.
If not for them, she would have truly liked him.
It was their fault, and Duan Ling wanted to kill them.
Before that, Duan Ling restrained Lin Ting, afraid she would go meet Jin Anazi or Xia Zimo.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ting did not resist and showed no sign of betraying him.
Should he trust her?
Never mind.
She was only temporarily dazzled by the outside world.
He was her husband, the one she would spend the rest of her life with.
Though he thought this, Duan Ling couldn’t act on it.
He followed Lin Ting to meet Jin Anazi and Xia Zimo, wanting to see if she would abandon the idea.
But she still administered the drug.
Duan Ling immediately retreated to the adjacent private room.
He didn’t expect Lin Ting to drug Xia Zimo—but not with Aphrodisiac to share a night of passion with him.
Instead, it was a medicine that caused Xia Zimo great pain, intended to exact revenge for Duan Xinning.
Though Lin Ting committed many baffling acts, as long as she didn’t seek out other men and was willing to stay by his side forever, Duan Ling could pretend ignorance and not question her.
All he really wanted was for her to be there.
He thought they would live peacefully thereafter.
Who knew she would fall ill with a strange disease and face death?
Duan Ling was overcome with unprecedented confusion and fear.
He couldn’t imagine life after Lin Ting’s death.
He stayed by her side day and night, afraid that if he let down his guard for a moment, she would stop breathing.
On the day everyone prayed for Lin Ting’s recovery, she lost her breath completely.
Unwilling to accept her death, Duan Ling carried her back to their room, hoping she would breathe again.
But he waited and waited, and Lin Ting’s body remained cold and breathless—she was truly gone.
There was no resurrection magic in this world.
Dead was dead.
Realizing this, Duan Ling felt despair for the first time.
He planned to join her in the afterlife on her burial day.
Just as he drew a dagger to end his life, she revived.
Duan Ling suspected it was a dream.
For a long time afterward, he would wake in the middle of the night and quietly check her breathing.
Fortunately, it was real.
Lin Ting truly came back to life.