Chapter 118: Caught in the Trap

"Prince Yi, please stay a moment." Su Shan'er hurried a few steps to block Prince Yi's path. Yun Yanyi raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"

"Your Highness, I simply have a few words from my heart that I wish to share with you." Su Shan'er suppressed the fear in her heart. Yun Yanyi stopped to listen, and she slowly lowered her hands, a flattering smile playing on her lips.

Yun Yanyi watched her; though she was clearly nervous, she remained bold enough to block his way, which piqued his interest in her motives.

Su Shan'er dared not meet his gaze. After a long moment, she mustered the courage to ask, "Your Highness, could we walk while we talk?"

She sought his consent, and Yun Yanyi looked at her with suspicion. What on earth was she planning? He nodded slightly. "Let us go." He was curious to see what she was up to.

Su Shan'er hesitated for a long time before asking, "Your Highness, are you perhaps fond of my elder sister?"

Su Shan'er still remembered the time Su Liluo and Yun Yanyi were found lying together in disarray, seen by many. She had been shocked by the news and had harbored a suspicion ever since; today, she chose this moment to bring it up in order to capture Prince Yi's attention.

Su Shan'er produced a pink handkerchief, shyly covering her lips with one hand while waving the fabric with the other. Such a coy display would have swayed most men, but Yun Yanyi was far from ordinary.

Clad in black imperial robes that set off his fair complexion, his lips were pale, and a subtle curve touched the corner of his mouth when he smiled. Now, however, his face was cold as he watched Su Shan'er perform her antics beside him.

"And if I am, or if I am not? You overstep your bounds, Miss Su." Yun Yanyi’s icy voice made Su Shan'er tremble with fear, making her want to flee, but the thought of her objective forced her to endure.

"Your Highness, I am merely asking out of curiosity. If you truly have intentions, perhaps I can assist you." Su Shan'er waved the handkerchief repeatedly, her brow furrowed. She wondered inwardly why the drug had not yet taken effect.

Yun Yanyi scoffed; he had no fondness for Su Shan'er’s unsolicited favors. The matters between him and Su Liluo did not require the intervention of an outsider.

***

Su Baizhi sat on the wedding bed, her personal maid standing nearby. She loosened two buttons at her collar and twisted her neck, a flush of rouge appearing on her face.

Looking at the room's decorations in a daze, Su Baizhi shook her head to clear it, only then remembering where she was. A chill settled in her heart as her gaze fell upon the cup of wine on the table. She realized she had been tricked. "Su Shan'er, you wretch, you actually plotted against me!" Su Baizhi roared. As her body temperature began to rise, she dared not delay. "Jinling, Yinling, go fetch the Crown Prince!"

Su Baizhi groaned intermittently, her clarity fading. While she still possessed some shred of reason, she ordered cold water brought in. Once everyone had left, she shed her clothes and plunged into the cold water, gritting her teeth and enduring the shivering.

***

Meanwhile, Su Shan'er tried to stir Yun Yanyi’s desires. Her wrist grew sore from waving, but Yun Yanyi remained unaffected, leading her to suspect that the handkerchief might be ineffective. Had he not been standing right beside her, she would have taken a sniff herself.

Yun Yanyi watched the pink handkerchief flickering before his eyes, noting how Su Shan'er kept stealing glances at him. Suddenly, he snatched the silk cloth from her hand. She tried to grab it back, but one look at his cold eyes froze her in place.

"Your Highness, that is a lady's trinket. Why are you holding it? Please, give it back to me." As she reached for it, Yun Yanyi stepped aside, and she nearly stumbled to the ground.

He scrutinized the handkerchief suspiciously. Seeing her nervousness, he became even more certain that there was something amiss. As he brought the cloth closer to her, Su Shan'er recoiled, holding her breath. "Your Highness, please, return it to me."

"Su Shan'er, I fear this handkerchief is not as clean as it appears. Someone, bind her!" At Yun Yanyi’s command, a guard appeared and tied her up. Su Shan'er shrieked, "Your Highness, what are you doing? What have I done wrong?"

"Tell me, what is hidden in this handkerchief? Why does it make one's heart beat faster just by smelling it?" Yun Yanyi paced around her, his words causing Su Shan'er to shut her eyes in panic. Had he discovered the truth?

"Nothing, there is nothing! Your Highness, you are overthinking it. Please, tell them to let me go," she stammered in panic, not daring to open her eyes.

"Is that so? Truly nothing?" Yun Yanyi muttered softly. Hearing a glimmer of hope, Su Shan'er nodded repeatedly. "It is true! Everything I said is true, there is nothing."

"Since you say there is nothing, I shall take your word for it for now..." Su Shan'er felt a surge of joy. She half-opened her eyes, ready to say something flattering to win her release, but his next words plunged her heart into an ice cellar.

"However, to prove your innocence, I shall have this handkerchief stuffed into your mouth. If it truly contains nothing, you will naturally be fine." Yun Yanyi handed the cloth to his guard, dusting his hands with a look of utter disgust for the pink fabric.

The guard showed no mercy; he rolled the handkerchief into a ball, pried open Su Shan'er's jaw, and shoved it inside. Unable to resist, Su Shan'er trembled violently as the drugged cloth filled her mouth.

"Deliver her to the Crown Princess. Tell her I caught a suspicious person in the palace. How to deal with her is entirely up to the Crown Princess." Yun Yanyi brushed his hands together and spoke nonchalantly.

***

The guard bowed in acknowledgment, grabbed Su Shan'er by the collar, and easily lifted her off the ground. Yun Yanyi was not joking. Only now did Su Shan'er regret provoking him, as she had fallen victim to her own trap.

When the guard arrived at the Crown Princess's palace, Lady Huo had already received the news and brought her servants to see who the reckless person was. Su Liluo, curious, followed along. Seeing from a distance that it appeared to be Su Shan'er, she covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Night had fallen, and palace attendants carried lanterns, casting flickering shadows. Su Shan'er was bound like a parcel. Lady Huo asked in shock, "Prince Yi caught her?"

"Indeed." The guard tossed Su Shan'er to the ground. She let out muffled cries, looking pathetically at Lady Huo.

Su Liluo took a few steps back; in the dim light and from a distance, she prayed Su Shan'er would not see her.

Su Shan'er felt her body burning and knew the drug had taken full effect. She writhed uncontrollably. Seeing Su Liluo standing far away, she whimpered toward her, causing Su Liluo to retreat even further.

Overwhelmed by the rising tide of the drug, Su Shan'er lost her senses. The Crown Princess, realizing it was Su Shan'er, assumed it was a misunderstanding. "Untie her quickly."

Su Shan'er had reached a point of no return; she had forgotten where she was. All she knew was the heat consuming her. As soon as she was freed, she began tugging at her clothes, murmuring, "Take it off... take it all off, and I will be comfortable."

Within moments, her outer garment was half-removed. Seeing her shameless display in front of so many guards, Lady Huo cried out in alarm, "Tie her back up! Do not untie her until she is sober!"

As the servants moved to bind her again, Su Liluo stepped forward, exclaiming, "Crown Princess, this is my younger sister. I beg you, please forgive her."

"So it is the elder Miss's sister. But it seems to me she has been drugged," Lady Huo said, observing Su Shan'er's flushed face and incoherent state, confirming her own suspicions.