Pain, a kind of pain that makes every organ in your body feel like it's going to burst. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a blurry shadow.

It's blurry, like a dream. The protagonist in the dream is either similar to me or shares extremely similar experiences with me, even making it hard to distinguish whether I'm dreaming of myself or someone else.

A low, rumbling chuckle reached my ear, which was incredibly displeasing!

Gu Xi's head suddenly exploded... Could it be that she wasn't dead? But even if the plane hadn't been hit by shrapnel, wouldn't someone falling from tens of thousands of meters in the air surely die?

Now, how could you still feel pain? That laughter just now didn't seem like an illusion!

If he's still alive, where is he now?

The sound in my ear became clearer and clearer, though doubtful, I calmed down and listened carefully to the silence around me.

“Master, this man just attempted to climb up from the cliff and spy. He was discovered by my subordinates and knocked off the edge. He is now... unconscious.” The speaker knelt on one knee and reported, his gaze falling upon the figure beside him. Seeing the slight flutter of eyelashes, as if waking, a doubt arose in his heart. At the brink of pronouncing the word “dead,” he instantly changed it to “unconscious.”

"Oh?" a sinister voice arose, laced with surprise: "Lin Gai, you're drunk. To actually spare a woman who dared to peek at our bathing!"

The man nicknamed "Lín Gài" heard this, and in the steaming hot spring, cold sweat broke out on his back.

"Damn those underlings."

"Enough, you may leave now." A voice, both commanding and languid, echoed through the air.

"tsk tsk tsk! Isn't this guy a shadow? He actually climbed up from the cliff to spy. Big brother, Lin Gai is so skilled in martial arts, why didn't he just kill this man?" That sinister voice sounded again, with a disdain and cruelty that treated human life as grass. It was hard to believe that such words came from the mouth of a handsome young man with a youthful face.

"Fourth brother, you should be saying how this person miraculously didn't die." A chilling voice came from the side, laced with sarcasm. The handsome face held a wicked smirk and an air of indifference.

"This person...Big brother, what are your plans for him?" Gu Changqing, who had remained silent until now, asked, his voice laced with hesitation. His deep and profound gaze fell upon Gu Xi, as if pondering something.

This figure on the ground was thin and frail. Though he wore silk, his hair was matted and his cheeks were filthy, obscuring his true features. One couldn't tell who this foolish child belonged to, to dare attempt entering Changliu Palace from this precipice – it was simply a death wish.

"Second brother, this man was discovered by your guards. Shouldn't it be up to you to decide?" Gu Muxin held a white jade cup in his hand, his cold gaze fell on the fine wine within, but he didn't even look at Gu Xi on the ground, tossing the question back to Gu Changqing.

Gu Changqing's eyes dimmed suddenly, his gaze falling slightly.

A chill passed under the curtain, but it vanished in an instant.

Although this person lying on the ground is filthy and hard to make out, the high-quality Yun'ayan silk he wears clearly indicates his status. Such luxurious fabric was only available to the sons of noble families. Considering this, the only eligible bachelor in the entire capital city who could possibly wear such a robe is the intellectually disabled son of the late Princess Anping and Right Minister Shen Hongye. He has been obsessed with the daughter of Left Minister Feng Yi Xiao since childhood, constantly following her around claiming she will marry him.

And today, the Qingshentang Pavilion in Changliu Palace was taken over by these four royal residences. Feng Yixiao at this moment happened to be on the opposite Mingyuetai, enjoying the flowers and moonlight.

"Big brother is truly shrewd, he saw through this person's identity and passed this difficult task onto himself. If he doesn't deal with it, the reputation of the Four Great Prince Mansions will be damaged. To deal with him would be slapping Shen Hongye in the face, and even more disrespectful to the late Princess Anping. As for this madman on the ground, they four have to respectfully call her aunt."

Gu Changqing had a calculation in his heart, but on the surface, he remained silent. He calmly and faintly smiled: “Why not let the third and fourth younger brothers come up with an idea together?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Jingnan, who already had a hint of impatience in his eyes, let out a venomous smile: "This matter is easy to handle. Why not give those guards serving my second brother a taste? It would be a fitting reward for them for catching this man."

Upon hearing this, Gu Changqing felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that his fourth brother always revered his eldest brother and that the prince's mansion had always held the First Prince in high regard.

The head of the horse carriage leads the way, it seems that Big Brother and Fourth Brother are today intending to use this matter to strike at me and the Chen Wangfu.

A dim gaze fell upon Gu Xi, who was still lying unconscious on the ground. This person's matter was indeed troublesome.

The prince Yi Wang, Gu Yichen, merely watched coldly from the side, paying no heed.

Today's events, no matter what, have nothing to do with him and Yi Wangfu. If this person provokes a conflict between Rong Wangfu and Chen Wangfu, he would naturally be happy to watch the good show and reap the benefits.

"Lin Gai, didn't you hear what I said?" Gu Jingnan didn't give Gu Changqing any chance to retort. He raised his voice, his tone sharp and threatening.

The retreating Lin Gai swiftly led the seven guards forward to receive orders.

Gu Xi was still in a daze. She intended to feign unconsciousness for now, waiting to assess the situation before making a decision, but the current circumstances were far beyond her expectations.

Before he could even think about where he was or who those voices belonged to, a sinister laugh rang in his ears: "A fool dares to covet what belongs to us? Very well, let's give you some entertainment!"

In that instant, Gu Xi's mind flashed with only one word: "qun*P!"

Lin Gai glanced at the disgusting heart on the ground, revulsion swirling in his eyes. However, it was just concealed by his slightly narrowed gaze.

He dared not disobey his master's orders, this damned dirty wretch.

It's a miracle he survived. He fell from such a high cliff and didn't die.

He led several guards, surrounding Gu Xi.

"

Drag it down.

The remaining guards obeyed and immediately stepped forward to drag Gu Xi away.

Gu Changqing's eyes grew cold, and he looked at Gu Xi who was still lying on the ground. A meaningful smile flashed in his eyes.

Gu Xi's mind exploded with a deafening roar. A surge of shame and anger surged through her heart. What kind of people were they? What right did they have to dictate someone's life and rights? And what gave them the audacity to speak so arrogantly?

Give? Hmph! Gu Xi is not a pushover.

I don't know where it suddenly came from, a surge of energy, my whole body felt like it was being fueled nonstop. My brain felt fuzzy, things flashed through it, as if those thoughts had long been rotten to the core.

At the moment she opened her eyes, a flash of movement saw several consecutive spinning kicks sending the surrounding guards sprawling. Her star-like eyes flashed with coldness, and her voice was as clear and chilling as ice: "With your mere appearance, I wouldn't even look twice."

Standing proudly, his gaze pierced through the rising steam and landed upon the four handsome faces bathing in the warm water.

Heart, it is unavoidable.

Although handsome men are common, these four were breathtakingly beautiful.

Then, seeing him with hair styled like an ancient man and wearing a crown, Gu Xi was stunned for a moment before she realized what it meant. She turned her head to look around.

(The End)