A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 387 Midnight Rendezvous
Seeing Shen Tang's face suddenly turn pale, Ji Jiuli's fingers clenched tightly in his sleeves. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was low and suppressed, "...Someone, escort this female away!"

The guards standing by were stunned—His Majesty had been in a terrible temper these days, beheading people at the slightest provocation. This audacious female had dared to be so disrespectful, and he was just letting her off so easily?
The guards dared not ask any more questions and stepped forward to take Shen Tang away, but she shook them off, saying, "I can walk by myself!"

She turned to look at the distinguished figure in the pavilion, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears, and suddenly shouted.
"Shen Li!"

Qiu Yang's pupils contracted, and he looked at her with a dark gaze. This female...

Shen Tang ignored the horrified stares around her, focusing her attention solely on the calm-looking emperor.

Looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, her shoulders suddenly slumped, as if all her strength had been drained away. "I've come all this way just to get an answer."

She said very softly,

"I'm leaving tomorrow, and I won't be coming back."

"..."

Shen Tang turned around abruptly and left the palace.

The teacup in Ji Jiuli's hand suddenly shattered.

The tea spilled all over the floor.

Everyone knelt down in fear!

"His Majesty!"

Ji Jiuli closed his eyes and then opened them again, his eyes red-rimmed, and said sternly, "From this day forward, escort this caravan away. Anyone who dares to harm even one of them will have to pay with their head!"

……

Xue Yinzhou waited nearby for a long time before Shen Tang came out of the palace.

He noticed that Shen Tang's complexion had worsened, so he quickly stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and stroked her face with his large hand, saying with heartache, "Did those people make things difficult for you?"

Shen Tang hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest, her voice choked with sobs and confusion, "I...I don't know...I saw him, but he didn't recognize me at all, and it seems he's never been to the Night Glow Empire...My mind is so confused right now, I don't know what happened...Could it be that I really mistook him for someone else...?"

Xue Yinzhou stroked her hair tenderly and said softly, "If you can't figure it out, don't think about it anymore. We're leaving tomorrow morning, so just pretend you didn't see anything and nothing happened."

Shen Tang closed her eyes, heartbroken, and nodded silently.

Forget it.

Forget it.

Since that's the case, let's pretend nothing happened and let this matter pass.

In the middle of the night, a messenger came to deliver a message.

"My lady, His Majesty invites you to the Zhuoxiang Palace for a chat."

Xue Yinzhou and Shen Tang were both woken up in the middle of the night, and were even more stunned when they heard these words.

Why did that emperor summon her so late at night?
Xue Yinzhou frowned. "I'll go with her."

The messenger replied respectfully, "His Majesty said that only Your Highness is invited to come."

Since daytime, these orcs have treated Shen Tang much better, and their tone is filled with a hint of awe.

Shen Tang took Xue Yinzhou's hand and comforted him, "Never mind, I'll go there myself."

Xue Yinzhou looked into her determined eyes and nodded silently.

Shen Tang followed the orc who was leading the way to the Zhuoxiang Palace.

From afar, one could see that the palace was brightly lit, with its doors wide open and guards standing watch outside.

She strode into the palace, and no one dared to stop her. The palace was empty, without even a single personal attendant.

In the center of the main hall stood a large, low table covered with an unfinished scroll.

The man was tall and slender, wearing a loose-fitting white robe. The night wind was still a bit chilly, and he had a dark cloak draped over his back. His long, flowing red hair cascaded down his body, making him look like a jade tree, breathtakingly beautiful.

His hands, long and fair, held the brush as he painted, and his wrist bones gleamed like jade under the light.

The pen tip gently traces on the paper, each stroke carrying an indescribable charm.

Hearing footsteps, the man put down his paintbrush, looked up at Shen Tang, and a captivating smile bloomed on his bewitching and beautiful face. "Ji Jiuli, the King of Yiyuan, pays his respects to Your Majesty Shen Tang."

Shen Tang was startled when she saw that familiar smile. After regaining her senses, her eyes darkened, and she whispered, "You knew my identity from the very beginning?"

The man remained noncommittal, simply saying, "Your Majesty, please sit down," before picking up his brush again and continuing to sketch on the paper.

Shen Tang couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Looking at that familiar face, she pursed her lips and sat down next to him.

My gaze fell on the painting—a portrait.

The brushstrokes are delicate and expressive, lifelike, and the painting technique is exquisite.

But the eyes were not drawn on.

"Why didn't you draw eyes?" Shen Tang asked casually.

Ji Jiuli chuckled and put down his paintbrush. "As the saying goes, it's hard to paint the eyes of a person than to paint the dragon's eyes. This is the most difficult part. If it's not done right, the whole painting will be ruined."

His gaze fell on her face, and he said softly, "There are no outsiders here, Your Majesty, why don't you show your true face?"

Shen Tang hesitated for a moment, then, since her identity had already been discovered, she raised her hand and took off her mask.

Her long, black hair cascaded down, revealing a delicate and stunning face. Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, sparkled with life, with slightly upturned corners. She had a high, straight nose, rosy lips, white teeth, and skin as white as snow.

Ji Jiuli's breathing hitched slightly, and his fingers tightened unconsciously around the pen. A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

“To paint eyes well, you need a reference.” He leaned closer, his slender fingers gently tracing her eyebrows and eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Ideally, the person in the painting should be the model.”

Shen Tang's breath hitched, and her pupils trembled slightly.

The man picked up his brush and sketched, completing the painting with just a few strokes—the person in the painting was none other than her!
Shen Tang's tears welled up instantly and rolled down her cheeks.

Looking at the man before her, a man both familiar and unfamiliar, her heart pounded. In that moment, she was absolutely certain.

He really is Shen Li!
Ji Jiuli is Shen Li!
Her beloved partner is still alive; he is not dead!
Overwhelmed with joy at having found what she had lost, Shen Tang trembled all over. She wished she could hug him immediately! But when she met the faint, distant smile in the man's eyes, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar and froze on the spot.

"You're not dead..." Her voice trembled, her eyes red-rimmed, "Then why... why didn't you come to find me?"

Tears blurred her vision as she struggled to ask the question she least wanted to believe, "You...you've been lying to me all along, haven't you?"

Shen Li did not speak.

Silence is the best form of consent.

Shen Tang slowly closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face.

Her face was a mixture of sadness, anger, and indescribable desolation.

At this moment, all the clues connected—the scene at the volcano crater back then was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated play by Shen Li. Those vows of eternal love, those heart-wrenching farewells, were all a lie!

“I never imagined…” she opened her bloodshot eyes, her voice hoarse, “that my brother Li, who was with me day and night back then, was actually the emperor of the Yiyuan Empire.”

Ji Jiuli looked at her quietly, her gaze as gentle as ever, "Brother Li is still Brother Li, he has never changed."