With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

Yun Nian turned over, looking up at the top of the tent with a dazed expression.

Qin Jiuchen's face appeared before my eyes.

He was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly, with deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips that, when slightly pursed, carried an innate sense of aloofness.

But that same cold, aloof face, when brought close to her, made her feel a burning heat.

She raised her hand and gently touched her lips with her fingertips.

"Yun Nian, oh Yun Nian..."

She muttered to herself, "You promised to seduce him, but you've already crumbled yourself..."

Just as I was lost in thought, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Miss, are you back?" It was Qiluo's voice.

Yun Nian quickly sat up.

Qi Luo pushed open the door and entered, whispering, "Miss, the Prime Minister's residence just sent someone again, saying that you need to go back tomorrow."

Yun Nian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Again.

Around the same time in her previous life, Yun Chengming gave her a second task.

She closed her eyes, and fragments of memories from her past life surfaced in her mind.

Several months later, a sudden impeachment storm targeting Qin Jiuchen swept through the court.

An imperial censor reported that Qin Jiuchen was secretly maintaining a secret guard organization and plotting treason.

One piece of evidence is a jade pendant that can mobilize a certain hidden force.

Although Qin Jiuchen later clarified in public that the Shadow Guards were secretly trained by the emperor and were specifically responsible for protecting the safety of the royal family, the storm was finally quelled.

But Yun Nian later vaguely learned that the jade pendant that caused the incident was the very thing Yun Chengming had ordered her to steal.

"Miss? Miss?" Qiluo called softly when she saw her lost in thought.

Yun Nian snapped out of her daze, a determined glint in her eyes: "I understand. We'll return to the Prime Minister's residence tomorrow."

-

The next day, at the Prime Minister's residence.

Yun Chengming sat upright in the main seat of the study, his face solemn.

He pushed a piece of paper in front of Yun Nian.

It depicts a jade pendant, with several lines of small characters next to it indicating its features.

"Go find this jade pendant and bring it back," Yun Chengming coldly commanded. "How do you do it? I don't need to tell you, do I?"

Yun Nian lowered her eyes and looked at the note.

In her past life, she was locked in the woodshed and starved for three days and three nights by Yun Chengming because she refused this mission.

Later, Yun Chengming somehow obtained the jade pendant and framed Qin Jiuchen.

She raised her head and looked calmly at Yun Chengming: "Father, what is the use of this jade pendant?"

Yun Chengming's eyes sharpened: "You just need to do as I say, no need to ask any more questions."

"Your daughter understands." Yun Nian curtsied and accepted the note. "Your daughter will certainly do her best."

Yun Chengming was somewhat surprised by her compliance, but quickly regained his coldness: "Remember, this is your chance to redeem yourself. If you mess it up again, you know the consequences."

"Yes."

On the carriage back to the Prince Ningxiang's residence from the Prime Minister's mansion, Qiluo looked at Yun Nian with worry: "Miss, are we really going to steal that jade pendant? What if the Prince finds out..."

Yun Nian unfolded the paper, and a slow smile appeared on her lips.

Yun Nian folded the paper and put it into her sleeve. Her gaze was fixed on the rapidly receding street scene outside the car window, her eyes clear and firm.

"Since Father wants this jade pendant, and it concerns the Prince's safety..." she said slowly, "then why don't we go and ask the owner of the jade pendant directly?"

Qi Luo opened her eyes wide: "Miss, you mean...?"

"After we return to the manor, could you please deliver a message to my son in the study?"

Yun Nian turned to look at Qi Luo, "Just say that I have important business to discuss with Your Highness."

-

When they returned to the Prince Ningxiang's residence, it was already nearly dusk.

Yun Nian walked straight to Qin Jiuchen's study.

After Chensha went in to report, he led Yun Nian into the study.

Candles were lit in the study, illuminating the room with warmth and brightness.

Qin Jiuchen was sitting behind his desk, holding a memorial in his hand. Hearing the sound, he looked up.

"What is it?"

He put down the memorial.

Yun Nian turned around and closed the door.

Seeing this, Qin Jiuchen raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What's wrong?"

He leaned back in his chair, his posture languid. "Does Miss Yun intend to do something impolite with me again?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Nian's face began to burn like fire again.

The scene from that day reappeared uncontrollably in my mind once again.

"Your Highness is joking again..."

Her ears burned, and she stammered involuntarily, "I...we clearly didn't do anything..."

She herself felt unsure of herself when she said this.

Qin Jiuchen chuckled softly.

Yun Nian was flustered by his laughter, so she quickly took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, stepped forward and placed it on the desk, changing the subject: "Your Highness, please take a look."

Qin Jiuchen's gaze fell on the paper.

With just one glance, the smile on his face slowly faded, and his eyes darkened.

The jade pendant pattern on the paper is drawn with extreme detail, and even the details of the patterns are clearly visible.

The small print next to it indicates the jade's quality, size, and several hidden markings.

These are characteristics that outsiders could never possibly know.

This "Dragon Pattern Pendant" was one of the tokens he used to mobilize the Shadow Guards. Apart from a few of his closest confidants, no one knew of its existence, let alone that it had such a detailed design.

He raised his eyes to look at Yun Nian, a sudden chill flashing in them: "Where did you get this from?"

Yun Nian could feel the sudden surge of pressure emanating from him, and calmly met his gaze: "This was given to me by my father. He wanted me to steal this jade pendant."

The candlelight flickered, casting dim and shimmering shadows on Qin Jiuchen's face.

He stared at Yun Nian with sharp eyes.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "So, you came today not to steal, but to demand it directly?"

Yun Nian was almost amused by his statement, and her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

She shrugged, helplessly: "What would I do with this jade pendant? I can't eat it, I can't wear it, and holding it would only burn my hands."

Qin Jiuchen raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her straightforward answer.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests.

"Just say it."

He asked calmly, "What do you want to do?"

Yun Nian: "Your Highness, why don't you take me into your camp? I'll be your undercover agent for Yun Chengming, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Jiuchen laughed again.

A smile played on his lips, and interest gleamed in his eyes: "Miss Yun, you're certainly being direct in your business dealings."

Yun Nian bowed slightly. "Your Highness is wise. I have said before that I have no desires, and that is true. However, after experiencing these past few days, I have suddenly come to understand some things. Perhaps, I can ask something of Your Highness."

"Oh?"

Qin Jiuchen looked at her with interest. "Tell me about it."

Yun Nian raised her eyes. "Nian'er would like to ask Your Highness to help me cancel my engagement with the Crown Prince."

Qin Jiuchen was taken aback.

He really hadn't expected her to make that request.

"I remember,"

He spoke slowly, his gaze scrutinizing Yun Nian, "Miss Yun was once deeply in love with Sen Yao, and after many twists and turns, she finally obtained His Majesty's decree to marry him. Why do you now want to cancel the engagement?"

Yun Nian lowered her eyelashes, concealing the complex emotions that flashed across her eyes.

"You're always ignorant when you're young."

She spoke softly, "Only now do I understand that forced relationships are never sweet, and forced marriages never bring happiness. Rather than making things difficult for myself and others, it's better for everyone to be well."

Qin Jiuchen looked at her silently.

In the candlelight, her slender figure stood ramrod straight, her face showing no grievance or sorrow, only a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world.

But it was precisely this indifference that inexplicably irritated him.

How could a seventeen-year-old girl, who should be yearning for love and full of bright, innocent charm, have such a pair of eyes that seem to have experienced the vicissitudes of life?

"That Miss Yun,"

He suddenly asked, "After the engagement is broken off, who do you want to marry?"