After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

The cup knocked the arrow off course, severing only a lock of hair from beside Shen Lingyi's ear.

Everyone looked up and saw Pei Heng just withdrawing his hand; it was he who had made the move.

Many people were stunned. They were unaware of what had happened back then, and even less aware that this emperor's throne was not obtained through scheming and maneuvering, but through ruthless means.

Even Wei Chengrui, known for his unpredictable military strategies, would probably be no match for him, not to mention his martial arts skills.

"The Crown Prince of Wei has been back in court for several months and has become rusty; he can't even draw a bow steadily anymore."

Wei Chengrui put down the bow and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

However, he didn't really think he had done anything wrong; he was just confused and, for some reason, didn't want the dirty blood to stain his snow-white skin.

Xu Yanqing felt relieved, finally able to sit down peacefully.

"I know I was wrong."

Pei Heng's cool gaze was unfathomable. He raised his hand; it was these long fingers that had just saved Shen Lingyi's life. "Your Highness should not have said these words to me, but to Miss Shen. Whether or not to forgive her should be decided by Miss Shen."

Shen Lingyi was taken aback.

Everyone knows that she owes Wei Chengrui something, and Wei Chengrui himself said he would not forgive her. However, Pei Heng reversed his position and put the power in her hands, asking her to decide whether to forgive him.

The moment her eyes met the man's, she vaguely understood a few of his thoughts.

Wei Chengrui gritted his teeth. Bowing to Shen Lingyi was definitely the thing he least wanted to do in his life, but now he had no choice but to do it under the emperor's command.

He struggled to speak: "Miss Shen... I'm sorry."

"I dare not accept your apology, Your Highness." Shen Lingyi snorted lightly. "I came up here voluntarily. It was just a momentary lapse on your part. If you really want to apologize, there's no need to do so reluctantly in front of everyone."

Wei Chengrui was so angry he almost bit his teeth off, realizing that Shen Lingyi was deliberately trying to embarrass him in front of everyone.

Seeing his face darken, Shen Lingyi decided to stop while she was ahead.

The Empress Dowager saw that she was thinking of stopping, and smiled as she offered a way out: "That's right, it was just a game, and she lost control for a moment. Why don't you punish yourself with a cup of wine, and then this matter will be over."

With a stern face, Wei Chengrui strode up to the palace maid and, under Shen Tingjiao's horrified gaze, picked up the wine pot and poured it into his mouth.

The wine slid down his throat, and he downed the whole pot without blinking, while Shen Tingjiao's face turned even paler.

Now there's absolutely not a drop left.

Thinking of Wei Chengrui's arrogance in daring to kill someone in public, Shen Tingjiao held her forehead and felt dizzy. The palace maid thought she had drunk too much and wanted to help her to rest.

Shen Tingjiao brushed the palace maid aside and suggested with an awkward smile, "Young Master Wei must be tired too, why don't you go and get some rest?"

"This young master doesn't need anyone to teach him how to do things." Wei Chengrui didn't even glance at her. Shen Lingyi was one thing, but who did she think she was?

Shen Tingjiao's small face froze. She didn't expect that after so many years, Wei Chengrui would still be so disrespectful to her. The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became.

At the banquet, glasses clinked and laughter filled the air.

The Empress Dowager was tired and left first, followed by Pei Heng, and now even Shen Lingyi got up.

Peony immediately stepped forward and whispered in the maid's ear, "Ask the imperial physician for some hangover medicine; I'll need it later."

Shen Lingyi didn't drink much at the banquet, so she certainly wouldn't need the hangover medicine. As for who it was meant to be used on, that remains to be seen.

After the peony left, Shen Lingyi stood under a plum tree, looking up at the red plum blossoms on the branches covered with snow. In the icy world, only this plum blossom exuded a delicate fragrance.

This scene caught Wei Chengrui's eye. The girl and the red plum blossoms were a perfect match. The red plum blossoms' passion and her delicate beauty complemented each other so well.

The woman's slender hands plucked a plum blossom and held it in her palm; that touch of red instantly became an ordinary adornment for her.

For some reason, Wei Chengrui's usually clear thoughts seemed to be in a knot, and the scenery in front of him was blurry. However, the habits he had developed in the harsh environment of the Northern Frontier still made him walk steadily.

Shen Lingyi didn't notice him until he was right behind her.

This was only after Wei Chengrui accidentally stepped on a tree branch, startling her.

"Shen Lingyi," Wei Chengrui called her as he had in the past, his voice calm.

After the Wei family's property was confiscated, Shen Lingyi heard many different ways of addressing him, filled with hatred, resentment, and anger, but none of them were as peaceful as they were now.

However, Shen Lingyi felt something was off, and when the boy walked over, she subconsciously stepped back.

A whiff of alcohol, carried by the cold wind, rushed into my nostrils; it wasn't unpleasant, but rather quite intoxicating.

She frowned slightly, her voice wary: "Are you drunk?"

"Don't you know? I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."

Even so, Wei Chengrui's mind was truly hazy. In a daze, he thought he was still in the past when he and Shen Lingyi were deeply in love, and his tone was also intimate like before.

Shen Lingyi was even more convinced that he was drunk, because Wei Chengrui would never talk to her like that.

"If you're drunk, just let the palace servants take you to rest," Shen Lingyi said, and then called for someone to come and drag the uncontrollable drunkard away.

She didn't want to be known for having secret rendezvous with men.

Wei Chengrui grabbed her wrist. Shen Lingyi looked up and saw that his eyes were unusually bright. "Shen Lingyi, we are engaged."

Shen Lingyi's heart skipped a beat.

The boy's eyes burned like starlight, just like many years ago when they had just made their engagement. He had also drunk himself into a stupor in the middle of the night and run up to her like this to say it.

"Shen Lingyi, we are engaged."

"You're going to marry me soon."

Shen Lingyi withdrew her hand, but before Wei Chengrui could even feel disappointed, he raised his hand and received a slap. She asked, "Are you sober now?"

Shen Lingyi maintained the raised hand gesture, her gaze disdainful and cold.

Wei Chengrui's heart skipped a beat. The next moment, he bent down and carried her on his back, propelled by the boiling blood coursing through his body, to the nearest side hall.

The side hall was dark and unlit, but it was the perfect environment for him to perform at this moment.

The bed was in a mess, and Shen Lingyi's cheeks were flushed from the frenzied kisses.

Her neck was buried deep in someone's arms, their intertwined breaths creating an ambiguous sound in the air. With a "rip," her clothes were easily torn open by the man.

A sudden chill ran through her body; large patches of white trembled in the cold air, then turned pale pink from being caressed. Her two soft mounds pressed together on the cool wooden couch.

Shen Lingyi bit her cheek, never expecting that she would capsize in such a place.

She was filled with resentment and hurled her words at the man:

"Wei Chengrui, get off me..."

"Do you want to tarnish the reputation of a noblewoman, or do you want to be entangled with someone like me who didn't help you back then?"

"Aren't you afraid that the spirits of the Wei family will die with their eyes wide open, watching you from the afterlife?!"