Waaah, I'm being forced into loving my yandere wife's brain.

"Heh, Young Master Lin's skill at scaling walls... is indeed more adept than your sister's skill at poisoning."

Shen Jin stepped out from the shadows at the alley entrance, the hem of his black robe trailing on the ground. He wasn't holding a fan, but his fingertips were twirling a broken leaf he had just picked from the clump of forsythia branches.

There was no one behind him, not even a servant. He leaned against the wall with one shoulder, his fox-like eyes lazily sweeping over, first looking at Lin Zhiyao, then at Lin Zhiheng, and finally landing on Lin Zhiyao's fingertips that were tightly gripping Lin Zhiheng's robe. The faint smile on his lips slowly flattened.

The fox's eyes also deepened.

Lin Zhiyao instinctively sensed that Shen Jin seemed even more unhappy.

Even though he still looked lazy and relaxed, as if he had just happened to pass by.

But Lin Zhiyao knew.

Shen Jin got angry.

very angry.

Lin Zhiyao's heart trembled slightly, and she gripped her brother's sleeve even tighter.

She took a half step back, instinctively trying to hide behind Lin Zhiheng.

But Lin Zhiheng stepped forward to block Lin Zhiyao, a short hilt of a knife peeking out from under his sleeve: "Shen Jin, if my sister loses even a single hair, I'll risk my life to save her..."

"What else do you want?" Shen Jin interrupted him, her voice still casual, yet like a blade scraping against bone. "Last time, I suppressed the memorial impeaching you for colluding with traitors. The time before that, I also suppressed the matter of your father bribing his old subordinates to assassinate you. Young Master Lin, how many times do you owe me a favor that you could repay with your life? Your life has long belonged to me. Now, it's you who owes me several lives."

Lin Zhiheng's face was pale and ashen, his throat bobbed, and his knuckles cracked as he gripped the knife hilt, but he could not utter another word.

He had just sparred with Shen Jin a while ago, and he had absolutely no chance of winning against Shen Jin.

Otherwise, he would have run away with his sister long ago.

Lin Zhiyao grabbed her brother's arm, her nails digging into the fabric of his sleeve, and whispered urgently, "Brother, go quickly, don't worry about me!"

Shen Jin chuckled lightly, straightened up, and patted the ash leaves from his palm.

He beckoned to Lin Zhiyao with his finger, his movements slow and gentle, as if calling a disobedient sparrow back: "Yaoyao, come here."

Lin Zhiyao took a step forward, but Lin Zhiheng grabbed her wrist with his other hand: "Don't go!"

"Brother!" Lin Zhiyao broke free from his hand, took a step forward, then another, her skirt fluttering as it swept across the ground, quickly getting dirty from the moss outside. She stood not far from Shen Jin.

Lin Zhiyao looked up, her almond-shaped eyes still glistening with tears. "Lord Shen, I'll go back with you, but you must let my brother go."

Shen Jin looked down at her, his eyelashes casting a thin shadow beneath his eyes.

He suddenly reached out and gently wiped the dampness from the corner of her eye with his fingertips, as lightly as wiping dew from a flower petal: "Let him go?"

Shen Jin paused, the smile on his lips freezing, his tone turning icy, "He just climbed over my wall and hugged my people. If he just leaves like that, people will say I'm too easygoing, and then any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to climb over my wall. How can that be allowed?"

Lin Zhiyao froze. Shen Jin turned his head, looking over her shoulder at Lin Zhiheng, his voice light and airy, "Young Master Lin, I will give you two choices. First, you can cut off one of your fingers and stay in this alley, and I will pretend I never saw you here. Second, you can go your way, but tomorrow at the morning court, those old letters your father wrote to the rebels will be presented to the Emperor, and the consequences..."

Lin Zhiheng's temples bulged with veins, and the short knife slid from his sleeve into his palm, its tip trembling slightly: "The letter was forged by you!"

If that's the case, his sister might also be in danger. He didn't dare gamble on whether Shen Jin would try to protect his sister after this.

Shen Jin chuckled, raised his hand to put his arm around Lin Zhiyao's shoulder, and pulled her closer to his side. He lowered his head and sniffed the lingering scent of soap in her hair: "Your father's handwriting has been carefully compared by the old gentlemen in the cabinet for over two months. They clearly find even the slightest difference in the white space between the strokes. Are you questioning the cabinet elders' competence?"

The pastries her brother bought for her rolled off the ground and became covered in dirt.

Lin Zhiyao trembled in Shen Jin's arms and looked up at her brother's face.

Lin Zhiheng's face was ashen. The tip of the knife slowly lowered, pressing against the base of his left little finger. He looked up at Lin Zhiyao one last time, and something in his eyes shattered, utterly decaying, leaving only ashes. "Sister, from now on... take care of yourself."

If the little finger is severed, it is considered a disability, and one's career in government will also be ruined.

Lin Zhiyao suddenly struggled, tears welling in her almond-shaped eyes, "Brother—!"

Shen Jin suddenly tightened his arms, squeezing her ribs until they ached, and raised his other hand, covering her eyes with his palm.

Lin Zhiyao felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, with only the warmth of his palm pressed firmly against her brows and eyes. Then, she heard the dull sound of a blade cutting into flesh.

The older brother let out a muffled groan.

Then, there was the sound of blood dripping onto the bluestone, a thick, sticky, terrifying dripping sound, and the thud of something not heavy, like a piece of meat, falling to the ground.

It's my brother's finger.

Lin Zhiyao froze in his arms, her breath almost stopping, then her whole body began to tremble violently, her lips turning white.

Shen Jin's palm itched from the scratching of her eyelashes, but he didn't let go. He simply lowered his head, his lips brushing against her temple, and added in an almost gentle tone, "Yao Yao, don't be afraid. If you behave well from now on, I won't let you see these things again."

Lin Zhiyao felt a churning in her stomach; she knew those words were meant for her.

Shen Jin was threatening her with her brother's life. Right now, she'd only lost a little finger; what if things went wrong...?

Lin Zhiyao's face was pale, and large tears rolled down her cheeks, quickly wetting the gaps between Shen Jin's fingers that were covering her eyes.

Do not……

It's all her fault, that's why my brother...

Lin Zhiyao felt dizzy and lightheaded, her blood rushing to her brain. The next second, her body went limp and she fainted in Shen Jin's arms.