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

[The first half is a direct continuation of chapter 203; the latter part couldn't be edited, so it's been replaced with a side story.]

Lin Zhiyao was completely heartbroken.

Her fingers, which were gripping Shen Jin's clothes, loosened slightly, but remained there without pulling them away. She also pulled the blanket closer to herself.

Shen Jin looked down at her.

Lin Zhiyao curled up in his arms, shrinking into a small ball. The tear stains on her cheeks had not yet dried, and her eyelashes drooped wetly, like butterfly wings after being rained on.

He gently touched the corner of her eye with his fingertip, and seeing that no new tears welled up, he slowly placed her back on the pillow.

Then, he pulled the quilt over her and covered her up.

A moment later.

Two orderly footsteps came from outside, followed by a dull thud as something heavy was placed on the ground.

Lin Zhiyao looked in the direction of the sound with a bit of confusion, and saw the cloud-patterned wooden box she had seen several days ago sitting quietly in front of the hall, its brass lock already opened.

The eunuch who carried the things in quickly and silently left with his head down.

Shen Jin walked to the wooden box.

Lin Zhiyao couldn't help but tremble slightly as she thought about what was inside.

She buried herself in the blanket in shame.

But Shen Jin clearly had no intention of letting her off easily. Soon, Lin Zhiyao felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, which was buried in the quilt, and then she was pulled out of the quilt.

"Yao Yao".

Shen Jin lay above her, staring at her with his fox-like eyes as deep as ink. "Now, it's your turn to coax me."

By candlelight.

Lin Zhiyao could clearly see what Shen Jin was holding.

They were two semi-hollowed-out copper bell-shaped objects, but much larger than ordinary copper bells, each about half the size of a fist, connected by an extremely thin silver chain.

It is dark bronze in color, with intricate intertwined floral patterns carved on its surface. Candlelight shines through the openwork, and you can vaguely see something inside swaying slightly, letting out tiny glimmers of light.

The bronze bell is extremely beautiful and exquisite, a masterpiece of craftsmanship that could only be made by imperial artisans.

……

[The following is an extra chapter: It describes Shen Jin and Lin Zhiyao's true first meeting when they were children → Shen Jin (belike): Recognizing his wife, Yao Yao: I don't know!]

Lin Zhiyao didn't know.

Shen Jin had known her for many years longer than she had expected.

Even before the emperor ascended the throne, before he was the powerful and influential "Nine Thousand Years Old" (a title for high-ranking officials), this was still the case.

……

The fifth year of Yuanxi.

Palace banquet night.

The Imperial Garden was filled with glass lanterns, their light and shadow shimmering like shattered gold in the night breeze.

The Lin family was at the height of its power.

Therefore, they were naturally granted permission to attend the palace banquets during the New Year festivals.

Midway through the banquet, Lin Zhiyao suddenly needed to use the restroom, so she and her mother quietly left the table.

Lin Zhiyao followed her mother through the corridor. Suddenly, the palace maid serving in front lowered her voice and said, "Madam, Miss, there's a disturbance ahead. Let's go around."

How could anyone cause trouble in the palace?

This is just too novel!

"Who's causing trouble?"

Lin Zhiyao curiously tiptoed to look.

There were several young eunuchs gathered around the base of the wall.

The one surrounded in the middle squatted on the ground, his head hitting the palace wall, a red mark on his face, and his clothes covered in footprints.

The eunuchs surrounding him were still laughing: "You want to serve the Emperor at palace banquets? You think you're worthy? Bah! You're nothing but a floor-sweeping scum!"

Lin Zhiyao recognized those eyes.

Just now, when she was relaying the Empress Dowager's message at the banquet, she happened to see this young man standing in the corner of the hall, his back ramrod straight, but no one gave him a second glance. His uniform was indeed somewhat inappropriate, seemingly a bit too big, making his figure appear even thinner, as if he had been stolen from a eunuch older than him.

Lin Zhiyao squeezed her mother's hand: "Mom, they're bullying us."

Her mother glanced down at her, but before she could speak, Lin Zhiyao broke free and strode forward aggressively, demanding, "What are you doing?"

Several eunuchs turned around, saw the cloud pattern embroidery on her clothes, and quickly bowed and retreated, saying, "Miss."

Lin Zhiyao didn't look at them, but instead looked down at the person squatting on the ground.

He hung his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes and eyebrows, his mouth was bruised and swollen, and his jawline was taut, as if he was holding back a mouthful of blood.

Lin Zhiyao squatted down, her eyes filled with pity, and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to her: "You have blood on your face."

The boy slowly raised his eyes.

Those eyes were very dark, so dark that you couldn't see the bottom even when the light shone in, and the corners of the eyes were slightly upturned.

Lin Zhiyao thought he was really handsome, like someone from a painting.

But when those eyes looked at people, they were heavy, as if they were pressing something down underneath.

It makes one's heart skip a beat.

"Take it."

Lin Zhiyao was a little scared, but she still pushed the handkerchief forward a little more.

Shen Jin didn't answer immediately.

He stared at the small plum blossom embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief for a moment before raising his hand. His fingertips were still dusty. He paused when he touched the snow-white handkerchief, then turned his hand over and took it.

The handkerchief was not only clean but also very soft, and it still retained the soft warmth of the girl in front of him. Shen Jin clenched it tightly in his hand.

"...Thank you." The voice was low and a little hoarse.

Lin Zhiyao stood up, turned to the eunuchs, and said, "You may all leave now. If I bring this up in front of the Empress Dowager, it might not be good for you."

The eunuchs hurriedly replied "Yes," and then disappeared without a trace.

Lin Zhiyao turned around, and the boy was still squatting in the same spot, holding a handkerchief in his hand, not wiping his face.

She thought for a moment, then squatted back down, took out a pine nut candy from her purse, and placed it beside his feet: "Here, this is for you. It's very sweet and delicious."

Shen Jin looked down at the candy.

The candy wrapper was red, which stood out against the blue brick floor. It didn't look like something from the palace; it must have been smuggled out of the noble lady's own residence, and it was probably her favorite flavor.

"I am the eldest daughter of the Lin family."

Lin Zhiyao stood up, patted her skirt, and proudly raised her chin, unaware that her words were so childish as to be impossible to fulfill: "If you are bullied again, come to the Lin residence and tell them my name!"

After saying that, she lifted her skirt and ran back to her mother's side. Her mother pinched her ear, smiled helplessly, and tapped her rosy little nose. "Zhiyao, you always love to meddle in other people's business."

Lin Zhiyao turned around and glanced back.

But there was no one by the wall, and the pine nut candy was gone.

……

On the other side.

Shen Jin walked two alleys before stopping his staggering steps. He unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a moon-white silk gauze with a plum blossom embroidered on the corner, the stitches fine and dense.

He looked at it for a long time, then folded the handkerchief neatly and put it inside his clothes, close to his heart.

The pine nut candy melted in my mouth.

It's sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

He leaned against the palace wall, looking up at the moon in the sky.

A breeze drifted in from the other side of the corridor, carrying the lingering warmth and aroma of the banquet.

Shen Jin slowly chewed the candy in his mouth, his fox-like eyes as deep as ink, thinking, so her name is Lin Zhiyao.