[Pure historical romance, no cheating. I'm fighting to survive; he's a scheming, unhinged man, and the smiling, two-faced prince is a real oddball.]
On the third floor of Zuixian Tower, carved wooden windows stood half closed, and the other rooms were empty. Pei Qingchuan was speaking with a man in black. "The Red Flame Army..."
"Crash!" Xia Baizhi's carefully balanced tea tray fell to the floor, and the teapot shattered.
Pei Qingchuan came down from the third floor. She had to seize this perfect opportunity.
"Lord Pei, please see that justice is done for this woman!"
Pei Qingchuan looked up at her. "The more you know, the sooner you'll die!"
The door hinges creaked softly. Xia Baizhi abruptly raised her eyes. "Who's there?"
A man in a black brocade robe pushed open the door. He stood tall, his handsome features sharp in the faint light.
He slid the bolt into place behind him and walked toward the bed.
His familiar outline slowly emerged in the dim light. His steady footsteps drew closer, one after another. Xia Baizhi's hand, gripping a dagger beneath her pillow, quietly relaxed, and she slowly drew it out.
In the room shrouded in black silk, Pei Qingchuan's eyes were dark as ink.
"What, are you done playing with me? Now you want to be the Crown Princess of Nanzhao?"
