CHAPTER 127: CHAPTER 125 THE MAN WHO TOOK HER INNOCENCE THAT YEAR WAS GU.

But he had already been deceived by Shen Yinning countless times, and his heart had long hardened like iron—how could he be moved again!

No matter how the little vixen performed, he would remain unmoved.

Thus, Lu Ying turned his face to the side indifferently, acting as though he cared nothing about the drama within the Warm Pavilion.

However, Shen Yinning’s words, when they reached Shen Yunxi’s ears, were nothing but evasion and sophistry.

Talking about some "extraordinary identity"—what was so extraordinary about a few mere prison guards?

This wretched woman was simply afraid of having her disgraceful past exposed, wasn’t she?

She went to such lengths to cover it up, but Yunxi was determined to tear open her wounds, letting everyone see her filthy and ugly side!

To merely trample Shen Yinning underfoot would be too mild—Yunxi wanted to drag the once-proud and noble first beauty of the Capital from her lofty heavens and plunge her into the mud, transforming her into a delicate flower that anyone could pluck at will!

Suppressing her excitement, Shen Yunxi sharply exclaimed, "This matter is too important; you cannot stay silent!"

"Exactly!" Lu Qianqian chimed in, "Shen Yinning, your refusal to speak only proves that this is a fabrication—an excuse you invented to cover up your illicit affair with Cui Ji!"

Shen Yinning seemed thoroughly bullied.

She wept softly, raising her sleeve to reveal two tearful, innocent eyes brimming with sorrow. Her expression was like a peony shrouded in mist, evoking a poignant charm that could melt hearts.

Qin Lunan licked his lips lustfully.

Years ago, he had already coveted Shen Yinning’s beauty, but he had refrained from acting, out of respect for her lofty status.

Now that the beauty had fallen into misfortune, how could he not feel pity?

He smirked and said, "Dear cousin Yinning, just be honest and reveal the name of the man who stole your innocence. If this escalates, it will hurt you most in the end—why endure such suffering for a wolf in sheep’s clothing, only to face torture in the dungeons?"

Lu Ying was sipping tea. At these words, a gleam of fury flashed in his eyes.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Qin Lunan certainly dared to speak recklessly!

Shen Xinglei pressed his tongue against his palate, savoring the sensation for a moment, then sneered coldly. "Years ago, when Uncle’s family rebelled, even my cousin was thrown into the Heavenly Prison. If my cousin is so reluctant to discuss the past, could it be that the men who violated her were those prison guards?"

"Heavens!" Shen Yunxi feigned shock, covering her mouth. "Elder sister, I had no idea you endured such inhuman treatment in the Heavenly Prison! How many men were there? Who laid their hands on you first? You spent a whole month in the Heavenly Prison—were you abused like this the entire time? Why didn’t you confide in me about such a terrifying ordeal?"

With just a few words, the siblings had utterly destroyed Shen Yinning’s reputation and purity.

The guests in the Warm Pavilion were thrown into unparalleled shock.

Some of the young nobles who once admired Shen Yinning shook their heads in disbelief; some looked at her with pity, while others gazed with disdain and lust, as if they could strip away her clothing with their eyes to glimpse the beauty hidden beneath her elegant attire.

"To think cousin Yinning had such a shameful past," Qin Lunan said gravely. "Perhaps it’s precisely because of the immense trauma she suffered, and Gao Zheng’s indifference due to his heart belonging elsewhere, that she chose to have an affair with Cui Ji out of unbearable loneliness. Am I wrong in my analysis, cousin Yinning?"

Shen Yinning choked back tears, her delicate shoulders trembling, refusing to respond.

"Elder sister, how foolish you are!" Shen Yunxi scolded her sternly. "Even if you were raped by countless prison guards, you shouldn’t have walked down this depraved path! Adultery within marriage is a grave crime. As the saying goes, ’A prince who breaks the law is punished like a commoner.’ Even if I consider our past relationship, I cannot protect you! Guards—take Shen Yinning to the Music Bureau immediately! From this day onward, I no longer have a sister!"

Led by Qin Lunan, several morally corrupt young men couldn’t hide their excitement.

The Music Bureau was a place of debauchery, where women entered but never left!

Years ago, Shen Yinning had seemed like an untouchable celestial beauty, so far beyond their reach that they couldn’t even brush her sleeve.

Now, with just a bit of money, they could enjoy her company in bed.

They could hardly wait to visit the Music Bureau to find her!

As two old maids approached her, Shen Yinning burst into wailing, "I don’t understand a word of what you’re accusing me of! Yes, I lost my virtue, but it wasn’t to those prison guards! That man... that man’s status is so exalted that I could never speak his name! You conspire to destroy me, a helpless orphan, to send me to the Music Bureau to ruin my name and defile my purity. I cannot explain myself, so I have no choice but to prove my innocence in death!"

With that, she suddenly stood up and leaped out of the flower-draped window!

A collective gasp erupted in the Warm Pavilion.

Lu Ying’s brows furrowed sharply; before he even processed the situation, his body instinctively followed Shen Yinning out the window!

Catching her mid-air, he used his skilled Qinggong to land steadily on the ground.

From the window, Shen Yunxi and the others watched the two unscathed figures in astonishment before rushing downstairs to see them.

In the snowy field by the pavilion’s door, Lu Ying’s black-and-gold robe billowed in the icy wind, his profile cold and emotionless. His sharp brow and high-bridged nose carved out a striking, sculpted face, radiating a palpable aura of dominance befitting a ruler.

Strong and imposing, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he seemed capable of holding the delicate, fragrant beauty in his arms with just one hand.

In his embrace, the beauty shed glistening tears. Her slender, snowy hands clutched tightly at his robes, a few stray locks of hair brushing against her pale face, like shattered white glass shimmering with a frosty light.

The swirling snow, like falling cherry blossoms, lightly kissed Shen Yinning’s brows and lashes, accentuating the tender melancholy in her almond-shaped Dan Feng eyes glistening with unshed tears.

She choked out, "This humble woman sought only death; why did you save me, Your Highness?"

Lu Ying’s lips pressed into a tight line.

Sought only death?

He had never seen someone so determined to die leap out of a second-story window, especially onto a snow-laden patch of dead grass.

The little vixen was acting again, lying and deceiving as always.

But truthfully, today’s trap had been orchestrated by none other than his Crown Princess Consort, who had pushed Shen Zhaozhao too far. The fault lay with the Crown Princess Consort, not Shen Zhaozhao.

"Your Highness!" Shen Yunxi cried out in despair, "That vile woman is so impure—heaven knows how many men she has slept with! Having shamelessly committed adultery with Cui Ji, and likely carrying some vile disease—how can someone of your noble status even touch her?!"

Lu Ying raised his eyes. "She was never violated by prison guards, nor did she commit adultery with Cui Ji."

The crowd froze in collective astonishment.

Lu Ying continued, "The man who took her innocence years ago—was me."

The one who had an illicit relationship with her was also him.

The one who forced Shen Zhaozhao to serve as a Forbidden Fruit, who humiliated and tormented her, was still him.

What crime had Shen Zhaozhao committed?

For a moment, it felt as though the air had completely frozen.

Shen Yunxi stared in disbelief, her mouth agape as if she could swallow a whole egg.

The Crown Prince...

The Crown Prince had already consummated a relationship with Shen Yinning three years ago?!

The prison guards she had bribed back then had been utterly unnecessary—Shen Yinning had seduced the Crown Prince all by herself?!

The two of them had slept together!

The two of them had secretly slept together, behind her back!

As she watched Lu Ying carry Shen Yinning away, Shen Yunxi felt her blood rush to her head, dizziness and darkness overwhelming her vision. Fury and jealousy surged within her, nearly tearing her apart!

So after going to such great lengths to set up this elaborate trap today, not only had she failed to prove Shen Yinning was violated by the guards or had an affair with Cui Ji, but the Crown Prince himself had confessed to their intimate relationship?!