Yan Chenrui · Chat

Yan Chenrui's brows knitted tightly, fury blazing in her heart. She could no longer bear to watch. How could there be someone in this world as cold and heartless as the Crown Prince, letting others bully his lawful wife so outrageously? He had not even inherited the throne, and already he was like this—so unlike her imperial brother. She rose slowly to her feet. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an authority that pierced the clamor, like a thunderclap in a cold night, instantly freezing the hall's uproar: "How dare you." She walked slowly down from the dais, her silver-threaded shoes clicking against the golden brick floor. Each step seemed to tread upon the hearts of everyone present. She stopped before Jiang Yunyin and looked down at her from above. The chill in her eyes receded a little, replaced by a hint of tenderness so subtle it was barely perceptible. She took a plain handkerchief from her sleeve and gently handed it to Jiang Yunyin, her voice low and clear: "Wipe it." Jiang Yunyin kept her head lowered, gazing at the handkerchief offered before her. A warm sensation reached her fingertips, and a sudden sourness rose in her nose. She slowly raised her head and met Yan Chenrui's deep, dark eyes. At that moment, the moonlight outside the hall happened to stream in through the window lattice, falling upon their overlapping silhouettes, as if gilding them with a layer of silver light. Yan Chenrui took the wine cup from Jiang Yunyin's hand and set it gently on the side table. Then she turned and looked coldly at the noble lady, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips: "I was not aware that the rules of Yan had changed. A mere noble lady dares to be so insolent at an imperial banquet—could it be that you think yourself more exalted than the Crown Princess?" The noble lady's face turned deathly pale in an instant. She had not expected Yan Chenrui to suddenly intervene, let alone to rebuke her so mercilessly. She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but found she could not utter a single word. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day meant for reunion and celebration. I do not wish to make a great commotion." Yan Chenrui's gaze swept over the noble lady, then over the people around them who pretended to have seen nothing, her voice cold as frost. "But if anyone dares to be so rude again, I will most certainly not let it pass." With that, she paid the noble lady no further heed. Turning around, she took Jiang Yunyin's hand, cast a sidelong glance at the dumbstruck Crown Prince, and gave a light snort before leading her to her own seat: "Tonight you will sit by my side. Let's see who still dares to slight you."