Little Pink Starfish

Brother Gu’s Dagger

Miss Erqiu heard Emperor Xianzong’s voice and felt like he was speaking on her behalf. Then she recalled what Prime Minister Zhao and Consort Zhao had told her: As long as the Emperor sees your face, you’ll be the most favored in the harem, enjoying wealth and glory for a lifetime. With that thought, she decided to take a chance for herself. She took the initiative and grabbed Yuxiaoxiao’s hand, crying out, “Your Highness, please forgive me, let my sister go!”

What?

Yuxiaoxiao was dumbfounded—she hadn’t done anything!

Consort Zhao gave the country bumpkin girl a sidelong glance. She hadn’t expected this rural girl to instinctively understand the game like this.

“Linglong!” Emperor Xianzong shouted, “Let go of her!”

“Your Majesty!” Gu Xinglang called out from behind. What had his wife done to deserve such a harsh scolding from the Emperor?

Hearing Gu Xinglang’s voice, Princess Yuxiaoxiao turned back, worried something had happened to her Little Gu.

Erqiu was trying her hardest to pry off Yuxiaoxiao’s hand, hoping to free herself so that the Emperor could see her face.

“Your Majesty, please save us!” Consort Zhao outright cried out for help to Emperor Xianzong.

The Emperor’s footsteps grew quicker as he approached.

As he was about to reach them, Erqiu clung desperately to Yuxiaoxiao’s hand, trying to force it off her clothes.

Yuxiaoxiao was still worried about her Little Gu, and with Erqiu messing with her from behind, she reflexively lifted Erqiu up—intending to pull her around to the front so they could talk properly.

“Guards!” shouted Consort Zhao, seeing Yuxiaoxiao lift someone again. Having been thrown by her before, Consort Zhao shrieked in panic, “Save her! Save my sister!”

The maid Cuiyu gritted her teeth and rushed forward. Even if she couldn’t save Miss Zhao, she had to stop the princess from throwing her.

“Yu Linglong!” Emperor Xianzong shouted, “Let go, did you hear me?!”

Just as Cuiyu lunged at Yuxiaoxiao’s hand, Yuxiaoxiao had already raised Erqiu above her head. The Emperor’s shout made her pause, and then Cuiyu’s impact loosened her grip.

At this critical moment, Erqiu used all her strength to struggle, clawing at Yuxiaoxiao’s sleeve to stay in her grasp. Suddenly, her hand touched something hard—without thinking, like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline, she clutched it tightly. But even so, Yuxiaoxiao had let go. No matter how Erqiu fought it, she couldn’t escape her fate of being thrown by the princess.

“I—” Emperor Xianzong tried to shout again, but his voice caught in his throat.

Erqiu soared over the Emperor’s head like a shooting star, her hair bun coming undone, leaving only a wave of black hair in Xianzong’s sight.

Everyone watched Miss Zhao flying through the air, unsure if she would survive this time.

She had been thrown high, but not far. As she plummeted down, Yuxiaoxiao guessed where she’d land and muttered, “No way,” then touched her sleeve—eh? The dagger Big Brother Gu gave her was gone.

At that moment, the terrified Erqiu found herself falling into someone’s arms. There was a scent of sandalwood—comforting but not warm.

Everyone’s eyes widened as they saw Miss Zhao land directly into the arms of Master Fenglin. Their faces were close—uh, even their lips met.

Master Fenglin instinctively wrapped his arms around the girl who had fallen into his embrace.

Erqiu, with her waist encircled, didn’t move—she was completely stunned.

Holy crap!

Yuxiaoxiao felt terrible. After all this fuss, she had delivered true love right into Wen Fenglin’s arms. Thinking back, in her past life, Wen Fenglin was one of the culprits who led to the Empress’s downfall. In this life, he harmed Wuhuan—probably poisoned her in the past too. And now she had become the matchmaker for his romance? Yuxiaoxiao smacked her own head—how could anyone be this dumb?

Gu Xinglang finally relaxed. Now that she’d been hugged and even kissed by an outsider like Master Fenglin, even if she were as beautiful as a fairy, the Emperor couldn’t possibly take her into the harem. The royal family had never accepted an impure woman into the palace. If the Emperor dared, the ancestors would never forgive him.

Xianzong looked at the pair embracing, then turned to see Consort Zhao no longer crying. Whatever feelings he had for the beauty—well, they were gone now.

Master Fenglin looked closely at the woman in his arms and said, “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Erqiu gazed at the youth holding her—so beautiful he seemed drawn from a painting. She, too, felt he looked familiar.

Yuxiaoxiao walked over to Xianzong and remarked, “They’re just standing there holding each other. Is this love at first sight? I thought monks from Eternal Life Temple weren’t allowed to touch women?” Wuhuan’s true love had been accused of violating the precepts—yet Wen Fenglin could hug his true love with no consequences? Princess Yuxiaoxiao sneered—how could the world be so unfair?

Xianzong said, “Is this the same Miss Zhao who was trapped under the wall that day?”

“That’s right,” Yuxiaoxiao replied. “Didn’t you see her? Her head was wrapped in gauze, and her hair was covering it to keep anyone from looking. Tsk.” Yuxiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “With the wound covered like that, it’s definitely going to leave a scar.”

“Really?” Xianzong asked.

Yuxiaoxiao said, “Even I can treat Little Gu’s injuries. What do you think of my medical skills?”

Xianzong nodded—this he could trust. With a scar on her head, could she still be called a beauty? Now he had no interest in looking at her, let alone staying around.

At that moment, Master Fenglin felt a sudden pain in his chest. He frowned and looked down in disbelief.

Erqiu also sensed something wrong and slowly removed her delicate hand from his chest.

“Outrageous!” several monks beside Master Fenglin shouted in unison.

“What happened?” Xianzong craned his neck toward Master Fenglin.

Yuxiaoxiao also stood on tiptoe, saying, “Yeah, what happened?”

Erqiu was still in Master Fenglin’s arms, her back facing the royal father and daughter, so neither of them could see what was going on. As total gossip fiends, the two of them exchanged a look and began walking toward Master Fenglin, eager to get a good look.

Before they could get close, one monk suddenly shoved Erqiu hard, knocking her to the ground.

Xianzong focused on Master Fenglin—and instantly gasped.

Yuxiaoxiao’s eyes widened. The dagger that Brother Gu gave her was now stabbed right in Wen Fenglin’s chest.