So sweet! She's pampered like a precious gem in her little world.

Under the watchful eyes of the others, Chu Yu slowly moved to the cabinet.

She was still wearing the pale yellow, narrow-sleeved gauze dress that her mother had specially chosen for her that morning.

The five-year-old girl was still small and hadn't grown up yet. She sat on the edge of the cabinet with her knees bent, looking pitiful.

Shadow One and Shadow Two had just witnessed the tragic state of the Shen family mansion outside, and couldn't help but feel more pity for the little girl who had become an orphan overnight.

Seeing that she had moved to the edge of the cabinet, Jingyin tried to take a step forward.

"My name is Jingyin. I am a close friend of your maternal grandfather, General Shen, despite our age difference. May I take care of you from now on?"

The girl, who had been keeping her head down with almost her entire face hidden in the darkness, timidly raised half of her face to look at the boy standing in front of her.

When Jingyin learned the news, he was practicing martial arts in the backyard of Zichen Palace. He rushed over without even having time to change out of his dark-colored, patterned outfit.

He only said that he was a friend of General Shen, but did not mention his own identity at all.

The two shadow figures behind them lowered their heads to hide the shock they couldn't contain.

Has His Majesty's relationship with General Shen really gotten this good?

Even if he felt guilty and wanted to make amends to the orphan of the Shen family, it didn't have to be like this...

Not only were they shocked, but Chu Yu was also momentarily taken aback by Jing Yin's attitude.

In the original story, Jingyin did treat her very well, but that happened later.

When they first met, Jingyin only offered to take her back to the palace out of guilt and affection for General Shen.

She remembered that in the first few years after the original owner moved into the palace, Jingyin was so busy that he was almost never seen, which was why the regent was able to take advantage of the situation.

The young orphan girl, with no relatives or friends, lived alone in the perilous inner palace.

She would cling to any kindness or care that came her way.

During those years, Jingyin was busy consolidating and expanding his power, and he didn't care much about Chuyu. He only instructed Princess Yuanjia to have the best of everything.

Thus, the original owner lived a life of luxury in the palace, but no one paid any attention to him.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Chu Yu lifted her long eyelashes and looked incredulously at the boy in front of her who was slightly bending over and extending his hand to her.

She was utterly astonished. How was the original owner brought into the palace in this way?

But judging from the current situation, Jingyin doesn't seem like the type to abandon her in the palace for years without ever caring about her.

What went wrong?

The young emperor, a man of supreme status, actually bowed and bent down to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that several men in black behind the boy had already bowed their heads in silent respect as he bent down.

The emperor has already bowed; who would dare to stand there upright?

Chu Yu temporarily put aside her doubts and slowly extended her small hand, placing it on the boy's outstretched palm.

The next instant, the boy swiftly closed his palm, tightly enveloping the girl's soft, boneless hand.

With a slight exertion of his arm, Jingyin sent the girl's slender body flying lightly out of the closet and heading straight for the boy.

The boy, with his other arm half outstretched, caught her and instantly tightened his grip, holding her tightly.

A few barely audible gasps could be heard in the quiet room.

Jingyin held the little girl in his arms, turned his head slightly, and gave her a cold, sharp glance.

The shadow guards were so frightened that they immediately held their breath and desperately lowered their heads to minimize their presence.

The fifteen-year-old boy was already tall and slender, no different from an adult man, while the five-year-old Chu Yu was only up to the boy's waist.

The strong smell of blood outside gradually seeped into the house.

Jingyin frowned, picked up the girl with one hand, and put his other hand behind her head, pulling her close to his chest.

"Don't look, I'm taking you home now."

The boy's voice hadn't fully changed yet; it was clear yet slightly hoarse, the only gentle touch in this blood-stained, desolate night.

Perhaps bewitched by such gentleness, Chu Yu boldly reached out and wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, burying her head in his neck.

The faint, woody scent of ambergris was soothing and pleasant, yet it inexplicably drew her closer.

The girl sniffed lightly and then took a deep sniff.

Jing Yin remained expressionless, looking down at the girl in his arms who was sniffing his neck like a puppy. His thin, taut lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

He carried the person away from the area reeking of blood, asking as they walked, "Do you like it?"

"what?"

"My taste."

Chu Yu: "..."

She buried her face in the boy's chest and remained silent.

The character of Jing Yin is quite different from the original story, and the reason for this is currently unknown.

But she can't let her public image crumble.

She also had to maintain the original owner's aloof and cold image.

Jingyin waited for a long time without receiving a response, then looked down and saw only the little girl's fluffy head.

He was made crown prince at a young age and ascended the throne at the age of twelve. No one had ever dared to ignore his questions like this.

Even he himself was a little surprised. He was not annoyed at all, but rather found it novel and even found her extremely cute.

Jingyin's imperial carriage stopped outside the main gate of the Shen residence. He used his light footwork to quickly carry the person to the carriage.

Shadow Six, who was waiting beside the imperial carriage, did not go in and was unaware of what had happened.

From afar, one could see His Majesty carrying a young child as he used his light-footed skills to emerge.

Shadow Six: "?"

Jingyin carried the person directly onto the imperial carriage and ordered in a deep voice, "Return to Zichen Palace."

Shadow One and Shadow Two followed closely behind with their men, and judging from Shadow Six's expression, they knew what he wanted to ask.

Neither of them offered any explanation.

His Majesty is right there in the imperial carriage; I doubt he'd dare ask directly.

Shadow Five, skilled in medicine, was also brought along, hoping to save as many as possible, but unexpectedly...

Of the four shadow guards, only Shadow Six looked utterly bewildered and was in a state of utter distress.

What on earth is going on?!

-

In the royal chariot.

When Jingyin sat down, he naturally pulled her into his arms and found her a comfortable position.

Before he could even think of how to speak, the little girl in his arms had already started breathing long and even, and had fallen asleep right there on him.

Do you trust him that much?

Moonlight streamed sparsely into the car from outside the window, casting shadows on the boy's cold, aloof face.

In the dappled light and shadow, he slightly lowered his long eyelashes, concealing the dark depths in his eyes.

People say that this young emperor is cunning and ruthless. If he were not so young and always suppressed by the regent, he might have become a world-renowned and unparalleled monarch.

Jingyin couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed.

After his father's sudden death, after his mother was forced to submit to the regent and committed suicide out of unbearable humiliation, after he withstood the criticism from the court and secretly cultivated his power to rival the regent...

He never relaxed or slacked off for a moment.

It's not that they can't, and it's that they dare not.

But to his utter surprise, the granddaughter of General Shen whom he had saved today was able to make him unconsciously relax his tense mind.

Several of his shadow guards, who had followed him for many years, were completely baffled, and Jingyin himself was no different.

From the moment he stepped into the room and his gaze met that of the little girl in the dark cabinet, he knew that something was subtly slipping out of his control.

But he chose to let it go.

-

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