That night, Quan Heng slept deeply and had a long dream.
In the dream, she returned to Baixue Manor, then back to the Gu residence, and step by step, she made her way to the capital.
In the dream, she had forgotten all the troubles of reality. She and that man walked hand in hand, overcoming all hardships together.
Until that stormy night when Jiang Suifeng was thrown out with his legs broken—she lay down to sleep once more.
Just as in reality, the man slipped into her bed again and kissed her in secret.
Even in the dream, Quan Heng could feel her heart racing, shy and blissful.
But suddenly, the man in the dream flipped on top of her and grabbed her by the throat, his once gentle expression turning sinister.
“Quan Heng, didn’t you say that once I regained my memory, you’d let me marry you? Why did you go back on your word? Why?!”
Quan Heng felt like she couldn’t breathe. She struggled desperately to break free. In the next moment, the man tore her clothes apart and forcefully entered her.
Agonizing pain engulfed her entire body. She was terrified and shaken, and finally jolted awake from the nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.
Looking around in a panic and seeing no one nearby, her heart finally settled.
The dream was too horrifying. The lover who had once stayed by her side day and night had become her destined enemy—had become the one who violated and tormented her endlessly.
All the tenderness had turned to cruelty.
She was truly afraid.
Hearing her sudden awakening, Ziyun immediately rushed in from outside and anxiously asked, “Miss, are you alright?”
After taking a few deep breaths, Quan Heng finally calmed down a bit and said, “I’m fine. It was just a nightmare. Go to the small kitchen and make me something to eat.”
Ziyun nodded but then remembered something and asked hesitantly, “Miss, Young Master Shen came by early this morning and said he wanted to see you. Do you… want to meet him?”
Hearing this, Quan Heng froze.
It took her a while to realize that the “Young Master Shen” Ziyun referred to was no longer that man.
After spending so much time together day after day, she had somehow developed such a foolish attachment.
Shaking her head, she gave a bitter smile. “No need. I’m not feeling well. Tell him to go back. I don’t want to see him for now.”
With that, she lay back down and closed her eyes.
She heard Ziyun leave the room and explain to Shen Zhengyu outside.
Brother Ah Zheng argued a few words, but in the end, he couldn’t win against Ziyun and left, disappointed.
Hearing his footsteps fade away, Quan Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this point, she truly didn’t know how to face him anymore.
That face of his looked exactly like Wen Zheng’s, and yet the two were completely different people.
She didn’t know how to respond to his feelings. So for now, she could only pretend to be deaf and mute and not respond at all.
In the afternoon, her father and mother came to see her again.
Seeing she was unharmed, they finally relaxed.
They also brought news.
Three days later, Consort Li in the palace would be holding a banquet to ward off bad luck for the Sixth Prince, inviting all the nobles of the capital, including the Yongning Marquis’ household.
Furthermore, Consort Li had specifically said that Quan Heng must attend.
Hearing this, Quan Heng was puzzled. “Did something happen to the Sixth Prince again? Why is there a need to ward off bad luck?”
Zhao Qingrong gently brushed aside a stray strand of her daughter’s hair and replied, “It’s about that time he fell into the water. Although he wasn’t seriously hurt, the child was frightened. The lake was cold, and he caught a chill. He’s only just recovered these past few days.”
Quan Heng nodded. “I see.”
The child was still so young. Now that he had finally recovered, Consort Li could finally be at ease.
As for insisting that she attend—perhaps it was simply to express gratitude.
Seeing that her complexion was still pale, Quan Minghao said with concern, “Heng’er, if you really don’t want to go, I’ll go decline on your behalf. Just say you’re unwell. I’m sure Consort Li won’t hold it against you.”
Quan Heng gave a bitter smile. “It’s fine. I’ll go. I only coughed blood yesterday because I was too angry. A few days of rest will do. It’s nothing serious.”
Would she really lock herself indoors for the rest of her life just because of him?
Besides, Princess Zhaohua had mentioned before that Wen Zheng rarely showed himself in public. Even among his siblings, few had seen him. For such a casual banquet, it was even less likely he’d attend.
Since there was no chance of running into him, there was nothing to be afraid of. She would go.
***
Three days passed in a flash.
That morning, Zijing gave her a perfectly arranged hairstyle and wanted to apply the popular makeup look of the capital, but Quan Heng declined.
“Just something simple will do.”
Her mood had been gloomy these days. Whether it was Shen Zhengyu or Wen Zheng requesting to see her, she refused them all.
Even though she was attending a banquet today, she had no interest in dressing up.
Seeing her young lady so downcast, Zijing’s heart ached a little.
“Alright then. But even without dressing up, our Miss is naturally beautiful. That serene, clean beauty of yours stands out on its own. The girls of the capital couldn’t match you even if they tried!”
Quan Heng tapped her forehead and smiled. “Your tongue is too slick. Alright, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
This time, she still rode with Quan Rui. Though their relationship had improved greatly, seeing Quan Heng’s melancholy face, Quan Rui dared not say a word.
She never would’ve imagined that the man Sisterb Heng brought back was actually the crown prince!
That prince had a terrible reputation—bad-tempered since youth, even killing his own eunuchs without hesitation. And over the years, the number of corpses quietly carried out of the Eastern Palace… was beyond counting.
Frankly, no one in this world dared approach that violent Crown Prince.
What was even scarier was that he had been impersonating someone else all this time—pretending to be Young Master Shen and deceiving Sister Heng.
One was a gentle, elegant top scholar.
The other was a heartless killer prince.
Anyone would know whom to choose.
But these past days, Sister Heng had kept Brother Shen outside the door, not letting him in. Who knew what she was thinking?
Quan Rui had countless thoughts, but dared not speak a single one, afraid she’d touch on her sister’s pain and cause her grief.
Even Quan Xiang, who usually loved targeting Quan Heng, had gone quiet.
Not because she feared hurting Quan Heng—but because everyone in the Yongning Marquis household with eyes could see that the former cousin, now Crown Prince, clearly had feelings for Quan Heng.
If she bullied Quan Heng now and the prince took revenge, it wouldn’t be worth the risk.
At last, the group arrived at the palace and entered the banquet.
As soon as Princess Zhaohua saw Quan Heng, she ran over joyfully and took her arm.
“Heng’er, you finally came! We haven’t seen each other for days. I missed you so much!”
Quan Heng smiled. “I missed you too, Princess. It’s just that some things happened at home recently, and I couldn’t leave.”
Hearing that, Princess Zhaohua was reminded of what had happened.
She truly hadn’t expected that the cousin Heng’er brought back looked so much like her crown prince brother—and that it was him!
The crown prince had lost his memory and lived among commoners, and Heng’er had rescued him and brought him home.
Now, not just in the city but even in the palace, everyone was talking about it.
Zhaohua had wanted to ask more, but seeing Heng’er’s pale face, she couldn’t bear to open her mouth.
Heng’er was already hurting enough. She decided not to add fuel to the fire.
However, there was one thing she felt Heng’er should know.
“Heng’er, today’s banquet may be for Consort Li to ward off bad luck for the Sixth Prince, but I heard that Crown Prince Brother will be coming too. You’d best be mentally prepared.”
At these words, Quan Heng’s face went as white as a sheet.
Just then, the guests were all seated—not just the Yongning Marquis household, but even the Xie family had arrived.
Xie Fengyun tried to greet her, but was separated by the crowd and lost his chance.
Before long, Consort Li arrived with the Sixth Prince in her arms.
As the banquet began, she praised Quan Heng loudly in front of everyone and gifted her a pair of rare ruby earrings.
Quan Heng thanked her and returned to her seat.
Then a sharp, high-pitched eunuch’s voice rang out: “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—!”
In an instant, the banquet was in uproar.
Though the Crown Prince had a notorious reputation, he rarely appeared in public. To most people, he was like a myth—distant and unreachable.
Now that he had come willingly, and with the Yongning Marquis’ eldest daughter present—who was currently at the center of gossip—how could people not be thrilled?
Then, Wen Zheng entered the garden slowly.
Today, he wasn’t dressed in his usual black, but in white.
His long hair was tied with just a single white jade hairpin, making him appear striking and refined.
No one could tell that this was the same Crown Prince rumored to be a heartless killer.
Everyone was filled with emotion. One moment they looked at Wen Zheng, the next at Quan Heng, trying to read something secret in their expressions.
At the moment Quan Heng saw Wen Zheng, she felt her heart begin to ache again, as though it were being pierced by countless fine needles.
She recognized the hairpin in his hair.
It was the one she had bought with the first money she earned from selling dendrobium herbs, back when they were still living in Baixue Manor, after her allowance had been cut and she had to go up the mountain to gather herbs.
In an instant, all the memories came flooding back, so intense she could barely breathe.
Wen Zheng was already looking her way, but Quan Heng didn’t want to meet his gaze. She quickly turned her head away.
She said to Princess Zhaohua beside her, “I’m feeling a bit stifled. I’d like to step out for some air.”
Princess Zhaohua, understanding her discomfort, nodded. “Go ahead. But stay away from the pond. Don’t let what happened last time happen again.”
Quan Heng responded and left with Ziyun in tow.
In that moment, the spectators’ mood to watch the drama completely vanished.
With both the main characters of the rumors present, there had been something to look at. But now that one had left, it wasn’t interesting anymore.
Seeing Quan Heng avoid him like he was the plague, Wen Zheng didn’t feel good either.
He took a few steps in the direction she had gone, but immediately a group of people gathered around, trying to cozy up to him.
He stopped in his tracks.
He knew that if he chased after her now, it would only fuel the gossip. He didn’t want to push her into the center of the storm.
