Chapter 3: Bargain and Deadlock

Su Mingli met Xiao Jingxuan's gaze with detached calm, sensing this encounter was no coincidence.

"What does the War Prince imply?" she asked evenly, neither submissive nor defiant.

Xiao Jingxuan studied her with a faint, enigmatic smile. "Since the Crown Prince disdains you," he drawled, voice low and deliberate, "shall this prince take you instead?"

The room erupted in stifled gasps.

The Crown Prince's composure cracked. "What game are you playing, War Prince?" he snapped.

Xiao Jingxuan tilted his head lazily. "Merely finding Miss Su's predicament... diverting. A trivial act of mercy."

Su Mingli's pulse quickened. These words weren't casual—they thrummed with the tug-of-war of courtly power.

The Marchioness paled, torn between fury and fear of offending the War Prince. "Mingli," she hissed through clenched teeth, "show gratitude!"

But Su Mingli kept her eyes locked on Xiao Jingxuan. "What price does the War Prince demand for this 'mercy'?"

His lips quirked. "Sharp as ever." Closing the distance between them, he leaned in until his breath brushed her ear. "Tell me… what do you know of the Gilded Bronze Figures?"

Her pupils constricted. The Gilded Bronze Figures—the phrase conjured fragmented memories of ancient medical scrolls, their secrets etched in gold and mystery.

When she lifted her gaze to meet his, her smile mirrored his own calculated intrigue. "It seems Your Highness and I… have much to discuss."