The empress arrived after Yang Shaolun’s departure with a bowl of water. Lin Haihai put the Forgetness Pill into the water with a trembling hand, which melted in an instant. Lin Haihai then heated up the water and poured it into Yang Shaolun’s teacup. The empress looked away. She couldn’t bear to witness the cruelty.

Lin Haihai sat quietly in the room, waiting for Yang Shaolun to return. Time crawled by one second at a time. She felt as if there was a thorn in her back. The pain slowly but surely spread through her body and seeped into her blood.

Yang Shaolun returned to see Lin Haihai’s face covered in tears. He averted his gaze, pained. Lin Haihai hurriedly got to her feet and put on a smile, walking up to him to take off his dragon robe and put a light cyan robe around his shoulders. She caught his cool hands in hers and said lovingly, “Is it windy outside?”

“It’s not that cold.” Yang Shaolun put on a heartbreaking smile, his eyes misty with...