My Second Chance at Love

Chapter 9

The man, his smile arrogant and conceited, walked in with a ranging stride. With one quick glance at his guests, he waved his hand to his underling and ordered, "Take the other guest for a tour. I shall enjoy my company with Fang-er here."

"Yes, my lord." The servant bowed and quickly ushered Jun Weixiang away. "Go away, my master wishes to enjoy himself!" He whispered while shoving Jun Weixiang quite rudely. 

However, Jun Weixiang didn't budge an inch and kept staring at ShuFang worriedly. His eyes sharpened all of a sudden, as if he sensed something wrong. 'This smell...it's the Emotion-Inducing Incense!'

"I'll be alright." Shufang smiled reassuringly; however, when he felt suspicion surrounding Jun Weixiang, his smile froze. He tried to sense if something was wrong, but it was too late. His mind was already clouding up due to the work of the incense. 

The amount of hatred and disgust he had for YiWang swiftly rose.

YiWang frowned. "You two seem a bit too close..." He said, his narrow eyes filled with suspicion and doubt. 

"Everyone is rather close here." ShuFang curled his lips up, showing his perfectly aligned teeth. It seemed so genuine, yet fake. Genuine if you focus single-mindedly on his lips, yet fake if you focus on his crease-less eyes. After all, when one truly smiles, wouldn't their eyes curve and form waves of creases with it?

"We all live in a small, remote town. No secret lays buried here; every detail of every person's life is put on display, much like an undesired exhibit. I, for one, I find Sir Wang very intriguing. How is it that no news of you have spread, especially since you have the wealth and power to purchase a manor this grandeur?" ShuFang widened his smile. 

In his mind, the past overlapped with the present, causing unprecedented pain to ShuFang's conscience as he struggled to realize what state he was in. 

"Do you have ill intentions? Will you harm us? Harm my family again?!" ShuFang clenched his teeth as his aura burst forth, condensed into the form of a needle, and shot itself towards YiWang, stopping just an inch before the center of YiWang's forehead. 

Normal people wouldn't sense this deadly, needle-like aura, but Jun Weixiang was most certainly not your average person. He's won countless battles and wars, and have slaughtered thousands. There's no doubt he could sense Shufang's killing intent. 

However, YiWang was not like Jun Weixiang. Instead of going to war, he stayed behind to gain the public's support by gifting some of his allowance to rural towns in need. Of course, he would reclaim that allowance once he gained the throne. He wouldn't let those filthy bugs use his money. It's simply a waste to allow them to keep living. If poor people couldn't afford to live, then they simply shouldn't. 

Little did he know, the public could tell this fake kindness of his. They could see that YiWang, even after donating some money, was living a life of luxury. The walls have ears, after all. Servants who had to bear all of YiWang's malice and unjust treatment would tell their families about it, and from there, it would spread. 

They knew that once YiWang boarded the throne, the common people would be done for. 

In the last life, the only reason why the people chose to support YiWang was because they had no other choice. At that time, YiWang had killed off half of the princes. The only ones left were ones that couldn't function properly. They could only choose YiWang out of desperation. 

But this life was different. In this life, Jun Weixiang, the 5th prince, lived. He was the strongest competitor for the throne, and there's a reason why. By slaughtering thousands of enemies, he has saved millions more. What citizen wouldn't feel grateful when a prince, who should've been living comfortably inside the golden palace, chooses to fight for their lives? A prince who would risk his life to save theirs? He definitely deserved the throne more. 

As for people who rather their future emperor have brains over brawns? It wasn't like their 5th prince was stupid. Not only is he a great general, but he's also a master strategist. A strategist who enables his army to win every single war must mean that his knowledge and wisdom is impeccable. 

An emperor who cares for the common people will be able to lead society into prosperity, but an emperor who can do that while holding unparalleled intelligence and warfare skills will be able to lead the entire country into great prosperity. 

'As long as I kill him here, everything will end.' ShuFang's thoughts swirled inside his mind furiously, slowly dragging him down into a path of madness. 'Kill him, and I won't need to suffer anymore. Kill him, and my family will be safe. Kill him...'

With every thought, the undetectable needle inched closer and closer, threatening to pierce right through YiWang's head. 

YiWang didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a burst of sharpness and incoming death. A cold sweat broke out as shivers traveled down his back for incomprehensible reasons. 

"I.." He tried to speak, but found himself unable to. Shocked, he looked straight into ShuFang's eyes, and saw that the cloth that once covered them were gone, and was replaced with two hollow sockets. The sockets were incomparably black, resembling two mini black holes that were currently trying to suck his soul in...

YiWang's servant wasn't doing much better either. He had already fainted and collapsed onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. 

"Stop." Jun Weixiang's voice sounded, bringing ShuFang's mind a bit of clarity. The needle stopped, but only for a second before it moved forward again. 

"Stop."Jun Weixiang said again. 

'What do you mean stop? I can't stop, I need to--' ShuFang whimpered, pushing the needle even further. This time, it broke through the skin and caused a scarlet red bead to appear on YiWang's forehead, prompting YiWang to faint.  

Just as Shufang was about to push the needle even further, he felt a large, warm hand cover his own cold ones. 

'Who--' He thought before he felt a blow to his neck. With that blow came darkness. 

Jun Weixiang caught ShuFang within his embrace and hoisted him up in a princess carry. 

He used a hand to brush ShuFang's tears away.

"That's enough." Jun Weixiang whispered, even though he knew ShuFang couldn't hear him. "Let me handle it from now on. Let me suffer in your steed. Let me in your heart--let me bring you happiness."

He gently carried ShuFang away, not caring about the two morons that were collapsed on the floor. Just as he was about to step outside of YiWang's manor, he heard a slight rustle behind him, causing him to stop in his tracks, and turn around. 

YiWang and his servant were gone. 

However, Jun Weixiang did not panic because he knew that they wouldn't kill a prince so presumptuously. Whoever took them had probably just done it to cover up whatever had happened today. But who were they trying to help? 

Seeing how he knew nothing of the person behind this, Jun Weixiang could only assume that ShuFang had a powerful backing. A potentially dangerous one at that. 

"It seems like you have many secrets." Jun Weixiang smiled. He lowered his head and pressed his rough lips against the skin of ShuFang's forehead.

"No matter, I'll love you all the same."