You Were Sent to the Capital as a Hostage, Yet You Took the Throne as Emperor? - Chapter 17:

Chapter 17: Sleeping in the Same Bed!:

Morning.

Snow covered the earth, turning the world pure white.

Yun Rou felt a chill seeping through her bones. The pain in her internal organs was as if they were being torn apart. Her back, in particular, throbbed like her flesh was being ripped from the bone. She was so weak she could barely open her eyes. After a brief glance at the broken roof above her, she shut her eyes again.

Feeling cold, she instinctively shifted closer to the warm source beside her. With her internal energy disrupted and her meridians damaged, she couldn’t regulate her body’s warmth and had to rely on external heat.

But as she moved closer to the warm body, she began to sense that something was very wrong.

She slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a stunningly handsome face.

Her beautiful eyes widened in shock, and her pale cheeks flushed with a rosy red. Rage and killing intent filled her gaze.

She tried to kick him away but quickly realized her arms and legs were tied. The sudden movement tugged at her internal injuries, causing her brows to furrow and a soft moan to escape her throat.

“Ah… ugh…”

Hearing her voice, Wei Ran opened his eyes.

Seeing her pained expression, he smiled lightly. “I thought you wouldn’t survive the night. Didn’t expect you to wake up so soon. As expected of someone who practices martial arts—your body really is something else.”

“You… you’re… Prince Wei?”

Yun Rou finally recognized his face. He was the assassination target from last night.

“Yes, that’s me.”

Wei Ran nodded and got out of bed, lifting the fox-fur cloak as he moved.

At the same time, he explained casually, “It’s freezing outside, and there’s only one small bed in this room. Last night, I originally planned to give you my coat to keep warm, but it was just too cold. Sharing body heat was the only option.”

After getting out of bed, he straightened his clothes.

Yun Rou struggled to lift her neck to examine her own garments.

They were intact—no signs of having been disheveled or tampered with.

Aside from the pain in her organs, there were no other signs of discomfort.

She breathed a little easier.

But realizing her situation, her heart tensed up again.

Yun Rou stared at Wei Ran. Her voice was weak but firm.

“A true martial artist would rather die than be humiliated.”

“Now that I’ve fallen into your hands, please—give me a swift death.”

She wished only to die with dignity rather than have her purity tainted.

Wei Ran tightened his robe with a calm expression. “Miss White Bun, we’ve no enmity between us. Why did you try to kill me?”

Miss White Bun?

Yun Rou was confused, but now wasn’t the time to argue over a nickname.

She turned her head away and closed her eyes, ready to meet death.

Wei Ran sighed. “Tch… refusing the wine and asking for punishment instead. Fine, I’ll ruin your purity before I kill you then.”

“W-Wait!”

Yun Rou turned back, her pale lips trembling.

“I bear no grudge against you, but I have a blood feud with your father!”

Wei Ran’s eyebrows twitched. “Grudges should be settled with those responsible. If you hate Wei Wuji, go after him. What does killing me accomplish?”

Yun Rou’s face showed her disgust and disdain.

“I waited half a month in Yanliang hoping to find that dog of a father of yours, but never saw him. Instead, I heard plenty of tales about you.”

“You’re young, yet already bullying men and women, forcing good people into prostitution. Scum like you should be executed.”

“If I can’t kill your father, killing you is just as good!”

She gave a fierce snort, full of righteous indignation.

But the force of her emotions pulled at her injuries, making her moan again in pain.

Her soft whimpers reminded Wei Ran of certain movies by the famed ‘Teacher Yoshizawa.’

He sighed. “Fame sure brings scandal, doesn’t it?”

Then he began to remove his outer robe, followed by his inner cotton shirt.

Yun Rou’s eyes widened. Her voice trembled with anger. “You—what are you doing?”

“What do you think?”

“You bastard! I curse you to die horribly! Even as a ghost I won’t forgive you!”

Her face turned red, her mouth bleeding slightly as she shouted.

Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes.

Her voice became faint. “P-Please… give me a quick death…”

She looked at him with pleading eyes, wanting only to preserve her dignity through death.

By now, Wei Ran had removed his shirt completely.

“Miss White Bun, take a good look.”

He pointed to his upper body, which was covered in bruises and old wounds, including puncture scars from a spike.

Yun Rou’s eyes grew wide in shock.

“You… what is the meaning of this?”

She couldn’t understand.

How could a noble prince of an imperial lineage end up this battered?

Wei Ran sighed. “You don’t know the truth. I’m not the real Prince Min’s Heir. I’m just a substitute he found from the common folk.”

“The real heir is still in Yanliang, doing all those horrible things you heard about.”

Yun Rou’s lips parted slightly in astonishment.

Wei Ran’s expression turned grim, and he delivered a performance worthy of an award.

“That scoundrel Wei Wuji—I want to tear him apart with my own hands.”

“He used threats against my family to force me into coming to the capital as his son’s stand-in.”

“His subordinates beat and abused me whenever they pleased. All these wounds are their doing.”

“Not a single day has passed when I didn’t dream of slaughtering the entire Wei clan.”

“So you see, you tried to kill the wrong man.”

Yun Rou was too stunned to speak. Guilt slowly welled up in her eyes.

If she had truly killed this poor substitute, and later learned the truth, her moral foundation would have crumbled.

“Is… is everything you just said true?”

Wei Ran nodded. “Of course it’s true.”

“Otherwise, do you really think anyone would dare scar the real heir like this?”

“And when you attacked me last night, the head of my guards ran away first thing. Have you ever seen a bodyguard abandon his master to flee alone?”

Yun Rou recalled the events from the night before and felt nearly convinced.

The only reason she still had doubts… was because she was still tied up.

She lifted her arms from beneath the fur cloak and asked with a puzzled look, “Then why tie me up?”

Wei Ran spread his hands helplessly. “Miss White Bun, I’m just a powerless man.”

“You, on the other hand, are a martial expert. If you woke up and saw me next to you, wouldn’t you kill me on the spot?”

Yun Rou pursed her lips and looked slightly softer. “Now that the misunderstanding is cleared… can you untie me?”

“Right, right—my apologies, Miss White Bun. I’ll do it right away.”

Wei Ran moved forward and began untying the ropes.

Yun Rou glanced at his focused and handsome face. Remembering how she had snuggled into him for warmth, her cheeks flushed.

“My name is Yun Rou, the head of Baiyun Daoist Temple. I am not Miss White Bun.”

She paused and then asked, “By the way, why do you keep calling me that?”

Wei Ran smiled. “Your skin is white as snow—reminds me of the big steamed buns I used to eat as a child. I just couldn’t help it.”

Yun Rou chuckled gently, not suspecting anything.

“My name is Yun Rou, styled Yunqing. You may call me Daoist Yunqing.”

“Or Yun Rou is fine too. Just not ‘Miss White Bun’—that name sounds strange.”

Just then—

BANG BANG BANG!

Someone slammed the door violently outside, accompanied by cold and impatient voices.

“Open up!”

“Xuanjia Guards—open the door!”

Wei Ran and Yun Rou’s expressions changed at the same time.

They both knew exactly what the guards were here to investigate.