Chapter XII - His Blood on the Snow
The street smelled of iron and smoke.
Snow continued falling silently over the bodies scattered across the stone road while Prince Rui’s guards dragged wounded assassins into the shadows for interrogation.
Torchlight flickered violently against crimson-stained snow.
And through all the chaos—
Prince Rui remained standing before Shen Li like an unshakable wall.
Blood dripped steadily from his shoulder wound.
Yet he did not seem to notice.
His eyes stayed fixed entirely on her.
“Did they frighten you?”
The question lingered quietly between them.
Shen Li looked at him for one suspended second before answering honestly:
“I was more frightened when Your Highness was injured.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the surrounding guards suddenly became very interested in looking elsewhere.
Prince Rui stilled faintly.
The winter wind swept through the ruined street while snow melted slowly against the blood staining his sleeve.
Then, very softly—
too softly for anyone except her to hear—
he said:
“Good.”
Shen Li blinked slightly. “…Good?”
Prince Rui’s dark gaze remained on her face.
“If you still worried about yourself first,” he said calmly, “then this prince would wonder whether I failed to protect you properly.”
Her heartbeat stumbled unexpectedly.
How could someone say such shamelessly dangerous things with such a calm expression?
Before Shen Li could recover, Prince Rui suddenly swayed slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
But she noticed immediately.
So did the guards.
“Your Highness!”
One silver wolf guard stepped forward anxiously.
Prince Rui frowned faintly, clearly irritated by the reaction. “It’s nothing.”
Nothing?
Blood was practically soaking half his shoulder.
Shen Li stepped closer before thinking. “Sit down.”
Prince Rui looked at her.
Shen Li repeated more firmly:
“Your Highness is injured.”
For one dangerous second, the feared war prince and future princess consort simply stared at each other in the middle of the ruined snowy street.
Then—
to everyone’s complete shock—
Prince Rui obeyed.
The guards nearly looked spiritually shaken.
Their terrifying prince who ignored wounds like weather…
actually listened when Miss Shen spoke.
Shen Li quickly guided him toward the damaged carriage steps while Qingyu scrambled for clean cloth in panic.
The moment Shen Li touched his sleeve, Prince Rui’s expression changed subtly.
Pain.
Hidden carefully.
But real.
Her fingers paused.
“You’re hiding it.”
Prince Rui looked mildly unrepentant. “If I appeared injured, you would worry.”
The straightforward answer nearly destroyed her composure.
Qingyu silently turned away and pretended to reorganize medical supplies she definitely was not crying over emotionally.
Shen Li carefully pulled back the torn fabric around Prince Rui’s shoulder.
The wound was deep.
A narrow throwing blade had sliced across muscle dangerously close to the collarbone.
Blood stained his skin and dark robes alike.
The surrounding guards immediately lowered their heads respectfully.
Because suddenly—
the scene felt too intimate.
Shen Li tore clean cloth herself before pressing firmly against the wound.
Prince Rui did not react.
Not even slightly.
Which somehow bothered her more.
“Does Your Highness not feel pain?”
“Yes.”
“Then why act as though this is nothing?”
Prince Rui looked at her quietly.
Then answered in the same calm tone:
“Because you are safe.”
The words struck her harder than the sight of blood ever could.
Shen Li’s hands slowed faintly against the bandage.
For years, she had always been the person worrying for others first.
Always the one waiting. The one enduring. The one giving more.
Now someone sat before her bleeding into the snow while speaking as though her safety outweighed his own life naturally.
Dangerously naturally.
Prince Rui suddenly frowned slightly. “Your hands are cold.”
Before Shen Li realized his intention, he caught her fingers gently between his palms.
Warmth spread instantly through her skin.
The surrounding guards collectively stopped breathing.
Shen Li froze completely.
Prince Rui rubbed warmth back into her fingers with slow, steady movements as though this was perfectly reasonable behavior during the aftermath of an assassination attempt.
“You came outside without gloves again,” he murmured.
Her heartbeat became impossible to ignore.
Too close.
Far too close.
Torchlight reflected within Prince Rui’s dark eyes while snow settled quietly across his hair and shoulders.
For one suspended second—
the entire ruined street disappeared around them.
Then Qingyu coughed dramatically from behind.
Both finally moved apart slightly.
Though Prince Rui released her hand much slower than necessary.
—
The prince’s estate physician arrived moments later.
The elderly man took one look at the wound and immediately looked horrified.
“Your Highness was struck deeply!”
“It missed the bone.”
“That is not the point!”
Prince Rui looked deeply unconcerned.
Meanwhile Shen Li remained beside him while the physician cleaned the wound properly beneath torchlight.
Only then did she notice something else.
Scars.
Old scars.
Many of them.
Across his shoulder. Collarbone. Upper chest.
Some narrow from blades. Others jagged from arrows.
Evidence of years spent surviving battlefields.
Shen Li’s fingers tightened faintly around the bloodied cloth in her lap.
How many times had this man nearly died?
Prince Rui noticed her gaze immediately.
Without embarrassment. Without explanation.
He simply pulled the robe slightly closed again.
As though he disliked her seeing too much.
That tiny action strangely hurt her chest.
The physician continued muttering furiously while bandaging the wound. “His Highness truly treats himself worse than cavalry horses.”
One guard nodded solemnly. “That is true.”
Prince Rui looked unimpressed. “You speak too much.”
Shen Li nearly smiled despite herself.
Then suddenly—
one captured assassin screamed somewhere down the street.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Prince Rui’s expression became cold enough to freeze blood.
A silver wolf guard approached and knelt. “The survivor refuses to speak.”
Prince Rui stood immediately despite the physician’s outrage.
“Your Highness cannot move yet—”
“Bring him.”
The command ended all argument.
Moments later, a bloodied assassin was dragged forward through the snow.
The man looked barely conscious.
Until his gaze landed on Shen Li.
Then murderous hatred flashed across his face instantly.
Prince Rui noticed immediately.
And suddenly—
the entire street became terrifyingly silent.
Because the prince’s killing intent exploded without restraint for the first time that night.
Even the guards stiffened instinctively.
Prince Rui stepped between the assassin and Shen Li slowly.
His voice when he spoke was terrifyingly calm.
“Look at her again.”
“I dare you.”