Hearing the sound of twigs break, Lin Ning got up from her seat and grew frightened to see that the stalker was probably making their move. “Who is there?!” She shouted out with fear, backing up as she nearly fell back. Feeling someone grab her hand, she opened her eyes behind her blindfold as she saw the white color once before she had shut her eyes again from the stinging pain. ‘Ugh, the white color just hurts my eyes every time.’ Shutting her eyes quickly, she opened back to see a pink color with the emotion of caring and concern for her that floated in the air. “Brother Wei???” She asked. Being balanced back on her feet, he had released her hand as she turned to face him. “Your Brother Wei, right?”

“En.” Hearing that voice, she started to cry which started to soak her blindfold as Cao Peizhi (Wei) did not know if she twisted her ankle or something while he tried to catch her earlier. “Are you hurt???” He asked, looking at her feet and then back up to her. Holding himself back from touching her, Lin Ning shook her head and faced him.

“I’m glad that you are here. I’ve been feeling like ever since the birthday of the Empress Dowager had passed, it feels likes someone has been following me around.” Sniffling, Lin Ning was feeling more and more afraid of her home more than anything else. “I feel like my home is not safe. They say that your home is where it is supposed to be safe, but I don’t feel that.”

“Do you know who it may be?” Cao Peizhi asked, seeing how frightened Lin Ning looked since she did not seem like a lady who would attract much attention. Shaking her head, she did not know who wanted to come after her, but it made her grow afraid every single day with sleepless nights. Cao Peizhi felt his chest ache, seeing how Lin Ning was possibly being followed which made him think about the princess who had ruined the other ladies images. “Why don’t you rest for now?” Lin Ning grabbed onto the cloak of his cloak hanfu, seeing how she refused to go anywhere alone.

“Please, don’t leave me alone.” Lin Ning was begging him to not leave her alone. ‘All of this has done enough stress on me.’ Feeling herself wish that she was not afraid, but the continuation of the intruders coming had made her slowly break.

Cao Peizhi knew that it was not appropriate for both man and woman to be alone, but he did not wish to leave Lin Ning alone either. “Where is your room?” He asked, hoping that she would continue to hold his cloak hanfu like this and lead the way. Lin Ning did just that, entering into her bedroom as she laid in the bed while pulling the blankets over her.

“You are not going to leave until I fall asleep, right?” Lin Ning asked, hoping that he would never leave.

“Do not worry about when I will leave. Just rest for now.” Untying the blindfold single-handedly, he could see that she would be a beauty in front of others if she did not have the blindfold on. Seeing her long eyelashes, her moonlight skin, and cherry lips made him gulp to see how much it made him nervous. Lin Ning was still too afraid to even sense or notice his change of emotion which she started to slowly fall asleep while holding his cloak hanfu. Once Cao Peizhi knew that she had fallen asleep, he took out a similar whistle like the one he had given Lin Ning. Blowing onto it, there was no noise that came out, but only his shadow guards and him could hear it.

“What do you wish for us to do, master?”

Three figures appeared out in black, kneeling as they did not know what their master wished for them to do. Two figures being men while one was a woman. Looking at the three shadow guards of his, he lightly placed Lin Ning’s blindfold beside her pillow. “I want you three to protect this woman.” The three looked down to see that it was the famous cripple woman who had played the zither well on Empress Dowager’s birthday. “Both of you will become her guards while you will be her maid.” Telling the three of them, he wanted Lin Ning to feel safe no matter what. Obeying to his order they were going to work in the Lin Household, looking back down to Lin Ning as he saw how fragile she looked in the moonlight. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Pushing the few strands of hair behind her ear, he did not know why this woman made him so afraid.

*Bark Bark Bark*

They all heard the sound of Lin Ning’s hounds barking while growling as they knew that someone must have trespassed onto the Lin Manor. Signaling them all to check on the noise, they obeyed as he remained near Lin Ning’s side.

***

“How could this have happened to me?!?!” The princess was yelling out from her bedroom, all the maids and servants did not know what to do since her innocence had been tarnished. By now, the princess had been throwing her tantrum all over the place which meant that she could go even as far as killing the maids.

“The second prince is here.” Hearing that her older brother was there, she stopped and started to cry as she hated how everything was going.

“Second brother! You must find justice for me!” The princess was begging her older brother to find the person who had planned everything. Knowing fully well that she did not try to pull her trick against herself.

“Don’t worry. Second Brother will make sure to find the one who did this to you. Mother and father are also looking into it.” The second prince knew that his little sister’s reputation had been tarnished by one of the guards. He treasured his little sister, so he would usually allow them to do as they pleased. Not only that, but they were from the same father and mother. Being much closer than their older brother who was the crown prince.

***

“Ning’er! Ning’er!” Hearing her mother call her, she grabbed onto her blindfold which was placed beside her bed side. Opening her eyes to see that there was no color or emotions around, she figured that Cao Peizhi had already left. Getting ready, she went on to see what her mother and father may have brought with them. ‘They are finally back. I’m glad that he left before they came back.’ Wondering why she would want Cao Peizhi to stay by her side when she did not know when her parents were going to be home.