Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 171 Thank you for teaching me how to use a knife

A cold wind blew by, lifting a strand of her hair.

Jiang Wan suddenly took his hand and said with a smile, "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

She led him through the bustling crowds to a quiet alleyway.

Every year on New Year's Day, the tallest tower on Hualing Street is closed.

But Ning Zhi had told her in her previous life that there was a hidden door here that was unattended.

She ran over to check, and sure enough, it was still there. With a gentle push, she saw the stairs.

The tower is openwork on all four sides, and the wind is so strong that it makes clothes flutter loudly.

The higher you go, the stronger the wind gets, but the scenery is also excellent.

Upon reaching the top floor, a few snowflakes had already begun to fall, and the lights of countless homes were spread out before my eyes.

Xiao Hengzhi asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

“This is the highest point, with the most beautiful scenery. I’d like to show it to Your Highness.” She said, glancing at the north entrance of Hualing Street.

Xiao Hengzhi turned his head and looked over. There was a large crowd of people, and the scene was very lively. Fireworks were also blooming in the distance.

He parted his lips slightly and said with emotion, "In the past, I could only see a corner of fireworks through a crack in the wall. I never thought that I could see the whole thing from here today."

Jiang Wan stood silently.

Seeing her expressionless face, Xiao Hengzhi asked, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

"No." Jiang Wan shook her head, quickly putting on a smile. "I'm just worried about the Prince."

"Feeling sorry for me?"

“Yes, when I was little, my mother would take me to the street to buy sugar figurines and candied hawthorns every New Year’s Day. We would bring home paper cutouts or rag dolls. Fireworks were just ordinary decorations. But the prince never experienced any of that. So what you just said is truly heartbreaking.”

These words were so gentle that they cracked a sliver of his defenses.

He stared at the snowflakes on her eyelashes, momentarily lost in thought.

"By the way, does Your Highness have any wishes?" she asked, looking up.

"wish?"

"Yes, wishes made on your birthday are very effective."

Xiao Hengzhi thought for a moment and teased, "My wish is, of course, for you to stay by my side. Is that possible?"

"Isn't this right here right now?" she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

“I’m talking about forever…” He took a step forward and pinned her against the railing.

The wind howled through the railings, whipping up the hems of their clothes, making them sway precariously high up.

Jiang Mian's body tensed for a moment.

Then she suddenly reached out and gently cupped his face in her hands.

"Of course, Your Highness is in charge today."

Her eyes reflected the distant lights, making her look charming and beautiful.

The wind grew stronger, and the snow fell thicker, dotting her hair with white specks.

Xiao Hengzhi chuckled softly, "You're never this obedient; you're always up to no good." He paused, "What trap is there today...?"

Jiang Mian blinked, tiny snowflakes falling from her eyelashes: "There's no trap. I just wanted to make Your Highness happy. After all, today is different."

"What's the difference?"

“Today is Your Highness’s birthday,” she answered matter-of-factly, cupping his face and gently squeezing it. “The most important thing is that Your Highness is happy, isn’t it?”

"So, does that mean today..." Xiao Hengzhi's voice deepened, "No matter what I say, you won't get angry?"

She nodded: "Of course."

Even though he knew she was just trying to make him happy, Xiao Hengzhi's heart softened at the touch of her fingertips.

He felt there were some things he should tell her.

Those despicable past experiences, and some unspeakable identities.

We shouldn't keep it from her anymore.

Jiang Wan sniffed.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and her nose turned red from the cold, but her eyes were fixed on him with utmost seriousness.

He took her hand and said, "You're so cold, let's go downstairs first."

"No, no!" Jiang Wan quickly grabbed him. "We haven't heard the New Year's bell yet."

"Waiting downstairs is the same."

"Downstairs won't work... there are too many people downstairs."

"So what if there are a lot of people?"

In the midst of this struggle—

"when--!"

The midnight bells rang out.

A spectacular display of golden fireworks exploded in the night sky, followed by countless streaks of light that ignited the night.

Jiang Wan suddenly leaned close to his face and whispered, "Happy birthday, Xiao Hengzhi."

Fireworks burst behind her, and she suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.

The kiss carried the coolness of snowflakes, yet was burning hot.

The string in Xiao Hengzhi's mind finally snapped amidst the swirling snow.

Jiang Mian breathed softly, her cheeks flushed red, whether from the cold or from the heat.

Xiao Hengzhi's heart was pounding. He pulled her close and deepened the kiss.

Fireworks exploded in the night sky, filling the air with the smell of gunpowder and snow. A faint sweetness lingered on his lips and tongue, which he savored, the taste gliding over his soft, smooth palate.

The person in his arms did not resist; in fact, she placed her hands on his chest.

He pulled her into his arms with some disbelief, wanting to meld her into his very being.

“Mianmian…” he whispered emotionally.

"Hmm..." she responded softly, her fingers quietly reaching into her sleeve.

In the intervals between the fireworks explosions.

Suddenly, a dull thud was heard as a sharp blade pierced through flesh.

A sharp pain exploded in my chest.

Xiao Hengzhi's body trembled violently, and he braced himself against the railing.

He looked down and saw a dagger stuck in his chest, the hilt bearing a pattern he recognized.

“You…” He looked up in disbelief.

Jiang Wan's face drained of color, her lips trembling: "Xiao Hengzhi, thank you for teaching me how to use a knife..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she gripped the knife handle with both hands, and with all her might, she shoved it in hard.

"Ugh—!" Xiao Hengzhi groaned and staggered to his knees.

The cold metal inside his body made him clearly feel the blade churning within him, grinding against his bones, and tearing through his flesh.

Warm blood gushed out, staining her trembling hands and the pure white snow beneath her feet.

"Why...why..." He stared at her intently, his knuckles so hard they felt like they could crush the railing, a sharp pain and something even more heart-wrenching exploded in his chest.

"Jiang Man...why today...?"

"You forced me to do this..." she screamed, tears mingling with snowmelt as they rolled down her cheeks, "...Xiao Hengzhi, you forced me to do this first!"

She gripped the blood-stained scabbard and retreated step by step.

He forced a broken smile, enduring the excruciating pain: "Then why didn't you just kill me that day at the Snow Lodge...?"