Revenge of the Phoenix Beauty

The imperial court was abuzz with whispers long after the announcement. The dissolution of an engagement between a noblewoman and a prince was no small matter.

And yet, Hua Qingyan had achieved it effortlessly.

As she stepped out of the grand hall, the sunlight cast a golden hue over the palace grounds, but the warmth did nothing to soften her heart. Her first battle was won.

Now, the real war would begin.

---

A Silent Warning

As Qingyan walked toward her awaiting carriage, she felt a presence behind her.

She did not need to turn around to know who it was.

Wei Chen.

"Qingyan," he called out, his voice smooth yet carrying an unmistakable sharpness.

She stopped but did not turn. "Your Highness."

A soft chuckle. "Your words are colder than I remember."

Qingyan finally turned, her eyes meeting his brown ones. They were calculating, assessing.

"Am I?" she asked, her tone laced with feigned innocence. "I thought I had simply grown wiser."

Wei Chen smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You were always clever. But tell me, when did you become so ruthless?"

Her lips curled slightly. "When I learned what happens to people who are not."

For the first time, she saw a flicker of something in his gaze.

A hesitation.

Good.

She had made him wary of her.

"Be careful, Qingyan," he said at last, his voice dropping into something quieter, more dangerous. "You may think you've won, but this is just the beginning."

Qingyan's smile did not waver. She had no intention of losing.

She stepped closer, lowering her voice just enough for only him to hear.

"Then let us see who will fall first, Your Highness."

Without another word, she turned and stepped into her carriage, leaving Wei Chen standing there, his expression unreadable.

But she knew.

He was unsettled.

And that meant she had already won this round.

---

A Prince's Amusement

In the shadows of the palace corridors, another pair of eyes had witnessed the exchange.

Wei Heng leaned casually against a pillar, a smirk playing on his lips.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The once timid and soft Hua Qingyan had become something far more dangerous.

And far more fascinating.

His amusement deepened.

This was going to be fun.