Chapter 1: Capturing the Unattainable Dragon Proud Heaven

Chapter 1: Conquering the Aloof Dragon Proud Heaven

"My husband, I secretly asked my younger brother to find a miracle cure for you. Once you drink it, it will surely restore your body to its former state."

By the sickbed, a young man with gentle, beautiful features seemed to have starlight shimmering in his eyes. In his slender, fair hand, he held a bowl of dark, bitter medicinal brew.

Even from a distance, a strong bitterness wafted through the air. Yet the young man holding the bowl didn't seem to mind the smell; instead, he brought it to his lips, blew on it to cool it down, took a small sip, and smiled. "Husband, it's cooled down now."

Shen Lian held the spoon to the lips of the man in bed, his eyes full of hope.

The man seated on the bed was named Yan Huaixuan. Even half-reclining, his tall, imposing frame was unmistakable.

His features were cold and striking, like an immortal, with deep, unfeeling eyes.

Though sickly and surrounded by clutter and cobwebs, the man still radiated an air of natural nobility.

It was easy to forget he was the Deposed Crown Prince.

Facing the medicine Shen Lian held to his lips, Yan Huaixuan didn't react at all.

Shen Lian pretended not to notice the man's coldness and kept holding the bowl up.

But Shen Lian wasn't in great health himself, and soon his hand started to tremble a little.

Even so, Shen Lian gritted his teeth and held on. Biting his lip, he whispered, "Husband?"

Yan Huaixuan's gaze finally shifted to Shen Lian's hand, where his once snow-white fingertips had been scalded pink.

Shen Lian frowned slightly but quickly hid it, offering Yan Huaixuan a coaxing smile.

Why was he trying so hard to please him?

He was just a deposed prince now, with half the palace laughing at him.

Yan Huaixuan spoke coldly, "Why go through all this trouble? I have zero chance of ever making a comeback."

"Though you married me, we've never even shared a bed, and from what I hear, you were forced into this engagement too."

"Why stay in this cold, run-down palace, waiting on a useless man like me?"

Shen Lian's eyes went wide, then turned red with tears. "That's not it at all."

He set the bowl down and said quickly, "Husband, don't put yourself down."

Shen Lian bit his lip and spoke softly, "Yes, it's true my older sister was supposed to marry you, but my parents sent me in her place. But I truly care about you, husband. Even if you never get back on your feet, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."

He lifted the bowl again, his pretty, tearful eyes locked on Yan Huaixuan. "Husband, spouses are supposed to stick together through thick and thin, in good times and bad. If you won't drink, then starting today, A Lian will go on a hunger strike too."

Yan Huaixuan looked at Shen Lian's face, seeing the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, his lips pressed together, staring back at him with stubborn determination.

After a long pause, Yan Huaixuan lowered his eyes and parted his lips to drink the medicine.

Joy immediately flickered in Shen Lian's eyes, and he carefully fed him a few more spoonfuls.

Seeing that Yan Huaixuan had drunk it all, Shen Lian's smile grew even wider.

After putting the bowl down, Shen Lian pulled a nicely wrapped pastry from his pocket and brought it to Yan Huaixuan's lips. "Your Highness, the medicine's too bitter. This'll help get the taste out."

Yan Huaixuan's thin lips barely moved. "Take it away. And I'm a deposed prince now—watch how you address me."

Shen Lian shook his head, his gaze full of tenderness. "But in my heart, you'll always be the Crown Prince, second only to the emperor."

His eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll never forget how majestic you looked coming back from battle—people lined the streets all the way past the city walls!"

Yan Huaixuan didn't say anything.

Shen Lian was used to it. He'd been here for half a month, and at first, Yan Huaixuan acted like he didn't exist.

He'd kept trying to win him over for so long, and only yesterday did Yan Huaixuan finally say a single word to him.

And Shen Lian knew how to seize an opportunity. Seeing that Yan Huaixuan had finally softened, he pressed his advantage.

Before, he'd only leave the medicine by the table. Today, he dared to feed it to him himself.

"Your Highness, try a bite," Shen Lian said, holding the pastry up higher and leaning in a little from where he sat on the bed.

His thin robes hung loosely, showing off his slim frame, with the pale skin of his collarbone peeking out from the neckline.

Below that was a waist you could wrap one hand around, but it flared out at the hips, with full, plump thighs nearly brushing against Yan Huaixuan's hand resting by the bed.

Yan Huaixuan frowned slightly, seeing that Shen Lian had no intention of backing off.

He finally parted his lips and took a small bite. It was sweet, tasting of osmanthus.

So that's why Shen Lian smelled like osmanthus when he came in.

"Enough," Yan Huaixuan said. He didn't care for sweets. After one bite, he was ready to close his eyes.

But to his surprise, Shen Lian popped the other half into his own mouth, took a small bite, and smiled brightly at him. "It's really sweet. Don't you think so, husband?"

Yan Huaixuan paused, said nothing, and just closed his eyes.

Shen Lian watched the man as he rested with his eyes closed.

"No wonder he's called Dragon Proud Heaven—even down on his luck, he's still got that commanding presence."

A voice in Shen Lian's head snorted, full of disdain. "Focus on your mission—seduce him, steal his chances, and don't let him get anywhere near the cultivation world. Finish the mission, and you can go back to your world."

Shen Lian laughed softly. "Got it."

"Then get to work, and do it right."

The system didn't think much of Shen Lian. In his past life, he was nothing but a pretty-faced, brainless actor, like he was born just to seduce men.

But that was exactly why it had brought Shen Lian here—to conquer Yan Huaixuan.

For now, Yan Huaixuan was just a deposed prince, framed by others in the mortal world, but soon, he'd meet someone who would help him unlock his path to cultivation.

Once the time was right, he'd rise like a dragon, ascend to the upper realm, and begin his path as the supreme cultivator of the Heartless Dao.

And Shen Lian was Yan Huaixuan's husband. Originally, Shen Lian's older sister was supposed to marry Yan Huaixuan, but since Yan Huaixuan had no real backing and only had the advantage of being the eldest prince, the Shen family sent Shen Lian instead.

Sure enough, not long after the engagement, Yan Huaixuan was stripped of his title and thrown into the cold palace.

The original Shen Lian had been dragged along with him.

But unable to stand the loneliness and misery, he'd gone around seducing people outside, stealing Yan Huaixuan's things to sell, and in the end, Yan Huaixuan ascended and ran him through with a single sword strike.

Shen Lian woke up in this world on the very day of the wedding. The neglected palace was barely decorated, and in his past life, the original owner had feigned ignorance and skipped the wedding, but this time, the system forced him to drown.

Coincidentally, Shen Lian and the original owner shared the same name and even had identical faces.

And so Shen Lian went through a wedding ceremony with Yan Huaixuan, though even going through the motions, Yan Huaixuan remained extremely cold and distant.

He did not speak a single word from start to finish, as remote and otherworldly as a deity.

Now, all Shen Lian had to do was seduce Yan Huaixuan, prevent him from stumbling upon any lucky breaks, and let him wither away in this cold palace for the rest of his life.

But the system failed to notice the fleeting cold glint in Shen Lian's eyes.

How could Shen Lian be unaware of the system's contempt? He brushed his fingers over his lips, a slight curve forming at the corners, as if he knew nothing at all.

He had zero intention of going back.

Shen Lian's gaze fell upon Yan Huaixuan. He wanted—to cultivate immortality.