Revenge of the Phoenix Beauty-Chapter 49: Abandoned

Zhao Lianyi curled up in the dark, damp prison cell, her body trembling from cold and fear. It had been three weeks...three agonizing weeks, since she had been dragged here, stripped of all dignity, locked away like a criminal.

And in all that time, the Second Prince hadn't come.

Her once smooth and delicate skin had become rough with grime, her once pristine silk robes now tattered and filthy. Her hair, once the envy of noble ladies, was disheveled and lifeless. The scent of damp stone and rot clung to her, suffocating her.

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She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. No... he will come. He has to come. He wouldn't abandon me.

Yet, as days passed without a word, dread settled deep in her bones.

Then...finally one night, footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Zhao Lianyi jolted up, her weak body trembling with anticipation. As the figure stepped into the dim torchlight, her heart leaped.

"Wei Cheng!" she gasped, staggering forward, her hands clutching the rusted iron bars. "Finally! You... haha... you came!"

Tears spilled down her hollow cheeks, relief washing over her in waves. She reached out desperately through the bars, her hands shaking.

"Take me with you! It's terrifying here!" she pleaded, her voice breaking. "I'll do anything...just get me out of here!"

But the man before her remained unmoved.

His golden robes, though partially concealed beneath a dark cloak, still carried the faint scent of sandalwood, a stark contrast to the filth of the prison. His face, usually expressive, was now completely unreadable. His dark eyes bore into her, cold and emotionless.

Something in her chest twisted painfully.

Why isn't he saying anything?

Why isn't he reassuring her?

Her breath hitched, and for the first time, true fear gripped her.

"You... you're not going to abandon me now, are you?" she whispered, searching his face desperately.

The silence stretched, suffocating her.

Then, finally, his lips parted.

"I will get you out of here," Wei Cheng said, his voice eerily calm. "But you will no longer carry the Zhao name. You will live in the outskirts of the empire, away from everything you once had."

The words struck her like a dagger to the heart.

Her entire body froze.

"No," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're lying."

He remained still.

Her breathing turned ragged, and then...something inside her snapped.

"You bastard!" she shrieked, slamming her fists against the iron bars. "I did everything for you! How dare you throw me away like this?!"

Her wild eyes burned with desperation as she clawed at the bars.

"My family sacrificed everything for you!" she screamed, her voice filled with hysteria. "We conspired with the Jin Empire because you were useless! Because you knew nothing! Martial arts, politics...you knew nothing!"

Wei Cheng's gaze darkened.

"You were a pawn from the start," he said, his tone void of emotion. "Nothing more."

Then, without another glance, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Zhao Lianyi's breath caught in her throat as her hands slipped from the bars, her legs collapsing beneath her.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head furiously. "No, no, no! You promised me!"

Tears streamed down her dirt-streaked face as she screamed after him.

"You bastard! Stop right there! I can't live like this!"

Her voice echoed down the stone corridor, fading into the cold silence.