Thinking of how she had lost consciousness and collapsed alone on the cold, muddy ground, her expression suddenly turned sorrowful. There were four guards at the entrance of the Huo mansion, but the one who came to her rescue was not a member of the Huo family who had been on good terms with her before, but Qi, this "outsider." Overwhelmed with grief, she buried her head in the quilt, tears streaming down her face. She blamed herself for not being able to break this habit of always placing her hopes on people she shouldn't have.

"What's there to cry about? It's better not to be the young mistress of the Huo family." Qi was also indifferent and didn't know how to comfort people, let alone a heartbroken and crying woman. In his haste, he could only pat her thin shoulder lightly.

"Qi, do you know I was married into the Huo family? I'm not a widow whose husband died?" She excitedly grabbed his hand back, finally meeting someone who wasn't cooperating with Huo Jingsha's rehearsal.

Seeing her like this, he sighed, "Yes, there are many things you've forgotten, but I remember them all, so it's true that you were married to Huo Jingsha."

"So you know I'm not crazy, right?"

"Who said you're crazy? He's the one who's crazy. You think only I know your identity? Wrong! Actually, everyone in the city knows, but no one dares to openly stand up against Huo Jingsha." His eyebrows were furrowed in anger, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly. Huo Jingsha was the number one madman.

"Why? Qi, tell me, why are people willing to cooperate with him to such an extent? And why would he go to such lengths to tell such a colossal lie?" she asked in astonishment.

“Shu Yao, you should know best how powerful Huo Jingsha is in the capital. Everyone is forced into this situation. They're afraid that if they don't cooperate, they'll disappear without a trace. After all, with the strength of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, killing an ordinary citizen is a piece of cake. As for why... just assume that he really fell in love with that Yue Fang.” This was the only thing Qi Wei could tell her.

Shu Yao was a sensible person and could see that Qi was holding back, but since things had come to this point, there was no need for her to pry further, after all, her being kicked out of the Huo family was a foregone conclusion.

"You just said... you remember a lot of things I've forgotten. What have I forgotten?"

"You can say that. Actually, this isn't the first time Huo Jingsha has wronged you. Before, he brought back a woman named Luo Wenpei and insisted on taking her as a concubine, disregarding your feelings. She lived with you in the front yard, but it didn't last long. He quickly grew tired of her and abandoned her, cruelly turning her into a human pig and leaving her in the backyard. Later, you accidentally bumped into her and fainted from shock, which caused you to lose your memory and forget many things. So you don't need to be sad about leaving Huo Jingsha. A person like that... is better off without."

"What?" Shu Yao was shocked. "Before Yue Fang, he brought other women home? And... and he turned her into a human pig?"

"right!"

The "truth" I just told was partly true and partly false. That day, after Luo Wenpei and his accomplice murdered Shu Yao, one was killed by Luo Wenpei with his throat slit, while the other was taken back to the Huo residence by Yue Ping and Xu Chang. While the Taoist priest was setting up an altar and performing a ritual for Shu Yao, Huo Jingsha had the man dragged to the Zhaoyu prison on horseback, severed his limbs, gouged out his eyes and tongue, stuffed him into a large urn, and then transported him back to the Huo residence under cover of darkness, dumping him in a neglected wasteland in the backyard. It wasn't until Shu Yao began searching every corner of the residence for Xiao Bao that Huo Jingsha had Yue Ping deal with Luo Wenpei.

The cloth that Shu Yao found, which could prove Xiao Bao's existence, was secretly taken out by Chunlu and given to him to place in front of Shu Yao when he had the chance, so that she would be spared endless torment in pain.

The reason he embellished the story and told her a distorted "fact" was to make her suffer a short, sharp pain rather than prolong the suffering, to end this doomed relationship as soon as possible, and to stop having any expectations of Huo Jingsha.

Shu Yao suddenly found it hard to breathe, feeling as if she had fallen into an abyss. "So...so he betrayed me long ago, so Yuefang wasn't the first, and his cruel and bloodthirsty nature hasn't changed at all! Huo Jingsha, you big liar, you heartless and ungrateful bastard! You're not only ruthless, but also fickle, despicable, and manipulating people's feelings at will. I...I hate you!"

She felt a chill run down her spine and was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Alright, now that you know who he is, just stay away." Qi gently embraced her trembling body. "This medicine is to dispel the cold. Drink it first. If you don't sweat it out, I'm afraid you won't be able to get up tomorrow." He gently handed her the bowl of medicine.

Staring at the dark, murky medicine, she couldn't bring herself to drink it. It could heal her body, but not her heart. What good would drinking more bitter medicine do? How many more things had that man lied to her about? What else didn't she know? "Qi, did anyone from the Huo family see you helping me like this? What if Huo Jingsha targets you again?" she asked anxiously. Qi was now the organization's second-in-command, representing the entire assassin gang. She didn't want Huo Jingsha to be implicated because of saving her.

Qi casually blew on the medicine bowl, then said righteously, "Everyone in the city is afraid of retaliation from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but I am not. Don't forget that killing is also one of my strengths. Last time, Huo Jingsha came with ten thousand taels of gold to bribe me, which prevented a major conflict. But if we really fight, although it will be difficult for us to win a complete victory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will definitely not gain any advantage either. It all depends on whether the Emperor will allow him to use the royal soldiers to settle his own family's personal grudges. Therefore... you don't need to worry too much about me."

"No, I don't want you to confront him head-on. As the saying goes, bandits don't fight with officials. With Huo Jingsha's cunning, he wouldn't use personal matters as an excuse to wipe out the organization... I... I'll try to stay away from him from now on." Tears rolled down her cheeks again, accompanied by deep sorrow.

Suddenly, Qi Lingmin heard a strange sound coming from the courtyard—the sound of a dry branch being broken. Who could it be so late? And why was they acting so suspiciously, refusing to show themselves? A wicked smile crept onto his lips, and then, unexpectedly, he pulled Shu Yao even closer, whispering in her ear…

"Shu Yao, I think you should understand that I am not a righteous person, but... it's out of my feelings for you."