"Stupid woman! Even if I really touched you, I would only treat you as her. Don't think that just because I publicly declare you to be Mrs. Huo, you really think you're my woman. In my eyes, you're not even as good as a prostitute, not even worth a single hair on Yao'er's head. No one can replace her, no one!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I was wrong, I... I just wanted to love you, I wanted to be loved by you, even if I was her substitute I would be willing, please, don't kill me!" Yuefang started to sob, feeling the tightness in his neck.

"I told you! You're not good enough for me! I could never accept you!" He interrupted her dismissively.

Seeing Yuefang's face turn pale, Xu Chang knew that if the man continued to hold her, she might really lose her life. If she died today, there would be one problem: dealing with the body tomorrow. If another woman were to be found to replace Yuefang, it would cause another uproar if the young mistress found out. So, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come over again to dissuade her, "Sir, please let go. If she dies, we'll have to find a replacement for Madam Huo. Wouldn't the young mistress be heartbroken if she found out?"

Huo Jingsha was taken aback after hearing this. After pondering for a moment, she let go and threw Yuefang to the ground beside her like a piece of dirt.

Yuefang lay on the ground coughing desperately, her hair smeared with blood that covered half her face, her clothes disheveled, and tears streaming down her face. She looked as wretched as could be.

"My lord, you and she will never have a future, cough cough... Why, why can't you give me a chance, cough cough cough..." she cried out passionately, not understanding why the lord was still so attached to Shu Yao even though she was no longer coming back.

She was quite pleased with herself when she was chosen to be a prop in his play, thinking that her good days had finally come and she would no longer have to live a lonely life in the backyard and would have a chance to get close to him. But apart from cooperating with him in the play, he never really looked at her.

She had also thought that if Shu Yao could really leave the Huo family, she would be willing to pretend for the rest of her life. Because of his cruelty towards the women in the backyard, she never dared to have any illusions about him. It wasn't until she saw with her own eyes how special he was to Shu Yao, how doting and tender he looked at her, that she realized that he could be so devoted to a woman, completely different from his indifference and coldness towards other women.

From then on... she had high hopes for him and a strong desire to truly become his woman and his wife.

"Why do you only love her? Isn't it normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines? Are all women really inferior to her?"

"Yes, no woman compares to her. She is unique in my heart. I only want her! Only her!"

Yuefang's face contorted in pain. "You can't have her anymore. She'll never belong to you in this life. Even if you love her, you should face the truth: she can never be your wife. Now... all she probably sees in your heart is hatred." She just couldn't stand how he treated Shuyao like his life depended on it. Even if he pounced on her and killed her the next moment, she would cruelly shatter his beautiful dream.

"All that's left is hatred? Yao'er hates me..." Huo Jingsha staggered backward in a daze, but fortunately Xu Chang caught him in time. His face was pale. Even though he knew this was the case, hearing the truth still made him feel unbearable pain and unable to accept it.

"Yuefang, shut up. Don't push your luck, or no one will be able to save you in a moment." Xu Chang stared fiercely at the woman lying on the ground, thinking that she was simply courting death. If she really provoked the adults to go crazy, crushing her would be as easy as crushing an ant.

"I'd rather die than not make things clear. I can't let the master remain so stubborn," she said defiantly, raising her chin. "We all know how deeply the master has hurt Shu Yao. How could anyone not hate someone treated like this? I dare say she absolutely hates you! Ah..." She was speaking her mind when, turning her head to look at Huo Jingsha's face, she was shocked to see blood seeping from the crack on his forehead, winding down and flowing across half of his face. Her stare made her recoil backward in shock.

"Xu Chang!" Huo Jingsha stared menacingly at Yue Fang, who was trembling on the ground.

"Your subordinate is here," Xu Chang said, clasping his hands in a fist salute, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

“This woman dared to wear Shu Yao’s clothes. Order your men to strip her naked, give her twenty lashes, then don’t give her any more clothes. Tie her directly to a pillar in the back corridor and pour water on her every hour. If she dares to scream, cut off a piece of her flesh until she dies.”

"Yes." Sigh... I told her to stop now, and look what happened. Before she loses her life, she'll lose face, all because of her quick wit. The temperature at night isn't enough to freeze someone to death, but if she's beaten until her skin is torn and then stripped naked and watered, she probably won't last more than a few days.

Yuefang screamed and crawled over in terror to grab Huo Jingsha's robe, but he kicked her in the chest with a crack, indicating her collarbone was broken. Yuefang then closed her eyes and collapsed unconscious.

If Shu Yao dares to say she hates him, he'll make her wish she were dead.

*** ***

"Young Madam." Chunlu arrived at Shuyao's temporary lodging place at the crack of dawn, followed by a carriage loaded with many things.

Shu Yao was startled when she heard the voice from the doorway. Wasn't Chunlu refusing to acknowledge that she was the young mistress of the Huo family? Why would she come to see her today? Could it be... that something had happened to Xiaobao? She immediately rushed outside and opened the courtyard gate. Sure enough, she saw Chunlu standing at the door, and to her even greater surprise, Chunlu was holding Xiaobao in her arms, the little guy she had been thinking about day and night.

She couldn't wait to reach out and, with tears streaming down her face, hugged the baby tightly. The little one was still sleeping soundly under the thin blanket, and even with his mother's excited embrace, he showed no signs of waking up.

"My little treasure, I've finally seen you!" Shu Yao cried tears of joy. She had been missing her precious baby terribly these past few days.

“Young Madam, it was Master who ordered me to return the young master to you.” Chunlu also wiped her eyes.

"He...he's willing to give my son back to me? Why? I begged him so much before and he wouldn't..." Why has he suddenly changed his mind? Shu Yao asked in astonishment.

“I think, sir, you’ve…you’ve come to terms with it.” Chunlu shook her head, looking unwilling to say more.

"Hmph! A sudden pang of conscience?" she couldn't help but taunt.

"Perhaps..." The master might also be feeling remorse for his actions, which is why he made this decision, to truly free the woman he loves from her suffering and allow her to seek her own happiness. But what happened last night, she simply cannot tell the young mistress; all the bitterness must be swallowed by the master himself.

"Did he... say anything else?" Shu Yao held the child and looked at Chunlu's awkward expression, sensing an unusual atmosphere.