The carriage traveled for seven days, passing through several cities, and when it arrived in Xianyang, it went directly to the largest dock in the entire southwest to board a warship and head north.

At dawn, the heavy rain finally stopped, and mist swirled across the river. Sunlight pierced through the green mountains on both banks, illuminating the majestic city of Jiankang.

Xie Rongyue disembarked and was taken back to the villa in the west of the city.

She had been to this house before; it was a villa belonging to Wang Hezhan. It was built in a magnificent style, with pavilions, towers, flying eaves, brackets, small bridges, flowers and trees, and clear ponds and waterside pavilions winding across the entire villa.

The anxiety she had been carrying all the way suddenly subsided, and a complex array of emotions flashed across her eyes as her thoughts drifted away.

A maid led her into the inner courtyard. After arriving at the main courtyard, she was served a bath and incense, and then changed into a soft, smoky purple dress.

The weather was cool and the wind was strong. The huge mansion was surrounded by guards, and the ground was covered with blooming yellow flowers.

Xie Rongyue stepped out of the house and looked at the familiar courtyard. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the dusty years, and all the glorious past events surged forth like raging lava, gradually blurring her vision.

The maid following behind her glanced at her and interrupted her thoughts, "Miss, you must be tired from your journey. Please come inside and have a meal."

She snapped out of her reverie and asked in a clear voice, "Where is the general?"

"The general is in Yandu and will come to see the young lady in a couple of days."

Jiankang has a mild climate. In March, when spring arrives, the grass grows and the birds fly. The peach blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom, and the light golden sunlight pours down from the branches and into the spring lake, casting dappled light and shadow.

Xie Rongyue has been living in this villa for more than half a month now, and she goes to the competition venue whenever she has free time.

When Wang Hezhan arrived, he saw her standing outside the arena wearing a light blue dress. The soft gauze skirt hung down in layers, and her soft-soled embroidered shoes, inlaid with pearls, stepped on the grass. The soft silk shoes were wet with dew, and the wind blew her hem like a fluttering butterfly.

He frowned, strode over, grabbed her by the waist, and scooped her up in his arms. "Wearing embroidered shoes to the competition?"

Xie Rongyue was slightly startled. She glanced sideways and saw it was him. Her face was cold as she said, "Put me down."

Dissatisfied with her coldness, Wang Hezhan snatched the spirited horse beside him, lifted her onto it, and with a shout, the horse reared up and neighed, leaping over the railing and galloping away like an arrow released from a bow.

She was startled and instinctively grabbed his arms, crying out, "Too fast! Slow down, it hurts!"

The howling wind raged and danced wildly, stinging my delicate face like a knife.

Wang Hezhan looked down at her slightly parted pink lips, his eyes darkened, and he picked her up, turned her over, and leaned down to kiss her deeply.

The horse galloped swiftly across the grassland. She stared wide-eyed at him, trying to push him away with all her might, but he held her tightly by the back of her neck.

He hadn't touched her in so long that a mere kiss was no longer enough for him; his eyes were bloodshot.

The wind howled past her ears, and Xie Rongyue's eyes turned bloodshot with anger. She realized his movement, her body stiffened, and she punched him.

"Wang Hezhan!"

The coquettish shout did not quell his rising desire, and he could not help but whisper, "There's no one here."

"---"

Her face flushed, she bit her lower lip hard, and pushed him away desperately, "Why did you kidnap me?"

Wang Hezhan paused, put his arm around her waist, kissed her small nose, and said gently, "No one will dare to touch you when I'm by your side."

Upon hearing this, Xie Rongyue suddenly recalled those rumors and looked at him, saying, "The general is really capricious, doing whatever he wants without ever considering other people's feelings."

Why should he get whatever he wants, marry whomever he pleases, and divorce whomever he pleases? What does he take them for?

Hearing her unreadable voice, Wang Hezhan lowered his eyes and said gently, "Yue'er, don't be like this, I miss you so much."

Xie Rongyue ignored him and said directly, "My family will worry if they find out. Please, I'm begging you, let me go back."

"Let you go back?" His eyes were dark as he kissed her cheek softly, his voice a mix of joy and anger. "Madam Xie has already spoken to your grandfather, and she wants you to stay at the Xie family's ancestral home in Chen County."

What?

Xie Rongyue turned her head, her voice sweet and indignant, "What right do you have to make decisions for me?"

Wang Hezhan's expression turned cold. "You are one of my people."

"you---"

Seeing her expression, he grabbed her chin and said in a deep voice, "I will forgive you for faking your death. You'd better stay by my side and don't even think about running away."

Xie Rongyue was so angered by his behavior that she punched him in the chest, her eyelashes brimming with tears, and she cried out.

"I don't love you anymore, I don't love you anymore, do you hear me? Even if we get a divorce, I still don't want you."

Before he could finish speaking, he angrily cursed and said, "Whoever you love, that person has to die."

She choked, and before she could speak, he opened his mouth and bit her down, angrily slapping her several times.

Xie Rongyue was annoyed and struggled wildly to escape, but he held her tightly and kissed her wantonly.

The sun shone brightly, a long wind blew, and the entire field was covered with lush grass and dense forests. The horses galloped swiftly, startling insects, butterflies, and phoenixes.

White geese swooped down from the gaps in the bare branches of the sky, fluttering and landing in the grass. Hearing the girl's scream as she craned her neck, they were startled and quickly flew up to a high branch, flapping their wings and flying away.

Wang Hezhan was so excited that he grabbed her waist.

Xie Rongyue's cheeks flushed crimson. She bit her lower lip tightly, tears welling in her eyes with shame and indignation. She sobbed softly as she cursed him, "You beast."

"Moon," he groaned softly, kissing her soft, white earlobe tenderly, as if in a dream, "Don't leave me, I really miss you so much, I only want you, I only want you---"

A strange emotion rose from the bottom of her heart, and she turned her face away, ignoring him.

They speak gently, but their actions are more ruthless than anyone else's.

Wang Hezhan kissed her soft lips, watching her tremble with desire and exude charm. He then held her tightly around the waist and whispered.

"Moon, marry me."

Xie Rongyue felt a slight tingling sensation run through her body, and her reddened eyes glowed with a rosy hue. She looked at him softly and asked a question in return.

"The general is powerful and influential. If you want me to be your concubine, I have to be your concubine. Now that you want to marry me, I have to marry you, right?"

"---"

He paused, suppressing his dark thoughts, and whispered, "Anyway, you're mine."

Xie Rongyue felt a sudden pang of sadness and said coldly, "I can't marry into a high-class family like yours. You should give up on that idea as soon as possible."

Wang Hezhan bit her lip, his tongue entwining with hers, and said, "You can only marry me."