Upon hearing this, the pain and suffocation in my neck instantly disappeared.

The man withdrew his hand.

"Cough cough cough..."

Gu Jiangli bent down, trying to breathe in the fresh air.

Dizziness followed, but her perseverance prevented her from collapsing.

"Marry me? You were betrayed by your family, which has driven you insane?"

"No, that's not it..." Gu Jiangli said, catching her breath, before straightening her back.

She met the man's gaze directly and said:

"The general harbored resentment towards his stepmother, hatred towards his father, and unspeakable blame towards the elders in his family."

"So you are never satisfied with any of the marriages they arrange."

"Why not marry me and let me, a spy from the Southern Kingdom, avenge you?"

"You took me back to the general's mansion, and the two of us pretended to be deeply in love."

"When the general's family saw that you would rather be in love with a spy of unknown origin than look down on the women from various noble families they had found for you."

"I guarantee your entire family will be furious."

"It can also allow your father to experience what you felt when you were young."

"After all, like you, he made a concubine of humble origins his mistress."

"You're just copying what others are doing."

"He will definitely regret setting such a terrible example for you back then."

"Isn't this incredibly gratifying?"

The man gradually frowned, and the ruthlessness in his eyes slowly turned into exploration.

He stepped forward, and the terrifying pressure descended upon Gu Jiangli once again, but she did not retreat an inch.

The man asked in a deep voice:

"Do you know that marrying a spy will ruin the reputation of my Xie family?"

Gu Jiangli smiled brightly, "Does the general still care about the Xie family's reputation?"