Qin Jinshen walked a few steps to Ling Huanwu and reached out to grab her wrist. "Since you're not willing to stay, then I'll have no choice but to..."

Ling Huanwu's heart tightened, but her expression suddenly softened. She raised her hand and gently pressed his arm, her voice gentle and soothing, "Don't rush, I'm just... not used to it yet. Why don't you go take a shower first, okay?"

There was a hint of feigned timidity in her eyes, and the warmth of her fingertips gently touched his arm.

Qin Jinshen paused, his mind hazy with drunkenness, and was actually dazed by this rare tenderness.

He stared at her for a few seconds, then finally let go, his Adam's apple bobbing as he uttered three words, "Wait for me."

The footsteps disappeared in the direction of the bathroom. Ling Huanwu instantly concealed all her emotions, quickly got up, and rushed to the door.

While he was drinking, she had already figured out that the key was in his pocket.

In the brief moment of their struggle, she secretly obtained the key.

Clutching the cold keychain in her fingers, her heart pounded. After opening the door, she ran downstairs. With the front door right in front of her, she rushed forward.

But just as he tried inserting the key into the lock, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him, accompanied by Qin Jin's angry roar, which reeked of alcohol: "Ling Huanwu, how dare you run away!"

Ling Huanwu froze, and when she turned around, she saw Qin Jinshen rushing over with two of his men, their scarlet eyes fixed on her as if they wanted to devour her alive.

With no way out, she grabbed a celadon potted plant from the doorway and smashed it hard on the stone steps.

Amidst the shards scattering, she gripped the sharpest piece, pressing the edge of the porcelain shard against her throat, her voice trembling yet resolute, "Get out of my way! Or I'll die right here in front of you!"

"Are you crazy? You're really crazy!"

Qin Jinshen stopped in his tracks, his chest heaving violently, his eyes surging with anger and pain.

He took a step forward, and Ling Huanwu pressed the porcelain shard even tighter, fine beads of blood already seeping from her neck.

Qin Jinshen's eyes suddenly reddened, his voice abruptly hoarse, filled with a tearful accusation, "What's so good about him? Zhou Jiuzhen abandoned you and ran away! Why do you insist on going back to him? I can give you even more than he could!"

Ling Huanwu bit her lip and remained silent, only clenching the porcelain shard tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.

Just as Qin Jinshen was about to compromise, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he roared at his men, "Bring the man up here!"

The sound of dragging came from the stairwell. When Zhao Jingxiang was pushed out with his hands tied behind his back, Ling Huanwu's pupils shrank.

She never imagined that Qin Jinshen would not even spare Zhao Jingxiang and would bring him here as well.

Qin Jinshen stepped forward, pressing the cold dagger against Zhao Jingxiang's neck, his voice filled with ruthlessness, "Put down the porcelain shards. If you dare to die, I'll make him pay for your life first!"

Zhao Jingxiang struggled and roared. Ling Huanwu looked at the red marks on his neck where the dagger had pressed, and then looked down at the porcelain shard on her own throat.

Blood droplets from the edge of the shattered porcelain dripped onto the floor, spreading a small patch of scarlet.

Finally, she closed her eyes, slowly released her hand, and the porcelain shard fell to the ground with a clang.

The ruthlessness in Qin Jinshen's eyes softened slightly, but it still carried a burning anger of resentment. He personally took Ling Huanwu's distraught state back into the house and carried her inside.

As he carried Ling Huanwu through the door, his steps were almost imperceptibly hurried.

The moment the wooden door creaked shut, he carefully placed her on the bed covered with mattresses. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her loose hair, and his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Qin Jinshen had originally carried her in angrily, intending to throw her back onto the bed.

He was angry that she always thought about running away.

I'm angry that she never pays attention to me.

But at this moment, the light fell on her face, blurring her delicate features.

Her eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, and even the reddened corners of her eyes revealed a fragile beauty.

He forgot the harsh words he was about to say, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and his gaze gradually became fixed.

Ling Huanwu felt her body stiffen under his burning gaze, and despair grew wildly in her heart.

Seeing Qin Jinshen's dazed and infatuated expression, she simply closed her eyes.

Under Qin Jinshen's infatuated gaze, her slender white fingertips trembled as she reached for the buttons on her collar, one, two, revealing her delicate neck.

She didn't move again, but maintained a submissive posture, like an object waiting to be disposed of.

This breathtaking appearance finally shattered Qin Jinshen's last shred of reason.

He reached out to touch Ling Huanwu's shoulder, but stopped the moment he touched her cool skin, his gaze slowly moving upwards.

The woman on the bed did not react at all; even her breathing was numb, and her beautiful eyes were filled with only death.

When he looked up at her, she closed her eyes as if in disgust, and a tear slowly slid down her cheek.

"What...what are you doing?"

Qin Jinshen's voice suddenly tightened, and the previous heat instantly faded, leaving only panic.

He abruptly withdrew his hand, staggered back two steps, and stared at Ling Huanwu's expressionless face. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by something, both suffocating and painful.

"That's not what I wanted!"

He suddenly growled, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

From beginning to end, all he wanted was for her to stay by his side, and for her to see his true feelings. But how did he manage to drive her to the point of self-destruction?

Despair washed over me like a bucket of cold water.

Qin Jinshen looked at Ling Huanwu, who was still maintaining her open collar posture, her eyes were frighteningly empty, and a suppressed groan escaped from her throat.

Finally, he couldn't stay any longer, so he turned around abruptly and practically fled the house.

The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang, but it failed to stir even the slightest ripple in Ling Huanwu's lifeless heart.

*

As darkness fell, heavy dark clouds pressed down overhead, as if they were about to pour down at any moment.

Song Yaoyao dragged her heavy steps, and after a long and tiring journey alone, she finally arrived at the mountain camp.

The aunt next door was feeding the triplets in the open space outside, and the three children stood obediently to the side.

Upon seeing Song Yaoyao return, the triplets immediately surrounded her, their innocent faces beaming with joy. They asked in their childish voices, "Mommy, where's Daddy?"

Song Yaoyao forced a smile, thanked her aunt, and then led the children into the slightly dilapidated tent that had been given to them.

The tent was dark and quiet. Looking at the three children, Song Yaoyao felt a lump in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that they had lost their father.

When the children saw their mother crying, they panicked as well. The little one clung tightly to her leg, babbling in his baby voice as if asking, "Mommy, what's wrong?"

Song Yaoyao knelt down, hugged the three children into her arms, and wept uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, on the mountain road, Zhou Jiuzhen and Political Commissar Hao were still patiently persuading the villagers who wanted to come down the mountain.

"Listen to me, everyone! The power of this storm surge is beyond our imagination, and the way down the mountain is dangerous. It's too risky to go now!"

Zhou Jiuzhen's voice was a little hoarse, but still loud.