Chapter 154 I Hate You

Are you still angry?

Shen Qingnian thought for a moment, then shook her head. What's the point of getting angry?

If Xie Yanzhi hadn't insisted on keeping her, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

When Hongyu saw that Shen Qingnian did not answer, she knew that she still resented the eldest young master.

Thinking of the eldest son's domineering attitude in protecting his aunt, she sighed slightly, stood up and said, "Are you hungry, Aunt? I'll bring you some food."

Shen Qingnian held Hongyu's hand and shook her head: "I'm not hungry. You stay here with me for a while."

Hongyu had never seen Shen Qingnian so vulnerable before.

After going through this, who wouldn't be afraid?

She sat down on the stool again.

Xie Yanzhi heard no more sounds outside the door, and Yuan Qing behind him clenched his fists.

Miss Qing, please don't say anything wrong again and upset the young master.

Xie Yanzhi dropped everything and rushed back today. After rescuing Shen Qingnian, he immediately went back to dealing with his other matters.

There has been new progress in the case of the bandits, and the Emperor has given him full authority to handle it.

Xie Min's wedding to Lu Yuanzhang was drawing ever closer, and time was running out for him. The search for a renowned physician for his second uncle was still inconclusive.

He felt a little irritated.

He thought he'd come to see if Shen Qingnian was awake, hoping to find some comfort in her presence.

But now, even if people know that he saved her, they are still touched.

He also harbored resentment towards Xiao Huaiyi.

He pushed open the door and saw Shen Qingnian leaning against the soft pillows at the head of the bed, with Hongyu doing needlework beside her.

Both of them had smiles on their faces. But as soon as they saw him come in, those slight smiles disappeared.

Shen Qingnian's eyes held a hint of something else; she didn't want to see him.

Xie Yanzhi's eyes were unfathomable.

Hongyu quickly stood up and carefully bowed respectfully: "Young Master."

Seeing that Shen Qingnian remained silent and motionless, he gave her a meaningful look.

Xie Yanzhi observed Hongyu's subtle actions, then stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for Shen Qingnian's reaction.

Shen Qingnian pulled her sleeve back and turned her head to the side.

Seeing this, Hongyu felt uneasy.

To avoid embarrassment, Yuan Qing beckoned to Hong Yu, signaling her to come out with him.

Miss Qing's actions have undoubtedly embarrassed the master; as servants, it's best for them to avoid her.

Hongyu hurried over: "Auntie, I'll go to the kitchen to get some food."

With that, he and Yuan Qing left the house together.

He glanced inside the room one last time, still feeling uneasy, before slowly closing the door.

Turning to Yuan Qing, he said, "Brother Yuan Qing, with Aunt acting like this, will the eldest young master treat Aunt...?"

She was somewhat afraid that her aunt's rudeness would anger the eldest son.

Yuan Qing shook his head: "I don't know."

He didn't know that sometimes the master would patiently coax Miss Qing, and sometimes he would forcefully and domineeringly punish her.

He glanced back at the house, hoping that Miss Qing would get through this safely.

"We just need to do our jobs well as servants; we have no right to interfere in our masters' affairs."

Hongyu nodded and headed towards the kitchen, while Yuanqing stood guard outside the house, gazing at the waning moon in the night, wondering how Ling'er's injuries were.

Xie Yanzhi saw that Shen Qingnian was turning her head away from him and didn't intend to pay attention to her.

He sympathized with her, acknowledging that she had suffered quite a fright that day and was understandably upset.

He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to support her shoulder.

But Shen Qingnian frowned and avoided his hand: "Don't touch me!"

Xie Yanzhi's expression darkened when he saw Shen Qingnian avoid him.

He has been traveling so far today, all for her.

She didn't say thank you at all, and even acted childish in front of him.

Xie Yanzhi forcefully grabbed her chin, his tone authoritative: "Come here!"

Shen Qingnian reached out and hit his hand, but he squeezed it even harder, and a tear slid down her cheek.

It was all because of him that she suffered these punishments and almost drowned.

Why did he act as if she owed him a huge favor simply because he saved her?

She simply doesn't want to deal with such a domineering and unreasonable person right now.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, which revealed her grievance, Xie Yanzhi loosened his grip slightly.

"It seems I've saved a thankless wretch?"

Shen Qingnian still wanted to turn her head away: "It's all because of you that they punished me!"

"You expect me to thank you for making me like this?!" she said, choking up.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanzhi not only didn't loosen his grip, but instead increased the pressure, his voice carrying a hint of coldness:

"If you didn't go to see other men, how would they have such a pretext to punish you!"

"It seems my Aunt Qing still doesn't know where she went wrong."

After saying that, he shoved her chin away, leaving her to cry under the covers.

Xie Yanzhi looked at her coldly; her intermittent sobs were getting on his nerves.

No one had ever been so presumptuous in front of him.

She was the first person who could be so unreasonable and argumentative in front of him.

He then heard Shen Qingnian say intermittently, "I never wanted to be your concubine."

"Who in this manor doesn't say that I seduced you?"

"Today, I was punished by the First Madam again with a method like drowning me in a pig cage. How can I ever face anyone again!"

"Everyone knows that only those who have affairs and are unfaithful to their wives can be punished in this way."

When did Shen Qingnian ever do these things?

She was forced into becoming a concubine by Xie Yanzhi. Didn't they know how unwilling and innocent she was?

However, the First Madam and the Old Madam arbitrarily used those methods of punishing concubines on her.

She shouldn't have to endure all this; it's all because of Xie Yanzhi!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so she simply blurted out what was on her mind.

Xie Yanzhi was angered by Shen Qingnian's words, and his expression became even more somber.

"Don't you want to be my concubine?"

Xie Yanzhi sneered again: "You're already mine, if you won't be my concubine, whose concubine do you want to be!"

It seems Shen Qingnian has lost her mind today, daring to speak to him like that.

She's already his, and he's given her a title, yet she's still restless.

Thinking of this, Xie Yanzhi grabbed Shen Qingnian's collar again, brought his face close to her ear, and said coldly, "I heard that you begged the old lady to let you leave the manor today."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingnian's long eyelashes trembled.

She had already spoken, and Xie Yanzhi knew what she truly wanted to say, so she was no longer so afraid.

"Yes, because I hate being your concubine, and I hate that you always use various means to force me!"

"I really hate you!"

As she spoke, she felt wronged and tears welled up in her eyes again. She covered herself with the blanket and cried.

She didn't care whether he was angry or not. At worst, she would make him angry and kick them, mistress and servants, out of the mansion, which would suit her just the way she wanted.

Xie Yanzhi's face was now as cold as ice, and his patience had finally run out.

Do you hate him?

It seems she hasn't felt any of his favoritism towards her all this time.

Although he forced her, it was in order to keep her by his side and to be with her.

Unexpectedly, she had never felt any affection for him and even harbored considerable resentment towards him.

Xie Yan grabbed Shen Qingnian's hair, forcing her to look up. He stared at her with a dark expression and said, "Do you know what you're saying?"