Chapter Fifty-Two: The Shameful Mark

Seeing that Shen Qingnian remained silent.

Xie Yanzhi pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her head.

Shen Qingnian looked up and saw Xie Yanzhi's dark eyes, as deep and unfathomable as a pool of water, as if he could see right through her.

She thought to herself, "Can't you stop being so unreasonable?"

Wasn't she making it obvious enough?

Judging from Xie Yanzhi's probing gaze, he wouldn't leave unless she spoke.

Shen Qingnian now remembered that the hair on the big black face should be stroked in the direction of the hair.

So, with a smile on her face, she didn't say anything, but just snuggled closer to Xie Yanzhi.

She just wanted Xie Yanzhi to leave quickly, otherwise she wouldn't have time to see Xiao Huaiyi.

Although Xie Yanzhi didn't hear her say it aloud, Shen Qingnian had already shown her feelings through her actions, hadn't she?

Satisfied, he released the person and hurriedly walked out.

After walking for a while, he looked back at Shen Qingnian as if he was still worried.

Seeing Xie Yanzhi stop to look at her again, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, Shen Qingnian smiled at him to reassure him, and only then did Xie Yanzhi turn around and go downstairs.

Shen Qingnian leaned against the railing and watched Xie Yanzhi mount his tall horse and head towards the outside of the city.

She quickly turned around, put on her veil, and said to the guard beside her, "Brother, I need to go to the restroom. Could you please make way for me?"

The guard glanced at her; after all, she was a woman, and it wasn't convenient for him, a man, to follow her.

Since the privy was not far downstairs, the guard said, "Please go and return quickly, young lady."

Shen Qingnian nodded, lifted her skirt, and tiptoed downstairs, going around to the back of the Star-Picking Tower.

At this moment, Ping An is looking around in front of the Drunken Wind Pavilion.

The young master asked him to come downstairs to fetch Miss Shen, but the time had long passed and Miss Shen had not yet arrived.

He kept looking at the other end of the street, unaware that a drunken burly man had appeared behind him.

The burly man stumbled and knocked Ping An to the ground.

"Brother, are you alright? I'm so sorry!" The burly man rubbed his eyes and realized he had bumped into someone. He quickly bent down to help Ping An up.

At that moment, Shen Qingnian, who had rushed over, had just stepped across the threshold.

Ping An's view was blocked by the big man, so she didn't see Shen Qingnian go in, and the two just missed each other.

Ping An patted himself off, looked at the big man with an apologetic expression, and waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's nothing."

He turned back to look at the other end of the street, hoping that Miss Chen would arrive soon.

Shen Qingnian went to the counter as soon as she entered the room: "Manager, may I ask where Young Master Xiao's private room is?" The manager looked up and saw a woman wearing a veil.

He remembered that Young Master Xiao had just instructed him that if a woman came looking for him, he should bring her up and he could receive a reward.

The innkeeper put down the ledger and warmly led her upstairs. After turning a corner, the innkeeper led her to a private room.

"Miss, this is it." The shopkeeper pointed to the door.

"Thank you, shopkeeper." Shen Qingnian bowed to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper also turned and went downstairs.

Shen Qingnian stood at the door, wiped the fine sweat from her brow, straightened her clothes, and then knocked on the door before entering the house.

Xiao Huaiyi was seen standing by the window, wearing a cloak and holding a folding fan behind his back, seemingly looking at something.

Shen Qingnian was also curious about what Xiao Huaiyi was looking at so intently that he didn't even notice her coming in.

She walked over quietly, pulled back her veil to look outside, but there was nothing particularly interesting in the view. She couldn't help but turn her head and ask, "Young Master Xiao, what are you looking at?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cold voice entered his ears.

"Shen Qingnian, take a good look at who I am!" Xie Yanzhi said, and ripped off her veil.

Upon seeing the person in front of her, Shen Qingnian's face turned deathly pale, and her hands and feet began to tremble uncontrollably.

How could it be Xie Yanzhi?!

Xie Yanzhi threw away her veil and approached her step by step, his gloomy eyes staring straight at her. "You said you two have nothing to do with each other anymore, so what's going on today?"

"Shen Qingnian, do you think I'm a fool?!"

Shen Qingnian quickly retreated, heading back towards the house behind her, explaining as she went, "I didn't say that I had no connection with Young Master Xiao anymore."

With nowhere to retreat, Shen Qingnian's waist slammed against the table. Before she could react, her body was enveloped in a dark shadow.

Xie Yanzhi braced himself against her side with one hand, and used his fan to lift her chin with the other, bringing his face close to hers: "So you mean that I, the young master, have misunderstood?"

Shen Qingnian bit her lip tightly, unable to utter a sound for a long time.

Xie Yanzhi frowned deeply, then slowly straightened up. "Didn't you want to see Xiao Huaiyi? I'll take you there now."

Shen Qingnian raised her eyes and glanced at him vaguely. She saw that Xie Yanzhi's face was very calm, and his anger seemed to have completely dissipated.

But Shen Qingnian still felt a slight tingling in her heart, as if a storm was about to break.

"I was just about to ask him if he knew what this was!"

As Xie Yanzhi spoke, his eyes darkened, and he ripped off her clothes, revealing a glaring red mark on her shoulder.

Shen Qingnian was so frightened that she hugged herself tightly, trying her best to cover the shameful mark on her snow-white skin.

If Xiao Huaiyi sees her like this, how will he view her?

A harlot who climbed the social ladder by marrying her cousin.

Or is she a shameless, self-degrading woman who seduces men everywhere?

Even if she couldn't marry Xiao Huaiyi, she didn't want him to see her in this shameful state.

But what can be done to get Xie Yanzhi to let her go?

Shen Qingnian's eyes welled up with tears from her anxiety.

"Come with me!" Xie Yanzhi grabbed her by the front of her clothes and tried to pull her out of the room.

"We're going to see your Young Master Xiao right now, and let him see your despicable appearance!"

"Let's see if he still wants you!"

Xie Yanzhi was tall and incredibly strong.

Shen Qingnian was being held by him and couldn't break free at all. Just as the door was about to be opened, she couldn't hold back any longer and tears were forced down her face.

"I was wrong," Shen Qingnian said, crying.

She hoped that Xie Yanzhi would let her off the hook because she had taken the initiative to admit her mistake.

But Xie Yanzhi showed no intention of letting her go, and the force in his hands remained unchanged.

Just as Xie Yanzhi was about to open the door, Shen Qingnian turned around, blocked the door with her body, hooked her arms around Xie Yanzhi's neck, and cried bitterly in his arms.

"Cousin, I was wrong. I will never see Young Master Xiao again."

Xie Yanzhi moved, trying to pry Shen Qingnian's hands away, but Shen Qingnian pressed her face against his neck again.

"Cousin, I'll go and talk to him right now and make sure he doesn't come looking for me again."

Xie Yanzhi pulled her hand off his neck, pushed her away with some disgust, and put his right hand on the door latch.

The next second, a slender hand covered the back of his hand.

Shen Qingnian hugged him from behind, pressing her face against his back and murmuring, "I belong to my cousin, and I will only be with him from now on!"