No one noticed that the hand he had been holding behind his back, the one that had just gripped Chu Huaixu, had tightened so much that the nails were digging deep into his palm, and drops of blood were dripping onto the ground.
"I never imagined that the remnants of the Prince Duan's mansion would attempt suicide. Fortunately, Lord Song discovered it in time, preventing a major disaster," Fu Shun said.
Song opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke: "Since the person is unconscious, why don't we come again tomorrow?"
Fu Shun, whether he understood or not, stared at him for a moment with a half-smile, and then said:
"Your Excellency is mistaken. Since this man has already resolved to die, we should hurry up and lest things get complicated."
Song Ting frowned: "But he already..."
"What's the big deal if you faint? This is the Imperial Prison. There are plenty of ways to wake someone up. A bucket of cold water will wake them up naturally."
"At worst, we've heard they have a method of using silver needles to acupuncture points, which can wake someone up even if they're only on their last breath."
"Your Excellency acted so decisively just now, are you now reluctant to let go?"
Song Ting glanced at him coldly, but said nothing more.
He was afraid that he would not be able to control his emotions and that the old eunuch would notice something was wrong.
"Someone come here," Fu Shun said, squinting, "bring some ice water."
Just as Fu Shun said, the imperial prison was not short of torture methods. After Fu Shun gave the order, a prison guard brought over a bucket of ice water in no time.
Fu Shun looked at Song Ting and gestured, "Does Your Excellency wish to do it yourself, or leave it to this servant?"
Song Ting's face remained stiff.
Fu Shun narrowed his eyes again: "Your Excellency is esteemed, so let this servant do it."
"Cough cough cough... cough cough..."
Chu Huaixu awoke in excruciating pain, only to be met with two repulsive faces.
He wanted to speak, but forgot that Song Ting had already dislocated his jaw, so he couldn't utter a single word. He could only stare at Song Ting coldly and with resentment.
"My lord, look, he's already awake, isn't he?" Fu Shun put down the wooden bucket he was carrying and looked at Song Ting with a smile. "Shall we begin?"
Chu Huaixu still didn't know what the two were planning to do. He could only watch as Song Ting walked towards him and then stopped in front of him.
The two were extremely close, almost only an arm's length apart.
Song Ting raised her arm, put a black pill from her palm into his mouth, and then used her palm to push his chin back into place.
Before Chu Huaixu could react, she forced him to swallow the pill.
"Eat it, it's good for you."
But Chu Huaixu was not the type to be easily manipulated. The more Song Tingyue said that, the less willing he was to comply with her.
With his last ounce of strength, he spat out the pill that was almost stuck in his throat.
"Cough cough... cough cough cough..."
Song Ting's face turned deathly pale. Blood began to seep from the wound in her palm again.
"Alright."
Fu Shun, who was standing nearby, had grown impatient and quickly stuffed a wad of cloth into Chu Huaixu's mouth.
"Since the young nobleman is not grateful, sir, please do not force him. After all, he can still be woken up even if he faints."
The torture chamber was dark, and for a moment they couldn't find where the pill had fallen.
Song Ting stared at the void for a long time before turning her head and glancing at Fu Shun.
The latter still wore that forced, insincere smile. He looked more like a ghost than anyone else in this prison.
For a fleeting moment, an extremely audacious idea even popped into Song Ting's mind.
He thought he might actually be able to kill Fu Shun, then the jailers here, and then escape with Chu Huaixu.
But it was only for a very short moment, and he quickly calmed down.
Because he knew very well that they might be able to escape from here, but that old bastard Zhang Bingzhi would definitely not let them go.
They will then be caught in a trap.
He himself didn't care, but given Chu Huaixu's current physical condition, he certainly couldn't withstand such a flight.
Moreover, Chu Huaixu might not be willing to go with him, and they would be caught and brought back anyway.
This matter should not be handled impulsively.
Song Ting clenched her fingers and pulled out a dagger as light as a willow leaf from her bosom.
The dagger was inlaid with a large ruby, and the blade was as cold as ice, engraved with smooth cloud patterns.
This dagger was forged by the world's greatest blacksmith; it can cut through iron like mud and is incredibly sharp.
It originally belonged to Chu Huaixu and was bestowed upon him by the late emperor, but was later given to Song Ting by the young master.
Now, Song Ting held the dagger and pointed it at its original owner.
The dagger, capable of severing a hair with a single blow, sliced through the skin of Chu Huaixu's wrist. It was only then that Chu Huaixu guessed what Song Ting was planning to do.
He glared angrily at Song Ting, struggling more fiercely than ever before.
The two had once been intimate, and Song Ting quickly sensed that he had something to say, so she gently removed the gag from his mouth.
Fu Shun tried to stop her, but Song Ting scared him off with a look.
Chu Huaixu showed no further intention of biting his tongue. He suddenly stopped all his struggles and looked deeply at Song Ting.
Song Ting also looked at him.
After a long silence, Chu Huaixu finally spoke, asking softly, "Have you ever liked me?"
Song Ting remained silent.
Chu Huaixu seemed to still hold onto a sliver of hope: "Even for a moment, did you ever truly like me? Song Ting, answer me, did you ever?"
Even after hearing the most vicious words from Song, he still harbored a glimmer of hope and expectation in his heart.
I hope that, beyond the deception and exploitation, this person once had genuine feelings for me, even if those feelings were shallow.
But Song Ting seemed to be mute, remaining silent the entire time.
He held the dagger Chu Huaixu had given him, gently slicing it across his warm skin, leaving a thin trail of blood.
Then, little by little, he cut his wrists and ankles, severing the tendons in his limbs.
The last glimmer of light in Chu Huaixu's eyes finally faded.
He closed his eyes, letting the dagger roam over his body.
The blade seemed to glide across the surface lightly, yet it brought intense pain.
But even the most intense physical pain couldn't compare to the pain in his heart.
Along with his tendons and veins, his heart inside his chest cavity shattered. Even the most agonizing pain couldn't have been more devastating.
With the final strike, Chu Huaixu, once a gifted martial arts master, was utterly reduced to a useless cripple.
And the one who gave him all of this was the person he once cherished in his heart.
In that instant, he no longer felt pain, only an endless chill rising from his heart.
Fu Shun's chilling laughter rang out from in front of him. He grabbed Chu Huaixu's hair and yanked him back forcefully.
"My lord, I dare to ask, where exactly is the Imperial Seal of the State..."
Chu Huaixu burst into laughter: "You dog slave! You think you're worthy to know the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal? Even if I die, I won't tell you!"
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