Si Qiao blinked in disbelief, feeling her heart pounding faster than ever before; she was mesmerized by the kiss.
“Good…not bad…” Xiao Jiangyue laughed wildly, but in his heart he was extremely heartbroken. “I want you to swear by the Holy Spirit that from now on, Si Qiao will be your sworn woman, and you must never betray her, abandon her, or let her down for the rest of your life.”
The Holy Spirit is a sacred object that protects the organization, holding a supreme position in the hearts of every member of the Underworld Slaughter Gang. It is their faith and an absolute constraint. Upon joining the gang, they swear an oath to the Holy Spirit with their own blood, and they must abide by it for life. This is a spiritual constraint, and once the oath is made, its importance is self-evident.
The Ghost-Faced Lady is the leader of the Underworld Slaughter Gang, and Qi is her next successor. The binding force of the Holy Spirit Oath is self-evident. Xiao Jiangyue is doing this only to force Qi to renege on the agreement, so that Qi can make a decision that benefits the organization.
To everyone's surprise, Qi Lian didn't even frown. Without hesitation, he grabbed Si Qiao and made her kneel on the ground. He raised his right hand above his eyebrows, held up three fingers, and held a dark jade pendant in his palm. Although it was dark, it was crystal clear under the sunlight, and it was obviously a priceless jade.
“I, Qi, swear in the name of the Holy Spirit that from this day forward, Si Qiao is Qi’s woman, and Qi will never betray her, abandon her, or let her down for the rest of his life.”
Good heavens, does it have to be so solemn? Si Qiao suddenly felt an urge to run away. They'd only met less than three times in total, including this time. How had she become his woman so unwittingly, and for life? She wasn't even sure she'd survive if she left here!
"Get up!" Xiao Jiangyue waved her hand weakly, sighed deeply, and felt heartbroken for Qi's stubbornness. "Alright, young people all have their own ideas. As long as they don't harm my Mingtu Gang, let's put today's matter behind us. I should go back now."
She had come full of confidence, but now she was returning dejected; she was truly disappointed in Qi.
"I'll see you out," Shu Yao smiled at Si Qiao, then turned and followed the leader out of the main hall.
Qi also led Si Qiao to bow respectfully before following behind.
Seeing that the master and his entourage had left the mansion in a grand procession, Qi shook off Si Qiao's hand as if he had been burned, and without looking at her again, quickly turned around and went into the gate.
"Hey, you just use me and then throw me away, Brother Qi... How are you going to treat your sister like this?" Si Qiao subconsciously quickened her pace, slightly annoyed by his "use and then throw me away" behavior.
Qi ignored her and mechanically continued walking. He did not regret what he had just done, but he was very unwilling.
"Hey... Brother Qi, wait for me!" The more Si Qiao chased after him, the more boring it became. By the time she reached the courtyard where he lived, he had completely disappeared, and her pace immediately slowed down.
*** ***
Si Qiao is free because the vow was made by Qi and has no effect on her whatsoever. Given her habitually wandering nature, leaving is an easy matter for her.
But she didn't leave. As for the reason... she convinced herself it was out of curiosity—curious why Qi, who vehemently disliked her, would make such a vow in front of several influential figures, and willingly commit his life to being bound to her. But this answer remained unanswered, which became her reason for continuing to linger.
When she had nothing to do, Si Qiao would wander around the house, looking for the estranged Qi. Since the day she swore an oath, he seemed to have left her to fend for herself and hadn't shown his face again. Si Qiao came to a conclusion—he was avoiding her!
This obvious fact is infuriating. Is she, Si Qiao, really that annoying? She didn't force him to do anything; on the contrary, she was the one being forced into this situation.
She saw him in the pavilion by the lake.
He sat there all alone, his back ramrod straight. No matter how strong the wind blew, he remained motionless, as if petrified. His desolate figure appeared incredibly bleak and bitter in the empty garden.
She watched him from the bamboo grove for a long, long time... as if she were infected by his low spirits. He must really like that girl Shu Yao, while the daughter of the Yan tribe will never receive such deep and devoted treatment from someone.
He was from a completely different world to her. If it weren't for that chance encounter, they would never have crossed paths. Their personalities were also worlds apart, completely incompatible. Yet, it was this very person who suddenly made her yearn for love.
For the past few days, whenever she woke up in the middle of the night, she couldn't help but recall the day he held her face affectionately, his gentle smile, and... his doting kiss.
Compared to this, his previous disgust and contempt seemed so insignificant; she seemed to have already stopped caring about them.
Deep down, she knew that if he were to genuinely reciprocate the tenderness he showed her that day, she would have no regrets even if she were to die immediately. This must be love, right? Yes! Yes! She thought… she had fallen in love with this man who appeared cold on the outside but possessed a passionate heart and was incredibly devoted to his feelings.
Unbeknownst to her, Si Qiao gently stepped forward, knelt beside Qi, and opened her arms to embrace him.
Qi seemed oblivious and did not respond to her actions.
She then gently brushed his hair behind his ear, revealing his numb face. Gently, Si Qiao pressed her red lips to his slightly cool skin and said softly, "Don't be sad, she never belonged to you!"
Qi Yizhen snapped out of it and shoved her away with such force that Si Qiao fell heavily to the ground.
"Get out! Now!" His narrow eyes blazed with fury, along with the ever-present disgust that accompanied his gaze towards her. He just wanted to be alone here to calm down. Why was this woman so reckless as to provoke him?
Si Qiao's eyes dimmed slightly, but were quickly replaced by a charming smile. She sat up and leaned on his lap, her full breasts making intimate contact with him, and said in a sweet voice, "Brother Qi, don't forget the oath you once made to the Holy Spirit. I still need to remind you what you said back then."
Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, his malicious intent evident in his expression. He abruptly stood up, intending to leave. Since someone was so stubbornly insisting on staying, surely he could leave?
"Are you leaving already?" Si Qiao wouldn't let him off the hook. "Do you regret choosing me? Then hurry up and explain things to your leader. I think she'd rather you be with Sister Shu Yao. Hmm, it's definitely not too late to go now. Otherwise, what will you do if she goes back to her husband's family in a few days?"
In the past few days, she had already found out a lot about Shu Yao from the maid. She didn't expect that Shu Yao was already married and had a son. She was only staying here temporarily because she had a little trouble with her husband's family.
"Brother Qi, don't forget, I am the woman you swore to the Holy Spirit to be responsible for for life, and you can never betray me or abandon me!"
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