One night while she was recuperating from her injuries, he quietly sneaked into her bedroom and found her secretly meditating behind the bed curtains. He didn't make a sound, but just watched her unabashedly from the shadows.
It wasn't until her attempt to seduce Huo Jingsha failed, and instead angered her, resulting in her being demoted from her position as a personal maid and expelled from the main courtyard, that he realized she hadn't fallen in love with Huo Jingsha; her methods had simply failed. Therefore, he decided to reveal himself to her and declare that he was of the same status as her.
He clearly remembers how surprised she was when she learned of his existence; her affectionate eyes widened in surprise, and her comical and adorable expression is still vivid in his mind.
If any other assassin dared to disrupt his plans, he would not let them off easily. Even if their crimes didn't warrant death, he would cripple them. This was because each plan required meticulous calculation and planning, and involved enormous risks. If anything went wrong, he might expose his tracks or even be killed by his opponent. However, after her brief explanation, he easily forgave her, showing a level of tolerance far exceeding his own limits.
Even today in the carriage, her story became increasingly rife with inconsistencies, and she was too guilty to look him in the eye. He knew she had successfully gotten close to Huo Jingsha and become his favored concubine. She clearly had more opportunities to make her move, yet she chose to disregard the mission. He didn't want to think that perhaps... she had already been convicted of disobeying the organization's orders.
All signs now indicate that she may have fallen in love with Huo Jingsha.
Traitors who betray the organization's orders have never been tolerated. He held the power of life and death over traitors, but he found that... he didn't want to kill her. He wanted to give her a chance. If she could repent and turn over a new leaf, he would choose to forgive her and not report her mistakes to the leader.
Luring her out and imprisoning her here was the last chance he created for her.
He gently held her bare feet in his palm, and looking at the marks and chafed skin on them fueled his anger.
However, it also revealed her intention to escape. Even at this point, she still harbored thoughts of defection! Where could she possibly escape to? As the most powerful assassin gang in the martial world, she should know best the organization's strength. Once a kill order is issued, within a month, she would be torn to pieces by assassins swarming from all directions, and beneath the Bone-Dissolving Water, not even a single bone would be found, completely disappearing from this world.
His gaze was deep and gloomy as he stared at the fair and smooth little feet in his palm.
Now that things have come to this... she has no choice but to kill Huo Jingsha, even if she doesn't want to. He will force her to continue the mission so that he can give the leader an explanation.
You Shuyao frowned, enduring the discomfort of her injury. The medicine made her feet sting continuously, while his large hand holding hers made her skin itch. She took a deep breath... and another, enduring it again and again, until finally she realized and pulled her slender foot back.
His large hand missed its target, and as if deliberately going against her, he inexplicably grabbed her foot back, even increasing the force. His dark and unfathomable eyes were fixed on her, which was very strange and made her heart pound with anxiety.
Seeing the ruthlessness in his eyes, could he really intend to cripple her legs? This thought made her instinctively grip her skirt tightly, too nervous to even breathe.
When she was at a loss, he suddenly let go, giving her freedom, stood up, looked down at her, and gave her a command in a deep voice.
"I advise you to stop thinking crookedly and get some rest. There are still very difficult tasks waiting for you. If you keep fantasizing about other things, I'll not only waste your hands and feet, but also your martial arts skills. Do you understand?"
Shu Yao shrank back slightly, avoiding his sharp gaze, and lowered her head timidly, saying, "I heard you."
Her face was somewhat pale, and a few strands of hair hanging down her forehead made her small face look even more pitiful and charming, arousing pity and making people want to protect her.
Qi stared at her for a long while, his lips pressed together, before resolutely turning and leaving. That night, he did not tie her up with ropes again.
You Shuyao was shaken awake the next morning. She had only managed to fall back asleep after daybreak, and her sleep was extremely restless, resulting in an unusually haggard appearance and faint dark circles under her eyes. After Qi applied medicine to her hands and feet last night, the bruises and abrasions on her hands and feet had improved considerably, and the burning pain had subsided; some areas had even healed completely.
Although she wasn't as restricted as yesterday, she was still forcibly tied to a pillar, a truly uncomfortable experience, unable to move at all. Her waist was bound tightly to the pillar with a thick rope, and her hands were wrapped around the pillar behind her, tied in a tight knot. She was terrified; this position reminded her of prisoners about to be whipped.
Shu Yao looked around. Fortunately, she could still turn her neck and found that she was in an open, flat area with nothing to hide her from. The sun was high in the sky, and standing in the sunlight, her disheveled appearance was on full display. She looked like a hostage who would be executed on the spot if no one came to ransom her.
But... will the person who redeemed her come? When the earth shook and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed, Shu Yao, who had been waiting for death with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stared at the cloud of dust approaching from afar. Her heart began to pound wildly.
Among the approaching crowd, a familiar figure ran at the forefront, leading the way. The golden python patterns on his body were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight, instantly catching her eye and making it impossible for her to look away.
Huo Jingsha, he's here!
The next moment, she suddenly realized that the plan to use her as bait to lure Huo Jingsha was actually a trap!
She panicked, not knowing what trap Qi had set for Huo Jingsha. She bit her lip, staring intently ahead, never before so tense and afraid, fearing that Huo Jingsha would fall in front of her at any moment, blood splattering everywhere.
"No... Huo Jingsha, don't come any closer... Do you hear me... Don't come any closer!"
The heart-wrenching fear finally erupted, and she shouted those words at the end. She didn't want to see him die at all. Although she had once wished she could grind him to dust, after experiencing different lives, tasting his deep affection and love, the pampering he had never given to anyone else, and the passionate entanglements night after night, she realized that in their daily companionship, an inseparable bond had grown between them.
She cared about him, so much so... She didn't want him to die, and she didn't want to watch him die.
Huo Jingsha wasn't stupid. As he approached the pillar, he suddenly raised one hand and grabbed the reins with the other, bringing the horse to a stop a hundred meters away. After he made this move, a large number of well-trained Imperial Guards behind him also managed to bring their galloping horses to a halt.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
