The ancestral grave sweeping earlier had already foreshadowed a bad outcome. Therefore, he would absolutely not give Shu Yao the chance to leave him. Was the ancestor's act meant to remind him of this? Should he refrain from rash actions, or would it be better to keep it from her for now?
Yes! If she's completely unaware and oblivious to the impending danger, then Qi's attempts to sow discord will fall apart on their own, and his wife will trust him even more, no longer believing that other man's words. Therefore, he decided it was best not to tell Shu Yao for now.
"It's nothing." He pressed her little face into his chest, secretly making a vow: Shu Yao... I will never let you get hurt.
Shu Yao closed her eyes, and the flame of hope was extinguished inch by inch. It seemed that he had still chosen selfishness over benefiting her.
It's nothing...it's nothing. It's only human nature. She can't blame him. If anyone has to blame, it's her bad luck!
Suddenly, she tilted her head up and planted a kiss on his face. "My husband, you've always been a man of your word, and I... have always been fair. The more you love me, the more I love you; the more loyal you are to me, the more devoted I will be to you. If you cherish me for the rest of your life, then I will consider you my dearest husband. If you don't change your heart, neither will I."
Huo Jingsha was stunned for a moment, then tightened his arms around her, and suddenly felt overjoyed. To hell with his "family troubles" and his "furnace".
"I will not change my mind, I will not change my mind. I am not the kind of person who would be fickle. How could I possibly change my mind? I swear to heaven that if I ever abandon Yao'er after taking advantage of her, may I be struck by lightning..."
"Boom—rumble—" Thunder rumbled and rolled in, lightning flashed overhead, Huo Jingsha's face darkened instantly, and her beautiful face gradually turned expressionless as she stared at him.
Is God deliberately working against him? It must just be a coincidence. He knows himself; he would never abandon Shu Yao after starting something. No matter how many times God strikes, it has nothing to do with him!
With a heart full of unease, Huo Jingsha went out on an errand.
With her husband away, Shu Yao left the child with the wet nurse and went for a stroll. But as soon as she reached Xizhi Street, she heard Chunlu's surprised voice...
"Young Madam, look, isn't that the shopkeeper who sold you the fabric a few days ago?"
Shu Yao continued walking forward, nonchalantly replying, "What's so strange about seeing him? Of course, someone doing business is out on the streets every day."
"But... Madam, look at the way he looks."
What happened? She looked in surprise in the direction of the sound, and when she saw the boss's appearance, she was completely stunned.
The boss's face was swollen like a pig's head. What deep-seated hatred could drive someone to beat someone like that? His eyes were swollen to the size of walnuts, his nose was crooked, and his lips were twice their original size. The worst part was... the word "adulterer" was carved on his forehead.
Everyone who passed by saw him like this stopped in shock and pointed at him. His wife, who used to be busy by his side, was nowhere to be seen, perhaps because she felt ashamed to stand next to him.
Even Shu Yao couldn't close her mouth now.
"Who...who did this?" she asked, stammering in surprise.
The shopkeeper looked at her and angrily snorted out two streams of air. Shu Yao looked at his hateful expression and suddenly realized that this matter might be related to her.
Just as she was about to go over and ask what was going on, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. She turned around in surprise and saw that it was Qi. She didn't know when he had come up behind her.
He gestured with his chin toward the maid beside her. Shu Yao understood and turned back to Chunlu, instructing, "Find an opportunity to ask the manager what happened. I'll go back to the carriage and wait for you."
"Yes," Chunlu replied, and walked towards the silk shop.
Shu Yao turned and walked back, quickly slipping into a dark alley. Not long after, Qi caught up from behind, but instead of stopping, he walked past her and led her through a maze of turns into a dead end.
Seeing that no one was around, he spoke, "May I come in?"
Shu Yao didn't answer the question, but instead asked, "There are still five days until the ninth day, and Huo Jingsha hasn't made any demands on me. Is what you're saying true or false?"
Qi Youxian crossed his arms, his narrow phoenix eyes holding a half-smile, "Don't be in such a hurry, why are you so impatient?"
Shu Yao gritted her teeth, disliking the feeling of being controlled like this. Qi was clearly trying to keep her hanging on and see her suffer.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now, so as not to be seen by anyone." After she finished speaking, she turned to leave, but he blocked her way.
"Are you in such a hurry to go out and ask who beat the shopkeeper up like that? Heh... I can tell you directly, it was Huo Jingsha who did it, and he even carved the words 'adulterer' on it himself."
"Stop talking nonsense! How could a dignified commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard do such a despicable thing?" Shu Yao was anxious. Although Huo Jingsha was suspected of betraying her, as long as they were still husband and wife, she should protect her husband.
A glint flashed in Qi's eyes, and his previous carefree smile vanished. "You Shuyao, you've truly been blinded by love. He's willing to let you die, yet you still protect him. I really feel sorry for you."
"You don't need to worry about our affairs as husband and wife. Besides, I'm skeptical of what you're saying, since he hasn't told me anything up to this point."
"You and your husband? Are you really only the two of you in this marriage? Although he didn't tell you anything, the person who will take your place as the young mistress has already been chosen. If you don't believe me, go to Chengze Hutong and ask around. Is there someone else in the Huo family besides you as the young mistress?"
Actually, he didn't want to tell her so soon, he was just waiting to deliver the most fatal blow to Huo Jingsha, but when he saw how Shu Yao trusted Huo Jingsha wholeheartedly, he was furious. That's right! He was extremely jealous of Huo Jingsha.
If it weren't for Huo Jingsha, Shu Yao would definitely be his. He would never forget her innocent and carefree smile, her little feet splashing and playing in the stream, and the way she sat softly on his lap, seducing him. Therefore... his ultimate goal was never to bring down Huo Jingsha, nor to eliminate the organization's threat to Prince Jing; it was always, always, only to obtain You Shu Yao.
Upon hearing his confident words, Shu Yao swayed violently, followed by overwhelming dizziness, and had to hold onto the wall to maintain her balance.
"You...you're telling the truth?"
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