"explain!"
"I will never keep a mistress, take a concubine, or accept a maidservant for the rest of my life." Qi said resolutely, his face stern. He did not want Shu Yao to experience what happened today a second time.
"Okay, I'll give you a written agreement this time."
"No need. Sincerity is what matters. Just remember our gentleman's agreement today. But if you hurt Yao'er again, I promise that no matter how many excuses you have, I will stop at nothing to make her mine and I will never let you see her again."
In truth, he knew he didn't have much of a chance of winning Shu Yao's heart. That woman was single-minded; once she set her mind on a man, it was for life. It just so happened that Huo Jingsha was lucky enough to become that man. But in order to prevent him from acting recklessly again, he had to say some harsh words to warn him about his future words and actions.
"I swear! I will never give you that chance!"
"Okay!" Qi slammed down the cup with a crisp "clang," then walked outside without saying goodbye.
As soon as he left, Huo Jingsha followed, Xu Chang followed, Yue Ping followed, Chunlu, Xia Hong... they all followed, and in an instant, the room that was just full became empty.
The wet nurse in the next courtyard, holding the baby wrapped up like a ball, watched the group leave with a smile and said, "Thank goodness, young master, your mother is coming back. Alas... sir, you have truly been defeated without a fight. Only the madam can make a living devil like you bow down!"
Just as the group was about to mount their horses and carriages, two solemn-looking guards suddenly ran out of the mansion gate and knelt down beneath Huo Jingsha's horse.
"My lord, I have failed in my duty. Please forgive me."
"What happened?" Huo Jingsha was in a hurry to see Shu Yao, so he didn't care about any wrongdoings at the moment.
"My lord, Aunt Pei... has gone missing."
"What?" Upon hearing this, Huo Jingsha and Qi both dismounted and grabbed a guard by the collar. Huo Jingsha roared, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
"Yes, we were ordered to detain Concubine Pei, but... but she wasn't in the courtyard. Xiyan said Concubine Pei was being castrated and told us to wait a moment, but two moments passed and she still hadn't come out. When we rushed in, Concubine Pei... was gone."
Qi Feng narrowed his eyes, a thunderclap exploded in his mind, and he shouted, "Not good!" He immediately leaped onto his horse and galloped away at lightning speed.
Huo Jingsha realized what was happening, his face instantly turning deathly still. Suddenly, he shoved the guard out of his hand, leaped onto his horse, and frantically cracked his whip, galloping away after Qi...
When the two of them arrived at the courtyard where Shu Yao was being housed, they heard Luo Wenpei's hoarse voice coming from inside...
"Hmph, good that you understand. You Shuyao, you should just hurry up and die. Stop wasting your breath saying useless things!"
Huo Jingsha was terrified. He let out a beastly roar and rushed into the house, only to witness a scene that would condemn him to eternal damnation.
Luo Wenpei, with her hair disheveled, pressed down on Shu Yao, who was clearly injured and unable to push her away.
"Luo Wenpei, you bitch, let go of Shu Yao!" Huo Jingsha's heart was breaking, his eyes were so red they could bleed. Normally, he would have calmly thrown a hidden weapon and finished off Luo Wenpei in one fell swoop, but now he was completely panicked, afraid that he might accidentally hurt Shu Yao if he was not careful.
Qi arrived shortly after, drew his long sword from his waist, and was about to stab when, at the critical moment, someone sat up next to Shu Yao and Luo Wenpei. He must have been knocked unconscious for some reason, and being dressed in black and blocked by the two women entangled together, he was completely invisible.
This caught Huo Jingsha and Qi completely off guard. When the man saw Qi coming over, he swiftly raised his hand and stabbed Shu Yao in the heart. In an instant, blood stained her pure white dress.
All of this happened in an instant; even the most skilled martial artist wouldn't have had time to intervene.
"No—" Huo Jingsha witnessed everything and immediately felt her blood rush to her head. She trembled so much that she couldn't stand up straight. She tried to run towards Shu Yao, but she fell to the ground with a "thud." Then, with immense willpower, she managed to get up and fly to Shu Yao's side, but she only managed to catch her soft body as she collapsed.
Huo Jingsha roared to the sky, his face contorted with immense grief. He knelt down, letting out heavy, painful breaths. He tried to lift Shu Yao's body, but dared not exert any force and was at a loss. With trembling hands, he gently brushed aside the long hair covering her face and saw the large, shocking bloodstain on her chest and the clear ligature marks on her neck. He let out another painful growl.
Qi approached with a ferocious expression, slashed the throat of the man in black with a knife, and blood splattered all over the wall, as well as Luo Wenpei's face. She was so frightened that her eyes widened, and she fell to the ground with a thud, fainting from fright.
Shu Yao felt a heavy, aching head. Her face was wet, and drops of water dripped from the corners of her mouth, trickling into her mouth—salty and astringent. Wait a minute…she hadn’t cried. So whose tears were these? Startled, she opened her eyes again and saw Huo Jingsha’s face very close to hers.
"You've come?" she uttered weakly. Seeing his extremely haggard face, she wondered how he had aged so much in just a few days. Was it because of her departure? Probably not, because he already had Aunt Pei. Unable to understand why, tears streamed down Shu Yao's face. Her thoughts were incoherent, yet the tears flowed freely down her cheeks like a river.
"Yao'er... Yao'er... I'm sorry, I was wrong... Please forgive me this time, okay?" Huo Jingsha cried and pleaded, "Yao'er, you can't die, you can't die... Don't leave me, don't leave Xiaobao."
Shu Yao's eyelashes closed and opened again, tears falling silently as she gazed at him in a daze. That expression, that look in her eyes, stirred up the heart that had once deeply loved him. However... everything had changed.
She thought it was a blessing from heaven that had quietly awakened her deepest longing for beauty. She had experienced boundless tenderness from this man, and she longed for it so much... but in the end, he turned out to be so ugly.
I wonder if when I open my eyes again, everything will be back to the beginning, and he will still be the same cold and ruthless Huo Jingsha who doesn't give her any words. But that would be the case, and they would be even.
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