For the entire day, Han Yunsi, as the mistress of the manor, did not go out to receive guests. Instead, she was summoned by Qiao Xun to serve the old lady and only returned after dinner.
She was just a supporting character to begin with; even her childbirth was fake. She knew her insignificant importance in Qiao Xun's heart.
No matter how lively it is outside, it will never belong to her; she is surrounded by nothing but desolation and loneliness.
She should be used to it by now.
She sat at the table, staring blankly at the candlelight for a long time, until the maid urged her, "Madam, you should rest early."
Han Yunsi sat for a while before slowly getting up. With the help of her maids, she got into bed and lay down.
Han Yunsi dismissed the servants and quietly gazed at the bed curtains. She didn't know how much time had passed, but Qiao Xun still hadn't returned.
Even if she came back, nothing would really happen. If there were other people around, Qiao Xun would put on an act and pretend to be gentle with her, but when they were alone, all he gave her was endless, bone-chilling coldness. To him, she wasn't a wife, but merely a tool to be used.
Unable to fall asleep after tossing and turning for a long time, her thoughts were in turmoil when she suddenly remembered something.
She hadn't fallen asleep the night before when she felt Qiao Xun touch her acupoint. When she woke up in the morning, Qiao Xun wasn't in bed at all, and there was no warmth around her.
In fact, Qiao Xun never touched her, and even if he left the room at night, she would not complain. There was no need for him to go to the trouble of putting her to sleep.
Unless... something happened in the room that Qiao Xun didn't want her to know.
Han Yunsi suddenly propped herself up slightly and, in the dim candlelight, focused her gaze on a vase.
She wasn't particularly bright, but she had lived under the same roof as Qiao Xun for almost five years, so even if she knew something beforehand, she pretended not to.
For example, that vase is actually a hidden mechanism.
After a moment of silence, as if suddenly driven by an inexplicable force, Han Yunsi quietly got out of bed, put on her shoes, walked closer to the vase, reached out and turned it around.
The door to the dark room opened with a click.
Even though she had expected it, Han Yunsi was still startled. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
She never dared to ask about or interfere with Qiao Xun's affairs, but for some reason today, she felt that she had to find out the truth.
There was light in the dark room. She approached step by step, her heart pounding faster and faster... When she saw that there was a person lying on the bed with their back turned, she suddenly widened her eyes and hurriedly covered her mouth, silencing the scream that was about to burst out.
Hearing the noise, Xie Zhen thought it was Qiao Xun and tensed up.
Qiao Xun has come many times today, sometimes bringing food, sometimes fruit and pastries. Xie Zhen feels nauseous whenever she sees him and can't eat anything. She gets angry and smashes almost everything.
Qiao Xun must be very busy, as he only stays for a short while each time, but that doesn't stop him from being forced to eat something every time he comes. As a result of being forced to eat, he now feels bloated and uncomfortable in his stomach.
But if it really was Qiao Xun, he would have been calling out to him affectionately, "Ah Zhen, Ah Zhen," before he even reached the bedside. But this time, there was no sound at all.
Xie Zhen finally realized something was wrong and turned around to look, just in time to meet Han Yunsi's shocked eyes.
Although Han Yunsi had changed slightly from before, Xie Zhen recognized her at a glance. His face turned pale instantly, and a string in his mind snapped.
He had never forgotten her all these years, but he never imagined they would meet under such circumstances.
"Junior Sister." The first thing Xie Zhen did after regaining her senses was to frantically pull her clothes tighter, trying to cover the marks covering her exposed skin.
But it was too late; Han Yunsi had already seen it all.
Han Yunsi was still in shock. Although she hadn't slept with Qiao Xun, she wasn't stupid. How could she not know what he had been through? The only one who could have locked him in the dark room was Qiao Xun. And the only one who could have done this was…
Something inside her seemed to collapse suddenly, and she staggered back a step, her face even paler than Xie Zhen's.
Almost half a year after Xie Zhen disappeared without a trace, Qiao Xun came to ask her if she would marry into Changliu Manor. Although she hesitated, she couldn't resist her already wavering heart and agreed. Even though Qiao Xun said that he was only marrying her to appease the old lady and to be his wife in name only.
For the first two years, she naively fantasized that as long as she was sincere with him, he would be moved and accept her one day. Later, she came to terms with reality and gradually gave up on that idea. And so, like stagnant water, she lived in this deep mansion, obeying all of Qiao Xun's arrangements, including faking a pregnancy and going to a temple to "nourish the fetus," only returning with the child when her due date arrived.
She always thought Qiao Xun was cold-hearted and unwilling to be bound by matters of love.
However, she never imagined that he was attracted to men.
And it's quite obvious that he likes her ex-boyfriend, Xie Zhen.
So, Qiao Xun's marriage to her wasn't simply to appease the old lady, but rather...
Han Yunsi felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and she collapsed to the ground, tears of sorrow streaming down her face.
Xie Zhen finally regained his senses. Every time Qiao Xun left, he would deliberately stare at the direction of the mechanism, but every time Qiao Xun left, the mechanism would not react when he touched it. Now that the opportunity was rare, he couldn't worry about anything else; escaping with his junior sister was the most important thing.
In his mind, Han Yunsi must have been forced to marry Qiao Xun, and he didn't believe Qiao Xun's beastly words at all.
Xie Zhen hurriedly helped Han Yunsi up, "Quick, let's escape first. That bastard Qiao Xun will definitely be back soon."
With tears blurring her vision, Han Yunsi was helped to her feet and asked blankly in a low voice, "Escape? Escape to where?"
Xie Zhen felt that escaping while there were many people around was the most important thing, but Han Yunsi was not very cooperative and even slowly pulled his hand away.
Xie Zhen had no choice but to suppress his shame and anxiously explain to her, "Junior sister, Qiao Xun doesn't like women at all. I disappeared back then because he imprisoned me. I managed to escape. He married you to force me to come back. He's a scumbag! Junior sister, you were forced by Qiao Xun, weren't you? Let's leave quickly, the farther away from here the better!"
Han Yunsi swayed precariously, still unwilling to believe it.
Was Xie Zhen's disappearance truly due to being imprisoned by Qiao Xun? Even though she knew Qiao Xun was far from being as gentle as he appeared, she never imagined he was such a terrifying person.
Moreover, this situation is even more chilling than before. What exactly is she in Qiao Xun's eyes? Or perhaps she isn't even a thing.
Xie Zhen was too anxious to stand there in a daze. He grabbed her and ran outside. Just as he was about to open the door, Han Yunsi suddenly realized what was happening and whispered, "Don't go this way!"
Xie Zhen was startled and subconsciously withdrew his hand. Han Yunsi also withdrew her hand, did not look at him, and walked towards the window. Xie Zhen understood and quickly followed.
After opening the window, Han Yunsi gestured to him, and Xie Zhen hurriedly said, "Junior Sister, you go out first."
Han Yunsi insisted that he go first. At this critical moment, Xie Zhen dared not delay for even a moment, so he climbed out of the window and reached out to catch her. However, Han Yunsi looked at him sadly through the window.
“I will not leave. I am Qiao Xun’s wife. Even if I die, I will die in Changliu Village.”
Xie Zhen's arms froze, unable to believe what she had just heard.
Han Yunsi burst into tears, "Senior brother, I've already fallen in love with him. You should leave now. Don't risk your life for me anymore. It's not worth it. Get far away from me."
Xie Zhen's head was buzzing, her eyes were red, and her body remained motionless, like a stone statue.
It turned out that everything Qiao Xun said was true! Yet he was still afraid she would be implicated, worried about her safety, and rushed back to find her, falling into Qiao Xun's trap. He felt sorry for himself.
Han Yunsi stamped her foot, choking back tears as she urged, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go!"
Xie Zhen knew that if Qiao Xun found out later that she was the one who let him go, she wouldn't be happy. Suppressing her surging emotions, she was about to speak when Han Yunsi stared at her with tearful eyes, "This is my own choice. Whatever the consequences, you can't blame anyone else. Go now."
Xie Zhen's chest heaved twice. No longer willing to waste any more time, she steeled her resolve, turned around, and quickly left.
After he left, Han Yunsi staggered back two steps, clutching her chest, and exhaled deeply with her eyes closed. Her heart was already cold, yet her tears remained burning hot.
Jiang Chuting never expected that after drinking with Jiang Xian twice, she would encounter that young father both times.
The first time was when he was captured, and the second time is now. He is desperately trying to escape the search of his many servants, hoping to find a way out. But Changliu Manor is too big, and being chased, he is like a headless fly, completely lost.
The manor was brightly lit, and Jiang Chuting and Jiang Xian could see the scene below clearly. Among the searchers was Qiao Xun, who was personally leading the search. He was shrouded in gloom, and he seemed to be a completely different person from the cheerful Qiao Xun of the day.
Just as they were about to run into Qiao Xun after passing another artificial hill, it was too late to go down and help him avoid it. Jiang Chuting and Jiang Xian flew down and arrived at Qiao Xun's side before he arrived, grabbing his wrist.
The young father, his hair disheveled and his face pale, gasped in surprise at being grabbed so suddenly. He instinctively tried to break free, but upon seeing Jiang Chuting's face, he recognized him. His eyes lit up with hope, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and he clung to Jiang Chuting tightly, pleading, "Hero, save me!"
When Jiang Chuting helped him before, he even expressed his gratitude with a cold and distant demeanor. But now, it was as if his hardest exterior had been peeled away, revealing a heart full of fear and unease. He seemed terrified of falling into Qiao Xun's hands. What exactly had he done to offend Qiao Xun?
"Don't worry." Jiang Chuting had just finished speaking in a low voice when her eyes caught sight of the ambiguous marks on his neck, and she couldn't help but be stunned. Every time Lin Zhi made a ruckus, she would also have such marks on her body.
Before he could think any further, Qiao Xun appeared before him with his men.
Although Jiang Chuting didn't say it, Jiang Xian could roughly tell that this person was the one who had been kidnapped the night before.
Although the person was indeed abducted to Changliu Manor, Qiao Xun denied it at the time. Jiang Xian crossed his arms, his gaze towards Qiao Xun suddenly carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Brother Chu, Brother Jiang, what brings you here?" Qiao Xun asked with a smile, still as polite and courteous as ever.
Jiang Chuting smiled calmly and said, "I came out for a drink and was just about to go back to my room when I unexpectedly ran into a friend I made recently. We can chat for a bit."
Qiao Xun raised an eyebrow: "Oh? A friend?" He was still smiling, his eyes looking at Xie Zhen, who was leaning against Jiang Chuting's side, glaring at him coldly as if he were looking at some trash.
Qiao Xun said gently, "That's such a coincidence. Ah Zhen is also a friend of my wife and me. We haven't seen each other for a long time. I just didn't expect..."
Jiang Xian interrupted him seemingly casually, teasingly saying, "The way Master Qiao invited his friends over is quite unique."
Qiao Xun smiled and sighed, "Ah, it was just a joke between friends." He gently brushed it aside, then looked at Xie Zhen, his gaze sharpening, but his tone was exceptionally gentle, "Zhen, Yun Si is waiting for you to catch up with her. Come back with me."
Xie Zhen felt as if his insides were burning. He knew Qiao Xun was using Han Yunsi to threaten him, but he had already made a foolish mistake for that woman once, and he wouldn't do it again. He didn't want his future to be a suffocating darkness; otherwise, he would rather die.
Besides, the child is being cared for by others, so he absolutely cannot be trapped here.
He tensed up and grabbed Jiang Chuting's sleeve again, firmly stating, "I won't go back with you. If you want to catch up, you can do it yourselves. I want to stay with them."
Qiao Xun clenched her slightly raised hand, her lowered voice carrying a hint of warning, "You really, aren't you coming back with me?"
Xie Zhen held back for a long time before she managed to refrain from cursing at him, and said through gritted teeth, "Master Qiao, we don't seem to know each other very well."
Not familiar, indeed not familiar.
Qiao Xun chuckled self-deprecatingly, seemingly a little sad, "So, all these years of friendship, in your eyes, can be summed up in just the word 'not familiar'."
Xie Zhen was disgusted by his hypocrisy.
Jiang Xian chuckled and joked, "Master Qiao, it seems that you two have different understandings of your relationship."
Qiao Xun looked sad, as if a sore spot had been touched. "There was indeed some misunderstanding. It was my fault."
Jiang Chuting said at the right moment, "Why don't we let him come with us today? We can talk to him and comfort him. He also left something with us earlier, so we can take him to get it."
Qiao Xun nodded, then turned his gaze to Jiang Chuting, "Oh, what a coincidence."
Jiang Chuting nodded calmly. Qiao Xun pondered for a moment, looked at his face, and said softly, "What if I say no?"
Jiang Chuting said, "I'm sure Master Qiao wouldn't force me to do something I don't want to do." This was clearly an attitude of protecting her.
Qiao Xun's eyes reflected the deep, boundless night. She stared at him for a moment before laughing, "I was just joking. Let A-Zhen go with you." She then stepped aside and gestured for him to leave, saying, "Please, everyone."
Xie Zhen knew that if someone was willing to help him, Qiao Xun would let him go, because there were many guests at the manor today, and he didn't want to make a scene. Xie Zhen felt very lucky; he had met someone willing to help him escape his predicament. The moment he saw Jiang Chuting, he knew he would be saved.
Jiang Chuting nodded slightly to him and left with Xie Zhen. Xie Zhen was originally standing to Jiang Chuting's left, and Qiao Xun had also made way for her on his left. In order not to be too close to Qiao Xun when passing by, Xie Zhen deliberately moved to Jiang Chuting's right.
He left without looking to the side, but he could feel Qiao Xun's eyes staring at him the whole time, making his scalp tingle.
Only after walking a distance did Xie Zhen finally breathe a sigh of relief. After his whole body relaxed, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed. Fortunately, Jiang Xian and Jiang Chuting caught him quickly.
"Be careful."
Xie Zhen was so grateful to them that he bent his knees and was about to kneel down, but Jiang Chuting helped him up and said seriously, "It's not convenient here. We can talk about it when we get back to our room."
Hearing his gentle, soothing voice, Xie Zhen felt incredibly reassured. She breathed a sigh of relief and replied obediently, "Alright, I'll listen to my benefactor."
After the three left, Qiao Xun slowly walked out of the artificial hill, watching their departing figures.
Qiao Xun stood with his hands behind his back, his face cold and icy.
His subordinate hesitated for a moment before saying, "Master, should we...?"
Qiao Xun said coldly, "No need, let him go, he can't escape."
The subordinates fell silent. Watching them disappear, Qiao Xun sneered and muttered, "I kindly didn't want to break you up with that Lin family kid, but you interfered and ruined my plans. If Lin Xi finds out that her son is with a man, she'll probably go crazy... The women of the Lin family can be terrifying when they go mad."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
