Hongli's eyes were sinister and extreme. Even with Consort Xi protecting her, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't actually kill her in a fit of rage!
Terrified, Jin Minjing wept uncontrollably, begging for mercy, "Master! I truly know I was wrong, please spare my life! Even if you don't care about my life, you should cherish our child. If I die, the child will never be born!"
Threatening him with the child again? This was the thing that annoyed Hongli the most. Veins bulged on his forehead as he scoffed indifferently, "A mere concubine's child, do you think I would care?"
"Even if he's an illegitimate son, he still carries your blood! You can't kill your own child, can you? That would be punished by heaven!" Jin Minjing tried to intimidate him. Hongli hoped she was telling the truth, but unfortunately, heaven often closes its eyes, ignoring right and wrong, good and evil in the world.
"If there truly is divine retribution, why haven't you suffered any retribution?"
His knuckles were taut, his grip on her neck tightening, seemingly with no intention of letting her go. Kim Min-jung, terrified of losing herself in his hands, gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face, her brows furrowed, feigning discomfort.
"My abdomen hurts so much, Fourth Master, the baby... the baby is in pain..."
At that moment, he was truly filled with murderous intent. However, Su Yushan was no longer there. Even if he killed Jin Minjing, she could not come back. So why should he risk going against his father and mother?
He struggled to regain his composure as he gradually lost control and slowly released her.
Able to catch her breath, Kim Min-jung coughed painfully. This man had almost killed her! She was terrified, yet she still had to thank him profusely.
"Thank you for your mercy, Fourth Master. I will definitely behave myself from now on, live a peaceful life with my child, and never cause any more trouble."
He had never harbored murderous intent towards Jin Minjing before. He always thought that she was, after all, his woman, and had been with him for a time. Even if he no longer loved her, she still held a title with him. Therefore, he only intended to drive her out of the manor. However, now that Su Yushan had left the capital because of him and had lost her composure far beyond his imagination, Hongli hated Jin Minjing to the core, and even his last shred of mercy had been completely extinguished.
"Cherish the present moment. What you think is a life-saving charm is actually a death warrant!"
After coldly uttering those words, Hongli turned and left indifferently, leaving Jin Minjing alone, trembling. What did Hongli mean by those words? What was this "death warrant"? Could it be that the birth of her child would be her death day?
Impossible! Consort Xi would never allow Hongli to kill her. Her brother is highly regarded by the emperor, how could Hongli easily harm her?
While Jin Minjing was filled with fear, I comforted her, and she was in a state of anxiety, unable to eat or sleep, suffering terribly.
Upon leaving the villa, Hongli's emotions were extremely complicated. He only hated that he had a position but no real power, and he didn't even have the right to deal with a woman. If it weren't for his mother's interference, he would have dealt with Jin Minjing long ago, and perhaps Yushan would not have had the idea of escaping.
Many times, he kept pondering the question: Did Su Yushan ever love him?
If not, why would she say those touching words to him, whine and whimper in his arms, cry so sadly in front of him, take his unintentional words to heart, and secretly embroider a belt for him?
But if she truly loved him, how could she leave so easily without a trace of lingering affection or hesitation?
When he discovered that she and Zheng Lin were meeting in the back alley, even if it was a setup, what man could bear such a scene?
No matter how angry or misunderstanding he was, he never considered abandoning her. So why did she leave so easily because of Kim Min-jung?
It was clearly not his fault, yet she left him without hesitation. How could someone who truly loves another be so resolute?
But now that the person has disappeared, what's the point of him pondering these things anymore?
The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. Hongli got into the carriage, hoping to find some peace and quiet. However, the carriage was filled with memories of her. Every smile and frown of hers was deeply imprinted in his mind. The slightest touch would stir up dust and make his eyes sting.
At first, he thought she might have regained her memory and eloped with Zheng Lin, but the guards kept watch near the Zheng family's house and found that Zheng Lin was still at home, coming and going as usual. He seemed unaware of Yu Shan's departure, which meant that she left alone.
He didn't want to disturb the Su family, but he had no other choice. Hongli had no choice but to order the carriage to be parked near the Zheng family's residence. He also sent someone to invite Su Mingfeng and Yu Chan into the carriage for questioning, asking them if they had received any letters from Yu Shan, or if they had heard her mention any place she wanted to go.
Su Yushan was worried that Hongli would trace the matter back to the Su family, so she did not contact her family before leaving. Since Hongli had already given Jiafeng five hundred taels of silver, she did not need to leave them any more money, so she left decisively.
Upon learning of Yu Shan's sudden disappearance, Su Mingfeng and Yu Chan were incredulous, especially Yu Chan, who was almost in tears. "Sister, she ran away alone. Could something have happened to her? Fourth Master, please, please send someone to find her as soon as possible!"
Hongli's complexion had been poor lately, and his eyes, worn down by the complexities of the world, were no longer as bright and spirited as before. With a deep sigh, Hongli said in a hoarse voice, "We have been searching for four days, but we have found no clues."
Su Mingfeng couldn't help but wonder, "Could Yu Shan have gone back to Suzhou?"
Hongli had considered everything he could think of. "I have already sent people to search all the way from Suzhou. We will send messages by carrier pigeon if we have any news."
Yu Chan was deeply worried. She couldn't understand it at all. "Fourth Master, what exactly happened? Why did my sister suddenly leave?"
The entanglements were too complicated for Hongli to mention. He had only brought them here to find clues, and since they were unaware of the situation, he saw no need to say more. He then dismissed them, ordering them to return home and instructing them never to tell anyone else about the matter.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
