When Marquis Zhongyi saw Jiang Chengli's resolute act of suicide, he was so shocked that his hair stood on end. He instinctively tried to stop him, but Jiang Chengli was determined to die and there was no time to stop him.
He watched almost helplessly as his son forcefully slashed the knife against his neck, blood about to spurt out in the next second.
The imagined scene of blood splattering did not occur. Instead, a bolt of lightning struck the knife, breaking it in two and shattering it into several pieces that lay scattered on the ground.
Jiang Chengli was panting heavily. He looked at the broken pieces on the ground and let out a low growl.
"Brother Dazhuang, Brother Dazhuang, what's wrong?" Xing Xiaoya's urgent voice came, and the door was pushed open.
"Third brother, third brother! What are you doing!" Marquis Zhongyi came to his senses and immediately rushed forward to try to stop him.
But Jiang Chengli wouldn't let him get close at all, taking two steps back and growling in a low voice, "Leave here immediately, now!"
He shouted these words almost hoarsely. Originally, Marquis Zhongyi wanted to see what Xing Xiaoya looked like. She was clearly infatuated with him, as she could make his son come to the capital and not return home.
But seeing Jiang Chengli's expression, he didn't hesitate and turned to disappear into the night.
Only after watching the figure of the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness disappear did Jiang Chengli breathe a sigh of relief. He felt his legs go weak and he staggered, almost falling over.
He hadn't done any strenuous work, yet he was drenched in sweat, his hair soaked, as if he'd been pulled out of the water—clearly, he was extremely nervous.
He clenched his fist, but felt nothing, as if all the sense of touch in his body had disappeared.
"Brother Dazhuang, Brother Dazhuang, what's wrong with you? Who was that person? I only saw a dark shadow. Are you hurt?" Xing Xiaoya stumbled over, lifting her skirt, looking like a frightened bird.
In times like these, Jiang Chengli would usually comfort her, after all, he should be touched that she was so worried about him.
But now, when Xing Xiaoya tried to reach out to help him, the man took two steps back, avoiding her touch. When he looked up at her, his eyes were filled with undisguised hatred and disgust.
"Brother Dazhuang, what's wrong? Who was that person just now? Do you know him? I think I heard you call him 'Dad,' is he your family member—" Xing Xiaoya looked at him timidly, clearly terrified of his sinister aura, but she stubbornly stood there and didn't leave.
Jiang Chengli was still in a state of fear. Through countless lifetimes, he had witnessed too many times that he and his son had turned against each other and fought over Xing Xiaoya. Therefore, he always hoped that Xing Xiaoya would meet them a little later.
When Xing Xiaoya pushed open the door just now, his heart was in his throat. Scenes from before replayed in his mind, all of which showed how the Marquis of Zhongyi treated Xing Xiaoya differently.
No matter where they meet, they always end up in the same place, so they are still in a daze.
At first, he didn't react much to Xing Xiaoya's words, but when she started mentioning her family frequently, it touched a nerve with Jiang Chengli. Without even thinking, he reached out and twisted Xing Xiaoya's neck with a little force.
Darkness descended, and he waited calmly. He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes again, he was still in the courtyard. Xing Xiaoya, holding up her skirt, staggered over.
"Brother Dazhuang, Brother Dazhuang, what's wrong with you? Who was that person who came just now? I only saw a dark shadow. Are you hurt?" The exact same words came out of her mouth for the second time, but she was completely unaware of it.
Only he knew all of this. Jiang Chengli was crying and laughing at the same time, as if he had gone mad.
There must be an unseen hand controlling everything behind this world. Perhaps it's because he's had too many mishaps and is as stubborn as a mule. When Xing Xiaoya saves him, he keeps trying to commit suicide or kill her, refusing to move the plot forward even a little bit.
Therefore, if he does this again afterward, he will either be stopped in time, or if he cannot be saved in time, the plot will continue from the point before his death and will not go back to the beginning.
His nightmares never end, and there is no end in sight.
"I'm fine. The spies just went to the wrong place and were trying to kill other people. I chased them away." Jiang Chengli waved his hand.
He didn't want to pay attention to her, but if he didn't answer, Xing Xiaoya would keep asking until he got annoyed, and then his body would feel like it was being controlled by some unknown force.
He might as well just say a few words and get rid of the person.
"Brother Dazhuang, are you hiding something from me? I just heard you call me 'Dad,' and you sounded very urgent." Xing Xiaoya didn't believe her and tilted her head to continue asking.
"My memory seems to have returned somewhat. Just now, I saw that the spy's figure looked a bit like him, so I called out to him, only to realize later that I had mistaken him for someone else."
So many cycles of reincarnation have long since turned a clumsy person into someone who can lie without batting an eye, and can even concoct excuses without batting an eye.
Upon hearing this, Xing Xiaoya's attention was immediately diverted, and she became overjoyed: "Have you regained your memory? What have you remembered? Do you remember where you live? Whether it's a brick house or a thatched hut, I want to move there as soon as possible. Most of the people living on this Wutong Street are mistresses or people with unclean backgrounds, and I really can't live there anymore."
Jiang Chengli brought her here under the pretext of cheap rent and seclusion. In reality, every household here keeps their doors tightly shut and values privacy. If he doesn't let Xing Xiaoya go out, it will be difficult for her to run into the Jiang family, thus postponing their meeting.
Hearing what she said, Jiang Chengli clenched his fists, and he started thinking about killing again.
But what's the point of killing her? Making her raise the question again would be a complete waste of time.
"You scared the person away, and the memories that were just starting to surface have all vanished. I can't remember anything at all." Jiang Chengli slapped his head hard, the dull sound of the slap sending shivers down one's spine. Clearly, he had used a great deal of force.
Xing Xiaoya was startled again and quickly stopped him. He was hitting her head like a watermelon, and she was afraid he would smash her head in.
"Brother Dazhuang, please stop filming. It's all my fault. Next time, if you don't let me come out, I'll stay inside. Did you find that jade pendant? It's the only thing that can prove your identity!" Xing Xiaoya quickly apologized and then asked about the jade pendant.
Having been reborn for so long, Jiang Chengli has become quite adept at dealing with Xing Xiaoya without any formal instruction. The honest and straightforward man he once was has transformed into a cunning man who knows how to sell tea.
Although such minor details don't affect the plot at all, being able to find fault with Xing Xiaoya is a kind of pathetic self-satisfaction.
"If we can't find it, so be it. We'll find it eventually," he said nonchalantly.
He had already crushed the jade pendant, wishing he could never find the Jiang family again.
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