Chapter 55: "Which man can win your heart...?"
The rains after the Beginning of Winter grew colder with each passing day. The lingering raindrops fell to the ground like the ticking of a water clock, and the withered leaves covered with frost made the scene even more desolate.
Xue Haoting sat opposite Ling Zhenli, leaning against the soft carriage wall. The shadow swallowed most of his face. Only when a carriage passed by on the road did the lanterns on the opposite side illuminate his taut jawline and the icy stillness in his eyes.
He remained silent, only looking at Ling Zhenli.
Ling Zhenli huddled in the corner, her body trembling involuntarily with every bump of the wheels. Her fingers gripped the satin seat beneath her so tightly that her nails almost dug in.
Time stretched out and crushed in this suffocating silence.
Two quarters of an hour ago, Ling Zhenli and Fang Wenzhou returned to the Fang family home, where Xue Haoting and the others had been waiting for a long time.
On his way here, Xue Haoting was even afraid that Ling Zhenli would be imprisoned by the Fang family and something bad would happen to her. But his worries were unnecessary. While he was in a hurry, Ling Zhenli was lying in the arms of another man, who was also a man from the Fang family.
After the two returned, no one spoke in the hall for a while. Xue Haoting was furious when he saw Ling Zhenli's appearance, but he couldn't let the Fang family laugh at him, so he could only hold back his anger until the patriarch of the Fang family couldn't hold back any longer and went up to slap Fang Wenzhou, which broke the silence.
After a crisp, loud slap, Xue Haoting could no longer contain his anger. He grabbed Ling Zhenli and pulled her outside. Ling Zhenli glanced at Fang Wenzhou, but didn't dare to say anything. She obediently let Xue Haoting lead her away.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy. Ling Zhenli glanced at Xue Haoting secretly, but he didn't speak, so she didn't dare to speak either.
Finally, Xue Haoting moved, leaning forward slightly, and the shadow moved with him, becoming even more intense.
He reached out with one hand, his cold fingers pinching Ling Zhenli's chin, forcing her to raise her head, which had been hanging down.
The coldness seeped into her skin from her fingertips, sending a shiver down Ling Zhenli's spine.
After a long time, the carriage arrived at Zhuque Street, and Xue Haoting finally spoke. He stared at Ling Zhenli with icy eyes.
"What is your relationship with Fang Wenzhou?"
Ling Zhenli shrank back, not daring to answer.
"Speak." Xue Haoting's voice was low and steady, with a hint of suppressed anger.
Ling Zhenli shuddered, and tears rolled down her cheeks without warning, landing on his cold hand.
"Xue Haoting, brother..."
Ling Zhenli's voice was so broken that even she herself didn't recognize it, filled with violent sobs; she was terrified.
"It happened once or twice..."
Xue Haoting was taken aback at first, then shook his head and sneered, his eyes filled with coldness, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists.
"Great, you're really something."
"I was wrong... I really know I was wrong... Please forgive me this time..."
Pei Shang'er and Fang Wenzhou found out her identity, and Pei Xuanlin was not around. She was already Xue Wenmian's discarded pawn. If Xue Haoting abandoned her, she was finished.
"Spare you?" Xue Haoting repeated softly, drawing out the last syllable, as if savoring something amusing. "Spare you what? Didn't you hate me the most? Why are you begging me now?"
His fingertips slowly slid down Ling Zhenli's jawline, across her rapidly throbbing neck veins; that slow caress was more terrifying than direct violence.
“I…I…” Ling Zhenli opened her mouth, but couldn’t say anything.
Xue Haoting's gaze fell on Ling Zhenli's lips, which were slightly parted in fear. His eyes were naked, without a trace of lust, only scrutiny and an almost cruel inquiry.
“I am no longer the Crown Princess… If my father finds out about Fang Wenzhou and me… he will definitely not let me off easily, especially since Fang Wenzhou knows my true identity…”
"Ha, what does what you did have to do with me? What do you have to offer me in return?"
A chilling despair gripped Ling Zhenli's heart in an instant.
Seeing Xue Haoting's cold attitude, Ling Zhenli's body reacted before her will.
His fingers trembled so badly that he fumbled for the belt around his waist. The smooth silk felt like rough sandpaper, grinding against his fingertips. He tugged at it several times before finally managing to untie it.
“You once said you liked me, didn’t you… I know you were the one who brought me from Zuixianlou to the Prime Minister’s residence. I was ungrateful in the past, but now it’s my turn to repay you…”
The outer garment, no longer restrained, slid loosely to both sides, revealing the plain collar of the inner garment.
The cold air touched the exposed skin of her neck, raising a patch of tiny goosebumps. Ling Zhenli dared not look at Xue Haoting at this moment, afraid of seeing the contempt and mockery in his eyes.
She trembled as she raised her weak arm, hooked it around his neck, and tried to pull his body down so she could offer her lips to him.
The most humiliating way was to beg for Xue Haoting's protection.
Xue Haoting remained unmoved as she passionately kissed him.
Sensing Xue Haoting's indifference, Ling Zhenli froze in mid-air, her blood seemingly frozen at that moment.
He lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on Ling Zhenli's lips, and gave a cold laugh.
"I don't care anymore, Ling Zhenli."
This sentence shattered all of Ling Zhenli's remaining hope.
Her tears flowed even more fiercely, blurring her vision.
The world was left with only the noise of the carriage wheels and her own deafening heartbeat.
Shame, fear, despair... countless emotions tore at her, almost tearing Ling Zhenli apart.
Ling Zhenli had no choice. Xue Haoting was the future head of the Xue family, and only he could change Xue Wenmian's mind. If she were abandoned by the Xue family at this critical juncture, all her efforts would be in vain.
Just then, Xue Haoting's gaze slowly moved downwards, landing on him...
Beneath the expensive fabric, the lurking silhouette was faintly visible. He didn't speak, just stared at her, then glanced at Ling Zhenli.
...
Ling Zhenli was immersed in intense anxiety and fear of losing her protection, letting Xue Haoting press her head down, forcing her to stop and crush her in the deepest part.
Just when Ling Zhenli thought she was going to suffocate like this, he suddenly pulled her away.
Fresh air rushed into his lungs, and Ling Zhenli collapsed, coughing and gagging violently. Saliva mixed with tears and snot covered his face, making him look utterly disheveled.
A cold voice came from above, slightly hoarse before passion, which was even more chilling: "Can't take it already? Were you this incompetent when you were with Fang Wenzhou?"
Ling Zhenli coughed so hard she couldn't speak, and could only shake her head desperately.
Xue Haoting wouldn't allow her to escape, so he grabbed Ling Zhenli's hair and lifted her up again.
“Speak,” he said in a low, hoarse voice, his command leaving no room for argument, “whom will you listen to from now on?”
Overwhelmed by immense fear and a sense of submission, Ling Zhenli closed her eyes and, with all her remaining strength, choked out incoherently, "I'll listen to you..."
"What should you call me?" Xue Haoting was not satisfied with her answer.
Ling Zhenli sobbed and called out "Brother!"
Xue Haoting softened his tone slightly, stroking her hair with his fingers: "I want to hear you call me husband."
Wh...what?!
Have all of them gone mad?
Seeing that Xue Haoting's face, which had finally softened, was about to turn cold again, Ling Zhenli lowered her head, enduring the burning shame in her heart, and called out "Husband".
He pressed on relentlessly, insisting that Ling Zhenli look him in the eye and shout.
"My husband."
The words burned her throat, making her voice barely audible, but at least Ling Zhenli managed to say them.
He seemed finally satisfied, releasing Ling Zhenli's hair, leaning back in his chair, and looking down at her as she collapsed at his feet, panting and looking disheveled.
"I originally thought you were really in love with Pei Xuanlin, but now it seems your feelings for him are nothing more than that. Well, you're such a heartless woman, what man could possibly win your heart?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenli dropped her feigned weakness and wearily mocked herself, "What's the point of getting my heart? Don't men just want my body? Besides, isn't getting my body easier for you than getting my heart?"
Xue Haoting laughed, not with pleasure, but with a kind of satisfied control over her.
He reached out and his rough fingertips maliciously flicked Ling Zhenli's cheek: "Hmm, you're right."
Xue Haoting lost his patience and, no longer wanting to listen to Ling Zhenli's stubborn words, suddenly lifted her off the ground, roughly flipped her over, and pressed her down against the carriage wall.
He carelessly lifted the expensive brocade skirt and piled it around his waist, instantly exposing his lower body to the cool air.
Xue Haoting pressed down hard on Ling Zhenli's back with one hand, and with the other hand tore off the last restraints on her body.
Then, without any warning...
The sudden discomfort made Ling Zhenli cry out in pain, her fingertips instinctively digging into his back.
His breathing was heavy, a low, hoarse laugh escaped his throat, and he held her even tighter, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
The tight embrace and irresistible force made her dizzy, and she collapsed weakly in his arms, letting out a soft sob.
"Xue Haoting...you again..."
"What now?"
"..." Ling Zhenli suppressed her anger, turned her head away, and stopped talking.
Xue Haoting persisted, his hot breath burning her ear, his voice terribly hoarse: "Is he good to you, or is he like this to me?"
"He...didn't..."
Her broken denials and sobs were silently swallowed up; in the violent turmoil, her consciousness was torn and tossed about by the air currents like a kite with a broken string.
My senses completely collapsed, leaving only waves of dizziness and weightlessness, as if I were about to disintegrate at any moment.
In the cramped space, only two intertwined breaths remained: one was a scorching, all-encompassing tide, and the other was a faint ripple, completely submerged by the tide, intermittently striking the suffocating silence.
...
After their lovemaking ended, Xue Haoting cleaned up Ling Zhenli, dressed her, and then slowly tidied his own robes, fastened his jade belt, and resumed his aloof and noble demeanor.
The sticky, fishy smell in the air had not yet dissipated, carrying with it a heavy sense of emptiness that often lingers after the deed is done.
The carriage had already stopped, about twenty steps away from a side gate of the Prime Minister's residence.
“Ah Li, Fang Wenzhou and I seem to be no different.”
Xue Haoting's voice was filled with belated, unfulfilled guilt. Ling Zhenli lowered her eyebrows and closed her eyes. She was too tired and just wanted to rest. When she heard Xue Haoting's words, she only let out a soft moan.
Xue Haoting sighed and smiled bitterly, "But you really shouldn't be so foolish. Since Fang Wenzhou is already blackmailing you, even if you give him a thousand or ten thousand times, he will still reveal your secret."
Ling Zhenli felt extremely sad, regretting that she lacked love and companionship and had fallen into Fang Wenzhou's trap with just a little seduction.
She closed her eyes and whispered, "I really didn't know the Xue family and the Fang family had such a deep-seated hatred. What happened before? Why did Fang Wenzhou treat me like this? Why are you so angry..."
Xue Haoting lowered his eyes and then told Ling Zhenli about the past between the Fang family and the Xue family.
The Prime Minister's wife, Cui Yuerong, was formerly known as Cui Jin.
Back then, Cui Yuerong, relying on her parents' power and favor, did all sorts of evil deeds in the capital. She even dared to mock Empress Chen Hui to her face, calling her a crude and ignorant country bumpkin. In addition, her behavior was unrestrained, so despite being a daughter of a prestigious family, no one proposed marriage to her.
Xue Wenmian and she were the two extremes among the scions of noble families. He was only twenty years old when he became the Grand Tutor of the court and was engaged to the daughter of the Lu family. He was young and promising, with unpredictable cunning and a bright future.
These two people, who seem to be worlds apart, secretly cheat on each other day and night, indulging in illicit affairs and oblivious to the world around them.
Xue Wenmian had always loved Cui Jinye, but unfortunately, Cui Jinye knew she was of questionable character and didn't want to hold Xue Wenmian back, so she rejected his love. Just when Xue Wenmian was heartbroken and about to follow his family's arrangements and put the marriage on the agenda...
Cui Jin also discovered that she was pregnant.
When a young lady from a respectable family becomes pregnant, it's like trying to keep a secret forever. The Cui family soon finds out, but in order not to jeopardize Xue Wenmian's future, she doesn't reveal his identity, only saying that she herself is promiscuous and doesn't know who the father of the child is.
In an attempt to cover up the scandal, the Cui family hastily arranged a marriage for Cui Jin, to the son of the Fang family, and even forced her to abort her unborn child.
In the end, she couldn't bear to part with the child in her womb. When the safflower soup was brought to her room, she didn't drink it. Although everyone in the capital knew that Cui Jin was promiscuous, she had only ever been unrestrained with one man, Xue Wenmian. She just didn't know if Xue Wenmian would believe that the child in her womb was his.
Cui Jin also took a gamble, secretly sending her trusted maid to the Xue residence to tell Xue Wenmian that she was pregnant. She won the gamble, and the next day Xue Wenmian broke off the engagement with the Lu family and came to the Cui residence to snatch the bride.
The Xue family was the most prominent family. The Cui family could not compete with the exorbitant dowry offered by Xue Wenmian, so they also broke off the engagement with the Fang family and married Cui Jin to Xue Wenmian. However, because the event happened suddenly, it was not a good thing to hear.
And that child was born; it was Xue Haoting.
To avoid being ridiculed, the Fang and Lu families had no choice but to swallow their pride and arrange a marriage between the two families.
In recent years, the relationship between the Lu and Cui families has eased slightly, and they have renewed their marriage agreement. However, the feud between the Xue and Fang families runs too deep and is probably irreconcilable.
Ling Zhenli grew colder and colder as she listened. The Fang family had suffered such a humiliating disgrace; no wonder Fang Wenzhou wanted to get close to her and seek revenge.
"What will my father say to me if he finds out... Does he know I slept with Fang Wenzhou?"
"He doesn't know."
"Could you please not tell him?"
Xue Haoting remained silent, coldly glancing at Ling Zhenli, as if to say that she had done something so disgraceful to the family and still had the nerve to make demands.
Ling Zhenli pleaded again, "Fang Wenzhou threatened me, so I slept with him. I never slept with him willingly. Xue Haoting, brother, please believe me."
Ling Zhenli looked at Xue Haoting with a pleading look in her voice, her voice tinged with grievance. Xue Haoting chuckled and rubbed her hand: "Okay, I won't say anything."
"We dawdled until it was almost dawn... Are Father and Mother resting? Are they still waiting for us?" Ling Zhenli's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, a little shy.
Xue Haoting lifted the carriage curtain, glanced out the window. It was still dark. He said softly, "It's alright. If Xie Daojian wants to marry you, then asking the Xue family for a day off from court this morning is not a difficult thing."
I almost forgot about that.
Ling Zhenli asked cautiously, "Does Father want me to marry Lord Xie?"
"..." Xue Haoting was silent for a moment before speaking, "If Xie Daojian can make you empress, then your father will make you marry him."
"What about Pei Xuanlin?"
"It's because Pei Xuanlin is still alive and the outcome is still uncertain that Father is hesitating."
"And what about Mother?" Ling Zhenli asked tentatively.
Deep down, although she hated the Prime Minister's family for taking away her original parents and relatives, Ling Zhenli's birth mother really didn't care about her as her daughter. She wasn't as good to her as Cui Yuerong had been when she loved her. People are selfish, and she hoped that Cui Yuerong truly loved her and didn't use her as a pawn.
"Your mother loves you. With her on your side, your father won't give you a hard time."
Xue Haoting knew that although Xue Wenmian was the nominal head of the family, he actually listened to Cui Yuerong.
"If I tell my mother about Fang Wenzhou and me, will she get angry?"
“She won’t. Fang Wenzhou used to be Yang Chengxiu’s study companion and would occasionally visit the Prime Minister’s residence. But after he grew up and learned about the feud between the two families, he stopped seeing them. My mother used to like Fang Wenzhou quite a bit.”
"I'm rested. When are we going home?" Ling Zhenli looked up at Xue Haoting.
"Then let's do it now."
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