[T/N: Rape trigger]

 What are the two of you doing?” The girl’s crisp voice rang with curiosity.

 The two people under the pavilion turned around simultaneously. Su Jiu was holding a brocade box in her hands as she walked towards the pavilion.

 Her black hair had been casually gathered into a bun, and she was wearing a simple lake green dress. Her countenance was that of devastating beauty, and her disposition was pure. She did not need to adorn herself with additional jewelry or accessories to accentuate her gracefulness.

 Ji Yuxian’s handsome eyes deepened. He could not help but take a step forward. “My wife!”

 Su Jiu’s eyes dimmed as she stared emotionlessly at him. “Ji Yuxian, I’m not…”

 When she saw the man’s gloomy eyes, Su Jiu’s voice froze, and she could not bear to finish her sentence.

 Xiao Lie’s gaze brushed past their faces. He spoke to Su Jiu, “You must have something to discuss with Eldest Master Ji. I won’t disturb you both, I’ll visit you another day!”

 Su Jiu nodded her head. “I’ll send you off at the gate!”

 The two of them walked out of the pavilion shoulder to shoulder. Once they exited the exquisitely carved gate, Su Jiu suddenly remembered the item in her hand and quickly added, “I’ll return this to you!”

 Xiao Lie received the brocade box and opened it. Inside, he saw that piece of jade.

 This piece of jade was originally a gift from his mother in celebration of his coming of age. She had told him to pass the jade to his future princess consort as a token of love.

 He had always carried it on his body, until the day that Su Jiu had stolen it from him.

 He had even assumed that this was the fate arranged by the heavens until Su Jiu became ‘Young Mistress Ji’!

 Previously when he went to find Su Jiu, he had intended to end their relationship. But now, she was no longer the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor, and his originally reposed heart had been revived once again.

 Or maybe, his feelings had never disappeared, and had intensified through the storms – They could no longer be suppressed.

 He placed the piece of jade back into Su Jiu’s palms. The man’s handsome eyes were boundless as he said faintly.

 “I’ll leave it with you. One day, I might just come back to ask to return it, or I might give it to you as a gift!”

 Su Jiu quirked her brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

 This piece of jade appeared to be very important to him since he had hounded her for it in the past, but at the same time, it didn’t seem important since he had casually dumped it to her.

 “There’s no need to ask me now. Just help me look after it well!” The man smiled warmly.

 Su Jiu’s pupils turned as she bobbed her head with a smile. “Alright, don’t forget about it!”

 “I won’t!”

 The depths of Xiao Lie’s eyes were unreadable. He glanced at her once, before turning around to board his horse carriage.

 Su Jiu returned to the courtyard. The man was still standing there, his phoenix eyes squinting at her faintly as he stared at her figure. He seemed to move in sync with the girl’s footsteps.

 Nibbling her lips, Su Jiu walked towards the pavilion. She asked nonchalantly, “Why have you come?”

 Ji Yuxian walked over and closed the distance between them. His figure towered over her as he looked down at her face, before lifting his hands to prop up her chin slightly. When their eyes met, both of them seemed to freeze.

 “Su Jiu, we’ve gone through the wedding rituals together, and we’ve partaken in the crossed-cup wine. I only recognize you as my wife!”

 “Then what about the Miss from the Su Family? You guys were the ones that were promised to each other!” Su Jiu replied faintly.

 “You don’t have to bother about her, I will find a way to get her to leave!” The man’s voice was resolute.

 Su Jiu shook her head and gazed at the withering lotuses among the autumn landscape. She straightened her back, her beautiful face full of clarity as she explained, “Ji Yuxian, I don’t consider myself a good person. I’m a mountain bandit who has blocked roads to rob others. I’ve murdered, I’ve committed arson, and when the commoners mention me, their teeth chatter in fear. But my conscience has not been completely extinguished. I’ve stolen Miss Su’s identity for one year and it’s time to return it to her. Talking about Miss Su, she’s too pitiful. She was robbed by mountain bandits, and even…”

 She paused in her words, before continuing, “And even had her place as the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor stolen by me. If she was already dead, it would be fine. But today, she’s still alive, so I can’t return to the Ji Manor in the future!”

 She turned her head and looked at Ji Yuxian. “In the past year, you’ve helped me in so many ways. You’ve taught me how to read and understand words, you’ve taught me how to conduct my business and you’ve helped me solve countless problems. I’m very grateful to you!”

 “There’s only gratitude?” The man’s voice had become slightly hoarse. An enigmatic feeling surged from the bottom of his heart and spread into all his bones, permeating them. It seemed to dissolve in every drop of blood within his body.

 Su Jiu bit her lips and did not dare to look into the man’s dark phoenix eyes. “Even though we no longer share the relationship of husband and wife, the collaboration that we discussed before can continue. I can help you deal with Zhu Hecheng, and help you take revenge on that person!”

 Ji Yuxian’s eyes narrowed slightly as the remaining radiance in his eyes vanished. His voice was solemn as he replied, “So you heard the conversation that I had with Shangguan in the study the other day!”

 “Yes!” Su Jiu nodded her head truthfully.

 “But did you ever consider that if I wanted to avoid implicating myself in this matter, why would I help Qiao An by donating grain? Why would I take the initiative to look for Zhu Hecheng and cause him to resent the Ji Manor?”

 In his initial agreement with Su Jiu, he had truly harbored the intention to make her the sword in his hands. But afterward, his original plans had long changed. He could not bear to put her in danger and was unwilling to let her worry in the slightest. Even a single frown on her face could cause his heart to ache and compel him to hug her in his arms.

 However, she had listened to those words as though they were conclusive. Her heart was wary against him.

 Su Jiu lifted her eyes to look at him. Her heart ached a little, so she abruptly turned around.

 “Regardless, it’s impossible for me to return to the Ji Manor. You and me, it’s good if we can remain as friends!”

 Ji Yuxian’s face paled and he pressed her shoulders with both hands, before turning her body around abruptly. He clenched his teeth as he looked at her. “Su Jiu, we have shared a bed and used the same cushions for one whole year. You’re in here! Just tell me, how can we be friends?”

 Ji Yuxian pressed Su Jiu’s hand against his chest, flashing a cold and despicable smile. His entire heart was full of indignation.

 Su Jiu tried her very best to ignore the gnawing pain at her chest as she whispered, “If you and Miss Su share a bed for one year, then hopefully, she’ll be able to gain a place in your heart.”

 “What did you say?” Ji Yuxian appeared to be in disbelief as he stared at Su Jiu.

 When he saw the girl’s calm expression, the corner of Ji Yuxian’s lips hooked into a self-deprecating smile. “People say that I, Eldest Master Ji, am a cold and ruthless person. I have just realized, Su Jiu, you are the most heartless person that exists!”

 He extended his hands and stroked the girl’s fair cheeks gently, but his phoenix eyes were frosty. “In the end, I couldn’t soften your heart, right?”

 Su Jiu closed her eyes, her long lashes quivering like an autumn butterfly.

 “I’m sorry!”

 The remaining light in Ji Yuxian’s eyes had been completely extinguished. He stared intensely at the girl before him. It felt as though someone had stabbed a knife deeply into his chest. A single breeze caused every single nerve in his body to twitch in agony.

 He nodded his head, as though he had finally understood everything. He took one final look at the girl, before turning around and walking out of the pavilion.

 The wind ruffled his black hair, which scattered on that red robe of his. It was an enchanting sight; an image of blood that had been dyed black. The autumn wind blew by, but in an instance, winter had arrived.

 The man’s rim rod straight silhouette disappeared as his shadow gradually melded into the distance. Even his final departing silhouette was full of gracefulness. Su Jiu suddenly recalled her first meeting with him. He was sitting on the top floor of the Jingqin Restaurant with a smile that stole everyone’s attention, intoxicating them.

 She was also sitting on top of the horse carriage, staring at him amidst the crowd, her eyes full of curiosity and disdain.

 Afterward, they had gone through so much and solved many problems one by one. In the end, just like the very beginning, she could only look at the shadow of his back.

 Su Jiu leaned back against the pillar along the corridor, and a residual of unyielding persistence seemed to exist in her eyes. She clenched her hands and made every effort to hold herself back from running after him.

 Let it be like this!

 Her original plan was to leave the Ji Manor after gaining everything, and today, she had merely fulfilled that vow.

 Why did she have to be sad?

 Why did she have to be unwilling?

 All of these were unnecessary.

 His sadness would pass too. He would eventually like Miss Su, love her deeply, and one day, grow old with her.

 “Su Jiu…”

 The voice of the man who had once held her passionately seemed to ring in her ears. Su Jiu hurriedly used both hands to plug her years, but that low, tender, and affectionate voice seemed to resonate from her heart once again. That voice called out to her again and again, causing her to go mad.

 Su Jiu shook her head in fear and leaped up before plunging into the lake. The icy cold water of the lake engulfed her on all sides and seemed to attack her body and all her five senses, causing everything to become hazy. Su Jiu finally felt that everything had become more bearable as she floated on the surface of the chilly waters, before slowly closing her eyes.

 It was night time, just before midnight. There wasn’t a trace of a person on the dim and quiet streets.

 The autumn wind scattered the fallen leaves, causing them to whirl around the dimly lit lanterns of the guesthouse.

 Suddenly, the urgent cantering of a horse seemed to sound from the distance as it approached the guesthouse. The horse carriage came to a stop, and an entourage of ten people seemed to guard the horse carriage on all sides.

 The door of the carriage opened and a man stepped out from it. He trod onto the figure of a person kneeling in front of the horse carriage as he slowly disembarked.

 The man was around five feet tall and was wearing a brocade robe embroidered with billows. He had a round face and a flat nose, and his long-term addiction to alcohol seemed to have caused his eyes to become flighty. Black was the only color seen in the depths of his eyes, which eluded cruelty and evilness. The man walked forward towards the guesthouse.

 One of his legs appeared to be disabled, and when he walked, there was a slight limp. However, he walked at a fast pace and reached the entrance of the guest house in a few steps.

The lackeys behind him had already pushed open the doors of the guesthouse a long time ago. The innkeeper on night shift anxiously came out to welcome them. When he saw such a large group of people, he was about to ask if they wanted to stay the night, when he caught sight of the man clad in the brocade robe walk in. He instantly greeted in fear, “This lowly one greets Master Chang!”

 That person’s name was Chang Bo, and he was Xie Shiyun’s nephew. His father, Chang Zhen, was an imperial censor of the seventh rank in court.

 Since he was young, Chang Bo was an infamous profligate son and a drunkard. The year he turned sixteen, he fought with another man over a girl, rendering the opposite party severely injured. However, he had been ignorant of the fact that the other man had quite a status, and was the nephew of Lan Xiang’s wife who had traveled from foreign lands to find a wife in Shengjing.

 Madame Lan had come to know that his nephew had been beaten beyond the point of recognition, but she knew that the reason behind his injuries was unrelated to official dealings. As such, she chose not to bother Lan Xiang and instead used backhanded methods by making dealings with one of the officials from the Ministry of Justice.

 That official had arrested Chang Bo and imprisoned him, before directly breaking his legs.

 His father had to beg numerous people before he was finally released from jail. However, the person who had instigated this was the nephew of Master Xiang, who held an important position in court, and hence the Chang Family could only tolerate this silently.

 After so many years, as the flesh on his legs had rotted, he had never once forgotten the hatred and vengeance for crippling his legs!

 Vengeance against the Lan Family!

 At that moment, those lackeys shoved the innkeeper aside and charged directly towards the second floor.

 The innkeeper trembled and curled into a ball under the counter in hiding. His eyes were widened in fear, but he dared not make a sound.

 Chang Bo seemed to have received his information beforehand. He had gone up to the second floor to search for a particular room before barging straight in.

 Qin Xiang’s exclamation of shock could be heard from inside. “Who are you all?! Hurry and get out!”

 “Don’t take my Miss away!”

 “Don’t! Who are you all?”

 Lan Zhihui was picked up directly from the bed. She flailed her arms in trepidation as she yelled, “Let go of me! Let go of me!”

 She was only wearing her inner robe, and when it was torn, her snow-white neck was exposed. She was both ashamed and frightened at the same time as she screamed at Qin Xiang.

 “Qin Xiang, save me! Quickly save me!”

 “Is anyone there?! Someone is kidnapping my family’s Miss!”

 “Somebody, please come!”

 Qin Xiang was running after Lan Zhihui, who had been kidnapped while screaming for help.

 One of the lackeys ruthlessly slapped Qin Xiang on the face, causing her body to fly and collide onto the wooden ground of the corridor. Her eyes rolled back and she immediately fainted.

 Lan Zhihui widened her eyes in shock, her complexion as white as a sheet.

 Two of the lackeys had bounded Lan Zhihui’s hands before dragging her down the stairs. They tossed her in front of Chang Bo with a ‘thud’.

 Lan Zhihui frantically got up and retreated backward when she saw Chang Bo. “Who are you? Why did you take me?”

 Chang Bo’s wicked eyes darted over Lan Zhihui’s body from top to bottom, and he stroked his chin with a smirk. “Shengjing’s number one beauty. As it turned out, she’s much prettier than those fat and greasy girls who powder their faces!”

 “You’ve recognized the wrong person! I have no grievances with you, why did you tie me up?” Lan Zhihui widened her eyes. When she saw the man’s perverted and obscene expression, her heart was captured by an immense sense of fear.

 “No grievances?” Chang Bo sneered coldly. He pointed to his rotten leg and retorted, “Do you know who did this? It’s your Lan Family! It has been so many years. Even though your mother and father are dead, you are still very much alive, hiding in the Ji Manor and sauntering around with contentment. However, I had to drag this crippled leg of mine around every day, wishing that I could slice your body up into a thousand pieces. Now that the Ji Manor no longer wants you, this Master can now commence his revenge!”

 “I apologize, I had no idea about this matter. I can give you money, and I can compensate you. I beg you to let me go!” Under such colossal fear, Lan Zhihui no longer bothered to maintain her usual dignified appearance. She knelt on the ground and continuously begged for mercy.

 “Money? This Master has plenty!” Chang Bo got up and his gaze brushed past Lan Zhihui’s disheveled clothes. His eyes were full of lust as he grinned and ordered, “Take her away!”

 “Yes!” A few lackeys immediately went forward.

 Lan Zhihui staggered backward in desperation as she threw her arms forward.

 “Don’t touch me! I want to report you to the authorities! I want to head to the magistrate’s office now to report you all!”

 “Save me!”

 “Qin Xiang, save me!”

 …

 However, nobody came to her rescue. Qin Xiang was still unconscious on the second floor, and when the other guests were awakened from their sleep by the noise, they only dared to peek out with the doors slightly ajar. When they saw so many violent and ruthless thugs out there, they immediately retracted their necks like a turtle.

 The innkeeper had shriveled up under the table. He did not dare to provoke the Chang Family, so he could only pretend not to hear anything.

 Lan Zhihui had exerted all her strength to struggle in fright, and she started to throw herself around madly to whack them.

 

When the two lackeys were unable to restrain her, another one ran forward to her side and carried her in one smooth motion. Following this, the others swarmed forward and lifted the girl before carrying her out.

 Right before the horse carriage, someone had already brought some rope over to secure the hands and legs of the wailing girl. They proceeded to gag her, before lifting her and chucking her into the horse carriage.

 Chang Bo was already waiting inside the horse carriage. When he saw the state that the girl was in after being bound up, a strange sense of excitement overwhelmed him. He instructed his men to hurry back to the manor as he ripped Lan Zhihui’s clothes apart.

 At night, women usually slept with just a thin robe on. After being ripped apart, her tender snow-white skin was exposed. The pink and supple skin was especially alluring under the shadows of the lantern.

 Chang Bo swallowed a mouthful of saliva as his hands groped all over the woman’s body. He pressed his body on her and smothered kisses all over her neck like a pig.

 Lan Zhihui had no way to resist. She could only glare at him with blood-red eyes that were brimming with tears. At that moment, she wasn’t even capable of taking her own life by biting her tongue.

 She had been proud and lofty ever since she was young, and never in her wildest imagination did she foresee herself falling into the hands of a person like Chang Bo!

 Never-ending waves of despair surged from her heart. She wholeheartedly yearned for death, and even the shame and disgust of the man abusing her was no longer important.

 The horse carriage stopped in front of the Chang Manor’s side gate. Lan Zhihui’s clothes had long been torn apart. She shut her eyes tightly, and her expression was one that longed for death.

 Chang Bo was beyond the point of being able to hold back.

 He hurriedly ordered his lackeys to carry the girl into his room.

 At that point, all the servants in the manor were already asleep. Without alerting anyone, Chang Bo brought Lan Zhihui into his courtyard.

 Inside the bedroom, Chang Bo urgently ordered his men to untie the rope on Lan Zhihui’s body.

 One of the lackeys replied, “Young Master, we can’t untie this. This woman is extremely vicious, I’m worried that she would hurt you!”

 Chang Bo smirked ruthlessly. “No matter how fierce a woman is, this Young Master will not be scared. Feed her an aphrodisiac, this Young Master will let her feel pleasure!”

 “Yes!” That lackey brought out a porcelain bottle from the bookshelf and fished out a pill, before feeding it into Lan Zhihui’s mouth.

 Naturally, Lan Zhihui was unwilling to swallow it, so they had to resort to lifting her chin and forcing it down her throat.

 When that lackey noticed Lan Zhihui’s bare body bound by rope, he took the opportunity when Chang Bo was not looking to grope it secretly.

 Not long later, Lan Zhihui’s consciousness gradually blurred. It felt as though countless bugs were crawling inside her body, causing an unbearable itch. She could only twist her body ground, as a soft groan unconsciously escaped her lips.

 At that moment, the girl was lying on the floor. Her hair was tousled, and her body was writhing on the ground. Her seductive actions caused others to lose control.

 Chang Bo no longer cared whether his lackeys were still present or not. He went forward to remove the tattered cloth out of Lan Zhihui’s mouth, before untying the ropes on her body. He carried her and walked impatiently towards the bed in the inner room.

 Very soon, noises that caused one’s ears to redden sounded from inside.

 The few lackeys waited outside covetously and refused to leave. They stared blankly into the room, their hearts full of urgency as they waited.

 After half an hour, the noise from inside finally stopped. Chang Bo collapsed on the bed, but the girl next to him was still twisting around.

 A couple of lackeys went forward and whispered, “Young Master… Young Master?”

 Chang Bo’s was content and exhausted as he opened his eyes. “What’s the matter?”

 

“Young Master, all your subordinates are still waiting!”

 Chang Bo glanced at the girl beside and flipped his body, saying, “Take her away then. You can have fun, but don’t kill her. This Young Master still hasn’t had his fill yet!”

 “Yes… Yes!” The lackeys hastily nodded their heads. They picked up the girl whose body was still burning all over and brought her out of the inner room.

 They did not bother to leave the bedroom. The few of them swarmed around her and did it directly outside the inner room.

…

 When Lan Zhihui woke up, three days had already passed. She found herself in an unfamiliar place and an unfamiliar room, and a few articles of clothing were haphazardly strewn onto her desecrated body.

 She opened her eyes and stared at the autumn sun beyond the window. Her eyes were lifeless, but at that moment, her heart was unexpectedly calm.

 What was the meaning of life? Maybe she should have followed after her parents right when they passed away.

 At that time, she wasn’t brave enough, and she had escaped, hiding in the Ji Manor for ten years. In the end, she still wasn’t able to avoid her fate and had fallen into such a tragic state.

 She hated Ji Yuxian, she hated Su Jiu, and she even hated Xiao Lie. But when confronted with death, all her hatred had become inconceivable.

 She had nothing, and she desired nothing. She only wanted to be turned into ashes after she died, and for her soul and spirit to scatter so that not a residual of her remained in this world.

 The woman examined the bedpost like a dead fish. Without any fear or hesitation, she suddenly threw herself forward with all her strength.

 “Ay, don’t!” Suddenly, the anxious voice of a girl sounded and grasped her wrists firmly while shouting, “You are not allowed to die!”

 “Let go of me! Just let me die!” The girl struggled as she tried to plunge herself against the bedpost.

 However, the girl behind her held her tightly. “What’s the big deal? It’s better to live a difficult life than to die!”

 

Lan Zhihui turned back and saw that the woman that was holding her was approximately thirty years old. She had a sharp and unkindly face, and her eyes seemed to stare coldly at her.

 “Who are you? Why must you bother with me?” Lan Zhihui glared at her.

 The woman cracked into a smile. “I don’t care about you, but the Young Master has already instructed that you cannot die. I’m in charge of watching you, and if you die, I can’t explain it to the Young Master!”

 “Let go of me! Let go of me!” Lan Zhihui grappled with her and screamed like a madwoman. She flung the clothes and bed linen on the bed directly at the woman to vent her feelings.

 The woman stood at the side and stared at her coldly as she made such a big fuss, as though this sort of situation was a common occurrence. She had long become a cold woodblock that had been desensitized.

 After a long time, Lan Zhihui lost her strength and collapsed on the bed to wail.

 “Why?! Why don’t you let me die?! Why won’t you even grant me death? Bastards, you are all bastards!”

 The woman picked up the clothes on the floor and draped them over the girl’s body. She said frostily, “What’s so good about dying? Your body will be tossed out and eaten by the wild dogs – Nothing will be left of you. If you live, at least you can still cling on to hope!”

 Lan Zhihui shook her head vigorously. “Nothing, there is nothing left for me!”

 “How can there be nothing? Don’t you have a pretty oval face, as well as a figure that men adore? In this manor, I have seen so many like you. After two days, you’ll lose your motivation to die!” The woman sneered and continued, “If I were you, I would continue to live well and dress myself up gloriously. Once you gain the Young Master’s favor, you’ll be able to eat and drink to your heart’s content! What could be better than that?”

 After a pause, Lan Zhihui opened her tear-stained eyes and looked at the woman. “What happened to the other suicidal girls you’ve seen?”

 The woman scoffed, “Those who were obedient are still living well, at least they have it better than a servant. Those who were disobedient were awarded to the subordinates. Whether they were sold or killed, I don’t know!”

 

When Lan Zhihui heard this, she became even more despondent. Tears welled in her eyes and she stated softly, “I must die. It won’t be possible for you to monitor my actions every day! Why not you just help me fulfill my wish now!”

 “It looks that this lady is an educated woman. Why are you unwilling to let go of this? Do you still have family members around? Or do you have a vengeance to take? You can continue living just for them!” The woman chided her.

 A cold glint flashed by Lan Zhihui’s lifeless and hatred-filled eyes. She replied with a hoarse voice, “There is. The state I’ve fallen into today, was all because I was harmed by them!”

 “So that’s it? If you were to die, who will help you take this revenge?”

 Lan Zhihui looked gravely at the woman before her, and her expression seemed absent-minded. Her resolution to die was no longer as firm as before.

 Right, she couldn’t just die like this!

 She had to live on. She needed to take revenge so that the people she hated would not live an easy life!

 All the pain she had suffered today, she would repay it many folds!

 On the first day of winter, there was a light snowfall. The weather became even more chilly.

 That day, the weather was gloomy, and the freezing winds were bone-chilling. The bodyguard agency had been commissioned to transfer one batch of goods, and the bodyguards were busy and working in full swing.

 When Ah Shu walked out from the main hall, he saw that a cousin from the Zhao Family’s Porcelain store had come to the Bodyguard Agency with his assistants to inspect the goods and tally the accounts.

 This cousin was Master Zheng, and he dressed ostentatiously that day. His exorbitant brocade robe was coupled with a golden crest on his head and jade pieces on his waist. His face was glowing as he chatted and laughed with the group of bodyguards he was familiar with.

 Ah Shu had always felt that this man carried himself frivolously and did not like him. He did not walk forward to greet him and loaded the goods with his bodyguards instead.

 

When he moved closer, he could only hear that cousin boasting to his bodyguards. He had mentioned that someone had invited him to Jingxin Tavern, before blabbering the details such as what wine he ordered, and the abalone and shark’s fin…

 “I still haven’t congratulated Master Zheng. I heard that the joyous occasion with the Zhao Family’s Miss is approaching!” That bodyguard grinned.

 “About this! This Master isn’t that anxious about it right now. Did you know? My cousin has already climbed onto my bed. Even if she wants to run away, she can’t!” The cousin smiled in satisfaction.

 When Ah Shu heard this, he immediately frowned and turned his head to glance at him.

 That bodyguard widened his eyes in shock and praised, “Master Zheng, you sure are capable!”

 “Women, as long as they sleep with you, they’re guaranteed to be submissive. My cousin used to have such a spicy personality, but now she’s so well-behaved when she serves me.” Master Zheng smirked subtly, but his eyes were full of pride.

 “Master Zheng, I see you are a veteran in this field!” That bodyguard seemed to despise Master Zheng’s character, as his voice seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

 However, when Master Zheng heard this, he assumed that he was singing him sincere praises. He flapped the jade fan with gold embellishments and smiled. “In bed, all women are the same. Once you please her, she will follow you like a dog every day. If you ask her to head east, she definitely will not dare to walk west!”

 Ah Shu clenched on one of the ropes used to load the carriage. At that moment, the fury in his chest had suddenly erupted when he heard his words. He turned around and took big strides there, before gripping Master Zheng’s collar. He did not say a word and instead delivered a punch on that despicable face!

 That hit sent Master Zheng directly onto the ground. An immense pain spread on his face, and his eyes saw stars as he groaned in agony.

 Ah Shu’s face was frighteningly ashen. He walked forward, intending to cripple him with one kick.

 

Once the surrounding bodyguards and the assistants from the Zhao Family recovered from their shock, they hastily went over to stop Ah Shu. “Master Shu, why are you doing this?”

 “Master Shu, calm down!”

 “Master Shu, you can’t hit him. It might cost a life!”

 Master Zheng was lying on the floor while crying out in pain. His face was purple as he covered his face with one hand while pointing at Ah Shu with the other. “You thug! You dared to hit this Master! This Master will immediately report you to the magistrate’s office!’

 “I know you’re jealous that I slept with Zhao Shan, that slut. Even if she kneels to please me, you won’t get to have a turn!”

 Master Zheng had been thrown a fist out of nowhere. In his anger and humiliation, his words became vulgar and unfiltered.

 Ah Shu’s entire body shook. He clenched his teeth and freed himself from the people who were holding him back, before sitting directly on the man’s body to deliver punch after punch.

 He remained silent, but his punches penetrated the flesh. Master Zheng was beaten to the point that he could only scream.

 Scared that someone would lose their life, the crowd hurriedly went over to stop Ah Shu. The area in front of the gates of the Bodyguard Agency had already been thrown into chaos.

 At that moment, there was the sound of a horse approaching. Zhao Shan jumped off her horse and was instantly stunned when she saw the scene of Ah Shu beating Master Zheng up. She hurriedly pushed her way through the crowd and forcefully pulled Ah Shu away.

 “Why are you hitting others?”

 Ah Shu had been pushed onto the ground. His eyes were bloodshot, and his facial expression was extremely ugly. When he saw that it was Zhao Shan, he immediately froze.

 Zhao Shan bit her lips and glared at him, before hurriedly going to support Master Zheng up. He had already been beaten to the point that his nose was green and his face was swollen.

 “Cousin, how are you?”

 Master Zheng held Zhao Shan’s hand and cried in agony, “Cousin, you’ve finally come. I was almost beaten to death!”

 Zhao Shan turned her head and glared hatefully at Ah Shu. She retorted coldly, “If you have anything against me, you can just direct it at me. Why must you abuse your power and bully others? To beat up someone who doesn’t know martial arts, how despicable is that?”

 Ah Shu glowered at her. His fists were clenched tightly together as he gnashed his teeth.

 The bodyguard at the side could no longer take it as he explained, “Lady Zhao, you’ve misunderstood, it’s…”

 “Aiyo!” Master Zheng suddenly exclaimed and pressed his hand against his chest. “Cousin, my ribs have been broken. The pain is killing me, I think I’m going to die!”

 “I’ll bring you to see a doctor!” Zhao Shan’s face was full of worry. She turned her head and spoke to her assistant, “Quickly drive the horse carriage over!”

 “Yes, Miss!” The assistant swiftly went off.

 Zhao Shan shouted for another two assistants, who then lifted Master Zheng onto the horse carriage.

 Before she left, Zhao Shan turned back to look at Ah Shu one last time. She said faintly, “If you don’t like the people in my family, you can just choose not to collaborate with us in the future. You don’t have to do this!”

 Once she said this, she turned around and sat on her horse, before leading the Zhao Family’s people and their bodyguards out of the gate.

 The people from the Zhao Family had left, and only the bodyguards from the Bodyguard Agency remained standing. They felt indignant on Ah Shu’s behalf.

 Ah Shu stood ramrod straight. As the freezing winds howled, they seemed to slap him mercilessly on his face. When he saw that Zhao Shan’s departing shadow had vanished to a speck of dust, he laughed coldly, before turning back into the main hall.

 He must have eaten too much for him to care for her. Who cared about her stupid matters?

 She liked that pretty-faced boy, that rotten man, and was willing to be defiled by him. It was none of his business!

 He vowed that even if she was pushed to the point of death by that pretty-faced boy, and even if her corpse was thrown into the wilderness, he would not ask a single question.

 Ah Shu gritted his teeth in disgust, his stifling chest on the verge of an explosion as it suffocated him. He suddenly raised his hand and thumped it on the table. The solid wooden table split into four portions as cracked ripped it apart with a ‘splat’, causing sawdust and splints to cloud the air.

 Su Jiu did not leave the house for ten whole days, and Qiao An could tell that there was something wrong with her. That night after dinner, he poured her some tea and said, “Chief, if you’re feeling depressed, you can just snatch back the position of the Ji Manor’s Young Mistress. After all, we’ve committed so many robberies in the past, so this is considered nothing!”

 Su Jiu raised her chin and picked up a handful of melon seeds before retorting, “Which part of me tells you that I’m depressed?”

 “You’ve locked yourself up in this courtyard and refused to go out!” Qiao An’s eyes were full of warmth, but it seemed to be able to read the human heart.

 Su Jiu propped her legs up, and her entire body curled into a ball as she sat on that large wooden chair. She replied languidly, “I just felt that it was too cold and I didn’t want to go out. It has nothing to do with Ji Yuxian.”

 “Chief, you’ve also become so irresolute at this time!” Qiao An shook his head with a faint smile.

 Su Jiu froze and closed her eyes without saying a word.

 After a pause, she said obstinately, “If I say it’s not related, then it’s not related!”

 Qiao An shrugged his shoulders, and put on the expression that seemed to say ‘Boss, everything you say is correct’.

 “Oh right, what do you think of the Hasma (1) today, Chief?” Qiao An suddenly asked.

 Su Jiu casually nodded her head, “Not bad!”

 In reality, she had not been able to taste anything. These few days, she had become lazy and did not have much of an appetite. Of course, Su Jiu blamed this on the cold weather as well.

 

“That was sent to me by Prince Rui’s men after the court today. I heard it was part of the tributes.” Qiao An smiled meaningfully.

 Ever since Su Jiu started residing in this estate, Prince Rui had already sent men to deliver gifts on numerous occasions. Today, it was Hasma, and yesterday, it was a complete basket full of fresh lychees. Two days ago, it was a set of jade koi dishes.

 The jade dishes had been embellished with koi fishes, and when hot water was poured into the dish, the steam would cause those fishes to come alive and swim about. It was a captivating sight.

 Qiao An knew that these items were gifts to Su Jiu because before Su Jiu moved in, Prince Rui did not even know his address.

 Prince Rui certainly understood that he should keep his distance from Qiao An at this juncture, but he continued to instruct his men to send things over. From the looks of it, he seemed to have fallen quite deeply for their Chief.

 Su Jiu did not seem to take Qiao An’s words to heart, however, and only casually muttered a reply, “When you meet him, help me convey my thanks!”

 When Qiao An saw Su Jiu’s dismissive appearance, he sighed softly – on behalf of Su Jiu and Xiao Lie.

 At night, Su Jiu lay on her bed and tossed around, unable to sleep. One moment, she felt that her posture was uncomfortable, and another moment, she felt that the room was too cold. There seemed to be something that wasn’t right.

 The gloominess of the past few days had cleared up, and the moonlight seemed to shimmer as tiny silver strands of light filtered through the windows. The winter night was tranquil.

 Su Jiu rested her head on her hands, with a pair of lucent eyes that seemed to have been washed clean by water gazed at the moonlight. Suddenly, she thought, what was Ji Yuxian doing now?

 Was he whispering sweet nothings to his new wife?

 Just like how he did before?

 Su Jiu became upset. Even if she did not want to think about anything related to Ji Yuxian, that handsome face would appear in front of her eyes once again, causing her frustration to go out of hand. She grunted and threw the blanket over her head.

 At that moment, she seemed to hate herself.

 The next day, Su Jiu listened to Qiao An’s words and finally went out to the trading company.

 At the trading company, Chang Huan was settling accounts with a manager from the Ji Manor. Just like how they agreed beforehand, the profits would be split equally between them.

 Su Jiu flashed a self-deprecating smile. Even if both of them had separated, they were still linked by the trading company and the merchant ships, so this break was no longer clean and thorough.

 As both of them conversed in the study, Su Jiu heard the manager mention that Ji Yuxian had traveled out to carry out audits, and he had already been gone for eight or nine days.

 Su Jiu froze. An inconceivable feeling arose and she felt her heart become turbulent. She stood up and walked out.

 She stepped onto the third floor and casually walked around as she thought to buy something for Xiao Lie to return the favor.

 He had sent her precious and interesting gifts, as well as antiques and toys, and even nourishing products. It was only right for her to give something back as a gift.

 Some of the shop assistants on the third floor recognized her, while others didn’t. There were many customers on that floor, and Su Jiu was wearing an ordinary male’s robe. Her countenance was charming and her disposition was outstanding. As a result, she had attracted the attention of many young girls.

 Su Jiu had set her eyes on a red inkstone with bamboo carvings. She asked for its price, and just as she was about to fish out some silver to pay for it, she heard some people quarreling behind her.

 When she turned back to take a look, she saw two women standing in front of the counter for gold accessories. They were in the middle of arguing with the shop assistant, and many people had crowded around to spectate.

 Su Jiu placed the inkstone down and walked over. She could vaguely make out the voice of that Miss from the Su Family, and when she moved closer, she glanced past the throng of people. Alas, it was Ji Yuxian’s new wife. She wore a brocade robe embroidered with peonies and gold embellished buttons, and her skirt had one hundred flowers sewn on it as it trailed on the ground. On her head, she wore seven or eight gold pieces, and she appeared many times more affluent than when she first stepped into the Ji Manor. She eluded the image of the Mistress of the Ji Manor perfectly.

 “This trading company belongs to our Ji Manor! What’s wrong with taking a few accessories? These stupid and blind servants! Wait till the Eldest Master returns, he will fire all of you!”

 “You don’t recognize me? Then open your dog eyes and take a look, this is the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor!”

 …

 Miss Su’s maidservant raised her voice and yelled at the shop assistants with a look of disdain on her face.

 Miss Su was incandescent with fury, placing one hand on her hip while fanning herself with the other.

 Su Jiu’s brows furrowed slightly. She extended a hand to grab an assistant to ask, “What happened here?”

 That shop assistant recognized Su Jiu and greeted, “Master Jiu”, before continuing, “Just now, two ladies arrived. They tried on a few accessories at the counter, before taking it with them to leave. The shop assistant at the counter tried to get her to pay, but that girl claimed that she was the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor. She reasoned that since the trading company belonged to the Ji Manor, she was just taking her things and there was no need to pay up!”

 “The shop assistants in our trading company did not recognize her, so they did not let them leave. In the end, they started quarreling!”

 Su Jiu said sternly, “Go upstairs and look for Chang Huan!”

 “Yes!”

 That assistant hurriedly sounded in acknowledgment before leaving.

 (1) Hasma is a Chinese and widely Central Asian dessert ingredient made from the dried fatty tissue found near the fallopian tubes of true frogs.