Wuyan was shocked, but since showing weakness was useless, she could only stop herself from losing face before this man. Suppressing her trembling, she bit her teeth slightly: “If I cry out, it won’t benefit you.”

Huo Chang’an threw her onto the bed and yanked down the bed curtains. Finally somewhat satisfied to see the fear deepen in her eyes, feeling the rage about to erupt from his chest subside a little, he propped his hands on either side of her shoulders and laughed coldly in a hoarse voice: “Wei Wuyan, what good would your crying do? Shame Lian Yu and embarrass me? Insulting an imperial consort, at most I’d pay with my life, but before I die I must have you, make you my woman…”

Wuyan looked up at this man whose passion was rising. She couldn’t help trembling violently all over, but she didn’t scream or struggle. She still… didn’t want him to die, even though between them lay thousands of rivers and mountains, and they could never return…

Her reaction was the best explanation. Did she still love him? Huo Chang’an’s heart suddenly throbbed, and wild joy almost immediately overwhelmed him.

Looking at her mournfully beautiful eyes, he reached out to gently touch her face. Her skin was like congealed cream, fragrant and smooth. He drew in a breath. How long since he had touched her like this? He couldn’t help but tenderly trace her facial features, her curves. Her cheeks were somewhat cold. His voice unconsciously softened: “Wuyan, are you cold?”

The man’s rough fingertips sliding across her skin made Wuyan tremble even more. They were so close – his handsome brows and eyes, his quiet breath, all so clear, tormenting her senses. How could he be so cruel?

“Huo Chang’an, listen,” tears hung on her eyelashes as she clearly told him her feelings, “I’m powerless to stop you – that’s my promise to you. But if you truly take me tonight, for the rest of my life I’ll never speak another word to you, never see you again, not even once.”

Huo Chang’an had felt every pore burning, like drinking strong liquor in concentrated intoxication, his Adam’s apple moving roughly. Cupping her lovely face he was about to kiss down when hearing this, he suddenly stopped as if burned.

The somewhat calmed jealousy swelled again. He clenched his teeth to keep from putting his hands around her neck: “Do you hate me, or is it because of… Lian Yu?”

Wuyan knew this man’s pride and slowly said: “Lian Yu.”

Who knew this would thoroughly enrage Huo Chang’an. His feelings for her were already extremely complex. She had abandoned him to marry another at the moment he went to war, leaving him no grounds not to marry Lian Yue. She had personally destroyed their happiness, and he hated her bitterly.

But until she told him she had romantic feelings for Lian Yu, he had always thought the only person she loved was him. Before this, he had always believed her marriage to Lian Yu was just a facade. That they were pure between them.

He had even warned Lian Yu not to touch her. Lian Yu had only smiled. But he always thought Lian Yu still remembered some brotherly affection.

But now, the determination in her eyes made him waver.

She might truly have fallen in love with Lian Yu. They had probably long consummated their marriage.

His Wei Wuyan was a devastating beauty – how could Lian Yu remain unmoved?

This thought made him fearful, trembling, and mad – more than any battle had ever made his blood boil.

“Huo Chang’an, what do you want to do…”

Wuyan also saw the viciousness in his eyes. She had only said one sentence when he pressed down toward her lips.

They had… tried intimate kissing before, but he had mostly treated her with propriety, just kissing her. She would be moved and shy, and when things became intense, it was he who would awkwardly release her first, as if afraid she wouldn’t be happy.

Now, his lips and tongue crashed in roughly. As their saliva mixed and she heard those sounds, feeling his hands exploring inside her clothes, tearing her undergarment, she nearly went mad. This was passion she had never known – his rough kneading and touching, that feeling of being tormented by fire throughout her body. She trembled helplessly at the hard heat between his legs. She naturally knew what that was. Panicked and angry, she couldn’t help crying out: “Huo Chang’an, you brute, you’re despicable, you’re vile, get away…”

Her scent, the taste of her lips and tongue… that fragrant sweetness he had imagined a hundred times… Huo Chang’an was even more driven to uncontrollable passion by her. He urgently wanted to know if Lian Yu had touched her, wanted to find release in her body. He loved her, he hated her, he wanted her…

He possessed, was jealous, saw red, felt conflicted. Suddenly he tasted saltiness on his tongue. He trembled and slowly released her lips, gripping her chin to force her to answer: “Wei Wuyan, tell me, has Lian Yu ever touched you like this…”

There was no need for her to cry for help to alarm anyone – this roar was almost half-shouted.

But he saw her eyes red and swollen, tears blurring, in the most heartbroken state. His mood also became extremely dark. Before, he had always yielded to her. Now that she had forced him to this point, he still…

How worthless!

Was he still Huo Chang’an?

He really wanted to know – if someday this woman truly forced him to an extreme, what would he do!

Forget it. He smiled self-mockingly and quickly got up from her body, pulling together her disheveled robes: “Crying like a ghost – so ugly. I won’t let you go. If I discover Lian Yu truly touched you, I…”

His gaze darkened with the taste of blood… making Wuyan shiver. But he pulled open the bed curtains and strode away.

As he straightened his clothes, thinking of something, he turned back with a cold smile: “Wei Wuyan, Lian Yu’s heart was once with Gu Xiluo, and now it’s probably with Li Huaisu. He has feelings for Li Huaisu – I don’t believe you haven’t noticed. Lian Yue and I are doing well, and gradually I won’t love you anymore either. But your body – I must have it.”

“Take care of yourself, Imperial Consort.”

He slammed the door with a “bang.” Wuyan slowly sat up. She had been smiling faintly throughout, but now finally couldn’t help crying softly.

Outside, dawn had already broken.

Suzhen looked with extreme irritation at the ropes binding her like a trussed chicken, then at the two people in front of her, saying testily: “You two childish ghosts, if you don’t let me out, be careful your brother punishes you.”

“What were you doing sneaking around Imperial Consort Wei’s quarters at night? If Brother Lian Yu won’t let you off, it’s you he won’t let off.”

Lian Xin sneered coldly. Feeling unsatisfied, she pulled out a horse whip she had hidden earlier and struck Suzhen across the face.

But Suzhen was relieved. Huo Chang’an seemed to have noticed sounds and, when these two little devils followed her there, had entered Wuyan’s room without being discovered… Otherwise, there would have been another disturbance, and what would Wuyan have done?

Seeing her remain silent, Lian Xin struck her again.

Though Suzhen’s looks weren’t particularly beautiful, she was still delicate and fine-featured, and being a girl, naturally cared about her appearance. She hadn’t argued with Lian Xin before, but now she was also angry: “You dead girl, like a dog biting Lu Dongbin! Is Gu Shuangcheng a good person? I saved you, and you’re blind to it.”

Hearing this, Lian Xin was furious and struck her several more times with the whip. Suzhen’s face immediately became torn and bloody. Still unsatisfied, she was about to continue when the silent man beside her stopped her. Lian Qin frowned: “Stop hitting her. She’s already somewhat disfigured. If… Sixth Brother blames us, since I was the one who captured her, it won’t be fun.”

“Sixth Brother now knows what kind of person she is too. Sixth Brother is just kind-hearted, so he brought her along.”

“Her earlier suggestion did help Sixth Brother escape trouble.”

“Escape trouble? She probably leaked Sixth Brother’s whereabouts to Quan Feitong and Huang Tianba! She made that damn suggestion because she knew our Sixth Brother is smart – even if she didn’t suggest it, Sixth Brother would have had ideas. She was just opportunistically sucking up. Ninth Brother, we can’t be fooled by her.”

“Mm, that makes some sense too.”

Hearing this, Suzhen wanted to faint. Lian Qin, could you be any more wishy-washy?

Lian Xin continued: “If she dies, Sixth Brother scolding me a few times is nothing. Let her wait to suffer.”

But Lian Qin was startled: “You want to kill her?”

“Mm,” Lian Xin nodded. “I’ll starve her for a few days first, then kill her. Then she can’t cause trouble beside Sixth Brother anymore.”

“No, let me think about it.”

“Why not? We’re doing this to eliminate harm for Sixth Brother.” Lian Xin had just argued back when someone outside reported: “Ninth Master, His Majesty has awakened and summoned everyone to wait in the main hall to discuss important matters.”

Lian Qin was startled and hurried to say: “This prince will go immediately. You may withdraw.”

The person acknowledged and left. Lian Xin said: “Ninth Brother, you go. I’ll stay here.”

“Don’t do anything to her yet.”

“I have my limits. I was lying to you – at most I’ll just starve her for a few days.”

Lian Qin nodded and hurried away. But Lian Xin looked at Suzhen and smiled: “I lied to him. I’m going to get a knife right now. I want to slash your face, then kill you.”

Watching this vicious girl leave, Suzhen hurried to begin self-rescue. But her hands and feet were bound tightly – she didn’t doubt at all that Lian Xin would kill her. After Lian Yu scolded her a few times, what else could happen? Lian Yu… thinking of this person, her eyes inexplicably stung.

In the main hall.

When Lian Qin arrived, he found almost everyone was there – only Lian Yu and Gu Shuangcheng were missing.