Suzhen then focused her attention on Aluo, not noticing a flash of something strange in Li Zhaoting’s eyes. But this was quickly covered by anger. He pursed his lips looking at her, his eyes like dark clouds gathering, about to bring a fierce storm.

“Feng Suzhen, what audacity to threaten the Young Master!” Wei Chenghui said coldly. Si Lanfeng tried to mediate, “Magistrate Li, why do this? The Young Master has treated you well. Quickly release Miss Gu—everything can be discussed.”

Wei Chenghui’s eldest son was an honest man who also said, “Magistrate Li, think thrice. Quickly release her and don’t anger the Young Master.”

But Wei Wujun, understanding his father’s thoughts, whispered beside Li Zhaoting, “Young Master, saving the young lady is urgent. First agree to this wretch, then when they leave the palace, Wujun will immediately follow and capture them for the Young Master to handle.”

Mao Hui was impetuous. Wuliang secretly signaled Yu Jinglun with his eyes. Though Suzhen ignored others’ words, she never stopped guarding against everyone. Though Wuliang’s signal was subtle, she immediately noticed and coldly said, “If anyone dares play tricks, I’ll immediately kill this woman.”

Aluo looked at Li Zhaoting with tears, “Don’t release them. Capture all the remnants in one net. I absolutely cannot let you be troubled.”

She actually tried to throw herself onto the scissors. Suzhen frowned. Li Zhaoting had already shouted sternly, “Aluo, don’t do anything foolish! The lives of all three of them cannot match yours. Feng Suzhen, I agree. Let them go. Immediately release her!”

Aluo stopped her movement, smiling slightly in her heart.

Heaven was helping her, making things develop in an even more perfect direction. Even if this Feng Suzhen temporarily escaped, Li Zhaoting would eventually capture her—this time she had truly angered Li Zhaoting. From now on, Li Zhaoting could never again remember the Feng family’s kindness.

Suzhen’s heart lightened, but she still looked at him with pressing eyes, “You must promise to safely escort us out of the capital. Within one month, you’re not allowed to send people to arrest us, and your people mustn’t act rashly.”

She knew Wei Chenghui would never let her go and would certainly pursue her secretly. She might as well not set a permanent deadline, lest it make the Lian clan seem weak, depending on Li Zhaoting for eternal security.

“Fine, I promise to safely escort them out of the capital. Now immediately release her!” Li Zhaoting’s eyes narrowed to slits, yet he didn’t hesitate.

In the past, Suzhen would have been heartbroken—her dozen years of affection with him couldn’t compare to a trace of his love for Aluo. But now, she was only glad. He had forced her to this desperate situation, so she had no choice but to tear everything apart. Toward him, she no longer held any affection, whether romantic love or childhood friendship. This time she had probably worn away any gratitude he felt toward the Feng family until not a drop remained. But what did it matter? She didn’t care. The tea grounds on the floor were just her wager that he would keep his promise, not sentiment. He actually still remembered her preferences.

She slowly released her grip, having exhausted all her strength. If he didn’t agree again, in another moment, she would certainly be exposed.

Aluo broke free and ran back to Li Zhaoting’s side. Li Zhaoting opened his arms to embrace her, bowing his head to kiss her eyes in comfort. At this moment, Wei Chenghui said, “Young Master, what we did before was merely expedient. This old man will capture her right now—”

Suzhen was startled and slowly retreated. Li Zhaoting’s eyes held murderous intent, but his voice was absolutely firm, “Release them.”

“Sir, go bring the two Lian brothers,” he ordered Wuliang, keeping his promise.

Suzhen smiled at him, “Thank you. Until we meet again.”

She had only taken one step when he released Aluo and stepped forward, kicking her to the ground. Suzhen’s mind instantly went blank—not because he humiliated her publicly, not because she was hurt, but because of the child… She stared blankly, holding her belly, slowly looking back.

Li Zhaoting was truly extremely angry. Even when Minister Feng had broken faith and betrayed him, no longer interfering in Li family matters, or seeing Aluo change from Gu Shuangcheng to Gu Xiluo, standing beside Lian Yu with a smile, he had never been this furious.

It was like someone viciously stabbing a dagger into his heart, then twisting it forcefully.

Did she still think he was that Young Master Li she could toy with? Did she still think he needed her father’s assistance? After he treated her so well, this was how she repaid him! This ungrateful wretch.

He would keep his promise, but at this moment, he just wanted to kick her to death!

Everyone saw his terrible expression, but Suzhen’s eyes were even more bone-chilling.

Blood seeped from her lips, full of hatred, glaring ahead, breathing slightly, her lips also slightly parted, her snow-white teeth streaked with blood, glowing with a sinister, fierce light. She looked like a dying wild beast protecting its young.

But clearly she had nothing to protect except herself. Yet everyone felt somewhat chilled, even though today she was no different from that day when Wei Chenghui captured and beat her, smashing her head against the wall with no ability to fight back.

But Li Zhaoting’s own foot stopped right at her abdomen, hanging there awkwardly.

That look made Li Zhaoting feel something indescribable, wave after wave continuously surging to his throat, making even his breathing feel stifled.

The night Lian Yu died, he had observed her several times, seeing her eyes empty and hollow, seeming indifferent to sadness, as if she had instantly accepted that fact. She hadn’t even really looked at Wei Chenghui and the others, much less used such bone-deep hatred in her gaze.

He had thought coldly then that she didn’t love Lian Yu that much after all. Feng Suzhen was someone who had been stubborn since childhood.

That person was merely some comfort after his engagement with her was dissolved.

Now she was so agitated—was it because he hit her?

All these years, he had never laid a hand on any woman, whether the female servants in that false father’s house or his female subordinates.

When she was mischievous in the past, considering her father’s face, he mostly treated her coldly and rarely even scolded her, much less struck her.

Therefore, now that he had struck her, she bore a grudge.

He suddenly remembered many things between them.

One year, he found her noisy while he was studying and tricked her by saying there was a flower in the deep mountains that he loved greatly. She excitedly went to see it, returned to express doubt about his aesthetic taste, saying it was just an orchid. But when he said again that he liked it, she paid the price of a broken leg to pick the flower from the mountain and bring it back to keep in a vase in his bedroom.

She would always sneak into his study before he woke up to organize the books he had read and grind ink for him. The winter she broke her leg and couldn’t walk, he thought he would never see her in the study again. Unexpectedly, she used her allowance to “hire” Leng Xue to carry her there. Sometimes when Leng Xue went to practice martial arts, her brother would substitute, but he charged her double, which she greatly resented yet never stopped.

One year, while playing in the mountains, they encountered bandits. She tremblingly stood in front of him and finally used a trick to scare away several bandits. He had watched coldly, thinking her foolish, but from that year on, she began learning martial arts from his brother.

Later, feeling she had achieved some success, she left a note and ran away from home, saying she was going to famous mountains to gather jade and make a flute for him. That year she had spent all her allowance buying him several sets of books he desired, leaving no money for a birthday gift for him, so she decided to make one herself.

…

All these years, her treatment of him had been sincere.

Perhaps he… shouldn’t have hit her.

Thinking this, he finally slowly withdrew his foot and bent down slightly, wanting to check her injuries. Though this kick had hit her abdomen squarely, he had still exercised some restraint in force—he didn’t really want to kick her to death, just wanted to kick her a few times to vent his anger.

Suddenly someone rushed out from the side, raising his foot to kick her belly. His heart filled with shock and anger, but he saw her tightly hugging her belly, almost instinctively immediately bending over, so the foot landed on her head instead.

Blood flowed from her head, sticking to her eyelashes and flowing down her cheeks. This seemed to block her vision, making it hard to see her surroundings clearly. She blinked hard several times.

He suddenly remembered those years when she lived carefree in the Feng household, cherished and pampered, always carrying traces of cunning smile at her lips and brows.

Now she was still young, without a wrinkle on her face, but why did her gaze seem as if she had lived half a lifetime?

His already calmed anger was suddenly rekindled! He immediately slapped that person viciously across the head and face.

Mao Hui cried out, “Young Master!”

“Get out,” he commanded sternly, then turned to everyone, “Everyone out!”

Aluo looked at him in surprise, “Zhaoting, you…”

“Aluo, go out for a moment. I’ll handle this matter first.” His raised voice lowered somewhat. At this time, Miaoyin had just arrived after hearing the news, frowning slightly at the doorway but saying nothing before leaving.

Aluo stared at him for a moment before walking out, with Mei’er glancing back fiercely at Suzhen.

The palace servants had all left. Everyone was gone. Suzhen sat on the ground, still motionlessly glaring at him with hatred.

His heart seemed suddenly stung by something.

“There are physicians in the palace. I’ll have someone examine you,” he paused, speaking in a not-too-loud voice, bending down to lift her up.

But she suddenly spoke, “Why did Lian Yu die and not you?”

His hands froze like that again! His eyebrows contracted instantly, looking at her somewhat incredulously, as if these words hadn’t come from her mouth.

He didn’t know that for her, Lian Yu’s death was like her entire world collapsing. She could only continue living clearly and consciously for the child in her womb and revenge against Wei Chenghui, burying all that flesh-tearing pain deep in her heart. After Lian Yu’s death, she hadn’t even looked at Wei Chenghui once—just one glance and she would want to tear his flesh and swallow it!

His kick just now had made her wet herself again, and the string in her body that was stretched to its limit had snapped with a “pop.”

Her mind repeatedly held only one thought: Little lotus seed is gone this time, truly can’t be saved this time.

That was the most precious thing Lian Yu had left her.

How could she not wish him dead!

She had been running a fever for days, supporting herself purely through willpower to survive and think. Now her entire consciousness was blurred, so the most direct hatred from her heart was displayed nakedly before him.

He felt something gradually spreading from deep in his heart. The stifling feeling from before almost instantly permeated his entire body, making even his mouth taste bitter.

His heart ached.

He stared at her fixedly, that urge to kick her viciously surging up again, so strong he had to clench his fists tightly to restrain himself.

“Do you believe I’ll imprison the Lian brothers again? Do you believe I’ll kill you!” Every word seemed to burst from deep in his throat.

The words “Lian Jie” seemed to partially awaken her. She seemed to remember she needed to take them away from here. She swayed as she stood up, about to run toward the courtyard—

But his hand grabbed her, almost brutally pulling her back. He suddenly lifted her up, kicked open the side hall door, threw her onto the bed, then climbed on top, firmly restraining her hands on both sides.

“Look clearly, open your eyes wide and look clearly—it’s Lian Yu who died, not me! No matter how much you wish otherwise, it won’t help.”

“Give me back Lian Yu, give him back—” She screamed like a madwoman, trying to kick him with her feet, but her legs were also pressed down heavily by his. She tried to bite his hand, her eyes filled with overwhelming hatred.

His ears rang, his heart also filled with overwhelming hatred. He leaned down to press his mouth against hers.

Her lips were soft and slightly moist. He pressed against her soft, burning body, unclear what psychology this was, his body seeming somewhat heated, that feeling amid anger and hatred actually carrying a restless, pressing urge.

When he realized what he was doing, his lips and tongue had already tasted the flavor of her mouth—the freshness after washing, and… she seemed to have eaten some scallion pancakes…

He trembled slightly. Her strength grew weaker and weaker, only weak whimpering sounds remaining in her mouth, but that pressing feeling between their abdomens grew stronger. His tongue suddenly tasted salt—he abruptly opened his eyes to see her eyes half-closed, half-open, still glaring at him, the hatred in them so intense it could poke a hole in his face.

A line of blood mixed with tears slowly flowed to her lips. The wound on her head from Mao Hui’s kick was bleeding profusely. His heart rapidly sank—what had he done?!

She was in such a state!

Besides the pain from her saying she wished he would die, her blood seemed to flow from his forehead, making his temples numb with sympathetic pain.

“It’ll be fine… I’ll get a physician for you,” he said quickly, about to leave the room, but her voice came low, “Lian Jie, Lian Jie…”

His heart flared with anger, seeing her eyes had closed, that this was almost instinctual murmuring. Because he was Lian Yu’s brother, she cared so much!

He immediately remembered her previous stubborn resistance against him, refusing to see physicians. His ten fingers dug into his palms, knuckles crackling. However, when he reached the courtyard, he stood at the door and sternly commanded, “Bring Lian Jie here.”

Outside the courtyard, Aluo and others looked at him with surprise. He said nothing. Seeing guards leave on his orders, he turned and returned to the room.

She had fainted.

He sat on the bed’s edge with tightly knitted brows, his gaze inadvertently passing over a couch beside the bed where he saw two flatbreads lying neatly on a torn cloth, though they looked hard and no longer fresh.

—I’ve been starving for two full days.

Her words echoed in his mind. His eyes darkened as he was about to get up and leave again. Finally, seeing the grime covering her face, his eyelid twitched as he took out his personal handkerchief to wipe her clean, then pressed it firmly against the bleeding spot on her head.

Sounds came from outside. He quickly stood as Si Lanfeng personally led two guards bringing Lian Jie. Lian Jie had been tortured before, covered in blood, still wearing shackles on his feet, extremely weak and walking very slowly. But upon seeing Suzhen, he immediately rushed over and felt her pulse.

Half an hour later, after Lian Jie had administered acupuncture and stopped her bleeding, wanting to stay longer, he immediately ordered him dragged out.

“You said you wished me dead—is it because I dissolved our engagement? Lian Yu treated you better, so you became blind to everything else. All these years of your devoted feelings were misplaced. These years you’ve treated me with complete sincerity. Now you’re alone and helpless—consider it my compensation to you. I’ll let you stay in the palace while also… giving you a title.” He sat on the bed’s edge, slowly speaking.