Qi Ying would probably never be able to clearly describe his feelings when he pushed open that door and saw everything inside clearly.
What kind of person was Young Master Qi? He was someone with tremendous composure. Having presided over the Privy Council for many years, he had grown accustomed to life-and-death struggles between two nations, able to decide the fate of tens of thousands with a mere blink, maintaining his calm composure even in the most unfavorable circumstances of war.
But when he saw the scene inside the door, he suddenly lost all the composure he had cultivated over many years.
Like having his reverse scale touched, for the first time in his life, he experienced the taste of thunderous rage.
Qing Zhu and Bai Song were right beside Qi Ying. The two had followed him all the way to the southeastern villa tonight.
The young master had originally returned to Fenghe Courtyard first to look for Shen Xiling, but when they arrived, the place was already empty. They found a servant to ask and learned that Song Haotang had come today with news of Shopkeeper Feng’s suicide by hanging. Shen Xiling had immediately gone out to handle the matter.
Though none of them knew who Shopkeeper Feng was, hearing this news filled their hearts with foreboding. Just as they were leaving Fenghe Courtyard, they encountered Liuzi on the road. In the thunderstorm, he was driving his cart in haste, completely soaked through. Upon seeing the young master, he was overjoyed and urgently told them that Shen Xiling was alone at the southeastern villa confronting Yang Dong, the steward of the Weaving Guild.
Upon hearing this, the young master’s face immediately darkened. Without saying a word, he spurred his horse toward the southeastern villa. His expression was so cold at that moment that it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
This small steward’s villa was extravagantly luxurious, and along the way they encountered strict defenses. The servants even dared to obstruct Qi Ying, repeatedly saying their master would not see anyone tonight.
Knowing the young master was anxious, Bai Song no longer held back his strength. He forced his way into the southeastern villa, knocked down quite a few household guards who tried to block them, and followed the young master all the way to find that Yijiu Hall.
When they kicked open the tightly closed door, the scene inside made both Bai Song and Qing Zhu’s faces change color. They simultaneously felt that the young master’s aura had changed—becoming sinister and brutal in a way they had never seen before, chilling to the bone.
Yang Dong, hearing the commotion, also turned his head. He had originally worn the expression of someone drunk on lust, annoyed at being interrupted and ready to fly into a rage. But once he saw clearly who had come, he immediately became terrified.
In all of Jiangzuo, there was probably no one who hadn’t heard of Second Young Master Qi’s great reputation. Legend had it he was a divine-like descendant of an aristocratic family. But looking back at this moment, with a sky full of wind, thunder, and torrential rain behind him, he seemed to emanate an aura of slaughter, dark and menacing.
Yang Dong was completely terrified. Suppressing his fear, he tumbled and rolled off the couch, kneeling on the ground and trembling as he looked at Qi Ying, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say, his face pale as paper.
“Second Young Master Qi! This… this…”
Before he could finish speaking, he saw that person walk straight past him without even deigning to give him a glance, quickly striding toward the young girl on the couch and immediately gathering her into his arms.
Qi Ying had come on horseback. In his haste, he hadn’t even bothered to put on a rain cape, and by then his entire body was soaked through by the rain. He originally didn’t want to pass the dampness to Shen Xiling, but at that moment he couldn’t care about such things. He held her in his embrace, anxiously looking her up and down. He saw that her right wrist bore a ring of obvious red marks, and her clothes had been pulled somewhat disheveled. If he had arrived even a step later…
He didn’t even dare to continue thinking.
Qi Ying forcefully suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, quickly helped her straighten her clothes, and held her firmly in his embrace, calling to her in low, repeated voices: “Wenwen? Wenwen?”
After calling twice in succession, the little girl showed no response. Her eyes were vacant, as if she had been frightened senseless, even her expression wooden—just like three years ago when he first saw her, sitting collapsed in the snow at the city gate.
It tore at his heart with excruciating pain.
Qi Ying closed his eyes, and when he raised them again, they were filled with cold, sharp murderous light.
Qing Zhu’s vision suddenly blurred. He saw a flash of sword light—the young master had swiftly drawn the sword from Bai Song’s waist. By the time he came to his senses, the blade was already across Yang Dong’s neck!
The young master had murderous intent!
Yang Dong was also greatly alarmed at this sight. Kneeling on the ground, he kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy. In the sound of thunder, he saw that legendary noble and distinguished Second Young Master Qi holding a sword and looking down at him, his gaze as cold as if looking at a dead man. Only then did he suddenly remember those rumors about him from the marketplace.
“His appearance is that of a gentleman, his heart that of an asura”—truly a jade-faced demon with a ruthless heart!
Qing Zhu, seeing that the young master truly intended to kill Yang Dong, was also shocked and alarmed. Not caring about overstepping his bounds, he hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, shouting: “Young master, think thrice! This must not be done!”
The young master was a powerful minister with the authority over life and death, able to decide the fate of ten thousand with his words. Not to mention a mere Yang Dong today—three years ago, even Jiang Yong, a fourth-rank military official, was killed without hesitation when the master decided.
But Yang Dong was different from Jiang Yong after all.
When the young master killed Jiang Yong, it was due to circumstances, necessary for the greater good. But this Yang Dong was not an official. If a common civilian were killed by the current Prime Minister with one sword stroke, what would the rumors say? If the young master killed for personal feelings, wouldn’t those with ulterior motives seize upon this weakness? Moreover, Yang Dong was under the Fu family’s protection, with countless intricate connections behind him. This one killing would lead to numerous troubles, and if it eventually brought disaster upon himself, what then?
Qing Zhu was also angry at Yang Dong’s actions, but for the young master’s sake, he had to intervene! With this thought, Qing Zhu steeled himself and blocked Yang Dong’s path.
Qi Ying’s expression was ice-cold, his entire being emanating murderous aura. He raised his eyes to glance at Qing Zhu, the cold depths in his phoenix eyes frightening to behold.
His sword edge didn’t move as he said coldly: “Step aside.”
Just two words, yet they carried the endless authority of a superior, so shocking to the heart.
Yang Dong had already collapsed in terror on the ground. Qing Zhu could barely withstand such pressure when he suddenly heard Bai Song say: “Young master, the young lady, she…”
Just this unclear sentence immediately diverted Qi Ying’s attention.
He hurriedly turned back to look at his little girl. The sword edge also moved away from Yang Dong’s neck. Qing Zhu felt the pressure on his entire body suddenly lift, giving him a sense of having survived a catastrophe.
While calming his nervousness, he turned to look at Bai Song, who was also looking at him. The two nodded at each other.
Qi Ying turned back to look at Shen Xiling. The little girl had somewhat come to her senses and was beginning to feel afraid. Whether from fear or cold, her entire body was trembling slightly.
Qi Ying was extremely distressed. He casually threw down the sword, freeing his hands to carefully half-embrace her, stroking her hair as he called her name again: “Wenwen?”
Shen Xiling looked at him with empty, confused eyes, seeming to finally recognize him. Suddenly, her eyes filled with grievance and terror. She tightly grasped his front garment, refusing to let go, and tears began falling pitter-patter as she looked at him and said: “…Young master?”
Seeing that she had finally come to her senses, his heart settled slightly. He immediately responded: “Yes, it’s me. I’ve come.”
Hearing his words, her tears fell even more fiercely, and her sobs grew louder—just like every time she was bullied as a child, she would start feeling wronged as soon as she saw him. She tightly pulled at his garment, her voice broken with crying as she whispered to him: “I… I want to go home…”
His heart was nearly crushed by her words.
Qi Ying gently grasped the hand that was anxiously clutching his garment, saying deeply to her: “Alright.”
“I’ll take you home.”
Having said this, he lifted her up horizontally in his arms.
Just as easily and naturally as he had held her when she was small.
Yang Dong lay prostrate on the ground. The hot sweat brought on by the Five Stone Powder had now turned entirely to cold sweat. He was now powerless all over, unable even to stand, only able to watch helplessly as Second Young Master Qi carried that little girl away.
As he passed by, his steps didn’t pause, but he lowered his eyes and glanced at him extremely quickly.
His phoenix eyes were like overturned ink, deep and unfathomable.
Soon he stepped out the door and left, leaving only the mess scattered on the ground. But Yang Dong remained firmly imprisoned by Second Young Master Qi’s glance from moments before, trembling in terror, unable to rise for a long time.
He knew… this matter was far from over.
The rain poured down heavily, continuing through the night without cease.
They returned to Fenghe Courtyard at the end of the hai hour.
The servants all followed behind their master’s family. Qing Zhu was closest and only heard the young master say “Prepare hot water” before hurriedly carrying Shen Xiling into the house. Qing Zhu paid careful attention and saw that the young master had entered Huaijin Courtyard.
All the servants saw this. Shuipei and Fengshang exchanged glances, unable to determine whether the young master had done this intentionally or had entered the wrong courtyard in his urgency. Before the two could whisper to each other, they were scolded by the cold-faced Qing Zhu: “What are you looking at? Why don’t you go get a set of your young lady’s clean clothes, and have someone bring hot water? Do you want her to freeze or what?”
Hearing this, Shuipei and Fengshang looked at each other, then both lowered their heads in agreement and immediately went to make arrangements.
Fenghe Courtyard always kept hot water burning throughout the day. Before long, rough servant girls came carrying hot water, and Fengshang also brought a brand-new set of clothes. Qing Zhu verified everything, then led the people into Huaijin Courtyard, lowering his voice at the door to ask permission to enter.
The young master personally came to open the door. The room was brightly lit with lamps, and the heated floor was still burning, warm without any trace of spring cold.
Qing Zhu and the servant girls had never seen a woman in the young master’s room before. Now, clearly knowing that Shen Xiling was waiting in the inner room, naturally none of them dared raise their heads. They all worked with nimble hands and feet, keeping their heads down as they moved water and worked. Once finished, they immediately went out.
When Qi Ying personally closed the door and returned to the inner room, he saw Shen Xiling huddled in the corner of his bed, tightly wrapped in his quilt, staring blankly in silence.
Again, that dazed, empty expression.
Qi Ying really couldn’t bear to see her like this. His heart ached painfully, and his brow furrowed again.
He hadn’t intended to disturb her at this moment, but she had been caught in some rain tonight and was still damp. With her delicate constitution, she simply couldn’t withstand such treatment. She needed to bathe and warm herself early before she could rest.
After thinking it over, he still moved slowly and gently, attempting to sit by the bedside to coax her into bathing.
But before he could sit down, she was suddenly startled, immediately looking at him with a pale face, her entire body tensing up. She even quickly shrank further into the corner, looking panicked and at a loss.
Seeing this scene, Qi Ying knew she was still in shock. While silently blaming himself for being inconsiderate, he quickly stood up again and moved much farther from her, saying: “Wenwen… it’s me.”
His little girl stared at him blankly for a long time, as if trying to confirm whether the person before her was really him. Seeing her so frightened, Qi Ying felt even more tender pity. He didn’t rush her, just stood at a distance neither too far nor too close, waiting for her to come to her senses. Only when she had confirmed it was him and her expression relaxed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
But before this sigh could truly be released, Shen Xiling began to cry.
Author’s Note: The kissing scene is in this chapter, the next update or the update after that. Don’t I have to coax her before the kiss? How else would I get a wife? And don’t I have to coax her after the kiss too? If I don’t coax her, the wife will run away!