Chapter Forty: Until He Grows Tired of It

Li Lianzhu had heard that Lu Xuanheng was injured and came to visit him. As she prepared to leave, Lu Xuanheng walked her out.

"You are still nursing injuries; you shouldn't move around too much. This is far enough—go back and rest, and I will come to see you another day."

Lu Xuanheng was about to agree, but as he glanced to the side, he spotted a figure at the end of the corridor. Li Lianzhu followed his gaze and saw a graceful, slender silhouette—it was Jiang You'an. She knew it was no illusion; Lu Xuanheng’s gaze always lingered on her. She clenched her palms tightly, watching as Jiang You'an walked toward them.

Jiang You'an had no desire to see either of them. She tried to avoid them, but it was too late; the Princess had clearly seen her, so she had no choice but to approach and offer a greeting.

"Greetings, Princess."

Li Lianzhu smiled at her. "I heard that you and the Fourth Young Master of the Marquis of Yong'an's residence recently got engaged. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet."

"You are too kind, Princess. I am unworthy of such praise."

"You just returned from outside—have you been spending time with your fiancé?"

Jiang You'an felt the Princess was being meddlesome, but having nothing to hide, she replied sullenly, "Yes."

Afraid her red, swollen eyes would be noticed, she kept her head lowered. Ignoring the expressions of the two people before her, she happened to catch sight of Lu Xuanheng’s hand hanging at his side, slowly curling into a tight fist.

Li Lianzhu continued in an intimate tone, "It seems your affection for one another is quite deep. I hear your wedding date is even earlier than mine and Xuanheng's. I must come and have a cup of wedding wine then to share in the joy."

Jiang You'an replied indifferently, "It would be our honor to have you, Princess."

Li Lianzhu chuckled and said to Lu Xuanheng, "Then I shall take my leave."

Jiang You'an hurriedly stepped aside to let her pass. Once Li Lianzhu had gone, she turned and walked away with hurried, fleeing steps.

She hadn't gone far when Lu Xuanheng caught up to her. Hearing his rapid footsteps, she turned back in alarm, and in the next instant, he grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby side room.

Qiulan was horrified. Pointing at Lu Xuanheng, she stammered, "Eldest Young Master, you... you cannot do this! I am going to tell the Old Madam!"

Lu Xuanheng shot a piercing glare at her. "If you wish to become a corpse, by all means, go ahead."

With that, the door slammed shut. Outside, Qiulan paced back and forth in a frantic panic, looking around helplessly.

As soon as Jiang You'an entered the room, she was pressed against the door. Lu Xuanheng buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep, sharp breath.

"So, you really did go to see him again."

Jiang You'an’s tone was as calm as stagnant water. "Did I not just say so?"

"I am injured and bedridden at home, yet you don't even come to see me, while you spend all day with him?"

"I am meeting my fiancé. Is there something wrong with that?"

It was dusk, and with no lamps lit in the room, it was shrouded in dimness. Lu Xuanheng could not see the redness in Jiang You'an’s eyes, nor could she see the desolation on his face.

After a long, tense silence, Lu Xuanheng gave a low laugh. His rough, cold palms caressed her cheek.

"You keep calling him your fiancé—do you truly believe you can marry him?"

"It is a mutual agreement. Why wouldn't I be able to marry him?"

Lu Xuanheng gripped her waist and pulled her against him until their clothes and breaths were entangled.

"Does he know what you are like with me?"

A chill ran down Jiang You'an’s spine. She shoved him away violently. "What do you mean by that?"

A sliver of faint light filtered in, casting light and shadow across Lu Xuanheng’s face. His eyes glinted with a cold, ghostly light.

"Does he know that you and I have long since slept together? Has he seen what you look like beneath me?"

Jiang You'an bit her lip, her hands trembling.

"If I told him, would he still marry you? Tsk, I would love to see his reaction."

"You bastard!" Furious, Jiang You'an raised her hand to strike him.

Lu Xuanheng caught her wrists, pulled her into his arms, turned her around, and held her tightly from behind.

"Go to him and break off the engagement. Tell him you do not wish to marry him."

Jiang You'an gritted her teeth. "In your dreams. I am going to marry him!"

Lu Xuanheng took her thin earlobe into his mouth and nibbled gently. "Do not force my hand."

Jiang You'an said viciously, "If you dare to spout nonsense to Su Mingxiu, I will kill you!"

Lu Xuanheng laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Very well, then kill me now."

He suddenly let go of her and pressed a knife into her hand. Jiang You'an gripped the blade, her hands shaking, but Lu Xuanheng stepped closer and closer. "Either you kill me now, or I go and tell Su Mingxiu everything."

Jiang You'an retreated until her back hit the wall. Her hand trembled, and the knife clattered to the floor.

Forced into a corner, her eyes welled with tears. "Must you force me to hate you?"

Lu Xuanheng was silent for a moment before asking, "Haven't you hated me all along?"

He lifted her chin with his finger, gazing at her beautiful, fragile face. "If you want me to keep quiet, you know what you must do."

Jiang You'an recalled a year ago...

"If you want to stay in the Lu residence, you know what you must do."

So, she had stepped into an abyss back then, and there was no turning back.

Two lines of tears fell from Jiang You'an’s eyes. "Lu Xuanheng, you are shameless!"

Lu Xuanheng leaned down to kiss the tears from her face. "Be good, and when I grow tired of you, I will let you go."

Jiang You'an said nothing more and slowly closed her eyes, allowing Lu Xuanheng to lift her up.

Seeing her submissive, enduring demeanor, Lu Xuanheng felt a surge of irritation instead. Did she truly believe he would let her go? How desperate was she to leave him that she couldn't tell he was merely humoring her?

With a gloomy expression, Lu Xuanheng lowered his head and bit down hard on her neck. Only when he had covered her in his scent and left his marks upon her did he stop.

Jiang You'an lay in his arms, breathing shallowly, her legs trembling slightly. He smoothed her clothes and squeezed her waist. "Can't stand? Rest for a moment before you leave."

Jiang You'an pushed him away in silence. Clutching her collar, she opened the door and left.

Lu Xuanheng sat in the room for a long time, remaining there until nightfall, his figure swallowed by the darkness.

Back in her room at Rongshou Hall, Jiang You'an washed herself with water. Looking at the countless red marks on her body, she cursed under her breath, "Beast!"

She slumped into a chair and covered her face with her hands. She had made the wrong choice from the very beginning; she never should have yielded to Lu Xuanheng. Now, it had become a shackle.

Must she really wait for him to tire of her before she can be free?

No, he would not threaten her with this for the rest of her life. The wedding was less than two months away; once she was married, everything would be over.

Jiang You'an rubbed her temples and ordered Qiulan to brew her a contraceptive decoction.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuanheng had returned to Lanyue Pavilion. His wound seemed to have reopened during his recent actions. Just as he was about to call for a physician, Xiuzhu hurried in.

"Young Master, something has happened at the refugee camp outside the West City Gate!"