Qin Wanru was lost in a daze. Chu Tieshengâs words were like knives that cut deeply into her heart again and again.
When she was younger, she had fallen in love with Chu Zhongtian the first time she laid eyes on him. The two of them developed feelings for each other, and their wedding was one filled with happiness and bliss. This continued until he suffered a serious injury more than ten years agoâ¦
She loved her husband deeply. Compared to her love for him, such an issue wasnât a big deal at all.
It had still been bearable at first. However, she was a woman, and a mature woman at that.
From time to time, she would lie awake in the dead of night. However, she was afraid of expressing herself, as she did not want to hurt her husbandâs feelings.
Such extreme and opposing feelings caused her temper to grow much hotter over the years. There were many instances in which she knew she could not act out, yet sometimes, she just couldnât control her emotions.
If there really was a chance that she could somehow, secretly⦠And if it was never found out, perhaps it wouldnât be completely unacceptableâ¦
Qin Wanru was horrified as soon as this thought appeared in her head, and she strangled it immediately. She knew that the drug in her body had begun to take serious effect, and that it was even starting to affect her thoughts and judgment.
However, she knew that there was no way she could overpower Chu Tiesheng in her current state. She could only pretend to play along.
She brushed the strands of hair away from her cheeks and tucked them behind her ear. This simple movement was enough to make Chu Tieshengâs eyes widen, his mouth feel dry, and his heartbeat accelerate. If he hadnât been afraid that she would retaliate, he might have already pounced on her.
The desire in his eyes filled Qin Wanru with disgust. However, she maintained her composure and said, âHow can I be sure that you wonât tell anyone in the future?â
âWhat?â Chu Tiesheng was stunned, momentarily unable to react. He thought that heâd somehow heard her wrongly.
Qin Wanru endured the terrible feeling surging within her. She deliberately made her tone sweeter as she said, âIâm asking you this: if I do obey you, how would I know that you wonât just go against our agreement and secretly let others know? Wouldnât that completely destroy me?â
âSo that was what you were worried about.â Chu Tiesheng finally understood. The goddess that heâd been yearning for day and night was finally loosening up. Ecstasy surged within him. âDonât worry! I will never tell anyone about this!â
Qin Wanru scoffed. âThe mouths of men are the most unreliable. Why would I trust your empty promises? Thatâs why⦠thatâs why you cannot use the recording stone to record⦠record our deeds.â
Chu Tieshengâs little brother saluted immediately when he heard this. Her tone clearly implied that she was agreeing to his request!
He quickly acceded to this. âSure, sure, sure! I wonât use the recording stone!â
If Qin Wanru really agreed to be by his side, then recording the deed wouldnât matter anymore.
The whole point of the recording stone was to be able to relive the experience of this one night, after all.
However, if Qin Wanru agreed to his conditions, he could just seek her out whenever he wanted her in the future.
Besides, once theyâd done the deed a few times and became completely familiar with each other, she might not even refuse his advances anymore. After all, she had much to worry about right now.
âThen⦠you have to be a man of your word.â Qin Wanru said sweetly.
âOf course! Let the heavens strike me down with lightning if I go back on my word!â Chu Tiesheng said. âSister-in-law, the only thing Iâve ever wanted is you⦠Since youâve already agreed to my request, why would I still take such risks? Chu Zhongtian is practically finished, so I donât mind taking you as my nominal wife. This will surely make things even more exciting for the two of us in the future.â
He couldnât hold himself back anymore. He threw himself at her. âSister-in-law, you donât know how many years I yearned for this dayâ¦â
A small part of him still suspected her, since Qin Wanru seemed to be acting far too differently all of a sudden. However, lust had already overtaken him. Besides, she had already been afflicted with the âBullâs Creamâ. He let go of his lingering doubts and decided to believe her.
Seeing her lovely face and thinking about how this stunning, well-endowed body would soon be in his embrace made Chu Tiesheng so excited, he felt like he was about to explode. Clearly, heâd made the right choice this time.
While Qin Wanru may have looked coy on the outside, she was still ice-cold inside.
Just as Chu Tiesheng was about to embrace her, she sent her palm out, striking him in the middle of his chest. All of her pent-up rage was completely focused into this one strike.
âAhâ¦â Chu Tiesheng squealed miserably as he fell backwards. He hadnât expected this beautiful flower, which seemed all ready to be plucked, to suddenly turn into a man-eating plant.
Qin Wanruâs heart was full of regret. If sheâd been in peak condition, her strike would have surely crippled him, if it hadnât killed him outright.
However, her strength and speed had been reduced by the effects of the drug. That was why her palm strike only dealt a moderate amount of damage.
She was just about to seize this opportunity to end his life, but a wave of heat surged through her as soon as she took a single step, and her entire body grew limp.
âDamn it!â She steadied herself by leaning on the pillar next to her. If she had waited any longer, she might have actually been defiled by that disgusting man.
Sheâd lost her window of opportunity to kill her opponent, so she didnât dare linger any longer. She quickly smashed a window and jumped through.
She looked around in confusion as she landed on the ground outside her room. There had been such a huge disturbance in the roomâthe guards should have rushed over immediately!
However, not a single guard was in sight. There wasnât even a single servant.
She was shocked. It seemed Chu Tieshengâs scheme ran deep. How many people in Chu Estate had he bribed?
She didnât dare waste any more time. She ran straight towards Hong Zhongâs residence.
There were two people Qin Wanru and her husband trusted the most in the Chu Estate: the butler Hong Zhong, and Commander Yue Shan. Yue Shan had been transferred away to investigate some matters recently.
Now that she thought about it, this distraction was likely a part of Chu Tieshengâs scheme. He might have stirred things up precisely to draw Yue Shan away.
Thank goodness she still had Hong Zhong!
Without Yue Shan, the only one left in whom she had absolute trust was Hong Zhong.
While others might betray her husband or her, Hong Zhong definitely would not.
It wasnât just because he had already served the Chu clan for many generations. She also had a clear understanding of his nature after so many years of interacting with him.
He was old, wise, and extremely meticulous. His character was upright and unwavering.
She sprinted frantically in the direction of his residence, stumbling several times along the way.
Strange feelingsâfamiliar, yet unfamiliarâsurged continuously within her, making her feel both ashamed and furious. The only thing on her mind right now was finding Hong Zhong and asking for his help. The Chu clan was facing a severe tribulation.
She ran straight into the courtyard and pounded on the door. âElder Hong, Elder Hong!â
The door opened quickly. Hong Zhong walked out, a confused look on his face. âMadam, why are you here?â
âI donât have time to explain. Chu Tiesheng has rebelled. I donât know how many people have colluded with him. You need to quickly gather some men to arrest himâ¦â Her eyes widened in shock, and she trailed off before she could finish. Hong Zhongâs hand flashed out swiftly, striking her acupoints with deadly accuracy. She could no longer move.