Chapter 106: If He Endured It Any Longer, He Would Truly Go Mad
Chapter 106: Chapter 106: If He Endured It Any Longer, He Would Truly Go Mad
Cui Lingyao, who had listened to the entire conversation between the two men, had at some point stopped struggling.
Seeing them both look over, she said coolly, "Let go."
Xie Jinbai froze, his brows knitting. "He’s deliberately trying to stir things up. Don’t fall for his trick."
Cui Lingyao looked up. "I told you to let go. Can you hear me?"
The rims of her eyes were red, and her expression was terrifyingly grim.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Xie Jinbai let go.
Cui Lingyao immediately got to her feet and walked toward her own tent.
Only the two men were left by the campfire.
Xie Jinbai’s eyes narrowed. He stared at the man opposite him for a long moment. "So, Mr. Shen, you’re unwilling to let go? You intend to fight this Prince for her?"
"Your Highness overstates things. It could hardly be called a fight," Shen Tingyu said, his expression unchanged. "I only want Yaoyao to be happy."
’She wasn’t even here anymore, and he was still spouting such sanctimonious nonsense.’
’Truly...’
The killing intent in Xie Jinbai’s heart intensified. He barely managed to suppress it before saying coldly, "Let me be frank. She is this Prince’s bottom line. For her sake, I don’t want to start a massacre. You’re a smart man. You must know what you should and should not do."
...
「Elsewhere.」
The hastily erected tent was small, barely able to fit two or three people. It was covered in dark, oiled cloth, blocking any view from the outside.
It was a closed-off, private space.
Inside was a crudely assembled bed, which wasn’t even laid with a quilt or mattress. Other than that, there was nothing.
Cui Lingyao sat on the wooden bed frame, rubbing her wrist.
Having been gripped so tightly for so long, her wrist was sore, numb, and aching.
’That lunatic.’
’He had clearly promised her they would wait until after they returned to the capital and her engagement to Shen Tingyu was broken off before making their affair public.’
’But he’d only been gone a few days. The moment he reappeared, he flew into a rage in front of Shen Tingyu without even a word of discussion with her.’
’Perhaps Shen Tingyu’s words were intended to be provocative.’
’But they also served as a reminder to her.’
’What kind of man was he?’
’He claimed to love her, yet he didn’t treat her as an independent person at all.’
’Then again, with his immense power, all that mattered was what *he* wanted to do.’
’As for her wishes?’
’They didn’t matter in the slightest...’
When Xie Jinbai came in, he saw the young woman sitting on the crude bed frame, her eyes red, looking utterly wronged as she rubbed her wrist.
His expression faltered, and he strode over to her. "Did I hurt you?"
"How did you get in?" Cui Lingyao’s face paled. "There are still people outside. How could you dare..."
Xie Jinbai ignored her, reaching the bedside in a few strides. He took her hand and pushed up her sleeve.
Her wrist was slender. The cool touch of her skin made his thumb unconsciously caress it.
He looked down. Her skin was fair and smooth.
’It’s not red, so it must just be sore.’
"So delicate." Despite his words, his long fingers obediently began to massage her wrist.
Cui Lingyao wasn’t falling for his act.
She snatched her hand away and pointed at the tent flap. "Get out!"
Why would Xie Jinbai leave? He explained, "I made sure no one saw me before I came in."
"I don’t believe you!"
Cui Lingyao sneered. "Xie Jinbai, I’ll never believe another word you say again!"
He had broken his promise first.
She was furious.
Xie Jinbai stood ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on her furious face. He pursed his lips. "You two eat together every day, travel in the same carriage, constantly in each other’s company. I really couldn’t stand it anymore."
If he endured it any longer, he’d truly go mad.
"Can you please be reasonable? Just think about how I feel, will you?"
’Even the most magnanimous of men could never tolerate his beloved having a "fiancé" constantly by her side.’
’They were growing closer day by day.’
’Their affection for each other growing stronger day by day.’
’Besides, when it came to matters concerning her, he had always been obsessively possessive.’
"For eight days straight—I was gone for eight days. Did you miss me even a little? Or with him by your side, did you cast me completely from your mind?"
Xie Jinbai grabbed her chin, leaning down slightly to look into her eyes. "Tell me, are you this furious because my appearance interrupted the rapid progress of your relationship with him?"
’Incorrigible.’
’His talent for shifting the blame was truly unparalleled.’
Cui Lingyao was so angry her hands were trembling.
’He was the one who had disappeared without a word, while she was just following their plan and escorting her mother’s coffin to Pingzhou for burial.’
’And what was the result? He disappears for a few days, comes back, and immediately loses his mind. Declaring his ownership of her in front of Shen Tingyu wasn’t enough.’
’Now he had to turn it all around and put all the blame on her.’
’As if she were the one who had wronged him so terribly.’
’Then again.’
’This wasn’t the first time he’d shirked responsibility.’
’Even the matter of him taking a concubine—the way he told it, wasn’t it all because her "love for him" wasn’t convincing enough, which made him so angry that he just brought the woman home without telling her the reason?’
’No matter how you spun it, everything was her fault.’
’It was her fault she was killed by the concubine he’d welcomed with such lavish ceremony.’
’It was her fault she had obediently drunk their wedding wine.’
’And now, it was her fault for simply following their prior agreement to escort her mother home for burial.’
’And he still had the nerve to tell her to be reasonable!’
’He truly had an excuse for everything.’
Cui Lingyao’s mind went blank with rage. Her lips trembled, and after a long moment, she forced a smile. "You’re right about everything. Since you disappeared for eight days, why not just stay gone forever? Why reappear just to disgust me?"
...
Xie Jinbai’s expression went blank. "What?"
As if he couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind her words, he tilted his head, leaning even closer. "Say that again?"
His voice was very soft.
It held no trace of coldness.
Yet when Cui Lingyao heard it, a cold shiver ran down her spine.
A sliver of her rationality returned.
Just then, Zhiqiu’s voice sounded from outside the tent.
She wanted to come in to lay out the bedding.
Cui Lingyao snapped back to her senses and called out, "Go on, for now. Come back later."
Though Zhiqiu didn’t understand, she obediently withdrew.
As the footsteps faded, Cui Lingyao tore his hand from her chin and stood up, pushing at the man before her. "You should leave. We can talk about this another time."
Xie Jinbai didn’t budge an inch.
"I’ve changed my mind," he said calmly, looking at the young woman who was practically bristling with rage. "I originally thought it would be enough to just make things clear to Shen Tingyu. Now, I feel it wouldn’t be a problem if everyone else knew, too."
’Her reputation?’
’He didn’t care about that.’
’More than that, he wanted her to be clear on her own status.’
’To make it so she could never again say she wished he would disappear.’
’Whether she loathed him or her affections had shifted to Shen Tingyu, it made no difference.’
’In this lifetime, she would never be able to get rid of him.’
’She couldn’t even dream of shaking him off!’
’Since she refused to accept his gentle approach...’
’Then why should he show her any mercy?’
’Just thinking of every word she had just spoken, of the loathing in her eyes, Xie Jinbai felt he should abandon all softheartedness.’
’Only with a heart as hard as iron could he act as wantonly as he pleased and stop showing her any mercy.’
Just as he was thinking this, a teardrop landed on the back of his hand.
Scalding.
It was so hot it made Xie Jinbai’s knuckles tremble.
His breath hitched, and he abruptly lifted her chin.
Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes were red and glistening with moisture. As his gaze fell upon them, another tear slid down her cheek.
Xie Jinbai pressed his lips together. "Don’t cry. I’ll leave."