I was pampered like a treasure after being married off to the young marshal, but my father and broth

He was smelling her.

He took a deep, greedy breath.

Shang Sheyu's body stiffened; the feeling of being treated as food sent chills down her spine.

The scent of the man lingered around my nose.

The strong smell of blood mingled with the chill of the snow.

"Who are you?"

Suppressing his fear, Shang Sheyu's voice trembled: "This is the Quan Mansion. If you dare to cause trouble, Third Master will not let you off."

The man paused slightly.

He looked up, and although she couldn't see his face in the darkness, Shang Sheyu could feel that his burning gaze was fixed on her.

a long time.

He sighed softly in her ear: "I'm sorry."

Shang Sheyu was taken aback.

Before she could even process what "I'm sorry" meant, the man suddenly raised his hand and delivered a swift, decisive blow to the back of her neck.

It's black in front of you.

All consciousness vanished in an instant, and Shang Sheyu softly collapsed into the man's arms.

The next day, the sky was bright.

Shang Sheyu was awakened by the pain.

She opened her eyes and saw the familiar tent ceiling. The brocade quilt beneath her was soft and dry, and the underfloor heating in the room was burning brightly, making it warm and cozy, as if the terrifying experience of last night was just a nightmare.

But as soon as she moved, a piercing pain shot through the back of her neck, making her gasp.

Not a dream.

Shang Sheyu propped herself up and sat up, subconsciously touching the back of her neck, her fingertips brushing against a patch of swollen skin.

She looked around; the room was empty.

The man from last night has long since disappeared.

The vase sat perfectly on the table, the doors and windows were tightly closed, and everything returned to normal.

Shang Sheyu hugged the quilt, his brows furrowed.

What exactly did that man want to do?

Last night, she was holding a weapon; if it had been a real desperado, they probably would have snapped her neck long ago.

But that madman, who had clearly subdued her and had an absolute advantage in strength, merely sniffed at her neck, said a nonsensical "sorry," and then knocked her unconscious.

Just knocking him out?

Just as I was pondering this, I heard hurried footsteps outside.

"Grandma, please slow down and watch your step."

Immediately afterwards, the curtain was lifted, and Si Nan, supported by Granny Yan, hurriedly walked in.

Shang Sheyu lifted the covers to get out of bed and pay her respects, but the movement aggravated the injury on her neck, causing her to pause.

"Ouch, don't move!"

Seeing this, Si Nan rushed to the bedside in three steps, grabbed Shang Sheyu's shoulder, and said anxiously, "You child, you're injured like this, what's the point of being polite? Lie down quickly."

Shang Sheyu leaned against the headboard, her face pale, and weakly called out, "Mother-in-law."

Si Nan's gaze fell on her long, slender neck.

A bluish-purple bruise now runs across her once fair and jade-like skin, looking particularly shocking against the backdrop of her delicate skin.

Si Nan's pupils contracted slightly, and a look of heartache flashed in her eyes, but more than that, she felt an indescribable sense of guilt and lingering fear.

They hit so hard!

That bastard, he went berserk and started killing people.

"Sheyu, how are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Do you feel nauseous?" Si Nan sat on the edge of the bed, holding Shang Sheyu's hand, and asked repeatedly.

Shang Sheyu pursed her slightly dry lips and gently shook her head.

"My daughter-in-law is fine, just has a bit of a neck pain. She'll be fine in a couple of days. Thank you for your concern, Mother-in-law."

She paused, then raised her clear eyes and asked seemingly casually, "Mother-in-law, who exactly broke into my room last night...? Was it a thief?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment at that question.

Si Nan's expression froze for a moment, and her eyes unconsciously darted to the side, not daring to meet Shang Sheyu's gaze.

"Ah...yes, it's a thief."

Si Nanqian chuckled twice and said quickly, "These days are not peaceful. Some petty thieves who don't know their place dare to climb over the wall and steal things from our mansion. Don't worry, the guards have caught them, given them a beating, and taken them to the police station. This kind of thing will never happen again."

Shang Sheyu looked at Si Nan quietly.

The mother-in-law is lying.

What kind of place is Quan Mansion?

It was the residence of the Northern Warlord, guarded every three steps and sentry every five steps, so that not even a fly could get in.

What kind of petty thief has such extraordinary abilities, able to bypass all the patrolling guards, break into the inner quarters, and escape unscathed after knocking her unconscious?

Moreover, if the thief had really been caught, given the Quan family's style of doing things, they would have made a big show of it and made an example of him. Why would they be so secretive about it?

That man wasn't a thief at all.

That's the madman locked up in Dongyuan.

But Shang Sheyu did not expose him.

"It's good that you caught it." She lowered her eyes, feigning a sigh of relief. "Then I can rest assured, daughter-in-law."

Seeing that she believed him, Si Nan breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Shang Sheyu's well-behaved and sensible manner, never crying or making a fuss even when wronged, he felt even more guilty.

Thinking about it, he reached out and took off a heavy gold ring from the middle finger of his left hand.

It was an old-fashioned pure gold ring with a "double blessing of fortune and longevity" pattern engraved on the ring face. Because of its age, it had been polished and became shiny, making it look very valuable.

"Sheyu, you take this."

Without saying a word, Si Nan grabbed Shang Sheyu's hand and tried to put the finger on her finger.

Shang Sheyu was startled and quickly withdrew her hand, declining, "Mother-in-law, this is unacceptable. This is your personal belonging; how can your daughter-in-law accept it?"

"Just take it if I give it to you!"

Si Nan was adamant. He grabbed her wrist and forced the gold ring onto her index finger.

The gleaming gold ring made her fingers appear even more slender and fair.

"What happened last night was my fault as your mother-in-law. I didn't protect you well enough, and you were frightened and suffered so much."

Si Nan patted the back of her hand: "This ring has been with me for decades. It's a lucky item that can calm your nerves. Wear it as an apology from your mother-in-law. You're not allowed to take it off."

The ring felt heavy on her finger, not only because of the weight of the gold, but also because of her mother-in-law's guilt towards her.

She concealed the complex emotions in her eyes and no longer refused: "Since it is a blessing from my mother-in-law, then I, your daughter-in-law, will shamelessly accept it."

Seeing that she had accepted it, Si Nan's expression softened.

She gave her a few more instructions on how to take good care of her injuries and told her to just go to the storeroom if she needed any medicine. Then, with the help of Granny Yan, she left the West Garden.

After Si Nan left, the room became quiet again.

"Miss..."

Xi'er, who had been waiting outside, finally dared to come closer. When she saw the wound on Shang Sheyu's neck, her eyes instantly reddened.

"This is terrifying! Did that thief intend to kill someone? How could he be so ruthless?"

Shang Sheyu leaned against the headboard, his eyes slightly cold.

"Xi'er, what exactly happened last night?"

She asked, "After I passed out, you didn't hear a thing?"