Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

It was already afternoon when the carriage came to a stop in front of the Chu family's side gate.

The gatekeeper was taken aback when he saw that it was the eldest son of the Xie family. He then hurriedly welcomed him in and sent a servant to run quickly to the inner courtyard to announce his arrival.

Xie Yihua was discussing the Li family matter with Chu Zhiyin when she heard that Xie Jue had arrived. She shuddered and couldn't help but say, "Just tell him I'm sick and can't see him."

Mu Jin looked up and glanced at Xie Yihua.

Xie Yihua glared at Mu Jin, but Hong Shao hesitated and said, "Miss, the young master has come all this way; what if it's about the young master?"

Chu Zhiyin also wanted to see Xie Jue.

So he chimed in, "Sister-in-law, you are Lord Xie's own sister, what are you afraid of? Besides, you can take this opportunity to find out more about my brother."

Xie Yihua's face turned pale and then flushed, and she secretly hoped that Xie Jue had come because of Chu Shaoyuan's matter.

But Xie Yihua was still inexplicably afraid.

"I told you I'm not feeling well—"

"You must go!" Mother-in-law Yu's voice suddenly rang out sternly.

Yu Shi, supported by her maid, strode in, her face so dark it seemed like water could be wrung out.

Upon hearing from the gatekeeper that Xie Yihua's eldest son had arrived, she rushed over immediately. The Chu family was currently in dire straits; what was Xie Yihua thinking, leaving Xie Jue standing in the main hall at this time?

Even if Lady Yu wanted to show a pleasant expression, she couldn't.

"Mother—" Xie Yihua still tried to struggle.

Madam Yu didn't give her a chance to speak, her tone cold and hard: "No matter what unpleasantness exists between you and Lord Xie, he is still your elder brother. He has come to visit in person, so you must go see him. If it's about Shao Yuan, you must handle the situation carefully. If you have done something wrong—"

Madam Yu paused, her sharp gaze sweeping over Xie Yihua's forced composure. "You brought this upon yourself; don't drag the Chu family into it. Now, go immediately!"

Xie Yihua bit her lower lip and looked at Chu Zhiyin, but Chu Zhiyin avoided her gaze, picked up her teacup, and lowered her head to drink tea.

Xie Yihua couldn't help but shudder, slowly stood up, and, supporting Hong Shao's trembling hand, walked out of the side hall.

Chu Zhiyin hesitated for a moment, glanced at Madam Yu with apprehension, and finally lowered her eyes, not following them.

Upon reaching the entrance of the main hall, Xie Yihua took a deep breath, dismissed Hongshao, and went inside.

"Big brother, what brings you here so suddenly? Didn't I hear you went—"

But then Xie Jue suddenly took a step closer to her.

Xie Yihua instinctively took half a step back, but Xie Jue had already grabbed her by the neck.

That face always looked like a deity, as bright as the moon.

Unlike Xie Yao's handsome appearance, or Chu Shaoyuan's dashing good looks, this face was always shrouded in a calm and serene demeanor. His eyebrows and eyes were clear and unwavering, without a trace of fierce sharpness. Yet, simply standing there, he was more beautiful than any other woman.

Furthermore, because of his high position, even glancing at him was considered an overstepping of authority.

A storm raged in Xie Jue's eyes, and a dull ache cut into his heart, yet he still calmly asked, "Why... why?"

She had already married Chu Shaoyuan as she wished, so why, why did she have to do this?

Xie Jue couldn't understand it at all. Given Xie Yihua's actions, anyone else would certainly not have fared well. Yet, she still managed to marry Chu Shaoyuan and become the young mistress of the Chu family.

Everything went as she wished.

What more could you want?

Why would you still harm people?

Xie Yihua's face flushed red, his eyes became bloodshot, and his lips parted as if trying to call out "Big Brother," but only a hoarse, breathy sound escaped. Xie Yihua desperately pounded on his wrist, finally managing to squeeze out a distorted cry through the gaps: "Big Brother—Big Brother!"

Xie Yihua looked into Xie Jue's eyes, those eyes she had known since childhood, now staring at her, filled with only icy resolve and murderous intent.

Xie Yihua suddenly realized with immense horror—he really wanted her dead!

This time, I'm not just trying to scare her, not just to teach her a lesson, I'm really going to strangle her!!

Tears welled up from her bloodshot eyes and landed on Xie Jue's hot hand.

His fingers paused slightly when a tear fell onto the back of his hand.

Xie Jue saw those eyes clearly; they were exactly the same eyes she had when she fell in the garden as a child and ran to him crying.

Xie Jue closed his eyes, then opened them again, and slowly loosened his fingers.

Xie Yihua collapsed to the ground, clutching her neck and coughing violently, her face streaked with tears and snot. After coughing for a while, she finally looked up at Xie Jue, her face still wet with tears, her voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "Big brother...you really...you really wanted to kill me! Big brother, how could you do this!"

Xie Jue looked down at Xie Yihua, who was slumped on the ground.

She was trembling with sobs, and the finger marks on her neck were starting to turn bluish-purple; she looked extremely pitiful.

He remembered the last time he looked down at her like that was in her own yard, when she was lying in bed, using a self-inflicted injury to deceive him.

At that time, he still thought she was just not smart enough and not ruthless enough to herself.

Now it seems he was wrong. It wasn't that she wasn't ruthless enough; she used all her ruthlessness on Sese.

Xie Jue spoke quietly, "Do you think you can hide what you did to Sese from me?"

Xie Yihua dropped the pretense, gritting her teeth and saying hatefully, "Of course I knew I couldn't hide it from you! I never intended to hide it from you! I just wanted her dead!!"

"Do you think I'll really be happy just because I married Chu Shaoyuan?! No, it's not the same! The Chu family bullies me, and what about you, brother?! That's why I hate her! If this vixen hadn't bewitched you, if she hadn't taken up all your attention and focus, you wouldn't treat me like this! You wouldn't be so cold and heartless to your own sister!!"

After Xie Yihua finished shouting, his chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with an intense, unyielding resentment and a twisted sense of pleasure.

Finally, she said it!

She was originally the most important person in her elder brother's heart, but Jiang Sese stole Chu Shaoyuan's attention and her elder brother's affection.

Xie Yihua simply couldn't accept such a dramatic fall from grace.

Hearing such venomous and bitter accusations, Xie Jue remained unmoved, his face as still as a clay statue. Had he not treated his sister well? Probably no one would dare say he hadn't.

Sese didn't do anything wrong to her.

"Xie Yihua, from this day forward, you are no longer my sister, Xie Jue."

Your life or death is none of my concern.

"You'd better watch yourself."

He had originally planned that if he could successfully complete his mission in Jiangnan, he would use it to plead with Emperor Jingyuan.

This can be considered... the last bit of affection I have for this younger sister.

He didn't tell her because he didn't want her to think he had forgiven her for what happened before, and thus she might take advantage of him.

But unexpectedly, Xie Yihua actually...

So, the Chu family...

He no longer cared about the Chu family.

Chu Shaoyuan's fate is to be decided by himself and by the decree of Emperor Jingyuan.