The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

Xiao Qingyan walked up to Jiang Zhenxue and stopped.

He looked down at her, his eyes devoid of pity, filled only with a suffocating scrutiny and amusement.

He raised his hand and gently pinched her dusty chin with two fingers, forcing her to lift her head.

The touch from my fingertips was delicate and warm.

It was a familiar touch to him.

"You're quite the actor."

He spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet it was enough to make Jiang Zhenxue feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Damn, the male lead of this angst novel has found him; he can't escape now.

Xiao Qingyan released his hand as if he had touched something dirty, took out a snow-white handkerchief from his sleeve, and slowly wiped his fingers.

Then he threw the handkerchief on the ground.

He turned to Wu Shaodong, who was already terrified, and asked in a calm tone, "You just said you were going to take care of her?"

Wu Shaodong knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"M-My lord, spare my life! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness! I didn't know... I didn't know she was your person!"

Xiao Qingyan didn't even bother to glance at him.

His gaze returned to Jiang Zhenxue.

He reached out, not to help her up, nor to straighten her disheveled clothes.

Instead, he gave her the order in an unyielding manner.

"come over."

Jiang Zhenxue did not move.

She bit her lower lip hard, using all her strength to stop her body from trembling.

She can't go there.

She was back in that cage again. She transmigrated into this book not to repeat the original owner's physical and emotional torment, and ultimately fall in love with this obsessive madman's foolish plot!

Seeing that she didn't move, Xiao Qingyan's eyes turned colder.

He stopped looking at her and turned to Wu Shaodong, who was already terrified: "Which hand did you try to use to touch her just now?"

Wu Shaodong was terrified and could only keep begging for mercy.

"I'm asking you, which hand?" Xiao Qingyan's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Wu Shaodong was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his skin, and tremblingly raised his right hand that had just grabbed Jiang Zhenxue.

"Nighthawk".

"Here." A shadow flashed, and Night Hawk appeared behind Xiao Qingyan like a ghost.

"It's ruined."

"Yes."

Night Hawk stepped forward, giving Wu Shaodong no chance to react. A sickening cracking sound of bone breaking was heard, followed by a heart-wrenching scream. Wu Shaodong's right hand drooped down at an eerie angle.

Apart from the screams, the alley was deathly silent.

Xiao Qingyan acted as if he had done something insignificant. He looked at Jiang Zhenxue again, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "What, do I have to treat you?"

Jiang Zhenxue took a deep breath, leaned against the wall, and slowly straightened up.

She knew she couldn't escape it today.

She raised her head to meet his scrutinizing gaze and said clearly, word by word, "Xiao Qingyan."

This was the first time she had called him by his full name.

They didn't treat him as a timid "Lord Marquis," but rather as an equal, negotiable partner.

Xiao Qingyan's eyes darkened instantly.

"You've certainly grown some guts," he sneered, stepping forward and grabbing her wrist with a grip so tight it felt like he wanted to crush her bones. "You've opened a study, set up an elegant pavilion, and even learned to melt down my things to reward your servants?"

"You think you can escape?" His voice was low and dangerous. "Or do you think this half-dead kid can protect you?"

He glanced at Shen Yu, who was struggling to stand up but collapsed helplessly, his contempt undisguised.

"I don't want to run away." Jiang Zhenxue endured the sharp pain in her wrist, met his gaze without flinching, "I just don't want to live like that anymore."

"Xiao Qingyan, I'm tired of being a caged canary, tired of having to read your face and please you. I've had enough!"

Her words were like a knife, precisely piercing Xiao Qingyan's most prized desire for control.

"So, let's part ways amicably, okay?" She looked at him, a hint of pleading in her eyes. "I can find a way to return the gold and silver I took. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. We'll be even."

"Even if we owe each other nothing?"

Xiao Qingyan felt as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He suddenly pulled her into his arms, his hot breath spraying onto her ear, his voice as cold as if it came from hell.

"Jiang Zhenxue, have you forgotten that everything you have is given to you by me? Your life is mine."

"Without my permission, you don't even have the right to die, and you dare to talk to me about 'we're even'?"

"Sister Jiang!"

Shen Yu, drawing strength from who-knows-where, roared and pounced, grabbing Xiao Qingyan's leg tightly and biting down hard!

"Let her go!" The boy's eyes were filled with the madness of a dying beast.

Xiao Qingyan's patience finally ran out at this moment.

The last trace of amusement in his eyes was replaced by rage, and a murderous aura erupted from his body.

"court death!"

He kicked Shen Yu in the chest, sending Shen Yu flying like a rag doll. Shen Yu crashed heavily into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood and passing out on the spot.

"Xiao Yu!"

Jiang Zhenxue let out a piercing scream. She struggled frantically, hitting and biting with her hands, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair.

"Xiao Qingyan! You're a madman! Let me go!"

Tears finally broke free.

It wasn't out of fear, but out of anger, out of the helplessness and despair of watching someone you care about get seriously hurt because of you.

Her tears, however, were like adding fuel to the fire, completely igniting Xiao Qingyan's rage.

These are not the tears he wants.

What he wanted was for her to be like before, so that when she was wronged, she would only run into his arms and cry, both afraid and dependent.

Not for another man.

"It seems I've spoiled you too much, and you've forgotten the rules."

Xiao Qingyan gave her no chance to struggle, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and strode out of the alley.

"Let me go! Xiao Qingyan! You bastard!"

Jiang Zhenxue's fists rained down on his solid back, but it was like tickling him, unable to shake him in the slightest.

After Nighthawk finished dealing with the "garbage" in the alley, he followed silently.

The manager and staff of Yingxianlou watched helplessly as the powerful and influential guest carried a struggling and crying "maid" upstairs with a grim expression. No one dared to utter a sound, or even glance at him.

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open and then slammed shut.

Jiang Zhenxue was roughly thrown onto the soft bed by him. Just as she was about to get up, Xiao Qingyan pounced on her, his tall figure blocking out all the light and trapping her firmly beneath him.

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. In his deep eyes, she saw a possessiveness and rage she had never seen before.

"Run!"

His voice was cold, with a hint of cruel laughter.

"Aren't you very capable?"

"Run it again and show me."