If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Xi Lingxian turned her head in a panic, struggling desperately to escape his brute force and heat:

"Let go of me! Can't you speak properly? I have something important to discuss with you."

Wang Jue felt an even stronger chill emanating from her. He lowered his head and buried it in her slender, fair neck, biting down hard on her tender skin with his teeth.

The sharp, scalding bite sent a shiver down Xi Lingxian's spine.

The love potion was already rampant and causing harm. The stinging and tingling sensation from her neck made her feel increasingly weak and powerless.

Her so-called letting go and forgiving each other is just a euphemism for abandonment.

Wang Jue held the person beneath him tightly, his chest heaving, his voice hoarse and hoarse.

"Why should you let go? Who gave you permission to let go? How can you let go? You were the one who provoked me first, so why can you just say you're letting go and not want it anymore?"

Xi Lingxian was pressed down by him, struggling violently, her clothes were disheveled, her hair was messy and stuck to her cheeks, and her breathing was disordered and rapid:

"Yes, I was the one who provoked you first. But that's all in the past, a thing of the past. People should move on, why dwell on it so stubbornly?"

"We're incompatible, and we argued a lot in our previous life, making our home almost never peaceful. Now that God has given us a chance to fix things, wouldn't it be better to just let things go?"

The words "two cleared" were like a sharp blade piercing Wang Jue's heart.

The man's eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly used force to rip open the sash in front of her.

Her clothes instantly loosened, and he lowered his head, his nose pushing aside her disheveled clothes as he pressed himself against her with a manic and obsessive intensity.

Ignoring the tingling and weakness brought on by the Gu worms, Xi Lingxian raised her hand and slammed it hard onto his face.

With a crisp slap, the man froze, his tense body suddenly releasing all its strength, and he fell heavily backward onto the bed.

Xi Lingxian struggled to get up, hastily gathering her torn clothes. The teeth marks on her neck were clearly red, and she was both angry and annoyed.

"I've come here sincerely to talk to you properly, do you have to make things so ugly? What's the point of us continuing this stalemate and entanglement?"

"You are the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, bearing the heavy responsibility of your family and the well-being of the world on your shoulders; I also want to protect my family and live a peaceful life. We are not three-year-old children anymore, and we should be able to distinguish between what is important and what is not."

The man slowly closed his eyes, a single tear silently sliding down the corner of his eye and disappearing into his temple.

She has become more sensible.

That was his first thought.

In their past lives, through countless arguments and disputes, he repeatedly hoped that she could be more mature and sensible, not be swayed by love, not be childish and impulsive, and not be willful and stubborn.

She used to be stubborn and rebellious, never knowing how to back down, and never learning to control her emotions;

His sharp edges and overt displays of talent led to his own injuries multiple times.

But now, she has truly matured and understands responsibility, restraint, and propriety.

But this belated maturity did not lead to a more natural and lasting relationship between husband and wife.

She had completely abandoned him.

After Wang Jue calmed down, she propped herself up and sat up, the clear handprint on her cheek glaringly obvious.

The madness in his eyes had long since vanished, leaving only a solemn expression. "Have those people figured out a way to remove the curse?"

Xi Lingxian gripped her clothes with her fingertips and shook her head slightly upon hearing this. "Not yet. Mr. Zhou and the others are still discussing it repeatedly. This love potion is inherently difficult to cure, and judging from the situation, it will be no easy task."

He chuckled softly, a hint of ambiguity in his voice: "There's an extremely simple way to cure this disease, didn't Mr. Zhou and Dr. Wen tell you about it?"

Xi Lingxian's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood what he meant.

Her face darkened, and she snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting! How could I do that kind of thing with you?"

"Why not?" Wang Jue suddenly interrupted her.

Xi Lingxian was taken aback by his nonchalant demeanor, and her tongue stammered, "We...we're not husband and wife anymore, how can we do such a thing! You're a man and don't care about these things, it's just another romantic affair, but I'm a young woman, I still have to get married in the future, how can I face others if word gets out?"

Wang Jue's expression remained calm and composed as she said, word by word, "Didn't you already decide to take in a son-in-law? What's this talk of marriage?"

"Even if it's a marriage where the son-in-law lives with his wife, he can't do such shameful things before the wedding!" Xi Lingxian said anxiously, her cheeks flushing red.

"Why not?" He remained as nonchalant as ever. "If you marry into the family, you become the mistress of the house, and you're in charge. What right does a son-in-law who marries into the family have to question your past? As the mistress of the house, you should be free before and after marriage. You can do whatever you want, and no one can stop you."

Xi Lingxian was taken aback by his words, and for some reason felt that there was some truth to them.

She snapped out of her daze, frowned, and snapped, "No! You're clearly changing the subject, making excuses for your absurd behavior. There's absolutely no way that's possible!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jue precisely gripped her waist with his fingertips, pulled her forcefully, and the two were instantly close together, their noses touching.

He stared into her eyes. "Nothing is impossible. Can't you have some backbone? Don't just take all your anger out on me?"

Xi Lingxian's eyes widened, feeling that he was putting accusations on her one after another. "When have I ever only lost my temper with you!"

"You're all bark and bite in front of me, ready to slap me at any moment, but how come you're all gentle and courteous in front of Xi Wenpeixiu? I think you're just a bully at home!"

Xi Lingxian opened her mouth, but after a long while, she managed to choke out, "You clearly angered me first. If you had spoken to me properly, I wouldn't have hit you."

Wang Jue pulled her back to him, his gaze deep. "The situation in Jiangzhou is turbulent and critical. I must set off as soon as possible. To prevent any further complications, and given the bond between us caused by the love curse, it's best we don't separate. You will come with me. I will bring Doctor Wen with me, and we will work together with Mr. Zhou to research a cure for the curse. There won't be any delays."

Xi Lingxian shook her head repeatedly: "Impossible! I want to stay at home with my father."

"The situation is urgent now." Wang Jue's expression suddenly turned solemn, leaving no room for argument. "It is all due to the pressure of the overall situation, and we have no choice but to do this. If Jiangzhou falls into the control of others, both of our families will be plunged into a desperate situation with unimaginable consequences."

Having experienced many trials and tribulations in her past and present lives, Xi Lingxian is no longer the delicate and naive woman who was raised in seclusion. She has a vague understanding of court intrigue and worldly interests, and knows that everything he said is true.

Can……

"It's really inappropriate for a man and a woman to travel together alone. Isn't there any other way? Perhaps before you set off, the others can find a safe way to remove the curse."

Wang Jue leaned back slightly, closed her eyes, and said softly, "I have already made my plans and will set off on the third day of the new year."

Xi Lingxian was startled: "Today is the first day of the month, and the third day is the day after tomorrow! Why the rush?"

"Every day I delay increases the danger and crisis. The fact that they sent assassins to attack me is enough to prove that someone is deliberately trying to stop me from arriving in Jiangzhou safely. If I don't set off soon, my territory will have already been devoured by others."

Xi Lingxian was silent for a moment, then said, "You don't usually try to get close to me or provoke me, so the Gu worms in my body remain safe and sound. I think if we separate for a while, nothing will go wrong. You've always been upright and would never deliberately activate the Gu worms to torment or control me, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jue raised an eyebrow slightly and casually replied, "Who told you I couldn't?"

Xi Lingxian was instantly furious. She gritted her teeth and glared at him, her tone threatening: "If you keep talking nonsense..."

Wang Jue said helplessly, "I'm not forcing you, it's just that it really doesn't work. Mr. Zhou has already warned us that the mother and child Gu are connected by blood and must not be too far apart. Once the distance exceeds that, you will be the one who suffers the most from beginning to end."

Xi Lingxian couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. "Why? Why should I be controlled by you in every way?"

The thought of how the venomous insects within her would surge and churn uncontrollably every time he approached to touch her or lean down to kiss her caused an uncontrollable, strange throbbing sensation throughout her body, making her cheeks burn.

An unspeakable shame.

Seeing the pent-up grievance and resentment in her eyes, Wang Jue's heart softened suddenly. "I'm not going to kidnap you, why are you acting like this is a major threat?"

He softened his tone slightly, "Jiangzhou is a crucial location for our dynasty, with a complex situation but also a world of its own. You have been raised in seclusion since childhood, and have only ever been to Guangling and Jiankang, never to any other place. Why not come with me to see it and broaden your horizons? If you are worried about being alone on the road, you can always bring your younger brother along."

Xi Lingxian's heart skipped a beat, but she remained wary, narrowing her eyes as she looked him up and down with suspicion: "I think you still have ulterior motives!"

Wang Jue felt a tightness in his chest from her guarded demeanor and said in a hoarse voice, "What other ulterior motives could I possibly have? Do you expect me to force myself on you?"

Xi Lingxian paused, then glanced at him.

A heavy feeling settled over Wang Jue's face. "Even if we are not husband and wife, our two families are already in the same boat. We share the same fate, and we share the same fate. The Jiangzhou affair has far-reaching implications, and neither of our families can stay out of it."

Xi Lingxian frowned, her heart filled with conflict: "You...you need to let me think about it. I need to go back and discuss it with my father."

Wang Jue lay back down, putting his hands behind his head. "Take your time to think about it."

Xi Lingxian calmed her anger and said in a calm and serious tone, "What I just said to you was not a joke."

"Who doesn't understand the big principles?" Wang Jue's lips curled into a very faint bitter smile.

"But I can't do it."