Zhao Changdu leapt silently and swiftly down, using his light skills to reach the mansion in the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
The overpowering aura of the man gradually faded in this place.
Only then did Ye Qingchi shift his attention to another woman inside the room.
Her condition was much worse than A Ying's... Her clothes were soaked in blood, her hair disheveled, and the damp strands clung to her cheeks. Her frail and emaciated body lay lifelessly on the bed... Her skirt had been violently torn apart, exposing a pair of slender and snow-white legs. On those dazzling legs, there were visible marks left by men, purplish and ghastly.
Anyone with keen eyes could tell what had happened inside. Qin also sighed with regret. Inside, there was no sound of crying. She didn't know whether she should enter recklessly like this. She always liked Gu Shuang, fearing that it would hurt her pride.
Ye Qingchi furrowed his brows tightly. Just as he glanced inside the room from the doorway, his heart trembled with fear.
One should not look upon impropriety. He immediately turned his back, unable to bear looking any longer.
There was still no movement inside the room, and the silence was somewhat eerie.
He kicked Fu Xunzhi forward with his foot, urging him to go and comfort Gu Shuang.
Caught off guard, Fu Xunzhi stumbled into the room, standing frozen in place, not knowing what to do. He tried to take a step forward but felt as if his feet were weighed down by a thousand catties... Especially when he saw Gu Shuang's abused body, his chest felt as if it were pressed down by a huge stone, rendering him unable to move an inch.
Qin glanced at him with disdain and sighed, "Let me go in first."
As she spoke, she went inside.
Gu Shuang did hear the sound from outside, but she was trembling in pain, devoid of any strength. She felt uncomfortable and agonized. When Mu Nanfeng, like a great mountain, pressed down on her, it felt like a nightmare. Even now, she hadn't snapped out of it.
"Fourth Miss, how are you...?" Qin sat by the bedside, took off her own outer garment, and tenderly wrapped it around her body.
After a while, Gu Shuang's vacant gaze turned to Qin's concerned face, and she felt like crying. "Madam Ye... What about my second sister?"
It was heart-wrenching to hear the weakness and desolation in her voice.
Qin held her up with great tenderness. At such a time, she still had the energy to worry about A Ying. This girl was truly deserving of affection.
"She was taken away by the Crown Prince, but she's fine now."
Gu Shuang muttered, "As long as my second sister is safe."
"Gu Shuang... As long as you're alive, everything will be fine. We can get through anything." Qin called her, afraid that she would feel distressed.
Gu Shuang tugged at the corners of her pale lips, trying to smile but failing. She knew that from tonight onwards, her life had completely plunged into darkness. She was no longer worthy of her brother Xun...
What could she defend for herself?
She had already lost the ability to explain being taken away by a man, and now... what else could she do besides death?
But her brother Xun was outside. She didn't want to die... but she also didn't dare to see him.
Qin sighed incessantly, feeling both angry and pained when she saw her giving up on life completely.
She squeezed her small hand tightly, letting her lean against her chest. Her bones were delicate and soft. Why did such a small and innocent girl have to experience such things?
In her heart, Qin cursed Mu Nanfeng with frustration. She held Gu Shuang's shoulders and asked, "Can you still move?"
Gu Shuang knew how difficult her current situation was, but no matter how difficult it was, she had to face it. Just as Qin said, no matter what she had been through, as long as she was still alive and as long as Brother Xun doesn't reject her, she still had hope to continue living.
Looking at the dark blue robes outside, Gu Shuang stubbornly nodded and said, "I can."
The two of them came out from inside.
Gu Shuang looked at Fu Xunzhi with longing in her eyes and softly called out, "Brother Xun..."
Fu Xunzhi's face stiffened, wanting to speak but hesitating. His gaze swept over the marks on her body, and the hand that he had reached out inexplicably retreated.
He clearly didn't say anything, but it seemed like he had said a lot.
A sourness crept into Gu Shuang's heart as she felt a chill under the man's gaze.
Fu Xunzhi didn't make any more moves, and their lips awkwardly remained closed, standing facing each other like that.
Gu Shuang realized something and felt her breath hitch at the unfamiliarity in his pupils.
She forced a smile, her knuckles growing stiff.
"Do you think I'm dirty?"
"I... I don't..."
He said he didn't, but his body still felt distant from her like a galaxy.
Gu Shuang forced another smile, as if she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking. The only glimmer of light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Her heart was filled with various emotions, as if ants were crushed under a wheel, gradually losing everything, all hopes turning to ashes.
Only then did Fu Xunzhi realize that he had been too heartless. He stammered, trying to explain, "I... I didn't mean..."
Didn't mean what?
That he couldn't firmly walk over and hold her, that he found her dirty?
He was angry at his own uselessness and at the ruthless bandits who violated Gu Shuang. But now, what use was his anger? The deed had already been done, and they could never go back to the way things were.
He was still caught in a battle within his mind when Ye Qingchi couldn't bear to watch any longer. With a cold face, he walked over and directly lifted the frail Gu Shuang in front of Fu Xunzhi.
Fu Xunzhi was stunned, "Hey, what... what are you doing? There should be no intimacy between men and women..."
Ye Qingchi disdainfully sneered, "What I'm doing, why do I need to ask for the opinion of Master Fu?"
Fu Xunzhi meekly nodded, "But she's my fiancée."
Ye Qingchi, who had always shown gentlemanly demeanor, couldn't help but want to smash this honest person's head. But he didn't have time to deal with Fu Xunzhi now, so he said to Qin, "Mother, I'll take Gu Shuang to the estate first. Please take care of Mu Nanfeng for me. I'll be back soon."
Qin finally looked at her son with a different gaze, "Go ahead. With me here, everything will be taken care of properly."
Ye Qingchi carried Gu Shuang down the wooden building without looking sideways.
The pain in her shoulders pierced her heart, and Gu Shuang's eyes welled up as she looked at the person carrying her.
The man's jaw tightened, "What are you looking at?"
Gu Shuang's voice trembled, and her thick, long lashes fluttered slightly. "Don't you despise me?"
Ye Qingchi's expression wasn't very good. "You're not my fiancée. Why would I despise you? Just rest well, I'll take you to see a doctor."
Gu Shuang forced a bitter smile. It felt like someone was cutting at the location of her heart with a blunt knife, causing a sour and astringent sensation. She weakly closed her eyes and fainted.
Ye Qingchi didn't dare to linger any longer. He quickly used light footwork to transport her to the Ye family estate.
Zhao Changdu stood by Gu Ying's bedside, where mother and child were safe. He felt relieved when he saw Ye Qingchi carrying Gu Shuang back. His eyebrows raised slightly, "What about Fu Xunzhi?"
Zhao Changdu leapt silently and swiftly down, using his light skills to reach the mansion in the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
The overpowering aura of the man gradually faded in this place.
Only then did Ye Qingchi shift his attention to another woman inside the room.
Her condition was much worse than A Ying's... Her clothes were soaked in blood, her hair disheveled, and the damp strands clung to her cheeks. Her frail and emaciated body lay lifelessly on the bed... Her skirt had been violently torn apart, exposing a pair of slender and snow-white legs. On those dazzling legs, there were visible marks left by men, purplish and ghastly.
Anyone with keen eyes could tell what had happened inside. Qin also sighed with regret. Inside, there was no sound of crying. She didn't know whether she should enter recklessly like this. She always liked Gu Shuang, fearing that it would hurt her pride.
Ye Qingchi furrowed his brows tightly. Just as he glanced inside the room from the doorway, his heart trembled with fear.
One should not look upon impropriety. He immediately turned his back, unable to bear looking any longer.
There was still no movement inside the room, and the silence was somewhat eerie.
He kicked Fu Xunzhi forward with his foot, urging him to go and comfort Gu Shuang.
Caught off guard, Fu Xunzhi stumbled into the room, standing frozen in place, not knowing what to do. He tried to take a step forward but felt as if his feet were weighed down by a thousand catties... Especially when he saw Gu Shuang's abused body, his chest felt as if it were pressed down by a huge stone, rendering him unable to move an inch.
Qin glanced at him with disdain and sighed, "Let me go in first."
As she spoke, she went inside.
Gu Shuang did hear the sound from outside, but she was trembling in pain, devoid of any strength. She felt uncomfortable and agonized. When Mu Nanfeng, like a great mountain, pressed down on her, it felt like a nightmare. Even now, she hadn't snapped out of it.
"Fourth Miss, how are you...?" Qin sat by the bedside, took off her own outer garment, and tenderly wrapped it around her body.
After a while, Gu Shuang's vacant gaze turned to Qin's concerned face, and she felt like crying. "Madam Ye... What about my second sister?"
It was heart-wrenching to hear the weakness and desolation in her voice.
Qin held her up with great tenderness. At such a time, she still had the energy to worry about A Ying. This girl was truly deserving of affection.
"She was taken away by the Crown Prince, but she's fine now."
Gu Shuang muttered, "As long as my second sister is safe."
"Gu Shuang... As long as you're alive, everything will be fine. We can get through anything." Qin called her, afraid that she would feel distressed.
Gu Shuang tugged at the corners of her pale lips, trying to smile but failing. She knew that from tonight onwards, her life had completely plunged into darkness. She was no longer worthy of her brother Xun...
What could she defend for herself?
She had already lost the ability to explain being taken away by a man, and now... what else could she do besides death?
But her brother Xun was outside. She didn't want to die... but she also didn't dare to see him.
Qin sighed incessantly, feeling both angry and pained when she saw her giving up on life completely.
She squeezed her small hand tightly, letting her lean against her chest. Her bones were delicate and soft. Why did such a small and innocent girl have to experience such things?
In her heart, Qin cursed Mu Nanfeng with frustration. She held Gu Shuang's shoulders and asked, "Can you still move?"
Gu Shuang knew how difficult her current situation was, but no matter how difficult it was, she had to face it. Just as Qin said, no matter what she had been through, as long as she was still alive and as long as Brother Xun doesn't reject her, she still had hope to continue living.
Looking at the dark blue robes outside, Gu Shuang stubbornly nodded and said, "I can."
The two of them came out from inside.
Gu Shuang looked at Fu Xunzhi with longing in her eyes and softly called out, "Brother Xun..."
Fu Xunzhi's face stiffened, wanting to speak but hesitating. His gaze swept over the marks on her body, and the hand that he had reached out inexplicably retreated.
He clearly didn't say anything, but it seemed like he had said a lot.
A sourness crept into Gu Shuang's heart as she felt a chill under the man's gaze.
Fu Xunzhi didn't make any more moves, and their lips awkwardly remained closed, standing facing each other like that.
Gu Shuang realized something and felt her breath hitch at the unfamiliarity in his pupils.
She forced a smile, her knuckles growing stiff.
"Do you think I'm dirty?"
"I... I don't..."
He said he didn't, but his body still felt distant from her like a galaxy.
Gu Shuang forced another smile, as if she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking. The only glimmer of light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Her heart was filled with various emotions, as if ants were crushed under a wheel, gradually losing everything, all hopes turning to ashes.
Only then did Fu Xunzhi realize that he had been too heartless. He stammered, trying to explain, "I... I didn't mean..."
Didn't mean what?
That he couldn't firmly walk over and hold her, that he found her dirty?
He was angry at his own uselessness and at the ruthless bandits who violated Gu Shuang. But now, what use was his anger? The deed had already been done, and they could never go back to the way things were.
He was still caught in a battle within his mind when Ye Qingchi couldn't bear to watch any longer. With a cold face, he walked over and directly lifted the frail Gu Shuang in front of Fu Xunzhi.
Fu Xunzhi was stunned, "Hey, what... what are you doing? There should be no intimacy between men and women..."
Ye Qingchi disdainfully sneered, "What I'm doing, why do I need to ask for the opinion of Master Fu?"
Fu Xunzhi meekly nodded, "But she's my fiancée."
Ye Qingchi, who had always shown gentlemanly demeanor, couldn't help but want to smash this honest person's head. But he didn't have time to deal with Fu Xunzhi now, so he said to Qin, "Mother, I'll take Gu Shuang to the estate first. Please take care of Mu Nanfeng for me. I'll be back soon."
Qin finally looked at her son with a different gaze, "Go ahead. With me here, everything will be taken care of properly."
Ye Qingchi carried Gu Shuang down the wooden building without looking sideways.
The pain in her shoulders pierced her heart, and Gu Shuang's eyes welled up as she looked at the person carrying her.
The man's jaw tightened, "What are you looking at?"
Gu Shuang's voice trembled, and her thick, long lashes fluttered slightly. "Don't you despise me?"
Ye Qingchi's expression wasn't very good. "You're not my fiancée. Why would I despise you? Just rest well, I'll take you to see a doctor."
Gu Shuang forced a bitter smile. It felt like someone was cutting at the location of her heart with a blunt knife, causing a sour and astringent sensation. She weakly closed her eyes and fainted.
Ye Qingchi didn't dare to linger any longer. He quickly used light footwork to transport her to the Ye family estate.
Zhao Changdu stood by Gu Ying's bedside, where mother and child were safe. He felt relieved when he saw Ye Qingchi carrying Gu Shuang back. His eyebrows raised slightly, "What about Fu Xunzhi?"
