Chapter 56

Xiao Changyuan stood silently outside the door, his handsome face dark and gloomy.
In his arms, he held two clean quilts.
He lifted his gaze to the tightly shut wooden door before him, in his deep, cold black eyes, a storm of violent emotions was brewing.
He wanted to burst in and teach his wife a harsh lesson so she would never dare to shut him out again.
If he wished, no door in this world could stop him.
With just a light raise of his hand, this wooden door would shatter into dust in his grasp, vanishing without a trace.
Then he could go in and bite his wife until she cried.
But Xiao Changyuan did not do so because he sensed that his wife seemed to be in an unusual mood today.
He did not want to go against her will.
He knew his wife was standing right behind the wooden door.
He could hear her frantic heartbeat and her increasingly erratic, suppressed breathing.
She must be terrified that he would barge in, which was why she was standing there.
Xiao Changyuan clenched the quilts in his hands, his pale fingertips turning slightly blue from the force. His thin lips pressed tightly together, his dark eyes icy and brooding as he struggled to suppress the raging fury in his heart. With a cold, angry expression, he turned and stormed away.
Buling Buling, hearing the commotion, poked his head out of the doghouse, his moist eyes fixed on Xiao Changyuan.
Seeing that the male owner had been driven out by the female owner, Buling Buling cast a pitiful look at him.
Xiao Changyuan shot a cold glare at Buling Buling, then reached out and pushed open the wooden door of the guest room.
This room was right next to the main house, separated only by an earthen wall. The guest room was small, containing only a wooden bed and a wardrobe. Before New Year's Eve, Yun Pianpian had cleaned it, making it barely tidy and presentable.
Xiao Changyuan had even slept in the kitchen of Jiandi Yue, so this guest room naturally didn't make him feel hard done by.
What made him feel aggrieved and furious was that his wife had actually kicked him out of their room.
With a dark expression on his handsome face, Xiao Changyuan threw the bedding onto the wooden bed and walked over to the earthen wall separating the main house from the guest room.
He raised his eyes and stared intently at the wall before him.
He imagined his gaze could pierce through this earthen wall and land on Yun Pianpian.
The cold, jade, like emperor stood in the simple, dilapidated room, staring at the earthen wall like a cold, angry “wife-gazing stone.”
Suppressing the cold rage in his heart, he pricked up his ears, held his breath, and carefully eavesdropped on the movements from the main house.
Xiao Changyuan had exceptionally sharp hearing; no faint sound could escape his ears.
For a long while, there was no movement from the main house.
Only after a long time did he hear his wife's slow footsteps. He heard the sound of a wooden chest opening, it seemed she had placed something inside her treasure box. Then came rustling noises; she must have climbed into bed.
Xiao Changyuan waited in place for quite some time.
He wanted to wait until his wife fell asleep, then sneak into the main house to hold her while she slept.
But his wife tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Xiao Changyuan found it strange, his wife had always slept well, dozing off as soon as her head hit the pillow. Why was she staying up so late today?
Then he heard his wife's soft sobs.
Xiao Changyuan froze, his brows deeply furrowed.
It wasn't until the hour of Tiger (3–5 a.m.) that Yun Pianpian finally drifted into a fitful sleep.
For as long as she tossed and turned in bed, Xiao Changyuan stood by the earthen wall.
Hearing Yun Pianpian's breathing finally become steady, Xiao Changyuan immediately pushed open the guest room door, rushed to the main house, and found the door locked from the inside. So, he quietly pushed open the window, climbed in, and closed it.
As he shut the window, his eyes met those of Buling Buling in the yard.
The night was cool as water, the breeze gentle, and the moon bright.
Buling Buling poked his furry head out of the doghouse, his shiny black eyes gazing at him.
Xiao Changyuan shot a warning glance at Buling Buling.
As if understanding the warning, Buling Buling immediately retreated into the doghouse.
Xiao Changyuan closed the window, plunging the room into dimness. The faint, cool moonlight filtered through the window paper, casting a soft glow in the dark room. By this light, he walked to the wooden bed, took off his shoes, and climbed onto the bed, carefully pulling Yun Pianpian into his arms.
With her warm, soft body in his embrace, the grievance and anger in Xiao Changyuan's heart instantly vanished.
The cool, faint moonlight fell on the girl's quiet, delicate face. Her thick, curly lashes were dotted with glistening teardrops, like morning dew condensed on lotus petals, translucent and radiant, enhancing her lovely, graceful features and making her appear even more tender and captivating.
Xiao Changyuan lowered his head and gently kissed away the tears clinging to her eyelashes.
A question arose in his heart: Why did his wife have to hide away and cry?
Xiao Changyuan kissed her eyelashes and began to recall the events of the day. His wife had suddenly claimed she couldn’t bear the torment of the demonic arts, could it be because he had kissed her too fiercely that afternoon, frightening her? He quickly dismissed the thought. There had been many times when he had kissed her even more intensely, and she had never refused him. Besides, that afternoon, he had already been quite restrained.
A sudden thought flashed through his mind.
Xiao Changyuan remembered the faint sounds he had heard earlier in the guest room next door.
It seemed his wife had hidden something in her treasure box.
His expression turned stern. Carefully, he released Yun Pianpian, got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and walked over to the treasure box. He opened her mysterious chest to find neatly arranged silver notes, some valuable jewelry, a copy of the ‘Scripture of Clarity and Tranquility’, and…a storybook.
Xiao Changyuan recalled that this was the book that fair, faced young man had given them during the day as a token of gratitude.
His wife had actually hidden this worthless book in her treasure box.
A faint displeasure stirred in Xiao Changyuan’s heart.
By the pale, cold moonlight, he irritably flipped open the storybook.
The next day, Yun Pianpian slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking. She touched her eyelashes.
Last night, she had dreamed that Xiao Changyuan had kissed them.
Lowering her gaze to the empty bed, she dismissed it as nothing more than a dream born of her daytime thoughts.
She put on her shoes, stepped out of bed, pushed open the door, and walked outside.
The weather was lovely that day, with the bright, gentle sunlight unique to the transition between spring and summer.
A wisp of smoke already curled from the chimney of the kitchen, Xiao Changyuan was cooking.
Yun Pianpian froze for a moment.
She had been somewhat worried. After sending Xiao Changyuan to sleep in the guest room the previous night, she had braced herself for his anger and prepared to atone for her offense, expecting a storm of reproach. Yet, to her surprise, the day had dawned so peacefully.
After washing up, Yun Pianpian hurried to the kitchen to help Xiao Changyuan.
He was chopping vegetables on the cutting board. Hearing her approach, he paused.
He lifted his eyes to look at her, his dark, abyssal gaze was as calm and inscrutable as ever.
Seeing that his expression seemed no different from usual, Yun Pianpian relaxed completely. She walked lightly to his side, tilted her face up, and asked, “Husband, why didn’t you wake me when you got up?”
Xiao Changyuan replied softly, “I wanted you to sleep a little longer.”
A warmth spread through Yun Pianpian’s heart. “It’s alright. You can wake me next time.”
Xiao Changyuan said, “Alright.”
It was already noon, so Yun Pianpian skipped breakfast and went straight to lunch. After the meal, she took the initiative to wash the dishes and tidy the kitchen. Once everything was in order, she wiped her hands and made her way toward the main room.
The moment she stepped into the main room, she lifted her gaze and saw Xiao Changyuan reading a storybook.
The one in his hand was exactly the one Jiang Sheyu had given her.
Yun Pianpian’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound.
She was scared out of her wits, her thoughts froze entirely.
She couldn’t let Xiao Changyuan see this book!
Yun Pianpian immediately rushed over, trying to snatch the storybook from Xiao Changyuan’s hand.
But Xiao Changyuan raised it high above his head.
He said calmly, “Wife, I’ve already finished reading it…”
These words felt like a death sentence to her.
Yun Pianpian’s body stiffened abruptly, her heart seemed to stop beating from fright.
Xiao Changyuan lifted his eyes, his dark and cold gaze falling on Yun Pianpian’s pale, delicate face.
“Wife, is it because of this storybook that you want to sleep in separate rooms?”
Yun Pianpian’s heart felt as if it were being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, the pressure making it hard for her to breathe.
Only one thought filled her mind: It’s over, Xiao Changyuan already knew she was a fraud.
She was doomed.
Yun Pianpian lowered her head, her entire body cold as she stared at the tips of her feet.
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Yes.”
Xiao Changyuan pursed his thin lips and frowned as he looked at Yun Pianpian.
“Wife, this storybook is deceptive.”
Yun Pianpian was taken aback.
She lifted her eyelashes in a daze and looked at Xiao Changyuan.
“What did you say?”
Xiao Changyuan frowned and said, “The story in this book is incoherent, clearly written by a mediocre talent. It says the Demon Realm’s Crown Prince cut open the peasant girl’s stomach to take out the child, and later wrote that he dropped the child to its death. But under normal circumstances, the child should have died the moment he cut open the stomach. How could a child already dead be dropped to death a second time by the Demon Realm’s Crown Prince…”
Yun Pianpian explained in a daze, “This is a supernatural novel. The Demon Realm’s Crown Prince has magical powers; perhaps his child does too…”
Xiao Changyuan said, “If the child had magical powers, it couldn’t have been so easily dropped to death.”
Yun Pianpian was stunned, rendered speechless by Xiao Changyuan’s argument.
But she soon realized something was off.
Why were they discussing the story’s plot?
Shouldn’t Xiao Changyuan, upon seeing this book, have realized she had done the same thing as the peasant girl?
Yun Pianpian asked blankly, “Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“Of course, I do,” Xiao Changyuan said coldly. “That peasant girl had already cried herself blind. How could she possibly see others? She couldn’t possibly gouge out someone else’s eyes. She couldn’t have heard the child’s voice because her child had long been dropped to death…”
Yun Pianpian stared at Xiao Changyuan, dumbfounded.
Why was he still discussing the plot?
Didn’t he want to confront her and demand answers?
Yun Pianpian’s eyes reddened slightly. “Apart from this, don’t you have anything else to question me about?”
“Why would I question you, Wife?” Xiao Changyuan frowned. “It’s clearly the fault of this mediocre writer. Not only did he write a poor story, but he also made it so bloody and violent that it scared you away from practicing demonic arts…”
Yun Pianpian froze, her voice hoarse. “You thought I was afraid of the bloodshed, so I didn’t dare to… with you?”
Hearing her words, Xiao Changyuan looked slightly puzzled. “Isn’t that the reason?”
Yun Pianpian’s terrified soul instantly returned to her body.
She immediately nodded: “Exactly! That's the reason! This storybook is too gory! Too violent! It scared me so much I don't even dare practice demonic arts anymore!”
Xiao Changyuan wore an expression that said he'd expected this all along.
“Why is my wife so foolish?”
Xiao Changyuan looked at Yun Pianpian with a gaze full of pity, as if looking at a simpleton.
“Even if the stories in this book are true, the demonic arts they practice are completely different from what we practice. Theirs are demonic techniques from the demon realm, while ours are martial arts from the human world. How can you lump them together?”
Yun Pianpian was also looking at Xiao Changyuan with a pitying gaze, as if he were the simpleton.
This great tyrant was such a fool.
The correct answer was right in front of him, yet he could still twist it into something else.
He was foolish to the ends of the universe.
Yun Pianpian said mournfully: “You're right, I really am too foolish!”
She had never seen anyone more foolish than Xiao Changyuan.
“My husband is the smartest!”
Hearing this, Xiao Changyuan narrowed his phoenix eyes contentedly, his jade, like, cool face showed clear pleasure.
Like ice and snow melting away, brushed by a spring breeze.
Xiao Changyuan reached out to pull Yun Pianpian into his embrace, but she pushed him away forcefully.
Xiao Changyuan was stunned: “Why are you pushing me away?”
He thought he had explained everything clearly, that the storybook was fake, that the demonic arts were different from theirs, and that she had no reason to be afraid. He couldn't understand why his wife was still rejecting him.
Yun Pianpian braced herself and continued her lie: “Even though this storybook is fake and the demonic arts are different from ours, this story has awakened me. Husband, we can’t continue being so deluded.”
Xiao Changyuan asked blankly: “Why can’t we?”
“Because demonic arts are ultimately harmful to the body.”
Yun Pianpian bit her red lips and blurted out lies: “I don’t want to die.”
Xiao Changyuan was taken aback, staring blankly at Yun Pianpian.
After a long pause, he finally conceded: “Then we won’t practice demonic arts anymore. I just want to hold you while we sleep.”
“Even hugging is not allowed.”
Hearing the great tyrant’s concession, Yun Pianpian felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She averted her eyes, not daring to let Xiao Changyuan see the moisture welling up in them, and said cruelly: “We must purify our hearts and desires, sleep in separate rooms, only then can we suppress the demonic nature.”
Xiao Changyuan stared at Yun Pianpian in disbelief.
He never expected that even after he had made such significant concessions, his wife would still heartlessly insist on sleeping in separate rooms.
A whirlwind of emotions churned within Xiao Changyuan: disappointment, resentment, anger, panic, grievance, and unease.
But above all, there was confusion.
Because he couldn't understand why his wife had suddenly become so cruel.
Before, he could do anything he wanted, Why was everything forbidden now?
Where had things gone wrong?
Had his wife broken somehow?
Yun Pianpian couldn't bear to meet Xiao Changyuan's angry yet aggrieved gaze.
She lowered her eyelashes and murmured softly, “I need to water the saplings.”
With that, Yun Pianpian picked up the bucket and left the courtyard.
She hurried to the fields, carrying a bucket of water, and used a ladle to water the young fruit trees. Her strength was limited, so she could only carry half a bucket at a time. The water in the bucket was quickly used up, and she had to go to the river to fetch more. To save herself extra trips, she filled the bucket more than usual this time. Her hands strained under the weight, her arms aching from the effort, and she wobbled as she walked, splashing water everywhere and soaking the hem of her trousers.
She looked utterly disheveled.
Just then, a pale, slender hand reached out and took the wooden bucket from her, lifting it effortlessly.
Yun Pianpian's eyelashes fluttered.
Xiao Changyuan gazed coldly at her. “Let's go.”
Yun Pianpian didn't dare look up at him.
Only when he had walked far ahead did she dare steal a glance at him.
Xiao Changyuan's back looked somewhat lonely.
Together, they watered all the saplings across the five acres of land.
That evening, they lit the fire to cook and sat at the table to eat. Throughout the entire meal, Xiao Changyuan remained silent.
Yun Pianpian grew anxious and tentatively asked, “Husband, what would you like to eat tomorrow?”
Xiao Changyuan acted as if he hadn't heard her, his handsome face slightly cold as he mechanically ate the rice from his bowl.
Yun Pianpian understood, he intended to give her the silent treatment.
She didn't know how to soothe his anger, so, she fell silent as well.
After washing up in silence, they retreated to their respective rooms.
In the days that followed, Xiao Changyuan continued to farm, water the plants, cook, and wash dishes with her, but they never spoke another word to each other. Yun Pianpian desperately tried to console herself, thinking that this was for the best, she had merely created a little distance between them, which had grown too intimate.
It was as if they had returned to the early days of their acquaintance last year.
Though she told herself this, Yun Pianpian still tossed and turned in bed every night, unable to sleep. She had grown accustomed to having Xiao Changyuan beside her, to being held in his arms like a pillow, to the warmth of his body.
Sleeping alone on the wooden bed felt unbearably cold.
The great tyrant was remarkably obedient. Since she had told him not to touch her, he had never laid a hand on her again.
It seemed he had reverted to the aloof and abstinent young emperor from the original story.
One morning, Yun Pianpian suddenly noticed that her lips were swollen, as if bitten by some insect. She began to panic, were there bugs in the room that had crawled onto her lips during the night and bitten them?
Terrified, she rushed to find Xiao Changyuan. “Husband, there are bugs in our room!”
Xiao Changyuan pressed his thin lips together, staring at her coldly without a word.
He hadn't spoken to her for several days.
Yun Pianpian continued talking to herself, “There was a bug biting my lips in the middle of the night. Look, my lips are swollen from its bites.”
Xiao Changyuan's handsome face darkened slightly.
You're the bug!
Yun Pianpian said, “This won't do. I need to go buy a mosquito net.”
So she had Xiao Changyuan drive the ox cart to take her to the county town to buy mosquito nets. Worried that there might also be bugs in Xiao Changyuan's room, she thoughtfully bought two mosquito nets. When they returned home, they hung the nets over their respective beds together.
The next morning, however, Yun Pianpian discovered that her red lips had actually been bitten until they were broken.
She immediately shared this terrifying news with Xiao Changyuan.
“Husband, my lips have been bitten until they're broken by a bug.”
Xiao Changyuan pressed his thin lips together and remained silent.
His cold, handsome face was like a ten, thousand, year, old glacier that never melted.
But Yun Pianpian noticed that his fair, jade, like earlobes had strangely taken on a faint reddish hue.
She froze for a moment, a thought flashing through her mind. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Husband, you're the bug.”
Xiao Changyuan's voice was cold. “I'm not.”
Yun Pianpian said angrily, “How could you lie to me?!”
Hearing this, Xiao Changyuan suddenly looked at her deeply. “If I lied to you, would you punish me like you used to?”
Yun Pianpian remembered their intimate punishments, and her heart suddenly began racing wildly. Terrified, she turned and ran away.
Before going to bed that night, Yun Pianpian locked all the doors and windows. Hearing the noise, Xiao Changyuan immediately rushed to her room.
“How long are you going to keep fighting with me?”
Yun Pianpian said in panic, “We can't do those intimate things.”
Xiao Changyuan suppressed his anger. “Why can't we all of a sudden?”
Yun Pianpian didn't dare look him in the eye and lowered her head. “We just can't, there's no reason.”
Before she could finish speaking, the man pressed her hard against the wall and kissed her.
Yun Pianpian's head spun for a moment, her heart pounded like thunder, her legs went weak.
She almost surrendered completely.
But then she remembered the him from the original story.
That cold, aloof emperor would never tolerate any betrayal or deception, he would never forgive her.
Yun Pianpian's heart tightened. She bit Xiao Changyuan's lip until it bled and pushed him away forcefully.
The author gave her the most reliable cheat, allowing her to push aside the delicate and soft Xiao Changyuan at any time.
The great tyrant fell with just one push.
Xiao Changyuan collapsed onto the ground in disarray.
He lifted his head and looked at her, a trace of hurt flashed through his dark, profound eyes.
“Do you hate me so much, wife?”
Xiao Changyuan was like a tamed white wolf suddenly rejected by its master. He had mustered all his strength to run toward his master, only to be harshly abandoned. He didn’t understand why he was suddenly disliked.
He thought he was no longer pleasing to his wife.
He thought his wife had suddenly stopped loving him.
The hurt in Xiao Changyuan’s eyes pierced Yun Pianpian’s heart.
She had never seen such a fragile look in Xiao Changyuan’s eyes before.
Yun Pianpian opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain, “I’m not-“
Xiao Changyuan asked, “You’re not what?”
Yun Pianpian said sadly, “I don’t hate you.”
Xiao Changyuan stood up and slowly walked toward Yun Pianpian. In his dark, profound eyes, there was a glimmer of fragile hope.
“Then hold me, reward me, punish me, just as you used to treat me.”
Hearing his words, Yun Pianpian grew even sadder.
More overwhelming than sadness was fear.
“We can’t do this.”
Xiao Changyuan stood before her, his handsome face turning cold.
He asked her coldly, “Why?”
Yun Pianpian lowered her head and stared at her toes.
She said nothing.
The light in Xiao Changyuan’s eyes gradually dimmed. “You’re a liar who doesn’t keep your word.”
Xiao Changyuan raised his dark, lifeless eyes. “You do hate me.”
He looked at Yun Pianpian with a cold and arrogant gaze. “I hate you too.”
With that, Xiao Changyuan left the room without looking back.
After he left, Yun Pianpian seemed to lose all her strength. She slumped against the wall, covering her face with her hands and weeping softly.
She didn’t hate Xiao Changyuan, she was just too afraid.
That night, Xiao Changyuan didn’t sneak into Yun Pianpian’s room.
He lay on the cold wooden bed, staring at the ceiling, seriously contemplating why his wife had suddenly started to hate him.
Xiao Changyuan asked himself, he hadn’t done anything that would displease his lady.
Every time, he had playfully bitten her right at the edge of her limits.
So there was only one possibility: his wife had fallen in love with someone else, that was why, in her eyes, he had become detestable.
Xiao Changyuan’s gaze darkened, his jade, like handsome face tightening.
Just who was that pretty boy who had stolen his wife’s heart?
He would tear him to pieces!
Xiao Changyuan carefully recalled his wife’s recent unusual behavior.
He realized that she had started acting cold toward him only after meeting Jiang Sheyu.
So Jiang Sheyu was the bastard who deserved to be torn to pieces!
Xiao Changyuan’s eyes turned cold.
He wanted to rush to Jiang Sheyu’s home right then and tear that pretty boy apart.
But he didn’t know where the pretty boy lived.
He could only wait until dawn to settle the score with him.
The sound of his wife’s soft weeping kept drifting from the next room. Though she tried to suppress her sobs, the more she held back, the more suffocated she became. Those short, rapid gasps made Xiao Changyuan restless.
He felt utterly spineless, wanting to go and comfort his wife, bt he quickly realized that his wife no longer liked him now.
She simply didn’t want him to comfort her.
The person she liked was Jiang Sheyu.
She probably needed Jiang Sheyu to comfort her instead.
At this thought, Xiao Changyuan’s mood turned bitterly sour.
Amid the bitterness surged a torrent of jealousy.
He absolutely had to kill Jiang Sheyu!
Of course, Xiao Changyuan would never allow a pretty boy like Jiang Sheyu to comfort his wife. However, before killing Jiang Sheyu, he could first figure out what qualities this pretty boy possessed that had made his wife shift her affections.
Then, he could learn those qualities.
He wanted to make himself likable to his wife again.
Having made up his mind, Xiao Changyuan relaxed.
The intermittent, soft sobbing from next door reached his ears.
It left a rather unpleasant taste in his heart.
Clearly, he was the one being disliked now, he hadn’t even cried.
What on earth did his foolish wife have to cry about?
Xiao Changyuan felt quite displeased.
Women were truly troublesome.
But even though women were troublesome, his wife was fragrant and soft, and holding her felt so comfortable. He couldn’t wait to settle the score with that pretty boy, find out the reason for his charm, and return to make his fragrant, soft wife happy.
The next day, Xiao Changyuan woke up refreshed and invigorated.
Yun Pianpian emerged from her room with dark circles under her eyes.
She looked at Xiao Changyuan as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
Xiao Changyuan put on a cold, stern expression. “I’m going out for a while.”
Yun Pianpian froze, a flicker of panic in her eyes. “Husband, where are you going?”
Xiao Changyuan had intended to treat her even more coldly, but seeing her so flustered, he couldn’t help but soften. He pursed his thin lips slightly and lowered his gaze to her. “Wait for me at home. I’ll be back soon.”
Without waiting for Yun Pianpian’s reply, Xiao Changyuan used his inner strength to leave the courtyard.
He didn’t leave Jiangjia Village but circled around to the end of the village, randomly stopping a villager to ask for Jiang Sheyu’s address. Jiang Sheyu was the village teacher, and everyone knew him. It was only the hour of the Dragon (7–9 a.m.), and Jiang Sheyu’s door was still tightly shut, he hadn’t gotten up yet.
Xiao Changyuan knocked on the door with forced patience.
Jiang Sheyu had just gotten up and heard the knocking. Thinking it was the children arriving early for class, he opened the door without any caution, only to be grabbed by the collar and struck hard in the face. Blood instantly filled his mouth, the metallic taste overwhelming.
Dazed, he was knocked down, then dragged by the collar and pinned against the table. A cold, menacing voice sounded in his ear.
“What kind of bewitching potion did you give my wife?!”
Jiang Sheyu was beaten so badly that his vision went black. It took him a long moment to refocus and recognize the person before him.
For a moment, he was bewildered, unable to understand why Xiao Changyuan had come for him.
“Why would you say such a thing, Benefactor?”
Although he had given Yun Pianpian that storybook, turning her into a withering flower, according to his plan, Xiao Changyuan should never have come looking for him. After all, this was entirely a matter between the couple and should not have involved an outsider.
From start to finish, he had wanted to remain uninvolved.
He wanted their beautiful relationship to shatter and wither, but he had no intention of sacrificing himself in the process because Jiang Sheyu cherished his own life dearly.
He had once written to Chen Fashan, urging him to use Yun Pianpian as leverage to threaten Xiao Changyuan. If Chen Fashan hadn’t been too cowardly to endanger Yun Pianpian’s life, Jiang Sheyu wouldn’t have had to step in personally, exposing himself to Xiao Changyuan.
Now, Jiang Sheyu was beginning to regret it.
Xiao Changyuan lifted him up and punched him viciously. “Ever since she met you, her temperament has changed drastically. If you don’t give me an explanation today, I’ll break every bone in your body and make you regret ever being born!”
Hearing Xiao Changyuan’s words, Jiang Sheyu turned ice, cold. The old fear of being paralyzed and helpless washed over him again. He didn’t want to experience it a second time. Pale-faced, he looked at Xiao Changyuan and began desperately trying to save himself.
“I didn’t give her any bewitching potion. Perhaps there was something wrong with that storybook…”
Xiao Changyuan narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly.
“Storybook?”
Jiang Sheyu said fearfully, “That storybook tells the tale of the Demon Realm’s Crown Prince after he lost his memory…”
Xiao Changyuan coldly interrupted him, “I’ve read that storybook. My wife’s reluctance to practice demonic arts with me isn’t because of it.”
He didn’t want to waste words with this pretty boy; he only wanted to hear the key point.
Jiang Sheyu was taken aback. “What demonic arts?”
Xiao Changyuan said, “The kind that would get you drowned in a pig cage if practiced.”
Jiang Sheyu stared blankly at Xiao Changyuan, his expression suddenly turning strange.
“Benefactor, have you ever…shared a bed with your wife?”
A wildly absurd thought suddenly crossed Jiang Sheyu’s mind.
Xiao Changyuan frowned impatiently. “What is 'sharing a bed'?”
Why was this pretty boy talking so much nonsense?
Jiang Sheyu grew even more convinced of his absurd idea and said dazedly, “Sharing a bed is the demonic art.”
Xiao Changyuan was stunned. “Is that another name for the demonic art?”
Jiang Sheyu shook his head and revealed an extremely cruel truth to Xiao Changyuan.
“Every married couple shares a bed. It’s not a demonic art.”
Xiao Changyuan said, “That’s impossible. My wife told me…”
He stopped mid, sentence, suddenly frozen.
Jiang Sheyu held his breath, not daring to look up at him, and said quietly, “I have some books at home that might help clear things up for you, Benefactor…”
Xiao Changyuan released his grip on Jiang Sheyu's collar.
Jiang Sheyu quickly walked into the inner room, where a bookshelf stood against the west wall. He retrieved several books from the top shelf and handed them all to Xiao Changyuan. With a frosty expression on his handsome face, Xiao Changyuan lowered his head and began flipping through the books.
Some of the books contained text, while others were filled with illustrations, all meticulously detailing what newlywed couples were supposed to do.
Xiao Changyuan's icy face grew increasingly somber.
An oppressive aura radiated from him.
Seeing Xiao Changyuan in such a state of restrained fury, Jiang Sheyu dared not even breathe too loudly.
“I swear I will never speak of today's events to anyone.”
The room fell into a dead silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
Jiang Sheyu felt a chill run through his body, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
An immense fear, like a spider's web, enveloped him, tightening around him relentlessly.
Jiang Sheyu feared that Xiao Changyuan might silence him permanently.
After what felt like an eternity, Jiang Sheyu finally heard Xiao Changyuan's voice, cold as ice.
“Tell me, why would my wife lie to me?”
Jiang Sheyu replied, “I don't know.”
Xiao Changyuan let out a cold laugh. “Since you don't know, then you can go to hell.”
He reached out and gripped Jiang Sheyu's neck. With just a little more force, he could snap it.
Jiang Sheyu, unable to breathe, struggled desperately, his face turning red. “I know, I know.”
Xiao Changyuan released him and stared at him indifferently.
His cold, merciless gaze was like that of someone watching a fish gasping for air after being pulled from the water.
“Speak.”
Jiang Sheyu clutched his chest, greedily inhaling fresh air.
In a hoarse voice, he said, “Have you ever considered, Benefactor, that she might not be your wife?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Changyuan froze for a moment.
A layer of frost seemed to settle over his handsome face.
“Go on.”
Jiang Sheyu desperately tried to clear his own name. “You said she started acting differently after reading this storybook. The main theme of this book isn't about demonic arts, it's about deception. The peasant girl deceived the Demon Realm's Crown Prince, pretending to be his wife. Perhaps…”
He didn't dare finish the sentence, fearing that if he spoke the words, he wouldn't survive the day.
Xiao Changyuan raised his icy eyes and looked at him. “What else do you know?”
Jiang Sheyu didn't dare say too much, worried it would arouse Xiao Changyuan's suspicion, but if he said nothing, he might die right then and there. “This is all just my speculation. The truth can only be known once you regain your memories, Benefactor.”
Xiao Changyuan narrowed his phoenix, like eyes. “How did you know I lost my memory?”
This matter, Yun Pianpian had not told anyone, not even Jiandi Yue or Wan Shanke knew about his amnesia.
Jiang Sheyu's pupils contracted sharply, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Xiao Changyuan lifted his foot and walked step by step, slowly approaching Jiang Sheyu.
“You deliberately gave that book to my wife.”
Jiang Sheyu was so terrified that his body went limp. Before he could even attempt to defend himself, a cold and swift fist, like a violent storm, smashed into his face. He had no way to resist, his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, his vision turning crimson. The pain was so intense he could barely breathe.
Xiao Changyuan broke Jiang Sheyu's arms and ankles.
Jiang Sheyu collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.
Xiao Changyuan lifted his foot and slowly walked out of Jiang Sheyu's house.
He returned to his own home.
Yun Pianpian was sitting on the doorstep waiting for him. Seeing him return, she immediately rushed over.
“Where did you go just now, husband?”
Xiao Changyuan raised his icy, cold eyes and looked at Yun Pianpian.
“Wife, I want to go to the county town.”
Yun Pianpian was taken aback. “I'll go with you.”
Xiao Changyuan said indifferently, “No need. I want to go alone.”
Yun Pianpian stared blankly at Xiao Changyuan. He used to cling to her like a shadow, following her everywhere, but now he was pushing her away as if she were a thousand miles distant. Yun Pianpian felt a lump in her throat, wanting to say something, but she lacked the courage to tell him.
Xiao Changyuan glanced at her, then turned away indifferently, driving the ox cart out of Jiangjia Village.
He went to a medical clinic in the county town, hoping to recover his memories.
But the physician said, “Soul-loss syndrome has no cure, no acupuncture can resolve it. You can try going to familiar places, doing familiar things, and meeting familiar people. That might help you regain your memories.”
Xiao Changyuan replied, “I know nothing about my past. I don't know which places are familiar to me or what things I used to do.”
As for that familiar person, she has been lying to me all along.
The physician thought for a moment and said, “Then the only option is to use external stimulation.”
Xiao Changyuan asked, “What is external stimulation?”
The physician explained, “Soul-loss syndrome is caused by blood clots pressing on the brain. External stimulation might help dissipate the clots. You could try doing things that would stimulate you. For example, if you lost your memory from being hit on the head, you could get hit again. But this method is too dangerous and not advisable. If you don't have a compelling reason to recover your memories, there's no need to risk your life.”
Xiao Changyuan said slowly, “I have a reason I must recover my memories.”
The physician asked, “What reason?”
Xiao Changyuan did not answer. He simply paid the consultation fee and slowly left the clinic.
He drove the ox cart around, asking for directions to the nearest cliff.
He had lost his memory because he fell off a cliff.
He would jump off the cliff again to reclaim the memories he had lost.
The weather was somewhat gloomy, with no sun in sight, as if it were about to rain.
Xiao Changyuan drove the ox cart to a cliff, beneath which lay a lake.
He rose from the cart and slowly walked to the edge of the cliff.
The wind at the summit was strong, a biting cold breeze brushed against his jade, like, aloof face.
The young emperor stood tall and graceful at the cliff's edge, his dark robes flapped loudly in the fierce wind.
Xiao Changyuan spread his arms, his posture upright and resolute, and without hesitation, leaped from the cliff, plummeting straight into the lake below, sending sparkling splashes of water into the air.
The sky was gloomy, with dark clouds gathering at some point, churning like river waters.
Pale flashes of lightning flickered faintly within the clouds, accompanied by rumbling thunder.
After an unknown length of time, Xiao Changyuan abruptly leaped out of the lake.
He soared to the shore, drenched from head to toe, his hair dripped with water, strands clinging wetly.
His gaze was icy, his eyes frozen over, that pale, handsome face was colder and more severe than ever before.
A faint trace of mad, brutal ferocity coiled around him.
Xiao Changyuan remembered everything.
He had regained his memories.
He recalled the pain he had forgotten, and the pride he had left behind.
The iron horses and frozen rivers, the grand horns, the blood and slaughter, the glint of blades and shadows of swords, all surged forth like roaring mountains and tidal waves. Every memory churned and tangled in his mind, until all the turbulent waters condensed into a single drop of blood.
This drop of blood fell onto Xiao Changyuan's pale, gloomy, handsome face.
His eyes turned crimson, his gaze sinister.
Beneath his eyes swirled an uncontrollable cold ruthlessness and raging fury.
A mere fool…Dared to deceive the emperor?
Truly…unforgivable.