PMM - 38

Yi Qiancheng was indeed about to be driven mad by this ungrateful little woman. He rushed back to Shaji, then from there to Yingdong. Lian Qi, that cunning fox, had given him many wrong clues. He first searched the City Lord’s residence but found no one. Later, as the vigilance increased, he had to wait for several more days. It wasn’t until he accidentally saw a group of little beggars that he discovered Lian Sheng was staying at this residence.

A quiet and desolate house, with a beautiful woman sleeping peacefully. If he didn’t know this was his woman, he might have thought someone was hiding a concubine in a golden house!

But it was her dear brother who brought her here, and her calm demeanor made his anger flare up more and more. He couldn’t help but mock her.

Lian Sheng softened her tone. “Husband, why did you come to Yingdong?”

His tone was cold. “Fang Mu is dead.” This was a sorrow for everyone, and as soon as he said it, the two of them fell silent for a moment. Lian Sheng didn’t dare look into his eyes. He knew that Fang Mu was dead, so how would he look at her? She had written a letter to Yi Qiancheng, but she still didn’t know his response.

Someone had to speak first. Lian Sheng softly said, “I’m sorry.” He couldn’t stand seeing her like this. He grabbed her chin, his tone slightly rising. “What did you do wrong?”

Lian Sheng froze for a moment, realizing he was asking why she was apologizing. She stammered, “Fang Mu’s death… there will be justice.”

A flash of pain crossed Yi Qiancheng’s eyes, and he hummed in response, correcting her, “Fang Mu wasn’t killed by you, nor did you cause his death. The mistake you made isn’t here.”

“Not here? Then what is it?” Lian Sheng’s eyes were filled with a trace of confusion. She had no idea where she might have gone wrong besides this. He tightened his grip on her hands, and Lian Sheng cried out in surprise. She quickly silenced herself and looked out the window. Yi Qiancheng had quietly come to Yingdong, and revealing his presence would put him in danger.

But he didn’t care about that. If he hadn’t cleared out the people outside, he wouldn’t have been speaking with her now.

He said, “You secretly left Shaji with Lian Qi, still trying to be the lady of Yingdong?” His expression wasn’t exactly pleasant, as if one wrong move would result in him choking her.

Lian Sheng couldn’t help but laugh. “Husband, I wrote you a letter explaining that I suspected something was wrong with Fang Mu’s death. Since you were at Fengmu, I wanted to come back and investigate the truth. Huan’er’s forces couldn’t be split, and my brother could escort me, so I came to Yingdong.”

He furrowed his brow. A letter? He hadn’t received any letter. Lian Sheng didn’t seem to be lying.

Lian Sheng, surprised that he hadn’t received the letter, parted her red lips slightly.

“I gave the letter to my brother. I wrote two letters in total, asking him to deliver them to Lord Song.” Could it be that Lord Song disliked her and hadn’t given the letters to Yi Qiancheng?

Yi Qiancheng thought differently. If Song Yuan had really received the letters, there would have been no way he wouldn’t have shown them to him. He had rushed here from Fengmu—this was a big matter. Although Song Yuan had personal grudges, he wouldn’t make a mistake on such an important issue.

Song Yuan hadn’t received the letters.

A cold flash passed through Yi Qiancheng’s eyes, followed by a mocking look that quickly vanished. Her brother had quite the cunning mind, but who knew what his true intentions for Lian Sheng were? If he dared have any improper thoughts toward her, he would never let him off.

Lian Sheng was bewildered, a small trace of doubt in her heart. Yi Qiancheng squinted slightly, seeing that she seemed unaware of the situation. It seemed Lian Qi had hidden things well. Since Lian Qi wanted to hide them, he had no intention of pointing it out. Let Lian Sheng figure out Lian Qi’s intentions on her own.

The more distance she had in her heart, the better. Even if he didn’t say it, she would eventually guess that perhaps those two letters had never been sent out.

Yi Qiancheng had traveled for more than half a month, and his nerves were constantly on edge. When he saw that she was fine, he finally relaxed. Yet, deep down, he felt unfulfilled. His wife had been taken away in a daze—if he hadn’t arrived in time, who knew what that fox would have done to her.

He felt uneasy, looking at her fair, delicate face, which only made him angrier.

“I’m tired,” he suddenly said.

Lian Sheng turned to look at his face. He had been away for over a month, and since it was winter, he hadn’t gotten sunburned, but his face had become much thinner. The contours of his face looked sharper, like a sword just drawn from its sheath, hiding its sharp edge. He had always been a man who valued cleanliness, but now there was a stubble on his chin, and his eyes had dark circles, looking like he hadn’t rested properly for a long time.

Although he said he came because of the death of Fang Mu, a small voice in Lian Sheng’s heart said: It’s not that, he doesn’t know if you’re safe, that’s why he came.

She didn’t know if this was just comforting herself, but she did feel a sweetness in her heart. Seeing him like this, she felt a little sorry for him. She reached out to touch the area under his eyes. His fingers moved slightly, loosening the grip on her hands, allowing her to gently touch his face.

Lian Sheng blushed slightly. Since that incident, Yi Qiancheng had gone to Fengmu, and if she counted carefully, this was the first time they had met again. It’s said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” At this moment, a light joy rose in her heart, and her longing couldn’t help but show.

With a flushed face, she didn’t think about whether a woman should be reserved. “Are you tired?”

His eyes, as dark as obsidian, fixed on her, feeling her tenderness, which made his heart happy. His gaze softened, and he murmured, “Let me rest for a while.”

Without waiting for her to agree, he turned over and pulled her into his arms. Lian Sheng was momentarily startled and immediately remembered the situation. Seeing that he had already closed his eyes, she whispered in his ear, “Husband, this is my brother’s house.” Her brother’s house meant that Yi Qiancheng’s presence here wasn’t safe.

When she mentioned Lian Qi, there was a faint displeasure in Yi Qiancheng’s heart. He naturally knew that this place wasn’t suitable for resting, but there was no rush for that. His warm breath brushed past her ear, and in his arms was her soft body.

His mouth felt dry, and he remembered the seductive way she was under him that night. It truly enticed him.

Lian Sheng noticed he didn’t react, still keeping his eyes closed, and became a little anxious. Lian Qi often came by, and if he saw Yi Qiancheng, would he cause trouble for him? She displayed her anxiety on her face, gently pushing him. “Husband.”

He didn’t open his eyes, sensing her concern, which eased his heart a little. His hand rested on her waist, and he felt her body tense for a moment. He couldn’t help but want to laugh—was she afraid of tickling or just sensitive?

“You’ve gained weight,” he opened his eyes and commented indifferently. Lian Sheng’s worry turned to annoyance. She was beautiful and cared about her appearance, and no woman liked being called fat. Her lips pouted, clearly irritated.

Yi Qiancheng was completely enamored by her little annoyed look. He didn’t show it on his face, but his hand lightly brushed her waist, resting on her soft chest. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he repeated, “You’ve gained weight.”

His actions were playful. Even though she wore winter clothes, she clearly felt him teasing her. Lian Sheng’s face instantly turned red, and seeing the mischievous look in his eyes, she knew he was deliberately teasing her. She wasn’t sure whether to be shy or annoyed, but she reached out to push his hand away.

Yi Qiancheng raised an eyebrow. When she pushed him, he deliberately stayed still. With her small strength, she couldn’t push him, and he guided her hand to rub against him.

His gaze grew darker, though Lian Sheng couldn’t see it. She thought he was bullying her, so she squeezed his hand. Yi Qiancheng let out a quiet chuckle, retracting his hand and lifting her chin for a quick kiss, which was more of an attempt to comfort her. Seeing her look so wronged, he thought, how delicate she is.

Yi Qiancheng got up and picked up Lian Sheng, still lying on the couch. Lian Sheng instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, not daring to speak. Yi Qiancheng whispered, “I’ll take you away.”

“I... my brother...” Lian Sheng leaned against his chest, and he replied, “Don’t worry.” For some reason, she felt a sense of calm. She let him carry her out, and as they walked, Yi Qiancheng realized it was cold outside. He grabbed a cloak from the couch and wrapped it around her.

Lian Sheng felt his tenderness and warmth, which made her heart sweet. She smiled with her lips pressed together.

However, as he looked down, he noticed her hairpin, a gemstone phoenix hairpin. Though he didn’t understand these women’s ornaments, he could tell it was a beautifully crafted piece. Lian Sheng had just been lying down, so he had been focused on her captivating face and hadn’t noticed the hairpin. Now, seeing it, his suspicion grew like wild grass.

He had never seen Lian Sheng wearing a hairpin before; now, she wore a simple hairpin.

“Where did this come from?” he asked. Seeing the confusion on Lian Sheng’s face, he added, “The hairpin.”

Lian Sheng remembered the phoenix hairpin and didn’t hide it from him. “My brother gave it to me.” Yi Qiancheng’s expression changed slightly, but seeing Lian Sheng’s honest demeanor, the frustration in his heart eased a little. He casually tossed the hairpin aside, not caring where it landed, and carried her out.

“Husband, the hairpin...” Lian Sheng glanced at his cold gaze and closed her mouth.

He threatened, “Don’t mention it again, or I’ll throw you out.”

Lian Sheng hugged him a little tighter, not daring to look back at the hairpin. When they reached the outside, Lian Sheng saw that all the servants in the house were lying on the ground. She was startled and looked up at Yi Qiancheng.

Yi Qiancheng noticed her gaze and spoke up, “They’re not dead.”

Lian Sheng sighed in relief, thinking back to the way Yi Qiancheng had teased her inside. She hadn’t dared make a sound, her heart full of worry. She had known he was deliberately playing with her. She blinked her eyes and pinched him at his waist.

The man let out a low grunt, his body jerking slightly. Lian Sheng thought he was going to throw her out, so she clung to his neck and buried her face in his chest.

Seeing her like this, he snorted softly, but there was a smile in his eyes. His steps grew quicker as he exited the house that irritated him just by looking at it.

This time when they met, there was no argument or misunderstanding. It was something Lian Sheng hadn’t expected. When she first married Yi Qiancheng, he had been petty and seemed to see her as representing the entire Yingdong, having to bear all the sins and stains of Yingdong. But now that Fang Mu was dead, he didn’t blame her immediately. Instead, he seemed more concerned about his own safety.

Thinking of Fang Mu’s death, she felt both guilty and distressed, her tears welling up as she remembered Yi Qiancheng’s kindness. She couldn’t hold back her tears. Yi Qiancheng was startled when he saw her like this. His brows furrowed, and he reached out to wipe her tears.

“What’s wrong?”

Lian Sheng felt sad, looking at Yi Qiancheng’s weary face, her heart heavy. Suddenly, she hugged his waist, “Husband, you’re so good.” If she had said this while playfully acting coquettish, he would have been charmed. But now, with tears in her eyes and a soft, apologetic voice, he felt even more pity for her.

She didn’t want him to see the tears on her face, but her voice continued, “Yingdong owes you an apology, and I... I’m sorry for Master Fang’s death.”

His body stiffened for a moment, and his gaze flickered with conflicting emotions. Finally, he gently patted her. “It’s not your fault.” By now, he had finally understood that Lian Sheng was Lian Sheng, and Yingdong was Yingdong. Her sadness was sincere, and he could feel the guilt in her heart.

Fang Mu’s death might be another insurmountable hurdle in his life. The young man who once fought by his side, now a part of foreign soil, his soul lost and unknown. He was filled with anger and resentment, wanting to personally exact revenge on the culprit, but no matter what, he would no longer direct his wrath toward her.

As he had told Song Yuan, from the moment Lian Sheng married him, she was a person of Sha Ji, his woman.

~

Lian Qi quickly noticed his sister was missing. After the servants regained consciousness, they knelt trembling before the eldest son. Lian Qi interrogated them, but got no clues. He was usually gentle, but now he couldn’t suppress his anger.

If it were only Sha Ji’s people, that would be fine, but if Yi Qiancheng came, Lian Sheng would naturally grow suspicious, and bringing her back would almost be impossible. She would resist and never trust him as her brother again.

The eldest son looked grim, his usual otherworldly demeanor now instilling fear.

Lian Qi had thought that Sha Ji’s people wouldn’t find Lian Sheng so quickly. He had been busy and afraid that moving Lian Sheng would make her suspicious. He hadn’t expected that in such a short time, she would be taken.

Anger aside, he still remained rational. He ordered Yin Zhou, “Shut the city gates, conduct a thorough search, and say that Yingdong has infiltrated with thieves. Tell Father the same, no need to explain further.”

Yin Zhou took the order and left. Lian Qi glanced at the trembling servants and spoke coldly, “Leave.”

Once they had dispersed, he stepped into the inner room. The bed was slightly disordered, enough to guess that the master had rested there not long ago. Lian Qi lowered his gaze and smoothed out the creases in the bedding. The bed was cold, without any warmth, and his brows furrowed deeply.

It wasn’t until his eyes landed on the phoenix hairpin that his expression changed. He picked it up. The phoenix hairpin had fallen at the bed’s edge, not near the pillow. He thought for a moment and immediately understood—this was not a mistake by his sister.

It had been intentionally discarded.

He then thought of the worst possibility—Sha Ji’s people wouldn’t throw his sister’s things away, unless it was Yi Qiancheng!

Lian Qi’s pupils contracted. He couldn’t let Yi Qiancheng take Lian Sheng away. If she left, he would never have another chance.