Chapter 88: "What Do You Get Out of Forcing Someone Like This?

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: "What Do You Get Out of Forcing Someone Like This?

’Be prepared...’

Cui Lingyao’s heart sank to the depths.

Chen Minrou was only in her early twenties. Born into wealth, she had always been in good health since childhood.

Yet at such a young age, she had become sick beyond cure.

’How could she possibly be prepared for that?’

Xie Jinbai was not a soft-hearted man. One could say he’d given her all the gentleness and patience he possessed in his entire life. When it came to other people or matters, he simply couldn’t muster any extra emotion.

Seeing her so worried, he, being unskilled at comforting others, said dryly, "Everyone has their own fate. Don’t let your imagination run wild."

Cui Lingyao shot him a glance but said nothing.

Xie Jinbai continued to rub her knee.

The large bruise had visibly faded, not as alarming as it had been at first.

He instructed her carefully, "Remember to protect your knees tomorrow. Even when showing filial piety, there’s no need to make your own body suffer."

When she didn’t answer, he looked up and asked, "Are you uncomfortable anywhere else? Is your back sore?"

Cui Lingyao shook her head. "You should go back. I want to rest."

Xie Jinbai’s movements paused slightly. He let go of her knee, lowered her trouser leg, smoothed out her skirt bit by bit, and slowly stood up.

His tall figure blocked most of the candlelight, and the resulting shadow completely enveloped Cui Lingyao.

It was extremely oppressive.

An oppressive feeling that couldn’t be ignored.

Cui Lingyao’s body stiffened. She lifted her chin to look at him, her eyes nervous. "What are you trying to do?"

"What could I do?"

Xie Jinbai said helplessly, "Don’t be so defensive, as if I’m a thief. I won’t do anything to you."

’At least, not now.’

"I was just crouching for too long. My wound hurts a little."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, took her hand, pressed it to his chest, and asked, "Will you change my dressing for me?"

His demeanor was gentle, and he looked quite harmless.

’Liar.’

"No," Cui Lingyao snatched her hand back and turned her face away. "If it hurts, go back and change your own dressing."

’So heartless.’

Xie Jinbai wasn’t surprised.

He heaved a long sigh. "Then let’s just talk."

"Talk about what?" Cui Lingyao frowned. "I’m very tired, I don’t have the ener—"

"Let’s talk about how your maternal grandfather sent me a formal invitation card today,"

Xie Jinbai cut her off before she could try to send him away again. "Yesterday, he must have noticed something. He probably wants to sound me out."

Cui Lingyao turned back in astonishment.

"Tell me..." Xie Jinbai looked at her and smiled. "Should I take this chance to admit my feelings for you, and then marry you openly and honorably?"

As long as Duke Shen was certain of his intentions, even if he had made a promise to his deceased daughter, he would never dare to gamble with the Shen Family’s future.

Her engagement with Shen Tingyu wouldn’t even need to be broken by her.

It would simply cease to exist.

Xie Jinbai stared at the young woman before him without blinking.

’If she dares to be reluctant to give up this engagement...’

How could Cui Lingyao understand his complicated thoughts? Hearing his words, she was stunned for only a moment before saying, "No. Don’t make things more complicated, and don’t resort to those strong-arm tactics. Since you promised to let me think it over, you need to give me enough time."

’Strong... arm... tactics.’

The veins in Xie Jinbai’s temple throbbed. He had never imagined that phrase would come from her mouth, directed at him.

’Does she even know what strong-arm tactics really are?’

’If he were really using strong-arm tactics, he would give her no freedom at all, not allowing her to leave his immediate reach.’

’Not... shamelessly hiding in her room every night, waiting for her return despite his unhealed wounds.’

"How long?"

Xie Jinbai pinched the bridge of his nose, asking with forced patience, "This ’enough time’ you speak of—how long is it?"

It had only been two days, and he was already burning with impatience.

For the past three years, he had tasted the full, bitter pain of loss. Now, facing the woman he loved—the woman he’d thought lost forever—he was barely holding on by a thread of sanity. If he were to truly act on his desires, he would have already seized her by the neck and dragged her back to his side.

But Cui Lingyao only found his relentless pressure annoying and didn’t want to deal with him.

The Xie Jinbai of the past had been a proud man with a straight spine. He would never allow himself to grovel before someone giving him the cold shoulder, not even for the girl he held dearest to his heart. He couldn’t bring himself to bow down again and again. Thus, her "silence is golden" tactic had been very effective.

But now...

Xie Jinbai waited in silence for a moment. When he saw her put on that same dead-looking expression, he let out a cold, angry laugh. Instead of storming off, he grabbed her by the shoulders, crushed her against his chest, and snarled viciously, "If you dare ignore me again, I’ll haul you home and show you exactly what strong-arm tactics look like!"

He was incredibly strong, and he held her with a practiced force. Cui Lingyao couldn’t break free, not even if she completely disregarded his injuries.

’Brute!’

She said angrily, "Do you get some kind of thrill from forcing people like this?"

"I do! As long as you’re in my arms and not thinking about other men, I’ve got all the thrill I need!"

Xie Jinbai cupped the back of her neck and asked with a smile, "What’s wrong? There’s a ready-made solution to end your engagement, but now you can’t bear to part with it?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Cui Lingyao snapped. "Didn’t I say I’d bring up ending the engagement after I return from Pingzhou?"

"After you return from Pingzhou?"

Xie Jinbai sneered. "Shen Tingyu is going to Pingzhou with you, isn’t he?"

Cui Lingyao’s struggles froze.

That was right.

Mrs. Shen was a daughter of the Shen Family. Escorting her coffin back to her husband’s home for burial was a major affair. As long as the Shen Family had people to send, they would never allow their niece, an unmarried young woman, to travel alone.

Originally, her own maternal uncle, by blood and by status, was the best person to accompany her.

But now she was engaged to Shen Tingyu.

It was perfectly reasonable, both emotionally and logically, for Shen Tingyu, as the future son-in-law, to accompany his fiancée to Pingzhou to bury his aunt.

Cui Lingyao had only learned of this during the day.

Her own maternal uncle was the son of a concubine in the Duke Mansion and held an idle post at court. Although he was from the Duke Mansion, how could he compare in prestige to Shen Tingyu, the eldest legitimate grandson who held a third-rank official post?

In Pingzhou, Shen Tingyu’s greater prestige would make things easier to handle, and they wouldn’t have to fear the Pei family causing trouble.

With the elders making such arrangements, she naturally had no reason to object.

And now, that night, he was interrogating her about it.

The instantaneous stiffening of her body, in Xie Jinbai’s eyes, was a clear sign of a guilty conscience.

His eyes narrowed, a tyrannical aura surging within them. The killing intent he had just suppressed came roaring back.

Cui Lingyao, completely unaware, said in annoyance, "So what if he is?"

"So what?"

Xie Jinbai repeated the words slowly, then said in a cold voice, "For the past few days, Shen Tingyu has already been acting as your fiancé, kneeling with you in the mourning hall all day, gently consoling you for your mother’s death in full public view. Once you actually get back from Pingzhou, will you two still be able to call off the engagement? I’m afraid you’ll be thick as thieves by then, even more reluctant to part with him, right?"

’He’s utterly hopeless.’

"Say whatever you want!" Cui Lingyao was so angry she kicked him. "Let me go!"

"Can’t," Xie Jinbai caught her flailing leg, tightened his arms around her, and asked with a smile, "Why don’t you tell me, are you always like this with him, too? Do you greet him with cold taunts and hot sarcasm, always so impatient?"