Chapter 12: I Don’t Mind
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Yuwen You was indeed infuriated almost to the point of madness. He couldn’t catch her. Mingzhu’s dancing body was as flexible and soft as a fish, and she was wearing clothes suitable for movement. She hid behind Ban Jian, making faces at him, which was simply unbearable. He almost wished he could strangle her to death then and there.
If it were someone else doing the same thing, perhaps he would have endured it, maybe he would have gained the reputation of being a mature adult, not stooping to the level of a little girl. But Yuwen You wasn’t like that. He had fallen from the clouds to the dust and had suffered enough humiliation. The marriage was not his choice, and he had reluctantly married the daughter of his mother’s killer. In the end, he was still despised and publicly humiliated, rejected in front of everyone. How could he bear this? Just facing those sympathetic but scornful looks from his brothers was unbearable, not to mention the pity and sarcasm from the servants and nobles.
Rather than living in humiliation, it would be better to die! Yuwen You felt not only anger and resentment but also a sense of grievance. He completely forgot his original plan and, gritting his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, he punched Ban Jian in the chest and shouted fiercely, “Fu Mingzhu, are you interested in this wild boy? I’ll kill him first and then deal with you! Let’s see who will die today!”
Ban Jian, compared to him, was just a half-grown child, suddenly lifted off the ground by him, desperately kicking his legs, shouting, “It’s not my business, help, help!” After receiving a punch, his voice gradually faded away, miserably pleading, “Miss Fu, please save me, I’ll do anything for you, even sell myself to pay off the debt…”
The shadow left by Yuwen You on Mingzhu earlier was too great. Seeing him starting to beat people, she instinctively wanted to run away, but hearing Ban Jian’s pleading, her steps couldn’t move, she glanced back and saw the maids and servants from the house surrounding them, so she gathered her courage and shouted, “Linan Wang is killing someone…” As she spoke, she picked up a broomstick from the corner and started hitting Yuwen You, hitting him on the head and face, using all her strength for each blow, but still feeling unsatisfied, her hands and feet trembling, wishing to kill him again on the spot.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the maids and servants hurriedly pulled her back, while Su Lan earnestly advised, “Miss, please talk things out calmly. He’s, after all, a county prince, making a scene like this won’t be good, it’ll be hard for Xiangye to handle.”
Yuwen You, with a grimy and disheveled appearance from being beaten, glared fiercely at Mingzhu, then drew out his sword with gritted teeth, aiming to stab Ban Jian. Mingzhu took a sharp intake of breath, pushed aside Su Lan and rushed to protect Ban Jian just in time, then looked up at Yuwen You arrogantly, “One person does the deed, one person bears the consequences. If I’ve offended you, come at me, why take it out on an ignorant child?”
“He’s an ignorant child?” Yuwen You looked at Ban Jian, who was frightened but still comely, and then at Mingzhu, who was defiant and protective of Ban Jian, feeling particularly annoyed and irritated. He pointed the tip of his sword at Mingzhu’s left chest, his face darkening as he sneered, “Rest assured, I’ll deal with the adulterer first before dealing with you! The humiliations you’ve inflicted upon me will be repaid one by one.”
It’s really funny. He doesn’t love her, not even a bit in his heart or eyes. He even finds her detestable, shameful, and laughable, looking down on her. He never wanted to marry her in the first place, yet he insists on clinging to her, simply because he feels rejected by her and refuses to accept it. Should she be trampled on by him like this just to satisfy his ego?
Mingzhu felt her heart ache bit by bit again, so much that even her breath felt painful. She looked at Yuwen You mockingly and said, “How many humiliations have I inflicted upon you? In the past, it was because of my youth and ignorance that I spoke some nonsense at the palace banquet and naively accepted the late emperor’s arranged marriage. You were unwilling, but had to comply. As a descendant of the royal family, you are noble and prestigious. It was indeed humiliating for you to be forced to marry a woman you don’t like, and I understand that. Now I’m willing to correct this mistake, to annul the engagement and each go our separate ways. Why do you still consider it humiliating? Could it be that you’ve discovered my worth and can’t bear to let go?”
“Who said I can’t bear to let you go? Someone like you, no one would want even if you throw yourself at them.” Yuwen You wished he could bite her a few times to relieve his anger. “If you want to marry, then marry. If you don’t, then don’t, what do you treat me as?”
Mingzhu thought seriously for a moment and nodded, “I understand now. I was the one who proposed to annul the engagement, hurting your pride as a man. So come on, you say you don’t want to marry me, that you don’t like me and want to cancel the engagement. I don’t mind.”
Yuwen You was furious to the extreme, but also filled with an inexplicable sense of shame. Mingzhu really didn’t want to marry him anymore, so why would she allow him to say such words… No, she was the one who first mentioned wanting to call off the engagement. This matter had already become widely known; everyone knew she didn’t want him anymore. At this moment, for her to let him say such words again here in this remote mountainous area, wasn’t she treating him like a monkey?
How could she trample on him like this?! The Fu family really had no good people! Just a moment ago, she was insisting on marrying him, and now she was abandoning him as if he were worthless. Such a fickle woman was not worth pitying!
Yuwen You really wanted to strike Mingzhu right through the heart, but as his sword moved forward, he could feel Mingzhu’s heartbeat transmitting to his fingertips through the long sword. Yet Mingzhu didn’t dodge or avoid it; she just looked at him calmly with her clear black and white eyes, without joy or sorrow. It was as if she had seen through him long ago, knew him long ago, and had become cold-hearted long ago. Whatever he did, she wouldn’t be surprised.
Suddenly, he couldn’t bring himself to strike. For some reason, he felt a sense of loneliness and embarrassment. She didn’t care anymore. In the past, if he ignored her, she would chase after him, even if he spoke to her with a bad attitude, she would be happy for a long time. She would say, “It’s your good fortune that I like you,” but her eyes were full of affection for him. But now, for the sake of a humble young man who came out of nowhere, she actually stood in front of his sword, not afraid of death or pain. And he remembered that she used to cry for a long time even if she accidentally broke a piece of oil-paper, seeking comfort from others everywhere, like a delicate little girl.
What can you do to someone who isn’t afraid of death? You can’t really kill her. The Fu family is powerful, and he has no one to rely on. The Fu family, with its gang of old and young thieves, will surely seek revenge. If he kills her, he won’t be able to live anymore. So it’s not that he can’t do it, but that he still has a big score to settle, and he can’t just die like this. But this anger must be released. He can’t kill Fu Mingzhu, but this inexplicable stinky brat who popped up should suffice, right? As long as he kills this stinky brat, this farce will probably come to an end. Yuwen You naturally pushed Mingzhu aside, stepped on Ban Jian’s chest, and raised his sword to stab downward.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
