Chen Shiyun was frozen stiff by the overwhelming aura, her body trembling uncontrollably.
She stiffly replied, "In... in the west wing. It was Shancha who took her there..."
Ling Xiao immediately stormed out, striding straight toward the wing.
By the time he arrived, he could already hear the clamor inside.
His face darkened instantly as he barged in, only to see a group of people frantically searching for something. The moment they spotted him, their faces drained of color as if they had seen the Grim Reaper himself.
"L-Lord Marquis..."
Ling Xiao kicked aside a lackey who tried to block his path and grabbed a minor leader by the collar. "Where is Jiang Yueyao?!"
"I... I don't know..."
Ling Xiao tightened his grip, and with a sickening crack, the man's neck snapped.
He tossed the body aside, and the remaining men immediately dropped to their knees, begging for mercy. "We know nothing! We were just following orders! Our young master Mo Shujie ordered us to search for someone here!"
"Who?" Ling Xiao's eyes gleamed with menace.
"F-for Madam Ling..."
Mo Shujie stormed out from the inner rooms, fuming. "You lazy dogs dare slack off here?! Didn’t I say if you don’t find her, none of you will—"
His words died in his throat the moment his eyes met Ling Xiao’s murderous gaze. His entire body began to tremble.
"L-Lord Marquis... why are you here?"
Ling Xiao stepped closer, his voice icy. "You’re here looking for Jiang Yueyao?"
Mo Shujie frantically shook his head. "N-no! I-I wasn’t—"
The metallic shing of Ling Xiao unsheathing his sword sent chills down everyone’s spine.
Mo Shujie dropped to his knees with a thud. "Spare me, Lord Marquis! Spare me!"
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he blurted, "I-I was here to catch an adulterer! I heard my third brother was having an affair with a married woman. They were meeting in secret, so I came to expose them!"
He shakily pointed toward the back rooms. "I’ve searched most of them already, but they must still be hiding in one of them! Go see for yourself if you don’t believe—AAGH!"
Ling Xiao kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground before stepping over him.
Most of the rooms had already been ransacked. Ling Xiao strode inside, kicking open the remaining doors—all empty.
Just as he suspected Mo Shujie had lied and turned to deal with him, his sharp eyes caught a pile of crates in the corner.
There were drag marks on the floor.
His eyes narrowed. "Move them."
"Yes, sir!"
Jian Shuang and the others swiftly shifted the crates, revealing a small, concealed door—just large enough for one person to slip through.
Ling Xiao strode forward and kicked it open.
Jiang Yueyao flinched inside, while Mo Ziqian immediately shielded her with his body.
Ling Xiao stood at the entrance, his gaze locked onto Jiang Yueyao hiding behind Mo Ziqian. His expression darkened to a terrifying degree.
Mo Ziqian had expected Mo Shujie, but instead, it was the Marquis himself.
"Lord Marquis..."
Jiang Yueyao’s head snapped up at the title, her eyes meeting Ling Xiao’s pitch-black, stormy gaze.
A shudder ran through her, fear spreading through her chest—far worse than when she had faced Mo Shujie.
Ling Xiao stared at her still cowering behind Mo Ziqian, the fury in his eyes barely contained. "Come here."
Yueyao jumped at his command, her face paling.
The man before her radiated the aura of a bloodthirsty god, and every instinct screamed at her to flee.
Yet he was watching her, waiting.
She forced herself forward, her steps stiff and slow. Under Ling Xiao’s frigid glare, she was already picturing her own grave.
Halfway there, his patience snapped. He strode forward, seized her wrist, and yanked her to his side.
Yueyao stumbled, nearly falling before catching herself on his arm—only to recoil in horror at the contact.
But his grip on her wrist remained ironclad, refusing to let her pull away.
Mo Ziqian, fearing misunderstanding, quickly explained, "Madam Jiang was set up and nearly harmed. When Mo Shujie’s men swarmed the place, I helped her hide here. If they’d found her, she wouldn’t have survived..."
Ling Xiao’s dark, fathomless eyes bore into him, sharp as a blade. "In that case, I should thank you for helping her."
Yueyao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He believed it just like that?
Did he actually trust her that much?
She had expected him to drag her out and drown her on the spot.
But Mo Ziqian saw the undisguised possessiveness in Ling Xiao’s gaze. His face stiffened—he understood in an instant.
Men recognized men. One look was enough.
The cramped room was thick with tension.
Ling Xiao tightened his grip on Yueyao’s wrist, his eyes warning Mo Ziqian. "Stay away from her from now on."
Mo Ziqian’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
Not that Ling Xiao cared for a response—this was a warning.
Next time, he wouldn’t be spared.
Ling Xiao dragged Jiang Yueyao out. She didn’t dare resist, but the moment they stepped outside, she saw the corpses littering the ground—and Mo Shujie, coughing up blood as he writhed in pain.
Her face paled. She feared she would be next.
"Lord Marquis, how should we deal with them?"
"Kill them." His voice was devoid of emotion.
Yueyao shuddered.
"And... and Mo Shujie?"
Ling Xiao glanced at the bloated man on the ground, malice swirling in his gaze. "Take him to the imperial prison. Kill him slowly."
"Yes, sir."
As he hauled Jiang Yueyao away, Chen Shiyun arrived with her entourage in a flurry.
Chun’er rushed forward in tears. "Madam!"
But the murderous aura radiating from Ling Xiao made her recoil in fear, leaving her standing helplessly with tear-filled eyes.
"Lord Marquis, what’s happened?" Chen Shiyun asked anxiously.
Ling Xiao’s cold gaze pinned her. "You don’t know?"
Chen Shiyun paled under his glare but stubbornly held her ground. "How would I? Half an hour ago, a maid spilled tea, so I sent someone to escort Madam Ling to change. When the maid didn’t return, I assumed she was helping Madam bathe. I never imagined Mo Shujie would be so brazen as to attempt something like this..."
She had made sure none of her people were directly involved—even Shancha had been kept in the dark, merely acting as a guide.
She had planned her exit meticulously, leaving no trace of blame.
Jian Shuang dragged out Shancha, her face bloodied from beatings.
The maid kowtowed frantically. "My lady sent me to guide Madam Ling! I didn’t expect her to knock me out! I know nothing! I swear I know nothing!"
Chen Shiyun hastily explained, "It must have been Mo Shujie's doing. When he arrived today, he already had designs on Madam Ling. I even had the maid reprimand him, thinking he would back off once he learned she was Ling Xiao's sister-in-law. Who would have thought he’d dare to be so brazen!"
At this moment, Jiang Yueyao’s clothes were still intact, proving Mo Shujie had failed in his attempt. Since there was no evidence of an affair between them, the blame had to fall entirely on Mo Shujie’s scheme.
This banquet had been arranged by Chen Shiyun, and the place was filled with her people—naturally, they would corroborate her story.
Yueyao’s expression darkened. What a cunning move—she had effortlessly shifted all responsibility away from herself. No wonder she had been so bold as to orchestrate such a vicious trap in the royal villa.
She had prepared everything in advance, ensuring Mo Shujie would bear the full brunt of the blame.
Chen Shiyun turned teary eyes toward Yueyao. "This is all my fault. I should have been more vigilant. If I had known Mo Shujie harbored such intentions toward you, I would have taken precautions. Earlier, when you went to freshen up, I thought you were merely delayed by your bath and didn’t think much of it."
"I assumed no one would dare cause trouble here, given that this is the royal villa. But since I organized this banquet, I should have ensured everything was flawless. Now that this has happened, I bear full responsibility."
Yueyao remained expressionless, saying nothing.
Chen Shiyun had planned everything meticulously, leaving no trace of her involvement. Any accusation Yueyao made would only be speculation.
Would Ling Xiao, of all people, distrust his own fiancée and believe her instead?
Chen Shiyun turned her tearful gaze toward Ling Xiao, her pitiful sobs tugging at the heart. "My lord..."
Ling Xiao’s expression was cold as he finally spoke. "You’re right."
Chen Shiyun’s eyes flickered with hope, her tearful gaze brightening.
His voice was calm. "Since you arranged today’s banquet, you are responsible for what has happened."
Chen Shiyun froze, her tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, her pupils shrinking in shock.
Ling Xiao looked at her, his gaze icy and devoid of emotion. "I had assumed the Chen family, being a house of scholars, would raise daughters of intelligence and virtue. I never imagined they could produce someone so incompetent."
The word "incompetent" struck her like a thunderbolt.
"To host a banquet with so many oversights, leading to such a disaster—how could you ever be fit to manage a household?"
Chen Shiyun’s lips trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks as her entire body stiffened.
Ling Xiao remained unmoved. "The Ling Family has no place for such useless individuals. The engagement is hereby annulled."
