The mistress who remarried has returned.

Qin Huai scooped Su Yunxi up in his arms, and the dagger in Su Yunxi's hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Chen Lin waved his hand, signaling the guards outside to retreat to a distance with him.

Qin Huai carried Su Yunxi to the bedside and tossed her onto the soft bedding. He then lowered his hand to undo his belt. The young woman in his sight was trembling on the bed. He chuckled, "Aren't you dissatisfied that I'm not a man? You and Zhou Yu are so intimate, don't you think I have feelings? I'll give you feelings, my lady."

Su Yunxi leaned her body against the inside of the bed. She was indeed afraid of Qin Huai like this, but she stubbornly insisted on her own thoughts, "You never believed me. Because deep down you think I'm a bad girl with impure motives."

Qin Huai tossed the loosened belt onto the bedside, then approached Su Yunxi. His anger subsided slightly when he met her red-rimmed eyes. He placed his hand on her delicate fingers, filling the spaces between them with his own. As their fingers intertwined, he kissed her murmuring lips. "I have a way to overturn the Crown Prince's case, and I have a way to plunge the Crown Prince back into the abyss of no return. Xixi, don't think you can stop me with a couple of tears. If you're not happy with my quiet exit from your life, then leave my mark."

Su Yunxi felt an unfamiliar pain, and even breathing became difficult. She gripped Qin Huai's arm tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Qin Huai's eyes were burning hot, and his breathing was particularly heavy. As he restrained himself and gave her time to adjust, the veins on his forehead bulged under his skin.

The candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, his body rising and falling, the only sounds in the room being the water, her carefully suppressed breathing, and as he finally reached his climax, he gripped her chin, looked into her eyes, and demanded domineeringly, "From now on, you're not allowed to drink alcohol."

His domineering tone made her feel controlled.

Afterwards, Su Yunxi lay on the pillow in his bedroom in Jiuli Lane, her hair wet and disheveled. Qin Huai got off her and calmed his breathing beside her. The satisfaction of having tasted the sweetness made him yearn for it again even though he had just finished.

Qin Huai took the marriage certificate out of the drawer. He understood that everything Su Yunxi had done from beginning to end was for Zhou Yu. He placed the marriage certificate on the pillow in front of Su Yunxi. "Take it. There's no need to wait until the Lantern Festival."

That trip, which couldn't be made, to accompany her to the Temple of the Matchmaker, will probably never happen in this lifetime.

When Su Yunxi saw the marriage certificate being thrown at her, she realized she wasn't one to explain herself. She had already tried to clarify things, but he hadn't trusted her, so she didn't bother to explain further. He was so angry after she had schemed to get Miss Xue into Daqi, so she understood everything and should let it go.

Qin Huai turned around and stroked her sweat-dampened hair. In that fierce, silent battle just now, he had bullied her more, and in the end, he had surrendered to her, without winning any dignity. He didn't say anything, but got up and left. He didn't know what to say, because he knew that she had saved Zhou Yuan and would return to the East Palace after succeeding.

This time, she was already with Zhou Yu, so Zhou Yu wouldn't notice anything. He was just an accident for her.

Qin Huai thought that he couldn't let this girl leave him this time; he had to go first.

The candle had long since burned out, but Qin Huai didn't light it; instead, he dressed in the dark.

In the slightly pale light, Su Yunxi watched the man getting dressed and thought that it was time for her to leave the capital.

After Qin Huai left.

Su Yunxi picked up the marriage certificate that Qin Huai had returned and moved all her belongings from Jiuli Lane. There were no more of her trunks or valuables in Jiuli Lane.

***

Qin Huai led his troops to intercept the envoys from Daqi on the banks of the Dongjiang River, annihilating the Daqi envoys in one fell swoop and rescuing Xue Wenying. As a result, Qin Huai was seriously injured.

When Madam Qin learned that Qin Huai had been seriously injured, she realized that she could no longer make a fuss about Xue Wenying, lest Qin Huai lose his life and the pillar of the Qin family be gone. Although she was very unwilling, she relented and tacitly agreed to let Xue Wenying be Qin Huai's concubine after being persuaded by Lord Qin.

After Qin Huai rescued Xue Wenying, it was already the following night, which was the Lantern Festival.

Lanterns are everywhere on the street.

When Qin Huai returned to the Qin residence, he was wounded in the arm. Fortunately, it was not a vital injury, and he was slashed by the envoy from Da Qi.

Kang Yin had already bandaged his wound. He returned to the house, sat down in a chair, and curled up in the chair. Suddenly, he remembered how Su Yunxi had struggled to breathe under him last night. Her kitten-like meows made his bones melt. He leaned his head back in the chair and sighed deeply. The longing felt like millions of ants gnawing at his heart, a feeling that was both itchy and painful.

He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. After resting for a while, he got up to change his clothes.

When he took off his shirt and changed his underpants, he saw large patches of dried blood on the fabric at the base of his white thighs.

This is...!

Qin Huai's heart clenched, and he staggered back two steps, crying out, "Xi Xi... Xi Xi..."

What exactly did he do to Xixi last night?!

Shen Shu knocked on the door and came in. "Qin Huai, you used your beloved Xue Wenying to exchange for Zhou Yun, and at the same time, you saved Zhou Yuan from marrying into the Great Qi as a hostage. You also wiped out the Great Qi envoy's fleet in one fell swoop. You have done a great service. The Emperor has ordered a banquet for you in the palace tomorrow. Also..."

As Shen Shu was speaking, Qin Huai hurriedly changed his clothes and came out of the room. He said, "We'll talk later, I have something to do right now, Shen Shu."

Shen Shu didn't know what was wrong, but seeing his friend so anxious, he was worried that something might have happened to him, so he followed him.

Qin Huai spurred his horse straight toward Jiuli Lane.

Shen Shu then went along as well.

When Qin Huai arrived at Jiuli Lane, he dismounted and walked briskly along the corridor, slightly lifting the hem of his robe. When he arrived at the house where he had spent the night with the young lady, he suddenly stopped, pushed open the door, and went inside.

The room was empty. He went to the bedside. The bedding was folded up, and the pillow and sheets still had wrinkles from the entanglement. He looked at the light-colored sheets where she had lain, and there were bloodstains there as well.

He reached down to touch the dried brown skin. He remembered the scene four years ago when he saw her and the Crown Prince in a room together. He raised his hand and slapped her, questioning her without asking any questions, asking if she had slept with the Crown Prince.

She was still a virgin.

Last night she gave herself to him without resistance or pain, and whispered a secret in his ear.

After he finished making the marriage vows, he went to save another unrelated woman.

He felt as if a thousand swords were piercing his heart.

Qin Huai turned around and went to the house where Su Yunxi used to live in Jiuli Lane. He pushed open the door and found that everything that belonged to her had been moved out, and she had also taken the marriage certificate.

Xixi has always been very well-behaved.

Qin Huai sat down on the chair, resting his arms on his knees, remaining unusually quiet.