Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

He didn't want to argue with her about whether Xie Huaiyu was worth entrusting his life to.

He changed the subject, asking in a deep voice, "How can you be so sure that what you want now won't cause you pain and regret later?"

In Zong Xian's view, abandoning wealth and status for a fleeting, intangible affection was an utterly foolish thing.

He couldn't understand it, nor could he agree with it.

Just like in his life, he would never give up his pursuit of power for any woman.

Mingyi knew, of course, that he was probably laughing at her in his heart right now, calling her naive, stupid, and incredibly foolish.

But she couldn't very well tell him the truth, that the reason she didn't want to stay in the Zong family was because she didn't want to be buried with the Zong family in the future, could she?

What's the difference between that and cursing his whole family to their faces, wishing them a terrible death? She'd probably be beheaded the moment she uttered those words. What a pity for her!

Admittedly, her words were partly a way of acknowledging him, but as someone who had received a proper modern education, she genuinely could not accept sharing a husband with a group of women.

Even if mountains of gold and silver were right in front of her, she couldn't stand it; it was too disgusting.

"We'll talk about the future later. All I know is that right now, this is all I've ever wanted."

Mingyi looked completely unyielding and naively simple-minded.

She looked at Zong Xian and advised him to go back: "It was my short-sightedness and lack of appreciation that led me to this. Please don't waste your time on me, sir. Please leave."

Zong Xian remained seated, his index finger lightly tracing his lips as he stared at her suspiciously. "You're a woman from a merchant family, dealing with money every day, yet you seem completely unmoved by wealth and power?"

Mingyi's breathing faltered slightly, and she didn't dare meet his gaze.

Mingyi bit her lower lip lightly, then decided to go all out and said fearlessly, "My lord knows that I have someone else in my heart and have already pledged my life to another. Why do you still force me and make things difficult for me?"

"The noble ladies in the capital are all of respectable lineage, outstanding talent, and good looks. Which one of them is not more suitable than me, a lowly woman from a merchant family? Why insist on picking on me?"

Mingyi looked directly into the man's eyes and calmly analyzed for him: "You don't really like me, and you can't live without me. You're just clinging to me because you haven't gotten me."

Zong Xian listened quietly to her long speech, lowered his eyes thoughtfully, and after a moment slowly got up and walked towards her step by step with steady steps.

A sense of oppression swept over him, and Mingyi froze.

Zong Xian stopped in front of her and said calmly, "Actually, I don't understand either. There are countless young ladies in the capital who want to marry me. I'm never short of women. You are only slightly pretty, but you don't have anything outstanding that catches my eye. Yet, I can't let you go. What you just said has enlightened me."

Mingyi thought he had figured it out and was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Zong Xian suddenly reached out, grabbed her chin, forced her to tilt her head back, and said condescendingly, "You're right, I'm just unwilling to accept this."

A fiercely aggressive glint flashed in the man's eyes, and his thin lips parted slightly:

"In this world, there has never been anything that I, Zong Xian, have desired but could not obtain. Perhaps if you grant me this once, I will no longer be so attached to you."

"!!!"

Mingyi's almond-shaped eyes widened suddenly. "What if I resist to the death?"

Zong Xian slowly released his grip on her chin, his expression indifferent, his tone devoid of any warmth: "If you truly have such backbone, it would be better if you died, thus putting an end to my obsession."

They clearly weren't going to let her go!

Mingyi stared at him for a long time, gritted her teeth, and immediately got up to grab a hairpin from the dressing table and held it to her throat.

Zong Xian remained standing there, looking at her indifferently, completely unmoved.

Threatening him with his life had no effect whatsoever. This man was consumed by selfish desires, and the lives of others were as insignificant to him as a feather.

Mingyi was furious, and for a moment he really wanted to die in front of him, but he quickly came to his senses.

She was merely a transmigrator in a book; why should she risk her life for this obsessive and ruthless man? It's simply not worth it.

Just as the situation was at a stalemate, a voice suddenly called out from next door: "Sister."

It's Ah Zhe!

Mingyi suddenly realized how quiet it was around her. Her expression changed drastically, her heart clenched, and her voice became panicked: "What did you do to A-Zhe? Don't hurt them!"

"I have no intention of hurting him, but I have sent someone to keep an eye on them so that no one else will disturb our conversation."

"Ah Zhe has asthma and can't handle stimulation. If he doesn't see me for a long time, he'll definitely have an attack!" Ming Yi said with a worried expression.

Zong Xian looked at her and said, "As long as we reach an agreement, I will bring him to see you immediately."

Mingyi's hand holding the hairpin trembled slightly. At this point, she knew in her heart that Zong Xian's ability to follow her here showed that he had more than just a little interest in her.

He didn't give her a choice at all. Continuing this stalemate would only be a futile struggle, which would only fuel his desire to conquer her, and then she would have no way to escape.

Ji Mingyi loosened his grip, threw the hairpin on the ground, and said resignedly, "You just want me, right? Fine, I'll give it to you, but only this once, and you have to let me go."

Zong Xian's eyes were deep and unreadable.

...

"Sister!"

As soon as the door opened, Ji Mingzhe rushed in.

He clutched Mingyi's clothes, his face pale, and whispered a complaint, "I wanted to come find you, but there were people blocking the door, and I couldn't get out. I was so worried about you. Sister, are you alright?"

Mingyi lowered her eyes and gently touched the top of his head, her tone soft: "Sister, it's alright, don't be afraid. She just spoke a few words with Second Uncle. Those people are servants from the Zong family, not bad people."

Ji Mingzhe then noticed the man sitting not far away and was taken aback.

What is he doing here?

Ji Mingzhe felt something was off and wanted to ask something, but Mingyi told him to go out first.

He always listened to Mingyi's words, so he obediently turned and walked towards the door, but then suddenly stopped, turned back, and asked, "Isn't he leaving?"

Mingyi looked a little awkward and coaxed him, "My second uncle and I still have important matters to discuss. Ah Zhe, go wait in the next room first. If you're really bored, Yuegui can take you out for a walk."

"Alright." Ji Mingzhe then asked, "So, once my sister finishes her business, can we go to Qingzhou to find my brother-in-law?"

Ji Mingzhe sometimes calls Xie Huaiyu his brother-in-law.

But when this address reached Mingyi's ears, it made her feel ashamed that she was about to commit adultery.

She quickly and gently pushed Ji Mingzhe out, saying, "Wait for me in the outer room. My second uncle will arrange the travel permits for us. Once we have the documents, we can leave the city."

Ji Mingzhe always felt that something about her was a little strange, as if she was hiding something from him.

There was also an unusual atmosphere in the room.

But Ji Mingzhe didn't ask any more questions and obediently went out.

After Mingyi closed the door, she turned to look at Zong Xian, suppressing the hatred in her eyes, and walked towards the man.