Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

After much deliberation, Shen Mingshu couldn't deny that she was disappointed in her own opportunistic approach.

After a long silence, Wei Yuan's answer was...

"Master, Ming Shu is now my fiancée, my destined one, and the one with whom I am bound for the rest of my life."

"..."

His words plunged the house into a deathly silence, both inside and out.

Shen Mingshu's eyes were red, and tears welled up instantly.

She watched as Wei Yuan stood there, neither humble nor arrogant, his back remaining straight and unyielding despite the teacher's angry scolding and beatings.

"Rumors stop with the wise. The students believe that it is biased for the Master to arbitrarily dismiss a person based on a rumor from three years ago. Moreover—"

Wei Yuan raised the manuscript in his hand, his fingertips stroking it affectionately: "How could I not admire Ming Shu for writing such insightful and profound articles?"

"you--!"

The gentleman was so angry that he slumped back into his chair, clutching his chest, his eyes red with rage: "In that case, I must admit my lack of knowledge and ability; I cannot teach you. Young Master Wei, you should seek another opportunity!"

Wei Yuan paused for a moment, bowed to him, and left with the manuscript.

Shen Mingshu felt a mix of bittersweet emotions welling up inside her. She couldn't wait to run into Wei Yuan's arms, but Wei Ziye coldly grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulled her back, and covered her mouth.

"Hmm!"

Wei Yuan noticed something and looked over at the two of them.

The corner was deserted, and even the flowers and plants were motionless. A barely perceptible glint flashed in Wei Yuan's eyes as he turned and left.

With tears in her eyes, Shen Mingshu watched his departing figure and bit Wei Ziye hard.

Wei Ziye, however, seemed oblivious to the pain, his dark and unfathomable eyes silently scrutinizing her.

Thinking of the vast difference in their strength, Shen Mingshu immediately backed down, opened her mouth, and whispered.

"The answer is already out, what else does my cousin want me to see?"

"You don't necessarily think he was telling the truth just now, do you?"

Wei Ziye remained expressionless, rationally deducing: "After realizing that today's visit was not about plagiarism, he must have also noticed the sudden appearance of this manuscript. In that case, no matter what he's thinking, he certainly won't say anything detrimental to him."

"Maintaining a close relationship with you is currently the most advantageous situation for him."

If Zhang Yu doesn't target Wei Yuan, then Wei Yuan's life will be the best.

Everyone can see that.

"But what if this situation doesn't require him to maintain it at all?"

Shen Mingshu pointed at Wei Ziye's heart with dissatisfaction: "Don't forget, even your Wei family doesn't want to touch my existence. For A Yuan to say that, his sincerity is more courageous than that of ordinary people."

"A gentleman judges by his actions, not his intentions; if you judge by intentions alone, no one is a true gentleman. Do I need to explain this to my cousin?"

Wei Ziye frowned, gripping Shen Mingshu's wrist tightly: "You're just fooling yourself!"

Shen Mingshu smiled calmly: "Having the ability to deceive oneself is a form of growth. Cousin will understand in the future."

"Now, can you let me go?"

Shen Mingshu was small, and nestled in his arms, there was a familiar and comfortable feeling, which made Wei Ziye forget his posture for a moment.

Wei Ziye pushed her away without hesitation, frowning in disgust.

"Shen Mingshu, a marriage built on deception and trickery won't last. Do you really think I won't reveal our past?"

"Of course you can't, cousin."

Shen Mingshu remained unmoved and persistent, saying, "If you bring up those past events, wouldn't that just confirm what I said three years ago when I pressured you to marry me?"

"At that time, the reputation of the Wei family in the capital will probably be ruined, just as this teacher said."

"Killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own." Shen Mingshu clicked her tongue and shook her head: "My cousin wouldn't do something so foolish."

In the eyes of the Wei family, Shen Mingshu's life was worthless, so if she were to risk everything and damage the Wei family's reputation, it would not be worth it.

Wei Ziye curled his lips into a smile, devoid of any warmth: "Shen Mingshu, look at your current behavior. It's quite different from how courtesans painstakingly try to reform themselves."

My heart suddenly stopped, and a dull pain spread.

Shen Mingshu's breathing became a little erratic, but she still stared at Wei Ziye's harshness with broken eyes.

"In that case, cousin, please take pity on me?"

"Pitiful? Ha—"

Wei Ziye seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He pinched Shen Mingshu's cheeks, his eyes filled with malice.

"You didn't know that Tiange was already my property?"

With a loud "boom".

The loud noise exploded in Shen Mingshu's heart, and a buzzing sound filled her ears, causing her vision to blur slightly.

No wonder—

"He won't touch you, is it because he thinks you're dirty?" Wei Ziye's voice was like a devil's whisper.

Shen Mingshu's voice was so dry that she couldn't utter a single word. Suddenly, her lips touched something cool, and the bitter scent of medicine spread to her nose.

Realizing something, Shen Mingshu turned her head to dodge, but the man held her face firmly in his grasp.

"Wei Ziye—Ugh!"

Their lips met, and Shen Mingshu was pinned to the back of her head, forced to endure Wei Ziye's madness!

Her throat bobbed involuntarily as the pill went down, and Shen Mingshu's mind went blank the moment it entered her throat!

"Cough cough—vomit!"

Shen Mingshu fell to the ground, trying to get the pill out by clearing her throat.

Wei Ziye looked down at her disheveled state, then slowly took out a handkerchief and wiped the water stains from the corner of her lips with disdain.

"Shen Mingshu, the love you want is so cheap."

The moment the sharp pain shot through her lower body, Shen Mingshu's self-deception instantly became a joke.

Shen Mingshu's eyes were desolate as she slowly raised them to meet his cold gaze.

"Wei Zi, why don't you marry me?"

Wei Ziye paused, and without thinking, said, "You're not worthy."

"Then why won't you let me go!"

Shen Mingshu suddenly stood up, filled with resentment and anger, and pounced on him like a female ghost!

Such a roar had already attracted the attention of a passing servant.

Wei Ziye's clothes were being roughly pounded and torn by her, and his face was filled with anger. He pushed Shen Mingshu away forcefully and growled.

"Shen Mingshu! If you're truly innocent, you shouldn't have seduced Wei Yuan!"

"If you hadn't provoked me, we would have remained strangers!"

"But you insist on being so greedy. You forced me into marriage back then, and now you're deceiving him into marriage. You've disgusted me in every way. Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you!"

Shen Mingshu was hit in the lower back and her face turned pale.

She suppressed the pain, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at the murderous intent emanating from Wei Ziye, then turned and ran straight out!

Wei Ziye's sharp eyebrows furrowed, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes. The next moment, the sound of someone falling into the water came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by panicked shouts.

"They've jumped!"

"Help! Someone's jumped into the water!"

The handkerchief fell to the ground from her fingertips.

Wei Ziye suddenly ran outside, jumped into the pool with a tense body, only to find that Shen Mingshu had already grabbed the water plants on the shore with one hand.

At this moment, she was pulling at her pale lips, her smile enigmatic.

"Wei Ziye, you'll understand sooner or later that you and your reputation are nothing but insignificant things in my life."

"you--"

Wei Ziye watched helplessly as the water around her gradually turned red with blood. His pupils suddenly contracted, and he swam frantically towards her!

"Ming Shu!"

Hearing Wei Yuan's anxious shouts, Shen Mingshu, who was enduring excruciating pain, relaxed.

With a slight smile, she slowly sank into the water.

When Wei Yuan rushed over, Shen Mingshu had already been carried ashore by Wei Ziye.

The water droplets falling frantically from Shen Mingshu had almost dyed the entire pond red!

Both of them stopped breathing!

Wei Yuan snatched Shen Mingshu from his arms and shouted frantically, "Doctor! Quickly, call a doctor!"