The river water outside lapped at the crabapple flowers by the bank, rippling endlessly in the jade-green waves.
A slightly cold breeze, laced with floral fragrance, drifted into the cabin, where a deathly silence permeated.
Chi You slumped weakly on the couch, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her lowered brows were filled with hatred.
"You've recovered."
Suddenly, he reached out with icy hands and gripped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him.
"Why are you staring at me like that, do you hate me?"
He gazed at her face, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.
"If you're outmatched, you should concede defeat."
Chi You gazed quietly at the face before her, as if looking at a stranger, utterly cold and devoid of warmth.
She remembered arriving in the capital, how he had tormented her repeatedly at night due to her fragile health. She recalled Xuan Qing desperately pulling her from the city walls, covered in blood. She remembered her own humble plea, kneeling before him, begging him to spare the people of Nanjiang.
She also remembered calling him brother, the times he took her horseback riding, taught her archery, and accompanied her to listen to stories and watch plays.
Those memories, like reflections in a mirror or ripples on water, were like knives slicing into her flesh.
She looked at him, just looked at him.
Suddenly, she yanked out the hairpin from her head and fiercely thrust it towards him.
Liu Rongruo had only just been detoxified, his body not yet recovered, but his speed was still astonishing. He reacted swiftly, evading the attack, and seized her hand.
Chi You’s wrist throbbed with pain, but she immediately kicked out towards his vulnerable spot.
She had no knife; if she had one now, she would stab it into his heart. But it was fine, the hairpin in her hand was sharp enough.
Liu Rongruo’s lips were still somewhat pale. He watched her attack coldly, dodging with remarkable agility.
Her every move aimed for his life. The hairpin in her hand grazed his neck, slicing his skin and nearly piercing his heart.
His expression grew increasingly grim. He twisted her arm, dislocating it forcefully, and in the same motion, snatched the hairpin from her grasp.
Chi You cried out in pain, then forcefully twisted her arm back into place, kicking him in the abdomen with all her might.
They both fell to the ground, wrestling without any discernible pattern.
But ultimately, she was no match for him. He pinned her to the ground.
"You want to kill me? Do you have what it takes?"
Chi You’s face turned deathly pale from the pain. She looked at the man above her, tears subtly welling in her reddened eyes.
"Is your heart made of stone?"
Liu Rongruo gazed at her with a detached expression, his grip on her neck loosening slightly.
But the next second, the person beneath him’s eyes turned fierce. She snatched a knife from his embrace and lunged towards his heart.
He immediately dodged, looking down at the knife embedded in his shoulder, and chuckled, his laughter cold and sinister.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, this stab would have been fatal.
"Brave."
He crouched down, lifted her by the neck, his features becoming ferocious.
Chi You’s throat ached too much to speak. She opened her reddened eyes and reached out, fiercely gripping his collar and pulling him down.
Their eyes met, and blood mixed with a clear, cold fragrance filled the air.
Her eyes blazed with resentment, a raging fire swirling deep within them, as if wanting to devour and tear him apart.
"If you don't kill me today, I will grind your bones to dust tomorrow."
Liu Rongruo looked at her and laughed, his laughter chilling and sinister.
"Very well, then I shall kill you today."
His hand clamped fiercely around her neck, twisting her fair, slender skin with all his might, driven to madness to end her life.
Chi You could no longer feel the pain. In a daze, she remembered her younger brother, alone in Nanjiang.
The immense hatred and the will to survive warred within her, her muddled nerves clearing slightly.
She opened her eyes, looking at him with reddened eyes, but an undisguised venomous hatred seethed within them, like a sharp blade piercing his very core.
Liu Rongruo let out a cold laugh and watched her silently.
Neither of them spoke. The entire room was terrifyingly silent.
The chirping of the bluebirds outside was exceptionally grating.
Suddenly, he released her and slowly stood up.
Chi You, gasping for breath from the pain, collapsed onto the ground as soon as she was released, coughing heart-wrenchingly.
Liu Rongruo pulled the knife from his shoulder with extreme speed, not even letting out a groan, as if it were not his flesh and blood, as if he felt no pain.
Chi You slowly raised her head, looking at the blood staining his robes and then at his indifferent face. A strange expression, as if on the verge of tears or laughter, flashed across her eyes.
How could she have been so blind to fall in love with such a heartless, cold-blooded man?
A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, followed by the clanging sound of a knife hilt hitting the ground.
He looked down at her from above, his expression calm and unperturbed.
"I await the day you grind my bones to dust."
He left. The river wind outside the cabin blew in with a rushing sound.
Chi You felt as if something was churning in her heart, making it difficult to breathe. She picked up the blood-stained knife and, supporting herself, stood up.
She glanced at the collapsed bed, sat on the soft couch, and casually pulled off a piece of bedsheet, slowly wiping the blood off the knife.
The hatred for the destruction of her clan surged within her like a roaring tide.
Her expression was blank, the hand holding the knife pale and trembling, hot tears freely streaming down her cheeks.
The enmity of a massacred clan was irreconcilable.
She and he were destined for a fight to the death.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, and the warships moved swiftly across the river. The wind outside the window made her head ache.
Chi You stood by the window, gazing indifferently at the vast, boundless river and sea.
She recalled the trials of escaping from the palace, her hands gripping the window frame so tightly that blood seeped out.
She could not leave; she was ordered to marry for peace.
If she fled, the borders of the two countries would plunge into endless warfare.
Moreover, with Liu Rongruo's treachery, he would pursue her relentlessly, likely even attacking Nanjiang.
She had to stay by his side and find an opportunity to kill him.
"You must be hungry, I'll bring you something to eat."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her. Someone slowly walked in.
Chi You turned her head and looked sideways.
Wei Qingge looked at her sharp gaze, slightly surprised. How could she seem like a completely different person? Not like the Consort Qing she had seen in the palace before.
Chi You hadn't eaten in a long time. Smelling the aroma of the food, she parted her dry lips.
Seeing her eyes fixed on the food in her hands, Wei Qingge placed the tray on the table and beckoned to her.
"Come, eat quickly. I specifically asked the small kitchen to prepare this, it's delicious."
Chi You looked at her a few times, feeling a slight strangeness in her heart. She dismissed the discomfort and sat down.
"Thank you."
Wei Qingge, being rather oblivious, didn't think much of it. She served herself a bowl and began to eat.
She figured Consort Qing hadn't eaten, so she hurried over with food. She hadn't eaten herself yet either, so it was perfect to eat together.
"You can't stay in this room anymore. Go sleep in the room next door later."
Hearing her words, Chi You couldn't help but recall last night. She closed her eyes, suppressing the complex emotions, and smiled at her.