Chapter 41: Chastity

Chapter 41: Chastity

The atmosphere in the room was unpredictable.

Sometimes it was sweltering, other times freezing.

Ying Shi had never seen Liang Yun so terrifying before; she couldn’t fathom why he had suddenly turned into someone else.

He was a gentleman—why would he act like this?

Was he drunk…?

Panicked, Ying Shi wanted to cry for help, but as her voice was about to escape, she suddenly realized she couldn’t.

She couldn’t let anyone find out—otherwise, her reputation would be destroyed, and all her hard work would be for nothing.

But the chance Heaven gave her was fleeting.

The stifling air in the room quickly numbed her limbs, as if the intense heat was suffocating her, and a fiery anger seemed to ignite in her chest.

As the danger dawned on her, Ying Shi struggled frantically, trying to escape—but she still clung to some rationality, while the man behind her had already turned into a frenzied beast.

The difference in strength between them meant the more she struggled, the more aggressive he became.

His fingers gripped her slender neck, forcing her face to turn, and the searing heat behind her engulfed her again.

His lips tasted bitter and medicinal, laced with raw desire, roughly claiming her.

Ying Shi could only shake her head helplessly, "Mmm…", her muffled cries swallowed by his mouth.

No…

She couldn’t…

Her last bit of rationality kept her going; Ying Shi gritted her teeth, her trembling lashes streaming with tears.

Though she had imagined countless ways to exact revenge since her rebirth, even plotting to seduce Liang Yun and pit brothers against each other, and using her wits to destroy everything the Liang family held dear.

But those were just bitter thoughts she harbored in the dead of night.

When she came to her senses, Ying Shi knew she didn’t have the capability, didn’t she—the few times she had dared to secretly seduce Liang Yun, each time ended in failure.

He was a gentleman; he seemed to have no emotions at all…

Every time Ying Shi thought he was different towards her, that he actually had feelings for her, she would quickly realize that all of Liang Yun’s help towards her was just out of guilt.

This guilt and care were for Liang Ji.

Perhaps as long as she bore the identity of Liang Ji’s widow, this man before her would always have this kind of care that often misled her.

After several attempts, Ying Shi gradually gave up on this goal.

Just as she was about to follow Gui Niang’s advice, abandon her original intentions, and plan to be a close sibling with him, everything quietly began to change.

Now that things were truly moving towards the step she had once imagined, Ying Shi only felt fear and helplessness.

If others found out, she would be ruined!

When she finally managed to catch her breath, Ying Shi no longer held back, biting down hard on his lips.

The man must have felt the pain, as his body alternated between extreme heat, as if his blood were boiling, and bone-rattling cold.

He finally released her.

Ying Shi's oxygen-starved body was as limp as a crushed flower. Without the man's support, she slid down the door frame like a withered blossom, slumped to the floor.

The floor was covered with soft carpet, so she felt no pain as she fell.

Before Ying Shi could react, the man in front of her slowly crouched down, looming over her.

His brows furrowed slightly, the corner of his lip she had bitten was a vivid red. His pale fingers extended towards her.

Tears streaked Ying Shi's snow-white face, shaking her head, sobbing with a nasal voice.

Her words carried a seductive undertone.

"No, no..."

"Brother, it's me, Ying Shi..."

But his hand merely brushed her cheek, plucking the hairpin from her temple.

In her bewilderment, she watched as he took the hairpin and slashed his own arm.

A faint glint of silver flashed in the dim room.

Even in self-harm, he was ruthless, striking with brutal force.

Liang Yun's eyes were shadowed and heavy, betraying utter exhaustion. Warm, crimson blood trickled from his lowered arm, drop by drop, onto the cloud-patterned carpet adorned with lotus and vine motifs, and onto his pale green wide sleeves.

In the dim room, he abruptly rose.

A chill swept through as Liang Yun silently opened the windows.

Daylight seeped through the narrow gap, slowly illuminating the carpet and the scene before them.

Battling a splitting headache, his gaze returned to her, locked onto her tear-streaked face—her soft, jade-colored skirt fluttered, her hair a mess, her outer garment slipping off one shoulder, exposing red marks on her snow-white skin, her eyes clouded with tears.

Ying Shi sat slumped on the floor, breathing heavily, her jade-like face flushed, her body as limp as a frostbitten flower.

The incense in the burner had long burned out, leaving only a faint lingering scent in the air.

As Liang Yun's consciousness gradually cleared, he looked at the scene before him, and a thunderous realization struck him—

Ying Shi, with tears streaming down her face, tried to pull up her slipping shoulder garment, but her trembling hands couldn't manage it.

She saw Liang Yun overturn the incense burner and open the windows, and as her rationality slowly returned, she was immediately struck with fear, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't... don't open the windows. Someone might see..."

Liang Yun paused, then closed the windows again.

Frightened, she quickly retreated to a corner, her once bright and delicate face now covered in tear stains, her eyes filled with terror as she stared at him.

Liang Yun's face was deathly pale.

The young duke, who was usually composed and diligent in court, now stood by the door like a puppet, dazedly looking back at everything.

This sin he had committed himself.

Ying Shi's hands and feet shook uncontrollably. She covered her face with her sleeve, choking back her fear as she sobbed, "If others find out, I’ll never be able to explain myself today..."

Liang Yun's eyes were filled with shock and pain. He closed his eyes, bewildered, then opened them again, as if still unwilling to accept the absurdity of it all.

After a long while, Liang Yun finally spoke, "The fault today lies entirely with me. I’ve wronged you, and I owe you an explanation."

Unexpectedly, Ying Shi’s sobs grew even louder at his words.

What good was his apology to her? What kind of explanation could he possibly give her?!

Ying Shi couldn’t bring herself to look at Liang Yun’s ashen face.

Already ill, and after what had just transpired, when she glanced at him, his skin was deathly pale, even whiter than a corpse.

What was he thinking?

She, a woman, wasn’t nearly as scared as he was...

Ying Shi seethed inwardly, cursing him silently, then felt like breaking down in tears again—

But after what had happened, she couldn’t even let herself cry out loud, afraid that someone outside might hear. Now, every word and action felt like they were sneaking around like adulterers.

"It doesn’t matter whose fault it is anymore. If people find out, I’ll be the one to take all the blame. If they find out... sob, I'm finished..."

Though Ying Shi's voice trembled with fear, the cool breeze and the shock had somewhat dissipated the earlier heat. She could only sob and say to him, "Let’s just pretend today never happened. Neither of us should ever speak of it!"

As she spoke, Ying Shi quickly re-tied her hair and smoothed out her dress over and over, furiously scrubbing her face to erase the lingering scent of him. She wiped away her tears, trying to restore herself to the way she had been before entering the room.

If Ying Shi had screamed and blamed herself, Liang Yun might’ve felt a little better.

But instead, she wept silently, nursing her pain alone.

Clearly, she was the one who’d been wronged the most, even her chastity compromised, yet she still spoke such compromising words. Hearing this, Liang Yun’s heart ached unbearably, and his chest ached with every breath.

He wanted to beg her to stop crying, to plead for her forgiveness, to apologize, and to give her the compensation she deserved.

But Liang Yun couldn't say anything...

He had no right, and what could he possibly compensate her with?

She was right. She had been dragged into this, and the fault was his, but if things went wrong, she would be the one to suffer the most.

The world’s endless rumors would never spare her.

If she were unmarried, to protect her reputation, she would have to reluctantly agree to an engagement with him, and what would happen in the future was another matter, but at least it would silence the gossip.

But now...

She already had a husband, and her husband was his own brother.

Yet, what had happened between them was a violation of propriety, something shameful.

Liang Yun couldn't make any promises to her.

She... probably wouldn't want any promises from him either.

After days of rain, a pair of drenched birds perched on the windowsill, chirping softly.

The clear chirps now felt like knives slicing through their hearts, making Liang Yun feel even more ashamed.

All the beauty around him now seemed tainted with sin.

Ying Shi re-tied her hair, straightened her dress, and put everything back in order. Without a backward glance at Liang Yun, she hurried out and soon vanished from view.

After she left, Liang Yun sat stunned for a long time. Only when a sharp pain shot through his lips did he stumble to the copper basin and look down. Instantly, his legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed.

The fragmented memories reassembled in his mind, and Liang Yun felt his blood boil, his eyes flickering with emotion.

His fingers brushed the wound at his lip, the vivid sensation a constant reminder of what he’d done.

In that moment, it felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Order, ethics, and morality had all shattered into nothingness.

·

Yes, it was true.

He should have recognized his own twisted desires...

He’d tried to avoid, suppress, and forget them, believing he could rid himself of these thoughts quietly and swiftly.

But he had overestimated himself.

Greed had long been like weeds, rootless yet thriving, spreading wildly and without reason. It flourished in the shadows, needing neither sunlight nor rain.

Not even fire could destroy it.

But... she was the wife his younger brother adored.

How could he... how could he harbor such feelings for her...

He was nothing but a beast.