Chapter 76: Threat

Chapter 76: Threat

Wei Xun was no saint. Zhou Yan had stolen his woman, and he would naturally not let him off.

A Yuan’s legs buckled, nearly giving way beneath her, and Zhou Yan quickly steadied her arm.

The moment they touched, Wei Xun’s gaze turned ice-cold.

The air in the room turned frigid, and A Man burst into terrified sobs.

“Daddy, don’t take Daddy! Pretty uncle is bad, A Man doesn’t like you!”

The little girl sobbed her little heart out. She was barely a year old, and her voice grew hoarse from crying.

“A Man, be good. Daddy’s not leaving.”

Zhou Yan held her gently, carefully wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

A Yuan stood beside him, watching worriedly. Zhou Yan patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry, he won’t take you.”

Then he turned to Wei Xun. “Wei Crown Prince, with your immense power, ending me would be easy. But have you considered A Yuan? She has a family and a child now. If she returns to the marquis’s estate, would the Dowager even accept her?”

“You’re used to forcing your way, never considering others’ wishes. A Yuan is a person too—she has her own thoughts. Ask yourself: did things turn out this way just because I interfered?”

Zhou Yan’s eyes gleamed with mockery. He and A Yuan had known each other for fifteen years, yet in all that time, she had never loved him.

Wei Xun had once had her but took her for granted, and now he still wanted to treat her poorly. Zhou Yan couldn’t help but resent him.

The treasure he cherished wasn’t meant for Wei Xun to trample upon.

“Do you feel the same?”

Wei Xun’s jaw tightened as he stared at A Yuan.

A Yuan avoided his gaze and nodded. “The Crown Prince’s favor... A Yuan can’t accept it.”

“Fine. Just fine.”

This time, Wei Xun truly laughed in anger. So all his past affection for her had been nothing but a burden in her eyes. Only he had been foolishly planning their future.

A Yuan’s former tenderness had all been an act.

Swallowing the blood that rose in his throat, Wei Xun fixed A Yuan with a piercing glare. “How hard it must have been for you to pretend to care before. I hope you won’t live to regret this.”

As the heir of Anning Marquis’s estate, Wei Xun had his pride.

He’d begged, he’d threatened, yet A Yuan remained unmoved.

Of course. Those five years with her had been nothing but a carefully crafted lie. This woman had long wanted to escape him.

Wei Xun couldn’t help but believe—A Yuan had never loved him at all.

“Cough!”

As he left Jinxiu Workshop, Wei Xun staggered, blood gushing from his mouth.

“Master!”

Chang Yuan had searched for him for hours before finally finding him here—only to witness him coughing up blood.

"Sir, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

Wei Xun pushed his hand away and straightened up coldly, though his usually upright posture now carried a hint of loneliness for the first time.

Chang Yuan didn’t know what had happened to his master, but when he glanced back, he immediately spotted A Yuan standing at the entrance of Brocade Workshop.

"Master... Master... It's Lady Xie! Lady Xie is alive!"

Nothing was more shocking than someone coming back from the dead, especially considering how Wei Xun had suffered these past two years, which Chang Yuan had witnessed firsthand. Now that A Yuan was alive, his first feeling was pure joy.

Lady Xie was the one the Young Master loved most. Her return would surely bring him joy.

But Wei Xun’s face didn’t change. He took the reins from Chang Yuan and mounted his horse. "Move out."

"Young Master?"

That was Lady Xie! His master not only showed no reaction but also rode away without hesitation. Had something happened before he arrived?

Confused, Chang Yuan scratched his head. When he looked back again, he saw A Yuan holding A Man, comforting her with a kiss, while Zhou Yan stood beside them, watching the mother and daughter fondly.

"This... Lady Xie is married and has a child..."

No wonder his master was so angry.

Feeling sorry for his master, Chang Yuan quickly mounted his horse and followed.

A Yuan only relaxed once they were out of sight.

"Has the Young Master... let me go?"

A man like Wei Xun wouldn’t bother with her—he must have given up.

Zhou Yan wasn’t so sure. Knowing Wei Xun, he never gave up on what he wanted, even if A Yuan didn’t love him.

But he kept those words to himself. A Yuan was already shocked and exhausted enough today; he didn’t want to add to her burden.

"Mm, let’s close the shop and go home. A Man is tired."

The little girl’s eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she still sniffled in Zhou Yan’s arms.

A Yuan gently felt her forehead, relieved that the child wasn’t feverish.

Even though A Man was tough, she was still just a child, and crying too hard could easily make her sick.

"Alright, let’s go home."

A Yuan told Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun to lock up the embroidery workshop while she followed Zhou Yan back to Osmanthus Lane.

Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun weren’t gossips. Having witnessed the day’s drama, they obediently kept their mouths shut as if they’d seen nothing.

Lady Xie had given them work and a means to survive—they couldn’t repay kindness with betrayal.

......

The two steeds arrived at the inn one after another. Chang Yuan tossed the reins to the inn’s attendant, hesitating as he looked at Wei Xun.

Wei Xun knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but today, he had lost all dignity and pride in front of A Yuan. How could he possibly speak of it?

"Have her watched closely. Don’t let her escape again!"

The man uttered coldly and pushed the door open to enter the guest room.

Chang Yuan sighed softly. It was self-evident who the "her" in Wei Xun's words referred to.

Even though Mistress Xie had married someone else, the heir still couldn't let go.

"Yes."

Chang Yuan accepted the order and left. Besides the people on the surface, they had also brought covert operatives on their trip south.

Soon, a dark figure slipped over the inn's wall, heading in the direction of the Brocade Workshop.

......

Wei Xun slept fitfully. In his dreams, one moment A Yuan was crying for help in the water, and the next, she was coldly pushing him away with a mocking laugh.

"Wei Xun, your love means nothing to me! I’d rather die than stay with you!"

"Xie Yuan!"

The woman’s words cut deep, feeling terrifyingly real. Wei Xun woke from the dream, his back soaked with cold sweat.

The gentle, obedient A Yuan and the cold, scornful A Yuan flashed before his eyes, pushing him to the brink.

"Young master?"

Hearing the commotion, Chang Yuan knocked on the door. Wei Xun composed himself and replied indifferently, "Nothing... Any news from Zhang Feng?"

Zhang Feng was the covert operative Wei Xun had sent. Suddenly, silence fell outside the door.

Chang Yuan gulped, thankful the door hid his face.

"Yes... He’s already located Mistress Xie’s residence—it’s on Osmanthus Lane. After Mistress Xie returned home with Zhou... Zhou Yan today, she stayed inside."

*Bang!*

The sound of a cup being crushed came from inside the room. Wei Xun lowered his gaze, reining in his rage. "Understood. Keep watching."