Chapter 161: Sincerity

Chapter 161: True Feelings

“Yes, Song Yuqing is my husband.” Pei Huai’s laughter was unrestrained.

“He’s still wearing the ring I gave him on his ring finger.”

The surroundings were bone-chilling, and Pei Huai’s blood seemed to congeal.

Ever since Song Yuqing arrived, Pei Huai had been thinking a lot. Now, the only one who could threaten Song Yuqing here was that wretched dog, Su Quan.

If he could just… kill Su Quan, Song Yuqing would surely escape.

“Our wedding bands are on me. Want to see them?” Pei Huai grinned provocatively, his expression utterly punchable.

Su Quan was almost blinded by rage. Qi Zhengqing and Song Yuqing had a marriage certificate, and Song Yuqing still wore the ring Pei Huai had given him on his ring finger.

He would melt that ring right now and sever Pei Huai’s ring finger at the root.

Su Quan took a step closer to Pei Huai but suddenly paused and then retreated.

He sneered coldly, “Trying to provoke me, make me lose my mind? If I take a few more steps, are you planning to self-destruct your psychic energy and take me down with you?”

Song Yuqing was led to the entrance of Pei Huai’s cell, just in time to hear these words.

Lifting his gaze, Song Yuqing saw Pei Huai’s frozen expression and found it somewhat amusing.

Stupid dog.

Can’t even scheme properly.

The two inside seemed to sense something and turned to look down the corridor.

Dim light fell on Song Yuqing, accentuating his cold, aloof aura.

Pei Huai’s pupils sharply constricted. As he moved, the chains clattered incessantly. Song Yuqing’s gaze fell on the iron hooks piercing Pei Huai’s shoulder blades, and his eyes grew cold.

Pei Huai’s voice was filled with disbelief, “Qingqing.”

Song Yuqing raised his hand, the heavy chains on his wrist exposed to the alpha’s view, and said softly, “Don’t move.”

Pei Huai’s eyes instantly reddened. The pent-up emotions of all these days seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

The resentment in his heart, the long-standing despair, the frustration of wanting to kill Su Quan but being powerless to do so, and his longing for Song Yuqing—all erupted almost at once.

Yet, Song Yuqing’s simple command, “Don’t move,” transformed it all into a stream of scalding tears that burst from his eyes without warning, streaking through the blood on his face as they slid down miserably.

How dare Su Quan, damn it, how dare he chain Song Yuqing? He was going to kill Su Quan.

Wretched dog.

Wretched dog!

“Like a stray dog,” Song Yuqing thought calmly, speaking to 88 in his mind.

88 sighed, “Indeed, like a stray dog finding its mother.”

Song Yuqing: “…”

Su Quan suddenly began to clap, speaking slowly and deliberately, “How utterly touching.”

“Completely ignoring me. Aren’t you going to thank me?”

“After all, I’m the one who gave you this chance to meet.”

Pei Huai: “I thank your ancestors! You’re nothing but a coward. If you have the guts, come at me. Why drag him into this?”

Song Yuqing: “…”

Su Quan grabbed Song Yuqing’s wrist, testing the weight of the chains on his hand. His skin was truly delicate—just wearing handcuffs had bruised his wrist, as if he’d been abused.

Song Yuqing: “Let go.”

Su Quan: “No.”

Su Quan slowly moved behind Song Yuqing, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and leaning down, almost enveloping him in an embrace. His warm breath brushed against Song Yuqing’s ear. “He said he’s your husband.”

With his other hand, he gripped Song Yuqing’s chin, forcing him to look at the disheveled Pei Huai inside. “Does this count as me holding you in front of your husband?”

“Why did you choose such a worthless man?”

Su Quan’s tone held a hint of confusion, mixed with triumphant satisfaction.

He pressed Song Yuqing’s slender waist even tighter against himself.

Song Yuqing lowered his eyes, his long lashes concealing his emotions.

He looped the chain around his hand. “So, does that make you any less useless?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yuqing smashed the chain into Su Quan’s face without hesitation.

Su Quan had no time to react. A sharp, numbing pain shot through his nose, and his vision went black. Yet, he didn’t release his grip on Song Yuqing, letting out a muffled grunt.

Beneath his mask, warm blood gushed out, dripping down his jawline.

Su Quan still refused to let go, so Song Yuqing struck again.

Song Yuqing hit him repeatedly, but Su Quan stubbornly held on. “Hit me, keep hitting. If you don’t kill me, I’ll kill you.”

Despite his words, Su Quan’s eyes burned with wild anticipation.

“Even now, as a prisoner, you still don’t know your place?”

“Come on, then. Kill me.” Song Yuqing’s voice was soft. He lifted his eyelids, his amber eyes calm and cold.

The alphas who had brought Song Yuqing there were stunned.

Damn, even with his hands cuffed, he’s still fighting like this. What a badass.

Who said Song Yuqing was an easy-to-bully pretty face? This was a king of hell in human form disguised as a beauty. His strikes were even more vicious than theirs. And that psycho Su Quan seemed to be into it?

A faint smile curled Su Quan’s lips as he gripped Song Yuqing’s wrist. “Fine, I’ll kill you right now.”

Su Quan yanked Song Yuqing toward Pei Huai’s cell, pulling him into a cage. Below the iron bars was a body of water.

Deep, bottomless.

Ice floated on the surface, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

Su Quan braced against the cage bars, one hand resting casually on them, looking down at Song Yuqing inside. The madness and excitement in his eyes burned even brighter.

"Kill you directly?" Su Quan's voice was hoarse from injury, yet tinged with a twisted delight. "That would be too merciful for you, Song Yuqing."

He lifted his foot and kicked the bottom of the iron cage lightly.

Song Yuqing gripped the chains wrapped around his hands.

Tilting his head back, his gaze coldly met Su Quan's.

"How deep do you think it is down there? I dug it just for you." Su Quan's eyes were icy. "The water is freezing—I hear it can freeze your bones solid."

Su Quan leaned in slightly, pressing close to the bars, staring into Song Yuqing's still-calm amber eyes, trying to find a trace of fear or panic, but there was not the slightest hint.

"You know," Su Quan's voice lowered, like a lover's whisper, yet filled with venom, "if I let you sink slowly, watching the icy water gradually rise over your ankles, knees, waist, and stomach, watching you shiver from the cold and struggle for air…"

"Then maybe you’ll finally understand just how much I hate you?"

Song Yuqing stood steadily in the swaying iron cage. He glanced down at the pitch-black, bottomless freezing pool beneath his feet.

The water’s surface reflected his pale, calm face and Su Quan’s distorted figure.

Then, he lifted his gaze to meet Su Quan’s nearly pathological gaze.

"Regret…" Song Yuqing spoke softly, "that I didn’t have Xiao Jinshi chop you up and feed you to the fish back then?"

Song Yuqing shifted his shackled hands slightly, the chains clinking softly. The wounds on his wrists began to bleed again, dripping onto the cold cage floor, blooming on the floating ice.

Su Quan let out a cold laugh.

How dare Song Yuqing mention Xiao Jinshi, how dare he bring up that adulterer.

"Why are you so cruel? Can’t you see how much I like you?"

"We’re clearly meant to be… why would you do this?"

Song Yuqing stared at Su Quan, his tone mocking. "Monitoring my every move? Toying with me, stealing what should be mine? Trying to imprison me? Is this what you call liking me?"

Su Quan met Song Yuqing’s icy eyes and instinctively looked away. "It’s for our future. If you hadn’t ruined my plans, I would’ve unified the Four Continents. Wouldn’t it be good to be my partner? If you just obey, I can lay everything I have at your feet."

Su Quan knew himself all too well—he couldn’t stand being ordered around by others. Being with him meant becoming his accessory.

He could offer everything he owned like treasures, but only if those treasures, that power, remained his.

But… Song Yuqing wanted power too.

They were destined to be incompatible.

Talking about passionate love and desire with an enemy sounded utterly ridiculous.

Su Quan was just that kind of laughable fool.

"I can give you anything you want," Su Quan said, his voice softening with almost coaxing tenderness.

Song Yuqing: "I want you to die."

Su Quan’s hand on the cage tightened abruptly, his knuckles turning white from the force, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

The twisted smile on his face vanished completely.

"Go die," the young man’s pale lips parted.

Each word was crystal clear, carrying the youth’s uniquely clear and cold tone, yet utterly devoid of emotion.

It wasn’t a curse—it was a statement of a matter of course.

In that moment, Su Quan truly wanted to strangle Song Yuqing. Song Yuqing could be tolerant toward anyone, could endure any offense from others, yet he simply couldn't tolerate Su Quan.

How could Song Yuqing be so cruelly selective?

He should make Song Yuqing see how worthless the person he chose was, so he’d realize how well Su Quan had treated him.

Su Quan lowered his voice, his lips pressing against Song Yuqing’s ear. "Do you really think the Alpha you chose can truly love you, will always be loyal to you? That he’ll never betray you?"

"Then I’ll let you see just how much sincerity he really has for you."

Su Quan slammed the iron cage down.

The loud clang of the cage echoed through the enclosed space, rippling the water and sending floating ice crashing.

A piercing cold crept up from his ankles.

Song Yuqing dug his nails into his palms. The biting cold swept through him, filling his heart with boundless desolation and cold.

Song Yuqing’s heart was beating fast; he could even hear its rhythm. Amidst these sounds, he heard Su Quan’s very faint voice.

"He might die for you, but would he become a worthless cripple for you?"

Song Yuqing looked toward Pei Huai, who was still staring intently in this direction.

The icy moisture clung to his long eyelashes, forming a layer of fine white frost.

Song Yuqing’s pale lips parted slightly, exhaling a faint white breath.

"You’re going too far. I was the one who kicked you down."

But Su Quan’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Are you scared?"

"Scared that Pei Huai will abandon you, leaving you alone in this endless cold?"

Song Yuqing’s mind flashed to a cold room, his mother’s frozen body, a frostbitten kitten apple, himself kneeling in the icy wilderness—no one around, only…

Endless cold.

"You’re afraid no one will want you."

Song Yuqing’s voice hesitated for a moment. "I…"

Someone did want him—his mother wanted him.

As for Pei Huai abandoning him for his own sake, it was only natural.

Song Yuqing’s fingers curled slightly, his long eyelashes lowering, hiding the flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.

Su Quan watched every expression on Song Yuqing’s face. This was indeed Song Yuqing’s weakness.

The weakness that made Qi Zhengqing travel thousands of miles just to be with Song Yuqing.

He didn’t fully understand what had happened in Song Yuqing’s past, but if it could make Song Yuqing afraid, he could use it.

"Su Quan, let him go," Pei Huai struggled to move, the iron hook seeming to tear through his shoulder blades.

The iron cage sank deeper, and the piercingly cold ice water instantly rose past Song Yuqing's calves. The frigid, stinging sensation caused his body to tremble violently and uncontrollably.

The biting cold enveloped Song Yuqing, leaving his beautiful face as pale and fragile as paper.

Su Quan turned around, smiling cruelly and maniacally, "Fine, I'll let him go. Now destroy your gland."

Pei Huai could, in some ways, be called a golden child.

Pei Huai’s pride did not stem from being Pei Wei’s son, but from his innate talent.

Since childhood, he had been an S+-level alpha. He had always believed himself superior to others.

That pride was etched into his very bones—the foundation supporting all his arrogance and even his reason for existence.

Born high in the clouds, looking down upon all living beings, he had never once considered the possibility of falling into the mud.

How could Pei Huai, because of Song Yuqing, become an alpha that anyone could trample on?

He was going to pit what mattered most to Song Yuqing against what mattered most to Pei Huai, forcing Song Yuqing to see the true nature of this so-called love.

Author's Note:

Song Qingqing: You vile dog.