Chapter 51 Bloodlust “Qu Lieshan, think I dare not kill you?…”

Chapter 51: Murderous Intent

"Qu Lieshan, do you think this Marquis dares not kill you?..."

Shen Jichen's eyes were frosted over, the candlelight reflecting only an icy chill within them.

"Where have you been?" His calm voice was utterly frigid.

Though Yue Rongrong was also seething, his piercing gaze made her heart tremble. To conceal her fear, she met his eyes defiantly: "I told you yesterday—I went to see Sister Peilan."

"Still lying!" Shen Jichen slammed the table in a burst of fury, leaping to his feet. A violent glint flashed in his eyes, barely suppressed. "I already sent men to find you! You and Ge Peilan parted ways after noon! Where were you all that time?!"

Yue Rongrong had mentally prepared herself for this, and now, paradoxically, she felt a surge of calm. Her gaze unwavering, she looked at him: "Doesn't the Marquis already know? Why bother asking?"

Shen Jichen's pupils abruptly constricted, his face turning dangerously cold. He clenched his fist, yet couldn't stop himself from seizing her arm, his eyes bloodshot as he glared: "Yue Rongrong! No matter how much I pour my heart out to you, you remain this heartless and ungrateful, don't you?!"

"Marquis! Have you forgotten why I entered this manor in the first place? You had Qu Lieshan beaten half to death! Do you still expect me to be sincere and devoted to you?" Yue Rongrong, having witnessed Qu Lieshan's agonizing suffering from illness today, was also driven to madness by anger!

From beginning to end, Qu Lieshan was innocent! He was implicated because of her—he bore the burden of a life lost because of her, sacrificed his freedom and a promising future because of her, and now, because of her, he was left with chronic illness. How could she live with herself and stay with Shen Jichen? How could she not hate him? She hated him to the core!

The icy hatred in her eyes was like venom-tipped arrows, piercing Shen Jichen until he felt riddled with wounds.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with anguish as he stared at her in disbelief, his voice dry and hoarse: "All this time, have you been feigning affection? Is that why you refused to appear in public with me, why you still won’t visit Ye Shuyi! You just don’t want to be too entangled with them, is that it?!"

Yue Rongrong turned her head away, pressing her lips tightly together without a reply. His heart felt hollowed out, suspended in mid-air, neither living nor dying.

After a moment of eerie silence, Shen Jichen roared furiously: "Answer me!"

Startled by his shout, Yue Rongrong decided to lay everything bare: "All that happened back then—whether you forged the marriage certificate or made me your concubine, whatever schemes your mother concocted—I don’t want to think about it anymore! But I know that without Qu Lieshan, I would have been a wandering ghost long ago! Today is his birthday—I went to see him! What’s wrong with that?!"

It was as if a wild beast had torn through Shen Jichen’s heart, leaving it mangled and bloody. He froze, then after a long moment, forced out through gritted teeth: "That pingan buckle—were you planning to give it to Qu Lieshan?"

Yue Rongrong was also stunned: "How could you know..."

"You don’t want to think about anything, you don’t care about anything—you only care about Qu Lieshan, don’t you?!" His gaze gradually hardened, turning cold.

Yue Rongrong spoke each word distinctly: "I only want him safe."

As she met Shen Jichen’s eyes, a growing, inexplicable dread filled her.

Shen Jichen felt as if he had been pricked by the sharpest needle in the world, a dense, pervasive pain spreading through his entire body. Killing intent blazed in his eyes: "What if I kill him?"

Yue Rongrong’s pupils dilated abruptly. She struggled to suppress her trembling but couldn’t control her agitation: "If you dare lay a hand on him! If you dare harm him! I’ll give my life in exchange for his!"

Shen Jichen’s blood rushed hot to his head: "You would die with him?!"

"Yes!"

"Fine! I’ll grant your wish!"

He shoved her away, ignoring her stumble into an armchair, and stormed out furiously.

Wen Song hurried after him, simultaneously dismissing everyone kneeling in the courtyard.

Huiyin and Guyu's bodies still trembled uncontrollably. They struggled to stand, their legs giving way, causing them to collapse back onto their knees. They were utterly terrified. Supporting each other, they finally rose and went to Yue Rongrong, only to find her face utterly pale, her eyes vacant, with two streams of tears running down her cheeks.

Guyu turned to fetch a cloth to wipe her face but spotted two drops of blood on the ground. She cried out in alarm: "Miss, are you injured?" She rushed to check Yue Rongrong’s body.

But when Yue Rongrong saw the two drops of blood on the ground, her heart leaped with fear.

The Marquis’s carriage sped out of the city. The soldiers at the gate moved to intercept and question it, but upon seeing the swaying Shen family jade plaque on the carriage, their expressions stiffened, and they immediately opened the gates.

Wen Song watched Shen Jichen’s chest wound gravely. Shen Jichen was wearing black brocade robes, so the blood wasn’t visible, but the fabric showed a dark, damp patch. Knowing Shen Jichen’s temperament, Wen Song understood that words were useless now—he could only keep a close watch on his condition.

The carriage stopped outside the prison at the mines. Shen Jichen alighted and, as he passed the bowing guards at the entrance, coldly drew one of their swords. The screech of cold iron scraping echoed eerily in the night.

Everyone who caught sight of the icy killing intent in Shen Jichen’s eyes couldn't help but shudder, not daring to look up.

The tip of the sword scraped against the floor, sending sparks flying. Wen Song was terrified. All the prisoners were startled awake by the commotion. Seeing Shen Jichen, cold and fierce as a god of death, stride steadily past their cells, even the once-ferocious desperadoes shrank back into the corners in fear.

Shen Jichen halted outside Qu Lieshan’s cell, turned, and looked in. Qu Lieshan, as if he had anticipated Shen Jichen’s arrival, sat cross-legged, calm and composed. He opened his eyes, meeting Shen Jichen’s sharp gaze with a piercing look of his own.

In that moment, both men wished they could grind the other to dust.

"Open it." The icy voice echoed through the corridor. The terrified jailer trembled, his hands shaking as he unlocked the door.

Shen Jichen stepped inside slowly and laid the cold blade against Qu Lieshan’s neck.

Qu Lieshan didn’t move a muscle, sitting as steady as a mountain. Suddenly, he laughed, a light and cheerful tone: "It seems Rong Rong has upset you today, Marquis."

Shen Jichen’s voice was as if soaked in ice water, calm yet piercingly cold: "Qu Lieshan, do you think this Marquis dares not kill you?"

Qu Lieshan’s expression remained unchanged. He rose leisurely. The pingan buckle hanging around his neck glinted faintly in the dim light, instantly stinging Shen Jichen’s eyes.

Qu Lieshan spread his hands, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes as if accepting a blessing. A strange smile touched his lips, utterly composed: "Then please, Marquis, grant me a swift end. Do it."

Wen Song was infuriated by his audacity: "You insolent wretch!"

Qu Lieshan laughed heartily, as if venting all the hatred in his heart: "Insolent? Shen Jichen, why don’t you take a look at yourself? You look like a thoroughly defeated stray dog! Hahaha."

Shen Jichen’s face turned livid, violent rage flashing in his eyes.

Qu Lieshan took a deep breath and shouted angrily: "Do it, Shen Jichen!"

Shen Jichen’s hand on the sword hilt trembled faintly, the veins on his hand bulging from the excessive force.

Qu Lieshan laughed even more wildly: "You don’t dare. Because you know—if you kill me, Rong Rong will never look at you again. So what if I’m locked up here? I can always stir Rong Rong’s emotions." His eyes blazed with the fury of having his beloved taken away, brimming with vigor. "Shen Jichen, whether you admit it or not, in Rong Rong’s heart now, the one she cares about most is me, not you."

Shen Jichen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His face remained cold and proud, but only he knew—he had already lost completely.

Seeing Shen Jichen humiliated, Wen Song was enraged. Suddenly, his palm gathering energy, he said sharply: "You’re seeking death!" With that strike, one blow would shatter Qu Lieshan’s skull!

"Stop!"

"Marquis!"

Qu Lieshan met Shen Jichen’s deep, gloomy gaze and laughed loudly: "Satisfying! Truly satisfying!" He was exuding confidence, having gained the upper hand.

All of this was all because of Yue Rongrong. Shen Jichen was left with absolutely nothing.

Suddenly, a cold glint flashed. The blade swept across Qu Lieshan’s chest, and the pingan buckle fell to the ground with a "ding." Shen Jichen flung the sword, its tip piercing through the pingan buckle, shattering the jade instantly.

Qu Lieshan’s eyes turned fierce, instantly dark and sinister: "Shen Jichen!"

Shen Jichen looked at him coldly, once again the overbearing and contemptuous Shen Jichen. "This Marquis won’t kill you. This Marquis will keep you imprisoned for life, forcing you to watch as Rong Rong and I grow old together, with children and grandchildren around us."

At that moment, Qu Lieshan finally lost all his arrogance, glaring at Shen Jichen, mad with jealousy: "Shen Jichen! You despicable villain!"

He watched as Shen Jichen turned and left, hearing his cold, cruel words: "Have this lock welded shut. This Marquis wants him never to leave this place."

Qu Lieshan went into a frenzy: "Shen Jichen! You may have Rong Rong's body, but you will never have her heart! She doesn't love you! As long as I am here, she will never love you!"

Wen Song glared at him fiercely, thinking that if Qu Lieshan ever fell into his hands one day, he would make him beg for death! He hurried after Shen Jichen but saw him halt abruptly upon exiting the prison cell. As he rushed forward, he witnessed Shen Jichen suddenly vomit a mouthful of blood.

"Marquis!" he cried out in panic, watching as Shen Jichen, once towering like a mighty mountain, collapsed limply. He quickly supported him and roared, "Someone, come quickly!"

Shen Jichen was carried back to the Marquis residence, followed closely by several chief physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute. The vast estate was ablaze with light.

Yue Rongrong remained seated in her chair, hugging her knees, until the commotion in the courtyard jolted her back to reality. She hurried down but tripped and fell to the ground.

"Is the Marquis back?" she asked anxiously.

Hui Yin rushed over to help her up. "Miss, are you hurt?"

Yue Rongrong ignored her scraped knee and asked again, "Is the Marquis back?"

Hui Yin hesitated. "Yes, the Marquis, he..."

Seeing her expression, Yue Rongrong’s heart lurched. She rushed out of the room and saw the physicians hurriedly entering Shen Jichen’s room. She stood frozen, spotting Wen Song as he emerged. She impulsively called out, "Wen Song."

Hearing her, Wen Song came over at once.

Yue Rongrong wanted to ask if Shen Jichen was injured, but under Wen Song’s intense gaze, she stubbornly said, "Is Qu Lieshan all right?"

Expecting her to be concerned about the Marquis, Wen Song was infuriated that she only asked about Qu Lieshan. For the first time, he snapped at Yue Rongrong: "Miss Rong Rong, you can't tell me you haven’t noticed even a shred of the Marquis’s feelings for you. How can you be so heartless? Do you have any idea what the Marquis endured tonight? What he did for you? Or what Qu Lieshan said to him?!"

If not for fear of upsetting Yue Rongrong, why would the Marquis have resisted the effects of the hehuan incense so desperately?

He pleaded, "I beg you! Show some mercy! Just spare a little of the concern you have for Qu Lieshan for the Marquis, won’t you?"

Yue Rongrong hung her head, speaking as if to Wen Song or herself: "He is high-born and treasured, cherished by everyone, surrounded by so many physicians. While Qu Lieshan is alone in his cell..."

"But you know full well the Marquis only cares about you!" Wen Song interrupted angrily. Seeing her silence, he finally said in disappointment. "Rest assured, Qu Lieshan wasn’t harmed in the slightest! He was strutting and boastful!"

Yue Rongrong frowned. "How is that possible? Qu Lieshan’s head ailment..."

Wen Song said coldly, "I have no reason to lie to you. If you have no further instructions, I must see to the Marquis."

Yue Rongrong’s heart quivered. She instinctively stopped Wen Song and asked, "What did they say?"

Wen Song gave a bitter laugh. "What does it matter what they said? Would you believe me if I told you Qu Lieshan deliberately used you to provoke the Marquis? Would you believe me if I said he showed no signs of any aftereffects? Would you believe me if I said he is not a good man?"

Yue Rongrong frowned. Wen Song laughed again, a sense of bleakness rising in his heart. He said nothing more and turned to enter the room.

Hui Yin stayed by her side, watching as Yue Rongrong’s face grew paler, the light in her eyes dimming bit by bit. She seemed dazed, as if in a trance. Unable to bear it, Hui Yin said softly, "Miss, let me take you back to rest. The physicians are here; the Marquis will be fine."

Yue Rongrong said nothing. Leaning against a corridor pillar, she sat on the railing and stared at her feet, silent. Her mind was in turmoil, a tangled mess she couldn’t sort out. Her heart pounded, refusing to calm.

After what seemed like an age, she thought she heard Director Gao’s voice and jolted upright, only then realizing her neck ached.

She stood there dazed, gazing helplessly at Director Gao.

Meeting her trembling gaze, Director Gao dismissed the other physicians and walked toward Yue Rongrong. The physicians all glanced at her in surprise—since when did the Marquis’s residence have a lady who seemed like a mistress? Director Gao appeared to treat her with great respect.

Yue Rongrong tried to speak, but a sob caught in her throat, and no words came out.

"Don’t worry, Miss. The Marquis has a strong constitution. Although the external wound is deep, it is not fatal. As for internal injuries, it’s best not to let him get angry for a while," Director Gao kindly answered the question in her eyes.

Yue Rongrong shuddered, her eyes filled with anxiety. "External wound? What external wound?" Was it from fighting Qu Lieshan? She didn’t dare imagine, but then she recalled the few drops of blood in the room earlier and grew even more terrified.

Director Gao looked at her in surprise. "You didn’t know? Tonight, someone plotted against the Marquis and administered a potent dose of hehuan incense. To maintain his clarity, the Marquis harmed himself to resist the toxin." He suspected the Marquis had done this largely for the young lady before him; otherwise, he couldn’t understand why a man of such high status would go to such extremes to resist the effects, especially when succumbing would have cost him nothing.

"Grand Empress Dowager originally wanted the Marquis to recuperate in the palace, but he insisted on returning home, fearing you would worry." He frowned slightly in confusion. "Strange, his injuries weren’t this severe when we brought him back."

So that was it. No wonder he had looked pale, no wonder there had been blood on the floor. And she, knowing nothing, had sided with Qu Lieshan and provoked him. Overwhelmed by regret and sorrow, Yue Rongrong rushed into the room. Whether out of fear of disturbing him or timidity, she slowed her steps as she entered the inner chamber. The sight of the maids cleaning up and the bloodstained bandages stabbed at her eyes. Tears welled up as she looked toward the bed.

Shen Jichen lay there, his face calm but devoid of color, still exuding an air of noble aloofness and inviolability.

She gripped the edge of the screen, her knuckles turning white.

Shen Jichen seemed to sense her presence, frowning slightly as he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing her, his gaze flickered before settling into stillness, like an ancient well without ripples. Yue Rongrong couldn’t hold back her tears. He frowned and turned away.

"Wen Song," his low voice held a hint of hoarseness, "see her out."

Yue Rongrong’s steps toward him halted abruptly. Pressing her lips together, she remembered Director Gao’s words and didn’t willfully advance further. She turned and left.

Wen Song was stunned.

Hearing her retreating footsteps, Shen Jichen, with his back turned, frowned even more deeply, his lips pressed into a stern line as he clutched his chest tightly.

Yue Rongrong could do nothing but go to the small kitchen to prepare his medicine herself. She forbade the maids from telling Shen Jichen she had brewed it, afraid he would refuse to drink it and grow even angrier.

That night, Yue Rongrong slept poorly. The slightest noise in the courtyard would startle her awake. She soon learned that the Grand Princess had arrived.

She hurriedly hid. The Grand Princess hated her, and she had no desire to see her either. But even so, the Grand Princess sought her out.

"Yue Rongrong, I underestimated you."

A sharp, cold voice came from behind. Yue Rongrong stiffened, turning to see the Grand Princess standing there, her eyes icy as they bore into her.

Yue Rongrong met her gaze directly, offering no courtesy.

The Grand Princess sneered. "Still as arrogant as ever. Back when I heard Piao Yao intended to make you his concubine, I must admit, your actions truly shocked me. That you would leave without looking back also took me by surprise. Had you not been standing here today, I would have admired you, thought you a woman of principle. Now it seems it was all just a ploy—a game of playing hard to get, to manipulate Piao Yao!"

Yue Rongrong didn’t care what the Grand Princess thought of her. She asked, "So, what does the Grand Princess intend to do with me now?"

The Grand Princess was slightly taken aback by her directness. She didn’t mince words: "I hear Qu Lieshan is still imprisoned."

Yue Rongrong said angrily, "Don’t you dare touch him!"

Her attitude greatly displeased the Grand Princess! This was the woman her son cherished above all others—yet her heart belonged to another man! How absurd that her son had nearly died for her! The thought sent a chill through her, and she forced herself to calm down.

"I won’t harm him. In fact, I will help you both." The Grand Princess said coldly, "I will release him and let you two leave far away."

This had been part of Yue Rongrong’s plan. She had considered asking the Grand Princess to help free Qu Lieshan in exchange for leaving Shen Jichen—one of the reasons she had entered the residence in the first place. By staying close, she could make the Grand Princess see her as a threat. She had guessed the Grand Princess might help, but when the offer was made outright, her heart suddenly ached.

Noting her hesitation, the Grand Princess frowned. "What? Don’t tell me you’re reluctant to give up this life of luxury?"

Yue Rongrong hardened her heart. "The Grand Princess worries too much. I only ask for one month—to wait until the Marquis has recovered somewhat before I leave."

The Grand Princess studied her for a long moment. Director Gao had indeed told her that Piao Yao couldn’t handle any stimulation now. For her son’s sake, she had to agree. She nodded silently. "I hope you keep your word. One month from now, I will have Qu Lieshan released and prepare carriage and funds for you..."

Yue Rongrong said coolly, "There’s no need for the rest."

The Grand Princess laughed lightly. "Very well. During this month, if Piao Yao wishes to take you to see Grand Empress Dowager..."

"Rest assured, I will not involve anyone else," Yue Rongrong said firmly.

The Grand Princess smiled with satisfaction.

Yue Rongrong lowered her head, taking a few deep breaths to dispel the heaviness in her heart. Some things were better not dwelled on. She had thought the Grand Princess’s involvement would make this plan foolproof, but she never imagined others would become entangled in it as well.