Chapter 32 Captured: “Had enough running?”

Chapter 32: Caught: "Had your fill of running?"

Tian Qin left the Yu residence and melted into the streets, trying her best to pass as an ordinary passerby. The bundle on her shoulder was a bit heavy, carrying everything she had left in this life.

With the late emperor's passing, the capital was in chaos, old and new powers butting heads and shifting, so getting out of the city wasn't that hard.

The place she had agreed upon with Xu Junzheng was by a small stream in the outskirts. The stream babbled softly, washing over pebbles of all sizes, never froze over even in winter—secluded but not lonely.

Beyond the square city gates, winter rain mixed with sleet tapped softly. In the distance, pale blue mountain peaks blurred into a curve, dead branches howled in the cold wind, and the sky felt heavy and bleak.

Tian Qin took a rare gulp of fresh air, like cracking open a stuck window to let some air in, but she couldn't fully scrub the mold from her heart. Still, she scraped together some strength to keep going.

The closer she got to the meeting spot, the more her nerves kicked in. Though she hadn't pinned high hopes on Xu Junzheng, she couldn't help wondering if he'd show up, since two people were safer than one.

"Xu Junzheng?"

She called out softly.

The wind hissed through the pines, and dark clouds hung low.

By the stream, a faint, ghostly figure in white stood there, robes flapping, like cold ash on china. In the pale winter light, he looked sharp and elegant, but grim. The wind rustled through the trees.

It was dead quiet.

Xie Tanwei turned around, his gaze fixed on her.

"Had your fill of running?"

Tian Qin's head spun, her blood turning to ice, plunging into the depths of despair. Her soul felt instantly seized.

He didn't even bother to sneer, just a mocking sigh. "Little sister's still so reckless, always giving yourself away."

All her hope was instantly buried in the mud, resigned to her fate. Her voice was so low she could barely hear it herself. "Why you? You knew. How did you know?"

"A cornered ant, grabbing at the thinnest thread of hope, will climb, regardless of whether a trap lies hidden."

He said, "But the faster it climbs, the quicker it dies. The light above isn't hope—it's the despair of dying."

Tian Qin's legs gave out, her head spinning like she'd been hit. Her strength hit its limit, and in her overwhelming grief, she swallowed hard. "How did you find me? What dirty trick did you pull?"

Exhausted and beaten down, she asked on instinct, though it didn't matter if he answered. The outcome was already sealed—there was no way she would escape today.

Xie Tanwei showed no joy or anger. "Little sister, don't always think your brother-in-law is so low. Xu Junzheng's letter came straight to me. I was the matchmaker, pulling the strings. Otherwise, how else would there be this sweet story of a scholar and a lady meeting by the stream?"

"Shouldn't little sister thank her brother-in-law?"

He was mocking himself hard, and the more sarcastic he got, the more disappointed he seemed, with a hint of loneliness.

The plan had gone from idea to bust in a flash. In truth, she'd been trapped in a dark room with no roof, fighting like a cornered animal, while he toyed with her from above.

"Where's Xu Junzheng?" Tian Qin asked, summoning the courage of someone with nothing left to lose. Since the terrible outcome was inevitable, she no longer feared it.

"Where's Xu Junzheng? If you're the matchmaker, I haven't even seen him. You're slacking."

Her eyes were clear as the stream, with a faint glint of starlight, with a hidden hatred ready to drag them both down.

"Don't give me that look."

Xie Tanwei turned his head away, his tone flat, like ripples on a frozen lake.

"Xu Junzheng's choice wasn't forced by me. When Lady Xu learned of your secret meeting, she was devastated and set fire to her own home, sending up thick smoke. He rushed back without hesitation to save his mother. It seems his mother will always rank higher than you in his heart."

Tian Qin didn't believe a single word he said, stubbornly pressing on. "How did Lady Xu find out so quickly about something so secret? And why would she set fire to her home? Brother-in-law is all-powerful—with a flick of your finger, you can change the entire course of events. Xu Junzheng and I are mere ants, no match for you."

He said seriously, "Whether she set it herself doesn't matter. What matters is that Lady Xu once bullied little sister, calling you a jinx. Such an arrogant old shrew—your brother-in-law was getting revenge for you. Burning her to death would have been a clean end."

He paused, lowering his head with a faint smile. "Of course, your lover is utterly filial. He went mad trying to save his mother from the flames, nearly costing him his own life. The family property burned down, and Lady Xu didn't die."

Tian Qin was incredulous, her understanding of his moral limits sinking even lower. A chill ran down her spine, and she felt an intense cold. Burning someone alive... A revered teacher admired by scholars everywhere, a saint with impeccable morals, casually setting fire to someone's home.

She had never been able to escape from the start. Everything had gone too smoothly because she had fallen into a trap tailor-made for her. The one in power was catching a turtle in a jar, savoring the pleasure of toying with her.

Tian Qin completely dropped all pretense. "You truly disgust me."

Xie Tanwei smiled indifferently. "I ruined little sister's marriage and won't marry you. I knew you'd be unwilling, so I played along with this game. Now it seems your brother-in-law has won."

The game was over, and punishment was next. According to the rules, the victor controlled everything.

Tian Qin stumbled backward, tears streaming down her face, but she still refused to accept her fate. "Brother-in-law, since you don't like me and won't marry me, why can't you just let me go? I swear I'll remember your kindness for the rest of my life. I'll disappear from your sight and never bother you again."

"Not marrying you doesn't mean I'll let you go."

Xie Tanwei emphasized coldly, sinking into a false intimacy, dark whirlpools churning in his eyes. "You are mine."

He grabbed her slender waist, forcing her to stand on tiptoe and face him, his lips hovering near hers with a lazy hint of desire. Her lovely face was so close, intoxicating him.

"The outside world is dangerous, little sister. You'd be devoured bones and all. This was a trap, but also a test. Your brother-in-law's little tricks are just the basics. You passed, proving you have the ability to survive out there. If you hadn't, you'd have walked right into it and died anyway."

"So, stay."

His melodious voice reasoned with her, like a gentle stream that was both soft and firm, seeping in everywhere, casting a perfectly calculated net to trap her tightly.

Tian Qin lost control of her emotions, instinctively shaking her head. Tears blurred her vision, and she choked out, "I won't stay. I won't go with you either. Let me go."

Her resistance was like a child's tantrum—weak sobbing, fierce eyes, chaotic and irrational, stubbornly reaching for a piece of candy, unable to budge reality an inch. The adult, rationally preventing her from ruining her teeth, naturally wouldn't give in.

Xie Tanwei glanced at this untamed creature, losing patience. His voice turned icy. "I'm not stopping you from marrying. If a truly good match appears, your brother-in-law will arrange it. But until then, little sister will keep me company."

She instinctively shook her head wildly, but before she could finish, his cold, elegant, powerful hand gripped her slender neck. The pressure was just enough to cut off her breath. "Or does little sister like being choked? Do you have to act on your own?"

Tian Qin was forced further onto her tiptoes, her cheeks flushing. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free from his iron grip. Her chest felt stuffed with cotton, more air leaving than entering.

He wasn't just scaring her. In this secluded place, he could take her life directly.

An untamed thing wasn't worth keeping.

In her past life, in the bedchamber, to train her into absolute submission, he often choked her neck, controlling the rhythm by tightening and loosening his grip, forcing her to react appropriately.

It had left a deep shadow on Tian Qin. After her rebirth, this scene often appeared in her nightmares.

Xie Tanwei moved with ease. The more she struggled to breathe, the more he pressed in her ear, asking repeatedly, "Do you like it? Say it, little sister, do you like being choked? Does it feel good? Your face is all red."

Tian Qin's throat barely managed a strange sound. Her vision darkened, and she shook her head with great difficulty under his grip, the movement barely perceptible. "Uh... brother-in-law..."

She felt she was dying. Really, soon.

When death approached again, she realized how precious life was. She was greedy for it, not as noble as she had imagined. The moment of death was too painful.

Xie Tanwei suddenly released her.

Tian Qin stumbled back, clutching her throat, coughing violently and retching, nearly losing her footing. On her slender neck, five vivid peach-red marks stood out, with a subtle allure, like a strange brand.

"Too bad you reacted like this, little sis. Guess your brother-in-law's technique needs work; I'll have to practice more."

He said sarcastically, wiping his hand, his tone light and slow, like a breeze, the cruelty from a moment ago was gone. "You calm now, little sis?"

Tian Qin coughed harshly, tears and snot streaming down her face. Her last bit of fight was gone, her heart dead, a deep, crushing fear sinking into her bones. She didn't dare say another word back.

"Brother-in-law..."

She couldn't hold back her sobs, crying like her guts were being ripped out, like a kid bawling after getting scolded.

Xie Tanwei watched her coldly. In a way, she'd asked for it—pain's the only thing that makes someone learn.

After a long moment, he pulled her shaky, unsteady body into his arms. Her tears ran through his fingers, wet and shiny. He watched her greedily for a bit; she was still fresh and cute, lovable, every bit of her hitting his sweet spot.

"Keep me company, little sis. Don't run, okay?"

He asked again, his voice light and distant.

Tian Qin noticed his index finger still resting on her neck—that beautiful hand, capable of ending her life at any moment. She rubbed against him, burying her face deeper into his clothes, nodding through her sobs.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared."

"Brother-in-law, I'm really scared..."

"I'm the one who treats you best in this world. Don't be scared."

His cool breath came in shallow waves by her ear, and her earlobe flushed a physiological, instinctive red. Now, holding her again, as he said, it was a brother-in-law holding his sister-in-law—not about love, just about fleeting pleasure.

Tian Qin's whole body was icy cold, thin and fragile.

The simmering conflict temporarily retreated into its shell, and the two leaned against each other by the lake, outwardly at peace.

His demand was clear: "Keep me company"—he offered her no title, only wanted her presence. As for the means, naturally, they could be as filthy and inhuman as he pleased.

"How long does brother-in-law want Tian'er to keep you company?" she sniffled, already without hope. "May Tian'er ask?"

"For a while."

"I said before that once you've kept me company for a time, when I tire of you, I'll let you go and give you a generous dowry."

Xie Tanwei showed no trace of emotion. "These days, you'll enjoy wealth and honor in the Xie residence, being a truly cherished child."

He kissed away her tears, a mix of cold indifference and loathing coexisting within him—both the tenderness of spring water melting ice and the ruthlessness of autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. "Otherwise, we'll have a proper reckoning over how you rejected your brother-in-law's plan to elope, yet ran off with someone else."