Chapter 3

“A-Yue was honorable, pure-hearted. She could never be someone like this woman!”

The carriage raced away again.

I didn’t struggle. I let the guards hold me down.

The brother who had once loved me beyond anything had died ten years ago, the moment he released my hand and chose to protect Shen Zhiwan.

I closed my eyes.

“I’ll accept my punishment.”

Before long, they threw me roughly into an inn.

Zhiwan clung to Linyuan.

“Our baby… Are we going to lose our baby?”

His eyes were bloodshot as he rounded on the physician.

“If you fail to save my wife’s child, I’ll skin you alive!”

The physician knelt, knocking his forehead against the floor again and again.

“Spare me, General! Her shock has gravely disturbed the pregnancy. She is showing signs of miscarriage. But I know a folk remedy that might save the child!”

The room was unbearably tense.

I couldn’t see, but my hearing was unusually keen.

There was a faint rustle of clothing.

Zhiwan’s personal maid seemed to have moved half a step closer to the physician.

Then I heard something being slipped into his sleeve.

The frantic physician suddenly paused. His tone changed.

“The remedy is called a life for a life.”

“We need blood from the heart of the person whose blow endangered the pregnancy. Drawing it is extremely dangerous. The donor’s chest must be cut open while she is alive and fully conscious.”

“The slightest mistake could drain her strength and blood, killing her on the spot.”

The room fell silent. All I could hear was Linyuan’s suddenly labored breathing.

Zhiwan protested.

“No! Absolutely not! It’s too cruel! She’s a person, too. I would rather suffer, rather never conceive again, than harm someone for our child!”

Linyuan hesitated no longer.

“A malicious blind wretch like her has only a worthless life. To have her heart’s blood used to save our child is a blessing she could not have earned in eight lifetimes.”

I clenched my fists and raised my face toward his voice.

“Lord Xie, will you treat a human life as worthless to save her?”

He gave a contemptuous laugh.

“Did you consider someone might die when you pushed Wan’er? She’s kind enough to plead for you, and you dare question me? You owe her this!”

“Do it!”

His decision was immediate.

Just as it had been ten years ago, when he pushed Zhiwan into the passage and forced me to face the rebels outside.

I laughed bitterly.

“Xie Linyuan, you’ll regret this.”

His contempt deepened.

“I already do! I regret being kind enough to speak to you because you resembled my sister!”

Before I could say more, the guards obeyed, pinning me down.

Fabric tore.

They ripped open most of my clothes.

The physician approached with a knife.

“Forgive me.”

He drove it into my chest.

I bit my lower lip and made no sound.

“The blood is flowing too slowly!” he shouted impatiently. “It isn’t enough! Another inch deeper!”

The blood flowed faster.

Warmth rapidly left my body. My limbs grew so numb that I could no longer feel the pain.

Zhiwan sniffled.

“Stop, Linyuan. She looks so much like A-Yue. If she dies here, your sister will blame us from heaven.”

He took her hand and gently comforted her.

“A-Yue was the kindest of all. If she were alive, she would never let you suffer such injustice. This woman dared hurt you. Of course she must pay with her life.”

I laughed aloud.

The knife was wrenched from my chest.

The physician hurried to the rear courtyard to prepare the medicine, carrying a bowl of fresh blood that still steamed.

The guards released me.

I lay in a pool of blood, unable even to lift a finger.

The sounds around me receded.

Was I dying?

Good.

For ten years, blind and disfigured, I had endured endless insults, contempt, and abuse.

Every day had been worse than death.

Today, it could finally end.

With the last of my strength, I slowly turned my head toward Linyuan’s voice.

I wanted to look at him once.

But there was only darkness.

I stopped pretending. Every word felt drawn from my blood.

“Brother, you’ve abandoned me again.”

A crash.

The bronze basin in his hands fell to the floor, splashing blood.

Linyuan spun toward me.