Chapter 38: The Ruthless Villain

Xia Tong felt dizzy and thought she must have a fever. Confused, she poured herself a glass of wine. It was a light wine, not too strong, but the slight spiciness only served to heighten her senses.

After drinking several cups, Xia Tong realized she might be drunk. To avoid making a fool of herself, she steadied herself against the table and stood up unsteadily. “You… you take your time,” she managed to say.

With that, she covered her head and headed toward the bed. But before she could turn around, her foot caught on the edge of the table, and she stumbled sideways.

Gu Qin quickly raised his arm, effortlessly catching her in his embrace. She felt as soft as a rag doll, struggling slightly in his hold. Her delicate face was flushed, and her eyes shimmered with a dreamy glaze as she mumbled something unintelligible.

“Don’t… don’t kill me… mmm…”

He lifted her gently onto the soft couch, then sat down, his deep gaze fixed on her. Unconsciously, his hand brushed against her flushed cheek. After a moment, his large hand suddenly tightened around her delicate neck, a glimmer of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

“Mmm…” Xia Tong rolled over, still mumbling incoherently.

The flickering candlelight illuminated her exquisite features. Unlike her usual expressions of fear or flattery, her delicate face now held a calm demeanor. Her fine brows were slightly furrowed, indicating she wasn’t sleeping soundly.

Gu Qin’s expression grew complex as he realized her presence had created too many vulnerabilities in his plans. He couldn’t afford to keep her around any longer.

His fingers tightened slowly, a cold glint in his eyes. He had never taken matters into his own hands before, but this time wouldn’t be an exception.

The glimmering blue jade bracelet dangled loosely on her fair wrist, and Gu Qin’s gaze softened momentarily. He released his grip and stared at her intently, then sighed softly and gently pinched her soft cheek.

Forget it, if he couldn’t bring himself to do it, he would just have to keep her by his side forever.

*

The next day, when Xia Tong woke up, the sunlight was already bright outside, but her head was pounding. Thankfully, she hadn’t lost consciousness completely. As she sat up, the world spun around her.

“Master, why did you drink so much?” Qing’er entered with a basin of hot water and couldn’t help but ask. She was puzzled about what had happened last night that led to Xia Tong’s drunken state. Was the medicine ineffective?

Rubbing her forehead, Xia Tong shook her head. “I don’t know either, I just felt dizzy all night. Please make me some ginger soup to ward off the cold.”

She remembered drinking a lot and then… nothing more!

Sighing in relief, Xia Tong was grateful that the villain wasn’t interested in women. Otherwise, her innocence would have been at risk.

“By the way, early this morning, Xifeng came to find you, but I don’t know why,” Qing’er added, seeming to recall something.

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong quickly brushed off her dizziness, got ready, and dressed before heading out. In the small hall, she saw a man in green attire sitting with Fang Yu, both discussing something cheerfully. Hongxue stood by, her face serious as she interjected occasionally.

“Why are you here so early? Doesn’t your master have anything for you to do?” Xia Tong asked, still holding a steamed bun as she took a seat.

Seeing her come out, Xifeng immediately replied, “The prince sent me to take you to see Shen Xin.”

At this, Xia Tong’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected the villain to be so accommodating and understanding!

“But you need to be prepared, some things… are not for the faint of heart,” Hongxue smirked, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.

Xia Tong let out a cold snort, ignoring the woman. She took a few sips of porridge before following Xifeng out.

After searching the manor extensively, she hadn’t been able to find the dungeon until Xifeng led her to a bamboo forest in the backyard. There, Xia Tong was suddenly too frightened to move.

The villain had mentioned a snake den in the back bamboo forest, but when she passed by it, her legs went weak. A colorful mass of snakes slithered in the large den, flicking their tongues as if trying to escape through the netting covering the entrance.

“Master… Are you okay?”

Fang Yu quickly supported Xia Tong, who was pale. She covered Xia Tong’s eyes, saying, “Just don’t look.”

Seeing this, Hongxue couldn’t help but smirk. How could such a timid woman be worthy of the master?

Xia Tong ignored the comment and leaned on Qing’er, continuing to walk forward. After passing through the bamboo forest, her complexion improved significantly. Ahead, she spotted a tightly sealed house guarded by two sentinels—this must be the entrance to the dungeon.

So that’s why she couldn’t find the dungeon, it turned out to be hidden here. With so many snakes around, she realized she would never dare to approach this place again, let alone rescue the heroine!

“Lord Xifeng.” 

Seeing the person coming, the guard at the door immediately opened the iron door.

As the door swung open, a dark passage leading underground was revealed. A wave of damp, cold air rushed out, causing Xia Tong to shiver in fear. However, she steeled herself and followed Xifeng inside.

The stairs were long, and as they descended, candles began to flicker on both sides, releasing a strong stench of blood that filled the air. Soon, a large dungeon appeared before her.

Contrary to her expectations of a brutal scene, the floor was quite clean, but there were many guards standing around, all expressionless and indifferent, creating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

“The prisoner is in a very bad condition today. I’m afraid he won’t be able to hold on.” The leading guard immediately stepped forward and said to Xifeng, while taking another look at Xia Tong.

The dungeon had never seen outsiders, it was clear that this woman was the new princess. It was rumored that Xifeng had been punished by the master because of her, so why was she here?

“Don’t let her die, fetch some medicine to treat her,” Xifeng said coldly, turning to look at Xia Tong. “The person you seek is inside, follow me.”

Xia Tong supported Fang Yu, pretending to remain calm. At first, she didn’t feel it, but now she realized that the book’s depiction was spot on. The villain was indeed ruthless. Yet, why was he being so lenient with her?

As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, they passed numerous cells containing odd individuals, each bearing signs of distress. Some even looked severely disfigured, evoking fear in Xia Tong.

The further they walked, the emptier the cells became. Unable to contain her curiosity, Xia Tong suddenly asked Xifeng, “What did these people do?”

Though he didn’t want to frighten her, Xifeng replied coolly, “They offended the prince. It’s too easy for them to die, so they endure ten tortures each day. But there will still be a doctor to keep them alive.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Taking a deep breath, she chose not to respond and focused on maintaining her composure.

When they reached the end of the corridor, Xifeng abruptly stopped. Inside a clean cell lay a barely conscious figure, her clothes drenched in blood, rendering their original color unrecognizable. The vibrant face was marred with blood, her eyes shut tight, making it impossible to tell if she was alive or dead. Yet despite the injuries, her back remained straight, displaying a hint of determination.

“She…” Xia Tong gasped, unable to believe this was the heroine.

“This woman has repeatedly opposed our master. It’s quite lucky for her to still be alive,” Xifeng said coldly from the side.

Only the princess could survive while opposing the master.

Before Xia Tong could speak, the cell door swung open, and she supported Fang Yu as they stepped inside. As she approached, she noticed the numerous wounds on the woman’s body. A wave of fear washed over her—would she end up like this one day?

Perhaps hearing some noise, the woman on the floor stirred, her fingers twitching slightly. Her eyes opened, still bright, and upon seeing Xia Tong, her expression shifted. “Xia…Miss Xia…”

Xia Tong’s eyes turned red as she quickly looked back at Xifeng. “Can I give her some medicine?”

She absolutely could not let the heroine die!

Xifeng hesitated for a moment before breaking into a light chuckle. “This… you have to ask the prince. If the prince agrees, not only can you save her, but you could also let her go. However… the prince asked me to bring you here, hoping that you can understand one thing.”

“Behave yourself!” Hongxue on the side suddenly said in a cold voice.

Xifeng glanced at Hongxue unhappily. Although the meaning was similar, Hongxue was indeed going too far. The princess was pure-minded, otherwise the prince would not have trusted her so much. If Hongxue continued like this, she would be the only one to suffer in the end.

Xia Tong pursed her lips, feeling extremely uncomfortable looking at the dying woman, as if she were gazing at her own future self. Regardless, she knew she had to try.

“Sister Shen, hold on. I will do my best to save you.”

Xia Tong glanced at Fang Yu, who immediately crouched down to check the woman’s pulse. Xia Tong then walked straight out, and Hongxue followed, coldly saying, “Princess, you want to rescue the wanted criminal in the Regent’s residence. Do you know what you are doing?”

Once outside the dungeon, Xia Tong turned to look back at her, pulling her cloak closer. “Is it your place to meddle in what the master chooses to do?”

With that, she didn’t glance back at Hong Xue. The latter’s grip tightened, her gaze fixed intensely on the green figure ahead, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

Xia Tong was feeling quite anxious. She realized that saving someone would have to come after ensuring her own safety. In a moment of impulsiveness, she had spoken out, but now she could only test the waters with the villain.

The study was quiet. As she pushed the door open, she saw the man in a black robe sitting inside. For some reason, Xia Tong suddenly recalled the events of last night. Why had she drunk so much?

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she slowly closed the door and tiptoed closer, half-leaning on the desk to watch the man across from her.

Her gaze was hard to ignore. Gu Qin frowned as he read through a document, not bothering to look up. “I’m busy right now, we can play later.”

Xia Tong pouted, pulling at her loose hair while muttering under her breath, realizing that he had been toying with her all along.

“Um… Do you really have to kill Shen Xin?” she mustered the courage to ask.

The desk was cluttered with numerous documents and reports, far more than just a few days ago.

Without lifting his head, the man casually flipped through a document and replied, “Throw her into the snake pit tomorrow.”

Xia Tong felt her heart sink.

The man in front of her seemed to be dealing with some troubling matters, his brows tightly knitted, and his sharply defined features were almost chiseled. For a moment, she was entranced by his perfect appearance, but she couldn’t shake the chill that ran down her spine at his ruthless demeanor. She wanted to save the heroine, but it seemed her only hope was that the heroine’s luck would somehow save her.

“Could you delay it for a few days?” she found herself stammering.

At her words, the man suddenly looked up. The woman’s fair face across from him was flushed, and the beads of her hair swayed gently by her ears, her sparkling eyes reflecting his image.

“Are you trying to command me?” His gaze turned icy.

In an instant, Xia Tong felt her face go pale. “No… I didn’t mean it that way!”

She quickly performed a courtesy and was about to leave. After all, she had learned firsthand just how ruthless the villain could be.

Still reading the documents, the man remarked casually, “You think you can command me without any sincerity?”