Chapter 17: He Would Surely Make Her Life Worse Than Death

“Young Master.” A call came from afar. A male servant of about fourteen came running over. When he saw that Yun Qian’ge’s wrist was still bleeding, his face went deathly pale, and he dropped to his knees, trembling as he begged for mercy. “It was my fault for failing to watch over Young Master. Please forgive me, Your Highness. Please forgive me!”

“Enough. Take me to where Shangguan Ning lives.”

Why had she not pushed him away? Why did she still want to go to his dwelling?

He remembered how, on the day of their wedding, when he had pretended to be insane, she had kicked him aside. She had looked at him as though he were a disgusting, filthy insect and had banished him to the most remote woodshed. Why, then, had she become so strange when they met again?

Shangguan Ning froze. Bewilderment and helplessness gradually spread through his dark, jewel-like eyes.

The stone house was dilapidated; even several tiles were missing from the roof, through whose cracks the sunlight faintly streamed. There was an old wardrobe, a chair missing one leg, and cockroaches and ants crawling everywhere.

Was this… a place fit for a human being?

“Shangguan Ning, you’ve been living here all this time?” she asked with a frown so deep it could have crushed several flies. Her predecessor had been utterly inhuman. This was practically denying him any chance to live. It was a wonder Shangguan Ning had survived until now.

“Ling’er won’t tell you.” The man struck her several more times with his fists, putting such force into the blows that Yun Qian’ge let out several muffled groans.

This was no mere madness or stupidity. His mind had regressed to that of a child. And why did she keep sensing something vengeful in him?

Perhaps Shangguan Ning’s resentment was simply too intense. Though he tried desperately to conceal it, Yun Qian’ge still caught the faint trace of hatred in the depths of his eyes.

Pretending to be insane?

Yun Qian’ge’s gaze darkened. Yet when she recalled all the wicked deeds of her predecessor, she gently stroked his silver hair and suddenly understood why he had become what he was.

When a funeral was turned into a wedding, when his father’s bones had not yet grown cold and he had become the enemy’s husband, what kind of shock and anguish could have caused a perfectly normal man’s black hair to turn completely white overnight?

Since this was a sin committed by her predecessor, and she had taken possession of another person’s body, then she would repay that debt of karma in her stead. At least that way, she could consider herself worthy of her.

“How about I become your elder sister from now on? You must be a good boy, Ling’er. And you’re not allowed to call Sister a bad person anymore.” Yun Qian’ge took his hand. “Come on. Sister will take you home.”

“Bad person, bad person! I don’t want you to be my sister!” Shangguan Ning bit down on her hand again, this time directly on the wound that was still bleeding. His eyes blazed with hatred and fury, erupting without restraint.

Who wanted her to be his sister?

That day, on the street, she had tried to force him back to the Princess’s residence. He had refused even at the cost of his life, so in a fit of rage, that woman had pinned him down in the middle of the street and attempted to violate him in public. His father had taken his own life on the spot to defend his son’s honor.

And the very next day, she had forbidden his father’s funeral and forced him into marriage by bringing a bridal procession and betrothal gifts to his door.

From that moment onward, it had been fated that they could be nothing but enemies!!!

There could never be any other relationship between them besides that of enemies!!!!

She gave a faint smile. Beneath the sunlight, her graceful, slender, clearly jointed hand reached toward him and closed around his.

“All right, all right. If you don’t want me to be your sister, then I won’t. Come on. This bad person will take you home.”

Her face might have been hateful, but her gaze was gentle—so gentle that Shangguan Ning’s brows drew tightly together.

He hated that woman’s smile. He hated her tenderness. Whatever her purpose in treating him kindly, he would never let her off. He would make certain that she lived a life worse than death.