Chapter One: Reunion
The night was shrouded in mystery; the feast in the courtyard had already dispersed, leaving many empty wine jars scattered across the ground.
Inside the house, the woman trembled all over, as if she had seen a ghost.
The candlelight flickered uncertainly, casting the man's figure into even sharper relief. He wore a mask—green-faced, tusked, terrifying.
He took a step forward, and the woman bound to the bed shrank back in equal measure.
It was only when the icy armor brushed against her skin that Lu Qingqing's fear reached its zenith; she knew Shen Jin hated her, hated her so much he wished to strip her skin and tear her apart.
“Drink! What’s wrong, is my victory wine so hard for you to swallow?”
Shen Jin thrust a cup of burning liquor before Lu Qingqing.
He gazed at her delicate face, unchanged from three years ago, but now she was no longer his betrothed, only the wife of Young Lord Xie.
“Must I feed you myself?”
Shen Jin showed no gentleness as he seized Lu Qingqing’s chin, forcing the strong liquor down her throat.
Watching her cough and choke in utter distress brought him a cruel satisfaction. Young Lord Xie himself had delivered her to Shen Jin’s bed, how considerate indeed.
“Drink!”
Shen Jin forced several more cups upon her. The initial terror vanished from Lu Qingqing's eyes, replaced by boundless humiliation.
Suddenly, the man pulled her roughly into his arms. Pressed against his cold armor, Lu Qingqing met the gaze hidden behind the mask.
The one she had yearned for day and night was right before her.
Her trembling hand lifted Shen Jin’s mask. In that instant, tears flooded her eyes. She was about to speak, but the man’s words of scorn echoed in her ear.
“Don’t know what comes next, Lady Xie?”
Shen Jin lifted her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him.
“You’re married, so why keep pretending to be some innocent flower?”
“Ah Jin...”
“Shut up. You’re not worthy to call my name!”
Hearing her soft, tearful voice made Shen Jin want nothing more than to destroy her.
“What, do you truly need me to instruct you?” Shen Jin grabbed her hand, pressing it against his icy armor. He made her unfasten and remove the heavy plates, revealing the undershirt soaked with sweat.
“Take it off!”
Lu Qingqing tore aside the garment, seeing Shen Jin’s body covered in wounds. She broke down in tears. Three years ago, everyone claimed Shen Jin was dead, her father destroyed the marriage contract with the Shen family, and forced her to wed Young Lord Xie.
Now, Shen Jin had crawled out from a pile of corpses, become a legend of Northern Qi.
He pushed her down onto the bed, leaning over her, his legs pinning her body. As they tangled together, Shen Jin seized Lu Qingqing’s ankle, dragging it toward himself. His eyes reddened, he whispered softly, “Qingqing.”
“You thought I was dead, so you rushed to marry another man, didn’t you?”
He pressed her down relentlessly.
“Answer me!”
“Ah Jin, I’m sorry.”
Lu Qingqing could only repeat her apologies, but Shen Jin was unmoved. Watching her tears fall, he could only feel they were false.
For three years, day after day, he had survived out of sheer will, crawling from the dead just to return and see his Qingqing again.
“Don’t cry. I’m not dead yet. Is this how Young Lord Xie taught you to serve a man?”
His words dripped with humiliation. Lu Qingqing’s chest ached unbearably, but the man ignored her pain and pressed harder. Suddenly, urgent knocking sounded at the door.
“Master, Miss Jiang is coughing blood again. She says she wishes to see you.”
The hand that had imprisoned Lu Qingqing released her at once. Shen Jin hurriedly dressed, never sparing her another glance.
After he left, only Lu Qingqing remained in the room. She hugged her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
She had never intended to betray him, always waiting for his return, but fate had played its tricks. Her mind was filled with memories of their youth—he had promised to marry her, but now she was another man's wife, and in his heart there was someone else he cared for.