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墨書 Inktalez
The girl singing on stage was said to be the most skilled performer at Qinhuai Tower. With her delicate fingers, she gently plucked the strings of the pipa in her lap, harmonizing with the crisp notes of the instrument. Her soft, lilting voice floated through the air: "I have a story to tell, let me sing it for you, my lords. Please, everyone, quiet your hearts and allow me to sing a piece of 'Qin Huai Jing.' Listen closely as I share this tale..."
This celebration was held specifically for Li Yunfu, and naturally, he was the center of attention. Even the Commander had invited his old acquaintance from Qinhuai Tower to add to the festivities, showcasing his regard for Li Yunfu. Many guests were aware of Li Yunfu's romantic escapades, so when the singer took the stage, they couldn't help but tease him, playfully pushing Yun Ya out of his embrace.
Yun Ya wisely retreated to a corner of the banquet. Beside a Western-style sofa stood a small table where she slowly sipped her juice while observing the lively atmosphere around her.
The mingling of guests and the fragrant scents of fine clothing filled the air—everything seemed perfectly normal.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance. Yun Ya looked up to see Li Yunfu's aide anxiously scanning the room. All those attending this banquet were prominent figures in Jinling; without an invitation, one could not enter at all. Wiping away some juice that had accidentally spilled, she composed herself and stood up.
"Is something important happening? You look so flustered; aren't you afraid of embarrassing Yunfu?" Yun Ya tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear while glancing toward Li Yunfu.
Seeing Yun Ya approach, the aide let out a sigh of relief but quickly grew tense again. Lowering his voice, he said, "Young Mistress, you need to tell the young master that something serious has happened."
Yun Ya's heart tightened at his words; she held her breath and asked, "What is it?" Realizing her tone was too urgent, she softened it and continued, "Just tell me what happened; I’ll relay the message."
"The students who were captured have escaped! Young Mistress, this matter must not be made public; you must quietly inform the young master." The aide emphasized again, "Make sure no one hears this."
Yun Ya didn't pay much attention to his warning. She thought that such a significant event would be impossible for Li Yunfu to keep under wraps for long; it would only delay the inevitable. However, if she spread this news immediately, perhaps Li Yunfu would be too preoccupied to notice her plight for a few days longer. She believed Feng Chen would come to rescue her.
Resolute now, Yun Ya replied, "I've noted it down. You go handle this matter; I will tell him right away."
After the aide nodded and left, Yun Ya stood there for a moment in a daze before turning back toward the banquet.
That day, Li Yunfu wore a striking silver-gray suit—likely the most eye-catching attire at the event—making him shine among the crowd. His every gesture exuded poise and grace, his smile warm and courteous. Since marrying him, Yun Ya had never scrutinized him as closely as she did at that moment.
Yun Ya stepped forward.
They didn’t know what was said, but suddenly they burst into laughter. When they saw Yun Ya approaching, they all fell silent, exchanging glances with Li Yunfu and the girl on stage who was still singing.
Yun Ya couldn’t even be bothered to look at the beauty on stage; she walked straight up to Li Yunfu.
Almost everyone expected a good show to unfold, for there was a fierce flame burning in Yun Ya's bright eyes. The banquet fell into a moment of silence. Yun Ya opened her mouth, but the words suddenly caught in her throat. For some reason, memories of their time together flashed through her mind.
Li Yunfu gazed at her quietly.
Yun Ya closed her eyes, steeling herself as she said, “Just now, the officer came to tell me that all the students you locked in the dungeon have escaped.” Her crisp words made the banquet even quieter.
Some even gasped in shock.
Li Yunfu gently rotated his wine glass, causing the red wine inside to sway slightly. He raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his lips. “Oh? Is that so…” His tone was nonchalant.
She nervously clutched the side of her qipao and met Li Yunfu's gaze. “Yes, the officer asked me to tell you this.”
What Yun Ya didn’t expect was that Li Yunfu didn’t seem anxious to deal with the escaped students. At the banquet, he politely handed his glass to a waiter and then seized Yun Ya’s wrist, leading her out of the hall.
On the way, Yun Ya stumbled as she was pulled along, ultimately being tossed into the carriage by Li Yunfu. Inside, he didn’t release her hand; he remained silent, his eyes fixed straight ahead. If it weren’t for the cold aura emanating from him that sent chills through Yun Ya, she might have mistakenly thought he wasn’t concerned about the incident at all.
By the time they returned to the Li residence, it was already past one in the morning. Yun Ya was thrown onto the bed. Ignoring the pain in her wrist, she crawled to the corner of the bed and warily asked Li Yunfu, “What do you want to do?”
Li Yunfu chuckled softly, "What do I want to do? Can't you guess?"
Yun Ya tightened her collar and glared at him. "Are you going to take your frustrations out on me because you didn't handle things well? Li Yunfu, don't be unreasonable!"
"Unreasonable?" Li Yunfu strode over to the bed, his large hand gliding along Yun Ya's cheek until it rested over her heart. He paused there, feeling the rapid beating of her heart and her warmth. He let out a bitter laugh, "Sometimes I wonder if your heart is made of stone."
His voice was so soft that Yun Ya, focused intently on his actions, didn't catch it. She had even reached for the fruit knife hidden under the pillow, thinking that if he really tried to force her, she would use it against him.
At that moment, a sharp phone ring suddenly broke the eerie silence.
Li Yunfu fixed his gaze on Yun Ya for a moment before withdrawing his hand and turning to answer the phone.
Yun Ya let out a breath of relief.
On the other end was Li Yunfu's superior. Commander seemed genuinely angry with Li Yunfu, his voice booming enough that Yun Ya could hear their conversation.
"What happened tonight? How do you plan to explain this to me?!"
Li Yunfu replied in a low voice, "There's nothing to explain; it was my failure."
"Failure? You’ve done more than that! You disobeyed orders! I told you to deal with those students, and instead, you hid them away. Li Yunfu, you really are bold!"
Li Yunfu fell silent.
Yun Ya felt as if her breath had stopped, staring at Li Yunfu with disbelief in her eyes. She opened her mouth, but for a long time, she didn't know what to say.
After Li Yunfu hung up the phone, he turned to see Yun Ya—caught in a state of wanting to speak yet unable to.
Yun Ya climbed down from the bed and tentatively reached for Li Yunfu's sleeve, murmuring, "I don't know... I don't know..."
What didn’t she know? That she had disobeyed orders from above and secretly hidden this group of students? Or that spreading this matter would put him in danger?
The girl before him, cautiously touching his sleeve, would never know how much hope he held when he revealed the existence of the dungeon to her.
She would never understand how deeply he loved her.
Perhaps he would never have the chance to tell her this. With that thought, Li Yunfu closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was a resolute determination in his gaze. He swiftly brushed aside Yun Ya's outstretched hand, and in a flash, he slapped her hard across the face.
This was the first time he had hit her.
Yun Ya felt stars exploding in front of her eyes; she didn’t even realize she had fallen to the ground from the force. As she lowered her hand from her face, the contrast of her pale fingers against her reddened skin stung Li Yunfu's eyes from a distance.
Yun Ya's thoughts were still in disarray when she heard the sound of his leather shoes fading away. Then came the sound of the door closing; Yun Ya knew that Li Yunfu had left.
The metallic taste of blood finally registered in her mind. Whether it was because the tension inside her suddenly snapped or because of the overwhelming scent of blood that stimulated her senses, suddenly, Yun Ya collapsed heavily back onto the ground and lost consciousness.
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