Huang Qianqian's eyes were filled with fear as she looked at the person before her, pleading, "Feng Ran, please, spare me."
Since Aunt Sheng had spoken up for Feng Ran, and Bei Chenye had come for Feng Ran, she naturally would not let Huang Qianqian go.
Her only chance of survival now was to beg Feng Ran.
If Feng Ran spared her, her life would be saved.
"At this moment, you know to beg me. Back then, when you made a move against me, did you ever consider such an end?"
Huang Qianqian knew that Feng Ran had no intention of letting her go. If that was the case, why should she bow down and plead?
Since she was going to die anyway, it would be worth it to 'die a worthy death.'
However, Feng Ran hesitated not at all. Just as she raised her hairpin to strike, Bei Chenye, standing beside her, stopped her.
"Feng Ran, I asked you to come not to lay hands on Huang Qianqian."
Feng Ran glared at Bei Chenye in anger. With a wave of his hand, Bei Chenye caused the hairpin in her hand to fall to the ground.
Huang Qianqian, who had been full of terror, was overjoyed by this turn of events.
She had thought she was certainly going to die, but as fate took a turn, she had, by misfortune, escaped death.
She would remember this revenge clearly. Feng Ran, one day, I will make you taste the edge of death.
Feng Ran, today's humiliation, one day, I will repay it all to you.
Feng Ran, just you wait, one day, you will pay the price for what you have done today.
Bei Chenye let out a scoff and looked at Feng Ran, saying coldly, "Feng Ran, come with me."
"What if I refuse?"
"This matter is not up to you to decide."
"Lead the way."
In the end, she could not escape. In the end, she bowed her head.
Feng Ran followed Bei Chenye out of the back courtyard of Chunman Garden and got into the carriage. Looking at the route the carriage was taking, and ahead at the familiar path, she knew it was heading towards that 'demon's lair.'
At that moment, Feng Ran's whole body trembled, and she even felt suffocated.
Xuanyuan Manor.
Feng Ran stepped in, her state of mind entirely different from before.
How she used to love coming here, even wishing to be here for all eternity. But now, she only wanted to escape from here forever, thinking that everything here had nothing to do with her.
Feng Ran stood in place, hesitating for a moment.
Bei Chenye turned around, looked at the person standing there, and turned back, saying indifferently, "Please. His Highness has been waiting for a long time."
Feng Ran looked at everything around her; it was already a changed scene.
"I..." Feng Ran hesitated, wanting to ask if she should just walk in, or if there was anything she needed to pay attention to.
"Please," Bei Chenye said coldly.
Feng Ran hesitated, then finally stepped forward.
As she walked forward, step by step, she grew more and more afraid. A sense of suffocation also came over her.
Was she brought here to be humiliated?
Was it because she had made a move on Huang Qianqian, and he was angered?
Feng Ran's heart was filled with confusion, not knowing why Xuanyuan Heng wanted to see her.
Her hand fell to her face; it was already haggard, and her lips were dry and cracked.
She let out a bitter laugh, a self-deprecating smile.
Now that she could barely save her own life, wasn't it ridiculous to care about external matters?
She did not wish to be here, but she had no choice. She had no chance to refuse.
Was it difficult? But, had Xuanyuan Heng not made things difficult for her enough?
Kill her? Xuanyuan Heng had said he would spare her pathetic life. This time, bringing her here was probably not to kill her, but to humiliate her.
"Your Highness." Feng Ran bowed respectfully. She did not look up at her surroundings, yet she felt a cold and terrifying gaze fixed upon her.
Xuanyuan Heng spun the thumb ring on his hand, his bloodshot gaze falling upon her.
Suddenly, she wanted to flee.
Her whole body trembled, and she instinctively knelt down. Her head bowed lower and lower, she didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
"Heh." A mocking sound echoed, and the man's cold voice said, "Since when has the eldest daughter of the Feng family become so lowly?"
"Look up and face me," Xuanyuan Heng said coldly, spinning the thumb ring.
Seeing Feng Ran's humble, timid, and pleading demeanor, he wished he could destroy the person before him.
Where was the arrogant, defiant eldest daughter of the Feng family who would rather die than kneel?
Looking at the person before him, who seemed like a useless wretch, he wanted to destroy her on the spot.
"Feng Ran, if Bei Chenye hadn't stopped you, you would have become a murderer."
"Mm..." Feng Ran looked up, staring directly at him, and answered calmly.
It was as if she had already guessed why Xuanyuan Heng would ask such a question.
"Heh, don't you want to explain yourself at all? You admit the truth so readily. Feng Ran, are you truly not afraid of death?" Xuanyuan Heng questioned coldly.
In fact, when he invited her here, he should have known what her reaction would be. Yet now, asking these questions was redundant and rather amusing, wasn't it?
"I presume that before I appeared before Your Highness, you already knew the entire story. So why should I waste my breath explaining?"
"Death, I am certainly afraid of."
Feng Ran then said with a light laugh, "However, my life has always been beyond my control. So why bother thinking about it, why add to my own troubles?"
"Your Highness, am I right?" Feng Ran asked Xuanyuan Heng calmly, a smile on her face.
Heh.
Her courage was indeed growing. She was no longer as timid and submissive as before.
Xuanyuan Heng looked at the person before him with amusement. He picked up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone beside him, as if about to write something. His gaze, however, remained on Feng Ran, as if appraising her, as if waiting for her next words.
Kneeling on the ground, Feng Ran was somewhat bewildered by Xuanyuan Heng's direct gaze.
She couldn't even fathom what Xuanyuan Heng intended to do next.
After a long while, Feng Ran raised her head and spoke first, "Your Highness, if you have nothing important to say, then I..."
Just as she was about to voice her thoughts, Xuanyuan Heng spoke before her.
Xuanyuan Heng stopped the brush in his hand, washed it in the water beside him, wiped it dry, and hung it up. He then picked up another brush.
Feng Ran's gaze was drawn to it. That brush was something she had painstakingly collected and given to him.
Then, Xuanyuan Heng raised his hand and flicked it forcefully. The brush whizzed past Feng Ran's cheek, leaving a hole in the wall. The brush itself remained embedded in the wall.