"Don't you have hands of your own?" Yu Qingwu glared at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her mother had always said that tears solved nothing, only emboldened the enemy.

But at this moment, the intense humiliation was more than she could bear.

She bit her lip tightly, a touch of peach blossom pink appearing at the corners of her eyes, making her already stunning face even more alluring...

Their eyes met, and Xie Jin Yan felt a heat rise in his chest. His gaze was hazy and burning, but his words were deliberately harsh. He threw back the covers and sneered, "If Shijie refuses to obey, I wouldn't mind throwing you out in front of the Rongguo Duke's mansion tomorrow morning."

"You…" Yu Qingwu shivered and grabbed the covers, her reddened eyes shooting venomous daggers at Xie Jin Yan.

But in the end, she reluctantly sat up, grabbed Xie Jin Yan's outer robe, wrapped it around herself, and endured her anger as she got out of bed to dress him.

She knew her Shidi too well. He was a born villain, cruel to the bone. To get revenge, he was capable of anything, even forcing himself on her. What wouldn't he dare to do?

If he really stripped her naked and threw her in front of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, how could she ever face anyone again?

Stumbling to Xie Jin Yan, Yu Qingwu suppressed her anger and straightened his collar. Xie Jin Yan was tall, and although Yu Qingwu wasn't short, she was petite in comparison, forcing her to stand on tiptoe.

The soles of her feet were already chafed, and after this ordeal of serving the Crown Prince, her feet were numb with pain. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the bed.

"Shijie, come here. Write a letter to Shifu to let him know you're safe." However, no sooner had Yu Qingwu sat down than Xie Jin Yan spoke again.

He had somehow settled at the desk opposite the bed. He calmly spread out a sheet of xuan paper, and when he looked at the woman on the bed, his eyes were mischievous. Even his dark pupils revealed a hint of flirtation as they lightly scanned her legs, exposed beneath the dark purple outer robe. He then asked, "Can Shijie still walk? Or would you like me to carry you?"

"Xie Jin Yan, could you be any more depraved?" Yu Qingwu flushed with anger. How could she not hear the teasing in his voice?

Suppressing her anger, she endured the soreness in her body and walked to Xie Jin Yan's side.

Xie Jin Yan chuckled, shifting to make room for Yu Qingwu. He then moved behind her, placing his hands on the desk, trapping her in his arms in an extremely ambiguous posture. He handed her a brush dipped in ink and said softly, "Write."

His warm breath tickled her ear, and Yu Qingwu shuddered, instinctively trying to move away.

Seeing her pull away, Xie Jin Yan moved his large hands, which were supporting the table, an inch closer, making the space within his arms even narrower, so narrow that Yu Qingwu could even feel the firm lines of his chest.

Frowning slightly, she could finally take no more. "Xie Jin Yan, I can't write like this."

"Write like this. I'll watch you write," Xie Jin Yan interrupted, his cold voice commanding, brooking no refusal.

Yu Qingwu was intimidated by his imposing authority. She closed her eyes, tried to suppress her emotions, and slowly began to write.

She quickly filled an entire page. The letter didn't mention a word of Xie Jin Yan's cruelty towards her, but she complained about Shen Ke twice...

Staring intently at the delicate handwriting, the man's eyes suddenly darkened, and he suddenly reached out.

Clang! He grabbed the letter, throwing it, the brush, and the inkstone all together. The stone floor echoed with a harsh crash.

Yu Qingwu was stunned, and watching the letter she had written being soaked with ink, she was instantly furious. "Xie Jin Yan, what madness are you up to now?"

Xie Jin Yan didn't answer, only gave the ruined paper a cold look before scooping her up into his arms.

Xie Jin Yan's anger came inexplicably, but his torment was relentless. That night, Yu Qingwu felt as if she had fallen into an endless abyss, waiting for the end, but it never came.

When she woke up again, it was noon the next day.

By this time, Xie Jin Yan was gone, leaving only a set of rouge-colored Liuxian skirts and a letter on the stool by the bed.

"I've gone to court. I want to enjoy a dance tonight, Shijie. Practice well."

Xie Jin Yan, that bastard, really thought of her as a dancer?

Yu Qingwu's chest surged with anger. She kicked the stool and the Liuxian skirts aside, then quickly put on her own moon-white dress and walked out of the house.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, a nanny in palace attire greeted her. Seeing Yu Qingwu, she smiled kindly. "This old servant is here to serve the young lady, sent by His Highness. You can call me Xun Momo."

"What would the young lady like for lunch?" Xun Momo asked with a half-bow and a smile.

"No need, Momo. I'm leaving now. Please show me the way."

Yu Qingwu shook her head, displaying a friendly and approachable demeanor to outsiders.

However, before she could finish speaking, a gloomy male voice came from the corridor. "Show you the way? Did I allow you to leave?"

Xie Jin Yan wore a black python robe, his expression imposing. He glared fiercely at Xun Momo with his phoenix eyes. "Leave!"

Once Xun Momo left, Yu Qingwu was alone with Xie Jin Yan. After last night, she was now somewhat afraid of this beastly Shidi. A hint of fear flickered in her alluring peach blossom eyes, and Yu Qingwu instinctively retreated.

"Didn't I say I wanted to watch Shijie dance today?" Xie Jin Yan suddenly stepped forward, his large hand gripping her tightly. A wicked and cold smile hung on his deep features. "Does Shijie know the consequences of disobeying the Emperor's command? Shijie must have seen the corpses of those Shu spies, haven't you?"