943 Perplexed and Smitten 3

She no longer had a say in anything.

Shi Xiaoyu attempted to grab Shi Qingzhou's hair as hard as she could, like she did in the past. She wished she could rip her scalp off, skin her alive, and butcher her. However, her efforts were futile, for she was held back by the chains that she was shackled to. She could not harm an inch of Shi Qingzhou at all.

"Ahhhh! I must kill you, I'm going to kill you!"

Remaining unfazed, Shi Qingzhou smiled and said, "Come here, come and kill me. I'm standing right in front of you."

Glowering at her with rage surging through her veins, Shi Xiaoyu exclaimed in pique, "Don't you get too arrogant. If you've got the guts, kill me right now!"

Shi Qingzhou chuckled and sneered, "Why are you in such a hurry to die? Hasn't death always been your greatest fear? Be obedient and stay here. I'll come and visit you often."

"Shi Qingzhou!!!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to say to Shi Xiaoyu while smiling, "Xiaoyu, this is only the beginning."

By the time Shi Qingzhou and Tuoba Shuo vanished out of sight, Shi Xiaoyu felt as if she had lost all hope in life. She collapsed onto the ground while the chains made a loud, piercing sound with her vigorous movement, which rang in her ears continuously.

Shi Xiaoyu wished that this was all a dream and that once she wakes up, Shi Qingzhou would be the one in her position instead. She would then kill Shi Qingzhou without hesitation and rip her into shreds!

Yet, this was reality.

She had lost her marriage, her freedom, and was now on the verge of losing her life too.

The thought of her current predicament sent tears flowing out of her eyes.

—

When Gu Beicheng arrived back at the Gu family mansion, he caught sight of Lin Mingxi leaning against the living room door from afar. He walked toward her with an umbrella in hand and folded it when he reached the door. "Why are you standing here?" he asked out of concern.

"I was waiting for you."

"Let's go in," he said, putting an arm around her shoulder and walking toward the couch, where they then took a seat.

"Beicheng, look at this," said Lin Mingxi, handing him a laptop that displayed the content of a certain discussion forum.

He took it from her and scrutinized each and every line of the note. He then looked at her and said, "This note is claiming to be an exposé of Xiaoning and Jin Qingyan colluding to encroach on the Autumn Palace. However, in reality, it's merely trying to bring this issue to the netizens' attention and get them to start discussing it. From what I know, Jin Qingyan was not involved in this at all. He has nothing to do with it."

"I'm clear about the way Xiaoning usually handles matters, and I also know that she definitely has her ways to deal with those who make life difficult for her. However, if the rest of the content except the bit about Jin Qingyan is true, it really is rather terrifying."

Knowing what she was thinking, Gu Beicheng said, "Are you starting to find her intimidating?"

"Yes…"

He chuckled and said, "Seems like you don't know her that well yet and you only understand her from what you see on the surface. For me, I won't be surprised by whatever she does, because I know that her life would be in danger if she doesn't do some things her way."

Lin Mingxi said truthfully, "I'm really thankful for the help she has given us and for her bravery in protecting us whenever we face ordeals. I'm not exactly afraid of her, but rather, I revere and am in awe of her. Actually, I like that I'm standing on her side and not against her."

"Xiaoning is a very remarkable woman. She's remarkable because she's loyal when it comes to relationships. She's remarkable because she always has ideas of her own and is a decisive person. She's never intimidated by whatever comes her way and would never succumb to fate. Yet, she's also kind-hearted at the same time," Gu Beicheng remarked.

Lin Mingxi smiled and asked, "You said that she's loyal in love, isn't it the same for you too?"

Gu Beicheng kept quiet and did not answer her.

Lin Mingxi held his hand and said, "I know that you treat me really well and that you already treat me like your family. I also believe that you'll dote on our child when he's born. But, Beicheng, I still am looking forward to the day that you'll give me a bit of the love you have toward her. I'm not asking for much, just a little bit will do. I understand that there are many marriages that weren't forged on the basis of true love. I thought that I had already accepted my fate, but it turns out, I still mind the fact that you don't love me."

The atmosphere would inevitably become tense and somber whenever their conversations got around that topic.

"Mingxi, I already treat Xiaoning only as my kin."

She asked slowly, "Do you still love her, then? I've always been curious about what made you love her for so many years. Despite knowing that it's impossible between you two, you still never fail to make her your first priority. Could you answer me?"

"What's the matter with you today?" he asked.

"I'm starting to find it hard to keep it in. This issue has been a constant thorn in my flesh. Although she's my benefactor and we get along really well, I can't help but feel uncomfortable and upset whenever I get reminded that she's the woman whom my husband loves. I don't detest her at all, but I'm still a woman at the end of the day."

She had been rehearsing those words in her head repeatedly in the last few days. She felt much more relieved after finally airing all the thoughts she had been bottling up.

"You're the one living together with me and the one who's married to me. She's just like the moonlight, beautiful yet so unapproachable. Mingxi, do you understand what I mean? Both of you are very important to me. From the very moment I went on a blind date with you and agreed to marry you, I knew that I would never be able to win her heart for the rest of my life. Hence, I decided to give up. As for whether I love her or not…"

Unsure of how he should explain this matter, he continued, "Whether or not I love her has nothing to do with whether or not I love you. Love has always been something that you can yearn for but should never expect to have. A stable relationship is much more reliable."

"I understand," said Lin Mingxi, who understood that there was no point in probing further since he had already made things so clear.

Gu Beicheng pulled her into his embrace and said, "I'll treat you well and be responsible for you for the rest of my life. If you'd like to pursue your ideal relationship, I won't stop you and I'll be willing to let you go, as long as you've considered it carefully."

Lin Mingxi's eyes twitched and she chided, "What nonsense are you spouting? We already have a child together. I want to cling onto you for the rest of my life. I want to stay with you even if you don't love me."

He pampered her so much, to the extent that she felt like she could spend a lifetime with him even if he didn't love her.

"Will you still bring this up again in the future?"

Lin Mingxi answered with a smirk, "That'll depend on my mood. I'm really so envious and jealous of Xiaoning. I must take it out on her and beat her up into a pulp the next time I see her."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard the sounds of high heels knocking against the floor. They turned around and met An Xiaoning's eyes. "I heard that you wanted to take it out on me by beating me up. How did I provoke you again, Mrs. Gu?" she asked teasingly with a smile.

Gu Beicheng laughed and said, "She was being jealous of you again."

An Xiaoning stepped forward and sat down beside Lin Mingxi. Giving her cheeks a little pinch, she said, "Why are you so much like Jin Qingyan? You guys get jealous over every slightest thing. I'm really only an innocent party."