Chapter 46: Ungrateful Wretch

Xiao Zilin clutched his hands and rolled around on the ground, giant beads of sweat pouring from his forehead. His face was as pale as paper, and his pig-like shrieks echoed through the grand hall.

Seeing this, Hua Liyin screamed in terror, nearly collapsing to the floor.

"Xiao Ziyu, have you lost your mind? How dare you inflict such ruthlessness on your own brother!"

Hua Liyin’s voice trembled with rage and fear as she pointed a shaking finger at Xiao Ziyu.

Xiao Ziyu acted as though he hadn't heard. He looked down from on high at Xiao Zilin, who was struggling in agony on the floor, his eyes as cold as ice, devoid of the slightest warmth.

Parting his thin lips, he spoke in a voice dripping with utter disdain: "It is merely a minor punishment, to let you know that there are some things you cannot act so wildly presumptuous about."

Xiao Zilin lay on the ground, glaring at him with resentment in his eyes.

He had to remember that he was a warrior by training, having led troops into battle for so many years, yet just now, Xiao Ziyu had actually...

At this thought, he drew a sharp breath, his resentful gaze giving way to a trace of terror.

"My son, how are you?" Hua Liyin cried out, scrambling on all fours to run forward, her trembling hands hastily helping Xiao Zilin up.

Hugging Xiao Zilin, she looked up to glare at Xiao Ziyu, screeching, "You will pay the price for this! The master will not let you off!"

Xiao Ziyu let out a cold laugh that reverberated through the hall.

The corners of his lips curved upward as he slowly paced toward the two of them.

Xiao Zilin inched backward, shielding Hua Liyin behind him. "What do you want?"

Xiao Ziyu slowly crouched down, resting his hands casually on his knees, a chilling light flashing from his eyes like blades as he swept his gaze over them.

"Mother, what has your son not experienced since childhood? Do you think I would be afraid?"

With that, he narrowed his eyes slightly. A deep, chilling voice escaped his thin lips, his playful tone both seductive and piercingly sharp, while his elongated eyes were filled with gloom.

"You, you..." Hua Liyin trembled, unable to squeeze out a single syllable for the longest time.

"If Mother and Brother have no other business, I shall take my leave. My wife is still waiting for me."

The chill in Xiao Ziyu's eyes vanished in a flash as he stood up and strode outward.

When he reached the doorway, his footsteps suddenly paused. He turned his body slightly, half of his figure sinking into the shadows, leaving only a stern, sharp profile.

"Right, since the family has already split, Ziyu still hopes Mother will rarely visit my wife. Otherwise... Big Brother's legs might not recover next time."

He slightly raised his chin, his cold gaze sweeping over Hua Liyin and Xiao Zilin, before striding away amidst their terrified and furious stares.

"Mother, is he really still that Xiao Ziyu? Why does it feel like a completely different person has taken his place?"

The last time Xiao Zilin had felt such terror was when he encountered that man in black.

Yet this time, Xiao Ziyu's sudden and drastic transformation frightened him even more.

Hua Liyin shook her head, as if she had just seen a demon crawling up from the depths of hell.

Once Xiao Ziyu's figure completely vanished, the hall fell into a dead silence, broken only by Xiao Zilin's heavy breathing and Hua Liyin's occasional sobs.

"Mother, we cannot just let this go!" Xiao Zilin gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, while his uninjured hand clenched into a tight fist until the knuckles turned white.

"He is nothing more than a dog raised by the Xiao family, yet now he dares to be this arrogant. If we don't teach him a lesson, how can we maintain our footing in this estate from now on?"

Hua Liyin raised her head, her face stained with tears, though a vicious glint flashed in her eyes. "That's right, we cannot let him off so easily. But since his martial arts skills are so formidable now, we must plan this carefully."

Over on Chen Xingmiao's side, she and Chuntao had just finished tidying up the room when she saw Xiao Ziyu standing at the doorway with a faint smile hanging on the corners of his lips.

The moment she caught sight of him, Chen Xingmiao's heart gave a violent jolt. Without a second word, she hurried forward.

She tightly grasped Xiao Ziyu's arms, her gaze filled with eager concern. Starting from his shoulders, she meticulously inspected him all the way down, missing not a single spot, before finally locking her gaze onto his face and staring intently.

"Husband, you..." She hesitated, her words trailing off in confusion.

Strange, how could the little villain return completely unscathed just like that?

"They shouldn't come to trouble us again anytime soon." A smile blossomed across the corners of his eyes and brows.

Chen Xingmiao paused for a moment before asking, "Did they not give you a hard time?"

Xiao Ziyu merely gave a slight shake of his head, his thin lips pressed tightly together in silence. His lowered eyelashes cast faint shadows upon his eyelids, making his emotions impossible to guess.

Seeing this, Chen Xingmiao did not press further, only letting out a soft sigh with a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

As soon as he entered the room, he sat down to the side and picked up a book. The dim candlelight fell upon his face, carving out his sharp contours even more deeply.

Chen Xingmiao sat beside him, watching him in a daze.

Han Yao was truly something else, writing the villain to be this devastatingly handsome—isn't this just psychological warfare? Sitting across from this face every day, who knew when she might just...

Just as Chen Xingmiao was lost in her own thoughts, Xiao Ziyu seemed to sense her gaze and suddenly raised his head.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Chen Xingmiao's face instantly flushed crimson, and she hurriedly averted her gaze, pretending to tidy up the clutter on the desk.

Xiao Ziyu raised an eyebrow slightly, an imperceptible smile flashing in his eyes. Without exposing her embarrassment, he asked softly, "What are you thinking about that has you so entranced?"

Chen Xingmiao's hands paused as her brain raced at lightning speed, desperately scavenging for an excuse: "Ah... I was thinking that the New Year is approaching, and we need to properly prepare some festive goods. This year, we must celebrate the New Year lively."

Xiao Ziyu put down his book, resting one hand on the desk to support his chin as he looked at her, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly.

What is he doing...

Chen Xingmiao frowned slightly, confusion shining in her eyes.

Did she say the wrong thing again? Surely not.

Just as she was filled with bewilderment and wanted to speak, Xiao Ziyu raised a hand to grasp hers, pulling her toward him.

"Husband? What is it?"

Caught completely off guard by this sudden move, Chen Xingmiao stumbled, almost crashing right into his arms.

Xiao Ziyu turned slightly, leaning close to her ear, and spoke in a low voice: "Wife, you were so anxious today because of Chuntao's matter, but what about me?"

What does that mean? What riddles is he speaking in?

She raised her head slightly, meeting Xiao Ziyu's profound gaze, and for a moment found herself utterly speechless.

"Husband, I don't understand why you're suddenly asking this."

He tightened his arm slightly, pulling her even closer into his embrace, and deliberately let out a sigh, his tone carrying a hint of grievance.

"When Chuntao was bullied today, you rushed over without a second thought. I want my wife to care about me that much too."

Chen Xingmiao: ...

No, dammit, does she not care about him enough? She practically wished she had clones to guard him twenty-four hours a day, without a single moment of separation.

Of course, that was for the sake of completing the tasks, but he actually thought she didn't care about him? Such a little ungrateful wolf, he had no conscience at all.

Chen Xingmiao forced a smile to the corners of her lips and gently patted Xiao Ziyu's head. "Husband, of course I care about you very much."