Chapter 10

An Qixi was furious, so she could only play the fool and hurl insults. Calling him a "useless waste" completely enraged Beitang Xian.

His slightly rough, large hand suddenly clamped around her slender neck, and he gritted his teeth, his voice cold: "What did you say?"

"Xian!" Huang Ziyuan was startled, his body already lunging toward Beitang Xian.

"Huang Ziyuan! Are you going to turn against me for her sake?" Beitang Xian was filled with murderous intent. He turned his head abruptly, his sword-like brows and phoenix eyes—every corner of his features—stained with ferocity. His thin, cold voice cut through the air with piercing sharpness.

Huang Ziyuan’s footsteps faltered. A rare look of anger appeared on his usually cynical, handsome face as he suppressed his tone to persuade him: "Don't you think her reaction is abnormal? Facing you, who is like the King of Hell, she isn't afraid or begging for mercy; instead, she’s babbling about begging her big sister and father not to get married. Xian, I know you are angry and furious, but to hurt an innocent person because of a vain woman who left you—are you still the Prince Xian who cares for the people?"

Beitang Xian’s entire body shuddered. A glimmer of clarity cut through his cold, angry haze. Just as he was about to speak, a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside the door: "Love is truly a bastard; it has actually made our wise and mighty Prince Xian lose his mind."

The handsome face of Beitang Xian, which had been covered in thin ice, suddenly broke into a brilliant arc. He called out, "You finally decided to come back from the dead."

"Aha, did you bring any beauties back with you this time?" Huang Ziyuan also looked toward the door with a playful expression, clearly delighted by the arrival of the voice's owner.

Black boots stepped into the room, where the light flickered between brightness and shadow. As the robes turned, the candlelight danced across the magnificent brocade, making the water-blue gown look even more ethereal. With his hair tied up in a white jade crown and his features carved with beautiful, graceful lines, he squinted his phoenix eyes—which were strikingly similar to Beitang Xian’s—in a lazy manner. His thin lips curled upward, making him look like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting. When still, he was as elegant as if untainted by the mortal world; when moving, he was as agile as a leopard.

An Qixi squinted her cat-like eyes, sighing inwardly: What kind of era is this? Does it mass-produce handsome men? Should she pack a few to take back to the modern world? Just as her mind was wandering, Beitang Lie cast a glance at her, his slightly narrowed phoenix eyes showing undisguised amazement.

Only then did Beitang Lie’s melodious, resonant voice sigh: "No matter how beautiful a beauty is, she cannot compare to the lovely lady in Third Brother's arms."

Beitang Xian looked at his fourth brother, his good mood shattered once again because of this woman, An Qixi. He snorted coldly and shoved An Qixi away.

"What? Did the Third Sister-in-law you’ve been pining for make you angry?" Beitang Lie was confused. He had traveled over mountains and rivers to return for the wedding, never expecting to see such a scene.

Huang Ziyuan handed the intelligence report in his hand to Beitang Lie. Beitang Lie’s face suddenly turned pale and then green, eventually shifting into shock, bewilderment, and then explosive rage! He gripped the thin paper tightly in his large hand and roared: "An Fang, that old bastard! To actually use a fool to deceive the Imperial family. How many heads does he have?"

"What?" Beitang Xian and Huang Ziyuan said almost in unison, their eyes filled with disbelief. An Qixi, however, rolled her eyes in secret, thinking: *Finally, someone with eyes has arrived. This kid has a future.*

Beitang Lie looked at An Qixi, who was huddled in the corner, with pity and regret in his eyes. He sighed and said, "Third Brother, two years ago, this Seventh Miss of the An family was abducted. When she returned, she was covered in blood, and it is said that she was..."

Beitang Xian was incredibly sharp; he understood the implication the moment he heard it. His face turned green instantly. The An family was intentionally trying to cuckold him! A woman who was no longer chaste—the An family had such audacity! Not only did they lie to him, but they dared to make a fool of him! Did they really think he would be bedridden for the rest of his life? Did they really think he would let An Qixi live as a widow?

"Why do you say she is a fool?" The playfulness in Huang Ziyuan’s eyes vanished, replaced by a heavy, profound look.

"Perhaps that incident frightened her. Ever since she returned, she has been foolish and insane. You two were out of the country for two years, so naturally, you wouldn't know about this. At the time, we even lamented it, feeling sorry for such a stunning beauty. If her mother were still alive, perhaps this wouldn't have happened." Beitang Lie cast another pitying glance at An Qixi.

An Qixi was shocked! She never imagined she would have such a miserable and tragic backstory. Lost her chastity? Wasn't that just being deflowered? This was insane! In her past life, she had always been a "virgin cadre," and she never expected that before she could even experience the pain of becoming a woman in this life, she would already be one.

With a mournful little face, she continued to eavesdrop.

These words hit Beitang Xian and Huang Ziyuan like a thunderclap. A flash of inspiration struck Huang Ziyuan, and he blurted out: "She is the illegitimate daughter of that old scoundrel An Fang and the world's greatest beauty, Xiao Ya?"

The legendary romance between the Prime Minister An Fang and Xiao Ya, daughter of the master of the Hidden Dragon Villa in the martial arts world, had shocked the entire world! Such a breathtaking beauty had eventually given birth to a daughter for An Fang without ever receiving a formal title. An Fang’s heartlessness and lack of integrity had once been so outrageous that he was publicly reviled.

Later, the matter had caused a stir following Xiao Ya’s disappearance. Some said Xiao Ya died of a broken heart, while others said she had left to hide in the deep mountains. However, the world knew that Xiao Ya had left a daughter in this mortal realm, though An Fang had protected her well over the years, keeping her hidden from outsiders.

What was even more shocking and outrageous was that An Fang was so deranged that he had let An Qixi take someone else's place in the marriage.

An Qixi suddenly perked up. Hearing them say this, if her mother was a great beauty, then she certainly couldn't be ugly. *Hmm, having assets is good. Look, even the handsome guy is helping to plead for her!*

"Yes." Beitang Lie’s words left Beitang Xian both shocked and furious.

They actually dared to give him a fool? A fool paired with a "useless waste"—is that what they thought of him? This was a blatant, naked humiliation!

Suddenly, a mocking and ruthless arc bloomed on Beitang Xian’s lips, his gaze deep...

Time, fleeting years, passed in the blink of an eye. Flowers bloom and fall without a trace. The day after the wedding of the most high-profile couple in the Beihe Dynasty, shocking news emerged from Prince Xian’s manor.

Prince Xian, who had always been strict but half-dead, had miraculously awakened on his wedding night. He had fought valiantly with the new Princess all night long, leading to the unprecedented event of him failing to attend the morning court the next day, and not stepping a single foot out of his room!

According to the old man who left the manor to buy groceries, who heard it from the maid, who was the daughter of the woman cleaning the Princess’s courtyard, the rhythmic and chaotic sounds of soft moans and low growls had echoed from Prince Xian’s room for the entire night...