The Prisoner of Beauty

Only the two of them remained in the bathhouse.

The candle on the candlestick burned quietly, emitting a warm yellow light. A thin layer of white mist, condensed with water droplets, lingered between them. Through this slowly drifting mist, he stared gloomily at Xiao Qiao in the bathtub, the atmosphere oppressive and eerie.

The water in the bathtub was still warm, but Xiao Qiao, soaking in it, suddenly felt cold. Her neck was tightly pressed by her damp long hair, and the chill in the air seemed to seep through her hair into her skin. The skin on her shoulders and chest, exposed above the water, broke out in tiny goosebumps. Even the tips of her breasts beneath the water seemed to sense this slowly spreading coldness, standing up subtly.

She quietly sank a little lower, letting the water cover both her shoulders. However, as soon as she moved, the man approached, striding to the edge of the bathtub in a few steps. His hands slammed onto the edge of the tub with a "thud," causing ripples on the water's surface. He leaned down, glaring into her eyes, and spoke through gritted teeth, his voice barely containing his anger, "Do you know how many of my soldiers were lost at the foot of Shiyi City to rescue you? Wei Liang, who is invincible, almost lost his life! How dare you be so fickle, secretly communicating with Liu Yan of Langya behind my back!"

Xiao Qiao's shoulders trembled slightly, and her heart began to race.

Indeed, he had found out about it! She just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

As he leaned down, the distance between them was suddenly compressed. She could even clearly feel the cold air rushing towards her as he pressed closer.

Her face was still covered with a layer of damp mist, and water droplets rolled down her eyebrows onto her eyelashes. She didn’t bother to wipe them, hurriedly leaning back until her back pressed against the tub wall. She stopped there, looking up at him and said, "Can you let me get out and put on some clothes first? I’ll explain everything to you."

Wei Shao stared into her eyes for a moment, then his gaze drifted down her face, which was flushed and covered in a fine mist of water, and swept dismissively over the gentle curves of her chest, outlined by the slightly rippling water.

Xiao Qiao followed his gaze and glanced down, quickly sinking back into the water, leaving only her neck exposed.

Seeing this, Wei Shao’s lips twisted slightly, revealing a clearly malicious and mocking expression. He no longer looked at her. Straightening up, he turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.

"Get her dressed!"

His voice rang out from outside, almost roaring.

Xiao Qiao gripped the edge of the tub and stood up with a splash, water droplets cascading down her porcelain-like skin. Her warm skin, suddenly exposed to the air, immediately broke out in goosebumps. She shivered, her legs feeling weak as she clumsily climbed out of the tub. Chun Niang hurried in and helped her out.

Xiao Qiao hastily wiped her wet hair, while Chun Niang helped her dry off and dress.

Chun Niang’s fingers touched Xiao Qiao’s skin, feeling it as cold as ice.

"My lady... the Lord is furious... perhaps it’s best if I stay by your side..."

Chun Niang’s hands trembled slightly as she tied Xiao Qiao’s sash, fumbling several times before finally securing it.Xiao Qiao shook her head and leaned close to her ear, "Don't worry about me. I can handle it. You go ahead."

Chun Niang hesitated for a moment, then finally whispered in her ear, "In that case, I'll stay outside the door and keep an eye on what's happening inside. If anything goes wrong, I'll come in."

Xiao Qiao lowered her head to check her clothes once more, and seeing nothing amiss, she closed her eyes to steady herself, took a deep breath, and walked out.

Chun Niang followed her out. She glanced uneasily at Wei Shao, who stood opposite with a grim expression, bowed slightly, and then shuffled out, gently closing the door behind her.

Wei Shao's shoulders twitched slightly.

"My husband, may I call you that? I know the source of your anger, and I hope you'll listen to my explanation."

Xiao Qiao spoke before he could, taking a few steps toward him and stopping a short distance away beside a candle holder. She looked into his eyes, her tone soft, and if one listened carefully, there was even a hint of pleading in her voice.

The distance between them was just right—a few arm's lengths apart. It was neither too distant, which would seem aloof, nor too close, which might cause discomfort.

Wei Shao seemed slightly taken aback at first, his brows furrowing, but in the end, he said nothing, his face still ashen.

"I think you must already know that the person who initially abducted me at Qiu Ji Post Station was indeed not Chen Rui, but Liu Yan, the heir of Langya," Xiao Qiao continued.

Wei Shao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said coldly, "He followed you all the way, with mutual affection. You two are as steadfast as gold."

"When you came in and questioned me earlier, I guessed you had misunderstood. Liu Yan and I did have a marriage contract in the past, but we haven't seen each other for years, and we've never had any private communication. At the beginning of the year, when my uncle celebrated his birthday, he traveled a long distance to my home, but we didn't meet then either. This is absolutely true, and you can verify it. His sudden appearance and abduction of me this time was completely unexpected, and it was certainly not prearranged. Every word I've said is true. If there's even a single false word, may heaven punish me!"

Her tone was neither hurried nor slow, and after speaking, she looked at Wei Shao across from her. Wei Shao also stared at her.

Their eyes met for a moment.

His gaze was still somewhat sinister, but she was completely calm, without the slightest hint of evasion.

Gradually, the hard, almost stiff lines of his face began to soften.

Just as Xiao Qiao felt a bit of relief, she heard him say coldly again, "Yet I've heard that the heir of Langya has been living in the Qiao family in Dongjun since he was young, seeking refuge. Since you two have been together day and night, with mutual affection, and had a marriage contract long ago, why has it come to this awkward situation? Am I, Wei Shao, so desperate for a wife that I would marry a woman whose heart lies elsewhere into my family? How dare the Qiao family humiliate me like this? What do they take me for?"

"My husband, you've misunderstood again," Xiao Qiao said, looking at him."I do not deny that I have known the Crown Prince Liu for a long time. People are not plants or trees; how can one remain indifferent after spending so much time together? However, my relationship with the Crown Prince Liu is now in the past. I have already told you that as I have grown older these past two years, I have gradually distanced myself from him. As for the current strength of the Qiao and Wei families, we both know very well, and there is nothing I cannot say about it. My family seeks to ally with you through marriage, hence the proposal. How could there be any intention of humiliation? Since I have heeded my family's words and decided to marry you, how could I be of two minds? I entered your Wei family with a pure body and a devoted heart, as clear as the sun and moon."

"You certainly have a way with words. It seems it's all my fault," Wei Shao said, his expression still tense. "If you have a clear conscience, why have you been hiding the truth from me since I rescued you from Shiyi?"

"That night you conquered Shiyi, you came to see me. At that moment, I thought to myself that if you asked about my abduction on the way, I would immediately tell you the truth. But you didn't mention a word about it. Instead, you told me to rest and recover, and not to rush north. After that, you left in a hurry. How could I have had the chance to speak? You should remember the situation."

Wei Shao snorted, "And after returning to Xindu? Why haven't you mentioned it until now?"

"My husband, since I returned to Xindu with you, I have been confined to Sheyang Residence, never stepping out. You have been busy, and we haven't had the chance to meet until now. This is the first time I have seen you since our return. I know you don't favor me, so even if I wanted to, how could I have the opportunity or the courage to bring this up to you?"

Wei Shao's expression faltered slightly.

Xiao Qiao also fell silent, lowering her eyes. After a moment, her eyelashes fluttered, and she glanced up at him, only to meet his gaze.

He was frowning at her.

"Actually, just a moment ago..."

She glanced towards the door, her voice slightly raised.

"I was discussing this with Chun Niang. I truly wanted you to know, but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. If I had brought it up myself, it might have aroused your suspicion, and I would have been unable to defend myself. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that you stormed in to question me just then..."

Her voice trailed off, her eyes showing a hint of grievance. She gently bit her red lip, slowly lowered her eyes, and stood before him like a docile fawn.

After a long while, Wei Shao's expression softened slightly, though his gaze remained heavy.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Xiao Qiao slowly raised her eyes to meet his.

"I know you despise me, and marrying me was not your intention. You probably never thought of treating me as a real wife. But I am different. Once I left my mother's home and entered your family, I never thought of turning back. As your wife, I should be disciplined and respectful. But some things are beyond the control of a weak woman like me. The incident on the road was not my wish, but what could I do? The Crown Prince Liu's actions, though inappropriate, were likely due to old sentiments, and he still treated me with respect. But when I fell into Chen Rui's hands, it was like being surrounded by wolves. To avoid being defiled, all I could do was tremble and try to protect myself, delaying as much as possible..."She paused, her tone turning low and mournful.

"At that time, who could have shown even a shred of sympathy for my despair and fear? Fortunately, you arrived in time, and I was spared from disaster. But it is indeed my fault that you lost so many soldiers..."

...

Wei Shao, for some reason, must have found out that she had initially been abducted by Liu Yan, which is why he stormed in angrily. Xiao Qiao's earlier words were merely a pretense, an attempt to dispel his doubts and avoid making her future life even more difficult. But as she spoke, she recalled the fear and helplessness of being trapped in that desperate situation, the pain of her flesh being scorched by the candle flame as she tried to save herself. The image of her father and brother's reluctance to let her go on her wedding day flashed before her eyes, and her nose tingled, her eyes slightly reddening.

"You only married me reluctantly. If you truly don't believe me and now blame me for the loss of your soldiers, you might as well divorce me and send me back to Yanzhou!"

She raised her voice at the end, her words trembling. It was clear that she was trying hard to hold back, biting her lip so fiercely that her petal-like lower lip turned pale. But in the end, a large, crystal-clear tear disobediently escaped from her eye, rolling down her delicate cheek in an instant.