The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao initially walked side by side with Xiao Qiao, but gradually, his steps quickened, leaving her behind. By the time they returned to the inner courtyard of the west wing, despite Xiao Qiao deliberately trying to catch up, she was still left several feet behind.

Xiao Qiao finally slowed her pace, watching as he ascended the steps in a few strides and disappeared through the door.

Chun Niang and the maids in the corridor saw them return and came to greet them. Xiao Qiao asked about the cat and, upon learning it had been brought back, nodded and instructed them to keep a closer eye on it to prevent it from running off again. Otherwise, with the vastness of the Wei residence, finding it would be troublesome.

The maids acknowledged her instructions. Chun Niang asked if they could serve dinner.

As dusk deepened, Xiao Qiao had yet to have her evening meal. She guessed Wei Shao hadn’t eaten either. She instructed them to prepare the meal and then headed toward the room. Pushing open the slightly ajar door, she stepped inside.

The room was not yet lit, and the dim light filtered through the closed west window, casting a faint, smoky twilight glow over the furnishings.

At first, she didn’t see Wei Shao. She walked a few steps further, stopping beside the screen, and tentatively called out, “Husband, dinner is ready.” Suddenly, without warning, an arm reached out from behind and clamped around her waist. Before she could react, she was hoisted upside down onto Wei Shao’s shoulder and carried to the bed.

Xiao Qiao was practically flung onto the bed like a sack of flour.

Although the bed was cushioned with soft quilts and she wasn’t hurt, the way she landed was somewhat awkward, and she was startled. As she turned to look up, she saw Wei Shao standing at the foot of the bed, his legs apart, suddenly raising a hand to undo his belt.

As he undid his belt, his eyes fixed on her on the bed. At first, his movements were slow, but then they became abrupt and impatient. He yanked off his belt and then tore open his own robe.

This was completely unexpected. Moreover, Xiao Qiao sensed that his demeanor was off.

She immediately tried to get off the bed, but Wei Shao had already discarded the clothes he had just removed and pushed her back down. Then, with one knee on the bed and the other leg pressing against her abdomen, she was immobilized.

Xiao Qiao quickly shook her head. “Dinner is ready—”

Wei Shao’s hand reached out, his fingers spread to grip her cheeks, stopping her from shaking her head.

With her cheeks held firmly, Xiao Qiao stopped speaking.

She opened her eyes wide, a hint of fear in them, as she watched Wei Shao sitting on her abdomen, staring at her motionlessly.

It was as if he was scrutinizing her, as though he didn’t recognize her.

“Husband—”

Xiao Qiao’s eyes met his, and she managed to mumble a faint call to him.

Xiao Qiao was truly frightened. The same bone-chilling fear she had felt on their wedding night, when she had accidentally woken him and he had drawn a sword from under the pillow to point at her, washed over her once again.

Wei Shao’s Adam’s apple moved, and he released her cheeks. Then, his heavy body pressed down, pinning her beneath him.

There had been times before when he had been urgent with her, even rough enough to hurt her. But never like this. He showed her no tenderness at all. Xiao Qiao saw his face tense to the point of distortion, his expression taking on a hint of ferocity.The room was dim with the fading light of dusk, and the half-drawn bed curtains made the interior even darker. Yet, as he gazed down at her, his eyes burned with an intense light—a mix of excitement, desire, and something else Xiao Qiao couldn’t quite decipher, a shadowy glimmer that unsettled her.

Xiao Qiao instinctively began to struggle, her hands pushing and pounding against his shoulders. In response, he bit down on her lips, causing her immense pain.

She clenched her teeth tightly, and Wei Shao pulled away from her lips. His hands roughly tore open her robe, and he lowered his head, his mouth and hands tormenting her warm, jade-like chest. The delicate skin soon bore vivid red marks, and Xiao Qiao let out a pained whimper, “What have I done wrong…?”

Wei Shao’s eyes burned even brighter with desire, but he remained silent, his large hand gripping one of her thighs and forcing it to bend.

The brutality of his treatment was a stark contrast to the tenderness they had once shared, making the memories of their past intimacy feel like a cruel mockery.

The room was stifling with the lingering heat of late autumn, and after the ordeal, Xiao Qiao’s body was damp with sweat. Yet, a chill spread through her heart, and a simmering anger began to rise within her.

As he breathed heavily, his hot, ragged breath brushing against her, and prepared to force himself upon her, she reached up and turned his face toward hers, forcing him to meet her gaze.

“Tell me clearly,” she said, staring into his eyes, each word deliberate, “why are you treating me like this?”

Wei Shao was drenched in sweat, his face flushed as if drunk, and his eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint, blood-like hue.

“Every man in the world dreams of having you as I do. Would that satisfy you? Others may be one thing, but even the men of my Wei family—must they all fall at your feet?”

He paused, his words laced with bitterness.

In that fleeting moment, Xiao Qiao suddenly understood, and a wave of shock and disbelief washed over her.

“You suspect me of having an affair with your cousin?”

Wei Shao’s eyelids twitched, but he remained silent, as if he no longer wished to speak to her. His bloodshot eyes fell back to her lips, and he lowered his head, biting down fiercely.

“Let go!”

Xiao Qiao pushed his face away with all her strength.

He said nothing, his expression growing even darker, and he turned back to her, his mouth clamping down on hers once more.

Her lips were already swollen from his rough treatment.

Xiao Qiao pushed him away again.

When he moved to bite her a third time, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked hard. Wei Shao let out a low hiss, but despite the pain of his hair being pulled, he turned back to her, his mouth seeking hers again.

The pain and the anger rising from deep within her became too much to bear. Xiao Qiao released his hair and slapped him across the face.

The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the room.

As if struck by a spell, Wei Shao froze, his entire body stiffening.

Slowly, he turned his face back to her, touching the left side of his cheek where she had struck him. He stared at her, his eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and fury.

During their struggle, Xiao Qiao had already exhausted herself, her hair disheveled. Seeing him stare at her like that, she took a deep breath and said angrily, “I can tolerate many things, but I will not allow you to be so narrow-minded as to accuse me of something so baseless!”

She paused, her voice laced with sarcasm, “Even if I were as fickle as you think, the men of your Wei family might not even catch my eye!”

Wei Shao’s expression faltered.

Xiao Qiao said no more and stopped struggling entirely. She closed her eyes, her face now calm and composed.Wei Shao stared intently at her calm, closed eyes, his breathing growing heavier.

A bead of hot sweat rolled down his forehead and splashed onto the center of her brow, spreading out before gradually merging with the moisture that had seeped from her own skin.

Suddenly, Xiao Qiao felt the weight on her body lift. She opened her eyes to see Wei Shao rise from her, yank open the bed curtains, and step onto the floor.

The curtains, pulled by the force of his arm, emitted a sharp, tearing sound.

With his back to her, Wei Shao quickly donned the clothes he had earlier discarded on the floor and strode away.

Xiao Qiao's heart pounded like a drumbeat as she listened to the sound of footsteps echoing in the corridor outside. Chun Niang asked if he would like to eat, but then the voices ceased, and silence fell.

Xiao Qiao slowly sat up from the pillow, her hands still trembling slightly. She steadied herself and began to straighten the disheveled clothes that he had torn apart.

Chun Niang entered the room, her footsteps hesitant at first. Seeing Xiao Qiao sitting on the bed, she was startled but quickly rushed over.

"We had a minor disagreement just now. The Lord was momentarily upset and went out for a walk," Xiao Qiao said, stopping Chun Niang before she could speak. She got up and walked to the mirror, tidying her disheveled hair.

Chun Niang followed her, standing behind her with a worried expression as she watched Xiao Qiao's back.

"Chun Niang, I'm hungry. Let's go eat," Xiao Qiao said after a moment, having finished arranging her hair. She turned to Chun Niang and spoke.

...

Wei Shao did not return to the room that night. He came back the next morning.

When he returned, Xiao Qiao had already risen and just finished her morning routine.

Wei Shao's expression was impassive, as if he didn't see her. After washing up and changing clothes, he headed to the north house. Xiao Qiao silently followed him. When they arrived before Madam Xu, she mentioned that Wei Yan had just left, almost immediately after them. She said that the Lu Li Assembly was tomorrow, and it had always been handled by Wei Yan. He had just returned from Dai County yesterday and had been busy all day with matters that had come up.

As Madam Xu spoke, Wei Shao's expression remained unchanged, while Xiao Qiao maintained a smile throughout. When they left together and reached the fork in the path, Wei Shao didn't pause but continued straight toward the main gate, leaving her behind. Xiao Qiao called out to stop him.

He seemed reluctant but stopped and turned halfway, casting a glance in her direction.

Xiao Qiao walked up to him and said, "It's nothing major. It's about that Western Region cat. You gave it to me originally. Since you can't touch it and seem to dislike it, it's inconvenient for me to keep it. You should take it back. Or if it's too much trouble, I'll find someone else who's willing to adopt it. Since it's your possession, I thought I should inform you before making any decisions."

She actually liked the cat very much and wanted to keep it. But she felt that the cat seemed to clash with the two Wei men in the household, and it might not be appropriate for her to continue keeping it.

"It's just an animal! I gave it to you, so keep it if you want. I may be narrow-minded, but I wouldn't hold a grudge against a mere animal!" Wei Shao said coldly before turning and walking away.

Xiao Qiao paused, watching his figure disappear, then turned and went back to her room. After returning, she thought it over and finally decided she couldn't keep the cat after all.This cat was precious, and its daily diet naturally consisted of meat. Ordinary households certainly couldn't afford to keep it, and Xiao Qiao couldn't bear to let it wander and suffer. So she gave orders to find a suitable family to send it to. Lin Ao and the others were all astonished. They thought it was clearly a gift from the Lord to please the lady, so why would she want to send it away after just a few days? Although they all liked its plump and fluffy appearance, they knew they couldn't afford to keep it at home themselves. If it were to die, they would be at a loss for how to explain it. Unexpectedly, by evening, a servant from the north house came, saying that Madam Xu had heard about it and wanted to take the cat to raise.

Xiao Qiao hurriedly carried the cat over herself. Madam Xu was very pleased to see the cat. The cat also seemed to take a liking to her. After being held and having its head stroked a few times by Madam Xu, it purred a few times and then curled up motionless on her lap.

"It's said that Erlang specifically sent it for you to raise. Why do you want to send it away after just a few days?" Madam Xu asked after holding the cat for a while.

Xiao Qiao replied, "I was reluctant to part with it at first. But after my husband sent it over, I realized it was causing him discomfort." She then mentioned how he had sneezed upon entering the cat's room that day and later developed red, itchy spots on his body.

Madam Xu suddenly understood and nodded, "So that's the case. I see! You can't keep it there anymore. From now on, let it stay with me. It seems to have taken a liking to me. It will be good company."

Xiao Qiao smiled, "Originally, I was worried about finding a good place for it. Now that grandmother has taken it in, it's its good fortune. It will be much better off with you than with me, and I can rest assured."

Madam Xu smiled, lowering her head to stroke the cat, as if casually saying, "Has Zhonglin upset you?"

Xiao Qiao was slightly startled. Raising her eyes, she saw Madam Xu's single eye looking at her, though it held a gentle smile, it was very bright. She guessed that Madam Xu must have noticed something.

Indeed, Madam Xu laughed again, "When you came this morning, I could tell something was off. Usually, when you visit me, after just a few words, I see you two glancing at each other. But this morning, it was only my grandson looking at you, and I noticed you didn't even glance at him. I thought, if he hasn't offended you, then what else could it be?"