Chapter 2: Who Is That Adulterer!

Blood dripped onto the floor with a rhythmic, sickening sound. The man’s grin remained frozen, his back pierced by a hairpin made of white jade.

Tragically, the jade was too brittle; it had snapped halfway in.

The man snapped out of his daze, and in a surge of blinding agony, he struck Shen Xianyue across the face. The force tore the corner of her mouth, the metallic taste of blood flooded her throat, and one of her teeth was knocked loose.

"You filthy bitch! You don't know what's good for you? Today, I’m going to have you no matter what!"

The man lunged at her like a madman, clawing and biting at her neck.

Despair washed over Shen Xianyue. She knew that if he succeeded, her life would be effectively over. Driven by the desperate resolve to perish together, she summoned every ounce of her remaining strength and shoved him with all her might. He slammed into the pillar behind him, driving the remaining half of the jade pin deeper into his flesh, leaving him unable to rise from the pain.

Shen Xianyue scrambled to pull her clothes together, grabbed a nearby chair, and smashed it against him with everything she had. The man let out a howl and collapsed to the floor, unable to get back up.

Shen Xianyue hurried to the door, flung it open, and fled. As she reached the main entrance, she suddenly heard the voice of Abbess Jingning.

"Miss Shen resides here. Though the location is somewhat remote, she is at least free from outside disturbance, which is convenient for her quiet devotion."

It was over.

If they caught her like this, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. Seeing the footsteps drawing closer, trapped between the wolf behind her and the tigers ahead, she dared not return to the room. Gritting her teeth, she pushed aside two bundles of firewood in the shed and squeezed herself into the stack.

If they couldn't find her, they would leave eventually.

No sooner had she hidden herself than the main gate opened, and a crowd of people poured in. Still reeling from the blow to her head, Shen Xianyue gritted her teeth and pressed hard against a wound on the back of her hand, the sharp pain forcing her to stay conscious.

"It is here. You two, go and check if Miss Shen is in the room."

The door was pushed open, and two young nuns shrieked, "Abbess! There is a man inside!"

"Nonsense! This is a nunnery; where would a man come from?"

The young nun’s voice trembled. "It’s true, and he... he is improperly dressed!"

"What!"

A cold, clear masculine voice rang out. Shen Xianyue went completely numb, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

It was Xiao Liyang—it was her brother!

Why had he come here? He had ignored her for all these years, so why appear today?

Seeing that familiar figure, Shen Xianyue felt a piercing mixture of heartbreak and resentment. She had only loved him, only expressed her feelings—was that such a heinous crime that she had to be left here to suffer such torment and humiliation?

Shen Xianyue bit her lower lip so hard it bled.

"Bind that man first and douse him with water to wake him. I want to see who has the audacity to act so recklessly in Jingxin Nunnery!"

As Abbess Jingning’s voice drifted over, Shen Xianyue peered through a gap in the firewood. Xiao Liyang’s expression was grim, his right hand unconsciously rubbing his thumb—a sign of his fury.

"Brother Xiao, I had no idea Yueyue was living in such a crude place. She must have suffered so much."

Hearing Qu Shiying’s voice, Shen Xianyue was startled. Why was she here? Qu Shiying had been a close friend, often visiting her at the Marquis’s residence; she was one of the few young noblewomen who had shown her any kindness. Had she come along with her brother out of concern?

Having crouched for too long, half of Shen Xianyue’s body began to go numb. As she tried to shift slightly, the stacked firewood gave way, crashing to the floor with a loud thud.

"Who’s there!"

Xiao Liyang’s guard reacted instantly, lunging forward to grab Shen Xianyue by the collar and throwing her onto the ground. The impact left her curled in a ball of pain.

"What immense gall, daring to eavesdrop here!"

Xiao Liyang’s voice was indifferent, his eyes looking at her as if she were a total stranger. He did not recognize that this disheveled, ragged woman, looking like a beggar, was the sister he had once doted upon.

"Brother..."

Before she could finish, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto Qu Shiying’s shoes.

Qu Shiying jumped back, but spoke with practiced gentleness. "Why is she coughing up blood? How pitiful. Brother Xiao, she must be a young nun from this temple who is unwell; she couldn't have meant to eavesdrop." She then looked down at her shoes with regret. "It’s just a pity about the shoes you gave me; they’re ruined."

Xiao Liyang walked over and wrapped an arm around her, comforting her softly. "It’s fine. When we return, I will have that silk of Mermaid’s Tears made into shoes for you."

Mermaid’s Tears? There were only three bolts in the capital. The one belonging to the Xiao family had been a gift from the Empress to the matriarch. Her brother had explicitly promised her that he would use it to make her a new dress when she came of age.

Shen Xianyue let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

Xiao Liyang’s eyes narrowed. Why had he seemed to hear Yueyue’s voice just now? He stared intently at the person on the ground. A young nun followed his gaze.

After a long moment, she let out a cry of shock. "She... she looks like Miss Shen!"

Xiao Liyang’s expression shifted instantly, a mix of shock and disbelief washing over him. He leaned down and pushed the tangled hair away from her face. When that familiar yet unrecognizable face was revealed, Xiao Liyang stumbled back, unable to steady himself.

"Yueyue?"

Shen Xianyue struggled to lift her head; her eyes were crusted with blood, making it impossible to see. Xiao Liyang’s eyes scanned her hands—the skin was cracked and bleeding—and her face, swollen and red, the once snow-white complexion ruined.

Seeing the change in Xiao Liyang’s face, Qu Shiying immediately stepped forward, carefully helping her up. "Yueyue, what happened to you? You came to Jingxin Nunnery for quiet reflection, how did you end up like this? Or is it that something happened that we don't know about?"

Her words caused Xiao Liyang’s expression to darken further; he had not forgotten that there was a man inside with his clothes in disarray!

"I..."

As soon as Shen Xianyue opened her mouth, more blood spilled out. She looked so frail she seemed as though she might vanish in a breeze.

"It is like this," the Abbess interrupted. "Since arriving at Jingxin Nunnery, Miss Shen has been deeply aware of her sins. She voluntarily offered to do manual labor to repent and pray for her deceased parents. I could not stop her, so I could only pray for her repentance before the Buddha, hoping her sins would be washed away soon."

The young nuns around her chimed in in agreement.

Only Qu Shiying feigned wiping away tears. "Poor Yueyue, a pampered young lady, to be ground down like this. And that man in the room—did you hire someone to deliberately bully her? Don't think I don't know that this is a nunnery; no man could simply walk in!"

Silence fell over the courtyard. Xiao Liyang’s face was black with rage.

"I am asking you—who exactly is the man inside!"