Fiancée?
Bullshit!
In his eyes, she was clearly an assassin sent by Luo Yuandao to finish him off!
The grip on her wrist tightened more and more, the pain so intense it felt like her bones were about to crack.
The killing intent in this man’s eyes was unmistakable—he clearly wanted to tear her apart alive!
She had only intended to check on his condition and satisfy a little craving, so how had it suddenly turned into a death sentence?
“Um… big brother, calm down! Let’s talk this over!”
Luo Qingwu immediately backed down, her survival instincts kicking into high gear.
Just as she was racking her brains for a way to escape, she felt the pressure on her wrist suddenly loosen—likely because the man before her was still running a high fever and was already somewhat exhausted.
Now was her chance!
With a sharp tug, she broke free from his restraint. Without a moment’s hesitation, she scrambled toward the still-open window.
“I won’t disturb you anymore! Rest well and recover! Farewell!”
Though she didn’t know how he had found out that Luo Yuandao was behind the attack, since he already knew, staying any longer would be asking for death.
Luo Qingwu completely disregarded her dignity—climbing out the window, landing, and sprinting away in one fluid motion, vanishing into the night.
Back in the room, the moment Luo Qingwu disappeared, the nearly tangible killing intent instantly dissipated.
Xiao Junhe leaned against the headboard, his face now devoid of the earlier uncontrolled rage and murderous demeanor.
He leisurely straightened his clothes, his deep eyes clear and composed.
“Your Highness.”
From the darkness, an Anwei materialized silently, his tone hesitant. “Your performance just now… wasn’t it a bit too much? What if you scared her off?”
“Scared her off?”
Xiao Junhe’s pale fingertips tapped lightly on the edge of the bed, a faint, ambiguous smile curling at the corner of his lips. “That was precisely the intention.”
Though this woman behaved frivolously and seemed like a shallow admirer of appearances, he could see that she was shrewd at her core.
Without a heavy dose of intimidation, how could she obediently fall into his trap?
He had deliberately revealed the secret of “Luo Yuandao wanting him dead” in front of her, intending to use her mouth to probe Luo Yuandao and her hands to stir up the murky waters of Beishuo Cheng.
She was the true daughter of the Luojia family, chosen by Luo Yuandao to marry Lin Lang.
Only by making her feel trapped between two sides, with death looming at any moment, would her fear and survival instincts drive her to naturally follow his plan and become his pawn.
“Just watch,” Xiao Junhe said, his gaze profound. “She’ll come back. Not only will she return, but she’ll bring the information I want.”
He was betting on Luo Qingwu’s desire to live.
As long as she wanted to survive, she would have no choice but to rely on him, the victim, or… to contend with the father who wanted her silenced.
Whichever path she chose, the outcome would ultimately remain within his control.
Xiao Junhe closed his eyes, concealing the calculations in his gaze.
Only…
The sensation of her palm brushing against his wrist as she fled had inexplicably stirred a strange, restless heat within him.
Damn it.
It seemed this Ku Rou Ji was also a form of torment for himself.
…
Back in the dilapidated side courtyard of Luo-Fu, Luo Qingwu barricaded the door, her heart still pounding wildly.
That was too close!
She had nearly died before even accomplishing anything, becoming a casualty before even getting married.
She caught her breath, looking at the cold stove and empty pots in the room. On the table lay the leftovers from lunch, not even a cup of hot tea in sight.
A cold draft seeped through the window crack, chilling her to the bone.
Luo Qingwu rubbed her arms, her gaze gradually turning icy.
This was her situation in Luojia.
Though she bore the title of the true daughter, in reality, she was treated worse than a respectable maid. That so-called father and mother saw her as nothing more than a tool to be used for a marriage alliance, never treating her as a person.
If Lin Lang were to be killed, she, as a useless pawn, would likely end up ten times worse than this.
“No, I can’t just sit here and wait for death.”
Luo Qingwu paced anxiously around the room, her mind racing.
The current situation was this: ahead was a fiancé who wanted her dead, and behind was a biological father who wanted to use her.
To survive, she had to play both sides!
First, Luo Yuandao’s side.
Since he wanted to use her, she had to make him believe she was “very useful.”
Luo Qingwu narrowed her eyes, an idea forming in her mind.
Tomorrow, she would go find Luo Yuandao!
She would tell him that she secretly went to see Lin Lang at night and overheard something shocking!
She would inform Luo Yuandao: Someone had been whispering in Lin Lang’s ear, saying the prefect intended to silence him!
Luo Yuandao would surely deny it.
At that moment, she would put on an innocent, filial act and say, “Of course, I don’t believe it! How could Father do such a thing? But it seems Lin Lang does, and he holds quite a grudge against you.”
Then, here came the crucial part—
She would volunteer!
“Father, since I’m to marry him, I’ll be your eyes by his side! As his wife, I can help you keep an eye on him, control him, and even find out what secrets he holds!”
As long as Luo Yuandao believed she could help him stabilize Lin Lang, or even resolve the threat without bloodshed, he would temporarily spare Lin Lang—and her.
This move was called a delaying tactic, deceiving both sides!
With her father handled, next was that terrifying fiancé.
Just thinking about the man’s bloodthirsty gaze made Luo Qingwu’s neck feel cold.
How could she make him spare her?
Explain the misunderstanding?
Difficult. In that man’s eyes, her surname Luo was a sin in itself. Even if she wore her tongue out claiming innocence, that suspicious man might not believe her.
Make him fall in love with her?
Luo Qingwu shook her head self-mockingly.
That was a plot from romance novels. In reality, that man had a white moonlight in Luo Jin’er and regarded her with disgust and wariness. Trying to win his heart? The difficulty was too high, the time cost too great, and she might be killed before he ever fell in love.
“Since winning his heart won’t work…”
Luo Qingwu’s gaze fell on her flat abdomen, a flicker of madness and rationality flashing in her eyes.
Then she would target his body!
In this ancient era, what could bind a man more tightly than blood ties?
As long as she carried his child, it would be a natural get-out-of-death-free card!
Even if he hated the Luo family, for the child’s sake, he would have to spare her life. Moreover, this child could become her bargaining chip to control the general’s estate in the future.
Not to mention…
Luo Qingwu recalled the firm abs under her palm earlier and the man’s scorching body temperature, unconsciously licking her lips.
This deal, no matter how she calculated it, was anything but a loss!
“General Lin,” Luo Qingwu snapped her fingers at the air, her smile gradually turning twisted. “Since your heart is too difficult to win over, then I won’t hold back—I’ll take your person first.”
The fastest way to secure a man has never been through romance and sweet talk.
It’s to cook the raw rice into a meal and take the whole pot away!