“Yun’er”.
Zhou Hongbo bent down slightly, reached out and put his arm around her waist, and with a little force from his other hand, lifted her up in his arms.
There was no time for much thought; it was almost an instinctive action.
The tenderness in his eyes made Cao Lingyun blush. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look him in the eye, and obediently leaned against him.
“Third Miss Cao, don’t be afraid, I didn’t mean it…”
Zhang Yachu followed closely behind, but his voice stopped abruptly the moment he saw Zhou Hongbai.
He bowed respectfully, “Young Master.”
Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Hongbai looked up at Zhang Yachu, who was standing not far away, and a flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes.
“Do you know that men and women should not touch each other? If you barge in like this, you will damage Yun’er’s reputation. Can you bear the consequences?”
Zhou Hongbo’s deep black eyes were cold and terrifying, and Zhang Yachu was so frightened that his legs trembled and his face turned pale.
“Young Master, I…I didn’t know Miss Cao was at the door. I barged in without permission. I hope…I hope Miss Cao won’t blame me.”
This hypocritical explanation made Cao Lingyun feel nauseous and wanted to vomit. She instinctively grabbed the sleeve of the person next to her.
Overwhelming hatred consumed her remaining reason, and anger made her whole body tremble uncontrollably.
He wished he could rush down and tear Zhang Yachu to pieces.
Zhou Hongbai saw that the person in his arms had red eyes and was trembling with fear, so he tightened his grip on her.
For the sake of her reputation, it is not advisable to stay here any longer.
He carried Cao Lingyun and strode away.
Zhang Yachu watched his departing figure, breathed a sigh of relief, and then his legs went weak, causing him to fall to the ground in a disheveled state.
She still felt lingering fear when she recalled Zhou Hongbo’s gaze.
“The saying goes that fortune favors the bold. Are you really going to give up after encountering this little bit of hardship?”
A disdainful female voice rang in my ears.
Zhang Yachu glanced at her and immediately recognized the woman as the one who had argued with Cao Lingyun earlier and caused Cao Lingyun to fall into the water.
He said irritably, “Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re a vicious person.”
“You…” Cao Linglan was furious and pointed at Zhang Yachu, shouting, “Who do you think you are, daring to slander me?”
“Appearance reflects the heart.” Zhang Yachu, who considered himself superior, disapproved of Cao Linglan’s arrogant and domineering manner, not to mention her lack of literary talent.
Talking to her was like falling into a pot of boiling oil; it was excruciating to my heart.
If you don’t see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much.
Zhang Yachu turned to leave, but Cao Linglan quickly stepped forward and reached out to stop him.
“Young Master Zhang, if you want to climb the social ladder, you should first consider whether you can afford it. My sister is already engaged to the young master.”
Cao Linglan didn’t care about revealing her identity; she only wanted to use Zhang Yachu to make Cao Lingyun repeat the mistakes of her previous life.
No matter how many lifetimes she goes through, as long as she is there, Cao Lingyun must be made to wish for death but be unable to die, and have no way to live.
That’s right.
She was reborn, but she was reborn after her body had been violated. Now she has no future, and Cao Lingyun must also live like her, like a blade of grass in this world.
The thought of Cao Lingyun dying in childbirth filled her with uncontrollable excitement, her eyes flashing with sinister intent.
A meaningful smile appeared on her lips. “If you want to marry Third Sister, only I can help you achieve your wish.”
“If you’ve thought it through, go to Louli Mountain Villa in the suburbs.”
Cao Linglan took a handkerchief from her sleeve, stuffed it into his hand, and left with a smile.
The Cao family mansion, Ren’ai Residence.
Zhou Hongbo would occasionally look up at the door, but when he didn’t see the beautiful figure he had been longing for, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
“Hongbai, you look so distracted, you’re definitely going to lose this game,” Cao Lingtang couldn’t help but tease.
Seeing that the other party did not react, he stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Zhou Hongbai, “Stop looking, or you’ll turn into a waiting-for-husband stone.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hongbai suddenly looked at him and asked in confusion, “Do you know why Yun’er came to see me?”
Cao Lingtang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“We’ve both been very busy lately, and even though we live under the same roof, it’s hard to even see each other, let alone talk to each other.”
For some reason, a bad feeling arose, making Zhou Hongbo feel very uneasy.
Just as he was about to speak, a figure he had been longing for burst in.
“Brother, Young Master.” Cao Lingyun bowed slightly, her gaze falling on Zhou Hongbai, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes.
“You guys chat first, I still have some things to take care of.”
After speaking, Cao Lingtang left with his servant to make room for the two of them.
Zhou Hongbai gazed at Cao Lingyun with deep affection.
His gaze was so intense that she couldn’t ignore it, and she even felt flustered. She had been thinking of what to say the whole way, but under his stare, she didn’t know how to speak.
“Your older brother said you have something to talk to me about?”
Zhou Hongbo spoke first, breaking the awkward silence between the two.
Upon hearing this, Cao Lingyun seemed to wake from a dream and placed a letter in front of him.
The three large characters of “annulment letter” were glaringly displayed before Zhou Hongbai’s eyes, stinging him. He felt a tightness in his chest, and even breathing became extremely difficult.
After a long silence, he asked, “Yun’er, what does this mean?”
“Young Master, you hold a esteemed position, are brave and skilled in battle, and are a dragon among men. I know I am unworthy to be your equal, therefore…”
Before Cao Lingyun could continue, Zhou Hongbai interrupted her, “Give me a reason to annul the engagement.”
“What?” Cao Lingyun asked in confusion, not quite understanding.
Zhou Hongbai opened the letter of annulment and said with a wry smile, “I really didn’t expect Miss Cao to be so thoughtful and considerate of me.”
Upon hearing this, Cao Lingyun stiffened slightly, feeling so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
The two looked at each other in silence.
In the quiet room, even their breathing could be heard clearly.
Zhou Hongbo’s deep black eyes stared at Cao Lingyun, as if trying to see through her.
Feeling oppressed by the stare, Cao Lingyun took a deep breath and said, “Young Master has many admirers, including many young ladies from noble families, but I am too uncouth to be accepted into your household.”
“I hope that the young master will accept the letter of annulment, and that we may part ways amicably and each find our own happiness.”
Zhou Hongbo gripped the annulment letter with a slight tightening of his hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and a sharp pain shot through his chest.
The heartache made it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.
“Our engagement was arranged by our grandfathers. Since the two elders don’t care, it’s even less of a problem for you and me.”
His tone was serious and his attitude sincere, “Yun’er, do you really not know my feelings?”
Cao Lingyun’s heart suddenly clenched, the pain was so intense that she almost couldn’t hold on.
Having lived two lives, how could she not know his feelings? But what could she do?
Now burdened with a blood feud, she vows not to be human until she has eliminated all her enemies.
In her previous life, she had caused Zhou Hongbai too much trouble; in this life, she couldn’t let him repeat the same mistakes.
Revenge is a matter for her alone; she must not involve others.
“Young Master, I already have someone I love.” She paused, “but it’s not you.”
After speaking, she immediately looked away, lowered her eyes, and refused to meet his gaze.
For some reason, she became extremely nervous, her hand unconsciously gripping the handkerchief.
Zhou Hongbai stared at Cao Lingyun in disbelief, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe. A flicker of pain flashed in his eyes, and a cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
He longed to rush over and hug Cao Lingyun, to tell her his feelings, but in the end, he restrained himself, afraid of frightening her.
“Yun’er, do you know what you’re saying?”