The Fierce Lord’s Tender Tears for His Beloved (10)

He had considered that Yan Jiu could never reveal his true nature to such a simple, kindhearted young woman, but he had not expected him to pretend to this extent.

If Yan Jiu were a good man, they could all sit for the civil service examinations!

Still, this only made him more certain that his judgment was correct.

Old Zhao believed he could begin with Hua Mi.

“Little girl, I’ll be frank with you. He deceived you.”

“How could that be? Ninth Master would never lie to me! You’re talking nonsense. Boo-hoo-hoo!” Hua Mi looked utterly unconvinced.

“You can ask around in our circles. Yan Jiu is notorious for his ruthlessness and brutality. If you don’t believe me, look at my leg. Yan Jiu ruined it!”

“If you keep following him, you may not even know how you died when the day comes.”

“No… That’s impossible. Ninth Master isn’t as cruel and terrifying as you say. He’s very gentle and good to me. Did you do something bad to anger him?” Hua Mi whispered in a tearful voice.

Old Zhao’s expression twisted for a moment. He simply could not associate the word “gentle” with Yan Jiu.

“I couldn’t bear to watch a young girl like you get dragged into this mess, so I’m kindly warning you.”

“You don’t know him. Yan Jiu’s cruelty is beyond anything you can imagine.”

“You can stay here for a few days and see the truth for yourself.”

“If you truly have feelings for him, then you must want to know what he is really like, don’t you?”

Hua Mi looked as though his words had moved her.

“Of course, the decision is yours. Think it over yourself.” Seeing that he had said enough, Old Zhao stopped pressing her.

Hua Mi remained on Old Zhao’s territory.

Old Zhao did not restrict her movements. She could even attend school and go to work as usual every day. The only difference was that she had to return to his place at night.

While staying there, she heard Yan Jiu’s name constantly.

Some of it was deliberately arranged by Old Zhao, who had his men speak about Yan Jiu within her hearing. The rest was simply because Yan Jiu was genuinely a prominent figure in the underworld, and his reputation was already terrible without anyone needing to embellish it.

Every day, Hua Mi put on an increasingly devastated and disbelieving expression.

Before long, Old Zhao summoned her again.

At last, he got to the point.

He wanted her to take advantage of Yan Jiu’s continued trust in her and sabotage one of his shipments.

With an anguished expression, Old Zhao told Hua Mi that Yan Jiu was acting recklessly and trampling on the rules of their world. This shipment was not merely weapons—it also contained contraband. That was a grave taboo in the underworld and would get them all killed.

Old Zhao manipulated the young girl’s kindhearted nature, then delivered one final, heavy blow.

If she did not want Yan Jiu to fall beyond redemption, she should help them carry out this operation. She would be doing a good deed.

Hua Mi agreed, just as though she truly did not want Yan Jiu to continue down the path of depravity.

What she did not know was that from the moment Old Zhao took her away, Yan Jiu had been aware of all her movements, including every “decision” she made.

More than half a month later, Old Zhao told her to make preparations and ensure that Yan Jiu would bring her along that day.

Hua Mi obtained the time and location of the operation, and the system finally completed its analysis.

[Host, the male lead will be ambushed while conducting the goods transaction and will fall into the sea and die.]

Now that she had obtained the information she wanted, there was no reason for her to remain there.

Before leaving, she slipped alone to a certain location and secretly replaced the batch of “contraband” Old Zhao had prepared in advance.

After completing everything, she called the male lead.

No one answered.

She sent a message, but received no reply.

She had done everything she could!

The male lead always appeared on his own. If he did not want to see her, there was nothing she could do.

Misfortune often follows good fortune, and sorrow frequently accompanies joy.

Although she could not reach the male lead, her salary had been paid!

This time, she could finally spend all her hard-earned money on clothes.

Hua Mi wept tears of joy and hurried straight to the shopping mall. She had been looking forward to this day all month!

A pair of cufflinks lay quietly upon the velvet, their color as dark as ink, concealing a sharpness that was both dangerous and restrained.

Hua Mi had originally been choosing clothes, but the moment she saw them, she could not move.

It was only after she left the mall that she belatedly realized there was another item in her hand.

She took out her phone.

[Ninth Master, I want to see you.]

Finding the male lead’s car downstairs from her apartment was unexpected. After all, she had not received a reply from him for quite some time.

Hua Mi ran toward it in delighted surprise.

No emotion could be read on Yan Jiu’s face.

The moment Hua Mi got into the car, she threw her arms around the man’s arm to express how much she had missed him.

“Boo-hoo-hoo, Ninth Master, you finally came to see me. I missed you so much.”

Yan Jiu casually pinched her chin. His gaze swept over her face, and a flicker of mockery flashed swiftly through his eyes.

“You missed me?” he repeated, his meaning unclear.

“Mhm!” Hua Mi nodded and took a velvet box from one of the shopping bags she had just bought.

“Ninth Master, this is for you. The moment I saw it, I thought it would suit you perfectly!”

Yan Jiu lightly tapped the box with his thumb, and it sprang open. He lowered his eyes to the contents, his thoughts impossible to decipher.

Hua Mi took out the cufflinks, pulled Yan Jiu’s hand toward her, and lowered her head as she carefully and obediently fastened them onto him.

The ink-colored cufflinks were unobtrusive, yet exuded understated luxury and nobility.

They looked just as beautiful as she had imagined.

Before she had finished admiring them, her eyes were covered once more.

Hua Mi felt around for her bearings, her entire body pressed against the man’s embrace. Hooking her arms around his neck, she leaned toward his ear.

“Ninth Master, I still have so many things I want to tell you.”

In a soft voice, she told him about everything that had happened during her time at Old Zhao’s.

Her warm breath brushed across the man’s ear. Yan Jiu held her waist with one hand and listened in silence.

His expression was cold and indifferent, as though he did not care what she was saying.

After getting out of the car, Yan Jiu led her along a long stretch of road. It was not the way back to their room.

An inexplicable unease rose within her. She tightened her grip on Yan Jiu’s arm, until at last the black cloth covering her eyes was removed.

A dim, damp basement appeared before her. Various torture instruments were arranged on rust-covered iron racks.

In one corner, a man was tightly bound with thick iron chains. His body hung limp, covered in grime and bloodstains.

That was what Hua Mi saw when she opened her eyes.

She was startled and instinctively took a step back, only to find the man standing directly behind her.

A scorching palm settled over her slender, fragile neck. With the slightest exertion, he could easily snuff out her life.

“Ninth Master?” Hua Mi asked in a trembling voice, as though she had been frightened by the scene before her.

Yan Jiu clasped her neck, his fingers stroking her skin. Leaning slightly toward her ear, he said in a low voice, “Didn’t you want to know what I’m really like? Then watch carefully.”

The instant his words fell, the bound man let out a scream.

The person being tortured suffered a fate worse than death. His horrific cries echoed through the empty basement.

Hua Mi’s small face turned deathly pale with fright. She turned away and shut her eyes, not daring to look.

Yan Jiu forcibly turned her face back and made her open her eyes.

The young girl trembled in the man’s arms, her falling tears landing on the hand gripping her neck.