Chapter 22: Who Is the Best

"Who is it?!" Xiao Zilin reacted with lightning speed. Instinctively, he let go of his grip, flung Chen Xingmiao heavily to the floor, and darted to the side.

She hit the cold ground with a dull thud. Lying there, she felt as if every ounce of strength had been drained from her body; she couldn't even move a finger, left only to gasp for air in ragged, heavy breaths.

Xiao Zilin scanned his surroundings with vigilance, his eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

In the next instant, another blade, carrying a fierce and intimidating force, flew in from the opposite side.

A shrill, agonizing scream pierced the air. Xiao Zilin collapsed to the floor instantly, his trousers stained crimson in the blink of an eye. Bright red blood trickled slowly down the blade, drop by drop.

"Who is it? Get out here, you coward, stop playing these mind games!" Xiao Zilin roared in fury, clutching his injured leg.

Who saved her? Was it Xiao Liu? Or...

Chen Xingmiao felt her eyelids growing heavier and her consciousness blurring. Finally, everything went black, and she lost consciousness.

Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down Xiao Zilin’s forehead. He dared not lower his guard for even a second, gripped by a frantic terror that another blade might fly out from some unexpected corner at any moment.

"Who is it? Who the hell are you? Show yourself! I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door was kicked open with a thunderous bang.

Xiao Zilin stared fixedly at the masked man, summoning his courage to demand, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Xiao manor..."

"One more word of nonsense, and I’ll cut out your tongue."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the sword in the man’s hand thrust forward like lightning, stopping right before Xiao Zilin’s face. A few stray strands of hair drifted slowly to the floor.

Xiao Zilin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped, not daring to draw a full breath. He immediately clamped his mouth shut.

The man sneered, sheathed his sword, and crouched down, carefully lifting Chen Xingmiao into his arms.

As he reached the doorway, the man paused and turned his head, his gaze piercing Xiao Zilin like a sharp blade.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again, I will make you wish you were dead."

The man’s words seemed to make the winter chill bite even deeper.

Sitting on the floor, Xiao Zilin was in too much pain to even breathe properly, left to watch helplessly as the man carried Chen Xingmiao away.

When Chen Xingmiao woke up, it was already the following afternoon.

*Hiss*—where is this? How did she get back?

She remembered...

Right! She had nearly been done for!

She sat up abruptly on the bed. Xiao Ziyu was sitting by the table reading a book; hearing the movement, he turned his head toward her.

"Awake?" Xiao Ziyu poured a cup of water with unhurried grace and brought it over to her.

She cradled the cup and took a large gulp, then set it down and looked at Xiao Ziyu. "Husband, how did I get back?"

"You fainted. Eldest brother sent someone to bring you back."

Xiao Zilin? That scoundrel had such a kind heart? She had been unconscious yesterday; it would have been a miracle if he hadn't taken advantage of her while she was incapacitated.

Wait, he was injured, so yesterday... could it really have been Xiao Liu working a miracle? But then again, she was the host—it wouldn't be unreasonable for the system to save its host, right?

As she mused over this, Chun Tao walked in with a basin of water. Seeing her awake, she immediately stepped forward. "Miss, you scared the life out of me! You’ve finally woken up."

"I’ll handle it." Xiao Ziyu wrung out a towel from the basin and pressed it directly onto her face.

Good heavens, are you truly that oblivious? This is a face!

She forced a smile, quickly grabbing his hand. "Husband, you should go back to your reading. Chun Tao can handle these trivial matters."

As expected, Xiao Ziyu ignored her. His expression remained calm as his hand moved the towel back and forth across her face.

Feeling the skin on her face being mercilessly scrubbed, she let her lips droop and her eyes fill with despair. It was a look of utter defeat.

Finally, Xiao Ziyu tossed the towel back into the basin and said slowly, "Chun Tao, you may leave."

If he was like this with Chun Tao gone, wouldn't she be the one suffering?

No, please!

She signaled frantically to Chun Tao, but the maid seemed not to notice, simply picking up the basin and closing the door behind her as she left.

Turning back, Chen Xingmiao met those icy, furious eyes, and a chill ran down her spine.

Xiao Ziyu lowered his gaze slightly, catching sight of the red marks on her neck.

"Why did you go to find Xiao Zilin alone? Can you even stand up to him? Where did you get such confidence?" He asked, his fingers gently stroking her neck.

Faced with his barrage of questions, she was left speechless.

If he hadn't kept everything to himself, would she have been forced to go find that bastard?

But she wouldn't dare criticize him. Even if she were gifted all the courage in the world, she wouldn't dare.

Xiao Ziyu produced an ointment from somewhere and gently applied it to the red marks on her neck. It was cool and soothing, making her feel much better.

"Husband, you should focus on preparing for next year’s imperial examinations. As for Mother’s ashes, I will help you retrieve them."

Xiao Ziyu’s hand paused. He said coldly, "I already told you, this has nothing to do with you."

"And I already told you, no matter what happens, I will face it with you."

Xiao Ziyu said nothing more. He put the ointment away, picked up his book, and sat back down to read.

That was it?

She looked at him with curiosity. She had expected him to fly into a rage like before and perhaps even grab her by the throat to intimidate her, but instead, he had just calmly gone back to his book?

For a moment, she couldn't tell which was the real him. Then again, villains were always temperamental.

"Husband, you’re going to the Zuyu Academy in a few days. I’ll go to the stationery shop tomorrow to buy you some supplies."

Xiao Ziyu didn't even lift his eyes, simply nodding slightly. "Thank you, Wife."

She lay on the side of the bed, chin propped in her hands, watching him.

The Xiao family certainly wouldn't have put the little villain’s mother’s ashes in the ancestral hall, but they wouldn't just throw them away either, as they were using them to keep him under their control. Most likely, they were hidden somewhere so they could blackmail him at any time.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

For a reward of one hundred points, she had to use her brain, put in the effort, and constantly guard her own life. This was truly the plight of a worker—once a laborer, always a laborer.

"By the way," Xiao Ziyu suddenly set down his book and looked at her. "You said at the academy the other day that Lin Yu was... the best?"

A smile played on his lips, but those last three words sounded as if they had been squeezed through his teeth, appearing exceptionally discordant.

Did she say that?

She said so many things throughout the day; how could she remember all of it?

After all, life is a play, and it all depends on your acting. A little flattery was only reasonable.

"If you don't remember, it doesn't matter. I just wanted to ask, in my wife's heart, what defines 'the best'?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than she felt a scorching gaze fixed upon her.