Chapter 60 A Man of Honor Never Rests Until He Has Revenged His Wrongs

Chuntao quietly withdrew upon seeing the scene.

Chen Xingmiao looked at him with lingering fear, terrified that he might clutch her neck again in the next moment.

Xiao Ziyu simply wiped her hands and face in silence, then placed the basin aside, walked over to the bed, and neatly arranged the bedding.

"Wife, you've had a tiring day, get some rest early."

He spoke leisurely and with complete composure.

Chen Xingmiao looked at Xiao Ziyu's tranquil face, filled with suspicion. Her lips trembled slightly, but in the end, she didn't dare make a single sound.

She turned on her side and slowly lay down on the bed, facing away from Xiao Ziyu, her hands instinctively clutching the edge of the quilt tightly.

"Husband, aren't you going to sleep?"

Xiao Ziyu smiled faintly, the smile appearing somewhat inscrutable under the dim candlelight. "You sleep first, I'll sit for a while longer."

His voice was low and gentle, a complete polar opposite to the man from a few hours ago whose eyes burned with fury and whose hands had tightly gripped Chen Xingmiao's neck.

Chen Xingmiao's heart fluttered with anxiety, but she dared not ask any further questions.

In the darkness, her ears caught every single movement of Xiao Ziyu, hearing his footsteps pacing back and forth in the room, followed by the scraping sound of a chair shifting, and then the rustling sound of pages turning.

Chen Xingmiao curled up inside the quilt, not daring to breathe too loudly, until drowsiness finally overtook her at some point.

By the time Xiao Ziyu put down his book and returned to the bed, she was already fast asleep.

A complex look flashed across his eyes. He slowly raised his hand and gently touched the faint red handprints around her neck.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured in a low, husky voice.

[Congratulations, Host. The villain's affection points are full, but please pay close attention to the dark corruption value.]

Xiaoliu's voice resounded in Chen Xingmiao's mind, but she merely smacked her lips, seemingly unaware, and turned over to continue sleeping.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a faint light spilled into the room through the lattice window.

Chen Xingmiao slowly drifted awake. The bed beside her was already cold, and Xiao Ziyu was nowhere to be seen.

She rubbed her sleep-heavy eyes. The dull ache in her neck instantly summoned the terrifying memories of the previous night, making her heart plunge and sending shivers of fear through her.

This little villain's emotions were far too unstable. It seemed she needed to hurry up and earn system points so she could stay far away from him.

Chen Xingmiao sat up in bed. "Chuntao, I'm awake. Is there anything to eat? I'm so hungry."

A moment later, Chunhua pushed the door open carrying a washbasin.

"Miss, please wash up. Breakfast is already prepared."

Chen Xingmiao stretched lazily, stood up slowly from the bed, and dragged her sluggish steps toward the washbasin. As she washed her hands absentmindedly, she asked offhandedly, "By the way, where is my husband? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since early morning."

Chuntao efficiently set down the washbasin and replied respectfully, "The young master left for the academy early in the morning. Before he left, he specially instructed me not to wake you up, Miss, and to let you sleep a bit longer."

This fellow really is as fickle as the weather...

And yet, why won't his affection points increase? Letting the dark corruption value keep rising is no way to live.

She flicked the water droplets from her hands, picked up a towel nearby to dry them, and said to Chuntao, "Chuntao, since we have nothing else to do, why don't we head into the palace later to play with Yaoyao? I haven't had a proper chat with her in ages."

Hearing this, Chuntao frowned slightly, shook her head gently, and said with a troubled expression, "Miss, I'm afraid we can't go. This morning, the Master sent someone with a message asking you to go over there."

"Father wants to see me?"

Chen Xingmiao felt a bit puzzled, but it was about time she paid a visit back home anyway. It was time to settle the score with Concubine Zhou for trying to poison her last time.

At this thought, a cold smile tugged at the corner of Chen Xingmiao's lips.

"Alright, let's go have breakfast, and once we're done, we'll head back."

After finishing their meal, the mistress and maid immediately set off for the ancestral residence.

The carriage swayed lazily. Looking through the carriage window at the familiar yet estranged street views outside, Chen Xingmiao's mind kept conjuring up Concubine Zhou's hypocritical smiling face.

She also needed to expedite the timeline for driving that old witch out of the house; otherwise, as long as that woman was around for a single day, the Chen residence remained in danger.

Amidst her thoughts, the carriage slowly came to a halt in front of the Chen gates.

She lifted the curtain and hopped down from the carriage, catching sight of Chen Shuwan, who had come out to welcome her.

"Elder Sister!" A smile bloomed on her face as she hurried over.

Chen Shuwan steadily caught Chen Xingmiao as she lunged forward, laughed, and pinched her cheek, saying, "Look at you, still so reckless."

Chen Xingmiao stuck out her tongue, tightly looped her arm through Chen Shuwan's, refusing to let go, and acted spoiled. "Elder Sister, I've missed you so much. I was hoping the whole way here that I'd get to see you soon."

As the two were talking, a gentle breeze swept past. Chen Xingmiao noticed the faint dark circles beneath Chen Shuwan's eyes and felt a pang of heartache.

Frowning in concern, she asked, "Elder Sister, haven't you been sleeping well lately? Your complexion doesn't look too good."

Chen Shuwan was slightly startled. She instinctively averted her gaze and said casually, "It's probably just because there have been too many trivial matters around the estate these past few days, leaving me a bit tired. It's nothing serious."

Could it really be that simple?

She wasn't an idiot; it was obvious that old witch had been stirring up trouble again.

"Elder Sister, tell me the truth. Did Concubine Zhou bully you again?"

Strange though—she remembered that when she first transmigrated into this world, Chen Shuwan possessed the persona of an ultimate boss lady. Why was she letting herself be bullied so easily now?

Could it be, just as Han Yao had claimed, that the plot had collapsed and all the character settings had changed?

At this thought, a massive headache threatened to split her skull. Her perfect, powerhouse sister!

Chen Shuwan trembled slightly, squeezed her hand, and pulled her close.

"Father had originally placed her under confinement, but seeing that she's pregnant, he lifted it. She's been acting extremely arrogant around the estate lately, so you need to be careful this time you're back."

Chen Xingmiao stopped her with a smile. "Elder Sister, what are you afraid of? You weren't like this before."

Chen Shuwan gave a bitter, helpless smile, her expression dimming.

"After all, this is a child of the Chen family. We should humor her for now. Just in case something goes wrong..."

Goes wrong?

Hearing this, Chen Xingmiao sneered coldly.

Whether this child actually belonged to the Chen family was still up for debate. Based on her years of experience reading novels, there was definitely something fishy going on!

Without saying anything further, Chen Shuwan pulled her along toward the main hall.

Chen Jinzhou and Concubine Zhou were sitting inside. Upon seeing her, Chen Jinzhou's previously stern face rapidly broke into a smile.

"My good daughter, you're back. Father didn't get a chance to talk much with you yesterday, and I've missed you dearly."

Chen Xingmiao smiled sweetly, her gaze drifting toward Concubine Zhou's already rounded belly.

Although Chen Xingmiao's face remained wreathed in smiles, a fleeting, imperceptible chill flashed deep within her eyes.

She calmly withdrew her gaze, looked at Chen Jinzhou, and asked with concern, "Father, look how busy you are. You must take good care of your health."

Chen Jinzhou waved his hand and smiled, "It's no matter. As long as you can come back, Father is happy."

At this, Concubine Zhou chimed in with a sweet, coquettish laugh, "With the Second Miss returning like this, the Master smiles much more often."

Chen Xingmiao turned her gaze to Concubine Zhou, her smile turning increasingly icy.

"Concubine Zhou flatters me too much. Since you now carry the bloodline of the Chen family, you are the darling of the entire household. You must take good care of your health!"

Pausing for a moment, she walked right up to her and raised an eyebrow. "Be careful... or you might lose your own life before you even know it."

Concubine Zhou's lips twitched slightly, a vicious glint flashing rapidly across her eyes.

*The little wretch! How dare she threaten her!*

Taking a deep breath, she forced her smile back onto her face. "Xiaoxia is as amusing as ever. Let's hope you can be just as silver-tongued when you stand before His Majesty!"

???

What did that mean? His Majesty?

Was this... a brand-new expansion pack unlocked?