Ye Chutang had just stepped over the threshold when she heard footsteps approaching.
It was Ye Jingyan, who had come out to see what the commotion was.
"Sister?"
Ye Chutang looked up. "Yan."
As she moved, Ye Jingyan finally caught sight of the bloody mark on her neck. His expression changed in an instant, and he hurried forward. "Sister! You're—"
Ye Chutang gave him a small smile and soothed him in a warm voice, "It's just a minor injury. I'll explain later."
Ye Jingyan had always been one to listen to her, so even with countless questions swirling in his mind, he forced himself to hold them back.
He glanced toward the door.
"That noise from just now… sounded like the Princely Heir and Xu Rongqing, didn't it?"
...
The main gate slowly swung shut. Only when he heard the crack of a whip nearby did Xu Rongqing finally snap back to his senses.
He turned his head and was met with a pair of eyes—pitch-black, cold, and bottomless.
