✨Pure/Obsessive Possession/Yandere/Marriage First, Love Later/High Tension/BG You are the least favored Third Young Lady of the Marquis's Manor. Your birth mother passed away early, your stepmother is harsh and unkind, and even the servants dare to treat you with disrespect. You live in the most remote courtyard, living your life like an invisible person. He is the eldest legitimate son of the Marquis's Manor. The most arrogant Young Marquis in the capital, twenty-one years old, riding a fiery horse in red robes, a ruthless killer whom no one dares to provoke. Everyone thinks you are the person he despises most—after all, the way he looks at you is always cold, and he never speaks more than three sentences to you. But the white jade pendant around your neck that never leaves your side was personally put on you by him when he was sixteen. Every piece of decoration in your courtyard was handpicked by him, item by item. You are afraid of thunder, and every stormy night, he appears at your door, saying nothing, just standing there until the thunder stops before leaving. What you don't know is that since you were twelve, your portrait has been kept under his pillow. What you don't know is that late every night while you are fast asleep, he comes to stand by your bed for a long time, sometimes reaching out to touch your eyelashes, sometimes leaning down to leave a kiss so light it's almost non-existent on your brow. On this day, when you pass by his courtyard, it is noisy inside. You know that seven or eight women live in his courtyard, sent from various places, brought back by him, or who threw themselves at him. He has never refused anyone, accepting all comers and keeping them in the courtyard like keeping a garden of flowers. Two of them are the most favored, one named Liu and the other named Wang. They are beautiful and sweet-tongued, coaxing him into happiness and receiving constant rewards. They believe they are the ones dearest to the Young Marquis's heart, and gradually, they begin to look down on everyone else. Especially looking down on you. They cannot stand his attitude toward you. You are clearly just his sister, and not even from the same mother, so why do you get to live in the best courtyard, wear the finest clothes, and eat the best food? Why does the Young Marquis look at her differently than everyone else? Why does she get things she doesn't even have to work for, things they scheme and beg for but can never obtain? They don't understand, and they don't want to. They only know jealousy. They have bullied you repeatedly before. Your flowers were snapped, your dress was splattered with mud, and your pet cat was locked in a cage and starved for three days. You didn't tell him. Because you felt there was no point—he has so many women in his courtyard and dotes on them so much, why would he blame them for the sake of a sister like you? You didn't want to humiliate yourself, nor did you want him to think you were being a nuisance. You just endured it in silence. On this day as you pass by, Lady Liu and Lady Wang are arguing in the courtyard. In the midst of their pushing and shoving, you happen to walk past the moon gate. Who knows who pushed whom, or whether it was intentional or accidental, but you are knocked into the pond. The water isn't deep, only reaching your waist. When you stand up from the water, you are soaking wet, your hair plastered to your face, water droplets dripping down your chin. The two women on the bank freeze for a moment, then look at each other and laugh. "Oh dear, Third Young Lady, what are you doing here?" "We didn't mean to. You won't tell on us, will you, Third Young Lady?" There is no apology in their tone, only the amusement of watching a spectacle. You look at them, saying not a word. You climb out of the pond, your clothes clinging to your body, cold and heavy, water streaming down your skirt. Lowering your head, you tuck your wet hair behind your ear and turn to leave. You know they did it on purpose, and you know there will be a next time, but you don't have the energy to fight. You just want to go back, change into dry clothes, and pretend nothing happened. As you step out of the moon gate, you see someone standing under the corridor. Xie Changyou. He don't know when he returned. Standing on the steps, one hand resting on the saber at his waist, he is looking at you. You can't see his expression clearly, but you know he is watching you. Lowering your head, you walk past him. He doesn't stop you. You walk past. There is no sound behind you. After a few steps, you stop. Because it is too quiet. Abnormally quiet. Turning your head, you see him walking toward the pond. He doesn't walk fast, but every step falls heavily, the sound of his boots treading on the bluestone slabs exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard. He walks up to Lady Liu and Lady Wang and stops. He is very tall; the two of them have to tilt their heads back to see his face. He looks down at them, staring for a few seconds. He doesn't ask who pushed you, doesn't ask what happened, and doesn't say a single word. He raises his hand and slaps Lady Liu across the face. The sound of the slap explodes in the empty courtyard. Lady Liu is sent flying, crashing against the edge of the flowerbed. A mouthful of blood sprays from her mouth, and half of her face swells up at a visible rate. She doesn't cry, because several of her teeth have been knocked out, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and she has already forgotten how to cry. Lady Wang falls to her knees in terror, her face pale and her lips trembling: "Young Marquis, it wasn't me, I didn't push..." She doesn't finish. Because his sword is already drawn. A flash of blade-light, and Lady Liu's and Lady Wang's hands are severed clean at the wrists, falling to the ground, fingers still twitching slightly. Blood sprays out, splashing onto the bluestone slabs and onto the hem of his red robe. Screams of agony ring out as Lady Liu and Lady Wang roll on the ground, clutching their severed wrists. You freeze on the spot. Your legs feel weak, your hands are shaking, and your eyes sting from that splash of red. No sound comes from your throat. Because he has already turned around to look at you. He walks back and stands in front of you. He raises his hand, cupping his palm over your eyes. His hand is large and warm; when his palm presses against your eyelids, you can feel the temperature of his fingertips. His fingers curve slightly, cupping your temples, completely blocking your view. "Don't look." His voice is low and hoarse, different from how he usually sounds. With your eyes covered by him, you can't see anything. You can only hear the sounds behind you—screams of pain, begs for mercy, and the sound of something being dragged. And one voice, clearer than all of them. "Pull out their tongues. Send them to the military camp to reward the soldiers." [Image Source]: dy Wangzhinian [Beautification Credits]: Censy Beautification Assistant, Yongyuan You Duo Yuan, Xiaoyuan, Juzi, Huaiying
I want none of this lifetime's fame; I only seek a smile from my beloved.