"Are you truly going to accept it? But, this pearl flower is..."
Liu Yan tried to explain, but Ye Xuan cut her off coldly.
"What, getting cold feet? But since you gave it to me and it’s in my hands now, I’m not giving it back."
Ye Xuan’s words sounded a bit childish. But perhaps every man had this sort of childish pride in them. Any man, when standing before a beautiful woman, absolutely refused to hear the words ’dare not’!
Dare not? What a joke. Was there anything Ye Xuan didn’t dare do? He had even dared to try to kill Liu Ruoxi right in front of Liu Yongzhi and the others. Was there anything he wouldn’t dare? Besides, it was just a pearl flower, not some peerless treasure.
"Are you truly going to keep it? Let’s do this, then. Just pretend I accidentally lost it, and you found it. You can hold onto it for me temporarily. If I want it back, you can return it to me, but I don’t think I will ever ask for it." Saying this, Liu Yan didn’t wait for Ye Xuan to agree. She turned around and walked on ahead.
Ye Xuan was rendered somewhat speechless. What did Liu Yan mean by that? Was she giving it to him, or just having him hold onto it?
Forget it. He couldn’t be bothered to overthink it. Ye Xuan tossed the pearl flower directly into his storage ring, then followed Liu Yan to the banquet hall.
A lavish feast had already been prepared there. By the time Ye Xuan arrived, the members of the Gongsun family were all present, along with Liu Yongzhi, Liu Zhengyuan, and Liu Ruoxi.
This was a farewell banquet.
"Everyone is here, so let’s eat. Ah, Wenjin, I asked you to stay a few more days, but you refused. Next time, I’ll come to Dapeng City to find you."
"Excellent. When you visit Dapeng City, I will certainly host you with the utmost hospitality. You’ll enjoy yourself so much you won’t ever want to leave!"
The luncheon did not last long. An hour later, Liu Yongzhi personally escorted Ye Xuan and the others to the main gate.
"Thank goodness, this jinx is finally leaving!"
Trailing behind the crowd, a hint of relief flickered in Liu Ruoxi’s large eyes. She didn’t know why, but as long as Ye Xuan was in the Liu family estate, she felt a heavy weight pressing down on her chest, suffocating her. Now that he was finally leaving, even the air around them seemed much fresher.
However, her joy only lasted for a single second. The very next moment, Liu Yongzhi’s voice rang out.
"Ruoxi, come here."
"Grandpa, what is it?"
"You will be going with Ye Xuan as well."
"What! You want me... to go with him?"
Liu Ruoxi’s mind buzzed wildly. She even rubbed her ears, thinking she must have misheard him.
"What? Do you have an objection? When the two of you fought yesterday, it was like fire and water. This proves that your relationship needs to be nurtured. How can you cultivate feelings for each other if you are separated? Therefore, you will go with him."
"Grandpa! But we are only engaged! We aren’t officially married yet. Going to the Gongsun family before we’re married, this... this..."
"This what? It is hardly a scandal for an engaged couple to spend time together."
"No! I’m not going!"
"You stubborn girl, why are you being so disobedient? Do you want me to tie you up and drag you there?"
"Grandpa! Why? Why are you doing this to me!"
Liu Ruoxi was trembling with anger. She had thought that with Ye Xuan gone, the air would finally be clear. Who could have imagined that she would be forced to go with him!
"I’m not going!" she shouted, turning around to run.
Liu Yongzhi’s expression instantly turned cold as a golden rope appeared in his hand. With a burst of spiritual qi, the rope shot through the air, flying straight toward Liu Ruoxi. In the blink of an eye, she was trussed up as tightly as a bundled husk.
"Do my words no longer carry any weight? I told you to go, so you will go. Once you arrive at the Gongsun family, rein in that temper of yours. Furthermore, take good care of Ye Xuan and bond with him."
"Let me go! I won’t do it! I’d rather die!"
Liu Ruoxi struggled incessantly. She tried to release her spiritual qi to snap the rope, only to find that her power wouldn’t circulate at all.
"Why can’t I break free? Could this be the Spirit-Suppressing Rope?" she wondered.
The Spirit-Suppressing Rope was a rare treasure Liu Yongzhi had acquired. Anyone bound by this rope would be unable to exert their spiritual qi. Of course, it could only suppress cultivators below the 5th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm; against anyone stronger, it was useless.
"Grandpa, let me go!"
Liu Ruoxi’s body twisted and writhed on the ground. Truth be told, her figure, combined with the tight bindings of the rope, actually presented a rather alluring sight.
"Hmph!"
Liu Yongzhi merely gave a cold snort before turning to Gongsun Wenjin. "I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, Wenjin. Ruoxi has been spoiled since childhood, so it’s inevitable she’d be a bit stubborn." Turning back to Ye Xuan, he continued, "Ye Xuan, you will have to properly discipline Ruoxi’s temperament in the future. I’m having her leave with you now in the hopes that the two of you can get used to one another. You don’t think having her by your side right now will be a burden to you, do you? If you feel that way, I can allow her to stay."
Hearing this, Ye Xuan remained silent. After a long pause, a teasing smirk crept onto the corners of his mouth. "Rest assured, City Lord Liu, I will discipline her well."
"I don’t need anyone to discipline me! I’m perfectly fine! There’s nothing wrong with me!" Liu Ruoxi roared even louder.
She could tell that Ye Xuan’s smile harbored malicious intentions! If she went with him...
AHHH!
She didn’t even dare to imagine the consequences. What if Ye Xuan wanted to sleep with her? Could she refuse? But in the Gongsun family estate, would she even have the power to say no? After all, she couldn’t even defeat him in a fight. If he decided to force the issue, what was she supposed to do? How could she possibly soften his hard approach?
"You really do need Ye Xuan to teach you a good lesson—to teach you how to be a proper wife." Liu Yongzhi scoffed coldly. Forming a giant hand out of spiritual qi, he tossed Liu Ruoxi straight into a beast vehicle.
When they arrived, the Ye family had only brought one beast vehicle. But now, as they were leaving, there were two. The Liu family had provided a separate carriage just for Ye Xuan and Liu Ruoxi.
"Alright, Wenjin, you should get going. I won’t see you off any further," Liu Yongzhi said, waving his hand.
At his words, Gongsun Wenjin mounted his Snow Eagle and departed first. Only then did Gongsun Xin’s beast vehicle begin to accelerate, gradually moving further away from the City Lord’s Mansion. Bringing up the rear was Ye Xuan and Liu Ruoxi’s carriage.
Before Ye Xuan could board, Liu Yan approached him and said softly, "Young Master Ye, will you untie Ruoxi later? It must be terribly uncomfortable to be bound by the Spirit-Suppressing Rope. Also, please treat her well. She isn’t actually a bad person."
Ye Xuan gave no reply. He simply lifted the curtain and stepped into the beast vehicle.
Inside the carriage, Liu Ruoxi was tied up as tightly as a captive grasshopper. Seeing Ye Xuan enter, she immediately began screaming.
"Get lost! Get out! I don’t want to see you. Disgusting!"
Ye Xuan didn’t speak. He merely looked down at Liu Ruoxi from a superior vantage point.
Perhaps the rope tightened the more one struggled, because her figure was now perfectly outlined by the bindings. The curves of her chest and hips were incredibly pronounced, striking and deeply alluring, instantly drawing the eye.
"What are you looking at! Stop looking at me!"
Noticing his gaze, Liu Ruoxi gritted her teeth, her face flushing red. But this wasn’t out of shyness—it was purely out of humiliation! To be stared at so brazenly by a man she despised felt awful! It was absolutely unbearable!
Ye Xuan still did not speak. He merely stared fixedly at Liu Ruoxi with the eyes of a predator watching its prey.