Chapter 21

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Xie Yan refused to relent, determined to leave an indelible mark on her hand.

Blood seeped from her creamy skin, spreading in Xie Yan’s mouth as he deliberately swallowed her blood.

Jiang Yunchan’s hand trembled in pain; stammering, she called out, “Brother Ziguang, it hurts so much!”

Ziguang was Xie Yan’s courtesy name.

A ripple stirred in Xie Yan’s eyes, then froze.

At that moment, in a dream, Jiang Yunchan had finally met Gu Huaizhou but had no chance to confess her feelings before being bitten by a dog.

The dog, as tall as a man, usually appeared docile but was ferocious.

Jiang Yunchan had merely fed him a morsel by chance, yet he chased her relentlessly, refusing to let go.

Terrified, she ran and ran until she reached Cixin Nunnery.

The scene shifted; she dreamed of the moment eight years ago when Xie Jin had deliberately unleashed the dog to chase her.

That dog had been trained by Xie Jin to tear at her clothes.

She was barely a young girl, delicate and blossoming, yet Xie Jin and his cohorts had torn off her hairpin and left her ragged, fleeing desperately throughout the nunnery.

Cornered and hopeless, she encountered Xie Yan, who was then sweeping and doing chores at Cixin Nunnery.

“Brother Ziguang, save me!” By then, Jiang Yunchan was already familiar with Xie Yan through a package of peach blossom pastries.

In her panic, she rushed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xie Yan pulled her to hide behind the golden Buddha statue.

She was terrified, curling up with arms around her knees, choking back sobs.

Xie Yan grasped her trembling slender wrist, repeatedly sucking the dirty blood from the dog bite on her arm with his mouth.

It was Jiang Yunchan’s first intimate contact with a man’s skin; she flinched in fear.

Xie Yan blew on her wound. “Rabid dogs are poisonous. I’m sucking out the dirty blood; otherwise, the scar will look ugly.”

The thin youth’s mouth was stained with dirty blood, but his eyes were full of tenderness.

Having survived the ordeal, Jiang Yunchan’s heart softened; with tearful eyes, she coquettishly said, “Brother Ziguang, it hurts so much!”

Her voice was soft and weak, like a rose with no support, vulnerable to wind and rain.

Xie Yan couldn’t help but brush her cheek gently, tenderly tucking the disheveled strands behind her ear.

His hand lingered by her ear, then he solemnly said, “When you grow up, I’ll protect you, alright?”

Jiang Yunchan looked up in surprise, meeting the boy’s sincere, burning gaze.

In that dim, cramped corner, only the light in his eyes shone brightly.

She parted her lips, stunned for a moment.

Outside the Buddha statue, a hand suddenly grabbed Jiang Yunchan’s shoulder.

Xie Jin’s servant dragged them both out, tossing them into the center of the temple.

Xie Jin crossed his arms, looking down at Jiang Yunchan with contempt. “I wondered why you refused to be my maid, turns out you’re involved with the second master!”

“The young lady wouldn’t think the second master is reliable, would she? Don’t you know? He’s a bastard; his mother was cast aside by the marquis! Letting them stay at Cixin Nunnery was only the marquis’s kindness!”

“Bah! What second master? Where’s the lord who lets someone treat him like a dog?” The servants jeered in agreement.

Xie Jin arrogantly kicked Jiang Yunchan and Xie Yan to the ground, kicking them together. “Aren’t you two involved? Today, I generously grant your wish! Come! Let them perform the wedding rites and consummate the marriage!”

“Consummate! Consummate!” The servants whistled as they pressed Xie Yan and Jiang Yunchan before the Buddha, forcing them to kowtow.

Then they tore at their clothes, forcibly pressing Xie Yan atop Jiang Yunchan.

Xie Yan’s arms supported her head on either side, bare-chested, shielding her.

But he was outnumbered; the servants removed her shoes and tore at her dress.

Bare-chested, Jiang Yunchan was left with only an undergarment for protection.

She crossed her arms over her chest, clutching the undergarment, crying with tear-streaked cheeks beneath him until she fainted.

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Like a piece of mutton fat jade cracked and fragile, a single light touch could shatter it.

Xie Yan watched helplessly as she withered, his pity turning to fierce wrath. He suddenly lunged at the servant, pinning him down.

He bit into the servant’s neck, tearing off a chunk of flesh—muscle and tendon.

The temple echoed with the servant’s heartbreaking screams, blood splattered everywhere.

The crowd was terrified, swinging sticks at this mad dog.

But he seemed impervious to pain, enduring the blows as he chewed away flesh piece by piece.

Raw meat littered the floor until the servant stopped struggling.

He staggered to his feet and approached Xie Jin.

Blood stained his forehead, back, and mouth, dripping like a hungry ghost emerging from hell.

Xie Jin and the others fled in terror.

When Jiang Yunchan awoke, the temple had returned to calm.

The golden light of the Buddha bathed the earth in harmony.

Only Xie Yan sat in the statue’s shadow, dazed, as if his soul had left his body.

Jiang Yunchan hurriedly rose from the mat, clutching her collar, realizing she was wearing Xie Yan’s clothes; her own had been torn to shreds.

She recalled the earlier scene, overwhelmed by sorrow, her eyes reddening.

Xie Yan noticed her sobbing, snapped out of his trance, wiped his hands to confirm no blood remained, and approached her.

He wanted to comfort but didn’t know how; stammering, blushing, he said, “I will follow the teachings and always protect you. I will be responsible for you in the future.”

Jiang Yunchan’s expression hardened; raising her wet eyes, she demanded, “First tell me your surname, your given name, and who you really are.”

Xie Yan disliked his surname and always used his mother’s family name.

Jiang Yunchan never knew he was also a Xie family member, carrying the blood of her enemy.

If she had known, how could she have gotten close to him?

She trembled with anger,I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.