Chapter 3: Jiang Yu Won’t Let Go

As they spoke, several people came running from the end of the path.

Butler Gu was panting heavily as he hurriedly opened the fence gate. He gestured for the accompanying servants to pull Jiang Yu away, bowing and apologizing incessantly: “Mr. He, I am truly sorry! We’ve made a fool of ourselves in front of you!”

Duan Jingyue felt that the person who should truly be embarrassed was his uncle. The dignified Crown Prince of Jinzhou had shown zero concern for the landscaping, leaping right into someone else’s garden.

“Miss Yu! Miss, let go!”

The servant pried at Jiang Yu’s arms with excessive force. Bruises quickly bloomed on the girl’s porcelain-white skin, but despite this, she refused to let go.

He Lian, swaying slightly from the struggle, looked down coldly. Indeed, fools often possessed great strength.

Seeing the servant pulling so roughly, he spoke up with dissatisfaction: “What do you think you’re doing?”

Startled by his cold tone, the servant instinctively released Jiang Yu: “Mr. He, my name is Su He. I am the servant responsible for attending to Miss Yu in the old mansion.”

He Lian’s gaze pinned her in place: “So you know you’re a servant? I thought you were some auspicious mascot the Song family was worshipping.”

Coming from a military background, he loathed this kind of chaotic lack of order.

Butler Gu sensed that He Lian was reprimanding the servants for their lack of discipline. He quickly pulled Su He aside and said with a forced smile, “Mr. He, look at this…”

He Lian ignored him. He tried to push Jiang Yu away, but then remembered she was a fool—she probably took his earlier “Hug?” as a direct command. Suppressing his irritation, he looked down: “Stop hugging.”

Jiang Yu didn’t budge. She was a fool who chose to be selectively deaf.

He Lian glanced at Duan Jingyue again. His fiancé was currently clinging to his own uncle; Duan Jingyue awkwardly turned his head to look at the sky.

He Lian tried several more times, but the person in front of him simply wouldn’t let go. A wave of frustration surged in his heart. Finally, he gave in, bending his tall frame to scoop Jiang Yu up with his left arm.

The girl took the opportunity to hook her arms around his neck, lowering her face toward him. Her thin lips brushed against his neck, intentionally or not, and her breathing suddenly quickened.

That touch felt like spring water rippling across his heart. His fingertips tingled with a maddening itch.

He Lian: “…”

This was agonizing.

But since he was already holding her, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk forward. His premium brown Oxford shoes stepped through the mud.

Jiang Yu’s bare feet rubbed against his thighs through his trouser fabric. They were soft, and she would occasionally give a light kick. Her knees would even arch from time to time, pressing against his belt buckle.

The veins in He Lian’s neck began to bulge. Every step was a form of torture.

Behind them, Butler Gu frowned deeply and exchanged a look with Su He. This damned lunatic!

Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly picked up the sketchbook Jiang Yu had dropped. Fortunately, the pages were blank. Butler Gu let out a long sigh of relief.

If He Lian ever found out that the abstract paintings he had praised so highly, loved so much, and even set as his Weibo profile picture were actually stolen from Jiang Yu by Song Xueyan…

Song Qian and his wife would surely skin him alive!

Back at the old mansion, the three members of the Song family’s main branch did not expect He Lian to make such an entrance.

His shoes and trousers were covered in wet mud, and he was carrying the half-dead-looking Jiang Yu with one arm. The paint on the girl’s hands had smeared all over his back like a rainbow melting into black fabric. Furthermore, fearing she might slip, his free left hand was gripping her hem.

Song Xueyan was speechless, her smiling eyes slowly igniting with rage as she glared at the following Butler Gu.

Song Qian and his wife were also shocked. Why on earth was He Lian carrying this lunatic?!

Song Xueyan cast aside her joy at seeing He Lian and hurried over. She acted the part of the perfect older sister, coaxing Jiang Yu gently.

“Yu? Be good, Yu. How about Sister takes you back?”

Jiang Yu didn’t move an inch.

Song Xueyan’s jaw tightened. Her left hand slid into Jiang Yu’s thick black hair, reaching down to the girl’s waist where He Lian couldn’t see, and gave her a vicious, hard pinch: “Yu?”

Jiang Yu shuddered, causing her to cling even tighter to He Lian. He Lian was forced to tilt his head back.

Duan Jingyue watched, terrified. Jiang Yu was about to strangle his dearest uncle to death! He quickly tried to smooth things over.

“How about this? Tell us where Jiang Yu lives, and let my uncle drop her off first.”

Song Xueyan hesitated. After receiving a nod from her parents, she led He Lian through the halls toward a small wooden building on the south side. Along the way, her eyes remained fixed on Jiang Yu.

This bitch! He Lian was clearly here to see her, yet this girl had snatched the spotlight!

Upon reaching the wooden building, He Lian climbed the stairs to the second-floor bedroom. He pushed the door open to find a mess: white paper scattered all over the floor, and shelves lined with worn-out brushes. It didn’t look like a bedroom; it looked like an art studio.

He Lian patted Jiang Yu’s back, and she finally let go.

He set her down and looked around: “Does Jiang Yu like to paint too?”

Song Xueyan chimed in with a wary, light laugh: “Yes, perhaps because she always sees me painting. She picks up my old things and tries to paint something too. Unfortunately… she isn’t very skilled.”

He Lian watched as Jiang Yu sluggishly climbed onto her single bed. He frowned slightly, but now wasn’t the time for questions: “In that case, let’s go.”

“No rush. I’ll have a servant show you back first,” Song Xueyan said. “I’m afraid Yu might be frightened, so I’ll stay and keep her company for a bit.”

He Lian nodded and left, led by a servant.

Once Song Xueyan saw He Lian walk away through the window, she spun around, ran to the bed, and grabbed Jiang Yu’s arm, yanking her down!

THUD.

Jiang Yu fell hard onto the floor, her limbs curling up with difficulty.

Song Xueyan knelt down, grabbed her hair, and delivered several slaps. She pinched and punched the girl’s exposed skin, her eyes red with fury.

“You little bitch! Try running away again! You even dared to let He Lian hold you! You’ve got some nerve! Believe it or not, I’ll skin you alive right now!”

No matter what she did, Jiang Yu only flinched slightly, letting her vent her rage.

Song Xueyan stood up and pushed a propped-up easel over onto her: “Get painting! I’m still short two pieces for my exhibition in three months! If you delay me, I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!”

Jiang Yu lifted her head, a bruise forming at the corner of her mouth. She murmured: “Last time… I painted one.”

Song Xueyan grew even angrier seeing that dazed expression. During her grandfather’s funeral, she had heard He Lian was coming, so she sent that painting to his guest room. She wanted to show her “sincerity” and use it as an excuse to talk to him more. Everyone in Yangcheng knew He Lian loved her paintings.

Who knew that the next morning, He Lian would leave in such a hurry? He didn’t acknowledge her at all! Later, when she found the painting, she saw it was just a chaotic mess of colors! And it had a very strange scent!

He Lian must have been angry!

Thinking of this, Song Xueyan gave her another hard kick and muttered, “I really don’t understand why Grandpa would leave his entire estate to a lunatic like you.”

She turned and left, locking Jiang Yu inside the bedroom.

The sound of footsteps faded away.

The easel was gently pushed aside. The emptiness in Jiang Yu’s eyes slowly focused into a murderous, cold glint. As if her soul had returned to her body, she stood up slowly. She kicked away the papers and brushes on the floor and walked to the window.

She stepped onto the windowsill, gripped the wooden building’s drainage pipe, and began to slide down inch by inch.

She had to see He Lian again. Her great revenge was yet to be settled. She didn’t want to rot away in this cold, old mansion.

She couldn’t die yet.

Sansukini: There would be some abuse while she’s still at the Song’s manor, but it wouldn’t last that long because He Lian will take her into his side.