Chapter 53

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Gu Yan Fei’s lips curved into an enigmatic smile. She suddenly stood up, instantly drawing the attention of the other three individuals in the room. She spoke calmly, “So, the Duchess of Ying has come to discuss annulling the engagement between the heir and my third sister. In that case, I should excuse myself.”

As she rose, her skirt cascaded like flowing water, her simple yet elegant attire fluttering gracefully.

Old Madam Gu’s brows furrowed, her expression shifting instantly.

Gu Yan Fei tilted her head slightly and smiled innocently, asking in a tone of feigned naivety, “I heard my third sister and the young heir already signed a betrothal agreement. Isn’t that true? Since Grandmother has already agreed to His Highness Kang Wang’s proposal, it is only proper to annul the previous engagement.”

Her composed and earnest tone delivered words as shocking as thunder on a clear day. 

To Fang Ming Feng, it was as though lightning had struck. His face turned pale as he abruptly stood up, knocking into his chair with a loud thud. “Proposal?!”

“What did you just say?!” Fang Ming Feng demanded sharply, his usual refined arrogance utterly shattered, as though someone had struck a nerve.

Old Madam Gu’s expression darkened even further. “Gu Yan Fei!” she snapped, her voice full of reprimand. This girl—spouting nonsense again!

Gu Yan Fei, unfazed by the uproar, stopped just short of escalating further. She said calmly, “I’ll be taking my leave now.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned to walk away.

At that moment, Fang Ming Feng could no longer contain himself. Like an enraged lion, he surged forward, blocking her path. “Explain yourself!” he bellowed, his voice trembling with fury.

Standing tall over Gu Yan Fei, his anger burned hot and visible. His normally handsome face was now twisted with rage, his fiery gaze drilling into her. He lashed out, his hand darting toward her wrist with lightning speed, but Gu Yan Fei moved with effortless grace, stepping aside just in time.

His fingers grasped at empty air. The humiliation stung like salt on a fresh wound, and his fury flared higher. New grudges combined with old, and reason fled his mind entirely. In a blind fit of rage, Fang Ming Feng yanked the decorative riding whip from his waist. Without a second thought, he swung it hard in Gu Yan Fei’s direction.

The whip lashed out with a crack, its tip curling like a venomous snake striking through the air, producing a sharp, snapping sound.

The Duchess of Ying, indifferent, calmly lifted her teacup as though she hadn’t seen anything. Inwardly, she welcomed this as an opportunity to humble the Gu family. To think my son has to marry such a wild girl—what a humiliation! And this girl dares act so insolently?

The maids around them, however, were utterly shocked. Gasps filled the room as their faces turned pale. They stared in horror at the black shadow of the whip flying toward Gu Yan Fei’s delicate skin. A few even shut their eyes, unable to bear watching what was about to happen.

But what unfolded next left them even more stunned.

With a single, fluid motion, Gu Yan Fei sidestepped, her slender figure moving gracefully and effortlessly. She avoided the whip with precision, her movements as elegant and ethereal as a startled swan or a dragon in flight.

Before anyone could react, she deftly reached out and snatched the whip from Fang Ming Feng’s hand, as though it were the easiest thing in the world. Without hesitation, she raised her arm and snapped the whip back at him.

Crack!

The sharp crack of the whip striking flesh resounded clearly in the air. Though the sound wasn’t loud, it reverberated with such force that everyone felt as though their eardrums had been rattled.

On Fang Ming Feng’s already scarred left cheek, a fresh, crimson whip mark appeared, adding to the array of older wounds. The stark contrast of the new injury against the partially healed skin was both shocking and brutal.

A stunned silence engulfed the room. Everyone stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, frozen in disbelief.

The Duchess of Ying sprang up from her chair, completely losing her composure. She could scarcely believe that this frail-looking girl from the countryside could be so fierce and bold. Her body trembled with suppressed fury, her expression a chaotic mix of shock, disgust, anger, and pain—pain for her son, her precious son. With only one son and one daughter, both were her most cherished treasures.

Fang Ming Feng stood there wordless, his eyes locked on Gu Yan Fei with an expression of seething rage. He glared at her like a ravenous wolf fixated on its prey. The fiery sting on his face served as a painful reminder that what had just happened was no dream.

Blood trickled down Fang Ming Feng’s cheek, dripping rhythmically onto the smooth, mirror-like floor with a soft plip-plop.

Looking at his disheveled and pitiful state, Gu Yan Fei spoke with deliberate clarity, her tone cutting like a blade. “Fang Ming Feng, when it comes to status, you can’t compare to Kang Wang.”

“And as for looks…” Her gaze swept over his scarred face, the mix of old and fresh wounds creating a stark, grotesque contrast. Her lips curved into a faint smile, almost mocking, before she sighed lightly. That sigh, full of derision, was like another dagger to his heart.

Fang Ming Feng stood there, speechless, his fury boiling beneath his skin.

“What exactly are you planning to compete with Kang Wang for?” Gu Yan Fei asked, her eyes locking onto his with icy precision, each word driving straight into him like a nail.

His jaw clenched so tightly it seemed his teeth might crack. His eyes blazed with hatred, a silent accusation that screamed: This is all your fault!

“Gu Yan Fei, are you out of your mind?!” the Duchess of Ying roared, her composure utterly shattered. She was nearly shaking with rage, so furious she wished she could have Gu Yan Fei dragged out and beaten immediately. The sheer audacity—a mere girl from a declining noble family daring to whip her son!

Gu Yan Fei’s response? Without hesitation, she swung the whip again.

Crack!

Fang Ming Feng’s hairpiece was knocked loose by the whip, leaving his hair disheveled, half covering his bloodied face. Strands of hair mixed with blood clung to his skin, while a few loose locks drifted to the ground.

The Duchess of Ying clutched her chest as though struck, her face pale with fury. She barked sharply at the servants, “Why are you all just standing there? Seize her immediately!”

Two of the Fang family’s maids hesitantly stepped forward, responding to her command with obvious trepidation. They inched closer, intent on snatching the whip from Gu Yan Fei’s hands.

But they never got the chance. Another crack of the whip cut through the air, its fierce whistle forcing the two maids to stumble back in fright. Before they could recover, the whip lashed out again with a deafening snap.

Gu Yan Fei’s third strike landed squarely on Fang Ming Feng’s left calf. He let out a muffled groan of pain as his body wavered, then collapsed to the ground in an ungraceful heap.

From where he sat, Fang Ming Feng lifted his head, glaring at Gu Yan Fei from a few steps away. His eyes met hers, those dark, piercing pupils of hers gleaming with an unsettling clarity. Her gaze seemed to pierce straight through him, calm and unyielding, like an impenetrable abyss.

The soft glow of the lantern light outlined the girl’s delicate features, highlighting her exquisitely arched brows and the subtle gleam of sharpness flickering beneath her long lashes. She stood there like an unsheathed sword, her presence radiating undeniable intensity.

The servants of the Marquis’s residence stood dumbfounded, utterly stunned by the scene before them. None of them had anticipated that so many people would be unable to subdue their Second Miss.

Gu Yan Fei shifted her gaze to the Duchess of Ying. Her eyes, clear and unwavering, bore into the older woman as she asked with an icy calm, “Duchess, would you like to handle this personally?”

As she spoke, Gu Yan Fei casually flicked the whip, creating a crisp and elegant motion. The sharp snap was deliberate, part showmanship, part warning.

The Duchess of Ying froze, her words caught in her throat as her face turned pale. She didn’t dare move a muscle, her chest tightening with a mix of fear and frustration. She had no doubt that if she stepped forward, the next strike of that whip would land on her son again.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave,” Gu Yan Fei said lightly, a faint smile gracing her lips. She shrugged nonchalantly and, with a composed elegance, turned and strode out of the hall without a backward glance.

After stepping over the threshold of the hall, Gu Yan Fei casually tossed the whip aside without a second glance and walked away, her figure disappearing into the night with effortless poise.

Inside the hall, Fang Ming Feng’s heart churned with a tempest of hatred, a storm as violent as crashing waves in a midnight downpour, threatening to tear everything apart.

From the moment Gu Yan Fei’s whip landed on his face, he had come to a harsh realization: she wasn’t posturing, wasn’t playing coy. She truly had no intention of marrying him.

And it wasn’t just that. She was using him—exploiting his vulnerability. To exact her revenge on Gu Yun Rong, she had thrown all decorum aside. She cared nothing for the dignity of their two families, driven only by the desire to vent the resentment she had bottled up over the past fourteen years.

This woman wasn’t just uncouth; she was calculating and ruthless. Her actions carried an edge of reckless unpredictability, a madness that left him trampled and humiliated time and again.

He told himself he wouldn’t fall into this venomous beauty’s trap. He couldn’t let her win.

Yet, even as he repeated this to himself, his heart burned with an unbearable torment whenever he thought of Gu Yun Rong marrying Kang Wang. It was as if a searing fire had taken hold of his chest, consuming him inch by inch.