C17 A Furious Quarrel!

She never expected she could actually land a hit, and Mo Lengxi certainly didn't anticipate that this woman would have the audacity to strike him.

He initially just wanted to tease her a bit, but now... well, this is interesting!

Mo Lengxi's gaze was intense and sharp, making it hard to breathe and impossible to escape. His cold voice cut through the air like a harsh winter wind: "Lin Yueyue, are you tired of living?"

"Yeah, I'm tired of it. It's not like you haven't almost killed me before. Come on!" Lin Yueyue lifted her chin defiantly.

"You!" Mo Lengxi, infuriated, raised his hand as if to grab her neck, but paused when he saw her red, tear-filled eyes. Instead, he pushed her aside. "Get out!"

Lin Yueyue let out a pained grunt, looking down to see her palms and knees scraped. She got up from the floor and headed straight for the door...

"Damn it!" Mo Lengxi cursed under his breath. The rage he had just managed to suppress surged back with a vengeance. His handsome brow furrowed as he stood up, kicking over a set of teacups in frustration.

That damn woman! Did she really think he would let anyone see the marks he left on her?

"Someone, come here!"

"Sir, what are your orders?" A servant waiting outside entered respectfully.

"Today... no! Until I say otherwise, don't give that woman any food! And also..." He continued, like a lion on the prowl, "Wherever the house needs help, send her to work. I don't keep freeloaders."

"Yes, sir."

...

As soon as Lin Yueyue returned to her room, two servants handed her an apron and instructed her to get to work.

No need to ask; it was obviously his order. But thinking about it, with his temper, after getting slapped, of course, he'd find a way to get back at her.

She was led by the servants to the villa's garden, where the roses were in full, vibrant bloom. A gentle breeze carried their subtle fragrance to her nose.

"See those?" one of the servants pointed impatiently at the unruly branches. "Trim them off. Or else you won't get any dinner, got it?"

Yueyue nodded indifferently, knowing that the man just wanted to make her life difficult.

But...

"Aren't you giving me any tools?" she asked, puzzled, looking at the two maids.

"Tools? Do you even know what kind of roses these are to be asking for tools? These flowers can only be pruned by hand, don't you get it?" one maid snapped.

The other maid sneered, "Oh, what can she do? Someone like her, who never lifts a finger and only knows how to flirt with men, wouldn't understand these things."

"Exactly, women like her never end up well. Once they're no longer amusing, they still have to do the dirty work, right?"

Listening to their back-and-forth filled with disdain, Yueyue's brow furrowed tightly, and her small hands clenched into fists.

She really wanted to march over and slap those two maids, but then she thought, who was really responsible for all this humiliation?

Her clenched fists slowly relaxed, and she silently turned to walk toward the garden...

The sun shone brightly, casting golden rays everywhere. Under the scorching sun, it didn't take long for sweat to start pouring down.

Yueyue carefully pinched off the branches. Despite her caution, she couldn't avoid the sharp thorns of the rose bushes pricking her hands. The salty sweat seeping into the cuts made her wince in pain.

This was just the beginning, and the weather hadn't even reached its peak heat yet.

Yueyue wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and gritted her teeth, continuing to trim the branches.

Her fingers were repeatedly pricked, bright red blood dripping down. Eventually, her entire hand was covered in blood, mixed with sweat seeping into the wounds under the blazing sun. Lin Yueyue's figure swayed more and more, but she had no intention of giving in. Her fingers trembled from the pain, her vision blurred, and finally, she couldn't hold on any longer. Everything went black, and she collapsed heavily to the ground.

...

Mo Lengxi ate his lunch without tasting a thing, his irritation unrelieved. After some thought, he decided to look for Lin Yueyue. Though she could ignite his anger faster than anyone, she also had the unique ability to calm him just as quickly. However, when he pushed open the door, the room was empty.

Did she run off again?

A flash of frustration crossed his face as he turned to a nearby servant. "Where is she?"

Under his intense gaze, the servant stammered, "She should be helping in the garden."

In this heat, what could she possibly be doing in the garden? Is she just trying to find a way to escape again?

With a determined stride, he headed to the garden and immediately spotted two maids sitting in the shade, snacking on sunflower seeds. The moment they saw Mo Lengxi, they were at a loss for words.

"Where is she?" Mo Lengxi demanded coldly.

One maid nervously pointed to the most open, sun-drenched spot. "There." But when they looked, it was empty. The maid panicked, "She... she was just there, sir. Please wait, I'll go..."

Before she could finish, Mo Lengxi had already taken several steps forward and spotted Lin Yueyue lying on the ground, her clothes and hair soaked with sweat. Just that morning, despite her pale face, she had the nerve to argue and even fight with him. Yet, in just a few hours, she lay unconscious on the scorching ground.

In that moment, a surge of anger overwhelmed Mo Lengxi. "Someone, get these two women out of here and leave them in the sun for three days! Throw them out of the estate!"