C10 Chapter 10

With no control over the situation and Yunhua clearly no match for Chu Jiuge, Xiao Jing'an had only one choice if he wanted to save his family from humiliation...

“You win!” Xiao Jing'an forced the words out, eyes shut tight, each one sounding like it had been ground out between clenched teeth. “Miss Chu, I’m sorry. I was out of line today, and what I said earlier was wrong too. Please be generous and don’t hold it against me.”

For Xiao Jing'an, apologizing was worse than death. But...

Chu Jiuge’s threat was even more terrifying than an apology. Weighing the lesser of two evils, he had no choice but to say it.

“If you’d done that from the start, none of this would’ve happened.” Chu Jiuge didn’t fear powerful families down to her bones, but she understood how much influence they held. She had no desire to make an enemy of them. She only wanted to protect herself.

The moment Xiao Jing'an apologized, Chu Jiuge let go. “Young Master Xiao, remem—”

“Seize her!” The instant Xiao Jing'an was free, Yuen Yunhua barked an order to the officers nearby. They froze for a beat, then rushed forward with their spears to grab Chu Jiuge.

“Xiao Jing'an, you broke your word.” Chu Jiuge’s expression changed as she hurriedly dodged aside.

She knew people from powerful families were proud and valued their promises. Whatever they were like behind closed doors, they at least kept up the appearance of honor in public. They would never agree to something and then immediately go back on it.

She hadn’t expected she’d overestimated him.

“Don’t worry, Miss Chu. My Xiao family won’t trouble you. As for everyone else, that’s out of my hands.” Xiao Jing'an rubbed his neck, a sly smile spreading across his face.

Trying to outplay him?

Chu Jiuge was still too green.

If they didn’t teach Chu Jiuge a lesson today, people would start to think the Xiao family was easy to push around.

“Fine. My loss.” She had obviously been played, but that wasn’t really on them. It was on her for being too naive.

Chu Jiuge said nothing more. More and more officers closed in. Relying on her agility, she barely managed to evade them, but she couldn’t break through the encirclement.

Chu Jiuge wanted to fight back several times, but forced herself to hold back. These were government officers; she didn’t dare act recklessly.

As the officers’ attacks grew fiercer, Chu Jiuge was driven into an increasingly desperate retreat. Anger flared in her chest. “When Yuen Yunhua was about to claw my face up, where were you? And now you’re taking her orders to arrest me? Are you officers of the law, or lapdogs for powerful families?”

“You offended Miss Yuen and Young Master Xiao. You deserve to die.” Malice twisted the officer’s face as the tip of his spear sliced past Chu Jiuge’s arm.

A sharp pain shot through her arm. She turned her head and saw a strip of skin had been torn away.

“Miss Chu, surrender now,” the officer threatened. “Otherwise, if we accidentally kill you, your death will be for nothing.” As he spoke, the spear in his hand thrust at her again and again, every strike aimed at a vital spot.

The more Chu Jiuge dodged, the more disheveled she became. She already had scrapes and cuts all over her body.

The crowd stood off to the side, and not a single person stepped forward. Since Chu Jiuge and the others were blocking the road, they simply stayed where they were, pretending they saw nothing.

Come on—this was the eldest daughter of the Chu family, openly holding Young Master Xiao hostage in public. It was already merciful enough that the Xiao family hadn’t skinned her alive. What more could anyone expect?

The man in white who had come down from the teahouse glanced at Chu Jiuge, who was trapped by the officers and dodging in a sorry state. Then he looked up at the teahouse not far away, let out a soft laugh, and then...

He grabbed a white-haired old man and walked off.

As for whether Chu Jiuge lived or died?

Please. Her future husband didn’t even care—why should some random passerby bother?