Liu Xin Yang studied the pair of jumping clowns in front of him with annoyance. An instinct to cut them to pieces entered his mind. He took a steady step and wanted to act on it but a tender touch stopped his movement. He looked down and saw Li Jing's soft fingers patting his hand that held her wrist.
The red haze that began to cover his eyes dissipated in that instant when her warm hand landed on his leather-gloved hand. Even between the layer of leather, Liu Xin Yang could still detect the heat coming from her hand alone. How much more if he let her touch all of him? Will the agonizing coldness he had been suffering from finally disappear?
Li Jing looked at the unpredictable man before her under her lashes. "Lord Liu, my sister is pregnant it wouldn't be good for her to kneel for such a long period. Please forgive her, she's always been a sensible girl but like what brother-in-law said, she been stressed out lately, she didn't mean what she said a while ago." She still had plans for the two clowns and it wouldn't be fun if they die so easily.
Liu Xin Yang looked at her for a while. Checking what was true and not true from her statement. From the very first sentence he heard from Guo Yiyi's mouth; he had discovered that there's bad blood between the two. But it seems like only this Guo Yiyi girl had animosity towards her sister while all the other had done was defend and protect herself.
Liu Xin Yang threw a distasteful glance at Guo Yiyi. How can a woman like her hate this pure, saintly one in his arms? Looking at Li Jing's eyes that seem to hold a constellation of bright stars on them, on her innocent face, and on her body that tempted a man's instinctual drive to protect, Li Xin Yang thought that only a lunatic would hate her so.
Liu Xin Yang waved a hand at the kneeling pair. "Get out of my sight."
The pair hastily stood and was about to run away when Li Jing's next word drained their face of any color.
"But Lord Liu, how can I put this grievance in my heart. I am accused of harming someone and it's my future sister-in-law of all people. What would others say when they knew of this accident? Oh, they would surely condemn me." Li Jing sobbed, her eyes watering a bit from the injustice she felt.
Hua Mei: Why are you the one feeling aggrieved when you're the culprit, Milady?
Li Jing: Shut up.
Seeing an upset Li Jing made Liu Xin Yang's frozen heart crack a bit. "Then what does Li Jing want to do? Tell me and consider it done." Liu Xin Yang said, his tone deep and gentle.
Li Jing lowered her head, looking like a bullied kitten. "I want to clear my name, My Lord."
"How can this Lord help clear your name?"
"My father- my father is a good man, Lord Liu. He has been fair in dealing with many things. Except…" Li Jing fearfully glanced at Guo Yiyi.
"Go on, this Lord is here. I can protect you." Liu Xin Yang caught that fearful glance and he wanted to tear the other woman to shreds.
"Except when dealing with both of us sisters. When both of us have an argument or unforeseen accidents my sister would always get off scot-free while I- I'm always the one who gets the end of the stick."
Liu Xin Yang got her point. It means that Li Jing has been bullied by this sister of hers and her father had turned a blind eye to it and still punished her.
Guo Yiyi, realizing the meaning of her words, "Sister!" Does Guo Li Jing want to see my head roll on the ground?
Li Jing continued with tears in her eyes. "If father knew of this accident, seeing that the beloved daughter of the Zhang was involved, I'm afraid, this time might not only end in me kneeling at the Ancestral Hall for three days without food."
The rage inside Liu Xin Yang bubbled up. He wanted the chop the two people in front of him into tiny pieces and fed them to the dogs. Zhang Yong was dragged into the mess as well because of affinity.
Guo Yiyi thought she's done. She's done. She'll be surely killed by the Bloody Xin!
Guo Li Jing tugged at Liu Xin Yang's hand. "Lord Liu, what should I do?"
The hand that held Li Jing's squeezed her a bit. "Be at ease. No one, not even your family nor the Zhang's can touch a strand of your hair now that I'm here."
"But my sister might tell father…"
Guo Yiyi screamed in her head, Stop it! Stop acting you scheming woman, do you want to see my head roll on the ground?!
"Then, you." Liu Xin Yang pointed at one of the women from the crowd. "Tell Adviser Guo and your parents to come to the Guo Assembly Hall in ten minutes. If I don't see them there, consider your family line finished."
And with Lord Liu's words, another wave of pandemonium ensued.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The heavy atmosphere inside the Assembly Hall of the Guo property was too thick you could cut it with a butter knife.
The whole Guo family is present as well as the parents of the daughters present on the meadow. The Zhang parents were ordered to appear, they were first bewildered as to why Lord Liu would summon them in someone else property and was somewhat fearful. There were past accounts where some poor soul would be summoned by this Lord, they would enter alive but a few moments later some lackeys could be seen carrying a body bag out.
They looked on to their daughter at the side but Feng Yi had kept her mouth shut, head bowed down in humiliation. They also notice the ambiguous look they are getting from the ladies of the other families present and felt even more apprehensive in their hearts.
Everyone was at the edge of their seats. Stealing glances at the man who occupied Adviser Guo's seat at the dais. Having a position higher than adviser Guo gave that right.
No seats were made available for anyone so they could only endure the numbness in the soles of their feet. They had rushed there as fast as they could once their heard Lord Liu's threat and was left standing on the side for more than an hour. Being resentful at heart, they cast a furtive glance
With bowed heads, they discreetly took a careful glance at the woman sitting beside Lord Liu. Isn't that the bastard child of Adviser Guo? What is she doing beside the Lord?
After a while, Shen Ru appeared and whispered something to Lord Liu's ears which made the other smile a smile so sinister but were soon gone as he took a glance at the woman beside him.
"Do you want something to drink before we start?" he asked, his head lowered towards her.
Li Jing bowed her head shyly, "Tea will do, My Lord."
Liu Xin Yang ordered for tea to be brought over, "Anything else?" he said looking rather intimate at Li Jing's shy face.
Li Jing cast a glance at the crowd before them nervously. "Lord Liu, it seems that you've misunderstood me. I only wanted for you to explain what truly happened in the meadow to my father. Though I'm grateful to you for defending my honor but isn't this a bit too excessive?"
Liu Xin Yang gave the crowd a brief scan before his eyes landed on the woman beside him. "Li Jing, if someone is courting death then you should give them what they deserve. If someone wronged you, you only have to tell me who, and I'll give you justice. Remember to not be too forgiving or else people will exploit your goodwill."
Li Jing still felt uncomfortable being the center of all the drama. Her worries could not escape Liu Xin Yang's discerning eyes and he whispered to her ear, his tone became gentle, "Don't worry. This time, I'm only killing the chicken to scare the monkey. Besides, being excessive is my forte."
Li Jing picked up a cup of tea to hide the blooming smile on her lips. You call this killing the chicken to scare the monkey?
Liu Xin Yang leaned on his chair like an Emperor languidly sitting on his throne looking at his people below, "I think everyone is here."
Everyone present wanted to cough up blood. We were all here for an hour now, My Lord!
Everyone was startled when men in a black suit surrounded the Assembly sealing all exit routes. Their heart bottomed out.
"Well then," A smile so ominous bloomed in Liu Xin Yang's face.
"Let's begin the slaughter party."
Someone from the crowd fainted.