[Trigger Warning: Mentions of s*ic*de. Read at your own discretion.]
If his words made any sense, then he truly loved her and hurt her against his will. For a moment, Xiaoling even wondered if he was coerced into hurting her. The Goddess of Marriage was a powerful figure—a mother equivalent to Hou Hai. It would make sense if he blamed his behavior on the Goddess' coercion.
Her silence made him chortle, "Are you thinking why don't I just let you live? Would you want to live with me? Be honest."
That was true. He was insufferable no matter how he treated her. He had already done so much to her that she dared not take chances. She shook her head in response, fearing that uttering the same words would cost another innocent life.
He smiled at her response. It confused her. If his goal was for her to end herself, why was he being nice to her now? He wasn't all that genuine, though, since the base of the request was threats.
