Enduring Beyond All Limits
A deafening thunderclap, accompanied by a brilliant flash of lightning, split the sky and illuminated the dimly lit room in an instant. The scar hidden beneath her dark hair was exposed in her struggle, appearing even more grotesque and terrifying beneath the glare.
Gazing at that half-ruined face, Duan Nanyu felt only revulsion. He abruptly released Yun Xueyan and leaped from the bed. “Damn it! Why did Yun Chengyun send you as part of the dowry? Are there no other women in the Yun family?”
He dressed swiftly, but a sense of unwillingness lingered. His domineering voice rang out again, making Yun Xueyan’s newly eased heart tighten once more. “Don’t think you’ve escaped this time. I can come for you again at any moment! Your ugly face may have saved you once, but it won’t save you a second time!”
She knew he despised her appearance. But she never imagined he would refuse to let her go because of it.
“If Your Highness finds me so repulsive, why bother subjecting yourself to this? Would it not be better to let me live or die on my own, without being forced to look at this face?” Yun Xueyan’s voice was as light as a spring breeze, yet trembled uncontrollably.
For she saw that Duan Nanyu’s eyes were now fixed on her with a chilling coldness—devoid of any feeling, like a whirlpool threatening to draw her in, from which there was no escape.
She backed away in fear, clutching the quilt tightly around herself, stubbornly meeting his terrifying gaze. A shiver ran through her.
“What did you just say!” he spat each word through gritted teeth, striding over to seize her chin in a brutal grip, his piercing stare as though it might devour her whole.
Her petite frame trembled uncontrollably, but she dared not flinch. Eyes wide open, she watched his face draw nearer; she longed to turn away, but it was as if she were under a spell and could not move.
“Know this, Yun Xueyan: never dream of leaving my manor as long as you live. Even if you die, you’ll die here. Yin’er told me not to neglect you, since you married alongside her—but do not mistake that for my favor!”
His icy words pierced her to the core. She found it laughable—her proud and lofty elder sister, putting in a good word for her?
The cruellest ridicule she ever endured in the Prime Minister’s household came from Yun Xiyin herself!
To hear such words from Duan Nanyu’s lips now was, to Yun Xueyan, the greatest joke she had ever heard.
“Your Highness, I am too lowly to deserve your favor. Please accept my gratitude for the princess’s kindness,” she managed to say, her voice quivering with a courage she could not name.
His expression only grew colder. His hold on her chin tightened, forcing a cry of pain from her lips.
“Reckless creature! You don’t know what’s good for you.” His eyes glinted with disdain as he sneered, “Not that there’s any face left worth saving!”
The words struck deep in Yun Xueyan’s heart, pain radiating outward.
She bit her lip in silent endurance, her mouth curving into a faint, bitter smile. She knew she must survive in this manor. For her mother’s sake, she could not die. If she could not die, then she must fight to live.
She struggled in vain to break free from Duan Nanyu’s grasp. Left with no choice, she shifted slightly, her clear, beautiful eyes fixed on him, her voice humble: “Your Highness, it is late. Please, go and rest in the princess’s chambers.”
With a furious gesture, Duan Nanyu flung her aside. A dull thud sounded. He left without a backward glance, and only when his figure had vanished did Yun Xueyan manage to sit up, touching the sticky wetness on her forehead with a bitter smile.
She would never be able to control her own fate...
Another deep roll of thunder, mingled with the pounding of rain, descended from the heavens. Yun Xueyan wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, her gaze blank as she stared into the darkness above. Tonight had truly filled her with fear.