"Third Young Master, shall I find Yan Su to give you some medicine?" Feiyu spoke uneasily. He heard that the medicine was intense, and the fact that Third Young Master was still showing feverish symptoms proved it was potent indeed.

Third Young Master Jun leafed through a book in cold silence.

"No need."

"I can prepare some ice to cool you down." He was even more anxious because Third Young Master was angry, reprimanding him. This cold indifference was more distressing.

"No need."

Feiyu guiltily knelt halfway to the ground, "Third Young Master, I’m sorry. I know what happened tonight was my fault. You can punish me as you see fit, but don’t do this to yourself! Let me fetch Yan Su!"

"Feiyu, do you know what makes a strong man? It’s the ability to endure what ordinary people can’t, conquer desires nobody can resist, and overcome difficulties that others find insurmountable. Strength lies in willpower. Tonight, you have presented me with a great test. If I can’t even conquer my own desires, how can I ever achieve anything significant? Nobody dies from this."

Third Young Master Jun wore a bitter smirk on his face.

"At the very least, when I encounter traps set by those I trust in the future, I won’t be caught off-guard."

"Third Young Master..." Feiyu wore a pained expression, "I’m sorry, I have betrayed your trust."

"My principle is clear: mistakes entail consequences. The gun’s on the table. You know what to do." Cold words fell from above.

Feiyu dropped his head, straining every muscle in his back, biting his lips in agony.

Then he resolutely lifted his head.

"I understand. It was my right hand that brought the teacup."

He stood up, walked over to the desk, and gazed at the gun lying there. His hand trembled for a second, but he still picked up the gun, aimed it at the palm of his right hand, and closed his eyes.

He released the safety catch and pulled the trigger.

The sound of an empty gun echoed.

Feiyu opened his eyes in astonishment, seeing the unloaded gun in his hand, and bewilderedly glanced at the Third Young Master.

"Third Young Master..."

"This time it was an empty gun, next time there’ll be a bullet. You get that? This is the only chance I’m giving you!"

"Thank you, Third Young Master." Feiyu teared up with gratitude. He had assumed that the Third Young Master would never use him again.

Because Third Young Master’s rule was: If you fail me once, you will never have the opportunity again. But he was giving me another chance. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"You may leave now."

After Feiyu had left, Third Young Master Jun calmly continued to read, enduring the stimulating effects of the medication and its discomfort. Sweat dripped from his forehead, soaking his clothes, yet his body hadn’t moved all while.

Until dawn came.

"So it’s just like that," he sniffed disdainfully before finally closing his eyes.

What if it was a woman that he held in high esteem last night, could my prideful self-discipline have handled it as well?

...

Yuan Jiayin had spent the entire night without sleep, frantically reaching out to the media and various PR firms, doing everything in her power to block the news about her.

Initially, it seemed to work. Given the Shang Family’s reputation, most television networks ceased their broadcasts. Online rumors and gossip were deleted in huge numbers.

However, somehow the situation reversed. The more posts were deleted online, the more seemed to appear. They were being spread all over, and despite attempts to remove them, they were endless. It drove her to panic.

"It must be Ye Lu, that sneaky bitch, stirring things up online," she thought, feeling a deep-seated hatred.

Just after their marriage announcement, she was the most admired and envied woman in the spotlight. But now, people are ridiculing and mocking her.

Her phone was being overrun by calls from the media, and reporters were lined up outside her door, eager for an interview. She was so scared that she hid in her villa, not daring to step outside.

All this was because of Ye Lu, she thought. I will never forgive her for doing this to me.