A dark interrogation room.

Song Yanqing clenched his teeth so hard, it seemed as if he bit through the skin of his lips, struggling to stifle his own screams.

His body was in so much pain, he was almost on the verge of passing out.

Xie Ruotong watched Song Yanqing’s intense suffering with an indifferent face.

She herself naturally had endured such pain.

As an assassin, she went without saying, having suffered all too much.

Back then, at the Song Residence, she had also been treated this way by Xie Ruilin.

Even now, the memory was vivid.

Every thought of Xie Ruilin.

Xie Ruotong commanded coldly, "Bring out Xie Ruilin."

"Yes," the prison guard replied respectfully.

At this moment, Song Yanqing was in the extremity of pain.

He was completely deaf to the voice of Xie Ruotong.

Until.

A female voice suddenly broke down in a loud cry, "Brother Yanqing, Brother Yanqing..."

Such a screaming voice also carried heart-rending sobs.

She could not accept that Song Yanqing was being tortured by Xie Ruotong in this manner.

The once graceful young master was now turned into such a hideous and unbearable sight.

She scarcely dared to acknowledge that the wretched man before her was Song Yanqing.

He had always been, clean and refined, handsome and suave.

How could he, be now like this, so utterly fallen.

Song Yanqing, hearing the weeping, finally lifted his head.

Just to see Xie Ruilin manacled by the prison guard, also bound to the rack just like himself.

After being tied up, Xie Ruilin writhed ceaselessly, yelling, "Let me go, let me go, Xie Ruotong, release me!"

Xie Ruotong looked at Xie Ruilin’s agitation.

Without a word.

Just watching coldly.

Until Xie Ruilin felt that in Xie Ruotong’s eyes, she did not even amount to an ant.

Whatever she did now, seemed to Xie Ruotong like nothing but a joke.

Xie Ruilin quieted down herself.

She shouted at Xie Ruotong, "What on earth do you want, if you’re going to kill me, just do it, I never thought I’d leave your hands alive!"

"Compared to Song Yanqing, you’re still quite spirited," Xie Ruotong remarked, sitting on the chair with a face full of sarcasm.

Xie Ruilin could not help but struggle again.

Her wrists and ankles bound tight with iron chains, her resistance only caused her more pain.

"What have you done to Song Yanqing!" Xie Ruilin looked at Song Yanqing’s condition and collapsed.

"Can’t you tell?"

"Come at me if there’s something you want!" Xie Ruilin bellowed, "It’s me you hate, it was me who took Song Yanqing away from you, do whatever you want to me, kill or mutilate, it’s got nothing to do with Song Yanqing!"

"Rest assured, the reason you weren’t tortured last night is not because I decided to let you go, but rather, so that, you could witness your own miserable state," said Xie Ruotong, her voice neither warm nor cold.

These words sent Xie Ruilin into a panic.

She stared wide-eyed at Xie Ruotong.

"Xie Ruilin, do you remember how you tortured me last time at the Song Family?" Xie Ruotong asked Xie Ruilin.

Xie Ruilin’s heart skipped a beat.

"If you don’t remember, it’s okay, I’ll make sure you will," Xie Ruotong’s eyes tightened, her voice ice-cold, "Bring in the whip!"

"Xie Ruotong, just kill me, just kill me!" cried Xie Ruilin, terrified.

She looked in fear at the prison guard coming towards her, carrying a black scourge whip with hooked barbs.

She trembled with fright.

This lash.

Was certainly going to tear flesh and rend skin.

"Xie Ruotong, just kill me, just... Ah!" Xie Ruilin cried out in pain.

A whip came cracking down.

She screamed incessantly in agony.

She simply couldn’t bear it, this pain.

"Xie Ruotong, come at me instead." Song Yanqing suddenly spoke up.

The horsewhip had only struck Xie Ruilin once before Song Yanqing couldn’t restrain himself anymore?!

Xie Ruotong gestured to the prison guard.

The prison guard ceased his blows.

Xie Ruilin continued to weep uncontrollably in pain.

Xie Ruotong asked, "Does it hurt your heart?"

Song Yanqing gave no reply.

"I don’t have to beat her. You just tell me the whereabouts of the Prince of Chu and I will stop tormenting her," Xie Ruotong negotiated.

"I don’t know the whereabouts of the Prince of Chu," Song Yanqing said, looking straight at Xie Ruotong.

Xie Ruotong’s eyes turned cold.

She ordered the prison guard in a chilly voice, "Continue the punishment!"

"Yes."

Following the order, the guard lashed out with the whip, raining down blow after cruel blow upon Xie Ruilin.

Xie Ruilin had hardly suffered any hardships since she was a child.

She absolutely couldn’t endure this.

Her pain was heartrending.

She called out again and again for Song Yanqing, "Brother Yanqing, save me, Brother Yanqing, save me..."

Song Yanqing just watched as Xie Ruotong tortured Xie Ruilin.

A brutal torture.

Not a flicker of emotion crossed Xie Ruotong’s face.

However, the hatred in her eyes was clear to see.

"Xie Ruotong, there’s no need to vent your anger on someone who doesn’t matter," Song Yanqing mustered all his strength to say so clearly.

"So you really think that by killing my grandmother, everything can be written off?" Xie Ruotong asked Song Yanqing.

"Your grandmother died in an accident," Song Yanqing forcefully stated.

"Song Yanqing, I always thought you were indifferent to me because you had no feelings for me; being cold-blooded and ruthless towards me is understandable—that’s just human nature. I could understand. So even though you and Xie Ruilin did what you did to me... I blamed my wishful thinking and thought I deserved it. I believed that even though you didn’t like me, I could still live a well-behaved life by your side for the rest of my life, and maybe even move you someday..." Xie Ruotong spoke with a lightness as if the past didn’t hold much significance, "Not being able to make you like me is indeed not your fault, nor is it Xie Ruilin’s." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Song Yanqing’s Adam’s apple moved.

No one noticed the agonized expression hidden behind his bloodstained face.

"But Song Yanqing, I always thought you were a straightforward person, who would admit to what you’ve done. Is it for Xie Ruilin’s sake that your life no longer has any bottom line? That even your humanity can be discarded?!" Xie Ruotong accused.

Song Yanqing, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, said, "I will admit to what I have done, but I did not kill your grandmother!"

"Heh." Xie Ruotong scoffed, "Song Yanqing, I’ve always known you’re smart, so you’re well aware that once you admit to killing my grandmother, there will be no more chances for your survival."

"Whether or not I killed your grandmother, I have no chance of survival," Song Yanqing was very clear.

There’s no way he could live.

From the moment the Prince of Chu fell from grace, there was no chance for him to survive.

It’s just about whether the end comes swiftly or not!

At this point, he has no thoughts of pleading for himself or offering explanations.

Whatever the reason, the harm has been done to Xie Ruotong.

He didn’t expect forgiveness.

Nor did he need it.

But for the things he had not done, he didn’t want Xie Ruotong to misunderstand.

Admit it then.

Even knowing that Xie Ruotong no longer had any feelings for him, he selfishly didn’t want her to hate him that much.

If possible.

After his death, he would hope that when Xie Ruotong suddenly remembered him, she could visit his grave, maybe once a year or every other year.

For this life, that would be enough.