Feng'er will be safe. I will kill him right now.

Chusan tactfully picked up Ji Ci's shoes, silently holding them as he stood obediently to the side.

Ji Ci stood barefoot, her eyes red, biting her lower lip.

"He is Xiao Yunjian. If he comes, Feng'er won't survive."

Dongfang Jibai hugged Ji Ci gently with a heart full of anguish, soothing her in a soft voice, "Feng'er will be fine. I will kill him right now."

"You have no idea, the system..."

Covering Ji Ci's mouth, Dongfang Jibai whispered, "I know."

Ji Ci's eyes widened, and she screamed inwardly, *'You don't know! The system says this is fate, this is unsolvable. I can't save Feng'er, I can't save Wang Feng, I can only save you. This is a fatal ending.'*

Dongfang Jibai's hand trembled slightly as he shook his head, "Leave it to your husband."

With a wave of his hand, the estate servants pulled Wang Feng and Xiao Yunjian apart. Rivals in love meeting face-to-face was a recipe for intense jealousy.

Wang Feng glared at Xiao Yunjian like a young wolf cub.

Xiao Yunjian had barely spoken a single sentence before he was beaten for the time it takes to burn two incense sticks!

He was given no opportunity to explain himself at all.

"Young lady, I just wanted to ask the young lady's name and where she lives!"

Xiao Yunjian wiped the blood from his face, smearing the blood at the corner of his mouth evenly. Though his face was bruised and battered, he remained striking.

"Shut up!" Wang Feng delivered a kick.

Dongfang Jibai looked at the onlookers surrounding them. Dragging someone back to the estate by force at this moment would likely ruin his good reputation.

He smiled and said, "My apologies, young master. My wife is young and didn't understand your intentions; she must have misunderstood. Let Xin take you to get treated right away! Why don't you accompany Xin back to the estate first?"

Xiao Yunjian was in severe pain all over, but seeing that the man seemed reasonable and was reputed to be a great philanthropist of the Northern Frontier, he lowered his guard and agreed to follow them back to the estate.

Ji Ci pouted, let out a soft huff, and turned to leave.

Dongfang Jibai blocked her path, scooped her up horizontally into his arms, and said, "Alright, don't be angry anymore. Your husband will apologize to him, go back and get some proper rest."

Many women in the crowd cast envious glances at their relationship.

The woman throws a tantrum, and the man handles it.

From beginning to end, he hadn't spoken a single harsh word.

If one were to marry, one should look for a man like this.

"Sorry to have disturbed everyone today. The Xin residence apologizes to you all. Thank you to the kind brother who came to report the news to the Xin residence; please come by later to collect a small token of our appreciation from the Xin residence, and I hope you won't disdain it."

"You are too polite, Master Xin. I was just worried your wife might be taken advantage of."

"Please, all fellow villagers, do come to the Xin residence. It is just a humble token of our gratitude."

After making the arrangements, Dongfang Jibai carried Ji Ci away.

Outside the Xin residence, chickens and ducks were soon being handed out.

One chicken per person.

The onlookers on the street and those who had helped break up the fight all received a share, while the villager who brought the news received both a chicken and a duck.

From then on, the reputation of Master Xin doting on his wife to the point of obsession spread far and wide.

Another romantic tale was added to Yanmen Pass.

Inside the estate, Xiao Yunjian was about to reason with Dongfang Jibai.

Then he saw the man wave his hand, and instantly ten figures dressed in black surrounded Xiao Yunjian.

"Don't beat him to death."

The men in black immediately set upon Xiao Yunjian with fists and kicks.

Good grief, they tricked people into their home just to murder them!

The people of Yanmen Prefecture were nothing but bandits!

That was the only profound impression Xiao Yunjian was left with.

Only when Xiao Yunjian was lying on the ground, exhaling far more than he inhaled, did Dongfang Jibai tell them to stop.

"Throw him in the dungeon, sever the tendons in his hands and feet, but make sure he doesn't die."

The men in black moved with crisp efficiency, dragging Xiao Yunjian away toward the dungeon like a dead dog.

Ji Ci was stunned. Her man truly lived up to being a major villain!

It was all handled just like that?

Then what was the worth of those precious tears she had just shed?

Should she count it as having a rich emotional life?

Barefoot, Ji Ci prepared to sneak away.

Dongfang Jibai grabbed the back of Ji Ci's collar, hoisted her over his shoulder, and strode toward the bedchamber. "Now, it's time for my wife to give me some explanations."

"Let me go! There are so many people here, don't I need any dignity?"

In the courtyard, everyone was either studying the sky or staring at the ground, stubbornly refusing to look at Ji Ci.

Zhao Qiaofeng tried to sneak away too, but Wang Feng blocked her path. His face was a patchwork of black and blue as he slurred, "Did he grope you?"

"Slap!"

A heavy blow landed squarely on Wang Feng's face.

"You're out of your mind!"

Wang Feng snatched Ji Ci's outer robe and bolted.

Chusan folded his arms, walked up to Wang Feng, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Taken a fancy to the young cousin?"

"Nonsense! Otherwise, why would she only hit me and not you?"

Wang Feng was quite pleased with himself; Feng'er hitting him must surely mean she liked him!

Chusan let out a sneer, his tongue sharp as a blade, "Because your mouth is foul!"

"You!"

Wang Feng clenched his fists, but he couldn't beat Chusan, nor could he beat Aqing!

He felt utterly defeated!

"You'll die a bachelor for the rest of your life!"

Wang Feng ached all over and desperately wanted Ji Ci to treat his injuries, but Ji Ci was hardly in any position to worry about him right now.

In the bedroom, Dongfang Jibai wiped Ji Ci's face clean and asked softly, "Tell me, why did you hit him?"

Ji Ci pouted. "He shouldn't have appeared here."

"Even so, you can't beat people in the middle of the street. You should have just put a sack over his head, dragged him into an alley, and beaten him there—even if you beat him to death, nobody would know. Now the whole city saw it, and your husband has to appease the townsfolk, otherwise they'll think we're bullying people with our power."

Dongfang Jibai patiently explained the nuances of human relations to Ji Ci.

"Then I'll drag him into my spatial dimension and beat him to death there."

Ji Ci turned to run as she spoke.

Dongfang Jibai grabbed her arm. "The townspeople all saw him enter our estate. Isn't it a bit late to kill him now?"

Ji Ci deflated. What else could she do then?

The beating had already happened!

"In a few days, I'll have Chuluo disguise himself as Xiao Yunjian and leave Pingcheng. That way, the citizens won't know we've locked him up."

Ji Ci's eyes lit up. She wrapped her arms around Dongfang Jibai's face and planted a kiss on it. "My husband is so smart."

"Say it again."

"Good things aren't repeated twice. I won't say it."

Ji Ci turned her head away, her hair still tangled with bits of weeds and dust sifting out with every shake.

Dongfang Jibai ordered water to be prepared and personally washed Ji Ci's hair and body.

Busy until evening, Ji Ci was finally released.

The moment she emerged, she went looking for Zhao Qiaofeng to retrieve her cloak.

That cloak had been bought by Dongfang Jibai. Every single piece of clothing she owned had a name, and not a single one could be missing.

"Sister-in-law, did your cousin hit you?" Zhao Qiaofeng asked worriedly, staring at the purple and red marks clustered on Ji Ci's neck.

"No, how could he ever dare hit me?"

Ji Ci tied her cloak securely, completely oblivious to how many marks the scoundrel had left on her body.

At the welcome banquet.

When Chusan saw the marks on Ji Ci's neck, his gaze darkened. They hadn't been there when he arrived earlier—had all those marks really been produced over the course of a single afternoon?

What was his master implying?

Was he warning him not to harbor thoughts about the mistress?

Was he that kind of person?!

Feeling annoyed, Chusan took a swallow of wine, convinced that his master was guarding against him, and he was displeased.

Chusan was overthinking it; Dongfang Jibai had simply been starved for too long!

He just hadn't held back in time!

Ji Ci shook her head, causing the silver bells in her hair to jingle merrily.

"Chusan, this is for you."

Ji Ci tossed a flask of spiritual spring water toward Chusan.

Chusan caught it with both hands and bowed repeatedly to Ji Ci. "Thank you for your consideration, Madam."

Dongfang Jibai felt a twinge of guilt as he looked at the marks on Ji Ci's neck. He was actually a bit worried that Ji Ci would figure out the cause and leave him starved of meat for days!

Lately, because of his frequent demands, the poison of the Phoenix Attraction had not flared up again.

However, Wang Feng's diagnosis indicated that the poison was still present; it simply amplified his desires in that area.

Releasing it on schedule prevented the poison from flaring up.

Whenever he used this excuse, Ji Ci would always give in.

The silly little fox was far too easy to trick.