Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When I woke up again, I found myself lying flat on a bed.

However, my limbs had not yet been pierced by iron needles, nor was I restrained in any way.

I just felt dizzy and nauseous.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down as quickly as possible.

It seemed the knock-out incense in the burner wasn’t particularly strong, which was why I had regained consciousness midway through.

At that moment, the sound of voices drifted in from outside.

I quickly shut my eyes.

A moment later, the door opened.

Peeking through the corners of my eyes, I saw Yuan Heng enter first.

Following behind him was a young man of similar height.

This man had a cold expression and was quite handsome, but there was a sinister, murderous aura about his eyes and brows that made one shiver instinctively.

I had seen this man a few times at the Marquis Manor.

His name was Cheng Wei, a Junior Fourth Rank Jinyiwei Garrison Commander.

He was known for being ruthless and heartless, with countless lives on his hands.

He was an orphan the Old Marquis had picked up from a battlefield, originally named Cheng Er Gou.

Pitying his solitary and helpless state, the Old Marquis had taken him in as an adopted son, renamed him Cheng Wei, given him the courtesy name Ju’an, and raised him personally.

I had heard people in the manor say that Cheng Wei and Yuan Heng were extremely close, no different from blood brothers.

Yuan Heng often called him Second Brother.

Yet others claimed that Yuan Heng never truly viewed Cheng Wei as a brother.

In Yuan Heng’s eyes, Cheng Wei was no different from any other manager in the manor to be ordered around at will.

But why was Cheng Wei here?

Could it be that he was also a part of the plot to murder me?

He was a high-ranking official of the imperial court!

I closed my eyes tight, my fists clenching.

Then, I felt the side of the bed sink slightly, as if someone had sat down.

I caught a familiar scent of jasmine and camellia-it was Yuan Heng.

His cold fingertips brushed across my face, sending a wave of goosebumps across my skin.

Yuan Heng sighed with feigned emotion. “Look at this face. Truly beautiful enough to topple empires. So pale and smooth, without a single blemish.”

Cheng Wei gave a cold snort but said nothing.

Yuan Heng chuckled. “Divine Physician Meng is too kind-hearted to do the deed. Second Brother, I’ll have to trouble you later to flay the skin from her face.”

Cheng Wei asked, “You’re not staying here to watch?”

Yuan Heng let out a yawn. “It wouldn’t be good if blood sprayed out and ruined my shoes. Regardless, she is a mere plaything in the palm of our hands; she can’t escape.”

So that was it. In my previous life, the agonizing pain in my face before I died wasn’t from being burned by fire, but… from having my skin flayed off while I was still alive!

Cheng Wei said indifferently, “You can trust my handiwork.”

Yuan Heng teased, “Of course I trust you. You are the famous Imperial Prison Bone-Scraping Blade, after all. Besides, Qing Qiu once humiliated you. This is your chance to vent some of that frustration.”

Cheng Wei’s voice carried a hint of anger. “Enough!”

I was stunned. I had only been married into the Marquis Manor for a short time and had only met Lord Cheng a handful of times. I had never even spoken a single word to him. When had I ever humiliated him?

At that moment, the bed shifted as Yuan Heng stood up.

Then came the sound of footsteps.

I peeked again and saw Yuan Heng leave.

Cheng Wei closed the door and stood with his back to me.

Suddenly, he spoke coldly, “Ye Qingqiu, you’ve been awake this whole time, haven’t you?”