That should be your lover instead.

Qi Eryiu was terrified.

What on earth was going on! Hadn't Yu Jingxiao just said that he would believe her? Only a short while had passed, so why had things turned out like this!

Could it be that that bitch Lin Sangqian had said something to him again behind her back?

Qi Eryiu wished she could immediately tear Lin Sangqian to pieces.

"Jingxiao, what's wrong with you?" Qi Eryiu put on a pitiful and delicate expression once more.

"Don't make that face," Yu Jingxiao said with disgust. "It's truly sickening."

Qi Eryiu stared at him in shock.

Yu Jingxiao actually said she was sickening?

Was the person standing in front of her really Yu Jingxiao? She found it hard to believe!

What on earth had just happened!

"Jingxiao! What is going on? Did I do something wrong again to make you unhappy? Or have you been listening to someone gossiping about me behind my back?"

As she spoke, Qi Eryiu glanced at Lin Sangqian, the implication in her words self-evident.

Lin Sangqian smiled.

Just as she was about to speak, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out: "Oh my, isn't this Eryiu! Long time no see! How have you been lately? Judging by your appearance, you must be a wealthy lady by now!"

Before Qi Eryiu could react, the madam of the Chunxi Brothel had already rushed up to her, grasped her hands, and said affectionately.

Earlier, thinking the courtyard looked pleasant, the madam had wandered off to the side to take a look around.

As soon as she returned, she caught sight of Qi Eryiu.

Being naturally warm and enthusiastic, she naturally came over to greet her.

The moment Qi Eryiu saw her, her eyes widened abruptly, and all the color drained from her face in an instant.

The madam of the Chunxi Brothel!

Why was she here!

Could it be that she had already told Yu Jingxiao everything?

Was that why Yu Jingxiao's attitude toward her had suddenly changed so drastically!

"W-Who are you!" Qi Eryiu hurriedly shook off the woman's hands and said in panic, "I don't know you!"

The madam was stunned for a moment, then said with displeasure, "Qi Eryiu, what do you mean by this? Now that you've made it big, you can pretend not to know an old friend, is that it? If I hadn't taken you in at Chunxi Brothel back then, wouldn't you have been eating chaff and drinking thin gruel all those years? When drinking water, one must not forget the person who dug the well!"

"Stop talking, I really don't know you, and I have no idea what you're talking about!" Qi Eryiu was on the verge of tears.

"What's your problem? I didn't even ask you for money, I just wanted to reminisce a little, do you have to be like this?" The madam grew angry, then rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a piece of paper.

"What is that?" Lin Sangqian asked.

"It's the contract Qi Eryiu signed when she first came to our Chunxi Brothel! We agreed back then that she would get sixty percent of her earnings and I would take forty. I treated her so well, yet she actually pretends not to know me! Look, her signature and handprint are right on it!"

As the madam spoke, she walked toward Lin Sangqian and the others, too fast for Qi Eryiu to stop her.

Besides, she was so terrified now that her feet seemed glued to the ground.

Yu Jingxiao took the document, and when he saw the signature upon it, he smiled.

He was naturally familiar with Qi Eryiu's handwriting.

This was indeed Qi Eryiu's own personal signature.

It was written on the paper that Qi Eryiu voluntarily stayed at the Chunxi Brothel to sell both her artistry and her body, though she was allowed to leave at any time, which made this document different from a standard deed of enslavement.

Had she only left the Chunxi Brothel because she had set her sights on him?

And he had actually taken the bait.

How laughable.

"Qi Eryiu, what else do you have to say for yourself now!" Yu Jingxiao hurled the document directly into her face.

"Jingxiao, listen to me!" Qi Eryiu lunged toward him, but Yu Jingxiao retreated repeatedly.

Right now, he truly didn't want this woman to touch him; he found her utterly repulsive!

Qi Eryiu simply dropped to her knees right in front of Yu Jingxiao, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Jingxiao, I really didn't, I didn't! Don't listen to their slanders, I don't know this woman at all, they must have brought her here to frame me! And as for this document thing, I, I have no idea what it's about either, Lin Sangqian must have forged it! She is nothing but a bitch!"

As soon as her voice fell, something unknown struck her forcefully in the chest.

Qi Eryiu's expression changed, and the next second, she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Lin Sangqian paused in surprise and turned to look, while Yu Jingxiao also looked somewhat astonished.

Only Guan Yanqing stared at Qi Eryiu with a gloomy expression.

"Don't mention Miss Lin, you are not worthy," Guan Yanqing said coldly. "If I hear your foul mouth speak ill of her again, I will take your life on the spot."

Qi Eryiu shrank her neck in fear, but still didn't forget to explain to Yu Jingxiao: "You have to believe me..."

"Enough!" Yu Jingxiao shouted angrily. "Qi Eryiu, from this moment on, I will not believe a single word you say!"

"Hmph, serving you right for pretending not to know me, getting your retribution now, aren't you?" the madam gloated from the sidelines. "You clearly sold your body in the Chunxi Brothel, so stop quibbling. Some of the patrons you entertained back then still visit the brothel often—should I invite a few of them over?"

"You!" Qi Eryiu glared at her with furious eyes.

This madam was deliberately making things difficult for her!

It was over, everything was completely over now!

Cold sweat trickled down Qi Eryiu's forehead. Her eyes darted around, and she began to cry again: "Jingxiao, I know I'm not worthy of you, and my background is humble, but I truly had no choice back then! Actually, I wasn't willing, I was forced into it by my older brother! If I hadn't gone, he would have beaten me to death!"

Yu Jingxiao let out a sneering laugh, too lazy to even speak another word to her.

"Jingxiao, everything I said is true! Later on, when I met you, I made up my mind that I had to leave the pleasure house! I didn't want to hide it from you either, but I loved you too much, and I was afraid you would despise me... Jingxiao, you love me too, don't you? Those were all things of the past, the most important thing is our future! Ever since I've been with you, my heart and soul have been entirely yours, and I have never done anything to wrong you!"

"Qi Eryiu, don't you fear being struck by lightning when you say such words?"

A stern shout rang out, and when everyone turned to look, they saw that Kang Ya had arrived at some point.

Following closely behind her were several manservants, dragging a man who had been beaten black and blue.

With a wave of Kang Ya's hand, the man was tossed right beside Qi Eryiu.

Qi Eryiu turned her head to look, and suffered another jolt of terror.

Qi Tong!

How could he...

"Madam Kang, what is the meaning of this? Why have you beaten my brother like this?" Qi Eryiu tearfully demanded.

"Your brother?" Kang Ya sneered. "In my opinion, he should be your lover instead!"

Qi Tong knelt beside Qi Eryiu, trembling violently; he had truly been beaten into submission out of terror.

"What do you mean!" Qi Eryiu trembled with fright as well. "He is my brother! How can you say such a thing!"

"Qi Eryiu, stop putting up an act. He has confessed to everything between the two of you—you two have no blood relation at all!"