SGEIRS -Chapter 174 He Wants Her Dead

Gu Jingxi froze for a moment when he saw the three of them. He knew the young lady was at Lingyun Temple, but he hadn’t expected to run into Hua Lingxiao here—and even less that she would be taken hostage. His gaze swept over Hua Lingxiao before settling on her.

A cold blade lay across her slender neck, glinting with sharp light. Her little face was deathly pale, her eyes full of fear as she looked at him helplessly. That frightened, vulnerable expression made his heart tighten.

When Hua Lingxiao heard Ningdong’s words, he suddenly became excited. He lowered his head to look at the young married woman he had casually taken hostage. A flash of amazement rose in his eyes. He reached out and stroked Meng Jinyao’s fair, delicate cheek, chuckling lewdly.

“So you’re Lord Gu’s wife? A rare beauty indeed. What a pity you married such a useless man. Little beauty, why don’t you follow me instead?”

As soon as he spoke, everyone’s expression changed.

Meng Jinyao frowned. When that slightly cool hand brushed her cheek, disgust surged in her heart, but she didn’t dare move. If she so much as twitched, the blade would cut her throat.

Gu Jingxi’s face darkened. “Let her go.”

“Let her go?” Hua Lingxiao laughed wickedly. “I was planning to, but since she’s your wife, there’s no way I’m letting her go. I wonder how Lord Gu’s wife tastes. Since you’re useless, I’ll try her first for you.”

The constables wished they had never heard such words. How could they dare listen to this? If Lord Gu blamed them later, what would they do? Of all people, this flower-stealing rogue had to kidnap the temple minister’s wife.

Meng Jinyao’s face turned pale, then flushed. She had never been teased so shamelessly before. Her mind raced, and she suddenly said: “You’re Young Master Hua, right? I’ll go with you.”

Gu Jingxi frowned at once, clearly disapproving.

Hua Lingxiao paused in surprise. He gently pinched her smooth, jade-like cheek and teased, “Little beauty, are you giving up on your husband?”

Disgust churned in Meng Jinyao’s heart, but she remained calm.

“Hmph. I stopped wanting him long ago. He’s almost as old as my father and lectures me every day. I married a husband, not a tutor.”

Hua Lingxiao chuckled. “Seems Lord Gu is not only useless, but also boring.”

Gu Jingxi looked at her deeply. “Madam, don’t mess around.”

Meng Jinyao acted like a willful young wife, snapping angrily, “Who’s messing around? I even hid in the temple to avoid you, and I still ran into you. How unlucky!”

Then she turned to Hua Lingxiao and said stubbornly, “Didn’t you want to take me away? Let’s go now.”

Seeing Gu Jingxi’s ugly expression, Hua Lingxiao’s smile grew wider. “Fine, fine. Whatever the beauty says.”

Meng Jinyao smiled in satisfaction and ordered, “Husband, prepare a horse for us. After I leave, don’t bother saving me. Let’s divorce. I’m sick of seeing you.”

The constables were stunned. They never imagined Lord Gu’s wife would abandon him and run off with a flower thief.

One constable urged anxiously, “Madam, even if you’re angry with Lord Gu, you can’t be so willful. Hua Lingxiao is a notorious rogue. If you go with him, the consequences will be terrible.”

Meng Jinyao ignored him. “So what if he’s a rogue? As long as he wants me, I’ll go with him. If you dare want me, I’ll go with you too.”

Before her words even fell, Gu Jingxi said coldly, “Let them go. Prepare a horse.”

The constables looked at each other in dismay.

Someone suggested hesitantly, “My lord, now that Madam is on his side, why not—”

“Who dares touch them?” Gu Jingxi cut in sharply. His piercing gaze swept over them. “Prepare the horse!”

No one dared disobey.

A constable said, “My lord, horses can’t enter the temple. How about at the main gate?”

Meng Jinyao asked softly, “Young Master Hua, shall we go to the gate?”

Hua Lingxiao glanced at Gu Jingxi, who was staring at them with a dark face, and found it thrilling.

He laughed. “All according to the beauty.”

Still holding her hostage, he walked step by step toward the gate, the blade never leaving her neck.

As long as he had her, Gu Jingxi wouldn’t dare act rashly. Though he was injured and should have been unable to escape, heaven had unexpectedly favored him.

Gu Jingxi led the constables after them, neither too close nor too far. Qingqiu and Ningdong followed as well.

When they were about to reach the wishing pool, Meng Jinyao discreetly pointed at it and blinked at Gu Jingxi.

He frowned and subtly shook his head.

She blinked again, seeking his approval.

He still refused.

Pouting, Meng Jinyao blinked once more—then acted on her own.

When Hua Lingxiao relaxed slightly and the sword no longer pressed tightly against her neck, they passed by the wishing pool. She suddenly used all her strength to shove his wrist away and slammed her arm into the wound on his chest.

He groaned in pain and instinctively released her arm to clutch his injury.

She tried to rush forward and jump into the pool.

But reality was cruel.

In her panic, her left foot tripped over her right, and she fell flat on the ground.

Hua Lingxiao reacted instantly. “Bitch! You dared trick me?!”

Enraged, he abandoned her as a hostage, raised his sword, and stabbed viciously toward her back, aiming straight for her vital spot—determined to take her life with one blow.

Qingqiu and Ningdong were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They cried out in alarm, “Madam!”