TSWRLM -Chapter 97 Saying “No” Now Is Too Late!

Useless bunch!

The news of Chun Xi’s failed abduction had been sent back to the capital by pigeon post. Wei Lingze was so furious that he threw his finest inkstone to the ground, shattering it to pieces.

He had assumed Mo Yunwan had some ability to put Shen Qingyuan in a difficult position. Coupled with Liang Weimin—a stubborn, immovable obstacle—Shen Qingyuan would be overwhelmed in Xuzhou. Inciting the locals to create chaos and abduct Chun Xi should have been an easy task.

Yet it had failed again. Not only that, Shen Qingyuan had traced it directly back to the Wei family.

Although Wei Lingze hadn’t personally appeared—technically it was his subordinates acting on their own—this second failure still infuriated him.

He wanted Chun Xi back under his control as soon as possible, and he wanted to watch Shen Qingyuan be toyed with, yet all he felt now was frustration.

Wei Lingze gritted his teeth. Just as he didn’t know how to vent, a knock sounded on the study door. Xiao Qinghe’s gentle voice came through: “Wei Lang, I had the kitchen make some mung bean soup. Do you want some?”

“Come in.”

Wei Lingze responded heavily. Xiao Qinghe pushed the door open and saw the broken inkstone shards on the floor, her eyelids twitching slightly.

She had come at an inopportune moment.

Though Chun Xi had left Hanjing with Shen Qingyuan, the relationship between Xiao Qinghe and Wei Lingze still wasn’t harmonious.

She didn’t dare ask what was troubling him. Setting down the soup, she tried to leave. Just as she stepped forward, Wei Lingze wrapped an arm around her waist from behind, pressing his body against hers.

It was hot, and even through clothing, Xiao Qinghe could feel his burning heat.

She didn’t feel shy—only terrified.

Wei Lingze had always been rough in matters of intimacy, never considering her feelings. From their wedding night until now, every encounter had only caused her pain.

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave, my wife?”

Wei Lingze murmured close to her neck and shoulder, hot, wet breath against her skin. His intent was obvious; Xiao Qinghe’s hairs stood on end.

She pressed her lips together, trying to speak calmly: “Husband… Mother has something she wants to discuss with me.”

“My mother knows that being here with me won’t make me blame you.”

He tightened his arms and his hands became restless.

Today, Mu Xiu was unusually home, and Xiao Qinghe had indeed wanted to ease tensions. But she hadn’t intended to use this method—especially in the study.

It made her feel less like a wife and more like a toy to be used at will.

Humiliation rose in her chest. She grabbed Wei Lingze’s hands, speaking sharply to warn him: “Husband, do not indulge in lewdness during the day!”

In the past, as long as she refused, Wei Lingze would stop, then sulk for a few days. But today he insisted, refusing to stop. Instead, he flipped her onto the desk facing him, curling his lips: “My wife, couples need passion. Always the same, and it becomes dull, doesn’t it?”

The words carried subtle implications—perhaps about marital intimacy, perhaps about her as a person.

Their strength disparity was immense. Wei Lingze had already parted her skirt; just as he leaned down to kiss her, Xiao Qinghe slapped him.

Her whole palm tingled, her eyes red, her body trembling.

She stared at Wei Lingze, speaking each word clearly: “I do not consent. You cannot force me.”

Though she had used all her strength, it was far weaker than Chun Xi’s.

Wei Lingze pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek. He did not calm down—instead, the thought of Chun Xi sparked a hidden excitement.

When he reclaimed Chun Xi, he would make her pay back that slap.

Thinking this, Wei Lingze lifted Xiao Qinghe onto the desk, aggressively closing in.

The feeling of not touching the ground unnerved her. She tried to resist, but Wei Lingze grabbed both her hands and raised them above her head.

The complete lack of respect and fear drove Xiao Qinghe to tears. She shouted: “Wei Lingze, you bastard!”

Fear and sorrow surged; she couldn’t help but sob uncontrollably.

Wei Lingze paused, leaning down to kiss the tears on her face, but Xiao Qinghe turned her head away.

She thought he would stop now that she had cried, but the next moment, she heard him say: “He’er, before you married me, you should have known the kind of life you would lead. Now you say you don’t want this? Too late!”

With that, Wei Lingze roughly claimed her lips, his other hand invading her clothing, acting recklessly.

Xiao Qinghe widened her eyes. In a moment of shock, she bit him fiercely.

The taste of blood spread across their mouths, but Wei Lingze didn’t stop; he became even more brutal.

In the bright study, the coldness in his eyes stabbed Xiao Qinghe’s heart like a knife.

The young man who had once held her tenderly in his palm had, over three years, completely rotted…

After some time, the study finally fell silent.

As soon as Wei Lingze withdrew, Xiao Qinghe collapsed weakly to the floor.

After initially cursing, she said nothing more. Her lips were torn, her face pale to the point of fright.

Wei Lingze, now gentle again, helped her dress and wiped her eyes, comforting her: “He’er, harmony between yin and yang is natural. Now that you are my wife, you should satisfy me. You’ve always been sensible—you wouldn’t want others to worry that our marriage is in discord, would you?”

His words were soft, but she detected the threat.

Repeated refusal would make her appear unreasonable, and if their marital issues became known, others would only laugh at her. Anyone who cared for her would suffer too.

Wei Lingze knew she would submit, so he acted without restraint.

The air around them made her feel sick. She clutched her clothing and staggered to leave. At the door, she looked back at him, saying clearly: “Wei Lingze, from today on, I do not love you anymore!”

Her hair was messy, her face pale, tear-streaked, and hoarse from speaking. There was no intimidation in her words.

Yet Wei Lingze’s heart still ached.

It was the young man inside, afraid of loss.

But he quickly suppressed that feeling.

Sheerly, the Xiao family had not annulled the marriage in three years; how could Xiao Qinghe not love him? Even if she didn’t, she had married him—she couldn’t defy the reputation of all the Xiao women and divorce him.

For life, she could only ever be Mrs. Wei.

After Xiao Qinghe left, Wei Lingze immediately shifted his focus to reclaiming Chun Xi.

At the last promotion banquet, the family doctor had examined Chun Xi. Despite being married for days, she remained untouched. No matter how well she and Shen Qingyuan acted, it couldn’t change the fact that their marriage had been nominal.

Since Shen Qingyuan had grown addicted to the act, Wei Lingze would ensure Chun Xi became “widowed” in practice.

After all, with so many people having motives, no one would ever suspect him.