Page 79 of Dynasty of the Wicked

“Yes, yes.” He waved his hand impatiently. “I understand that bit, but whystaymarried? What purpose does it pose, hm? You are in no need of a wife, or a family, or anything, Feng Mian. Your purpose ishere.” He spread his hand out to the tent,nostrils flaring. “You are a lethal beast. You have no need forlove.”

Feng Mian didn’t show a hint of emotion like she thought he would. She tried to hide her wince as those words struck something deep within her.A lethal beast. Was Chanming the one filling his head with notions that he was unlovable, that he was a monster, that he was bred for killing?

“Well?” Her half-brother threw his hands up in the air. A soft, disbelieving laugh bubbled on his full lips. “You both are silent as they come, aren’t you? Will you answer me, or not?”

“I am her husband.” Feng Mian raised his chin as he spoke, and although he couldn’t see Chanming, he leveled him with his silver eyes. “And she is my wife. I don’t need to explain my marriage to you, Chanming. My reasoning to remain with her, or my decisions regarding her, are my own choice.”

If looks could kill, she was sure they both would be dead right now. But Zhi Ruo’s heart fluttered unexpectedly and she glanced at her husband, chest constricting at his confidence, the determination glimmering on his face.

Chanming pinched the bridge of his nose, his chest shaking with soundless laughs. When he looked back at them, he looked more amused than frustrated, much to her surprise. “Lovely. Lovely.” He clapped, quickly at first, and then slower. His grin was feral. “Fucking lovely. You decide now,of all times, to lose your mind over a woman? To allow yourself to bedistracted?” He threw his head back and laughed brashly. “Now, of all fucking times? When I have the fucking Emperor on my ass, and the Kadians knocking on my door?Now?”

The muscles on Feng Mian’s jaw jumped. “Chanming?—”

“No, no, no.” He waggled his finger, his laughs still trembling over his tall frame. “You’ve said enough. You would have never gone against me before, Feng Mian. But now.” He waved a hand at Zhi Ruo. “Now that you’re fucking a woman, you think you’rein love? You want to throw it all away? Everything that we have been working toward?”

“I’m not—” Feng Mian shifted on his feet. “I’m not throwing anything away.”

Zhi Ruo’s eyebrows came together and she stared at him. Hadn’t he chosen her last night? But then it hit her. He hadn’t chosen anything. He had simply admitted that he was madly in love with her. That was it. They hadn’t talked about leaving Chanming, or doing anything else.

Her stomach dropped and she fought to keep the shocked betrayal off her face. Chanming, however, caught onto that and laughed even harder, jamming a thumb in her direction.

“Are you sure you didn’t letherknow that? Because she looks like she thought you’d toss it all away.”

Feng Mian pursed his mouth together. “Chanming, you’re being belligerent.”

“Am I? Am I really?” Suddenly, all the laughter disappeared and was replaced with deathly coldness. “You brought a mysterious woman intomycamp, seekingmyshelter andmygenerosity, and you won’t even tell me who she is? A woman who can counter my magic. A woman who disobeys my orders. And a woman who—” He stared at her hard, narrowing his eyes, gaze flicking over her figure with a dark scowl.“—who will be adistractionto all my men here.”

A cold, unexpected rush of emotions washed over Zhi Ruo, the main one being repulsion. He wasn’t looking at her like she was desirable, but just hearing those words out of his mouth—her half-brother—made her want to vomit. Not to mention that he thought she would distract his men. Did he think she was attractive? She had always lived in Ying Yue’s shadow, so she’d always thought of herself as ugly in comparison. But maybe here … She didn’t let those thoughts linger, because it didn’t matter. She didn’t care what these people thought of her appearance.

Feng Mian went still beside her, his grip on her hand becoming increasingly tense. “What?” he asked slowly.

“What?” Chanming lifted a brow. “I want her gone, Feng Mian.”

Feng Mian’s lip curled back into a scowl, and she wasn’t sure if he was going to lunge at Chanming, or snap at him. The cursed marks on his neck throbbed visibly, as if his magic wanted to escape into the room. “Are you telling me that your soldiers are staring atmywoman? They have no reason to bedistracted.” He spat the word out like it was poison. “She is not interested in any of them.”

Chanming ran a hand over his face. “I can see I’ve struck a nerve. Apologies.” He stared pointedly at her, and then back at his supposed friend. “But I want her gone. Arrange for it.”

“Where will I go?” Zhi Ruo asked, finding her strength. “You want to just kick me out like that?”

“This isn’t a safe place for you,” he said, though she got the idea that he didn’t really care about her safety. “We’re close to the border and there are Kadian forces all around us. It would be better if you were sent away to … oh, I don’t know …” He waved his hand, then snapped his finger. “Ah. The Zheng estates. Right, Feng Mian? Your father has so many estates. Send her to one of yours.”

Feng Mian frowned. “My father will not approve.”

“But he will keep her safe, yes? She is your wife.” Chanming appeared eager to cast her aside, and Zhi Ruo wasn’t sure what to feel about it. If she was sent to the Zheng estate, she would be safe, but General Zheng would instantly recognize her and send word to Father. She wasn’t sure which was a worse fate: staying here with Chanming or being under Father’s insufferable watch.

“I’d rather stay,” she began.

“No.” Feng Mian’s frown deepened and he swirled his thumb over her fingers, his grip loosening on her numb hand. “He’sright. It’s not safe here for you. It will … it will probably be best if you go to my father. I have a few estates I can send you to.”

“No.” It was her turn to be angry. She didn’t want to be sent away somewhere like a pawn. She wanted to be with him, whether they were fighting Kadians or in each other’s arms. She didn’t want to be sent to some estate, locked away, and impatiently wait for his return. And who knew how long that could take? Not to mention Chanming wouldn’t stop his pursuit to becoming the emperor until he either died, or achieved it.

Her head swam with this information, her stomach twisting into knots.

“Perfect. How about you write to your father and have him send his men to retrieve her?” Chanming clapped Feng Mian on the shoulder. “I’ll even allow her to stick around for another week or so. And I won’t even ask about her very questionable noble birth.” He glanced at her with a frown. “Maybe it’s for the best that I don’t know.”

“And the dragon?” Zhi Ruo asked.

“What about him?”

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