Chapter 7, Psychological Abuse

Yun'er saw the fierce expression in his eyes and knew that something was amiss. She wondered how he would torment her this time! Unable to help herself, she shouted, "Help! Wei Sikong, help!" The young master Yan raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "It’s useless even if you scream your throat raw; he has gone far away and won’t be back for at least ten or eight days." He was intent on enjoying her panic and helplessness. Little did he know, Yun'er was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure and stopped calling out—after all, it was pointless. Instead, she shouted angrily, "You despicable scoundrel, shameless wretch, relying on your power to bully the weak! If you really have the ability, go find Wei Sikong and fight him! Why don’t you?" Why waste time picking on her all day long?

Yun'er was startled when she saw him, "What are you doing here—hey, hey, hey, why are you grabbing that? That's mine!" Naturally, what she saw first was hers, and saying this, she leaned on her cane and chased after him. When she encountered Young Master Yan walking towards her, she snorted in anger and turned her head away to avoid looking at him

Little did he know that although Yun'er appeared frail and delicate, seemingly lacking the strength to even bind a chicken, when pushed to her limits, she exhibited an unexpected strength, her face flushed as she refused to let go. He found himself at a loss, and instead, his body became increasingly heated, his patience wearing thin. In a fit of frustration, he drew his sword from his waist and threw it to the ground, producing a sharp "thud" as the sword embedded itself into the granite floor. He growled fiercely, "Get down here!" Yun'er stared intently at the sword, her heart trembling; it truly was as capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud, utterly indestructible. Resolving in her heart, she decided that regardless of the means—be it deception, trickery, or theft—she would obtain that sword.

Feng Chen bowed and asked, "Young Master, how should we deal with her?" The Young Master Yan gritted his teeth and said, "Lock her in the stable, keep a strict watch over her, and let her go hungry for three days and three nights, until she can no longer speak! Let's see what she has to be so arrogant about!"

You—" That Young Master Yan was originally a person of great depth, who usually kept his emotions hidden. For some reason, upon seeing her, he lost his composure, as if she truly believed this was her home! He glared at her darkly and said: "Who do you think you are? Just because I give you a little favor, you think you can start a dyeing workshop. Today, we will settle both new and old grievances together, and see how I deal with you!" With a flick of his sleeve, he swept the tea and snacks off the table onto the floor, "Luxurious clothing, exquisite food, and high-end rooms are not something a lowly person like you can enjoy! Get out—" Without saying another word, he attempted to drag her down from the bed. Seeing her wrapped in layers of fine silk and satin made him even more irritated, and he reached out to tear at it.

Alas, there seems to be no reason to continue living; everyone who sees her runs away as if they have encountered a fierce ghost. With a long, anguished howl directed at the sky, she truly feels frustrated, nearly driven to madness! Thinking of Young Master Yan's sinister and detestable face, she picks up the scissors from the ground and starts cutting wildly, furiously exclaiming: "I will cut you to death, I will cut you to death!" How ruthless he is; this is nothing short of mental torture and inhumane abuse, to even conceive of such tormenting methods!

Yun'er looked at the distant figures of a group of people leaving and disdainfully said, "If they don't say anything, then they don't say anything. Can it really take a piece of meat away?" She didn't care at all. In the evening, a different maid brought her dinner, and she casually asked, "Do you know where Young Master Wei went? When will he be back?" The maid was so startled that her hand trembled, causing her to set down the food box and hurriedly run away. Bored, she put down her chopsticks and wondered what was going on. She wasn't a plague god, so why were they so scared? She decided not to eat and banged on the table, shouting, "Someone, I'm thirsty!" In the evening, a different maid brought her dinner, and she casually asked, "Do you know where Young Master Wei went? When will he be back?" The maid was so startled that her hand trembled, causing her to set down the food box and hurriedly run away. Bored, she put down her chopsticks and wondered what was going on. She wasn't a plague god, so why were they so scared? She decided not to eat and banged on the table, shouting, "Someone, I'm thirsty!"

This scene was clearly observed by Young Master Yan and his companions, who were conveniently stopped at the corner to watch the spectacle. Young Master Yan scoffed, saying: "This woman must have something wrong with her head, to be at odds with a parrot." He thought to himself, if even a lowly creature like a parrot looks down on her, it is evident how much she has failed as a person.

When Young Master Yan saw her staring blankly and not speaking, he assumed she was frightened, and his heart was instantly filled with joy. He threatened, "If you don't get lost, I will pierce your internal organs, including your heart, liver, spleen, and lungs!" If it weren't for his momentary confusion in agreeing to Wei Sikong not to kill her because of Sun Yiming, he would have already dismembered her, torn her to pieces, and ground her bones to dust! If he knew that at this moment she was harboring ill intentions towards his treasured sword, he would probably be so furious that he would spit blood.

He said, "What do you think this place is? Do you really think it's your home, coming and going as you please!" Yun'er replied with a playful smile, "Aren't you already coming and going freely?" He ignored her, leaned out to take a look, and seeing no one around, he was about to leave. Suddenly, Yun'er remembered something and hurriedly called out to him, asking, "Is that girl Cai He still shamelessly following you?"

He could only sigh, "What will you do if the cold energy in your body flares up?" She confidently replied, "I practice for several hours at noon every day, and with the weather being so hot now, it won't flare up." Dongfang Qixiang thought that since she had just eaten dragon fruit, the cold energy should be temporarily suppressed for a while. He snorted and said, "Then I'm leaving; do as you please." Although he was also worried about her, he gave her ample freedom and choice.

She lay alone in the room, not seeing a single person or hearing a sound all day long. If her previous state could be described as boredom, now it was complete silence. The maid who came to deliver food kept her head down, placing the meal down and leaving quickly, as if she feared for her life, looking at her as if she were a ghost. She could no longer hold it in; if she didn't speak, she felt she would suffocate from the silence! Not knowing where she found a stick to use as a cane, she hobbled out.

She walked over and teased it, saying: "You are really ugly, you little gray thing!" The parrot seemed to know she was speaking ill of it, turned around in its cage, and said in a strange tone: "You are really ugly, you are really ugly!" She was infuriated, and since the cage was hung high, she couldn't reach it, so she squatted down, picked up a small stone, and threw it at the parrot, cursing: "Even you dare to bully me!"

Yun'er was already unsteady on her feet due to her injuries, relying entirely on her cane for support. With a casual push from Feng Chen, she could no longer maintain her balance and fell heavily to the ground, landing in a most undignified manner.

Yun'er saw that he did not finish his words and quickly slipped away, feeling quite annoyed for a while, but eventually fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Wei Sikong came to see her and asked if she was still cold and if she felt any better. She was about to say that she was much better, but then she hesitated and instead, with a pained expression, said: "I have always been weak, with a cold constitution, so I often need to take ginseng, bird's nest, and other tonics. Now that I have been injured, the toxic fire is attacking my heart, and the coldness has flared up. How can I endure this? It is a miracle that I am still alive." She sighed and feigned a frail and powerless demeanor.

She charged forward in a fit of anger, convinced that she could not be stopped. As she passed a tall courtyard gate, she suddenly heard a strange sound, "Fool, fool!" Turning around, she saw a gray-green parrot hanging in the corridor, its round eyes bulging out as it flapped its wings and shouted at her. She couldn't help but feel delighted; after all, she couldn't talk to people, but surely talking to a bird wasn't against the law.

Yun'er hummed, "Look at my injuries, I am in pain and itching all over, I can't even get up, how can I leave? Besides, the food here is good, the sleep is good, and there are people to take care of me, why should I leave? Even if I were to leave, I should at least leave something behind before I go!"

Yun'er casually responded, lying on the bed, moving around restlessly, unable to find peace. Out of sheer boredom, she began to sigh and lament. She had been lying on the bed for an entire week; her injuries had mostly healed, yet she felt as if she were becoming a lifeless corpse, her limbs stiff and her bones aching. Aside from Wei Sikong occasionally coming to check on her and inquire about her injuries, there was no one to talk to, driving her nearly to madness. At this moment, even if a feast of delicacies and gourmet dishes were placed before her, she would have no interest, guaranteed not to lift her eyes.

Yun'er was so frightened that her face turned pale. She clutched the intricately carved bed railing tightly with one hand and pointed at him with the other, shouting angrily, "Ah— you lecherous scoundrel, you want to assault me again!" He was so enraged that his face turned white, "You really overestimate yourself! Get down here—" He pulled and tugged, yanking and dragging.

Dongfang Qiheng said: "What do you mean by sneaking out? We originally snuck in, so naturally we must sneak back out. Are you really not leaving? Be careful, that Young Master Yan might kill you with a single sword strike." As he spoke, he made a fierce and menacing expression.

Just as the young servant was about to respond, he looked up and saw her, his mouth agape, only to quickly close it again. He dropped the scissors and ran off without looking back. Yun'er hurried after him, waving her hand and calling out: "Hey, don't run! Why are you running? I just wanted to ask for directions!" When she saw that he had vanished in the blink of an eye, she angrily kicked a stone underfoot far away, exclaiming, "I let you run, I let you run!" The movement tugged at her wound, causing her to involuntarily exclaim "Ouch" as she touched her backside and hopped around.

She heavily pounded the pillow and said angrily, "I don't care, you quickly send her back to Tianxiang Courtyard, I never want to see her again. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been captured!" She had also been beaten to the point of having her skin broken and her body covered in wounds

Yun'er said resentfully: "I have been beaten to this extent, my whole body is in pain, and I almost lost my life. How can I quietly slip away, covered in dirt and without a word? I will not leave; I want revenge. I will repay tooth for tooth, eye for eye, and I will create such a commotion here that there will be no peace, not even for the chickens and dogs. " As she spoke, she waved her fist, looking determined not to back down. Furthermore, she was quite curious about what Dongfang had just said, so she wanted to find out if the sword that Young Master Yan carried at his waist was the Longquan sword. If it is, then perhaps I can find an opportunity to steal it.

He immediately felt a headache, "Sai Huatuo is surrounded by the authorities, and we are currently hiding in a Taoist temple outside the city. Cai He has nowhere to go, so naturally, she is with us."

Yun Er was taken aback, thinking this was too harsh; even prisoners had food to eat, and now she was worse off than a prisoner. She said resentfully, "Just right, I will go on a hunger strike to show you! If I die, Wei Sikong will never find out what Sun Yiming said before he died!"

Feng, Chen, and Chu Wei entered in response to the sound, and upon seeing the room in disarray, exchanged a glance that revealed a hint of peculiarity. Nevertheless, they approached, each grasping one of Yun'er’s arms. Realizing she could not escape, Yun'er shouted, "Let go, I can walk by myself!" With a cold expression, she climbed down from the bed. As she moved, the injury on her hip was aggravated, causing her to grimace in pain and break out in a cold sweat. Wasn't he just trying to torment her, preventing her from lying comfortably? Fine, she would just change places; she could easily leave this shabby room to him.

When Young Master Yan heard the commotion, he turned around to take a look, and the smile in his eyes grew even more pronounced, truly a great delight to the heart

Young Master Yan heard a howl from afar and grunted heavily, "What is the ghost shouting about? If you shout again, I will cut out your tongue!" He had been away for a few days due to some matters and had not come to trouble her at the "Falling Flowers Villa." At this moment, upon seeing her, he recalled the incident of that night when she falsely accused him of "impropriety," and he was instantly filled with resentment, his teeth itching with anger. He then saw her comfortably reclining on the bed, eating bird's nest porridge, with freshly baked pastries and fresh fruits laid out on the table, looking as if she was living well, without a care in the world, and completely oblivious to her troubles. His anger surged within him. This was not the treatment of a prisoner; it was clearly that of a guest of honor. He sneered and said, "It seems you are living quite well!"

The spring swallow said sympathetically, "Your health is so poor, yet the young master still dealt such a heavy blow, leaving you in this state, sigh—" Truly a pitiful person, and one cannot help but wonder how she offended the young master. Seeing her lacking in spirit, lying on the bed, she continued, "Since you cannot eat cold food, I will have the kitchen prepare a bowl of bird's nest and goji berry porridge for you."

Yun'er was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing her gratitude. Soon, she would have osmanthus cloud cake, and then sesame dumplings; the eight-treasure pearl duck was served, followed by jade qilin soup. During the day, she lay comfortably by the window, unable to rise, extending her hands for clothes and opening her mouth for food, living a leisurely and comfortable life. Meanwhile, the kitchen below was bustling with activity, with several chefs being kept busy by her orders.

The East abandoned the busy and looked around, saying: "I am leaving, if I don't leave now, it will be too late!" It is best for him not to interfere in matters between women, for fear of escaping without a trace, vanishing like a wisp of breeze in the thick night, instantly disappearing without a trace. With such lightness of foot, he could easily stand out in the martial world, looking down upon all.

Dongfang Qijian was determined not to leave, and given her injuries, it was indeed inconvenient for her to move. Slightly annoyed, she said: "Do as you wish, but if you get beaten again, it will be your own doing, so don't come crying to me later." Yun'er retorted: "Hurry up, hurry up! This is what I call not entering the tiger's den, how can I catch the tiger cub!"

Wei Sikong then said, "Well, you should take good care of your injuries here. We have plenty of ginseng, bird's nest, and he shou wu. I will give orders right away; whatever you want to eat, just let them bring it to you." He also assigned a maid named Chunyan from his own household to take care of her daily needs and meals.

"Do you dare to threaten me?" Young Master Yan glared at her with a fierce gaze, his heart filled with rage. If she were to truly die, although Wei Sikong would not say anything, he would certainly feel even more sorrowful for not knowing Sun Yiming's last words. He was well aware of the matters between him and Sun Yiming from years ago, and he still felt shocked by it to this day. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly smiled with ill intent and said, "Since that's the case, I will treat you to good tea and meals, and receive you with utmost courtesy—" His voice turned heavy, "Issue a command that no one in the residence is allowed to speak to her, not even a nod or shake of the head. Anyone who dares to disobey, I won't need to lift a finger; they can end it themselves!" She was not sharp-tongued or eloquent, nearly driving him to the brink of death with her words, wasn't she? After pondering for a moment, he suddenly smiled with ill intent and said, "Since that's the case, I will treat you to good tea and meals, and receive you with utmost courtesy—" His voice turned heavy, "Issue a command that no one in the residence is allowed to speak to her, not even a nod or shake of the head. Anyone who dares to disobey, I won't need to lift a finger; they can end it themselves!" She was not sharp-tongued or eloquent, nearly driving him to the brink of death with her words, wasn't she? He intended to suffocate this little bird who could only chirp!

Chunyan specially brought in a bowl of chilled sour plum soup and said with a smile, "Miss Yun'er, sour plum soup is good for dispelling heat. It's so hot today, having a bowl will quench your thirst." Yun'er glanced at it, shook her head, and replied, "I can't eat anything cold; it makes my stomach feel chilly, and my hands and feet tremble. Sister, you have worked hard to take care of me. It's hot again, so you should have it to relieve the heat." Chunyan felt a warmth in her heart, thinking it rare for someone so young to show concern for others. She felt a bit closer to Yun'er, no longer as distant as before, and said with a smile, "Miss, why is it that on such a hot day, your hands are still so cold, like ice?" Yun'er evasively replied, "I am not in good health, so I cannot be exposed to the wind or eat anything cold."

Young Master Yan was in high spirits, unlike his usual self with a frown and a fierce demeanor. His lips were slightly curved, and there was a hint of laughter in his eyes, making him appear even more elegant and handsome, as beautiful as a flower. He walked forward as if he had not seen Yun'er, completely ignoring her. Yun'er blocked Feng Chen with one hand, "Hey—give me back Xiao Fei!" To assert her ownership, she had taken the liberty of naming the parrot. Feng Chen paid her no mind, pushing her aside and continuing on his way. Yun'er blocked Feng Chen again, "Hey—give me back Xiao Fei!" She had taken the liberty of naming the parrot to assert her ownership. Feng Chen ignored her entirely, pushing her aside and continuing on his way.

The spring swallow stood at the door, trembling as she held the dishes. Upon hearing his sudden loud shout, she fell to her knees with a thud, frightened and shivering. "Young master, please do not be angry!" The young master glared, "Are you deaf? Drag her away! Who allowed you to serve her?" Without further ado, he slapped her, venting his anger on the maid.

He was momentarily taken aback, unable to comprehend why he would seek to fight Wei Sikong when everything was perfectly fine. Confused by her nonsensical words, he shook his head and said: "This is sheer nonsense, utter gibberish—someone, throw this crazy woman out!"

Yun'er stuck out her tongue and said, "I am not afraid, he won't kill me." How could he bear to kill her now? He must be so angry that he can't even sleep, thinking about how to torment her tomorrow. After a pause, she continued, "Wei Sikong will protect me, he treats me very well, you don't need to worry. Once my injuries are healed, I will naturally go back."

The parrot flapped its wings to evade, feeling quite displeased, squawking: "Bad egg, bad egg!" She leaned on her cane and laughed, saying: "I am bad, what can you do about it?" As she spoke, she threw a few pebbles over, causing the parrot to flap around in its cage in a frenzy, continuously calling out: "Big bad egg, big bad egg!" She laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten up, and turning her head, she noticed a small bowl placed under the red column, containing a little less than half a bowl of a dark, sticky substance, the nature of which was unknown. She picked it up and shook it, raising an eyebrow and asking: "Do you want to eat it?"

Feng Chen leaped up on tiptoe, his keen eyes and quick hands catching the parrot that was flapping about in a frenzy. He removed the birdcage from under the eaves and swiftly stuffed the bird inside. The parrot, having been subdued, squawked loudly while flapping its wings. Feng Chen curled his finger and pointed at it, causing it to cry out in pain, after which it wisely shrank into a corner and fell silent.

Yun'er, feeling utterly bored, saw a line of wild geese flying in a V formation overhead and recited: "The golden palms at the horizon turn to frost, the clouds follow the geese's formation—" With something in her mouth, her words sounded muffled and unclear, making it impossible to discern what she was mumbling about. Upon noticing him, she rolled her eyes, turned her face away, and said irritably: "What are you doing here? You are not welcome here!"

The so-called luxurious life of fine clothing and sumptuous food, as well as wealth and honor, is nothing more than this; once the novelty wears off, it does not bring more happiness.

Feng Chen followed behind him, unable to suppress a laugh, and said, "She must be almost out of breath, so she has no choice but to settle for talking to the birds." The young master Yan released the pent-up frustration he had been feeling for days, huffing that he wanted her to kneel down and plead with him in tears! Seeing the parrot pecking at her and her cries of distress, he couldn't help but feel delighted, and his expression became more cheerful as he said, "Whose parrot is that? It's lively and adorable. Go catch it and hang it in my room." He didn't want to give her any opportunity to talk to the bird; it would be better if she just suffocated to death.

With the long-lost gentle breeze blowing and the rare afternoon sunlight to enjoy, she initially felt quite cheerful, humming a little tune as she wandered about. Hmph, no one was talking to her, so what if she entertained herself! After wandering for a while, she began to feel dizzy; how come all these pavilions, corridors, terraces, and lofts looked the same? Turning this way and that, she couldn't find the exit. She noticed a young servant bending down to trim branches among the flowers and plants, so she moved closer and asked, "Excuse me, do you know which way 'Wanqing Tower' is? This place is too big, I seem to have lost my way—" Just a separate courtyard, yet built in such a way, extravagant and wasteful, it deserves to be struck by lightning!

The parrot was rather arrogant, cooing twice and disdainfully turning its head away. Yun'er huffed, "Hey, you are quite difficult to please!" She looked directly into its eyes and said, "Not eating, huh? Not eating, huh—then I won't be polite!" As she spoke, she loosened her grip, and the porcelain bowl shattered on the ground, scattering the feed everywhere. The parrot probably realized that was its exclusive food, and in anger, it bumped its head against the cage door. Yun'er pointed at it and mocked, "Bump away, bump away, be careful not to knock yourself out; I've never seen such a stupid bird, hahahaha—" The parrot probably realized that was its exclusive food, and in anger, it bumped its head against the cage door. Yun'er pointed at it and mocked, "Bump away, bump away, be careful not to knock yourself out; I've never seen such a stupid bird, hahahaha—"

Hurry up, hurry up, remember to come see me when you have some free time

Little did she know that the cage door was merely latched and not securely closed, allowing the parrot to unexpectedly flap its wings and fly out, hovering above her head and pecking at her furiously. She hurriedly protected her head and face, dodging around in great embarrassment, muttering curses under her breath: "You dead bird, I will pluck all your feathers and stew you for a drink!"

Dongfang frowned and said, "What scheme are you concocting again? These people are not virtuous men or good women."

After a long while, the maid timidly brought in a pot of tea. Yun'er, wanting to get closer, leaned over and said, "My name is Yun'er, what is your name? How old are you? Do you have parents or siblings at home? Why have you come here to be a servant?" The maid suddenly knelt down with a thud, desperately covering her mouth to prevent herself from making a sound. Seeing her like this, Yun'er rolled her eyes and said, "Alright, alright, you can go now; I won't talk to you anymore." The maid, feeling grateful, hurriedly moved forward but accidentally bumped into the table, causing her to tear up from the pain, biting her lower lip until it bled, yet she refused to utter a word. Yun'er stretched lazily, feeling drowsy, and thought irritably that she was not some terrifying figure like the grim reapers, so what was there to be so afraid of?