Chapter Fourteen: Living Torment

Xie Yingying had barely enjoyed her moment of happiness when her expression suddenly changed, her face draining of color as a familiar wave of pain surged through her once again. Cold sweat beaded and fell in heavy drops as she doubled over in agony.

"Ugh..."

She recognized this all-consuming pain all too well. Back in Bai Shengyun's hands, he had tormented her with this very method more times than she cared to remember.

Beside her, Bai Qirui was startled, his face filled with concern as he asked, "Miss Xie, what's wrong? Where do you feel unwell?!"

Just a moment ago, she had been laughing and talking; now she was in this state. He was truly shocked, springing up in panic, but found himself at a loss for how to help her.

He reached out, intending to take her pulse and check her condition, but before he could even touch her, Xie Yingying curled up tightly, clutching her stomach with white-knuckled hands, her complexion as pale as paper.

Seeing her in growing distress, Bai Qirui was utterly helpless. "Where does it hurt? What should I do to help you?"

The pain nearly stole Xie Yingying’s breath away, but she gritted her teeth, swallowing even the low moans of suffering.

Clinging to the corner of the table for support, she struggled to her feet with all her strength. "Don’t... don’t touch me!"

What mattered most now was to find Bai Shengyun as quickly as possible. No one else could help ease her pain in the least.

It was like a curse, a hidden danger lurking within her at every moment, and the one who held control over it was Bai Shengyun. At a mere thought from him, she would be plunged into agony, powerless to resist.

Bai Qirui instinctively reached out, trying to steady her, but before he could make contact, another pained moan escaped her lips, and he froze, his hand suspended in mid-air.

"I’ll fetch a physician right away. Hold on for just a moment—I’ll be back at once!" he said urgently, already rushing out to find someone who could relieve her pain.

In times like this, he knew nothing of medicine. All he could do was watch helplessly as Xie Yingying was tormented, unable to offer any help at all.

"No!" Xie Yingying forced the word out through clenched teeth, her voice weak but effective enough to halt Bai Qirui in his tracks.

She was in such pain she could barely stand, yet she still gripped the pillar, struggling upright. "It’s useless. Don’t fetch a physician."

Only Bai Shengyun could inflict such suffering on her, and he must be nearby. Only by finding him could she hope to make the pain stop.

Otherwise, at this rate, the pain would eventually kill her.

Bai Qirui grew even more anxious, speaking in a rush, "But what can I do to help you?"

Xie Yingying staggered forward, bracing herself against the stone railing as she moved outside. "There’s someone—only he can help me. No one else can do it."

After saying this, she halted, gasping heavily, barely able to endure the agony churning in her abdomen.

She knew perfectly well this was no solution, and this fresh attack was fiercer than ever—twice as torturous as those before.

Watching Xie Yingying struggle forward, Bai Qirui was beside himself with worry. "Miss Xie, where are you going? Why not let me fetch the physician while you wait here?"

Xie Yingying drew a breath, forcing herself through another wave of pain, and managed a strained smile. "It’s an old ailment. I can handle it myself. I’ll be back soon."

"I’ll go with you," Bai Qirui declared without hesitation, quickening his pace to follow. He simply could not rest easy leaving her in this state.

If there were anything he could do, how could he bear to stand aside and watch her suffer so? But Xie Yingying’s attack had come so suddenly, without warning or precedent, and he had no idea how to alleviate it.

Xie Yingying searched desperately for any sign of Bai Shengyun, determined to find him.

She bore the pain as she stumbled blindly through the garden, finally finding Bai Shengyun in a secluded corner.

Staring at him, she managed through gritted teeth, "What new madness are you up to now?!"

There was an elder standing behind Bai Shengyun, and upon seeing Xie Yingying’s state, his expression shifted through a range of emotions.

Xie Yingying paid no attention to the elder, her eyes locked firmly on Bai Shengyun. She was in such pain she could barely move another step.

Yet her gaze never wavered, glaring at Bai Shengyun as if she could skin him alive.

She was forced to endure agony that pierced to the bone, all while having to play along with Bai Shengyun’s deceit. In this moment, her resentment and bitterness reached a boiling point.

"If you want to kill me, just do it! Why torment me like this!"

When she shouted this, Xie Yingying truly felt as if she had nothing left to lose. Had she not been pushed to the brink, she would never have dared speak to Bai Shengyun in such a manner.

Bai Qirui, who had followed her, sensed something amiss and questioned Bai Shengyun, "Brother, do you have any way to relieve Miss Xie’s pain?"

Bai Shengyun did not respond, not even sparing a glance for Xie Yingying. He simply turned, swept his sleeve, and strode away, leaving only a solitary, prideful figure behind.

As he left, Xie Yingying let out a cry, doubling over until she nearly collapsed into a ball.

She had never imagined Bai Shengyun could be so heartless, bent on tormenting her to death.

No matter how she wracked her brain, she could not fathom what she had done to provoke him, to make him so furious.

Though Bai Shengyun had gone, the elder remained.

The Grand Elder stepped forward, regarding Xie Yingying with a critical eye, his tone laced with disdain. "So you’re Xie Buxiu, the infamous beauty of the Demonic Sect. You certainly live up to your name."

When the elders learned Bai Shengyun was to marry Xie Yingying, their feelings had been complicated. No matter how they looked at it, the match seemed utterly absurd.

Bai Shengyun, with his spotless reputation, had somehow fallen under Xie Yingying’s spell, and now he was to be humiliated by keeping her and giving her a title.

Thinking of this, the elder became even more scornful. "Don’t think that following the Young Master means you’ll have nothing to fear. A woman as fickle and disgraced as you is unworthy of him."

Xie Yingying, enduring the pain, rolled her eyes and retorted with a feeble sneer, "I never wanted to cling to Bai Shengyun’s high branch!"

If he didn’t have such a hold over her, how could she have fallen to this state, enduring torment at every turn?

The elder’s temper flared as he pointed accusingly at her. "You stubborn witch! To be admitted to our Celestial Fox Clan is your greatest fortune, and yet you show no gratitude!"

Listening to the elder’s cold ridicule, Xie Yingying had no strength left to resist. Her insides felt as if they were being wrenched apart, her organs shifting places from the pain.

She trembled uncontrollably, barely able to stand.