only gives out worthless stuff.

In the dark and damp dungeon, Gu Zheng, dressed in fine clothes, stood outside, while Shen Yuyao, in prison uniform and disheveled, stood inside. The two faced each other silently across the cell door, forming a stark contrast.

Gu Zheng looked at Shen Yuyao in the cell with heartache in his eyes. After a long while, he parted his thin lips and covered Shen Yuyao's hand that was gripping the cell door. He said softly, "Yuyao, I'm late."

He and Shen Yuyao were childhood sweethearts, but because he was the second son in his family, the marriage did not fall to him.

You Lu sized up Gu Zheng through the cell. He saw that Gu Zheng had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and was quite handsome. Unfortunately, he was even more cunning than his brother.

[Gu Zheng openly conspires with Gu Cheng to scheme against Shen Yuyao, yet secretly he is deeply in love with her; he's truly a two-faced person.]

[You could say he loved Shen Yuyao, but he also felt unworthy of her and believed she could never love him. So he wanted to drag her down with him, watching her sink into despair. He even deliberately delayed, hoping to reappear with evidence after her face was burned. Later, after marrying her, he treated her poorly, coldly watching her suffer, causing her to die with resentment.]

[You might say he didn't love Shen Yuyao, but for her sake, he even killed his own elder brother, and after Shen Yuyao's death, he slaughtered the entire Yongchang Marquis's mansion. He was utterly insane.]

A man's heart is truly unfathomable.

Gu Zheng was the first person to visit her in the dungeon, which moved Shen Yuyao. However, the heartfelt messages that followed quickly shattered her emotions. It was only because she was well-mannered that she didn't jump up and slap Gu Zheng.

Shen Yuyao subtly withdrew her hand and bowed her head, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Second Young Master Gu."

Gu Zheng was taken aback, then smiled bitterly and said, "It's the Gu family that has wronged you, so it's understandable that you're distancing yourself from me."

In the past, if he had put on this guilty and remorseful look, Shen Yuyao would have comforted him. But now, Shen Yuyao didn't even give him a second glance.

Gu Zheng quickly understood, glanced coldly at the boy in the next cell, and said, "Yu Yao, don't listen to the slander of villains. My Gu family has wronged you, and I will do my best to make it up to you and beg for your forgiveness. But the ones who really harmed you are Liu Yanran and this scoundrel."

Shen Yuyao remained unmoved and coldly asked, "May I ask what brings Second Young Master Gu here today?"

Although she was blinded by past affections, she was not stupid. The boy only said one sentence to her from beginning to end, and it was her asking and him answering. The rest were her overheard thoughts.

How could one's true feelings lie?

Now she only felt disgusted by the whole family of General Weiyuan's mansion, disgusted by the heartless Gu Cheng, and even more disgusted by the hypocritical Gu Zheng!

Gu Zheng looked hurt and sighed, "I have found evidence to prove your innocence, but now that the engagement has been called off, you and my elder brother are destined to be apart. If you don't mind, I am willing to ask the imperial decree to grant us a marriage and ask for your hand in marriage, which would also fulfill the friendship between our two families."

Meeting his expectant gaze, Shen Yuyao raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly and asked, "Even if I can be proven innocent, my reputation is already ruined. So, are you still willing to marry me? To make me your legal wife?"

"Of course!" Gu Zheng nodded hastily, gazing at Shen Yuyao, whose beauty was still undeniable despite her disheveled state, and said with eyes full of infatuation, "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you even if it costs me my life."

[I'd give you my life~~ Hahaha, that's hilarious! Does he think his life is something precious? Giving you his life, hahaha!]

You Lu covered her mouth, turned her back to the two of them, and laughed so hard she was pounding the wall.

Shen Yuyao almost burst out laughing. Of course, she was just spouting nonsense. Did she want his life? She wanted the truth and justice!

Suppressing a smile, Shen Yuyao said in a deep voice, "What if I don't want to? Will you still provide evidence?"

This was her test of Gu Zheng.

"..." Gu Zheng hesitated, his emotions shifting several times before he smiled faintly and said, "Even if you don't want to, I will still rescue you." He lowered his eyes slightly, a sinister and resolute glint flashing in them.

[Oh ho! This kid's plan didn't work out. Will he try to force himself on Shen Yuyao, kidnap her, or imprison her later?]

A deer perked up, carrying a straw in its mouth and stretching its neck to look in that direction.

Shen Yuyao's heart skipped a beat, worried that her words might provoke the madman in front of her if she spoke too harshly. She quickly forced a bitter smile and sighed softly, "More than ten years of feelings can't earn me a single bit of trust. Your older brother has broken my heart, and I don't want to talk about marriage again so soon."

What is a person who would kill his brother and slaughter his entire family if not a madman?

She needs to calm him down first.

Shen Yuyao's words of comfort had an effect; Gu Zheng's gloomy expression softened slightly, and he said tenderly, "I won't force you, but I will always wait for you."

I won't pressure you, but I'll always wait for you~~

"The day you see my true heart and willingly marry me."

[I'll wait until you see my true heart and willingly marry me on that day~~]

Gu Zheng's voice and the boy's inner thoughts rang out at the same time. While Shen Yuyao was startled, she completely believed that the boy could foresee the future. It was just that the boy deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and his affected voice made her want to laugh.

With Gu Zheng's sweet words coming out like they were free, basket after basket, Shen Yuyao wanted to laugh but was also disgusted, her expression slightly distorted.

Seeing Shen Yuyao's embarrassment, Youlu swung his toes and shouted, "Men's words are deceitful; believing men's words is a sinister act!"

"You!" Gu Zheng's forehead veins bulged, but considering that his beloved was present, he flicked his sleeve and said, "This young master will not bother with a scoundrel like you."

He then turned to Shen Yuyao and said softly, "Yuyao, wait for me, I'll go and overturn the case for you right away."

Before leaving, he didn't forget to glare fiercely at Youlu.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Shen Yuyao let out a long sigh of relief, smiled, and looked at the young man huddled in the haystack in the corner. She lowered her head and said, "Thank you for helping me out of that predicament, young master."

You Lu waved his hand, "It's just that good men can't stand bad men."

Shen Yuyao chuckled. This young man was thinking to himself that he wouldn't persuade her to help her, but when he saw that she was in trouble, he couldn't help but speak up to help. He really had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, which was very cute.

In truth, he was implicated by his own actions. If Liu Yanran hadn't tried to harm him, he wouldn't have suffered such an injustice.

Even a stranger who was implicated by her showed concern for her, while her parents and brothers ignored her after the incident. She couldn't help but feel cold and bitter inside.

Why does this girl look like she's about to cry? Didn't she already chase the jerk away?

The Pixiu, perched on the deer's shoulder watching the commotion, scratched its head in confusion, stuffed a handful of grass into its mouth, and chewed away. It had no choice; it was hungry, and having no gold or silver treasures, it could only use grass as a substitute.

[Perhaps she was thinking of her family. Even the people who harmed her came to see her, but her parents were indifferent to whether she lived or died.]

Youlu glanced at Shen Yuyao's expression and sighed helplessly.

【Should I tell her that her father actually knows everything, but he's pretending not to know and deliberately watching her being tortured just to help his cousin?】

Shen Yuyao stared in horror, tears streaming down her face.

My father knew all this?!