Killing Without Spilling Blood

"Xiaoting, stop!" yelled Qin Xiruo when she saw what Ling Xiaoting was about to do. Ling Xiaoting's arm halted its strike in mid-air. He was surprised at his inability to control his anger, almost fully acting upon it, and in front of Qin Xiruo no less.

Ling Xiaoting's palette of rage painted his face a blazing white and then an angry red. He glared at Ling Chunxi with utter loathing. He was never this impulsive. This incident was unprecedented! How disgusting Ling Chunxi was to be able to provoke him to such an extent. His image was almost torn to tatters right in front of Qin Xiruo.

My, my. Just as Ling Chunxi thought Ling Xiaoting could disgust her no further, he outdid himself yet again. What a disgusting specimen. This vain peacock of a man made her sick. In this realm, marriages between distant relatives and close relatives alike were not unusual. Some royal families even deliberately encouraged marriages between close relatives in order to ensure the purity of their bloodlines. Though such a practice was the norm here, Ling Chunxi couldn't bring herself to accept it! Especially, if it meant that her options included vermin like Ling Xiaoting. Heck, even if there was a handsome and dignified bachelor relative available, she absolutely could not accept the idea of getting married to someone to whom she was blood-related.

No matter how much she enticed him, he would not be interested in her? Barf… Ling Chunxi was throwing up on the inside. Where on earth did he even get the idea that she was interested in him? Even the past Ling Chunxi didn't like him that way, right? How was he so confident about this? He's probably never even looked into a mirror before, huh? Of course not. It would've broken.

"Ling Xiaoting, please. I beg of you. I truly beg of you…" Ling Chunxi suppressed the bile of disgust rising within her and maintained her composure, making sure to calmly yet firmly place emphasis on each and every word she said.

Qin Xiruo was taken aback, as was Ling Xiaoting. But, it wasn't long before an expression of pride and contempt overtook his face once more. It was clear the change in Ling Chunxi's tone made both their thoughts spiel off into a different tangent. Surely, Ling Chunxi would start begging now. What a despicable person she was indeed. In addition to the feelings of loathing Ling Xiaoting was emanating towards Ling Chunxi, there was also a touch of arrogance in the mix. How proud he was of his great, irresistible charm. Look at this ugly girl. When all was said and done, she still craved his forgiveness and goodwill.

However, unlike what he had in mind, the words Ling Chunxi spoke next caused Ling Xiaoting's face to turn as red as raw pig liver instead.

"I truly beg of you… Can you stop disgusting me? Where did you so confidently get the idea that I would ever like you? Even if my standards were low enough to like a pig, I still wouldn't be able to bring myself to like you." Ling Chunxi's tone dripped with menace and contempt. "Tell me, what is there to gain from you? Your abilities are mediocre, your looks are more mediocre, and you dare to act on your vile impulse to strike a girl. You're not a gentleman in the slightest. My eyes can see you clearly for who you truly are. Only the blind would fall for you, and even that is an insult to the blind. Also, don't get it twisted. I'm not pushing you away just to pull you back in. This isn't such a game. If you entertain that idea, then your level of intelligence must be much lower than what I already thought it was." Ling Chunxi's venomous tongue was truly as good as her toxicology skills. Ah, killing without shedding blood was an incredible ability to possess! To be honest, Ling Xiaoting didn't look all that bad but as far as Ling Chunxi was concerned, he looked like shit.

Ling Xiaoting was totally stupefied. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. He was prepared for Ling Chunxi to cry and grovel, to beg him to forgive her and not to hate her. He wasn't prepared for… everything she actually said. Every one of her words were as sharp as a dagger, and he felt each piercing stab. What were these feelings of shame and oppression? They made him want to vomit blood.

Qin Xiruo was completely shocked as well. When was Ling Chunxi ever so bitingly sharp? When was Ling Chunxi ever capable of such venomous retorts? Could it be that Ling Chunxi knew it was in fact Qin Xiruo who pushed her off that cliff? Impossible! She had conducted her scheme flawlessly. Given Ling Chunxi's intellect, it was impossible that she would have noticed anything amiss. Still, Qin Xiruo felt a little flustered. The Ling Chunxi standing before her was too foreign an entity—the sheer force of her energy made Qin Xiruo feel suppressed and unable to retaliate.