168 A Public Duel (1/2)

Li Xueyue comfortably settled into her seat. Then, without warning, she shot out of it, her eyes wide.

”Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Duchess Wang Qixing inquired, her eyes widening out of shock.

Li Xueyue climbed out of the carriage, storming to Wen Jinkai with determined footsteps. ”Where is my pendant?”

Wen Jinkai studied her for a brief second. From the flutter of her hair against the wind to the glint in her eyes, she meant business. Her lips were pursued at his lack of response.

”What is in your hand?” Wen Jinkai asked, his gaze briefly lingered upon her fist. He knew Yu Zhen must've slipped her something.

”Give me back my pendant.” Li Xueyue pretended he didn't just ask her a stupid question. Whatever she had, it had nothing to do with him.

”Why do you want it back so desperately? So that you can give it to him?” Wen Jinkai threw a disgusted glance towards Yu Zhen who nearly rolled his eyes at the childish provocation.

'If it's that easy to trick me, I might as well retire my titles,' Yu Zhen thought to himself. He was too confident with himself to care about Wen Jinkai's words. He'll personally deal with this man in a private duel.

”Look,” Li Xueyue coldly snapped in an authoritative voice. ”I only came here to get my pendant back, not to chit chat. So it's either you hand it over, or else.”

”Or else what?” Wen Jinkai repeated, his lips curling into a slight smirk. Li Xueyue thought her claws were sharp and threatening, how amusing. It would barely do any damage to him.

Li Xueyue's lips tilted downwards. ”I will not hesitate to cut you out of my life.”

”With that power?” Wen Jinkai murmured, ”Nothing in this world can keep me away from you.”

”I seriously do not understand.” Li Xueyue shook her head. ”Your lack of understanding for boundaries is applaudable.”

”I gave you boundaries.” Wen Jinkai slowly said, ”I could've trespassed into your house, kidnapped you, and walked out of the front entrance unscathed, but for your sake, I didn't.”

Li Xueyue quietly laughed, the sound piercing through his heart. Frigid and bleak, like her sharp eyes filled with disgust. ”Perhaps these obsessive words could've worked on Minghua, but it'll never work on me.”

Wen Jinkai's eyes narrowed. ”How much do you know?”

”Everything.”

”How?” He took a threatening step closer to her and demanded, ”Who told you?”

”That is none of your business.” Li Xueyue shook her head. ”I don't have time for this conversation. Give me back my pendant.”

Wen Jinkai was conflicted about what to do. The right thing was handing it back to her, after all, he stole it from her waist belt when she wasn't watching. But this pendant was the only thing linking her to him. Without it, he wouldn't have a reason to see her. He could not part with it.

”Where did I screw up?” Wen Jinkai finally asked, ”What made you dislike me? What did I do wrong?!”

Yu Zhen's hand instantly flew to his sword, his eyes narrowed in a warning. This was getting out of hand. He began to approach Xueyue but she firmly held up a hand. Her message was clear—this was her battle, not his.

”I'll admit it, I was intrigued by you. Perhaps I even liked you,” Li Xueyue responded, brushing strands of hair behind her ears, completely unfazed by his anger.

”But then you lost my respect.” Li Xueyue articulated, ”From your lack of understanding of boundaries to wanting a harem. It's clear to me, you don't view me as your equal.”

”I do,” he firmly said, frustration evading his darkening eyes.

”No, you don't,” she deadpanned. ”If you respected me, you wouldn't have publicly declared I was promised to you. If you did, you wouldn't have injured me, then have the audacity to sneak into my room and act as if you own me. Even now, you do not respect me.”

Duchess Wang Qixing's brows shot upwards. Wen Jinkai had trespassed into Li Xueyue's room? When was this?!

”Xueyue—”

”You should move on,” she deadpanned. ”Whether it's from her or me, you should do it for not only your sake but hers.”

Wen Jinkai didn't respond. It felt as if a boulder was weighing him down, his heart suddenly heavy. As much as he had reprimanded himself, he could not move on. How could he ever move on from his first love? She was everything to him, and without her, he was nothing.

Her gaze softened for the briefest second. Despite his confident aura and endless achievements, he was such a pitiful man riddled with delusions from heartbreak.