Forced to be a third person: I turned around and left the palace to marry a villain

When they arrived at Huyin City, they heard people in the city talking about it. It turned out that Cao Ling was tied to a horse and paraded naked through the streets. This made Young Master Yongle, who was always known for his gentleness and elegance, a laughing stock among the people.

In particular, the flag with the words "Prince Cao Ling of Yongle" hung on the horse's back further aggravated the humiliation of the Cao family.

At this moment, the Cao family's reputation fell to the bottom in Huyin City.

Listening to the ridicule and sarcasm of passers-by, Jiang Xue couldn't help but feel a little happy.

When she thought of the man behind her, she couldn't help but frown.

She was not ready to face Xiao Zhan, at least not yet.

However, things did not develop as fast as she did.

She could feel the pressure from the man behind her.

"We're here." Xiao Zhan's voice sounded in a low voice. He jumped off the horse first, then looked up at her on the horse's back and stretched out his hand to signal her to get off.

"I..." Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Xiao Zhan.

"Come with me, or I'll carry you in."

He didn't leave her much choice. The few months she was away were too long for him.

Xiao Zhan's rare tough attitude made Jiang Xue sigh.

Never mind, if she didn't obey him, she knew he would do something unexpected.

So she obediently accepted his help, dismounted, and walked into the inn with him.

The inn was unusually quiet today, with no other guests.

When the shop owner saw his master coming back, he hurried forward to greet him: "Master, according to your instructions, we have closed the shop today."

"Very good, give the order, no one is allowed to disturb me in my room for a while. Also, prepare some clean bandages and medicines." After saying that, he took Jiang Xue straight upstairs.

"Boss, isn't that Mr. Huaichen's fiancée? How is she related to the young master?" Seeing Jiang Xue wearing Xiao Zhan's clothes, the waiter couldn't help but have some guesses in his mind. Could it be that the young master is interested in this lady?

The shopkeeper slapped him on the back of the head and said, "You little brat, is this something you can discuss? Mind your own business. Go and prepare some bandages and medicine. If you're late, I'll make you clean the stables."

After helping Jiang Xue treat the wound on her wrist, Xiao Zhan gently reached behind her ear and his fingers slowly slid along the edge of the mask.

Jiang Xue did not stop him. Since he already knew her true identity, there was no point in hiding.

He took off her human skin mask, and the beautiful face he had been thinking about day and night finally came into his eyes again.

"Now, isn't it time for you to tell me what's going on here? Hmm?"

Jiang Xue held her mask in her right hand and brought it closer to herself, and the scent of ambergris surrounded her again.

"If you ask me why I wear a mask, you should understand the reason. To Beiling, I have died of illness and should not appear in front of people again. Xiao Yan's people have been looking for me secretly. Once discovered, the consequences will be disastrous. So I must hide my identity and protect myself." Jiang Xue said, reluctantly looking straight at him.

"I understand your reasons for hiding your identity. But what I need is an explanation, a real answer. The explanation you gave me at the city gate did not convince me. Now, please give me a satisfactory answer."

He gently lifted her chin with his fingers, and asked her face to face, word by word: "Tell me, who is your husband?"

"What's the point of bringing this up now? Didn't you give me the divorce agreement?" Jiang Xue felt a sharp pain in her heart when she thought of the divorce agreement. This was also the reason why she found it difficult to face him.

"And that turquoise bracelet, didn't you give it to Madam Wei?"

The bracelet that Mrs. Wei was wearing became the key to triggering the pain in her body.

It was clearly him who gave up the relationship first, but now he was questioning her so harshly, which made Jiang Xue slowly accumulate dissatisfaction in her heart.

She pushed Xiao Zhan's chest with her hand, trying to increase the distance between them.

But her strength was insignificant in front of him. He grabbed her wrist, carefully avoiding the scar on her right hand.

"That divorce letter was not my sincere wish. Although there is my signature on it, it is not sealed. Your name is still recorded in the records of the Zongzheng Mansion, and no one can change it. This was just a temporary measure to let Junli detoxify you. But you were unconscious at that time, and I couldn't explain all this to you."

Hearing this, Jiang Xue stopped struggling: "Detoxification?"

"That's right. The antidote that Doctor Li gave you only contained half of the Futu grass. The other half is in Jun Li's hands. If you don't exchange it for the divorce letter, that half of the Futu grass will disappear. Jun Li destroyed all the Futu grass in Beiling. That half was the only antidote that could save your life at the time."

"As for the turquoise bracelet." Xiao Zhan paused for a moment, took out the bracelet from his arms, and gently put it on Jiang Xue's left wrist:

"It was Wei who secretly took it from the study when I wasn't paying attention. When I found out, I punished her severely and demoted her to a lowly servant."

For this reason, the patriarch of the Wei family came to cause trouble many times, but he dealt with it easily.

Jiang Xue looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, feeling mixed emotions.

Seeing that she no longer resisted, Xiao Zhan relaxed his grip slightly, stroked her cheek, and gently called, "Xiaoxue."

She raised her head and met his gaze: "Why didn't you discuss it with me when Jun Li threatened you? Why did you write the divorce letter without my consent? Why didn't you keep the bracelet well? Do you know how much my heart ached when I received the divorce letter?"

The long-standing dissatisfaction finally erupted at this moment. She was angry that Xiao Zhan did not treat her as a partner with whom she could face difficulties together.

She didn't want to be treated as a delicate flower that needed protection, and she couldn't accept that he endured everything alone without telling her.

Didn't she say she would go through all the ups and downs with him? Then what was she when he did this?

"I'm sorry." Facing her anger, Xiao Zhan apologized sincerely.

He knew that she didn't want to be seen as a weak and powerless woman, and he also knew that her heart was aching at the moment because he had to bear it alone.

"At that time, I was poisoned by the Heart-Eating Gu. When I saw the divorce letter and Wei's bracelet, the poison took effect and made me forget everything about you."

Jiang Xue explained to Xiao Zhan what had happened before, including how Jun Li had misled her into saying that he was his wife.

"That's why you acted like that at the west gate..." Xiao Zhan understood. It turned out that Xiaoxue said her husband was Jun Li because of Jun Li's conspiracy.

"Jun Li set a trap from the beginning, trying to sow discord between us, and he did it." Jiang Xue smiled bitterly, with self-mockery towards her confidant in her smile: "I knew it was his trap, but I still jumped into it willingly."