The Liu family was a prominent business dynasty in Suzhou. Although their estate was located on the outskirts of the city, it spanned a thousand hectares, dotted with numerous villas and adorned with pavilions and towers, showcasing the grandeur of their architecture.
However, the villa where Liu Ruyan resided was old and dilapidated, starkly contrasting with the luxurious and magnificent estate.
Originally, this secluded villa was intended for the servants. But after Liu Ruyan's parents passed away, Huang Tingting had banished her here.
In the courtyard of the old villa, Xiao Yunlong sat in his wheelchair, gazing intently at a similarly dilapidated, crooked necked tree.
Suddenly, he fiercely poked the tree root with his right index finger. The hard root immediately developed a finger-sized hole!
"Fortunately, my cultivation hasn't been crippled. I've recovered sixty percent of my strength, finally possessing some ability to protect myself," Xiao Yunlong inwardly exhaled.
"Brother Xiao, why have you come out? Your injuries healed so quickly, most of them within half a month. It's truly incredible!"
Liu Ruyan entered carrying a food box, calling out, "Have breakfast. It's the vegetable congee you like."
Xiao Yunlong nodded and wheeled himself back inside.
Watching Xiao Yunlong eat the congee spoonful by spoonful, Liu Ruyan said, "Brother Xiao, now that your injuries are mostly healed, there's something I need to explain to you."
"Go ahead," Xiao Yunlong replied without looking up.
After thinking carefully, Liu Ruyan said, "Remember the day I rescued you? I told you you were my man, but that was just to appease my second aunt. So, you don't need to take it to heart."
Xiao Yunlong merely smiled and said nothing. He had always been a man of few words.
After breakfast, Liu Ruyan suddenly suggested, "The weather seems quite nice today. How about I take you around the estate? You haven't left the courtyard in so long, you must be feeling stifled!"
"Thank you for your trouble!" Xiao Yunlong nodded.
So, Liu Ruyan pushed his wheelchair out of the small courtyard.
The early spring sun was warm, especially after the rain, making the air feel even fresher. Everything was coming back to life, and the lake ahead was as calm as a mirror.
It was then that Xiao Yunlong noticed Liu Ruyan walked with a limp, as if she were injured.
"What happened to your foot?" he asked softly, his gaze fixed on the lake ahead.
"It's nothing, I just fell accidentally," Liu Ruyan said evasively.
As if to change the subject, Liu Ruyan quickly asked, "By the way, now that you're injured, what are your plans? Where are you going?"
"Back to the capital!" Xiao Yunlong replied.
"Back to the capital? What for?"
"To kill, to seek revenge!"
Xiao Yunlong said calmly, but his gaze towards the lake was as sharp as a blade, as if it could cleave through the heavens and earth!
Liu Ruyan stuck out her tongue, not daring to ask further.
Just then, a young man and woman leisurely strolled towards them.
"Oh, I thought it was someone else. So it's you, you little slut. I heard you brought back a wild man. It must be him, right? You've got quite the leisure time, even coming out for a walk!"
The young man with dyed blonde hair, fashionable attire, and a gold chain sneered. He was Liu Ruyan's cousin, Liu Guohao.
The other woman, dressed alluringly and adorned lavishly, was Liu Ruyan's cousin, Liu Feiyan.
Liu Feiyan glanced at Xiao Yunlong in the wheelchair and pouted, "I thought it would be someone significant, but it turns out to be a cripple in a wheelchair. How ridiculous!"
"Naturally. What discerning taste can that little slut have? A slut with a cripple, it's quite fitting!" Liu Guohao laughed heartily, his expression filled with utter mockery.
Xiao Yunlong merely cast a cold glance at the two of them, too lazy to engage.
Liu Ruyan's face turned pale with anger, but she dared not retort.
Ever since her parents died in an accident and her grandfather fell gravely ill, these two siblings would find ways to bully and humiliate her whenever they met, sometimes even resorting to physical altercations.
"We have to go. We're leaving!" Liu Ruyan pushed the wheelchair, preparing to depart.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Liu Guohao snorted and blocked their path, stepping onto the wheelchair with extreme arrogance.
From childhood, Liu Ruyan had been the apple of the Liu family's eye. Her parents were the controllers of the Liu Group, and with her grandfather's doting affection, Liu Ruyan was always the most dazzling wherever she went. Liu Guohao and his sister were merely supporting characters.
This bred their jealousy and resentment towards Liu Ruyan. Now that Liu Ruyan's parents were gone and the old master was critically ill, Liu Guohao's father took over the Liu Group. Naturally, these two siblings had to intensify their efforts to get back at Liu Ruyan.
"You... What else do you want?" Liu Ruyan's voice trembled slightly. Without her parents' support, she had been bullied relentlessly during this period.
"To just leave as you please clearly shows you don't put me, this young master, in your eyes. You must be punished!"
Liu Guohao smirked and sneered, "There's mud on these shoes. Clean them for me, and remember, use your tongue!"
"Get lost!" Xiao Yunlong suddenly spoke.
"What did you say? You want me to get lost?"
Liu Guohao's eyes widened, disbelief etched on his face. "You cripple in a wheelchair, who do you think you are to speak to me like that?"
Liu Feiyan quickly stepped forward, disdainfully saying, "A trashy cripple dares to shout? We're in a good mood, perhaps we'll accept you as a son-in-law. If we're unhappy, you're worse than a dog!"
"Trash, you lick it. Clean the mud off my shoes, you..."
However, before Liu Guohao could finish, Xiao Yunlong acted. He grabbed his ankle and forcefully flung him.
With a splash...
Liu Guohao was thrown directly into the lake, shattering the mirror-like stillness of the water.
"You dog, how dare you lay a hand on me? You're incredibly bold!" Liu Feiyan roared.
Xiao Yunlong stared at her coldly and said in a deep voice, "I never hit women lightly. I hope you don't make me break my rule!"
Seeing his gaze as sharp as a blade, Liu Feiyan was immediately intimidated and dared not speak further.
"Ruyan, let's go!" Xiao Yunlong called out to Liu Ruyan. Only then did she snap out of her shock and quickly pushed the wheelchair away.
Liu Guohao scrambled out of the water, gnashing his teeth and roaring, "You bastard! How dare you touch me? This is outrageous! I will definitely kill this trashy cripple!"
"And that little slut Liu Ruyan! If I don't torment and humiliate her severely, I won't be able to vent this anger!" Liu Feiyan shouted coldly.
Hearing the teeth-gnashing sounds from behind, Liu Ruyan's face turned pale, her hands trembling. She sighed, "Brother Xiao, I'm afraid you've gotten into serious trouble this time."
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly, "It's nothing. Just two spoiled brats, don't worry."
Liu Ruyan, still shaken, said, "Why don't you leave quickly while you can, Brother Xiao? They will definitely retaliate!"
Xiao Yunlong chuckled, "My injuries aren't fully healed yet, and I'm still in a wheelchair. Are you already trying to get rid of me?"
Liu Ruyan was put in a difficult position, unsure how to respond.
Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and smiled, "Don't worry. If they dare to bully you again in the future, just tell me, and I'll stand up for you!"
Liu Ruyan managed a weak smile and didn't reply, thinking to herself, "You're in this state yourself, how can you stand up for me?"