10: The Yandere Warlord's Substitute Bride 10

In the afternoon.

General Fu, filled with excitement, ended his day's tasks early and returned home, only to find no one rushing to greet him as he had expected, no warmth or tenderness, and none of the joyful laughter he had imagined.

There was only a cold silence, and the usual respectful but timid maids and houseboys.

The person he wanted to see was not there.

The warmth in his heart instantly turned to ice, and the huge bouquet of red roses he held in his hand clattered to the ground.

This was the first time he had ever given someone roses. All the way home, he had imagined his wife rushing to him, happily saying "Welcome home," and then he would present her with the roses he had hidden behind his back as a grand surprise.

This was the first time he had such a romantic idea.

But nothing came to fruition.

The smile on General Fu's lips froze before it had fully bloomed, then vanished completely.

"Where is my wife?" His voice was chillingly cold.

The maid knelt on the ground, trembling, "Reporting, reporting to General Fu, the Madam left early this morning and has not yet returned..."

General Fu crushed the red roses on the ground with his foot. A surge of unprecedented rage, grievance, and heartache suddenly welled up in his chest. He reached out and grabbed the guards by their necks, lifting them up, his eyes bloodshot.

"Who allowed you to let her out?"

The guard's face turned pale, the intense choking in his throat making him so terrified he was almost incontinent. Another guard quickly knelt down to plead, "General Fu, Madam said she was going to buy you something delicious, and that she'd be back soon, so we..."

"Thud."

General Fu released his grip, and the guard fell to the ground with a thud. He didn't dare to get up immediately, but instead quickly knelt and kowtowed, "General Fu, Madam went to 'Songhezai'!"

After he said this, the air fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, even the sparrows in the courtyard fell silent.

General Fu didn't hear a word. He only knew that she hadn't waited for him at home, hadn't come out to greet him with joy.

She had run away.

She must still think he's a madman, so she's afraid of him, fearful of him, and ultimately chose to escape.

She didn't want to be by his side.

General Fu stood rooted to the spot, suddenly feeling the vast mansion was bone-chillingly cold. Just yesterday, her presence was everywhere, but now there was only dead silence.

He reached up and tore open the collar of his military uniform, his breathing heavy. He remembered that when he left this morning, she had so obediently said she would wait for him at home.

Liar.

He slammed his fist against a nearby pillar, his knuckles bleeding unnoticed, his dark eyes obscure, a terrifying storm brewing within them.

"Go find her," his voice was hoarse. "Turn the entire city upside down; I want her brought back to me."

"General Fu, the guard said Madam went to Songhezai." The adjutant was also frightened by the General's terrifying appearance, but still quickly spoke up, fearing that the General had lost his mind and hadn't heard clearly.

General Fu froze for a moment, then his knuckles turned white. Songhezai? That pastry shop was half a city away from the official residence!

"Prepare the car!"

The military vehicle careened through the streets, startling birds along the way. General Fu sat in the back seat, his muscles under his military uniform taut.

"Faster!"

When the motorcade finally rushed to the front of Songhezai, General Fu immediately saw that familiar figure walking out, carrying a pastry box. Her rouge-colored cheongsam was like a dancing flame in the sunlight, her bright black hair was styled into a lazy bun, and the pearl hairpins in her hair gently swayed with her steps.

She was still alive.

She was still here.

She hadn't run away.

General Fu suddenly felt a dizzy spell, realizing then that he had been holding his breath the entire time. He strode out of the car, but found the figure had disappeared around the corner. As he rushed over, he heard a piercing scream coming from the alley.

In an instant, his heart almost shattered his ribs.

When that ear-piercing shriek came, countless bloody images flashed through his mind, his temples throbbed. He rushed forward, his military saber already half-drawn.

But then he saw the rouge-colored cheongsam cut a stunning arc in the twilight.

His wife was elegantly spinning, her foot landing heavily on a man's crotch.

A shrill scream rang out again.

Amidst the disarray on the ground, three burly men curled up like shrimp, while Wen Ci's hair bun was not even disheveled. She casually smoothed the wrinkles on her cheongsam, and her movement to pick up the pastry box was like plucking a flower.

General Fu froze in place, suddenly feeling a chill in his lower body.

He couldn't help but swallow, looking at his wife's precise and ruthless force, and couldn't help but shiver.

His wife, she wouldn't treat him like that, would she?

Wen Ci bent down, her snow-white fingertips picking up a piece of dust-covered pastry, and she pouted regretfully. This appearance, in General Fu's eyes, was delicate and cute, yet those slender hands had just taken down three big men.

"I hate it when others dirty my things."

Wen Ci's gaze swept over the scattered pastries on the ground, and she murmured, "These were... bought for my husband."

When General Fu heard her words, his heart instantly pounded with fervor.

These were bought for him by his wife.

His wife, it was all for him.

"Chenzhou?"

Wen Ci seemed to notice him just then, turning her head. The coldness in her eyes hadn't completely dissipated, but upon seeing him, it instantly transformed into countless grievances.

She scurried over, like a bird returning to its nest as she threw herself into his arms.

"They dirtied the pastries for you..." She complained, looking up, tears clinging to her eyelashes, about to fall.

General Fu's Adam's apple bobbed.

He had initially planned to confront her the moment he saw her, to express his fury, to question why she had broken her promise and deceived him, why she hadn't waited obediently at home.

But at this moment, looking at her soft, pitiful, and coquettish appearance, his heart softened completely, unable to remain hard in the slightest.

The adjutants behind him also arrived, and when they saw their stern General Fu suddenly become as tender as water the moment a beautiful woman threw herself into his arms, their eyes widened in terror.

This speed of emotional change was truly terrifying.

Who could possibly connect the General Fu they saw now with the grim-faced, storm-about-to-break man from just moments ago, on the verge of a volcanic eruption?

"Does it hurt?" he asked hoarsely, smoothing the stray hairs from her forehead and then carefully wiping away her tears.

Wen Ci blinked, then suddenly gave a sly smile, "General Fu, perhaps you should worry about whether *they* hurt?"

From nearby came the painful groans of the thugs.

General Fu chuckled softly, tightening the arm around her waist.

So his canary was actually a phoenix steeped in poison.

How many more surprises did she have that he didn't know about? This was truly... exciting for him.

His wife was so mysterious; he really wanted to completely peel her open and see her clearly.

She was clearly just a young lady raised in a deep boudoir, not even favored, yet she possessed such terrifying martial skills.

He didn't ask too many questions, just looked deeply into her eyes, as if trying to see through her.

The adjutants nearby looked at the two embracing, then at the three men sprawled on the ground, and couldn't help but frown. The General had only arrived a few seconds before them; how could he have taken down three big men in such a short time?

But if it wasn't their General, could it have been that beautiful woman?

Their scrutinizing gazes fell upon her, and when they saw the beauty's face, their hearts instantly pounded.

Oh my goodness.

What kind of peerless beauty was this?!

In that instant, they seemed to suddenly understand why the General had been so distracted these past few days.

Just one glance at such a charming beauty made their hearts thump.

No wonder the General could be captivated.

However, the General didn't seem to be a man who would only be infatuated with looks. Could it be that this Madam truly had some extraordinary qualities?

But they still couldn't connect such a delicate Madam with someone who could single-handedly defeat three burly men, leaving them full of questions.

General Fu held the woman in his arms tightly, as if she were a precious treasure he had lost and found again.

His previously empty and cold heart felt as if it had been filled in an instant.

It became full again.

He had never experienced this feeling of contentment before.

It was Wen Ci who gave him this warm and fulfilling feeling.

So happy.

Just holding her like this made him so happy.

He didn't want to think about anything else.

He only wanted to hold her like this, to be with her forever.

"I really want to chain you to the bed with a gold chain so you can never get out of bed." His Adam's apple bobbed, and he still couldn't help but softly threaten her, though his gaze upon the thugs was icy cold.

Wen Ci couldn't help but chuckle at his words, but upon seeing the adjutants behind him, her beautiful eyes darted, and she suddenly shivered, clutching his clothes, her voice trembling,

"Husband, I'm so scared."

These words were like a death sentence.

General Fu held her with one hand, and slowly drew his sidearm with the other. Only then did the three thugs realize what terrifying existence they had provoked, and they were already kneeling on the ground, kowtowing like garlic, their foreheads bleeding.

"General Fu, spare our lives! Madam, spare our lives! We were blind and didn't know Mount Tai! We will never dare again!"

They kowtowed frantically, surrendering, crying tears. They had no idea that the seemingly delicate woman actually had such great strength, and even less that she was General Fu's wife!

"Do you know what price you pay for touching my wife?"

The man coldly reached out, and as the muzzle of the gun pressed against Scarface's forehead, Wen Ci let out a soft "Oh dear," "Husband, I think I twisted my ankle..."

General Fu immediately holstered his gun and bent down to examine her. The warlord, who had just been full of murderous intent, now carefully held her ankle as if it were fragile porcelain.

At this time, the adjutants all stepped forward and restrained the three thugs who were trying to escape.

Their gazes at Wen Ci became even more scrutinizing. She looked like just an ordinary young woman; besides her exquisitely beautiful and enchanting appearance, there seemed to be nothing special about her.

Their General was not a man who would only be tempted by looks. Even if he liked Wen Ci, he wouldn't care for her to this extent.

Wen Ci naturally didn't miss the doubt in their eyes, but her face became even more pitiful, truly adopting the demeanor of a frightened young girl, timid and cowering.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" General Fu directly picked her up horizontally, his voice filled with unprecedented tension, "Does it hurt?"

Wen Ci buried her face in his neck, secretly smiling. Her cold-blooded warlord was truly becoming easier and easier to fool.

A perceptive adjutant noticed her smile, and after a moment of awe, his heart grew even more puzzled.

He had a feeling that this Madam was not as simple as she appeared.

"Husband, you're so good to me." Wen Ci carefully kissed him on the cheek, looking both shy and adorable.

General Fu's body stiffened.

The adjutants were even more terrified.

They watched their usually stern, Yama-like superior suddenly raise a hand to cover his face, clearly smiling.

Immediately, they all stood dumbfounded, covered in goosebumps.