8. The Refined Sister-in-Law × The Beautiful Yandere

By the time they returned to the Marquis's estate, both of their clothes were soaked through.

With Shen Rujie, whose lightness skill was exceptional, they naturally did not need to use the main entrance. Xinyi only heard a soft, "Forgive my rudeness, sister-in-law," before her waist was swept up and her feet lifted lightly off the ground.

*Not rude at all,* Xinyi thought. *You just saved me 400 points.*

She felt a momentary dizzy spell, and by the time she regained her senses, she had already been set down steadily within a courtyard. The surroundings were bleak and desolate, with nothing but a crooked persimmon tree standing before a set of peeling, vermilion-painted windows.

It was Shen Rujie’s courtyard.

The system couldn't help but sigh, "He really doesn't know how to cherish a delicate soul. Otherwise, he should have sent you back to your own courtyard first, at least to let you change out of these wet clothes."

It was no wonder the system spoke this way; Xinyi looked like a drowned rat. Though she tried to maintain a stoic facade, her lips were already pale and trembling—whether from the cold, she couldn't be sure.

Hearing this, Xinyi offered a resigned, polite smile. "You're right, but with only 25% favorability, what kind of consideration can I expect?"

This was how she comforted herself. There was no helping it; the yandere villain was even harder to win over than she had imagined. The road ahead was truly long and arduous.

Across from her, the youth had already pushed open the door and turned to gesture for her to enter. "Please, sister-in-law."

Xinyi did not bother with any coy refusals and walked straight into Shen Rujie’s room.

The candles in the room were lit, and soon, the youth brought over a small brazier, igniting it and placing it before her. Both of them were dripping water, but the difference was that the liquid pooling at Shen Rujie’s feet was tinged with faint traces of blood.

He was still wearing his usual black robes, but his injuries were tightly bound with glaring, light-colored silk. Although it was still seeping blood, it was significantly better than when they were at the stables.

Xinyi looked down at her own ruined, blood-stained gown, lamenting that this dress, which she had only worn a few times, was completely beyond saving.

Shen Rujie’s gaze fell upon her. The rain-drenched fabric clung to her skin without a gap, outlining her slender waist. Her eyes were slightly moist, giving her a look of pitiful, delicate beauty.

In the next second, Xinyi sneezed.

Her already pale face looked even more frail, causing Shen Rujie to instinctively knit his brows. Even though he was the one suffering from severe injuries, he felt as though the woman before him was the one in greater need of care.

An inexplicable, strange emotion stirred within Shen Rujie. Before he could decipher it, he instinctively went into his bedroom, retrieved two sets of clothes, and handed them to her. "They are both new, I haven't worn them yet. If you don't mind, please go and change."

Xinyi reached out to take them, peeked at them, and then looked at him with confusion. "Why... did you give me two?"

The youth glanced at her, then quickly averted his eyes, pressing