At this moment, Evan Chu looked like a demon—his eyes radiated a fierce, cruel light that made Sophia Lin and Harold Zhu even more afraid.
"If you want me to spare you, that's possible, but let's see if you have the guts. If you can do what I ask, your life will be safe." Evan grinned wickedly.
Harold Zhu, hearing that he might be spared, immediately said, "Your Highness, just say it! No matter what it is, I agree!"
Evan ignored him and instead turned to Sophia Lin, saying, "I'll give you a chance too. If you can do what I ask, I'll spare you as well—no one can say I'm being unfair."
Sophia Lin, as if receiving a royal pardon, hurriedly asked, "I'll agree to anything, as long as you let me go."
"Good! Excellent! Guards, release these two!" Evan said with a smile.
Once freed, the two stood quietly, staring at Evan Chu. Gone was their arrogance from the street; now they looked utterly dejected.
"Now you two are free. If either of you kills the other, the survivor will walk away and I'll let the whole matter go. Of course, if you truly love each other and can't bear to do it, you can always die for the other instead." Evan smiled.
No one understood why Evan Chu would do such a thing. For two people about to be married, this was truly a cruel test.
"If I kill the other, Your Highness, you'll really let me go?" Harold Zhu asked.
"Of course. It all depends on whether you have the courage. I keep my word—I never go back on it," Evan Chu said.
Harold Zhu immediately pulled a sword from his storage belt, pointing it at Sophia Lin. "If I want to live, you have to die. Didn't you always say you loved me? Well, now's your chance to prove just how much you really do."
Sophia Lin never expected Evan Chu would treat them this way. The man who once swore he loved her now showed it was all nonsense—he'd do anything to survive, no matter the cost.
"Harold Zhu, do you really have the heart to kill me?" Sophia Lin couldn't believe he'd go through with it.
"That's right. As long as I get to live, I don't care about anything else. You think I'll ever be short on women? Honestly, I've wanted to dump you for ages. If your skills in bed weren't so good, I would've kicked you to the curb long ago. You seriously think you're so pretty and amazing?
I couldn't care less!" Harold Zhu said, staring coldly at Sophia Lin.
Every word stabbed at Sophia Lin's heart like a knife. Her heart was shattered—this was the man she loved, the man she'd willingly given her body to. Now he was utterly cold and heartless. Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable.
Only now did Sophia Lin truly regret it all—regret looking down on Evan Chu. If she hadn't been so stubborn, if she'd stayed home and been a dignified lady like Roxy, maybe she'd be a princess now.
The so-called 'trash' had become a genius, and she was the fool who couldn't see it. Heaven gave her a chance, but she threw it away. Now, even if she wanted it, it was impossible, and a desire to end it all welled up inside her.
But before dying, she had to make this heartless man pay. She drew her sword as well.
Selena watched as these two, once in love, now turned on each other just to survive. She sighed, "So this is your so-called love—it's thinner than paper. If it were me, I'd choose to die so my beloved could live."
"You think everyone is like you? This was just a test for them, and now it's clear—they couldn't withstand it. I won't waste any more time on people like that. It's getting late; tie them back to the stakes until morning. That's their punishment." Evan Chu said.
So the two were tied back onto the stakes, while everyone else left, leaving the pair alone with their thoughts.
"Ping, I only did what I had to—you can't take it seriously!" Harold Zhu pleaded with Sophia Lin.
"Really? You think I'll believe you? Guess I was blind to ever trust someone like you. From now on, we're finished. I'll deal with the bastard in my belly myself." Sophia Lin said through her tears.
"The child is innocent, Ping! Give me one more chance—I swear I'll treat you well. Do you really have the heart to leave me?" Harold Zhu tried to sweet-talk her again.
"Impossible. Never! If it weren't for you, I would be the woman by Evan Chu's side. You ruined me. I hate you and will never forgive you!"
Back in the hall, Evan Chu smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. I just wanted you all to see their true feelings. Now that we've seen the result, I'm sure they'll make their own choices. For Roxy's sake, I'll release them tomorrow."
Everyone, go get some rest. Tomorrow I want to see the downfall of Old Liu and his entire family. They dared to come after the Chu clan—now it's their turn to be destroyed.
Evan Chu's domineering side made everyone fearful. Victor Chu knew that no matter what he said, his son wouldn't change his mind—Evan had truly grown up.
Back in his room, Evan Chu was about to close the door when Selena walked in and announced, "I'm sleeping here tonight!"
"No way, that's asking for trouble! Aren't you afraid?" Evan Chu said, utterly shocked.
"I'm here for you to 'eat' me. Seeing how those two treated each other just now stirred something in me. For you, I don't care about anything—I'd do it even now, with this body." Selena said softly.
Evan Chu suddenly felt like he'd shot himself in the foot—he never expected Selena to say something like that. He could only reply, "Selena, let's take it slow! I'm really not ready yet. When I am, I'll let you know."
"What's there to prepare for? Are you saying you're not man enough?" Selena shot back immediately.
"Well, you know... this really isn't the right place. If you want to be my woman, there's no need to rush!" Evan Chu said, feeling guilty. If Selena forced herself on him, he'd be no match—he'd be humiliated beyond belief, getting overpowered by a woman.
Selena laughed, "I'm just teasing you! I just want to watch you sleep. At my realm, I don't even feel sleepy anymore. Even absorbing Stellar Power day and night barely improves my strength—everything depends on luck now."
"You scared me! Well, since neither of us wants to sleep, maybe we should find something to do. How about we go check out the Liu estate? I bet it's a total mess right now." Evan Chu suggested.
"Great idea! Let's go right now!" Selena said with a smile.
The two left the room and flew into the sky, hovering over the Liu estate. The place was ablaze with lights—everyone stood in the training yard, watching City Lord Mansion guards carry valuables out of the house.
"Linfeng, isn't this a bit much? Plenty of these people are innocent. If someone from the Liu family really offended you, just deal with them directly—no need to make such a big show. It could hurt your reputation." Selena said.
Evan Chu realized Selena had a point—he'd acted too impulsively and hadn't considered the consequences. He asked, "So what do you suggest?"