Chapter 46 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)

Chapter Forty-Six

"Lin Rong, do you want to die?!"

Pei Zan's eyes were dark and his face was cold. He grabbed Lin Rong's hand that was used to commit the crime, twisted it behind her back, and pressed it firmly against the girl's sunken waist.

His harsh question was unclear; it was as if he was asking Lin Rong if she truly wanted to die, or if he was determined to kill her because he had lost face after being slapped.

Lin Rong looked up, her gaze fierce and fearless.

Lin Rong stopped resisting. She knew she was unarmed and couldn't hurt Pei Zan. If she made a move, Pei Zan might take his anger out on the whole village and hurt others as well.

The only thing she could do was to be her own master.

She was determined to die, believing that death would end everything and spare no one else from her suffering.

Despair escaped Lin Rong's soft lips as she uttered the words: "Kill me or torture me, it's up to you."

Pei Zan gave a silent, cold laugh.

He bound Lin Rong's two slender wrists with one hand, and with the other hand, he pressed his thumb to the corner of his mouth and gently wiped away the scorching bloodstains.

This was the first time Pei Zan had ever been humiliated; Lin Rong actually dared to lay a hand on him...

“What a tragic couple…” Pei Zan’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and he shouted sharply, “Guards! Break Yang Feng’s legs!”

Lin Rong's head was buzzing, and her eyes were red.

Then she heard a dull pain from outside the carriage, like a long stick being pierced into flesh, followed by a man's agonizing scream.

Having lived in a grand mansion, Lin Rong naturally knew how the masters punished their servants—it was nothing more than caning and beating them until they were crippled.

The thick stick pounded into the flesh of the buttocks, and when it was lifted up, the bone and blood were stuck to the thin cloth.

That was the suffering Lin Rong had endured; she knew the pain, and she could empathize with it.

Why should Yang Feng be punished like this? Just because he is magnanimous and generous? Has he ever helped her?

At that moment, Lin Rong's neck burned with rage, and her cheeks burned. She struggled and shouted, "Pei Zan! If you want to kill me, then kill me! Why take it out on others?! If you want me dead, just say so! Slit your throat with a knife or throw a rope from the rafters, that will satisfy your rage! Why hurt the innocent and humiliate others!"

The more Lin Rong pleaded for Yang Feng, the angrier Pei Zan became.

He should have looked down on her ugly state, watched her suffer and beg for survival, watched her submit and plead for mercy, watched her humbly beg for pity, just like the gods and Buddhas on Mount Sumeru, who never softened their hearts, never showed mercy, never pitied the world, and never saved all living beings.

Seeing Lin Rong in such agony, Pei Zan should have laughed, but for some reason, he felt a certain dislike for her.

Reason told Pei Zan that he really should kill Lin Rong.

But why did he give her chances again and again?

She was nothing more than a lowly maidservant, nothing more than someone who had received his bodily pleasures, nothing more than a beautiful woman's face that could be seen anywhere... These were all things that Pei Zan was used to. What made Lin Rong any different?

Pei Zan's face was grim, but he still sneered, "You want to die? You want to die for him? I didn't know... your love had deepened to this extent."

As Lin Rong fought desperately, her clothes came undone, revealing a patchwork of grotesque, crisscrossing burn scars on her fair shoulder. The scars varied in depth and size, resembling the scabs and burls left on a withered plum tree after its branches had been pruned.

Those glaring burns served as a stark reminder to Pei Zan that Lin Rong would rather cut off her own limbs than leave him...

Lin Rong was driven to the brink of collapse. Her chest ached with anger: "Between Yang Feng and me, there is absolutely nothing as dirty as you think! We are completely innocent and have not overstepped our bounds! Pei Zan, you have indiscriminately killed innocent people, you will die a horrible death!"

The more Lin Rong cursed, the colder Pei Zan's expression became.

“Then I really can’t kill him. If he dies, won’t you hold a grudge against him for the rest of your life? But cutting off his hands and feet and gouging out his eyes is an option.” Pei Zan raised his sleeve, and a silver leaf flew out from the curtain, abruptly stopping the caning.

It was unclear whether Yang Feng had fainted from the pain or was too badly injured; his cries of pain were faint and almost inaudible.

Lin Rong's almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears; she was so afraid that she had lost even the ability to cry.

Pei Zan's cold, long eyes remained fixed on her.

He raised his finger, his cool fingertip stroking the soft flesh of Lin Rong's shoulder, and then his long finger mischievously probed into the round and full snowy valley.

Lin Rong endured these intimate actions, but her confidence and backbone gradually faded away under Pei Zan's brutal treatment.

She couldn't help but tremble as she asked him, "What exactly do you want...?"

Pei Zan's fingertips were already warmed by Lin Rong's body heat. He pinched her chin and said coldly, "I'm asking you, Lin Rong, what exactly do you want?"

"I do not understand."

Pei Zan gave a slight smile: "That bowl of soup that would kill your offspring... did you want to drink it, or did Wu Nianzhen force you to?"

Lin Rong's pupils trembled; Pei Zan actually knew about this!

Lin Rong remained silent for a long time.

"Not going to talk?" Pei Zan had little patience and whispered in his ear, "Just you wait and see if I kill him."

Lin Rong knew that Pei Zan might not have calmed down yet and was willing to spare her life to slowly torture her and vent his anger.

But in Pei Zan's eyes, the lives of others were nothing more than lowly ants, and he would not care about them in the slightest.

Lin Rong dared not refuse to answer, nor did she want to implicate others further... Even if it was Wu Nianzhen, she had at least let Lin Rong escape before, so she shouldn't have killed her.

Lin Rong took a deep breath: "...I wanted to drink it myself."

The concise sentence elicited a few low laughs from Pei Zan.

He allowed her to give birth to his eldest son, he allowed her to leave behind his beloved, and he cared for her in every way, but Lin Rong treated her like a worn-out shoe.

She is ruthless to others, and she is ruthless to herself.

I'd rather have no male heir than have his child!

He was truly a tough nut to crack, a truly humiliating disgrace!

Pei Zan had never, ever been so hated!

But Lin Rong was so audacious and reckless that she dared to humiliate him like this!

That's really funny; he should have killed her back then.

"Lin Rong, only by breaking Yang Feng's legs can I vent my hatred!"

Lin Rong's face changed drastically upon hearing this. She trembled uncontrollably, finally her neck went limp, and she sobbed, "No...please, young master, no..."

Pei Zan's fingertips caressed Lin Rong's pink lips, his expression inscrutable.

"It's just two broken legs, I didn't take his life, what's there to be upset about? Lin Rong, I'm giving you a choice. Make your decision, Yang Feng's legs, do you want me to cut them off, or do you want them reattached and let him go home..."

Lin Rong understood the meaning behind Pei Zan's words: he wouldn't kill her; he wanted to leave her alive.

Because Pei Zan hadn't gotten tired of Lin Rong yet, he wanted her to live and continue staying in the Pei residence.

But after this sudden change, Lin Rong not only humiliated Pei Zan, but even slapped him. After returning to the mansion, what kind of hell awaited her was self-evident.

Lin Rong, terrified by Pei Zan's bloody methods, knew she had no way out and could only lower her head in humiliation: "I'll go back with you..."

"Lin Rong, you're very obedient." Pei Zan's words were laced with sarcasm. He knew Lin Rong had given in, but he was still upset because she had compromised and endured humiliation for Yang Feng's sake. She hadn't done it willingly... Pei Zan didn't think he was jealous of Yang Feng, but he disliked that Lin Rong had any contact with outsiders.

Lin Rong was still uneasy. After Pei Zan released the restraints on her wrist, she carefully grabbed the dark corner of her clothes and asked again, "After I leave, you must keep your promise and not hurt anyone... The Grand Commander's word is law. If you say you won't kill anyone, then you really will let the people of Yumen Village go."

Pei Zan's phoenix eyes suddenly turned cold. In Lin Rong's heart, he had become such a treacherous and despicable person.

“If I were to kill someone, I would do so with a knife; I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Pei Zan pressed down on Lin Rong's trembling shoulders and quietly examined her for a moment.

Then, the man's breath was heavy, his body leaning forward as majestic as a mountain, and he lowered his head to kiss the burn scar on her shoulder.

Pei Zan's kiss was intensely intimidating, and Lin Rong instinctively felt fear, but she stared blankly at the roof of the car without flinching.

She let Pei Zan's wet, soft tongue roam over her shoulder, the strong sandalwood scent suddenly intensifying, and Lin Rong was completely enveloped by Pei Zan into endless darkness.

Lin Rong breathed heavily, trying her best to endure it. She was very scared, but she did not run away.

Perhaps Lin Rong was pragmatic enough to finally please Pei Zan.

Pei Zan pulled her into his arms and knelt down to hold her tightly.

The force of his outstretched arm was so strong that Lin Rong had no choice but to comply.

Pei Zan's embrace was clearly ambiguous and gentle, yet it inexplicably carried a hint of cold coercion.

He bit Lin Rong's earlobe: "Lin Rong, don't worry, as long as you escape again, everyone you protect—whether it's the maids, servants, and boys of the Pei family's ancestral home, that scraggly horse, or even the villagers of Yumen Village—I will kill them all one by one. I will find you, and then tear their flesh from their bones, stitching it back together piece by piece, and send it to you..."

Lin Rong's whole body stiffened, as if she had seen a demon.

She remembered that Fugui always hid delicious food in his arms, calling her "sister" while bringing her food.

Thinking that Granny Zhao was worried that Lin Rong was not doing well outside, she advised her that if she had nowhere to go, she should come to the countryside to take care of her grandmother.

Thinking of how Sister Green Pearl gave Lin Rong her favorite rouge and face powder, and how she said to her on the day Lin Rong was redeemed from her servitude and left the manor, "Rong'er, you must live a good life..."

The past is still vivid in my mind.

Lin Rong's nose tingled, and tears rolled down her cheeks, soaking into Pei Zan's neat silk robe.

"I won't run away anymore..."

Lin Rong knew that Pei Zan had something on her, that she had a weakness, and that she could no longer run away.

Even if Pei Zan is injured, his former subordinates might avenge him, turning their knives against Lin Rong's closest people.

She didn't want to do that; she didn't want to implicate anyone.

Lin Rong's wings were both broken; she really wouldn't run away anymore.

Pei Zan personally extinguished Lin Rong's hope for survival. He liked how obedient Lin Rong was, curling up in his arms.

Pei Zan lifted the carriage curtain and gave him a cold glance: "Release Yang Feng, no need to kill him... and leave him two hundred taels of gold to treat his leg."

After speaking, Pei Zan lowered his eyes again, placed his palm on Lin Rong's neck meridians, felt her pulse, and controlled her lifeline.

"Lin Rong, is there anything else you want to take with you?"

Lin Rong thought of the chickens, ducks, lambs, and big yellow dog in the house... She knew that even if she left them, Yang Feng would take good care of everything for her.

Although Lin Rong felt indebted to Brother Yang, she managed to save his life by doing everything in her power.

Yang Feng is a good person. He may feel guilty for not being able to protect Lin Rong, but he will never blame or resent her. Lin Rong can give up all of this without worry.

Lin Rong shook her head.

No, you don't need to bring anything. Otherwise, she might be reminded of the past and become attached to this carefree time.

Pei Zan's gaze darkened, satisfied with Lin Rong's ruthlessness. He lowered the carriage curtain and ordered, "Return to Luzhou... Discard all these filthy, vulgar things from the marketplace; there's no need to bring them back to the mansion."

-

Before leaving Liangzhou, Pei Zan ordered someone to investigate Lin Rong's life during the days she spent herding horses in the fields.

From the laborers, Pei Zan learned that Lin Rong was focused on her work and ate meals with them, never spending time alone with Yang Feng. Only then did Pei Zan completely suppress the murderous intent in his heart.

Lin Rong suffered this great calamity and fell ill that very night.

Pei Zan personally fed Lin Rong the medicine and even forced her to eat some cakes.

Whether it was because the medicine contained sleeping herbs or something else, Lin Rong would become drowsy after drinking the medicine each time, snuggling into Pei Zan's arms and sleeping until dawn.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Rong had already left Liangzhou with Pei Zan's caravan and returned to the territory of the six southern prefectures.

That night, Lin Rong woke up with a start.

She murmured that she was thirsty and tried to get off the bed by supporting herself on the edge of the bed, but her movements were restricted.

Lin Rong was startled and instinctively opened her eyes.

But it was pitch black in front of her, so dark that she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face. Lin Rong realized that there was a light-blocking ribbon tightly covering her eyes.

Lin Rong's wrist trembled, and a rustling sound of silver bells suddenly rang out.

Her hands were firmly bound to the bed frame by two silver chains with bells hanging from them!

Lin Rong was plunged into chaotic darkness. Her five senses became acute, and she could only perceive the outside world through her sense of smell.

Lin Rong smelled the familiar, lingering sandalwood scent, as well as another deep and exotic fragrance.

She lay helplessly on the couch until a strong, muscular hand reached out to her.

He quietly lifted her collar and pulled down her panties.

She was stripped naked.

Lin Rong trembled as she felt the cold, like a flower branch shaking. She shivered for a while and then hid deeper into the bed.

Lin Rong knew the person who came was Pei Zan, and gently pulled on the bracelet: "I don't like this..."

After a long silence, the man replied meaningfully in the darkness, "I specially had the size made larger so it won't hurt you... Why don't you like it?"

After saying that, he praised in a gentle voice, "The sound of the bells is very pleasant."

Lin Rong didn't know how to explain. Even though she was with Pei Zan, she didn't want to be tied to his bed all day and become his plaything.

Lin Rong was flustered and afraid that Pei Zan had really decided to keep her locked up for life, so she pleaded in a low voice, "I won't run away, please don't tie me up."

Lin Rong's eyes welled up with tears again. She clenched her teeth, trembling uncontrollably, and was drenched in sweat.

The more Lin Rong feared it, the more amused Pei Zan became.

Pei Zan leaned down and pressed his burning lips to Lin Rong's snowy neck, gently pecking at her: "It's just a game, why are you hiding?"

Lin Rong dared not guess how long Pei Zan meant by "playing around," but she knew that with her hands and feet tied, it was best not to provoke Pei Zan.

Lin Rong knew all along that Pei Zan's anger from being slapped that day hadn't subsided, and she had better be sensible and obediently accept the punishment, lest Pei Zan come up with other torturous tricks.

"Your illness has been a long time coming... I've been careful not to kill you. Today, to make things more enjoyable, I've added some aphrodisiac. Lin Rong, you'll like it."

Pei Zan spoke in a gentle tone, but his words were chilling.

Lin Rong didn't dare to answer, but she did sense something.

She had no interest to begin with, but under the influence of that rich fragrance, her fair skin flushed and her nose sweated.

My lower abdomen was sweating profusely, as if I were menstruating.

Lin Rong bent her knees and brought her legs together.

Pei Zan, who was kneeling on the bed, forcibly pushed her away.

He hooked his arms around Lin Rong's legs and pulled her into his embrace.

The bracelet on Lin Rong's wrist was made longer, allowing her to move freely, and she shyly hid in Pei Zan's arms.

She was powerless to escape, her pointed chin pressing against Pei Zan's muscular shoulder.

She felt Pei Zan's slightly calloused fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from her temple behind her ear.

Without hesitation, he kissed the corner of her mouth, his tongue nimbly entwining with her cool, fragrant lips.

Pei Zan's tongue was very hot, and his prominent Adam's apple bobbed.

He swallowed the saliva and then put Lin Rong's tongue into his mouth.

The man strangled her with terrifying force, then licked her with extreme gentleness and tenderness, enveloping her with kisses and his large palms.

The kisses started from the corners of his mouth and went all the way down the back of his neck.

Lin Rong was pinned to Pei Zan's shoulder, as if he were about to devour her whole. Even her ugly burn scars were covered by his cool lips. Every inch of her body received Pei Zan's meticulous care.

The endless caresses and kisses forced Lin Rong to sob uncontrollably.

She was afraid of arousing Pei Zan's desire, so she could only suppress those soft sounds in her throat.

Lin Rong is like a snow-capped peak, but today she will be boiled to melt by Pei Zan.

The water flows continuously.

As he leaned in...

Lin Rong finally frowned and cursed, "Beast...!"

Pei Zan smiled dismissively, silencing Lin Rong's helpless and foul-mouthed words.

"Is that so?"

Pei Zan smiled, then, filled with malice, pressed the remaining half into his hand.

"I think you're having a great time being penetrated by beasts."