Chapter 7: We're even with him.

Chapter Seven

At that moment, Lin Rong finally understood what Pei Zan was going to do.

The moment Pei Zan entered uninvited, Lin Rong's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she lost all her strength, collapsing onto the wooden table.

Lin Rong subconsciously tucked her chin in and bit her lip to endure the pain.

In a daze, she saw Pei Zan's hand, wrapped with Buddhist prayer beads, pinching her thin, bony shoulder.

The man's fingers were long and slender, white as jade, and his arms were strong and powerful, almost digging into her flesh.

Pei Zan was a ferocious jackal; it was only through such force that he could trap Lin Rong in his palm, preventing her from escaping the abyss even a fraction.

Bearing these hardships, Lin Rong recalled her childhood... It was also on a cold winter day like this that Pei Zan passed by the outer courtyard and saved her life.

Although Pei Zan's motives were impure at the time, and although he was full of contempt, Lin Rong did live to this day because of Pei Zan's kindness.

Lin Rong comforted herself.

She always settled all scores with everyone and never owed anyone a favor.

Since Pei Zan needs her help to relieve his pain from the medicine, she will help him this once.

Lin Rong can consider tonight's events as repaying a debt of gratitude; she is usually very tolerant of pain.

Lin Rong hoped that everything tonight was just a nightmare, and that once the poison wore off and the night deepened, she could sneak back to her room and stay far away from Yuchen Courtyard.

Lin Rong did not want to become Pei Zan's concubine after just one night of intimacy.

The immense wealth and status that Sister Green Pearl and Sister Purple Smoke desired was not what she truly desired.

Lin Rong was just one tael of silver short of redeeming herself; she just needed to save up a little more, and she was about to escape.

Therefore, Lin Rong must not let Pei Zan see her face; she does not want to become Pei Zan's possession.

Thinking of this, Lin Rong subconsciously buried her head to cover herself, using the dim night and her messy, fluffy black hair to conceal her face.

"pain……"

The unexpected intimacy left Lin Rong feeling more fear, apprehension, and unease than shyness.

She tried to cry out in pain, hoping to let Pei Zan know that this was her first time and that he could be a little gentler and more lenient with her, and not be too rough.

But clearly, Pei Zan had no heart for chivalry.

In his eyes, Lin Rong was nothing more than an antidote. He had used her, so he should reward her; he wouldn't mistreat her.

Right now, all of Lin Rong's pleas for mercy reached the man's ears.

These all became subtle warnings, or even feigned pleas for mercy.

Pei Zan understood; the person beneath him was no different from the other women.

She was subtly reminding Pei Zan that although she was a maid, she was still a virgin. She had given her innocence to Pei Zan, and she had lost out big time. She needed Pei Zan to make it up to her.

Pei Zan had no intention of indulging this woman. After all, it was just one time of lovemaking. Once the antidote was off, he would discard her like trash.

Upon hearing this, Pei Zan merely used his cold, long fingers to brush away the clumps of black hair from the girl's snowy back.

The man's sinister gaze fell one by one on her rounded shoulders, lingering on the red birthmark that resembled a plum blossom.

Pei Zan's eyes were deep and unfathomable. He distanced himself from her and said coldly, "I know... you don't need to remind me repeatedly. If you're not clean, I won't touch you."

Pei Zan's words were like a fierce slap across Lin Rong's face. Her cheeks burned, whether from anger or resentment, or even a bitter feeling of having her dignity trampled upon.

She felt a little regretful and helpless, but in the end, she endured it all.

Lin Rong knew that she had to be obedient enough. She was nothing more than mud under the feet of noble people, and she shouldn't have any worthless pride.

Lin Rong resigned herself to her fate, letting Pei Zan do as he pleased, letting him forcefully pinch her waist.

Lin Rong's braids came undone, and her disheveled black hair swayed wildly in the night like a snake due to the rising and falling vibrations.

If Lin Rong is not ignorant and naive.

She should know that Pei Zan should kiss her, hug her, and comfort her.

But Pei Zan looked down on her so much that he treated Lin Rong as a dispensable trinket, and even entered the room without taking off his robes.

The man exuded a strong smell of alcohol, a delicate scent of snow, and a subtle fragrance of sandalwood. He acted recklessly, making no special preparations for this sexual encounter.

Lin Rong has lost her mind.

Like a pile of rotten flesh with collapsed skin and bones.

After several attempts, Pei Zan, taking pity on her, responded, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Lin Rong nodded with tears in her eyes. Afraid that Pei Zan wouldn't see the expression on her face, she answered in a hoarse voice, "It hurts."

Pei Zan chuckled softly.

His tone was compassionate, but his blows became increasingly severe.

Lin Rong stared wide-eyed in disbelief, wondering why Pei Zan was acting this way.

Her stiffness and fear pleased Pei Zan, who had ulterior motives.

Lin Rong was completely unaware that her patched undergarment, her thin trousers that had been washed several times, and her mended cotton shoes had all fueled Pei Zan's lustful and wicked thoughts.

Lin Rong was too humble and lowly, as if she were someone who came from the mud, and no matter what kind of torment or suffering she endured, Pei Zan did not have to feel indebted to her.

It's just that Lin Rong is too obedient; she's so obedient that even if Pei Zan snapped her neck, she wouldn't utter a sound.

This is the tribulation Lin Rong deserves; he can do whatever he wants.

Although it was Pei Zan's first time, it still took almost an hour.

Just when Lin Rong thought Pei Zan was about to finish, he suddenly helped her up with an air of dignified composure.

The man's cool fingertips pressed against Lin Rong's soft abdomen, startling her so much that she trembled and shrank back.

It was as if Pei Zan were some kind of monstrous flood.

Lin Rong covered her face, tears soaking her hands. She dared not turn around, and could only helplessly cry out, "Please..."

Unexpectedly, Lin Rong's show of weakness only earned her a sneer from Pei Zan.

The man suppressed a low breath: "...Just bear with it."

Why should he be considerate of her discomfort? She was his slave to begin with.

...

Afterwards, Pei Zan had already put on his soft silk robe.

The room was still dark, just a ridiculous battlefield, where the hard round table had been moved to the soft bed.

The teacups that Lin Rong brought were scattered all over the floor, making the room a mess, with the astringent aroma of tea still lingering.

Lin Rong was clearly exhausted; she had her back to Pei Zan, revealing only a patch of her beautiful, sweaty back.

A sliver of moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the bright red birthmark on the girl's shoulder, which resembled a vibrant plum blossom.

Pei Zan's poisoning has been neutralized, his thirst has subsided, and he is no longer as delirious as before.

He lost interest in her, and his gaze turned cold and indifferent.

That gaze, cold and indifferent, moved down Lin Rong's thin, naked spine.

Ultimately, the focus shifted to the deep finger marks remaining on Lin Rong's knees.

He crushed her.

His body was covered in marks, as if he had endured a brutal torture.

Pei Zan vaguely remembered that he had accidentally pinched her too hard while trying to subdue her.

Lin Rong was still enduring the pain, sobbing incessantly, her entire face buried in the blankets, not even revealing her snow-white chin. It was unclear whether she was deliberately putting on airs or had truly been tortured enough.

Pei Zan glanced at her indifferently, but ultimately did not reach out to her or wipe away her tears.

Pei Zan wasn't interested in her face and didn't even bother to ask her name.

Pei Zan was annoyed by the girl's mournful cries.

He put on his coat, got up, and callously abandoned her.

"If you need anything, you can summon your servants to clean you up... Since you are the antidote for me, I will elevate you to the rank of concubine."

Pei Zan felt that he had done everything he could to make such an arrangement, and the little maid should be grateful.

Therefore, he ignored the woman lying on the bed, dressed, and went to the side courtyard to bathe and change.

-

The door was opened, then closed again.

The room was quiet, and Lin Rong was absolutely certain that Pei Zan had left.

She dared not wait on the couch for the old woman to come in and change her clothes. Judging from the young master's cold and indifferent attitude tonight, he probably wouldn't come back to find her.

That's good, Lin Rong can take this opportunity to leave.

Lin Rong's legs ached, and she felt like a crumpled, withered leaf, unable to straighten her legs.

Lin Rong struggled to her feet, but her clothes were already torn and could not cover her body... After thinking it over, she could only take a quilt cover from the wardrobe to wrap herself in, and then quietly walk towards Sister Lüzhu's bedroom.

-

Tonight, Uncle Feng gave Green Pearl a stern warning and summoned her to serve Pei Zan.

She felt both excited and apprehensive. As she washed up and changed her clothes and went to the side room, she faintly heard muffled thuds and a woman's low, delicate sobs. Green Pearl understood immediately.

She dared not ruin the good things the men of the manor were doing, and a sense of unease arose in her heart. Pei Zan was clearly not the kind of master who would show tenderness to women, and following him would probably only bring trouble!

Green Pearl quietly withdrew.

Two hours later, someone knocked on the door. When Green Pearl pulled the wooden door open, she saw Lin Rong wrapped in a bed sheet!

Green Pearl was only a few years older than Lin Rong and had spent her time in the inner courtyard. What hadn't she seen and heard of, good and bad? When she saw that Lin Rong still had tear stains on her face, looked pitiful, and had red plum blossoms scattered on her neck, and even her bare ankles were covered with purple finger marks, she knew all too well what kind of suffering she had endured.

Then I looked at the bedspread draped over Lin Rong. It was a pale wisteria purple jacquard satin, worth a fortune.

It was the bedding cover that Madam Shen, the eldest wife, had prepared for her eldest son.

Green Pearl's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly grabbed Lin Rong's wrist, pulling her into the room.

As soon as Lin Rong was pulled into the room by Lü Zhu, tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

When Green Pearl saw that the girl who was still clueless about matters of love between men and women just yesterday had become a virgin today, her chest felt a pang of bitterness.

She untied the silk quilt and carefully examined Lin Rong's injuries.

"I still have cooled bathwater in my room, Rong'er, come and take a bath."

Green Pearl patted the little girl's shoulder and helped her into the water to wash up.

Green Pearl helped Lin Rong rub away the bruises on her body that looked terrifying. She frowned deeply and cursed inwardly, "Young Master is really ruthless... You just let him torment you without even asking for help?"

Thinking of their previous encounter, Lin Rong held back her tears and whispered, "Please, please let me pass."

But Pei Zan was a proud and arrogant master, so how could he listen to a servant girl begging for mercy?

Having spent many years with Lin Rong, Lü Zhu naturally knew Lin Rong's straightforward and honest nature. To put it nicely, she was honest; to put it bluntly, she was simple-minded.

Green Pearl asked helplessly, "You've given yourself to the young master, has he made any promises to you?"

"He...he wants me to be his concubine..." Lin Rong was so frightened that she didn't know what to do. She hurriedly said to Green Pearl, "Sister Green Pearl, I don't want to be a concubine. I've almost saved up enough money to redeem myself. I need to leave the manor."

Green Pearl was surprised that Pei Zan would agree to the concubine position. She was about to be happy for Lin Rong, but before she could speak, she heard the young girl hurriedly deny it and insist on leaving the mansion. Green Pearl couldn't help but look at Lin Rong strangely.

"Being able to become Grand Commander Pei's concubine, what a wonderful thing! Are you out of your mind?"

Lin Rong didn't say much, only whispering, "I just want to leave the manor..."

Green Pearl assumed she had a lover outside the manor and poked her forehead in exasperation: "Instead of living a simple life with those country bumpkins, you should be enjoying the good life in the inner quarters. You're such a fool! You stubborn girl!"

Lin Rong was determined: "I must leave the manor. Sister Lüzhu, please help me this once. My clothes are torn, and I need to go back to the outer courtyard."

Green Pearl glanced at her, then suddenly remembered something: "Did the young master order someone to make you a contraceptive soup?"

Lin Rong was stunned, her lips twitching slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Green Pearl raised an eyebrow slightly: "They actually allowed you to have offspring? What a great favor! How could you be so stupid! You're really infuriating!"

"I...I..."

Seeing that her eyes were red again, Green Pearl could only sigh, "Rong'er, you're already a member of the eldest young master's household, how can you leave the manor?"

Lin Rong whispered, "Young Master always acts from behind. He has never seen my face and does not know my name... Tonight, I filled in for someone else when it came to serving tea. Only Granny Zhao knew that I came to Yuchen Courtyard. As long as I keep a tight rein on things, Young Master should not find out."

Upon hearing this, Green Pearl was both amazed that Lin Rong had such a sharp mind at a time like this, and regretful that she was so stubborn and inflexible that she wouldn't take advantage of even the biggest opportunities.

Green Pearl couldn't do anything about her, and seeing her scrubbing the red marks while gritting her teeth and enduring the pain, she was truly pitiful.

Green Pearl sighed.

She gave Lin Rong a clean set of clothes and instructed her to go out of the mansion tomorrow to buy a dose of contraceptive medicine.

To avoid the situation where Lin Rong becomes pregnant and the young master refuses to acknowledge her, leaving her with a reputation for being dissolute in the inner quarters, which would be truly disastrous.

-

At the beginning of the year, snow fell heavily.

Even though the snow stopped in the morning, the outside was still a vast expanse of white.

Pei Zan went back to his room to sleep last night and didn't pay any attention to the favored little maid.

This morning, after he washed up and changed his clothes, he remembered the absurd incident that had happened earlier.

Pei Zan was indifferent to worldly desires and had no strong cravings. Moreover, because Shen had always planted spies around him when he was young, he was extremely averse to anyone getting close to him.

Over the years, Pei Zan has been single-mindedly devoted to military service and battlefield exploits, leaving him no time to add concubines to his household.

If he hadn't drunk the aphrodisiac last night, how could he have had intercourse with a maid...?

Pei Zan's eyes were deep and his face was as cold as ice.

The King of Qin is so audacious that he dares to scheme against him. Pei Zan will seize the opportunity and repay this great favor with interest.

Pei Zan pondered for a moment, and before having his meal, he went to the side room where they had made love the night before.

Sunlight streamed through the carved windows depicting plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, illuminating the entire room.

Pei Zan glanced over and saw only shards of a teapot on the floor and a rumpled mess of bedding.

The room was empty; the maid from last night had vanished without a trace.

Pei Zan's phoenix eyes were dark, and his thumb, covered with rough calluses, was already gripping the wrist bone prayer beads with force.

"Old Feng!" Pei Zan shouted.

Upon hearing the summons, Uncle Feng rushed into the house and knelt before his master. "Master, did you call for this old servant?"

Pei Zan suppressed the malice surging in her chest and asked him in a cold voice, "Were any maids arranged to serve you last night?"

Uncle Feng glanced at his master with a puzzled look and muttered, "Of course. This old servant specially summoned Miss Green Pearl to serve the young master. Could it be that Miss Green Pearl is not doing her job well enough?"

After listening, Pei Zan's coldness softened slightly, and he said calmly, "Summon Green Pearl to the courtyard to receive her reward."

-

In the main hall, Pei Zan sat in a rosewood chair with a cloud-shaped design, holding a cup of Houkui tea in his hand.

The man's cold face was surrounded by wisps of steaming tea. His two piercing eyes, filled with a sinister aura, were fixed on Green Pearl's constantly lowered head, scanning her intently.

It was just a piercing gaze, yet it contained the intimidating power of someone who had served in office for many years. It made Green Pearl's back bend, and she felt a chill run down her spine, unable to speak for a long time.

Pei Zan put down his teacup and said slowly, "I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer well, you can still walk out standing up. If you spout nonsense, I'll chop off your legs."

Upon hearing this, Green Pearl, recalling the horrific torture Zi Yan had endured outside the court, trembled all over and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "This servant is a maid of Jade Dust Courtyard, and I am utterly loyal to my master. I dare not conceal anything."

Green Pearl didn't know why Pei Zan was making trouble for her. She was filled with despair and only hoped that she could survive and get out of here alive.

Previously, when Green Pearl was serving food in the hall, she was overwhelmed with excitement upon hearing Pei Zan's summons.

She remembered that Rongya hadn't shown her face during their intimate moments, and wondered if she might have the good fortune to impersonate her.

But when Green Pearl knelt before Pei Zan, enduring the terrifying gaze of her master that could disembowel her, she finally extinguished all her unsavory thoughts.

This is no master of the house, this is clearly the King of Hell who comes to claim lives in the middle of the night!

After giving him a good talking-to, Pei Zan casually asked, "Last night, were you serving me?"

It was dark at night, and although Pei Zan couldn't get a good look at the woman beneath him, he remembered her height... Green Pearl was taller, definitely not the woman who had been exposed to the rain and dew last night.

He wanted to know if Green Pearl was talking nonsense.

Fortunately, Green Pearl was intelligent and dared not deceive the decisive and ruthless Grand Commander.

She said in a trembling voice, "Last night, I intended to take a bath before serving you, but I was so tired during the day that I fell asleep... When I rushed to the side room at night, it was already empty."

Green Pearl was quite kind and loyal to Lin Rong. She did not reveal Rong's whereabouts, but simply made excuses, saying that she had overslept and thus missed the opportunity to serve the emperor.

However, Pei Zan was not a master who could be easily deceived.

The man closed his eyes slightly, understood the key point, and asked, "When did you go to the side room?"

Green Pearl was sweating profusely, and stammered, "Three-quarters of the hour of Yin..."

There were no errors in the timing, and his expression showed fear and unease, not deception.

Pei Zan said no more and ordered Green Pearl to leave.

Green Pearl had escaped death, her padded jacket already soaked with sweat. She fled the flower hall as if fleeing, not daring to appear in front of Pei Zan again.

Uncle Feng, who had been watching the scene unfold, suddenly realized what was going on and asked curiously, "Sir, could it be that the maid who served you last night... wasn't this Green Pearl?"

Pei Zan frowned and remained silent.

He remembered that the maid was dressed simply, not in the fine silks and satins worn by a senior maid like Green Pearl. He figured she was just a lowly maid who served tea and water.

Pei Zan, however, was in a bad mood last night and didn't ask many questions, even favoring such a lowly maid... It was a great disgrace.

She is a woman with a deep and cunning mind.

Pei Zan gently stroked the string of consecrated prayer beads on the altar, a chill creeping into his heart.

Pei Zan knew perfectly well that in a few days, this maid would definitely come to Yu Chen Courtyard to ask him for a new rank and some rewards.

After all, all the maids in the Pei family considered it an honor to enter the main house and the inner quarters, so how could she be an exception?

Since that's the case, Pei Zan no longer bothered to find this maid.

To prevent her from becoming spoiled and arrogant after just one night of being favored, and from causing trouble in the household when she becomes a concubine.

-

Last night, Lin Rong returned to the outer courtyard late at night.

Chunhua, the maid in the same room, had gone to bed early. Lin Rong didn't dare to disturb her, so she carefully climbed into bed and fell asleep fully clothed.

Although Lin Rong had expelled all the things Pei Zan had left behind, she was still afraid of getting pregnant... After thinking about it all night, Lin Rong finally came up with an excuse to go out with Granny Zhao to buy contraceptives the next day.

She could lie and say she had a stomachache and was going to buy some medicinal food.

All night long, Lin Rong held the birth control pill prescription that Green Pearl had written for her, unable to sleep due to anxiety.

She can't read the words on the paper, so tomorrow she'll have to show the prescription to the doctor at the herbal medicine shop before she can get the herbs.

Lin Rong looks like a virgin, but the medicinal herbs she bought are for contraception in bed. She wonders if people will point fingers at her.

Also... her groin seems to have a cut, and it hurts terribly. Shouldn't she spend some money to buy some ointment to apply?

She didn't know how much it would cost to go out. She had finally saved up fourteen taels of silver. If she continued to spend it, it would take her another six months to save up.

Lin Rong sighed, feeling a constant buzzing pain in her head.

Lin Rong was half asleep and half awake, her head throbbing, and she endured it until the next morning.

Early in the morning, the servants of Yuchen Courtyard came to the outer courtyard to ask for help to take down the curtains and windproof blankets on the window frames, but Lin Rong dared not provoke the young master again. She could only pretend not to see them, crouch down and hide out, and quietly follow Granny Zhao out to buy seafood and river fish.

Lin Rong doesn't like to take on chores, and sometimes she will even push the less demanding tasks to the younger maids. Today is quite unusual, though, she has cleverly followed Granny Zhao out to slack off.

Granny Zhao teased her, "Why are you suddenly becoming so clingy?"

Lin Rong smiled and said, "It's just that I'm on my period, and my back hurts a bit, so I can't do heavy work."

Granny Zhao knew that Lin Rong had suffered from hunger and depletion when she was a child, which had left her with chronic illnesses.

Lin Rong's periods have always been irregular, and each time they come, they are so intense that she turns pale from the pain and it takes several days to recover.

Granny Zhao, having some connection with the young girl, said with concern, "Then go buy some sugar cake later, or go to the pharmacy to get some medicinal prescriptions, or if all else fails, boil ginger slices in water to drink. This is an old family recipe that warms the uterus, and drinking it will relieve the pain."

Lin Rong nodded repeatedly: "I'll go to the herbal medicine shop later."

Granny Zhao knew that Lin Rong was frugal and would never go to a pharmacy unless she was seriously ill. The fact that she was willing to cut off her flesh and bleed to buy medicine today meant that she was in great pain.

Granny Zhao urged her to hurry up and get the medicine, but she didn't force Lin Rong to go to the fish market to buy fish with her.

The trip went very smoothly. Lin Rong went to the pharmacy alone and bought the medicinal herbs that Green Pearl had suggested.

Lin Rong stuffed the medicine packet into her bosom and breathed a sigh of relief.

By the time Granny Zhao finished buying the ingredients, it was already dusk with the sun setting in the west.

Granny Zhao went to check the amount of money with the accountant in the outer courtyard first, leaving Lin Rong behind to help carry the fresh silver fish scooped from the bamboo baskets into the public kitchen.

Lin Rong was exhausted from being tortured by Pei Zan last night. When she pushed the cart into the side gate of Pei's residence, she suddenly felt dizzy and bumped into someone.

Uncle Feng fell to the ground, crying out, "Which blind girl dared to bump into me?!"

"Good heavens! Manager Feng, you've fallen!" Lin Rong snapped out of her daze, her lips turning pale with fright, and rushed forward to help him up.

In her haste to act, she accidentally stepped on the slippery silver fish.

Lin Rong slipped and fell on her bottom.

As a result, the packet of herbs for the contraceptive decoction that she was carrying fell out of her clothes and rolled into the snow.

Ignoring the pain in her bottom from the fall, Lin Rong hurriedly ran to pick up the medicine.

Just then, a pair of plain satin men's boots approached from afar.

The man strolled slowly, his dark fox fur cloak brushing the ground and rolling over a wisp of fluffy snow, before stopping in front of Lin Rong.

Lin Rong often knelt down to greet her master, so she could naturally recognize him by his shoes.

The person in front of me... is actually the eldest young master, Pei Zan?

Lin Rong's eyes were glazed over, as if she had been hit on the head with a blunt object.

Her hands and feet stiffened, and she held her breath, as if the old Taoist priest had frozen her in place, rendering her unable to move.

It wasn't until that man's boot mercilessly crushed the red flower and water lily that Lin Rong finally woke up from her dream.

Lin Rong trembled with fear. She bent down, carefully retrieved the remaining medicine packets, and stuffed them back into her bosom.

As if afraid that her suspicious behavior would arouse Pei Zan's suspicion, Lin Rong lowered her head again and respectfully greeted her master: "This servant greets the young master."

A note from the author:

If you don't like it, don't force yourself, it's okay. I've already outlined the whole thing. Let me finish writing this melodramatic book, thank you so much! [Let me see]

Red gems drop daily = 3 =