Chapter 12. One day is just one day.
Chapter Twelve
Lin Rong had been frightened, and her throat felt sore, making her want to vomit again. But she couldn't vomit, and the chill from the water seeped into her heart and lungs.
Lin Rong's vision gradually blurred, and she suddenly collapsed and fainted.
Upon seeing this, Fugui cried out in alarm, "Sister Rong!"
Although he was thin, he was still a fifteen-year-old boy, and it was more than enough for him to carry a frail and slender little girl on his back.
Before Fugui could even touch Lin Rong, a tall and graceful figure had already blocked his way.
Fu Gui staggered two steps after being bumped by the man's strong arm, and clutched his aching chest in astonishment.
Pei Zan ignored her, simply reaching out to grab Lin Rong's frail arm and then wrapping his arms around her slender waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace.
Lin Rong was exposed to the wind and soaked in water; the bruise on her forehead was red and swollen, with a bit of flesh protruding. Her dark, wet hair snaked like a snake, falling to her temples and even tugging into her pale lips, making her look incredibly pitiful.
Pei Zan turned the girl's pointed chin and brushed aside a strand of black hair with his finger.
Perhaps because a strand of hair was still stuck to the wound on her forehead, and because Pei Zan hadn't been gentle enough, even this slight touch hurt Lin Rong, causing her to groan softly in pain even in her unconscious state.
Pei Zan narrowed his phoenix eyes, sizing up Lin Rong thoughtfully.
This woman is truly ruthless; she's not even afraid of being disfigured.
Pei Zan found this cold-heartedness rather amusing.
Back when they bumped into each other in the outer courtyard, Pei Zan recognized Lin Rong as the maid who had been favored that night.
Pei Zan remained calm, but he wanted to understand why Lin Rong would give up such immense favor and stubbornly return to the back alleys of the outer courtyard to do manual labor, and even buy and take medicine to avoid having a child.
Is it because Lin Rong was born lowly and had a good sense of self-awareness, so she dared not presume to marry into the family? Or is it because she, a lowly servant, dared to be arrogant and recklessly pick on the masters in the house?
Pei Zan pondered without success, then carried Lin Rong onto his horse.
As Pei Zan held the reins with one arm, the string of Bodhi wood prayer beads on his wrist swayed in the wind, mercilessly hitting Lin Rong's crooked forehead.
Fu Gui was dumbfounded by the sight of Pei Zan embracing someone.
"What's going on?" The young man was stunned for a while before he dared to slowly follow the young master.
Previously, Fu Gui could have deceived himself into thinking that Pei Zan's help was merely a matter of occasional kindness.
But now, Pei Zan, a noble official of the court, is actually willing to condescend to personally carry a maid back to his courtyard... It seems suspicious no matter how you look at it.
In a flash, Fugui remembered what had happened before.
When they were in the plum grove, Pei Zan's face darkened as soon as he heard the name "Sister Rong"... He clearly knew Lin Rong!
Could it be that the young master and Sister Rong are actually having an affair?
-
Lin Rong didn't sleep soundly. Sometimes she felt something cool brush against her face, and sometimes she smelled the increasingly strong and bitter sandalwood scent.
The candlelight in the room was bright, and Lin Rong's eyes were stung by the firelight as she slowly woke up. She found herself sleeping on a chaise longue covered with soft cushions, with a thin blanket pressing against her snow-white arm, and someone sitting at a table to the side.
Lin Rong stared intently and saw that the man had black hair and wore a blue robe, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and was exceptionally handsome... It was actually Pei Zan!
Lin Rong was startled, her drowsiness lessened considerably, and before she knew it, she rolled off the bed.
Lin Rong fell and hurt herself, but dared not cry out.
She moved closer, kneeling slightly, and called out tremblingly, "Young Master..."
"Awake?" Pei Zan was reviewing military documents sent from Yuzhou. He didn't look at them, but tapped the bowl of ginger soup on the rosewood table with his finger. "Drank it."
Lin Rong dared not disobey her master's order, so she quickly picked up the cooled ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp.
Lin Rong regained her senses, but after a moment's thought, she guessed the whole story. She must have collapsed from exhaustion in the snow, and Pei Zan had to take her back to the mansion.
Pei Zan could have ignored her life or death, but he still did his best to save her... Thinking about it this way, although Pei Zan was ruthless, he was still a good person.
Lin Rong felt a little relieved and kowtowed to Pei Zan to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your help, young master. I will never forget your kindness."
"It was nothing," Pei Zan said casually, seemingly preoccupied with military affairs, and then ignored her.
Although Lin Rong was illiterate, she knew that her master worked hard day and night.
Not wanting to bother her, she tactfully excused herself.
Pei Zan waved his hand, agreeing to her request.
-
Lin Rong walked out of the young master's room. She recalled the whole story and knew that Fu Gui had done a great service tonight.
Lin Rong first went to visit Fu Gui and thanked him: "Thank you so much for helping me get the young master here tonight, otherwise I really don't know what would have happened..."
Thinking of Liu Qingshan's madness, Lin Rong was still a little shaken and couldn't help but shudder.
Fu Gui chuckled and scratched his head, comforting Lin Rong: "When I was beaten before, it was always my older sister who came to my rescue. What's this little favor? I always remember that when I was punished by kneeling in the outer courtyard, my older sister was afraid I would get frostbite, so she would secretly bring me steamed buns to eat in the middle of the night, and even brought me warm mutton soup."
Fu Gui will never forget that when he was punished in the mansion, he was all alone and helpless. Lin Rong still dared to risk being targeted by Steward Liu to specially bring him hot steamed buns. She even brought him a bowl of winter melon and mutton soup that she rarely got to share, and fed it spoonful by spoonful to Fu Gui, whose hands were frozen and he couldn't hold the soup spoon.
Fu Gui wasn't as kind as Lin Rong; he wasn't kind to everyone. Fu Gui was a shrewd opportunist who knew how to climb the social ladder, but he had received a debt of gratitude from Lin Rong, and she was the only person he would never betray in his life.
Fu Gui felt anxious and uneasy thinking about the corpse that had been sent back to the other courtyard.
When Steward Liu learns of his son's death, he'll definitely cause a scene, and there's probably going to be a fight later.
Fu Gui said with concern, "Sister, the eldest young master is a good person and kind to you. If you want to find someone to rely on in the future, why not follow the eldest young master?"
Lin Rong didn't know why Fu Gui had such feelings, but she was truly grateful to Pei Zan for taking the time out of his busy schedule to save people.
She just didn't want to bother Pei Zan anymore, lest she incur even more favors.
Lin Rong didn't respond to that. She advised Fugui to rest well, and said she needed to go to the kitchen to check on the situation.
If Steward Liu can't find Lin Rong, he'll definitely cause trouble for Granny Zhao. She can't push Granny Zhao out.
Sure enough, when Lin Rong arrived at the kitchen, the outer courtyard was already in complete chaos.
The courtyard was crowded with Pei family servants who came to watch the spectacle, and there were glaring torches everywhere, as well as armed guards.
Manager Liu brought several tall and burly servants to cover the scene. His eyes were bloodshot, tears streamed down his face, and veins bulged on the back of his hands. He gripped Granny Zhao's clothes tightly, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Hand over Lin Rong immediately! Let that bitch be buried with my son!"
Granny Zhao was also a long-time servant. In her youth, she had a fiery temper and often argued with people. When she was suddenly pushed, she was so angry that she slapped Steward Liu across the face.
"Old Liu, have you gone mad?! Your son died, why are you taking your anger out on our Rong girl?! If you keep making a fuss, I'll call the master to settle this! Let's see if you're tougher, or if this old woman is tougher!"
Upon hearing this, Steward Liu fell silent. Even if he was stupid, he knew that his master must know about this matter, otherwise he wouldn't have had someone use an oxcart to pull Liu Qingshan's body back to the villa in the middle of the night.
But Steward Liu only had one son, and he was unwilling to watch his son die unjustly!
Just as Manager Liu was about to start arguing, he caught a glimpse of that slender and delicate figure in the distance, and his anger surged to his head.
"Lin Rong, you dare to come here!"
Manager Liu shouted hoarsely, "You wretch! My son kept saying he wanted to welcome you into the family, and you've cursed him to death! I'll beat you to death today!"
Before Manager Liu could make a move, a burly man stepped forward and stopped him.
Before Manager Liu could dodge, a powerful kick landed on his chest, sending him sprawling into the snow, landing on his back.
"Ouch?! Who kicked me?!" Manager Liu rolled around in the corner, yelling in pain.
Lin Rong was completely bewildered when she was suddenly rescued, and stood there dumbfounded.
Not long after, Uncle Feng from Yuchen Courtyard came in with a lantern. He glanced coldly at Steward Liu, who was rolling on the ground, and said sarcastically, "Liu Qingshan went into the mountains in the middle of the night and offended the young master. It's a relief that his whole clan wasn't exterminated. You old codger, how dare you spout nonsense in the outer courtyard? Don't you want to die? The young master said that the Pei family's outer courtyard can't keep such a disrespectful servant. Hurry up and pack your bags tonight and go back to the countryside to look after the estate."
At Uncle Feng's command, several men immediately arrived, grabbing Steward Liu from both sides and dragging him away.
The moment Manager Liu's hands and feet were grabbed, he didn't dare to say a word.
He knew that the young master was serious now.
Even though Steward Liu was filled with the desire to avenge his son, he dared not risk his own life.
Now that things had come to this, he could only stare blankly, wilted like a rotten vegetable in the field, and silently let himself be dragged away.
Lin Rong watched this scene from afar, feeling a chill in her heart. She inexplicably felt a sense of shared fate, like "the rabbit mourns the fox's death, or the lips are cold and the teeth are gone." This was the fate of servants. They signed a death contract, grew up in high-class mansions, and their lives were insignificant, entirely in the hands of their masters who had the power of life and death.
Lin Rong's eyes were glazed over, and Uncle Feng thought she had been frightened into a daze, so he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
He sighed and comforted Lin Rong: "Liu Qingshan's sins are grave. He committed a heinous crime and was taken away by the Heavenly Bodhisattva. He can't blame you. Alright, Rong girl, tidy up your clothes and come with me to the eldest young master's courtyard! The last few times, you served the food meticulously and served attentively. The eldest young master appreciated it and specially ordered you to work in the eldest son's house from now on."
Uncle Feng personally came to the outer courtyard to pick her up, which shows how much he values Lin Rong.
In an instant, the servants watching all changed their expressions, looking at Lin Rong with envy, thinking to themselves that her luck had truly turned around and she had now transformed from a sparrow into a phoenix!
Even Granny Zhao was elated. She smiled and held Lin Rong's hand, saying, "Silly girl, why don't you thank Steward Feng for his kindness? It's such a prestigious job to work at Yuchen Courtyard. You must hold onto this opportunity."
Lin Rong's cherry lips moved slightly. Her face was pale, and she forced a smile as she thanked Uncle Feng: "Thank you for your care, Steward Feng... I will definitely serve the young master well and will not dare to slack off in the slightest."
Uncle Feng was extremely satisfied. He smiled kindly at Lin Rong and said, "Alright, enough with the formalities. Hurry up and pack your things so you can go and thank the young master!"
"Okay... I'm coming right now."
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Rong was led by Uncle Feng into Pei Zan's bedroom.
Inside the room was a black lacquered screen with bamboo and plum blossom patterns. The six-panel screen was wide open, separating the bed frame with willow leaf patterns.
On one side of the desk, there was a pot of poetic jade withered lotus. Two lotus stems, one tall and one short, swayed in a staggered manner. The light and shadow of the flowers and leaves shone through the candlelight, reflecting on Pei Zan's lowered, delicate eyebrows and eyes, adding a touch of coldness and loneliness.
The man reviewed several volumes of urgent military reports, then casually released a black falcon that had been delivering intelligence.
After much commotion, Pei Zan finally noticed Lin Rong waiting below him and said unhurriedly, "You're back."
These few words gave Lin Rong a secret feeling... as if Pei Zan had everything under her control, and that he knew she would come back.
Lin Rong lowered her eyes and said obediently, "Yes, Steward Feng sent me to pay my respects to the young master. Is there anything you need?"
Pei Zan didn't raise his head. He seemed uninterested in Lin Rong and said indifferently, "I don't need anyone to serve me here. You may leave. As for the arrangements for tonight, go find the maid named 'Green Pearl' and have her make the arrangements."
For some unknown reason, Pei Zan suddenly curled her lips into a slightly cold smile: "I suppose you two are quite familiar with each other, like sisters, so she will always take good care of you."
Upon hearing this, even the composed Lin Rong was startled by Pei Zan's veiled warning, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lin Rong felt a chill run down her spine, sweat beaded on her nose, and goosebumps rose on her arms.
Lin Rong couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, wondering if Pei Zan already knew she was the maid who had been favored that night, and whether he had deliberately confined her to Yu Chen Courtyard.
However, Pei Zan did not show any intention of accusing Lin Rong, which left Lin Rong completely baffled.
Lin Rong was in turmoil, and she bowed to take her leave.
When Lin Rong stepped into the vast snowy night again, she was finally brought back to her senses by the biting winter wind.
Lin Rong wasn't sure if Pei Zan knew, but she had made up her mind that as long as she didn't get in Pei Zan's way or become his concubine, she would have a chance to redeem herself and leave the mansion.
Lin Rong was merely a lowly maidservant in the outer courtyard, hardly deserving of the powerful and influential Grand Commander Pei's special favor of bestowing upon her the title of concubine.
If Pei Zan didn't mention it, she would pretend not to know and just let the next half month pass by.
Half a month later, when Pei Zan went to the capital to report on his duties, it was the day that Lin Rong redeemed herself and left the mansion.
Thinking of this, Lin Rong breathed a sigh of relief.
The only way forward is to save as much money as possible, redeem myself as soon as possible, and leave the Pei family.
Lin Rong's hope was rekindled; she would wait patiently until the day she regained her freedom.
After all, she had learned too many lessons and suffered too much fright from the Liu Qingshan incident.
Lin Rong no longer wanted to be a slave or maid.
A note from the author:
100 red gems drop daily [hug]
Just a heads-up, I'm just writing a story. There's no question of favoring the male or female lead. I'm only responsible for the story itself, and I simply want to complete a well-conceived story, depicting the lives of a couple. The overall outline is also ready. If you think it's readable, then read it; if you don't, wait for my next book. Don't worry too much, let's just enjoy the story, okay? [Let me see...]
I recommend you pre-order one of Dengdeng's books; feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested!
"After I Was Cleverly Taken Away by the Cold and Aloof Young Master" by Caodeng Daren
Double virginity | Forced love | The unattainable beauty turns evil
Scheming, seductive noblewoman x aloof, eccentric nobleman
During a time of chaos, in order to distract the pursuing troops, the powerful Cui family chose their eldest daughter, Cui Qin, from their two daughters to support the family.
They used their second daughter, Cui Yue, as a sacrifice, abandoning her carriage to lure the enemy before leaving.
Cui Yue fell into the hands of the rebels and suffered greatly before finally returning to the Cui family after five years of wandering.
He was only fifteen years old when he returned home.
-
At that time, imperial power was waning, and the Xie family, a thousand-year-old clan, came to power.
In order to gain a foothold, the Cui family humbly flattered the Xie family, even offering their talented eldest daughter in an attempt to marry her off to the eldest son, Xie Jingxue.
Xie Jingxue was refined and elegant, self-disciplined and courteous, a model of a noble young master. He had no objection to this marriage.
The Cui family tacitly agreed and happily sent their two daughters to stay with the Xie family for a short time. They publicly claimed it was for their daughters' education, but in reality, they wanted to bring the two lovers together.
Thus, Cui Yue was fortunate enough to move into the Xie family home.
-
Cui Yue knew that she had been abandoned for many years, despised by her family, rejected by her relatives, and even her elder sister's gentleness was tinged with contempt and disdain.
Cui Yue accepted everything without complaint, and even if she harbored resentment, she remained silent.
She had suffered a lot and wanted to make her older sister suffer for once.
Therefore, Cui Yue set her sights on her fiancé, Xie Jingxue.
If the elder sister is in love with the eldest son, then she will be the villain who steals his love.
However, Xie Jingxue was exceptionally intelligent and aloof. Even though Cui Yue tried her best, she still couldn't get Xie Jingxue to even glance at her.
Until one day, Cui Yue was tricked and fell into the arms of a noble young master, her body covered in sweat.
While feigning tears, Cui Yue tugged at the thin sash on Xie Jingxue's clothes, trembling as she begged him for mercy.
No matter how Cui Yue tried to entice her, Xie Jingxue remained unmoved, like the bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, Cui Yue decided to give up.
Not long after, Cui Yue's schemes were exposed by her elder sister. Fearing that she would cause trouble, the clan sent her to the countryside to marry a down-on-his-luck nobleman and get rid of her as soon as possible.
However, on her wedding day, Cui Yue did not see her husband, whose eyes were always filled with love for her.
When the veil was lifted, a pair of cold, icy phoenix eyes were revealed.
Xie Jingxue pressed her finger bone against Cui Yue's chin, forcing her to look up, and gently asked her.
"Is the Moon Goddess abandoning me to marry someone else?"
"It's a pity, your lover has already been killed by me."
Cui Yue was shocked.
Only then did she realize what she had gotten herself into...
She tried to escape, but it was too late.
Scheming, seductive noblewoman x lewd, eccentric, aloof beauty
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