Chapter 34 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lin Rong only had this one extra piece of twill satin, which she had only kept after much persuasion and hinting that she needed to sew some small garments and personal items.
That night, Lin Rong was sewing sachets when Pei Zan accidentally saw her... She was worried that he would become suspicious, so she dared not continue sewing.
But the fabric she used and the patterns she drew on it were already made into sachets and sold.
The following day, Lin Rong asked someone to find Zheng Huiyin and inquire about the whereabouts of the sachet.
Zheng Huiyin stuffed five taels of silver into Lin Rong's hand and said with a smile, "Rong'er, I know you're short of money, so I specially asked the embroidery shop manager to help you sell them as soon as possible! Your embroidery is excellent, and the materials you use are exquisite. The sachets are very popular, and they sold out in just a few hours!"
Lin Rong's head was spinning. Her face was deathly pale, and she stammered, "Is it... possible to get those sachets back?"
"How are we supposed to accept these? None of the guests recognize them... What's wrong with you? They're just a few embroidered pieces, they don't even have names on them, they're not considered personal items, why are you panicking?"
Lin Rong forced a smile, sighed, and said, "It's nothing, I was just overthinking it."
Lin Rong held onto a sliver of hope. She figured that since she had concealed it well, Pei Zan probably hadn't seen the items in the bamboo basket. Later, when she got other fabric, she could sew him a new sachet, and the matter would quietly pass by.
Lin Rong felt a little calmer and stopped scaring herself.
However, at the midnight banquet a few days later, Lin Rong still sensed that Pei Zan was acting strangely.
Today was supposed to be a wonderful day for Pei Zan to choose his wife, but the man's face darkened, and he kicked the courtyard gate open.
The sturdy mahogany door was broken into pieces and hung precariously on one side.
Dust billowed in the distance, and dust particles rose everywhere.
The loud noise frightened all the servants in the courtyard into silence, and even the maids who had been hired to do Lin Rong's hair and makeup trembled and retreated from the courtyard, holding their breath and keeping their eyes closed.
Lin Rong's door was open, but the spacious courtyard was already deserted.
Lin Rong had just taken a bath and changed into a summer dress, her long, glossy black hair cascading over her shoulders.
Before she could wring it out, the crystal-clear water droplets flowed down her bulging chest and into her jade-like valley, making Lin Rong appear even more like a lotus emerging from the water, pure and charming.
She had never seen Pei Zan so enraged before. For a moment, her almond-shaped eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding with fear. She stared intently at the door hanging in mid-air, speechless for a long time.
A tall, handsome man had already arrived, sleeves raised.
As the door closed, Pei Zan pressed himself against Lin Rong.
The man's phoenix eyes held a commanding presence, carrying an oppressive aura of impending doom. The moment he looked down at Lin Rong from his superior position, it was as if a mountain was about to collapse.
As Lin Rong trembled with fear, a large hand gripped her chin, and a soft voice called out, "Lin Rong..."
Hearing that ghostly, death-calling cry, a chill ran down Lin Rong's spine. She stared at Pei Zan's strong arms, which were devoid of any excess muscle, and suppressed the urge to run away.
Lin Rong knew that she was still trapped in her home and had nowhere to retreat, so she might as well stay put and not provoke Pei Zan.
Lin Rong'an sat on the stool, puzzled, and asked, "Young Master, what's wrong?"
Lin Rong looked up in a daze, clearly feeling fear, but dared not utter a sound. Her pitiful appearance only further provoked Pei Zan's suppressed murderous intent.
Pei Zan immediately found Lin Rong's pretentious posture quite amusing. He chuckled coolly and pinched Lin Rong's cheek with two fingers.
"You didn't know?" Pei Zan lowered his long eyelashes and quietly examined her, his calloused thumb gently stroking Lin Rong's warm lips.
Just as Lin Rong was about to speak, Pei Zan raised his finger again, forcefully pressing it against her teeth and the tip of her rosy tongue, silencing the words that were about to escape her throat.
Lin Rong felt nauseous, but her mouth and tongue were constricted and she could not move them, so she could only try her best to endure the discomfort.
She dared not bite Pei Zan, letting his long fingers rummage and stir wantonly inside her labia.
The girl's tongue was scalding hot, burning his malice.
Pei Zan merely flicked her jade-like fingers, and the sticky saliva spread onto Lin Rong's full, pink lips.
He maliciously teased Lin Rong, letting her resist in fear and anxiety, letting her clench her hands on her knees into fists, crumpling the brand-new cloud satin summer dress.
Lin Rong felt as insignificant as an ant. She dared not move, fearfully feeling Pei Zan's broad palms wander along her rounded shoulders, wreaking havoc on her soft, snow-white skin.
The room was silent and the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
Only the damp, murmuring water and splashing sweat could be heard.
Pei Zan reached out his hand.
Forcibly seized.
Her jade-like fingers withdrew from the hem of that brand-new skirt.
Lin Rong's anxiety and unease were instantly seen through.
Pei Zan ignored the dampness seeping between his fingers.
He caressed Lin Rong's soft hands and intertwined his fingers with hers.
He then used his strong thumb and forefinger to grab Lin Rong's fragile wrist with one hand, pinning her hands behind her back.
Lin Rong was powerless and had no choice but to obediently submit to her fate.
She felt a burning, subtle pain in her throat, lips, and under her skirt, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"But what did I do wrong... that offended the young master?"
Even if Lin Rong was slow-witted, she could tell that Pei Zan was suppressing his anger. He was clearly burning with rage, but instead of giving Lin Rong a quick resolution, he forced her to guess, to think, to beg for forgiveness and admit her mistakes, and to resist stubbornly.
The most terrifying fear is the unknown. No matter how hard Ren Linrong racked her brains, she still couldn't figure out why Pei Zan was so sinister and ruthless.
Pei Zan tightened his grip on Lin Rong's nape, gently stroking her soft, fine hair through the thin gauze dress.
Then, while Lin Rong was deep in thought, he lowered his head and sealed his lips with his.
The rich sandalwood scent suddenly filled her nose and mouth, enveloping Lin Rong in a thick, fragrant mist.
The heat burned through Lin Rong's nostrils, freeing her hands, but her face was lifted high by Pei Zan.
A near-suffocating, frantic kiss.
The man pressed down on her, covering her completely.
He licked the veins under her tongue and bit her soft cherry lips.
It's like a battle to the death, a fight to the death, a battle where the broken pieces must be reunited, perfectly aligned, and ultimately both sides will be severely injured.
Pei Zan's kisses were extremely fierce; he lingered and struggled with her until death.
Lin Rong's clothes slipped loosely, revealing the vibrant plum blossom on her shoulder.
The birthmark has a striking, almost demonic color, like a raging fire, dazzling and scorching.
Lin Rong felt Pei Zan's kiss, which moved from the corner of her mouth to the side.
He sucked on the back of her neck, biting down hard on her thin skin and bones.
Pei Zan's bite was ruthless, his undercurrents surging, like a vicious jackal restraining its prey's struggle. Hot sweat boiling on his chin dripped into her collar.
A single bead of sweat fell from the man's head, swaying gently.
The scalded bone beads bulged under Lin Rong's skin, sliding down to her waist and settling in her snowy buttocks.
"It hurts..." A bloody gash appeared on the back of my neck from the teeth, and the blood plum blossomed.
Lin Rong felt the pain, and before she could react, Pei Zan, still holding the taste of blood, gently transferred it back to her lips and tongue.
Lin Rong didn't know what was wrong with him, but fortunately, Pei Zan tasted the salty, metallic rust and suddenly calmed down.
He released Lin Rong, then tossed something out of his sleeve, and slowly stroked Lin Rong's reddened lips, saying indifferently.
"I'll give you fifteen minutes... think of an excuse and make a fool of yourself."
Lin Rong looked down and saw the sachet with the moonlit bamboo pattern roll to her feet.
She was shocked and realized everything.
So that's what he discovered; no wonder he was so furious.
Lin Rong dared not show the slightest sign of distress, fearing that Pei Zan would kill her.
This is bait thrown out by Pei Zan; she cannot easily take the bait.
Lin Rong looked at it for a while and noticed that there were neat scratches on the ribbon of the sachet, which must have been cut with a knife.
Lin Rong knew that all her sachets had been sold... so Pei Zan had most likely found a buyer.
Lin Rong finally understood what he was angry about.
"Young Master, this is a sachet that I asked someone to put on consignment at the embroidery shop." Lin Rong took a deep breath. She knew that Pei Zan was intelligent and that nothing could be hidden from him, so she might as well tell the truth.
"I want to earn some money to protect myself, so that when I visit other people's homes, I will have some tips to give, and people will not laugh at me for being stingy."
Pei Zan knew that Lin Rong had been getting very close to Zheng Huiyin recently, and these high-class rules were probably taught to her privately by Zheng Huiyin.
Since Pei Zan wanted to take the sachet, he was meticulous and naturally inquired about its origin.
It was bought by that man from the embroidery shop, not given to Lin Rong privately.
That's why Pei Zan gave her a chance to explain, instead of killing her with a single sword stroke.
Lin Rong didn't utter a single lie; her honesty somewhat eased Pei Zan's pent-up anger.
Pei Zan's eyes were cold, and his tone was icy: "Lin Rong, if I find out that you're saving money just to run away, I'll break your legs."
Lin Rong shrank back and hurriedly said, "No, no... The Governor's Mansion is so well-fed and clothed. I can eat hot pot and boiled meat every day. How could I possibly have any thoughts of escaping when I live such a comfortable life? I only hope that when the young mistress enters the family, even if the eldest young master forgets me, he will not neglect my food and drink..."
Pei Zan had heard a little about Lin Rong and Zheng Huiyin's daily plans to cook meat in a hot pot.
Hearing her craving food, her face softened into a charmingly innocent expression, and the stern look in her eyes vanished completely.
He pressed her down onto his lap, holding her neck down and forcing her to bend over.
Lin Rong was confused, but she knew that resistance was not a wise choice.
She gave up, like a dried-up salted fish, obediently lying on the man's cold, hard leg bone.
Lin Rong waited blankly and helplessly until the cold ointment was applied to her snow-white skin.
Lin Rong winced in pain and hissed softly.
It turned out that Pei Zan had scooped out a finger's worth of ointment and gently applied it to the bite marks on the girl's neck.
However, Pei Zan, not knowing his own strength, deliberately pressed down, forcing Lin Rong to grimace and beg for mercy, "Please be gentle, you're definitely bleeding..."
No matter how much Lin Rong shouted, Pei Zan remained ruthless, showing no sign of softening his stance.
Lin Rong realized that he was still taking his anger out on her.
Fortunately, Pei Zan stopped in the end and said to her, "If you want to reward the servants, I can have Old Feng give you some gold and silver ingots from the public funds."
Lin Rong was unfamiliar with the rules of the inner quarters and did not realize that Pei Zan's actions were already an overstepping of his authority.
The household's public accounts are Pei Zan's private treasury. How could he allow a mere concubine to use them at will? If outsiders knew, they would probably be shocked.
Lin Rong, however, was ungrateful. Having obtained the gold ingots, she dared not use them without permission. After thinking for a while, she shamelessly asked Pei Zan for a favor: "It's not good to always owe the young master. Could you give me some of my monthly allowance? It doesn't have to be much, just two coins will do..."
To everyone's surprise, Pei Zan sneered, "Lin Rong, you're dreaming! If there's a next time I see embroidery lying around in the marketplace, I'll bring you shackles and chains and lock you up in the house."
Lin Rong shouldn't have tested her with the embroidery. She should know that all the fabrics allocated to her courtyard had been inspected and selected by Pei Zan. How could she possibly hide it from him? Besides, did Lin Rong think he was only watching her every move? Even if Zheng Huiyin acted strangely, there would be servants to report to Old Feng.
Lin Rong understood Pei Zan's meaning and was immediately speechless.
She didn't want to be a captive, at the mercy of others, so she dared not say more.
Perhaps he knew that the little girl in his arms, though seemingly well-behaved, was actually a tough nut to crack and would only settle down once he broke her.
As Pei Zan helped her straighten her sleeves, he offered her another suggestion: "Lin Rong, if you receive two hours of rain and dew, I will give you one tael of silver. How about that?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Rong's shoulders and neck instantly stiffened.
Let alone two hours, at Pei Zan's pace, she couldn't even last an hour... Lin Rong was angry, but helpless, she immediately became dejected and unwilling to say anything more.
Author's Note: This is Thursday's update =3= There was no extra update on Thursday, I'll try to make Friday's chapter a bit longer~
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