Chapter 4 Beasts
Li Qu subconsciously thought of the bloodstained face in the pavilion in the backyard of the prefectural government office.
But having come this far, Li Qu didn't want to give up, so she braced herself and said, "I agreed to marry Chang San before because I was confident that I could control him."
"If I go along with Third Master's wishes, he will calm down, and I will have a chance to leave the Zhou family and reunite with my beloved."
“This humble woman has spoken without thinking and has displeased Third Master. If you wish to punish or beat me, I am willing to accept it.”
"I only beg you, Third Master, to show mercy!"
The servants in the Zhou household once gossiped that Zhou Jin was aloof and noble. They thought that such a man, having vented his anger, would not force anyone to do anything against their will, and would not even set his sights on a woman who already had someone else in her heart.
Li Qu kowtowed three times to Zhou Jin, then lay prostrate on the ground, nervously waiting for Zhou Jin to speak.
She only hoped that her understanding of Zhou Jin was correct.
After a long while, a voice came from above: "Get up."
He doesn't seem angry.
But when he killed someone in the pavilion, he didn't seem to be furious.
Li Qu rose tremblingly: "Thank you, Third Master. You are truly as bright as the moon, pure and flawless. I am ashamed."
Flattery will get you everywhere.
I secretly glanced up and met a pair of eyes as black as ink.
Li Qu quickly lowered her eyes, feeling a strange sense of unease. Out of fear of the murderer, she unconsciously took two steps back.
"Come forward."
"Does Third Master have any further instructions?" Li Qu lowered his eyes and did not move.
Zhou Jin casually looked her over: "Since you came in, this room seems to have a different feel to it."
Li Qu had a terrifying feeling that if she asked "what does it smell like?", the person in front of her would say "the smell of fresh blood".
She dryly lifted both sleeves and smelled them.
I washed up before coming, and I only smelled of soap.
"I apologize for my rudeness. The scent of the incense on my body may not be to your liking. Perhaps..." Li Qu was interrupted by Zhou Jin before she could finish her sentence.
"However, you are right about one thing."
Li Qu stole a glance at Zhou Jin, waiting for his instructions.
"If you do as I please, I will calm down."
"Then, how does Third Master want me to apologize?"
Zhou Jin patted his thigh: "Sit on it yourself, or do you want me to help you sit on it?"
Li Qu suddenly looked up, his expression shifting from cautious to surprised, then to incredulous, and finally to furious and embarrassed—a performance so captivating that Zhou Jin couldn't help but want to applaud him.
So, it turns out that a person can have so many emotions in an instant?
Li Qu wouldn't sit down, and she didn't want Zhou Jin to get up and hug her. Almost instinctively, she turned around and walked away.
But Xu Mama, who was sharp-eyed and perceptive, grabbed her arm and pushed her toward Zhou Jin.
Li Qu staggered and plopped down on Zhou Jin's lap.
Before she could even jump up as if her pants were on fire, a large hand pressed her down onto the desk.
She instinctively braced herself with her hands, but in doing so, she pushed all the items on the table, including the pen holder and porcelain bowl, off the desk.
The sounds of clattering and clanging echoed in the night, accompanied by Zhou Jin's words, "It's fine to lie down."
Before Zhou Jin could make a move, Granny Xu had already led her people out and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
From inside the house came Li Qu's terrified screams, followed by pleas for mercy, and then the sound of cursing.
Xu Mama and Huaiqiu, who was standing outside the door, exchanged a glance.
Rape? Adultery? Offender?
Does this mean their master committed adultery?
The two silently looked away.
Sorry, but given Li's background, the fact that her master forced himself on her is considered an insult to her social standing.
Unable to empathize with Li Qu, the two simultaneously took out cotton balls they had prepared beforehand from their sleeves and stuffed them into their ears.
That night, Jinxiutang requested water four times, and later in the bathhouse, the water was changed again.
The next day, Li Qu, still half asleep, was woken up by Aunt Li, who taught etiquette at the Zhou residence.
"Auntie, it's time to get up, it's already dawn."
As soon as she opened her eyes, a maidservant supported her from behind and helped her up.
It wasn't until she tasted bitterness that Li Qu realized she was still alive.
She slammed her hand down and knocked over the medicine bowl, then looked at her old acquaintance, Aunt Li.
Aunt Li was described as solemn, unsmiling, and harsh.
With a wave of her hand, the maid brought over another bowl of medicine: "Auntie is a smart woman, she should know what this is."
Things had reached their worst point, and Li Qu's true nature was almost out of control.
In her previous life, she was born under the red flag and desperately tried to break free from the constraints of this world. She lived for sixteen years, and her bones were full of pride, stubbornness, and indomitable spirit.
She sneered at Aunt Li: "I want to see my second sister. When I see my second sister, I will naturally drink."
The news that Li Qu had been favored by the Third Master last night has already spread.
She looked terrible; her eyes were bruised, her lips were cracked, there was a deep purple mark on her exposed wrist, and her neck and collar were covered in red stains.
Of course, Third Master didn't get much benefit either, otherwise Aunt Li wouldn't be here.
Taking medicine was not Aunt Li's main responsibility; she was there to teach Li that a concubine should be gentle and respectful, and that serving her master should be tactful and tender.
Instead of scratching the lord all over and leaving a big handprint on his face.
It is even more unacceptable to insult one's lord!
Aunt Li threatened, "If you don't learn proper manners, your aunt will never see anyone in the family."
Li Qu's rule was that Aunt Li had to personally nod and approve her when she entered the mansion.
Now that Li Qu has knowingly committed the crime, it has made Aunt Li feel very embarrassed.
She knew that unless Li Qu was willing, what happened last night would definitely happen again.
"If you wish to see your family soon, please get up and listen to my instructions, and put into practice the rules you have learned."
Seeing that Aunt Li didn't care whether Li Qu drank the medicine or not, Granny Xu waved her hand and stepped forward, ordering someone to hold Li Qu down and force-feed her the medicine.
As Li Qu saw someone approaching, she suddenly jumped up and shouted, "Who dares!" Before she could even stand up straight, she tumbled off the bed and landed face-first at Aunt Li's feet.
At the same time, half of her waist was also exposed.
Besides the ambiguous red marks on her back, the most gruesome thing was the pinch marks on her waist.
Everyone glanced at it and then looked away.
Thinking of how well-dressed Third Master usually was, I don't know why I'm now associating him with a beast.
Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was stunned, Li Qu stood up. She could clearly feel the soreness in her limbs and the discomfort in her body.
"I will have my second sister personally brew me a contraceptive soup. I will not drink any of the medicines served in the manor."
Who knows if someone might take the opportunity to give her sterilization medication?
Whether or not to have children is one thing, whether or not one can have children is another.
Besides, deep down she wants to raise her own child at the right time in the future.
"You can pour it in, I can barely walk a few steps now anyway, but you'll have to bear the consequences!"
Her sharp gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.
Aunt Li didn't care about Li Qu's threat.
After thinking for a moment, Granny Xu said, "Today we need to ask someone to go to the concubine's house to sign the concubine's document. It wouldn't hurt to pass on a message to the second young lady."
Li Qu frowned.
A document for taking a concubine?
Don't sign!
"Please pass on a message to my mother, asking when she plans to visit my eldest sister now that she's feeling better."
She's leaving!
Xu Mama agreed, leaving Cuiguo and Hongguo to serve Li Qu, and then took people and gifts to Jishui Lane where the Li family was staying to handle some business.
Poor Li Qu had her nails cut short by Aunt Li, who then spent a day teaching her the ways of being a concubine. Before leaving, Aunt Li even gave Li Qu two books on female precepts and virtues.
Li Rong personally prepared and decocted the medicine.
The medicine was given to Li Qu in the morning, but Li Qu was not seen until the evening.
At that time, Li Qu sat on the couch, feeling that her calves and arms were numb from being whipped by Aunt Li's rules and could not recover.
Therefore, when Li Rong entered, Li Qu did not go forward to greet her, but just sat blankly on the couch.
After Li Rong entered the room, she did not immediately notice Li Qu's discomfort. She looked around the room with curiosity and envy, touching the ornaments on the display shelf with shining eyes, and tasting the new tea that the maid served her.
Finally, he sat down next to Li Qu, looking quite emotional.
"Third sister, you're really lucky."
Both the Prince of Yan's mansion and the Zhou mansion are places of unparalleled wealth and luxury!
Granny Xu urged from the side, "Madam, please speak quickly. When the Second Miss came this morning, Madam instructed her to return home before sunset."
Li Qu dismissed everyone around him and looked at Li Rong, asking only one question: "Did the Zhou family come to sign the documents?"
Li Rong knew Li Qu's inner conflict, and smiled as she extended her hand, bending her index and middle fingers together and gently rubbing her thumb: "With this, everything is easy to discuss."
"I'll say it again: if you betray me, I'll commit the crime of implicating nine generations of my family, and we'll all die together!"
Li Rong chuckled and teased, "I'm truly speechless. You risked offending the Prince of Yan to escape Yan, only to be noticed by the Zhou family of the Two Rivers and Sixteen Rivers region as soon as you left Yan."
I think you're destined to be someone's concubine, don't bother trying!
"If you hadn't been greedy for that piece of dragon beard candy when we first entered the city, exposing my identity as a woman, I wouldn't have ended up in the Zhou mansion!" Li Qu thought of this and felt a surge of anger.
Li Rong absolutely refused to admit that she was the one who caused Li Qu to get into trouble at the Zhou residence: "Isn't it because you're so stingy that you bought too few pastries!"
"I bought plenty, but my mother is pregnant and has a bigger appetite. She eats a lot on the way, so I didn't have time to provide her with food."
I already said we'd resupply in the city!
"You'd really sell me out for a piece of dragon beard candy!"
Seeing Li Qu's tears welling up, Li Rong's heart skipped a beat. She grabbed Li Qu's arm, pulled up her sleeve, and the bright red mark on her wrist was gone, replaced by a bluish-purple ring.
Her expression changed, and she stared at Li Qu in shock: "You!"
Li Qu couldn't see Li Rong's expression clearly. Seeing her family at this moment, she felt a surge of grievances and couldn't control her tears.
Zhou Jin, that scoundrel, is a beast in human form; he doesn't treat her like a human being at all!
"Waaaaah..."
Li Rong realized the enormity of her mistake and her voice cracked: "You idiot, how could you not have protected yourself!"
Startled to realize she had lost her voice, she lowered it again, and with a mixture of exasperation and self-reproach, leaned close to Li Qu, saying:
"You used to be able to completely charm the Prince of Yan, how come you fell for the Third Master of the Zhou family!"
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