With a feeling of unease, Luo Jiu walked toward the place Luo Chentian had designated.
The closer she got to the living room, the fewer people there were. By the time Luo Jiu stepped across the threshold, there was no sound at all.
"You've arrived, please have a seat." Luo Chentian's heavy and authoritative voice rang out from the front, yet his tone was inexplicably calm, as if the scene of him losing his composure in front of Luo Jiu last time was merely Luo Jiu's imagination.
Luo Jiu was too lazy to say anything to him. She simply found a chair and sat down without any ceremony. She waited quietly to see what the old man had to say.
"I acted impulsively last time," Luo Chentian said, but there was no hint of apology in his voice.
"After all these days, you're a smart child, and you must have figured out that this matter is irreversible. Since your marriage to the Third Prince is a foregone conclusion, both you and I should accept it calmly."
"Since Father doesn't want me to marry Liang Ye, has he ever refused on my behalf?"
Luo Jiu mocked. She really looked down on these cowardly bullies who let others arrange their daughter's marriage.
I don't believe that if he refuses, the emperor would force him.
After all, she was just Liang Ye's concubine, not his wife. What's wrong with refusing?
"you……"
Upon hearing this, Luo Chentian flicked his robe and said sternly, "Stubborn fool! If you could back down, would I have let you marry him? After all..."
Luo Jiu rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. Ever since she learned that Luo Chentian only benefited from his biological father and was of no use whatsoever, Luo Jiu had almost given up on maintaining a facade of respect for him.
"You unfilial son!" Since becoming Prime Minister, when had Luo Chentian ever been mocked like this? He pointed at Luo Jiu, his fingers trembling, and cursed.
After a moment, as if she had thought of something, she took a few deep breaths and softened her voice: "What's wrong with marrying the Third Prince? What are you dissatisfied with?"
Luo Jiu was somewhat annoyed. Was Liang Ye such a sought-after prize that everyone liked him?
If I marry him, how can I win over Xiao Zhuo? But I can't bring myself to say the reason.
"I don't like it!" Luo Jiu muttered, not wanting to say a word more to him.
"Then you should marry him. This isn't something that can be cultivated. You two should get to know each other more, and maybe you'll fall in love."
Luo Jiu looked up at him, somewhat puzzled. "Didn't you disagree before? What happened to make your attitude change so quickly?"
"What benefits did Liang Ye give you?" to make you speak up for him like this? Luo Jiu couldn't think of anything else besides that.
"My child. I am your father, and I want you and Shuang'er to be happy no matter what."
Luo Chentian's voice softened considerably, and he began to feign a kind expression. "I've spoken with the Third Prince. Your status in his household is only slightly lower than that of the Princess. And the Princess is sickly. If you marry into the family, you'll definitely have complete control over the household."
On one side, Luo Chentian was wholeheartedly trying to persuade Luo Jiu, while on the other side, Luo Jiu was sabotaging him at every turn.
"You call this princess sickly, but why don't you call me blind? You're so heartless, sending me to that pit of bones. You really are a good father to me. I wonder if you would still be so calm if it were Luo Shuang'er."
Luo Jiu's sarcastic remarks completely enraged Luo Chentian. He slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "I've really spoiled you. How dare you talk to me like that!"
"Your wedding is in three days. You have no choice but to marry! If you dare to cause any trouble before the wedding, I know you're all grown up now, and I can't do anything to you. But..."
“Jinxia’s indenture is still in my hands. I can’t persuade you anymore, but I can still control her to some extent.”
When Luo Chentian saw that he could no longer maintain the pretense of fatherly affection for Luo Jiu, he revealed his true colors, showing his ugly face and his words were full of threats.
Having said that, he didn't intend to listen to Luo Jiu anymore and called the people outside in.
The doctor who came was the same one from last time, dressed in coarse gray clothes. He was hunched over and carried a large medical kit that seemed disproportionately large for his size.
"Please, doctor, take a look at her and see if she has any other discomfort or ailments. I hope she doesn't have any problems at the wedding."
Luo Chentian gave the doctor a gentle and polite instruction. Luo Jiu only heard an extremely abrupt response, as if two words were being squeezed out of a hoarse throat: "Don't worry."
A pair of icy, lifeless fingers probed towards Luo Jiu's pulse, causing her to shudder. Her senses immediately sharpened involuntarily.
Immediately afterwards, Luo Jiu felt something bite her finger. Something pierced Luo Jiu's skin and inserted something like a needle, sucking at Luo Jiu's fresh and red flesh.
This time, unlike last time, the pain was not like being pricked by a needle; it was so slight that it could be ignored.
This time, it was a blatant message to Luo Jiu that something was tearing through her flesh.
She couldn't help but pull her hand back, but was met with resistance. The doctor's thin arm pressed down firmly on Luo Jiu, preventing her from moving.
"What are you doing!" Luo Jiu was a little flustered, and goosebumps rose on her arms.
At times like these, I can't help but want to complain about the system. What kind of sacrificial lamb am I given? Is this system deliberately making things difficult for me to increase the elimination rate?
If Luo Jiu could see, she would have noticed a brightly colored insect standing on her fingertip, with black and red wings and a long, sharp beak. It was its mouth that had just pierced Luo Jiu's skin.
The insect was enjoying sucking Luo Jiu's blood, as if it were having a feast. Each time it sucked blood, its abdomen would contract and expand in sync with the movement.
Luo Chentian wasn't surprised to see the doctor take out the insect. Instead, he looked at the insect on Luo Jiu's fingertip with a fanatical gaze, his joy evident on his face.
A moment later, the insect had sucked its fill and slowly moved back into the doctor's black box.
Luo Chentian's face showed a hint of anxiety, as if he wanted to say something, but was stopped by the strange doctor.
He shook his head, and a hint of disappointment flashed across Luo Chentian's face.
In the evening, Luo Jiu lay in bed, beginning to ponder the current state of the Luo family mansion.
The situation in the Prime Minister's mansion was no different from the power struggles within other grand mansions. A blind young lady whose mother died early and who was unloved by her father, a scheming stepmother, and a stepsister with a mental disability. Everything seemed normal at first glance, but now a strange atmosphere permeated the place.
Why would a prime minister who only thinks about wealth, fame and fortune be so concerned about the health of a young lady with no power, even going so far as to have her checked by a doctor every month?
Furthermore, the doctor was very strange, and Luo Jiu felt uncomfortable with his entire being.
In ancient times, there was no technology for blood testing, so why did the doctor need his own blood? What was the hidden reason behind this?
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