"Stop!" "Stop!"
The sound behind her grew closer and closer, and Xiang Wan dared not stop, running forward with all her might.
The streets were rather deserted in the morning, with nothing to offer any cover. Xiang Wan was sweating profusely as she ran, her heart pounding in her chest. Several times she nearly got caught by the burly man chasing her, but luckily she was wearing clothes that allowed her to move freely, preventing her from getting tripped when her clothes were bumped.
Xiang Wan ran in a panic, forgetting the system's previous instructions, and instinctively ran towards areas with many shops. Just as she was about to be caught, she saw a carriage ahead, with a man about to get off, accompanied by several attendants.
Before Xiang Wan could cry for help, she rushed to the carriage, grabbed the man's leg, and cried out, "Young master, save me!"
Xiang Wan had run all the way here, her hair hanging loosely down, a few strands soaked with sweat and clinging to her forehead. Her clothes were also drenched in sweat, leaving black marks on her back and the hem of her skirt. Now, slumped on the carriage, her legs trembled uncontrollably from the effort of running, and her hands shook slightly as well. She had no time to do anything but look up frantically and plead with the man for help, her slightly weary eyes filled with fervent hope.
"How dare you!"
The attendant beside her drew his sword and held it to Xiang Wan's neck.
Xiang Wan gasped for breath, her body stiffening instantly. But she couldn't give up; if she did, there would be no chance of escape. The man before her was like her lifeline; she couldn't let go, even if it meant death.
Having made up her mind, she immediately ignored the pain from the sword pressing against her neck, looked up at the man, and spoke again: "Young master, I beg you!"
The man first glanced at the leg that was being held, then stared intently at Xiang Wan. As she began to lose her composure, a strange smile flashed in his eyes, followed by a sharp look. He straightened up and looked at the burly man chasing after Xiang Wan.
The men, who were about to capture Xiang Wan, hesitated to act rashly when this unexpected turn of events occurred. Seeing that their attendants were all armed with swords, they glared at Xiang Wan hatefully and whispered among themselves. Then, one of the men, who seemed to be the leader, bowed to the man and said, "Young master, we are waiters from Fulaixuan Restaurant. We are here to arrest the maid we just bought. We hope you will do us a favor."
In this dynasty, maids were the private property of their masters, who held the power of life and death over them; their lives essentially belonged to the master. Of course, being a maid had a time limit; some served for a short period, like signing a short-term contract, while others had lifetime contracts. If a maid encountered a ruthless master and was killed within her short contract period, she had no one to blame but herself and could only accept her misfortune; no one else had the right to interfere. However, if she encountered a kind master, the maid would not only be spared but would also receive considerable wealth and gold after being released. In most cases, ordinary people preferred to work for wealthy families, and if they encountered something life-threatening, they would simply accept their fate and no one would seek justice from the authorities, who, of course, would not intervene in such matters.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the burly men did not dare to act rashly, so they came up with this plan to take Xiang Wan back.
Hearing their words, Xiang Wan was startled and her whole body trembled. She tightened her grip on the man's leg even more, not even feeling the bloodstains on her neck from being pressed down, fearing that the man would believe their lies and send her back to the tiger's den.
However, although their idea was good, they encountered someone who was not an ordinary person, so it was destined not to go as planned.
"Yuan Yi, make your move!" the man ordered coldly.
"yes."
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