"You're already my woman. Hold onto this jade pendant and wait for me. I'll marry you."
Zhao Luoning woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat.
Everything that had happened the previous day was still vivid in her mind. Each scene was a nightmare she didn't want to relive.
How she wished it were just a nightmare.
She wished she hadn't been tricked into the brothel, and that the man who had ruined her innocence had never appeared.
But the strange room, the messy clothes all over the floor, and the jade pendant in her hand were all telling her a cruel truth.
This wasn't a dream!
Just then, voices came from outside the door. Zhao Luoning struggled to get up, grabbed her clothes, and hid under the bed. She curled up tightly, afraid of making a sound.
"Mom, who on earth was that distinguished guest yesterday? He was so mysterious. He rented out the top - floor of our Tianxiang Tower and didn't allow outsiders in. Moreover, he only wanted innocent girls from good families."
"Watch your mouth. That lord is not someone we can gossip about."
The door creaked open, and soon, the anxious curses of the woman echoed in the room.
"Where is she?!"
"I don't know. There were guards inside and outside the building. Logically, an innocent girl couldn't have escaped. Maybe that lord took her away?"
"No. Before he left, he told us to take good care of her and wait for him to come back and pick her up after he finished his business. Now that we've lost her, we're probably in big trouble."
"What should we do now?"
"Search for her. If we can't find her in the building, go find Nanny Xu! She sold the girl to me. She must know where she is!"
Nanny Xu? Wasn't she her step - mother's personal maid?
So, it was all instigated by her step - mother?
Hearing this name, Zhao Luoning was filled with anger and hatred. She bit her lips to hold back her sobs while tears streamed down her face.
She thought she had been kind to her step - mother and her younger sister. Why did they have to harm her like this!
Zhao Luoning didn't know how she managed to escape from Tianxiang Tower. Borrowing a clean set of clothes, she staggered back to the Zhao Mansion.
Caixue watched as Zhao Luoning had been soaking in the bathtub for half an hour, her skin all wrinkled. She felt extremely心疼.
"Miss, I'll go and tell Madam right away. That Nanny Xu actually dared to..."
Zhao Luoning's thoughts were instantly pulled back to that hellish night. The sound of the water seemed so noisy, and Caixue's voice was even more annoying. It was as if everyone was laughing at her.
She buried her head in the water. Just as she began to feel a moment of peace in the silence, she was pulled out.
"Miss, don't do anything stupid. I won't say it anymore. Let's calm down first and then figure out a solution."
Caixue was both heart - broken and helpless, her voice tinged with sobs. Looking at Zhao Luoning, who was covering her face and crying bitterly, she didn't know what to do for a moment.
With great difficulty, she managed to persuade Zhao Luoning to get up. Just as she changed her clothes, a maid came to report that the master wanted to see her.
Did the master already know about this?
Although she wanted her parents to seek justice for her, she also knew how terrible it was for an unmarried girl to lose her chastity.
She also wanted to punish the villains severely, but given her parents' temperaments, she was afraid that before the villains were punished, she would be beaten half to death!
Zhao Luoning and Caixue looked at each other, but Zhao Luoning didn't dare to disobey her father's order.
She could only suppress the physical and psychological discomfort and go to the appointment with a feeling of uneasiness.
Stepping into the study through the side door, a screen blocked her way. Outside the screen, the shadows of her father and another man were faintly visible.
Zhao Luoning let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that her father didn't know what had happened last night.
Zhao Luoning stopped outside the screen. The maid went out to announce her arrival. Seeing this, Ling Wenkai said in the direction of the screen.
"Luoning, why are you so ill - mannered? There's a distinguished guest here. Hurry up and pay your respects."
Then he said to the man, "Young Master Ji, please don't be offended. My daughter is wild and doesn't know the rules. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
Master Zhao was one of the most prominent merchants in this area. Usually, he was overbearing and bossy. It was really rare to see him so submissive and even a bit scared.
Although Zhao Luoning couldn't see the man's face clearly through the screen, she could feel his overbearing aura from her father's attitude and everyone's respectful looks.
Who on earth was this man with such a powerful aura?
Soon, Zhao Luoning found out who he was.
She heard the man say casually, "I won't beat around the bush. Master Zhao, when will the Zhao family fulfill their promise to the Ji family?"
The Ji family. Was it the Ji family that was rumored to be planning a rebellion and dared to keep a large number of soldiers in their mansion?
Who would dare to marry their daughter to a rebel leader?
Master Zhao's forehead was dripping with cold sweat. He secretly glanced at the lonely figure standing behind the screen. Hesitating, the butler beside him gave a soft cough. He gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.
"It's my daughter's honor to be favored by the third young master of the Ji family."
Unexpectedly, the man sneered, his tone full of contempt. "Master Zhao, you've misunderstood. I'm here today to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage on behalf of my second elder brother."
"Young Master Ji the Second?!" Even Master Zhao, who was used to big scenes, gritted his teeth. "The Ji family is going too far!"
"Master Zhao, what's wrong? Do you think my second elder brother of the Ji family is not good enough for your daughter of the Zhao family?"
"You..." Master Zhao was so angry that he was dazed. Glancing at the two rows of well - armed and armored soldiers standing neatly in the hall, he swallowed his saliva and finally suppressed his anger.
The man was very impatient. Seeing that his intimidation had worked, he stood up and said, "The betrothal gifts will be sent to your mansion in three days. The wedding sedan will come in ten days. Please make preparations early, Master Zhao and Miss Zhao."
After saying that, he walked out of the door without looking back. The soldiers he brought followed suit. When he reached the door, the man casually pointed at two of the soldiers behind him and said, "You two stay here and guard. Miss Zhao will soon be the second young mistress of the Ji family. There can be no negligence."
This was clearly a form of house arrest.
The butler quickly told Master Zhao about this. Master Zhao frowned and glanced at Zhao Luoning, who walked out from behind the screen. He rubbed his temples in distress.
"Ning'er, you've seen it too. It's not that your father is heartless. The Ji family is cruel. Your father can't stop them."
Zhao Luoning asked blankly, "Dad, wasn't it my younger sister Luoyue who was engaged to the Ji family back then?"
"Your younger sister... Alas, she's just so disappointing." Master Zhao looked at Zhao Luoning kneeling on the ground. He had three daughters. After losing one, among the remaining two, the eldest daughter was superior to the second in both appearance and character.
If it weren't for the Ji family coming to ask for a bride, he would surely find a noble family for his eldest daughter to help him rise in society.
Thinking of this, Master Zhao felt a bit reluctant. "Alright, I'll go back and think about it."
Saying that, he patted Zhao Luoning's shoulder and walked out of the ancestral hall in a hurry.
But Zhao Luoning didn't feel the slightest bit of comfort in her heart.
Everything had happened so fast and so suddenly.
Yesterday, she was still an unmarried girl. Not only did she lose her virginity overnight, but she also had to marry her sister's fiancé instead of her sister?
Her eyelids kept twitching, as if something bad was about to happen.