CH 3

She gathered all her courage, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and begged him while shedding tears: "I... I have a fiancé, and we're even about to get married."

Her voice had a sobbing tone.

The expression on the man's face didn't change after hearing that, "Hmm."

One word, spoken with the same coldness as his temperament.

Chapter 3

Warning : read the tags of the novel before reading.

TL's note : Here's the scary chapter guys U.U

(1.3)

He suddenly stretched out his hand, his cold fingertips squeezed her chin hard and there was a chill in his voice. He was not at all as gentle as he was rumored to be. He asked expressionlessly, "I heard you wanted to go out this afternoon?"

Ming Zhu stopped crying, her wet eyes seemed like those of a frightened deer.

The man's lips curved upwards as he let out a scoff. Looking at her frightened gaze, he used his fingertips to gently wipe away the teardrops on her cheeks, "That fiancé of yours still has to attend the spring exams next year, right?"

The voice was very gentle, but it weighed on her heart so hard it was difficult to breathe.

The man slowly wiped her face clean, as his cold voice continued to fall in her ears: "There's also your father, and that servant girl of yours."

No matter how dense Ming Zhu was, she could hear that he was threatening her.

The man loosened his fingers. The woman's delicate skin as expected was left with two red marks. He lowered his eyes to coldly look at her. His words, from which one couldn't hear any emotion, lightly reminded: "To settle down and live peacefully, one has to have official papers. If one rashly escapes, he will be arrested as a fugitive, imprisoned and subjected to torture, from which he won't be able to survive more than three days after."

Her slavery papers and travel documents were already in his hands.

"There are many ways to punish prisoners of unknown origin in the capital's prisons, such as pulling out the tongue and scalding off the eyes, removing the leg bones and branding using hot iron, how many of these do you think you can bear?"

Ming Zhu could not even keep crying. Undried teardrops were hanging on her eyelashes as her body shook uncontrollably.

The man's hand gently caressed her slim back, his cool fingers cupping the back of her neck as his dark eyes gazed at her. His voice was warm as he asked lightly, "Have you thought it through ? Do you still want to escape ?"

Ming Zhu shook her head with tears in her eyes.

The man was satisfied and nodded, "Hmm, you rest then."

He extinguished the candle, and with a gentle tug of his fingers, he undid the ribbon around his waist, and as he approached her, after a pause, he said, "As long as you are obedient, I will not make things difficult for you, you don't need to be afraid."

In the darkness, Ming Zhu bit her lips and did not speak.

The man's fingers stung her with coldness. He pinched her thin waist hard and the sharp tips of his teeth bit her soft earlobe, " Do you know how to serve people?"

Her body cowered and shivered.

She didn't, she just knew how to cry.

The man patted her shivering body and kissed her eyes for a while, sucking dry the glowing water at the end of her eyes. He then whispered in her ear, "If you don't know how to, then you'll have to learn. From now on, you'll have to serve me, okay ?"

Ming Zhu thought that Zhao Zhi loved her.

Or liked her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have forcibly broken up her marriage and locked her up in the crown prince's residence.

In her past life, at first, she had no feelings for him, but later, she couldn't help but fall in love with him.

Except the matter about children, he treated her extremely well in every way and never let her be mistreated.

Women who fall in love are all fools.

Zhao Zhi's temperament was cold and he didn't speak much. He did not like when she showed her face in public. Thus, she listened to him and stayed in the backyard and did not go anywhere.

For his birthday, she secretly embroidered him a small pouch and clothes. The needle poked her fingertips but she never let out a cry of pain. But she never saw him wear the pouch she gave him.

Ming Zhu also quietly went to the side kitchen to cook him a bowl of longevity noodles1, fought hard not to fall asleep and waited for him all night, but he never returned that night. She heard that he rested in the palace. When he came back early the next morning, she smelled on his body the scent of cosmetic powder. Her tears, without her knowledge, fell down on their own.

Ming Zhu hugged him with tears in her eyes and suddenly said, "I want a child."

She loved him too much and was also too lonely, so she wanted to have a child with him. It would be great if it was a daughter.

Zhao Zhi was silent for a long time and said, "Your current body condition is not suitable to carry a child."

The words were nice, but Ming Zhu knew what he meant; he didn't think she was suitable to carry his child.

Not long after, Zhao Zhi was about to get married. A candidate for the title of crown princess was chosen very carefully. An auspicious day was set and announced to the world.

Because of this, Ming Zhu was sad for a while, her eyes were red and only after sleeping did she consider a lot of things through.

Zhao Zhi put the most emphasis on etiquette. He always felt that her status was too low, felt that she was not even worthy of the position of side consort and he wouldn't marry her officially. Of course, she herself was not willing.

So before Zhao Zhi got married, Ming Zhu decided she was going to ask him for a favor. She would ask him to let her go.

1 Noddles that are cooked for one's birthday.

TL's note : here's the end of the chapter ! I felt quite uneasy when I was translating that part, Zhao Zhi is so scary !!! I believe, if I remember correctly, that when I was a first time reader, at that point, I hated him, so I wouldn't be surprised if you readers do.