In an estate on the outskirts of Chu Jing, a stunning yet slightly thin and pale woman sat beneath a tree, lost in thought as she cradled an infant in her arms. The child, now over three months old, had grown fair and plump compared to the wrinkled newborn it had once been. With wide, glistening eyes, the baby giggled up at the woman holding it.
The woman lowered her gaze, and a faint smile touched her hesitant expression as she looked at the child.
"Miss Yao Ji, the Madam and the Young Madam have arrived," a maidservant announced coldly from the doorway. Though she was a servant, her eyes held no respect for the woman beneath the tree—only disdain and disgust. Yao Ji had long grown accustomed to such looks and paid them no mind. In their eyes, she was nothing more than a shameless woman who had seduced the heir of Marquis Muyang Manor.
Yao Ji lowered her head as if she hadn’t heard. Ever since she had been captured and brought back when she was six months pregnant, her freedom had been stripped away. The Madam’s family—or rather, Marquis Muyang Manor itself—had seized all her belongings. When she was on the verge of giving birth, she had nearly died from complications. Even Yao Ji had never imagined that the seemingly gentle and refined Young Madam of Marquis Muyang Manor could be so cruel. After enduring so much, Yao Ji had grown increasingly disillusioned, her heart thoroughly chilled by the so-called nobility and power of these highborn families.
The maidservant’s words were less of a report and more of a command. Seeing that Yao Ji remained silent, she didn’t press further and simply withdrew. Sure enough, moments later, a group of people entered. The Madam of Marquis Muyang frowned at the sight of Yao Ji, clad in white and exuding delicate beauty, her eyes filled with revulsion. Born into a prestigious family, she despised such bewitching women—especially one who had ensnared her son’s heart.
The Young Madam, who had only married into the manor a few months prior, burned with jealousy. Yao Ji’s beauty ranked among the top five in the entire capital. In her days at the Alluring City Quarter, clad in red dancing robes, she had captivated the world and earned praise even at imperial banquets. Though she had grown thinner now, dressed plainly in white with no makeup, her beauty held an even more pristine and unyielding elegance, like a lotus rising from water. How could the Young Madam—merely passably pretty—compare? Once, the Young Madam had possessed the refined grace of a scholarly family, earning a quiet nod of approval from Ye Li. But after marriage, consumed by jealousy and malice, she had abandoned even that last advantage. Now, she was nothing more than a spiteful and venomous young woman.
"How insolent! Have you forgotten how to show respect?" the Madam of Marquis Muyang snapped.
Yao Ji lifted her head and replied coolly, "Since the two of you came uninvited, why should the host bow to you?"
The Young Madam shrieked, "What host are you?! This is the estate of Marquis Muyang Manor!"Yao Ji said, "I am indeed not the mistress here, but it seems neither is the young madam. This is Mu Yang's private estate, and clearly, he has not acknowledged the young madam's right to his personal property. Young Madam Mu, do you recall? When you nearly starved me and Jing'an to death, Mu Yang issued an order forbidding you from setting foot here. As for me... if Madam Mu is willing to let me go, I would be endlessly grateful. I suppose the money you took from me should more than cover the cost of my stay these past days?"
The faces of both the Marchioness Muyang and the young madam turned pale with fury, though the young madam was purely enraged while the Marchioness was more embarrassed and humiliated. The Zhang family had seized all of Yao Ji's assets, a significant portion of which had ended up in the Marchioness's hands. Over the years, Yao Ji had naturally amassed considerable wealth. When she sold the Alluring City Quarter to Prince Ding's Estate, Ye Li had not taken advantage of her, offering a fair price. In addition, Yao Ji had received numerous precious gifts from scholars, nobles, and dignitaries. If appraised, their value would easily exceed three to four hundred thousand taels. Such a sum was undoubtedly a fortune, even for an aristocratic family like the Marquis Muyang Manor.
After a long silence, the Marchioness finally regained her composure and gritted her teeth. "Leave if you must! But you must leave the child behind!" Though the child's mother was of questionable background, he was still the first grandchild of the Marquis Muyang Manor. Mu Yang had been married for so long, yet Lady Sun had shown no signs of pregnancy. Naturally, the Marchioness valued this child more, especially since the bloodline of the Marquis Muyang Manor could not be allowed to wander outside.
"Over my dead body!" Yao Ji stood up, clutching the child protectively, and glared at the Marchioness. Suddenly, she sneered. "Fine, I won't leave! What do I have to fear? Even without a formal title, Mu Yang provides me with fine food, luxurious clothing, and a life of comfort here. One day, if I change my mind, I might even enter the manor as a concubine. With my beauty, should I fear a plain-faced woman? I wonder... would it be a laughingstock for the heir of Marquis Muyang to marry a dancer?"
"You... you shameless wretch!" The young madam's face twisted in fury. If Yao Ji and her child were brought into the manor, where would that leave her?
Yao Ji smiled faintly, her beauty breathtaking. "Flattery indeed, though I pale in comparison to some."
Her mocking tone was unmistakable, and the Marchioness could not pretend otherwise. Accustomed to looking down on Yao Ji, she could not bear such ridicule from a mere dancer. "You vile creature! Let's see if I can't deal with you! So what if Mu Yang dotes on you? I am still his mother!"Yao Ji sneered, "So what if you're Mu Yang's mother? Is that something to be proud of?" If it were in the past, when her feelings for Mu Yang were still strong, she might have hesitated out of consideration for him. But now... ever since she was nearly killed by the young mistress of the Marquis Muyang Manor during childbirth, and later when she and her child almost starved to death, she had already given up on Mu Yang. It wasn’t because he refused to avenge her and their child—she understood his concerns for the Marquis Muyang Manor and the Sun family. What infuriated her most was that even though he knew staying in Chu Jing was perilous for her and their child, Mu Yang still refused to let her leave. She didn’t know, nor did she want to know, whether it was because he was confident he could protect them or because, in his eyes, their lives simply didn’t matter. But now... she had completely hardened her heart against him. The love they once shared had long faded into oblivion compared to the safety of her son.
"Guards! Drag this woman out and beat her severely!" the Marchioness Muyang shouted.
"Who dares?!" Just as the servants around them moved to act, Mu Yang strode in from outside and roared angrily. Entering the courtyard, he glanced at the young mistress standing beside his mother and said furiously, "You again!"
The young mistress lowered her head resentfully. Though she had indeed incited her mother-in-law to come here, her husband’s immediate accusation without even asking wounded her deeply. She had tried to be a virtuous wife, but when Yao Ji first disappeared, Mu Yang had left for the battlefield without a word. Later, after the Marquis Muyang Manor found Yao Ji, Mu Yang returned and married her. Yet no matter what she did, he remained indifferent. She was just a teenage bride—how could she endure this?
Yao Ji let out a cold laugh and mocked, "Is the heir blind? It wasn’t the young mistress who just ordered me beaten."
Mu Yang frowned and looked at Yao Ji helplessly. "Yao Ji, you—"
But Yao Ji, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly turned cold. She raised her hand and slapped Mu Yang hard across the face, not only turning his head to the side but also drawing gasps from the Marchioness and the young mistress.
"My son! You vile—!" The Marchioness erupted in fury. Mu Yang quickly stopped his mother from lashing out and said to Yao Ji with a somber expression, "Are you satisfied now?"
Yao Ji pressed her lips into a smile, but it was icy. "Satisfied? The heir jest. Since you claim you wish to bring me into the manor, though my life is worthless, I still have one question to ask."
Mu Yang brightened, thinking she had relented, and quickly replied, "Ask away."
Holding her child with one arm, Yao Ji pointed at the Marchioness and asked, "If one day the Marchioness Muyang beats me to death, what does the heir plan to do about it?"
Mu Yang’s expression darkened. "Yao Ji, what nonsense are you saying? My mother would never—"Yao Ji sneered and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Young Master Mu, why don't you ask the Marchioness Muyang whether she was just planning to beat me to death?" Mu Yang turned to look at the Marchioness, only to see her stiffly avert her gaze, and his heart sank. Yao Ji's smile was dazzlingly beautiful. "If Young Master Mu wishes to take me as his concubine, I'll stake my life on your sincerity. Just swear before all the capital's citizens that if I ever die an unnatural death... you will personally kill whoever harmed me before my spirit tablet. How about that?"
"Yang'er!"
"Young Master!" Both the Marchioness Muyang and the young mistress of the Mu family cried out in protest.
Seeing Mu Yang's ugly expression, Yao Ji gave a mocking laugh, turned around, and carried her child into the room, ignoring the commotion outside between the Marchioness and the young mistress.
When Mu Yang finally saw his mother and wife off and returned to the room, he found Yao Ji standing by the window, lost in thought. A trace of guilt flashed in Mu Yang's eyes as he sighed softly. "Yao Ji, why must you do this? Why say such things? I know... you're not that kind of person."
Yao Ji laughed coldly. "You're wrong. I am exactly that kind of person. If I suffer, no one else will have it easy! If anything happens to me, I don't expect you to avenge me. I've sent fifty thousand taels in silver notes to the King of Hell Pavilion. If anything befalls me, their people will naturally seek vengeance on my behalf."
"I don't believe you," Mu Yang shook his head with a smile.
Yao Ji remained silent. Mu Yang wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and whispered, "Yao Ji, you can stay here from now on. Don't worry, no one from Marquis Muyang Manor will ever come again. No one will disturb us. Let's live peacefully together."
Over a year ago, when Mu Yang had held her like this, she had still felt warmth and tenderness. But now, she instinctively felt as if a cold, damp snake had coiled around her, chilling her to the bone from the outside in.
For two whole months, no one disturbed them. During this time, Yao Ji neither resisted Mu Yang nor made any fuss about leaving. Gradually, Mu Yang seemed to relax, visiting less frequently than before. After all, Mu Yang was a promising young man and couldn't devote all his time to a single woman. When Yao Ji learned that Mu Yang would be away for some time due to tasks assigned by Mo Jingqi, she knew her opportunity had come.
The servants at the estate showed Yao Ji little respect, and as she showed no signs of fleeing, they gradually let their guard down. Finally, on an evening when the lanterns were just being lit, Yao Ji took her child and escaped the estate.
After fleeing, Yao Ji only took some lightweight but valuable jewelry, which she immediately exchanged for silver notes. She didn't know when Mu Yang discovered her disappearance, but no one pursued her in the first few days of her escape. Yao Ji traveled westward day and night, but unfortunately, she was caught by Marquis Muyang Manor's men ten days later.A lone woman fleeing with a child was no easy task. On the fifteenth day, Yao Ji finally encountered those who had come after her. But unlike the people searching for her in previous days, these men sought her life. Just as Yao Ji was nearly overcome with despair, several carriages appeared at the edge of the forest. Without hesitation, she clutched her child and ran toward them, crying out, "Help! Help me...!"
At the front, a man in gray robes paused briefly before swiftly leaping into action. Her pursuers were neither professional assassins nor skilled fighters, so they were effortlessly dealt with.
Yao Ji sat on the ground, still holding her child, momentarily dazed. Was she... safe now?
"Miss Yao Ji, are you alright?" A deep male voice sounded before her. Yao Ji looked up blankly to see a tall, composed man standing in front of her. She blinked in surprise. "You... are you Commander Qin?"
"Qin Feng," he replied coolly. He had been sent to Chu Jing to escort two nursemaids and two maidservants for Wang Fei, never expecting to encounter Yao Ji being hunted. Frowning, he asked, "Who was after you?"
Yao Ji sighed listlessly. "Probably people from Marquis Muyang Manor." Having just escaped danger and spent days evading capture while traveling, she was utterly exhausted. Now that the tension had eased, she had little energy left to dwell on such matters.
Qin Feng glanced down at the child in her arms, who hadn’t even cried during the frantic escape. "Is this your child?"
Yao Ji nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, this is my son. Shen Jingan."
Qin Feng arched an eyebrow slightly but didn’t question why the child didn’t bear the Mu surname. Instead, he looked at Yao Ji and asked, "What are your plans now?"
Yao Ji hesitated before answering, "I was heading west."
Qin Feng considered for a moment. "We’re returning to Li Cheng. You may travel with us."
Yao Ji’s heart lifted with relief. She had originally intended to seek refuge in Prince Ding’s territory. While Li Cheng wasn’t necessarily her destination, once past Flying Goose Pass, Marquis Muyang’s men would surely be more restrained. The journey to Li Cheng was long, and traveling with them would be ideal. Seeing no reason to refuse, she nodded gratefully. "In that case, thank you, Commander Qin."
Qin Feng shook his head silently, taking in Yao Ji’s gaunt face and coarse clothing without further comment. "It’s no trouble. No need for formalities."
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