cold clothes

The newcomers were Granny Qin, a trusted confidante of Madam Hu, and two maids. Upon seeing the distant lights and two indistinct figures, she immediately stepped forward to investigate, shouting, "Who goes there?" She strode confidently forward, only to find Yunqiu, the courtesan, and the second son of the Duke's illegitimate son.

Granny Qin was stunned for a moment, and quickly bowed: "Greetings, Courtesan Yunqiu and Young Master Wang. You are out for a stroll late at night... Is there something you need?"

Granny Qin's gaze lingered meaningfully between the two. She knew about the relationship between Qingchun, the courtesan, and the second son of the Duke's mansion, but it was a man's nature to have multiple women, especially since the men who came to Fengxiang Tower for pleasure were either rich or noble.

"I just came out for a walk, nothing's wrong," Yun Qiu said.

"Is that so? But this is near the Water Light Pavilion of Qingchun Courtesan. Are Yunqiu Courtesan and Young Master Wang planning to return to Jade Steps Pavilion?"

"Exactly."

"It's so dark at night, let the maid carry a lantern for you," said Granny Qin, and a maid carrying a lantern stepped forward from behind her.

Wang Yiqing felt Yun Qiu grip his hand tighter, as if she was a little nervous.

Yunqiu said, "No need..."

"Then lead the way. There aren't even many lights in the backyard of your Fengxiang Pavilion. Is Madam Hu really unwilling to spend this little bit of money?" Wang Yiqing spoke before Yun Qiu could, revealing the refined and elegant demeanor of a noble young master.

Upon hearing this, the maidservant quickly bowed and led the way, while Granny Qin also made a gesture of respectful farewell.

"Let's go, Yunqiu," Wang Yiqing said to her with a smile.

"By the way, Young Master Wang came to Fengxiang Pavilion tonight, but there doesn't seem to be any record of it in the front courtyard," said Granny Qin behind them.

“Isn’t this your oversight?” Yun Qiu preemptively said, “I have an appointment with Young Master Wang tonight. If you didn’t record it, go and make up for it now.”

"Yes." Granny Qin immediately nodded and bowed. Although she was a favorite of Madam Hu, her status was still lower than that of the four most beautiful courtesans.

The maid carrying the lantern escorted Yunqiu and Wang Yiqing to the entrance of the Jade Steps Pavilion and then left.

Yunqiu said apologetically to Wang Yiqing, "I originally intended to lead you out through the back door, but it seems I'll have to trouble you to stay at my humble abode for the night. I'll have Yilian prepare a room for you. Ah?"

Suddenly, Wang Yiqing put his arm around Yunqiu's waist: "How can you say it's a grievance?" The charming and amorous young master laughed: "Staying in the boudoir of the courtesan Yunqiu is priceless."

-

The September nights, though snowing yet, were so cold that the moon seemed to be covered in frost. The dark basement was even colder, and Leng Yi would wake up every night from the cold, or rather, she never truly slept, so cold that she lost consciousness and her body trembled.

Leng Yi woke up again in the middle of the night, not knowing how many nights she had been locked in the dungeon. The endless darkness of her imprisonment had robbed her of her sense of time. Opening her eyes, she saw only darkness; whether she was awake or not made no difference. She heard faint breathing beside her; Ling Cao was fast asleep, which brought her a small sense of peace.

She groped in the dark, trying to hold Bellflower's hand, even though her hand was just as cold, but Bellflower was the only one she could lean on.

Embracing each other was impossible. Bellflower was covered in bruises from the whipping, and Lengyi's back was also badly injured. The basement reeked of blood. It was fortunate that it wasn't the height of summer, so they wouldn't rot and stink.

The whip, as cold and sharp as snake scales, lashed Leng Yi's body—the most cruel torture she had ever endured…like an excavator plowing a furrow into her back! Leng Yi tried to be defiant, but the pain was more intense than anything else. She screamed until her throat was hoarse, and after four lashes, she pathetically fainted. Granny Qin didn't dare actually kill her; she stopped when she saw Leng Yi had lost consciousness.

When Leng Yi woke up, she was lying face down on the straw mat, her wounds already bandaged. Ling Cao was sobbing uncontrollably beside her. What a fool she was, she had wrapped herself up like a mummy.

After that, Granny Qin never came again; only the maid Chu Jing delivered three meals a day and changed the medicine for her wounds.

This must be what it means to be a prisoner. The colorful life she experienced after transmigrating felt like a dream. Leng Yifu closed her eyes. What exactly is a dream, and what is reality? How could she truly be alive...?

-

Leng Yi saw her mother again.

The walls were snow-white, the blankets were white, and her face was pale. Several IV lines were inserted into her body, and she needed an oxygen tank to maintain her weak breathing.

She actually harbored resentment, even hatred, towards her mother. Nothing is more infuriating than having your closest loved one do something you hate, and her mother was precisely that kind of woman. This woman always did things without her consent, claiming it was for her own good, but never asking if she liked it or wanted it. Her mother felt the family was too poor, that her daughter shouldn't live in that remote mountain village, so she took her out of the mud-brick house and into a lavish villa on the outskirts of the city. But she never asked her daughter if she wanted a wealthy life and a mother who was having an affair.

The ugly duckling transforms into a swan, rising from a rural left-behind child to become the daughter of the chairman of the Liu Group. She enjoys a life of luxury in every aspect, from clothing and food to housing and transportation, and has a noble and outstanding older brother. What girl wouldn't envy such a life of reversal? However, people in the aristocratic circle secretly mock her. The ugly duckling can become a swan because it was originally a swan, while she is just a dove that has taken over the magpie's nest.

If it weren't for that shameless mistress, how could her daughter have married into such a wealthy family? Her daughter is as beautiful as her mother, and will she grow up to be just as promiscuous? You're just a stepdaughter, an outsider from beginning to end. Such thoughts filled Leng Yi's mind from a young age, casting a deep shadow over her. Over time, she came to believe she was a lowly, inferior person, unworthy of her privileged life, and viewed her mother as a disgrace. What her stepbrother did to her that night plunged her into despair and terror. Was she born with promiscuous blood and a wanton appearance that made her stepbrother want to assault her?

A greater psychological shadow loomed over her. She moved out to prepare for the college entrance examination and specifically got into a university in another province hundreds of kilometers away. Her stepfather suggested that she go to the United States with her stepbrother, but she shook her head and resisted like a rattle-drum.

Just kidding... She wants to escape! She doesn't want to abandon her dignity for a comfortable material life, like a pet dog with its tongue hanging out. Her university life was the freest she ever had. No one knew about her background. She perfectly integrated into her class's social circle. Although her stepfather would regularly transfer money to her bank account every month, she and her roommates worked part-time, and she didn't go home during summer vacation under the guise of traveling.