"Thank you, Young Master Zhou, for your understanding," Bai Zheng said with a charming smile. Then she bowed gratefully to everyone and said, "I also want to thank all the young masters and ladies for helping me out today."
Song Yiqing waved his hand with a smile and said bluntly, "No need to thank. Miss Bai is going to be my future sister - in - law. For Lin Yuan's sake, I'll take good care of the Bai Mansion. Now that someone dares to bully Miss Bai while Lin Yuan is away, she's really ignorant! Miss Bai, rest assured. I won't let her off!"
It's a pity that Lian Yi, who had already been dragged away by the black - clothed man, didn't hear this. Otherwise, after being thrown back to the Yicui Pavilion, she wouldn't have stayed instead of running away immediately. Instead, she even wanted to gather all her private savings as the cost for her escape. As a result, before she could leave the Yicui Pavilion, the madam and the other girls of the pavilion rushed into her room and snatched all the valuable things from her. What's more, some girls who had long been jealous of her beauty took the opportunity to scratch several deep bloodstains on her face with sharp hairpins, which made her faint from the pain on the spot.
After that, the once - peerless beauty Lian Yi in the Yicui Pavilion was thrown out of the main gate of the Yicui Pavilion like a piece of ragged cloth and left on the busy street.
Lian Yi was a proud and strong - willed woman. When she was in the Yicui Pavilion, she had some backers. Even if one or two young masters took a fancy to her, they couldn't touch a single hair on her if she didn't agree. But now, Lian Yi had been driven out of the Yicui Pavilion. A flower girl without a place to stay was like a fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of others.
Moreover, the Yicui Pavilion was located in the red - light district. Lian Yi was thrown on the street of the red - light district, where there were only men coming and going for pleasure, their minds clouded by lust. Although Lian Yi's face was ruined, the torn clothes on her body still revealed some alluring white skin, attracting many lecherous looks.
"I heard that immediately five or six men pounced on Lian Yi. They tore her clothes to pieces with their hands and... and..." The maid couldn't help shivering with disgust as she said this.
In front of the dressing mirror, there sat a red - dressed woman with a graceful back. Her slender hands held a high - quality wooden comb, gently stroking her long, inky hair.
"Those bastards tortured Lian Yi until she fainted and woke up again and again... When one got tired, another would immediately take over..." The maid was obviously extremely frightened. At this point, she couldn't continue. She closed her eyes tightly, her little face wrinkled into a ball.
"Sigh—" The woman in front of the dressing mirror let out a long sigh. Even this sigh full of emotion made others feel their bones go limp. She casually put the wooden comb on the table, and her voice, as melodious as a golden oriole, rang out, "This Third Miss Bai really impresses me."
The maid opened her eyes in disbelief and said, "Miss, do you mean that those men were summoned by Third Miss Bai?"
"Silly girl!" The woman let out a soft laugh, turned her head, and her amber - like eyes were full of smiles. "Lian Yi was thrown into the red - light district. You should know what kind of people come and go there. When such a beautiful girl is thrown into a den of wolves without any power or backer, she will naturally be bullied. Is it any wonder that she ended up like this? Why would Third Miss Bai need to go to the trouble of finding someone?"
Hearing this, the maid nodded thoughtfully and said, "I said so. How could a young lady in the boudoir be so vicious? Lian Yi just made a hasty decision to find her lover. She didn't deliberately go against the Bai Mansion. Why did Third Miss Bai have to push her to a dead end?"
Since Lian Yi was in the Yicui Pavilion, she must have served guests. However, as a flower girl of her level, she had the right to choose her guests. Therefore, during the years in the Yicui Pavilion, she hadn't suffered much. Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed such a proud and arrogant character.
Now, her once - proud appearance was ruined, all her savings were taken away, and she was even publicly and repeatedly bullied by a group of unknown men. Even if she survived this ordeal and wasn't tortured to death on the spot, with her character, she would surely seek death after waking up. In short, Lian Yi was doomed.
Thinking of this, a cold smile appeared on the woman's lips. She turned her head and stared at the peerless beauty in the mirror, then slowly said, "Third Miss Bai's viciousness doesn't lie here. Don't underestimate her."
...
"A - choo!"
Bai Zheng was flipping through the thick stack of accounts of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion sent by Lan Xun. Before she had read a few pages, she couldn't help sneezing one after another.
"Is someone scolding me? A - choo!"
This worried Zhu Ling, the maid who was serving her. She rummaged through the boxes and found a thick cloak, then put it on Bai Zheng's shoulders and told her, "Miss, you should wear more. I think the weather has changed today. You might have caught a cold in the Gaochang Marquis Mansion."
Qing Shao, who had recovered from her injury, was not to be outdone. She ran to the kitchen and poured a cup of hot tea, insisting that Bai Zheng drink it. "Miss, drink the tea. Once your body gets warm inside, it will be warm outside."
Bai Zheng looked at the cloak on her body and the cup of boiling water in front of her, which seemed to have just been boiled, and repeatedly refused, "Get a cold just because of a bit of wind? Your miss is not that weak... A - choo!"
This sneeze was so powerful that it directly knocked over the hot tea in front of Bai Zheng, which hadn't been placed stably yet. Qing Shao was quick - witted. Without thinking about anything else, she picked up the account books on the table and dodged to one side. But Zhu Ling couldn't dodge in time. The hot water splashed on her leg, and she immediately cried out in pain.
"Ouch! It's so hot... You heartless Qing Shao! I took such good care of you a few days ago!"
Hearing this, Qing Shao, who was just feeling self - satisfied for rescuing the account books, immediately changed her expression.
Bai Zheng, the culprit, wiped her nose awkwardly. Then she came to her senses and quickly got up and walked in front of Zhu Ling to check her injury. But before she could squat down, a figure flashed in front of her eyes, and at the same time, a pile of heavy things was stuffed into her hands.
Looking closely, it turned out that Qing Shao had stuffed the rescued account books into her hands.
"How are you? Is it badly burned?" Qing Shao looked anxious.
Bai Zheng took a look and knew that Zhu Ling had just got a little wet on the hem of her skirt and wasn't really burned much. So she felt relieved. Seeing Qing Shao's flustered look out of concern, she couldn't help smiling.
Since Qing Shao was injured while being detained in the palace last time and gradually recovered after a good rest in the Bai Mansion, the relationship between her, Zhu Ling, and herself had changed significantly.