Gu Yanchi finally slammed the door and left.
The heavy sound of the closing door made the window frames tremble, and it completely shattered the last trace of faint warmth in the room.
Only the cold air, carrying the bitter scent of soap, swirled silently around Qin Xianyue.
She slowly picked up the washed and dried dress, wrung out the moisture, and hung it on the bamboo pole that had been prepared.
Then she went to the outer room, stoked the charcoal fire in the stove, moved the incense burner beneath the bamboo pole, and let the warmth of the charcoal slowly dry the wet clothes.
The flames in the incense burner flickered, casting a faint blush on her pale cheeks.
For some reason, Qin Xianyue felt her eyelids growing heavier, the crackling sound of the burning charcoal in her ears gradually faded, and all her strength seemed to be drained away inch by inch.
Finally, unable to hold on any longer, her vision went black, and she collapsed straight down.
Not long after she fainted, the door of the side room was gently pushed open a crack—a short, stout old man with a face full of coarse flesh poked his head in.
This man was Old Master Lu.
He and Gu Zhaoyun had already secretly colluded; one had secretly lit sleeping incense in Qin Xianyue's incense burner, while the other, taking advantage of the dim light, had quietly boarded a small boat and approached the painted boat.
The two planned to first "cook the raw rice into cooked rice" without anyone noticing. Once Qin Xianyue lost her purity, she would be unable to resist and could only be obediently taken to the Lu Manor to become the Ninth Concubine.
Gu Zhaoyun could also use Old Master Lu's connections to smooth the way for her marriage to Song Xiuyuan in the Prime Minister's Manor.
She had initially worried that it would be difficult to act with Gu Yanchi present, but fortunately, he had been angered away by himself, which gave Old Master Lu an opportunity.
Seeing Qin Xianyue lying on the ground, completely defenseless, Old Master Lu's eyes immediately flashed with greed and lewdness.
He tiptoed in, looking at her exceptionally beautiful yet bloodless face. He couldn't help but rub his hands together, then quickly stepped forward and roughly lifted her into his arms.
Lin Meijun had come looking for Gu Yanchi but accidentally saw Old Master Lu carrying Qin Xianyue and sneakily heading towards a small side room deep within the side rooms.
She was stunned at first—there were other people on this painted boat?!
Then, she glimpsed Qin Xianyue, who was unconscious, and guessed about eighty to ninety percent of what was happening.
She stood in the shadow of the corner, quietly watching the scene unfold.
If she called for help now, the nearby servants would immediately rush over, and Qin Xianyue could be easily saved.
But after a few thoughts, she ultimately remained silent.
Although Gu Yanchi had stood up for her today and punished Qin Xianyue, to him, this woman was ultimately special.
If Qin Xianyue were defiled and her purity ruined, she would no longer have the qualification to stay by Gu Yanchi's side and could no longer threaten her status.
And she would bear no responsibility for any of it.
Watching the two disappear behind the door of the side room, Lin Meijun sighed softly.
"No woman wants to see the person her future husband cares about thinking of another. I suppose Miss Qin can understand my predicament."
With that, a perfectly appropriate look of helplessness spread across her face, as if she had seen nothing and knew nothing.
She remained the gentle and generous Miss Lin, walking step by step towards the main cabin.
The side room was small and dim, filled with a pungent smell of cosmetics and old mold.
Qin Xianyue's body felt weak and sore. In her hazy consciousness, she only felt a pair of rough, greasy hands moving over her. She forced herself to open her eyes.
Under the dim oil lamp, Old Master Lu's smile grew more intense as he saw her wake up.
He released one hand and reached out to caress Qin Xianyue's cheek.
"Little beauty, you're awake? Good, let this old master dote on you properly."
Qin Xianyue recognized the man, turned her head to avoid him, and instinctively tried to pull her hand away.
But Old Master Lu's strength was too great. She struggled a few times, but not only did she not break free, her hand was gripped even tighter, and a sharp pain shot up her wrist.
Seeing the obese body about to press down, she squeezed out a sentence in a hoarse voice.
"Old Master Lu, please respect yourself. I am, after all, someone from the Dingbei Marquis Manor. If you dare to touch me, the Gu family will not let you go."
"The Gu family? You mean that brat Gu Yanchi?"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world.
"Little beauty, you probably don't know yet, but it was Young Master Gu himself who personally gave you to me."
Qin Xianyue felt as if she had been struck hard in the chest.
Her first reaction was: Impossible!
Gu Yanchi was indeed heartless and selfish, but he wouldn't resort to such despicable means.
Why would he do this? On what grounds?
Seeing her disbelief, Old Master Lu raised his hand and tugged at the jade belt at his waist, revealing a dark black waist token.
"Look for yourself, what is this."
Qin Xianyue's gaze fell upon the waist token, and her pupils suddenly contracted.
This was something she was intimately familiar with.
Countless times, day and night, she had seen this waist token dangling at his waist when he practiced martial arts.
It was a symbol of status in the Marquis's Estate, and even more so, a token for him to issue commands.
At this banquet at East Lake, Gu Yanchi, as a subordinate of Crown Prince Xie Jinyuan, was both a guest and responsible for the safety of the lake tour.
Without his approval, how could outsiders have boarded the painted boat so easily?
A cold thought slowly and menacingly crept into her heart.
Seeing her pale expression, Old Master Lu slowly spoke again.
"For families like the Marquis's Estate, welcoming and sending off guests is all about 'profit.' Trading an adopted daughter for a marriage alliance between a biological sister and the Young Master of the Left Prime Minister—it's such a profitable deal, Young Master Gu has no reason to refuse."
The pain in her body and the despair in her heart intertwined, and Qin Xianyue couldn't help but mock herself.
Indeed, for someone who could exchange marriage for power, how could they care about her, a "sister" with whom they had no blood relation.
"You believe me now."
Seeing her completely lost in thought, Old Master Lu revealed a hint of smugness on his face.
"If you comply with me, you'll be the Ninth Concubine of the Lu family. I'll ensure you live a life of luxury, which is much better than being subservient in the Marquis's Estate."
As he spoke, his greasy face leaned in.
Qin Xianyue closed her eyes and, using her remaining strength, suddenly headbutted him.
"Ouch—"
Old Master Lu, caught off guard, clutched his nose and stumbled back, dark red seeping through his fingers.
He was instantly enraged.
"Bitch! You dare to hurt me?!"
Qin Xianyue had already seized the opportunity to scramble up, stumbling towards the window. Her hands tightly gripped the cold railing, the lake water churning ominously below.
Old Master Lu, now furious, rushed over and swung his hand, slapping her so hard she felt dizzy.
As her ears buzzed, her clothes were also being forcefully torn.
The lake wind, carrying a damp, salty scent, gradually brought her reason back.
She looked down and bit down hard on the hand that was gripping her wrist!
Old Master Lu, in pain, let go and, by inertia, flung her violently out of the boat.
A sudden sense of weightlessness washed over her.
"Splash!"
The icy lake water instantly engulfed her head, and the pressure from all sides choked off her breath.
She struggled instinctively, and as she bobbed up and down, the painted boat was brightly lit, with figures moving about.
Amidst the noise, she saw that familiar, tall figure at a glance.
Gu Yanchi stood by the railing, with the charming and bright Lin Meijun beside him.
Lin Meijun craned her neck to look into the lake and then looked up at Gu Yanchi.
"I heard someone fell into the water. Could it be Miss Qin?"
"She was fine on the boat, how could she have fallen in."
Gu Yanchi merely glanced indifferently at the dark lake surface, his tone even carrying a hint of impatience.
"Besides, she's known how to swim since she was young; even if she fell in, she wouldn't drown."
Then he withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Meijun.
"The night wind is cold, I'll escort you back."
The two disappeared into the crowd, one after the other.
Looking at their receding figures, Qin Xianyue suddenly stopped trying to surface, letting her body sink downwards.
Her last thought before consciousness faded was:
It would be better this way... never to see each other again.
It would be for the best.
✦✦✦