In the eastern wing of the Marquis Residence, Ji Huaian woke up and opened his eyes to see Honglian standing beside the bed in a daze.
He smiled and greeted cheerfully, “Morning!”
Then he stretched lazily, lifted the blanket, and got out of bed.
Honglian quickly returned to her senses and stepped forward to help him change clothes. Early in the morning his youthful vigor was a bit awkward for both of them. Honglian helped him remove his sleepwear and put on a brocade robe, then brought warm water to wash his face and hands.
Afterward, she led him to the dressing table to comb his hair.
“Honglian, do you think I look handsome?” Ji Huaian asked while staring at his reflection in the bronze mirror, sounding a bit narcissistic. Perhaps because he inherited the original host’s memories, he did not feel any discomfort toward this new face.
“Young Master is elegant and handsome, very good-looking…” Honglian praised softly, then glanced at his reflection and silently added in her heart, [A beautiful pillow that is pretty on the outside but empty inside.]
His long hair was troublesome to deal with, but Honglian’s hands were skillful, and very soon she finished tying his hair neatly.
At this moment, a maid walked to the door and reported, “Young Master, the Marquis asks you to come to the main hall.”
Ji Huaian stood up and casually asked, “What is it?”
The maid replied, “The Prefect has brought Miss Han over…”
The Prefect? Han Yiyi? His expression instantly stiffened.
A moment later, Ji Huaian arrived at the front hall. He originally thought the atmosphere would be tense, but when he entered, he saw the old Marquis and the Prefect sitting together, smiling and chatting happily as if they were family.
Of course, if one looked carefully, it was clear that Prefect Han’s smile was slightly stiff, clearly forced.
Steward Fu stood beside the old Marquis. Below stood two people; one of them was a middle-aged man with thick bandages wrapped around his head, his arm in a cast, and his swollen face looking like a pig’s head. He looked extremely miserable.
This man was the Han family’s steward beaten last night. If one did not look carefully, he would almost be unrecognizable.
The Young Marquis suppressed his laughter and swept his gaze past Han Cheng, finally landing on the girl beside him.
The girl appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a bright green dress. Her figure was full and well-proportioned, her delicate oval face flawless, and her hair was styled beautifully with a jade hairpin, with long dark hair cascading down her back. She looked like she had walked out of a painting.
Han Yiyi, ranked third on the Rouge List, truly deserved her reputation. Ji Huaian’s eyes instantly lit up. Although he had imagined her appearance in his mind before, seeing her in person was completely different. Fantasizing over a portrait and facing the real person were absolutely not the same.
At this moment Han Yiyi’s eyes were slightly red as if she had been crying. Her expression looked as though she had suffered a huge grievance.
When she noticed Ji Huaian’s bright gaze, her expression instantly turned cold, and her eyes were as sharp as blades, filled with hatred. If looks could kill, Ji Huaian would have died hundreds of times already. This chapter was copied from novelping dot com without permission.
Ji Huaian shrank his neck back and quickly withdrew his gaze.
“An’er, come here.” The old Marquis waved to him.
Ji Huaian walked over and respectfully bowed, “Father, Lord Prefect.”
He naturally recognized the Prefect and politely greeted him.
Prefect Han examined him carefully, forced a smile, and said, “Sixth Young Master is handsome, elegant, and truly outstanding.”
Being able to climb to the position of a provincial Prefect, lying with a straight face was naturally an easy skill for him.
The old Marquis laughed heartily and said, “We will be family in the future. An’er, call him Father-in-law.”
Ji Huaian felt embarrassed but did not dare disobey the old Marquis. He bowed respectfully and said, “Greetings, Father-in-law.”
“Good, good…” Prefect Han forced a stiff smile. He clearly did not know what to say and squeezed out only two weak words.
Not far away, Han Yiyi bit her lips tightly, her swollen eyes glistening with tears. It was obvious she strongly disagreed with this marriage, but she had no power to refuse.
Afterward, the old Marquis and the Prefect discussed marriage matters. Basically, the old Marquis made suggestions while Prefect Han nodded and agreed.
Half an hour later, Prefect Han stood up to leave.
The old Marquis personally escorted the three members of the Han family to the gate. “In three days, I will personally bring my son to propose marriage at your residence.”
Prefect Han cupped his hands and replied, “Han will respectfully await the Marquis’s arrival.” After saying goodbye, Prefect Han and Han Yiyi boarded the carriage and left.
After the Han family left, the old Marquis and Steward Fu discussed the engagement preparations while walking, mainly about what gifts to prepare.
Ji Huaian followed them back to the hall, then found an excuse and took Honglian back to the inner courtyard.
Was he really going to marry Miss Han?
From Han Yiyi’s expression earlier, she looked like she wanted to skin him alive. Even a blind man could see she was being forced. As expected, marriages among wealthy families were not something one could control. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
He was lost in thought when he passed a small courtyard in the rear residence and unintentionally glanced ahead, immediately freezing for a moment.
That maid… Zhao Xue?
According to the Young Marquis’s memories, this maid’s name was Zhao Xue, the daughter of Blacksmith Zhao from the west of the city.
After being targeted by the original Ji Huaian, Zhao Xue refused him firmly. The original scum then used despicable methods to ruin Zhao’s family, forcing them into bankruptcy and making them owe him a huge debt. In the end, Blacksmith Zhao had no choice but to sell Zhao Xue to the Marquis Residence as repayment.
However, Zhao Xue’s personality was strong and unyielding. The Young Marquis never succeeded, and several times it nearly turned into a deadly incident.
What a sin… Ji Huaian cursed the original owner harshly in his heart. He carefully looked at Zhao Xue. She had a delicate oval face, willow-like brows, phoenix eyes, and a graceful curvy figure with the gentle beauty of a modest family girl.
At this moment Zhao Xue was walking toward the small back gate of the courtyard, glancing around nervously like a thief.
Was she planning to escape?
Ji Huaian felt puzzled.
Honglian beside him seemed to understand his thoughts and said, “She won’t escape. She doesn’t have the courage.”
Once sold into servitude, one lost personal freedom completely. The master could punish or beat them at will.
If they escaped, they would implicate their families, and if caught, the master could even legally execute them. Though maids and slaves were slightly different in status, in truth there wasn’t much difference.
Zhao Xue still had family, so naturally she did not dare escape.
“I’ll go see what she wants to do,” Honglian said. As someone with a shadow guard background, she was naturally alert to such suspicious behavior.
“Let’s go, together.” Ji Huaian grabbed Honglian’s soft hand and quietly followed. Honglian glanced at him but did not resist, allowing him to hold her hand.
The quiet side courtyard was calm in the morning.
Zhao Xue sneaked to the back gate, carefully opened it, and a man slipped inside. Damn, bringing a lover into the residence?
Ji Huaian and Honglian hid behind a tree and watched secretly. For some reason, Ji Huaian actually felt a bit unhappy. When he saw who the man was, he was stunned again. Another familiar face.
It was the poor scholar Sun Yu, a delicate-looking man who always spoke like a bookish gentleman and carried himself with scholarly pride.
Previously, because of one wrong sentence, he offended the Young Marquis and was beaten harshly in public by him…