Inside the cramped carriage, beneath the thick quilt, Lin Shutang’s figure appeared rather petite.
Yet this petite figure, with her heavy arm wrapped around Duan Yanzhou, gradually made it hard for him to breathe.
He lay stiff as a board, not daring to move an inch.
Lin Shutang, exhausted from days of work, was sleeping soundly. In her dream, she encountered a handsome man with eight-pack abs. Though she couldn’t make out his face, his physique was absolutely top-notch.
Since it was a dream anyway, she naturally felt bolder, letting her fingers trace lightly over those beautifully defined abdominal muscles.
The sensation was strange—so taut it felt almost real.
Duan Yanzhou kept his eyes closed, restraining himself as best he could, sweat beading on his elegant forehead from the heat.
But the person in his arms grew increasingly restless, her slender fingers slipping through his collar, gradually reaching his abdomen.
His entire body tensed, his stomach instinctively drawing in.
Yet her hand was so scorching hot, burning him with unbearable intensity.
He wanted to wake the sleeping person in his arms, but seeing her peaceful, eyes-closed expression, he couldn’t bear to.
What Duan Yanzhou didn’t expect was that his reluctance would embolden Lin Shutang’s dream even further.
His collar was pulled open, and she pressed her cheek against his chest. With their skin touching, Duan Yanzhou’s heart pounded wildly—more violently than the blizzard raging outside the carriage.
He could no longer endure it. Grabbing her wrist, he tried to wake her.
But the person lying against his chest suddenly grew quiet—unnaturally so.
Duan Yanzhou looked down and saw her lips pressed together, tears slowly trickling from the corners of her eyes. The warm droplets fell onto his chest, gradually turning cold.
It seemed her sweet dream had turned into a nightmare.
In her dream, Lin Shutang had been holding onto the handsome man, but for some reason the scene before her shifted, and she found herself back in the nightmare that had haunted her since childhood.
Clutching her mother’s favorite fragrant lilies, she pushed open the bedroom door with a smile—only to be met with blood covering the floor.
Her mother, repeatedly harassed by her father’s mistress, had spiraled into mental confusion and used a small knife to slice her wrists again and again, until blood flooded the entire room.
She had only been five years old.
The lilies dropped from her hands, and the red that filled her vision became a nightmare she could never shake.
She curled up in discomfort, tears streaming uncontrollably, occasionally murmuring softly to herself.
Duan Yanzhou’s ears, which had been burning red, returned to their normal color at the sight of her tears.
His dark eyes gazed at her deeply. He released her slender wrist, then raised his hand to gently wipe the tear tracks from her face with his fingertips.
Then, as if soothing an infant, he pulled the quilt up around her, patted her back softly, and murmured in a gentle voice, “Don’t be afraid… I’m here…”
The hand patting her back was soft. Under his comfort, the terrifying nightmare gradually faded, and she slipped into deep sleep.
Her tightly clenched hand relaxed, resting casually at his waist, her breathing becoming calm and even.
Watching her like this, Duan Yanzhou let out a long sigh of relief. On his usually stern face, the corners of his lips involuntarily curved into a beautiful arc. Her reflection shimmered in his bright eyes, his gaze exceptionally tender.
The carriage continued onward. The wind and snow raged, cold gusts howling outside, yet the small carriage was warm and cozy within.
Just as their family set off on the road, Assistant County Magistrate Yang happened to return to the residence.
He had heard that Duan Feng had arrived and wanted to chat with him, but the moment he stepped through the gates, he found the maidservants and servants running about in a panic.
He stroked his beard and frowned, barking, “What are you doing? What’s happened in the mansion?”
A servant stepped forward hesitantly and said, “Master, it’s bad. Just now, all the money in the mansion disappeared, and even… even the roast chicken that was just made in the kitchen is gone…”
That roast chicken was currently being gnawed on by the third sister, Duan Qinzhou.
Before falling asleep, Lin Shutang had given them three or four of them.
“What? The mansion has been robbed?!” Assistant County Magistrate Yang was shocked and rushed into the mansion, and sure enough, everything was empty.
He inwardly cried out in alarm and quickly hurried toward the cellar.
He saw that not a single gold brick stored in the cellar remained.
It was desolate and empty, with only a squashed toad left behind.
His steps faltered, and he nearly lost his footing. Bracing himself against the wall, he asked the servant behind him, “Who came today?!”
The servant replied, “Today, Lord Duan and Lady Duan from Jingcheng came, but they left early in the morning. Their party rode in four carriages, so it doesn’t seem like they took it.”
Indeed, with all these things in the mansion, including the gold, it would take at least seven or eight carriages to carry it all away.
“And my wife? Where has she gone?” Assistant County Magistrate Yang demanded angrily.
The servant quickly lowered his head and replied, “Madam went to the pharmacy today. She should be back soon.”
Mrs. Yang had indeed gone to buy medicine with the prescription Lin Shutang had given her, but the boy’s urine and boy’s excrement were truly hard to find, which was why she only returned to the mansion after dark.
The moment she stepped through the door, she saw her husband scolding people.
“Master, what’s wrong with you?”
However, before she could finish speaking, Assistant County Magistrate Yang raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.
She was struck so hard that her head turned to the side, and she felt dizzy for a moment. Raising her head in disbelief, she said, “You… you actually dared to hit me!”
Assistant County Magistrate Yang pointed at her furiously and roared, “Tell me, did you take all the money in the mansion?!”
Mrs. Yang was utterly bewildered. “What money? What on earth is going on?”