I BECAME THE FEMALE LEAD'S STEPMOTHER - CHAPTER 29

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Chapter 29: An Attempted Escape

Xiangwu stumbled back to her room with tears welling in her eyes. The moment she got inside, she threw herself onto the bed, buried her face under the blanket, and burst into a fit of heartbroken wailing.

Fine clothes and gourmet food—she loved them, truly! Who didn't enjoy a life of luxury? When wealth and honor came knocking, she wanted nothing more than to grab hold of them with all her might.

What she couldn't accept, however, was the young master’s offhanded arrogance.

That air of treating her becoming a mere concubine as if it were some grand act of divine benevolence,something she was supposed to weep tearful tears of gratitude for.

In the young master’s mind, he had never, ever entertained the idea of taking her as his wife. Not even a sliver of such a thought had crossed his mind.

As Xiangwu sobbed, her thoughts drifted to the Marquis. But the Marquis was even more out of the question. To him, she was nothing more than a toy to be teased whenever he happened to be in a good mood.

With a background like hers, she simply wasn't worthy of being a proper wife to any of those marquises, sons-in-law, or young masters.

If she stayed in this estate, that was all she would ever be. She would never get a single chance to stand on her own two feet! Wealth and luxury were lovely, but this particular bitter pill was downright unbearable to swallow!

Yueqing and the other girls weren't in the room, so with her head buried beneath the quilt, no one could hear her as she cried her heart out.

Having had a good, thorough cry, she did feel a bit better. She blew her nose, hugged the blanket to her chest, and sat there staring blankly into space.

Getting married was so hard. Finding a man who could actually marry her properly was even harder.

Recalling everything that had happened in that hazy dream of hers, she scrambled off the bed and picked up a bronze mirror to examine herself. Because she had just been crying, the eyes of the young girl in the reflection were shrouded in a faint, watery mist, looking remarkably delicate and clear.

She stroked her own cheek and couldn't help but think: In truth, this face of mine is the root of all my troubles! If I didn't possess these looks, how could the Marquis have set his eyes on me? The young master wouldn't have bared his heartfelt feelings to me, and the future son-in-law would never have taken my virtue. All of these disasters could have been completely avoided!

For one fleeting second, she even had the wild impulse to grab a pair of scissors and ruin her own face. Not completely destroy it, mind you—just make herself a little less pretty so it would do the trick.

Yet the moment her hand closed around the scissors, the icy chill of the metal grazed her skin. She snapped back to her senses with a jolt and dropped them to the side in sheer horror.

Using scissors to ruin my own face?! That would hurt like crazy! Have I lost my mind?!

Setting the scissors down and reflecting on that dream again while looking at her smooth, tender cheeks, she felt as though she had just experienced a whole second chance at life. She couldn't help thinking that many things in life were just a matter of a single, changing thought.

Her body hadn't been taken by the son-in-law, her face hadn't been ruined, and she was no longer that clueless, naive little fool of a girl from the past. She finally knew what she ought to strive for and what she truly needed.

Once she reasoned it out, a sense of calm washed over her.

The Marquis, the son-in-law, the young master,what did any of them have to do with her? Wang Ergou, Chen Zhong, Ah Fu, or Guard Cheng—who cares about them! Whoever could carry her away from the Marquis was her true savior!

As for the Marquis, he had left for the imperial capital of Yanjing. This was her golden opportunity!

The heavy gold bracelet he had gifted her could be pawned off to secure her future livelihood!

Xiangwu took a deep, steady breath as a surge of fighting spirit welled up out of nowhere in her chest. She clenched her small fists, thinking: There isn't much time left. I must find a man like that before the Marquis returns!

The first person who came to Xiangwu's mind was Chen Zhong.

Why Chen Zhong? Because Chen Zhong was built sturdy, packed a wall of solid muscle, and was roughly the same age as the Marquis. Word was that he had even fought in battles back in the day. Xiangwu figured a man like that ought to possess a strong sense of bloody courage. With a little provocation, it just might work!

The moment the idea took root, Xiangwu quietly began her preparations. Sneaking the gold bracelet into her bosom, she waited until evening when it was Yueqing’s turn to attend to the young mistress. Left completely alone in the room, Xiangwu tiptoed out of the courtyard.

The young mistress's courtyard naturally had senior nannies and junior servants on duty. However, having grown up in this very courtyard since childhood, Xiangwu knew every nook and cranny. Twisting and turning through the paths, she quickly arrived at a small side gate.

This side gate was one that a senior nanny kept unlocked for her own convenience to sneak out and gamble at night—and now it served Xiangwu’s purposes perfectly.

Once outside, the moonlight lay cool as water. Under the cover of the dark night, she crept surreptitiously toward the direction of the horse stables.

Along the way, she naturally crossed paths with night-patrolling guards and came perilously close to getting caught. Fortunately, her luck held out; by ducking behind a peach blossom tree, she managed to slip past unseen.

Finally, she arrived near the stables. Hiding inside the feed shed right outside the stables, she kept a quiet watch. Lady Luck was truly on her side—she hadn't been waiting long before she spotted that tall, imposing figure.

Xiangwu’s heart gave a sudden leap, a mixture of intense nerve and bashfulness washing over her.

Chen Zhong first went into the stables to add feed for the horses, before walking over toward her direction, seemingly intending to inspect the fodder shed.

Xiangwu picked her timing, stealthily approaching him from behind with the intention of whispering to him quietly.

Little did she expect that Chen Zhong, sensing a sudden presence behind him, wouldn't hesitate for a single instant. He spun around, reached out, and snapped a grip onto Xiangwu’s wrist.

The pain was so sharp that tears instantly burst from Xiangwu’s eyes with a loud ‘whoosh’. She finally realized that the Marquis hadn't actually used any real force back then,’this’ was what actual force felt like!

Having pinned Xiangwu’s wrist, Chen Zhong raised his arm, ready to execute a grapple. But when he glanced down, he realized something was terribly wrong.

The wrist in his grip was delicate, slender, and soft. The person standing before him radiated waves of sweet, refreshing fragrance. Wait... wasn't this Miss Xiangwu?!

He hastily let go. "Miss Xiangwu, why are you over here?"

Xiangwu was utterly seething inside!

She had come here to seduce a man, only to be caught like a thief and have her wrist squeezed so hard it felt like it was going to break. It hurts to high heaven!

However, she quickly soothed herself with the thought that this man truly possessed a fine, sturdy frame,and that was a good thing.

Grit her teeth and bearing the pain, she called out tearfully, "Brother Chen Zhong!"

Though she was weeping, every word dropped as soft and sweet as pure honey.

Chen Zhong’s massive frame shuddered slightly. Beneath the hazy moonlight, he stared at this delicate, supple girl, a surge of confusion rising in his chest. "Miss Xiangwu?"

Xiangwu glanced left and right. Seeing no one around and knowing time was short, she looked up at Chen Zhong with mist-filled eyes. "Brother Chen Zhong, I’ve hit a bit of trouble today, and there's something I need to ask of you. I don't know if you'd be willing? I... I have no one else I can turn to. You are the only one who can help me!"

Looking at this little maidservant, Chen Zhong felt a grand ‘boom’ detonate inside his brain, as if a thunderstorm had gone off in his head.

The night was as cool as water, and the scent of fodder inside the stables hung thick in the air. His breathing grew heavy and rapid as he stared at this tender, seductive girl. Though her words were veiled, he caught enough of the underlying meaning to catch her drift.

Chen Zhong said hoarsely, "No, of course not! Sister Xiangwu, you... if you need anything, just say the word."

As he uttered those words, the tall, muscular man was already breathing as heavily as a bull, each breath pulsing with a desire so intense it threatened to burn a person alive.

Hearing this, Xiangwu understood. From the things she had learned in that dream, combined with the few times she had been thoroughly handled by the Marquis, she had a decent idea of what a man’s reaction meant in a moment like this.

Naturally, she had no intention of handing her body over to him just like that. What if he took her body and then refused to carry her away? Wouldn't she just weep herself to death?

Taking a deep breath, she actually took a step back to put a bit of distance between them before speaking: "Brother Chen Zhong, what if I told you that someone has set his eyes on me and wants to force himself on my body? I want to leave. Can you take me away?"

Hearing this, Chen Zhong growled in a rough voice, "Who is it that dares treat you like this?! Just name him, and I... I’ll go straight to the Marquis and ask him to stand up for you!"

Hearing him say this, Xiangwu looked at him and softly probed, "What if I told you it was the Marquis himself?"

Chen Zhong froze, staring at her in sheer disbelief.

Xiangwu locked her eyes on him. "The Marquis wants my body. He wants to make me his bedchamber maid. But I don't want to! I don't want to stay here and be anyone's bedchamber maid either... Are you willing to take me away? I have money, and I have a gold bracelet given to me by the Marquis. As long as you take me and escape, all of it will belong to you! Brother Chen Zhong... do you dare?"

Saying this, she pulled out that heavy gold bracelet and waved it right before Chen Zhong’s eyes.

Grit her teeth, Xiangwu gripped the bracelet tight and pressed on, "This gold bracelet is heavy; it should fetch a good sum of silver. If we pawn it off, it’ll be enough for a normal family to live on for a whole lifetime! After escaping, we can live a free and peaceful life. It’s got to be better than feeding horses here, don't you think, Brother Chen Zhong?"

The moment she finished her pitch, she caught the unmistakable trace of hesitation creeping across Chen Zhong’s face.

The second that hesitation appeared, disappointment crashed over Xiangwu.

He didn't dare. He was terrified of the Marquis's power and authority.

Xiangwu’s fingers trembled. She realized with a chill that she had gambled on the wrong man—and at that realization, her heart went completely cold.

Chen Zhong stared at Xiangwu. After a long period of internal struggle, he grit his teeth, finally made up his mind, and said with hardened resolve, "Miss Xiangwu, you might have misunderstood something."

Beneath the moonlight, she bit her lower lip and looked at him. "You...?"

Chen Zhong’s voice was raspy, but he spoke in a heavy, solemn tone: "Miss, the Marquis is not a man driven by lust. Though he sometimes acts without restraint and uses ruthless methods, he is an honorable gentleman through and through! He would never force you against your will. There must be some kind of misunderstanding here. Why don't you wait until the Marquis returns, clear things up with him, and then make your plans?"

Xiangwu: "..."

Chen Zhong added, "Miss Xiangwu, please trust me! The Marquis…"

"Shut up!" Xiangwu snapped.

Looking at the girl’s eyes blazing with furious fire, Chen Zhong instantly shut his mouth.

Xiangwu spat out a sharp "Bah!" right at Chen Zhong. "You useless coward! I truly misjudged you in the past! From this day on, I won't ever speak to you again, and you can pretend you don't know me either! If you’ve got the nerve, go ahead and snitch on me to the Marquis… say whatever you like!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

Behind her, Chen Zhong clenched both of his fists so tight his knuckles cracked loudly, yet he didn't make a single move to chase after her.

Xiangwu was in complete despair.

What kind of terrible judgment did she have?! To think she had picked Chen Zhong! A man who was a dead end should have been abandoned long ago… what on earth had she been hoping for?!

Wasn't she just making a fool of herself for nothing? Why had she wasted her energy on a man like him?!

She was so stupid! Beyond stupid!

Yet, before she could run much further, she ran headfirst toward a figure standing right in front of her. Clad in neat, crisp white robes that wrapped around a tall, robust frame, the person stood beneath the moonlight like a straight, upright tree.

"Miss Bai jian..." Xiangwu realized with horror that everything she had just done might have been witnessed by Bai jian.

Realizing that Baijian belonged to the Marquis, Xiangwu was instantly terrified.

Her courage was only ever a quick burst of hot air in the first place, and right now every last drop of it had leaked away, completely drained until nothing remained but sheer panic.

She didn't dare imagine what would happen if Bai jian reported this to the Marquis. How would he handle her? Would he grab her by the chin and snap her neck, or throw her straight to the wild dogs for feed?

"Miss Xiangwu," Bai jian said, her face as expressionless as ever. "Please return to the young mistress's courtyard."

"Okay," Xiangwu mumbled, lowering her head. "I'll go back right now."

"After you." Bai jian showed no intention of leaving; she clearly meant to escort her back under close supervision.

Xiangwu bit her lip and cast a sneaky glance at Baijian.

Bai jian was a woman, but she had practiced martial arts since childhood. Everyone said she was terrifying,capable of tearing a person limb from limb with her bare hands.

In a tiny, fragile voice, Xiangwu offered, "Sister Bai jian... have you been following me this whole time?"

Xiangwu didn't just know how to call men "Brother",she could call women "Sister" too. Sweetening her tongue was never a bad idea.

Bai jian replied, "Yes. The Marquis instructed that whenever Miss leaves that courtyard, Bai jian is to follow."

Hearing this, Xiangwu understood everything in an instant. So even if Chen Zhong hadn't turned her down today, she wouldn't have been able to escape at all! How could Chen Zhong possibly beat Bai jian in a fight?!

Every single move she made was entirely within the Marquis's grip, it was all useless, futile struggling.

Before the Marquis, she didn't have a choice at all. The Marquis offered fine clothes and gourmet food; if he chose to give them, she could only accept. She had no right to refuse.

Xiangwu was thoroughly disheartened. Drooping her head, she stopped talking altogether and followed Baijian back, looking every bit like a captured duck that had given up all struggle.

The moonlight lay clear as water. From the flowerbeds along the stone path came the crisp, lovely chirping of katydids. The cool early-summer breeze blew past, refreshing and pleasant, though Xiangwu’s mood was anything but pleasant.

Nervously, she asked, "Sister Bai jian... you saw everything just now, didn't you?"

Baijian said, "I saw what I ought to see."

Xiangwu grew worried. "Then... will you tell the Marquis what you saw?"

Baijian said, "If the Marquis asks, I shall naturally report it."

A faint ray of hope flickered in Xiangwu’s eyes. Did that mean if the Marquis didn't ask, she wouldn't say anything?

Filled with anticipation, she pressed on, "Will the Marquis ask?"

Baijian stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her.

Xiangwu felt her heart hammering against her ribs.

Bai jian said, "If the Marquis is in a good mood, he won't ask."

Xiangwu's heart fluttered. How could she make sure the Marquis was in a good mood?

Bai jian added, "The Marquis returns the day after tomorrow. I do not know whether his mood will be good or foul."

A sudden realization dawned on Xiangwu. Understanding the unspoken message, she fell silent.

By this time, the two had arrived outside Huo Yingyun's courtyard.

Baijian gestured coolly, "After you."

Walking the path back with the early-summer breeze blowing against her face, Xiang Wu found her wild urge to hunt for a husband largely extinguished.

It wasn't just the Marquis's estate; the entire seven hundred miles of Anding Prefecture were under the Marquis's rule. A man like him was effectively the absolute ruler of this land, how could she have indulged in such a pipe dream, thinking she could ever leap out of the palm of his hand?!.

Setting everything else aside, just looking at the elusive Bai jian was proof enough.

If looking for an ordinary man outside was impossible, then perhaps her only remaining option was to become the Marquis's bedchamber maid.

Becoming the Marquis's bedchamber maid wasn't what she truly wanted, but at this point, she was out of choices.

Thinking along these lines, she recalled what the young master had said about going to beg his father to let her become his concubine.

Xiangwu knew the young master was genuinely good to her in his own way. He believed that allowing a lowly maid like Xiangwu to become a concubine was a grand act of kindness, and he was waiting for her to weep tears of gratitude.

Given her humble status, nobody had treated her wrongly by their standards. Yet Xiangwu felt as though someone had delivered a sharp slap straight to her face, leaving it burning hot with shame.

She wanted to run, but she couldn't run away.

Perhaps staying by the Marquis's side, serving as a bedchamber maid, and slowly climbing her way up was her best path forward for now.

If the day ever came when the young master saw her serving as his father's concubine... she wondered what kind of look would be on his face then?.

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