The little boat was swaying with the wind, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. There were only a few, scattered stars that could be seen in the dark sky. The lights near the river bank shone onto the surface of the water, and so He Yan could vaguely see her own reflection.
The guard rowed the little boat towards the ornately decorated ship in the center of the river.
He Yan hung her head and was silent. The guard couldnât help but turn his head to look back at He Yan, and saw the girl sitting at the stern of the boat, upright, still, with both her hands tied with rope. She raised her head ever so slightly and stared at him, as if she was aware that he was looking at her. The guard shuddered, the oar clutched in his hand almost falling into the river.
Her cold stare stupefied him.
He couldnât describe that eerie feeling. It was like a dead person was watching him. Combined with the sound of the wind-driven waves, she was like a ghost.
The whole ordeal was strange, and the guard was worried. She didnât talk, and didnât ask for anything. Any other woman would ask at least one or two questions, but He Yan didnât. She was as quiet as a doll, as quiet as a dead person would be. It was completely silent.
The water seemed to glisten underneath the colors of the night sky. It acted like a whirlpool, bringing back the memories she had tried to forget, like the time Wan Ru had dragged her by the hair and drowned her in the pond.
She was once adept at swimming, but now, her entire body was tense and rigid, as if telling her she was terrified of water.
She was afraid of falling into the water below, afraid of being sucked into an endless whirlpool, and afraid that she wouldnât be able to make it back to the surface. She was afraid that the light would move farther and farther away from her, until it was completely dark. She was afraid that her life would come to an abrupt end, and she couldnât do anything about it.
She felt disgusted by her own cowardice and fear, but she couldnât think of any other way. She could only sit silently in that small boat and allow herself to be rowed towards the ship.
The ship must have been owned by someone wealthy. It was slightly smaller than a cargo ship, but larger than a fishermanâs boat. The guard helped He Yan up into the boat, lifted the curtain, and escorted her in.
He then proceeded to leave in the small boat, as if he was ordered by others to not approach the ship.
He Yan stared at the person in front of him.
Fan Cheng was dressed well today, with clothing that was extravagant and expensive. Inside the cabin, an aromatic incense had been lit and there were softly-lit lanterns. Upon entering, the first thing He Yan noticed was the beautiful fragrance.
He Yan struggled to escape the whirlpool of memories that were spinning around in her brain as she faced Fan Cheng and said, âFan Gong Zi.â
Fan Cheng walked towards, pulled a chair out from underneath a table, and made her sit on it.
âAh He, you were wronged.â
He Yan was silent.
âI didnât expect that woman to be so vicious towards you, going as far as to abduct you and tie you up. If I didnât have somebody secretly protecting you, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Ah He, do you understand my pain now?â Fan Cheng lamented.
He Yan looked at the rope tied around her feet, shook her head, and replied, âI donât understand.â
Fan Chengâs guards had forced her into a carriage, rowed her in a boat, and then onto the ship where she was now. Not once did they untie the rope binding her hands.
Her wrists had ached as they chafed against the thick rope, but she hadnât said a thing.
Fan Cheng stared into her eyes and tried to explain. âI was afraid youâd misunderstand me and refuse to board the ship, so I didnât unbind the rope.â
However, even after saying this, he still didnât do anything about the rope.
âIâm on a boat.â He Yan said whilst laughing. âWhere could I possibly run to? It wouldnât do any harm to untie me.â
Her smile was as radiant as the morning sun, unspeakably bright. Fan Cheng was stunned. He Yan wasnât a very obedient child, so he didnât think He Yan had grown up to be so bold and courageous.
The more he thought about it, the more he itched to reach out and stroke her face. He smiled slightly, kneeled in front of He Yan, looked her in the eyes and said, âAh He, Iâm not trying to keep you captive. You just need to understand your current situation.â
âMy wife is known to be jealous. She will never let you go. Even If you decide to return today, sheâll try to find you tomorrow. Your fatherâs just a drill field officer, while my father-in-law is the right hand of the emperor. There are plenty of places where things could go terribly wrong if you decide to leave. In the end, nothing matters if you arenât safe.â
âYour house is unprotected, with barely any maidservants and no guards. Once she catches you, sheâll torture you with her twisted ways. I-I wonât be able to bear it.â
Fan Cheng looked at her affectionately. âHow could I stand to watch you suffer?â
âOh?â He Yan exclaimed as she started to secretly unbind the rope. She quietly asked, âWhat are you planning to do?â
Fan Cheng was overjoyed at seeing her finally relax. âIâm going to hide you somewhere safe so my wife wonât be able to find you. Thereâll be servants and guards waiting on you everyday. When the time comes, Iâll bring you back. Once youâre the mistress of the Fan family, nobody would dare to take advantage of you.â
âMistress?â He Yan asked.
âYes.â Fan Cheng said assertively as he placed a hand over his heart. âAh He, you have been and will be the only one in my heart. I promise. If this marriage hadnât been arranged long ago, I wouldâve never married her! You need not worry, Iâll only love one person in this life â and that is you. You just need to waitâŠâ
He Yan chuckled after hearing this.
Fan Cheng was taken aback.
âArenât you just trying to make me your outside mistress?â He Yan said softly.
It was true that if the He familyâs eldest daughter was here, she wouldâve been moved to tears by this oath. However, she wasnât. It was clear. If a man wanted to cheat on a woman, he would be able to tell all sorts of lies. Why would Fan Cheng ever want to marry her?
If she hadnât experienced the same thing with Xu Zhi Heng, she mightâve been tricked. Fan Cheng had looked at her the same way he did, as if she was pathetic and ridiculous.
âAh He, youâŠâ Fan Cheng frowned.
âFan Gong Zi, Iâve already made it quite clear. Since youâre already married, Iâm going to let go of our past and go separate ways. I have no intention in being entangled with you, and Iâm hoping that youâll stop bothering me.â
The knot on the rope had been loosened.
Fan Cheng didnât see the rope fall to the ground, so he looked at her with a puzzled expression. After a moment of silence, he suddenly sneered. âHe Yan, you must be joking. Iâm coaxing you kindly, and yet youâre so rude! Entanglement? There are so many women in this world. Why would I continue pestering you? Itâs just a pity that the time I spent with you was utterly wasted!â
âDoes Fan gong-zi want me to repay the time Iâve wasted with silver or gold?â
He Yan found it ridiculous.
âI donât lack money. Why donât you give yourself to me instead?â He smirked. âIf you serve me well, I may even pay you.â
Before He Yan could reply, a furious voice was suddenly heard. âWhat bullsh*t did you put in this?â
He Yan turned around to see the curtain lifted and a dripping-wet man walk in. It was He Yun Sheng.
An original fanart featuring He Yan by the very translator of this chapter, Not-A-TL aka Dot.
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