The two were arguing heatedly when a string of footsteps sounded outside the door. In a moment, the fierce-looking man pushed the door open. He glanced at Han Dan Chun, then walked directly to Yang Ruo Ning and, in two or three motions, untied the ropes binding her hands and feet. "Come with me, Miss is waiting."
She was pulled by the arm, led all the way to a delicate courtyard. At a glance, she knew the owner of the courtyard was fond of pink—pink roses climbing the entire front wall, pink sheer curtains and bed drapes, and even the tea set on the table was pink.
Dressed in a cherry pink brocade and gauze long skirt, with her hair adorned with various pink hairpin flowers, Luo Qian Qiu sat in the center of the courtyard. This girl, built up by an abundance of pink items, was so beautiful it made one lament the unfairness of creation.
What a pity, such a beauty is so venomous, Yang Ruo Ning thought, shaking her head with regret.
Seeing Yang Ruo Ning enter, Luo Qian Qiu smiled politely and graciously, as if the events by the lake a month ago had never happened. "Sister, please sit."
Yang Ruo Ning forced a smile, a mere twitch of her facial muscles, as a greeting. In her mind, however, she was pulling out a handgun and turning this mass of pink into a hornet's nest. "You serial killer," she thought, "do you think I've lost my memory?! You tried to kill me a month ago! You don't need to use your feet to figure out how much Luo Yuan has been bullied by you since childhood!"
Luo Qian Qiu poured her a cup of tea. The tea was a vibrant matcha green, looking like the deadly potion of an old witch in a fairy tale. Yang Ruo Ning glanced at it, not planning to drink.
Luo Qian Qiu saw her wariness and said, "Today is the day of my engagement with Brother Yuan. On such a fine day, I won't do anything rash."
"Ha, then I thank you for your kindness."
"Is Sister here today to attend my engagement ceremony?"
"Don't call me Sister, I am not your sister. Furthermore, I wasn't going to attend your wedding. I was drinking tea at a teahouse outside, and your subordinate dragged me in."
"I tried to kill you twice, and you always managed to escape unharmed. I suppose this is a kind of fate between us. Moreover, this is also Brother Yuan's wish," Luo Qian Qiu put down her teacup. "Sister, after today, I will have Brother Yuan take you as a concubine."
Yang Ruo Ning put on an exaggerated expression of shock, but in her heart, she cursed her again. She said, "Although I don't know why you've suddenly changed your mind, and I don't know if I should be grateful for your magnanimity, you and I have one thing in common—we don't share our husbands with anyone. I think this is a good consensus, and I hope you can adhere to it in the future."
"I think I know why Brother Yuan likes you. Sister is indeed very interesting," Luo Qian Qiu actually smiled enchantingly upon hearing this.
This smile, which would seem heavenly to others, made Yang Ruo Ning tremble with fear. Yang Ruo Ning felt that Luo Qian Qiu's signature smile before killing would appear in all her nightmares for the rest of her life. "Ah, she's such a bitch!" Yang Ruo Ning's hand quietly reached for the handgun behind her.
"Don't listen to this woman's nonsense! Drag her out and throw her into the well! This time I'll watch you die, Yang Ruo Ning!" Luo Qian Qiu pointed at Yang Ruo Ning and shouted shrilly.
Just as the burly man was about to act, a maid ran into the courtyard from outside. The maid ran breathlessly, panting as she reported, "Miss, it's terrible, Master he... please go to the front hall quickly!"
Hearing that her father was in trouble, Luo Qian Qiu's expression changed drastically. She abandoned Yang Ruo Ning and ran towards the front hall, leaving Yang Ruo Ning and the burly man still in the courtyard.
At this moment, Yang Ruo Ning could hear the previously festive music in the front courtyard turn into panicked noise and screams. Something seemed to have started on Luo Yuan's end!
She glared at the burly man in front of her, hesitating if this was a good time to fire. Suddenly, she spotted Han Dan Chun, carrying a large wooden stick, sneaking into the courtyard in a crouch. So she grinned at the burly man and said, "It seems today is not the day for your brains to splatter!"
As soon as the words fell, Han Dan Chun swung the wooden stick and struck the man hard on the back of his head. The man immediately collapsed to the ground.
While tying the burly man with rope, Han Dan Chun said to Yang Ruo Ning, "Something major seems to have happened up front. Everyone has rushed to the front hall!"
Yang Ruo Ning reinserted her handgun into her waistband. "Yes, Luo Yuan should be over there. Let's go take a look!"