Chapter 1: Marriage by Proxy

Inside a dilapidated woodshed, wooden sticks and branches of varying thicknesses lay haphazardly scattered about, along with some seldom-used odds and ends.

In the dim, cramped room, two women—one old, one young—stood near the doorway.

Beside the pile of firewood in front of them lay a frail little girl.

The little girl’s hair was already a tangled mess; streaks of bright red blood stained her clothes. Her two arms, thin as matchsticks, had no presence at all inside those wide, tattered sleeves.

Her body was curled up, motionless. One look told you she had just been brutally beaten and had likely fainted.

*Crash.* A large bucket of ice-cold water mixed with ice shards was dumped straight onto the tiny figure on the ground.

The frail little girl, who had been lying motionless beside the woodpile—so small she was hard to distinguish amidst the thick sticks—was doused with this bucket of freezing water.

"Mmph."

The tiny figure on the ground let out a pained groan.

"Yo, you cheap slut, you're finally awake! Let's see if you dare run away again?

It's your honor to marry in Second Miss's stead, yet you, this ungrateful wretch, actually dared to flee. Looks like you're tired of living."

The older woman tossed aside the bucket in her hand, planted her hands on her hips, raised a hand, and pointed a finger at the tiny figure that had just twitched on the ground, cursing loudly.

"Honor? If it's such an honor, why don't you go?"

Muttering a complaint in her heart, a sharp, keen light flashed through the eyes hidden in the gaps of the wet, messy hair covering the tiny figure's cheeks—gone in an instant.

This was the dog-blooded situation Qi Yueban faced upon waking up.

As the number one female assassin of a certain nation in the 21st century, she had actually been defeated by the man she deeply loved.

It seems love really can be the death of you.

Qi Yueban closed her eyes deeply, banishing from her mind the image of her ex-boyfriend hugging the target's daughter, looking at her with mockery at the moment she was blown to bits. Then, Qi Yueban opened her eyes again.

"Oh my, daring not to speak now?

I see you're asking for a beating.

You little hussy, you're as good as dead anyway. You don't know to accumulate some virtue for yourself so you'll suffer less in the underworld."

The older woman grew angrier the more she spoke. As she spoke, she lifted her foot and kicked toward the tiny figure on the ground, which no longer had a shred of strength to move.

"Alright, Mama Liu, if you keep beating her, you'll beat her to death!"

The young girl beside Mama Liu glared at her, saying very discontentedly, "Yes, Second Miss. This servant knows her limits; she won't beat this cheap slut to death."

The one addressed as Second Miss looked about sixteen or seventeen. She frowned deeply, took a step forward, but simultaneously used her wide sleeve to cover her nose and mouth, as if the tiny figure before her was something unspeakably filthy.

Second Miss stopped three steps away from the tiny figure on the ground, bent down, lowered her head to look closely, then rose with disgust and retreated two steps.

At this moment, the tiny figure on the ground seemed to have regained a bit of spirit. She propped herself up slightly, looking at the two women in fear, shrinking backward with her small body. But she was far too weak; she moved for a long time without getting very far.

A ruthless glint flashed through Second Miss's eyes as she watched the tiny figure's movements. She turned her head and gave Mama Liu a meaningful look.

Mama Liu understood. With a cruel smile on her face, she slowly walked over to the tiny figure's side.

She turned around, casually picked up a wooden stick as thick as an arm from the firewood nearby, weighed it in her hand, and gave a sinister smile at the cowering figure on the ground.

Just as that thick stick was about to come down on the tiny body, the figure on the ground spoke.

"I'll go."

Mama Liu's descending stick froze in mid-air.

"What did you say? Say it again."

"I said I'll go marry in Second Miss's stead."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the master and servant to hear clearly.

Qi Yueban was also speechless.

From the original owner's memories, Qi Yueban learned she was the unfavored Seventh Miss of the Prime Minister's Estate, Li Wanyue.

Her mother was merely a rough maid. Supposedly, after the Prime Minister got drunk one night and forced himself on her, Li Wanyue was conceived.

Because of her excessively low status, although she was pregnant, she didn't receive much care.

Li Wanyue's mother had an extremely stubborn personality. She didn't act like a master just because she was pregnant.

Instead, she stubbornly continued living in the servants' quarters while carrying the child, refusing to be promoted to a concubine, and refusing to have any further contact with Prime Minister Li Jingzhi.

This made Li Jingzhi, who originally felt some guilt, very resentful, so he ignored her completely.

Li Wanyue grew up to the age of ten in such an environment where even the maids and servants bullied her.

Tomorrow was the wedding day of the Prime Minister's Second Miss, Li Wanru, and the Third Prince of the Xuan Yuan Empire, King Jing, Xuan Yuan Wuchen.

Regarding this bestowed marriage by Emperor Xuan Yuan Rui, Second Miss Li Wanru and everyone in the Prime Minister's Estate were exceptionally angry and helpless.

Only because this King Jing, Xuan Yuan Wuchen, was...

"Pah! Know your place. If you dare run again, I'll break your legs."

Mama Liu cursed, throwing away the thick stick in her hand.

"Someone, carry this cheap hussy to the side chamber next to Second Miss's room. Dress her up properly."

Mama Liu spat on the ground, speaking viciously.

Second Miss Li Wanru instantly felt much more relaxed.

She was truly afraid this half-sister of hers would refuse to marry in her place, or pull some stunt on the road—like running away again. If that happened, she would be guilty of deceiving the monarch, and the Emperor would exterminate her nine generations of kin.

"Seventh Sister, rest assured. After you die, Second Sister will definitely hire a mage to perform rites for you, so Seventh Sister can reincarnate into a good family in the next life."

Hearing Li Wanyue agree to marry in her place, and seeing that she wouldn't run off before the wedding night, Li Wanru's mood improved considerably. For the first time, she called Li Wanyue "Seventh Sister."

*You're the one who'll die, you're the one who needs to reincarnate! I finally got a second chance at life; how could I let myself die so easily?*

Qi Yueban thought resentfully, but her voice was weak as she said,

"Thank you, Second Sister. Younger Sister will certainly remember Second Sister's great kindness and will definitely repay you in the future."

Listening to Qi Yueban's words, Li Wanru inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine.

But then she thought: anyway, this Seventh Sister wouldn't live past the morning of the second day of the wedding. What was there to be afraid of?

Straightening her posture, Li Wanru turned and walked out of the cluttered, dim woodshed first.