Chapter 4: 第004章：凤凰涅槃（4）

Only after watching Xue Qingcheng and her daughter depart did Xue Linglong clutch her aching arm and stand up. Her heart was filled with gloom. Why was it that she, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's estate, lived a life worse than a pig or a dog, subject to anyone's bullying? Clearly, Prince Ming had an engagement with her, Xue Linglong, yet Xue Qingcheng and her daughter were so brazenly trying to snatch her future husband away.

With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the clear sky. Why was the sunlight so bright, yet unable to illuminate the shadows in her heart? Xue Qingcheng had gone to such great lengths to make her transcribe the *Classic of Filial Piety* just so Prince Ming would know how strictly she, Xue Qingcheng, adhered to filial piety and how virtuous and kind a woman she was. What could she do? She could only pray that Heaven would show mercy. She had to know that Prince Ming was her only hope to escape this pit of fire. She hoped to pass her imperial examinations so that she could marry Prince Ming as his consort; then, Mother, she would have the hope of treating Mother's illness, and they would no longer have to live such a miserable, unbearable life.

Xue Linglong withdrew her gaze from the sky, her body trembling as she walked. As she walked, she prayed. She had heard that Prince Ming was not a man easily swayed by beauty; she hoped he would not be deceived by her second sister's duplicitous nature.

It was only then that Xue Linglong walked out of the courtyard, when with a "thud," she slammed hard into someone's chest. Instantly, a pair of lewd hands grabbed hold of her.

Xue Linglong looked up and saw it was a servant of the estate. It was her own fault for being too lost in thought and bumping into someone. Despite the embarrassment—being a young lady being held like this by a servant was truly improper—she pursed her pale red lips and said, "Um, I'm sorry, but thank you."

The man immediately gave a lewd grin. "Third Miss? Are you so impatient to have me pamper you? Saying 'thank you' is a bit too pretentious, don't you think?"

As his words fell, several bouts of lewd,狂笑 (maniacal laughter) erupted from behind the servant. The gazes of those men were fixed upon Xue Linglong's exposed, lotus-white arms, their eyes lewd and naked, filled with greed.

Xue Linglong was a fool; only then did she realize these men's eyes were roaming greedily over her body, and the servant holding her had already begun to touch her insolently. Xue Linglong's face instantly turned as white as paper. She cried out in terror, "You... what do you want to do? Let me go!"

At such close range, the servant holding Xue Linglong could smell the untouched fragrance of a young maiden. A crimson light rose in his eyes, and a surge of heat rushed through his loins. He could not let her go; he laughed greedily and lewdly, "Hehe, my Third Miss, why don't you let us brothers pamper you properly right now? Who told you to block Second Miss's bright future? Now that Second Miss has given you to us brothers, you are our delicious meal."

"No... Help... Help me..." Xue Linglong screamed with all her might.

The servant holding her was driven to the brink by the heat in his body. He pulled violently at Xue Linglong's clothes, instantly revealing her enchanting collarbones. At this moment, Xue Linglong's upper body was clad only in a pink camisole, presenting her jade-like skin before the servants. Although there were deep bloody marks on her arms, it did not diminish her beauty in the slightest. The men's gazes grew feverish and even more lewd. Today was truly a feast; Second Miss had said that if anything happened, she would take responsibility.

"No... don't..." Filled with despair, Xue Linglong used all her strength to try and push the servant away, but she was only a fourteen-year-old girl; how could she push away such a tall, heavy body? Xue Linglong cast her gaze toward Xue Baimei, her eyes full of desperate pleading: "Eldest Sister, please, save me..."

However, Xue Baimei's charming face was filled with mockery, disdain, and schadenfreude. Seeing the servant's actions, she acted as if she saw nothing, showing no intention of stopping him. *Hmph, I'd rather this happen.* As expected, that mother and daughter were truly poisonous. By destroying this girl's chastity in this manner, how could she ever become Prince Ming's primary consort?

Xue Linglong was utterly desperate, struggling violently and screaming at the top of her lungs, "He...lp..."

Seeing the Eldest Miss in such a state, the men felt a surge of joy. It seemed the Eldest Miss would not interfere; they were certainly going to feast on this delicious meal today.

Just as the servant was about to violently pin Xue Linglong to the ground, a cold, enchanting voice suddenly rang out: "What are you doing?"

The voice was cold and sharp, every word like a freezing, razor-sharp willow-leaf blade. It caused the servant's body to tremble violently, as if a freezing chill were solidifying around him.

As the grip loosened slightly, Xue Linglong scrambled away a few steps. In her desperate heart, hope ignited. That wicked and enchanting man had appeared. Clad in purple silk robes, he was so handsome and refined. Xue Linglong could not believe it; this man, as beautiful as unpolished jade, was actually Prince Ming, Feng Qianying. Xue Linglong cried out for help, "Your Highness, save me..."

Xue Linglong's pleading gaze fell upon Feng Qianying. His peerless features were exceptionally arrogant and wicked; his eyes, black as ink, shimmered with a deep, profound light. They possessed a massive attraction, the kind of eyes that made women sink into them. Xue Linglong had long since been lost in those brilliant eyes years ago. His gaze held a smile, rippling with emotion, shining brilliantly under the sunlight, dazzling and breathtaking.

The moment the men saw Feng Qianying, their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably. It wasn't that they didn't know the Third Miss had an engagement with Prince Ming, but wasn't the Prince supposed to arrive at the Prime Minister's estate tomorrow? Why was he here today, and why, damn it, did he have to witness their behavior toward the Third Miss? Heavens, was the universe trying to destroy them?

They were so terrified they nearly soiled themselves, wanting to turn and run, but they didn't have the courage; running would only lead to a more miserable death.

The shimmering light in Feng Qianying's brilliant eyes turned coldly, and his wicked, enchanting red lips moved: "What does this have to do with me? Why should I save you?"

Feng Qianying's eyes were filled with thick disdain as he looked at Xue Linglong, who was wearing nothing but a camisole on her upper body, his voice extremely cold.

Xue Linglong crossed her arms over her chest and said timidly, "Your Highness, I am Xue Linglong, your fiancée."

She longed for the Prince before her to play the hero and save her; if he did, she would be eternally grateful.

However, Feng Qianying merely curled his lips into a cold, mocking arc. "Hehe, so it's you, the useless woman? Continue, I won't disturb your business. Tomorrow, this Prince simply won't have to marry a worn-out shoe like you."

As Feng Qianying's words fell, Xue Linglong fell into absolute despair. This man had been her only hope for endurance, the single ray of light in her heart. Now, her hope was extinguished. Why? Why did they have to treat her like this? In this moment, Xue Linglong's heart was filled with hatred. She would rather her jade shatter than allow these people to defile her pure body.

Watching the man walk away resolutely, all her hopes for endurance turned to ash. This was true despair. Looking at the approaching servants, her face was terrifyingly pale, devoid of any color, her eyes filled with bone-deep hatred. She would remember these faces that drove her to death for this lifetime; in the next life, she would surely become a Yaksha to take their lives. Xue Linglong looked at the lake before her, and then, in utter desperation, she jumped into the water. It was so desperate, so final.

Her body hit the water, sending up countless splashes, but only then did the crowd belatedly realize—Heavens, a life had been lost.