Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 12

Section 19

I tried to save myself.

After a great deal of effort, I successfully ended up with an extra chain around my ankle.

The kidnapper who locked it on me cursed up a storm, a red mark blazing across his forehead.

“You little bitch! You dare attack me? If you weren’t still useful, I’d let you have a taste of my real rod right now.”

The others roared with laughter.

I said nothing, merely lowering my head and playing dead.

All the while, my nostrils flared furiously.

…I smelled it.

The kidnapper standing by the door carried a scent I had encountered before.

It belonged to Gu Nanzhou, the Prince Regent, whom I had once met at close quarters in the Princess Royal’s Manor.

I had been born with an unusually keen sense of smell. No matter how much time had passed, I could recall any scent I had encountered. My father used to say I was a hunting hound reincarnated.

Unfortunately, the talent wasn’t much use. At most, I normally used it to blend scented balms and powders.

And right now, it truly was useless.

I could tell that the kidnapper had met Gu Nanzhou sometime within the past five days. I could even be certain he was one of Gu Nanzhou’s men.

But what good did that do me?

It only made me despair even more.

If it had been one of the other male supporting characters, I might still have had a sliver of hope. But if the all-powerful Gu Nanzhou wanted me dead, even growing wings probably wouldn’t save me.

“Tan Lian won’t trade the account book for her. What does a woman matter compared to his achievements?” Gu Nanzhou’s subordinate said coldly. “Stop dreaming.”

I knew those words were meant for me.

Gu Nanzhou held grudges. He had probably been brooding ever since I interrupted his conversation with Tan Lian that day.

So not only did he want to kill me, he also wanted me to die knowing full well that I meant nothing to Tan Lian.

“Ha.” I let out a cold laugh.

Then, when the kidnappers turned to look at me, I lowered my head even further.

Trying to provoke me?

That was fine. Faced with a choice between being a coward and getting angry, I chose to stew in cowardly resentment.

Section 20

The kidnappers said that if they didn’t see the account book before sunset, they would send me on my way.

The destination they had in mind was clearly not the same one Tan Lian had meant.

With death looming, I finally regretted everything.

If I had known I was going to die no matter what I did, why had I spared that delicate flower Tan Lian back then?

Did he think I didn’t know he’d knocked me unconscious on our wedding night? And now look at me. I hadn’t even gotten to take advantage of him, yet I was about to die.

I refused to accept this!

Perhaps the resentment in my heart was so overwhelming that even the heavens were frightened.

The sun seemed to linger in the sky a little longer than usual that day.

But no matter how long it lingered, it still had to set eventually.

Just before the final rays of twilight vanished, a familiar figure appeared beyond the dilapidated wooden gate.

No one had expected Tan Lian to actually come with the account book.

His expression remained calm and gentle, as though the men before him were not villains who had kidnapped his wife, but merely a group of children who had lost their way.

The breathtaking beauty strolled serenely into the courtyard. He tapped the account book with one finger, swept his gaze around, and spoke softly.

“Gentlemen, please return my wife to me.”

His mild, courteous manner left the kidnappers so bewildered that, for a moment, no one spoke.

Seeing this, Tan Lian tilted his head slightly and casually tossed the account book over.

“Here is what you wanted. Where is my wife?”

The men had come for the account book in the first place, so they immediately pounced on it. After leafing through it carefully and confirming it was genuine, they turned to leave.

“Lord Tan, our business is finished. But as for your wife…” The leader bared a row of yellow teeth in a grin. “I’m afraid she won’t be leaving.”