After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 31 Where did he go?!

"Boss, when did our Huai'an County get the Yunlai Inn?" the masked man carrying Bai Wanqing asked.

The person leading the way turned around and glared at him angrily, "You idiot, this is our code! Go where you're supposed to go!"

"Oh!" The masked man who had been scolded obediently rode his horse and followed behind his leader. They left the county town and arrived near a village far from it.

"Boss, someone's following us!" The masked man carrying Bai Wanqing had just noticed a carriage following them, and now it had come all the way to the manor.

"Don't worry, that's our boss. Once we deliver the person to her, she'll give us the money!" the masked leader said, raising his eyebrows.

"Then why didn't she take it in herself?" the masked man asked, puzzled.

The masked leader shook his head. "These rich people just love to go through all that trouble. They're doing the dirtiest things, but they don't want to get their hands dirty. We don't care about her. As long as she pays us, we'll deliver it wherever she tells us to!"

The masked man carrying Bai Wanqing nodded. "The boss is right. Just pay him."

The two men led Bai Wanqing straight to the gate of the manor. Bai Qinglian, who was sitting in the carriage, lifted the curtain and saw the two masked men successfully carrying Bai Wanqing into the manor.

Bai Qinglian twitched the corner of her mouth and said to Xia Yu beside her, "Xia Yu, you go to the manor and keep an eye on Bai Wanqing for me. I'll go and inform Master Huang that the person he wanted has been delivered!"

"Yes!" Xia Yu accepted the order, got off the carriage, and followed the two masked men into the manor.

Bai Qinglian lowered the carriage curtain and looked in the direction of the manor. She felt a mix of fear and excitement, but mostly joy.

She told herself that everything she did was right, and that Bai Wanqing was blocking her way, so she couldn't be blamed for being ruthless.

"Let's go! We're going to the Huang family!" Bai Qinglian immediately ordered the driver to drive away.

Under Xia Yu's command, the masked men placed Bai Wanqing in a room in the side courtyard. To prevent her from suffocating, they removed the sack covering her body.

By the moonlight, the masked leader could see Bai Wanqing's face clearly. "Tsk tsk, what a pity to waste such a beautiful woman!"

Xia Yu heard the masked man's words and said sternly, "You should know what you need to know, and don't say what you shouldn't know!"

The masked leader stuck out his tongue. "Understood, I understand!"

Xia Yu tossed them a silver note and then shooed them away.

As night deepened, the cold wind howled!
When Bai Wan regained consciousness, the sack was no longer on her head, but the blow to her head still gave her a severe headache.

She struggled to sit up, her left hand supporting her forehead, and looked around at this unfamiliar place. There was nothing in the room except for a huge bed covered with the finest silk quilts. Bai Wanqing's pupils contracted, and a sense of fear rose in her heart.

She shook her head, trying to calm herself down as quickly as possible.

After calming down, Bai Wanqing realized she had been sold. She quickly jumped off the bed and slowly approached the door. There were people outside, who seemed to be there to guard her.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and judging from the sound, they were coming from this direction.

Bai Wanqing calmly surveyed the room again. She nimbly returned to the bedside, smoothed out the wrinkles where she had just lain, and then gently bent down and crawled under the bed, hiding in a corner.

Bai Wanqing knew in her heart that this was her only chance to escape this calamity.

Sure enough, the footsteps stopped in front of the door where she was.

Just as Xia Yu was about to speak, she was interrupted by Bai Qinglian's gaze.

"What do you mean 'little'? You probably don't know that others will guess my identity!" Bai Qinglian whispered a few words of reprimand to Xia Yu.

"How is she?" Bai Qinglian asked.

Xia Yu reported the truth, unaware that Bai Wanqing had already woken up.

"That's good! Force-feed her the medicine! Just don't let Master Huang spoil the mood!" Bai Qinglian glanced at the closed door, gave her instructions, and left. Bai Wanqing lay on the floor under the bed, her hands clenched tightly. She never imagined that the person who sent people to kidnap her was Bai Qinglian. She was willing to do such a thing just to get her married off!
Having received the order, Xia Yu took an oil lamp from next door and came in. She slowly approached the bedside, but could not see Bai Wanqing's figure in the lamplight.

What happened? They were just here a moment ago?
Xia Yu placed the oil lamp in the center of the bed. The bedding on the bed was neat and tidy, and there was no indication that anyone had been there.

That's not right! She clearly saw those two put the young lady here!
How could someone just suddenly disappear like that?

Xia Yu panicked and, without bothering to close the door, turned and ran out.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was outside, Bai Wanqing quickly crawled out from under the bed and ran outside.

This must be a village in the suburbs. Bai Wanqing looked around and roughly guessed where she was. She groped her way out of the courtyard in the dark, but then she heard the footsteps from before hurriedly returning.

She had no choice but to go back and hide behind a crooked tree in the yard.

"Xia Yu, are you sure you didn't see wrong?" Bai Qinglian was also flustered at this moment. She clearly saw Bai Wanqing being knocked unconscious and carried over by the people she had hired. How could she just disappear like that!

If the person is gone, how will she explain it to Master Huang when he arrives?

Bai Qinglian strode into the room where Bai Wanqing had just been. She approached the bed and, by the light of the oil lamp in Xia Yu's hand, got a clear view of the room.

There's clearly nothing here.

"How could this happen?" Bai Qinglian rubbed her sleeves hard, then turned and slapped Xia Yu across the face.

"What a useless thing!" Blood trickled from the corner of Xia Yu's mouth.

"What are you waiting for! Hurry up and find her! If you can't find her, I think you might as well become Master Huang's concubine!" Bai Qinglian was almost hysterical. She knew in her heart that if she failed to scheme against Bai Wanqing this time, she would never have another chance.

Bai Wanqing watched as Xia Yu covered her face and ran out in tears.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bai Wanqing also ran out after her. Bai Qinglian was too busy being angry to notice that two figures were leaving the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Master Huang had already finished his bath next door. He was always particular about such things and wanted to leave a good impression on his woman. He raised his arm and smelled the fragrance on his body, quite satisfied. Then, with his large belly, he went to the side room.

"My lady, I'm here!" Master Huang stood outside the house and saw a figure standing in the dark room. Before the figure could speak, he pounced on it and pinned it down.

"Ugh, you've mistaken me for someone else!" Bai Qinglian was pinned down by the man who suddenly entered, and she was terrified. She struggled with all her might, trying to tell this person that she was not Bai Wanqing.

But Master Huang was extremely strong, and she couldn't break free from his grasp at all. Her lips were being bitten tightly by him, and she could only make muffled sounds.

Bai Qinglian's body began to tremble, her heart filled with extreme fear. She didn't want to; she couldn't lose her virginity here.

Fortunately, Master Huang suddenly calmed down. He didn't know why he had suddenly lost interest; he was clearly the one who liked Bai Wanqing the most! Every time he saw her, he would feel something, so why this time...?
Just as he was wondering, he saw the face beneath him clearly by the moonlight; it wasn't Bai Wanqing.
"You wretch! How could it be you!" Master Huang shoved Bai Qinglian off the bed, pointing his finger at her nose and cursing, "You...you think you can use Bai Wanqing's name to get into my Huang family?"

"I knew it! How could you be so kind? Turns out you'd orchestrated this whole thing for yourself!"

"Good! Good! You Bai family really don't take me seriously!"

Master Huang was furious. He ordered people to bring oil lamps to light up the room and had Bai Qinglian tied up.

Bai Qinglian, with tears still on her face, suddenly burst into laughter. It was unclear whether she was relieved to have escaped the clutches of Master Huang, or whether she couldn't believe that a young woman like herself was inferior to a divorced woman, even a man older than her father despised her.

"Master! What should we do about her?" asked one of the servants beside Master Huang.

"Take her back. Tomorrow I'll go and ask the Bai family what they mean by breaking off the engagement one minute and then switching the bride the next!"

After saying this, Master Huang stormed off in a huff, while Bai Qinglian was bound hand and foot and taken back to the Huang family.

(End of this chapter)