“Young Madam, the eldest young master has gone out on business. He may not return tonight. You should rest early.”
The maid’s polite voice came faintly from outside the bridal chamber door.
At the wedding, the groom hadn’t appeared — he’d even sent someone else to take his place. And now, on the wedding night, he didn’t return either.
For any bride, this would be the greatest humiliation imaginable.
But Lu Zhiling’s heart was perfectly still.
He could replace her with another person, or even a chicken or a dog — it didn’t matter. She would still marry.
Because this marriage was her only chance to survive.
After quietly locking the door, she lifted her head and gazed around the luxurious, glittering bridal suite.
There wasn’t a single photo of Bo Wang in sight — not even a trace of his presence. No books, no cufflinks, not a single tie.
The enormous bed was scattered with red rose petals, the fragrance almost suffocating, yet the entire room felt icy, indifferent — like a cage draped in velvet.
It was almost laughable. She and Bo Wang were legally husband and wife now, yet she didn’t even know what he truly looked like — she only had a faint, blurred silhouette in her memory.
Still she slowly slipped off the wedding dress and changed into soft pajamas. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reached into her pocket and drew out a small bronze trinket, no larger than a baby’s fist.
It was carved in the shape of a tiny puppy, its tongue sticking out — playful and charming.
Her fingers brushed gently over its cool surface. The gold band on her ring finger glinted faintly under the lamplight as she stroked the bronze puppy, her thoughts drifting back to how it came into her hands.
For the past three days, she had been confined in a Bo family nursing home.
Guards were stationed in every corner — the place was sealed tight like an iron fortress. Not even a fly could escape.
Standing before her back then were Wen Da, the Bo family’s housekeeper, and a lawyer.
Wen Da’s tone was cold and businesslike.
“It seems Miss Lu is ready to become the Bo family’s eldest young madam.”
Lu Zhiling almost laughed.
They were the ones who had imprisoned her — yet they made it sound as though she were the one scheming for gain. They accused her of vanity, of trying to use her child to extort money.
Did she want to? Of course she didn’t.
She had already learned her lesson the moment she saw Feng Chao’s true face.
She had begged for help everywhere, even tried to report him to the police. And what came of it?
Feng Chao had calmly painted her as a spoiled young woman — a fallen socialite, too proud to accept her loss, hysterical and unreasonable.
The Feng family was small but skilled in playing the victim. They made themselves sound noble and pitiful — caring for the “blind daughter” of their deceased benefactor. To outsiders, their story was touching, even admirable.
As for her injuries? Those were brushed off as the usual bruises a blind person might get from bumping into things.
She couldn’t escape Feng Chao, let alone the powerful Bo family.
So she simply asked, “Can I escape?”
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then the housekeeper said nothing more.
The lawyer placed two documents on the table. “This is the notarized prenuptial property deed, and this—” he tapped the second paper, “—is the private agreement between Mr. Bo Wang and Miss Lu. As long as the child in your belly belongs to Mr. Bo Wang, your marriage will remain valid until the end of the nursing period (a traditional confinement period of about 100 days after childbirth, for recovery).”
He pushed the documents closer. “There’s also a Braille copy for you to review. The second contract must remain confidential. You’ll simply need to declare to the public that your marriage is normal.”
In other words — when that confinement period ended, she would be discarded, with nothing to her name.
The greater the family, the more ruthless their calculations.
“I’ve been blind since I was fifteen,” she said flatly. “I never learned Braille.”
The lawyer paused, then began to read the entire document aloud. When he finished, Lu Zhiling sat silently, unmoving.
“The Bo family will cover your reasonable living expenses,” he continued, tone growing colder. “But don’t even think about demanding an outrageous amount.”
She didn’t answer.
“Miss Lu,” Wen Da said, irritation flickering in his eyes, “if not for our old madam taking pity on the child in your womb, the Bo family would’ve already made sure you… met with an unfortunate accident. For someone like you — who dared to set up our young master — getting rid of you wouldn’t take more than a minute.”
Still, she didn’t move.
The lawyer adjusted his glasses. “If you refuse to marry, the Bo family will not allow an illegitimate child to be born. You’d better consider carefully — a forced abortion could be fatal to you.”
No matter how they threatened her, she remained silent.
Finally, Wen Da’s voice softened. “Miss Lu, let’s be honest. The most I can do for you is an apartment in the city center. Don’t be greedy.”
Just then, the sound of children’s laughter drifted through the open window — they were playing outside, quarreling cheerfully over a toy.
Lu Zhiling tilted her head slightly toward the sound.
Then, in a calm voice, she said, “I want their toys.”
Both men froze.
“What?” Wen Da blinked.
“Their toys,” she repeated evenly. “If you can buy me those, I’ll sign.”
“…Toys?”
“Mm.”
The housekeeper and the lawyer exchanged a look — both of them staring at her as if she were a madwoman who had completely lost her mind.