Chapter 202: A Frightful Snowy Night
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“I’ve already stationed guards within the manor. Don’t be afraid.” Rong Che finally smiled before leaving, still thinking about returning to comfort Shi Yun once his tasks were done.
He feared someone else might take the opportunity before him.
Lu Chao Chao looked around and, as expected, noticed a significant increase in guards within the estate.
Madam Xu chuckled and teased, “I am but an aging woman. Why would I need such an extravagant display of protection?”
“Surely, a Serial Rapist wouldn’t be interested in a woman past thirty.”
Deng Zhi, who was helping Madam Xu remove her hair ornaments, disagreed. “Madam, I must protest.”
“Back when you were in Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor, you were worn down by hardships, your complexion sallow.”
“But ever since your divorce, your beauty has flourished by the day.”
“Besides, I heard rumors…”
“This particular Serial Rapist is different. He does not target young maidens but specifically seeks young wives.”
“It is said that four women have already fallen victim, each around thirty-four years old.” Some even speculated that he was searching for something.
Deng Zhi felt uneasy.
Madam Xu had just turned thirty-four.
“Don’t worry. Chao Chao’s Secret Guards and General Rong’s men are watching over the manor.”
Still, Deng Zhi remained cautious and stayed outside the door all night.
But having stayed up for New Year’s Eve the night before, exhaustion soon took over, and she began to nod off in the latter half of the night.
Lu Chao Chao yawned, curling up on the bed, slowly succumbing to sleep while the wind howled outside.
The room was warm, making it difficult for the little one to keep her eyes open.
At some point, heavy snow began to fall again.
Snowflakes drifted down, piling upon the tree branches, turning the world into a vast white expanse.
All was still.
Lu Chao Chao slept soundly.
Then, a chill crept in.
The little one instinctively curled into a ball.
Suddenly…
Lu Chao Chao’s eyes snapped open, her breath coming in short gasps, panic flashing through her gaze.
The room was shrouded in darkness.
The candles had gone out.
Even the brazier had cooled completely.
That… that had never happened before.
Dressed in only thin inner garments, she shivered. The world outside was unnaturally silent.
Sliding off the bed, she called out, “Yu Shu jie jie?”
No response.
She bit her lip. “Secret Guard uncle?”
Still, silence.
Lu Chao Chao’s face turned pale.
Frightened, she grabbed a stool and struggled to open the door.
Outside, the courtyard was covered in thick snow, the patrol guards nowhere to be seen. The entire manor was eerily quiet.
Barefooted, Lu Chao Chao stepped into the snow, shivering violently.
The snow was deep, and she was too small, stumbling with every step as she made her way toward Madam Xu’s chambers.
“Mama… Mama… Mama…”
Then, she saw it.
A young maid, unconscious in the snow.
She had already frozen to death.
Panic gripped Lu Chao Chao as she rushed toward the main courtyard. The maids there had collapsed across the ground, but they were merely unconscious.
The guards, however, bore thin red slashes across their necks.
As if their throats had been severed in an instant.
Tension hung thick in the air of the main courtyard.
Deng Zhi stood protectively in front of Madam Xu, her voice desperate, “I am younger than the Madam. Let me serve you instead.”
“Please… spare her.”
“Deng Zhi, don’t!” Madam Xu’s hands were ice-cold as she clutched Deng Zhi tightly, refusing to let her step forward. “We will not beg him!”
A figure cloaked in black loomed before them, his presence chilling and ruthless. His long blade dripped with fresh blood.
“You are thirty-four?” His hoarse voice directed at Madam Xu.
Madam Xu took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Cold seeped into her bones.
Fear, unlike any before, clenched at her heart.
“Thirty-four, born in winter. Have you… seen this item?” The man’s pale fingers held a piece of paper, upon which was sketched a jade pendant.
Madam Xu’s gaze fell on the drawing.
The Dragon-Pattern Cloud Jade Pendant—the Xu Family’s ancestral treasure.
Her eyes momentarily flickered, but she quickly bowed her head. “I haven’t.”
Deng Zhi’s breathing grew erratic. Though subtle, it was enough for the man to notice.
Before she could speak, the man suddenly appeared before her, gripping her neck tightly.
“You’ve seen the jade pendant, haven’t you? Where is it?”
Deng Zhi struggled against the relentless grip, her feet dangling above the ground as she slapped at his arm in desperation.
The man remained unmoved.
“The jade pendant—is it yours?” His gaze turned toward Madam Xu, a crazed light burning in his eyes.
“Run… husband… run…” Deng Zhi’s eyes widened in despair, bloodshot and pleading.
“I finally found you!”
“I finally found you!”
“So, you’ve been hiding here all along!” The man’s voice crackled with hysteria. The black hood covering his head fell, revealing a sickly pale complexion.
Madam Xu bolted toward the door in a frenzy.
Before she could touch the threshold, the man hurled Deng Zhi against her with violent force, knocking them both to the ground.
“Deng Zhi! Deng Zhi!” Madam Xu cried out in pain, holding Deng Zhi in her arms as tears streamed down her face.
“Who are you? I’ve never wronged you! Why must you harm me?” She sobbed, her gaze lingering on the deep bruises marring Deng Zhi’s neck.
“I’ve lived my life doing good, never making enemies. Who are you!” It dawned on Madam Xu—the man had come for her all along.
The victims from days prior—they had all been mere pawns in his pursuit of her.
His voice was chilling, laced with malice.
“Why? Because you were never meant to live! You shouldn’t have been born! Give me the jade pendant!” He brandished a blade, advancing step by step.
“I’ve searched for you for years, only to find you hiding here! You made it difficult, but no longer!”
Madam Xu retreated on the floor, trembling as cold sweat soaked her back.
“Do you hold a grudge against the Xu Family?” she asked, masking her fear with forced composure.
The man let out a mocking laugh.
“The Xu Family? They’re nothing! Unworthy even of being our enemies.”
“It seems they’ve hidden the truth well. Has the Xu Family never told you that you’re merely an adopted daughter?” His laughter deepened, mocking her.
Madam Xu froze. Adopted daughter?
She wasn’t the Xu Family’s biological child?
The Xu Family had three sons and one daughter. As the only daughter, she was adored by her parents, cherished even more than her three brothers!
“How… how could that be? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Madam Xu shook her head vehemently.
“Believe it or not, tonight, you won’t leave here alive!” The man’s lips twisted into a cruel smirk.
“Hand over the jade pendant, and I’ll grant you a painless death.”
Madam Xu bit her lip, determined not to betray Chao Chao, who now held the pendant. She couldn’t risk leading him to the child.
The man’s gaze raked over her trembling figure, his eyes filled with dark intent.
“If that’s how it is, don’t blame me!” His hand seized her, tearing the fabric from her shoulder to reveal pale, delicate skin.
A scream caught in Madam Xu’s throat as the sound of light knocking came from the door.
“Mother…”
“Mother, are you asleep?” Lu Chao Chao’s childish voice, soft and innocent, carried in on the wind. The sound sent a shiver through Madam Xu.
She stopped resisting, her trembling hands clutching the man’s arm.
Her calm facade crumbled, replaced by terror in her eyes.
Her only weakness.
what the, it got from 0 to 100 real quick