“Miss,” Seventh Uncle said somewhat guiltily, “don’t be afraid, they won’t harm you. It’s the Li Family. They want to marry you, but your parents don’t agree. The Li Family had no other choice, so they resorted to this desperate measure.” As he spoke, he became more and more convinced of his own reasoning, his voice gradually growing louder and more self-righteous. “Second Young Master Li likes you very much. Don’t worry, once you marry into the Li Family and become their young mistress, you’ll understand. Seventh Uncle would never harm you. I’ve already made arrangements with them—when the time comes, I’ll go along with them and protect you.”

……

Yu Tang cursed inwardly.

Her experiences from her previous life were truly deadly.

She had calculated everything, guarded against every possibility, yet never expected to be betrayed at the critical moment by an honest person—and worse, she wasn’t even sure if reasoning with him would work.

Yu Tang watched the thugs drawing closer and closer to her. In a flash of inspiration, she quickly untied her sash. While Seventh Uncle was gripping the collar of her inner robe, she slipped out of her outer garment and ran toward the old estate.

“Quick, quick, catch her!” the lead thug shouted at Seventh Uncle when he saw this. “If she runs back to the Yu Family’s old estate, we’re finished—all our efforts will be wasted!”

Seventh Uncle snapped out of his daze and started chasing after Yu Tang.

The wind rushed past her ears, wild grass tugged at her skirts.

She stumbled and staggered, not daring to stop, using all her strength to shout “Help!”

The mountain forest was right behind the Yu Family’s old estate, but to run back to the old estate, she had to follow the small path along the foot of the mountain to the other side, or cross a small river to reach the village.

The path at the mountain’s foot was rugged and rarely traveled.

Yu Tang turned around the foot of the mountain and saw two able-bodied men idly standing guard on the road.

Yu Tang jumped onto the plank bridge leading to the village, loudly shouting “Help!”

The village was quiet and still. Only the two large yellow oxen tied under the big tree at the village entrance responded to her with their “moos.”

Oh no, she had forgotten that it was lunchtime—the villagers were probably all home eating.

Yu Tang wailed inwardly.

Could she really be this unlucky?

Yu Tang quickly glanced behind her.

The thugs, probably afraid she would run into the village and alarm the villagers, had savage expressions on their faces and were about to catch up with her.

Yu Tang was terrified. Just then, she saw a carriage with blue curtains swaying leisurely down the dirt road at the village entrance.

A sturdy driver sat on the carriage shaft, along with a boy around ten years old.

The boy appeared to be twelve or thirteen, with a round, chubby face that was fair and soft. He wore his hair in double buns and was dressed in a parrot-green Hangzhou silk robe. He held some kind of white pastry in his hand, crumbs all over the corners of his mouth, eating with great enjoyment.

It was actually the boy she had encountered at the Ink-Washing Spring at Zhaoming Temple.

Yu Tang was so moved she nearly burst into tears.

She ran toward the carriage: “Help! Help!”

The carriage driver and the boy both looked over.

The boy’s eyes widened into round longans, while the driver cursed, jumped down from the carriage, and came rushing over with his whip.

Yu Tang was overjoyed, repeatedly shouting “Help!”

The whip sliced through the air past her ear and struck directly at those behind her.

Several howls and curses came from behind her.

The burly man’s thick eyebrows stood up straight, his voice thunderous: “Bullying a young girl in broad daylight and you dare to make a fuss!”

He strode past Yu Tang, his whip lashing out again.

Yu Tang stopped in her tracks, only then realizing she was gasping heavily, her chest aching as if it had been torn open.

She couldn’t help but bend over, hands on her knees.

“Sister, sister.” A pair of soft, fair little hands covered in pastry crumbs supported her. “Don’t be afraid. Our master and Old Zhao are here—they won’t dare bully you anymore. Are you all right? Let me help you sit on the rock over there.”

There was a large bluestone at the village entrance where the oxen were tied.

Yu Tang had never run like this before. She was gasping for breath, unable to speak, and could only shake her head.

“Then, then I’ll help you go to…” the childish voice lost its train of thought for a moment.

Probably couldn’t find anywhere to sit?

Yu Tang really wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

She looked up and saw the boy’s soft, white face that looked like a steamed bun.

“Thank, thank you, you…” Yu Tang said.

The boy shook his head like a rattle drum: “Sister, stop talking. Where do you live? We’ll take you back.”

Yu Tang took several deep breaths, felt much better, and straightened up. She thought she should first thank the gentleman in the carriage before going to call the villagers. But when she looked up, she saw Pei Yan sitting coldly on the carriage shaft.

“What are you doing here?” Yu Tang took two steps back.

Zhaoming Temple… the boy… the blue-curtained carriage… the burly man…

Yu Tang looked at the boy and the burly man who had beaten all those thugs to the ground, then looked at Pei Yan, stammering to the boy: “You, your master, he couldn’t possibly be Third Master Pei of the Pei Family, could he?!”

“Yes, yes!” the boy said with a beaming smile, looking quite proud. “Our master is indeed Third Master of the Pei Family! How do you know our Third Master? Our Third Master is wonderful—not only did he waive the tenants’ rent, he also donated money to gild the Buddha statues at Zhaoming Temple. Go talk nicely to our Third Master and ask him to send these thugs to the magistrate’s office.”

Yu Tang felt so embarrassed she didn’t know what to say.

Pei Yan looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

This Miss Yu—they had met again.

Unlike their first meeting when she was cunning and crafty, their second meeting when she was seductively beautiful, their third meeting when she was rough and casual… This time, Pei Yan looked Yu Tang up and down.

Hair disheveled, clothes in disarray, covered in sweat, one shoe on her foot while the other had fallen off somewhere—she looked as wretched as a refugee.

Yu Tang couldn’t help but follow his gaze and examine herself.

Her lilac-colored dress and skirt had somehow been torn, revealing her left foot in an embroidered shoe with a large hole and her right foot in dirty white silk stockings that had been trampled on.

Yu Tang’s face immediately burned with embarrassment.

She looked at Pei Yan sheepishly.

But Pei Yan turned his face away, as if he didn’t want to see her.

Yu Tang felt somewhat humiliated, but this humiliation lasted only a few breaths before dissipating.

Pei Yan had always looked down on her anyway. Moreover, the last time in Hangzhou Prefecture, after he saw her gnawing on a pig’s trotter with her hands, he also learned that she had eaten herself sick from gluttony… Since ancient times, “gluttony and laziness” went hand in hand. She had previously deceived Shopkeeper Tong into helping her appraise the “Pine Stream Hermit Fisherman” painting, using the Pei Family’s name to intimidate Lu Xin… What dignity did she have left in front of him? What airs could she put on?

This was merely disheveled clothing. Compared to before, this was already quite good.

Yu Tang immediately felt relieved.

She had already gotten through worse times than this—what was there to fear? What was there to be ashamed of?

Having let go of her mental burden, Yu Tang became that young girl who was neither servile nor overbearing in front of others, gracious and composed, with calm and measured words.

She said: “Master Pei, thank you for coming to my aid. My parents are at the estate. If you have no urgent matters, why not come to the estate, to our Yu Family’s old residence, for a cup of tea? Let my parents properly thank you.”

Pei Yan frowned and said, “You’re here with your parents?”

Did he think she had run here alone?

Yu Tang nodded. Just as she was about to exchange more pleasantries with Pei Yan, she suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves.

She and Pei Yan both looked toward the sound.

They saw Li Jun and Shen Fang, each riding a horse, galloping toward them.

Yu Tang’s expression darkened.

Li Jun and Shen Fang’s horses had already reached them.

With two “whoas,” both men reined in their horses. The horses’ hooves rose high and then fell back down in place.

“Miss Yu, are you all right?” Li Jun asked anxiously, looking her up and down.

Shen Fang walked over, his expression grave. “Miss Yu, are you well?”

Yu Tang raised an eyebrow.

Li Jun hastily said: “Xiao Wan and I were having tea at a teahouse with a few others when we heard people talking about Miss Yu. They said Miss Yu’s family was quite wealthy, and someone wanted to become a live-in son-in-law for your family. Having learned you were returning to your country home today, they asked them to abduct Miss Yu… Though they didn’t dare take on such business, others were desperate enough to try… I was terribly anxious when I heard this. I happened to run into Brother Shen, who was looking for Xiao Wan, so Brother Shen and I rushed over together…” Only then did he remember to greet Pei Yan: “Master Pei! It looks like you saved Miss Yu—what great fortune, what great fortune!”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then ran indignantly to the driver’s side and kicked those thugs several times, saying to Yu Tang: “Miss Yu, thank goodness you’re all right. When I came, I already sent my servant with my elder brother’s calling card to the magistrate’s office to report this. The constables should arrive soon.”

Yu Tang had been watching him intently since he jumped off his horse, her mind racing.

What was Li Jun’s intention?

Wasn’t it the Li Family who wanted to force themselves on her?

Did he truly not know, or was he pretending not to know?

But looking at him, he didn’t seem to be faking it.

Especially since Shen Fang had come too.

Though she had only met Shen Fang once at Zhaoming Temple, anyone who could make Fu Xiaowan obey him completely was not someone who could be easily manipulated. If the Li Family wanted him to serve as a witness, that wouldn’t be so easy.

Yu Tang thanked Li Jun and said casually: “It’s fortunate that Young Master Shen suddenly went to find Young Master Fu and was warm-hearted enough to follow along. But with just the two of you, it was quite dangerous. In the future, if you encounter such situations, you should find more help.”

Shen Fang said nothing, but gave Yu Tang a penetrating look.

Li Jun, however, spoke frankly: “You’re absolutely right. I was so panicked at the time that if Brother Shen hadn’t reminded me, I would have forgotten to send someone to report to the authorities.”

Yu Tang thanked Shen Fang as well.

But Shen Fang said meaningfully: “My presence today was indeed coincidental, a spur-of-the-moment decision. Otherwise, how could Ah Jun call it such great fortune!”

This Shen Fang was also someone with very meticulous thoughts.

Yu Tang smiled and nodded at him.

Shen Fang revealed a knowing smile.

Yu Tang’s heart stirred, and a bold thought surfaced in her mind.

In her previous life, Li Jun had died unexpectedly not long after their engagement.

She didn’t really know this person.

What if Li Jun and the Li Family weren’t of the same mind?

That would explain everything.

The Li Family wanted to use underhanded tactics to force her to marry into their family, but they couldn’t do it without Li Jun’s cooperation, so the Li Family had schemed against both her and Li Jun. First, they made Seventh Uncle believe he was helping her, then they deliberately let Li Jun learn of her predicament and engineered his rescue attempt.

The Li Family just hadn’t anticipated that Pei Yan would suddenly pass by here, or that Shen Fang would unexpectedly encounter Li Jun.