Li Jiǎo’s face turned alternately pale and flushed. She suddenly turned around: “Let’s go quickly!”

Realizing what kind of place this was, she didn’t dare stay a moment longer. Heart pounding with panic, she walked outside, her mind completely blank.

“Miss, be careful—” Seeing her mistress about to collide with someone, Chun Fang cried out in alarm.

The smell of alcohol mixed with a strange fragrance hit her face, and Li Jiǎo felt herself falling into a burning embrace.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” The man suddenly grabbed Li Jiǎo’s wrist. Hearing Chun Fang’s words and seeing Li Jiǎo’s appearance clearly, his eyes couldn’t help but brighten: “Oh, is this some new attraction the brothel is introducing?”

The young man speaking had red lips and white teeth with a handsome appearance, but unfortunately his gaze was too frivolous, making people want to shake their heads upon seeing him.

“Let go of me!” Li Jiǎo was both anxious and afraid. Cold sweat instantly soaked through her back as she hurriedly reached out to push away the young man’s approaching hand.

Her strength was insufficient. The young man gripping her wrist applied slight pressure, causing her to cry out in pain.

The young man took the opportunity to raise his other hand and pulled out the hairpin holding Li Jiǎo’s hair, casually throwing it to the ground.

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing her feminine charm beyond doubt.

“Oh, truly a beauty!” The young man’s eyes lit up as he pulled Li Jiǎo toward the covered walkway.

“Let go of my mistress—” Chun Fang rushed forward.

The young man kicked Chun Fang to the ground with one foot and said coldly: “Don’t interfere with my business, or I’ll take your life!”

After speaking, he used all his strength to drag Li Jiǎo toward a room. Li Jiǎo desperately held onto a pillar and shouted to Chun Fang: “Go get help!”

Chun Fang was Li Jiǎo’s maid who had never done rough work in her life and had never been treated so roughly before. After being kicked like this, her mind was completely muddled. Hearing Li Jiǎo’s shout, she immediately yelled at the top of her voice: “Someone help—”

The previously empty courtyard immediately showed signs of activity.

Li Jiǎo nearly fainted.

This fool! She meant for her to take the opportunity to run home for help, not to shout here. This was a brothel—how could the people who came help them?

“What are you standing there for? Run through the back door—” Li Jiǎo’s remaining words were muffled by the young man covering her throat.

Chun Fang was stunned for a moment before reacting and running away.

People who came out to look upon hearing the commotion saw the young man dragging someone with disheveled hair whose face couldn’t be seen clearly into a room and couldn’t help but laugh: “Young Master Jia, what are you playing at in broad daylight?”

The young man laughed: “Found something interesting. Move aside quickly, don’t interfere with my good time!”

Li Jiǎo struggled desperately to no avail. She felt a great force push her into a room, followed by the despairing sound of a door closing.

“Not struggling anymore?” Behind her came the man’s frivolous laughter.

Li Jiǎo turned around in disarray, watching the man approach step by step. She couldn’t help but retreat, her face full of terror.

What to do? Who could save her?

At this moment, Li Jiǎo felt utterly desperate.

Everything had been fine—how had she ended up in such a situation? She couldn’t panic, couldn’t panic. Li Third had been kidnapped by human traffickers but returned home safely—she must have a way, too!

“Don’t come any closer! I’m not from this brothel!”

“Not a girl from Bichun Brothel? So you’re here visiting?” the young man asked with a grin, his frivolous tone making Li Jiǎo’s hands and feet go weak.

She desperately controlled her fear and quickly explained: “I’m a girl from a respectable family. I was supposed to meet a friend at a restaurant, but accidentally went to the wrong place—”

“Pfft, little lady, who are you trying to fool with that story? How could going to the wrong place bring you here?”

“I went to the wrong place; otherwise, why would I come to such a place? Young Master, this brothel has all kinds of girls—why must you trouble me? If you let me go, neither of us will have any problems. But if you don’t, you’ll have troubles too.”

The young man was interested and raised an eyebrow: “What troubles could I have? Tell me.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Young Master. My uncle, my father, and my other uncle are all officials. If something happens to me here, they definitely won’t let it go.”

The young man burst out laughing: “Little lady, what kind of officials are your uncle, father, and other uncle? This capital doesn’t lack for anything except officials—there are the most of them here. A tile falling from the eaves could hit two fifth-rank officials.”

Upon hearing this, Li Jiǎo couldn’t help feeling panicked.

This person was lustfully foolish, completely unafraid of any consequences.

While she was stunned, the young man had already pounced, pulling and dragging her toward the beauty couch, laughing as he spoke: “Tell me, what kind of officials are those elders of yours? Say it and let this young master be afraid!”

Since the young man said this, Li Jiǎo didn’t know what to say.

Being trapped in such a place, how could she reveal her identity?

“Heh heh, I’m not afraid of that. I’ve been visiting brothels since I was thirteen—what storms haven’t I weathered?”

Hearing these words, Li Jiǎo’s heart stirred.

Perhaps when people reached such desperate straits, their sixth sense became particularly acute. She blurted out: “Are you the youngest son of Earl Changchun?”

The young man was stunned for a moment and raised an eyebrow: “Little lady knows me?”

Li Jiǎo nearly bit through her lower lip.

How could she not know? This was her damned former fiancé who started visiting brothels at thirteen!

Li Jiǎo looked at the young man with red lips and white teeth, her eyes suddenly becoming moist.

This was the husband her mother had arranged for her before death—handsome on the outside but worse than a beast in reality.

Why was her fate so bitter? After escaping this scum, marriage prospects were already more difficult than for other girls. Who would have thought she’d encounter this beast in such a place?

If this beast ruined her purity, she would truly prefer death to living.

“Why is the little lady looking at me like that? Could it be you’ve long admired me and arranged this chance encounter?”

“Young Master Jia jests. The reason I know you is actually because you have some connection with my family—” Li Jiǎo forced herself to calm down and managed to squeeze out a slight smile.

She absolutely couldn’t panic now. If she could just delay for a time, perhaps Chun Fang could bring rescue.

“Oh, tell me about it. What connection do we have?”

Li Jiǎo’s eyes flashed.

What connection? She definitely couldn’t tell the truth. Once this person spread word about her mistakenly entering a brothel, her reputation would be completely ruined. Moreover, they had previously been engaged—if this scum found out, it might further inflame his lust.

“I won’t hide it from Young Master Jia. I’m a daughter of the Li residence, so I’ve heard of you.”

“Li residence?” The young man thought for a moment and understood: “The Li residence, where the eldest daughter was once engaged to me? Heh heh, this is truly a coincidence. Which daughter are you, little sister? I heard before that there would be quite a few sisters-in-law.”

As he spoke, he reached out to pinch Li Jiǎo’s chin.

Li Jiǎo panicked and blurted out: “Third!”