This woman cannot stay.
Sun Jiacong smiled upon seeing Meng Yao: “Sister Yao, did Brother Meng say you agreed to our marriage? I’ll tell my family to prepare early.”
Meng Yao was stunned. He actually told Sun Jiacong about this? Was he in such a hurry to marry her off?
Her eyes reddened, and she turned away. Sun Jiacong thought she was shy and quickly caught up: “Don’t worry, Yao, I will take care of you like Brother Meng.”
Meng Yao suddenly stopped: “What are you to even compare yourself to my brother?”
Even if Sun Jiacong was a fool, he could hear her disdain. His face flushed red. After a long while, he smiled faintly: “I naturally can’t compare to Brother Meng. Since that’s the case, I will never mention this again.”
“At least you know yourself!” Meng Yao said angrily.
She turned to leave, and Sun Jiacong followed, asking: “Where is Yuan Ning? Brother Meng asked me to pick her up.”
“Who cares? Go find her yourself,” Meng Yao pointed to the backyard and walked away.
Sun Jiacong searched for a long time but found no one.
After catching two children playing in the mud, one mentioned seeing a woman head towards the street.
Sun Jiacong rushed outside to find the street bustling with people, but there was no sign of Yuan Ning.
When Meng Chi returned, he found Meng Yao cooking. She happily announced, “I knew my brother would come back for lunch.”
“Where is Yuan Ning?” Meng Chi asked, his expression darkening.
“Who knows? She probably sneaked out for a walk,” replied Meng Yao. “I’ve stewed some meat. Do you want tofu?”
Meng Chi ignored her, gathering the household servants. “Who was in the backyard this morning?” he asked, but everyone shook their heads.
Feeling that something was amiss, he pressed on. “A man named Zheng came looking for her this morning,” Meng Yao mentioned. “When she saw him, her eyes almost lit up. I thought he looked off, so I sent him away. Right after, the little girl vanished.”
“Zheng Yu?” Meng Chi realized, his heart sinking. She had wanted to visit the Zheng family that day and found her chance to leave.
“Brother Meng,” Sun Jiacong whispered, “I asked around the neighborhood, and no one saw Miss Yuan Ning. That’s strange.”
This reminded Meng Chi that Yuan Ning, a beautiful woman, would be very noticeable despite having no hair. If she had slipped out from the backyard side gate, how could no one in the street have noticed?
He looked at Meng Yao, who said, “Could she have run away with some wild man?”
“We’ll find out by investigating,” Meng Chi replied calmly.
Meng Yao laughed and said, “Brother, her legs are her own. Are you going to tie her up? Why bother with her? The food is almost ready, let’s eat.”
“Not eating,” Meng Chi said as he pushed open the side gate and walked out.
Meng Yao chased after him and saw Sun Jiacong asking the neighbors while Meng Chi walked away. Staring blankly at his back, tears fell from her eyes.
Sun Jiacong noticed this; his expression changed, but he continued chatting with the neighbors as if nothing had happened.
When the clothes were taken out, her suspicion was confirmed. The vibrant colors, semi-transparent texture, gorgeous embroidery, and design that hugged the chest and waist made her realize this was not how a respectable woman would dress.
She was a madam from a low-end brothel with vulgar taste. Ruan Ning felt extremely frustrated. Even if a transmigrator fell on hard times, shouldn’t she be treated like a courtesan from the Qinhuai River who sells art but not her body?
Why was her status so low here?
She declined, saying, “I am a nun, I won’t wear such clothes.”
“Oh, a nun, I’ve never had a nun here before,” the woman said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. “You don’t need to buy anything; I’ll have someone take your measurements for a few monk robes.”
She giggled and slapped “Zheng Yu’s” thigh: “Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Just need to grow out the hair first; a completely bald head looks too strange.”
Even this low-end brothel offers uniform services.
Ruan Ning cursed inwardly while maintaining an innocent expression: “Sister, I’m a bit tired. Could you take me to a room to rest?”
The flattering “sister” pleased the woman, who quickly arranged a quiet room for Ruan Ning. After confirming no one was at the door, she tried to escape.
However, she was stopped by two burly men at the main gate. The woman quickly caught up, smiling and asking, “Where are you going, little sister?”
“I feel a bit stuffy and want to take a walk,” Ruan Ning said nonchalantly.
“Done walking? Time to go back,” the woman replied.
“I want to walk on the street,” Ruan Ning said nervously, her heart racing.
The woman waved to “Zheng Yu”: “Zhu Laosan, I think you can stop pretending. She’s figured it out and wants to escape.”
Zhu Laosan reached out to touch Ruan Ning’s face, shaking his head, “This little nun is quite clever. I was planning to play with her a bit longer.”
The woman slapped away his hand, saying, “Enough. The price has been paid; she’s mine now. Stop touching her. I intend to sell her virginity at a good price.”
Ruan Ning shouted, “My brother is Meng Chi from the Xiaoyun Guard. Let me go, or my brother will never let you off!”
The woman’s expression changed as she asked Zhu Laosan, “Is she telling the truth? Meng Chi is fierce. I spent a lot on this virgin. I don’t want to provoke him.”
“Don’t listen to her nonsense. When did Meng Chi ever have a nun for a sister?”
Zhu Laosan whispered to the woman, who then relaxed and waved to the men, “Take her back!”
Ruan Ning struggled and screamed, but one man covered her mouth while another twisted her arm and dragged her inside. Exhausted and unable to resist, her vision darkened, and she eventually lost consciousness.
Cheng Li’s sister followed Meng Chi closely, secretly praying that her subordinates had hidden Ruan Ning well.
Meng Chi searched the courtyard, which was Cheng Li’s mother’s residence, not a brothel. It was clean, and he found nothing suspicious. However, he noticed Cheng Li’s mother’s unnatural demeanor and said, “An important fugitive escaped last night and was seen near your house. From now on, suspend all your businesses and cooperate with the Xiaoyun Guard to capture him.”
It was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Cheng Li’s mother hurriedly replied, “Master Meng, what are you talking about? My family has always been honest in business. How could we possibly harbor a fugitive?”
“If I say you’re hiding someone, then you are,” Meng Chi responded.
Cheng Li’s mother became anxious: “In our line of business, stopping for a few days means losing everything! This is no joke!”
Meng Chi laughed lightly, “Whether you lose money or not, what does that have to do with me? I just want to find someone.”
He sat down leisurely and poured tea for himself. Cheng Li’s mother’s face alternated between red and white. She recognized the Xiaoyun Guard’s numerous ways to deal with her, which made her anxious. A beautiful woman could earn a lot, but if she had to stop working, the loss would be significant.
Besides, she had been deceived by Zhu Laosan. Even if she was at fault, Meng Chi wouldn’t kill her, would he?
She quickly put on a smile: “Master Meng, I just remembered someone sent a young girl here today, but she fainted as soon as she arrived. I didn’t even get a chance to ask her name. Would you like to check if she’s the person you’re looking for?”
Meng Chi stood up, coldly saying, “Take me to her!”
The dark room was narrow, with only space for a chair. Ruan Ning was tied to the chair, gagged and unconscious. When the candlelight fell on her pale face, Meng Chi’s heart tightened. He turned and kicked Cheng Li’s mother in the chest, then carried both the chair and Ruan Ning out, suppressing his anger as he untied the ropes.
