A Forced Marriage and a Harem’s Troubles

“Second Young Miss of the Bai Manor, my fairy sister, please be kind and let go of my hand, alright? Can you let me go back?”

“No.”

“You… why are you so fixated on me? I have no money, no power; I don’t even have two taels of silver on me.”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

****

Yu Lian was instantly choked, unable to utter a rebuttal. Regarding her appearance, she truly had nothing to say.

Even after coming ashore, her silver-white hair had turned black, and her features had undergone subtle changes. However, this did not diminish her breathtaking beauty.

Catching Yu Lian’s gaze, the cold beauty glanced back, raising a delicate eyebrow. “I won’t hide this from you: I’ve recently embarked on a plan to collect all the beautiful women in the world, and you are the very first one to kick off my scheme. Hmph, you should be secretly thrilled. There are thousands upon thousands of women who want to marry me; if not for your passable looks, I wouldn’t even consider taking you as a concubine.”

‘You’re actually proud of this,’ Yu Lian thought, barely suppressing the urge to slap the woman. ‘Kidnapping women by force, and she thinks she’s justified?’

“What if I don’t want to marry you?”

“You don’t want to?”

The cold beauty froze for a moment, then drew the sword from her waist, placing it against Yu Lian’s neck once more. A gentle, captivating smile played on her exquisite face.

“Then you’ll have to ask the sword in my hand.”

Yu Lian instinctively recoiled, pushing against the blade. “I… I suddenly want to marry you again. Actually, being your concubine might not be so bad after all.”

When under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head. The sword felt so chilling; it was best not to be stubborn and resist. At worst, she would find an opportunity to secretly escape the Bai Manor later.

The cold beauty sheathed her longsword, scoffing. “It’s good that you’re sensible. I absolutely hate it when someone defies me.”

****

After leaving the town, Yu Lian was dragged forward for a considerable distance. Upon reaching a desolate, uninhabited field, the cold beauty released Yu Lian’s hand, drew her sword, and flicked the blade three times with her finger.

‘What is she doing?’

Yu Lian could not comprehend the other woman’s actions.

Suddenly, a resounding cry echoed from the sky, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind. Yu Lian’s dark hair whipped wildly, and her silver-white dress billowed uncontrollably, rising to her waist several times. Her face instantly flushed crimson, and she desperately clutched her skirt, pulling it down.

Although she had clothes after coming ashore, she had no undergarments for modesty. She was currently completely bare underneath.

Fortunately, the Second Young Miss of the Bai Manor was not looking at Yu Lian at that moment, focusing instead on the sky above; otherwise, Yu Lian would have been completely exposed.

As the wind pressure gradually subsided, a large crane landed steadily, lowering its wings at their feet. The cold beauty reached out, took Yu Lian’s wrist, and led her onto the crane’s back.

“Aren’t we walking back to the Bai Manor?”

“If you wish to walk two hundred kilometers, that’s certainly an option.”

Two… two hundred kilometers!?

The mere thought made Yu Lian’s legs feel weak. If it were swimming, she could manage that distance, but walking would be deadly.

The great crane flapped its wings, soaring swiftly into the sky.

To Yu Lian’s surprise, there was no high-altitude wind pressure while standing on the crane’s back; not even the slightest breeze stirred, which felt incredibly strange.

Curiously, she peered down. The mountains, rivers, manors, and towns below became tiny specks, quickly receding and vanishing from view.

Her legs went weak again.

Yu Lian had no idea she suffered from acrophobia. As she gazed downward, a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her. Unable to care about anything else, she leaned against the cold beauty’s shoulder to steady herself.

The cold beauty’s expression was peculiar as she asked, “You have acrophobia?”

Yu Lian nodded imperceptibly, her face pale.

Running her fingers over Yu Lian’s face, the cold beauty traced her bloodless lips. “You’re quite well-behaved now, aren’t you? No more stubbornness. Tsk, it’s a bit boring.”

She believed that conquering a more defiant beauty offered a richer experience. If they were as docile as a lamb, the thrill would be lost, and with it, the desire for conquest.

Yu Lian wanted to retort, but her body felt weak.

‘Forget it. I feel too unwell. I’ll just let her have her way this once.’

****

Bai Commandery, Bai Manor.

The great crane carried the two of them, landing smoothly in a courtyard within the manor. Once on solid ground, Yu Lian no longer felt that nauseating discomfort. She jumped gracefully from the crane’s back, asking curiously, “Did we just enter the Bai Manor so easily? Do we not need to announce ourselves or anything?”

If someone with ill intentions were to target the Bai Manor, wouldn’t it be incredibly easy to infiltrate the estate using a flying treasure?

The cold beauty looked at her as if she were an idiot. “I am the Second Young Miss of the Bai Manor. Who in this estate would dare to stop me?”

Yu Lian belatedly realized, ‘Oh right, she’s the esteemed Second Young Miss. It seems foolishness is contagious.’

“Second Young Miss.”

A gentle female voice drifted from ahead, and a figure swiftly approached, covering the distance in what seemed like a single stride before stopping in front of them.

Yu Lian’s pupils contracted. ‘Is this an immortal? I’ve read about such abilities in books. With cultivation, one’s speed can far exceed ordinary limits, creating the powerful visual effect of shrinking the ground with each step.’

“Oh, it’s Ling Yi.”

The cold beauty slowly dismounted from the crane’s back, taking the dazed Yu Lian’s hand as she prepared to leave. However, Bai Lingyi blocked their path, stopping them. She lowered her head and said, “Second Young Miss, you snuck out again this time without a maidservant. Madam already knows, and I fear she will hold you accountable and punish you tonight.”

“We’ll discuss tonight’s matters tonight. Move aside, I have things to attend to.”

As the housekeeper, Bai Lingyi dared not disobey her Second Young Miss. She obediently stepped aside, yet her mouth remained open.

“Second Young Miss, there is one more matter to report.”

‘One more matter?’ The cold beauty nodded, signaling for her to speak. Bai Lingyi glanced at Yu Lian, and seeing that the Second Young Miss had no intention of dismissing her, she reported truthfully, “Second Young Miss, Young Miss Yi from the Yi family has arrived, specifically asking for you. She wants to know what you mean by two-timing her.”

Yu Lian’s ears perked up instantly. ‘Two-timing? Oh, this promises some juicy gossip! Sure enough, this crazy woman already has other women. Heh, well, look at her now. Let’s see how she handles this. Serves her right.’

‘Forcing me to be her concubine at every turn, retribution is coming for her now~’

Yu Lian was eager to see the woman’s embarrassment. It would be best if they got into a fierce hair-pulling fight. She loved watching women fight, especially if they started tearing each other’s clothes. The thought of such a scandalous scene made her practically drool.

The cold beauty frowned in thought for a moment before saying, “Ling Yi, did I ever promise to marry her?”

Bai Lingyi shook her head without hesitation.

“Did I ever engage in intimate behavior with her?”

Bai Lingyi shook her head again.

The cold beauty clapped her hands. “There you have it then! I neither established a relationship with her nor engaged in intimate behavior with her. How can she claim I two-timed her? She’s slandering my good name out of thin air! Ah, I understand now. It must be because I straightforwardly refused to include her in my harem group a few days ago. She’s furious and came here to cause trouble.”

Yu Lian listened, dumbfounded. ‘What? So there’s no gossip after all. No, that’s not the point. You actually have a harem group? Is that for real?’

‘Will I be severely interrogated by the main wife?’

Yu Lian gasped, sucking in a cold breath. If she were to be the main wife, she would still have the confidence to argue and contend for a small sliver of status.

But she was merely an unbetrothed concubine. 😦

‘No, I’m only pretending to marry her temporarily. Why did I suddenly get so invested? Is there something wrong with my brain too?’ Yu Lian patted her forehead.