The huntsman saw the girl, terrified like a little rabbit, and chuckled softly. Slowly, he made his way over to sit on the bed.
"Take off my boots," he commanded as he removed the bow and quiver from his back, settling them beside the bed.
Li Meirong felt so dizzy that she nearly collapsed to the floor after taking but one step in his direction. She felt completely disoriented, like her senses had fled from her. Yet, she grudgingly followed through with his demands. Composing herself, she approached him slowly, kneeling down before him to take off his boots one at a time. With her bottom lip trembling, she peered up at the middle-aged man, hoping to be met with some sympathy. "Sir, I wouldn't know how to take care of your physical needs, but if you help me leave this place, I will follow you as your devoted servant. My cooking is not half bad, and I can read and write." She spoke meekly, feeling as though she was selling herself again.but at least this time, it was on her own terms.
The huntsman frowned down at her. The girl was supposed to have been a maid serving a royal concubine. Dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments were what those maids were known for. Since when did a royal maid learn to cook, read, and write?
"Girl, stop lying to me and do what you're supposed to. Do you know why I chose you? I had a run in with a fox demon, captured him and sold him for a hefty sum. I only wanted to stop by here for a quick drink, but when I saw you, I changed my mind." The Huntsman spared a few moments to explain himself. "My lover was once a maid to a royal concubine, such as yourself. She met with an untimely death. Your past, and your appearance, remind me of her. Don't ruin this good moment for me. I paid too much to have you do so. For tonight, you will be my Xin'Er, and I won't treat you unkindly. Call me Zhou Shang." He was getting annoyed with her, yet he still went out of his way to be somewhat polite to this nobody. It had been so long since he lost his beloved, that he just wanted to pretend he could experience one night with her again.
Meanwhile, this whore was ruining his mood and wasting his hard earned wealth!
Li Meirong, however, was resolved. She stood up quickly, shaking her head. Because of her dizziness, she nearly stumbled again. No matter what, she refused to be someone she was not, and she would definitely not lie with this man.
Seeing that sympathy wouldn't work on the bulking man, she spoke assertively instead. "Sir, this is not happening. I will not do it! Please call for someone else. I will work hard elsewhere and promise to get you your money back."
Slowly, she backed away towards the door, regretting that she had not thought of bolting earlier when she had a better chance. Springing from the bed, Zhou Shang quickly and easily gripped her shoulder and tossed her on the bed.
Trapped in his strong hands, Li Meirong thrashed as he began tearing the clothes from her body.
She screamed in terror.
Zhou Shang clamped her mouth shut with one calloused hand and towered over her on top of the bed. "I tried to be nice, but you're choosing to make this difficult! Do you know how many courtesans I could have called for with fifty silver taels? You should be honored."
To the huntsman's bitter disappointment, it seemed that in the end that the purchase of the girl really was a waste of money. Whatever happened to the attentive and calm disposition of a royal attendant? All this one did was cry and give him attitude. She flat out refused to serve to him at all.
Li Meirong soon found herself exposed with only her undergarments left to cover her intimate parts. Pinned down, she shrieked and screamed, but her voice was muffled by Zhou Shang's large, iron hand. She tried biting him, but he still wouldn't let go.
Zhou Shang quickly mounted Li Meirong's small body and spread her legs apart roughly, his face reddening with anger. "Such a waste of money!" he spat venomously. He should have hurried the deed and been done with it. Women were usually a lot more docile after being manhandled a bit.
Li Meirong's mind was on the edge of the abyss. She had already died once, so she tried to reassure herself that it might not be so terrible to die again. In all twenty-five years of her life, she had never had sex. She knew that, compared to others her age, she was considered a late bloomer. She'd had boyfriends before, but never felt comfortable enough to reach that point of intimacy with them. And now, she was a dead virgin who transmigrated into the body of a girl young enough to be a child. Her first real sexual experience would be a purchased rape by this mountain of a man.
How could things possibly get any worse than this?!
After another brief attempt at a struggle, Zhou Shang gave Li Meirong a hard slap to her face. Ears ringing, tears streamed freely down her scarred cheeks.
Finally, she shut her eyes and succumbed to her fate, trying not to think of the pain nor his wandering hands.
She could feel those very hands taking hold of her undergarments.
'It'll be over soon...' she told herself internally, 'just think of something else. Anything else...'
Just as the man drew closer, she heard the unexpected, sickening sound of sharp metal slicing through flesh. Her carefully detached consciousness came rushing back into her body as her face was suddenly splashed with warm liquid.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. The sight before her drew yet another deafening shriek.