Lin Xiangwan's heart throbbed nervously as she cautiously observed the figure before her.
The light was too dim; she could only make out a vague silhouette. The man lying on the bed looked tall and skinny.
He should be sturdy and robust.
"Thirsty...hot..." The figure started to wriggle like a caterpillar. His voice was hoarse, like a severely dehydrated person dragged out from a desert.
She widened her eyes, holding her breath and swallowed hard twice, fixating on the moving figure on the bed.
"Water...water...hand me water now!" The man on the bed barked irritably, a habitual authority lingering in his parched tone as if he was used to giving orders.
Obediently, Lin Xiangwan looked left and right, unsurprisingly seeing only darkness.
"Can't find water!"
"Fetch it now. Be back in a minute or do a hundred push-ups, no sleep until you finish!" The man, who had ripped open his shirt, issued the command, unable to control his temper.
Soldier!
These two words suddenly flashed through Lin Xiangwan's mind.
Undoubtedly, the man's rough voice and firm attitude left no room for negotiation. His sentences mainly revolved around push-ups and threatened to withhold either sleep or food if not completed.
Growing impatient, the man on the bed roared once more. "Did you hear me?"
With an intimidating authority in his voice, Lin Xiangwan responded uncontrollably, "Sorry, your grandmother forbade me from going out. I can't go out!"
Suddenly, the man on the bed went entirely still, only resuming dialogue after several seconds. "Are you a woman?"
"Yes... I guess..."
Under his intense questioning, she became unsure whether to admit she was a woman or not!
"You're hesitating about your own gender?"
"Yes!" This time, she was certain.
"Why are you here?"
Why would she be here? Did he really need to ask her?
"Speak!" Another abrupt and threatening voice demanded.
"Your grandmother sent me to bear a child for you!" Lin Xiangwan couldn't think of a diplomatic way to phrase it, so she blurted out the truth.
After saying that, she realized it sounded ambiguous, even shameless.
But she honestly didn't know what else to say.
"Get out..."
The next second, he harshly rebuked her.
In such a pitch-black room, it was terrifying and scary.
Frightened by his fierce reaction, Lin Xiangwan reflexively rushed to the door.
But the moment her hand touched the cold door handle, she froze. Slowly, she withdrew her hand.
How could she leave?
If she left now, she might as well abandon her lifeline!
Gently pivoting on her toes, she returned to the bedside.
"Why haven't you left yet, go!" Now, he could no longer control himself and urged the woman to go!
His grandmother really knew how to cause him trouble!
How could she frame him like this?
If he didn't drive her away, he wouldn't be able to bear it anymore.
"I won't leave, whether you want me to stay or not. Once goods are delivered, no refunds are allowed" Lin Xiangwan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and bravely jumped onto the bed.
"You won't go?"
"Yes!"
"I'll give you to the count of three, if you're not gone by then, you're on your own."
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
Lin Xiangwan didn't move.
"Fine, you've brought this upon yourself!"
......
The elegant lady, his grandmother, who was fuming earlier over Lin Xiangwan, finally softened a bit.
She tip-toed away, sneaking out!
Once outside in the hall, the noble lady voiced her displeasure. "That insolent girl, dare to say my grandson is a fool, so ungrateful!"
The butler who had been with the lady for many years chimed in. "Indeed, she is unappreciative!"
"If she wasn't a natural beauty, academically accomplished, and a well-behaved young lady, I would've thrown her out!"
"Indeed, she really does not understand how fortunate she is! My young master is such an outstanding man. Countless girls want to marry him!" The old butler echoed sympathetically.
The two elderly folks lamented, shedding tears as they spoke.
It was as if not the girl, but her grandson, his young master, was being harmed instead!
During their conversation, the old lady once more sobbed. "I hope her womb proves useful and she conceives in one go, providing an heir for my grandson!"
"Indeed, indeed!"
However, the room remained eerily silent!
The two elders outside began to worry!
"Old Zhong, do you think something's happened? That brash girl was screaming earlier, but now it's quiet!" The noble lady, with her silver hair, worriedly trembled.
Old Zhong broke out in a sweat and mopped his brow with a handkerchief. "I...I don't know!"
"And my grandson, it's been several hours! Can his body handle it?"
"This...I don't know either!"
The old lady was near tears. "You, you, you...how can you not know anything? Quick, open the door..."