Chapter 16

My eyes darted to Gengxin who was clutching his wound to still the bleeding. His hands, his shirt and pants were covered with blood.

Qina retched as if she was going to throw up again.

"No," I said firmly.

"Look at me, Qina."

She drew her eyes away from the blood and met my gaze.

There were tears in her eyes and her lower lip had a cut that was dripping blood on her chin and her nightgown.

My hand on hers tightened. Qina, I'm here for you.

Our locked eyes seemed her only move as Martial Zhen led us out of the room.

"Women," my father said in a scoffing tone.

"They can't even bear the sight of a bit of blood."

But I could practically feel Fu Shao eyes staring into my back before the door closed.

Qina wiped her bleeding lip as we hurried after Martial Zhen through the corridor and up the stairs.

"I hate Father," she muttered.

"I hate them all, Big sister."

"Shh..." I didn't want her to talk like that in front of Martial Zhen.

Only he cared for us, but he was my father's soldier through and through.

He stopped me when I wanted to follow Qina into her room.

But I didn't want her to be alone tonight.

So do I didn't want to be alone either.

"Young miss. You heard what your father said."

I glared at him.

"But I need to help Qina with her lip."

He shook his head.

"It's nothing. You two in a room together always create trouble. Do you think it's wise to get your father rages any more tonight?"

Martial Zhen closed Qina door and gently pushed me in the direction of my room next to hers.

I stepped in, then turned to him.

"A room full of grown men watches a man beat a helpless girl, that's the famous courage of made men."

"But your future husband stopped your father."

"From hitting me, not my sister."

He smiled like I was a stupid child.

"Fu Shao might rule over B Country, but this is W country and your father is territory."

"You admire him," I said incredulously.

"You watched him cut off cousin finger but you admire him instead."

"Your cousin is lucky that Fu Shao didn't cut off something else. He did what every man would have done."

Maybe every man in our world.

Martial Zhen patted my head like I was an adorable kitten.

"Now go to sleep, Young Miss."

"Will you be guarding my door all night to make sure I don't sneak out again?" I said challengingly.

"Better get used to it, young miss. Now that Fu Shao has put a ring on your finger, he'll make sure you're always be guarded."

I slammed the door shut.

Seriously! Guarded?

Even from distance, Fu Shao would be able to controlling my life.

Dang. I'd thought my life would go on as it used to until the wedding, but how could it when everyone knew what the ring on my finger meant?

Gengxin finger was a signal, a warning.

So the young master Fu had made his claim on me and would enforce it cold-bloodedly.

I didn't extinguish the lights that night, worried the darkness would bring back images of blood and cut-off limbs, so they came anyway.