Chapter 3

Cai Ruolan was standing outside her palace, dressed in her plain navy blue colored hanfu and a matching veil, she held a brown sack in her right hand as she stood to fix the lose strand of her hair in the right place.

Wang Eumeh had received her payment before her demise, she had even planned to go to the market so that she could get more foodstuffs, but the plan were not longer possible since she was dead.

Cai Ruolan then decided to take the money to the market herself, she would get the things she want then keep the remaining money for other use.

Cai Ruolan indeed pitied her nanny, her death was tragic and her funeral rites were never done. This made Cai Ruolan wonder if her nanny would rest in peace.

On Wang Eumeh’s funeral, she had no joss papers to offer, in fact Wang Eumeh’s funeral was the worse one she ever witnessed.

Cai Ruolan was already set to leave, but one thing made her hesitant.

Will those guards let her out?

She was running out of food stuffs already, and she wouldn’t die of hunger just because of the fact that her nanny died right?

However, she decided to head to the main palace gates to try out her luck, and if the guards wouldn’t open up, she would look for another way.

Surprisingly, they opened the gate for her to go out as though as they’ve been ordered to.

Cai Ruolan sighed in relief as she stepped out of the palace gate.

This was the first time she was going to the market all alone, she had went out with Wang Eumeh back then but not frequently, it might be once in two or three years.

She wondered if she would be able to return back to the castle, ‘What if I get lost?’

Nevertheless, she walked pass the gate gently as she made her way to the market.

Cai Ruolan who had never walked for a long distance in her life was ready to bear any pain that would affect her feet.

While her siblings went out with the royal carriages or palanquin, she will have to ride on a public carriage with Wang Eumeh to the market.

She knew that it was a long walk from the imperial palace to the market, and as she walked, she inwardly cursed her father or whoever it was for building the palace at such an isolated place.

It would come as a shock to any young man out there who would see her.

How can a beautiful maiden be walking alone without having a guard?

Three young men sat under a tree drinking and were enjoying an interesting discussion.

The first one was wearing a black cross collar dress, his black hair held in a ponytail. He was speaking to his friends when his eyes suddenly fell on a beautiful flower.

“Guys can you see that?” he narrowed his eyes, he took a sip of his drink and kept on watching the girl in disbelief.

The two other men stopped talking as they also looked back to see what the first one was talking about.

“Oh my! Does such an angelic beauty still exist?” asked the second one in bewilderment.

“She will make a good wife I guess” first one said before dropping his cup. He stood up and told his friends. “Let me go talk to her”

“We wish you success, you should go talk to her then come back and tell us if it was successful or not” the third man said. He was sure that the girl might never accept his friend. However, they both decided to watch from the willow tree.

Yao Pengfei blew off the dust from his sleeve, he fixed his collar as he walked towards the girl in a smile.

Yao Pengfei’s lips were curved in a smile, he never knew why he seemed to love this girl at first sight. Even despite the fact that she was wearing a veil, her beauty was still very obvious. He wanted to show his friends that he would be able to get her, little did he know that something terrible was going to happen to him and he would end up regretting why he never just averted his eyes when he first saw her.

“Young miss, I just wanted to ask why you never took an umbrella with you, it’s hot out here” he began, wondering if it was the best way to start the conversation. The weather was warm, and due to the fact that it was cold the previous day, the weather wouldn’t be too hot today.

The girl lowered her head and replied softly. “Thank you master but I’m good”

Yao Pengfei’s liked how sweet, soft and kind her words were. He felt the urge to continue the discussion and perhaps tell her the reason why he was here.

He looked at her face, she looked quite calm and gentle, perhaps she was ready to listen to all he got to say to her.

“Young miss, do you need guidance? I would like to escort you to wherever you’re going” he asked sheepishly while looking into her grey eyes, he found the color of her eyes quite weird.

He had never seen a pair of eyes like that. Her sclera was pure white, while the cornea was deep grey in color. Though he never cared if the cornea was red, his top priority was making her his.

Cai Ruolan looked quite uncomfortable, she didn’t like the way the young man was bothering her.

“No, thank you. I don’t need guidance” she replied bowing slightly.

Yao Pengfei was determined to talk to her. “Of course, you need one. What if you get abducted?” he asked wanting to scare her.

He sighed before saying his main speech. “My name is Yao Pengfei, I work as a teacher. I just want to tell you that I love you and I want to make you my wife. Tell me who is your father, and I’ll come to him” he said breathlessly, he had decided to go to the main topic and stop beating about the bush.

Cai Ruolan was silent, she acted as though as she never heard what he said. ‘What does he meant by the word love?’ she wondered. “Forgive my rudeness young master, but I really must leave” she told him before she started walking away.

Yao Pengfei could hear his friends laughing from behind, he was highly determined.

“Wow, young miss I must admit that you have good manners” he said while walking after her.

The girl never stopped walking, so he grabbed her sleeve then hugged her from behind.

“Please young miss, I’ll make you very happy” he pleaded looking straight into her grey orbs.

She was yet to say anything or even protest for hugging her when she saw him falling with his eyes closed, and he fell with a big thud on the hard ground.

No part of his body were moving.

Cai Ruolan threw her sack away then knelt beside him, she was filled with fear and shock.

“Young master, are you okay?” she tapped his face. Cai Ruolan noticed that his face was already cold.

She remembered how cold Wang Eumeh’s body was when she met it at the bed the previous day.

Don’t tell her the man was dead.

“Young master, stand up please” she cried.

Suddenly two men walked up to her, “You don’t need to bother, he is already dead.” The first man gave her a dead glare.

Cai Ruolan looked up at him in horror and asked them. “Why? What killed him?”

The second man grinned evilly. “It’s you obviously”

The first man ran violently towards her with the aim of tying her hands together. But after he touched her right hand, he also fell down and gave up.

Cai Ruolan didn’t understand why they died after touching her.

The last survivor after realizing what was happening screamed and pointed his index finger at her.

“Evil impustor! I’ll go tell the emperor”