NOVPUBIn the present, Yue Ran was sitting by the side, eating a bag of potato chips she had taken out of the system space, while watching Fei Niu energetically whipping and yelling curses into the air.
If Yue Ran had to rate this performance, she'd give it a score of -9/10.
It was all because the man was just too ugly for her liking. There were just no aesthetically pleasing features from head to toe.
His appearance is, no doubt, rated a -10/10.
Fei Niu's face was looking particularly vicious; he doesn't look like a human being at all, more like a malignant beast.
Because Yue Ran was afraid that this middle-aged, portly man would take a liking to her, which was something much more disgusting than hating her, she had cast an illusion on the whole Fei family.
What Fei Niu sees whenever he looks at Yue Ran is just a woman with a pockmarked face and sallow, pitted skin. She would look extremely unattractive in the Fei family's eyes. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford her even with all the assets they have!
They were only getting what they paid for.
It was a fair trade.
Yue Ran lightly touched her face.
Um, she's so beautiful.
This poor village will never be able to afford her beauty!
In Fei Niu's eyes, he was currently hitting his "wife," who was writhing and begging for mercy with her pitiful screams.
Such scum should not even be allowed to live in the first place.
Yue Ran gave out a soft yawn, feeling bored out of her mind.
Just when were those four men going to come?
Just when would she be "saved"?
When Yue Ran was about to fall asleep, Ruan Ruan suddenly exclaimed in her mind.
"Master, they are coming soon!"
Yue Ran was immediately wide awake.
"When?"
She let out another yawn as she stood up to stretch her body and legs.
"Very soon, Master."
"Um," Yue Ran hummed.
There was a scene she needed to play, and she needed to get ready for it.
Yue Ran walked out the open door and dabbed a lump of mud on her face, making sure that it was smudged naturally.
"Doesn't Master usually take the best care of Master's face, so why do this?"
"Hmm, I do." Yue Ran nodded. "Isn't this just like applying a mud mask in beauty spas?"
"Oh, it looks exactly the same!"
"Uh-huh."
She just had to tell herself that it was an "au naturel" product.
There was no need to worry.
Her face will not be ruined.
She will not turn ugly.
She will still look as beautiful as ever.
There was no need to worry.
Nodding, Yue Ran continued her work.
☼︎ ✵ ☼︎
Mu Chen had barged into a number of homes in the village but had yet to find his beloved.
His brows wrinkled as he scoped the dark surroundings of an empty house.
While running to the next one, his sharp eyes discovered blood just outside it. He wiped the trace with his finger and found it was still fresh; it hadn't yet cooled.
His heart turned even more uneasy.
He kicked open the door of the house almost immediately. A man's cursing gradually turned from faint mumbles to a deafening roar as soon as the door fell to the ground with a loud crash.
At a glance, he saw the curled-up figure of his beloved, who was looking at the fat, middle-aged man with obvious hatred in her eyes. And this fat man was cursing and whipping Yue Ran with his belt; his fatty body jiggled from the force.
What made Mu Chen's eyes redden was Yue Ran's bruised and bloody figure!
How vulnerable and helpless she was when she was treated this harshly by this inhuman beast!
The monster in his heart stirred.
Mu Chen shot forward and punched Fei Niu to the ground.
The fat man tumbled over like a rolling rock. Muttering curses, Fei Niu hadn't even had the chance to get up before Mu Chen once again kicked him from behind.
"Who are you?" Fei Niu roared. "Why did you suddenly hit me as soon as you entered my house?" He got up from the ground with a look of anger. "Are people nowadays so unreasonable?!" Saliva sprayed out of his mouth like a spittle shower. "Don't think about leaving if you don't pay up today!"
Mu Chen's red eyes looked blank as he stared at Fei Niu. It was as if he was looking at a dead person.
Fei Niu wanted to continue shouting at Mu Chen again but was unfortunately dragged down by Mu Chen's men, who poured into the house.
Mu Chen flashed Fei Niu a bloody smile that promised cruelty.
He would make this man who dared to hurt Yue Ran live a life worse than death! Even if he wanted to die, he wouldn't be allowed to die because death itself is a luxury!
Looking away, Mu Chen slowly and carefully walked towards Yue Ran's small and trembling figure.
He could tell she was... different.
Yue Ran was currently looking at him warily without saying a word.
"Yue Ran," Mu Chen muttered out softly, as if afraid that Yue Ran would bolt as soon as he stepped close.
There was no reply.
"Yue Ran." Mu Chen bent down and gently caressed her cheek.
"Ah!" Yue Ran suddenly reacted. "Don't touch me!" It was as if she had suddenly gone mad. "Get away! Don't touch me! You scum!"
She was scratching and kicking anyone and anything around her, trying to protect her fragile shell from the harm of the outside world.
Mu Chen had to hold her head firmly against his chest and shout, "I'm Mu Chen. Yue Ran, don't be afraid. I came for you; don't be afraid."
He kept repeating the words like a guarantee.
The expression on Yue Ran's face was heartbreakingly fragile, but when she heard Mu Chen say his name, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and her movements paused.
Raising her head, she looked at him almost unbelievably and said, "Mu Chen?"
Her face was covered in dirt and blood, and those normally glimmering star-like eyes were now coated with deep fear.
"Mu Chen, is that you?"
Mu Chen felt a burst of pain in his heart. How he wanted to rush out and dismember that man into a thousand pieces.
But it would be too light of a punishment for him.
"It's me, Ran Ran. I'm here; Mu Chen is here. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
He gently stroked her hair, hoping to calm her mind and ease her panic.
Yue Ran finally smiled reassuringly as the three male protagonists entered the house out of breath, just behind Mu Chen on the doorway.
The broken beauty in that smile made Mu Chen and the other men's hearts tremble.
With tears in her eyes, she said with relief, "You guys finally came to save me."
After she finished speaking this one sentence, her spirits seemed to be too exhausted, and she immediately fell unconscious as soon as she closed her eyes.
"Yue Ran!"
The four shouted in astonishment.
