The small boat swayed on the river. There was no moon tonight, only a few scattered stars. The river reflected the lights by the riverside, and one could vaguely see one's own shadow on the water.
The guard rowed the small boat towards the exquisitely decorated boat in the middle of the river.
He Yan lowered her head and said nothing. The guard couldn't help but look back at He Yan. He saw the girl sitting at the stern of the boat, sitting upright. Her hands were tied behind her back, motionless. As if sensing his gaze, she raised her head and glanced at him. The guard shivered, and the oar in his hand almost fell into the river.
That glance was really cold. He couldn't describe that feeling. It was like a dead person was looking at him blankly. The sound of the waves on the river was like a dream, making her seem even more ghostly.
It was really too strange. The guard was anxious. She didn't speak much, didn't ask anything, and was unusually quiet. Ordinary women would at least ask a question or two at this time, right? But He Yan didn't. She was like a quiet puppet, so quiet that she didn't seem like a living person.
The water sparkled in the night like a whirlpool, bringing her thoughts back to that day when He Wanru's people pressed her head down and she drowned in the pond.
In the past, she could swim and was good at it. But today, at this moment, her tense nerves told her that she was afraid of water.
She was afraid of falling into this small boat, afraid of being sucked into the endless whirlpool, afraid that she would never be able to break out of the water. She was afraid that she would see the sky getting farther and farther away from her, but she couldn't do anything. She was afraid that this life would come to an abrupt end like her previous life.
She was disgusted by her cowardice and fear at this moment, but she couldn't think of any other way. She could only sit on the boat and silently let the guard take her to the magnificent boat.
This boat should be a rich family's boat. It was smaller than a junk boat, but much bigger than a fisherman's boat. The guard took He Yan to the boat, opened the curtain of the boat, and took He Yan in. Then he rowed the small boat away, as if he had received orders and didn't dare to approach.
He Yan stared at the person in front of him.
Fan Cheng had also dressed up meticulously today. His clothes were extremely gaudy and luxurious. Inside the cabin, incense and colorful lanterns were placed. The lights were misty, and the cabin was soft and fluffy. As soon as one entered, they could feel a charming and gentle fragrance.
He Yan struggled out of the whirlpool in his mind. He looked at Fan Cheng and said, "Master Fan."
Fan Cheng walked over and sat her down on a chair, saying, "A He, you've been wronged."
He Yan said nothing.
"I didn't expect that woman to be so vicious. She actually kidnapped you and locked you in the house. If I hadn't ordered people to protect you in secret and immediately called for people to rescue you after learning about this, the consequences would have been unimaginable. A He, now you should understand my painstaking efforts, right? "Fan Cheng lamented.
He Yan looked at the ropes around her feet. He shook his head and said, "I don't understand."
From beginning to end, whether it was Fan Cheng's bodyguards who took her out of the house, into the carriage, or onto the ship, he didn't untie He Yan's ropes.
The coarse rope had long since abraded her wrists, but she didn't feel any pain. She was just speechless.
"I was afraid that you would misunderstand me and refuse to get on the ship. That's why I didn't untie you." Fan Cheng followed her gaze and hurriedly explained. Although he said this, he didn't do anything else.
"We're on the ship." He Yan smiled. "I won't run. You can untie me."
Her smile was like the morning sun reflecting the snow. It was indescribably bright and beautiful. Fan Cheng looked at her in a daze. He thought to himself, "My goodness, I wonder how He Yan grew up. She's become more and more moving. She's even more valiant and heroic than before."
Thinking like this, his heart itched even more. He reached out to touch He Yan's face. He Yan turned her head and he missed. His smile froze. He squatted down and looked at He Yan. "It's not that I don't want to let you go. A He, you need to know your current situation."
"My wife was born jealous. She definitely won't let you go. Even if you return to the He Family today, she will still find a way to find you tomorrow. My father-in-law is a manager. Your father is only a military officer. If you want to find trouble, there will be plenty of opportunities. Let's not talk about this for now. The most important thing is you. "
"You're a girl with no one to protect you. Once she catches you, she will definitely find a way to torture you. I... can't bear to see you like this."
Fan Cheng looked at her affectionately. "How can I just watch you suffer?"
"Oh?" He Yan's tied hands were slowly undoing the ropes. She calmly asked in return, "Then what do you plan to do?"
Seeing that her tone had changed, Fan Cheng was overjoyed. Without thinking, he said, "I want to hide you in a safe place. Normally, there will still be servants to serve you. This way, my wife won't be able to find you. After a long time, I will divorce that woman and bring you back to the Fan Family. At that time, you will be the head wife of the Fan Family. No one will dare to bully you. "
"Head wife?" He Yan asked.
"That's right." Fan Cheng touched his chest. "A He, I swear to you that you are the only one in my heart. If this marriage hadn't been set, I wouldn't have married her! Don't worry, I will only love you in this life. I, Fan Cheng's wife, will only be you. But you will have to wait... "
He Yan heard this and laughed softly.
Fan Cheng was stunned.
"You want me to be your mistress," she said indifferently.
If the real Lady He was here, she would have been moved to tears by this vow. But she wasn't Lady He. The onlooker sees more clearly than the person involved. If a man wanted to deceive a woman, he would say any kind of nonsense. Why would Fan Cheng want to take her as his head wife? He just wanted to deceive her first.
She didn't know if He Wanru looked at her the same way she looked at Lady He when she was focused on Xu Zhiheng back then.
"A He, you..." Fan Cheng frowned.
"Master Fan, I've already made myself very clear. Since you're already married, I'll also let go of the past. From this bridge, we'll go our separate ways. I have no intention of being your head wife, so I hope you won't pester me. "
After saying this, she loosened the knot on her hand and opened it.
Fan Cheng didn't see the rope on the ground. He looked at her in surprise, then suddenly sneered. "He Yan, you really don't want to do things the hard way. I've been coaxing you nicely, but you're still angry! Pester me? There are so many women in the world. Why should I pester someone like you? But the time and effort I've spent on you can't be wasted! "
"Master Fan, you wouldn't want me to give you silver, right?" He Yan found it funny.
"This master doesn't lack money. You can use yourself to repay me." He revealed a vulgar smile. "If you serve me well, I might even reward you with some silver."
He Yan hadn't opened her mouth when she suddenly heard a furious voice. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting!"
He Yan looked over in surprise. The curtain was lifted, and a drenched person walked in with large strides. It was He Yunsheng.