An Ning was awakened by a scream. She opened her eyes abruptly to find Xue Yunlan, who had been beside her, gone.
"Yunlan..." she called out loudly.
There was no answer. She shuffled to the edge of the bed, using it to help herself stand. Though unsteady, she could finally stand. Moving slowly towards the door, she heard the screams coming from outside.
The door was ajar. Through the gap, she saw Xue Yunlan pinned to the ground by a tall man.
Xue Yunlan struggled, but her frail body was no match for him.
Her clothes were torn to shreds, yet Xue Yunlan desperately held on, shouting angrily, "Let go of me..."
Soon, Xue Yunlan was left with only her inner garment. The man got up, and the madam stepped forward. "Girl, Mother advises you to be obedient. Otherwise, the next step will be to strip you bare."
Xue Yunlan looked up, her eyes filled with anger and hatred. "As long as I live to leave here one day, I will raze this place to the ground."
The madam laughed heartily. "Oh, such bold words from this girl. Very well, Mother will wait. But..."
The madam's expression turned cold. "Now that you are here with Mother, you must obey me."
"Da Zhuang, you take care of this girl," the madam said, turning to Da Zhuang, who was already impatient.
"Madam, just watch how well Da Zhuang trains this girl."
The madam nodded. "Don't train her too hard. Mother still expects her to earn good money for Yu Chun Tower."
"Don't worry, Madam..." Da Zhuang said, rubbing his hands.
With that, Da Zhuang walked towards Xue Yunlan step by step. Xue Yunlan, terrified, scrambled backward, but her path was blocked by a wall. She turned her head to see Da Zhuang approaching her.
"Go away, go away, don't come near..." Xue Yunlan screamed.
At that moment, she finally understood. Without her status, without her skills, she was nothing.
Da Zhuang grabbed Xue Yunlan by the hair and dragged her to the ground. He looked at Xue Yunlan, who was on the floor, with a grinning mockery. "Girl, why don't you play with your Da Zhuang master?"
Xue Yunlan shook her head, screaming in terror, "No..."
Da Zhuang stepped forward and pinned Xue Yunlan in his embrace. With a forceful tug, Xue Yunlan's skin was exposed to the air. She covered herself tightly, tears falling one by one.
"Girl, be good, and Master Da Zhuang will be gentle."
Da Zhuang pulled down his trousers and was about to proceed.
"Wait..." a cool voice called out, tinged with a trace of anger.
The door was kicked open, and a figure lunged towards Da Zhuang, crashing into him forcefully.
Caught off guard by the collision, Da Zhuang rolled to the side.
An Ning placed herself in front of Xue Yunlan and looked at the madam, saying coldly, "I want to make a deal with you."
The madam looked at the suddenly appearing An Ning, a smile playing on her lips. "Speak, what conditions do you have? As long as they are not excessive, Mother will try her best to satisfy you."
"I can do as you say, but let her go."
Hearing this, the madam sneered, "Girl, you are in Yu Chun Tower. Do you think Mother fears your threats?"
"Yes, you don't need to, but my body and skin are gifts from my parents. My life belongs to me. If Mother disagrees, I have many ways to end my life."
The madam was slightly taken aback. This time, she reassessed the young girl before her.
The girl's delicate face was calm and composed, as if she were not in such a place, for she showed no fear at all.
Her eyes were clear and transparent.
The madam knew that such a woman was rare. If she could be willing to earn money for her, she would be her cash cow.
"Letting her go is impossible. Once you enter Yu Chun Tower, unless you die, you can never leave for the rest of your life," the madam said word by word.
"I am in need of a maid. Let her be my maid," An Ning said.
The madam thought for a moment before replying, "Alright."
"Can the ropes on me be untied now?" An Ning asked.
The madam nodded and stepped forward, smiling happily. "If everyone who comes here were as agreeable as you, girl, Mother wouldn't have to hear such mournful screams every night."
An Ning glanced at the madam. "No one wishes to fall into such a place."
The madam looked up at her and chuckled softly. "What's so bad about this place?"
"To see all the vicissitudes of life?"
The madam was slightly stunned, then smiled. "It seems the girl sees things very clearly. I haven't asked for the girl's name."
"Does it matter?" An Ning retorted.
The madam said, "You are ranked seventh. From now on, you will be called Qi Ling."
An Ning ignored the madam and instead turned to help Xue Yunlan up, then entered the room. As she closed the door, a voice called out, "Please ask Mother to send clothes and food later."
Closing the door, An Ning helped Xue Yunlan to the bed. Xue Yunlan suddenly grabbed her hand and said, "I've caused you trouble."
An Ning shook her head. "This is not your fault. We can't escape anyway. It's better to be compliant and make life more comfortable for ourselves."
"But... you really..." Xue Yunlan didn't finish. This was no place for people to stay.
An Ning sighed. "We'll take it one step at a time. I need my freedom now. Only with freedom can I do certain things."
Xue Yunlan was startled. "What do you want to do?"
"Yunlan, do you remember when I asked the Desolate Marsh Empress about the whereabouts of my second elder sister, and the Empress mentioned the character 'Yu'?"
Xue Yunlan nodded. "Yes, I heard it too, but what does it have to do with Yu Chun Tower..."
Suddenly, she was startled and looked up at An Ning, as if a realization dawned. "Are you saying your second elder sister and eldest sister might be here?"
An Ning nodded. "Yes, I have this suspicion, but I need to confirm it."
However, before she could confirm if An Ru and An Ping were here, the madam arrived at her room, smiling. "Jiu Ling, your good fortune has arrived. A young master has specifically requested your service."
An Ning's gaze flickered. She hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
The madam noticed her expression, her smile fading as she said coldly, "Jiu Ling, don't forget what you promised Mother. Otherwise..."
"I haven't forgotten, but isn't it too soon? I'm not ready yet," An Ning said.
The madam smiled. "It's alright. Zi Yun, come and help the young lady dress."
Soon, under the madam's watchful eye, An Ning was elaborately dressed.
"Let's go, Jiu Ling," the madam said, looking with satisfaction at the beautiful young woman before her.
"An Ning..." Xue Yunlan called out worriedly from behind.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," An Ning said, patting Xue Yunlan's hand before turning to leave.
The madam went out and instructed people to keep an eye on Xue Yunlan in the room.
Once it was quiet outside, Xue Yunlan opened her palm, revealing a dagger.