Chapter 2 — Unwittingly Adrift

Throughout all those words, his gaze remained fixed intently upon my face. Yet I merely cast a cold, indifferent glance in his direction, then replied with serene detachment, "Oh." Bui Ngoc froze in place. After a long moment, he let out a harsh, chilling scoff, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.

True to his word, Bui Ngoc began frequenting the Tran household with increasing frequency. Tran Tuyen Nhi was the sole daughter of Grand Tutor Tran, possessed of delicate beauty and a prestigious lineage. The very first time she set foot in the Bui estate, I happened to be sitting in the courtyard reading a book. She wore a goose-yellow outer gown, with a pendant of rich jade hanging from her waist; every movement she made exuded the dignified grace of a well-bred young lady from a noble household. Tran Tuyen Nhi glanced sidelong at me before turning to Bui Ngoc.

"Is she the orphan adopted by your family?"

Bui Ngoc only answered with a cold, perfunctory hum. Tran Tuyen Nhi let out a soft laugh.

"She certainly possesses a certain allure."

"No wonder you have kept her by your side all these years."

Bui Ngoc furrowed his brows slightly.

"Tuyen Nhi, do not speak nonsense. I did not raise her; it was the Bui family who raised her."

Tran Tuyen Nhi looped her arm through his, wearing a gentle, magnanimous smile.

"I am hardly speaking falsely."

She deliberately raised her voice, making sure every single word carried over to where I sat.

"Young Master Bui can rest easy. I merely view her as a humble servant girl, so I shall not take any of this to heart."

I lowered my gaze slightly. In their eyes... Perhaps I was nothing more than an orphan living on charity, a servant girl within this grand estate, and a mere plaything meant to amuse them through the nights. I gripped the book in my hand tightly, turned around, and walked back to my chambers.

From that day onward, I quietly prepared to leave. I gathered every last coin of small change I had saved up over the years and counted them over. It was not much, but it would suffice for me to escape the capital, travel to some distant place where no one knew my face, and begin a completely new life. Carefully, I wrapped the sole jade hairpin left behind by my mother in a cloth and tucked it close to my heart. My father’s old inkstone was far too heavy for me to carry along. I had no choice but to leave it resting beside my pillow, stroking it gently one final time. The stone was as cold as ice, and my heart felt no different.

When all preparations were complete, I chose the exact day when Bui Ngoc was scheduled to attend a banquet at the Tran estate. Taking advantage of the lingering daylight, I slipped quietly out of the Bui residence. I walked breathlessly all the way to the city gates. The crimson clouds at the horizon burned like fire, staining half the sky a brilliant red. Yet before I could even cross the threshold and step outside the city, the thunderous clatter of approaching hooves sounded from behind.

"Lam Nuoc!"

Bui Ngoc swung down from his horse and strode rapidly toward me. His complexion was ashen, his garments slightly disheveled, making it painfully obvious that he had abruptly abandoned the banquet just to chase after me. He clamped his hand around my wrist.

"The servants told me you left the estate, so I rode after you immediately."

"Tell me, where on earth are you planning to go?"

I drew in a deep breath.

"Anywhere is fine, as long as... I am no longer by your side."

Bui Ngoc’s pupils contracted violently.

"Why?"

I offered a faint, humorless smile.

"I am merely a servant girl, why should Young Master possibly care?"

Words failed Bui Ngoc; he stared fixedly at me, his chest heaving heavily. After a very long time, he finally loosened his grip on my wrist, stepping back a pace as if fighting to suppress some overwhelming impulse, his voice turning raw and hoarse.

"Return to the Bui estate with me."

"If you dislike it so much, I shall never see Tran Tuyen Nhi again."

I remained standing in silence, unmoving. A sudden flash of anger ignited in Bui Ngoc’s eyes.

"Just what is it that you want me to do?"

I met his gaze calmly.

"You do not need to do anything at all."

"I simply... no longer wish to remain your plaything."

Bui Ngoc’s entire frame trembled violently. His lips parted and quivered several times before he abruptly scooped me up into his arms and hoisted me directly onto the saddle of his horse. He vaulted up behind me with swift agility, his voice dripping with icy coldness.

"If you wish to die, do not go dying outside."

After a brief pause, he added in a chilling tone, "Dying outside would only bring disgrace upon the Bui family."

I was brought back to the Bui estate by force. He locked me away inside my room, stationing guards outside to ensure I could not take even a single step beyond the threshold. For several nights running, Bui Ngoc came. He would stand outside my door for a very long time, yet in the end, he never pushed the door open to enter.

I remained confined for five full days. Throughout those five days, the final words my father had spoken before drawing his last breath echoed ceaselessly in my mind.

"Nuoc Nuoc, you are a daughter of the Lam family."

"To live as a human being requires a spine and integrity. Better to die in poverty and destitution than to live bowing and scraping before others."

My father had spoken the truth. Yet it was that very same father who had entrusted me to the care of the Bui family. He had forced me to spend my youth living beneath another’s roof, constantly walking on eggshells and swallowing my pride. How, then, could I ever hope to live with my head held high? I did not even possess the dignity required to resist. I had only ever had Bui Ngoc... yet in his eyes, I was nothing more than an appendage to his life—a toy for him to touch whenever he pleased, to scold at a whim, and to use however he desired.

Several days later, the elder Madame Bui came to visit me. Bearing a bowl of white fungus soup, she let out a soft, melancholic sigh.

"Nuoc Nuoc, Ngoc- nhi truly holds affection for you."

"It is only that men are notoriously clumsy with sweet words."

"Do not hold a grudge against him anymore."

I accepted the bowl of soup but made no move to drink. The elder Madame Bui continued gently, "You may rest easy; the marriage pact between our two families remains intact."

"Once Ngoc- nhi settles matters with the Tran household, your aunt will personally see to arranging your wedding."

I lowered my head and answered softly, "Aunt... I no longer wish to marry him."

The elder Madame Bui froze in absolute shock.

"Did you not always care for Ngoc- nhi the most?"

I cast my eyes down, my lashes veiling my expression.

"Now... I no longer care for him at all."

A few days later, the Bui estate welcomed a distinguished guest. The visitor was none other than the newly minted top scholar of the imperial examinations, Shen Thanh Dien. According to the gossip whispered among the maidservants, the top scholar was not only an old classmate of Bui Ngoc from their academy days, but the two families also shared distant ties of kinship.