Chapter 1: Making Me Your Concubine, Are You Worthy?

  In the middle of the deep, silent night.

    Everything in heaven and earth has fallen into a deep sleep.

    A rustling sound echoed in her ears, followed by a warm sensation gradually approaching, abruptly awakening Shen Ning from her dreams.

    She opened her eyes to darkness, but felt warm, hurried breaths on her neck, and a hand brazenly reaching for her collar…

    Shen Ning’s gaze turned icy, and she precisely grabbed the intruder’s neck, her voice cold and eerie in the night: “Who are you?”

    The man let out a stifled groan, then spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and tinged with guilt and unease, “Ning… Ning, it’s me, I’m sorry, I—”

    Bang!

    Shen Ning fiercely kicked the man in the chest, mercilessly sending him flying.

    “Someone, come.” Her icy command hid a trace of barely perceptible killing intent, “Light the lamp.”

    As the lamp in the bedroom lit up, Shen Ning saw a young man with gentle features sprawled on the ground, his face full of shock and panic.

    “M-Miss… Miss Shen…” The servant girl, who had lit the lamp, knelt beside them, trembling, not expecting to witness such a scene, “Young Master Qin, what are you doing here?”

    “Leave.” Qin Yanshu gritted his teeth and ordered, then stood up from the ground, his throat aching from being grabbed, his voice sounding somewhat strange.

    The servant girl looked at Qin Yanshu, then turned to Shen Ning. Without waiting for Shen Ning to speak, she silently lowered her head and retreated.

    “Qin Yanshu, what do you think you’re doing?” Shen Ning’s gaze was as cold as frost, “The Qin family’s young master, renowned in the capital for being ‘as gentle as jade’, has also learned to be a flower thief?”

    A look of embarrassment flashed across Qin Yanshu’s face, followed by a hint of irritation: “Must you speak so harshly? We are engaged to be married—”

“If I remember correctly, the Qin family withdrew the engagement yesterday.”

“That was my mother’s decision.” Qin Yanshu walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, his eyes filled with apology. He reached out to touch Shen Ning’s face, “Ning, you know I care for you, it’s just… it’s just that you’ve lost your purity, and my mother insists on the withdrawal, I couldn’t do anything about it…”

Shen Ning caught his wandering hand, her gaze mocking, “So you snuck into my room in the middle of the night to make a done deal, so your mother couldn’t object?”

Qin Yanshu lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, not sure if he was feeling guilty or just found it hard to speak, “Even… even if you can’t be the main wife, I’ll keep a concubine’s title for you, Ning, believe me, I’ll treat you well, I won’t look down on you for being violated by bandits…”

“Making me a concubine.” Shen Ning sneered coldly, her eyes full of ridicule, “Qin Yanshu, are you worthy?”

Qin Yanshu’s expression changed, and in his anger and embarrassment, he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, “Shen Ning, other men can touch you, but I can’t? You’ve lost your purity, why pretend to be a chaste woman? Don’t forget, we were engaged to be married—”

Slap!

Shen Ning’s gaze was cold and fierce as she slapped Qin Yanshu hard across the face, then leaped off the bed. Taking advantage of Qin Yanshu’s moment of stupor, she kicked him straight in the chest!

Qin Yanshu flew out like a kite with its string cut.

Bang!

Qin Yanshu crashed to the ground again, even harder than the first time, so hard that his vision went black, and his bones felt like they were falling apart, his whole body in agony.

Shen Ning got up and put on her clothes, looking down at Qin Yanshu’s pathetic state.

The eldest son of a self-proclaimed noble family, the gentlemanly and refined young master in the eyes of the capital’s noble ladies and gentlemen, at this moment, was nothing more than a shameless scoundrel.

Sneaking into a woman’s room in the middle of the night to be a flower thief?

Shen Ning’s expression turned cold, and she stepped on the back of his hand, grinding it harshly.

“Ah!” Qin Yanshu screamed in pain, his hand convulsing from the intense pain, his face pale, “My hand, my hand…”

“What’s going on?” At that moment, a chaotic sound of footsteps came from outside, “What’s all the noise?”

“What happened?”

Shen Ning looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly.

A large group of people, dressed neatly, rushed over, showing no signs of having just been awakened from sleep.

From her grandmother to her parents, to her elder brother and younger sister, almost the entire Shen family had turned out and arrived at her not-so-large bedroom.

At this quiet time of night when they should have been asleep, they had arrived quite quickly.

“Shen Ning.” The Shen family matriarch, old Lady Shen, leaning on her cane, walked in with a stern and cold demeanor, “What’s going on here?”

“Brother-in-law?” Shen Yan, the second daughter of the Shen family, looked at Qin Yanshu lying on the ground, her expression one of surprise, “Brother-in-law, what’s wrong with you?”

Shen Shian, the elder brother of the Shen family, his face slightly changed, quickly helped Qin Yanshu up, “Are you alright?”

“Shen Ning.” Shen Yunlin, the head of the Shen family, looked coldly at his daughter, “What exactly is going on here?”

Shen Ning looked expressionlessly at her family members, her eyes filled with sarcasm, “In the dead of night, Young Master Qin appeared in my room. Shouldn’t you be asking what he intended to do? Why are you questioning me instead?”

“Impudence!” Shen Yunlin’s face turned cold, “You’ve lost your purity, and according to the rules, you should have taken your own life to preserve the family’s honor. Yanshu, out of consideration for your past relationship, is willing not to pursue the matter and has promised to take you as a concubine. Instead of being grateful, you dare to use violence against him?”

Mrs. Shen, Shen Ning’s mother did not look pleased, “Ning, quickly apologize to Young Master Qin. He has always liked you and won’t hold it against you.”

“Eldest sister.” Shen Yan, walked up to her and gently advised, “Brother-in-law truly cares for you. Madam Qin originally wanted to withdraw the engagement, saying that the Qin family, being a noble and pure family, would never accept a woman whose purity has been tainted. Brother-in-law couldn’t go against his mother, but he really couldn’t bear to part with you, so he resorted to this last-ditch effort. Eldest sister, you should… you should just agree to him.”

Shen Ning stared coldly at her, the chill emanating from her eyes was chilling.

Shen Yan felt her heart palpitate with fear and unconsciously took a step back, speaking in a pitiful manner, “I… I’m doing this for your own good. Even if you’re unwilling, there’s no need to look at me like that.”

Shen Ning’s eyes showed understanding as she looked at her father, “So his behavior tonight was tacitly approved by you.”

The Shen family, being a household of high-ranking officials, without their tacit approval, how could Qin Yanshu have evaded the layers of defense and so easily sneaked into her bedroom?

Shen Yunlin avoided her gaze and said coldly, “Yanshu won’t harm you.”

Huh.

They spoke of her being defiled by bandits, sneaking into her room in the dead of night, intending to commit an indecent act against a woman, and yet spoke in a tone as if she should be grateful and not look down on him.

He wouldn’t harm her?

What a joke.

Shen Ning’s hands at her sides clenched, her voice as cold as the winter frost, “I will never be a concubine to Qin Yanshu.”

“Shen Ning!” Shen Shian’s eyes showed disgust, “You refuse to be a concubine, do you think anyone would still want to marry you as their main wife? Don’t dream on! This time, you’ve utterly disgraced the Shen family. If it weren’t for mother’s deep affection for you, the only thing waiting for you would be a white silk rope!”

A fierce aura appeared in Shen Ning’s eyes, but she restrained the murderous intent churning in her heart, “Get out, all of you.”

“Shen Ning, you’re being insolent!” Shen Yunlin’s face was grim, his anger showing the demeanor of the head of the family, “I’ll give you three days to think about it. Whether to marry Qin Yanshu as a concubine or to hang yourself with a white silk rope, you choose!”

“There’s no need for three days.” Old Lady Shen struck her cane hard, her expression terrifyingly grim, “As the eldest daughter, having your purity violated is already a great shame to the Shen family. Yanshu not holding it against you and willing to take you as a concubine is already a great favor. How dare you defy us? Someone, come!”

Two sturdy maids walked in from outside and bowed to await orders.

“Tie up the eldest miss, and at dawn tomorrow, arrange a sedan chair to send her to the Qin family.” The matriarch commanded coldly, “If she dares to resist, beat her to death, no questions asked!”

Mrs. Shen, Shen Ning’s mother’s eyes were complex, showing reluctance, disgust, and a hint of detachment. In the end, she only left a sentence, “Ning, just listen to your grandmother and father. Yanshu is a good match, he will protect you. You should consider it carefully.”