Chapter 2: Escape from Death

There are 108 types of punishments in the Ministry of Justice. Anyone who offends the villain ends up imprisoned, and the only person to ever leave alive was the heroine. Even then, she was beaten so severely that her skin was torn and her flesh exposed, all to emphasize just how cruel the villain was.

But now, Xia Tong was the one walking into certain death. She couldn’t care less about her uncles or extended family—she just wanted to find a remote mountain to hide in. Unfortunately, she couldn’t abandon the original owner’s parents either.

As they neared the Regent’s mansion, Xia Zhian looked at his daughter solemnly in the carriage and said, “The decision to break off the engagement with the Gu family was made by your grandfather. However, it was still our mistake. When we meet the Regent, you mustn’t speak out of turn. I’ll mention the friendship I had with his father and hope that the Regent might spare the Xia family out of old friendship.”

Hearing this, Xia Tong remained silent, though her mind raced. She thought her father was too naive. Bringing up past relations would likely only make their situation worse. The villain hated everyone at this point, and the more they mentioned the past, the more miserable their fate would be. The chances of them walking out alive were next to none.

When the carriage finally stopped, both father and daughter tensed. Xia Zhian, with furrowed brows, seemed to have steeled himself, lifting the curtain and stepping out. Xia Tong took a deep breath, preparing herself for what felt like a march to the gallows.

The imposing characters on the plaque reading Regent’s Mansion stood out, and the surrounding streets were eerily empty. The chill in the air made the hairs on Xia Tong’s neck stand on end. After her father handed over his identification plaque, it wasn’t long before a middle-aged man with a warm smile appeared from within the gates. He was likely the butler of the household. He didn’t act arrogantly or try to intimidate them, even courteously bowing in greeting to her father.

The butler greeted Xia Zhian with a respectful bow, saying, “I’ve seen the esteemed Lord Xia.”

“Please rise, Butler Lin,” Xia Zhian quickly helped the man up. How could he dare to accept the other person’s courtesy?

“It’s like this. I want to see the Regent for something. Could you please pass on the message?” Xia Zhian said as he pushed a pouch over.

The butler accepted it without hesitation, and glanced at Xia Tong with a smile on his face. The woman was slender and beautiful, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

It seemed that Lord Xia was quite perceptive, coming to curry favor with their master upon returning to the capital. Whether this was the Xia family’s intention was uncertain. However, it was a pity that while she was beautiful, their master had no interest in such charms.

“The master has not yet returned, Why don’t you come inside and wait for a moment?” Butler Lin offered politely.

Xia Zhian hesitated for a moment, then, remembering his purpose, nodded in agreement and led Xia Tong into the mansion.

Contrary to the lavish rumors circulating outside, the Regent’s mansion was simply spacious. Yet, Xia Tong felt a chill, as if countless eyes were watching her from the shadows.

Upon entering the main hall, the butler instructed someone to brew tea for them. He then turned to Xia Tong, saying, “The main hall is boring. Miss, you can go to the back garden for a walk.”

Without waiting for her response, he signaled a maid to guide her out. Xia Tong, understanding the hint, followed the maid outside.

Once she was gone, the butler exchanged polite smiles with Xia Zhian. He knew their master disliked having women around, and he didn’t dare to keep her in the hall.

Although puzzled by the butler’s intentions, Xia Tong obediently followed the maid to the back garden. The sun was a bit too strong, so she squatted by a small pond, lost in thought as she watched the fish swimming beneath the surface.

“Miss, do you like fish, miss? How about I bring you some fish food?” the maid said considerately.

Surprised by the maid’s attentiveness—so unlike those in the villain’s residence—Xia Tong smiled and nodded.

As soon as the maid left, she could no longer hold back her frustration. She sighed heavily, picking up some pebbles and tossing them into the pond, watching the ripples dance across the water’s surface.

Even if they are not villains, she will take revenge on those who have humiliated her, let alone a big villain who kills people without blinking an eye. She just doesn’t know how the other party will deal with them. She doesn’t want to go to the Ministry of Justice, otherwise she might as well jump in and drown.

The more she thought about it, the more despair filled her heart. Watching the fish dart back and forth, she whispered, “So this is what it feels like to be at someone’s mercy.”

On the very first day of her arrival in this world, she was already staring death in the face. Was she the most tragic character in the history of transmigration?

“This fish seems fresh,” a cold, detached voice interrupted her thoughts.

Startled, Xia Tong turned around and saw the butler beckoning someone from behind him. “Quickly, send all the fish from the pond to the kitchen.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Under the sunlight, a tall man in a luxurious black robe stood before her, his features sharp and emotionless. His bottomless dark eyes fixed on her. Xia Tong’s breath caught. Her footing faltered, and she slipped, falling into the water with a splash.

“Help… help me!” She gasped, choking on water as she flailed her arms, desperately trying to stay afloat, but all she could see was the indifferent expression on the shore.

As her struggles weakened, the butler risked a glance at his unmoved master but remained silent, knowing too well that deaths in this mansion were not uncommon.

The people following behind held their breaths, not daring to make a sound, their foreheads glistening with cold sweat.

As half of Xia Tong’s face submerged, the water settled into a deceptive calm. The man calmly turned a jade ring on his finger and began to walk away, his voice as unhurried as ever, “Pull her out.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” The butler immediately lowered his head and waved his hand to let others rescue the person.

As the imposing figure walked further away, the butler sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from his brow. It seemed their master was in a good mood today.

*

When Xia Tong regained consciousness, the first thing she saw was her mother’s worried face. Before she could speak, her mother grabbed her hand and asked anxiously, “How do you feel? Are you feeling unwell?”

Recognizing the familiar decor around her, she realized she was back in her own room. Xia Tong coughed a couple of times, then propped herself up and looked around. “Daughter is fine. Where’s Father?”

Could it be that her father didn’t escape?!

“Your father is in the study.” As she spoke, Madam Liu glanced around and leaned closer, lowering her voice. “What happened? Your father said you didn’t even meet the Regent, yet you suddenly fell into the water. Thankfully, Butler Lin had someone save you, but how did you end up in the pond?”

Hearing that her father was safe, Xia Tong relaxed slightly. But the memory of the suffocating water and that man, who exudes an aura of darkness, sent shivers down her spine. She was still sweating profusely, fearing that the fish in the pond symbolized her own fate. She definitely didn’t want to end up in the kitchen!

Seeing her pale face, Madam Liu anxiously reached to check her forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, Mother.” Xia Tong quickly grasped her mother’s hand, forcing a smile as she trembled. “But the Regent isn’t a good person. We… we should run away quickly.”

The room fell silent, the last rays of sunlight fading outside. The dim candlelight flickered gently as Madam Liu gasped, covering Xia Tong’s mouth and glancing nervously around. When she confirmed that no one was listening, she sighed in relief.

Yet, with a serious expression, she whispered, “You mustn’t say such things carelessly. It could endanger the entire Xia family.”

Xia Tong blinked, despair etched on her face. If they didn’t run now, they would inevitably end up like the fish in that pond!

“Although your father hasn’t met the Regent, at least he hasn’t caused any trouble for him, which suggests there’s still room for negotiation,” Madam Liu said, furrowing her brow as she comforted Xia Tong with a pat on the hand.

Xia Tong didn’t know how to explain. That was the villain, after all! She had no idea how she managed to survive today, but she could tell he had no intention of saving her. She wasn’t the heroine. There was no way she could withstand the villain’s whims.

“But—”

“Miss, the Old Madam is calling for you,” Qing’er announced from outside.

Xia Tong paused, feeling exhausted at the thought of that elderly matriarch. It was true that she was caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Go on, don’t overthink today’s events. Your father and I will protect you,” Madam Liu said, gently ruffling her hair, her face still holding onto a semblance of grace and concern.

Reluctantly, Xia Tong nodded, got up to freshen up, and followed Qing’er to the Old Madam’s courtyard.

Her father had three brothers. While they seemed friendly on the surface, the relationships were quite complicated. The Old Madam favored her eldest uncle the most, who had inherited her grandfather’s title. With two sons of his own, he was even more favored, while the girls were merely pawns in marriage alliances.

Upon entering the Old Madam’s courtyard, she was greeted by peals of laughter coming from inside. It was clear that her third uncle’s daughter, Xia Min, was there.

As she stepped inside, she saw several people seated. Her aunts were present, but her mother was conspicuously absent, showing how much the Old Madam despised her mother.

“Tong’er greets grandmother and several aunts.” She bowed as she entered the door.

She was a striking young woman with a delicate, oval face, unmistakably beautiful. The other guests exchanged glances, but only the elderly matriarch’s eyes sparkled with interest. She waved her hand amiably. “Rise. I heard you called for a doctor today. Are you unwell?”

“Such a delicate flower, truly hard to care for,” remarked a beautiful woman in a blue dress beside the old lady, sneering slightly.

At this, the Old Madam shot her a sharp look. Xia Tong slowly rose, replying earnestly, “I merely suffered from the heat, thank you for your concern, Grandmother.”

Just then, a cheerful middle-aged woman couldn’t help but interject, “How forgetful of me! Suzhou isn’t as hot as the capital, so it’s understandable you couldn’t handle it. I’ll have someone bring you some ice, and if you need anything, just let your aunt know.”

A stool was brought over, and Xia Tong sat down, nodding slightly to the woman. “Thank you, Aunt.”

“Humph! She’s a spoiled one, harder to please than a princess,” the woman in blue huffed again.

“Min’er!” Aunt Zhang scolded her daughter with a glare.

With the Fourth Young Lady’s looks, the Old Madam would surely take notice. Didn’t she see that the other girls were keeping quiet? Why did her daughter have to be so foolish?

As the atmosphere grew tense, the Old Madam surveyed the room and suddenly spoke up, “In a few days, it will be the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Does anyone wish to attend and broaden their horizons?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Min eagerly started massaging the old lady’s back, her voice sweet. “Grandmother, I want to go with you.”

Everyone else’s interest was piqued. Who wouldn’t want to meet members of the royal family? The other girls began to stir with excitement, while Xia Tong remained indifferent. Even though the hero and heroine would meet there for the first time, she didn’t want to participate in the development of the plot. Besides, the villain would definitely be there too. She would be crazy to go there and hang around.

Scanning the room, the old lady’s gaze suddenly fell on Xia Tong, her eyes narrowing. “And what about you, Tong’er?”