Yan Yan stood at the study door, tea tray in hand. Her fingers had just brushed against the carved doorknob when she heard Mother Zhao's deliberately hushed laughter from within.
"Old Madam Qi, you can rest assured. The girl is excellent, beautiful and a good student. Her family is dirt poor, easy to control." Mother Zhao's voice was filled with smug satisfaction. "Good genes, high IQ. Mingyuan will definitely agree to marry her. After the wedding, they'll have a baby, and I'll be content."
The celadon cup on the tea tray suddenly felt scalding. Yan Yan instinctively wanted to retreat, but the following words rooted her to the spot.
"I just don't know about Mingyuan and Sili..." Mother Zhao's tone suddenly became hesitant. "That model last time, Mingyuan didn't even enter the room... And the little actress, the noble lady... So many have failed. I'm afraid this time will be a waste of effort too!"
A raspy, cold laugh came from the other end of the phone, Old Madam Qi's. "They won't get to mess around! Our Qi Family's lineage is dwindling, and your Zhao Family has only had one son for three generations. Are you really going to let the line die out?"
Yan Yan's breath hitched.
"This time is different," Mother Zhao's voice suddenly dropped. "It's all written in the prenuptial agreement..."
The tea tray clattered to the carpet. Yan Yan fumbled to pick it up, and looked up to face Mother Zhao, who had abruptly pulled open the study door.
"How long have you been standing there?" Mother Zhao's eyes were like knives.
"J-just arrived..." Yan Yan stammered, her fingers unconsciously twisting her apron. Those words were exploding in her mind—two men? Together?
Mother Zhao narrowed her eyes, suddenly reaching out to pinch her chin: "What, you've never seen men who like men?"
Yan Yan's ears burned red. In their village, men were supposed to marry and have children when they reached a certain age; she'd never even heard of such a thing.
"Did you read the prenuptial agreement carefully?" Mother Zhao sneered, "If you don't remember the terms, go back and read them again..." She paused meaningfully, "It's not too late to back out now."
Yan Yan suddenly understood why the compensation was so high. She had thought... she hadn't expected... but now... a wave of nausea rose in her stomach.
"Scared?" Mother Zhao released her, pulling a check from the drawer. "Your father's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and the chief surgeon is Director Li from Huashan Hospital." She lightly tapped the check onto Yan Yan's trembling hand, "Now, go and make the tea again."
When Yan Yan walked out of the study, her body felt as if all its strength had been drained. Her legs were weak, and she could barely stand. Her eyes were dazed and filled with fear, as if she had lost her way. In the oil painting on the corridor wall, two shepherd boys were playing by a stream. She suddenly understood what the intertwined fingers in the painting meant, and a sharp pain pierced her heart.
A flash of lightning illuminated her pale face, and her body involuntarily trembled. Those exorbitant fees hadn't just bought her marriage; they'd bought her entire understanding of the world. She felt her world crumbling, everything becoming blurry.
Mother Zhao's voice echoed in her ears: "Two million is an astronomical sum for an ordinary family; it's not easy money." Yan Yan's tears welled up in her eyes; she didn't know how to face this reality. She tried to resist, but found her strength was so insignificant.
Fearing she might change her mind, Mother Zhao had the housekeeper and the nanny keep an eye on her in front of her. Yan Yan felt imprisoned, unable to escape. Her heart was filled with despair and helplessness. She didn't know what the future held, nor whether she could hold on.