Three seconds of silence, then the three men laughed until tears flew.
"You're the Young Marshal's woman? Then I'm the Seventh Fairy's husband!"
One of them grabbed my collar and roughly started dragging me away.
I tripped and fell, twisting my ankle hard, skin scraped off my palm, tears streaming despite myself.
But the three thugs had no sympathy. They hauled me away regardless of my struggles.
I screamed for help to the people around me, but the formerly bustling crowd conveniently looked away.
No one here could help me.
Scenes flashed through my mind.
From the hanged girl in Camel Xiangzi to the unnamed victims made into meat buns in Water Margin.
Everything crystallized into one classic line: "I was so foolish, truly."
I figured my future as a dragged-off woman would be forced prostitution, disease, and ultimately being turned into dumpling filling.
A product of socialist education—why had I come to this barbaric era over a craving?
In my despair, a voice rang out: "Stop!"
A man ordered the three thugs to halt.
They immediately backed off, bowing and scraping, practically kneeling.
I fell to the ground—but was thus saved.
Tears mixed with dust, I looked up disheveled.
From a military jeep parked by the road, two men emerged.
One, in a military coat, seemed to be the leader. He walked over and crouched beside me.
A smile played on his lips, but no warmth reached his eyes.
Eagle-sharp eyes behind gold-rimmed spectacles gave me an unprecedented sense of danger.
A gloved hand pinched my cheek, turning my face side to side. "Victor Vane's woman?" he said slowly.
He clearly didn't believe it. But when his gaze landed on the men's watch nearly sliding off my wrist, his smile vanished. He released me and murmured, "Quite different from his usual taste."
Finally able to breathe, I swallowed hard—not in the mood to parse whether that was a compliment or an insult.
The three thugs were still nearby. Though cowed by the newcomer, if this man in glasses abandoned me, I'd fall right back into their hands.
My survival depended on this bespectacled gentleman.
"I'm Oliver Xiao. I'm Victor's family."
After this simple introduction, he asked seriously: "He was injured and went missing here yesterday. Do you have any information on his whereabouts?"
He said he was Victor's family—so probably not a bad person.
But I couldn't just take his word for it.
I knew Victor had died here yesterday and been sent to my home by fate.
If I told the truth, he might not believe me, think I was stalling, and hand me back to the thugs.
If I fabricated something and got caught, I'd likely meet the same end.
After evaluating both options and finding neither satisfactory, I could only shake my head and answer honestly:
"He was indeed stabbed yesterday, but he should be fine now. As for where he went, I truly have no idea."
He pondered for a moment, weighing my words and my relationship with Victor.
"Since you're his woman, come back to the mansion with us."
He stood, delivering this from above.
"That doesn't seem right." I scrambled up and tried a placating smile. "I've been out too long. I should go home."
He turned cold eyes on me. "Go home? As Victor Vane's woman, the mansion is your home."
He gestured like an invitation, but with two men flanking him, their formation left little room for choice.
Three grown men again—but these three had guns, unlike the mere thugs from before.
I kept smiling, searching for an opening, but even with the way back behind me, hope was fading.
In my desperation, I heard Oliver's subordinate ask: "Adjutant, what about these three?"
Inspiration struck. "You're Victor's family. These thugs tried to kidnap me in broad daylight. Aren't you going to arrest them?"
Another subordinate leaned in to report: "Adjutant, these three are wearing old uniforms. They're probably fake soldiers, possibly—"
Oliver raised a hand to cut him off.
He glanced at the trembling trio, gave a cold snort that didn't reach his eyes.
"Uprooting is better than pruning. Kill these three and others will take their place. Besides, today is Grace's birthday..."
He fished out a few silver coins and tossed them on the ground.
"Today I'll let you live. Strip those uniforms, and before dinner, I want every street and alley to know that Victor Vane's woman was brought to the mansion. Otherwise, old debts and new debts will be settled together."
The three thugs, who hadn't expected to escape without a beating—let alone get money—fell over themselves spreading the news.
Meanwhile, I, thinking myself quite clever, took advantage of the distraction and bolted.
If I could just grab the yarn I'd dropped during the struggle, in ten steps I'd be back in my cozy 2022 apartment.
But fate had other plans.
Another strike to the back of my neck.
Ah, this familiar Republican-era knockout formula.
Was Victor going to be pulled into my mess by this fool?
7.
When I woke, the car had stopped at an extremely luxurious Western-style mansion, heavily guarded outside.
I rubbed my sore neck, inhaled slowly, and reluctantly exited the vehicle.
A woman in fine clothing came out, apparently having waited at the porch for some time.
Seeing no one else in the car, she asked Oliver anxiously: "Any news of my brother?"
Oliver slipped his arm around her slender waist and whispered in her ear.
Her astonished gaze immediately landed on me.
I studied them in return.
This woman called someone "brother"—likely Victor. They had similar features.
As Oliver relayed details in a low voice, her anxiety eased.
Then she smiled warmly, walked toward me, and introduced herself: "Hello, I'm Grace Vane. Victor's older sister."
Sure enough—Grace was Victor's sister, which made Oliver his brother-in-law.
Grace was amiable. She asked my name.
Still miffed about being knocked out by her husband, I answered simply: "Ouyang."
Not a bit offended, she took my hand and led me inside.
The mansion was enormous. We passed through the formal reception hall, crossed a courtyard, and entered the private family quarters.
They didn't mistreat me. Instead, they had a medic tend to my twisted ankle and bind it.
Half an hour later, the room on the second floor had been prepared.
Grace apologized that the hot water pipes were clogged and had Mama Liu boil water for me to wash up.
Then she found me a freshly made qipao to wear.
She clutched both my hands, eyes smiling as she took in my figure outlined by the form-fitting qipao. She seemed pleased.
"My brother and my husband have had some misunderstandings. Our father has been bedridden for over a month and could pass at any time...If he comes back and clears things up, that would be for the best."
Her smiling eyes glistened with tears.
I felt bad about my earlier coolness and awkwardly scratched my head.
"Sister Grace, I wish I knew where Victor was."
She looked disappointed. "Victor has been stubborn since childhood. Never listens. Who knows what hardships he's facing out there."
It seemed Oliver hadn't told her about Victor's injuries or disappearance.
Just then, Oliver knocked and entered.
He stepped sideways, pulling his wife close, and kissed the tear from the corner of her eye. "Grace, go check on Father. I'll speak with this young lady alone."
Grace nodded and left with the maids and medic.
Oliver watched them go, removed his glasses, erased his smile, and sat across from me.
"Where has Victor Vane been hiding? Who else is with him?"
A sinister man paired with a kind sister.
If I were Victor, I'd instinctively dislike my brother-in-law too.
"I...don't know."
I genuinely didn't know. But it sounded like the denial of a love-blind fool.