‘Why, why is my face there…?’
Liz was more than surprised; she was dumbfounded.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
She briefly searched her memory, but nothing came to mind that could explain it.
‘Could it be that my mother is looking for me? Because I absolutely have to attend some social event?’
Though it didn’t seem likely…
Either way, thinking about it could wait.
The hotel attendant, who had been staring blankly at the portrait, pointed at the window where Liz was staying. At that moment, the military police officers looked up. Liz quickly hid behind the curtain. She didn’t know much, but she felt this situation was not in her favor.
She had to leave immediately!
Liz left everything behind and grabbed only her handbag. If they found out she had run away, she could be in an even more difficult situation.
Carefully opening the door, she crossed the hallway and ascended the stairs to the top floor.
Fortunately, the most secluded room was empty, so she went inside.
However, it was only a matter of time before she was discovered since they were in the same building.
Liz looked out of the window. A lone military police officer was blocking the inn’s entrance.
Escape was impossible.
‘Well, if I’m caught, I’m caught. Who knows why they are looking for me, but they won’t kill me, right? At worst, they’ll send me home.’
Being sent home…
That thought sent chills down Liz’s spine. The idea of going back to hear more harsh words from her mother was horrifying.
Was there a better solution?
“Aha!”
An idea suddenly flashed through her mind.
Liz spilled the contents of her handbag onto the bed. Inside were a small wallet, a blue velvet case, and a neatly folded napkin.
Liz unfolded the napkin.
A smile broke out on her face, which had been tense until a moment ago.
She had a potion that could change her appearance!
About six months ago, she had taken a pill from beneath the floorboards in Kain’s room, divided it into four, consumed one piece, and kept the remaining three pieces for emergencies. This was just the right time for it.
However…
“It will hurt…”
Remembering the pain the potion inflicted, her smile faded. Did she really have to go this far?
“I must. Definitely.”
Liz clenched her eyes shut and swallowed a piece.
“Nothing on the west side of the building.”
Two military police officers who had searched the west side of the building reported back to their captain.
“I see.”
The search on the east side was also almost complete.
The captain rubbed his stubbly chin, staring intently at a particular location.
It was the last remaining room.
“Only the belongings are left and there’s no sign of her leaving; she must be in that room.”
The captain signaled to his subordinates with his eyes.
“Quickly, but as per the Emperor’s orders, don’t lay a finger on the target.”
Knock–.
One of the guards cautiously knocked on the door.
No response came from inside.
“One, two, three.”
The captain counted on his fingers, then took a deep breath– and reached for the doorknob.
Creak–.
The door opened on its own.
Revealed inside was a woman with brown hair and black eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“Uh… well…”
The guards quickly scanned the woman’s face.
No need to even check the portrait; her face was completely different.
“Aren’t you going to answer my question?”
The brown-haired woman looked around irritably. The guards exchanged glances, postponing their response. Finally, the captain spoke.
“I apologize for the intrusion. We are actually looking for a woman; have you seen her?”
He presented the portrait in front of the woman.
“I’m not sure…”
The woman seemed like she was about to remember something, tilting her head. Then suddenly, her eyes sparkled.
“Ah! This woman!”
“You’ve seen her?”
“Yes, I have.”
“When, where?”
The captain asked, his face full of anticipation.
The woman pointed out the window.
“She disappeared into that alley a little while ago.”
“She disappeared? She went outside?”
The captain quickly looked puzzled.
“How could that happen? We’ve been guarding the entrance so closely… How could…”
He trailed off, scanning the room past the woman. She frowned and stepped aside.
“If you suspect that I’ve been hiding her, come in and check.”
“No, that’s not it… Anyway, excuse us for a moment.”
The guards courteously entered and searched the room. The person they were looking for was nowhere to be found.
“I’m really sorry.”
The captain bowed apologetically and then asked,
“Did she really go outside?”
“Yes, I saw her clearly from this window. She definitely turned that corner.”
The woman pointed out the same alley once again.
“Thank you very much for your cooperation. We’ve caused you much inconvenience.”
The captain of the guards bowed deeply once more, then hurriedly ran down the hallway with his subordinates.
Peering over the window at the guards hastily moving in the direction she had pointed, the woman sighed in relief.
“Whew, that was close.”
But a belated realization puzzled her.
“That person? ‘That person’?”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
