Chapter 141: The Mysterious Savior

Seeing that the wretch was blinded by lust and lunging straight for her, Hua Rong moved with agility, darting to the side and stumbling as she attempted to flee.

"How is this fellow still giving chase? It’s truly endless!"

She was nearly out of breath, yet that lecherous man seemed as if he were wound up like a clock, tireless, pursuing her relentlessly while shouting, "Beauty, don't run!"

The sound of his voice made her stomach churn—how could she not run?

"If you have any shred of decency, stop chasing me!"

Hua Rong longed to spit in his face, but she suddenly tripped over something. She slammed into the ground, and a deep, jagged opening sliced across her palm. The searing pain seemed to pierce her heart, spreading through every meridian in her body.

"Little beauty, if you're so capable, keep running! I want to see where you can possibly escape to now!"

The man bared his teeth in a grin. Under the pale moonlight, he looked as ferocious as a wolf or a tiger, like some demon of the dark night, truly terrifying to behold.

"Wait—stay back! I am the Emperor’s woman! If you dare to lay a finger on me, you’re a dead man!"

Though she spoke with bravado, this place was desolate; she couldn't see a soul for miles. Whether she could even make it out alive was a question, let alone anything else.

"Scream all you want! You could scream until your throat tears, and no one would come to your aid!"

As he spoke, the man pounced like a tiger, tearing at his own clothes as he threw himself toward the cornered Hua Rong.

"Help!"

A shrill cry pierced the air, its echo dissipating into the distance.

Just as she braced herself for certain death, the violent man suddenly ceased his movements and slumped heavily onto her.

"What are you doing? Get off me! Do you have any idea how heavy you are?" Hua Rong gritted her teeth, using every ounce of her strength to push him aside. Suddenly, she felt a damp sensation on her stomach and instinctively touched it. A thick, pungent scent of blood washed over her, viscous and heavy.

"Ah! What on earth is this?"

Looking at the motionless man, she saw a sharp dagger plunged deep into his abdomen. It had torn through his flesh, and the blood now flowing from the wound had already soaked the hem of her skirt. Hua Rong had never witnessed such a gruesome scene; her head spun, and she fainted dead away.

She did not know how long she had slept. When she finally awoke, she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings. Hua Rong opened her eyes groggily and surveyed the room, sensing that something was wrong. "Where is this? Yesterday, I..."

She tapped her head, and the terrifying memories of the previous night rushed back like a flood.

"Right, that old degenerate!"

She didn't know what to think. Fearing she might be in the villain's den, she scrambled out of bed, intending to flee this place of misfortune. However, the moment she pushed the door open, she collided with a woman carrying a bowl of medicine.

"Rong'er, what are you doing?"

Hua Rong was stunned. The woman before her looked somewhat like her, yet her own mind was a complete blank.

"You... who are you?"

"Have you lost your senses? I am your mother!"

Madam Hua didn't know what to say; she assumed Hua Rong had been deeply traumatized. She quickly set the medicine aside and supported her arm, saying, "Hurry back to bed and rest. Look at you, child—you were so frightened you've forgotten who your own parents are."

Madam Hua’s voice was incredibly gentle, and her tone, filled with worry and concern, stirred something deep within Hua Rong. It was as if a magical force had calmed her agitated heart. "You... you are my mother."

Having lost her memory, the word "mother" held little meaning to her, but she still remembered why she had left the palace.

"Right, Mother, how did I end up here? I remember being in the middle of the wilderness yesterday, and a..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it—that she had almost been assaulted, only for her attacker to suddenly die from a knife wound, leaving her to faint in terror.

Rubbing her temples, Hua Rong felt as though her mind were a tangled mess.

Madam Hua, sensing her distress, held her hand and whispered, "Yesterday, did you run into some trouble? You were found lying at our doorstep, covered in blood. It was a heart-wrenching sight!"

"What? Covered in blood?"

"Yes! If a passerby hadn't alerted us, we wouldn't have even known you were there!"

The story sounded increasingly bizarre. Hua Rong’s heart hammered in her chest. *How strange. I clearly fainted yesterday; how did I end up at the Hua family doorstep? Could that person have brought me here?*

She wondered what that person’s intentions were—whether they had acted to save her, or if they had simply wanted to kill that lecherous man. However, that was not the most important thing right now.

After a moment of hesitation, Hua Rong decided to change the subject. After all, the degenerate had tried to assault her first; if he was dead, he had only himself to blame.

Trying to push aside the fear of yesterday, Hua Rong recalled her original purpose and asked with concern, "I’ll explain everything later. But Mother, isn't Father gravely ill? How is he doing now?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Your father is as lively as a dragon and as vigorous as a tiger! He eats eight bowls of rice a day. Don't you go cursing him!"

Madam Hua gave her an indignant look, leaving Hua Rong speechless. "What? He’s fine?"

The news she had received from Hua Yue was completely different. Could the information have been wrong?

Before she could dwell on it, Madam Hua continued, "It’s good that you’re back, though. Your father has missed you dearly. Since you were in the inner palace, he couldn't come to visit for fear of causing gossip. Now that you're home, you must do your best to make him happy."

Hearing this, Hua Rong nodded thoughtfully. *Could it be that my sister only invented that excuse to bring me back because she feared Father was pining for me?*

If she looked at it that way, everything made sense.

Hua Rong nodded, instantly transforming into a dutiful daughter. "Don't worry, Mother, I'll go see him right now and give him a surprise!"

As she spoke, she threw off the blankets and moved to get dressed, leaving Madam Hua looking slightly helpless. "You child, why are you in such a rush? It’s not as if he’s going anywhere!"