Chapter 157: Du Ruo Runs Away from Home

Chapter 157: Du Ruo Runs Away from Home

But that night, Lu Lingyun received a message.

Du Ruo had run away from home.

"Where is the Young Master? Hasn't he returned yet?"

"The message was sent by the Young Master. He is currently searching the city with Miss A'Ruo's brothers to find her."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingyun furrowed her brow.

This business of educating others is not an easy task!

Making others see the reality and recognize their own status, while also worrying about whether they can accept it!

Although Lu Lingyun had already done her best, and educating Du Ruo was entrusted to her by everyone, after the incident occurred, she had escorted Du Ruo back home and handed her over to her family. But now, she couldn't remain uninvolved.

"Gather all the servants in the mansion to look for Du Ruo!"

"Yes, Young Mistress!"

Lu Lingyun thought for a moment. "Also, check every tavern and inn in the city."

"Yes, Young Mistress!"

Du Ruo had no one to rely on outside, so it was likely she would go to a tavern or inn.

As for the riverbank... Lu Lingyun didn't think someone like Du Ruo would be desperate enough to commit suicide.

The self-proclaimed free-spirited and bold Du Ruo would likely go on a drinking spree.

Everyone in the mansion, along with Du Ruo's family, searched the entire city for her.

At that moment, in a private room of a tavern.

"You're all liars! Liars! You all lied to me!" Du Ruo, holding a cup of wine, glared at the four Imperial Guards.

"Sister A'Ruo, we are not liars!"

"Yes, we are the ones who treat you most sincerely in the world!"

"If we lie to you, may we be struck by lightning!"

"You see, we said we would treat you to a drink, and we remember that, so how can we be considered liars?"

The ones speaking were Qian Heng and the other three.

Today, while patrolling the streets, they encountered Du Ruo drinking alone in a tavern. They immediately took her to a private room.

"Nonsense! You all look down on me!" Du Ruo, with red eyes, angrily shouted, "You all talk nicely, treating me like a sister and a treasure, but in your hearts, you all despise me!"

"Nonsense!" Qian Heng shouted, "Miss A'Ruo, you are the most unique and independent woman I have ever met. How could we possibly despise you?"

"Exactly, we cherish and adore you."

"You don't even know, the day you took a sword to us, it really impressed us. We've never met a woman as straightforward and bold as you."

"How could we possibly look down on you, such a unique and fascinating lady!"

The other two chimed in one after another.

Listening to the words of the four, a spark of hope reignited in A'Ruo's heart. "You really mean it?"

"Of course!"

"Who has been bullying you? Tell your brothers, and we'll get revenge for you!"

"Yes, let’s go get them right now and beat them up to vent our anger!"

"Beat them ten times, beat them to a pulp! Anyone who bullies our A'Ruo will face dire consequences!"

These sincere and heartfelt words fell into A'Ruo's ears, and all at once, her grievances flooded out like a broken dam.

"Then would you be willing to marry me?"

At this, the four were taken aback.

Marry her?

Without waiting, A'Ruo angrily retorted, "Fake! I knew it! You're all lying! You all look down on me and think I'm not good enough for you!"

"Don’t be ridiculous!" Qian Heng said first, "From the moment I saw you, A'Ruo, I wanted to marry you!"

"Me too," Hu Lu rubbed his hands together, his eyes wandering over A'Ruo, "A'Ruo, you’re so beautiful and unique, who wouldn't want to marry you!"

A'Ruo looked at them, "But my brothers are only Imperial Guards, and my family background is lowly! You must think I’m not good enough to enter your families!"

"Don’t say such nonsense, how can such mundane family backgrounds compare to you?"

"Exactly, we care about you as a person. You're the most unique woman in the world, nothing compares to you!"

In her anger and hurt, A'Ruo felt a sense of salvation.

Exactly.

Exactly.

She was indeed unique, cherished and loved by everyone since childhood. None of them cared about her supposed low family background; they liked her for who she was and wanted to marry her.

"A'Ruo, let’s have a drink."

"Drink, drink."

Noticing A'Ruo had calmed down, the four began to encourage her to drink.

Cup after cup was offered to A'Ruo, and she went from hesitating to drinking more freely.

"A'Ruo, you’re the most free-spirited!"

"Have another drink, let us see what a free-spirited lady looks like!"

A'Ruo started drinking heavily on her own.

Her grievances and the need to prove herself erupted, and under their persuasion, she drank heavily to drown her sorrows.

In no time, Du Ruo was made to drink several jugs of alcohol and became completely drunk.

"No, can't drink anymore."

"You can! Just a little more!" Qian Heng and the others looked at her with increasingly heated gazes.

"I, I want to, go home," Du Ruo struggled to prop herself up and prepared to stand.

"Go home? This is your home!"

Qian Heng lifted Du Ruo into his arms.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"Didn’t you ask if we’d take you as our wife?" Hu Fei and the others crowded around, "A’Ruo, why don’t we consummate our marriage tonight?!"

They all wore lecherous grins and pounced on the drunken Du Ruo.

In her drunken stupor, a rare moment of clarity pierced through Du Ruo’s mind.

"You... you, get away from me!" She bit down hard on the hand that touched her cheek.

Qian Heng cried out in pain and slapped her face.

That slap sobered her up further.

"You lied to me too! Don’t touch me! Get away from me!" Du Ruo struggled violently.

By now, the four men had dropped all pretenses, glaring at her with malice and sneering.

"Little slut, stop playing innocent! Like you didn’t know what drinking with us would lead to!"

"Exactly! You’re always hanging around men, don’t tell me you didn’t want this!"

"Look at you, flirting with men every day, you’ve probably been with thousands, slept with by tens of thousands!"

"Haha, I’ve never seen anyone as cheap as you! You think we’d actually marry you? You don’t deserve it!"

These weren’t even the Imperial Guards who showed some respect to her and her brothers at the Prefectural Commandant Manor. These men had no reservations about Du Ruo at all.

Hearing their vile words, Du Ruo finally understood her place in their eyes.

So, this is how everyone saw her...

She had always been a plaything to them! Not one of them had ever respected her! Her heart, which had secretly relished everything, was shattered completely.

Her clothes were torn open by Qian Heng.

"Ah!"

Du Ruo screamed.

Qian Heng and the others excitedly lunged at her.

Just then, the door to the private room was kicked open with a loud bang.

"Boom!"