RFF - Chapter Nine (Part 2)

Elder Jiang, Tao Tu Yun, Su Wu and Feng Yu ran into the calligraphy room. They saw a flipped table, a broken bowl of soup and they heard Li Tai Fang's whimpering out of fear.

Elder Jiang supported the sweaty Tao Fang Ao.

'Second master Tao, are you alright?' elder Jiang asked.

'Order the guards to imprison Li Tai Fang in the storage room,' Tao Fang Ao instructed. 'I'll deal with her later.'

The guards imprisoned Li Tai Fang, and elder Jiang helped Tao Fang Ao walked to the bed in the calligraphy room.

'Second master Tao, you're impressive,' elder Jiang said. 'Even under the influence of lust powder, you can control your body for this long.'

Tao Fang Ao didn't hear elder Jiang's praise because he became unconscious on the bed.

'Elder Jiang, will he be alright?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'Lady Tao, second master Tao needs you to take care of him tonight,' elder Jiang said.

Elder Jiang signalled Su Wu to leave the calligraphy room with him.

'Elder Jiang... Su Wu...' Tao Tu Yun called.

Tao Tu Yun sighed and sat on the bed next to Tao Fang Ao. She watched over him, and fell asleep on the bed in the middle of the night.

When Tao Fang Ao woke up, he was happy to see Tao Tu Yun sleeping next to him. He tenderly stroked her cheeks, and she stirred awake.

'You're awake,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Do you feel pain anywhere?'

'No,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Did you stay with me the whole time?'

Tao Fang Ao hadn't seen Tao Tu Yun for two days. He missed her and her complexion was still pale.

'Yes,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I was worried about you. Why did lady Li give you lust powder?'

'Because she wants to use force to become my wife,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Tao Fang Ao remembered his head felt dizzy after eating a bowl of soup. Then Li Tai Fang entered the calligraphy room without his permission. Li Tai Fang shamelessly swayed her hips toward him. He flipped the table. Luckily elder Jiang ran into the calligraphy room and Li Tai Fang's plan failed.

'Tu Yun, tomorrow the truth will be exposed,' Tao Fang Ao said.

'Do you mean...' Tao Tu Yun said.

If Tao Fang Ao had evidence then he knew Tao Tu Yun was his real fiance. Was he going to reject her tomorrow?

'I'll explain everything tomorrow,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'My head is still dizzy. I can't escort you back to the bedchamber tonight. Sleep with me here tonight.'

Tao Tu Yun stood up abruptly.

'I can go back to the bedchamber on my own,' Tao Tu Yun said.

'Stay,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'I promise I won't touch you before the wedding. It's late so it's not safe for you to walk back to the bedchamber alone. Sleep with me here tonight.'

'But... the wedding isn't certain,' Tao Tu Yun said.

Tao Tu Yun's back faced Tao Fang Ao, because she didn't want him to see how hurt she felt thinking about him rejecting her.

'Is that so?' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Keep your eyes wide open and see what happens. Do you want to come back to the bed voluntarily or do you need my help?'

Tao Tu Yun understood Tao Fang Ao wasn't bluffing. She slowly laid on the bed and he hugged her tightly.

'Fang Ao...' Tao Tu Yun called and blushed.

'Don't move,' Tao Fang Ao warned. 'If you move, I won't keep my promise and I'll touch you tonight. Listen to me, close your eyes and sleep.'

Tao Tu Yun laid stiffly on Tao Fang Ao's chest. A while later, she fell asleep.

Tao Fang Ao kissed Tao Tu Yun's soft lips.

'I promise my wife is going to live a long life with me,' Tao Fang Ao whispered in Tao Tu Yun's ear.

The next morning, everyone in the Tao Manor gathered in a courtyard.

'If anyone has something to confess, confess now and I'll be lenient otherwise I'll hand you over to the magistrate,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Li Tai Fang refused to confess.

'Xiao Liang, present the evidence,' Tao Fang Ao said.

In the audience, Luo Bing Liang finally understood why Xiao Liang was missing from the Tao Manor for more than a month.

'Xiao Liang, tell everyone what happened when you went to Liu Yue province to investigate the truth,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Li Tai Fang's body shook after she heard Xiao Liang came back from Liu Yue province.

'Yes second master Tao,' Xiao Liang said. 'When I arrived at Liu Yue province, I went to see the head of Liu Yue province, who is lady Tao's father. Lady Tao's father gave me the letter that your father wrote to her father about her betrothal to you when she was a six-year-old.'

Xiao Liang passed the letter to Tao Fang Ao.

'I went to search for Lady Li's parents,' Xiao Liang said. 'At lady Li's parents' home, her parents said that lady Li ran away from home because she was unhappy with her betrothal to a man who isn't second master Tao.'

Xiao Liang captured Li Tai Fang before she could escape.

'Let go of me!' Li Tai Fang said. 'So what if I'm a fake? If Tao Tu Yun came here to end the betrothal, why can't she give second master Tao to me? Tao Tu Yun, why didn't you leave earlier if you don't want to marry second master Tao?'

'Close your mouth!' Tao Fang Ao ordered. 'I warned you, I won't be merciful to anyone who deceived me. Not only did you deceive me, but you sent a message to madam Zhang about Tu Yun going to see Dou Dou. Tu Yun almost died because of you! You also put lust powder in my soup. You're a wicked woman with a black heart. Even if you were my real fiance, I would end my betrothal with you. Guards, take her to the magistrate. I don't want to see her face again.'

'Feng Yu, you betrayed me!' Li Tai Fang said. 'I won't spare you!'

'Mistress, I'm sorry,' Feng Yu said. 'I didn't want you to continue making mistakes.'

'Fang Ao, can you spare Feng Yu?' Tao Tu Yun asked. 'Don't take Feng Yu to the magistrate.'

'Alright,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Guards kick Feng Yu outside the Tao Manor. In the future Feng Yu is not allowed to step foot inside the Tao Manor. Everyone else can leave.'

Tao Tu Yun understood Tao Fang Ao wanted everyone to leave except her. She followed him into the bedchamber.

'Fang Ao, did you know the truth since the beginning?' Tao Tu Yun asked.

'I suspected you're my real fiance but I needed evidence to prove Li Tai Fang was a fake,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Tao Fang Ao stood in front of Tao Tu Yun and he looked intensely into her eyes.

'Tu Yun, tell me, do you still want to end our betrothal?' Tao Fang Ao asked.

'I...' Tao Tu Yun said.

In the beginning, Tao Tu Yun thought there was no hope for her to live past nineteen so she wanted to end the betrothal. But after the truth was exposed, she felt sad that Tao Fang Ao wanted to end the betrothal.

'Good,' Tao Fang Ao said and hugged Tao Tu Yun. 'Since you didn't protest, we can have the wedding anytime.'

'Wait,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'There's something I hid from you.'

Tao Tu Yun pushed Tao Fang Ao away from her, and she prepared herself for rejection.

'Fang Ao, the reason why I wanted to end the betrothal is because I won't live past nineteen,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Do you want to marry someone who only has less than three months to live?'

'Tu Yun, why didn't you come see me when you turned sixteen?' Tao Fang Ao said. 'If you came to see me sooner, I would have found a way to give you a long life sooner. Su Wu told me the truth already. I was waiting to hear the truth from your mouth. I want to marry you regardless of your health. I promise, you'll be living a long life with me. I'll hold hands with you to our old age.'

Tao Tu Yun cried happy tears. Suddenly she coughed out blood and fainted. Tao Fang Ao caught her before she fell on the ground.

***

End of Chapter Nine (Part 2)