In the heart of summer in Ningdu City, the sun was so scorching it felt as if it might melt the ground. Even the occasional breeze was thick with sweltering heat. Street vendors guarded their stalls with listless indifference, while passersby hurried along, desperate to escape into the shade and avoid the biting heat.
Inside the woodshed of the Duke's Estate, Fu Jing'an curled up in a corner, her clothes in tatters and her hair a tangled mess. Her face was etched with exhaustion and terror. The shed was stifling, filled with a suffocating stench of mildew and dust. Flies buzzed incessantly around her, occasionally landing on her exposed skin, but she no longer had the strength to brush them away. She had lost track of how many days she had been locked in this shed; aside from the few elderly maids who occasionally delivered food, she had seen no one else. Fu Jing'an hugged her knees tightly, staring blankly at the door, her heart filled with fear and uncertainty about the future. She had never imagined she would fall to such a state—trapped in this dark, damp shed, completely isolated and helpless. For a moment, she found herself yearning for the days at Count Jingwen's Estate.
Meanwhile, in the busiest gambling den in Ningdu City, the scene was starkly different. The room was brightly lit, and the clamor of dice, shouting, and curses mingled in a deafening roar. The air hung heavy with smoke, mingled with the thick stench of sweat, alcohol, and perfume. Gamblers watched th…
Chapter 110