Chapter 129

The night was as thick as ink, and the stifling summer heat hung heavy in the woodshed, gripping Fu Jing'an’s throat like an invisible hand. She curled up on a pile of moldy hay, the fire of hunger burning in her belly, every rumble of her intestines echoing in the hollow room. Fu Jing'an gazed up at the small skylight; through it, she could see the night sky, where a few sparse stars hung suspended. The moonlight spilled onto her face, making it look exceptionally cold and detached. She thought of the silk and finery she had known at the Count's Estate, the fawning smiles that had once surrounded her, the moments of doting on her parents, and the various ways she had bullied Fu Yingzhi...