Vine.
Gu Jiao Wen looked at the vines on the walls.
‘Do you see the vines on the walls?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. ‘Vines need support to live.’
‘Forget it,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Pretend like I never asked.’
Tan Pan Ting didn’t know what she was doing. If she didn’t want to marry Gu Jiao Wen then she didn’t need to know why he wanted to marry her.
Gu Jiao Wen held Tan Pan Ting’s waist, and he looked down at her face.
‘What about you?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. ‘Why do you want to marry me?’
‘Who…’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Forget it. I’m tired. I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to rest.’
Gu Jiao Wen was in deep thought for a while.
‘Hey you, let go of me,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I said I want to rest.’
Gu Jiao Wen let go of Tan Pan Ting’s waist, he held her hand and took her back to her room.
Tan Pan Ting didn’t think her room looked like a guest room. It was a European styled room with a big Baroque bed. It looked like a master bedroom. She laid on the bed, but she couldn’t sleep. She called Zheng Jia Ju.
‘Pan Ting, I thought you’re in the city visiting his family,’ Zheng Jia Ju said.
‘Jia Ju, I have regrets,’ Tan Pan Ting said.
‘What’s wrong?’ Zheng Jia Ju asked.
‘Jia Ju, I found out how rich and powerful his family is,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Do you think his family will hire a contract killer to kill me if I jilt him at the altar?’
‘Pan Ting, I thought you’re in serious trouble but your problem is nothing,’ Zheng Jia Ju said. ‘If you’re scared his family will kill you then forget about jilting him, and marry him.’
‘Jia Ju, I don’t want to marry him,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I rather turn into a pig than marry him. But I don’t want to upset his grandpa.’
‘You have another option,’ Zheng Jia Ju said.
‘What?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.
‘Suck up to his grandpa,’ Zheng Jia Ju said. ‘In one month win over his grandpa.’
‘What?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.
‘It’s a good plan,’ Zheng Jia Ju said. ‘If his grandpa loves having you as his grandson’s wife then you’ll have an easy married life. After a year, you can divorce his grandson citing irreconcilable differences. You’ll get a good divorce settlement, and you’ll get your freedom back too. No one will have a reason to send contract killers to kill you.’
‘Jia Ju, that isn’t a good plan,’ Tan Pan Ting said.
‘It’s your choice,’ Zheng Jia Ju said. ‘You can runaway now and call off the wedding or you can forget about jilting him and marry him. I’ve got to go. Remember to not agree to hold the wedding in the city. If you hold the wedding in your own territory then you’ll have a better chance of running away.’
Tan Pan Ting didn’t know how long she held onto her phone or when she closed her eyes. The next time she opened her eyes, it was the wedding day.
‘Gu Jiao Wen, let go of me,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I don’t want to marry you.’
‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to marry me,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘You’re my woman now.’
Gu Jiao Wen carried Tan Pan Ting to his bedroom, he tossed her on the bed and he pounced on top of her.
‘Don’t act like you don’t know you’re my woman,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.
‘Who wants to marry you?’ Tan Pan Ting asked. ‘I don’t want to marry you. Get off me.’
‘Keep dreaming,’ Gu Jiao Wen said and took off Tan Pan Ting’s clothes.
‘What are you doing?’ Tan Pan Ting asked. ‘Why do I feel numb?’
‘I drugged you so you can’t run away,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.
‘You’re despicable,’ Tan Pan Ting said.
Gu Jiao Wen kissed Tan Pan Ting’s neck, and his hands caressed her body.
‘Get off me,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I rather turn into a pig than marry you… ah!’
Tan Pan Ting woke up, and she realised she was dreaming. She didn’t know why she dreamt she couldn’t escape Gu Jiao Wen. She sat up and wiped sweat off her forehead.
‘Tan Pan Ting, come out and eat dinner,’ Gu Jiao Wen said from outside the door. ‘Tan Pan Ting, did you hear me?’
‘I heard you,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘You can stop calling me.’
Tan Pan Ting got out of bed, and she opened the door. Gu Jiao Wen held her hand, and led her in the direction of the dining room.
‘Mr Pervert, let go of my hand,’ Tan Pan Ting said.
‘If I let go, do you know how to get to the dining room?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.
‘Mr Pervert, let go,’ Tan Pan Ting said.
‘If someone holding your hand is a pervert, what about what happened in your room?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.
‘You…’ Tan Pan Ting said.
Gu Jiao Wen let go of Tan Pan Ting’s hand, and he walked quickly to the dining room.
‘Hey you, do you have to walk so fast?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.
‘Didn’t you say I’m a pervert?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. ‘Why are you following a pervert?’
‘Who wants to follow a pervert?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.
Tan Pan Ting stopped following Gu Jiao Wen. She didn’t need a pervert’s help to find the dining room.
End of Chapters Forty-Nine to Fifty-One