You Are My Slave for Life

Zhan Junru's fair skin had a healthy hint of wheat-gold, while Gu Hanyan's was as white and soft as goat's milk.

Thinking there was no one else around, the two women splashed and played in the bathtub without restraint.

They had no idea that someone was staring with wide, wolfish eyes, gulping down a mouthful of saliva.

"Who's there!" Gu Hanyan's expression suddenly changed. At her shout, Tang Wen felt a finger-wide shadow hurtling toward him and instinctively ducked.

Bang!

The impact knocked him backward, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"It's you! Master Tang, you vile, shameless man!" By the time Tang Wen recovered his senses, a sword was already pressed against his neck. Bristling with killing intent, Gu Hanyan pointed at him, her teeth clenched.

"Sister... don't! Put the sword away. Please don't hurt Master." Still dripping wet, Zhan Junru hurriedly pleaded with her.

"He was peeping at us, and you're still defending him?" Gu Hanyan demanded angrily.

"Sister, we're both Master's personal maids. Never mind peeping-even if Master really wanted to bathe with us, we ought to agree." Zhan Junru sided with Tang Wen unconditionally.

"Little sister, we may be slaves of the Tang household, but we're still human beings, not cats and dogs for him to toy with as he pleases. When I sold myself to the Tang household, I laid down a condition: I could serve him, but he couldn't dishonor me," Gu Hanyan said.

"I... I didn't. When I sold myself to the Tang household, Master saved my father's life. Whatever Master wants to do, I... I won't resist," Zhan Junru said, her face crimson.

"You... you foolish girl!" Gu Hanyan was so angry she wanted to slap her.

"Sister, truly, I've been with Master for several months now.

"Master gives us clothes to wear and enough food to fill our stomachs, and he's never done anything to us.

"Master treats every servant very well. He's brilliantly clever.

"He's an incredible master of mechanisms, an immortal, and he even knows the Mountain-Moving Art. He isn't that sort of man.

"As long as Master wants me, I'll warm his bed at any time.

"Because I sold everything I had to the Tang household. I belong to Master.

"And I'm proud of him." Zhan Junru lifted her face and spoke bravely.

"Master Tang, you certainly know how to win people over.

"The facts are right before her eyes, yet Junru still speaks up for you.

"And she's utterly devoted to being your slave.

"All of this was an act to deceive us, wasn't it?

"You knew I had some knowledge of poetry and books, so you even recited a poem now and then, trying to seduce me! You're despicable," Gu Hanyan scoffed.

"Am I despicable, or are you?" Tang Wen pushed the sword aside, stood up, and sat down in a chair.

"How am I despicable? It's been two months since I sold myself to the Tang household. Have I, Gu Hanyan, done anything to betray it?

"And what about the people who came to the Tang household with my Gu Family? Which of them has wronged you?

"You're the one hiding behind a righteous face. A grand baron, yet you stooped to something like this," Gu Hanyan said, her face icy.

"Let me ask you this. Once you've sold yourself to the Tang household, you belong to it, don't you?" Tang Wen asked.

"Of course. I'm utterly loyal to the Tang household. But although I'm its slave, we agreed beforehand that you couldn't dishonor me," Gu Hanyan said with a nod.

"Utterly loyal, are you? Gu Hanyan, you won't even let me see your true face. Where's your loyalty in that?" Tang Wen suddenly slammed the table and pointed at her.

"What true face? What do you mean?" Gu Hanyan asked.

Still, Tang Wen could sense that she sounded a little less sure of herself.

"Do you dare claim this is how you really look?" Tang Wen asked.

"Of course it is. What, is there another me?" Gu Hanyan sneered.

"Bullshit!" With a smack, Tang Wen slammed his palm onto the table again. "Junru, tell me, would the skin on someone's face be a different color from the skin on their body?"

"Of course it would be the same. Even if there were a difference, it wouldn't be much," Zhan Junru said with a nod.

"Take a look at Gu Hanyan," Tang Wen said. Zhan Junru froze, then examined Gu Hanyan carefully and blurted out, "Sister, the color of your face and neck seems very different from your arms and legs. Could it be... could you have disguised yourself too?"

"Would an aged face go with arms and thighs as white as snowy lotus roots? Though I can't see her body, it must be just as soft and white. Otherwise, Gu Hanyan, do you dare strip and let your master take a look?" Tang Wen sneered.

"Master, her body is just as white. I saw it a moment ago," Zhan Junru blurted out.

"A fifty-year-old face and an eighteen-year-old body. Gu Hanyan, how do you explain that?" Tang Wen asked.

"I... my face and neck were burned," Gu Hanyan said.

"Gu Hanyan, you can keep insisting on that if you like. I can invite a martial arts expert to take a look. Shall I?" Tang Wen snorted.

"I did disguise myself. In these troubled times, my family has enemies. I can't show my true face.

"Otherwise, disaster would befall my entire family.

"Although I can't show my true face, I, Gu Hanyan, haven't done anything to wrong you, Master Tang," Gu Hanyan said.

"Sister, who are your enemies? Tell us quickly. Master will help you," Zhan Junru said.

"Does she even need my help? You didn't see what happened just now. What flew at me was only a little jade pendant as thick as a finger. If it had been a blade, I'd already be dead," Tang Wen sneered.

"Sister, you've trained in martial arts?" Startled, Zhan Junru stared blankly at her.

"Not only has she trained, but if I'm not mistaken, she's even stronger than Qiao Xiao," Tang Wen said.

"Sister, you're even stronger than Qiao Xiao? Is that true?" Zhan Junru asked excitedly.

"I have trained, but I only knocked you down. I didn't hurt you. What's so impressive about that?" Gu Hanyan said.

"This is called a bulletproof vest. Even a blade can't cut through it. If it hadn't blocked that blow just now, you would have pierced my chest." Tang Wen took off his outer robe, revealing the Bulletproof Vest.

"Impossible! How could a thin vest stop blades and swords?" Gu Hanyan looked unconvinced.

"This blade is sharp enough, isn't it?" Tang Wen casually picked up a blade and chopped at the table. With a crisp crack, he sliced off one corner.

"A fine blade," Gu Hanyan said with a nod.

"Here, Junru. Take this blade and slash at my vest." Tang Wen held the blade out to Zhan Junru.

"I can't do that." Junru shook her head and refused to take it.

"If your master tells you to strike, then strike. Don't be afraid. Come on." Tang Wen forced the blade into her hands.

"I... I don't dare. If I cut Master to death, how would I live? How would any of us live? Who would give us food and clothes?" Zhan Junru said, shaking her head.

Slash!

Unexpectedly, Gu Hanyan snatched the blade and slashed at Tang Wen. There was a dull thud, and the force made him sway to one side.

"You only used a tenth of your strength just now, didn't you? Even if this vest didn't work, I wouldn't have died. Come on, hit harder." Tang Wen patted the Bulletproof Vest.

"There's no need. Your vest really is miraculous. I believe a low-rank martial artist couldn't hurt you even with a blade," Gu Hanyan said, shaking her head.

"So I was only watching you to find a flaw in your disguise, and sure enough, you exposed one.

"Otherwise, what kind of man do you think I am?

"I'm a baron. This whole island belongs to me. I have money. Do you think I couldn't find beautiful women?

"Peeping at you? Gu Hanyan, you're getting ahead of yourself." Tang Wen looked at Gu Hanyan with lofty confidence, growing smug.

"My lord, I have my reasons for not showing my true face.

"And if outsiders discovered me, it would bring harm to you. Please understand, my lord.

"In the future, once I've earned enough money and have the strength to take revenge,

"I'll certainly buy my freedom and leave Su Mei Island. I will never bring harm to you, my lord." With tears in her eyes, Gu Hanyan lowered herself into a curtsy.

"You want to buy your freedom? Don't even dream of it. Not ever," Tang Wen snorted.

"What do you mean by that, my lord?" Gu Hanyan asked, her expression turning sharp.

"What do I mean? Once you enter the Tang household, you're a slave for life. You're my little personal maid, and you'll serve me until you die." Tang Wen's expression was overbearing.

"My lord, don't go too far," Gu Hanyan said coldly.

"With you, I will go too far. I, Tang Wen, won't be deceived. This is the consequence of deceiving me," Tang Wen said with brazen arrogance.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you? It's easy for a slave to kill her master. Perhaps while you're sleeping, or while you're bathing-either would be the perfect time for me to strike." Bristling with murderous intent, Gu Hanyan stared hard at Tang Wen.

"You can kill me right now. If I so much as furrow my brow, I'm a son of a bitch." Tang Wen grabbed the blade from the table and forced it into Gu Hanyan's hands.

"You... you think I wouldn't dare? I, Gu Hanyan, have been hunted by my enemies and fled from place to place. One more enemy makes no difference. I doubt these mediocre fighters under you could stop Qiao Xiao and me." Gu Hanyan viciously brandished the blade at Tang Wen.

"You can't kill Master!" At those words, Zhan Junru hurriedly threw herself in front of Tang Wen.