The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

19. I Just Want Company

Translator: Iris Guo

“Look up.” said Zhong Mingwei suddenly.

“Ah?” A’Chou raised her head hurriedly, but her eyes met his deep-set eyes. She hastened to look away and her heart was thumping. Although Zhong Mingwei was a half-dead paralytic now, his imposing manner was still with him, which made her extremely nervous, and she especially dared not look at his eyes.

“Look at me.” Zhong Mingwei spoke again.

A’Chou had no choice but to look at his dark eyes again.

“If Miss Duan died of a sudden illness, why not report to the Emperor? It happens that a bride dies halfway. Why would you, a maid, replace her to marry me?” Zhong Mingwei said slowly, word by word. He stared at the scarlet scar on A’Chou’s chin and her slightly trembling lips, paused for a while, and continued to speak slowly: “In conclusion, Miss Duan didn’t die of an illness, and an autopsy will expose her suicide. The guards were afraid of being blamed for dereliction of duty, and you worried that the Duan Family would kill you, so you guys agreed that you, the maid, would come to NingGuTa and replace Miss Duan to marry me.”

A’Chou flopped down in dismay and goggled at Zhong Mingwei: “How do you know? Did you see it all?”

Zhong Mingwei looked at A’Chou’s dumb face, said nothing, and turned his face.

“Your Highness, please don’t be mad!” A’Chou was frightened for a long time. Then she kneeled in front of his bed and said pathetically: “I…I know that as a humble maid, I don’t deserve to be…your wife, but I really don’t want to die. I haven’t had my sixteenth birthday yet. Your Highness, you don’t need to regard me as your…wife. Just let me be your maid, and I’ll take good care of you. I’ll cook for you, do your laundry, and wipe your body… I’ll do everything! Could… Could you just let me stay?”

Zhong Mingwei looked at the small cracks in the wall, curled up his mouth with scorn, and said: “What do you want from me? Considering my condition, I’m afraid that I won’t live much longer. Even if I can live, it’s likely that I’ll still be such a half-dead paralytic for the rest of my life, and it’s more likely that one day I’ll be beheaded…”

“I don’t care!” A’Chou suddenly interrupted him. She hastened to get on the bed, stepped over Zhong Mingwei’s waist, knelt, and said: “When you’re sick, I’ll take care of you. You like porridge, and I’ll make it for you every day. If you die, I’ll commit suicide and follow you without hesitation!”

Zhong Mingwei looked at A’Chou with a frown: “What do you want from me?”

“I… I just want company!” A’Chou blushed for a while, and finally got the courage to speak. As soon as she spoke out, she felt better and continued to beg with red eyes like a poor little rabbit: “I don’t have parents. There has always been me alone. I always want a family. I don’t want to be a maid, serve people, or be bossed around by others. I just want a family. As a maid with misconduct, of course I’ll be a maid for the rest of my life. However, due to all sorts of accidents, I replaced Miss Duan to come to NingGuTa and marry you. Although I…kept an evil secret, I finally got what I wanted. From now on… We don’t have to loathe each other.”