Chapter 13: No Other Choice

Xu Fang hurriedly urged, “An’an, what are you hesitating for? Quickly agree to Third Master Tan!” Li Xiande also spoke to Tan Tailun, “Third Master, our An’an has just divorced Mo Han. She is of unblemished status, and as long as Young Master Rong doesn’t mind, An’an can marry him at any time!” Xu Fang nodded in agreement, adding, “Third Master, if Young Master Rong isn’t fond of that useless girl, we can just get rid of her.” Tan Tailun took a leisurely drag from his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Li An’an, however, was trembling all over. She never expected her parents to say such things, and her heart ached bitterly. Tan Xiaorong had his leg broken by Mo Han, and one of his eyes was destroyed as well. The hospital had already declared him permanently disabled. Even if she didn’t care for Mo Han, she could not bring herself to marry a cripple. Moreover, her divorce from Mo Han had been forced upon her—she had no real choice.

But she knew that today, she truly had no choice at all.

If she refused to marry Tan Xiaorong, the Tan family would surely kill her entire family.

Li An’an’s face turned deathly pale. She bit her lips so hard she didn’t even feel when they broke and bled.

“Half a minute left,” Tan Tailun checked his watch and spoke calmly.

The two burly men at his side drew their knives and began to twirl them in their hands, a silent warning: if Li An’an did not agree when the time was up, they would start killing.

Xu Fang and her husband were terrified out of their wits, their voices trembling. “An’an, hurry and agree!”

Li An’an was torn in an agonizing internal struggle, utterly at a loss.

“Ten seconds left,” Tan Tailun intoned, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

Xu Fang was on the verge of tears, but at that moment Li An’an finally spoke. “Third Master, I will marry Tan Xiaorong and will care for him for the rest of my life, but I have one condition: you must spare my daughter. Otherwise, I would rather die than consent!”

Xu Fang and Li Xiande looked at Tan Tailun with desperate hope. They knew that Xiaoxiao was the apple of An’an’s eye. If Tan Tailun refused, their daughter truly would rather die than agree.

Tan Tailun’s eyes narrowed. He took one last drag of his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and slowly stood up.

Li An’an’s entire family watched as he rose, their hearts leaping to their throats, their eyes full of terror. Xu Fang and Li Xiande shrank back several steps, overwhelmed by fear. But for her daughter’s sake, Li An’an bit her lip and forced herself to stand her ground, locking eyes with Tan Tailun.

“You’re quite brave. That’s good. If you want to marry into the Tan family, you need to have some backbone,” Tan Tailun said with a faint smile, though a sinister thought lurked behind it. “Very well, I’ll agree to spare your daughter. But since you’re marrying into the Tan family, she will stay with us as well.”

Tan Tailun had always enjoyed collecting little girls to satisfy the twisted preferences of certain depraved nobles. Raising Li An’an’s daughter for a few years would suit his purposes perfectly.

Li An’an, of course, had no inkling of Tan Tailun’s wicked scheme. Seeing that the Tan family was willing to spare her daughter, her heart finally relaxed. As long as her daughter could remain by her side, she was willing to endure any hardship, even becoming a servant to Tan Xiaorong.

After all, it was Mo Han who had caused such a disaster!

“Very good. Prepare yourself today. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, your grand wedding will be held at my Tan estate,” Tan Tailun announced with a smile, then strode away with his two bodyguards.

Li Xiande and Xu Fang bowed and escorted them out. Not until Tan Tailun and his men had disappeared did they finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

Li An’an, meanwhile, collapsed onto the sofa, her spirit utterly drained, her face as pale as paper.

...

After breakfast, Mo Han returned to the hospital.

An’an was already awake, and Li Xiaoxiao was feeding her.

“You’re here,” Li Xiaoxiao said, suddenly unsure how to address him.

She used to call him brother-in-law, but now that he and her sister were divorced, it felt awkward.

“Yes,” Mo Han replied with a nod.

“Daddy, where did you go?” Xiaoxiao called to him in her childish voice.

“Daddy just had some things to take care of,” Mo Han replied, taking the bowl and chopsticks from Li Xiaoxiao. “Go and have your breakfast; I’ll feed Xiaoxiao.”

Li Xiaoxiao nodded. Her sister had asked her to care for Xiaoxiao, but she herself hadn’t had breakfast yet.

“Come, Xiaoxiao, Daddy will feed you,” Mo Han said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her head with eyes full of affection.

“Daddy, Auntie says you and Mommy had a fight. Are you not going to want me anymore?” Xiaoxiao asked as she ate.

Mo Han’s heart clenched. He replied softly, “Don’t listen to your aunt’s nonsense. Daddy would never fight with Mommy. And Daddy will always be here with you.”

“Okay, I believe you, Daddy,” Xiaoxiao nodded obediently.

No sooner had Mo Han finished feeding Xiaoxiao than Li Xiaoxiao hurried back into the room.

“Sis, brother-in-law, can you come outside for a moment? I have something to tell you,” Li Xiaoxiao called.

Mo Han nodded and followed her out of the ward.

“Brother-in-law, my sister is going to marry Tan Xiaorong tomorrow. But my mother says my sister is in agony—she doesn’t want to marry him at all. Can you think of a way to help her?” Li Xiaoxiao pleaded anxiously.