1820 London "Damn, damn...here it comes again, that damned thing!" A series of curses floated in the wind, making the guests attending the water banquet dumbfounded. The yacht is moored in the middle of the Thames, and the owner is King George.So far, the banquet has been dull but decent, with everyone dutifully praising the majesty of His Majesty's yacht.Brocade furniture, fine mahogany, chandeliers, crystal pendants, gilded sphinxes with carved lions at every corner, the yacht itself is like a floating palace of pleasure.The guests are drinking freely, substituting a little drunk for real happiness.

If the king's health had not been so poor, perhaps the feast would have been much more interesting, but his father was dead, and he was suffering from gout, and his moods were inevitably melancholy, and now the king sought the laughter and the company of people to appease his loneliness, so it is said that he Miss Luo Lili is especially requested to be present.As a certain earl said, with Miss Luo present, there must be commotion, it's just a matter of time, and she did not disappoint everyone. "Who's going to pick up that nasty thing!" Lily yelled amidst laughter. "The waves carried it farther and farther."

Grateful for the chance to escape boredom and dullness, the men scrambled to get to the side of the boat first, where Lily was hanging from the rail, staring at something floating on the water. "My favorite hat!" Lily answered the question in unison. "A gust of wind blows it off!" She turned to her admirers, who were all ready to comfort her, but she wanted no sympathy, she wanted the hat. She smiled mischievously, eyeing everyone. "Anyone willing to play chivalry and help me retrieve my hat?" In fact, Lily dropped the hat on purpose. She could see that some people had already made up their minds, but this couldn't stop the suggestion of chivalry. "Me!" cried one.But the other had already begun to take off his hat and coat. "I insist on the privilege!" A heated argument ensued, as they both tried to win Lily's favor.

But today the current is strong and cold enough to be unhealthy; besides, a drop in the water would ruin an expensive tailored jacket. Lily looked at the debate she had facilitated, and curled her lips in amusement, but the men would rather argue than take action, competing to publish the knight's arguments.If anyone really wanted to save her hat, someone would have already been in the water. "It's spectacular," she murmured, glaring at the bickering dandies.If someone came up to her and told her hell that a ridiculous pink hat wasn't worth the trouble, she'd immediately be in awe of him, but no one dared to poke that.

If Kerak was here, he'd laugh at her, or make a cruel gesture that made her giggle.He and himself despised these unproductive, perfumed, overly ostentatious men of society. Lily sighed and turned her attention to the river, which was unbearably cold in spring.She turned her face up to the breeze, her hair fluttering in the wind, and she absently pulled the beaded headband off her forehead to focus on the undulation of the waves crashing against the yacht. "Mom..." She heard a small voice whispering, and couldn't help avoiding the memory, but the small voice refused to disappear.

Suddenly she seemed to feel a baby's small arms around her neck, delicate hair brushed her face, the weight of the child fell on her lap, the Italian sun was hot on the nape of her neck, a flock of ducks Swim leisurely across the pond. "Look, honey," Lily murmured. "Look at those ducks, they're coming to visit us." The little girl squirmed inexplicably excitedly, pointed at the wild ducks with her chubby little fingers, looked at Lily with dark eyes on her small face, and showed her two small front teeth in a smile. "Ah..." Lily laughed softly. "It's a duck, sweetheart, and it's beautiful! Where's the bread we feed the ducks? Well, God, I think I'm sitting on it."

Another gust of wind blew away the joyful sight, and Lily shook off her heartache as tears trickled down her eyelashes. "Oh, Nicole." She whispered, trying to relieve the tension in her heart with her breath, hoping that it would disappear, but it was still tightly entangled, and a panic quickly appeared in her body.It can be drugged occasionally with alcohol, gambling, or small talk, but it's a temporary escape, and she wants her baby back.My baby... where are you... I'm going to find you... Mommy's here... don't cry, don't cry... The desperation was like a knife, cutting deeper and deeper as time passed, and she had to do something now or she would go crazy.

Her actions startled the man next to her.With a high, bold laugh, she kicked off her shoes, leaving her pink hat still visible on the surface. "My poor hat is sinking!" she cried, stepping over the rail. "What a chivalry, it seems that asking for others is better than asking for oneself." Before everyone had time to react, she had already jumped out of the boat. Immediately the river covered her, some of the women screamed, and the men glanced anxiously at the water. "My God!" exclaimed one, but most were speechless with astonishment, and even the King himself shifted his bloated body to look forward.And his current mistress, Mrs. Kang, exclaimed: "I've said it long ago—that woman is crazy, my God!"

Lily stayed below the surface on purpose, and at first the temperature of the water was so cold that it paralyzed her limbs, turned her blood to ice, and her skirt became heavy, pulling her down into the mysterious coldness and darkness.It wouldn't be hard to make it happen, she thought numbly...just float down...and let the darkness consume her...but a fear forced her hands to move, forcing her to face the dim light above. In the middle of floating, she grabbed the velvet that brushed her wrist, broke through the water, and blinked away the salt that hurt her eyes. The cold pierced her body like needles, her teeth chattered up and down, and she looked at the expression on the yacht with a trembling smile. The astonished crowd.

"I got it," she held up her hat triumphantly. A few minutes later, Lily was pulled onto the boat by several pairs of willing hands. The wet clothes clinged to the uneven curves. The slender body was pleasing to the eye. And the disgusted look, because there is no other woman in London so admired by men.People felt pity and contempt for other women who behaved similarly, but not for Lily. "She can do whatever she wants, no matter how extreme her words and deeds are, men still flock to her!" Mrs. Kang complained loudly. "She attracts scandals like honey attracts flies. If she were any other woman, she would have been ruined a dozen times. Even my George won't tolerate it. How did she do it?"

"Because she behaves like a man." Mrs. Wei replied slowly. "Gambling, hunting, cursing, politics...they all find it new for women to have this masculine behavior." "She doesn't look masculine," Mrs. Kang murmured, looking at her wet clothes against her body. After the men confirmed that Lily was safe and sound, they laughed and applauded one after another, appreciating her bravery. Lily brushed the hair off her face, smiled slightly, and saluted dripping water all over her body. "Well, it's my favorite hat." She stared at the wrinkled fabric in her hands. "My God!" a man exclaimed in admiration. "You're really fearless, aren't you?" "Exactly." Her answer made everyone laugh. "Who dear... dear gentleman get me a big towel, maybe another refreshing drink before I die from—" She didn't finish, and she caught a glimpse of a stiff figure out of the corner of her eye. The men around her scattered, looking for towels and hot drinks, but one stood a few feet away, motionless.Lily straightened her body slowly, pushed back the wet hair from her face, and responded to his bold and rude gaze.A stranger, she couldn't understand why he was staring at her like that.She was used to the admiring gazes of men... But his eyes were cold and emotionless... His mouth was pursed contemptuously, and Lily stood motionless, her thin body began to tremble non-stop. She had never seen a man with pure blond hair, with such Greek features, the breeze blowing back the hair on his forehead, revealing the charming beauty tips.His hawk-like and aristocratic face is resolute and stubborn, and his transparent eyes have a sense of bleakness that Lily knows she will remember in her heart. Only those who have experienced bitterness and despair can recognize this kind of look in others. The stranger's gaze deeply disturbed Lily's heart, she turned her back to him, and smiled at the admirer who came over.Some of them carried towels, some cloaks, and hot drinks.She put away the thought of that stranger in her mind, who cares about those rigid nobles criticizing her? "Miss Law," said Sir Ben solicitously. "I'm afraid you'll catch a cold. If you want, I'd be more than happy to row you ashore." Lily found that her teeth were chattering up and down, and she was so trembling that she couldn't drink water, so she nodded gratefully, stretched out her hand to pull him to lower his head, and moved her cold lips to his ear. "Come on, please—please!" she whispered. "I—I think I might be—too impulsive, but don't—tell people I say that." Lei Yali has always been famous for his self-discipline and withdrawn, but now there is an unspeakable anger fighting in his heart.Crazy woman... recklessly taking risks, even risking her life, just to draw attention to her.She must be a high-class whore, catering to a small circle.If she had any reputation, she would not have acted like this.Alex let go of his clenched fist, feeling his chest tense, as if he was being hooped.Her high-spirited laugh, her quick eyes, her dark hair . . . God, she reminded him of Lorraine. "You've never seen her, have you?" he heard a gruff voice say to his left.Mr. Duffer was standing nearby, a friendly older gentleman who also knew Alex's father. "Men usually have that look when they see her for the first time. She reminds me of the young Marchioness of Salibe, a fine woman." Alex looked away from the flirtatious woman. "I don't think she's that good." He replied coldly. Mr. Du laughed. "If I was young, I would seduce her," he said thoughtfully. "Really, she's the only one left of her type, you know." "Which type is that?" "There were many in my youth." Mr. Du said sadly. "Taming them requires skill and wit... oh, they require endless management... Always trouble, delightful trouble." Alex looked back at the woman again.Her face is so detailed, and she has a pair of dark eyes. "Who is she?" he asked half dreamily.But no answer was heard.He turned around and saw that Mr. Du had already walked away. Lily got out of the carriage and walked to the front door of her house in Grosnow Square Lane, never in her life so sad. "I deserve it," she muttered to herself as she walked up the steps.Burton the head of the servants stood at the door watching her. "What an idiot." The Thames, which holds the rubbish dumped by Londoners, is not a good place to swim, and her impulsiveness resulted in a distinct stench of clothing and skin, feet in wet shoes Chirp.The strange voice, as well as her appearance, made Burton's brow furrow into a ball.This was rather unusual, as he had always received any sign of her slovenliness with a deadpan face. For the past two years, Burton has played the dominant role in her home, setting the boundaries for servants and visitors.Whenever a visitor was greeted at the door, Burton's rigid politeness and attitude conveyed a message—Lily was a host of status and status.He turned a blind eye to her wildness and adventures as if it didn't exist, treating her like a perfect lady.Although she rarely behaved like a lady, Lily knew that the servants would not respect her at all if it were not for Burton's dignified appearance and manner.Tall and bearded, with a serious face framed by a neatly trimmed iron-gray beard, he possessed no such admirable mixture of arrogance and obedience in all England's head servants. "I'm sure you enjoyed this water party, miss?" he inquired. "Amazing!" Lily tried to sound exuberant as she handed him a ball of wet velvet flecked with dripping pink feathers.He stared blankly at the object in his hands. "My hat," she explained, stepping through the door, leaving a puddle of water behind her. "Miss Luo, there is a visitor waiting for you in the front hall, it is Mr. Shi." "Red is here?" Lily was very happy to hear that. Shi Ruide is a sensitive and intelligent young man, and he has been a good friend for many years, and loves Lily's little sister Ping Ni deeply.Unfortunately, however, he is the third son of the Marquess of Herford, which means that he is unlikely to inherit enough titles or wealth to satisfy the Luo family's ambitious plans.For it was obvious that Lily could not possibly marry, and her parents' dreams of social advancement were all on Penny's shoulders.Lily felt sorry for her little sister, who was engaged to Lord Wolverton Ray... I heard that Penny didn't know him very well.Poor Red is suffering from lovesickness. "How long has Red been here?" "An hour, Miss. He claims to have an emergency and is willing to wait for you until you come back." This immediately piqued Lily's curiosity, and she looked towards the closed door of the salon. "Urgent? Well, I'll see him right away and invite him to my upstairs living room. I've got to get these wet clothes off." Burton nodded expressionlessly. The small living room next to Lily's bedroom was reserved for her closest friends.Although many people wanted the invitation, only a few ever went up. "Yes, Miss Luo." Red waited in Lily's antechamber, feeling no discomfort at all, and even if he was upset, it made him feel extraordinarily comfortable to be there.Perhaps this has something to do with the color, most women will use fashionable pink to decorate the walls, such as light blue, light pink or yellow.It is popular nowadays to use small chairs inlaid with gold powder and silk cushions, and the thin chair legs seem to be unbearable.Not so Lily's front room, furnished in rich warm colors and solid furniture that invites to put one's feet on it.Hunting patterns, carvings and some tasteful paintings hang on the walls all around, and this is often a meeting place for writers, eccentrics, lords and statesmen, even though Lily's wine supply is wildly variable - sometimes plentiful and plentiful , and sometimes almost nothing. As for the month, Lily evidently had a good collection, for a maid brought good brandy.Red ordered another cup of tea and read the newspaper until Burton opened the door. "She's back?" Red asked eagerly, jumping up. Burton eyed him coldly. "Miss Luo is meeting you upstairs, please allow me to lead the way, Mr. Shi..." Rhett followed him up the curved staircase to the small sitting room, where the firelight in the marble fireplace illuminated the green and copper and blue tapestries on the walls.After about a minute or two, Lily appeared at the door leading to her boudoir. "Red!" She hurried over and grabbed his hand, and Rhett leaned forward to kiss her cheek, smiling. But the smile on his face froze suddenly, only then did he realize that she was only wearing a robe, bare feet were exposed under the floor-length robe, the robe itself was quite dignified in style and heavy in material, but it was still classified as "not worth mentioning" clothes category.He took a step back in amazement, and then noticed that her hair was dry in strips, and she smelled rather... strange. Other than that, Lily was still amazingly beautiful, her eyes were as dark as the center of sunflowers, a row of thick eyelashes, her skin had a transparent luster, and the line of her throat was delicate and pure.When she smiled, her lips curved into a sweet arc, like an angelic little girl.That air of innocence was easily deceiving, and Red had seen her humiliate a nobleman in the subtlest of ways, and utter obscenities to a pickpocket who tried to sneak up on her. "Lily?" he asked tentatively, wrinkling his nose at the smell. She laughed. "I can take a shower first, but you said it was urgent, please forgive my perfume smell - the Thames smells quite fishy today," she continued, seeing his blank face, "my hat was blown into the river by the damn wind inside." "While you're wearing it?" Red wondered. Lily smiled. "Not really, but let's not talk about it. I'd rather hear why you came to town." He pointed uneasily at her attire.Or rather disheveled. "Shouldn't you change your clothes first?" Lily smiled kindly. There were certain aspects of Reed that would never change, those tender brown eyes, the sensitive face, the neat hair, which made her think of a well-dressed little boy on his way to church. "Oh, don't blush, I'm well wrapped up, I don't think you should be so humble and polite, Rhett, after all, you once proposed to me once." "Oh, yes, uh..." Reed frowned, the marriage proposal was quickly rejected, he almost forgot about it. "Han Li was still my best friend at that time, but he abandoned you with that despicable attitude. I think that as a gentleman, I should make up for him and be the second choice." This sentence evoked a burst of laughter. "His second pick? Jesus, Red, that's an engagement, not a duel!" "And you refused my marriage proposal." "My dear boy, I will make your life miserable, and it will be the same if Han Li marries me, so he left." "That's no excuse for his dishonorable conduct," Red said stubbornly. "But I'm very happy that he did that, otherwise I wouldn't have the opportunity to travel around the world with Aunt Sally, who has a weird style, and she wouldn't leave me a legacy, and I would..." Lily paused and shrugged intentionally . "Marry." She sat in front of the firelight and motioned for him to come over. "At the time, all I could think about was a broken heart, but I remember your proposal was the most heartfelt proposal I've ever heard. In fact, it was the only time a man ever acted completely selfless toward me. You were ready to sacrifice Your own happiness. Marry me just to save my wounded self-esteem." "So that's why you've been my friend for so many years?" Reed asked in surprise. "You know so many noble, accomplished people, I always wonder why you even bother with me." "Oh, yes," she said sarcastically. "The spendthrift, the libertine, the thief, the category of good friends. Aristocrats and politicians, obviously." She smiled at him. "You are the only person I know who can be called upright and noble." "I'm too straight, don't I?" he said darkly. Lily looked at him in surprise, wondering what was causing the idealistic Red to be so sad, something must be very wrong. "Red, you've got a lot of great qualities, and you're attractive—" "But not handsome," he said. "knowledgeable!" "But not clever, not quick-witted." "I'm glad you lack the cunning of malice, now stop forcing me to compliment you and tell me why you're here." Her eyes were sharp. "It's because of Penny, isn't it?" Red let out a long breath. "Your sister and your parents are living in the Lei Family Garden Mansion with Wulverton, preparing for the wedding." "It's only a few weeks away," Lily said thoughtfully. "I was not among those invited. My mother was afraid that I would make people laugh." She smiled wryly. "How could she have that idea?" "Your past is suggestive of—" Red tried to explain; but she cut him off impatiently. "Yes, of course I do." She hadn't talked to her family for a while, and the family connection went back a few years ago.It was cut off by her careless and ignorant hands. She didn't know exactly what had driven her to rebel against the moral norms her family held dear, but it didn't matter now, her mistakes would never be forgiven, and her parents warned her never to come home.At that time, she still laughed at their censure to her face, but now she regrets it too much, she has already tasted the taste of regret. She smiled regretfully at Red. "Even if I won't embarrass Penny, let alone jeopardize the plan of having a rich earl in the family, that's my mother's greatest dream." "Lily, have you met Apple's fiancé?" "Well, not really, at first glance Shropshire, once in birding season, looked tall and taciturn." "If he marries Penny, it'll make hell for her." Red's words were shocking and dramatic, designed to spur immediate action. Lily was unaffected, and looked at him frowningly, with a somewhat distant expression. "First, Rhett, there is no 'if' question, and Penny will marry the Earl of Wolverton, who has never disobeyed my parents' wishes; second, the fact that you love her hardly counts secret……" "She loves me too." "So you're more likely to exaggerate the situation for yourself." She raised her eyebrows. "Ok?" "I will not exaggerate the matter! Lord Wolverton will treat her cruelly, he does not love her, and I would die for her," He is young and romantic, but the degree of sincerity is also obvious. "Oh, Red." Lily sympathized with him. Sooner or later, everyone is driven to love someone he can't have.Fortunately, it was enough for her to learn this special lesson once. "A long time ago, I persuaded you to elope with Penny," she said. "If the rice was cooked, my parents would have to agree to the marriage. Now it's too late, they have found a fatter lamb for the slaughter." "Leiyali is not a lamb," Reid said darkly. "Like a lion instead—a cold, savage creature that will make your sister miserable all her life. He has no love, and Penny is terrified of him. You can ask friends about him, ask anyone, and they'll know There's the same statement - he's missing a heart." Uh, heartless man, she has learned enough, Lily sighed. "Red, I can't offer any advice," she said regretfully. "I love my sister, and I'm naturally happy to see her happy, but I can't help you two right now." "You can talk to your parents," he pleaded. "Plead for me." "Red, you know that I was kicked out of the house, and my words have no effect on them. I haven't asked for their favor for so many years, and I'm simply regarded as a stranger." "Please, you are my last hope, please, please," Lily looked at his suffering face and shook her head in vain. She didn't want to be anyone's hope, and she had already experienced all the vicissitudes.She couldn't sit down any longer, and got up to pace the room, while he sat upright on the chair and didn't move. Reid said, his tone was cautious, as if he was deeply afraid of saying a wrong sentence, and he would fall into a place of eternal doom. "Lily, think about your sister, try to imagine what it would be like to be a woman without your strength and freedom: fear, resignation, helplessness—oh, I know this feeling is completely foreign to you, but—" A wry laugh interrupted him, and Lily leaned her back against the wall, mockingly in her eyes. "Very strange," she repeated. "But Ping Ni and I are both at a loss... We need someone to help us and lead us to the road we are destined to know each other—" "My God, how poetic." "Oh, Lily, don't you know what love is? Don't you believe in love?" Lily looked away and rubbed her forehead wearily. "No, not that kind of love," she said absently.The question disturbed her, and suddenly she wished he had gone, and with it his despairing eyes. "I believe in the love between mother and child, the affection and friendship between brothers and sisters, but I have never seen romantic love that lasts forever. They are all destined to end in jealousy, anger and indifference..." she compelled I looked at him coldly. "Be like the others, my dear, find a marriage of interest, and have a mistress who will provide all the love, if you will keep her." Reid flinched suddenly, as if slapped by her, and stared at her blankly, his eyes full of accusations. "This is the first time I've been able to believe something someone has said about you." His tone was unsteady. "Please—forgive me for coming uninvited, I thought you could be of some help, or at least some comfort." "Damn it!" Lily exploded with her favorite curse, and Red frowned, but sat still. Lily was surprised to realize that his need was so urgent, she stubbornly held on to hope, and of all people, she should understand the pain and suffering of being forced to be separated from the one she loves.She walked towards him slowly, kissed him lightly on the forehead, and smoothed his hair, as if he were a little boy. "I'm sorry," she said ruefully. "I'm so selfish." "No," he said bewilderedly. "No, you're not." "I'm selfish and irrational, and of course I'll help you, Rhett. I've always had a debt to pay, and this debt has dragged on for too long." She strode across the room with renewed energy. "Now let me think... let me think..." The rapid change in her mood left Red sitting dazed, watching her in silence. "I must see Lord Woofferton," she said at last. "Assess the situation yourself." "But I have told you what kind of man he is." "I have to see for myself. If I find that he is neither cruel nor scary, I will do nothing about it." She stretched and stretched her five fingers, as if making her five fingers more flexible before controlling the rein. "Go back to the country, Rhett, and let you know when I've decided." "What if you find out that what I said is true? What will you do then?" "At that time," she said practically. "I'll do whatever I can to help you get Penny."