Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ novel Chapter 123

Into the Lion’s den

I spent the entire fifteen-hour flight to Shanghai being restless. Even as I lay in Aren’s arms in the bedroom of his luxurious private jet, I couldn’t sleep. Unlike me, Aren slept like a baby, but I guess his level of exhaustion finally forced his system to rest. From the moment he had come back to New York, he didn’t leave my side, working from my room in the clinic in between taking care of me. Even when Miranda had finally agreed to release me from observation, Aren didn’t go to his office to pamper me as if I was a child. He didn’t let me do anything by myself, and he would have carried me around the penthouse so I wouldn’t tire my feet if I didn’t firmly protest against it. It felt awkward at times, but I couldn’t help but feel my heart melting as I saw his concern filled with yet-unnamed emotions scratching their way out. Now, he was lying peacefully beside me, and I tried to soothe my nerves by stroking his thick black hair. Looking at his beautiful sleeping face was the only thing that could dissolve my anxieties while we were in the air, and I could only imagine how nervous I’d become once the plane landed.

“Don’t worry, sunshine. Everyone is going to love you.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze once we got off at Shanghai Pudong Airport.

I nodded and smiled nervously, although I seriously doubted that I would be treated kindly by the Lan family, who barely considered my husband as their own. Aren assured me of the Lans’ progressive mind set, but I was aware that I shouldn’t underestimate the fact that the rules of Confucianism were still very present in the old Chinese families, and the Lan family was certainly one of them. Confucius’s rules had always set a clear hierarchic order within the families, with the oldest member as the head of the family and the younger generations having to submit to him. The obvious fact was that male members were constantly prioritized, and a lot of conservative families used to say that it was a curse to have a daughter and a blessing when they had a son. For that reason, Lan Jing’s decision to appoint the daughter as an heir caused outrage among the conservatives. Unfortunately, this fact didn’t exactly make things easier for Liling’s son, Aren. First of all, his mother had gone against the head of the family, stealing the money for Winton’s company, and then marrying James Winton. Moreover, even though he was a man, he was the son of a daughter, and because of that fact, even the Chinese language itself put him at a disadvantage. While the other Lan Jing’s grandchildren called their grandfather “yeye”, Aren would address him as “waigong,” with “wai” meaning “outside,” to underline the fact that as soon as the daughter married, she became an outsider, a more distant family member… I bet that the way grandchildren called their grandparents didn’t matter that much in other Chinese families, but it was a whole different story when those grandchildren were fighting for the position of an heir, and unimaginable power and money.

The Lans mansion was in the Pudong district, which was one of the places where all the richest people in Shanghai had their homes. The Lans owned the entire hill with vast parks and gardens and the castle-like mansion at the heart of that area. Certainly, the place was guarded by a high fence and surveillance and security at the intelligence agency level. As soon as we arrived at the place, we were greeted by several servants lined up at the entrance. The second after we got out of the limousine that drove us from the airport, our suitcases were taken out of the trunk and carried into the mansion. At the same time, the English-speaking chamberlain welcomed us into the residence and led us inside to show us our rooms. I was surprised to see the whole wing of the mansion reserved solely for our comfort, with one living room

and master bedroom, a private office room with a small library, and a beautiful orangery.

“Master Lan will receive you at five o’clock. The dinner will be served at six,” said the grey-haired chamberlain.

“Thank you, Mr. Gao,” Aren replied, giving the chamberlain a small nod of acknowledgment.

Mr. Gao bowed down and left our room, closing the door behind him. I had to admit that I loved the modern-oriental interior design the mansion had. It was quite ascetic, leaving large areas of unfurnished space that helped emphasize the oriental ornaments and a few traditional elements. Of course, the

minimalistic trend didn’t apply to the bedroom, where the bed itself was enough for the family of five to sleep comfortably. The dark wooden bed frame had artistic carvings from every side and the canopy was covered with the most delicate silk. I could easily picture one of the Chinese rulers sleeping in a bed like that. I couldn’t help but admire it.

“Would you like to try it out?” Aren whispered to my ear as he caught me staring.

I blushed. “I’m merely appreciating the work of art.”

He took my hand and kissed it. “I cannot wait to try it.”