“Are you saying I’m incapable?” Shang Mian laughed lightly, pulling her into his embrace again. Their clothes not yet worn, slick and smooth, perfectly convenient for his conquest. This battle was more intense and prolonged.
Ruan Ning fainted again. In her last conscious moment, she thought, “Damn it, I’ll start exercising tomorrow!”
The next morning, the courtyard was filled with kneeling people. Qingyu, trembling, said timidly: “Miss, we all woke up in the courtyard…”
A maid screamed, “It must be the Fox Immortal!”
Ruan Ning was speechless. It was clearly a Teddy spirit.
After breakfast, Song Bofu personally visited to discuss adopting an heir. Ruan Ning’s conditions were simple: first, young and healthy; second, parents not local; third, Song Bofu to personally raise the child.
“Uncle, I’m just the child’s older cousin. I have no proper standing. You are learned and of high moral character. Please take good care of the child. I thank you on behalf of my late aunt!” Ruan Ning bowed deeply.
Song Bofu reached out to support her. His fingers touched her hand, smooth and tantalizing. But his peripheral vision caught a faint red mark hidden by her sleeve.
He gripped her hand, asking softly: “Did my fifth brother hit you?”
“Not these past few days,” Ruan Ning answered cautiously.
Clearly, it had happened before. Song Bofu suddenly grew angry. Such a beautiful woman, and Song Sizong dared to lay hands on her!
Noticing her evasion, Song Bofu smiled and said, “As the clan leader, I failed to discipline the clan’s younger members and caused you to suffer. This matter should be resolved by me. You don’t need to worry about it anymore; leave it all to me.”
Ruan Ning thought for a moment and accepted his help. She was vulnerable, and since Song Bofu was willing to assist, she was happy to accept. Things were already so bad that it didn’t matter if they got worse.
After finishing their main discussion, Song Bofu continued to chat and advise her on matters a single woman should pay attention to and shared insights about the clan elders. Ruan Ning listened absent-mindedly. Suddenly, her ear felt warm as Song Bofu leaned in and quietly asked, “What is your nickname?”
Ruan Ning replied, “Ning Ning,” and then realized she shouldn’t casually share her name. She stepped back, lowering her head and pretending to be shy.
Song Bofu was overjoyed. If a woman was willing to share her nickname, it could be seen as a sign of hidden affection. It was a pity she was Song Sizong’s wife. Even if they divorced, he could not openly marry her.
But no matter, he was sure he could find a way around this.
While discussing how to deal with Song Sizong, Wu Shi, with a shocked expression, shouted, “What? You’ve never consummated the marriage with her?”
“Mother, please lower your voice,” Song Sizong said, noticing Su Lin’s light-colored sleeve behind the curtain. He added passionately, “I don’t want to touch a woman I don’t like!”
“Fool, no wonder she didn’t hesitate to divorce you!” Wu Shi was furious. “You’re such an idiot! If you had taken her earlier, I’d like to see her dare to divorce! Now the cooked duck has flown away!”
Song Sizong mumbled, “Even if she says she’s a virgin, no one will believe her.”
“Believing is one thing, sleeping is another,” Wu Shi retorted, knocking him on the head. “If you don’t sleep with her, she won’t take you seriously. Women are cheap. You either beat her into submission or sleep with her into submission. Without beating or sleeping, how do you expect her to obey?”
“Enough, mother,” Song Sizong said, finding her words increasingly vulgar. “Anyway, she’s determined to divorce. The priority now is to figure out how to get more things back.”
Mentioning things only made Wu Shi angrier, as the matter of changing the heir had just been resolved, catching her off guard.
Besides the things she had already moved back, she hadn’t gained any benefits. She sent people to retrieve her belongings but was told everything had been given to beggars, almost making her vomit blood.
“You useless waste!” Wu Shi poked Song Sizong’s forehead. “Those things were originally yours. Look how useless you’ve become!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Suddenly, she sneered, “Doesn’t the gatekeeper have something on you? Go secretly at night, take her body, and in the morning, I’ll catch you both in bed. Let’s see how she can talk about divorce then!”
Taking her body… Song Sizong remembered her swaying hips that day, and his blood rushed. Previously uninterested in her, he now found the idea of sleeping with her less unacceptable.
A light-colored sleeve flashed, revealing Su Lin retreating. Song Sizong immediately came to his senses. “I don’t want her,” he said.
“Are you crazy!” Wu Shi poked him again. “Sleeping with your own woman, what are you being coy about!”
“I don’t want her,” Song Sizong looked behind the curtain. “Whoever wants her can have her.”
Wu Shi grew more frustrated. The second house’s property was hopeless, but Ruan’s dowry was substantial. If they could hold onto Ruan, they could at least keep some money.
But this son was uncooperative.
“Get out, you useless waste!” Wu Shi slapped Song Sizong, who covered his face and walked away.
Wu Shi ran outside, determined to confront her son’s failures. She planned to catch Ruan Ning in the act tomorrow, intending to humiliate her and drive her to suicide. The Ruan family’s possessions would remain with the Song family.
Late at night, Ruan Ning slept soundly, alone in her room. She realized she couldn’t stop Shanyian and decided not to burden the maids with her worries, focusing instead on her own health.
Before Shanyian arrived, a dark shadow slipped in, broke the window, blew in smoke, and entered, sneaking to the bedside. The woman on the bed seemed unaware, curled up and making moaning sounds.
Impatient, the shadow reached out, but before he could touch her, he felt a chill on his back. Two fingers gripped his collar and threw him out the door.
With a thud, the shadow crashed in the courtyard, several teeth knocked out. He struggled to cry out but couldn’t; his throat had been slit when he was thrown.
The courtyard was silent under the moonlight, with only the low gurgling of blood flowing from his neck.
Shanyian, dressed in red, stood at the door, frowning at the bloody knife. He carelessly threw it, landing in the man’s heart – clearly fatal.
Shanyian closed the door, drew all the curtains, and walked to the bed, where the woman twisted like a vine. Her waist moved fluidly, producing low, hoarse sounds. She had clearly been drugged with an aphrodisiac.
Curious, Shanyian pulled back half the curtain, letting moonlight spill onto the bed. Wrapped in a delicate light green quilt was Ruan Ning, her clothes tossed aside. Her skin, bathed in moonlight, was smooth, with deep purple bruises on her waist—traces from their passionate encounters.
This woman was truly delicate, he thought. Even a gentle pinch would leave marks.
He realized that having light wasn’t bad; it made things more exciting. Perhaps he should change his habits during such activities. He pulled the curtain open further, glancing at the solidifying blood in the courtyard, and placed his hands on her slender waist.
With a giggle, she laughed softly: “No, I don’t like this. I want to be on top.”
Shang Mian chuckled, casually responding: “Is that for you to decide?”
She struggled to break free from his restraint. Amused, he released her, and she immediately flipped over, mounting him triumphantly, declaring: “Riding horseback!”
A low moan escaped Shang Mian’s lips. This wasn’t bad at all.
