Wang Mengfu and Wang positioned Ruan Ning between them in an empty courtyard, seemingly preventing her escape. Ruan Ning anxiously asked, “Mother, why didn’t you tell me we were coming to see my cousin?”
Wang held her hand softly, saying, “If I had told you, would your father have let us out? Ning-Ning, come, let’s go inside. You’ll definitely like it!”
Wang pulled Ruan Ning into the main hall. Startled, Ruan Ning saw several large red “happiness” characters, lanterns, a pair of red dragon and phoenix candles on the table, and a large red silk ball hanging from the beam. Realizing something was wrong, she tried to pull her hand away, but Wang gripped her tightly, laughing, “Ning-Ning, don’t be shy. Your father is confused about your heart. Mother will make the decision. You and Mengfu will get married right now!”
Terrified, Ruan Ning remembered the plot. No matter how handsome Wang Mengfu was, he couldn’t spark her interest. She must not stay and be at their mercy!
Decisively, she pushed Wang away and ran towards the door.
Caught off guard, Wang stumbled and quickly told Wang Mengfu, “Mengfu, why are you hesitating? Quickly catch your cousin!”
Wang Mengfu, who had been wanting to approach, eagerly chased after her, wrapping his arms around Ruan Ning from behind and whispering, “Ning-Ning, don’t run. After we get married, we’ll be family. Aren’t you happy?”
His voice was urgently unmasked, and his hot breath felt uncomfortably wet on her ear. Ruan Ning struggled, saying, “Cousin, don’t do this. I’ll go back and persuade Father. He loves me so much and will surely agree. We can’t do this. I’ll be humiliated for life. Please, cousin, don’t harm me.”
Hearing her soft plea, Wang Mengfu hesitated. Though he didn’t see this as shameful, using deception to win Ruan Ning hurt his pride. He looked at Wang, who said, “Listen to your aunt. Your uncle would rather Ning-Ning never marry than marry you. He’s too stubborn. You can’t reason with him, so do as I said before – get married first, then go back and force him to accept it!”
Ruan Ning was desperate. This wasn’t a Jinjiang novel, but an R-18 story? Always the same “turning raw rice into cooked rice” plot – couldn’t they be more original?
Wang Mengfu’s hesitation quickly disappeared. He held Ruan Ning tightly, breathing in her sweet scent, whispering, “Ning-Ning, be good. It’ll be over soon.”
Ruan Ning called the system countless times, but the standard female voice remained silent. She suspected the system had removed the danger warning to give her this “surprise.” Trying to persuade Wang, she pleaded, “Mother, please. Let’s go back and talk to Father. He loves me and will surely agree. We can’t do this secretly!”
“How is this secret? I’m here to witness!” Wang helped Wang Mengfu force her to kneel, and he also knelt, kowtowing to Wang three times. Satisfied, Wang said, “Good, you’ve bowed and are now married!”
She quickly ran out, locking the door and saying, “Mengfu, I’ve locked the door. I’ll open it later. Be careful, Ning-Ning is young. Don’t hurt her.”
Wang Mengfu, focused on Ruan Ning, lifted her and carried her into the inner bedroom.
“System, system!” Ruan Ning desperately called in her mind. “Host is in danger. Come out!” Only silence answered.
Suddenly, everything went dark as Wang Mengfu closed the curtains, placing her on the bed and covering her body. “Ning-Ning, you’re finally mine!” Wang Mengfu whispered, his eyes red, his lips descending on her face.
Ruan Ning tried to escape, but he was too strong. As his lips touched her face, she turned away in disgust. He paused, asking, “Ning-Ning, what’s wrong? Don’t you like me and want to marry me?”
Ruan Ning closed her eyes, composing herself before reluctantly saying, “Cousin, we can’t do this.”
We’re not truly married yet.
Wang Mengfu felt relieved, “If you think this is too hasty, when I make something of myself, we’ll have a proper wedding ceremony.”
In the dim light, his eyes looked frightening. A strong sense of disgust welled up in Ruan Ning’s heart. She could no longer keep up the act and clawed at his face. Wang Mengfu cried out in pain, with long bloody scratches stretching from his eyes to his cheeks.
“Ning’er, have you gone mad?” Wang Mengfu was shocked and angry. “Didn’t you say you loved me and wanted to marry me? Were you lying?”
Seeing him stunned, Ruan Ning tried to run from the bed. But before her feet could touch the ground, he grabbed her arm and threw her back onto the bed. His eyes gleamed with fierce anger as he said, “You’re all deceiving me. Dream on! Today, I’ll make you give the most reliable guarantee!”
He grabbed her collar and violently tore her gauze dress, exposing her neck and collarbone. Wang Mengfu pressed on top of Ruan Ning, desperately kissing her neck. Suddenly, a figure appeared and struck Wang Mengfu’s neck. He groaned and collapsed softly onto Ruan Ning. Before she could react, the person kicked Wang Mengfu to the ground and pulled her off the bed.
A cold-eyed man in black stood before Ruan Ning, throwing her a man’s robe and coldly saying, “Put this on. Come with me.”
What was happening? Who was he? Where was he taking her? Ruan Ning, having survived the ordeal, was filled with questions, her hands trembling as she struggled to undo the robe’s buttons.
The man grew impatient, stepping forward and striking her neck. Ruan Ning’s vision went dark, and her last thought before fainting was, “What kind of ridiculous plot is this? Can’t you be a bit more gentle?”
Her body fell limp, and the man shifted her onto his shoulder, draping the robe over her. Before leaving, he bolted the hall door and leaped out the back window.
In the courtyard, Wang’s wife wore a smile, having tested her husband’s attitude about marrying their daughter to Wang Mengfu. She felt she must help her nephew—if they became intimate, what could Ruan’s father do?
Thinking this was an excellent plan, she sent a messenger to inform Wang Mengfu and set up the scheme. She wondered if the two had succeeded, eager to ensure Ruan’s father would have no choice but to marry off his daughter quickly.
After pondering for a while, she felt the courtyard was eerily quiet. She crept to the window and listened, but there was no sound. Had they already finished and fallen asleep? Wang’s wife muttered to herself, then tore the window paper to peek inside, shocked to find her nephew sprawled on the ground and her daughter missing.
Chapter 7: The White Moonlight Becomes a Mother-in-Law
Ruan Ning slowly opened her eyes. She saw a black lapel, pants, and shoes, realizing this person must hate doing laundry before recalling she had just been knocked unconscious. Looking up, she saw a cold-eyed, black-clad man carrying her.
Ruan Ning began to struggle. “Don’t move,” he said coldly. She noticed a row of gray tiles and high roof ridges. He was carrying her across rooftops in broad daylight, and she was afraid of heights.
Her palms began to sweat, and her breathing became difficult. Just then, she heard a familiar female voice: “Host, are you okay?”
“Okay? Bullshit!” Ruan Ning almost shouted, “Where were you earlier?”
Ruan Ning was abruptly dropped into a small courtyard by the black-clad man. As she regained her composure, he ordered her to enter a nearby room and wait.
“Brave sir,” Ruan Ning said hesitantly, “thank you for saving me, but my home is nearby. Could you let me go home? My father will reward you.”
“No,” the man replied flatly. “Go in. Wait. My master will come later.”
“Who is your master? Why do I need to wait?” Ruan Ning asked, confused.
The man pointed to the door, insisting, “Go in. Wait. Don’t ask.”
Inside, the room was small but elegantly arranged with calligraphy and paintings on the walls, fresh flowers in porcelain vases, and a jade incense burner emitting smoke, indicating wealth and refinement.
