2 – I Call You My Lord
After the ceremony concluded, guests stepped forward one by one to offer their blessings, but before they could speak, they shrank back timidly under Ning Dai’s sharp gaze, ultimately only daring to strike up insincere conversations with Tang Qianluo.
Wan Qing watched Tang Qianluo being surrounded and praised by the crowd with an air of elegance, and felt nothing but burning rage. How could such a harbinger of doom deserve to be treated like the center of attention?
She lifted her chin, straightened her posture, and swayed her hips as she walked up to Tang Qianluo.
“Qianluo, now that you’re married, you must learn the three obediences and four virtues. You should rid yourself of those bad habits from the past. A woman must obey her husband—this is a principle you must understand!”
Tang Qianluo felt sick to her stomach and couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
Seeing this, Wan Qing grew even angrier. “Tang Qianluo, it’s one thing that you acted recklessly back in the Tang family. Out of consideration that we are family, I’ll let bygones be bygones. But from now on, in the Ning Family, you must truly change your ways!”
The accusation was severe. “Reckless behavior” was one thing, but “acting wickedly” was far too harsh!
Tang Qianluo let out a bitter laugh, and the last shred of hope she held for familial affection vanished completely.
“No, please, do hold it against me. Otherwise, I won’t even know what I did wrong. Since everyone is here today, why don’t you spell it out clearly? I’ll do my best to change and strive to be a good wife in the future.”
Tang Qianluo, who had always remained silent, suddenly fought back, catching Wan Qing completely off guard.
Wan Qing’s face turned pale with anger. Putting on an affected tone, she said, “What’s past is past. Let’s not bring it up again. I only hope that from now on, you will serve Ning Dai well in the Ning Family and not bring shame to the Tang family!”
“Oh? Is the Ning Family so poor they can’t even afford to hire a servant? Do they need me, the lady of the house, to serve them?”
Tang Qianluo remained unruffled, and watching Wan Qing’s expression grow increasingly unpleasant only lifted her spirits.
Furious and humiliated, Wan Qing adopted Madam Tang’s authoritative manner and scolded loudly, “Tang Qianluo, have you no manners? Is this any way to speak to an elder?”
Before Tang Qianluo could respond, the man beside her asked in a deep voice, “Madam Tang, is there a problem with my wife’s attitude?”
His gaze was cold and penetrating, filled with a fearsome ferocity that sent a chill down Wan Qing’s spine.
Her smile stiffened, barely maintaining the minimum decorum. “I was only teaching her a lesson for your sake, hoping Qianluo will serve you well in the future.”
Ning Dai’s eyes were filled with indifference. He cast a cold glance and replied in an unpleasant tone, “I married a wife, not a maid!”
His words struck Wan Qing like a slap in the face. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she felt as if everyone around her was mocking her.
But before she could say anything more, Ning Dai had already turned and walked away with Tang Qianluo.
Wan Qing gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at Tang Qianluo’s retreating figure, wishing she would hear news of Tang Qianluo being poisoned by Ning Dai the very next day.
Having been defended repeatedly throughout the day, although the marriage had been unwilling, the subsequent developments weren’t all that bad.
In the wedding car, Tang Qianluo occasionally stole glances at the man beside her.
He was frowning deeply, occasionally pressing his fingers to his temples, looking as though he was in pain.
“Ning Dai, are you feeling unwell?” Tang Qianluo asked cautiously.
Receiving no reply from the man, she quietly settled back into her seat.
When they got out of the car, Ning Dai strode quickly toward the house. Tang Qianluo broke into a jog but still couldn’t keep up.
As dusk fell, the quiet Ning Residence was utterly silent. Suppressing her fear, Tang Qianluo slowly searched for any sign of Ning Dai.
Bang—A loud crash seized Tang Qianluo’s full attention. A man’s low growl, mingled with the sound of shattering glass, echoed from one of the rooms. The roar was like that of a wounded beast—dangerous yet fragile!
Tang Qianluo froze for a moment, hesitating before she cautiously approached the room where the noise had originated.
The man’s agonized groans grew louder. After a long pause, she pushed the door open.
“Ning Dai, is that you?” she asked softly.
The room was pitch black. Before she could take a closer look, a cold hand gripped hers and yanked her inside.
On the soft, sprawling bed, Tang Qianluo heard the heavy, frantic breathing of the man beside her. Before she could make out who he was, a sudden, sharp pain in her neck made her struggle instinctively.
“It hurts…” Tang Qianluo gasped, trying to push the man off her.
But her fierce resistance only provoked him to tighten his grip!
His warm tongue traced the wound on her neck, the mix of pain and tingling sensation electrifying every nerve in her body.
Yet, despite the pain, Tang Qianluo could sense the man’s faint trembling and underlying vulnerability. Enduring the agony, she gently patted his firm, muscular back.
“It’s alright, it’s alright…”
Her voice was soft and soothing, each word spoken with gentle reassurance.
The man’s body stilled. His ragged breathing gradually steadied. Propping himself up on one arm, he fixed his dark, ink-like eyes on Tang Qianluo in the darkness—like a leopard eyeing its prey.
She was trapped, with nowhere to run!
“Ning Dai!” Tang Qianluo cried out. So it really was Ning Dai—the madman who had just bitten her!
“Quiet!”
Traces of her blood still stained the corner of his lips. He ran his tongue lightly over the crimson mark, a gesture both bloodthirsty and inexplicably sensual.
“Your name!” His voice was sharp and icy.
What’s my name? How about “Your Ancestor”? Or “Your Lordship”?
Tang Qianluo really wanted to curse his ancestors, but she was too intimidated. Forcing a stiff smile, she replied, “Tang Qianluo. A thousand turns in recollection, like blossoms falling with tender affection.”
The man remained silent. Rising, he tapped a device by the bed, and instantly the room was flooded with light as bright as day. The glare was so intense that Tang Qianluo could barely keep her eyes open.
Under the harsh light, Ning Dai’s features appeared stark and severe, his eyes deep and penetrating. His thin lips parted slightly as he spoke in a hoarse, dangerously edged tone,
“Has no one told you that you’re not supposed to wander around the Ning Family residence at night?”
Are you kidding me? You’re the one who left me outside alone! I haven’t even been at the Ning Family for half an hour!
“I know now!” Tang Qianluo secretly rolled her eyes, mentally cursing this lunatic ten thousand times over.
Ning Dai caught every one of her subtle reactions. It was the first time he had studied Tang Qianluo so intently. Her face was lightly made up, and her almond-shaped eyes glistened with unshed tears from the pain. Strangely, that vulnerable look stirred in him a sudden urge to torment her further.
His fingers brushed lightly over the wound on her neck. The cold touch sent a shiver down Tang Qianluo’s spine.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what?” Tang Qianluo’s eyes sparkled with nothing but curiosity, devoid of any fear.
“Of how I was earlier!”
“I was scared at first, but not anymore. A bite won’t kill me, after all!”
A flicker of emotion passed through Ning Dai’s sharp gaze, but it vanished too quickly to grasp.
He got off the bed, retrieved a book from the shelf, and tossed it onto the bed.
“Read to me.”Tang Qianluo stared wide-eyed, holding the book as she exclaimed in surprise, “Huh?”
“Read!” Ning Dai said before lying back down on the bed.
He suddenly had a conjecture that urgently needed verification.
“When I was only six years old…”
The woman’s voice flowed like a gentle spring, refreshing to the heart. Her melodious and graceful tone actually made Ning Dai’s strained nerves feel relaxed.
After who knows how long, the reading voice abruptly stopped. Ning Dai opened his eyes and examined the woman beside him who was already drowsy—it seemed he had guessed correctly!