5 – Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Here
The amount of information in that sentence was overwhelming. Tang Qianluo paused briefly, but moments later, she still replied calmly, “If his father killed your mother, why don’t you marry his father instead!”
“Can’t you understand what I’m saying? He can’t marry you—he can only marry me!” Huo Yan screamed, no longer caring about maintaining her socialite image. She raised her hands and charged at Tang Qianluo, intent on strangling her!
Before Tang Qianluo could react, Huo Yan was violently kicked aside.
“Ning Dai,” Tang Qianluo called softly.
The man seemed to have rushed out of the shower. Water droplets still dripped from his hair, and his tall, sturdy frame was faintly visible through his damp white shirt.
Huo Yan knelt on the floor, her hair disheveled and her delicate makeup smeared by tears.
“Ning Dai, Ning Dai, you finally agreed to see me! The Ning Family promised to take responsibility for my family. You should be marrying me!”
Ning Dai’s eyes were icy cold. “Get her out of here!”
Huo Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Struggling to her feet, she evaded Ji Xianyang’s grasp and pulled a stack of photos from her bag, thrusting them toward Ning Dai.
Her movements were too swift. Tang Qianluo could only vaguely make out a few bloody images but couldn’t discern the details.
That stack of photos acted like a fuse, igniting all the violent tendencies buried deep within Ning Dai.
Thud—
A dull sound echoed as blood streamed from Huo Yan’s forehead.
Ning Dai held an ashtray, looking like a demon emerging from hell. A smile still played on his lips, but every word he uttered felt like a death sentence.
“Do you have a death wish? Let me help you on your way!”
As he raised his hand high once more, a pair of slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
“Get out of here, now!”
Tang Qianluo shouted at the terrified Huo Yan, who sobbed twice before scrambling out of the office on all fours.
“Ning Dai, calm down.”
“What? Do you want to die in her place?”
His eyes were bloodshot, and that terrifying smile still lingered on his lips.
“Ning Dai, what’s wrong with you? You’re scaring me.” Tang Qianluo’s voice trembled, but her arms around him didn’t loosen in the slightest.
Ning Dai froze, and the ashtray in his hand fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
He clutched his ears in agony, letting out a low, desperate roar.
“Ning Dai.” Tang Qianluo held him tightly, putting all her strength into the embrace.
“It hurts—”
The man gritted his teeth, forcing out the single word.
Even without him saying it, Tang Qianluo could feel his pain. Her heart sank as she leaned her neck closer to him.
Overwhelming pain shot through her, causing Tang Qianluo to furrow her brows. Her neck would surely be a mess after this!
“It’s okay, Ning Dai. I’m here. The pain will fade. I’ve got you…”
She seemed to be comforting him, or perhaps reassuring herself.
As the pain in her neck faded to numbness, Tang Qianluo felt the man in her arms gradually relax and finally let out a sigh of relief.
When Zuo Ye arrived, this was the scene that greeted him:
The man, trembling and panting, buried his face in the woman’s neck. Drenched, it was impossible to tell whether it was water or sweat covering him.
The woman gently patted his back, as if to soothe him or give him strength.
Zuo Ye narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, This woman is either Ning Dai’s salvation or his ruin!
After being repeatedly provoked during the day, and to be safe, Zuo Ye administered a sedative to Ning Dai to ensure he could rest properly.Tang Qianluo gazed at the pale-faced man on the bed, feeling a tumult of mixed emotions in her heart.
Though she had heard many rumors about him before their marriage, witnessing it firsthand was entirely different.
“Let me treat the wound on your neck,” Zuo Ye said, gently dabbing Tang Qianluo’s neck with iodine. In just one day, the girl’s neck had become a distressing sight. Frowning, he tried to soften his movements as much as possible.
“Does he always get like this?” Tang Qianluo asked softly, her eyes still fixed on Ning Dai.
Zuo Ye paused briefly before replying with a quiet hum. “There are some things I can’t tell you. Just remember to avoid provoking him as much as possible from now on.”
Tang Qianluo shook her head, showing no interest in Ning Dai’s past. “What should I be mindful of?”
Zuo Ye found himself genuinely intrigued by this girl—not romantically, but because the second daughter of the Tang family was nothing like the rumors suggested.
“Ning Dai must not see the color red, cannot eat meat, and should not stay in the dark. When he has a headache, it’s not an empty threat—if possible, stay away from him!” Ning Dai’s fragile nerves couldn’t withstand the slightest stimulation.
Zuo Ye expected Tang Qianluo to press for reasons, but instead, he heard the girl ask in a slightly nasal voice, “How can I make him hurt less?”
“Spend more time with him. You’re the first person who’s stayed by his side during an episode and remained unharmed.”
Ning Dai didn’t sleep for long, waking up after just an hour.
“Are you awake? Are you hungry? I asked Assistant Ji to buy some porridge earlier,” Tang Qianluo said, her voice clear and melodious.
Ning Dai sat up, his gaze cold and penetrating as he stared at the girl before him. In his moments of illness, he was the madman Ning Dai, but once awake, he reverted to the intimidating President Ning!
“Tang Qianluo, I’m giving you the chance to ask me anything.”
Tang Qianluo didn’t respond, simply handing the porridge to Ning Dai.
Ning Dai didn’t take it, his eyes fixed intently on her.
“Ning Dai, do you want to talk? You don’t really want to, do you? Our marriage wasn’t something either of us desired willingly. So, Ning Dai, I won’t pry into your past. Whether those things were good or bad has nothing to do with me.”
She was too clever, always aware of her place.
Ning Dai remained silent. He stood up and traced his fingers over Tang Qianluo’s slender neck. The girl’s skin should have been smooth and flawless, yet in just one day, it was marred with wounds. The bite marks from two consecutive days crisscrossed her skin like ink stains on a perfect painting.
She must be in pain, yet from start to finish, she hadn’t uttered a single word of complaint.
“Doctor Zuo left after seeing you were sound asleep. He prepared some medicine for you—remember to take it after you eat.”
Tang Qianluo chattered on, but strangely, Ning Dai didn’t feel irritated. She gently stirred the porridge in her hand, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Ning Dai’s lips.
It was vegetable porridge, with the vegetables and rice cooked to a soft mush, almost requiring no chewing. Ning Dai’s dark eyes scrutinized Tang Qianluo as he comfortably enjoyed her attentiveness.
“Ning Dai, are you fucking okay?!” A man’s loud shout echoed from outside the door, startling Tang Qianluo so much she nearly spilled the porridge on Ning Dai.
“Get in here!” Ning Dai growled coldly, and immediately, the door between the office and the rest area was pushed open.The newcomer was a man in his twenties with soft facial contours, a high and full nose bridge, and thin lips slightly upturned into an alluring curve.
“Hello there, little sister-in-law. I’m Mo Qi. I didn’t get to greet you properly yesterday during your wedding.”
This person was the complete opposite of Ning Dai—while the latter was freezing cold, the former was excessively warm.
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly as if to give Tang Qianluo a hug. Being aware of the customary friendly gestures among noble families, Tang Qianluo set the porridge aside and turned to respond.
But the next second, Ning Dai directly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.
Tang Qianluo’s nose bumped against the man’s firm chest, causing a sharp ache, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
“Speak if you have something to say. Keep your hands to yourself!” Ning Dai’s tone was cold and detached, yet a closer listen revealed a hint of jealousy.
Mo Qi stood frozen in place under Ning Dai’s piercing gaze. Had this man lost his mind?