“Wife, I am leaving. But don’t worry, I haven’t disappeared! Whenever I see a Hou family shop, I will go in and leave a message! If you miss me… then come find me!”
Is she…?
The panic in Hou Danxue’s heart suddenly settled after seeing the note.
It was a subtle feeling, like a family dog suddenly going off to wander, but because the puppy loves you, it sends you postcards from its travels from time to time.
However… although the feeling wasn’t entirely bad, she would not tolerate the puppy wandering outside for too long.
If the puppy encountered someone with ill intentions… what would happen to her, the former owner?
She couldn’t bear the thought.
Hou Danxue had always known exactly how wonderful Wu Ming was.
Not to mention, Wu Ming had been nurtured even better under her care; if she took her eyes off her for just a moment out in the world, Wu Ming would attract far too many people.
Hou Danxue lacked a sense of security; she didn’t feel safe letting Wu Ming out.
Wu Ming could only belong to her!
Wu Ming didn’t even need to leave messages intentionally. Her temperament was too unique—so unique that one look left an indelible impression. Since the Hou family shops were spread across the world, Hou Danxue’s eyes and ears were everywhere.
Finding Wu Ming was, for her, an easy task.
Hou Danxue’s mind was filled with thoughts of Wu Ming being seduced by others. She couldn’t wait a moment longer and set off immediately.
On the other side, Wu Ming had obtained the freedom she dreamed of. For a while, she didn’t know what to do and wandered aimlessly through the streets.
What was the purpose of her running away? It was to engage in a satisfying fight.
To have a satisfying fight, she first had to find a martial artist of a similar level.
But where could such an expert be easily found?
Even when Hou Danxue held the martial arts tournament, no opponent appeared who could catch Wu Ming’s eye. Searching aimlessly now made it even more impossible to find someone.
The bubbles of her fantasy were suddenly burst. Wu Ming felt a sudden pang of regret; she missed home.
This was still within the Hou family’s sphere of influence. Even if she wasn’t in Taoyuan Village, she could still see the paired silhouettes of the Hou family crest.
Inevitably, she thought of Hou Danxue. When loneliness flooded her chest, she longed intensely for the soft, warm touch Hou Danxue provided.
Sigh… why… do I have a home but won’t return?
Wu Ming was only holding out on the belief that she wouldn’t be able to come out easily once she went back. If this freedom had come too easily, she probably would have abandoned it without hesitation.
Wu Ming’s stomach growled, and then she realized a grim reality—she hadn’t brought any money.
In the past… in the past, she rarely had a use for money.
Well… back then, she mostly hunted wild game in the mountains to satisfy her hunger, and occasionally, when she “robbed the robbers” and found some money, she would splurge at a restaurant.
But now… Wu Ming’s palate had been spoiled by Hou Danxue. She didn’t even care for the restaurants outside!
She used to eat the signature dishes prepared by the finest chefs. Hou Danxue prioritized enjoyment and kept a courtyard full of chefs; Wu Ming ate something different every meal.
How was it that she had gained the freedom she wanted, but even eating had become a problem?
“Old Mother Heaven! If I could go back to the past self… I definitely wouldn’t have entertained this thought! I would have planned it slowly.”
To fight, she at least needed to find people. Clearly, the identity of the “Hou Family Madam” was more suitable for tracking down recluses! Now she was just a wandering rogue; what status or position did she have to inquire about the news of hidden masters?
Wu Ming began to hesitate about whether to go back. But her Wife had probably been enraged by her. If she went back now, she would have to face her Wife’s torrential fury; it would be very difficult to coax her back into a good mood.
It seemed she could only wait a bit longer.
Wait a little more, until her Wife found her. Then, her Wife would surely want to capture her and take her back!
When that time came, she only needed to pretend she was no match for her Wife and let herself be successfully captured.
By then, Hou Danxue’s anger would have been mostly pacified by the joy of victory, and it would be much easier for Wu Ming to soothe her.
Undoubtedly, this was the best choice.
No matter how much reluctance Wu Ming felt in her heart, she could only grit her teeth and continue wandering outside.
She looked around. She hadn’t walked very far; almost every shop here belonged to the Hou family. The flags in front of the shops bore the Hou family crest.
Uh… this isn’t the same as my plan.
If she just walked into any shop now and revealed her identity…
The whole street would be alarmed! Then a bunch of people would watch the spectacle!
How embarrassing!
The dignity of the “Number One in the World” was precious; she couldn’t truly be that spineless!
So how much further did she have to go? How far until she was outside Hou Danxue’s sphere of influence?
Wait! By the time… by the time Hou Danxue finds me… I’ll have turned into a wild person! Will Hou Danxue still want me then?!
This was truly a serious problem!
The more Wu Ming thought about it, the more she regretted it, wishing she could go back in time and beat up her impulsive self.
Why give up a good life to come out and be a savage!
Her past self was happy, but her current self was miserable.
When Hou Danxue found Wu Ming, Wu Ming looked like a completely aggrieved puppy.
She was walking pitifully with her arms hugged around herself, her eyes lacked luster, and her face revealed the despair of someone whose life had reached its end.
Hou Danxue was startled. This place wasn’t far from the Hou manor; plenty of people recognized Wu Ming. Who would dare to make Wu Ming feel wronged?
Or… was someone braving her authority to harass her Madam?
Hou Danxue’s expression instantly became dangerous.
Wu Ming bumped straight into the horse Hou Danxue was riding. She was fine, but the horse was startled and reared up, nearly throwing Hou Danxue off.
Hearing the horse’s cry, Wu Ming realized she had caused trouble. She quickly used her lightwork to subdue the frightened horse. Once the situation was resolved and she was about to jump off the horse, Hou Danxue hugged her tightly.
Wu Ming was still a “good child” who cherished her purity; naturally, she had to reject a stranger’s intimacy. She ruthlessly pushed the other person away and dismounted. When she looked up, she found it was Hou Danxue.
Wu Ming: …Is it too late to explain?
This was bad! The price of walking without looking was far too high!
“I’ve caught you. Do you still want to run?”
Hou Danxue’s voice was very cold. Clearly, she was unhappy.
This was completely different from Wu Ming’s plan. She had originally intended to be captured to appease Hou Danxue’s anger, but now, because of her unconscious rejection, everything was ruined!
To go back… or not to go back?
Better go back.
The consequences of not going back would only be worse. To be caught and still refuse to return—how angry would Hou Danxue get?
It was just that after going back, she might have to suffer quite a bit to coax Hou Danxue.
Having made up her mind, Wu Ming’s movements became much more agile. She hopped onto the horse and dove into Hou Danxue’s arms.
If their height difference hadn’t been so large… it would have been a very harmonious picture.
As soon as Wu Ming dove in, Hou Danxue was nearly pushed off the horse. Because of this large obstacle, her hands could no longer flexibly control the reins.
The “obstacle” looked up at her, eyes full of innocence. The acting was a bit too thick, but Hou Danxue was still coaxed into a smile.
“You’re coming back with me?”
Wu Ming didn’t dare speak and just nodded frantically.
The more she said now, the more mistakes she would make. It was best to avoid unnecessary actions and hope Hou Danxue would quickly forget her previous stubbornness.
“Haha—”
Hou Danxue hadn’t expected Wu Ming to be this obedient. Fearing the girl might try to escape on the way, the surrounding personal guards circled them, blocking every path to prevent Wu Ming from fleeing.
However, if Wu Ming were determined to escape, these people couldn’t stop her at all.
Hou Danxue hesitated repeatedly, but finally chose to place her hand over Wu Ming’s face.
Having her in her arms made it very convenient to take action.
Wu Ming was suddenly smothered at the mouth and nose, and then her consciousness began to blur.
It’s over. My Wife was so angry she used poison on me!
So hard to coax! It’s going to be so hard to coax! I’m finished!
The unconscious Wu Ming leaned into Hou Danxue’s embrace. Part of her weight pressed onto Hou Danxue, which wasn’t comfortable.
She could have handed Wu Ming over to the guards beside her, but she was unwilling.
Even if it was a negative sensation, because it was given by Wu Ming, she wanted to monopolize it.
“Go! Back to the manor—”
Hou Danxue held Wu Ming with one hand, while her other hand was too weak to control the horse. Fortunately, the horse she rode was excellent and full of spirit, leading her back to the Hou family home.
When Wu Ming woke up, she found her four limbs had been locked. She was chained to the bed, just like the setup from the previous night.
The difference was that Wu Ming discovered her internal energy was suppressed.
She could no longer easily shatter these chains that bound her.
Small problem… don’t panic…
Hou Danxue wouldn’t keep her locked up forever…
Once she confirmed that she was very obedient, Hou Danxue would surely let her go.
If nothing else, just like last night, these chains would get in the way of Hou Danxue doing “certain things”; she definitely wouldn’t tolerate that!
Wait…
Wu Ming finally noticed these chains were very different from last nights.
Even to the naked eye, the quality of these chains was obviously higher, and they were very thin. The texture was comparable to silk; it wouldn’t affect Hou Danxue’s ability to do “certain things” at all!
But! But!
In less than a day, an upgraded version had been manufactured??
Did she really have to spend the rest of her life in this little dark room?
This was too sad…
“You’re awake?”
Hou Danxue entered from outside carrying a food box. Since Wu Ming was locked up, she couldn’t even manage her own meals; Hou Danxue would need to spend a lot of time taking care of her.
This was something she had always wanted to do; these trivialities would not deter her.
“Wife…”
Wu Ming’s heart was pounding. Was Hou Danxue’s stance to keep her imprisoned until death?
This wasn’t right!
“Wife… you—”
Before Wu Ming could say more, Hou Danxue had already leaned in for a kiss, feeding her a mouthful of porridge.
As soon as the porridge went down, Wu Ming could feel the internal energy in her body become even more silent. There was poison in it!
Finished, finished!
“You’re poisoning me…”
Wu Ming’s voice was full of grievance.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I am the person in the world least likely to hurt you. This poison will only temporarily suppress your internal energy so you can’t run away.”
“Wife… do you really intend to keep me in this little dark room forever?”
Wu Ming didn’t feel much yet, but she knew she couldn’t tolerate being locked up forever. If it went on like this long-term, she… would go mad.
They shouldn’t be like this, and Hou Danxue’s methods shouldn’t be so twisted.
When she came back, she had thought about suffering in some way to atone and please Hou Danxue.
But the one thing she hadn’t expected was that Hou Danxue intended to lock her up forever.
If she had known… she would have fled far away and never come back.
“This is not good. Right now… I feel like I’ve lost my personality and turned into an object of yours… When I completely lose my sense of self, will you still love me?”
“Wife, your parents were a tragedy. You… you must not follow the path of your father!”
“Heh, how could we be the same as my parents? We have no children, and you are suppressed by me completely. We will be together forever and ever… forever.”
It’s over. Hou Danxue seems to have gone mad… how can I save myself?
Wu Ming’s hand, which had been grabbing Hou Danxue’s, fell weakly. She lowered her head, wanting to use a cold attitude to show her resistance.
But Hou Danxue only saw the glistening tears in her eyes and couldn’t help but let out a sneer. She was actually scared by just this.
“Alright, I’m just scaring you. Using poison isn’t a long-term solution. I already have another way. You can have the freedom you want, and I can be at ease with your love.”