“I can’t say. Betraying others is something I won’t do even if you kill me. I can only guarantee that we will never harm you. Please believe me, I just want to find out the truth, rescue my brother, and take back our family business. We can sign a contract—the marriage will last for one year, and once we both achieve our goals, we will divorce. I will leave without entanglement and won’t take a single cent of your property.” Rong Tangtang’s tone was firm, sincere, and extremely difficult to maintain, simply because Huo Siyu was still choking her neck.
The dark clouds in Huo Siyu’s eyes grew increasingly terrifying, filled to the brim with suspicion.
A moment later, he suddenly let go of her, ripped off half the sleeve of his own shirt, tossed it to her, and said in a cool, thin voice, “A blood-written contract shows a lot more sincerity!”
Rong Tangtang understood immediately.
She flattened the white shirt fabric across her lap, dipped her trembling fingers into the blood flowing from her wound, and wrote the blood contract stroke by stroke.
The fabric was completely covered, the bright red, delicate handwriting striking and horrifying to behold.
Rong Tangtang pressed her fingerprint using almost her very last ounce of strength.
Before she lost consciousness, he clamped her jaw, forcing her to look straight into his murderous eyes, and warned her coldly, “Anyone who dares to betray me will wish they were dead.”
When she woke up again, the first person Rong Tangtang saw was Huo Siyu.
She was being carried in his arms as they openly entered the Grand Marshal’s Mansion.
It was already late at night, with a bright moon hanging high in the sky.
The main gate of the Grand Marshal’s Mansion was a two-story Chinese double-eaves Xieshan-style gate tower. Antique in style, it resembled the gate tower of a former dynasty’s governor’s yamen, with red walls, green tiles, and painted beams.
When Rong Tangtang had first married in, she had entered through the side gate, but this time she was being carried through the main entrance of the Huo family’s Grand Marshal’s Mansion by Huo Siyu himself.
The Huo family guards were all utterly shocked.
After taking only a few steps, Huo Siyu suddenly put her down and gave her a cold glance. “Awake? Walk by yourself.”
Rong Tangtang was caught off guard, and the excessive blood loss made her head spin. Reflexively, she grabbed Huo Siyu’s arm just to stay upright and avoid falling over.
“Don’t touch me!” Huo Siyu pulled his arm away, his expression entirely aloof and cold.
Rong Tangtang thought secretly: !!! What did I say when you were just carrying me? You’re the wildest, you’re the cockiest, you dog of a manary!
She bit her lip and shot him a covert glare.
At that moment, the steward, Uncle Li, approached. Dressed in a dark gray long gown and wearing a full face of smiles, he bowed respectfully to Huo Siyu. “Young Master, the Grand Marshal is waiting for you and the Madam in the east courtyard parlor!”
“Go tell the old man whatever he wants to hear tomorrow. A night of love is worth a thousand pieces of gold!” With that, he dissolutely draped an arm over Rong Tangtang’s shoulder and nonchalantly curved the corner of his mouth.
Rong Tangtang let out a muffled grunt under his weight. It’s… seriously heavy! You dog of a man, you just told me not to touch you, and now who’s touching who?!
An image flashed through her mind of herself looking down majestically and haughtily at Huo Siyu, raising her hand to piapia slap him twice across the face!
However, in reality, she obediently let herself be hugged by the man, looking like a total punching bag taking all the grief.
The steward said with a troubled expression, “The Grand Marshal has been waiting for you for a long time. He said… if you don’t go, he’ll have the Old Ancestor personally invite you.”
Huo Siyu’s expression turned ugly. He moved his jaw, released her, and turned to stride away toward the long corridor on the right side of the courtyard.
Rong Tangtang followed closely behind. Turning her head, she took the opportunity to glance at the front courtyard of the Grand Marshal’s Mansion.
Both sides of the front courtyard featured two-story Chinese-Western hybrid buildings that looked imposing and mysterious, guarded by two rows of guards carrying rifles.
The steward caught up to Rong Tangtang and chuckled, lowering his voice to say, “Young Marshal’s Madam, isn’t the Grand Marshal’s Mansion magnificent? You’ve never seen a residence like this before, have you? Today, you can finally say you’ve broadened your horizons!”