“Won’t you?” Wan Yue asked.
Who would be willing to do such a thing?
Besides, she had never taken a bath with Nie Ran…
“Well, the weather is too cold today. I’m not feeling well, and I might catch a cold if I take a bath. Let’s wait until it’s warmer in the future,” Ning Xin suggested.
Wan Yue proposed, “I’ll have someone light a few more stoves.”
“No need, no need. I’ll just wash my face casually,” Ning Xin said, afraid he might have other ideas. She quickly ran to the wooden tub, washed her face, wiped it with a towel, and said, “Alright, I want to sleep now. Which bed should I sleep in?”
Wan Yue looked at her with a smile, raised his perfumed hand, and pointed to the inner room. “Sleep there.”
She hurried into the room, quickly took off her coat and shoes, and dove under the embroidered satin quilt, wishing she could blow out all the candles.
“I’ll sleep first. See you tomorrow. Goodnight,” she said.
Wan Yue chuckled and walked in, covering his face. “Sister, you’re really amusing.”
Ning Xin saw that he had no intention of leaving and felt all the hairs on her body stand on end.
“Are you… also sleeping here?”
“What else?” He sat down at the vanity, admiring the picturesque beauty in the mirror.
“This is my bedroom. Where else would I sleep?”
“In that case, I’ll give it to you, and you can find me another room,” Ning Xin insisted. Even if she had to sleep on the street, it would be better than staying in this room.
Wan Yue remained silent, seemingly enthralled by his own beauty, gazing at himself without interruption.
Ning Xin quietly picked up her clothes and shoes, edging towards the door, preparing to slip away when he wasn’t paying attention.
To her surprise, she pushed hard… but the door was securely locked and wouldn’t budge.
“It’s so cold outside. Where do you think you’re going? Come here, let’s sleep,” Wan Yue said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the bed.
Although his movements seemed gentle, Ning Xin found herself unable to break free.
She was pressed onto the bed by him, watching helplessly as he removed his coat, dress, and jewellery, leaving only a thin nightgown before slipping under the covers.
The old-fashioned wooden bed wasn’t very large, so even though she tried to move to the edge, she still found herself shoulder to shoulder with him.
Standing up, she only felt his height, but lying down, she could clearly feel the firmness of his bones, the fullness of his muscles, all emitting a strong masculine scent that no perfect makeup could conceal.
She found herself sharing a bed with a man, especially one who had nearly killed her before.
Ning Xin dared not move, staring at the wall beside her, wishing she could dig a hole in it and escape immediately.
“Sister…”
Suddenly, he leaned closer, his strong arm gently wrapping around her waist.
With this, her back was tightly pressed against his chest, with only a few layers of clothing separating them.
Ning Xin stiffened like a statue, not daring to even breathe.
What did he mean by this? Did he want to kill her? Or…
“Touch me.”
“Um… touch what?”
Ning Xin’s mind flashed with images from the adult movies she had seen before, feeling a rush of blood to her head.
“When I was a child, my mother used to like touching my hair.”
So he just wanted her to touch his hair…
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to raise her stiff hand, gently stroking his head.
Perhaps enjoying the sensation, Wan Yue took a deep breath, burying his face in her chest and closing his eyes.
From Ning Xin’s perspective, she could see his straight nose and thick eyelashes.
But why didn’t he remove his makeup before sleeping? She thought about giving him a bottle of makeup remover.
Lost in her thoughts, her hand movements slowed down.
Wan Yue opened his eyes, casting her a displeased look.
Ning Xin quickly focused her attention and continued to stroke his head. Suddenly, she realized that this was a good opportunity to understand him better.
As the saying goes, knowing oneself and knowing the enemy leads to a hundred victories.
Weren’t they trying to find his weaknesses?
“Cough, um, Yue Yue.”
She tried to sound casual, “I’ve never heard you mention your mother before. Is she still alive? Where is she?”
Yue Yue stared blankly for a moment before closing his eyes. “She passed away long ago.”
“Oh? How did she die?”
“Are you so interested in my affairs?”
“Aren’t you trying to treat me as your sister? If I’m going to be your sister, I surely want to know more about you.”
Yue Yue snorted coldly, “And what about you? Where are your family members?”
Ning Xin didn’t fabricate any lies, and replied straightforwardly, “I’ve never met them. I was abandoned when I was very young and raised in an orphanage.”
Yue Yue appeared slightly surprised. “Is that so? How did they treat you?”
“They…”
Ning Xin wanted to describe her past in a more miserable way to elicit empathy from him. But she couldn’t bring herself to fabricate such words with a clear conscience, so she chose to brush over it.
“They were okay. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay there forever. I had to make a living on my own when I was in my teens.”
“How did you manage to support yourself?”
“I did small business. At first, I didn’t have much capital, so I sold socks and towels, setting up stalls on the streets wherever there were crowds. Gradually, I saved up some money and rented a small storefront, establishing a fixed location.”
Yue Yue sneered, “Is business really that easy?”
“Don’t believe me? Too bad I just closed my shop recently, or I could have taken you to see it.”
At this point, Yue Yue’s gaze became sharp. “Why did you come here?”
“We… came to rescue someone.”
“Who?”
“It’s someone who has been imprisoned for many years for doing something wrong,” Ning Xin said, watching him closely, eager not to miss any change in his expression.
But all she got in return was a mocking sneer.
“You’re too confident if you think it’s him who’s in the wrong,” he retorted.
Ning Xin wanted to delve deeper into the conversation, but he closed his eyes and refused to speak.
Outside the bed, a candle flickered, casting a warm yellow light over the two of them.
Ning Xin gently stroked his hair, while echoes of Lang Xiao’s words lingered in her ears.
“He smells of blood.”
Does he?
She sniffed hard but couldn’t detect anything. Her wrist began to ache, and unknowingly, she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, she was awakened by a ray of sunlight. Opening her eyes, she found that the snow had stopped, revealing a rare sunny day.
Yue Yue was nowhere to be seen in the bed, and she was alone in the room.
She sat up, intending to get dressed, but her clothes were missing, replaced by a set of clothes with a Republic of China style.
She shook them out and inspected them. There was a pale pink silk cheongsam, a white fur coat, a pair of thin glass stockings, and a pair of high-heeled shoes placed by the bedside.
Wearing this kind of clothes on such a cold day, isn’t it asking for trouble?
She got out of bed and opened the wardrobe, hoping to find something practical to wear. To her dismay, there was nothing inside. With no other choice, she reluctantly put on the outfit.
After getting dressed and ready to go out, two maids came in, one carrying a tray and the other carrying a basin, saying, “Deputy Xu asked us to help you with your morning routine.”
Help? Ning Xin, born in the 21st century, had never experienced such treatment before. She was both surprised and overwhelmed, waving her hands repeatedly.
“No, no need. I can manage on my own.”
But the two maids insisted. Under their attentive service, she brushed her teeth with tooth powder, washed her face, and sat at the dressing table.
On the tray were rouge, powder, and a pile of jewellery.
First, the maids arranged her hair, then applied makeup, drawing her eyebrows long and thin with charcoal pencil, and painting her lips a vibrant red.
Then they adorned her with pearl necklace, earrings, and diamond rings.
Fully dressed up, the person in the mirror looked completely different, so unfamiliar that she dared not recognize herself.
As the maids stepped back, one of them said, “Deputy Xu is waiting for you in the dining room.”
The dining room was probably the same room where they had dinner last night. Ning Xin, trembling in her high heels, walked out the door with her two cold legs and quickly made her way to the dining room following her memory.
Inside, a fire was burning in the fireplace, and as soon as she entered, a warm breeze greeted her.
Ning Xin finally stopped shivering, but she couldn’t see Wan Yue anywhere. There was no food on the table, only a pot of tea.
She sat down and poured herself a cup of hot tea, holding it in her hands.
Her fingernails were painted, a peach blossom pink colour that looked quite nice once she got used to it.
What were Nie Ran and Lang Xiao doing now? Had they eaten?
When she wasn’t around, Nie Ran wouldn’t bully him again, would he?
Footsteps sounded behind her, very clear, the sound of boots treading on the floor.
Ning Xin stood up and turned around, meeting Wan Yue’s gaze.
He had resumed his military officer attire, a deep blue fitted uniform, black leather boots, and a brown leather belt cinched around his slim waist.
He stood there like a bamboo shoot in the spring breeze, tall and handsome, but his expression was a bit too cold.
Seeing her face clearly, Wan Yue seemed to be momentarily lost in thought, then nodded slightly.
“Not bad,” he said.
Ning Xin chuckled awkwardly, “Why are you up so early? Do you have a lot of things to do?”
He didn’t seem interested in discussing official business with her. Instead, he sat down and ordered food to be served.
The dishes were being kept warm in the kitchen and were brought out shortly after.
After eating a few bites, Wan Yue suddenly said, “Get ready later, we’ll go for a stroll in the city.”
Ning Xin asked, “Are you planning to buy something?”
But he didn’t respond, becoming distant and aloof again, almost like a different person compared to last night.
As Wan Yue changed into a dress and put on makeup, Ning Xin couldn’t help but see him as some kind of psychiatric case.
Now, he was back to his normal attire, looking like just another unapproachable military officer.
Were those rumours true? The ones about him being ruthless and bloodthirsty, killing without mercy?
Ning Xin remained silent as she ate her meal. Afterward, she followed Nie Ran out of the dining hall and into the mansion’s garage.
Inside were several cars, one of which had a driver and a soldier standing nearby.
They both sat in the back seat, side by side, as the car started up and drove out of the mansion onto the main street.
Due to the strict control and the closure of the city gates, there were fewer people on the streets, but the businesses seemed to be operating as usual.
As the sun rose higher, the temperature began to rise as well.
The sunlight streamed in through the car windows, warming them up.
When they arrived at a foreign goods store, Wan Yue suddenly called for a stop.
The car halted, and they both got out.
Just as Ning Xin was about to walk ahead, he handed her something – a fur hand warmer.
She was momentarily surprised, but she accepted it with a “thank you.”
Wan Yue walked ahead without expression.
The shop owner heard the sound and hurried out to greet them, while an assistant held a white lion dog in his arms, presumably the owner’s pet.
The lion dog was lively, wriggling out of the assistant’s arms and jumping to the ground. It wagged its tail and sniffed around, finally stopping in front of Wan Yue to sniff his boots.
He crouched down, and Ning Xin, remembering his notorious reputation for killing, feared he might suddenly pull out a gun, resulting in bloodshed right there in front of the dog.
However, his actions were unexpected. Instead of reaching for a gun, Wan Yue extended his hand and gently scratched the furry head of the lion dog.
The puppy seemed to enjoy the gesture immensely, closing its eyes in contentment.
Wan Yue’s lips curled upwards, and his eyes, which were usually cold, softened into a gentle smile, like a warm breeze.
Everyone present was stunned by his charm, and someone even gasped in admiration.
The old man at the restaurant remarked that after Wan Yue had slightly opened up, he had become famous throughout the city, with many people from out of town coming specifically to catch a glimpse of him.
Ning Xin, who had previously been sceptical, now understood the feelings of those people.
Wan Yue was indeed worthy of admiration.
But whether this kind of admiration brought him blessings or misfortunes, that remained to be seen.
From the experiences, it seemed that the latter was more common.
The shop owner, seeing Wan Yue’s rare smile, felt secretly delighted and became even more enthusiastic.
“Vice Commander Xu, it’s cold outside. Why don’t we go inside and sit for a while?”
Wan Yue stood up and headed inside. The shop owner signalled to the assistant to follow him with the dog in case of any sudden need.
The group entered the foreign goods store.
It was a spacious two-story building. The ground floor sold imported goods like soap, cigarettes, and lipstick, while the second floor displayed various clothing items.
There were woollen coats and velvet skirts imported from overseas, as well as locally produced fur coats and silk qipaos.
All of them were top-quality goods.
Wan Yue walked ahead and went directly to the second floor.
The shop owner thought he was going to buy clothes for himself, so he began to introduce men’s clothing to him.
However, Wan Yue seemed indifferent to this and instead looked around until his gaze settled on a light green silk qipao.
The shop owner was observant and immediately walked over, picking up the dress.
“Would Vice Commander like to pick this for the young lady? This dress is perfect for her. With her fair skin and slender figure, wearing this dress would surely enhance her beauty.”
Ning Xin heard the words and couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
The shopkeeper still didn’t seem to understand Wan Yue’s preferences. It wasn’t for her, but he was probably imagining how he would look wearing the outfit.
But just as she was thinking about this, Wan Yue spoke up.
“Go ahead and try it.”
“Me?” She pointed to herself in surprise.
“Of course.”
The shopkeeper had already handed her the clothes and was ready to take her to the fitting room.
Ning Xin had no choice but to take the clothes and follow him.
Changing clothes was not an easy task. She worried about the delicate silk fabric being scratched by her jewellery, and she also feared that the clothes would mess up her hair and makeup.
After finally finishing changing, Wan Yue sat down in a chair, sipping tea leisurely, with the lion dog lying on his lap.
The shopkeeper and the assistant stood beside him. As soon as they saw Ning Xin, they immediately showered her with praise, making her feel embarrassed to approach.
After the shopkeeper finished praising, he asked for Wan Yue’s opinion.
“Deputy Officer, what do you think? This outfit seems to be tailor-made for the lady.”
Wan Yue frowned slightly, “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Ning Xin and everyone present were puzzled, not understanding what he meant by “seem like.”
He patted the dog’s head, and the lion dog jumped down to the ground.
Wan Yue stood up and walked towards the rack full of clothing, looked for a while, and picked out a white qipao.
“You wear this.”
Ning Xin went to change again. This time, when she came out, his expression was noticeably different.
But it wasn’t the kind of admiration and fondness that a man would have when looking at a woman, but rather… like an artist looking at their artwork, or a sculptor examining their sculpture, using strict standards to evaluate their creation.
This feeling made her very uncomfortable, and she wanted to change back into her previous clothes immediately.
However, Wan Yue remained silent and picked out some clothes for her again, putting together several sets from head to toe, not even missing out on shoes and hats.
Ning Xin kept changing, and in the end, she wore a knee-length milky white qipao, with a white wool coat on top, paired with a white narrow-brimmed hat and high heels. She also carried a small pearl handbag.
From head to toe, except for her lips, eyes, and hair, everything else was various shades of white.
What exactly did Wan Yue prefer about white?
Ning Xin became increasingly puzzled, but Wan Yue showed no intention of explaining. He led her downstairs and picked out cosmetics for her.
They bought a bunch of miscellaneous items, all carried by soldiers, not one of them empty-handed.
Afterward, they went to jewellery stores and fabric shops. Wan Yue spared no expense, which made Ning Xin feel uneasy.
It was almost noon when they returned. The items they bought today were all moved by soldiers to the bedroom where they slept last night, piled up on the table and on the floor, forming small mountains.
Lunch was already prepared in the kitchen, and the two of them were ready to eat.
Before the chairs even warmed up, a soldier hurriedly ran in and whispered something in Wan Yue’s ear.
He nodded, put down his chopsticks, and said to Ning Xin, “You go ahead and eat. I have something to attend to.”
Ning Xin asked anxiously, “When will you be back then?”
He didn’t answer, but instead put on his coat and left with the soldier.
With Wan Yue gone, it felt much safer. Ning Xin settled down to eat, while also recalling all the interactions and conversations they had since entering the mansion.
He seemed quite nostalgic about his mother. When he said “not like,” could it be referring to his mother?
After finishing the meal, the utensils were taken away by the servants.
With nowhere else to go, Ning Xin returned to the bedroom.
The things bought in the morning were still not organized, but she didn’t have the mood to deal with them. She searched every corner of the room, hoping to find something.
The dressing table, nothing.
The wardrobe, nothing.
A fox fur coat hung on the coat rack, the one he wore yesterday.
Ning Xin took it down. The fur felt quite soft, but the thought of it being stripped from an animal’s corpse made her feel a bit nauseous.
There were only two pockets on the outside of the coat, both empty.
As she looked inside, she realized there were no pockets on the inner layer. She shook it, and heard a tinkling sound.
Ning Xin carefully felt around and discovered a small opening in the seam of the lining. She reached in and pulled out a small golden pocket watch.
The small cover of the pocket watch could be opened, revealing a watch face on one side and a photo tucked inside on the other.
The photo was tiny, not much larger than a fingertip, and seemed to have been soaked in water, wrinkled. It was difficult to make out, but it vaguely resembled a woman’s portrait.
Just as she was about to take a closer look, a cold voice suddenly sounded from behind.
“What are you doing?”
Ning Xin jumped in surprise, turning around to find that Wan Yue had returned without her noticing. She hadn’t heard his footsteps at all.
She forced a smile and was about to say something when he quickly strode over, snatched the pocket watch from her hand, and coldly said, “Stay put and don’t move until I come back.”
With that, he left the room.
Ning Xin watched his departing figure, feeling oddly pleased.
The woman in the photo was most likely his mother. Often, a person’s most cherished possession is their weakness.
However, she wondered if in this illusion, they could find any traces of his mother’s existence.
Regardless, they now had hope.
In the following days, Wan Yue was nowhere to be seen during the day, only returning late at night to sleep.
He still shared the bed with her, asking her to stroke his hair.
Initially, Ning Xin thought it was fine. With him gone, she had the opportunity to plan her escape route. However, with him absent all day and returning without saying a word, despite managing to preserve her life for a few days, there was no progress at all.
This couldn’t continue. Nie Ran and Lang Xiao were probably extremely worried outside.
One evening, after finishing her wash-up but before getting into bed, Ning Xin waited until the maidservant had removed the wooden tub and closed the door. Then, she took matters into her own hands and started applying makeup.
The woman’s face in the photo was blurry, but one could vaguely make out that she was a beauty with big eyes and a small mouth.
Especially those eyes, which Wan Yue undoubtedly inherited from her.
Ning Xin had double eyelids, but her eyes were not as large as theirs. She sharpened the charcoal pencil and used it as eyeliner, drawing and redrawing. When applying lipstick, she deliberately made her mouth smaller, trying to emulate that feeling as much as possible.
Afterward, she changed into the clothes and shoes he had bought that day.
Her hair was not tied up. She braided a thick hemp braid and draped it over her shoulder.
Seeing that the time was almost up, she hurriedly sat by the bedside.
The light was somewhat bright, so Ning Xin blew out a few candles, leaving only one at the head of the bed.
The dim candlelight illuminated her face, flickering on and off.
Outside, the familiar sound of leather boots could be heard. She took a deep breath, prepared herself, and at the moment he entered the room, she raised her head with a smile.
“You’re back?”
Wan Yue was stunned, silently staring at her.
Ning Xin walked over and helped him take off his coat.
“It’s cold outside, isn’t it? I’ll have someone bring hot water for you to wash your face.”
As she spoke, she moved to leave but was grabbed by the wrist by him.
“Mother…”
Wan Yue, with her big eyes open, tears rolling inside.
Ning Xin knew she had succeeded, forcibly ignoring the guilt in her heart, gently embracing him.
“What’s wrong with you? Feeling wronged?”
“Mother…”
Wan Yue grabbed her sleeve, tears falling heavily on her clothes.
Ning Xin comforted him for a while, saying the words she had prepared long ago.
“Are you unhappy here? Come with me, I’ll take you to a good place. There, no one will look down on you, and you can live like an ordinary person. But you have to promise me, you won’t hurt anyone…”
At this point, Wan Yue suddenly raised his head.
Ning Xin smiled at him, wanting to touch his face, but he suddenly hugged her sideways and threw her onto the bed.
“You are indeed cunning, I underestimated you.”
“You…”
She tried to sit up, but he followed closely and climbed onto the bed, one hand firmly holding her down, unable to move.
Wan Yue scrutinized her face, finding it difficult to see clearly, so he brought the candle closer.
The flame flickered against her cheeks, making Ning Xin’s heart race, cautiously saying, “Don’t, don’t get agitated…”
“I’m not agitated.”
Wan Yue smirked, his smile charming yet terrifying. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment.”
The candle slowly tilted, hot red wax dripped onto Ning Xin’s face, causing her to whimper twice in pain. She struggled desperately but to no avail.
This scene seemed to excite the other person greatly. Wan Yue licked his teeth, put the candle back, and with one hand undid the buttons of her clothes.
The coat was removed, the qipao was removed, leaving only a thin white underskirt like a cicada’s wing.
Wan Yue drew the dagger from his waist and slid it down from the neckline.
The fabric split in two, absurdly hanging from her arms.
Ning Xin felt extremely ashamed, so she kicked him while he wasn’t paying attention.
He reacted quickly, gripping her ankle and with a twist, dislocated it.
Ning Xin’s face paled with pain, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
If her body hadn’t been held down by him, she would have been rolling all over the bed in agony.
Wan Yue leaned in and licked her tears.
“They’re salty.”
She had no strength to argue back, with only one thought in her mind: kill him and escape.
But his guard was impeccable, leaving even room to free up one hand, removing the obstructive clothing entirely, exposing every inch of her skin completely in his sight.
The cold uniform pressed against her soft skin, the dagger lying by the pillow, out of her reach.
Wan Yue’s fingers caressed her body back and forth, his face filled with ecstatic fervor.
“Such a beautiful vessel, I can’t bear to take it away. Without your blood to nourish it, it would wither… Sister, why are you so foolish, unwilling to stay by my side?”
“Let me go…”
Ning Xin closed her eyes in pain.
Unsatisfied with mere touches, Wan Yue began to undress himself.
Ning Xin smelled a strange odour and opened her eyes to find that his shirt was stained red with blood.
What had he been doing during the day? Could it be…
She shuddered, suddenly realizing that he had moved his hand to undress, without hesitation she grabbed the dagger and fiercely stabbed it towards his chest!
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