"Shang Yunruo, beg me. If you beg me, I'll make it easier for you."
In the gloomy, pitch - black basement, the man's handsome face was deathly pale, and his blood - red lips, like those of a bloodthirsty man, opened and closed as he got closer and closer.
"Please! Please..."
As the words escaped her lips, Shang Yunruo woke up with a start.
Still in a state of shock, she raised her jade - like fingers and trembled as she touched her neck. There was no bloodstain, no knife wound.
"Miss, what's wrong with you?"
The voice of Chuyao, her personal dowry maid, finally pulled her out of the terrifying scene in the dream. She placed a hand on her chest, and the rapid beating of her heart gave her a sense of reality.
She had just had a very long dream. In the dream, her life was far from happy after she married Chu Jinli, the Marquis of Ningyuan.
Chu Jinli's coldness drove her to act willfully and throw tantrums. In the end, he couldn't bear it anymore and preferred to fight in battles far away from home for years rather than return.
She could only vent all her grievances on his younger brother, Chu Yan.
Chu Yan was a concubine - born son and had been bullied since childhood. At first, she took pity on him and was kind to him for a while.
Later, Chu Yan ruined her only chance to win back her husband. From then on, she harbored a deep grudge against him. She allowed the servants to bully him, deprive him of charcoal and food, and made him sleep in a thatched shed. She even drugged him and sent him to the most debauched princess in the court.
He managed to escape from the princess's mansion with his wisdom and schemes. He became a powerful court official second only to the emperor, killed the princess with his own hands, and imprisoned her in the basement of his mansion, torturing her every night.
His political enemies even regarded her as his weakness and tried to blackmail him with her, thinking that he would come to her rescue.
In the end, she died a miserable death under the blade of Chu Yan's political enemies.
The feeling of the blade cutting into her flesh was so real that she even flinched. The sensation of the blood gushing out from her neck and her body temperature dropping rapidly still lingered.
It was so real that it was as if she had experienced it herself. She remembered every detail vividly.
This was not a dream; it was a premonition.
She was like the vicious supporting character in a storybook, a brainless character with insufficient reasons for her evil deeds. It seemed that she was just born to make Chu Yan turn into a villain.
Fortunately, God had given her a chance to wake up.
"Miss," Chuyao asked when she didn't answer. "Did you just have a nightmare in your sleep?"
Shang Yunruo shook her head and then nodded. The phoenix crown on her head was too heavy, and it made her neck ache when she moved it.
After a moment, she found an excuse following Chuyao's words. "I'm just tired from waiting."
Chuyao said understandingly, "Indeed. It's already been more than an hour. The marquis should be here soon."
She closed her eyes. The flickering red candles in the room hurt her eyes.
All she could see in front of her was the bright red veil and a red ribbon that blocked her vision.
Her eyes were injured while saving Chu Yan a few days ago.
Everyone in the capital knew that she was in love with Chu Jinli, so the news of his trip to the western suburbs couldn't be hidden from her.
She rushed there eagerly to "bump into" him. Suddenly, a violent wind blew, and a thick tree branch was broken and fell. She accidentally pushed Chu Yan away, thinking he was Chu Jinli. The branch hit her eyes, and blood flowed immediately.
Fortunately, the doctor said the injury was not serious. The blood stasis would be absorbed on its own, and she just needed to avoid light and rest for a few months.
So, she hadn't persecuted or humiliated Chu Yan yet. In fact, she had even saved him. As long as she didn't bully him and was kind to him, she could definitely avoid the tragic ending and live a good life with her husband.
It was not too late!
After thinking it all through, Shang Yunruo finally calmed down from the fear caused by the dream. When her mind was at peace, her senses became more sensitive, and she heard footsteps approaching from afar.
Then, Chuyao whispered excitedly, "Miss, the marquis is here."
Shang Yunruo immediately sat up straight, adjusted her dress and veil, and waited nervously and expectantly for Chu Jinli to come closer.
In the dream, her husband didn't consummate the marriage on their wedding night. He didn't even spend the night in their bridal chamber. The news spread the next day and became the talk and joke among the noble ladies in the capital.
This was also one of the reasons for her grievances.
Just as she was thinking, suddenly, the veil on her head felt lighter. It was lifted, and the bright candlelight made her close her eyes instinctively.
Then she felt the light in front of her being blocked. She opened her eyes again and could only vaguely see a tall and slender figure standing in front of her.
Chuyao and the servant outside the door all retreated, and the room fell into silence. She could almost hear her own heartbeat.
After waiting for a while, the person in front of her didn't move. She called out softly, "Husband?"
The half - closed window was blown open by the night wind. The candle flame flickered, dimmed for a moment, and then brightened again.
The man brushed away the hair that had been blown to his chest. His elegant and straight figure made the scarlet wedding clothes look extremely noble.
His thin cheeks were as pale as porcelain, making his lips look even redder. His lips parted slightly, and he deliberately lowered his voice and responded softly.
"Yeah."
There was no extra expression on his cold and aloof face. His long, dark eyes looked at the woman in front of him lazily, with a hint of observation and exploration in his cold and distant look.
Six hours ago, his elder brother, who was supposed to get married today, ran away from home on his wedding day because he didn't like this marriage. His family was too embarrassed to admit that the groom was missing, so they gave him the wedding clothes and asked him to take his brother's place and get married.
He was not afraid of his family's threats and originally wanted to refuse. But when he learned that the bride was Shang Yunruo, he silently put on the wedding clothes.
He didn't know why he agreed to such a ridiculous thing. Maybe it was because of her desperate push outside the western suburbs a few days ago. Shang Yunruo had saved him but had injured her own eyes in the process. This was the first time someone had protected him at the cost of their own injury in a critical moment.
But he had also heard her say that he was just a useless concubine - born son and didn't deserve to be compared with Chu Jinli.
He wanted to know what kind of person she really was. Just out of this curiosity, he was now standing here.
With his soft response, Shang Yunruo's heart gradually calmed down. She secretly laughed at herself for being like a frightened bird.
Nothing had happened yet. There was no need to be afraid.
The tall figure in front of her slowly turned around as if he was about to leave. She grabbed his hand without hesitation, regardless of her modesty and shyness, and pulled him towards her forcefully.
She didn't want to be alone in the bridal chamber on their wedding night and drift apart from him like in the dream.
He was caught off guard and staggered. He fell on top of her. Her delicate body didn't dare to move under his strong chest. He could almost feel her heart pounding like a drum.
He propped his hands on the bed, and even his cold and firm jaw was straining to maintain his balance.
After a moment, his long eyelashes like crow feathers drooped. He stared at her intently and slowly leaned down. His lips stopped just in front of hers but didn't kiss her.
He freed one hand and touched her almost - stiff cheek. Then he slowly stroked the red ribbon around her eyes, rubbing it with his fingertips.
Feeling her tremors, he hooked his lips secretly, sneering at her for being as timid as a mouse but daring to act coquettishly.
His Adam's apple rolled. Just as he was about to restrain his desire and get up to break free, she wrapped her arms around his waist and forcefully turned over, pinning him under her.
Her slender fingers spread out and intertwined with his, clasping them tightly. Her delicate lips seemed to be searching for something. They climbed up from the side of his neck to behind his ear and stopped. She murmured softly.
"Husband, don't leave."