So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The night was cool and still, and the moonlight, like flowing water, shone through the window screen into the enchanting bedchamber. Muffled moans accompanied the creaking of the bed.

A strange numbness crept up Ning Yu's tailbone. She struggled but was bound even tighter, forced to arch her back to better accommodate him.

"It's so late, when are you going to sleep?"

Seeing that she was finally no longer like a dead person, Xie Xun bit her lip, "You're finally willing to speak?"

Ning Yu really wanted to scratch his face. He came back at night, and she didn't know where he came from. He smelled of blood and was cold.

She didn't want to serve him, so she lay down on the couch early and pretended to be asleep. But this guy was a beast. He didn't even spare the sick. He washed her casually and then picked her up and went crazy.

It was already past midnight, and she felt like she was about to be tortured to death.

"I'm really tired. I already caught a chill, so I don't want to pass my illness on to the Governor."

Call me husband.

She's his now, so she has to call him whatever he tells her to call him.

Ning Yu's waist and abdomen trembled slightly as she was being pinched, and she suddenly remembered the time when she called out to Xie Yan.

Seeing her flushed face and silence, Xie Xun's bloodshot eyes suddenly darkened. "Don't forget where you are now. The past is the past."

Ning Yu felt like she was being suffocated by him. From being forced to fake her death to being notified by him to take her back to the villa in the capital, she had been in a daze.

She forced herself not to turn against him, forced herself to please him, but she really couldn't bring herself to call him "husband"—it didn't feel right or proper.

"You can call me 'Big Brother' without thinking, but would you really kill me?"

She trembled, and her jade-like arms, unusually proactive, wrapped around his neck. With a hint of girlish coquettish dissatisfaction, she said, "In our ambiguous relationship now, what am I supposed to call my husband? I can't bring myself to do it."

These words, when heard by Xie Xun, sounded like a demand for a formal status. He recalled Xie Heming's words from earlier that day: "Once I'm married, I'll give you a proper identity and rightfully bring you into my household. How about that?"

Ning Yu felt a chill in her heart. What did he mean? Did he intend to take her as a concubine in the future? What a scoundrel!

"No need, I'm fine as I am."

"Which woman doesn't get jealous? Look at the women in my yard, they're constantly bothering me, I can't even coax them away. If they don't bother you, it means they don't like you---"

The noisy voice was incredibly annoying, and Xie Xun's expression was very unpleasant. He grabbed her waist as if he wanted to skin her alive and stuff her into his stomach.

Ning Yu didn't know what was wrong with him all of a sudden, so she let out a muffled groan and bit her lip.

As if deliberately tormenting her, he bit her lip, causing her to cry out in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

Xie Xun, still seemingly unsatisfied, pressed, "Can't you hear me say I'm getting married?"

Didn't she already know about this? Thinking of Princess Huayang, she said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Congratulations, Governor."

Xie Xun was furious at her attitude, so he pinched her waist hard and turned her over, not bothering to look at her face.

Ning Yu cursed him inwardly for his unpredictable temper, biting her lip and refusing to utter a sound, her eyes glazed as she clutched the quilt.

The long night was silent. Ning Yu's first night back in the capital after faking her death was spent in a weary, intimate embrace.

When she woke up the next morning, the man was gone. She opened her blurry eyes and looked at the gauze curtain above her head. After a while, she remembered that she was no longer the heir apparent of the Xie family.

It's been two days already, shouldn't her funeral be held by now? How will Xie Yan handle her funeral arrangements?

Overwhelmed by a barrage of suppressed emotions, Ning Yu closed her eyes, calmed herself for a while, and then opened them again before getting out of bed.

Hearing the commotion, the maidservant outside hurriedly came in to tidy the bedding and help her with her hair and makeup.

"Madam is truly beautiful. I have never seen a woman more beautiful than you." A flattering voice came from beside her. Ning Yu sat down at her dressing table. "Just call me Miss."

Ah--- The maids and servants looked at each other for a few moments, then lowered their heads and remained silent.

Seeing this, Ning Yu knew who had given the order, and slammed the comb down.

The old nanny hurriedly took out all the hairpins and tassels from the jewelry box and said with a smile, "These were all ordered by the master. He has already made a complete set of matching jewelry and dresses for the madam. Which one do you like?"

She came without bringing anything, and the only clothes she had were torn to shreds by him. If he didn't prepare anything for her, who would?

Ning Yu looked at the dazzling jewelry box, casually picked out a hairpin, and tied her hair up.

Remembering her bottle of contraceptive pills, she asked, "Where are the clothes I took off when I came back yesterday?"

"It's already been sent to the clothing department."

"What about the pouch that was hanging there?"

"Is this what you mean, Madam?" Another, slightly younger maidservant came over with a porcelain bottle. "I saw it when I went to deliver the clothes and put it in the closet."

Ning Yu quickly took it to look, and sure enough, it was the contraceptive medicine she had made.

She thanked him, took the medicine, and then put the bottle away.

"Madam is the mistress. You must remember that in this villa, apart from the master, no one deserves a word of thanks from Madam. You can reward them, but you cannot express your gratitude."

Ning Yu frowned, looked at the old woman who seemed to be a tutor, pursed her lips and said nothing more. She habitually wanted to take out a silver ingot to reward the maid.

But then she thought about it again, and realized that all her dowry and betrothal money were in the small storeroom of the Mo family, so she had no money to spend right now.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her. She picked up a South Sea pearl earring from the dressing table and handed it to the maid. "Take it."

How generous! A glint flashed in the maid's eyes, and she immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, Madam."

Ning Yu told everyone to get up, "You can all leave now."

Anyway, it all belongs to that bastard Xie Xun, and she'd love to spend all his money. What's an earring compared to that?

"When the master left, he said he would come back to dine with the madam. Why don't you wait a bit before serving the meal?"

Ning Yu didn't want to wait for him, so after washing up, she immediately ordered someone to serve her meal. The old woman saw that she had a stubborn temper and thought about how the two of them had been making a ruckus in the room until late last night. She thought that this lady was a favorite, so it was best not to go against her.

"Yes."

While eating, Ning Yu heard a commotion outside. Peeking out, she discovered that someone had brought over a bed.

"What are you doing?"

"The master said that bed was too shaky, so he had someone change it."

Second Master never used to come to this villa, but now that he has a woman, he will definitely come to stay here often.

The old nanny's face was all wrinkled from smiling. "This is a jade canopy bed. It's so comfortable to sleep on in the summer. Would you like to take a look, Madam?"

Ning Yu waited until they had changed the bed before going over. The jade bed surface was at least two inches thick with carvings, and the sandalwood bed frame was inlaid with white jade. The outer layer was silk and the inner layer was thin gauze. The newly replaced bedposts were thick and sturdy, and it was estimated that they would not wobble no matter what they did.

Shameless bastard, as if he wants everyone to know what he's after.

"What are you looking at?" A familiar voice came from behind. Ning Yu turned around and saw the man striding in, wearing a dark purple official robe.

The servants around him hurriedly and respectfully withdrew. Xie Xun glanced at her, couldn't resist, and went up to bite her lip.

Ning Yu winced in pain and reached out to push him away.

Xie Xun didn't care about her strength at all, and bent down to pick her up in his arms. "Want to try going up?"