He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

From childhood to adulthood, Sang Tingyan rarely got angry with Sang Jiuning, let alone punished her with a ruler.

At this moment, he was truly furious. He was angry that Wen Zhaoci had broken her promise, and even more angry that his daughter was so unguarded and had devoted herself to someone else.

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and struck Sang Jiuning with the ruler.

Sang Jiuning shrank back in fright and instinctively turned and ran to the next room.

Her steps were hurried, and she almost stumbled as she rushed over the low wall between the two courtyards. She had just managed to utter a few breaths when a tall and slender figure quickly came to meet her and steadily shielded her behind him.

Wen Zhaoci noticed the commotion almost instantly. When he saw Sang Tingyan swinging the ruler in anger, he didn't hesitate and immediately stepped aside to protect the girl in his arms.

"Slap, slap, slap!"

The heavy, solid wooden ruler landed squarely on Wen Zhaoci's back and arms, the force heavy and fierce, carrying the barely suppressed anger of Sang Tingyan.

But Wen Zhaoci didn't retreat a single step, his arms tightly wrapped around Sang Jiuning in front of him, his back still taut and straight, bearing all the punishment without uttering a sound of pain.

Seeing this scene, Sang Tingyan paused in his actions. His anger hadn't subsided, but he was also choked up by the protective manner of this child.

That brat, he managed to coax his precious daughter away with just a few words.

Just as the standoff was reaching its conclusion, Fu Xulan slowly walked out of the house and immediately saw the scene before her. She stepped forward and grabbed Sang Tingyan's wrist, her tone full of helplessness: "Alright, husband, stop hitting him."

Sang Tingyan frowned, his tone full of frustration and anger: "Look at these two kids! Do they have any sense of discipline? I tried to reason with them, but they just had to sneak around!"

"Young people shouldn't have so many rules and regulations when they're dating!" Fu Xulan snatched the ruler from his hand and put it down. Turning to her sulking husband, she bluntly interrupted, "If the young couple truly like each other, they should just enjoy their life together. Why do you have to interfere?"

Her tone softened, and she made the decision directly: "From now on, Ningning will live in the villa next door. It's close by, so it won't interfere with each other. Xiaoci and Ningning can come home for dinner every day."

Sang Tingyan was instantly stunned, looking at his wife with disbelief and helplessness: "Wife! Why are you contradicting me? I'm doing this for Ningning's own good!"

Fu Xulan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile in her eyes, and casually retorted, "For her own good? Then let me ask you, when you were pursuing me, you eloped in the middle of the night, climbed over walls and windows, showering me with sweet words. Why didn't you follow the rules then, and weren't you afraid of upsetting your elders?"

Upon hearing this, Sang Tingyan was instantly extremely embarrassed. His face flushed red, and he glanced helplessly at the child beside him, quickly waving his hand, "Hey! Wife, you're bringing up old things in front of the child again! How embarrassing!"

Seeing that Sang Tingyan had completely calmed down, Fu Xulan stopped there and changed the subject. Her gaze swept over Fu Yanchen, who had been watching the whole thing with a cold eye, and she slowly said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Speaking of which, Achen isn't young anymore. He's a year older than Xiaoci, and it's about time he started looking for a partner to get married."

Wen Zhaoci, who had been silently watching the drama unfold, still felt a dull ache in her back from the ruler. Upon hearing this, she immediately chimed in, her tone sincere and obedient: "Mom is right! My brother-in-law is indeed a year older than me, and he really should start looking for a partner and thinking about his marriage."

Hiding in Wen Zhaoci's arms, Sang Jiuning couldn't help but secretly suppress a laugh.

Sang Tingyan was unhappy. This kid hadn't called him "Dad" once, but he called "Mom" so fluently.

Fu Yanchen, who was caught in the crossfire, had just been enjoying watching Wen Zhaoci being scolded, never expecting that the flames of war would suddenly spread to him.

He glanced coldly at Wen Zhaoci, who was pretending to be well-behaved, his eyes full of disdain and speechlessness, and said in a light and perfunctory tone: "I'm not in a hurry."

That one sentence brought the topic to a close.

This minor incident was resolved by Fu Xulan with just a few words.

From then on, Sang Jiuning could openly travel between the two places, spending most of her time living in Wen Zhaoci's villa next door.

At first, she was overjoyed.

No longer needing to meet secretly, and without fear of being discovered by Sang's father, the unrestrained interaction made her and Wen Zhaoci increasingly inseparable, wishing they could be together all the time, their feelings even more intense and passionate than before.

But just a few days later, Sang Jiuning fully experienced what it meant to "suffer the consequences of one's own actions".

She completely underestimated Wen Zhaoci's energy, and also underestimated what he would be like after letting loose.

Although Wen Zhaoci had been accepted by his parents-in-law, he was still somewhat uneasy and took his clinginess to the extreme.

Aside from regular classes and meals during the day, his attention was always firmly fixed on her during all his free time, without the slightest relaxation.

Even when sleeping at night, Sang Jiuning often falls into a daze, feeling weak and sore all over. A hot, burning sensation will then surround her again, making it impossible for her to sleep soundly.

The night was quiet and still, with only soft, delicate sounds coming from inside the villa, and the crisp tinkling of the slender gold chain around her ankle.

That was an anklet that Wen Zhaoci had personally put on her, with a small bell at the end that would make a clear and melodious sound with the slightest movement.

Wen Zhaoci always loved listening to the delicate and crisp ringing of the bells, mixed with the soft and gentle instinctive sounds. His eyes were filled with a deep possessiveness, and he felt that this was the most beautiful sound in the world, and he never tired of listening to it.

He seemed tireless, gentle yet stubborn, repeatedly indulging in his love for his little girl.

But Sang Jiuning couldn't take it anymore.

In just a few days, faint red veins appeared in her eyes, and her eye sockets were always red, making her look pitiful as if she had just cried. Her whole body felt weak, her waist was so sore and weak, and she almost didn't have the strength to lift her arms.

That night, she collapsed on the carpet, leaning against the sofa, nestled in Wen Zhaoci's warm embrace. Her small hands gently rubbed her aching back, her voice soft and hoarse, filled with exhaustion and pleading.

"husband……"

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, looking both pitiful and obedient: "Tomorrow is your brother's wedding, and we have to take a plane to the island early in the morning. Can you just relax for a bit tonight? I'm really tired."

If this continues, she definitely won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow, let alone catch a plane, attend a wedding, or see a bunch of his friends.

Wen Zhaoci looked down at the listless little girl in his arms. Seeing her reddened eyes and tired appearance, a trace of pity flashed in his eyes. He reached out and grabbed a soft blanket from the side, gently covering her thin body. He tightened his arms and held her steadily in his warm embrace.

The two nestled together on the soft carpet, the warm light falling on each other's eyes, tender and affectionate.

He turned his head and gently kissed the corner of her reddened eyes, his voice low and husky, with a hint of deliberate coaxing: "It's okay, we'll take a private jet. There's a well-soundproofed lounge on the plane, a very private space, and no one will disturb us. We can get a good rest on the plane."

Sang Jiuning: "..."

She instantly understood the subtext of his words, and her cheeks flushed bright red.