The Ding Clan, the corridor leading to the storehouse.
A man wearing an old black cloak walked with unsteady steps.
—
“Young Master, how is it? Are you happy?”
“Wah, I’m not happy! I’m not happy! Let me go!”
“Then I’ll help the Young Master be happy right now!”
—
“I’m not thinking about other women!”
“Young Master, I know you don’t love me.”
“I love you! I love you!”
“Look, you’re lying again. You answered so quickly! How many girls have you tricked with that mouth of yours?”
‘Did I lie? How would I not know?’
‘For so many years, I’ve been ridiculed by everyone whenever I step out of the house. How could I possibly have the chance to develop a relationship with other girls?’
—
“Young Master, do you like Luo Yao a bit more now? What part of Luo Yao do you like?”
“…”
“You actually didn’t answer for a full second! It seems the Young Master still hasn’t realized Luo Yao’s good points!”
“Double standards! This is a double standard!”
—
“Cough!” The man in the cloak was very weak and coughed slightly.
Because of the cough, his steps faltered, and he nearly fell.
Straightening his body with a gasp, he looked at the storehouse not far away.
‘Just… a little more…’
He moved forward with great effort.
His trembling body caused his black cloak to sway.
Having experienced failure time and time again, both his mind and body were nearing a breaking point.
The brand of primal instincts was being engraved upon him over and over again.
The hallucinations caused by the increasingly sticky impact were eroding his soul and devouring his sanity at every moment.
‘Power. I need power. More power.’
If it weren’t for his weakness, how could he have been dominated?
He wanted to become the one in control!
He gripped the Black Rounded Jade Tablet dangling against his chest.
Now, he needed time.
He would go to the storehouse, take his portion of Spirit Stones, and then leave the Ding Clan.
When he returned after becoming stronger, Luo Yao would know just how much he loved her.
“Who is it!”
At the storehouse across the corridor, a middle-aged man with a thick beard appeared.
It was none other than Ding Nan’s father, Ding Wen.
He spread his hands into a Tiger Claw stance, ready for a fight.
The cloaked man looked up at him.
Upon seeing the man’s face, Ding Wen was stunned.
“Little Nan? It’s so late. Why aren’t you sleeping?” Ding Wen asked in confusion.
“Father, help me. Help me get some Spirit Stones,” Ding Nan said weakly, his face looking completely drained.
“Get Spirit Stones? For what?” Ding Wen asked seriously.
“I need to go away to hide for a while…” Ding Nan said, his voice hoarse.
“Hide? Hide from whom?”
A cold, haunting voice rang out, drilling into Ding Nan’s ears and exploding in his mind.
Instantly, Ding Nan’s face turned pale.
He turned his head as stiffly as a machine that had fallen into disrepair.
A young girl stood there.
She wore a green maid’s uniform, her hair tied in a simple bun with a hairpin, while a side ponytail was secured with a red string.
Indeed, it was Luo Yao.
She wasn’t dressed as formally as usual; she had clearly left her room in a hurry.
“Luo… Luo Yao!” Ding Nan forced a smile that looked more like he was crying.
“I… I came out to find something to eat.”
“If the Young Master wanted something to eat, you could have woken Luo Yao up. Luo Yao would have prepared it for you.”
“I just saw how hard you were working, so I wanted to let you get some rest…”
As a side note, ever since Ding Nan had been dominated, Luo Yao slept in Ding Nan’s room, in Ding Nan’s bed, every single night.
Today, Ding Nan had used every trick in the book to make Luo Yao fall asleep before him so that he could escape his courtyard.
“Then why did you come to the family storehouse instead of the kitchen next to the courtyard?”
Luo Yao’s deep eyes reflected Ding Nan’s stiff smile.
Ding Nan broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his ankles.
He looked down and saw a light-colored White Silk Ribbon.
In an instant, Ding Nan let out a Jerry-like scream.
He turned around in a panic to flee, only to be tripped and fall to the ground.
“Young Master is truly naughty. If you’re this willful, you won’t become a proper Young Master!”
Luo Yao’s voice was sweet and soft, like cotton brushing against his ear.
But to Ding Nan, it was nothing more than the calm before the storm.
Lying on the ground, Ding Nan looked up and reached out toward his father.
“Save me! Save me!”
Although Ding Wen was only at the Foundation Building Stage, he was still an elder and Luo Yao’s future father-in-law.
His words should have some weight.
However, the middle-aged man’s expression remained unchanged.
He didn’t say a word, quietly looking down at Ding Nan on the ground.
He was unmoved.
“Why? Why are you just watching?”
Ding Nan screamed.
“Hehehe! Young Master, come back quickly.”
Luo Yao made a joyful sound.
From beneath her long skirt near her ankles, the White Silk Ribbon acted like a living snake, gradually coiling around Ding Nan.
In the time it took for Ding Nan to say just two sentences, his legs had already been tied up tightly, and the ribbon was spreading toward his waist.
“Sigh…”
Finally, Ding Wen moved.
Ding Nan let out a chuckle, as if he had found a spring in the desert.
To his surprise, Ding Wen pulled a jade bottle from his sleeve and placed it into Ding Nan’s raised right hand.
Ding Nan’s eyes widened as he stared blankly at the jade bottle in his hand.
“What is this?” Ding Nan asked.
“A Dragon Essence Tiger Vigor Pill!”
After saying that, Ding Wen closed his lips and looked up quite proudly.
“Ah!”
The light faded from Ding Nan’s eyes.
He suddenly felt the sting of betrayal.
He gripped the jade bottle tightly and struggled excitedly, screaming, “Why? Why? My body… my body is already falling apart!”
“Your mother passed away early, and your two older brothers are out adventuring all year round. In this massive house, there is only you. But you’ve grown up now, and soon you’ll be heading out to adventure as well.”
Ding Wen took a deep breath, showing a lonely expression, and then patted Ding Nan’s shoulder.
“Son, your father wants a grandson!” Ding Wen said earnestly.
“No!”
“Young Master, hee-hee, Young Master!” Luo Yao smirked, her eyes emitting the eerie light of her Soulfire.
“Don’t! Please don’t! I haven’t… I haven’t left my room in a week!” Ding Nan grit his teeth, nearly bursting into tears.
Every day when he woke up, he was either eating or being repeatedly dominated and tormented.
The ‘management’ Luo Yao spoke of was actually imprisonment.
In the name of love, she wanted to train Ding Nan into a male doll that could only repeat:
“As long as I have Luo Yao, as long as I have Luo Yao!”
Ding Nan didn’t want to become like that.
However, Ding Nan had no strength.
He left ten clearly visible claw marks on the corridor floor before being tied up like a mummy by the White Silk Ribbon and pulled into Luo Yao’s embrace.
Only his wide eyes and trembling nose remained visible as Ding Nan whimpered.
“Goodnight, Uncle Ding Wen.”
Luo Yao gave Ding Wen a slight bow.
“Work hard, you two!”
Ding Wen raised his hand and waved, his face full of smiles.
Luo Yao’s soft chest pressed against Ding Nan.
She hugged the “Ding Nan Mummy” tightly, her face radiating happiness.
When they reached a place where no one could see, her expression became dazed and flushed as she gave Ding Nan a forceful, long kiss.
Once the two figures disappeared, Ding Wen covered his face and sighed.
“Father didn’t have a choice either.”
But Ding Wen didn’t cry.
Instead, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.