The Lady General’s Absolute Indulgence - Chapter 9

“Little beauty, don’t waste your energy. No one is coming to save you,” Manager Zhao sneered, lunging toward Wan Ning.

Wan Ning backed away, gritting her teeth to keep from crying. Her hands brushed against a flower vase on the table; trembling, she pulled it into her arms.

“Don’t come any closer! Stay back!” With every ounce of her strength, she hurled the vase at him. It shattered at his feet.

“Now, Wan Ning, stop struggling. I’ll treat you well.” Manager Zhao stepped over the shards and delivered a sharp slap that sent her sprawling onto the bed. “You’d better be obedient! It’ll save you some suffering!”

Wan Ning’s eyes were wide with terror. She struggled and screamed desperately; the very sight of Zhao Mingfa made her skin crawl. She couldn’t let this happen. Huaian would loathe her. She didn’t want Huaian to look at her with those eyes—she wouldn’t let her newly found happiness be destroyed!

“Master! Master! Something’s wrong!” a servant shouted urgently from outside.

Zhao Mingfa froze. “What ‘something’s wrong’? Whatever it is, it can wait!”

Bang! The door was kicked open with a violent crash.

Huaian stood in the doorway, her face a mask of ice. She stepped into the room, her long sword trailing against the floor with a soft, ominous ring that struck fear into the heart.

Zhao Mingfa’s lips trembled as he pointed a fleshy finger at her. “You… you… who are you? Guards! Guards! Drag him out!”

The servants peered in from the hallway, but not one of them dared to step inside.

Huaian said nothing, her steady pace bringing her deeper into the room. With a loud thud, the door slammed shut, cutting off the prying eyes of the servants.

The long sword pierced through Zhao Mingfa’s chest in a flash. Before he could even let out a sound, he stared at the blade in shock, clutched his chest in agony, and collapsed to the floor.

Huaian removed her outer robe and leaned over gently to wrap it around Wan Ning. Her voice trembled as she said, “A-Ning, it’s alright now. Let’s go home.”

Panic flashed in Wan Ning’s eyes. She clutched the robe tightly and gripped Huaian’s hand in fear. “Huaian, I didn’t… he didn’t…”

Huaian swept Wan Ning up into a bridal carry and whispered soothingly against her ear, “A-Ning, don’t be afraid. I know.”

The fleeting touch against her ear left Wan Ning stunned. She buried her face deep in Huaian’s chest, her hands trembling as she gripped the fabric of Huaian’s collar, betraying just how terrified she truly was.

Huaian gave Zhao Mingfa’s slumped body a sharp kick. “The officials are already at the gate! If I hear even a single whisper of gossip regarding A-Ning from this day forward, you will die much faster!”

Zhao Mingfa groaned in excruciating pain. Through his disheveled hair, he looked up at the man above him and shivered at the sight of those eyes. It was the undeniable authority of a high-ranking official. Didn’t they say… didn’t they say her man was a nobody? Chu Hui, that wretched woman!

Huaian shielded Wan Ning completely within her robe. As the wind whipped around them, her heart finally began to settle. Thank goodness she had arrived in time. Thank goodness it wasn’t too late.

At the entrance, Magistrate Xu was waiting, bowing and scraping. Seeing Huaian emerge, he hurried forward. “Lord Lin—”

Huaian silenced him with a sharp, sidelong glance. “Not another word,” she said in a heavy voice. “Handle the situation here. I am taking my wife home. Do not disturb us.”

Magistrate Xu stammered his agreement, his mind racing. The tempers of these high-ranking officials from the capital are truly something else. Ah, but great men never want to reveal their identities easily. I understand, I understand.

Once inside the carriage, Huaian held Wan Ning carefully in her arms. She gently brushed the stray hairs from the girl’s face, her heart aching as she stroked Wan Ning’s swollen cheek.

Wan Ning turned her head away, her voice raspy. “Don’t… don’t look…”

Huaian’s arms tightened, pulling Wan Ning closer to her chest. She leaned down and inhaled deeply against the girl’s neck. “A-Ning, do you know how scared I was tonight? In the past, no matter who I faced, I could handle it with composure. But tonight… you were my exception.”

Mist rose in Wan Ning’s eyes. She bit her lip to hold back the tears, not daring to meet Huaian’s gaze. Fear, shame, and embarrassment swirled within her; she didn’t want Huaian to see her in such a wretched state.

Huaian took her chin in a firm yet gentle grip, forcing Wan Ning to look her in the eye. She pressed her forehead against Wan Ning’s and rubbed it softly. “A-Ning, I will be by your side forever. Don’t be afraid.”

In that instant, tears slowly escaped the corners of Wan Ning’s eyes. Her slender shoulders shook. More than the terror Zhao Mingfa had caused, she was afraid that Huaian wouldn’t want her anymore—she was afraid of being abandoned.

“I thought… I thought you wouldn’t want—”

Before she could finish, Huaian leaned down and kissed those rosy lips with a fierce intensity, as if she wanted to consume her whole, their breaths intertwining.

Wan Ning closed her eyes and surrendered to it all, her body trembling against Huaian’s. Everywhere Huaian touched felt as if it were on fire. This is the person, she thought, the one I want to entrust my life to.

When they reached home, Wan Ning’s lips were swollen, and she kept her head buried deep in Huaian’s arms.

Sister-in-law Wu was still watching from her gate. Her eyes lit up when she saw them. “Oh my, I was worried sick! It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back.”

Huaian tightened her hold, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. She chuckled, “Sister-in-law Wu, I owe you one. One of these days, I’ll spend a full day hunting for Brother Wu for free.”

Sister-in-law Wu’s jaw dropped. Huaian’s archery was legendary; she usually hunted rare and valuable game. Wu rubbed her hands together in excitement.

“Oh, how could I accept that? It was only right, only right.”

Huaian nodded. She carried Wan Ning inside, placed her gently on the bed, and tucked her in. She leaned down to press a kiss to the top of the girl’s head, her voice husky: “Wait for me. I’ll go boil some water so you can wash up.”

Wan Ning clutched the quilt, her face and neck turning bright red as her heart raced with nervous anticipation.

The bathtub was filled with swirling steam. Wan Ning leaned against the edge, her lashes lowered and her long hair draped behind her. Images of Zhao Mingfa’s bloated body and his yellowed teeth kept flashing in her mind, making her feel nauseous.

Everything was quiet. Wan Ning heard nothing as she began to slide deeper into the water; she just wanted to scrub herself clean.

“A-Ning! A-Ning! Wake up!” Huaian, having heard no sound for a long time, rushed in to find her submerged in the tub.

Huaian scooped her out and wrapped her small, thin body in a large towel.

Wan Ning felt her head spinning; she desperately wanted to sleep. She just wanted a long rest, but a stubborn voice kept calling out, refusing to let her drift off.

“A-Ning! A-Ning!” Huaian felt Wan Ning’s burning forehead and realized things were bad. The shock of the day had likely brought on a fever. It was late at night, so she had to rely on her memory to brew some medicinal herbs to dispel the cold.

“Thirsty…” Wan Ning moaned, her voice so hoarse it didn’t sound like her own.

Huaian carefully fed some water into her mouth. “A-Ning, be good. Take your medicine.”

Tasting the bitterness, Wan Ning turned her head away and murmured, “No…”

It sounded half like a pout and half like a grievance. Huaian rubbed her head helplessly. “I’ll take it with you.”

With that, Huaian took a large mouthful of the medicine, captured Wan Ning’s delicate lips, and patiently pried her teeth open to transfer the liquid into her mouth bit by bit.

Wan Ning shook her head, trying to spit it out, but Huaian held her firmly with a deep, lingering kiss until the medicine was swallowed.

Wan Ning’s lips were slightly swollen and her eyes were misty, looking for all the world like someone who had been thoroughly Ravished. Huaian’s gaze darkened. Unable to help herself, she leaned down once more and captured the girl’s lips.