Chapter 365: Yu Mingche Is Punished
Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Yu Mingche Is Punished
"Mmmph..." As Ning Xuan muttered to herself, a soft whimper came from the bed.
Ning Xuan glanced at Yu Mingche, who was bound to the bed. "Understood," she said. "Go to Qianjin Restaurant and book a private room for tonight. Send word that I will be hosting them there this evening."
"Yes, ma’am." Yan Fuzhen had also heard the noise coming from Ning Xuan’s end. He could naturally tell who, besides Ning Xuan, was responsible for that other sound.
The thought of Yu Mingche in Ning Xuan’s bed right now—and the memory of his stunning looks—made Yan Fuzhen’s spirits sink. He sighed to himself. ’Never mind that our Marshal has no time. Even if he could be by Ning Xuan’s side, he’d probably still lose to that fox spirit, Yu Mingche.’
Resigned to his fate, Yan Fuzhen went to run the errand, hoping to at least defend a sliver of territory for his Marshal.
Yu Mingche had been drugged by Ning Xuan and had fallen into a state of uncontrollable delirium. His usual cold, noble demeanor had vanished completely. An unnatural flush colored his fair cheeks, and his breathing was rapid and erratic. His slender fingers clutched the sheets beneath him so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
His gaze was unfocused. The usual composure in his gentle eyes was now veiled by a layer of moisture. The corners of his eyes were tinged with red, and his eyelashes trembled faintly, as if he were desperately trying to endure something.
His moist, red lips were slightly parted, and a few low, hoarse gasps escaped. His voice was almost unrecognizably rough. "Xuanyuan..."
His body trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat gathered on his temples, trickling down the elegant line of his jaw. He had unconsciously torn at the collar of his once-immaculate shirt, revealing his well-defined collarbones. In the hollows of his clavicles and just below, a dense cluster of red marks was visible. Surrounding them were neat rows of teeth marks.
"Ming Che, what do you think you’re doing, embarrassing Yan Fuzhen right in front of me? Isn’t the authority I’ve given you enough? Hmm?" Ning Xuan whispered through gritted teeth, her voice tinged with anger.
Yu Mingche tried to sit up, but his feet were bound by vines, and his hands were tied separately to either side of the headboard. He was forced to remain lying on his back.
"Lord Contract Master, General Ying said we need to create some evidence of discord between us for certain people to see. That way, we can lure out those with ulterior motives and make them reveal themselves sooner. Everyone knows Yan Fuzhen is General Ying’s man. Isn’t a conflict between the two of us the same as a conflict between myself and General Ying?" A liquid light shimmered in Yu Mingche’s exquisite eyes, making him look breathtakingly beautiful.
"Oh? You make it sound so noble. But are you telling me you have no selfish motives?" Ning Xuan lifted Yu Mingche’s chin, a playful look in her eyes.
"I do," Yu Mingche said, going along with her. "Lord Contract Master has been too good to me lately. I wanted to see if you would indulge me in something like this." Under the drug’s influence, a blush colored the corners of his eyes and his brows. His eyes shimmered with moisture, a seductive charm radiating from him.
Ning Xuan stood a short distance away, admiring him with great interest. "Ming Che, you’re quite endearing like this. However, you misbehaved today. I couldn’t very well humiliate you in public, so I can only teach you your lesson here, in bed. I hope you’ll learn from this and not make the same mistake again."
THWACK! A sickening welt appeared on Yu Mingche’s fair skin. Dark red blood instantly stained his clothes.
"Yes... Ming Che accepts his Contractor’s punishment." Yu Mingche’s voice was low and raspy, yet captivating.
As if blind to the tempting sight before her, Ning Xuan raised the Vine Whip in her hand and lashed him without mercy. He bit down hard on his lower lip, trying to swallow the pained moans, but broken sounds still spilled from his mouth. The lip he’d bitten was now a vivid crimson, adding a sort of tormented beauty to the scene.
It seemed the drug Ning Xuan had given him wasn’t just an aphrodisiac; it also heightened his sensitivity to pain. Yu Mingche had never experienced such an extreme agony. It felt as if countless tiny needles were coursing through his body—through his meridians and blood vessels, through his muscles and bones. The pain was excruciating.
This was not merely a superficial agony; it pierced him to the very marrow of his bones. Every breath was torture. The intense pain from the whipping accelerated the circulation of his qi and blood, causing the drug to take full effect in a very short time. A reddish glint began to creep into Yu Mingche’s clear eyes.
SNAP! With a dull thud, the ropes binding Yu Mingche’s hands broke. He rolled off the bed. The violent struggle had left deep, dark bruises circling his wrists.
Yu Mingche’s feet were still bound by Ning Xuan’s vines. After tumbling to the floor, he scrambled to his knees before her, clutching her leg and begging for mercy. "Xuanyuan, it hurts so much." His voice was shattered, ending in a tremor, which only made Ning Xuan more excited.
"If it doesn’t hurt, how will you ever learn your lesson?" Ning Xuan raised her hand, and Yu Mingche couldn’t help but flinch away.
"You still dare to dodge?" Ning Xuan’s expression darkened.
Tortured by both pain and desire, Yu Mingche was only remaining conscious through sheer willpower. Hearing Ning Xuan’s question, he instinctively bowed his head. "I wouldn’t dare."
And yet, as Ning Xuan drew closer, he still couldn’t stop himself from shrinking away.
Yu Mingche’s reaction struck Ning Xuan as odd. His Level wasn’t low; he shouldn’t be unable to withstand a simple whipping. She grabbed his hand and took his pulse, finding it tight and wiry at all three positions—a clear sign of extreme pain.
While Yu Mingche’s behavior today could be seen as a power play against Yan Fuzhen, it wasn’t, strictly speaking, a transgression. Ning Xuan was annoyed, but not furious.
Ning Xuan looked at the welts on his chest. The skin was broken and bleeding, as expected, but the wounds weren’t very deep. To avoid injuring him too badly, she had specifically chosen a Vine Whip without thorns. ’Could a wound like this really be that painful?’
’But his pulse couldn’t be faking it.’
Ning Xuan saw his blood-stained lips, wrapped an arm around his neck, and leaned in. She licked a drop of blood from his lip, and as soon as it touched her tongue, she finally understood the problem.
She had concocted this drug by chance while on the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain Battlefield. The ingredients were incredibly rare, and she had only ever made that single batch.
Ying Yaoshi had tested it personally and said its effects were excellent. Ning Xuan even remembered examining him afterward, and his physical reactions had all been perfectly normal.
"I’m sorry, Ming Che," Ning Xuan explained earnestly. "If I told you I didn’t know this drug had the side effect of enhancing pain sensitivity, would you believe me?"
Yu Mingche nodded dazedly, clinging to Ning Xuan and refusing to let go.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Ning Xuan looked at Yu Mingche, then scooped him up and gently placed him back on the bed.