Chapter 436: Invitation
Qinghe glanced at Yu Mingche with concern, but there was also a hint of envy in his eyes. Yu Mingche had been insolent to Ning Xuan in front of so many people; Ning Xuan was surely furious. However, even in her anger, she spared Yu Mingche’s pride and didn’t erupt in public. Instead, she dismissed them all.
As for Di Youlin, he watched Yu Mingche with an unmistakable hint of schadenfreude.
Soon, everyone else had left. In the tense atmosphere, Yu Mingche knelt to one side, head bowed, awaiting his punishment.
“Come here,” Ning Xuan said, her tone indifferent.
Yu Mingche didn’t dare to rise. He shuffled forward a few steps on his knees, moving to a spot before Ning Xuan.
A slender, elegant hand with long fingers caressed his face, then gripped his chin and tilted his head up.
“If you had a grievance, why not speak to me in private? Questioning me like that in front of everyone… are you taking advantage of your condition, thinking I wouldn’t dare punish you?” Ning Xuan’s voice was placid, her even tone betraying no emotion.
‘I can’t tell Yu Mingche that I’ve always believed the male gestation period is an extremely fragile time. It requires quiet recuperation, and strenuous activities are ill-advised. My recent distance was only meant to protect him.’
‘Besides, who knows if he would even believe me. And if I did tell him, it would be difficult to explain how I came by such knowledge in the first place.’
‘Fortunately, I’ve been incredibly busy lately. Even if I’ve been a bit neglectful of him, there’s a valid reason. I’ll just have to be more attentive from now on.’
Ning Xuan felt a pang of frustration. ‘When I was first researching this world’s rules on procreation, why didn’t I look more closely into the details of the gestation cycle and prenatal precautions?’
“No, that’s not it! I offended the Family Head and am willing to accept my punishment. I know I was wrong. I didn’t want to… I just lost control of myself.” The moment the words had left his mouth, Yu Mingche had regretted them. But it was too late.
He had suppressed his feelings for too long, and today’s incident was the final straw. In that environment, he became convinced that Ning Xuan regretted choosing him as her husband over Ying Yaoshi. His emotions spiraled, and he completely lost his composure.
Seeing Yu Mingche’s body tremble, Ning Xuan leaned down and gently kissed his face, her lips moving from his forehead to his cheeks, and finally to his crimson lips.
Yu Mingche felt her tenderness, and a tear slid from the corner of his eye. He greedily inhaled her scent, and his restless agitation slowly began to subside.
“So much has been happening lately, and I haven’t been able to pay you enough attention. But my decision to choose you was one I considered very carefully. I knew choosing you meant facing a situation like this, so how could I possibly regret it? Don’t let your imagination run wild,” Ning Xuan said gently.
“But Contractor, you never gave me the authority to arrange the duty roster, nor did you make them… before me as per the rules…” Yu Mingche listed his grievances, his voice thick with hurt.
Ning Xuan felt a pang of guilt. ‘I didn’t know about any of that.’
“That was my oversight. Don’t worry, I’ll notify them right now.” Ning Xuan had already located the templates sent by the Contract Relationship Management Center. One of them was a “Statement of Duties for the Husband,” complete with an official stamp. All Ning Xuan had to do was fill in the name and add her personal seal.
It was an official template. For Yu Mingche, it represented both his duties and his rights. The document stipulated that the husband was responsible for arranging all matters related to Ning Xuan’s daily life and care. Ning Xuan’s other Contractors and attendants were required to report to the husband after their period of service—a measure meant to ensure proper conduct and prevent anyone from breaking the rules.
Di Youlin returned to his courtyard and lay blankly on his bed for a long time. A bad feeling welled up inside him. ‘My good days might be over.’
Recently, with both Lan Xin and Yun Han away, Ning Xuan had never summoned anyone to her bed at night, nor had she visited Yu Mingche’s courtyard. Taking advantage of his great strength and guard duties, Di Youlin had frequently snuck into her bed in the dead of night to seduce her. Though Ning Xuan often punished him for it, he had also succeeded on many occasions.
Simply being near Ning Xuan could suppress the turbulence in his Spiritual Sea, and every deep exchange with her cleansed some of the contamination within it. The feeling was addictive, leaving him wanting more. That was why, no matter how harshly Ning Xuan punished him, he always dared to try again.
Lately, the looks Yu Mingche had been giving him were anything but friendly. He’d been certain on several occasions that Yu Mingche was about to make a move against him, but for some reason, he never did.
Just as Di Youlin was lying on his bed, lost in thought, a DING! announced a new file in the family group chat. The sender was Ning Xuan.
Di Youlin opened it and immediately shot upright. This document should have been issued the day after the Contract ceremony. He never knew why Ning Xuan hadn’t mentioned it. At first, he assumed she’d forgotten because she was busy. Then he wondered if she was dissatisfied with Yu Mingche. Eventually, he couldn’t be bothered to think about it anymore and put the matter out of his mind.
After all, the document was just a formality. With or without it, Yu Mingche was the husband and held the right to manage Ning Xuan’s household affairs.
Ying Yaoshi had just received news that Ning Xuan had been attacked by an Undead Warrior when the document appeared in the family group chat.
Ying Yaoshi immediately sent a video call invitation to both Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche. Ning Xuan’s end connected quickly. “Greetings, Lord Contract Master.” Upon seeing Ning Xuan’s seated figure, Ying Yaoshi, dressed in a crisp military uniform, bowed deeply in respect.
“Marshal, is there something you need?” Ning Xuan asked coolly.
“Myriad Phenomena Star River only sent a single Undead Warrior this time. At most, it was a probe. Now that they’ve made a move, they’ll inevitably follow up with an endless stream of tactics. Central Star is no longer safe for you. You should come to the Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain. This is my territory. I can guarantee your safety; no one would dare cause trouble here.” Ying Yaoshi didn’t beat around the bush, extending the invitation directly.
“And how can you guarantee that?” Yu Mingche’s voice cut in. “Your post is on the Star Domain Battlefield—the most dangerous place there is. Space could collapse at any moment. You’re not actually thinking of bringing Ning Xuan there with you, are you?”
On Ning Xuan’s end, the camera shifted, revealing Yu Mingche suspended in mid-air, bound hand and foot by Ning Xuan’s vines. His torso was bare, revealing obvious whip marks across his chest and back.
“Well, well. What did Lord Yu do to deserve such a… miserable beating?” Ying Yaoshi said mockingly, his gaze sweeping over Yu Mingche’s lower abdomen.
‘It’s been about two months,’ Ying Yaoshi calculated. ‘There’s no obvious change there yet. It seems the artificial gestational sac is integrating well with his body’s energy system.’
“The Lord Contract Master punished me herself. No need for your snide remarks. I know you’re just jealous I get to stay by her side. Since you’re aware of what happened today, and you can’t leave your post, shouldn’t you be sending someone here to protect her?” Yu Mingche retorted, staring daggers at Ying Yaoshi.