On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him, completely blocking out the last wisp of night wind and faint light from outside.

A stronger, complex smell, a mixture of old wood, cold stone walls, and a faint hint of mold and soapberry, hit me in the face.

It was completely different from the filthy, rat-infested scene that Lin Zhen had imagined.

Glancing at the room with the last bit of light that seeped in through the crack in the door and then quickly disappeared, I saw that although the room was not big and the furnishings were extremely simple, it was unexpectedly tidy.

The blue brick floor was swept spotlessly clean, there were no cobwebs in the corners, and even the cold stone walls showed signs of being wiped clean.

A single hardwood bed was placed against the wall, covered with a thin plain cloth cushion; a slightly old but polished cedar desk was placed by the window, on which there was an inkstone, a brush and several neatly stacked rolls of blank rice paper.

In the corner of the wall stood an equally clean wooden basin stand, on which was placed a towel that had also been washed to a pale white.

It is so simple that it is almost austere, but it also maintains the last dignity of a scholar and an official.

Lin Zhen didn't say anything, but the unusual neatness not only did not make Xia Zhu feel relieved, but instead it was like a silent irony, making her current situation even more unbearable.

This place can be kept clean and orderly, but once you step in, your individual dignity and freedom are already priced, waiting to be sold or destroyed.

The air was dead silent, with only the heavy breathing of the two people coming and going.

"Click!" A soft sound broke the suffocating silence.

Lin Zhen didn't know when a long and thin fire stick appeared in his hand.

He blew skillfully, and the sparks jumped up instantly, illuminating half of his handsome but cold face and his eyes as deep as pools.

He didn't look at Xia Zhu, but walked straight to the desk and picked up a thin white candle.

The jumping flame licked the candle wick, and the warm candlelight finally slowly stabilized, dispelling the darkness in half of the room and casting the long and distorted shadows of the two people on the cold wall.

The new candlelight also illuminated Xia Zhu, who was standing not far from the door, without reservation.

The simple official robe wrapped around her tall body, which looked thin due to days of worry, outlining her undulating lines.

The cheeks, which had been pale for many days, were now flushed with a thrilling crimson due to the tense nerves, unknown fear, and the humiliation and shame churning in the depths of the heart.

A strand of hair that was originally tightly bound slipped down from her sweat-soaked temples, softly sticking to her delicate and hot cheek, just enough to cover a small part of her skin that looked like it was dyed with sunset glow.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the smooth forehead, reflecting tiny spots of light in the candlelight.

The interweaving of paleness and blush, the entanglement of brokenness and stubbornness, in the dim and swaying light, presents a heart-pounding and fragile beauty.

She was like a sacrifice that had been carefully preserved but forcibly unwrapped, ready to be sacrificed to the authority before her.

Lin Zhen's gaze finally moved away from the candlelight and fell precisely on Xia Zhu's face.

Those deep eyes clearly reflected the candlelight and her current appearance, with an indescribable scrutiny and a barely perceptible amusement quietly flowing in them.

He didn't say anything, but just walked towards her calmly.

His footsteps were so light that they were almost silent on the clean tiles.

Xia Zhu's heart suddenly tightened.

Almost out of self-protection, when he got close enough to reach her, she took a step back uncontrollably!

Her back hit the cold door panel hard, making a dull sound that made her eardrums buzz.

"Prince...Prince!" Xia Zhu's voice trembled slightly, uncontrollably due to extreme nervousness.

Her hands were tightly clenched around the corners of her clothes, her fingertips turning white from the force.

She quickly glanced at the bed, then averted her gaze as if struck by lightning. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. She used up all her strength to squeeze out a few broken words from her dry and tight throat: "Your subordinate... I... I have never... never had the experience of consummating a marriage... I'm... I'm afraid..."

She lowered her head, her thick, trembling eyelashes trying hard to hide the fear and helplessness surging in her eyes.

"I'm afraid there's no way... to serve the prince well..." These self-deprecating words were like a cold knife, cutting into her last bit of dignity.

Lin Zhen stopped, only one step away from her.

His tall figure completely enveloped her in a medley of shadows and candlelight.

Hearing her intermittent words, he was not displeased at all, but instead slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

"Oh...that's not important." He said it lightly, as if he was stating an insignificant fact.

Xia Zhu raised her head in astonishment and met his bottomless eyes.

The candlelight danced in his eyes, cold and focused.

"The important thing is that from now on, you have to be obedient. Do you understand?"

Xia Zhu's heart was beating wildly, almost bursting through his chest.

She knew what "being obedient" meant.

It is to give up all resistance, hand over all initiative, completely put yourself at the mercy of his will, and accept his charge and humiliation.

She looked at Lin Zhen's eyes that seemed to devour everything, and a strong sense of shame mixed with a desperate feeling of powerlessness surged in her heart.

She swallowed hard, feeling like there was something hard blocking her throat.

Finally, she closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, her long eyelashes were covered with a thicker layer of moisture.

She nodded extremely slowly and heavily. The movement was slight, but it seemed as if she had used up her last bit of strength.

The blush on her cheeks deepened, even her small earlobes were stained with an abnormal blush, and she squeezed out a word from between her teeth: "I understand."

Seeing her finally nod, the faint smile on Lin Zhen's face deepened significantly, with a sense of satisfaction.

He stopped looking at her, turned around calmly, and walked a few steps to the single hardwood bed against the wall.

He stretched out his hand, and brushed away the non-existent dust on the plain cloth cushion with an elegant and even somewhat leisurely gesture, then sat down calmly on the edge of the bed.

The candlelight made his figure leaning against the bed look tall and oppressive.

He did not speak immediately, but turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on Xia Zhu who was standing stiffly at the door again.

The gaze silently examined her for a moment, as if admiring a scene about to complete some ritual.

Finally, he moved.

His slender fingers pointed towards the cold floor tiles in front of the bed, and he slightly hooked them as if summoning the lowest-ranking servant.

The movements were casual and frivolous, but the tone was unquestionable and almost commanding:

"Climb over here."

The three words "crawl over here" were like poisoned ice cones, piercing Xia Zhu's ears fiercely and instantly detonating all her barely suppressed emotions!

An unprecedented, strong feeling of humiliation that almost corroded her soul suddenly rushed over her head!