Chapter 1: The Abduction Bride

Staring into the pitch-black room, she almost thought something was wrong with her eyes. It took her a long while to adjust, only to realize the problem wasn’t her vision—she had simply been locked in a dark chamber.

She had no idea what time it was, nor how long she had been unconscious. All she remembered was that eerie silver mask and those chilling, merciless eyes.

Her name was Ning Qian, daughter of Ning Qian, the chief salt merchant of Huizhou. Salt merchants had always maintained close ties with the authorities, and her father was good friends with the prefect of Huizhou, Du Zongfu. When their first children were born, the two families pledged them in an arranged marriage. And so, as soon as Ning Qian came of age, she was married into the Du family.

No one could have predicted that bandits would intercept the wedding procession and carry off the bride. Recalling what those bandits had shouted, Ning Qian instinctively shrank into the corner. Thinking back, she couldn’t help sighing over her fate. She had only wanted to celebrate her marriage and enjoy some revelry on her honeymoon, yet she had somehow ended up in another world. Thankfully, in this new life, she lacked neither food nor clothing—far better off than the heroines in some transmigration novels who had to struggle just to fill their stomachs.

Yet being a wealthy young lady had its own disappointments. Take marriage, for instance—in this era, where everything was dictated by matchmakers and parental orders, what say did she truly have? Her family loved her, yes, but life rarely unfolded as one wished.

Bitterness filled her as she thought of that man, Du Chengyang. If she hadn’t been destined to marry him, none of this would have happened. He must be a jinx, born to bring misfortune to his wife. If heaven could give her another chance, she’d rather die than marry so young.

“Bride of the Bandit Chief”—that’s what the bandits had yelled at her. Was this really to be her fate? Suddenly, a faint creak interrupted her drifting thoughts.

Her eyes fixed on the door, her heart pounding wildly. Who could it be? Was it the so-called chief the bandits had mentioned? The room was utterly empty; she had nothing at hand for self-defense. Helpless, she could only shrink deeper into the corner, hoping the darkness would conceal her from whoever entered.

She thought this might keep her safe, but fear often muddles the mind. A shaft of light pierced the room, making Ning Qian shield her eyes. When she finally adjusted, she lowered her hand slowly.

The light came from an oil lamp. Her gaze followed the lamp upward, and she gasped. It was him—the man in the mask, the one who had drugged her. The silver mask appeared even more sinister in the lamplight.

The masked man placed the lamp on a sconce, dragged a stool from somewhere, and sat facing her.

The room fell into utter silence—so quiet she could hear their breathing. Ning Qian pressed a hand to her wildly beating heart, secretly sizing up the masked man, trying to guess his intentions.

“Are you hungry?” A deep male voice startled her.

She looked up in surprise. Was he speaking to her? He didn’t seem the type to ask such a kindly question. Yet here he was, asking if she was hungry.

While she was still speculating, the masked man’s voice sounded again, “Are you hungry or not?”

Ning Qian hastily nodded. “Very hungry.” She spoke the truth; she didn’t know how long she’d been locked up, but her stomach had been rumbling for ages. Dignity hardly mattered now—her life was at stake.

With a clang, the masked man pushed back his chair and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He was gone? Ning Qian was astonished. Curiosity got the better of her; she crept to the door and tugged at it. It didn’t budge. Peering through a crack, she saw only darkness. Frustrated, she kicked the door and returned to her corner, the only place that offered any sense of safety. Outside, the masked man couldn’t help but smirk at the sound of her kick; only when the footsteps inside ceased did he finally leave.

When the door opened again, about the time it would take for a stick of incense to burn had passed. This time, the masked man was not empty-handed. He carried a food box, and before he’d even come close, the aroma reached Ning Qian, making her unconsciously lick her lips. She was ravenous.

Watching her foolish expression, the masked man set the food box gently on the ground. He lifted the lid but didn’t take out the food inside.

Deliberately, he waved his hand over the box, wafting the scent toward her. The delicious aroma drifted to Ning Qian’s nose. She pressed a hand to her stomach, eyes fixed on the box, unable to look away. She felt as if she hadn’t eaten in days. What was the masked man playing at—bringing food but not letting her eat? Was he trying to tempt her on purpose?

“Do you want to eat?” he finally asked.

This time, Ning Qian didn’t nod immediately. She was trying to guess his motive. Was there something hidden in the food? Though he didn’t seem the type to use such underhanded means, appearances could be deceiving. This was a bandit’s den, after all, and he was one of them.

“What? You don’t want to eat?”

“What’s your condition?” Ning Qian wasn’t foolish. He wasn’t handing her the food directly—he clearly had an ulterior motive.

For the first time, the masked man looked her in the eye. This woman was interesting. He’d assumed noble daughters were all simple-minded, but she was different.

“You’re clever,” he remarked.

Ning Qian arched a brow. “It’s not that I’m clever—you’re just too obvious. I don’t like beating around the bush. If you have a request, say it outright. I’m not going to keep guessing.”

“You’re quite straightforward. Don’t forget where you are, though. You dare speak so boldly?” he challenged.

Ning Qian froze, realizing she’d been too forceful. She shrank back toward the corner. “What do you want?” she asked. After all, a wise person knows when to yield; she had no desire to antagonize a wolf while trapped in its den.

“It’s simple. For each question you answer to my satisfaction, I’ll let you eat,” he said.

Ning Qian was displeased. So she’d only get food if he was satisfied? That was hardly fair. “That’s not fair.”

“Fair? Do you really think you’re in a position to bargain with me?”

“You—”

“Well?” he pressed.

Ning Qian considered her predicament. The masked man was right—she had no leverage at all. If she refused, she might truly starve. She had no wish to die that way.

After some thought, she decided to compromise. Better to bend than break—she’d agree for now. Besides, she was curious what he wanted to know.

“Didn’t expect you to be so sensible,” he said. “First question: your name.”

Normally, a young woman would never divulge her given name to a stranger, but the circumstances were different. If she wanted to eat, she had to answer. Besides, Ning Qian wasn’t a native of this world; she didn’t care much for such customs. “Ning Qian,” she replied calmly.

“Rather ordinary,” he commented.

Ning Qian shrugged. A name was just a label—what did it matter if it sounded nice? But then she realized something was off. “You don’t know my name?”

“I don’t,” he replied.

“That’s impossible,” she blurted. “You orchestrate a wedding abduction, but you don’t know who I am?”

“Oh? You think you’re so famous that I must know you?”

“Don’t bandits investigate everything before a robbery?” she pressed.

“That’s not something you need to know,” he interrupted coldly. Reaching into the food box, he produced a mung bean cake—surprisingly, laid neatly on a piece of paper. So, he’s a clean fellow, she thought.

Her gaze, however, was not on the cake, but on his hand—specifically, the web between his thumb and forefinger. It was swollen and red, with faint teeth marks.

That was her handiwork. During the abduction, she had almost escaped, only to be seized by the masked man. In desperation, she’d bitten his hand as hard as she could. Judging by the mark, she hadn’t bitten nearly hard enough. She felt a twinge of regret—not using more force when she’d had the chance.

With a flick of his wrist, the masked man sent the paper-wrapped cake flying toward her like an arrow. Instinctively, Ning Qian wanted to dodge, but it was her food—so she forced herself to reach out and caught it.

Grinning with delight, she unwrapped the paper. The fragrance was overwhelming, and though her stomach growled, she didn’t eat right away, still wary of poison.

Seeing her hesitate, the masked man sneered. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing in it. Eat.”

Resigned to fate, Ning Qian stuffed the entire cake into her mouth. She had a feeling he wouldn’t stoop to such lowly tricks.

Once she finished, the masked man asked his next question. “How much money does your family have?”

“I really don’t know. My father and brothers handle all the business—I’d have no way of knowing. Why do you ask? Are you planning to rob the Ning family as well?”

Ning Qian was shocked. These bandits were ambitious indeed! No, she couldn’t just sit here and await her fate—she had to find a way to escape. She eyed the distance between herself and the door. Could she make it before he caught her? Hardly—he was clearly highly skilled. Such a thought was pure fantasy.

Another mung bean cake came flying her way. Lost in thought, Ning Qian didn’t reach out, but the cake landed squarely on her lap, as if he’d anticipated her inaction.

Noticing the weight on her legs, she glanced down. Another cake. She looked at the masked man—he was unexpectedly considerate.

“No need to look. You’ve earned it,” he said.

Ning Qian said nothing, simply ate the cake. For now, survival was all that mattered.

“What is the relationship between the Ning family and the prefect?” the masked man suddenly asked.

“Relationship?” Ning Qian echoed. Yes, what relationship? “If not for today’s abduction, we’d have been in-laws. But now… I don’t know what we are anymore.”