Chapter 53: The Girl’s Desperate Cry.

“Mm.”
Li Tianxing let out a satisfied hum, brushing off nonexistent dust from his hands, as if admiring a perfected masterpiece.

In the corner, Li Tianze was bound tightly with golden ropes shimmering with solar runes, curled in an awkward position.
A wide red silk, embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, crudely covered her eyes, leaving only her tightly pursed lips visible, trembling with anger and despair.

“Brother, I know you’re reborn too!”
Despite being bound and blindfolded, Li Tianze’s mouth fired off like a machine gun, her voice laced with sobs and a final struggle.

“In our past life, you were my dearest sister, we relied on each other! This life… we may not have that bond, but there’s still some affection, right? Brother, I’m begging you—spare Sister-in-law!”

She thrashed violently, trying to break free, but the golden ropes held firm, glowing brighter with each struggle, scorching her with searing runes, making her yelp.

Uncaring, she pressed on:
“I’ll give you everything—every inheritance, every opportunity! Ancient secrets, forbidden maps, I want none of it! Just don’t touch Sister-in-law, Brother!”

Li Tianxing seemed deaf to her desperate pleas.
He strolled leisurely to her side, bending slightly to whisper rapidly in her ear, his voice low enough for only them to hear.

“!!!”

Li Tianze, moments ago full of fight, froze.

Her face, hidden under the silk, drained of color, lips parting as if she’d heard something that shattered her entire worldview.

She slumped, soulless, in the corner, silent except for faint trembling, no longer able to speak.

Li Tianxing straightened, his face bearing a cryptic, all-knowing smile, starkly contrasting Li Tianze’s shocked, defeated expression.

“!!!”
Xie Qiyang, perched “obediently” on the bed, was itching with curiosity.

Was that necessary?! What’s this huge secret they’re hiding from me, the main party?!

And Li Tianze!
She’d entered so grandly, her sword qi blooming like a peacock’s tail, all flashy effects and dazzling light.

And then?
One casual strike from Li Tianxing, and she was reduced to a tied-up mess.

Xie Qiyang had hoped for a grand showdown, but this?!
Li Tianze was all show, no substance—a pretty pillow.

As she inwardly ranted, Li Tianxing turned, his molten-gold eyes locking onto her.

Oh no, I’m done for.
The nuisance was dealt with, and now the real deal had her in his sights.
What came next was obvious!

Fine, might as well go all in.

Heart steeled, Xie Qiyang flopped back onto the crimson-brocade bed, lying flat in a perfect “大” shape.

Her meaning was clear: I give up! Kill me, cut me, or do whatever—I’m not cooperating. Want a mutual effort? No way.

Li Tianxing clearly wasn’t letting his wedding night be so “dull.”

One long, strong leg bent, his knee resting on the bed’s edge, his body leaning forward.

As Xie Qiyang played dead with closed eyes, his hands, like iron clamps, gripped her slender waist, effortlessly lifting her soft, fragrant body off the bed.

“Ah!”
The sudden weightlessness and the scalding touch at her waist broke her act, forcing her eyes open with a yelp.

She met Li Tianxing’s golden eyes, inches away.
His warm breath, thick with Solar Saint Body aura, washed over her face and neck, sparking tiny shivers.

Oddly, she didn’t hate it—it felt… kind of nice.

“Still hate me?”
His voice was low and gentle, but the commanding glint in his eyes—and something else, equally forceful—made her heart quiver.

Xie Qiyang bit her lip.
This won’t work on me!

She stubbornly turned her head, dodging his invasive gaze, her silence her final resistance.

Seeing her defiance, the playfulness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a dangerous, determined gleam.
Without another word, he lowered his head.

Chu~

A searing, solid kiss landed on her smooth left cheek, like a burning brand.

“!!!”
Xie Qiyang’s mind blanked, the kissed spot igniting, heat spreading rapidly across her face.

Instinctively, she whipped her head back, eyes wide, ready to protest.

But as she turned, all words choked in her throat.

Li Tianxing had timed it perfectly—his real target was never her cheek.

He sealed her lips with an unyielding kiss.

A deep, possessive kiss, blazing with solar heat.

Her Lunar qi stirred, resonating between them.

His solar force surged past her parted lips, claiming her senses like wildfire, as if marking her indelibly.

“Mmph, mmph!”
Her protests and struggles melted into broken whimpers between their lips.

Her hands pushed futilely against his solid chest, like an ant trying to move a tree.

Thud, thud, thud.

In the corner, bound and blindfolded, Li Tianze clearly heard the heartbreaking sound of their kiss.

Unable to see, her mind unwillingly conjured the scene.

“Brother! Stop! I’m begging you! Don’t touch Sister-in-law!”

Her wail was gut-wrenching, her body thrashing wildly, veins bulging with rage and despair.

The red silk over her eyes soaked through with tears.

The golden ropes flared blindingly under her frantic struggles, burning her skin, but she seemed numb to the pain, desperate to stop the heart-shattering scene.