Wei Yan stepped closer to Ning Shuang, gazing at her side profile, still transfixed by the splendor before her. In a low but affirming tone, he whispered right next to her ear.
"And this will be your home too, Shuang-er," Wei Yan said softly.
Ning Shuang flinched slightly, then turned to Wei Yan with teary eyes. A feeling of security and appreciation she had never felt before in her life was now overwhelming her. "Thank you... you're so kind to me," she replied sincerely, her voice trembling slightly.
"Mmm," Wei Yan simply hummed briefly as he affectionately stroked the top of Ning Shuang's head.
"You can explore this place to your heart's content later. But before that, let's hurry to the main palace. There are those waiting for you," Wei Yan continued, gesturing for the others to move.
The five of them—Wei Yan, Ning Shuang, Li Yuantong, who was still guiding Xia Chunyu in the darkness of his senses, and Shen Ruolin—walked down the glittering crystal marble corridor. As soon as they reached the wide-open golden gates of the main palace, five women with extraordinary auras stood in front of them to greet them.
Ao Ningyan stood at the forefront with her chin raised, exuding a powerful aura of arrogance, as if the world were at her feet. Beside her, Feng Xiuyi looked elegant, her posture impeccable and dignified.
Meanwhile, Zi Lan leaned against the pillar seductively, her gaze mischievous yet alluring. This contrasted sharply with Lan Xiyi, who stood upright with a cold and sharp gaze, as if an invisible sword were about to be unsheathed from her eyes. Finally, Yao Moli stood with a calm smile and a wise gleam in her eyes, providing a balance between her sisters' contrasting personalities.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense with a variety of overwhelming auras. The five women saluted Wei Yan, but their gazes quickly fell on Ning Shuang, who stood awkwardly.
"Welcome back, Young Master," Ao Ningyan said in a slightly demanding tone, as her haughty eyes began to assess every inch of Ning Shuang's appearance.
Ning Shuang swallowed hard, feeling like she was standing before five different world rulers. However, Wei Yan's presence by her side gave her the strength to stand tall amidst the powerful auras surrounding her.
Yao Moli, with her calm and graceful steps, took a few steps forward. Her calming, wise aura instantly eased the tension created by Ao Ningyan's arrogance and Lan Xiyi's sharp gaze. She gently reached out and touched Ning Shuang's still-trembling fingers.
"Don't be afraid, Ning Shuang," Yao Moli said in a clear, soothing voice. "Each of us has stood in your shoes, feeling foreign and small. But here, we don't see you as an outsider. You are part of the Young Master's destiny, and that makes you our sister."
Hearing Moli's wise words, the tension in Ning Shuang's shoulders relaxed slightly. She sensed the woman's immense sincerity.
However, the warm atmosphere was disrupted when the five women's attention shifted to the figure standing behind Li Yuantong. Their gazes fell on Xia Chunyu, who was still numb, trembling in the utter darkness.
Ao Ningyan snorted softly, her haughty eyes glaring contemptuously at Chunyu. "So, this is the woman who dared to doubt Young Master's vision? Seeing her like this... she's not even worthy to set foot on the marble floors of this palace," he said matter-of-factly.
Lan Xiyi, with a cold, piercing gaze, merely glanced at Chunyu as if she were nothing more than an inanimate object obstructing the view. "What a waste of energy. If she can't see the truth, she might as well remain in the darkness forever," Xiyi muttered dryly, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who heard her.
Zi Lan chuckled seductively, walking around Chunyu, playing with the ends of her hair. "Oh, what a pity. She's quite beautiful, but her beauty is wasted on her dull mind. I wonder how long she'll last before begging for mercy at Young Master's feet?"
Feng Xiuyi responded elegantly. She folded her arms across her chest, gazing at Chunyu with an unreadable yet dignified expression. "Young Master always has a plan. If she's brought here in such a humiliating state, it must mean that her karma is indeed that heavy. Let her be a silent witness to the glory she once denied."
Ning Shuang could only remain speechless at how these great women looked at Chunyu. He realized one thing: in this place, loyalty to Wei Yan was a fixed price, and disobedience would be paid with absolute humiliation.
Wei Yan didn't immediately move toward the center of the hall. He paused for a moment, turning to face Ning Shuang, who still looked both mesmerized and slightly tense at the interactions of the women around her.
"Shuang-er," Wei Yan called softly.
"Y-yes, honey?"
"What you will see next may seem unfamiliar to you. But remember, every action in this place has its own purpose. Don't let your heart waver just because of superficial pity." Wei Yan stared deeply into Ning Shuang's eyes, as if giving her mental fortitude.
Ning Shuang nodded slowly, though a hint of doubt lingered in her eyes. "I believe you. If you say it's for his own good... then I will try to understand."
Wei Yan smiled faintly, then turned his gaze toward the vast area in the center of the palace. With a casual wave of his hand, a large mattress appeared in the middle of the cold marble floor. He then led the poor Xia Chunyu toward the center of the area.
Once Chunyu was positioned, Wei Yan began to form complex seals in the air. Golden light shimmered intensely as a time-deceleration formation dome formed, locking the woman in a different temporal dimension.
"Inside this dome, time flows much slower," Wei Yan explained flatly to his wives. "For us outside, time passes normally, but for her inside, every moment seems to stretch on endlessly."
Hearing that, Ning Shuang's eyes widened. She stared at the dome, where Chunyu's figure seemed almost motionless, as if time itself had frozen for her. Inside, Chunyu was trapped in a slow-moving consciousness amidst an endless void. And that bed was all Xia Chunyu had to keep her company.
Wei Yan stepped out beyond the dome's light, leaving Chunyu trapped in the "time prison" he had created. He returned to his wives, while Chunyu, inside, began to sink into depression from the seemingly slow isolation.
"The initial phase is over," Wei Yan said as he returned to Ning Shuang's side.
"Master... that means she'll be alone for a very long time in there, right?" Ning Shuang whispered in horror.
"True and not. The prolonged solitude will shatter even the most stubborn pride, Shuang-er. However, because her consciousness has also slowed, her rational mind assumes she's living in a normal timeline. Therefore, her participation in the climax is necessary for her own sake and will serve as the final 'transformation' of her mind," Wei Yan replied coldly.
Ao Ningyan approached, her haughty footsteps echoing on the crystal floor as she stared at Xia Chunyu's frozen figure in time. "Young Master is truly a genius. Making her rot in a seemingly frozen time is the most exquisite punishment for a proud woman like her. It's like welcoming a meticulously prepared main course," she commented scathingly with a slight, disdainful smile.
Wei Yan turned his head slightly, gazing at the formation dome with a flat yet calculating gaze.
"It's like the saying goes for that woman's mind: the higher the tree you climb, the more painful the fall," Wei Yan replied calmly. "And that's what I'll do when I deal with her. I'll make sure she feels every inch of the fall until there's no trace of her ego left. You just watch."
Hearing this affirmation, Lan Xiyi, with her cold and sharp demeanor, nodded slowly, as if impatient to witness the woman's mental breakdown inside. Meanwhile, Zi Lan smirked seductively, seemingly enjoying the drama her husband was orchestrating.
Wei Yan then simultaneously placed a hand on Ning Shuang and Yao Moli's shoulders, distracting them from the gloomy atmosphere in the center of the hall.
"Now, let the formation do its work. Moli, invite Shuang-er and the others to relax for a moment. I want you all to be in top condition when the opening banquet begins," Wei Yan ordered.
Yao Moli nodded sagely. "Leave it to me, Young Master. I'll make sure Ning Shuang is comfortable and gets to know her sisters better while our 'guest' reflects on her sins."
With that, their attention completely shifted from Chunyu's suffering to the warmth of the family gathering. They began to walk out of the central area of the palace, heading for a relaxing pavilion prepared with light refreshments and fragrant Oolong tea, leaving Chunyu's figure frozen in the torment of slowed time behind them.