Chapter 5: Submission (2)

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  Zhu Yinglong couldn't help but steal glances at Xu Ruyin, who was also secretly gazing at him. No matter what, the two of them might end up spending their lives together - could they really be destined to sleep in the same bed but have different dreams forever? Whether it's a man or a woman, one thing is certain: he or she hopes to find someone who truly cares for them. Many things are forced by circumstances; don't think that just because you're in this world, you can say you're not in control - as soon as you become part of society, you're already not in control. Xu Ruyin bears the responsibility left to her by her father, managing thousands of people and shouldering such a heavy burden alone as a weak woman - the weight is unimaginable. No one is born thinking about scheming against others; no one comes into this world wanting to harm others. It's just that fate has made them into different kinds of people. Xu Ruyin's naturally kind side Zhu Yinglong hasn't seen yet, but from her tired eyes, he can tell she doesn't want to live the life she is now. If she really had ambitions, she would never have agreed to his terms - he used every trick in the book against himself, just to protect himself and survive. His father might be the same way; otherwise, he wouldn't have seen today's Shen Xi!

  "Come over and sit next to me." Zhu Yinglong suddenly said to Xu Ruyin who was sitting opposite him.

  Xu Ruyin couldn't have imagined that Zhu Yinglong would suddenly make such a request, and she was somewhat flustered: "You, what do you want to do?"

  If the White Lotus Sect's followers were to see Xu Ruyin now, they would definitely be shocked. Their Holy Maiden had always been calm and composed, but there was no such scene today where she was so flustered. Zhu Yinglong ordered his men to remove the leftover dishes from the table and replace them with a new set of wine and food, then said: "Since you don't want to sit next to me, I'll have to sit next to you instead."

  "Don't come over, I'll go sit there instead." Xu Ruyin suddenly remembered that she was already the other party's fiancée, and those three conditions were still ringing in her ears. She had no choice but to obediently get up and walk over to Zhu Yinglong's side, sitting down next to him.

  Xu Ruying, although a heroic and powerful woman, had never sat so close to a man before, her body was not only stiff but also tense, her heart was racing with anxiety, and her palms were even sweating. Zhu Yinglong noticed her inner tension and asked: "You seem to be quite nervous?"

  "No." Xu Ruying replied with a smile that was trying to cover something up.

  "Am I so scary that I'll eat you up?" Zhu Yinglong looked at her and suddenly couldn't help but ask with a smile.

  Xu Ruyin silently lowered her head, and Zhu Yinglong stretched out his left arm to wrap around Xu Ruyin's slender waist. Xu Ruyin was struck as if by lightning, and Zhu Yinglong also felt a pleasant sensation transmitted through his fingers. A beauty is a beauty; she can become the Holy Maiden, probably half because of her looks and half because of her intelligence. He stretched out his right hand to point at the wine and dishes on the table: "I know you haven't eaten anything all day, so I ordered someone to re-arrange this table of wine and dishes. Do you think this fiancé of yours is qualified?"

  "Did you say this wine and dish were prepared for me?" Xu Ruying's face rose with two red clouds, originally he was not so cold and ruthless, struggling to get free, slowly adapting to Zhu Yinglong's hug asked.

  Zhu Yinglong tightened his grip and smiled: "What's wrong? Didn't you see that I had already used the wine and food earlier, this is naturally prepared for you."

  "Thank you, Ruyin isn't hungry." Xuruoyin wasn't quite used to this sudden intimacy, so she didn't take Zhu Yinglong's feelings.

  Zhu Yinglong's face suddenly turned black, and his voice became cold and stern as he asked: "Are you going to eat by yourself or do I need to feed you personally?" A woman like Xu Ruyin couldn't be dealt with using ordinary gentle words; that would only make things worse. First, she needed to be treated extremely strictly, to crush the last bit of pride in her heart, and then she could be pampered and loved. Only this way could she become completely captive to his love. Men liked women who were challenging, and Xu Ruyin wasn't inherently bad; it was just that her harsh living environment had changed her into what she was now. He was confident he could change her into another Liang Hongyu.

  "No, I'll eat it myself." Xu Ruyin had never seen such a domineering man before. It was as if the saying "a drop of dirty water can curdle a whole pot of milk" applied to him - he was her nemesis, and she felt that way in her heart.

  Xu Ruyin had not eaten all day, and she was not a refined lady, so her eating habits were not as elegant as those of the aristocratic ladies. Although she tried to maintain her image, due to extreme hunger, her mouth corners inevitably got stained with oil. Watching Xu Ruyin eat, Zhu Yinglong couldn't help but think of Xiong Hu. Despite their different backgrounds, they had a similar way of eating. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between them, and to make matters worse, Xiong Hu was not good at handling emotions, which made him extremely frustrated.

  They say a woman's sixth sense is very keen, and Zhu Yinglong was caught off guard by Xu Ruyin in just a short moment of distraction. She immediately stopped eating, and as she did, Zhu Yinglong happened to snap back to attention, seeing the oil stains on Xu Ruyin's mouth corners. He instinctively pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping her clean while saying, "You're so careless when you eat, getting your mouth all stained with oil."

  Zhu Yinglong's gentle and delicate movements stunned Xu Ruyin, she could see the doting look in Zhu Yinglong's eyes, but it wasn't directed at her, rather at another woman. A strong sense of jealousy rose up within her, and she couldn't understand why she was feeling this way. For a moment, she even forgot to stop Zhu Yinglong's actions.

  "Who was the woman in your eyes just now?" Xu Ruying pushed away Zhu Yinglong's arms and asked coldly.

  Zhu Yinglong also restored his previous indifference and said, "You will know later."

  "I want to know now!" Xu Ruying's eyes shot out flames of anger, her tone unyieldingly firm.

  "Have you forgotten our agreement?" Zhu Yinglong asked coldly.

  Xu Ruying forcibly suppressed the jealousy in her heart and said: "I am your wife, I have the right to ask!"

  "We'll talk about it when you become my real wife!" Zhu Yinglong threw down a sentence and turned to leave.

  Xu Ruyin almost burst into tears on the spot, was this really her fate?

  According to Zhu Yinglong's intention, the women in the White Lotus Sect who were without support or reliance would be secretly sent to Kaifeng, where Tian Shulan was responsible for a chain of restaurants and entertainment venues that needed women. If they recruited from among the common people, under the strict social norms, it was estimated that not many girls would come, and this was just the beginning. As long as someone came, it would be enough, but it wouldn't be enough if only a few came. At this time, the women of the White Lotus Sect could be directly used, and they were easier to train, with much higher quality than those recruited from outside. Without benefits, Zhu Yinglong wouldn't have taken the risk of recruiting Xu Ruying either. The remaining men would be sorted out, excluding the old and weak, eliminating some losers and imperial spies, clarifying their roles, separating military and business affairs.

  Zhu Yinglong planned to stay in Jinan for another half month, helping Xu Ruyin establish the Feifeng Camp, Feiying Camp, Feibao Camp, and Feiyu Camp, with a total of 5,000 people. These people were mostly survivors of the failure of Tianqi's second year and could be considered elite soldiers. Xu Ruyin's maid, Xiao Ru, led the Feifeng Camp, while three White Lotus leaders, Shen Zhi, Xia Zhongjin, and Meng Xianhan, led the other three camps. The four camps were all under the command of Lu Haotian, and the Saintly Maiden's personal guard was temporarily led by Xiong Tingyi. After this reorganization, it could be said that the White Lotus Society, except for Xu Ruyin herself, had completely fallen into Zhu Yinglong's hands.

  Xu Ruyin was initially skeptical of Zhu Yinglong's drastic reforms, but when she saw the vitality of the White Lotus Sect in just half a month, she was amazed. She had not been able to accomplish what he had done in three years, and yet he had achieved it in just a short period of time. While she was grateful for her correct choice, she also saw that she was being increasingly marginalized. Her position in the sect was higher because of her vision, which had found a more brilliant leader than herself. In the eyes of the followers, they were already husband and wife. As for Zhu Yinglong's recognition, it was also increasing day by day. She had not yet become his real wife, but if one day Zhu Yinglong suddenly broke off their engagement, she feared that there would be very few people standing on her side. In terms of intelligence and strength, she was far from being a match for Zhu Yinglong, but she had one thing that others did not - her beauty.

  Zhu Yinglong wanted to completely grasp the power of the White Lotus Sect in his own hands. Firstly, he did not allow another force to exist within himself, and secondly, reorganizing the White Lotus Sect was also a precaution against forming an unstoppable force after he ascended to the throne. Therefore, he decided to incorporate it into his own forces with a tough attitude, completely eradicating the original White Lotus Sect. Of course, eliminating the influence of the White Lotus Sect on these people would take some time. The most direct method was brainwashing, which was what religions were best at. So, Lu Haotian stayed behind to do an important job - brainwashing. He had already been brainwashed by Zhu Yinglong. In the past half month, Zhu Yinglong had been accompanying Xu Ruyin and thoroughly brainwashing Lu Haotian and other influential leaders in the White Lotus Sect. Of course, half a month was too short, so Zhu Yinglong specially opened a small furnace for Lu Haotian, leaving the rest of the work to him.