A Encantadora Dama e o Filho Astuto

That night, in a lavish mansion within the imperial capital, vibrant red lanterns hung everywhere. Crimson silk draped the grand estate, filling it with festive cheer. In the main hall, a striking red "double happiness" character adorned the wall, accompanied by half-burned scarlet candles, all radiating layers of joyous celebration.

Inside the bridal chamber—

The bride, clad in a resplendent red wedding gown, sat gracefully by the bedside. Her head was crowned with a phoenix coronet, and a red veil embroidered with dragons and phoenixes concealed her face, revealing only the snow-white curve of her neck. The flickering dragon and phoenix candles and the joyful characters pasted on the walls suffused the room with an air of happiness, mirroring the hopeful and eager anticipation swelling in her heart for the future.

*Creak—*

The door was pushed open from outside. The bride’s heart clenched tightly, her pulse quickened, and her eyes shimmered with a mixture of expectation and shyness...

But after a long moment, there was no movement.

What was happening? A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes beneath the red veil.

Why hadn’t he come to lift her veil?

Suddenly, a chill swept through her, making her shiver as a coldness seeped from her very bones!

“Ugh…”

Before she could react, a sharp pain stabbed at her neck. Darkness engulfed her vision, and she lost consciousness.

Gazing at the bride who had fainted on the bed, the man in red standing nearby—a figure both sinister and charming—showed a fleeting