Chapter 51

Nian Qi wasn’t clueless when it came to romantic cues. Quite the opposite—he understood them well. But now, he found himself torn because he wasn’t certain of the social norms. In his original time, Ruan Qing’s behavior would have clearly implied an invitation. He’d have naturally accepted. Yet, this world had a considerable cultural gap. Here, women could freely reveal their arms, legs, shoulders, backs—even their midriffs. But no matter how they dressed or interacted with men, it was entirely their choice. Assuming such attire or closeness was an invitation could lead to a serious misunderstanding. Misjudge it, and it could go from a “misstep” to a “crime.”

Ruan Qing, however, had her own intentions. She was determined to leverage the secluded setting to narrow the gap between them, a little closer—or maybe a lot. But the surroundings weren’t quite perfect, so she thought a few steps forward would suffice for now.

“I can’t sleep here alone—it’s too scary.” Ruan Qing feigned innocence, with no trace of mischief in her expression. “There’s a grave outside, and wolves in the mountains. Who knows, there could be rats and snakes too.”

Nian Qi knew better. The late Master Zaojiao was clearly a man of strong principles; no evil spirits would linger. The temple walls were intact, so no wolves could enter, and he had driven away any rodents and snakes with repellent.

“Just sleep in here with me,” she said firmly, nodding toward the bed. “It’s big enough for two. We shared a room at the hotel, didn’t we?”

The hotel room had been a matter of necessity. But if you really want something—whether it’s a person, a place, or an opportunity—you can’t just wait and hope for a lucky break. Sensing her insistence, he made a quick decision: “Alright, I’ll go freshen up.”

“Wait.” Ruan Qing pulled out a small bottle from her backpack. “Mouthwash. I didn’t bring a toothbrush or toothpaste, so let’s make do.”

As she played on her phone, passing level after level, she heard the door creak open and turned her head. “What took you so—” Her words halted mid-sentence.

There, in the chilly mountain night, stood Nian Qi, bare-chested. His hair was down, looking freshly washed, and he was using his old robe to dry it. His face was partially obscured as he stepped into the room, revealing only his shoulders, chest, and abdomen. Ruan Qing’s breath caught.

Apparently, in addition to the timing and setting, fate had provided quite the presence.

Suddenly, she sat bolt upright. “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?” The mountains were freezing! She was genuinely startled—what if he got sick in this cold?

She made a move to get out of bed but realized she didn’t have shoes on. He walked over, still drying his hair, and said, “I took a bath.”

“What?” Ruan Qing was stunned. “With what? Wait, why’d you take a bath?”

Given the circumstances, she hadn’t really planned to go all in; she just saw an opportunity and took a step closer.

“The water in the barrel settled overnight, so it’s clean. It’s not for drinking, but it’s fine for washing up. So I just rinsed off a bit,” he replied. “Now that we have the temple, there’s no need to keep looking like some hermit from a cave. Sure, we don’t have shampoo or soap, but in my time, we didn’t have those either. Zaojiao and the others used soapberry, and when that wasn’t available, plant ash would do.”

“This stuff—maybe you haven’t used it, but it really does clean well,” Nian Qi emphasized, stressing the word clean.

“I haven’t used it, but I know how it works,” Ruan Qing replied as she slipped on her shoes. “I even know how to make soap from ash and animal fat. Just don’t catch a cold.”

“I’m not cold,” he said.

“Not cold? I’m freezing! Hurry, can you still wear that damp robe? If not, just put on a raincoat or something…” She stood up, her hand instinctively reaching out and resting on his chest. “Wait, really? You’re actually not cold?”

Nian Qi didn’t even seem to notice her hand on his chest. Smiling, he said, “For someone who practices martial arts, this chill is nothing. I’ve even bathed in rivers during the winter; it’s hard for me to get sick.”

Ruan Qing felt the warmth of his body under her hand and murmured, “You really are warm.” She lifted her eyes to find him gazing down at her. Firelight flickered between them, and his gaze seemed to flicker, too—like flames on water. In him, gentleness and intensity coexisted effortlessly.

Her heart, which had been racing with anticipation, suddenly quieted. She was so used to keeping her guard up, used to modern dating, where passion flared hot but faded quickly, leaving little behind. People these days tended to be too pragmatic, too fleeting. She was tired of the hollowness that often followed. But here, this was different. She and Nian Qi weren’t naïve kids, and they both felt the intensity in the air between them.

What would he do? If he were a modern man, he’d likely lean in for a kiss, and it would all feel natural. But he was from another time. She let her gaze linger on his lips, curious.

Nian Qi’s face lowered toward hers, his arm coming around her waist. Here it comes, she thought, half-closing her eyes in anticipation.

“Ruan Qing,” he said softly, close but not quite kissing her. His voice was low. “I need to confess something.”

Caught off guard, she blinked. “Hm?”

“The second night I was at your place,” he began, “you got up for water in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah?”

“You went to the fridge for a bottle, but I wasn’t actually asleep.”

She waited, confused. “And?”

“When you opened the fridge, I looked up—and, well, the light from the fridge… your dress was…” He trailed off, voice even lower. “It was see-through.”

Ruan Qing’s eyes widened as she took in what he was saying. She thought back—what had she been wearing that night? Just a super-soft camisole nightdress, thin, with underwear. If the light was behind her, right in front of the fridge…

She understood. “So, you saw everything?”

Nian Qi’s eyes stayed fixed on hers, watching for any sign of anger. But she didn’t seem upset. Instead, she looked surprised, maybe amused. Relieved, he nodded. “Yes.”

“And now you’re telling me this because…” Her hand slid from his collarbone to the back of his neck, feeling his firm, warm muscles beneath her fingers. His skin was rough in places, scarred, and it sent a pleasant thrill through her hand.

Ruan Qing raised her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “What exactly are you trying to do?”

In the era Nian Qi came from, there was no concept of “sexy.” If a woman was described as intensely alluring to a man, the words used were closer to charming, seductive, or sultry. But none of these words truly fit Ruan Qing. A mature woman who knows what she wants, what she can have, and what she should want—her smile, the glimmer in her eyes, her lilting tone with a touch of nasal intonation, it all made Nian Qi feel like a fire had ignited within him. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer.

“Ruan Qing,” he said, “I want to marry you.”

Ruan Qing’s heart sank instantly. She withdrew her hand from the back of his neck, rubbed her forehead, searching for words, but momentarily lost them.

“?” Nian Qi asked, “Ruan Qing?”

Finally, Ruan Qing held up a finger, her signature gesture. “Nian Qi,” she said, waving her finger in resignation, “at a time like this, you really want to talk about marriage? You do realize it kills the mood, right?”

Nian Qi was baffled. “Why?” In his mind, making a promise at this moment, forming a bond of love, would only make things progress smoothly.

When Ruan Qing lifted her hand, she felt his hair, still cool and half-dry, against her warm fingers. Startled, she said, “You need to sit by the fire and dry your hair first!”

“It’s fine,” he replied.

“Don’t be stubborn!” she chided, “Even if you’re healthy now, if you don’t catch a cold today, you’ll end up with headaches when you’re older! My mother had terrible headaches! Now, come on!”

He let go, allowing her to pull him over to the fire basin. He wrung out his robe and started drying his hair by the fire’s warmth. Ruan Qing took his robe to dry it thoroughly, unfolding it by the fire.

“Ruan Qing,” he said, returning to their previous conversation, “but why?”

Just a moment ago, everything was going perfectly. He and she were on the verge of taking a huge step forward together, and then suddenly, it all stopped. Was it wrong for a man to pledge to marry her?

“You’re still a bit stuck in old-fashioned thinking,” Ruan Qing said. “But, you’ve only been here a few days, and you’ve already adjusted to so much. It’s impressive.”

“Mainly, you’ve been cooped up at home and haven’t really interacted with anyone but me. You haven’t actually integrated into our society yet.”

“Now, it’s different from back in your time.” Ruan Qing shook out his robe, turned it over, and glanced up at him. “I was flirting with you today. You get that, right?”

Nian Qi’s eyes softened with a hint of a smile. Between two adults, of course, he understood. They were under the same roof, and those lingering glances at each other’s neck or waist couldn’t be hidden. Nor could the subtle heat in the air around them. They both exercised restraint, each for their own reasons, but as a man and a woman, the attraction between them was real.

“Yes,” she continued, “but this has nothing to do with marriage. And it’s not ‘just a fling’ either. A fling, in your era, probably compares to what we’d call a one-night stand here—a quick, convenient arrangement where each gets what they want, and then they move on.”

“Close,” Nian Qi said, “but usually it’s men who do that.”

Times were limited back then, and in most ancient eras, it was always men who got away with being carefree, leaving with no strings attached.

For women back then, any kind of casual relationship was seen as adultery or betrayal, which made marriage vows the only path to a legitimate relationship in Nian Qi’s worldview. To him, a promise of marriage was how he could prove his intentions were genuine, not just casual.

“I’m serious too. I’m not just looking for a fling,” Ruan Qing said. “But things are different now. It’s not like your era where marriage on the first day had white sheets to check for proof, where meeting before marriage wasn’t allowed, and rejection could ruin one’s reputation. Times have changed—now men and women are equals.”

“When I say I’m serious, I mean I’m serious about a relationship. Sure, if things go well, getting married, having kids is still seen as the standard path to a happy life, one that society values. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only or even necessary outcome of a relationship.”

“If I’m with you, of course, I’m serious. But that doesn’t mean I’m only looking for marriage. What matters is what’s happening between us right now.”

“If things go smoothly, sure, marriage could follow,” she continued. “But if it doesn’t work out, well, you know how my previous relationships ended.”

Nian Qi nodded. “I do. You always end things decisively.”

When Ruan Qing felt a relationship had run its course, she would end it cleanly, without hesitation.

“So, you see, you’ve already come to understand me pretty well in this short time. That shows how compatible we are,” Ruan Qing said. “Isn’t that great? So far, being with you feels easy and natural, and I’d like to take things further. Being a couple sounds nice to me too.”

“But really, there’s no need to rush into talks about marriage. Can you understand that, Nian Qi?”

“I can,” he replied.

“Great,” she exhaled with relief, then asked, “But can you accept it?”

“Yes,” he answered.

Ruan Qing felt even happier. “You know, it would’ve been better if you hadn’t brought it up just now. You totally killed the mood.”

Nian Qi replied, “It had to be said. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, waiting for a chance to tell you.”

“You don’t like it when people keep things from you, so naturally, I had to be upfront. I couldn’t keep it hidden.”

Ruan Qing lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

Nian Qi brushed back his hair and smiled slightly. “Right now, I’m pretty much starting from nothing. I want to marry you, but I don’t even have a betrothal gift to offer. If I lack sincerity too, what kind of promise could I even make?”

“You don’t like being misled or deceived, so I would never lie to you. From now on, whatever I’m thinking, I’ll tell you.”

“What you don’t want, I’d never try to force on you by any underhanded means.”

“It should be on me to find a way to become someone you’d want.”