Chapter 23

The girl in front of him had a delicate face; her small, smooth chin felt slippery to the touch, and a small, pink earlobe peeked out from under her soft, raven-black hair.

Yang Yanzong looked down at her. He had an impression of what happened underwater. At that time, he fainted after a heavy knock, but as someone who had brushed shoulders with death for years, he had a natural subconscious alertness to danger. When the water rose, he actually woke up for a moment, but unfortunately, his body couldn’t wake up, and the darkness quickly swallowed his consciousness. He struggled to wake up. In his daze, a soft arm hugged him, using the buoyancy of the water to hold him in its embrace. His breath grew weaker, the suffocating pain began to spread and intensify, and a bit of cool softness touched his lips, giving him a breath of air, instantly soothing the explosive pain in his chest. Suddenly, a change occurred. His sensitive ears caught a faint and urgent bubbling sound, like boiling water. The dangerous chill shot up from his tailbone to the top of his head. She was like a mermaid, agile and beautiful, moving quickly. The rushing water flowed past his cheeks, her hands tightly holding him as she swam forward desperately.

Yang Yanzong knew all of this. For this reason, he was willing to let bygones be bygones and give her a chance to choose again. Of course, there was another important reason.

Yang Yanzong raised his other hand and placed it on Su Ci’s cheek. His thumb brushed her delicate skin, rubbing the corner of her eye.

Su Ci had a small red mole at the corner of her right eye, very small, invisible unless up close, but its color was extremely bright, like a tiny drop of fresh blood in the vast snow, adding a touch of charm to her naturally affectionate eyes.

Yang Yanzong’s thumb rubbed this bright red little mole. Her eyelashes fluttered sensitively, and her big eyes blinked as if they could shed tears.
—It was undeniable that this unique and special girl, whose behavior seemed absurd and unbelievable to others yet was as agile as a lark, had caught his attention. He lifted her face, his hand rubbing the corner of her eye, his deep, sharp eyes meeting hers, “Hmm?”

Your answer?

Su Ci: “…”

Su Ci’s eyes widened, “Uh…”

For a moment, she couldn’t answer. She felt shocked. But her surprise lasted a bit longer, and with that “uh…” sound, she immediately saw Yang Yanzong’s eyes narrow slightly—his gaze was very dangerous. Instinct told Su Ci that he didn’t want to hear a refusal.

She licked her lips. “…”

Actually, you don’t have to be so polite. Opportunities are so precious. How can they be given just like that?!

Ahhh! A good horse doesn’t turn back to graze! Someone tell her why the male lead, such a proud man, would lower his noble head and give this ungrateful woman another chance!

Clearly, she was already prepared to use her medical skills. She was also working hard to repair her relationship with her boss and future benefactor, showing her talents and abilities and resolving conflicts in hopes of developing harmony. Did she try too hard? Did her boundless charm directly blind the male lead’s titanium alloy dog eyes? That would truly be a sin. Damn it, she’s not a heartthrob!

Alright, enough with the nonsense. Su Ci knew very well that if she refused again, she would really offend him. Even without reading the original book, Su Ci was very clear about how proud and arrogant this person was after spending some time together. “Let me think…”

Under the intense gaze, Su Ci was actually a bit scared. No, saying scared wasn’t entirely accurate, but she was indeed a bit shaken in this difficult situation. The reason she didn’t want to marry Yang Yanzong at first, if you dig deeper, was more because she was afraid of trouble. Su Ci had a lazy personality, and she was keen on a relaxed and easygoing life. To say she disliked him, she actually didn’t dislike Yang Yanzong. It was mainly because she found it troublesome. A handsome, charismatic, and capable man could be considered the best, bar none. His temper was cold and hard, but which capable man or woman doesn’t have a bit of a temper?

Such a charming man, his face alone is enough to be a feast for the eyes. Like this kabedon pose he’s doing now, it makes one’s heart race, and the male hormones are off the charts.

She didn’t hate him, she refused him because she felt it was a hassle, but now it was obvious that not agreeing will definitely be more trouble.

Endless trouble.

As time drags on, Yang Yanzong squints slightly, his gaze becoming very dangerous, “Hmm?”

His hand, which had been caressing her cheek, unknowingly moved down to her waist and tightened suddenly. Su Ci jolted, “Okay, okay.”

Isn’t it enough to marry? Why are you pinching me? It hurts, you know?
It’s just getting married. What’s there to be afraid of?

“Why are you pinching me? You’re so strong, it really hurts!” This guy has no sense of tenderness at all. Bad review, you know?

Su Ci bared her teeth, glared at him, and pushed away the hand gripping her waist.

Agreeing is enough.

Yang Yanzong was very satisfied with her answer and didn’t mind her pushing away his grip and slipping out. Su Ci glanced back at him. He strolled leisurely, slowly following her back to the campfire. He seemed to adapt well to her answer and their new relationship, as if he had never considered that she might have a different answer.

How confident he must be!
How strong-willed this person must be!

Su Ci picked up a stick and threw it into the not-so-vigorous fire. Like a modern cat owner with itchy hands, she couldn’t help but tease her master: “Actually, I might not have agreed.” She raised her eyebrows with a bit of provocation.

Yang Yanzong looked over, raised his eyebrows dangerously, and Su Ci, seeing the situation, flattered him: “Husband~”

She deliberately dragged out the tone, long and sweet.

Fine then, it’s not a big deal. It’s a bit different, but she felt she adapted well. Yang Yanzong was natural, and she couldn’t be worse than him.

She stood with her hands behind her back, lips slightly curled, put her feet together, petite and charming. She raised an eyebrow and deliberately glanced at him, her eyes sparkling like stars.

And she was quite clever. As soon as Yang Yanzong turned his head to look at her, she immediately jumped a few steps back, standing across the fire pit, and smiled triumphantly at him.

She was underestimating Yang Yanzong.

Yang Yanzong stared at her for a full three seconds, then snorted with a laugh. With what seemed like a casual step, he was suddenly in front of her, gripping her chin and leaning down to kiss her. He sealed her lips and pried her mouth open, and his tongue surged in, instantly stirring up a storm, making Su Ci’s tongue numb.

She let out a couple of muffled sounds, “…” Okay, Su Ci didn’t expect this. She was prepared for some playful banter, but who knew this guy would skip the small talk and go straight for it? What a shameless guy.

Yang Yanzong’s kiss was just like him—domineering and fierce. He held her chin, devouring her like a wolf, and his hands roamed over her a few times.

Su Ci: “…”

Su Ci was initially worried he might be serious about it. No way, it couldn’t be that intense! It was fine in modern times to have premarital sex or even a one-night stand, but here, it was definitely inappropriate before marriage.

Su Ci tried to push him away a couple of times, but it didn’t work. She immediately became obedient, not daring to provoke him again. Fortunately, Yang Yanzong had some sense. Seeing her obedient, he rubbed her a couple of times and then let go. The force of the kiss gradually softened.

It was okay. It was her first kiss in this lifetime, and it felt pretty nice. Su Ci thought for a moment, obediently cooperating, and even responded a bit.

—Surprisingly, she wasn’t very awkward or clueless.

Yang Yanzong’s eyebrows immediately raised. He let go, narrowed his eyes, and questioned, “Have you kissed anyone else?”

Su Ci wasn’t afraid of him. “Who hasn’t had some youthful fantasies?”

Pretending to be an innocent girl was quite tiring. If he couldn’t accept it, it was better to end it early.

—Actually, the main reason was that she suddenly thought of that guy, Ji Chengtan. No, that guy was like a ticking time bomb. She had to give Yang Yanzong a heads-up.

Yang Yanzong’s expression turned dangerous. Su Ci quickly raised her hand and swore, “Since we got engaged, I absolutely haven’t done anything to betray you!”

Su Ci was referring to “me.” For her, the moment she nodded in agreement today was when her engagement with Yang Yanzong was set.

“And you can rest assured, that’s all there is to it. I absolutely did not bring shame to my parents.”

With this statement, if that person with the surname Ji suddenly appeared in the future, as long as the year wasn’t explicitly mentioned, there would be room for maneuver.

A little information gap.

However, despite the foundation being laid, Su Ci didn’t dare to provoke the tiger’s whiskers again. She quickly raised her hand and made an oath.

Yang Yanzong was still staring at her, his expression inscrutable. His intense gaze made her a bit apprehensive. After thinking for a moment, Su Ci cautiously tiptoed and kissed him.

Yang Yanzong allowed her to kiss him for a moment, then let out a heavy, cold snort, flipped over, and kissed her back fiercely, rubbing her hard.

…

After finally calming this troublesome person down, Su Ci’s mouth felt numb, hot, and painful. While others had romantic encounters under the moonlight, her experience was far from mainstream.

Moreover, it felt like things were progressing at lightning speed as if they were being shot out of a cannon.

Su Ci muttered complaints, covering her mouth and going to the stream to apply a cold compress. Yang Yanzong followed behind her. At night, there were many wild beasts and poisonous insects in the mountains. He scanned them with his eyes and told her to squat on the big rock to the left.

After she finished her fussing, it was almost the hour of the dog (around 7-9 PM). She was tired, and after catching her breath, her feet and calves started to ache, and her eyelids began drooping.

Returning to the campfire, Yang Yanzong glanced around, jumped onto a small stone platform on the rock wall, moved a small pile of firewood up, and divided it into two. “Come up.”

The stone platform was long, with fires at both ends, but it was quite narrow. Two people could barely sleep on it, but they would have to be very close to each other.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“I will, I will!”

In the wilderness, where else would she sleep if not in a safe place?

Su Ci reached out without a word, was pulled up, and lay down. She rolled to the inside, and Yang Yanzong lay on the outside, fully clothed, protecting her on the inner side. A lot had happened today, especially after camping. Even though Su Ci prided herself on being brave and adaptable, she was a bit overwhelmed. She touched her lips and couldn’t help but think about it for a while, but the more she thought, the more she realized that her ideal leisurely life was probably going to fly away. Marrying Yang Yanzong meant there would be no shortage of things to do in the future, and her lazy days were gone for good.

Sigh, Su Ci wasn’t pleased about it, but now that it was like this, she thought she would try to find a suitable way to cope in the future.

Alright, that’s it. She was so tired, and she needed to sleep.

Su Ci quickly fell asleep without any heart-pounding moments or tossing and turning. She only lightly considered her major life event, hesitated momentarily, and accepted it well.

Yang Yanzong stared at her and pushed her, and Su Ci, who hated being disturbed in her sleep, turned over in her sleep and waved her hand like she was swatting away mosquitoes, continuing to “zZZ…”

Yang Yanzong’s face darkened a bit.
…

Su Ci slept until dawn. When she woke up the next day, she noticed Yang Yanzong’s face looked slightly off. She touched his forehead, no fever. The wounds were all fine.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Su Ci quickly packed up, mainly packing the box she used as a pillow last night, then carried it on her back, checked the campfire to make sure it was entirely out, and covered it with some grass so it wasn’t easily visible from outside. Perfect!

She clapped her hands, “So, where are we going today?” It’s time to leave the mountains, right?

She smiled brightly, as cheerful as a lark, circling the campfire once, and looked up, “Where to? Not back to Shangzhou, right?”

Yang Yanzong clipped his sword to his waist with a “click.” He glanced at her, lifted the corners of his lips, and finally spoke, “To pick up your parents-in-law.”

Parent-in-laws?

Su Ci: What the heck?