Chapter 42: Getting Married

“Eh? It’s so lively! Huh? You caught one too. Look, I also caught one. Sneaking around behind the door, I saw no one was paying attention, so I brought her over.” Fang Nandan walked in, beaming with joy, holding the collar of a frail woman. The woman’s expression was filled with panic, and her lower abdomen was slightly swollen—she was pregnant.

“Senior Brother! Save me!” The woman looked sorrowful, pleading with Yun Qi in a weak voice.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay in the room and wait for me, not to wander around? You—” Yun Qi’s face changed instantly when he saw the woman. He turned to Fang Nandan and shouted angrily: “Let go of my wife! Are your methods so despicable?! You want to harm a woman carrying a child?!”

“Huh? You two are married? I didn’t know that.” Fang Nandan scratched his head and looked at the two, then his gaze fell on Yi Chenlan, awaiting his instructions.

Yi Chenlan furrowed his brow and glanced at the woman who was crying in despair, then said in a deep voice: “They came to confirm my identity. If we release them, there will be endless trouble.”

Fang Nandan listened with great joy, looking at Yi Chenlan in admiration. “Then should we kill them?”

“Senior Brother Ah Lan…” Shu Wan slightly widened her eyes as she looked at Yi Chenlan, unsure of what to say. Should she stop them or not?

If they let them go, that was absolutely impossible. But if they killed them, it would also be problematic. If they didn’t return in time, their fellow disciples would definitely come looking for them. Shu Wan glanced at the woman’s slightly swollen belly, but did not speak, lowering her eyes and slowly thinking of a solution.

Fang Nandan was displeased. “What’s wrong with you? Are you suddenly so kind-hearted? If they don’t die and go back to report, we’re done for.”

Shu Wan glared at him. “Stop talking. I’m thinking right now.”

“No! No! We won’t say anything, I promise we won’t speak.” Yun Qi desperately pleaded. “I can stay behind as your hostage. Please don’t kill my junior sister. She’s still carrying a child. Please, let her go!”

“I believe your nonsense? What’s the worth of you as a hostage? Your crazy fellow disciples would give up capturing us for your sake? Hah, can your brotherhood really be that good? Young Master, what do you think we should do? If it’s really not possible, I’ll just drag them out and deal with them…”

“Wait—” Shu Wan interrupted Fang Nandan’s words, her gaze shifting between Yun Qi and his wife. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, don’t you think… our figures are quite similar to theirs?”

Yi Chenlan pondered for a moment, glanced at Fang Nandan, and asked: “Did you buy the disguises?”

“Uh… yes, I’ve got them.”

Yi Chenlan gave a faint “Hmm.” and said: “Then it’s all up to you.”

An incense stick later, Fang Nandan looked at the two unconscious individuals on the ground, then glanced at Yi Chenlan and Shu Wan, uncertainly asking: “Is this okay? Can you two manage? Do you… have experience?”

Yi Chenlan raised an eyebrow, his appearance now identical to the man lying on the ground. “Are you not confident in your disguise skills?”

“Well, that’s not it.” Fang Nandan said confidently. “Not to mention, you two really do have a similar build to them. With my disguise skills and the voice-changing potion I prepared, no one would be able to tell. But is this a bit troublesome? Young Master, you’ll still have to deal with his group of senior brothers.”

“What you’re saying is that you’re confident in your disguise skills but not in our intelligence?” Shu Wan summarized Fang Nandan’s implied meaning.

Fang Nandan shot a reluctant glance at Shu Wan. “What intelligence? Hah, compared to our Young Master, you’re way behind. And they say a woman becomes foolish for three years after pregnancy. You’d better be prepared.”

Shu Wan was too lazy to argue with him, giving him a glare before casually poking at her padded belly.

Yi Chenlan noticed her motion, and his long lashes fluttered slightly. He silently moved his gaze away, cleared his throat, and said to Fang Nandan in a deep voice:

“Don’t speak carelessly in the future. I have my plans. You just need to handle them as a couple, no harm done, and buy us seven days. Once we’re alive and in Snowy Night Mountain, these things will be known sooner or later.” He subtly glanced at Shu Wan. “Given that, there’s no need to spill three lives.”

After speaking, Yi Chenlan walked to Shu Wan, who was styling the woman’s hair, her appearance also completely changed. Only her eyes still retained their lively and gentle look. Yi Chenlan recognized her immediately—it was his one-of-a-kind treasure.

Yi Chenlan smiled and said: “Wan Wan, let’s go. If we’re too late, Yun Qi’s senior brothers might become suspicious.” He put away the waistplate engraved with the man’s name that he had found in the man’s pocket.

Shu Wan nodded and also put away her own waistplate. Just before leaving the inn, Shu Wan suddenly gently pulled Yi Chenlan’s sleeve. After a moment of hesitation, she asked: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, do you think this is a bad idea? We’ll still need to find a way to escape from this Shu sect later…”

Seeing her regretful expression, Yi Chenlan felt a soft tug in his heart, filled with a sense of unwillingness. He smiled softly and said: “It’s a good idea. I was thinking the same. But we don’t have to escape. This time, the Jian of Jinghe will most likely not happen. Shu Qi will definitely take this opportunity to rally many sects to hunt us down, and they will eventually come to Snowy Night Mountain to encircle us. If we can blend in with these sects, it will be safer than hiding from their pursuit outside.”

Moreover… even if it was dangerous, he would still gladly accept it. Yi Chenlan’s gaze lingered greedily on Shu Wan’s tied-up black hair, and a tender smile appeared on his face.

Shu Wan froze. She hadn’t expected that Yi Chenlan had such a bold, unconventional idea. She couldn’t help but open her mouth slightly, looking at Yi Chenlan with a slightly dazed, innocent expression.

Seeing her adorable look, Yi Chenlan’s smile widened a bit. “Even if we’ve disguised ourselves, we will still be questioned at every checkpoint. It’s ultimately not safe. But if we blend in with these sects, we won’t be inspected every day, which would actually be more convenient.”

Shu Wan nodded, her lips lifting into a smile, but then she suddenly stopped. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, but… but what if we stay too long and Yun Qi’s senior brothers find us?”

“I have a good grasp of Yun Qi’s temperament.” Yi Chenlan said slowly. He had been through many things and had sharp insight into people’s character. Mimicking another person was not difficult for him.

“It’s just this Cheng Wan…” Yi Chenlan pondered for a moment. “She doesn’t speak much, so I can’t yet figure out her character.”

Shu Wan blinked, then suddenly tilted her head and smiled. “She’s pregnant and came to find Yun Qi. Although she’s a bit willful, she must love him very much to be so worried. As long as I stay good to you, it’ll be fine. If there’s anything different from Cheng Wan, you can just say that my temperament has been unpredictable ever since I got pregnant. After giving birth, I’ll be fine.”

Yi Chenlan chuckled softly. “Alright.”

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation for the days ahead.

—

Yi Chenlan led Shu Wan out of the inn, scanning the surroundings. In the distance, he saw several men dressed similarly to him sitting in a tea pavilion. He nodded slightly to Shu Wan, took her hand, and walked towards them.

“Fifth Senior Brother! You’re back! How did it go? Did you confirm it? Eldest Senior Brother has already written a letter to send back to the sect. Master will bring several elders tomorrow morning at the latest, and we don’t have to worry about capturing that Demon Lord and the Shu Sect Master’s daughter.”

Yi Chenlan’s gaze swept over the group of men before settling on the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat. He slightly cupped his hands in greeting. “Eldest Senior Brother, please forgive me. It was my mistake. The person we saw before was not that Demon Lord. Only upon getting closer did we realize their build was different.”

The Eldest Senior Brother sat upright with a stern expression, his face still dark. “Fifth, are you sure?”

“Sure.” Yi Chenlan answered calmly.

“You’re usually the most cautious, so why were you so reckless today? Thankfully, we’re capturing him alone and didn’t make a big fuss about it; otherwise, we’d have become a laughingstock in the Wulin.” the Eldest Senior Brother said, shaking his sleeve. “Forget it, I’ll write another letter telling Master that they don’t need to come. Our Shu sect is not a major Jianghu faction, and if too many people show up, people will laugh at us for being clueless.”

“Yes. It’s my fault for being hasty, please don’t be angry, Senior Brother.”

“Alright.” the Eldest Senior Brother waved his hand, not saying much more. He turned his head to look at Shu Wan and couldn’t help but frown. “Ah Wan, how can you be so reckless? Who told you to sneak off and find Yun Qi behind our backs? What if something happened? How are we supposed to explain this to Fifth Junior Brother? How are we supposed to explain it to Master?”

Shu Wan lowered her head, her attitude very humble as she whispered: “Eldest Senior Brother, I’m sorry.”

The Eldest Senior Brother sighed helplessly, furrowing his brows as he turned to Yi Chenlan. “Fifth, you should really keep an eye on Little Junior Sister. You can’t always indulge her. I know you’re newlyweds, and of course, your relationship is good, but she can’t be this willful. She sneaked off to find you from where we’re staying. She’s pregnant! How can she be so reckless?”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll keep an eye on her from now on.” Yi Chenlan said, glancing at Shu Wan. His eyes carried a hint of genuine affection.

—

When they returned to their inn, Shu Wan finally realized a very important issue.

She and Yi Chenlan, who were disguising themselves as Yun Qi and Cheng Wan, were supposed to be a married couple. And as a married couple, they naturally had to sleep in the same room.

Clearly, Yi Chenlan had already anticipated this. His expression remained unchanged as he greeted his senior brothers and then led her into the room.

“Wan Wan, I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with me these few days.” Yi Chenlan said, looking around the small room. His gaze lingered on the carved wooden bed for a moment before moving away. “I’ll sleep on the floor by the door. Just bear with it for a few days.”

When Shu Wan heard this, she disagreed: “But the weather is getting cooler now, and it gets even colder at night. Senior Brother Ah Lan… you just recovered from your illness, what if you catch a cold? I think I should sleep on the floor instead.”

Yi Chenlan couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You’ll sleep on the floor, and I’ll sleep in the bed? You really know how to think. Wan Wan, I’ve taken the Casting Heaven Pill, and its effects have already taken place. I won’t fall sick so easily anymore. Don’t worry about me.”

Shu Wan was about to say something else, but Yi Chenlan gently patted her on the top of her head. “Alright, be good.”

His voice was low and magnetic, carrying a kind of charm, and Shu Wan, almost dazed by it, found herself nodding obediently without realizing it.

—

Later that night, Shu Wan lay in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. With her eyes closed, she could hear her heartbeat unusually clearly. She lay there for a while before quietly lifting the blanket and peeking at Yi Chenlan’s figure. In the darkness, she couldn’t make him out clearly, but she thought he seemed to be sitting in a lotus position, as if he was meditating.

Shu Wan opened her mouth to tell Yi Chenlan to rest earlier, but she was afraid he might experience Qi deviation and didn’t dare to disturb him. After thinking for a moment, she decided to wait until he had completed a full cycle of meditation before trying to persuade him to rest.

As she looked at the blurry silhouette, Shu Wan felt a sweetness in her heart. She blushed unknowingly and carefully pulled herself back under the covers.

Hidden beneath the blanket, Shu Wan reached out to feel the small soft cushion by her pillow meant for her pretend pregnancy. She felt it for a while and sighed inwardly.

Despite knowing that the next few days would be filled with anxiety and caution, the fact that she could pretend to be married to Senior Brother Ah Lan made her inexplicably happy from the depths of her heart.

Shu Wan knew exactly what she was feeling—how could anyone not like someone like Senior Brother Ah Lan?

With this thought in mind, Shu Wan sighed again. She wasn’t in Zhongshan Sect nor Snowy Night Mountain now, and she had just entered the Jianghu. She felt temporarily disconnected from the plot, as though her influence on events was minimal. She seemed to have no particular skills, only an omniscient perspective. After all the things she had experienced, it didn’t feel like she was playing with cheats. She thought about it, feeling as if she was of little use.

But Senior Brother Ah Lan was different. When his true identity was revealed to the world, no matter whether he chose to return to Zhongshan Sect or to take control of Snowy Night Mountain, the distance between him and her would only grow larger.

He would definitely have a partner, someone just as gentle, powerful, beautiful, and capable of standing by his side, becoming the envy of everyone in the Jianghu. By that time… Shu Wan sighed again. She could only hope that by then, she would have some skill, whether as a bodyguard or running a restaurant—anything, as long as she could earn money and support herself.

“Wan Wan, why have you been sighing?” Suddenly, Yi Chenlan’s voice was soft, and he got up and walked over to her. He stopped about three steps away from the side of her bed. “Are you feeling unwell? Or…”

Before he could finish, he lowered his voice and said: “Get some rest.” then turned to leave. Shu Wan immediately bounced out of bed and grabbed him. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, where are you going?”

Yi Chenlan turned back. In the moonlight, his features were clearer than in the daylight, even more gentle, with a layer of soft, hazy light around him. “Wan Wan, I’m just stepping out for a moment.”

“If you step out, you won’t come back, will you? I knew it, you can’t deny it.”

Yi Chenlan let out a helpless laugh. Suddenly, he frowned, reached out with one arm to hold her back, and with the other hand, he scooped her up under her knees, lifting her easily and gently placing her back on the bed. He carefully adjusted the covers, saying: “Who told you to get up like this? Aren’t you afraid of catching a chill?”

Shu Wan struggled for a moment, grabbing his hand. “You’re not allowed to leave. Do you think I can’t sleep because of you?”

“It’s okay, if you can’t sleep, it’s probably just because you’re not used to it.” Yi Chenlan said softly. “I’ll stay outside. You get some good sleep.”

“You’re going outside, and you expect me to sleep? I’ll never be able to sleep then!” Shu Wan almost exploded with frustration. “Go get some rest. Stop thinking about all this!”

“I…” Shu Wan was about to tell him that she wasn’t awake because of him, but then she realized, the truth was that she couldn’t sleep because she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“Anyway, you’re not allowed to overthink things. Go to bed. Don’t practice either, or I’ll have to use acupoints to make you sleep. After all, tomorrow… tomorrow, we still need to keep up the act… Don’t, don’t mess it up by not resting properly.” Shu Wan finally managed to say with a bit of hesitation.

Yi Chenlan’s fingers subtly curled for a moment. After a pause, he quietly said: “Alright.”

—