Chapter 1 I Will Marry No One But Me One second ago: If you stop me again, I'll kill you; the next second…

A squirrel carrying a pine cone studded with ice shards darted by, knocking down two feet of snow, and climbed up the brown tree trunk, bringing the touch of spring to the branches.

Two shadows, one red and one yellow, flashed into the woods one after the other.

Suddenly, a carriage darted out from another direction and blocked Wang Yan's path. A guard wielding a long sword had already gone towards the woman in red.

The wheels of the carriage stopped turning. The man inside gave a single order, and several guards with knives lined up in a row. The meaning was clear: stop her. A few more guards rushed to protect her, leaving the woman in red to drift away.

Wang Yan, dressed in a light yellow dress and wearing a mask, with her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, withdrew her gaze from the departing person, "Who are you, and why are you helping her?"

The person inside the car calmly uttered four words: "What's it to you?"

What did it have to do with her? That heartless woman had caused her senior brother to be ambushed, severely damaging his health and nearly costing him his life, without even offering an apology. Since Yi Chuan discovered her whereabouts, he had been chasing her for a whole day. Even though he lost her halfway, perseverance paid off, and he unexpectedly ran into her again, only to have a kind-hearted man suddenly appear—perhaps her lover. How could she not be furious?

Wang Yan's voice turned cold. "If you stop me again, I will kill you."

The chill of winter seemed to surge back in an instant, and all was silent all around.

The guard driving the carriage scoffed, seemingly mocking her arrogance. In the blink of an eye, Wang Yan had moved within two steps of the carriage, pointing her sword at the driver's throat, and said with a smile to the person inside, "I mean what I say."

The guard's pupils constricted instantly. Though he reacted a moment too late, he now held his sword to Wang Yan's neck. The surrounding guards quickly followed, forming a tight encirclement around her.

A hint of coldness crept into Shen Minghuai's otherwise calm tone. "You're welcome to give it a try."

The person is already gone, so what's the point of getting entangled with them? Besides, this man seems to come from an extraordinary family, and she's outnumbered and her senior brother isn't around, so she can't act recklessly.

Wang Yan had no choice but to angrily sheath his sword. The sound of the green sword going into its sheath was like a resounding bell, striking the ears of those inside the carriage. Upon hearing this, the man inside the carriage gave an order, and only then did the guards wisely move their swords aside to make way.

The early spring forest was filled with a chilling atmosphere, startling birds that had flown ten miles away. Wang Yan glanced at the dozens of men before her, her displeasure turning into a cold laugh. She then decisively turned and left. Seeing that it was getting dark, she found a nearby inn to stay the night.

The waiter brought over a bowl of hot assorted noodles and a small portion of steamed mutton. The unpleasantness of the morning was swept away by the delicious food. Wang Yan was enjoying her meal when the conversation from next door reached her ears.

"Bandits are rampant in the nearby mountains, and we are still some distance from Yunyan County. We have already lost half of our brothers. What should we do?"

"If we dress even more shabbily tomorrow, those bandits from Yunyan Mountain will definitely look down on us."

Could it be that the bandits of Yunyan Mountain only rob the rich and not the poor? Wang Yan wanted to continue listening, but the two people who entered at the door immediately caught her attention. What a small world... When she returns to the capital, she will definitely find her lover!

Fortunately, Wang Yan was seated in a relatively secluded spot, and she was wearing a crane-feather cloak, so the two men probably didn't recognize her. But how come there's only one guard left today? So many have been lost in such a short time…

The bandits on this mountain were truly formidable; Wang Yan's interest was piqued, and he already had a plan in mind. After finishing their meal, they went upstairs, making sure to pull their cloaks tighter. The two of them, master and servant, sat on the edge of the stairs, needing to be extremely careful.

Unfortunately, she was very curious and couldn't keep her ears shut. When she heard the two of them talking about the bandits of Yunyan Mountain, Wang Yan slowed down. Suddenly, a scrutinizing gaze fell on her, and she immediately took two steps and quickly slipped away.

The next day, the mountains and forests were quiet, the west wind rose, and the sound of horses' hooves was completely hidden in the howling spring wind.

Dozens of arrows came flying without warning, startling the horse so much that it reared up and threw the two men violently off. The men who had been lying in ambush in the woods swarmed out and surrounded them. There were about twenty of them, each a burly, strong man wielding a large knife.

Shen Minghuai collapsed to the ground in pain, when suddenly a sweet cry came from behind him.

"Shen Lang!"

Wang Yan hurriedly dropped her sword and, under the watchful eyes of the bandits, lifted her skirt and ran to his side. Huh? It's him!

Last night, she threw away all the tattered clothes of the diners at the next table, intending to go with the two men to Yunyan Mountain to investigate today. She forgot the time when she left and hurriedly followed two young men dressed in Shu brocade, only to mistake them for someone else. It was also her fault; she didn't remember what the people at the next table looked like at all.

However, since they had already been captured, going up the mountain with them would be the same. Wang Yan then shouted with considerable force, as if a cornered rabbit would bite.

"Get out of my way!"

"How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

If Shen Minghuai hadn't caught the hint of a smile beneath her worried eyes, he would have truly thought she'd gone mad. It seemed she was the one who said she wanted to kill him yesterday.

“What a pair of star-crossed lovers,” the bearded bandit leader said, noticing her splendid attire. “Tie them up together.”

She had been sacked the whole way, and when she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a damp prison cell. Wang Yan gently stretched her limbs; having been bound and unable to move for so long, her bones were now creaking. The two men opposite her, whose swords had been taken away, sat sitting side by side. She didn't know which of the guards from yesterday it was, but as soon as the hood was removed, they became wary of her. However, their master still didn't even glance at her.

Ying Ming said disdainfully, "Could it be that you've been following us since yesterday?"

Wang Yan snorted, "Following? They clearly just happened to pass by and saw these bandits running rampant, so they helped them out of a sense of justice—by the way, that woman is my enemy, so I was naturally a bit impolite to you two." It is said that when these bandits kidnap someone, they will extort money from their relatives and friends, at which point you will know who they really are.

Mentioning yesterday, Ying Ming frowned. "Madam Jiang has never participated in sect disputes, and her conduct in the martial world is quite commendable. You...?"

“You really know her,” Wang Yan uttered a few more words from between his lips, “What a fickle woman.”

Ying Ming stared intently at her. "Who exactly are you?"

Wang Yan casually flicked the dust off her skirt. "Me? You probably won't believe me."

Ying Ming leaped up, blocking Shen Minghuai's path, and casually retorted, "I don't care who you are, even if you're Li Changling's lover—"

Wang Yan quickly spat, "Who's his lover? I'm his apprentice."

Ying Ming seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, his face full of contempt. "There's a limit to lying. Li Changling has never taken on any disciples. Did you kowtow to him three times before coming to your death?"

“No,” Wang Yan pointed to his fingers, spreading them out fully, “I had to kowtow five times before he agreed to accept me as his disciple.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Minghuai finally raised his eyes and glanced at her.

"See, I told you you didn't believe me? My name is Wang Qingyue, and I am Li Changling's apprentice." This was an explanation to Ying Ming, but Wang Yan looked at Shen Minghuai with great interest.

Despite being in a damp, dark cell, his silver-white clothes, covered in dust and mud, still shone like willow branches in the spring moonlight, and in the dim light, they seemed to gleam with precious jewels. Even in coarse linen, he would surely look exceptionally handsome. Jiang Wan's taste is indeed excellent.

But no matter how good his appearance was, being associated with Jiang Wan made her disgusted. He'd caused her senior brother to end up like this, and now he was with another young master. How infuriating! She wouldn't let those two have their way; she was determined to disgust him with her face today.

So Wang Yan used all the skills he had learned from his travels in recent years.

"What is this young master's name? Where does he live—"

Ying Ming abruptly interrupted her, "How could I let a charlatan like him know my young master's name?"

Wang Yan's smile faded, replaced by displeasure. "I was asking him. Why are you so talkative? Is he mute or a stutterer?"

Although Shen Minghuai did not deliberately avoid her flickering gaze, his expression remained indifferent, making it impossible to discern his emotions. He simply parted his lips and uttered two words—"Shen Lang."

Ying Ming, who was standing to the side, instantly turned from anger to laughter, but his face turned red as he tried not to laugh too loudly.

Wang Yan was stunned, never expecting to hear those two words from his mouth. Suppressing his embarrassment and anger at being tricked, he walked over, and the guard immediately took a step forward warily, once again protecting Shen Minghuai behind him.

Wang Yan spread his arms wide, adopting an innocent expression, "Would I eat your young master?"

Shen Minghuai stood up, dusted off his wide sleeves, and gestured to Ying Ming not to be nervous. The young lady's eyes sparkled, and on a sudden inspiration, she tiptoed and quickly leaned close to his ear, whispering something.

"Shen Lang—"

Clearly, she was pushed three feet away by the guard before she could finish speaking. If Ying Ming hadn't been caught off guard by her bold overstepping the line and hadn't been momentarily stunned, Wang Yan wouldn't have been able to utter those two words.

She had been very close, her breath falling on Shen Minghuai's ear, the warmth turning the tip of his ear a light red. Shen Minghuai's expression remained unchanged; he stared indifferently out of the cell, seemingly waiting for someone.

Doesn't this disgust him? Wang Yan had another trick up her sleeve; her incursion into the stronghold wasn't unprepared. She then proposed to Shen Minghuai, "How about we cooperate? Tonight I'll rescue you, and you give me one hundred taels of gold as a reward, how about that?"

She lowered her voice, and in order for the two of them to hear her, she had to take two steps closer, only to be intercepted by Ying Ming as expected.

A woman's laughter suddenly rang out, "How lively! Have the three of you come to visit my Yunyan Mountain?"

Wang Yan looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the leader of the mountain stronghold was a woman. She wore a green dress and had red lips, her head adorned with numerous gold ornaments, and the clinking of the gold bracelets on her wrists was especially noticeable in the quiet dungeon. The rumors were true; this bandit stronghold was indeed rolling in money, and they robbed the rich but not the poor.

"Oh dear, what a sight to behold, two gentlemen and a young lady? This is troublesome." Chu Rushuang began to describe the two as usual, "The gentleman in white has such a pitiful appearance, it's truly heartbreaking. As for the other one, the disheveled young man, I'll have to trouble you to make do with him, sister."

"So pitiful?" Wang Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Shen Minghuai. What was so pitiful about his icy expression? It's true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder; he's blinded by his good looks.

Ying Ming always instinctively protected his master, saying, "Whether it's acceptable or not isn't up to you to decide."

Wang Yan found this game of feigned indifference amusing and couldn't hide her amusement. She wondered if Jiang Wan would get impatient; since she was already here, she'd let her enjoy the spectacle first. After all, she had a backup plan.

Chu Rushuang was displeased and pulled her out from under the stage, asking, "What are you laughing at?"

Wang Yan quickly waved her hand, "Sister, I just think that your delicate skin and tender flesh are indeed very suitable for your beauty and skincare. However—"

Chu Rushuang asked again, "But what?"

Wang Yan looked at Shen Minghuai with utter helplessness, "It's just that Shen Lang said he would marry no one but me, so I'm afraid he doesn't want to be with you."

Ying Ming was about to retort, but Shen Minghuai stopped him.

The man remained expressionless, his deep eyes seemingly brimming with emotion. He didn't bother to correct her with a stern face; was he planning to wait until she finished her performance before dismissing her with a cold laugh? There was no turning back now; since he had tacitly approved, she shouldn't blame him for being impolite.

“Does my sister know the four words ‘handsome man, talented woman, beautiful woman’? This gentleman is so handsome, and my sister’s appearance—while not bad, is still not good.” Chu Rushuang laughed, her earrings trembling.

Yesterday passed by so quickly that he didn't get a good look at her. Today, although Shen Minghuai realized that her appearance was average, now that he looked at her carefully... he decided not to look at her too closely.

The young woman's face was like a sesame seed dumpling, with a noticeable black mole near her lip, and only her clear eyes held a hint of cunning. A jade hairpin with floral and cloud patterns adorned her hair, and as yesterday, part of it was tied up, while the rest flowed down her back. She wore an ivory-colored jacket with falling flowers and flowing water patterns, and a snow-blue pleated skirt, seemingly made by the Rongjin workshop. In the capital, at the Wang family residence.

Wang Yan continued earnestly, "Sister, you don't know, he's a very strange person. A beautiful woman like you doesn't suit his eye. He wouldn't worry about someone else coveting someone as plain-looking as me."

Chu Rushuang found Wang Yan increasingly interesting, and was quite pleased with her praise. "Sister, you are quite eloquent. It's a real pity that you married that boy. How about this, I will betroth you to the second son. Being his concubine is much better than being that country bumpkin's wife."

This man was indeed not so easy to deal with. Wang Yan had no choice but to play dumb and say a few words, "Hmm—is he even more handsome than Shen Lang? Will he give me countless beautiful clothes?"

The gold ornaments started jingling again, and Chu Rushuang laughed, "Yes, the second brother is richer than me."

Wang Yan then steered the conversation back to Shen Minghuai, "But Shen Lang will definitely not give up easily. If he angers 'Second Brother' and takes his anger out on me, who can I complain to?"

Chu Rushuang assured Wang Yan that Shen Minghuai would soon be her man, and that the second-in-command was someone she couldn't afford to offend. Wang Yan immediately smiled, eager to meet the second-in-command. Meanwhile, Shen Minghuai kept a close eye on the commotion inside and outside, while the chieftain and the hostage chatted animatedly back and forth.

“Sister, your initiative will surely please the second brother. However, he doesn’t like your attire. I’ll have someone take you to change.” With that, Chu Rushuang had someone open the cell door.

This action immediately put the three people in the cell on high alert. Ying Ming, who had nothing to do with Shen Minghuai, pretended not to hear or see anything, but unexpectedly his young master spoke up.

"Wait—I disagree."

A note from the author:

----------------------