Chapter 1 I Will Marry No One But Her

In early spring in Jiangnan, the grass grows tall and the birds fly, and even the wind carries a soft, sweet scent.

Unfortunately, this sweetness couldn't reach Tang Xiaoning's heart.

A gentle spring breeze brushed against her carefully styled hair, lifting a few playful strands, but it couldn't dispel the listlessness in her eyes.

She clung to the top of her backyard wall countless times, oblivious to the mottled gray stains on the sleeves of her brocade dress, which was embroidered with intricate lotus blossoms.

Her slender fingers gripped the cracks in the wall tiles, her chin rested on the back of her hands, and her almond-shaped eyes gazed at the bustling street outside, sighing for the umpteenth time:

"Alas, when will this life, piled high with finery, ever have a bit of the thrill of the martial world?"

She spends all day admiring flowers or embroidering; she's practically melting!

Xiao Cui, the personal maid, looked up anxiously from below, stamping her feet in frustration, beads of sweat forming on her delicate nose.

"Miss, my dear miss! Please come down quickly, it's so dangerous! If the master finds out you've climbed the wall again, your monthly allowance will be deducted again!"

Her voice was trembling with anxiety, and the handkerchief she was clutching in her hand was twisted into a pretzel.

"Shh!" Tang Xiaoning put a finger to her lips to silence Xiao Cui, then waved her hand with a triumphant air.

"It's better that it's gone, so I can experience the financial hardship of a江湖儿女 (jianghu children)!"

Xiao Cui, do you think all the heroes in the books are like that, leaping across rooftops and standing up for what's right when they see injustice...?

"Then he was taken to the authorities." A voice, devoid of emotion and possessing a slightly cold quality, suddenly came from the shadows in the corner.

Tang Xiaoning was startled and slipped, letting out a cry of surprise: "Ouch—!"

She lost her balance and fell straight down from the top of the wall.

The imagined pain did not occur.

She felt a sudden tightening around her waist, and then fell into an embrace that carried a slightly cool aura.

The embrace wasn't soft; you could even feel the shapely and powerful lines of the other person's arms through their clothes, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.

Tang Xiaoning looked up, still shaken, and met a pair of unchanging eyes.

Before me stood a woman dressed in a faded blue outfit, her dark hair simply tied back, revealing a smooth forehead and a delicate but slightly pale face.

She held Tang Xiaoning's waist firmly with one hand, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, while her other hand gripped a rather antique-looking longsword tightly.

Her lips were chapped and her face showed signs of fatigue from the long journey, but her eyes scanned her surroundings sharply and warily, only relaxing slightly after confirming there was no danger.

"Ah!" Tang Xiaoning quickly steadied herself, unconsciously patting her heaving chest with her small hand, her cheeks flushed slightly from the shock and close contact.

Her large eyes curiously sized up the imposing woman before her: "Who are you?... What are you doing outside my house... Hmm, staying here?"

She swallowed back the word "sneaky" and replaced it with a slightly more elegant one.

The woman released her hand from her waist with a clean and swift movement, then clasped her hands in a standard martial arts greeting, her voice remaining calm and even.

"I was just passing by. I heard some strange noises coming from here and thought there might be a thief or an accident, so I came to investigate. I apologize for disturbing you, Miss."

Her gaze met Tang Xiaoning's probing eyes without flinching, and her composure made Tang Xiaoning's heart skip a beat.

"Don't disturb! Don't disturb at all!" Tang Xiaoning's eyes instantly seemed to be filled with stars, dazzling and captivating.

That upright posture, those nimble movements, that composed demeanor, and that ancient sword that clearly tells a story!

"Heroine! You must be a person from the martial arts world, right?" She couldn't help but take a step forward, getting closer, trying to smell a trace of the martial arts world she had imagined from the other person.

Li Minghua looked at the richly dressed young lady in front of him, adorned with jewels and jade, who was now as excited as if she had discovered a new toy, and remained silent for a moment.

The warm, sweet scent emanating from the other person wafted over, causing her to subconsciously hold her breath for a moment.

She nodded very pragmatically: "Yes, it was Li Minghua of the 'Qingfeng Faction'."

There was no emotion in his voice.

"'Qingfeng Sect'!" Tang Xiaoning's excitement was almost overflowing. She excitedly spun around Li Minghua once, her skirt swirling open like a small flower.

"Just from the name, it sounds like a carefree and chivalrous place! Heroine Li!" She stopped in front of Li Minghua, tilting her small face up, her eyes full of undisguised longing.

"Are you really capable of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops? Can you strike pressure points from a distance? Can you uphold justice and fight against evil?"

As she asked, she couldn't help but reach out her finger, curiously wanting to touch the ancient scabbard at Li Minghua's waist.

Li Minghua's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment when she approached, then relaxed again. His gaze fell on Tang Xiaoning's restless hand, and he remained silent for a moment.

She answered very practically: "Minor energy expenditure should be avoided unless absolutely necessary; acupressure requires precise targeting, as even a slight error will render it ineffective; chivalrous deeds..."

She paused, a hint of embarrassment and honesty flashing in her eyes: "...I need to fill my stomach first."

"Huh?" Tang Xiaoning's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her big eyes filled with confusion, as if she couldn't connect this simple answer with the carefree world she had imagined.

Just then, a very clear and long "gurgling" sound suddenly came from Li Minghua's abdomen, which sounded particularly loud in the quiet corner of the wall.

The situation... became somewhat awkward.

Xiao Cui, who was watching nervously from inside the wall, couldn't help but burst out laughing. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but her shoulders kept shaking and her face turned bright red.

A faint blush briefly crossed Li Minghua's delicate yet slightly pale face, disappearing in an instant.

She immediately straightened her back, her eyes remaining calm as she stared straight ahead, as if the severe protest from her stomach had nothing to do with her.

Tang Xiaoning was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized, and then exclaimed without any attempt to hide her surprise: "Oh dear! Heroine Li, you...you are...short of money?"

She moved even closer, almost able to see Li Minghua's slightly trembling eyelashes.

Li Minghua seemed to have been struck by the incredibly precise yet slightly elegant phrase "empty pockets," her thin lips pressed into a straight line, revealing a hint of stubbornness.

But in the end, he chose to be straightforward, nodding almost imperceptibly, his voice lower: "Yes. The sect... disbanded a month ago. Travel funds... are exhausted."

These few simple words perfectly capture the wandering and hardships of those who live the life of江湖儿女 (jianghu children, people from all walks of life).

Tang Xiaoning felt an overwhelming surge of pity, as well as an even stronger interest, as if she had discovered a "treasure."

The stories in the novel were indeed true!

True masters regard money as dirt and end up penniless!

Look, isn't this the living, breathing evidence right here in front of us?

A brilliant idea exploded in her mind like fireworks.

She cleared her throat, tried to put on a serious face, and made herself look like a calm and reliable employer, even putting her little hands behind her back with an air of importance:

"Miss Li, what do you think of this?"

She tilted her head slightly, trying to meet Li Minghua's gaze: "I, Tang Xiaoning, am officially hiring you as my personal bodyguard! Hmm... and also as a martial arts consultant! I'll give you ten taels of silver a month, plus room and board! How about it?"

She emphasized the words "food and lodging included," her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Minghua with a hint of pride and anticipation.

Li Minghua's calm eyes lit up almost imperceptibly when he heard "ten taels of silver" and "food and lodging included".

But her tone remained cautious and professional: "Bodyguard? To protect you?"

Her sharp gaze swept over Tang Xiaoning's slender neck and wrists that clearly lacked exercise.

"Yes! Protect my safety closely!" Tang Xiaoning nodded vigorously.

Then, with a sly smile, he added, "By the way, tell me some strange tales from the martial arts world in your spare time, and teach me a couple of cool self-defense techniques!"

"Don't worry, with me," she assured him, patting her chest, "you'll never go hungry! There'll be meat at every meal!"

She quietly observed Li Minghua's reaction.

Ten taels of silver... with room and board included... Li Minghua quickly calculated in his mind.

This was enough for her to live frugally for more than half a year, and she could also buy some necessities.

Looking at Tang Xiaoning's expectant, innocent yet sincere face, the hunger in her stomach returned clearly, along with the "heaviness" of the flat purse, all of which made it difficult for her to refuse.

She met Tang Xiaoning's gaze cautiously, her voice clear and firm:

"Sure. But I have principles: I will not harm the innocent, nor will I do anything wrong."

This is her bottom line in life.

"Deal!" Tang Xiaoning was so happy she almost jumped up on the spot, feeling that she had instantly taken a big step closer to that world of martial arts she had been dreaming of.

She instinctively reached out to take Li Minghua's hand, but stopped halfway, instead pointing excitedly towards the gate of the mansion:

"It's a deal! Let's go, Miss Li, let's head back to the manor first!"

I'll have the kitchen prepare a delicious meal for you right away. How about braised pork hock? And a plump and tender roast chicken?

Oh, and steamed sea bass!

A string of names of real meat dishes entered his ears, and Li Minghua involuntarily swallowed.

Her throat moved slightly, and the cold and aloof demeanor she had been trying so hard to maintain almost instantly crumbled, leaving only a few forced moments of composure and an undisguised craving aroused by the food.

She didn't say anything, but silently hung the sword back up and followed Tang Xiaoning's light, almost flying steps.

Just then, an anxious yet somewhat timid voice came from afar, breaking the delicate atmosphere in the corner: "Xiaoning! Xiaoning! I've finally found you!"

A young man named Zhou Wenyuan, dressed in a brocade robe with cloud patterns and a fair complexion, came running over, panting.

His forehead was beaded with sweat, clearly indicating he had been running all the way.

"Xiaoning!" When he saw Tang Xiaoning, his eyes lit up and a relieved smile spread across his face.

"My mother said... that things are not peaceful outside the city lately, there are some bandits, and she told you not to sneak out and run around anymore. I'm so worried about you..."

His gaze immediately fell on the unfamiliar figure beside Tang Xiaoning, especially the faded yet clean and neat blue outfit, the ancient longsword at the waist, and the person's tall, aloof demeanor that seemed out of place in the surrounding opulent garden.

His smile froze instantly, his eyes filled with wariness and doubt. "Who is this...?"

Tang Xiaoning was wondering how to get rid of her childhood sweetheart brother who always said "my mother said," when her eyes lit up and a brilliant and bold idea instantly formed.

Instead of backing away, she deliberately took another step closer to Li Minghua, so close that she could almost feel the cold aura emanating from him.

She quickly reached out and grabbed Li Minghua's arm, the gesture intimate and natural.

When she suddenly grabbed him, Li Minghua's body stiffened noticeably, and the muscles in his arm tensed instantly, like a piece of hard wood.

She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Tang Xiaoning held it even tighter.

Tang Xiaoning looked up and winked playfully at Li Minghua, who was somewhat taken aback.

She then turned to Zhou Wenyuan, her face trying to project a just-right "shyness," while her almond-shaped eyes gleamed with a cunning light.

"Brother Wenyuan, you've come at the perfect time!" Tang Xiaoning's voice was deliberately soft and sweet, with a hint of barely perceptible boasting.

"Let me introduce you, this is the heroine Li Minghua!"

She paused deliberately, feeling the stiff arm in her crook, then took a deep breath and declared firmly:

"She is mine...yes, she is the one I love!"

I've already made up my mind; I won't marry anyone else in this lifetime!