Chapter 1 001 A Messy Girl and a Messy Guy...

Everyone says I forced you into this relationship, and I don't like hearing that. What do you think? Did I force you into this relationship?

A haughty voice, not gentle at all, but even somewhat aggressive, rang out.

The woman, around twenty years old, sat high on a table by the window. Her long, raven-feather-like hair was loosely draped over her shoulders. The sun was high in the sky, and golden light streamed through the window frame, illuminating her beautiful face. Her radiant features, which appeared arrogant as she raised her eyebrows and looked down at the person in front of her, were striking.

Unlike the willow-leaf eyebrows and fair complexion favored by women today, her skin was a healthy honey color, gleaming like jade under the sunlight. Her long, slanted eyebrows, like wildly growing weeds, were not unattractive, but rather possessed a heroic spirit; even just looking at her eyebrows, one could sense an aggressive and arrogant air.

She was nodding slightly, looking down at the young man kneeling in front of her.

He didn't look well.

Especially when she saw him gently place her ankle on his knee, carefully and slowly wrapping a strip of cloth around her ankle, she finally couldn't resist and yanked his hair with a force that wasn't light, her tone quite harsh:

"I'm asking you a question."

The white jade crown on the young man's head was immediately torn off and fell to the ground.

Seeing that his hair, like hers, had fallen down to his head, Jiang Ling'er felt a little more comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

Who says they're not a good match?

Aren't they a perfect match, with her being so messy and him being so messy?

Her name is Jiang Ling'er, the only daughter of Jiang Leilong, the renowned head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the world. Jiang Leilong is a famous figure known throughout the world, and everyone respectfully calls him "Old Head镖师 Jiang". The "Number One镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency)" behind him is the most famous镖局 in the world. The arrogant name "Number One镖局" was even personally given and bestowed by the current emperor.

She is the only young master of the world's number one escort agency, a born princess with the right to be somewhat arrogant and spoiled.

The young man kneeling in front of her was Ji Yunshu, her unfortunate husband.

Unlike her, who was still half-asleep and disheveled, he was already impeccably dressed, his cloud-like black hair adorned with a white jade crown—unfortunately, she had torn the crown off. From her angle, she could only see his long, narrow eyelashes, his straight nose, and a small glimpse of his well-defined profile; nothing else. Her gaze was fixed on a pair of long, slender hands, as smooth as mutton-fat jade—hands adept at wielding a pen and wielding a sword, hands that often dressed her shoes.

Jiang Ling'er was playful. As Zhen Tian traveled all over the country with the escort team, her exposed skin tanned to a honey color. Her feet, hidden in her shoes, were snow-white, unlike the bound feet of the young ladies of noble families today. Her feet were slender and naturally beautiful, with the insteps arched like a drawn bow. At this moment, she placed one foot on the young man's knee, while the young man held her other foot. Although the young man had the appearance of a fair-skinned and handsome scholar, he had practiced boxing and swordsmanship for many years. His fingertips were covered with a layer of calluses that were not thin. The calluses rubbed against her delicate soles, and she frowned slightly, enduring the itch. Even after six years of marriage, she still felt awkward and uncomfortable.

The number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world has an unwritten rule: in order to train the disciples' lower body skills, even when escorting goods all over the country, their legs must be covered with sandbags weighing several kilograms. However, Jiang Ling'er never followed this rule and always just tied a strip of cloth around her legs to get by.

She was impulsive and careless, but Ji Yunshu was not.

He, the dignified young master of Sun and Moon Fortress, had adopted the pedantic temperament of a pedantic scholar. He was single-minded, meticulous, and frighteningly serious in everything he did. When she ran off to escort goods and play wildly, he couldn't control her, but when she returned home, it was his job to put on her shoes and tie the bandages around her legs. He had promised to wrap each calf eighteen times, and not a single one could be omitted. By the time he finished wrapping the bandages, stuffed her feet into the shoes, and waited for his reply, it was almost dark!

The woman made no attempt to conceal her impatience. After a moment of silence, the young man finally raised his head, revealing a handsome, fair face and a calm, unreadable voice.

"You think I'm someone you forced into marriage? I've never heard of that. I've only heard people say that I'm a phoenix choosing a good tree to perch on, a sycamore tree that I chose to cling to, like Old Escort Jiang."

Jiang Ling'er's expression immediately changed, and she jumped down from the table, her right hand instinctively reaching for the long whip coiled at her waist:

"Who said that? I'll tear their mouths apart!"

But before her toes had even barely touched the ground, she was grabbed by the waist and pulled back, pinned to the table, unable to move. He stared intently at her; now they were in opposite positions, he standing before her, looking down at her, his hands enveloping her completely beneath him.

"You started this whole thing, so what are you getting angry about now? I think it's pretty good, Phoenix sounds better than... Melon, right?"

"Can those be the same?"

Jiang Ling'er glared at him, her eyes seemingly burning with two flames. Although she had started it, she always loved to tease him and was used to it, so she didn't think much of it. She often mentioned it in the past, and Ji Yunshu would usually just smile and not say anything. But for some reason, he had his mouth pried open today. He said the words "climbing the social ladder" without a care in the world, but she couldn't pretend she hadn't heard them.

She immediately struggled again, her eyes flashing with malice, and her tone turning vicious:

"let go!"

“What if you don’t loosen your grip? It’s a joke that’s been passed around by everyone in Jinling, from eighty-year-olds to three-year-olds. If you actually gave each of them a lash, that would be a laughing stock. Besides…” Ji Yunshu paused, then suddenly laughed. This was the first smile she’d seen on his face since she returned from escorting goods the day before. “What you said makes sense. I don’t feel offended at all.”

As soon as Ji Yunshu finished speaking, Jiang Ling'er's face turned very ugly. Of course, she couldn't possibly give each person a whip, otherwise her father's reputation for humility and benevolence would be ruined in her hands.

However, as he said, the rumors circulating are largely true and not entirely unfounded.

Sun Moon Fortress possesses all the rare treasures in the world and is a renowned name in the martial arts world. However, before Ji Yunshu became the son-in-law of Old Escort Jiang, he was merely the illegitimate son of Jiang Liangcheng, the lord of Sun Moon Fortress, raised by his mistress. He gained the favor of Old Escort Jiang's only daughter and climbed the social ladder to become the number one escort in the world. In addition, Jiang Liangcheng's eldest son died when he was still a child, and his wife had not had any children for a long time, so he was welcomed back to Sun Moon Fortress. Ji Yunshu and Jiang Ling'er were married for six years, and he served as the young lord of Sun Moon Fortress for six years.

Who doesn't think this marriage is a good match?

Jiang Ling'er knew in her heart that there were even harsher words circulating in the streets. "Pretty boy" and "spineless" were the least of it. Some even said that he was a male fox spirit who had become a demon. Otherwise, why would the young master of the number one escort in the world be so obsessed with marrying no one but her?

The rumors were indeed exaggerated, but Jiang Ling'er couldn't... couldn't deny it against her conscience. She was indeed completely infatuated with Ji Yunshu's handsome appearance, using every possible means—from subtle persuasion to direct force—even resorting to coercion and enticement using her status as the young master of the world's number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort)—essentially a local tyrant in Jinling. She won't go into the details, but she felt ashamed and felt she had disgraced Old Master Jiang. Anyway... anyway, she managed to abduct him... no, marry him... no, anyway, she married him! Old Master Jiang loved his daughter dearly; he had given her a grand wedding with a ten-mile-long procession, a fact that caused a sensation throughout Jinling and even the entire martial arts world. Who didn't know it?

Having finally succeeded in getting the man, she went north with the escort team the very next day to enjoy the scenery of the northern desert. After six years of marriage, they had spent little time together. If it weren't for the upcoming 60th birthday of the old escort leader Jiang, she might not have been able to return next spring. Upon her return, she heard such rumors, and the more Jiang Ling'er thought about it, the more guilty she felt. She looked up and stared intently at the handsome face in front of her, as bright as the stars and the moon, trying to find a flaw in his smiling face.

"You really...aren't angry?"

"They're making fun of you, and you're not angry, but you're angry for me?" Ji Yunshu smiled, the sunlight casting shadows of his long eyelashes on his beautiful peach blossom eyes. His voice was still calm, but it had the air of a virtuous husband. "Don't worry, it's been six years. Even if you're angry, it's all in the past. You're just a whip, how can you silence all the gossip? In the end, you live your own life. Let them say what they want."

He paused as he spoke, glancing out of the corner of his eye at some dust on Jiang Ling'er's toes. He figured she must have gotten it when she jumped off the table. But to Jiang Ling'er, there was hardly any dust. However, Ji Yunshu was a meticulous and fastidious person. He had never frowned at the rumors that were said about him, but the dust on Jiang Ling'er's toes, which was barely visible to the naked eye, made him furrow his brow. He immediately took some clean water, wrung out a towel, and then knelt down on one knee, placing her feet on his lap to carefully wipe them clean.

Jiang Ling'er finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. In the past, she would never have agreed; she was most impatient with these fussy, sentimental matters. But now, feeling guilty, she had no choice but to endure it. She looked at Ji Yunshu holding her feet, his expression overly serious as if he were dealing with a major life event. Six years had passed, and she still couldn't get used to it… couldn't get used to it! Her ears involuntarily turned red, and she looked away. After a while, she turned back to stare at him again, but her mind was on other things.

They were two people from completely opposite directions; she was fire, he was ice; she was a fiery, easily angered cat, he was an unyielding rock. If she hadn't been so forceful, like a female bandit, they probably would never have crossed paths in this lifetime.

Everyone thought he was not only the son-in-law of the world's number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort), but also the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress—a double blessing. Jiang Ling'er, however, knew he didn't care for either. For the first three years of their marriage, she truly felt he was a block of ice. She thought she could warm him up, but she was still forced to run away from home, completely frozen. In the last three years, she ran away less, thinking that after all, it was a marriage she had forced upon herself, and even if it was tough, she could still stomach it!

Fortunately, she refused to give up.

The rock was shattered, revealing its warm interior. It was not a rock, but amber, or mutton fat jade.

It is a treasure.

And she didn't waste her wise eyes, which resembled her mother's early death!

Jiang Ling'er stared at Ji Yunshu's thick, long eyelashes for a moment, then suddenly blurted out:

"I'm not leaving."

Ji Yunshu paused, looked up at her, and his dark eyes reflected Jiang Ling'er's face, which had lost seven-tenths of its arrogance due to her dazed expression, making her appear somewhat silly and naive. Suddenly, a blush rose on her cheeks, and she stammered for a long time before finally managing to say, "I...I'm not leaving. If anyone dares to talk about you again, I'll beat them up!"

Ji Yunshu smiled and said, "Okay."

The morning sun bathed him in a golden light, making him seem radiant. Jiang Ling'er blushed instantly, a surge of pride rising within her. She gesticulated wildly as she recounted her journey south, telling him about her experiences and observations, including how her Uncle-Master He Yong, the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall, had taught her a few moves, making her capable of taking on ten men at once! Ji Yunshu listened with a smile. Suddenly, Jiang Ling'er remembered Ji Yunshu's hand on her waist earlier, a hand she hadn't been able to pull away from. She paused, her eyes brightening:

"Your palm techniques are quite powerful, but your Baguazhang has improved as well?"

Baguazhang is the unparalleled palm technique of Sun and Moon Fortress. Even a mediocre person who can learn just a fraction of it can roam the martial arts world with impunity. Unfortunately, Ji Yunshu started too late; before his marriage, he was still a poor, weak scholar. Even after six years of practicing day and night, he had only managed to grasp the basics. Ji Yunshu shook his head and gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"His body has become a bit stronger, but... he still can't withstand even a single whip from his wife."

Jiang Ling'er sighed inwardly, but on the surface, she imitated what Uncle He Yong did every day to comfort her, patting him heavily on the shoulder twice: "It's okay, this is nothing! There's still a long way to go!"

Ji Yunshu watched as the bright eyes in front of her dimmed, but she smiled without saying a word. She lowered her head, threw the handkerchief aside, picked up the prepared strips of cloth and wrapped them around the woman's ankles and calves. While wrapping them, she gently said that all the arrangements for Old Master Jiang's birthday celebration had been made and that they were just waiting to hold a grand banquet to invite heroes from all over the world in three days.

As Jiang Ling'er listened, she thought to herself: With such a virtuous husband, what more could I ask for?

Naturally, he nodded repeatedly, doing whatever he said. Ji Yunshu not only helped her wrap the cloth strips, but also massaged the acupoints on her calves to relieve the soreness. He rubbed his palms together to warm them and then placed them on her slightly cool calves. Jiang Ling'er felt her whole body go soft and weak. She couldn't help but close her eyes, as if she were floating in a cloud. Ah... home is the best!

In the most comfortable moment, I suddenly hummed a tune:

"Then I'll send that girl who sold herself to bury her father away."

Ji Yunshu paused, then stopped. She looked up at her, her eyes dark: "What did you say?"

In fact, when she came back this time, she not only heard rumors about Ji Yunshu "marrying into a powerful family", but also heard an anecdote about her private life.

Something that didn't please her, something that even made her itchy to do, something that made her want to pull out the long whip from her waist and smash all the furnishings in the room to pieces!

It is said that a young woman sold herself to bury her father. The young master of Sun and Moon Fortress took pity on her and not only gave her money, but also personally helped her with the funeral arrangements. He also bought her a house in Jinling. Some people saw that this young master, who was also the son-in-law of the number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world, would go to the house for a short stay every few days.

This story didn't reach her ears from others, but was told to her personally by her best friend, Yuan Zao.

She began to believe him to some extent, but after that comfortable service and the way he treated her father with such respect and filial piety, Jiang Ling'er's last remaining doubts vanished. What kind of person was Ji Yunshu? She had pursued him for so long; how could she not know? Upright, kind, gentle—all the most beautiful words in the world could be used to describe him! He was always soft-hearted; otherwise, he wouldn't have given in to her in the end, right? He must have pitied that woman's misfortune, given her money, and even helped her bury her deceased father, only to be slandered like this! And she… and she actually believed it!

Is she even human?!

Jiang Ling'er felt even more guilty towards Ji Yunshu. She immediately blamed Yuan Zao for being easily swayed and for being so easily swayed by rumors, a bad habit she'd had since childhood. She had actually been swayed and forgotten about this!

Jiang Ling'er immediately opened her eyes and said angrily:

"Let that little girl Yuan Zao handle it! When will she ever get rid of this habit of mimicking others!" Saying that, she remembered something and glanced at Ji Yunshu, "You don't have any objections, do you?"

Ji Yunshu was silent for a moment, then smiled:

"what ever."

--

The next day, when Yuan Zao rushed over to accuse that shameless little hussy of claiming that she had already given herself to Master Ji and that if she had to move away from Jinling, she would rather die than repay Master Ji's kindness in her next life, Jiang Ling'er had not yet realized who that "little hussy" was.

When he came to his senses, his face turned pale with anger, and he almost couldn't stand up. He thought it was just a rumor, but now he was determined to confront that girl!

"...No, where is Ji Yunshu? Where did Ji Yunshu go? Tell him to come out and see me!"

She grabbed the long whip from her waist and was about to leave when Yuan Zao blocked her way, stammering for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence: "Sister Ling'er, you'd better not...don't go see her..."

"You're afraid I'll beat her to death? Don't worry, I'll only beat your brother-in-law to death... Pah! From now on, you don't have a brother-in-law!"

"No, no, no, who cares if he lives or dies! Leave that little vixen, Sister Ling'er, to me. You'd better not go looking for her, and it's best not to see her at all!"

"Why?"

Yuan Zao stammered for a long time without uttering a single word, and Jiang Ling'er, furious, lashed out with her whip! The bluestone road instantly cracked with a deep groove!

Yuan Zao's face turned pale, and she shouted loudly with a look of grim determination:

"Of all people to look like, that little vixen has to look just like you, Sister Ling'er!"

Even though Jiang Ling'er was furious, she was stunned when she heard this, almost twisting her ankle, and said in astonishment:

"……What?"

A note from the author:

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①龆龀: refers to a child who is six, seven, or eight years old.

The story has begun!!!

Starting tomorrow, there will be updates every night at 9 PM!