Shu Bai stared at the pile of sunflower seeds in his palm for two seconds, then suddenly tilted his head back and poured them all into his mouth.
"Thanks."
Li Yuheng watched as Shu Bai shoveled all the sunflower seeds into his mouth in one go: "Hey! I spent so much time peeling them, and you just gulped them down like that? You didn't even give me a moment to savor them?"
Shu Bai chewed slowly and deliberately, nodding in approval: "Mmm. It tastes good."
"Not enough! This is the first time I've ever peeled sunflower seeds for someone, I should at least give them some tangible reward, right?"
Shu Bai glanced at him sideways, suddenly remembering all the promises Li Yuheng had made along the way—Guazi Mountain, the mansion, ten cooks…
A slight smile played at the corners of his lips, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes:
"Okay, I'll owe you that for now."
"...Young hero, you're quite something. Now you're even using my moves against me?"
Shu Bai calmly swallowed the last of the melon seeds, clapped his hands, and raised an eyebrow:
"Those who paint a picture of a cake will always be painted by others. Understand?"
Li Yuheng: "..."
…
night.
Shu Bai was wiping the sword blade in front of the candlelight when a carrier pigeon fluttered its wings and landed on the windowsill.
He untied the bamboo tube, unfolded the paper strip, glanced at it, and frowned slightly.
"Return quickly, the wedding is approaching."
The signature is a familiar mark from home.
He casually held the note to the candle flame and lit it, watching it turn to ashes.
Yes, he does have a fiancé he has never met.
If Li Yuheng hadn't taken out the jade pendant and introduced himself that day, he would have almost forgotten this old story.
The Shu and Li families were old friends, and the marriage agreement was made by the two families' patriarchs after they got drunk the year he was born.
Later, his parents passed away early, and his master took him up the mountain to raise him. When he settled down, his whole family moved to the capital, and this marriage was rarely mentioned.
Before his death, my master instructed that if Lijia came to fulfill the agreement, he should not refuse.
The old man stroked his beard and said, "Although Lijia may not be a good match for you, it's still better than you wandering alone."
He took it as a joke at the time.
Unexpectedly, Li Jia actually remembered this marriage, and even more unexpectedly, her fiancé would appear in such a...unusual way.
Amnesia, loss of internal energy, and damage to meridians.
Because he knew that Li Yuheng was his fiancé, he let Li Yuheng accompany him.
Otherwise, how could he tolerate a guy of unknown origin, who was glib and even stole his grilled fish from him, following him around?
He was a man of few words, and he was never a pushover.
But it was this guy who, in just one month, washed away the loneliness of the past ten years and made it all blurry.
The candlelight crackled, and Shu Bai, watching the flickering flame, suddenly chuckled softly.
It's absurd that he actually... developed some expectations for this marriage.
But the next second, all the faint warmth was crushed by the cold reality.
"The meridians are severed, and the oil in the lamp has run out."
"Prepare for the worst; it'll be in the next few months."
The doctors' voices echoed in my ears.
The person who keeps promising him the moon won't survive the winter.
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Li Yuheng pushed the door open and entered, his clothes damp and his hair still dripping wet.
He casually sat down opposite Shu Bai, picked up an apple from the table, and took a bite.
"What are you looking at?" he asked vaguely.
"A letter from home." Shu Bai sheathed his sword. "It urges me to go back and get married."
Li Yuheng: "!"
The apple in his hand suddenly fell to the ground, rolled twice, and stopped at the foot of the table.
He suddenly leaned closer: "You actually...have a marriage contract?!"
You actually knew about the engagement?!
Shu Bai: "Is that strange?"
"Do you know who the other person is?" Li Yuheng asked again.
"Know."
Li Yuheng drawled, "Oh—"
He bent down to pick up the fallen apple, using the action to quickly think.
Since Shu Bai knew about the engagement, did he know the original owner, "Li Yuheng"?
If you knew each other, you should have exposed each other on the first meeting.
So it's highly likely... that you don't know them.
Li Yuheng wiped the apple on his clothes and took a bite as if nothing had happened: "So you're planning to go back and get married?"
He slowly chewed the apple, but his eyes darkened.
Go back and get married?
With the real Li Yuheng, whose bag he stole?
On what grounds?
What he set his sights on is his; from the jade pendant to the name, now even this person should be his.
Shu Bai said, "Yes, we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
Li Yuheng paused in his apple-eating motion: "So soon?"
"The sooner it's over, the sooner we can have some peace and quiet."
Shu Bai got up and packed his bags, his back to Li Yuheng, his voice devoid of emotion.
Since Li Yuheng won't live past winter anyway, we might as well get the wedding done before winter arrives; maybe it will bring good luck.
He didn't believe in this before.
But what if it works?
Li Yuheng suddenly lost his appetite. He put down the apple, crossed his arms, leaned against the edge of the table, and stared at Shu Bai's back: "What about me?"
Oh, so now you're going back to marry the real Li Yuheng?
And what about him?
When they arrived at the destination, Shu Bai discovered that he was not only an imposter, but also a petty thief suspected of being a notorious burglar. He would definitely turn his back on him immediately.
Then Shu Bai will have a sweet and happy wedding ceremony with the real Li Yuheng.
They might even stand hand in hand outside the prison cell, watching this imposter being taken away by the guards.
“It’s this liar,” Shu Bai said coldly to the real Li Yuheng, “who almost ruined our wedding.”
The real Li Yuheng would definitely sigh hypocritically, "Alas, he's a pitiful man. Let him rot in jail."
Then the couple went home together, leaving him alone in the dark, damp cell, gnawing on a hard bun and watching rats scurry past his feet.
After serving more than a decade in prison, he was beaten up by a group of inmates for stealing their cornbread, and died from his injuries.
On his deathbed, wrapped in a tattered straw mat, he huddled shivering in the corner of his cell, his hand trembling as he reached out towards the empty cell:
"If I had known this would happen... I should have eaten that grilled fish more thoroughly back then..."
He breathed his last after saying that.
When the jailer discovered it, he was already erect.
Li Yuheng was furious with his own imagination. He gritted his teeth and almost mutated on the spot, crawling in a twisted and dark way.
Upon hearing this, Shu Bai glanced back at him, puzzled, and said, "Of course you're coming back with me."
For a moment, Li Yuheng was at a loss for what expression to make.
Shu Bai was not opposed to the marriage.
That's good.
This shows that Shu Bai adores him.
But it is clear that Shu Bai regarded him as the real Li Yuheng.
It's a pity that everything he has, including his handsome face, has been used to benefit others.
Li Yuheng was very unhappy.
He suddenly stood up and took a few steps to Shu Bai.
Shu Bai was bending down to tie his bundle when the light in front of him suddenly dimmed. As soon as he looked up, Li Yuheng grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him without saying a word.
A warm touch came over my lips, carrying the sweet scent of a freshly bitten apple.
Shu Bai froze completely.
He instinctively tried to push her away, but stopped halfway through raising his hand.
It wasn't that I was particularly intoxicated; I was mainly stunned by this sudden turn of events, plus it didn't seem so bad.
Li Yuheng had only been testing him out of spite, but when he saw that Li Yuheng didn't push him away, but only slightly widened his eyes, his resentment instantly turned into arrogance that pushed him further.
After an unknown amount of time, Shu Bai felt that her lips were numb from being rubbed so much that she was afraid that if she kissed them any further, they would break.
He finally lost his temper, raised his hand and pressed it against Li Yuheng's chest, forcefully pushing him away slightly.
"That's enough." He turned his head away.
But the next second, Li Yuheng pinched his chin and turned his face back, saying, "Not enough, this is just the beginning."
Shu Bai was amused by his attitude: "Do you think this is a meal? And you're offering to feed us all?"
Li Yuheng had no intention of reasoning with him at all, and took advantage of the moment he was speaking to move closer again.
Shu Bai was breathless from his kisses. She raised her hand to push him away forcefully, and in the gap between their lips and teeth, she turned her head and scolded him in a low voice: "Li Yuheng... know when to stop, don't go too far."
Li Yuheng didn't respond. He gripped Shu Bai's nape tighter with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Shu Bai's waist, pulling him into his embrace.
He silenced the mouth that still wanted to speak, crushing all of Shu Bai's unspoken words into an increasingly deep kiss.
Shu Bai was breathless from his kisses. Her hand, which was pressed against his chest, suddenly moved upward and pinched a soft spot near Li Yuheng's armpit, twisting it hard.
"Hiss—" Li Yuheng winced in pain and finally let go of him, rubbing the spot where he had been pinched and gasping for breath. "Young hero, you were too ruthless."
"Serves you right." Shu Bai wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his breathing still a little unsteady. "Who told you to keep going on and on like a dog gnawing on a bone?"
Li Yuheng pressed himself against her again, resting his chin on Shu Bai's shoulder and wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.
His face was expressionless, even a little gloomy, but when he spoke, his voice was still that nonchalant tone: "I'm not happy."
Shu Bai was startled by the sudden bear hug. He frowned but didn't push him away. Instead, he asked in a cool tone, "Do you have your period a few days every month?"
Li Yuheng buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled: "Yeah, right now. So you have to coax me."
"Coax you?" Shu Bai chuckled, raising his free hand to lightly pat Li Yuheng on the back of the head. "Fine, how do you want to coax me? Buy you a candied hawthorn skewer, and call you 'good brother'?"
Li Yuheng: "I want candied hawthorns, and I want my good brother too."
"Dream on." Shu Bai mercilessly shattered his fantasy. "No candied hawthorns, and no good brother either. If you don't let go, I'll show you what 'brotherly love' is like—the kind that leaves you childless."
Despite saying that, he remained standing still, letting Li Yuheng lean on him.
Li Yuheng was silent for a moment before speaking: "Shu Bai, you like me."
Shu Bai: "...?"
Li Yuheng continued, "I like you too. So don't go back and marry that person."
Shu Bai was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and almost laughed in anger.
So it turns out this person was jealous of him, which is why he kissed him like a dog gnawing on a bone.
"Li Yuheng," he said with a hint of exasperation, "is there nothing else in your brain besides water and flour?"
"You have amnesia and your mind isn't working properly, but I don't blame you."
"You, Li Yuheng, are my fiancé. The jade pendant you're holding, and mine, are a pair, tokens of our engagement. Do you understand?"
"So, I'm not going back to marry 'someone else,' I'm taking you back to marry you. Understand?"
As soon as Shu Bai finished speaking, she felt the arms around her waist tighten.
Holding him, Li Yuheng's face was hidden in the candlelight shadows, his eyes flashed darkly, but only for a moment.
When he spoke again, his tone was filled with surprise and pride:
"Really?! I was so prescient? Even with amnesia, I didn't forget to find my wife? Young Master Shu Bai, look at our fate, it's ordained by heaven, you can't escape it!"
Shu Bai was so tightly choked that she almost couldn't breathe. Unable to bear it any longer, she nudged him with her elbow: "Let go! I can't breathe!"
Li Yuheng loosened his grip slightly, but still held the person tightly: "Hey, I knew it! How could someone I've set my sights on not be mine?"
Shu Bai sneered at his arrogant tone.
"Yes, you're amazing. So amazing that you stole your fiancé's grilled fish and almost got kicked into the river by him."
Li Yuheng's face darkened further, but his tone still carried that irritating confidence: "What does this mean? It means we're a match made in heaven, and even your grilled fish is destined to end up in my stomach."
Before Shu Bai could even open his mouth to retort, the gloom on his face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual smile.
He released his arms from Shu Bai and gave her a light push on the back, leading her toward the bed.
"Alright, alright, since we're all family, we should get some rest." He said in a light tone, "We have to travel back to get married tomorrow, so we need to be well-rested."
He walked a few steps to the bedside, patted the bed exaggeratedly, gestured for Shu Bai to enter, and grinned, revealing his white teeth.
"Come, young hero, please get into bed~"
Shu Bai was speechless at his sudden change of expression and his matter-of-fact attitude, and crossed her arms, looking at him coldly:
"You better behave yourself while you sleep. If you keep stealing the blanket or trying to eat me like a grilled fish in the middle of the night, I'll tie you up and throw you on a horse to carry you around."
Li Yuheng had already nimbly taken off his outer garment and crawled into bed. Hearing this, he poked his head out and solemnly assured her:
"Don't worry! I always sleep soundly, I promise I'll be perfectly still, like a block of wood!"
Shu Bai snorted coldly, clearly not believing a single word.
He blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness, with only the faint moonlight from the window outlining the furniture.
He groped his way to the bedside in the dark, and as soon as he lay down, Li Yuheng came close, bringing warmth with him.
"Young hero."
"What now?"
"Do you have to wear red clothes for your wedding?"
"Um."
"You'd definitely look good in that."
"Shut up and go to sleep."
"oh."
It was quiet for a short while.
"Young hero."
"...You'd better really have something urgent to do."
"Does this count as us going back to go through the motions after we've already secretly pledged our lives to each other?"
"Don't be so picky. Our marriage was arranged by our parents and a matchmaker, and the jade pendant is our witness."
"But we've already kissed."
"That was your sneak attack."
"I don't care, you're mine now."
"If you say another word, you can go sleep on the floor."
Li Yuheng finally quieted down.
In the darkness, Shu Bai listened to the gradually steady breathing beside him and felt that although the guy was talking about rules, he still unconsciously leaned closer after falling asleep, his arm around his waist and his warm breath brushing against his neck.
He frowned and tried to move the arm away, but failed.
never mind.
He closed his eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Troublemaker.
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