Chapter 305 Chastity
Ten thousand taels of gold, countless mansions, servants at your beck and call, fine horses and luxurious carriages—
Princess Chang's family is quite wealthy. Even without using her mother's things, Qi Yuxuan's own fiefdom of Chang Le County provides enough for Ren Shun to live comfortably for most of his life.
So she confidently replied, "Of course, as long as I have it, as long as you want it."
She agreed too quickly; as soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed the boy's eyes darken slightly.
He reached out, pinched her chin, and forced her to lift her face:
What if I said, "I want you"?
The moment her chin was grabbed, Qi Yuxuan's brows furrowed sharply.
Upon hearing Ren Shun's words, anger surged within her. How dare Ren Shun treat her so frivolously!
One day, she will definitely tear this person to pieces!
But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. She forced herself to calm down, took a deep breath, and gritted her teeth, saying:
"Except for this!"
“When I return to Qi, I can petition the Emperor and the Crown Prince to grant you a title. At that time, you can have any woman you want. You know my nature; I'm not one to show my face in public or stay at home. I'm definitely not a virtuous wife and loving mother. If you want me, you'll only regret it.”
But Ren Shun's expression remained unchanged. "There's no need to talk about yourself like that. I lack nothing but you, and I don't want anything else."
"Have you thought it through? If you agree, I can set off tonight to take you to the State of Qi."
Perhaps it was because his tone was too serious, but Qi Yuxuan's heart grew colder and colder as she listened.
He wasn't joking.
That's exactly what he thought.
She was weighing whether losing her chastity for a chance to return to the State of Qi was worth it.
Of course, she could have discarded Ren Shun after he had served his purpose and returned to Qi, but the world is always harsh on women. A woman who has lost her virginity before marriage has no better choice than to never marry.
She was no longer the Xiao Yuxuan who had been abandoned by everyone. Now she was a child who was genuinely loved, and every decision she made was unconditionally supported.
She knew her mother would definitely agree. Compared to returning to Qi alive, the so-called chastity was completely insignificant. Even if everyone knew about it in the end, she wouldn't struggle painfully for the sake of a reputation for chastity like she did in her previous life.
As for Qi Jun... it was because she underestimated her opponent that she ended up like this. If anyone owes her anything, it's herself.
She would tell the truth, and if Qi Jun cared, the previously verbally agreed-upon marriage would be called off, and they could part amicably.
After hesitating for a moment, Qi Yuxuan nodded.
"good."
Ren Shun didn't speak, but loosened the ropes binding her. He then suddenly turned his back and began to pok at the fire.
Qi Yuxuan looked around and smiled bitterly to herself.
She never imagined that she would have an affair with someone in the wild.
But now that things have come to this, Ren Shun is still willing to make a promise, instead of taking advantage of his superior martial arts skills to force himself on her. She should be content.
She slowly placed her hand on her waist, closed her eyes, gently exhaled a breath of stale air, and began to untie the belt of the Yue-style dress.
The belt fell softly onto the grass covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves in the woods. Ren Shun turned around in surprise and saw the little girl with her eyes closed, preparing to take off her coat.
He stood up quickly, pressed down on the back of her hand, and said in a voice that was both surprised and angry, "What are you doing?!"
Qi Yuxuan then opened her eyes and saw the displeased young man in front of her, and suddenly realized:
"Then do it yourself, I'll definitely cooperate with you."
After saying that, she closed her eyes again, as if accepting whatever was about to happen with equanimity, without resistance or joy.
It's like a voluntary barter, a fair transaction.
Ren Shun clenched his other hand into a fist at his side. What did she take him for? A scoundrel who lusts after women, a beast worse than pigs and dogs?
In her eyes, was he such a lustful and heartless person?
Ren Shun's face was ashen, and he felt a chill to the bone.
Just a second ago, he heard her say "okay," and he was so happy he could barely contain his joy as he untied her. Afraid she would catch a cold, he wanted to turn back and stoke the fire even brighter, but when he turned around, he saw this scene.
He then realized that the "good" she spoke of wasn't the kind of "good" in the sense of agreeing to marry him, but rather the kind of "good" in the sense of being willing to exchange her body for his escort back to Qi, the kind of "good" in the sense of truly liking him that he had never seen before...
Ren Shun released his fingers from the back of her hand, his eyes slowly welling up with tears.
A man doesn't easily shed tears; he's understood this principle since he was a child.
But somehow, even though he had only said a few words, his heart felt like it had been tossed high into the air and then plummeted back down. The huge drop brought waves of bitter emotions that hurt so much that he could hardly control himself and just wanted to burst into tears.
If he were any more despicable and selfish, he could comfortably enjoy the advances of the girls he likes and recklessly withdraw the proceeds from the transaction ahead of time.
But he couldn't, and he couldn't bear to.
He wiped his eyes hard, his voice low and hoarse like that of a patient who had been suffering from a high fever for several days: "You think you're always superior, that's why you humiliate me like this, isn't it?"
Qi Yuxuan suddenly opened her eyes, her expression momentarily blank.
Ren Shun, why are you crying?
The boy was a head taller than her, and his slender body trembled slightly. He lowered his head, his eyes were red and pitiful, and his eyelashes were wet with tears, making him look like a small animal that had been abandoned but pretended to be fierce and tenacious.
Qi Yuxuan didn't understand: "Didn't you say you wanted me? When did I humiliate you?"
“If this is not what you want, you can tell me directly instead of saying such nonsensical things that leave people confused.”
Besides, shouldn't I be the one who should be crying?
He's a man, no one asks about his chastity, they even praise him for being a womanizer, yet he dares to pretend to cry in front of her, what a joke!
Ren Shun chuckled softly, his throat bobbing. He felt both pathetic and ridiculous that he could have fallen for such a heartless woman.
He's already said all that, and you still say he's being ridiculous?
"How clearly do you want me to explain myself? Or are you just pretending not to understand? I want to marry you properly and formally, but you think I'm the kind of lecherous person who would want to be with you in a place like this, with you... Now tell me, is what I'm saying still nonsensical?!"
A night breeze blew, and fallen leaves swirled past. Qi Yuxuan slowly pulled her coat tighter and crossed her arms in deep thought.
"Ren Shun, you're still young. Do you really know what it means to like someone?"
He was only eighteen years old, while she herself, considering her age in her previous life plus the years since her rebirth, was almost old enough to be his mother... Perhaps, the way he cried after being misunderstood by the woman really didn't seem like someone with a mind that understood love.
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