Chapter 5 Marriage
The man's attack was direct and sharp.
Yu Wanyin fell silent, her heart skipping a beat when she met his dark gaze.
The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Aunt Duan thought to herself that her lord had finally come to his senses, completely unaware of the tense atmosphere around them.
Indeed, one glance at such a beauty would drown one in her watery eyes; even she, a woman, couldn't bear to look away.
She cheerfully made an excuse to leave, leaving the room to the two of them.
But Yu Wanyin became increasingly tense.
The flames in the fireplace burned fiercely. Rong Si sat by the fireplace watching her. His figure was large enough to block most of the fire behind him, and he controlled the light in the whole room.
The flickering light and shadow outlined the contours of his strong and resolute face, while his amber eyes shone with light and shadow.
The slight sense of relief that Yu Wanyin had felt upon entering the mountain stronghold vanished instantly.
In a daze, I remembered that ruthlessness and slaughter were the true nature of this bandit king.
"Have you gone mute?" Rong Si broke off a tree branch and casually threw it into the fire, but his gaze remained on her. "Since you have nowhere to go and are so grateful for my kindness, stay here with me. That way you won't have to worry about some thugs bullying you when you go out."
He stood up and slowly walked towards her.
Yu Wanyin restrained herself from hiding.
Rong Si leaned down, his tall figure looming over her with an oppressive aura. "Or do you have other places to go and people you care about, and you're willing to admit to the lies you told me before?"
Yu Wanyin turned her head slightly to avoid looking at him, but she couldn't escape his fierce aggression. She suppressed her disordered breathing and said, "I have no one to care about, so my husband's arrangement is very good."
Rong Si stared at her for a while, then asked, "Why are you shaking?"
Yu Wanyin felt even more overwhelmed when she was singled out; her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she couldn't help but say, "You, you're too fierce."
The last syllable is soft, sweet, and lingering, making one's ears feel soothed.
As soon as Aunt Duan came in, she heard this reproachful remark that sounded like it could be squeezed out of water. While putting down the food, she spoke up for Yu Wanyin, "Yaoyao is still sick, my lord, please don't bully her."
Rong Si then straightened up.
The oppressive feeling around Yu Wanyin lessened considerably, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Aunt Duan knew Rong Si's temperament well, and instructed Yu Wanyin, "Don't pay attention to him. I'll clean up this room in a bit, and you can stay here in peace from now on."
"No need, she'll stay at my place from now on." Rong Si said this and left the house.
He wanted to find out exactly where this little swindler came from.
Over the years, Rong Si has worked his way up, risking his life in dangerous jobs.
There are countless people who have schemed against him.
Someone once tried to put a woman next to him, and when a knife was held to his neck, he was so scared that he confessed everything.
It's rare to see bones this hard.
No woman dared to approach a man like him who lived a life of constant danger.
No respectable girl would want to follow a bandit; she'd run away as fast as she could if she saw him.
Such a person, soaking wet and claiming to be a commoner, suddenly appearing in his bedroom at that critical moment, makes it hard not to suspect something sinister.
Rong Si's biggest flaw is that he can't stand hearing people say he doesn't have a family.
Last time I had an attack, I picked up a traitor; I can't do that this time.
But he also has concerns.
What if she really has no home?
Leaving such a young girl on the night of the rebellion would be tantamount to taking her life.
Not only Yu Wanyin, but even Aunt Duan was taken aback, "Living at your place?"
Before she could finish speaking, Rong Si had already left.
Yu Wanyin could sense that he still didn't believe her explanation.
Aunt Duan pondered for a while, then looked at Yu Wanyin again.
He quickly figured it out himself.
This morning, the person was carried back by the lord, and was still wearing the lord's clothes.
She smiled as she thought about it, "I was being old-fashioned. You eat something first, and I'll help you pack your things to go to the lord's place."
Yu Wanyin sat there, pondered for a moment, and sighed softly, deciding to eat first.
She picked up the spoon from the porridge bowl, and the aroma of cooked rice wafted towards her, mixed with the fresh scent of river fish, creating an indescribably comforting atmosphere.
For some reason, although she was going to his place, Yu Wanyin was not as apprehensive as she had been at the beginning.
She probably thought he wouldn't do anything to her.
If it were done, it would have been thoroughly done by now, last night or now.
The bandit king, who raised a group of orphans, can be extremely ferocious at times.
They simply suspected her of having ulterior motives, or that she posed a threat to them by associating with the officials.
But then again, she didn't have any other intentions.
They hid at his place hoping to escape.
As for the official faction, she had nothing to say, even though she had not participated in any politics.
But once her identity was revealed, no one believed she was innocent and naive.
She could not guarantee her own safety either.
Instead, she might as well pretend to be a homeless little girl.
It is absolutely safe here.
As for going out...
Yu Wanyin felt that ensuring her safety was the most important thing right now.
What good would it do to go out?
During those turbulent times, her father only remembered her when he was using her marriage for personal gain; otherwise, he disregarded her life and death. She had no attachment to that family.
She didn't expect marrying Chu Yu to change her fate.
After all, Yu Wanyin had little contact with him and knew very little about him. She only knew that he was ruthless and had almost completely sidelined the royal family. There was also a rumor that he had killed his father, which caused a great uproar in the city.
She was forced to marry into a family she hated, to curry favor with a dangerous and powerful minister.
Yu Wanyin didn't dare to think about it too much.
In chaotic times, everyone has to take things one step at a time.
Once Yu Wanyin had figured these things out, she felt much more relaxed.
The most urgent task is to play the role of a good young lady from a good family.
Yu Wanyin turned to look out the window; it was much quieter outside than in the morning.
In the afternoon, a haze rose on the horizon, most of the horses in the stables were led away, and a cool mist swirled around the open fields, splashing a deep green ink on the mountain flowers and grasses, which rustled in the breeze.
Yu Wanyin shifted her body and took a short rest after taking her medicine.
As the sun began to set, the sound of horses neighing in the mountains woke her.
Yu Wanyin propped herself up and looked outside.
They happened to run into a group of boys riding horses, returning from a hunting trip in high spirits.
But the worst part is, none of them were wearing shirts!
The rope of the quiver tightened around his body, revealing his well-defined, taut muscles that exuded youthful, exuberant energy.
Yu Wanyin was startled and hurriedly looked away, but unfortunately, she still met the eyes of the leading boy.
The young man was the same one who had spoken to her in the stable this morning. He seemed a little flustered when he saw Yu Wanyin and hurriedly told his brothers to go back and get dressed.
Some people were puzzled, "What are you wearing? I... Oh right, a girl has come to the village."
They scattered and went back to change and wash up.
You can't blame them; the village is full of men.
Aunt Duan, being a woman, was not usually bothered by such things and would even tease them about why they were covering up.
The village became lively again.
The shepherd boy returned with his dog, chattering on and on about the day's interesting events to his older brother, who had just returned from the busy farm work.
On the open field, everyone was busy processing their hunted game and preparing to start a fire for dinner.
Yu Wanyin was ill and hadn't gone out.
In fact, she didn't dare to go out much, since there were a group of hot-blooded young men both inside and outside.
But Aunt Duan came and went as she pleased; she was already used to it.
She noticed Yu Wanyin's unease at a glance and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Don't be afraid, they are all good children."
"I wasn't used to it at first, but then I figured it out. At my age, what haven't I seen?"
"If you think more positively and don't hold yourself back, looking at those young men can actually improve your mood."
"When you're in a good mood, everything goes smoothly."
Yu Wanyin learned that Aunt Duan was a doctor when she was young. Her husband died in the war, and her family went to the mountains because of the war.
It's clear that Aunt Duan holds a significant position in the entire village.
At the very least, even the bandit leader treated her with respect.
As night fell, Aunt Duan chatted with her for a long time, and Yu Wanyin found an opportune moment to ask, "My lord is so capable, yet he has dealings with the Left Prime Minister?"
Aunt Duan lowered her voice, "This question is only directed at me. Please don't ask the master. That's not a matter of interaction; it's a blood feud."
Yu Wanyin felt a chill in her heart. Although Aunt Duan didn't say much about the reason, she knew that unless she didn't want to live anymore, she absolutely couldn't let him know her true identity.
The more Yu Wanyin thought about it, the more uneasy she became, and tried to get her help to smooth things over, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Oh, I want to too." Who wouldn't want to sleep next to a sweet and soft little girl? "The lord has spoken, how can I keep you? He will definitely come and ask me for you."
Yu Wanyin's lips tightened. "If he doesn't come, can I stay?"
Aunt Duan found it amusing, but didn't ask any further questions. "Of course."
But Rong Si still came to demand the person back.
Yu Wanyin was led into his house. After Rong Si bolted the door, he walked towards her without saying a word.
Yu Wanyin stumbled backward, her calf bumping into a chair.
The chair made a creaking sound.
Rong Si looked at her. "So scared? Feeling guilty?"
Yu Wanyin tried to calm herself down and walked around the chair. "Anyone would be scared if you suddenly acted like this."
Rong Si didn't stop, and began to untie the tightly bound wristband on his wrist. "How?"
Yu Wanyin's shoulders twitched slightly as he approached, outlining her beautiful shoulder and neck lines. "So close...."
The man's voice was deep and resonant, his face still chillingly cold. "I'm afraid of you. Didn't you say last night that you'd do anything I asked?"
Yu Wanyin was overwhelmed by such a powerful aura and found it hard to breathe. She hurriedly said, "My lord protected my safety, so what you said last night certainly stands."
"But that was just an excuse I made in a moment of desperation to protect myself. Now I know that my lord would not take advantage of me in such a way, and he certainly wouldn't while I'm ill..."
"Not necessarily." He said, then casually tossed the wristband aside.
Yu Wanyin slumped down, realizing she was sitting on a daybed by the window, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait..."
“If you don’t want to follow me, it’s not too late to tell the truth now. You’ve seen how this village deals with traitors.”
Rong Si looked at her without any emotion, leaning on the table next to her with one hand. "Whatever you cut off, it probably won't look good."
Yu Wanyin's eyes reddened, and her whole body trembled like a leaf. "Alright, I will tell my lord the truth."
“I am indeed not an ordinary woman; my family are officials.”
“I also ran away from the palace last night, but I’m not lying to you about the reason. I heard someone breaking in while I was sleeping, so I ran away.”
“They kept chasing me, and by the time I hid in your tent and tried to get out, you had already returned.”
Rong Si looked at her and asked, "What official position?"
Yu Wanyin gave a trivial official title, “Chief of Imperial Kitchen”.
The official position in charge of royal food would never be related to the common people, and in fact, the Taiguanling (official in charge of food) was abolished after the new king ascended the throne, but the news had not yet spread.
Seeing that he did not react excessively, Yu Wanyin continued, "My father was killed by rebels last night, and my mother did die young. I really have nowhere else to go right now, but I am not a traitor."
"Then why lie?"
“You, you all killed Qi Zhong’s son outside and kept cursing the officials. How dare I say I’m an official’s relative?” Yu Wanyin’s voice trailed off. “What if you take your anger out on me…”
"But now I know that my lord is a good man. Today I agree to follow you, and it is also my own willingness."
Rong Si pondered for a moment and realized that her explanation was entirely plausible.
This also explains her various unusual behaviors.
After a long while, Rong Si straightened up and untied the wristband on his other hand. "There's no need to force it."
The shadow that had been looming over her dissipated slightly, and Yu Wanyin calmly took a breath. "I won't force myself."
Rong Si's amber eyes were fixed on her, his hand untying the wristband in a circular motion, exuding a strong sense of power and control.
This reminded Yu Wanyin of a tiger in the jungle scrutinizing its prey.
Yu Wanyin's words contained a hint of feigned pragmatism, "I am a girl from a good family. Now that my parents are gone, even if I go back, I will still live under the oppression of those powerful officials. It would be best if my lord believed in me and protected me."
Her voice, like her name, was clear and melodious, lingering in the ears and disturbing the mind.
Rong Si calmly removed all the wristbands from his wrist and suddenly reached out to her.
Yu Wanyin's body stiffened, but she saw his large hand sweep past her and pick up the pillow next to her.
In short, the message was: "You sleep inside."
After saying that, Rong Si took his pillow and went to the outer room.
Yu Wanyin sat on the soft couch in a daze, and even after a long time, she could still hear her own heart pounding.
She gently pressed her chest and turned to look at the bedding beside her.
It was cleaned up very neatly.
It looks new, and it has a unique fragrance of grass and trees from the mountains.
So he had prepared well in advance.
What I said just now had a bit of an element of scaring her and telling the truth.
Amidst the intense emotional turmoil, Yu Wanyin couldn't articulate her feelings, only temporarily relieved that she had managed to get away with it.
If he finds out that he is the fiancée of his sworn enemy, things won't be so easy and peaceful.
Perhaps it was because of the medication, or perhaps it was because I had survived a close call.
Yu Wanyin slept very soundly that night.
As dawn broke, she was not disturbed when the villagers got up in the morning.
Zong Chenggang yawned as he came out of his room and saw Rong Si sitting on a rock, wiping the fletching of his arrows. "So early?"
Rong Si tossed the neatly arranged arrows into the quiver. "You've come at the right time. I have something to ask you."
Zong Cheng sat down next to Rong Si and opened his water pouch. "What's wrong?"
Rong Si pondered for a moment, "What needs to be prepared for a wedding?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com