Xie Xiao gritted his teeth, looked away, and said ambiguously, "More or less."
Li Ruo stopped and looked at him with a deep gaze. "You didn't become a bandit in the mountains for this reason, did you?"
Xie Xiao's gaze drifted elsewhere. "I didn't expect you to be so confident. There are plenty of fish in the sea. I'm handsome and dashing, why would I need to bother with someone like that?"
"Oh," Li Ruo said, "Then tell me why you became a bandit? You admire my father so much, and your father used to be one of my father's subordinates. As a man of honor, didn't you ever think of joining my father's side?"
"Can I make your father angry too?" he said with a stern face.
Li Ruo smiled, raised her hands to press down on both sides of his cheeks, and turned his head back. "Finally admitting it?"
"You—who told your father to marry you off to that Song guy? A wise man all his life, but a moment of utter foolishness!" Xie Xiao looked like he wanted to strangle her, and after a long pause, he finally said:
"It was an impulsive act at the time. I couldn't stand Song Zhijing, he was a hypocrite, and I was determined to go against him. So I gathered a few brothers from the village and decided to find a mountain to establish a stronghold and rob the rich to help the poor. When we passed by Zixia Mountain, we happened to run into a gang called Wuchou Gang who were committing rape and robbery. We chased them down to their stronghold and simply took over their territory. That night, the wind was strong and there were no stars or moon, so I renamed the stronghold Black Wind Stronghold."
Li Ruo sighed, "Amazing!"
Xie Xiao looked smug, but immediately put on a stern face. "You're heartless. I was stupid; I took your joke seriously."
Then they became outlaws.
That's something only someone in their teens, young and impulsive, would do.
His face was full of disgust, yet he was still holding the other person's hand.
This arrogant brat! Li Ruo held his hand tightly, "See, I'm still a man of my word, I'm still going to marry you."
Li Ruo felt a pang of sadness, thinking about how he must have felt when she and Song Zhijing got married, having been there at the time.
I don't know why.
She tightened her grip on his hand. "Who said you were joking? You just forgot, didn't you? Maybe you fell off the horse and hurt your head. Haven't you heard of amnesia? Luckily, you've come back to normal."
"Really?" It seems she really did fall once.
"So I was your white moonlight after all."
What is "white moonlight"?
"Figure it out yourself!"
This explains many things, Li Ruoxin thought, why he was so good to her from the beginning.
“Hey, Li Ruozhen, who liked Song Zhijing, is really dead. She’s buried in the grave that Song Zhijing built for me in Beishan. The current me is not that one.”
Xie Xiao looked at her bright eyes and serious expression, then pursed his lips and said, "So you mean, the person you like now is me."
"Hmm." But a new question arose, "Do you like the me from when I was a child, or the me now—"
The man suddenly grabbed her arms, his eyes gleaming as he stared intently at her. "Say it again."
Do you like me as I am now, or—
"The previous sentence."
"Huh?" Li Ruo was stunned for a moment. Didn't she just say "hmm" in the last sentence?
"Hmm represents what it means."
Li Ruo was speechless for a moment, then looked impatient. "I like you, you idiot."
Xie Xiao seemed to freeze, the smile on his lips widening. "Don't go back on your word."
So that's what "again" means. Li Ruo looked at him quietly.
A gust of wind ruffled his side-swept bangs, and Li Ruo reached out and touched them. There was a scar there, running from his forehead to the back of his head, hidden in his thick hair, and you couldn't see it unless you looked closely.
Xie Xiao's body trembled.
"How did you do that?"
Xie Xiao looked somewhat embarrassed, "The first time I killed the chieftain of Zixia Mountain, that guy was like a bear. I didn't have much experience, and he injured me. I almost died."
"Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune." Li Ruo stood on tiptoe and kissed it.
The next moment, Xie Xiao pulled her into his arms, "Don't provoke me." His large hands tightened suddenly, as if he wanted to embed her into his body.
Li Ruo: "...If you're going to go crazy, don't do it here, especially in broad daylight..."
As they were talking.
A group of gossipy women who had just returned from washing clothes gathered around, covering their mouths and laughing.
"Boss, can't you wait even a few days?"
"That's right, you two should watch your image."
Xie Xiao glared at them, "I'm a bandit, what do I need an image for? I'll just carry them back and bully them right now."
Amidst laughter, Li Ruozhen was carried away by him, but only back to Ziyang Peak. He didn't care about his image and wanted to be mindful of his influence, lest he corrupt the few remaining children on the mountain.
At the same time, he also needed to discuss the matter of moving to Black Wind with his grandmother.
But after discussing it with Lian Lizhi and Li Yi, Grandma decided to stay in the house.
“We’re used to living in this house. It’s sturdy, comfortable, and warm like spring,” said Grandma Li. “I’m too old to move.”
Xie Xiao analyzed the situation for her: the Prince of Jiangning, the still-alive Song Zhijing, and the court officials who could arrive at any time.
Old Lady Li said, "With lightning protecting us and seven thousand soldiers, surely we can protect an old woman as well."
Grandma was very insistent this time.
Li Ruo told Xie Xiao to go back first, and that she would talk to them herself.
After Xie Xiao left, Old Lady Li glanced at her with a smile and said, "You won't refuse to marry if we don't go, will you? What kind of family members accompany you to your wedding?"
"What time is it now? Why would you care about this?"
Old Lady Li said, "The more this is the case, the more I must insist. We are your family, your strong support. If you go to Black Wind Stronghold, things will become unclear, and who will stand up for you if you suffer any grievances in the future?"
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