Chu Mubai said sternly, "Do you really think you've kept your frequent trips out of the manor perfectly secret? You're my wife, yet you refuse to go through me when buying medicinal herbs. Do you think outsiders would say anything about your relationship with your sworn brother if they found out?"
"He and I are really just like brother and sister, I swear!" she quickly declared, only to notice the upturned corners of his lips after she finished speaking, and immediately realized that she had been tricked by him. "Chu Mubai, you tricked me!"
The man readily admitted, "I was bluffing you because I can't stand you having any connection with other men. You are my wife, Chu Mubai."
His voice seemed to possess a kind of magic, making her believe it without any reason.
She only took several steps back when she vaguely heard him say, "Since it's so late tonight, why don't you stay?"
"Goodbye, it's not late, Xiaoman is waiting for me." She chuckled and tried to slip away, but the man blocked her way.
“You can go back tonight, but starting tomorrow, you must move to the East Garden. If you don’t, the Old Madam will start sending people into my courtyard.”
The old lady's agreement from a month ago has long been overdue. Chu Mubai returned home tonight only because the old lady forced him to meet several of the so-called maids she had chosen for his concubines, all of whom he refused.
Xia Yixin looked at Chu Mubai in surprise, knowing what he meant, but... "You can stay, but don't forget the bet, it's just for sleeping."
Chu Mubai looked at the wary woman, sighed softly, and said with doting eyes, "Alright."
They were plotting to boil the frog in lukewarm water.
The next day, after she moved her sleeping belongings from the West Garden to the East Garden, the old lady somehow found out and her favorability towards her skyrocketed to 100.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the 'Winning the Old Madam's Favor' dungeon quest. Reward: 100 points. Your total points are now -510. Keep up the good work!"
Heh, if I had known this dungeon would be this easy to complete, I wouldn't have bothered with the courtyard in the first place, since it's all just for sleeping anyway.
However, this simple thought was overshadowed by Xiaoman's insistence on giving her a fragrant bath. Xiaoman then pulled out something from somewhere and shoved it into her hands. Xiaoman blushed and whispered, "Madam, take a good look. This...this is something the Old Madam secretly asked me to give you. I...I...I'm leaving now!"
Xiao Man slipped away, leaving Xia Yixin bewildered as she opened the book. As expected, it was an indescribable book.
She was about to study it carefully when she suddenly heard footsteps at the door. In a panic, she threw the book under the table.
She ran to bed and burrowed under the covers.
The bed had two blankets that she had insisted on.
The East Garden was spacious everywhere, though the bed wasn't too big; it was just right for two people.
She burrowed under the covers, covered her head, and waited a while before hearing the man's helpless sigh and laughter.
Chu Mubai looked at the small mound on the bed with doting eyes. He picked up the book she had thrown on the floor and looked at it, feeling a little embarrassed.
He deliberately placed the book at the very back of the bookshelf before blowing out the light.
He walked to the bedside.
Xia Yixin listened intently to the sounds the whole time, and felt a sudden sinking on the other side of the bed.
With the lights off, she could hear the man's deep breathing more clearly beside her; he was wide awake.
She tentatively asked, "Chu Mubai?"
"Um?"
For some reason, she found the man's deep, husky voice sounded even better tonight.
It must be her imagination.
Xia Yixin suppressed that strange thought and turned to look at him. "Did you take the pill? How are you feeling?"
“It is indeed much more convenient than taking medicine. Your medical skills are superb, even the Divine Doctor Valley cannot compare to you.” He also turned to the side, gazing at the little figure so close to him, and felt an unconscious sense of satisfaction.
"When did that gentle and refined man become so glib?" she complained, her ears already burning red, turning her face away from those eyes that seemed to suck her soul away.
Xia Yixin felt inexplicably flustered and changed the subject.
"Your body is recovering now. I gave you 100 pills, enough for three months. Remember not to get angry, not to drink alcohol, and to keep a happy mood. If things go well, you can continue with the next course of treatment after you finish these pills. I will give you acupuncture to expel the toxins."
Xia Yixin was confident that, if all went well, he could raise his life points to 100 within six months at most. "By then, although you might not be fully recovered, you will definitely be able to walk like the wind, and you might even be able to learn some kung fu."
Just as Xia Yixin was about to say she was going to sleep, the man opposite her suddenly threw out a question.
"What will you do after the poison is neutralized?"
She instinctively replied, "I don't know either..."
This answer was far better than he had expected.
"If I win the bet, would you like to stay and become my rightful wife, Chu Mubai's wife?"
This is already a confession.
The air was filled with his cool fragrance, and that familiar feeling came rushing back.
"We'll talk about it then, I'm sleepy."
With her back to him, she couldn't hide the growing emotions in her heart. She didn't even know when she had opened her heart to him without any defenses, nor when she had started to have different feelings for him.
Her heart was pounding as she heard the man's earnest promise behind her.
"If I could hold hands with my wife, I would never regret this life."
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