The 23rd Chapter

"Let me down, you idiot! You're bleeding..." Liu Ruyan urged.

Chang'an lowered Liu Ruyan, chuckling, "This is nothing!" He narrowed his eyes, observing Liu Ruyan's current expression—seven parts worry and anxiety, three parts shy coquetry. It was unlike her usual dignified grace, possessing a different charm and allure, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Martial arts fanatic!" Liu Ruyan retorted angrily.

Chang'an's smile widened. This was the highest praise. He looked at Liu Ruyan with burning eyes.

Liu Ruyan's shyness deepened. She glared at Chang'an and said, "Take off your shirt!"

Chang'an nodded, removed his outer garment, revealing his upper body.

Liu Ruyan immediately frowned, her gaze peculiar.

Chang'an said awkwardly, "I guess I have gained a bit of weight!"

Liu Ruyan stared directly at the three deep, bone-revealing wounds on Chang'an's chest. "These were inflicted by the Green Bamboo Swordsman's Bamboo Rhyme Sword Qi. Did the Green Bamboo Swordsman attack you?"

Chang'an laughed, "I defeated him! His sword broke."

Liu Ruyan extended a finger and forcefully poked the wound from which blood was continuously seeping. Chang'an immediately winced in pain, staggering and nearly falling. Liu Ruyan then huffed, "If you ever take such risks again, I won't cook fish for you anymore."

Chang'an suddenly stopped smiling, his expression turning serious. He looked at Liu Ruyan and asked, "Who was that person?"

Liu Ruyan carefully wiped the blood from Chang'an's body and treated his wounds, softly humming in acknowledgment but not answering.

She seemed unwilling to answer.

Chang'an watched her the entire time, meticulously observing her clean his wounds, apply the hemostatic powder, and carefully stitch them up, bit by bit. He saw every movement, even the smallest detail, with perfect clarity.

Liu Ruyan's brow furrowed slightly.

Chang'an asked, "You don't want to say anything at all?"

Liu Ruyan began to wrap Chang'an's wounds with bandages. Her hands were nimble and strong, wrapping the gauze very, very tightly. Liu Ruyan asked, "Do you really want to know?"

Chang'an nodded firmly.

Liu Ruyan suddenly smiled, "I'm getting married!"

Chang'an's expression turned strange. "Was that person here to propose?"

Liu Ruyan nodded.

Chang'an quickly asked, "Did you agree?"

Liu Ruyan gave a wry smile. "I have no choice!"

Bang! Chang'an slammed his palm onto the table, causing everything on it to jump. Blood began to seep through the newly wrapped, snow-white gauze. Chang'an's body stiffened, and he slowly said, "You have to marry him?"

Liu Ruyan remained silent.

Chang'an said, "If you don't want to, then refuse him. No one can force you! If you can't bring yourself to say it, I'll say it for you."

Liu Ruyan shook her head. "Don't."

Chang'an sighed deeply. "You're not someone who accepts fate. Why this time?"

Liu Ruyan said, "Because I can't wait anymore, I can't wait anymore... Do you know Ning Chang'an?"

Chang'an froze, utterly astonished. "Ning Chang'an! How do you know that name?" He was certain that very few people knew that name, easily countable on one hand. And Liu Ruyan was not among them.

Liu Ruyan said, "He told me!"

Chang'an asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly is he?"

Liu Ruyan gave a wry smile. "His surname is Tang!"

The surname Tang was the royal surname of the Great Gan Dynasty. He finally understood why that person had such grand gestures and noble bearing. That man in white must undoubtedly be a member of the Great Gan Dynasty's royal family, because even a general wouldn't have a troop of armored soldiers with such equipment.

What a Young Master Tang!

Chang'an said coldly, "He's dreaming if he thinks he can have you!" He had made up his mind and would go to any lengths to disrupt things. The moment he heard Liu Ruyan was getting married, his mind had become a chaotic mess, all his thoughts focused solely on keeping Liu Ruyan by his side. It was only now that he realized how deeply he cared for her, that he couldn't let her go.

Liu Ruyan stared blankly at Chang'an. "He knows everything about you, even things you don't know yourself. Chang'an, please don't get involved, okay? He will harm you."

Liu Ruyan liked the name Ning Chang'an. The moment she heard it, she felt an inexplicable connection and decided to call Chang'an by that name from then on. Chang'an had been called Chang'an for over a decade. In reality, Ning Chang'an was the true name his parents had given him, but he hadn't decided to let everyone know yet, because his father was also named Ning Chang'an—the Great Gan Dynasty's Great General of Pacification. His existence, under the name Ning Chang'an, was inherently a secret.

Now, it seemed, this secret was no longer a secret.

Young Master Tang might know his background very well, but he hadn't recognized him at first glance. After all, his transformation was too drastic; he was now a fatty, and anyone unfamiliar with him would absolutely not recognize him.

But Ning Chang'an knew that the next time they met, Young Master Tang would definitely recognize him. What Ning Chang'an didn't know was that Young Master Tang had known who he was from the moment he first saw him. He hadn't failed to recognize him; he simply didn't want to reveal it at that time and place, in front of Liu Ruyan.

Ning Chang'an said, "Am I very foolish? You must think so!"

Liu Ruyan was stunned. After a long silence, she murmured, "You really are foolish! You don't understand women's hearts at all."

Ning Chang'an also fell silent. He truly didn't understand women's hearts. Take Su Yueru, for example. He still didn't understand why that night of passion had happened. He genuinely saw her only as a sister, a true sister, unlike his passive role as a younger brother to Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan sighed. "I'm different from Su Yueru. Do you have to treat me as a sister too?"

Ning Chang'an said, "Before Su Yueru left Moon Concealing Pavilion, I met with her, and we... After that, I felt a sense of fear! I always saw Su Yueru as a sister and thought she saw me as a brother. Sisters and brothers shouldn't have that kind of thing happen. I was already confused and even inexplicably fearful! When I saw you again, and you told me that story about your brother, I was completely lost. I don't want to repeat the same mistake, and I can't see your heart clearly! Is it romantic love or sibling affection? You never draw a line... and it makes it impossible for me to see clearly!"

Liu Ruyan fell silent. Perhaps she could understand Su Yueru's feelings and difficulties, but she truly hadn't expected Ning Chang'an to have so many concerns and confusions.

In the end, she could only sigh.

She suddenly felt like crying, like drinking, like getting drunk.

So she brought out a jar of old wine and drank with Ning Chang'an.

The two of them drank for an entire day.

For the first time, the proprietress of Spring Breeze Tower did not appear upstairs to pour her own drinks. In the latter half of the day, Spring Breeze Tower was packed with people. At the usual spot on the second floor, at the usual time, the proprietress was absent for the first time.

The two were completely drunk.

Liu Ruyan hugged Ning Chang'an, and they slept fully clothed.

At night, the moonlight shone faintly.

Liu Ruyan quietly opened her eyes. Her slender, jade-like fingers gently caressed Ning Chang'an's face, feeling every inch of his features. Her eyes were soft and bright as she looked at the face so close to hers. He was indeed a bit plump, which made his eyes, once filled with stubbornness and fierce light, appear much softer. She looked at him intently, meticulously, as if to imprint his face firmly in her heart.

She was drunk, yet suddenly sober.

She only got drunk when she wanted to; when she didn't, she would immediately become clear-headed, even if she was already intoxicated.

In her dream, she dreamt of Ning Chang'an.

It was a passionate, lingering spring dream.

And so, she woke up from her dream.

Liu Ruyan lay languidly on her side, quietly watching Ning Chang'an, as still and beautiful as a frozen, picturesque scene.

Young Master Tang was a prince of the Great Gan Dynasty. This time, he traveled from Panlong Province to Changshan Province for two reasons. One was her, and the other was Ning Chang'an.

Everything was proceeding according to his plan, without the slightest hitch. Liu Ruyan knew deeply that if Ning Chang'an had not encountered Young Master Tang in front of Spring Breeze Tower, he would likely have met with misfortune. The power behind Young Master Tang was far more than just those twenty guards. Those twenty guards were merely a troop of his personal escorts. If he wished, he could even mobilize local government troops. Any martial arts sect, in the face of the Great Gan Dynasty's powerful government army, would be considered nothing more than a rabble.

Such a person of esteemed status and immense power, even with Liu Ruyan's transcendent position in the martial world, was of no use. She could refuse any proposal from a scion of an official family without a second thought and without hesitation, but Young Master Tang was not just an official's son; he was royalty, a prince, a dragon seed, a prince with the qualifications and ambition to compete for the throne. His power weighed like a mountain on commoners, and even the divine maiden Liu Ruyan could not resist.

If she refused, everyone around her, everything around her, could face utter destruction.

She knew Young Master Tang would do such a thing, and he would not hesitate in the slightest.

Moreover, Young Master Tang had seen through the ambiguous relationship between Ning Chang'an and her, and he would absolutely not let Ning Chang'an off the hook. Liu Ruyan's bitterness and struggle were things she could not tell anyone, not even Ning Chang'an.

If she wanted to protect Ning Chang'an, she had to make a choice.

The only choice was to accept Young Master Tang's proposal.

A painful choice, heartbreaking!

Fate?! Destiny?! Or was it a deliberate or unintentional jest from the heavens?!

In the early morning, Ning Chang'an slowly woke up and found Liu Ruyan in his arms, curled up and hugging him, her face pressed against his chest, sleeping soundly.

Ning Chang'an didn't move, quietly admiring Liu Ruyan's slightly charming sleeping posture. He could never get tired of looking at her, just like Yu Fu's eyes; he didn't want to share her with anyone.

Liu Ruyan suddenly opened her eyes, yawning lazily. Her eyes blinked, and she gently lifted her head, seeing Ning Chang'an's captivated gaze. She smiled softly, "Had enough looking?"

Ning Chang'an said, "Never enough. Even looking every day isn't enough!"

Liu Ruyan smiled enchantingly and rolled over to sit up. She leaned forward and opened the cabinet by the bed, taking out a stack of brand-new clothes and handing them to Ning Chang'an. "Get up, I have something to give you!"

The clothes were sewn by Liu Ruyan herself, stitch by stitch. Ning Chang'an put them on, and they fit him perfectly.

The fabric was a fine, moon-white silk. Wearing it, Ning Chang'an exuded a scholarly air. Combined with his slightly plump figure, it suited him well, making him look spirited and quite heroic.

Liu Ruyan, wearing embroidered shoes, gracefully walked to a tall pear wood cabinet by the window. She stood on tiptoe and took down a long object wrapped in a silk cloth from the top of the cabinet.

"Guess what it is?"