Dugu Yan Takes the Initiative

(Please let this pass review, sir. It passed preliminary review before.)

Dugu Bo staggered from the blow and stood there dumbly, as if he had been knocked senseless.

But after shaking his head, he still stubbornly shuffled toward Zhao Linchuan and the Marriage Contract.

Seeing this, Yan Cailing gritted her teeth, grabbed the half-full Wine Pot from the table, pulled out the stopper, aimed it at Dugu Bo's face, and splashed it at him with all her strength!

"Splash—!"

Half a pot of icy Fine Wine poured over Dugu Bo's head and face, running down from his hair and beard in dripping streams.

This sudden "sobering soup" seemed to have some effect.

Dugu Bo shuddered violently, and the haze in his eyes cleared somewhat.

He wiped the wine from his face and looked at Yan Cailing in confusion. "D-daughter-in-law? Why... why did you splash me? And just now... did you hit me too? Why does my face... feel like it's burning?"

Seeing that he seemed a little more sober, Yan Cailing hurriedly pointed at the Marriage Contract tightly clenched in Zhao Linchuan's hand. "Father! Wake up! Take a good look! What kind of 'contract' is that?!"

Dugu Bo shook his still-heavy head, walked over to Zhao Linchuan, and with some effort pulled the sheet of paper from his hand.

He steadied himself, narrowed his drunken eyes, and began reading it carefully.

The moment he saw it, more than half the drunkenness vanished from his face, and his eyes widened further and further!

How was this some sworn brotherhood document?

It was clearly a Marriage Contract, written in black and white!

Groom: Zhao Linchuan; bride: Dugu Yan!

Below were Zhao Linchuan's personal signature and a bright red handprint!

After staring blankly for several seconds, Dugu Bo not only failed to get angry, but suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Hahaha! Good! Wonderful! Wonderful!!!"

He slapped his thigh, looking as excited as a child. "With this Marriage Contract! Black letters on white paper, and a red handprint! Let's see how that Kid tries to back out later!"

"Hahaha! He can't run now! He absolutely can't run now!"

He carefully folded the Marriage Contract and tucked it into his robes close to his chest, his face blooming with delight. "Once we pick an auspicious date, that Kid can... hehe, marry into the family!"

"Marry into the family?" Yan Cailing caught that phrase and asked in confusion, "Father, you mean... Lin Chuan will become a son-in-law of the Dugu Family?"

"That's right!" Dugu Bo stroked his soaking beard and nodded as if it were only natural, his tone carrying a trace of pity. "That Kid is an orphan. He has had no family or kin since childhood."

"If he marries into our Dugu Family, then this place will be his roots and his home!"

"It will be good for him too. He'll have somewhere to belong."

He paused and looked at Dugu Yan, who stood nearby with flushed cheeks and her head lowered. "As for the children's surnames, that's a small matter! At Worst, Yanzi can have a few more children later!"

"One can be surnamed Dugu and inherit my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul!"

"One can be surnamed Zhao and inherit that Kid's Thunder Emperor Sword! Perfect!"

"Oh, Grandpa~! What... what are you saying?!" Dugu Yan was so embarrassed that she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground. She bashfully stamped her foot, yet her heart was sweet as honey.

"Enough, enough. This matter is settled. No need to Say More." Dugu Bo waved his hand. "Disperse, all of you! Yanzi, take care of Lin Chuan and bring him to rest."

"He's drunk like this. He probably can't do anything, so let him sleep properly."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and hummed an off-key tune. Though his steps were still unsteady, he was in excellent spirits as he left this "place of trouble" first.

Yan Cailing gave her daughter an encouraging look that said, "The opportunity is yours, make good use of it," then pulled away Dugu Yuan, who had finally figured out what was going on and wore a complicated expression. They quickly left the Banquet Hall as well.

At last, the noisy Banquet Hall fell silent, leaving only a table full of mess and the lingering smell of alcohol.

Dugu Yan looked at Zhao Linchuan, who lay sprawled across the chair without the slightest regard for his appearance, still asleep. The blush had yet to fade from her face.

She sighed softly, stepped forward, and with great effort lifted one of his arms onto her slender shoulder. Supporting him, she slowly moved toward the bathing room step by step.

Inside the bathing room, Water Vapor swirled through the air.

It took all Dugu Yan's strength to strip Zhao Linchuan naked and move him into a bath filled with Warm Water.

She picked up a towel and carefully wiped his body. Looking at his still handsome profile even in drunken sleep, she could not help complaining in a Low Voice:

"Honestly!!! You idiot! Why did you drink so much? Really... now nothing can be done."

As she looked at Zhao Linchuan lying defenseless in the bath, her eyes were filled with love, shyness, and a trace of... resentment.

In the end, she could only sigh helplessly. She carefully cleaned him, wrapped him in a dry bath towel, and half-carried, half-supported him back to her own bedroom.

A faint, pleasant fragrance filled Dugu Yan's bedroom.

Zhao Linchuan was settled onto the soft, comfortable bed, still deeply asleep.

Dugu Yan sat beside the bed, her elbows propped on its edge and her hands cradling her Rosy Cheeks, quietly and dreamily watching his sleeping face.

His thick lashes, high nose bridge, and lightly pressed thin lips... she could never look at them enough.

An hour or two slipped away beneath her focused gaze.

Suddenly, Dugu Yan noticed that Zhao Linchuan's breathing had become much steadier and deeper. The drunken flush on his face had also faded considerably. Had he... sobered up?

Her heart began racing uncontrollably, as though a little deer were trapped inside her chest.

Her trembling hand slowly lifted a corner of the Brocade Quilt covering Zhao Linchuan.

Seeing the faintly visible, toned outline of an adult man beneath the bath towel, her cheeks burned like fire.

After struggling inwardly for a long time, shyness, boldness, affection, and her mother's tempting words—"the esteemed readers would not agree"—finally intertwined into a tremendous surge of courage.

She seemed to make up her mind. Taking a deep breath, she slowly lowered her head and summoned her Martial Soul, gently pressing it forward... The Azure Python Serpent Emperor extended its forked tongue and fiercely tore into its prey!

No one knew how much time passed...

Half-asleep, Zhao Linchuan suddenly felt his scalp go numb. An indescribable sensation of poisoning surged upward like an electric current, instantly sweeping through his entire body and scattering the last remnants of sleepiness and drunkenness.

He abruptly opened his still-dazed eyes, his consciousness rapidly returning.

Then, to his shock, he discovered... Dugu Yan had activated Martial Soul Possession, and Azure Python Serpent Emperor Poison had entered his Inside Body... and the source of that invading poison was...

"Yanzi?!" Zhao Linchuan was utterly stunned. "W-what are you doing?!"