"It's fine. It's been hundreds of years! Maybe the legend was false, and this is just an unusual metal sword blank."
Seeing Jiang Yi fall silent, Xu Jiujiu thought he was disappointed and hurried to comfort him.
"Jiujiu, you're so good to me! I'm lucky to have you."
Jiang Yi came back to himself, blinked, and looked down at Xu Jiujiu. The flirtatious words rolled right off his tongue.
"Heh, am I? Then when are you going to marry me? I'll talk to my imperial brother and bring thirty thousand Shrek households as my dowry!"
Xu Jiujiu gave him a half-smile, tracing a fingertip across his chest as though feeling his heartbeat.
Jiang Yi: (˘•ω•˘)
Pavilion Master Jiang said nothing, as if he hadn't heard a word. He merely slipped his broad hand beneath the princess's skirt.
"See? Whenever you get a question you can't answer, you go quiet again..."
Xu Jiujiu rolled her eyes at him. She did not press him further, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and going right back to it.
Given their positions, marriage was no longer a matter between just the two of them.
More than a formal title, what mattered was how little time they got together. Better to have their fill before discussing anything else. Ohoho...
Soon, a meteor shower streaked through the room. Qingya stayed beside them, bringing tea and water, wiping away sweat, and lending a hand now and then.
It went on until late at night, when the auction ended.
"I'll be going, then."
Supported by Qingya, Xu Jiujiu climbed into the carriage. She lifted the curtain and waved to Jiang Yi outside.
After two hours of strenuous effort, she was leaving thoroughly satisfied. Her face glowed, and even her voice had grown much gentler.
The carriage vanished