Marrying Saina

A scorching hand slid in beneath the hem of his pajamas.

Su Li shuddered, his lingering sleepiness instantly vanishing into thin air.

He had just moved to react when a soft body pinned him down.

Sena had somehow managed to throw back his side of the quilt. By the faint moonlight filtering in through the window, Su Li saw a expanse of white.

It was too white.

It was skin that had been hidden away under clothes for years, never seeing the light of day; it looked like fine mutton-fat jade, glowing with a lustrous sheen in the dim room.

She had discarded her coarse cloth nightgown at the foot of the bed at some point.

She straddled Su Li, her hands clumsily fumbling with the buttons of his pajamas. Because of her nervousness, her hands were shaking violently, and she couldn't even undo the first button after several attempts.

"Hiss—"

Su Li drew a sharp breath.

Although the girl's fingers were clean, the thin calluses left behind from years of manual labor remained.

As they grazed his skin, the slight roughness was, if anything, even more unbearable.

"Sena..." Su Li called out in a hoarse voice.

"Don't speak."

Sena's voice was trembling, but her tone was unusually firm.

She gave up on the buttons and grabbed Su Li's collar, pulling it apart with all her might.

"Rip—"

That already flimsy old pajama top met its end.

Su Li's chest was laid bare.

Sena lowered her head, pressing her face against his firm pectoral muscles.

In that moment.

Su Li felt as if a red-hot branding iron had been pressed against his heart.

Hot.

Truly hot.

"Brother Su..." Sena murmured, her hands sliding down along his waistline. "If you don't want this... you can push me away."

"But I... I have no regrets."

Su Li stared at the pitch-black rafters above.

Push her away?

With what could he push her away?

He was a man, not a saint.

Besides, the girl had already said as much and done as much; if he were to keep playing hard to get now, it wouldn't just be hurtful—it would be an insult.

To hell with this F-rank evaluation.

To hell with this cycle.

At this very moment, in this small room filled with the scent of sweat and hormones, beneath a girl who treated him like a treasure, if he could still hold back, he would have lived all these years in vain.

Su Li reached out and gripped Sena's slender waist.

It felt smooth and supple to the touch.

It was the sensation of skin that only a young girl possessed.

Sena's body stiffened abruptly, then went limp, and she collapsed against Su Li.

"Silly girl." Su Li sighed.

He rolled over, pinning the girl who had been trembling the whole time beneath him.

The bed frame groaned under the weight.

That night.

The wind in Wading Village seemed to grow a few degrees warmer.

The next day.

The sun rose as usual.

Su Li woke up very early.

But he didn't get up.

There was someone curled up in his arms. Sena was wrapped around him like an octopus, one leg draped over his waist, her head resting on his arm, sleeping soundly.

A few strands of hair clung to her face, covering half of her cheek.

Su Li gently brushed aside those few strands of hair.

He looked at that face, which could hardly be called stunning.

Indeed.

In this evaluation system, this girl's looks probably wouldn't add many points. She had no prominent family background, nor did she have any legendary experiences.

But this was life.

Steady.

Warm.

Su Li moved his arm, and Sena let out a soft hum, slowly opening her eyes.

She was still a bit dazed upon waking, but once she saw the face before her, the memories of last night came flooding back in an instant.

"Ah!"

Sena shrieked, pulled the quilt over her head, and curled up like a shrimp.

Su Li laughed.

Where did that fierce, devouring energy from last night go?

He patted the head through the quilt.

"Alright, stop hiding."

There was no movement from inside the quilt.

Su Li didn't tease her further; he lifted a corner of the quilt and climbed out himself.

While getting dressed, he glanced at the bedsheet.

There was a dark red flower there, blooming in full vibrancy.

Su Li fastened his belt and took a deep breath.

If you're a man, you have to take responsibility.

The atmosphere at breakfast was very strange.

Old Buck was probably still hungover, looking completely wilted.

Aunt Martha, on the other hand, was full of energy, her eyes scanning Su Li and Sena like a radar.

Sena didn't dare to look up at all, her face practically buried in her porridge bowl, her ears so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Su Li, however, was quite composed.

He finished the last mouthful of porridge and set the bowl down.

"Clang."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear at the quiet dining table.

"Uncle, Auntie."

Su Li sat up straight, placing both hands on his knees. His posture was even more formal than when meeting a mother-in-law for the first time.

Old Buck looked up, his face full of confusion.

Aunt Martha's eyes lit up, and she gripped her spoon tightly.

It's here!

It's finally here!

"I have something to say." Su Li looked at the two elders, his tone steady, yet every word was as solid as a nail.

"I want to marry Sena."

"Pfft—"

The mouthful of hangover soup Old Buck had just taken sprayed out completely.

This time, he didn't bother wiping his mouth; he widened his bull-like eyes and stared fixedly at Su Li.

"You... what did you say?"

"I said, I want to marry Sena." Su Li repeated, his voice a little louder. "I want to make her my wife."

"I'm not wealthy, and I don't have any family assets. But I have strength, and I have a trade. As long as I, Su Li, have a bite to eat, I will never let Sena go hungry. As long as I have clothes to wear, I will never let Sena go cold."

"I want to live a life with her."

"For a lifetime."

These words weren't flowery.

It was just about living life.

Beside him, Sena, who had been playing the ostrich, suddenly looked up.

Her eyes were brimming with tears.

She looked at Su Li, her lips trembling; she wanted to smile, but the tears fell first.

She had won her gamble.

The girl in that story had truly managed to keep that treasure.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Aunt Martha slapped her thigh hard, repeating the word three times. She tossed the spoon in her hand aside.

"I knew it! I knew you were a person with a conscience!"

She turned to shove Old Buck, who was still standing there in a daze.

"You old fool! Are you stunned? Say something!"

Old Buck stumbled from the push.

He looked at his daughter, who was crying like a fountain, and then at Su Li, who wore an expression of complete sincerity.

The expression on his bearded face shifted unpredictably.

In the end, it dissolved into a long sigh.

"Fine."

Old Buck grabbed his wine flask and took a deep swig.

"You're getting a bargain, kid."

He wiped his mouth, his voice thick with emotion yet tinged with relief.

"From now on... if you dare to bully my daughter, this old man's iron hammer won't show any mercy."

Su Li smiled.

That smile was more radiant than the rising sun.

"Rest assured."

"In this life, she's the only one who gets to bully me."

Under the table.

A small hand reached out quietly and gripped Su Li's hand.

She held on very tightly.