The Young Husband Who Needed a Wedding to Ward Off Ill Fortune (26)

Qin Wuzhen finally got to use the bed.

A damp breeze blew through the window screen, dispersing the mingled scents between the two.

Wet.

Xue Ci hated this sticky feeling. He hated the fine sweat that Qin Wuzhen had produced when he bumped into him, and he also hated the hot sweat that the man had when he covered him.

I'm so sleepy and tired.

Despite being completely passive throughout, Xue Ci looked exhausted, her tear-streaked eyelashes drooping pitifully, and her swollen lips exuding a rich, alluring fragrance.

She was too lazy to even move her body, at most she could only move from Qin Wuzhen's embrace to a corner.

He was weak and limp, his skin was rosy, and he smelled of ripe fruit all over.

It was cooked through at a glance.

But he himself was completely unaware of it.

Qin Wuzhen pressed himself against Xue Ci's earlobe, burning hot all over, and bit and kissed it like an animal.

Xue Ci, finding it too hot, moved away.

The other person moved closer.

Get out of the way.

Another post.

Xue Ci, unable to bear it any longer, said fiercely, "... Don't go too far!"

Qin Wuzhen finally calmed down for a while.

Xue Ci's eyelids were a little swollen and pink, clearly from crying.

He closed his eyes, and a gentle breeze blew in from the window, making him feel a little more comfortable.

He slept soundly for a long time. In the middle of the night, he could feel Qin Wuzhen picking him up and cleaning his body. Xue Ci too sleepy and obediently let Qin Wuzhen hold him the whole time. Occasionally, when Qin Wuzhen wiped certain parts of his body during the bath, Xue Ci would hum softly.

I slept until noon the next day.

Xue Ci was still dazed when she woke up.

The room was very clean, with no strange smells at all, and there were even flowers on the table.

If it weren't for those large hands massaging his lower back, he would have thought it was all a dream.

Are you still feeling unwell?

Qin Wuzhen's fingertips were warm and he was good at identifying acupoints, which easily relieved Xue Ci's discomfort.

Xue Ci didn't dodge. "I'm hungry."

Qin Wuzhen brought out lunch.

Xue Ci's complexion improved slightly after finishing his meal, but he still got angry when he saw the 95% progress bar. After getting up, he went to the garden and the backyard, spending the afternoon with the Xiao Bai.

Qin Wuzhen stuck to him like a leech the whole time.

Seeing him hovering in front of her reminded Xue Ci of what he had said last night, and her face stiffened. "Why are you following me instead of going to the pharmacy?"

Qin Wuzhen's reply was incredibly cheesy.

Tell him you miss him.

The small bumps on Xue Ci's arm were aroused. She gave him a complicated look and slipped back into the house.

None of the Song Family noticed anything amiss; they only noticed that Xue Ci looked well and her lips were much redder than usual.

Xue Ci returned to her room listlessly and sank into her pillow.

He was trying his best to salvage the plot he had missed.

Hearing that the bandits would reappear on that mountain path a month later, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

During the discussion, Qin Wuzhen entered the room at some point.

Xue Ci glanced at him, and her eyelids twitched violently when she saw the small box of ointment in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, feigning composure.

"Apply the medicine."

Xue Ci awkwardly refused, "No need, I don't feel anything at all."

Qin Wuzhen narrowed his eyes and started saying strange things again. He said that he was clearly having a hard time eating, and even if it didn't hurt, he would still need to apply medicine later.

Xue Ci, unwilling to listen, interrupted directly, "... I know!"

Applying the medicine was a bit strenuous; Xue Ci's cheeks sank into the pillow, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose.

Both of them were quiet, but the "gurgling" sound of the water was quite loud.

Xue Ci's ear tips were burning.

After applying the medicine, Qin Wuzhen didn't leave. He sat by the bed and brought up the matter of marriage.

Xue Ci she had misheard. "What?"

Qin Wuzhen: "Or are you saying you want to marry Qin Zhuo?"

Xue Ci mumbled, "Hmm."

Qin Wuzhen's face froze.

The atmosphere in the room froze. After a moment, he said stiffly, "I understand. I'll go with you to Jiangnan to find him."

"We'll set off when the weather gets better."

Xue Ci stubbornly replied, "I'll go find it myself."

Qin Wuzhen's face finally darkened, and he gripped Xue Ci's wrist tightly. "Are you going to abandon me completely? Abandon me like you'd abandon a dog?"

Xue Ci frowned. "Don't talk nonsense, I've never abandoned a puppy."

Qin Wuzhen remained silent for a long while before saying, "I'll assume you won't abandon me."

He stroked Xue Ci's wrist back and forth, then pressed his face against hers.

Xue Ci was somewhat dazed, thinking that the two brothers really were alike; Qin Zhuo used to like to rub against him like that too.

Qin Wuzhen stayed there and didn't leave, even spending the night in his room.

The next day, Xue Ci went to school as usual.

He wrote a letter to Qin Zhuo, telling her to focus on her work and that he liked capable men.

Sure enough, the progress bar rose back to 99% after half a month.

In order for the plot to proceed smoothly, he planned to keep Qin Wuzhen hanging for now, as the other party was currently very obedient to him.

And there's Xie Qiaosi.

More obedient.

"You can take care of Xiao Bai for now." Xue Ci took out her meager allowance. "You must take good care of him."

Xie Qiaosi pushed the money back. "It would be too formal for us to talk about these things. I'd be willing to support your horse for life, or even support you for life!"

Seeing Xue Ci's dazed expression, he said dejectedly, "But you definitely wouldn't want me to raise her."

Are you with Qin Wuzhen?

Xie Qiaosi thought of Qin Wuzhen had been frequently visiting the academy to see Xue Ci recently.

I used to come here often, but recently it's noticeably different.

That possessive gaze, that lustful look... As a man who also had feelings for Xue Ci, Xie Qiaosi knew one thing very clearly—

"You gave it to Qin Wuzhen, didn't you?"

She kissed him and he ate her.

After being exposed, Xue Ci stammered, "N-nothing..."

Xie Qiaosi didn't believe it at all, gritting his teeth and saying, "He must have had a blast! At such an old age, he's only just starting out, he's like a wild dog with a bone, biting and refusing to let go."

"When you came over that day, I saw marks all over your neck."

"His chest must have been gnawed through too."

Xie Qiaosi has not forgotten that he wants to be the mistress, no matter who the wife is.

She started by offering herself up. "Is he even capable of serving you at his age? Xiao Ci, didn't you feel any pleasure at all? Why don't you try me?"

"I am clean and young."

"Although I had no experience, I learned a lot from books."

Xue Ci's cheeks were burning from his words, and she awkwardly looked away, but accidentally caught a glimpse of Qin Wuzhen not far away.

Judging from the man's expression, he probably heard it.

Before he could say anything, Qin Wuzhen strode over, interrupting their conversation with none of his usual composure, and placed the wooden box in front of Xue Ci: "This was brought by Madam Song."

The implication is that he has been accepted by Xue Ci's family, and his position is not one that can be shaken by ordinary people.

Xie Qiaosi understood, but pretended not to. "Xiao Ci, you've already eaten your fill today, right? If you eat any more sweets, you'll be sleepy at school tonight."

The two were openly and secretly jealous of each other, and the air was thick with jealousy whenever they met.

They never expected that Xue Ci would leave without a word a month later, seemingly unconcerned about anyone.

Qin Wuzhen was the first to discover Xue Ci's disappearance.

After a few busy days at the pharmacy, he quickly took a bath and, still slightly damp, went to the school to find Xue Ci.

Xie Qiaosi, caught red-handed stealing Xue Ci's inner garment, said guiltily, "You... why are you here so late!"

Qin Wuzhen frowned, glanced around the room, and, not finding Xue Ci, asked coldly, "Where is Xue Ci?"

"Didn't he go home? What are you doing here instead of staying home?" Xie Qiaosi remained silent, stuffing his undershirt into his pocket. "Didn't he go home?"

Qin Wuzhen's heart sank.

Seeing Qin Wuzhen face, Xie Qiaosi sensed something was wrong. "Xue Ci hasn't disappeared, has he? Where did he go?"

"Go to Jiangnan," Qin Wuzhen said coldly, "To find Qin Zhuo."

The room fell silent.

The two abandoned men looked at each other in bewilderment. Of course, they wouldn't let Xue Ci leave Cloud Maple Town alone and go to such a far place.

*

Qin Wuzhen did not alert the Song Family, but lied and said that Xue Ci was still in the school.

Cloud Maple Town is very small, and there is only one road leading to Jiangnan, which is a treacherous journey.

The two rode out of Cloud Maple Town overnight, but there was no sign of Xue Ci along the way.

Even if Xue Ci off half a day earlier than them, she would still need to rest at night and wouldn't travel that far in one go.

Realizing they had gone too far, the two turned back and began asking around at shops and inns along the way.

Logically speaking, everyone who has seen Xue Ci's face should remember him, but almost all the shopkeepers said they had never seen such a fairy-like young master before.

Qin Wuzhen pondered for a moment, then changed his question, asking if the other person had seen a young gentleman wearing a light gauze hat and coarse cloth clothes, but with very fair skin.

Upon hearing his description, the shopkeeper suddenly remembered him. "He bought tea from me! He even said he wanted it warm. I remember he smelled nice; I thought he was some girl dressed as a man for convenience when going out!"

Hearing this, the two felt a little more at ease.

Xie Qiaosi took out some silver and handed it over, asking eagerly, "Do you know which direction he went?"

The shopkeeper pointed towards the mountain path. "He went that way. I even advised him to be careful, saying that bandits have been appearing there recently."

"However, those bandits only robbed the rich to help the poor; they never harmed ordinary people."

Despite what the other party said, the two were still extremely anxious.

Using all their connections, they inquired with people along the mountain path, and half a day later, they found Xue Ci's whereabouts in a teahouse.

"Yes, that rich businessman probably mistook the young master you're looking for for a young lady, and went over to flirt with him. When the young man took off his hat and realized he was a man, he moved to another table."

"But her eyes were fixed on him, and after a short while she sat down again, saying she'd like him even if he were a guy."

"Our boss saw that the young master was fair-skinned and didn't know how to talk back. Just as he was about to go over to help, he saw the wealthy businessman's finger being chopped off."

"Escort services frequently take place in this area, and those bandits often appear there as well. That day, there happened to be government troops nearby, and the bandits took that young master away before they left."

Xie Qiaosi immediately asked, "Do you know where that bandit's hideout is?"

The waiter said awkwardly, "Well... we don't know. Would we ordinary people know about them being bandits? They've been robbing people for a long time, and even the government troops can't do anything about them!"

"Besides, this mountain is very eerie and gloomy. Most people would get lost if they went in. You two young masters should report this to the authorities first; the soldiers are looking for these bandits!" To the common people, these bandits weren't considered utterly heinous, so the waiter chimed in, "They might have taken that young master away... well, they might..."

Xie Qiaosi asked irritably, "What else?"

"That young master was probably too close and saw what the bandits looked like, so they took him away," the waiter said, feeling the air around him harden. "But they won't harm ordinary people."

She was probably kidnapped to be a bandit's wife.

He didn't say this aloud, but the two people opposite him looked extremely unwell, so they probably guessed what he meant.

Xie Qiaosi turned and mounted his horse.

Qin Wuzhen, fearing that his impulsiveness would only cause more trouble, coldly asked, "What are you doing?"

"Of course we're going to raid their lair!" Xie Qiaosi gritted his teeth, his face grim. "Are we going to wait until our bellies are swollen before we go?"

*

Xue Ci was awakened by hunger.

When I woke up, my stomach felt flat.

The surrounding environment wasn't great; it was clear that it had been tidied up simply, and there were still some miscellaneous items around.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of light filtering through the roof.

Xue Ci realized that she had gotten her wish and was locked in the woodshed.

He remembered that the bandits chopped off the man's fingers right in front of him, then carried him back into the mountains.

The one who took him away A Fei. Based on their conversation, Xue Ci guessed that A Fei was their leader.

The temperature in the woodshed was low, Xue Ci shrank her shoulders and leaned against the corner of the wall.

He's going to die here in a few days.

However, given his current physical condition, he's not that weak or sickly, so he'll probably have to endure this group of people for a while longer.

He sighed softly before he heard the noise beside him.

Look up and look to the right--

He was startled; there had been someone standing there all along.

The light was too dim, so he hadn't noticed it until now.

Xue Ci couldn't see the man's face clearly, but judging from his silhouette, he was tall enough to lift her up with one hand.

The other party was clearly watching him too; a moment later, the huge black shadow moved towards him.

Xue Ci curled up.

"Don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you," the dark figure spoke in a low voice, placing the fruit in front of him as a gesture of goodwill. "My A Fei, what's yours?"

It turned out he was a bandit leader.

The thought of the gruesome image of fingers being chopped off Xue Ci hug her knees, her voice trembling, "I... my name is Song Xueci..."

"Is the snow the same snow that falls? And what about Ci?"

"Farewell" (or "say goodbye").

A Fei was an illiterate and uncultured man. He said it was the word "farewell" but didn't know which character it was. He then asked Xue Ci several more questions.

Xue Ci obediently answered, saying that she was going to Jiangnan to find her husband.

A Fei's voice was stiff. "You have a husband?"

Xue Ci.

A Fei didn't say anything more.

The room was eerily quiet. Xue Ci feigned annoyance, pleading for her release. "I miss my husband so much, please let me go."

A Fei: "That won't do."

really.

Xue Ci down to ensure the plot progressed smoothly.

However, just as they relaxed, the next moment, they heard A Fei say in a slightly shy tone, "Our family has a rule: whoever sees my face either gets killed by me or becomes my wife."

Xue Ci: "..."

Wh-what...

Xue Ci's eyes widened. But A Fei's eyesight was excellent, and he could still see Xue Ci's appearance clearly in the dark.

Like a little kitten.

Just a gentle touch to her belly and she'd probably be teary-eyed.

A Fei stared straight at him. "Do you want to eat and rest? I'll take you to a clean room, I just cleaned it for you. You can stay there for now, and then you can live with me later."

"..."

Xue Ci felt a headache coming on.

How did it turn out like this?

Although she was terrified of A Fei, she still forced herself to say, "I... I only love my husband..."

A Fei got up and lit the lamp, illuminating the woodshed.

Xue Ci's face was covered in dirt, like a little kitten.

A Fei was stunned. He didn't care whether Xue Ci was willing to be his wife or not; he instinctively wanted to be a simp.

"Your face is dirty, let me take you out to wash up."

"This mountain is full of springs."

"I've already sent someone down the mountain to buy you a new bed and clothes. You have such delicate skin, you definitely need a good bed."

Xue Ci ignored him. "I'll stay here."

He stubbornly finished speaking, waiting for A Fei to get angry and torment him.

Sure enough, the other person kept staring at him, and after a moment, left without saying a word, closing the door behind them.

They must have gone to retrieve the tools they used to torture him.

Xue Ci complained listlessly to Little Eleven, unsure if the plot could be salvaged.

He was already trying to make the other person angry.

Before long, the entrance became lively.

The mountain was full of rough, young men. When they learned that their leader had brought back a handsome young man, they all gathered curiously at the door of the woodshed, wanting to see what the young man looked like that could make their leader so infatuated with another man.

"Could it be a fox spirit in disguise?"

"Old Liu said her face is absolutely stunning."

"But didn't someone eavesdrop on us? She already has a husband."

"The boss doesn't care about that."

"Besides, she had a husband, and her husband must have done it too."

"Isn't the boss worried about hurting someone?"

"Now even if you fuck me really hard, it won't break."

A Fei chased the puppies away and came in carrying a basin of water.

Then they saw Xue Ci looking over with a pale face and a look of terror on her face.

He guessed that they might have overheard their conversation, and immediately swore, "I won't do those things to you."

Xue Ci didn't believe him and curled up to hide from him.

But he was tired and hungry.

My stomach started growling very quickly.

"Wash your hands and face first," A Fei instructed, and immediately brought over the food.

Xue Ci's hands and face turned snow-white, her eyebrows and eyes were wet, she looked both obedient and beautiful.

The way it slowly bites things is also...

A Fei took a deep breath.

Having spent his life as a bandit, the man naturally carried a strong, aggressive bandit aura. He leaned closer, recalling what his henchmen had just said, and asked, almost as if possessed—

"Your husband does it several times a day, doesn't he?"

Author's Note:

There's only one chapter left in this world, hehe, I'll try my best to write it tonight.

The older brother can have another bite, and Xiao Xie will only have a tiny bit...

If I manage to write it out, it will probably be quite late, so don't wait for me! [pleading emoji]