Chapter 5

Call Me Shan Shan

    The woman in blue slowly walked with difficulty.

    Qing Lin’s body, an ordinary young woman, had no strength left after being thoroughly spent by her husband the previous night, making Shan Shan walk feebly with considerable pain between her legs.

    After inspecting the inside of the house and the structure thoroughly, she decided to step outside.

    This house, built of bamboo, was located at the very end of the village. To the right of the house was a stream, to the left a forest, and in front, a wide yard covered with dense grass, leaving only a narrow path for walking.

    She came out to the front yard, walked several steps to the right, and saw her freshly-wed husband sitting fishing by the stream.

    She squinted before deciding to approach him.

    As Shan Shan approached the silently fishing bent figure, she could now observe him clearly.

    Her tumultuous experience before her death at the hands of her master allowed her to notice some abnormalities in her husband.

    His deformed bones were not quite right!

    Shan Shan’s ability to master martial arts in her previous life meant she had a solid understanding of every part of the body.

    Even though she now inhabited the body of Qing Lin, who had never trained in martial arts, her mind retained all the knowledge of martial techniques, and her eyes still held the keenness to discern minor details about the body structure of a martial artist practitioner. She thought to herself:

    Her husband wasn’t really disabled, just a bit disfigured, hehe!

    The young woman chuckled inwardly, then crouched to observe her husband more closely. Seeing his cold glance, she wasn’t deterred and simply sat down slowly next to him.

    She noticed his indifferent expression, but his ears were noticeably red, and his eyes still held a hint of shyness, which only made her stare more intently.

    Shan Shan watched her husband briefly then turned her gaze thoughtfully towards the stream.

    She should comfort her husband, who had lost his virginity to her the previous night.

    After a moment, she looked up at the man beside her, noticing his embarrassed expression and openly said in a forthright, martial artist-like manner:

    "Do not worry yourself. I am not much harmed, just a little sore between my legs, but the bleeding seems a bit too much, that’s all."

    Zhao Wei paused; his face clearly stunned.

    Shan Shan continued unabashedly,

    "I'll tell you something. You should not force a woman like that, and certainly should not enjoy yourself alone. Such matters should be shared. If we both enjoy it together, that’s how it should be. Next time, if you wish to share a bed, you must be gentler and more considerate, and then I will fully cooperate with you, understand? There's no need for any coercion."

    The listener choked on his breath at these words, then furrowed his brows and silently watched the woman beside him, waiting to hear what she would indeed say next.

    Shan Shan smiled and added, "I want you to know that from now on, you are mine. I will take good care of my own people."

    Before her death, and her spirit inhabiting this body, she had many subordinates under her command, all as unsightly as this. Taking care of just one man, especially as he was her husband, was far easier.

    As she spoke, she raised her hand and lightly patted her chest with an imposing and confident gesture. Shan Shan emphatically added, "Please trust me."

    Zhao Wei looked at the woman in front of him, dumbfounded.

    Last night, she had shown great disgust towards him, but today, none of those feelings remained. Her stern gaze had turned bright and clear, even genuinely smiling.

    Aside from not showing her disgust like last night, she did not resent him for the coercion.

    The man's eyes flashed with surprise.

    Shan Shan said this, unaware that she had just rendered the young man virtually speechless, nor did she realize that her delicate body, clad in a blue gown, showing her fine pale skin through the open neckline, bore love bites and a purple bruise around her neck, appearing quite pitiful.

    The man's eyes suddenly flickered.

    Had he actually choked her last night?

    In that instant, it was as if lightning had struck him, realizing how drastically the aphrodisiac had transformed the gentleman into a monster.

    After being stunned for a long while, Zhao Wei finally spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

    "I may be a fool for people to laugh at, but since I married you to solve a problem, I must receive adequate compensation. After all, I am a man, and when there's meat before me, I must chew and swallow it satisfyingly,"

    Despite his dire state, his inherent arrogance was still evident. He stated it like that because throughout his life, countless women had desired him.

    Moreover...now that they were husband and wife, such talk was inconsequential.

    Shan Shan was startled by her husband's lengthy remark.

    "What?! You can speak?"

    If she wasn’t mistaken, the villagers' claims that he was mute. Hmm...

    Zhao Wei squinted at her disapprovingly for her bold stare, but quickly realized that his current status was not that of the high and mighty crown prince he once was. He openly admitted,

    "Truthfully, I owe you an apology. Last night, I was intoxicated by a potent aphrodisiac, unable to control myself..."

    He paused briefly then continued with a shaky, hoarse voice, yet his gaze remained calm and composed,

    "Although it may sound like a poor excuse, I am committed to taking responsibility for you forever."

    Shan Shan blinked slowly and murmured,

    "It should be I who takes responsibility for you."

    Zhao Wei, surprised by her audacity, his previous anger slowly dissipating, softly retorted,

    "It is my duty to take responsibility. I am a man, and you are a woman."

    Shan Shan shook her head in denial, "No! It should be me."

    His sharp eyebrows furrowed in confusion, asking in a stressed voice. "What do you mean?"

    The young woman raised her eyebrows defiantly, "Listen to me. You, who have shown me kindness, were used by my family as a tool to eliminate me. And now, you're undeniably my husband. These two facts alone should make you agree to let me take care of you."

    Despite his surprise at her bold words, Zhao Wei looked on coolly, shaking his head in exasperation, wanting no more of the conversation. He dismissed her with an impassive face, using silence to quash her arguments.

    Seeing his silence, Shan Shan assumed her husband had tacitly agreed to become her person. She proudly smiled, feeling triumphant as she said,

    "The villagers call you Gong Niu because they think you're as dull as a bull. But I see it differently."

    Zhao Wei simply continued fishing in the stream, calmly listening to the bold remarks from someone nearby.

    That someone pondered deeply and then added, "But last night, you were so passionate. I don't think the name Gong Niu suits you."

    He choked on his breath again at the criticism of his intensity, casting a reproachful glance.

    How dared!

    Unperturbed by her husband's reproachful look, Shan Shan clapped her hands loudly as if struck by an idea,

    "How about this? From now on, I shall call you Ye Niu[1], okay?"

    Zhao Wei's eyelids twitched at hearing this.

    Shan Shan laughed heartily and added, "And you should call me by my nickname, Shan Shan. Just between the two of us, okay?"

    The young man squinted and offered no response.

    The young woman stood up, crossing her arms on her chest, boldly proclaiming, "I am as grand as a mountain, as lofty as the sky."

    "..."

    Zhao Wei raised his eyebrows instantly.

    What kind of woman had he married?

    Amid the midmorning sun, the woman in the blue dress stood upright, her silhouette casting a long shadow across the grass, looking surprisingly beautiful.

    Zhao Wei remembered the first time he had met this woman by the waterside. She had revived only to blink fearfully, her body trembling, utterly pitiable and silent without a word of thanks.

    Even as he decided to stand up and walk away, she panicked and hurried off as if terrified, as though she saw him as some kind of ghost. At that time, she was utterly charmless, a woman not worth conversing with.

    Yet now, why...

    The young man narrowed his eyes, silently observing the woman in the blue dress.

    Having been nourished by her husband the previous night, she looked more radiant and vibrant than before. This increased fullness that she herself was unaware of was evident to the man. Coupled with her bold, forthright demeanor, so different from the ordinary village women, and her genuine, straightforward actions, it was so unlike their first encounter.

    The more unfamiliar it was, the more it enchanted her original beauty and added to her charm. Her delicate face, clear eyes, and sincere smile made her even more compelling.

    Zhao Wei couldn't help but gaze at Shan Shan intently, his mind flooded with questions. One of which was:

    What kind of woman had he married?

    Shan Shan, meanwhile, stood still, a satisfied smile curling the corners of her mouth.

Finally, she had a husband of her own, no need to compete with anyone else. Hehe!

[1] "野牛 Ye Niu means a bison.