Husband-stealing story

Chapter 40

A flush of color rose on her face after drinking, and her nineteen red lips curled slightly upwards, making her look incredibly cute. He couldn't resist reaching out to hug her, and surprisingly, she didn't resist.

No, it should be said that there has been no resistance for the time being.

Just as Shen Yuntan picked up Tang Shijiu, preparing to place her on the bed, the tipsy Tang Shijiu frowned, lifted her long leg, and kicked him hard in the chest and abdomen. Caught off guard with the beauty in his arms, Shen Yuntan was struck hard. Fortunately, he possessed considerable internal strength; if he had truly been a weak scholar, this blow would have kept him bedridden for at least ten days to half a month. Even so, the kick left Shen Yuntan dizzy and he needed a while to catch his breath.

Looking at Tang Shijiu, he was already as if nothing had happened, curled up in a ball with his blanket, fast asleep.

Shen Yuntan smiled wryly, gently tucked her in, and casually placed a jar of wine at Xu Ziqing's door. That aphrodisiac in her eyes couldn't be cured without wine.

Xu Ziqing and Gu Yan, both with dark circles under their eyes, sat downstairs for dinner after a night of turmoil. Gu Yan felt a surge of fear when she saw the jar of wine by the door.

Could it be that Shen Yuntan had already planned this all along when he asked Tang Shijiu to buy wine?

The two watched as Shen Yuntan entered the inn, politely greeting them with a "Good morning," and then asked with a grin, "Did you two sleep well last night?"

Xu Ziqing remained silent, while Gu Yan smiled wryly.

Shen Yun chuckled, "Nineteen still not up? What a lazybones, not as early as the two of you."

Xu Ziqing was so angry he wanted to roll his eyes. It was just past dawn, and no normal person would get up that early. He and Gu Yan... cough cough, actually, hadn't slept all night.

Without the union of yin and yang, the method to break the aphrodisiac is extremely difficult and requires enduring immense pain. Gu Yan's lower lip was still swollen, making it easy to imagine what had happened last night.

It was bitten so badly that it was covered in blood.

The morning sunlight was lovely, streaming through the window, warm and gentle.

When Shen Yuntan pushed open the door, the first thing he saw was Nineteen sitting at the table combing her hair. Her long, glossy black hair was draped over her shoulders and down to her waist.

It was as if the sky was filled with rosy clouds, and the wind was blowing them in a beautiful way. Nineteen heard the door open, stood in the rosy clouds, turned around and smiled at him.

Where did you sleep last night?

Shen Yuntan came to her senses and carefully walked behind Nineteen, picked up that tuft of black hair and placed it in her palm: "You've kicked the shopkeeper out again. Your junior brother and sister are here, but they're not husband and wife, so it's not appropriate for them to live in the same room. If word gets back, they'll laugh at you."

Nineteen blushed slightly. His hand brushed through her hair, sending a tingling sensation straight to her heart, melting her into a puddle of water.

"Spittoon, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."

He didn't speak, but simply took her comb and carefully combed her hair. From head to toe, he combed slowly and gently. Nineteen's hair wasn't exceptionally fine; it was slightly coarse, but not stiff. After meticulously smoothing her hair, he clumsily used the butterfly-patterned silver hairpin to fasten it into a man's bun.

Nineteen touched it with his hand and then chuckled.

Shen Yun scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and reached out to take it apart: "You can comb it yourself, I don't know how to comb hair."

Nineteen turned around, her eyes sparkling: "No need, this is fine. Master often says that it's very inconvenient for girls to go out. Yun Tan, could you lend me a set of clothes? I'll wear men's clothes today."

He chuckled, understanding her good intentions, and said softly, "Even if you're wearing men's clothing, you can't wear a butterfly hairpin." He then took the hairpin off his own hair and exchanged it with hers.

It was an ebony hairpin, simple and without any embellishment.

However, it contains a different meaning.

I wonder if this counts as tying the knot?

Nineteen had never worn men's clothing before, and she was quite excited, happily carrying the men's clothes to change. Shen Yuntan, with her hair disheveled, could only casually find a chopstick to use for now. However, she felt a warm sense of satisfaction in her heart.

However, Nineteen still didn't change out of her men's clothing. She looked at Shen Yuntan's head, which was holding chopsticks, and found it hilarious no matter how she looked at it. And she was the kind of person who couldn't hold back, laughing until Shen Yuntan was embarrassed and angry before she stopped.

Not long after leaving Zhenxia City, we arrived at Jinhu City.

Xu Ziqing and Gu Yan got along peacefully along the way, keeping their eyes down and pretending the two people were invisible. Shen Yuntan, however, was somewhat worried.

Tianxiu and Tianshu disdained to expose their lies, and Xu Ziqing and Gu Yan dared not. However, the further they went and the deeper their relationship became, the harder it was to maintain the lie. They would have to find a time to honestly tell her the truth.

He had initially thought she would be attracted to that skilled martial artist in white, who could leap across rooftops. However, he was wrong. He suddenly realized he couldn't grasp this woman, couldn't understand what she wanted, or what she liked.

Jinhu City was built on the outskirts of Jinhu Villa, serving as a de facto half-fortress, virtually impregnable. The four found an inn to stay in, and seeing the city's heavy security, they all looked worried.

Xu Ziqing thought about the poison in Gu Yan's body.

Tang Shijiu was worried about his master.

Shen Yuntan, however, was thinking about something else.

The four sat together, their relationship strained, and they didn't enjoy their meal much.

Xu Ziqing looked at Tang Shijiu and then at Shen Yuntan, hesitated for a long time, and said, "Senior Sister... what about the antidote...?"

Tang Shijiu, looking at the heavily guarded area, was already feeling agitated. Although she was naive, she wasn't an idiot and knew that trying to force her way in under such tight security would only lead to death. Now, hearing his question, she was even more furious, saying, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Do you think I'm a god with wings who can fly in?"

Shen Yun smiled slightly, saying nothing more. However, he was observant and had already noticed that the people around him were all extraordinary and had important backgrounds.

Jinhu City was quite famous in the martial arts world, so it wasn't uncommon for martial arts practitioners to gather there. However, what was strange was that the inn, which should have been bustling and noisy on ordinary days, was unusually quiet. Everyone ate and drank in silence, and even when they did exchange a few words, they did so in hushed tones.

Xu Ziqing and Tang Shijiu, lacking experience in the martial world, didn't notice anything strange. However, Shen Yuntan and Gu Yan, having been in the martial world for many years, couldn't help but be wary.

Even so, given the quiet surroundings, the four of them didn't engage in much conversation. Xu Ziqing, after being interrupted by Tang Shijiu, remained silent.

The four were eating in a dull mood when suddenly someone burst in, bringing with them a fragrant aroma.

The man chuckled, his voice soft yet clear: "Oh, my nineteenth beauty, long time no see, have you missed me?"

Upon hearing the voice, Nineteen looked up abruptly, her face filled with surprise and delight: "Tianxiu!"

The light blue robe embroidered with golden peacock feathers trailed on the ground, and a pair of peach blossom eyes smiled before speaking. Who else could it be but Tianxiu? Tianxiu ignored Shen Yuntan's distorted face, strode forward, and hugged Shijiu from behind.

"Nineteen beauties, I've missed you so much!" Her eyes darted over Shen Yuntan's displeased expression, then she reached out and pinched Gu Yan's cheek. "Oh, my little sister, it's been so long, you've become even more radiant!"