To persuade the man to agree to marry her, Cui Xiaoqi thought of a method that might make him cooperate willingly.
The man frowned, clearly uneasy about his lost memories.
"Last night, you were shivering all over and used me as a heating pad… Out of kindness to save you completely, I took off my clothes and used my own body heat to warm you…"
Cui Xiaoqi stole a sidelong glance at the man's reaction.
His brow furrowed. She had saved him, and she could also stir his desires—could it really be such a coincidence?
Could it be…
Seeing that the timing was about right, Cui Xiaoqi rubbed her hand against the marriage certificate tucked at the innermost part of the bed and revealed it before the man's eyes. "Um, I'm sixteen this year, and my family can't afford the Unmarried Tax Silver. The tax collectors are threatening to drag me to the Official Matchmaker. I really had no choice, so I had no choice but to make you press your fingerprint on the marriage certificate. Once this matter is over, we can divorce, as repayment for my saving your life."
"After all, you won't lose anything."
Repaying kindness with coercion? The man looked coldly at the woman still in his arms. She wasn’t some stunning beauty or a charming lady, but upon closer inspection, her eyebrows were eyebrows, her eyes were eyes, and her lips were lips.
Put together, she had a uniquely captivating charm.
The man stared at her for a long time before suddenly curling his lips into a smile. "Are you sure? You won’t regret it?"
Cui Xiaoqi hadn’t expected the man to agree so easily without much persuasion. Surprised, she nodded hurriedly. "I’m absolutely sure! The word 'regret' isn’t in Cui Xiaoqi’s dictionary!"
A flicker of calculation flashed in the man’s eyes. He wanted to see which force was behind this woman and what they were up to.
Seeing the man agree, Cui Xiaoqi felt elated.
She quickly put on her clothes, jumped off the bed, poured a cup of long-cold water, and hurried to the bedside.
Afraid the man might change his mind, she immediately changed her address, calling out sweetly, "Husband, have some water!"
"Pei Ji!" the man corrected, his voice low and hoarse. The term "husband" grated on his ears.
"Huh?" Cui Xiaoqi was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on, smiling as she called out, "A-Ji!"
Hearing this, Pei Ji’s hand holding the cup trembled.
This damn woman!
No one had ever dared to call him by such a name. She was truly the first to be so reckless!
Fine!
It’s just a form of address. Let her have her way.
Pei Ji was indeed thirsty. A cup of cold water slid down his throat, and his handsome brows furrowed with displeasure.
Cui Xiaoqi, however, remained oblivious, smiling ingratiatingly. "I need your household registration certificate. Otherwise, on the third day, I’ll be dragged to the Official Matchmaker again… Without me, you might freeze to death, starve to death, or die of illness…"
She deliberately drew out her words, her dark eyes fixed intently on Pei Ji.
The implication was clear: if I suffer, you won’t fare well either…
Pei Ji remained silent for a long while before finally uttering a weak "Hmm" through gritted teeth, sounding feeble and powerless.
This woman had gone to such lengths to get close to him, found such a seemingly legitimate excuse, and even dared to threaten him.
He glanced sideways at Cui Xiaoqi standing by the bed and said coldly, "I’m hungry…"
Cui Xiaoqi was delighted. "Alright, wait here. I’ll head to the kitchen right away~"
Once he was well-fed and rested for another day to recover, she could have him go home to fetch his household registration. She just hoped Wang Shougen and his son wouldn’t show up halfway to ruin things!
Cui Xiaoqi opened the door to find a thick layer of snow blanketing the thatched roof. Xiao Jiu was crouched in the yard, fearlessly building a snowman despite the cold, her little face and hands flushed red from the chill.
Spotting Cui Xiaoqi, she waved excitedly, "Sister Qi, come help me build the snowman!"
Cui Xiaoqi shook her head. "Don't play too much, or you'll catch a cold." With that, she turned and entered the kitchen.
Inside, a few simple dishes were laid out on the table: a plate of stir-fried cabbage without a hint of oil, a plate of dried radish, and the most enticing of all—the rabbit stew from yesterday, its surface glistening with a layer of white fat.
Cui Xiaoqi picked up a bowl of coarse rice porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it.
Xu Qiaoqiao had soaked the rice overnight and simmered it for a long time to make it less coarse on the throat.
"Xiaoqi, take a bowl of soup to your husband first," Xu Qiaoqiao said from across the table, gently tapping Cui Xiaoqi's bowl with her chopsticks. "Since you brought him back, he hasn't had a drop of water or a grain of rice, and he's injured. Don't let him starve!"
Cui Xiaoqi shook her head, taking a big gulp of porridge and mumbling through her mouthful, "I'll take it to him after I finish eating."
Xu Qiaoqiao sighed. "You silly girl, now that you're married, you should care for your own husband."
Thud! Cui Xiaoqi set her bowl down on the table. "Mother, from now on, just call him Xiao Pei. I'm full. I'll take food to your son-in-law right now and make sure I feed him bite by bite."
She stood up, carefully skimmed the fat off the soup, ladled a bowl of clear broth, and added a few pieces of meat.
Xiao Jiu, chilled to the bone, burst into the kitchen with a gust of cold wind and plopped down on a stool, staring intently as Cui Xiaoqi picked out the meat. Her face twisted with exaggerated pain. "Sister, people with injuries shouldn't eat meat."
Cui Xiaoqi shot her a glance. "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You're just afraid there won't be any meat or soup left for you."
Xiao Jiu, caught in her little scheme, grinned sheepishly, revealing deep dimples.
"You little rascal, share this meat with your Eighth Sister and Mother." With that, Cui Xiaoqi turned and headed toward Pei Ji's room.
"Sister Qi, aren't you going to eat?" Xiao Jiu called after her.
Cui Xiaoqi paused by the window and glanced inside. "I'm full. I don't want any more."
In truth, she wasn't full at all. She was just thinking that her younger sisters were still growing and needed more to eat, and her mother's health had been poor these past two years, so she needed nourishment even more.
Pushing open the door, a gust of cold wind swept snowflakes into the room, where they instantly melted into the meat broth.
Before she could even turn around, she heard a thud—the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
Cui Xiaoqi jumped in fright, nearly dropping the bowl in her hands. Scalding hot soup splashed onto her hand, instantly reddening the skin.
Turning around, she saw Pei Ji had fallen face-down on the floor.
Her heart tightened. She hastily set the bowl on the wobbly table and rushed over to help him.
With great effort, she managed to pull him up and sit him on the edge of the bed. Immediately, she knelt on the floor and reached out to examine his kneecap.
Pei Ji blocked her hand with the back of his own, pausing slightly when he saw the reddened skin on her hand. "I'll do it myself."
Cui Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow and stood up, her brow furrowed with worry. Had he broken his leg? How would they get the household registration then? Was Heaven really leaving her no way out?
"Go, fetch a hammer—" Pei Ji instructed.
Cui Xiaoqi's gaze fell on his leg, and only then did she realize with a start that his leg bone was dislocated.
"Alright," she replied without further questions, turning to leave the room.
A moment later, Cui Xiaoqi returned to the room with a hammer and handed it to Pei Ji.
Pei Ji placed his broken leg on the bed and without hesitation swung the hammer down. A crisp crack echoed through the room.
Cui Xiaoqi couldn’t help but cover her mouth. Was this man really so ruthless even toward himself?
And throughout it all, he didn’t make a sound—not even his breathing faltered—though fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, a testament to just how unbearable the pain must have been.
What a tough guy!
Friendly reminder: If you’re enjoying this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won’t lose track of it next time!
Settings