Glancing at the handsome, charming face beside him, his strong physique and even breathing, she—who had practiced medicine alongside her grandfather since childhood—could tell the man had a flawless body!
“Wake up!” Jiang Nuo gently shook his arm.
Having served in the military for so many years, Chu Yanhan possessed extremely high vigilance and opened his eyes instantly.
The young girl beside him had sparkling apricot-shaped eyes, with the teardrops from the previous night still lingering at the corners.
She had the makings of a classic beauty, and her tender, pink lips—which he had blocked over and over again last night—were already slightly swollen. “Your lips are swollen? Does it hurt?”
As he spoke, Chu Yanhan reached out and lightly touched them.
Hearing the man’s words, Jiang Nuo felt an urge to slap him across the face, but looking at the military-green uniform he wore at the head of the bed, and still needing his help, she let his hand rest and trace her lips. “It doesn’t hurt there, but that place hurts a lot!”
Chu Yanhan had been far too wild yesterday, leaving the roots of her thighs chafed and red, and still throbbing with a dull ache. Even though mentioning that area made Jiang Nuo feel utterly embarrassed, she had no choice but to speak up!
Looking at the man’s striking, handsome face and his deep, intense gaze fixed entirely upon her—as if he wanted to swallow her whole—Jiang Nuo suddenly realized that she was stark naked, wearing nothing at all except a pink belly-band!
She hurriedly snatched the quilt beside her and dived straight under it, leaving only a pair of pretty eyes exposed to stare at the man before her.
Chu Yanhan had intended to tell her that as soon as they got back, he would apply to the military command for marriage, but the words caught in his throat. Perhaps they should spend some time getting to know each other first; popping a marriage proposal right away might scare the little girl off!
“My name is Chu Yanhan, I’m thirty years old, and I’m a regimental commander in the military region. Don’t worry, I will definitely take responsibility for what happened last night!”
Hearing that he was thirty, Jiang Nuo panicked instantly, completely missing his military rank.
“Comrade Chu, I’m eighteen years old, and I don’t need you to take responsibility! Just take me away from this place and get me a job to support myself at that military health station you mentioned!”
The man was thirty, exceptionally handsome, and a regimental commander to boot—how could he possibly still be unmarried? Rescuing him yesterday had purely been a reflex of her background as a semi-qualified barefoot doctor, treating the sick and saving lives out of sheer instinct.
Chu Yanhan could clearly hear that she had misunderstood his intentions, though being unmarried at thirty certainly tended to make people think something might be wrong with him. Fortunately, he had already proven to her last night that not only was his machinery in full working order, but it was exceptionally powerful!
“Alright, I’ll take you away right now. But before we leave, I first need to find Gao Feng’s house and deliver the money he asked me to pass along to his grandmother!”
Hearing this, Jiang Nuo beamed with delight. “I know Gao Feng; we’re childhood friends. His house is on the edge of Gaojia Village, which is why you couldn’t find it!”
With that, she tried to get up and put on her clothes, only to realize that not only was her waist sore, but there was also a swelling pain down below—it would probably take at least a week for these injuries to heal!
Chu Yanhan furrowed his brows in deep self-reproach, loathing himself so much that he gave his own face a slap. “You were in so much pain yesterday, why didn’t you call out? If you had shouted, I definitely would have stopped!”
Jiang Nuo was frightened by the sight of him hitting himself. Of course she had called out, but she didn’t even know his name, and shouting had just wasted her breath anyway! “It’s fine—pain mixed with pleasure!”
Chu Yanhan was laughed into a fit of exasperation; it seemed the two of them were actually quite well-matched after all, since he had felt plenty of pleasure last night too!
Deciding to lay all his cards on the table because he wanted that pleasure every single day, the man confessed, “I’m a rough-and-tumble guy who has never dated anyone in his thirties. Would you be willing to try getting along with me?”
As he said those words, Chu Yanhan wondered if he had lost his mind—wasn’t everyone in the entire military region well aware that he had zero interest in women?
Jiang Nuo hesitated deeply upon hearing this. She hadn’t expected the man to still be a bachelor, but there was a twelve-year age gap between them. “I’m still young; I’m not in a rush to find a partner!”
Though rejected, Chu Yanhan smiled and coaxed her gently, knowing this was going to be a long-term campaign for which he had already prepared himself mentally. “Stretch your foot over here.”
Every time the young girl moved, it hurt, so he wanted to put her socks on for her first. Seeing her little bare feet sticking out made them look rather cold!
Once the socks were on, he picked up her clothes and prepared to dress her.
At first, Jiang Nuo felt too embarrassed and insisted on dressing herself, but after a few failed attempts where every movement set her injuries aching, she gave up entirely.
As Chu Yanhan’s large, calloused hands fastened the buttons of her blouse, his well-defined fingers inadvertently brushed against her chest, causing her delicate face to heat up and flush crimson once more.
Jiang Nuo smelled wonderful; even the strands of her hair radiated a captivating charm. Though Chu Yanhan kept telling himself he was just dressing her, his vision grew increasingly blurry as the woman’s snow-white neck acted like a powerful magnet he simply couldn’t tear himself away from!
If it weren’t for the fact that dawn had broken and the young girl was already injured, he would have wanted to go for another round…
With her top finally on, Chu Yanhan ripped the quilt away from her body and picked up her underpants to slip them onto her legs!
Jiang Nuo’s face turned even redder as she quickly clamped her thighs tightly together. “Never mind, I’ll put my pants on myself.”
With a deadpan expression, Chu Yanhan couldn’t help stealing a glance down there. “What’s there to be shy about? I saw everything yesterday!”
Jiang Nuo’s face burned bright red all the way to her ears!
What he said wasn’t unreasonable, and even if she had the strength to struggle, cooperating was still her best ticket to escaping this place sooner!
Dutifully, Jiang Nuo extended her legs toward him, though she didn’t forget to deliver a light thump with her fist against his chest.
Out in the courtyard, old man Gao hadn’t slept a wink all night. As the bed in the east room squeaked for the entire night, he had sat outside crying his eyes out.
Seeing the door open, he scrambled eagerly inside.
Rushing straight to the kang and seeing Jiang Nuo hiding behind Chu Yanhan, he burst into tears. “My fine bride has been ruined by you! You broke the ground before I even got to break it!”
Frowning in deep disgust, Chu Yanhan found the man utterly revolting—how could anyone sink so low as to prey on a young girl? “Marriage is based on freedom, and you actually had the audacity to traffic human beings! Aren’t you afraid of going behind bars?”
Knowing he was no match for the man standing before him, old man Gao whimpered, “Consider me unlucky, then. Go on, get out of here, but at least wash this bride of mine off so I can still use her!”
Jiang Nuo was struck dumb with horror. Even knowing she had been slept with by Chu Yanhan, he still wanted to keep her? If this man left, old man Gao would surely beat her to death!
She gripped the fabric of the man’s shirt tightly, not daring to let go!
Chu Yanhan raised his hand and slapped him right across the face. “You shameless old bastard! You’re old enough to be her grandfather, yet you still harbor such vile thoughts…”
Clapping his hands in outrage and grimacing in pain, old man Gao slumped right down onto the ground. “Is there any justice left in this world?! You sleep with my bride, and I’m not even holding you accountable, yet you still want to take all the spoils and run off with the person? I paid fifty yuan hard-earned cash for this girl!”
Realizing the old man was simply loath to part with his money, Chu Yanhan pulled a crisp ten-yuan banknote from his pocket and threw it right onto the ground. “Here’s fifty yuan for you!”
Watching the man scoop Jiang Nuo up in his arms and carry her out of the courtyard, old man Gao cursed the heavens in rage!
Not far outside the gate, several middle-aged women gossiping under the shade of a tree stopped to point and stare.
“Look, look! That little girl must be the bride old man Gao bought yesterday afternoon!”
“That old wretch, with one foot already in the grave, still has the nerve to want a wife. Truly shameless!”