12 – You are my woman
He spoke so loudly that Gu Pingting was taken aback for a moment, her face flushing bright red. She gritted her teeth and snapped, “Who wants to be your wife?”
Feng Shan watched her, both embarrassed and angry, her fair, delicate face glowing red. He grinned, stepped closer, and patted her head. “I saved your life. Isn’t it only natural for you to repay me with your hand in marriage?”
How shameless he was! Gu Pingting felt so flustered her whole body grew warm. She stared at Feng Shan with a pitiful expression. “You big liar! I thought you were my savior, but you just want to trick me into being your wife!”
Feng Shan chuckled. “What’s so bad about being my wife? I know how to treat a woman right!”
Gu Pingting swatted his big hand away from her head and spat, “Pah! A toad lusting after swan meat! Keep dreaming!”
Feng Shan had made his intentions clear—he had ulterior motives toward her. Gu Pingting no longer trusted him. Furious and acting on impulse, she thought that since no one would take her back to the royal capital, she would walk there herself!
In her anger, Gu Pingting strode forward.
Feng Shan stayed where he was, watching her, and said with a laugh, “Who cares if it’s a toad? As long as it gets to eat the swan meat, it’s a good toad!”
This time, Feng Shan didn’t follow her immediately. Instead, he waited until Gu Pingting had walked some distance before quietly trailing behind to protect her.
Watching the slender, limping figure of Gu Pingting ahead, Feng Shan’s eyes gleamed.
Feng Shan was an exceptional hunter. He often spent an entire day chasing a large prey, patient and unhurried.
His tall, sturdy figure stood in the sunlight, his resolute face full of smiles. Now, his prey was Gu Pingting.
He would wait until she wore herself out from her own struggles, and then she would naturally become docile, ready for him to capture.
Feng Shan curled his lips. This little woman was destined to be his—she couldn’t escape.
Gu Pingting stomped forward angrily. She was determined to return to the royal capital, but after wandering around the village several times, she realized she was lost!
Gu Pingting stopped at a fork in the road, surrounded by dirt paths and stone piles. She remembered she had already passed this same fork three times.
Staring at the fork, the bold determination to walk back to the royal capital instantly faded by more than half!
Standing at the crossroads, Gu Pingting didn’t know which way to go. Her eyes reddened, and she felt utterly miserable.
Feng Shan, following behind her, had already stifled countless chuckles watching her wander confusedly in circles around the village.
Now, seeing her standing there pitifully, Feng Shan suppressed his laughter and stepped forward to point the way. “Go right, and you’ll leave the village.”
Hearing this, Gu Pingting could no longer hold back. She burst into loud sobs! Overwhelmed with misery and anger, she wailed openly.
Her fair skin flushed as large tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look both pitiful and adorable in a soft, delicate way.
Feng Shan really wanted to kiss her!
But clearly, now was not the time. Feng Shan held back his laughter, wiped her tears, and comforted her. “Why cry for no reason? I haven’t bullied you.”
Gu Pingting cried out loudly, “You were right… I’m so stupid!”
She couldn’t even find her way…
Feng Shan was utterly charmed by her cuteness and couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter.
Under the sunlight, the two stood facing each other—one tall and imposing, the other petite and delicate.
One cried pitifully, the other laughed uproariously.
One was burly, rugged, and intimidating; the other was small, exquisite, and elegant. Though they seemed like an unlikely pair, standing together, the atmosphere was bright and warm.
Gu Pingting had too many tears, so Feng Shan used his sleeve to wipe them away, sighing, “You may be a bit foolish, but damn it, I like you just the way you are—silly and fair-skinned! Looking at you makes me feel all fired up!”
Feng Shan’s rough fabric scraped against Gu Pingting’s delicate face, making it hurt. She turned her face away.
“It’s already noon, you must be hungry. Come home with me, I’ll make you something delicious.” Feng Shan reached out to take Gu Pingting’s hand.
Gu Pingting refused to let him hold it, wiping her tears herself as she said, “I won’t go back with you. I know you—your mind is deep and full of schemes! You just want to trick me into being your wife, and I won’t do it! I don’t believe you anymore. You’re a big liar, don’t even think about fooling me!”
After saying this, Gu Pingting turned and walked to the right again. She still wanted to return to the royal capital!
Feng Shan didn’t believe she was a princess at all. He was just trying to deceive her, and she had no intention of becoming his little wife!
Feng Shan shrugged and quietly followed behind her. Gu Pingting, this little woman, was seven parts delicate and soft, three parts temperamental. Her stubbornness didn’t surprise him.
Feng Shan followed Gu Pingting out of the village, his hands clasped behind his back as he strolled leisurely.
Just wait a little longer—this delicate little woman wouldn’t make it more than two li anyway.
Gu Pingting followed the path Feng Shan had pointed out and indeed reached the village entrance. She turned around and saw Feng Shan still following her, so she snapped, “Stop following me! Give up on that idea—I won’t go back with you! And I definitely won’t marry you! Hmph!”
After saying this, Gu Pingting continued forward with her walking stick. Feng Shan followed patiently, walking alongside her as he said, “There’s a band of mountain bandits around here. A fair-skinned young girl like you walking alone on the mountain road—won’t you just get kidnapped by them? You’re my woman, and I have to protect you.”
Gu Pingting frowned. Who was his woman? Pah!
Feeling displeased, Gu Pingting pursed her lips tightly.
Seeing she wasn’t afraid, Feng Shan added, “And there are often jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards on this mountain road, preying on fair-skinned people like you.”
Gu Pingting bit her lip and looked around. Once outside the village, it was all deep, old forests, with a long, winding mountain road leading to who knows where.
She peered deeper into the woods—dark, dense, and silent, with an underlying sense of terror.
Gu Pingting grew a little scared, but she steeled herself and kept walking.
After walking for a while, she suddenly realized the heavy sound of Feng Shan’s footsteps behind her had disappeared. Gu Pingting stiffened and quickly looked back.
When she turned around, she saw Feng Shan standing not far away, looking at her teasingly. Gu Pingting’s face flushed red.
This man was deliberately trying to scare her! How awful!
Gu Pingting grew even angrier, stomping forward with her walking stick.
Feng Shan grinned. Teasing her in his spare time was quite amusing.
The mountain road was winding and bumpy. Gu Pingting hadn’t walked far before her legs began to ache—they hadn’t fully recovered yet.
She had walked a lot today and was starting to feel exhausted.
Gu Pingting gazed at the endless, twisting mountain road ahead, and a sense of defeat washed over her. Her legs hurt terribly, and the midday heat made her sweat profusely. She chose a large tree and sat down to rest.
Seeing her stop, Feng Shan looked back. From here, he could still see the stone marker at the village entrance. Feng Shan smiled. He had said it—this little woman wouldn’t make it more than two li.
This little woman had a temper, but she lacked resilience…
Feng Shan plucked a large leaf from the roadside, walked into the shade of the tree, and used the leaf to fan Gu Pingting.
Gu Pingting’s face was flushed with heat, her heart feeling stifled and uncomfortable. As Feng Shan fanned her, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Seeing her like this, Feng Shan felt a pang of pity. He wiped the sweat from her brow and said in a low, serious voice, “You won’t make it out of these mountains. The mountain path alone stretches for ten miles, and from here to the royal capital is another five hundred miles. With your delicate constitution, I doubt you could endure even a carriage ride, let alone walking.”
Had she not gone through this ordeal, Gu Pingting might have stubbornly argued back. But after this experience, she understood that Feng Shan was speaking the truth.
Gu Pingting lowered her gaze, biting her lip.
Feng Shan knew she had calmed down and coaxed her gently, “Stop making a fuss and come back with me. Your leg injury has only just healed enough for you to walk. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll end up a cripple for the rest of your life.”
Feng Shan’s words made sense, and Gu Pingting’s resolve wavered. She looked up and studied him carefully.
This tall, burly man was rough around the edges, but he was no fool.
From the start, he hadn’t argued with her. Instead, he let her exhaust herself, waiting until she lost heart before calmly explaining things to her.
He was rational, methodical, and patient!
As Gu Pingting looked at him, she realized how cunning he was. Being noticed by someone like him made her feel uneasy…
If she wasn’t careful, she might really end up becoming his wife!