“I’m fine.” I stiffened my face. “Hero, I’m going home. About the reward…”
“No need.”
“Oh.” I turned, walking a few steps along the embankment, then stopped and turned back. “Hero, may I see your face?”
He sneered. “Don’t you know curiosity kills?”
“Oh.” I thought, hesitantly saying, “But I still want to see your face.”
He lowered his arms and slowly walked towards me. His tight outfit outlined a slender, taut silhouette, like power coiled to be released. I suddenly felt regretful and stepped back. “Actually… it’s not that urgent, hero, don’t take it seriously…”
The hero pondered. “Why do you want to see?”
“I just feel you’re a bit like my husband.”
“That sugar cake seller? You think I’m him?”
“Uh—” My face was somewhat frozen, intending to smile but only managing a lip twitch. “No one says a sugar cake seller can’t be a hero.”
“Fine.” Unexpectedly, he agreed readily. “If you want to see, come and unveil it yourself.”
I hesitated. “Will you kill me to keep it secret?”
“No.”
“Will you poison or blind me?”
“No!”
“Will you kidnap me as a mountain bandit’s wife?”
He finally grew angry, leaping up, powerfully reaching for me. Startled, I couldn’t dodge and was caught in his embrace. “Do you think I’m a bandit? Are you looking or not?”
“Looking.” I mustered courage and pulled down his black cloth.
He stared at me, eyes like black smoke, face like polished jade.
“Indeed… quite similar.” After a long look, I honestly evaluated. “May I ask if you have a brother named An…”
He gritted his teeth. “Xiao Yao!”
I lowered my head. The hero had merely struck the Crown Prince’s pressure point, clearly not an assassin but intentionally coming to rescue me. I just didn’t understand… how he suddenly became a martial arts master.
“A Yao,” his tone softened. “It’s me.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Heroines of Antiquity
The husband transformed into a muscular hero was no longer the elegant gentleman in court dress, nor the suave figure in casual wear, but looked agile and sharp, with a much more severe expression, making me somewhat uncomfortable.
He noticed my unease and became awkward himself. “Does it… look really bad?”
I quickly comforted him: “Not that bad, you’ll get used to it after looking for a while.”
His face stiffened.
Only by learning martial arts can you protect your future wife. From then on, he secretly practiced martial arts from me. However, I had been married to him for so long that I hadn’t noticed anything unusual, and he only had a thin callus on his hand, not at all like someone who practiced martial arts year-round. Moreover—where was his weapon hidden?
He quietly took out a pair of deerskin gloves and pulled out a smooth, slender silver thread from between his hair tie. “This is a burning thread, my weapon.” I understood immediately. It was hard to believe that for the sake of not letting me discover, he had persisted in wearing gloves while practicing martial arts and chose such a conveniently hidden weapon. An Jin silently looked at me, his eyes somewhat apprehensive. Seeing his earnestness, I had to set aside my previous prejudice against martial artists and comfort his fragile heart that feared being despised by his wife.
“Not bad,” I pointed at the silver thread. “Quite elegant.” He quietly put away his gloves and silver thread, slightly discouraged. I stood on tiptoe and tugged at his face. “That’s right, my sugar cake husband, identification complete. A sugar cake husband can also become a great hero, I’m gratified.” He laughed, holding my hand. “Are you cold?” I was stunned, and as if in response to his words, immediately sneezed several times. “Let’s go home,” he took out a handkerchief and wiped my face. The demon wife and sugar cake husband, hand in hand, left two sets of footprints in the snow-covered ground, gradually merging into one. The house was very quiet, with a warm stove and hot water in the bedroom, two steaming bowls of brown sugar ginger soup on the table, but no one around, as if leaving space for us. I jumped down from An Jin’s back, forcing him to take off his shoes and socks and soak his feet in hot water with me. After soaking our feet and drinking the ginger soup, we buried ourselves in the warm quilt, limbs intertwined, and began to talk calmly.
Relying solely on the princess’s power, it would be impossible to disappear so thoroughly. An Jin suspected that Su Xi had hidden her, and this was likely a collective scheme by the entire Su family.
This was also the reason why he was on good terms with Su Xi and close to Su Hui. His suppression of the previous case of impersonating an official with Su Xi’s involvement was partly to gain their trust and facilitate further investigation, and partly to prevent startling the snake and causing Su Xi to take any unexpected actions that might disrupt the already discovered clues.
I can’t help but have complex feelings for the princess who fled her marriage. For the sake of her lover, disregarding the relations between two countries and the people, but is this lover really worth such actions? Damn Su Xi.
“Remember, all men except me are despicable,” An Jin turned over, facing away from me, and tightly held my arm against his chest.
“Be good, A Yao, go to sleep.”
I wanted to say something, but he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Remember, I’ll take care of everything.”
I hugged him from behind, closed my eyes, and quickly fell asleep, having a beautiful dream. In the dream, An Jin became a supreme god standing on auspicious clouds, holding me as we floated back and forth. Finally, he smiled mysteriously and conjured a sugar cake, generously offering it to me.
I happily took it, taking bite after bite. The sugar cake was fragrant, though a bit hard.
When I woke up, I saw a row of teeth marks on An Jin’s neck, glistening with saliva.
Not long after the New Year, the Seventh Princess was finally married off to Xiliang. An Jin and I breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, An Jin believed that given the Seventh Princess’s personality, she would imprison me to vent her anger and would not send me to the Eastern Palace in such a clever manner. He felt she must have someone advising her behind the scenes and that they should not be careless.
My elder brother learned of Miao Yin’s true identity, and the two have become intimate. It seems good days are near. An Jin kept Miao Yin’s distant aunt a mystery, only saying she is a highly powerful lady.
On the other hand, with the support of my younger sister, Song Shu Tian has launched a fierce offensive towards the young master of the Tang family, Tang Wei, and has finally seen some initial success. Everything seems fine.
But our unreliable royal family of the Great Qi Kingdom clearly does not want us to have a peaceful life for too long.
The Empress, using the blooming of peach blossoms in the palace as a pretext, specially sent someone to invite me to the palace to appreciate the flowers. I was helpless; what was meant to come would eventually come. I couldn’t always rely on An Jin to shield me from all winds and storms. It was time to face things.
Actually, I was not worried. Since An Jin could find me from the vast imperial palace and rescue me from the Eastern Palace’s territory, he must have a special method. Moreover, this palace visit was by the Empress’s imperial decree, which provided additional assurance.
The peach blossom forest in the Imperial Garden had just sprouted new buds, with fuzzy flower buds occasionally interspersed with touches of peach red, which was quite pleasing. The Empress stood among the peach trees, wearing a golden phoenix robe, standing proudly with her head held high.
