AGRMDHR C27

Chapter 27 I Want to Kiss You

 

There was no way Xu Shuyue would let Ban Su keep following her around.

She had worked hard to convince her in-laws to let her visit the city, not just to set up shop but also to secure a solid foundation for her future. If Ban Su kept an eye on her, then Qi Siming would know her every move.

Her mind raced as she walked, deliberately ignoring Ban Su’s presence while pausing at different stalls, searching for an opportunity to slip away.

But Ban Su had received strict orders before coming. He was exceptionally sharp—if Xu Shuyue held onto any item for more than two breaths without putting it down, he would immediately pay for it.

Whenever she questioned him, he would flash a grin and say, “Sister-in-law, no need to save money for the general. If you see something you like, just buy it. The emperor rewarded him handsomely for his victory—he has plenty of silver!”

Xu Shuyue blinked. Whether Qi Siming had silver or not was none of her business, but Ban Su was practically handing her a whip to use against his general—how could she refuse his kind offer?

With a playful arch of her brow, she chuckled. “Oh? Your general is quite generous, then.”

Ban Su beamed. He idolized Qi Siming and couldn’t stand seeing his general struggling with romance, so he was determined to boost his reputation in front of Xu Shuyue.

As they strolled through the marketplace, he enthusiastically recounted Qi Siming’s past—every major and minor event from the last seven or eight years in the northern borders, carefully highlighting the most impressive deeds.

Xu Shuyue listened, responding every now and then, while discreetly buying item after item.

Ban Su was so engrossed in his storytelling that he didn’t notice the growing number of things he was carrying.

By the time he reached the climax of an especially thrilling battle tale, he finally turned—only to realize that Xu Shuyue was gone.

His heart dropped.

Whipping his head around, he scanned the area, his face darkening. Ignoring the jumble of items in his arms, he grabbed a nearby vendor by the collar and demanded, “The young lady who was just standing next to me—where did she go?!”

The vendor’s feet dangled off the ground as he stammered in fright, “S-She… she left a while ago! Sir, p-please! I can’t breathe—”

Ban Su clenched his fists, then exhaled sharply and let go.

“Which way did she go?” he barked.

The general had entrusted him with protecting his wife, a sign of his trust. And now? He had lost her!

Ban Su gritted his teeth, berating himself for being too careless. The only option now was to find her first and then face his punishment.

The vendor took a deep breath, pointed toward the opposite side of the street, and said nervously, “I… I think she went that way.”

Ban Su shot him a sharp look, tossed a silver ingot onto the stall, and rushed off. “Watch my things—I’ll be back soon.”

The moment he disappeared down the street, Xu Shuyue slowly stood up—from behind the vendor’s cart.

She had been crouching behind the pushcart, perfectly hidden by its wooden panels.

The vendor, still catching his breath, picked up the silver Ban Su had left and tried to return it to her.

Xu Shuyue waved a hand dismissively. “Keep it. Just do me a favor—have these things delivered to the house at the very end of Willow Alley. Look for someone with the surname ‘Qi.’”

Two taels of silver was an incredibly generous payment. Overjoyed, the vendor agreed immediately.

With nothing weighing her down, Xu Shuyue took one last glance in the direction Ban Su had gone before slipping away in the opposite direction.

The marketplace remained as lively as ever.

But within just a few moments, two people had disappeared from the wonton stall at the street corner.

Xu Shuyue had arranged to meet Second Brother Liang at Six Waters Street.

It wasn’t a well-known area of the city—its location was remote, foot traffic was sparse, and as a result, most businesses there were struggling.

That was precisely why she had her eyes set on it—the rent and property prices were cheap.

Xu Shuyue believed that once her fresh fruit drinks gained popularity, customers would never be a problem. If done right, her shop could even revitalize the entire street.

Thinking about this, she quickened her pace.

But just as she turned a corner, a filthy arm shot out and yanked her into a dark alley.

Xu Shuyue’s eyes widened.

For a moment, her vision went black, then brightened again.

Two ragged men stood before her, both tall and thin, their sallow faces stretched in leering smiles.

Pressing her back against the wall, Xu Shuyue tensed. “If it’s money you want, I can give it to you. But if it’s my life, I fear you’ll lose yours in the process.”

Her voice was firm, but her palms were cold with sweat.

The two men exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. One of them stepped forward, drawing a dagger and using it to lift her chin. He grinned wickedly. “Little lady, we don’t want your life. What we want… is this.”

His fingers brushed across her cheek, reveling in the smoothness of her skin.

Xu Shuyue shuddered. Regret stabbed through her—she shouldn’t have shaken off Ban Su. She had seen these two men earlier while shopping. They must have been watching her all along.

But it was too late for regret now.

“Come feel this, Xiao Jiu,” the man chuckled, calling to his companion. “Much softer than that old hag you were fooling around with. We really struck gold this time!”

The one called Xiao Jiu eagerly reached out.

That was the last straw. Xu Shuyue snapped. With all her strength, she drove her foot between the man’s legs.

Xiao Jiu’s face twisted in agony as he let out a blood-curdling wail. “Shi San! Don’t let her get away!”

“Shut up! Damn woman!” Shi San spat.

He lunged after Xu Shuyue in just a few strides, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her back into the alley.

Pain seared across her scalp. A sharp scratch burned across Shi San’s cheek where her nails had torn his skin. His expression darkened.

“Still got some fight in you, huh?”

Xu Shuyue clenched her jaw, ignoring the pain, and sneered, “I can be more difficult. Want to find out?”

Shi San crouched beside her, his eyes glinting with malice. Then, with a cruel laugh, he tore at her outer robe.

“You can test this out first, bitch—AHHHH!”

Xu Shuyue’s fingers jabbed viciously into his eyes. At the same time, she screamed, “HELP!”

With all the strength she could muster, she bolted toward the alley’s entrance. But Xiao Jiu, recovering from his earlier injury, swung his arm in fury. A slap landed hard across her face.

Xu Shuyue stumbled. She fell to the ground with a dull thud.

The bustling street was just a few feet away. People passed by, unaware of the nightmare unfolding in the shadows.

Hope dimmed in her eyes. Her nails dug into the dirt, breaking as she desperately clawed forward. “Help…”

The stench of unwashed bodies grew closer. Terror swallowed her whole. She shut her eyes in despair.

And then— A furious roar.

CLANG!

The unmistakable sound of steel slicing through flesh. Shi San and Xiao Jiu’s howls of pain filled the air.

“GET AWAY FROM HER.”

A voice like a blade’s edge. Then—strong, steady arms. Xu Shuyue fell into a firm embrace.

A familiar scent, the warmth of armor pressing against her.

Unconsciously, she whispered, “Qi Siming…”

“I’m sorry,” the man murmured, his voice low and tight with restrained fury. “I was late.”

At his feet, Shi San and Xiao Jiu writhed on the ground, each clutching a slashed arm. Qi Siming’s sword dripped with blood.

For her, he had drawn his blade.

Xu Shuyue stared, dazed. His powerful arms locked securely around her, radiating a solid sense of safety. Only then did she finally snap out of her terror.

Tears welled up and streamed down her face.

Burying her head against his shoulder, she sobbed, “Qi Siming, what took you so long?! I was scared to death! This is all your fault! If you hadn’t sent Ban Su, I wouldn’t have gotten targeted—he was too busy buying things to even notice, wuuu!”

Qi Siming stiffened.

Seven or eight years in the northern borders had forged him into a man of iron—one who never flinched at bloodshed. And yet now, standing here with his wife weeping in his arms, he was completely at a loss.

He fumbled to soothe her, his voice awkward but gentle.

“Don’t cry, Yueyue. I’m here now. You’re safe. Those two will never hurt you again…”

His mind raced for more ways to comfort her.

“Ban Su—I’ll punish him. Make him run laps around the city. Deduct a year’s salary. How about that?”

Soft, warm, and trembling—Qi Siming didn’t dare touch her more than he already was.

He let go of his sword, freeing one hand, but hesitated for a long moment before carefully hovering it near her back, unsure if he should pat her or not.

Qi Siming’s heart ached terribly as he watched Xu Shuyue sob uncontrollably.

His gaze turned icy as he shot a cold glance at his subordinates. Then, without another word, he scooped her up and carried her away.

Ban Su and Hou Ji exchanged glances. Without needing further instruction, they swiftly dealt with Shi San and Shi Jiu, ensuring the two would be “well taken care of” once they reached the authorities.

Back at the courtyard, Qi Siming carried Xu Shuyue into the house.

Second Brother Liang and Qi Qingfeng watched the two enter the room, both visibly concerned.

Xu Shuyue slept for an entire day and night. Even in her dreams, her fingers remained tightly clenched around a piece of Qi Siming’s robe, as if holding onto the familiar scent of the man could keep the nightmares at bay.

After that incident, Qi Siming became utterly unyielding—no matter what, he refused to let Xu Shuyue go anywhere alone.

He didn’t even bother assigning Ban Su or Hou Ji to accompany her. Instead, he personally took on the task, sticking to her side like a shadow.

Wherever she went, he went. Within days, word had spread across the entire city—General Qi was utterly devoted to his wife.

The young ladies who had secretly harbored affections for him could only sigh in resignation, lamenting their lack of fate with him.

Second Brother Liang and Qi Qingfeng, on the other hand, were more than happy to see the growing bond between the couple.

Only Xu Shuyue found the situation utterly frustrating.

That day when Qi Siming had appeared before her like an unshakable mountain, rescuing her from despair, his presence had left an imprint on her heart that refused to fade.

Troubled by these thoughts, she stole two jars of wine that Second Brother Liang had purchased and locked herself in her room to drink alone.

Unfortunately, she was caught red-handed by Qi Siming, who had just returned from training his troops. The moment he stepped inside, the rich scent of alcohol filled the air. His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze darkened as it landed on Xu Shuyue’s flushed cheeks.

He approached her slowly, his deep voice tinged with disapproval.

“Why are you drinking so much by yourself?”

Wine brewing in this era was more of an art than a science—fermentation was done purely by experience.

Xu Shuyue had assumed the alcohol content wouldn’t be too high. Besides, she had always held her liquor well in her past life. So, without a second thought, she had downed half a jar.

Now, though her mind remained clear, her body felt languid, and her guard had completely dropped.

She hugged the wine jar tightly, mumbling, “What’s wrong with drinking alone? Are you looking down on me?”

“I’m not.” Qi Siming sighed, reaching out to take the jar away before she could drink too much and wake up with a pounding headache the next day.

But before he could, she clung to it even tighter.

“You are looking down on me! No way—I want to challenge you to a drink-off!”

She poured a full bowl of wine, eyes sparkling with reckless determination.

“Drink! If you don’t drink, I’ll think you’re scared of me!”

Qi Siming’s gaze softened.

He watched her rosy cheeks, her slightly parted lips, and suddenly felt his throat tighten.

A moment later, the wine was already sliding down his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion.

He hurriedly averted his eyes, afraid of what he might do if he kept looking at her.

Xu Shuyue blinked in confusion.

Was he… avoiding her?

Did he find her ugly?

Or…

Did he have another woman in his heart?

A surge of grievance bubbled up within her. Acting purely on instinct, she reached up and cupped his face with her small hands, pressing her palms against the sharp lines of his jaw.

“You!” she huffed, pouting. “Why won’t you look at me? Am I not pretty? Or… have you found yourself some little enchantress?”

Caught off guard, Qi Siming stiffened.

She had leaned in so close that their breaths intertwined, their faces mere inches apart.

His mind blanked. His voice, hoarse and low, slipped out before he could stop it.

“I have no one else… just you.”

Those three words—“I have no one else”—felt oddly difficult to say. So he skipped them, choosing instead to state the undeniable truth.

“You’re beautiful. I only have you.”

A gentle pause.

Then—

“Yueyue, I want to kiss y—”

Before he could even finish, a soft pair of lips brushed against his own.

A kiss.

Light. Fleeting.

Qi Siming felt a storm surge within him.

Translator’s Note: Hello dear readers, we are just 9 Chapters away from the end of this novel. So If you want to read it all in one go you can read it on 29th march 2025. Enjoy your weekend. Lots of love!!❤️❤️