Ru Shi, always silent and expressionless, looked extremely nervous. He said seriously and solemnly, “I will. I’m just a block of wood. Her father looked down on me, and I thought she must feel the same. I went to Northern Ning for four years and never returned once. I truly wronged her. From now on, I’ll treat her well.”
Jiang Huaichu shook his head. “She’s always been like that—seems gentle but is actually very stubborn. Her father’s a fool who only cares about wealth and power. But her feelings for you are real.”
Ru Shi gave a bitter smile. “It took me this long to realize it.”
“It’s okay,” Jiang Huaichu said with a light smile. “Better late than never. There’s still a long life ahead.”
Ru Shi was an orphan raised by the old master. He became his personal guard when he grew up. By chance, he once saved Chen Yaner, and she fell in love at first sight with him. A cliché tale—she refused to marry anyone else. But her father was in the way. Ru Shi, being emotionally dense and not wanting to hold her back, asked the old master to send him to Northern Ning to cut ties, hoping she’d marry someone suitable.
He was gone for four years. When he returned with Jiang Huaichu, he discovered she had waited for him, from age sixteen to twenty.
Lovers, finally united.
While Ru Shi and Jiang Huaichu were speaking in secret, at the same time, Taifei sneaked out of the busy mansion unnoticed.
Xiao Yun, leading a small advance group of several dozen men, approached the city gates. A scout suddenly rode back and dismounted under Xiao Yun’s horse, reporting, “There’s a woman ahead asking Your Majesty to dismount for a private conversation.”
Xiao Yun frowned and followed the scout’s pointing finger. The woman in peasant clothes looked unfamiliar, but her figure was oddly familiar.
When the woman saw him looking, she signaled with her eyes.
Xiao Yun was stunned. That age, that build… someone flashed through his mind—
The elegant middle-aged woman he bumped into at Miluo Manor that day.
Someone from Chu Chu’s side.
He told his men to wait and jumped off his horse, striding over. He politely said, “I am Xiao Yun. May I ask who you are…”
Without a word, Taifei grabbed him and dragged him to a quiet corner. She said bluntly and in a low voice, “I’ll sneak you inside.”
Xiao Yun’s eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me,” Taifei said. “So, are you coming in or not?”
Xiao Yun thought he must be hearing things. “You know what I’m here for?”
Taifei rolled her eyes. “You’re here to steal the bride, obviously.”
“…You have a grudge against the royal family of Nanruo?”
Taifei said, “I understand Chu Chu. He may have agreed on the surface, but deep down he definitely doesn’t want to marry. His brother forced him into it, and he just couldn’t refuse.”
“So… you’re just going to let me in to steal him?”
“Yeah,” she replied with a face that said, ‘What’s the big deal?’ “You’ve got the setup already. This saves us the trouble of a siege and casualties. I’m doing this for the good of Nanruo and Chu Chu.”
She winked and smiled. “Go for it. They may not like you, but I always have. I think you’re a good match for our Chu Chu—even if you’re the emperor of an enemy nation.”
Happiness hit him too suddenly. Xiao Yun scratched the back of his head, forcing down the giddy grin on his face. Then, keeping a serious expression before Chu Chu’s family, he said earnestly, “I will definitely bring Chu Chu back.”
Taifei leaned in to whisper, “He’ll be in a sedan chair too. Don’t grab the wrong one. His is…”
Inside the city, the imperial road had long been cleared by guards. Armed guards maintained order on both sides, and teahouses and taverns along the street were packed with spectators. The road buzzed with excitement.
Duan Wang was getting married—everyone in the city had turned out.
“They’re here!!” a child screamed.
Jiang Huaichu, wearing a veiled hat and holding “Xiao Yun,” disguised as a commoner, stood among the crowd, watching the bridal sedan appear at the far end of the road.
The crowd roared and surged. A nearby old woman said, “Young lady, you’re pregnant and still came out? Be careful, don’t get jostled.”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
That obvious?
The old woman smiled kindly. “What, four or five months? Where’s your husband? Duan Wang’s wedding is such a grand event, and he lets you come alone?”
Jiang Huaichu was forced to make small talk with her, but before they’d exchanged more than a few sentences, the crowd suddenly screamed in the opposite direction of the bridal sedan. Jiang Huaichu whipped his head around, his face changing instantly.
On the now-empty imperial road, Xiao Yun led a charge on horseback. Behind him were Xie Zhe, Liu Yun, Zhang Kui, and other familiar faces.
How had they gotten in? Why hadn’t he received any word?
Xiao Yun cracked his whip, his steed racing at lightning speed. His black-gold hairband fluttered in the wind, sideburns blown back, his handsome face intense and glowing like a god descending—leaving many women in the crowd dazed.
The men behind him looked fierce, the burliest even wielding axes.
Guards on horseback gave chase, and panic erupted. Guards at the front of the bridal sedan drew their swords.
“They’re from Great Ning!!”
“Run!! The Ning people are going to kill!!”
Jiang Huaichu felt a bad premonition and tried to push forward, but the old woman grabbed him protectively and pulled him back. “Be careful, don’t let anyone bump into you!”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
Within seconds, Xiao Yun had broken through layers of guards and reached the bridal sedan.
“He’s going to assassinate Duan Wang!!”
“Protect Wangye!!”
Chaos ensued. Xiao Yun leapt off his horse, yanked open the sedan curtain, and jumped inside.
Screams echoed through the streets. Guards swarmed toward the sedan, civilians fled backward. Jiang Huaichu struggled forward against the crowd—fruitlessly.
Inside the bridal sedan, Xiao Yun looked at the refined, handsome “Jiang Huaichu” sitting there. He immediately grinned.
Chu Chu could only wear wedding robes for him.
“Jiang Huaichu” was stunned.
Time was short. Xiao Yun didn’t say a word, just hoisted the person up over his shoulder and laughed, “Chu Chu, didn’t expect this, huh—”
Then his face changed drastically.
Why was this person so heavy?
“Put me down!”
The voice that responded was a deep, masculine baritone.
Xiao Yun, horror-struck, tossed the person away like a burning coal, backing against the sedan wall in shock. “Who the h*ll are you?!”
Outside, the generals from Great Ning shouted, “Your Majesty, just grab him already!!”
Zhang Kui and Dong Lu charged into the sedan.
Since this was Duan Wang’s wedding, the sedan was large enough to fit several people. Zhang Kui and Dong Lu saw their emperor frozen in place and immediately cursed his uselessness.
“Sorry, Empress!”
They each grabbed a limb to carry the person out. Furious, Ru Shi punched Zhang Kui squarely in the face. Caught off guard, Zhang Kui cried out, “Your Highness Empress?!”
Ru Shi was livid. “Empress my *ss! I’ll kill you!”
Zhang Kui was so shocked by the “Empress’” voice and vulgarity that he dropped the person, who crashed to the floor.
Just then, a short, pudgy puppy scurried under the sedan curtain and bit the stunned Xiao Yun’s robe, trying to drag him out.
Xiao Yun looked down, face instantly turning dark. “He’s outside?”
Imperial guards surrounded the sedan.
Zhang Kui and Dong Lu looked at Xiao Yun, bewildered.
Jiang Huaichu finally pushed through the crowd, his face burning with embarrassment on Xiao Yun’s behalf.
He had made a human-skin mask for Ru Shi, with a 90% likeness to his own face. Unless someone stared closely, they couldn’t tell the difference. But the body build was impossible to hide. Xiao Yun should soon realize it wasn’t him.
He thought Xiao Yun had been joking when he said if Jiang Huaichu went through with the wedding, he’d come and snatch him.
How had he gotten inside?
Why didn’t he get any word of this? If Ru Shi had found out in advance, he definitely would’ve stopped it.
Now… how would Xiao Yun smooth this over?
The sedan curtain lifted again. Xiao Yun, shameless and unflustered, raised his voice: “I heard Duan Wang is getting married. Though I wasn’t invited, Great Ning is known for our enthusiasm. I’ve come personally with my generals to offer a wedding gift.”
He bowed and removed from his belt a pair of priceless jade mandarin duck pendants, offering them with both hands to the person inside the sedan.
The person inside reached out with thick, trembling fingers.
Jiang Huaichu, at the front of the crowd, could see it clearly: “…”
This was probably a compromise he and Ru Shi had made—neither side wanted to cause a scene. A classic case of bait-and-switch and mistaken identity.
“He was here to give a gift after all?”
“Have you ever seen someone give a gift like that?”
“They’re from Great Ning. What do you expect?”
“Still… that was a bit too enthusiastic. I thought bandits were raiding. Scared me half to death.”
“Maybe they were just trying to scare Duan Wang, show him who’s boss.”
“No wonder they say the Emperor of Great Ning is a rogue.”
Xiao Yun, unfazed, stepped aside after presenting his gift and gave Zhang Kui and Dong Lu a meaningful look—graciously letting them take the fall.
The crowd stared at Zhang Kui, who was holding a double-headed axe. With his fierce appearance, he grinned sheepishly: “Please don’t misunderstand, this axe is… uh… my wedding gift for Duan Wang.”
As he spoke, he handed the axe to a stunned Nanruo guard.
Laughter thundered from the crowd. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying him much attention, Xiao Yun half-covered his mouth with his hand and softly blew a whistle.
Jiang Huaichu had been stealing glances at him all along. His face suddenly changed, and he turned to leave, but the little pup had already let out a cheerful “Awoo!” and happily chased after him.
Xiao Yun’s gaze snapped to the figure—it was a slender person with fluttering robes and a veiled hat.
The corners of Xiao Yun’s mouth lifted. While everyone was either laughing or stunned, he swung onto his horse.
His fine steed charged like lightning without needing any warm-up, galloping straight toward the crowd. Screams erupted again as people scattered in panic.
The hooves were right in front of them. Jiang Huaichu, directly in the path, held his breath. In the next instant, a strong arm wrapped around his waist.
With a steady lift, Xiao Yun released the reins entirely, grabbed Jiang Huaichu, and placed him in front on the saddle. Then, with one hand, he took back the reins. The horse reared with a loud neigh and came to a stop.
It was dangerously close—but flawless.
It all happened in a flash. Jiang Huaichu’s mind was blank from the sudden turn of events. Xiao Yun had already wrapped his arm firmly around his waist, holding him tight, and laughed loudly: “I originally came to celebrate Duan Wang’s wedding, but to my surprise, I encountered my destined one! Since Nanruo is full of talent and beauty, I’m taking this one with me!”
The Emperor of Great Ning, publicly snatching a citizen?
The crowd was dumbfounded, speechless. Xiao Yun cracked his whip and rode off swiftly toward the city gates.
Jiang Huaichu finally came to his senses, his face flushing bright red. He struggled and yelled, “Let me down!”
“No.”
“You—!”
Xiao Yun still had the leisure to lean in and tease Jiang Huaichu’s reddened ear:
“You’re not Duan Wang anymore—you’re the captive bride taken back by me, the Emperor of Great Ning, at first sight.”
“…” Jiang Huaichu was mortified. “Xiao Yun!”
“Your husband is here, what does my wife need?” Xiao Yun replied lazily, with a grin.
“…” Jiang Huaichu took a deep breath. “Let me go back.”
“My dear wife, I’m a mountain bandit, not some do-gooder. You can cry to the heavens or the earth—it won’t help.”
Jiang Huaichu, both embarrassed and furious, shouted, “Xiao Yun!”
“Shout like that again and I’ll get hard. Your voice is just too sweet.”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
Realizing he couldn’t resist, Jiang Huaichu gave up completely and decided to ignore him from now on.
The situation had escalated so quickly that all the city’s guards had rushed to Luoping Street to save Duan Wang. After Xiao Yun broke through the encirclement, the city gates were left lightly guarded. He didn’t kill anyone—just drove them off—and escaped the city clutching Jiang Huaichu in his arms.
Because the priority was Duan Wang, not a “common girl” kidnapped by the Great Ning emperor, no one chased him down. The d*mn Great Ning emperor easily snatched away the treasured young Wangye of Nanruo.
On horseback, the jolts made Xiao Yun’s chest rub against Jiang Huaichu’s back, spreading heat between them—so intimate it was unbearable. Jiang Huaichu kept inching forward, but Xiao Yun repeatedly dragged him back, whispering, “Does your butt hurt?”
Jiang Huaichu stayed silent.
“Don’t worry,” Xiao Yun said. “My mountain fortress has plenty of good things. I’ll take great care of you. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. Come on, let me give you a kiss.”
Jiang Huaichu slapped his hand over Xiao Yun’s face, but Xiao Yun only laughed, grabbed the hand, stared into his eyes, and pressed a kiss to his wrist.
Jiang Huaichu’s eyes reddened with shame, and he struggled for ages but couldn’t break free.
When they arrived at the camp, under the stunned and speechless gazes of the soldiers, Xiao Yun carried the man in front of him straight into the main tent. He turned and ordered that no one be allowed inside.
Jiang Huaichu, face cold, said, “Xiao Yun, why did you kidnap me?”
“I already said—so you could be my captive bride.”
Jiang Huaichu struggled to get down. Xiao Yun smirked, “Move again and I’ll touch your belly.”
“…” Jiang Huaichu inhaled deeply.
“Let me hold you properly.” Xiao Yun rubbed his face hard against Jiang Huaichu’s.
He messed up Jiang Huaichu’s carefully arranged hair. Jiang Huaichu turned his face away, hesitated for a few seconds, but still couldn’t help saying: “Xiao Yun, my dog…”
“Zhang Kui grabbed it by the scruff and brought it back. Wait a minute—” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief, “I’m right here, and you’re thinking about your dog?!”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
Xiao Yun tossed him onto a soft couch. His hat veil slipped off, revealing his face.
Just as Jiang Huaichu tried to get up, Xiao Yun pounced on him, cupping his face: “Don’t move. Let me have a good look. I haven’t looked at you properly in over three months.”
He pinched Jiang Huaichu’s cheeks until his lips puckered. Jiang Huaichu glared at him.
“I’m going to check every inch of you later. I’ve missed you like crazy.”
Jiang Huaichu’s eyes widened. “No way…”
Xiao Yun pulled him back. “Don’t you miss me? I think about you every single day.”
Jiang Huaichu turned his face away.
“I miss you so much, all the time,” Xiao Yun said, pulling out a pure white handkerchief from inside his robe and proudly showing it off. “Look! You gave this to me—I kept it.”
“Smell the air in my tent. It’s full of the scent packets you gave me.”
A familiar soft fragrance filled his nose. Jiang Huaichu looked at the carefully kept handkerchief and felt a slight tremble in his heart.
“I want to be good to you, but your imperial brother kept me away—I couldn’t even see you. How was I supposed to take care of you? I heard from the old man that the baby was giving you a hard time—it broke my heart. And they still wouldn’t let me stay by your side. Do they know what you need? Do they know how to love you? Jiang Huaiyi, that old—”
Jiang Huaichu looked at him with a faint smile.
Xiao Yun slipped up, but quickly covered it up without changing expression: “Your big brother’s got a kingdom to manage—how could he have time to care for my precious treasure and our little one? You’ve lost weight. You don’t lack anything—except for the one man in the whole world who knows how to truly love you: me, Xiao Yun.”
Holding the warm, very real person in his arms, Xiao Yun deeply regretted not stealing him away sooner.
Only when his beloved is within arm’s reach can his heart be at ease. Everything else can wait.
Jiang Huaichu said, “…Have some shame.”
“Jiang Huaichu, you little liar,” Xiao Yun didn’t even bother taking off his boots as he leaned in close, insisting on holding him. Like two kids fighting, they ended up in a deadlock, face to face, big eyes staring into smaller ones. “You helped someone else, didn’t tell me, and made me lose face. Tell me, isn’t that bad of you?”
Jiang Huaichu refused to back down: “Why should I tell you? And besides, did I ask you to come and snatch me?”
“Yeah, what do we even have to do with each other?” Xiao Yun’s hand slid over Jiang Huaichu’s belly. Watching his stunned, embarrassed, and furious expression, he said slowly, “It’s not like we lost our innocence together. It’s not like we lived together for over a month. It’s not like we gave each other our hearts. It’s not like I confessed to you and you said you liked me. It’s not like you’re four months pregnant with my child and can’t even hide it anymore, right? Yeah, I guess we really have nothing to do with each other.”
Jiang Huaichu asked, “…What do you want?”
Xiao Yun’s eyes twinkled with amusement, like a mischievous boy: “They had their wedding night, so I want mine too. The noble Wangye of Nanruo, the emperor’s beloved, was stolen away by me without anyone noticing — and now he’ll have a wedding night with me.”
“Xiao Yun!!” Jiang Huaichu exclaimed in horror and tried to push him away.
“Chuchu, I really like you. I like you so much, I can’t wait even one more second. It’s so hard for me.”
He whispered deliberately in his ear. Jiang Huaichu’s ears flushed red, a rosy hue spreading across his pale skin. With a faint smile, he said, “Is this what you call taking care of me?”
“I’ll atone for my sins tomorrow morning,” Xiao Yun sighed. “But tonight, let me be a little wicked, okay?”
“……”
“It’s been three and a half months. Do you know what kind of torture that is? Thinking of you every day until it hurts. I promise I’ll be gentle. I’ll take good care of you. Let me show you how much I love you, okay?”
