The wedding day of Tantai Ye was set rather hastily. It was originally planned for after Xiao Chizhan’s grand ceremony, but for some unknown reason, he insisted on marrying on the nearest auspicious date.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau was already swamped with preparations for the King of Dingbei’s wedding. The wedding of the Grand Regent, a matter of such importance and extravagance, required immense effort. The marriage rites were intricate and complex, and with the wedding date so close, the palace was in a frenzy, working tirelessly. Now, with Tantai Ye pushing the date forward, the palace was even more bustling.
Wei Qingge emerged from the General’s manor, her mind in a daze. For so long, the person still remained unconscious.
“A’luan, Mu Rou she–”
Ye Luan walked beside her and said, “Her life has been saved, she’s alive, and we must hold onto hope.” As long as she could live, there was a chance she might wake up. “But, for Tantai Ye to take advantage of the situation like this… if Mu Rou were to wake up, she probably wouldn’t want to marry him.”
Wei Qingge pouted, “He’s the most detestable.” As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up. She grabbed Ye Luan’s arm and said excitedly, “A’luan, why don’t we take Mu Rou and run away? Let’s not let him marry her.”
“–”
Ye Luan shook her head. With Tantai Ye’s nature, he would hunt them down and kill them. They wouldn’t even get out of the capital before being caught. “He will kill us.”
Wei Qingge scoffed, “With the Prince here, he won’t dare to touch you. But as for me, I’m not so sure–” She shivered, her hand instinctively touching her neck. “Forget it, forget it, we can’t fight him.”
As she spoke, she was about to turn when she saw a restaurant not far away. Li Qiong Yu, holding a woman in his arms, entered the building with a smile on his face. For some reason, Wei Qingge was instantly furious, her hands on her hips. “Hmph, this lecherous scoundrel is indeed playing me for a fool–”
Ye Luan also blinked in surprise. What was going on?
“Let’s go confront him.” That scoundrel! Not only did he kiss her, but he was also making fun of her. Was it that entertaining?! She was so angry she wished she could whip him to death.
Just as Ye Luan was about to stop her, she saw Wei Qingge striding confidently to confront him. Ye Luan quickly followed.
Li Qiong Yu went up to the second floor and noticed the person following him. He curved his lips slightly. He pushed open a door and walked in.
As Wei Qingge entered, she saw him closing the door. Angered, she went up to the second floor and kicked the door open with a loud bang. Ye Luan couldn’t hold her back. Seeing that she had truly barged in, Ye Luan paused, hesitated for a moment, and did not follow. She ordered a pot of tea outside and sat down. From here, she could hear the commotion inside.
Inside the room.
Li Qiong Yu turned around feigning surprise, “Qing Ge.”
Wei Qingge directly drew her whip and said angrily, “Li Qiong Yu, you’re playing with me again, I’m going to whip you to death.” Her movements were swift and fierce, and the whip lashed towards his forehead. Li Qiong Yu dodged it directly, grabbed the whip, and pulled with force. The whip instantly slipped from Wei Qingge’s hand. Wei Qingge herself flew forward, lunging at him.
“Ah– Catch me, I’m going to fall to my death–”
Li Qiong Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at the person lunging at him. He reached out, embraced her waist, and then lay back on the soft couch behind him. Wei Qingge cried out in pain, collapsing onto him. She tried to prop herself up to get away. Li Qiong Yu’s eyes darkened, his grip tightening, firmly encircling her waist and forcing her to lean into his embrace.
“You detestable scoundrel, let go of me.” She was so angry. This dog-like creature only knew how to tease her.
“Why are you angry?”
Hearing his words, Wei Qingge became inexplicably irritated. “What business is it of yours? You tricked me, you deserve to be hit.”
Li Qiong Yu did not let go. He deliberately pressed her head forward, towards his face. “What did I trick you about?”
“You don’t like me at all, you’re just deliberately making fun of me. I just saw you hugging and holding other women. I’m telling you, if you dare to tease me again, I’ll beat you to death.” As she spoke, Wei Qingge angrily pushed him, “Let go.”
Li Qiong Yu did not let go. Instead, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him. Their movements were too intimate, and Wei Qingge shifted uncomfortably.
“Stop fidgeting.”
“–” Wei Qingge was annoyed, her apricot eyes glaring at him, “What are you doing? Get up.”
Li Qiong Yu held her hands with one of his, looking at her with a playful smile. “You’re truly wronging me here. We came here to handle some matters, and that woman was actually Lord Xu in disguise.”
“Ah–” Wei Qingge’s mouth hung open in shock. Li Qiong Yu said, “He was handling matters on behalf of Liu Rongruo. I just exchanged a few words with him.”
“–”
“Qing Ge, you like me!” Suddenly, he spoke with certainty, his eyes filled with smiles. Wei Qingge, provoked by his words, jumped up, “Who likes you? Don’t be so narcissistic.” She would never like such a flamboyant man. In the future, she wanted to find a cool, handsome man like Brother Liu and marry him. She thought this proudly, but accidentally blurted it out. Li Qiong Yu’s gaze instantly turned cold. He lowered his eyes, hiding his reaction. Wei Qingge, being rather unobservant, didn’t notice.
“If you didn’t like me, why would you be so angry? Hmm?” He looked at her earnestly, his eyes lowered. Wei Qingge said, “You tricked me.”
“Is it really just that?”
Wei Qingge’s heart skipped a beat at his question, and she couldn’t help but frown. Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Li Qiong Yu pinched her cheeks, forcing her to look directly at him.
“Ouch, it hurts–” Wei Qingge was so angry she wanted to hit him, but seeing his injuries, she suppressed the urge.
“Qing Ge, you’re jealous, you like me.” Their noses touched, his lips brushing hers fleetingly. Wei Qingge’s face immediately flushed red, her mind a mess. She began to push him away frantically. “I– I don’t know–” After considering him a friend for so many years, his sudden actions made it difficult for her to adapt.
Li Qiong Yu saw that she had listened and knew his objective was achieved, so he didn’t press further. He lowered his head and kissed her lightly. Looking at her radiant face, he said, “Go back and think about it carefully.”
“Moreover, your family has been urging you to marry. Marry me, and I won’t interfere with anything you do. You can still live as freely as you do now.” Wei Qingge’s eyes lit up, “Really?”
“Yes.” Wei Qingge was clearly moved by his proposal. She had known Li Qiong Yu for many years and knew him inside out. He would certainly not harm her. Marrying him was far better than marrying the people her father showed her. Since she was going to let go of Brother Liu anyway, if she could marry Li Qiong Yu, he would surely treat her well and not restrict her. She could roam the martial world freely and defend the country at the border. Thinking about it, she suddenly looked up and said, “Li Qiong Yu, if you truly like me and are willing to marry me, then let’s just make do.”
Li Qiong Yu, who was contemplating his next plan, was stunned by her words. “What’s with that expression? Are you going to go back on your word?” Wei Qingge glared at him displeased, “If you dare to play me for a fool, I’ll kick your nuts.”
Li Qiong Yu let out a chuckle. He rubbed her face, leaned down, and kissed her passionately. “So easily tricked.” His voice was very, very low, and Wei Qingge couldn’t hear it at all. She was blushing profusely from his sudden kiss. He was always kissing her like this now. No, she should slap him. Wei Qingge thought, and was about to raise her hand– Wait, that wasn’t right either, she had already agreed to marry him– Oh dear, this was so troublesome.
Wei Qingge glanced at his injuries and couldn’t bring herself to hit him. She snorted and pushed him away. “A’luan is still waiting for me outside. I’m leaving. Remember to go see my father.” This sudden role change made it hard for her to adapt, and she didn’t want to face him all the time.
Li Qiong Yu pulled her, lifted her by the waist, kissed her again, and then let her leave. Wei Qingge felt like kicking him, but seeing him clutching his wound in pain, she said a defiant word and turned to run.
Once she was gone, a person emerged from behind the screen. “This is the play you deliberately made me watch?!” Li Qiong Yu raised his eyebrows. Before he could say anything, a figure flashed, and he was suddenly punched in the face. He let out a cold snort, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertip, and looked up. “Rong Ruo, the more you hit me, the more she’ll pity me.”