Chapter 84 She said if you get wet you have to marry me

Chapter 84 She said if you get wet you have to marry me

On the shores of Hongchi Lake, a biting wind howled, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.

The lights in the distance shone brightly, reflecting the stars.

More than a dozen sons of noble families surrounded the sixth prince like stars around the moon.

They were all around the same age, dressed in brocade robes, their eleven or twelve-year-old boys standing tall and straight.

Some laughed and joked, some looked on arrogantly, some brandished small swords, some had small slingshot pouches at their waists, and some stood around without any decorum.

Opposite them stood a lone girl, about eleven or twelve years old, who was extremely beautiful.

Her lips were naturally pink, her teeth were as white as broken jade, and her large, misty eyes were both wary and playful.

When she looks at people, the corners of her eyes are slightly upturned, and you can tell at a glance that she's not someone to mess with.

She wore an apricot-pink dress that made her look rather thin. Several small braids hung down on either side of her head, tied with red ribbons, and nothing else.

The only thing that looked somewhat valuable was the white woolen protective sheath she was holding.

"It's been three days, and you still haven't told me your name. If you still don't tell me today, I will definitely not let you off!"

He stood before her with his hands behind his back, exuding the natural arrogance of a prince. His face was slightly raised, and his tone carried an overbearing threat.

"Why should I tell you? If I do, wouldn't that give you an opportunity to cause trouble for me?"

She was completely disobedient and went against him, which infuriated him.

Of course, he was the sixth prince, so how could he easily reveal his emotions and make himself easy for her to manipulate?

At that time, he had no idea that she was living under the care of her aunt. She knew his identity but was afraid of getting into trouble, so she dared not tell him the truth.

He remained unperturbed and arrogantly said, "Do you really think I, the prince, care about you? It's just that ice skating is incredibly boring, and you're merely a source of amusement for me!"

The noble youths behind her burst into laughter, their words a jumble of bullying at her.

She was quick-witted and articulate, and showed no weakness in front of a group of teenagers.

Later, the boys played and frolicked on the ice, jumping and hopping without restraint.

Finally, silence returned after the sound of ice cracking.

The center of the crack was right beneath his feet, and he dared not move.

At first, some teenagers were prepared to rescue them, but then the cracking sounds continued to ring out.

They retreated in panic, and unsurprisingly, he was thrown off the ice and fell completely into the icy Hongchi Lake.

There was no one else around, and no one answered when they called out. There was also nothing nearby that could be used to help.

After a period of ups and downs, coupled with the heavy, waterlogged clothes he was wearing, he ran out of strength and disappeared into the lake.

Those nobles who followed him around every day thought he was finished.

As a prince, if something were to happen to him, they would not only be unable to bear the responsibility, but would also implicate their entire family.

They realized the same thing without prior arrangement, and tacitly stepped back, abandoning him in the lake.

Once they were out of sight, the boys quickly left.

She was left behind, her eyes fixed on the lake.

He had sunk to the bottom of the lake, but his survival instinct brought him back to the surface. He reached out his hand, trying to breathe.

She later told him it was because of that one time he reached out.

She resolutely threw off the white woolen protective sheath and jumped into the icy, frigid lake water in winter.

She's not very good at swimming; she just splashes around in the water.

With her skillful cat-like claws, she managed to pull him out of the lake and successfully drag him ashore.

He was already unconscious when she, dressed in a wet dress, pressed against his chest and abdomen, finally snatching him back from the jaws of death.

He woke up coughing, was dazed for a moment, then remembered what had happened. Just as he was about to shout for help, she covered his mouth with her hand.

She was soaking wet, even her hair was dripping wet, and said irritably, "Shut up! If you say another word, I'll throw you back into the lake."

He stared at her in fear, which successfully silenced him from uttering another word.

She removed her icy hand from his face. "Do you know that we're like this because you want to marry me?"

At that time, he was young and inexperienced. When he heard about marriage, he felt it was something unattainable and was shocked.

His expression naturally caught her eye, and she asked again, "Do you want to marry me?"

He's such a proud person, and besides, the two of them almost got into a fight before. Even if he wanted to marry her, he would be too awkward to admit it.

"How could I, a prince, marry the daughter of an unknown minor official like you?! Don't even think about clinging to me."

God knows how frustrated he was later, and how much he hated his own stubbornness.

She nodded, straightened up, and looked down at him, her thick, dark eyelashes already glistening with ice beads.

"Then you'd better keep your mouth shut. If you let anything slip, you'll have to marry me."

He was freezing cold and just wanted to go back and change his clothes, so he got up and ran away without looking back.

Later, he recalled that he had bullied her, but she had turned around and saved him.

His so-called followers were all hypocrites, afraid of taking responsibility, and ran away faster than dogs.

From then on, he kept his distance from those so-called sycophants.

Later, they met again at the flower and bird hut.

This time, he took the initiative, talking to her and asking her when she would come again.

Their relationship finally thawed and gradually improved.

He enjoyed being with her, and every time they parted, he looked forward to their next meeting.

Later, I heard that she was betrothed to my third brother.

He stood there in his room, stunned, unable to calm down for a long time.

She felt that she belonged to her third brother, and her heart was so empty that even breathing felt bitter.

An arranged marriage is an ironclad rule; there is no possibility for him and her to be together again.

He spent many days in a daze.

Before she got married, he and she fed animals at the flower and bird shed.

He asked about her marriage, "Are you going to marry my third brother?"

“Yes! The eighth day of next month.” She fed the fawn, turned her head, and their eyes met.

Her eyes were bright, and the light in them seemed to have been mixed with shattered stars. They were beautiful, but they stung his eyes.

He hurriedly lowered his eyes, not wanting her to see the pain he couldn't hide in them.

His voice was deliberately casual: "Congratulations!"

"Hehe!" She chuckled foolishly, her laughter as sweet as honey, almost cloyingly so, as if happiness was about to overflow.

He could tell without even looking up that her lips and eyebrows were upturned, and she was radiating joy.

She didn't know that his heart was like a lotus seed, filled with unspeakable bitterness.

Even though she was in excruciating pain, she tried her best to hide it, afraid of revealing even a trace of her feelings.

After a while... he spoke again.

"You never mentioned such a big thing to me. You're not a good friend at all."

He thought that in the future she would be his sister-in-law, and being friends was already crossing the line.

However, he still emphasized this word, hoping that his relationship with her was closer than that of an uncle and sister-in-law.

"I wasn't sure before either. If it didn't work out, wouldn't that be a joke?"

"You like my third brother?"

She pursed her lips, but couldn't suppress the shyness that usually graced her cheeks.

His heart felt as if it were being stabbed, and all the beauty before him paled in comparison.

"Yes, I like him. I've liked him for almost two years now."

Two years?

She hid it so well; he didn't notice a thing.

He chuckled dryly, laughing at his own slowness.

They were born in the same year, but he overlooked her age.

Sixteen is the age when a girl gets married.

…

A sudden storm swept through the side rooms of the Marquis of Pingyang's residence.

Large raindrops pounded on the ground, and the wind rattled the windowpanes, blowing into the room and bringing with it the earthy smell of soil.

Shen Minghan, who arrived despite the wind and rain, was soaked to the bone, with water droplets running from his hair to his face.

His heavy aura made people's hearts tighten as he walked in, as if the air itself had become heavier.

How is my sister?

His voice was deep and urgent, yet deliberately lowered, as if afraid of waking Shen Nanzi.

When his gaze fell on Shen Nanzi, his usually solemn expression almost cracked, and the pain in his eyes was obvious.

"This is not good!" The old imperial physician shook his head and sighed, "Princess Jing's condition is not good! She could..."

Shen Minghan!

Grand Commandant Shen!

In public, he was a powerful minister with immense influence, commanding respect and commanding great influence in the court; even the emperor treated him with deference.

At this moment, he lifted his soaked robe and knelt upright before the old imperial physician.

He knelt on the ground, his head pounding heavily against the earth, his voice filled with suppressed, utter grief: "Please! You must! Save! Her! Life!"

The old imperial physician hurriedly stood up: "Grand Commandant Shen! You mustn't! You're making this old man suffer!"

Xie Yu stood frozen outside the crowd, and when the old imperial physician's words reached his ears, he swayed.

He struggled to stand firm, his gaze drawn to the slender figure on the bed.

She lay there quietly, her red dress stained black with blood, and her breath was so faint it was almost invisible.

They looked like withered fallen leaves, ready to be swept away by the wind at any moment.

The person who was lying there was him!

It's him!

Xie Yu screamed inwardly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, and their clamor seemed to become a blurry and murky noise.

The scene of him saving her kept replaying in her mind.

Fool! Why did you save him again?!

Last time, she jumped into the icy lake and dragged him ashore when he was on the verge of death.

This time, as the poisoned arrow pierced the air, she once again rushed forward without hesitation, shielding him from the fatal blow.

"You idiot... Shen Nanzi!! Can't you be a little meaner to me?"

His voice choked, his eyes reddened, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were almost transparent, as if he were swearing an oath to the heavens:

"Shen Nanzi, since you risked your life to protect me, I am willing to fight for this world for you!"

"You must live, live well, and watch me conquer this world for you!"

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