Wei Qingge was stunned. After a few moments of thought, she felt he had a point and became a little shy, her heart inevitably filled with the question: why would he like her?
"Qingge, we can get married first, and you can slowly adapt. Moreover, if you marry me, your family won't be able to control you anymore, and you can go wherever you want."
Indeed, marrying him meant she wouldn't have to face arranged marriages, nor worry about being disliked by her husband after marrying into a prominent family and being trapped in the endless schemes of a polygamous household.
Wei Qingge pondered for a moment, "Alright then, but can you be like you were before?"
Ever since that day, he had been constantly touching her, and she wasn't used to it at all.
"You want to bicker like before?"
Wei Qingge looked at the irritating smile on his face, recalling how she was always completely suppressed by him in the past, and she felt annoyed.
Just as she was about to make a move, an idea suddenly popped into her mind.
Yes, she was always the one being suppressed, unable to win arguments or fights. If she married him, he wouldn't be able to lay hands on her anymore, right?
Could she then lord over him?
She immediately grabbed his collar and excitedly said, "Li Qiongyu, if I marry you, will you not fight back?"
Li Qiongyu tightened his arm, pulling her closer into his embrace, his thin lips curling slightly, "What, looking at your excited demeanor, you want to hit me?"
"It's because you always bully me."
She looked at him with her almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of melancholy.
Li Qiongyu chuckled and lowered his gaze, slowly stroking her face with the calloused pad of his finger, his expression quite serious.
In the dimly lit tent, an intimate and ambiguous atmosphere immediately spread.
No matter how oblivious Wei Qingge usually was, she realized the intimacy between them.
She quickly broke free from him and urged, "You should leave quickly."
Li Qiongyu didn't want to leave. Before, their meetings were clandestine; now that it could finally be open, he truly didn't want to go.
He sat up, rubbing his forehead, "I drank too much. My wound is starting to ache faintly."
"Ah—why did you drink so much wine?"
Wei Qingge wanted to mock him a few words, but seeing his injuries, she managed to hold back.
She got off the bed, walked to the table, poured him a cup of tea, and handed it over.
"Huh? What happened to the corner of your mouth?"
It was too dark in the room, and she hadn't noticed the wound on his lip earlier.
She aggressively rolled up her sleeves, "Who hit you?"
Li Qiongyu was amused by her actions, smiling inwardly but not showing it.
"Liu Rongruo hit me."
"Ah, why would Brother Liu hit you?"
Seeing her wide-eyed confusion, he said, "Liu Rongruo hit me when he heard I was going to marry you."
As he spoke, he gazed intently at her changing expression, as if trying to gauge her emotions.
Wei Qingge didn't notice his subtle intentions and directly said, "Brother Liu wouldn't hit someone without reason. Did you say something annoying again?"
"—"
"You trust your Brother Liu so much."
A faint, mocking smile flickered across his charming face.
Wei Qingge didn't notice his expression. She put down the cup and said, "I've known him since childhood, and he's not someone who likes to resort to violence."
As soon as she finished speaking, her hand was suddenly yanked forcefully, and her entire body stumbled onto his lap.
Wei Qingge was shocked and kicked in anger, "You ambushed me!"
Li Qiongyu concealed his emotions and smiled innocently at her, "We're getting married soon. What's wrong with a hug?"
"Stop being glib and improper. Let go!"
She said this somewhat loudly, but a blush clearly crept onto her face.
Li Qiongyu caught her flailing hands and pulled her waist towards his chest.
Although Wei Qingge was inexperienced, she sensed his arousal and her body stiffened instantly.
Before, when they were roughhousing, they were also close, but she had never noticed any changes in him.
But since that day, anything he did, she would quickly feel it.
Awkward, strange.
"You—you—"
She wanted to scold him profusely like she used to, but being held by him, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Li Qiongyu reached out and lifted her chin, chuckling softly, "What are you afraid of?"
"You—you're talking nonsense. You're the one who should be afraid."
She used to read those storybooks. Once, she accidentally bought a book called 'The Art of Lovemaking,' and after looking at it for a few pages, she was so frightened that she stuffed it back into the chest.
However, she did understand some things; after marriage, one was supposed to consummate the union with their husband.
The mere thought of marrying Li Qiongyu and doing such things with him filled her with an inexplicable dread.
She even suspected that if they disagreed, they might end up fighting in bed.
"Li Qiongyu, I want to make three rules with you."
"Hmm?"
Wei Qingge cleared her throat, pushed him away, and sat cross-legged on the bed.
"You can't touch me inappropriately, and after we get married, things should remain the same as they are now."
Heh, a marriage in name only.
He had endured for so many years; how could he be content with a marriage in name only?
"Alright."
Wei Qingge's little face lit up with a smile when she heard him agree so readily. But before she could say anything, he suddenly reached out and hugged her.
"Qingge, I'm so sleepy, and my head hurts so much."
"Ah—"
Wei Qingge suspiciously reached out and touched his forehead. It was burning hot.
"You didn't catch a cold, did you?"
"I don't know. I feel so uncomfortable."
Li Qiongyu mumbled sleepily, then lay down on the bed.
Wei Qingge cried out, "Oh no, what are you doing?"
He ignored her, reached out, pulled the blanket over her, and closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Wei Qingge was annoyed and wanted to scold him, but then she noticed that the wound on his arm had split open, and blood was seeping out.
Her heart ached slightly, and she quickly went to find the medicine box to change his dressing and re-bandage it.
After all, he had been injured while saving her.
"It's probably because the wound is festering, causing your body to heat up. After applying the medicine and sleeping, you'll be fine."
She had often followed military doctors in the barracks to treat soldiers, and bandaging wounds was a common occurrence, making her quite proficient.
Li Qiongyu hadn't fallen asleep. He quietly observed her by the bedside, listening to her murmuring, and a slight smile played on his lips.
After Wei Qingge finished bandaging the wound, she found some medicine and gently applied it to the bruise on the corner of his mouth.
She leaned in close, her cool fingertips tracing circles on his lips, carrying her unique, faint fragrance.
Li Qiongyu suppressed the urge to suck on her fingers, forcing himself to hold back.
After finishing everything, Wei Qingge looked at the man lying on the bed and scratched her head in frustration.
"Forget it. Given that you're injured, I'll give you the bed."
She pouted, took a quilt from the inner side, spread it on the couch, and lay down to sleep.
After all this fuss, she was exhausted.
As soon as her head touched the pillow, she didn't care that there was a grown man on the bed and fell asleep.
Hearing her faint, steady breathing, Li Qiongyu slowly opened his eyes.
He got out of bed, walked to the side of the couch, and looked down at the girl curled up asleep, her posture docile. He picked her up.
Her body was soft and fragrant, and holding her felt incredibly tender.
Li Qiongyu placed her on the bed, lay down on his side, and hugged her. His seductive peach blossom eyes lowered to look at the person in his embrace, a hint of amusement flashing within them.
"So foolish."
He pinched her nose, then leaned down, kissed her lips swiftly, and his clean, slender hand skillfully unfastened her sash and reached inside to caress her.