Why bring a dog back without consulting her first? Such presumption!
She should have noticed how terrified she was of the dog barking at night; truly thoughtless!
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
He held her tightly, his chin resting on her head, filled with pain and regret. He wasn't good enough to her, not good enough.
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you from now on. Don't be afraid of anything."
The man's chest was warm and broad, and Xue Niang felt incredibly safe. For a moment, she wished she could stay in this embrace forever, never to leave.
"I'm not afraid, not afraid of anything, really."
His chest was damp with her tears. She was so useless; hadn't she promised not to cry!
She must look awful.
"I'm really not afraid, I just feel disgusted."
She listened to his strong, steady heartbeat, slowly recovering, no longer trembling, and reiterated that she wasn't afraid.
Xiao Shan's voice was muffled from above her head, "Mmm, you're the bravest."
Xue Niang closed her eyes, feeling the urge to cry again.
Just this once, she would be weak just this once. It had been so long since she felt this at ease, so comfortable.
"Xue Niang, when we build another house, let's build it closer to the village!"
She had been hurt for too long; she should experience some of the world's warmth. Not everyone in the world was bad. Her resilience was beyond his expectations, and he believed she would soon overcome this.
His Xue Niang was the most strong-willed girl he had ever met. Even after enduring boundless darkness, she retained her purest heart, which was so rare.
She was a treasure bestowed upon him by heaven.
Unique.
"Mmm," Xue Niang replied, "You decide."
"You are the mistress of this household. From now on, I will discuss everything with you."
"Mistress?" she murmured, repeating the word.
"Xue Niang?"
"Mmm?"
Xiao Shan lifted her head. Her beautiful eyes were slightly swollen, her pupils like washed black gems, reflecting his image.
Her lips were well-defined, full, and moist, parted slightly now like opening petals.
In his life, he had never kissed a girl. Now, he wanted to taste.
As Xue Niang's eyes widened, Xiao Shan slowly lowered his head.
Xue Niang was so startled she didn't know whether to close her eyes.
The moment their lips met, they both trembled.
It was too delicious; he couldn't stop. All the delicacies and fine foods in the world couldn't compare to even a fraction of this.
The taste was unimaginable, making him feel as if he were floating in ecstasy, soul-stirring and captivating.
His tongue felt a sharp pain, and he fell from heaven. His lust-filled eyes lost their former brilliance. Through the layers of mist, he saw Xue Niang puffing out her cheeks and glaring at him.
"Ruffian!"
Uh, Xiao Shan licked his lips, still savoring the tingling sensation from moments before.
"Get out, get out quickly!"
Xue Niang was angered by his actions and pushed him, but his strong body didn't budge.
"You, are you getting out or not!"
"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going." Xiao Shan dared not provoke her. He had gotten what he wanted, and he knew that haste makes waste. This matter would have to be taken slowly. After all, he had tasted her lips.
In the courtyard, the little black dog was barking at the chicken coop. Xiao Shan walked over and untied the rope around its neck.
"Little Tiger, it seems we have no fate. My woman doesn't like you. Since we've met, I won't give you to anyone else. Go, you're free!"
Little Tiger didn't understand human speech. Without the restraint of the rope, it unleashed its wild nature and leaped onto Xiao Shan.
"Go quickly!"
Xiao Shan roared, picking up a stick to drive it away.
Startled, Little Tiger yelped and ran out of the fence.
What a shame for such a good dog. He hoped it wouldn't be caught by dog traders.
Xue Niang pursed her lips and moved away from the window, her heart pounding. It felt as if it were about to leap out.
If it weren't for that rogue tongue reaching in, she wouldn't have realized she was like someone drugged, easily bullied.
However, after this incident, the fear in her heart had lessened.
During dinner, Xue Niang announced three rules with Xiao Shan.
First, he couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
Second, he wasn't allowed to get close to her without her consent.
Third, he wasn't allowed to sleep naked at night.
Xiao Shan frowned, biting into half of a large bun. Good heavens, the first and third rules were acceptable, but the second rule was like putting a muzzle on him, wasn't it? Like preventing a donkey from grazing?
"I disagree with the third rule. I've slept like this since I was little, and I get hot easily. You can't force me!"
He naturally agreed to the first rule. As for the second, hehe, if she came to him, that wouldn't count, would it!
"Alright, then the third rule is void."
Her ultimate goal was the second rule. It was good that he agreed.
Just as Xiao Shan was about to say something else, a voice came from outside.
"Is Xiao Shan at home?"
"I'll go see." Xiao Shan put down his bun and wiped his hands.
Standing outside the courtyard was Liu Cheng, the village chief of Bozi Village.
He stood there, half-bent, and a smile stretched across his wrinkled face as he saw Xiao Shan emerge.
"Xiao Shan, the taxes are due again. With an extra person in your household, you need to pay 360 wen."
"Not even half a year?"
Xiao Shan frowned. It was precisely the lean season; what tax was this?
The village chief sighed, also looking troubled. He had been collecting for two days, and more than half was still uncollected. The villagers' lives were becoming increasingly difficult.
"Perhaps there will be war again! I heard things are not peaceful in the capital either."
Xiao Shan said nothing more, just nodded and went inside to get the money.
After giving it to the village chief, he returned to the kitchen.
Xue Niang glanced outside. She hadn't heard clearly what was said, only catching the word "war."
"Why did he come?"
"To collect taxes. The imperial court's actions are becoming more and more absurd; something will happen sooner or later."
Xiao Shan's tone was somewhat heavy, his dissatisfaction with the court evident on his face.
He usually kept his emotions hidden; what was wrong this time?
But he quickly composed himself, motioning for Xue Niang to chew her food slowly.
"These things have nothing to do with us. Don't worry too much about them."
The aura he had inadvertently revealed carried an invisible pressure, like a powerful being controlling people's destinies, possessing a natural deterrence.
"You were in the army before, were you a great general?"
After asking, Xue Niang remembered that Qu Linglong had told her not to speak carelessly. Seeing his surprised expression, he didn't seem angry, so she continued, "You speak so commandingly."
"What great general? I held some minor official position. The army is full of rough people. Sometimes I speak a bit loudly. If you don't like it, you can scold me, and I'll correct myself."
"Hmph! Who cares to scold you? I'll just pretend not to hear."
Seeing her display a rare girlish charm, her eyes lively, a mixture of annoyance and playfulness.
She had tied her hair in a simple bun, and the plum blossom hairpin was already in place. Her skin was fair, her features beautiful, and the dark markings on her face looked like vines painted on intentionally, complementing each other.
Xiao Shan's gaze softened, and he chuckled softly.
She was so beautiful.