Chapter 222

Chen Wuji laughed and said: "You are all gentle and reasonable women; how could you possibly fight? I never even thought of that—why would I have such worries?"

"Is that so? So my husband has always thought of us this way? Gentle?" Qin Zhanhong smiled dangerously, her bright eyes sparkling like starlight, almost with a hint of killing intent.

Chen Wuji looked bewildered and asked: "You, aren't you gentle enough?"

Huo Sanniang and the two others' gentleness is absolute; only Qin Zhanhong could ask such a question.

Actually, setting aside everything else, just the fact that Qin Zhanhong gave up pursuing him and instead retaliated against his deeds on the mountain with "do unto others as they do unto you" is already enough to be considered gentle enough.

By ordinary people's understanding, even an ordinary woman encountering this would surely fight to the death, let alone Qin Zhanhong, a female powerhouse with martial skills and the power of life and death in her hands.

Qin Zhanhong smiled, grabbed Chen Wuji's arm, leaned in and asked softly: "Does it sound good when I call you husband?"

"Nice."

Chen Wuji wasn't quite sure what Qin Zhanhong's game was today, so he just went along with it.

However, this title really does sound nice.

"Do you want me to call you like this every day from now on?" Qin Zhanhong asked slyly.

"If you're willing, I'd certainly love for you to call me that."

Qin Zhanhong chuckled, the dagger revealed: "If I become the principal wife, I'll call you that. As a proper Qin clan daughter, you wouldn't let me be a concubine, would you? This concerns family honor and the Qin clan's reputation; even if I wanted to agree, the family wouldn't allow it."

"If you don't even agree to this small matter, when the family pressures me, even if I like you more, I'd probably have to kill you to appease their anger. Doing that would make me very sad."

Chen Wuji: ……

"Fine, fine, fine, so you were waiting for him here."

"Whether big or small, let's set that aside for now—your family surely wouldn't allow you to marry a petty hunter like me, right? That's totally mismatched." Chen Wuji asked.

Qin Zhanhong looked indifferent: "The rice is already cooked; they'll have to accept it. Work hard these days—when we return to the capital, I want a big belly. By the way, if my belly doesn't grow, you'll die."

Chen Wuji: ……

He believed those words.

A marriage between a noble lady and a hunter is, to those aristocratic families, no different than smearing a huge lump of dung on their heads; the best way to erase the shame is to kill them all, leaving none.

Qin Zhanhong has a post in the Imperial City Department, so maybe it's not a big issue, but as a hunter he has only a dead end. Even if Qin Zhanhong gets pregnant, it's not safe; they'll surely either kill the father and keep the child, or kill both.

I just don't know how huge the Qin Zhanhong's family really is.

Chen Wuji had never asked about this before; now he's somewhat uncertain.

But trouble is certain.

"Even if the belly gets big, it's probably still not safe—where does your family stand in rank?" Chen Wuji asked.

He directly ignored Qin Zhanhong's earlier size demand.

For now we have to pretend ignorance.

Qin Zhanhong casually said: "It's not that high; my family is in Chen Jun."

Chen Wuji:!!!

In Chen Jun there is only one Qin clan, so big that even village children can name it.

The Chen Jun Qin clan, one of the Five Great Clans, is a true aristocracy.

In just the Dayu dynasty, the Qin clan has produced three prime ministers, not to mention countless other officials big and small.

The Zhang family is also a great clan, but compared to the Qin clan it's not even a minor underling.

Chen Wuji was dumbfounded.

Meeting Qin Zhanhong, he truly felt nothing but gratitude—just gratitude.

Fortunately Qin Zhanhong is addicted to people; otherwise he'd really die without knowing how.

"You come from the Chen Jun Qin clan and serve in the Imperial City Department?" Chen Wuji asked in surprise.

The Qin clan probably wouldn't allow their daughters to engage in sword-wielding and spear-play, right?

Qin Zhanhong's expression was troubled: "Don't worry about this; anyway I've done it, and they can't do anything to me."

Chen Wuji didn't ask further; perhaps Qin Zhanhong is merely a branch-line illegitimate offspring, unimportant in the family, which is why she got the chance to serve in the Imperial City Department.

Aristocratic families value reputation and appearance; daughters from such families may serve as female officials in the inner court, but going to the Imperial City Department is absolutely not allowed.

"I'll give you a chance to elope with me!" Chen Wuji laughed.

"Hmm?" Qin Zhanhong frowned.

Chen Wuji smiled and said: "Without eloping there's no way; wanting me to reach a height your family would accept, I probably have no hope in this lifetime. Your idea, though good, isn't secure—your family would still kill me, and even implicate our unborn child."

To be accepted by the Qin clan, unless he attains the rank of great general, prime minister, or imperial censor in this lifetime, there's absolutely no chance of becoming their son-in-law.

For the Qin clan, such an aristocracy choosing a son-in-law, personal office is secondary; lineage comes first.

The Chen clan once had standing too—though looked down upon by civil officials as a military family, it was still a top-tier military house; taking a Qin clan daughter as wife from the head-of-household line would not be a mismatch at all.

But that was only in the past; now the Chen clan is not just impoverished, but an impoverished household strictly guarded against by the Dayu dynasty, with almost no chance of a comeback.

Qin Zhanhong gazed at Chen Wuji with a deep look, then suddenly flicked her hand in annoyance: "Boring, I'm not playing with you anymore."

Chen Wuji:?

We were chatting so seriously—where's the play?

Chen Wuji thought a bit, then suddenly realized what was going on.

This mischievous guy was deliberately trying to scare him.

Chen Wuji spoke solemnly: "Even if what you just said doesn't count for now, it will eventually become a trouble; since we've brought it up, we really need to discuss it a bit."

"Hurry up and pack; we're going into the mountains to hunt. Those messy matters can wait till later—you don't need to worry, I'll have a way." Qin Zhanhong said displeasedly, "I just wanted to tease you, but you're so boring."

Chen Wuji was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Getting involved in such matters is naturally boring.

Trying to find fun in such things might cost one's life.

"What's your plan?" Chen Wuji asked.

「My method... I won't tell you. 」Qin Zhanhong's mouth corners lifted, with a gorgeous smile, she raised her charming but not heavy eyebrows at Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji took out the Knife, checked the blade, sheathed the Knife and said: "Then wait until you're happy to tell me; I don't know your family's situation, but if you take a 'legitimate' character, it will surely be a huge trouble, truly needs careful consideration."

"Now you know fear?" Qin Zhanhong beamed with delight, the curve of her lips charming and deadly.

"I'm not afraid, but I'm afraid that if things go badly you'll be kidnapped." Chen Wuji said.

Qin Zhanhong froze for a moment, "Hmm..."

She thought seriously for a while, pushed Chen Wuji and said: "Come on, come on, let's go hunting first, we'll talk after, I need to think."