Chapter 512: I Want to Be Bold Once

Zhang Xiuer sat on the edge of the couch, completely disheveled.

She never imagined that just saying a few simple sentences would reveal so much information all at once.

"Actually, there's really nothing—I didn't say much, right?" Zhang Xiuer said, looking guilty and speaking weakly.

Chen Wuji chuckled, "What did you say? Anyway, I didn't hear it."

Zhang Xiuer let out a soft sigh, fed the remaining bit of Awakening Alcohol Soup to Chen Wuji, then set the bowl aside.

"You should trust me now, right?" Zhang Xiuer asked softly, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.

Chen Wuji nodded, "Pretty much."

Zhang Xiuer lifted her gaze, her eyes misty as she looked at Chen Wuji, "Then you..."

"What's wrong?" Chen Wuji asked, looking at her suddenly blushing cheeks, puzzled.

Zhang Xiuer's body trembled slightly, she shook her head in panic, "No, nothing."

"Just say what's on your mind—we've known each other so long, what's there to be embarrassed about?" Chen Wuji asked with a smile.

Zhang Xiuer brushed the hair at her temples, hiding her inner panic, and said softly, "There's still a lot."

"Just say it—what's there to be embarrassed about?"

"Hmm..."

Zhang Xiuer looked at Chen Wuji, hesitant and uneasy; the words seemed to rise to the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't get them out.

This made Chen Wuji anxious as he watched.

"Wuji, how do you feel about me...?" Zhang Xiuer hesitated for a moment, then asked in a voice as weak as a mosquito's buzz.

Chen Wuji's expression flickered slightly, "I think you're wonderful—beautiful, gentle, slim and graceful, perfect in every way."

"So... do you want... me?" Zhang Xiuer squeezed out these words with great difficulty from between her teeth, the last two syllables so soft that if Chen Wuji weren't sitting right beside her, they'd hardly be audible.

Chen Wuji had already had this premonition just now; hearing her say it so directly left him momentarily at a loss.

He was still somewhat hesitant.

But now Zhang Xiuer had spoken these words so frankly that pretending not to understand would clearly be inappropriate.

Chen Wuji gently put his arm around Zhang Xiuer's soft waist, "How could I not want you? But there's a gap between us—do you understand what I mean? This gap isn't about my current status; it's unrelated. It's that I already have five wives and concubines, and if I accept your affection, I'm afraid I'd delay you..."

"If it weren't for that, with a gorgeous beauty like you sitting beside me all day, how could I not be moved given my nature?"

Zhang Xiuer stared, "You already have five wives and concubines? In just half a year, how did you manage that?"

"That's a long story," Chen Wuji said, a little embarrassed; his pace really does seem rather fast.

"Back when Nan Jun wasn't in chaos, the government actually carried out the court's orders fairly thoroughly; the government assigned me two wives and concubines, and the rest are people I know myself."

Zhang Xiuer looked at Chen Wuji with a strange expression, "Everyone else gets one, so how do you have two?"

"Maybe the government saw that I'd made a little merit back then," Chen Wuji said.

Back then, the government acting as a matchmaker and tying the red string seemed rather casual.

If it weren't for girls like Shen Youwei, who usually have a lot going on behind the scenes, those powerful and influential people wouldn't want to be involved; basically, ordinary folks like them would have nothing to do with it, and any good-looking girl would surely be snatched up by the powerful, who never complain about having too many.

Zhang Xiuer pressed her lips together and smiled, "I don't mind."

"..."

Chen Wuji grabbed Zhang Xiuer and pulled her into his embrace, "Then come in!"

Everyone's being so straightforward, and he's still playing hard to get—what kind of man is that?

At this moment, the only thing he needs to do is to administer justice on the spot.

If he doesn't administer justice on the spot, how could he possibly justify it?

Zhang Xiuer let out a delighted cry, fell into Chen Wuji's arms, and her body instantly went limp like a puddle of mud.

Still a mud puddle running a high fever.

She was burning hot all over, like a little furnace.

Chen Wuji pressed Zhang Xiuer in his embrace and asked, "Come clean—when did you start liking me?"

"For a long time..." Zhang Xiuer buried her head in Chen Wuji's embrace, avoiding his fiery gaze.

She was too shy to even meet Chen Wuji's eyes.

Chen Wuji slipped his big hand into Zhang Xiuer's silk skirt, wandering aimlessly, and asked, "How long is 'a long time'?"

"Well, anyway, it's been a while," Zhang Xiuer said weakly.

"Ruo Su told me that if I want something, I should be bold—women can sometimes have men's rights too—but I just don't dare; saying even a few words of that makes me nervous half to death..."

"You know how it is—if a girl can't get married, it's like she'll suffer in hell even after death."

"All that nonsense is just lies."

"I never expected that curing your lovesickness would bring us together—we ended up rolling in the sheets, and our fate is truly odd." Chen Wuji remarked.

Some things really can't be explained clearly.

But if you're meant to be someone's, even if you missed them before, you'll meet again someday when you least expect it.

Everything seems like a deliberate human arrangement, but often this coincidence is heaven's design.

Just like how many people will, at some point in the future, unexpectedly run into a girl they liked or had a crush on in their youth—some will rekindle the old bond, others will look at that person from the past and gradually let go.

Zhang Xiuer let out an embarrassed sound and said coyly, "Don't bring this up again—I was clueless back then, mistook weeds for a good man, and it almost kept me from getting out. Since you cured me, I've come to like you, which is pretty normal. Honestly, if I had to explain why, I really couldn't put it into words... anyway, I just like you."

Chen Wuji laughed, leaned in and kissed her, "It's normal—I just think fate is wonderfully strange."

Zhang Xiuer let out a soft hum, and in a gentle, coquettish tone she said: "Don't bring this up again; back then I was naive, mistook weeds for a good person, and even ended up almost unable to get out because of it. Since you cured me, I've come to like you—that's perfectly normal. As for this matter, if I really had to explain it, I couldn't even tell you the reason... Anyway, I just... I just like you."

In the throes of deep passion, the already soft Zhang Xiuer seemed to turn into a pool of enticing water, softly entwining around Chen Wuji's body, exuding a maiden's bright aura.

"Are you ready?" Chen Wuji asked warmly, his hot breath blowing on Zhang Xiuer's neck.

In the deep entanglement of feelings, Zhang Xiuer, originally soft and supple, seemed to turn into a pool of enticing water, softly entwining around Chen Wuji's body, exuding the bright aura of a maiden.

"Are you ready?" Chen Wuji's scorching breath sprayed onto Zhang Xiuer's neck, he asked gently.

Zhang Xiuer's big eyes were somewhat bewildered, "What are we preparing?"

"This." Chen Wuji smiled and knocked on the door.

"Ah..."