Chapter 370: Half-brothers

Du Ruo rolled her eyes, then with an "aiya" lunged forward, falling flat on her face in the mud.

Although it was a fake fall, it really hurt!

There's no choice—if you won't let go of the child, you can't catch the wolf. Jiang Li used to be a constable chief; his observation is razor‑sharp. If we try to fool him, we'll surely be seen through right away.

By then, I'm afraid it'll only make him angrier.

Sure enough, hearing the commotion, Jiang Li, who had been striding along, immediately slowed his pace.

Du Ruo began her act: "Hiss, it hurts so much… Husband, you don't need to worry about me, go on ahead, let me die here in pain… Or else, let the assassins' ghosts drag me away—after all, you don't want to see me again…"

She said this while stealing glances at Jiang Li's reaction from the corner of her eye.

Jiang Li's body stiffened; after a moment, he turned and walked back to Du Ruo, crouching to check her injury.

Upon seeing the red, swollen, broken skin on Du Ruo's leg, he froze for a moment.

She had actually been hurt by the fall.

He had thought…

Jiang Li's sky‑high anger instantly melted half away from pity, the coldness on his face also easing considerably. "How could you be so careless?"

"It's not my fault—you walked too fast." Du Ruo turned her head and snorted, "You're ignoring me, aren't you? Then go on ahead; from now on we'll keep to our own bridges and roads, having nothing to do with each other…"

She hadn't finished speaking when her hand was suddenly seized.

It hurt, it really hurt.

Du Ruo couldn't help crying out "Ah!" and, angry, bit down on Jiang Li's hand back.

Jiang Li seemed not to notice at all.

His complexion turned several times darker than before, his crimson eyes fixed on Du Ruo as he squeezed out each word from between his teeth: "Is this really what you think? Leaving me to go with another man?"

Du Ruo was a little frightened.

Jiang Li had never lost control like this before; he was usually restrained and composed, as if even the heavens collapsing could not shake his will.

But now his whole being turned gloomy and vicious, like a blade sealed in ice for a thousand years—hard yet brittle.

It seemed that if Du Ruo dared to answer "yes," he would kill her.

Then he would kill himself.

Du Ruo opened her mouth, "Jiang Li…"

Jiang Li suddenly pulled her into his embrace with such force she could barely breathe, his voice trembling violently, almost pleading: "Say it, say it's not true, say you have nothing to do with King Yu, say you won't leave me, say it…"

Du Ruo's eyes welled up.

She felt both heart‑ache and regret, knowing full well that Jiang Li's jealousy and anger came from caring too much, and she shouldn't have teased him with that "bridges and roads" joke.

"Jiang Li…" Du Ruo took the initiative, pressing her lips to his cool mouth, striving to dispel his hostility: "I like you, only you… I won't leave you…"

Jiang Li's body instantly tensed.

He roughly laid her on the ground and climbed atop her…

The night grew darker.

Their passion deepened as well.

Du Ruo closed her eyes, arms around Jiang Li's neck, and whispered hoarsely in his ear: "Jiang Li, let's consummate our marriage…"

Though brief, that sentence carried the force of a hurricane‑tsunami.

Jiang Li felt as if scorching magma had been poured into his chest, burning him all over.

The last shred of reason collapsed in an instant……

Du Ruo never imagined her first time would happen in a gloomy, terrifying forest—especially since a pile of corpses had just lain there!

Sensing the man stirring again, Du Ruo quickly scrambled off him, blushing, and said, "Um… husband, I'm cold."

Although it felt wonderful afterward… cough, cough, that's not the point—the point is it lasted too long, I can't take it!

"All right, let's head back." Jiang Li kissed her, his voice tinged with satisfied indulgence.

The two rose, felt their way in the moonlight to dress, and only after confirming everything was in order did they prepare to leave.

But as soon as she lifted her foot, Du Ruo winced in pain.

Seeing she could hardly walk, Jiang Li blamed himself fiercely: "It's all my fault; I should have been gentler earlier, knowing you were just initiated, I ought not to have been so rough…"

Du Ruo wished she could cover his mouth.

"Ah, not there!" she exclaimed, both embarrassed and angry, pinching his waist, "It's my leg, my leg hurts!"

"Leg?" Jiang Li then realized.

He'd almost forgotten—his wife had previously taken a fall and injured her leg.

Feeling ever more guilty, he hurriedly squatted and gestured to Du Ruo, "Come on up, I'll carry you, husband."

Du Ruo didn't stand on ceremony, jumping straight onto his back; Jiang Li walked quickly, and they were out of the woods in about fifteen minutes.

With no trees to block the view, the scene opened up—bright moon overhead, gentle evening breeze, and their mood unconsciously grew calm and peaceful.

Though they had been married for a long time, this was still their first time alone together like this.

Du Ruo's cheek rubbed against Jiang Li's broad back; after a moment's hesitation she decided to broach his knot: "Husband, about me and King Yu…"

"It's fine; if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." Jiang Li smiled.

Du Ruo: "……"

"Man, you're too changeable—just a moment ago you were furious like a pufferfish, demanding an explanation!"

"How come you don't want to know anymore?" Du Ruo puzzled over it.

Jiang Li walked on, letting out a long sigh, smiling with relief: "Because it doesn't matter anymore."

Actually, Jiang Li had long noticed King Yu's excessive attention toward Du Ruo.

His wife was a heavenly beauty, dazzling and outstanding—how could any man help but like her?

Jiang Li didn't pay it much heed.

He believed in Du Ruo's character, also believed in Du Ruo's feelings for him, and even more believed that Prince Yu was merely unrequited love.

However, when he personally witnessed the two facing danger, disregarding their own lives to protect each other, Jiang Li felt as if he had been fiercely stabbed, blood pouring out.

Suddenly, he lost his previous confidence.

Moreover, he could no longer deceive himself.

Yeah, what right does he have to compare himself with Prince Yu?

In terms of appearance, Prince Yu is dignified and extraordinary, noble and outstanding, in no way inferior to himself.

In terms of status, one is born noble, the other a commoner; even though he had painstakingly climbed to the rank of a sixth‑rank military officer, what does that count before a lofty prince?

At that moment, anger, jealousy, despair, and helplessness flooded Jiang Li's heart.

He wished he could kill Prince Yu with a single blow!

But he could not.

Because he could not bear the brutal consequences of doing so.

But now it's different—Jiang Li's confidence has returned—if Du Ruo truly had a wandering heart, how could she possibly be willing to entrust her virginity to him?

So to hell with Prince Yu—it doesn't matter anymore…

"Whether you want to know or not is up to you, but I must explain it clearly, so that later when we argue you won't bring up old scores," Du Ruo said, huffing.

Jiang Li chuckled, "All right, all right, go ahead, I'm listening."

Where should I start?

Du Ruo cleared her throat and said, "Let's start from when Pangu split heaven and earth—do you still remember the matters of the Immortal Realm, my husband?"

Jiang Li hummed in affirmation, "I remember; your medical skills were learned there."

He suddenly realized something, "Could it be that Prince Yu also went to the Immortal Realm?"

"My husband, you're really smart—you guessed right on the first try!" Du Ruo chuckled, "Don't look at Prince Yu seeming so mighty; in fact, back then he was just a poor little thing—his father didn't like him, his mother couldn't protect him, and many people wanted to kill him, so he led a particularly miserable life."

Jiang Li nodded, "I can see that."

Du Ruo continued, "Once he almost got killed, and it was then that he had a very long dream, dreaming that he had arrived in a completely unfamiliar place…"

Jiang Li slowed his steps, quietly listening to her continue.

"It was then that I met Prince Yu."

"Because we had no foundation, when we first arrived in the Immortal Realm our days were extremely hard. We depended on each other for several years, supporting one another, as close as siblings."

"Later we both woke up—I was still that country village girl… oh wait, by then I had already married you, so I should be called a country village wife; he continued to be his thirteenth prince."

"You know what happened after that—I signed up for the Xinglin Assembly, and he came to Fengyang Prefecture, which led to our reunion and recognition."

"To me, Prince Yu is my family, my half‑brother; and you, my husband, are my beloved, my home for this life."

Saying this, Du Ruo raised two fingers, "If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath to heaven, with the heavenly emperor above…"

"No need." Jiang Li hurriedly stopped her, "I believe you!"

Du Ruo lowered her fingers, "Oh."

She secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Good grief, that's finally settled.

This way, any future contact between me and Xiao Chuan will no longer cause Jiang Li to overthink—it's taken care of.

In the night, a flicker of dark light flashed in Jiang Li's eyes.

He truly believed Du Ruo.

But he did not believe Prince Yu.

As for whether a man harbors any special thoughts toward a woman, the eyes cannot lie; as a fellow man, Jiang Li could see it clearly.

That was certainly not the look one gives to family.

My wife is still too pure, so she didn't notice; but he also doesn't intend to speak of it, for once such things are laid bare, they benefit no one.