After the Foolish Beauty Wore Women's Clothes and Married the Brutal General - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Tie Yourself Up.

Seeing Nan Jianxue’s expectant face, Liang Qifeng hesitated but didn’t outright refuse. “How do you plan to help?”

“That depends on the situation,” Nan Jianxue said shamelessly. “Don’t worry, I’m very experienced. I can definitely help you. If I can’t get him, I won’t ask for your money. Isn’t that a good deal?”

Liang Qifeng looked at him. “Experienced?”

“Oh, why do you only listen to half of what I say?” Nan Jianxue pouted. “I’ve read a lot of novels, so I can handle any situation.”

Liang Qifeng suddenly had the illusion that he, too, was an idiot.

Why was he standing here listening to Nan Jianxue’s nonsense?

“Unfortunately, I don’t even know where he is, so you probably won’t be able to earn this money,” Liang Qifeng said, then walked out. But as soon as he stepped outside, he was blocked by the people guarding the door.

Nan Jianxue glanced at them. Based on their clothes, they should be from the Imperial Guards, specifically the close guards responsible for the emperor’s safety. They wouldn’t leave his side without his order. They were probably left there specifically to protect them.

“You don’t know him?” Nan Jianxue asked. “Why are you stopping him?”

The two immediately replied, “To the Princess, His Majesty has ordered that you and the Consort are not to leave the room tonight.”

Nan Jianxue was even more confused. “Is Imperial Brother grounding me?”

“No…” The Imperial Guard hesitated. “Just for tonight.”

Liang Qifeng looked at Nan Jianxue and said, “His exact words were to make us sleep together.”

Nan Jianxue: “…”

He looked at the two Imperial Guards, and seeing their embarrassed expressions, he knew Liang Qifeng wasn’t lying.

“Why is he so nosy?” Nan Jianxue was speechless. He looked at Liang Qifeng. “You knew that and you still tried to leave?”

“I just wanted to see what they were going to do,” Liang Qifeng said, then actually turned around and sat down at the table.

Nan Jianxue was stunned by how quickly he accepted it, but he soon remembered what Liang Qifeng had said. They had to sleep together.

“You can force your way out,” Nan Jianxue said. “With your skills, dealing with these two is a piece of cake!”

Liang Qifeng shook his head.

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand.

Liang Qifeng didn’t bother to explain further. He stood up again and walked out. When the two guards tried to block him, he quickly took one of their swords. After a few moves with the other person, he easily knocked the weapon out of their hand and continued walking into the courtyard.

Nan Jianxue was overjoyed at the sight and quickly followed to watch. But when he got to the door, he was dumbfounded.

At some point, many more people had appeared in the courtyard, surrounding Liang Qifeng in three layers. Looking at their clothes, they were all Imperial Guards.

As the saying goes, two fists can’t beat four hands. Even for an ordinary person, with so many people attacking at once, Liang Qifeng would have a hard time. Not to mention these people were the emperor’s close guards, and their martial arts skills were not bad.

Just as Nan Jianxue thought Liang Qifeng would come back, he suddenly attacked, swinging his sword at the nearest person.

The person quickly dodged but was still cut on the arm.

The others immediately attacked, and the group instantly became a blur of combat.

Liang Qifeng, with a small number of people against a large number, was able to hold his own at first but was soon at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, both sides were holding back. After all this, Liang Qifeng was only a little sweaty and his clothes were a little torn, but several Imperial Guards were already injured.

Liang Qifeng glanced at the injured men, finally stopped, threw his sword, and went back to the room.

The Imperial Guards were also relieved. One of them even found that his legs were a little weak after he relaxed.

Liang Qifeng’s reputation as the “God of War” wasn’t just for show. If this were a fight to the death, these people wouldn’t necessarily be able to surround Liang Qifeng.

Nan Jianxue’s face was also serious.

He gave Liang Qifeng a reassuring look and said, “It’s okay. I’ll leave!”

After he said that, he walked to the side. Just as he was about to step out the door, two sheathed swords immediately crossed in front of him.

Nan Jianxue was angry. “Get out of the way!”

The two Imperial Guards did not speak or move.

Nan Jianxue frowned. “What if I insist on leaving? Did Imperial Brother tell you to kill me?”

Hearing this, the two Imperial Guards exchanged a look, withdrew their weapons, turned around, knelt on one knee, and saluted him. “His Majesty has ordered that the Princess must not be harmed.” After he said that, the two of them drew their swords and held them to their necks. “If we cannot complete our mission, we have no honor to face His Majesty and can only atone for our failure with death.”

Nan Jianxue was silent.

A moment later, he said, “Are you threatening me?”

The two Imperial Guards just lowered their heads and didn’t speak.

Although Nan Jianxue didn’t think his Imperial Brother would be so extreme, he was indeed scared.

He was afraid that these two people’s minds were too stubborn and they would really kill themselves.

Even if they didn’t die, it would be bad if they were injured.

He retreated into the room and looked at Liang Qifeng.

Liang Qifeng was also looking at him.

“How about you sleep on the couch,” Nan Jianxue said.

Liang Qifeng glanced at the two people at the door and asked, “What else did the emperor order?”

The two were silent for a moment before one of them spoke. “His Majesty said… the Consort cannot sleep anywhere else.”

Nan Jianxue was still wondering how that would work when he heard Liang Qifeng say, “What if I want to sleep on the couch?”

Outside the door, there was another moment of silence.

A moment later, a few Imperial Guards appeared in the room and moved the only couch away.

After that, they moved the table, the rug, the bed curtains, the screen, and even Liang Qifeng’s clothes. They even moved the slightly larger cabinets.

Nan Jianxue watched, completely confused, until they took an extra quilt from the bed and prepared to leave. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did Imperial Brother tell you to raid my house?”

The Imperial Guard just said, “This is His Majesty’s will.”

Nan Jianxue gave up. These people were completely uncooperative. It was better to try to negotiate with Liang Qifeng.

He sat back at the table and looked at Liang Qifeng, his expression sincere. “Liang Qifeng, you don’t want the person you like to find out that you’re sleeping in the same bed as me, do you?”

Liang Qifeng didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “What do you want to say?”

Nan Jianxue said, “You can sleep on the floor.”

Liang Qifeng looked at him like he was an idiot.

Nan Jianxue also felt that what he said was a bit too much. Although it wasn’t very cold this season, the nights were still cool, and sleeping on the floor could easily lead to illness. Besides, this room was originally Liang Qifeng’s.

But he also couldn’t sleep on the floor.

He looked down and thought for a while. He compromised. “Fine, let’s sleep together.”

He didn’t expect him to compromise so quickly. Liang Qifeng couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You’re willing?”

Of course, Nan Jianxue wasn’t willing.

“There’s no other way,” Nan Jianxue said. “Can you swear you won’t touch me?”

Liang Qifeng glanced at him. “Same goes for you.”

“Then it’s fine,” Nan Jianxue said. “You don’t like women anyway. Sleeping with you is almost the same as sleeping with my Imperial Sisters.”

Liang Qifeng didn’t understand his ridiculous logic and how he could come to such a conclusion.

“Wait,” Liang Qifeng said, standing up and walking around the room. Finally, he picked up a chair.

When Nan Jianxue saw the chair, he immediately reminded him, “Sleeping while sitting can cause a stiff neck and a backache. I really don’t mind sleeping together for one night.”

Liang Qifeng ignored him and laid the chair on the floor.

Nan Jianxue: ?

The next moment, the chair broke with a loud bang from Liang Qifeng’s kick.

Nan Jianxue: ??

His expression was blank for a moment, and then he suddenly understood why the Imperial Guards had been raiding the room and moving all the large furniture.

With Liang Qifeng’s strength, if they didn’t move it, he could probably just tear it apart and use it as a bed.

He watched Liang Qifeng walk toward him with a wooden plank, and he asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

Liang Qifeng didn’t explain. He just said, “Get on the bed.”

“You first,” Nan Jianxue said. “I’ll sleep on the outside.”

Liang Qifeng glanced at him. “Get in.”

Nan Jianxue didn’t move.

Liang Qifeng said, “I’ll get up at 5 a.m. Do you want me to step over you?”

Nan Jianxue was instantly convinced. He really couldn’t get up at 5 a.m.

“Then what if I want to go out at night?” Nan Jianxue said. “Do I have to step over you?”

Liang Qifeng frowned. “Just wake me up.”

Nan Jianxue nodded, then climbed onto the bed.

He was about to tell Liang Qifeng not to move around at night, but as soon as he turned his head, Liang Qifeng put a wooden board in front of him.

He casually found something to support it, but it wasn’t very stable. The board looked wobbly, as if it could fall at any moment.

Nan Jianxue thought about the consequences of it falling and said with a pale face, “How about you find another way? I don’t want to be disfigured at such a young age.”

Liang Qifeng glanced at him, then forcefully pressed the board toward the head of the bed.

The headboard instantly cracked, clamping the wooden board in place.

Nan Jianxue was instantly numb.

What kind of monstrous strength was that?

Liang Qifeng placed the board properly, then reached for a pillow and placed it between them. He said, “Don’t cross the line.”

After saying that, he lay down directly.

Nan Jianxue stared at the pillow for a while before he realized what Liang Qifeng meant.

He was being looked down on?!

He hadn’t even looked down on Liang Qifeng yet!!

As a princess, and a beautiful one at that, he had always been the one to look down on others since he was a child. This was the first time he had ever been so wronged!!

“Who are you looking down on!” Nan Jianxue said angrily. “It’s clearly me who’s losing out here!”

Liang Qifeng said, “I’m afraid you’ll sleep badly.”

“I sleep perfectly fine, but you!” Nan Jianxue said. “Do you sleepwalk?”

Liang Qifeng didn’t answer. Nan Jianxue was angry for a while, and seeing that Liang Qifeng was ignoring him, he also lay down.

He pulled the quilt over himself and wrapped himself tightly, even pressing the ends under his body, wrapping himself like a spring roll to completely prevent himself or Liang Qifeng from moving around and having any physical contact during the night.

But he couldn’t sleep.

He was not used to sleeping with someone. Having another person in the bed made him uncomfortable.

He could only speak up to bother Liang Qifeng: “Are you asleep?”

Liang Qifeng ignored him.

Nan Jianxue asked him again, “What kind of person is the one you like? Why don’t you know where he is?”

Liang Qifeng still ignored him.

Nan Jianxue didn’t care and continued to ask questions, chirping like a little bird.

At first, Liang Qifeng really didn’t plan to talk to him, but Nan Jianxue had so much to say that he could talk for a long time by himself.

When he heard Nan Jianxue ask him if he was “angry with Imperial Brother,” Liang Qifeng finally couldn’t help but answer, “No.”

Hearing his answer, Nan Jianxue’s eyes lit up, and he asked again, “Aren’t you angry that he raided your house like that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Liang Qifeng said. “When the time comes, he’ll give it back tenfold.”

“Then…”

“Go to sleep,” Liang Qifeng interrupted him. “If you don’t sleep now, it will be dawn.”

“I can’t sleep,” Nan Jianxue sighed and turned over.

Liang Qifeng heard a soft thump from behind him, as if Nan Jianxue had hit the bed board when he turned over.

But that was it. He didn’t make any more noise afterward, probably because he finally went to sleep.

Thinking that, Liang Qifeng also closed his eyes.

The room fell into silence, not even the sound of the wind.

Liang Qifeng was a light sleeper and was fully aware of everything that was happening around him. He woke up when Nan Jianxue turned over behind him.

He heard Nan Jianxue mumble something.

Liang Qifeng closed his eyes.

Suddenly, something touched his back.

Liang Qifeng’s eyes snapped open, and his body instantly tensed up like a bow.

Then a pair of soft hands were placed on his back, touching him very lightly. Then, as if they had confirmed something, the owner of the hands moved over completely.

Hearing the sound of fabric rubbing, Liang Qifeng practically rolled off the bed.

Nan Jianxue grabbed at nothing. He let out a soft whine from his nose and started to grope around on the bed. He quickly found the spot where Liang Qifeng had been sleeping, curled up, and stopped moving.

Liang Qifeng watched his actions and almost laughed out of anger. This was sleeping “perfectly fine”?

“Nan Jianxue,” Liang Qifeng called out to him.

Nan Jianxue was still dreaming.

His dreams were a mess, mostly nightmares. He couldn’t remember what he was dreaming about, but he felt that it was very hard to bear. So when he was woken up, he was a little dazed, but he was also a bit angry.

But when he looked out the window, the sky was still dark.

He was even angrier.

He looked at the blurry silhouette standing by the bed in the dark, rubbed his eyes, and said in a muffled, sleepy voice that was also soft, making it hard to tell if he was complaining or whining, “What are you doing? I finally got to sleep.”

“I should be asking you!” Liang Qifeng’s expression was completely hidden in the dark, but his voice was full of anger. “Nan Jianxue, have you no shame?”

Nan Jianxue didn’t expect to be scolded for no reason. After a moment of confusion, his anger flared up. He yelled back, “Are you crazy? You woke me up in the middle of the night just to scold me? Do I owe you something?!”

Liang Qifeng was also angry. “Do you want to see where you’re sleeping right now?!”

Only then did Nan Jianxue realize that his distance from Liang Qifeng seemed too close. He could even smell the faint sandalwood scent on Liang Qifeng’s body. But since Liang Qifeng was standing by the bed, shouldn’t he be farther away from him?

Nan Jianxue reached out into the empty space, and his hand hit the wooden board on his right side.

Nan Jianxue: “…”

His first reaction was: “Did you move me here?!”

Liang Qifeng was almost amused by this woman’s ability to turn the facts upside down.

He said through gritted teeth, “If you used that mouth to persuade the emperor, things wouldn’t be like this today.”

Nan Jianxue also belatedly realized what he meant. He felt a little guilty and fumbled around on the bed. Sure enough, he felt the quilt at his feet.

When he was asleep, if he got hot, he would kick the quilt off, but in this season, it would be cold without a quilt, so he would subconsciously look for it. Before, in his own manor, he often fell out of bed while looking for the quilt in the middle of the night.

Nan Jianxue felt a little guilty, but he was still stubborn. “A person can’t control themselves when they’re asleep. When I came over, why didn’t you just move?”

Liang Qifeng: ?

He really laughed. “Fine, if it happens again, I’ll throw you off the bed.”

Nan Jianxue knew he would actually do it and immediately cowered. “Why don’t you have any pity for a delicate person like me?”

Liang Qifeng couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He said, “Go back to sleep!”

Nan Jianxue slowly moved back. Just as he was about to say something, Liang Qifeng turned and left.

Was he going to go and break another board?

Nan Jianxue frowned and reached out to touch the wooden board between them. This thing wasn’t big; it only blocked their heads, but it was a divider. How did he even get past it?

A moment later, Liang Qifeng returned and threw something soft on Nan Jianxue.

Nan Jianxue touched it. It was a little rough, like hemp rope.

He looked at Liang Qifeng blankly. “What’s this? A rope?”

“Will that stop you?” Liang Qifeng said. “Tie yourself up.”

Nan Jianxue: ?

He threw the rope back at Liang Qifeng and yelled, “Are you crazy?! Tie yourself up!”

Liang Qifeng’s voice was very faint. “I won’t touch you. Do it yourself.”

Nan Jianxue couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

He was a “woman” and wasn’t afraid. What was Liang Qifeng afraid of?

He was afraid of physical contact, but that was because he was afraid of being touched in the wrong places and exposing that he was a man. But Liang Qifeng? Was he also afraid of exposing something? Why was he reacting so strongly to a simple touch?

“Don’t worry, I will never touch your pure and innocent body,” Nan Jianxue said angrily. “I’ll go back to the princess’s manor tomorrow and won’t bother you anymore. You don’t have to humiliate me like this!”

By the end, his words were more of a protest and a complaint than a counterattack.

He was living a good life in his own manor. Why should he suffer like this?

His Imperial Brother, who decreed the marriage, was a bastard, and Liang Qifeng was an even bigger bastard!

He actually thought about getting along with this big bastard just now! He must have been out of his mind!

Nan Jianxue angrily pulled the quilt over his head, ignoring Liang Qifeng.

He even thought about not sleeping and just staying up until dawn to go back to his manor to sleep. But not long after this thought began, he heard Liang Qifeng say, “Going back to the princess’s manor is useless.”

His voice was a little lower, and it was still hard to tell his emotions, but the slower pace made Nan Jianxue feel like he was softening up.

He hesitated, then peeked his head out from under the quilt and looked in Liang Qifeng’s direction. He asked, “What do you mean?”

Liang Qifeng sat down on the bed and asked, “Do you understand the emperor?”

Nan Jianxue was a little confused by the question but still nodded.

Liang Qifeng asked, “What kind of person do you think he is?”

Nan Jianxue didn’t know why he was asking this but still answered, “Imperial Brother is a very good person.”

He had been living with his Imperial Brother since he was eight years old. He was confident about this, at least.

Liang Qifeng said, “I’m talking about… his methods.”

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand.

But Liang Qifeng didn’t seem to insist on an answer. After a few moments of silence, he answered himself: “There’s nothing he wants to do that he can’t.”

Whether it was a new policy or getting rid of a certain official, as long as he had the idea, he could always make it happen.

Just like he wanted Liang Qifeng and Nan Jianxue to share a bed, so he moved all the furniture, forcing them to sleep on the same bed.

This was only the first step. If he really wanted to, the trouble wouldn’t stop there.

Knowing this, Liang Qifeng’s reaction to what Nan Zhanyuan did was so minimal. He knew this wouldn’t be the first or the last time.

Nan Jianxue also understood. Thinking that his own manor would also be raided tomorrow, his heart sank.

He lay back down and mumbled something.

Liang Qifeng didn’t hear him and didn’t ask.

He didn’t lie down. He just sat by the bed and said, “Sleep.”

Nan Jianxue responded and, just like before, wrapped himself up like a silkworm cocoon with the quilt. After a while, he, just like before, kicked the quilt far away and started fumbling around on the bed.

Liang Qifeng watched the whole thing from the side. As soon as his hand reached the edge of the bed, he stood up, walked to the window, and closed it.

The next day, when Nan Jianxue woke up, he was gone.

Nan Jianxue was almost lying horizontally across the bed, so shameless that he was embarrassed himself. He covered his face in shame for a while before getting out of bed.

Qingqian had already prepared his toiletries and clothes and was waiting behind the screen, reporting the situation to him.

As Nan Jianxue washed his face, he listened to her say that Liang Qifeng got up very early and was practicing his spear in the courtyard. He felt a wave of guilt again.

After quickly rinsing his mouth and changing his clothes, Nan Jianxue asked Qingqian to come and do his hair.

Qingqian picked up the comb and, as she combed Nan Jianxue’s hair, said, “You still have to go to the Liang manor to serve tea to your in-laws. After that, the Princess and the Consort have to go to the palace to give thanks.”

Hearing the word “consort,” Nan Jianxue glared at Qingqian in the mirror.

Qingqian immediately gave a pleading smile and lightly hit her mouth. “This slave is speaking nonsense. Please don’t take offense, Princess.”

Only then did Nan Jianxue look away, but his face was still unhappy. “I don’t want to go.”

“How can you not?” Qingqian said disapprovingly. “If you don’t, people will say the Princess doesn’t respect her elders.”

Nan Jianxue heard this and said carelessly, “Let them say what they want! It’s better if the news reaches his parents’ ears and they go to complain to Imperial Brother. That will annoy him to no end.”

Qingqian was helpless. “You still have to ask the General first.”

“Why do I have to ask him? Why are you siding with him!” Nan Jianxue said angrily. “You don’t know how he treated me last night.”

Qingqian knew her princess was too angry to think clearly, so she immediately shut her mouth and didn’t dare to say anything more.

But Nan Jianxue had already told her everything that happened last night. When he mentioned that Liang Qifeng woke him up in the middle of the night to scold him, Qingqian frowned. When she heard that he wanted to tie him up, Qingqian’s expression became a little strange. “That’s very…”

She didn’t know how to describe it and could only express it with a long, unreadable blank.

Nan Jianxue understood. He immediately agreed, “Right? You think he’s too much, too, don’t you?!”

Qingqian thought to herself, not only that, but he’s also a little perverted and weird in a way she couldn’t explain.

Nan Jianxue was a princess and was also very beautiful. Qingqian had been with him since he was a child and had seen all kinds of people. Many people, after seeing his appearance, would stare at him, or even flirt and follow him. The brave ones would even say a few subtle, inappropriate things, but most of them were dealt with.

There were also those who were dignified and polite, but their attitude was always very good. Whether it was out of consideration for her status or a chivalrous demeanor, no one would say anything unpleasant to her.

Liang Qifeng was the first person she had ever seen who treated her princess like this. This blatant rejection and disgust were truly rare.

Qingqian thought for a moment and asked in a very low voice, “Princess, do you think the General might already have someone he fancies?”

Nan Jianxue was stunned. He remembered that Qingqian probably wasn’t there when his Imperial Brother and Liang Qifeng were talking last night.

He didn’t say anything, but asked, “Why do you say that?”

As Qingqian combed his hair, she continued, “Didn’t you read many novels like this? A scholar and an official’s daughter fall in love. They should have had a happy ending, but then the princess falls for the scholar and gets an imperial decree to force him to marry her. That’s why the scholar hates the princess so much.”

As she spoke, she saw Nan Jianxue’s face in the mirror become more and more strange, and she immediately stopped.

After all, these were just stories from novels. Usually, her princess wouldn’t mind and would even laugh with her, saying things like, “I don’t know which pedantic scholars wrote these things, fantasizing that an official’s daughter would fall in love with him and that a princess would be devoted to him. How can they write such baseless things?”

But now it was different. If the general really had someone he fancied, wouldn’t the princess become the villain from the novel who broke up a loving couple?

Just as she was about to explain, she heard Nan Jianxue say, “Who fell for him? If Imperial Brother hadn’t threatened me, I wouldn’t have wanted to marry him!”

Qingqian was a little helpless. “That’s not the point.”

“I know,” Nan Jianxue pouted. “But what you said makes sense. Do you think if I use this reason and tell Imperial Brother that I don’t want to be the villain, he’ll agree to our divorce?”

Qingqian thought to herself, probably not, but she still smiled and said, “Then Princess, you’ll know after you eat your breakfast and go to the palace to ask.”

Nan Jianxue heard that she was just humoring him. He pouted, refused her hand that was about to do his makeup, took a brush himself, meticulously drew his eyebrows, and then got up to eat breakfast.

“Princess,” Qingqian followed behind, persuading him. “You’re going to the palace later. It’s better to wear makeup.”

Nan Jianxue had never liked to wear makeup. He found it troublesome, so he usually only wore a very light makeup when he was in public. In his own manor, he didn’t wear any makeup at all.

“I’ll think about it later,” Nan Jianxue waved her off, sat down at the table, and started eating. His mind was still replaying what Qingqian had just said.

Thinking that he had become the villainous woman in a novel, Nan Jianxue couldn’t help but want to laugh and share it with Liang Qifeng.

Thinking that, he sped up his eating.

When he finished and went out, he saw Liang Qifeng still practicing, but this time, he was using a spear instead of a sword.

The palace guards all carried swords, and so did the guards in the princess’s manor. Nan Jianxue had seen them many times but had rarely seen anyone practice.

Nan Jianxue didn’t know martial arts and couldn’t understand it, but he could still feel that Liang Qifeng’s sword moves were sharp and domineering. They weren’t fast, but they were powerful. When the blade cut through the air, it felt like the air was being torn apart.

He stood at the door and admired for a while, then called out to him, “Liang Qifeng.”

Liang Qifeng’s movements didn’t stop. He just replied, “Say it.”

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Nan Jianxue said. “If not, go eat. If you have, go change your clothes. We’re going to the palace.”

Only then did Liang Qifeng stop. He put away his movements and looked at Nan Jianxue. “In such a hurry?”

Nan Jianxue nodded. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can go back to my manor.”

Liang Qifeng reminded him, “You still have to serve tea to your in-laws.”

Nan Jianxue’s expression stiffened. “Can I not go?”

“You can,” Liang Qifeng laughed and glanced at him. “You can explain it to your Imperial Brother yourself later.”

He said this, threw the sword back on the weapon rack, and went back to the room to change his clothes.

Nan Jianxue looked at his back, replaying the laugh and glance he had just given him. He felt that something was not quite right.

Was there a trap?