My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Night was approaching. Lu Youming woke to the rhythmic sound of a blade striking bamboo—a crisp clack-clack that sounded exceptionally clear in the desolate twilight.

She clutched her head, which throbbed with a dizzying ache, and a wave of nausea washed over her. The world spun so violently that she collapsed back onto the stone. Twilight had deepened, and the mountain birds were beginning their evening chorus. Lu Youming lay there for a long time before managing to sit up, her mouth feeling parched and dry.

She pulled a layer of gauze off her head—likely her own undershirt—and followed the noise. Below the great rock, a small fire had been lit. Su Wanrou was holding a heavy blade, repeatedly hacking away at a stalk of bamboo.

As Lu Youming propped herself up to stand, she felt her blue official robes slide off her body.

Snap!

She clutched her inner garments tight, her eyes widening in a blank stare as her heart began to hammer against her ribs. She went rigid, her limbs turning ice-cold as a cold sweat broke out across her back. A stray breeze blew past, making her soul feel even more chilled.

It’s over. My “vest” (cover) is gone!

Her mind buzzed. Her first instinct was to scramble for an explanation—to tell Su Wanrou she hadn’t meant to deceive her. But then she remembered: they were a “fake” couple to begin with. Maybe… just maybe, she wouldn’t mind?

Lu Youming swallowed hard, her heart fluttering. She cautiously turned her head and met Su Wanrou’s gaze. Terrified, she immediately spun back around, clutching her clothes and refusing to look the other way.

“What do I do? What do I do? If she asks why I lied, what can I say? Do I tell her I’m from another world?”

Lu Youming’s mind raced through a thousand frantic questions, but she lacked the courage to face the burning gaze directed at her back.

In reality, Su Wanrou only spared her a glance before lowering her head to continue chopping the green bamboo. A tiny smile played at the corners of her lips. “She’s likely trying to figure out an explanation. I’m quite curious to hear what “unspeakable hardships” my husband claims to have.”

As the minutes ticked by, Lu Youming’s ears twitched at the sound of the bamboo snapping behind her. She was literally trembling.

“If I apologize first and promise to find her a real husband later, maybe she’ll forgive me…” Lu Youming couldn’t sit still anymore. For the first time, she felt completely vulnerable and in the wrong. She sighed, exhausted. Why did I have to faint?

She peeked over her shoulder again. Seeing that her “wife” wasn’t paying attention, she relaxed slightly. She draped her robes over her shoulders and felt her chest. The leather binder was gone.

Her face flushed. She had been seen… completely. Shouldn’t she be the one taking responsibility for me now?

While Lu Youming was rustling around putting on her clothes, Su Wanrou stood below the rock, leaning on the long blade. The setting sun cast long shadows across her face, making her expression seem slightly cold and distant. She simply watched the person on the rock who was too cowardly to come down.

Su Wanrou suddenly let the blade fall onto the pebbles with a loud clang. The sound of metal hitting stone made Lu Youming jump. She looked down at the “bossy” woman holding the weapon.

Hiss… why did it feel like Su Wanrou had changed so much in one afternoon? And she actually knew how to start a fire!

Under Su Wanrou’s steady gaze, Lu Youming gritted her teeth and finished dressing. She couldn’t find her belt, so she just wrapped her robes tight and scrambled down the rock, walking toward her with slow, hesitant steps. Even in the summer heat, her back felt cold.

Su Wanrou tapped her fingers on the hilt of the blade like she was playing a zither. Watching her “husband” act so timid and small, she wanted to burst out laughing. I’ll let you sweat a little longer, hmph.

Lu Youming walked up to her, looking like a kicked puppy. Su Wanrou’s heart almost softened, but she maintained her cold facade. She set the blade aside and slowly walked a circle around Lu Youming, her eyes scanning her up and down until Lu Youming’s hair stood on end.

“In the future, should I call you ‘Madam’ or ‘Husband’?” Su Wanrou stepped behind Lu Youming and hugged her waist, whispering the question into her ear.

Lu Youming nearly jumped out of her skin at the touch. She forced her muscles to relax, standing stiffly in the embrace.

“What… what would you like to call me?” Lu Youming’s neck shrank back as Su Wanrou’s breath tickled her ear. It was so itchy.

“What do you want me to call you?” Su Wanrou’s hand slid up from her waist. Lu Youming held her breath, completely baffled by the turn of events. When the hand reached her back, she felt a strange, tingling sensation. Are there bugs on me?

She was distracted by the sensation until Su Wanrou’s finger poked the bruise on her waist.

“Ah! Sss…”

“In front of others, I shall call you Husband,” Su Wanrou said, tilting Lu Youming’s chin up so she couldn’t look away. “But in private… I shall call you ‘Madam.’ That way, I won’t be at a disadvantage.”

Lu Youming blinked in confusion. She’s not asking why I’m cross-dressing? She’s not angry? Wait… does she like girls?

She stared at Su Wanrou as if she’d discovered a world-shattering secret. Su Wanrou, misinterpreting the stare as defiance, let her gaze turn a bit colder. Lu Youming quickly nodded her agreement, though her chin was still held captive.

“Alright, Madam… I mean, Wife. I understand,” Lu Youming said obediently, carefully moving the fingers away from her chin.

“Hmph. At least you’re sensible.” Su Wanrou withdrew her hand, but Lu Youming noticed it was covered in scratches and small burns.

Lu Youming frowned and pulled her toward the fire. In the firelight, she saw the blisters on those previously pristine fingers. Her heart ached. A noble lady like Su Wanrou shouldn’t know how to start a fire.

“How did you get this started?” Lu Youming asked, genuinely curious.

Su Wanrou rolled her eyes. “The books say that ‘fire-stones’ come from hard river rocks. There are plenty of rocks here; I eventually found a few that worked.”

Lu Youming could only imagine how much effort it took to strike a spark with zero experience.

“Thank you for your hard work, Wife,” Lu Youming whispered, lifting the wounded hands and gently blowing on them. Su Wanrou watched her, feeling the stinging pain fade away under the gentle breath.

“I couldn’t find much food, just some wild greens and some Szechuan peppercorns,” Su Wanrou pointed to the pile by the rock, waiting for praise.

Lu Youming immediately obliged. “Wow! You’re amazing! You found greens? We won’t go hungry tonight!”

Su Wanrou nodded primly, though her eyes grew misty. That afternoon, Lu Youming’s breathing had become so shallow she had to press her ear to her chest to hear it. At that moment, Su Wanrou hadn’t cared if she was a woman or not—she just didn’t want her to die. She had picked up the blade and walked into a forest she would have once been terrified of to find herbs and fuel.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lu Youming asked as she rinsed Su Wanrou’s wounds with water.

“Because you’re good-looking,” Su Wanrou teased.

Lu Youming went silent, her face turning red. She quickly dropped Su Wanrou’s hand and started hacking at more bamboo. Seeing the charred bamboo tubes on the ground, she realized Su Wanrou had already tried to boil water in them. She really is brilliant, Lu Youming thought.

Lu Youming fetched more water from the river and set the tubes in the fire to boil. Su Wanrou sat by the fire, watching her work without making eye contact.

“The tube over there has your medicine in it. Heat it up and finish it,” Su Wanrou said.

Lu Youming shook the tube. “Why is it only half full?”

“You drank the other half, obviously,” Su Wanrou said casually.

“How did I drink it? I don’t remember being awake.”

“I fed it to you. With my mouth.”

Lu Youming nearly dropped the bamboo. She stared at Su Wanrou, who acted as if she had just mentioned the weather. Su Wanrou looked back at her with a soft, challenging gaze.

Lu Youming swallowed hard and looked down. Reciprocity, she told herself. I gave her air; she gave me medicine. It’s fair. Very fair.

Watching Lu Youming’s face turn from pale to a deep, explosive crimson, Su Wanrou let out a light laugh. She thought to herself: I haven’t even started calling you “Madam” yet. There will be plenty of blushing in your future. You lied to me, and you made me fall for you… it’s all your fault for being too good.

Su Wanrou sat there, feeling “righteously” indignant in her head, while Lu Youming focused on stewing the wild greens. Both of them were starving.

Su Wanrou: In public, you’re my husband. In private, you’re my wife. Fair?

Lu Youming: Fair. Very fair.