My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

In the dense mountain forest, a green figure swung a long blade, rhythmically hacking away the branches and weeds blocking the path. Lu Youming was drenched in sweat. She shook her aching right hand, sheathed her blade, and took a deep breath to recover.

Su Wanrou followed closely behind, wrapped tightly from head to toe to protect her skin. Her face was covered with a gauze scarf that clung to her skin every time she inhaled and loosened when she exhaled; she was exhausted. She had never walked so far or for so long in her life; her legs were so sore they felt like they didn’t belong to her anymore.

They had set out from the sandbank, following the river. There were no actual paths; every step was carved out by Lu Youming. Lu Youming had pointed to the river and told her, “Follow the water. People live near water; it’s the only way out of these mountains.”

When Lu Youming said they had only been walking for an hour and couldn’t rest yet, the exhausted Su Wanrou could only nod weakly. Lu Youming used a wooden staff to beat the waist-high grass to scare off any snakes, and when the brush became too thick, she used her blade to clear the way. Both wore gauze over their faces; the mountain mosquitoes were so thick that without protection, they would have inhaled them.

“Wife, are you alright?” Lu Youming put down her staff and walked to Su Wanrou’s side. Su Wanrou leaned on her own stick, waving a hand feebly. Her breath was ragged, and her hair was damp with sweat.

“Want some water?” Lu Youming took a bamboo tube of mugwort water from her makeshift vine-woven pack and handed it to her.

“Ha… whew… Husband, how much longer?” Su Wanrou leaned her head against Lu Youming’s chest, her hands trembling as she drank. She truly felt she couldn’t take another step.

Lu Youming sighed. She didn’t know how long it would take. If they were lucky, maybe four or five hours; if the mountain range was vast, it could be days. “We’ll rest for a bit, then keep going.” She gently wiped the sweat from Su Wanrou’s flushed face.

After a short rest, they pushed on. “The grass is thick here,” Lu Youming warned. “Keep using your stick to beat the brush. Watch out for snakes.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Su Wanrou replied. Lu Youming smiled and patted her head. Since the secret of her identity had come out, their interactions had become much more natural. Having faced death together, their bond was stronger than ever.

“Protect your face,” Lu Youming added as she hacked through a patch of reeds. “The leaves are sharp.”

“You protect your handsome face too, Husband,” Su Wanrou teased, her eyes roaming over Lu Youming’s delicate features. Lu Youming gave a helpless laugh and continued the battle against the reeds.

Finally, they broke through the thicket and reached a wide, rocky bank. The sound of the flowing river was a relief. “Wife, let’s wash up,” Lu Youming said, feeling itchy all over.

After washing and eating the last of their cold, slightly fishy roasted fish, Lu Youming looked at Su Wanrou and cleared her throat. She had been thinking about this for a while. “Actually… you don’t have to call me ‘Husband’ anymore.”

“Oh? Then what should I call you? ‘Wife’?” Su Wanrou’s voice was melodic, and the way she elongated the end of the word made Lu Youming’s heart skip a beat. Hearing a beautiful woman call her “Wife” in such a sultry tone was devastating.

Lu Youming looked away, her ears burning. Su Wanrou watched her with a glint of mischief in her eyes. She leaned in, her scent of bamboo and mugwort filling Lu Youming’s senses. She tilted Lu Youming’s chin up. “Well, ‘Wife,’ you haven’t told me what I should call you.”

Lu Youming’s pupils dilated. She realized she wouldn’t get away without an answer. “You can call me… Xiao Lu, or Zijin.”

Su Wanrou let go and immediately turned away. “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Because!” Su Wanrou patted Lu Youming’s shoulder. “We need to move, or we won’t be out by dark.”

The path became easier as they followed the exposed riverbed. After walking for several more hours, Lu Youming suddenly froze. She pointed toward the distance where a thin trail of white smoke rose into the sky. “Wife! Look! People!”

Su Wanrou let out a massive sigh of relief. “Since we see smoke, let’s rest for a moment before we approach.”

“Yes, sit here,” Lu Youming helped her onto a smooth rock. She began straightening her green official robes, which were missing a large chunk of the hem but were otherwise presentable. “I’ll go ahead and scout. I’m wearing my uniform and carrying a blade; they should be civil with me.”

“Haha, yes,” Su Wanrou smiled. “I think even the uncivil ones will become civil very quickly.”

Su Wanrou beckoned her over. “Come here, let me fix your hair.” Since Lu Youming had lost her official cap in the river, her hair was a mess. Su Wanrou used her fingers as a comb, gently smoothing Lu Youming’s long locks. Lu Youming felt the warmth of Su Wanrou’s touch and breathed in her scent, feeling a strange sense of peace.

When it was finished, Lu Youming insisted on returning the favor. She gathered Su Wanrou’s hair and used a small branch as a makeshift hairpin. A few stray strands fell around Su Wanrou’s face, adding a touch of effortless grace to her beauty. Lu Youming stared, breathless. “You are… very beautiful.”

“Are you praising your own handiwork?” Su Wanrou teased.

“I’m praising the person,” Lu Youming said earnestly.

They followed the smoke to a field where an old man in brown clothes was burning rice straw for fertilizer.

“Greetings, Elder,” Lu Youming said warmly, stepping forward.

The old man saw her blade and official robes and immediately bowed. “Is this the Lord Sheriff coming to collect the summer taxes?”

“You recognize the uniform?”

“I am the head of Tian Family Village. I’ve seen the local officials before. But you… you aren’t our Sheriff.”

“I am the Sheriff of Qinghe County. My wife and I were swept away by the flood and lost our way. Could you spare someone to lead us to the local county office?”

The village head called for his grandson, Hu-zi, and another villager to prepare a bullock cart. Lu Youming handed over a small piece of silver as payment. “This is for your time and the use of the cart.” The old man was stunned; he had never met an official so polite or generous.

An hour later, they reached the gates of the local city. Lu Youming and Su Wanrou approached the guards. “I am the Sheriff of Qinghe County. We were caught in the flood. Please take us to see your Magistrate.”

Recognizing the official blade and the remains of the green robes, the guards immediately escorted them to the government office.

The local Magistrate, a man in his forties named Chen, received them. After hearing their story—and realizing Su Wanrou’s father was a high-ranking Censor—his attitude became incredibly warm. “Rest here for a day or two. I’ll have a doctor check you for injuries before sending you back to Qinghe.”

He arranged a small courtyard for them. The Magistrate’s wife provided fresh clothes for Su Wanrou, while Lu Youming was given a new set of robes from a local shop.

“Wife, are you okay?” Lu Youming asked as she saw Su Wanrou swaying with exhaustion.

“I’m fine,” Su Wanrou yawned, leaning her head on Lu Youming’s shoulder the moment she sat down. “I just want to bathe. I feel like I smell terrible.”

“You don’t smell. You smell like flowers,” Lu Youming comforted her.

Su Wanrou gave her a gentle, playful glare. “You don’t have to lie to me like that.”

As Su Wanrou went into the side room to bathe, Lu Youming sat in the courtyard to keep watch. Listening to the splashing water, a soft smile appeared on her face. After days of dirt, fear, and sleeping on rocks, her “wife” finally had a moment of peace.