Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 27

Under the glow of the setting sun, Zhou Yan cut a valiant figure.

Following his lead, Ajitai mimicked Zhou Yan’s movements, fishing copper coins from his sleeve and placing them in Maar’s hand.

Maar accepted them sullenly. Speaking in a prairie dialect that Jiang Wanshu could not understand, he offered a fake smile. “Thank you, brother Ajitai.”

Once darkness fell, the four of them stopped at a shop near Barkhor Street to eat roasted meat before heading back on horseback.

Zhou Yan rode with a brooding Jiang Wanshu seated in front of him, while Maar sat behind Ajitai.

Having learned the circumstances of why the two women hadn’t brought horses, Zhou Yan tightened his grip around Jiang Wanshu’s waist. He leaned in, his lips brushing stealthily against the hollow beneath her earlobe as he murmured, “When there’s time, I’ll teach you how to ride.”

The prairie was vast, with breathtaking views at every turn; he wanted Jiang Wanshu to experience it all. Perhaps, he hoped, if she grew to love this land, she might one day stay with him of her own free will.

But Jiang Wanshu remained silent. It wasn’t until he mischievously pinched her waist that she finally snapped, “I know how to ride! I don’t need you to teach me!”

As a noblewoman, she had been tutored in the Six Arts—rites, music, archery, charioting, calligraphy, and mathematics. She had practiced “charioting” and riding enough to be proficient.

Her indignant outburst only drew a laugh from him.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with admiration. “My Ajia, you truly are a woman of spirit!”

In a burst of excitement as the horse galloped, Zhou Yan leaned down. Before Jiang Wanshu could react, his thin lips pressed firmly against her cheek with a loud, deliberate smack. Jiang Wanshu’s face turned a violent shade of crimson, and she lowered her head in shame.

She didn’t dare resist openly, but inwardly, she felt nothing but contempt for his boorishness.

Only a man like him could be so thick-skinned. She had assumed that since he knew she was staying with him against her will, he would at least try to win her over with gentleness. Instead, he showed no refinement or restraint, even in the presence of others.

Ignoring her shyness, Zhou Yan leaned in for another kiss, but this time, the girl was prepared. She swung her hand, her slender fingers slapping against his face. Though she didn’t use much force, Zhou Yan didn’t take offense. Instead, he tightened his right arm around her waist and snapped the whip, urging the horse to go even faster.

The sudden burst of speed sent the back of Jiang Wanshu’s head thudding into his chest. She let out a silent groan of complaint, rubbing her forehead.

Zhou Yan grinned, though he finally slowed the pace.

Late into the night, the two were alone in the room, wrapped in a heavy silence.

Zhou Yan sat sprawling on the bed, while Jiang Wanshu remained perched on a stool.

Finally, Zhou Yan broke the quiet. He stood up, his long legs carrying him over to stand directly in front of her.

“What exactly are you brooding over? You haven’t said more than three words to me all day.”

Zhou Yan was genuinely baffled. Even if she were throwing a tantrum, surely she should have cooled off by now? Was he simply too blunt, or was she far more skilled at this psychological warfare than he realized?

He had intended to settle things tonight, but faced with her “cold and elegant” silence, his own stubbornness flared. He hooked his arm around her waist and hoisted her onto his shoulder in one swift motion.

Startled like a frightened bird, Jiang Wanshu struggled, her legs kicking at his waist.

Zhou Yan was not one to endure such resistance. He grabbed her ankle with his left hand and, despite her humiliated thrashing, tossed her onto the bed.

The bed in the tent had been replaced with a Central Plains-style bed for her comfort, but the space was still cramped.

Sensing his intent, Jiang Wanshu tried to scramble away, but a second later, she was pinned between his arms. With his knees pressing down on her legs, she was rendered immobile, her palms slick with sweat.

His handsome face drew closer and closer, but just an inch from hers, he suddenly shifted. With a roll, he pulled her tightly into his embrace.

The size difference between them was vast; he easily locked her in place with his limbs. His right hand gripped her shoulder like a vice, while his left hand patted her soft cheek.

“Tell me clearly,” he said, leaning in. “What exactly do you want from me before you’ll start talking to me again?”

To Zhou Yan, she was being incredibly difficult. So what if he had been a bit rough on their wedding night? Was it really worth holding a grudge this long? After all, they had performed the rites according to Central Plains tradition; it was his husbandly right.

In Jiang Wanshu’s eyes, however, a wedding without her parents or friends was neither valid nor honorable—especially when the groom was not the man of her heart.

But she knew trying to explain this would be futile. She simply turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Zhou Yan laughed, though there was an edge of anger to it. He pinched her delicate chin, forcing his deep, dark eyes to lock onto hers. “Have I hit you? Have I cursed you? All I did was fulfill my duty on our wedding night, and you’re still playing these games?”

Jiang Wanshu remained unmoved. The moment their eyes met, she looked away again, refusing him even a shred of acknowledgment.

This finally pushed Zhou Yan’s temper toward its limit. Then, remembering her stubborn nature, he forced himself to swallow his rage. He let go of her chin but kept his right arm firmly around her shoulder.

He took a deep breath, warning himself not to lose his cool.

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes to think. If you haven’t stated your conditions by then, don’t blame me for not giving you a choice.”

This was, in fact, a compromise.

Jiang Wanshu understood perfectly. For her, he was willing to back down.

A thought flickered in her mind. If she still planned to escape, she needed to gather information about his true situation, and the only way to do that was to get him talking. If she continued to clash with him like this, her escape would remain a distant dream.

She might as well take the “exit” he was offering—and secure a condition for herself in the process.

She looked up, a glimmer of expectation in her eyes. “Without my permission, you are not to do… what happened that night… ever again,” she demanded boldly.

Zhou Yan’s face darkened instantly. Having tasted the sweetness of their union, how could he be expected to live like a monk? Especially with the woman he wanted right beside him.

“No. Pick another condition!” he snarled through gritted teeth.

“I want this one!” Jiang Wanshu insisted, refusing to budge.

Zhou Yan calmed himself down quickly, realizing this “delicate flower” responded better to softness than force. He yielded once more.

“Fine. A ten-day limit. That is my final offer,” he said, his tone a mix of authority and concession. “If you don’t accept that, then consider everything I said void, and I’ll just treat my Ajia as a mute. A mute wife is fine, as long as she’s still in my hands.”

This sparked a flash of anger in her. “You… you are shameless!”

Zhou Yan didn’t flinch; he pressed closer. “Five seconds. Counting down.”

He stared at her face, his voice low as if mimicking a ticking clock. “Four… three… two…”

Knowing this was the best deal she would get, Jiang Wanshu hurriedly interrupted him. “Fine! But don’t you dare lie to me.”

“When have I ever lied to you?” Zhou Yan asked, a hint of pride in his victory.

As soon as the words left his mouth, memories of their past shared history flashed through both their minds. His expression turned solemn. “If you try something like that again, you won’t get such a ‘generous’ deal next time.”

Jiang Wanshu knew exactly what he was referring to and nodded quickly.

The storm had passed, neutralized by Zhou Yan’s forceful mediation.

As the night deepened and the moon grew brighter, Jiang Wanshu, still sitting on the bed, finally succumbed to exhaustion. Her head began to nod. Zhou Yan noticed and moved to tuck her in properly, but the moment he touched her, she bolted upright.

She pulled the fleece blanket up to her chin, her voice trembling. “You! You said you wouldn’t touch me for ten days!”

Zhou Yan stared at her, speechless.

He certainly wanted to touch her tonight, but she was so stubborn that he didn’t want to risk the fragile peace they had just made. If he broke his word now, she would never trust him again.

He reached out, pulled the blanket away from her chest, and used his weight to gently pin her down as he lay beside her, pulling her into a side-hug.

When she tried to wiggle free, he didn’t hold back—he gave her backside a sharp smack. The shock of it instantly made her freeze.

She looked at him piteously, rubbing the sore spot. “Zhou Yan, you’re a bully!” she complained. Her tone was no longer cold; it was almost a pout.

The friction of her movement sent a jolt of heat through Zhou Yan’s lower abdomen. Sweat broke out on his brow. He gave her a stern warning: “Stop moving your hips, or I might just take back everything I promised today.”

Jiang Wanshu went rigid immediately, not daring to move an inch.

With such softness in his arms, Zhou Yan’s mind was racing. Finally, his willpower won out. He sat up abruptly, threw the heavy quilt over her, and stood up to leave the tent.

As the tent flap fell shut, his bold, unrestrained voice drifted back through the gap, loud and clear.

“Wanshu, a prairie man’s word is as strong as iron. I’ll show you exactly what that means in ten days.”

He strode away.

In the moonlight, Jiang Wanshu’s face burned with shame—a deep crimson spread from her ears to her neck. She cursed his lack of manners under her breath.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan stood by the “Mother River” behind the camp. He stripped off his clothes, his muscular physique reflected in the shimmering water. He plunged into the icy current, letting the freezing water wash away his burning desire.

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