Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 5

“But you are my A-jia [a term of endearment, possibly meaning ‘wife’ or ‘beloved’ in a non-Han culture context], performing the ceremony of marriage [a euphemism for sexual relations] is only natural and right. By what right do you tell me to let go?”

As he spoke, Zhou Yan’s hand moved closer to her.

“There was no formal marriage ceremony between you and me. In our Central Plains, this is considered a ‘match without a matchmaker.’ I am not your A-jia!” Jiang Wanshu retorted angrily.

In the ensuing chaos, Jiang Wanshu was seized by the wrist and yanked into his embrace.

The woman’s loose strands of hair were messy and disheveled. Her stretching legs were easily caught by the man. Zhou Yan scoffed, “Your Central Plains rules are such a hassle. A ‘match without a matchmaker,’ is it? Wait a while longer, and I’ll take you back to the grassland to pay homage to the Sky God, and make you truly, genuinely my A-jia!”

With that, under the man’s storm-like assault, Jiang Wanshu was powerless. She watched as he tore the sash from her lower back, then slightly pulled her away from his embrace, and roughly yanked off the thick, diagonally-fastened outer robe she was wearing. In the cold weather, she was now left with only a thin undergarment.

A large expanse of her white neck was exposed to the man, seemingly fueling his increasing frenzy. His hawk-like, dark eyes were tinged with desire. Still unsatisfied, he pulled aside the undergarment and pressed his thin lips against the area beneath her neck.

The wooden bed shook violently as if caught in a tempest. Jiang Wanshu struggled with the last of her strength, only to be controlled once more by the man’s strong body.

The man’s thin lips moved to kiss Jiang Wanshu’s shining white collarbone again. Just as he anticipated, beneath the adornment of Jiang Wanshu’s fox-like beauty, he needed no guidance.

Undeniably, as he examined her closely, Zhou Yan felt as if he had discovered a new continent on Jiang Wanshu. The figure before him was much fuller than the reserved Central Plains women, whose clothing typically covered everything from the collarbone down. The woman’s ample curves were displayed before him, fresh and succulent like a peach growing on the most flourishing branch.

He used just a little force to control Jiang Wanshu’s attempts to escape. The person before him looked at him on the verge of tears, and Zhou Yan couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

Jiang Wanshu’s ears were burning red as she watched Zhou Yan skillfully use his hand to pull her hands, which she had placed in front of herself, to her back. Following this, his large, bear-paw-like hand forced her two hands together. Once his scheme succeeded, he firmly gripped her clasped wrists with one hand and forcefully pulled her wrists downwards.

Seized by the arm, Jiang Wanshu was pulled down, her height on the bed diminished to less than kneeling. As her arms were violently pulled down by the man, her front arched uncomfortably, easily bringing her chest closer to him.

“L-let go of me!” In this humiliation, Jiang Wanshu had long lost her composure. Furthermore, her previous struggle against Zhou Yan had drained most of her energy. Now, her eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face with a “pala” sound.

Zhou Yan was similarly affected, though their starting points were different. Now, Zhou Yan’s body was hot, steaming, and burning.

But a cornered rabbit will always jump the wall. When Zhou Yan bent his head and pressed a few bright, scarlet marks onto Jiang Wanshu’s pale, tender collarbone,

In that instant, Jiang Wanshu seized the opportunity once more. She mirrored his action, bent her waist, and just as the man was about to take the next step, she bit the man’s neck ferociously, using nearly all her strength.

Amidst the heat surging through him, Zhou Yan did not register the pain. Instead, Jiang Wanshu’s bite only further excited him.

Jiang Wanshu saw bright red blood flowing from his neck, and the man’s actions had not stopped. Not knowing what his next move would be, in extreme panic, crystal clear tears began to fall, one drop after another, landing on the wound on the man’s neck barely a second apart.

Even though her tears were warm now, they still couldn’t compete with the man’s body heat. But the next moment, she clearly felt Zhou Yan’s body freeze suddenly when her tears landed on his neck. Then, she surprisingly sensed the man’s internal conflict ending in helpless defeat, suppressing his instinct and pushing her away from his embrace.

There was a soft pillow behind her, preventing Jiang Wanshu’s head from hitting the wall.

Jiang Wanshu watched the man quickly get out of bed and no longer approach her, breathing a huge sigh of relief as if she had been rescued from a disaster.

Naturally, she could see that the man in front of her was not having an easy time. He was still fully clothed, but in a fit of rage, the man now stood with his hands on his hips and started to move toward her again.

Jiang Wanshu’s black hair was glossy. Scattered on her shoulders from her struggles, the extreme contrast of black and white was highly captivating.

Zhou Yan was currently staring at Jiang Wanshu, whose clothing was disheveled, and whose neck was marked with red prints he had left. The anger in his eyes burned fiercely.

Jiang Wanshu reacted quickly this time, “Don’t come over.”

She grabbed the soft pillow behind her and hugged it to her chest. Even though she had nowhere to run, her expression was still one of feigned fierceness, like a mother wolf whose cub had been stolen, her gaze malevolent, weakly warning him.

In the dim candlelight, the girl’s hair was scattered. From Zhou Yan’s perspective, he saw her star-like eyes veiled with a watery mist. The tears dripping from her eyes dampened the pillow against her chest. Her shoulders trembled, and her entire state looked pitiful and helpless.

Zhou Yan shouted “Damn it!” and walked out the door, leaving Jiang Wanshu alone.

In the deep, dark night, Zhou Yan quickly walked to a large bamboo tree and looked up at the starry sky visible through the gaps in the dense bamboo leaves. Recalling the woman’s tear-filled, heartbreaking appearance, he clenched his fist and angrily punched the bamboo.

With the aid of his powerful arm, small branches fell from the top of the bamboo tree. Immediately following, the birds that had been steadily perched on the bamboo tree were startled by him and scattered wildly. The quiet bamboo forest suddenly became lively.

A light turned on in the southeast direction. Zhou Yan, who had maintained vigilance for many years, naturally sensed the light coming from the adjacent house.

The lit house belonged to Musha and Mai Gu laji. He focused his gaze backward.

In the clear night, Musha was seen wrapped in a great cloak, retreating wolfishly from the house amidst a woman’s shouts of abuse.

The door was slammed shut by the woman, and where the light was extinguished, he personally saw Musha furiously kicking the door, cursing a few times, then pulling his great cloak tighter and walking towards the other side.

Zhou Yan suddenly saw the familiar figure walking wearily in the middle of the night, dressing himself and cursing continuously, without a clear destination, and impatiently turned his head away.

However, Musha also saw Zhou Yan under the bamboo grove and strode toward him, fueled by the anger Mai gu laji had stirred up in him.

The rustling bamboo leaves were blown down by the wind. Musha’s large hand clapped down on Zhou Yan’s right shoulder.

Zhou Yan shrugged his shoulder, trying to get Musha to release his hand, but Musha seemed not to understand his intention at all, only continuing to vent his anger to him.

“Chaer [possibly a non-Han name for Zhou Yan], my father sent someone to deliver a letter today, telling me to return to the grassland soon. But my father won’t let me bring my A-jia back, saying my mother won’t like it when she sees her.”

Zhou Yan was well aware of the complicated mess in their family and casually asked, “Does this bother you?”

He knew this brother well; he had always been easygoing and was unlikely to fret over this matter.

Musha sighed upon hearing this, revealing his helplessness, “Of course it doesn’t bother me, but my father said that my mother hasn’t been well recently. I’m truly worried about her, and I’m genuinely afraid that bringing my A-jia back will worsen my mother’s condition. Tonight, I merely told my A-jia to wait for me here for half a month, but who knew she seemed to have swallowed fire, cursing and hitting me until she drove me out.”

Musha looked weary, treating the man in front of him like a lifesaver.

“But that statement happened to touch upon Zhou Yan’s private pain. “Musha, you know I don’t have a father or mother. I can’t truly empathize with you or point you toward a clear solution.”

At this, Musha suddenly fell silent, sensing the man’s deep frustration. He extended his long arms and embraced him. “I’m sorry, Chaer. I brought up a painful memory for you.”

Zhou Yan pushed him out of the embrace, looking despondent. “It’s not your fault.”

Musha was about to say more, but he unexpectedly heard the sound of something breaking coming from the house that had gone dark earlier. Anxious concern filled his heart, and he gave Zhou Yan a look of apology. “My A-jia is probably in a bad mood right now. I’ll go check on her first.”

Seeing the man’s concern for Mai gu laji, Zhou Yan nodded. He watched the man’s pace quicken into a run. The door remained tightly locked, but then he saw the man nimbly jump in through the window.

Zhou Yan didn’t understand this sudden entrance and exit, but at least Musha’s conversation had diverted his attention, leaving him less troubled for the moment.

He saw the candlelight still burning in his own room. He also noticed the large basin of clean water he had fetched earlier in the adjacent kitchen. He swiftly made his way to the small kitchen.

Fear and the Blade

Meanwhile, the woman who had been huddled in the room finally recovered from the shock of the man’s recent aggression.

Despite this, Jiang Wanshu’s body was currently tense, and her eyes were still red. She cautiously looked around and saw the dagger the man had used earlier still resting on the table. A plan suddenly formed in Jiang Wanshu’s mind. After confirming Zhou Yan was nowhere in sight, she tiptoed off the bed.

The shock from before had slowed Jiang Wanshu’s movements significantly. Just as Jiang Wanshu was washing the oil-slicked dagger clean in the basin Zhou Yan had used to wash his hands moments ago, there was a movement at the door.

Loud, jarring footsteps entered, causing the woman’s mind to heat up in panic. She paid no attention to the water she had clumsily splashed out of the basin onto the table and hadn’t yet wiped dry. She quickly grabbed the dagger and scrambled back onto the bed.

By the time she sat down on the hard bed, Zhou Yan pushed the door open and entered.

The cold night wind blew through the gap as the door opened. From Zhou Yan’s perspective, the woman on the bed was still disheveled, huddled against the wall, looking somewhat forlorn.

He understood that Jiang Wanshu’s current state was a result of his earlier roughness, and he inwardly cursed the woman’s rigid adherence to convention.

Zhou Yan was tall, and his strong arm carried a large wooden bath barrel borrowed from Musha’s kitchen. To Jiang Wanshu’s slight confusion, he placed the barrel about three meters from the bed.

Jiang Wanshu watched the man’s body, carrying the barrel, move closer and closer to her. The hand hidden behind her, gripping the dagger, tightened instantly, and she stared sharply at the man’s actions.

Zhou Yan glanced at the woman. Her slightly messy undergarment had apparently been straightened by her while he was gone. As he walked past the wooden table, he noticed the dagger was missing and knew it had been taken by the fox-like woman before him. He narrowed his eyes, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile. “Afraid of me?”

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