Chapter 58: Slacking Off, Day Fifty-Eight
Wen Ying, of course, had let herself be captured on purpose.
She never cared about those ridiculous missions, but she was very interested in visiting this bandit’s den. When a free taxi service offered to lead the way, how could she refuse? It even saved her the effort of walking.
What did surprise her, however, was the powerful aura that suddenly flared up nearby just as the two bandits hoisted the sack onto their shoulders. It was the aura of a cultivator.
Was someone trying to rescue Sheng Qing, or were they trying to stop her from unlocking a new map?
Either way, Wen Ying couldn’t let this person stop A’niu and A’bao.
She gathered qi in her palm, ready to strike.
But the next moment, the aura vanished without a trace.
Could it be… they realized they had the wrong person?
Whatever the reason, it was good that the problem had resolved itself.
Wen Ying relaxed and allowed the two to carry her all the way back to their mountain hideout.
The bandits’ lair was on a small mountain behind Ping’an Town, not far from the town itself.
Wen Ying was carried into a room, and after A’niu and A’bao dropped the sack, they ran out gleefully, shouting as they went.
“We have a chieftain’s wife! We have a chieftain’s wife!”
Ah.
It was only then that Wen Ying remembered. The reason these bandits had kidnapped Sheng Qing was, indeed, to find a wife for their leader.
So, that chieftain’s wife… was now her?
Well now. She had been single for over fifty reincarnations, and now, just like that, an arranged marriage. Problem solved in one fell swoop.
With a slight twitch of her fingers, the sack came undone. She stepped out and dusted off her clothes.
Wen Ying didn’t leave. Instead, she calmly sat down on a stool and started drinking tea.
Leaving wouldn’t be difficult, but she wanted to see this “husband” of hers.
An arranged marriage was, of course, out of the question. Wen Ying wasn’t so foolish as to be swayed by those sappy romance novels about falling in love after marriage. She just wanted to unlock a new character.
A bandit chief sounded like a significant role. Especially the kind who kidnaps a wife—that screamed “vicious and cruel.” He might even be the final boss of this Ping’an Town map.
Rather than painstakingly searching the stronghold, it was better to sit here and wait for him to deliver himself to her.
Before long, the door to the room was pushed open.
Wen Ying looked up at the newcomer.
Oh.
She had expected a burly man with a face full of fierce flesh and a bushy beard. She hadn’t expected a refined, handsome gentleman to walk in.
He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and carried himself with an elegant air. In terms of looks, he wasn’t far off from the male protagonists.
“You’re the head of this stronghold?” Wen Ying asked, uncertain.
Based on her experience with TV dramas, there were often scholarly bandits, but they were usually in the role of a strategist or advisor, never the chief.
The man was a little surprised to see Wen Ying sitting there so calmly. But he quickly recovered and offered a polite smile. “Indeed, that would be me.”
Well now.
It seemed her stereotypes had gotten the better of her.
Wen Ying wasn’t obsessed with looks, but everyone appreciates beauty. After all, she had been single for so many years, and in a world she’d reincarnated through over fifty times, she figured her chances of finding love were slim. If the groom was the man before her, it wasn’t entirely out of the question…
“So, you want to marry me?” Wen Ying raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” The man nodded gracefully. “I ordered my brothers to bring you to the mountain to be my wife.”
Although his tone and posture were refined, the content of his words was very much “bandit.” It seemed he really was the chief.
“I just didn’t expect you to be so calm, and to have gotten out of the sack on your own.” The man bowed slightly, clasping his hands in a salute. “Your ability to remain composed in such a situation is truly admirable.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Wen Ying replied.
“Thank you for the compliment,” the man said with a smile. “But since you were able to untie the sack yourself, why didn’t you run?”
“To see you,” Wen Ying said, meeting his gaze.
The man had considered countless possible answers, but he had never imagined that the woman before him would look him in the eye and say something like that.
To… see him?
In this situation, with these words… how could it not seem… intimate?
This woman knew she had been captured to be his wife, yet she didn’t run or hide. Instead, she sat in this room, waiting to see him…
The man felt the softest part of his heart stir. It wasn’t just being moved; there was a hint of joy mixed in.
This was the first time… the first time a woman had ever said something like that to him…
He raised a hand and gently pressed it to his heart. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
What is this guy doing?
Wen Ying watched as, after she had spoken the simple truth, the man in front of her began to daze out, stare into space, and finally clutch his chest while taking deep breaths…
Could it be…
Could he have a heart condition?
Tsk, tsk. Never mind then. A handsome face was one thing, but illness was a deal-breaker. Wen Ying had no desire to become a widow just a few years into a marriage.
“Miss, may I know… your name?” the man asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
“Wen Ying.” Yep, looks like palpitations caused by a heart condition.
“Miss Wen, hello.” The man greeted her politely before introducing himself. “My name is Lin Ruge. If you don’t mind… you can call me what my parents call me…”
He lowered his head, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. After a slight pause, he whispered, “Call me… Gege.”
“Of course I mind,” Wen Ying shot him a sideways glance. “How about I call you didi (little brother) instead?”
She wasn’t about to let him get the upper hand and call him gege (older brother), making herself the younger one for no reason.
“To think you even know my former name was Song Di…” Lin Ruge couldn’t control the rising pitch of his voice. He took a moment to compose himself before replying, “That was my name before my parents adopted me, but if you like it, you may call me that.”
Wen Ying knows me so well, she even knows about my past.
What have I, Lin Ruge, ever done to deserve such favor from Miss Wen…
Wen Ying, of course, had no idea what his former name was, but she didn’t mind taking advantage of the situation.
“Miss Wen, I was only thinking of taking a wife, but I never imagined you would be so… devoted…” Lin Ruge’s eyes filled with apology. “I… I am truly ashamed.”
Ashamed?
Wen Ying’s interest was piqued.
Could there be more to this “chieftain’s wife” business?
“How so?” she asked.
“To be honest, it’s just…” Lin Ruge steeled himself and told the truth. “It’s just that my parents have been pressuring me relentlessly. They nag me day and night about how I’m over twenty-five and still not married. Out of desperation, I came up with this idea… to snatch a wife and bring her back!”
Wen Ying was speechless.
Well, there was indeed a hidden story, but this story was a bit… unique.
She had heard of bandit chiefs kidnapping wives out of lust or sheer villainy, but being pressured into it by their parents… that was a first.
“Anyway, I’m a bandit. Snatching someone to be my wife should be… pretty normal, right?” Lin Ruge looked up at Wen Ying.
…Is he asking me?
Wen Ying’s eyebrow twitched. Did he want her to say it was normal, or not normal?
Admittedly, for a bandit, kidnapping a wife was perfectly normal. But was a bandit who kidnapped a wife because his parents were nagging him to get married still considered normal?
This was the first time Wen Ying had ever seen a bandit chief who still lived with his parents. Even more absurdly, this bandit chief who lived with his parents actually listened to them. And the most absurd thing of all was that the reason for this kidnapping was parental pressure to get married!
So, the root of all evil was, indeed, being nagged to get married.
Thinking of this, Wen Ying couldn’t help but sigh.
As a woman who had once been twenty-six with no boyfriend, she understood all too well the pain of being ambushed by a horde of relatives during the holidays.
“I see… I was wrong.” Hearing Wen Ying’s sigh, Lin Ruge’s expression fell. “Miss Wen, I’m sorry.”
While kidnapping a wife was certainly not the right way to go about it, Wen Ying did feel a pang of sympathy for him regarding the root cause. Now that Lin Ruge seemed genuinely remorseful, she had an idea to guide him toward a better path. Besides… he had let her call him didi, so she owed him one.
“Little brother, I accept your apology,” Wen Ying said, patting his shoulder. “Trying to solve the marriage pressure problem by getting married will only lead to a failed marriage. To truly solve this issue, I think we need to change our approach.”
Lin Ruge only half-understood her words, but he grasped the last sentence. Even if Miss Wen might have some feelings for him… no woman would be willing to accept being brutally kidnapped just because her captor’s parents were pressuring him. He could understand her feelings. And since she was so devoted to him… how could he bear to force her into marriage?
“What approach?” Lin Ruge asked earnestly.
“We need to find a way to make your parents understand that being single is the best, that being single is glorious!” Wen Ying declared firmly.
“Huh?” Lin Ruge was clearly confused.
“Proving something is never easy,” Wen Ying analyzed with clarity. “When you can’t find a direct proof, you have to think of—proof by contradiction.”
Wen Ying vaguely remembered this was a method her middle school math teacher had taught her. It was a truth that held up even today. Her nine years of compulsory education had indeed made her an outstanding individual.
“Proof… by contradiction?” Lin Ruge had never heard of such a term.
“That’s right,” Wen Ying reasoned with impeccable logic. “If we can prove that having a wife is a terrible thing, then we can logically make your parents understand that being single is glorious.”
“Huh… ah?” Lin Ruge stared blankly at Wen Ying.
He felt like he understood a little, but also like… he didn’t understand anything at all.
Wen Ying could understand his reaction. This was math. That feeling of “I think I get it, but I don’t.” It was like when a teacher explains a problem, and you feel like you’ve got it, but when you have to solve it on your own, you realize—you can’t write a single word.
“It’s okay, little brother.” Wen Ying patted his shoulder again. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you solve this problem completely.”
If he didn’t know how to do it, she would just have to teach him.
Author’s Note:
I said I would write less today because I went to the hospital, but I want a little red flower! So I made up for it~ Mwah~
Also, I’m one of those being pressured to get married… It’s so miserable QAQ!!! Seriously, so annoying!!!
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