novelraw Chapter 692 - 672: Stolen Kiss
Chapter 692 - 672: Stolen Kiss
This was the first time in seventeen years that Xie Jue had been taken advantage of by a girl!
Since childhood, he had been introverted and antisocial, rarely interacting with others. Apart from Fang Chuning and his brothers, he was always cold and distant, keeping everyone at arm’s length. With a brother who was the dream lover of countless young ladies and a younger brother who was brimming with talent, Xie Jue, with his aloof disposition, preferred staying indoors, almost like an invisible man.
In the hearts of love-struck young girls, he was not popular, so very few people got close to him. Even the female generals in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry dared not engage with him. From childhood to now, the only women Xie Jue had encountered were his mother, his concubine mothers, and his sister.
Let alone being taken advantage of by a young girl!
The girl’s hand rested on the back of his hand, her calloused fingertips lightly grazing his skin with unmistakable intention. Xie Jue flinched as though pricked by a needle, quickly retracting his hand.
"Don’t touch me!" His voice was cold and hoarse, which, in the eyes of the Second Prince and the strategists, made him seem clueless and overly stiff. A beautiful woman’s flirtation—something so many others might yearn for—was met with his icy rejection.
Beiman Women were known for their fiery tempers, quick to step away if rejected. But Lan Ningzhen was unrelenting. "Brother-in-law, Mr. Helian is so mean!"
The Second Prince, recently favoring Xie Jue and fond of his new sister-in-law, smoothed things over. "Helian has always had a bad temper. Don’t take it personally, Anning. Helian, she’s just a girl. You should be gentler with her."
Being in the Prince Manor, Xie Jue gave the Second Prince due respect. Lan Ningzhen, seeming confident of this, raised her cup and said, "Mr. Helian, Anning will drink first as a gesture of respect!"
Hearing the name "Anning" startled Xie Jue, and when he looked over, her gaze was direct and fiery, her expression brimming with a burning affection. His heart gave a faint jolt. What was wrong with this Lan Ningzhen? At their first meeting, his appearance was not remarkable in the eyes of the Beiman; at seventeen, his slender, youthful frame was far from their aesthetic preference for tall, strong, and muscular men. Why would she fixate on him?
Reluctantly, he drank half a bowl in response, not wanting to lose face. The Princess found it amusing and remarked, "Anning, Mr. Helian isn’t good with alcohol. Don’t get him drunk."
"Getting him drunk is exactly the point!" Lan Ningzhen said with a wink.
The strategists, all Beiman men, burst into hearty laughter, steering the conversation toward more adult banter. After all, at seventeen, one was no longer considered a child in Beiman culture.
However, the Second Prince felt that Xie Jue’s status was too low to match Lan Ningzhen. Born in Qianling Town, Xie Jue wasn’t even qualified to serve as her guard. Only his intelligence and resourcefulness had earned him a position as a strategist in the manor. In contrast, Lan Ningzhen, the youngest daughter of the Right General, was expected to marry into the Dugu Family, likely to a prince.
Xie Jue, after drinking a bowl and a half, felt slightly tipsy. Exiting to walk off the alcohol along the veranda, he kept to his usual cautious demeanor in Beiman, drinking sparingly and avoiding alcohol whenever possible. After nearly breaking his leg once while under the influence, he was no longer forced to drink and always maintained a clear mind.
Back in the dining hall, after Xie Jue had left, the Princess asked, "Anning, do you really like Mr. Helian?"
The Princess was direct, and Lan Ningzhen was just as straightforward in her reply. "Love at first sight."
The room fell silent. "..."
As she spoke of Xie Jue, her expression was filled with warmth—a girl’s affection for her crush. When he left earlier, her gaze had been glued to his retreating figure.
"It’s not a big deal if you like him," the Princess remarked, "but Father will want you to marry the Ninth Prince."
"I don’t like Dugu Jing. And besides, let him defeat me first!" Lan Ningzhen said arrogantly.
The Second Prince teased, "You like strong warriors, but Mr. Helian is even less of a match for you. He can’t even beat your little nephew. His health is so frail."
Xie Jue had arrived at the Prince Manor with injuries, and during his recovery, he had left an impression of being weak and sickly in the Second Prince’s mind.
Lan Ningzhen said cheerfully, "Brother-in-law, I don’t care. Even if the Heavenly God himself descended, it wouldn’t matter to me. If I like him, even if he’s bedridden for life, I’ll willingly take care of him. These rules and restrictions are only there to reject people you don’t like!"
The Second Prince dismissed her as being whimsical, her feelings likely fleeting, and thus did not take her words seriously. Meanwhile, Lan Ningzhen, worried about Xie Jue, wandered along the veranda to find him.
As she passed through the veranda, she spotted Xie Jue sitting in the courtyard, sobering up.
In the courtyard stood a towering ancient tree. In the icy landscape, its branches bare, covered in snow, creating a hazy wintry scene. It was his favorite view—the ice and snow on the withered branches gradually forming crystal-like frost. Xie Jue sat on a stone beneath the tree, his eyes lightly closed. Snow dusted his hair and shoulders, and his carefully maintained face, in this icy setting, began to reveal its naturally captivating hue.
She slowly approached him. Slightly tipsy, Xie Jue was dazed, his guard lowered. With her light steps treading on snow, her approach mimicked the quiet movements of the courtyard maids, and Xie Jue remained unaware.
Lan Ningzhen walked steadily toward him, her red dress swaying amidst the snow and ice. The man beneath the tree, obliviously tilting his head to face the cold wind, appeared both handsome and fragile.
She gazed at his unfamiliar yet mesmerizing face, her heart pounding wildly. Amid the flurry of snow, her eyes saw only this figure. She slowly leaned down and pressed her lips to his, parted slightly from his light intoxication.