"This woman is too vicious!" Zhou Yi exclaimed, slapping the armrest of his chair in anger inside a house on Late Winter Road.
"Brother Zhou, don't be upset," Liu Ming'an said, seeing how angry Zhou Yi was. He got up and poured him a glass of water. "Ning is very clever. I believe she'll handle it well."
Zhou Yi had been cursing for a while and was parched. He drained the glass in one gulp, then continued ranting, "It's too much! How dare she do such a terrible thing to my sister-in-law! If she were in front of me right now, I'd give her a good thrashing!"
As he spoke, Zhou Yi slammed his fist on the table with a loud "thud" that sounded painful.
In truth, Liu Ming'an hadn't told Zhou Yi about Jiang Ning's initial injuries of severed limbs and a disfigured face. He had only mentioned that Nangong Muyan had sold Jiang Ning and caused her some superficial wounds.
After all, the terrifying speed at which Jiang Ning's wounds healed was a secret that couldn't be shared with anyone.
But surprisingly, even with such a watered-down description, Zhou Yi was still fuming with righteous indignation.
Liu Ming'an felt a warmth in his heart and poured Zhou Yi another glass of water. "Brother Zhou, Ning doesn't want to be associated with the Prime Minister's Mansion anymore, so please—"
"Don't worry, I promise to keep my mouth shut!" Zhou Yi interrupted before Liu Ming'an could finish, then took a few more sips from his water glass.
"But, Brother Liu, the fate between you and sister-in-law is truly miraculous. It's as if it was arranged by heaven. What's that called again?" Zhou Yi rubbed his face, his mind muddled by anger, unable to recall the phrase.
Liu Ming'an smiled and said, "A match made in heaven."
"Yes, yes! A match made in heaven, a perfect pair, meant for each other, a divine arrangement!" Zhou Yi rattled off four phrases, feeling his mind sharpening again.
Liu Ming'an's face lit up with a radiant smile. He loved hearing others say how well-matched he and Jiang Ning were.
"Brother Liu, when are you two getting married? I must give you a grand gift!" Zhou Yi asked with a grin, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Liu Ming'an's lips curled up in an unstoppable smile. "Brother Zhou, we're already married. Ning is my wife now."
"What? You got married without inviting me?"
This question made Liu Ming'an hesitate for a moment. After a brief pause, he decided to tell the truth: "Ning said a wedding was too much trouble, so she just married me with heaven and earth as witnesses, and the stars and moon as testimony."
"What?" Zhou Yi was stunned. After a long moment, he said seriously, "Brother Liu, you can't consider marriage a hassle. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event. It's one thing for sister-in-law to be so casual about it, but as a man, you shouldn't let a girl just casually become your wife like that."
Liu Ming'an nodded, acknowledging the advice. "Brother Zhou, that's what I was thinking too. I plan to hold a proper wedding ceremony after I finish the imperial examinations, once everything is settled. I just haven't told Ning yet."
"You rascal... that's more like it!" Zhou Yi's expression softened a bit as he patted Liu Ming'an's shoulder. "Remember to invite me when the time comes!"
"Of course! You're my elder brother, after all!" Liu Ming'an said with a smile.
Zhou Yi took another sip of water and sighed wistfully, "Brother Liu, you're so lucky. I never imagined that sister-in-law, who seems as cold as ice, would be so unconventional as to marry you without even a wedding ceremony... "
"Mm, I didn't expect it either," Liu Ming'an thought of Jiang Ning, his eyes and brows filled with irrepressible joy. "Maybe Ning just likes me too much!"
"Tsk!" Zhou Yi looked at Liu Ming'an's lovestruck expression and felt a twinge in his teeth.
As Liu Ming'an continued to think fondly of Jiang Ning, he suddenly noticed Zhou Yi had moved closer, staring at his face as if examining some rare object. It made Liu Ming'an feel uneasy.
"Brother Zhou, why are you staring at me like that?" Liu Ming'an asked nervously.
"Brother Liu, you're quite handsome," Zhou Yi said out of the blue, startling Liu Ming'an.
Fortunately, he quickly followed up with, "Although I'm not as good-looking as you, I'm not ugly, right? I have a nose and eyes, all in the right places..."
Although Liu Ming'an didn't know why Zhou Yi was saying this, his kind heart prompted him to reply without hesitation, "Brother Zhou, you're handsome and talented. Don't doubt yourself."
Zhou Yi nodded and sat back down. "Not only that, I'm also very wealthy."
"I'm filial to my parents and respectful to the elderly and kind to the young."
"I'm also humble, courteous, and of good character."
Zhou Yi thought for a moment and added two more of his good qualities.
Liu Ming'an: "..."
What was Brother Zhou up to?
Just as Liu Ming'an was feeling perplexed, Zhou Yi suddenly turned to him with a woeful expression. "I'm so great, why don't any girls like me?"
Liu Ming'an: "..."
"Brother Zhou," Liu Ming'an asked, puzzled, "When we were in Lingshan Town, didn't you tell me that several girls in the capital dreamed of marrying you?"
Zhou Yi smiled slightly. "You must be remembering wrong."
"No, I remember it very clearly," Liu Ming'an said firmly.
"If I say you remembered wrong, then you remembered wrong," Zhou Yi smiled at Liu Ming'an, his voice carrying a hint of gritted teeth. "Are you going to argue with your big brother?"
"Yes, I remembered wrong," Liu Ming'an quickly agreed, getting the hint.
The room fell silent for a moment. Zhou Yi stroked his chin, frowning thoughtfully.
Liu Ming'an watched from the side, several times on the verge of speaking but holding back.
This was the scene Jiang Ning saw when she pushed open the door.
"Ning, you're back." Liu Ming'an's eyes instantly lit up as he rose to greet her.
"Everything's been cleared up," Jiang Ning said, knowing what Liu Ming'an wanted to ask and answering before he could.
"Good," Liu Ming'an replied with a smile, his eyes filled with twinkling light.
Zhou Yi also stood up. Seeing the loving couple, he thought it best not to say anything.
But watching the pair holding hands and gazing at each other lovingly, Zhou Yi felt as if ants were crawling all over him. Feeling uncomfortable staying there, he simply stepped out of the room and into the courtyard.
This small courtyard was bought by Zhou Yi two or three years ago. He liked how quiet the area was, perfect for escaping his parents' nagging. He only stayed here occasionally for a day or two.
Now, a gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves. Zhou Yi walked to the edge of the courtyard wall and looked up at the straight, verdant bamboo.
Huh?
What was that?
A flash of goose yellow suddenly appeared in his vision. Before Zhou Yi could get a clear look, a dark shadow came hurtling towards him.
"Thud!"
The next moment, Zhou Yi heard the sound of his head hitting the stone slab. His vision went dark, and then he felt a weight on top of him.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, this body's physical condition is too poor. Are you alright?"
A woman's voice reached his ears. Zhou Yi, clutching his head, came to his senses and found himself lying on the ground with someone sprawled on top of him.
It was a woman.
And quite a pretty one at that.
The woman pushed herself up off the ground. Just as she steadied herself, Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an, who had come out to investigate the commotion, looked in their direction.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Ning asked, eyeing the unexpected visitor warily.
Nangong Muyan.
"Brother Zhou!" Liu Ming'an, seeing Zhou Yi lying on the ground, rushed over in a few quick strides to help him up. "Brother Zhou, what happened to you?"
Jiang Ning followed, quickly assessing Zhou Yi's condition. Seeing that he was still alive, she let out a big sigh of relief, then turned to Nangong Muyan with a hostile expression. "What were you trying to do to him?"
"Uh... it's a misunderstanding." Nangong Muyan didn't want to admit that, as an assassin, she couldn't even climb over a wall properly. It was too embarrassing.
But this body belonged to a delicate young lady, with weak limbs and insufficient core strength. She felt like crying.