Chapter 193: Chapter 193: You, I Will Marry
Ji Qingwu thought she was shivering from having just taken off her clothes, so she quickly stepped into the tub of scented bathwater.
She had just dipped one of her long, graceful legs in.
CREAK.
She glanced back, suspicious, but saw nothing. The doors and windows were still shut tight. ’Perhaps it was just a passing cat or a sparrow,’ she thought.
Ji Qingwu sank her entire body into the hot water, letting out a contented sigh.
The baths in the palace were extraordinary. The water’s surface was blanketed in flower petals, and the water itself wasn’t clear but a rich, milky white.
She scooped up a handful of water, then relaxed her fingers, letting it trickle through the gaps.
The scent of the bath was delightful, both refreshing and relaxing.
Ji Qingwu scooped up another handful of warm water. As she lifted her head slightly, she saw someone standing before the tub.
In her shock, she flung the water in her hands at the figure.
The man, caught completely off guard, wiped the water from his face.
His strikingly handsome face was revealed.
Ji Qingwu desperately wanted to scream, but remembering she was in the palace, she forced herself to hold it back.
She lowered her voice, her tone frigid with anger. "How did you break in?"
The man was dressed in the indigo robes of an official, a qilin embroidered on the front. His cap was adorned with coral-red beads—the attire of a First Rank military general.
Wei Ting rubbed his nose. He hadn’t expected to walk in on such a titillating scene.
He grinned. "This water certainly smells nice."
If Ji Qingwu weren’t in the tub, she would have dumped the entire thing on him.
Ji Qingwu sank lower into the water. Thankfully, the blanket of petals hid her from view, leaving only her head exposed.
Trying her best to remain calm, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
Wei Ting’s lips curved into a slight smile. "I heard something happened to Uncle Ji. I was worried, so I came to check on you."
’He knows about my father’s trouble too? Judging by his attire, he must have been summoned to the palace. He was probably among the court officials discussing matters in the Diligent Governance Hall just now.’
His tone was strange, and he claimed to be worried. But Ji Qingwu wasn’t buying it.
’Couldn’t he have found a better way to give her the news? Did he have to break into her room in the middle of the night?’
Ji Qingwu frowned. "Are you out of your mind, General Wei? And who are you calling ’Uncle’? This is a matter for the Ji Family; it has nothing to do with you."
Her rebuke and the fire in her eyes only seemed to improve Wei Ting’s mood. "I haven’t taken the wrong medicine. As for what medicine I *am* taking... shouldn’t you know? You’re the one who’s been giving it to me for the past few days."
A blush immediately spread across Ji Qingwu’s fair face.
It wasn’t from shyness, but from a mix of anger and exasperation.
Wei Ting continued, "Anything that concerns you, concerns me."
Ji Qingwu said, "What do you really want? This is the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace. Do you have any idea what the consequences will be for an unrelated man to be found here?"
Wei Ting replied, "Whatever the consequences, the situation is already compromising. We’re a man and a woman, alone in a room, and you’re bathing. It would be impossible to explain. Even if the Empress Dowager were to find out, fly into a rage, have me beaten, or even strip me of my title as General Zhenbei..."
He finished with an infuriating smile, "...as long as she agrees to betroth you to me, I don’t care about anything else."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes blazed with indignation.
’I’ve never truly seen him for who he is,’ she realized.
’He wasn’t some noble gentleman, pure as the moon and wind. He was a complete scoundrel in a gentleman’s skin.’
’But right now, I can’t afford to clash with him head-on. I’ll be the one who suffers.’
Seeing Ji Qingwu lower her gaze and fall silent, feigning a wronged expression...
Wei Ting leaned down and teased, "What happened to all that fire you had when you were yelling at me today?"
On the wall earlier, the sight of her fury had stunned him. He had always thought of her as a soft-tempered, witless beauty. Girls like that were a dime a dozen in Lin’an, hardly worth his notice.
But since his return, Ji Qingwu had given him one surprise after another.
He, too, had never really seen her clearly.
When Ji Qingwu looked up again, her eyes were rimmed with red. Steam rose from the water, and a similar mist seemed to cloud her gaze.
Wei Ting’s breath caught. She was like a dew-kissed crabapple blossom, her petals damp and velvety.
She made one want to pluck her, hold her, and wear her over one’s heart.
Ji Qingwu was doing it on purpose. Her voice was laced with defiance as she said, "You’re only bullying me because there’s no one from the Ji Family here to protect me. My brother is on a diplomatic mission in Nanchu and has been gone a long time. You have a sister, too. If someone were to bully Princess Consort Wei this way, would you still be smiling?"
Her words made Wei Ting’s smile freeze on his face.
Princess Consort Wei was his greatest vulnerability.
If anyone ever dared to do something like this to Wei Liru, he would tear them to shreds.
He smiled, but it was a chilling sight. "The Doctor certainly has a sharp tongue." Clearly, Ji Qingwu had struck a nerve.
She showed no fear, her bright eyes staring right at him as if she could see into the depths of his heart.
"Heaven watches all that men do. If you continue to act like this, General Wei, don’t be surprised when it comes back to haunt you."
’Haunt him how? By affecting his sister?’
Her words finally tore a crack in Wei Ting’s facade. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "There’s no need to provoke me. I’ll say it again: I am going to marry you!"
Hearing his vicious declaration, Ji Qingwu grew even calmer.
She finally asked the question that had been on her mind. "General Wei, you don’t actually love me, so why are you so determined to marry me?"
The moment she mentioned love, Wei Ting’s expression shifted, morphing back into one of deep affection.
"How do you know my heart doesn’t truly belong to you?"
Ji Qingwu scoffed. "Before I left the Northern Border Army, you weren’t in love with me. Now, five years later, you suddenly love me so much you won’t marry anyone else? Not even a toddler would believe that."
Wei Ting said, "Regardless of what you think, you can only marry me."
With that, he turned to leave.
Ji Qingwu had just let out a breath of relief.
But when she looked up again, Wei Ting had returned.
He had been so provoked by Ji Qingwu that he’d almost forgotten his reason for seeking her out in the middle of the night.
Ji Qingwu immediately sank back into the water until only her eyes were visible, watching him warily.
Wei Ting crossed his arms. After staring for a moment, he reminded her in a low voice, "Don’t get involved in our father-in-law’s affairs. He’ll be fine."
Ji Qingwu tried to say something, but forgetting her mouth was submerged, she only managed to produce a few bubbles in the water.
Wei Ting didn’t need to hear the words to know they weren’t pleasant.
But he had to admit, she looked adorable.
His expression softened back into that of a gentle, refined young master. He chuckled. "Alright, little mermaid, stop blowing bubbles. You’ll catch a cold if you soak too long. I’m leaving for real this time."
And with that, he was gone.
Ji Qingwu remained in the water, carefully scanning her surroundings. Only after confirming there were no more sounds did she slowly emerge.
’Did Wei Ting really come all this way just to warn me about my father? Is he really that kind?’
’And he said the words ’father-in-law’ so easily.’
Ji Qingwu’s toes curled in the bottom of the tub.
