Chu Lie · chat.title

<narration> That day, as the sun was dipping below the horizon, trouble broke out on the main highway at the foot of the mountain. A few reckless thugs tried their hand at highway robbery right on Qingyun Stronghold's turf, ambushing a passing young woman. Not only did they loot her belongings, but they also knocked her out with drugged incense and were preparing to haul her away. As luck would have it, Shen Fei, the Stronghold's Fourth-in-Command, happened to cross paths with them on his way down the mountain on business. Shen Fei had a fiery temper; seeing scoundrels daring to throw their weight around in his own backyard, he didn't waste a second before charging in with Da Niu, Er Hu, and Tie Dan. In no time at all, they beat those clueless cutthroats black and blue, trussing them up like rice dumplings and dumping them by the roadside. </narration> <message>“You blind dogs! Daring to pull a heist on your granddaddy's turf—got a death wish, do ya?”</message> <narration> Shen Fei planted a foot onto the lead thug's back and spat in disgust. Beside him, Da Niu took inventory of what they'd recovered from the bandits—aside from silver coins, there was your travel bundle. Tie Dan ran into the tall grass along the roadside to check around, then called back— </narration> <message>“Brother Fei! There's a girl here! Drugged out cold, but she's not hurt bad—just unconscious.”</message> <narration> Shen Fei strode over and glanced down—well now, she was a fair-complexioned, delicate beauty, definitely not looking like a commoner's daughter. Shen Fei squatted down, took a couple of good looks, and suddenly had a stroke of genius. He slapped his thigh with a sharp crack, sprang to his feet, and turned to his brothers. </narration> <message>“Perfect!”</message> <message>“Perfect? What's perfect?”</message> <narration> Da Niu scratched his head in confusion. Shen Fei pointed excitedly at you, still unconscious on the ground. </narration> <message>“Our Boss! Doesn't our Boss still need a wife? I'm telling you, this girl is top-notch at a glance—pretty, delicate skin, the Boss will definitely love her! Rescuing her earns us good karma, and making her the Boss's wife on the side kills two birds with one stone!”</message> <message>“Brother Fei, this... isn't this crossing a line? Our stronghold doesn't do this sort of thing anymore. Second-in-Command said just last time that we abide by rules now—”</message> <message>“Rules, shmules! The Boss isn't getting any younger. We've tried setting him up so many times, and did he ever listen? Turned them down every single time! Mark my words, no matter what, we're finding him a woman this time. We can't let him keep doing this to himself!”</message> <message>“But...”</message> <message>“But what? I'm making the call! Just tell me: is this girl gorgeous or not!”</message> <message>“I mean, she is gorgeous...”</message> <message>“Then that settles it! The Boss is bound to like her! Move, move, move—bag her up and back to the mountain we go!”</message> <narration> With that, Shen Fei grabbed a burlap sack, bundled your unconscious figure inside, and slung you over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Da Niu and Er Hu exchanged helpless looks, but unable to stand against Shen Fei's headstrong momentum, they reluctantly tagged along up the mountain. Tie Dan ran out in front, tasked with dragging the trussed-up bandits behind them—by the stronghold's rules, any miscreants caught stirring up trouble on their turf had to be handed over to the Chief for judgment. Dusk had already fallen by the time they returned to the stronghold. Shen Fei, sack on his shoulder, marched straight toward Chu Lie's courtyard. Arriving at the courtyard gate, he suddenly skidded to a halt and glanced back at the other leaders trailing behind him. </narration> <message>“Why aren't you guys coming in?”</message> <message>“You made this mess; go explain it yourself.”</message> <narration> Second-in-Command Lu Qian stood outside the gate holding a folding fan, his expression deeply nuanced. He didn't want any part in this absurd charade, nor did he intend to stop Shen Fei, knowing full well it was impossible. Third-in-Command Zhao Mang leaned against the wall with folded arms, silent as ever, though his eyes plainly read, *Let's see how you dig yourself out of this one.* </narration> <message>“Tch, don't come then! I'll do it myself!”</message> <narration> Shen Fei scoffed and strode right into the main hall, carrying the sack. Chu Lie was seated at the table reviewing the stronghold's monthly ledgers. At the sound of footsteps, he raised his head, only to see Shen Fei thudding a burlap sack onto the floor and yelling at him with pure excitement. </narration> <message>“Boss! Look what I brought you! I snatched you a wife! You're gonna have a woman now! Happy? Take a look, quick! Look at your wife and see if you like her!”</message> <narration> Chu Lie set down the ledger, frowning as he inspected the burlap sack on the floor, then looked back at Shen Fei's face practically beaming with "praise me." He went silent for a beat before speaking up, his tone dripping with sheer exasperation. </narration> <message>“Who gave you permission to kidnap a young lady? How many times do I have to tell you: I don't need a wife, and I'm not looking for one. Stop pulling stunts like this on me.”</message> <message>“Boss, at least take a peek! Once you see her, you might fall for her!”</message> <message>“Seeing her won't change a thing. I said I'm not looking, so I'm not looking. How could merely looking at her make me fall for her? Untie the girl right now and escort her back safely. Our stronghold operates on reason now; we aren't the violent bandit den we used to be. Hop to it.”</message> <narration> Shen Fei didn't listen to a single word. Without hesitation, he bent over and untied the sack, muttering all the while. </narration> <message>“Boss, you've gotta take a proper look! The wife I got you is absolute perfection, you're bound to fall for her!”</message> <narration> The moment the burlap sack fell away, whatever refusal Chu Lie had prepared caught completely in his throat. You lay there quietly on the floor, still sound asleep. A smudge of dirt dusted your cheek, yet it did nothing to conceal your exquisite, striking beauty. Your clothes were slightly rumpled from being bundled in the sack, but it didn't detract from your grace in the least—if anything, it only made you look all the more delicate and worthy of tender care. What made Chu Lie's mind reel even further was the faint fragrance drifting from you—not of cosmetic powders, but a pure, natural personal scent that curled gently into his senses. Chu Lie froze. His gaze glued to your face, his eyes unable to look away. His mouth hung slightly parted, and all that talk of "don't need a wife" and "not looking for one" vanished straight into thin air. Only a single thought roared through his mind, deafening as thunder— *You are my wife. You are my destined wife.* </narration> <narration> Seeing this reaction, Shen Fei nearly leapt with joy. *Jackpot! He's totally hooked!* He hurriedly nudged you a bit closer toward Chu Lie, words pouring from his mouth like running water. </narration> <message>“Boss, I'm just a rough fellow, I'd probably do a lousy job taking care of the lady. You take over, Boss! You're attentive, way better than an uncouth brute like me! Oh right, I just remembered I got business elsewhere, gotta run! Boss, she's all yours now—take good care of her!”</message> <narration> With that, he greased his heels and bolted out like a streak of lightning. His departure was so light on his feet he might as well have been walking on clouds. The second he stepped through the gate, he dropped his voice to break the news to the other leaders waiting outside. </narration> <message>“It's a hit! It's a hit! You should've seen the Boss's eyes when he looked at her—totally starstruck! Couldn't even form words! Our stronghold is getting a lady chief! Tell the lads to start prepping right away, we're throwing a wedding feast for the Boss and his bride!”</message> <narration> The main hall fell dead silent, leaving only Chu Lie and the still-unconscious you. Chu Lie remained crouched there, his eyes fixed on you without blinking, his heart thumping violently like a war drum. Even he found it utterly ridiculous—twenty-three years he had lived, never once swayed by any woman, yet one single look at you had practically stolen his soul away. Right then, your eyelashes fluttered slightly. You were waking up. As you groggily opened your eyes, the very first sight filling your vision was a man's face magnified up close—far too close, close enough that you could see the bright, sparkling gleam in his eyes. A sharp jolt of alarm hit your chest. Instinctively shrinking back, you stared vigilantly at this strange man, your voice filled with wary caution. </narration> <message>“Who are you?”</message> <narration> That single question snapped Chu Lie back to his senses. But before his brain could reboot and resume rational thought, that faint, delicate scent wafted into his nose once more, and his gaze locked with those newly opened, mist-laden eyes. In that instant, his mind completely ceased functioning. His mouth moved entirely on its own, blurting out words that caught even himself off guard. </narration> <message>“I'm your husband.”</message>