Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou returned home together. After closing the door, Xiao Lou couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled Ye Qi's amusing expression: "I didn't expect Ye Qi to be dressed as a woman, and a courtesan who performs but doesn't sell her body... Is it alright for you to have CEO Shao go see him alone?"
Yu Hanjiang said seriously, " Although Shao Qingge is sarcastic and loves to joke, he is reliable when it comes to important matters. Let him tell Ye Qi about our situation so that Ye Qi can rest assured."
The maid Pinger came over and asked the two of them if they wanted a late-night snack. Xiao Lou said, "No, Pinger, you should go and rest."
Pinger went into the room, made the bed for the two of them, and then turned and left.
It was already dark. Yu Hanjiang glanced at the bed and said, "Go to sleep. We have to visit the Eighth Prince tomorrow."
There was only one bed in the bedroom, and Xiao Lou felt embarrassed to share a bed with Captain Yu, remembering their wedding night in her dream. But Yu Hanjiang remained calm and asked quite casually, "Are you sleeping on the inside tonight?"
Xiao Lou forced a "hmm" and replied.
After a quick wash, the two took off their outer clothes, wearing only white undergarments, and lay side by side on the bed.
The blankets, sheets, and pillows were all new ones Pinger had bought from the housekeeper that afternoon. The two of them shared the same blanket and once again assumed the proper "lying dead" position, not daring to move their hands or feet.
Xiao Lou lay down on the inside, and Yu Hanjiang lay down on the outside. They both fell asleep soon after.
Fragments of the story reappeared in my dream—
Four years ago, Yu Hanjiang became the top scholar in the imperial examination and returned to Jiangzhou. He couldn't forget Xiao Lou and, relying on his memory, found the valley outside Jiangzhou City to propose marriage to her. He saw a young herbalist drying herbs and asked, "Does Miss Xiao live here?"
The young apprentice raised his head, his expression indifferent: "He went up the mountain to gather herbs."
Yu Hanjiang turned and went into the mountains to look for him, and soon saw Xiao Lou carrying a medicine basket and picking herbs.
After accompanying Xiao Lou to gather herbs, the two stopped by the stream to wash up on their way back. Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou's beautiful appearance with her wet hair, swallowed hard, and said in a low voice, "Miss Xiao, I have been thinking of you ever since we last parted. I have come here this time to propose marriage to you, and I hope you will marry me."
Xiao Lou nearly fell headfirst into the lake, but quickly regained his balance and said with an embarrassed smile, "Young Master Yu is too kind of you."
Yu Hanjiang gently grasped his hands, looking into his eyes: "I'm not joking. I really want to marry you and grow old with you."
Xiao Lou shook off his hand, his smile vanished, and he said seriously, "Young Master Yu, when I saved you, I disguised myself as a woman to conceal my identity. In fact, I am a man, and we cannot be married."
Yu Hanjiang froze, staring at Xiao Lou in disbelief: "What? You're a man?"
Xiao Lou let his hair down, took off his coat in front of him, and slowly said, "My father is Coroner. He assisted the Ministry of Justice in solving countless cases, including the sensational Kyoto serial murder case ten years ago. However, when the murderer was arrested, only an accomplice was captured, and the mastermind escaped for many years. This person is extremely skilled in using poison. My father was poisoned by him five years ago. In order to prevent our Xiao family descendants from being retaliated against, my mother has always made me dress as a woman. I followed my mother to Jiangzhou to live in seclusion. Actually, it was to seek refuge. Saving you was just a small favor. Young Master Yu, you don't need to take it too seriously."
Looking at the serious expression on the other person's face, Yu Hanjiang was speechless for a long time.
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "If you don't mind, I can become close friends with Young Master Yu?"
Yu Hanjiang turned and left with a complicated expression and a dejected look on his face.
Xiao Lou thought he would give up, but a few days later, Yu Hanjiang came again, this time carrying a large box of betrothal gifts. He looked at Xiao Lou seriously and said, "It doesn't matter that you are a man. Great Qi State has an open culture, and many people are into male homosexuality. Even His Majesty's harem has male concubines. I still can't forget you and want to marry you."
Xiao Lou sprayed his tea all over the floor.
He naturally refused, but Yu Hanjiang was very stubborn and came to Herbal Hut to see him every day, rain or shine.
Once, Xiao Lou twisted his ankle while collecting herbs. Yu Hanjiang carried him on his back through the rain and caught a cold himself. Another time, Xiao Lou was testing a new prescription when he accidentally ingested poison and fell into a coma for three days and three nights. Yu Hanjiang stayed by his bedside all night to take care of him.
Gradually, Xiao Lou was moved by the man's persistence.
Xiao Lou's mother was seriously ill at the time. Seeing Yu Hanjiang's deep affection, she took her son's hand and said, "This young master Yu is deeply in love with you and is someone you can entrust your life to. I won't live much longer. The criminals your father offended back then will find you one day. You are all alone and it will be difficult for you to deal with them. Marry into the Yu family as a woman and become Mrs. Yu. I believe that young master Yu will protect you."
Before her death, the mother held Xiao Lou's hand and Yu Hanjiang's hand tightly together: "I hope you won't let him down..."
Yu Hanjiang knelt before the hospital bed and solemnly promised, "Mother, rest assured, I swear I will do everything in my power to protect him for the rest of his life."
Xiao Lou's mother smiled and said, "Okay, I'm relieved to hear your promise." She looked at her son and said gently, "You don't need to observe mourning for me. Scatter my ashes into the river. You two can get married on a chosen date. Your father and I will be watching from heaven and will be happy for you."
Before leaving, Xiao Lou's mother passed on all of Xiao Lou's father's secret notes from his time as Coroner; she also passed on her own research in toxicology to her apprentice Liu Qiao, and entrusted the Herbal Hut outside Jiangzhou City to Liu Qiao to manage.
Those who came seeking revenge only knew that Shaw Coroner had a son, but they didn't expect...
Xiao Lou married Yu Hanjiang, the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, while dressed as a woman.
On their wedding night, after drinking the nuptial wine, Yu Hanjiang took off his bright red wedding dress and removed the phoenix crown from his head.
Her long black hair was loose, and the red candles in the tent flickered.
In the candlelight, Xiao Lou's cheeks were flushed, making her so beautiful that Yu Hanjiang couldn't take his eyes off her.
Xiao Lou felt embarrassed and tried to back away. Yu Hanjiang, however, had deep eyes, gently embraced him, and whispered, "So what if you're a man? You are you. From today onwards, you are my wife."
Xiao Lou wanted to speak, but Yu Hanjiang kissed her directly on the lips.
...
A "dong dong dong" sound came from outside; it was the watchman striking the gong to announce the time, which was already past midnight.
Yu Hanjiang suddenly sat up, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He turned his head and saw that Xiao Lou was still fast asleep. In the moonlight, her fair face was like a flawless piece of jade, and her rosy lips exuded a fatal allure, making his Adam's apple bob twice involuntarily. A strong desire to kiss Xiao Lou rose from the depths of his heart.
Yu Hanjiang quickly got out of bed and went outside to feel the cold wind to calm his reaction.
This dream was actually incomplete, and the memory of their wedding night was also hazy. The clearest memory was of Xiao Lou hugging his shoulders and looking at him with eyes that seemed to be glistening with tears.
Those eyes were incredibly clear, almost able to see into his heart.
This dream connected their entire story, from meeting and falling in love to their wedding night, making the whole process complete.
Because his father was a Coroner who solved numerous cold cases and offended many people, Xiao Lou fled to Jiangzhou with his mother. During this time, he disguised himself as a woman to conceal his identity and unexpectedly saved Yu Hanjiang. Yu Hanjiang fell in love with him at first sight and didn't care whether he was male or female. With his mother's encouragement, Xiao Lou disguised himself as a woman and married into the Yu family, becoming Madam Yu. From then on, no one bothered him anymore.
The couple had been married for four years but had no children—because Xiao Lou was essentially a man.
The secret room forbids him from changing back into men's clothing—because if Xiao Lou were to revert to men's attire, it would arouse suspicion from his enemies and could even lead to his death.
After clarifying the situation, Yu Hanjiang became even more confused.
He had never had a single close friend before, let alone a romantic partner. He always thought he was only close to Xiao Lou because he considered her a friend. Her recent unusual behavior had left him deeply confused. He never imagined he and Xiao Lou could do such intimate things. Given that Xiao Lou was a man, he had actually taken her place on their wedding night …
The blurry fragments in his dream made Yu Hanjiang's heart pound like a drum.
No, I can't think about this anymore!
He took a deep breath, walked to the well, filled a bucket with cold water, and splashed it directly on his face.
The well water was icy cold in autumn, and Yu Hanjiang was jolted awake by the cold before he could calm himself down completely.
The moon was bright and the stars were few, and the courtyard was extremely quiet, with the occasional chirping of cicadas.
Unlike the bright lights and bustling crowds of modern times, the nights in ancient times were serene and peaceful, making Yu Hanjiang's heartbeat exceptionally clear.
Bang, bang...
He did that to Xiao Lou, and even if it was just a dream, it can't be ignored.
Yu Hanjiang clenched his fists, his brows furrowed—perhaps, he had fallen for Xiao Lou?
Unbeknownst to him, he had fallen for the gentle and refined Professor Xiao beside him. That's why he loved holding Xiao Lou's hand, couldn't help but care for her, and couldn't take his eyes off her.
He wasn't bothered at all about playing husband and wife in this secret room; on the contrary, he happily called Xiao Lou "Madam".
Imagine if he were to play the role of a husband and wife with any of his teammates, such as Shao Qingge, Ye Qi, Long Sen, Lao Mo, Qu Wanyue, or Liu Qiao. He wouldn't be able to call them "wife" and would feel very awkward, wishing he could stay three meters away from them.
But calling him Xiao Lou sounds really good.
When he dreamt of his wedding night, he didn't feel nauseous; instead, his heart raced.
My friend, that doesn't make any sense.
All of this can only be explained by "liking".
Yu Hanjiang suddenly understood – he finally figured out the reason for his recent changes.
Ninth Brother said he was too aloof, with a "keep away" expression, the kind of person who would "remain single until 60 by his own merit." However, when facing Xiao Lou, his hardened heart seemed to be warmed by a current, and even the coldest part of his heart felt like it was bathed in warm sunshine.
Yu Hanjiang opened the [ Absolute Domain ] card and entered Brother Jiu's space.
This time, the space was no longer the sea, but a lotus pond under the moonlight. Lu Jiuchuan was leisurely sitting by the lotus pond, drinking and admiring the moon. When he saw Yu Hanjiang, he smiled slightly and said, "You suddenly came to Absolute Domain to find me. Did you run into trouble with the secret room? With your strength, an A-level heart room shouldn't be impossible to solve, right?"
Yu Hanjiang walked over and sat down in front of him, asking in a low voice, "Ninth Brother, did you also experience role-playing in this secret room? Did you switch genders?"
Lu Jiuchuan laughed and said, "The secret room our team entered is a palace scenario. I play the general, and Mr. Old Gui plays the emperor. The crown prince and empress are plotting to seize power, and we have to figure out how to deal with the crown prince and empress's faction. The A-grade secret room is a scenario that is randomly generated based on each person's identity, which is why Tang Ci said that he couldn't provide you with a strategy guide."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
It seems that the Red Heart 8 game that Ninth Brother and his friends cleared was also extremely dangerous.
Lu Jiuchuan asked, "And you? What role have you been assigned?"
Yu Hanjiang paused for a moment before saying, "I am the Perfect of Jiangzhou, and I have also been assigned a wife."
Lu Jiuchuan chuckled jokingly, "That's great! You've been single for so many years, and now you've picked up a wife in the secret room for free."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The lady is Xiao Lou."
Lu Jiuchuan spat out his wine with a "pfft": "What?"
Yu Hanjiang was a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly, touched his nose, and said, "The lady is played by Xiao Lou, a man dressed as a woman. I've found that I seem to... like him a little."
Lu Jiuchuan gave his younger brother a look as if he were an idiot: "You just realized that?"
Yu Hanjiang paused, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Lu Jiuchuan said with a smile, " I noticed something was off when you brought him into Absolute Domain. You're like a rock that's been frozen for years, but the way you look at Xiao Lou is so gentle it gives me goosebumps. When have you ever looked at anyone like that? Besides, you've never introduced anyone to your family before, Xiao Lou is the first one I've ever met."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
It turns out that Ninth Brother had already noticed; no wonder he made Xiao Lou call him "Ninth Brother" back then.
Lu Jiuchuan gently patted his younger brother's shoulder and said, " Secret Room World is a place where life is unpredictable. No one knows how long they will live. You are actually very lucky to have met someone you like here. Don't think too much, just cherish what you have now."
After listening to Ninth Brother's words, Yu Hanjiang's confusion finally vanished.
If you like it, you like it. What's there to be conflicted about?
Just like in the story, even after he learned that Xiao Lou was a man, he still decided to marry her.
Xiao Lou is Xiao Lou. He likes this person regardless of whether they are male or female. Xiao Lou in women's clothing is of course a beauty, and Xiao Lou in men's clothing is also exceptionally handsome. No matter how the clothes change, the soul remains the same.
Thinking of this, Yu Hanjiang couldn't help but smile: "I know what to do. I'll go back to him first."
Lu Jiuchuan waved his hand: "Go ahead. I'm going back to Hunter Alliance in the next couple of days, so it's not convenient for me to meet you right now. Don't come looking for me in Absolute Domain for the next few days."
Yu Hanjiang nodded earnestly: "Understood. Take care, Ninth Brother."
******