Destined

【1】

Ye Shi'an, the Right Chancellor of the court, was a man of exceptional beauty, high status, and immense power. Learned, talented, and gentle in temperament, he was widely praised as a gentleman among the court officials.

He had almost no flaws, except for one: he was unmarried.

Approaching thirty, his best friend's daughter was nearly ten years old, and his younger sister had been married for five years. Yet, he remained alone, without even a concubine. Every New Year, he relied on joining his brothers' family banquets, appearing like a young, solitary old man. From the emperor down to the servants of the Ye Family, and even the elderly woman selling tofu pudding on the street, everyone couldn't help but worry—when would Chancellor Ye get married?

The most relentless in the marriage-pushing brigade was the Right Chancellor, Gu Jiusi.

Others didn't know the reason, but as Gu Jiusi's close brothers, Zhou Ye and Shen Ming understood perfectly well. Gu Jiusi had repeatedly confided in them privately: "Is Old Ye still not married because he's thinking of Yu Ru?"

In the early years, Zhou Ye and Shen Ming tried to reassure Gu Jiusi: "Impossible, don't overthink it. Shi'an only sees Yu Ru as a sister, nothing more."

But as time passed, even Zhou Ye and Shen Ming began to doubt. They sometimes wondered if Gu Jiusi might be right—was Ye Shi'an... truly holding a torch for Liu Yu Ru?

After all, in Ye Shi'an's life, the only one who could barely count as a romantic interest was Liu Yu Ru.

If that were the case, things would be quite serious.

Zhou Ye pondered, for the Right Chancellor to be pining for the Left Chancellor's wife—no matter how you looked at it, this was a grave matter. So, in the year Ye Shi'an turned thirty, Zhou Ye set aside imperial decorum and personally joined the marriage-pushing brigade, seizing every opportunity to ask: "Shi'an, what do you think of that young lady from the Wang family..."

"Or the young lady from the Yu family..."

"Or the one from the Chen family..."

Ye Shi'an, unable to bear the harassment, finally seized an inspection opportunity and fled the Eastern Capital overnight.

As he escaped the Eastern Capital, Ye Shi'an thought to himself that he really needed to resolve his situation soon. If this continued, everyone would drive him mad.

【2】

Truth be told, Ye Shi'an wasn't opposed to marriage.

He was quite traditional at heart. If not for the situation with Gu Jiusi, he might have long been engaged and married to Liu Yu Ru. He believed in arranged marriages through parental authority and matchmakers. But after his elders passed away early, he single-handedly supported the Ye Family, and his marriage became his own responsibility—leaving him somewhat lost.

He had to choose a bride for himself, with no reference point. Observing those around him—whether Gu Jiusi, Zhou Ye, or Shen Ming—he saw that their marriages all began with love. Even Zhou Ye and Qin Wan Zhi, who met through an arranged marriage, had genuinely given their hearts to each other.

With his brothers leading by example, he developed expectations for marriage. But once he had expectations, he realized—finding someone you love is incredibly difficult.

He had earnestly searched for over a decade. Whenever anyone asked why he wasn't married yet, he felt like retorting: Why aren't you achieving immortality yet?

Is it because you don't want to? Or because you dislike living too long?

Why does everyone else manage to find someone they love—even someone like Shen Ming, who only knows simple joys and has no spiritual pursuits, found Ye Yun—while an outstanding young talent like him has to settle for a life of solitude?And so he drifted along until the age of thirty, with colleagues mocking that if he kept this up, they could introduce their daughters to him.

Thus, he found himself in an awkward predicament.

Marrying someone he didn’t love just to settle down—that felt like a compromise.

Remaining unmarried and alone—that felt like a compromise too.

In short, when it came to the matter of marriage, he was thoroughly vexed.

This frustration accompanied Ye Shi'an on his inspection tour as he set out from the Eastern Capital and journeyed northward. This time, he was tasked by the emperor to inspect the entire nation, assessing the actual conditions across the land and evaluating how well the various decrees issued by the court were being implemented.

The journey had been smooth at first, but trouble arose when he reached the Qingzhou region and meddled in an affair that was none of his business.

It happened in a large city in Qingzhou called Lan City. Lan City was known for its orchid production and its bandits. Upon arriving, he deliberately disguised himself as the son of an ordinary merchant. While drinking tea and listening to storytelling in a teahouse, he happened to witness a woman being harassed.

The woman wore a veil over her face, but her figure suggested she was quite beautiful. The incident occurred right at the table next to his, so when the ruffians reached out to snatch her veil, Ye Shi'an casually used his fan to block their hands. His guards stepped forward and pushed the men away, while Shi'an coldly uttered, "Get lost."

The woman he had saved stared at him in a daze. Ye Shi'an knew he was handsome and had attracted the attention of many young women over the years. Aware that he couldn’t reciprocate their feelings, he generally avoided such situations whenever possible. In a scenario like this, where he had played the hero saving a beauty, he naturally sought to slip away. After rescuing her, he didn’t wait for thanks or even exchange a single word, simply turning and leaving with his men.

After he had gone, two burly women approached the veiled woman and whispered, "Boss, that man helped you. Should we repay him somehow?"

The veiled woman remained silent, her gaze fixed in the direction Ye Shi'an had departed, her eyes filled with admiration.

The two sturdy women standing behind her exchanged a glance as they heard the veiled woman sigh, "So handsome."

Well, no further words were needed—they understood.

Later that day, Ye Shi'an left the city again, intending to rejoin his main entourage before re-entering the city with his official identity. Little did he expect that, on his way from the city to the inn, war drums would suddenly echo through the mountain paths, followed by the appearance of over a hundred people swarming the hillsides.

Ye Shi'an’s expression turned cold. He placed his hand on his sword and said icily, "All valuables are in the carriage. Help yourselves, but I ask that you spare our lives."

"You flatter us, sir," laughed the leader, a tall woman wielding two iron hammers. "We don’t want your money—consider it part of your dowry. What we want is you!"

【3】

Taking him? That was naturally unacceptable.

A fierce battle ensued, but the opponents were numerous and highly skilled. They swarmed in, surrounding him and his guards.

That night, Ye Shi'an was drugged, forced through a bath, dusted with perfumed powder, dressed in extremely sheer clothing, and then carried into a bedchamber.This series of actions made him feel like a palace consort scrubbed clean, waiting for someone's favor. He couldn't help grinding his teeth in resentment, feeling he had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Having already figured out what was happening, he resolved that once he returned to Lan City, he would eradicate all the bandits on this mountain!

He waited in the darkness all night, finally greeted by a heavily intoxicated woman.

The night was too dark for him to see her face clearly, but he caught the strong scent of alcohol. He frowned, somewhat impatient.

He disliked such women—utterly uncouth.

Yet, drugged as he was, he couldn't move or speak, forced to lie on the bed, completely at her mercy.

He heard the rustle of clothes being removed in the room. Closing his eyes and clenching his jaw, he soon felt someone collapse beside him, a hand striking his face and causing a nosebleed.

The person wasn't plump—in fact, she was quite slender—so she remained completely unaware of the extra presence in the spacious bed. Heavily drunk, she soon began snoring. Ye Shi'an lay on the bed, staring wide-eyed at the bed curtains.

This was his first time sharing a bed with a woman, yet he didn't even know what she looked like and had been left with a bloodied face.

Unable to sleep, he spent the night pondering what to do the next day.

This woman had already undressed and slept beside him, compromising her reputation. By convention, he ought to take responsibility for her. But he had preserved his chastity for thirty years, all for a worthy marriage, and now he was being forced...

Wasn't he the victim here?!

Furious and conflicted, he struggled until dawn, finally succumbing to exhaustion and drifting into a fitful sleep.

When he woke the next day, the first thing he saw was a rather plain face.

The girl was thin and pale, with slender eyes and brows, a straight nose, and thin lips.

Unlike the women of the Eastern Capital, she was naturally austere, devoid of any makeup, resembling an ink-wash painting—devoid of color yet rich with subtle meaning.

Her eyebrows weren't soft and gentle like those of ordinary women; instead, they carried a hint of boldness, which suited her identity quite well.

After all, she was a mountain bandit.

Ye Shi'an stared at her, scrutinizing the woman who had slept with him for a night.

Under his gaze, the woman seemed to sense she was being watched. She groggily opened her eyes and saw Ye Shi'an before her.

After a moment of stunned silence, she tumbled off the bed as if she'd seen a ghost, sitting on the floor and staring at him in terror.

Ye Shi'an sat up. Since his robes would expose his chest with the slightest movement, he had no choice but to shield himself with the quilt. The gesture made him appear both alluring and vulnerable. Seeing this, the woman immediately blurted, "I'm sorry!"

Ye Shi'an said nothing, his gaze icy. Flustered, she scrambled to her feet, grabbing her clothes from nearby as she stammered, "I apologize, please don't mind this. I'll go punish them right away. I'll take responsibility for you, don't worry—I will definitely take responsibility!"

With that, she retreated, clutching her clothes and darting away like a gust of wind.

Ye Shi'an remained seated on the bed. After a long while, he couldn't suppress a cold laugh.

With behavior like that, how dare she talk about taking responsibility? He'd believe it when hell freezes over!

【4】The woman had run off too quickly, leaving no clothes for him. The garments he wore were truly unsightly, so Ye Shi'an had no choice but to remain on the bed, enduring the situation.

After a while, the woman hurried back, now fully dressed in a black martial arts outfit, her long hair tied back with a red ribbon and a steel sword at her waist. She looked sharp and formidable. Upon entering, she glanced at Ye Shi'an on the bed, hesitating as if wanting to speak but holding back.

She seemed somewhat anxious, while Ye Shi'an maintained a calm, composed demeanor.

He might not be able to defeat her in a fight, but when it came to negotiation, he was undoubtedly more experienced.

The woman paced around the room before finally sitting on the edge of the bed. She sat with her legs spread apart, hands resting on her knees, looking like a troubled old man as she said with distress, "I didn’t know they had brought you here."

"Hmm."

"I... I was drunk last night," the woman said with difficulty. "Whatever I might have done to you, please don’t take it to heart."

"Hmm." As Ye Shi'an spoke, he felt a slight ache in his nose.

The woman glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head, speaking slowly, "I’ve thought it over. Since things have come to this, I must take responsibility. Tonight, we’ll hold the wedding ceremony!"

"Impossible!" Ye Shi'an replied decisively. "I don’t mind what happened. If you truly feel guilty, you should let me leave the mountain. We can both pretend it never happened."

"No," the woman shook her head. "I’m not the kind of person who takes advantage and shirks responsibility."

"I don’t mind."

"But I do!"

The woman looked at Ye Shi'an, her face full of remorse. "My subordinates asked your attendants. It was your first time."

Ye Shi'an: "..."

After a moment, he finally spoke calmly, "Nothing happened between us last night."

"But I still slept with you."

The woman said guiltily, "Let’s just do it. Tonight, we’ll get married."

And so, without even knowing the woman’s name, Ye Shi'an was forced into a wedding ceremony.

During the ceremony, Ye Shi'an heard others refer to her as "Boss." Observing the number of people around, he deduced that this was likely a large-scale stronghold. He quickly ran through the list of strongholds near Lancheng that could be of this size and, combined with the distinctive mark of a female leader, easily concluded that this woman was Ji Liuyun, the leader of Lancheng’s largest stronghold, the Fuhu Stronghold.

According to his information, Ji Liuyun was an extremely composed and cautious woman, nothing like the person he had encountered.

He couldn’t help but ponder Ji Liuyun’s true motives.

The wedding in the stronghold was simple, far less elaborate than those in noble families. He was sent back to the bridal chamber early, while Ji Liuyun was dragged away to drink.

Several people were assigned to guard him. Though Ye Shi'an had some martial arts skills, he was no match for these true martial arts experts. Knowing his limits, he didn’t resist and sat quietly in the room, contemplating his next move and trying to decipher Ji Liuyun’s true intentions.

He pondered until midnight when Ji Liuyun finally returned. She was drunk again. This time, as she collapsed beside him, Ye Shi'an could move. He shifted away in disgust and said disapprovingly, "A woman drinking like this every night—what kind of behavior is that!""Is this... is this what marriage is?" Ji Liuyun muttered, "You should drink more at weddings."

"This doesn't count as marriage between us." Ye Shi'an frowned, "Chief Ji, you don't even know my full name yet rushed into this marriage. This union seems like child's play, not to be taken seriously."

"I know who you are," Ji Liuyun seemed to have a headache from drinking as she leaned against the bedpost, distressed. "The Left Chancellor of the court, Ye Shi'an."

"Since you know it's me, how dare you act like this?!" Hearing this, coldness flashed in Ye Shi'an's eyes. He contemplated countless possibilities, even suspecting Ji Liuyun might have been sent by someone else. Unexpectedly, Ji Liuyun raised her hand to massage her forehead, painfully saying, "Exactly! Otherwise, why would I act like this? Not every kidnapped man can marry me, okay?"

Ye Shi'an: "..."

Is she actually proud of this?

"If you weren't the Left Chancellor, and I had no other choice, would we be getting married?" Drunk, Ji Liuyun said irritably, "They kidnapped you and offended you so badly. Would you spare our entire mountain stronghold? The only way now is for us to consummate the marriage. Once I become your wife, Fuhu Stronghold becomes my maiden family. Then you, as the greater person, might overlook our offenses and let it go."

"If you release me now, I can still offer you a way out," Ye Shi'an said coldly.

But Ji Liuyun seemed not to hear him. She stood up and began removing her clothes. This startled Ye Shi'an, who quickly grabbed her hands in panic, "Don't act recklessly! Even if you marry me, I might still punish you!"

"You make a good point," Ji Liuyun said seriously, "So I've thought it through—we should have a child too. That would be more secure."

"Don't think you can bind me with a child!" Ye Shi'an's face turned red with anger as he shouted. Ji Liuyun paused her movements, looking down at him quietly for a moment before suddenly bending over, placing one knee on the bed as she leaned close to him.

The proximity frightened Ye Shi'an, making him lean back, but Ji Liuyun pressed her hand on his shoulder, gazing steadily at him. "A man over thirty," she said hoarsely, studying him, "still unmarried—aren't you pent up?"

"Ji Liuyun!" Ye Shi'an roared angrily.

But as soon as he spoke, Ji Liuyun lifted his chin and kissed him. The kiss stunned Ye Shi'an instantly—his eyes widened abruptly, and his entire body stiffened.

It was an exceptionally sweet kiss, carrying Ji Liuyun's fresh scent. Unlike other women, she bore no fragrance of rouge or powder, only a faint scent of soap with a hint of wine on her tongue that sent tingles down Ye Shi'an's scalp.

It was clear Ji Liuyun was inexperienced. She tried her best but remained clumsy throughout. When the kiss ended, she looked up breathlessly and asked, "Satisfied?"

Ye Shi'an fell silent. Expressionless, he helped Ji Liuyun up, then walked to the bronze mirror. He rinsed his mouth, washed his face, and then returned with a handkerchief. He wiped Ji Liuyun's face roughly as she sat on the bed, tossed the handkerchief aside, lay down on the bed, and said nothing more.He appeared quite composed, showing no discernible emotion. Ji Liuyun got into bed and lay beside him, yet he remained motionless. Tossing and turning until midnight, Ji Liuyun dared not sleep. After much deliberation, she finally nudged Ye Shi'an and couldn't resist asking, "What are you thinking?"

Ye Shi'an said nothing, simply turning over to continue sleeping.

Ji Liuyun followed, nudging him again. "Lord Ye, what do you intend to do? Say something, won't you?"

Unable to bear the disturbance, Ye Shi'an finally spoke.

"A young lady," he chided in a low voice, "ought to be more reserved!"

【5】

Ji Liuyun couldn't fathom what Ye Shi'an was thinking.

So she continued to forcibly keep Ye Shi'an at Fuhu Stronghold to nurture their relationship. After the brief panic on their wedding night, Ye Shi'an began to exhibit a calm demeanor, unhurried and composed.

This gave Ji Liuyun a headache, and she didn't know what to do. The people in the stronghold were inexplicably bold, having kidnapped the current Left Chancellor to be her "stronghold husband." Now, if they sent him back, everyone feared Ye Shi'an would punish them; if they didn't send him back, they still feared future retribution from Ye Shi'an.

In the end, they had to fall back on the plan of using feminine wiles. The entire stronghold pinned their hopes on Ji Liuyun, hoping she could use her beauty to win over Ye Shi'an and make him abandon any thoughts of revenge against their stronghold.

Ji Liuyun was the most beautiful and the strongest woman in the stronghold. With her looks, she was considered one of the top beauties in all of Qingzhou. Initially, Ji Liuyun was quite confident, but on their wedding night, despite her decisiveness and allure, Ye Shi'an still slept soundly beside her. This greatly shook her confidence in her own charm.

Later, Ji Liuyun tried to sound out Ye Shi'an indirectly. "Lord Ye."

"Hmm?"

"Let me ask you, have you ever seen a woman more beautiful than me?"

Hearing this, Ye Shi'an looked her up and down and scoffed.

"Are you a woman?"

The remark was truly hurtful to her pride. But Ji Liuyun understood then that she likely held no charm whatsoever for Ye Shi'an.

And so, the two of them remained stuck on the mountain.

Ji Liuyun was attempting to seduce Ye Shi'an, while Ye Shi'an was waiting for the imperial court to rescue him.

The news of his capture would undoubtedly be reported to the palace immediately, which meant Gu Jiusi would come to his rescue without delay.

However, what he hadn't anticipated was that after his capture, the message that first reached the palace went like this—"Terrible news! Chancellor Ye has been captured by a bandit to be her stronghold husband!"

Upon hearing this, the entire imperial study fell silent for a moment. After a pause, Zhou Ye finally spoke to confirm, "Captured to be what?"

"Her stronghold husband!"

"Jiusi," Zhou Ye thought for a moment and looked at Gu Jiusi, "what do you think we should do?"

Gu Jiusi understood Zhou Ye's implication perfectly. Without further discussion, they unanimously decided, "Let them spend some time cultivating their relationship, and we'll see!"

With this in mind, Gu Jiusi naturally didn't send anyone to retrieve him. Instead, he even secretly sent a message to Ye Shi'an: "We've discovered a bigger secret at Fuhu Stronghold and need your cooperation. Stay and maneuver within the stronghold for now, and wait for our signal."

Upon receiving the message, Ye Shi'an immediately settled more comfortably on the mountain. To gather information, he even began deliberately approaching Ji Liuyun.He accompanied Ji Liuyun up the mountain to catch fish and hunt, watched Ji Liuyun practice swordsmanship and compete in martial arts, and joined Ji Liuyun in attending lectures by the village's teacher. Dissatisfied with the teacher's poor skills, he even took on the role of the village's instructor himself.

Ji Liuyun had little formal education and could not even write characters, so Ye Shi'an taught her how to write.

His hand was steady when holding a knife, but when gripping a brush, even the brush trembled. Unable to bear it any longer, Ye Shi'an wrapped his arms around her from behind, took her hand, and guided it to write the character "Ye." He then said, "It should be like this..."

Before he could finish, Ji Liuyun turned her head, looking at him in surprise.

She was too close. When the wind blew, her hair strands brushed against his face. He listened to the cicadas chirping and birds singing around them, breathed in the faint scent of soap from her, and felt their breaths intertwine.

For a moment, he was entranced. For the first time, he realized what it meant to have one's heart stirred.

Then the girl leaned in, her lips pressing against his. Unable to resist, he let go of the brush, pushed aside the paper, and let the ink spill across the floor.

That night, they lay in bed, each in their own quilt as usual. Ji Liuyun stared at the ceiling and suddenly said, "Shall I take you fishing tomorrow?"

Ye Shi'an's heart was unsteady, and he replied softly, "Alright."

"Ye Shi'an," Ji Liuyun suddenly spoke, "Are you this kind to everyone?"

Hearing this, Ye Shi'an was puzzled. Ji Liuyun turned on her side, propping her head up with her hand, and looked down at him.

In the moonlight, she appeared pale, almost radiant. Her loose clothes gently parted, revealing the curve of her neck as it trailed downward.

She spoke to him with a smile, carrying a hint of allure and a touch of girlish charm. He forced himself to look away and managed a muffled sound: "Hmm?"

"I'm a bandit who kidnapped you, yet you haven't been cold to me. Instead, you've been so kind. Ye Shi'an, are you this good to all girls?"

Ye Shi'an fell silent at her words. He thought carefully and suddenly realized that it wasn't true. If it were someone else, he probably wouldn't have been so patient. This realization struck him as strange, and he couldn't help but glance at Ji Liuyun again. She looked at him with a bright smile: "If another girl kissed you, would you be willing?"

Of course not.

The answer came to Ye Shi'an's mind instantly. With that thought, he suddenly reflected on something and couldn't help but look at Ji Liuyun once more.

He realized then that he didn't actually dislike this girl. In fact, he hadn't disliked her from the very first meeting.

She was beautiful—a refined, vibrant, and clean-cut kind of beauty. From the first glance, he hadn't disliked her at all.

His silence made her curious. She leaned forward, frowned, and said, "What are you thinking? You're not saying anything."

Urged by her, Ye Shi'an finally looked up at her again. He stared at her intently for a long time before suddenly saying, "It's nothing much. I just realized that if another girl kissed me, I wouldn't be willing."

His words left Ji Liuyun stunned. Her dazed expression was rare, and seeing her like this, Ye Shi'an couldn't help but smile. His heart softened, as if he had suddenly understood something. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Ji Liuyun say, "So, when I kiss you, you're happy?"

If Ye Shi'an were in his teens, such words would have made him blush.

But now, in his thirties, having come to terms with his feelings, he felt at ease. He rested his hands behind his head, looked at her with a smile, and exuded a touch of charm as he replied gently, "Naturally."No sooner had the words been spoken than he drew close again.

When something is done repeatedly, it becomes a habit; once defenses are lowered, one can begin to enjoy it.

That night, the starlight was exceptionally bright. As Ye Shi'an lay beside Ji Liuyun, a sudden thought crossed his mind: the betrothal gifts he had prepared for over a decade were finally going to be put to use.