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The room was lit up, one could say brightly so.

With snow-white carpets and white wooden furniture, entering gave one a warm, clean visual delight and swept away all fatigue.

Gu Xiaoxi was still in a daze when suddenly, a wave of warm water enveloped her, and she realized that Quan Shaoqing had actually thrown her into the bathtub.

"What, what are you doing?" Gu Xiaoxi splashed about in the bathtub and fumbled around for a while before she could find the edge. This guy lived too lavishly; even a bathtub was so vast.

"We’ll continue our conversation, as for what I’ll do, I’ll tell you in a bit," Quan Shaoqing said with a raised eyebrow and a light laugh.

Gu Xiaoxi shrank back into the bathtub, scared. Now she was like a lamb to the slaughter and couldn’t run away even if she wanted to.

"If you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m tired, and I want to sleep," Gu Xiaoxi’s eyes darted around, thinking it would be wise to find a way out first.

"You haven’t sent me a message in a month, nor have you come to find me. Could it be that if I don’t come looking for you, you’d just ignore me?" Quan Shaoqing propped a leg on the edge of the bathtub and then sat down beside her, clearly seeing through her thoughts of taking the chance to escape.

Now, he had effectively blocked her way.

Gu Xiaoxi chuckled dryly and looking at Quan Shaoqing’s frowning brow, she said with a laugh, "How could that be! I just wanted to train properly. I know you’re busy, so, I wanted to give you more time and space."

"Tsk tsk, what a good wife you are," Quan Shaoqing said with anger simmering in his eyes, "If I analyze it carefully, maybe, you never really liked me."

"Quan Shaoqing, you’re overthinking it." Gu Xiaoxi moved back to the edge of the bathtub, eyeing the open window outside, contemplating whether she should jump out.

"Don’t even think about it. There are hidden weapons in the bushes under the window. If you want to die, go ahead and jump," Quan Shaoqing understood clearly what was going through Gu Xiaoxi’s animated eyes, and his tone of voice was quite serious.

Gu Xiaoxi immediately darkened her face and sat in the bathtub, gazing resentfully at Quan Shaoqing, "I’m tired, I want to sleep."

"Then bathe first, and then go to sleep!"

"Don’t stand here; I’m not comfortable," Gu Xiaoxi’s cheeks flushed not with embarrassment, but with anger.

Quan Shaoqing casually glanced at Gu Xiaoxi, at her clothes soaked through, and solemnly said, "You still haven’t answered my question."

Gu Xiaoxi held her breath in her throat, subconsciously clenched her fists, and then swung at Quan Shaoqing rapidly.

Quan Shaoqing’s movements were not slow at all; he dodged, and then began to block her techniques.

No matter how fast she was, he always managed to block her attacks one step ahead, which astonished Gu Xiaoxi.

"Take this!" she wasn’t content, used some Inner Strength in her hand, moved swiftly, and jumped out of the bathtub.

Quan Shaoqing quickly retreated, his palm dissipating the force of her punch. Although he didn’t use much effort, his palm carried a force that belied its gentleness.

Gu Xiaoxi was even more astonished.

It was one thing for her not to beat him before.

But not being able to beat him now was a bit unreasonable.

After all, his martial skills had declined so much.

So, she attacked with even less willingness to concede.

"Stop fooling around. You can’t beat me unless you give it your all," Quan Shaoqing said indifferently while parrying her attacks.

"My full strength is a deadly technique. If you’re not afraid to die, bring it on," Gu Xiaoxi retorted angrily. Even now, she had to use her full strength to defeat him, which was incredibly demoralizing.

Especially since she’d been practicing boxing with Zuo Yu lately and had reached an even higher level of speed.

All of a sudden, Quan Shaoqing withdrew his hands, and Gu Xiaoxi, caught off guard, landed a heavy punch on his chest, which frightened her into stopping immediately.

By now, the bathroom had turned into a battleground, the water from the bathtub had long flooded the floor, and they were both thoroughly drenched. Fortunately, they were in heavy military uniforms; otherwise, her figure would have been exposed.

Quan Shaoqing got punched and immediately clutched his chest, squatting on the ground, gasping for air.

Gu Xiaoxi, frightened by his pained expression, turned pale and nervously approached him. She extended her hand to soothe over his chest, comforting him, "What’s wrong? Is it serious? Weren’t you dodging just now? Why did you suddenly stop dodging?"

Quan Shaoqing endured the pain, looked up at Gu Xiaoxi with sorrowful eyes, and said with a grievance, "You told me to use all my effort. I can’t beat you, and if I let you even slightly murder your own husband, who would bear that sin?"

Seeing his painful expression, Gu Xiaoxi instantly felt a surge of regret. She quickly helped him to stand up, explaining carefully, "I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. As long as you don’t bully me, I won’t fight back."

It took a while for Quan Shaoqing’s complexion to ease, then he hugged Gu Xiaoxi in his arms and said with a squinted smile, "Then I’ll let you bully me."

"Ah!" Gu Xiaoxi’s brain didn’t react for a moment, and when she did, her cheeks instantly turned red. "Hooligan! Beast!"

"You are my wife, if I’m not a hooligan, that would be worse than a beast," Quan Shaoqing suddenly picked up Gu Xiaoxi, and then both of them tumbled into the bath.

Gu Xiaoxi’s head bumped into his embrace, dizzy and blushing.

She struggled to get up but was held tightly in his arms, unable to move.

His broad and powerful palm slid into her hair, held her head, and then kissed her fiercely.

Gu Xiaoxi’s heart skipped a beat, her mind went blank instantly, and her body froze as if struck by lightning.

Gu Xiaoxi shyly gasped for air against his chest, her cheeks so red they seemed they could bleed.

She lay against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling her own heart rhythm changing uncontrollably.

"Gu Xiaoxi, we’ve been a family for a long time, and now we are about to become an even closer one. Will you marry me?" Quan Shaoqing gently lifted her chin, making her look into his eyes.

Gu Xiaoxi’s bright, big eyes met his deep, night-like pupils, and her heart throbbed even faster.

She tried to feign composure with a cold snort, turned her head away, and lay on his chest, her tone indifferent, "I’m still young, I don’t want to marry you."

"Young? I don’t think you’re young at all," Quan Shaoqing reached out to verify.

Gu Xiaoxi’s cheeks instantly flushed red, she covered her collar, and quickly explained, "I was lying."

"That’s enough!" Quan Shaoqing grabbed her fidgeting hand, his breath becoming hotter as he was mesmerized by the little temptress before him.

Gu Xiaoxi’s cheeks turned a dark shade of red as she glared at Quan Shaoqing, feeling a mixture of helpless anger, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Feel it yourself!" He pulled her hand to his burning forehead. Gu Xiaoxi was startled, "You have a fever."

"Idiot!" Quan Shaoqing roared angrily, not knowing who caused the mess yet daring to say he had a fever, "I need your help."

"Ah!" Gu Xiaoxi was completely flustered when suddenly Quan Shaoqing leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.

Gu Xiaoxi’s face turned bright red, and she scrambled out of the bath.

But as she tried to escape, Quan Shaoqing caught the sleeve of her garment, pulling her back and pressing her down in the water, his breath hot as he stared at her and asked, "Do you want to watch me die?"

Gu Xiaoxi lay on his chest, her cheeks alternating between red, white, and black, her fingers clutching at the buttons of his clothes, skeptical, "If I don’t help you, will you die? Stop lying to me."

"Then go! Let me die," Quan Shaoqing said with a pair of mischievously squinted eyes.

...

The butler paced at the door of the room, where not a single sound could be heard.

He didn’t dare to disturb them; the two had gone to bathe, and it had been an hour without any sign of them coming out.

Another half an hour passed, and suddenly Quan Shaoqing’s room door opened.

Gu Xiaoxi rushed out wearing wet clothes, her cheeks flushed.

Seeing the butler, she was as nervous as if she had done something wrong and quickly said, "Uncle, what are you doing here? Oh, have you prepared the late-night snack? I’m hungry. "