Chapter 31: Tie You Up and Bring You Home as a Child Bridegroom, Make You Cook for Me All Your Life

"Sister, are you alright?"

Who is it? Who is speaking? Could it be those criminals again?

In her desperation, Wen Wan summoned the last ounce of strength, struggling to stand as her consciousness blurred. She pressed the dagger in her hand against the neck of the small figure before her.

"Are you... sent by those bad people?"

"Sister, I'm just a child from this village. My father is a police officer. I'm not a bad person."

The youthful voice, illuminated by the beam of a flashlight, finally revealed a delicate, innocent face. Wen Wan thought, surely those villains wouldn't use a child as an accomplice?

With this thought, her heart relaxed. She slowly lowered the dagger, and the last remnant of her strength drained away. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed into the boy's arms.

"There are bad people behind me. Save me."

With those final words, Wen Wan fell unconscious. The boy, holding her, was at a loss.

Bad people behind? He nervously shone his flashlight toward the mountain, fear flickering in his heart. What if the bad people came rushing down now?

Despite his fear, when he looked down at Wen Wan, battered and her clothes reduced to rags, his anxious expression hardened into resolve.

"Father always said, when you see someone in danger, you can't stand by. You must help when it's needed."

"Sister, come, I'll take you home to hide."

Struggling, the boy carried Wen Wan, whose height exceeded his own by half a head, toward his house.

After an indeterminate time, Wen Wan slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the gentle rotation of a ceiling fan and the soft glow of a white incandescent lamp brightening the room.

She sat up from a wooden couch, surveying her surroundings—a simple village house, probably no more than sixty square meters.

This house was smaller than her room in her family’s mansion in the capital, yet it gave her an overwhelming sense of safety. In such an ordinary home, as long as she didn’t go out, those criminals would not find her for now.

"Hm? These clothes... Who changed me?"

She looked down; her tattered dress was gone, replaced by a long, thin white shirt that, though light, offered a faint warmth.

All her wounds were treated with antiseptic, and some were covered with bandages.

"Crack! Crack!"

Following the sound, she found a small figure in the kitchen, standing by the stove, wearing only a pink apron and wielding a spatula to stir-fry something.

Just as he turned to reach for the salt, he saw Wen Wan standing behind him.

"Sister, this is my home. It's safe here."

"I just changed your clothes. I hope you don't mind. Your wounds needed urgent care to avoid infection, so I disinfected them for you."

"Wait just a moment, the meal will be ready soon."

That youthful face broke into a radiant smile, like sunlight piercing a long, wintry gloom, calming Wen Wan's anxious and frightened heart.

Perhaps the trauma and despair of these past days made her crave even the faintest sense of security.

Wen Wan stepped forward, embracing the boy from behind. Though she was half a head taller, her arms wrapped around his chest.

The boy gently patted her hand, his tone soft yet resolute.

"Sister, don't be afraid. I'll protect you."

"I'm Wen Wan. What's your name?"

"I'm Chen Luo—Chen as in vinegar, Luo as in Luoyang."

...

Imperial Grand Garden, Villa Number One.

"Huff, huff!"

"So delicious! It's amazing!"

Chen Luo's face was frozen, unable to decide what expression to wear, and could only watch Wen Wan devour her plate of egg fried rice with abandon.

Wait, you’re the heiress of a wealthy family. Where is your composure? Where’s your dignity?

"Cough, cough!" Perhaps eating too quickly, Wen Wan choked, pounding her chest, causing her assets to ripple.

Chen Luo's gaze was fixed, but he quickly poured her a glass of juice and handed it to her.

"Eat slowly. No one's taking your food."

"If anyone tries, I'll wipe them out!" Wen Wan finished the juice, guarding her plate of egg fried rice with both hands like a wary beast.

"Alright, alright, go ahead. I'll cook more when you're done."

Chen Luo was about to turn away when Wen Wan grabbed his hand, pulling him down unexpectedly. He landed on her lap.

Her arms wrapped around his waist as she whispered joyfully in his ear.

"Ten years ago, that bowl of egg fried rice was the best thing I ever tasted."

"At that moment, I decided to bring you home as my child groom, so you'd cook for me for the rest of your life—no, for all eternity!"

Though spoken in jest, Chen Luo felt a pang of tenderness.

Anyone else who endured what Wen Wan had would have long since collapsed.

He gently kissed her forehead and pulled her tightly into his embrace.

Neither spoke; they held each other quietly, savoring the warmth and comfort they gave one another.

...

One hundred kilometers west of Hangzhou, Ning City.

This is the second largest city in Southern Zhejiang Province, boasting a thriving economy, especially in catering and service industries.

The most famous landmark in Ning City is the Warm Hua Grand Hotel, renowned as a gentle haven of the south and the stronghold of the fifth son of the Wen family, Wen Xiu.

"Wen, you're incredible. Just now, I felt like I was ascending to heaven."

A seductive woman, her face innocent, clung to Wen Xiu like an octopus. Her alluring gaze and coquettish voice stirred another flame in Wen Xiu's belly.

Ever since Wen Wan drove him out of Hangzhou, he retreated to Ning City to recover.

Losing all his assets in Hangzhou was a severe blow, and he couldn't swallow his resentment. Yet, he had no certainty of defeating Wen Wan.

"That crazy woman! One day, I'll make her pay."

Whenever Wen Xiu thought of Wen Wan, anger surged within him. He considered returning to the capital to contact his third brother, Wen Min, his usual ally, to see if together they could make Wen Wan suffer a major setback.

Still fuming, Wen Xiu pulled the woman into his arms, pressing her beneath him to vent his frustration, when suddenly his phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Wen Xiu shivered.

"Third brother? Why is he calling so late? Is something urgent?"

He climbed off the woman and answered the phone. Before he could exchange pleasantries, Wen Min's urgent voice came through.

"Fifth brother! Something big has happened! Hurry to Hangzhou and find a college student named Chen Luo!"