One eternity later...
Bing Shi sighed as she covered her pristine body with a bedsheet, roaming her groggy eyes at the mess around the room. The traces of their lovemaking were everywhere; most of the furniture was not in its place.
The table and chair broke, and even the bed that was in the center somehow moved into the corner of the room. Staring at the holes in the thin paper walls, she sighed again. How it came to that, well, he did her against the wall a little bit heavily.
"There are still lots of spare rooms for us to destroy." Xuan Mu returned from a meeting with his subordinates, clothed in a new attire. He sat on the bed, lifting the covers to examine her body, "How do you feel?"
"I wanted a small renovation to sell this building for a higher price, not to destroy the whole residence... I'm sore all over. I can't move." Bing Shi collapsed on the bed. "We were like animals on heat."
"You could have stopped me if you wanted," laughing, Xuan Mu rubbed some ointment on her tights and the bite marks, "Dear, show me how you walk, please."
"No way."
"Sweetie, please." He caressed her tights that were spread wide. Of course, she could move, a little bit funnily though, but she could.
"No." She covered her face with a pillow. Why did she even mention frogs? Did he have to take advantage of every word she said, and turn her into one?!
Walking toward the dresser, Xuan Mu surfed through Bing Shi's wardrobe, picking up a rich merchant's outfit for females, green in color. Getting near the bed, he grabbed the pillow and threw it at the end of the bed, which made her sit up immediately.
"My pillow!" Bing Shi reached her hand out in grievance, "Why did you do that?!"
"To wake you up." Taking a comb, Xuan Mu brushed her tangled hair carefully. "Do you take contraceptive pills regularly? Are you sure there are no side effects?"
"Mm, I do... Kuro's medicine is very potent." Bing Shi nodded, facing him. Her expression still showed nervousness, "Nothing will happen, right?"
"Mm...I hope not." His dreaded expression wasn't any different from hers. They were not ready to be responsible parents and always took this matter seriously.
It was their blood and flesh they were speaking about. Contraceptive pills sucked ass in his previous world, so there was no way he would allow her to take them. They always used protection.
Xuan Mu changed her into a new dress. While his wife got into a lotus position to pray to the heavens, he got her a new hairstyle. He parted her locks down the middle before sweeping the right side into a neat bun, securing it with a white ribbon, and adding a finishing touch of a black pearl pin.
After repeating the process on the other side, he stepped back to admire his handiwork. For a moment, he said nothing, "..."
"How do I look?" Bing Shi inquired, her head tilted slightly to the side. The adorable frog eyes on her head seemed to mimic her gesture.
"..." Xuan Mu couldn't help but break his poker face, pulling her gently into an embrace to conceal his amused expression. "Absolutely adorable," he laughed out loud.
"Oh," Bing Shi took out a mirror. Surprisingly, she liked her panda ears very much, "Ooooh."
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After another half a year...
When Edan saw the cute Tian Shi passing by the front gates of one of her trading houses, she felt an arrow piercing through her heart, "For Miss safety, it would be better to wear a veil."
"Don't worry," Bing Shi lifted her gaze at Xuan Mu, "I have him by my side."
"..." Edan bowed in understanding, opening a carriage door for them in silence.
Since the banquet, these two had been traveling 'together' in secret. They would separate early in the morning to do their own things, and return by night to continue to do their own things.
Bing Shi set a price for whoever could improve the logistics and marketing department, by inventing faster vehicles, improving the storehouses, or coming out with a better way to advertise their items. It would be even better if somebody invented a camera. (Giving out hints here and there to get her result faster.)
Repeating the process one day after another.
The Black Sky army deliberately accepted fewer and fewer contracts as they started to work on the abandoned lands that Ru Quan obtained from his expeditions. He bought a high amount of gunpowder and ammunition to speed up the mining process as those untouched lands contained gold and precious ore.
Unknown to many, this crazy couple began to equip themselves for incoming worlds, creating as many income streams as possible. They accumulated an enormous wealth at an unimaginable speed.
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After another three years...
Tian Shi was summoned back to Rania.
The previous Emperor had passed away, and Zhao Rong ascended to the throne. Intriguingly, he saw a reflection of himself in Tian Shi. Both prioritized their ambitions above matters of the heart. Believing he understood her completely, he was convinced that she would rather perish than be bound to a man.
Their relationship was complex, an unconventional sort of 'friends with benefits.' Although Zhao Rong harbored feelings for her, he didn't think twice about selling Tian Shi off for his addiction, knowing that she would come back to him. She always did.
Meanwhile, the court officials were pushing Tian Shi to become a new Empress. They knew of her humble origins, so why were they so keen on it? Wouldn't her ascension taint the royal lineage? No one saw her as a mere farmer's daughter or a courtesan any longer. She had managed to sway Ru Quan, a formidable warlord.
She didn't need to be royalty; she didn't need to know how to fight. To move the masses, she could be fierce, compassionate, and brave, like an angel. Still pure and untouched.
They saw her as an entity from a higher realm that could bring prosperity to their kingdom. They wanted to give her a befitting title, while in truth, nobody wanted to push their daughters into certain death.
Ru Quan had once told her, 'If you have an army fighting for you, that's all you need. If ninety-nine percent of people believe that you should be a leader, then you'll become one. No bloodline is required.'
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When Bing Shi and Ru Quan emerged from Eliaros, he swiftly moved to shield her from the barrage of flying rocks and spoiled food hurled their way.
From a distance, the Tui family watched, their eyes narrowed in judgment. A crowd of citizens had gathered, their protests escalating into a clamor that drew the stares of everyone around.
"Hand over the killer!"
"She's the reason the Tui's daughter is dead!"
"My son lost himself to that temptress and refused to wed!"
"What, angel?! Ha! She is a succubus in human skin! Pthew!"
"Hand over the murderer!"
"Because of Tianshies, my daughter committed suicide!"
"This kingdom doesn't need such a filthy Empress!"
The chaos abruptly dispersed when a group of men formed a protective circle around Bing Shi and Ru Quan.
Under the cover of his cloak, Ru Quan looked down at her and gently caressed her tear-streaked cheek, "This is what you're fighting for?"
"Mm...It's exhausting to be infamous," Bing Shi nodded, leaning into his touch, her eyes misty. "I don't want to stay here anymore."
The men watched in terror how the eerily calm man covered in trash escorted the unscathed Tian Shi to her carriage. They only knew that Tian Shi paid an enormous sum to ensure Eliaros's safety. Nobody ever thought that these two could share a relationship beyond that of a contractor and contractee, much less a husband and wife. They were just that different, too contrasting in nature.
The family of Tuis continued to use their immense influence to take revenge for their deceased family member at all costs, going as far as targeting other Angels.
They built their secret army to overthrow Zhao Rong. They even bought the Black Sky army, exchanging more than half of their wealth to get them on their side. Everything for the painful death of one person, Tian Shi.
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The flower-perfumed air moved within the sun rays, a horse propelled over the piece of grassland, its powerful limbs tearing into the earth.
Bing Shi held the reins of the horse as Ru Quan placed his arms around her waist.
Leaning closer to her, he brushed her hair to the side.
"Ngh!!!" Surprised, she lost her posture with the saddle. She couldn't follow the horse's motion in a rhythm that set the horse's speed, causing the animal to stop abruptly. "Aaaah!" she screamed in fear, almost falling.
"Don't lose focus." Holding her so she wouldn't fall off, he pressed his lips against her neck. Her scent was intoxicating. As he licked and kissed her soft skin, a wave of pure pleasure ran through his entire body.
"..." Without any comments, Bing Shi set the rhythm of the rider's seat; the horse began to move at a regular, set pace again. This time, a lot slower. She felt his hot breath on her neck, then the tender brush of his lips, burning as they made contact with her skin.
Now that she was better at horse riding, it seemed he wanted to experiment with new stuff with her. Why else would he decide to ride on the same horse?