This girl doesn't play by the rules!
The smile at the corner of Shen Xiaoxing's mouth slowly turned mischievous. His long fingers gently pinched her waist, making the girl in his arms giggle. He teased with a wicked curl of his lips: "Ask or not?"
"Not asking..."
The man then tickled her again, "Then I won't hold back."
An Ruo's most sensitive spots were her waist and earlobes, yet this man's breath brushed against her ear while his hand kept tickling her slender waist.
"Stop it, it tickles..."
The man bit her earlobe, "Want to surrender?"
"I surrender." The girl laughed coquettishly and patted his hand resting on her waist, "Let go of me first."
Shen Xiaoxing stopped teasing her, satisfied as he loosened his grip slightly, his arm still circling her waist as he leaned leisurely back in the wheelchair.
An Ruo picked up the man's ring, took his hand, and looked at him seriously: "Mr. Shen, are you willing to marry this woman who isn't exceptionally outstanding but is striving to become better?"
Shen Xiaoxing raised his other hand to rest on her head, gently and affectionately ruffling her hair: "I do."
She was wrong about one thing—she was outstanding; it was him who wasn't good enough for her.
An Ruo slowly slid the ring onto his ring finger.
The man seized the moment to interlace his fingers with hers, her wedding ring hand in his.
On the left hand's ring finger, there's a blood vessel connected to the heart.
"Now, you really can't run away." Shen Xiaoxing pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
"If I wanted to run, a ring wouldn't hold me back."
Hearing this, the man pinched her chin with his long fingers, gently rubbing it as he raised an eyebrow slightly: "Do you really want me to make you a pair of handcuffs?"
After putting on the ring he gave her, where else could she run?
An Ruo gave a playful smile and stuck out her tongue: "I was just teasing you, and you took it seriously?"
The man pressed his thin lips together, staring intently at her. Seeing that he was genuinely affected, An Ruo dropped her smile, cupped his handsome face with both hands, and said softly: "I've already married you. Even if I ran, where could I go?"
What could bind her wasn't something external—it was this heart.
Her heart had settled with him; even if she ran, she wouldn't get far.
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze traced her features deeply, as if imprinting her image in his mind.
Suddenly, he lowered his head, accurately capturing her lips, and kissed her deeply.
Han Chong, as a single guy, felt a devastating blow and silently retreated from the room, covering his chest, not disturbing the couple's affection.
A lingering, passionate kiss nearly made them lose control...
An Ruo couldn't handle his fervor; she was almost breathless from the kiss before the man reluctantly pulled away, his thumb gently stroking her slightly swollen lips.
"Ruo Ruo..."
The man's voice was low and husky. She lifted her flushed face, her shimmering eyes seeming to hold countless stars.
Shen Xiaoxing adored her dazed expression right now. He maneuvered the wheelchair toward the big bed, lifted her onto it, then braced his arms and nimbly climbed up.
Lately, they'd both been busy with their own work, going to bed early each night. Rarely having such free time tonight, he had to cherish this girl properly—otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of such a beautiful night?
An Ruo's vision blurred as she half-closed her eyes; the dazzling light overhead made her dizzy. She only vaguely remembered the man leaning by her ear, softly calling her name.
"Ruo Ruo, Ruo Ruo..."
She'd never thought her name sounded particularly nice, but when he said it, it carried a hint of playfulness and allure.
Gradually, she fell asleep.
In the dead of night, the man watched her sleep, drenched in sweat, curled up like a lazy cat. He carefully lifted the blanket and got out of bed.
He casually grabbed a bathrobe, draped it over himself, and strode into the bathroom.
The girl in bed turned over, too sleepy to open her heavy eyelids. She squinted slightly and vaguely saw a tall silhouette...
Hmm, was she dreaming that Shen Xiaoxing's legs had healed?
...
As the Spring Festival approached, various places in Shencheng were adorned with festive decorations, lively scenes everywhere.
This was her first Spring Festival since marrying into the Shen family, and An Ruo took it very seriously.
On New Year's Eve, the old man would surely have them return to the ancestral home for a reunion dinner. An Ruo didn't know what the man had planned, so she used the holiday break to start decorating the villa with a festive atmosphere.
When Shen Xiaoxing came home and saw the brightly lit, celebratory scene, he suddenly realized that this year, with her by his side, he wouldn't be spending the New Year alone.
With school on winter break, An Che had nothing to do at home. Shen Xiaoxing suggested taking the siblings skiing for the holiday.
As soon as he said it, An Ruo refused: "None of us know how to ski..."
"You have to try it once." Shen Xiaoxing looked at An Che across from him, who was full of anticipation, and raised an eyebrow: "I think Xiao Che is pretty interested in skateboarding; he'd probably love skiing too."
An Che nodded vigorously: "Brother-in-law, you're my genius." He tugged at An Ruo's sleeve, pleading: "Sis, let's go skiing. I really want to experience it once."
An Ruo, wearing an apron, was helping the maid make dumplings. Hearing his fuss, she looked up at the man, then at An Che, and sighed: "Do you really want to go that badly?"
"Mm-hmm, super badly. Sis, just let me try it once, just this once, okay?"
"There's a resort in Xuancheng. Every year at this time, the guesthouses are packed with tourists, and at night you can taste the local specialties."
Mentioning food, An Ruo immediately agreed, but then her brain caught up.
"Xuancheng? That far?" She frowned. "Butler Xu just got word from the old house that we need to be back for the New Year's Eve dinner. Can we make it back from that far?"
"There's still a week until New Year's Eve. Besides, we have a private plane—what's there to worry about?"
"Sis..." An Che looked at her with pleading eyes.
An Ruo sighed deeply: "I still think it's better to stay home."
The old man already held a grudge against her for marrying into the Shen family under the guise of An Qing. If they couldn't make it back for the New Year's Eve dinner, wouldn't he despise her even more as a granddaughter-in-law?
An Che looked to the man beside him for help. Shen Xiaoxing caught his pleading gaze and raised a handsome eyebrow: "How about this? We'll decide how to spend the week before Spring Festival through a competition."
"How do we compete?"
Han Chong brought in a target and hung it on the wall, while a maid brought two sets of colored darts.
"Whoever hits the bullseye gets to decide where we go for Spring Festival."
An Ruo pursed her lips and said nothing. Was this competition method intentional?
She clearly didn't know how to play darts!
The man picked up a dart and toyed with it, chuckling: "I'll give you three tries."
An Che quietly sidled up to her: "Sis, just do your best."
She probably wouldn't hit it anyway.
An Ruo silently picked up a red dart, took a deep breath, aimed at the bullseye, and casually threw it—eight rings, just shy of nine!
The three men present were stunned.
An Che looked at Shen Xiaoxing with a panicked expression, and the good brother-in-law gave him a reassuring look.
"Sis, take a break, don't rush." An Che deliberately spoke just as she was about to throw the second dart.
Sure enough, An Ruo got distracted, and her second shot went off course, landing directly on four rings!
An Che cheered excitedly. An Ruo glanced at him, then at the man. Shen Xiaoxing watched her with a steady, composed expression.