En-engaged?
Du Xiao Li nearly jumped in shock from Han Ming Yi’s words. When did she get engaged with him?!
“Don’t tell me you don’t want to admit to it?!” Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li, his deep gaze made her
unconsciously want to sink in.
“We, when did we get engaged?” Du Xiao Li asked. She suddenly recalled back when they were in Du village, they
seemed to have made such a joke.
“How have we not? Don’t tell me you forgot?” Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li with a face full of grievance.
“Keke, I don’t have an impression.” Du Xiao Li said somewhat guiltily. However, that was indeed just a joke and
can’t be taken seriously.
(T/N: ke – coughing sound; I’m never sure how to translate sounds and onomatopoeias so sorry if they’ve been
inconsistent.)
“Is that so, then let me help you remember. A certain year, a certain month, a certain day, a certain person held my
foot in their embrace. On a certain day, a certain person had me stripped naked with only my underpants remaining,
having my entire body thoroughly seen. On a certain day, on a certain river bank, someone kissed me in front of my
subordinates. On a certain day, someone said they wanted to set a kiddy engagement with me……..don’t tell me you
completely forgot all these things?” Han Ming Yi slowly leaned in towards her. When he’d finished speaking, he
was already near her lips. Both of them could clearly feel the other’s breathing. The atmosphere instantly turned
warm.
“Eh, those were all for the sake of saving you!” Du Xiao Li explained.
“For sake of saving me, you can see my everything and not take responsibility?” Han Ming Yi asked back.
“So what? Don’t tell me I have to take responsibility for everyone I’ve seen?”
“Others, no need, but seeing mine, that won’t do, and must take responsibility.”
“Based on what?”
“Based on us having already exchanged keepsakes! Moreover, you said to set a kiddy engagement. Now, I’ve merely
just asked the Emperor to have this kiddy engagement made official.” Han Ming Yi somewhat shamelessly said.
“When did we exchange keepsakes?” Du Xiao Li this time really didn’t know.
“This.” Han Ming Yi took out a money pouch from his chest. The crooked needlework on there explained who its
originally owner was.
“Keke, what’s this?” Du Xiao Li turned her head to the side. Firmly refusing to look at that extremely ugly money
pouch in Han Ming Yi’s hand.
“This is the keepsake that you gave me!” Han Ming Yi saw the suspicious blush on Du Xiao Li’s face, and his mood
improved greatly.
“Says who, I was just returning your money, who knew that you would keep it until now.” Du Xiao Li wanted to
snatch back the money pouch, but before she could act, Han Ming Yi already had it stored back into his chest.
“Such a hot day, yet still wearing three piece of clothing, not afraid of the heat!” Du Xiao Li muttered, and then
looked to Han Ming Yi and said, “This doesn’t count.”
“I say it counts, so it counts.” Han Ming Yi said, “Besides, didn’t you also accept mine?”
“When did I accept your keepsake?” Du Xiao Li asked.
“Where’s the jade pendent I gave you that year?” Han Ming Yi asked.
“At home.” Du Xiao Li replied, then suddenly widened her eyes. Seeing Han Ming Yi smiling increasingly wider,
she instantly understood.
“My consort mother left that for her daughter
“That wasn’t something I wanted. You forcibly shoved it to me.” Du Xiao Li unhappily said.
Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li’s unhappy appearance and said, “You really don’t want to marry me this much?”
“I’ve already said before that I don’t want to marry, don’t want to marry someone. I can’t bear living together with
someone I don’t have feelings for, and can’t bear sharing a man together with several other women. You should’ve
already understood this part of me very well.” Du Xiao Li said.
Saying these words, she finally realized what she was angry about today. It wasn’t because the emperor bestowed
her a marriage, but rather angry that the other party was actually Han Ming Yi. She was angry that Han Ming Yi
didn’t understand her! She thought, since they’d lived together in Du village for some time, he should understand
her.
“I know, and also understand your thoughts.” Han Ming Yi said.
“Then why did you still do this?” Du Xiao Li perplexingly asked.
Han Ming Yi narrated what happened in Shouyang Palace during the day to Du Xiao Li, “Anyways, even if you
don’t get bestowed to me, you will still get bestowed to someone else.”
Du Xiao Li fell silent. She thought once Ren Wang broke off the engagement, she would be free. She didn’t expect
that the emperor would actually think like this, really not considering her feelings in the least.
(T/N: Sometimes I feel like this MC has never cracked open a history book in her past life.)
Seeing Du Xiao Li with her head lowered and not saying anything, Han Ming Yi combed her already dried hair and
tied it behind her with a string. “Alright, don’t be angry anymore. I wanted to come during the day to tell you this
matter, but got hindered by matters at the barracks. By the time I went to go find you, heard you’d already left the
city. Soon after, I got called back to the barracks again and could only have Leng Er go pick you up at the city gates.
Who knew that you didn’t come, so I personally came over.”
“Oh.” Du Xiao Li gave a short reply.
“Why are you still unhappy?” Han Ming Yi asked.
“Just never thought that us meeting once again would be like this.” Du Xiao Li said. “If when the time comes, you
find someone you like, just tell me, I can climb down.”
“You think I asked the emperor for a marriage decree just because I wanted to help you?” Han Ming Yi couldn’t help
wanting to roll his eyes.
“Ah? Is that not it?” Du Xiao Li lifted her head to look at Han Ming Yi.
Han Ming Yi saw the puzzled look in her eyes. He let out a sigh and gathered her into his arms, one hand holding
the back of her head. Afterwards, he swiftly went down for a kiss.
‘Bang—–‘
Du Xiao Li felt like her head had short circuited. She was….getting kissed?!
The soft lips intertwined, and the numbing feeling spread throughout both their four limbs and bones.
Han Ming Yi saw Du Xiao Li’s widened eyes. Using his tongue, he licked her lips, saying: “This is the real reason
why I asked for the decree.”
“Wh-what?” Du Xiao Li still hadn’t returned to her senses.
This was a confession? But when did they have these feelings between them?
“Normally you’re quite clever, but now, how come you’re reacting this slow?” Han Ming Yi was defeated by Du
Xiao Li. He rolled his eyes and said, “I asked the emperor for a decree because I wanted to marry you. I want to
marry you because I like you.”
Seeing Du Xiao Li still sulking, not saying a word, he said, “Still don’t understand my meaning?”
“Eh, I comprehend. But I don’t understand.” Du Xiao Li said with a distracted look.
“What don’t you understand?” Han Ming Yi felt, having not met in several years, Du Xiao Li turned dumb.
“I don’t understand, how did you end up liking a countryside girl?” Du Xiao Li voiced her feelings.
“En, this question, I also don’t understand. How did you steal my heart away? And even when you were still that
small.” Han Ming Yi’s blurred eyes gazed upon the hazy world below the moonlight, recollecting the scene at that
time. “I know you want an unrestricted life. I don’t want to force you, so at the time, I didn’t have you enter the
capital with me. However, I never thought that this time coming back, you actually became Prime Minister Du’s
daughter. Since you’re destined to be trapped, I might as well have you tied to my side. I’ve already let go of you
once, I won’t pass by you a second time.”
“But……” Du Xiao Li wanted to say that she didn’t want to share her husband, but thinking of his identity, the words
couldn’t come out.
Han Ming Yi, as Ding Wang, coming from the meaning to stabilize(ding) the country and bring peace, this kind of
figure, how can he promise her to be only a pair for a whole lifetime.
“I know what you want to say.” Han Ming Yi said, “I don’t have side consorts, don’t have concubines, don’t have
tongfangs, and don’t have bed warming servant girls either. None in the past, none at present, and there won’t be any
in the future either.”
T/N: I feel like she should have realized she doesn’t have control over her own marriage by time her true identity
was known. Emperors in feudal era love playing matchmaker. I feel like my only gripe with the OP MC
transmigration genre is the historical nuances. Most these MCs are way too privileged compared to actual women in
ancient times. While they’re satisfying to read about, the history nerd side of me just ends up crying in a corner.
Really random, but I was browsing the other day and saw this one novel synopsis that read ‘stepped on a spider and
transmigrated’.
