Chapter 2874: Heart to Heart

Zhao Xiaodie harrumphed. “Go ahead and leave right now. You have been saying that for a while now, but you continue to linger around.”

This woman is a schemer, but she acts like an innocent lily in front of big brother Zu. Look at how fake her smile is!

Zu An stopped Zhao Xiaodie from continuing her taunts. At the same time, he grabbed Tang Tian’er’s hand and gently consoled her. He had been busy dealing with affairs in the imperial palace, which resulted in him neglecting her.

Even though his promise to marry her was built on the promise of mutually beneficial cooperation, it was also a way for them to huddle together in the face of a powerful enemy. Putting himself in her shoes, his previous actions did seem as if he was going to abandon her after exploiting her. It was understandable for her to be upset.

“I was busy with something important, so I ended up letting you down...”

His gentle consolation made Zhao Xiaodie stomp her feet in anger. She ran out, not wanting to see this frustrating sight.

You have successfully trolled Zhao Xiaodie for +333... +333... +333...

“Aren’t you going to chase her?” Tang Tian’er looked at Zhao Xiaodie’s disappearing silhouette and asked worriedly.

“No need. That’s her personality. Her temper comes and goes quickly. It’ll be better to let her cool down for a while.”

Zhao Xiaodie looked like a troublesome person to get along with, but in truth, she was merely pampered from a young age and couldn’t keep her thoughts hidden. In contrast, Tang Tian’er appeared understanding, but it was hard to see through her thoughts and fathom her true intention...

But Zu An couldn’t be bothered to speculate. He decided to just brute force it.

He sealed Tang Tian’er's lips, while his hand adeptly slid down her curvature. Wherever his fingers touched, her body shuddered.

Tang Tian’er panicked. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me...”

“I’m not doing this because I feel sorry. I want you,” Zu An replied with a grin. His finger skillfully removed her belt. “Are you reluctant? Didn’t you ask me to marry you?”

“But we haven’t gone through the ceremony yet.” Tang Tian’er bit her lips shyly.

“I already see you as my wife.” Zu An smirked.

He casually waved his hand and shrouded the ground in a colorful haze. Rolls of red silk unfurled in the cavern. Two wedding candles were lit. The cold cavern suddenly felt much warmer.

Tang Tian’er watched this scene in a daze. She, like many other women, had dreamed about the consummation of her marriage. She had felt a tinge of disappointment when Zu An made a move earlier, thinking that it lacked a touch of legitimacy.

But the feeling of regret now turned into surprise.

“My husband...” Her current smile wasn’t as sweet, but there was a touch of embarrassment and sincerity to it.

The two of them embraced as loving words flowed endlessly between them.

Some time later, an exclamation echoed in the cavern. Tang Tian’er tightly embraced her lover.

Zu An gently consoled her. The woman before him was no longer the enigmatic woman he struggled to decipher, but a maiden who was feeling lost while going through the most important moment of her life.

Under his gentle coaxing, Tang Tian’er slowly regained herself and looked at him with a shy and sweet smile. She leaned into his ear and whispered, “Big brother Zu, are you in a hurry to tie me down?”

Zu An honestly replied, “I don’t want any problem to crop up between us in this crucial moment due to misunderstandings.”

Tang Tian’er grumbled, “It looks like you still don’t trust my feelings in you. It’s fine. I’ll prove it to you.”

Her movements were clumsy, but she was sincerely offering her tenderness to him.

Zu An cherished that. There was no politics between them at this very moment; it was a true exchange of hearts.

“Big brother Zu, the Hub of Freedom was founded because of you. I have always belonged to you,” Tang Tian’er gently bit his shoulder while conveying her thoughts coyly.

Being born in the Hub of Freedom, she had grown accustomed to witnessing debauchery. However, theory and practice were still two different things. Ultimately, she was still a maiden with zero experience. There was no way she was a match for Zu An. It didn’t take long before her defenses crumbled completely.

“I don’t want you to feel shackled to me because of the responsibilities you shouldered,” Zu An replied hesitantly.

Tang Tian’er smiled. She wrapped her hands around his neck and said, “If I wasn’t interested in you in the first place, do you think I’d have sacrificed my happiness to serve the organization? I fell for you from the first time I saw you in Cloudcenter Commandery. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone to such an extent to rescue you.”

Zu An recalled how he had hidden in her bathtub to escape from his enemies, and that stirred something in his heart. He had thought that her skin was smoother than water back then, but it was only now that he realized that he had barely scraped the surface. He had failed to grasp the true wonders of it.

Tang Tian’er shyly remarked, “You terrible fellow. I saved you back then, but this is how you repay me.”

Zu An burst into laughter as he pulled her into his arms once more.

...

Some time later, Tang Tian’er ran out of energy and gently pushed Zu An aside. “Big brother Zu, you should look for Xiaodie. It isn’t safe for her to be wandering around alone in the wilderness.”

After so many factions had intervened in it, this world had mutated. Ordinary animals in this world had transformed into powerful, ferocious beasts capable of devouring cultivators.

Zu An responded with a nod. He draped on his robe and left the cavern. It didn’t take him long to find Zhao Xiaodie sitting on a boulder at the edge of the cliff, hugging her thighs. She stared at the moon in a daze.

“Xiaodie, what are you looking at?” Zu An went up to her and asked.

“Big brother Zu, your stamina is incredible. My thighs are on the verge of going numb.” Zhao Xiaodie glared at him.

Cold sweat rained down Zu An’s back. He considered making an excuse, but such matters couldn’t be hidden.

“You don’t need to explain anything, big brother Zu. I intentionally left the cavern so you two can have some private time.”

Zu An was taken aback. Zhao Xiaodie had been displaying such great jealousy along the way that it seemed unlikely for her to show such generosity.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I know it must be of great importance. I’ll never forgive myself if that Tang woman leaves or betrays you because of me,” Zhao Xiaodie said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Xiaodie~” Zu An hadn’t expected Zhao Xiaodie to care so much for him. He felt moved and guilt-ridden at the same time.

Zhao Xiaodie leaned on his shoulder as she said, “Big brother Zu, I have lost my father and my big brother. Even my fake father in this world has passed away. You’re my only kin. Please don’t leave me too.”

Zu An hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry. We’ll always be together.”