Chu Lian wasn’t a morning person. When she opened her eyes, her head was still fuzzy and she completely forgot where she was.

When she looked up, a pale, sickly-looking face with fine features covered by a great beard met her eyes.

Actually, this man had a pretty good-looking face. Furthermore, from his smooth, unwrinkled skin, she could tell that he was rather young.

The imposing set of armor and the black tunic underneath it made him look like a strong and mighty man; his presence made all those around him feel safe.

Oh, this was the beardy who had saved her. The nice guy who had helped her out of that pickle with the Tuhuns.

Back then, Chu Lian thought that would be the end of the line for her. However, this man had pulled her into his protective embrace even in such a precarious situation, and he even fell down the cliff together with her without a care for his own life.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

As Chu Lian thought back to those moments, she was suffused with a feeling of safety.

Chu Lian was about to burrow deeper into this warm and safe embrace, but before she could, she abruptly recalled who she was.

She was a married woman- House Jing’an’s Third Young Madam, He Sanlang’s wife!

Her husband was that crazy He Changdi who always had strange requests for her and an eternally gloomy face!

It was as if she had been doused in ice cold water. Chu Lian had never been more awake in her life.

Chu Lian yanked back her hand as if she had been burned. She felt that there still wasn’t clear enough of a boundary between them, so she reached out to push the man away and keep him at arm’s length.

Chu Lian crawled up from the ground with her head lowered to hide her flushed face. Torn with herself, she said, “Excuse me, mister. Although I’m very grateful that you’ve saved my life, you can’t use this chance to take advantage of me!”

Hah?

He Sanlang’s originally warm expression immediately turned into the stormiest one he could summon!

Just now, he had been enjoying the fluttering warmth in his heart as he watched Chu Lian lie in his arms so trustingly. He had still been taken aback that this wicked woman had such a lovely and endearing side to her.

However, when he thought back to how he had saved her without reservation previously, it was normal that she would fall in love with him. Furthermore, they were husband and wife, so this level of intimacy was a given. As strict as the customs of the Great Wu Dynasty were, this much was still acceptable between a married couple.

Completely out of his expectations, in this warm and loving moment, that wicked woman Chu Lian had actually blurted out something to kill the mood completely!

He Sanlang’s body went stiff from shock.

He stared at her with his eyes an unfathomable black. Within those depths, a storm was brewing.

He Changdi wasn’t stupid. Of course, he had understood the meaning behind Chu Lian’s words. This wicked woman... He had risked his life to save her and she... she hadn’t recognised him!!

Outrageous!!

Did she really think that he wouldn’t dare to punish her!

How could Chu Lian have expected this crude-looking, strong young man with a beard to turn out to be her own husband?

Actually, Chu Lian really wasn’t to blame here.

The day of their wedding had been their first meeting.

On their wedding night, He Sanlang had threatened Chu Lian and had only ever shown her his crazy side thereafter.

Chu Lian was a normal person; she wasn’t a masochist. After getting treated like that by her newlywed husband, even if He Changdi were to look like a deity descended onto the mortal plane, she refused to look at him any more than she had to.

Coupled with He Sanlang’s unwarranted enmity and how he shunned her, it was impossible for Chu Lian to believe that He Changdi would risk his own life to save her.

He Changdi had earned the nickname of ‘He Sanlang the Fair’ back in the capital. His looks were really fine and fair. Now that he had a beard obscuring half his face, there was just too much of a difference between his appearance back then to now. Any other person wouldn’t be able to recognise him either, let alone Chu Lian!

Chu Lian just hadn’t spent enough time with He Sanlang, so it was understandable that she hadn’t managed to recognise him.