The night hadn't yet deepened when they returned.
After that strange moment in the marketplace, Liu Mo Fei didn't ask any more questions. Jia Wei Xin didn't explain. He simply guided her back to the hut in silence. She could feel the quiet protectiveness in his presence, the way he walked slightly ahead but always within arm's reach.
Back in the warm interior of the hut, he lit a few lamps and wordlessly handed her a set of clean robes before gesturing toward the adjoining room."You can wash up first. I'll prepare something for dinner."
Jia Wei Xin nodded and headed into the side room, grateful for the break. The bath was simple—wooden tub, warm herbal water, a faint scent of mint and ginseng that helped her relax. As she soaked, she tried to settle her thoughts. That man—Zhang Tian—had held her so suddenly, so strangely. And then Liu Mo Fei had appeared just seconds later. His expression, that moment. He hadn't said anything, but she could feel his intensity.
___
Back at the table, she joined Liu Mo Fei for a quiet meal. Nothing elaborate—steamed buns, herbal soup, pickled vegetables—but it was warm and oddly grounding. They ate in mostly silence, the occasional glance exchanged like two people still trying to figure out how to coexist.
After they finished eating, Liu Mo Fei cleared the table with practiced ease, stacking the dishes neatly to the side. Jia Wei Xin poured them both tea—steaming and fragrant, its earthy aroma curling through the quiet hut.
They sat across from each other, the soft crackle of the oil lamp and the occasional clink of porcelain filling the silence.
Jia Wei Xin took a sip, then set her cup down gently.
She looked at him seriously, her voice calm but resolute.
"Liu Mo Fei, can you teach me your kung fu and cultivation? Can you be my sifu?"
Liu Mo Fei paused mid-sip.
The teacup hovered near his lips, but he didn't drink. Instead, he slowly lowered it and turned his gaze to her—eyes dark, unreadable, yet clearly shaken by the unexpected request. He turned to her slowly, his usually calm gaze sharpening. For a moment, he simply looked at her, and she could feel the weight of it—like he was trying to read her entire soul in a glance.
He hadn't expected this.
He had never imagined becoming Jia Wei Xin's sifu—because from the very first moment he saw her standing at the entrance of his hut, watching him with that lost, confused expression, he had something else in his heart.
She was breathtaking—but it wasn't just her beauty. She carried a kind of strength that made you stop and admire her… and at the same time, an innocence that made you want to shield her from the world. She didn't need to say anything. She just was—and that alone disturbed the careful stillness inside him.
He had never met anyone like her.
___
Liu Mo Fei, he himself, was a go-getter.
At twenty-five, he had reached a level of cultivation that others would take a hundred years to achieve. He was already the leader of the most powerful sect in the country, with over 3,000 disciples under his command. But he never told Jia Wei Xin this. To her, he was just a lone cultivator—free from worldly ties, wandering through life.
In truth, he was carefree. He never let his leadership bind him. He enjoyed traveling, learning, observing life beyond the confines of the sect. He enjoyed freedom.
And he had encountered many women over the years.
Because of his looks and skills, many had tried to seduce him. Some were subtle, some were bold. A few even used extreme methods to get close to him. He never once let any of them affect him.
Until now.
Until Jia Wei Xin.
He never thought someone in this world could could stir up his spiritual sea the way she did.
___
He set down his teacup.
"JIa Wei Xin, I can teach you," he said, his tone calm.
"But on one condition."
She blinked. "What condition?"
"You have to marry me. In three months."
Jia Wei Xin nearly fell off her seat.
Her mouth fell open, her face turned pale—then red—then pale again, like someone being told they'd swallowed a spiritual beast egg by accident.
"Liu Mo Fei, you dare to joke about this kind of thing?!" she shrieked.
Liu Mo Fei turned to look at her again, completely calm—as if he'd just asked her to pass the salt. Which only made her angrier.
Her face turned red like a radish left in the sun, and steam practically rose from her head. She now looked like a boiling red potato about to explode.
Seriously?!
They had known each other for two days. And he was already proposing?!
She didn't even know him that well—and he definitely didn't know her. Was this how ancient people operated? Propose based on one shared meal and a dramatic rescue in the woods?
She'd read about arranged marriages in historical stories where the husband and wife only saw each other on the wedding day—and went straight into consummation. It was basically an ancient one-night stand — except with a permanent roommate and shared taxes for life.
Was it really that easy here? Just marry someone because they looked good and had a cool aura? What happened to building trust? Understanding? Feelings??
Meanwhile, Liu Mo Fei was fighting a grin. He turned away for a moment, amused by how her face twisted in horror and disbelief.
He hadn't felt this playful in years—not since he was four—when he threw himself into a lake to scare the maids, climbed trees for fruit, and snuck into theaters for fun. Mischief was in his blood, but it had been buried deep under years of duty.
Now, it was bubbling back to the surface—thanks to her.
He turned back, his voice softer, but full of conviction.
"I'm not joking. I'm serious. I want to marry you and make you mine."
Jia Wei Xin gasped again. "Are you crazy?!"
But before she could launch another protest, Liu Mo Fei leaned forward and sat beside her, lowering his face until their noses nearly touched.
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips, then back to her eyes.
Being so close, he could feel her breathing shift.
She froze.
Her brain short-circuited again. Two days. Two days. This isn't how things are supposed to happen. Not in books, not in real life, not in any world.
And yet… she didn't move.
When he leaned closer, everything inside her screamed to push him away—but her body didn't listen.
Then came the kiss.
It wasn't hesitant. It wasn't soft.
It was bold. Deep. Possessive.
Her eyes widened. She tried to push him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. When she gasped for air, his tongue slipped past her lips, tasting her, claiming her.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Her soft chest pressed against the firmness of his body. She arched slightly, trying to escape, but he followed her motion, deepening the kiss.
A moan escaped—soft, involuntary.
Liu Mo Fei misunderstood it as a sign of surrender.
His grip tightened, his kiss deepened.
It was only when she finally broke free, panting and furious, that he pulled back.
"STOP! Liu Mo Fei!"
She stumbled away, cheeks flushed, lips swollen, hair messy, breath shallow.
"You're—hateful!"
___
Liu Mo Fei sobered immediately.
He hadn't meant to go that far. He just wanted to show her he was serious. But her nearness, her warmth—it had broken something in him.
"I'm sorry, Jia Wei Xin," he said, eyes softening. "I should've controlled myself. But I mean what I said. I truly desire you. I want you to be my wife."
Jia Wei Xin stared, flustered and furious. That didn't sound like a heartfelt proposal—it sounded like he wanted to trap her in bed and keep her there forever.
And yet… she wasn't disgusted.
If she was honest, she was attracted to him. That was the problem.
"Liu Mo Fei," she said, straightening herself, "I'll let this go. But don't ever do that again."
"I won't marry someone just because I'm attracted to them. I'm not the kind of girl who jumps into marriage or bed because of a pretty face or a wild kiss."
Liu Mo Fei raised an eyebrow. "So… you admit you're attracted to me?"
She froze. "That's not the point!"
"But you said it."
She groaned, exasperated. "Fine. Maybe a little. But that doesn't mean we should get married."
She paused, then looked him in the eyes.
"What I'm trying to say is—it's not right for me to marry someone I barely know. I don't care what's normal in this world. I need to understand a person, really understand them, before making that kind of commitment."
Liu Mo Fei studied her in silence, raising a brow.
That way of thinking... was so foreign to him. In his world, most marriages were arranged, practical, or timed with status and cultivation breakthroughs. If a man and woman had the freedom to choose, it was usually a quick decision—based on age, looks, or power. No one talked about knowing each other.
But Jia Wei Xin?
Her words weren't just startled excuses. He could see the conviction in her eyes, the quiet resolve in her voice. She meant every word.
And somehow, that made her even more fascinating.
She wasn't afraid to challenge what was expected. She didn't let attraction rule her—and she didn't fall into line just because he was someone powerful.
He almost wondered if she was saying it to delay him. But her gaze didn't waver.
She wasn't rejecting him to play hard to get. She was being honest.
Still, Liu Mo Fei couldn't help himself.
"So… you are attracted to me."
Jia Wei Xin let out a sound between a growl and a sigh. "You're impossible."
He smiled again.
But this time, it wasn't arrogance.
It was admiration.