Suddenly someone said, “Wait.”

Pingzong turned her head, saw Tie Ci, and her gaze turned cold, “I haven’t settled accounts with you yet, and you still dare to speak?”

Tie Ci smiled slightly, “Giving dowry gifts for entering the bridal chamber is only natural, but that’s for unmarried men and women. I’ve never heard of snatching someone else’s husband home, have you?”

“Married man? Who? Him?” Pingzong glanced at the cook and suddenly laughed, “That’s easy. Just have him go back and divorce his wife.”

Her speech was concise, her tone slow and soft, yet the content was cold and ruthless – her whole person was filled with a strange sense of contradiction.

It made people feel that she too had grown up in some contradictory atmosphere to develop such an odd temperament.

She went to pull the cook’s hand, “Come on, let me show you my house. I have good things.”

Tie Ci suddenly said again, “Miss Pingzong, this wife cannot be divorced.”

Pingzong turned her head, stared at her, and said slowly, “Do you want to die?”

“No.” Tie Ci answered smoothly, pointing at the cook, “But he is the wife. Are you asking him to divorce himself?”

Pingzong was stunned.

The cook wasn’t angry and slowly smiled.

“Haven’t you heard of cut-sleeves?” Tie Ci said with a half-smile, “This one is the bottom. Oh, you probably don’t understand ‘bottom’ – in plain words, he’s my wife. If you want to enter the bridal chamber with him, you need my consent first.”

Cook: “…”

What was ‘bottom’?

Definitely nothing good.

But considering you rarely fight someone over me, being the bottom wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

Pingzong frowned, “I don’t understand those weird things you Central Plains people mess around with. I only know this is a man, one I finally took a fancy to. Mother warned me not to hurt people. I don’t want to hurt you. If you’re smart, just divorce yourself. Later I’ll give you something good as compensation.”

Having said this, feeling she’d been very friendly and tolerant, she reached out to grab Feiyu’s shoulder.

Tie Ci watched, thinking that if her mother was so reasonable, how did this girl turn out like this, not even knowing how to express affection properly.

She said nothing more, stepped forward, swept away Pingzong’s hand with one motion, scooped up the cook’s knees with the other hand, and princess-carried him up.

Pingzong: “…”

The cook immediately and very skillfully wrapped his arms around Tie Ci’s neck.

Both had a moment of trance.

Their formal first meeting under the Tower of All Living Beings – they had embraced like this too.

Pingzong’s mouth was already open – clearly she’d learned something new tonight.

Tie Ci said, “Thank you for Miss Pingzong’s favor, but unfortunately, I don’t consent.”

The boat captain said tremblingly, “Erdan…”

The boat owner ran over anxiously, but was already pulled back by Tall Guy and Dan Shuang, one on each side.

Pingzong’s left and right hands began trembling – the left started dripping water, the right began smoking, like a water heater next to a gas stove.

The people from the ship were both anxious and surprised, not understanding how the usually silent Erdan had become a different person tonight.

The boat captain looked carefully for a while and his expression changed.

Tie Ci acted as if she hadn’t seen anything.

Tie Ci continued, “I see the young lady truly likes my wife – what an honor. But since you truly like him, shouldn’t you respect his wishes? You should at least ask my wife whether he’s willing, right?”

The cook whispered in her ear, “Give me the hairpin, say we’ll let bygones be bygones, and I’ll say I’m unwilling.”

Tie Ci’s response was to slam him toward the ground.

Fortunately, the cook was prepared and had already grabbed her neck tightly, so he didn’t fall.

He stopped making trouble and immediately said, “Unwilling!”

Pingzong was stunned. For a moment, Tie Ci noticed confusion and grievance showing in her eyes.

She really had fallen in love at first sight with this fellow.

Tie Ci looked at the cook. What he showed now should still not be his real face – still darkened and with fake stubble – but as they say, beauty lies in the bones. His bone structure was extremely beautiful, with naturally graceful bearing in every gesture, his temperament both pure and alluring.

Such a person was naturally outstanding among thousands, the center of attention wherever he went.

Pingzong’s status was different, so her standards were high, yet she’d grown up on this sea island lacking experience. Finally meeting such a person, how could she resist?

Tie Ci walked forward two steps, “In that case, we’ll go sleep now. Which household can provide lodging?”

No one answered.

Pingzong suddenly caught up, saying fiercely behind her, “I could kill you.”

“Would your mother agree? Would someone whose husband died like you afterward?”

The cook said, “Mm, I’d live with you day and night from then on. You’d never get my true heart and would have to guard against my constant revenge for my husband. Eating, sleeping, using the toilet – you’d have to be on guard for life, heartbroken for life. Just thinking about such days makes my husband and I happy for you.”

Pingzong stopped, the confusion on her face gradually gathering in her eyes, turning into a pool of crystalline liquid, swirling around.

No matter how domineering, she was still fundamentally an inexperienced little girl. Such ruthless, heartless description shocked her.

But the cook continued persuasively, “Actually, I like reasonable people. Look at my husband – such a gentle, kind person. Even when you tried to steal me, she reasoned with you. If you were a bit more reasonable, a bit more virtuous, maybe I’d like you too. For instance, invite us to be guests at your home?”

Everyone: “…”

They’d seen bride-stealing arguments, violent fights, hired assassinations, but never seen it develop like this after all that snatching.

Such an odd request.

Dan Shuang turned away. Though she disliked this woman, she felt like two demon kings were now bullying a little girl…

Pingzong was obviously confused by such abnormal logic and actually began thinking seriously.

The cook kept chattering persuasively, “What if, when we get along, I discover you’re better than my husband? Maybe I’d reform and divorce my husband to follow you unto death. Or we could have a threesome – I’m with her during the day, with you at night. Or I’m with her the first half of the month, with you the second half.”

Tie Ci: “…”

Her hand grabbed this fellow’s waist flesh, considering whether to twist ninety degrees or one hundred eighty degrees.

The cook whispered in her ear, “The waist is important, don’t mess with it casually, or you’ll regret it yourself. You could move down a bit.”

Move down?

Moving down would be the butt, or…?

Tie Ci’s gaze gradually turned venomous. The cook sensed something and covered himself with both hands.

Pingzong was still thinking there, not knowing what occurred to her, when she suddenly said, “Good.”

This surprised Tie Ci – she hadn’t expected this would work.

She had prepared for a fight, just trying not to expose too much in front of the ship’s people. They still needed a day to reach Yongping Prefecture’s dock.

What was going on in this girl’s head?

But since she agreed, it was better than fighting the whole island.

Pingzong actually led the way, taking them to her home. Tie Ci’s gaze wandered, wanting to see where Xiao Wenliu and the others would stay, when she saw Xiao Wenliu just emerging from the darkness, looking a bit pale, with Lan Xian’er supporting her.

Tie Ci’s gaze fell on Xiao Wenliu’s tight grip on Lan Xian’er’s hand, wondering when the two had become so close.

The cook’s gaze went over, landing on Lan Xian’er’s face. Lan Xian’er nodded slightly.

The cook withdrew his gaze with a light laugh.

This woman who worked the docks had some skills after all.

But if she couldn’t even please Xiao Wenliu, she wouldn’t be worth arranging.

Tie Ci signaled for Dan Shuang to stay with Xiao Wenliu. Though Xiao Wenliu had brought her own trusted guards, this island was strange – better to be careful.

She also instructed them that if they encountered anything strange, not to show off, not to worry about consequences, just run to the ship.

Tie Ci had a premonition that since they’d confronted Pingzong tonight, if trouble was coming, it should happen with Pingzong.

The island wasn’t large. Most islanders gathered together, living in houses built from stones and mud. But Pingzong’s home was refined – actually a small courtyard, though not large, it had everything. Upon entering there was even a screen wall with strange patterns that couldn’t be seen clearly in the dark night.

Tonight the sky was overcast, the wind fierce, looking like rain was coming.

Pingzong’s home showed no family elders – she seemed to live alone. A few young women and matrons served and cleaned, with no men in the house.

After entering, Pingzong said, “You sleep with me, he sleeps in the reverse-facing room.”

The cook immediately said, “No good. If I don’t sleep with my husband, I can’t fall asleep – headaches, toothaches, stomachaches…”

Pingzong said, “I can’t stand seeing you two together. Two men…”

The cook said, “Gentle, be gentle.”

Pingzong gritted her teeth, stood before the screen wall for a while, reached out to touch it, was silent for another moment, then reluctantly said “gently,” “When will you agree to me?”

“When you’re gentle enough.”

“Not killing him is my gentlest.”

“You could be even gentler. For instance, arrange for people to serve us while we sleep.” The cook said softly, “Tomorrow I’ll find a women’s virtue manual for you to read. You look decent enough, but your personality is too hard. The islanders have spoiled you – this isn’t good for you actually. I think your nature isn’t bad. Study hard and you might still have a chance to become the type of person I like. Don’t be impatient, let me teach you. Which room shall we stay in?”

Pingzong said bewilderedly, “Choose whatever you like.”

The cook said, “See, you’ve made progress, but it’s not enough. This way you seem negligent and unable to manage. You should start by being an enthusiastic, generous hostess who’s good at managing household affairs. If you want to surpass my husband here, you must show feminine gentleness and capability to have a chance at being the head wife. Have someone fumigate our room and change the bedding.”

Pingzong: “Oh.”