Hong Dou's face was flushed, she wanted to escape but couldn't.
The little girl's palm had slipped directly into her clothes, so she couldn't use the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell technique. Forget it, if she couldn't leave, then she wouldn't...
"Ling'er is hugging too tightly, I'm afraid I'll wake her."
"It's fine, the little girl is asleep anyway. Just say whatever you want directly. Let me make it clear beforehand... don't think you can easily gloss over what you said this morning about me being fierce and a busybody."
Yun Ming spread his hands, his peripheral vision catching the smile on his sister's face. Alright, alright, he really did it on purpose.
"You are a busybody! In the future, Sister Qing Xuan will be the main wife and you'll be the secondary one. All my private funds will be managed by you two."
"Who wants to be your secondary wife!"
Hong Dou fumed, but afraid of waking Ling'er in her arms, she could only secretly glare at Yun Ming, slowly taking hold of the young man's ear.
She twisted it hard.
The young man didn't dodge or evade, letting her do as she pleased, then leaned in under her stunned gaze.
He pulled both of them, big and small, into his embrace.
"You still want Sister Qing Xuan to call you 'sister'...?"
"That's not what I meant."
Hong Dou bit her pink lip lightly. What good girl would want to be a secondary wife? In ancient times, there was at least the concept of co-wives.
This scoundrel wasn't hiding his intentions at all.
Her eyes held a hint of resentment, but she couldn't act on it, so she gave Yun Ming a fiercely charming glare.
To be honest, the girl's figure was already considered tall for her age.
Unfortunately, it seemed Hong Dou didn't grow much taller later on.
From around 1.4 meters to 1.5 meters?
And though the sparrow is small, it has all its internal organs.
It was just a pity that Yun Ming was destined not to touch the budding flower between the lotus leaves, as Ling'er was blocking everything.
But he wasn't planning on doing *that* kind of thing.
Although some people seemed to be guarding against him, he knew his limits. He just wanted to fully establish his relationship with Hong Dou.
And also clearly explain the matters with Sister Qing Xuan.
Now was the perfect moment.
Hong Dou was caught between a rock and a hard place, not even daring to say anything harsh for fear of Ling'er, who might wake up at any moment, hearing it.
Yun Ming wasn't afraid. He had been wondering how to explain things to Ling'er, but from the moment the little one deliberately pretended to be asleep, he knew he didn't need to explain.
If Ling'er were angry, she would smartly open her eyes and cause trouble, not pretend to be asleep and let the two of them be affectionate.
The young man secretly reached out, his hand creeping up from the girl's waist, finally caressing her cheek, his dark eyes unusually serious.
"I will marry both you and Sister Qing Xuan and bring you home, Hong Dou. If you have any dissatisfaction, tell me now... Of course, I won't allow you to refuse."
"After all, who told you to provoke me first?"
"You have to take responsibility."
"You..."
Do you even hear what you're saying...? The young man was always so shameless and domineering. Refuse? Though he was clumsy, he was calculating in such moments.
He simply wouldn't give her a chance to refuse.
Hong Dou stammered, unable to speak. She hadn't decided what to say if they truly laid everything bare, whether to tacitly agree or throw a small tantrum.
She wanted to avoid his gaze, but her face was cupped, and she couldn't escape anywhere, forced to meet his eyes.
What should have been a good date for two was completely disrupted by Yun Ming.
There was no romance at all.
Didn't he know that tonight he should be holding her, saying sweet things, and making her happy? Yet he was holding her and still talking about Sister Qing Xuan.
Yes, yes, your Sister Qing Xuan is the best!
You just live happily ever after with your Sister Qing Xuan, why come looking for me? I just held your hand and secretly kissed you while you were asleep.
You didn't lose anything... What kind of logic is it to make a girl take responsibility? This idiot.
She pouted.
"I said you can only marry one."
"Then I'll marry you."
The decisive words left her stunned. The girl stared in shock at the seriousness in Yun Ming's eyes, her heart aching.
She hadn't expected this answer.
"Then... what about Sister Qing Xuan?"
"Sister Qing Xuan promised to always stay with me, so of course she'll live at our house!"
The young man was unreasonable but confident, speaking as if discussing how economic base determines the superstructure, self-assured and radiant.
"What about sleeping at night?"
"Together~"
"Together? Then what would Sister Qing Xuan be...?"
"The main wife."
"Then what about me?"
"The secondary wife."
By this point, Hong Dou knew exactly what he was thinking. Scoundrel, she was moved for nothing.
In the end, he still wanted both.
"Aren't you afraid your Sister Qing Xuan will feel wronged, not even getting a proper title?"
"If Sister Qing Xuan feels wronged, I'll go coax her. But if I don't marry Hong Dou, Sister Qing Xuan said she'll break my legs..."
Hong Dou was speechless. She had guessed that Ye Qingxuan was yielding to her.
But she hadn't expected that privately, the two of them had even discussed such matters. Didn't Sister Qing Xuan get jealous...? Her junior brother was being stolen by her!
You two are making me look very petty!
Hong Dou was very unhappy and continued to question him.
"So, marrying me is a hardship for you, Sister Qing Xuan forced you... Then what if I feel wronged?"
"That's why I'm discussing it with you now, coaxing you, aren't I?"
Yun Ming gently wiped away the tears overflowing from the corner of the girl's eyes. Of course, he could continue to be ambiguous with Sister Qing Xuan and Hong Dou.
Unclear, having both sides.
No stance, no initiative, no refusal, no responsibility.
Anyway, Sister Qing Xuan loved him so much, and Hong Dou was practically free. How could there be such a good thing in the world? Who would be so idle as to intentionally cause trouble?
A scoundrel just ignores everything, doesn't ask, doesn't delve deep.
If you ask, the woman will surely have a belly full of grievances. If you ask, you must be prepared to bear it all.
Just as he said, not expressing grievances doesn't mean there are none. Hong Dou had probably thought about all those things she just mentioned long ago.
Would she be jealous when he constantly mentioned Sister Qing Xuan in daily life?
Would she secretly sulk when she saw him and Sister Qing Xuan come out of the same room?
In the middle of the night, after deliberately teasing him and Sister Qing Xuan, would the girl secretly cry under her blanket instead?
Based on Yun Ming's understanding of Hong Dou,
She probably would.
After all, she didn't cry when her mother died.
She always liked to pretend to be strong.
But when she met a strange young man, opened up to him, and started talking, she would cry uncontrollably, which was very heartbreaking.
"I don't want to talk about the future now. How old are you to want to marry me?"
"You only know how to coax me and make me angry, you idiot..."
"You make me angry and still want to touch me. I won't let you touch me anymore..."