The heated brush of Zhu Qingyue's breath upon her skin caused goosebumps to immediately prickle into existence. It was hard to think when he was so close, and every inch closer made it even more difficult to organize her thoughts. His handsome face was so near as to be almost touching hers, and with his close proximity, she could not help but notice how all too perfect his pale skin was. There were few, if any, pores visible, even this close; his face was as smooth as an eggshell. And his eyes… Zhu Qingyue's eyes were truly gold. Not hazel, not light brown, but quite literally metallic gold in colour.

Mesmerized as she was by the sight of him, it took a few seconds for his words to truly register in her mind. As soon as it sank in, though, Li Meirong promptly dumped all of her careful calculations into a mental trash can. Her misgivings were all but forgotten as her anxiety kicked up into high gear.

What did he mean by "you're my woman"?! She didn't belong to anyone but herself, let alone him! His remark was so outrageous she could barely think of a way to counter it.

Agitated, and well on her way to legitimate anger, Li Meirong lifted her arms and pushed against Zhu Qingyue's chest, almost without conscious thought. The sudden movement caused him to collapse ungracefully from his seat, legs sprawled apart awkwardly and clothing falling askew.

The smirk which had been gracing his face faded away, his mouth instead forming a thin line as he pressed his lips together tightly. The sheer indignity of his fall mortified him, and he pointedly avoided meeting Li Meirong's gaze.

The situation had escalated so quickly that it took Li Meirong a long moment to comprehend exactly what had just happened. Witnessing such an overbearing and dignified man falling backward so comically would have caused her to burst into laughter had it been under different circumstances. Had she been only a witness, not part of the incident, she likely would not have even considered restraining laughter.

This situation, however, did not allow for amusement.

He had just claimed her as 'his woman', and her life was currently hanging on the line...

Regarding him as he sat wordlessly on the ground, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast in dejection, Li Meirong's stress levels only continued to rise. People here died for far less serious offenses than the one she had just accidentally committed.

"Forgive me!" she exclaimed, rising abruptly from her own seat. "Please forgive me." She was unsure whether to go and offer her hand to help him up, or run away while she still had the chance, but she needed to do something more than simply sit and wait.

For god's sake, how was she going to get out of this mess?!

Li Meirong did not have the time nor need to contemplate for long, however. Zhu Qingyue grasped the stone bench in front of him for support and used it to help lever himself back up to his feet. He dusted off his dark-colored robes, somehow appearing pitiful despite the inherent elegance to his bearing. He took a few steps away from the bench, his hands clasped behind his back, as his now clouded eyes stared broodingly off into the distance.

Stay calm, Li Meirong told herself silently. Don't stress out. Don't get mad. She wordlessly chanted the mantra to herself as she looked upon Zhu Qingyue's broad shoulders from where she stood behind him. His back was mostly covered by his long, silken hair, the shiny gossamer threads cascading down over his rear to almost brush against the floor.

After what felt like a lifetime to the anxious Li Meirong, he finally spoke.

"There is no need to be so formally courteous," he said, tone polite. "There should be no apologies between husband and wife." His gaze was, mysteriously, set upon the red fringe flowers in the nearby garden.

Li Meirong was flabbergasted. What in the world? Just who did he think was his wife?!

She swallowed thickly against the sudden dryness of her throat, still staring at Zhu Qingyue's back.

"This, uh…" Her voice cracked and trailed off; she was unsure as to how she should go about asking this question without offending the man. "Since when have I been your wife? When was that established?"

Surely there was some kind of information she was missing here. Why would someone she'd only met once, and years ago at that, suddenly make such a claim?

"I informed you at our last meeting that I would be your husband. You offered yourself to me, and so from now on I shall be responsible for you," Bai Qingyue told his apparent wife ever so calmly.

As she processed this, Li Meirong's delicate brows arched high and her mouth fell open slightly with surprise. It was not yet past noon, but she had already exhausted all her energy for the day. There were only so many surprises a single person could handle at once!

Every time this man spoke, she found herself struggling with yet another revelation. It would seem that she did lose her virginity all those years ago after all...

After thinking things over and over again, it seemed to her that this whole misunderstanding had to do with the ancient customs that were prevalent in this world. To be precise, that of a man being held accountable for a woman after taking her maidenhood.

She pondered on the matter, rubbing her eyes briefly in frustration.

The agitation that had been consuming Li Meirong finally began to recede after her realization that there was no big scheme nor devious plot to take advantage of her. Zhu Qingyue was simply attempting to do the honorable thing as dictated back in ancient times.

Pressing a palm over her heart, Li Meirong gave a sigh of relief at having finally resolved this peculiarity. She moved to stand by Zhu Qingyue's side, releasing a shaky peal of laughter.

"So that's what this is all about! Senior Zhu, you really scared me for a second there. Don't worry about me," she assured him, "You don't have to take responsibility!"