Quick transmigration, she doesn't love anyone!

Chapter 117 Reborn Scheming Woman from a New Era × Husband in an Arranged MarriageEducated YouthComr

Du Xiang wasn't nervous about getting married. Having experienced a second chance at life, her mindset was different for her age. She calmly contemplated her future.

However, Shi An was unusually nervous.

Du Xiang noticed that he was holding her hand a little tighter, and lowered her voice shyly as she said:

"My hand...it hurts a little from gripping."

Upon hearing her gentle words, Shi An immediately let go of her hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Du Xiang calmly took his hand again, and he remained still, letting her hold it.

The ceremony was simple and informal; neither family intended to hold a grand event, and they would at most invite relatives and neighbors for a banquet.

Du Xiang sat alone in the house that night, feeling a little tired. There were still some noises outside, probably from a few neighbors who hadn't left yet.

I grabbed a pillow and dozed off for a while, but woke up immediately when I noticed someone next to me.

Shi An paused. He had been very quiet, but he still woke her up.

"You can continue sleeping."

Upon hearing this, Du Xiang got up. On their first night of marriage, how could she cultivate their relationship if she continued to sleep and ignored him?

She hadn't forgotten that she wasn't married into the family to be a maid; before Shi An left, she had to make sure his heart was completely on her side.

Looking up, she seemed a little nervous and shy. "You...you can come up and sleep too."

She said to make way for him. At this time, it was still a small mud house, and the lights were dim at night. Shi An paused for a moment and then lay down next to her.

Both of them were a little nervous and at a loss.

At that time, arranged marriages were still based on parental consent and matchmaker's words. Shi An had never been in contact with women while in the army. Du Xiangsheng was beautiful and was now his proper wife. It was impossible for him not to be tempted at all.

But considering that Du Xiang was much younger than him, he ultimately did not make a move.

Du Xiang took the initiative to break the awkward situation.

"Your...your hands feel a bit rough. What do you guys do in the army?"

During the day, he held her hand tightly, and the calluses on her skin were clearly visible to the touch.

Shi An paused for a moment, then said, "We do daily training, and sometimes we go on missions."

His voice wasn't clear and melodious; it had a somewhat deep quality.

Du Xiang asked worriedly, "Is it hard work? Are there any dangers on the mission?"

This is a difficult question to answer. There are certainly dangers involved, but it is clearly inappropriate to discuss these things with one's young wife during the honeymoon period.

Shi An's lips moved slightly.

"Fortunately."

Du Xiang turned her head, but in the darkness she couldn't see the person next to her; she could only hear his breathing.

She reached out and grasped his hand, her soft fingertips gently stroking the calluses on his palm.

"It must be very tough and dangerous."

Her voice was somewhat downcast, and Shi An wanted to offer words of comfort.

Du Xiang continued:

"From now on... from now on you must remember that you are not alone anymore. We are husband and wife as one. Be careful in everything you do and don't leave me."

These words carried a hint of bad luck, but Shi An knew about Du Xiang's situation at home, and the two of them were, in a way, in the same boat.

He never thought anything of it before. As the eldest son and the eldest brother, he was burdened by filial piety and responsibility. No one ever asked him if he was having a hard time, and he himself forgot to ask himself.

He was never afraid of death when he went on missions, and he had done everything he could for his family. Even if he died, his family would receive a pension.

Just now, for a fleeting moment, Shi An questioned whether he had made a mistake in marrying Du Xiang.

She was young and too sincere, speaking with utmost honesty and earnestness, which made him feel somewhat ashamed.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Du Xiang gently pinched the web between his thumb and forefinger with her groping fingertips, feeling her hand being grasped by his large hand and no longer moving.

He muttered, "Did you hear that?"

In the darkness, Shi An paused for a moment, then said, "Hmm."

Regardless, the matter is settled, and he will treat Du Xiang well from now on.

Du Xiang stopped when she heard his reply, and the atmosphere became quiet again. She felt a little embarrassed and wanted to withdraw her hand.

She tried to pull it out but couldn't. Unwilling to give up, she pinched his palm again, the meaning clear: she wanted him to let go.

Shi An belatedly realized he should let go.

Neither of them could sleep for a while. Du Xiang was carefully choosing her words, while Shi An was struggling with how to start the conversation.

Does this mean that on their wedding night, Du Xiang, this young girl, should take the initiative?

Another point is that it's hard to say whether anyone has told her this or whether she knows about it.

After hesitating for a while, Shi An suddenly turned over and lunged at him.

Du Xiang was startled and shrank back, but fortunately Shi An simply put his arm around her gently.

After a pause, some uncertain sounds emerged from the darkness.

Do you know what you're supposed to do?

Shi An asked slowly, his voice low but clear.

Du Xiang stammered, "I...I know."

Sensing her nervousness, Shi An frowned. The room was dark, so he couldn't see her expression and couldn't tell whether her voice was shy or rejecting him.

"Are you scared?"

Du Xiang didn't respond, but there was a rustling sound from under the covers. Shi An realized that she seemed to be pulling the covers over herself.

I don't know whether I felt relieved or regretful.

He wasn't good at figuring out these thoughts, and he even felt that doing something might be a bit abrupt. They had only met once before, and they were getting married today. If he didn't do anything, he was afraid she would overthink it.

It's good to have this attitude.

Shi An rolled over and lay back down as if nothing had happened, reaching out to pull the blanket down a bit, estimating that her head was probably showing.

After a long silence, Du Xiang became frightened and reached out to take his hand.

"Are you angry?"

Shi An opened his eyes as soon as she started to move again, feeling the hand in his palm that was much smaller than his own. He unconsciously licked his lips and grasped her hand back, gently comforting her.

"No, we...we are indeed moving a bit too fast. Let's take it slow."

The speaker meant to comfort Du Xiang, but the listener took it to heart.

Du Xiang was somewhat downcast, and said weakly:

"Are you... not satisfied with me? We don't have an emotional foundation. You were forced into this situation, unlike me, who did it voluntarily."

That's not wrong; she was indeed acting voluntarily, regardless of feelings.

Shi An remained silent. He showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever; on the contrary, he even felt that he had delayed the young girl, Du Xiang.

Noticing Du Xiang's movement of withdrawing her hand, Shi An tightened his grip and did not let go.

"No, you're fine."

For a hopeless arranged marriage, it was already an incredible stroke of luck that he was able to marry a girl like Du Xiang.

Shi An thought for a moment and explained, "Wait...wait until you're not afraid anymore."

Du Xiang blinked and understood what he meant.

After a long pause, he said:

"I'm not afraid, it's just... could we talk about it in two years?"

She felt a little embarrassed to make this request.

“My eldest and youngest children are still small, my parents are getting old, and my eldest sister-in-law is like a mother to us. If... if we have children, there will be no one to do the chores, and no one to take care of the two young ones.”

The Shi family relied on their eldest son, Shi An, while their second son, Shi Kang, was a cunning and sly man, and their twin sons, Shi Dabao and Shi Xiaobao, were just children who couldn't do anything.

Du Xiang felt shy as she spoke, and buried her head deeper and deeper into the blankets.

She had many concerns, but they were all for the sake of her family.