Chapter 26: A Forced Union and a Stolen Kiss

“Teacher, what delightful conversation has you all so engrossed?”

Bai Hao gently clasped the elegant, jade-like hand of Aunt Xia, his gaze fixed upon her as he spoke in a low, lingering tone.

Xia Zhiquiu’s body involuntarily stiffened, and as the two siblings regarded them with astonished eyes, she shot Bai Hao a withering glare, attempting to wrench her hand from his ‘salty pig’s trotters’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to a man’s lecherous or inappropriate touching of a woman.).

Yet, Bai Hao had no intention of releasing her. He held the aunt’s delicate hand firmly, addressing the two siblings.

“My name is Bai Hao, and I am Teacher Xia’s student. May I ask your names?”

The Unnamed Young Man was the first to react, and though the sight of a student and teacher holding hands so intimately struck him as peculiar, he shrewdly refrained from asking any further questions, instead offering his introduction.

“My name is Gu Chen, and this is my younger sister, Gu Xin.”

Bai Hao nodded upon hearing this, then feigned an expression of excitement as he continued.

“I witnessed your battle just now; it was truly magnificent! Alas, though I possess supernatural abilities, I am currently unable to confront the malevolent entities directly. I can only trail behind my teacher, learning from her.”

Gu Chen, hearing this, sheepishly scratched his head and replied with modesty.

“Oh, it was nothing much. I merely possess a slightly bolder disposition, that’s all…”

The group conversed for a little while longer, even briefly exchanging contact information. As the two siblings departed, Bai Hao maintained a facade of a smile throughout.

Xia Zhiquiu, noticing Bai Hao’s tenacious grip on her hand, impatiently shook him off.

“Alright, enough with that fake smile; it’s quite unnerving.”

Bai Hao merely shrugged at her words, his expression immediately settling back into its usual nonchalance.

“Aunt Xia, we’ve barely just gotten married, and you’re already laughing and chatting so freely with other men. I might just grow jealous.”

Xia Zhiquiu shot him a sharp glare, scoffing.

“What business is that of mine? Feel free to stew in your jealousy.”

Furthermore, in her estimation, both this fellow and Gu Chen were nothing more than mere high school brats.

Jealous? She harbored no affection for men whatsoever, much less for mere youngsters.

Upon hearing this, Bai Hao’s eyes subtly darkened, though a faint smile still played on his lips.

“Aunt Xia, I am a profoundly possessive individual. Should you ever ‘stray from the garden wall’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to a wife having an affair.), I would find myself deeply troubled.”

“In such a scenario, I might be compelled to do something… irrational. Perhaps I’d conceal you somewhere, for instance…”

Xia Zhiquiu, listening to Bai Hao’s soft, lingering words, felt an involuntary shiver course through her delicate frame, even though his voice remained perfectly calm. She instantly recoiled, drawing herself inward.

“You, you needn’t try to frighten me. I wasn’t raised to be easily intimidated.”

Bai Hao merely tilted his head, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

“Then, Aunt Xia, you are welcome to try.”

Xia Zhiquiu was about to retort when Xia Wei’s call unexpectedly came through. She swiftly answered, and just as she anticipated, she was greeted with wonderful news.

–“Mama, my shadow is back! I just woke up from a nap, and it was here!”–

Xia Zhiquiu, knowing the reason perfectly well, responded with unconcealed delight.

–“Really? Oh, that’s wonderful! Mama will be home very soon, Xia Wei. Just wait for Mama.”–

With those words, Xia Zhiquiu ended the call, her thoughts turning towards home.

Due to her daughter’s recent predicament, she had specifically taken several days off from the bar. Now that the matter had finally been resolved, she would need to return to work tomorrow.

While Xia Zhiquiu possessed the ability to earn a living by slaying malevolent entities, bartending was her passion, and thus she had never contemplated relinquishing her job.

However, just as Xia Zhiquiu was preparing to depart, a thought struck her. She turned her head to face the young man who was still trailing behind her.

“It’s getting quite late. You should hail a taxi to go back on your own. Don’t you have classes tomorrow?”

Bai Hao, hearing her words, could only manage a wry, helpless smile.

“Aunt Xia, aren’t you burning the bridge a little too quickly? We’ve only just dealt with the Shadow Devouring Ghoul, and now you’re heartlessly abandoning me in this desolate place?”

In this dimly lit, isolated area, how was he supposed to hail a taxi?

Xia Zhiquiu, in response, proudly puffed out her chest and let out a soft huff.

“Precisely. I am indeed that heartless.”

But despite her words, Bai Hao ultimately managed to get into the car. Settling into the pleasantly fragrant passenger seat, he fixed his unwavering gaze on the alluring aunt at the wheel.

Xia Zhiquiu, finding Bai Hao’s mischievous gaze utterly unbearable, finally broke the silence.

“By the way, why did you claim to be my student in front of Gu Chen and his sister earlier?”

Bai Hao, upon hearing her question, countered with one of his own.

“Was it not true? After all, Aunt Xia, you did tutor me in English.”

“Furthermore, in that particular scenario, if I hadn’t addressed you as ‘teacher,’ my only other option would have been to call you ‘wife.’”

Xia Zhiquiu shot Bai Hao a sharp glare, a hint of reluctance in her voice as she acknowledged the uncomfortable truth.

“You are absolutely forbidden from addressing me that way in front of others!”

At her words, Bai Hao’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

“So, it’s acceptable in private? My wife.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s lovely face flushed crimson, a breathtaking sight akin to the vibrant hues of a sunset. She retorted, flustered and indignant.

“N-not even then!”

Bai Hao merely offered an equivocal smile. To him, Aunt Xia’s utterly powerless verbal threats were indistinguishable from playful flirtation.

He knew he would continue to call her ‘wife’ whenever he pleased in the future, for, after all, she was technically his wife now.

“Aunt Xia, we’ve registered our marriage today. In ancient times, wouldn’t this be our wedding night, complete with candles and festivities? Yet, we’re simply going to live apart?”

Xia Zhiquiu let out a soft snort.

“Precisely. And furthermore, I intend to divorce you!”

Bai Hao, upon hearing her declaration, felt a pang of helplessness. It seemed that coaxing this mature aunt into obedience would require a significant amount of ‘training’.

A sudden idea sparked in his mind, and he spoke.

“Aunt Xia, put all thoughts of divorce out of your mind. However, I can agree to keep our marriage a secret from Xia Wei. The condition, though, is that you must continue to tutor me in English.”

Xia Zhiquiu paused, momentarily stunned. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to Bai Hao’s intermittent threats, for at this moment, his words surprisingly failed to provoke any emotional reaction within her.

Nevertheless, the thought of marriage, particularly to her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, filled her with a profound sense of mortification should Xia Wei ever discover the truth.

Moreover, the young man’s request wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Thus, Xia Zhiquiu agreed without much further deliberation.

“I can tutor you, but you must demonstrate significant improvement on your next English test.”

Seeing the aunt agree so readily, Bai Hao swiftly nodded in earnest assurance.

“Excellent. Then, Aunt Xia, it’s a deal.”

At that moment, Xia Zhiquiu had already pulled the car up to Bai Hao’s villa. Gazing at the desolate, empty house, she found herself feeling a momentary pang of pity for him.

Despite his family’s wealth, he had no one to converse with within the confines of his own home.

“Alright, get out now. And as for that blond hair of yours, can you possibly dye it back?”

Bai Hao paused, momentarily taken aback by her words. He then playfully ruffled his blond hair, a look of smug satisfaction on his face as he replied.

“Absolutely not. I happen to be quite fond of this hair color.”

Xia Zhiquiu merely rolled her eyes at his retort, but ultimately refrained from saying anything further.

“Aunt Xia, shall I take my leave now?”

Xia Zhiquiu simply nodded.

Bai Hao, clearly dissatisfied with her brevity, pressed on.

“So, I’m truly departing?”

Witnessing his antics, Xia Zhiquiu snapped, her patience wearing thin.

“Just go already! What are you dawdling for?”

At her exasperated words, Bai Hao ‘revealed the dagger at the end of the map’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning to reveal one’s true intentions or a hidden agenda at the crucial moment.).

“Well, you see, I was merely hoping for a goodnight kiss from Aunt Xia.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s beautiful eyes widened in an exasperated glare, and she scoffed.

“You’re ‘dreaming of eating farts’ (TL Note: A crude Chinese slang term meaning to be delusional or wish for something impossible.)! Get out, now!”

Upon hearing her outburst, Bai Hao unbuckled his seatbelt. His eyes darted mischievously before he suddenly pointed out the car window.

“Look! A malevolent entity!”

Xia Zhiquiu instinctively glanced up, but her eyes found nothing. By the time she turned back, her crimson lips were unexpectedly captured by the young man’s audacious kiss.