Chapter 3

Before Li Yi crossed over, the world he was in was a time when穿越 (crossover) elements were extremely popular. Whether in novels or films and TV shows, everyone was vying to incorporate this element, making it so widespread that even an eight-year-old child and an eighty-year-old grandmother would know what "穿越" (crossover) meant.

Li Yi had once thought that if he ever crossed over, he would want to be born into an official's family in a peaceful era, idly leading a few lackeys to the streets to tease virtuous women. If it were a chaotic era, he would raise a banner, occupy a mountain, and proclaim himself king, and when in a good mood, he would lead a group of brothers down the mountain to kidnap a few women to be his concubines...

Reality proved that what goes around comes around. Li Yi had only moderately fantasized about such things, but now it had really happened to him.

What frightened Li Yi even more was that if he hadn't heard wrong, those people had said that the one getting married was their "chieftain"...

Thinking of a terrifying possibility, Li Yi's lips turned pale.

Could it be that this chieftain actually had a preference for men?

Li Yi had long heard that in ancient times, homosexuality, especially male homosexuality, was very popular, even being called "the affection of Longyang." For Li Yi, who would rather die than bend, this was one of the hardest things to accept.

Feeling a chill in his heart, Li Yi slightly checked and found that there was no discomfort in a certain part of his body, and he couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, his chastity was still intact.

Carefully examining his attire, Li Yi was stunned for a moment before falling into deep thought again.

He was clearly wearing a groom's clothes... Could it be that this chieftain was a submissive?

If it were a submissive, he could accept it... But even a submissive was unacceptable!

He was as straight as could be—a straight man!

A true man should stand tall and unbending, unyielding to any hardship!

Just as Li Yi's thoughts wandered, the wooden door creaked open and then closed softly.

To Li Yi, this sound was like it came from hell, and he缩了缩 (shrank) further into the wooden bed, not daring to even look up.

His greatest fear was that when he looked up, he would see a burly, muscular man with a chest full of hair, blushing and saying, "Husband, let's consummate our marriage quickly!"

"Ugh, how disgusting..." Li Yi shuddered involuntarily and dared not think any further.

The footsteps were light and growing closer. Li Yi could already smell a faint, familiar fragrance, identical to the scent on the sheets.

"Fine, I'll die if I have to, but I won't let him get his way!" Li Yi raised his head with a look of indignation, just about to speak, when he saw the figure in the room. His mouth opened halfway, his eyes widened, and the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

Her skin was like congealed fat, her eyes like autumn water, her nose straight and delicate, her lips red and moist, her teeth like pearls...

The ancients always used such words to describe beauties. Li Yi had always thought this was just a literary exaggeration, a way of boasting.

Skin like congealed fat, eyes like autumn water—the ancients seemed to use any words they could, and who couldn't boast?

Moreover, by their standards, what they called beauties might be questionable to modern people.

Li Yi had once seen photos of the concubines in the Qing emperor's harem online, and they were truly unbearable to look at. It was said that these concubines were selected from thousands of candidates, and Li Yi wondered if the emperors would develop psychological issues over time...

But when this woman stood before him, Li Yi felt that any praise was not enough for her.

She stood there quietly, her white dress flowing, her hair like a cloud, her figure slender and graceful. Li Yi estimated her height to be at least 1.7 meters. If not for the fact that this body, though weak, was about 1.78 meters tall, this woman's height alone would be enough to make Li Yi feel inferior.

"You're awake."

The woman spoke softly, her voice clear and melodious, as if coming from the clouds.

This was obviously a statement of the obvious.

Li Yi wanted to say, "Are you blind?" but the words died in his throat.

He was afraid of being hit.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. A true man can bend and stretch, endure humiliation, and endure hardships... After consoling himself with these thoughts, Li Yi nodded in humiliation.

At that moment, he even had the impulse to knock out this beauty and escape.

Although this body was weak, Li Yi was confident he could handle a weak woman.

But he was worried that if he made any move, a group of bandits would immediately rush in from outside the door, just like during the day...

The burning pain in his abdomen had not yet subsided, and Li Yi did not want to endure such torment again.

"You can rest assured, I won't harm you." The woman seemed to see through Li Yi's thoughts, and her lips parted, allowing Li Yi to hear her melodious voice again.

If the person opposite had been a fierce bandit, Li Yi might have been greatly relieved to hear these words, but "You can rest assured, I won't harm you" coming from a gentle woman made Li Yi feel a sense of personal insult.

How could a man endure such an insult...

Forget it, if it's an insult, so be it; it's better than seeing those bandits again... If it were a certain kind of harm, Li Yi could still accept it.

"For the time being, you can stay in the village. If you want to read, just let me know, and I'll have someone bring you books." The woman looked at Li Yi and said calmly, "In the future, in front of others, we will be known as husband and wife. You can go anywhere around the village, and when the time is right, I will let you leave."

"Husband... husband?"

Li Yi was stunned. It was only then that he realized he had been mistaken about something all along.

Could it be that the "chieftain" those people mentioned was this beauty in front of him?

In an instant, the image of a burly, rough man in Li Yi's mind began to fade, replaced by the beautiful face of a graceful woman who bowed to him and said softly, "Husband, I greet you..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Don't think too much, it's just a knock on the door.

The sudden sound pulled Li Yi back to reality, and then he saw the wooden door latch break from some impact, and a woman with a water barrel waist and a young man in his early twenties burst in.

"Ruyi, who is he?"

Seeing Li Yi sitting on the bed, half-dressed, the man's face changed abruptly, and he blurted out the question.