Chương 50: Chapter 50: You Must Keep It Well.
"Here, have some tea."
Back in Xiaochun Courtyard, Xu Ming poured Zhu Cici a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Zhu Cici obediently sat on a stone stool, holding the cup Xu Ming handed her. She sipped the tea in small gulps, occasionally lifting her bright eyes to glance at him.
In her heart, a trace of nervousness lingered.
Zhu Cici didn't know why her heart started racing the moment she saw Xu Ming today. Just yesterday, she had seen him without feeling this way.
What's more, she noticed something strange: Xu Ming seemed to look even better today than he did yesterday.
How could this be? It had only been a day. What could have changed?
"Cici, did you come to find me for something?" Xu Ming finally asked, noticing how the little girl kept sneaking glances at him as if there were flowers growing on his face.
"Mm! Yes, I did."
Zhu Cici nodded earnestly, her legs pressed together as her small hands rested on her knees. She sat with a composed grace, but there was a subtle nervousness to her demeanor that only made her appear more endearing.
"Miss Cici, you can speak freely," Xu Ming encouraged, seeing her serious expression. He also grew curious, wondering what could be so important.
After all, she was just a nine-year-old girl. What pressing matter could she possibly have?
"Um…" Zhu Cici's hands fidgeted between her knees, rubbing together as though she couldn't find the words. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if mustering all her courage, and declared, "You—you saved my life, so I want to repay you!"
"...?"
Xu Ming froze for a moment at her sudden proclamation, then smiled.
"Cici, there's no need for you to repay me. Back then, I wasn't just protecting you—I was also protecting myself. Besides, you're still a child. Even if there's a debt to repay, it's not something a little girl like you has to worry about."
Zhu Cici pouted. "I'm already nine years old—I'm not that young! And you're even younger than me!"
"..."
Xu Ming opened his mouth to retort but realized he couldn't. She was right—he was younger than her by a year.
"Um, don't be mad! I wasn't calling you childish or anything—I just meant… uh…" Zhu Cici struggled to explain, worried she might have upset him.
"It's fine, I understand. I'm not mad," Xu Ming reassured her with a smile.
But his smile only made Zhu Cici's heart beat faster. Her face flushed as she quietly said, "The sages teach us that even a drop of kindness should be repaid a hundredfold. My mother says she'll repay the favor, but this is different. You saved my life, so this is my responsibility."
"Alright, then," Xu Ming said, relenting when he saw how determined she was. "How does Cici plan to repay me?"
In Xu Ming's mind, her idea of repayment was probably something small—maybe giving him a gift, inviting him to a meal, or asking him to play. After all, she was just a nine-year-old girl. Even if she was precocious, her thoughts couldn't stray far from a child's world.
"I—I want to marry you! To offer myself as your wife!"
Zhu Cici lifted her delicate chin and looked Xu Ming directly in the eyes, her expression utterly serious.
Xu Ming: "???"
"Cici, what did you just say?" Xu Ming wondered if he had misheard.
"I've thought about this for a long time," Zhu Cici said earnestly. "Since you saved me, my life is yours. Naturally, my person is yours too. Offering myself in marriage is the best way to repay you!"
"That's not it." Xu Ming rubbed his eyes. "Where did you hear that from?"
Zhu Cici tilted her head cutely. "I read it in books! Whether it's ancient texts or novels, whenever a man saves a woman, the woman always marries him as a way of repaying him."
"That depends on the situation. If he's good-looking, it's 'I'll marry you in this lifetime.' If not, then it's 'I'll repay you in the next life as a horse or ox,'" Xu Ming replied helplessly.
Hearing his words, Zhu Cici's big, watery eyes turned slightly as she seriously looked Xu Ming up and down. "But I think you're quite good-looking!"
"That's not the issue here." For a moment, Xu Ming didn't know how to deal with this little girl.
He never imagined that, across two lifetimes, he would be proposed to by a nine-year-old girl—though, to be fair, he himself was only eight.
"Then what's the issue?"
Zhu Cici was confused.
"Don't worry, Xu Ming. I've already thought it through.
When we get married, I'll be a good wife. I'm thinking of having two kids, but if you want more, that's fine too—I'll work hard.
I can also move to Wu Kingdom to live with you.
If my parents disagree with us being together, we'll elope.
In the coming years, I'll save up some silver to prepare for our future runaway expenses."
Xu Ming was speechless.
So, you've already planned everything out?
"Ci... Cici, sorry, but... actually..." Xu Ming tried to organize his thoughts. "Actually, I already like someone else."
The small hands Zhu Cici had placed on her lap clenched slightly. Her rosy lips pressed together as she asked softly, "Is it that girl named Qingwan?"
"Uh? Yeah, it is," Xu Ming stammered, unsure how she knew about Qingwan but deciding to use her as an excuse.
"That's fine. It's normal for men to have three or four wives," Zhu Cici said with a shake of her head. "As the first wife, I won't oppose you marrying other girls. I'll even get along well with Qingwan so you won't have to worry."
'Dammit,' Xu Ming cursed internally. What kind of god-tier little girl is this?
"Is this still not okay?" Zhu Cici looked at Xu Ming's silence, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears. Shimmering droplets began to fall from the corners of her eyes.
"Don't cry, don't cry!" Xu Ming panicked. He'd always been terrible at handling crying girls. "Fine, fine, I'll agree, okay?"
"Really?" Zhu Cici wiped away her tears and sniffled.
"Really."
Xu Ming nodded. Anyway, it's just a child's game. She'll forget about it in a few years.
Didn't I also promise to marry the older sister next door when I was a kid in my last life?
"But I have a condition," Xu Ming added. "You can't tell anyone else about this, or it'll make things difficult if we really have to elope later."
"Mm-hmm," Zhu Cici nodded earnestly.
"And also, if you stop liking me in the future, our agreement won't count anymore—you won't have to marry me."
"I won't change my mind!"
"Alright then." Xu Ming smiled. "That's settled."
"Then, Xu Ming, let's write a marriage contract," Zhu Cici suggested eagerly.
"Okay."
Xu Ming brought Zhu Cici into his room. Sitting at his desk, Zhu Cici seriously wrote out what looked like a child's version of a marriage contract.
"One for each of us. You have to keep it safe, okay?"
After blowing it dry, Zhu Cici carefully handed one copy of the contract to Xu Ming.
"When we grow up, you have to come and marry me."
"Alright." Xu Ming put the completely informal and meaningless 'marriage contract' away with a smile. "When you grow up, I'll come marry you."
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