I'm really pissed off

Long Yejue cursed under his breath and quickly ordered, "Don't move or speak. Just wait for me. I'll find a rope."

After speaking, he considerately placed the flashlight nearby to give her a sense of security before turning toward the car.

His presence alone gave Tang Mianmian some comfort. She obediently stayed still, frozen in place, reducing the speed at which she was sinking.

Long Yejue rummaged through the car and found a length of rope. Rushing back, he reassured her, "Don't panic. I'll throw you the rope. Grab on and don't let go. If it hurts your hands, wrap them with your clothes. The rope isn't long enough—I'll need to get a bit closer to you."

"No, no way! What if you sink too?" Tang Mianmian refused without hesitation.

"I'll figure it out." He gripped the rope tightly and tossed his expensive jacket onto the ground as a stepping stone.

He cautiously took a step forward, and the soft, damp ground immediately sank beneath his weight.

Ignoring this, he held onto the rope and instructed, "On the count of three, I'll pull, and you pull too, okay?"

Tang Mianmian's panicked expression gradually steadied. She gripped the rope tightly, waiting for his signal.

"One, two, three!"

Both exerted force at the same time.

One pulled, the other clung desperately to the rope.

Tang Mianmian felt a sharp pain, as if she were being torn apart. The force pulling her out was strong, but the swamp's suction resisted just as fiercely.

It was like a tug-of-war—except she was the rope!

But she rose slightly. A glimmer of hope shone on her mud-streaked face. "I moved! I moved a little!"

"Good. Let's do it again. I'll count, and we'll pull together." Long Yejue's voice, though hoarse, was incredibly soothing.

There was a slight tension in his tone, but Tang Mianmian didn't notice. She only focused on his next command.

"One, two, three!"

Another pull. She rose higher. The mud now reached only her thighs. Just a few more times!

"One, two, three!"

After five rounds of pulling, Tang Mianmian was finally free from the swamp. She let out a deep breath, feeling as if she had just walked through the gates of hell. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

"So it was really you earlier. If I had known, I wouldn't have hidden." She muttered to herself, completely exasperated by her own stupidity.

"You were hiding?" Long Yejue's deep voice rang out.

Tang Mianmian sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I thought it was them coming after me, so I hid. I didn't expect to fall into a swamp instead."

How dumb.

Embarrassed, she avoided his gaze. "Why are you still standing there?"

She suddenly realized Long Yejue hadn't moved. At first, she thought he was angry, but now she noticed something was wrong.

"Well, looks like it's your turn to repay the favor. I'm stuck now." His tone was lighthearted, but she knew he was trying to keep her from panicking.

Tang Mianmian gritted her teeth, grabbed the rope, and pulled with all her strength.

Fortunately, the ground beneath him was more stable than where she had been, and with the makeshift stepping stones from her clothes, it only took a few tugs to get him out.

Now, both of them were covered in mud, looking utterly miserable.

Just as Tang Mianmian was about to celebrate their escape, Long Yejue suddenly moved closer, cupped her face, and kissed her fiercely.

This kiss was unlike any before.

Tang Mianmian's mind went blank.

All she could feel was him—his overpowering presence, his dominance, his warmth. And for some reason, it made her feel incredibly safe.

His kiss was deep, as if he was trying to use it to calm his own lingering fear.

"Long… mmh… mmh…" Tang Mianmian tried to speak, but he held her firmly, sealing her lips completely.

It wasn't until she softened in his arms, breathless and dazed, that he finally eased up.

But even then, he didn't let go, continuing to steal her breath away.

Tang Mianmian closed her eyes, tilting her head back. She had to stand on her tiptoes just to keep up with his demanding kiss.

As much as she was lost in it, she couldn't ignore the reality—they were still in the middle of nowhere, covered in mud. This was not romantic at all!

Taking advantage of a brief moment to catch her breath, she stammered, "L-Let's… go home… w-we can… talk there!"

Her body had completely melted into his embrace, powerless against his passionate assault.

Long Yejue's dark eyes flickered. He took another deep suck on her lips, even biting down lightly before releasing her.

"Fine. We'll continue at home."

Tang Mianmian gasped for air, nodding absentmindedly, not even realizing what she had just agreed to.

Only when she saw the devilish smirk on his face did she feel something was off.

Long Yejue carried her up the hill before climbing up himself, looking just as disheveled and muddy as she was.

Tang Mianmian was shivering from the cold. Before she even reached the car, Long Yejue ordered, "Take off your wet clothes."

She jolted in shock and shook her head furiously.

"I'll turn on the heater, but if you stay in wet clothes, you won't warm up," he explained, exasperated.

Realizing she had misunderstood, her face flushed bright red. Stammering, she asked, "D-Do you have a blanket?"

Long Yejue rummaged through the trunk and found a blanket, making the flustered woman sigh in relief.

"Turn around," she demanded.

"Why should I?" He crossed his arms and looked at her with amusement.

Tang Mianmian wished she could disappear into the ground. Struggling to find a good argument, she simply stood there, blushing and frozen in place.

Long Yejue sighed and shook his head. "Mianmian, we're married. How many times do I have to remind you?"

She nodded vigorously. She never denied it.

But…

Stripping in front of him…

She just couldn't!

"We're both covered in mud. I think it's only fair to give each other some privacy…" she mumbled, carefully choosing her words.

Even she knew how unconvincing it sounded.

Long Yejue chuckled, his mood visibly lifted. "Mianmian, didn't we just share a passionate kiss in this same muddy mess? And we both enjoyed it, didn't we?"

If he hadn't mentioned that kiss, it would've been fine. But now that he did, Tang Mianmian wished she could just dig a hole and hide inside.

This man always knew exactly what to bring up to embarrass her the most.

But still, considering how cold she was, Long Yejue turned around and walked a few steps away.

Only then did Tang Mianmian hurriedly strip off her mud-soaked pants, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket. Once she was sure she was fully covered, she quickly darted into the car.

Hearing the car door close, Long Yejue finally turned back and got in.

The warmth inside the car was soothing, easing the cold that had seeped into their bones.

The soft lighting illuminated his face clearly.

For the first time, Tang Mianmian noticed the cut on his forehead and the bruise on the corner of his mouth. Instantly worried, she asked, "What happened to your forehead? And your lip?"

He tilted his head slightly, checking the rearview mirror.

It was just a small scrape—not worth making a fuss over.

"It's nothing. Just a scratch," he dismissed it lightly.

Tang Mianmian wanted to press further, but the car was already on its way back.

"Get some sleep. We'll be home soon," he told her. His brows relaxed, and though his voice was still hoarse, it was much better than before.

Tang Mianmian nodded. She really was exhausted. After an entire night of chaos, it was a miracle she hadn't collapsed yet.

The car had only driven a short distance before she drifted into a deep sleep.

Long Yejue glanced sideways at her peaceful sleeping face, finally letting go of the anxiety that had gripped his heart all night.

The panic and fear from earlier slowly faded, replaced by a quiet, lingering warmth between them.

***

The news of Tang Mianmian's return put everyone in the Long family at ease.

Long Zhenfei arranged for people to wait at Nian Garden before finally retiring to his room for some rest.

The other family members also dispersed.

Long Fengteng turned to Zhu Wenyi, who was still seated. "Come on, she's back safe and sound. You haven't rested all day either. Go get some sleep, don't worry too much."

"Who's worried?" Zhu Wenyi snorted coldly, then turned and walked away.

Long Fengteng could only shake his head helplessly.

Meanwhile, Long Yejue carried the sleeping Tang Mianmian out of the car. The butler was already waiting and led the way to Nian Garden.

He never loosened his grip on her the entire time.

The butler noticed this detail and immediately understood just how much the young madam meant to his master.

The young master had completely changed.

"The bath upstairs is ready, Young Master. Take Young Madam to freshen up first. I'll bring food up shortly," Xu Quan said respectfully.

Long Yejue nodded and carried Tang Mianmian upstairs.

The maids who had been prepared to assist with the bath were all dismissed.

There was no way the young master would allow anyone else to do such a thing.

***

Tang Mianmian only stirred awake when she was lowered into the warm bathwater.

She was so exhausted that she hadn't woken up at all during the journey. But as soon as she opened her eyes and saw the familiar surroundings, she relaxed.

"Don't move," a deep voice suddenly sounded by her ear.

Tang Mianmian froze.

Wait… was she in the bathtub?

And behind her… was Long Yejue?!

They were bathing together?!

Panic surged through her, and she instinctively tried to sit up. But before she could, he pressed her back down. "Stay in. The heat will help you feel better."

Her entire body tensed. She didn't dare move, didn't dare acknowledge any sensation—just sat there, stiff as a board.

Somebody, please strike her with lightning!

A couple's bath? How embarrassing!

She remained paralyzed in her awkwardness until she felt his strong hands massaging her shoulders, easing her tense muscles.

The warm jets of the jacuzzi worked in tandem with his soothing touch, melting away her exhaustion.

Tang Mianmian nearly fell asleep again in the bath.

***

The butler brought up a tray of warm, comforting food, including a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold.

Tang Mianmian wasn't a fan of ginger, but she couldn't bring herself to reject the butler's thoughtful gesture. She secretly hoped Long Yejue would share some of it with her.

However, he didn't even glance at the soup, which hurt her pride just a little.

"Uncle Xu said this is for both of us. You can't just make me drink it alone!" she protested.

"I run hot. I don't need ginger soup," he said meaningfully.

Tang Mianmian met his gaze and immediately understood exactly what he meant.

She instantly fell silent.

Fine. She'd just drink it herself…

After eating and drinking, Tang Mianmian finally felt alive again. But instead of going to sleep, she grabbed the medical kit, walked up to him, and pointed at the bed. "Lie down."

Long Yejue raised an eyebrow, surprised by her authoritative tone.

Was the little lamb finally showing her fangs?

"What are you staring at? Lie down!" she insisted, her voice firm.

Amused, he obeyed but couldn't help teasing, "What's this? Planning to take advantage of me?"