I accidentally Married the Leader of the Noble Path

The quilt was warm because Shangguan Rouyue was sleeping in it.

She seemed to still be asleep, showing no reaction even when Qin Nan climbed onto the bed.

As he breathed, Qin Nan caught the faint, intoxicating fragrance of her body. It was an alluring scent that could easily become addictive.

Without fear of waking her, Qin Nan squirmed closer like an inchworm, deliberately inching toward her.

The bed was small, meant for one person. With two people on it now, they had to press close together.

Their clothing was light, as people rarely wear layers to bed. Thus, their closeness created a particularly ambiguous atmosphere.

Shangguan Rouyue wasn’t someone who lowered her guard easily. The moment the door opened, she sensed Qin Nan’s approach and knew he was the one coming in.

She didn’t call him out or react but decided to see what he intended to do.

As expected, Qin Nan shamelessly climbed onto her bed, squeezing beside her.

It surprised her that he would dare do such a thing. She had already rejected his request to share the bed openly. Unable to achieve his goal directly, he had resorted to sneaking in under the cover of night.

Surprisingly, Shangguan Rouyue wasn’t angry—her feelings were more complicated than that.

Of course, she did briefly consider kicking Qin Nan off the bed.

But she refrained. For now, she would let him have his way.

After all, it was his bed in the first place, one she had taken over. Coupled with the fact that Qin Nan had saved her life, she couldn’t bring herself to treat him harshly.

Taking shelter here, eating his food and sleeping under his roof was enough. To add a tantrum on top of it would truly be shameless.

Besides, during the time when Qin Nan had treated her injuries, they had already seen each other’s vulnerabilities and shared physical proximity. Compared to that, sharing a bed now didn’t seem like such a big deal.

Thus, Shangguan Rouyue didn’t resist Qin Nan’s intrusion, continuing to feign sleep. Her silent acceptance of the situation was her sole act of pride.

Considering that the bed was small and she was lying right in the middle, leaving little space for Qin Nan, Shangguan Rouyue even shifted slightly toward the wall in her “sleep” to make room for him.

But she hadn’t realized that her gesture was akin to inviting a wolf into the fold.

Not only did Qin Nan edge closer, but he boldly wrapped an arm around her, causing her body to stiffen.

Was he not afraid of being kicked off the bed if he woke her up?

Despite her thoughts, Shangguan Rouyue remained still, allowing him to embrace her and continuing to pretend to be asleep.

In truth, when Qin Nan held her, she felt a strange, inexplicable sensation rise in her heart.

She couldn’t explain it clearly, only that she didn’t dislike it. Instead, it felt inexplicably reassuring.

Perhaps, even a little heart throbbing.

…

When the morning sun was still hidden below the horizon and the neighbor’s rooster crowed, signaling the start of a new day, they both woke up simultaneously.

Upon waking, Shangguan Rouyue was mortified by her sleeping posture.

Somehow, she had ended up holding Qin Nan, cradling him close as though clutching a gold treasure.

Her thoughts immediately recalled an old saying: “A woman three years older is like holding a golden treasure.” Her face flushed with embarrassment.

But in truth, she was far more than three years older than Qin Nan. Add two zeros, and it would still fall short.

As she turned her head, she was startled to find Qin Nan’s black and white eyes staring straight at her, wide open.

Flustered, she quickly released her grip, freeing him from her arms.

To hide her embarrassment, Shangguan Rouyue feigned annoyance and attempted to seize the initiative.

“I told you yesterday that I didn’t agree to share a bed. How dare you sneak in during the night!” she said, her voice tinged with displeasure.

“Miss Shangguan, your scent is enchanting,” Qin Nan replied nonchalantly, with a rogue’s grin, leaning closer.

“Don’t change the subject. Just because you saved my life doesn’t give you the right to cross the line,” Shangguan Rouyue retorted sternly.

“I know you weren’t really asleep last night. You were awake when I got into bed, weren’t you?” Qin Nan asked, his eyes gleaming with cunning.

Her momentary panic betrayed her, but she quickly regained composure, determined not to let him catch on.

“Nonsense! I only just woke up and realized you were here,” she insisted.

“If that’s true, why aren’t you more startled? Even if you weren’t scared, shouldn’t you at least be angry? You’re good at pretending, but you can’t fool me.” 

“When I held you last night, your body stiffened for a moment. That wasn’t an unconscious reaction; you were definitely awake. Yet, you didn’t push me away or kick me off the bed, meaning you accepted it.” 

“This pretense now is just your pride talking, isn’t it?” he explained calmly.

Shangguan Rouyue was rendered speechless by his words.

He might have looked like an innocent and naïve youth, but his astuteness and maturity were disconcertingly sharp.

How could someone so clever not understand the wisdom of leaving some things unsaid?

If it had been anyone else sneaking into her room last night, they wouldn’t have survived to see the morning light.

If Qin Nan hadn’t been her savior or if she didn’t have some inexplicable fondness for him…

“Still not getting up?” Shangguan Rouyue said, her voice laced with embarrassment and frustration. She deliberately changed the topic, ignoring Qin Nan’s previous words.

“It’s still early, the bed’s warm, let’s just sleep a little longer, dear wife,” Qin Nan replied, holding her tightly and burying his face into her soft chest.

Shangguan Rouyue froze entirely, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Who’s your wife?” she snapped angrily.

“Of course, it’s you. We’re already sleeping on the same bed. If we’re not a married couple, what are we? If you don’t like me calling you ‘wife,’ I can call you ‘dear’ instead,” Qin Nan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Shangguan Rouyue had never encountered someone so shameless. Her beautiful face flushed with anger as her expression darkened.

“Stop talking nonsense. If it weren’t for you complaining that I was hogging your bed and as thanks for the new clothes you gave me, I would’ve kicked you off the bed last night,” she huffed.

“So you admit it—you were awake last night,” Qin Nan said with a sly smile. “Anyway, since you didn’t kick me out and even have some affection for me, you need to take responsibility for hugging me in your sleep and taking advantage of me.”

“Scoundrel! I just got confused in my sleep. Don’t misunderstand,” Shangguan Rouyue retorted.

“No misunderstanding here,” Qin Nan said firmly.

Shangguan Rouyue’s cheeks puffed out slightly in frustration. Though visibly annoyed, she still didn’t push Qin Nan away, letting him continue his antics.

With her cultivation level, if she wanted to, Qin Nan wouldn’t even get close.

But the truth was, Shangguan Rouyue had been consistently tolerating his boldness. On the surface, it seemed she was forced to endure his shameless behavior, yet she never truly felt any dislike for it.