Take her as my wife

After this incident, Tan Wen and Jiang Ni's relationship grew closer without them even realizing it. However, Tan Wen also developed a knot in his heart—he had nightmares for several days, constantly dreaming of Jiang Ni being bullied, and he couldn't get a good night's sleep at all.

He'd been holding it in for days, but finally couldn't resist approaching Jiang Ni after she finished explaining the problem: "Sister, how about you tutor me, and I'll teach you boxing?"

Jiang Ni: "?"

She smiled, a rare occurrence for her: "It's not impossible, but I don't have any athletic talent. Boxing might be even worse, so you'll have to put in some effort."

In the nearly one month since they met, this was the first time Tan Wen had seen such a cute and lively expression on her face. Even though she was still quite reserved, it was enough to captivate Tan Wen's soul.

He coughed lightly, turned his head, crossed his legs, and replied awkwardly, "I will be very strict."

"Being coquettish won't work," he added in his mind.

Jiang Ni said softly, "Okay, thank you, Teacher Tan."

The real Xiao Tan was almost completely awakened by her.

Tan Wen jumped up, practically fleeing, and said, "I need to use the restroom."

After agreeing on the plan, Tan Wen knocked on Jiang Ni's door at six o'clock the next morning: "Sister, get up and go for a run."

Jiang Ni's biological clock doesn't work this early. She groggily sat up in bed and replied, "...Okay."

To match Tan Wen's "teaching plan", she specially changed into a set of sportswear, a white T-shirt, black sports shorts, and tied her hair in a high ponytail.

As soon as he opened the door and stepped outside, Tan Wen's eyes widened in disbelief—the white T-shirt was a tight-fitting, quick-drying design, and his gaze involuntarily fell upon her chest.

...No wonder my back felt so soft that day... He thought back to it for a moment, then realized how mundane he had been, and abruptly looked away.

—Then I went to look at her legs.

Those two shapely and beautiful white legs were exposed, and so far, Tan Wen had not seen a single mole or scar on her exposed skin.

Flawless, that's about it.

"Is it wrong for me to dress like this?" Jiang Ni asked, puzzled, as he kept staring at her.

Tan Wen snapped out of his reverie and nodded, "Wearing looser clothes is better; it will make it easier for you to move around."

Jiang Ni, having received the advice, said, "Then I'll go buy two new sportswear outfits in a couple of days—I'll just make do with these for today, okay?"

"Um."

They warmed up downstairs, and Tan Wen led her on a slow jog to a nearby gymnasium.

It's said to be nearby, but that's only "near" to Tan Wen; the actual distance should be close to five kilometers.

Jiang Ni took two breaks during the race, and when she stood on the track, she was already panting heavily.

Her chest heaved, her breathing heavy. Tan Wen kept his eyes fixed straight ahead—not that he didn't want to look, but that he dared not—and issued the task: "Run five laps around the track. Ready?"

Jiang Ni was dumbfounded: "Five laps?!"

She gave up entirely, sat down on the ground, and looked up at him: "Teacher Tan, perhaps you should adopt a gradual teaching method. Forcing growth is wrong."

As expected of an intern lawyer, she's exceptionally eloquent.

Tan Wen bent down, placed his hands on his knees, and moved his head closer to her. Jiang Ni subconsciously leaned back, and this small movement made Tan Wen immediately move his body, not daring to rashly intrude into her "intimate distance circle".

"Yesterday I said I'd only memorize fifty words, but you insisted on 100—why didn't you say 'gradual progress' when you mentioned it, Teacher Jiang?"

He curled the corners of his lips into a smile: "I've memorized 100 words. I hope you won't let me down, sister. Five laps, ready."

He boldly grabbed both of her wrists and easily pulled her up. Before she could react, he let go and became her runner, even turning around and running backwards to encourage her: "Go, sister!"

Although Jiang Ni felt helpless, her indomitable spirit was also stirred up by him.

She dusted herself off, took a few deep breaths, and slowly ran toward him.

Tan Wen could run faster than her even when running backwards, and he kept up with her for two laps.

Her cheeks were flushed, and damp sweat clung to her temples and the tip of her nose, making her look like a water-soaked red apple.

Suddenly, a piece of "unorthodox knowledge" that Tan had heard at some point popped into his mind.

High-intensity sex is roughly equivalent to brisk walking for 30 minutes, burning an average of 100-300 calories per session.

Tan Wenxin said, "With Jiang Ni's physical strength, wouldn't she be exhausted after just one session?"

—Did she sleep with Tan Yan?

This question, which he had never thought about before, suddenly popped up.

It's said that "he hasn't won her over yet," but adult relationships aren't as conventional as they were in high school, something Tan Wen has witnessed far too often.

He felt a tightness in his chest, and while Jiang Ni was resting, he said, "I'll go buy you a bottle of water."

He hurried along, found a spot where Jiang Ni couldn't see him, and punched the tree trunk.

"Brother, why is that handsome guy hitting a tree?"

"Maybe he broke up with his girlfriend or got cheated on."

What does it mean to be cheated on by your girlfriend?

You'll understand when you grow up.

The brothers walked away talking. If the younger brother hadn't been so young, Tan Wen would definitely have gone to settle accounts with the older brother who had misled the child.

His eyebrows drooped, and he muttered a curse under his breath: "...Fuck."

When they got back, Jiang Ni noticed that he was in a bad mood, as if he was sulking about something.

She asked him a few questions, but he always said "it's nothing." She assumed it was some kind of "boyish secret" or "treasure," so she didn't ask any more questions.

As they neared home, Tan couldn't help but ask, "Sister, what kind of person do you think my brother is?"

"Attentive, patient, and kind." Jiang Ni thought the question was easy to answer and gave him the answer without hesitation.

Shit.

Tan Yan is a selfish, cowardly, and hypocritical person.

She has terrible taste in men.

"Then," he clenched his fist, which was hanging by his sides, "when do you plan to 'promote' him?"

Jiang Ni had given this question a lot of thought, and she said, "It should be soon."

With a thud, Tan Wen's heart plummeted to the bottom, shattering into pieces.

And what Jiang Ni said, "It'll be soon," really will be very soon.

That weekend, he went with Brother Hong to collect debts and didn't return until almost dark.

Then downstairs I saw Tan Yan holding a bouquet of red roses and carrying a gift box.

With this kind of situation... what else could Tan Wen not understand?

He hid in the corner and watched as Tan Yan took Jiang Ni down. After walking a few steps, Tan Yan tentatively took Jiang Ni's hand.

Jiang Ni did not dodge.

Their fingers were intertwined, so intimately connected.

Tan Wen, however, continued to harass them as if in self-torture, following them all the way to the best hotel in Ning County.

He leaned against a street lamp and finished a pack of cigarettes.

He was injured in the abdomen during the fight today, but for some reason, the pain is getting worse and worse in his chest.

It was completely dark when he looked up at the hotel building.

I don't know which room Jiang Ni is in that has the light on.

This should be a beautiful night, and I hope Tan Yan can make her happy.

This was also a cruel night.

He should go.