After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The next morning, the carriages and servants of the Duke of Wei's mansion were already waiting outside the inn.

When the door was knocked, Xie Jinchen was inside, coaxing Jiang Dusheng, who was sitting in front of the dressing table with his back to him, leaving only a cold and hard back view.

Upon hearing the knock, Jiang Dusheng went straight to open the door without glancing at Xie Jinchen once.

The Duke and Duchess of Wei had already returned to the city, but they had thoughtfully prepared a separate carriage for her.

Her steps were slightly hesitant, but her back was ramrod straight as she quickly walked down the stairs and went straight to the carriage prepared by the Duke of Wei's mansion.

The carriage curtains were drawn, blocking out the view from the outside world.

Jiang Dusheng sat alone in the car, his mind flooded with uncontrollable thoughts from the previous night.

Skin pressed tightly together in the steaming hot water, lips and tongue burning hot... and finally, her consciousness was overwhelmed by waves of unfamiliar and intense pleasure, until she could no longer bear it.

She clung to Xie Jinchen's muscular shoulders and said in a broken, panting voice:

"Xie Jinchen, how about we consummate our marriage early..."

She even came up with a lame excuse to try and make this absurd suggestion sound reasonable, "Well... let's just say it's to dispel the evil energy... um..."

But at the last moment, he became stubborn and refused to completely remove the last fabric barrier between them, insisting on letting her reach the top in another way.

Jiang Dusheng became increasingly angry, partly because of his rare initiative and rejection last night.

The other half is a kind of inexplicable and frustrating feeling.

The carriage curtain was lifted again, and Xie Jinchen strode in and sat down.

Seeing this, Jiang Dusheng immediately moved a large distance to the side, almost touching the other side of the car wall, and turned his head to look out the window, leaving only a cold profile.

Xie Jinchen looked at the space between the two of them, which was big enough for two more people to sit, raised an eyebrow, and moved over without hesitation to sit down next to her.

His cool, refreshing aura instantly encroached on the safe distance that Jiang Dusheng had deliberately maintained.

Jiang Dusheng abruptly turned his head to glare at him, his eyes still filled with lingering annoyance.

Seeing this, Xie Jinchen not only didn't back down, but instead moved closer. "Jiang Dusheng, are you glaring at me?"

Jiang Dusheng gave a cold "hmm" through his nose.

Unfortunately, she underestimated Xie Jinchen's shamelessness in certain aspects, especially in front of her.

Instead of backing down, he took advantage of the situation and reached out to interlock his fingers with hers, which was resting on her knee, holding it tightly.

At the same time, her voice became even softer, almost coaxing:

"I was wrong." He admitted his mistake readily, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, showing no sign of genuine remorse.

Jiang Dusheng tried to pull his hand back, but the other man gripped it even tighter.

She struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she gave up, her face growing even colder. "From this day forward, until we get married, you shall stay ten feet away from me."

"No." Xie Jinchen refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.

He turned to the side, looking intently into Jiang Dusheng's eyes, "I can guarantee that before we get married, I will never cross the line again, nor will I ever... lose control like I did last night."

He paused, recalling the enchanting moments of the previous night, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, but his eyes remained resolute. "But I can't stay even a foot away from you."

Jiang Dusheng was amused by his guarantee. The passionate and entangled scenes from last night flooded her mind again, and she blurted out:

"When you barged into my room last night, when you squeezed into the bathtub, why didn't you say you'd never cross that line again?"

Xie Jinchen: "..."

He touched the tip of his nose, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by seriousness.

Xie Jinchen knew that he was in the wrong in this matter, and no amount of explanation would be of any use.

Xie Jinchen tightened his grip on his fingers again, his voice low and solemn: "Last night I couldn't control myself and lost my senses. I promise you, I won't do that again until I give you a proper wedding."

After hearing this, Jiang Dusheng's anger subsided somewhat, but he still didn't want to talk to him.

Xie Jinchen placed her hand in his palm, his movements gentle and respectful.

He looked at Jiang Dusheng's still turned away profile and said in a low voice, "I know you don't care about worldly opinions and act only according to your heart, without any restraint. But I do care."

He paused, his gaze falling on her slightly trembling eyelashes. "It's precisely because you don't care that I want to make you my wife rightfully, with all the proper betrothal rites, a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, and everyone as witnesses."

The carriage was quiet for a moment.

Jiang Dusheng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the two people's tightly clasped hands, the warmth emanating from his palms.

After a while, she suddenly pulled her hand away from his palm with force.

Jiang Dusheng raised his eyes, looking at Xie Jinchen with a half-smile, his tone returning to its usual clear and bright tone:

"Alright. Since Young Master Xie is so steadfast in adhering to worldly etiquette, then according to etiquette, it is impolite and damaging to one's reputation for unmarried men and women to ride in the same carriage without the presence of elders or special reasons."

She mimicked Xie Jinchen's solemn tone, then smiled slightly and raised her chin: "So, please leave."

Xie Jinchen: "..."

Wouldn't you call this... shooting yourself in the foot?

He used etiquette to express his feelings, but she used the same etiquette to outmaneuver him.

Xie Jinchen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that any rebuttal seemed pale at this moment.

In the end, instead of getting out of the car, he moved even closer to her and whispered in her ear in a playful tone:

"Rules of etiquette are rigid, but I am flexible. Besides... after last night, how can we still be considered ordinary unmarried men and women?"

"I can't get off this carriage today. If you feel uncomfortable with that... how about we get married tomorrow? I'll start making arrangements as soon as we get back to the city today, so you can rightfully ride in the same carriage as me."