Chapter 1.11 Shen Qi
"What?!" Shen Qi's royal brothers shouted in unison, unable to believe what their little sister had just said.
"It's true. Mu Xuan and I are getting married," Shen Qi declared matter‑of‑factly.
"Mu Xuan!"
"And!"
"Shen'er!"
"Are!"
"Getting married?!" her brothers roared, their voices overlapping in disbelief.
"Yes," Mu Xuan replied simply, pulling Shen Qi closer into his arms with calm certainty.
"Mu Xuan, you traitor!" the Emperor bellowed.
"Mu Xuan, you vile man! You dare sink your claws into our own sister?!" the Fifth Prince shouted, his face livid with rage.
"See if we don't skin you alive right here and now!" the Fourth Prince shouted.
"For daring to touch our sister..." the Sixth Prince glared dangerously at Mu Xuan.
"We'll beat you to a pulp until even Mother won't recognize you anymore!" the Seventh Prince added furiously.
"Brothers, skin him alive!!" the Second Prince roared as weapons were brandished, their blades gleaming with a dangerous light.
"Attack!"
"So... what did I tell you all?" Shen Qi asked dangerously, her voice low but sharp.
Even Mu Xuan and the Emperor sat stiffly, behaving with the best manners possible.
"Never point a sharp and dangerous weapon at a family member," the royal princes and the Emperor chorused obediently.
The truth was undeniable: aside from their mother, the Empress, the only person who could truly terrify them was Shen Qi. Even the Emperor—revered and feared by all—could not stop the trembling in his knees. He dared not anger his Shen'er.
Mu Xuan, on the other hand, was also holding that same ridiculous kung fu "stance" without a word of protest. His expression was indulgent, almost reverent, as he did it before Shen Qi. For her, he would not only do this, he would gladly kneel if she asked.
"You should understand this point and never forget it," Shen Qi said, her smile sharp and dangerous. "A family should love one another, not harm one another. I trust everyone understands me clearly."
"Yes, Sister! / Shen Qi! / Shen'er!" her brothers and even the Emperor chorused in unison.
"Good!"
Shen Qi's dangerous smile melted into a bright, radiant one.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
"Shen'er, are you really sure about marrying that sc—Mu Xuan?!" The Emperor asked, his voice tinged with desperate hope.
Mu Xuan shot him a deadly glare, but the Emperor didn't so much as flinch. His sister's safety was at stake, and no threat could shake his resolve.
"First Brother," Shen Qi said firmly, "I know you're suspicious of Mu Xuan—his face practically screams 'Totally cannot be trusted'—but I assure you, Mu Xuan is a good man."
"We know Mu Xuan just as well as you do, Sister," the Sixth Prince cut in without hesitation. "That's exactly why we can't trust him."
"Sixth Brother is right."
The Seventh Prince agreed immediately.
"Mu Xuan is the number one person in this entire kingdom that you should never trust."
"Why do you all keep badmouthing me, you brats?!"
Mu Xuan snapped, gritting his teeth as his glare swept across each of them.
"Do you want me to beat you all up?!"
"Of course—it's so, Sister/Shen Qi/Shen'er won't marry you!"
The royal family shouted in unison.
"You—!" Mu Xuan's temper flared, but Shen Qi quickly caught his hand, her touch calming him.
"Mu Xuan, stop." Her voice was gentle yet firm. Then she turned to her brothers and the Emperor. "And you all, please stop it already. I know you only want the best for me, but I'm not a child anymore. I can make my own choices—and choosing Mu Xuan is the best decision I've ever made."
Mu Xuan's heart trembled at her words. In his entire life, no one—not even his own brothers—had ever told him he was the best choice.
He knew his brothers loved him in their own way, but their sharp tongues never allowed them to say such things aloud.
Only Shen Qi could.
And despite their idiocy, he still cared for those brothers of his.
"Little Princess... can't we really change your mind?" the Second Prince asked hesitantly.
"Nothing can change my mind anymore," Shen Qi declared with finality.
The Fourth Prince let out a long sigh.
"If that is what you truly wish for... then we can only support you."
"Third Brother, please take care of Sister. If you make her cry..."
The Sixth Prince's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"We'll skin you alive and hang your corpse upside down!"
The Seventh Prince snarled, flashing a wicked-looking weapon toward Mu Xuan before quickly hiding it from Shen Qi's sight.
"Mu Xuan, don't you dare even think of taking a consort, or I'll toss you to the wolves myself!"
The Emperor threatened coldly, flashing his own blade.
The others followed suit, each brandishing a weapon for a brief moment before tucking it away, hoping Shen Qi wouldn't notice.
But Shen Qi only laughed.
She wasn't blind; she had seen every glint of steel her brothers tried to hide. Still, her heart warmed. How lucky she was to have such loving, caring, and fiercely protective brothers.
"Even if you hadn't reminded me of that."
Mu Xuan looked solemn, his voice steady as he made his promise, not only to Shen Qi, but to her brothers as well.
Every word carried the weight of his resolve, leaving no room for doubt. His gaze never wavered, his hand firmly holding Shen Qi's as though anchoring his vow in the present moment.
"I would never take another woman as my consort. Even if the Emperor himself handed me an imperial edict, I would rather die than betray Shen'er. Not even in death would I take another. Shen'er will be my first and last wife; she is the only one for me."
His gaze softened, holding Shen Qi's hand, his eyes brimming with devotion.
"Mu Xuan, you'd better remember your words today."
Shen Qi warned, her tone sharp.
"I am a possessive woman, and I don't share my man. If the day ever comes that you take a consort, touch another woman, or even look at another woman that isn't me, that will be the day you lose me."
Her words were not a jest. Even though they had promised each other in their past life, if he broke that vow now, she would not hesitate to leave him, no questions asked.
"Shen'er, I promise you."
Mu Xuan's voice was grave, steady, and resolute.
"You will be the only woman I will ever love in this lifetime, and in the next, and in the next after that."
His vow weighed like the world itself, immense and unshakable.
He would undoubtedly fulfill it, not only in this life but in a hundred lifetimes more. Even if his mind were to forget her, his heart never would.
"Mu Xuan, you'd better not forget your promise."
Shen Qi warned softly, her eyes unwavering.
"Because I will remember it."